Hippie Popcorn: Popcorn with Nutritional Yeast

January 11, 2012 by Beth Shepherd

My writing group and our neighborhood ‘Mom’s Night Out’ group both meet at the Central Cinema, a small indie film and dinner joint that happens to be conveniently located just around the corner from where I live. You can watch a flick while filling your tummy with a lovely selection of homemade pizzas, salads, soups, desserts, wine and beer…or you can hang out in the café and just eat and chat.

The Cinema is a fun place to rendezvous with friends. But truth be told, the main reason we always go there boils down to one thing: popcorn with “brewer’s yeast.”*

Oh take me back to my college days during the late 1970s, in Ithaca, New York, where I was first introduced to the hippie way of making popcorn with nutritional or brewer’s yeast. I lived in a “co-op,” hippie speak for a household where we shared in the cooking and household chores. Many nights, after dinner, we’d pop a batch of popcorn, sprinkle it with yeast and sit together on the couch to watch a movie or just shoot the breeze. The nutty flavor and cheesy texture is out of this world, and I love how the yeast floats like a yellow cloud atop my bowl of crunchy popcorn goodness.

*First a disclaimer: nutritional yeast and Brewer’s yeast are not the same thing, though you can (and I have) use either on popcorn or other foods. Personally, I like the flavor and texture of nutritional yeast tastes better; Brewer’s yeast comes off as a bit bitter to my taste buds.

Second: don’t confuse nutritional yeast, which is deactivated, with active forms of yeast, like the kind of yeasts bakers, winemakers and beer makers (who, yes, use a “brewer’s yeast but it’s an activated rather than deactivated type of yeast) use. Whereas nutritional yeast is actually good for you, these other yeasts are not and can even rob your body of nutrients.

Back to the yeast you DO want to use: Nutritional yeast has a pleasant nutty-cheesy flavor and is packed with protein and B vitamins. It comes in flakes or powder and is popular with vegans and health buffs who use it to make cheese substitutes, gravies, and many other dishes. And, as I’ve mentioned, it’s also a great topping for popcorn.

Brewer’s yeast, which is also used as a nutritional supplement, is made from the same strain of yeast as nutritional yeast. The difference is that brewer’s yeast is a by-product of beer production and retains some of the bitter flavor of hops. It is more granular in texture and darker in color. You can find both types of yeast at most health food grocery stores.

Aside from tasting delicious, nutritional yeast is…well, nutritious. It is a powerhouse of B-vitamins, including B-12, and it is also rich in folic acid, amino acids and 15 minerals including iron, magnesium, phorphorus, zinc, and chromium, and selenium. B-vitamins are helpful for stress reduction and sleep. Minerals such as chromium assist in regulating regulate sugar which is important for diabetics and people with a tendency toward low blood sugar. Plus, nutritional yeast also contains a high amount of fiber, which eliminates constipation, assists in lowering cholesterol, reduces the risk of colon disease, and protects against high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

These are all valid reasons to sprinkle a healthy dusting of yeast on your popcorn. But mostly I like it because it tastes so darn good, addictive in fact. It is so yummy that once I munch my first mouthful, I simply cannot–stop–myself.

Popcorn with Nutritional Yeast

Ingredients

Popcorn
Oil
Nutritional Yeast (I use Red Star) or Brewer’s Yeast (both can be found at most health-food grocery stores, Whole Foods, etc.)
Salt (I use kosher salt)
Butter or similar substitute

How to:

Drizzle about 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot
Add about 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels
Raise the heat to high until you hear the oil start to sizzle.
Cover the pot with a lid and use potholders to lift it and shake it over the heat (you don’t want the bottom to burn).
Resist the urge to lift the lid to see if it’s popping — you’re likely to get hit with a flying kernel.
Listen for the pop-pop-popping to slow down and then remove the pan from the heat, leaving it covered for another minute.
While the pop corn is popping, melt a little butter, margarine or soy butter melting in pan. Pour the popcorn into a big bowl; drizzle with the melted butter or margarine; sprinkle with kosher salt and lots and lots of nutritional yeast.

