The Sounds of Sun Basket

Posted December 29, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under People.

Cooking is music to our ears!

Tyler MacNiven, the director of Sun Basket studios, gets inspired by the most random things. Sometimes this results in chasing a cod-fishing boat with a drone camera, and sometimes we get a live dog fashion show at the office. The other day, while contemplating a test kitchen bread box, he realized it also made a pretty good little beat box. Looking around, he realized the same held true for a number of other of kitchen tools and Sun Basket ingredients. With our test kitchen cooks as unknowing musicians, he snuck a few shots of chopping and cooking resulting in this yummy end-of-the-year music video.

Our Executive Chef of R&D and resident knife nerd, Alan Li, walks us through the steps of keeping a sharp edge.

Posted December 23, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Tips And Techniques.

Forget about gadgets and shiny appliances, the most important tools in your kitchen are your knives. Learning to care for them properly is a skill worth cultivating. Geek alert: Li is a fanatic about his knives and his instructions are admittedly hardcore.

Equipment (clockwise from the top)

Honing steel
Soaking tub and whetstone
Stone flattener
Polishing stone
Stone holder (a wet towel is a good substitute)
Knife

Get it wet

It’s called a whetstone for a reason. Soak your stone for at least 30 minutes before using, making sure that it’s thoroughly saturated. A dry stone can nick the blade.

Keep it flat

If you’re sharpening your knives on a regular basis, you’re going to wear down your whetstone pretty quickly. To keep it uniformly even, you’ll need a flattener.

Begin by marking lines on your stone with a pencil. (This will determine if your flattener has smoothed that part of the stone. Once flattened, the pencil marks will wear away.)

Working under running water, move the sharpening stone over the flattening stone in a random circular motion. You’ll notice the lines from the outside edges disappear from the outside edges of the waterstone first indicating that the middle of the stone is more dished than the perimeter of the stone.

Get it sharp

Keep the blade at a 15 to 20 degree angle as you pull the knife across the stone.

Press your fingers firmly just above the knife edge and push the blade along the stone and back. Repeat no more than 4 times per section until you reach the knife tip. Rinse the knife and look at the edge of the blade. It should be evenly covered in scuff marks. Add more water to the stone as necessary.

To check if the blade is sharpened, carefully run your thumb perpendicular to the edge of the blade–when you can feel the burr from handle to tip, that side is sharp. Turn the knife over and sharpen the other side. (Safety tip: do not run your finger parallel to the blade.)

To remove the burrs, rinse the knife and drag its edge along a cork or a tightly rolled, dry paper towel until it leaves no grey marks.

Keep it polished

Replace the sharpening stone with the polishing stone and wet it thoroughly. Place the knife on the far side of the stone, same angle as before, with the edge facing away from you. Starting at the heel, using minimal pressure, pull the knife edge along the stone in one smooth motion until you reach the tip. Flip the knife over and repeat for the other side. Continue alternating sides until the knife glides easily through a potato. This will help remove any scratches from the edge of the knife.

Remove the burrs one last time. Wash and dry. Done.

Stay sharp

Hone your knife on a steel before and after every use. Use light strokes with minimal repetitions (3-4 per side max). Don’t go nuts like the chefs on television do. That’s theater, not cooking.

Polish your knives regularly, about once a week, and you will only have to go through the entire sharpening process once every four to six months depending on how much you use your knives.

If you’re not quite as fanatical about your knives as Alan is, find a reputable knife sharpener near you. It’s typically not expensive, doesn’t take long, and you’ll appreciate the difference a sharp knife makes.

Sun Signs—January 2017

Posted December 23, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Horoscopes.

With fleet-footed, trickster planet Mercury moving in reverse until January 8th, the new year starts off with one foot on the brake and one on the gas. Followed by a dreamy influence that drifts in mid-month, the energy feels like that magical scene in the new movie La La Land, where dancing amongst the stars seems natural and may actually make more sense than diving into your taxes. Don’t fight the river. You’ll be ready to come back to earth, buckle down, and move forward by the end of the month.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19) The world may have gone mad, but sliding into a drunken stupor simply isn’t pragmatic. You regain traction around your commitments and career through lucid dreaming after the first week of the new year. Sit tight and don’t ask for a raise or promotion until after the 12th. Things start slowly, then end on an intense note this month.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18) Despite some subliminal intensity near the end of the month, the new year starts off relatively carefree. Meetups over the holidays may lead to romance but also some strange experiences. Beware of starting the year drunk. Instead indulge in a creative hobby or relax with a movie. You’ll be drawn to all things dreamy and beautiful and want to avoid aggressive situations.

