Working or Playing? » Food

Scone Variation: Ginger‑Yam

Edward F. Gumnick — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:12:38 +0000

Thirty-one days of talking about fitness and eating better are all well and good, but we must not neglect life’s simple pleasures. I have a busy day scheduled—a meeting with my business partner, two meetings with clients, and a big project that’s ready for finishing touches before it goes to the printer. But in the interest of setting a joyful tone for the day, I reserved half an hour this morning to get a batch of scones into the oven.

With the encouragement of my friend and coach Gika Rector, I’ve been giving some thought lately to cooking as an art form. I’m overdue for grocery-shopping, so today’s performance started from the concept “What’s hiding in the pantry?” A can of yams and the last bit of a bag of crystallized ginger became my inspiration. (I also found some vacuum-packed salmon, but my artistic vision wasn’t bold enough for fish scones…yet.)

(Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.)

Additional Ingredients

1 t cinnamon
A dash each of allspice, ground cloves, and/or nutmeg (or more to taste)
Optional: 1/4 t ground ginger (or more to taste), but only if you want the scones to be really spicy
3/4 c canned yams, drained
3 T crystallized ginger, minced
Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Proceed with the first four steps of the basic scone recipe, adding the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and ground ginger (if desired) to the dry ingredients before sifting.
At the point where the basic recipe calls for adding the dry and nearly-dry ingredients (step 5), add the crystallized ginger. Toss lightly to distribute through the dry ingredients.
Dice the yams into small chunks, or pass them once through a coarse slicer or a large-mesh cooling rack. The object is to break them into smaller pieces, but without smashing them into a paste. Add to the dry ingredients and toss very gently to distribute.
Continue with the basic recipe through the forming and cutting of the scone dough.
Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar and bake according to the basic recipe. The yams contain a lot of moisture, so you may find that these require an extra two or three minutes in the oven.

Forget About Months…What Can You Do in Five Days?

Edward F. Gumnick — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:52:39 +0000

The July Project: Day 27

We’re down to the last five days of the month. I woke up this morning thinking how easy it is to run out of steam right at the end of a project like this, and wondering what extra effort I might need to put forth to get the rest of the way to the goal, which was to give time and attention to this blog every day in July.

I was also thinking about how I’ve struggled for the last couple of months to get rid of the weight I gained while I recuperated after my eye surgeries. I’m close to that goal, but the last couple of pounds are hanging on tight. I’ve been banging away on my exercise routine as hard as ever, but with a lot going on in my work world, I’ve stumbled in the commitment to eat well. Too much snacking, too many poor choices, too many stray calories. Not enough veggies, whole grains, and lean meats.

So I asked myself, “What can I do with the five remaining days of July?” I have ideas for a few more blog posts. We’ll see if it’s enough to carry me across the finish line. But what else can I do in my sprint toward the end of the month? I decided to turn my focus to the practice I call “eating with intentionality.” For the last five days of July, I plan to pay more careful attention than ever to every bite of food or drop of drink that goes in my mouth. I’ll write it all down, and I’ll take my own advice about making sure that I eat only when I’m hungry. It’s a challenge. But we’re talking about five days. I know that I can do this for five days.

What’s the goal you’re working on? What could you accomplish toward that goal if you gave it everything you’ve got for five days? Ignore all the distractions—it’s only five days, after all—and give your time and attention to the facet of your life that needs them most right now. Five days of eating well, five days of exercising at your full capacity, five days of writing poetry, or making art, or doing yoga, or cooking nutritious meals.

Then come back here to the comments area and share with us what you’ve done.

» See all of the July 2010 Project. «

Bridging the Gap Between Full and Not Hungry

Edward F. Gumnick — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:13:35 +0000

The July Project: Day 17

There’s a flaw in the communication between the stomach and the brain—the gap between full and not hungry. We eat until we’re full, but we still feel the desire to eat. We eat some more, and later, we feel stuffed, overfed. We gain weight.

Maybe it’s not a flaw, so much as a legacy of our evolution. Before proto-humans developed the cognitive ability to plan and predict their next meal, when the food supply was uncertain and had to be chased down with spears and rocks, stockpiling calories was probably a good survival mechanism. Then some of them figured out agriculture, then permanent settlements, then cities, and the next thing you know, there’s a fast-food joint within 500 yards no matter where you go on the planet.

So now we’re wired to keep eating after we’re full. Scientists are hard at work on understanding the biochemistry involved. There’s a lot of research going on about the relationship between physical hunger and psychological hunger. Maybe some day there will be a pill you can take to make you feel like eating just enough, but no more. Until then, attention and intentionality will have to suffice.

You eat good food, and you’re careful about portion sizes. But when your plate is clean, you feel that ancient impulse telling you to forage for something more. You can avoid a lot of surplus calories if you bridge the gap between full and not hungry without more food.

Try this strategy: Get up from the table and take your dishes back to the kitchen. Set the kitchen timer for 25 minutes. Wash your dishes, tidy up, and find something to do for a while. Read, write, watch TV, pay bills, sort the day’s mail—anything but eat. The trick here is that the ticking timer offers some comfort. It says, “You don’t have to hang on until the next meal…just a little while.”

