Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Slow Food and Curried Butternut Squash Dip

By

Remembering hurts sometimes.

Morning view from our B&B

Maybe I’m being a little dramatic… but I fell in love in the Piedmont region of Italy.  Specifically in Alba.

Our first day in the region was spent bumming around the small town of Alba.  Two important things to note about Alba:

  1. Ferrero (the company that makes Nutella) is based there
  2. It is most famous for its magnificent white truffles (tartufi bianco), which are in season from October-December

Therefore, the city smells of chocolate and truffles.  How could I not fall in love?

We took our time at the B&B sleeping in and getting ready for the day.  All of the train travel, 55 lb bag carrying, and late night arrivals were taking a toll!  We arrived in the city center just in time for lunch at one of the original Slow Food restaurants – Osteria dell’Arco.

Not familiar with the Slow Food movement?  Briefly, from their website:

Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization with supporters in 150 countries around the world who are linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to their community and the environment.

To say that it was a religious experience would be an understatement.

To begin, I was THRILLED with my massive salad topped with perfect late-season tomatos, carrots, and yellow peppers.  The glass of Nebbiolo was pretty tasty too.

Insalada Mista

We ordered a Primi to share, followed by two Secondi.

The primi was so good it almost made me cry – gnocchi with shaved black truffles.  That was the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi that I have ever put in my mouth (and we ate quite a bit on this trip).  The sauce was perfectly creamy with a touch of salt – just enough to complement the earthy, rich truffles.

The following dishes were also excellent: Brasato di vitello al barolo (braised veal in Barolo wine) and an eggplant dish with red peppers and creamy lemony ricotta.

Check out the Slow Food plate!

Post-lunch explorations took us all over the city, admiring truffles, pastas, and various meats.

We wandered into one particular truffle shop and were admiring the jars truffle-laced goodies when I did something embarrassing.  I knocked a 25 Euro jar of anchovies with white truffles off the shelf.  It shattered onto the floor and the store filled with the aroma of truffles… which gave way to the less pleasant smell of anchovies.  Call me Grace.

I apologized profusely to the man working and mentally prepared myself to have to shell out the money for the merch.  much to my surprise, the man insisted I not worry about it and – since I wouldn’t stop apologizing – he gave me a piece of truffled chocolate!

To this day I’m not sure how the next part of this story came to be.  The man – Tomi – ended up talking to us for a bit.  We told him how much we wanted to have some good white truffles, which are hard to find on menus early in the season.  It turns out it isn’t uncommon for people to buy truffles to bring to a restaurant for dinner (BYOT), and he knew of a shop where we could buy them (with his 50% off discount!!!).  The really mind-blowing part is that Tomi offered to drive us to his friend’s restaurant in the neighboring town of Teriso for dinner!

How does this stuff happen to us?!

We decided to take our chances that he wouldn’t be a mass murderer (he wasn’t – he was a very nice Japanese-transplant to Italia) and accepted his generous offer.  Off to the store to buy truffles!

Clockwise: local hazelnuts, black truffles, white truffles, samples of various truffle spreads

You lick it, you bought it!

Our very own 0.26 ounces of white truffles

.26 oz of white truffles would normally cost about 100 euro.  We got it for 50.  That’s cheap compared to what you find in the States – I just heard that a local Atlanta restaurant is offering a white truffle pasta dish for $60.  Thanks Tomi!

Profumo di Vino has the coolest menu design I’ve ever seen!

Profumo di Vino’s chef/owner, Memo, offered a delicious tasting menu… all of which i can no longer name, but I’ll do my best!  ‘Scuse the nighttime low-quality shots.

2008 Elio Grasso Barbera d’Alba

Pumpkin mousse

Encrusted poached egg (post-cut) over a potato puree

Memo shaving our truffles over his olive-oil coated tajarin

Eggs, white truffles, and a phenomenal Hilberg Barbera d’Alba.

