Gettin' Itchy Wit It

Ok... I know. Lame title, but I couldn't help myself.

This week I seem to be having an allergic reaction to something. At first I think it's one thing, then later consider another possible trigger, then another. Now I'm suspicious of everything I eat, and everything I'm touching. Is it soy? Eggs? Dairy? The cats? Maybe it's the "natural flavors" in my seltzer, or my soap, the detergent. What is making my skin freak out!?

I've never been allergic to anything before. However, thinking back, I'd get the occasional itchy, on my arm or back that would nag for a day. I never thought anything of it, but what if those were whispers of something my body didn't like, and I just wasn't paying attention?

So now it's full elimination diet. Basically I'll end up doing something like Whole30, which is how I eat most of the time anyways. I really wasn't going to jump on the bandwagon, but basically it's what I'm having to do right now. Anything remotely suspicious is out until my skin clears up and the itching stops. Then I get to add in possible allergens, one by one and of course being hyper-conscious of how my skin is feeling about it.

I know I could save time by seeing a doctor and having an allergy test done, but who knows how much that will cost... and I'm not a big fan of doctors as it is. Last fall I spent a thousand bucks on blood tests to tell me that my thyroid was "normal" when all the symptoms suggested otherwise. I can just see getting the allergy test done to find out I'm allergic to nothing, and this horrible itching is just a fluke, a practical joke set upon me by my immune system.

In the meantime, I'm trying everything I can think of for home remedies, ranging from the conventional- antihistamines and hydrocortizone cream- to the unusual- oatmeal baths and crisco & sugar "frosting" balms. I can't say one way or another whether it's working. I feel better for a while with no itching or redness, then it comes right back, probably because I keep exposing myself to the mystery allergen.

The last couple of days have been better, thanks to continued use of antihistamines, in spite of completely overindulging in my birthday dinner. It was still technically Primal, but still a very big splurge. Now to get onto the straight and very narrow. It's time to give not only the house, but my body, a good spring cleaning.

Anyone else do a "spring cleaning" or tonics? Anyone deal with diagnosing a food allergy or have foods cause itching or hives? I'm open to your thoughts, experiences and suggestions. :)
 

One Year in Vibrams

It dawned on me the other day. I've been wearing Vibram Five Fingers pretty much exclusively for one year now.

I got my first pair of Vibrams- KSOs- just before my birthday last year, and with the exception of two very cold days registering at 17 below zero, I've worn nothing but Vibrams for a whole year. My conclusion? I love them.

So what was it like?

I have to say, it's been kind of amusing. My dad's reaction was simply "It looks like you have gorilla feet." I wish I could have taped and put together a montage of people's reactions. My town is sort of small. You don't see a lot of weird stuff. People are pretty much normal. So, when you see somebody walking around with gloves on their feet, of course you're going to have a reaction.

By now I'm pretty used to it, and I barely remember my feet look different from everyone else's most of the time. My friends and family however, are much more aware of people's reactions than I am. They're generally amused when they see people walk past me, pointing to my shoes and whispering to their companions. "Oh my gosh... look at her shoes! Those are weird/neat/cool..." There were even a couple of "Dude, did you see that?" and "Whoa, check that out!"

Of course there were a lot of questions too. In the grocery store, at the check-out line, the laundromat, when donating blood, crop mobbing, shopping at the mall, and even in the ladies bathroom. From the adjacent stall in Applebee's a voice echoes "Oh wow! I like your shoes!" The first question is always "What are they?" followed immediately by "Where did you get them?" I should be getting a commission for sales of these things.

What have I done in my Vibrams?

Everything.

These are my everyday shoes. I wear them to work, all day, every day. I wear them to exercise, to hike, to do laundry, everywhere I go, it's in Vibrams. The comfort of these things is unmatched. I can't remember the last time I came home from work with sore, achy feet and legs. That says a lot for someone who spends a minimum of 6 hours a day standing on concrete. I have no complaints.

I'm a country kid. I grew up being barefoot throughout most of my summers. As soon as it was warm enough to ditch the shoes I did, and lived in flip flops for as long as the weather would let me. I always lamented the return of winter and cast-like shoes. When I discovered Vibrams, that was the end of "barefoot season." I could be barefoot all year, and have been.

