Bay leaves & Basil

Bay leaves and Basil is a fun-loving, cooking, eating, tasting, reviewing, food blog created by two close friends with a shared love of food and fun. Created by Ignez (The Cook) and Logan (The Writer), this blog is our attempt to make the experience of eating just as important as the deliciousness of the food. Check back for more food-losophies and puns. We hope you enjoy!

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Refrigerator Oatmeal Review: A Fruit Saver

Refrigerator Oatmeal Review: A Fruit Saver

As an avid pinterest-er, I’ve been seeing tons of overnight, no-cook oatmeal recipes going around. I’ve been trying to eat something substantial for breakfast, lose a little weight, and preferable eat something that tastes good… so why not give it a try. Right?

The Process

Turns out, it’s impossible to find oatmeal in Korea. I tried asking people at the store and they kept bringing me back to the cereal section (that’s already pretty limited here). I asked at work and my co-workers had no idea what I was talking about. I explained the overnight oatmeal concept and their response was, “Oh is it yogurt? I’ve made homemade yogurt before.”

Eventually one of my co-workers realized what I was talking about. “Oh! Like oatmeal cookies! My Canadian host mom used to make oatmeal all the time. Yeah, we don’t have that here.” Except, you do sometimes see the oatmeal cookies here, but nothing to make them yourself.

So, after a quick trip over to iherb.com, I was able to get the ingredients I needed for the overnight oatmeal.

Well mostly. Greek yogurt is impossible to find here too. So I decided that some, slightly watery K-style Yoplait will work!

I loosely followed a recipe from theyummylife.com to come up with my creation. They have a lot of great looking recipes on there, but I didn’t want to go searching for every element. The only way that this would work for my lifestyle would be if it was easy.

So at night I mixed it together in what seemed to be reasonable proportions.

And I didn’t add any extra sugar like some recipes suggest. Instead I used some honey as a sweetener. Just a little honey plus the yogurt and the fruits natural sweetness is enough.

And then left it overnight. And guess what? It was delicious! I shared it with my wonderful co-workers who helped me figure out the oats and they loved it too. Here’s my first frozen blueberry oatmeal!

What I Learned

1. Fruit Saver

This is a great way to save your fruit from being thrown away! When it’s about to go bad, throw it in an overnight oatmeal. It really works with bananas. Sometimes it’s just too hard to eat another fruit that you’ve had 4 times that week. This changes it up and you don’t feel like you’re choking down another of the same thing.

2. Chia Seeds Bloat

The chia seeds and the oatmeal absorb extra moisture and it makes the oatmeal have a really creamy, almost fluffy texture. Even so, don’t overdo the milk like my co-worker did. It’s not super absorbent.

3. Super Filling

One great result of the oats and chia seeds absorbing all those nutrients and flavors is that it really fills you up! Just a little bit makes me feel totally full for a long time.

Logan’s Recipe

Works with different sized jars

1/4 Rolled Oats – Just cover the bottom with this. This should be the largest portion of all the ingredients, but don’t go overboard.

Chia Seeds – Put a dash of these on top of the oats. These can be strong, so just enough to make a thin layer over the oats. Try a little less than it seems in the picture.

Yogurt – Any yogurt seems to work fine. It just helps to have the gooey-ness. Put twice as much as the chia seeds.

Fruit – Fill-er-up! I haven’t found any problems with having too much fruit.

1 tbsp Honey – Sweetness!

Soy Milk – Just a splash to help get the oats wet

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App Review: Chef's Feed

Here at Bay leaves and Basil, we've been getting a little more social with our restaurant decisions, with Chef's Feed!

Chef’s Feed, an app currently only available on iPhone or directly on the website http://www.chefsfeed.com/, has been around for a little while now, and gotten some exposure here-and-there, but it has the potential to be so much more! Right now Chef’s feed is in only 24 cities, and D.C. happens to be one of the lucky ones! Why not take advantage of it?

We are living in one of the few lucky cities that get to know exactly where our favorite chefs are going for dinner when they’re not slaving over our meals. Who better to find out what’s good in your town than from chef’s? They’re the in-crowd, and they know all about secret menus and special spots.

The way it works is that when Chef’s go to their favorite restaurants, they take pictures of their favorite foods and put it up on Chef’s Feed with a little blurb about why they like it. It’s like Instagram for chef’s and without all those annoying people who only post selfies everywhere.

Thanks to Chef’s Feed I was able to find one of those out-of-the-way, random, cash-only spots that only locals know about. Pho 75… Nowadays it’s hard to find a place that is unpretentious, knows what it’s good at, and does just that. This is not the kind of place that gets reviewed and tons of press, but thanks to Chef’s feed it is also not impossible to find.

Another one of these hidden gems is Bayou Bakery (many of our posts have been written there while we were enjoying a frothy latte in one of their comfy booths). Only a block away from the Courthouse metro station, it is a little Louisiana bakery that just happens to have a Virginia address. Multiple dishes (mostly specials that can’t be found everyday) have been featured on chef’s feed. I go there for one of my favorites, the biscuits with cream cheese and pepper jelly. Thankfully those can be found every day, all day long.

