Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants

2 cloves garlic (optional)

2 tsp cumin

red pepper to taste

pinch salt

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp parsley

1/4-1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup water

Directions:

Rinse and chop eggplant into 1 inch cubes.

Place eggplant, garlic, spices and oil into a large pan over medium heat.  Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes or until eggplant is tender and no longer bitter.  Stir every 10 minutes adding a little water as the liquid cooks down.  When eggplant is tender and no longer white add parsley, stir and remove from heat.

Serve at room temperature with a side of Greek yogurt.

Just some photos from my trip to Tunisia.

Over a fine dinner of orange glazed salmon and saffron quinoa, my friend Jessica mentioned something very profound about my traveling choices. She said, “Most people choose their destinations by the sites they want to see or the resorts they want to stay in, but you choose destinations based on the food you want to try.” That clicked. In some ways I do choose destinations based on food.

I chose Tunisia, however, mainly to escape the cold rainy Bergamo spring, and to cross another continent off my list. For my first trip to Africa, food-wise I expected a cuisine similar to that which I had sampled in Moroccan restaurants previously. I was sadly disappointed. A young American foreign service officer stationed at the embassy in Tunis jokingly referred to Tunisia as Tuna-isia, and that’s a just name. Tuna of the canned variety seems to be the staple, and accompanies almost everything, along with a dollop of mayonnaise. I have nothing against tuna and mayonnaise, but it is a combination that puts to sleep 80 year olds with their casseroles. This is not to say that there aren’t any interesting dishes in Tunisia, but I had been expecting more.

It turns out Tunisian food is not like Moroccan food at all. Except for the couscous, a north African staple, Tunisian food differs completely from Moroccan. There is none of the rich, warm ,spicy stews or tagine that I had expected, at least not in the restaurants we ate in. We ended up eating in Tunisia what I eat in most other coastal cities, fresh seafood. The calamari I ate one night was especially fantastic, but nothing better than what I could have gotten in Sicily.

In my opinion, the only interesting plate I tried was a sauce called harissa served before every meal. Harissa is a hot red pepper sauce made of red chili peppers garlic, coriander, cumin, and olive oil. It is good, but I didn’t find it enough to satisfy the consuming craving for spice that I had developed living in spice-less Italy.

Now, I didn’t stay in Tunisia long enough to really explore the Tunisian relationship with food, but I got the impression that Tunisia lacks an identity, which is understandable in its current unstable political situation. Like its population, Tunisian cuisine is a mix of the traditional and the progressive with strong French influences that date from the time when it was a French colony. Tunisia is a country that hangs between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The identity problem this creates is something that I have seen and experienced in Italy; however food culture is a different story. Greece, Italy, and Morocco all have strongly identifiable cuisines, so why not Tunisia?

I am not an expert, but I get the impression that food is approached differently. In Europe, and particularly Italy, meal time is sacred. It is a time to socialize, or to spend with the family. In Tunisia, I got the impression that socializing is done over tea and hookah.

Tunisian tea is special. It is a minty green tea usually served from an intricate metal pot with a slender spout. Special attention is given to its preparation, and unlike food, tea preparation falls under the male domain. Ingredients vary region to region, but tea is usually sweet and made with fresh mint leaves.

The tea is something to mention, because it is fantastic. So wonderful that I drank it at least once every day I was there. Here’s how to make it at home:

3 individual green tea bags (or the equivalent in loose tea)
¾ cups sugar, or to taste (I replace with honey)
2 large handfuls mint sprigs
2 tablespoons pine nuts, for garnish (optional)
In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the sugar, and stir. Add the mint to the tea and pour the hot water over and let steep, off the heat, for at least 5 minutes.
Strain the tea to remove the mint. Garnish with pine nuts. Serve warm.

Now, although the food is nothing to rave about, the sites are. Check back for a post about what to see in Tunisia.

There are few things I miss about America living in Italy. Other than my family and friends, I do miss brunch. Italians are not creative when it comes to breakfast. Breakfast is coffee and maybe a brioche (croissant). Fortunately, I have my own kitchen, so I can do breakfast my way, meaning 2 eggs sunny-side up over greens. On Sundays when I am free from work my American friend Jessica comes over and we go all out American style. Various Italian friends join us on these occasions and we shock them with the food we are able to digest in the morning. Jessica tends to favor the pancakes and french toast, while I am partial to eggs. The other day I made the perfect brunch dish. I guess I would call it a Mexican pancake. This fantastic meal consisted of a Dukan pancake, avocado, black beans, and a fried egg, layered in that order.

