Pretzels: A Word About Easter History

When I think about the things I associate with Easter, pretzels is typically not one of them. Hot-cross buns, chocolate, eggs, bunnies, and on a religious note, sacrifice, the cross and new life. No, pretzels really don’t make the list. Well, that was before I read about their history a couple years ago.

My interest in pretzels began when we traveled to Austria and Germany a few years ago. At that point I discovered one of my top five meals of all time – German sausage, kraut, mustard, a pretzel and beer.

It has to be from the source though, so traveling is required. A simple meal, yes, and likely very unexciting for many, but it tops my list. In many cases, I could just go for the pretzel, mustard, and beer, and believe me; in Germany they are large enough to be made a meal!

This is what sparked my interest in pretzels and I soon learned that their history is strongly associated with Easter. Well, actually, they are associated with Lent. As the story goes, pretzels originated in Southern France or Northern Italy when a monk was making unleavened bread for Lent. At this time it was common for arms to be folded across the chest when praying with each hand on the opposite shoulder. Does that vision look familiar?

Such is the traditional shape of the pretzel. Supposedly this monk used the pretzel as a reward for children or other monks (each account is a bit different) who recited their prayers. Therefore the pretzels were first named “pretiola” which is Latin for “little reward.”

Another name associated with the pretzel is “bracellae” which is Latin for “little arms.” As pretzels made their way to Austria and Germany they became known as a “bretzel” or “pretzel.” Historically, aside from the association with Lent, pretzels symbolize good luck, long life and prosperity.

I’ve wanted to make pretzels for a while now, especially since I read about the history, and I decided that this Easter is the year for it. Traditionally, due to the strict Lenten fasting rules of the Catholic Church, breads made during this time were composed of only water, flour and salt.

Most pretzels today use more ingredients. For example, the one I set out to make is a recipe for Homemade Soft Pretzels by Alton Brown. As is typical of my baking, I made a few changes.

I used mascavo sugar in place of the white sugar and white whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour. I also didn’t have kosher or pretzel salt so I just used my finely ground sea salt, but used half of what the recipe calls for in kosher salt.

I was so happy that these whole grain pretzels turned out beautifully. They raised well, browned up nicely and remained soft and tender on the inside.

Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Homemade Soft Pretzels by Alton Brown

1 ½ cups warm water
1 tbsp of mascavo/muscavado sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 pk active dry yeast (I used rapid rise)
4 cups white whole wheat flour
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tbsp water
Olive oil
Salt or other seasoning

Combine the sugar, salt and water in the bowl of a mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it sit for 5 minutes, it will begin to foam. Add the flour and butter and use the dough hook to mix the dough on slow. Gradually increase the speed to medium and let mix until the dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This only took about 2 to 3 minutes for me.

Remove the dough and knead into a ball. Place the ball in a clean bowl and coat with olive oil. Cover and set aside in a warm place to let rise for about 55 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a large soup pot. Separate the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll out each piece to about 24 inches long. Shape into a U, cross in the middle, and press the two ends into the opposite sides of the bottom of the U. In other words, make a pretzel shape however you see fit. Mix the egg yolk with the water in a small bowl and set aside.

Drop the pretzels in the boiling water one at a time for about 30 seconds. Remove after they float to the top. Place on a cookie sheet (four pretzels per sheet) covered with greased parchment paper or with a silicone mat. Brush the pretzels with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with salt or other seasoning. Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy.


Eating these lovely treats is a far cry from a sacrifice, which is what I usually associate with the Lenten season. So that is why I think I’ll stick with the name “pretiola.” I will gladly take these as a little reward any time of year.

In fact, I like that name so much I decided to spell it out for you. So this pretzel experiment is being submitted to the Eating Your Words Challenge hosted by Tangled Noodle and Savor the Thyme.

Resources for more info about pretzel history:
Catholic Education Resource Center: Lenten Pretzels
CatholicCulture.org: Pretzels for God
The History of the Pretzel
Snyder’s of Hanover: History of Pretzels

Myths and Truths: My First Half Marathon

For a while now I’ve been trying to determine where this goal came from, this goal to run a half marathon. A goal which, I might add, I successfully accomplished yesterday morning.

I’ve never especially liked running. There are times when I hated it with a passion. I just prefer other forms of activity. However, I was to the point where I wanted to stop confusing not liking it with not being able to do it. As a result I’m starting to enjoy it more.