But you might be surprised to find that if you can keep your mind occupied with something else until enough time has passed, the brain–stomach communications will sort themselves out, and your psychological hunger will have subsided.

When the timer goes off, if you find that you’re still hungry, recognize it as a real signal that you might need something more to eat. Go ahead—hunt and gather yourself a wholesome snack.

» See all of the July 2010 Project. «

I’d Like My Meal for Here…and to Go!

Edward F. Gumnick — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:55:24 +0000

The July Project: Day 7

Nearly a week, and all I’ve managed to talk about so far is exercise. Diet is a more difficult subject to approach. Food means a lot more than sustenance, more than just the source of energy to keep the body running. Food is laden with emotional context.

Image: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We’ll come back to that context another day. Today, I’ll ease into the topic with one of the simplest weight-loss tips I can offer.

Do you eat in restaurants? I love to dine out, but restaurant portions are out of control. Restaurants seem to be engaged in a competition to see who can pile the most food on a plate. I’ve never worked in restaurant management, but I can only suppose that an economy of scale is at work here. Maybe an oversized plate that sells for $13.95 is more profitable to serve than a right-sized portion at $9.95. An overloaded plate certainly creates the perception of increased value for the consumer. But where’s the value in consuming hundreds of surplus calories when you’re already full?

No one was more surprised than I to realize that you don’t have to eat everything the restaurant serves you. When the server lays a super‑sized meal on the table, make up your mind at that instant to take half of it home. If you doubt your self-control, ask the server for a to‑go box the minute she bring your plate, and don’t start eating until she returns with the container. Use your knife and fork to isolate a reasonable portion of food to eat now, and put the rest straight into the box to take home.

If you’re concerned with presentation, ask the server to have the kitchen split the meal in half for you, and to put the leftovers in a to‑go box before he even brings it to the table. The worst he’ll do is say no. He’s working for tips, after all.

The first few times I followed this practice, I felt sorry for myself, a little deprived. But I found that I wasn’t going away hungry. Too much is too much, and all I needed was to train myself to pay attention to being served too much. Later it dawned on me that I’m now getting two meals for the price of one! I’m a cheapskate, so that realization made my new habit taste even sweeter.

» See all of the July 2010 Project. «

Scone Variation: Chocolate Chocolate-Chip

Edward F. Gumnick — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:02:18 +0000

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I came up with this recipe and made it for the first time this morning. I’ve only eaten one of them, but I’m ready to call this an “instant classic,” a candidate for my scone hall of fame.

(Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.)

Additional Ingredients

1/4 c cocoa powder
Additional 1 T granulated sugar
3/4 c semisweet chocolate chips
Heavy cream (or half-and-half, or more buttermilk) for brushing the tops
Sugar for sprinkling (Turbinado, Demerara, or white granulated sugar would be fine, or use a prepared sugar flavored with cinnamon or vanilla.)

Instructions

Proceed with the first four steps of the basic scone recipe, adding the cocoa powder and one extra tablespoon of sugar to the dry ingredients before sifting.
At the point where the basic recipe calls for adding the dry and nearly-dry ingredients (step 5), add the chocolate chips. Toss lightly to distribute them through the dry ingredients.
Continue with the basic recipe through the forming and cutting of the scone dough.
Brush the tops with cream, then sprinkle with the sugar of your choice. Bake according to the basic recipe.

Scone Variation: Apple Cinnamon Crunch

Edward F. Gumnick — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:00:45 +0000

Here’s another scone variation that’s been very well received by my tasters. They’re made with apples, so they must be good for you, right?

(Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.)

Additional Ingredients

1 Granny Smith apple
1 t cinnamon (or more to taste)
1/2 t turbinado or demerara sugar
3 T all-purpose flour
2 T brown sugar
2 T butter
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Peel, core, and dice the apple.
Toss the apple pieces with 1/4 t of cinnamon and the turbinado or demerara sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
Proceed with the first four steps of the basic scone recipe, adding 1/2 t of cinnamon to the dry ingredients before sifting.
At the point where the recipe calls for adding the dry and nearly-dry ingredients (step 5), add the sugared apple pieces. Toss lightly to distribute the apples through the dry ingredients.
Continue with the basic recipe through the forming of the scones.
Make a streusel topping by rubbing together 3 T flour, 2 T brown sugar, 1/4 t cinnamon, 2 T butter, and a pinch of salt.
Scatter the streusel on top of the dough disks. (It will go everywhere and make a mess, and you’ll have to eat cooked streusel off the baking sheet later. This is not a tragedy.)
Cut and bake the scones as directed in the basic recipe, starting at step 10.

Scone Variation: Cranberry Orange

Edward F. Gumnick — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:29:24 +0000

This is one of my most popular scone recipe variations. Dipping the scones into a powdered-sugar/juice glaze while they’re still warm gives them a crunchy, sweet-tart crust. (Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.)

Additional Ingredients

1 orange, washed
1/2 c (or more to taste) dried cranberries
Powdered sugar (a few tablespoons)

Instructions

With a micro-plane, peel the zest from the orange. Slice the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl.
Proceed with the first four steps of the basic scone recipe.
At the point where the recipe calls for adding the dry and nearly-dry ingredients (step 5), stir in the dried cranberries and half of the orange zest.
Continue with the basic recipe through the forming of the scones. Brush the tops with buttermilk before baking.
While they’re baking, mix the remaining orange zest, orange juice, and enough powdered sugar to make a syrupy glaze.
A few minutes after they come out of the oven, dip the scones top‑down into the glaze. Allow the excess to run back into the bowl. Place them on a platter or clean baking sheet to cool.

Variations: Substitute one large lemon, two small lemons, or two limes for the orange. I haven’t tried using grapefruit yet, but it’s bound to be good, right?

Alice Bay Buttermilk Scones

Edward F. Gumnick — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:21:58 +0000

The scone recipe on which I’ve based my variations comes from the Alice Bay Cookbook by Julie Wilkinson Rousseau, care of my dear friend and sous-chef, Julie Brown. It contains recipes from the Alice Bay Bed and Breakfast. I don’t want to violate the copyright by reprinting the instructions, but here’s my slightly modified version of the ingredient list for that recipe, which you’ll need if you’re going to attempt to follow my elaborate instructions:

Ingredients

Constants

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c cold butter, cut into small pieces

Variables

1/3 c raisins
1 T grated orange peel
1/2 c buttermilk
1 t sugar

Order the Alice Bay Cookbook 1986 edition from Amazon. Used copies start at $3.75. What a bargain! Or visit the Alice Bay web site and scroll to the bottom of the page, where you’ll find the recipe for Alice Bay French Toast.

Recipe: Dreamsicle Smoothie

Edward F. Gumnick — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:57:12 +0000

This beverage doesn’t fool me into thinking I’m drinking a milk shake. But I still enjoy it a lot.

Ingredients

3/4 c plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 c orange juice
Ice cubes

Instructions

Place three or four ice cubes in a cocktail shaker.
Add the yogurt and orange juice to the shaker.
Put the lid on and shake well.
Pour over additional ice cubes in a tall glass.

Variation: To make the drink taste extra Dreamsicle-y, add one or two ounces of triple sec or another orange liqueur before shaking.

Recipe: Steamed Polenta with Corn Kernels

Edward F. Gumnick — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:58:36 +0000

I made polenta for the first time at Christmas, but I found the stovetop method tedious and time-consuming. Then I had the idea to try making it in a rice steamer. I couldn’t find a recipe online that I liked, so I made up my own. I was very happy with the results, so here it is.

Ingredients

4 T butter
1 c fresh or frozen corn kernels (or more to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 c chicken stock
1 c milk (I used 2%)
1 c dry polenta
1/8 t garlic powder or 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 t dry basil leaves or 2 t fresh basil, finely chopped or as a chiffonade

Instructions

Prepare your rice steamer as you would for cooking two or three cups of rice. Mine is a Black & Decker, so preparation entails filling the base with water to the highest mark, then putting in place the outer perforated basket and the inner rice basket and plugging in the steamer.
In a two-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the corn kernels and a generous grind of black pepper. Turn the heat to medium-high. Saute until the corn starts to brown, between five and 10 minutes, depending on how brown and roasted you like it. (I like a lot of caramelization and chewiness in fried corn.)
Add the chicken stock and milk to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low.
Sprinkle in the polenta a little at a time, whisking to avoid lumps as you go.
Once you’ve whisked in all of the polenta, stir in the garlic and basil. Remove from heat.
Pour the mixture into the rice basket of the steamer. Steam for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture. It will be fairly thick by this point. Smooth the surface back down with a large spoon or rubber spatula. Steam for 30 more minutes.
Spoon the mixture into a buttered 8″ square pan, buttered ramekins lined with buttered cheesecloth, or any other pan or mold that will yield an attractive presentation. Press down to get the polenta into the corners, using a piece of waxed paper to keep it from sticking to your fingers.
Allow the polenta to cool for at least two hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator half an hour or so before the final stage of preparation to allow it to come back to room temperature.
Unmold the polenta, or if you’ve used a large pan, slice it with a knife or cookie cutter into individual servings.
The polenta can be served at room temperature with a hot sauce or topping, warmed in the oven, brushed with melted butter and grilled under the broiler, or fried for a few minutes in butter or olive oil.

Serves eight.

I molded the polenta in ramekins, then after unmolding, reheated it in the oven and served it as the base for grilled mild Italian sausages, slices of freshly charcoal-roasted red bell peppers, and Robin Miller’s Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

Variations: Substitute turkey stock for the chicken stock and add some sage and thyme in place of (or in addition to) the basil, and your polenta will taste like cornbread dressing that was cooked inside a Thanksgiving turkey!

Or add some ground cumin and chili powder to the polenta, and then accompany it with taco-seasoned meat, salsa, and guacamole.