Dukan Pancake

3-4 tablespoons of Oat Bran

1 1/2 tablespoons of non-fat yogurt or fromage frais or quark

1 egg (or egg white if have cholesterol problems)

1 tsp hot sauce or chili powder

Toppings

1/4 avocado

1/4 cup black beans

fresh cilantro

Directions:

Beat pancake ingredients in a bowl. Heat non-stick pan and cook pancake mix until no longer sticky and brown in color. Layer toppings on top. Enjoy!

What happens when you walk through airport security wearing an insulin pump?

Scenario 1: Nothing happens.

Insulin pumps do not contain enough metal to set off metal detectors.  This is the best-case scenario, and with a bit of preparation and luck this should be what happens whenever you go through airport security.  My advice is to wear either a dress (attaching your pump to your undies) or a long flowing shirt.   With any luck, you should be able to walk right through the detector like any other traveler.  Remember to take off ALL jewelry and belts, because if you ring you will be confronted by TSA.

Scenario 2: You attempt to go through the metal detector and your pump is spotted by TSA.

Maybe you didn’t follow my previous advice and wore a mid-drift and pump baring shirt, or maybe you raised your arms while your were taking off your coat, but anyways you got caught.  Now, it depends which airport you are going through.  Most airports in the English-speaking world will swab both your device and your hands and put it into a machine to check for explosives.  Before you pass the explosives check, you may be patted down by TSA and your bag may be examined, which is always more than a little frustrating as you didn’t even set the metal detector off.

What happens if you don’t pass the explosives test?

As I learned one fine morning at Heathrow, insulin contains a trace of some chemical (they didn’t want to tell me which) that is used in a rare form of explosives.  When detained for questioning (an uncomfortable experience to say the least), I resolved the problem by allowing them to pass my pump through the x-ray.  From this they realized it was not a device designed to blow planes out of the sky, but really a medical device, and I was soon free to board my plane.  Again this is a once in a lifetime scenario, hopefully.

Scenario 3: You have to go through the body scanners.

If you fly as much as I do, you’ll notice that more and more airports in America are implementing the sniffing body scanner machines rather than just the regular metal detectors.  In my personal opinion, these are a pain in the ass.  They slow down the lines and make going through security a nightmare, but anything in the name of safety.  Now here’s what happens.  After waiting in a gargantuan line, you put all your items on the conveyor belt and remove everything from your pockets.  The sliding doors open, you enter, position yourself on the foot prints, and they close.  In the capsule you here a whoosh as they blow air at you and suck it out.  Then, the doors open on the other side and you exit, and they have a nice x-ray of your bod.  Now there’s a reason they say remove everything from your pockets, and they’ll know if you don’t.  If you care deeply for the safety of your pump, you can hand it over to the security officers and let them examine it.  I usually just send mine with my bag through the x-ray machine, which I learned recently can actually damage your very costly device.

For more about the airport security debate:

CBS looks at the airport body scans debate

I have been wanting to make zucchini bread all week, and so on Friday I bought four small-sized zucchini.  Unfortunately, by the time Sunday rolled around I was left with only two.  Two small zucchini is really not enough even for a small loaf of tasty zucchini bread.  Then I discovered 3 leftover carrots at the back of my fridge, and so was born the genius idea for a hybrid zucchini carrot bread.  I realized later surfing food blogs that this idea was not quite revolutionary, and in fact many others have tried this combo to great success.  My take on this veggie bread turned out pretty irresistible (it’s been less than 24 hours and half the loaf seems to have disappeared).  I’m starting to believe that whole wheat spelt flour really is well-adapted to dense sweet breads like this.  Also, you’ll notice that I use agave instead of sugar.  That’s because I really do like the taste of agave, and I find it’s better for maintaining control of my blood sugar.  If you don’t like agave, this can be substituted with a number of alternatives including, but not limited to: honey, maple syrup, stevia, molasses, even cane sugar  Anyways, try it for yourself.

Ingredients;

1 1/2 cups whole wheat spelt flour

2 tbsp psyllium husks (optional)

2 tsp vegan lievito substitute ( or 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)

1 egg

1/3 cup agave syrup

3 tbsp Lucuma powder (can be replaced with stevia)

1/4 cup oil (I used olive)

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, with skin still on (about 2 small zucchini)

1/2 cup grated carrot (1 carrot)

Directions

1. Mix dry ingredients (flour, husks, powder) in a bowl and set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, beat egg and agave. Then add oil and yogurt and mix until smooth.

