Reboot in the Time of the Resistance...Doing what makes you happy!

Ma ze?

Dear Friends,

It's been a minute, nearly 2 years to be exact. What'd I miss? Seriously, how is everyone? I've been toying with the idea of returning to this space for a while, but have not taken the leap until now. In any case, I felt like 2016 knocked me on my butt. Last year challenged and shook my confidence in myself and others frankly (hello, election). While I'm not going to spend time discussing that recent past, I know it, among other things changed me and how I view the world.

Now, for 2017 I have made the following resolutions (in no particular order):

1. Work out more consistently throughout the year (I'm down to 4 workouts/week now...meh). 
2. Travel more (3/4 weekends in Jan are booked).
3. Give fewer f@cks and live unapologetically AF. I am who I am...the end. 
4. Develop/refine my POV. Consistency is key making situational adjustments, as necessary. I'm most successful when I stay true to myself and I need to go back to 2015 when I was the realest.
5. Incorporate more cauliflower (non-riced) in my diet.

That's totally me!

My workouts are pretty solid now. I've even incorporated a little reformer pilates in as well. Nikhil and I are getting out of the house and exploring, which is cool. It's one of the major advantages of living in the center of Europe. Numbers 3 and 4 are still a struggle. I am trying to strike the right balance. Number 5 is all about the timing. Cauliflower is on my list this weekend!

Biryani, on fleek (do the youngins' still say that?)

After 1 month, I feel good about my progress, but I have this nagging feeling that something is missing. I have not engaged in enough creative self-expression (no dance classes for me) and sharing it with others. Mine comes primarily through cooking and I think that I got out of the habit with Nikhil's travel schedule. While I've been working on my biryani game for a minute and did some baking at the end of the year, I feel the need to do more. One of my greatest joys was sharing Sunday dinners with friends, because their frequency and lack of budget inspired creativity. The camaraderie and sharing a meal and the Sopranos (before heading back to work in many cases) was really fun. Plus, Manzini-lady can throw down like no other!

Shakshuka!!

So, I will use this blog to share more recipes (I'm on the gram and FB too). I will make more brunches for my husband (more shakshuka!). That was our thing and I miss it. I will also stop being so derelict in my pen pal activities (sorry, Irum). Basically, I'm adding to this list things that make me happy. In this new world order, as we all fight like hell, PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT OURSELVES. If you can't take care of yourself how can you take care of others. I leave you with the seemingly immortal (he's apparently still with us) words of Frederick Douglass: "If there is no struggle, there is no progress."

I still throw a mean party.

Thinking big...growing small

Dear friends it's been a while since I've been in the blogosphere. My business trip to India was the first real test for my New Year's resolutions. Could I stay on a reasonable workout schedule and not have the biryani overtake my nutrition goals?

Photo courtesy of Bruce Leroy

So some ground rules up front...This blog is not about a weight-loss journey, internet parking lot for unsolicited health and nutrition advice, or haven for before/after pictures with inspirational sayings. I will, however, use this platform to tell my stories and share a few laughs about the process of trying to navigate this life. That being said, I'm trying to lose weight. You see, I've always been heavy and even when I lost 140 lbs before (at the age 19/20), I still felt morbidly obese.

Over the past 5 years, I have slowly been chipping away at pounds gained by age and inactivity. My (unscientific) approach has been to make modifications that I felt I could live with in the long term as this is a marathon and not a sprint. In 2015, I really made a commitment to do something I call mindful eating--being aware of certain choices and make trade-offs/modifications where necessary. Yeah, I know some people call that normal eating, but for me it's a lifestyle change. Then a story on NPR really piqued my interest.

The 5:2 diet or intermittent fasting is not a new idea. It involves 2 days of caloric restriction with 5 days of "normal" eating. The article states "It sounds tough. But here's the easy part: The other five days of the week you forget about dieting and return to your normal pattern of eating." Easy is not the word I would use to describe the 5:2. It's hard and takes discipline. I usually do Monday/Wednesday as my fast days and after that first Monday I was out of my mind. The crazy thing is that I wasn't crazy hungry the next day and I really found myself more mindful about portions and the composition of my meals.

mmm...pudding

I'm no medical doctor, but I do have a PhD in cell biology, Google-ology, and PubMedery; so, I took to the internet to find out more. I've read numerous journal articles, blogs and other forums and most interesting and personally relevant aspect is the potential impact on metabolic markers and insulin sensitivity. But the proof of the pudding is in the taste and after a month I can say that I've lost 12 lbs!

Mole and Chole

I suppose I should say that if I can you do it, you can do it. Well, I hate that line and I say if I can do it, I did it. Losing weight is hard and is not one size fits all. However, recent studies show that it may take a village (Thanks, Angelly!). Thank you for taking the time to listen/read my story. Now back to your regularly scheduled BnB (I'm going to make that a thing) delights.

