Kung Hei Fat Choy!

The Western calendar date of February 14th 2010 marked the Chinese New Year 4708: The year of the Metal Tiger.  The Tiger represents the third year in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac – preceded by the Ox and followed by the Rabbit – and has many auspicious things in store for people born under all signs of the Chinese zodiac. This year is also represented by the Metal element, which can be ascribed to gold or money, a sign that the year may be important in generating wealth and fortune.

In the spirit of Valentine’s day (a simultaneous celebration), Jason and I spent the day together enjoying different aspects of the city and our day began at the famous Canal Street - the heart of New York’s own Chinatown. There is no doubt of the importance of this holiday as the streets were packed with people. Vendors selling fresh oranges, New Years dragons and noisemakers; bakeries stocked with traditional Mooncake pastries; and music off in the distance ensured that festivities and performances were all around.

Symbolism of The Tiger

The tiger is one of the most dynamic signs of the Chinese zodiac, known for their dependability, unpredictability, fearlessness, and immense capaicty for love and tenderness. While Tiger’s in general keep to themselves, they are also known to quickly make bold changes and take big risks that one might not have seen coming.  The stripes of a tiger symbolize the balanced forces of yin and yang, an important notable fact. Although the year of the Tiger holds a year of great importance to all signs, it is said that those born under the year of the Tiger (and compatible signs) will enjoy particular good fortune this year: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010.

The Year of the Tiger

Traditionally, the year of the tiger is associated with massive changes and social upheaval. Therefore, it is likely that the year of the Tiger will be volatile both on the world scene and on a personal level. But, this is not meant to be alarming. With extreme change comes an enormous opportunity for growth and transformation. The results may yield a circumstance that was once thought unimaginable or even impossible. Those born under the year of the Tiger, Dragon and Horse will find the erratic circumstances ahead particularly inspiring and successful. For the rest of us, it is time to exercise our “flexibility muscles”, to stay nimble and open through the strong wind of change. In Chinese Medicine, we can look to the properties of bamboo for help: during strong winds or torrential storms, bamboo bends through it all – rarely breaking and never standing solidly erect against the natural forces. Yet, within its pliable nature, it continues to grow forward – reaching to the sky and fulfilling its destiny. Bamboo dances in the face of change, and so can we.

May the year of the Tiger, and 2010, bring you health, happiness, luck, and the resources needed to make all your dreams come true.

Depending on your location will depend on the availability (and price) of duck meat. Most specialty food stores will carry some form of packaged duck breasts, but beware that they can be pricey for the amount you get. New York is famous for its exportation of whole Long Island Ducks, which are large and last for several savory meals. It does have a slightly gamey taste and can get tough if over-cooked, although I find it quite delicious.  Its versatile flavor can be a perfect compliment to many meals.

According to traditional Chinese Dietary Medicine, Duck meat is neutral in temperature and is therefore suitable for many constitutional types. It heavily nourishes the yin of the body, and regulates water metabolism by simultaneously nourishing the lungs, spleen and kidneys. Such symptoms as edema, excessive thirst or profuse sweating may be reduced by adding some duck meat to the diet. As we enter the winter season, hearty meats like duck and lamb can deeply nourish, warm and rejuvenate the body.

Some of my favorite ways to eat duck:

Roasted

By far the easiest way is to buy a whole duck, cover it with garlic and spices, stuff it with potatoes and shallots and roast it in the oven for a couple of hours.  The skin will get nice and crispy and the meat perfectly tender. Serve it up with some fresh vegetables and you’ve got a gourmet meal.

Soup

Once the whole duck has been generously carved, a perfect way to utilize the nutrients left is to boil it up as soup.  Throw the entire carcass into a pot of boiling salt-water to make a delicious duck broth.  Add vegetables and spices of your choice.  The left-0ver meat should fall easily off the bone adding extra protein to a very nourishing and delicious soup.  Below is a duck stew that my colleague Grace and I made as a pre-Thanksgiving meal.  We used turnips, carrots, yams, potatoes, shallots and squash which made for a delightfully sweet broth.

