tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17846948873677710832024-03-20T23:38:45.062-07:00The Spice Doc[EATING YOUR MEDICINE]The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-85213876720899958992012-07-17T19:49:00.002-07:002012-07-17T19:50:33.719-07:00We are LIVE at the NEW Spice Doc!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSiaxLieht1KXiXM5XKyJI8Pd9xLYjpJJpolc4wPo3W-uXG019FoD02Hgg8lamJRsuVu1vHHINtS2lZkMn9AqYMPnajnlBrumIBdLMtsHovs_lHW5JsjSZs6blfOZAkWG3q4fwmjmYE4/s1600/coverpic_03+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="148" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSiaxLieht1KXiXM5XKyJI8Pd9xLYjpJJpolc4wPo3W-uXG019FoD02Hgg8lamJRsuVu1vHHINtS2lZkMn9AqYMPnajnlBrumIBdLMtsHovs_lHW5JsjSZs6blfOZAkWG3q4fwmjmYE4/s400/coverpic_03+4.png" /></a></div>
It's a "soft" launch but it is <i><b>launched</b></i> : the new and improved Spice Doc site can now be reached at : <a href="http://thespicedoc.drupalgardens.com/blog">www.thespicedoc.com</a>, please be patient while we work to finish updating functionality, glossary, remedies, and more. But for now the blog will begin to be regularly updated as it once was at the new site under "What's Up Doc"! Thank you for your patience these last few months that I've been silent on here. And thank you to Patricia Callison, designer extraordinaire, and Conor Browne, programmer with the patience of a saint!
--- NicoleThe Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-46233069896637348422012-04-12T23:51:00.003-07:002012-04-13T00:19:55.450-07:00A Few Nibbles and a Bit of News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCH-xJ8vpsJU6o1e7jR5d2SjXJBCLHRkcMkZU9YnVSSr6NxYPxn0xBGXeW0ImO60LZwX5iZNhvFtNXSuJUkif-KtHM1gj662k8kBORmxGoRH_23toV2j7zpbWY6SKRFxwrUrDiYPlBg4/s1600/P1100329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCH-xJ8vpsJU6o1e7jR5d2SjXJBCLHRkcMkZU9YnVSSr6NxYPxn0xBGXeW0ImO60LZwX5iZNhvFtNXSuJUkif-KtHM1gj662k8kBORmxGoRH_23toV2j7zpbWY6SKRFxwrUrDiYPlBg4/s400/P1100329.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The reason I have been missing in action on here is I have thrown myself into the last few months of work for the launch of the <b><i>new and improved</i></b> Spice Doc site. It will still live at <a href="http://thespicedoc.com/">www.thespicedoc.com</a> but not too long from now you will be directed to a fresh new site, with lots of exciting functions that will be unveiled when it's up. Who knew it could take so much love and work to build one of these? I have had my phenomenal friend, artist, and designer, <a href="http://www.madeinmind.net/"http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2012/04/few-nibbles-and-bit-of-news.html"target="_blank">Patricia Callison</a>, imagining away at this for over a year now. If you want to see her incredible work go to <a href="http://www.madeinmind.net/"http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2012/04/few-nibbles-and-bit-of-news.html>Made in Mind</a>. And about 6 months or so ago, Conor Browne, the Spice Doc programmer, joined and has been making Trish's beautiful ideas come to life with his own brilliance. In the meantime I chip away at the content little by little. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1YmayeOAN7iZviYDpvb-dRbsVkl30TIY6o7QTHIYlbNiLQJWAZNABalFs7HM4fWjFIjVe9Qx91EDZf1L0XqK-YvlnDw-pAO3_F70mJDHjSlJcNVrWMxeP6b-Ugo6VLgPUgtPln5MbYA/s1600/P1100316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1YmayeOAN7iZviYDpvb-dRbsVkl30TIY6o7QTHIYlbNiLQJWAZNABalFs7HM4fWjFIjVe9Qx91EDZf1L0XqK-YvlnDw-pAO3_F70mJDHjSlJcNVrWMxeP6b-Ugo6VLgPUgtPln5MbYA/s400/P1100316.JPG" /></a></div><br />
While I've been doing that, I've also been cooking up a (medicinal) storm with all kinds of herbs and ingredients, studying Mandarin 4 hours+++ every day, and have begun to translate medicinal cook book recipes into English. A few chefs have opened their doors for me to show me one on one their secret medicinal recipes. And many more people have shared what they've learned from their grandmothers, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, doctors, etc. in terms of the strongly ingrained culture of medicinal cooking here in China. Every day I'm learning something new. There's not much more you can ask for! I can't wait to share that with everyone, TCM practitioners and laymen alike. <br />
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See you very soon! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUooOJxOnTDVtxORilFhfoBZEd81aomQ9Cc5kp-Xi5T-rR3J1b7spCM-DbHhJSaAMbs8ahmT_PJiSY1iAEbKOwM6qiORAFcYoUI5EQZgf94jpYAvQ1-MFabH2VGAaly_fh552brsX3CL8/s1600/P1100311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUooOJxOnTDVtxORilFhfoBZEd81aomQ9Cc5kp-Xi5T-rR3J1b7spCM-DbHhJSaAMbs8ahmT_PJiSY1iAEbKOwM6qiORAFcYoUI5EQZgf94jpYAvQ1-MFabH2VGAaly_fh552brsX3CL8/s400/P1100311.JPG" /></a></div>The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-30525733409005676122012-04-05T02:37:00.001-07:002012-04-05T02:37:55.635-07:00The Three S's : Soups, Salad, and Spring(<i>recycled from 4/11/2010</i>) <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_JZpOn3ZOE1DdTkVi4yk0stkmtDIYghmDB1rK2Umlw-Qcq-WfcN9jN-ExSPTdPsRAqxU2doLNZleQ9UJ3sCmkw2IehRs6RapPZRhy7l8PYD9oUNskNB6TO2MWwYVaCW7OdDFqcRVJMQ/s1600/P1050237.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_JZpOn3ZOE1DdTkVi4yk0stkmtDIYghmDB1rK2Umlw-Qcq-WfcN9jN-ExSPTdPsRAqxU2doLNZleQ9UJ3sCmkw2IehRs6RapPZRhy7l8PYD9oUNskNB6TO2MWwYVaCW7OdDFqcRVJMQ/s400/P1050237.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458973882992515026" /></a><br />
Now that Spring is arriving, it's time to lighten the food load a bit, and increase your fresh vegetable and fruit intake. However, it is still incredibly important to avoid going all raw and salad-crazy just because the weather is warmer. Your digestion is still like a <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/02/breakfast-in-winter-cold-vs-warm.html"target="_blank">furnace</a>, even in the summer months, and works at it's optimum when you treat it kindly with warm foods. If you begin to plow yourself with one salad after another, many of you will find yourselves in the grips of gas, bloating, loose stools, phlegm attacks, sluggishness, or wrap around headaches. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2mo17Oda4fn-4dCKj1TSStbm0KMvZMs93HabQ2NpYIJlVs-R0HsBxjwKlEtO_V2iTB9B815FbuynqoJGQAl3e-UTUOcp_Yl1o-yd4ng1SKfXaoHEgFjwSFq0RlpC3_OnxcUmr73pqPM/s1600/P1050243.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2mo17Oda4fn-4dCKj1TSStbm0KMvZMs93HabQ2NpYIJlVs-R0HsBxjwKlEtO_V2iTB9B815FbuynqoJGQAl3e-UTUOcp_Yl1o-yd4ng1SKfXaoHEgFjwSFq0RlpC3_OnxcUmr73pqPM/s400/P1050243.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458978361580225858" /></a><br />
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A great way to protect your digestion but also crunch away on a crispy light salad, is to make a warm light soup to have before, or with, your salad. I prefer to keep the soups lighter and vegetable-based and I add a warm piece of cooked protein (such as fish or chicken) to the salad to add another warm element. Spring is a time for renewal and cleansing and evolving with the seasons makes sense for your health. Many people ask me about doing detoxes during this time, I don't personally recommend heavy detoxing if you are still living your life as usual, working, running around, and stressing, so I often recommend an "eating fast" which you can find information about <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/12/tis-season.html"target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XKxWxIQ89ScjTGB6WOdXRN0oHMusfReqHviOUz499gdvCaYsE8oy4wC3_HL1m_jDZQEprwsp5GcLDLFiHz4O6jeQbzSnwLyQcwwsHJDbIQkjSC2N1UAAjFtmdZZcpO8p8OtZ_5Y0BPU/s1600/P1050246.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XKxWxIQ89ScjTGB6WOdXRN0oHMusfReqHviOUz499gdvCaYsE8oy4wC3_HL1m_jDZQEprwsp5GcLDLFiHz4O6jeQbzSnwLyQcwwsHJDbIQkjSC2N1UAAjFtmdZZcpO8p8OtZ_5Y0BPU/s400/P1050246.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458980339239520818" /></a><br />
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Below you will find the recipe for a vegetable, vitamin, and mineral rich soup (Spinach, Roasted Red Pepper, and Yogurt Soup) to pair with whatever your favorite salad might be. Spinach is cooling in thermal nature, with a sweet flavor. It is a wonderful vegetable for moistening and nourishing the body, especially in conditions that create thirst and dryness (such as diabetes) and also at the end of a long drying winter. Spinach can also treat constipation and urinary difficulty and is of course known for being high in vitamin A and calcium. Red peppers are excellent in treating stagnant digestion (often the case at the end of a winter full of cloying heavy foods), as well as being high in vitamin C, and increasing circulation. Plain yogurt adds good dairy as well as some probiotic action. Roasting the red peppers adds more energy to the food (or <span style="font-style:italic;">yang</span> energy as it is referred to in Chinese Medicine), while still maintaining the moistening and <span style="font-style:italic;">yin</span> quality of the food. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigYwwB_ioFioJrOMPMxcSfKRBK-Y9UPlqukSQwQWOsOV5mvO316Em5zfvfbgO-xKoswebyz1_Ot5QPCsJ-POQ81YtcKZxeXv7GvHuYBIhK5m8nJeEslDdzgOKebQpCzYFoX2oGTzK9ko/s1600/P1050241.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigYwwB_ioFioJrOMPMxcSfKRBK-Y9UPlqukSQwQWOsOV5mvO316Em5zfvfbgO-xKoswebyz1_Ot5QPCsJ-POQ81YtcKZxeXv7GvHuYBIhK5m8nJeEslDdzgOKebQpCzYFoX2oGTzK9ko/s400/P1050241.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458977982337909794" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Spinach, Roasted Red Pepper, and Yogurt Soup</span> <br />
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Ingredients: 1 bunch of spinach, 2 red peppers, chicken or vegetable stock, 1 sweet white onion, plain yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper <br />
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1. Roast red peppers either over a low flame or under a broiler. Wash and place on a baking pan and make sure to turn each side as it blackens. Remove from oven and rinse under cool water, peel off outer layer of skin and slice into thin slices. <br />
2. Chop up one whole onion and saute in extra virgin olive oil on a low heat until they begin to caramelize, add rinsed spinach and stir until it begins to soften. <br />
3. Add 2-3 cups chicken or vegetable stock plus 1-2 cups of water (depending on how thick you want the soup), add salt and pepper to taste. Add roasated red peppers and let it sit on a slow boil for a few minutes so everything melds together. <br />
4. Add one cup of yogurt and mix in. Remove soup from heat and let it cool. Blend into a thick consistency and reheat before serving. You can add an extra dollop of yogurt and minced cilantro and crunch sea salt on top before serving or just serve as is. <br />
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Enjoy! <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuG4N_BqxY-6qkPuWL3Qm_01rfLeVyWABLAmQrfWzrF3mADZCMpZGEolCmobV-LCzm6vwHNE4_fPzyi3I3r0dqneCytGJPPVrqaQDRYfMqeT6VwTcL7aoI6GC0M4GvjNtL6_Phx8zAT-M/s1600/P1050249.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuG4N_BqxY-6qkPuWL3Qm_01rfLeVyWABLAmQrfWzrF3mADZCMpZGEolCmobV-LCzm6vwHNE4_fPzyi3I3r0dqneCytGJPPVrqaQDRYfMqeT6VwTcL7aoI6GC0M4GvjNtL6_Phx8zAT-M/s400/P1050249.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458980695143457394" /></a>The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-88051761666188663832012-03-14T11:23:00.000-07:002012-03-14T11:23:34.805-07:00Ramp(ing) up for Spring(<i>recycled from 4/22/2010</i>)<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6WpMEs4r7b9Bbic0mkkQ6hIM6pbiW3PPF-m5xJKrht7PHuCqZu3swH15MthgHgtclqT5cSXRjGVbzyDPLlYC3y_lkJiSQ8rho2Fx9Qes4TfzSauWPKQf8actH6WONto1Oh5wrG37XAQ/s1600/P1050308.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6WpMEs4r7b9Bbic0mkkQ6hIM6pbiW3PPF-m5xJKrht7PHuCqZu3swH15MthgHgtclqT5cSXRjGVbzyDPLlYC3y_lkJiSQ8rho2Fx9Qes4TfzSauWPKQf8actH6WONto1Oh5wrG37XAQ/s400/P1050308.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463074077296214546" /></a><br />
<a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/04/soups-salads-and-spring.html"target="_blank">Spring</a> time is a <span style="font-style:italic;">yang</span> time in Chinese Medicinal terms, while winter is a <span style="font-style:italic;">yin</span> time. Many of you have heard and seen yin and yang theory thrown around loosely, adorned on tshirts, plastered on dorm room walls, imprinted on spa paraphenelia, carved into Acupuncture logos, and so on. <a href="http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/principles/whatyinyang.html"target="_blank">Yin and yang theory</a> is one of the major philosophical bases of Chinese Medicine and that little black and white swirly globe actually has some very beautifully simple and yet complex meaning. <span style="font-style:italic;">Simple and yet complex</span>, this sentence is very indicative of yin and yang theory. There is a sentence that explains why it is both : "All that is yin is yang, all that is yang is yin". This sentence is very similar to "what came first, the chicken or the egg?" in that while something may be <span style="font-style:italic;">yin in nature</span>, it can not exist without yang. In essence there is no day without night. Thus, simple yet complex. <br />
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As it pertains to food and the body, yin is the liquid and nourishing aspect (blood, saliva, water, etc.) and yang is the energy (electric synapses, physiological reactions, movement, etc.). We need both, but sometimes you need one more than the other. Spring is the time when we're moving from a long cold spell where you were more focused on yin foods and doing yin things (i.e. eating warm slow cooked foods whilst hibernating and conserving energy) and on into a more yang time where you require the energy to literally pop your head out of the ground much like all the young bulbs (in particular for today, ramps, which are part of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Allium</span> family and sometimes are considered wild leeks)! <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/05/garlic-great.html"target="_blank">Garlic</a> already has many medicinal qualities that I have discussed here before, but if you want the medicine without so much bite, then a ramp is your friend and it is only here for a few weeks before it becomes <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/06/garlic-scapes-just-arrived.html"target="_blank" >scape</a> season, then just plain garlic bulb season. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNreqi2AuotE3jlbKfaLj3Gog9Uno7zjkNtWODe3jlIfjxXSdaWihk9-9ZMufyycEUYDbVd9FwnAgE6N0AaolJ_m9mhPlLgCOxTNKgOSpZbDXGGU1_Kre7_UPf9mqWgLg1Yp-POROQfo/s1600/P1050311.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNreqi2AuotE3jlbKfaLj3Gog9Uno7zjkNtWODe3jlIfjxXSdaWihk9-9ZMufyycEUYDbVd9FwnAgE6N0AaolJ_m9mhPlLgCOxTNKgOSpZbDXGGU1_Kre7_UPf9mqWgLg1Yp-POROQfo/s400/P1050311.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463078084315935762" /></a><br />
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While yin and yang theory may be flying over your head into esoteric yaya land, once you understand it, you can self-treat and balance yourself out when you need. For these purposes, you want to put a little more bite and spark into your food to wake up your digestion while your life requires you to be outside more, shedding layers of clothes, getting sun, and interacting with people more frequently. Ramps grow from March to late May and sometimes June. You can eat them raw or lightly cooked. I used the pungent white portion to stuff under the skin of a young red cockerel, and I used the sweet green leaves to add to some roasted potatoes towards the very end so they just slightly wilted and melded in. The cockerels and potatoes were served alongside young asparagus which is also just starting to pop it's head out of the ground and will continue to do so for another month or so. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10iUSfQ9EIL_kcX9-Rak1qVNRxyVSobCeyZZgvevhr3EVnlPi_JZvCr9ZXOLTzJ8k2b1CMMYM1AI1vAGpQK_zkMqClxen_vapxHZ0UiTbj3poYutsz_t_RRzzuZ1lg9dqA_Si6uOmEy4/s1600/P1050307.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10iUSfQ9EIL_kcX9-Rak1qVNRxyVSobCeyZZgvevhr3EVnlPi_JZvCr9ZXOLTzJ8k2b1CMMYM1AI1vAGpQK_zkMqClxen_vapxHZ0UiTbj3poYutsz_t_RRzzuZ1lg9dqA_Si6uOmEy4/s400/P1050307.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463083040618341778" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Roasted Red Cockerel with Ramps, Lemon, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt</span> <br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients : cockerels or chickens (approx. 4-6 lbs), ramps (ie. young garlic), lemon, olive oil, sea salt, pepper</span><br />
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1. Rub cockerels with olive oil, lemon, sea salt, and pepper. Make a few tiny holes and also loosen the skin around the neck and bum of the cockerel - slip in the white portion of the ramp under the skin. Slice lemons and place in cavity. Place one whole ramp in the orifice of the neck. Let the cockerels sit for 1 hour to 24 hours (overnight). <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOzA-XsQ5eROdI44ZFENCkQoF0kRHxySWBxxfDWaHnR2lj0WCtl4dgSxZjaNT_AoaSVYAW3onhtDRg3mhTVcWTLJUs8S7jJN2zpT5yfeF8feZn52lJvSRjm6CmqUHNtfEF1OIM-ZnrhI/s1600/P1050313.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOzA-XsQ5eROdI44ZFENCkQoF0kRHxySWBxxfDWaHnR2lj0WCtl4dgSxZjaNT_AoaSVYAW3onhtDRg3mhTVcWTLJUs8S7jJN2zpT5yfeF8feZn52lJvSRjm6CmqUHNtfEF1OIM-ZnrhI/s400/P1050313.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463114533162652930" /></a><br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXQq-ewsSNbnlcyVQPhBt24zV6Z8TvzxdxoKF6HbrHoJjPK7m7fxwl4DRMZK8NJGjfX_oQVNZFznqE4v8z0JwGrIuOUaqVBwnoDpfFRynroGd2O0vtaarNZDsi9zUL5Sbhx5F5q0u3R8/s1600/P1050324.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXQq-ewsSNbnlcyVQPhBt24zV6Z8TvzxdxoKF6HbrHoJjPK7m7fxwl4DRMZK8NJGjfX_oQVNZFznqE4v8z0JwGrIuOUaqVBwnoDpfFRynroGd2O0vtaarNZDsi9zUL5Sbhx5F5q0u3R8/s400/P1050324.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463114844674804978" /></a><br />
2. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F. Place cockerels in uncovered, breast side down. Roast for one hour at this temperature. Raise to 300 degrees F and roast for 1.5-2 hours more (depending on the size of bird). Cockerels should come out browned and crisp but juicy inside, with a lovely hint of sweet garlic flavor. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZJIHwcfAkg4IDf5pnMlPGbqIc7AnRvHgVBbn9MaZ-zBWHJiACyDPBTMG6Kyu5gtTURPYY5WSDmRKTGshhHxxvj6p__D7Y9Fg268dbuEqvUW6J390PffWa2C76ZxOLtSjMDi9Z0Mjax4/s1600/P1050340.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZJIHwcfAkg4IDf5pnMlPGbqIc7AnRvHgVBbn9MaZ-zBWHJiACyDPBTMG6Kyu5gtTURPYY5WSDmRKTGshhHxxvj6p__D7Y9Fg268dbuEqvUW6J390PffWa2C76ZxOLtSjMDi9Z0Mjax4/s400/P1050340.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463115251723479010" /></a><br />
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How do you use yin and yang theory to treat yourself? If you are feeling excessively yin (lethargic, sluggish, tired, slow, damp, cloudy-headed), add more yang foods into your food (red meat, liver, bones, leeks, chives, scallions, garlic, carrots, lotus, radish... pungent and bright foods). If you are feeling excessively yang (hot, flushed, anxious, wired) add more yin foods into your diet (pork, chicken, almost all vegetables except the particularly pungent ones and those listed above). <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG16io3JWgqQbbMKfwnfM2TCimhry7QbZL2lWBv5Otfpcs4iQYrknLukisHvfPbA1mKoD_LR2qtYe_Ndueytwkda0P484ZLL2Nq-pLhvOuFe163yFqva-5300cNyqPELo629n7Y-SeS0Q/s1600/P1050346.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG16io3JWgqQbbMKfwnfM2TCimhry7QbZL2lWBv5Otfpcs4iQYrknLukisHvfPbA1mKoD_LR2qtYe_Ndueytwkda0P484ZLL2Nq-pLhvOuFe163yFqva-5300cNyqPELo629n7Y-SeS0Q/s400/P1050346.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463116659232198562" /></a><br />
