San Diego Blogger: Dina Eliash Robinson

Our craving for potato latkes grew so strong, we decided to pay an early visit to Hanukah by baking up a batch of this traditional comfort food. Yes, you read it right—baking… As in a healthier but still crispy, crunchy, oven-baked version of potato pancakes—in keeping with the FreeRangeClub ban of fried foods.

Driving to Whole Foods, I was debating whether to bake the latkes on parchment-covered baking sheets or in oiled Pyrex pans. As it turned out, I shouldn’t have bothered. The plan was derailed the moment Lew and I entered the store’s foodie Paradise of’ “Local—Organic” produce. For months now, Southern California’s Whole Foods Markets have been expanding these sections reserved for the best of local organic growers, making it evermore difficult to choose among the enormous variety of spectacular plant-foods. The supermarket chain is committed to supporting the organic farming communities of their stores’ surrounding regions.

As accustomed I am to the abundance of mouthwatering organic produce, nothing has prepared me for the picture-perfect jewels still being unloaded, farm-fresh, from their respective crates and boxes. Brilliant colors and ample shapes were asking to be painted, photographed, touched, tasted and I was getting drunk on the fragrances of just-picked basil, strawberry, apple, heirloom tomato, pepper, broccoli, squashes, kale and lemons.

^{Courtesy photo}

The potatoes came in Yukon Gold, red, Russet brown and dark purple, with equally diverse sizes and shapes. To avoid the agony of choosing, I bought one of each species, convinced that blending them would enrich the flavor of my pancakes. Had I quit then, all would have been well. But who can resist a bit of sightseeing? And there it was, cheek-by-jowl with the spuds, a display of the most beautiful garnet yams I’ve ever seen in my life. Lew nodded his approval when I bagged only one—albeit rather large yam, plump and perfectly shaped. That’s when I lost it, thanks to a pile of red and golden beets, of which I picked just one of each with the last vestiges of my self-restraint.

From then on, I was on a tear… Blame it on my being cursed with the ability to taste the foods I see and sense what combinations of herbs, spices and other flavors work best together, just by imagining them, without being anywhere near a kitchen. And my taste buds were buzzing, directing me to grab two gorgeous parsnips, three carrots, a small turnip and rutabaga—adding more root veggies to spuds for richer latkes. It all made sense until I added a fragrant fennel bulb, which I didn’t even try to justify.

“What are you planning to make out of all this?” my sweet Lew inquired. Although he loves my cooking, even his great trust in my culinary prowess has its limits. I rambled about adding roots to liven up the boring old potato latkes, inviting friends to dinner, freezing leftovers for future meals and when he wasn’t buying any of this, I blamed the Hanukah Spirits for my temporary insanity. “Are you kidding?” my husband laughed, “Letting you loose near fresh organic produce always ends up with you buying enough to feed a regiment.”

^{Courtesy photo}

Not until I cleaned and shredded my haul did I realize that it would take more than 100 hours to bake all the hand-size latkes contained in that mountain of roots. Having let myself be carried away by food-greed now and then in the past, I had lots of practice harnessing my panic to culinary improvisation. And that’s how the idea of baking a humongous roots-latke-casserole (instead of individual latkes) was born.

As I was assembling and blending the ingredients that would transform the crunchy sweet and tangy shreds into my new creation—lovingly misnamed the Ginormous Baked Latke Loaf—I was ‘in the zone,’ my version of a semi-dazed state tinged with equal parts denial that anything could go wrong and hopeful anticipation. In this case, I hoped for a dish emerging from the oven topped with a rosy crust and as easily sliced as a meatloaf or cake.

The experiment was a huge success, attested to by the oooh’s and aaah’s of our assorted dinner guests and the praise lavished upon the frozen portions shared with our food-savvy FRC blog partners, Catharine “The Kitchen Shrink” and graphic designer Dalia and their families.

Recipe Caveat: Quantities and Proportions—Since there are too many variants in the number and quantity of produce included—for example, in the type, number and size of root vegetables you choose, as well as the intensity of flavoring—the following recipe merely approximates the recommended measurements and ratio of ingredients.

Note: Recommend using all organic ingredients.