Duck Broth

Duck pizza? I said the same when I first saw it on the menu at Pairings - a lovely wine bistro in Minnetonka, Minnesota.  But, let me tell you, this one is worth trying to re-create at home (or just stopping by if you are in the neighborhood).  Goat Cheese, roasted duck breast, tart cherries, butternut squash and piles of arugula adorned a thin-crust pizza dough toasted with an olive-oil glaze.  Amazing!

1 Small Orange Kabocha Squash (or other hearty orange squash), peeled & cut into cubes

5 C Carrots, peeled & cut into coins

1 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Ground Pepper

2 tsp Fresh Chopped Garlic

Whole Milk Ricotta, 1 Tbsp per bowl for garnish

Olive Oil & Pepitas for garnish

Saute garlic in Olive Oil in a medium sized saucepan until tender (not brown).  Add carrots, squash, salt, and pepper to taste.  Cover the ingredients with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and bring to a simmer. Simmer covered about 20 min or until carrots and squash are tender. Remove from heat and puree the entire contents of the pot in a blender.

Serve in large bowls. Top with a scoop of ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of roasted pepitas. Enjoy! (Your spleen and stomach will thank you).

For you, Barbara.I met Barbara during my first semester as an Intern at Pacific College. For those of you not acupuncture-college affiliates, this means it was my first semester treating patients on my own. It was the moment I had been studying for and waiting for three long years. It was as thrilling as it was terrifying. As an Intern you are heavily supervised by a licensed acupuncturist, so I was not completely in the driver’s seat, but I had to start pretending that I was.  This was the time to really learn what it means to be a “health care provider” and to begin understanding the power of this medicine.  This is also the place where your instructors help mold the foundation for the rest of our careers as budding acupuncturists.

I could not have asked for a better supervisor during that first internship than Barbara Roesch.  She patiently gave me the freedom to figure things out on my own, and generously encouraged me when I needed support.  Her passion for the medicine was contagious, and her knowledge vast. Barbara’s ability to teach showed through especially in her Tui Na (Chinese Therapeutic Massage) skills. When a patient came in with knee pain one day, she followed me into the room and showed me step by step how to back-up the acupuncture treatment with joint-therapy massage. I still continue to practice the techniques she shared with me on knee and ankle injuries for my patients. Since that internship, she has continued to provide direct support and encouragement throughout my final semesters at college and in the opening of my private practice.

Beyond her skills as a clinician and teacher, she was a model for positive thinking. Having battled illness for a long while, she never let it affect the compassion and glow she gave to her students and patients. I saw her not just three weeks ago and when asked how she was, she replied “Fine,” with a big smile and followed with a hug. She looked tired, but it was not until today that I discovered she had been battling another round of Chemo for the past 8 months. She is a warrior, and I am so thankful to have known her.

I am also in awe of the response of the many colleagues who knew her.  Although I am sure the field of Chinese Medicine played only a small role in her community, she has touched the lives of many and will be very much missed.  As her student, she will ever be remembered and continue to live in the work that I do each and every day.

In loving memory of Barbara Roesch.

The leaves have turned color in New York City, the clocks turned back and the slight chill of winter lurks around the corner.  As our internal thermostats adjust to accommodate the external environmental changes during the fall, we often find ourselves fighting colds or catching the flu (beyond the hullabaloo of H1N1, there are many strains of simple colds out there – remember those?).  Much to my loving outdoor-hockey-playing boyfriend’s approval, these “natural alternatives” deliver potent relief when the time is right.  Don’t get me wrong, I am certainly a fan of the occasional Advil or Tylenol PM (also harbored in my medicine cabinet), but sometimes these other things get the job done better.  Yup, that’s right, better.

Chinese medicine offers great remedies to knock out that bug that hasn’t quite become full-blown illness, or strengthen the system to prevent an attack.  Acupuncture works to detoxify the body, and tonify the immune system.  Herbal medicine can do the same and work at a very deep level to re-balance during seasonal shifts and either treat or prevent common ailments. The following are some remedies you can try at home to stay healthy and out of the doctor’s office as winter gingerly approaches.

