Potato Bread

Some of my favorite recipes are those that allow you to use up a bunch of food you have hanging around your house before it goes bad.  This week, I was trying to figure out how to use a bunch of russet potatoes aside from turning them into oven fries and hash browns.  I spent about a half-hour searching for ways to use a bunch of potatoes all at once until I remembered having potato bread a few years back at a potluck.  I decided to have a go at that, and for a first attempt it turned out pretty well.  Although Irish cuisine has capitalized on potato bread, there are a few other cultures that have their own take on it, including Hungarians, Germans and Peruvians.  In fact, potatoes were originally domesticated and cultivated in South America; European spins on potato bread are surprisingly recent in the big picture of history.

Potato breads require a portion of the wheat flour to be replaced by potatoes (duh, right?), but vary between recipes; some use yeast, some use baking soda, some are baked while others are pan-fried...essentially, there is no single perfect way to make potato bread.  The recipe I used came from the cooking blog More Than Burnt Toast.  I liked this particular recipe because it used baking powder instead of yeast for leavening which is a lot simpler and requires less prep time, although I made some changes in my own process.

First off, I didn't use cheese but nutritional yeast, an inactive yeast made from sugarcane that is often used by vegans and vegetarians as a cheese-flavor replacer.  One of my favorite uses is as a grated cheese substitute  over pasta.  Nutritional yeast is really great because it's loaded with protein and a bunch of essential minerals, and its got a great tangy flavor similar to strong cheeses.

I also ran my potatoes through my food processor instead of mashing them by hand and/or with oil.  This little tool currently ranks as my favorite kitchen appliance; it got the potatoes to the perfect creamy consistency that I wanted and didn't require fats to be added to the recipe.  Finally, I skipped the mustard powder and added fresh thyme to the final pre-beaten mixture (again, to use up as much fridge-clutter as possible in this recipe).

The results: The one thing I would have changed would have been to bake the bread longer at a slightly lower temperature to give it a slightly drier interior.  Overall, though, it turned out nicely with a great flavor and a really nice crust.  Sometime in the future I will attempt a yeast bread and write about the experience.

Recipe Time! Vegan Pâté

This is another recipe I played around with earlier this week that actually turned out pretty well, something that doesn't often happen the first time I try a new culinary conquest.  I had gotten a few carrots in my CSA package this week, and I wanted to find another use for them aside from raw carrot sticks and oven roasted veg-medly.  I also came into possession of a new kitchen toy last weekend: a food processor.  I’ve wanted to try making my own peanut butter and pesto for some time, but I decided to test the processor’s capacity (and prevent my carrots from going to waste) with a recipe for vegan pâté I had read about in a food justice book.  In addition, Heidi left a comment about how she can’t cook in my entry about squash bread; the great thing about this recipe is that it requires no actual cooking, and can be a real crowd-pleaser if you’re hosting a party or potluck.

Pâté is usually a mixture of meat and fats processed into a paste and shaped before being served.  Often times recipes call for the liver of the animal to be used, such as in foie gras, and might include spices, herbs and other flavoring agents.  Meat pâté is (supposedly) really rich and tasteful, but it’s horrendously bad for you (liver is one of the worst organ meats you can eat) and more expensive than a college student’s budget can afford.  By contrast, vegan pâté is simple and relatively cheap to make, and is loaded with protein, fiber and healthy fats (not to mention flavor!).  Plus, as mentioned above, it requires no heating, roasting or cooking, just some time with a food processor and any fruit skin-peeling that might be needed.

The basis of vegan pâté is a nut or seed, or a combination depending on how big a batch you’re making and the flavor combination you’re aiming for.  I decided to use raw brazil nuts, since they’re a good source of calcium and protein, plus mono- and polyunsaturated fats (the good kind, in small doses!).  I soaked a cup of them overnight room-temperature water to make them a little more malleable when they were processed.  I first processed 1½ raw carrots, peeled and chopped with a little olive oil, into a slightly grainy mixture before processing the nuts into a thick paste.  For flavor and a smoother mixture, I added more olive oil, cinnamon and a little bit of raw (unpasteurized) apple cider.  I love raw cider because it has a better flavor than when it’s pasteurized and contains a lot of healthy bacteria and enzymes, somewhat similar to yogurt.  After the nuts were well blended, I added the carrot mixture and a little more cinnamon before processing everything together into this:

The result: Although the combination looks a little like vomit, it tasted great and has enjoyed as both a dip and on a sandwich.  My roommate (again, my culinary guinea pig) said it reminded him a little of charoset, a Jewish-European dish generally served at Passover.  My next venture will be a savory pumpkin-curry-seed-brazil nut pâté.