Let's be clear. I run, I’m not a runner. And there are several reasons why I likely won't ever consider myself a runner. When I think of a runner, I think of someone who is in love with running, and needs it in their lives. Someone who is willing to push themselves to the point of injury and past it to run. Now, I don’t mean to generalize, certainly not all runners are like this, but I know many who are.

Personally, if I hurt, I’m not going to run. I don’t just mean sore, aches and pains hurt, I mean injury hurt. I view my body and all its wonderful capabilities as a gift. Hurting it to the point where it is injured and can’t function is not respecting this gift. Wellness means understanding your limits as well as exceeding them when appropriate. For me, not respecting this gift by pushing too hard is as bad as not respecting it by not using it and letting it waste away without any activity at all. I have issues with both.

The second reason I say I’m not a runner is that I am slow. And I mean slow. I fall into the jogger/walker category. In fact, there were race walkers flying right by me yesterday. When people tell me to slow my pace down I laugh because going any slower for me is walking and it is physically impossible for me to go any faster. I’ve tried hard, too.

My goal was to finish the race in a motion that somewhat resembled running for 13.1 miles and I did. I never stopped running and I came in at a time of 2:57:26. About a 13 minute mile. See, I told you. The fastest I’ve run is a 5K at a 10:45 mile. Still no speed of lightening.

One thing that helped me keep fighting for my goal was a comment I recently read in a book which said “there is no freedom without discipline.” I’d never really thought much about that before. But if we don’t provide structure for our lives, make ourselves do things, we really can’t accomplish much.

Setting out on my training it wasn’t until I was able to run 10-11 miles that I honestly felt like I was going to complete the half marathon. That was about 2 weeks ago, so I was basically pushing myself to obtain a goal I wasn’t sure was possible for 10 weeks.

Throughout the training I knew I wanted to present a post that highlighted the honesty of running a half marathon. Not something that says “it was tough, but so worth it.”

I don’t have finish line blinders on, I have reality set in my mind. The reality of how hard it was to accomplish my goal. I also thought a lot about the things people told me along the way or views I developed and whether or not they were true. So if you are thinking of running or shooting towards a goal you aren’t sure you can accomplish, this is for you.

12 weeks is enough time for training. Debatable.

I think everyone is different when it comes to this. My original plan was to run a half sometime during 2010 and I was shooting for fall. When I discovered this local event it was 14 weeks out. I began training at 13 weeks and used Hal Higdon’s Novice Half Marathon program which is a 12 week program. I added an extra week myself and got up to 11 miles before the race.

Initially I thought this program was too ambitious and at certain points it was. The day I was supposed to run 9 miles, I had to stop at 4.5. I did not reach the goal for many weekday runs because of shin problems in the middle of my training. Also, if I had stopped my training at the 10 mile mark, I'm not sure I could have finished. Making to 11 miles pre-race had a postive impact on me mentally.

Looking back though, I’m glad I pushed the training and got the race in early in the year. At certain times 12 weeks seemed fast, but it is also enough time to get discouraged. If I had pushed the race to later I may not have stayed motivated to meet my goal.

Cross-training is important. Truth.

I suppose there are people out there who love to run and run and run. I don’t. I ran 3 days per week and if I had been forced to run more I would not have enjoyed my training at all. I didn’t enjoy it that much to begin with. In addition, my shin problems stopped as soon as I incorporated yoga into my routine. As with everything else in life physical fitness is about balance and performing different types of exercise helps establish that.

Running will make you lose weight. Myth.

I lost only 6 lbs during my training, but I knew that losing weight by running was a myth before I started because you typically eat more. I could have cut back drastically on my caloric intake and lost weight, but I wasn’t willing to do it. If I didn’t eat, I didn’t have the energy to run. It was a difficult balance for me and stressed me out in the beginning. Finally I decided I would eat healthy foods as I needed them and let my body decide what it wanted to do.

It hurts. Truth.

Fortunately, I had no injuries, not even a blister during my training. I suffered from shin splints halfway through, and a bit of chaffing that was taken care of by BodyGlide. Everything I encountered was manageable.

That being said I have been exhausted for the past 12 weeks. I came home after runs of 5 miles and longer and basically lay around the rest of the day. I was sleepy all the time and incredibly sore after my long runs. During the runs themselves my knees, ankles and hips ached like crazy. It was just part of it for me and I’m glad that part is over.