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If you want more recipes using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tricoccum"target="_blank">ramps</a> go <a href="http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/ramps/"target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0507a.htm"target="_blank">here</a>. Ramps have a long history of culinary and medicinal use in the U.S., especially in the south. There is even a ramp festival held every year in Tennessee called the "<a href="http://www.cosbyrampfestival.org/"target="_blank">Cosby Ramp Festival</a>". Apparently in the Appalachian region of the U.S. ramps are thought to ward off winter ailments, which is perfectly in line with the Chinese Medicinal use of adding some yang energy into your food to bust out and get ready for summer!The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-66461230430743399212012-02-29T05:21:00.000-08:002012-02-29T05:21:45.771-08:00Butternut Squash Soup with a Hint of Spice(<i>recycled from 1/5/2011</i>)<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWV6M5n5GkTK-AGtV5JFPg2TongcBOiwfypRTA85cJB4ucosXaLCoRsqzFMInQRWYitVJWCKAYUDsgHxu3-JxnghQcjyYv30OMMKHde7aF0kVVW1SJo00xOlaByrNHpdN9xDnTBBIOx-E/s1600/P1070253.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWV6M5n5GkTK-AGtV5JFPg2TongcBOiwfypRTA85cJB4ucosXaLCoRsqzFMInQRWYitVJWCKAYUDsgHxu3-JxnghQcjyYv30OMMKHde7aF0kVVW1SJo00xOlaByrNHpdN9xDnTBBIOx-E/s400/P1070253.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553574038742413538" /></a><br />
Yellow and sweet. The color and taste which treat the digestive system in Chinese Medicine. If you're feeling anything like I am at the moment, your digestive system could use a little tender loving care after the whirlwind that is November through December with Thanksgiving followed by one Christmas party after another. Instead of making daunting New Year's resolutions by starving yourself, this <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/04/soups-salads-and-spring.html"target="_blank" >soup</a> will soothe you and your stomach without breaking the scale further. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJm5M7YRQLAbWdqipVsR401pORfgri9Ls5lBYPF8qofZ0xwtmtZpXvEB74qMD1MfIi_UvoVEWBsaZVztGPNLRjmxtepQTlDU7IovD_PMJ4rRGWtrnDuJv-4mU12zoQ4n52bO-3Quu-Hg/s1600/P1070254.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJm5M7YRQLAbWdqipVsR401pORfgri9Ls5lBYPF8qofZ0xwtmtZpXvEB74qMD1MfIi_UvoVEWBsaZVztGPNLRjmxtepQTlDU7IovD_PMJ4rRGWtrnDuJv-4mU12zoQ4n52bO-3Quu-Hg/s400/P1070254.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553574314456916242" /></a><br />
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Right now root vegetables, gourds, and tubers are in season. And, eating in season is the best way to truly <span style="font-weight:bold;">eat medicinally</span>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butternut_squash"target="_blank" >Butternut squash</a> tastes precisely as it has been rightly named. Buttery (without butter), sweet, and meaty in it's own right. This soup takes no longer than 30 minutes to make and you can freeze batches of it if you plan to reheat whenever you need a little more tender loving care for your stomach, which is precisely what the <a href="http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/more_zodiacs/rabbit.htm"target="_blank" >Year of the Rabbit</a> (coming up on February 3) is all about, gentle and soothing after the fire of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Year of the Tiger</span>. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAMD-zkmL35Qa7-NV8j_LO3ncI4sjAQRsA1Zh_KQ-6LVkuYKgTflYe3hUqg_4ik2DQHgttV9ANq2EYAG_eNr2IVUtyWE2XGOpkmJQhvBVAx9B_AHdrk332KQExQpUYt5MZl81CMZfpfs/s1600/P1070257.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAMD-zkmL35Qa7-NV8j_LO3ncI4sjAQRsA1Zh_KQ-6LVkuYKgTflYe3hUqg_4ik2DQHgttV9ANq2EYAG_eNr2IVUtyWE2XGOpkmJQhvBVAx9B_AHdrk332KQExQpUYt5MZl81CMZfpfs/s400/P1070257.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553574603204481634" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients:</span> 1 medium or large butternut squash, 1 white onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 leek, 1 tbspn tomato paste, salt, pepper, curry powder (or use a combination of cumin, tumeric, dried chile), 1 tsp fresh ground ginger, cilantro, plain yogurt (my preference is Greek yogurt), chicken or vegetable stock, 1 bay leaf<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeEwpP-dY1IpsAXat4XZM9EMz1F3E1SlbbS_5h7R2koNs4uSh04Gqh1pj6-mW3VVkTEP6oXPlO5hPmqsvASV8R8ouwvQiddfiAo8z8u-p2B5y-rrEksKkFwIaBBsFjoHu2YqPGFz5NGM/s1600/P1070256.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeEwpP-dY1IpsAXat4XZM9EMz1F3E1SlbbS_5h7R2koNs4uSh04Gqh1pj6-mW3VVkTEP6oXPlO5hPmqsvASV8R8ouwvQiddfiAo8z8u-p2B5y-rrEksKkFwIaBBsFjoHu2YqPGFz5NGM/s400/P1070256.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553575218118979474" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Directions: </span><br />
1. Peel squash and slice through the center, de-seed (you can keep them to toast and eat if you wish). Chop into large squares. <br />
2. Slice onion into moon slices, wash and slice whole leek, mince 1 garlic clove, mince up 1 tsp of ginger, have all other spices and ingredients on hand. <br />
3. Saute onion, leek, and squash until they both get a little soft and have color (about 5+ minutes), add minced garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbspn tomato paste, 1 tbspn curry powder or aforementioned combination of spices (you can add this to taste), keep cooking all together until it's well mixed then add 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. <br />
4. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes until the squash is soft, add 1 cup of plain yogurt (if you wish to have a thicker creamier soup, add 1 cup of coconut milk instead). Boil together another 5 minutes, pull out bay leaves and then let the soup cool for a few minutes before blending together (either with an immersion blender or in a regular blender, in which case you would need it to be at room temperature). <br />
5. Reheat and serve with a garnish of cilantro if you wish and a sprinkle of crunchy sea salt.The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-53357235829284261882012-02-01T00:04:00.003-08:002012-02-01T00:04:59.187-08:00Mushroom Medicine(<i>recycled from 5/17/2011</i>)<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-gObLDX6Xwz9UrcxXEmoMp9pIKZ4bixlmDILAGs6YUuc4a6f3ny_qei5zCoinmFXC9Jnq3rPruis9lMFOqGy95uYFzn8r5oCkYCmwnKBll51j2q-MIyRmp72B1zlG-KNljqE2luwHz0/s1600/P1070789.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-gObLDX6Xwz9UrcxXEmoMp9pIKZ4bixlmDILAGs6YUuc4a6f3ny_qei5zCoinmFXC9Jnq3rPruis9lMFOqGy95uYFzn8r5oCkYCmwnKBll51j2q-MIyRmp72B1zlG-KNljqE2luwHz0/s400/P1070789.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607822384919369586" /></a><br />
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Mushrooms have been used as medicine for millennia. Their DNA most closely resembles human DNA (as opposed to a plants DNA), lending them a strong biological and sometimes also a mythical link. Mushrooms will pop up above and below ground and can have stems or simply manifest as a <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/10/puffball-mushroom.html"target="_blank">puffball mushroom</a> <span style="font-style:italic;">sans stem </span>(used to staunch bleeding in Native American medicine or for sore throat in Chinese Medicine, they are known as <span style="font-style:italic;">Ma Bo</span>). <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsF1SUnZ3YDFyPfz0B7CKT2atJCtGEOboDOhZZDX4EqqRaWG2eYshsLQNXsT1oWP_gbNBYzj_X2FBDYvrHx-fgvKUqjfjgPYT8BXpqHWXT3iZW9CtNSf3uv7fB9PN0vphP2NrWJMqfbFo/s1600/P1070790.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsF1SUnZ3YDFyPfz0B7CKT2atJCtGEOboDOhZZDX4EqqRaWG2eYshsLQNXsT1oWP_gbNBYzj_X2FBDYvrHx-fgvKUqjfjgPYT8BXpqHWXT3iZW9CtNSf3uv7fB9PN0vphP2NrWJMqfbFo/s400/P1070790.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607826860714919458" /></a><br />
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From the Chinese medicinal cooking perspective, mushrooms (all types) have a wide and incredible healing capacity. They are cool and sweet in nature; decrease lipid (fat) levels in the blood; treat liver disorders (hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, or general liver toxicity); treat excess phlegm (in cases of congestion in the lungs); increase immunity (some are stronger than others, the <span style="font-style:italic;">Ling Zhi</span> variety fares best for this); help to reduce tumors; and promote appetite (again, think cancer and a decreased appetite here). <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggBqxynXCNGTaohUEVyZbDXNYQujqTeXs2rMOCD2qnO5mYgiNzblUBmUIIsApqbih-AM5NkDrgaATKZXNR0mtgb_2t1o6TpsdxlR76oqe5qNAKL6K6FzdQn6r9kEFbFnszj3WXq2035w/s1600/P1070792.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggBqxynXCNGTaohUEVyZbDXNYQujqTeXs2rMOCD2qnO5mYgiNzblUBmUIIsApqbih-AM5NkDrgaATKZXNR0mtgb_2t1o6TpsdxlR76oqe5qNAKL6K6FzdQn6r9kEFbFnszj3WXq2035w/s400/P1070792.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607827172265110706" /></a><br />
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Morels (<span style="font-style:italic;">Morchella esculenta</span>) have been shown in particular to increase immune function in humans. They tend to grow around white ash or elm tree's and will show their faces sometime in the Spring, anywhere from April to early June, depending on where you are in the world and if they happen to grow there. If you are lucky enough to be where they are, you can find them in farmers markets where savvy mushroom foragers will share their bounty. They are only found growing wild and have not been cultivated to date (much like truffles). Though there aren't many mimics of morels, when foraging for them and any mushroom, you should always beware as a poisonous mushroom can not only make you very sick but can also kill you. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeaUQfgQylkZypxkqEpjTf21MJfufPcERSPvz5ewYYQUGLbvROngX4BtniXZUCFoEpEexAbVsg0AGfDfzwsuiSu1cZkjFmWsKWihoqWnae4pntQcs0Y4E18leyqGAYpC-74YtBh0Hnp4/s1600/P1070794.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeaUQfgQylkZypxkqEpjTf21MJfufPcERSPvz5ewYYQUGLbvROngX4BtniXZUCFoEpEexAbVsg0AGfDfzwsuiSu1cZkjFmWsKWihoqWnae4pntQcs0Y4E18leyqGAYpC-74YtBh0Hnp4/s400/P1070794.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607827519695683170" /></a><br />
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The most common <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morchella"target="_blank">morels</a> are the yellow (<span style="font-style:italic;">M. esculenta</span>), white (<span style="font-style:italic;">M. deliciosa</span>), and black morels (<span style="font-style:italic;">M. elata</span>). You may also find the half free or spike morel (<span style="font-style:italic;">M. semilibera</span>) earlier in the season. Often <a href="http://gmstage.sx.atl.publicus.com/article/20100501/NEWS/705049992/-1/wwn44"target="_blank">morels</a> live in symbiosis with the trees they grow by where they will provide the tree with water and the tree in turn will provide sugar which the morel will feed on. Their appearance in the Spring in conjunction with their immunity boosting capabilities after a long winter is yet another perfect example of how eating medicinally goes hand in hand with eating seasonally. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFPUnZN301jcgbELEqd43s0mQI7UPdpUj24d6EkYoac_NPMoDzhG8BYJd6pf9xvB-j6whlDYlMxjb4pqQIbcrapjPHlpy2yscPxmBDBcppt16IcHDatpy1Rdz4BTraT6ekqqrMckTSzA/s1600/P1070803.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFPUnZN301jcgbELEqd43s0mQI7UPdpUj24d6EkYoac_NPMoDzhG8BYJd6pf9xvB-j6whlDYlMxjb4pqQIbcrapjPHlpy2yscPxmBDBcppt16IcHDatpy1Rdz4BTraT6ekqqrMckTSzA/s400/P1070803.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607827793127809810" /></a><br />
(spike morel, usually shows up before yellow and black morels)The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-19024336184527680222012-01-19T20:01:00.000-08:002012-02-01T00:05:29.505-08:00Winter Hash(<i>recycled from 12/17/2010</i>) <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-3_YYCsexzyQDIadJhyphenhyphenu-PRPpzpPa9Wi5cpdzQsso6fw70S7sarIaRwCz8luFi5b6ejKlcoz0ReIh87I_PO4NKu_SQr8HH-8z1QxPxt4NKCgVmhZUL0MIrZZgMACaBYIsIMzcZEVM24/s1600/P1070223.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-3_YYCsexzyQDIadJhyphenhyphenu-PRPpzpPa9Wi5cpdzQsso6fw70S7sarIaRwCz8luFi5b6ejKlcoz0ReIh87I_PO4NKu_SQr8HH-8z1QxPxt4NKCgVmhZUL0MIrZZgMACaBYIsIMzcZEVM24/s400/P1070223.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551746100399286274" /></a><br />
If you live anywhere near where I do and are beginning to feel the effects of the <span style="font-style:italic;">wind</span>, <span style="font-weight:bold;">cold</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">dryness</span>, and <span style="font-weight:bold;">lack of sun<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>, then you are likely in need of something <span style="font-style:italic;">warm</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">nourishing</span>, and <span style="font-weight:bold;">colorful<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span> on your plate! Immediately. There is never a more significant time than now in the midst of this chilling season to begin paying attention to getting all those colors on your plate. You simply aren't going to get enough vitamins and minerals if you work in an office, come home when it's dark already at 4 p.m., and to top it off when you are outside the only bits of you the world can see is your eyes and nose (therefore the sun isn't going to bless you with it's nutrients)! <br />
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In Chinese Medicine, eating with the seasons as well as eating the colors and tastes of the <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-noise-diet-post.html"target="_blank" >five elements</a> is essential to balanced health. Given that it is winter, you want to eat <span style="font-weight:bold;">warm</span> to counteract the effects of the cold. Winter is also a time when your kidneys and lungs are more susceptible to damage and illness and can manifest in symptoms such as : cold hands and feet, arthritis, painful joints, lower back pain, dry cough, colds, flu's, skin dryness, and general malaise. If you go by the five element chart (which I discussed <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-noise-diet-post.html"target="_blank">here</a>) the lungs pertain to the color white and the spicy flavor, and the kidneys pertain to the color black and the salty taste. While these particular organs are more susceptible in the winter, you shouldn't neglect the other major organ systems in Chinese Medicine : the liver (green & sour), the digestive function (yellow & sweet), and the heart (red & bitter). If you are wondering what it means for <span style="font-style:italic;">an organ to pertain to a taste and a color</span> (and if you haven't gone<a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-noise-diet-post.html"target="_blank" > here</a> already), this is part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine nutritional theory whereby you treat certain organs and systems with specifically colored foods and tastes. A daikon radish is a perfect example of a white and spicy food which can benefit the lungs. Sometimes you won't find one food that satisfies both the color and taste of an organ system, in which case you might combine a color with a taste (perhaps a white radish with a sprinkle of chile flakes to open up the lungs). <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuP4Lo2qdjyG83yIDNmdFR2OjaQeTpj7HmjDKOz43secCB80x6fh-SAdITrUAnmWNce9M5ZgRh2rpWo-bYZyTFhfKyFSMlJ-o7ZBySKr4H9yZFdMsZKb2ZCHObIhYtBnHGn-NBtkxuFMw/s1600/P1070215.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuP4Lo2qdjyG83yIDNmdFR2OjaQeTpj7HmjDKOz43secCB80x6fh-SAdITrUAnmWNce9M5ZgRh2rpWo-bYZyTFhfKyFSMlJ-o7ZBySKr4H9yZFdMsZKb2ZCHObIhYtBnHGn-NBtkxuFMw/s400/P1070215.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551757951276881474" /></a><br />
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A very simple way to make sure you're getting all the healthful benefits of vitamins, minerals, colors, and tastes is to make sure you eat a variety of (<span style="font-style:italic;">naturally occurring</span>) colors every day. This winter hash is a perfect example of this. You can eat it as a side dish, you can use it to stuff something (a chicken or turkey perhaps? or a mushroom as I did recently), you can have it with eggs, and you can also just eat it alone. You can absolutely stray from this version of the recipe if you don't like carrots and prefer parsnips, or something along those lines. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VSRNm4XbmmhwNvlYNqN0TpxWQNwrgPA-Ow9Pkj2WeW_Z3Yoqjnvoys6jqgi86d4rxfCMUipPyoaNDh_DevT-BZf7a22GzxN4skNHlqB7VeK7MLbEVeVcWeJgdENTcwfZ7zObDwfQrsQ/s1600/P1070216.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VSRNm4XbmmhwNvlYNqN0TpxWQNwrgPA-Ow9Pkj2WeW_Z3Yoqjnvoys6jqgi86d4rxfCMUipPyoaNDh_DevT-BZf7a22GzxN4skNHlqB7VeK7MLbEVeVcWeJgdENTcwfZ7zObDwfQrsQ/s400/P1070216.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553214463913287058" /></a><br />
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In this particular <span style="font-weight:bold;">Winter Hash</span>, I used onions, leeks, carrots, yellow potatoes, sea salt, black pepper, cumin, and chile flakes. I cooked it all low and slow until it comes together into this beautiful melded hash that is both sweet and salty with a lovely spice along the edeges. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5HPP783icMFpI325TDrteSEQl8rucgdzaxpDRDFBknlaXbJuG3j8TxWFor6LmRCIYFw8SOtY6U0Hp9EIEbpPMFllIWClODyxv1iql9fGcqfev5sXItIpGg5QVZCPOj_xMj1TnPEwY5Q/s1600/P1070217.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5HPP783icMFpI325TDrteSEQl8rucgdzaxpDRDFBknlaXbJuG3j8TxWFor6LmRCIYFw8SOtY6U0Hp9EIEbpPMFllIWClODyxv1iql9fGcqfev5sXItIpGg5QVZCPOj_xMj1TnPEwY5Q/s400/P1070217.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553214832565253858" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients Needed</span> (winter vegetables preferable) : 1 onion, 1-2 leeks, 3 small yellow potatoes, 4 carrots, cumin, chile (fresh or flaked), sea salt, black pepper. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5N_zdCZOW4c3n0PHHOSdTlm_OU4KKmvxP2FhCxnk9XkMRK30301pqtjDPirZE9mDsVfa8tjjJzu1qXh9cMPGq9jsfZMz0c4xvpg7Wf9WFsc1ZCWeQq0YUTsjR73uCv-HK7i4MsN5Lk5A/s1600/P1070219.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5N_zdCZOW4c3n0PHHOSdTlm_OU4KKmvxP2FhCxnk9XkMRK30301pqtjDPirZE9mDsVfa8tjjJzu1qXh9cMPGq9jsfZMz0c4xvpg7Wf9WFsc1ZCWeQq0YUTsjR73uCv-HK7i4MsN5Lk5A/s400/P1070219.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553215508843100386" /></a><br />
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1. Slice up onions and leeks (leeks may need extra rinsing as they carry a lot of dirt). Begin to saute them slowly in olive oil until they just begin to cook. <br />
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2. Peel and cut up carrots and potatoes (parsnips or turnips would be great here too). Add to pan and turn up heat ever so slightly so it all begins to sear a bit, then turn it low again. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijflU3OLzv-oCmxnjMeuFfkwQjaMl4SHcpvxYeX1vwOfSP9G826PwW0LQQnu76D9cTvJZI2MBj9hkDyeRvI_TpLuCmrApmY2ab9TqRrA7O5yNL0gq1E3pPuLdjwQF2FUxT5YXpInh_ArE/s1600/P1070220.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijflU3OLzv-oCmxnjMeuFfkwQjaMl4SHcpvxYeX1vwOfSP9G826PwW0LQQnu76D9cTvJZI2MBj9hkDyeRvI_TpLuCmrApmY2ab9TqRrA7O5yNL0gq1E3pPuLdjwQF2FUxT5YXpInh_ArE/s400/P1070220.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553215801773827186" /></a><br />
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3. Add 1 tsp of cumin, a sprinkle of chile flakes (or more if you want more kick), salt and black pepper to taste. <br />
