"BAKED DESSERTS CAFE" CUPCAKES

It’s been awhile since my last blog post, and for this I apologize.  I was trying to find my way out of the mounds of work piled high around me.  It’s crazy to think that 9 months ago I was making my way to Maryland to start my internship, and now I am only weeks away from completing it!  With graduation only a few short days away, celebrations are going to be in order.  And I know exactly how to celebrate.  With cupcakes.  Cupcakes from the Baked Desserts Café in Berlin, MD. 

My current preceptors introduced me to these marvels a few weeks back.  They ordered them for my birthday.   While I have never been a cupcake fan (seriously, I’d rather eat greek yogurt or ice cream instead), they seemed very excited about ordering these specific cupcakes.  I went along with it as I was very grateful for the gesture, and I knew it was the thought that count.  I did not realize this dessert would become one of the most memorable events of my 25^th birthday.    

I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a cupcake this good. And a GLUTEN-FREE cupcake nonetheless!!  Let me first describe to you the presentation of this cupcake.  Extra dense, subtly sweet vanilla cake topped with perfectly swirled strawberry frosting and a tiny white fondant flower perched off to one side (sort of like those beret hats that people wear in France).   This wonderful concoction was set in a heavy duty chocolate brown paper liner.  It was so attractive, I didn’t want to eat it!

                But I did. 

And it was the best cupcake I have ever tasted.  I honestly don’t think any other cupcake could outdo the one I had that day.  I loved that the cake was dense; it didn’t crumble as you picked it up and peeled it away from its liner.  And the frosting…Ohh, the frosting.  I could not tell you what was in it, but I swear an angel made it.  It was creamy and smooth, yet light-tasting.  It didn’t leave that caked feeling on the roof of your mouth when you finished eating it.  And they used fresh strawberries in this frosting. FRESH!  That’s not something you find every day.  
 

This was the kind of cupcake that looked small, but in actuality was heavy, dense, and gave you that “Whoa! That was so good, and now I’m stuffed….But I want more” feeling.  At first I thought my preceptors went a little overboard when they ordered 8 cupcakes for 3 of us, but now I understand why they did so.   We ended up celebrating my birthday for 3 days.   3 glorious days filled with cupcakes. 

People are often shocked when, as a dietitian, I eat things like ice cream, cookies, and chocolate.  But when it comes to eating, consuming all foods in moderation is really the key.  While cupcakes do not provide one with many nutrients, they are okay to eat every once in a while when your diet consists of mostly healthy, nutrient dense foods.  We often tell people that as long as your diet consists of 80% nutrient rich foods, the other 20% can be from foods that do not provide the body with as many benefits.  

So if you ever make it out to Maryland, head over to Berlin and find the “Baked Desserts Café”.  Ask for a gluten free cupcake with the fruit flavored frosting.  Your life will be changed.  I can guarantee it. 

TAMARIND

As a dietitian and foodie, nothing makes me happier than when an opportunity to try a new food presents itself.  I’ve tasted some pretty crazy things over the years, but I have never once regretted giving unique and unusual foods a try.  Not only does it expand your palate, but it can serve as the running start to some fantastic conversations.

I can understand why people shy away from trying new things.  Fear of the unknown can be a powerful persuader.  I encourage you to taste as many foods as you can, especially when they derive from a culture other than your own.  If you don’t, you may find yourself missing out on some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.  Like the one I had a few days ago. 

 A fellow hospital employee brought in fresh tamarind for the dietitians earlier this week, which is this cool looking fruit that she used to eat all the time when she was growing up in Costa Rica.  I had heard of tamarind before, but had never seen the actual fruit.  It’s a good thing she brought it in and showed us how to eat it because I would have overlooked it in a grocery store.  Tamarind is a fruit, but it looks like those dark brown pods (the ones that rattle when you shake them) that you’ve seen hanging from the trees in the summer.  I’d probably pass them off as a type of fresh spice, such as vanilla bean, or wrinkle my forehead and wonder what ugly, deformed peanuts were doing in the produce section. 
Each fruit is approximately 4-6 inches in length with a thin, hard outer shell.  After you crush and peel off the shell, you are left with an odd (okay, don’t freak out on my descriptions….I’m just trying to explain this so you can visualize it), intestine-looking gooey fruit leather.  Root-like projections hold the edible fruit together, and beneath the fruit are beautiful, deep red seeds.  