That’s all there is to it. Munch away. Just remember that it’s nearly impossible to stop. Please don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Want more deliciousness popping in your life? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday!

Comfort food: A bowl of soup to honor the memory of a friend

December 20, 2011 by Beth Shepherd

Today marks the third anniversary of my friend Dee’s passing, and tonight Joel and I will sit down to enjoy a bowl Moosewood Mushroom Barley Soup in her memory, just as we did last year and the year before that. Making this soup—which Dee and I enjoyed together on many occasions–is my way of honoring our friendship, a friendship which spanned four decades. For me, keeping up this tradition is a source of comfort.

I miss Dee and think about her a lot. In the three years since she died, there have been many days when I’ve wished I could call and hear the sound of her voice, and when I wrestle with challenges that life sends my way, I sometimes wonder what words of wisdom she might have shared.

Living life without loss isn’t possible–I know that. Granted, some encounter more than others, but loss is something we all must face: loss of those we care about, loss of dreams, even the loss of our own abilities as we age. So the more important question is how do we comfort ourselves? Prayer, meditation, time spent alone or in the company of family and friends, getting away from it all, solace from being in nature or getting lost in the hum of urban life, working out, doing yoga, gardening, walking the dog. Each of us has our own unique way of seeking comfort.

And then there’s comfort food. Whenever I hear those two words rich, hearty fare springs to mind: Mac ‘n cheese, meatloaf, mashed potatoes or apple pie and a bowl of ice cream, or a bowl of steamy soup.

Everything about Moosewood’s Mushroom Barley Soup reminds me of Dee, from the earthy smell of mushrooms which conjures up memories of playing in the woods behind our houses, just across the street from each other– to sharing a meal at Moosewood Restaurant whenever we could scrape up enough change, as Cornell undergraduate students, living in a house together in Ithaca, New York.

But mostly my heart remembers the many times Dee and I made this soup for each other: she for me, me for her, and occasionally side by side. So today I toast to you, my friend—the friendship we had, and everything you brought to the table.

Remember Me

Do not shed tears when I have gone
but smile instead because I have lived.

Do not shut your eyes and pray to God that I’ll come back
but open your eyes and see all that I have left behind.

I know your heart will be empty because you cannot see me
but still I want you to be full of the love we shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live only for yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of what happened
between us yesterday.

You can remember me and grieve that I have gone
or you can cherish my memory and let it live on.

You can cry and lose yourself become distraught
and turn your back on the world
or you can do what I want – smile, wipe away the tears,
learn to love again and go on.

~David Harkins, British poet

Mushroom Barley Soup from the Moosewood Cookbook

Serves 8

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
3 tablespoons butter
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
4 tablespoons dry sherry
6-1/2 cups stock or water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
fresh ground black pepper

Preparation
Cook barley in 1-1/2 cups of the stock or water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until barley is tender (20-30 minutes). Add remaining stock or water, tamari and sherry.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is very tender (about 10-12 minutes).

Add the sauté with all its liquid to the cooked barley. Add fresh ground black pepper to taste and simmer, partially covered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with a slice of hearty bread.

Searching for more comfort? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday.

Say cheese

June 1, 2011 by Beth Shepherd

One of my fondest food memories growing up in upstate New York is the cheese. And my favorite cheeses, even as a child, were those with a good kick. Place a sliver of sharp, aged cheddar on top of a slice of crisp Empire apple, and I’m transported to snack heaven. I like my cheese assertive, sharp enough to make my lips tingle.

Whenever I go back to visit, I try to bring home a bite from my past: cheese. During our recent trip to visit family, Big Papa and I took a side excursion to the Ithaca and the Finger Lakes. The Finger Lakes, like much of upstate New York, is home to a lot of cows, cows who provide delicious milk that’s ideal for making delicious cheese.