I absolutely love it. I really do. I wish I could say with proof, but I believe my posture is better. No back, hip or leg pain from standing all day. It's really nice not being worn out at the end of a work day because my feet were tired. It's fun being able to pick up a quick run anytime, anywhere, with no need for a change of shoes.

There are more barefoot options now than there were a year ago. Fila, Merrill and Nike are all jumping onto the barefoot bandwagon, among others. Some are more affordable than Vibrams, but I think I'm going to stick with my VFFs for now. I like the new styles they're coming out with, making them fashionable as well as functional.

I guess my only complaint is that I no longer have a need to get pedicures and paint my toenails. You can't really show those off in Vibrams... yet, but that's ok. I've got a variety of styles now- KSO, Trek, Bikila LS, Sprint... and the collection continues to grow.

Happy Anniversary VFFs. I <3 You and the way you <3 my feet. :)

Making Your Own Spice Blends

Spring is coming and that means life is about to get very busy for the Wilderness Childe. Between foraging, crop mobbing, farmers markets, festivals and other seasonal events, that leaves precious little time to spend in the kitchen. Not being one for eating less than delicious food, it comes down to making cooking time more efficient.

One way to streamline your kitchen is to make your own spice blends. Not only can you tweak flavors just the way YOU like them, but you don't have to worry about any suspicious additives like you do with those store bought spice blends.

I tend to buy my spices in bulk so that I can fill small jars with individual spices, and then use the rest to mix up spice blends. Here are a few of the basics to get you started. They'll be useful in just about anything you want to cook.

All-Purpose Seasoned Salt

6 Tbsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery salt


Poultry Seasoning

1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried sage
1 tbsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp dried marjoram
3/4 tsp ground pepper

Taco Seasoning

6 tsp chili powder
5 tsp paprika
4.5 tsp cumin
3 tsp onion powder
2.5 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper



Southwestern Seasoning

2.5 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp Kosher salt
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper

Blackened Seasoning

4 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cayenne or less to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Store your spice blends in sealed glass jars, and don't forget to label them for easy recognition! You can get all fancy if you want, but I just use a sharpie and masking tape. Martha Stewart I am not. Maybe when I feel all crafty and creative I'll make them a little bit prettier. 

Boarfest Sponsor Announcement & Giveaway!

I am pleased to announce that we have a wonderful new sponsor for Boarfest 2011!

Tropical Traditions has stepped up to donate some wonderful prizes for us to use and review at the event, and even more wonderful prizes for me to give away here!

Sweetbread Medallions with Fennel

I think by far sweetbreads are my favorite offal. They're absolutely wonderful. Sweetbreads are the ideal name for this little treasure hidden deep inside delicious animals. And no, sweetbreads aren't a nickname for testicles! I told a friend that I'd gotten sweetbreads and she said "Why would you want to eat cow balls?" Sweetbreads are actually the thymus and pancreas. Who'da thought you could eat pancreas, and have it taste so good!?

Like brains, sweetbreads need a little bit of prep work before you cook them, but it's not that big of a deal.

You should soak them in cold water for a few hours to remove any blood in them. It makes them turn a beautiful milky white color.

After they've soaked for an hour or two, put them in a pot of cold water with a splash of lemon juice and a dash of salt for a quick blanch. Bring the water to a boil, then remove the sweetbreads and put them in ice water to help them firm up, whiten further, and remove impurities. Once cooled trim any grisle and veins, and cut them into pieces. 

 Sweetbreads have natural "lobes" to them, or chunks. You can divide them this way if you like, or slice these chunks into medallions so they look something like scallops. (Ironically they taste like scallops too!)

With all the prep work done, you're free to experiment. I decided to go again with my Caribbean Jerk seasoning and some fennel. It paired wonderfully with the sweet taste and chewy texture of the sweetbreads. This recipe was a big win in my book, and it will be repeated for dinner guests soon. This is a treat I just cannot keep to myself.

Sweetbread Medallions with Fennel

Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb
1 lb sweetbreads, prepared
fresh spinach
sweet red pepper, sliced
Caribbean jerk seasoning
coconut oil
thyme
garlic salt

Start by slicing your fennel bulb into rings. You can go vertically or horizontally. If you cut vertically they curl into the lovely "flowers" you see in the photo. Coat with coconut oil, arrange them on a cookie sheet and dust with thyme and a little bit of garlic salt. Roast at 250 degrees until tender.

