December 29, 2010

What's Cooking At Le Chateau Soleil?

Grapefruit Kanten in Shell

Many people may be wondering what the heck has been happening at Le Chateau Soleil?  I haven't stopped cooking.  I've been learning.  A LOT.  

Here is my favorite new cookbook:
Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions by Elizabeth Andoh.

If you are serious about expanding your cooking talents, get this book.  It is full of cooking techniques, ideas and ingredients you have not likely encountered before. Kansha means "appreciation" in Japanese.  It is a philosophy of appreciating the abundance of vegetables and being frugal with them.  No waste.  Just the cover of the book alone shows many dishes you can make with the whole daikon radish, green tops included.  

While the book is not oil-free, most of the recipes can easily be adapted.  Many of them are already oil-free.  It does not take much reading to see how traditional Japanese cooking kept people healthy.  It was based on three things: rice, soup and pickles.  All plant-based, whole food cooking.  Truly an amazing and very challenging book for a Western chef.  

I am also doing a fair bit of work these days locally organizing ways to prevent obesity and diet-related disease in Atlanta.  So, my apologies for the delay in posting, but not to worry.  I'm still around and will post as often I am able.

Hope everyone is having a great holiday!