Tom Kha Gai & Avgolemono Hybrid

                                                   

  One of my favorite quotes ever is Ann Wigmore's: "The food you eat can be either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison." I happen to agree with her one hundred percent, and the fact that so many people are completely oblivious to this fact breaks my heart in a million pieces every time I think about it.

However, this post isn't so much about the food itself, but the act of cooking it.  Whenever I am sick, I cook.  Whenever I am sad, I cook.  Whenever I am anxious, I cook.  And by the time the meal is finished, regardless of whether it was a giant multicourse dinner or just a simple pot of soup, I always feel better.  Even if it's just a little bit.

                                              

   I know that If I don't feel well, cooking may sound  counterproductive: expending energy that I don't have to prepare something that I am not even sure I will want to or be able to eat. 
But cooking is my therapy.  When I am cooking, I am present.  It is a form of meditation, where the smells and colors of the ingredients are the focus.  And the meal that they will transition into is the goal.  And just as in meditation, we transcend the ego and commune with our true self, the spirit. When cooking, I quiet the mind and all the rubble that is always so active inside of it, and connect with my spirit, which guides my hands and tells them just how much salt to add.

  Today, as I try to make sense of my stomach and body aches, I keep telling myself I need to eat something so I don't feel so weak.  But everything sounds awful, and my stomach turns at the thought of every single thing in the fridge.

  Over the years I have realized that there are two things, that no matter how ill I feel, always sound good, and more importantly, always taste and feel good once I sit down in front of them and prepare myself to ingest them: avgolemono and tom kha gai. 

                                                   

  The first one, is a traditional Greek soup.  Lemon, chicken and egg yolks create a creamy, filling and heartwarming dish.  Back in the days when I worked in the kitchen at Kokkari, I used to eat it in the summer months with fresh corn and chopped cilantro on top.

  The second one is a traditional Thai coconut soup.  It can be done with chicken or vegetarian.  Eaten over brown rice it is filling, luxurious, and comforting to both the taste buds and the stomach.  A friend of mine once said to me: "Tom Kha makes me happy!"  I have to agree.

                                  

And as I sit here, writing these words, trying to summon the energy to get up from the chair and walk myself into the kitchen, the thought of one of these two extraordinary soups, steaming in a bowl in front of me, give me hope that I will feel better by the end of today.

The problem is I don't really have the ingredients to make a proper tom kha gai, but the thought of silky coconut milk and cilantro are really making me imagine a healthier and happier me. Then again, the thought of avgolemono evokes strength and appetite... On the other hand, I don't even have any chicken.... Well I think I have enough stuff to make something in between the two.  It's settled: a hybrid it is!

                                     

  Below is the recipe for what I prepared, using whatever I had in house (fresh delicious vegetables from our CSA box delivered on Wednesday) mixing it all up, not following any particular recipe but instead listening to my spirit, telling me what to put in there, so that I could heal my body, and in turn my soul.  The result was delightful, and it did indeed make me feel better, even if it was just a little bit...

Tom Kha Gai - Avgolemono Hybrid

Ingredients:
1       quart       Stock (homemade is ideal, store bought can be perked up)
1       ea            Onion, diced
2       ea            Garlic Cloves, crushed and chopped
2       ea            Cans of coconut milk, full fat, no additives
4       ea            Padron Peppers, sliced. (These were from the CSA, feel free to substitute with   Anaheim, Cubanelle or whatever you've got)
1       ea           Jalapeno Pepper, finely chopped
1/4   bu           Cilantro, finely chopped
2      ea            Limes, zest of one, juice of both
2      tsp           Fresh ginger, grated
2      TB           Cornstarch
1/4   cup          Lemon Juice
3      ea            Egg Yolks
1      ear           Corn, kernels off the cob (this was also from the CSA, feel free to add any veggies you have, or some chicken breast or thighs if you wish)
                        Salt to taste

Method:

   In a heavy stock pot, sauté the onions, peppers, ginger and garlic in some coconut oil (if you don't have any, you can substitute with olive oil) until translucent and fragrant.  Add the cilantro and deglaze with a little stock and salt.

