Christmas Cranberry Cinnamon Buns

December 26, 2014March 12, 2015 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

When I think about the people who have influenced me in my interest in food, I have to think back to when I was a teenager. You may be thinking my Home Economics teacher, but you would be wrong. We were only allowed to cook after we passed all the modules on food knowledge ie. the four food groups. I was so bored with the theory that, by the time I got to cook, I was only able to make Jello chocolate pudding which is barely considered cooking and that was on the last day of the term, so I never even got to make the second recipe, a grilled cheese sandwich. Who came up with this curriculum, Pee Wee Herman?

Then one weekend, a very special lady came to visit us from England. Mrs. Fisher was the wife of my Mom’s piano teacher when she had studied music in London. I loved her accent, her gentle manner, and her elegance. But above of all, it was her passion for food and sharing it that made an indelible impression upon me. She taught cooking as a form of therapy to the mentally challenged, and gave me a crash course on the weekend of her visit. What stood out was the lesson on baking bread.

Shortly after she left I had a sleepless night and decided to exercise my newly acquired skills. I looked up a recipe for cinnamon buns. And, in the stillness of the night surrounded by silence I handled the smooth mound of dough, turning it and pressing the heel of my hand into the yielding dough. I repeated this movement over and over until it felt like a chant performed by my hands. The art of baking is far superior to yoga in my mind!

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Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2014 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

Kake2Kale wishes you and yours the very best for the festive season!

The Ginger Bomb

December 19, 2014 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures / 2 Comments

Who knew cola could be a medicinal drink? When I had the sniffles or a sore throat as a child, I was given a hot drink of cola, boiled with ginger and lemon. And, by gosh, after drinking this delicious concoction I seemed to feel better. Once in a while, I order this drink, which is still served at Hong Kong style cafes, and let it transport me back to my childhood.

Now, instead of hot cola, my husband and I make a hot drink with ginger when we feel under the weather. “Shall I make you the concoction?” offered by my wonderful husband is music to my ears when my nose is runny and my chest is congested. After a cup or two of this drink, the congestion loosens up and I am able to expel the, ahem..mucous. Since this drink does such a good job of chasing away those nasty symptoms I am calling it the Ginger Bomb!

Ginger is a rock star in the superfood realm, it might not look very pretty with its knobby physique, but it is packed with medicinal and therapeautic properties. You may think of it as a root, but in fact is the subterranean stem of the plant, called a rhizome, from which roots and shoots extend from. It has been used in China for thousands of years, and spread to many other cultures via the Silk Road.

It is full of antioxidants like zingerones and gingerols, as well as having antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic, and antiseptic properties. Ginger may also be just as effective as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in helping with pain relief. Studies have found a significant decrease in pain from muscle soreness in women athletes, and a reduction in migraine headaches and even in menstrual cramps. It is also well known to be effective in reducing nausea and upset stomachs. It is also great for coughs because it helps drain the lungs of mucuous, which is why it is in our concoction!

Ginger is usually sold in pretty large chunks, so when I can’t use it up fast enough, I put it in the freezer, and just grate what I need.

Naturally, you can enjoy my Ginger Bomb concoction even if you don’t have a cold or the sniffles! It’s a cozy and healthy drink anytime of year.

Other Superfoods in the recipe:
Pineapple – Contains Vitamin C, bromelain which is a digestive enzyme.
Lemon – Contains Vitamin C and lots of phytochemicals.
Honey – May help in treating seasonal allergies if you take a daily dose of honey made from your local area. It fights infections, in particular manuka honey, which is made from the tea tree plant.

The Ginger Bomb serves 2

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup water
5 slices ginger*
1 cup pineapple juice
2 T. honey
2 T. lemon juice

Directions:

Put ginger slices into a pot of water and bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
Add pineapple juice and heat through for about 2 minutes.
Then add honey and lemon juice. Serve immediately while hot.

*You may save the ginger slices to be used for another bomb.

Eat well and stay healthy! {Kake}

Celebrating at Chau

December 12, 2014 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

Kale and I are celebrating the 6-month anniversary of our blog so we wanted to go to a restaurant that represented who we are. Kale and I are Asian and consider ourselves to be modern and have good taste, so I thought Chau (in Vancouver) would be the perfect place to go to. Having been there before, I knew Kale would like it. I had just returned from sunny, though sub-zero, Ottawa and woke up to a gloomy dreary rain-whipped day in Vancouver, aiyah! But the blue sky poked through the angry clouds on our way to Chau and we felt the heavens smiling down upon with us.

Chau is a hip and contemporary, vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant that serves fresh, flavourful and satisfying dishes. Vegan and gluten free options are also available. We started off with taro chips served with a fragrant tofu dip. Then we had my favourite dish, the Golden Temple (top picture below). It is a light turmeric curry broth with tofu, broccoli, yam, lotus root, taro, kale, and herbs. I enjoy it best with quinoa and a side of free range eggs. We also ordered the Moonlit Midnight Swim (right-hand image, below superfoods list), which is a wild rice blend with tofu, kale, mushrooms, lotus root, a spiced peanut mushroom sauce, and topped with roasted peanuts and seeds. These dishes are filled to the brim with superfoods – kale, yam, broccoli, herbs, egg, quinoa, and turmeric broth.

Here are some of the superfoods we had:

Kale: Has over 45 different flavonoids which have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as loads of calcium.
Quinoa: Contains quercetin which is a natural anti-histamine (helps with allergies), and quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
Turmeric: Anti-inflammatory and has anti-cancer properties.
Taro: It has a low glycemic level, which means, it won’t spike your blood sugar, high in fiber, high in B vitamins and minerals.

We toasted our achievement with the Coconut Shake, a creamy coconutty, refreshing counterpoint to the savoury food. The meal felt like we’d been whisked away to a tropical island, which was perfect since yesterday I was in Ottawa with my face frozen numb. Check out Chau at chowatchau.ca, particularly their menu.

As I reflect upon the last six months since starting our blog, my first thought is how my friendship with Kale is being enriched, it is going better than I could’ve expected. We seem to have the perfect partnership. First, while I enjoy writing, Kale prefers taking photographs (I’ve tried, but I am definitely not talented with a camera). Second, it’s fun to share my healthful, tasty recipes and use ingredients that are foreign in my kitchen. Thirdly, I have a greater appreciation for photography and Kathy’s great “eye” for getting the right angle. Lastly, I am intimidated by social media, but Kale embraces technology. I look forward to another six months of more superfoods adventures!

Eat well! Live great! {Kake}

By design, the past year was meant to be a time of change, transition and discovery. I had no idea that I would be involved in a blog, let alone working on it with my sister-in-law; but our collaboration has turned out to be one of the best experiences of 2014! I love that our skills and interests are complementary, allowing our creative process to flow naturally. We are also having fun with it, together, and I couldn’t imagine a better partnership. And, even though we’ve been friends since the age of eight, we’re still learning new things about each other. I continue to be impressed with Kake’s nutritional knowledge, culinary and writing abilities. Just as important, Kake2kale has allowed me to do what I love – photography, food and travel!

I believe we are staying true to our mantra – to share our adventures searching for tasty and healthy superfoods, through our recipes, travels, photography, and stories. We’re excited about the months and years ahead for the blog, particularly with new ideas and more interviews with people making a difference in wellness and superfoods. We thank you for enjoying and following Kake2kale!

Travel Far, Explore More! {Kale}