Back to Blogging -- The Fancy Food Show and More

After 2 days of standing on my feet and managing the kitchen at SOMA mushroom camp where we served an all-out mushroom meal to 240 happy people, I attended the Fancy Food Show, where I walked the floor of Moscone Center for many more hours.

Luckily at Moscone, I was buoyed by chocolate. I mean lots of chocolate. One of the first booths that I arrived at was Newtree chocolate. They have a functional and nutritional line (right!) that contains roasted flax and rice crisps which are made to resemble a bar made by Nestle. This is quite unlike the bars from my youth as they are made with Belgian chocolate, high quality ingredients and each bar likely retails for around $5. But they score high on the tasty scale, and if you're going to eat something decadent such as chocolate, you really want the good stuff, which for me, is at least 65% cacao content. (They were included in my story on the new chocolates that I wrote for Natural Food Network magazine last year.)


After starting off with chocolate, I was on my quest for new beverages and found 2 very new ones at O.N.E., a company now known for its coconut water. Their newest products are Coffee berry which is just what it says, with the caffeine content of green tea, and cashew fruit. They are unlike any other fruity beverage and worth trying if you are looking for fruit juice. (I don't drink much fruit juice.)

Next I encountered old-fashioned sodas called Fentimans. I generally don't drink soda but had to try this because they had one with dandelion and burdock root, both of which are good for your liver. (They don't make any claims about their drinks.) It was tasty, as were all their products, most of which are ginger-based. If you're going to drink a sweetened carbonated beverage this might be a good choice.

Aloe drinks were prevalent. And I also saw a drink made from with hibiscus, and another with rose juice.

I could go on and on about what I saw but will now just write a short round-up. Be on the lookout for more gluten-free products, tea of all types, especially in biodegradeable bags and packaging, more chocolate than you'd ever want to eat (and I mean ever), exotic fruit in lots of different items and the next great thing. It just could be roasted flax from Flax USA in North Dakota (which I will be giving away in March for National Nutrition Month).

And if you want to get an amazing tea maker, to go with all that tea be on the lookout for the Analon one that has 6 different settings for your type of tea. But you better start saving your pennies now for later, as it comes with the hefty price tag of $350.

The one thing that I did get while there was an amazing grinder called The Spice Ratchet which I will be selling along with my new herb and spice blends which are in the works.

I am still sorting through all my Fancy Food show information so expect to hear more, hopefully before you see it on store shelves.

John Ash Encourages Sprouting and So Does The Veggie Queen

If you read my previous post you know that I had the privilege of taking a cooking class with John Ash. The most amazing part of the class for me was when John talked about sprouting arising from his hippie days.

I have known John about 20 years and I just can't imagine John as a hippie. I'd have to see the pics to believe it. But I did see his sprouter from those days, and it is very cute. He said that he's had it for many years but it was in just fine shape. They sell a similar one on Amazon for $10.95.

John also encouraged people to sprout with the simple method: quart glass Mason jar, cheesecloth and a rubber band. I have used that method often but sometimes substitute a paper towel for the cheesecloth. I also have a green plastic sprouting lid and a wire mesh lid that fits into a quart jar ring.

I tried my green plastic lid most recently, inspired by Ash who encouraged everyone to go out the next day, Saturday, and start sprouting. He brought his "home-grown" fenugreek sprouts to the class in their sprouter. It was a touching moment.

John also talked about how he's not a gardener and how sprouting fulfills that desire to grow something. That's just my style, too. I had no idea we had that in common.

I was remiss in following Chef Ash's directions to start the next day, as I started sprouting on Sunday, not Saturday, by soaking some French green lentils, along with broccoli, radish and mustard seeds, in a quart jar with my new, green sprouting lid. I found that the holes in the plastic lid made pouring the water out a bit more difficult. I also removed the lid to add water to do the twice a day rinsing.

By day 3, the sprouts seemed ready so I took them out of my kitchen cupboard, where they had lived upside down in a bowl, and put them near a light-filled window so that they could get cholorphylled up, and get green.

This morning I had a half-full quart jar of my own beautiful sprouts. I have been sprouting for possibly as many years as John but I'm not sure as he is a bit older than I. I can tell that having,and growing, sprouts satisfies some deep needs for each of us.

And now, on to the next batch -- I have a 1 pound bag of spicy mix so I had better get to it. Might throw in some red quinoa, just for kicks. Oh, the possibilities are almost endless.