Places mentioned in this post:

Pho 75 1721 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209 Hours: 9AM-8PM Nearest Metros: Rosslyn or Courthouse

Bayou Bakery 1515 N Courthouse Road Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: [phone]

Monday-Friday: 7am-9pm Breakfast: 7am-11am Lunch: 11am-3pm Dinner: 5pm-9pm

Saturday: 8am-9pm Breakfast: 8am-12pm Lunch: 11:30am-3pm Dinner: 5pm-9pm

Sunday: 8am-4pm Breakfast: All Day! Lunch: 11:30am-4pm

Nearest metro: Courthouse

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New Year’s Eve - Food for Luck & Party Planning

Food is important during any holiday and celebration, but we’d bet there’s no more important time than New Years. When you think about it, New Years is all about eating and drinking, or for some, denying it. Every year, the largest self-confessed New Year’s resolution in America has to do with altering one’s diet or exercise. For the next few weeks we’ll all be seeing things on the T.V. and online like, “eat less,” “eat healthier,” “clean eating,” “how to keep that New Year’s diet,” etc. But beyond these stressful food trends there are some even more important New Year’s food traditions… like food for luck! So, we’re going to review a few of our favorite, tasty superstitions to make this another prosperous new year!

Make that money

In Southern America where I'm from there’s been a long tradition of eating greens (mustard or collard) and black-eyed peas made with hog jowl on New Year’s Day. It’s something I’ve always remembered people joking about in stores after New Year’s, “Did you eat your black-eyed peas this year?” Though it’s not something I’ve always done, it’s a tradition that I can easily trace back to my grandparents and beyond. So what does it mean? The greens represent dollars and the black-eyes peas represent coins or pence. If eating greens and black-eyed peas on New Years can help you make that cash you need in 2014, it’s worth a try! And what’s pig jowl?

It may be a little harder to find in cities or outside the south, but when I was back in Tennessee I took a picture of it in a local BI-LO. My mom explained that it’s a lot like bacon, but even less lean (who knew that was possible!). It’s a lot more fatty and is used to flavor things like beans. It just melts right in. But if you can’t find hog jowl, try bacon instead!

Get lucky

Ignez said there aren't a lot of Brazilian traditional dishes made for New Years, but there are a lot of little traditions that can help you get the right start. In Brazil if you want to start your year off right, you need to eat a pomegranate! Sounds like this can give you some luck and get you off on the right foot toward your diet too.

This next one is a pretty international suggestion. We’ve always heard that enough Champagne on the night of the 31st can often help people get lucky ;)

Traditions beyond the food Partying is by far the most international tradition there is. This year Ignez and I are hosting a New Year’s Eve bash in her new apartment and we’re both really excited! We haven’t quite set the h'orderve menu yet, but we’re thinking something pretty simple. I also wanted to do a before picture of my dollar store haul! It’s amazing what you can do on a budget with some creativity and a dollar store.

We’ll take pictures and update you later on the party! I have some great plans for my dollar digs, our foodie traditions, and a few extras. If you’d like to get some inspiration for your own party, visit our pinterest “Monthly Theme,” board for some of our favorites we've found online.

Cute Brazilian NYE Traditions Finally, I couldn't help but include these Brazilian New Year’s traditions because they’re just so awesome.

Make a wish and keep 7 seeds in your wallet for good luck and fortune. – Maybe you can keep some of those pomegranate seeds for this one!

Wear white for peace

Wear a different colored underwear for what you want in the new year.

Red = love

Yellow = money

White = peace

Hope everyone has a wonderful start to 2014!

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Dinner in a Pumpkin: Guest Blog

We’re very excited to announce our very first reader recipe submission! A big thanks to the lovely Mara Hodges for reaching out to us and sending us this wonderfully dynamic recipe! We really loved that you thought of ways to involve the whole family in this. Thanks Mara!

We’d also like to extend an invitation to anyone who would like to see their recipes on Bay Leaves and Basil to email us at [email protected] with your own works, ideas, or photos! And now, without further ado, Mara! - Ignez and Logan

If you haven’t gotten your fill of pumpkins from Halloween and Thanksgiving yet, here are some ideas! You can make enticing and creative dishes with pumpkins of all sizes! From the little decorative pumpkins that fit in the palm of your hand, to the larger pumpkins you carve into jack-o-lanterns, all pumpkins make for great eating. Pumpkins themselves are rich in vitamin A (beta carotene) and fiber, while their seeds contain lots of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. The recipes you will find here are simple, and will not require you to run to the store to buy ingredients that you would not ordinarily keep around the house.

Let’s start with the seeds. No matter what size of pumpkin you have, you will want to dig out the seeds before cooking the rest of it. Kids love gooey pumpkin innards, and asking them to help you sort the seeds out from the rest of the pulp is a great way to get them to help you in the kitchen. Pre-heat your oven to 300˚F and lay the seeds out on a shallow baking tray or cookie sheet. Then, season them to your liking. You can use plain salt or your favorite seasoned salt for a more exotic flavor. Bake the pumpkin seeds for about twenty minutes, watching them closely. Different sizes of pumpkin seeds may take different amounts of time to cook. When they look toasty brown, take them out of the oven and enjoy!