This was incredibly tender and moist… I think he said it was quail but it seems too big?!

Molten chocolate cake. Served with a side of jalapeno gelato.

Normal people might go home after all that.  We aren’t normal.

The whole kitchen came out to talk to us and we shared drinks with a staff from the following countries: Mexico, America, Sweden, and Japan.  There may have been a push-up contest involved.  Only in Italy.

Who needs a dose of health food after that smorgasbord?  Are you seeing why I need to cleanse?  LOL!  🙂

I had a little bit of butternut squash left over and wanted to eat it in a new way.  Remembering the Butternut Rosemary Hummus I made last spring, I decided on a dip.  Curried Butternut Squash Dip.

The curry and ginger flavors with the sweetness of the squash was delicious.  I enjoyed the whole dish with carrots, red bell peppers, and celery.  Then I cleaned the bowl with my fingers.

The garnish is simply roasted butternut squash seeds.  They are just like pumpkin seeds and super easy to make:

  1. Pick them out of the “guts” and give them a good rinse
  2. Spread them out and allow to dry overnight 
  3. Coat with a bit of coconut oil and cinnamon (careful not to get them too moist)
  4. Roast them in the oven on 325 for ~30 mins, stirring once or twice
  5. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container

They make a great grab and go snack!

Curried Butternut Squash Dip

  • 1/2 C butternut squash, roasted
  • 2 tsp rosemary
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Juice from a wedge of lemon
  • S+P, to taste

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Adjust spices and add more oil (or water) as needed.

Use as a dip for your favorite veggies and chips or as a spread on sandwiches or wraps.  Or simply eat with a spoon while standing over the blender.

***

I think the Piedmont recaps have been hard for me to begin because I’m still sad I had to leave.

Have you ever had white truffles?

What’s your favorite way to eat butternut squash?

Kicking and Screaming

By

I came back to America.

That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it though!  Have you ever gone somewhere and felt like it’s where you were meant to be?

That was Alba, Italy for me.

Over the next few days I’ll recap the many adventures we had over 14 days.  For now I’ll just say it was the trip of a lifetime.

We were lucky in so many ways – from navigating train stations to getting private tours of wine cellars to making friends with winemakers.

Let’s start at the beginning: overnight AirFrance flight to Verona (via Paris).

We were well-prepared with out neck supports, magazines, iPods, eReaders, etc.  First hint we over-packed: the neck thingys were the only travel items used.

Dinner time!

First wine of the trip

Our airplane feast

Ummmm… let’s just say it’s a little cruel to begin a food and wine trip with such foul food and wine. 😉

Packing snacks was a brilliant idea

The view of the Alps was incredible!

Finally, in the promised land of food and wine.

Most people would take a nap after all that travel.  We aren’t most people.

3 quick showers and a chat with the Bed & Breakfast owner.  Now we’re on our way to the Verona city center for drinks and an appetizer at recommended stop #1:

Antica Bottega del Vino

One of each, please!

I have died and gone to cheese heaven

My first glass of wine was an Amarone Masi.  It was incredible – deep raisin taste, thick, and layered with flavor.

This place proved to be key because we met a new friend – Tim.  Tim was there on business, but his family is from the area.  Lucky us – he offered to meet up and guide us later!

We also learned the historic Bottega opened a location in NYC.  I smell a trip in our future. 🙂

Dinner was at Antico Verona.  It apparently had changed names, so we had a fun walk trying to FIND it (at least we burned off the first drink).

Our reward to locating this place:

Valpolicella Superiore is less expensive Amarone – same grapes, different process.  It is lighter and the raisin taste is less prevalent.  Still delicious – it’s a good “drinking” wine.

Dinner was okay – not the best meal we’d have, but not bad.

Steak, sautéed veggies, pasta with black truffles

Never a dull moment, the old electrical system meant the lights went out in the restaurant periodically.  I wish I spoke Italian because every time they went out, the table next to us would sing a song I couldn’t understand.  It added to the adventure – especially when the lights went out while in the bathroom.

