Cooking with Quinoa

I haven’t yet done a post on cooking, which seems downright wrong since the title of my Watson is “The Future of Food…” yada yada.  Although it’s the future of food in the agricultural sense, if I didn’t pursue at least some cooking this year, it really would be a shame (though I’ve certainly done my fair share of eating!).  So I will dedicate this post to my cooking adventures in La Paz, as well as providing information on cooking with quinoa more specifically (Bolivia is the number one producer of quinoa in the world and there are more than 3,000 native varieties here!).  So the truth is, I like to think that I come from a “family of cooks”: my mom and sister are divine chefs and cooking/eating is something that definitely brings my family together, in addition to religiously watching the Food Network.  Yet, I myself am not a cook, though maybe I’m becoming one (which is hopeful for my future once I have to start being a real person, ha)!  Let me explain.  Growing up, my mom would do most of the cooking in the house, while my sister was her de facto sous chef.  I would occasionally watch them mull about the kitchen, whipping up delectable concoctions out of the fridge and pantry and onto the stovetop and into the oven.  When we were younger, my sister would do pretend cooking shows with me as her audience – she was downright determined to teach her big sister how to cook.  However, I actually didn’t participate much.  Fast forward to college: living at Hamilton and being on a full meal plan meant that my friends and I could indulge in the campus dining hall three or more times a day, effectively on an unlimited basis.  While the food at college became repetitive at times, it was generally of very high quality, using fresh, local ingredients where possible, thanks to our campus dining services Bon Appetit, which actually prides themselves on their sustainability ethos.  So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I never really had much of a reason to cook for myself.  In Tanzania, I would help my homestay mom Helen and her daughter Lina prepare meals, mostly by chopping vegetables etc.  In India, wow, would I have loved to learn how to make authentic Indian food!  But alas, the “Guest is God” motto is alive and well – people I stayed with would refuse my help and probably thought it blasphemous that a guest wanted to do work around the house or in the kitchen.  So my cooking adventures in India merely amounted to watching closely as women mixed curries, vegetables, and dal to frying pans, usually with a side of rice.  Fortunately, I was able to learn how to make roti/chapatti (Indian flatbread) and did some of my own cooking in Ladakh where I had access to a kitchen.  Beyond this, however, I haven’t cooked nearly as much as I’ve eaten this year.  But now in Bolivia, I have access to a kitchen again and have been doing more cooking in the last three weeks than the last seven months combined.  It’s really liberating and quite a stress relief as I find myself struggling with the language, city life, and other cultural norms on a daily basis.  So what have I been whipping up in the kitchen, you ask?  I think and hope that I would make my cooking inspirations (my mom and sister) proud!  A sample of some things I've made:

• Quinoa cookies using quinoa flour (recipe from the farming communities in Pacajes)

• Roasted carrot and red quinoa salad (http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-carrot-and-red-quinoa-salad)

• Vegetable soup with stock from scratch and homemade tomato paste
• Banana bread with half quinoa flour (http://carolbancroft.hubpages.com/hub/Quick_Breads_Easy_Banana_Bread_Recipe)
• Banana oatmeal pancakes (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oatmeal-pancakes-ii/)
• Oatmeal raisin cookies with part quinoa flour (http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Healthy-Oatmeal-Cookies-Martha-Stewart-192023?columns=4&position=2%2F58)
• Walnut parsley pesto (http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/walnut_parsley_pesto/)

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• Almond Cranberry Quinoa Cookies (with cooked quinoa!) (http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/almond-cranberry-quinoa-cookies)

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So I’ve really been having a fun time experimenting in the kitchen, especially with quinoa.  Although it’s a bit expensive here (compared to other staples such as rice – it can be 4x as costly).  However, quinoa at home can run $5-7 a pound, whereas here, it is only about $3/lb.  As I have explained in other posts, quinoa is a ridiculously nutritious food and a favorite for many vegetarians and vegans.  Here are some quick facts about quinoa, a “super food” that has been dubbed one of the world’s healthiest foods and was also proposed by NASA as a long duration in-flight food (http://naturalactives.com/quinoa-from-the-incas-to-nasa/):

·         A complete protein with all 20 essential amino acids

·         High in fiber

·         Gluten-free (and no recorded allergies)

·         Low in cholesterol

·         High in minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese

·         High in vitamins such as B1, B2, and B6

And here is some information from the Andean Naturals website (http://www.andeannaturals.com/faq) about cooking quinoa, which is actually a seed/pseudo-grain/pseudo-cereal:

“How do you cook quinoa?

