Rainier Cherries

I still remember tasting my first Rainier cherry. It was 20 years ago, and my grandmother introduced me to them while I was visiting her in LA (of all places). I grew up in the Midwest and never saw a yellow cherry before. As if the color wasn't unique enough, the sweet unparalleled flavor made an even greater lasting impression on me.

Little did I know that I would eventually move to the state where Rainier cherries were born. They were cultivated in the late 1940's, and it's actually a hybrid cross between the classic Bing cherry and the Van cherry species. I find that fascinating considering that both the Bing and Van cherries are red in color. I had my first Van cherry a few weeks ago at the Seattle University farmer's market. Wow, Van's are sweeter than Bings. Imagine a Bing cherry with a deeper and sweeter flavor---that's a Van. If you ever come across Van's, be sure to try it.

But back to the Rainiers.

Doctor's Health Tip: One cup of Rainier cherries offers 3 grams of fiber, and a good dose of vitamin C.

Rainiers are available from mid-June to early August. They may cost a little more, but I figure that they're around for such a limited time, it's completely worth it. After all, I won't be able to consume them 11 months out of the year. So let yourself go, and get your fill this summer, the cherry season is almost over!

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Indian Cooking---Made Easy

I don't know about you, but Indian cooking has always intimidated me. There are so many spices and spice blends, I find it overwhelming. My roommate in med school was Indian, and there were jars of spices that took up an entire shelf in our pantry. She made a memorable chicken biryani----but it took an entire afternoon to create this masterpiece! That's when I decided that I would have to resort to restaurants to get my Indian fix. After all, who has the time to cook all day?

(FYI: my husband and I love Tamarind in NYC, and Rasika in DC---check it out if you're in the area. Amazing.)

This summer, I gained the courage to cook my own Indian dinner after taking an Indian cooking class. Thanks to an amazing instructor who introduced us to Indian spices and numerous hands-on recipes, I don't find this cuisine as daunting. It also helped to have two other foodie friends help out with my first attempt at Indian cooking.

Here's Parippu in the making....

Since I am always ordering chicken tikka masala at restaurants, it only made sense that I should attempt this at home. I found a good recipe from Cook's Illustrated. It far exceeded my expectations, and I would even say it's comparable to the restaurant versions I've had. My friends and I loved it!

As promised, here's the link to the recipe, ladies. chicken tikka masala

I would emphasize that making your own garam masala spice blend makes all of the difference when cooking Indian food. I made the mistake of buying pre-made indian spice blends in the past---I would NOT recommend that. There are a lot of spices that go into garam masala, so if you want to save on the cost, then buy the spices in "bulk" rather than a whole jar of each spice. I found them at Whole Foods, and if you're in Seattle, check out the Market Spice store in the Pike Place Market.

GARAM MASALA

8 cardamom pods
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 inches cinnamon stick

Grind all ingredients together until smooth. Store in airtight container.

Let me know how it turns out!
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Beautiful Basil

Basil is the essence of summer. True, it is available year-round in most supermarkets, but to see it flourish in its full glory in the summer sun is what makes it so delightful. Just plant it in a generous sized pot to give it plenty of room to grow, let it see plenty of sun, and watch nature do the rest. If you're still buying your basil at the store and paying way too much, I encourage you to get your own basil plant and you'll have access to fresh basil all summer long---whenever you need it.

This aromatic herb actually comes from the mint family. In the classic sense, we tend to associate it with Italian/Mediterranean cuisine, but it was actually native to Africa, Southeast Asia, India and South America. It was introduced to Europe 2000 years ago. When we think of basil, we typically think of the sweet basil variety like the one you see here. Don't forget about Thai and Opal basil varieties too.

I love the classic flavor and aroma of basil----I could sniff it all day long. It adds complexity and depth to our dishes and has that unmistakable flavor. But it's also incredibly good for you too.

Doctor's Health Tip: Did you know that just one ounce of fresh basil has more than TWO times the daily requirement of vitamin A? You can also find calcium and Vit C in it too.

Pure food, beautiful basil---unprocessed, untouched---provides so much flavor, nutrition, beauty. Ah, pure food...

I encourage you to take advantage of the summer bounty of natural beautiful herbs, it adds so much depth, flavor and layers to our dishes. I'm also growing mint and dill which are two other quintessential summer herbs, and of course, you always need to have some thyme and rosemary around too. It's great to have it available all summer long. So plant some in a pot, put it on your deck or windowsill or garden.

I could go on and on about my other herbs and their wonderful qualities----but today, it's all about beautiful bountiful basil.

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Chicken Marsala

Adapted from "The Best of America's Test Kitchen" Cookbook
(Thanks to Kellie--my soul sister who shares many of the same tastes as me)

I have tried several other recipes for chicken marsala, and this recipe is the best. My quest is over. It's easy and fabulous. Made it tonight, and my friends raved about it. As promised, here it is, girls...

