Native American Cookbook

New Year’s Celebration: crab salad, “wild” turkey, green beans and cornpone

The New Year is a chance to begin the year with Native food knowledge — eat a hearty breakfast, nutritious lunch and light dinner.  On festive days, the morning has been slept away so we begin with the long lunching of a multiple course meal. 

We begin with a salad course.

Crab Salad
This is freshly cracked dungeness crab stuffed into an avocado half.  Some of the cubed avocado is mixed in. Fresh lemon juice squeezed over the whole thing and add some neatly chopped spring onion. Serve it on a bed of fresh greens and grind some salt and pepper as desired.  This is a quick and easy presentation serving up a delicious and nutritious way to start the New Year!

The turkey was prepared in an oven (gasp!), but we’d like to think that’s what our ancient contemporary chefs de cuisine would have done if they had Wedgewoods. The green beans are pretty basic, lightly steamed or raw, and the cornpone is prepared as follows:

Corn Pone

2 cups of corn meal

1 cup cold water

1 teaspoon baking soda (*ahem* culinary ash)

1 tablespoon salt

Combine all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl. Get it nice and dough-y, not too watery, but not too thick and dry (is this easier said than done?!). This recipe sizes quite well, so feel free to half it, double it, triple it, etc. You can prepare this dough ahead of time, while the turkey/venison/bison cooks ;)

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high-heat (use a flat stone if you want to be a bad-ass). Liberally apply the cooking fat of your choice to the iron/stone (oil, butter, caribou fat… you get the picture). 

Shape the dough into little round biscuit-sized morsels of goodness, then place on the oiled cooking surface. Give ‘em a good press with a spatula, so they sizzle nicely to let you know they’re getting good and hot. When they start to get slightly brown and crispy on the cooked side, flip ‘em over and do it to the other side.  Serving suggestion: delicious plain and/or swimming in gravy.

As the rest of day progresses, keep out fresh fruit and leftovers so nibbling can continue into the New Year!

Important News: Native breads are ALL GLUTEN FREE!

Readers have requested recipes for fry bread, so there are some important clarifications to be made in the interest of our health and well being.  Native peoples evolved without eating gluten and only incorporated it into their diet as a result of dramatic displacement during colonization.  Evidence is mounting that the health effects of consuming wheat may be seriously harmful for many, many people.  Before I post some delicious recipes for native grain based breads, please read the reposted (http://feastandfamine.blogspot.com/2010/10/gluten-stress-part I) essay about gluten:

Gluten-Stress, Part I

Gluten-Stress
Part I
Unrecognized reactions to gluten-grains can land families, children, the elderly in doctors’ offices, pharmacies, health food stores, and hospital emergency rooms.
Gluten-intolerance is rarely diagnosed; instead wide-ranging symptoms are treated. The symptoms are in fact a medical cash cow.

What is Gluten?
A grain-based allergy-inducer and auto-immune-nightmare—-caused by eating/drinking foods made from:
Wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, triticale. Oats may or may not be tolerated.

(Oats are generally not tolerated, though an effort is being made to produce oats organically, and without any contamination by wheat in the planting fields, silos, and milling facilities.)
Other grains can be deliciously substituted; gluten-free foods are increasingly available.

Gluten-Intolerance is Becoming More Common. Why?
Antibiotics: In feed-lot-meat, and long-prescribed for every human sniffle—-prescribed without probiotics, and without understanding about antibiotic-caused gut damage.
Candida: Systemic and pandemic, following our antibiotic follies. (See “Age of Antibiotics meets Law of Unintended Consequences”) in: @font-face { font-family: “Cambria Math”; }@font-face { font-family: “Calibri”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”,”serif”; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 12pt; }.MsoPapDefault { margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 200%; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }
 http://feastandfamine.blogspot.com/2009/05/flying-pig-flu-power-up-immunity-with.html

Grain hybridization: To increase gluten-content for ever-fluffier bread.
Grains poisoned by AgriBiz: Trigger allergic immune reaction in some of us.
GMO grains: Inherently allergenic, and of unknown long-term effect.
Vaccines: Contaminated by heavy metals, adjuvants, and cross-species viruses, vaccines have activated gluten reactivity—especially in the Autism Spectrum population. (See): @font-face { font-family: “Cambria Math”; }@font-face { font-family: “Calibri”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”,”serif”; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 12pt; }.MsoPapDefault { margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 200%; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }http://feastandfamine.blogspot.com/2010/01/alzheimers-autism-link-vaccine.html

Chemtrails: The bizarro fallout from worldwide chemtrail spraying is of concern to health care professionals—Days of heavy spew are followed by an increase in hospital Emergency Room admissions. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue cases have risen markedly since the op began. With such auto-immune disorders and toxic body-burden, digestion may malfunction as well. (See): @font-face { font-family: “Cambria Math”; }@font-face { font-family: “Calibri”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”,”serif”; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 12pt; }.MsoPapDefault { margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 200%; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }http://feastandfamine.blogspot.com/2010/04/chemtrails-earth-solutions.html

Alcoholic Family Systems: Alcoholic families tend be gluten-intolerant. ACA’s (adult children of alcoholics) tend to marry one another, thus increasing the gene pool of potential gluten-reactivity down through the generations. (See: Gluten Good News at article’s conclusion.)