Gynormous Baked Latke Loaf

One parsnip—washed and peeled

One medium size carrot—washed and peeled

One small turnip—w & p

One small rutabaga—w & p

Three medium potatoes—washed, skin-on

One medium size garnet yam or sweet potato—washed, skin-on

One small or medium fennel bulb, with or without stalks—washed

Two stalks celery—optional—well washed

One large red onion—peeled

5-6 large cloves of garlic—peeled

Two whole eggs

One and 1/2 cup of egg whites

Five sprigs of fresh parsley—washed, leaves only—or two teaspoons of dry parsley

4-5 leaves of fresh basil—washed, leaves only—or two teaspoons of dry basil

1/2 teaspoon sweet red paprika

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/2 cup buckwheat flour—or whole-wheat flower

1/4 –or more of organic, unsweetened almond milk

Two tablespoons lemon juice

One and 1/2 cup (more if needed) of olive oil—divided

1/4 teaspoon sea-salt—optional

Chop onion into pea-size pieces and sauté in ½ cup of olive oil on low heat until glassy

Dice garlic and add to onions in the skillet for a minute or so. Remove skillet from burner and let it cool.

Shred in a food processor (or grate by hand) all the root vegetables, as well as the fennel and celery (if used). Place in large bowl.

Dice fresh parsley and basil (if fresh is used) and add to shredded roots.

Add eggs, egg whites, ½ cup olive oil, the buckwheat (or other) flour and all the spices.

Make sure the sautéed onion and garlic with the olive oil in the skillet are cooled and add to the mixture in the bowl.

Blend and mix well—with large spoons or hands. If not moist enough, add a little more olive oil, but don’t make the mixture soggy or too oily.

Turn on the oven to 400 degrees. Suggest you place a tray in the oven to catch any overflow juices from the casserole.

Coat an appropriately sized Pyrex baking dish with a generous amount of olive oil and cover the bottom of the dish with additional oil.’

Scoop the shredded veggie mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly from wall to wall, smoothing the top.

Beat a 1/2 cup of egg whites with the almond milk, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice, and drizzle evenly over the entire top of the casserole mixture. This liquid topping creates a rosy crust over the dish.

Place casserole into oven and bake for 30 minutes or until you see the juices bubbling at the bottom of the dish. (That’s why a glass Pyrex is best.) Turn oven temp down to 375 degrees and bake for another hour or until the vegetables are soft and the loaf holds well together for easy cutting.

Dish can be served hot or cold, as well as used in omelets.

Depending upon our national, regional or ethnic backgrounds, most of us grow up with very definite ideas about what is or isn’t a proper breakfast food. Well, get ready to move out of your morning comfort zone. Breakfast is following lunch and dinner into the Great Cultural Exchange of Cuisines, as our taste buds are being seduced by exotic concoctions.

In fact, these days it would be foolish to assume that the couple digging their chopsticks into a traditional Japanese breakfasts of rice, pickled vegetables, seafood and tea in a hotel dining room are actually from The Land of the Rising Sun. Neither should we be sure that the man assembling a curry platter is a native of India; or that the woman sampling tahini, humus and grape leaves has even a drop of Greek blood in her veins. I’ve learned this lesson in a posh Swedish hotel, while watching a group of Somali travelers share a smorgasbords of herring, smoked salmon, sardines and cheeses fit for a royal Scandinavian feast.

Actually, it's a good thing that we are falling in love with -- and are shamelessly poaching on -- each other's cooking. Teaching our taste buds to be adventurous has certainly made our meals -- and especially our breakfasts -- a lot more fun. Who knows... This cross-cultural culinary cooperation might even lead to better international relations.

Speaking of which… The versatile Israeli Breakfast is a culinary United Nations which blend and complement in perfect harmony the flavors of European and Middle Eastern foods.

Fair disclosure: The Israeli smorgasbord—with all organic ingredients—has long been included it in our breakfast rotation and a favorite of family and friends who have sampled it at our tables. Its most exciting feature is adaptability to various tastes and preferences, from the easily bored gourmet who likes to improvise by combining unusual floods and flavors but has no use for measuring cups or spoons, to ‘locavores’ enamored of fresh, seasonal and locally grown foods.

The main component of an Israeli Breakfast—you may call it ‘the anchor’—is a fresh (raw) vegetable SALAD which should have at least four ingredients but ideally more—tossed together in a bowl with or without dressing; or each item served separately in its own bowl, au nature, for individual assembling.

Essential Salad Veggies include carrots and radishes (sliced or shredded); bite-size-cut bell peppers (green, red, yellow, etc.) and tomatoes (heirloom, cherry, Roma, etc.); sliced mushrooms; chopped or ring-sliced onion (red is best); sliced cucumber (the long, curved and striped Armenian is delicious; other types should be young and slender); zucchinis (slender, firm, sliced or cubed) are good replacements to cucumbers; bite-size broccoli and/or cauliflower florets; celery (sliced or chopped); a leafy vegetable (bib, Romaine or crinkle lettuce, Belgian endive, spinach, Arugula, etc.) and various sprouts.

