Posts Tagged: Eating & Drinking

Eating & Drinking / Health & Fitness / JAMU - Indonesian Botanicals — 1 Comment
25
Jan 11

Getting Creative with Kombucha – Metta Murdaya

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to not only eat healthier, but to drink healthier. No, this isn’t something that means adding fresh fruits to the martini or drinking more bloody marys, justifying its health benefits to lycopene-laden tomato juice. I suppose one could, but I’m talking about kicking out the soda and upping my intake of homemade Kombucha. For those of you not familiar with this health tonic that’s been known to do everything from curb the munchies, improve your digestion and immune system, give you more energy, and even help with migranes, check out this article. Or for a more scientific breakdown of Kombucha, see this. I’ve offered some untraditional ways to gourmet-ify this tangy treat, and I have a few more to add.

For beginners: Mix with any of the following (or mix it up!) You can add this to Kombucha from the store or from a homeade batch. Just make sure you don’t mix the mixers below in the brewing container with the scoby! Mix with Kombucha in a separate container.

To sweeten the drink and make it fruity, add one or a blend of the following:
- Apple, Cranberry, White Grape juice

To keep the flavor but add a twist, add to the Kombucha:
- Coconut Water (yes, believe it!) to make it milder and a little more round, plus it has great electrolytes!
- Sliced Ginger: To give it a heaty, spicy, exotic touch. Cinnamon – never tried personally, but I hear it’s good.

For a little more gourmet flavor, mix 1/2 to 2/3 container (or glass) of Kombucha with:
- Chamomile Tea sweetened with Elderflower Syrup. (Ikea has a nice, cheap one that’s tasty): Makes it ‘pretty’ tasting. Sounds odd, but the light floral notes and sweetness will make you smile, really!
- Chai tea & sugar:  Makes it spicy and aromatic, but still oh so delicious!
-Lemonade + Tea: Kind of like a super-healthy Arnold Palmer with a fizzy tang. Refreshing, indeed!

Where to get Kombucha? If you’re not a home brewer, get some at Whole Foods, most health food stores, and many a supermarket in the natural drinks section. The pros of making it at home is the cost is 6 tea bags and a cup of sugar for a gallon of brew, whereas at the store, a 12oz bottle can cost upwards of $4.99. But most people just don’t drink that much Kombucha in a week, the store-bought are great for convenience and variety. 2 brands I like:

Synergy – One of the best known brands. Pulls no punches, this Kombucha is pretty flavorful and tangy. Maybe too tangy for home-brewers, like it’s ‘overdone,’ but you’ll feel the effects. I when I get the muchies, a swig of this powerful stuff will curb that craving. Lots of good flavors too.
Kombucha Wonder Drink – blended with green tea, this is a milder tasting Kombucha. It’s smoother/easier to drink, might be a good  Kombucha for those who want a more palate-friendly version.

There are many other brands out there, Carpe Diem, Honest Kombucha (from Honest Tea,) Katalyst, etc… I say experiment and compare! I’m still experimenting with my own batch; right now, I’m playing with maple syrup to add to the mix somehow… Of course, I still love Kombucha straight, and drink some everyday, but this is great when you have a large batch and want to have some variety – especially great for guests! Talk about a conversation beverage…

Anyone have any suggestions too? Let’s get creative!

Beauty & Skincare / Eating & Drinking / indonesia / Lifestyle — No Comments
10
Dec 10

Ginger – Whacked, Shaken or Stirred? – Metta Murdaya

When I get the signs of a cold, have an upset tummy, or just need a little soothing but zingy pick-me-up drink, I drink ginger tea. Ginger is a wonder ingredient common in Asian food, beverages, and beauty treatments because of its great medicinal properties. In Indonesia, we consider it a ‘heaty’ ingredient that warms you up (great when you have a cold), helps digestion with its anti-bacterial properties, and can also be used in body-wraps used in spa treatments. When you’re done with these treatments, ginger tea mixed with palm sugar is also served as a traditional beverage. But I want to know – why does the ginger tea in Indonesia just taste so much more fragrant and richer than when I make it at home in NY?

I‘m in Indonesia now, and I learned an Indonesian secret in how they make their ginger tea super aromatic and delicious, so if you’re a ginger tea fan, listen up.
Normally, I make ginger tea by slicing ginger and boiling it in water, but the secret for really bringing out the aroma and depth of the flavor is to cook and whack it. That’s right. Cook and whack it! First, you have to pan-sear the whole (or large chunks of) ginger until parts of the skin are black. Don’t use oil; you’re basically just roasting the skin in a dry pan. Now peel the ginger skin off the best you can. Then, instead of slicing it into bits, whack the whole ginger chunk until it’s smashed near flat, like when you smash a garlic clove with the side of a knife. Then boil away in a saucepan covering the ginger with only a few inches of water. I personally err on the side of strong tea that I can always weaken with more water if needed. Sweeten with honey, sugar, or palm sugar – which tastes like a combination of flowers and brown sugar with a tiny pinch of salt. Delicious.
My theory is that the pan cooking heats the ginger to release the aroma more, and whacking it brings out the juices, but whatever the reason, it works.

