Celebrating Family in the Kitchen

One of the most rewarding things about being part of a large, dynamic, immigrant family is our deep connection to our cultural heritage, albeit with an American twist. As first generation Americans, my cousins and I have been treated to a uniquely rich upbringing and the Capital Region has been especially important in fostering our ability to retain old traditions and integrate decidedly American customs.

My family immigrated to little Ballston Spa back in the 60s. As I have been told, my Dutch-Indonesian family was met with a healthy dose of curiosity, and what I imagine must have been a bit of friendly skepticism.

The VanDeinse family before moving to Canada and then America

Here was this new family, with a seemingly unpronounceable last name, VanDeinse (van DAIN-suh), moving into a fairly homogeneous community. My gramma, grandfather, mother, aunts and uncles don’t look incredibly different from anyone else. However, in terms of customs, they were. Their food was different – rice-based and full of exotic flavors. Holidays were different – Dutch Sinterklaas in addition to the religious observance of Christmas and NO Thanksgiving. Even my uncle, who became one of the area’s best and most prominent martial arts teachers, taught Pencak Silat, an ancient Indonesian fighting style.

Uncle Ringo demonstrating a high kick

My family was different in a wonderful way, something that was discovered very early on by many people throughout the Capital Region. All were welcome in my gramma’s kitchen, from my uncle’s students to friends and neighbors. I can’t tell you how many folks still rave about my gramma’s cooking from a meal they had thirty to forty years ago.

And while we did adopt American customs, like Thanksgiving and Andy Williams Christmas music, our experience in the country was enriched by great Indonesian dishes like Sajur or Semur, our traditional Dutch breakfast of Gouda cheese and ham on buttered bread, stollen with more butter (notice a pattern here), and hot chocolate on Christmas morning, our obsession with the Dutch National Football Team and the countless stories my gramma used to share with me at the kitchen table about her life in Indonesia and Holland.

Andy Williams at the Palace Theatre

I imagine that this is not an unfamiliar occurrence for families throughout the region. As families become more diverse, we are all faced by a need to maintain old traditions while embracing new ones. This couldn’t be more apparent around the holidays. Somewhere in Albany, Schenectady, Troy or even Saratoga, latkes are being fried, the aroma of cookies fill a home, someone is starting to plan for the Christmas Eve Feast of Seven Fishes and, as you’ll see in the video, a family joins to preserve a tradition by having a spekkoek bakeoff. It’s evident in each of our kitchens; our cultures create unique ways for each of us to celebrate family and the holidays.

Just like spekkoek, a traditional Indonesian New Year’s cake of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and cardamom, the American experience is a culmination of the patient layering of various traditions and cultural histories in to something wonderful.

May God continue to bless you and your family this Holiday Season.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

 

*Video courtesy of my brother, David. Thank you.

Spekkoek Recipe

Butter (500 grams, 20 ounces or 1 pound)

Sugar (420 grams, 16.8 ounces, 1 pound or 2 cups)

10 Eggs

Flour (200 grams, 8 ounces or 1 cup)

Vanilla (to your preference)

4 teaspoons Cinnamon

3 teaspoons Ground Clove

1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 340^o_.

Cream butter and sugar.

Mix eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, one or two at a time. Continue to mix until well blended, with no lumps of butter.

Slowly add flour to mixture to make a smooth batter. Add vanilla.

Divide batter into two. Add the spices to one half of the batter.

Spread a thin layer of white batter into pan. Bake until set.

Set oven to broil.

Following the first white layer, add a layer of the spice batter. The heat will melt the batter a little, which will allow you to spread it in the pan by tilting it around.

Broil till set. Continue with the rest of batter, alternating between dark and light.

Food & Politics Go Hand In Hand

Whether you’re hitting the polls and then stopping by at a church’s Election Day Brooks BBQ or attending rallies and fundraisers with a buffet, there always seems to be food involved in politics. It may have something to do with the mentality, if you feed them, they will come. Regardless, take full advantage of these opportunities, not for the food, but to exercise your right to vote and participate in the political process.

 

In this particular case, Milton Republicans should stop by at a Free Ice Cream Social that Dan Lewza, the endorsed Republican candidate for Milton Town Supervisor, is hosting on Saturday, September 10 from noon to 2 p.m. Stop by for a free cone, a round of mini golf and the chance to meet your candidate.  For more info visit www.danlewza.com.