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4. Cook on low heat for about 30 mins to 1 hour (depends on how much you are cooking). At the very end turn up the heat once again for a few minutes to give it more caramelizing and color without burning. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRrv8pOXohSh6cyfE5tMTNii9uFwKKe1mE4f-RIogy5JAQSBRUxjhN3d8rKheHZal6i70vDZXOi7JykBzjLi8zd9aZoP24x1m2CG2nRm3FEWiuCiKk8Umot08RvW1_zRiKbKNAlN88ro/s1600/P1070241.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRrv8pOXohSh6cyfE5tMTNii9uFwKKe1mE4f-RIogy5JAQSBRUxjhN3d8rKheHZal6i70vDZXOi7JykBzjLi8zd9aZoP24x1m2CG2nRm3FEWiuCiKk8Umot08RvW1_zRiKbKNAlN88ro/s400/P1070241.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553216102971712674" /></a><br />
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(If you mince up the ingredients very finely you can use them to stuff mushrooms with, put a slice of pecorino on top and bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.)The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-71042168415012586342011-12-06T03:56:00.000-08:002011-12-06T03:56:57.496-08:00Kitchen Medicine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBh28T_iWGue8ClwOlik0CeJUVBlnCBzccPFuU7vPh6ThxCcAKwI2fho0R03YDt5wczKzKaqE2Lgj01rZxJlZSsTcwb7X3_qLUuhGNboO5BJCxQsCbelGdRM8t2blz5BW82ji76Z7qXSM/s1600/P1090623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBh28T_iWGue8ClwOlik0CeJUVBlnCBzccPFuU7vPh6ThxCcAKwI2fho0R03YDt5wczKzKaqE2Lgj01rZxJlZSsTcwb7X3_qLUuhGNboO5BJCxQsCbelGdRM8t2blz5BW82ji76Z7qXSM/s400/P1090623.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I'm going to be missing in action for a little while here. I have to pool all my resources and energy into finishing a big project, soon to be unveiled, and it requires all my attention. <br />
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Before I leave (and I will return before you know it), I wanted to share some recent colors in the market. As well as some old and new medicinal cooking tricks. There's so much to digest (literally and figuratively) since my move to Chongqing as per the medicinal cooking that there isn't enough room on here to share it all! <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZlH3y9ol235NXS11o_UDILaIuWmFqs8TlivKkybzZo1DZLgDIGdEnA642sd1XrMW4LvLBF08H5honjI0nxd8dNZItJShpjtGckpPjsoitOry_K6DIS2tS1S6MjamSDN9ceyKr-IbUo0/s1600/P1030329.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZlH3y9ol235NXS11o_UDILaIuWmFqs8TlivKkybzZo1DZLgDIGdEnA642sd1XrMW4LvLBF08H5honjI0nxd8dNZItJShpjtGckpPjsoitOry_K6DIS2tS1S6MjamSDN9ceyKr-IbUo0/s400/P1030329.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507271552744518546" /></a><br />
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For those that aren't TCM practitioners and reading this, if you don't know about the <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-noise-diet-post.html"target="_blank">five elements</a> and how that correlates to medicinal cooking as per TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) then it's important for me to briefly lay it out as it's the building blocks upon which the cooking begins. I discussed it in a post a few months ago <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-noise-diet-post.html"target="_blank">here</a>. Above is a picture of foods and their correlates, and below is a list of the basics. At first glance it's so simple and beautiful, and then you begin to realize that it gets all intertwined and a bit wild like a creeping banyan tree's roots which climb all over each other. For example, you might wonder if red and bitter treat the heart and small intestine, then a red chile would make sense? It's red and bitter. But it's also spicy, which falls into the category of the lung and large intestine. Don't over think it too much. As a layman you don't need to decipher it to that degree. <i> If you're designing a treatment plan for a patient with a serious chronic (or acute) illness, you will of course need to be more fastidious with the plan</i>. However, if you are just simply eating in a normal way, to be healthy, to be preventative, and to enjoy your food while you have a go at it, then just think this simply : <i>colors and flavors correlate to particular organ systems</i>. <br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Black & Salty = Kidneys & Urinary Bladder<br />
Red & Bitter = Heart & Small Intestine<br />
White & Spicy = Lung & Large Intestine<br />
Yellow & Sweet = Digestive System (Stomach & Spleen)<br />
Green & Sour = Liver & Gallbladder</span><br />
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You will do no harm by thinking in this way and you will definitely hit all your target vitamin, mineral, and all that other jazz that they like to throw out at you in today's nutritional requirements dialogue. Sometimes you wonder, how did we survive before when we weren't measuring out calories, B12, saturated fat, unsaturated fat, carbohydrates, sodium levels, vitamin D, etc. etc. etc. There is a time and a place for that, of course, <b>and that's mostly in the classroom not in the kitchen</b>. It's confusing and makes you, me, all of us riddled with a subterranean angst wherein more often than not, you miss the point of the whole thing. Interestingly enough, <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/027884_beet_juice_blood.html"target="_blank">every week an article</a> will pop up expounding on a new study with the news flash that (something you could have derived from the chart above) actually does good for one of the organs linked to the flavor and color. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIgiSFYc7KVQZNsMxEZ8qygx8RhuXUXW1a2tOt4A0t9bLzfSj8FgWM_LF-EwQvZn9JrB2wdMvkEU_BVArHpJfCCRhcCqmU7ANYNVeNkUrgzLxupul70WY8dB7pw0I2-wq1_YIqAQ2_4s/s1600/P1090432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIgiSFYc7KVQZNsMxEZ8qygx8RhuXUXW1a2tOt4A0t9bLzfSj8FgWM_LF-EwQvZn9JrB2wdMvkEU_BVArHpJfCCRhcCqmU7ANYNVeNkUrgzLxupul70WY8dB7pw0I2-wq1_YIqAQ2_4s/s400/P1090432.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The next level of TCM medicinal cooking theory is that everything is broken down into warm, hot, cool, or cold. This too gets a little confusing. Or coRnfusing as a friend loves to say. You might initially only think in terms of a hot soup versus a cold cucumber, and while this is true in terms of being warming (soup) and being cooling (cucumber), you might not think of how some meat's are hot (beef), some are warming (chicken), and some are cooling (crab), <i>though you can eat all of them warm</i>. There is the thermal nature of a food (cool/cold/warm/hot) which is what I am referring to here, and then there is <i>the way you eat it</i> (cold or warm). Suffice it to say, it's a lot to memorize and in the case of cool/cold/warm/hot, the best way to approach this (unless you want to dive into the academics of it) is to know your constitution and then be conscious of how you eat according to that. If you tend to run really hot, and have a red flushed face more often than not, then avoid heat-inducing foods that might exacerbate your condition. If you run cold, and are weak and lethargic with loose stools, don't go on a raw cucumber binge. Having said that, I will mention that in TCM you do rely on the general premise that <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/02/breakfast-in-winter-cold-vs-warm.html"target="_blank">eating warm foods</a> (<b>as in the temperature</b> - such as a soup, not necessarily the <b>thermal nature</b> as in beef or chiles which are hot) is important for good digestion. <br />
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I learned a new thermal tidbit last week, which is common layman's knowledge here in China. Oranges are cooling and tangerines are hot. The interesting thing is that people know this here, and they abide by it. If they run hot, they don't go wild for clementines (considered to be in the tangerine category) in this season. If you have insomnia or red inflamed acne, you might want to watch out too! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuSuEjKobb_-8MtCe3J4GjofJXw2bj-QVQOwINTgCsfuq1jrbIDuJWh6LXo8fQbXPi7ebvwyxToPdRKeAtQEI81txH7Nh-6hWbrkDGAwfAjr8tkhwfWuZCEjpa8waexsRl-9iYDxP4HA/s1600/P1090621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuSuEjKobb_-8MtCe3J4GjofJXw2bj-QVQOwINTgCsfuq1jrbIDuJWh6LXo8fQbXPi7ebvwyxToPdRKeAtQEI81txH7Nh-6hWbrkDGAwfAjr8tkhwfWuZCEjpa8waexsRl-9iYDxP4HA/s400/P1090621.JPG" /></a></div><br />
And lastly, a cooking tip I learned as per fresh water fish (any non ocean fish) : take your fish, do what you need to do it (keep it whole and gutted or filleted) and submerge it in water with vinegar (not too much, a tablespoon for a medium size fish will suffice) for 24 hours in order to cleanse the blood of the fish, sweeten it's flavor, and help it to hold it's integrity in the cooking process. If you're on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Spice-Doc-eating-your-medicine/192167455583"target="_blank">facebook page</a>, you've heard about this tip twice already, so apologies for the repetition! <br />
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And with that, I will be crawling into my office to peck away at the final stages of my project. If I don't get here before the holiday madness, remember to<a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/06/healing-wines-and-liquors.html"target="_blank"> drink something bitter</a> after a meal to help you to digest all the goodies you'll be partaking in and see you in 2012!The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-34910549088031159882011-11-13T21:07:00.000-08:002011-11-14T18:30:08.983-08:00Mountain Yam - Shan Yao<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BBiC61X1U2zQkYm3oyhdHGdFG3_n3f8mdjur0zHplPexoKS9dc5j3_eaQD2-186Fb4tiRjya384xIFCZu2UGKdbAQpU6GIT7NTfDIv-6P6DOspcOSw0iB2aME08WXcq7uEcgzkxDWIg/s1600/P1090348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BBiC61X1U2zQkYm3oyhdHGdFG3_n3f8mdjur0zHplPexoKS9dc5j3_eaQD2-186Fb4tiRjya384xIFCZu2UGKdbAQpU6GIT7NTfDIv-6P6DOspcOSw0iB2aME08WXcq7uEcgzkxDWIg/s400/P1090348.JPG" /></a></div>(<i>Fresh Shan Yao being sold at the top of Jin Dao Xia gorge</i>)<br />
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If you haven't already met, I'd like to introduce you to the <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Shan-Yao"target="_blank">Mountain Yam</a> (<i>Shan Yao</i>). This is one of the most prevalent TCM medicinal herbs that is also commonly used as a food in a variety of dishes such as soups, hot pot (<i>Huo Guo</i>), stir fried dishes, and grated or sliced raw (the raw version is used often in Japanese cuisine). <i>Shan Yao</i> is usually found dried in the U.S., while you can still use this version in soups, hot pot, and cooked dishes, you can not use it raw unless it's fresh. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTslNoLIWb0YTPnfiWa6pEuhHNt_JMTd4qxejsmWomJa-LDTjCeB6CIOwm8hUTXz-YXVBykwhsixyGO457zkjQtSmCqvuM38GtPweNZf2-aYY0J9IHYkn839woDKLNag_X-0dJA2vqVLA/s1600/P1090360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTslNoLIWb0YTPnfiWa6pEuhHNt_JMTd4qxejsmWomJa-LDTjCeB6CIOwm8hUTXz-YXVBykwhsixyGO457zkjQtSmCqvuM38GtPweNZf2-aYY0J9IHYkn839woDKLNag_X-0dJA2vqVLA/s400/P1090360.JPG" /></a></div>(<i>Shan Yao soup at a Buddhist Temple vegetarian restaurant</i>)<br />
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<i>Shan Yao</i> tastes a little like a creamier and earthier tuber, it has a thicker consistency that is almost a little mucilaginous at times depending on how you use it. Not everyone will love <i>Shan Yao</i>, I do. Since I've been living back in China, I've had it as a creamy soup (with <i>Shan Yao</i> being the primary ingredient), I've had it in hot pot (you add it into the hot pot broth, let it cook, then dip it into your sesame paste sauce and eat it) and I've had it cooked into a broth based soup. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJEl-eVbee5fMQ8-wUxbduT5XqJWNyb6agsO4NN8Xi5vfGvI9SlGIAQABcmQ7Np8B6VnS1BsQaNJQQMxui0dzMg3kKuEh1eB995fii4KfgBWpv1ScHHqUoMsXQ82AoYvXh427jft9OjY/s1600/P1090354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJEl-eVbee5fMQ8-wUxbduT5XqJWNyb6agsO4NN8Xi5vfGvI9SlGIAQABcmQ7Np8B6VnS1BsQaNJQQMxui0dzMg3kKuEh1eB995fii4KfgBWpv1ScHHqUoMsXQ82AoYvXh427jft9OjY/s400/P1090354.JPG" /></a></div>(<i>Hot pot/Huo Guo, spread with Shan Yao in the vegetable basket</i>)<br />
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<i>Shan Yao</i> is used in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) as an herb to : (courtesy of <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Shan-Yao"target="_blank">Kamwo Pharmacy</a>) 1. tonify (i.e. aid or supplement) the spleen and stomach, especially in cases of deficiency where there are symptoms such as fatigue, loose stools, weak digestion, or lack of appetite. 2. tonify lung qi and yin (i.e. supports lung function and moisture), examples of issues with this would be chronic wheezing or coughing. 3. tonify the kidneys (i.e. supports kidney function) when there is deficiency symptoms such as weak or sore lower back, spermatorrhea, vaginal discharge, or frequent nighttime urination. 4. treats '<a href="http://www.yinyanghouse.com/theory/chinese/unique_tcm_conditions#wastingthirsting"target="_blank">wasting and thirsting</a>' disorder (i.e. similar to diabetes with frequent urination, excess hunger or thirst, with possible emaciation.). <i>Shan Yao</i> (as per <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Shan-Yao"target="_blank">Tom Leung</a>, Kamwo's owner, as well as a TCM herbalist and pharmacist) works particularly well as an astringent in cases of diarrhea, frequent urination, excess vaginal discharge, or excess sweating. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIY9NrH76AeMjT5Ktg6bUg8S5JEzDOmxTI0wkuz-MQ8vbSjbXGtJ_mvuxfeb2QR-XKFjRoes_LqWloH4T19YB7Y7IT-Ke8DYN_sMIqUZyaDeC0yvFQOuYhp7sue4K-pvuEurcqi8N68as/s1600/P1090368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIY9NrH76AeMjT5Ktg6bUg8S5JEzDOmxTI0wkuz-MQ8vbSjbXGtJ_mvuxfeb2QR-XKFjRoes_LqWloH4T19YB7Y7IT-Ke8DYN_sMIqUZyaDeC0yvFQOuYhp7sue4K-pvuEurcqi8N68as/s400/P1090368.JPG" /></a></div>(<i>Shan Yao is one of the many selections from an array of ingredients you can choose to put in your individually made soup at a food stall</i>)<br />
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When I bought the fresh Shan Yao all the way at the top of this post, I was hiking with a lovely lady who shared the following (Japanese) recipe for mountain yam (<i>Yamaimo</i> in Japanese) : <br />
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<i>Peel outside layer of Shan Yao/Yamaimo, wear gloves if you want to avoid itching, put yam into a water/vinegar solution so it doesn't yellow and to kill the oxalates which cause itching, slice up as you wish (thin or thicker), add soy sauce, wasabi, and shredded nori. Eat with rice or as is.</i>The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-8583345071599726312011-10-25T22:31:00.000-07:002011-10-25T22:38:44.398-07:00Perfect Persimmons: The "Other" Apple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rvH9NsLiEJzoM5s2fO6LNXIzQtd2WSCHLQN9RbT3Sw_1dt3OAZ5zFGLJamAkBJ7ER-VlTGIjA4pvUvxelSFxaBIu0KLuacO0F0PKTEEpQjjdjMHcziikL9urx1sIUF9Z1eKVy6n9o9Q/s1600/P1090288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rvH9NsLiEJzoM5s2fO6LNXIzQtd2WSCHLQN9RbT3Sw_1dt3OAZ5zFGLJamAkBJ7ER-VlTGIjA4pvUvxelSFxaBIu0KLuacO0F0PKTEEpQjjdjMHcziikL9urx1sIUF9Z1eKVy6n9o9Q/s400/P1090288.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I didn't eat my first persimmon until 2002. I remember this because it was an event, <i>that's how delicious persimmons are</i>. I had been wondering what is that odd looking orange'ish-yellow tomato that's <b>not</b> a tomato sitting amongst all the fruit in China Town in NYC. Well, as it turns out it's a delectable piece of fruit that is sweet, but not too sweet, pliant yet still crunchy (unless it's really ripe, then it is a bit like a tomato/mango), and it has a hint of sour to hold itself up from becoming too cloying. Anyway, it's irrelevant what it tastes like to me because taste is subjective. It's good. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd2gr1bkis7CEeZNilQnoQkf9G3z1Bl1reSAk7_JYk3XpOjm4UgtdM9XltrDyjIsMuvjXgM7ROrMEdeIgIJ2ULHf-pcAQQG-AqLz4kZdTGBwh5N-tqDSb0I0h9-d1vommwYwt53P3Lm0/s1600/P1090292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd2gr1bkis7CEeZNilQnoQkf9G3z1Bl1reSAk7_JYk3XpOjm4UgtdM9XltrDyjIsMuvjXgM7ROrMEdeIgIJ2ULHf-pcAQQG-AqLz4kZdTGBwh5N-tqDSb0I0h9-d1vommwYwt53P3Lm0/s400/P1090292.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Persimmon is also a TCM medicinal food (referred to as <i>Shi Zi</i>, 柿子) that is used to treat inflammation in the gut, (hot and dry) lung ailments, and if slightly unripe it has astringent properties which cause not only your mouth to pucker up but also restrain diarrhea, coughing and/or vomiting blood, and reduce hypertension (<a href="http://www.healingwithwholefoods.com/"target="_blank">P. Pitchford</a>). Persimmons are cooling, sweet, and target the lungs and digestive area. They can moisten the lungs while at the same time reducing phlegm. In addition, you can use the <a href="http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles07/traditional-chinese-medicine.htm"target="_blank">calyx and fruit stem for treating hiccups</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkCGNyEvGj3KFlD7ElsQuwujzXbNxrDafzGFd8BsqfJIW9Pl1_OUqsm2FM-8VfJvvEqcnDZ2OYeVWxq1hpbq8kT4h8gMZUUE7-SrpzBvVjHp2vqnpqE9bEXRsiliPLUfqqHH2ifVlheg/s1600/P1090294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkCGNyEvGj3KFlD7ElsQuwujzXbNxrDafzGFd8BsqfJIW9Pl1_OUqsm2FM-8VfJvvEqcnDZ2OYeVWxq1hpbq8kT4h8gMZUUE7-SrpzBvVjHp2vqnpqE9bEXRsiliPLUfqqHH2ifVlheg/s400/P1090294.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Though I am not always a huge fan of breaking foods down into micro nutrients and hailing them as the next "super food", I was happy to see that persimmon's got a little media attention in 2001 in the Science Daily "<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/02/010202073923.htm"target="_blank">A Persimmon A Day Could Be Better For Your Heart Than An Apple</a>" having been found to contain "significantly higher concentrations of dietary fiber, minerals and phenolic compounds - all instrumental in fighting atherosclerosis". Eating one a day is supposedly enough to fight atherosclerosis according to the study conducted by the department of medicinal chemistry in the School of Pharmacy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel mentioned in the article. <b><i>A persimmon a day keeps the doctor away? </i></b><br />