Here’s another fun, inexpensive use of ginger in a beverage that I concocted: For a JUARA event at Fashion Week in NY this year, we made JUARA cocktails. One of them was a ginger tea cocktail in which I sliced a whole ginger (very thinly, no smashing needed) and put it in a full bottle of vodka (minus the volume of the ginger.) Leave 3 days, and voila – you have an instant ginger vodka infusion. It looks really pretty with the ginger slices floating, and tastes oh-so-spicy good. Chill and mix with tea, and you’ve got a ginger-tea cocktail. I also like mixing ginger slices in my Kombucha for a little variety, and am looking for other fun uses in drinks!

At JUARA, we use it in our oil-free Sweet Black Tea & Ginger Mattefying Moisturizer, where the ginger works as an oil-control/anti-shine ingredient, so if you want to try that out, check it out here.

Anyone have any creative uses for ginger in beverages, food, or beauty treatments?

Beauty & Skincare / Eating & Drinking / Health & Fitness / JAMU - Indonesian Botanicals — 2 Comments
18
Oct 10

Turmeric: The Ancient Wonder Ingredient – Metta Murdaya

Healthy Turmeric - Strong Antioxidant

Tasty and Good for you!

So there’s this ‘new’ ingredient that’s popping up in the US in health supplements, skincare, and exotic dishes that’s raved about as uber healthy with anti-cancer properties: Turmeric. We often nod “oh, yes, that plant.” But what is it, and why is it so awesome? Oh, let me count the ways. For one, it’s one of Indonesia’s most revered spices/ingredients used in its herbal medicinal tradition and beauty rituals for centuries, but that’s not all. Hopefully this brief overview will leave you the most interesting person at your next dinner party when you can quip up on the wonders of this spice – and leave people wanting to try it out!

What is it? Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) is a 5000 year old herb in the ginger family, and is known to grow wild in Southern Asia including India (oldest origin), Indonesia, Indochina, nearby Asian countries, and even in Hawaii. It is less fibrous than ginger, and has a nutty, slightly funky herbal/gingery smell to it and a nice, peppery and warm flavor.

What is it used for? Many things. Its roots are used in cooking as a spice, medicine, and even dye to color fabric/food. Known for its bright yellow color that can stain, turmeric has been used as a food colorant and dye for cloth historically as a less expensive alternative to saffron.  Indonesian and Indian cuisine frequent this ingredient, especially in curries, because it is not only yummy but healthy! In Indonesia, we use Turmeric in hundreds of healthy concoctions from a princess spa ritual to brighten skin to drunken medicines to help cleanse blood and liver. In Bali, a traditional healer mixed turmeric with sandalwood and water to create a paste he massaged in my sprained ankle to help reduce swelling and induce rapid healing! (For those of you who saw Eat, Pray, Love, yes – those healers do exist, I can personally attest to it!) Turmeric is also widely used in Indian Ayurvedic systems, most widely used to purify blood.

What’s the magic ingredient? Curcumin is the power ingredient in Turmeric that has many of the anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and blood purifying properties. Though studies conducted are still in the early stage, curcumin has shown positive effect on preventing cancer through its ability to suppress the proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells and to inhibit harmful molecules and enzymes. Topically, like in our Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask, the curcumin in our turmeric complex brightens skin and naturally fights discoloration and age spots naturally. It gives your skin a natural glow – just try it! 15 minutes and you’ll notice a difference.

What does it do, in a nutshell? Overall, turmeric is an amazing antioxidant, thanks to an ingredient in it – curcurmin. Turmeric can detoxify the liver, reduce cholesterol, brighten skin complexion (see our Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask), is naturally antiseptic and antibacterial, and does a whole lot more. So take your dose or turmeric – in capsules like a health supplement, fresh, or in a spice powder, in Jamu (Indonesian tonics), or in our JUARA Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask. Enjoy!