3. Stir in vegetables. Then mix in dry ingredients.

4. Pour into bread pan. Bake 45 to 55 minutes at 170 deg C (350° F) until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Passover has just ended. Being the terrible Jew that I am and living in northern Italy where jews don’t exist, I didn’t even realize it was passover. Anyways, I am celebrating the end of passover with a giant loaf of leavened bread. Even if I could find Matzah in this country, I’m not sure I would eat it. In celebration I have decided to make the beautiful eggy challah bread eaten at the Jewish Sabbath meal.

As I am living in Italy, I initially had some difficulties finding the proper ingredients. Yeast here is not the dry active yeast we find in packets in the United States. There are multiple strange forms, but the one I found most suitable comes in a refrigerated block form called lievito di birra. This is the same kind of yeast that is commonly used in pizza, so if you can’t find it at your local supermarket, ask at a local pizzeria.

Be warned that this is a slow rise bread, meaning it takes about five hours to make. I have split the rising into 2 periods, but the recipe is flexible.

Note: This recipe is adapted to Italian baking supplies from three recipes found on the internet.

Ingredients

1 cube refrigerated lievito di birra (you can usually find this near the butter in bigger supermarkets)

1 1/2 cups (350 ml) warm water (45 degrees C)

1 cup (200 gr) flour (I use whole wheat flower, but most bread makers will argue that bread flower interacts better with the yeast)

1/3 cup (78ml) oil (I use olive, but vegetable may be better)

1/3 cup (78 ml) honey (add more to taste)

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

4 cups (800 gr) whole wheat flour (I use pane nero flour a mix of many grains, which I find lends a deep rich flavor to the bread)

1 egg for coating bread

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix yeast, warm water and 1 cup of flour into a thin batter, and let stand until the mixture shows frothy bubbles, about 10 minutes. Stir in vegetable oil, honey, 3 eggs, and salt until well combined. Add in the rest of the flour until you have a slightly sticky dough that doesn’t stick too much to your hands.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour if needed to form a slightly sticky dough. Form the dough into a round shape. Lightly oil a bowl with a paper towel to collect excess oil. Place the dough in the bowl, and turn the dough over a few times to oil the surface. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or a plastic bag. Let dough rise 1-2 hours in a warm, draft-free place until doubled. I leave mine in an unheated oven.
3. Punch down the dough by pressing down with the fist of your hand. Knead it a few times to remove some of the bubbles. Depending on the size desired of your final loaves cut dough into 2 equal-sized pieces or leave in one for giant loaf. Cut the first piece into 3 equal parts. Set the rest of the dough aside under a cloth to prevent drying out while you braid the first loaf.
4. Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Repeat for the other loaf. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat an oven to 175 degrees C. Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl, and brush the egg mixture over the braided challah loaves.
Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are a deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack before slicing.

If you’ve read Eat, Pray, Love, you’ll remember a section where Liz talks about how every city has a word. In Europe I’ve been thinking a lot about this. If Amsterdam had a word I think it would be chill. Everyone was so chill, a fact that me and my two friends kept remarking on.

That’s of course from my perspective, and I may be a bit biased because I live in the north of Italy where chill is NOT the word, in fact you may say the word here is avoid or even impatient. Only kidding Bergamo, I do love you, but your word is not chill. Amsterdam, is a different story. I was immediately surprised at how nice and friendly people were, and that’s not just because we were three American girls helpless in a city where every street name is a sentence of indiscernable vowels.

As we explored this new winter wonderland (it was blizzarding upon our arrival), we kept comparing everything to Italy. Believe me, this was a whole new world. Even things like people giving me two extra bananas for free at the cafe and everyone being sooo willing to give directions made me feel welcome and at home in a very foreign city.

Some places to visit are definitely:

The Anne Frank house:

This was extremely moving as they show the annex where the family hid all within the timeline and context of her diary. Although nothing was furnished, there were models along with passages from her diary. At the end of the exhibit there was an interesting exhibition on modern religious discrimination.

The Red Light District

An interesting experience. From shops where they sell condoms with monkeys on them to the prostitutes in windows with red curtains, there really isn’t anything like it.

My advice to anyone traveling to Amsterdam is to just wander and explore. Find cute cafes along the canals. Shop in funky vintage shops. Taste cheese samples in local markets.

