The Word Magician's Kitchen

A Mouthy Solution

Written By: admin - May• 21•13

Well, it wasn’t the nearly $600 million Powerball ticket that I won, but it, nonetheless, felt a bit like securing a treasured Wonka Bar Golden Ticket that would afford me a glimpse inside another world. This unexpected, shimmering victory ensued from the random toss of my business card into some fish bowl contest. Little did I know from my heedless action that my spice colored card would be plucked for a free consultation from the NutraDentist.

So completely charged at the possibility of winning ANYTHING, I faintly, ever so distantly comprehended what this prize would actually entail; it was something about either a nutrition evaluation or a dental exam. I swatted these details away from my thoughts as I purblindly selected the alimentary assessment, the seemingly more intriguing of the two prospects. With a mind open to the serendipitous, I trekked over to Pittsburgh to see what this nutritionist-dentist guy had to say. I soon discovered that perhaps I did channel the luck of the Powerball after all. In the spirit of paying it forward, I wanted to share my findings, so that you, too, learn about another way to protect your health.

What is a nutradentist?

NutraDentist is actually the business moniker for Mark Buzzatto DDS, CCWFN, the practitioner who offered me a bounty of nutritional dentistry information. However, these practitioners are more commonly termed NATURAL, HOLISTIC, BIOLOGICAL, or NON TOXIC dentists (*Holistic in this sense refers to the dentists’ overall philosophy of oral health rather than specific modalities of practice).

Even though holistic dentistry has been recognized and respected since its inception in 1978, the profession still appears to linger in the fringes like other integrative practices due to the U.S. propensity toward the medical model. While traditional dentists do consider the overall health of their patients, they approach treatment with the alleviation of symptoms. Holistic dentists, on the other hand, address the causes. Furthermore, holistic dentists strive to educate their patients about the possible deleterious effects of what they put into their mouths (e.g. food and fillings).

What do holistic dentists offer?

Research in the field of dentistry indicates that the commonly used silver and amalgam fillings contain over 50% mercury that accumulates over time in the body with possible detrimental health effects (e.g. Alzheimers, MS, ALS, etc.). Because holistic dentists engage in practices that support the health of teeeth and gums as well as the body, they proceed to skillfully and safely remove the mercury fillings. Additionally these practitioners seek alternatives to root canals or treating gum disease.

By applying observation, conversation, and evaluation to ascertain where the person is misaligned, holistic dentists work to determine what is creating the degenerative dental health. These practitioners then proffer additional courses of action to remedy the malady(s), which could include taking whole food supplements, engaging in recommended purification programs, incorporating other holistic disciplines, or investigating resources provided by the practitioner.

Where can I find a holistic dentist?

The directories listed in this section are gleaned from prominent organizations representing the field of holistic dentistry. However, these directories are not exhaustive. If you are unable to find a practitioner on the lists, peruse your yellow pages using the professional terms denoted above. Then apply the questions included in the next section to ensure your holistic dentist is legit.

Holistic Dental Association

Holistic Dental Network

International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology

What questions should I ask to ensure the holistic dentist is qualified?

Please note that the following questions were provided by Whole Body Dentistry. These questions are a strong place to start on your quest for a holistic dentist.

Do you place amalgam fillings?
Do you have amalgam fillings in your mouth?
How long have you been mercury-free?
What types of precautions can I expect if having my fillings removed?
Do you recommend dental material compatibility testing?
What types of “alternative therapies” have you studied?
Are you aware of the energetic relationship between teeth and organs?
How do you feel about fluoride?

After spending an afternoon with Dr. Buzzato for my free nutritional consultation, I not only left with a new understanding for dental and holistic health, I also amassed more and more resources to probe. Similar to other practitioners of his ilk, Dr. Buzzato showed me a way to health but then encouraged me to explore and question until I found the right answers for myself. From this golden ticket opportunity, I discovered that health can sometimes have a “mouthy solution”.

