I just spent 8 days in Vietnam. The food was heavenly. Now I'm back in the United States. Need recommendations for Vietnamese restaurants--not sure when I can go back to any other kind of restaurant food--it all seems so heavy now after the lightness of every single dish I tried there.
Also, on the hunt for Vietnamese cookbooks. This cuisine is my new obsession.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Lentils
I recently used an LA Times news article in class, "Meat Eater's Guide to the Environment." (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/07/meat-eaters-guide.html)
I've known for a while that beef contributes more to global warming than cars do, but I was amazed to see the numbers spelled out on paper.
The bottom line is, eat more lentils.
Not only are lentils delicious, nutritious, and easy, but they have the smallest carbon footprint of all the foods the researchers studied--1/60th that of beef. There is no downside to this food!
Indians love red lentils in thick flavorful Masoor dal. Lebanese cooks favor the brown or green lentils in some of the yummiest Middle Eastern cooking I've ever encountered.
I love a good brown lentil because that's what I grew up on, but the back Beluga is equally my favorite, for its hearty flavor and firm shape. When Trader Joe's quit carrying them, I searched the internet and now have 10 lb sacks delivered right to my door.
There are many gourmet ways to have fun with lentils, but first let's honor their humblest and most satisfying form:
Lentil Stew.
Two basic elements--mirepoix* and lentils. That's it. Whatever else you add is icing on the cake. I don't even remember the first time I made lentils because I was so young. That's how easy this is.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, saute the mirepoix in a little olive oil. Add water or chicken stock, lentils, and a bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, turn flame down to lowest level, and cook until lentils are al dente, or longer until they are softer (it's hard to ruin lentils, unless you let them dry out and burn). Check on the pot from time to time, add more water if necessary. Should take about 30-45 minutes for brown lentils, 60 or so for black lentils (they're firmer, have a little more fiber than brown lentils. Red lentils cook the fastest, by the way, since they have the least fiber and can make nice mushy dal).
You can dice up potato and saute with the mirepoix. And bacon. Canned tomatoes make a nice thick base. Add other herbs along with the bay leaf. Any vegetables such as squash or peas can be added either along with the lentils or halfway through the cooking, depending on how soft you want them. Add spinach at any time, especially toward the end of cooking. Play with curry flavors, or an Ethiopian spice blend.
I love all these variations, but more than anything I love the most basic one--lentils, onions, celery, carrots, and bay leaf. It's so easy, so nourishing, and such an anchor to my childhood.
*Mirepoix: the French term for the aromatic foundation of any savory dish: equal parts chopped onion, celery, and carrot.
I've known for a while that beef contributes more to global warming than cars do, but I was amazed to see the numbers spelled out on paper.
The bottom line is, eat more lentils.
Not only are lentils delicious, nutritious, and easy, but they have the smallest carbon footprint of all the foods the researchers studied--1/60th that of beef. There is no downside to this food!
Indians love red lentils in thick flavorful Masoor dal. Lebanese cooks favor the brown or green lentils in some of the yummiest Middle Eastern cooking I've ever encountered.
I love a good brown lentil because that's what I grew up on, but the back Beluga is equally my favorite, for its hearty flavor and firm shape. When Trader Joe's quit carrying them, I searched the internet and now have 10 lb sacks delivered right to my door.
There are many gourmet ways to have fun with lentils, but first let's honor their humblest and most satisfying form:
Lentil Stew.
Two basic elements--mirepoix* and lentils. That's it. Whatever else you add is icing on the cake. I don't even remember the first time I made lentils because I was so young. That's how easy this is.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, saute the mirepoix in a little olive oil. Add water or chicken stock, lentils, and a bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, turn flame down to lowest level, and cook until lentils are al dente, or longer until they are softer (it's hard to ruin lentils, unless you let them dry out and burn). Check on the pot from time to time, add more water if necessary. Should take about 30-45 minutes for brown lentils, 60 or so for black lentils (they're firmer, have a little more fiber than brown lentils. Red lentils cook the fastest, by the way, since they have the least fiber and can make nice mushy dal).
You can dice up potato and saute with the mirepoix. And bacon. Canned tomatoes make a nice thick base. Add other herbs along with the bay leaf. Any vegetables such as squash or peas can be added either along with the lentils or halfway through the cooking, depending on how soft you want them. Add spinach at any time, especially toward the end of cooking. Play with curry flavors, or an Ethiopian spice blend.
I love all these variations, but more than anything I love the most basic one--lentils, onions, celery, carrots, and bay leaf. It's so easy, so nourishing, and such an anchor to my childhood.
*Mirepoix: the French term for the aromatic foundation of any savory dish: equal parts chopped onion, celery, and carrot.
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