Growing sprouts is very exciting and provides almost immediate gratification, if you can wait a few days. It's hard to realize that each bean, seed or nut actually contains the energy of an entire plant that will yield many more. Give it a try.

A photo will appear as soon as I learn how to use my new camera.

10 Things that The Veggie Queen and John Ash have in Common

I was going to write a post specifically about 1 subject when it dawned on me that John Ash and I share a number of characteristics which I wanted to share with you. Not quite as interesting as Letterman but...

Here goes:

1. Our names start with the same letter
2. We both live in Sonoma County -- Santa Rosa to be exact
3. We're writers
4. We encourage people to use local ingredients
5. We're each cooks and not bakers or gardeners
6. We're each irreverent when we teach and love to share stories
7. We've shared the same behind-the-scenes person, who we both adore
8. We support local and encourage others to do the same
9. We encourage farming without poisons, or the Cide sisters as John refers to them (pesticide, fungicide and herbicide)
10. We've both been sprouting in our kitchens for many years

And it's the last one that I will really post about next time. So, be on the lookout for more about sprouting.

Relish Culinary Mushroom Cooking Class with John Ash

It's rare that I get to sit in a cooking class. I am usually the one at the front of the room doing the talking. But I just had the chance to attend a cooking class by local, and big deal, chef John Ash. I have known John almost as long as I've been in Sonoma County, which is about 20 years.

Three times I have been a finalist in the KSRO recipe contest that he and co-host Steve Garner have each year. This year I was the grand prize winner for my Spicy African Sweet Potato, Tomato and Ground Nut Stew recipe. The topic was peanuts or peanut butter and this recipe contains the latter. Read my post for more info about my winning.

As a result of the win, I got tickets for a cooking class at Relish Culinary in Healdsburg, a cute little town in Wine Country, just 15 minutes from where I live. The tickets were originally for a Wild Game class with John but I was not wild about that idea so I waited for something more apropos. And mushrooms it was.

Next week is SOMA Mushroom camp where I am the sous chef -- 2nd in command, putting out dinner for about 200 people. This is my big cooking gig of the year. I know a bit about mushrooms and if you want to learn more in-depth information by reading about them on The Veggie Queen site.

I wanted to be anonymous in the class but Relish owner Donna del Rey introduced me fairly early on. Then John mentioned that I am a Registered Dietitian and he deferred to me more than once. I felt quite honored.

John did a great job entertaining and educating the group about mushroom cooking and used a variety of mushrooms from Gourmet Mushrooms in Sebastopol plus dried wild ones that included porcini, black chanterelle and candy cap. The food was rich and delicious and accompanied by fine local wine.

Chef Ash (someone asked a question of him as Mr. Ash and I felt kind of strange calling him John at that point) shared his tips and techniques for making food taste great such as adding sugar to balance flavors and using citrus juice to perk things up. He even commented on his irreverence in teaching, which appeals to my sense and sensibility (if I have any).

It was a divine evening for me. I even had my friend and assistant Ellen accompany me, and she drove. This made winning the recipe contest even better.

I am going to do another post about John Ash and sprouting, so watch for it.

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Tempeh -- Don't Serve Without a Warning, Tempeh Vegetable Stir-Fry

I just had the most fascinating email chat with Mark Scarborough about tempeh. Now, how often does one get to do something like that with a kinda famous cookbook author? Not part of my usual day.

Mark described his current desire for tempeh and vegetable stir-fries arising from having raised his own pigs and dealing with the aftermath in his meat-filled freezer . This may not be something that you can relate to, I can't (or it might be, don't know) but in any case, whatever it takes to get people eating more tempeh is just fine with me.

Here is what Mark said about tempeh, "Tempeh is a very hard sell--but I'm really not sure why. Maybe it's that slightly fermented taste? Or the texture? I certainly wouldn't serve it to most people without warning."

Do you need a warning to eat tempeh? I certainly don't but I do believe that Mark has a better handle on what people eat than I do. (I wear vegan- and vegetarian-colored glasses.)

Here's what Mark said about tempeh, "I do indeed like tempeh. We slice it up into a simple, sweet/sour/spicy stir-fry with snow peas, thinly sliced shallots, and thinly sliced red bell pepper. Had it for lunch today, in fact. Hoi sin, soy sauce, sambal, shaoshing, vinegar. Nothing complicated--but over sticky, short-grain brown rice, I think it's a great dish."