Autumn, Apples, Vodka and the Valley

As someone who grew up in the area, it seems as though the Capital Region’s population has grown considerably since I was little. I often feel like we’ve held onto this amazing secret that people are just hearing about.

Our many walkable and close knit communities are spoiled by a wealth of natural, cultural and agricultural amenities available throughout the region. Where else can you boast that, while living in the comfort of suburbia and urban centers, you can drive ten minutes to local family farms and stunning countryside? I could only possibly say this about one other location, the beautiful fertile Hudson Valley.

I feel like I’m cheating on my beloved Capital Region when I say this, but I love the Hudson Valley.

My teen years consisted of many trips down the Northway, to I-787, to I-90 East, to Exit 12 to Route 9 to visit my grampa in Red Hook. Many of you probably travel this way to reach Valatie or Hudson. This trip was especially lovely during the fall due to the fact that Route 9 winds through the countryside of Columbia and Dutchess County.

Leaves would turn to brilliant yellows, reds and oranges. Roadside farm stands would be stocked with pumpkins and other winter squashes. There are many apple orchards and country stores to make anyone a happy traveler. These have always been my favorite things about the Hudson Valley.

Now I have another reason to tout the Hudson Valley, CORE VODKA. I’ve been eyeing a bottle of this vodka for a couple months at my local wine shop. I finally gave in.

Core Vodka, produced by Harvest Spirits of Golden Harvest Farms in Valatie, is a lovely artisanal spirit distilled from apples. This is not your green apple vodka nastiness that college co-eds down at Jillian’s or similar college hangouts. Core Vodka is a clean, near buttery delight that leaves a subtle after-note of apples.

The annual apple harvest affects each batch created. Since the beginning of their distillation operations in 2008, they’ve kept track of the variance in taste and texture in their distiller’s notes. Each bottle is hand marked with a batch and bottle number for easy reference. I bought a bottle from batch no.19.

So far I’ve enjoyed Core straight, but I couldn’t help but make Gimlet for myself. To my surprise the lime juice made the apple flavor more pronounced in a pleasant way.

Core Vodka is definitely worth trying and a nice option for locavores who need a good martini. I can’t wait for my next trip to the Hudson Valley to take a tour of the distillery. You have to love New York State’s agritourism.

A Classic Vodka Gimlet

 

1          Part Vodka

1          Part Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice

 

Serve in a rocks glass with ice and a wedge of lime.

An Ode to Late-Summer Tomatoes

Pan Fried Eggplant Medallions topped with Goat Cheese (chèvre), Grape Tomatoes and Basil

This is by far one of my most favored times of the year. The air is crisper and I always become more inspired to cook. Living in a notoriously hot second floor apartment really deters me from cooking during the Capital Region’s muggy hot summers. I digress.

This season is magical for this one reason alone: vine ripened tomatoes. I’ll be the first to admit, I love raiding my mother’s garden year after year for her tomatoes. Over the years she’s grown some of the most delicious tomatoes I’ve ever tasted.

On occasion I have to visit to let my family’s beloved black labs, Max and Mandy, out for a bit. While little Max runs around under the willow trees and Mandy is sniffing the breeze I run to the little garden and one by one pick the sweetest grape tomatoes. I find it hard to resist eating them right then and there.

Not everyone has a garden on hand from which they can harvest. I understand this. So what is one to do? Two words: Farmers Market. The following recipe came to me as I was shopping with my brother, his wife and my baby nephew at the Saratoga Springs Farmers Market. As we perused stall after stall, it was the beautiful colors of the vegetables that drew me to the deep royal purple eggplants, the glowing red tomatoes, the clean white of chèvre and the refreshing green of the basil. These items became dinner.

Simplicity was the plan. Thick slices of eggplant pan fried in organic olive oil. A little salt. A bit of goat cheese, tomatoes and basil and then you’re finished. The textures complement each other. The goat cheese adds creaminess and melts a little with the heat from the eggplant and the tomatoes add sweetness and a refreshing bite. Try it for yourself.

