What We Ate (while you were gone)

Dear Austin ~ I hope you don't mind:  I'm using writing you while you are traveling as a way to get on my food blog more often.  When we lived with B & A, we kept a calendar magneted to the fridge and would fill in day by day the meals we created.  It was fun!  For a long while I have wanted to do that on here  ~ to see how we eat as the seasons change, things we cook often and things we should cook more often, to monitor just exactly how much we cook at home (and how much we don't) etc., but just haven't done it.  I think this may be a way.  And a fun way.

Love.

January 14, 2010

last night Papi worked an evening shift, so Anjali and i ate by ourselves.

i heated up a pint of spaghetti sauce from the freezer that i had made a while back.  lots of ground beef, lots of sauteed onion, and an undertone of roasted acorn squash.  when i made it originally, i expected the squash to be more of an outspoken flavor, but it simply adds a warm sweetness and thickness.  and we had tinkyada brown rice pasta shells, with plenty of olive oil and butter.  we ate sitting on the floor at the leather coffee table.  anjali went through using every utensil available before settling on her hands to feed me pasta shell after pasta shell.  she gave that corner of the table a much-needed spa treatment with her butter and olive oil handprints.

that one long Indian Raag Kirwani that you never can bear to sit through came on the stereo and i giggled to myself as i listened to it all the way through.  ;-)

i employed your method and your french press to steep my nettle infusion overnight.  thank you!  :-)

the full press of dark dark tea sitting on the counter reminds me of you.

 

Wassail Kraut

Made by Ciara, Austin, and me, the mind behind the spice mix in this recipe is all Ciara ~ a ferment master who earned her title from many a Friday fermenting at Three Stone Hearth kitchen! We put it in the crock yesterday, and it should be close to ready right around Christmas. Probably perfect by New Year!

7 decent-sized heads of cabbage ~ 5 green, 2 purple

2 apples ~ preferably crisp and tart, like pink lady

1/4 cup, plus 2 T coarse sea salt

2 T whole coriander seeds

1 t whole cloves

1 t cardamom seeds, taken from the pods, but not ground

6 cinnamon sticks

Quarter the cabbages and core them. Shred. Massage with salt (to taste. It should taste salty.) until the leaves start to lose their stiffness and liquid collects in the bottom of the bowl. Core the apples and slice thin. Toast the coriander, cloves, and cardamom. Mix the apple and spices in with the cabbage, attempting not to break or mush the apples. Pack into a clean crock or jar, with a weight, so that the liquid rises an inch above the vegetable matter.

Open for the holidays and share with loved ones!

Food, Inc.

Here's one worth watching: the movie, Food, Inc., due in theaters tomorrow.

 If you have been wondering what all the fuss is about organics, food safety/security, "local" foods, and why it is they expect you to pay several times more for the "same product" if it is labeled organic, this will be a high quality introduction for you. Seeing a movie is a pretty painless form of education. From this interview by CUESA, it sounds as if most of the information will not be shocking to those of us "in the know" about food issues. But I think it's always wise to keep myself reminded about why it is I do what I do, and don't do what I don't do, and to support the folks who are putting forth the effort to get the information out, also so that when someone says, "Whatta you think about this?" I can have a fruitful conversation about it. Because what we eat is so important for so many reasons. It affects everything.

Roasted Roots

Here's one of the ways I've used all those carrots.

This simple method works with many the root veggie ~ try parsnips and turnips this way! It's easy and crowd pleasing. Since moving to California, I have developed a great appreciation for fennel, as it grows wild here even in the medians. It works like onion, but adds a fresh, mild anise flavor.

Roasted Beets and Carrots with Fennel

serves four as a side dish

1 tbsp butter (don't be afraid to use more!)

1 tbsp olive oil

3 medium-sized beets, scrubbed

2 large carrots, scrubbed

1 regular-sized fennel bulb

sea salt to taste ~ start with 1/2 tsp

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Quarter the beets, and chop them again in half in a way that makes roughly uniform chunks. Do the same with the carrots, again with the goal of making roughly equal-sized pieces with the beets. This will help them cook in about the same time. Cut the fennel in half lengthwise, and then slice it lengthwise from there into thin pieces.