Saute spinach and red pepper in coconut oil with a little salt and pepper.

Heat a little coconut oil in a large pan. Roll pieces of sweetbread in Caribbean jerk seasoning and add them to the hot oil to sear them, one side and then the other. The sweetbreads are already cooked, so you just want a nice golden crisp on the outside. When the first side is cooked, place your fennel under the broiler to give it a nice quick roast on the outside too.

Finally, plate them all together and enjoy!

I really think this is one of my favorite recipes. In the summer you can leave the spinach and pepper raw and use them as a bed for the fennel and sweetbreads. Drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon juice and it makes a nice Caribbean salad.

Yes, the sweetbreads were so far the most intimidating offal I've cooked- mostly because it's the thing I wanted to least mess up. After all they're such a rare treasure in my kitchen, but they turned out to be deceptively easy. Even if it seems a little scary at first, offal isn't hard to cook. It just takes a little confidence.

If you can get your hands on sweetbreads, I strongly encourage you to give them a try. If you like scallops, you'll love these. The flavor and texture are so similar that, had I not known what they were, I would have guessed towards the mollusk. Yes, they're really that good.

Kidney Basics: A Masala

I had a craving the other day for something organ-y and iron-y. Liver and kidney both fit that description. Liver I'm pretty confident with cooking, but kidney is still a little bit intimidating. I'm not really sure why. Perhaps it's the smell? Yes, there's a subtle smell, but you seem to get used to it.

Kidney isn't that difficult really, once you get over the "Oh my gawd, what do I do with this thing?" thoughts. I mean look at it. It's... ugly. I'm coming to realize most of my food is ugly, so I might as well get over it.

If you love meat, you'd do well to treat your taste buds to kidney. It not only tastes really good, but it's rich in iron, protein, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, phosphorous and tons of other nutrients. Organ meats are the best of the best when it comes to prime nutrition. They're often incredibly cheap too, giving you a huge nutritional bang for your buck.

And having never really done Indian-style cooking on a regular basis, I wasn't sure if I should call this a masala. Is it a true masala? According to Wikipedia, it means "any mixture" (usually involving a mixture of spices) so yes... it's a masala.

Kidney Masala

Ingredients:
1 large beef kidney
1 large can of ground or crushed tomatoes
2 cups of mushrooms, chopped
2 cups of onions, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
wheat-free tamari
red wine vinegar
coconut oil and/or tallow
garam masala
salt & pepper to taste
*and any additonal spices you like

You'll want to start preparing your kidney a few hours ahead of time. You'll notice a bit of an odor. This step takes care of that. You'll want to soak it for a few hours in water with a splash of vinegar. For large beef kidneys and pork kidneys, you can also use milk, or salted water.

Rinse of the kidney and remove the white outer membrane. You can snip it to get it started, and it should just peel right off with your fingers. Trim excess fat as well, though leaving a little bit on adds a lovely flavor.

Marinate the kidney in equal parts red wine vinegar and wheat-free tamari. Add some finely ground pepper if you like. Let it marinate for 20 minutes or so.

In a pan heat your coconut oil and saute your mushrooms, onions and garlic. Add just a splash of tamari. In a separate (larger) pan, heat your tallow and fry the kidneys. To the cooked kidneys, add the tomatoes, onions and mushrooms, garam masala and whatever other spices you choose.

Cover and let it simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes or until flavors are blended.

And here's a nifty little serving suggestion... using a mini crock, or ramekin, dish up your masala. Top with shredded parmesan and place under the broiler until the cheese is all melty and golden.

I really like kidney cooked this way. A funny thought crossed my mind wile eating it at lunch the other day. "Hmm... it kinda looks like chili... only instead of kidney beans I've used actual kidneys!"

Now there's a novel idea!

Seriously though... try kidney. You'll be glad you did.

Caribbean Brain Busters

Sure, the Brain Teasers were great for getting a sense of what brain tastes like, but now it's time to get serious.

I'm still on this Caribbean kick and decided to do something sweet, savory and spicy. These things seriously made my mouth do the limbo.

To prepare brains: Very carefully, gently removing the outer membrane and placing the brains in a pot of cold water. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and a splash of vinegar. Heat on medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes then plunge brains into ice water. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, up to 24 hours.