*Yin/Yang Tooth image from Center for Holistic Dentistry

*Apple and mouth image from Dr. Gary Sigfoos LaJolla Periodontics, modified by The Word Magician

*Tooth with Asian motif from Richard Wilkinson Holistic Dentist, modified by The Word Magician

Posted in Culinary Topics, Current Affairs, Food For Thought, Morsels of Love, Reviews (restaurants, businesses, books, etc.) , alternative dentistry, biological dentist, biological dentistry, blog, blogger, bloggers, blogging, blogs, food blog, food blogger, food bloggers, food blogging, food blogs, food writer, food writers, food writing, holistic, holistic dental, holistic dentist, holistic dentistry, non-toxic dentistry, nutradentist, nutrition, nutritionist, the word magician, the word magicians kitchen, word magicians kitchen | No Comments »

Sunny Lemon Cream Cake

Written By: admin - May• 19•13

In its own confectionery incandescence, the lemon cream cake mirrors the effervescence of the season. With each day swelling in increments of daylight, this cake reminds us to soak up the warmth and sweetness that connotes Spring sliding into Summer.

Light and lemony, this sunshiny dessert not only serves as a nectarous treat for cool evenings under the stars. It also offers the right pep and tartness to stimulate a holiday or birthday celebration.

In honor of my Aunt Marion who celebrates her birthday tomorrow, I offer this spin on one of her favored lemon desserts. Happy Birthday, Marion!

Fresh Sunny Lemon Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy.
Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating on low speed until blended. Scrape down bowl with a spatula.
Add lemon zest and lemon juice; beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until fluffy.
Cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes or until firm enough to spread.

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 cup lemon-lime soda
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch round metal baking pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add eggs, buttermilk, butter, shortening, lemon zest and lemon juice to flour mixture.
Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat for 1 minute, until blended. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes (if using a stand mixer, decrease this by 1 minute).
Add lemon-lime soda and vanilla; beat on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds, until just combined.
Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Let pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pans, then invert cakes onto rack to cool completely.
Place one cake layer, flat side up, on a cake plate or platter. Spread 3⁄4 cup of the frosting (see below) evenly over bottom layer. Top with the second cake layer, flat side down. Spread the remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

A Wee Little Baker’s Note:

In rewriting this recipe for the post, I switched the sequence of composition because of the length of chilling time required for the icing to become firm enough to cover the cake. By making the icing first, it was ready at just the opportune time to ice the cake.

Furthermore, I trimmed the icing recipe to half, because when I made the original recipe, I had an exorbitant amount remaining. Additionally, I cut the lemon juice portion until it was a quarter of the original amount. From my own experience, I found that the icing was far too liquid to adequately set up for spreading. Aside from the icing alterations, the cake recipe was clear and concise and truly perfection.

This dessert revealed sparkles of sweetness with lip smacking tartness. The rich creaminess was also evenly balanced with a bouncy cake center. The end result was luscious, vibrant summertime dessert that can spark any gathering or celebration.

*Adapted from original recipe by Imbibe Magazine

*All images created by The Word Magician

Posted in Recipes , blog, blogger, bloggers, blogging, blogs, cake, cake recipe, cake recipes, cakes, dessert, dessert recipe, dessert recipes, desserts, food blog, food blogger, food bloggers, food blogging, food blogs, food writer, food writers, food writing, lemon, lemon cake, lemon cake recipe, lemon cake recipes, lemon cream cake, lemon cream cake recipe, lemon cream cake recipes, lemons, summer dessert, summer dessert recipe, summer dessert recipes, summer desserts, the word magician, the word magicians kitchen, word magicians kitchen | No Comments »

A Sangha Among Beans

Written By: admin - May• 17•13

A Tale of Trucks…

At the close of each month, the curtain of regular business bustle softly shimmies down over the Perrysville nabe of Western Pennsylvania. But before the continuous enterprising languidly progresses into another month, the town is shocked from its quietude on the last Saturday of each month while 6 Pittsburgh food trucks descend on its confined, burghal streets. As contributors to the cyclic events hosted by Perrysville’s homegrown business, The Coffee Buddha, these traveling restaurants convene at the coffeehouse’s parking lot to offer their unique vittles for one assiduous hour while the town swells with congeries of customers.

Michael Witherel, owner and originator of The Coffee Buddha, admits that “Once a month, I drop a bomb on this town” as he refers to welcomed chaos of The Food Truck Roundup. With the success of this now expected burst of town visitors, Witherel predicts that 2013 “will be the summer of the food truck”.

When Witherel first genially offered his business parking lot to assist a loyal customer with a budding taco food cart business, he did not anticipate the length to which, one year later, the mobilization of food trucks would flourish; he merely aided a friend in the development of his enterprising endeavors. Owning and operating his own nascent business, Witherel ostensibly connected with his compatriot’s drive to actualize his entrepreneurial dreams.

