Foodblog: SobaAddict70

[SobaAddict70]

Yay, a new blog!!!

What are the numbers in the windows?

(I live in Kansas, I don't get out much)

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It's a clock and calendar. More information about The Metronome here.

[SobaAddict70]

Breakfast this morning [and it sort of helps I'm on vacation from work this week]. Typically breakfast is some variation on eggs/hashbrowns/oatmeal/roll/breakfast burrito but I wanted to do something different.

Beans from last night. You can substitute a can of Goya black beans if you don't want to take the time to pre-cook them. I prefer Rancho Gordo heirlooms because they retain their shape even after cooking and have a distinctive flavor. In addition, I know that I'm helping the effort to retain genetic diversity in this age of mass-market food production.

Render bacon in a heavy-bottomed pot until crisp but not brown, about 4 minutes. The bacon is from High Hope Hogs Farm and is naturally wood smoked. No preservatives so you have to use it as soon as possible.

Add half an onion, diced. Saute until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the beans, 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup chopped tomatoes. You can, at this point, add some chipotle en adobo or red pepper flakes. Check seasoning. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered for 20 to 25 minutes. Soup will reduce to half its volume. If it gets too thick, add more water or stock. Check seasoning.

Serve with coconut rice (2 cups coconut milk, 1 cup jasmine rice), chopped cilantro and a wedge of lime. Sharp-eyed readers will detect a golden tinge to the rice. That's from the addition of some saffron threads soaked in a couple tablespoons coconut milk. Substitute turmeric if you like.

Voila.

Edited June 2, 2008 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Looking forward to a great return after our short blog hiatus!  I'm always in wonder of what farmers are able to pull out of the ground this early in the year.  Thanks for the pics which give me hope that soon something will inch out of our desert sands.

Also, in thinking about your comment about eating seasonally and locally, I wonder what that means nowadays in the age of hydroponics (and other technology) that allows us to grow unseasonally but locally.  Do you see much of those produce, and do you indulge?

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There are vendors at the Greenmarket that have hydroponic-grown vegetables on offer year round. I'll admit I was shocked on seeing tomatoes and basil in early February.

Uh, no thanks.

I'm really looking forward to the tomato harvest this year, not just because "it feels right", but also because I'll be doing a lot of canning. There's something subversive about pulling out a jar of tomato sauce in the middle of winter that I put up sometime months beforehand.

[kbjesq]

I'm so glad that the eg foodblog has returned! Thank you, SobaAddict70.

And the Rancho Gordo beans are to die for . . . nothing better than beans for breakfast! It is very common in New England, where I grew up, to have baked beans for breakfast. Now I live in the South, and people think that I'm nuts for asking and you never see beans on breakfast menus!

All of your food looks healthy and inviting. I'm looking forward to sharing this week with you. Thanks again.

[SobaAddict70]

I'll post pix inside my fridge and pantry later on. Won't that be delightful viewing?

It's ironic that someone who started out on eG as a lover of skinless boneless chicken breasts hasn't touched a bottle of Mrs. Dash in years.

Here's a pic of some lamb's quarters I picked up from this Saturday. I know the usual greens treatment -- EVOO/garlic/lemon. What else can I do with them? Ideas appreciated.

[Chufi]

Dear Soba,

you´ve been one of my favorite eGulleters ever since you coached me through my first eG foodblog (for those of you who don´t know this, Soba was once a most wonderful and gracious foodblog Czar).

I´m looking forward to spending this week with you. So far, I love it.. NYC, beans, greens, eggs !

[therese]

How very nice to see you blogging, Soba. Looks like you're putting your miniature kitchen to very good use.

[CaliPoutine]

I'm so glad that the eg foodblog has returned!  Thank you, SobaAddict70.

And the Rancho Gordo beans are to die for . . . nothing better than beans for breakfast!    It is very common in New England, where I grew up, to have baked beans for breakfast.  Now I live in the South, and people think that I'm nuts for asking and you never see beans on breakfast menus!

All of your food looks healthy and inviting.  I'm looking forward to sharing this week with you.  Thanks again.

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I love those beans!! I just made Green's Black Bean Chili with those same black beans. I really need to dog out my copy of Veg cooking for everyone. I've seen it mentioned in so many threads lately.

[Marlene]

I'm so glad that the eg foodblog has returned!  Thank you, SobaAddict70.

And the Rancho Gordo beans are to die for . . . nothing better than beans for breakfast!    It is very common in New England, where I grew up, to have baked beans for breakfast.  Now I live in the South, and people think that I'm nuts for asking and you never see beans on breakfast menus!

All of your food looks healthy and inviting.  I'm looking forward to sharing this week with you.  Thanks again.

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I love those beans!! I just made Green's Black Bean Chili with those same black beans. I really need to dog out my copy of Veg cooking for everyone. I've seen it mentioned in so many threads lately.

