I’m a recent convert to Old Navy. Primarily because their pants fit me, because the clothing is inexpensive and generally of a decent quality, and because you can buy it online and with easy returns. In addition to buying a few news pairs of much-needed pants (I’m less thrilled about their tops), I discovered that they also carry shoes in large sizes (I’m an 11) that are stylish and, it appears . . . vegan! (made entirely of synthetic materials).

How wonderful to find stylish, affordable shoes that are also cruelty-free! My first pair garnered many compliments and were super-comfortable from the get-go, though only medium on durability. Still, this is a good tradeoff considering the other factors. Enjoy!

I first wrote about Mark Bittman’s no-knead bread recipe more than two years ago. Here’s the version I’ve been making for the last year or so . . . this version incorporates wheat flour and takes about 8 hours for the first rising (as opposed to 18-24) — so you can put it on in the morning and bake it in the evening when you come home. As I like to say, easier that going out and buying a loaf of bread (and much more delicious).

In a bowl, combine:
3 1/4 c. white all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. wheat all-purpose flour
1/2 t. active dry yeast
4 t. salt

Mix in:
2 1/2 – 2 3/4 c. water

Mixture should be slightly wetter than regular bread dough (just a bit too wet to knead with your hand, but not shaggy) and thoroughly mixed.

Cover your bowl with a plate and let set in a warm(ish) place for about 8 hours, until the mixture becomes flat on top and has little bubbles.

Turn the mixture onto a floured bread board and knead for about a minute. Add flour if needed so that you can manipulate the dough and so it doesn’t stick to your fingers easily.

Select a pan with rounded edges (to help your dough take shape). Lay a cotton cloth (dish towel, rag, or other tightly woven cloth, not cheesecloth) in the pan and sprinkle with corn flour. Set the kneaded dough smooth-side up in the pan and sprinkle more corn flour on the top of your dough, then cover the top of the bread with the corners of your cloth and let it set for about 2 hours, until springy.

Pre-heat a 4-5 quart cast iron pot with lid in the oven at 450 degrees. When the oven is hot, carefully remove the pot from the oven and turn the bread dough over into it. Bake covered for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, remove the top and bake for a few more minutes uncovered if you wish. Remove bread from oven and let cool on a rack. Enjoy!

3 1/2 cups unsweetenedd grated dried coconut
1 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.) (I like Trader Joe’s organic)
1 heaping tablespoon white flour

Mix the dry ingredients and then add in the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly and then shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place balls on a baking sheet on parchament paper and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown at 325 degrees. Keep in refrigerator for several days after making. Most delicious eaten fresh and at room temperature.

A couple weeks back, I noticed that they were selling Ethiopian bread at the Central Square 7-11. (Yes, at 7-11 — it’s Central Square, after all). I bought a large pack of fermented njira and set out to make some Ethiopian veggies to go with it.

In reading around on the internet, I decided there there were two fundamentals that could form the basis for my meal: Niter Kibbeh — an aromatic clarified butter, and Berbere, a red pepper and spice paste. I figure the Berbere would go well with a lentil, and that I could used the Niter Kibbeh with some steamed veggies — both dishes that I remember from some visits to Addis Red Sea in the South End. Surprisingly, I had all of these spices on hand, as they’re all favorites of the Indian arsenal. In a short time, the kitchen smelled just like an Ethiopian restaurant and the dishes came out great. Beginner’s luck, I guess. Here are the basic, and what I did with them:

Niter Kibbeh (adapted from from whats4eats.com)

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, and 1 c. canola oil (can be made with all butter but I cut it down because my husband’s watching his cholesterol)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 – 3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T fresh ginger root, sliced
3 – 4 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
3 – 4 whole cloves
1 t. fenugreek seeds
1/2 t. turmeric

Makes about 2 cups, which is enough as fat for quite a lot of food.

Place the butter and oil in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on the lowest possible heat for about 1 hour. Pour off the clear liquid leaving solids at the bottom. (It helps to use a strainer for this). Store in the refrigerator or freezer as needed.

For the Niter Kibbeh dish, I steamed potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and some fresh green beans. When tender, I tossed them in this oil. Delicious and delicate!

Berbere Paste

This recipe adapted from Recipe Zaar.

1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cardamom
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. fenugreek seeds
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. allspice
2 T. finely chopped onions
1 T. finely chopped garlic
2 T. salt
3/4 c. paprika (adjust as desired)
1/2 t. cayenne pepper (adjust as desired)
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. water
1-2 T. vegetable oil

I simplified the original recipe significantly, and simply: 1) combined all dry ingredients (minus paprika and cayenne) in a coffee-grinder type blender, mixed them;
2) then added the wet ingredients; 3) then finally stirred in the paprika, cayenne, and oil. Since I didn’t have ground cloves or cardamom, I simply put whole cloves and shelled cardamom in my grinder (in step 1) and this was no problem. I stored this in a jar in the fridge for about a week (could probably be fine for a longer period) with a 1/4 inch of oil on top.