HUGE thanks to the fabulous guest posters who helped me out while I was gone.  In case you missed any, here is a listing:

Advice for those of you going on extend trips abroad: beg for recruit guest bloggers.  I had very good intentions of blogging while away, but Internet and time is far too unpredictable.

Please check out these rockin’ ladies – you may discover your new favorite blog! 🙂

In other news, this weekend was Atlanta Pride.  It is the first year I’ve brought a green beverage to the park.

Butternut Squash-Banana Smoothie

  • 1/2 C butternut squash
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 handful spinach
  •  Ice + milk/water, to taste

As usual, the people watching was rich.

Rawr

I NEED these shoes!

Happy Pride, ATL!

***

I’m shoveling fresh fruits and veggies in my mouth by the handful – they were SO hard to find in Northern Italy.

Did you enjoy the guest posters?  Did you discover anyone new?  

Have you ever traveled somewhere and felt such a strong connection to it you almost stayed? 

Pumpkin Shortage + WIAW

By

Don’t panic but…

 

There may be a pumpkin shortage.

Damage from Hurricane Irene is worse than we thought.  The hurricane destroyed hundreds of pumpkin patches in the Northeast.  Prices for the surviving pumpkins have doubled in some cases.
Growers in other regions are shipping pumpkins to the NE, but if you’re in the affected area you still want to get your pumpkins early before the good ones are gone!

No word on whether it will affect canned products or pumpkin ales.


I hope I didn’t alarm anyone.  🙂

Back our regularly scheduled WIAW: The Using Everything in My Kitchen Edition.

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Breakfast:

I recently bought what will probably be the last peach of the season.  Sad.

 

Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding isn’t sad though.  This made for a tasty breakfast while on an early conference call with Taiwan.

I did it the same way as usual (click link above for recipe), except I used chunky PB and sunflower seed milk (which was NOT as good almond milk in this!).

 

Not pictured are my 2 cups of coffee.  Black, with cinnamon sprinkled in the grounds (pre-brew).

 

 

Lunch:

I went on a nice little 7 mile run and was starving when I got back.

Monster Salad time.

 

In my bowl:

 

I wasn’t a huge fan of Sunshine patties at first, but I discovered that microwaving them half way and then finishing them off in a pan makes it much better.

 

Snacks:

Biscoff Cookie Dough Ball for pre-run fuel.  These kept really well in the freezer… but this was the last one. 🙁

 

I also made another Biscoff spread treat.  Which I will share on Friday… it seems timely since I’ll be eating Biscoff on my flight. 🙂

 

Dinner:

This was a creation inspired by the cooler weather… and fact that tofu, spinach tofu noodles, and tomato sauce are all on list of this to use in my fridge.

 

This Vegan “Ricotta” Pasta Bake was seriously good.  I added artichokes and capers, which made it not-your-mamma’s pasta bake.  And – of course – red pepper flakes.  

 

I love surprising myself.  Recipe coming tomorrow!!!

For a more delicious eats, check out the round up at Peas and Crayons!

***

It is proving to be a fun challenge to use only what I have.  Running out of spinach is a scary thing though!

Are you affected by the pumpkin shortage?

What ingredient are you most looking forward to being back in season?

 

Skinny Girl Thai Greek Sauce

By

Do you enjoy Skinnygirl Margaritas?

 

 

Apparently they are in hot water (as opposed to frosty boozy deliciousness).  According to TMZ, there has been a class action lawsuit filed against the and Whole Foods has removed the products from the shelf.

The drink claims to be “all-natural” right on the bottle… yet it has a preservative called sodium benzoate in it.  Alone it’s not so bad… but when combined vitamin C  (absorbic acid) it forms a carcinogen.  I couldn’t find an ingredient list online to determine if the Skinnygirl Margarita contains vitamin C.