In the beginning…

For Witherel, July 2011, marked the materialization of his amaranthine vision and hard work with the opening of The Coffee Buddha. Before the commencement of this java-based, community sanctuary, Witherel experienced a different professional reality. After slogging through a series of unsatisfying jobs post graduate school, Witherel found himself temporarily adrift. As a self proclaimed walking PSA for job interview flubs, Witherel soon realized that continuing in the employ of others would be his biggest flub of all. With a predisposition toward entrepreneurship, Witherel proceeded to seek out an industry that would simultaneously exude his character while intentionally enrich his hometown community. Once he selected coffee as the medium for his business, the daedel pieces of the industry soon fit together into the illustrious Coffee Buddha.

With an appellative connoting otherworldliness, customers may presume that The Coffee Buddha observes the precepts of the enlightened religion. Despite the Buddhist allusions in name and decor, Witherel confesses that he is not a follower of the eastern spirituality. However, he respects the religion’s inclusivity and applies this universal openness to the operations of The Coffee Buddha. In a way, the coffeehouse loosely fulfills another Buddhist concept through the creation of its own Four Noble Truths.

The Coffee Buddha’s 4 Noble Truths:

(1) Coffee

“Offer great things across the board and do it with integrity”–Michael Witherel

This sentiment pervades every aspect of Witherel’s business including the brewing of superlative coffee. As an ardent supporter of Commonplace Coffee Company, Witherel is proud and honored to feature exceptional beans from the esteemed roaster. With deep respect, Witherel expresses that Commonplace “really cares about their product”. Beyond the beans, Witherel attributes part of his success to his close association with the coffee company. Sharing compatible business philosophies, Witherel explains that his bond with Commonplace owner, TJ Fairchild, resembles a kind of brotherly kinship.

According to Witherel, his connection with Commonplace began with an arbitrary ad he answered from Craig’s List. At the time, a local restaurant was selling an espresso machine that Commonplace happened to be fixing when Witherel arrived to inspect it for purchase. After conversing with Dave, Commonplace’s equipment technician, Witherel shrewdly surmised that the roasting company could offer even more than a quality bean; they could teach him the many tools of the trade.

Along with Commonplace’s vast contributions to The Coffee Buddha, Witherel further attributes the business”s success to his core employees, Cassandra and Trevor, who have both worked for him since the beginning. He elucidates that Cassandra and Trevor “get the vision [of the business] and embrace it”. According to Witherel, Trevor is a dynamo with his work and Cassandra is the consummate coffee professional. In fact, Witherel proclaims that Cassandra fills in the quotidian details of the business from the precision of the brew to emphasizing the benefits of growing their own herbs and creating their own syrups to flavor the coffees.

Cassandra is also responsible for the assembly of The Coffee Buddha menu, which includes an array of options to stimulate the novice coffee drinker and the connoisseur. This sui generis assortment includes lattes imbued with Vietnamese Spices, Maple Curry medlies, and Mexi Cola flavors.The Coffee Buddha further offers rich espressos, crisp Chemex coffees, and even the signature V60 Pourover for the cognoscenti coffee drinker. Regardless of the drink ordered, the Buddha baristas tend to each brew with a polish and care that hearkens back to Commonplace’s influence.

(2) Culture

Before opening the doors of The Coffee Buddha, Witherel clearly envisioned a space where he could share his taste in culture with his customers. It is evident upon entering The Coffee Buddha that Witherel succeeded in coaxing his dream toward reality. As patrons walk through the pagoda doors, shades of his personality are discernible in every room. For instance, Witherel’s cinephilia is divulged through his vast cinematic anthology. He and his staff continuously play movies spanning decades and genres that customers view on the (4) large, flat-screened TVs strategically placed around the two story coffeehouse. Shelves and counter tops are sagaciously strewn with books from local writers and CDs from native musicians, which further affirm Witherel’s other “philias”; these displays also reveal his penchant for endorsing fellow entrepreneurs.

