Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen Blog

Simple Soba to Bid the Old Year Farewell

2011-12-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

In Japan, New Year's Eve is celebrated simply--traditionally with a bowl of warm soba noodles. Here, Warren embraces this custom with soba noodles in dipping sauce.

To make your own dipping sauce, combine about 2 cups of dashi (Japanese soup stock, such as in steps 1 - 4 in Risa's Noodle Soup), 1/3 cup of mirin or dry sherry, and 1/3 cup soy sauce. Use the sauce as a dip for your soba noodles, garnished with whatever toppings inspire you (in addition to green onions, consider pieces of nori, shiitake mushrooms, fish cakes, spinach, or tofu), and enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Yuan to Speak at This Year's Pacific Symposium

2011-10-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

Yuan Wang, L.Ac., will be speaking at San Diego's Pacific Symposium 2011 on Thursday, November 3. From 9:55 to 10:45 AM, she will speak on "Food as Medicine: Case Studies for the Four Seasons." From 2 to 5 PM, she will speak on "Ancient Wisdom: Using Five Element Theory to Reveal the Power of Food." For more information on the conference and her talks, see the Pacific Symposium website.

"Some Like It Hot; Others Do Not" on the Huffington Post

2011-10-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

Check out our new blog on the Huffington Post about food, temperature, and traditional Chinese medicine—along with recipes for Warming Pumpkin Curry Soup and Cool-as-a-Cucumber Salad.

Not-Your-Unhealthy-Instant-Ramen Bowl of Noodle Soup

2011-08-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

My 13-year-old daughter, Risa, loves ramen and over the years we've managed to move slowly but surely away from the unhealthy packaged instant ramen to a wholesome and delicious homemade bowl of noodle soup. Here's the breakfast she now happily devours many a morning... I've written the recipe, below, to serve two because it usually looks so good that it's hard not to join in.

Risa's Noodle Soup
(makes two servings)

Ingredients
2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the flat side of a knife
3 slices of fresh ginger about the width of a quarter
1 piece (about 4 x 4 inches) kombu seaweed
2 tablespoons bonito fish flakes (katsuboshi)
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dried wakame seaweed
2 servings of noodles, such as soba, ramen, or udon
2 green onions, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions

1. To make the broth, combine the garlic, ginger, kombu, bonito flakes, and water in a medium saucepan and warm over a medium heat, uncovered.

2. When the broth has almost come to a boil (in other words, it has started to steam and display small bubbles), remove the kombu.
3. Bring the broth to a boil, and simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Pour the broth through a strainer, dividing it evenly between two bowls.
5. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil, again dividing them evenly between the two bowls.
6. Add about 1 tablespoon of wakame to each bowl. It will rehydrate almost instantly and expand greatly.
7. In the meantime, cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Strain and divide between the two bowls. Stir.
8. Garnish with green onions and serve.

We Won!

2011-06-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Much to our surprise and delight, Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen won Best Cookbook in the 2011 San Diego Book Awards! We're thrilled by the honor. An extra thanks to the San Diego Book Award Association and everyone who supported the book from conception to completion!

Simple Sweetness Squash Soup

2011-06-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

This recipe, inspired by a Korean dish brought into Warren's Eastern Nutrition class by Pacific College student Minji Kwon, enhances the natural sweet flavors of winter squash (any squash with a tough outer rind and tender orange flesh). While the original dish used kabocha pumpkin, we opted for fresh, locally grown, organic butternut squash. Squashes vary widely in size, so keep in mind for one squash you may need to adjust the quantities of the other ingredients to get the desired flavors and consistency.

Simple Sweetness Squash Soup

Ingredients
1 winter squash of about 2 1/2 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 - 2 inch pieces
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sweet rice powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons (or to taste) rice syrup or another sweetener (such as honey or agave syrup)
1 - 2 tablespoons goji berries (optional)

Directions
1. Place the squash pieces into a pot with the water, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft.

2. Pour the contents of the saucepan into a blender and whir the mixture until smooth. (If you you have a small food processor, work in batches. If you don't have a blender, you can mash the squash with a fork.)

3. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. While stirring, sprinkle in the sweet rice powder, a little at a time so it doesn't clump, then add the salt, sweetener, and goji berries (if using). Bring back to a boil and continue to simmer, covered, for a couple minutes until the goji berries plump up.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine
In the Chinese tradition, pumpkin or winter squash is considered especially good for people with diabetes; the vegetable is described as sweet and neutral to warming, entering the Spleen and Stomach to strengthen the qi.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen Named Finalist in San Diego Book & Writing Awards

2011-05-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

We're on a roll... We're thrilled Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen has been named a finalist in the San Diego Book & Writing Awards! Thanks to the nonprofit San Diego Book Awards Association for the honor. Founded in 1994, the San Diego Book Awards Association honors the best published books and unpublished manuscripts by San Diego County residents each year.

We'll be attending the awards ceremony recognizing finalists and category winners in June. For more information, see the San Diego Book Awards Associate website.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen Wins Medal in Living Now Book Awards

2011-04-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

We are honored that Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen has been awarded a silver medal in the Living Now Book Awards.

According to the contest organizers, the Jenkins Group of Traverse City, Michigan, the Living Now Book Awards "celebrate the innovation and creativity of newly published books that enhance the quality of our lives." Announced on the eve of Earth Day, the awards highlight books that help readers enrich their lives in wholesome ways.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen was recognized in the ethnic cooking category.

Festive Holiday Rice and Beans

2011-02-26T20:02:00.000-08:00

As promised in our recent blog in the Huffington Post, here is the recipe for a healthy holiday dish made with azuki beans—red for good luck—and a variety of grains, in this version including brown rice.

Known as ogokbap in Korea, this dish is often eaten on the holiday that celebrates the first full moon after the first day of the New Year. This full moon holiday, called Jeongwol Daeboreum, was celebrated February 17 to 19 this year. Traditionally served with a variety of fruits and nuts and considered somewhat of a national health food in Korea, the dish symbolizes a rich harvest in the year to come, as well as the five good things in life—longevity, wealth, good health, children, and a peaceful death.

 Festive Holiday Rice and Beans (with Brown Rice)

 Ingredients
1/4 cup dried black soybeans
1/4 cup dried red beans
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 grams) coix (Job’s tears, yi yi ren in Chinese, hato mugi in Japanese, uiiin in Korean) or pearl barley
1/4 cup millet
1 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice
1/4 cup pine nuts

Directions

1. Rinse the black and red beans, then place them in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil over high heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cover, and let it sit for 1 hour to soften.

2. Drain the beans, rinse them, drain again, and place the 3 3/4 cups of fresh water and the salt in the pot. Around this time, put the rice on to soak.

3. Bring the beans to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

4. Stir the coix into the pot and cook the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes. After the barley has cooked for its 10 minutes, stir in the millet.

5. Drain the rice and stir it into the mixture. Cook, covered, for another 45 minutes, or until the mixture is tender. Check frequently toward the end to make sure it doesn’t burn. (Add a few tablespoons of hot water if the rice looks as if it is drying out and might start crusting over at the bottom of the pot; if you have inadvertently added too much water, cook with the lid off for several minutes, to let the moisture escape.

6. Place the pine nuts in a dry skillet over a medium-high heat and toast until golden and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the rice as a garnish before serving.

For Those Interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners recommend this dish for anyone who wants to build sustained energy, help memory, retard hair loss, or address insomnia. In the language of traditional Chinese medicine, this dish strengthens the Spleen and addresses diarrhea and unwanted weight loss due to Spleen deficiency, as well as strengthening the Kidney.

