Here again, is that lovely beet gnocchi. Its magenta hue is so stunning that in any application, it creates a dish worth discussing. This dish looks like all the care in the world went into making it, but it is really, well, it’s as simple as making gnocchi (which really is too simple for something so delicious). When I mention it, peoples’ eyes light up, Oh, really?! Will you bring some over?

Sorry to say, it has all deliciously departed. We had the gnocchi as shown above, with a simple grating of Parmesan and cardamom, and tossed gently with olive oil, salt and pepper. I can also imagine tossing these in an olive tapenade, an herbed pesto, or with a medley of colorful summer squash.

The beet brings out a wonderful earthiness in the dish that really deserves highlighting. Of all the dishes, this was my favorite. The mushrooms, cooked down in rosemary, added a great forest bramble quality to the dish. The goat cheese added a grassy compliment. Together, this dish was like the marriage of forest and pastoral life.

The sauce can easily be replicated for any pasta dish, but I think really, a colored pasta will highlight it best– which is great because there are many on the market. (Although you will be hard pressed to find any as fabulously pink as the beet.)

Beet Gnocchi with Goat Cheese Mushroom Sauce
Serving size= 4 persons. Active time=8 minutes. Cook time= 20 minutes.
1 medium sized white onion
5-6 cloves garlic
1 quart button mushrooms (mixture, or favorite work too)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
4 ounces goat cheese
1 pint heavy cream
4 servings beet gnocchi or pasta1) Put salted water on high heat and bring to a boil. While warming, in a large skillet set over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil.
2) Add onion and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms, saute 10 minutes, until mushrooms brown, release liquid and reduce slightly. Add rosemary and a pinch of salt, allow flavors to emerge.
3) Cook pasta. Gnocchi just takes a few minutes and is ready when it begins to float on the surface.
4) Add goat cheese and heavy cream to the mushrooms. Stir to warm and break down goat cheese. When just boiling, turn heat to medium-low and keep warm until pasta is ready. Serve.

We all have our vices.

I can live without coffee, tea is just fine. Dare I say I could live without chocolate? Okay, I won’t go there just yet. But the mangosteen… The sweetest and most velvety of fruits I cannot live without. I decided this in 2005 when I had my first, and what I thought until recently, last taste.

Many have never heard of a mangosteen. The fruit looks like a freakishly juicy garlic in a tough, thick plum exterior. The taste is unbelievable. The flavor is a cross between tangerine, mango and papaya with a texture that is soft butter. It is the caviar of the fruit world. And you will pay near-caviar prices if you can find it outside the tropics.

I met the mangosteen in Shanghai, late August, 2005. I had just turned off Nanjing Road, a main shopping district, “booya-ing” my way through the crowd. (I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous, but I was told “bu” was a form of “no” and “boo-ya” was essentially, “no thank you” or “I don’t want.” As men approached offering to escort me to factories to purchase designer bags and DVDs, I simply droned a continuous stream of “booya” from my lips. I still think it sounds like I was having a plethora of “ah-ha” moments: Ah, booya! That’s what I thought.)

I turned off the main road and saw a man carrying a large basket of what I thought were plums over his shoulders. As he approached, I readied my booya when I noticed these were not plums at all. The fruit had cute little green caps and appeared to be garlic inside. For an unknown reason, I decided to buy the strange fruit. A few steps away I broke it open, frozen as this new sweetness filtered through my senses. I returned to where I had found the fruit vendor, looking to buy more, but he was gone. I returned the next day, and every day until I left, hoping he would return. I searched fruit markets and soon decided it must have all been an illusion. I would never find this fruit again. It did not exist.

Over breakfast one day I discussed this hallucination to some locals. Ah, the mangosteen, they knowingly smiled. But that was all. It was hard to find, I was lucky to find one. I left China with only a hint at this fruit never to find it again. I was lucky to have the name.

When I returned to New York, I scoured the internet seeking outlets for the fruit in my area. Surely, I thought, with such a large local Chinese population I could once again find this fruit smuggled through the lines. I printed a picture of the mangosteen and took to Chinatown, both Manhattan and Queens, on foot at different times of the year, hoping I could turn up the slightest lead or acknowledgment. Nothing. I thought surely I had lost this taste of paradise, only to be had should I return to Asia.

A recent trip to the Queens Chinatown for wonton wrappers turned into an unexpected surprise.

There is a supermarket in this neighborhood I visit that can leave me wandering aisles for hours. I can purchase anything from a wok to fish balls, to full, uncut oxtails to every imaginable ginger candy. It is a day’s excursion into the supermarket. My favorite aisle is the produce section. With a fresh seaweed bar, young ginger, purple potatoes, and more Asian pears than I knew existed, I can always find something fun. I picked up my wonton wrappers, some kimchee, hot bean sauce and rounded into the produce aisle.