Protein items include hard-boiled eggs (plain, deviled or as egg salad with mayo, onion, herbs and spices); humus (Middle Eastern chickpea dish comes with various ingredients and flavors, is often served with a sesame sauce called tahini and garnished with olives or tomatoes); olives (black, Kalamata, green, stuffed, etc.); herring (with onions, in wine, cream or other sauce); sardines (best is wild caught, with skin and bones, in olive oil); lox, Nova or other smoked fish.

Breads and Pastry include bagels, English muffins, sliced fresh or toasted breads, pita, crackers, muffins, cakes or cookies.

Anything else your taste buds crave.

Although the new law requiring chains with 20 or more restaurants to post the number of calories in their servings has not yet kicked in, consumers interested in protecting their health—not to mention girth—can easily find that information on the restaurants’ own websites or in some newspapers.

Our source for the following list is a recent Washington Post report, which parenthetically mentions that there is no word yet from the Food and Drug Administration about the actual date this important regulation is supposed to take effect. This FDA foot-dragging is endangering families looking for low-budget meals, who might choose more wisely if they were informed about the health-busting calories, salt, sugar and fat-content of the mega-portions many fast-food restaurants are serving.

Taking into consideration that the average adult needs no more than 2,000 calories a day, how safe is it to order Applebee’s 1,910-calorie New England fish and chips, which contains 137 grams fat (24 grams of it saturated fat) and 3,150 milligrams of sodium? Or how about P.F. Chang’s China Bistro’s double pan-fried noodles with a combo of meats, clocking in at 1,820 calories, with 84 grams of fat (8 grams of it saturated) and a whopping 7,692 milligrams of sodium? Or Outback Steakhouse’s full rack of baby back ribs with Aussie fries, piling in 1,936 calories, 133 grams fat (56 saturated fat) and 2,741 milligrams sodium? And so onÖ

There is a chance that once restaurants are required to post at least the calorie counts and salt, fat and sugar contents of their meals, they will start serving smaller portions, less junk and more real foods. With an increasingly health-conscious populace and incentives to keep healthcare costs under control the restaurants’ own self-interest will push them to change.

Water—clean, uncontaminated and fit to drink—is the world’s most precious, and increasingly scarce commodity. As the planet heats up and its population grows, we’re in danger of running out of this resource, upon which depends the survival of our entire ecosystem. To prevent us from sliding into a bleak “Mad Max” world, we must become super-smart in water use and conservation.

With the following Smart Water Management Tips, the Free Range Club is kicking off a friendly competition of ideas and practices that could help improve the ways we treat, recycle and purify H2O in our households, industries and public utilities. Top three winners of this competition will be rewarded with copies of our own Kitchen Shrink’s (a.k.a. Catharine Kaufman) latest (and delightfully illustrated), children's book, featured on this site: "Joleen - The Adventures of a Junkfood Queen."

• Buy Only Produce You Plan to Use Soon:

(1) Fruits and vegetables depend on, and consist mostly of water. The faster they get from farm to stove, oven or fridge, the more of their nutritional value, flavors and textures will be available for our consumption.

(2) Plan your meals around the fresh produce you buy that day.

(3) Buy only what, and as much as you have time to clean, cook, prepare or store within the next 24-36 hours.

(4) Shop for fresh produce just before your frozen foods and perishable fresh meats, fish and other seafood. And don’t leave these in the car while you run other errands.

(5) Do NOT store fresh-from-the-store eggs before you wash them.

• Water-Miser Produce Cleaning:

(1) At home, put the bags of leafy vegetables in the fridge temporarily, so they won’t wilt while you wash the rest of the produce.

(2) Put any berries you bought on the top shelf of your fridge. Berries are the only produce that should not be pre-washed. When you want some, take out only the amounts you plan to eat right away; dunk them into a small bowl of water with a squirt of liquid Eucalyptus Pure Castile soap; gently swish them around with your fingers; pour it all into a small colander or sieve and rinse well under the faucet with a moderate spray (if you have the sprinkle setting on your faucet) of cold water. Berries are now ready to eat—on their own, or in cereals, yogurt, etc.

