` CREME de cornell
GOING GREEN spring 2020 /vol xv
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SAY HELLO TO THE STAFF Editor in Chief:
ABBY REING
Managing Editor: PRIYA PRADHAN Editing Staff: JACLYN LIU, MAIA
Layout Director: MUFFIN LAOSIRICHON Layout Staff: KWAN ASADATHORN,
VICTORIA LU, AARUSHI PARASHAR, ABBY REING, CHASE LIN Culinary Director: JEREMY SCHECK Webmaster: JANICE JUNG Publicity/Social Media: JULIE CHEN Distribution and Marketing Chair: STEPH
Photography Director: KEVIN CAVALLO Photography Team: GRACE ANDERSON,
TAN
MAIA BHAUMIK, ALEXANDRA CASTROVERDE, JOHANNA KEIGLER, AMBER LEUNG, MADISON WOO, JULIE THOMPSON, CANDICE MAHADEO, TRIN KITISOONTORNPONG, HANNAH ROSENBERG, VIOLET FILER, STEPHANIE TAN, MACKENZIE CHILDS, DANA SLAYTON, CONSUELO LE Contributing Writers:
LEE, KYLIE GRINDWALD, ELEANOR GOH, TEEVYAH YUVU RAJU, ALISON LILLA, MADISON WOO
TRIN KITISOONTORNPONG, JULIE SELJEGARD, ROBERT BROOKS, ABBY REING, SARAH HWANG, CANDICE MAHADEO, JOHANNA KEIGLER Event Chairs: VICTORIA
ZHU, ROBERT BROOKS Treasurer: CHASE LIN Apprentice Treasurer: ALEXANDRA CASTROVERDE Advisor: HEATHER KOWALKOWSKI
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A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Springtime at Cornell is undoubtedly the most enjoyable few weeks of the year. As two semesters of hard work come to a close, trees bloom on Ho Plaza and the slope erupts into a vibrant lawn for lounging after class. However, this semester, most students left Ithaca as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic weeks before spring had sprung. Since the wintery beginning of quarantine, the nationwide yeast shortages and impulsive banana bread baking have indicated that especially in times of uncertainty, comfort can always be found in food. As the days grow longer and warmer, time once spent at the busy farmer’s market or favorite restaurants is now filled by cultivating a family garden, and cooking with love and care. If any silver lining can be found in these troubling times, perhaps it is the opportunity to grow wholesome food, to cook “low and slow”, and to spend time with loved ones at home around a dinner table. For many other clubs, maintaining involvement through this unusual semester may have been a challenge, causing projects to be put on hold. The Crème team on the other hand, has astounded me with its dedication and community. As always, we set out to publish passionate students’ culinary writing, embellished with creative photography and design. With Zoom calls replacing weekly meetings, and more than a fair share of Slack polls, Crème has persevered to produce our semesterly magazine. I want to thank our hard working e-board, creative staff, and everyone involved in this issue for the exceptional dedication to this project. While this issue will be published initially online, we hope to share print copies on campus in the near future. In this Green-themed edition, writers recount idyllic memories of growing zucchini on crisp summer mornings, suggest sustainable skincare tips, and recommend green recipes for everything from Guyanese okra to matcha desserts. This summer, we encourage you to go green, whether by eating from a garden, supporting local farmers, or making some sustainable lifestyle and diet switches. As always, we hope this magazine finds you and your loved ones healthy, and that you may find as much pleasure in these stories and recipes as we have! Abby Reing, Editor in Chief
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CONTENTS 06
A City of God and Tameeya
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Vegan Bulgogi
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Kale Chips
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The Paradox of Green
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Brunching Green
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Sankhaya - Thai Pandan Custard Dip
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A Field Guide to Dark Leafy Greens
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Sustainable Skincare
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The Impossible Burger
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Sodium as Sustainability
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The Humble Zucchini
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A Good Green Salad
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Fried Okra with Tamarind
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A City of God and Tameeya by Dana Slayton
No place on Earth could replace Cairo. There is a special kind of serenity that can only be born when millions of people are living in the same total chaos at the same time. It swaddles the streets in a blanket of collective ambivalence and sings them a lullaby, while car horns and unintelligible shouts of rage hum along. This kind of serenity is only born when all hope for order dies. You cannot afford to be angry that you’ve only moved three feet in the past ten minutes. You make friends with the chaos, and after a while you cease to care that it has been decided you will never make it to your destination. Or that you will make it, but only inchallah (God willing), a statement which means next to nothing once you realize that Cairo traffic probably killed God. But these streets are saturated with divinity. For all its cosmopolitanism, breakneck chase of modernity, and precarious alleyways, Cairo is a holy city. Cairo traffic tries to kill God, but the Cairene drivers refuse to let him die. He reveals himself in between endless rows of sputtering Toyotas as they inch along the highway, a new brand of the Second Coming announced only by extremely elaborate stickers on grimy windshields that proclaim “Jesus is Lord,” “Remember God,” and “There is no God but God.” He peeks through the gauzy curtains of a barbershop, from his throne of honor atop a mirror with the Egyptian president at his right hand and the Virgin Mary at his left. He sings from the tops of ten thousand minarets in cacophonous unison five times a day. And when my taxi arrives at the foot of Mokattam Mountain, its engine gasping and choking after a breathless climb through the labyrinthine streets of Manshiyet Nasr—the 6
neighborhood responsible for processing all of Cairo’s waste and consequently dubbed “Garbage City” in Arabic—even the high hills race to claim the ground for God. “Blessed be Egypt, my people,” reads the mountain. The inscription is etched into the rock face in graceful Arabic, like a sticker on the grimy windshield of the city itself. The mountain and the smog are the only things separating Cairo from the heavens here. The mountain, the smog—and the falafel, that is.
There is a special kind of serenity that can only be born when millions of people are living in the same total chaos at the same time.
If Mokattam Mountain is the bridge that God walks to enter the streets of Cairo, then falafel is the gatekeeper of the city, the intermediary between the heavens and the earth. God would have no standing here without falafel, which is called taameya in Egyptian Arabic. This variation on the street
PHOTO: @dascalvisual UnSplash
Landing at Cairo International Airport after over a day’s journey from the United States is incredibly disorienting to say the least. There is a peculiar feeling of jet lag-laced dread that permeates the aircraft a few minutes before touchdown. No one is immune. The man sitting beside you stops snoring, glances out the window, and makes some kind of vague, one-word comment about what is about to happen, like, “hm, clouds” or “hm, weather” or “hm, the pyramids” or—perhaps most terrifyingly—just “hm.” Babies start to cry. The dread that hangs heavy in the airplane air moments before landing is nothing more than a stark, sobering appreciation of silence, the last true moments of quiet before Cairo invades us all—mind, body, and soul. When you exit the flight, the “hm, clouds” will become “hm, traffic” as you navigate the claustrophobic chaos of the arrivals terminal to hail a taxi and dive into the fray.
ally invisible to the outside world save an occasional glimpse of the Bible verse carved into the mountain face that announces its presence. “Blessed be Egypt, my people,” it proclaims, quoting the prophet Isaiah in the language of the Bible, a book that barely ten percent of Egyptians still read.
