Health for life

Miriam Isserow is a fundraising consultant based in Silver Spring, Maryland. In her misspent youth, she loved to make dessert. Now she likes to cook delicious and healthful meals.

This time of year, we seem to go from one food-centric event to another. This is a particular challenge for my dear husband, otherwise known as The Man Who Discovered Food Has Calories. I know my new nickname for him is a mouthful, so from here on in, Ill call him TMWDFHC.

I recently mentioned to TMWDFHC that for our own holiday meal, I would make a bulgur stuffing instead of our traditional bread stuffing. Years ago, my cousin whipped up a similar dish that I still remember—and given the dieting and monitoring of cholesterol we’ve been doing at my house, I thought it would be a great alternative to soaking bread with eggs.

But when I told TMWDFHC I would be doing a bulgur stuffing, he flipped out.

“How can you make stuffing without chestnuts?”

You see, one core principle in our house is that stuffing has chestnuts. I assured TMWDFHC that the bulgur stuffing would have chestnuts, too.

So, I found some bulgur stuffing recipes, added chestnuts and played around a little. This was the result. You can make it in the turkey, or, if youre expecting vegetarians or happen to live with someone who discovered that food has calories, you can bake it in a pan. An additional healthful plus: You don’t have to grease the pan as you would with classic stuffing.

Chestnut & Bulgur Stuffing
Serves 12

2 ½ c water,
2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms (around 2 cups)
1 oz. dried morel mushrooms (around 1 cup)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 chopped medium sized onion
5 ½ c. broth
2 ½ c. bulgur (it’s good if it’s coarse but it really doesn’t matter)
1 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup shelled chestnuts (use a freeze dried package that you can buy at an Asian market for next to nothing).

1) Bring water to a boil. Pour over mushrooms and soak for half an hour.

2) In a 4 quart sauce pan or chefs pan, sauté onion in olive oil until softened. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in bulgur and cook around 8 minutes more, uncovered.

3) Remove mushrooms from water, squeezing if necessary. Reserve soaking liquid, strain, and set aside. Rinse mushrooms and coarsely chop.

4) In a large bowl, toss together bulgur, ½ cup of the reserved liquid, mushrooms, chestnuts, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cool completely.

5) Now you can either stuff it in a turkey or bake it. If you are baking it in a pan, no need to grease the pan—and bake it at 325 for 40 minutes, covered.

NOTE: Our custom is to use some as stuffing and some in a pan for the vegetarians (using vegetable broth in that case). After all, even those who have discovered that food has calories and who are trying to be really good through the holidays are entitled to the divine taste of chestnut stuffing with turkey drippings.

This past weekend, I paid $0.50 for a baggie of cardamom that was selling for $10.49 the next block over. The big difference between the two stores? The $0.50 folks ran an ethnic market. The $10.49 folks ran an upscale grocery store.

Six years ago, I lived in a neighborhood with two major supermarkets, both of which sold produce for above-average prices. Located 15 blocks south was a Korean-owned fruit and vegetable stand. The tomatoes, oranges, and garlic there went for half the cost of the local Key Food.

Earlier this year, a few friends needed 70 goodie bags for a promotional party. They cost about $0.34 a piece at the big-box supply store on 14th St. in Manhattan. Chinese food containers, which looked better and held more candy, went for $0.25 at Pearl River Mart in Chinatown.

It’s taken me a few years, but after Saturday’s cardamom adventure, I think I finally learned the moral of these stories: when in food-purchasing doubt, go ethnic. Whether you’re shopping for spices, produce, or supplies, those independent, family-run marts are fantastic alternatives to mega-stores. The prices are usually competitive (if not significantly lower), and the diversity of options, unbeatable. But it doesn’t end there. (Oh no – it doesn’t.) There are a bazillion other reasons why Kim’s Seafood beats out Food Lion any day of the week.

