Brown Rice with Kombu and supporting Local Businesses (and Jon Hamm)

Hi everyone and please click on the title of this post to read more. I am very sad to tell you that frequent TBK video friend , Michelle Katz, is moving to Florida. The good news is that you can see her “goodbye” in the video below. We will miss her terribly :-(.

I am very excited, however, to tell you that I started a healthy cooking camp for kids this week with my 10 year old neighbor and it is going great. All 7 of the 9-11 year olds are learning basic cooking and baking techniques, how to meal plan, organize, clean up and be hygienic in the kitchen and tons more. They will not be cooking dependent when they grow up…

I am also excited to tell you that I am starting a little interview series on my blog here. As many of you know, I do not like to keep a good thing secret and must share all the wonderful happenings in my world with you. This is why I will now present you with different folks who provide interesting and helpful services that will allow us to be supported in our efforts to take care of ourselves and our families.

As we often discuss here at TBK, everyone needs support in order to accomplish what we need to do in our lives. For example, Sal from Mad Men this week needed to have the implicit support of Jon Hamm so that he did not have to fear judgment about his homosexual behavior, feel uncomfortable that he may lose his job, and will perhaps be able to better accept himself as a homosexual. Sal was so relieved by the support and we have Jon Hamm to thank for that.

If we had been supported and encouraged in our cooking endeavors at an early age, imagine where we might be today?

Well, I would like to introduce you to a new friend, Michelle, of Food of Love NJ www.foodoflovenj.com. She supported my friend Jill by catering a party I attended but what a surprise to find that all of the delicious food she made was incredibly healthy and delicious. All I could think about was how great it would be to get the word out there about her for all the expectant and new mothers as well as people who are sick and in need of good, healthy food.

So many of us are pressured to make meals when we have a friend in need but have little time. We end up buying store or restaurant food for them but now we can support Michelle’s new business AND know we are giving our friends and family healthy, fresh food. It’s a win-win! And the best part about her company is that it is exactly what I was going to do 10 years ago but now don’t have to-I’m too busy! Here’s a little interview with Michelle and please contact her at www.foodoflovenj.com…

TBK 1. Why did you start this business?

I am not a mother yet, but my younger sister gave birth last year and we found out she has very little time to take care of herself. She almost completely gave up home-cooking and relied more and more on take-out meals. Moving from Israel to America a year ago brought me to the conclusion that many people here live far away from their families and often lack the support they need in every-day living (like cooking and cleaning for new moms) as it is in smaller countries, with a more involved community life. My holistic lifestyle for the past 20 years, together with my passion for cooking, brought me to this business idea. I decided to call it “Food of Love” since I put lots of love and care in the preparation of the food, a kind of positive energy which I am convinced, is at least as important as the healthy ingredients the food is made of.

TBK 2. Who, typically, is your clientele?

My clients are mostly pregnant woman and new mothers who wish to take care of themselves, their health and their well being and provide their bodies with a healthy nutrition that is so important at this special time. But I also serve families that have the awareness of health food and lack the time to invest in cooking. The service I offer to my clients is wholesome organic vegetarian meals to their door, allowing them to relax and forget about shopping cooking and cleaning the kitchen. All this makes “Food of Love” a wonderful gift for new mothers, a gift that might be sometimes more useful and appreciated than an extra garment for the new born…

TBK 3. What is a typical meal for a post partum mother?

The menu is based on whole grains, organic vegetables and legumes. The different combinations I make with these foods are meant to create a balanced nutrition that supports easy digestion, clean and well functioning liver and strong blood circulation. This kind of food will provide the new mother with all the ingredients her body needs in order to recover, regain her strength and nourish her baby with what he/she needs for his/hers development.

TBK 4. What is your favorite dish to make?

My favorite dish to make is brown rice, and any dish including brown rice. Brown rice is the foundation stone of my menu, and certainly the most popular food in my kitchen. It has an endless list of health values, and it is very satisfying. I believe in diversity though, and I change my cooking preferences depending on weather, market inventory, season of the year, personal inspiration ,and most important: the people who would share the dish, since my main intention while cooking is always to care ,nourish, and improve people’s well being by making the right dish for their specific needs.

TBK 5. Can you give us a recipe for it?

I would like to share a super-healthy recipe for a simple and easy to prepare basmati brown rice, with Kombu seaweed, and Tamari soy sauce.
Ingredients:
1 cup basmati brown rice (Whole Foods)
1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
1 inch Kombu seaweed (can get at Whole Foods and health food stores)
Directions:
Wash the rice under running water.
Put the rice in a small pot, and toast it on medium fire for a few minutes until the nutty scent of the rice spreads.
Then, add water, just enough to cover the rice, and an extra half an inch above it.
Let the water boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the flame, and cover the pot.
Meanwhile, soak the seaweed in water for 10 minutes. When the seaweed becomes soft, cut into match size pieces.
Add the Kombu and the soy to the pot, no need to mix.
When the water is absorbed (about 30 minutes, depending on specific stove), turn off the fire and keep the pot covered for another 30 minutes.
Serve with vegetables and tahini dressing on top.
P.S Here is another social worker foodie doing a cooking camp-who knew?.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/nyregion/19cooking.html?emc=eta1

http://www.youtube.com/get_player