Spelt Flour

So it's no secret that I enjoy baked goods. Cookies, cake, muffins, bread, pie, bars, you name it - if it's baked, there is a good chance that I have consumed it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I also really love baking things... So macro is a challenge in that arena because one of the premises of some macro books and teachings is that baked flour products have a tightening effect on the pancreas and an irritating effect on the liver, which causes irritability and general unease. Others say it causes tightening in the muscles of the upper back. I say it tastes good.

So in my macro baked goods, I've been searching for ways to cut out the baked flour - which, is, obviously, impossible. However, there are much better alternatives to your usual - even unbleached - white flour. First, there is whole wheat flour, which is obviously better for you but still has a lot of gluten which is hard for our bodies to digest. I've been using primarily buckwheat and spelt flour in my most recent recipes, and I've been very pleased with the results.

Spelt flour is made from a whole grain which is much higher in protein and nutrients than your traditional whole wheat flour. It's even one of the seven grains mentioned in the Bible (I guess)! So that's got to mean it's good, right? The grain of the spelt kernal is protected much better than the grain of wheat, in that the hull does not come off when it is harvested. So, it is more protected from pesticides, insects, and it has higher water retention than wheat (making its nutrients easier to absorb into the body). In baking, it has a mild flavor and a nice consistency - much like that of white flour, but a bit more dense. The downfall is that spelt doesn't rise as much as other, higher-gluten-content, flours. But it's better for you - so it's a tradeoff that I'm willing to make.

So, there you have it - bake some goods with spelt and you'll feel good eating them... hopefully.

AMAZING blueberry vegan/macro Muffins:
2 1/2 c. flour (use any combination of flours that you would like - I have been using 1 1/4 c. buckwheat flour & 1 1/4 c. spelt)
1/4 c. rolled oats
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
pinch of salt

1/4 c. honey
1/2 c. brown rice syrup
1 heaping T. cornstarch mixed with 2 T. water
1 c. rice milk (plain)
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. applesauce
1 t. vanilla
molasses to taste

1 1/2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen - obviously, fresh are better)

Mix together dry (you can also add wheat germ, flaxseed meal, etc. - be creative - for more nutritional content) & add gradually to wet. Stir with a wooden spoon until just moistened. Stir in blueberries. Put in 6 jumbo muffin cups greased with e.v.o.o., bake at 375° for about 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Makes 6 large muffins, 12 small. Enjoy!

We Judged This Book By its Cover

We got a book, because it looked delicious. And let me tell you—it is friggin' delicious. The recipes in love, eric & sanae are from two genius macro minds. These people can cook macro like it's their jobs...well, I guess it is...
Check it: Whole wheat filo dough wrapped snug around ginger cauliflower, sautéed portabello mushroom stuffed with garlic/carrot/onion millet, drizzled with golden beet sauce. Wowza. I mean...seriously... What a delight.

I had a great meal in Minneapolis with D and MB, as well. I was there doing research for most of the week, eating rice and beans on my own. Thankfully they saved me with whole buckwheat groats, caramelized onion/mushroom sautée, honey vinaigrette beets and a garlic avocado "mousse" We started with brown miso soup and a light salad. Really a grand meal.

Macro is so much easier now that we are armed with some creative recipes and a second wind of energy. Last night we went out for Portugese food, which was a bit of a cheat, but not too much. It's all about balance, right!

Jiggity Jig

I'm waiting at Boston's South Station for a train back to Providence. I want my kitchen and my tasty macro food. I'm hungry.

Macro Heaven

We are indeed in different zones of the country. I in California, a.k.a. Macro HEAVEN. And, not just California, but BERKELEY, California. Filled with farmer's markets, co-ops, organic foods, food stands that have non-dairy, wheat-free treats, and just about anything else a new macro could hope for. So, I've been eating my heart out.

Yesterday we went to the Berkeley Farmers Market. For lunch, I shared a corn tikki with my sister. It was a corn pancake with rice and beans, and an amazing cranberry/mango chutney, served over a curry sauce that must have had quinoa, red lentils, and many amazing spices inside. I don't know how to tell you to make it - but it involves oil, spice, and goodness.