What about those tiny little pumpkins that fit in the palm of your hand? You can use them to make a dessert that is both healthy and festive. Simply carve off the top and take out the seeds like you would if you were making a jack-o-lantern. Then, place two tablespoons of brown sugar or maple syrup inside. Other sweeteners such as agave nectar can be used if you are looking to keep the glycemic index low. If you like, sprinkle in some cinnamon or your favorite pumpkin pie spices. Then, put the top back on the pumpkin and microwave it for about five minutes until the insides are soft. To eat it, just grab a spoon and scoop out all that pumpkin goodness!

Larger pumpkins can help you make an appetizing and exceptionally healthy one-dish meal. Cooking dinner in a pumpkin is similar to cooking in a slow cooker, except that you get to eat the container! A pumpkin that is ten inches in diameter can serve four people, and larger pumpkins can easily be stored in the refrigerator for the next day if there is too much for your family to eat in one night. Pumpkin dinners can make a great substitute for a Thanksgiving turkey if you are vegetarian and want to celebrate with a beautiful, edible centerpiece.

To cook dinner in a pumpkin, hollow it out and then fill it with whatever you wish to have for dinner that evening. I have experimented with  a couple of recipes from The New Pumpkin Cookbook, which was published in 1981 by the Half Moon Bay Main Street Committee for Beautification, and found that filling the pumpkin with soup and chili vegetables works very well. Simply fill the pumpkin with some cabbage, onions, celery, bell peppers, carrots, and any other good soup vegetables you happen to have on hand. Add a bunch of beans or your favorite meat, and then fill the rest with soup broth or salty water and some savory seasoning. Then, place the cover back on the pumpkin and cook it at 300˚F for 2-5 hours, depending on the size of your pumpkin. If your pumpkin is twelve inches in diameter or less, check it at least once every half hour. If your pumpkin is larger you can check it hourly. You will know that dinner is ready when the skin of your pumpkin crinkles and starts to sag as you can see in this photograph of a pumpkin I cooked last year.

If you are not the adventurous type and would like an official recipe, try this recipe for cooking a 4-5 pound pumpkin. It is straight out of the Half Moon Bay pumpkin cookbook I mentioned earlier.

Irish Stew—in a pumpkin

2 pounds lamb shoulder, cut up and trimmed of excess fat (lamb goes very well with pumpkin)

6 slices bacon, cut up in small pieces (I never used this ingredient)

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I find that too many potatoes make the filling volume too large)

2 carrots, sliced

10 to 12 small onions (I just used a large onion and cut it into small pieces)

1 tomato, cut up

2 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon rosemary (I have fresh rosemary growing in my back yard, so I used more and it turned out well)

1 cup white wine (This adds a very unique flavor to any pumpkin dinner)

½ cup cabbage, cut in small pieces (Cabbage is a great thing to put in pumpkins)

A 4 to 5 pound pumpkin

Melted Butter (I started skipping this part after the first few trials with no ill consequences)

Original Recipe Instructions

Combine lamb, bacon, water, wine, salt, pepper, and rosemary in a large heavy pot. Cover and simmer 1 hour over low heat. Meanwhile, wash pumpkin and cut off the top, creating a lid. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers. Brush the inside of pumpkin with the melted butter and salt. Add the remaining ingredients to stew, bring to a boil. Carefully transfer stew to pumpkin, replace the lid. Place pumpkin in a shallow pan and bake at 375˚ for about 1 ½ hours or until pumpkin flesh inside is tender. The pumpkin shell should remain firm enough to hold the filling without danger of collapsing. To serve scrape some of the pumpkin flesh into the stew mixture, serve from the pumpkin. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Additional Recipe Instructions

Cooking the meat before you cook the pumpkin is a good safety precaution if you are worried that the meat may not reach a high enough temperature to kill bacteria. However, I find that when cooking vegetarian pumpkin dishes, it works well to just throw everything inside the pumpkin and cook it at a low temperature for a longer period of time. That way, you’ll have one less pot to wash! Also, the original instructions said to use a shallow pan. I recommend using a sturdy, deep baking pan because liquid tends to seep out of the top of the pumpkin and dribble down into the pan. If you have a very large pumpkin and a very shallow pan, your pan may overflow!

What if your pumpkin has already been carved into a jack-o-lantern? You can still use it for a wide variety of pumpkin dishes in lieu of canned pumpkin! You can do one of two things: steam your pumpkin in the oven or cut it up and steam it on the stove. Baking will be less time-intensive because you will not need to cut up your pumpkin into small pieces to fit into your pots. To bake your pumpkin, place it in a baking dish with a few inches of water in the bottom to keep it steaming and not roasting. Then, bake it at 350˚ and check it every half-hour to make sure that there is still water in the pan. The process may take two or more hours, depending on the size of your pumpkin. When it is done, let it cool and then peel away the skin. You can then stuff it into containers and store it in your freezer for later use. Frozen pumpkin will keep for at least a year, and during that time you can thaw it and use it to make pies, cakes, and sweet breads.