                                                     

   Once it's sizzling, add the rest of the stock.  If using store bought, bring it to a boil, then simmer gently for about 30 minutes, to infuse the stock with the flavor of the sofrito. Otherwise, add the coconut milk and the corn and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes. 

                                                

  Once the flavor of the soup is where you want it,  add a little cold water to the cornstarch to make a slurry.  Slowly whisk the slurry into the soup and bring it back to a boil. 

                                       

  Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice into the egg yolks.  Once the soup starts to boil it will thicken considerably.  Turn back down to a simmer, and slowly whisk in a little at a time into the egg yolk and lemon juice mixture.  This is called tempering.  You want to add a little at a time while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.  Once your egg mixture is nice and hot, add it into the soup, stirring as you add.

 
Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer, adjust the salt and acid, and voila.  Enjoy over brown rice.

                                        

The Gluten Free Experiment: Days 2 & 3

                                                        

It's interesting how hard, and how easy it is at the same time to give something up from our diet (or our lives for that matter).
For my 31 years of life I have been eating gluten, without thinking about it twice.  All of a sudden, just because of a decision to try something out, I think about anything I am considering eating before
actually doing so: does this have gluten?
Days 2 and 3 were particularly interesting.  One of those days was my day off, and the other the first day at work during the owner's vacation, time during which I am in pretty much in charge (extra stress and insanity included).

On day 2, setting myself up for success I cooked up a storm of gluten free deliciousness: quinoa with roasted beets, fresh peas and feta; grilled asparagus with dill, cilantro and lemon; "fakesoto" my famous brown rice risotto; heirloom beans with collards and bacon; among other things.

                                               

It was a beautiful Spring day.  Sun shining, blue skies, leaves and flowers fluttering in the wind.  My husband was making mint simple syrup to bring to work the next day, and the perfume of mint and sugar spread all over our house, screaming Mint Juleps in my ears.

                                     

As I put on my cutest and flirtiest face to ask him to please make one for me, I realized that I didn't know what grains were gluten free.  I asked him what kind of Bourbon we had, and he told me the brand name, as well as the two grains making it up: corn and rye...
I jumped online to find out if rye was a culprit, and to my dismay, it was indeed.  No Mint Juleps for me...

                                              

Later that day, I was making Chicken Cashew (one of my in laws recipes).  We make a variation of this dish at least every few months.  It is a simple chicken stir fry, to which I always add a bunch of vegetables.  As I reached in the refrigerator for the ingredients to make the sauce, I decided to double check our soy sauce.  I had already thought about the fact that many soy sauces do contain wheat, however, the brand we use at work (where we go through gallons a week) is gluten free, and it is the same brand we have at home.  Alas, the brand makes two kinds of soy sauce, and the bottle in our refrigerator listed wheat as its first ingredient...

Here I am, in the middle of cooking about seven different things, pretty much ready for this sauce to be done, bottle of soy sauce in hand.  What if I just eat a little of this all week? I asked my husband.  He looked at me with the face he makes when whatever idea I am pitching is just wrong and I know it.  Alright, alright!
So I scrambled in the refrigerator to figure out what impromptu sauce to make to turn chicken cashew into something deliciously gluten free.  Asian BBQ it is!  Heirloom tomato ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, sirracha sauce, lime juice. Voila!  It turned out really good.

At the end of the day, after all the chores were done, J surprised me with a delicious, beautiful, gluten free Mojito...

                                                    

 

The next day at work,  I was making bread for hours, and while waiting for it to rise decided to clean out my shelf in the walk-in.  I had a few cake batters, as well as cookie batters from previous tests, and thought it would be a great idea to bake them all for staff meal.  As we walked through the line that afternoon, my friend J (the lady who inspired me to try this gluten free business) and I were the only ones skipping dessert from the buffet.  Sweets are always such a treat at work.  No treat for us.