I saw them right away. I cannot believe it! I said to my friend, A. There they were, tucked into a corner, 5 nylon sacks, each containing a few purplish orbs. I had found the mangosteen without actually seeking it out. (Although we could argue that all my trips into Chinatown are forever in search of the mangosteen.)

Most often, the best produce at this supermarket is fought over violently. I have been in the middle of a ruckus of senior citizens literally shoving me over for kumquats. Where were the crowds for the mangosteen? Were these people crazy to pass this sacred fruit? As I grabbed my bag, holding it close to my chest expecting a tackle, I noticed the price: $12.99 per pound.

I had to have them. I was an addict awaiting my fix. I waited 3 years for this moment and was not going to let this fruit depart my side.

What is it? A Jewish mango? A asked. Silly man! None for you! I turned wild eyed and raced to checkout.

Just over 2 pounds of my fruit came to $30 for 9 fruit, or $3 per fruit. Priced over a 3 year wait, I paid mere pennies per day for my future moments of joy. What a steal!

Sadly, I just finished my last mangosteen. Already shaking for more, I’m already contemplating going back to buy the remaining bags. Can I really wait another 3 years?

I’ll also mention I understand the huge burden on the environment when we chose imported fruits over local. Anyone who reads this blog regularly should know my stand in the debate. I do not purchase imported fruits on a regular basis, and as I said, this one mangosteen is a vice.

Take action against the FDA’s decision to fast-track cloned meat and dairy products to consumers by heading to the OCA.

Opted out of a regular ol’ diet this New Year? How about trying a low-carbon diet? You’ll sound way cooler saying something like, “I just lost 25,000 pounds.” Find out how here.

I have an indoor worm compost bin (vermicompost) that I love. There is no smell and the worms have reduced my garbage by about 2/3 (not to mention most of my junk mail). The best part is that I have pounds of rich compost ready for my house plants (or to donate to friends or community gardens). Composting is a great way to get rid of food scraps. Try reducing your waste by composting in ‘08. If you have space, purchase an outdoor bin or some worms for an indoor bin. Here’s a great city guide to getting started or an article by a friend of mine.

I have been looking into industry Agribusiness and Health donations for Presidential candidates. You can even break it down within a sector (where the sugar, food processing and pharmaceutical industries provide top funding may surprise you). See where your candidates are receiving money from, and where they might stand on the issues they don’t discuss by heading to Open Secrets.

My friend passed this cool website my way. Similar to Environmental Defense’s safe seafood guide, the site brings sustainable fish options to the palm of your hands via cell phone text messaging. Now I only wish my cell phone wasn’t so old I could actually receive text messages! Check out the Blue Ocean Fishphone.

The Green Guide, presented by National Geographic offers some interesting looks into common products.

What is with me and beets? You ask.
What is this recent obsession with using them in strange applications? You wonder.
An early start on Valentine’s Day?

I wanted pink pasta. No, truthfully I am still looking to use up my beets in interesting ways. I have eaten them plain, braised, pickled, in chocolate cake, and now beets have fallen into gnocchi. I really wanted to utilize that unique coloring that I love into something that would be truly fabulous. I think this takes the cake. How fabulous they are, both taste and visually. Look at them! Lovely magenta dumplings! So bold on a plate, screaming to say, look at me at eat me!

With my new food mill a willing collaborator, I had to give these babies a try.

Step back. Food mill?

I know, it sounds very old fashion, right? Even D was a doubter (and now newly converted). For months I have been looking into purchasing a new potato masher. No joke, months. I take my kitchen purchases very seriously. I have been using an old pastry blender with wires that just don’t stick in place. (Poorly constructed.)

Debating between hand-held mashers, I could not bring myself to make the buy. Not enough uses for a single instrument that can cost a good deal for the style I wanted. Potato ricers are great, but they ultimately feel like giant garlic presses to me (they also do a lousy job pushing celeriac through I recently found out borrowing a friend’s). So after much contemplation I went with a food mill. Good not only for mashing or ricing potatoes, but will bring sauces and soups smooth, make applesauce, and somewhere down the road can make baby food or grandparent food (zing!).

So with my new food mill I pushed potatoes and beets through and out came what D exclaimed as the “Sweeney Todd Special.” Pot pies anyone? I am ecstatic I have this instrument.
Really, the beet in this recipe is so faint it is difficult to detect. Another great way to slip beets to the haters. I also think it’s a great way to get kids interested in vegetables. Forget slipping it into their food, how about letting them make pink pasta, black pasta (with sepia), brown (chocolate), you get it. I had fun, I’m sure a child would have even more. (And how rewarding to make something delicious the whole family can enjoy).

