Cutting Board Confusion

There are tons of crazy kitchen gadgets out there. Some are helpful and actually save you time (microplane) and some are just a giant waste of space (personal snow cone machine). But one vital piece of kitchen equipment that everyone needs is a cutting board. With a plethora of styles to choose from, it may be hard to narrow down your selection.

Start with the material I like to go all natural, naturally, with bamboo or a nice hard wood. They are easy to come by, sturdy, and have been found to be the most sanitary cutting material. See, when you use a sharp knife, it will inevitably create surface cuts in your board as you are prepping food. This isn’t a bad thing – in fact, if your cutting surface is too solid, it can damage the blade. Whatever you do, steer clear of granite, stone, or glass. The ultra-solid surface can warp your blade, so it dulls faster and needs sharpening more often. It can also be quite dangerous to use with wet or slippery food. You need a good gripping surface to keep that blade stable, otherwise, OUCH!

Anyway, back to those troublesome surface cuts and why I believe wood is better. Basically, wood and bacteria just don’t get along. This UC Davis study found wood to be more bacteria resistant than plastic regardless of how knife-scarred their test board was. Even when large numbers of bacteria were applied to the surface, after just a few minutes later, they had almost entirely died off. Plastic boards on the other hand, are like giant Petri dishes, letting those buggers multiply like crazy. Yuck.

Keep it in style My favorite board is a simple rectangle small enough to fit in the sink for easy cleaning, but big enough that I don’t feel cramped working more laborious jobs like chopping veggies for soup. Handles can be a helpful feature if you move your board a lot or if it’s heavy. Carved channels keep meat or fruit juices from dripping onto the counter and down the cabinet drawers. Simple is best, and look for something you find beautiful. I can almost guaranty you will be using this every time you’re in the kitchen, so it’s nice to have one that catches your eye.

Hey now, safety first Before cutting anything, place a slightly damp towel under your cutting board to keep it from sliding around as you work. It’s also good to get in the habit of prepping all your veggies before getting into any raw meat or use two different boards for cooked and uncooked foods. I frequently wipe down the board to clear off any food scraps and will sometimes flip it over to the clean side if things really get out of control (think slicing avocados or cubing fish).

Whatever way you go, you’ve gotta keep it clean. Hot water and regular soap work wonders. No sponges please – these guys make even better Petri dishes than those plastic cutting boards! Use a clean cloth and change it daily. I’m anti anti-bacterial soap, but not necessarily pro-bacteria in my kitchen, so I keep two spray bottles by the drying rack: One has plain white vinegar and the other has regular hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide is sensitive to light, so it lives in a dark bottle. After you’ve scrubbed your board and it’s had a chance to dry a bit, spray on the vinegar, then follow up with peroxide. Let them sit for a couple minutes, silently slaughtering those nasty germs, then wipe off. No need to rinse and any bacteria that survived the wash will be gone for good. Follow up with a good oil rubdown (see last post) every month or so to keep your board in top shape. You can also use the dual spray procedure on your counters and stove top to get everything super-clean.

Until next time, keep it simple and safe in the kitchen. Happy cooking everyone!

Massage works wonders on wood

The humble wood spoon. We all have one – at least we all should. Incredibly versatile in the kitchen, they are simple, sturdy, and safe. It’s the first tool I give to my niece when she wants to help cook, as well as the one I reach for most often. Sadly, wood tools are often neglected and without proper care can become cracked or moldy. Here are my tips for keeping this ever-useful utensil happy:

Divide and conquer Since wood can absorb flavors, it’s a good idea to have one set of wood spoons for sweet dishes and one for savory. You can mark them with a permanent marker on the handle end to keep them separate. I have often been told to wash wood spoons exclusively by hand, but that gets old pretty quick. As long as they aren’t slathered in eggs or oatmeal, I pop them right in the dishwasher with everything else. It gets stains out better than the ole sponge and they hold up just fine as long as you keep them oiled periodically. What? You’ve never oiled your spoons?!

Picking the right oil First, make sure you have a clean and fairly dry spoon – a little moisture won’t hurt, but too much water keeps the oil from being fully absorbed. Select a light, food-safe oil (i.e. not mineral oil), maybe grape seed or safflower or whatever you have on hand. When I was first cleaning out my pantry and upgrading my cooking oils, I found a huge bottle of canola oil lurking in the back of the cabinet. It must have been about 30 oz. At least I was being green by reducing packaging, but I knew I would no longer be consuming it, so it became my wood massage oil.

Now that you have your oil, pour a bit in your hand and smooth it over the entire spoon, paying extra attention to the scoop. If it’s really dry, it might take more oil than you think. After a few strokes, the spoons will take on a satiny sheen that tells you they are loving the extra attention and moisture. You don’t need a glossy coat though – that’s too much oil. Let them dry 30 minutes or so and store as usual, either in a crock on the counter or in a drawer.