Good news! If you know how to cook rice, you already know how to cook quinoa! Cook just like you would rice (you can even use a Rice Cooker). Combine 2 parts of water to 1 part quinoa in a pot with a dash of salt. Bring to boil, then lower the fire to a simmer. Set the timer for 15 minutes and when it rings you’re done! You can fluff with a fork and then let the quinoa rest in the covered pot while you get the rest of your meal put together. We strongly encourage pre toasting the quinoa in a pan before adding the water. It makes a fluffier, tastier, slightly nuttier and sweeter quinoa.

Why does my quinoa cook unevenly?

If you see some seeds that have not “popped” and are crunchy while the rest is soft, you most likely have a quinoa that has not been graded properly. We size select all our quinoa, however there is quinoa in the market which is mill-grade. This quinoa has multiple sizes in it and is meant for making flour or being used in long-cooking dishes. This quinoa is still nutritious, you just need to cook it longer for all seeds to open properly.  Traditionally, quinoa growers pre-toast their seeds so that they will open more evenly and more fully, giving their quinoa a fluffier appearance.

How do I know if the quinoa I have is well washed (saponin)?

The best test is to put a couple of tablespoons of quinoa in a tall glass. Add some cold water and then shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Set it down on a table. If you see more than an inch of foam then the quina you have has not been properly washed. This is not a big issue: simply take the product, place it in a fine sieve and rinse it under plenty of water. Even better, let it soak overnight and then rinse it prior to cooking.

Andean Naturals’ quinoa is tested for saponin 3 times: once after rubbing the outer coating off, then after it is washed and dried and finally at the end of the process, once it is packed.

What’s the difference between white, red and black quinoa?

White, Golden or “Ivory” quinoa is the most common. Of the entire crop planted, about 80% of it is white, 15% red and 5% black. White is further separated into Royal and Common. Royal is used for side-dishes where a tasty, large-seed with fluffy texture is sought after. Common may cook unevenly and takes closer to 20 minutes to cook and is preferred for soups or milling applications.

Red quinoa also takes 20 minutes to cook and is often used as a highlight seed- mixed in with brown rice for example. It can also be used as a side dish and is a favorite in cold salads. Red quinoa is also the best for popping and eating as a cold cereal.

Black quinoa is the rarest of all quinoas and also the one with the most fiber, protein and antioxidants. Native growers consider it a medicine. It is often blended with other grains and seeds or used on top of salads.”

And what would a cooking post be without a description of the local cuisine?  To be honest, I don’t really like the food in Bolivia.  I’ve already described apthapi, the traditional indigenous “banquet” in which the Cholitas empty out the contents of their awayus (woolen blankets) for all to share. 

The Bolivian Altiplano, including La Paz, is very much a meat and potatoes food culture.  Think potatoes in all shapes, sizes, and colors, which can be found at the endless open air markets.  Some look like cat poop, as one of my tour guides once described it.  However, the most popular seem to be white potatoes and chunos (freeze dried potatoes, usually brownish).  Add a hunk of meat, such as chicken, lamb, or beef, and maybe some sauce and/or rice.  For instance, the ever popular plato paceno (translated to “local dish”) is just this.  It’s not very exciting, but it’s starchy and filling.  I tried something called Falso Conejo (false rabbit), which was a nice cut of steak served with a creamy and slightly spicy sauce, rice, one white potato, and a few chunos.  It was actually pretty good.  Otherwise, the saltenas, which are basically pockets filled with meat, potatoes, few vegetables and drippy sauce are a popular mid morning snack - think Bolivian version of an Indian samosa.  One can find them on almost any street corner, often being sold by a friendly Cholita from a food cart. Tucumanas are the more artisanally made pockets, whereas saltenas are very uniform-looking and probably massed produced in a factory somewhere in La Paz.