Archive for the ‘macrobiotic philosophy’ Category

Summer begins on the Summer Solstice June 21. To get you prepared for the upcoming warming weather here are some great tips for cooking and what foods will keep you nice and chill. In the warmer months it makes sense to eat more cooling foods. Intuitively our bodies want water dense foods in the heat of the summer to cool us off and give us more hydration. But that doesn’t mean you should eat raw or only cooling foods all Summer. You want to have a balance of the 5 seasons and tastes in your diet each season.

1. Eat Organic, Local, Seasonal Foods
For the health of the planet and to keep your body in balance with your surrounding environment, it’s best to eat as much local, organic, seasonally grown produce as possible. In the Summer this should be easy because no matter where you live you should have access to local (within a 300 mile radius) food via your local natural food store, farmer’s market or CSA.

Foods that Support You in Summer:
Grains: Corn, maize, amaranth, quinoa, millet, soba noodles
Vegetables: Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, Bitter greens like Kale, Collards, Arugula, Mustard, Yellow Squash & Zucchini, Sprouts, Fresh Herbs, Beets, Mushrooms, Cauliflower
Beans and Pulses: red lentils, chickpeas, mung beans
Fruits: apricot, guava, strawberry and other berries, persimmon, avocado, melons

2. Use Cooling Cooking Methods for Spring/Summer
Use lighter cooking methods in warmer months like steaming, blanching, water saute, raw or chilled soups, raw salads, and even lightly grilled is good for summer. Make quick-cooking grains and legumes like the ones listed above. Having noodles or cracked-grains like couscous, polenta, and bulgur can be great for summer too. Intuitively, your body doesn’t crave baked foods, oil saute, or longer cooked meals in the Summer because those aren’t balanced for the season. Your body wants water-dense foods like cucumber, summer squash, fruits, lettuce, and greens.

3. Stay Hydrated
I know you’ve heard this before, but in the warmer months it’s even more important that you are drinking plenty of water and staying away from sugary and caffeinated beverages. Keep in mind that you can get a lot of hydration from your food, so eating high-water content food helps your cells stay hydrated as well.

4. Keep It Simple
Summer is a great time to simplify your diet. There is nothing wrong with having a simple meal of quinoa, steamed greens, and beans, eating a huge raw salad by itself. The less energy you expend making gourmet meals the more energy you will have to keep you going in the heat. Also, you won’t be working up a sweat in the kitchen!

5. Lay Off the Animal Foods
If you aren’t already totally plant-based (vegan) Summer is the best time to make the plunge! Or if you are vegetarian, now is a good time to dump the dairy. Animal foods are known for their warming effects on the body. One thing I noticed after going vegan is I don’t sweat as much and I don’t get so aggravated by the heat of the summer. Animal foods are so much work for our bodies and digestive systems to process, they literally steal your energy away.

Share on Facebook

I think Spring is officially here! Better late than never The weather has been beautiful here in Southern California. Shiny, warm and sunny all day, with a light breeze at night. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Everything is in bloom and as you walk down the street you can smell all the jasmine, gardenia, and other flowers.

Today we’d like to share a Spring recipe with you from love, eric and sanae.

Linzer Cookie with Apricot Jam

1 cup pastry flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch sea salt
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz natural unsweetened apricot jam
coconut powder (as needed)

to make the linzer:

1. Heat the oven to 350˚F.
2. In a food processor, mix the almond to powder. Add the oats and mix again until lightly coarse.
3. Add the pastry flour, baking powder and sea salt. Mix for a few seconds and transfer to a bowl.
4. In a large cup, whip the oil, maple syrup and vanilla.
5. Add to the flour mix and kneed well.
6. Divide the dough in 2 halves and roll the dough between parchment paper to 1/4’’ thick.
7. Shape dough with cookie cutter, use smaller cutter for the inside and remove the trimming.
8. Slide the parchment to a sheet pan and bake.
9. Repeat the rolling process for the other dough half.
10. Cool off the cookies, spread the jam, top each with another cookie and sprinkle with coconut powder.

