Lunchbox Liz

My day job is as a craft editor. Rummaging through one of the many antique shops that surround our office building, I got the idea to combine my love of food with my love of craft. I found a set of crochet table runners that just had to come home with me. I washed them them in mild soap and then mordanted them with alum, specifically potassium aluminum sulfate. The word “mordant” is derived from a French word meaning “to bite”. Using a mordant--alum is just one of many--helps the dyes adhere to the fibers. I then dyed the runner in turmeric, the ingredient that makes curry powder yellow. At left is my friend and coworker Liz modeling the results.

Today’s Lunch
Baked tofu with onion, steamed broccoli, basmati rice

Place coconut oil in the bottom of a cast-iron skillet and allow to melt over medium-high heat. Place 1/2 tsp each mustard and cumin seeds in oil. When they pop, add 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup basmati rice, and a pinch of salt to the pan. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. In a cast iron skillet, chop onion and cook in 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add 1 tbsp curry and cook for five minutes on low heat (it is important to cook the curry so that the bitter under taste is diminished) Chop 1/2 lb tofu and toss with onion and curry. Place the skillet in oven at 300 degrees for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Chop and steam 1 head of broccoli. Serves 2.

Notes: My husband is a huge fan of Ayurvedic cooking. Ayurveda is a medical system from India that takes into account the movement of energy in nature and in people. Our favorite cookbook is The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amedea Morningstar.