2014 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival: Hanami (Japan Pavilion)

Japan Pavilion at EPCOT

Japan's booth is named Hanami, which means "flower viewing". How cool is that? Quite appropriate for the Flower and Garden event (of course).

Honestly, I could skip the Japan booth. I love Japanese food, but it is easy enough to come by out in the real world, so I don't have a need to try it at EPCOT when there are so many other exotic cuisines to choose from. But, in the interest of hitting every booth, of course we stopped here.

Passport Page for Hanami

I ordered the Frushi which is gluten free, and although it is not marked as such, I believe it is also vegetarian/vegan. Frushi is fruit sushi- the pink wrapping is soy paper, and the filling is coconut rice, pineapple, strawberries and melon, topped with raspberry sauce and toasted coconut. The whipped cream is from a can (I didn't note the brand), so be careful about that if you have food sensitivities to milk, corn, soy, or artificial flavors.

I also ordered the popped rice cakes, which are not marked as gluten free in the passport, but the Chef happened to be there in the booth, and he assured me that the rice cake dish IS gluten free, even though it was not marked as such in the passport.

Each of these items is VERY sweet. I would classify the Frushi as a dessert item. I would classify the rice cakes -with raspberry sauce, sprinkles, red bean paste, and green tea whipped cream- as equivalent to an 8-year old's birthday cupcake on steroids. Seriously. That was just sugar on a plate. Wow. It was fun to try a few bites, but unless you need a sugar rush or have a burning desire to visit your dentist, I'd say don't bother. If you are looking for dessert, go get flan at the Mexico pavilion!

Frushi: Fruit sushi (gluten free)

Popped rice cakes with green tea whipped cream (gluten free)

In my opinion, the coolest thing about the Japan Pavilion during the Flower and Garden show is not the food, but the Bonsai. Do yourself a favor and walk back through the Japanese gardens to take a look at the bonsai on display. I admit, I do not know as much as I'd like about bonsai (I do have some bonsai books on my "to read" list at the library), but even knowing nothing about the art, I was blown away by the trees on display. Here are a few photos, although they really do not do the trees justice- they were much more stunning in person.

Koi pond at Japan Pavilion

Bonsai on display at Japan Pavilion

Cypress Bonsai on display at Japan Pavilion

Several Bonsai on display at Japan Pavilion

These are just a few of the trees- there were many more on display.

Just for fun, here are a few links to more information about Bonsai:
American Bonsai Society
Bonsai Experience: Types of Bonsai Trees
US National Arboretum: Bonsai Gallery

2014 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival: Lotus House (China Pavilion)

China Pavilion- it's an overcast day today

Lotus House Outdoor Kitchen

Passport page for Lotus House

Spring Pancake with Grilled Chicken and Green Apple 

Spring Pancake, opened up

Vegetable Spring Roll (vegetarian)

I did not eat any of the offerings at Lotus House this year. While the candied strawberries are marked as gluten free and vegetarian, the candy coating was super shiny and super red, and just made me nervous that it could be a toxic amalgam of corn syrup and artificial color. Of course, it could have just been a sugar syrup, but I didn't want to take a chance.

Of all the booths at last year's Food and Wine, I thought this one was the least interesting (I did try a couple of items last year). In my opinion, it is pretty standard "mall Chinese" food. It's also not the best option if you avoid soy ingredients.

Allergy tip: The bubble tea, which may seem safe, includes Coffee Mate (not uncommon in bubble teas), which can be problematic for corn and soy allergies.

Raw Vegan Seaweed Soup

Wow!

Raw vegan creamy seaweed soup

I really, really liked this soup.

I was a little skeptical, but it was fantastic. Not to mention fast and easy!

I got this recipe out of a raw vegan cookbook... somewhere. Unfortunately, I did not write down which cookbook, and I regret that I cannot give proper credit! If anyone knows where this came from, please let me know and I will cite appropriately.

Seaweed is very high in iron, calcium, and other minerals. Seaweed also has strong anti-inflammatory compounds, as well as antiviral and anticoagulant properties. For more information on the health benefits of different types of seaweed, click here and here.

Raw Vegan Seaweed Soup
Serves 2-4

Ingredients
1 ounce wakame
5 cups filtered water
1 cup raw pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon sea salt

Soak the seaweed in the water in a large bowl for 10 to 15 minutes. Using a strainer, strain the seaweed over another bowl. Measure 3 cups of the seaweed water and discard the rest (or use it on your plants).