Eating the fruit is the fun part.  Some people rip off a few seeds worth of fruit with their hand, while others just bite them off a few at a time.  The texture is almost like that of a date or raisin, but more tender and not as sweet.  I wouldn’t say they melt in your mouth, but they are very easy to chew.  And removing the seeds takes such little effort.  When you eat a peach or plum it can sometimes be hard to get all of the fruit from the inner pit.  You’re left with a nasty chunk that has to be thrown away immediately for fear of getting something all sticky.  Not so with tamarind.  You can chew the fruit from around the seed and spit out a perfectly clean, shiny red gem.  Seriously, you could throw the seeds in a rock collection and most people wouldn’t know the difference. 

One would not find this fruit at a fancy dinner party.  I could see myself eating them at a baseball game or informal lunch, but that’s about it. Some people even remove the edible fruit portion, roll it in sugar, and form it into balls to be served as a holiday dessert.  Others boil the fruit in water and make tasty drinks out of it (I’ve seen tamarind margarita’s at traditional Mexican restaurants before)!  And I bet a 7^th grade anatomy/ science teacher would have a blast using them as visual aids for their digestive system units! 

It may not be the most attractive fruit, but it’s incredibly healthy. One piece of tamarind has a mere 5 calories, but I don’t know many people that stop after just one.  A few pieces (or 1 ounce of pulp) houses healthy carbohydrates, thiamin, potassium, folate, and some fiber.  Many people eat this fruit to promote bowel movement regularity, as it is used as a natural laxative.  Now who could say no to that!

PULLED PORK

I’ve told you before that I’m not much of a meat eater.  I don’t crave it that often, and it’s a process as far as preparation goes.  BUT, there are a few exceptions (as with everything, right?).  Two, in my book.  And those are filet mignon and pulled pork. 

These are two foods that I seek out.  I will stand in line, wait hours, for a medium rare filet or juicy pulled pork sandwich.  And if you stopped by the “Pork in the Park” festival this past weekend, that’s exactly where you would have found me.  In line, waiting for The Swinery to serve me up some of the greatest pulled pork I’ve ever eaten. 

This pulled pork was slow cooked to perfection- moist and juicy with the slightest crunch from the charred outside acquired during the smoking process.  The apple BBQ sauce slathered on top gave it a subtle sweet flavor (for which The Swinery took grand champion at last years' festival), and the creamy new mashed potatoes served on the side paired nicely and provided a contrasting smooth texture. 

Go ahead, reach for the pulled pork because aside from the beneficial protein, vitamin B6 (cofactor for enzymes involved in metabolism), thiamin (a coenzyme needed for the breakdown of sugars and amino acids), and niacin (involved in DNA repair and the production of hormones), I don’t want you to miss out on a taste of heaven.   If you haven’t bit into a tender pulled pork sandwich, you’ll be so absorbed that you won’t care about that BBQ sauce that’s found a home on your cheek.

Just make sure to watch the amount of pulled pork you eat.  You’ll reap benefits from a decent 4 oz serving, but any more than that could put you over the limit on your daily saturated fat intake.  Take your time and enjoy that 4 ounce portion, though.  It is definitely worthy of being savored and appreciated.       

 

"SEED"UCTION BREAD

It wasn’t until about 2 months ago that I really started missing whole food stores and co-ops.  Salisbury has any fast food restaurant you could ever hope for, but not a single health food store.  I miss those rows of clear bins with the various grains, nuts, and flours.  The bins with the scoops that allow you to choose exactly how much of the product you want to put in your clear plastic bag.  That’s why I get ecstatic when I have to go across “the bridge” and into Annapolis for a day or weekend.  In my mind, crossing the bridge =  a glorious stop at The Whole Foods Market. 

This store is literally my favorite grocery store in North America.  It even tops Grand Central Station’s market in New York because it has such a larger variety of foods.  Picture this:  Upon entering you see produce tables piled high with the freshest in-season fruits, a 20 foot long cooler of the finest cheeses, an olive bar with 35 types of olives, and a smoothie/ coffee bar.  Then you’ve got your rows and rows of Indian spices and other ethnic foods, fresh seafood and meats, 5 hot/cold wells of food laid out buffet style (cooked and prepared in the back kitchen), a soup station with 8 different kinds of soup that you can dish up yourself, and 3 “fast food” counters where you can pick up homemade pizzas, sandwiches, and hot entrees.  My personal favorite, however, is the bakery. 

