cole slaw with wasabi-spiked mayo

cole slaw with wasabi-spiked mayo

It’s not exactly an intuitive thing to think of slaw this time of year. And it would have totally slipped my mind were it not for last week’s Super Bowl party that my friends threw to mark the game. The big piece de resistance for the meal portion were pulled pork sandwiches and my girlfriend, Sharon, made sure to slow-roast the meat over twelve hours. My contribution, paltry this time around, was a simple slaw to complement the sweet tones of the pulled pork.

My initial thoughts turned to salads I typically gravitate to in the winter. Plates of bright citrus, bowls of hearty lacinato kale, mounds of sturdy escarole. But none of those went as well with pulled pork as a traditional slaw. And when I went on a grocery run, I noticed that while the greens were looking rather limp and sadder than usual, cabbage was sturdy and crisp, as if trying to tell me that I should, perhaps, give slaw a chance.


I’ve made many slaws by now, and rarely will I pass on a homemade one. I love slaws, but ofte see people shun it at picnics or parties. Sadly, cole slaw gets an unfairly bad rap no doubt because the stuff that’s normally sold in the grocery store has been sitting out for god-only-knows-how-long and is drowning in a ton of mayo. When I see it behind a deli counter, my stomach churns a little. But a homemade cole slaw is a whole different animal, if you will. I love that it’s the kind of thing you make and let sit for some hours to let the flavors meld and the cabbage to get slightly limp, but still remain its cheery crunch. I love the bright notes of citrus of vinegar that lift the mayonnaise-based dressing into something more exciting. And looking back on last weekend, I have to say that eating a plate of something crunchy and fresh has been a welcome reprieve from all the braises and stews and soups we’ve been having as of late.

Because our pulled pork was going to be served with some barbecue sauce, I wanted to dress my slaw with something that would contrast nicely with the sweet flavors, something that would have a kick. In the past, I have often snuck in a teaspoon of wasabi into my mayonnaise slurry, but rummaging around my pantry last weekend, I realized, I had run out of quite a bit of stuff, wasabi included. Disappointed, I went to find mayonnaise in the fridge, only to happen upon the next best thing – wasabi-spiked mayonnaise from Trader Joe’s. While it wasn’t my original concoction, I thought that in light of the circumstance it was going to be have to do. When life gives you wasabi mayonnaise…

Not only did it work beautifully, but everyone, even non-slaw lovers, piled their plates up high with the pork and slaw, mixing them together and going back for seconds. When they found out the slaw was homemade, their faces brightened a little. It makes me feel hopeful — perhaps I have made a few slaw converts that evening — one crunch forkful of cabbage at a time.



Cole Slaw with Wasabi-Spiked Mayo
I refer below to green cabbage because that’s what I grew up with and it’s what I prefer to eat. If Napa cabbage is your favorite, or you want to do a mix of green and red cabbages – by all means, play around and see what tastes and textures suit you best. Likewise, the addition of wasabi powder is purely optional as not everyone likes to have their slaw with a kick.
Ingredients:
One 3 to 3 1/2-pound green cabbage
1 large carrot, shredded on the coarsest grating side
3 scallions, white parts only, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon wasabi powder (optional; use more or less depending on your preference), Trader Joe’s wasabi mayonnaise
1/2 cup pickle relish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Wash and dry your cabbage and remove the outermost leaves. Cut the cabbage in half with a sturdy, sharp knife. Remove the dense core by cutting the wedge on both sides. Quarter each of the halves and slice each quarter into thin ribbons about 1/8-inch thick.
2. Whisk together the mayonnaise, wasabi powder, relish, mustard and lemon juice.
3. Place your shredded cabbage, carrot and scallions in a large bowl (or two large bowls, as was the case with me), pour the dressing over it, and toss to coat evenly throughout. Season with salt and pepper, toss again, taste, season again if necessary, and toss again if seasoning for the second time.
4. Cover the slaw and chill (or refrigerate) until ready to serve. Ideally, if you’re serving the slaw in the afternoon, you’ve made the slaw in the morning, so that the flavors will sit together and meld. Toss once more before serving.
Serves 8 to 10.