My sister has also introduced me lovingly to mochi which is a cake made out of pressed brown rice. We bought a sweet kind, but you can also get it in savory flavors. You cut some out of the cake & put it in little squares on a cookie sheet, and bake it for about 8 minutes. The rice puffs out from the center into little formations - a fun game might be to guess what each little mochi becomes (reminiscant of the cloud game of childhood)... Anyway - I had it for breakfast with fresh pesticide-free strawberries from the Berkeley Bowl (an absolutely blissful place FILLED with fresh, often organic, produce & bulk goods) - and the breakfast was one of my favorites yet. And I am a breakfast person.

An amazing lady at the Farmers Market had a stand filled with vegan wheat-free delicious treats - I got a spelt flour scone with orange zest, cranberries, rolled oats, and dark chocolate chips in it and it was to die for. I'm not ready to go back to Rhode Island - but Farmers Market season is coming quick to the east as well!

Macro on the Road

I'm in Minnesota, Kerstin is in California, and staying Macro is still on the agenda. I've been lax about explaining the Macro phenomenon to my friends here in the Twin Cities, which basically means I have resigned to walking around with a container of rice in my pack, looking for suitable places to stop and eat out of the public eye.
Being away from my own kitchen is really putting the Macro diet into perspective for me in a different way—it takes a hell of a lot of cooking to keep it up. Being kitchenless is a severe blow. I'll manage, though. Look for me foraging around for pig weed and lamb's quarter leaves in back yards all across the Twin Cities. Ha ha ha.
Kerstin is in Berkeley, probably living the Macro life—those hippies...

The Miracle of Miso

We've been eating a lot of miso soup, which, I have determined, is a miracle food. In reading the macro-literature, it is one of those "alive" foods like yeast & yogurt. And it has a lot of enzymes in it which aid digestion. It is also instrumental in alkalizing the blood, which is exactly what we're going for. Our current concoction for the miso is this: carrots (sliced into half-moons), daikon radish/root (sliced into quarter-moons), scallions, and rice. Put the vegetables/grains into a pot with 2 c. of water, and bring that to a boil. Turn off the burner & add 4 t. miso paste (you can find it with the tofu at the co-op/co-op wanna be grocery store). Stir it up to help the miso dissolve, and then let sit for 10 minutes or so to let the enzymes start their work. Miso is a real staple of the macro-diet... your stomach will thank you with lots of digestion noises!

Also, for breakfast yesterday we had our traditional Saturday breakfast - which we had thought we were giving up for the macro-life. We usually have coffee, scrambled eggs with garlic, and Jake makes some fabulous version of pancakes. So, when we "went macro," we had a ceremonial "last" Saturday breakfast, almost tearful in the end. Then on Friday I had an idea that I thought we could pull of the same breakfast, macro-style. And we did - Buckwheat pancakes with a tofu/garlic scramble. We did have a cup of coffee each - but we put rice milk in it instead of cream... and many macrobiotic people drink coffee - or so we have read - and so we justified. The pancakes, which we were both a little bit hesitant about - were fabulous. Therefore, I share the recipe with you now. 1/2 c. whole wheat flour, 3/4 c. buckwheat flour, 2 T. cornmeal, 2 t. baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 c. rice milk, 1 T. cornstarch (mixed with about 2 T. water), 1 t. vanilla, 2 t. maple syrup. And the tofu scramble is much like scrambled eggs - extra firm tofu scrambled with garlic, onions, kale, zucchini, and whatever other vegetables you can find around. Don't forget the coffee.

Cookies

These are Kerstin's cookies:

1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour, 1 t. baking powder, 1 heaping T corn st., 1/2 c. chopped dried fruit, 1/3 c. nuts (pepitas in our case), 1/2 c. puffed brown rice, 1/3 c. rice syrup, 1/3 c. honey, 1 T molasses, 1/4 c. applesauce, 1/4 c. canola oil, 1 t. vanilla, 1/2 t. almond extract, mix all dry together & all wet, add wet to dry, bake on parchment paper for 17 minutes. makes about 30.
Even I like them, and I don't even LIKE cookies...

Temptation overcome!

Last night we biked to a coffee shop for some tea, and as we were leaving the possibility of stopping for a grilled cheese and some beers on the way home seemed impossible to pass up. It started as just an innocent conversation about "wouldn't it be fun to have one," and it soon turned into a "let's go and do it."
It is hard to realize that we are only in our second week of macrobiotic eating. It seems like it has been longer. I want to believe that my body is already recreated through my diet. And it is well on its way—but I am not completely balanced yet. We decided to just go home and make dinner, which was excellent. I tossed some soba noodles in a tahini dressing with sautéed leeks and garlic. Delicious. I also ate some leftover cauliflower millet "mashed potatoes." Our fridge is full of all sorts of macro experiment leftovers.