Ancient Wisdom at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts

2011-02-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen has been spotted for sale at the gift shop of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Here is Yuan's daughter, Claudia, at the museum with a copy of the book.

Of course, the book can also be found at other outlets, including Amazon.com , Borders, Barnes & Noble, Kinokuniya, Redwing Book Company, Warwick's, and many other fine stores.

Yuan's Pumpkin Biscuits

2010-12-11T04:27:00.000-08:00

Yuan created a variation of a pan-fried pumpkin recipe in our book, Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen, turning it into a scrumptious biscuit.

The timing of this recipe couldn’t have been better. Not only is it fall—with pumpkins and winter squash in abundance—but I had also just bought an at-home grain grinder. (It's a WonderMill, in case you wondered. The machine used to be called a “Whisper Mill” until the company got enough flack for the misnomer it changed the name to something more appropriate. Wonderful it is. Quiet it’s not.). In any case, I had the opportunity to cook this recipe with my own honest-to-goodness fresh-ground, whole-grain flour.

Here’s the recipe for the biscuits, which Yuan likes to serve as a snack or as a side dish.

Pleasing Pumpkin Biscuits
Ingredients
15 to 18 ounces pumpkin or other winter squash, such as a small Hokkaido or kabocha (about 3 cups when cubed)
¼ cup walnuts
1 tablespoon (10 grams) apricot kernels (xing ren) (optional)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as canola or olive oil
¼ cup raisins
½ cup water
1 to 1 1/4 whole wheat flour
3/4 cup soy milk, milk, or water 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash salt

Directions
1.    Preheat the oven to 425F.
2.    Seed and chop the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes. (An efficient way to chop a pumpkin is to cut it into wedges, then cut the wedges into cubes. A large, sharp cleaver can be a useful tool since the raw vegetable can be tough. Another handy trick is to put the pumpkin in the microwave for 5 minutes to soften it before cutting and peeling.)

3.    Crush the walnuts and apricot kernels into small pieces (using a rolling pin or glass jar will work; putting a piece of wax paper between the nuts/kernels and rolling pin will keep the pieces from jumping all over).

4.    Heat the oil in a medium-size lidded skillet, then brown the pumpkin over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

5.    Add the walnuts, apricot kernels, and raisins, with just enough water to keep the mixture moist. Then cover and cook over low heat until soft, about 20 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture isn’t drying out (if it is, add a touch more water).

6.    In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, soy milk, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt with the pumpkin mixture.

7.     Shape the dough into 1-inch thick round biscuits and place them on an oiled baking sheet, spaced well apart.

8.     Bake the biscuits in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden. Let them cool and firm up slightly before removing from the baking sheet and serving. 

For Those Familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine
This dish strengthens the Spleen and helps manage appetite.

Vita-Mix Adventures with Squash Soup

2010-11-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

Warren recently splurged and bought a super-duper, heavy-duty, high-powered blender called a Vita-Mix(but what better place to spend your money than in the kitchen?). It juices, chops, and even heats up enough to cook soups if you need it to.

We tried out a Vita-Mix apple-squash soup recipe we found online. While this was useful for learning to use the machine, we ultimately decided we liked our version(s) of winter squash soup much better.

So here is one of our favorite pumpkin/winter squash recipes—which you can whip up with or without a Vita-Mix.

Curry Favor Winter Squash Soup
(Makes 2 Servings)

Ingredients
10 to 12 ounces winter squash (the kind with the rind), such as kabocha pumpkin (technically a winter squash) or butternut squash (about 2 cups when cubed)
2 - 2 ½ cups vegetable or chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as olive or canola
1 small onion, diced
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
A pinch salt
A pinch pepper

Directions
1. Chop the winter squash pieces into 1-inch cubes, seeded and peeled. Since some winter squash/pumpkins are quite tough, you might need a sharp knife. (If you are having trouble, try chopping the squash in two, seeding it, then cutting it into wedges before peeling. One trick is to put the whole vegetable in the microwave briefly (say 1 minute) to soften before cutting it.)

2. Place the cubes in a steamer and cook until tender, 5 – 10 minutes.

3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and curry powder. Cook until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Set aside.

4. Place broth, cooked squash, onion-curry powder mix, salt, and pepper and blend using a food processor or hand blender, in batches if need be. If you are using a Vita-Mix, insert the ingredients into the machine and secure the lid. Select Variable 1. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. Blend for about 30 seconds.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

Especially Good For
Traditional Chinese medical practitioners consider this dish especially good for people with diabetes, arthritis, or other inflammatory condition, muscle stiffness and pain, a tendency to run cold, or fibromyalgia. In the language of traditional Chinese medicine, this dish addresses Spleen deficiency, Damp painful obstruction, and blockage of channels.

Better Bites with a Bit of Bitter Melon

2010-09-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Bitter melon—that vegetable that resembles a bumpy cucumber you sometimes see in Asian markets—is somewhat of an acquired taste, even in the East. Yes, it is bitter, but sometimes a little bitter balances the palate—and harmonizes your body, according to Chinese medicine. In the language of traditional Chinese medicine, bitter melon affects the Stomach, Heart, and Liver channels, where it clears Heat and addresses thirst from Summer Heat or warm diseases.

As one Asian proverb goes, "Sour, sweet, bitter, pungent—all must be tasted."

Here's a recipe for bitter melon that Yuan prepared for us one day as part of a magnificent lunch.

Spicy Bitter Melon Side Dish

Ingredients
1 medium bitter melon
Salt
2 tablespoons cooking oil, such as olive or canola
3 2-inch long hot green chili peppers, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
1 tablespoon vinegar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Directions

Cut the bitter melon in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds from the inside of the vegetable.
Slice the bitter melon width-wise into slivers about 1/8-inch wide.
Sprinkle liberally with salt, mix, then let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Squeeze the bitter melon in your hands or using a strainer to remove the excess water (and some of the bitter flavor and salt).
Heat the cooking oil in a wok, then add the bitter melon and chili pepper. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until tender.
Season with the vinegar and sugar (if using), then serve.

Purple Yam Recipe Wins Contest

2010-09-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

Much to our delight, our blog was chosen as a winner of the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest, which "celebrates the best food bloggers worldwide." Our recipe The Color Purple Yam Dessert is among the winners to be published in a full-color book, Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook set for release mid-October. For many more of our recipes, look to Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health Healing, and Long Life (Da Capo Lifelong Books).

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen Does YouTube

2010-08-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Check out our brand new YouTube video, starring Super Warren and company, showing how we cook a recipe from our book called Soothing Shrimp with Asparagus and Goji Berries.

We had a lot of fun on the video project! Special thanks to our young videographer and film editor, Maya Pilevsky, and our interpretive cartoonist and video consultant, Risa Benedyk.

Marvelous Mango Shrimp

2010-08-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Yuan invited Warren and I over for lunch a few days ago and one of the outstanding dishes she served us was Mango Shrimp, one of her own creations. I was surprised by how well the ingredients complemented one another. Yuan was generous enough to share the recipe, which I had the pleasure of cooking (and eating!) today for lunch. It was delicious served over brown rice.

Yuan's Mango Shrimp
(Serves 2 - 3)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons cooking oil, such as canola or olive oil
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons powdered kudzu, arrowroot, cornstarch, or other thickener
2 tablespoons sake or other rice or white wine
1 - 2 green onions, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are almost pink all the way through.
Add the mango pieces to warm.
In a small cup or bowl, mix the sake and the thickener, then add the mixture to the stir-fry. Stir well.
Garnish with green onions before serving.