Here's my version of Mark's description with a tweak or 2. I like to steam my tempeh first which opens it up to absorb more marinade. Mark doesn't steam or marinate it. Your choice. Either way, it's likely to be delicious.


Mark Scarborough's Tempeh Vegetable Stir-Fry by The Veggie Queen


1 8 ounce package tempeh, any kind, sliced into thin strips (I particularly like Turtle Mountain Spicy tempeh)
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1-2 teaspoons sambal oleck or your favorite hot sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons Shaoshing wine (optional)
1-2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
3 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup sliced red pepper (in season) or carrots (in winter), thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup snow peas, stemmed, cut in half on the diagonal


Steam the tempeh for 5 minutes over boiling water.
While the tempeh is steaming, mix together all the liquid ingredients in a shallow pan and stir to combine.
Add steamed tempeh to liquids and let marinate for at least 15 minutes, and up to 30 minutes.
Remove tempeh from the marinade.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil and then the tempeh and shallots. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the red pepper or carrot and stir for another 2-3 minutes, until the pepper or carrot is getting cooked through. Add the marinade and the snow peas. Cook until the snow peas are bright green.
Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more of any of the ingredients until it tastes right to you.
For me, I would garnish this with cilantro but that's because I love cilantro.
Serve over short grain brown rice.

Feel free to let me know what you think by emailing me at jill@theveggiequeen.com.

The 'Veggie Queen Finds All Kinds of Tea at New Mexico Tea Company

I just wrote about tea for Vegan Culinary Experience online magazine but somehow I didn't know about New Mexico Tea Company when I wrote the story. They contacted me on Twitter about their rooibos tea with vanilla and blood orange. And I am looking forward to trying it.

If you've read this blog, you know that I am a big tea advocate so I am drooling a bit, into my tea cup, as I look at the New Mexico Tea company website. Heck, if I had put a link to the site in my story, I wouldn't have had to write anything at all about tea -- it's all on there. From white to green, black and oolong to Pu-erh plus 41 herbal tisanes, which are more up my alley.

If you're into tea and don't have a wonderful tea shop, like I do here in Sonoma County at Infusions in Sebastopol, then check out New Mexico Tea Company online or next time you are in Albuquerque. I can honestly say that I have not yet tried their products but love the way that they have divided up the tisanes into categories, including medicinal.

Remember that plants are your best medicine, so get them everyday. Tea certainly makes the grade and will enhance your life if you give it a chance.

The Veggie Queen's Healthy Resolutions 2009

I'll start by saying that I don't make resolutions, I set goals. Here are the goals that I am suggesting that people adopt for 2009. They are all related to health but not necessarily eating because we are not only about what we put in our mouths (even though sometimes it seems that way).

1. Give Up Bottled Drinks to Save the Planet and Your Waistline

The only thing that I drink in a bottle is the water that I put in it. While this doesn't make me perfect (darn), it helps me maintain a healthy weight and I feel good about not contributing to the massive number of bottles going into the waste stream. I am also not consuming the extra calories from sweetened drinks. The current estimate is that Americans are getting one-third of their calories from drinks. That fact amazes me. So switch to water, and put it in your stainless steel or glass bottle. Or make your own tea and put it in there. At home or work, drink tea or Teecino. One cup of coffee a day is probably OK (but not for me).

NOTE: According to my RD friend and colleague, Jeff Novick, MS, RD, LD/N, the 1/3 of calories may be an overestimate. Jeff says that it could be anywhere from 250 to possibly 600 calories a day consumed from drinks. Just one 12 ounce soda, and most these days are in the 16 to 24+ ounce range, has 140 high fructose corn syrup calories. You can do the math.

2. Pay Attention to What you Put in Your Mouth, and Forget the Diets

In a few weeks I will be presenting a program called Diets Don't Work. I truly believe this. I also believe that we are all different, and that what works for me, not might work for you. I can tell you, though, that choosing unprocessed food is always the best choice. Since life isn't perfect, sometimes you'll have to make choices other than the best ones. In those cases, do the best that you can. Planning helps a lot. I notice that I tend to eat whatever is in the house. So, pay attention to what you buy on a regular basis. You know that I am always going to recommend that you have lots of vegetables around -- fresh or frozen are best, except for corn and tomatoes, in which case canned is OK.