Gan Mao Ling

A very common patent-herbal remedy for knocking out an on-coming cold before it has the chance to set in is Gan Mao Ling. It is most effective when you feel just on the brink of getting sick.  Take 8-10 pills (they are small, if you are used to taking Chinese herbs, you know what I mean) 3 times daily to nip a cold in the bud.  Take until you feel better, up to a week. If the illness has already sunken in to produce specific symptoms like headache, nasal congestion or cough, this formula is no longer the right one, but it certainly will not make anything worse if you are unsure.  If symptoms do not improve or begin to incorporate chills, try the next step.

Immune Tea

Prepare this tea while taking the Gan Mao Ling, and especially if you are starting to feel fatigued and a slight chill. The warm water will help to clean out bacteria in the mouth and throat, and the herbs will help strengthen the immune system. If you are feeling a chill, drink this and wrap up in a warm blanket - in an effort to break a small sweat, venting the pathogen.

In 4 C water, Boil Together for 10 min:

4-5 Slices Fresh Ginger

The Rind of 1 Tangerine, Cut in Slices

2 Green Onions, Sliced (using both the white & green parts)

Steep for 5min in either 1 peppermint teabag or in chopped fresh peppermint leaves

Pour into a mug with 1 Tbsp honey.  Enjoy several cups.

Other Patents

If your generalized-think-you’re-getting-sick symptoms begin to get more specific, Chinese herbs may still be able to help.  There is a wide variety of time-tested formulas for chest congestion, runny nose, headaches, foggy-headiness, muscle-aches, queasy stomach, sore throat and cough.  It may be too late to avoid getting sick, but such formulas can help your body fight it faster, and reduce the uncomfortable symptoms you feel in the process. Any Certified Chinese herbalist would be able to recommend the right formula for you, which can be purchased in a chinatown pharmacy or herb shop – usually at minimal cost.

If you have the opportunity to speak with a Certified Herbalist for a consultation, they may even combine formulas, or give you something more individualized for your symptoms. Although many Chinese herbs have anti-microbial, anti-bacterial & anti-fungal effects, it is always important to check with your doctor to see if something more serious is going on.

Stay Covered

It is the same as grandma said, and ironically enough it is the same in Chinese medical literature from thousands of years ago: stay covered! On windy days and as the outside temperature fluctuates, it is important to keep vulnerable areas like your neck, the top of your head, abdomen & feet covered.  When exposed, these areas are likely to ‘trap’ external factors in the superficial layer of the body’s defense, thus making you more susceptible to other ailments.

Sleep

In preparation for the hibernation of winter, your body may need more sleep than it did in the hot summer months.  This is actually a healthy sign, and it is important to listen to.  During sleep is when our bodies repair and strengthen, an important part to staying healthy.  It is the easiest prevention technique, so try and make time for a good-nights sleep as part of your health care regime.

Eat Warm Food

There is a reason behind mother-natures seasonal vegetables this time of year, and their need to be cooked (raw sweet-potato or butternut squash is not a delicacy that I know of). Eating cold or raw food causes your digestive system to work harder. Rather than immediately absorbing the nutrition just taken in, it must “cook” the ingested food first, then break it down for energy and nourishment. This takes vital energy away from other parts of your body -like your immune system that is working overtime as the days waver between a chilly 40 and a balmy 65 degrees Fahrenheit- trying to prevent you from getting sick. Help your immune system by giving your digestive system a break.  Eat easy to digest, seasonal, cooked foods.

This post is proudly a part of Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday @ The Kathleen Show.  For more information and to check out some other great health blogs, check this site.

In an effort to honor the transitional nature of fall (and provide a yummy breakfast in the process), I prepared home-made banana-fig muffins.  Melding the tropical bananas of summer with fresh fall figs to make a nourishing and hearty sweet-bread.  The coconut oil can be substituted with any vegetable oil, but then you’d be missing out on these important benefits.  Did you know that it helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, promote weight loss, stabilize metabolism levels and support immune function? It is truly an amazing (and under-utilized) oil.  These muffins are extra delicious served slightly toasted with goat-butter and a cup of earl gray tea.