The adrenaline and atmosphere will push you through the last few miles. Myth.

I’ve heard and read this several times, and I’m sorry, but I don’t agree. It is highly dependent upon the race you do. This was not a high energy race, it was a rainy day and I was running past other people leaving as I rounded the ½ mile mark to the finish. The last two miles were complete agony. I got maybe two cheers when I rounded the bend for the finish and a couple claps once I crossed the line. Perhaps if you choose a high energy race with lots of people, music and celebration on a sunny day this statement could be true. Yes I made it, but it would have taken a lot less effort on my part if there had been more support.

Crossing the finish is the best part of the race. Debatable.

I’m going to be honest, because of this particular race, crossing the finish was one of the most disappointing experiences of my training. I was hoping for cheers, music and lots of people around. The place had cleared out. It was me and a handful of people there to hand me a medal and take my picture (a special thank you to them). There were granola bars, water and bananas left to eat, and all the vendors had packed up early. To be honest, it made me sad and even sadder for all the people behind me who still had to finish. Because of this, I think it is important to be prepared that the finish may not be what you have envisioned in your mind.

Note, this doesn’t include seeing my husband there to take pictures of me and hug me afterward. Now that was the best part of the race.

After all this, am I glad I did it? Of course! I accomplished something that I honestly didn’t think I would ever be able to. I also fully believe that pushing myself this hard was beneficial to my well being. I think it is important to find things that push you as hard physically, but it doesn’t have to be running.

What are my goals now?

My running started back in January 2009 with a goal of being able to pick up and run a 5K at any point. I accomplished that and then set one to run a half. Now, I’ve accomplished that.

I’ve discovered that I do enjoy running out in the country and seeing the landscape, I just enjoy running shorter distances. To be honest, I’m tired of running long distances and having to be so structured with my workouts.

So the plan is to now be comfortable with running a 10K at any point in time. I’ll likely run 2-3 miles two days per week and 4-5 miles on the weekend. I want to increase my speed and get closer to a 10 minute mile. I also want to start concentrating on other activities again such as more yoga, spinning and strength training.

Will I run another half?

I haven’t decided that yet. Three weeks ago I would have said no. Everyone told me that when I made it to the finish I would want to do more, but I’m not there yet. I can see signing up for a half that is guaranteed to be fun and energetic at some point during the future, but now I’ll stick with 5Ks and 10Ks. I just find them more enjoyable and don’t view them as work like I do a half.

Now for all those who have been holding out for the food. We had an amazing post-race brunch at Alfalfa Restaurant in downtown Lexington, KY. I’ve posted about this place before and we certainly weren’t disappointed on this visit. I enjoyed a Spanish Omelet with white cheddar and ranchero sauce with their special Alfafries. My husband had the Breakfast Burritos. We split the Buttermilk Buckwheat Blueberry Pancake. This thing is amazing. The first bite tastes like a blueberry cake donut!

Special congrats to my husband! Although he’s run relays of the same or greater difficulty, this was his first official half marathon finish as well. He finished in 1:53 and is preparing for the Flying Pig Marathon in May.

Good to the Grain: Honey Amaranth Waffles

After you’ve been food blogging for a while, I think you start to realize what your thing is; the topic you like to cover in your posts most often, the one ingredient you like use in your cooking, or the cooking method you prefer. Sure, it may change over time, but there is a point where you realize what you truly enjoy learning about, talking (or typing) about or making.

My thing…is grains.

I’ve always enjoyed baking, but the more I learn about whole grain flours the more interested I become. They all have such unique histories, flavors and nutrient compositions.

Given this fact about my interests, it’s likely no surprise that when I came across the cookbook Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy!

I was out walking pug a few days ago and I noticed the UPS guy had left a package by the garage. I was pretty sure I knew what it was, and I literally opened the package right there in the yard. I’m sure if any of our neighbors were watching, they had to be wondering what gift had been bestowed upon me.

As I balanced a retractable leash in one hand and the envelope in the other, I flipped through the pages of the cookbook. The smile began to spread (and I might have even done a mini happy dance) as I saw amaranth, buckwheat, barley, Kamut, spelt and teff; each with its distinct section, utilized in some of the most delicious looking baked goods I’ve had the pleasure of viewing.