3. Change Your Attitude (if and when you need to)

What you think about what happens is your only reality. If you think something is bad, or you cheated, or ___________ (fill in the blank), that's how it is. Take a deep breath and step back to assess the situation. I often realize that things could often be worse. And I told myself this even when everything was wiped off my hard drive on my computer (twice last year). If your glass is half-empty, get a new glass or a new way of looking at your glass. We are all lucky, just not every day. My favorite saying, "Things always work out, they just don't always work out the way that you thought that they would."

4. Learn to stretch

I do yoga on a regular basis. The stretching that I am referring to has to do with both my mind and my body. Even if you start by devoting just 5 minutes a day to warming up your muscles and giving your back a good stretch, you will benefit. After 13 years of doing yoga every week, my back is in pretty good shape, and when it gets out of alignment, a good twist will often get things back to "normal" (eliminating a trip to the chiropractor). So, really the recommendation, is change your "normal" so that it includes stretching every day.

5. Move, Learn, Love and Laugh More

Very few people exercise too much so if you can squeeze in a little more movement, do it. But don't fall into the trap of saying, "I worked out so now I can eat ice cream, cookies, have a beer, or ??" That doesn't work. You're not fooling your body.

Learn something new as often as you can by reading, listening, watching and interacting with others. The interaction is good no matter how you get it but if you're just sitting at the computer, it can be a pain in the butt. Live interaction is good.

They say that the people who live the longest after chronic illness such as heart disease are the ones who have the best support systems. So, connect with other people in whatever way you can. There are a few older men that I see at the farmer's market twice a week. I know that they go there as much to socialize as to shop. And that's good. I always stop and say hello and have a conversation if I have the time. (Now I know why a trip there takes so darned long, it's all those men...) Appreciate the people in your life, have gratitude for what you've got and spread the love.

I almost forgot laughter but I believe it may be the best medicine since it's free and you decide whether or not to take it. Figure out what makes you laugh and find it. Read jokes, comic strips (Dan Piraro is not only a nice guy but a vegan artist who writes the strip Bizarro. Many of those make me laugh.), movies, watch comedy, listen to my friend Jeff Novick give one of his nutrition presentations, laugh at yourself, watch You Tube videos -- or whatever gets your funny bone twitching. I always feel better after I laugh, especially at myself or from a funny movie (sight gags really get me). Whoop it up today.

For more specific eating tips, check out this newsletter by friend and fellow dietitian and health coach Kathy Nichols.

I hope that your 2009 got off to a great start, if not start over.

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Jumpin' John (Hoppin' John Update): A Great Way to Start the New Year

I have heard that traditionally in the south, people eat black-eyed peas, rice and greens for good luck in the New Year. Many years ago, I started making my version of Hoppin' John called Jumpin' John because the traditional dish is made with a ham hock for flavor, and I obviously leave it out.

I have made this in the pressure cooker and the peas take only about 3 minutes at pressure, if they are presoaked. Since I use brown rice, it takes quite a bit longer to cook than that so I cook the rice first separately. As I really like brown rice, having leftovers is just fine with me. And the whole thing tastes great stuffed into a whole grain tortilla. You can even mix the leftovers together and form them into burgers.

To pressure cook the brown rice:

1 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups water
salt, to taste, after cooking


Put rice and water into the pressure cooker. Bring to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 22 minutes. Remove from heat and let the pressure come down naturally. Remove lid and add salt to taste.


If making more than 1 cup, reduce liquid by 1/4 cup for each additional cup.

To pressure cook the black-eyed peas:

1 1/2 cups black eyed peas, picked over
1 tablespoon oil (optional)
1 medium onion, diced to equal at least 1 cup
1 clove minced garlic
1 to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional, if you like it spicier)1 1/4 cups vegetable broth

Soak black-eyed peas overnight or quick-soak by putting 3 inches of water over the peas, and bringing to a boil. Let sit for 1 hour. Drain water. Or alternately you can soak overnight.

Add the oil, if using, to the pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 mintues. Add the garlic, smoked paprika and chipotle powder, if using. Saute 1 more minute and add the broth. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and bring to high pressure. Lower the heat to maintain high pressure for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and quick release pressure.

Remove the lid, tilting it away from you. Add salt, and stir. Let peas sit without the lid for at least 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Serve hot over rice, along with greens.

Cook your greens.

I like to use collards or kale and cook them with a bit of olive oil and garlic, salt and pepper.

Mix it all together, add a splash of hot sauce (homemade for me) and eat. Enjoy. And Happy New Year.