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Persimmon's are originally from China but spread to Korea, Japan, Brazil, Israel, and on from there, reaching the <a href="http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/japanese_persimmon.html"target="_blank">United States in 1856</a>. There are over 40 different kinds of persimmons, some of which are more astringent than others according to the degree of pollination and the amount of ethanol produced in the seeds (if you are like me and have tried a persimmon that is sweet and crunchy one day only to bite into a soft, ripe, super mouth-puckering one the next day and wondered <b>why</b>, <a href="http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/japanese_persimmon.html"target="_blank">this is why</a>!). In Japan to remove the pucker in a persimmon they place them in <a href="http://www.health-care-clinic.org/fruits/persimmon.html"target="_blank">former sake curing casks</a> and let them rest there for a few days. Or you can alternately (not having access to a sake cask) just let them ripen naturally to further remove tannins, though if they are of the kind that is more susceptible to this, then there is not much you can do. The puckering is of course indicative of a higher level of astringency, increasing it's ability to treat conditions such as dysentery, diarrhea, and spitting or coughing up blood. Apparently, the <a href="http://www.sierrapotomac.org/W_Needham/Persimmon_051023.htm"target="_blank">Native Americans</a> had their own medicinal uses for the persimmon as well: as a poultice for warts, in the treatment of bloody diarrhea, and as a mouth rinse in the treatment of thrush. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xA4eHaxW2ibfSTIqLOqsVgsGpRRb79zYlFLNdqQl6igQxB_srddiIR759Q_it8mkgts7ftfcQgUTsolBooHmJZekXXqA4CUSXYFe7RUFs9N_65Z1SxXugT-OIAKKfw0vnPr9jU8bopo/s1600/P1090293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xA4eHaxW2ibfSTIqLOqsVgsGpRRb79zYlFLNdqQl6igQxB_srddiIR759Q_it8mkgts7ftfcQgUTsolBooHmJZekXXqA4CUSXYFe7RUFs9N_65Z1SxXugT-OIAKKfw0vnPr9jU8bopo/s400/P1090293.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Persimmons are in season right now (<b>from October - December</b>) so if you can find them somewhere, stock up! Keep them around to keep your heart healthy, or to treat that dry cough from too much artificial heating this winter, or simply <b>just to enjoy</b>!The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-73120073708905831442011-10-16T23:27:00.000-07:002011-10-16T23:32:18.899-07:00Congee : Digestive Healer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7dygtizQewOVx13C_r4lz1kC46ySzKhbeeFeASPb1pmeRmcJWMExzbEEJOsg11vj77HHHkcNVtiM0qKOhVeU1letr6J721HBLvp453Dlerws75-kg_2eYhQt8YsxNar4PwgxwlZSAa0/s1600/P1090262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7dygtizQewOVx13C_r4lz1kC46ySzKhbeeFeASPb1pmeRmcJWMExzbEEJOsg11vj77HHHkcNVtiM0qKOhVeU1letr6J721HBLvp453Dlerws75-kg_2eYhQt8YsxNar4PwgxwlZSAa0/s400/P1090262.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congee"target="_blank">Congee</a></i> is by far one of the most prevalent examples of medicinal cooking's marriage with commonplace kitchen knowledge in Chinese and Asian culture(s) at large (in Thailand it's <i>Khao Tom</i>, in Japan it's <i>Zohsui or Kayu</i>, in Korea it's <i>Jook/Juk</i>, and so on). Everyone eats it. You learn about it growing up. You learn about it in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) school. They serve it on the street, they serve it in the posh hotels, they serve it at school. You know when to eat it, and what to add to it to cater more specifically to your current needs. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszGIPZqHJ3cNX3tS_aTlZaMKkRZ1eTl2JGEilJloKFUdivE_oTlPL6aibojiZTdd04hmYGM_cJAFw5gonTdq50wsy5nJrbGs4c_PLiGgKJzI0g6yZailxBtPuB_YoeKYul0xfo11qZh8/s1600/P1090263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszGIPZqHJ3cNX3tS_aTlZaMKkRZ1eTl2JGEilJloKFUdivE_oTlPL6aibojiZTdd04hmYGM_cJAFw5gonTdq50wsy5nJrbGs4c_PLiGgKJzI0g6yZailxBtPuB_YoeKYul0xfo11qZh8/s400/P1090263.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Chicken is more tonic for the qi (energy) and blood. Sweet potato will add to the digestive function. <i>Da Zao</i> (red dates) also come to the aid of the energy and blood. <i> Gou Qi Zi</i> (wolfberries) improve eye function while working on the liver and kidneys. <i>Huang Qi</i> boosts the immune system. Pickled and fermented green vegetables work on the liver <i>and</i> digestive function. A splash of chile sauce opens up the lungs and fights off a cold. Fresh scallions dropped over that hot tasty soup <b>right before ingesting</b>, fights off that cold even more than that chile sauce (or in combination thereof!). Ginger boosts the digestion, combats nausea, warms you up, <i>and</i> fights colds (too). There are endless combination's for <i>congee</i>, in fact so many that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Flaws"target="_blank">Bob Flaws</a>, a well known author and scholar of Chinese Medicine wrote a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Jook-Medicinal-Porridges-Alternative/dp/0936185600"target="_blank">"The Book of Jook"</a> with a whole slew of the different recipes for <i>congee</i> (or in his case, the referenced <i>jook</i>). Call it what you may, it works, and it works <i>well</i>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaVAEg5M5ow6Q057jsNk1F6m5jvwH1wt6OvcCzA1aZElNXvWbE0xjEz3zXdlwnDdqrdpFTKjAQHBFkGDzXWoW3FACArfm5EMPl14-RxhltyF81uPQWP0gN__kDLI8cUkR1ol6Fdn7uHM/s1600/P1090264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaVAEg5M5ow6Q057jsNk1F6m5jvwH1wt6OvcCzA1aZElNXvWbE0xjEz3zXdlwnDdqrdpFTKjAQHBFkGDzXWoW3FACArfm5EMPl14-RxhltyF81uPQWP0gN__kDLI8cUkR1ol6Fdn7uHM/s400/P1090264.JPG" /></a></div><br />
If you're of the digestively compromised faction (of which there are many), <i>congee </i>is your best friend. Eating <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/02/breakfast-in-winter-cold-vs-warm.html"target="_blank">warm</a> is also of the essence in this case. Your digestion is like a furnace, if you put ice on that furnace, it will not stay "lit" <i>and in turn <b>cook</b> your food for you so it can be transformed into the miconutrients and energy we so love to discuss in biomedical nutritional terms</i>. The base for <i>congee</i> is simple and you can also quite simply just eat the base without anything else. You cook rice in water, at 1 part rice to 4 to 5 parts water, depending on how soupy you would it to be. Bring to a boil on low heat for at least 1 hour. Imagine that it's helping your body by breaking it all down beforehand so you don't have to do so much work once it goes in. Then decide what your flavor is going to be. Is your stomach a little extra sensitive?<i> Add some ginger</i>. Want a little more flavor and energy? <i>Add chicken</i> (cook it with the bone). While I have been enjoying the Chinese <i>congee</i> with a few pickled mustard greens, a sprinkle of salted peanuts, and a splash of chile sauce, I am a huge fan of the Thai <i>Khao Tom</i>, perhaps from growing up there or maybe because it has a little more panache to it. <br />
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Here is my recipe (an amalgam of many versions of<i> Khao Tom</i> learned throughout the years), it is great if you're sick, fighting a cold, having digestive troubles, or you just want to eat something clean and simple : <br />
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<b>Thai Khao Tom</b><br />
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<b>Ingredients</b> : rice (long grain or short grain, your call), 1 chicken breast or 2 thighs on the bone, <i><a href="http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/ingredients/saltedv.html"target="_blank">tang chai</a></i> (pickled shredded cabbage - can be easily found in many Asian stores), scallions, cilantro, garlic, fish sauce/<i>nampla</i>, rice vinegar, Thai bird chiles or other fresh chiles, ginger, sesame oil<br />
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(serves 2)<br />
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1. Bring to a boil 1 cup rice with 5 cups water, 5 thin slices of ginger, whole chicken breast/or thigh(s) <i>with</i> bone (added immune system boost), 2 teaspoons of <i>tang chai</i>, splash or two of fish sauce (or use 1+/- tablespoon of sea salt if you don't like fish sauce), and 3 whole sprigs of cilantro with the cleaned roots still attached. Cook for 1 hour. <br />
2. Take chicken out around 30 minutes and shred meat off with fork, place bones back in soup to continue boiling. <br />
3. Chop 3-4 cloves of garlic up and fry quickly until lightly brown in sesame oil, set to side in a small bowl. <br />
4. Chop fresh chiles up and place 1 tbspn. in a small sauce bowl with fish sauce and another tbspn. in a small sauce bowl with rice vinegar. <br />
5. Chop up cilantro and scallions, also place in a bowl to the side. <br />
6. Once soup is cooked, serve in a bowl, top with shredded chicken, chopped cilantro and scallion, a bit of crispy garlic, a bit of vinegar and/or fish sauce (depending on your taste and needs). <br />
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*Some people add crispy fish, some people cook <i>Khao Tom</i> with ground pork or shrimp, there are again, endless varieties. Have fun playing with it.The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-20643193934791167742011-10-10T16:18:00.000-07:002011-10-10T19:26:19.472-07:00Fresh Chickens in Chongqing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrfa9yokvGOHM7htPX1OhoPD_xqcDZM0Eeo4O4s9vhZeyPtA978PPXP-hVoRb9u_38qgvvjUcPdWK-kovqAsCIMbvOTKQHQYKb6c04fPaNY-q73dPVBRSVkefjxMgPu6fnfFnc_j1JEU/s1600/P1090244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrfa9yokvGOHM7htPX1OhoPD_xqcDZM0Eeo4O4s9vhZeyPtA978PPXP-hVoRb9u_38qgvvjUcPdWK-kovqAsCIMbvOTKQHQYKb6c04fPaNY-q73dPVBRSVkefjxMgPu6fnfFnc_j1JEU/s400/P1090244.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I am only 3 days into properly and officially living in Chongqing so there isn't a whole lot to report on through the fog of jet lag still clouding my mind during the days. BUT, I will say, one thing I am considering to do very soon is pick a chicken (or a duck) at the local grocery store to have freshly butchered for us. I know many (or maybe just some) of you will cringe at this. It seems barbaric perhaps? But, I don't know which is more barbaric, the illusion of the shrink wrapped chicken breast in plastic at your local chain grocery or the acknowledgement of where it comes from? I choose the latter. I do have to figure out if these chickens are jacked up on hormones, and while they weren't uber crowded in their final destination, it does bother me on some level that they have to sit there watching us while we choose their fate. They didn't seem overly large by any means (in fact, they looked like a normal size free range chicken does), so fingers crossed they aren't too tainted. Living in Chongqing, I'm not sure how much choice I will have except to eat less meat if that is the case. Which is fine. <br />
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In Chinese Medicine, chicken is gently warming, blood building, and easier to digest than beef if you have a compromised immune system or digestive capability. <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/12/quick-cluck.html"target="_blank">Here</a> is a recipe I posted a while back for <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/12/quick-cluck.html"target="_blank">chicken adobo</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTwcjMhADDcA02XrNk1ATj8Ufs1IQKWemPD3j-20e9J5pApHNtmPS7mp6ToOODDzniPbbbJn1YnavU8L1oZAMh85YRUgGhgCOJxu_gwHaP58d9YTfZSYcR15-cxgSK62soTOEoJA4OOc/s1600/P1090246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTwcjMhADDcA02XrNk1ATj8Ufs1IQKWemPD3j-20e9J5pApHNtmPS7mp6ToOODDzniPbbbJn1YnavU8L1oZAMh85YRUgGhgCOJxu_gwHaP58d9YTfZSYcR15-cxgSK62soTOEoJA4OOc/s400/P1090246.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Chicken is often used to make medicinal soups with a combination of herbs, depending on what you want to target. <i><a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Gou-Qi-Zi"target="_blank">Gou Qi Zi</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Da-Zao"target="_blank">Da Zao</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Dang-Gui"target="_blank">Dang Gui</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Huang-Qi"target="_blank">Huang Qi</a></i>, all these herbs and more can be found floating in a simple chicken stock (made with the bones) in most of the restaurants and homes in China. When I was last here in July we had the opportunity to drink one of the most spectacular <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2011/07/welcome-to-chongqing.html"target="_blank">8 hour triple steamed chicken stocks</a> with fritillaria bulb (<i><a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Chuan-Bei-Mu"target="_blank">Chuan Bei Mu</a></i>) and pear I have ever had. That soup in particular targeted lung and throat dryness, which is something I could use right about now as my throat is reacting rather strongly to the incessant smog. <br />
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Making chicken stock with herbs is a great way to <b>eat your medicine</b>. Here are a few suggestions for targeted maladies via chicken stock/soup : <br />
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With <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Chuan-Bei-Mu"target="_blank">Chuan Bei Mu</a> and Pear : lung and throat dryness, difficult to expectorate phlegm<br />
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With <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Gou-Qi-Zi"target="_blank">Gou Qi Zi</a>, <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Da-Zao"target="_blank">Da Zao</a>, and <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Huang-Qi"target="_blank">Huang Qi</a> : for qi, blood, and yin deficiency (can manifest as constitutional weakness, fatigue, dizziness, short or absent menses)<br />
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With <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Dang-Gui"target="_blank">Dang Gui</a> : blood stasis, irregular menses, dry constipation <br />
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*you can link to each herb by clicking on it above and it will take you to a well respected New York City TCM pharmacy (<a href="http://www.kamwo.com/"target="_blank">Kamwo Pharmacy</a>) where you can learn more via their herb indexThe Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-37935654624250324312011-09-09T10:52:00.000-07:002011-09-09T11:03:06.330-07:00Purslane, the Underappreciated Weed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDU6HIvn3DC43Passvtb4gjrdtcIb5Lg3Uo6BeGDXiT5mgWvleMj78UnyrkuBDXLFJz9ycZI-pgon23lW-diqr7Qjps9uW5E8CCmThE-1Zg6C_XeWO-F7Z-PqyCYo97bMF0FRC28hpiA/s1600/P1080866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDU6HIvn3DC43Passvtb4gjrdtcIb5Lg3Uo6BeGDXiT5mgWvleMj78UnyrkuBDXLFJz9ycZI-pgon23lW-diqr7Qjps9uW5E8CCmThE-1Zg6C_XeWO-F7Z-PqyCYo97bMF0FRC28hpiA/s400/P1080866.JPG" /></a></div><br />
There will be no recipe with this post as I am in the midst of moving madness (to Chongqing, China) and can barely put two pieces of bread together with something in between let alone concoct a proper meal. This says a lot as I am decidedly <i>not</i> a sandwich girl to begin with.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lPpewCzlcxNpF6PJ0rMyZ7ws092_eKr-lIkz_In5Yex9Qf6GMgLZyqpb0bIRlFoRio0ypYNvCgKGLiQ2N8lpSZDVOM5gGFZvabLdohDVAiUvQRSH3fcDu6SQCUI38s7eVWCkcpiuXsc/s1600/P1080865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lPpewCzlcxNpF6PJ0rMyZ7ws092_eKr-lIkz_In5Yex9Qf6GMgLZyqpb0bIRlFoRio0ypYNvCgKGLiQ2N8lpSZDVOM5gGFZvabLdohDVAiUvQRSH3fcDu6SQCUI38s7eVWCkcpiuXsc/s400/P1080865.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Nonetheless, I managed to hit up the farmers market one last time over the weekend and to my joy I came across some fresh and wild purslane that one of the purveyors was selling. I had never tried fresh purslane, but I have studied it's medicinal uses in Chinese Medicine as it is part of the Materia Medica, known as <i>Ma Chi Xian</i>. As it turns out it is also a culinary delight in many places around the world (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea">Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Mexico</a>). In the U.S. it is considered a weed and some refer to it as pigweed or little hogweed, I am not sure if this is because pigs like it or for some other pig-related reason, but it is certainly an underappreciated edible weed here! You can chop it up fresh, saute it lightly, or use it in soups. I must admit, I have not had the opportunity to do anything but rip off a few of it's generous arms, rinse, and nosh on them in front of the computer or as I run off to take care of one last moving logistic, therefore I can't share a recipe as of yet. I <i>can</i> say that it is delicious, and that I enjoyed it very much in it's raw and simple form, it is indeed sour and a bit sweet. Mainly it starts sweet and ends sour. In the future I am going to toss it in a salad with some feta like the Greeks do (one of the recipes I managed to peruse online). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUquREd5ZHpF8QREttQnIvcPgnacwGfF7E073kia0H7LQcibuFP9iLBTLI9cTF-XU0VD9q1qLR2VEWEYPTx96SZlGtfnJHQdSRU6ImQocVWOm4roIwqWOOlZ_vNGQ0i2SsoGhQj0hqvU/s1600/P1080867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUquREd5ZHpF8QREttQnIvcPgnacwGfF7E073kia0H7LQcibuFP9iLBTLI9cTF-XU0VD9q1qLR2VEWEYPTx96SZlGtfnJHQdSRU6ImQocVWOm4roIwqWOOlZ_vNGQ0i2SsoGhQj0hqvU/s400/P1080867.JPG" /></a></div><br />
In TCM you use <i>Ma Chi Xian</i> to treat dysentery, hot or bloody genitourinary conditions, and topically for wasp or snake bites. See <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Ma-Chi-Xian">Kamwo Pharmacy's</a> reference guide for more on this if you'd like. <br />
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And with this, I leave you, to run to do. One. Last! Thing! See you in China.The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-66510642168369849122011-08-17T06:54:00.000-07:002011-08-17T07:51:48.771-07:00Tomato Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbcaKZXdw6yDfnXqYe9ZtpmaTQzf_04iUvhMoJ30KOoXboBrWyIEaVhLb4EFYGqEe6suKEULeS7NIc7l1lD1gtH9A8rgaWzY3GJNFo8shEc5no1YE6RfBTaAjQNB9guf5NAa98zkB65c/s1600/P1080758.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbcaKZXdw6yDfnXqYe9ZtpmaTQzf_04iUvhMoJ30KOoXboBrWyIEaVhLb4EFYGqEe6suKEULeS7NIc7l1lD1gtH9A8rgaWzY3GJNFo8shEc5no1YE6RfBTaAjQNB9guf5NAa98zkB65c/s400/P1080758.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641823665482683234" /></a>
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<br />I feel like I am about to write this post a few weeks too late for those that haven't been relishing in this season, in <span style="font-style:italic;">tomato season<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span>. Not that you can't eat tomatoes in the <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/12/tins-tomatoes-and-soup.html"target="_blank">winter</a>, as there are many a freshly canned (sans preservatives beyond salt) brand and given how we consume, you can find them all year round anyway - <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">but</span> they really don't taste as good as they do right now</span>. They truly taste like the sun in the summer, without the mealiness of 100's of miles of transport and refrigeration. In any event, there are still a few weeks left of tomatoes in all their plump juicy glory and this isn't a post meant for chiding. Tomatoes taste <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> good now, that's all.
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<br />In Chinese Medicine tomatoes are considered thermally cooling (meaning if you're HOT, they will cool you - makes sense for summertime), they have a sweet and sour flavor, and they target the liver and stomach organs. There are many different takes on the actions of tomatoes in the context of these attributes, but I am borrowing from <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Chinese_Nutrition_Therapy.html?id=80CqL7u0KdIC"target="_blank">J. Kastner's</a> description, "clears heat, enriches yin (especially liver yin), produces fluids and removes dryness, cools and cleans blood, strengthens stomach, promotes liver network activity". For those that are <span style="font-weight:bold;">not</span> TCM practitioners, you may be wondering what in the world does "promotes liver network activity" mean anyway?! Well, each organ system (liver, stomach, heart, etc) has it's own set of areas in the body it works on. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_%28Chinese_medicine%29"target="_blank">liver </a>(as it pertains to TCM) manages the sinews and muscles, detoxification, anger management (or lack thereof), purification and holding of blood, and problems with it (the liver) manifest in the eyes and/or nails (you can have red eyes if you have "liver heat" or you can have brittle nails if you are blood deficient). This may be too much information, or maybe it'll help to relate to how medicinal eating and cooking comes about with these types of links.
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<br />Back to the tomato. Given it's still summer, you may be having some heat signs that either relate to the liver or stomach that can manifest as : red eyes, dry mouth, thirst, vertex headaches, general dryness, or even elevated blood pressure. A tomato can help! A few normal sized ones a day in fact. If you are having digestive issues with cold foods, then this isn't your food, avoid the tomato for now. Otherwise, indulge away!