PHOTO: @rozumna UnSplash
When I arrive there, the taameya season is in high gear. Crucially, the Copts lay claim to the world’s first falafel, tracing it all the way back to the practices of their Pharaonic ancestors, and their current religious practice makes the fritters culinarily mandatory. In the weeks before the Coptic celebration of Christmas, Egypt’s last Christians observe a strict vegan fasting diet. Falafel suits this perfectly. They lay claim to taameya in the same way they lay claim to this mountain -- as the last memory of something too beloved to die. Long before the Arab invasions, when the Nile valley was still greener than the falafel produced there, the Copts heated up these same iron skillets during the same long months of fasting. They prayed in this same cave church, high above the burgeoning city, before praying in a church became an act of defiance. They broke bread and stuffed it with these same fried fava beans.
food classic is ancient, and any self-respecting Egyptian would proudly proclaim that it predates its famous Levantine cousin. While American shopkeepers and Levantine cooks use chickpeas pounded with powdered spice as the base of their fritters, Egyptians use fava beans and fresh vegetables such as leeks and herbs, vibrant shades of green from the shores of the Nile, and smother them in sesame. Huge iron skillets occupy every street corner in Cairo, from the utopian neighborhoods springing up from the desert to house the city’s elite to the unpaved streets leading up to this mountain, crowded with refuse and half-forgotten statues of saints. The fritters follow the footsteps of this city. As Cairo swallows up the verdant riverbed of the Nile, replacing it with endless rows of concrete housing, it leaves traces of its former, untouched, green glory behind in the guise of taameya stands—where ordinary men turn fava beans into fuel for a nation zooming around at breakneck pace. Bite into one, and you will find it to be
And for over a thousand years, though persecution and poverty have decimated their numbers, the Copts’ history still sits quietly in these streets alongside their God. Taameya belongs to every Egyptian now. But its origins belong to the Copts, and the pharaohs before them. It graces every table with the unspoken memory of a community just as stubborn and casually holy as Cairo traffic, as serenely chaotic as the symphony of millions in every highway of the city, guardians of a history too tenacious to die. Returning from Mokattam that day, I clunk unceremoniously back to the city center through the chaotic alleys of Manshiyet Nasr, the neighborhood that is one of the last remaining outposts of majority-Christian settlement in Cairo. God glances at you from every corner here, from the words on the mountain above to the icons of martyrs painted on the walls. He hides in the piles of garbage, sometimes, but mostly he glances out from between them, clinging to cars or to paintings or to taameya.
the greenest sight for miles, like a memory of the ancient farmland that gave rise to the city itself.
These fried fava beans are little histories in and of themselves.
The history of taameya is tied up with the history of God, and nowhere is this more obvious than at the base of Mokattam Mountain. Egypt’s indigenous population, the Copts, still clings to an ancient rite of Christianity despite near-constant sectarian abuse. According to them, God once moved Mokattam Mountain to prove his righteousness to a particularly obstinate tenth-century caliph.. The last remaining Christian monastery in the city is carved deep into the rock here, virtu-
They are lantern-keepers for a greener past. They are gatekeepers for this city of God.
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KALE CHIPS by Maia Bhaumik At about 4:30 pm, with classes finished, I’m exhausted from my day of learning. And I’m constantly left with one more mind-boggling decision; do I dig into a bag of chips, or painfully wait until dinner?
The dilemma: I love to snack. It’s one of my favorite pastimes, and one of the best snacks are potato chips; nothing can quite beat the addicting saltiness paired with a satisfying crunch. However, potato chips are not the healthiest daily snack, so that leaves a hungry, health-conscious college student craving a salty
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treat. What is there to do? I introduce to you my homemade solution: kale chips! Now, I know that most people are not necessarily as much on the kale-train as I am, but these kale chips can satisfy anyone’s craving. It would be easy to write me off and say I’m just another crazy Californian obsessed with kale but don’t knock it till you try it. Whether it’s nutritional yeast or a sprinkle of sea salt these kale chips can be seasoned with anything to satisfy any desire. I’ve provided a few of my favorite seasoning mixes, but you can be as inventive as you want with these crunchy delicacies.
Seasonings: All Dressed Ingredients: ½ tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. paprika ½ tsp. chili powder ½ tsp. cayenne 1 tsp. mustard powder ½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. powder sugar ½ tsp. Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mix ¾ tsp. vinegar powder (optional) Barbecue Ingredients:
Ingredients:
1 bunch (7 oz) Kale 1 tbsp. Olive Oil 1 tsp. Salt* 1 tbsp. prepared seasoning
Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 325℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper** 2. With a knife or shears, remove the thick stems and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly. If the kale is not dry, the kale will not crisp well. 3. Put the kale onto the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt. 4. Bake until the edges are brown for 7-15 minutes depending on the size of your pieces.
PHOTO: @ronit_sha UnSplash
5. Pour chips into a bowl and pour in seasoning. Toss to coat evenly and enjoy!
¼ tsp. salt 1 tbsp. paprika 2 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder 1 ½ tsp. packed brown sugar 1 tsp. black pepper Takis Powder Ingredients: 1 tbsp. Tajin ¾ tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. sugar ½ tsp. cayenne powder Cheese Ingredients: 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese powder 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder ¾ tsp. salt ½ tsp. ground black pepper Sour Cream and Onion Ingredients: 1 ½ tsp. Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mix 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. pepper
*If using the Takis or Sour Cream and Onion seasoning, omit the salt **If you use a silpat, the kale will not dry out as well
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Brunching Green by Julie Thompson Brunch is much more than just a meal. It can be something to get dressed up for, a reason to stop lazing around in bed on Sunday morning, or an exciting and thoughtful way to show your friends how much you appreciate them. Although I can’t deny that Carriage House Cafe or Waffle Frolic are great places to brunch, a meal is even more special when you create it yourself, taking the time to bring together each ingredient into a medley of flavors.
Building brunch from scratch can be an intimidating process. Not only do brunchers face the challenge of cooking, but they have to worry about how much money to spend, how much food to cook, how to balance health with sustainability, and even how to make their brunch spreads Instagram-worthy. As someone who has spent quite some time mulling on the finer intricacies of brunching, I’ve put together my reccomendations on how to beat these common challenges.