                                            

This is Day 4.  I am not sure yet if this change is making a difference in my pain level.  I think my knee and ankle pain have indeed improved, but the pain in the actual leg (shin, and inside the bone) are the same.  I think it is honestly too soon to tell, so as of now, I am just examining how this exercise in self restraint is affecting my mind and soul.  One thing's for sure, my creativity is getting better everyday, one gluten free meal at a time.

The Gluten Free Experiment: Day 1

  
                                                  

   These days you hear about people eating gluten free left and right.  Some think it's a fad, others think it's a serious condition.  I always lay right in the middle of both.  From my understanding of how our modern food systems operate, I know that there is more gluten in processed foods than we are meant to consume.  Just as type 2 Diabetes is the result of too much sugar in our diets, gluten sensitivities can be the result of too much gluten in our diets. There is also Celiac disease, which is a much more serious condition.  I was one tested for it, and luckily came out negative.  However, as the doctor explained, the test will only come in positive for gluten sensitivity if you have consumed gluten prior to it, and being that I hadn't eaten in over 12 hours, we couldn't really tell if that was an issue or not.

As you all know, I love food.  And in my quest to eat the most delicious and nutritious foods, I don't necessarily eat too much refined sugars or flours.  However, I do eat a lot of grains, the occasional pasta dish, whole wheat toast with breakfast, etc... So gluten is definitely present in my daily diet.

One of my coworkers suffered an injury similar to mine many years ago.  Much like myself, she is in pain everyday, and her pain worsens when she works longer days on her feet.  We check in with each other everyday, and try to see how much the weather or barometric pressure actually affects us, and are usually surprised to realize that we do hurt more on the same days.  Needless to say, we have developed a bit of a complicity.  We actually really understand how the other one feels when it hurts more, or when we have worked a particularly long day or week.  A few weeks ago however, I was in excruciating pain, and she wasn't hurting at all.  She told me that she had been eating a gluten free diet for 3 days, and that whenever she does this, the pain is much less, even after as little as three days...
She explained she had once done it for over a year, and then gave in to the temptation of cakes and breads, but that after the last few weeks, in which we have been hurting a bit more than usual, she just had to try it again.

I went home that night with the though in my head, and the next morning did a bit of research.  Turns out, one of the manifestations of a gluten sensitivity can be joint pain (as well as headaches, fatigue, and countless other symptoms we don't usually associate with diet).  So if I am indeed gluten sensitive, the pain might get better with a change in diet.  If I'm not, then it will most likely not help at all (although it might still have an effect in other areas of my body).
I decided it was definitely worth a try.

So on Sunday, I went to the store with the experiment in mind, and on Monday, when cooking for the week, I made sure to prepare a little more food than usual, all gluten free.

                                            

My first funny "gluten free" moment, occurred on that same day.  My husband absolutely LOVES White Castle (his sister in law thinks it's a family thing).  For those of you not familiar with it, it is a chain of fast food burgers.  Needless to say, we do not frequent it often.  There are no White Castles in San Francisco, however, there are plenty of them here in Chicago.  So since we arrived, he has been trying to figure out when and how he will be going there. We were at the hardware store getting some gardening supplies, and he realized we were just a few blocks away.  Sure, why not, let's go.  I don't eat that stuff (they are known in the urban legend world of the USA as the "crap" burgers, not because of what they are made of but because of what they make you do...), but maybe I'll have some onion rings.

I remembered my experiment and thought to myself, " Wow, am I really going to be THAT person? The one that walks into White Castle and asks if their onion rings are gluten free?".
As we approached the register I decided it sounded better if I asked if they had flour.  The lovely lady behind the counter (must of been around her 60's, wearing her hairnet as fashionably as some would sport a tiara) said: " I don't know! Hey Mary! Will you show this lady a onion ring?!" So Mary opens the freezer drawer and pulls out a frozen onion ring and holds it up in the air for me to inspect...

It was quite the moment.  I decided against it, and as my husband enjoyed his sliders, I snacked on some almonds I had brought with me for our adventure...