Sunday prepping and what to do with leftovers

With the Basel sidewalks safely tucked away until Monday, I start menu planning and cooking for the work week. The goal is to create at least 3 days of unique meals, then we "wing it" for the other 2 weekdays. With potential crazy work schedules and the paucity of takeout options, the wing it days sometimes mean that we revert to old sodium and noodle-filled habits.

BUT, since it's the new year I am trying to do something different. I prep big batches of meal components like different proteins, veggies, and grains and put meals together on the fly. Below are some examples of what can happen on any given Sunday (oh man, I miss football already!)

FUN WITH CHICKEN

Pair with homemade coleslaw...YUM

Chicken is our protein of choice, but chicken in Switzerland is CRAZY expensive. And even though we do much food shopping across the border, I still look for ways to stretch a buck. Pulled chicken is one of my favorite recipes to accomplish this goal. All you do is poach a couple of chicken breasts in your favorite flavored poaching liquid (smoked salt, pepper, roasted garlic powder). Once the chicken done and cool, shred with a fork and add your favorite barbecue sauce.

Buffalo chicken sauce made with siracha,
apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and a bit
of sugar

Roasted chicken

VEGGIES, VEGGIES, VEGGIES!

Roasted veggies are amazing and I've been on a fennel kick lately (Thanks, Manzini!). For good measure and variety, I roasted a few brussels sprouts too!

Can I have some sprouts with my bacon?

LEFTOVERS...What I do with all this food when I am "over" my usual choices

Now you may say, I HATE LEFTOVERS. And I know at least one person that doesn't like to eat the same thing 2 days in a row; so, I look for ways to be creative. In Bon Appetit's guide to their annual Food Lover's Cleanse, they included ways to make over your leftovers.

Happy New Year!

Tip #1: Texture...Add nuts or seeds to a leftover salad. For leftover grits, you can pour them in a container and let them solidify. The next day, cut into wedges and toast up on a nonstick skillet.

Putting those black eyed peas
and collard green pot liquor to good use

Tip #2: Flavor...Do you have a favorite vinagrette or spice? A dear friend turned me onto Archer Farms (TAR-JAY) Roasted Garlic Powder. It adds a nice subtle garlic flavor without overwhelming the food.

Tip #3: Freshness...Look for ways to wake up your food with citrus or fresh herbs. I already have a plan for the roasted veggies. I have some leftover tomatoes and peppers from salad making that I will roast and pair with my sprouts and fennel for a roasted veggie salad.

Ultimately, the keys to sticking with any plan are to prep in advance, be flexible and have a little fun. So shop big, cook big, and have plenty of containers. Until next time, my friends...

Steak tacos

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Sometimes leftover cream cheese
frosting finds a home on red velvet
pancakes

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Celebrations and victories, big and small

They say when life gives you lemons make lemonade or grab sugar, vodka, and a shot glass. Either way, you have to take on life as it comes. Sometimes life calls for celebrations and celebrations to me NEED cake. I love a big Southern layer cake, the kind where you declare in your most genteel Southern accent that you could not bear to have another piece, but you do anyway. Living in New York City, I had no shortage of fantastic bakeries/cakeries (Amy's Bread, Cake Man Raven, BCakeNY) to indulge in my favorite dessert. In Basel, "American"-style cake shops are rare, and since I brought my KitchenAid mixer with me, why should I leave it to someone else?

Our wedding cake was on point!

Red Velvet Cake-Cakeman Raven

The origins of red velvet cake are somewhat disputed, with some saying it began at the Waldorf Astoria and other placing its beginnings a bit further South. And while this amazing layer cake has been a Southern staple, one man's version stole my heart in a little shop on Fulton Street in Brooklyn,
when it was still affordable to live there (Selena and Sung, remember when?)

The cake--This make a lot of cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder (I use 3 teaspoons for a deeper red color and more cocoa flavor)

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, + oil for the pans

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce or the entire bottle of McCormicks. I use gel coloring that I get from NY Cake store)

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer (I've actually mixed this cake by hand at times), mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

The frosting--Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese frosting, easy to make and easy to screw up. It has become somewhat problematic for me in Europe as the Philadelphia/frischkäse  have more moisture that the US counterparts. That combined with the lack cornstarch in the powdered sugar can lead to a nearly pourable consistency. Fear not faithful reader, I have made some adjustments:

1. Strain my cream cheese in muslin/cheesecloth to remove excess moisture
2. Keep it cold while the butter is at room temp
3. Add vanilla bean paste instead of liquid extract
4. Add 1 tbl of cornstarch per 1cup of powdered sugar

1 pound cream cheese, softened

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. This makes a lot of frosting.

Red velvet made in Basel for my
birthday twin and I

This cake is very special to me. When I make and share it with friends, it evokes so many memories. I remember going all the way to Ft Greene from WaHI (going local on the A) in the rain just to eat my feelings  after a failed experiment; or sharing a slice with friends after a large meal where I just "de-clared" that I could not eat anything else. And one of my favorite memories was carting this cake and a human-sized suitcase to Middletown, NJ to throw a baby shower for my dearest Olguita, one of many baby showers that I've thrown (can you say side hustle? Nikhil wishes I would). 