Especially Good For
Anyone suffering from weakness, impotence, lower back pain, or stiff joints, or who is feeling dehydrated or wants to improve their complexion.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine
Shrimp enriches the Blood and strengthens the qi and Kidney yang. Mangoes promote the production of Body Fluids and moisten Dryness.

Chili Oil Plus

2010-07-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

I was curious to see if I could add a new twist to what has become a staple in my house—homemade chili oil. So this time when I used up the last drop of my existing supply, I set out to see if I could create a garlic-chili oil, orange-chili oil, and ginger-chili oil.

In my first attempt, I added only a tablespoon of the secondary ingredient to the chili oil for extra flavor, but this turned out to be far too subtle. The chili flavor completely overpowered such a light touch.

My next attempt was more successful. In the chili-garlic combination, the garlic flavor held its own against the power of the chili and added smoky undertones to the tingling spiciness. The citrus zest added fragrant overtones to the chili oil's spice. The ginger-chili combination was the least appealing of the three, but when mixed with the garlic preparation the flavor became complex and interesting.

Here's the recipe, written for garlic-chili oil, with variations.

Garlic-Chili Oil

Ingredients
1/4 cup red chili flakes
9 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed (with the flat side of a knife)
A pinch of salt (optional)
2/3 cup canola or peanut oil
1/3 cup dark sesame oil

Directions
1.   Place the chili flakes, garlic, and salt (if using) in a tempered glass container, such as a Pyrex bowl or a recycled jar.
2.   In a wok or heavy skillet, heat the canola and sesame oils over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Avoid heating the oil to the point where it smokes.
3.   To test whether the oil is the correct temperature, drop a chili flake into the oil. It should be surrounded instantly by foam, but should not turn black. (If the flake turns black, let the oil cool for a few minutes and try again.) Carefully pour the hot oil over the chili flakes and garlic.
4.   Let the mixture cool. I like to let the mixture sit for 24 hours to absorb more flavor, although this depends on personal preference--the longer you leave the mixture, the spicier it gets.
5.    Strain out the chili flakes to get your homemade hot chili oil, which you can store in a cool, dark cupboard or refrigerator.

Themes and Variations
Instead of garlic, use 3/4 ounce of dried tangerine peel (known as chen pi in Mandarin), cut into matchstick-size pieces. In another variation, use 5 cloves of garlic and a 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, slivered into 1/8-inch slices.

Especially Good For
Anyone who tends to run cold, or who wants to help blood circulation and reduce cardiovascular disease. This condiment should be used sparingly by those who tend to run warm.

For Those Familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine
In general, chili oil helps warm the Stomach, move the qi and Blood, warm the channels, and release pain. Garlic warms the Stomach, strengthens the Spleen, and promotes the movement of qi. Tangerine peel regulates qi in the Lungs and Spleen-Stomach, while fresh ginger is used to warm the abdomen and Lungs, treat exterior Wind-Cold syndrome, and eliminate toxicity.

Clean Eating with Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen

2010-06-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

We're delighted to see that Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen is reviewed in the July/August issue of the popular health magazine Clean Eating, where Anna Lee Boschetto writes:

"From almonds to winter melon, Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen gives you the goods on each food's noteworthy therapeutic properties according to traditional Chinese medicine. While you don't have to keep your kitchen stocked with every ingredient, you'll find many clean-eating staples - such as asparagus, lemon juice and brown rice - on the list. Each recipe also offers variations on ingredients and preparation so that you never get tired of the same old..."

In other news, Warren and Mika were guests on "The Living Well Show" on PRX hosted by Dr. Shamaan O.C. Eagle, on May 21. And Warren was a guest on Superhuman Radio, "Live Longer, Live Stronger," hosted by Carl Lanore on June 21. You can listen to that conversation by visiting http://www.superhumanradio.com (#521).

Suzie's Fast Fava Beans

2010-06-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

Warren came back from teaching his Eastern Nutrition class raving about a dish that one of his students, Suzie Husami, had prepared—a version of a Middle Eastern offering called foul mdamas (also transliterated from the Arabic as ful medammas or foul medammas). Suzie was completing an assignment to bring in food reflecting her ethnic heritage and to interpret it in terms of Chinese medicine.

Suzie calls the dish "Foul Mdamas the Easy Way," writing: "It's almost silly for me to call this dish 'the easy way' as it is quite possibly the easiest dish to prepare anyway... but using canned fava beans makes it so easy I almost have a hard time considering it actual cooking. There is nothing to stop you from buying and preparing dry fava beans. Of course this is the traditional method to prepare the mid-East dish." In terms of Chinese medicine, Suzie recommends this dish for strengthening the Spleen and Kidney qi to counteract fatigue.

While Suzie didn't include quantities in her recipe since "taste as you go and cook with intention and your own personal style" is a central theme of Middle Eastern cooking in particular and home cooking in general, I have included guidelines here in case they are helpful the first time you try your hand at the recipe.

Suzie's Fast Fava Beans

Ingredients

1 20-ounce can fava beans (also known as broad beans)
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 - 2 ounces parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Drain the canned beans.
Stir in the garlic.
Heat the mixture until warm.
Sprinkle with lemon juice and parsley, stirring if desired.

When I tried this recipe, the canned fava beans were indeed super-easy to cook with, but I will note that I had to go to a Middle Eastern specialty store (San Diego's Balboa International Market, which also stocks fresh and dried favas) to find them. My local natural foods store did, however, offer dried fava beans, which I understand you let soak overnight, then boil for an hour to prepare (if you get the kind with the skin on, you will also need to take the extra step of removing this tough casing).

The end product was, indeed, delicious. Thanks, Suzie!

The Samurai Secret

2010-05-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

I just finished Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat by Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle, who argue that the Japanese diet is one of the most healthy in the world, based on what they call the "seven pillars of Japanese home cooking" (fish, vegetables, rice, soy, noodles, tea, and fruit). Since I was already convinced of the many virtues of Japanese food and already knew some basic recipes, I probably wasn't the book's target audience.

Nonetheless, I did learn a new story about white versus brown rice. Despite the prevalence of white rice in Japan today (although that may be slowly changing), one of the great female warriors in Japanese history, Tomoe Gozen, her general and lover, Yoshinaka Minamoto, and their troops ate brown rice, according to historian Hisao Nagayama. Nagayama believes that brown rice gave these troops strength and stamina not possessed by warriors softened by a diet of white rice. In a crucial battle in 1183, Tomoe Gozen and the Minamoto clan marched down the mountains into Kyoto and challenged their rivals. The victors of this historic battle? The Minamoto clan, the samurai class... and brown rice.

"Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen" Wins International Book Award!

2010-05-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

We're thrilled to report that the International Book Awards has selected Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Lifeas the winning entry in its "Cookbooks: International" category! As an extra vote of confidence, the book was also chosen as a finalist in the "Health: Alternative Medicine" section.

More information about the work is available on the Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen website.

How Sweet It Isn't

2010-05-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

I'm always fascinated when science and traditional Chinese medicine overlap, so I was particularly interested in some recent scientific studies coming out of The Scripps Research Institute about "addiction" to junk food. (Full disclosure, I work as a writer and editor at Scripps Research).

In our book, "Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen," we note that traditional Chinese medicine advises people to consume a variety of flavors—sweet, sour, bitter, pungant, and salty—in balance with one another to maintain health. According to this tradition, too much of any one of these flavors will impact the body in a negative way.