                                             

" And remember that life's a great balancing act..."

                                             

I work in an industry that often assumes, if not flat out expects, that if you are a part of it, your work should take precedence over your life: all of it.
And when it is not the case, you are viewed by some - or most - of your coworkers as lazy, lacking ambition, not devoted enough...  It doesn't matter if you are a fantastic worker. If you go above and beyond to help out or be a team player. If you always have a smile on your face and never fail to do what needs to get done.

I was raised by people who taught me the value of hard work. As a result, I have always had a very strong work ethic. Finding myself in this line of work was a bit like adding insult to injury.
I fell right into it's trap. I never questioned the long hours, or the bad pay. I always justified that if I was working hard, and doing something that I loved, then it must be worth it, or at least ok. I never wondered if it was right or wrong. It was just the way that it was.

                                               

Then one day, life changed it's course and blessed me with an injury that made working those hours extremely painful, and sometimes impossible if not under the influence of pain medication. And I started to wonder if all of this actually makes any sense. Should it really be, that in order to pursue the work that you love, you must deprive yourself of all other pleasures and even basic care? Does that really make any sense? How is that even sustainable? If you keep overworking yourself, and hurting your body, without ever giving anything back to it by the time you're 40, you won't even be able to work anymore!
And in my case, what is the point of giving myself wholeheartedly to a profession that I know I will not be able to keep doing for much longer? 

  There are some people, who choose their career over their personal life.  Others, choose their personal life over their work.  Then there are those blessed few, that either out of sheer luck, or valiant effort, find the perfect balance between both.
 No one is right, no one is wrong.  We are not better, and they are not worse.

                                            

  You go to work, you punch in, you do your job.  You do it well, you do it right, and you take pride in it.  But when the time rolls around, you punch out and you are done.  You call your man, you text your mom, you go to yoga or walk your dog. You meet a friend for dinner, you volunteer, you go spend time outside. You live your life.  You enjoy your home.  You go to a movie, or an art show.  You read a book or cook some dinner.  They watch you, and although they secretly envy you, they judge you.  You must not be committed enough to your career.  You just don't have enough passion.  You arent' ambitious enough to push yourself further.

  On the other side of the coin, you watch them, and feel sorry, for they expend all of their energy on work.  They neglect friends, family, lovers... They neglect their home, they don't have any pets, their fridge is empty, and worse of all, they neglect themselves.
Sure, they are climbing to the top of the mountain, sometimes at an impressive speed.  They are being showered with awards, recognitions, promotions, and often, financial rewards.  You keep walking a straight line, learning, growing, evolving, but not really making any tangible progress as far as the career path is concerned.

                                                         

  But at the end of the day,  or the week, you are less tired.  You enjoy better health, you have more people who have your back, and more love and laughter to rejoice in and spread.  You are not better, they are not worse.
  It's just a matter of which side of the coin means more to you.  What do you want to see in the fabric of your life when you are looking back on it?
Ultimately, the ideal, is to join those who have found the balance.  However, this is sometimes easier said than done.

  Working in this industry after my injury, has made me realize that I don't want to do this forever.  I always remind my coworkers that "first and foremost we are humans" and sometimes, in this line of work, people are treated in a way that does not necessarily respect that statement. 

                                                     

  I want to work in an environment that respects the fact that it doesn't matter how hard we try, most of us can't leave our problems at home.  I want to work somewhere where we can be as committed to our work as we are to our lives, and where most of my coworkers understand and agree with that mindset.  I want to work somewhere where the first thing you hear when you get in is "Hi, how are you today?" and where you can catch up on what you did over the weekend while working.
I want to be on the side of the coin that spends time with their loved ones, that has weekends off to go on little getaways, that has energy to do something fun on their days off.

  Don't get me wrong, I do believe that it is possible to achieve this environment in this industry, and had it not been for my injury, I would still consider finding or creating that place where the passion for the craft and the respect for the worker can coexist. But the truth of the matter is, when my leg hurts everyday, and I have to stand for a living, with no option of sitting down, at any point during my work day or anytime soon, I am forced to reevaluate my situation.

