Dessert on a Diet

The Quest: Make a dessert high in nutritional value, that tastes great and is relatively low in calories.  Bonus: Vegan (I want EVERYONE to be able to enjoy this.)
Double Bonus: The cooking time is less than a half hour, although the refrigeration is 4 hours.
The Experiment:  A different kind of Panna Cotta.

Back Story: Everyone will recognize that I've had no professional training for cooking.  Almost everything I've learned I picked up from my parents, reading cook books, watching TV and videos and lots of trial and error.  You also know that I've been on a bit of a health kick of late.  I want to look and feel better all of the time.  But I'm still a glutton at heart.  I love sweet, salty, rich and creamy foods.  How can a glutton have everything he wants?

This is my problem.  I can't read this.
Neither can you.  So, don't judge me.

The Players: Panna cotta is a milk-based dessert set using animal-based gelatin.  Neither of these things are allowed in a vegan diet.  What can be substituted for whole milk?  Nothing really, but I tried both unsweetened soy milk and plain almond milk.  I liked the taste of almond better.  It also has less fat (good for me, bad for dessert), less calories and more nutrition than soy.  Even more challenging, I need to find a substitute for heavy cream.  I selected canned, unsweetened coconut milk.  It has a relatively high fat content (although nowhere near real cream), is naturally sweet and rich. To set the gel, I looked for plant substitutes.  Agar (or agar agar) is a structural agent found in the cell walls of red algae.  I found it in the baking aisle of my local grocery store, in thread and powdered form.  (Like the adventuresome idiot I sometimes am, I got my agar agar from the Pacific Ocean Marketplace years ago before I knew what it was or how to use it.  It's been sitting in our pantry for at least 5 years.)

The cast of characters.

If I stopped here, the panna cotta would taste ok, but not great.  The really rich creaminess just can't be brought to life without richer and creamier ingredients.  Therefore, I decided to go in a different direction.  I added a can of pumpkin puree and 2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger to really punch up the "wow" factor.  The resulting mix has only 94 calories, 110% daily requirement of vitamin A, 10% daily requirement of vitamin C, is high in dietary fiber, calcium and iron, has 0 cholesterol, and only 4 grams of fat.  And it tastes GREAT!

The resulting panna cotta?  A failure the first time around.  It didn't gel.  That was a fear of mine with so little fat.

The next try?  Stay tuned.

Tonight for dessert, we're having:

Vegan Pumpkin Ginger Panna Cotta Ice Cream
1 cup Almond Milk
2 tablespoons Agar Agar Threads
1 can (15oz) Pumpkin Puree
2 tablespoon grated fresh Ginger
2 cups Coconut Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
6 tablespoons Sugar
pinch of Salt

Pour the almond milk into a medium sauce pan and sprinkle the agar evenly over the surface of the milk. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the agar to hydrate. Get the rest of your ingredients ready and also fill a very large mixing bowl 1/2 way with ice and add enough water to let the ice cubes float off the bottom. Get another bowl ready that is small enough to fit inside the large bowl, and large enough to hold about 6-8 cups of liquid. Also set out the ramekins or cups you will use for chilling.

Heat the almond milk and agar on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the agar dissolves completely and the temperature reaches 135 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved.

Pour the almond milk mixture, the coconut milk, pumpkin, ginger and the vanilla into the smaller of the two bowls and place that bowl into the ice water bath. Stirring constantly, chill the mixture to 50 degrees.

Pour the finished mixture into the cups, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

To serve, dip the cup into hot water for 15-20 seconds, making sure not to let any water spill into the panna cotta. Wet your finger and gently run it around the edge of the cup loosening the panna cotta's hold. Turn out onto a serving plate and top with your favorite syrup, sauce, fruit, nuts, etc.

Pour all the ingredients into the ice cream mixer.  Add 6 more tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Mix and chill according to the mixer's instructions.  Freeze for a bit longer.  Serve 2 scoops in a bowl or on a cone.  Contemplate another solution to the panna cotta dilema.

Honestly, This Isn't a Midlife Crisis

I wrote my "bucket list" when I was 15, but the movie hadn't been made yet, so I called it my "list of things to do before I die."  Some things I wanted at 15, I don't want anymore.  I don't want to be a famous actor in the movies: I really don't like people enough to appreciate all the fans I would have.  I also don't want my own island: No one needs their own island and although I don't like the crush of humanity every day, I would get lonely.  Some things on the list I probably won't ever accomplish because technology and my own motivation won't allow for it.  For example, I probably won't be walking on the moon.  And some of those joys on the list I accomplished quickly, some took a little longer, and some are still going to come true.  I eat fire.  I learned Spanish, French and Chinese languages (although I'm very rusty in speaking any of them now).  I am a chef--at least in my own way. 