Bier Meck was the cheese we carried back across the country with us. It’s a gouda-styled farmstead cheese soaked in brine made from Ithaca Beer Company’s Gorges Smoked Porter Ale and then aged for at least 60 days. Bier Meck is one the cheeses made by Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese. They make raw milk cheese from their family-owned Holstein cows in tiny Mecklenburg, New York. In fact the ‘Meck’ in Beir Meck refers to Mecklenburg, which is a located about twelve miles west of Ithaca.

All Finger Lakes Farmstead cheeses are made from raw milk that is free of growth hormones or antibiotics. Their cows are always in pasture, in season and during the winter they dine on winter forage grown on the farm. The cheeses are called “farmstead” because they are made from the milk of one farm only.

Just as Memorial Day weekend was getting started, our replacement bottle of Seneca Drums gin arrived. I mixed up a couple of gin and tonics for me and Big Papa before taking the cheese out of the fridge.

Maggie, our cat and cheese aficionada, was beside herself with ecstasy before I even got the package of cheese open. Her eyes opened wide, and her head bobbed and weaved as I sliced it up to put on crackers.

I can’t imagine a finer pairing. The creamy-in-the-mouth cheese had a touch of smoke and nut-like flavor which perfectly balanced the fresh juniper and herbal notes in the Seneca Drums gin. Let’s just say that the cheese didn’t last long.

And Miss Maggie? What a lucky kitten: a cat-sized piece of cheese was just the right accompaniment for a bite of catnip, snipped fresh off the plant on the back deck. She lay in the sunshine, purring. We sat on the bench next to her sipping and noshing, all three of us in an upstate New York state of mind, even though we were 3,000 miles away in Seattle.

Want more to put on your cracker? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday!

Jumpin’ Juniper: Seneca Drums Gin bails out mid-flight

May 18, 2011 by Beth Shepherd

I saw the look in Big Papa’s eyes first: disappointment, disbelief. Then I saw the box. One side was caved in like a t-boned car. Liquid seeped through the cardboard as Big Papa cradled the box from underneath. The box looked like the underarm of a sweaty t-shirt. Not a good look.

We were at Sea-Tac, Seattle’s airport, having just returned from our east coast trip. I was waiting for our luggage to come out the shoot at the baggage carousel, while Big Papa trundled off to the special baggage counter to pick up our special cargo: booze.

During our two day stay in Ithaca, we took a side trip to Cayuga and Seneca Lakes to do a bit of wine tasting. And, lucky us, we stumbled onto Finger Lakes Distilling while we were at it. In our box, were ten bottles of wine, one bottle of gin and a bottle of bourbon soaked pickles. From the looks of things, at least one of the twelve didn’t survive the journey.

In our six years as a couple we’ve gone on a number of wine tasting excursions, and have brought home a number of boxes, all intact. This was the first time we’d ever lost a passenger.

Returning home, Big Papa grabbed a kitchen knife, cut open the box. He opened the flaps and peered inside. The moment of truth: ten wine bottles safe and sound. Gin bottle smashed and pickle bottle in pieces.

All I can say is I pity the poor soul whose luggage flew 3,000 miles across country next to our box. By now they’re home, pondering why their polo shirts smell like a bar and their cashmere sweater smells like a deli.

“I was really looking forward to a gin and tonic,” said Big Papa somberly.

“Me too. Why did it have to be the gin? That amazing gin.” I pined.

Truth be told Big Papa and I aren’t big hard liquor drinkers. Weekdays he’s a beer man all the way. On weekends we drink wine. But every now and then, particularly on a sunny summer day, there’s really no substitute for a refreshing gin and tonic.

This gin was a really, really good gin. In the Pacific Northwest, you can’t throw a cell phone these days without hitting a small craft distillery and most of them have gin. Hand-crafted gin (and other spirits) are popping up in Portland like dandelions in spring: Aviation, 12 Bridges, Cricket Club. Heck, there’s even a distillery five blocks from our house. Oola is slated to open any day. And I’ll bet they have gin.