This recipe made a good deal of gnocchi, enough for two portions and plenty to freeze for later. The best part of gnocchi is that once it’s frozen, it just takes an extra minute or so in boiling water to bring to temperature. Easy, delicious and easy on the eyes. Make the beets a day before to cut some time off.

To make regular gnocchi, just remove the beets from the process and reduce the flour amount (or follow this link). Beets have so much moisture that a good amount of flour is needed to counteract the stickiness of the dough Alternatively, I could have used less beet, but I love how this gnocchi radiates (really, sort of radioactive).

Beet Gnocchi
Serving Size= 8-10 portions
Special equipment: box grater, potato ricer or food mill
2 large (I used 8 small) russet potatoes
2-3 beets
2-3 cups flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
pepper to taste

1) Snip greens from beets and boil until soft, 30-45 minutes. Remove skin under cold running water, set aside. Boil whole potatoes, skin on, until soft (do not puncture initially with fork). Work carefully and quickly with two towels to slip potato skin off (you want to rice the potatoes while still warm).
2) Working in batches, place potatoes and beets through the ricer and spread gratings over a cookie sheet to dry out as you work.
3) Create a mound with the potato and beet shavings. Add the flour, salt and pepper to the center and create a moat, cracking the eggs inside. Work and knead the dough together, adding more flour as necessary, until dough is no longer sticking to fingers. (As D said, until it looks like a giant pancreas, see photo left).
4) Working in batches on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into snakes a little thicker than the width of your thumb. Slice into 1-inch pieces. Finish shaping on a lightly floured cutting board and imprint with a fork (this helps hold the sauce and cook more evenly). Assemble, slightly apart, on a cookie sheet and freeze if saving some for later use (this keeps the gnocchi from forming one giant gnocchi). Transfer to freezer bag once frozen through.
To Cook: Boil salted water. Add gnocchi and cook 3-4 minutes, until gnocchi float to top, remove with slotted spoon.
Note: Use your gnocchi just like regular pasta, though in my opinion, stay away from tomato based sauces as this will just be a large bowl of reds. Light olive oil and Parmesan, cream sauces or pesto, work very nicely with these. More in the days to come.

Wait a minute, you’re thinking.
Seriously? Did I just write that correctly? I’m thinking.

It’s all true. There are beets in that cake. As chocolatey and dense and delicious as it looks, beets lurk within. All that beet goodness gives the cake a slight red tint and a spectacular taste (no kidding). You can happily add this to your diet and eat it for dinner and dessert all in one. Er, maybe as a beet salad appetizer and dessert in one. Er… Okay… Just dessert. But you can pretend you are eating healthy from all those vegetables.

When I told D about this recipe he was less than pleased, How about just a chocolate cake?

How about we have 5 lbs of beets from our CSA’s winter share we need to go through in 3 weeks and we’re going to put beets wherever I please. For our last distribution I jarred our beets into some snappy rosemary pickles and needed a new and interesting outlet. Chocolate is always a kitchen winner, from mole to brownies, so with beets it would pair.

If you are still having problems with the sound of this cake, or any sweet vegetable cake, think about carrot cake, zucchini bread or the eggplant loaf. (Just kidding on that last one.)

Maybe this will become a sneaky way to get vegetables in your child’s meal, or a way to hide beets from the beetaphobe in your life. I guarantee this cake will be eaten.

The original game plan for this recipe was cupcakes. Fluffy beet and chocolate cupcakes. After a quick survey of the pantry, when no flour could be found, I decided a more dense, flourless cake was in order. I must say I am very happy no flour was found. I think the rich texture of this cake presents the beets very well. Paired with a tall glass of milk, I think of this as borscht for the new generation.

I found the original recipe on epicurious for a flourless chocolate cake and adapted it. I cut out some of the butter and cocoa powder and because beets contain natural sugars, I reduced the amount of sugar. I also found 1 full egg and 2 egg whites to be plenty (okay, I only had 1 egg and 2 whites frozen- but it worked!). And of course, the original recipe contained no beets, so I added plenty.