In one Scripps Research study, a team reveals what happens when rats are fed nothing but sweet food. In essence, the animals became "addicted" to the flavor. When presented with regular chow, they refused to eat (although the same chow was perfectly acceptable to rats never exposed to the sweets). The animals also showed signs of stress and anxiety when their sweet foods were discontinued. If the sweet foods were re-introduced, the rats binged like yo-yo dieters. (For more information, see "Team Shows Switching Between Sugary and Regular-Tasting Diet Can Activate Brain's Stress System and Lead to 'Withdrawal' Symptoms").

How sweet it is to have a balanced diet.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Websites

2010-05-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered which websites offer useful information on herbs? If there are any sites that offer an introduction to traditional Chinese medicine? Where you can buy Asian ingredients online? What the largest Asian supermarket chains are in North America? How to find seeds if you want to grow your own Asian vegetables and herbs?

We've added a new page of links to the Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen website to help answer these and other questions.

Of course, if you know of other handy resources, please let us know!

Happenings

2010-04-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who came to our book signing at Borders last week! The event was a terrific success. The store sold dozens of copies of Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen and was left with only two at the end of the day. It was also wonderful to spend time with such great people!

In the meantime, the book has received two more terrific reviews. Aaron Blanton of January Magazine writes, "Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen is a deeply interesting book. One that, given the right set of circumstances and half a chance, could change your life." Larry Cox of Tucson Citizen's "What's Cooking" enthuses, "This is a wonderful collection that would be an asset in almost any kitchen. The recipes are fairly easy to prepare, many combining many flavors to present familiar foods in a refreshing new way."

For those of you who missed the signing (or who just want to come by and say "hello"), Warren and I will be at the Carlsbad Village Street Faire on Sunday, May 2 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Look for us at the "Read Local San Diego" booth, number 923.00, on Grand Avenue in front of the Boar's Cross'n Bar and Grill.

Magic Miso Mix Dressing

2010-04-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

My father created a wonderful recipe that he likes to call "magic bean sauce." It's magic partly because he uses it on string beans from his garden that turn from purple to green when they are cooked (I'm not sure what kind of seeds he plants to get these specimens, but it's a neat trick) and partly because the sauce is so good it tastes like magic. Here, I've kept his basic array of ingredients, but tweaked the recipe to make the final product smoother and tangier.

Magic Miso Mix

Ingredients
4 ounces tofu (soft preferred)
3 tablespoons white miso
3 tablespoons of tahini or Asian sesame paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
Water

Directions

Add the tofu, miso, sesame paste, lemon juice, maple syrup, and sesame oil to a bowl, and blend with a hand blender or simply mash it together with a fork until smooth.
Add warm water, one tablespoon at a time until the sauce is the consistency you desire.
Serve as a vegetable dip or drizzle the sauce over a salad or vegetables such as broccoli or green beans.

Themes and Variations
Instead of sesame paste, you can use finely ground brown sesame seeds (which you can toast briefly in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then grind in a traditional grinding dish called a "suribachi" or whir in a food processor).

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine
For those familiar with traditional Chinese medicine, this dressing is good for Lung qi deficiency and Spleen qi deficiency (treating symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, general weakness, lack of appetite, and loose stool). It also harmonizes the Middle Burner (assisting digestion).

Rave Reviews for Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen

2010-04-11T06:06:00.000-07:00

We really appreciate all the support that has been flooding in for Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen! Thank you all so much!

Check out some of the awesome recent reviews and features in:
• Infodad.com, which calls the book "a feast for the mind as well as the palate"
• Bookviews by Alan Caruba, who is a charter member of the National Book Critics Circle. The review highlights Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen, saying "There are many new cookbooks every year, I am always watchful for those that do not tread familiar paths"
• Supereco.com, which says, "In the face of increasing dissatisfaction with conventional medical care, the book is a powerful package offering a window into how other cultures stay healthy."
• U.K. publication Healthy Soul, which notes that, thanks to the book, "The health-conscious cook could learn a lot and find a different approach to eating to supplement their wellbeing."
• Another U.K. publication, Health and Fitness Magazine, which selected Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen as Nutrition Book of the Month and notes it "offers a wealth of healing kitchen tips"
• Energy Times, TheDailyGreen, and Da Capo Cookbooks home page, all of which feature Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen recipes

If you'd like to hear Warren speaking about the book on the radio, you'll have a number of opportunities coming up soon:
• In Connecticut, he'll be featured on The Faith Middleton Show, Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR)
• In Palm Springs, he'll be interviewed by Charlie Dyer for KNEWS, 94.3 FM
• In the Madison, Wisconsin area, he will be a guest on Stu Levitan's Books and Beats, WXXM radio, which will be airing on Sunday, April 18, around 11:15 AM, Central time [corrected information]
• In Portland, Oregon, he will be interviewed by David Naimon for Health Watch on KBOO 90.7 FM, live on Monday, April 19, at 11 AM, Pacific time
We'll let you know when podcasts become available.

And thanks, too, to all of you who have become a fan of Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen on Facebook and who took the time to review the book on Amazon!

Pears and Apples

2010-04-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

I was at an aerobics class a few days ago, and some time in the middle of the workout, the teacher says, "Now it's time for nutrition trivia. What fruits have a flavonoid that is good for lung capacity?" Knowing that in traditional Chinese medicine pears and apples are good for the Lungs, I called out, "Pears." "Yes," she said. "How did you know? The other one is apples."

When I got home, I did an Internet search and indeed some scientists have suggested a link between the pear and apple flavonoids and protection of the lungs (see this Food Navigator article).

We have several recipes for pears and apples in Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen, one of which is posted online at Breathe-Easy Pear. This recipe also includes the herb fritillaria (chuan bei mu), a traditional Chinese herb that is also believed to benefit the Lungs. Enjoy!

Springtime Asparagus Potstickers

2010-03-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

Yuan recently gave me this recipe for asparagus potstickers, which she said she had created "with what was in her fridge." This demonstrates both the importance of shopping wisely, and the versatility of dumplings in general. (Of course, it also shows that Yuan is a great cook, but we knew that already.)

While I've marked some ingredients as optional here, in reality most of the ingredients are optional. The only caution I'll make about substitutions is that leafy greens tend to be too moist to work well in dumplings; opt for bok choy or Chinese cabbage instead.

For those of you unfamiliar with black wood ear, it's a mushroom relative that you've probably eaten in hot and sour soup without realizing it. It's sold dried in most Asian food stores and has medicinal qualities according to Chinese medicine (nourishing the yin, moistening the Lungs, and generating fluids). Wood ear has a mild flavor and firm texture, so don't be afraid to try it out if it's something new to you.

Asparagus Potstickers
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Potsticker Ingredients
½ ounce (1/2 cup) dried black wood ears (optional)
1 bundle (2 ounces) dried cellophane (mung bean preferred) noodles
1 pound asparagus, tough white ends removed
1/2 pound fresh shiitake or assorted mushrooms
2 green onions, ends trimmed
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger
½ pound baby shrimp (optional)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 - 6 medium-size eggs (optional)
75 to 100 dumpling skins (available from an Asian grocery or some supermarkets or you can make your own; Yuan mixes together egg, flour, and water to make her wrappers)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as canola or olive oil

Dipping Sauce Ingredients
4 medium-size cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon of chili oil (optional)

Directions
1. If using black wood ear, rinse and soak the pieces in warm water until soft, about 30 minutes, then cut off and discard the fibrous base. Cut into ½-inch pieces.

2. Soak the cellophane noodles in warm water for about 20 minutes. Drain and then chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

3. Mince the asparagus by hand, or more conveniently by whirring briefly in a food processor, and put aside.

4. Mince the mushrooms, green onion, and ginger by hand or by using a food processor, and place in a large bowl.
5. Add the chopped noodles, sesame oil, and salt, and mix well.

6. In a wok or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and baby shrimp, if using, to the pot and cook for a minute. Then add the remainder of the vegetable mixture, and stir-fry for another 3 minutes or so, until fragrant and cooked.

7. Beat the egg in a small bowl, then stir it into the vegetable mixture. Turn off the heat.
8. Take one dumpling skin and wet its edges. Place one spoonful of the stuffing onto the center of the dumpling skin, squeeze out any air, then pinch the wrapper tightly along the edges, making a lumpy semi circle and sealing the stuffing inside. To ensure a tight seal, wet the semicircular edge of the dumpling wrapper again on one side and make five 1/8-inch pleats along the edges, pinching tightly. Repeat until the stuffing is used up (which may take some time). It can be helpful to flour the plate you are putting the finished dumplings on, so they don’t stick to it.

9. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat, then place the dumplings in the pan, working in batches. Fry over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden.

10.    Add 1/2 cup water all at once (be careful of splattering) and cover quickly. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until most of the water has boiled off.
11.    Uncover the skillet, lower the heat to medium-low, cook for another 2 minutes, then remove the dumplings from the pan.
12.    In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dipping sauce (garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil, if using).
13.    Serve your dumplings warm, with the dipping sauce on the side.

For Those Familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine

According to traditional Chinese medicine, this dish moves the Liver qi and calms the spirit. It makes a good springtime meal.

Book Signing and Other News

2010-03-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

We'll be signing copies of Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen at Borders in San Diego's Mission Valley (1072 Camino Del Rio N., San Diego, CA 92108) on Sunday, April 18, from 2 to 4 PM. We look forward to seeing you there!

In the meantime, Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen received another great review, this time in the Library Journal Reviews. Courtney Greene of DePaul University Library writes: "Yuan Wang and Warren Sheir, both faculty at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, and writer and editor Mika Ono present the concepts necessary for a basic understanding of traditional Chinese medicine and include a glossary of terms and information about 100 ingredients. A wide array of recipes follow, from soups to sides to main dishes (many vegetarian) to preparations of tea; most will be attainable for beginners... VERDICT: Recommended as an accessible introduction to integrating ideas of traditional Chinese medicine into cooking where there has been interest in superfood books."

In other news, a recipe on the Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen blog has been selected as a finalist for the Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest sponsored by Foodista.com, the online cooking encyclopedia! Thank you to those who voted for The Color Purple Yam dessert! You can still vote in the contest by going to The Color Purple Yam Dessert on Foodista.com, signing in, then rating the recipe by number of stars. Thanks for your support!

A Proverb a Day...

2010-03-13T14:51:00.000-08:00

Warren's colleague Mitchell Harris, who teaches at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine campus in Chicago, shared some quotes about food with us. Here are a few of our favorites:

The belly rules the mind. – Spanish Proverb
The more you eat, the less flavor; the less you eat, the more flavor. – Chinese Proverb
After dinner sit a while, and after supper walk a mile. – English Proverb
Worries go down better with soup. – Jewish Proverb

Bulk Purchasing Available for Practitioners

2010-03-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Wholesale pricing of Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen is available for practitioners who would like to distribute/resell the book to their patients. A number of acupuncturists and herbalists have expressed interest in providing the book in their clinic.

Wholesale pricing is available for orders of 20 or more copies. The lead time to receive books is about two weeks, and it's possible to return unsold books. To order or request more information, contact Elizabeth Tabasko in Da Capo Press's Special Markets Department via email at Elizabeth.tabasko@perseusbooks.com or by phone at (215) 567-4691 or (800) 810-4145 x4691.

For purchases of fewer than 20 copies, we'd advise going through Amazon.com, which is currently offering Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen for $13.57 (32 percent off).

In the Spotlight

2010-03-06T12:19:00.000-08:00

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen has gotten some more press recently, including mentions in Salt Lake City's March 2 Deseret News and in Los Angeles Magazine's LAmag.com "Reading List." Also look out for upcoming coverage of the book in Clean Eating Magazine and Energy Times.

And the fun will continue... Tune in for radio interviews with Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen authors on North Carolina's Paradise Network on Wednesday, March 10 at 9:40 to 10 AM (Eastern time), Wisconsin Public Radio's "Here on Earth" on Friday, March 12 at 3 to 4 PM (Central time), and Marin County's KWMR Radio "Pleasures in Taste" on Tuesday, March 16 at 9:30 AM (Pacific time). Wish us luck!

It's Here!

2010-02-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

I received my copy of Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life in the mail this week--it's finally here! I have to admit I had nightmares that the book would arrive with the cover on backwards or the type upside down or printed in purple ink... but my fears were unfounded. DaCapo Lifelong Books did a great job! Thanks to everyone there, especially our top-notch editor, Renée Sedliar.

In the meantime, we received another endorsement of the book, from Robert Alan Bonakdar, M.D., who is director of pain management at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine and co-director of the symposium Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Update. He writes:

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen provides a refreshing look at how to heal while you eat. If we believe the adage that food is medicine then this book, through sections such as "Recipes for Common Health Concerns," provides both recipes for delicious eating as well as prescriptions for optimal healing.

If you are so inspired, you can become a fan of Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen on Facebook. See the book's Facebook page and help spread the word!

Five-Element Vegetarian Chili

2010-02-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

After hearing a talk by a nutritionist from Henry’s Market who lauded beans’ many virtues — including high soluble fiber, protein, and antioxidants, not to mention ease on the pocketbook — I was happy to try out a new chili recipe.

This recipe is adapted from a chili that Pacific College of Oriental Medicine student Julie Freeman recently brought into Warren’s Eastern Nutrition class. The five colors — black, red, white, green, and yellow — represent all five elements working together to help balance and harmonize the body. This hearty vegetarian fare, which we like served over brown rice, is one example of how the ideas in traditional Chinese medicine can be applied to a Western-style dish.

Five-Element Vegetarian Chili

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup dried black beans
¼ cup dried kidney beans
¼ cup dried azuki (red) beans
¼ cup dried navy beans or other white beans
¼ cup dried whole green peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons good-quality chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried sage (or 2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped)
1 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes with juice
½ pound (1 ½ to 2 cups) mushrooms, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup (about 1/2 pound) butternut squash or kabocha pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 fresh medium-size tomatoes, chopped into ½-inch pieces
3/4 cup red wine
Condiments: sliced green onions and/or plain yoghurt (optional)

Directions

1. Soak the beans and peas in water at room temperature overnight (or at least 8 hours). Be sure to use at least twice as much water as the beans, as the beans will absorb a lot of water.
2. Drain water from beans and peas, rinse them, and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer on low for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat, then add the garlic, onions, and celery. Stir-fry until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes.
4. Add the chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, sage, sage, black pepper (if using), and salt, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, mushrooms, squash, fresh tomatoes, red wine, and bean and pea mixture to the pot and stir to blend.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for an additional 35 minutes or until the pieces of squash are cooked to your liking.
7. Serve with green onions and/or plain yogurt, if desired.

Eats Shoots and Leaves Springtime Soup

2010-02-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

While those of you on the East Coast are still digging out from the last snow storm, here in sunny California signs of spring have already arrived. The first flowers have opened and fresh new growth can be spotted on many of the plants. But enough gloating...

According to traditional Chinese medicine, we are intimately connected to our natural environment and the body's dietary needs change according to the season. In the spring, this tradition advices us to support the natural tendencies of our bodies for growth and renewal. Expressed in the language of traditional Chinese medicine, we need to strengthen the Liver and its regulation of qi. Aligning ourselves with our environment helps us to maintain health and avoid illness.