When I think of the “bakery” in a typical grocery store I picture the counter where they serve cakes, donuts, cupcakes, and fresh baked cookies.  At the Whole Foods Market, they have this area within the store, but in addition have a separate section for homemade breads.  The first time I stopped it took me quite some time to look through all of the breads they offer.  They had everything from your basic white and whole wheat to pumpernickel rye, focaccia, and (Sarah’s personal favorite) “Seed”uction.  They even had a bread slicer, so all you had to do was pick your bread of choice, place it in the slicer, close the lid, and BAM!  You’ve got perfectly sliced homemade bread to devour at your convenience. 

This “Seed”uction bread not only tastes good, but its presentation is spectacular, too.  As you’ve already guessed, this bread is packed full of seeds- pumpkin, millet, sunflower, and poppy, which are sprinkled all over the top of the loaf.  Every bite contains these wonderful seeds, giving it a full, nuttier flavor.  And the texture is unbelievable.  Chewy, dense, and all-natural.   Honestly, this bread is so good by itself that I’d have to slap your hand if you tried to add any jam, butter, or peanut butter to it. 

The best part is that this bread has less than 10 ingredients and is made from natural, straight-from-the-earth products.  The seeds are full of vitamin E (antioxidants that fight free radicals), zinc (aids in cell development), magnesium (essential to all cells), niacin (decreases cholesterol levels), and protein (builds muscles). 

Go check out a whole foods store.  Find your way to the bakery section and instead of grabbing the largest chocolate chip cookie, ask instead for their freshest loaf of homemade bread.  I have a feeling you’ll love the switch. 

JAMIE'S SALAD With MAPLE RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

Last weekend I got together with a fantastic group of friends.   We made dinner, had dessert, and rounded out the night by setting up drafts and brackets for the NCAA games.   Being this was the first year I partook in any type of March Madness betting, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.  But, the night was terrific nonetheless.

The betting may have been the highlight for a lot of my friends that night.  I, on the other hand, found dinner to be the highlight!  More specifically, the salad that was served as the appetizer.   

The couple that hosted the dinner made, and nailed, Jamie Dean’s “Salad with Maple Red Wine Vinaigrette”.   This salad was simple, yet drew you in with its presentation.  The vibrant shades of green from the spring salad contrasted the crumbled feta.  Grapes and craisins added a bit of red, and deliver a sweet, tangy flavor.   And here comes the best part (actually, there are two additions that tip this salad off the charts, but I can’t choose which is better)…pistachios and butternut squash sprinkled over top.  If you haven’t already started salivating, picture a slightly sweet, yet surprising light, maple dressing that ties it all together.

 

I understand that some people don’t like salad.  I’m not a “salad person”, they’ll say.  But come on, folks!  You can’t find better than this!  You really do have to try this salad before swearing them off altogether.  The vibrant colors, varying textures (from the pistachios, craisins, and squash), and mixture of salty sweet flavors makes this salad restaurant worthy.  I give the host so much credit, as he made Jamie’s salad to perfection that night.    

The best part about this salad is that nearly every part of it provides the body with some sort of beneficial nutrient. 

Spring Mix- Vitamins A & K (Keeps skin healthy, aids in vision, and assists in bone metabolism)

    
Feta Cheese- Calcium (In ¼ c. you could get 1/5 of your daily calcium needs, which helps your bones and heart)

Craisins- Fiber (Keep your portion to a 1/3 c. and you’ll be getting nearly 4 grams of fiber.  Adequate fiber in the diet can prevent colon cancer and other complications such as diverticulitis)


Grapes- Vitamin C & Antioxidants (strengthens the immune system and protects against free radicals that can cause cancer)

Pistachios-Vitamin B6 (maintains healthy brain and nerve function)

Butternut Squash- Potassium & Vitamin C (protects bones and reduces inflammation)

Maple Syrup (the real stuff)- a natural sweetener that contains polyphenols (reduces inflammation)

 