BAI calculator - and BMI comparison

BAI calculator - and BMI comparison

YouTube - INDIQUE: Untold Stories of Contemporary India

YouTube - INDIQUE: Untold Stories of Contemporary India

Natural Home Cleaning Recipes

Chemical-free Cleaning

You'll be surprised how easy it is to clean without using strong chemicals or ingredients that are bad for the environment, and for your employees. These recipes were found by a woman with severe allergies. She needed to find cleaning solutions that didn't set those allergies off; these have been tried and tested by her for years. I have found the following recipes and techniques effective ways of having a clean home and controlled allergies.

Did you know that:

Equal parts of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce make a great copper cleaner? Mix together and apply with a cotton cloth. Rinse with water and dry.

Equal parts of vinegar and salt clean brass? So does ketchup.

You can clean out the innards of your dishwater by running it empty with a bowl of vinegar in it? Same is true for your coffee pot (except not the "bowl" part.).

Coffee and tea stains can be cleaned by rubbing baking soda into them?

Cleaning a microwave is a snap when a few spoonfuls of baking soda are put in a cup of water and then heated in the microwave until boiling? Just wipe those splatters away!

You can put the last scraps of soap from a bar in a jar and add water to make liquid soap?

You can clean blinds by putting on a rubber glove covered by an old sock? Sure, just dip your gloved, socked hand into rubbing alcohol and start cleaning those blinds!

Black scuff marks on the floor can be removed by scrubbing with a paste of baking soda and water?

You can remove soap scum from a faucet in 10 minutes by wrapping the faucet in paper towel soaked in vinegar?

You can clear soap from a drain by pouring vinegar into the drain?

A lemony spray deodorizer can be made with 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 2 cups hot tap water, Put this in a spray bottle and spray as you would any deodorizer.

The Amish make an all-purpose cleaning solution by combining 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar and a gallon of water? Shake well and pour the solution into a spray bottle.

You can make a carpet disinfectant from 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup borax and 1/2 cup baking soda? Just sprinkle the mixture on the rug and rub it in with a cloth. Leave it alone for a few hours or
overnight, then vacuum thoroughly.

Baking soda and vinegar have been successfully used to clean carpet spots? Sprinkle the baking soda on the spot, then pour on some vinegar. It'll bubble like crazy. Let it dry some and then vacuum. And make sure you test the color fastness of your carpet first - before cleaning the whole thing.

Shaving cream cleans carpets? Sure thing... Rub some into a stain, and remove with a sponge. And guess what? You can use this on your sofa, too! Yep, upholstery responds well to being cleaned with shaving cream!

Those pesky miniblinds can be cleaned with water and baking soda? You have to take them down in the closed position and lay them on the ground outside or in a bathtub. Clean them with a sponge (one of those handled sponges works well) dipped in the solution. Then use your garden hose or your shower head to rinse them off.

Your kids don't have to give up their favorite non-washable stuffed toys? All you have to do is put them in a plastic bag with some baking soda and shake the heck out of them. Open that bag out side and then shake the heck out of the toy to remove loose baking soda. Brush the rest off.

Your silk flowers can be cleaned by putting them in a plastic bag with some salt and shaking the heck out of them.

Small-necked bottles can be cleaned using a baking soda, vinegar and a secret ingredient - gravel! Fish tank gravel will do. Mix the three together (ratios don't have to be too precise) and shake them around inside the bottle! Clean!

Olive oil can be used as a furniture polish on unvarnished wood? Sure thing.

Japan as a rice culture? Not so quick, says anthropologist | The Japan Times Online

Japan as a rice culture? Not so quick, says anthropologist | The Japan Times Online

Veggies/Fruits In Pesticides

Farmers Too Should Be Hauled Up For Soaking
Veggies/Fruits In Pesticides

By Devinder Sharma

14 March, 2011
Ground Reality

A Delhi-based NGO Consumer Voice had on the basis of a study concluded that fruits and vegetables contain 750 times more pesticides residues and hormones than what is permissible in European Union. What it did not say is that most vegetables sold in Delhi and for that matter across the country more often than not contain 100 per cent pesticide residues.

Don't blame the government, blame yourself. It is because you never felt agitated and you simply accepted whatever was being marketed that both farmers and traders have literally made a killing. Drenching vegetables in chemical pesticides and on top of it applying harmful colours to fruits and vegetables is a common practice.