 

Creator Bethenny Frankel released the following statement:

I wouldn’t sell anything that I don’t drink myself.

 

I don’t actually like these.  What I do like is that they inspired restaurants to make their own “skinny” margaritas using agave and fresh lime juice.  They are SO much better than the sour mix ickiness!

____________________________________________________________________________________

I’m happy to report that my dinner was natural and had a generous helping of a skinny sauce.

 

It was intended to be a wrap… then I got carried away with the greens!

After a travel-heavy week I always crave fresh, raw food.  I topped an Ezekial 4:9 Sprouted Grain Tortilla with plenty of it!

 

My pile of raw greens:

  • Spinach
  • French green beans
  • Sprouts
  • Zucchini
  • Cucumber
  • Broccoli

 

The secret’s in the sauce.  Thai Greek Sauce.  Thai because of the curry paste and peanut flavor. Greek thanks to the yogurt and lemon.  With basil for good measure.

Tangy, spicy, and a little nutty.  Like your favorite aunt.

 

This tasty sauce made the perfect spread for my open-faced wrap.  Is there such a thing as an open-faced wrap?  There is now!

____________________________________________________________________________________

Thai Greek Sauce

  • 1/4 C Greek yogurt
  • Juice of 1/4 small lemon
  • 5-6 basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp peanut flour
  • 1/8 tsp red curry paste
  • shake of cumin
  • S+P, to taste

 

Mix together in small bowl, spread on the nearest victim item, and devour!

***

I just realized there’s no point in unpacking from this week’s travels before I head out next week.  Lovely.

Do you like Skinnygirl Margaritas?  Do you care about the inclusion of a preservative?

What’s everyone getting into this weekend?

 

Chilly Weather Eats + WIAW

By

Wednesday comes quickly on short weeks!

Short weeks are good and bad.  I love the extra weekend time… but I was at work until 8p last night paying for it.

It’s chilly and drizzling rain here, so I had planned to go to kickboxing for a good, mindless workout.  The last class starts at 730p.

On the bright side, I hit the gym in my building and tried out a new back/bicep workout that I’ll be sharing soon. 🙂

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On such a short week I nearly forgot to take pics for WIAW!

 

I did remember nearly everything in the nick of time.  Mas importante because I had a special treat for breakfast.

 

Breakfast:

I pre-gamed breakfast with some cantaloupe because it was going to take a minute before I picked up the main show.

 

FREE Chick-fil-A!!!  It is free breakfast entrée week (with a reservation).  I was pumped to try out their new oatmeal.

I came prepared with my own peanut butter (I never said I was normal).  They provided brown sugar, nuts, and dried fruit as toppings, but I’m not a dried fruit fan and the nuts were all sugar-coated.  Too much sugar in the morning!

The oatmeal itself was pretty good.  The fact that it’s multi-grain gave it a good texture.  It was cooked well – not watery, which I generally find to be the problem.  Only 120 calories and 5g of sugar, but I liked that it had 3g of fiber and 4g of protein.  That said, the serving was fairly small and I was really glad for the peanut butter!

 

Lunch:

Inspired by the cool, rainy weather I made a delicious Indian Eggplant Lentil Stew Monday night and thoroughly enjoyed the leftovers for lunch today.

Side note: Tech wont their first game against Western Carolina Girl’s School Saturday!!!

 

Lentils have many benefits.  They are:

  • High in protein an fiber = filling
  • Good source of iron and magnesium
  • Take on virtually any flavor from other foods/seasonings
  • Low-cost
  • Good left-over!

 

This recipe will be up tomorrow!!!

 

 

Snacks:

Not pictured, but I am pretty predictable consistent:

  • Chocolate-Toffee Think Thin bar
  • Nuts – I caved and ate the Chick-fil-A sugar-coated.  They were good.  🙂
  • Kombucha Green Tea
  • Broccoli and carrot sticks dipped in my new find: Spinach-Artichoke Hummus

 

This hummus is a new Whole Foods find by Nature’s Healthy Gourmet.  You really get the good artichoke flavor in it!