The strange deep sleeping continues. This morning Kerstin said it was like waking from a coma. To me it felt more like being in the dark for a long time and having a bright light shoved in your face, as you slowly readjust to the surroundings. We have just been sinking into deep folds of dark sleep. Kerstin's been having weird dreams, and I've been cemented to my pillow when the alarm goes off. Is it that macro feeling...?

Steam it, bake it

Dinner last night, made entirely by Kerstin, was delicious. After reading more about the benefits of a macrobiotic lifestyle, our energy and faith in our diet has been bolstered. She made baked polenta, red beans, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and sliced pears with umeboshi vinegar. I licked my plate clean. You would, too. See for yourself.
This second week of macro has been a lot easier. The deep sleep continues, the sustained sense of being energized, the delicious whole grains. The more of this stuff I eat, the more I feel like my life is something that I have a say in—the more I feel like it is something I am crafting. I like that sense—the sense of craft.
Here is the recipe she created for the polenta:
1 c. polenta (not instant), 3 c. water, pinch salt, 3 cloves garlic, minced, a few chopped scallions, olive oil

stir together in casserole - bake at 350 for 50 minutes

(stir it at about 40 minutes)

Kerstin ordered a macro cookbook that we are excited to work with. It hasn't come in the mail yet, but should soon. One of the things we love about cooking is the way that presentation, flavor and satisfaction all come together. As we've been learning how to cook macrobiotically, that feeling hasn't been as present as it is when we were cooking with foods and recipes that we were more familiar with. But as we learn more about what we can do, the artistry of cooking is returning to our kitchen...and it tastes good.

Macrobiotic Living for Penguins

Wow...

Pasta Frajole, sans Pasta!

Last night we went to the grocery store to stock up on vegetables. We found that kale, beets and leeks are all looking fresher, and the local foods sections were much livelier looking than they have been the last few cold months.
For dinner, Kerstin made miso soup with carrots, leeks, scallions and wakame. We had initially been using dried miso, but last night we had "fresh" brown rice miso. I found it had a much fuller flavor.
The main course was quinoa with white bean and portabella frajole. I made a vegetable stock, sautéed garlic, onions and portabella, added cumin corriander and white beans and let simmer to soak in the flavors. The nutty quinoa was an excellent complement to the earthy frajole.

What a difference a week makes

A week has come and a week has gone. We are stuffed to the gills with whole grains and vegetables.
For the most part, I feel great. Kerstin has been missing her sweets, but she's whipped up a batch of macro cookies, a pan of macro rice krispie thingies and we got our hands on some rice dream (vegan ice cream). And I, my whole life, have not really liked sweets, but I find myself snacking on these things all the time. Go figure.

...OK...you got it out of me—I cannot tell a lie. We cheated. Last night we went out for some beers and a grilled cheese sandwich. But it was to celebrate a week of macro. It's all about balance and moving forward, even if you zig and zag a little. And life is about enjoying it, right?

Today I was very hungry and ate almost all of the leftovers in the fridge: fried buckwheat, millet mashed "potatoes", walnut red lentil spread, rice, refried pesto beans...ha ha ha. FEAST!

Spreading out

After the onion butter success, I decided to try my hand at some more spread type things. I like to snack during the day, munching on crackers and hummus or bread and cheese, etc.

I decided to use Jessica Porter's recipe for red lentil walnut paté, and my own hummus recipe with a little less olive oil and some wakame sea vegetable thrown in. :) They both turned out pretty good. The paté was a little blasé, but I'm betting that a night in the fridge will let the flavors soak in a little bit more. The hummus was a dream, though. I can't get enough of that stuff.

On a non-food note, I woke up this morning from a deep—and I mean DEEP—sleep. I sometimes have obsessive characteristics, so I am currently contributing any and all abnormalities to a macro diet. In any event, it felt so wonderful to slowly emerge from a deep, submerged sleep and let the rainy spring day makes its way into my consciousness.

Oats for breakfast today, but tomorrow we're going to make buckwheat pancakes and scrambled tofu! Hachi-machi!