The above chart appeared along with a news report in The Hindustan Times on March 10, 2011. It tells us what some of the commonly used pesticides do to our body. And yet, we have simply ignored the warnings, and we go on merrily purchasing the pesticides-ridden vegetables and fruits. Nutritionists too have been advising people to consume these chemically-treated vegetables/fruits. The poison on the platter has been the reason behind most of the ailments that the average citizen is afflicted with, but we have simply accepted it as our fate.

The report stated: "Vegetables and fruits finding their way to Delhi markets are a toxic cocktail capable of causing cancer, heart disease and infertility and posing a risk to nervous system and liver. Fresh produce sold in the Capital contains four banned pesticides, the Delhi high court noted on Wednesday, as it ordered surprise checks on traders contaminating their produce with chemicals and endangering people’s health for profit." [Read the report Rat Poison in your Veggies http://bit.ly/eg25dg]

Traders selling contaminated produce will be booked under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and fined up to Rs1,000 and/or imprisoned up to six years, says the news report. It is because the punishment is not deterring enough that traders continue with the criminal practice. In the past three years, more than 11,000 samples have been collected and 1,344 prosecutions launched, and yet the crime goes on unabated.

Why only traders? And why not farmers?

Over the years, I find that farmers have been mercilessly spraying pesticides and cocktails of chemicals on vegetables/fruits. They know these chemicals are harmful for the people who are going to eat them, but still they spray heavily, generally more than what is recommended. The agricultural university, for instance, never recommends that as many as 24 pesticides sprays need to conducted on tomato. Bhindi, baingan, cauliflower and cabbage are some of the other vegetables that are literally dipped in chemicals. Traders and hawkers too treat with more chemicals and harmful colours simply because they want these veggies to look fresh and attractive. They also treat the harvested produce with deadly chemicals to hasten ripening. Whether it is mango, papaya or bananas, the chances are that what you buy from the market is heavily contaminated. It is at the farmers level that a number of hormones are used to speed up growth. Oxytocin is the most common of these hormones.

And if you think you are safe because you buy from the supermarkets, you are sadly mistaken. Veggies and fruits being sold in the malls have often been found to have higher pesticides residues than what is sold in the open market.

I am aware that many NGOs do not want to point a finger towards the farmers. Let us not be mistaken. Farmers know what they are doing. Don't think they are ignorant. In Punjab, I have seen over the past four decades how farmers keep a patch of their crop field completely free of chemicals, including chemical fertilisers, whereas for the rest of the crop which they know is for the market, they use the chemicals with impunity. The produce from the chemical-free portion of their field is what they use for their own household consumption. Safe food for themselves, and poisonous produce for the market.

The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act therefore needs to be extended to erring farmers. They too need to be held accountable for the harm they are inflicting on unsuspecting consumers.

The bigger responsibility is still with the consumer. If the average consumer was to demand pesticides-free fruits and vegetables, the market will deliver. In other words, your insistence will help force farmers and traders to stop the application of chemical pesticides on fruits and vegetables. Keep on pestering your vegetable vendor to prove how is he saying that what he is selling is chemical-free. The more the consumers start questioning the vendors, the more will be the pressure on him to procure safe food. Demand organically produced vegetables/fruits and then only the markets will source it for you.

At the same time wherever it is possible you need to link up directly with the farmers in your neighbourhood.

On a related note, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar last week said in Parliament that 67 pesticides banned or restricted for use in other countries are being freely used in India. He said: "We take all precautions in allowing use of these pesticides. Certain countries have banned them, but certain countries have allowed their use. We have taken the opinion of the scientific community and considered the interest of the farming community in allowing their use.”

This is not true. There are no precautions worth the name that are being taken. Scientific community literally gets away with murder by hiding behind the argument that such decisions have been taken 'considering the interest of the farming community.' What is best in the interest of the farmers, the consumers and the environment is to stop the use and abuse of chemical pesticides. Only then will scientists and farmers take to safer alternatives.

Is Milk Hurting or Helping Your Bones? » DrAxe.com

Is Milk Hurting or Helping Your Bones? » DrAxe.com

24 Vegetarian Recipes To Make Meatless Mondays Go Down Easier

24 Vegetarian Recipes To Make Meatless Mondays Go Down Easier