Karen, Author at Tasty Oasis

Friday Favorites

September 26, 2014 By Karen

So you’ve heard me say it before that I have been reading food blogs obsessively for years, right? It’s allowed me to figure out what kind of photos I like, what kind of writing draws me in, and what kind of recipes actually get me cooking versus the ones that just inspire me. I’m partial to the blogs that tell me stories, where I get to know the person who’s creating it all, and often find myself “tuning in” just so I can see the world through someone else’s eyes for a few minutes, instead of my own. It’s an escape, my own little oasis on the web. The food is secondary sometimes, because I’ve become interested in these strangers’ worlds. When Shauna wrote about adopting her son, my heart filled up. When Merry-Jennifer wrote about her father in the months before he died, I kept reading even when she had no recipes to share, because her experience rang bells for me. She shared a letter he wrote to her when she was nine, and it’s stuck with me months later. An oncologist with two kids, her blog is for her own sanity and it’s beautiful. I read everything Phyllis posts because of her honesty and because she makes me laugh, and because how she writes about motherhood is awesome.

One construct that you see frequently on food blogs is the collection of “Friday Favorites.” People use different names, like Friday Round-up, The Friday Five, and Link Love, and while I tried to think of some catchy new title, I decided to just call it what it is. I’ll be posting a quick selection of things that I feel are worth your time; they may be food related, and they may not. They’ll be things that have brought something into my life in one way or another, so if you see something on the list that strikes you, I would love to hear about it in the comments. The links are there to click on (as they are in all the posts I write! Try them, they lead to cool things and aren’t just there for show!,) so hopefully this gives you another reason to look forward to Fridays! Happy reading. :-)…

How to Start a Cooking Club

September 23, 2014 By Karen

Have you ever had that night when you run in the door after work, and you’ve got one kid whining, “Mommy, I neeeeeeeeed help putting the train tracks together!” and the other kid’s sweaty because he’s just finished soccer practice, but refuses to get in the shower, and you only have 45 minutes until you have to return to the daycare for back to school night, and somehow you have to feed your kids so you tear open a box (or three) of mac and cheese and as you rip open the mysterious powdered cheese packet you realize that you’ve held on to the top but let the bottom portion with all the “cheese” in it fly half way across the kitchen, leaving a fine white dust all over the floor? You haven’t? Neither have I.

Oh…. wait a second, that was me the other night.

But you know something? It was okay. First of all, that boxed shells and white cheddar still counts as cooking in my book, although it may not in yours. I had to boil water, set the timer so my pasta was al dente, and measure out some milk. And little hands helped me stir from the step stool pulled close to the stove. It may have been rushed, but we still sat down to eat together as a family. My point is, it doesn’t always have to be gourmet to count as a home cooked meal. (And let’s be honest: most of the time, it isn’t.)

The second reason why I felt okay about all this is that I was coming off of this high from the night before when I had my first gathering of a new cooking club….

Noodle Kugel with Cinnamon and Raisins

September 21, 2014 By Karen

As a kid, there was always good food in my house: healthy, nourishing, and comforting. But I was never aware of how it came to be. I have vivid memories of grocery shopping with my mom (two overflowing carts to feed our household of six,) but very few of her actually cooking because I didn’t participate in it. She tells me that she spent hours sitting on the kitchen floor pouring over “Gourmet” magazines, looking for recipes when my brothers and I were young, but it doesn’t even sound familiar. I know in theory that she cooked a Shabbat dinner most Friday nights until I was nine, but I can’t tell you what we had at them. For a family that wasn’t very religious, I somehow only remember the special occasion foods she made like brisket and latkes with homemade applesauce at Hanukkah, harroset (an apple, walnut and red wine mix served during the Seder) at Passover, and one of my very favorites: kugel on Rosh Hashana.

For us, kugel meant a slightly sweetened noodle casserole served as a side dish at the holidays. But as I grew older I learned that kugel means different things to different people. Both noodle “pudding” and a savory potato version (that’s basically a casserole approach to latkes, potato pancakes, hash browns, or whatever you want to call them,) come from Eastern Europe and are a traditional part of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking . There’s even a carrot kugel, which we called carrot pudding that looks nothing like pudding at all (at least not in the Bill Cosby Jell-O sort of way,) but more like a bundt cake. It’s hard to believe it’s in the same category because it doesn’t even slightly resemble the kugel I share with you today. (But stick around, because I’ve got a pretty great recipe for that carrot one and hopefully I’ll get to it soon!) If you want to know even more about kugel, there’s a detailed write up about it here.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, and part of how we celebrate is to eat foods that reflect the wish for sweet beginnings and good things to come in the year ahead. Apples dipped in honey start the night, and honey cake often ends it. But the main meal can incorporate that theme too. Which is why this slightly sweetened noodle pudding is the perfect side dish to serve at the holiday table with brisket or a roasted chicken, or even Spice-Crusted Roasted Salmon. Made with broad egg noodles, it’s a bit creamy, with the warmth of cinnamon and a juicy pop from the golden raisins sprinkled throughout. The top gets nicely browned, so not only is it delicious, it’s pretty to look at….

