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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 2022)
HOME & LIVING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD — B3 RAMEN Continued from Page B1 The result: a spicy sesame miso broth and alternating spoonfuls of noodles with the rich egg yolk and the smoky trout. Perfection. For now. ALMOST- INSTANT SPICY SESAME MISO RAMEN This is a twist on instant ramen, a recipe quick and easy enough to make in between Zoom calls. It is not a traditional miso ramen recipe and has a light- er, simplifi ed broth that lets the fl avor of the smoked trout shine through. You can add complexity by replacing the water with stock, or you can dress up the ramen with your favorite vegetables and garnishes. Look for hot-smoked fi sh in seafood coolers at grocery stores. Do not use cold-smoked or salt-cured fi sh, such as lox or gravlax, for this recipe. Hot sesame oil is spicier than regular sesame oil, because it holds the fl avors of red chile peppers. MOIST Continued from Page B1 She ended up taking just eight classes, deciding she’d rather write about food than be a professional chef. With the help of a friend, she was soon writing sto- ries and creating recipes for major publications and online magazines such the now-defunct Zester Daily. She also drew on her edu- cational background to teach cooking classes, often with a focus on sustainable eating. She is particularly invested in seafood, with two cookbooks on the sub- ject — 2017’s “Herring: A Global History” and “Fish Market” in 2013. In the technique-focused “Luscious, Tender, Juicy,” Hunt says it’s not about chasing trends but instead focusing on the everyday ingredients and techniques that keep food tender and fl avorful. Written for both the novice and experienced cook, it includes every- thing from snacks and sides to cakes, pies, pastries and breads. You’ll also fi nd lists of baking and cooking tools. All aim to bring moisture back into the kitchen with simple, easy- to-fi nd ingredients. Many of the 70-plus rec- ipes are globally inspired, refl ective of 51 countries on six continents she’s visited over the years with her hus- band, Sean Dippold. Others were infl uenced by the multicultural meals of her childhood. Her best friend growing up was Greek, and she also ate lots of Ital- ian-American, Syrian, Indian and Polish foods as a kid. “It really made me inter- ested in how food was made, especially since my mom hated cooking,” she says. Hunt calls the book her “pandemic baby” because despite the many challenges of COVID-19, the entire project — from writing to testing to photographing and layout — came together in a whirlwind in 2020. Not that she’s complaining. “It was a nice way to try out recipes on people” who were otherwise stuck at home, she says. SATINY ROSEMARY- STILTON POPOVERS These light and airy rolls are so easy to make, and they’re an elegant alternative to sliced bread. Come Check Out Our New Location & New Menu! Kelly Yamanouchi/Atlanta Journal-Constitution-TNS A collage of ramen experimentation. 2 teaspoons miso paste 1 package instant ramen (omit seasoning packet) or 1 block ramen noodles, preferably Lotus Foods Millet & Brown Rice Ramen 1 egg 2 ounces hot-smoked trout or salmon 1 / 8 teaspoon hot sesame oil In a one-quart pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. While it’s coming to a boil, transfer ¼ cup of the hot water into a small bowl. Add miso paste to the bowl and stir to make a slurry. Pour the miso slurry back into the pot. Add ramen noodles to the boil- Made from an egg batter, they’re fl uff y and light, with a perfectly hollow center when torn open. Fresh rosemary adds a wonderful woody fl avor that’s perfect for winter. I was lucky to fi nd a $5 popover pan — which are deeper than traditional cupcake pans — at the thrift store, but you can also use a mini muffi n or regular muffi n pan. 1 ½ tablespoons melted unsalted butter plus more for greasing pans 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 1 ½ cups milk, at room temperature 1 ½ cups all-purpose fl our, sifted ½ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary ¼ cup crumbled English stilton or other rich blue cheese Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease the popover pans with butter. Place in the oven for 2-3 minutes to preheat. Whisk together the butter, eggs, milk, fl our, salt, pepper, rose- mary and cheese until smooth. Pour the batter into the preheated pans, fi lling each cup to less than half full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and puff y. Serve hot. Makes 12 popovers. — “Luscious, Tender, Juicy” by Kathy Hunt (Countryman Press, $30) GIVE-ME-MORE MOROCCAN COUSCOUS Kathy Hunt developed this sal- ad recipe after traveling through North Africa. It’s a hearty side that makes good use of peppers and canned tomatoes, with the pearled couscous adding a tooth- some texture. Try as I might, I could not fi nd the small balls of toasted semolina fl our at my local grocery. But I discovered a great substitute in a bag of Sardinian fregola pasta. I used kalamata olives and lemon- infused olive oil for extra zing. 8 ounces pearl couscous 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained, 2 tablespoons juice reserved 2 red peppers, diced 2 scallions, white and 1-inch green minced 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, quartered and diced 3 tablespoons Moroccan or oil- cured black olives, chopped 1 cup chickpeas ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon curry powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Pinch of saff ron threads, optional ing broth. Cook the noodles for 3 minutes, or according to package directions. One minute before the noodles are done, add smoked trout and crack an egg into the pot. Do not stir. Once the egg white has cooked, pour the ramen into a serving bowl and top with sesame oil. Break the egg yolk into the broth and let it rest for 1 minute before eating the ramen. Serves 1. Nutritional information Per serving: Per serving: 481 calories (percent of calories from fat, 23), 28 g protein, 62 g carbohydrates, 5 g fi ber, 12 grams total fat (2 g saturated), 199 mg cholesterol, 879 mg sodium. Cook couscous according to package instructions and place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, peppers, scallions, cucumbers, olives and chickpeas. Toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, reserved to- mato juice, cumin, curry powder, cayenne pepper and optional saf- fron. Pour half the dressing over the couscous and stir until evenly to coat, adding more to taste. Refrigerate couscous for at least 1 hour so it can absorb the dressing. Serve cold or at room temperature. Serves 6-8. — “Luscious, Tender, Juicy” by Kathy Hunt (Countryman Press, $30) BUTTERY SEA SCALLOPS With its warm, nutty fl avor, brown butter makes these soft, plump bivalves even more suc- culent. I paired the seafood with a green salad dressed in a citrus vinaigrette. Consider odor, color and luster when shopping for scallops. They should smell mildly sweet and never fi shy, with a pale pink to light beige hue and a glistening sheen. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 12-16 sea scallops Sea salt, to taste Ground black pepper, to taste Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, start swirling the pan over heat. During this time the butter will foam and then slowly settle, 4-5 minutes. Continue cooking and swirling the pan for another 2-3 minutes. Once butter turns golden in color and brown specks begin to form, remove pan from heat and set aside. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in large frying or saute pan over medium heat. Once butter has begun to bubble, add scallops. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until bottom has browned. Using a thin spatula or fi sh turner (I used my fi ngers and a fork), gently turn scallops and cook until other side is brown. Remove scallops from pan, place on a large plate and cover with a heat-proof lid. Reheat brown butter over me- dium heat for about 30 seconds. Place equal amounts of scal- lops on four dinner plates. Drizzle brown butter over the scallops and serve immediately. Serves 4. — “Luscious, Tender, Juicy” by Kathy Hunt (Countryman Press, $30) New Family Friendly Location! Steven M. Falk/The Philadelphia Inquirer-TNS Timothy Hudson runs near Chester Park, Pennsylvania. Hudson lost 100 pounds during the pandemic by improving his diet and running up to 5 miles a day. He developed plantar fasciitis, a common source of heel pain that he uses stretches and massage to relieve. FOOT Continued from Page B1 Unsupportive shoes or going barefoot, a dra- matic increase in physical activity, exercise that puts lots of pressure on your heels (such as running or dancing) and obesity can all contribute to plantar fasciitis. Achilles tendinitis occurs when the tendon that runs down the back of the leg between the calf and heel is overused. The injury is common among runners and athletes, but can aff ect anyone who dra- matically and suddenly changes activity level. Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis were already top causes of heel and foot pain, and the sequestered pandemic life- style many people have adopted has worsened the problem. Normally, taking your shoes off when you get home at the end of the day isn’t a big deal. But during the pandemic, many peo- ple’s entire workday has been spent at home. That means a lot more people wearing slippers or fl ip- fl ops without any arch sup- port or, worse, walking around barefoot, said Rachel Shakked, an ortho- pedic surgeon who spe- cializes in foot and ankle surgery at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in Philadelphia. For many people, less physical activity during the pandemic has contributed to weight gain and stiff muscles, which in turn can lead to foot pain. “The obvious answer is put shoes on,” Shakked