Try this out on your own.  You can use a blender in lieu of a food processor, and the possibilities of combinations are infinite!  And remember: no cooking required!

The Ices Vendor

The winter months in Worcester have been increasingly harsh over the last few years, by my standards.  I say “by my standards” because a good friend of my older sister, a gentleman from Alaska, would walk around during winter in flip-flops and shorts until the snow reached his ankles.  But I digress…

It is during these times that I think back to summer in New England and blissfully reminisce about the sunshine and warm evenings, and how I worked as a groundskeeper at Clark two summers ago, enjoying the hazy days while I pulled weeds and mowed the grass (of course, it rained for twenty-eight days of that June, but that’s not important).  One of my fondest memories of summertime is Worcester is the Ices Vendor.  Nearly every day the sun was out and the rainclouds retreated, a small sidewalk vending cart would park itself outside of a Spanish-English Christian bookstore on Main Street, not far from my apartment at the time.  The man who worked the vendor also ran the bookstore, and would move back and forth between the counter inside and a lawn chair outside by the cart throughout the day.  He always sold the same flavors: coconut, lemon, cherry, and sometimes a flavor he simply called “rainbow”.  I would often stop by the cart once a week for a coconut ice; it was the perfect thing immediately after sweating out in the sun for eight hours.  I didn’t develop any relationship with the vendor; I never even asked him what his name was and where was he from, but I was always grateful for the treat he’d provide during the few hot months that struck Worcester.

I’m still not sure if the ices have any cultural relevance or if it was just a way to generate some extra revenue.  Regardless, it’s an example of the importance of “street food” to urban communities and a landmark for residents.  If you’re ever in the Main South neighborhood of Worcester during the summer, I recommend checking out a certain bookstore between Beaver and Clement Streets.  You might be surprised to find a reprieve from the heat.

Miranda Bread

I was raised in a suburb of New York City, and have been fortunate enough to have explored all five boroughs at some point in my life.  One food-fact I’ve learned from my experiences is that some of the best places are the “hole-in-the-wall” spots, maybe a family-run grocery store that specializes in Middle-Eastern cuisine, or a downtown café that is known for its German breakfast treats.  These locations are sometimes hiding in plain sight, and what they lack in publicity and showiness, they make up for with good food and a solid relationship with their community that keeps them in business.

This feature is as true for Central Massachusetts as it is about New York.  A variety of cultures has amassed in Worcester over the last century or so, and introduced us all to a plethora of cuisines.  Some of the best places to find a bite to eat are the smaller, independent stores and cafes that not only tend to connect us to the owner’s home kitchen (where the eldest matriarchal figure will be putting some of the best gourmet chefs to shame while creating the family’s evening meal), but also to a wide array of cultures and history that you can’t find at a supermarket, or as intimately at a restaurants.  This is especially true about staple food products and treats you’d find in a typical bakery or café in one’s homeland.  I know this may all read as overly romantic, but the fact is that people from all over the world have established their niche communities in the United States; what better place to start sharing cultures and building relationships than over food

Worcester is home to a menagerie of cultures and ethnicities; Vietnamese, Ghanaian, Brazilian, Dominican, Italian and Albanian are just a few groups that have established presences in the city.  My peers and I all have a few favorite spots to satisfy our palates and diverse cravings, and I was recently introduced to a new one, Miranda Bread, a Brazilian coffee shop and bakehouse with two locations in Worcester, one at 140 Shrewsbury Street (where I’ve been) and another at 43 West Boylston Street (where I have yet to venture).  I had passed by Miranda a few times before but never went in, and always seemed too out of the way to try it out.  As it turned out, my parents had stopped in once when they were passing through Worcester and took me on their next trip there.  I have since become a fan.  The shop itself is not exceedingly big, but about 12-14 patrons can be seated at a time and the pace of business doesn’t make anyone feel rushed.  The shelves at Miranda Bread are loaded with all sorts of fresh baked goods and breads, segregated by sweet or savory.

In fact, everything at Miranda seemed to be freshly made down to the orange juice which was squeezed from fresh fruits by a large juicer.  The sandwiches and snacks made to order are prepared in the rear kitchen and served directly to your table if you’re staying, while drinks are picked up at the register.  I love coffee, and Miranda’s freshly-brewed Brazilian coffee was a caffeinated treat.  The only caution I’d offer about eating there would be to folks who are totally opposed to eating animal products or who have any dietary restrictions, since nearly every item has dairy, eggs, or meat.  Otherwise, I’m confident that anyone could find something they enjoy.

