Tips & Tricks: Blog love and Bready Goods

Before I launch into a much-belated and long-awaited blog post, I wanted to give a quick shout out to Marcia (sounds like "Garcia") Gagliardi, San Francisco's very own Tablehopper. This online maven and frisco foodie always has the skinny on the best bites and dining deals in town. Her e-column is a weekly crash course on the hottest restaurant news in our corner of the world and by regularly perusing her witty and informative musings, you will impress your friends and become the go-to for recommendations. Why the accoclades? Marcia is not only a great food reporter but an awesome person too and after a short email correspondance, gave your very own Sodium Girl a shout-out on her site. Thank you, Marcia! And for all of you looking to spice up your dining habits...take a second to sign up for her newsletter and change your life forever.

So now onto the sodium 411. I have a long laundry list of products, spices, and substitutions that makes eating sodium free a virtual cinch. I have been a bit overwhelmed by the process of compiling (and mostly remembering to include) all of these items...so I've decided, to be more consistant in my blogging and actually provide information that is immediately useful, to post a new Tip & Trick every Friday and slowly, I will reveal all that is good and magical.

Bread and bready goodies. Be well warned that your favorite floury treats tend to be high in sodium. This is not only caused by the actual salt included in most recipes but is also a result of the baking soda (which contains between 100-200 mg of sodium per serving and is commonly known as "sodium bicarbonate"...um, woops!) and baking powder (which also contains between 100-200). Until your favorite bagel shop, cookie spot, and pizza joint start making their goodies without baking powder or baking soda (Noe Valley Bakery, care to give it a shot?), you'll have to bring the bakery to your own kitchen.

But this is easier than it sounds. First, you can always substitute yeast for our two baking culprits - this live ingredient acts as an equally effective leavening agent, producing bubbles in your wet ingredients that expand the mixture. Yeast works very well for pizza and breadmaking. Be warned though, it can produce a somewhat fermented taste (think beer). So for sweeter recipes, the best solution is NO SODIUM baking powder and baking soda. What? This exists? Yeah. it does. And while it used to only exist online, I have actually seen it sold in Whole Foods - which, by the by, apparently publishes awesome dietary-need-based grocery lists for their stores. The two products I use are Hain Pure Foods Sodium Free Baking Powder and Ener-G Calcium Cabonate. And to really blow your mind, they are also gluten free.

Now, let's say you want to make a sandwich or a Toas-Tite and making your own bread sounds too laborious. Lucky news, sodium free bread can be easily found in most grocery stores. Food For Life's Ezekial 4:9 low-sodium sprouted grain bread (which has no sodium in it and is truly godly) is my go-to. And since I know for a fact that I do not hold all the sodium-free answers, check out this neat-o skeat-o website for an expansive list of no and low-sodium bread products and their sodium/serving amounts.

I'm pretty excited about some no-sodium salsas I just discovered on this site! Mexican pizza anyone?

Thanks to signalite1 for an anwesome flickr photo of a delicious baked goodies!

Recipe Box: Eastover

What do you get when you have one kidney-failing Jew, a group of semi non-practicing Christian friends, and a knack for combining two words into one? EASTOVER! Sodium-free style.

I love nothing more than a good excuse to throw a food fest, so the culmination of these two fantastically treat-related holidays seemed like the perfect fit. Boy and I (with help from mom and dad - who are learning how to cook without salt!) whipped up a salt-free shmorg-borg of brunchy delights: Horoses and matzoh, deviled eggs, baba ganoush, two gorgeous fruit tarts care of Annie, slow-cooked scrambled eggs, macaroons, and an unbelievable fennel and sweet potato hash with spice-rubbed flank steak.

I'm opening up the recipe box for two of these recipes that are wonderful for brunch or even linner (lunch + dinner) entertaining...but if you're interested in any of the others or want advice on combining words, feel free to post a note!

Slow Cooked Scrambled Eggs - deadly and delicate, yet deceivingly easy to make
The most amazing part of this recipe is that to make it salt free requires the mere removal of well...the salt.

1. So you're ready when the time comes, beat 8 eggs (serves 5-6) in a large bowl. When smooth, mix in 1/2 cup of half and half.

2. Chop a bunch of chives. Sometimes cutting with scissors is easier than using a knife.

3. In a tall pot on medium heat melt 2 tablespoons of sweet butter.

4. Continuously stir the butter as it bubbles and browns - you do not want it to burn but instead turn into a nice caramel color - this will give the dish an extra nutty flavor

5. Pour in eggs and lower heat so its in between a low and medium flame - remember, you want to slowly cook the eggs. And MOST importantly, DO NOT STOP STIRRING.

6. When the mixture becomes smooth and thick, stir in 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche (or really, as much as you like - I find that the creamier the eggs the better) and the chives.

7. Serve immediately! Trust me, you won't want to wait one more minute to dig in.

Total time: 20-25 min and can be made while entertaining guests in the kitchen. It's a pretty flawless recipe.

Fennel and Sweet Potato Hash: buttery, beautiful, and better than brisket
This is a Boy original. A spice rub, brown butter, and creme fraiche topper really kick up the flavor profile in this dish and his plating isn't half bad either.

1. The day before (not totally necessary but will ensure more flavor), rub the flank steak (ask butcher for an appropriate amt for number of guests) with smoked paprika, Herbs de Provence, ancho chile powder, and rosemary

2. Prepare three bulbs of fennel by cutting off stems and and very bottom of bulb. Thinly slice fennel length wise so that the fennel slices look like palm frawn (see picture above).

3. Cut half of a white onion length wise to mimic the length of the fennel frawns.

4. Wash and cut 2 sweet potatoes into small rectangular chunks or cubes (your aesthetic taste).

5. Heat large pan over medium heat and brown 2 tablespoons of butter.

6. Add fennel to the pan and cook until slightly browned.

7. Add sweet potatoes to fennel and butter and cook until softened (not mushy, but edible).

8. While your veggies are cooking, grill meat on a grill, panini press, or George Foreman - whatever you got - for about 5-8 min so that meat is still a bit pink and tender on the inside. After cooking, let rest for five minutes before cutting 1/4 inch slabs of meaty goodness.

9. Layer meat over a pile of fennel and sweet potato hash.

10. For the topper, mix creme fraiche with a pinch of fennel seed and a pinch of ancho chile powder. Dollop away and enjoy.

Total time: 1 day (optional) and 50 min - worth every second

And for random food photos of the other delicious treats: