The Moon Lady

Today's theme was macrobiotics, and once the team (Tashana, Andy, and Travis) had reviewed their recipes in front of the class, Chef Vinita threw in a wrench. Well, actually, it was a wrench and a couple of bolts. She disallowed one of Tashana's dishes, and requested that her cooking team redo the menu. See, the problem was that Tashana was assigned Irish macrobiotic cooking, and her menu included no grains (should equal 50% to 60% of a macrobiotic meal) and finished up with a "Cocoa Roll With Mint Cream," utilizing non-dairy whipped topping and green food coloring. As we began to work, the pockets of conversation made clear that the class was divided: half agreed with Chef that keeping to the day's theme was important, and she was right to demand changes. The other half felt that Tashana's creativity had been dissed, and she said so herself, when we did the day's wrap-up: "I'm disappointed in how it went today, because I wanted to make the Cocoa Roll with Mint Cream." But Saint Patrick's Day has come and gone.

I worked on Andy's dishes with Julian and Sarah. He was making Moroccan food, and his menu needed no adjustment. Chef did request that we use up some additional ingredients, as part of the spring break refrigerator clean-out, so we rolled with the punches, so to speak.

Julian made the Moroccan stew, loaded with udon noodles, tofu, eggplant, tomatoes and onions. Bonus vegetables: diced acorn squash and celeriac.


Sarah made the sushi: the recipe actually started out as phyllo-wrapped scallops, highly spiced, with tomatoes and mangoes. Andy changed the wrapper to nori, as seaweed is an important ingredient in the macrobiotic diet. Chef added some raw shrimp. Sarah had trouble rolling the sushi so I helped out there, and it's really fun. Like a party trick.


I made couscous and chick-peas with caramelized onions, which was extended to incorporate some fresh fennel as well. The chick-peas were cooked in vegetable stock flavored with "ras al-hanut" ("best in the house"), a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and other spices. The sliced onions and fennel were blanched, then cooked over low heat with some of the chick-pea stock, plus raisins and dried apricots, until the liquid was virtually gone and the vegetables were golden and soft.


(Andy brought in his own ceramic dishes for presentation. He made them in high school art class.)

While we worked, Chef went through the contents of all the refrigerators. Midway through class, she handed me a paper-wrapped package to take home: big bunches of fresh sage, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and oregano. "And they're organic!" she said.

To roll the sushi, I had to borrow a makisu (bamboo mat) from Chef Duffy. When I returned it, he said, "Back so soon?" I handed him the mat and said, "Danke Schoen," and he said "Bitte." We clearly speak the same language.

I was slicing the acorn squash, and the pieces from the top of the gourd were perfect bright orange half-moons. When Chef Vinita walked by, she stopped and admired them. She loves her ingredients. "Did anyone see the moon this morning?" she asked, raising her voice so the whole class could hear her. Turning back to Andy and I, she said, "On some mornings, when the moon is full, or nearly full, I have to pull over on the side of the freeway to admire it for a while. Sometimes the police will stop to see if I need assistance. And I tell him, No, I am just spending a few minutes looking at this beautiful moon."

I wonder if they have to call in the stop. "Moon Lady on westbound 80 again."