Shopping at ethic markets…

Encourages experimentation. Diversifying your diet is hard, especially when you’re locked into losing weight. If you’re looking to lift yourself from the meat-and-two-veg rut, ethnic markets are the place to be. Imagine aisle upon aisle stacked with soba noodles, yuca, and saag paneer. Even if you don’t know what any of those things are – trust me, they rule. And the store they came from can introduce your palate to all kinds of crazy flavors you didn’t even know existed.

Promotes diversity. Hey man, our families were all immigrants somewhere along the line. And according the Census Bureau, 40% of the U.S. population will be of ethnic origin by 2010. So, think of the ethnic market as a fabulous opportunity to introduce yourself to a new culture, but also, to meld that culture harmoniously into your own. While you’re perusing the shelves, take the time to speak to the proprietor or other customers. Odds are, everybody will learn something.

Reconnects you to your own culture. Are you a lapsed Swede? A part-German who’s completely ignorant of her background? A quarter-Brit with no discernible knowledge of her family’s cuisine? I am. Checking out ethnic markets gives me a good idea of what my grandparents and great-grandparents ate when they were still strolling the streets of Dublin. (Hint: potatoes.)

Helps small businesses. According to the Washington Post, family-owned ethnic grocers are losing ground as big-box supermarkets hone in on Asian, Hispanic, and African foods. Quite a few shops are even shutting their doors, and the operators’ expertise is being lost along with their leases. By buying from the ethnic market, you’re ensuring the preservation of your area, supporting a local family, and keeping that culinary knowledge alive in your community.

Ensures prepared foods are more authentic. Have you ever had sushi from CostCo? It’s excruciatingly bad. So is eggplant parmesan from Pathmark, and a burrito from Waldbaums. Oftentimes, ethnic markets will have a glass display case full of prepared foods. Try ‘em. See if you like ‘em. If you do, take some home, or try to prepare light versions on your own.

Is oh-so-hip. Eating well and frugally hasn’t always been synonymous with coolness, but it’s getting there, with lots of help from ethnic markets. According to almost every single craze-tracking source out there (magazines, websites, journals, etc.) ethnic food is consistently one of the fastest-growing trends in home cooking. (Cooking Light in particular is a big fan of meal diversification.) Buy a Ming Tsai cookbook, pick up a wok, and get with the times, man.

Makes for creative and creative gifts. Oftentimes, ethnic markets are chock-frigging-full of gorgeous tableware and cooking equipment, not to mention shelf after shelf of exotic mixes, spices, and specialty foods. And? It’s mostly pretty inexpensive. Next time you’re searching for a truly unique, out-there gift, grab a cart and go.

Can be a great bonding experience. Ethnic markets aren’t just grocery stores – they’re opportunities to spend quality time with loved ones. Teaching your kid about daikon? Learning from Grandma about what she ate in the olden days? Group-shopping for a Sunday dinner? Head for your local Indian grocer, which is a museum, a school, a library, and a food store wrapped all in one.

And last but not least (since it’s worth mentioning again), shopping at ethnic markets …

SAVES CASH. Ay-chi-wa-wa, yes. Though this might not extend to all markets/foods, you can conserve massive amounts of cash buying produce, spices, and certain ethnic specialties at the Korean place down the block, rather than the Megamart uptown. Cardamom! $0.50! Not kidding! Go!

If you’re interested in reading more about the glory of ethnic markets, these two faboo resources can help get you started:

• Wise Bread’s Tannaz Sassooni tells you what market sells which food. (Hint: Israeli = hummus!)
• After Hours’ Kathy Biehl lists a few great online ethnic markets.
  

I have a new obsession: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Okay, two new obsessions. The first is the Joss Whedon series, which HOTUS and I have somehow missed entirely up until now, and which we are loving like one would love unlimited mimosas or the first hydrangeas of spring. I suddenly get Sarah Michelle Gellar, and see why one might consider three-foot-two-inch Seth “Scott Evil” Green a sex symbol. Also, Alyson Hannigan’s hairdresser has to call me immediately.

The second obsession is bulgur wheat. It’s not nearly as witty, and the DVDs are much harder to collect, but over the last few months, the stuff has become one of my favorite things on earth.