Turkey and Yellow Squash Burgers

September 17, 2014 By Karen

My boys are now 7 and 3, and they’re pretty good eaters. Actually, they’re kind of awesome, but it wasn’t always that way. The big one ate everything until he was 18 months, then boycotted vegetables for almost two years. I freaked out about it, worried that he was going to be deprived of all essential vitamins, and experimented with sneaking vegetables into his diet. (Zucchini muffins were the only place I had any success.) But sure enough, by the time he was four he just started eating the vegetables that we had been putting on his plate night after night, year after year. I was of the mindset that I would rather offer the food and toss it (yes, wasteful in some eyes,) than give in to the notion that this toddler had control over what I served. He ate what we ate. Period. Or at least he was served what we ate, because he certainly didn’t always eat it. But you know something? I now have a second grader who is a very expensive dinner date. When we go to restaurants he gets insulted when he’s offered the kids’ menu, because he’d rather have the mussels with fries than chicken fingers, or seared ahi tuna with wasabi wonton chips instead of mac and cheese. Truthfully, he can be a bit of a snob about it, and we have to remind him that the the kids’ menu is not just dumbed down food but portions that are sized appropriately for his appetite. But he’s proud of himself for being adventurous, and that’s pretty cool.

And then there’s my little guy, who was a big pain in the rear end for the first year and a half of his life. He was a preemie, so it wasn’t really his fault, but let me tell you that doesn’t make it any easier when you’re the parent. The short story is that he was six weeks early and hadn’t had a chance to cook long enough, and so he had a whole bunch of delays. He was exhausted all the time, because he couldn’t self-soothe. Which meant that until he was 14 months old he only slept in stretches that were 45-90 minutes, and then he would wake and need help going back to sleep. He was constantly cranky, and so was I. He also had sensory issues, and one way they manifested was in a difficulty with textures, specifically foods. So while he nursed and had his formula, he had zero interest in solids. He barely ate anything for a very long time, and took teeny to a whole new level. And when he finally did start eating, he was picky. And for a while I indulged it in ways I hadn’t with his brother. He also pulled the whole “no vegetable” thing for a couple of years. (Maybe I could get spinach and carrots into him if they were in fruit smoothies encased in refillable solid plastic squeeze pouches so he wouldn’t see the dreaded green color, but that was about it.) But after a while with early intervention, and simply more time left on his own to develop, he started sleeping regularly, and everything started to get better. We all began to feel human again, because sleep deprivation is an unbearable form of torture (as any new parent can tell you.) Then sure enough, one day he said, “Mom, can I have that carrot?” A real, crunchy, orange carrot. And he ate it. Because he saw us eating them, and because that’s what’s normal for our family. And now he’s 3 and a half, and he doesn’t get any special treatment when it comes to food. I think I’ve finally even convinced his grandparents that they can stop prepping pasta as a backup every time they bring over chicken curry, because he may scrunch up his face and say it’s spicy, but he just reaches for his water, takes a sip, and keeps on eating.

Now I don’t write this to brag, because I’ve had more than my share of food headaches and fails when it comes to my kids. And I don’t have any magic advice, except to just keep putting the food you want them to eat onto their plates. We don’t force them to eat everything, but we are very insistent that they take at least one bite. Because maybe they didn’t like peppers last week, but this week their tastes may have changed. And yes, we resort to bribing. I’m not proud, but it’s true. And if there’s parents out there who don’t, I want to meet you because I don’t know how you do it. We absolutely pull the “there won’t be dessert” card, or the “you’re done with dinner then” line, and there can be crying and fussing, then I worry that I’m causing horrible food issues down the road. But really, I think it’s worked. And I think a big part of that is because the food is mostly home cooked, so they recognize the work that’s gone into preparing it. And for that I have to give credit to Brian, because he always reminds them, “You need to thank Mommy for making this for us.” Oh, and when we’re at a restaurant the line of choice is, “If you’re not going to try that, do you want me to go tell the chef you don’t like it?” That seems to work too somehow.