So, before you throw out that old Halloween pumpkin, take a moment to think about how you could use it for your Thanksgiving dinner. Whether you are making an exquisite dessert from miniature pumpkins or whether you are serving a pumpkin stew as your main course, your guests will surely be impressed when you present them with a beautiful orange display.

For your reference Roasted Pumpkin Image Source | Pinterest - No link Seed Image Source | Pinterest - Matthews Puzzle Mini Pumpkin Image Source | Stock.Xchng

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Jello Cocktails

Happy thirsty Thursday! This week we set out to take some classic bar drinks and make them into unique jello shots. We've all been to parties that have those colorful, yet artificial tasting jello shots. It's a fun community experience, but we realized that there's no need to compromise taste (or class), so we took it upon ourselves to develop three new recipes for our own "Jello Cocktails."

Our jello cocktails are still colorful and fun, but also natural, or as natural as any alcoholic drink can be ;) - Ignez said to do a winky face.

Below you'll find our recipes for jello mojitos, jello screwdrivers, and jello tequila sunrises, all made with unflavored jello so the real fruits, juices and herbs shine through.

Instructions:  Add cold rum (we used Bacardi) to a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir in lime syrup and sugar. Boil limeade in a small saucepan and add to rum mixture. Stir mint extract until well combined and both the sugar and gelatin are completed dissolved. Let mixture rest for 5 minutes before pouring into shot glasses or 2 oz plastic containers. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving. Garnish with mint.

Instructions: Add cold vodka to a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir in sugar. Boil orange juice in a small saucepan and add to vodka mixture. Stir until well combined and both the sugar and gelatin are completed dissolved. Let mixture rest for 5 minutes before pouring into shot glasses or 2 oz plastic containers. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving. Garnish with pineapple.

Instructions:  Add cold tequila (we used 1800) to a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir in grenadine and sugar. Boil orange juice in a small saucepan and add to tequila mixture. Stir until well combined and both the sugar and gelatin are completed dissolved. Let mixture rest for 5 minutes before pouring into shot glasses or 2 oz plastic containers. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving. Garnish with lime.

For large parties: Since no one actually has hundreds of full sized shot glasses, these are a great, inexpensive alternative.

They're not as readily available as disposable bathroom cups, but they're much prettier! With just a little prior planning, you can get a package of 40 from Amazon or Ebay for less than 6 dollars! And if you have any left over, you can use them in your lunchbox. They're great for keeping salad dressings separate in order to avoid sogginess.

If you try our recipe, let us know what you think! Ways to improve? Love it or hate it, let us know in the comments below! Also, can you think of some other mixed drinks that would make great jello shots?

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Grateful for the food I eat

As of Today at 12:00 GMT the Philippine's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has reported around 1,871,321 people that have been displaced or without shelter in the Philippines due to Typhoo Haiyan with United Nations estimating 4,460 dead and still 1,187 considered missing. This typhoon has been called the largest land disaster ever recorded.

The other day my boyfriend Nik, who is of Filipino heritage, and i were sitting down to lunch at a kabob place here in D.C. While we were eating we were watching the news on Haiyan and I couldn't help but sit and cry there over my food. To me, one of the most horrifying parts of a disaster like a typhoon or an earthquake is how basic human needs like water and food are completely demolished. The area of the Philippines that was hit was a historically poor one, lacking a lot of basic infrastructure and response ability in a disaster.

We kept seeing videos of people crying for food or water because all the fresh water available was contaminated with salt water or not accessible. We both decided that we wanted to help and unfortunately the only real way we can do that here is to donate. I spent a while comparing different places to donate to. UNICEF, American Red Cross, Christian Child's Fund. Each one does great things, but I wanted to choose one that would help everyone, not just children. I also wanted to donate somewhere that doesn't have a crazy admin overhead like the Red Cross (which can be up to 24%). That's when I remember the United Nations World Food Programme. I knew they were run by the UN so I assumed they would have a low overhead. The UN Food Programme's mission is to deliver food and water to as many individuals possible. Since they're run by the UN and well established, they're able to mobilize hundreds of thousands of pounds of food relief to the Philippines more easily than smaller organizations and they're ranked 5 stars on Charity Navigator which is the result of a number of variables, one being their giving to donation ratio. On their website they say $100 can help deliver 1,000 biscuits to people in need of food. For more information about their efforts and mission you can see them here. I ended up donating to a supporter fundraising effort under the World Food Program USA that's goal is to raise $15,000 in funds for the Philippines. This fundraising page is the Kappa Phi Lambda, Asian Interest Sorority page which I chose because a best friend of mine is in Kappa Phi Lambda at GW. If you'd also like to donate to their donation fundraiser, donate here. I think many charities are doing a wonderful difference. I'm just writing to share which one I chose. I feel so lucky for the life I have now and the food that I can eat and I think it's important that I share that with others. For your reference Statistics: BBC News UN World Food Programme Kappa Phi Lambda Fundraising Page Charity Navigator

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Science of Cooking: Polenta

Polenta is a much beloved dish both here in the United States as well as in its birthplace, northern Italy. At one time it was considered to be a staple of the Italian diet, even more so than pasta, which only took over its place in the 20th Century (O’Neill). The origin of the word polenta dates back to the late 16th Century from Latin, meaning pearl barley (Oxford American Dictionary).