“…Happiness never decreases by being shared”–Buddha

(3) Community

Witherel’s appetence for culture strongly permeates the community he strives to create at The Coffee Buddha. In a free exchange, Witherel and his customers share fun activity ideas, business musings, and other whimsical topics with each other. For example, Witherel initiated the idea for an interactive Horror Show Podcast after conversing with a regular customer involved in the film industry. Poetry and novel readings, music jams, and other themed events also spawn from these conversations between Witherel and his customers. As a bevy for creative expression, The Coffee Buddha exudes Witherel’s aim to create a space where people can come as they are and hang out in a place that feels like a friends’ cozy living room. In this sacred space, customers can find solace and freedom to chat, snooze, read, or meditate while they grab a cup of coffee and a bite to eat.

(4) Enlightenment

At The Coffee Buddha, customers indubitably become enlightened by their experience at this novel coffeehouse. Whether it is through the heightened experience of premium coffee, the exchange of ideas, the contemplation in a soothing space, or the Sangha of copacetic souls, The Coffee Buddha opens its lotus petals to reveal whispers of life’s mysteries. In its own extraordinary way, The Coffee Buddha can even feel like “it is the center of the universe”.

*All images created by The Word Magician

Posted in Reviews (restaurants, businesses, books, etc.) , blog, blogger, bloggers, blogging, blogs, coffee, coffee bar, Coffee Buddha, coffee in pittsburgh, coffee shop, commonplace coffee company, food blog, food blogger, food bloggers, food blogging, food blogs, food writer, food writers, food writing, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh coffee, The Coffee Buddha, the word magician, the word magicians kitchen, word magicians kitchen | No Comments »

Tangzhong White Bread

Written By: admin - May• 15•13

Tangzhong is both baking method and the “secret”, natural ingredient the Japanese first concocted and added to their breads to make them soft and fluffy. Today, Tangzhong is a popular method adopted by the Chinese and other cultures around the world.

Furthermore, as a type of flour paste, tangzhong educes its bouncy flare through a roux style cooking process in which the flour is mixed with a liquid and heated to 65°C/149°F. Once the tangzhong reaches its optimal temperature, the gluten in the flour quickly absorbs the moisture and leavens with vivacity. When added to the rest of the bread ingredients, tangzhong enhances the entire leavening process, producing moist, aerated bread.

_____________________________________________________________

Ingredients for tangzhong:

Bread Flour-1/3
Water-1/2 cup
Milk-1/2 cup

Ingredients for bread:

Bread flour-21/2 cups
Caster Sugar-3 tbsp+2 tsp
Salt-1 tsp
Instant Yeast- 2 tsp
Milk powder-1 tbsp+ 1 tsp(optional)
Egg-1 large
Milk-1/2 cup
tangzhong
Butter-3 tbsp (softened)

Glaze:

1 egg white
1 TBSP milk

Method for Tangzhong (prepare at least an hour before breadmaking):

1. In a medium-sized pan, whisk together flour, water, and milk until all lumps are dissolved. Heat mixture over medium/low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning or sticking.
2. The mixture will begin to thicken as you’re stirring. When you begin to see streaks appearing while you’re stirring, remove mixture from the heat *(The temperature of mixture should be 65c/149F and the texture should be like a smooth pudding).
3. Transfer mixture to a clean bowl and wrap with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying. Once cooled completely, the tangzhong can be used to make bread either the same day or by the next day.

Method of making bread:

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in center. Set aside.

2. Whisk together egg, milk, tangzhong. Add this mixture to the well in the dry ingredients. Knead until everything comes together and you get a dough shape and gluten has developed. Then knead the butter. *(I recommend mixing and kneading all ingredients with a standing mixer if possible, because the dough is extremely wet and sticky and will make it challenging to do by hand).

3. Once all ingredients have been kneaded to form the dough, shape it into a ball. Transfer dough to greased bowl and cover with a cheese cloth or kitchen towel until dough proofs to about 1 1/2 times its original size, about 40 minutes or more depending on the weather. *(Create a conducive proofing environment by boiling a cup of water, pour it into a shallow pan, place the pan in the oven along with the rising dough).

4. Once sufficiently risen, transfer dough to a clean floured surface. With floured hands, deflate and divide the dough into four equal portions. Knead each piece into small balls, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile grease a 9″X 5″ loaf pan.

Follow the steps from left to right.

5. Take one ball and roll it to a small oval shape using a rolling pin. Fold the smaller side into center and then the other side slightly over top. Repeat this step with each of the 4 dough balls. Roll the folded dough again to form a small rectangle and then roll it into a ball. Repeat this step with each dough ball.