Nature’s Healthy Gourmet is a small company based out of Florida that specializes in vegetarian and Kosher foods.  Nature’s hummus is also dairy- and gluten-free.  If you can find it, this hummus is worth a try!

 

Dinner:

Since I got home from work so late I opted for a lighter dinner.  A salad with raw french green beans, sprouts, and mission figs.

 

Did you really think that’s all I ate?  Bwhahahaha!

 

That salad was protein’d up with sriracha-marinated tempeh and hummus dressing (the aforementioned hummus mixed with a bit of apple cider vinaigrette).

I finally learned how to spell sriracha!!!  Gotta celebrate the small victories. 😉

 

For a more delicious eats, check out the round up at Peas and Crayons!

***

Please excuse the grainy iPhone pics for the next few days… my camera is broken!

It seems that every fast food place offers oatmeal now – do you ever purchase it in a crunch?

Is is getting cooler where you are?  Bring on the fall weather!

 

WIAW: The Rockies Edition

By

Starting the week 3 hours behind is weird.

 

I woke up Monday morning in Denver, CO.

  • The Good: I woke up super early because I was on East Coast time
  • The Bad: By the end of the day I was pooped
  • The Weird, cont.: Now I’m in Chicago… in another time zone

 

Have you guys ever been in the Denver airport?  Having a massive airplane inside the airport gives it extra cool points.

I checked into the Hampton Inn (which was surprisingly well-kept/updated) and discovered that they had little pictures outside each guest room.  Pretty cool – they were all different!

However… don’t you think mine was a little risque?!

I swear I’m not running a prostitution business out of my hotel room.

Waking up super early meant I got in a couple of good workouts.  Hooray for hotel gyms!  Note the motivational sign across the mirror.

The WIAW part of my week is… weak…

Don’t kick me out, Jenn!

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Breakfast:

Luke-warm hotel instant oatmeal.  Made with water.  Eaten out of a styro-foam bowl with a plastic spoon.  Thank god for peanut butter.

Instead, let’s pretend I ate some of this:

Zucchini Bread Oatmeal with homemade quick blueberry “jam” was one of my better ideas.

I may stop for zucchini on my way back from the airport Friday…

Lunch:

How one conference could offer SO MUCH bad food is beyond me.

This was some sort of attempt at enchiladas.  I picked out the chicken and made a salad with the shredded lettuce.  Maybe one of those tortilla chips was eaten – they were ridiculously salty (even for a generic brand).

Snacks:

Not pictured, but these items were key to my survival:

  • Apple taken from the hotel breakfast bar
  • Peanuts I saved from my flight
  • Chocolate-Toffee Think Thin bar from home

 

 

Plus copious amount of tea to keep warm in the very well-air conditioned room and remain heavily caffeinated.

 

Dinner:

Again, not worthy of a picture.  It was an airport salad with 2 cucumbers and 2 tomatoes (not kidding).  I did manage to convince them to give me some hummus then regretted it.

This would have been much more delicious:

 

A big salad with hummus dressing (basil hummus mixed with a bit of apple cider  vinaigrette) and a side of roasted brussel sprouts (coated with herbed dijon mustard and olive oil).

Served with 1/2 a Food for Life Sprouted Grain and Seed English muffin and a big ‘ol scoop of my new favorite oil-free, vegan condiment:

Beet Sunflower Pesto.

 

You should try the pesto.  No need to like beets.  Guaranteed.

***

For a whole slew of eats MUCH better than mine, please hop over to Peas and Crayons. 

Do you prefer East Coast time?  West?  Somewhere in between or far away?

Let me live vicariously through you – what deliciousness are you eating this week?

Beet Sunflower Pesto

By

The beat goes on…

Ok, this post isn’t about Sonny & Cher.  You can thank you later when you’re humming this song.