A simple trick brings stunning results Cared for in this manner, even the most humble utensils shine. I once bought a 3-pack of very pale and identical looking wood spoons at the dollar store. They were study and cheap and I wasn’t particularly concerned with their appearance. But when I oiled them for the first time, I got quite a surprise as each must have been cut from a different wood. One turned a satiny blond. Another was a deep flax color with beautiful grain patterns. But the last was the best – a deep reddish brown that truly outshone the rest. This once pasty set of spoons quickly became my favorite to use and display.

Spread the love around I follow the same technique with other wood pieces in my kitchen – cutting boards for example. These must be properly sanitized before giving them the oil treatment, but that is another technique and we will have to tackle it next time. Until then, show your spoons some love with a nice oil rubdown.

Wondrous Fuzzy Winter Fruit

Driving down Highway 1 this weekend in search of the perfect beachy picnic retreat, I noticed a sign for a u-pick kiwi farm. My tummy was growling for the lunch that awaited, so we didn’t stop, but I made a mental note to head back soon. Domestic kiwi are at the peak of ripeness this time of year. Those fuzzy gems are an excellent source of antioxidant vitamins C, E and A, as well as dietary fiber and trace minerals. All the more reason to eat them up.

The quickest way to enjoy a kiwi is to slice it down the middle and scoop out the tasty green flesh with a spoon. The white core is entirely edible, and sweet too! If you have the inclination, peel off the brown fuzz and slice the kiwi. It’s a work of art on its own and a great addition to fruit salad. But beware of how early you add it to the mix – kiwis contain strong enzymes that act as natural food tenderizers, so tossing it in too soon can make all the fruits mushy.

The kiwi is actually native to China and upon making its debut in the US, was known as the Chinese Gooseberry. That lasted for about a year, then it was quickly renamed the Kiwi after the national bird of New Zealand. Some other fun facts about the kiwi:

• You can eat the skin. Ok, you go first and let me know what it’s like. I peel even my peaches
  

• Kiwi helps keep asthma and other respiratory illness away, or reduce your symptoms should you already be afflicted, according to an Italian study
  

• Skip the carrots – for better vision, turn to antioxidant rich fruit, like kiwi

So maybe next weekend I will be heading up Highway 1 again with bag in hand to pick my own kiwi fruit. For links to local u-pick farms, visit http://www.pickyourown.org/ and select your state. Happy picking!

Alternative Ingredients: Milk

I used to enjoy a tall glass of milk with every breakfast. Then, I had my gallbladder removed and it was bye-bye dairy and hello lactose intolerance. Over the years I have tried many milk substitutes and alternative milks. There are many out there and just looking at the aisle of choices can be daunting, as more products are introduced every day. Here are the what, why’s, and how’s of my favorites. As with any food, go organic when you select alternative milks. You don’t want to be ingesting all the stuff that isn’t on the ingredient list (pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics), and it’s better for the environment and the animals.

Soy Milk is the most commonly known and commonly available alternative milk. It has about 7 g of protein per serving, nearly as much as cow’s milk, plus some good B vitamins. You can make it by soaking, boiling, grinding, and filtering soybeans with water. Or leave that up to the experts and just buy it at the store.

To make it palatable, salt and sweetener is usually added. Unsweetened soymilk has about 1-2 g of sugar per serving, while regular (sweetened) or flavored has 9-10 g per serving. One thing to remember about all alternative milks – if it isn’t labeled ‘unsweetened’, then some kind of sugar has been added.

Rice Milk is made one of two ways: either by boiling and soaking the rice, then filtering the cooked product (much the same as making soy milk), or by using rice flour mixed with water. Commercial rice milks usually have oil and other thickeners added to them, since rice and water creates a very thin consistency with very little similarity to cow’s milk.

Typically, no sweetener is needed, since rice has a lot of natural sugar – a serving of unsweetened rice milk contains 8-10 g sugar. If you go for the flavored or sweetened variety, expect that to increase. It’s pretty devoid of any nutritional value, but kids seem to love it. Rice is also one of the only grains known to be hypoallergenic, making it a good choice for those with food sensitivities.

Almond Milk is another widely available milk alternative. Almonds aren’t burdened by all that phyto-estrogen controversy that soy milk has, and they are the nutrition superstar of the nut family, with lots of vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats. Packaged almond milk typically contains salt, sweetener, thickeners, and preservatives. If it’s enriched, you get some additional vitamins too (like vitamin A and vitamin D, which are not naturally occurring). And of course, there are all the flavor varieties to choose from. As with soy and rice milk, the sweetened or flavored milks will have more sugar, but plain almond milk comes in at 0 g of sugar per serving.

It’s easy to make almond milk at home, and the resulting product is fairly similar to commercial varieties, although, since no preservatives are added, it won’t last as long. I try to drink mine up in 3-4 days for the freshest taste. Here is the recipe I use:

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight and rinsed well
4-5 cups water
2-3 pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

1. Peel the almonds for a white milk, or leave the peel on and you’ll get a caramely color.
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed until everything is well combined.
3. Use as-is or strain with cheesecloth for a smoother consistency. Really squeeze to get all the liquid out. Save the almond meal to use in cookies or other tasty baked treats.