Ingredients

• Eggplant
• Olive Oil (I used a Turkish organic olive oil available at Ocean State Job Lot in Ballston Spa)
• Salt
• Goat Cheese (chèvre)
• Grape Tomatoes (or Cherry Tomatoes)
• Basil

Slice your eggplant into thick slices, a little over ¼ inch thick. Heat your oil over a medium heat. Be sure to manage your heat as the eggplant can burn easily if you don’t pay attention. Cook to a golden color on each side. Place finished slices on paper towels to absorb excess oil and season with some salt.

To assemble, top your eggplant round with goat cheese. To get a neat appearance shape a small ball of goat cheese in your hands and flatten slightly. I find that when I spoon goat cheese its crumbly texture makes it fall apart. Slice your tomatoes in half and place on your rounds. Chiffonade* some basil leaves to place on top.

Plate and enjoy.

*To chiffonade basil, or any other flat leaf herbs such as mint, stack a few leaves on top of each other and roll them together lengthwise. Take your sharpest knife and slice through the rolled stack to produce nice long confetti like strips of basil.

Red Lentil Curried Soup

Lately I’ve been craving lentils and for once my cravings are following a healthier route. This is an unusual craving considering that I usually have constant cravings for Stewart’s Mint Marcy ice cream or Ben & Jerry’s Bananas on the Rum, which sits dangerously in my freezer as we speak. So to be a good girl, I decided to make a savory Red Lentil Curried Soup this afternoon.

I try to increase the amount of protein I consume in a day, but I know I do not get enough. Twenty-six percent of a lentil’s mass is made up of protein. So if you had just 3.5 oz of lentils you would be getting 26grams of protein, and you would also satisfy the 60% of iron and 67% of Thiamin (B1) you need in a day. In many parts of the world lentils are an essential part of a low or no meat diet.

Also note that curry powder, especially the yellow varieties are quite good for you. Yellow curry powder contains a lot of turmeric, which gives curry its yellow color. Turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory, which is good for bad joints and your heart. Many of the problems associated with your heart and joints are because of inflammation; osteoarthritis and inflammatory heart disease are great examples.

So, I hope you enjoy this delicious yet healthy soup and be sure to let me know what you think.

 

Red Lentil Curried Soup 

 

Soup Base

6          cups of chicken broth, organic, low sodium & free range (if possible)

1          can of coconut milk (the can I used was 14 oz. and was a Thai brand)

2 ¼      cup of water to round out the total liquids

—–

8          cups of liquid total

1          pound of organic red lentils

1 ½      teaspoons kosher salt

 

Flavors

2          tablespoons organic almond oil or any high smoke point vegetable oil

1          medium onion, minced

1          red bell pepper, minced

2          carrots, minced

5 to 6   cloves of garlic, minced (I cheated and used a garlic press)

1          tablespoon ginger, finely minced or grated (I used the garlic press here as well so I didn’t have to peel the ginger)

2          tablespoons curry powder, organic bulk

1          can of organic pureed sweet potatoes

 

Finishing Touches

Lemon juice

Dash of cayenne pepper

Rinse lentils in water till water runs clear. In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, coconut milk and water. Add lentils and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce to heat to low and add salt, cover and cook until very soft.

Heat the almond oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add minced onions, peppers and carrots to the pan. Cook the vegetables for about 15 minute or so until soft.

Add a little more oil to pan if needed and add garlic, ginger and curry powder and sauté for another 5 minutes. Sautéing the curry powder will allow certain flavors to develop, that can really only be released by cooking it with a little oil.

Add vegetable mixture to lentils. Stir in the pureed sweet potatoes. This will add a little natural sweetness.

To serve squeeze a little fresh lemon juice and a little dash of cayenne pepper on the top.

I promise new posts soon…

I must apologize to everyone. I haven’t posted for a long while. I was really sick one week and then I went on a cruise to Florida and the Bahamas.

Some things you can look forward too:

• Dutch Pancakes with Rose Syrup
• commentary on Bahamian Conch and Conch Fritters
• Tropical Fruit Ambrosia, as part of a series of posts I am planning on Cheap Eats

So, posts will be up and running.

2008 Restaurant Hit List

In the coming months, I plan to go to a different Capital Region restaurant every month. Hopefully with the cooperation of the owners or the chefs, I will be able to talk to them, getting either an interview or hopefully a demonstration or two of how some of their dishes are prepared.  