In a roasting dish (I love earthenware ~ I've found every piece I own at thrift stores for cents!!), place the beet and carrot chunks and the fats. Cover. Put the dish in the oven and roast, stirring a couple times to coat the veggies in butter and oil. When the veggies begin to yield to the press of fork tines ~ maybe 20 minutes, add the fennel slices, stir and cover again. Roast for about 10 more minutes, or until the veggies are tender but not mushy.

the best

I devoured Molly Wizenberg's book, A Homemade Life. The story compelled me. Tales of Paris, and all the food food food romanced me. I am pleased with how it has inspired me to write even more in my blogs, including this food blog which had cobwebs on it from Anjali's arrival in October. I look around at my life and see the poetry, I smell the fragrances, and I appreciate the beauty, and love, in a fresh way. What a gift! There are also many recipes that I'm looking forward to trying ~ one for buckwheat pancakes (I loove pancakes), a cornbread recipe that has cream that oozes through it (love cornbread and cream), some fun salad concoctions and too many cake recipes to name. I've always been afraid of baking cakes, that I just didn't have what it takes to be a cake baker (she is a cake baker ~ with weights and precise measurements; I'm a soup maker ~ add a little of this, a blob of that until it tastes good), but with her zeal and reassurance, I think I might have the nerve to give one a try. Perhaps that last chocolate cake recipe with only a tablespoon of flour! Sounds like a good place to start.

But now that I'm walking away from the story ~ finished it in just three enthusiastic evenings of bedtime reading ~ I think the best thing I've taken away from A Homemade Life upon initially setting it down is = I've started eating chocolate with my bread. Without a special occasion ~ other than the occasion to eat chocolate with bread. ;-)

This morning I fried my eggs, over medium, and then a slice of 100% rye sourdough bread (no caraway seeds) in the leftover butter (plus perhaps a pat). Then while it was still hot and bubbling with butter, I laid two squares of Green & Black's Dark 70% on top (you wouldn't think that rye would be good with chocolate, but I urge you to give it a try ~ real rye, not that white stuff with the caraway seeds that supposedly indicate that it's "rye"). They melted into puddles with just the little G&B leaf imprint left of the solid rectangle by the time I got to the table. If that isn't a way to start your day off right, I don't know what is.

Thanks, Molly! :-D

Sweet Potato Soup with Greens

I love soup. I could probably prepare and enjoy a soup every night of the year. A base of some good broth, whatever produce we brought home from the farmers' market plus maybe some meat ~ that's the soup. And it's always good. This winter season I have been attached to making soup this way: lay down a base flavor ~ usually starting by simmering a chopped onion in the broth; then a veggie such as stewed tomatoes, roasted winter squash, carrots, or in this case, roasted sweet potatoes with the skins. I puree that. Then I add a chopped or chunked veggie that adds texture. This often includes a dark leafy green. We eat a lot of dark leafy greens. They are oftentimes delicious in soups. Last night's ingredients were intended for a soup to take to a friend who recently had a healthy baby boy. But we sure did enjoy it. ;-) The three different dried peppers cut the sweetness of the potatoes three different ways. Leftover, it was probably even better.

Sweet Potato Soup with Greens

serves 3-4 depending on your sweet potatoes, the water you add, and the size of your bowls

A quart of good chicken broth ~ homemade or of equal quality, or homemade veggie broth

A mess of sweet potatoes roasted at 400 until soft, cooled, then sliced into 1/2 inch pieces ~ as many as you can fit between your two hands without dropping them (before they're roasted) ~ I used "Japanese sweet potatoes", but use your favorite, or what's on hand. In America, Sweet Potato = Yam = same thing.

Three large cloves of garlic ~ two crushed well with the side of your chef's knife, the other sliced thin

Dark leafy greens ~ I used what they call a "braising mix" at the farmers' market = an assortment of young kales, collard, chard, etc. ~ equal in precooked volume to the potatoes, chiffonade

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Cayenne

*Fresh* red pepper flakes

Smoked paprika

Sea salt to taste ~ start with 1/2 teaspoon

Water as needed

In a pot or dutch oven, warm the chicken broth slowly up to a boil. Add the crushed garlic and simmer until the garlic is soft. Add the sweet potato slices and simmer. Puree till smooth (there's that handheld blender again!). Toss in greens and garlic. Cover. Simmer until greens get a little darker than just wilted. Add vinegar, spices, and sea salt, adjusting as needed. If it's too thick, add some water and bring back up to temperature. I think it's better at the consistency of thick soup, as opposed to a soupy baked potato... This is hearty.