Native American & Native Hawaiian: Eating white man grains made native peoples dysfunctional—-It made them conquerable. Wheat flour is ground zero for native loss of physical and mental health. Traditional diets were based on corn, beans, squash, quinoa, amaranth (and in Hawaii, poi.) When missionary sweets, sandwiches, oatmeal, and fry bread became come-lately traditions, health and mental clarity suffered.


So, what’s the Problem?  Wheat’s the Staff of Life, Right?
Wheat and gluten grains can cause a whole-body and brain inflammatory process, starting in the GI tract.
Not a feel-good experience, despite gluten being in many comfort foods.
Stay tuned: Gluten-free nummies will follow in the series.

Examples of Gluten GI Tract Inflammation:
Acid reflux
Stomach ulcers
Spastic colon
Ulcerative colitis
Irritable bowel syndrome
Leaky gut syndrome
Diverticulosis
Crohn’s Disease

GI tract inflammation means mal-absorption of whatever nutrients we do manage to eat in this junk food era.
The body’s no fool, and realizes it’s not getting the goodies it needs for health and well-being.
It sends out distress urgency signals, also known as out-of-control cravings.
It is, thus, possible to become obese and still not satisfy the body’s needs. We are not “what we eat”; we are what we digest.

What Does Mal-Absorption Feel Like? (crummy) What Does It Do?
People with a grain-, and often a secondary lactose-intolerance, do not absorb vital nutrients, including:
B-vitamins, the energy-gifters; calming minerals like calcium and magnesium; fat soluble vitamins like A, E and D. Fats and essential fatty acids do not absorb well.
People get it that something’s not right; they buy supplements to try to blast some help through the mal-absorption.
Later on, we’ll talk about actually healing inflamed digestion, so it can do its job again.

Gluten and Mental Well-Being:
Gluten reactions may lead to inflammatory processes in brain function.
Say what? Say, the symptoms are legion. Tremendous grief-load of suffering goes by many names.
Symptoms are medicated, rather than a potential gluten problem being suspected and addressed.

An Allergic Reaction to Gluten May Trigger:
Dyslexia (and eccentric ah hah’s of cognition)
Learning disorders (Ritalin)
Sleep disorders (OTC and prescription sleeping pills)
Depression (Prozac, etc.)
Bipolar disorder (Lithium)
Anxiety attack (Paxil, etc.)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (tranquilizers)
Suicidal depression (sedation)
Schizophrenia (Thorazine, lock-ward, etc.)
Dementia
Dysfunctional, inter-generational family systems with:
Control freak and victim scenarios
Various types of abuse and domestic violence
Alcohol and drug abuse, workaholism to quell above symptoms/experiences

Gluten and Auto-Immune Disease:
 The chronic gluten inflammatory process, with its damaged-gut-leakage of poorly digested whatevers, right into the lymph and blood stream, can wear down adrenals and make the immune system punch-drunk with overload.
The body may begin attacking its own tissues.

Possible Auto-immune Reactivity to Gluten:
Fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Eczema, psoriasis, zits.
Arthritis
MS
Lupus
Gall bladder “attack”
Thyroid dysfunction
Type 2 Diabetes
Tachycardia, arrhythmia, mitral valve issues
Asthma, COPD
Reproductive difficulties, including ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, infertility, erectile dysfunction
Crohn’s Disease
Cancers

Why Isn’t Gluten-Intolerance Diagnosed from the Get-Go?
Is nutrition taught in medical schools?
No.
A few courageous physicians (and dentists) are studying holistic approaches on their own, including nutrition.
They are the exception, however, to the dominant slash/burn/poison (surgery, radiation, chemo) paradigm.
Support such medical trail-blazers; seek them out. Give them market-share, and the medical industry will eventually follow.

What’s the Gluten Good News?
Gluten-intolerance is relieved by not eating gluten. (Details in Part 2).
1) It’s possible to eat fabulously well, gluten-free.
2) Vitality and mental clarity become more and more “normal” and reliable.
3) Greater feeling of competence and safety.
4) Chronic symptoms become noticeable by their absence—-Including lessening of cravings and of pain.
Pain is a body-distress cry. Meds—-to numb pain symptoms—-have been the reigning modality.
Madison Ave has helped make meds must-have’s. We’ve bought into it. Who wants pain, for goodness sake.
The parallel holistic approach to well-being may involve dietary and life style change, and maybe detox, rather than numb-out. Goal: vitality.
Not a journey for the faint-hearted. But what an adventure!

Stay tuned for: Gluten Can-Do, Part 2
The Obligatory Disclaimer: 
Public service info offered at this site should in no way be construed as medical advice. For any health concerns, see your health care professional.