Caribbean Brain Busters

Ingredients:
Brains, prepared
Bacon
Tangerine slices, de-skinned
Caribbean jerk seasoning

The brains should already be prepared by simmering and have chilled for at least 2 hours.

Heat your oven to 250 degrees.

Start by separating your bacon, cubing brains into chunks, and peeling the skin off the tangerine wedges. If it's easier you could use mandarin oranges, but fresh tangerine is so much better. Pour Caribbean jerk seasoning into a small dish.

Lay 2 strips of bacon crosswise, to make an X.

Cut a small slice in a chunk of brain, and stuff with a wedge of tangerine.

Roll the stuffed brain chunk in the seasoning. You may want to use more or less depending on your tastes.

Place the brain in the center of the bacon X, and wrap the bacon snugly around the brain. Wrap up the bottom piece, and then the top, so that it's slightly woven. Secure with a toothpick.

Put all of the Busters on a cookie sheet (or better yet, in the cups of a muffin pan) and bake until the bacon is cooked and slightly crispy.

These things are amazingly, incredibly good. The fresh fruit wasn't my idea. I have to give credit to my dad for that one. He's my favorite food brainstorm partner and whenever I find myself stuck for ideas, I know I can count on him.

The tangerine was the perfect touch. A little burst of sweet and freshness perfectly balances out the thick texture and savory flavors of the meat and brain. Pineapple could also work well for this, or maybe even peach slices.

If you find yourself in possession of brains, consider giving these a try. It makes ordinary offal a truly delicious, decadent experience.

Brain Teasers

My little pig head experiment last month got me hooked, and I had to do that brains thing again. I just didn't think I'd get to do it so soon! Then, early last week I found an unexpected source for just that!

This time around was a bit easier, since I didn't have to scoop the brains out of a skull, and they were much larger cow brains. Of the two, I think I prefer beef over pork.

And yes, I'm well aware that some of you, and most non-foodie people, would think eating brains is gross. However, if they knew the nutritional treasure these things are, maybe they'd consider differently. In fact beef brains are one of the most nutritionally dense organs of any animal. They're full of healthy oils, cholesterol, DHA, B vitamins, phosphorous and selenium. Brains are about 75% fat and 25% protein.

For those of you who don't know about DHA, it's important for brain health, especially in children and infants. Children who got more DHA have been proven to be smarter in adulthood. A lack of DHA can be shown to promote heart disease, Alzheimer's, dementia and poor cognitive function. That's right, eating brains can really make you smart! Anyways... back to the cooking and less nerdy stuff...

Brains are definitely delicate, and take a little extra care in preparation, but so worth the effort.

Start by very carefully, gently removing the outer membrane and placing the brains in a pot of cold water. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and a splash of vinegar. Heat on medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes then plunge brains into ice water. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, up to 24 hours.

This is the simplest way to enjoy brains, and are quite a good little appetizer...

Brain Teasers

Ingredients:
Brains
Coconut flour
Spices
Cooking fat
Dipping sauce

Yeah, I know that's vague. Here's how I went about it...

Cut the brain into bite-size chunks, about 1 inch cubed. Season coconut flour with spices- whatever you find delicious. I used Caribbean jerk seasoning to go with my chipotle peach salsa.

Roll the brain chunks in the seasoned coconut flour. Heat your cooking fat in a pan. I used coconut oil, keeping with the Caribbean flavors.

When the oil gets nice and hot, gently put a few chunks of brain in the pan. Let them cook until golden, then carefully turn. Repeat until all the pieces of brain are cooked. Serve with dipping sauce.

Salsa goes surprisingly well with brains, and I really loved the spicy/sweet combo. They could also go well with Italian spices in the flour, and marinara dipping sauce. Or experiment with Asian flavors.

I know, you're wondering what do the brains themselves taste like!

Texture-wise, they're very creamy. More creamy than cream even. Smoother than pudding. Seriously, they're like eating silk. And the taste is so decadent, so rich. All the wonderful oils, many so similar to fish give it a wonderful salmon-like flavor. Brain has to be one of the most indulgent, luxurious things I've ever tasted.

And if you like this recipe, just wait and see what I have coming up for you next. Trust me, you're going to want to try it. One hint... Bacon.