Eating Cake on the Rooftop

On at least three separate occasions I have been asked if I’m still doing Meals with Morri. The short answer is yes. The longer answer obviously has more to it than that. 

When I first started, I was cooking and posting and writing on the regular, and in doing so I learned how to cook and post and write. I met a lot of talented and amazing people along the way. Companies and publishers reached out to me to write reviews for their products and cookbook authors. I learned to be picky, and when to say no.

But with the evolution of Meals with Morri, particularly the person behind it (i.e., yours truly), I started to become very critical of my art. If it wasn’t something I thought people wouldn’t like, it wasn’t posted. If the photos I took were not good enough, the recipe itself would have to wait. This doesn’t particularly bother me, because I have really blossomed with the food I’ve made, and the stories I’ve written about them have refined. The problem I am facing now is the realization as to why I love to cook, and why Meals with Morri has been lacking in recipes per month recently.

My motivation in making food is just that: making food. Not for me, but to share with others. Eating the same food with other people is such an important ritual for me. It’s a sacred act of connecting with others at the table. I had experienced a similar revelation while I was in Malta. When I lived alone, I just made food. There was nothing more to it than insuring I was eating enough. But when CK and I visited each other or I made food for the office, suddenly the creative juices were flowing in overdrive. And perhaps the underlying reason is to validate my art, to see that Meals with Morri was doing something positive in person. But really, I’ve come to realize that, like my previous aspirations to be a chef, I really love it when people eat and enjoy the food I make for them. 

Living with my parents after over a year of not doing so has meant that what they eat and what I eat doesn’t mesh as often as it used to when it was my responsibility to make dinner for the family. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course, but not sharing food I make with other people has affected my motivation to create and share recipes online. I like there being a reason for my art, and I want to experience that shared moment in person, in real time. CK and our two dear friends H and J have risen to the challenge in helping me see that it's equally important for me to enjoy my art, and are more than willing to help give me ideas in what to make (thanks, guys).

Last night, I was invited to a friend’s birthday party, and although I wasn’t asked, I made a cake that I knew I’d be able to eat. It was a rooftop party, one that overlooked other Washington, D.C. apartments and offices, the Washington Monument blinking lazily far away. The already present cupcakes had been eaten, and to my surprise, my cake was used to sing to him “Happy Birthday” (which I unashamedly conspired with his girlfriend in making happen). The cake was said to be quite good, and only a few people knew that it was gluten free. 

Rooftop Carrot Cake with Honey Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake
120 g White rice flour*
1/2 tsp. Baking soda**
1 tsp. Cream of tartar**
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
150 ml olive oil
200 g coconut sugar
5 Carrots, grated

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease (I used butter) and flour (I used the white rice flour) one 9-inch pan.
In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, sea salt and cinnamon.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a larger bowl with a hand mixer), combine the eggs, olive oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla, and beat on medium-low speed until the mixture is slightly frothy.
Reduce the speed to low, and add the flour mixture in small increments, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula each time.
Stir in the grated carrots, mixing until combined, and pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (for me, this was 50 minutes).
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a parchment lined wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, decorate the cake with frosting and other toppings you may enjoy (such as unsweetened coconut shavings).

Makes 1 cake, or 12 slices.

For the frosting (courtesy of this recipe)
8 oz package or 240 g Cream cheese, softened
56 g Unsalted butter, softened
85 g Honey
Unsweetened coconut shavings, as topping (optional)

Whip the cream cheese in a standing mixer until soft, then add the butter and honey to blend.
Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Makes 12 – 18 servings.

* NOT to be confused with sweet rice flour. If you do, you’ll get a mochi-like consistency.

** The baking powder equivalent is 1 1/2 tsp.

An Introduction to Maltese Cuisine: Minestra Tal-Haxix

Besides saving the world as an intern at the NGO I’m working for, one of my goals during my stay in Malta is to cook traditional Maltese foods. And, if the need came up, make them gluten free. It’s a way to further integrate into the culture I’ve thrown myself into, and also a motivation to be more active on Meals with Morri.

It is very apparent that Malta’s cuisine is directly affected by its history and geography, particularly showing strong English and Sicilian influence, as well as representations of Mediterranean (also including Spanish and French) and Arabic (North African, mostly) influence based on the residents on the island. The majority of the country’s foodstuffs has been and is imported, but since it is positioned along important trade routes between Europe and Africa, it had opened Maltese cuisine to outside influences very early on. The food is also heavily season-based and faith-based, two things I look forward to learning about during my yearlong stay.