In a high speed blender, combine the 3 cups of seaweed water with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Using a ladle, remove any foam that rises to the top. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with some of the soaked seaweed.

Wheat and Soy Free Soy Sauce

Many of you with food allergies have no doubt discovered by now that soy sauce contains not just soy, but also wheat. Tamari can be a good wheat-free substitute, but it still contains soy, which is another top-8 allergen, and a common sensitivity for those who are gluten sensitive.

Image source

(I admit, I chose this photo because of the Disney bottle:)

What about Nama Shoyu? Nama Shoyu is an unpasteurized soy sauce often used in raw recipes (even though Nama Shoyu is not technically "raw", most raw foodists find that it is one of the acceptable non-raw components of a raw diet, since it still contains living enzymes). Note that Nama Shoyu is not gluten free, and still contains soy. The only difference between Nama Shoyu and regular soy sauce is that Nama (which means raw) Shoyu (which means soy sauce) is not heat pasteurized.

Also note that all three: soy sauce, tamari, and nama shoyu, are fermented products which are fermented by Saccharomyces yeasts and Aspergillus molds- which may pose a concern for those who are yeast and/or mold sensitive.

So what's a gluten, soy, or mold-sensitive person to do???

You can make a homemade substitution. It is not exactly the same as soy sauce, but it does provide some of the earthy, umami flavor and saltiness of soy sauce. Note: This recipe uses mushrooms, so if you are avoiding molds and fungus this might not work for you either. I probably could not have tolerated this a few years ago, but I can tolerate it now, in moderation.

Joan made this recipe at Thanksgiving, and gave me half of the finished batch. I froze it in ice cube trays, then kept the cubes in a container in the freezer, and used as needed. Ice cube trays are about one tablespoon per ice cube (I actually measured out one tablespoon per ice cube the first time; this time I just eyeballed and filled them). I found one cube was the perfect amount for most recipes.

I have finally used all of my frozen "nama shoyu", so today I made more, and thought I'd share how easy it is. It is really nice to have on hand. Previously, I had no good substitution for soy sauce, and that left a lot of recipes lacking.

Soy Sauce Substitute (Gluten Free, Soy Free, Raw, Vegan)
Makes 2 cups (32 Tablespoons; 2 ice cube trays)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Equipment: blender

Ingredients
One large portabella mushroom
One tablespoon sea salt
Two cups filtered water

Method
Blend all ingredients in high speed blender (I'm sure a regular blender will work too)

You only need a portobella mushroom, but I had some King Trumpet mushrooms left over from another recipe, so I threw a few of those in also. I thought it might add another dimension to the flavor of the sauce, plus King Trumpet mushrooms are supposed to be super-healthy, so why not throw 'em in there:

Put ingredients in blender:

Blend:

I put some in a small jar that I will keep in the fridge and use right away. 

The rest I froze in ice cube trays, to use later: 

I hope this recipe is helpful to you. I think any flavorful, earthy mushroom would probably work in this recipe. I'd love to hear if you try another variety, and how it turns out. By the way, I learned today that Portobello mushrooms are crimini mushrooms that have been allowed to grow to full maturity. Who knew?

Marinated Portabella Mushrooms with Lemongrass Pesto and Cashew Polenta

Adapted from this recipe at Raw Epicurean

As you saw in the last garden update, the lemongrass in our herb garden is going crazy right now. It is huge, lush, and beautiful. I was so excited to have an abundance of lemongrass- which, by the way, is about $5 for 3 stalks at Whole Foods when they happen to have it.

Then I realized... I don't actually know what to do with lemongrass. I've eaten it. I like it. But I've never actually cooked with it.

So, I Googled for lemongrass recipes. The first few pages showed lots of fish recipes. Hmm, interesting, but not what I was looking for. So I Googled again- this time for vegetarian lemongrass recipes. That resulted in many Asian recipes, mostly for soups. Sounds delicious, but it's waaayyyy too hot outside for cooked soup. So I Googled raw vegan lemongrass recipe. Bingo! Raw Epicurean had this recipe using Lemongrass Pesto.

I was nervous about the portabella. I have not specifically been tested for mushroom in my food allergies, but my physician warned me not to eat fungi. I haven't touched a mushroom since 2007.

I considered replacing the mushroom with something else, but in the end, decided I'd try the recipe as written. I do love mushrooms, after all, and if I could eat them, that would offer some more dietary options. (end result, I was OK, but mild symptoms, so probably not something I should eat much of or often).