(3) For grapes and cherry tomatoes, fill the appropriate size bowl with cold water; add a generous squirt of liquid Eucalyptus Pure Castile soap; add grapes and cherry tomatoes; wash gently with your hands; transfer to another bowl with clean cold water and rinse well; repeat this, then put grapes and cherry tomatoes into a colander and rinse well again under cold water, using the sprinkle setting. Next, stand the colander on a rack or plate where the water can drain and let the produce drip and dry till morning. Dry remaining water by dabbing gently with dish- or paper towel; transfer grapes into one bowl, tomatoes into another and refrigerate, so you can just reach for a handful when you want it. They keep well for a week or more.

(4) Put all your fruits and non-leafy veggies that have skin (but NOT the berries, grapes or cherry tomatoes) into a clean sink. Fill it with enough cold water to cover them; turn off the faucet; add ¼ cup of liquid Eucalyptus Pure Castile soap; and using a clean sponge—preferably a Dobie pad—scrub separately each fruit and veggie, applying more pressure to those with tough skins (bananas, apples, oranges, avocadoes, potatoes, etc.) and less to delicate ones (tomatoes, zucchini, etc.).

Note: Be careful not to break their skins—but if you do, rinse those off right after scrubbing, dry with dish- or paper-towel, put them on a plate and store in the fridge, to be used before the rest.

(5) Next, let the water out of the sink and rinse well both sink and produce with a cold spray from the faucet. (Castile soap rinses off very easily, leaving the produce squeaky clean, with no soapy residue.)

Place the produce into an empty dish-rack or big colander to dry overnight. If it’s not completely dry by the morning, wipe with dish- or paper towel, store bananas in a paper-towel-lined basket or on a banana rack; leave unripe produce (avocadoes, oranges, etc.) in a colander or bowl, away from heat until ripe enough to be refrigerated; and store ready-to-eat fruit, tomatoes and salad veggies in your refrigerator’s produce drawer. This way they’ll keep for two or more weeks and are always ready to eat when you reach for them.

(6) Repeat the above process with the leafy veggies (lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, etc.), rinsing the leaves in small batches under the faucet if necessary. If you have a salad spinner, use it for your salad greens, then store them in clean plastic bags on the top (least cold) shelf of your refrigerator. Put leafy cooking veggies into a colander to let most of the water drip down—but make sure you cook them within an hour after they’re washed.

Advantages of above system are that it protects health and saves both water and time. It’s easy to check the following B & C. Health effects (A) take longer to show.

(A) Putting only clean produce into your refrigerator protects your and your family’s health from bacteria and, if any of the produce is not organic, from pesticide residues which can also transfer to other foods.

(B) It saves water. You may not realize it, but if you take an unwashed fruit out of the fridge, you’ll run more water to wash it than you would use on a batch of produce. Plus, people in a hurry do a poor job of washing whatever they grab out of the refrigerator on the fly.

(C) It takes much more time to wash individual produce items than taking care of this chore all at once.

A Point Worth Dwelling On: Far more valuable than diamonds and gold, H2O is the main component of living organisms—our bodies included—and thus the source of all nourishment and breathable air. More wars, economic stresses, political shenanigans and health crises have been triggered throughout history by the need to have, protect and control water than any other resource. Even wild animals that often go hungry to avoid danger, will brave it when thirsty by joining predators for a drink. The need for water is so well understood in the wild that predators and prey usually observe a truce while slacking their thirst at the same water hole.

Being smart about water also means to protect it from pollution and finding new technologies to remove agricultural, industrial and pharmaceutical toxins that continue to leach into our rivers, streams, oceans and groundwater. Any ideas?

Join the Smart Water Management Tips contest by e-mailing us your ideas at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

By Catharine L. Kaufman—a.k.a. The Kitchen Shrink

The Marx Brothers made “coconuts” a funny word but even without that reference, we might be tempted to snicker at the sight of these hairy brown spheres for their imagined, carved or painted resemblance to cavemen or Amazonian shrunken heads.

^{Courtesy photo}

Giggles, however, quickly turn into lip-smacking at the first sip of the deceptively watery but sweet and nourishing coconut ‘milk’ or bite of crunchy white ‘meat’ contained within that unattractive exterior. Both milk and meat are versatile in their uses—such as cooking oil, flaky additions to trail-mix snacks, ingredients in traditional Thai dishes, cakes, cookies, piña coladas and other foods, as well as oily infusions in sunscreens, soaps and toiletries of all sorts.

Health Caveat: The jury is still out on the health benefits versus dangers or limitations of ingesting coconut products either in foods or through the skin, in lotions, since it is one of the few plants that contain potentially artery-clogging saturated fats high in cholesterol. Contradictory reports by various medical and nutrition researchers range from warnings about coconut fat causing elevated levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and a danger to people with cardio-vascular issues, to recommending the product as a safe and healthy alternative to animal fats.