Beauty & Skincare / Eating & Drinking / Family & Friends / Health & Fitness — No Comments
23
Mar 10

4 things that actually make life easier when you have a baby – Yoshiko Roth-Hidalgo

Chowing down a sandwich at Bouchon Bakery

As a first-time mother to a baby daughter, Asami, I now comprehend what other people were talking about when they said life as a new parent is tough.  But in addition to the rewarding feeling of seeing your baby smile and grow, I have actually found a few things that are – surprise – much easier now that I have to take care of a baby:

I always have perfectly luscious lips

With my baby daughter, I have to change diapers every couple of hours.  Right before I apply some ointment to my baby’s bottom, I take some Aquaphor Healing Ointment out of the big tub and apply it to my lips.  Voila – Luscious Lips!

No need for annoying upper body strength training

As a bottom-heavy person, I’ve always sacrificed my upper body strength training for doing lower body work outs.  Now I have to lift a 12-pound baby so many times a day, my arms have naturally become more toned and strong.  I don’t have to even have to motivate myself to do an arm work out.  And the weight will naturally get heavier without my having to push myself!

Breastfeeding – the best weight loss program ever

You can eat pretty much whatever you whenever you want in whatever quantities you want and you STILL lose weight!  Need I say more?

Peace of mind – for the most part

 

Pregnancy and even more so motherhood sweep through your brain and make you forgetful, thus the term new mommy brain.  But along with important names and sales figures, you also forget and frankly stop caring about a lot of petty things that used to clutter your brain.  What is left is peace of mind – for the most part…

Eating & Drinking / Health & Fitness / Uncategorized — No Comments
13
Dec 09

Healthy Holiday Sweets…Yum! – Jill Sung

carrot mini cupcake

Not into holiday weight gain, but love the holiday sweets? I don’t actually love eating sweets, but I love baking…  And it’s fun to bake for holiday parties or as gifts to friends.  My current favorite, carrot cake. It’s pretty healthy as cakes go, and I’ve melded together a few recipes to create a healthier version that tastes great and is really moist without making me or the gift recipient feel guilty about indulging. Makes about 20 servings. Per serving: Calories with frosting: 219.4; without the frosting: 152.8. (You can check nutritional info for almost anything you make with this recipe calculator: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3/4  cup white sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup apple sauce, unsweetened
  • 3 egg, large
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups shredded carrots(fine grating disc of food processor works well)
  • 1/2 cup flaked coconut
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

Frosting

  • 6 ounces, neufchatel cheese (lowfat cream cheese)
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan.
  2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.
  3. Pour into 9×13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Allow to cool.
  4. Frosting: Cream the butter and neufchatel/low fat cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until creamy.Mix in orange peel.

You’ll notice I replaced the vegetable oil with apple sauce and cut the sugar in more than half. Sometimes, people will partially replace the sugar with natural replacements like agave syrup (from the agave plant, doesn’t increase blood glucose levels) or xylitol (from birch tree – kills cavities)…but I haven’t tried these yet.

I love making this in mini-loaves, cupcakes, and mini-cupcakes (the smaller the size, the fewer the calories and sugars per serving – you’d be surprised, but people will eat less when things are served in smaller sizes). For Yoshiko’s baby shower, we combined a plate of mini-cupcakes, and decorated the icing with a crying baby (that’s Metta’s artwork above!). Hope you love the recipe. I’ve gotten rave reviews, over and over again. Let me know your secrets for healthy baking or just your favorite recipes!

Eating & Drinking / Health & Fitness — 1 Comment
19
Nov 09

Snack Food for the Busy! – Jill Sung

dried gooseberriesSometimes when my plate is full, and my schedule is too jam-packed, I want to snack, but don’t have the time to make anything. When heading to work, I just grab and go! I’ve done the old standbys like baby carrots (dipped in hummus is tasty), grapes, grape tomatoes, granola, etc. But lately, some nuts and new dried fruits have caught my eye…

“raw” cashews – full of  “good fats” with an optimal healthy fat ratio of 1:2:1 for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, they are less “fatty” than peanuts, walnuts, pecans, and almonds. Filled with phytosterols, copper and magnesium, cashews have been found in large health studies to kill bacteria often found in the mouth, decrease gallstone disease risk by 25% in women, lower the risk of developing type II diabetes and protect from diabetes complications by supporting healthy levels of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol.

Eat 1/4 cup, 1-4 times a week. Less than 200 calories.

gooseberries - each one of these sweet and tart berries has more antioxidant vitamin C than an entire orange! If you can take the tartness, eat alone, or mix with nuts, but these berries are filled with anti-inflammatory bioflavanoids, soluble dietary fiber-filled pectin, and vitamins A and C. I love that these Incan fruits are dried with no added sugar or juices.

Eat 1 oz, 1-4 times a week. ~80 calories per oz.

For other easy snacks, try yogurt with natural preserves or fruit and agave nectar. Until the next nibble! Enjoy!