Women, Wednesdays and Wonders

They just seem to go together, Women and Wednesdays. Add in some delicious food, sparkling wine, chocolate, girl talk, great friends and suddenly, the whole week looks different. So much so that I am going to write about girlie things every Wednesday, which I know was yesterday but the long weekend has me a day behind. Guys take note; this is your chance to listen in!

Last night I went to a women's potluck, guided by Shakti, "the concept or personification of divine feminine creative power", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakti. In the body of the invitation was this fitting quote:

"Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life--learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work some every day."

~Robert Fulghum
 

And so, I decided to bring one of the most wondrous desserts I have ever made. Please don't let the ingredient list deter you from this chocolate heaven. When I first made this recipe, the taste made me utter, "I can't believe this is tofu" and that outburst is the perfect tag for this wonderful recipe. And, yes, there is also another wonder...no sugar, except what's in the chocolate, is added to the filling!

Melt in your Mouth Chocolate Pie

2 cups finely crushed graham crackers crumbs
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey

Blend all these together and make a crust. Press into 9 inch pie plate.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces organic silken tofu (not "soft", but "silken" and not the brand Silken either. I use Nasoya)
1 egg, local if available
6 ounces real chocolate chips, melted*
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Greek yogurt, sweetened with a little honey if desired

*Chocolate is a world in itself and a license to play which I do...rarely using the same kind twice!

Blend all these ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth, creamy and thoroughly blended. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake 350F for about 30 minutes. Cool and then chill thoroughly. Serve with a dollop of unflavored Greek yogurt that you can sweeten with some honey. Makes one pie, serving 6-8.

Breaking News: Getting Better (The Red White and Food)

From a post I did last year, some of you may remember that we had chickens when we lived both in Mexico City and in Houston, Texas. They are lovely as pets...gentle, intelligent, fun and funny, and when in a calm mood, pretty good little pals to hold and pet. And, all that goodness and personality before the eggs even start to appear...friends with benefits indeed! Oh my, there is no egg that compares in flavor to your own "backyard" egg. The yolk is amazing...rich, beautiful and at least a mile high!

Hen-keeping is becoming quite the thing and I wish I could have them again but the good news is I also love my three pups and the bad news is, well, they are terriers. 'Nuf said.

Because of our past experience with our own Little Red Hens, I am a very careful egg shopper and search for not only a local farmer, but one who is humane as well. I was thrilled when Reshma sent me this article today. Maybe, we are getting somewhere and each state can follow California's example...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne-pacelle/breaking-gov-schwarzenegg_b_637275.html

If you are interested in keeping your own hens, there is a great guide in Organic Gardening,  June/July 2010 issue and for keeping rarer breeds, an April 2004 article in Martha Stewart's Living magazine is really detailed and helpful. Both and more are available at your local library.

                                                  

Sparkling flavors from the Fourth

The Fourth was a blast here from dawn til dusk. We started off with a good, old-fashioned neighborhood parade in the morning and ended with a cookout and fireworks at night. All was great, but it was the lunch in the middle that really sparkled. Christian and Reshma were home for the weekend and cooked up a storm, or rather, a bit of sunshine. They are fabulous cooks and what they fixed for lunch on the Fourth was a real taste trip. Just having gotten back from scuba diving in Nicaragua, they cooked beans and rice with "local" flavors and bite by bite, transported us all to their island vacation spot! The pix doesn't due the deliciousness of the meal (red beans and coconut sticky rice and chopped cucumber, tomato and lime salad) justice. It was fabulous...full of cool, sweet and spicy flavors...perfect for a hot day!  Delish!

Also over the long weekend, we became World Cup addicts. I love soccer. My tiny high school opted for soccer instead of football and so I actually understand the game...football still eludes me. I love the pace of soccer, the intensity of the game, the World Cup vuvuzelas and the marvel of being able to watch a game instead of all those inane commercials!! Munchies are a must and here is a dip I made up...in keeping with the bean theme. Not at all "bean-y", it has a subtle, fruit-y flavor, great as a dip or sandwich spread and kind of hummus-like...