Share on Facebook

Eric and Sanae were featured in the March issue of Today’s Diet & Nutrition magazine. This online magazine is omnivorous, a fusion of Western Medicine & holistic nutrition, and sadly has meat on the front cover. The fact that they wanted to do a spread on macrobiotic desserts featuring no refined sugar is HUGE! We are so happy that they did this beautiful article on us. You can view the article here.

The one thing I love about this magazine is that it’s online, meaning it’s the most environmentally responsible way to have a magazine. I think this is the wave of the future. If the Kindle and iPad can go online and look at magazines than the paper versions will be eliminated in the near future I’m guessing. What is even more cool is the way you can view the magazine online and videos can be embedded. It’s awesome!

Share on Facebook

I got this idea from our customer Sarah over at What Can I Eat? and asked all the people in the office, our friends, and all our customers and fans what makes them happy. See our answers below. What makes you happy?

Sanae's doggies

1. Having Dog & Cats Around by Christy
Recently, one of Sanae’s dogs gave birth to the most adorable puppies ever. It was really nice having them around while I worked in the office. Now we are down to just two and they are getting so big! Rumi is the little girl that they are keeping and she has been vegan since birth. Sanae makes their own dogfood from whole grains and veggies. Rumi adores steamed kabocha squash just like me! She’s the little one on the right in this photo.

Sanae says that having dogs and cats are the one thing that makes her the happiest. She could not have made it through all the health problems she’s faced without them. They are her family.

.

.

.
2. Playing Sports by Eric Lechasseur (Chef and Co-owner of Seed)
Ever since I was a kid I played lots of sports. Growing up in Quebec I play ice hockey, and then got into other sports like scuba diving, windsurfing, skateboarding, skiing and snowboarding, golf, biking and riding my motorcycle. It makes me happy to play sports because it allows me to expand, be free, and be active, which helps me in my stressful life.

3. Eating A Nourishing Breakfast by Kris and Mary (friends of Eric and Sanae)

Kris & Mary

Our friends and macrobiotic chefs, Kris and Mary, met 2 years ago at La Ferme du Bois-le-Comte, where they cooked and gardened, and fell in love. They popped by on their way to a 5 month hike on the Pacific Crest Trail for some breakfast. This breakfast made by Sanae made them very happy.

4. Cooking Dinner With a Loved One by Cortney B. (Facebook Fan)
I love cooking with my fiance, especially if its a new recipe we’ve never made before. We each take a counter and a cutting board and we just chat and go at it together… its great and relaxing and I swear the dinner tastes better ♥

5. Going To the Beach by Terumi (Office Extraordinaire)

Photo by: Terumi

I’m always happy when I go to the beach.  Just walking on the sand, or riding a bike, or rollerblading on the beach bike path, looking at the ocean and the sky, breathing the air with a hint of natural ocean fragrance make me happy, especially when I see dolphins!  Sometimes, I can walk right next to them with their pace and synchronize with their happy energy and love.  I’m very fortunate that I live close to the beach.

7. Good friends by Christy
My friends mean the world to me. They are my greatest teachers, my strength, my confidants, and my family. I’m so grateful for the community of friends I have surrounded myself with here in Los Angeles, and for the friends I have all over the world.

8. Going To an Island Far Far Away by Hideki (friend of Eric and Sanae)

Great Keppel Island Resort

This post is more a thing that would make us happy. When I asked Hideki what makes him happy he said money. He was doing his taxes at the moment I was asking the question, so I thought maybe his answer was a little off! I asked him to give me another answer and  he said being on a small island laying in the sun, looking up at the blue sky, to get away from it all.

