Salute!

Today is Veteran's Day and Our Green Table offers a heartfelt salute of deep gratitude to all who serve or have served our country. We have gotten so much because of our Veterans and they deserve much better from us than this once a year recognition.

Interesting enough, a hearty salutation, "salut" is a popular toast and means "to your health". This is also "Thirsty Thursday" on OGT and so raise a glass today to our Veterans or better yet, thank one in person and wish him or her "salut" . Then, as a grateful citizen, see what you can do to help make their great health happen and fight for them as hard as they fought for us..

Here is an all-American fall beverage just perfect for your toast.

Spicy Mulled Cider

2 quarts fresh apple cider
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks (about 2 inches each)
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Zest of 1 orange, peeled in continuous spiral if possible
1 ounce per serving of rum, brandy, or Calvados (optional)

Spiced Butter (optional):

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine the apple cider, light brown sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and orange zest in a large pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Strain the spices from the mixture and discard. Return the cider to pan and keep warm. The cider is ready to be served as is. If spiking it up, pour 1 ounce of the preferred liquor into each serving mug and fill with the hot cider.

If you want to doll up the cider even more with the spiced butter, cream the butter and dark brown sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the spices and continue beating 1 minute more. Float a heaping teaspoon of the butter on top of each serving of hot cider. Store any leftover butter in the refrigerator. Serves 8.

I guess I am a Double "D"...

Because I am now finishing up my second month of ratcheted-up Vitamin D "therapy". I wrote about being mildly deficient this summer and why it is so important to have normal Vitamin D levels. If you have not had your Vitamin D levels checked, now is the time. With the end of Daylight Savings Time and the sun's strength is going elsewhere, many of you may be preparing for a long winter's nap indoors. Please do yourself a sunny favor and have that test done. It is really important for you to know your numbers and health stats!

And in case you really want to transport yourself back to sunnier times, look to brightening up your breakfast toast with a spread of coconut oil. Those of you who attended Spices 101 on Monday know that I am a big fan of extra virgin coconut oil. My favorite brand is Nutiva. Opening the jar up is like opening your beach hut window to let the fragrant tropical air waft through your kitchen. Whatever brand of coconut oil you like should also have that fresh, coconutty smell. Spread a little on your toast, pop some pineapple and mango into your morning shake, brew up a cup of fresh ginger tea and welcome some sunshine into your day! Dark winter days? Bring 'em on!

One Big Heart Creates a Ripple

Shortly after I adopted "Daphne" last Tuesday in honor of our children, I got this terrific email from The Farm Sanctuary. For every turkey adopted until November 25th, there is a benevolent sponsor who will match each adoption. For $30, you can save two turkeys. Here is the link, http://www.adoptaturkey.org/

This The Red White and Food post is a tribute to the power of one person, Ady Gil, stepping up to the plate, literally, to create a ripple effect of compassion. Here is the email I got from The Farm Sanctuary...

No sooner had we e-mailed you on Monday than Farm Sanctuary received some exciting news! We were contacted by Ady Gil, a generous supporter of Farm Sanctuary and our Adopt-A-Turkey Project.

Ady is very concerned about the suffering of turkeys this holiday season and wants to join with Farm Sanctuary supporters in saving as many of these birds as we possibly can. So he has offered to sponsor an additional turkey for every one adopted by friends like you by November 25, Thanksgiving Day!  Each of your sponsorships will be matched with another adoption. You’ll receive a special adoption certificate in your name with a color photo of and fun facts about your adopted turkey. Best of all, you’ll get the warm holiday feeling that comes with knowing that you’re supporting the care of the rescued turkeys and other animals at Farm Sanctuary, and helping us advocate for farm animals everywhere.

Thank you, Ady.

With a little help from...

All the talk about India this past weekend and the fact that it is Divali brought back a flood of great memories. Jeepers...has it really been 4 years??? I loved it there. Seeing pictures the Taj Mahal (overwhelmingly beautiful...the first full sight of it moved me to tears), Gandhi's ashram and museum, and the merriment of the school children dancing really put me in the mood for tonight's cooking workshop on spices. I learned most of what I know from that trip and from cooking tips my "sister" Usha (son's mother-in-law) has shared. I am excited to share all I know with the folks at Eggshells, http://www.eggshellskitchencompany.com/ tonight. One of the recipes I am making I will post here on Friday. Thank you, Usha, for teaching me so much and Happy Divali to all my Indian friends and family xoxoxo

So I don't spill the spice before tonight's class, I am shifting my thoughts to herbs and a promise I made a couple of weeks ago to share both my brother Rick's chimichurri sauce and a little about seitan, a meat substitute made from wheat. It is high in protein and has a really nice texture. That it is made by a company with "soy" in its name is unfortunate. There is no soy in seitan.

Ordinarily I shy away from "fake" anything but I ordered this appetizer in a favorite restaurant in New York and flipped for it. This is one of my all-time favorite plant-based delights. I even bought some to eat on the plane going home.

When I got home and first made it myself and went to the store to pick up the ingredients, no joke, the clerk at Whole Foods asked me, "Are you alright?" I had never seen seitan "as is" before and I guess my face was a sight. At first glance, seitan is not all that pretty or appetizing. Now I am used to it and opt for the "can't judge a book by its cover" adage. I am so excited that it is also available in my neighborhood grocery store now, too! Don't wait for Meatless Monday to try it!

Chimichurri sauce is delightful, fresh and garlic-y and adds a wonderful zing. Rick's recipe uses white wine. I have made it before with fresh orange juice. Either way, it's a winner.

 Seitan Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce


1 package seitan cubes
wooden skewers
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Blend lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, parsley and cilantro until smooth in a blender or food processor. Use as a marinade for seitan. Marinate at least for one hour or overnight.

Next day, thread seitan cubes onto a wooden stick and broil or grill until browned, about 5-7 minutes a side. Serve with Chimichurri Sauce drizzled over top. Serves 2 amply.

Rick's Chimichurri Sauce

1 bunch parsley
4 garlic cloves
"little" olive oil
"little" lemon juice
"splash" of white wine
Black pepper

Mix all in a blender until the consistency of heavy cream. Season to taste, adding more lemon juice or wine until it has the "zing" you want.

Don't say "Never on Sunday"

I usually don't post on Sunday but today's news is too important...

The lead article in today's The New York Times is killer...or life-saving depending on how you use the information. I heard Dr. Barnard speak this summer at the wellness workshop I took Mom to (obviously, a life-changing event for me) and had the chance to talk with Dr. Barnard privately for a little while. His statistics are a call to action. This article is a must read!!!! And here is the

Quotation of the Day

“If you want to look at why people are fat today, it’s pretty hard to identify a contributor more significant than this meteoric rise in cheese consumption.”  

DR. NEAL D. BARNARD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which challenged a federal agency’s claim that eating dairy products can help dieters lose weight.

and here is the article link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/us/07fat.html?ref=todayspaper

I am sticking with this cheesy mess and will have many more posts on it.

Cheese is everywhere, on everything. And, without even going into the quality, especially the quality marketed to children, how it is being promoted is sickening. "Cheatoes" is right.

On a happy note, also check out page 33 of the NYT Sunday Magazine! Here is the link. The whole page is on Christian's site and blog!!  xoxoxox
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/magazine/07fob-consumed-t.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper