Chopped Salad: I Need My LVCS

Make tonight a chopped salad night!

"What is a chopped salad?" you ask... Good question!

A chopped salad is a salad in which all the ingredients have been chopped to be uniform pieces and tossed together. In my opinion, the perfect chopped salad must include a hardy lettuce, lots of fresh vegetables, a robust cheese, and a flavorful salad dressing.

Lettuce: You'll probably want romaine or iceburg. I recommend romaine since iceburg has no real nutritional value. I also like to throw in some spinach for added flavor and nutrition. Don't use too much lettuce, though. You want the salad to be mostly vegetables so be conservative on the lettuce. It's always better to ADD more than to have too much.

Vegetables: It's hard to go wrong. For my salad, I used edamame (soybeans), jicama, corn, red and yellow bell peppers, red onions, yellow onions, blanched carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini.

Cheese: The cheese will honestly make the salad by providing a needed flavor contrast in each bite. Otherwise, you're just eating mixed vegetables. I used Maytag Blue Cheese. This stuff has a cult following; it's like the Maybach of Blue Cheese. It was smooth, rich, creamy, and robust. I think feta, goat, gorgonzola, or a white cheddar would also work well in this salad.

Salad Dressing: Whatever you like. I made a homemade tomato aioli (tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper) that I thought would complement the salad well and mixed it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Go light on the dressing. A little goes a long way on chopped salads because there are so many flavors in each bite.

Lagniappe: Lagniappe is a creole word with disputed origin and definition. I like the definition I was given by a boutique owner in Canton, Mississippi. He said it means "a little something extra". It usually refers to a small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of purchase. For this salad, I added a little something extra by throwing in some canned tuna. But, oh, do I wish I had some sardines on hand!

In summary:

Chopped Salad = Lettuce + Veggies + Cheese + Salad Dressing (LVCS)

INGREDIENTS:

SALAD

• 3 Romaine hearts
• 1 bag of spinach
• 1/2 - 1 lb of blue cheese

Vegetable Mix

• 2 carrots, peeled and blanched
• 1 cup edamame (could substitute black beans or chickpeas)
• 1 cup corn
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 of a medium-sized jicama (can substitute 1 large apple)
• 1/2 small red onion, skin removed
• 1/2 small yellow onion, skin removed
• 10-12 pieces of sun-dried tomatoes
• 6 pieces of defrosted eggplant and zucchini frozen mix (Trader Joe's)

Tomato Aioli

• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and black pepper

Individually chop the vegetables and try to get all the ingredients the same size. Unless you're serving multiple people, I recommend storing the chopped vegetables in a large sealable container in the refrigerator. That way you'll have a ready supply of vegetables to easily assemble a chopped salad in the days to follow.

For the tomato aioli, combine the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. The prepared tomato aioli can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week.

To assemble the salad (1 serving), use a large bowl. Begin by adding a few leaves of romaine lettuce (chopped) and one handful of spinach (chopped) to the bowl. Add 3 or 4 scoops of the vegetable mix. Add 2 - 3 tablespoons of cheese. Add 2 tablespoons of the tomato aioli along with a splash of balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix to combine. Add more veggies/cheese/dressing if needed.

Enjoy with entertainment crackers!

Mississippi Delta Regional Cuisine

The Mississippi Delta is one of the United States' most unique and culturally dense regions. The alluvial plain hugs the mother of rivers, The Mississippi River, and has endured a number of floods by the nutrient-rich river. The worst flood happened in 1927 and some historians have credited the event for accelerating the Great Migration of African-Americans from the rural South to the North. The river was subsequently tamed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers through an aggressive levee system.

Historically, the MS Delta's fertile soil was used to produce cotton with the use of chattel slaves. Years later, the region became ground zero for civil rights abuses with a strong presence of the Klu Klux Klan and the White Citizens Council in the region. The images of racial unrest linger in the nation's collective memory and to this day many outsiders are hesitant to step foot in Mississippi. I would be amiss to say that these concerns are unwarranted. Racism still exists. Actually, Morgan Freeman recently sponsored the first integrated prom in his MS Delta hometown to strong resistance from whites in the community. That's highly problematic but it definitely doesn't represent my experience growing up in North Mississippi. Also, I don't think racism is solely a Mississippi problem. As a person who has lived in 7 states, I can say there are covert and overt forms of racism throughout the country. However, many people are reluctant to talk about race and the Deep South, Mississippi in particular, remains a convenient scapegoat in a stagnant sea of oblivion. I digress. Just come to Mississippi to get a breath of the progressive New South.