The gin in our box—well, the gin that was in our box was Seneca Drums Gin from Finger Lakes Distilling in Hector, N.Y. Hector is a tiny town with less than 5,000 people, and some really good gin. In fact Seneca Drums Gin won the ‘Best New York Spirit’ award in 2010.

Seneca Drums is a London-style dry gin, distilled from local Seneca Lake grapes and blended with 11 botanicals, all from the Finger Lakes region except for the juniper which (ironically) is from the Pacific Northwest. It’s a pretty zippy gin with a bit of a kick and lovely herbal notes of citrus, cucumber, clove and anise.

A shot of Seneca Drums gin, a pour of groovy new ‘Q’ tonic water, and a squeeze of fresh lime was exactly what Big Papa and I yearned for after a long, emotionally-laden week away and a six hour flight home. It was just the ticket. Except that it wasn’t.

We both stared into that box. Then, as Big Papa cleaned up the mess of broken glass, I sat down at my computer and wrote an email to Finger Lakes Distillery with the details of the sorry end to our bottle of their finest.

The next day I heard from Brian McKenzie, one of the two McKenzie men (not related) who founded Finger Lakes Distillery. A bottle of Seneca Drums was on its way. Oh happy day!

Thanks and a shout out to Brian. I’m counting the days until our gin arrives. And just in time, as the weather forecast for Seattle, is finally trending toward sunshine. G&T here we come!

I’ll stick with gin. Champagne is just ginger ale that knows somebody.
~M*A*S*H Hawkeye, “Ceasefire,” 1973

Want a shot of more deliciousness? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday!

Ithaca is gorges

May 17, 2011 by Beth Shepherd

Big Papa and I spent the past week in upstate New York. We were there visiting my mother and my sister, who is ill with cancer. I knew that it would be a tough, emotional five days. So, at the end of our stay, we sought respite for two days in Ithaca.

It’s hard not to feel at peace with the world, when one is surrounded by dramatic gorges, waterfalls, gentle rolling hills, lush green fields and an abundance of wildlife. During the years when I was an undergraduate student at Cornell University, I used to marvel at how so much beauty could be packed into a thirty mile radius. Three decades later, I still do.

Back in my college days, if the weather was warm and classes were over for the day, I’d grab my bathing suit and head to the base of Cascadilla Gorge. I still remember how idyllic it felt to descend the stone stairs cut into the side of the gorge and enter into a mythical world which existed mere minutes from where I lived.

If I was lucky enough to find a friend with a car, my options for sybaritic pleasure increased exponentially: Ithaca Falls, Buttermilk Falls State Park, Robert H. Treman State Park, and Taughannock Falls State Park were an easy fifteen-minute drive at most. Even the mind-blowing Watkins Glen State Park, lies waiting only thirty miles away.

The famous gorges and waterfalls of the Finger Lakes region, where Ithaca is located, exist as a result of the interaction between the south-to-north running river valleys, which were gouged by glaciers numerous times over the last two-million years, and streams running obliquely to the glaciers, which filled with glacial sediment.

The story of the gorges began when the Finger Lakes were river valleys with small streams flowing in from the east and west. The valleys were repeatedly filled with hundreds of feet of glacial ice that originated from glaciers advancing south out of Canada, eroding the valleys deeper.

As the ice melted and glacial sediment dammed the river valleys, deep lakes formed and streams plunged as waterfalls from the glacially steepened hills. Then over time, as the lake levels dropped, a series of steps were left on the hillsides, like at the overlook at Taughannock Falls.

Big Papa and I crammed in as many scenic spots as we could manage during our trip. The places we went to were a feast for our eyes. And our time spent in the gorges of Ithaca was, as it always is– gorgeous —in every way imaginable.

Buttermilk Falls State Park

Lucifer Falls at Robert H. Treman State Park

Taughannock Falls State Park

Watkins Glen waterfall

Watkins Glen