Since awakening the foodie aspect of myself, I have developed a philosophy about culture: you know a people by the bread they eat. Think about it. It’s absolutely fascinating to observe what sort of bread a culture eats and why, and what flours were used in place of wheat due to geography and access. The bakeries here give off intoxicating aromas of yeast, rising dough, and sweet treats that are said to be wonderful accompaniments to any meal. The Maltese are famous for their baked goods, and sometimes I wish I could say “food sensitivities and health issues be d*mned” and take a bite of their amazing breads. There are days I feel cheated somehow, not being able to know this vibrant culture more because of this minor detail. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to worry about it.

But that’s a post for some other time. This post is about soup, and a recipe that almost overflowed onto the stovetop.

For inspiration in what I wanted to make, I went onto a community website for Maltese recipes. The beauty of this national cuisine is how family-oriented it is and its incorporation of the many ethnicities and cultures that helped make Malta the vivacious country it is today. In other words, it is hard to find a recipe for two, but you can definitely find a meal for eight… or days of leftovers for a Morri living on her own for the first time ever.

The soup I chose was Ministra Tal-Haxix, which literally translates to ‘minestrone with vegetables’. It is the Maltese version similar to the famous Italian Minestrone, a vegetable soup with noodles, a wide variety of veggies, and in this case, favetta. It’s extremely nourishing and filling, and I could imagine families warming themselves up on a rainy winter day (and believe me, it does get rainy) with a hearty bowl as a starter to the main meal.

When I examined the recipe I found online, I also looked at a comment someone posted and included their suggestions into the final product. Instead of turnips, I incorporated the kohlrabi and favetta (split fava beans). And instead of using one pot, I ended up using three. Why? Because vegetables such as pumpkin, cauliflower, cabbage, and kohlrabi add up in bulk, and my soup pot was completely filled to the top with vegetable goodness. That, and I thought the pot I had would be adequate, considering it’s only me in the apartment. But alas, it wasn’t tall enough. So the favetta and noodles were boiled separately to insure a balanced serving for each bowl, and the cabbage was put through the pressure cooker and mixed in when the other vegetables had cooked down. And for the love of soup, people, do not add more water than instructed. I did to cover the vegetables (i.e., perhaps half an inch or a little over a centimeter from the top), and I am still amazed I didn’t make more of a mess than I had.

Regardless, it turned out deliciously, and it freezes well as individual servings. (It’s also great for those wonderful vegetarian partners currently residing in Rome and who is visiting in a couple of weeks [*hint hint*].) You may need to add more water when reheating, because the beans and noodles may absorb more water after the initial cooking process. Warm it up and top it with cracked black pepper, fresh garlic (finely chopped or crushed), and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Minestra Tal-Haxix (Maltese Minestrone Soup)

200 g Gluten free rotini pasta (or a small pasta type equivalent)
250 g Dried favetta*
2 Zucchini, finely diced
4 Medium potatoes, finely diced**
2 Onions, finely diced***
475 g Pumpkin, finely diced****
1 Small cabbage, finely chopped
1 Small cauliflower, finely chopped
2 Celery stalks, finely diced
2 Tomatoes, finely diced
2 Carrots, finely diced
1 Kohlrabi bulb, finely diced
1 tsp. Tomato puree
750 ml Water
2 tsp. Sea salt
Olive oil

Parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)
Garlic cloves, finely chopped (optional)

Soak the favetta over night and cook in the pressure cooker before putting the soup together.
Boil the noodles as instructed on the package al dente and also set aside.
Chop all the vegetables and place them in a tall pot.
Add the water, tomato puree and salt.
Bring to boil and let simmer until vegetables are tender, and add a spoonful of olive oil. Add the pasta and favetta and keep simmering until the pasta is fully cooked.
Serve hot with the grated Parmesan cheese and fresh garlic. 

Makes 6 - 8 servings

* As I said, favetta are split fava beans. You can soak them the night before and add them with the veggies, or do as I have instructed for the recipe.
** Along with their amazing bread, the Maltese Derby Potato is famous for it’s silky texture, buttery overtones, and usage over a variety of dishes in Maltese cuisine.
*** Preferably red onions (I don’t know the species of the Maltese red onion, only that they are strong and sold locally)
**** Fresh pumpkin is sold by the slice here, which I’m sure will further encourage my pumpkin addiction and put it in everything I eat.

All Work and No Play

The Burt-man recently asked me if I have enough fun. It’s the sort of question that hits you in the face like cold water in the mornings. It wakes you up. It makes you think.