I have to tell you, those marinated and dehydrated portabellas were amazing. They tasted cooked. They were fabulous. If you can eat mushrooms, I would highly recommend the marinating and dehydrating technique- using whatever herbs suit your tastes. These mushrooms could top a salad, or a raw spaghetti dish, or a raw vegan pizza, or be tossed in a raw "pasta" salad. They do not become "dried" as you might imagine when you think "dehydrated"- they are just warm and juicy and infused with whatever you marinated them with. Delicious!

Marinated Portabella Mushrooms with Lemongrass Pesto and Cashew Polenta
Serves 2

I was going to post the recipe here, but I didn't change very much, so I will refer you to the original post on Raw Epicurean for the recipe. Below are the changes I made:

Marinated mushrooms: I omitted the white truffle oil*
Lemongrass pesto: I omitted the parsley, and substituted 1/4 cup pine nuts for the sunflower seeds
Assembly: I omitted the tomato

That's it! The rest followed the recipe. It was absolutely delicious.

*Allergy tip: white truffle oil is actually a blend of oils, most commonly olive, sunflower and truffle. If you choose to include it, make sure you find one that is safe for your needs.

Dining out with food allergies

Restaurants have greatly improved in knowledge and accommodation of food allergies. Many restaurants now have gluten free menus. I always find this an encouraging sign- it means they are aware of gluten sensitivities, and likely conduct staff training regarding food sensitivities. This translates to other food sensitivities as well, so even if your sensitivity is not gluten, a restaurant with a gluten-free menu will likely understand your allergy to "x" and take the same precautions. Tip: even if dining in a restaurant with a gluten-free menu, be sure to discuss your allerg(ies) with your server, or the manager. Be sure they understand your specific needs, and make sure they understand issues of cross-contamination, etc.

The best option, if you need to be away from home for any length of time, is to bring a little cooler with some allergy-safe snacks. Fresh or dried fruit, veggie sticks, nuts, granola, water, etc. Or a big green smoothie in a glass! I use a mason jar, plastic lid, and a big fat glass straw.

Other options

Asian restaurants- steamed rice & steamed veggies. Depending on your allergies, you might also be able to use soy or other sauce, but be aware that soy sauce contains wheat AND soy. Also be aware of the oils used for stir-frying veggies- it could be soy, peanut, sesame, canola oil or a blend- any of which may be a problem for you, so always ask. I play it safe and get steamed rice and steamed veggies, no sauce, no oil. Be sure they use a freshly sterilized pan to prepare your meal (good restaurants already know this, but it never hurts to ask the server).

Salad bars- In my opinion, salad bars are not a good option- there is too high of a risk for cross-contamination. Customers pick up tongs from one item and use them for another item, food falls off tongs into another bin, etc. Be careful about salad bar items that come from a jar or can: artichokes, olives, water chestnuts, even beans. You can't be sure what they were packed in. You can ask the manager to check for you- I've found they are usually very accommodating about this. Don't even think about a salad dressing- there are waaaaayyyy too many ingredients in commercial salad dressings. Use oil & vinegar if you go the salad route. Ask what kind of oil if oils are a problem for you (it's usually olive oil but you never know). Salad bars are not impossible- I often use the one at Whole Foods- but be aware of the risks, and choose wisely based on your own sensitivities.

Juice and smoothie bars- The best options for juice and smoothie bars is those that make the juices FRESH, from whole, fresh ingredients. You can often find these types of juice bars in health food stores and Whole Foods. Be careful about chain stores, such as the smoothie stores you see in shopping malls. Those ingredients are often canned or frozen, and have added ingredients for color, sweetness, etc. It is not impossible to find a viable option at one of these places, but it takes a lot of time, label reading, and communication with the staff. If that is the type of smoothie bar near you, and you want that to be an option, I would recommend speaking with the manager at a time when they are not busy. Explain your food sensitivities and ask him to check the package ingredients, to see which might be an option for you. Also, ask about every ingredient that goes into the smoothie. Commercial smoothies are not only fruit. They often also add a thickening agent, and sugar. Some have an added protein (soy, whey, egg) that might be an ingredient you are trying to avoid. Ask specifically about these items. Often it does not occur to the staff that those items could be a problem. As with other restaurants, smoothie bars should also use a freshly sterilized blender carafe to prepare your item (again, this is usually not a problem). In my experience, I've found staff totally understand using sterilized utensils, but they rarely understand hidden ingredients.

Stay tuned for future posts on this topic.