Open Sesame

In an effort to keep from thinking about politics 24/7, I try to allow my brain to meander through the mundane. And during one of those travels in the trivial, the ol' thinker came up with this one:

"What does a sesame seed grow into?"

Then of course, I wondered why it has taken me so long to wonder that. Of course, the research commenced. So, if you never wondered or just really don't care what a sesame seed grows into, time to go back to CNN, or FOX, or wherever you get your political news fix and get back to being agitated.

Sesame is a flowering plant, native to sub-Saharan Africa. Wild relatives of the plant can be found in India and the Middle Eastern countries. It is now primarily cultivated in China and India, who supply most of the world with these little edible seeds that grow in pods on the plant. Sesame's ability to grow both in drought or monsoon conditions has made it a sustenance crop for poor farmers throughout history.

Sesame is one of the oldest oilseed crops, having been domesticated over 3000 years ago. It has the highest oil content of any seed.

An annual plant, sesame sports tubular flowers, that can be white, yellow, blue or purple. The seeds can also be different colors, from white and tan, to brown, red and black. The seeds are found in a fruit capsule, which when ripe, will naturally split to reveal the seeds, growing in lines. When the split capsules are as dry as possible, the seeds will be harvested, cleaned and hulled.

Sesame seeds appear in cuisines worldwide, and in many different forms. In the Middle East, seeds are ground into a paste called tahini, which is a key ingredient in hummus, and the sauce that tops falafel. In Greece and Sicily, cakes and cookies are made with ground sesame seeds, or topped with them. They show up in Indian, East Asian and West African cooking. The sesame, or as the Africans called them-benne-seeds were brought to America through the slave trade. To this day, benne sticks and benne cookies are staples in South Carolina. They are also found topping burger buns and bagels.

The biggest importer and consumer of sesame seeds, however, is Japan, where they are used in so many ways. They top sushi, salads and snacks, but the most popular use is as sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil is a staple of Japanese cuisine. It is mostly added at the end of cooking to avoid flavor loss and to keep from smoking and tasting rancid. Sesame oil is high in vitamins B1 and E, magnesium, copper, calcium and iron. It is also a source of fiber and good fat.

So now you know the story behind the lowly sesame seed. I know I feel better having this knowledge. And as a parting gift, I shall leave you with a recipe for Benne Wafers. You're welcome.

Benne Wafers
Preheat oven to 375. Line sheet trays with parchment and spray with nonstick spray.

1 c. toasted sesame seeds

3/4 c. melted butter

1 1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. all purpose flour (I like unbleached)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

The easiest way to toast sesame seeds is to place them in a sauté pan and heat over medium heat, swirling constantly, until evenly browned. Remove and cool before using.

Combine all ingredients well. Drop by 1/2 teaspoonful onto prepared pans, leaving room between cookies. Bake for 5-6 minutes, or until just browned at the edges. Allow to cool. They will be very flat and crispy.

SAYS-A-WHO? SESAME!!

Keeping My Head Above Water

So, it's a new year, I am without a job, and I'm trying desperately to find something good to talk about. I haven't been cooking anything too spectacular, mostly bean stews and pasta. It's that time of year where all I want to do is braise things, make soup, and try to stay warm. In fact, I think once I'm finished here, I'll get back under the blankets and cover myself in dogs. We have four now. I know that sounds like too many, but they're pretty small. They bring a lot of joy to us. And so do the cats, I don't want to leave them out, but they're just not as snuggly.

My wife, Lisa, has a pet sitting/dog walking business, and for the holidays, I thought it would be nice to make some gifts she could give her clients. For the humans, I made some really rocking granola. It started as "hmm, what do I have in the house so I don't have to buy a whole bunch of stuff", then grew, as I realized a) how many clients she has (yay!) and b) how stinking good the granola was. Most people like granola, but don't take the time to make their own, thinking it will be difficult or time consuming. So they pay high prices for store bought stuff. Let me tell you, it's not hard to do, and home made always tastes a little better. Being the milk of human kindness that I am, I am going to share my recipe here. Ready?

My oven only holds two half sheet pans, so this is what I wrote the recipe for.

1/2 large canister rolled oats (you can use quick or original, but not instant)
2 cups sliced almonds (I use the unbalanced ones, I like the color on the skins)
1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (shelled, please)
1/4 cup flax seeds
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup honey (organic, if you can)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract
dried cranberries, or other dried fruit of choice

Preheat the oven to 325. Line 2 cookie pans or half pans with parchment and spray very lightly with nonstick spray.
Combine all dry ingredients (EXCEPT CRANBERRIES) in a large mixing bowl, and toss to mix.
Combine oil, sugar, honey and extracts in a small sauce pan, and heat over medium until melted together, stirring with a whisk.
Spray a rubber spatula with nonstick spray and use to scrape all of the sugar/oil mixture into the dry mix. Coat and combine thoroughly with the spatula. Divide the mix between the two pans and press down to form an even layer of granola.
Bake for 24 minutes, spinning the pans halfway through the cooking process.
Allow to cool on pans, then break apart into a large bowl and add cranberries. Store in an airtight container.

I also made dog biscuits. Peanut butter and pumpkin biscuits. They were pretty easy, too.

5 cups whole wheat flour
4 eggs
1 can organic pumpkin
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine all ingredients. Turn out onto a board or table and roll to about 1/2" thickness. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. Bake in a preheated, 350 oven for about 40 minutes, until hard. Cool thoroughly before storing,

Everyone love the gifts. We bagged them up and made cute little ingredient labels. The best part, though, was all of the calls asking if the granola was for the dogs or the people. Sigh..

So that's pretty much what I've been up to. Try these recipes. Even if you don't have a dog, make some for someone who does and give them a gift. Or donate them to a rescue. You'll be a hero, at least in my eyes.

Send me good vibes in my job search, people. Please. And I'll keep looking for things to talk about. All my best wishes for a great start to a great year.
Peace.