Buttered Up

Yesterday was delicious. After our first few breakfasts it became apparent to us that we needed to do some more shopping. Steamed rice bread and plain oats just weren't floating our boats. So we got some all-fruit jam, almond butter, sunflower seeds and craisins.

I also decided to try my hand at making what some Macrobiotic cooks call "onion butter." To us it just seemed like onion confit, which is delicious, but it ain't butter. Anyway, I've been confit-ing almost everything I eat with this tasty stuff. It doesn't look so great in the pan (as you can see), but it feels good on the palette.

Kerstin also whipped up a batch of macro cookies. I'm not sure where she got the recipe, but they are a great alternative to egg, sugar and butter cookies and still satisfy our sweet tooth. I'm not even a big fan of sweets, but I found myself sneaking more than a few of these while she wasn't looking. ;)

The book that we've been using for most of our recipes and nearly all of our inspiration is Jessica Porter's guide to Macrobiotics (the Hip Hick's guide to Macrobiotics © 2004) She's funny, witty, has great recipes and writes like she's standing right here in our kitchen with us. Her real advice and the story of her switch to macrobiotics is both hilarious and helpful. I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about eating healthier, whether you decide to go macro or not.

Today I'm going to cook some millet for dinner and make another starter for bread. I'm hoping for a more sour sourdough this time.

Holding steady with Soba

After the reuben bust, we decided to take a closer look at some macro recipes and find something that was a little more...familiar. The sea vegetables, miso soup and avalanche of whole grains has been a little bit overwhelming, but we want to stay positive and find things we really enjoy—especially since going macro is about freedom and enjoyment, not limitations and restraint.
So we decided to go with an old standby: pesto! Kerstin threw together some freshly chopped basil, toasted pine nuts, minced garlic, some sea salt and olive oil (yeah, sans cheese, but hey dairy days are over) all tossed with some soba noodles (buckwheat pasta, basically) and we had a familiar and delicious plate of macro satisfaction.

She also sauteed some onions and shittake mushrooms on the side and had a surprisingly gourmet dinner that didn't take more than 20 minutes to make. Bam!

On a less than glamorous note, we went to the grocery store today and got some Rice Dream "ice cream" that doesn't really tickle my pickle. I'm going to do some research into more macro desserts to come up with something that is naturally sweet and a little more satisfying than "rice cream." har har har.

Dough + Steam = Bread?

Mmm...bread. That's one of the things we'll miss most—fresh baked bread. The last four years have been a bread-bonanza, and I've actually learned how to bake a pretty decent loaf. So when I learned that baked flour is a much less wholesome way to eat wheat (i.e. it causes tension and dryness throughout the body), I was bummed, to say the least.

Luckily we found a recipe for steamed sourdough whole wheat bread. It turned out alright. I think if I practice it some more I'll get better at it. It is kind of spongey and thick—like smooshed bread—but has a great taste. Here's the recipe we found by Jessica Porter:

• 2 level tablespoons miso
• 3 cups leftover rice or other grain (I used rice)
• 2.5 cups whole-wheat bread flour
• 0.5 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (I just used bread flour, because I didn't have pastry flour, but this will lighten the loaf a little)
• water
• corn oil (I used olive oil)
• raisins, seeds, nuts or vegetables you want in your bread (I didn't add anything this first time around)

Add miso the rice, mix together and let sit for two days in the open. Stir or massage it once a day to let natural fermentation occur (this will give it the sourdough taste).
The night before you are going to cook the bread, add the flour and water until you have a dense, thick hunk of dough that is a little springy, but not too wet. Cut into two loaves and rub with oil.
Let the loaves sit overnight in a covered, warm place.
When you are ready to cook, get a pot of water to a boil and then place the loaves in a steamer for one hour. (I used a collander in a pot since we don't have a steamer, yet).

This is what the loaves looked like just before I put them in the steamer. Mmmm! They smell delcious. I was a little apprehensive about how they would turn out, since I'd never even HEARD of steaming bread. It looked all slimey and gooey when I took them out—but after I let them cool on a cooling rack with some parchment paper, they looked fine. They are denser than normal bread, but have a great sourdough flavor and smell, and the bread holds together famously. We grilled some slices of it and had tempeh reubens for dinner. I love that sauerkraut!