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I've heard rumours about how good those beans are.

Stash has been a friend of mine for a long time, and I'm looking forward to following along this week.

[CaliPoutine]

I've heard rumours about how good those beans are. 

I'm pretty sure they're just a hop, skip and a jump away from you

[SuzySushi]

Wow! It's just 9:25 a.m. here and already almost 1,400 viewings of your blog!

I am soooooooo jealous of the Union Square Greenmarket. I remember it fondly from my NYC days...

Here's a pic of some lamb's quarters I picked up from this Saturday.

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Are you sure those are lamb's quarters? Aren't lamb's quarters the same as mache? That doesn't look like any mache I've seen (which has tiny, almost round leaves).

[slkinsey]

SuzySushi, I think you're thinking of lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta), not lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album).

[SobaAddict70]

After dropping off the rent check at my landlord, I went to Citarella to pick up a couple things for tonight's dinner.

No pix of the inside unfortunately. Maybe next time.

I hope you'll demonstrate your egg poaching technique.  No matter the method, my poached eggs always end up in disaster (which makes me thankful for readily available onsen tamago, but it's not the same!).

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Add 1 or 2 t. vinegar to a pot of barely simmering water.

MUY IMPORTANTE!!!: The water shouldn't be boiling. Bubbles should just barely break the surface.

It's helpful if your egg is in a ramekin or similar container. Prior to slipping the egg into the water, stir the water vigorously in order to create a "mini-vortex". This [in addition to the vinegar] should force the egg to coagulate quickly.

Lift out with a slotted spoon when done.

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Salad greens (assorted lettuces, sucrine, red sorrel) with heirloom radishes and poached egg, paired with an herb viniagrette [3 T. extra-virgin olive oil, 2 T. white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, minced chives, minced lovage].

[snowangel]

Stash, care to talk about protein, fat, veg, beans, legumes in regard to the HIV thing?

Oh, and yes to living life to it's fullest and enjoying every day. Because of my daughter Heidi, my dad's precarious health and the fact that we are beginning Diana's last year of life at home, the message has been even more drilled into me.

Oh, and have you tried the sticking the beans in the oven in a cast iron pot method?

[BarbaraY]

Hi Soba. Nice to see you blogging again.

The Farmer's market pics are wonderful and just looking at the radishes made my mouth water.

I really want some of that salad.

[racheld]

I'm so glad it's YOU!!! We've been without internet since all those bad storms on Friday, so I've a bit to catch up with. I read the first post, then sort of unfocused my eyes (sat down without my glasses anyway), and just scrolled down the rainbow to Post #4.

Beautiful.

Have to stop there to get dinner on the table, but I'll anticipate the treat in store for later this evening.

[CKatCook]

So *that* is how you poach a decent egg!!

Just beautiful! I love poached egg in salad!

(runs into the kitchen with egg in hand...)

[Arey]

Here's a pic of some lamb's quarters I picked up from this Saturday. I know the usual greens treatment -- EVOO/garlic/lemon. What else can I do with them? Ideas appreciated.

Nice to see you blogging again. Those are the biggest lambs quarters I've seen. I like them when they're still small with a faint rosy blush and look like they've been dusted with flour. I only use them for salads, although I've read that it can be boiled for a dish of greens. Only young plants are edible. Once they mature and go to seed they're not worth eating. I haven't had a problem with them in my garden since I found out the young leaves are edible.

Edited June 2, 2008 by Arey (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Stash, care to talk about protein, fat, veg, beans, legumes in regard to the HIV thing?

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Going to cook dinner in a bit....but I want to address this question. It's going to be a little long-winded so bear with me.

Every three months I have a series of blood tests. You'd think I'd have gotten used to having needles poked in my arms in the time I was in the Navy but no....it takes all of my willpower to not cringe. But I digress. The blood tests are there to measure my viral load, CD4 cell count and cholesterol level among other things. There's also a urinalysis. 12 hours before test day, I have to undergo a fast. During that time, I can't eat anything or have any liquid other than water. It's pure hell, especially for someone who likes to eat like me.

One week later the results come in and I go and see my doctor. (I had the tests two weeks ago but my doctor has been on maternity leave so I'm seeing her this Wednesday. Wish me luck.)

Now, some people who take antiretrovirals, such as AZT or efavirenz (Sustiva)/zidovudine (Retrovir)/lamivudine (Epivir) have to take their medications according to a daily dosage regimen. (By the way, protease inhibitors are one type of antiretroviral drug. More information can be found here.) A standard cocktail contains a combination of three classes of antiretrovirals, which may need to be taken with or without food, with a high-fat meal or low-caloric meal, with or without water or other liquid, once a day or as many times as four times a day, depending on the combination of drugs involved.

