Native Foods Blog

A visit with Cornelia before the Oscars

Fancy Food Show Notes

 The Fancy Food Show is a trade show in the food industry that promotes specialty foods, lots of things you see in gift baskets so lots of nice packaging, and also things gourmet. Now my version of gourmet of course will differ with the general public's view. I was raised with "fine pate" but now I no longer consider pate a gourmet product, though the camp that still does was present at this year's show.

Also appearing was a notably larger than ever was section of natural and organic foods. These included the Vegannaise group from Follow Your Heart, vegan chocolates, snacks and drinks and some meat alternatives.

What stuck out for me was the extensive olive oil variety and hot tea collections. Just when you thought you knew of every tea in the world, out comes another army of them from places in the world that aren't even on the maps yet!

I enjoyed some fine miso from Japan and I'll share more on my miso experience soon, the item I found most available to all of you would be an Afgan stuffed flat bread called "Bolani." Fillings range from spinach, lentil and pumpkin and they had a nice line of sauces to go with them. They make great quick snacks and low fat and carbs. Very yum.

While available in many markets in Northern Cal in So. Cal we can find it at some Tuesdays farmers markets; Brea 4-8 pm, Torrance 8am-1pm and Manhattan Beach from Noon-4pm.

As always I try to help inform of things that are healthy, and make your life easier and taste better!

 

Food Art

A guest left this on her plate last night at Native Foods in Tustin.   It made us all smile.  Marisa does rock!

Thank you....but you left no signature???

Quartzite crystal!

Quartzite is alrightz. Well my annual trek to Quartzite, Arizona turned up some interesting specimens. If you haven't done Quartzite or heard of it, it is a conglomeration of wholesale gems, stones, and international artifacts in the middle of the desert. They are for sale at wholesale prices and the people that sell them and the stories they have to share are wild.

I went this weekend and I have a story to tell now! I met and fell in love with a gorgeous island man, he looks like a Tiki God! Yes it was love at first sight and he came home with me same day. He guards my house at night and is giving the dogs some competition (see photo).

Quartzite festivities are in January every year and I highly suggest you get a group of friends together, bring a little cash, and go. It's one hour and 45 minutes from Palm Springs. Go early, dress warmly, even when it's sunny a chilly wind can come through, time is one hour ahead there, and the vendors pack up by 5 and the day goes by like lightening! You'll be back in time to hit Native Foods for dinner. Or bring takeout from the night before as food is slim pickins unless you are craving bbq meat sandwiches and ribs, though you could subsist on onion rings for the day. A veggie burger place popped up last year I will have to say. Times are a changin' even in Quartzite!

Buddha's Hand

Buddha’s Hand

This is a real citrus fruit whose origins are believed to be that Buddhist monks carried them from India to China. This is my first crop from my little tree! They grow well in the desert or coastal Southern California.

It is a symbol of happiness, wealth and longevity and it is very popular at New Year’s as it is believed to bring good fortune to the household. See why I planted an entire tree!

Culinary wise the fruit is all pith and its rind is used for citrus flavoring from sautés to marmalades. The flavor of the rind is different from a straight lemon. This curly lemon has more jasmine and tangerine overtones. Nice! That’s why they are often placed in homes in China and Japan as the aroma they send off is brilliant.

I’m dying to try a little finger minced in a sauce but the thought pains me, I think I may enjoy it as an object d’art for a while longer.

7 Days 7 Ways to Make and Keep a Resolution

7 Days 7 Ways to Make and Keep a Resolution

 

 

1.Don’t do more than three.

 

2.If you do up to three, make one physical (healthy exercise), one mental such as learning or studying (vegan cooking!), and one spiritual (your on your own with this one, but do it!).

 

3.Include those that matter to you in one or all of them some how so you stay in touch through the year more and it will help you stick to it.

 

4.It’s easier to motivate yourself when you are including someone else in the benefits. For example in learning to cook healthy you can bring lunch for a friend or co-worker.

 

5.Set some goals. Be realistic, if you surpass your goals let it be a happy moment rather than set too high and give up (if you are learning cooking by the end of the year you’ll be catering the office party, but start with chips and salsa!)

 

6.Turn it into a positive. If you are having a stuck day, learn to realize it and turn it around. Realistically something will no doubt happen to bum you out, so immediately engage in the opposite kind of action. Talk a walk, think of something funny, just move your face into a smile it automatically sets off brain waves and natural chemicals to adjust, do a random act of kindness, talk to a child, hang out with your pets.

