Macrobio--what?

So, I've mentioned that I'm in Massachusetts and at a macrobiotic conference, but what am I doing here?

Well, I'm on a culinary adventure. The Power of Natural Healing conference really doesn't begin until tomorrow (Tuesday). Steph and I are volunteering. So far I haven't really done anything but go to some long short meetings. I'm part of the Cooking Class Assistants team which means I'm a prep cook for the week. Steph is an AV geek for the week so at least she'll hear some of the lectures. She trained all afternoon today.

Macrobiotics is not just a diet but a philosophy about how the food we eat affects our health and quality of life. Some very guidelines for eating are:
whole grains: 50-60%
vegetables: 25-30%
beans and legumes: 5-10%
soup: 5%
as well as fish/seafood, seeds and nuts, seed and nut butters, some seasonings and sweeteners, fruits and beverages.

I'm not sure I will adopt all the philosophical guidelines (that was just one of many) but it's food (pun intended) for thought. It can get very "restrictive." But then again, health is really all we've got. You know what the computer geeks always say--GIGO.

Anyway, this is the meal we enjoyed tonight. In the bowl was our white bean soup w/escarole. On the plate was layered polenta w/summer vegetables, steamed kale, lemony baby carrots, and brown rice. Not pictured was a mocha walnut cheezecake with "coffee" glaze.

The soup was a kombu-based stock with cannellini bean, onion, celery, parsnip, escarole, salt, carrot and cilantro pureed. It was delicious.

My favorite was actually the steamed kale. How bland can I get? Well, it wasn't. That's the thing with vegetables. They are pretty good at being star material all on their own. I believe there was only a little bit of sea salt on it, garnished with slightly toasted pumpkin seeds. 

The cheezecake was pretty good for something that didn't have any actual cheese (they used fresh tofu) in it but last nights custard (without eggs...) was phenomenal. It was made with blend of almond milk and soy milk then thickened and "creamed" with agar and kuzu. It was topped with maple syrup glazed walnuts as well as a delicious sauce of blueberries, raspberries, and cherries simmered for a long time in apple juice.

My friend, Laura can't have wheat or refined sugar and I've been trying to figure out what desserts I could make. This one might be one of them. Yum. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.