In his book, Coconut Cures, Bruce Fife maintains that lauric acid, which comprises about half the fatty acids in coconut oil, has been linked to raising HDL (good cholesterol) levels and thus, by improving the cholesterol ratio, actually reducing the risk of heart disease.

Recently, more reports have been popping up, praising not just the oil, but the meat, milk and water as healthy, often medicinal food that has been shown to dissolve kidney stones, improve thyroid function, kill disease-causing bacteria, viruses and fungi, increase energy and speed up metabolism. High in fiber content, the coconut is also said to help the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.

Dr. Carolyn Mein, a renowned chiropractor whose Rancho Santa Fe, CA practice has been serving patients for more than 25 years, recommends Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil for cooking since it has a high flash point and doesn’t burn, as well as for drizzling on steamed veggies and seafood, instead of butter. Dr. Mein is especially pleased by the healthy effect this oil has on her patients’ skin and hair.

The Multi-Use Marvel: In the right hands, every part of the coconut can be used, with none of it wasted. Outer fibers that wrap and cushion its shell are woven into textiles, mats and garments, often tinted with dyes derived from the juicier strands. Symmetrically split and cleanly hollowed shells are turned into bowls, decorative items, furniture parts, artworks and, of course, the ubiquitous brassieres worn by hula dancers and other exotic performers. Even broken fragments are fashioned into eating and serving utensils.

In fact, the entire coconut plant is pressed into service by consumers, industries and artisans in such forms as:

• Palm sugar from the sap and nectar of coconut trees is turned into a caramel-flavored replacement for brown sugar or molasses in cooking and baking.

• Copra is the dried and shredded ‘meat’ used in baked goods and confections, while grated and pressed raw copra is the source of coconut milk.

• More coconut oil is produced today than olive oil, due to its four-decade-long and continuing popularity as a misnamed ‘vegetable’ oil. Although it has recently been outdistanced in production and sales by the less expensive soy oil.

• Immune-boosting qualities have been discovered in the refreshing watery ‘milk’ of immature coconuts.

• Coir fiber from coconut husks makes potting mixes, rope, matting, fuel and automotive parts.

Everything You (May Or May Not Have) Wanted To Know About Coconuts: First, it is neither a nut nor a fruit, but an amazingly mobile, adaptable, nearly indestructible, self-contained seed capable of sprouting a tree even in distant, inhospitable soils. The plant’s origins are shrouded in mystery. Although botanists have not yet been able to nail down the exact genetic provenance of the coconut palm, they believe it originated somewhere between the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans near New Guinea.

This remarkable seed’s mobility is facilitated by its light weight, compact size, easy to roll spherical shape and impermeable (and thus unsinkable) hull. The same attributes make it portable by animals and humans and prone to rolling into waterways on which they float and are carried over great distances. Which is how coconuts might have spread to Africa, various island archipelagos and other shores,

Killer Coconuts: There have been about 150 deaths reported each year worldwide from falling coconuts. But whether these numbers are accurate or not, there is no doubt that the danger of sustaining a cracked skull, concussion or other injury when standing near a coconut fall zone is quite real. Since the trees are typically 25 meters high, and the ripe seed averages 3 kilograms—increased by its falling velocity to around 1,000 kilograms—it is advisable to avoid standing, sitting or lounging anywhere near—or even attempting to climb—a coconut tree. Leave the latter to the pros.

From My Travels—A Mouthwatering Recipe: Discovering new flavors is one of my great pleasures while away from home. During my globetrotting days, on a trip to Cartagena, Colombia, I fell in love with a traditional dish called Arroz Con Coco, a divine coconut rice pudding so delicious that just reading the recipe below will make your mouth water:

Arroz Con Coco

3 cups water

1 cup short grain rice like Arborio

1 can sweetened condensed milk

½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup golden raisins

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash of salt

Toasted shredded coconut and lemon zest

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, rice, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Bring to a boil on medium heat, then simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, and continue stirring until the rice is tender or the water is absorbed. Add the milks and raisins and cook for another 10 minutes. Blend in the ginger, zest and salt and cook for 5 more minutes. Spoon into champagne flutes or margarita glasses, sprinkle with shredded coconut and zest. Chill and serve.

(For your coconut comments email Catharine directly at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or send us a comment at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and indicate your permission to post it with this column on www.FreeRangeClub.com.)