Sesame Bread with Green Onions in 12 Steps

British math prodigy Sufiah Yusof was one of the youngest students ever admitted to Oxford University at the age of 13. At 15, right after completing her third year finals, she went missing for two weeks. After being found, she never returned home, or went back to Oxford; instead she worked as an administrative assistant. She crumbled under parental pressure. Her father to sharpen her focus kept the house temperature cold. She was not allowed to have any social interactions, and was only to focus on math.

Child prodigies suffer from social and emotional anxiety. Adam Grant in his op-ed piece in the New York Times points out that child prodigies rarely become adult geniuses who change the world. They lack social and emotional skills to function in society and excel in professional world. The same can be said of child actors. With the exception of a few, we have seen examples of many child actors marred by drug abuse, and other destructive behavior.

Grant recommends instead of turning children to ambitious robots, it is important to place emphasis on moral values. It is essential for children to have focus, but they should not be in a horse race blindly running towards the finish line without any purpose; without garnering any life experiences. We are so caught up with the notion of getting "there" that once we arrive at the elusive "there", we realize that we are missing the intrinsic value behind our "success". The imaginary benchmarks that we set for our children normally lack moral values. Instead of training them to chase pavements, we should teach our children the moral value behind hard work, the love of the pursuit, and the benefits of making mistakes.

Sufiah Yusof was the basis of Nikia Lalwani's Booker Prize nominated debut novel Gifted. The protagonist Rumi is also a math prodigy. She becomes the vehicle to fulfill her father's unattainable dream of studying at Cambridge, because of financial constraints. Her father in turn shifts the focus on his daughter to fulfill his personal goal that he was not able to achieve. The world may believe that Rumi is a genius, but she feels that her brain is going to explode with the overload of numbers orbiting her mind. Numbers that anyone can memorize with enough time and imprisonment. She is so lonely that she starts anthropomorphizing numbers. 512 is friendly. 7 is lucky, cheeky, and cool; everything she is not.

The Asian diaspora, which I am also a product of, places a lot of importance on education. They believe higher education can deflect discrimination which they experienced when they first arrived in the New World. Education is seen as freedom, but that freedom is tied to family expectations. An A-minus is seen as a badge of shame. The important lesson here for parents is that you do not want your child to be a manifestation of your own lost dreams. Children's achievements should not be a reflection on your parenting abilities. Putting this much unbearable scrutiny on children will result in lack of confidence, and emotional anxiety.

So what can we do to raise children who are able to think outside of the box, and are not encroached by our dreams and aspirations?

Entrepreneur Cameron Herold in his TED Talk suggests that instead of simply handing out allowances to our children and assigning chores (which is essentially training them for a job), we should encourage our children to go around the house, and search for the projects they can do. This will not only foster their interests, but will also teach them the value of doing the work they love. This will also prepare them for pitching ideas, and negotiating the price for their work. He said, it is important to teach them financial responsibility and accountability at an early age.

As far as my three year old is concerned, I do not want her to be focused on achieving A's. It is important for me to teach her how to organize and process information, have confidence, and the ability to ask questions. Instead of squashing her questions, I like to take interest in her childhood curiosities and eccentricities. I do not want her to be a Borg, be part of the collective, and lose her individual identity. (I married a Trekkie).

So after this rather hefty food for thought, let's talk about the recipe at hand. You have probably already seen the video on my Facebook page. Sesame Bread with Green Onions, is a flatbread commonly available in Hakka Chinese restaurants in Southern California. The bread is actually cooked on the stove, instead of the oven. I like to glaze the bread with a teaspoon of soy sauce. I like how it slightly gets caramelized, and increases the flavor profile. Give this easy bread a try, and please let me know how you like it.

Sesame Bread with Green Onions
Sesame Bread with Green Onions.Full recipe coming soon.
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Coconut Chicken Curry in 4 Steps

A father and his son are in a car accident. The father is killed and the son is seriously injured. The son is taken to the hospital where the surgeon says, "I cannot operate, because this boy is my son."

This popular brain teaser, even though very old, is still relevant in our society. Studies have shown that 40 to 70 percent still cannot solve it. The answer in case you are wondering is that the surgeon is the boy's mother. This riddle of sorts brings forth our personal biases, and the presence of implicit sexism that exists in our society. As Adam Grant and Sharyl Sandberg pointed out, "Even when we have the best of intentions, when we hear “surgeon” or “boss,” the image that pops into our minds is often male."

As a parent, I have become more aware of the subliminal messages our society and the mainstream media send out to young children. It really bothers me that all Disney Princesses have tennis-ball sized eyes, which implicitly implies that big eyes are the ultimate mark of beauty. For that reason, I have a lot of appreciation for Curious George and Robert Munsch books. In Curious George stories, the Man with the Yellow Hat's boss is a female, Professor Wiseman. Similarly, in Munsch's story books, there are not only strong female protagonists, but girls are also excused of the responsibility to be the "perfect little angels", to their "trouble-making" male counterparts. 

