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
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