It is indeed a very simple and humble dish made from ground cornmeal, which would be otherwise not very easily digested by humans. Historically, polenta has been cooked by taking coarsely ground cornmeal and pouring it over boiling salt water, then stirring for up to one hour. The stirring is a very important part of the process because the cornmeal forms thick lumps that are nearly impossible to break after it starts getting very hot.

Starch gelatinization is the villain when it comes to polenta lumps, though it is also the reason why it can achieve its creamy texture. Gelatinization is the “thermal disordering of crystalline structures in native starch granules” (Tester and Morrison 551). Basically what this means is that the two polymers which make up starch, amylose and amylopectin, break down when the corn comes in contact with the hot water, causing it to eventually gelatinize (Farhat, Belton, and Webb 142). As can be seen by the diagram below, the starches located in the endosperm, are not readily accessed by the hot water. The gelatinization process begins with the corn absorbing water, swelling, and then bursting, hence exposing its starches. This process begins at a temperature of 50°C when the hydrogen bonds start to weaken and water is absorbed, up to 80°C when the granules completely lose their shape (Farhat, Belton, and Webb 142). The amylose is the gelatinization agent.

The process has a range of 30°C from start to finish, which is why typical recipes require constant stirring. If the polenta is not being stirred at all the times some areas of the pan will reach gelatinization faster than others, causing unbreakable lumps due to the amylose’s strong bonds.

The authors of Cook’s Illustrated came up with a foolproof recipe in order to cut down the stirring time. They opted for a coarsely ground cornmeal, which ensures a rich flavor that could not be attained with an instant form of polenta. In order to have the water reach the starch faster and more evenly in all the kernels, a pinch of baking soda was added to the water before the corn was introduced. What the baking soda does is replace some of the calcium and magnesium ions, present on the outside of the starch granule, with its own sodium ions. This weakens the outer layer of the starch granule allowing faster release at the beginning, thus avoiding the one hour cooking time filled with stirring (“No-Fuss Creamy Polenta”).

Below is the full “Cook’s Illustrated” recipe, hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

“Italian Comfort Classics”

Ingredients: 7 ½ cups water 1 ½ teaspoons table salt Pinch baking soda 1 ½ cups coarse-ground cornmeal 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 ounces good-quality Parmesan              Cheese, grated (about 2 cups), plus extra for serving Ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Bring water to boil in heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Stir in salt and baking soda. Slowly pour cornmeal into water in steady stream, while stirring back and forth with wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting and cover. 2. After 5 minutes, whisk polenta to smooth out any lumps that may have formed, about 15 seconds. (Make sure to scrape down sides and bottom of pan.) Cover and continue to cook, without stirring, until grains of polenta are tender but slightly al dente, about 25 minutes longer. (Polenta should be loose and barely hold its shape but will continue to thicken as it cools.)

3. Remove from heat, stir in butter and Parmesan, and season to taste with black pepper. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Serve, passing Parmesan separately. For your reference: 1. Farhat, Imad A., P. S. Belton, and G. A. Webb. "MRI Study of Polenta Gelatinization During Cooking." Magnetic Resonance in Food Science: From Molecules to Man. Cambridge: RSC Pub., 2007. N. pag. Print. 2. "Italian Comfort Classics." America's Test Kitchen. PBS. 2010. 2012. Web. 3. "No-Fuss Creamy Polenta." Cooks Illustrated. N.p., 1 Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. 4. O'Neill, Molly. "From Pot To Plank: Polenta Eaten Off The Table." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Mar. 1998. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. 5. "Polenta." Oxford American Dictionaries. N.d. Web. 6. "Preserving Value." Tate & Lyle Annual Report 2009. N.p., 2009. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. 7. Tester, Richard F., and William R. Morrison. "Swelling and Gelatinization of Cereal Starches. I. Effects of Amylopectin, Amylose, and Lipids." Cereal Chemistry 67.6 (1990): 551-57. Web. 8. Image: http://www.morguefile.com/archive/#/?q=polenta

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Foggy Bottom Block Party Recap

We can't get over how much fun the Foggy Bottom Block Party was! We got to serve food to our neighbors and got to mingle with a lot of other interesting groups from around the city! We met people from the new Foggy Bottom TedX group, organizers for GW Food Week, and even a reporter from GW Today! We had a great location too. Our table was right by the performance stage and across from Ben's Chili Bowl (which is an essential D.C. icon. If you're ever visiting the city, Ben's is great place to check out)!   So now that all the excitement is over, we just wanted to share with you our table layout and some of the great crowd pleasing tips we learned while running the booth.