The author, Kim Boyce, was a pastry chef at the well known Spago and Campanile restaurants before she left to raise her kids, and then embark on creating whole grain baked goods for her family to enjoy. The book is filled to brim with 75 recipes of cookies, cakes, waffles, pancakes, breads and tarts made with 12 different whole grain flours.

The author shares information on the baking equipment and ingredients she considers essential. You will find yourself sharing her journey of balancing flour combinations and perfecting flavors, while you learn a great deal about whole grains and how to use them.

I will mention that since the author’s goal is to create the right structure for the grain products she does use all-purpose flour with the whole grain flours, as well as refined sugars. But as you will see in the recipe below, these things can be altered a bit if you choose to do so. In fact, she encourages you to try different combinations just as she did to develop the recipes.

While the Muscovado Sugar Cake and the Cornmeal Blueberry Cookies are on my list to make, for this review I made the Honey Amaranth Waffles. Taking the author’s suggestion to heart, I was modifying right out of the gate. Mainly because I was hoping amaranth flour could be found in the bulk bin of our Whole Foods, but no such luck. I ended up using spelt flour instead. In addition, I don’t use much all-purpose flour at all anymore, so I substituted white whole wheat for this, and then used the whole wheat the recipe calls for. I also used mascavo sugar in the dry mix.

The result? Seriously the best waffles I have yet to make. They were as light and fluffy as any standard white waffle with that deep rich flavor from the whole grains and a mild sweetness from the honey. I needed no toppings at all for these, but tried adding the Greek yogurt suggested in the recipe and a bit of blackberry jam I had made.

If you have any interest in baking with whole grains, this is one cookbook that needs to make it on your shelf. I have a feeling I will be baking from it on a very regular basis.

Honey Amaranth Waffles
From Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce, reprinted with permission

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, for the waffle iron
Dry mix:
¼ cup amaranth flour
¼ cup flaxseed meal
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt

Wet mix:
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp honey
2 eggs
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Finish:
Greek yogurt, optional

Turn the waffle iron to its highest setting. Even if you don’t usually heat it this high, these waffles come out best when cooked at high heat. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back into the bowl any bits of grain or other ingredients that may remain in the sifter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Using a spatula add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently combine. The batter will begin to bubble and swell as the baking soda begins to react with the buttermilk.

Brush the waffle iron generously with butter; this is the key to a crisp crust. Use a ladle or measuring cup to scoop ½ cup batter onto the spaces of the iron. Promptly close, and listen for the iron to sigh as the batter begins to cook. The smell wafting from the iron starts out like a freshly kneaded loaf of bread, then becomes toasty. Remove the waffle when the indicator light shows that it is done, or when a quick peek shows that it’s turned a dark golden-brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the hot waffle with a fork, and repeat with the remaining batter.

The waffles are best eaten right off the griddle, with a bit of butter, a drizzle of honey, or a hearty spoonful of Greek yogurt, as desired.

P.S. The book says it makes 9 waffles, but I got 8.










Disclosure: The review copy of this cookbook was sent to me free of charge. I was not under any obligation to write about it on my website and I did not receive any compensation for doing so.

The What-Works-for-You Attitude

Occasionally, I have a topic on my mind to blog about and while I’m waiting for the ideas to build and the words to formulate themselves, I come across a post that says exactly what I was thinking. This happened to me just a few weeks ago.

Developing and practicing my food and health philosophy is constantly evolving task for me. While three years ago I would have described myself as completely lost (even though at time I thought I was healthy), now I consider myself moving in the right direction, but still far from perfection.

That is, if you even believe that perfection exists in these areas. I have to say I’m not sure that it does. Sometimes I think perfection with healthy eating is just an imaginary goal that we strive to achieve without every really getting there. Why? Well, because things are constantly changing and everyone has a different idea of how perfection is defined.

Now to that post I mentioned earlier.

My Google Alerts end up finding me all kinds of interesting things to read when it comes to food, real food and fake food. To Be, or Not to Be: Omnivores, Herbivores, and Deciding What's Right For You posted at the Health and Happiness Club is an example of this.

Let me correct myself. Not just an example, but one of the best, respectful, well-balanced posts on the subject that I have yet to read. As I read everything word for word, which I should mention doesn’t happen all that often (yes, I’m a scanner), I realized I couldn’t have said it better myself. It was as though the thoughts in my head were right there on the page.