I have realized recently, however, that I have many more things in my life to do.  Therefore, I have started a new list:

MY NEW LIST OF SOMEDAY AWESOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Travel is on the list.  I want to visit each continent, and except for Antarctica, I want to meet the local folk in the smaller towns.  I want to taste their cuisine and know the regional comfort foods.  (In Antarctica, I want to see the Emperor Penguin from a safe enough distance to not disturb Morgan Freeman.) 

I want to be able to do chin-ups again.  Without assistance.

I'm learning to pick locks.  Since I regularly lock myself out of things with locks, this should be immensely useful to me. 

I've become an ordained minister so I think it would be grand to perform a wedding ceremony.  And maybe a funeral.  Or an exorcism. 

I will have a secret identity and post Urban Exploration adventures under that alias. 

I will accept more dares, but only if there is a greater chance of the dare resulting in fun for me rather than tragedy.  Unless the tragedy also is likely to be fun, then it's Game On!

I will have my own television show.  (Crap.  Now I have to get prepared to have hoards of fans, again.)

If I ever give up being a financial advisor, I will be a butcher.  Or a bounty hunter.  (Picking locks and speaking foreign languages should come in handy.)  (Wait.  I meant, "Probably handier for bounty hunting."  I don't know if animals speak Spanish, French or Chinese.  And since most of them don't have opposable thumbs, I don't think they are negotiating keys too well.)

I want a pencil thin moustache.

I still want to go to outer space.  Richard Branson should be able to help me out. 

And I think I need to be less bashful when it comes to trying new foods.  I really need to get out of my rut.

With that in mind,  here's a fun little recipe.

Poached Baby Octopus for Dessert
1 1/2 cups Port
1/4 cup Sugar
12 Baby Octopus (5" tentacle diameter)
Sugar and Cinnamon mixture (2:1 ratio Sugar to Cinnamon, shaken together in a jar)

If they aren't already, have your local fish monger clean the octopus and remove the beaks.  Rinse them thoroughly.  Heat a large pot of water (6 quarts) to boiling.  Add the octopus and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Drain and put the octopus into an ice water bath to stop them from cooking.  

When the octopus have chilled, rub them gently under running water to remove the outer skins.  Don't worry if you can't get all the skin off--just get most of it. 
In an electric skillet (so much easier to control the temperature), heat the port and sugar until it boils and the sugar dissolves.  Reduce to a simmer and add the octopus.  Cover and simmer on the lowest setting for 2-3 hours, turning them over every now and then to cover all sides evenly.  Yes, they turn slightly rubbery, but that is what octopus is made of: God's old inner tubes.  And yes, the port turns the octopus purple, but that's a natural color for them.  The flavor changes to something wonderful, however.  Magical, even. 

When you are getting close to eating, remove them from the port and let drain.  Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle the octopus with cinnamon and sugar, tossing to coat them evenly.   Serve with fresh sliced strawberries and a scoop of French vanilla ice cream.

Pass the Salt

I graduated college nearly 20 years ago.  Wow.  It seems like only yesterday.  I remember my youthfully arrogant, Bohemian ways; I remember my first tattoos; I remember the girls I dated (Hello, ladies) and the books I read.  Or more correctly, I remember reading a lot of books.  So many books.  I studied the complete works of Shakespeare, John Milton and William Blake.  I devoured Plato, Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas.  I read The Bible, The Tao Te Ching and The Rig-Veda.  I studied Updike, Vonnegut and Atwood.  In fact, I read so many books in college that I really don't like reading now.  Honest.  If you were planning on getting me books for the holidays, please don't.

In place of "reading," however, I do enjoy "research" when it strikes my fancy.  Of course, one of my favorite topics for "research" happens to be food.  And what could be more interesting right now than something as timeless and elemental as salt.  It's kind of the little black dress of the food world.

Think about it: most of what we put in our mouths is pretty disgusting.  And everything gets pretty gross once your body works it over for a bit.  So the cleanliness, the purity, virtual sterility of salt cannot go unappreciated.  Salt is the only rock we eat.  Salt is the reason for the salinity of the oceans which in turn contributes to driving the currents of the seas and thereby regulates the temperatures of the earth.  Salt inhibits the growth of bacteria and other beasties and is essential for preserving many foods.  Biomolecularly, the human body requires sodium chloride to maintain osmotic balance of cells, transmit chemical signals in our nervous systems and aids in the elasticity of our blood vessels.

Salt is mentioned in 40 verses in the King James Bible, and has been an important element in most world religions and religious ceremonies throughout history.

Table salt

Oh, and salt also enhances flavors.  (If you doubt it, try baking a loaf of bread without adding salt to the dough. I recently screwed that up.  YUCK!)  For that reason, you'll find salt as one of the top ingredients in many pre-packaged foods.  So much so, that it has been linked to health problems in many first world diets.  (It should be noted that studies on the long term health effects of salt are inconclusive, at best.  While it MAY exacerbate the effects of high blood pressure in some people already suffering from high blood pressure, a salt-heavy diet does not appear to contribute significantly to mortality or morbidity.  In my opinion, foods heavy in salt are usually also heavy in other preservatives, saturated fats and high fructose corn syrup which have all been proven to be significantly worse for you.)

Table salt under 10x magnification

Salt comes to us in many varieties.  We most commonly recognize table salt in our home and restaurant use.  Its small, consistent crystals (which look all too similar to sugar so as to prompt sophomoric pranks of switching the two) shakes out of salt shakers easily, is simple to measure, and dissolves easily.  Table salt is highly refined, removing most flavoring minerals, but adding in iodine, anti-caking compounds and sometimes additional nutrients.  Because of its small grains, I usually use slightly less salt than called for in recipes, but it's the only seasoning I use on popcorn.

Kosher salt

Kosher salt is hands down my favorite for cooking. When seasoning meats, it's broad, flat flakes spread evenly and dissolve quickly. Kosher salt usually contains less additives than table salt but is still rather highly refined. And salt itself is really neither Kosher nor not Kosher. Unless it's soaked in prawns, salt is fine in Kosher seasoning. But Kosher salt is regularly used in Kosher meat preparation. It's flat structure draws out protein-rich liquids, evenly, to the surface which allows for a lovely Maillard reaction. 

Kosher salt under 10x magnification

Sea salt with Greek spices

Fleur de sel, or sea salt, is less refined and contains trace minerals from the salt water from which it came.  The removal of salt (and other minerals) from salt water, or desalinization, is arguably one of the most important advancements in the future of human agriculture.  The salt is flavorful and usually has large crystals.  This is a great salt to grind and add to dishes where the salt is supposed to be a highlight.

Sea salt under 10x magnification

A Himalayan Salt Block

Mineral Salts, or salts that are mined from the land, are usually extracted from land-bound salt deposits, that used to be water deposits.  Through geologic processes, these salts usually contain the highest mineral concentrations.  Like sea salt, they are best expressed where the salt should be tasted.  Because these salts are often formed into large rock formations, they can also be cut into blocks.  This is an AMAZING application and we love to use ours as a serving tray for sliced fruit.  The juices from the fruit dissolves trace amounts of the salt block, which in turn lightly seasons the fruit.  A perfect system.  Shop for salt blocks at The Meadow. 

Seasoned and smoked salts punch up the flavor to a whole other level.  If getting out the grill would be impractical, but you still want that hint of smokiness, try smoked salt.  Or if you want an easy boost of herbs and other seasonings to your potatoes, try seasoned salt. 

I've written before on using salt in a brine.  I've also posted a recipe for cooking a chicken in a salt crust.  However, I love when a chef (or anyone, really) questions what they've been taught.  Chef Oliver Schwaner-Albright had such a crisis of faith and through his experimentation, learned much about when to add salt to meats.   

So when should you use the different kinds of salts?  As usual, my first recommendation is taste and experiment.  What tastes good?  You've got some good hints in foods you already know.  Pretzels wouldn't be the same without salt, so salt baked into a bread's crust should be good.  Many families pass the salt when they split open a melon.  I discovered that I love coffee ice cream with a pinch of sea salt. 

If you can avoid most of the salt used in prepackaged foods, you shouldn't be afraid of salt.  So give it a whirl and try a kick of unexpected flavor. 

For dessert, try:

Ice Cream Scoops Rolled in Graham Cracker and Salt
4 scoops of your favorite Ice Cream (for those keeping track, Mint Chocolate Chip is my favorite)
8 Graham Crackers
1 tablespoon Sugar
2 teaspoons coarsely ground Fleur de Sel

Place a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper in the freezer until very cold, about 15 minutes.  Using an ice cream scoop run under a hot tap, scoop individual scoops of ice cream onto the cookie sheet.  Return to the freezer. 

Using a rolling pin, crush the graham crackers to a coarse powder.  Combine the sugar, graham crackers and salt in a shallow, wide bowl. 