The Caponata: Spanish Eggplant on Toasts

For the Caponata recipe, see our this recipe post!

There's a cute story about the Caponata. Ignez's dad (Caio), who is a great cook and is most definitely the origin of Ignez's love for cooking spreadsheets, was in town during the block party and came over early to help prepare the dish. A ways back, Caio created a way to discover the most essential version of a recipe through magic spreadsheets and recipe comparisons. According to them, this way you can start with the most honest version of a recipe and then make your own changes later after trying the baseline dish. It was so fun to watch Ignez and her father work together over a spreadsheet then work in the kitchen together to make the best caponata possible. He and Ignez's boyfriend even stayed behind to make a second batch in case we ran out! That's teamwork.

Cucumber Water

Putting out free cucumber water was one of our biggest crowd-pleasers. A lot of people we're surprised, but really loved the cucumber flavor and commented on how it was much more refreshing. There apparently wasn't anything to drink at the other booths because people kept coming back to talk to us and get more water. I would definitely suggest cutting up a cucumber and tossing it in if you're ever running an event. It's a little bit more special than just water bottles or a tap. 

Pumpkin Decoration Station

Kids loved the pumpkin decoration station! We bought two packs (30 pieces each) of foam pumpkin cutouts and stickers from Target for $10 and threw out some paint pens and it was totally worth it! Give children a chance to be creative and it's amazing what they'll come up with. This would be a super easy, cheap project when babysitting or when trying to find something to do on a lazy day before Halloween. Even some college students made some for their dorm rooms. 

Raffle: Mari Mi Mug

We also raffled off a Mari Mi Mug, also from Target! This got people's attention and helped to get people to stop and try our food! Congratulations to our winner, Sarah. Your cup will be coming soon!

Acknowledgements 

Thanks so much to Caio and our amazing boyfriends, Ryan and Nik, for helping us the whole day! They ran around and got ice, brought dishes, made caponata, and anything else we needed them to do. They were awesome!

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Caponata Recipe

We had an amazing time at the Foggy Bottom Block Party on Sunday! Thanks to all our friends who came out to support us and thanks to all the new friends we made while there. It was awesome to meet so many fellow Foggy Bottom residents, fun to see so many students out supporting their friends who had booths or were performing, and nice to hear that so many people liked our Caponata! So as promised, we're posting our Caponata recipe along with a little more information for those who asked. Be sure to check back tomorrow for more photos and experiences we had at the block party! 

Caponata: "Spanish Eggplant"

Caponata is a traditional Sicilian dish dating back to the 19th century. While Eggplant is indigenous to Southeast Asia, its presence in Europe can be traced back to medieval times. There are dozens of traditional caponata recipes, though not all are vegetable based, and instead contain fish as one of the main ingredients.

It is an incredibly versatile dish that keeps well in the fridge and is actually better when left overnight so the flavors can blend and deepen. Traditionally served at room temperature, it can also be heated for a quick pasta sauce. Use it as a spread for sandwiches and especially toasted bagels in the morning. That’s my favorite!   Ingredients:  1 large eggplant 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 yellow onion 2 stalks celery 3 garlic cloves 1 lb. roma tomatoes (very ripe) 3 tbsp. capers 2 tbsp. green olives 2 tbsp. black olives 1 ½ tbsp. sugar 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar ¼ cup pinenuts Preheat oven to 450 F.

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and roast in oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the onion in 1 inch cubes and the celery in ½ inch pieces. Put aside until eggplant has cooled and is ready to be chopped in one inch cubes.

Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onions and celery stirring for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Mince the garlic and add it to the pan combining until fragrant, less than a minute. Add the chopped eggplant and allow vegetables to cook for another 4 minutes.

Roughly chop the tomatoes in small cubes and add to the pan, stirring every few minutes until juices have reduced, about 5 minutes. Take this time to roughly chop the olives. Once liquid has reduced include capers and olives as well as sugar and vinegar. Reduce heat but allow for a slow simmer until all vegetables are tender but not mushy.

Serve hot with pasta, or allow it to cool to room temperature and serve on a toasted baguette.

Historical Info: Daunay, Marie-Christine, and Jules Janick. "History and Iconography of Eggplant." Chronica Horticulturae 47.3 (2007): 16-22. Web.

"Italian Recipes - Italian Food Culture - Academia Barilla." Caponata with Vegetables. N.p., n.d. Web.

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Foggy Bottom Block Party, Tomorrow!

Come out and see the Bay leaves & Basil booth tomorrow at the Foggy Bottom Block Party!  We will be having a Spanish eggplant tasting, a raffle, free pumpkin foam decoration, and Halloween knickknacks all for FREE! As an exciting aside for us food nerds, Ignez will be using her newly acquired food handlers certificate to be giving out the samples! Hope to see you all tomorrow! Ignez and Logan

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A Rice Controversy

A Short Foreword: In addition to posting recipes, party plans, photos and restaurant reviews we decided that it's essential to do some more serious stories on food issues. We want to be able to have some pieces that are stimulating and that may even create discussion between us and our readers (at least we hope!). 