Good spring foods are often harvested in this season and tend to be pungent, sprouting, and sweet. These include onions, leeks, Chinese yam, wheat, cilantro, mushrooms, sprouts, and spinach and other leafy green vegetables.

Here is a soup to embrace the springtime—whenever it arrives in your part of the world.

EATS SHOOTS AND LEAVES SOUP
Makes 4 to 6 servings. (Thanks to grammar maven Lynne Truss for inspiring this soup’s name.)

Ingredients
1 cup bamboo shoots, fresh if possible, cut into ½ inch cubes if necessary
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
12 – 14 ounces (1 medium package) soft tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups (6 to 9 ounces) fresh mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster, button, enoki, or a mixture), chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup (2 ounces) mung bean sprouts (commonly sold as “bean sprouts”)
2 cups spinach or other leafy green vegetable, well-washed and chopped
Salt and/or soy sauce to taste
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 medium green onions, roots and tough tips discarded, cut into ¼-inch pieces

Directions
1.    In a small saucepan, boil enough water to cover the bamboo shoots, then put the bamboo shoots in, cover, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, and drain.
2.    In a medium to large saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil.
3.    Add the fresh ginger, cover, and simmer for about 3 minutes.
4.    Add the tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and mung bean sprouts. Cover the pot, bring the broth back to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
5.    Add the spinach and stir for about 30 seconds.
6.    Add salt and/or soy sauce to taste, then sprinkle the dark sesame oil and green onions on top.

Note: Students and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine may be interested in our upcoming article, "Meals for All Seasons," to be published in the next issue of Oriental Medicine Newspaper, a publication of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2010-02-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Year of the Tiger! Warren and I were privileged to be Yuan's guests today on the first day of the Chinese New Year. She cooked up a feast, in the spirit of the traditional festive 15-day holiday.

Yuan tells us that in China celebrations begin with gatherings on New Year's Eve, when family and friends come together to eat, drink, and set off fireworks to scare away the evil spirits of the past so that good fortune can enter anew. Her best memories of the holidays involve the family get-togethers, when her mother, father, and sister would work together, while talking and laughing, to make dishes like dumplings. Her worst memories of the Chinese New Year? The massive crowds and traffic jams that make our Thanksgiving travel crunch look like a cakewalk.

Yuan spirited up a menu including:
• Eight (Plus) Treasure Soup with fresh tofu, fried tofu, fish balls, shrimp balls, enoki mushrooms, white beach mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, fresh Chinese mountain yam, and bamboo shoot • Stir-fried lotus root with green onion, ginger, and chili pepper
• Fluffy red-tinged rice made from a variety of different kinds of rice grains mixed together
• An exotic mixture of peanuts and small dried fish—surprisingly, the salty fish complemented the peanuts perfectly
• A dessert of purple yam biscuits (for the recipe, see the January 18 blog entry) and sticky sweet rice and taro cakes, somewhat reminiscent of Japanese mochi.

It was an auspicious and delicious start to the chapter that lies ahead.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen "Takes Off"

2010-02-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen was recently the subject of an article in American Way magazine, the in-flight publication of American Airlines. In the article, titled "Fortify Yourself," Jenna Schneur writes:

February. Blech. It’s the most Monday of months. But there are ways to revive your spirit and return your body to its sprightly spring ways, including thumbing through Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life by Dr. Yuan Wang, Warren Sheir, and Mika Ono (Da Capo, $20). It will put an instant spring in anyone’s step. [more]

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen also was among the books chosen for review by Publishers Weekly (February 8, 2010). The review begins:

For the uninitiated, using Chinese herbs can be intimidating. Admitting that “entering the world of traditional Chinese medicine is like learning a new language,” the three authors of this well-penned title highlight key concepts of east Asian herbal cooking, and lucidly explain their holistic approach to cooking. [more]

We're excited about the book's release on March 9!

Yuan to Speak at Vancouver Symposium

2010-02-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

If you are lucky enough to be attending the seventh annual Canadian Oriental Medical Symposium in Vancouver, B.C., at the end of March, be sure not to miss Dr. Yuan Wang's presentation. Her talk, "Skillful Acupuncture: Techniques that Often Get Left Out But Shouldn't," will be featured on Sunday, March 28. For more information, see http://www.easterncurrents.ca/coms/ .

San Diego Discussion and Potluck "Food is Medicine: Maintaining Our Center"

2010-02-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

Warren will step up as one of the featured panelists in "Food is Medicine: Maintaining Our Center" in Pacific College's Integrative Medical Discussion Group in San Diego on Friday, March 12, from 7 to 9 PM. The event is free and open to the public.

The flyer for the event sets the stage:

Gastrointestinal (GI) health and integrity are now understood to lie at the center of most modern diseases, and the role of gut permeability in autoimmune disorders cannot be overemphasized. This concept has long been implicit within Chinese medicine. "From Spleen-Stomach vacuity weakness, the hundreds of diseases arise [like] a swarm of bees."

The Nei Jing states, “When one has stomach qi, then one has the mechanics for life. If one no longer has stomach qi one dies.” The Chinese believe that the spleen and stomach constitute the Center of Life, the pivot around which vitality revolves. Preservation of Center Qi and GI health is one of the essential therapeutic precepts of traditional Chinese medicine. Safeguarding the spleen and stomach requires constant vigilance in observing proper eating habits and the consumption of clean, healthy foods. Join our integrated panel as we discuss the roles that diet, digestion, and food will play in the future of Integrative Medicine.

From 7 to 7:30 PM, the event will include open networking and potluck—bring a dish to share! From 7:30 to 9 PM, the discussion will highlight panelists John Kasawa, M.D., Heidi Wittmann, N.D., Sarita Vighne, MSTOM., and of course our own Warren Sheir, L.Ac. Finally, from 9 to 9:30 PM, participants who want more can engage in further networking.

To RSVP for the event—to be held at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, 7445 Mission Valley Road, Suite 105, Room 119 San Diego, CA 92108—contact Deb Davies (619) 574-6909 x145 or ddavies@pacificcollege.edu. For more information on the Integrative Medical Discussion Group, which aims to build bridges among all types of health practitioners, look to the group's Facebook and MeetUp pages.

Yam or Sweet Potato?

2010-01-31T07:03:00.000-08:00

Since the topic of yams has come up in the last couple posts, I wanted to clear up some of the rampant confusion between yams and sweet potatoes. Not only do yams and sweet potatoes look similar, but, to make matters worse, most vegetables called “yams” in the local supermarket are actually sweet potatoes.

So what’s the difference? These two vegetables are actually from unrelated plants. Yams, reputed to have rougher skin than sweet potatoes, belong to the family Dioscoreacae and originated primarily in Africa and Asia, although they also have a presence in Latin America. Sweet potatoes, which tend to taper to a point more often than yams, belong to the family Convolvulaceae and come from South America.

If you are shopping for yams to use in a traditional Chinese food therapy recipe, you’ll want the true yams, which are available fresh and dried in Asian markets. The Chinese yam (a.k.a. Dioscoreae oppositae Rhizoma, mountain yam, shan yao or huai shan in Chinese, nagaimo or yamaimo in Japanese, goguma in Korean) is especially prized for its therapeutic properties. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the vegetable strengthens the qi and nourishes yin, supplementing the Spleen, Lung, and Kidney; it is often prescribed for diarrhea, provides a first-line food therapy for diabetics, and is recommended for long-term use to increase vitality. Other types of yams popular in Asia include the purple yam.

