Food for thought: A few of my new favorite things

Hope that some of these can can serve as inspiration for a safe & happy 4th!

I did a bad thing: I bought a gift for someone so I could use it. Was there a Seinfeld episode about that? Or just about regifting? Anyway, who doesn't love a JUICER? My husband gets a toy; I get juice. Everybody wins! The Breville juicer isn't cheap. It's from Williams-Sonoma, and you know they charge. However, if you keep your receipt, they will replace it way, way beyond the 3-year full warranty offered by the manufacturer. A salesperson told me a customer took back a coffeemaker from 1995. So, that's a plus. Next, I checked the RPMs, and it's three times as powerful as a Jack Lalanne juicer. Then we put it to the test. Wow.

I was just amusing myself until I thought about making ginger punch with it. That juicer spit out the equivalent of dust, squeezing every last drop of ginger essence from the root. No longer will making ginger drinks be this mysterious pulsing and straining alchemy. And if I want to get cheftacular, I can make French-Laundry-type soup essences. Naw. A note to jammers--I made jam from leftover strawberry-blueberry pulp, and it was amazing. Just added sugar and a little water.


EATONVILLE appears to be the new place to see and be seen (ou voir et s'etre vu). It's across the street from and owned by Busboys and Poets. The food looks and tastes good. Its name comes from Zora Heale Hurston folklore, but I would say it caters more to its mid-Atlantic clientele with measured spicing. Seafood abounds on the menu, but my histamines lay low as I ate appetizers and sides in contentment. The cheddar onion tart had an amazing crust (think Julia Child makes cheese shortbread) and fried green tomatoes that were nice and crunchy. One pleasant surprise was the SWEET POTATOES WITH ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE HASH. So good and satisfying! Here's my imagined rendering of this sweet, hot and savory side.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
12 ounces fully cooked smoked Andouille sausage or chorizo sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (Trader Joe's has chicken Andouille sausage if low-fat sausage is preferred)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
dash cayenne or Sriracha hot pepper sauce
3 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (sometimes called yams; about 3 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
Dash red wine or sherry vinegar

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to paper towels to drain. Add onions and garlic to pot and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until beginning to soften, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using potato masher, mash some of potatoes in pot. Add browned sausage to sweet potato mixture. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil if you drained sausage oil. Season with salt and pepper.


Uncooked CHAPATIS at Costco. Butter a griddle or pan, heat & eat. What?? I did a double-take. Recipes were dancing before my eyes. I wanted to roast curried potatoes and cauliflower on the spot! But I had to focus. I was too busy to make them just yet. I caressed them, whispering, "I'm coming back for you, boo."

I would combine cauliflower, carrots, chickpeas or lentils, curry powder or paste and optional ground or shredded meat with sea salt for a tasty filling.


Penguin brand CORNBREAD MIX-6-pouch box, also from Costco. Now Southerners, you will want to know that this is the sweet, cakey "Yankee" cornbread. It won't make good savory hush puppies, but it will make good hoe cakes. Make the batter according to directions then make little cakes on a griddle or skillet instead of baking it in a skillet or pan. So good with savory foods--chili, sloppy joes or sloppy "janes" (my vegan version) or try it with a cold crab, red pepper & avocado salad. I'm also thinking you could whip up a quick dessert with just a few ingredients:

Cornbread mix made according to directions
1 lb. or so thawed frozen or fresh fruit
1/4 cup melted jam or preserves (thickens and amplifies flavor more than sugar)
1 tsp. butter for 9x13 glass pan

Grease 9x13 pan. Spread fruit evenly in pan. Pour jam over fruit. Pour cornbread over fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes on bottom rack until cornbread is set.


So I've always been a fan of FROZEN FRUIT SALAD. But it's so convenient and ideal for summer, the tip bears repeating. Use frozen fruit, and, if you want, add honey, organic sugar, frozen fruit concentrate or even liqueur--amaretto would be lovely. Let thaw inside (when it's hot) or outside (when less so) to the refreshment of your guests! Healthier than popsicles, but just as cool! Oh, and when it's semi-frozen you have an instant fruity drink party. Just be sure to invite me!!


HOMEMADE LEMONADE is becoming a national treasure and quite the scarcity. Restaurants are quick to put a lemon wedge in a drink, but at least around D.C. no one wants to make real lemonade with pulp and lemon slices. I've been to a few places that say they are making fresh-squeezed lemonade. Stop lying! I know after my fist sip that no one squeezed this. Why? Because there is no lemon oil giving it that depth, only the sour juice. With two lemons and some bottled lemon juice, you can make a simple syrup that will extend your efforts.

2 sliced lemons (prefer organic, scrub well if not)
1 1/2 cups sugar (prefer organic)
3 cups lemon juice from a bottle
Spoon for pounding and mixing
1 cup warm water in a small pitcher with lid

Heat whole lemons in microwave for 30 seconds until warm to the touch. Slice in a large bowl where the juice can be added into pitcher. Add lemons, sugar and lemon juice into pitcher. Pound lemon slices to release oils, then stir mixture while adding warm water. In a glass, add 1/4 to 1/3 syrup, 1/3 to 1/2 water, then top with ice cubes. Conserve the rest in the refrigerator.
(Photo: Sara Gray)