The made-to-order fare includes breakfast and dinner sandwiches on French bread, savory meat pies, and an assortment of snacks and appetizers.  Many of the savory snacks are deep fried pastries loaded with meat and/or cheese.  When I was last there I saw one gentleman enjoying a cheese pastel and a tall, fresh-squeezed orange juice.  Cakes are sold whole and by the slice, and many are bagged shortly after cooling from the oven and ready for take-out.  I’m a big fan of their coconut sweet bread (rosca de coco) which is made with an egg bread, much like challah but richer, and coated with shredded coconut.

Don’t just take my word for it; try Miranda Bread and see for yourself!

Squash Bread

This follows on the tails of my last post about the ARTichoke Co-op and the Heaven's Harvest CSA a friend and I have been splitting for the last few weeks.  I got a hold of a buttercup squash in our last shipment (it looks similar to a pumpkin and is just as sweet, but dark green on the outside).  Not totally sure what to do with this delightful looking gourd, I consulted a few cookbooks and the internet.  I wanted to use the squash before it spoiled, and I had a potluck coming up which was the perfect excuse to spend some time in the kitchen cooking something new.  I decided on making a winter squash bread, which looked and tasted almost exactly like pumpkin bread, but with a slightly less cloying sweetness and a lot less residual moisture.  My guinea pig roommate, the potluck attendees and I were all pleased with the results.  The bread actually went really well with a pumpkin-curry soup that a friend made.

The bread was really simple to make; it's a quickbread, so it uses baking soda to rise instead of yeast.  It's a good way to get rid of any winter squash you might have (butternut, acorn, spaghetti, etc.), and is great if you need a quick side dish or something to bring to a party.

ARTichoke Food Co-op

A cooperative, or co-op, is defined as “a business or organization owned by and operated for the benefit of those using its services, generally the consumers”.  Cooperative models can be used for a variety of organizations marketing and distributing products and services, and food co-ops are some of the best examples of how such organizations function and thrive.  All food and grocery cooperatives generally operate on the same basis: people pay a periodic membership fee to their cooperative and may volunteer some time working for the organization, and in return have continual access to food which is usually locally sourced from farms and small-scale producers.  Co-ops exist to benefit its members rather than to generate profit, and offer consumers the opportunity to participate in the decision-making processes of the business rather than be at the whim of financial interests and corporate policies.  The ARTichoke Food Co-op is the only functional grocery cooperative in Worcester, and as such is a unique establishment that offers noteworthy benefits to city residents.  Located at 800 Main Street next to the One Love Café, the ARTichoke is open 10AM-7PM Monday through Friday and 11AM-5PM on weekends.  I’ve been using the ARTichoke for the last three years, and I wanted to share my experience as both a member and a part-time volunteer.

The ARTichoke’s mission statement is as follows: “…to serve a long term interest in a healthier environment and a more just society, while meeting practical needs for access to healthy, inexpensive food…we strive to sell local, organic, and minimally packaged products, where possible. By doing this we hope to strengthen the local economy, support local farmers and make healthy food accessible”.  The store works hard to stay true to its message, offering a wide range of organic, fair-trade vegan and vegetarian and earth-friendly products.  Produce is provided by small and urban farms in Central Massachusetts, such as Many Hands Farm in Barre and Youth Grow Farms in Worcester.  The ARTichoke also offers fresh eggs from Dismas Family Farm and fresh milk from Gibson’s Dairy, both located in Worcester.  Other products include dried beans, grains, coffee from Dean’s Beans, a bookcase dedicated to dried herbs, dried and candied fruits, and teas, tofu, tempeh, and household necessities like soap and detergent.  Their freezer is loaded with a variety of frozen products, too, such as frozen organic raviolis and vegan ice cream bars.  Meat is not sold at all.

While there is no single owner or the business, the ARTichoke has a team of coordinators that manage different aspects of the store, such as the produce and volunteer coordinators.  The coordinators meet on the second Wednesday of every month at the store to discuss logistics and other matters.  Decisions are made by consensus process, both to ensure that all sides are heard and addressed, but also to serve of a living example of what the ARTichoke stands for, an organization that works to meet the needs of its members and the greater community through peaceful and egalitarian means.

While membership is not required to shop at the co-op, yearly fees are $30 for individual buy-ins and $40 for families.  Membership will get you a 5% discount on your purchases and provide some of the needed financial resources that keep the ARTichoke open.  It can also allow you to volunteer running the storefront for a weekly three-hour shift, which can be shared with other members, if three hours four times a month is too much of a time commitment.  Volunteering increases your discount to 10%.