Serve with a salad and some craggy hunks of bread to dip in the soup.

Read about that charming label.

Apples for Anjali

Fuji.

bake, covered.

puree.

fill ice cube trays.

pop out and

store in freezer bags.

pull out individual cubes

thaw to serve,

or leave frozen for teething.

inspired

(as in ~ i am inspired)

i ordered this book and it came in the mail yesterday. i had other things on my mind to accomplish yesterday evening after helping the babe to sleep, but i at least wanted to crack the book open to take a little sneak peek! and i read 100 pages. guess i like it. ;-) full of love, of family, of life, and of food. and full of delicious recipes that, now that i come to think of it, mostly are falling into the dessert category so far. i recommend.

A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg

squashmoosh

say it. "squashmoosh." purse your lips when you say it and let the "sh" sound trail a little long. it is as yummy to eat as it is to say.

i roasted a simple butternut squash with nothing really in mind to do with it. once it cooled, and i tasted it, it really didn't do that much for me compared to the many winter squashes i have delighted in. i looove em. so i thought i'd make a pureed type of side dish, adding a little sucanat to make it more pleasing. but first i added butter. lots of butter, like almost a whole stick. then i tasted again. what?! it tasted so sweet, it no longer needed sugar! dashes of cinnamon and sea salt = it was deeeelicious. now, i know that vegan sympathizers and hold-overs of the low fat epidemic will insist that a roasted winter squash is perfectly tasty without anything added to it. i agree; it would have been good with nothing but its wholesome natural flavor. but with the added butter, it was *deeply satisfying.*

mmmm!

astonishingly already thinking about what to feed the tot, this will definitely be in the winter repertoire. and i know it seems too simple to write a recipe about, but ~ try it. i am in love with my handheld blender and rarely use the stand-up blender anymore for these kinds of things. so that's what i recommend (i found mine second hand for 99 cents!!), but a blender works, too, just so long as you leave the lid open if pureeing hot squash and protect yourself by covering it with a towel. or wait till it's cooled and heat it up again to add the butter.

Squashmoosh

serves 4 - 6 as a side dish

butternut squash

butter

sea salt

cinnamon

cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and place face down on a buttered baking dish. roast at 400 until very soft when pierced with a fork. let cool. scoop out the seed and discard. scoop out the flesh into a pot and mash by fork, or puree with a handheld blender (or scoop into a blender, puree, then transfer to the pot). warm gently, add butter, and incorporate as it melts deliciously. add sea salt and cinnamon to taste.

enjoy!

French Toast du Jour

I woke up feeling the need to pamper myself this morning. Before I even got out of bed (true to foodie form), I was envisioning and tasting French Toast. Here's what I came up with, a Pampering Breakfast for One (well ~ two, technically. ;-) ).

• 1 1/2 slices of bread ~ I used mixed grain sourdough from Morell, b/c that's what was in the pantry; I think something with dried fruit might be nice. .
• one egg (make sure it's organic, if not raised on pasture by someone you trust)
  
• a spoonful (or so) of cream (I used divine Claravale raw cream) or crème fraîche ~ if you are avoiding dairy, or don't have access to organic, I think whole fat coconut milk would make a fine substitute.
  
• a spoonful of organic maple syrup
  
• a dash of sea salt
  
• a dash of cinnamon
  
• almonds chopped finely (see my explanation about soaking nuts here)
• organic cream, or crème fraîche, and maple syrup for drizzling
• extra cinnamon for sprinkling

Whisk the egg with the 5 ingredients that follow in a shallow mixing bowl. Cut the bread into diagonal quarters, and soak in the egg mixture, turning to soak both sides, while you're warming your skillet. Use a thick skillet (you know I love cast iron) to hold the heat, add butter (don't be afraid ~ add a few tablespoons! and ~ if dairy-free, use coconut oil) and heat until a little drop of egg mixture sizzles as it hits. But don't let the butter brown. When the bread is adequately saturated, fry those babies in the butter. Spoon the little pieces of almond that stay in the mixing bowl onto the top of the pieces of bread as they sizzle in the butter. Turn when the pieces are nicely browned. If the skillet is the right temperature, it will only take a few minutes on each side.