But then again, how do I switch it up? I have been doing this for 12 years now.  I have a fantastic resume.  I am good at it.  I enjoy it (well, I enjoy most of it... Not so much the insane hours, or the mediocre pay but everything else yes...).  How do I dive in to the unknown? How do I face my fear of failure? How do I even make the transition? Who will hire me with no experience at doing anything else?  And what if I miss the industry?  What if I am suffering from a classic case of "the grass is always greener"?

                                                    

The more I think about it, the more I realize that it's just like diving into the ocean, or a river or a lake...  The water might be cold, or murky.  My skin might tighten up as soon as my feet get wet, and I might consider for a moment that I should just lay in the sun instead.  But I don't. I force myself past that initial uncomfortable feeling, because I know it will be worth it. I force myself to get in the water, even thought I am not sure what else is in it.  And when I find myself submerged in it, swimming freely and playfully, I forget how hard it was to get in.  There is nothing as wonderful as swimming in a natural body of water.  Communing with nature in such an intense way that you almost forget where you are, while at the same time being more present and aware of your surroundings than at any other point in that day.

So, this year, I vow to myself that I will make that change... I will slowly enter the cold water, even if my entire body hurts when I submerge myself past my belly button.  I will dive in, even if I am terrified at who or what I might encounter on the other side.  Because the truth of the matter is, life is too short to work only for my days off.

                                                              

And if I fail? "On I will go, though the weather be fowl...Onward up many a frightening creak, though my arms may get sore and my sneakers may leak..."

The grass is greener where you water it, and my arms can no longer reach to water my current lawn (and I can't afford to buy a hose!)  So, I must move on to a smaller patch...And I must believe, that just as I was able to water this one and keep it green and alive for this long, I will be able to care for this next one, and watch it grow into a lush, beautiful lawn, for many years to come...

The abominable eggplant

                                                          

  Last Saturday at the market, I marveled at the beauty of a large mound of at least six different varieties of eggplant. As I handed the vendor my choices she said to me "Aren't these beautiful?"and she added that I was missing out on her favorite variety, the Bianca Rosa.  She is from Israel, where she told me there are so many varieties of this fruit (I know, weird) and out of all the ones she has ever had, this is the best. I ended up going home with a Bianca Rosa and a Fairy Tale (even the names are beautiful!) currently in my favorite bowl on the counter.

                                       
                                       
    When we were kids, my parents were very strict about our eating habits.  As annoying as most of their rules were to my childhood self and my brother, looking back now, I see that most of them were meant to keep us as nourished as possible while also teaching us the value of food.

                                    

  We weren't allowed to eat sugary/colored cereals; cookies and snacks were kept in a locked pantry to which only our mother held the key; sodas were only for vacations or special occasions; you had to eat what was served whether you liked it or not, and if you didn't eat it, it would be served to you again for your next meal...Fortunately for our little brother, these rules seem to have been forgotten by the time he was eating cereals, but that is another post altogether...

  One of my strongest memories of these enforcements, was a night at the dinner table, when my brother F didn't want to eat his eggplant.  We hated it! He fought, he cried, he argued, while my parents calmly explained to him that there were people who didn't have anything to eat, and that eggplant was not only delicious, it was also good for you, so he had to eat it.  Against his will, F swallowed the eggplant, and minutes later, I watched in horror as he threw it up all over the dining room floor.

  I am not sure if this turn of events changed my parents rules at all - they actually claim to not remember this episode - but it made my disdain for eggplant became embedded in my brain forever.  Or so I thought...

 Years later I ended up working at a Greek restaurant first as a cook, then as a sous-chef.  There is a quintessential Greek spread made of eggplant called Melitzanosalata.  We made buckets of it every day, which meant I had to taste it every day.  To my surprise, I loved every bite of it.