said. “Nobody really loves wearing shoes in the house. (But) especially if you have hardwood fl oors or tile, walking and standing on hard surfaces can cause that discomfort in your heel.” Supportive shoes and lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy weight, are the best bets for keeping foot pain at bay, said Richard K. Rettig, chief of the divi- sion of podiatry at Einstein Healthcare. Sneakers are always a good choice, but if you insist on slippers or sandals at home, choose a pair with arch support. “If someone can change their lifestyle — lose the weight, not go barefoot, not wear sandals,” they may be able to live foot-pain-free for years, said Rettig, who has not seen an increase in foot pain patients during the pandemic. Most people, however, don’t change their habits and return for treat- ment when the pain fl ares up again, he said. Other ways to treat foot pain include heel cups that stabilize the foot, ice, and cortisone shots. People who don’t fi nd relief with those techniques may need surgery. When Zachary Bau- ermaster, an elementary school principal in Lan- caster County, fi rst started working remotely in March 2020, the plantar fasci- itis that had bothered him since 2019 subsided. At home, he wore sneakers with orthotic inserts instead of the stiff and unsupportive dress shoes he normally wore to work, and had more time for stretching and low-impact exercise. But by the time his school returned to in-person teaching that fall, the pain in his heel was worse than ever. Being on his feet less during the workday had allowed his heel to recover, but also led to stiff er calf muscles, his doctor told him. By 2021, the pain was so bad — and unchanged by stretching, massage and cortisone injections — that Bauermaster’s doctor recommended surgery to release the tension in his heel caused by the plantar fasciitis and tarsal tunnel syndrome (a pinched heel nerve). “I wasn’t able to do activities with my three kids,” said Bauermaster, 35. “They’d talk about activities but then say, ‘Oh, wait, Dad can’t do that. He can’t run.’” Bauermaster had the surgery in mid-January and has to keep weight off the foot for several weeks. But he hopes to develop a plan for stretching and exercise with lower impact on his feet that will get him back to chasing his kids around. Too much activity can also lead to foot pain Shakked’s caseload of foot pain patients is up about 25% compared with before the pandemic. In addition to people dam- aging their feet by going barefoot, she’s seen an Aching Feet? Step right into our office. We specialize in quality medical and surgical care for all types of foot and ankle problems. increase in patients with problems related to too much physical activity. Abruptly becoming more active can lead to infl amed tendons and ligaments — especially if you’re wearing the wrong shoes. Other patients have suf- fered stress fractures from overzealous neighborhood walking routines. (She’s also treated at least four people who fractured their ankle tripping over a pet — being home all the time creates more opportuni- ties for dogs and cats to get under our feet.) Hudson had never done much running before set- ting out on his weight-loss journey. But after doing a double take at the number on the scale, he decided to get moving. Hudson works at a school as a one-on-one aide for chil- dren with special needs — a job that wasn’t needed when his school went virtual. “It gave me that time of self-refl ection — I can do this and I don’t have a choice but to be outside,” he said. “Had I been at work, would I ever have had the time to actually go through and do it?” Hudson started with walking, then transitioned to running. At the same time, he starting taking freelance photography jobs, which kept him on his feet for hours at a time. By summer 2021, Hudson had added bas- ketball with friends to his routine, and the pain in his feet got bad enough to see a doctor, who diagnosed plantar fasciitis. Daily stretches, a more moderate exercise rou- tine, and knowing to call it quits when he feels even a twinge of pain have helped signifi cantly, he said. Hudson is back at work now, and fi guring out how to balance his old school routine with his newly active lifestyle. “It’s been a little bit of an adjustment, getting up at the crack of dawn to work out,” he said. “But it’s fun.” That may not be many people’s idea of a good time, but for Hudson, starting his day with a workout is a reminder of what he gained during the pandemic — a new sense of pride and confi dence that he can do things he never thought he could. Same Great Team. Same Exceptional Service. Travis T. Hampton, D.P.M. Foot and Ankle Surgeon New Menu! Bar Bites, Wood Stone Pizza and More! MON-TUES CLOSED WED-SAT 11-9 • SUN 11-7 1106 Adams Avenue Suite 100 • 541 663-9010 • tapthatgrowlers.com 541-963-0265 888-843-9090 www.GVfoot.com La Grande 1408 N Hall Street Enterprise 601 Medical Parkway Baker 3175 Pocahontas Rd.