BANANA-FIG MUFFINS

3-4 ripe bananas, peeled

1/2 Cup Virgin Coconut Oil

2 Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla

1 Cup Brown Sugar (loosely measured, not firmly packed)

12 Fresh Figs

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Baking Powder

Dash of Salt

2 Cups Flour

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Using a hand mixer, blend together the bananas and oil, add the sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Incorporate the eggs one by one.  Slice 6 figs into halves and place in the batter, sprinkle the mixture with salt, baking powder and soda.  Blend until figs are fully incorporated into the mixture and powders are dissolved.  Using a large spoon, slowly incorporate the flour.  Lightly grease 12 muffin molds and fill 2/3 full with batter.  With remaining 6 figs, slice them into quarters, nestling 2 quarter-pieces on the top of each muffin for garnish.  Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into muffin comes out clean.  Enjoy!

Fall is such a gorgeous time of year – especially in New York.  There is something magical about wandering through Central Park, admiring the bright colors in front of  the bright blue backdrop of sky.  With the crunch of leaves under our feet as we circled around the Reservoir, artist Borbay and I enjoyed a truly wonderful autumn day.

But the walk was just the beginning….

The Seeds

Pumpkins are everywhere in the fall, and what a wonderful tradition we’ve made out of them: carve them up for art, scoop out the middle for roasted pumpkin seeds, and use the fleshy inside for baking!  It is no-waste, creative and delicious.

The first step is getting all the stringy insides scooped out and the slimy seeds detached from the fibers (this is heaven for someone who likes getting their hands dirty).  Then, rinse the seeds to clear away any remaining pumpkin meat – don’t worry if its not perfect.  Lay the seeds out evenly on a baking sheet and generously coat them in olive oil, salt and pepper.  Bake at 400 Degrees, stirring every ten minutes, until they are golden brown.  Depending on the nature of the seeds and your oven, cooking time will vary (but in general will take anywhere from 20 -40 minutes).  Keep an eye on these guys!  They have a tendency to go from “almost there” to “black” very quickly.  Not only are pumpkin seeds easy to make and taste delicious, but they are good for you.  Loaded with fiber and iron, they are the perfect snack or salad addition.

The Pumpkins

The seeds are in the oven, and there is a perfectly cleaned pumpkin (or two) on the counter.  So, Jason and I got right down to it.  Sharpie design first, then carefully cut-out shapes, candle in the center and voila! -we had jack-o-lanterns.  Every year it is so fun to see what we come up with, and no matter what sort of creative disaster may happen (ie: cutting the wrong line and losing the entire face of the pumpkin…) it is always a good time.

If I were Betty Crocker or Martha Stewart, I would probably have used some of the pumpkin insides to bake up something delicious.  I savored the idea but reduced the effort and made some pumpkin mini-muffins using store-bought canned pumpkin.  I’ve heard horror stories about baking up the fresh pumpkin meat only to find it has no flavor and strange consistency.  Watery, stringy, bland pumpkin pie – yuck.  And that in order to have delicious home-made pumpkin, to not use the jack-o-lantern variety – which changes our scene all together.  Besides, canned pumpkin (pure, with no sugar or spices) gives the cook creative freedom to spice-it-up and always comes out with perfect consistency – sometimes it is just better to not mess with a good thing.

The following recipe was inspired by the Smitten Kitchen Pumpkin Muffins, but as usual, takes a slightly Erin twist.  The image below is the following recipe baked in my mini-bundt-pan, and the shot was taken before the little guys were frosted.

1 1/2 c Flour        

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 can Pure Pumpkin (15 oz)

1/3 c Smart Balance Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1-2 Tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Mix the pumpkin, eggs, pie-spice, oil, baking soda, salt & sugar until smooth. Combine the flour & baking powder, and whisk into the pumpkin mixture until combined.