I go to school full time. In grad school terms, that’s nine credits or higher. That’s nine hours in the classroom, six of them being in the late evening. I then devote three days to studying, one for each class, and studying (as well as paper writing and presentation making) can take up to fifteen hours in total. I also work part-time; nothing fancy, just twelve hours three days a week. It takes my mind off school and it’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had, but it’s still a job. It still takes a lot of energy to be present for the kids as well as my co-workers.

If we add it all together, plus the time it takes to commute, school and work equal to a full-time job. (Mad respect for grad school students who are parents and/or with full-time careers. You guys are the kings and queens of time management.)

Due to the change in my schedule this semester, this meant I had to stop rock climbing for a while. (I just about cried when I told SportRock I needed to freeze my account.) I couldn’t make the time to go in the evenings, because by that point I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was read another novel from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. My mornings have been devoted to sleeping eight hours, and simply just chilling out or working on projects. I barely had the energy to do Insanity, let alone to go out and see people and go on adventures. I’ve never been so appreciative of my bed before this semester, or sleeping in general.

I'm so jealous that my cats can literally sleep whenever they want.

It’s the final stretch towards obtaining my Masters Degree, and it has me hyperfocusing so narrowly that I literally have to schedule fun and force myself out the door to have it. Don’t get me wrong; I love my classes and my job. I enjoy the readings, the discussions, and being in the classroom. I cherish the time I have with the kids and my friends at work. But the Burt-man’s question irked me, because it’s true. I’ve forgotten how to have spontaneous fun without the fear of procrastination and motivation looming over my head.

Fun became an expense. I couldn't afford it anymore.

I also have been preparing for my internship in 2014. Yes, I got an internship. In Malta. For a year. I have never been so excited and so terrified for anything before. I will be leaving in early December to settle into this new chapter of my life. So along with the typical week I mentioned, I also have a year of being abroad to consider: what to pack, what paperwork is needed, where I’ll be living, how I will need to budget, etc. I considered doing distance-learning classes along with the internship and my school’s requirements for internship credit in the spring, but decided against it. Why? Because I’m going to be in Malta, that’s why! Because my internship is a forty-hour workweek, and because I want to do my best and still have fun while I’m there.

So with papers and projects coming up (or in one class’s case, a midterm due tomorrow), I am getting myself in the writing groove by writing this post and talking about emotional health.  Guys, everyone needs fun for themselves, even when your schoolwork and your job are things you look forward to every day. You need time (or a day) to yourself to do things for you. That’s why I’m getting myself out of this motivation rut and will set aside time to myself every day to make fun and be creative. If you focus on all the things that have to get done, nothing ever will. Recipes won't happen. Grades will start slipping. Depression and illness will settle in. Work will seem like a chore. 

So I'm having fun this fall. I'm making time and I'm making meals again.

Autumn is my favorite season. I love the crisp in the air, the color changing in the leaves, and the seasonal crops on the shelves and in the farmers markets. Virginia is bursting with apples, squash, and dark leafy greens, and I wanted to honor that with a dish. It’s a casserole that will keep you warm on those rainy days and chilly evenings. I call it the Three Sisters Casserole because it has corn, squash, and legumes in it, but you can most certainly taste the autumn in every bite.

Three Sisters Casserole

Pumpkin Cornbread batter*
227 g Cooked black beans
1 Medium Zucchini, thinly sliced
200 g Kale, coarsely chopped
3 (240 g) Chicken Thighs, cooked and coarsely chopped**
1 Yellow onion, halved and cut into thin crescents
3 Garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. Sea salt
Dash of Sage
50 g Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a medium sized bowl, combined the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients of the pumpkin cornbread batter and set aside.
In a large pot (or stainless steel wok) on medium heat, pour a tablespoon of your cooking oil of choice.
Upon smoking temperature, sauté the onion, garlic, zucchini, and kale and cook until soft.
Add the beans and chicken and continue cooking on medium-low heat for five minutes and add the sea salt and the sage.
Turn off the heat and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.
Pour the batter over top and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and it is cooked all the way through.

Serves 4 – 6.

*Pumpkin Cornbread
90 g Sorghum flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Unrefined Apple Cider Vinegar
21 g Honey
3/4 tsp. Sea salt
150 g Masa flour
2 Large eggs
15 g Ghee (or melted butter)
250 ml Whole Milk
250 ml Water
200 g Pumpkin puree

Prepare as you would your typical cornbread recipe, which can be found here.

**Vegetarian, you say? No problem! Simply replace the chicken with another 240 g of cooked beans. You can also substitute it with mushrooms, butternut squash, more cheese, or additional veggies.