9. Meditation by Sanae Suzuki (Co-owner of Seed, Macrobiotic Counselor)
As busy as my life is, I take time to meditate, to center myself, get balanced, and connect to nature. This helps me manage all the things going on in my life and allows me to appreciate all the beautiful things surrounding me, like my family: dogs, cat, & husband, and my friends.

10. Good Coffee by Dan Cox (our PR guy)

Coffee at Intelligentsia

It’s so difficult to find good coffee that you can make at home. It’s like chasing down the Holy Grail. Also, I don’t have a many thousand dollar machine to make good coffee with in the comfort of my home. So, I’ve searched for the best cup of coffee outside my house and I always end up at Intelligentsia. Every time I go to Intelligentsia it makes me happy. When that black gold hits my lips I smile with pleasure. But, I only drink one cup a day, then it’s green tea.

Share on Facebook

Our tip for the day was to eat more pickles. These are not the usual pickles you get from the store that have sugar and vinegar. We are talking about traditional macrobiotic pickles that are made with sea salt, miso, or umeboshi. This recipe is a “quick” pickle that is perfect for Spring and liver cleansing. It comes from love, sanae which is available on Amazon or at seed! Enjoy!

Share on Facebook

There is a great event happening at Erewhon this Saturday. Free samples will be given out all over the store and Sanae will be there to give a talk and free cooking demonstration featuring mochi, a delicious brown rice cake! Anyone that attends Sanae’s talk will receive a 10% off coupon to use in the store that day!

Saturday, February 13, 11 am – 12:30 pm

:: “True Love & Your Health” A Lecture By Sanae Suzuki ::

Join us for a special talk and cooking demo from well-known macrobiotic counselor and educator, Sanae Suzuki. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Sanae will talk about which sweeteners are best for your health. She will also demo a delicious brown rice cake dessert called “mochi”, that will support the pancreas. Then, Sanae will talk about how True Love can support and nourish your mind, body and spirit.

You won’t want to miss this event!

Erewhon Market
7660 Beverly Boulevard
(323) 937-0777

Sanae’s new cookbook “Love, Sanae” will be available for purchase and a book signing will be held after class.

RSVP by February 11th: loveericcookbook@yahoo.com

Share on Facebook

At the most recent Vegan Macrobiotic Meetup Sanae talked about New Year’s resolutions, how to set realistic goals for yourself, and how to stick to them. We also talked about why we have not been able to achieve our goals in the past. We expect too much from ourselves. Maybe our goals were not realistic, or depended on other people for completion.

In November and December, we feel stressed, we rush around, and most people don’t take the time to sit and be peaceful or write their New Years Resolution. When January arrives, a calmness comes. This is a good time to write your resolutions or goals, for the short-term and long-term. Here’s a little note from Sanae with a remedy drink.

Holiday

A Time to Compromise and Adapt

Winter in the United States is a time to be with family and friends and often traditionally involves cooking loads of heavy, rich foods. When I first started cooking and eating macrobiotic foods, the holiday season was coming up, and I worried I would feel left out and have nothing to eat.

It’s not an easy time to heal during holiday gatherings, when the food is rich and lavish, straying from healthful habits. Shortly after I was diagnosed with cancer, I was invited to go to a friend’s house for Thanksgiving. I told my hosts that I couldn’t eat most of their food, but they still insisted that I come anyway; and so I did. I brought brown rice with me and was able to eat some of the vegetable dishes.

At first, this seemed acceptable, but soon I found myself having to answer many questions about my special “diet.” I quickly became exhausted and regretted going there at all. Thankfully, people are more accepting of alternate ways of preparing and enjoying foods nowadays, and I find that I am also more accepting of their curiosity and interest. The following recipes are proof that macrobiotic foods can be just as sumptuous and satisfying as they are healing. I have enjoyed these recipes many times during the holiday season, and I hope you will too. (© Love, Sanae vegan macrobiotic cookbook)

Kombu Tea

MAKES 4 CUPS

For the tea:

3-inch strip of kombu, cleaned with a towel
1 quart purified water

To make the tea:

1. In a large pot over a medium-high flame, combine the kombu and the water.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the quantity of water is

reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Drink while hot. You can reheat any remaining tea and drink up to 2 to 3 cups per day.