Pour/scoop batter into muffin tins (mini or regular-sized), loaf or bundt cake pan – whatever form you decide to make this bread in, fill it only 2/3 full.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean in the center, about 30 min (but will be more or less depending on the form you bake them in).

Remove from baking tin and cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, mix together powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla & water until desired consistency (not too watery, but not to thick).  Drizzle the frosting over the muffins or loaf, making sure to reach the sides and the top of the baked good.    Enjoy!

….And if you are feeling really saucy…

Enjoy these muffins alongside a Pumpkin Ale with cinnamon-sugar on the rim.  Yum.

Fall is such a gorgeous time of year – especially in New York.  There is something magical about wandering through Central Park, admiring the bright colors in front of  the bright blue backdrop of sky.  With the crunch of leaves under our feet as we circled around the Reservoir, artist Borbay and I enjoyed a truly wonderful autumn day.

But the walk was just the beginning….

The Seeds

Pumpkins are everywhere in the fall, and what a wonderful tradition we’ve made out of them: carve them up for art, scoop out the middle for roasted pumpkin seeds, and use the fleshy inside for baking!  It is no-waste, creative and delicious.

The first step is getting all the stringy insides scooped out and the slimy seeds detached from the fibers (this is heaven for someone who likes getting their hands dirty).  Then, rinse the seeds to clear away any remaining pumpkin meat – don’t worry if its not perfect.  Lay the seeds out evenly on a baking sheet and generously coat them in olive oil, salt and pepper.  Bake at 400 Degrees, stirring every ten minutes, until they are golden brown.  Depending on the nature of the seeds and your oven, cooking time will vary (but in general will take anywhere from 20 -40 minutes).  Keep an eye on these guys!  They have a tendency to go from “almost there” to “black” very quickly.  Not only are pumpkin seeds easy to make and taste delicious, but they are good for you.  Loaded with fiber and iron, they are the perfect snack or salad addition.

The Pumpkins

The seeds are in the oven, and there is a perfectly cleaned pumpkin (or two) on the counter.  So, Jason and I got right down to it.  Sharpie design first, then carefully cut-out shapes, candle in the center and voila! -we had jack-o-lanterns.  Every year it is so fun to see what we come up with, and no matter what sort of creative disaster may happen (ie: cutting the wrong line and losing the entire face of the pumpkin…) it is always a good time.

If I were Betty Crocker or Martha Stewart, I would probably have used some of the pumpkin insides to bake up something delicious.  I savored the idea but reduced the effort and made some pumpkin mini-muffins using store-bought canned pumpkin.  I’ve heard horror stories about baking up the fresh pumpkin meat only to find it has no flavor and strange consistency.  Watery, stringy, bland pumpkin pie – yuck.  And that in order to have delicious home-made pumpkin, to not use the jack-o-lantern variety – which changes our scene all together.  Besides, canned pumpkin (pure, with no sugar or spices) gives the cook creative freedom to spice-it-up and always comes out with perfect consistency – sometimes it is just better to not mess with a good thing.

The following recipe was inspired by the Smitten Kitchen Pumpkin Muffins, but as usual, takes a slightly Erin twist.  The image below is the following recipe baked in my mini-bundt-pan, and the shot was taken before the little guys were frosted.

1 1/2 c Flour        

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 can Pure Pumpkin (15 oz)

1/3 c Smart Balance Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1-2 Tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Mix the pumpkin, eggs, pie-spice, oil, baking soda, salt & sugar until smooth. Combine the flour & baking powder, and whisk into the pumpkin mixture until combined.

Pour/scoop batter into muffin tins (mini or regular-sized), loaf or bundt cake pan – whatever form you decide to make this bread in, fill it only 2/3 full.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean in the center, about 30 min (but will be more or less depending on the form you bake them in).

Remove from baking tin and cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, mix together powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla & water until desired consistency (not too watery, but not to thick).  Drizzle the frosting over the muffins or loaf, making sure to reach the sides and the top of the baked good.    Enjoy!

….And if you are feeling really saucy…

Enjoy these muffins alongside a Pumpkin Ale with cinnamon-sugar on the rim.  Yum.