it escapes me how time has whizzed by since my return from India, not a single blog entry to be found since and here we are on the dawn of 2010, only a few days left to go....
through the highs and lows of wonderment in the Himalayas and the Golden Temple and being down for most of the season as a result, it seems like i have finally found a renewed vigor and am AMPED for this new year to be rung in!
in a nutshell, what i got from my voyage to the other side of the planet, is that less is more, quality always over quantity and there is always something new to be found in the tried and true.
most recently, i just returned from a most sacred Christmas of laying real low in Seattle with my family at my sister's apartment overlooking Lake Washington and Mt. Rainier in glorious sunshine and 40 degree weather - so much to have been thankful for, even though i got slammed with a nasty cold/allergy attack. it was a blessing in disguise as i loved every minute of pajama and tea time, reading Spontaneous Evolution by Bruce Lipton and being with my family and eating none other than my Mom's famous stuffed cabbage rolls, polenta and salata de boeuf, sans boeuf, Romanian-stylie.
so far, we have this tradition every Christmas and no matter where we are in the world, my Mom brings the goods with. i wonder how i will ever take over this culinary extravaganza one day when my Mom won't be around to make the magic happen. and that is why i have come to the conclusion that "making it your own" is just as beautiful as keeping to the strict tradition.
i have already improvised one of the staples in Romanian cuisine - mamaliga cu brinza si smintina - polenta with cottage cheese, feta and sour cream. basic peasant food, really. and add a soft boiled egg and you've got a meal. so homey. in the spirit of comfort food with a twist, i have come up with my own version of this that only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to eat!
-Pre-made polenta from Trader Joe's - 2 or 3 1/4 inch slices - sauteed in olive oil in a frying pan until ever so lightly crisp on top and bottom
-steamed lentils from Trader Joe's, just add some red wine vinegar, sea salt or himalayan salt, fresh lemon juice and olive oil and mix in a bowl
-place polenta cakes on top of lentils
-scrambled, fried or sunny side up eggs, whatever your mood on top of polenta
-top with the bomb ingredient: Mediterranean cheese style yogurt from Trader Joe's - this is like magic - the cottage cheese and sour cream taste all in one!
what i love about this reinvention is the lentils. and the kick from the lemon and vinegar is the key to what makes it so great - the traditional preparation is so heavenly fattening and to-die-for tasty, but tends to be really heavy and fatty. the acidic layering on the texture of the lentils cuts the heaviness of this dish and scrambling or frying the eggs is so much quicker than trying to perfectly time soft boiled eggs.
i know 2010 holds unbridled creative potential and i definitely intend to take everything to new levels of exploration, in all realms of creative endeavor!!!