Because of this we've created a “Serious Stuff” section where we will be posting information pieces, op-ed opinion pieces, reviews, etc. that we think are important and may make a difference in the world. These won’t always be serious, but we wanted a place where we can try to do some good.

Is my lunch poisoning me: An investigation on arsenic levels in rice and how to reduce overexposure

Note: The purpose of this article is to bring awareness of this public health risk and start a dialogue. In no way are we trying to suggest that rice should be stricken from our diets.

Main Points

Arsenic can be found naturally in the earth, as well as in pesticides, fertilizer and animal feed.

EPA limits amount of arsenic allowed in water.

FDA doesn’t limit the amount allowed in food.

Effects of poisoning include, but are not limited to: - Vomiting - Cancer - Blindness

Suggestions: - think about varying your consumption of grains and not relying solely on rice. - thoroughly wash rice before cooking - Choose white rice instead of brown 

Dating back to 2500 B.C., rice has been a major source of food. Rice production originated in China, and was spread to countries such as Sri Lanka and India (Rost). Over the years the rice crop became increasingly popular due to its versatility and is now a staple to more than half of the world’s population (McAllister and Banville). This is why the American population should take the new studies from Consumer Reports and the FDA showing alarming levels of arsenic in rice products seriously.

The FDA defines arsenic as “a chemical element distributed in the Earth’s crust. It is released from volcanoes and from the erosion of mineral deposits.” It is found throughout the environment—in water, air and soil. For that reason, it is found in some foods and beverages ("FDA Looks for Answers on Arsenic in Rice"). At the end of 2012 Consumer Reports tested over 200 samples of rice and rice products in the United States and found worrisome amounts of inorganic arsenic per serving ("Arsenic in Your Food"). Inorganic arsenic is not simply a “chemical element” found in the environment, as the FDA puts it. The situation is actually a lot worse since arsenic is a poison common in pesticides and insecticides and is a known carcinogen (Watts and Sifferlin 62).  

The use of lead-arsenate insecticides was banned in the 1980s, but the decades of its use in agriculture have lead to its persistence in the soil. In order to prevent disease and promote growth, other arsenical ingredients in animal feed have yet to be banned. Another source of inorganic arsenic in crops is fertilizer made from poultry waste ("Arsenic in Your Food"). All of these sources of arsenic end up in the water supply, which is an unsettling thought considering that rice is an extremely efficient water absorbent crop causing it to take up more water/arsenic than other produce.  

At the moment there is no federal limit on arsenic levels in food, though there probably should be. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has a standard for arsenic in drinking water, which is 10 parts per billion (ppb) (“Arsenic in Drinking Water”). The EPA lists several arsenic related health issues, which led to their decision to impose a federal limit for drinking water:

Non-cancer effects can include thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; diarrhea; numbness in hands and feet; partial paralysis; and blindness. Arsenic has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate. (“Arsenic in Drinking Water”)

With such health issues already being known to our scientists and government, it is shocking that the FDA would choose to take such a mild and cavalier stance regarding arsenic levels in rice by saying merely that “consumers (not) change their consumption of rice and rice products at this time” (“FDA Looks for Answers on Arsenic in Rice”). It is understandable that the FDA would prefer not to create a panic surrounding this issue and cause a destabilization of the economy by causing consumers to boycott this $34 billion dollar industry ("U.S. Rice Industry"). The US is among the top five rice-exporting nations, meaning that any kind of new approach to this industry would necessitate great thought and care so as to not harm the 74,572 jobs in the US that depend on this crop’s success (“Economic Contributions of the US Rice Industry to the US Economy”).

The first thing that should be done to begin resolving this alarming public health safety issue is for the FDA to impose a federal limit on arsenic levels in rice crops. A good starting point would be to set the same standards federally that the EPA set for water at 10 ppb. Less arsenic is better than more, so in the future it would be wise for the FDA to set a 10 year plan in order to slowly bring the arsenic levels down to 5 ppb, which is the standard for drinking water that New Jersey has imposed. In order to be able to lower arsenic levels, the EPA should phase out use of pesticides containing arsenic, one of the main contributors to the arsenic in crops. Other recommendations include having the USDA and the EPA end the use of arsenic-laden manure as fertilizer, and having the FDA ban the feeding of arsenic-containing drugs and animal byproducts to animals (“Arsenic in Your Food”).

On the consumer side, some steps can be taken in order to reduce arsenic exposure. The public should thoroughly rinse the grain before cooking and then boil it in a ratio of six cups of water to one cup of rice, a measure that seems to remove about 30% of the arsenic (Watts and Sifferlin 63). It is also suggested that consumers opt for white rice as opposed to brown rice. Though it is widely known that brown rice is 100% whole grain, meaning it has more fiber and antioxidants, compared to its more processed version, the thorough washing white rice must go through before reaching the consumers’ tables also means a reduction in its arsenic content (Watts and Sifferlin 62). As the FDA so placidly put it, consumers should eat a variety of grains in order to stay healthy (“FDA Looks for Answers on Arsenic in Rice”).