Brunch can be a truly decadent meal, and if that’s what you’re in the mood for, please do not let me stop you. However, brunching doesn’t always necessitate pancake stacks drowning in syrup.
Why not opt for a greener option? Roasted veggie and grain bowls are great for brunch, and they’re delicious and easy to make - just chop up whatever veggie you have on hand (My favorites are carrots, eggplant, and asparagus), drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and thyme; and pop them into the oven until tender. Once you have these, make up the base of your bowl by cooking your favorite grain, like rice or quinoa. Toss your vegetables on top of the cooked grains and top with a poached egg for a healthy, colorful brunch.
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Making brunch has an aura of expense around it. It’s a fancy meal, often pictured with mimosas and plates of colorful food. However,
brunch doesn’t have to use up all the greens in your wallet. One of my absolute favorite brunch dishes on a budget is challah french toast. It’s simple yet impressive when you serve it up to your guests, and toppings can make it delicious for everyone. French toast ingredients are often what you’d already have in your pantry: eggs, milk, and bread. I like to keep cinnamon and vanilla on hand too (these simple ingredients can really elevate your French toast!). Challah from Wegman’s is $5.50 per loaf (pro-tip, have them slice it for you to save yourself a mess of crumbs and unevenly sliced bread) and is a delicious option. Toppings, depending on how you stock your pantry, may be something you already have on hand as well. I like to put out maple syrup, nutella, and some fruit. Fruit and the challah bread were the only real expenses when I made this meal, keeping brunch for 5 under $15. While feeding a crowd, make one big frittata (basically a big baked omelette) to save money. This dish is customizable and can often take advantage of ingredients you already have. My go-to, fail-safe frittata is made up of eggs, milk, spinach, feta, and some fresh dill.
As sustainability becomes increasingly important in our lives, it’s important for us all to do our part to help the earth. Although we don’t often look to brunch as a way to lower our carbon footprints, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t make little efforts whenever we can. Producing a pound of beef takes 100-200 times more water than producing a pound of plant foods. While totally cutting meat and animal products from your diet can be out of reach for many, cutting back on the amounts we eat still makes a difference. Not to mention, cutting meat from your grocery list can save you a pretty penny! There is no denying how delicious and customizable avocado toast can be for brunch. You can add a base of hummus and top with grape tomatoes or sprouts for color, crunch, and flavor. Another way to cut out animal products is to opt for the sweeter side of brunch. I love to use my ever-coveted Instant Pot to make a big batch of oatmeal and then guests can top with whatever fruits are on hand, peanut butter, or some honey. You could do the same with smoothie bowls, for a brighter refreshing twist. Sustainability can go beyond what you eat. Limit your plastic when you’re in the grocery store shopping for brunch ingredients. Bring your own bags, but also skip the small plastic bags in the produce section. If you’re cooking brunch in a dorm, some residential halls have a communal compost bin so check those out! And if your dorm doesn’t have one yet, reach out to your RA and Residential Sustainability Leaders at Cornell to try to set one up to benefit you, your fellow brunchers, and the earth.
PHOTOS: ABBY REING
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A Field Guide to Dark Leafy Greens by Johanna Keigler
PHOTO: JOHANNA KEIGLER
The abundance of the leafy green world is glorious, but its diversity can be intimidating to an unfamiliar palette. My favorite greens include chard, mustard greens, bok choy, broccoli rabe, collards, and of course, kale. There are so many more varieties of leafy greens that I don’t have room for here: spinach, escarole, dandelion greens, turnip greens, cauliflower greens (don’t toss these away when you’re cooking cauliflower, just add them to the dish too!). I could write a guide on solely kale varieties, from the classic Curly Kale to the reptilian-looking Tuscan Kale to the bright Red Russian to the stoic broad-leafed Portuguese Kale. My first experience with the cornucopia of leafy greens happened while working on a farm in California during March, which happens to be the season of dark leafy greens. The mustard greens there grew so abundantly, I’d eat a whole bunch sautéed and stuffed in a tortilla nearly every day. When prepared without attention to flavor and texture, dark leafy greens can leave much to be desired. But with a bit of thought (and a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon), even bitter dandelion greens and tough collards––though eschewed
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by nearly every child––can be transformed into hearty yet bright additions to any meal. The easiest way to cook any leafy green is to sauté it in oil with garlic for five minutes on medium heat. Splash in a soupçon of acidity–– lemon juice or balsamic vinegar perhaps––and season with salt and pepper. Hearty greens hold strong flavors well, so add your favorite spices or hot sauce. They’re also lovely added to any soup or stew, five minutes before it’s done––just add the stalky parts earlier to give them time to soften. Cooking up these dark leaves comes with lots of nutritional benefits, too. Many are rich in vitamins A, C, E, and K. Bok choy and mustard greens even contain some of the B vitamins, like folate. Leafy greens are a great source of calcium, and contain minerals like iron, potassium, and magnesium. Made up of cellulosic plant cells, hearty greens provide plenty of fiber, and dark green leaves are also high in cancer-preventing antioxidants (USDA).
KALE
CHARD & BEET GREENS
MUSTARD GREENS
The star of leafy greens, kale, has become ubiquitous in the superfood scene. This often-tough green can handle soups, pasta-bakes, and stir-fries.
Chard and beet greens are more tender than kale; so it’s best to add them near the end of cooking, like spinach. They add zing with their bright yet mildly earthy flavor and crunchy, colorful stems.
These spicy, powerful greens will add a kick to any meal. Slightly more tender than kale, mustard greens are lovely simmered in an ample amount of quality oil with garlic,plenty of salt, and a splash of vinegar, to top any grain or even toast.
With some care, it’s also scrumptious raw. Eaten raw, kale must be massaged: tear the leaves off their ribs (save these for cooking), add a bit of olive oil and salt, and knead the leaves with your hands to soften and reduce bitterness. In a raw salad, kale holds creamy dressings well and won’t get soggy overnight. This tougher green makes for a hearty salad with root veggies and grains, like wild rice. Add some citrus or dried fruit to complement kale’s strong earthiness.
These strong-flavored greens pair well with white beans in a comforting greens-andbeans soup. Sauté a base of onions, garlic, and celery with salt and oil. Add any additional veggies or herbs and a hot pepper, and pour in canned beans or cooked lentils and broth. Let it all simmer, then throw in the chard or beet greens for just a couple minutes to wilt. Sprinkle lemon juice into each bowl to brighten up the flavour.