I encourage you to read it, but I will summarize a bit for you here. It is about how different people are meant to have different styles of eating. What works for one person, may not work for another. That means that some people are perfectly happy eating meat, others it doesn’t agree with so well whether due to personal beliefs or in physical digestion. Some can thrive on only vegetables or raw food while it makes others feel as though they are missing something nutritionally.

I happen to fall into the meat-eater category and I’ve especially realized this through my running. Before I started training for this half marathon I probably would have told you that I would have no problem becoming a vegetarian, although I’ve never really desired to proclaim myself as such. We eat a lot of high-protein vegetarian meals and I go many days without any meat. And you know what, personally, now I can tell when I do. I need the nutrients that humanely raised meat gives my body. However, you may be completely different.

My choice is not to push my beliefs on others verbally, but to show them by the way I live and eat. I haven’t always been like this, but there are a couple reasons why I have developed this philosophy.

One, preaching to others will make you a hypocrite. Yep, if you are going to work hard to spread the word about what you believe is right and wrong with how to eat you better not get caught going off the path you have paved for yourself. I’m an advocate of non-processed foods and have eliminated a lot of them from our diet, but I can’t promise you I won’t eat an Oreo at the next family picnic. I’m human, and I do love desserts.

Two, I really do believe that different eating styles work for different bodies. You just have to find what makes you thrive. I feel confident that I’ve found what makes me thrive and perhaps you have to, but we should be open to the fact that we might both be wrong.

Sometimes I think people may feel that this type of attitude means you aren’t standing up for what you believe in. You know, the whole, “if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything.” However, for me it is about respect. I respect the meat-eater, the vegetarian, the vegan and the raw foodie to name a few. I may not agree with the associated philosophies for myself, but I respect a person who has the ultimate goal to be healthy. Agreeing is different than respecting, of course. Respect is essential my book, agreeing is optional.

With all that being said, I think there are some things that most of us can agree on. Fast food and processed sugar aren’t going to help us out any. However you might believe the old saying, “everything in moderation” while I happen to believe there are some food-like substances that were never meant to be consumed.

However, I’m not going to preach what not to do. I’m going to do my best to be an example and live what I believe is right path for health while respecting your choices at the same time.

What is your food philosophy? And if you read the post I linked to, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Dreaming of Grilled Vegetables

For two whole summers I enviously read blog post after blog post about grilled vegetables from around the food blogging world. At that point we were in an apartment in Brazil with no grill of our own. Not to mention, while grills of Brazil and the foods they produce are quite nice, it’s just not the same as our version in the U.S. I’m also not sure a vegetable has ever touched a grill where we were living. Red meat, yes, veggies not so much.

My anticipation of creating my own grilled produce has been building all winter. Now, that we are finally in a house, there is a spot being held for a new grill. However, it has turned out to be the last thing on our shopping list. While we have filled the house with couches, chairs and desks, the yard is still looking a bit bare.

That will change soon enough, but today I just couldn’t wait. After finding some zucchini and mushrooms in the fridge I decided to grab the grill pan and make an indoor version of a grilled vegetable sandwich for lunch.

I sliced up the vegetables, drizzled them with olive oil, and then sprinkled them with this herb rub.

A friend of mine gave me this and it is from Herb ‘n Renewal, a Kentucky company that sells herb products. You may not have access to this exact combo, but you can see the ingredient list here if you want to mimic it.

I cooked everything for a few minutes on each side, layered everything on the bread (Flax Oat Bran from Great Harvest) and then grilled the sandwich itself to make it more of a Panini. It hit the spot, but unfortunately it has made my longing for grilled foods even stronger!

There really isn’t an exact recipe here, but I will list out what I added to my sandwich. You can add whatever veggies you like.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

2 slices of whole grain bread
4 slices of zucchini
10 rings of Anaheim pepper
2 white mushrooms, sliced
Sprinkle of olive oil and herb seasoning
1 ½ tbsp cream cheese
1 green onion, sliced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ tsp garlic powder
Handful of fresh spinach

Place the veggies on the grill and sprinkle with olive oil and herb seasoning. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until tender. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, green onion, cilantro and garlic powder. Spread on one slice of the bread. Stack the grilled veggies on the second slice and top it with the spinach. Place the first slice on top, cream cheese side down. Return to the grill pan and grill for 1 minute on each side.