The Veggie Queen Shares Vegetable Advice for You

Generally, I don't do a lot of linking to other blogs because I so enjoy writing. Sometimes, though, someone else has written something as well or better than I can. So why reinvent the wheel?

This post was written by Jessica Porter on a blog titled A Grain a Day. You already know that I am into grains but Jessica wrote about vegetables, relating to macrobiotics. I have very strong macro leanings but I am not a full-fledged any-particular-thing. What I choose to eat is my best distillation of the wisdom I possess along with what's in season where I am, and more likely what's in the pantry and refrigerator.

I've run across The Vegan Coach blog more than once. I like the descriptions and how Sassy changes a meal by changing the sauce. It's a concept that I've shared for years, Sassy spells it out so nicely that I wanted to share it with you.

I have resolved that 2009 will be the year that I work smarter and not harder, so I am going to be sharing more of what others do so that I can focus more on what I do -- provide new and interesting information and videos (check me out on You Tube at TheVQ and feel free to rate my videos) related to vegetarian, vegan and pressure cooking, as well as live teaching and speaking.

I have a number of new classes coming up this year that aren't yet posted to my website but include alternative baking, live foods including fermentation, sprouting and salads and a market to table class. I may blog about them before they ever get posted to my website http://www.theveggiequeen.com/.

I always wish you a healthy and happy day but now it's time to wish you a Happy New Year.

Never Too Much Cinnamon for Me

When I eat my special morning cereal, made in the pressure cooker in 3 minutes at pressure, I always add a cinnamon stick during cooking. When it's done, I and then top the bowl with powdered cinnamon; using the word sprinkle hardly describes it. It helps with my blood sugar and I adore the taste.

My son used to chew on cinnamon sticks when he was younger and I let him. I guess that he inherited the cinnamon gene. My husband doesn't comment on it and rarely eats it. To each their own.

Once I mistakenly grabbed cinnamon instead of pizza spice when making pizza and the cinnamon sugar pizza was born in my house. Like cinnamon toast but even better, on the crunchy thin crust. It became one of my son's favorite meals, although I didn't make it often.

This post by Talli sums up cinnamon and its health benefits. I think that the best reason to eat it is because it tastes so good.

The Veggie Queen Asks: Two Dollar Avocados: Yes or No Way?

There was just a report in the LA Times about a shortfall of avocados this spring due to a heat wave last June. It's supposed to be the smallest crop since 1990, and possibly even 1980. So, the big question, is would you pay $2 for an avocado?

One farmer said that due to the economy, people might balk at that. I am very curious about this. So, what do you say? Yes to $2 avocados? Or no way?

I will buy them but not often at that price. I wonder what will happen to people who eat raw which often includes lots of avocados. Perhaps, they all have loot these days and the price of an avocado doesn't matter.

What do you think?

The Veggie Queen's Last Minute Great Gifts To Buy and Give

If you've waited too long to go shopping, or got stuck somewhere in a snow storm, then I have some wonderful gift recommendations.

Check out the Da Vero website and look at their Club Nuovo. It's best for those who live in Sonoma County because they have events at the farm, but maybe it will give you a good reason to come visit my scenic part of the world. I would love for someone to buy this gift for me. You get 5 shipments of the artisan Da Vero products for $175. It's a deal. And Colleen and Ridgely are really nice people. It makes me happy to support my local peeps.

Notet: McDougall followers, please ignore the one that follows.

Another great Sonoma County product that just entered the marketplace is Smoked Olive Oil. It has to be one of the most unique products that I've seen in a long time. I am not suggesting that you just dump olive oil on your food, and it's unlikely that you could afford to with this product, but if you want to flavor your food in a very different way, this does it. Use it sparingly, for cost and waistline savings.

Finally, although it is too late to order my book, The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment, or DVD, Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes, you can still place an order and I will send an email card to your recipient, and get your book and/or DVD in the mail right away. I also still have some Garlic Twists available.

Or just sign your friends and family up for my free email newsletter. No cost to you and plenty of benefit for them -- better health, more recipes and good information (or at least that's what I've been told).

Happy winter solstice and other holidays.

Stevia Approved for use In Soda

You will see the new Coke soon with stevia. I am not sure how this will affect the soda drinking public but we shall see, likely a few years from now. This blog post chronicles the history of sweeteners. It's very interesting.

I say, drink water, drink tea, drink juice and stay away from soda, unless you've fermented it yourself. To find out more about that, check out how to make your own root beer.