Useful information:

Traditionally, kombu is used in daily cooking. This mineral-rich sea vegetable strengthens the blood

and aids in restoring function to the nervous system. Kombu is a good source of folate, calcium, iodine, magnesium and fiber.

© Love, Sanae vegan macrobiotic cookbook

Share on Facebook

To me being vegan is about the heart, it’s having love & compassion for all living beings. It’s about the planet and lessening our impact on it, it’s especially for me about the spirit and connectedness to all things, it’s about being healthy so I can perform my function in this lifetime.

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks within, awakens.”

– Carl Jung

Share on Facebook

Happy Winter Solstice everyone! We are now officially in Winter, though with 70 degrees high here in Los Angeles it’s hard to tell what season it is! It’s time to nourish the Water Element and take care of ourselves.

From About.com

“Winter is the dormant season, when all life force burrows deep in the bosom of the earth. It is a time of replenishing so that when spring comes, the gathering energy will burst forth with new growth. The color of the water element is black, its flavor is salty, and the associated organs are bladder and kidneys. The hours for bladder are 3 to 5 p.m.; kidney is 5 to 7 p.m.

Foods that enhance the water element:

Grain: Barley, buckwheat, black rice

Vegetables: Beets, burdock, asparagus

Beans and Pulses: Adzuki, black beans, black lentils

Sea Vegetables: arame, dulse, Irish moss, kelp, hijiki, nori, wakame, kombu

Fruits:blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, purple and black grapes, watermelon, black raspberries

Fish: blue fish, caviar, scallops, oysters, clams and mussels

Nuts: chestnuts, black sesame seeds

Condiments and Seasonings: tamari, shoyu, miso, tekka, gomasio, umeboshi, salt cured pickles (these last two are also sour)”

More great articles on the Five Element Theory and about macrobiotics be found here:

http://macrobiotics.co.uk/five.htm

http://macrobiotics.co.uk/articles/fiveelementstheory.htm

http://www.macrobioticcooking.com/5.html

http://aysnyc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=165

http://www.tcmabc.org/news/articles/macrobiotics.html

Share on Facebook

As promised here is a delicious holiday recipe that is an alternative to mashed potatoes. Potatoes are considered a nightshade vegetable which is highly acidic and can leach calcium from your bones. And, they have very little nutritional value and turn straight to sugar in your bloodstream. Try this Mashed Parsnips recipe this holiday season! This is from the Holiday & Special Occasions section of love, sanae available on Amazon and at seed kitchen in Venice.

Mashed Parsnips – Makes 4 Servings

For the parsnips:
4 cups purified water
pinch of sea salt
7 cups parsnips, diced (about 2 pounds)
1 cup onion, diced
1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon umeboshi paste (optional)
1⁄2 cup parsley (optional)

To make the parsnips:
1. In a large pot over a medium-high flame, add the water and cover. Bring water to a boil and remove lid. Add sea salt, parsnips and onion.
2. Bring to a boil again, reduce heat to low and cook until parsnips are very soft and onions very clear, about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Using a strainer, remove the vegetables and reserve the water.
4. Transfer vegetables to a food mill with a smallholed disk, adding additional cooking water, as needed.
5. After all the vegetables are milled, add umeboshi paste to taste and stir well to combine.
6. Serve garnished with parsley and Shiitake Kuzu

Useful information:
Parsnips are a root vegetable, related to carrots, but with a creamy-white color and stronger flavor. Parsnips are also good for soups and stews, and also delicious when roasted. They are high in vitamin C and have healing properties for the middle to lower part of the body.

Variation: If you prefer a grain-based substitute for mashed potatoes, you can also substitute with mashed millet and cauliflower.

Share on Facebook