 

7. Dare to dream then add volition. That’s really the way you accomplish anything!

Ellen, Portia and Me!

   

The 23^rd Genesis Awards (a quick yet stimulating synopsis) by Holladay Allen, Tanya's right hand at Native Foods Westwood Village

My second go round at the Genesis Awards was a delight indeed.  I arrived at the Beverly Hills Hilton and met up with my lovely dates for the evening, Kelly and Wiletta. After creeping past the red carpet, we proceeded immediately to the silent auction where we sipped champagne and browsed through the wide array of prizes.  There were beauty products of both the animal and human variety, luxury trips, designer duds and even a wild ride in a patrol car (with real policemen!).  After a little mingling, we were ushered into the ballroom for a delicious three-course dinner followed by the presentation of the awards.  The very talented Tal Ronnen, amazing vegan chef and friend of Tanya’s, created the dinner menu.  The actual show reminds me of a highlight (and lowlight) reel covering the ups and downs the animal rights community throughout the year. 

 

 This year’s hot (yet hard, if not impossible, to swallow) topics were the continuing Canadian seal hunt, the underground horsemeat market, and the never-ending dog fighting circles.  The nominated news reports showed graphic and disturbing images from around the globe, the kind that that get your blood pumping and the tears flowing.  But just when you think your fingernails are going to tear through your angrily clenched palms as your cruelty-free mascara is streaking down your tear soaked face like war paint, they hit you with a victory.  Though never enough, the victories were abundant in 2008.  From the passing of Proposition 2 in California to the ban of ivory on Ebay, the Humane Society has shown that a small (but growing exponentially everyday) group of people really can change the direction of the world. 

 

Two of the key players in the passing of Proposition 2, Ellen Degeneres and Portia DeRossi received the prestigious Gretchen Wyler award (named after the founder of the Genesis Awards).  They gratefully accepted the award commenting on their personal decisions to embrace veganism.  Like so many converts, Skinny Bitch opened their eyes.  After the show, the herd migrated to the after party.  The guests nibbled on after dinner hors d’oeuvres and petite pastries while gambling (for the cause man) and cuttin’ a rug.  Heather Mills was one of the first on the dance floor with Wiletta right on her heels.  I think Wiletta danced for two hours straight!  Happy and exhausted, we collected our swag bags, checked out the winners of the silent auction, and (deheeled and barefoot) made our ways home.

 

Oh, the swag bag!  One of the 1st questions I get:  a DVD of the doc Saving Luna, a plush white seal, a book called African Critters and facial serum by Prai to mention a few!

GMO's? oh, please NO!

Wow, I get asked quite often, what's the deal with GMO's?   Well, "Genetically Modified Organisms" are organisms that have been created through the gene-splicing techniques of biotechnology. (you've probably heard of GE---genetic engineering)

The most popular vegetables that are GMO's are corn, tomatoes and potatoes.   It's pretty controversial about the effect long term on our health, the environment and our food chain.

At Native Foods, we stay away from buying GMO's by staying with organic and sustainable farming systems when possible.  But I am an advocate that we as consumers have the right to know what we are buying!  Currently the US government has no plans to label for consumer packaging at stores.

Leading me right into:  Shop your weekly Farmer's Markets!  Ask them about their farming systems!  My experience has been very positive and they care about what they grow.

Killer burger....but no animals harmed!

 

Well, my carnivore friends are totally shocked when they take their first bite of our Veggie-Mighty-Vita burger (AKA, my first invention, the Bali Burger).   And I do get a bit of thrill when I see them again (and NOT dragged in by one of their vegan buddies) and so I seem to get the same questions....so here goes a quickie...

Yes indeed, no cholesterol.

What the heck is tempeh???  Well, I make it myself and it's pronounced TEM-Pay.  I first made this recipe in college when I learned it's an amazingly healthful Indonesian main staple.  It's an artisan process of culturing soybeans.  Awesome is a great way to describe it! 

High in iron and protein

So, ask away!  Oh, it does take at least 24 hours to make and some ways to prepare it are  in my cookbook.  But feel free to save some time and buy it in my deli cases.

Cooking Class was a huge success!

Well, we cooked away last Saturday morning in Costa Mesa.  The Nopales and Mixed Bean Soup was a hit.  Nopales are cactus pads....yep, the kind you see growing all over Ca.   The best part was shaving (yes, a face razor would work!) the prickleys off the cactus.  Ok, a Y shaped potato peeler works the best.

Next to me are Kathy and Katie...first timers at Native Foods!  Thanks for coming, girls!