Green Tribute A Memorial Menu Will Honor The Life Of The Author Of A Popular Greens Cookbook
Johnna Albi was a cookbook waiting to happen.
She could practically turn a pile of grass into a culinary delight. Her family reminds folks of that at every turn.
But Albi’s gift for the gourmet, in food and life, may never have reached its pinnacle.
A lump in her breast marked the end. Albi died of cancer May 9, 1995. She was barely 49.
As a last hurrah, the Spokane native spent the final year of her life collecting and testing healthy recipes for a book she would never see in print.
“Greens, Glorious Greens,” published by St. Marten’s Press in mid-1996, received critical acclaim for the innovative approach to cooking taken by Albi and co-author Catherine Walthers.
It features 140 recipes designed to get people eating their vegetables without sacrificing taste. The book also provides tips on such things as using greens to fend off colds, and the health benefits of drinking water that vegetables are cooked in.
To honor Albi’s life during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, local diners will be treated to a taste of that unique cuisine.
Chef Gina Lanza will cook four recipes from the book as dinner specials at Cafe Roma, in the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center, on Oct. 24 and 25. (Call 534-5540 for reservations.)
“Johnna was such a wonderful cook. I just thought it was appropriate,” said Lanza, who grew up with Albi and her family. “In the kitchen, she was incredibly creative. Her personality came through in her cooking.”
Those who knew her remember Albi as a chestnut-haired lovely who prized health and home above all.
What concerns them is that it still wasn’t enough to save her from the cancer that gobbled her body.
“She did everything she was supposed to do,” said her younger sister, Kathleen Albi. “Johnna led a good life, not in the fast lane. She still left us too soon.”
The children of a cousin of Spokane sports baron Joe Albi, Johnna and Kathleen began in the kitchen as the littlest of girls.
At ages 3 and 5, the pair were often found gussying up in their matching plaid skirts, hustling into the kitchen to craft Christmas creations.
Years later, when Albi dropped by during college class breaks from Gonzaga University and the University of Colorado, many kitchens became the artist’s palette.
She would cook for family. She would cook for friends. She would commandeer a neighbor’s kitchen to teach the craft to family and friends.
“We’d have a great time in the kitchen,” Kathleen Albi said.
While she was teaching Italian at the University of Colorado, Albi and her husband Louis Vanrenen got into natural foods. They managed a store in Boulder’s Pearl Street Market, which drew a crowd from tree-hugging collegiates to rich housewives.
Then, they had a son. After Gabriel’s birth, they headed for Boston, where Albi lived the remainder of her life, adding their daughter Arianna to the family. Weekdays meant catering. Weekends meant hoofing it to New York City to hone her skills at the Natural Gourmet Cooking School.
Teaching cooking was Albi’s passion. She might have given birth in the kitchen if she could have. As soon as their taste buds could discriminate, her tots were taught to cook.
Cooking was crucial for kids, she believed. Food is the basis for sustaining life; if you know how to cook and eat healthy food, you lead a healthy life. Albi often dropped in at school to give a few lessons to her children’s classmates.
“I never knew anyone that knew more about food,” said Walthers, a chef and cooking teacher who collaborated with Albi on the cookbook.
Although arguably her finest talent, cooking was not Albi’s only skill. Trained as a classical pianist, she entertained as well as fed people for years.
As the cancer ate away at her, watercolors became Albi’s solace.
Manila folders, cut up postcard-size, often appeared in the mailboxes of loved ones - her landscapes on one side, her notes on the other.
“It was the one thing that really relieved her and comforted her,” Kathleen Albi said.
Her family said Albi, who was hardly sick a day in her life until 1993, was the healthiest of them all. As time closed in, it was clear that her work remained undone.
“She lived too short,” Kathleen Albi said. “She had so many natural (talents). I can’t even remember things she didn’t do well.
“I know it broke her heart to know she wouldn’t be here to see her family as they grew.”
So, Albi left them - and us - her book, hoping life would be well and taste great.
Sauteed Chard and Salmon
1 pound salmon fillet, skinned
Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 pound Swiss chard
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced into thin crescents
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Sea salt, to taste
Red radishes cut into decorative shapes, for garnish
Cut salmon fillet into 6 to 8 pieces; place on a plate and season with pepper. Squeeze on the lemon juice, then drizzle on the tamari and sesame oil. Turn pieces over to coat all surfaces.