“I’m studying cardiac regeneration to help repair damaged hearts. It was widely believed that hearts cells could not be replenished, but we’ve used carbon dating to discover cells in the heart that are younger than the heart itself. So I believe it is possible.” 

(Lahore, Pakistan)  - Brandan Stanton of Humans of New York

I was reminded of the aforementioned brain teaser, when I stumbled upon the above photograph by Brandon Stanton. The popularity of Humans of New York lies in the fact that his photographs, and the corresponding stories, not only break stereotypes, but make us aware of our own personal biases. In the above photograph, you do not know which of the two is responsible for the groundbreaking research. And, that is the magic of Stanton's incredible story-telling. 

If you are wondering what to get your loved ones for the holidays, I highly recommend Stanton's new book, "Humans of New York: Stories". The stories are captivating, and illustrate how as humans we experience the same struggles, doubts, fears and foibles. Here are some of the riveting stories that really resonated with me.

And, if you are looking for a comforting autumnal curry, go ahead and make this delicious Coconut Chicken Curry.

Coconut Chicken Curry
Delicious Coconut Chicken Curry. The full recipe will be posted soon on www.cultivateflavors.blogspot.com.
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Friday, October 30, 2015

Nazkhatun Eggplant Dip in 7 Steps

Malcolm Gladwell, a fellow University of Toronto alum, in his essay, "The Ketchup Conundrum", mentions that the reason Heinz ketchup has had such an unprecedented global appeal is because it perfectly balances the "five known fundamental tastes in the human palate: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami." 

If you look at the ingredient list for Heinz ketchup, you will find that it has tomato concentrate, which has the umami flavor, also present in mother's milk. The second ingredient is vinegar, which provides sourness, another of the fundamental tastes. The next set of ingredients are high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup, which satisfy our primal desire for sweet food. I have already discussed the addictive properties of high fructose corn syrup in my meatloaf recipe blogpost. The last set of ingredients, present in Heinz ketchup, salt, spice, onion powder, and natural flavoring, gratify the salty and bitter taste receptors. Ketchup, unlike any other condiment available in the supermarket, satisfies all five primal sensory taste buds, all at once, "in one long crescendo". 

It is no wonder that children love ketchup because it tastes familiar. It has the umami flavor, and a balance of sweetness, saltiness, bitterness and acidity. Gladwell also mentions that small children "tend to be neophobic: once they hit two or three, they shrink from new tastes". It is imperative to introduce young children to a variety of flavors and cuisines, at a young age, instead of limiting their palate to simple foods, like cheese pizza, plain white bread, and/or bland pasta.

Growing up, my husband had a very limited palate. His diet consisted of mainly meat, processed food, and sodas. Fruits, vegetables, and lentils were completely foreign to him. So when we had our daughter, we made sure that we expose her to all food groups, and we do not dumb down flavors for her. 

Although my husband's palate has evolved overtime, he still does not like eating vegetables or eating fresh fruits. So when I made Nazkhatun, a Persian eggplant dip, my husband not only ate it, but loved the vegetable dish. So without further adieu, let me share the recipe with you. The recipe consists of eggplants and tomatoes, which have the umami flavor. The pomegranate molasses, used here and in most Persian dishes, provides the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. The angelica powder, another Persian cuisine staple, has slightly bitter undertones. So here is a recipe, which much like ketchup, satisfies all five fundamental taste buds.

Book Review: The Day the Crayons Came Home

My toddler and I discovered 'The Day the Crayons Quit' last year, and absolutely fell in love with it. In this funny book, by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers, Duncan's crayons write him letters, expressing their demands and woeful grievances.

Pomegranate Quinoa Salad in 6 Steps

A is for App	N is for Nuts or Nut butter
B is for Babyccino & Balsamic Vinegar	O is for Organic
C is for Chia Seeds, Carrot & Cardamom	P is for Pomegranate & Pistachio
D is for Dairy-free	Q is for Quinoa
E is for Edamame & Ergobaby	R is for Rainbow Sushi Roll
F is for Free-Range Eggs & Farro	S is for Swaddling
G is for Gluten-Free	T is for Trader Joe's
H is for Hummus & Honey	U is for Umbrella Stroller
I is for Ikea	V is for Vaccination
J is for Jute bag	W is for Whole Foods
K is for Kale	X is for Xanthan Gum-Free
L is for Linguistic Stimulation & Lemon	Y is for Yogurt (probiotic)
M is for Maple Syrup & Mint	Z is for Zombie-Mommy

You know it's time for a pre-fall salad, when kids start heading back to school, Trader Joe's starts handing out the above photographed back to school inspired ABC stickers, the pomegranate tree starts giving fruit, and yours truly shares this delicious quinoa salad recipe with you. The preparation time is only 30 minutes; and you are rewarded with a healthy salad, and the opportunity to teach your child a new series of ABC associations, which clearly evaded our generation.