Learning to eat and drink real foods is vitally important to your health. Choose whole foods most often, especially during this chaotic season.

A good dose of garlic, hot chilies, shiitake mushrooms and miso in some combination will likely do you good.

Millet on My Mind, Gluten-Free and Yummy, Too

Just recently I posted about millet on my pressure cooking blog. My colleague Robin Asbell wrote an article for Mother Earth News about millet.

Read these 2 pieces and then get some millet onto your plates or in your bowls. While quinoa is one of my gluten-free favorite grains, the price now hovers around $4 a pound. Millet is still in the $1 per pound range and you can't beat that.

Millet is wonderful served savory or sweet and goes well with many herbs and spices. I would, of course, veganize Robin's wonderful recipes, except for the Sunshine Millet Porridge with Apricots and Carrots which sounds wonderful as is.

When you want to eat healthy, hearty, highly digestible whole grains, put millet on your list.

Getting and Staying Hydrated in the Winter with Tea

I cooked myself a delicious lunch today of onions, blue potatoes, red pepper, garlic, spicy tempeh and greens. I ate quite a bit and felt satisfied but it was a late lunch, around 2 p.m. After I ate, I realized that I hadn't even finished my morning cup of tea.

A couple of hours after eating, I thought that I was hungry and was tempted to eat the rest of my delicious tempeh lunch dish when I realized that I had only had 1 cup of tea (it's a giant 24 ounce cup) all day. I thought that maybe if I had another cup of tea, my hunger would subside.

Often, instead of drinking and getting hydrated, we reach for food. So, following my own best advice, I am now drinking a cup of Rooibos (red bush) and lemongrass tea. And it is very satisfying.

I drink a lot of tea in the winter, and my tea choices change according to my mood and health. I consume a lot more medicinal teas in the winter than any other time of year. I also think that it's easy to not notice when you are thirsty in the winter, although indoor heat is drying.

Having just turned on our heat for the first time just days ago, I had forgotten about the drying effect of heat, and now remember how easy it is to get dehydrated when it's cooler out. Hot tea can also be warming, especially if your fingers are cold and you hold the cup.

Discover your favorite teas or hot drinks, such as Teecino, and make yourself many cups all winter. If you'd like to know my absolute favorite winter time drinks, leave me a comment.

Trip to Cafe Gratitude and Thumbprint Cellars Tasting Lounge: Healdsburg, California

Last week I met my friend and Colleague, Kathy Nichols of http://healthyhabitscoach.com/, for lunch at Cafe Gratitude. Those of you who aren't all cheery and upbeat all the time might find the place a bit too much. For instance, your server will ask you to think about the question for the day. Ours, I believe, was, "what are you most grateful for today?" While I certainly didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it, I did notice that our server didn't check back to find out our answers. (Be aware that sometimes they do, so you might want to ponder a bit and have a snappy retort.)

When you order your food, you ask for dishes with names such as I am Cheerful, I am Celebrating or I am Elated. I got the latter which was the enchilada del dia. Kathy ordered the I am Whole macro bowl but she got a half so I'm not sure if that made her I am Half or was she Half Whole?

And when you order the server often repeats, You are Elated or whatever the upbeat name of your item is. When your item comes from the kitchen, they call out, You are Elated. After hearing a few minutes of this, it was too much for me. And if you happen to have someone celebrating a birthday in your vicinity, you will hear the Beatles song, They Say It's Your Birthday and lots of clapping.

Kathy said that she ate at the Berkeley location once and there were many birthdays, which bordered on annoying or even obnoxious (those are my words, not exactly what Kathy said).

I truly enjoyed eating I am Elated. The enchilada wrapper is dehydrated spinach and the filling was sunflower seeds spiced with chipotle and jalapeno, along with kale and olives. It was savory and smooth and mouth-tingling, in a good way. It came with large mound of perfectly cooked quinoa and less-than-interesting cabbage which might have been slaw but not the kind that I like.

Kathy enjoyed her half whole. And we split dessert, which was somewhat unnecessary but delicious. It was raw tiramisu, the name of which is forgotten. It may be Bliss. And if it was, that is a good description (except for the $8 price tag).

As I said to Kathy, you have to be able to afford to eat at Cafe Gratitude and get all that upbeat goodness. It's a novelty and something very Californian that you ought to check out at least once, if you get a chance.