To cook up this paste, I heated canola oil on medium heat then stirred in a couple tablespoons full of Berbere. I let this “cook” in the oil, stirring constantly, for about 3-4 minutes until I could smell a change in the paste mixture. I then added this to cooked lentils (masoor dal, in one case, and whole moong in another). Both worked well. I made up my Berbere not very spicy and have to say that my son Mohan loves his Berbere moong.

Praise song for the day.

Each day we go about our business,
Walking past each other, catching each others’
Eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.
All about us is noise. All about us is noise
And bramble, thorn and din,
Each one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem, darning
A hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things
In need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere, with
A pair of wooden spoons, on an oil drum, with
Cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says: “Take out your pencils. Begin.”

We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth,
Whispered or declaimed. Words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will
Of someone and then others who said:
“I need to see what’s on the other side.
I know there’s something better down the road.”

We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing
The names of the dead who brought us here, who
Laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton
And the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices
They would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign, the
Figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by “Love thy neighbor as thy self.” Others by
First do no harm, or take no more than you need.
What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond
Marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening
Pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made,
Any sentence begun. On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp.
Praise song for walking forward in that light.

In December ‘07 my sister Natasha and I joined our brother Alex in Paris for a short visit. We stayed in Alex’s friends apartment in Porte de Montreuil and spent three days running around outside. One of our early stops was Le Marais, 4th arrondissement, where we had a falafel snack at the famous “Ace de Falafel” (Falafel Ace). The falafel was freshly fried in small round pieces and nested in a pita filled with shredded cabbage, summer squash, and cucumber and topped with tahini and hot sauce. We ate ours standing up on the street. Delicious. And we weren’t hungry again until dinner. When I got home, I decided to try my hand at this delicious delight. After some experimentation, here’s my pan-fried version. I eat falafel almost every lunch time on salad with baba ganouch that I buy at Massis Bakery in Watertown, raw pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds, olive oil, salt and pepper. It make a filling and invigorating lunch.

Rachael’s Falafel:

2 cups dried chicpeas
1 cup white beans (flageolets, fava beans, or even any other kind of non-white beans you have around will do)
1 small onion
2 tablespoons fresh ginger
1 green hot pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro or fresh parsley, washed and dried
1 cup frozen spinach (optional), strained to remove any excess water
2 t. salt

Combine beans and soak overnight, or for at least four hours or so. Then cook the beans until tender and drain any excess water. Combine all ingredients in a food processor to make a thick paste. Mixture should be just thick enough to handle. Thicken, if necessary, with bread crumbs. At this point, you can put the mixture in the refrigerator to cook later (this also makes the paste easier to handle) or go ahead and pan-fry your falafel. To do this, use an ice-cream scoop, spoon, or just your hands to make a small ball. Roll the ball in fine-ground cornmeal, that pat it down into a patty. Pan-fry the patty in canola oil in a shallow pan at medium heat. I personally prefer a cast-iron season pan for this purpose, but non-stick would also work. Cook until browned and then flip over. Let the falafel cool and eat immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!

Breadcrumbs (addendum): I tend to keep breadcrumbs in my freezer for when I need them. I take what’s left of my old bread when I make a new loaf and drop it in the freezer. Then when I have a whole bunch of bread pieces, I make them into bread crumbs in the food processor, then bag. Bread crumbs are also great for making garlic soup.

Chowhound has a good conversation on these, and NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Assocation) appears to have a pretty comprehensive list for certified organic farms in Massachusetts. I’m going with Red Fire Farm this year–it’s organic, has a focus on variety, offers a fruit share as well as a flower share, in addition to the veggies, and delivers to the Growing Center in Somerville. A bunch of farms have already sold out of their shares, so it’s a good time to sort this out . . .

1 cup dal (split mung, urad, muth, etc.)
3 +/- cups water
3 tablespoons canola oil (or other neutral oil)
1 small-medium size yellow onion
3 medium-sized cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 level tablespoon coriander powder
1 1/2 teasponns cumin powder

Take out 1 cup of dal (1/2 cup if smaller portion is desired). Take out any
small stones. Rinse out the dal thoroughly in water so that water comes out
clear. This may take up to eight changes of water, depending. Then soak the
dal overnight or for at least a few hours. This cuts down the cooking time,
especially for toor dal and whole moong dal. After soaking, rinse the dal
once more, and boil it for an hour or so with a good amount of water (2-3
times the amount of dal). How do you know that the dal is done? The
individual pieces are soft, and may start to break apart in the water. The
mixture should have enough water to be somewhat soupy, and you can choose
the thickness you like best. Dal doesn’t need to be stirred much when
cooking, in fact it may be better just to leave it alone, but it needs to
have enough water or will burn. You can always boil off some more water
later.