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Simple Tomato Salad We've All Had</span>
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<br />Ingredients : cherry tomatoes, basil (I used African basil, but use what you like), buffalo mozzarella, shallot, aged balsamic, olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, sea salt
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<br />1. Cut up the tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mince at least half a shallot. Sprinkle the salt and pepper and you're done. Maybe you've had this, multiple times, but I'm putting it up here anyway. This can be served on a baguette with all the juices seeping and sopping into the bread if you like.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FkuJhmceRjNhhI-dXwgRL3ivOIW25omIAjnhu7aVhxaG_mrZCDYTkOmQVvn6SpDsuFJnhnHnU2qgP1StFkG2BbNg5z4m0KmC8MTr1B5KcBcCYn8oP6N-mt1hYderQgR8IqsrgVfvMUs/s1600/P1080757.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FkuJhmceRjNhhI-dXwgRL3ivOIW25omIAjnhu7aVhxaG_mrZCDYTkOmQVvn6SpDsuFJnhnHnU2qgP1StFkG2BbNg5z4m0KmC8MTr1B5KcBcCYn8oP6N-mt1hYderQgR8IqsrgVfvMUs/s400/P1080757.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641823325138250690" /></a>
<br />The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-22421554341089481572011-07-29T17:07:00.000-07:002011-07-30T21:29:58.726-07:00Welcome to Chongqing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidC2GpykpVn5eqiLxgyiRtHn-vzoMZPeVo4aLqmxF_viaYUzPsXIvyGoWU-J96BxAi1bqhikX_dJlEgut7X-IIqNYABcwwPIn_Udvgk6O0rzlE1OhRZcbFTQrNNN1PolwZcf-jBQLZvco/s1600/P1080515.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidC2GpykpVn5eqiLxgyiRtHn-vzoMZPeVo4aLqmxF_viaYUzPsXIvyGoWU-J96BxAi1bqhikX_dJlEgut7X-IIqNYABcwwPIn_Udvgk6O0rzlE1OhRZcbFTQrNNN1PolwZcf-jBQLZvco/s400/P1080515.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634959951190349698" /></a><br /><br /><br />Since I will soon be relocating to Chongqing (formerly Chungking), which just so happens to be Chicago's sister city, I thought I'd share a few snippets of the life and food there. There will be more as the years go by and I delve even further into <span style="font-style:italic;">yao shan</span> (medicinal cooking) which is a big part of why I am going there. <a href="http://www.chinapage.com/map/map.html"target="_blank">Chongqing</a> lies in the heart of China in between the rich agricultural provinces of Sichuan, Hunan, Guizhou, and Hubei. It is the fastest growing city in China, which may really mean, <span style="font-style:italic;">in the world</span>. Already there are 30+ million people living there and those figures don't account for a lot of unregistered people. The city is both inexorably new and old at the same time, a clash that makes for a vivid experience that literally slams into all your senses ... taste being one of them in the <span style="font-style:italic;">ma la</span> (numb - spicy) variety of Sichuan cuisine. <br /><br />Already on this short reconnaissance trip, I learned a few new medicinal kitchen tricks and recipes. I'm working on learning the 8 hour (sometimes it's 3 days) triple steamed Fritillaria bulb (<span style="font-style:italic;">Chuan Bei Mu</span>) and Pear soup that I was lucky enough to taste at a very special welcome dinner for us. Because it was SO hot (Chongqing is referred to as the "furnace city" in the summer months) I did not partake in their own special style of hot pot, <span style="font-style:italic;">huo guo</span>, but as soon as the Fall chill enters, I'm sure I'll be happily eating many a <span style="font-style:italic;">huo guo</span> meal. For the time being, I'll leave you with a little taste of Chongqing, in no particular order.. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3LNJ5tW2P4SUOITK0zFEqIRgBWPF3vtHILKm0w3tzaIpOjjviCPx4JY3KqIvT8NXgceMASg04ia_QpBAF_ydIKQPruttbn_DAT-Him2OpcxQHtNVh3aO2Ps6hj5YEQsZbkhr3omyqA4/s1600/P1080633.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3LNJ5tW2P4SUOITK0zFEqIRgBWPF3vtHILKm0w3tzaIpOjjviCPx4JY3KqIvT8NXgceMASg04ia_QpBAF_ydIKQPruttbn_DAT-Him2OpcxQHtNVh3aO2Ps6hj5YEQsZbkhr3omyqA4/s400/P1080633.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634951577792326706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD52NQgbuhK9c_PqMsTd8EGmkkx5WBT7dpMpD2g_yyT1JGKbVIR5Zg8OHqb4wFQY0UQ_rM7knldHf_7-kRyr92MQ0X3jdeuvZhFxw2ZiDfSuaQkztE2GkIuYMDMPa06Gqsxf1tMBHpaA/s1600/P1080634.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD52NQgbuhK9c_PqMsTd8EGmkkx5WBT7dpMpD2g_yyT1JGKbVIR5Zg8OHqb4wFQY0UQ_rM7knldHf_7-kRyr92MQ0X3jdeuvZhFxw2ZiDfSuaQkztE2GkIuYMDMPa06Gqsxf1tMBHpaA/s400/P1080634.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635368803192922146" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">La jiao</span>, making chile sauce, the magnificent awakening smell led us there by our noses. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYPDQNn73U7W-zDLqXrnNnt_-L6ljv4Y9M0BgVVjY626woMgPtlrXA6-1DVloPyTTEeXPTk_Kbv2L3Ozr2sXPkUar_lY3tfepklX0i9iyuBc1g8NltoBZQkCc9mwUijprr7P4aRcvXOQ/s1600/P1080647.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYPDQNn73U7W-zDLqXrnNnt_-L6ljv4Y9M0BgVVjY626woMgPtlrXA6-1DVloPyTTEeXPTk_Kbv2L3Ozr2sXPkUar_lY3tfepklX0i9iyuBc1g8NltoBZQkCc9mwUijprr7P4aRcvXOQ/s400/P1080647.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634950829280638274" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Huangjueping</span>, artist community in Chongqing. </span> <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-9huP_cq-qPqjOFUk03-fuJ_OQoCDYDtExuUI1CUNySqri7JLpFiHgcUVzkc8Vbj2wS2vwLeGUXZql7BgigD0nq6qJWaO3P0c1h322LqyX1pkkzVw9n-Z_uC2G_SQ3ki1QM16_39Tro/s1600/P1080502.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-9huP_cq-qPqjOFUk03-fuJ_OQoCDYDtExuUI1CUNySqri7JLpFiHgcUVzkc8Vbj2wS2vwLeGUXZql7BgigD0nq6qJWaO3P0c1h322LqyX1pkkzVw9n-Z_uC2G_SQ3ki1QM16_39Tro/s400/P1080502.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634952414637105602" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Zhen Zhu</span>, pearls for making <span style="font-style:italic;">Zhen Zhu Fen</span> (pearl powder), a TCM medicinal which treats heart, liver, and skin ailments. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9iAWpGtpnuJMynT_KViXWa9dCSBalbU7ocsNZnVsaL7Yl2RLspTVYuEgqY4rhgkrRFhmTHbfgxjw-_xd4G5ZIdX464QFWNWeJMhIr1JQ_i_LczT2sLDZUNe1RoNI1ffqGZ39-LLwp0M/s1600/P1080532.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9iAWpGtpnuJMynT_KViXWa9dCSBalbU7ocsNZnVsaL7Yl2RLspTVYuEgqY4rhgkrRFhmTHbfgxjw-_xd4G5ZIdX464QFWNWeJMhIr1JQ_i_LczT2sLDZUNe1RoNI1ffqGZ39-LLwp0M/s400/P1080532.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634952974282206786" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">View of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Jialing River</span> from our future balcony. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqINYtR9ASmgtBO2l5IIfk-bkZwndoHqPP_Wt65-nFDCpdtkzVVwbkW1tFwsU8wbVHZhyphenhyphenvolyJPNBZ2ntAJLPcTWl_wixrU_P31vjLd7EHiWtYou_k_nNaCq5lrpzSykH336I-_2nRmWs/s1600/P1080669.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqINYtR9ASmgtBO2l5IIfk-bkZwndoHqPP_Wt65-nFDCpdtkzVVwbkW1tFwsU8wbVHZhyphenhyphenvolyJPNBZ2ntAJLPcTWl_wixrU_P31vjLd7EHiWtYou_k_nNaCq5lrpzSykH336I-_2nRmWs/s400/P1080669.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634953408575222594" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ginger outside a little noodle shop. </span> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7kkT_yncbtlVo3uUMXVMQRLkS1D4UZ5cMoQoAahxIdSRIy81wxqICLRWZW1ULL0dPGJHouvPNzEjAJTt4qA1dJOWekj_afPwdTJC63cDgwXLjt9XBqhuLcbUoMlS6YpohCdCkAiRk2Y/s1600/P1080610.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7kkT_yncbtlVo3uUMXVMQRLkS1D4UZ5cMoQoAahxIdSRIy81wxqICLRWZW1ULL0dPGJHouvPNzEjAJTt4qA1dJOWekj_afPwdTJC63cDgwXLjt9XBqhuLcbUoMlS6YpohCdCkAiRk2Y/s400/P1080610.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634953800339742642" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Winding mountain roads in the old part of Chongqing, <span style="font-style:italic;">Ciqikou</span>.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkt4kQZ0c8WLkna50YLJd_aODkPdpbVCEUwIb9REynrseSwl933L-zqoMyWsZnqsMulAvntYjWKlGatbZQW8BuvRvfSTjQaJZ0jevh1ZQnvJo4dYpKoRMdlXXzSKhu3OSqeYT0j0xdHc/s1600/P1080510.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkt4kQZ0c8WLkna50YLJd_aODkPdpbVCEUwIb9REynrseSwl933L-zqoMyWsZnqsMulAvntYjWKlGatbZQW8BuvRvfSTjQaJZ0jevh1ZQnvJo4dYpKoRMdlXXzSKhu3OSqeYT0j0xdHc/s400/P1080510.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634954285686316386" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />The famous Sichuan <span style="font-style:italic;">Dandan mian/noodles</span>, spicy and fragrant. </span> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKHHBuxQiciFuol4n7MKSmIeoJUhcUC2pTPIf348x3zFq8Lupjz8zD_4xT4wRw-1WzQvSgL6jAwSP8KtSu9eYhMbZ49CfC_Y0qXiEg2nEK5yFzx_aazGIcjlp4IIehPeFsEsmP1NJFNA/s1600/P1080620.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKHHBuxQiciFuol4n7MKSmIeoJUhcUC2pTPIf348x3zFq8Lupjz8zD_4xT4wRw-1WzQvSgL6jAwSP8KtSu9eYhMbZ49CfC_Y0qXiEg2nEK5yFzx_aazGIcjlp4IIehPeFsEsmP1NJFNA/s400/P1080620.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634954803110908274" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Year of the Rabbit, 2011. </span> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7plgzxFnPR4MjkoAy5jEOhle76dkmCse_5UMffB0QM9uSUoblMwP8o3Jgl8dePGktn4QmkOvnbkjj7LOCUfjt3O8hbtBkMzlhnNIGJu6HG0GBPBnZVRP0K56dFffyFzZzs4UYrRSodkg/s1600/P1080469.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7plgzxFnPR4MjkoAy5jEOhle76dkmCse_5UMffB0QM9uSUoblMwP8o3Jgl8dePGktn4QmkOvnbkjj7LOCUfjt3O8hbtBkMzlhnNIGJu6HG0GBPBnZVRP0K56dFffyFzZzs4UYrRSodkg/s400/P1080469.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634955364362458850" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Ciqikou</span>, old part of Chongqing.</span> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jKWbJu7l2mjOPFHGcPUpVEKWteuRuva8whc61iTBsXT7x_I9mBL_nltgWRA-xuH2XjPwkaFiyyufdRzrx_z3vK_0yahWV-pyodLmiN0GAx1yx7MVXmOJWZfXD7WUptMmFud85qUhu7o/s1600/P1080462.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jKWbJu7l2mjOPFHGcPUpVEKWteuRuva8whc61iTBsXT7x_I9mBL_nltgWRA-xuH2XjPwkaFiyyufdRzrx_z3vK_0yahWV-pyodLmiN0GAx1yx7MVXmOJWZfXD7WUptMmFud85qUhu7o/s400/P1080462.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634955728907093490" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Jiefangbei</span>, the new part of Chongqing, in the evening.</span> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78FEyaW9lwiTLSU7iLLZ8-7QjCQ1QDgxWpuisvKoeJQdpbS5PFg_7rmnvvkFb2ZBxIJmKNQkc8j_rwytRlR6HrMBpz2jB7y2_PIZ-07I3gHICyVdfMWbkSKS4iaWvZ4UckMJgq3wBvHw/s1600/P1080476.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78FEyaW9lwiTLSU7iLLZ8-7QjCQ1QDgxWpuisvKoeJQdpbS5PFg_7rmnvvkFb2ZBxIJmKNQkc8j_rwytRlR6HrMBpz2jB7y2_PIZ-07I3gHICyVdfMWbkSKS4iaWvZ4UckMJgq3wBvHw/s400/P1080476.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634956176898695042" /></a><br /><br />Umbrella culture to save yourself from the burning sun during the summer months. </span> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZ5sDMRM5aSpprOYsqoL0M-B1DEoNOzx8u-JAuwIBs6S-AXRD9MqMt09S7st5BLemCgEzSU_LlRTWq9gapgrtqAvrp8G3VXpQL3GJzVdDtnbFnL7-XF8x-IidgkWkDbJwa_XHiy7Rxc4/s1600/P1080612.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZ5sDMRM5aSpprOYsqoL0M-B1DEoNOzx8u-JAuwIBs6S-AXRD9MqMt09S7st5BLemCgEzSU_LlRTWq9gapgrtqAvrp8G3VXpQL3GJzVdDtnbFnL7-XF8x-IidgkWkDbJwa_XHiy7Rxc4/s400/P1080612.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634956613748505746" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Hillside vegetable garden, beautifully done. </span> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTDiV1LGLD3Z_IW4sj3B3iEs8iwEK1WPPcWNV1KGjYe6a971Tajd87jk_GmfhPI9y9fWaAqKum8fNS8t9nCF5eJBxxuV7EMaIuH0BoO2AopT0T_QQrOVFNGsB4Edpb3uXSgebDaqyyEQ/s1600/P1080653.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTDiV1LGLD3Z_IW4sj3B3iEs8iwEK1WPPcWNV1KGjYe6a971Tajd87jk_GmfhPI9y9fWaAqKum8fNS8t9nCF5eJBxxuV7EMaIuH0BoO2AopT0T_QQrOVFNGsB4Edpb3uXSgebDaqyyEQ/s400/P1080653.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634957114889163138" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Grape season.</span> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioU35xlkq97VcWOzJtyPPvz5gIPxvt8B4qMnHlP3yJ_8KLd9_ZPxmAeTmr0khm1vCLVGDGfYUtiPmGNZtd7tVvWyBV8m83hlosNSxkLBwm9NfGsFIKxP9TrZ9bhrJ2xCNPNmN5UIf-1qc/s1600/P1080650.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioU35xlkq97VcWOzJtyPPvz5gIPxvt8B4qMnHlP3yJ_8KLd9_ZPxmAeTmr0khm1vCLVGDGfYUtiPmGNZtd7tVvWyBV8m83hlosNSxkLBwm9NfGsFIKxP9TrZ9bhrJ2xCNPNmN5UIf-1qc/s400/P1080650.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634957747750219794" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Watermelons, <span style="font-style:italic;">xi gua</span>, to cool you off. </span>The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-40401594253592504882011-07-07T09:02:00.001-07:002011-07-07T22:14:07.034-07:00Mulberry Magic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H1xfw9ApKo6YzN1u6xTpPgmUjTlVom2VpOik6ByxU63Um0uH0-sMXV3DMgN2pu51BREEz2eQV7Hh095NgimQqcxdOI0UwiOIkcSqlU1ATjzV5Dq7m_N3NbalDXPhXSBrnRkO-aIcpz8/s1600/P1080398.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H1xfw9ApKo6YzN1u6xTpPgmUjTlVom2VpOik6ByxU63Um0uH0-sMXV3DMgN2pu51BREEz2eQV7Hh095NgimQqcxdOI0UwiOIkcSqlU1ATjzV5Dq7m_N3NbalDXPhXSBrnRkO-aIcpz8/s400/P1080398.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626723930620241170" /></a><br /><br /><br />This last weekend I was lucky enough to be invited over to a friend's home on a bright sunny day to go wild and pluck as many mulberries, mulberry leaves, and mulberry twigs as I wished from her <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_%28plant%29"target="_blank"> mulberry tree</a>. Nevertheless, I was quite tame and only took a little for my home medicinal purposes as I'll be leaving to live in China again soon to continue my work and study on <span style="font-style:italic;">yao shan</span>, a.k.a. medicinal cooking. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDEn_kFHcmRyXSy8kBQwrzBUSAFgXg9CkgbGgbXe1SRdqdYCVarVvV-0SZlCEX7TZQ2cqCq7SDHAmFsFCmBhEhm8aY3nB4HrT7blglSKMQzOyv4aICcFU3FC45TE2xc5MmwCrXn8aL_Y/s1600/P1080404.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDEn_kFHcmRyXSy8kBQwrzBUSAFgXg9CkgbGgbXe1SRdqdYCVarVvV-0SZlCEX7TZQ2cqCq7SDHAmFsFCmBhEhm8aY3nB4HrT7blglSKMQzOyv4aICcFU3FC45TE2xc5MmwCrXn8aL_Y/s400/P1080404.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626724672432657522" /></a><br /><br />Mulberry trees grow rampant throughout Chicago and around the surrounding areas, and we are right smack in the middle to end of the fruiting season for them in the Midwest. If you are lucky enough to have a mulberry tree in <span style="font-weight:bold;">your</span> backyard where ever you may be, <span style="font-weight:bold;">don't</span> A) cut it down! and <span style="font-weight:bold;">do</span> B) use it for home remedies! In China, the mulberries I encountered are of the black mulberry species, <span style="font-style:italic;">Morus nigra</span> (a much longer, tighter, sweeter fruit), whereas this mulberry tree (<span style="font-style:italic;">Morus alba</span>, native to E. Asia but naturalized in urban areas of the E. USA) was fruiting white mulberries with purple spots as they matured and is still sweet but milder. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomWmhn_ms8pRSgwuLRyb0ZZ_uuYaM_Du50lfUlad-iHeN0xZzxFrswOhOI9whDkHtwTFb6-sifV9IenIpbxIc4mezG0kAbLX41uqnEEajGSxQQlj7AtfjZjYixfh3AL8UJHR9XSKZBsA/s1600/P1080399.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomWmhn_ms8pRSgwuLRyb0ZZ_uuYaM_Du50lfUlad-iHeN0xZzxFrswOhOI9whDkHtwTFb6-sifV9IenIpbxIc4mezG0kAbLX41uqnEEajGSxQQlj7AtfjZjYixfh3AL8UJHR9XSKZBsA/s400/P1080399.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626658153411510658" /></a><br /><br />In Chinese Medicine, the mulberry tree is full of medicinal uses (a total of seven medicinals are derived from it). The bark, berries, leaves, twigs, silk worms & their droppings (silk worms feed on mulberry leaves), and a parasitic plant of the mulberry are all found in the Traditional Chinese Medicine<span style="font-style:italic;"> Materia Medica</span>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETqlUJQNraBq7PsLSH_MFtGg38qfrVsZhPxe6zkfgQRNPvA-5wfDZ5ohpXGvsyL3Bq9w7Wb2P46FuwvBnHF_CD6Rsq8rubtLuRlwOO4QYroR7ecHEO4KX6_mAJ0gZzsvBPG8Dype50g0/s1600/P1080397.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETqlUJQNraBq7PsLSH_MFtGg38qfrVsZhPxe6zkfgQRNPvA-5wfDZ5ohpXGvsyL3Bq9w7Wb2P46FuwvBnHF_CD6Rsq8rubtLuRlwOO4QYroR7ecHEO4KX6_mAJ0gZzsvBPG8Dype50g0/s400/P1080397.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626667198328080786" /></a><br /><br />Below is the list of the seven medicinals found on the mulberry tree, you can use <a href="http://www.kamwo.com/help/herb-guide.php?single-herb=Sang-Shen"target="_blank">Kamwo Pharmacy's</a> online herbal directory to read more details : <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Mulberry fruit/Sang Shen</span> : tonifies yin and blood, moistens the intestines, replenishes fluids, use with caution in cold conditions<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Mulberry Leaf/Sang Ye</span> : releases wind-heat (i.e. sore throat, fever, headache), treats cough with sticky sputum, cools the liver (i.e. dizziness, red painful eyes, vertigo), cools the blood <br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Mulberry Twig/Sang Zhi</span> : dispels wind-damp-heat, acts as a diuretic <br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Mulberry Root Bark/Sang Bai Pi</span> : clears lung heat (i.e. cough with colored sputum), acts as a diuretic, used to lower blood pressure <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWKksZi8Q6hDv7TxBP5j_uwXosOchTSGijCwUUVVumeZO3sfXOTfrGg0QBHGTumTzel6PNZzjYbd_tYAGiADy3ASNV6bGsVo34Ojprh6smFZh80ySmOaDHDklqMLhFC-N-AKS1Z4I1ac/s1600/P1080403.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWKksZi8Q6hDv7TxBP5j_uwXosOchTSGijCwUUVVumeZO3sfXOTfrGg0QBHGTumTzel6PNZzjYbd_tYAGiADy3ASNV6bGsVo34Ojprh6smFZh80ySmOaDHDklqMLhFC-N-AKS1Z4I1ac/s400/P1080403.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626724294762625906" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Loranthi seu Visci, parasite of Mulberry plant/Sang Ji Sheng</span> : tonifies liver and kidneys, protects the womb, nourishes blood, strengthens bones and tendons, expels wind-dampness, benefits the skin<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Silk worm/Jiang Can</span> : extinguishes wind and spasms, releases wind-heat and stops pain, clears toxic phlegm-heat nodules, stops itching, relieves migraines<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Silk worm droppings/Can Sha</span> : dispels wind-dampness, harmonizes the stomach<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*note</span>, for those who aren't TCM practitioners some of the language used to describe the functions is specific to TCM, here is a key for a few of them ('tonify' = enhance, improve function of; 'wind-heat' = a cold presenting with heat signs; 'cool' = in TCM cooling herbs treat 'hot' conditions and vice versa ; 'wind-dampness' = can manifest as a moving arthritic pain ; 'dispels' = rids of/releases ; 'wind-damp-heat' = moving arthritic pain with heat signs; 'harmonize' = soothes) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawYcIlSwpiunZe7j2vUA_vs5D7ZWkk1g6t5NaBiG7Vx36W00b_Lp8IZ2yo9CTBJdc-KVfWPEfzo69yxbZaeWhmsRLND5GZEHygbsvXjXzLI8332E7n9TiXFXGWkaK4s7ySLqdVIpyzrM/s1600/P1080400.