Turmeric Steamed Clams with Cabbage

I have made a commitment to myself to improve what I eat. The task requires me to focus on the balance in my cooking, incorporating new ingredients, new cooking techniques and, most importantly, new cooking philosophies. All of this work will hopefully improve my diet and my health. 

This effort has broadened my search for recipes, which is being documented as part of my culinary journey in The Mindfulness Foodways. The particular focus of this journey revolves around  how food can be used as "medicine." This focus has led me to longstanding culinary teachings like Ayurveda and Yakuzen, but it has also led me to other unexpected places. 

One such place is a website that has a mental health magazine, Awai Life. The website also has a wide range of recipes, each with an objective, such as improving sleep, regaining energy or eliminating loss of concentration. One recipe -- Turmeric Steamed Clams with Cabbage -- has the goal of relieving tension. Given the amount of stress and tension that I have in my work life, I thought it was a good idea to try this recipe. 

This recipe also represents a particular challenge for me. I am not a big fan of cabbage, and that is due to the taste of the vegetable. Over the course of my life, I only ate cabbage I was served cole slaw. Perhaps it was the vinegar dressing (that is the type of cole slaw that I prefer) or the celery seeds. Both of which can mask the flavor of cabbage. Yet, this recipe puts cabbage along side the clams. The use of turmeric adds flavor, but it is more of an earthy flavor rather than a tart or bitter flavor. The combination of turmeric and cabbage is not the same as vinegar/celery seeds and cabbage. 

Nevertheless, I made this dish and ate it, including the cabbage (although admittedly not all of it). This effort represented a first step forward to using cabbage, more specifically Napa cabbage, in my cooking. Time till tell how the journey will progress. 

TURMERIC STEAMED CLAMS WITH CABBAGE

Recipe from Awai

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of littleneck clams
• 1/2 pound of cabbage
• 1 tablespoon cilantro/coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 tablespoons white wine
• 1 teaspoon butter

Directions:

1.  Prepare the clams. Wash the clams and place them in a tray. Add enough salt water to cover them (similar salt concentration to seawater, roughly 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 cups of water), cover with a dish towel, and leave in a cool dark place for 2-3 hours to remove the sand. Cut the coriander and coriander into bite-sized pieces.

2. Steam the cabbage. Place the cabbage in a heat-resistant container and place it in a steamer with the steam rising. Cover and steam for 5-6 minutes. Add the clams, along wtih the turmeric and white wine to a small pot, cover and steam for about 3 minutes. Remove the clams to a tray as they open, add butter to the broth and simmer for 1-2 minutes. 

3. Finish the dish. Return the clams to the cabbage, pour the broth over them and top with the coriander.

PEACE.