I made pesto!  Oil-free, vegan, purple pesto.

 

With beets.  Don’t be scared – it really is good.  I don’t even like beets and I loved it.

Why buy beets if I don’t even like them?  Because they are really good for you!

Among their long list of benefits:

  • Beets are high in nitrates, which can increase exercise endurance
  • are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals such as: Vitamin C, Niacin (B-3), Pantothenic acid (B-5), Pyridoxine (B-6), carotenoids, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and folates
  • They are a source of betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support
  • They contain two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are unique good for eye health
  • Betanin pigments from beets have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth and may have other anti-cancer benefits

The secret to making beets taste good is to add distinct flavors to them.  The citrus from the lemon and the sweet nuttiness from the toasted sunflower seeds did a lot to help.  Basil and garlic are, of course, is a great flavors to use in pesto.  The balsamic gave the flavor a last little push over the edge.

You could also add some goat cheese or nutritional yeast to the mix to further amp up the flavor.  Mine would have included goat cheese… but I planned poorly and used it all in my morning eggs.

For the “pasta” I improvised spiralized zucchini.  Using a cheese slicer.  Who says I don’t use all my kitchen gadgets?!

Topped with more sunflower seeds, red pepper flakes, and a tasty new French raw milk cheese: Raclette.

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Beet Sunflower Pesto (Oil-Free and Vegan)

  • 2 medium beets (I cheated used packaged, pre-cooked)
  • ~15 large basil leaves
  • 1/4 C toasted sunflower seeds
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
  • S+P, to taste

Toast sunflower seeds on stove top (~4-5 mins).  Watch them closely and still as needed for an even toast.  

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

***

I went back for seconds thirds.  It’s also good atop brussels, FYI.

Do you have a favorite non-traditional pesto?

Do you ever eat things just because you know they are beneficial?  Were you successful in making it taste good?

Raw Kale and Oyster Mushroom Salad

By

This Raw Kale and Oyster Mushroom Salad has an amazingly rich texture.  The kale softens in the marinade and the creamy avocado is balanced with the unexpected crunch of sesame seeds.

This raw kale salad was fantastic with its Asian-inspired flavors and marinated Oyster mushrooms.  I must be on a ‘shoom bender.

The kale marinade is a simple one: rice vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, seasoning, sesame seeds, lime, and – the secret ingredient – avocado.  The flavors combine perfectly to make a delicious, taste-filled side.

It’s all groovy… and then you reach the most satisfying part – biting into the meaty mushrooms, filled with the juicy goodness of their marinade of soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil.

Added Bonus: the lime keeps the avocado fresh enough to eat the salad for lunch the following day!

Raw Marinated Kale and Oyster Mushroom Salad

For the kale:

  • 1 T rice wine vinegar
  • 2/3 tsp soy sauce (or tamari)
  • 1 tsp Bragg’s Sea Kelp Delight (or other herb-y seasoning)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 T white sesame seeds
  • Juice from 1/2 lime
  • 1 small avocado, mashed
  • S+P, to taste
  • 1/2 bunch of kale, roughly chopped with stems removed

For the Mushrooms:

  • 1 tsp soy sauce (or tamari)
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1/4 tsp sesame oil
  • ~10 oyster mushrooms

To prepare the kale: Mix all ingredients except the kale in a large bowl.  Add kale and massage into marinade until well-combined.

To prepare the mushrooms: Mix together all ingredients except the mushrooms.  Add mushrooms, tossing until coated.  There will not be any marinade to spare.  Not to worry – the ‘shrooms will “juice” as they marinate.

For at least one hour, allow each mixture to marinate.

Toss to combine just before serving and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings (as sides).

***

I made this to go with the baked Chili Nutty Tofu (as seen in yesterday’s WIAW post).

Do you ever make raw meals?

What is your favorte Asian-inspired dish?

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