This post is being submitted to Souper Sundays at the Kahakai Kitchen.

Apple Cheddar Brown Biscuits

You know those moments when you taste something incredible? Not just good food, but something that could quite possibly be the best version of a dish or an individual ingredient you’ve ever put in your mouth.

I had that experience this week and with something that was unexpected - sausage.

I wouldn’t say we eat a lot of sausage. Although, German sausage is in my top 5 of all time favorite meals, and I have to say a piece with waffles or an omelet can really complete a breakfast. However, it has been a long while since I’ve had any.

I’ve been steering clear of ordering meat out at restaurants and buying meat from the supermarket since the beginning of the year. It’s just a personal choice I’ve made. I want the meat I consume to come from grass-fed, pastured and humane (as possible) sources. The last time I tried to order sausage from the farm that has become our regular resource, they were all out. A restaurant had completely wiped them out of all their pork sausage. Bummer.

But a few weeks ago, I placed an order for eggs and Teresa let me know that there would be sausage available in a week, so I signed up and waited patiently. This week, I finally got around to trying it.

I took one nibble from the skillet after I browned it up and I knew. This is what sausage is supposed to taste like! Not greasy, not dry and overcooked, not so salty and seasoned that you can barely taste anything else. This was perfection.

The lack of fat, I’m sure, has to do with it being pastured meat. The seasoning, perhaps it was their processor, but somebody is doing something right. The meat was tender and that familiar sausage flavor was there, but mild and there was just a tiny bit of heat that lingered.

Seriously, I can’t believe I’m going on about sausage like this, but this is some good stuff.

Since I really don’t think it is a good idea to sit down to a bowl of sausage I needed something with which to eat this tasty meat. I love the way apple and cheddar cheese go together, so I thought why not put them in a biscuit.

However, you know me; it couldn’t be just a plain white biscuit, so I decided to combine white whole wheat flour and whole wheat flour for some lesser refined brown biscuits. The sausage pairs up with them nicely and I love the tiny bits of sweet apple I get among the salty flavors.

Next up? Bacon. I’m on the waiting list, though, so the anticipation will be building until May!

Apple Cheddar Brown Biscuits

1 cup white whole wheat flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley
¼ tsp garlic powder
4 tbsp butter
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup apple, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt, parsley and garlic powder in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the bowl. Mix using a pastry blender until the butter is transformed into pea-sized pieces. Make a well in the center of the dry mix and add the milk. Stir to combine.

Add in the cheddar and apples and gently mix in. It is easier to use your hand for this. Place the dough on a floured surfaced and roll it out to about a 1 to 1 ½ inch thickness. Using a glass or biscuit cutter, cut into biscuits and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool to touch, slice open and place a sausage patty inside. Makes about 12, 2-inch biscuits. (Mine made 11, but I think they were slightly bigger than 2 inches.)

A Trip to Ireland in Food

I’m ashamed to say that this year I have let St. Patrick’s Day arrive with no food celebration in my kitchen. It seemed everything I wanted to make was an Irish-inspired dessert, and well, I thought it best to wait to fill the house with sweets until after Easter.

I haven’t completely forgotten the day, though. I have my Guinness shirt on and made sure my husband was wearing green before he left the house this morning.

Since I have no recipe to offer today I thought I’d turn to my backup – travel.

My first trip to Ireland was in 2007 and then I had the opportunity to go again in 2008. Unfortunately I skipped 2009 to take our month long tour around SE Asia last October. With the new house chances I’ll make it in 2010 are slim, but I have decided that I’ll get there in 2011 even if I have to swim myself! As you can image by this point withdrawal symptoms from the lack of fresh Guinness, Irish coffees, brown bread and fruit scones are almost unbearable.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day I decided to sort through my photos and take you on a food tour of trips to the country. If you have ever been to Dublin then you know that this tour will include much more than traditional Irish food. In fact, the traditional stuff can sometimes be hard to come by in such an international city.

So here you have my Ireland through food.