I'm fairly lucky in that I only need to take one pill once a day and before I go to bed due to certain side effects that may occur if I take it while awake.

As far as diet is concerned...this depends on a number of factors...

*is the patient doing well with his initial regimen? typically that would be Sustiva and any drug that matches its chemical properties.

*what kind of mutations does the patient have in terms of his or her HIV sample? this is determined by the genotype test. some viral species may prove more resistant to a specific combination of antiretrovirals than others. this may in turn affect his or her drug regimen particularly if a pill needs to be taken WITHOUT a high-fat meal (i.e., Agenerase or Kaletra). some regimens have shown side effects ranging from increased risk of type II diabetes to kidney stones to high cholesterol to liver failure...the sky's the limit; keep in mind that different people have different reactions; however the risk is present that a complication may occur.

*how low is the patient's viral load? someone who has been poz for many years may react less well to a specific regimen than someone who has recently seroconverted.

*what is the patient's CD4 count? see above.

*what kind of allergies or reactions does the patient have?

*what is the patient's overall health picture?

and so forth.

This question is pretty complex and I've only touched on the tip of the iceberg.

As you can see, diet plays a key role in managing the progression of the disease. It becomes even more critical once you factor in working out in an attempt to build as much lean muscle mass as possible. To put it bluntly, you're attempting to stave off the inevitable.

Oh, and have you tried the sticking the beans in the oven in a cast iron pot method?

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Now that's new to me. Tell me more.

Edited June 3, 2008 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[C. sapidus]

Soba, who will *cue commercial music* for your foodblog?

As others have mentioned, the brilliant spring greens shining through your recent meals have been lovely. I visited the Union Square Greenmarket on my last trip to NYC, and it is truly an inspiring place.

Thanks also for the clear egg-poaching directions – you have motivated me to give it a try. Blog on, and don’t spare the chlorophyll.

[suzilightning]

soba-

have really enjoyed your dinner pictures. our local farmer's market doesn't start until 22 june .

when you say quatto do you mean quattro's from up in pleasant valley?

with the medication you take do you have any side effects that affect your appetite? any tinny taste in the mouth or loss of appetite? if so how do you talk yourself into eating and drinking the approprite nutrition to maintain?

[Dianabanana]

Great blog! I really feel for you having to do the food/medication dance. I spend a lot of effort every day tracking how long it's been since I took this medication or ate that meal and whether this food is going to interfere with that drug . . . you get used to it, but it sure would be nice to just roll out of bed in the morning and eat whatever you want!

Thank you for sharing so many details of your life with us. I never gave any thought before to how being HIV positive would affect your food life, and am finding it very interesting.

[Sony]

I am officially inspired to have greens topped with a poached egg on top for dinner this week.

So happy to see you blogging this week! I like how you let us know about how you keep HIV in check.....What you eat looks nothing like the neutropenic diet that I so often think of when it comes to immunocompromised systems. As questionable as extreme versions of it is in terms of effectiveness, was that ever mentioned as a consideration?

Can't wait to see more of your inspiring creations.....

[SobaAddict70]

Okay, dinnertime! Heheheh.

Going to post pix, make a pot of tea and then I'll get to your questions. I won't be blogging for part of the day tomorrow, but I guarantee some food porn in the afternoon. The annual Shakespeare in the Park festival just began in NYC so I'll be on line at 8 am at the Delacorte, waiting to get tix for 5 hours.

What's that, you ask?

This might remind you...

Ramps. They smell like deer piss and mothballed socks. I adore them.

And a pity they're gone for the year. Sigh.

Trim asparagus and ramps (white part only). Be sure to keep the asparagus tips whole. Reserve asparagus peelings for stock. Toss with kosher salt and olive oil, then roast at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool and set aside.

Left to right: ramp leaves, sea scallops from Citarella, unsalted butter from Ronnybrook Farm Dairy, shallot. Not shown -- a bottle of pinot gris, some light cream and a container of creme fraiche [also from Ronnybrook]. Remember if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it.

Melt butter. Sear scallops until cooked on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

Shred ramp leaves, peel and mince shallots and set aside.

Saute shallots in pan drippings, deglaze with white wine. Add light cream. Check seasoning. Add creme fraiche if you want -- I used 1 scant teaspoon. Whisk over medium-low heat or until sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in ramp leaves, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute and take off heat.

Assembly: Plate asparagus and ramps, top with scallops and spoon a little sauce atop the scallops. Serve at once.

[SobaAddict70]

So *that* is how you poach a decent egg!!

Just beautiful! I love poached egg in salad!

(runs into the kitchen with egg in hand...)

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By the way, I want to caution that the addition of vinegar or swirling the water are not necessary when it comes to poached eggs. I've found in my experience that they help more than hinder; however, they're not critical.