A great way to eat powerful mustard greens is in a soft taco, paired with some beans and hearty veggies. To make mustard green and beet tacos, dice and separately toss both in oil and warming spices––like chili powder, cumin, lots of garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Then roast beets at 400°F (200°C) for around 20 minutes until they’re tender, and toss in the greens for the last five. Scoop this mixture onto warm taco shells with some pinto beans, any crunchy raw veggie you have on hand, and perhaps a creamy aioli.
BOK CHOY & TATSOI
COLLARD GREENS
BROCCOLI RABE & GAI LAN
These tender, relatively mild greens can be treated like spinach, despite their thicker, juicy stalks. Eat them chopped and raw in a salad, or stir them into any stove-top dish.
A key ingredient in traditional southern food and a perfect substitute for a tortilla in any wrap recipe, these tough greens can really hold their own in hearty, flavorful dishes - both raw and cooked.
Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) and Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) are peppery, bitter, stalky greens. They’re best steamed for a couple minutes or blanched for a few seconds to brighten and draw out some bitterness.
Collard greens can be simmered for a while without losing their integrity. Try cooking them first in oil with shallots, garlic, and salt. Then simmer the mixture in coconut milk with warming spices like a cajun blend, curry, or chili. Add chickpeas for a filling, protein-rich main, squeeze a slice of lime to brighten, and top with chopped roasted nuts for a little crunch.
These strong greens complement creamy pasta perfectly. Blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain. Cook pasta while sautéing onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Add the stems and flowers to the pan a few minutes before the leaves. Pour in cream, season with salt and pepper, and stir in pasta. For a dairy-free version, blend up soaked cashews with non-dairy milk and nutritional yeast in place of the cream.
Bok choy and tatsoi work beautifully in a classic stir fry flavored with ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. First, sauté up any veggies you have on hand––garlic, green onions, peppers, carrots––and stir in the chopped greens a few minutes before you’re done. Serve over steamy rice or your favorite grain and top it all with sprouts or chopped peanuts for crunch. Bok choy and tatsoi are also delicious in almost any soup - especially mushroom-based ones-or a lentil curry.
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THE IMPOSSIBLE THE IMPOSSIBLE BURGER by ConsueloBURGER Le With the beginning of a new decade, the term “eating green” has taken quite a turn. Sure, people still love Caesar salads and kale, but the younger generation is searching for something beyond leafy greens. With climate change reaching a state of crisis and the rise of green youth movements like Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future, our world is emphasizing the green matra more than ever. We seem to constantly ask ourselves: what can we do to reduce our carbon footprint and buy us time to restore our green planet?
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OTO: @runningonrealfood UnSplash
Like many others at Cornell, this question frequently crosses my mind. In almost every STEM class I take, the professor mentions the effects of climate change on the subject at hand: the rising temperatures melt permafrost containing old and dangerous viruses, increasing carbon dioxide levels pose a threat to human health, and climate fluctuation can affect our evolution as Homo sapiens. And as the media tells me to do, I drink from a reusable water bottle, take more public transportation, and don’t use plastic silverware. But I was neglecting a crucial factor, a decision I made everyday that I didn’t even realize was harming the environment: my food choice. The meat industry is responsible for 25% of the United States’ methane emissions, which decreases the amount of oxygen in the air for us to breathe. In fact, the effects of cattle farming severely affect our ecosystems, as thousands of acres of land have been deforested to hold the livestock, and arable land, once fertile for growing crops, has been overgrazed to the point of no return. But luckily, scientists have been finding ways for humans to enjoy the ‘taste’ of meat without actually adding to the harmful environmental effects of the meat industry, the epitome of which can be seen with the Impossible Burger.
At Impossible Foods, the company that created the Impossible Burger, one thing is certain: eating green no longer has to look green. In fact, the Impossible Burger looks and tastes exactly like what it says-- a burger. Except that it’s all made of plant-based materials. The Burger uses a soybean-based heme, the iron-containing molecule that gives meat its signature taste. But meat substitutes haven’t always hit the mark at looking the part. After all, tofu burgers and cauliflower steaks aren’t exactly a perfect imitation. The Impossible Burger uses a plant-based binder to give it a meat-like texture, and it even ‘bleeds’ when cooked.
“EATING GREEN NO LONGER HAS TO LOOK GREEN” When compared to the creation of a generic hamburger, the Impossible Burger releases 87% less greenhouse gases, utilizes 75% less water, and uses 95% less land. It is an extremely eco-friendly product that can help lessen the food industry’s impact on climate change while still delivering the taste and flavors that people treasure. Compared to traditional meat substitutes, the Impossible Burger contains more fiber, vitamins, and nutrients, including vitamin B12, folate, and iron.
The Impossible Burger has become somewhat of a phenomenon. What started as a small company with large aspirations in 2011 has now expanded to sell their product into grocery stores like Wegmans and Fairway. Even fast food chains are starting to pick up on the trend, with Burger King launching the Impossible Whopper nationwide and McDonalds preparing to launch a test run of the product in Canada. All in all, the steps taken by Impossible Foods and similar meat-substitute companies are revolutionary. In their efforts to create an environmentally ethical product, they have inspired the younger generation to take a chance and continue eating what we love - just with a sustainable twist. Nonetheless, I understand if people are skeptical. After all, when I first heard about this sensation, I was too. After all, the only ‘alternatives’ that had existed beforehand were not the most appealing--no matter how much you season cauliflower steak or fry tofu, I was always aware that it was a mere substitute. So when I ordered my first Impossible Burger, my expectations were incredibly low. As I examined it closely, everything looked suspiciously perfect--the color, the texture, even the smell was the same as a Big Mac. Yet that first bite, that moment of truth: the plant-based patty could have come straight from McDonald’s for all I could taste. Eyes wide in disbelief, I ate the entire burger with not one ounce of doubt that Impossible Foods had conquered the impossible: making a meat substitute that was indistinguishable from the real product. Sure, the burger doesn’t have the signature green color that we generally associate with health and nutrition. But it’s the greenest switch that a traditional omnivore can make in their diets. You’ll be making a huge difference for Mother Earth without even tasting a difference.
Want to be part of the change? You can try an Impossible Burger right on Cornell’s campus, served every day at Trillium.