PISCES (Feb 19-Mar 20) As magnetic Venus lines up with mystical Neptune mid-month, you’ll be irresistibly attractive. Use your allure to draw in the sacred. Go on retreat and consciously connect with spirit, instead of escaping into oblivion.

ARIES (Mar 21-April 19) Tune into your dreams and stay close to home until mid-month. That’s where you’ll find the gold that will inform the profound transformation taking place in your career and public persona at the end of the month. For those of you working on cutting-edge ideas to help humanity, start organizing others and be the revolutionary that you know you are.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) If you celebrate on New Year’s Eve, be selective about who you ring in the new year with. Leave your rose-colored glasses in the drawer as there’s a tendency to idealize cohorts now; you may not be seeing them clearly. Lately, you’ve had the chance to reexamine your beliefs, and hopefully you’ll be able to temper any extreme views that might flare up at the end of the month.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Go easy on the booze on New Year’s Eve. The associate that seemed so enchanting as the ball dropped is probably just a fantasy. You have an opportunity to do some deep diving and shed some outdated thought patterns that have been holding you back in your relationships. Follow that road instead.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) If you’re traveling abroad this New Year’s, don’t over-idealize the place you’re visiting. Remember: there’s no place like home. Going far afield later in the month breathes more room and unpredictability into your intimate relationship once you return, which could shift some worn out patterns of relating. If not, you might be ready to leave the relationship behind.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) You’ve been thinking deeply about your daily routines and what you should cut out—probably most of it. Once you get clear on what’s most important in maintaining your health, you’ll create space for a brilliant, unusual new partner (business or otherwise) to enter the picture.

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22) You’ve been rethinking the way you express yourself, which is leading to a transformation of both your creative and love life. The seeds you’re planting will produce a new lifestyle that will involve less conventional ways of living and more innovative ways of maintaining your health and work balance. You can pull it off if you can accept this axiom—incomprehensible for a Virgo: progress, not perfection.

LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct 22) You’re burning through some deep Karma right now and clearing out your house and home in the process. This is making room for a new creative flow and maybe romance, too. Starting a regular yoga or dance routine this month might be an ideal way to raise your kundalini, deepen your connection to spirit, and regain your equilibrium in your relationships.

SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21) Starting out the new year dazed and confused isn’t all bad. Confusion really just means a loss of ego or point of view. That’s how the year ends—letting go of ego. Remember that towards the end of January, when your extreme thinking and forceful communication can roll over others like a tank.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21) The start of the year supports widening your circle of friends while also spending time relishing your family and surrounding yourself with beauty at home. Immerse yourself in a creative home improvement project. Put your feet up. Resolutions won’t begin in earnest until the end of January anyway. That’s when things might intensify around your finances.

Good Food. Bad Rap.

Posted December 23, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Health and Wellness.

Keeping track of the ever-shifting winds of nutritional research can make you dizzy. Turns out that the rumors about some of our favorite ingredients are unfounded.

Honey
Just because it’s sweet doesn’t mean it’s bad. Honey has been painted with the same broad brush as refined sugars, but this natural sweetener has many benefits:

Offers antibacterial properties that can hamper the growth of foodborne pathogens, such as E. coli and salmonella.
Helps to clear up stuffy noses and ease allergies triggered by pollen.
Calms inflamed membranes, eases coughs, and fights infection.

Note: In general, darker honey contains more vitamins than lighter ones and also provide more trace minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Potatoes
The once-beloved white tuber has been knocked off its throne by the righteous sweet potato. But don’t go dissing the humble spud.

Potatoes have nearly twice the amount of potassium as bananas this essential nutrient (759 mg per serving). According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, adding 1600 mg of potassium a day to your diet can lower your risk of stroke by 21 percent.

Fiber and protein to help you feel fuller than you might with some other carbohydrate-rich foods.
A good source of vitamin C and B9, potatoes are packed with more energy-boosting nutrients than most vegetables.

Canned and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Produce doesn’t have to be fresh to be good for you. Research done at the University of California, Davis, shows that canned and frozen vegetables retain most of their nutrients. As long as they are processed without added sugar or sodium, there’s no reason to ban the can.

Canning and freezing actually preserve some nutrients that are depleted when fresh produce is stored at home for several days.
Processed foods cut down on waste because they last longer than fresh produce.
Iron and fiber remain at high levels regardless of canning or freezing.

illustration by @boccaccinimeadows

Let’s Talk About Fat

Posted December 23, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Health and Wellness.

