Macrobiotic in disguise

A bit more details on macrobiotics. Chew your food 50 times. Yes, 50. That helps with digestion and some say, the slower you eat, the more enjoyment and nourishment you receive from from food, and thus, the less you will eat. In terms of composition, a meal should comprise of the following:

• Whole cereal grains, especially brown rice: 40–60%
• Vegetables: 25–30%
• Beans and legumes: 5–10%
• Sea vegetables: 5%
• Fermented foods, such as miso, sauerkraut, kimchee: 5%

So in writing the menu, here's what I came up with.

Ume shiso brown rice
Burdock and lotus root simmered in miso with wakame
Hoisin glazed roasted tofu

Short grain brown rice was steamed with an umeboshi plum infused water that had sat overnight, and then tossed with toasted sesame seeds, sweet rice vinegar, and freshly chopped shiso leaves. The root vegetables were simmered in a broth of sauteed ginger and red and white miso. After about 1 hour and 30 minutes, the veggies were mostly strained and tossed with hydrated wakame and a splash or two of yuzu citrus juice and sesame oil. Both yuzu and sesame oil are strong, so not much is needed. As for the tofu, I knew hoisin is a pretty strong sauce and thus did not marinate the tofu overnight. I tossed the tofu in a blend of ginger, hoisin, sherry vinegar, and white peppercorns and then roasted them in the oven. And to add accent to the dish, a honey sesame adorned the plate. Made with a blend of toasted sesame seeds, ginger, organic honey, nama shoyu, orange juice, and a touch of sesame oil, the sauce rounded out the dish and was really tasty over the rice.

How balanced and nourished would you feel after a meal like this?

A fusion on tofu

Being of Chinese descent, one would think that tofu and I are a match-made in heaven. This however, is not the case at all. Tofu, along with other soy products, does not make my belly happy. It's cousin tempeh, the fermented soybean, and I get along just fine. However, this does not deter me from putting tofu on the menu as I do know that many people do enjoy it. Hey, it's been made and eaten for over 2,000 years with its origins in China, so there must be something magical about it.

Coconut-crusted tofu cutlets with mac-mango salsa

Sesame and green studded brown rice

Organic firm tofu was marinated overnight in a mixture of tamari, filtered water, tahini, fresh lime juice, maple syrup, garlic, and a pinch of cayenne. The tofu was then drained, with the marinade reserved to make a sauce, and then coated with an aromatic blend of toasted coconut, finely ground cornmeal, cumin powder, chili powder, cilantro, and red chili flakes. What was surprising was that the tofu did not need any sort of adhesion prior to it's dive into the blend. It just needed a firm palm and press. To finish off the tofu, it was baked in the pizza oven on high temp until nicely golden brown. Served on a bed of brown rice tossed with toasted sesame seeds, Bloomsdale spinach, green peas, and sesame oil, the tofu cutlets were topped with a refreshing and hearty salsa made of roasted macadamia nut chunks, diced mangoes, diced red onions, cilantro, fresh lime juice, seeded and finely diced jalapenos, and a touch of agave.