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The Local Food Movement: Sodium as Sustainability by Violet Filer
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PHOTOS: ALEX CASTROVERDE
“Consumer awareness of local farms encourages farmers to use safe ecological methods of farming” Since 542 CE, the Adriatic Region, comprising Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, has undergone centuries of foreign rulers, regime changes, unpredictable trade agreements, and border disputes that have led to serious problems of unemployment, emigration, and economic instability. Salt is one of the most common ingredients in our pantry, used not only for its flavor enhancement but also its preserving qualities. For the countries surrounding the saltrich Adriatic Sea, salt is known as “white gold” because it is considered the best salt in Europe and throughout the world. The salt in this region has a high concentration of natural iodine due to the local algae and petula which improve both the taste and longevity of salt’s use as a preserving agent. With tensions rising between these countries, all three governments have had to turn their efforts internally to create agricultural systems that function independently of other nations, which includes self-sufficient salt mining operations. In the past few decades, Montenegro has begun producing salt from the Solana Ulcinj, which is one of the biggest salt salines in the Mediterranean and has a unique sweetness because the salt water evaporates on a higher plateau. Furthermore, Bosnia and Herzegovina has also managed to develop a localized system of producing salt by utilizing the “European Salt Lakes City” of Tuzla, located in the north-eastern region of the country. Known as “the cradle of salt,” Tuzla has extensive saline deposits resulting from the ancient sea of Pannonian. More than 20 million years ago, this sea dried up and left millions of tons of rock salt in this region that have unparalleled taste when added to food. In the 17th century, Luis XIV refused to consume salt that wasn’t from Tuzla.
Today, each of the countries in the Adriatic Region employs individualized resources to provide their citizens with salt, which has led to a local food movement in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Coined “locavores” for eating food produced within a 100-mile radius of one’s home, eating local foods and herbs lowers food miles, preserves small-scale farming and encourages farmers to seek sustainable agricultural practices. Instead of shipping salt from Croatia to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, each country produces their own salt and therefore has reduced food miles, which is the distance that food travels from the producer to the consumer. A higher amount of food miles correlates to a higher amount of fossil fuel consumption, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.
“Eating local foods and herbs lowers food miles, preserves small-scale farming and encourages farmers to seek sustainable agricultural practices” Furthermore, eating local food and herbs, such as salt, increases genetic diversity because larger farms typically employ modern technology to genetically alter foods. Having local farms is also associated with protecting farmland, as these small businesses save the land from being used for industrial or commercial production, increasing and preserving biodiversity. Small farms also grow non-commercial varieties of food, using minimal pesticides and frequent crop rotation to create the most natural forms of various plants and herbs. Finally, farmers who have to sell their own produce are more likely to use environmentally friendly production practices. Consumer awareness of local farms encourages farmers to use safe ecological methods of farming, like not using pesticides in the growth of their produce. Today, large-scale farming is the number one cause of pollution in lakes and rivers, as these massive farming companies are not held accountable by local populations for using environmentally-friendly methods of practice. In conclusion, the regional conflict between Croatia, Bosnia and Herbeznegovia and Montenegro has led to the localized production of salt and therefore more sustainable practices of agriculture.
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The Humble Zucchini
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PHOTO: @achera UnSplash
by Hannah Rosenberg
A particular dish, perhaps a pumpkin pie recipe or a creamy green bean casserole, often harbors decades of memories, familiar flavors, and the nostalgic connection to friends and family. While I share the love of eating foods that evoke time around the Thanksgiving table or jokes with friends, a single ingredient--the sweet pop of a spice, the crunch of a vegetable--can provide the same comforts and sentiment. For me, that ingredient is the humble zucchini: the green summer squash that accumulates in farmers markets and supermarkets across the Northeast. When I was in elementary school, my dad would receive a seed catalog with hundreds of pictures of crops, including Zinnia flowers, variations of sugar snap peas, and pumpkins that had no chance of growing in our New York climate—a gardener’s delight. My dad poured over the garden possibilities and revelled in the idea that through his labor and nature’s handiwork, these miniscule seeds would blossom into vegetables for summer meals. As I try to trace the roots of my summer vegetable obsession, I land in recurring moments in my dad’s garden. I loved the process of producing food from seeds, connecting to the earth, and searching for the perfect not-quite-ripe vegetable to pull from a plant when my dad was not looking. Throughout the spring, I would shove on my blue camouflage rain boots, stomping around the grass of our backyard, as he unclipped the steel keychain that connected the collapsing black-wired fence that hung around the perimeter of the garden to a stick of wood: the door to the vegetable enchantment. Stepping in the overgrown patch, my dad would place a handful of zucchini seeds in my hand. I mirrored what he did, drawing a line in the mulch with a stick, plunging my finger into the plush ground to make a hole, and burying a seed into the earth, gently covering it with a pile of dirt. Once those tiny flecks grew to greet the mild spring air with rows of green stems and yellowing flowers, my dad and I would spend early mornings in the dewy spring air plucking our crops from the patch of abundance. Exchanging smiles as we muddied our fingers, my dad and I kneeled in the plot of dirt and greenery before our neighbors’ alarms howled.
Ever since the Saturday mornings spent sitting atop my dad’s shoulders as we meandered through tents of local farmstand tomatoes and rose-shaped lettuces, my family claimed Sunday nights as farmers market dinners. As the sun set on the weekend, my family and I took our places in the kitchen. There we all held a role preparing a meal from the previous day’s purchases. My dad would pull out zucchinis the size of baseball bats from the fridge, supplementing the farmers market supply with the fruits of his labor. I floated around the kitchen, catching the routine “snip, snip” of my dad chopping zucchini and onions. Pulling myself up on the counter to occasionally help slice the verdant squash into coins, I listened to the sizzle of the vegetable rounds greeting the shimmering pan as my dad tossed them in the oil. Within minutes, the aroma of caramelizing onions would waft through the kitchen. Gradually, the stiff vegetables harmonized with each other: the zucchini’s interior reduced into a creamy and stringy state, and the onions shrivelled into a sweet accompaniment. After my family slid into our chairs at the dinner table, we passed the plated dish around the table, scooping bowl-size portions of the mixture onto our plates. We indulged in the freshness of the vegetables and my dad’s cooking, the perfect accompaniment to a summer evening. My early love for zucchini extended beyond our stove and garden.
When teachers and camp counselors would ask the ice breaker, “What’s your favorite food?” I didn’t say “pizza,” “pasta,” or “chicken nuggets.” I would declare, “sauteed zucchini!” as if the dish was a popular kids’ food. I eventually stopped selecting the vegetable as my standard ice-breaker response, but my love for the vegetable and the memories it evokes never withered. As butter, sugar, and Food Network Magazine coated my middle school afternoons, I counted down the days until my weekly trips to the farmers market and took over the Sunday-night staple, as if a tradition and family recipe had been handed down to me. “Doctor it up,” my dad would say as I labored over the cutting board. “You know, add a little bit of pesto, tomato paste. You’re the chef here!” Forge a distinct path through cooking, he implied; use your senses; savor the flavors of the season, so I did. By high school, as I delved further into my curiosity for cooking, local produce, and supporting the farmers market vendors who poured their energy into providing nourishment for others, the simple zucchini recipe gained some friends. Waking up at 5:50 a.m. to craft my overly complicated school lunches, or preparing new dishes alongside sauteed zucchini
PHOTOS: KEVIN CAVALLO
and onions on Sundays, I transformed home-grown zucchini into a raw, nutty pesto, or some days spiralized it, topping the noodle-fied gourd with a kale-basil sauce.