Resource: @font-face { font-family: “Cambria Math”; }@font-face { font-family: “Calibri”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”,”serif”; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 12pt; }.MsoPapDefault { margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 200%; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }http://www.celiac.comAncestral Rumination: @font-face { font-family: “Cambria Math”; }@font-face { font-family: “Calibri”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”,”serif”; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 12pt; }.MsoPapDefault { margin-bottom: 10pt; line-height: 200%; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; } http://stuffwhitepeopledo.blogspot.com/2009/06/claim-they-have-native-american-blood.html
  photo: Cereal Killers: Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free A to Z by Dr.Ron Hoggan

Thanksgiving Aftermath - Compost!

THANKSGIVING AFTERMATH

One thing to be very grateful for is San Francisco’s industrial composting service.  If your locality does not have this wonderful service, call your legislators.  If you have the space, create a compost bin or worm bin in your yard.  In San Francisco, styrofoam and plastic bags have been banned because they can take hundreds if not thousands of years to break down.  One minute of convenience can add up to quite a heavy cost for the environment.  The plastic spoon you see in the compost bin is made from corn starch and fully biodegradable.  Food soiled unbleached paper towels and napkins are also compostable. Like Mother Nature’s wisdom, to wrap corn in husks and oranges in peels, natural food containers and tools can be returned to the earth to feed the cycle of life. 

All the food we purchase can be looked upon like rings on a dart board.  In the middle at the bullseye are locally grown, all natural, ethically harvested and organic.  The outer rim might be wastefully packaged, artificially colored, scented, preserved factory made foods created with animal and worker cruelty.  Bring reusable bags shopping and consider your own personal role and impact because every purchase you make is a vote.  This Thanksgiving I am grateful for the wisdom of Native American culture to live in harmony with nature and leave a light footprint.

Thanksgiving Leftovers — Sobaheg

THANKSGIVING SOBAHEG

Sobaheg in Wampanoag means stew.  Historians believe that sobaheg was likely shared at the first Thanksgiving.  Variations of sobaheg continue to thrive and evolve in many Wampanoag households, and include seasonal ingredients and simply what is available locally.  This is a great crock pot recipe to make use of Thanksgiving leftovers.  It will make a hearty, nutritious meal or side dish.

 
1 cup of grits
2 cups of soaked beans, 1 or 2 cans of beans or a pound turkey meat (legs or breast, with bone and skin)
water
1 cup trimmed green beans
1 medium pumpkin or about 1 pound of squash cleaned and cubed
½ cup raw sunflower seeds, crushed 
½ cup maple syrup or honey (optional)
1½ tablespoons of salt

All of these ingredients can vary in quantity depending on what you have on hand.  After dinner, add about a pound of turkey meat to the crock pot.  If you do not have much turkey left, or wish to skip the meat, add a can or two of your favorite beans or other soaked beans for protein.  You can also use canned green beans if you do not have fresh ones available.  Once all ingredients are added to the crock pot, fill with water until about an inch from the top. 

The Wampanoag did not originally add salt, although their diets had healthful sodium levels from seafood.  I added about 1 and a half tablespoons of salt.  Reduce this amount accordingly if you are using canned vegetables.  For diabetic considerations, you can skip both the salt and the maple syrup.

Cook on low setting overnight or prepare in the morning and leave on low until dinnertime.

Pilgrim Thanksgiving: Shellfish course

One food item in plentiful supply in 1600s North America… seafood! Legends persist of fishes so thick you could walk upon them.  Before being driven from their homelands, Native American peoples, like all known civilizations, tended to build their communities near river banks.  Natives and Pilgrims alike could enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh fish and shellfish.  Yeah, that’s a Dungeness crab pictured below, but you know, given the choice between those and the Gulf spill compromised east-coast blue crabs… wild-caught Dungeness is the superior choice. We also had a selection of oysters, “harvested” this very morning.  A bitter reminder of the combining of cultures was the environmental degradation, natural resource depletion and toxic pollution that we now must consider when pulling a fish from the river or purchasing shrimp at the local market.

For those of you keeping score at home, the pairing was an Alsace Pinot Noir Crémant (sparkling) wine. Bubbles and crab, mmmm…

Authentic Pilgrim Thanksgiving?

Today we’re attempting to fix an authentic Pilgrim Thanksgiving, a mash-up of Native American and English food which might have been served at the original harvest feast. Of course, nobody knows exactly what was on that menu, but it was a combination of staples which the Pilgrims brought on their voyage, added to all the bounty that the New World had to offer. 

It probably took place over the course of several days and involved plenty of meats, game and seafood. According to the Wampanoag Center for Bicultural History (Plimoth.org), they may have enjoyed “sobaheg,” a Wampanoag favorite: a stewed mix of corn, roots, beans, squash and various meats. Also abundant locally were: clams, lobsters, cod, eels, onions, turnips and greens from spinach to chard.  The Wampanoag women and men, and their children set the example for enjoying the first Thanksgiving dinner as a family.   They were joined at the table by the Pilgrim men, while the Pilgrim wives were obligated to stand behind their men until they were finished eating. Welcome to America, ladies. 

We’re also pairing some wines with our feast… while the locals probably would never have done this, the English were all about their grog. The Mayflower’s original gig was as a wine cargo ship from France to England, after all.  Many people, especially of Native American descent do not have the biological ability to process alcohol without causing organ damage, so drink responsibly.