Of course, if you enjoy sweet potatoes, help yourself! Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A and other nutrients. We just don’t know what the Chinese physicians of old would have thought of them.

Ode to Roasted Vegetables

2010-01-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

Yuan sent me this photo of roasted vegetables that she made last night with purple yam (see the January 18 blog entry for more information on purple yam), sweet potato, eggplant, and a variety of colorful peppers.

If you haven't yet had the pleasure of roasting vegetables (Eastern or Western), they are unbelievably easy and delicious. Roasting brings out a slightly sweet flavor. Types of vegetables to roast can include potatoes, onions, beets, leeks, mushrooms (I like shiitake), and carrots, as well as the vegetables that Yuan features here.

Methods for roasting vegetables range all over the map, with oven temperatures from 300 to 400 degrees, roasting times from 30 to 60 minutes, and vegetables cut large or small... Happily, these variations are a sign that this dish is hard to mess up! (I have burnt them, but it took a real brain freeze.)

To roast my vegetables, I like to cut them into 1-inch cubes, spray a roasting pan or cookie sheet with oil, lay the vegetables into a single layer on the pan, then again spray the the vegetables lightly with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Alternately, I toss the vegetables with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt until they are coated evenly before putting them on the pan. I preheat the oven to 375 degrees, then bake the pieces, stirring once or twice to turn them. I aim for a total cooking time of about 45 minutes (but it ends up being more or less depending on the type of vegetable, the size of the pieces, and how crispy I want them).

Let me count the ways I love roasted vegetables: they are easy, they are warm, they are flavorful, they are crusty on the outside and warm on the inside, they are colorful (not only visually appealing, but also important according to traditional Chinese medicine), they can be cooked at the same time as a roasted chicken, they are healthful, my kids take second helpings...

The Color Purple Yam Dessert Recipe

2010-01-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

While Chinese mountain yam (Dioscorea opposita) is a key herb in traditional Chinese medicine, Dr. Yuan Wang, co-author of Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life (Da Capo Lifelong Books, March 2010), notes that other types of yam have also become popular in East Asia to promote health. These include the purple yam (Dioscorea alata, also known as "water yam" or "winged yam"; photo by Natalia del Carmen). Although unassumingly tan-brown on the outside, once you cut it open you can see the inside is a vibrant purple. The purple yam is featured in Philippine sweet desserts, Vietnamese soups, Indian dishes, and Hawaiian cuisine, as well as Chinese recipes.

This Chinese recipe using purple yam blends the smooth texture of the yam with sweet rice flour, accented with a sweet, nutty filling. The dessert also happens to be wheat-free, dairy-free, and vegan. We found purple yams at a local Asian supermarket, helpfully but discretely labeled “purple yam,” among the many other similar-looking varieties of yam being sold.

The Color Purple Yam Dessert
(Makes about 12 pieces, serving 6)

Ingredients
1 medium-size purple yam (1 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
¾ cup sweet rice flour (also known as “sticky rice flour” or “glutinous rice flour”)
½ cup raw unsalted walnuts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons goji berries
1 tablespoon honey or barley malt
1 – 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (such as olive or canola)

Directions
1) Steam (or boil) the pieces of purple yam for about 15 minutes, until soft.

2) Allow the yam to cool for a few minutes, transfer it into a mixing bowl, and mash it with a fork until smooth. Gradually add the sweet rice flour to the yam, kneading the mixture together with your hands to form a smooth dough. (If the dough starts to get too crumbly, stop adding the rice flour; if you have already overdone it, you can compensate by adding a little water.)

3) Mix together the chopped walnuts, goji berries, and honey (warm the honey first if it is too solid to mix easily).

4) Make a “cup” out of a piece of dough, fill it with the stuffing, and close the dough around it to make a ball. Flatten the ball with the palms of your hands to form it into a 3-inch round pancake shape. (Or improvise your own method for surrounding the filling with dough.) Repeat until the dough and the filling is used up.

5) Heat a skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the oil, then cook the pieces until both sides are brown and the center is warm, 5 to 10 minutes. Cook in batches if necessary. Serve warm.

Recipe Themes and Variations
Any dried fruit can be substituted for the goji berries. Dried apples, for example, are lovely. Also, other seeds or nuts—such as pumpkin seeds, chopped almonds, black sesame seeds, pine nuts, or chopped peanuts—offer other possibilities instead of walnuts.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine
The basic yam recipe is good for counteracting general weakness, fatigue, lack of appetite, and constipation. Goji berries help the vision and walnuts are believed to contribute to longevity. For those familiar with the language of traditional Chinese medicine, the purple yam strengthens the Spleen qi and counteracts Blood stasis. With goji berries, this dessert helps to nourish the Blood and the yin, increase the essence, and improve vision; with walnuts, it helps strengthen the Kidneys, warm the Lungs, and moisten the Intestines.

Yuan to Speak on "Skillful Acupuncture"

2010-01-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

Dr. Yuan Wang has a talk coming up on "Skillful Acupuncture" this Sunday, January 16, from noon to 6 PM, at the Rancho Bernardo Swim and Tennis Club in San Diego County, California. Those attending the seminar, which is sponsored by the San Diego chapter of the California Alliance of Acupuncture Medicine, will be eligible for continuing education units. (More information.)

Mika's Adventures with Perilla Seeds

2010-01-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

Cough, Cough

Even though I rarely get sick, I brought in the New Year with an annoying cough. I took it as a sign that the time was right to try a recipe that Yuan had sent us several months previously: Perilla Seed Congee (a congee is a rice porridge).

Yuan says this recipe is good for cough, asthma, and “weak Spleen,” according to traditional Chinese medicine. She adds that perilla seeds contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid, which may protect against heart disease. Perilla leaves and perilla stems are also used as herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. In terms of traditional Chinese medicine, perilla seeds, which are considered pungent and warm, enter the Large Intestine and Lung to redirect the qi downward to treat coughing and wheezing, often when the patient has copious phlegm.

Perfecting Perilla Perparation

I persuaded Warren to go to the herb store with me to buy perilla seeds. At first the shopkeepers didn’t understand his (usually pretty good) attempts at Chinese (in fact, I think they might have been Vietnamese), but then he wrote out the pinyin of the herb “zi su zi” and we were presented with 12 grams of the tiny seeds for 30 cents.

I did an Internet search and found that perilla seeds are part of Korean cuisine (being sold as a powder in many Korean groceries). One blogger advised roasting the seeds for 5 to 10 minutes before using them. I tried dry frying them for 4 minutes, and they were decidedly burnt. We trekked back to a different herb store, where we procured more seeds. While we got the tiny seeds in both of our purchases, we ran across one comment online that there are a number of different types of perilla seeds, and that they vary widely in size and color.

With the new seeds in hand, I cooked the congee several times, experimenting with roasting/not roasting and grinding/not grinding the seeds. I recommend roasting—but only for 60 seconds if you are using seeds as small as ours—and grinding (they grind easily and improve the consistency of the congee).

Because I had some cold symptoms along with my cough, I added green onions (which also balanced the flavor of the perilla seeds nicely) and about a ½-inch piece of fresh, grated ginger, both commonly used to treat a type of common cold in East Asia. (Common colds that fall into this category, known as Wind-Cold, include chills, body aches, headache, and a cough).