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawYcIlSwpiunZe7j2vUA_vs5D7ZWkk1g6t5NaBiG7Vx36W00b_Lp8IZ2yo9CTBJdc-KVfWPEfzo69yxbZaeWhmsRLND5GZEHygbsvXjXzLI8332E7n9TiXFXGWkaK4s7ySLqdVIpyzrM/s400/P1080400.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626715973137076978" /></a><br /><br />For the purpose of using these at home, if you are a layman and not a TCM practitioner, there are a multitude of possibilities. You can simply eat the mulberry fruit to your delight, unless you suffer from loose stools or a 'cold' stomach. You can also make a medicinal wine out of the mulberry fruit, <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/06/healing-wines-and-liquors.html"target="_blank">here</a> is a recipe you can use to base it on. You can dehydrate the berries and powder them and make a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dloPF1QDuw"target="_blank">tincture</a> OR powder them to use in a hot tea for when you are suffering from a dry constipation or a scanty menstrual cycle. You can cut some twigs with the leaves attached and hang them to dry from somewhere up high in your kitchen (as I do) and then use the dried twigs or leaves for the purposes listed above. Usually, these medicinals are used in formulas in TCM in conjunction with other herbs, but using them individually for acute specific conditions can help as well in the forms of medicinal <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/06/healing-wines-and-liquors.html"target="_blank">wines</a>, teas, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dloPF1QDuw"target="_blank">tinctures</a>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCdVbFQG9gbHTbL08jQ8AhFfGFfpEBLn2vkobOaynGrjroazwQ7x0HyAUZtXIJ-O-xncqbypFNwx_hHCWPXnWna9OLJqwyFtuBBrYNGI23RsWOR78mOwBq2oYo_XtoeUmM9BJ49DVS_Q/s1600/P1080402.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCdVbFQG9gbHTbL08jQ8AhFfGFfpEBLn2vkobOaynGrjroazwQ7x0HyAUZtXIJ-O-xncqbypFNwx_hHCWPXnWna9OLJqwyFtuBBrYNGI23RsWOR78mOwBq2oYo_XtoeUmM9BJ49DVS_Q/s400/P1080402.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626715259789863426" /></a><br /><br />As a <span style="font-style:italic;">general rule of thumb</span> if you are going to use a tincture, the dosage would be a few drops (3-5) 2-3 times per day. If you are using a medicinal wine, then a small shot glass worth 1-2 times per day is sufficient. If you are using powdered herbs in a tea, 1-2 tsp/per cup of tea, 2-3 times per day. Dosages vary according to the condition, your size, and your constitution. For more complex or delicate conditions, please consult an herbalist or medical doctor.The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-28824753210161327442011-07-01T06:33:00.000-07:002011-07-01T10:24:56.697-07:00Blue Potatoes - Happy 4th of July!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodb_H8Mhl_U1iQjKNoHOqtXby3Mjxbp-x3TabtauDfqMgoe34Ek5Y3WEVv3OrymcFMjB1JTHcFt8U4cVVCBp5FxLesAo4aVtiSClmgeJXybCffkRHUeDmXgdwFl7sBLFMvjHhHHGWdA8/s1600/P1080382.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodb_H8Mhl_U1iQjKNoHOqtXby3Mjxbp-x3TabtauDfqMgoe34Ek5Y3WEVv3OrymcFMjB1JTHcFt8U4cVVCBp5FxLesAo4aVtiSClmgeJXybCffkRHUeDmXgdwFl7sBLFMvjHhHHGWdA8/s400/P1080382.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624377427427843474" /></a><br /><br />As the 4th of July weekend approaches (or for those not in the U.S., perhaps a warm weekend of barbecues?), <span style="font-style:italic;">consider the blue potato</span>. Some time ago I wrote about the <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/03/when-all-you-can-eat-is-potato.html"target="_blank">potato</a> in all it's simple glory. Potatoes are neutral and sweet in the Chinese Medicine world. They are also mildly diuretic, tonify (boost) the digestive function, moisten the intestines, and contain easily accessible carbohydrates when it's difficult for your body to break down food. A blue potato has the additional benefits of being a blood tonic according to TCM nutrition. From a biomedical nutrition perspective they are high in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthocyanin"target="_blank">anthocyanins</a>, making them strong antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, 75% of which is retained <span style="font-style:italic;">after baking</span>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxsR7n-Xevqu6tapzc6ZOTdCzlyk5ctZNjWzc-mdoZ9SauM-hcU4BDolGU6118eWoW5xXSWzcc9jLR-EC-uVa6Zsr_X80q0ztdo4uSPk3-3-KkcRDlXmesUXOPEyNSACYEcnw2f0jzw0/s1600/P1080381.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxsR7n-Xevqu6tapzc6ZOTdCzlyk5ctZNjWzc-mdoZ9SauM-hcU4BDolGU6118eWoW5xXSWzcc9jLR-EC-uVa6Zsr_X80q0ztdo4uSPk3-3-KkcRDlXmesUXOPEyNSACYEcnw2f0jzw0/s400/P1080381.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624377028427399650" /></a><br /><br />While potatoes are a root/Winter crop, you can find them year round as a staple as they store well in cool, dark, dry spaces. They are also an excellent party food as you can produce a variety of dishes using them. Blue potatoes in particular will spruce up a plate with their radiant color and your guests will thank you with a happy digestion after devouring them. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjdBmgRhyphenhyphenyPTrQh8J6p4dExrNUWyg99auh4JAgVqf9O9nIr3VjseLtMaeO6-z7WZvQTuU0_bRaFz28K8AkL2bz5yFlAG9BCIUy1ViH7_zurREkeLrDVn2xmtWRsMuEFRsqHlWsmwE9IY/s1600/P1080383.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjdBmgRhyphenhyphenyPTrQh8J6p4dExrNUWyg99auh4JAgVqf9O9nIr3VjseLtMaeO6-z7WZvQTuU0_bRaFz28K8AkL2bz5yFlAG9BCIUy1ViH7_zurREkeLrDVn2xmtWRsMuEFRsqHlWsmwE9IY/s400/P1080383.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624406873194512050" /></a><br /><br />I often long for baked potato skins but rarely do I find them made in a way that seems tasty or "healthy" enough (they're usually packed with fake yellow cheese, synthetic bacon bits, and loaded with sour cream) so I thought I'd reinvent the baked potato skin for this 4th of July weekend as a party treat. It's simple. It's delicious. It's got great medicinal value. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Baked Blue Skins </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients:</span> blue potatoes, aged goat gouda, Greek yogurt, few slices of thick bacon, scallions or chives, red Hawaiian sea salt<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Directions : </span><br /><br />1. Cut potatoes in half length wise. Scoop out about 1/2 of center with a spoon (I like to leave a substantial amount of potato so it's not just the skin as the name indicates, but scoop out enough to be able to fill it with a bit of stuffing). <br />2. Lightly grease a pyrex or baking pan with grapeseed oil. Place skins face (cut side) down. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 mins until just barely soft (check with a knife by piercing), flip over face up and bake another 5 mins. This cooking time is indicated for medium sized blue potatoes, not large, adjust if they are smaller or larger. <br />3. Take out and fill with crisped and minced bacon, 1 thin slice of aged goat gouda which covers the holed center. Place back in oven at 350 degrees F for another 5 mins or until cheese melts. <br />4. Take out and let cool. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of scallions or chives with a smattering of red sea salt. If you can't get your hands on that, just use plain sea salt, the purpose of this is more for the red, white & blue effect. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Happy 4th of July!</span> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvok7pN1WDcxl3IOvsmlpSAf13ZT9TDGkfe466LjFGbvrgwskxfuo3oEIw_-ZimobjBw0Bepz8gbN2KdjA8XdWwXbkktxuB-WscSw-_8gCiO__RdBQCb9y4TX3sggaR4Ha22Q9zxXS9no/s1600/P1080384.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvok7pN1WDcxl3IOvsmlpSAf13ZT9TDGkfe466LjFGbvrgwskxfuo3oEIw_-ZimobjBw0Bepz8gbN2KdjA8XdWwXbkktxuB-WscSw-_8gCiO__RdBQCb9y4TX3sggaR4Ha22Q9zxXS9no/s400/P1080384.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624407250123196530" /></a>The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-44561398193464869382011-06-22T07:41:00.000-07:002011-06-22T08:57:53.647-07:00The Passion (Fruit)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR0BmV9f8tp7cT-BeYeTEhgFnVMueh2HyPumPtpnEo6Bt2ypcGUUNzLARqSTSKoZPkVKAB3oG-PEptOex-IWyVCcVfAmyXuEAEV5BFHqXn1NntTnGSPX-fZaDK2SX7gwEgmX0sCQsYNk/s1600/P1080357.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR0BmV9f8tp7cT-BeYeTEhgFnVMueh2HyPumPtpnEo6Bt2ypcGUUNzLARqSTSKoZPkVKAB3oG-PEptOex-IWyVCcVfAmyXuEAEV5BFHqXn1NntTnGSPX-fZaDK2SX7gwEgmX0sCQsYNk/s400/P1080357.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621057351948308098" /></a><br />On a most recent trip to Paris I was lucky enough to catch sight of the absolutely spectacular and surreal passion fruit flower which begins to fruit in the Spring in France (though in places closer to the equator the seasons are longer August - December and March - May). I've always loved passion fruit with it's tart sweetness and crunchy bits of seed interspersed throughout. It's a commonly eaten fruit in both <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/08/travelling-medicine-colombia.html"target="_blank">Colombia</a> and <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/01/travelling-medicine-thailand.html"target="_blank">Thailand</a>, two places that are home to me and I've grown up in. But for whatever reason, I never caught glimpse of what it looks like as it grows, nor did I know it was a creeping vine, much like a weed - it can spread and grow like no other fruit I've seen. Except perhaps <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/07/rambling-raspberries.html"target="_blank">raspberries</a> which also spread in bramble style across where they are planted or native. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OzqHB4F9YRyPZfpusV5yhMVDZvU_I8NT6JllGrsv2hOy_uYWQ6vT5SOOgu537TShdQK-0aP6WVLaDyf-xDRkDRIuzfisAqKmL6dJlF3GIw3o8LZg7ADeiQV4oinqibGoFSUK3v1dRfs/s1600/P1080354.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OzqHB4F9YRyPZfpusV5yhMVDZvU_I8NT6JllGrsv2hOy_uYWQ6vT5SOOgu537TShdQK-0aP6WVLaDyf-xDRkDRIuzfisAqKmL6dJlF3GIw3o8LZg7ADeiQV4oinqibGoFSUK3v1dRfs/s400/P1080354.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621059775063760146" /></a><br /><br />In any event, it got me thinking what has passion fruit been used for medicinally speaking, since that's what I think about almost all the time as it pertains to food. In Chinese Medicine, passion fruit is considered cooling, slightly bitter and bland, and has a calming and nourishing affect on the <span style="font-style:italic;">heart yin</span> (in non-TCM terms this would be more so the liquid and physical aspect of the heart, versus the function). Interestingly enough, passion fruit has been studied quite thoroughly by the pharmaceutical industry for it's calming and sedative effects! The irony of the use of passion in it's name helps you to remember that it is not there to inflame but rather to sedate and calm. Passion fruit is also known to lower high blood pressure and can be used as a digestive stimulant, <a href="http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/passionfruit.html"target="_blank">especially in cases of stomach cancer</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25LzlN5RiAR1zQlNRxCF-hAfLvi2WKtJCci6ydwEbJhMQ8DqCNFPmwTDsqBZvz_6up7P_4wOIRoAJQGrX-3i6u1S1NZyGCtoJPeD8vV_YGr4iYFe2JpLkfYJyKetbwyZh27OGrkKdLfc/s1600/P1080356.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25LzlN5RiAR1zQlNRxCF-hAfLvi2WKtJCci6ydwEbJhMQ8DqCNFPmwTDsqBZvz_6up7P_4wOIRoAJQGrX-3i6u1S1NZyGCtoJPeD8vV_YGr4iYFe2JpLkfYJyKetbwyZh27OGrkKdLfc/s400/P1080356.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621060097940740418" /></a><br /><br />The one thing about passion fruit that is challenging is the often times incredible tartness. This can mean that it requires the help of a little added sweetness to round it out and let the flavors come out more. My favorite way to have passion fruit is in juice form. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Passion Juice </span><br /><br />Ingredients : fresh fruit or passion fruit pulp, honey, ice, water<br /><br />1. Simply scoop out the pulp, put it in a blender, mix with some ice, water, and honey (or your choice of sweetness enhancement) and blend. Water to pulp ratio should be about 1:1 (adjust per taste). <br /><br />Another excellent way to use passion fruit in the summer is in sorbet form, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/342486/passion-fruit-sorbet"target="_blank">here</a> is a recipe that is simple and delicious.The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-72231686411863996962011-05-17T15:44:00.000-07:002011-05-17T19:39:14.937-07:00Mushroom Medicine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-gObLDX6Xwz9UrcxXEmoMp9pIKZ4bixlmDILAGs6YUuc4a6f3ny_qei5zCoinmFXC9Jnq3rPruis9lMFOqGy95uYFzn8r5oCkYCmwnKBll51j2q-MIyRmp72B1zlG-KNljqE2luwHz0/s1600/P1070789.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-gObLDX6Xwz9UrcxXEmoMp9pIKZ4bixlmDILAGs6YUuc4a6f3ny_qei5zCoinmFXC9Jnq3rPruis9lMFOqGy95uYFzn8r5oCkYCmwnKBll51j2q-MIyRmp72B1zlG-KNljqE2luwHz0/s400/P1070789.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607822384919369586" /></a><br /><br />Mushrooms have been used as medicine for millennia. Their DNA most closely resembles human DNA (as opposed to a plants DNA), lending them a strong biological and sometimes also a mythical link. Mushrooms will pop up above and below ground and can have stems or simply manifest as a <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/10/puffball-mushroom.html"target="_blank">puffball mushroom</a> <span style="font-style:italic;">sans stem </span>(used to staunch bleeding in Native American medicine or for sore throat in Chinese Medicine, they are known as <span style="font-style:italic;">Ma Bo</span>). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsF1SUnZ3YDFyPfz0B7CKT2atJCtGEOboDOhZZDX4EqqRaWG2eYshsLQNXsT1oWP_gbNBYzj_X2FBDYvrHx-fgvKUqjfjgPYT8BXpqHWXT3iZW9CtNSf3uv7fB9PN0vphP2NrWJMqfbFo/s1600/P1070790.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsF1SUnZ3YDFyPfz0B7CKT2atJCtGEOboDOhZZDX4EqqRaWG2eYshsLQNXsT1oWP_gbNBYzj_X2FBDYvrHx-fgvKUqjfjgPYT8BXpqHWXT3iZW9CtNSf3uv7fB9PN0vphP2NrWJMqfbFo/s400/P1070790.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607826860714919458" /></a><br /><br />From the Chinese medicinal cooking perspective, mushrooms (all types) have a wide and incredible healing capacity. They are cool and sweet in nature; decrease lipid (fat) levels in the blood; treat liver disorders (hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, or general liver toxicity); treat excess phlegm (in cases of congestion in the lungs); increase immunity (some are stronger than others, the <span style="font-style:italic;">Ling Zhi</span> variety fares best for this); help to reduce tumors; and promote appetite (again, think cancer and a decreased appetite here). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggBqxynXCNGTaohUEVyZbDXNYQujqTeXs2rMOCD2qnO5mYgiNzblUBmUIIsApqbih-AM5NkDrgaATKZXNR0mtgb_2t1o6TpsdxlR76oqe5qNAKL6K6FzdQn6r9kEFbFnszj3WXq2035w/s1600/P1070792.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggBqxynXCNGTaohUEVyZbDXNYQujqTeXs2rMOCD2qnO5mYgiNzblUBmUIIsApqbih-AM5NkDrgaATKZXNR0mtgb_2t1o6TpsdxlR76oqe5qNAKL6K6FzdQn6r9kEFbFnszj3WXq2035w/s400/P1070792.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607827172265110706" /></a><br /><br />Morels (<span style="font-style:italic;">Morchella esculenta</span>) have been shown in particular to increase immune function in humans. They tend to grow around white ash or elm tree's and will show their faces sometime in the Spring, anywhere from April to early June, depending on where you are in the world and if they happen to grow there. If you are lucky enough to be where they are, you can find them in farmers markets where savvy mushroom foragers will share their bounty. They are only found growing wild and have not been cultivated to date (much like truffles). Though there aren't many mimics of morels, when foraging for them and any mushroom, you should always beware as a poisonous mushroom can not only make you very sick but can also kill you. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeaUQfgQylkZypxkqEpjTf21MJfufPcERSPvz5ewYYQUGLbvROngX4BtniXZUCFoEpEexAbVsg0AGfDfzwsuiSu1cZkjFmWsKWihoqWnae4pntQcs0Y4E18leyqGAYpC-74YtBh0Hnp4/s1600/P1070794.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeaUQfgQylkZypxkqEpjTf21MJfufPcERSPvz5ewYYQUGLbvROngX4BtniXZUCFoEpEexAbVsg0AGfDfzwsuiSu1cZkjFmWsKWihoqWnae4pntQcs0Y4E18leyqGAYpC-74YtBh0Hnp4/s400/P1070794.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607827519695683170" /></a><br /><br />The most common <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morchella"target="_blank">morels</a> are the yellow (<span style="font-style:italic;">M. esculenta</span>), white (<span style="font-style:italic;">M. deliciosa</span>), and black morels (<span style="font-style:italic;">M. elata</span>). You may also find the half free or spike morel (<span style="font-style:italic;">M. semilibera</span>) earlier in the season. Often <a href="http://gmstage.sx.atl.publicus.com/article/20100501/NEWS/705049992/-1/wwn44"target="_blank">morels</a> live in symbiosis with the trees they grow by where they will provide the tree with water and the tree in turn will provide sugar which the morel will feed on. Their appearance in the Spring in conjunction with their immunity boosting capabilities after a long winter is yet another perfect example of how eating medicinally goes hand in hand with eating seasonally. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFPUnZN301jcgbELEqd43s0mQI7UPdpUj24d6EkYoac_NPMoDzhG8BYJd6pf9xvB-j6whlDYlMxjb4pqQIbcrapjPHlpy2yscPxmBDBcppt16IcHDatpy1Rdz4BTraT6ekqqrMckTSzA/s1600/P1070803.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFPUnZN301jcgbELEqd43s0mQI7UPdpUj24d6EkYoac_NPMoDzhG8BYJd6pf9xvB-j6whlDYlMxjb4pqQIbcrapjPHlpy2yscPxmBDBcppt16IcHDatpy1Rdz4BTraT6ekqqrMckTSzA/s400/P1070803.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607827793127809810" /></a><br />(spike morel, usually shows up before yellow and black morels)The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-2784937490293126002011-04-29T15:23:00.000-07:002011-04-29T16:37:17.477-07:00The Arrival of Green<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpjNw0FSu8kUSTdJcSqdM717B6bu8RyLlUBPcqlLLRx71K8EODp-NNTa3NNM4jHNyNoz0gNcNQ9E5pJxmTiYoOgEjpYO4TUWTatxc_JgZIfyFahMpCUrmrTtSiJM3CBddvlpcs-cNL7Y/s1600/P1070782.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpjNw0FSu8kUSTdJcSqdM717B6bu8RyLlUBPcqlLLRx71K8EODp-NNTa3NNM4jHNyNoz0gNcNQ9E5pJxmTiYoOgEjpYO4TUWTatxc_JgZIfyFahMpCUrmrTtSiJM3CBddvlpcs-cNL7Y/s400/P1070782.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601138784982923762" /></a><br /><br />I've been having trouble getting out of the routine of heavy <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/12/winter-hash.html"target="_blank" >winter-protection</a> food, partly due to the weather in Chicago being a little unstable but also because well, it's <span style="font-style:italic;">comforting</span> to eat heavy, slow cooked, delicious food. But then I went to one of <a href="http://www.rickbayless.com/"target="_blank" >Rick Bayless's</a> wine paired four course private dinners, with a chef demonstration (and margaritas!) before, and POW! Spring has arrived. He demo'd a Mexican-inspired <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimichurri"target="_blank" >chimichurri</a>, which is not only delicious but also solves the issue of lingering bunches of cilantro, parsley, or other green herbs. Green also just so happens to be the color and the taste of Spring, it's here to wake you up from your long hibernation and cleanse you to prepare you for the warm hot sun of the summer. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVtt2QdqRZ3yuiZj3Ge11ueQ468S5lKvLJ-aUtL5JDk9aTgaO5J_qoERN6R8WIRoIs7nlF5V6qCYIvE4_mrXVhPcQkb2Dr1lUKZZBnrNsA6bscB0B-IVPDCrZV364TJ1UWyeCa5PcgwU/s1600/P1070783.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVtt2QdqRZ3yuiZj3Ge11ueQ468S5lKvLJ-aUtL5JDk9aTgaO5J_qoERN6R8WIRoIs7nlF5V6qCYIvE4_mrXVhPcQkb2Dr1lUKZZBnrNsA6bscB0B-IVPDCrZV364TJ1UWyeCa5PcgwU/s400/P1070783.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601139072370030290" /></a><br /><br />In <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-timeyang-time.html"target="_blank" >Chinese Medicine</a>, eating medicinally is directly linked to eating seasonally (and locally). While the season in the Midwest of the U.S. is not going to be the same as down in Australia where they're heading into winter at this moment, Spring is Spring when it's happening where you are and you want to think of green colored foods (just like the crocuses popping their heads out of the ground as well as the little buds on the trees) and the sour taste (lemon, vinegar, etc). You want to activate your liver and digestion in order to detoxify the winter sludge. This helps you to wake up with more energy to get out for those much anticipated sunny days and store up some vitamin D for the winter!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhDj72nlwtP9aiuooqi6WkQYVuwHhwRPwspcz5KhoL2RSUZBwTkKrUrWQX2j0Ae7_V17krB7UYFIMxh65_kQL0SuohOxPT6agfqXlCIefXLRXpQn3QzY3Owolmjtsbln8UsDOxjgCA58/s1600/P1070785.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhDj72nlwtP9aiuooqi6WkQYVuwHhwRPwspcz5KhoL2RSUZBwTkKrUrWQX2j0Ae7_V17krB7UYFIMxh65_kQL0SuohOxPT6agfqXlCIefXLRXpQn3QzY3Owolmjtsbln8UsDOxjgCA58/s400/P1070785.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601139374632559842" /></a><br /><br />Chimichurri is an excellent way to make a sauce that works on a variety of dishes from fish, meat, pastas, salads, to appetizer toppings. It's also a genius use of all that extra cilantro and/or parlsey sitting in your fridge before it wilts. Chimichurri has travelled wide and far and can be made in a million different ways so do not worry, you can't make a mistake. It can be <span style="font-style:italic;">your<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span> chimichurri. A general guideline would be to use half oil (olive, grapeseed, or your oil of choice) and half vinegar (white or red), minced (or thrown into the food processor) herbs - cilantro, parsley, oregano, or a combo thereof, garlic, chile flakes, salt, and pepper. Or you can skip the pepper and concentrate on the chile flakes, OR add cayene or paprika. Use what you have, don't stress. It's easy. And it keeps in the refrigerator (pending no double dipping) for a few months! Extra herbs? Problem solved. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />This Week's Chimichurri</span><br /><br />Ingredients: parsley, white vinegar, olive oil, chile flakes, sea salt, garlic<br /><br />1. Throw it all into a blender and puree, taste, and adjust. Eat and refrigerate. Enoy!The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-91216625782517961502011-04-21T06:16:00.000-07:002011-04-21T06:18:19.833-07:00Spring time/Yang time(recycled from April 22, 2010) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6WpMEs4r7b9Bbic0mkkQ6hIM6pbiW3PPF-m5xJKrht7PHuCqZu3swH15MthgHgtclqT5cSXRjGVbzyDPLlYC3y_lkJiSQ8rho2Fx9Qes4TfzSauWPKQf8actH6WONto1Oh5wrG37XAQ/s1600/P1050308.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6WpMEs4r7b9Bbic0mkkQ6hIM6pbiW3PPF-m5xJKrht7PHuCqZu3swH15MthgHgtclqT5cSXRjGVbzyDPLlYC3y_lkJiSQ8rho2Fx9Qes4TfzSauWPKQf8actH6WONto1Oh5wrG37XAQ/s400/P1050308.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463074077296214546" /></a><br /><a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/04/soups-salads-and-spring.html"target="_blank">Spring</a> time is a <span style="font-style:italic;">yang</span> time in Chinese Medicinal terms, while winter is a <span style="font-style:italic;">yin</span> time. Many of you have heard and seen yin and yang theory thrown around loosely, adorned on tshirts, plastered on dorm room walls, imprinted on spa paraphenelia, carved into Acupuncture logos, and so on. <a href="http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/principles/whatyinyang.html"target="_blank">Yin and yang theory</a> is one of the major philosophical bases of Chinese Medicine and that little black and white swirly globe actually has some very beautifully simple and yet complex meaning. <span style="font-style:italic;">Simple and yet complex</span>, this sentence is very indicative of yin and yang theory. There is a sentence that explains why it is both : "All that is yin is yang, all that is yang is yin". This sentence is very similar to "what came first, the chicken or the egg?" in that while something may be <span style="font-style:italic;">yin in nature</span>, it can not exist without yang. In essence there is no day without night. Thus, simple yet complex. <br /><br />As it pertains to food and the body, yin is the liquid and nourishing aspect (blood, saliva, water, etc.) and yang is the energy (electric synapses, physiological reactions, movement, etc.). We need both, but sometimes you need one more than the other. Spring is the time when we're moving from a long cold spell where you were more focused on yin foods and doing yin things (i.e. eating warm slow cooked foods whilst hibernating and conserving energy) and on into a more yang time where you require the energy to literally pop your head out of the ground much like all the young bulbs (in particular for today, ramps, which are part of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Allium</span> family and sometimes are considered wild leeks)! <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/05/garlic-great.html"target="_blank">Garlic</a> already has many medicinal qualities that I have discussed here before, but if you want the medicine without so much bite, then a ramp is your friend and it is only here for a few weeks before it becomes <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/06/garlic-scapes-just-arrived.html"target="_blank" >scape</a> season, then just plain garlic bulb season. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNreqi2AuotE3jlbKfaLj3Gog9Uno7zjkNtWODe3jlIfjxXSdaWihk9-9ZMufyycEUYDbVd9FwnAgE6N0AaolJ_m9mhPlLgCOxTNKgOSpZbDXGGU1_Kre7_UPf9mqWgLg1Yp-POROQfo/s1600/P1050311.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNreqi2AuotE3jlbKfaLj3Gog9Uno7zjkNtWODe3jlIfjxXSdaWihk9-9ZMufyycEUYDbVd9FwnAgE6N0AaolJ_m9mhPlLgCOxTNKgOSpZbDXGGU1_Kre7_UPf9mqWgLg1Yp-POROQfo/s400/P1050311.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463078084315935762" /></a><br /><br />While yin and yang theory may be flying over your head into esoteric yaya land, once you understand it, you can self-treat and balance yourself out when you need. For these purposes, you want to put a little more bite and spark into your food to wake up your digestion while your life requires you to be outside more, shedding layers of clothes, getting sun, and interacting with people more frequently. Ramps grow from March to late May and sometimes June. You can eat them raw or lightly cooked. I used the pungent white portion to stuff under the skin of a young red cockerel, and I used the sweet green leaves to add to some roasted potatoes towards the very end so they just slightly wilted and melded in. The cockerels and potatoes were served alongside young asparagus which is also just starting to pop it's head out of the ground and will continue to do so for another month or so. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10iUSfQ9EIL_kcX9-Rak1qVNRxyVSobCeyZZgvevhr3EVnlPi_JZvCr9ZXOLTzJ8k2b1CMMYM1AI1vAGpQK_zkMqClxen_vapxHZ0UiTbj3poYutsz_t_RRzzuZ1lg9dqA_Si6uOmEy4/s1600/P1050307.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10iUSfQ9EIL_kcX9-Rak1qVNRxyVSobCeyZZgvevhr3EVnlPi_JZvCr9ZXOLTzJ8k2b1CMMYM1AI1vAGpQK_zkMqClxen_vapxHZ0UiTbj3poYutsz_t_RRzzuZ1lg9dqA_Si6uOmEy4/s400/P1050307.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463083040618341778" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Roasted Red Cockerel with Ramps, Lemon, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients : cockerels or chickens (approx. 4-6 lbs), ramps (ie. young garlic), lemon, olive oil, sea salt, pepper</span><br /><br />1. Rub cockerels with olive oil, lemon, sea salt, and pepper. Make a few tiny holes and also loosen the skin around the neck and bum of the cockerel - slip in the white portion of the ramp under the skin. Slice lemons and place in cavity. Place one whole ramp in the orifice of the neck. Let the cockerels sit for 1 hour to 24 hours (overnight). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOzA-XsQ5eROdI44ZFENCkQoF0kRHxySWBxxfDWaHnR2lj0WCtl4dgSxZjaNT_AoaSVYAW3onhtDRg3mhTVcWTLJUs8S7jJN2zpT5yfeF8feZn52lJvSRjm6CmqUHNtfEF1OIM-ZnrhI/s1600/P1050313.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOzA-XsQ5eROdI44ZFENCkQoF0kRHxySWBxxfDWaHnR2lj0WCtl4dgSxZjaNT_AoaSVYAW3onhtDRg3mhTVcWTLJUs8S7jJN2zpT5yfeF8feZn52lJvSRjm6CmqUHNtfEF1OIM-ZnrhI/s400/P1050313.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463114533162652930" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXQq-ewsSNbnlcyVQPhBt24zV6Z8TvzxdxoKF6HbrHoJjPK7m7fxwl4DRMZK8NJGjfX_oQVNZFznqE4v8z0JwGrIuOUaqVBwnoDpfFRynroGd2O0vtaarNZDsi9zUL5Sbhx5F5q0u3R8/s1600/P1050324.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXQq-ewsSNbnlcyVQPhBt24zV6Z8TvzxdxoKF6HbrHoJjPK7m7fxwl4DRMZK8NJGjfX_oQVNZFznqE4v8z0JwGrIuOUaqVBwnoDpfFRynroGd2O0vtaarNZDsi9zUL5Sbhx5F5q0u3R8/s400/P1050324.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463114844674804978" /></a><br />2. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F. Place cockerels in uncovered, breast side down. Roast for one hour at this temperature. Raise to 300 degrees F and roast for 1.5-2 hours more (depending on the size of bird). Cockerels should come out browned and crisp but juicy inside, with a lovely hint of sweet garlic flavor. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZJIHwcfAkg4IDf5pnMlPGbqIc7AnRvHgVBbn9MaZ-zBWHJiACyDPBTMG6Kyu5gtTURPYY5WSDmRKTGshhHxxvj6p__D7Y9Fg268dbuEqvUW6J390PffWa2C76ZxOLtSjMDi9Z0Mjax4/s1600/P1050340.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZJIHwcfAkg4IDf5pnMlPGbqIc7AnRvHgVBbn9MaZ-zBWHJiACyDPBTMG6Kyu5gtTURPYY5WSDmRKTGshhHxxvj6p__D7Y9Fg268dbuEqvUW6J390PffWa2C76ZxOLtSjMDi9Z0Mjax4/s400/P1050340.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463115251723479010" /></a><br /><br />How do you use yin and yang theory to treat yourself? If you are feeling excessively yin (lethargic, sluggish, tired, slow, damp, cloudy-headed), add more yang foods into your food (red meat, liver, bones, leeks, chives, scallions, garlic, carrots, lotus, radish... pungent and bright foods). If you are feeling excessively yang (hot, flushed, anxious, wired) add more yin foods into your diet (pork, chicken, almost all vegetables except the particularly pungent ones and those listed above). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG16io3JWgqQbbMKfwnfM2TCimhry7QbZL2lWBv5Otfpcs4iQYrknLukisHvfPbA1mKoD_LR2qtYe_Ndueytwkda0P484ZLL2Nq-pLhvOuFe163yFqva-5300cNyqPELo629n7Y-SeS0Q/s1600/P1050346.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG16io3JWgqQbbMKfwnfM2TCimhry7QbZL2lWBv5Otfpcs4iQYrknLukisHvfPbA1mKoD_LR2qtYe_Ndueytwkda0P484ZLL2Nq-pLhvOuFe163yFqva-5300cNyqPELo629n7Y-SeS0Q/s400/P1050346.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463116659232198562" /></a><br /><br />If you want more recipes using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tricoccum"target="_blank">ramps</a> go <a href="http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/ramps/"target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0507a.htm"target="_blank">here</a>. Ramps have a long history of culinary and medicinal use in the U.S., especially in the south. There is even a ramp festival held every year in Tennessee called the "<a href="http://www.cosbyrampfestival.org/"target="_blank">Cosby Ramp Festival</a>". Apparently in the Appalachian region of the U.S. ramps are thought to ward off winter ailments, which is perfectly in line with the Chinese Medicinal use of adding some yang energy into your food to bust out and get ready for summer!The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-61122616731606615612011-03-31T10:05:00.001-07:002011-07-29T17:05:04.099-07:00Burn Salve : Egg Whites<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzbpIqsnlQe9amgEwftgBPp1w9nN1j3xpli52Q-5CnJ11A6FfNKs4lN1P5wpcfa8UzltFipc_tx8V2rcS9HeYdz4vEkFdk89g57L7wl7Xzw_P3Xk13J7EJR4FXuMdKZIOhR4vD7-VVY8/s1600/P1070741.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzbpIqsnlQe9amgEwftgBPp1w9nN1j3xpli52Q-5CnJ11A6FfNKs4lN1P5wpcfa8UzltFipc_tx8V2rcS9HeYdz4vEkFdk89g57L7wl7Xzw_P3Xk13J7EJR4FXuMdKZIOhR4vD7-VVY8/s400/P1070741.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590291740479992818" /></a><br /><br />Hot off the press (though it's been around the block and back for some time) : <a href="http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php?title=Natural_cures_for_burns"target="_blank">egg whites</a> are an excellent salve for burns. The high collagen content helps in healing and soothing the burn as well as restoring the skin to it's natural condition. You want to keep applying layers of egg white as they dry and form a white film over the burn area. <span style="font-weight:bold;"> If you have a third degree burn this absolutely does <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> apply</span>, but in the case of a moderate sunburn (for example) that is still in the first degree category this might just be the remedy you were looking for. Do <span style="font-weight:bold;">not </span>apply when there are blisters on the skin, this is best used <span style="font-style:italic;">after the acute stages</span>. If the burn is either larger than your palm or has penetrated past the dermis layer of skin, consult a doctor immediately. Part of the reason egg whites are so healing is that it is basically the placenta of the developing chicken and placenta has always had a long history as a healing medicinal, in both <a href="http://www.tcmassistant.com/herbs/zi-he-che.html"target="_blank">TCM</a> and <a href="http://www.placentabenefits.info/"target="_blank">Native American medicine</a>. Some other home remedies that have been recommended for burns are : <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/05/mexican-grocery.html">aloe vera</a>,<a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/12/ending-on-sweet-note-happy-2010_22.html"> honey</a>, and vinegar. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepm4GTCP7qoirxWkuxTLCRysc1nMKNUONaT33B37D2PU0XKsDhUvYoXOtgvn2VBRclIXb_NEuO-dIj7B79lup_4GgyGsFq5A9Q402gz3iqFLNIxvjRNRjNbCoFr3cpUmhYgrPZqM8uUA/s1600/P1070743.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepm4GTCP7qoirxWkuxTLCRysc1nMKNUONaT33B37D2PU0XKsDhUvYoXOtgvn2VBRclIXb_NEuO-dIj7B79lup_4GgyGsFq5A9Q402gz3iqFLNIxvjRNRjNbCoFr3cpUmhYgrPZqM8uUA/s400/P1070743.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590294456828227954" /></a>The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-52026235739451099662011-03-04T14:33:00.000-08:002011-03-04T14:46:47.226-08:00Guest Post: Shiso Leaf UsesA little about Jeremy: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmv0zUjjM5SHsiLpllZVZ0_kjkkQx4uMCaRv45kIybTH8T82sgjEohXIKrG-hkC4MVnEdWQJC39IJd1GoRZM__Sh3wLjN8f9MNCR6Gs9LF8he1eGHYkLlf8srqXCvXV6Wbk2KVIR4GCc/s1600/jeremycornish.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmv0zUjjM5SHsiLpllZVZ0_kjkkQx4uMCaRv45kIybTH8T82sgjEohXIKrG-hkC4MVnEdWQJC39IJd1GoRZM__Sh3wLjN8f9MNCR6Gs9LF8he1eGHYkLlf8srqXCvXV6Wbk2KVIR4GCc/s400/jeremycornish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507641881882974226" /></a><br /><br />Jeremy Cornish is an Acupuncturist and Ju Jutsu teacher located in Naperville, IL. He is currently involved in multiple projects including an acupuncture stress study, "Acupuncture Happy Hour" on-site in offices, and Executive Ju Jutsu, which is an executive coaching/team building experience. Keep up with him at <a href="http://www.onecirclewellness.com"target="_blank" >www.onecirclewellness.com</a><br />__________________________________________________________________<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFNpQBfPNT-1yZ9_fx5ypDspQQDRc-K7GFF2tjkhOigj9tS8-98f0A98rtZ4D6hDhaceKLuGlq0-LZPfuept65dU33xNDLigdO2Azq5Eb7SIFm3NoVp91knhxpxwhmXf9eVqXgWDSFKI/s1600/P1070654.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFNpQBfPNT-1yZ9_fx5ypDspQQDRc-K7GFF2tjkhOigj9tS8-98f0A98rtZ4D6hDhaceKLuGlq0-LZPfuept65dU33xNDLigdO2Azq5Eb7SIFm3NoVp91knhxpxwhmXf9eVqXgWDSFKI/s400/P1070654.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580358157600798994" /></a><br /><br />Eating sushi is a joy. I believe that the rituals and accoutrement around the process add a lot to the experience. Most people enjoy the wasabi, the soy sauce, and even the pickled ginger that typically come with sushi. But have you ever wondered why they stick a piece of green plastic grass in the mix?<br /><br />That green plastic grass is a tragedy. In Chinese Medicine, we recognize the energetic effects of foods. For example, sushi is a raw, typically cold food. Cold is typically not conducive to digestion, so traditional people would eat herbs to balance the cold effect. This is why we usually see warm spices like ginger, or wasabi on the plate. Also, miso soup and green tea warm the body and aid the digestion.<br /><br />There is an herb called shiso, or <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.tcmassistant.com/herbs/zi-su-ye.html"target="_blank" >Zi Su Ye</a></span>, or Perilla Leaf. This is a purple or green leaf that we use in Chinese Medicine for its warm, acrid nature (can help with acute cold/flu symptoms). The warm nature is good for the digestion, and helps to offset the cold of the sushi. In very nice sushi places, this leaf (pictured above) will accompany the sushi. You can eat this. It tends to have a lemon/mint flavor.<br /><br />The other benefit of the shiso leaf is its ability to kill parasites, and prevent mild food poisoning. Those are two things to be considered anytime we eat raw fish! To me, the green plastic grass is a sign that the meaning has been lost. The people serving the sushi have forgotten the importance of the shiso leaf. Using herbs and spices to balance the energetics of food used to be common sense, and common practice.<br /><br />Don’t let your simple medicines be replaced by plastic! Demand the real thing! Say Yes to shiso!!The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-88660953188093028252011-02-16T05:44:00.000-08:002011-02-17T15:10:58.058-08:00Food as Medicine IThere have been so many medicinal food tidbits that I've wanted to share that I thought a round up of the recent gatherings would be a nice kick off for February (mid-February in any case!). So without further ado, five of my favorites for this month...