 After that, I decided I would let eggplant into my life, and discovered that there are only a few preparations of it I don't enjoy.  Among my favorite are picy szechuan eggplant which is amazing (they deep fry it before stir frying it with the seasonings), as well as a Japanese dish, in which it's served with a sweet sauce that also blew my mind the first time I had it.

                                                  

 This past summer, I found an easy and quick way to prepare it (very similar to Melitzanosalata) that can be used as both a dip or a side dish (I love me some dip!), and I  made it almost every week (I'm actually making another batch today, since from my visit to the market on Saturday it seems as if Northern California is still stuck in the Summer as far as produce is concerned).
 Below is the recipe.  If using as a dip, it's delicious with whole grain pita chips.  If using as a vegetable, it is fantastic mixed with equal parts of brown rice or quinoa for lunch.

 My brother still won't eat it, but I hope my experience will inspire him to some day  open to the sweet side of this old enemy of ours.
 
Roasted Eggplant Dip/Side

2                    ea                 Eggplants, peeled and diced into large chunks
2                    ea                 Garlic Cloves, diced
2                    ea                 Tomatoes, diced into small pieces
1                   TB                 Shallot or Red Onion, finely chopped
2                    ea                 Lemons, juiced (you might need a bit more or less to taste)
                                           Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil and Cilantro or Dill to taste.

                                    

Preheat the oven to 350.  On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, toss the eggplant with the garlic, enough olive oil to coat, and a few sprinkles of salt.

                                        

 Add a splash of water to tray, and roast for about 20 to 30 min, or until the eggplant is soft and looks shiny and brownish.  If it looks like it's drying too much, add more water.

                                        

Let cool.  In a food processor, puree the eggplant with a little olive oil and the juice of one lemon.

                                      

Then add the tomatoes, onion or shallot and the herbs, and season to taste.  If it's too dry, add more olive oil, or even a little water.

                                        

Enjoy!

Summer Caipirinha

    For the last week, I've been on a Caipirinha kick.  Although I usually don't randomly have cocktails during the week, I was on vacation last week, visiting my brother, my sister in law and my gorgeous niece and god daughter, E.
   Once at their house, I found out that my grandma had decided to come see me from the Dominican, since Florida is a lot closer for her to travel to than our city by the bay.  I was so incredibly happy!

                                              

   My husband had stayed in San Francisco for this trip so that I didn't get distracted from my self appointed duties of nanny/personal chef for the family during my stay, and one afternoon while I was on the phone with him, he suggested that I get a bottle of cachaça and make some Caipirinhas for my grandma and I. It sounded delightful!

   On one of our outings,  my sister in law C and I, took little E on her first trip to the liquor store to get some goods for my brother and I: Presidente for myself (it's my favorite beer from back home, a tasty, refreshing Pilsner and I can't get it on the west coast), some random beers for my brother (including a delicious bourbon barrel aged bock from Schmaltz Brewing http://www.shmaltzbrewing.com/CONEY/hb.html) and a bottle of cachaça for the house.  We were fortunate enough to find one of my favorite (both in brand and in style),  Ypioca Prata http://www.ypioca.com.br/empalhadas.html .

                                 
    That same evening, I made a few rounds of Caipirinhas, basing my improvised concoction on the memory of my friend D's Brazilian friend's recipe (he showed us how to make them a few years ago in the island) my husband's (named one of Sf Chronicle's Bar Stars and Cocktail Wizards in 2012, but my cocktail wizard and star since 2006) guidance, and my taste bud's memory.

                                         

   Sitting out on the patio in the calm humidity of a warm summer night, right after a light drizzly rain, catching up and savoring this delicious cocktail, was just what the doctor had ordered.  We enjoyed the drinks in love and laughter, in an absolutely lovely evening.

  After the first two rounds, I went back in the kitchen to make our third, but we only had one lime left.
I searched the fridge for a hidden one (I was sure I had seen another one in there a few hours earlier) and instead found a half melon.  Bingo!