The Recipe: Perilla Seed Congee

Here is my version of the recipe, which I must say really hit the spot in my bleary and hacking state. It makes 2 servings.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons (1/5 ounce or 5 grams) of perilla seeds

¼ cup short-grain white rice
2 ¼ cups of water
2 green onions, cut into ¼-inch pieces, roots and tough tips discarded
Soy sauce or salt to taste
Condiments: grated fresh ginger, sesame oil, minced garlic, roasted nori seaweed (cut into ¼ x 1/8 inch strips), etc. (all optional)

Directions

Heat a dry frying pan over medium high heat. Add the perilla seeds and roast for about 60 seconds, shaking the pan the whole time. Be careful not to burn the seeds. The seeds are done when a nutty fragrance is released and the seeds are crunchy but not burnt. Immediately pour the seeds out of the pan and let them cool for at least a minute.
Put the seeds in a spice mill or coffee grinder and whir until powdery (for us, this took 5 to 10 seconds).
Add the ground perilla seeds, rice, and water to a small- to medium-size pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to achieve a simmer and leave the lid slightly ajar to let a little bit of the steam escape. Stir occasionally to push the seeds that clump onto the sides of the pot back into the mixture and to make sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 40 to 60 minutes or until the rice is soft and your congee is the desired consistency. Add more water if your congee is drying out; if there is too much water, remove the lid to boil off some of the water.
Spoon the congee into serving bowls and garnish with the green onions and any other condiments you desire. Add soy sauce to taste.

Themes and Variations
Different varieties of rice will require different cooking times and different amounts of water. If you prefer brown rice, for example, use 1/6 cup of rice and about 2 ¾ cups of water then cook for 1 ¾ to 2 hours.

Tending the Tea Garden

2009-12-27T07:51:00.000-08:00

It's hard to overemphasize the importance of tea in East Asian culture, lifestyle, and health. Tea is everywhere, as an everyday beverage and as the subject of much connoiseurship and appreciation. Studies have also suggested health benefits as diverse as brain health and stroke and cancer prevention (see recent article on About.com). As one Chinese proverb says, "It is better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one."

Yuan sends us photos from a "tea garden" in China.

Photo of Vegetables from China

2009-12-24T08:10:00.000-08:00

Yuan continues to send us photos from her trip to China. Here, vegetables are lined up for sale in a market in Chengdu.

A Photo of "Country Food" sent from Yuan in China

2009-12-20T17:19:00.000-08:00

Simple Seaweed-Squash Simmer Recipe

2009-12-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Here is a modified version of an Ono family recipe (thanks Dad and Ria!) that uses ingredients popular in East Asian food therapy. Squash is a great vegetable for the winter holidays and the Japanese consider seaweed a first-line health food.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons hijiki seaweed
1 cup water
1 (1 ½ to 2 pounds) butternut (or other variety, such as kabocha) squash
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce or to taste

Directions

Soak the seaweed in the water for 20 minutes. Do not drain.
Cut open the squash, discard the seeds, and cut the squash into 1-inch pieces. I found the butternut squash I used could be cut reasonably easily with a sharp knife, but one handy trick for tough squash is to microwave it briefly before cutting.
In a lidded frying or sauté pan, combine all the ingredients—the water and seaweed, the maple syrup, the soy sauce, and squash. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes to boil off the liquid to practically nothing. Serve warm.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine
In the Chinese tradition, pumpkin and winter squash (i.e., any squash with a tough rind) are considered especially good for people with diabetes; these vegetables are described as sweet and neutral to warming, entering the Spleen and Stomach to strengthen qi. Seaweed, which is considered salty and cold, is used therapeutically to soften hard masses (goiter, ovarian cysts, breast lumps, and lymph node swelling) and to drain Dampness.

New Book Endorsement

2009-12-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

We're thrilled that our book, Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life, is receiving another endorsement.

Dr. Sheldon S. Hendler, Ph.D., M.D., FACP, FACN, editor-in-chief, Journal of Medicinal Food, author and co-editor, PDR (Physicians’ Desk Reference) for Nutritional Supplements, and clinical professor of medicine (voluntary), University of California, San Diego, writes:

"Scientific studies have found that many foods (for example cabbage), spices (for example tumeric) and drinks (for example green tea) possess health-promoting and disease-preventing properties beyond their basic nutritional function.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen discusses 100 Asian foods, spices and drinks that have reported beneficial health effects. Some, such as the spice tumeric, or more specifically, the curcuminoids found in tumeric, have been shown in animal studies to have anticancer, anti-inflammatory and cognition-enhancing activities. In addition to discussing these potential health promoting substances, the authors show us how to use them, in over 150 delicious recipes.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen is a good read, intelligent, interesting and potentially tasty. I highly recommend it."

Our book has also been endorsed by:
• Giovanni Maciocia, C.Ac., author of The Practice of Chinese Medicine, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, The Psyche in Chinese Medicine, and other works
• Paul W. Miller, M.D., adjunct professor, Exercise and Nutritional Science Department, San Diego State University
• Jack Miller, president of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine
• Guohui Liu, MS, MB/BS, LAc, faculty member at Oregon College of Oriental medicine and National College of Naturopathic Medicine, and author of Warm Diseases: A Clinical Guide and other works
• Yael Ben-Porat, managing editor of the Journal of Medicinal Food

See the Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen website to read their remarks.

Where to find Chinese herbs

2009-11-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

I sometimes get questions on where to go to find Chinese herbs. In general, anywhere there's a Chinatown, there's a well-stocked Chinese herb shop, so plugging the terms "Herbs" or "Chinese Herbs" and your location into Google or other search engine can be informative. Wikipedia also has a surprisingly good list of Asian food stores (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_supermarket), where you'll find herbs and many other useful ingredients.

For San Diego in particular, here are some stores that sell Chinese herbs:

• 99 Ranch Market, 7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111, (858) 974-8899

• Nam-Bac Hang Chinese Herbs, 4623 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92115, (619) 584-8957

• GEN MIN Acupuncture Herb Center, 2841 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104, (619) 297-0446

• Duong Xuan Duong, 6947 Linda Vista Rd., Suite F, San Diego CA 92111, (858) 492-9835

• Phat Dong, Inc., 4619 Convoy St., Suite D., San Diego CA 92111, (858) 694-0339

• Vinh Hoa Hong, 4619 Convoy St., Suite A-1 San Diego, CA 92111, (858) 694-0339

Dishes from Yuan's kitchen

2009-11-22T07:36:00.000-08:00

Yum!

Rules to Eat By

2009-10-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Michael Pollan, here are some fun and provocative rules to eat by: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/10/11/magazine/20091011-foodrules.html

The Western Diet

2009-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my favorite quotes from Michael Pollan, who writes in In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (Penguin Press, 2008):

"People eating a Western diet are prone to a complex of chronic diseases that seldom strike people eating more traditional diets. Scientists can argue all they want about the biological mechanisms behind this phenomenon, but whichever it is, the solution to the problem would appear to remain very much the same: Stop eating a Western diet."

Ancient Wisdom Modern Kitchen available for pre-order on Amazon!

2009-10-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

I just discovered that our book is available for pre-order on Amazon! This is really happening!
Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Wisdom-Modern-Kitchen-Recipes/dp/073821325X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254696551&sr=8-1/

Ginger in the Spotlight

2009-10-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Two articles in The New York Times recently featured ginger -- commonly used in Chinese kitchen therapy to soothe an stomach upset or to fight off the common cold. See "The Alternative Medicine Cabinet: Ginger" (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/the-alternative-medicine-cabinet-ginger/ ) and "Ginger Found to Ease Nausea of Cancer Treatment" (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/health/15cancer.html).

Welcome to the Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen Blog

2009-10-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of the the publication of our book Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life, which will be published by da Capo Press/Perseus Books in March 2010, we're starting a blog to share our latest thoughts on food, health, and alternative medicine. Welcome!