So, thank you, humble zucchini, for all the delightful memories, versatility, countless lessons on the importance of family meals, and the wonders of herbs and summertime stillness. Zucchini supplied my family and I with a timestamp from the rest of the week imbued with a tradition of cooking vegetables into a sweet and umami packed dish for a Sunday delight. Each time I bite into a strand of zoodles or a slice in caramelized form, I have a surge of appreciation for the farmers that trucked in the wee hours of the day to my suburban town, for my family, my dad’s garden, and for the soil that nourished the humble zucchini. 19
PHOTO: @louishandsel UnSplash
A Good Green Salad: The Perfect Start to a Meal by Mackenzie Childs Dim lighting. Crisp white tablecloths. The quiet symphony of Beehtoven. Fresh bread and garlic wafting through the air. A leather-bound menu in a foreign language. These are what greet you as you sit down for your meal. After perusing the menu, you decide to start with the house salad, envisioning a medley of greens, cherry tomato halves, thin slices of radish and cucumber, all carefully tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette and shaved parmesan cheese. Instead, you’re horrified when greeted with a plate of pale iceberg lettuce that is beginning to turn red, a pile of shredded carrot, and three cucumber slices approximately half an inch-thick, all swimming in some uninspired salad dressing straight from a convenience store bottle. 20
The quality of a green salad can set the tone for a meal. Here are some tips on how you can make a better green salad than many restaurants. 1. Start with a base green that suits the rest of the salad. Some good choices are romaine, spring mix, spinach, or arugula. Romaine is versatile and sturdy. Spring mix provides a variety of colors, textures, and flavors. Spinach is soft with a mid flavor whereas arugula is peppery.
Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 325 ℉ (160℃). 2. In a small roasting dish, mix beets with 1 tablespoon olive oil as well as salt and pepper to taste. 3. Cover dish with foil and roast beets until tender for approximately 75 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Peel beets and chop into wedges.
2. Choose your toppings sparingly. Aim for a balance of something sweet (fruit, cooked vegetables, etc.), something crunchy (vegetables, nuts, etc.), and something creamy (cheese or dressing).
4. While beets are roasting, prepare pickled red onion. Add sliced red onion, vinegar, water, and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, and drain.
3. Toss the salads before plating or serving to ensure an even distribution of dressing in each bite.
5. Add balsamic vinegar and mustard to a medium-sized bowl. Slowly add in ¾ cup oil until completely emulsified. 6. Toss arugula with approximately half the salad dressing and divide among six plates. 7. Top the salad mix with beets, pickled red onion, gorgonzola, and pistachios and serve!
Here is my go-to salad that hits all these criteria:
Beet and Mixed-Green Salad Serves: 6 people
Ingredients: 3 small-to-medium sized beets ¾ cup + 1 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 cup sliced red onion ½ cup white vinegar ½ cup water 1 tsp white sugar 10 oz salad mix ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 1 tsp mustard 6 oz gorgonzola, cut into six even pieces 2 oz pistachios Salt and pepper, to taste
PHOTO: @mockupgraphics UnSplash
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FRIED OKRA WITH TAMARIND BY CANDICE MAHADEO Makes 4 servings; Prep time: 25 minutes; Cook time: 24 minutes.
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This is a recipe from Guyana, a Caribbean country in South America. Guyanese cuisine is a mÊlange pulling from Indian, Pakistani, Afghani, West African and Chinese cuisines. Guyana’s amalgam of cultures arises from its diverse population and its roots within the shared Guyanese culture. This recipe features the common Indo-Caribbean pairing of okra and tamarind. Serve with paratha* or any flatbreads.
DIRECTIONS: 1. Blend the garlic, coarsely chopped onions, cilantro, ginger, and serrano pepper in a food processor for 1 minute (alternatively, mince the ingredients on a cutting board, almost forming a paste). Set aside. 2. Wash and thoroughly dry the okra. After slicing the okra into Âź inch round, let it sit on paper towels or kitchen cloth to soak up excess moisture. 3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-heat heat in a wide frying pan for about 40 seconds. 4. Cook your garlic-onion-cilantro-ginger-pepper paste for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. 5. Add the diced tomato, sliced onion, and tamarind. Lower the heat to medium. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should dry down but monitor for burning. 6. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Increase heat to medium-high. 7. Fry the okra for 8 minutes on each side or until they have browned deeply. Ensure all small pieces get an even fry. 8. Remove from heat and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. 9. Optional: garnish the okra with cilantro leaves. PHOTO: CANDICE MAHADEO
INGREDIENTS:
Beverage pairing: Any dry Riesling will counter
3 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 sweet onion, half coarsely chopped, half sliced 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped 1/2 inch ginger, peeled & coarsely chopped 1/2 serrano Pepper** 1 tomato, diced 1 fresh tamarind, peeled & fibers re moved*** 12 oz okra, trimmed & cut into 1/4-inch slices 5 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Notes: *Paratha can be found in the frozen section of most Asian supermarkets. You may also substitute the rotis for pita, msemen or any thin flatbread.**While the serrano pepper can be used in this recipe, the Guyanese Wiri-Wiri or Jamaican Scotch Bonnet peppers are preferred. ***Tamarind is found at most supermarkets near the produce aisles. You may also substitute the fresh tamarind with ½ tbsp of tamarind paste but be careful to not let the paste burn during cooking. Traditionally, the okra is cut and left to dry out in the sun for at least 4 hours to reduce the moisture of the dish, but frying and adding the salt at the end of the cooking process helps mitigate that excess moisture.
the tartness of the tamarind with its sweetness. Additionally, a dry cider, pilsner, or carbonated beverage would complement the acidity of this dish.