A briefing: Bulgur wheat is a chewy, nutty, slightly sweet whole grain. High in fiber and protein, it’s an excellent substitute for quinoa, brown rice, and other whole grains. I always buy Bob’s Red Mill brand, which is quick cooking, fairly easy to find, and reasonably priced. The only thing wrong with the food, is that I constantly get the name wrong, typing it as “wheat bulgur.” (Oh, the hijinks we get into here.)

I’ve made this fabulous grain into casseroles. I’ve made it into salads. I’ve made it into chicken burgers (recipe coming later today on Serious Eats). And now, I’ve made it into this pilaf, from Moosewood’s Simple Suppers. So. Good.

HOTUS and I just arrived home from a weekend away, and didn’t have many (read: any) fresh vegetables lying around. We did, however, have dried cranberries, an orange, a lemon, and a couple of walnuts. Those are the main flavor components of this sweet side dish, though rosemary, onions, and garlic all play supporting roles. Assembled, it’s worthy of a weeknight dinner, weekend guests, or even … stay with me here … Thanksgiving. (Seriously, this would totally work as an alternative to stuffing. Cross my heart, hope to meet some pilgrims.)

Whether or not you decide to give this dish a try (you should, though), I suggest at least buying a big bag of bulgur wheat. If nothing else, you can throw it at your Buffy marathon every time David Boreanaz attempts an Irish accent.

~~~

If you’d like to make sweet sexy talk to this, you’d flip for:

• Black-Eyed Pea Salad
• Creamy Parmesan Orzo
• Lemony Couscous Chickpeas

~~~

Cranberry Bulgur Wheat Pilaf
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of salt
1 orange
1/2 teaspoon dried crumbed rosemary or 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups wheat bulgur
1 1/2 cups water or chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and pinch of salt and sauté onion is soft, about 10 minutes.

2) While onion is cooking, zest and juice the orange. Add zest, rosemary and wheat bulgur to onions. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add orange juice, water/stock and cranberries. Stir to combine. Drop heat to low, cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until wheat bulgur is softened. (It should be chewy, but not crunchy.) If not fully cooked by the end, add 1/4 cup water and give it another few minutes.

3) Kill heat. Stir in lemon juice and soy sauce. Add walnuts. Stir. Salt and pepper to taste. (Salting this correctly will make a ton of difference.) Serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
4 servings: 412 calories, 14 g fat, 13.1 g fiber, 10 g protein, $1.10
6 servings: 275 calories, 9.4 g fat, 8.7 g fiber, 6.6 g protein, $0.73

NOTE: I used water instead of broth, fresh rosemary, Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Bulgur Wheat, and walnuts. The calculations reflect that.

Calculations
2 tablespoons olive oil: 239 calories, 27 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.20
1 cup chopped onion: 67 calories, 0.2 g fat, 2.2 g fiber, 1.5 g protein, $0.40
3 garlic cloves, minced: 13 calories, 0 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, $0.12
Pinch of salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein per serving, $0.01
1 orange worth of zest: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein per serving, Free
1 orange worth of juice: 39 calories, 0.2 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, $0.33
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein per serving, $0.33
1 1/2 cups wheat bulgur: 840 calories, 3 g fat, 42 g fiber, 30 g protein, $1.36
1 1/2 cups water: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein per serving, Free
1/2 cup dried cranberries: 182 calories, 0.7 g fat, 5 g fiber, 0.2 g protein, $0.50
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice: 4 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.30
1 tablespoon soy sauce: 8 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 1 g protein, $0.09
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds: 255 calories, 25.4 g fat, 2.6 g fiber, 5.9 g protein, $0.75
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein per serving, $0.01
TOTAL: 1647 calories, 56.5 g fat, 52.3 g fiber, 39.8 g protein, $4.40
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 412 calories, 14 g fat, 13.1 g fiber, 10 g protein, $1.10
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 275 calories, 9.4 g fat, 8.7 g fiber, 6.6 g protein, $0.73