Works Cited 1. "Arsenic in Drinking Water." EPA. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. 2. "Arsenic in Your Food." Arsenic in Your Food. Consumer Reports, Nov. 2 012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. 3. "Economic Contributions of the US Rice Industry to the US Economy." Agricultural and Food Policy Center. Texas A&M University, Aug. 2010. Web. 4. "FDA Looks for Answers on Arsenic in Rice." For Consumers. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. 5. McAllister, Melissa, and Anne Banville. "Rice: The Foundation for Healthier Eating." USA Rice. USA Rice Federation, Aug. 2007. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. 5. Rost, Thomas L. "Rice: History." Rice: History. University of California Davis, 1997. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. 6. "U.S. Rice Industry." USA Rice Federation. N.p., 2011. Web. 7. Watts, Jenisha, and Alexandra Sifferlin. "Food for Controversy." TIME: What to Eat Now? 2012: 62-63. Images and image licensing can be found: http://www.sxc.hu/

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Have a Sweet Fall – Brazilian Style Carrot Cupcakes

After much planning and preparation, Ignez and I are extremely excited to release our very first blog post! We want to first thank everyone who’s supported us thus far and those who will support us in the future! From our wonderful boyfriends who support everything we do, to our friends both new and old who have been excited about our blog launch, thank you all. And now, for our first celebration of fall-

These cupcakes are a fusion-blend piece that were inspired by the Brazilian style of making carrot cake. While chopping carrots, Ignez explained how Brazilians don’t really have cupcakes; their confections are often less sweet than what we normally think of as cake and Brazilian carrot cake doesn’t have the flecks of carrot in it like the way that American carrot cake often does. Turns out that Brazilian carrot cake is one solid, creamy orange color. Then it’s topped with a deliciously sweet chocolate condensed milk icing to balance out the cake. Ignez took this and mixed it with some common American classics to make this new fall favorite. The finished cupcake recipe is sweeter, almost pumpkin-esk tasting confection that I then decorated for Halloween.

Below you’ll find our recipe, a few cooking tips, and decoration instructions:

Brazilian Style Carrot Cupcakes Recipe 

Fall Spiced Cake

Ingredients: 3 carrots 3 eggs**(see below "Kitchen Time with Ignez" tip) 1 cup of vegetable oil Pinch of salt ½ cup of brown sugar 1 ½ cup of granulated sugar 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 ¼ tsp baking powder 1 ¼ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Peel and cut carrots into small pieces. Add them to the blender together with the oil and eggs. Make sure to remove the film that encases the yolk of each egg before adding it to the blender (take a look at our picture diagram below for instructions on how to remove the film). This ensures that the final baked good doesn’t taste “eggy”. Blend the mixture until creamy and no big pieces of carrots remain (about 3 minutes).

In a medium bowl combine remainder of dry ingredients. Sift flour mixture in order to aerate flour and remove any hard pieces of sugar. Pour carrot batter into aerated mixture and whisk until no more white flour streaks appear.

Pour batter into cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Bake in the oven for 19-24 minutes. Or until a toothpick is inserted into center of the cupcake and it comes out clean.

Brigadeiro Icing

Ingredients 1 tbsp butter 1 can condensed milk 1 tbsp of good quality chocolate powder 2 tsp cornstarch

Melt butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add condensed milk and chocolate powder. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture is combined, add cornstarch in a slow stream and stirring nonstop. Turn off heat once you start seeing the bottom of the pan when stirring. Should take about 4 minutes.

Let it cool to room temperature before icing cupcakes, or simply eating it with a spoon.

*Kitchen Time with Ignez - Cooking with Eggs

While adding the ingredients to the blender Ignez stopped at the eggs. As an aside, something wonderful about Ignez is not only that she loves to cook, but also that she has a very scientific mind. This makes her take on cooking interesting as well as lovely. So this is what her scientific mind said about eggs-

When baking with eggs the result can often come out with an eggy taste, especially with things like custards. But it’s important to use eggs in baking and confections, so how can we fix this? Ignez explained that the thing that gives the eggy taste is actually the clear membrane that surrounds the yolk. Removing this membrane is extremely simple and makes a huge difference in your final product.

Below is a demonstration where Ignez runs the egg over her hand, allowing the white to go into the blender, leaving the yolk in her hand. She pinches the membrane to release the yellow of the yolk and holds the membrane together then discards it. It takes a little practice, but still easy and worth the few moments to remove the membrane.

Decorating

Finally decorating was very simple. After icing the cupcakes with the chocolate condensed milk icing I cut the vanilla cream out of some Oreos. Then I crushed the cookies and dropped them over the iced cupcakes to look like a little delicious dirt. Then I added a few gummy worms chopped in half to make a perfect Halloween season treat. 

For the monster cake I used the extra white cream from the Oreos to make the eyes and teeth. I then used some simple food dye to make the eye’s pupil and color the bloody teeth. Simple! Well that's the first post! From both Ignez and I, have a happy fall and we hope to see you here again!! Logan and Ignez