Serve drizzled with cream or crème fraîche (you read right. don't be afraid [as long as it's organic]; just pretend you're French.), and maple syrup. Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

One egg soaks about 1 1/2 standard slices of dense bread. If making this for more than one person, use this as a gauge. My measurements are always approximate and of-the-moment; you can do the same, giving or taking as you taste fit.

Summertime Tapenade

Technically, this is not a true tapenade. But the bold presence of the black olives made me call it that. I think it has a nice ring..

chopped perfectly ripe tomatoes (don't even think about making this in the winter! use olive-oil-soaked sun-dried tomatoes if you do. and leave out the cucumber.)

~ I have discovered dry-farmed tomatoes this season. oh. my god. ~

diced Armenian cucumber (discovered that this season, too.. )

minced garlic

chopped oil-cured black olives, with the brine set aside

freshly toasted cumin

freshly toasted coriander

sea salt to taste

chili flakes to taste

Combine these ingredients to meet your needs. I used enough small early girl tomatoes to fill my two hands, and diced enough cucumber to fill it out nicely, but not densely (then I ate the rest of the cucumber slice-by-slice as I prepared dinner!). I minced 4 regular-sized garlic cloves, and chopped.. 8 olives, because that's what was in the fridge. I toasted a little more than a teaspoon of cumin seeds, and a little less than a teaspoon of coriander. Toasting spices brings out their flavor; I can't recommend this highly enough. It's really worth the few extra minutes of effort and attention. You will smell when they're done. Trust your nose. Add the reserved olive brine to your taste. Then the sea salt and chili flakes.

We ate this atop grilled lamb chops.

Then the next day, after it had had a chance to meld overnight, I ate the remainder on my scrambled eggs.

Yum!

Nourishing Sea Veggie and Greens Soup with Coconut

When I need deep nourishment, my body calls out for sea vegetables and real, homemade broth.

Here's a Thai-inspired bowl I ate this evening.

Serves 1 big bowl.

real, homemade chicken broth (or, in my fortunate case, broth from Three Stone Hearth)

1/3 cup coconut milk

1-2 Tbs coconut oil (don't be afraid of this oil. so good for you.)

a small handful of arame, or whatever sea veggie you have or like

1 tsp kelp powder

fish sauce, to taste

grated fresh ginger, to taste

large handful chopped leafy greens ~ collard, kale.. dandelion.. whatever you like or is on hand

a sprinkling of powdered gelatin (Bernard Jensen is a good brand), to even greater soothe and encourage digestion

Measure out enough chicken broth to almost fill your favorite large soup bowl. Put this in a small pot (or my favorite tiny cast-iron skillet). Add the coconut milk and oil, and the arame. Once it warms close to a simmer, sprinkle in the kelp powder and gelatin and let them dissolve on top before stirring them in. Add the other seasonings ~ fish sauce and ginger ~ to taste. When the broth comes to a light boil, add the chopped greens and let these simmer till they are wilted and their color turns slightly. Adjust seasoning as necessary, and add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if your tummy is up for it. Sit down, turn off the noise, and bring this bowl up to your face to let the steam warm you flushed. Drink and chew and be well.

the passion of the beet

love

Figs 

with such complex flavor, 

you taste spices and a hint of brown sugar.  

ode to apricots

I have never known apricots until I tasted them this season.  I mean, *really* known them.  This summer I have had a passionate love-affair with apricots straight from the Farmers' Market.  Sometimes a few make it home.  Their skin is soft and supple, easily dented, and sometimes barely holding in their succulent juice.  You can tear them in half with no work at all, using your fingers!  And to place that flesh in your mouth. . it simply melts.  These fruits need no dressing up; they are a work of art in themselves.  In the past, apricots have been a work-horse of dried fruits, similar to raisins, filling out trail mixes to give them some bulk, but mostly picked-over and definitely unappreciated.  And then I tasted a real apricot!  

When I went to the Farmers' Market this week, the guy at the apricot stand, who recognized me as a regular, informed me that this was the last week for apricots.  So last night I made a special dinner for apricots, in their honor.  