Ingredients:
-6 chicken cutlets (1/4 to 1/2 inch thick)
-1/4 c flour
-2 T vegetable oil
-3 T butter
-1/2 small onion, finely chopped
-8 ounces cremini mushrooms (quartered)
-2 garlic cloves, crushed
-1 c Sweet Marsala wine
-1/2 c low-sodium chicken stock
-2 t fresh lemon juice
-1 T chopped parsley
-salt and pepper

Directions:
Salt and pepper cutlets, then dredge it in the flour. Heat 2 T oil in large nonstick pan, then add cutlets. Cook til golden brown on both sides. 2 1/2 to 3 minutes each side. Transfer to large plate and tent with aluminum foil

Melt 1 T butter in pan, then add onions and mushrooms. Cook 5 min til mushrooms browned. Add garlic and cook 30 sec til fragrant. Transfer mushroom mixture to another plate and cover with Al foil

Add Marsala wine and chicken stock to pan. Reduce to 3/4 cup (approx 3-5 minutes). Do not let it reduce TOO much or all the liquids will get absorbed by the chicken. Add chicken to heat through, approx 1 minute. The sauce will thicken. Transfer chicken to serving platter.

Turn off heat, then add 2 T butter to marsala reduction. Add lemon juice, parsley, salt/pepper and mushroom mixture. Pour mixture over chicken, and garnish with more parsley.

Serves 3-4

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Berries Berries Berries

I love summers in Seattle for a multitude of reasons: the sunny (unhumid) weather, the plethora of outdoor activites, the beautiful nature all around us. But another aspect of Seattle that I can't get enough of is its bounty of fresh produce. I love berry picking: in June, it's strawberries, in July it's raspberries, and in August, it's blueberries! The sun came around pretty late this year, so we didn't get our strawberries until early July---but better late than never!!! It was a great crop this year, and totally worth the wait. We found these beauties in Marysville at the Beringer Farms.

Everytime I would pick up the leaves, I'd find plenty of these beautiful berries calling my name. It was like hitting a jack-pot every time. I am not sure which species of strawberries these are, but I am still on my quest for the Hood species which grows well in the Pacific Northwest. If anybody knows where I can find this variety, do tell! Hood varieties have a unique fragrant taste and are much sweeter than the typical commercial strawberries we're used to.



There are a few tricky aspects to strawberry picking, so you do have to go into this prepared. First of all, you'll be squatting or bending over for several hours, so do expect to have sore glutes and hamstrings the next day. Freshly picked strawberries have a much shorter half-life than store-bought kinds, so you have to pick with a timeline and agenda in mind. Typically, they last in the fridge for no more than 3-4 days. If you plan on making pies, desserts, or jam, you should try to accomplish that within 3 days from your picking date. If you plan on using them w/in a day of picking, then I would suggest that you "hull" them in the stawberry patch rather than coming home and laboriously hulling as an additional step. But if you want them to last longer, then keep a small stem on it. I always get carried away, and the next thing I know, I've picked in surplus.

So this year, what did I do with over 15 pounds of strawberries???

Lots and lots of strawberry jam. Somewhat of a laborious science project, but totally worth the effort to have it year-round. Each jar reminds me of the wonderful strawberry fields in the spectacular Seattle summer sun----even when I crack a open a jar in January....

Why I'm Starting a Food Blog

food·ie
a person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking.
[Origin: food + -ie, perh. in part extracted from junkie]


If you have ever spent any amount of time with me, it wouldn't take long before you realized my passion for cooking and food. I tend to be a passionate, ardent being with a zest for life and appreciation for God's creation of beautiful natural food. I love how food has endless possibilities for humans to make creative concoctions and medlies of flavors that are pleasing to all of our senses.

I became interested in cooking and entertaining at the age of 11 when I had to start cooking for my younger siblings while my parents were at work. Cooking was more of a necessity at that time to nourish our developing bodies. By college years, I often turned to cooking to help me channel my creative energies where my classes didn't provide me that outlet, not to mention that it was a great stress reliever! In medical school, cooking became a necessity again as I was living far from home. However, the cooking skills drew other classmates into my home who didn't know how to cook, and before I knew it, my food creations led to wonderful times of friendship, fellowship and bonding.

Today, cooking and food are a deep passion and true joy for me. I love to see food in its purest form, and appreciate the natural beauty of it.

I questioned why I love the world of food so much, but my historical accounts have pretty much summed it up here. Food nourishes us and sustains us. But it does so much more! Food also nourishes the soul. It evokes strong emotions in the human being----it takes us back to our past nostalgic memories, it helps us to gather and connect with others, it brings pleasure and joy to our family and friends (which is such a blessing when you're cooking for others), it helps us channel our creative energies into something productive, and it is something that all mankind can relate to to some degree, no matter where we happen to be in the world.

I wish I would have started a food blog earlier, but better late than never. This blog is a place where I can share my passions and ideas with my family and friends---and maybe a place where other foodie friends can be made. I have had countless discussions about food-related topics with friends, and living on both coasts of the country at different times of the year, I have many varied experiences of regional foods and ideas through my travels. I thought this would be a great forum to bring it ALL together. I encourage you to post your ideas, experiences, recipes and questions on my blogsite so that we can learn from one another. It doesn't matter what your level of cooking experience or expertise may be. I'm just an amateur myself, but I love to learn.

There is only one requirement for all of you---you must enjoy food!