Fat has long been the nutrition world’s bogeyman, a scapegoat for every major malady from obesity to cancer to heart disease. But thankfully, that mindset is beginning to shift. Research shows that people who enjoy a high-fat diet are among the healthiest in the world. The key is to choose the right fats. So go ahead, pile on the (good) fat. You’ll be healthier for it.

Avocados

With almost 77 percent of their calories coming from fat, avocados have more fat than some animal products. Sometimes called “nature’s butter”, avocados increase the ratio of HDL (good) cholesterol to LDL (bad) cholesterol, a correlation associated with lowering heart disease.

Coconut oil

Not so long ago, coconut oil’s high levels of saturated fats made it a dietary Darth Vader. Today, it’s a darling of the Paleo crowd and is gaining increased acceptance as research points to its true benefits. Some studies have noted that regions with the highest intakes of coconut oil, such as the South Pacific and India, have the lowest rates of heart disease in the world.

Extra virgin olive oil

This delicious fat has disease-fighting superpowers. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease, protect against certain types of cancer, and even reduce the effects of aging.

Full-fat dairy

Skip the skim milk. Studies have shown that consumption of high-fat dairy may reduce the likelihood of obesity. Full-fat dairy is also lower in lactose, so it’s easier to digest.

Grass-fed beef

Beef is the protein-power heavyweight champion, and it packs a punch in the vitamin B department. Another reason to slap that steak on your plate? It contains two fats—stearic acid, a saturated fat, and oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat (also found in olive oil)—that have been shown to help improve cholesterol levels.

Nuts and seeds

Long valued as a good source of protein, fat-rich nuts and seeds also turn out to be allies in the fight against chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

Our 2016 Measured in Elephants, Swimming Pools, and Kegs of Beer

Posted December 22, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Q and A.

Sources:
http://www.toyota.com/prius/2017/features/weights_capacities/1223/1224/1225/1226
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/african-elephant/
http://store.waterpumpsupply.com/pocaca.html
https://www.reference.com/food/much-half-barrel-keg-beer-weigh-6cfdf37b0f0fd8fa
http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/10

2016: The Year of Living Socially

Posted December 20, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Horoscopes.

This has been a busy year on Sun Basket’s social media channels. We thought it was a good time to take a look back at what Sun Basket cooks have been doing, and share a few of our own favorite posts from last year.

When it comes to posts from our community, we noticed a few trends. We call this one #babyinasunbasket. Our box makes an excellent fort, if you can fit inside.

Our box is not only for kids. Pets dig it, too.

When the kids outgrow the box, they join their parents in the kitchen, where they help make Sun Basket meals.

Out of what we’ve posted at Sun Basket, far and away, the most viewed video on Facebook was a simple healthy iced tea recipe. Why? Perhaps it was the billowing addition of coconut milk…

Our four-legged office companions also made an impression. Our predictably chaotic canine fashion show on Facebook Live was a highlight. Turns out dogs have their own ideas of how to behave once the cameras are rolling, as does Sun Basket’s costumed emcee, Tyler MacNiven.

When you folks like something, you really like it. Our Salmon with Roasted New Potatoes and Green Beans was the most ordered, highest rated, and the most liked Instagram post of the year.

If you’re not following Sun Basket, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Want to share that pic of your kids cooking in a Sun Basket box along with a dog and a cat? We’d love to see it. Tag your posts with a #sunbasket and we’ll see you in next year’s roundup.

Help Sun Basket Fight Hunger

Posted December 20, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Uncategorized.

If you find that you need to skip your regular Sun Basket delivery at this busy time of year, you can now choose to have your box delivered to a food bank instead. This holiday season, Sun Basket is proud to partner with Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Depending on where you live, your Sun Basket will either go to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Santa Clara, California or to Beacon of Hope in Mt. Holly, New Jersey, where it will be used to provide healthy meals to the one in eight Americans facing hunger today.

Please note: you will be charged the regular 3-recipe box price plus shipping.

Squad Goals: Team Sun Basket offers their resolutions for the New Year

Posted December 20, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under People.

Celeste Linhares—Quality assurance manager

I used to practice Poekoelan, a style of martial arts. This year, I plan to get back to that.

I’m also going to plant a small herb garden, so that I can always have fresh mint, basil, and rosemary on hand.

Elton Fong—Business analyst

I want to get involved with the local food justice movement this year. Working at Sun Basket has made me more aware of the power of good food and I want to help to make sure that more people, regardless of their circumstances, can enjoy clean, high-quality, healthy meals.

I also want to summit Mt. Whitney.

Barent Langwell—Digital publishing coordinator