I braised a couple of lamb shoulder blades in chicken broth, with a few Tbs balsamic vinegar, and some red wine vinegar to round it out.  And about 6 cloves of garlic, coursely chopped.  With plenty of freshly ground pepper, and some sea salt.  This took about 45 minutes.  In an earthenware dish I roasted quartered apricots with just a pat of butter.  Unbelievable.  They didn't take long because they were already so soft and juicy.  Roasting them gave them a gorgeous crust.  To serve, I covered the lamb in a bit of the braising juice, and spread them with the apricots.  Divine! 

Thank you, apricots!  Glad to finally know you.   

muffins!

Fresh-baked muffins make me all warmy inside. They feel like home and like family. To me, muffins are a breakfast comfort food equivalent to the dinnertime bowl of macaroni and cheese. They feel like someone who loves me wrapped me in a cozy soft blanket and a big hug. A muffin straight from the oven is like a little gift I get to open up and savour. With butter!

This morning I made myself muffins. I used the recipe that one of our dear teachers in the Bauman Natural Chef program shared with us years ago. These muffins ~ although delicate and light in texture ~ eat more like a meal than a snack. They are wholesome, nourishing, and grain-free. And unlike their sugar- and white flour-laden commercial counterparts, are actually a perfect solid start to a productive morning.

The recipe is quite versatile and open to add-ins. This is the way I made it today:

Lizette's Breakfast Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350.

1 cup raw almonds*, soaked overnight**, then chopped finely in a food processor or blender

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 eggs

1/4 cup yogurt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

Mix all ingredients. Pour batter to fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake until golden.

Smear with more butter, and jam, as they're hot from the oven.

Additions, substitutions: you can use coconut oil in place of the butter, applesauce or ripe banana in place of the yogurt (though without the yogurt, I'm wondering if you'd need to add 1/2 tsp of baking powder. . ), and you can add just about anything you would to a normal muffin ~ chocolate or carob chips, frozen berries, a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg, dried coconut flakes. . yum!

*It is important to buy organic almonds. Since last year, all almonds ~ *except* for ones you buy directly from the farmer, at the farmers' market, for instance ~ must be either irradiated, fumigated, or pasteurized. Organic laws ensure that almonds will only be pasteurized (heated) instead of undergoing the other toxic manipulations. But organic almonds you buy in the store are no longer raw ~ as in, you couldn't plant them and grow a new plant, no matter what they say on the bin. (bummer!!)

**Almonds, like all seeds including nuts, grains, and beans, have their nutrients locked away so that they can be deposited in the ground and make new plants. In order to make their nutrients available to us, and to neutralize inhibitors that protect the seed and challenge our digestion and nutrition, we must mimic the germination process for these seeds. This means giving them a warmish, moist, slightly acidic environment like they would experience if they were placed in soil. It's easy to do, but takes a moment of pre-planning. For nuts ~ cover raw, organic nuts in filtered water with a little salt and let them sit out on the counter overnight. In the morning, you can either use them still soft like I did for this recipe, or dry them in a dehydrator or oven on a very low temp until crispy.

Summer Saute'

Summer!

An ear of corn just hours away from harvest at Full Belly Farm. 

Being an urban girl at the moment, the farmers' market is my connection with the country.  

For some reason the Tuesday Berkeley farmers' market feels a tad more intimate than the others; perhaps it is the narrow corridor of a street that the booths are on, and the fact that I end up rubbing arms and shopping baskets with many other market-goers as I shop.  I feel more up-close with the vendors, too.   Under the shade of their awning for the afternoon, they are tan (the kind of tan you get from working outside, not the kind you get from lounging) and earthy.  If they don't have soil under their fingernails, I at least imagine that they do.  They seem grounded and in their bodies.  Everytime I interact with them and their tables of produce, I fantasize that I am one of them ~ just in town for the afternoon.  

As if you didn't know, going to the farmers' markets continues to be my favorite activity of the week.  I love walking to the market with a general loose guide of what I want and need, then picking the produce that most urgently grabs my attention, and creating a menu out of it as I walk along.  So far this season the fruit has stolen the spotlight as I walk down the line, getting lured in by each plump fragrant sample piece.  But summertime vegetables (ok ~ we all know that some of what we call "vegetables" are technically fruit, but follow me here) are starting to nudge their way in.  The show-stopper for me this week has been corn.  Corn!  I love corn ~ any way you fix it (even creamed corn from a can).