Which all goes to say, I’m not really one for tricking kids into thinking there’s no vegetables in a dish. But I am all for including them in unexpected ways that may make them more appealing, or just no big deal. So when I was paging through the cookbook “Jerusalem,” by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamini, and I saw a turkey burger recipe with shredded zucchini stuffed into it I knew I had to make it. Turkey burgers are our go-to weeknight dinner, but even though they make everyone happy time and again, they can get boring. And since everything these guys write about makes my mouth water, these hit the top of my to-make list….

Applesauce with Vanilla and Cinnamon

September 11, 2014 By Karen

When I think “apple picking,” I picture cool fall days, sweaters, hot cider, and crunching leaves on the ground. I do not imagine 95 degree weather, storm clouds blowing in violently, and getting caught in a torrential downpour.

But remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about NOT taking the kids peach picking? Well, my mom was in town visiting last week, and when she’s here we have to up our game a bit. She’s not one to just laze around, so on one of the hottest, grossest days of the summer we decided to pack the kids in the car and drive an hour away to go…peach picking. Yeah, that didn’t turn out so well. If you hadn’t noticed, it’s September now and peaches should have been picked around a month ago. So to satisfy the 3 year old in our midst, we managed to pull around a dozen unripe green peaches from the fruitless trees, and my vision of homemade peach ice cream for dessert that night was promptly shattered.

But luckily there was a silver lining to this ridiculous outing. Honeycrisp apples are in season now in New Jersey! We hadn’t intended to apple pick this early, (in fact, I didn’t even know it was possible,) but it was the saving grace to our day, and we hauled out 13 pounds of gorgeous crispy tart apples. We’re an apple family, and Pink Ladies and the ones we got are our favorites. Because we go picking every October, we’ve always been way too late for Honeycrisps, which happen to be one of the earliest varieties available. So this really did feel like a bonus, and made our entire crew happy. (And let me tell you, we needed a dose of happy because there was a whole lot of crank going on.)

I want to tell you that my first thought was “Apple Pie!” But here’s my confession: I’ve never made one before. I know, you’re probably thinking, “how can I possibly be reading this woman’s food blog if she’s never made an apple pie? Isn’t that one of the most basic things people in this country make?” Well, yeah, it might be. And around a dozen years ago I marked a recipe for this amazing sounding Apple Pie with a Cheddar Cheese Crust, and went so far as to make the dough and stick it in the freezer, but I never actually got around to baking it. (It’s a bit embarrassing.) So no, you’re not getting an apple pie post here. I’m sorry.

My first thought was actually, “Applesauce!” Because applesauce is one of my ultimate comfort foods, and it takes such little effort to make it homemade. It’s something my mom loves, and so I’d frequently find it on her stove when I was a kid. Especially at Hanukkah, when it was mandatory to have sweet fresh applesauce to serve with the salty crisp potato latkes she would fry up. When my kids were first eating solid foods, I would make it all the time, but I admit that I buy the little pre-packaged cups at the market way too often these days to stuff in lunchboxes. There’s nothing particularly wrong with them. There’s no added sugar, or funky ingredients, but it’s a waste of money and plastic and I never feel really good about it.

Because I know homemade applesauce, with just a touch of vanilla and cinnamon, tastes ten times better than anything you can buy in the store….

Corn and Black Bean Salad With Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

September 8, 2014 By Karen

I love when I have time to play in the kitchen, but the truth is I don’t always make the time to play. I get wrapped up in my own drama, make a bigger deal out of my schedule than I need to, and sometimes become a deer in the headlights at the thought of everything before me. (How’s that for honest?) The truth is my life isn’t as complicated as I sometimes think it is, and I know that. But frequently I just need a reminder. So what if I work, have crazy amounts of commuting time, kids that need attention and piles of paper everywhere? So do most of the people I know. And really, I am lucky to have a career I love, lucky to have a car to commute in and audiobooks to pass the time, lucky as all get out to have my amazing kids, and that paperwork….well, that’s just life. And I am lucky that I am a healthy and competent enough person that if I choose to, I can get all those papers under control. (And someday, maybe I will.)

Just like everyone else, I often cook just to get food on the table or ready to pack in lunch bags. It can get repetitive and boring, unless I make a conscious effort to change things up a little. Taking a few extra minutes to make a big batch of something colorful and full of flavor can go a long way for my sanity and my happiness.