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PHOTO: @milkbox UnSplash
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VEGAN BULGOGI by Alexandra Castroverde
While I’ve been pescatarian for the last five years, I often found myself cheating when it came to indulging in the savory wonders of Korean BBQ or bulgogi. However, now, I’ve committed fully to vegetarianism, relinquishing my love for KBBQ. Yet, I often miss eating bulgogi, so to curb my cravings, I have created a recipe that enables you to indulge in bulgogi sans meat. Combining my mom’s marvelous marinade with my very own twist, this recipe is bound to be a hit! PHOTO: ALEXANDRA CASTROVERDE
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1 lb of shiitake mushrooms 1 carrot 1 green onion 2 tbsp of white sugar 1 onion 2 chopped garlic 1 tbsp of sesame oil 1 tbsp of honey ½ of a pear ½ cup of soy sauce
1. Peel skin off of carrots, ginger, and pear. Julienne all three (cut into matchstick shapes) and place in a bowl. 2. Peel and dice onion. Start by cutting the top off the onion, keeping the roots intact. Cut the onion in half (roots to tip). Then, cut the onion against the grain and place it in the bowl. 3. Peel and mince the garlic. Place the garlic in the bowl. 4. Add all the remaining ingredients (including mushrooms) into the bowl and mix. 5. On a hot skillet, add the marinated ingredients and cook them at medium heat. To know when everything is cooked, scrape the spatula along the bottom of the pan. If the liquids slowly moving back to its original shape, they are ready. 6. The vegan bulgogi is ready. Eat with rice or a wrap with red lettuce leaves, garlic, gochujang, and kimchi.
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THE PARADOX OF GREEN
“The best way to eat spinach is by eating it with your eyes”
BY MADISON WOO
“The best way to eat spinach is by eating it with your eyes”. That’s what my grandmother told me as I sat at the kitchen table, smelling the sesame oil and watching it coat the spinach leaves. Her spindly fingers gripped the plastic red chopsticks and she piled the nameul (sauteed spinach) into a small hill on a blue laced ceramic plate. My job was to sprinkle the sesame seeds over top and bring them to the table and it was a duty that I took the most pride in. Maybe that’s why my grandmother’s nameul was my favorite banchan.
Green is such a fickle color. As children, we swing underneath the branches of trees during the summer and prefer to lie in the vibrantly colored grass than our own beds. But when seated at the dinner table, our noses turn up at the thought of boiled broccoli or steamed asparagus. And it’s because we’re eating the vegetables all wrong. The color green is so appetizingly vibrant. Think of the light translucency of cucumber slices or the almost black rainbow chard with veins of pink and yellow. We should be emphasizing the most delicious way to cook these vegetables to not only enhance their flavor but their color to the naked eye.
“Green is such a fickle color... Green is so appetizingly vibrant.”
26 PHOTOS: ROBERT BROOKS
Vegetables have a soft spot in my heart. My family celebrated them and part of that may have been their stubborn determination in not raising picky children. So we enjoyed steamed cabbage leaves dipped in anchovies and peppers alongside crispy hearts of romaine lettuce; salads were always dressed in spicy red sauce and accessorized with watermelon radish. The trick to eating your greens is learning how to jazz them up. Rather than a chore it should be up to the person to find their personal preference. But always remember to start with your eyes. 27
Sangkhaya THAI PANDAN CUSTARD DIP by Trin Kitisoontornpong
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PHOTO: TRIN KITISOONTORNPONG
Whether it is a college student looking for a dessert to fuel an all-nighter or a middle school student returning home from cram school*, sangkhaya is a choice sure to please. Fluffy bread (Kanom Pang) dipped in the vivid green sweet sauce, Kanom Pang Sangkaya is a popular sweet that is offered by street vendors, night bazaars, and contemporary cafes across Thailand. The dip derives its color and fragrance from the pandan leaf. The fragrance is balanced with the flavor of fresh coconut milk to create a traditional sweet that is popular with Thai people across generations. Sangkhaya is often served in a similar fashion to fondue, warm alongside cubed bite-sized steamed white bread. Sometimes, for the sake of convenience, the concoction is served pre-poured on top of the bread. Sangkhaya and Kanom Pang paired with warm milk form a cornerstone of Thai late-night snacking culture.
DIRECTIONS 1. Place the pandan leaves and coconut milk in a food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture using a fine sieve or cheesecloth to remove pandan fibers. 2. On medium heat, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a medium pot. 3. Add in the pandan-coconut milk mixture and condensed milk to the pot, and slowly whisk the mixture together until smooth. 4. When the mixture thickens to a consistency of yogurt, remove the mixture from the heat. This should take about 2 minutes. 5. Let the mixture cool completely.
INGREDIENTS 2 pandan leaves 1 cup of coconut milk 3 tablespoons condensed milk 3 tablespoons evaporated milk 3 large egg yolks Âź cup of sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 loaf soft white or brioche bread or 12 soft white dinner rolls
* Cram schools are test preparation institutions common in Thailand that provide after-school supplementary courses for elementary through high school students. Unlike test preparation institutions in the United States that focus mainly on standardized exams, cram school offers a wide variety of subjects. The vast majority of Thai students attend these institutions, which take up most of their weekends and afternoons.
6. Cube the bread or rolls into bite-sized pieces. 7. Steam the cubed bread or rolls by microwaving them for 1 minute in a covered container or bowl. 8. Place the warm dip in a dipping bowl and top it with the evaporated milk. Stir the mixture lightly so that evaporated milk is not entirely combined with the dip. 9. Serve sangkaya dip alongside the steamed bread cubes, or pour the dip over the steamed bread. 10. Enjoy the fragrance and sweet taste with a warm glass of milk! Notes: * Frozen pandan leaves can be typically found in Asian grocery stores. Simply thaw by rinsing with water and patting dry before use. * If pandan leaves are not available, pandan extract tends to be readily available online and in Asian grocery stores. Extracts vary in terms of strength, and the user should consult the instructions printed on how to use the extract.
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MATCHA MADNESS! by Stephanie Tan
The fifteen of us are sitting cross-legged in a cramped, yet cozy, dorm room around Christmastime. It’s finally my turn to open my presents, and I peel apart the red and green wrapping paper excitedly to reveal the one item I placed on my wish list that no one understood: a small container of authentic Japanese matcha powder. For as long as I can remember, matcha has been one of my favorite ingredients. I firmly believe that, within reason, the subtle, earthy flavor that comes with its beautiful green color can make any dessert better. Sure, it might turn away the occasional picky eater or unsuspecting foreigner in Japan for the first time, but as a lover of all things new, I’ve loved each verdant matcha treat since the beginning.
“A MATCH(A) MADE IN HEAVEN”
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The first time I remember trying anything matcha-related was probably over a decade ago, when I attended Chinese school every Saturday morning. There was a massive Chinese supermarket just down the road, and I distinctly remember walking side by side with my mom, through each and every aisle. And my favorite part? The bakery. Filled with countless variations of every pastry and pie imaginable, from egg tarts to croissants and everything in between, it was every little kid’s dream. Yet one thing remained constant in my order every time I ventured here: an icy matcha smoothie. Each sip of my slushie would send an icy chill through my mouth, yet I never let a drop go to waste. From that point onwards, my cravings only grew; I soon found the recipe of my dreams one day while browsing Youtube. I would not sleep until I successfully made, re-made, perfected (and taste-tested) a slice of delicious, homemade matcha pound cake. It was all I could think about for the longest time. Unfortunately, it was four years after I discovered the recipe that I finally found the time to test it out and tweak it to perfection!