The sweet potato became a part of my diet after a discussion with my dance professor about increasing my potassium intake to decrease muscle spasms. Low potassium levels put you at risk for muscle spasms (charley horses…) as well as other less fun conditions. As the kidney is the primary organ associated with maintaining potassium balance, many diabetics are prone to potassium deficiencies. I am not exempt. How to maintain adequate potassium levels? Eat white beans, bananas, dark leafy greens, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. My teacher suggested sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are incredibly good for diabetics because they are densely nutritious and surprisingly low calorie. The term sweet in this case does not put ones blood sugar at risk. This is because the sweet potato is about twice as high in fiber as a regular potato. Not only do sweet potatoes contain high amounts of fiber and potassium, but they also contain vitamin A, calcium, iron, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. All in all, they give quite the nutritious kick.

To clear up any confusion, sweet potatoes are a completely different vegetable than regular potatoes. There are over a hundred different species of potatoes that belong to the Solanaceae family, which also includes tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tomatillos. Sweet potatoes, however, belong to the Convolvulaceae plant family, the same family that includes the morning glory flower. They belong to the genus Ipomea. What we get from this is that the term sweet potato is not completely accurate.

After an exhausting search of the supermarkets in Bergamo Thanksgiving day, I was finally able to find two types of sweet potatoes at a small vietnamese market, discovering that in Italian they are called either African potatoes or American potatoes. This makes a little bit of sense as this species originates in Central and South America. Although they are similar nutritionally, I personally prefer the African sweet potatoes (our typical orange sweet potatoes) to the easier to find American potatoes (our white sweet potatoes); however, apparently in Italy these are only sold in tiny Asian specialty markets. If you are ever searching for sweet potatoes in Bergamo, you can find them at a small Vietnamese market on Via Angelo Maj.

For an idea on how to work sweet potatoes into Italian cuisine see:

Sweet Potato Gnocchi alla Gorgonzola

During a three hour skype session with my friend Jen, I not only ditched a concert in my life as a winter hermit, but also seemingly mended some of the crumbling puzzle pieces of my life plan.

Living in the home of the bella vita, I felt I had ironically lost much of my passion.  Blame it on the winter greys, or jupiter in the heavens, or whatever you believe in.  Although my passion for health and fitness could never fade, I did not feel the same in other sectors of life.  The dark grey days ran together like rain on a wind shield, and I couldnt for the life of me remember how my lessons had gone.  My life seemed to settle into that terrible thing I dread, routine.  Breakfast, walk to work, work, return from work, exercise, shower, cook, clean.  The only color I found was in my hours of running in the cold and my bright veggie heavy meals.

I’ve always wondered why I feel different in the winter and why I crave different things.  Why was salad no longer as appealing as soup? Ok, I know you think the answer is obvious.  If you are cold you want to eat something hot not cold like salad, but it cant just be that, can it?

Anyways back to my skype session, amidst talking about life, work, love, and spirituality, Jen told me about her experience getting acupuncture for the first time.  I have never gotten acupuncture, but the idea has always appealed to me as I seem to have cramps and pain in my calves that never die.  Amidst this conversation she mentioned that her acupuncturist had introduced her to a Chinese diet and food theory that seemed to have done her a world of good.

This approach to food promised energy, bright skin, health, and possible weight loss.  For my friend, this meant eliminating milk products, with the result of eliminating phlegm.   She was also told her to eat only foods of the hot category to find balance.  Hot in this case does not only refer to temperature, but rather to the yang category of food created by ancient chinese medicine.  There are also sub categories of  yang foods including:

1. 燥火 zàohuǒ (dry fire): chili pepper, spices, smok

ed meat, lychee, fried food…

2. 濕熱 shīrè (wet heat): mango, pineapple, cherry…

3. 行血活氣 xíngxuè-huóqì (vigorating): red wine, ginseng…

Other yang foods include: roast beef, toast, root veggies, nuts and seeds, winter squash, oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, dark poultry, salmon…

What you eat not only depends on the season, but also your personal body chemistry.  Personally, I shift constantly between yin and yang.  Sometimes my balance shifts towards yang and I am agitated and overheated.  Other times I seem to be unbalanced towards the yin, constantly cold, bloated, and mentally foggy.  Anyways, next time I feel unbalanced I may try this approach to food.  For my friend Jen, it seems to have helped.  I’ll let you know if I notice any difference.