Hemp Milk is one of the newer alternative milks I have seen. If you have allergies to soy, nuts, or grains, this may be a good way to go. I have to say though, I tried it, and I wasn’t impressed. It was very thick, pretty sweet, and strong tasting. Living Harvest has just introduced unsweetened varieties, although the New Leaf down the street wasn’t carrying them just yet.

Maybe I will have to give it another try since its nutritional profile is so appealing. Hemp milk has omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and all 10 essential amino acids – something none of the other guys can say.


Using Alternative Milks
I find that in baking applications (muffins, breads, pancakes), soymilk is the best replacement for real dairy. I would attribute this to the high protein content, which is lacking in grain and nut milks. It can also be curdled with vinegar or citrus juice, which increases the depth of flavor in baked goods.

Almond milk is good for eating with cereals, oatmeal, or in smoothies, and it has the best taste and texture for drinking straight from the glass.

Rice milk is my preference for tea. I like that it is light and ads just a touch of sweetness when I don’t want to reach for the honey.


Alternative Animal Milks
If you still want to stick to true dairy, or find that none of the above choices are all that appealing, there are some alternative animal milks too.

Goat's Milk is becoming more popular and easier to find. As an animal milk, it has the same texture and relatively the same taste as cow’s milk. Maybe a bit more tart, but still pretty tasty. For more information on the nutritional profile, digestive tolerance, lactose content of goat’s milk, visit Meyenberg. I also appreciate their statement of how the goats are treated, including what they are fed: oats, hay, alfalfa, water and salt. Natural is better!

Sheep’s Milk is another dairy alternative to cow’s milk. It is not widely available, but should I stumble across any, it will quickly find a home in my refrigerator. The fat in sheep’s milk is naturally homogenized, giving it a creamier consistency and, (like goat’s milk) is comprised of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which are easier to digest and more heart friendly. More info on sheep milk can be found at Sheep 101.

Recently, I tried a vanilla sheep milk yogurt from Bellwether Farms and it was the most delicious yogurt I have ever tasted. Ever. It was also probably the most expensive, at about $2.65 for one single-serving container. But totally worth it! Try some - I bet you'll like it too.

Eating Babies

Babies are so delicious, so nutritious, so easy to assimilate. Vegetable babies, of course – what did you think I was referring to? Microgreens are one of my obsessions in life. This is a combination of sprouted veggie seeds – my favorite includes Arugula, Cabbage, Kolrabi, Mizuna, and Tatsoi. The sprout looks quite different than the mature plant, but has a similar flavor, although very fresh and green. They are becoming a hot item on restaurant menus and on Food Network, but are usually only seen as garnishes. What a shame. I like to go crazy and eat them as a salad, in place of lettuce. They are like little crispy bits of heaven, so beautiful and just delicious.

What makes sprouts so darn good for you? Here’s a little science behind the magic: When seeds are exposed to moisture, they wake up and begin to grow. Enzymes that were dormant start multiplying and converting starches into simple sugars, proteins into simpler amino acids, and fats into soluble fatty acids, giving nourishment to the growing plant. New enzymes are synthesized so that the little plant will be able to metabolize CO2 into oxygen once in its full grown state. They are at a peak nutritional state that won’t be reached again at any other point in the plants life.

Nature's powerhouse of nutrition. Ounce for ounce, sprouts contain more nutrients, digestible protein, and fiber than their mature counterparts. Vitamin content is also dramatically increased. Vitamin E in wheat increases 300% after just four days of sprouting! Minerals are also more easily available, as they are chelated (chemically bound to amino acids). More info on individual sprouts can be found through the International Sprout Grower’s Association. All these nutrients help our body regenerate cells, boost the immune system, and protect against cancer. Cool stuff. And the best part? You can eat it!

Growing sprouts at home is easy and fun. Sprouts are one of the first things demonstrated to kids in science class to introduce the miracle of gardening. And if a 1st grader can do it, so can you. You may also want to grow at home due to FDA regulations. In order for sprouts to be sold in supermarkets, they must be treated with antimicrobials: rinsed with either calcium hypochlorite or chlorine. The concern is that those with compromised immune systems may contract a food borne illness. But I certainly don’t want to eat chlorine with my lunch.

Growing at home is easy! From New Natives, here are instructions for the Jar Method. If you are concerned you may forget to rinse or drain the sprouts properly, you can also grow sprouts in soil. From sprouting.com here are directions for Soil Sprouting.

Or buy them locally. Your best bet, if you prefer not to grow yourself, is to find a local producer at the farmer’s market. These growers are not required to treat sprouts as for mass distribution, so it’s like growing at home without the work. Here in Santa Cruz we are blessed to have products from New Natives (those sprouting masters!) not only at the farmer’s markets, but also in the natural food stores. If you dwell in another city, try asking around with the farmers at the market or the produce guy at the natural food store. Try a Google search with your city and “sprouts” and see what comes up.

To your health! Enjoy these little bundles of deliciousness on sandwiches, in salads (or as salads), in sushi, or as a garnish on just about anything! Some great recipes can be found on Sprout People or ISGA if you are looking for more inspiration. Bon appetit!