Wash chard and cut or strip leaves from the stalks. Slice stalks crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces and set aside. Chop leaves coarsely and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 5-7 minutes, until soft and translucent (reduce heat if onions are cooking too fast). Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Stir in chard stems and 2-3 tablespoons water. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir greens into onion mixture, cover and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender and bright green. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and stir. Remove to a platter.
In a skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add salmon pieces in a single layer and cook 1-2 minutes per side (do not overcook). Pour any extra juices from plate onto cooking salmon. When salmon is done, place on top of greens and serve immediately, garnished with radishes.
Yield: 3 to 4 servings.
Nutrition information per each of 3 servings: 286 calories, 13.1 grams fat (41 percent fat calories), 34 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate, 79 milligrams cholesterol, 672 milligrams sodium.
Yellow Split Pea Soup With Spinach and Sweet Potatoes
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 leek, washed and sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1-1/2 cups yellow split peas, rinsed well
8 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1-1/2 cups peeled and diced sweet potato
4 cups spinach leaves, washed, drained and chopped
Salt to taste
Umeboshi vinegar or red wine to taste, optional (see note)
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add onion and leek and saute for about 10 minutes. Add cumin and cook for 1 minute.
Add carrots, celery, split peas, water, bay leaves and herbs. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium low and simmer, partially covered, for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Add sweet potato and cook for another 20 minutes, until potato can be pierced with a fork. Add chopped spinach and cook for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and umeboshi vinegar or wine, if desired.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Nutrition information per each of 6 servings: 246 calories, 3.3 grams fat (12 percent fat calories), 14 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 348 milligrams sodium.
Note: Umeboshi vinegar, a Japanese plum vinegar, is available at Asian markets and some specialty stores.
Uncle Eddie’s Spiral Meatloaf With Mixed Greens
From Albi’s Uncle Eddie, who was a chef in the Army.
1 cup water
2 cups kale leaves, washed, stemmed and chopped
2 cups spinach leaves, washed, drained and chopped
1-1/4 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
20 grinds of black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup crumbled fresh bread
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium skillet with lid, bring water to a boil. Add the kale and cook 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook until greens have wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove greens, drain and cool slightly. (Drink any remaining cooking liquid; it’s full of vitamins and minerals.) When greens have cooled enough to handle, squeeze out any excess moisture and set aside.
Put ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary and crumbled bread in a bowl. Mix well with your hands and press mixture into a flattened 12- by 10-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick, on a cookie sheet or clean counter top.
Distribute the greens evenly over the meat and roll up, starting with the 10-inch side, into a jelly roll shape. Place in a shallow baking dish.
Combine mustard and syrup or honey and spread mixture on top of the loaf. Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.
Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 480 calories, 30.8 grams fat (58 percent fat calories), 29 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 107 milligrams cholesterol, 640 milligrams sodium.
Mixed Greens With Creamy Lime-Fig Dressing
3 dried figs (stems removed)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin, optional (see note)
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
3/4 cup water
Salt to taste
4 cups salad greens, such as red leaf lettuce, arugula, bibb or mesclun
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced in thin strips
3 dried figs, sliced
Place figs, lime juice, vinegar, mirin, garlic, oil, water and salt in a blender for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Wash and dry greens and tear into bite-size pieces. Just before serving, toss greens with dressing and garnish with yellow pepper and sliced figs.
Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 216 calories, 14.2 grams fat (59 percent fat calories), 2 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 10 milligrams sodium.
Note: Mirin, a sweet Japanese rice wine, is available in Asian markets, specialty stores and some larger supermarkets.
Pasta With Escarole and Roasted Red Pepper
1 large head escarole, chopped (7 to 8 cups)
1 quart water
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound fettuccine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7 to 8 ounces mushrooms (preferably oyster mushrooms), coarsley chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced (see note)
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced crosswise
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Wash escarole thoroughly in cool water and chop coarsely. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt and plunge in the escarole, pushing down with a wooden spoon to submerge. Cook for 2 minutes; lift greens out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and cook briskly, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, until slightly browned. Reduce heat slightly and add garlic. Cook for 20 seconds, taking care not to burn.
Add roasted red pepper and scallions, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in blanched escarole and salt to taste; toss to heat through.
Toss pasta with vegetables and garnish with cheese.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Nutrition information per each of 4 servings: 106 calories, 7 grams fat (60 percent fat calories), 4 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 566 milligrams sodium.
Note: To roast red bell pepper, place pepper directly over a gas burner with flame turned to high, or under hot broiler in oven, and char until entire skin is blackened, turning with kitchen tongs. Let sit in a paper bag for 10 minutes, then peel off skin, cut in half and remove stem and seeds.
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