You see, celebrations and celebration cakes are meant to be shared. Smitten Kitchen has a little subsection for celebration cakes, including a household favorite, chocolate/peanut butter. Seriously, this cake is made to share. Since moving, I have often not felt like myself. By cooking and sharing with new friends here, sharing my stories, experiences, and novice tips with you, and sharing our new home with my husband (finally), I am starting to feel more like myself. And after a year or so, I celebrate this little-big victory with all the gusto that I can put forth. And today, I bake a cake and reminiscence of times past and look towards the future.

Chocolate Peanut Butter for a very special young lady

P.S: I celebrated a small victory a couple of weeks ago. Last September, my favorite new maxi dress got caught in a poorly design escalator here in Basel. Perhaps, I will share my state-of-mind fully in another blogpost, but let's just say I was not happy to have been cut out of it. Well, fast forward to 2 weeks ago, in the same store and say escalator, a man and his backpack got caught in front of me with me nearly being pushed down to the bottom. I wasn't and I lived to stay another day in Switzerland, because if I had fallen that would have been IT. So disaster averted, we celebrated and carried on.

Sometimes you celebrate with chicken and brownies!
Treat yo self!!!

New year and new promises to treat the body right

Cauliflower Grits...My Low Carb Savior

The first week of January...that magical time when we look back at the previous 6 weeks and make the promise to never eat like that again. Well, why let 2015 be any little different? As I mentioned before I'm a comfort food junkie, especially during the gray days of winter. One of my favorites is shrimp and grits. Now, I grew up eating fish or salmon croquettes (ooh, new thing to try) with grits. Shrimp and grits were mostly a low country, coastal combo that are now the highlight of many Southern-inspired brunch menus.

While grits are oh so comforting, on occasion I monitor my carbohydrate intake and turn to the humble cauliflower for inspiration. Cauliflower is the same specifies as a number of cruciferous vegetables, including kale (over it), collards, cabbage, and broccoli. 

While you can roast, puree, or do almost anything, I prefer to rice it and make grits.

Cauliflower Grits

1 head of cauliflower, quartered with leaves and core removed
2 ears of sweet corn, shucked or 1 small can of creamed corn 
2 cups water
¼ cup of milk, cream, or dairy substitute of choice (if you have nice fresh sweet corn, you don’t even need this)
1 tablespoon of butter, optional or can be added individually
½ cup (or more depending on how cheesy you like your grits) extra sharp cheddar cheese, optional
Salt and black pepper to taste

Grate cauliflower quarters and corn using the fine shred side. Add veggies to a pot with 2 cups of water and cook covered on medium high heat until the cauliflower is soft. Removed cover and add in the butter, milk, and cheese and cook uncovered to thicken, slightly. At this point, you can smooth out the texture with a hand held blender. I don’t because I prefer my grits to have a little bite. 

I’m still experimenting with the amount of corn. This Swiss corn is not as sweet and milky as the US stuff; so, I needed a little something more. In any case, I usually treat my cauliflower the same way treat my grits after the veggies are tender.

With grilled chicken

Cauliflower cheese grits with fried eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms

So there it is, the second blog post. Happy 2015 and enjoy your New Year's resolutions.

My first blog post!

Biscuits in Basel

Yum, let's eat!

Happy New Year! Welcome to the first post from Biscuits in Basel. I moved to Basel,Switzerland just over a year ago from New York City. Although Nikhil and I are doing our best to soak up the newness of our surroundings, the comforts of home sometimes call.

So, about these biscuits...Biscuits are one of my favorite foods and come in all forms. I've made drop biscuits, 7-up and BisQuick ones, but nothing beats a leavened, layered buttermilk biscuit. Living in a place where groceries can be a bit confusing (more on that later), I had to learn which flour, butter and buttermilk would work the best. Traditionally, I used King Arthur Perfect Pastry Flour (lower protein for tender biscuits and pancakes), and Marburger Farm Buttermilk (simply the best I've ever cooked with). Well, Toto, we are in Basel; so here is what I've done:

• Flour: Type 405 (analogous to pastry flour) See more here
• Butter: The European butter game is pretty tight, but I had to learn my metric conversions
• Buttermilk: Although I brought KAF buttermilk powder with me, I've been using Meuller Buttermilk

The recipe is a modification of a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. My modifications include:

• Grating frozen butter into the dry ingredients, an old pastry chef trick
• Brushing with melted salted honey butter (2 tbl butter, 1 tbl honey, pinch of salt)

The rise created from the leavening agents and released steam from the melting butter is amazing. If you make larger one, you can make killer breakfast sammies:

Images of roadtrips past.

Thanks, Angelly for the name and stay tuned for more highlights.

Enjoy!!!!!