You can buy Cafe Gratitude cookbooks, either the regular or strictly desserts, and make your own raw gratitudinous food. It will still take a couple of days to not-cook most items but you'll save a lot of green (as in money) by doing so. (I am mostly of the notion that eating salad as raw food is about all the non-cooking that I care to do.)

Last time I ate at Cafe Gratitude, I met my friends Erica and Scott Lindstrom-Dake for lunch. I actually was meeting Erica but she invited Scott which was just fine. I like both of them. They are wonderful people and have the most marvelous (and maybe only) tasting lounge in Healdsburg. You can check it out http://www.thumbprintcellars.com/lounge/ online or in person if you find yourself in Healdsburg.

Did I tell you that they sell my book The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment at the lounge? I feel honored as they sell only a small assortment of items other than their own cute as can be Thumbprint items. Oh, and did I mention that their wines are wonderful? Their viognier won a Gold Medal at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. And I must admit that I've had my fair share of their dry rose. But I am a bit of a rose nut. (That is not rose but I can't figure out how to get that accent mark in there.)

If you want to take a trip to Healdsburg, feel free to email me at jill@theveggiequeen.com and I will give you some other great tips for where to go. I hope that you have as much fun there as I did and do.

Take the Stress Out of Daily Vegetable and Vegan Cooking

I tell you, I love to talk food, nutrition and health no matter what time of day it is and pretty much wherever I happen to be (which is often somewhere food related). Yesterday I was out walking my dog just before 7 a.m. when I ran into someone that I know, a former cooking class student. She no longer walks because of a bad knee or foot, or something, so she rides her bike. First we discussed the importance of keeping moving and how important exercise is for health. And then the subject turned to eating.

E. told me that she has fallen off the healthy eating wagon and feels as if it takes a lot of time to prep all the vegetables and cook all the brown rice and other things. I told her that when I am home and cook every week night, that we end up with enough food for a week and a half. So I don't actually cook everyday.

In fact, my goal when cooking is to make enough so that it lasts for a number of days (usually 3 or 4) with some to freeze. Right now, I am pressure cooking a pot of brown rice that will easily make 4 to 6 servings, depending upon how hungry I am and if my family wants it.

My husband grew up a "white bread" kind of guy but over the years he has changed his habits some but not completely. Given a choice and without thinking, which is how most people react with food, he will almost always choose the white product over the brown. This doesn't happen much at home because there just aren't always those white options.

But back to the cooking... Literally my timer just beeped to remind me that I was baking sweet potatoes -- 2 pounds of them. You see, I don't just make food for 1 meal since it doesn't make sense. I don't mind eating some of the same foods again in a day or two. I mostly make all the foods that I enjoy eating so whether it's sweet potatoes and brown rice, or quinoa and black beans or blanching vegetables, I almost always make more than I can eat.

And then I just pretend that someone cooked for me when I pull the food out of the refrigerator or defrost it from its hiding place in the freezer. When I shared that with E. I could see the sparkle in her eyes.

"I hope that I inspired you," I said. "Oh, you did," she told me.

And I hope that I can do the same for you. The easiest way to eat more vegetables, whole grains, beans and other whole foods is to make them easy to eat. That means cooking them in advance and enjoying them when you want them.

If you wait until you're hungry and/or tired, it's just too late.

Here's to happy cooking, and a healthy holiday season. Get started cooking now.

I have to go so I can enjoy my first servings of sweet potatoes, brown rice and greens, which I will likely have again, either for Thanksgiving or the following day.

The Veggie Queen's Favorite Fall Salad For Thanksgiving

I actually have 2 favorite fall salads but this is the most special of them because it uses fresh pomegranate arils (seeds) in it. This salad gets people's attention which I like. No one will say that it's boring. If there are any ingredients that you can't get, substitute, except for the pomegranate seeds which is essential.

Bright Autumn Salad
Serves 4
Most of these ingredients are native to my area of Northern California. If you cannot find them, substitute the most colorful and freshest seasonal fruit. You are aiming for a colorful salad that is sweet, tart, crunchy and bitter. I imagine that the Native Americans living where I do would have served this for their Thanksgiving meal using local, wild bitter greens instead of endive or radicchio.