                                           

 I made our third and last cocktail of the night with the addition of sweet summer Melon (alas, I believe it was a cantaloupe from California even though the south can produce some fantastic summer melons...), and they were exquisite.  I wanted to add some Basil or Mint in there too, but we didn't have either.

The "Melon Caipirinhas" were so good, that a couple of nights later, I made some more.  And a few nights ago, back in San Francisco with J, I once again, enjoyed another one.

   It's a tasty and refreshing drink.  Light enough for those faint of "spirit" (pun intended), tart enough for those who prefer something more acidic, but sweet enough for those who like a little more sugar in their lives.  And for those of us who miss the tropics, it's just as heartwarming as a nice comfort food meal.

  Melon Caipirinha (serves 2)

 2                                   ea          Large limes, sliced in 6.
1 to 1 1/2                       TB        Evaporated Cane Sugar
1/2                                 cup        Ripe Melon, cut into medium size chunks
1/2                                 cup        Cachaça (I prefer Ypioca Prata but any will do)
                                                    Crushed Ice (enough to fill two rocks glasses)

Note: Evaporated cane sugar is less refined than your average white sugar, and therefore has a much stronger sugar cane flavor, which I prefer.

  In a large measuring cup or bowl muddle the limes with the sugar. I found tit was a lot easier for my non expert muddling self to do it in a receptacle with a handle so I could make sure to muddle the ingredients well enough, without risking the bowl sliding out from under me and breaking :)

                                            

  Since I didn't have an actual muddler, I used the back of a pestle from a classic Dominican mortar and pestle or "pilon de majar" (http://www.etsy.com/search?includes%5B%5D=tags&q=wood+mortar+pestle).
 You could use the right end, provided you don't use the mortar and pestle for anything savory such as garlic or onions, or your drink will taste rather funky, and not in a good way.  If you don't have a muddler, or a pestle, you can use a large metal spoon, or a wooden reamer citrus juicer (http://www.oxo.com/p-464-wooden-lemon-reamer.aspx)

Once the lime juices have been released, add the melon and keep muddling until the fruit is in very small pieces, and you can see the juice in the bowl.

                                      

  At this point, add the cachaça, as well as the ice, and mix a few times with a spoon or a chopstick.  Taste, and add more lime or sugar if needed.  The sweetness of the melon will determine how sweet or tart your drink will be, adjust accordingly.

                                       
   Pour directly into two rocks glasses (this is one of the few cocktails that are served with the same ice used to mix them with) and enjoy.
 I highly recommend sharing it with loved ones (the more the merrier) and if possible, sitting outside while doing so.
Salud!

                                       

Cucumber and Lime Salad

This summer I have started to enjoy a few vegetables that were not my favorite in years passed.
One of them is the cucumber. I have always loved it's crunch and refreshing flavor, but found that after I ate it, I found myself burping cucumbers for the rest of the day (maybe too much information :)).  Luckily, in the last few weeks or month, I discovered that all cucumbers are not created equal, and also, that when I remove the seeds, this unpleasant side effect is no longer a problem (at least for me).

                                   

The revelation came in a serendipitous way. I was out with my little sister, on our way to the Academy of Sciences, when I got so hungry that I had to stop somewhere and grab a snack (I usually have snacks with me, but I had purposely made myself a giant mid morning breakfast of fried eggs, toast, avocado, early girl tomatoes and bacon to ensure I was full for our outing...my constant hunger is inexplicable!).  When I realized that it was serious, we were right in front of the new location of a fabulous Mexican restaurant.  We went in, and since I just wanted something to tie me over, I ordered one taco, and at the last minute, saw the cucumber salad (printed on the menu as: Fresh Cucumber Salad, Lime, Radishes, Chile) and couldn't resist.

 

  Some of my chef friends joke that I put lime in everything (not true!), others agree with me in that most things taste better with lime (most definitely true!), but all of them are on the same page as far as the fact that I do love limes, and am prone to order anything that features it as a main part of the dish (most definitely true!).