This Corn and Black Bean Salad is a perfect example of that. Adapted slightly from a recipe in “Cooking Light” from way back in 2003, my oil-stained, ripped magazine page is filed away in my “keepers” binder and is covered with notes of my alterations and who I’ve served it to. With garlicky corn, sweet popping tomatoes, a little heat from jalapeños, and a citrus kick, it’s versatile and easy to make. It reminds me of summer picnics in the park, and it’s something I’ve brought to potlucks for years, because it can sit out for a while and will taste better and better. You can follow a recipe exactly, or throw whatever vegetables or canned beans you have laying around into the mix. As you can see from the photos, I don’t bother stressing over getting everything diced perfectly. My peppers and red onions are any which size, and it doesn’t make any difference at all. I’ll make a big bowl of this to keep for the week, and use it to jazz up different dishes. It can be my side salad with a turkey burger, I can serve it as a dip with tortilla chips, it can be my filling for a burrito with some cheese and rice thrown in, or I’ll just take it to work in tupperware with some mixed greens. (And if you do the same, make sure to put the Corn and Black Bean Salad on the bottom of the tupperware with the greens on top. Right before eating, shake your container to mix everything around, and your greens won’t be all soggy!) It lasts in the fridge for a good five days, which makes life and meal planning so much easier. And we can all use a bit of easy in our lives….

Healthy Homemade Chocolate Milk

September 4, 2014 By Karen

As a working mom, there are days when I feel like everything I do is either for my family or for my career. Two things I love, right? So that’s not totally a bad thing. But I realized recently that I need to work on my life balance a bit more and do some things that are just for me so I don’t go crazy. Any of you feel the same way?Which is why I started Tasty Oasis. You already know about my food obsession, but what you might not know is that before starting this project my understanding of all things technical was stuck around 1997. I just hadn’t made the effort to catch up to the 21st century, but that was getting old. It was embarrassing that when I got my new camera I didn’t even know how to transfer the pictures to the computer! I decided I had to get it together and make some changes. So I’ve thrown myself into creating this website. I could easily have asked Brian to set it up (after all, he’s this guy who can just decide to make a podcast and within weeks get a website up and have hundreds of downloads on iTunes.) But instead I’ve done the entire thing on my own. Sure, I probably spend too many hours reinventing the wheel, but I’m learning so much through the process. Widgets and plug-ins, and search engine optimization, oh my! And it’s mine, and that’s something I’m proud of.

The other thing I started recently is running. Whoa… Stop the presses. Those of you who know me are probably thinking you misread that last sentence. Karen and running are not two words that typically go together, unless you count “Karen’s running around like a chicken with her head cut off.” The last time I ran for any significant distance was through Central Park when Christo’s “The Gates” were up, and that was 2005! I ran five miles on a February morning with white glistening snow all around and bright orange flags blowing in the wind, and I felt like I’d conquered the world….

Mint and Coconut Chutneys

September 1, 2014 By Karen

I called my mother-in-law, Ammini, as I drove to work the other morning for our standard review of the kids’ schedules. After telling me the story of how my older son fell off his bike the day before, she came out with the loveliest statement any busy mom can hear: “I just cooked Rava Kichadi and Dad is making Chicken Curry with Chapati, so we’ll leave that for your dinner tonight.” Okay, maybe that exact line won’t ring bells for everyone. And if you’re raising your eyebrows at the unfamiliar sounding dishes, just know the main point of that sentence was: “Guess what? We cooked so you don’t have to!” And that is a beautiful thing.

From Kerala, (the southernmost state in India,) my in-laws are both fantastic cooks, and their traditional dishes are mouthwatering. Customarily, it’s often just the wife that cooks in an Indian household, but because Brian’s mom was a nurse working the night shift, his Dad had to make his way into the kitchen. Granted, since they both retired she’s back to doing 95% of the cooking, but Dad will jump in to make certain favorites. And I’m lucky because not only do they cater for our family on a frequent basis, but they’ve also been generous in sharing their experience and techniques so that I can make Indian food on my own. Before we got married, I remember going over to their house and I walked into the kitchen to find on the counter two cutting boards, two serious chef’s knives, and two whole chickens waiting to be broken down. I had mentioned in passing that I wanted to learn how to do it, and all of a sudden I had my own private master class waiting. (Okay, to be perfectly honest, it was fun and manageable at the time, but I still find myself buying already cut up pieces at the store. At least it’s something I know how to do!)

These days my lessons are more informal, and what just happened is a perfect example. After Ammini told me she was bringing dinner, she continued, “But the Rava Kichadi needs some chutney. So can you make that?” Chutneys are typically thick sauces that are made with fruits, herbs, spices, sugar, and acids like lemon juice or vinegar, and are used as condiments in Indian meals. They don’t require hard to find ingredients, and you don’t need to serve them with Indian food to enjoy them. And it’s a great way to use up fresh herbs that may be dying in your crisper. But truthfully, instead of just using the cilantro I had at home like any smart person would do, I decided I was in the mood for the mint and coconut chutneys that my favorite South Indian restaurant serves, so during my lunch hour I ran to a local farm-stand and picked up some fresh mint….