Many decades ago, immigrants were brought to the Mississippi Delta to help build the railroads and toil in the fields. These workers came from Mexico, Italy, China, and other places. The workers brought their exotic foods and cultural traditions along with them and slowly made their mark on another aspect of MS Delta culture, the regional cuisine. Today the region is slowly becoming a food mecca of sorts. The Viking Range Corporation (founded by a native Mississippian) has its world headquarters in Greenwood, MS. Martha Foose, winner of the James Beard Award for American Cooking, has set up shop. Then, there's the Alluvian. There's Giardina's. There's Doe's Eat Place. The list goes on. There happens to be a whole lot of down home blues, shade tree jive talk, juke joints, pork, catfish, cornbread, meat and three (meat entree with three side items), and hot tamales.



I could easily see myself in Greenwood. My friend JJB would be quick to call my bluff. Apparently, I have a new dream city every six months... New Orleans, Memphis, Atlanta, Austin, Portland, Chicago, DC. LOL. Yes, this is true! This indecisive traveler is in pursuit of adventure with an open mind, open palate, and open map.

Trader Joe's: 4 Great Finds

It's official. Trader Joe's is my favorite grocery store. The Philadelphia store that I frequent is actually the only grocery store in Center City besides Whole Foods. So, I usually go prepared for a mob scene. The high demand sometimes leaves the store bleak and lifeless, but I really can't complain. I always manage to find healthy, tasty treats for the low low. Here are 4 great finds from my most recent visits:

JOE-JOE'S: These were my initiation to Trader Joe's. My first visit was at their Chapel Hill, NC store where I accompanied a friend to buy a box of these naturally delicious morsels of goodness. During our brief stint as roommates in Illinois, he would drive two towns over to make the obligatory Trader Joe's run for Joe-Joe's. Yeah, I'm kind of addicted now. These babies have real vanilla bean speckles. Ooh wee!!!


SWEET POTATO CHIPS: Oh, how I love sweet potatoes! A gift from God! Seriously, I was tempted to finish the entire bag in one sitting.


PUMPKIN BUTTER: Apparently, I'm the only one in my family who likes pumpkin flavor. More for me! My palate is open, baby... Just like my mind. LOL. Don't take me too seriously... This was GOOD on homemade buttermilk biscuits.


FIG CEREAL BARS: Delish and only $1.69 for a box of 6

Katrina's Letter to Haiti

Haiti my heart is heavy for you
Wrenched by the havoc that came like a thief in the night to beset you
The cosmic dust rising high over Hispaniolan Pine is thicker than London’s fog
Desperate cries of misery bellow out from stark silhouettes hidden beneath the rubble
I wince!

The images are much too familiar
The sadness still lingers
The grief is unbearable
I am an-gry as hell!

Those were MY people that you abandoned and left for dead!
Those were MY people that you slandered and called looters!
My people that you simply forgot about

You didn’t write back.
You didn’t return my phone call.
You didn’t even text.
How rude!
Kij an yo rele sa an kreyol? (What do you call that in Haitian Kreyol?)

I’m a true patriot, you know
Born and raised in the hills of Mississippi
Everyone I knew growing up ate fried chicken and watermelon with their KOOL-AID
The black faces that you forgot about

Collards on the stovetop
Cornbread in the oven
Can I get some plantains, patees, and poisson with that?
I try some piklis thinking it’s like coleslaw
UHHHH…. HOT! HOT! HOT! My mouth is on fire.

We are one people
Unity is our strength
Kisa ou bezouen? (What do you need?)
I am here to help you.

-Brother Soulistic

Momma Would Be Proud

I come from a sweet potatoes family. The root vegetable was always part of our yearly crop. Mom cooked up hearty sweet potatoes dishes year round and sweet potato pies were the dessert of choice at Sunday dinners. My mom is actually known for her stringless pies back home. It's easy to see why I'm obsessed with these things. Whole Foods touts the vegetable as one of the world's healthiest foods. When prepared correctly, they are a relatively guiltless indulgence. Today, I fixed up me some Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup and Buttermilk Cornbread in mom's honor. Let me tell you, it was gooooodddddddddddd!!!!!!! This soup is supposed to get me through the final stretch--now until December 11th--but it might not last that long.

Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup



Buttermilk Cornbread



I tweaked the soup recipe by adding red chili pepper, cinnamon, bay leaves, cannellini beans, and seafood sausage. I also put my cooking class knowledge to good use and cut the carrots and celery brunoise style. I made the buttermilk cornbread as is and it was too sweet for my liking. However, it was perfectly moist with just the right amount of crunch. I will probably tweak the recipe by cutting the sugar in half and adding a handful of fresh corn kernels to the recipe. Both recipes will be going in my recipe book.

Poached Persimmon

I love going to the market--Reading Terminal, check it out--and buying something completely random. On my last visit, I bought a persimmon. Back in the 'Sip, there was actually a wild persimmon tree across the road from our house. We never really ate the fruit but my mother did mention that they could be used to make jelly. In keeping with my goal of stepping outside my comfort zone, I decided it was time to give them a try.

I love eating poached fruit on my pancakes. So, I decided to use persimmon this morning. This is arguably the best poached fruit combination that I've had.

Ingredients:

1 ripe persimmon
1/2 cup of water
1 teaspoon of butter
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 heaping teaspoon ginger preserves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon of dried cranberries

Directions:

Stem and peel the persimmons, discard any seeds, and cut the persimmon into 8 wedges. In a saucepan combine the persimmons, water, butter, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger preserves, and cinnamon. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring occasionally, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the persimmons are tender. Add the cranberries when the fruit is almost done and serve immediately over hot pancakes. Alternatively this could be eaten chilled over ice cream, rice pudding, cake, or bread pudding.

The Accidental Pescetarian

Today, I celebrate 2 years and 14 days as a pescetarian. The pescetarian diet excludes land animals and birds, but includes fish and shellfish in addition to fruits, vegetables, plants, legumes, nuts, grains, and eggs and dairy. I made this transition two years ago as an experiment. After witnessing the discipline of several college friends, I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and experience life from a different angle. I also wanted to cut back in anticipation of my Thanksgiving binge. Surprisingly, this diet change brought about unanticipated changes in my health. Chronic body pains came to a halt. I felt lighter and more energized. I needed less sleep--I think this effect has worn off. I felt more alert. This happened all in a month's time. I was clearly on to sometime.

I was actually completely vegetarian during the first month. My goal was to make it to Thanksgiving. Well, I made it and found myself conflicted. I enjoyed the new health benefits of the diet, but at the same time, the Southerner in me was destined to pull me to the dark side to indulge in fried chicken, catfish, gumbo, ribs, barbeque pulled pork, bacon, crawfish, ham, and jambalaya. After all, we raised hogs back in the 'Sip. We made our own sausage, bacon, fatback meat, pork cracklins--darn good, I tell you--and souse meat. Hog maws--stomach of the pig--were actually one of my favorite delicacies for most of my life. Thus, I couldn't quite fathom sustaining myself on a completely vegetarian diet. Fish and shellfish became the perfect compromise as I'm completely obsessed with bottom feeders (i.e. catfish and crawfish).

The absolute greatest benefit of being pescetarian is that it forces me to be an adventurous eater and cook. This Thanksgiving, most Americans will be eating turkey and chicken and dressing--Northerners say stuffing. Stuffing is a blasphemous word at my house, though. The mere utterance of this word will cause my mother to snap her neck and give me the look of death.

Well, I'm American!
I grew up on turkey and chicken and dressing, too!
I want comfort this Thanksgiving!
I want to eat ancestral food!

Guess what? I will! In the past, I've made an Herbed Oyster Dressing that my teenage cousin begs me to make everytime I come home--he's a darn picky eater, too. And last year, my mom put me on to yellow squash dressing. This year, the clouds will part and light will shine from heaven when I integrate the recipes. For days, I've been dreaming of fresh herbs, stale French bread, cornbread, butternut squash, olives, walnuts, red onions, oysters, garlic, celery, vegetable stock, and mushrooms combined in a decadent dressing and garnished with the finest of cranberry sauces. Each bite gloriously washed down with a sip of mom's homemade muscadine wine--Rewind! Scratch the wine... a little wishful thinking, you know!

Where I'll spend Thanksgiving? I'm not exactly sure, yet. I have a couple options. I'll have food and dressing for sure. For that I am thankful!

Image:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johann-in-london/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0