Here's a simple recipe I created from veggies that caught my attention today:

Summer Saute' 

~ makes two heapin' helpings

olive oil and butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a bunch rainbow chard ~ the stem sliced like celery, the leaves chopped or in a wide chiffonade*     

3 ears of corn ~ kernels stripped off the ear

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

a small handful of basil leaves ~ cut into a chiffonade

In a large skillet, warm the butter and olive oil and saute' the garlic with the chard stems on medium low for a few minutes, stirring so as not to let the garlic brown.  Add the chard leaves, still dripping with the water they were washed in, and turn the heat up higher as you put a lid on the skillet.  Let those wilt and cook to your liking.  At the very last few minutes, add the corn kernels and stir.  You don't have to cook them long at all.  Salt and pepper to taste.   Add the basil after the dish is off the heat, or as a garnish to each individual plate.  This dish can be served piping hot or cold.  With a few vagrant cornsilks still in there, this dish feels like summer.  

* to chiffonade:  line the leaves up lengthwise, and roll them together like a big cigar.  As you hold the "cigar" firmly on the cutting board with one hand, make decisive cuts to shred the lot cross-wise into strips.  For greens like kale and chard, I'm liking to cut the strips about as wide as my finger.  I think chiffonade is the best way to cut basil; it doesn't oxidize and turn brown as much as if you mince it.  Shred basil into 1/4 inch strips.  

(my photo doesn't give juicy still-hot-from-the-sun justice to corn. .. more like a textbook. .)

       

love

How could I forget the strawberries?!!

(i love strawberries, but, in retrospect, can't help but notice how pitifully pasty I look for June in these photos!)

sweet tea

 Mr. Sealion is a Georgia boy.  When the weather gets warm, no drink is quite like "sweet tea."  And he's a connoisseur.  So I have experimented with making a tea that is sweetened with more whole sweeteners, such as honey and rapadura.  This summer I have discovered the sweetening power of stevia leaf.  Stevia is an herb (not a sugar!) whose leaves are sweet, and slightly bitter or licorice-tasting when greatly concentrated.  Stevia is sold in dried leaf form ~ similar to any other dried tea, in a concentrated powder, and a concentrated liquid sold with a dropper.  You can find it at most any health/whole foods store.  Brewing the dried leaf in with other tea ingredients makes a sweet product that pleases even the Southern palate.  I find the leaves sweeter and less bitter than the concentrates.     

Here is my basic recipe, and then the variation I just brewed up a minute ago.  Rooibos is nice earthy-sweet brown herbal that resonates and continues the black tea taste without its caffeine.  I buy my tea leaves in bulk from the local health/whole foods store.  That's why my measurements are in tablespoons as opposed to tea bags.    

Basic "Sweet Tea" ~ caffeinated

~for 1 gallon of tea ~ 

3 rounded T organic black tea leaves

2 rounded T organic rooibos 

scant (loose and fluffy) 1/4 cup stevia leaves

Bring water to a boil, add teas and brew, simmering, for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and brew for another 5 minutes.  Pour into tempered glass container and add filtered water to equal a good strength for your taste.  Serve cold and/or over ice.  

Rooibos Blend "Sweet Tea" ~ still caffeinated, but not as much

2 T organic rooibos

1 T organic black tea

1 T organic yerba mate'

1 T organic peppermint (dried ~ use more if fresh)

scant (loose and fluffy) 1/4 cup stevia leaves

Bring water almost to a boil (yerba mate' doesn't like boiling water), add teas and brew on low heat for 5 minutes.  Brew for 5-15 more minutes, depending on your taste preferences.  Pour into tempered glass container and add filtered water to equal a good strength.  Serve cold and/or over ice.  

I emphasize organic (as usual).  Black teas that aren't labeled organic have pesticides sprayed on them that are harmful to tea-workers and concentrated in the drying.  Black tea, rooibos, and yerba mate' are all imported to the US from other countries.  I like to make sure those that I buy are also Fair Trade Certified, so that the workers get respect and compensation for their efforts.