Since this is the last day of January, I don’t think I’ll be able to accomplish either of those goals today. So here is the proposed list of restaurants for the year. Some of these restaurants I am already a fan of and some are just on my list because I’ve always wanted to check them out.   ****

February – Have you ever had pizza from Pizza King in Schenectady? If not it is well worth the trip. There is a large variety of pizza and all are mouth watering.  

March – Since it is the month of my grandmother’s birthday and hopefully I’ll have my tax return around that time, I think a nice dinner at Yono’s in Albany is just what we all need. If you love Indonesian food or even finely prepared food of the continental persuasion, this is the place to go.   

**Have I mentioned that my grandmother is Indonesian? You’ll hear about her soon, look for little video cooking lessons from the both of us.  

April – If you are planning on seeing Jesus Christ Superstar, the farewell tour, at Proctors and need a good place to eat beforehand, I suggest Cornell’s in Schenectady’s Little Italy on North Jay Street. The food is fabulous and the staff makes you feel right at home.   

May – When I think of May, I think of Mother’s Day and then I think of an afternoon tea. So we’ll check out The Whistling Kettle in downtown Ballston Spa.  

SUMMER IN SARATOGAOkay, so you can call me biased, but I love Saratoga, especially in the summer. I can just hear the Race Track’s jingle now: Saratoga, Saratoga…  

·        June – What’s lovelier than some traditional fried chicken to officially start summer? Personally, I cannot think of anything better and the place to dine on the finest fried chicken north of the southern states has to be Hattie’s. Bobby Flay, of Food Network fame, only solidified what Capital Region residents and quite honestly probably a lot of City and Long Island folk already knew, Hattie’s has the best.   

·        July – This is by far the most anticipated month for me of the year. With July comes the Ballet Season. In order to properly appreciate all the beautiful dancing and the men in tight tights, you need to have had satisfying meal. Much like the NYC Ballet Summer Season, the Spring Water Bistro is a Saratoga staple.    

·        August – What is finer than making a killing at the track? Okay, so that has never happened to me, but where can one go to heal ones wounded horse race gambling ego? Siro’s, which has been serving track patrons for years and it helps that it is only across the street.  

September – I think by early fall I will start craving some comforting food, and to me Casey’s fills that need. It’s a charming little place located in Rensselaer.  

October – I will be celebrating my quarter life birthday, so I think that calls for some Provençal French food at Provence in Guilderland. I haven’t been there yet, but all I hear is good things.  

November – By this time of the year I will be craving the warmth of summer and the taste of the Caribbean, so I think we’ll check out First Choice Caribbean American Cuisine of Troy. I have to get across the river at some point.

December – In honor of St. Nicholas’ Greek heritage, we’ll dine at The Chariot in Guilderland.****

I don’t know about you, but writing this list has made me so hungry; and I can’t wait to meet the fabulous people that have brought these interesting and varied restaurants to the Capital Region. So look forward to this series that I will start in February.

Rustic Whole Wheat Bread

I am sure like many of you, there is nothing more irresistible than fresh baked crusty bread. I am also sure that you are just as vigilant at counting your protein and fiber contents per serving as I can be. I know that if I am being particularly strict, I can spend a good 15 minutes in the bread aisle just comparing the varying nutritional pros and cons of many loaves. Lately though, to appease my other near obsession of eating more natural, less processed food, I avoid buying bread at the market. 

So where does that leave me. I go to my local whole foods store, Wild Thyme in Ballston Spa, and buy a loaf of Rock Hill Bakehouse Whole Wheat Farm Bread. The flavor almost hints of a savory sourdough. It makes the most divine toast, which I often make a little meal of when I get home late from work. I enjoy my delicious toast thoroughly until I remember its nutritional content. It only contains 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per serving and on top of that the slices are huge. Each slice could be from 2 to 3 servings for all I know.  Please, don’t let me sway you away from purchasing this exquisite bread (which to my knowledge can also be purchased at Mezzo in Albany, and various Hannafords), but I need something smaller and higher in fiber and protein. 

So I decided to make my own bread, and consulted some recipes and decided to adapt one from “The Cook’s Book”, edited by Jill Norman. This book is great for those that want increase their skills in the kitchen but are not quite yet ready or willing to try the CIA’s text book “The Professional Chef”. Both would be great additions to any cookbook collection, but carry a hefty price. 