So, you can imagine my excitement when I unwrapped the delicate wrapping paper to unveil a fully packed canister full of sweet-smelling matcha powder this past December. I was determined more than anything to use it for one recipe and one recipe only. I waited until I returned home for winter break, with my matcha safely tucked away deep in my suitcase. As soon as I set my bags down, it took less than an hour to form the matcha loaf of my dreams. Four years of anticipation had led me to the moment I took the heavy, matcha-filled pan out of the oven.
“The smell of green tea wafted through my house, and even my parents were eagerly waiting with plates held out, ready to taste my newest creation.” I can honestly say that the matcha pound cake recipe I followed was one of the easiest, yet most frustrating recipes I’ve ever made; that meaning it was incredibly easy to whip up, but equally as difficult to resist eating all the batter before throwing it in the oven. When it was finally time to taste the cake, I couldn’t stop smiling; I’d never felt this proud of anything I baked. It had been over four years since I first discovered the recipe, and if I learned anything from this endeavor, it’s that you can’t waste time in life putting off the things that you dream about doing (or eating). The cake was everything I had imagined and more, with a chewy, dense center and just the perfect amount of crunch in the crust. The matcha flavor was subtle yet noticeable, and the color was almost that of a peridot. Paired with a cup of coffee or black tea, it made for the perfect breakfast for an entire week. To this day, the same tiny tin can of beloved matcha powder sits in my cabinet waiting for the next big recipe to come along. In case you ever want to try recreating this delicious loaf of matcha goodness, I followed the recipe by “Going My Wayz” online.
Enjoy!
PHOTOS: ABBY REING
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Sustainable Skincare by Amber Leung If you walk into my house, it shouldn’t surprise you to see a bucket full of crushed egg shells by the kitchen sink, old coffee grounds in a jar by the plants, and used lemons wrapped in old newspapers in the refrigerator. Having a yoga enthusiast and a green thumb for a mother, sustainability is a word that is not only familiar but also prominent in my household. As my mother slowly ages, she openly turns to food as a way to keep her skin healthy. While diet is still incredibly important, she has found satisfaction in reapplying unneeded parts of food into her skincare routine. Below are some of the most essential green skincare products around my house. PHOTO: ABBY REING
ORANGE PEELS I remember visiting my great-grandmother in Taiwan and learning about the magic of orange peels. Growing up in the United States, I wasn’t too familiar with my relatives overseas, but my mother still made an effort to send me back each summer as a kid. Though I don’t remember much of what my great-grandmother and I talked about that day, I have a clear memory of her flawless skin that defied her 90 years of age. Taking her hands in mine, she explained how when she was in her 20s she began using orange peels as a way to keep her skin from spotting. My mother carries this tradition to this day. Filled with Vitamin C, orange peels are great for toning the skin — it strips the skin of dead skin cells and dirt. It also has a chock full of antioxidants and calcium, which help prevent wrinkles and premature aging, as well as acne. The orange peel’s high concentration of citric acid can also lighten dark blotches. Research shows that orange peels are more nutritious than
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the fruit itself, so why waste those precious nutrients that can be used to nourish your skin? Preparing orange peels is simple. My mother leaves them out to dry naturally on a paper sheet. After drying, the orange peels are safe to use on the skin and can be applied by scrubbing directly onto the face. If drying orange peels takes too much time, feel free to squeeze citrus oil out of the fresh peel and spread it on the targeted area. Orange peels are often overlooked, but in my family, it is a tried-and-true skincare gem that keeps the aging skin vibrant and young.
EGG WHITES Being a lover of food, I decided to test out my amateur culinary skills one day and bake butter cookies. The recipe only called for egg yolks and as I was contemplating what to do with the leftover egg whites, my mother grabbed the bowl out of my hands. She added two teaspoons of sake and stuck the bowl into the refrigerator, without explaining a single thing. Two hours later, I realized my mother had made the egg whites into a mask when she walked into the living room with a sticky regiment spread all over her skin. Egg whites have various benefits, one being its skin tightening property. With excessive amounts of protein, it works wonders in terms of healing the skin. Egg white masks are known for reducing pores and extracting unwanted gunk that is clogging the skin. It also absorbs oils that contribute to acne and spots. After using egg whites, the skin feels tight and smooth. Though there are various egg white mask recipes that you can find, my mother invented her own recipe. Using all organic ingredients, she first separates the egg yolk from the egg whites by putting them in different bowls. Then she adds a little bit of sake —too much will dry out the skin — and squeezes a few drops of lemon. After whisking everything together, she sets the mask by letting it cool for a few hours before using it. The consistency is rather sticky and gooey, so it may feel strange on the skin at first; however, the benefits that come with the mask outweigh the texture. After leaving the mask on for 15 to 20 minutes, my mother washes off the egg whites, revealing silky and tight skin.
Many properties of tea help with skin care. Tea is recognized as being anti-inflammatory and anti-aging. While almost all tea leaves have their own health benefits, green and black tea is especially favorable to the skin. Filled with caffeine and other antioxidants, tea leaves can not only fight acne but also keep the skin looking and feeling tender. It also makes a great toner as it clarifies and smooths the skin. Various techniques can be used with tea bags, as they are extremely versatile, but since they’re already packaged and soaked in water beforehand, my mother likes to use them as is. For example, just removing the tea bag from hot water and setting them under your eyes will de-puff the undereye area as well as lighten dark circles. By opening the bag, you can use the tea leaves inside for a scrub, not only on your face but also your lips. . Though it is a relatively new addition to my mother’s sustainable skincare routine, it has now become a staple as tea leaves bring your skin that perfect glow. Food isn’t solely destined to be consumed; next time you eat a fruit or vegetable or have a cup of coffee, think about what other functions it can generate other than waste. Rather than adding to the excess of the world, go green instead, and reuse everyday produce in a creative way. This way, not only are you helping yourself, but little by little, you’re helping sustain the environment we call home.
PHOTO: JULIE SELJEGARD
TEA BAGS Tea is always a staple in East-Asian culture. However, the problem with tea is that after adding water again and again to the same tea bag, it becomes less and less concentrated, even after a few hours. Lately, my mother has been brewing tea to bring to her job and she came up with a sustainable way to reuse tea bags by assimilating them into her nightly skincare routine after work. When I walk into her room at night these days, I can find her laying on her bed with tea bags under her eyes or the leaves spread all over her face.
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C R E` M E de cornell