Flourless Chocolate Beet Cake
Active time= 15 minutes. Bake time= 25 minutes
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 egg, separated plus 2 egg whites
salt
1-1/2 cups grated (cooked) beets plus 2 tablespoons cooking juice
1/4 cup cocoa powder

1) Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter an 8-inch cake pan, line it with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper.
2) In a double boiler set over medium heat, melt the chocolate and butter.
3) With an electric mixer, begin beating egg whites with a pinch of salt and the beet juice. As whites build, add the sugar, egg yolk and zest into the chocolate mixture, stirring to incorporate evenly. Add grated beets to the chocolate and incorporate.
4) Gently fold in the egg whites and cocoa powder until just combined. Pour into the buttered cake pan and bake 25 minutes in the center of the oven.
5) Cake is ready when a toothpick comes out clean on the sides, but slightly wet in the middle. Remove
from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. Invert the cake on a plate and refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Happy New Year!Please take notice (some of you already have) that things have changed around Just Braise. I’ve implemented a new, cleaner design. I believe the new look not only displays my dishes more deliciously, but has a soothing feel that aids in digestion (much more so than the old blue/ orange harshness of last year)!

With every New Year we are asked to make Resolutions. I am sort of sick of the usual “lose weight,” ones that really just prep a person for the beach and allow the weight roller coaster to start up again in the fall. Really, do people still make these sorts resolutions or is it the media onslaught of fat trimming pills to pop come the New Year (has anyone else noticed these all over TV?!) that make us think everyone is making them. While I do think overall lifestyle changes are healthy, they should not be a New Year makeover.

Here are my “Resolutions”: Eat more food that is better for the environment, as well as the people that bring my food to my table (farmers and workers alike). To become better educated on where my food comes from, what is inside (packaging labels as well as gene splice) and the global impact my food choices have on us all. On a broader scale, I hope that more people have access to better food choices, more reasonably priced pesticide-free foods, hear less lies about GMOs, and increase worker rights on farms and in factories. Maybe these are not all resolutions, but simple hopes for the New Year.

As for the picture in this post…

D and I ate a lot of kale back in ‘07. I had never really considered the leafy green before. Like most people, I stuck with what was easy. Simply, more often than not, with what I knew. Sure I ventured out and bought new things here and there (much to D’s initial horror) because finding new delicious foods is always a positive.

But my local groceries don’t really carry much kale, which is unusual– it’s a New York food staple. It is so easy to grow, and more importantly, it is so healthy. Seriously, there is so much good information about kale it’s almost like the new chicken soup (see here, here, and here)! There are even whole blogs waxing poetic on kale (see here and here).

As a member of my local CSA I received a lot of kale. I’m talking every week. Initially, I chopped raw kale super fine and tossed it into salads. Mixed in with all the other vegetables it just became another complex, earthly flavor in those salads. Growing tired of that, I threw every bunch into omelettes. Sure, not very exciting, but now I was cooking the kale– One giant kale omelette after another. As the season tapered on and I realized I grew tired of my kale omelettes, I experimented with other methods.

While some folks in the CSA juiced their kale (adding in peaches, apple juice and more), some made kale pesto, others threw it into soups. I thought these methods, more often than not, covered up that great subtle bitterness I had come to love in the vegetable. So I thought, hey, it looks sort of like lettuce, and voila, the kale sandwich.

This method was so good D and I started making it nightly. We grabbed for extra kale at distribution (no joke) and when we ran out of kale, used other bitter greens (cabbage, broccoli rabe, collards). Still, our favorite green was kale. I added a creamy goat cheese to play with the earthy qualities of kale and come Thanksgiving, I made this sandwich for D’s sisters who ate it up– “that was kale?!” (Note that D’s sisters were subjected to kale salad earlier in the season and were not so into it, though the kale omelette did win hearts).

D and I eat these sandwiches open-faced and find them quite filling. You can cut these sandwiches into bite sized appetizer noshes and serve them at a party. If you have no bread, use crackers. If you don’t like goat cheese, use swiss, a smoky gouda, or whatever you find works best for you.

As for the celeriac chips. Need I remind folks that fried things are delicious? Celeriac, or celery root, is a variety of celery grown as a root vegetable. It sort of looks like a crushed brain when you buy it, but smells and tastes slightly, of celery. Just peel the skin and use it as you like. It’s great raw, as a soup, folded into mashed potatoes, or in this application, fried! Simply slice it thin, fry it 3-4 minutes in hot oil, drain on a towel and sprinkle with salt.

Kale Salami Sandwich
Active time= 10 minutes.
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 bunch kale
2 slices good bread (I like to use sourdough)
2 tablespoons goat cheese
salami

1) Warm the butter or olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Roll kale like cigars and slice into thin strips. Add kale into the skillet, coat with butter and cover.
2) Toast bread. Spread each with goat cheese.
3) Stir kale, when it has turned a deep green, add on top of cheese. Add a few slices of salami.