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoc9tueXp0Qwyyu9ymvaCMDEMDsBjitrRC8Hd7Gh0XSEpwLfYoNccHkba_kSqTJRvsiQKuy-uUyalv3PXiDjYIH7DdLscnEwp4Ed-va0sWZ1zQzXSFtxP6MQX_ngLnyQXTzKO2Ge4V39A/s1600/P1070600.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoc9tueXp0Qwyyu9ymvaCMDEMDsBjitrRC8Hd7Gh0XSEpwLfYoNccHkba_kSqTJRvsiQKuy-uUyalv3PXiDjYIH7DdLscnEwp4Ed-va0sWZ1zQzXSFtxP6MQX_ngLnyQXTzKO2Ge4V39A/s400/P1070600.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574521001006628594" /></a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#1.</span> Pictured above is some ridiculously delicious beef stock. Do you make your own or buy it? Do you buy the little salty cubes of bouillon? Well, making your own stock is such a simple, tasty, and incredibly healing mechanism of food intake that I hope you start soon if you haven't already. It's easy to make and you can freeze batches of it for future use in soups, sauces, stews, and just simply as stock for healing purposes. In Chinese Medicine making a stock out of bones (and marrow) is thought to increase the function of the kidney and all the physiological aspects that are associated with it (i.e. brain function, growth, bone strength, fertility, urinary function). From the Western nutritional perspective, bone marrow is particularly high in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docosahexaenoic_acid"target="_blank">DHA</a> which is an omega 3 fatty acid that contributes to the development of the brain and eyes, as well as other growth functions in children. DHA is now synthesized (primarily from micro algae) and sold in capsules (much like every vitamin and mineral out there) but <span style="font-style:italic;">it is best absorbed and used by the body when ingested in it's natural form<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span>. Low levels of DHA are associated with Alzheimer's disease (meaning, <span style="font-style:italic;">there is a lack of DHA</span>). When I <span style="font-weight:bold;">prescribe</span> stock to my patients it is usually for : blood deficiency (which can manifest as anemia, loss of vision, dry skin, scanty menses, fatigue), post partum, post surgical, chronic fatigue, low immunity, poor digestion, for fertility, and just for general good health. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruy8llbXp5_OQYhBdYEVUtsH5cuSOQyPDiPjQD29sukaG4Jzr3NJ4B3spZcZxzUla_YJeKsyEQRFiJ2ds1n2xQohXMM3wMDgJwbAVfccE-19b-C3ZA8PXFn6VJe-8mrM3oL1i6cZO5Do/s1600/P1070601.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruy8llbXp5_OQYhBdYEVUtsH5cuSOQyPDiPjQD29sukaG4Jzr3NJ4B3spZcZxzUla_YJeKsyEQRFiJ2ds1n2xQohXMM3wMDgJwbAVfccE-19b-C3ZA8PXFn6VJe-8mrM3oL1i6cZO5Do/s400/P1070601.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574431603512671938" /></a> <br /><br />Another fantastic example of where East meets West in terms of nutrition theory (besides the kidney function and DHA mentioned above) is demonstrated very well here in a <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/heribert_watzke_the_brain_in_your_gut.html"target="_blank">TED talk by Heribert Watzke</a> where he goes into the link between human brain growth historically and eating cooked nourishing foods (such as stock). He says what separates us from the other primates is primarily this : cooked food. I think stock plays a great role in this theory. <br /><br />I like to buy short and long (beef) bones from my local farmers market and make a beef stock, but I also make chicken stock (usually using the leftover chicken carcass after making a roast chicken), and fish stock (I buy a large fish head from the fish monger). You can also make pork, lamb, lobster (using the shells), and other bone based stock. Make a stock that works for your palate and cooking needs. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Beef Stock Recipe </span><br /><br />Ingredients : 2 long bones with marrow, 1 large white onion, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots, parsley, salt, pepper<br /><br />1. Sear the bones in a little bit of oil until browned on all sides, add approximately 2 liters of water along with whole peeled onion, celery stalks, peeled and roughly chopped carrots, 2 stems of parsley with leaves (or substitute with correander/cilantro), 2 tablespoons sea salt, 1 teaspoon pepper (adjust this to taste). <br />2. Boil for 3-4 hours (or up to 6-8 if you have the time - you will need to add little bits of water as it gets more concentrated, without diluting the flavor too much) until the stock takes on an amber hue. Let it cool and separate into containers for freezing after straining out the bones and vegetables. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbw2HvBRK3u3tdo_QHomYiB8snWmyXHr9ASZFFG9fPgiCZWx3gLWyOknOiRB9l6Hm3V2X8PQY79iDSuya1-pzA6cPyhNbsSBx0NL_s6__E9itsuJG9eNsPbKl7vUdW4dt4jlx7dLKe0io/s1600/P1070627.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbw2HvBRK3u3tdo_QHomYiB8snWmyXHr9ASZFFG9fPgiCZWx3gLWyOknOiRB9l6Hm3V2X8PQY79iDSuya1-pzA6cPyhNbsSBx0NL_s6__E9itsuJG9eNsPbKl7vUdW4dt4jlx7dLKe0io/s400/P1070627.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574328693392633010" /></a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlj4nU_69iKTKuyFJa5k3u8R1K9E2i0GZ5LTmastRIR8fjNd3GcQLgxVd0jV3EWYTyuGdgACCA-DOVJmDTDyWHSaYV_lbPOXJY4TtxKi1i9hVaI8SMCcG6WDqM2P6Qxdq_d4BzFWqbgS4/s1600/P1070629.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlj4nU_69iKTKuyFJa5k3u8R1K9E2i0GZ5LTmastRIR8fjNd3GcQLgxVd0jV3EWYTyuGdgACCA-DOVJmDTDyWHSaYV_lbPOXJY4TtxKi1i9hVaI8SMCcG6WDqM2P6Qxdq_d4BzFWqbgS4/s400/P1070629.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574329661729897922" /></a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#2.</span> Whilst in Turin, Italy back in October I ran across these fabulous little boxes of <a href="http://www.pastiglieleone.it/"target="_blank">digestif pastilles</a>. I love that there is a culture of helping your digestion in Italy. In fact, there has always been one everywhere in the world but recently we've been losing touch with this culinary ritual. One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to eat warm nourishing foods as your <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/04/soups-salads-and-spring.html"target="_blank">digestive function is like a furnace</a> according to Chinese Medicine. Another way is to eat or drink something after your meal which is not only tasty but medicinal such as a <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/06/healing-wines-and-liquors.html"target="_blank">digestif liqueur</a> or a digestif pastille much like the ones shown above. In Chinese Medicine licorice root and anise are both used for these purposes, both of which are featured flavors in these pastilles. But they also have interesting other flavors such as balsamica, cinnamon (cannella), and currant (ribes). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZR-rnP9JjpJSBHjO9sfdb_a82PxKP39ePfu2KKg5IhnD3ZvVFtxe_mHNeBV86GAFQBf_DFlsSBlymC1maAOM0oPiDIRBdLuQiV4GNJRLf-qHV2hmfAYlPpkLQqq1b2wx95zxbUnQHGg/s1600/P1070624.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZR-rnP9JjpJSBHjO9sfdb_a82PxKP39ePfu2KKg5IhnD3ZvVFtxe_mHNeBV86GAFQBf_DFlsSBlymC1maAOM0oPiDIRBdLuQiV4GNJRLf-qHV2hmfAYlPpkLQqq1b2wx95zxbUnQHGg/s400/P1070624.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574345269444768082" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#3.</span> I know the health food brigade has been all over this one for some time (and in the Andean highlands where it is a <a href="http://www.livinginperu.com/features-138-cuisine-quinoa-ancient-supergrain-future"target="_blank">food staple from Incan times</a>, even longer!), but for whatever reason I didn't take to quinoa right away. Perhaps I didn't understand it well enough. However in December while I was in Colombia I had an amazing arugula, parsley, avocado, and quinoa salad paired with a succulent and crispy roast chicken, and <span style="font-style:italic;">I was in love</span>. Quinoa has a bitter quality which is excellent for <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-noise-diet-post.html"target="_blank">tonifying (i.e. treating) the heart</a> according to Chinese Medicine. If you are finding yourself a little anxious, have heart palpitations, or are easily excitable, perhaps quinoa is a worthwhile exploration for you. It is also a starch that is high in protein and won't weigh you down so much when you're on the go during the day or when you want to sleep light and happy at night. Quinoa has all 9 essential amino acids and is considered a complete protein, therefore it is an excellent food to add into your diet if you are vegetarian. In addition, it's high magnesium content helps to relax your muscles and enhance blood flow, especially if you are tense, stressed, and your liver is suffering. In Chinese Medicine, the liver is the receptacle organ for stress and it is also interesting to note that foods <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-noise-diet-post.html"target="_blank">high in magnesium</a> tend to be foods which correlate to the liver, primarily dark leafy greens (quinoa is a relative of swiss chard). The key to cooking quinoa is to do so until the little tails uncurl from the grain and you are left with a sweet, nutty, and pliant grain. I like to cook it with beef stock and a little tomato paste to lend it more <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/10/umami-flavor-of-satisfaction.html"target="_blank">umami</a> flavor. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Quinoa Recipe</span><br /><br />Ingredients: quinoa, beef stock, tomato paste<br /><br />1. Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot and gently stir 1 cup of quinoa until coated and lightly browned, add 2 cups of beef stock and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes, you can see it is done when it puffs up and the quinoa tail comes unfurled. Salt and pepper to taste and serve over a salad or as your starchy side to a protein. <br /><br />*for more flavor saute 1/2 and onion until soft before adding the quinoa. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4Gmh-MaqYy9i7yJKObmCOXOyke4ZDKSzxMwlsBPf1BtAzxHpYK5PdLDEQKjT0aUNuHNCTHQx7GQa5mN04Aj2vgvPW-2mw04VFCtlG5Dt33RFXZhx_-mGLmd5KOkhqBXWpRZl_1I9z_o/s1600/P1070632.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4Gmh-MaqYy9i7yJKObmCOXOyke4ZDKSzxMwlsBPf1BtAzxHpYK5PdLDEQKjT0aUNuHNCTHQx7GQa5mN04Aj2vgvPW-2mw04VFCtlG5Dt33RFXZhx_-mGLmd5KOkhqBXWpRZl_1I9z_o/s400/P1070632.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574331293637335602" /></a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#4.</span> Cinammon, love it or hate it it's a very powerful food/spice to use as medicine. You can use it simply to make a tea (pictured above) or you can add it to <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2009/04/thai-boat-noodles-beef-noodle-soup.html"target="_blank">stocks and soups</a> to lend a spicy roundness to the flavor. In Chinese Medicine cinnamon bark, or <span style="font-style:italic;">Gui Zhi</span>, is used to warm and unblock. It is also good for beginning stage colds, joint pain, menstrual irregularities, and other pains (in particular those worsened by the cold). <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cinnamon Tea</span> <br /><br />Ingredients: 1 stick of cinnamon bark, water <br /><br />1. Boil water and let cinnamon stick steep until tea is a delicate beige. Drink and then reuse all day up to 5 times or when there is no more flavor. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxohZk2xjDP8XuzghLDKPULSiJVN09b5AloVuyt0NcRuuJlGkaoGZAoEorJV5_QhGNTlhjgWyrDzDnul3EfQrOR9owm17g2cEtqzneL6x3D-tEnYULEwoniI2Qff7JnMMXh3Qcbyuq5LY/s1600/P1050072.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxohZk2xjDP8XuzghLDKPULSiJVN09b5AloVuyt0NcRuuJlGkaoGZAoEorJV5_QhGNTlhjgWyrDzDnul3EfQrOR9owm17g2cEtqzneL6x3D-tEnYULEwoniI2Qff7JnMMXh3Qcbyuq5LY/s400/P1050072.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574346051822755618" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">#5.</span> And last but not least, ghee (clarified butter). A product which I came across some time ago but have only just now circled back to is the ghee (pictured above and below) produced from grassfed cows by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/nourishingourchildren?sk=app_392248091048#!/pureindianfoods"target="_blank">Pure Indian Foods</a>. Ghee has been used in <a href="http://www.amritaveda.com/learning/articles/ghee.asp"http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2011/02/food-as-medicine-i.html>Ayurvedic Medicine</a> for thousands of years and is considered a very powerful medicinal food that can be used internally and externally. It is butter without the milk solids (thus <span style="font-style:italic;">clarified </span>butter). Ghee is used to heal skin disorders, gastrointestinal issues, and neurological conditions. The only time to use ghee with caution is in cases of obesity and/or an abundance of phlegm. In which case you would use it sparingly. You can use ghee much like any cooking oil or butter. If you're lactose intolerant and were looking for a butter alternative, ghee is your friend. I often recommend it to patients who have high anxiety or neurological conditions as it is grounding and soothing for the nervous system. It also happens to taste good and has a high burning point unlike olive oil which can go rancid if you use it to fry things. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XLeuz3Q-G-VHAK18ryL9fuQGk7BXw7njYCdNVpvqvF0zU__b-am-28tOq05TDq7hPGpAOHQ05p7xFL_iXIRyUcHmNDvAQx_RDOk61MPPTSA8GNG7xn5uhSJGUFjhcs00up0K_S2_x1s/s1600/P1050075.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XLeuz3Q-G-VHAK18ryL9fuQGk7BXw7njYCdNVpvqvF0zU__b-am-28tOq05TDq7hPGpAOHQ05p7xFL_iXIRyUcHmNDvAQx_RDOk61MPPTSA8GNG7xn5uhSJGUFjhcs00up0K_S2_x1s/s400/P1050075.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574346494164703394" /></a>The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1784694887367771083.post-17009868147825159432011-01-05T09:31:00.000-08:002011-01-06T14:59:52.316-08:00(Happy 2011!) Butternut Squash Soup with a Hint of Spice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWV6M5n5GkTK-AGtV5JFPg2TongcBOiwfypRTA85cJB4ucosXaLCoRsqzFMInQRWYitVJWCKAYUDsgHxu3-JxnghQcjyYv30OMMKHde7aF0kVVW1SJo00xOlaByrNHpdN9xDnTBBIOx-E/s1600/P1070253.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWV6M5n5GkTK-AGtV5JFPg2TongcBOiwfypRTA85cJB4ucosXaLCoRsqzFMInQRWYitVJWCKAYUDsgHxu3-JxnghQcjyYv30OMMKHde7aF0kVVW1SJo00xOlaByrNHpdN9xDnTBBIOx-E/s400/P1070253.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553574038742413538" /></a><br />Yellow and sweet. The color and taste which treat the digestive system in Chinese Medicine. If you're feeling anything like I am at the moment, your digestive system could use a little tender loving care after the whirlwind that is November through December with Thanksgiving followed by one Christmas party after another. Instead of making daunting New Year's resolutions by starving yourself, this <a href="http://thespicedoc.blogspot.com/2010/04/soups-salads-and-spring.html"target="_blank" >soup</a> will soothe you and your stomach without breaking the scale further. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJm5M7YRQLAbWdqipVsR401pORfgri9Ls5lBYPF8qofZ0xwtmtZpXvEB74qMD1MfIi_UvoVEWBsaZVztGPNLRjmxtepQTlDU7IovD_PMJ4rRGWtrnDuJv-4mU12zoQ4n52bO-3Quu-Hg/s1600/P1070254.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJm5M7YRQLAbWdqipVsR401pORfgri9Ls5lBYPF8qofZ0xwtmtZpXvEB74qMD1MfIi_UvoVEWBsaZVztGPNLRjmxtepQTlDU7IovD_PMJ4rRGWtrnDuJv-4mU12zoQ4n52bO-3Quu-Hg/s400/P1070254.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553574314456916242" /></a><br /><br />Right now root vegetables, gourds, and tubers are in season. And, eating in season is the best way to truly <span style="font-weight:bold;">eat medicinally</span>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butternut_squash"target="_blank" >Butternut squash</a> tastes precisely as it has been rightly named. Buttery (without butter), sweet, and meaty in it's own right. This soup takes no longer than 30 minutes to make and you can freeze batches of it if you plan to reheat whenever you need a little more tender loving care for your stomach, which is precisely what the <a href="http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/more_zodiacs/rabbit.htm"target="_blank" >Year of the Rabbit</a> (coming up on February 3) is all about, gentle and soothing after the fire of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Year of the Tiger</span>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAMD-zkmL35Qa7-NV8j_LO3ncI4sjAQRsA1Zh_KQ-6LVkuYKgTflYe3hUqg_4ik2DQHgttV9ANq2EYAG_eNr2IVUtyWE2XGOpkmJQhvBVAx9B_AHdrk332KQExQpUYt5MZl81CMZfpfs/s1600/P1070257.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAMD-zkmL35Qa7-NV8j_LO3ncI4sjAQRsA1Zh_KQ-6LVkuYKgTflYe3hUqg_4ik2DQHgttV9ANq2EYAG_eNr2IVUtyWE2XGOpkmJQhvBVAx9B_AHdrk332KQExQpUYt5MZl81CMZfpfs/s400/P1070257.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553574603204481634" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients:</span> 1 medium or large butternut squash, 1 white onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 leek, 1 tbspn tomato paste, salt, pepper, curry powder (or use a combination of cumin, tumeric, dried chile), 1 tsp fresh ground ginger, cilantro, plain yogurt (my preference is Greek yogurt), chicken or vegetable stock, 1 bay leaf<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeEwpP-dY1IpsAXat4XZM9EMz1F3E1SlbbS_5h7R2koNs4uSh04Gqh1pj6-mW3VVkTEP6oXPlO5hPmqsvASV8R8ouwvQiddfiAo8z8u-p2B5y-rrEksKkFwIaBBsFjoHu2YqPGFz5NGM/s1600/P1070256.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeEwpP-dY1IpsAXat4XZM9EMz1F3E1SlbbS_5h7R2koNs4uSh04Gqh1pj6-mW3VVkTEP6oXPlO5hPmqsvASV8R8ouwvQiddfiAo8z8u-p2B5y-rrEksKkFwIaBBsFjoHu2YqPGFz5NGM/s400/P1070256.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553575218118979474" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Directions: </span><br />1. Peel squash and slice through the center, de-seed (you can keep them to toast and eat if you wish). Chop into large squares. <br />2. Slice onion into moon slices, wash and slice whole leek, mince 1 garlic clove, mince up 1 tsp of ginger, have all other spices and ingredients on hand. <br />3. Saute onion, leek, and squash until they both get a little soft and have color (about 5+ minutes), add minced garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbspn tomato paste, 1 tbspn curry powder or aforementioned combination of spices (you can add this to taste), keep cooking all together until it's well mixed then add 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. <br />4. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes until the squash is soft, add 1 cup of plain yogurt (if you wish to have a thicker creamier soup, add 1 cup of coconut milk instead). Boil together another 5 minutes, pull out bay leaves and then let the soup cool for a few minutes before blending together (either with an immersion blender or in a regular blender, in which case you would need it to be at room temperature). <br />5. Reheat and serve with a garnish of cilantro if you wish and a sprinkle of crunchy sea salt.The Spice Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02226532446537227333noreply@blogger.com1