I am currently a member of the co-op and was a bi-monthly volunteer during the summer and fall of 2009.  I had split my shift with another member, since we both wanted to volunteer but had limited free time to commit.  A work shift usually involves working the register, helping out customers and people picking up bulk orders, cleaning up whenever necessary, and closing up the register and recording the day’s total if you have the last shift, which I did.  Sometimes shifts are quiet if it’s a slow day, but there are always at least a few customers that come through, or maybe a group of volunteers from the Youth Grow Farm will be in for a harvest-and-display class to set up vegetables that they’ve just picked.  It’s also an opportunity to read and get some work done, or to just with with anyone who’s in the store at the time.

One of the benefits of using the co-op is the ability to bulk order a number of products directly from the suppliers.  Bulk ordering tends to make large orders of individual products cheaper to the consumer, and reduces middle-man interaction.  If your family, business or collective living arrangement uses large quantities of beans or flour each week, then you can acquire them at a reduced cost.

In addition to its usual stock, the ARTichoke also serves as a recruiter and a drop-off site for Heavens Harvest Farm’s CSA program.  CSA, or “Community Supported Agriculture”, is a program that involves individuals purchasing “shares” of a farm’s harvest for a periodic delivery of fresh produce.  The autumn CSA program from Heavens Harvest, for example, lasts nine weeks and, a “single share” costs $165, or $18.33 per week.  The goal of a CSA is to keep a farm in business and improve access to healthy food for its constituents.  The ARTichoke advertises the program in the weeks preceding its commencement, and the produce coordinator for the store helps set up logistics and payment plans.  I currently split a single share with a friend, and we both receive more than enough fresh fruits and vegetables to last us for an entire week.

The ARTichoke is walkable, bikeable, and has parking available on the surrounding streets, so anyone can get to it.  If you’re in or near the Main South neighborhood in Worcester, I highly suggest checking out the ARTichoke.

Hacienda Don Juan

I went to Hacienda Don Juan for the first time with one of my roommates who, in addition to having an adventurous palate, is fluent in Spanish and knows a lot about different Spanish-speaking cultures.  Hacienda Don Juan has Salvadorian and Mexican cuisine, and offers a wide variety of choices at extraordinarily reasonable prices.  Located at 875B Main Street in Worcester (right next to the Thu Duc Vietnamese restaurant), they are open seven days a week until 10pm and accept most major credit cards.

Most of the dishes on the menu have meat, and a number of them are fried.  That being said, the food was high quality and there were a number of healthy options.  Hacienda offers a selection of soups and grilled fish and meat, and many of the meat entrees had vegetables mixed into them.  To start you off, Hacienda provides freshly-fried corn chips with fresh salsa, which were very tasty.  My roommate ordered Mole Poblano, chicken breast pieces seasoned with dried peppers and mole, a Central American chocolate sauce that is savory rather than sweet ($11.99).

While I normally take eating out as an opportunity to order meat, I went with Nopalitos al Sarten, one of the few vegetarian options on the menu.  It consists of cactus strips (sans spines, for those who were concerned) sautéed in olive oil and tomatillo sauce ($9.99).  Both of our meals were served with white rice and refried beans and sprinkled with soft white cheese.  My roommate also ordered corn tortillas for both of us, and a pupusa for him, a traditional Salvadoran dish which consists of a corn tortilla stuffed with pork and fried ($1.50); I don’t eat pork for health reasons, but my roommate assured me that it’s delicious.

In addition to main dishes, Hacienda Don Juan has a selection of appetizers (again, mostly meat dishes), traditional and American-style desserts, and Central American juices.  My roommate topped off his meal with a passion fruit juice.  My roommate also ordered some food to go for a friend of his that was working; a pupusa and a horchata, a drink made with almonds and sesame seeds.

(courtesy of mmm-yoso.typepad.com)

One of the things I appreciated about the meal was the serving sizes.  Many times I’ve been to a restaurant and they overload your plate with food.  While I’m in no way opposed to taking home leftovers (and enjoying the meal a second time), I have met a number of people that actually hate the idea of leftovers and never take them.  The portions at Hacienda were not huge, but large enough where one doesn’t necessarily need to order more food.  I took the rest of my nopalitos home with me, and actually used them in a scrambled egg burrito the next morning!  On a related note, the restaurant itself is not especially big, and tables seat two to four people each.  My roommate and I were among the few eating there that evening, with the exception of a pair of Salvadoran men and a few other college students.

Final comments: Hacienda Don Juan definitely gets my seal of approval.  I’d recommend it to anyone looking for somewhere adventurous but still comfortably familiar and that won’t cost too much for a filling meal.  The food and atmosphere are of great quality.  Most dishes include meat or seafood, but there are still some vegetarian options on the menu.  A great place for a date or short business lunch, or for impressing your visiting friends and family with what Worcester has to offer.