                                                
   When the salad arrived, it was as simple as it sounded. The cucumbers were cut on a bias, unpeeled and unseeded (the varietal was English cucumbers), the radishes were sliced thin on a mandoline, scattered freely around the plate, and the lime juice was so present that the aroma immediately filled the air.  Specks of chili powder gave the pale green palette a fiery spark.  When I placed one in my mouth I was blown away by how fresh, crunchy and satisfying a cucumber could be. Light yet filling, the lime and the cucumber perfectly balancing one another, and the saltiness and spiciness enhancing both flavors. Genius! Or as my lovely husband would say: " Sweet simplicity!"

   A few days later, on my birthday, I decided I had to make this salad for our afternoon gathering! I got some cucumbers, but unfortunately could only find regular ones and using my taste bud's memory, recreated the dish as best I could.  It was wonderful, and I ate lots of it.  Unfortunately, the aforementioned side effect made an appearance later that day.  I packed some for my lunch the next morning (I have found that the salad holds incredibly well for up to three days, without the cucumbers getting mushy at all) and later that afternoon, I was once again attacked by the cucumber burp monster. I sadly thought it was over for the lime cucumber salad and I .

                                       

 A few weeks later, we were in Auburn at my friend's farm for the weekend.  They went out to their vegetable garden and came back in with several Armenian cucumbers and summer squashes. My friend E had made Pozole for dinner, so I figured I would contribute a nice fresh summer salad to the meal and try my luck with the cucumbers one more time.  This time, I included the zucchinis, as well as some corn, tomatoes and avocados they had laying around the kitchen, and some thinly sliced red onions.
It was fantastic, but more importantly, there were no side effects!

                                              

 

 

 

                                        

We ended up taking some cucumbers and zucchinis back to the city with us, so the following morning, I made another batch, this time just cucumbers, zucchinis and a few slices of heirloom tomato (I had a few green zebras, which made the salad a beautiful green rainbow), no radish at all, and I seeded the cucumbers. I ate it a few days in a row, with no issues whatsoever!

                                      

 This salad is extremely refreshing and light, and so easy and quick to prepare. Great for a first course, or an afternoon snack or mid morning break. If you have the same problem as me, I definitely suggest going out of your way to find either English or Armenian cucumbers, and why not, take the extra step of removing the seeds (better to prevent than lament). I hope you can still find some of these delightful summer veggies in your area, and if not, take note for next year. One of my favorite things about discovering or creating new recipes, is adding them to my mental repertoire and revisiting them every year, when the season that delivers whatever ingredients were the focus of that particular dish. finally arrives once again.

Cucumber and Zucchini Salad
Ingredients:

1              ea               Small Armenian Cucumber (seeds removed...or not :))
1/2           ea               Zucchini
1              ea               Heirloom Tomato
2              ea               Limes, juiced
2              ea               Radishes, thinly sliced (optional)
1/2           ea               Avocado, cut in small chunks
                                   Salt (to taste but be generous, cucumbers need a decent amount)
                                   Fresh Chili Powder (to taste)

Method:
Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise.  If doing so, use a small spoon to remove the seeds. Then cut the cucumbers diagnoally into about one inch chunks.  Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and cut in chunks about the same size.
In a glass or other non reactive bowl, mix the vegetables and add half of the lime juice, the salt, the chili powder and radishes and avocado if using.  Mix well (it's better to mix by hand to distribute the juice evenly and not bruise the delicate flesh of the fruits and veggies) and let sit for five minutes.  Mix again, taste, and at this point, decide whether or not you would like to add the rest of the lime (or more salt) and add the chili powder ( I personally find that for this particular dish, you need to add almost too much lime juice -if there is such a thing- for the flavor to really be imparted into the cucumbers and have a lasting effect.
You can enjoy right away, or refrigerate for up to 4 days (maybe more, I just always finish it by day 3 :). If you are eating is a leftover, make sure to lighlty mix it again before consuming it.


Notes: If using radishes, it's better to enjoy the salad right away. When they sit, they bleed into the lime juice and also loose their crunch.