In the meantime, cut your onion and sautee slowly in oil until it becomes
soft and translucent. You can add salt at this time. Add finely chopped
ginger and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, then add powdered spices. Cool
the spices, stirring frequently, until cooked, for about 3-4 minutes. They
will at first smell “green” and then will acquire a more dense smell as they
cook. When dal if finished cooking, add it to the spiced mixture and stir.
This makes a savory, tasty lentil, about 6-8 servings. (You can’t eat a lot
of this at a sitting).

Korma is a savory vegetable dish served in many Indian restaurants. I offer two versions here, one with heavy cream, and a vegan version using coconut milk.

Korma gets it character and depth from the combination of fried spices and cream/coconut milk. The nice thing is, you can make it with whatever vegetables you might have around, provided you have some variety. I like to include a cruciferous vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower); a root (potato, carrot or both, in limited quantities); greens (green beans are particularly good but spinach or other leafy green can work as well); and orange/yellow vegetables (i.e. summer square, zucchini). I’ve even used radicchio in this recipe and it was delicious. The key is not to overcook anything. Absolutely delicious, and keeps/re-heats well. Just be careful not to mush it up when you store it away.

For spice mixture
1 ½ T. coriander powder
2 t. cumin powder
2 t. salt
½ t. turmeric
¼ t. hot pepper powder
1 – 2 T. water
3 T. canola oil

for sauce
1 medium onion
1 T. fresh ginger, finely grated
¼ c. grated dried coconut (or fresh coconut, if available)
¼ c. raw cashews, whole or in pieces
1 can coconut milk or ½ c. heavy cream
1 c. canned diced tomato, cut into smaller pieces or 3 ripe tomatoes, pureed.
1 c. fresh coriander, chopped

Vegetables (see above for variations), in bit-sized pieces
2 heads of broccoli or cauliflower, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut in rounds (cut the rounds into two if carrot is too thick).
2 potatoes, peeled cut into small cubes
24 green beans (or so) cut into ¾ inch pieces (cut off the ends first).
1 yellow squash, cut into thin 1’’ strips

To get started, prep all your vegetables and start steaming them. I sometimes boil my potatoes in the steaming water, but the rest of the vegetables will steam up quite quickly and then can be put in one large pot on the side until they go into the sauce. Steam vegetables until just tender but not soft. That way, they’ll have a little crispness less and will taste very fresh in your korma.

In the meantime, mix all your spices together in a small bowl and add 1-2 T. of water to form a fairly thick paste. Heat your oil in a skillet on medium heat and then add your spice mixture, stirring constantly. In a minute or two, you the smell of the spices will change from “green” (at the start) to deeper or almost toasted smelling. Then your spices are cooked. Add your onions, and sautee (again, stirring almost constantly) until they get soft and start to give off water. At this point, add your cashews, ginger, and shredded coconut (if using) and stir for about a minute. Then add your tomato and coconut milk. Stir, then let simmer about 10 minutes. Add your bowl of steamed vegetables to the sauce along with the fresh cilantro and any other un-steamed items (e.g. fresh spinach), mixing gently so that the sauce covers the veggies. Serve and savor!

The korma pictured above is non-standard and has asparagus and sweet potato (along with other veggies). It’s cooked in a 5-quart Lodge cast iron dutch oven.

2 c. unbleached white flour
¼ t. salt
1 t. sugar
½ Lb. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
¼ c. (4 T.) margarine
¼ cup ice water

Mix the flour, salt, sugar in bowl. Chop the butter and margarine into small cubes and mix them in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Or, cut in by hand or with a pastry utensil. Sprinkle with ice water, tossing with a fork to moisten evenly, until the dough holds together.

Divide the dough in half and press into 2 balls. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and lest rest for at least 4 hours, refrigerated.

Apple Pie Filling (adapted from The Dessert Bible, by Christopher Kimball)

Makes one 9-inch pie

8-10 small Macoun or Cortland apples (if available). I pick the smallest ones I can get because they tend to be sweeter.
1 ½ T. lemon juice
1 t. grated lemon zest (if possible, buy organic lemons if you’re going to be using zest)
¼ t. salt
¾ c. granulated sugar (I like to use Florida Crystals)
¼ t. nutmeg (freshly ground, if possible)
¼ t. cinnamon
1/8 t. allspice
2 T. all purpose flour (only use if apples are very juicy).

1 egg white, lightly beaten, or substitute milk
1 T. granulated sugar for topping

Bake at 400 degrees for about a half hour, until juices bubble up and crust is a deep golden brown. Place a baking sheet below each pie to avoid major burning in the oven.