1 medium head radicchio or 3 small heads of Belgian endive, sliced into shreds, or arugula (any bitter green)
2 fuyu (firm, flat Asian) persimmons, seeded if necessary, and diced
½ POM wonderful fresh pomegranate, cut, arils (seeds) removed to be used to equal 2 cups (save the other half to make more salad or just double the recipe)
2-3 kiwi, peeled and diced
¼ cup or more dried cranberries
¼ cup toasted slivered or sliced almonds
1-2 tablespoons raspberry or other fruit vinegar (optional)

Cut the bitter greens or reds into shreds. Put on a plate.

In a medium bowl, combine the persimmons, pomegranate, pineapple guava, and most of the cranberries and almonds. Arrange the combined mixture over the shredded bitter greens. Top with the remaining cranberries and almonds. Drizzle fruit vinegar over the top, if desired, right before serving.

Enjoy.

The Veggie Queen attends The Green Festival in San Francisco

This past weekend I went to The Green Festival in San Francisco. This was my second time but the first time I went with my husband and son who rushed me through the place in about 1 1/2 hours. It was record time and I really didn't get to do what I wanted. So, this time I went alone. And it took me twice as long and I did get to see what I wanted, maybe more than I wanted, and also less.

The Green Festival is definitely consumer oriented. I would say about half the booths are green and eco clothing. Now, we all need to dress each day but it seemed like too many clothes for me. I got about halfway through and felt burnt out. I did see my favorite friends from Indigenous Designs, and bought a cute organic cotton hooded sweatshirt from No Enemy (gotta love the name) in purple. And I almost missed the No Enemy guy but saw Adam, the kombucha guy wearing another No Enemy shirt and he sent me packing back down the aisle.

Adam's hibiscus kombucha (I will get the name of the company which I believe is Kombucha Botanica) was the best tasting that I have ever had. My farmer friend Larry of Triple T Ranch and Farm, here in Santa Rosa, is a kombucha fan. (That reminds me that Larry never returned my glass jar that contained kim chi, so he doesn't get any more until he does.) Generally, I don't care for kombucha and get my fermented food in other ways. But back to the Festival.

The area for the speakers is not big enough so I missed seeing Amy Goodman and Van Jones. Oh well. And Andy and Amy Berliner of Amy's Kitchen were going to be on at the end of the day, when I was long gone. So, mostly I walked through the booths.

There was raw food to sample but at some of the booths, they seemed to target younger people, and I obviously wasn't one and was almost ignored. That was disturbing.

I bought an Ahhh Natural mineral bag system for my hot tub so that we can give up chemicals. I can't wait to get it going so that the tub no longer makes me itch.

Rainbow Grocery was in attendance, handing out apples and pears. There were other food samples but many of them were from companies such as Organic Valley and Earthbound Farm. Clif handed out bar samples and there was a whole tasting area where if you donated $1 to Farm Aid you could taste all kinds of things, including Sunshine Burgers, which has a very tasty Southwest burger, but that wasn't being sampled that day.

If you like chocolate then the Green Festival would be a good place to go. And magazine samples were in big supply ranging from pubs like The Nation, Ode, Good to Vegetarian Times and my favorite VegNews.

The highlights for me were the new Choice pyramid tea bags that are biodegradable, an herbalist who had travel packs and To-Go Ware's stainless lunch carriers. Also, Fungi Perfecti had a booth with their mushroom kits and Paul Stamets was going to be there at 2 p.m. but I was trying to leave to get back to Sonoma County.

Interesting trip but I can just as easily be green right here. I also had to make a choice between the Green Festival and the Farmer's Market. The market seems much greener to me, with far fewer clothing and chocolate choices -- overall more mellow and less crowded. Staying close to home has its benefits.

The Veggie Queen talks Pressure Cooking on KRCB radio

In just a little while (7 p.m. PST) I will be on air on Mouthful with Michele Anna Jordan, discussing pressure cooking, on KRCB, our local public radio station (90.9 and 91.1). I haven't been on the radio for a while and it should be interesting since what I do and talk about it so visual. Luckily I have a video clip about pressure cooking that's from my DVD featured on my 2nd website. I know that you can also add video here but I haven't yet done it.

Since I just shot a number of segments a couple of weeks ago, I am going to work on getting them on here, and also loading more of them on You Tube. You can find me there at TheVQ.

I hope that if you get a chance you will listen to me live on KRCB. If not, I am going to see if I can get a copy of it and post clips on my website or right here on my blog.

I wish that I were a bit more of a tech nut but I prefer being a kitchen and cooking nut, or just eating nuts to playing with the computer.

Please continue to join me, here and there, as you can.