When the ice cream is frozen hard enough to handle, roll the scoops in the graham cracker mix, coating evenly.  Serve and enjoy!


Rosemary and Lemon Cookies with Fleur de Sel
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Zest of 2 Lemons
1 tablespoon fresh Rosemary, minced
Sea Salt (unground)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease (or spray) a cookie sheet. 

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.  Beat in the egg and the vanilla.  In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest and rosemary.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until well mixed.

Put a little salt (1 tablespoon or so) onto a small plate.  Roll the dough into 1 inch balls.  Tap the ball lightly once into the salt.  You want to pick up a few grains of salt on each cookie.  Place the balls on the cookie sheet, salt side, up. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Let rest for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to a cooling rack.  Makes about 4 dozen.


And just because you read all the way through, you get a picture of my Sunday morning.

Apples on a Salt Block.  (And the dog looks on in curious bemusement.)

The All-American Diet: Not Quite a Love Story

I visited my doctor recently. "High cholesterol."  Now this isn't anything new.  I have tested high before and my family has tradition of gluttony: a tradition so rich and deeply fried that I firmly believe that it and it alone contributed to the girth of my family tree.  So, when I asked how high, he said, "Really high. Too high. If 'too high' was a number, you'd be that plus a lot more." So I asked him what the number was, and he was dismayed by my response: "That's great! That's a lot better than last time!"  My grandparents lived to old ages in spite of their culinary (and other) habits, my parents are doing well and I feel strong as a horse.  Honestly, I think of myself as a 17 year old--at least until I start working out.  Then I feel every day of my 41 and 3/4 years.

I share these traits to a greater or lesser degree with nearly every American, so it's by no surprise that the FDA has proposed restaurants post calorie counts on their menus.  Now, before we have the good/bad discussion, lets look at a few of the socioeconomic and dietary factors that contribute to American health concerns. 

Most recent health studies that show up in the popular media focus on childhood and adolescent nutrition.  The Department of Health and Human Services states that adolescents who are obese have an increased risk developing all sorts of problems, from the obvious horrors of diabetes and heart disease to subtle yet pervasive problems like asthma, orthopedic distress and depression.  In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes causes more deaths in the US than the better research-funded breast cancer, prostate cancer or colon cancer.   Lack of exercise, eating away from home and little variety in diet appear to be the main contributors to childhood obesity.  Unfortunately, based on an article the science journal Nature, the children most at risk also have the least hope changing their circumstances.

Wow.  What a depressing paragraph. 

Fortunately, recent movies such as Fast Food Nation, Super Size Me and Food, Inc have increased our awareness of the dangers we face.  (Judge them for what they are: sensationalistic yet provocative.)  Activists like Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver are working around the clock to find solutions. 

So given what I just laid out, it seems natural that there should be calorie counts on menus.  But I see another economic catastrophe coming.  Restaurants will give up changing their menus.  No daily specials.  No seasonal variations.  The recipes will have to be tested and tirelessly maintained.  And sadly, as has already been proven by posting nutritional information on candy bars and soda, people who want to consume junky food will consume it regardless of nutritional value.  If I'm right, we'll see less variation of restaurant food and no real reform of food and eating habits.  Pity.

On the bright side, simple home cooking could increase.  And I'm looking for another doctor--one who is less judgemental.

For something simple tonight, try: 

Bread, Redux

This is a simple recipe for a hearty loaf with a dense crumb.
1 1/4 lbs of Bread Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 cup Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup Warm Water (to proof the yeast)
2/3 stick of Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup Milk, plus up to 3 tablespoons more, as needed

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and wait for it to froth up.  Combine the dry ingredients in a heavy bowl.  Mix in the yeast mixture, butter and 1/2 cup of milk.  Stir into a shaggy mass.  Add the remaining milk a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together as a dry rough mass. 

Lightly dust a workspace and start kneading.  Knead until the dough comes together as a smooth ball. 

Let it rise for an hour or until it's doubled in size.  Punch it down until it's almost back to its original size.  Shape it into whatever shape you want to bake it, and place it on a cookie sheet or in a loaf pan.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees and let the loaf rise again.  When the oven comes to temperature, bake the bread for 30 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and take it off the cookie sheet or out of the pan, as appropriate.  Put it on a cooling rack to stop cooking as fast possible.  

It's going to smell incredible, and if you are like me, you'll want to cut into it immediately.  Don't!  Let it rest for for an hour to cool. 

For variation, replace the milk with beer, coffee, beef broth or even diluted wine or whiskey.