This salad makes for a perfect appetizer, but is so delicious you could up the portion and eat it as a full meal.  Makes a great vegetarian dish, though you won’t feel you’re being duped because of lack of sustenance.  You’ll be asking for more because of the brilliant combination of flavors this salad offers.  Believe me, your taste buds are in for a treat.   Here's the link.  Give it a whirl!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/jamies-salad-with-maple-red-wine-vinaigrette-recipe/index.html

 

WHEAT BERRIES

I would never call myself a vegetarian (I love pulled pork too much), but eating meat is something I do only on occasion.  It’s not that I have strong feelings one way or another…I just hate cooking meat.  It takes a long time to make, and it costs a lot of money.  These are two things I have little of right now, so I’ve been experimenting with various (cheap) alternatives.   One being the wheat berry. 

I hadn’t heard of wheat berries until about a year ago, so don’t worry if you have a confused look on your face and are thinking, “what the hell is that”?  Wheat berries are not incredibly popular (yet) and, consequently, are hard to locate in many grocery stores.  But they are delicious and make a mean dish. 

The berries remind me of tiny popcorn kernels that come dark tan or red.  One cup dry yields about 3 cups cooked, so they go a long way.  2 cups dry at a whole foods market cost me under $1.50.  One serving (1/4 c. dry) has a decent 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber…and they’re my favorite kind of whole grain!  Once prepared, they are delectably chewy and pair well with some feta, pecans, and dried cranberries.   I love this “salad” plain or thrown over some spinach for a decent lunch.  But what am I saying, I’d eat this any time of day. 

Wheat berries take about 40-50 minutes to fully cook (Just simmer 1 c. berries with 3 c. water until all water is absorbed), but you can make a big batch and store them in the fridge for days.  I am currently living in a town that has no whole foods store (but every fast food franchise you can think of), so I completely understand if you might have a hard time finding wheat berries near you.  Check out a co-op or whole/health food store if you are able, otherwise do what I do and substitute with pearl barley.  Both have similar textures and can be paired with much of the same foods, (pearl barley has only 5 grams of protein, but 7.5 grams fiber).   

GJETOST CHEESE

Aside from the 2 feet of snow that falls each winter, I love Wisconsin.  It was where my dad was born and raised, and where I completed my undergrad.  So, there were plenty of opportunities for me to indulge in the states most prized possession. Aka, cheese. 

 

 

Wisconsinites love cheese so much they incorporate it into their curriculums.  I took a class during my undergrad entitled “Foods”, which is pretty vague and all-encompassing.  During this class we experimented with cooking methods, perfected our plating presentation techniques, and utilized different spices while cooking.  They told us they wanted us to be well-rounded individuals in regards to food.  I thought well-rounded would mean creating and eating authentic dishes from countries thousands of miles away.  Which is why I was surprised, (well, not entirely) when they told me we’d be taste testing 28 kinds of cheese during one of our class periods.   

We tasted all the typicals.  Mozzarella, cheddar, muenster, provolone, pepperjack, brie.  They had the unpleasant limburger cheese and a few other kinds I would only make my future children eat if they swore or shoved the neighbor kid.   But during this particular taste test I was introduced to, and fell in love with, gjetost cheese. 

It’s basically caramel flavored cheese (which is why I like it so much)!  It looks like a block of caramel and is dark brown in appearance.  It’s one of the harder cheeses and can be paired with anything you would dunk in caramel, like pears or apples.  I’ve even heard it’s good on raisin toast.  Me, I like it plain.

Gjetost is not particularly easy to find.  Every time I go into a new grocery store I run to the dairy section and hungrily browse the cheese selections.  Eyes wide, my head bobs all over the place as I scan the deep refrigerator case.  And then… nothing.  My chin sinks to my chest as I walk away in despair.  No yummy gjetost here.  Guess I’ll keep looking. 

But I found it this past weekend!  Doesn’t help that it was in New York at a specialty market in Grand Central Station, but I still found it!  This cheese is higher in saturated fat and much higher in carbohydrates than other cheeses (Diabetics, be aware of this. 1 ounce has about 12 grams).  But that doesn’t mean it cannot be savored every once in a while.  It has a decent amount of calcium and protein, so you’ll still be reaping those benefits.    

Please do me a favor.  If you go to the grocery store and find this cheese (you’ll probably find it in a red package), first buy some and give it a try.  Then, let me know where you found it so I don’t have to travel back to NYC to get more!