6. Place all of the rolled balls next to each other in the baking pan. Cover the pan with cheese cloth or kitchen towel and set aside to proof for another 40 minutes or until the dough rises 3/4 of the tin height. About 10 minutes before the dough is finished rising, preheat the oven to 350 °F *(If you are proofing the bread in the oven, remove before heating and place on stove top until ready for baking).

7. Whisk together the egg white and milk to make a egg wash. Brush this glaze over the surface of the risen dough and bake for 35-40 minutes. *(The top should be golden brown and the bread should be hollow when tapped).

8. Transfer bread to wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy soft freshly baked bread. You can keep it in airtight box for later use.

_________________________________________________________________

Baker’s Notes: My curiosity was certainly piqued at the discovery of the Japanese bread making method, Tangzhong, so I naturally went about exploring its claims to softer, lighter bread. It turned out that by eliciting a unique chemistry, the Tangzhong method produced a creamy, supple, pillowy bread that melted like butter in each bite. This signature alchemy upheld its claims for a naturally enhanced leavening process. I was tickled to also discover that this method of bread making further enamored the two women from whom I gathered the recipe and procedural information. In the end, I, too, was smitten with the results that I could foresee myself applying the tangzhong (method and ingredient) to future loaves of bread.

*Original recipe from FunWidFud, slightly rewritten for clarity by The Word Magician

*Tangzhong nformation proffered by Christine’s Recipes

*All images created by The Word Magician

Posted in Food is Culture, Recipes , blog, blogger, bloggers, blogging, blogs, bread, bread recipe, bread recipes, food blog, food blogger, food bloggers, food blogging, food blogs, food writer, food writers, food writing, Japanese bread recipe, Japanese bread recipes, recipe, recipes, soft bread, soft bread recipe, soft bread recipes, tangzhong, tangzhong bread, tangzhong bread recipe, tangzhong bread recipes, tangzhong method, tangzhong recipe, tangzhong recipes, the word magician, the word magicians kitchen, white bread, white bread recipe, white bread recipes, word magicians kitchen, writer | No Comments »

Chocolate Hazelnut No Bake Bars

Written By: admin - May• 13•13

It seems that this week, I find myself tinkering more in the kitchen than on the page. By generating devouring flavors and aromas from The Word Magician’s Kitchen, I hope to inveigle you to come and play along with me. For today’s culinary adventure, I invite you to ratchet up the traditional “No Bake” recipe by tossing in some toasted hazelnuts and nutty wheat germ. I predict you will see the world with changed eyes after you try this recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted de-shelled hazelnuts, finely chopped
2 cups quick oatmeal
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1-1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup chocolate spread or chocolate hazelnut spread
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Grease an 8 x 8 glassware pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 °F. Place previously de-shelled hazelnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. When oven is ready, toast the nuts for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine oatmeal, wheat germ, chocolate spread, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Add milk, butter, sugar, and chocolate chips to a medium-sized pan. Heat the pan on low heat, constantly stirring to ensure ingredients do not scorch. Continue warming until chocolate and butter completely melt and ingredients blend together. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Then add liquid ingredients to oatmeal mixture.
Once nuts have sufficiently cooled, finely chop them and add to the rest of the ingredients. Mix everything together and spread into greased pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Slice into bars and serve.

Baker’s Notes: I concocted this recipe by piecemealing a slew of various recipes and adding my own touch with the wheat germ. If you are planning on using hazelnuts for your own recipe, I highly recommending the purchase of de-shelled, de-skinned hazelnuts. I slogged through the arduous task of roasting, cracking shells with a hammer, picking pieces of nut from the crushed remains, and then soaking the hazelnuts in hot salt water to remove the skins. I wouldn’t wish this tedious task on my worst enemies, so please save yourself the grief and spend a little extra for the convenience of denuded hazelnuts. If, however, you feel inclined to test the limits of your patience, then I wish you well on traversing the steps to shelling and skinning your own hazelnuts

In this recipe, I also integrated Choco Dream white chocolate spread and Dickinson’s crème vanilla curd to my particular amalgamation, but Nutella or homemade chocolate hazelnut spread works well, too. The alchemy of the recipe ultimately produced a soft, chewy, chocolaty bar cookie that required little fuss (if you didn’t need to shell the nuts) for a truly delicious treat!

*All images created by The Word Magician

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