**Please note – I always weigh my ingredients, so I will provide both weight measurements and standard measurements. 

 *******

Whole Wheat Bread 

18 ounces or 4 cups        whole wheat flour for bread making (example – Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour)

1 ½ teaspoon                   sea salt or kosher 

1 ¼ cup                             water at room temperature 

1 ¼ teaspoon                   dry active yeast

¼ cup                                 water, approx 92^o

1 tablespoon                     whole wheat flour, from the total amount above                                   

Oil as needed for kneading. Olive is fine.  

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ 

First combine salt and flour in a bowl, using a whisk to distribute the salt. 

Then in a small bowl or cup, mix the yeast and 1 tablespoon of flour together with the warm water. Let this sit for 10 minutes. 

After the yeast mixture has sit for 10 minutes and has created bubbles, combine the water and the yeast mixture with the flour creating very sticky dough. Use your hands while mixing the ingredients to make sure they are well combined. Let the dough sit covered with a tea towel for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes knead the dough, with some oil to prevent sticking, and shape it to a desired shape. I shaped mine into a long loaf, making sure any seams were place on the bottom. Place on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan. I used my stoneware baking sheet. 

Allow your newly shaped loaf rise for 1 hour to 1 ½ hours. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 425^o­. 

Slice the top of the loaf with a knife in a decorative manor. This prevents the crust from splitting open haphazardly. When you place the loaf into the oven, either spray the dough with water or add a few ice cubes to the bottom of your oven. I used ice cubes. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Lower the oven temperature to 375^o and bake for another 30 minutes. When the loaf is done, you should be able to tap the bottom and it will sound hollow. 

Slice, serve and enjoy.  

I would keep this bread in the fridge, because it is preservative free and may spoil quickly at room temperature. 

******* 

A quick fact: 

Total this bread contains 64 grams of protein and fiber. Also this loaf is considerably smaller than the half loaf that you buy from Rock Hill. The half loaf only contains 32 grams fiber and 48 grams protein. By far the homemade bread is a healthier choice. 

So how did it taste? The homemade whole wheat bread was chewy, crusty and delightful with butter and cherry preserves. It also made a great breakfast, this morning, when toasted and smoothed over with peanut butter.

So with a little effort, you can not only save money by making your own bread, you can also eat healthier too. Enjoy!

So Why this Blog & Why the Capital Region?

I have wanted to start a food and cooking blog for ages, and until recently I have never had the guts to do so. I recently gained the courage to start one from a friend of mine, Kathleen Lisson, who has her own wine blog. Through that blog she not only shares her expertise, she also shares her passion for wine.

In no way am I an expert, but I would say that I am passionate about good food. I love to cook and bake and share what I have made with those I love. I love experiencing a fine meal and discussing food. The food we eat is often overlooked, but it nourishes us, connects us with our families, our culture, our history and ultimately we need to give it more thought.

I intend to learn new skills and to share them on here. I will share my favorite recipes and learn the recipes of my family. I promise pretty pictures, because I want this to be visually appetizing too. I will pass on interesting articles about food, because the more you know about the food you eat and cook the better off you will be.

In addition to sharing my food, I want to be able to showcase the food of the Capital Region of New York State. Why the capital region? Well I believe we live in best of both worlds.

New York State as a whole has so much to offer in the way of agriculture, and the Capital region sits in the middle of it all. We have beautiful apple orchards, lovely local farms, and a growing interest of local food from farmer’s markets. Many of the populated areas of the Capital Region aren’t too far from the countryside so it isn’t too hard to come across fresh tomatoes, plump blue berries and a whole assortment of goods that a farmer can offer. 

Another large benefit of living in the Capital Region is that culturally, for a small metro area, we are quite diverse. Not only are there people with many different ideas politically, after all it is the seat of New York politics, there are different ethnicities and different religions. I believe all of that plays a part to what kinds of food and especially restaurants that are available to each Capital Region resident. 

So weather you are most likely to be catching a meal in Schenectady before a musical at Proctors, or are sipping on a summer cocktail at the Track in Saratoga, or are working late among the politicos of Albany or are just cooking in your kitchen at home, you will find something that you can feast on in this blog.