Smashed Bean Pate

2 cups or 1 can white beans (Eden Organic...no BPA worries), rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon tahini
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 whole dates, pitted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice with grated rind
1 teaspoon umeboshi vinegar (or other fruit vinegar like raspberry)

Place everything in a blender or food processor along with about 1/4 cup water. Blend until smooth. Taste and add sea salt if needed, especially if you don't have umeboshi vinegar which is salty. Use as a dip (sweet potato chips are nice) or as a sandwich spread or topping on slices of baguette with some fresh tomato slices and a bit of caramelized onion.

I am headed to a Girls' Night potluck tonight and in tomorrow's post, will show you what I am taking. It was the pie I made for dessert on the Fourth. Yes, I know...I did a post on Blackberry Cake with Orange Glaze as a perfect Fourth of July dessert, but ours got gobbled up by the 3rd!

Towards a more Peaceful Fourth of July!

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and probably the biggest cook-out day of the year. I have thought of some ways that I am going to have a greener, more peaceful Fourth this year and thought I would share some of my finds. They will work for any cookout, any time of year!

First, I am going to lower the "off-gassing" of my charcoal grill by using real charcoal. There are several types available and here is a favorite available at Lowe's, Cowboy Charcoal,
http://www.cowboycharcoal.com/.   And, I am going to use one of those chimney firestarter things that you can also get at Lowe's instead of petroleum-laced lighter fluid!

Second, I will be grilling out more veggies and veggies burgers, and because some in my family still eat meat, I will have grass-fed burgers, too. But, I am not getting those obnoxious big buns. I can't believe how big some are! I opted for a smaller one to fit a smaller-portioned burger.

Third, I'll be dishing it out on real dishes...a melting pot of mixed and matched ones seems appropriate. I had thought about buying some of the eco-ware made from corn, potatoes and bamboo, but I already have a cupboard full of dishes. Eco-friendly dinnerware is available in some grocery stores and here http://www.ecowise.com/

Fourth, I am also using a hodge-podge of jelly glasses instead of paper, plastic or styrofoam beverage cups. They are perfect and I don't have any small kiddos around, just small pups.

Fifth, I am going to really listen to the Declaration of Independence as it is read at our neighborhood parade and keep searching for more ways I can be a greener, less oil dependent citizen.

Wishing you and your friends and families a Happy, Peaceful Fourth of July! Let Freedom ring!

For Purple Mountain Majesties...

I decided this deserved a post all its own...if ever a recipe looked like words to a song, this is it! Remember Bundt pans? Oh, I can't wait to do a post on those! Til then...just a few notes. My Bundt pan is from The Golden Age of Bundt Pans, circa 1960's. It latches on to all batter like velcro and so I often have a hard time getting a picture perfect cake out. And so...for this fruit-ful recipe, know your cake pan and prep accordingly!!

Blackberry Cake with Orange Glaze

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for the pan
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature (local are best)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup yogurt
2 pints blackberries, rinsed and dried or blueberries, rinsed and dried


Orange Glaze
½ cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 medium orange) and its zest
½ cup confectioners' sugar


Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 2-quart nonstick Bundt pan with butter, then dust with flour or 4x sugar, shaking off excess (or whatever your pan requires). In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, salt and baking soda. With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and mix in half of the flour mixture. Mix in the yogurt, then the remaining flour mixture. Gently fold in the blackberries with a wooden spoon so they are as evenly distributed as possible .

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter.


Make the orange glaze, in a small saucepan, whisk the orange juice with the sugar and simmer over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Using a skewer or long, thin knife, prick deep holes all over the surface of the cake. Slowly spoon half of the glaze over the cake, letting it seep into the holes. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes longer. Spoon the remaining glaze over the cake and let set for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.  Serves 8...less than typical Bundt pan numbers...it's that good and is also great for breakfast!