Fish & Chips from Leo Burdocks

My first real Shepherd's Pie from Bruxelles in Dublin

Hoisin Duck Wrap from Bewley's Graffton Street Cafe

Sweet Potato Coconut Soup with Brown Bread at the GastroPub in Dun Laoghaire

Chicken & Pancetta Open-faced Sandwich from Harry's Cafe Bar in Dun Laoghaire

Thai Vegetable Yellow Curry from Cafe Mao in Dun Laoghaire

Irish Fruit Scone, Clotted Cream, Jam & a Latte from Poppies in Dun Laoghaire

Weekend Farmer's Market in Dun Laoghaire

Thai Prawn and Cod Cake & Chips for Beshoff Bros in Howth

Mussels, Clams & Cockles and Crayfish Pizza from Deep in Howth

Bailey's Irish Cream ice cream from Maud's in Howth

Drinks of Choice - Guinness, Bulmer's Cider and Irish Coffee

If you would like a little scenery with your food check out my Photo Tour for St. Patrick's Day.

Small Towns and Real Food

Once we moved into our house a whopping two and a half weeks ago, I had this overwhelming urge to immediately dive right into the local community. Perhaps it was because since I left grad school I’ve had these big ideas of volunteering, but have never actually done anything. Or maybe it was because when we moved to Brazil I had these big ideas of being involved in the community, but was too overwhelmed with getting accustomed to my new lifestyle to actually do anything.

Notice a lot of wanting and thinking, but not a lot of doing.

So now that our feet are on the ground with a very loose grip (I still have to travel!), I wanted to get in there before I started making excuses again. My first two steps were to join the Farmer’s Market planning committee (a small event with a handful of vendors) and attend a Farm-to-Table diversity conference offered by the county’s Women in Ag organization.

Let me first explain the setting. We’ve moved to a small, rural county that is about 40 minutes from a college town of about 300,000 people, and about 90 minutes from two major, metropolitan cities. So we aren’t way out there by any means, but far enough out that you know you aren’t in the big city anymore.

What do you think of when you think of the rural areas of the US?

I’ll tell you want I think of, more food from the farm, eating from the land and consuming more nourishing, whole foods prepared like they used to be. The way that advocates of real food are encouraging – butter, lard, whole dairy, grass-fed beef, pastured eggs and pork, freshly picked fruits and veggies, and home baked breads.

Fresh fruits and veggies – check. At least when I my garden gets-to-going. Humanely raised meat and eggs – check. I buy from a local farm and so far all the farmer’s market vendors I’ve met follow the same practices.

But now, let me tell you about the Farm-to-Table event this past weekend. I went to learn about worm farm composting, herbs and photography. However, I was equally excited about the Taste of the County sampling menu we would be having for lunch.

I snuck into the kitchen early to try and get some photos and speak with the cook. I only spoke with her a few minutes, but I learned an interesting story. She once owned a catering business in Berkley, CA which then turned into a private chef business. She then got into the Alpaca business, stopped catering and moved to Kentucky. Incredibly sweet lady and I hope to learn more from her in the future.

I was all about this meal. Here is what we got to try.

Spinach and Tomato Quiche, and Barbeque Chicken Salad in Tortilla Cups

Braised Lamb on Polenta

Beef Sliders with Onion Jam

Shredded Pork with Spicy Peach Chutney

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Garlic

Lemon and Black Walnut Pound Cake

After lunch a person from the planning team asked how many people had tried something that they had never had before. Half the room raised their hands. Completely surprised I looked back over the menu. Okay, well maybe it was the peach chutney or polenta. It was hard for me to believe.

But there’s more.

Two days later I attended a Farmer’s Market planning meeting and one of the farmer’s mentioned that his mother had attended the event. Her comment after lunch – I can’t wait to get home and have a bologna sandwich and a Pepsi.

Then it hit me. Perhaps my perception that rural life and real food go together isn’t entirely accurate.

Cola companies, convenience food, unidentifiable cheese products have also permeated our rural communities. Did I mention that our town center is about 6 buildings total, yet driving in you will see golden arches?

The sandwich comment was also followed by discussions of how farmer’s market customers have no idea how to use new varieties of cucumbers, eggplants or butternut squash which discourages them from buying these items. Now, curry paste and udon I would understand, but vegetables in a rural community?

Needless to say, I have a lot to learn, and for my own, tiny little mission, a lot of work to do. Much of it may begin with showing people how to enjoy these foods I would have thought were common; and then convincing them that there are A LOT of people out there dying to get their hands on the local produce, humanely raised meats and artisanal products they have to offer.