Weave a Thousand Flavors

Home made Naan - A quintessential unleavened flatbread from South Asia

 
There is nothing quite like hot, buttered Naan with a North Indian meal. To this day, Naan is usually prepared in a clay oven or tandoor.

So I'm tickled to death that I was able to recreate this quintessential Indian bread in my American kitchen with no special equipment but for a broiler oven and a baking stone.

It took a few trials and errors but I think this is IT! 

This recipe is so close to the real thing,  that as I had my nose glued to a hot Naan as I buttered it - I was hit by a wave of nostalgia and I was instantly transported to a dhaaba (road side eatery) in India. Here's why - wait for it...... NO yeast!

If you've ever eaten a Naan prepared with yeast, I think you'll agree that it's a bit like eating a naked pizza crust and then it has that unpleasant smell to it. Not here, folks!

 If I haven't yet sold you to the idea of homemade Naan , how about the savings - it cracks me up when I see people check out a $3.99 piece of pre-made Naan at the grocery story when for that, we could make enough for 6 people! And, we can use the  dough cycle or knead cycle on the bread machine or food processor - so no back breaking kneading involved.

  I don't know if you can tell, but I am so excited about this recipe coming together, that I can break  into song and dance. So lets get cooking instead!

 

Old World Romanian Apple & Walnut Cake

Older I'm getting, the more I crave old world foods. Foods with the purest of ingredients nestled in flavors that are rich and simple.

Maybe its because I'm looking for the same in people?

I confess I know nothing of Romania except that its food shows significant influences from Bulgaria & Turkey. However, when Braeburn apples were selling in adorable little paper bags at the market I knew I just had to get them.

Now Braeburn apples are awesome for cakes in my opinion because they have a  a unique combination of sweet and tart flavors. Originally, from New Zealand these are are are considered a cross between granny smiths & Lady Hamiltons.

So once I got them home I got busy rustling up my recipe folder. Its a fat folder, held together by rubber bands because I stuff scraps of paper in it endlessly without every sorting or filing. Shameful isn't it? Anyway, I settled on the couch with my 'recipe pit'  and as I was going through the lot I stumbled upon a recipe for a Romanian Apple Cake by Mona. The original recipe however called for golden delicious apples.

Sad truth? I can't remember a Mona. Gosh, I sound like a fat drunk guy after a one night stand! Anyway back again to the folder, not surprising considering since it has a couple of decades worth of scraps. There was however a note in my own writing that said, "Excellent, moist & rich". Well, there you go!  What more do I want?

Pasta with a Lebanese Twist - Whole Wheat Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto & Goat Cheese

I have a ton of respect for Joumana at Taste of Beirut. Not only does she have mad cooking  skills but she is a fountain of creativity that leaves most of us mortal souls in the dust. 

So when I came across her recipe for traditional Muhammara sauce, I got off my behind lickety quick and drove 45 minutes to our nearest Mediterranean store Haji Baba, in search of pomegranate molasses. And what do I find? Metal gates across the front with a big closed sign in the shop window...and it was a Saturday!

So any who, dejected as I was, I decided I would have to alter my plans to make  a Lebanese inspired sauce instead. Though I have tried to stay true to its original roots, I have taken a few artistic liberties in the process.

So here it is, step one to a wonderful Lebanese inspired Roasted Red Pepper Pesto & Goat Cheese Sauce.

A Tribute to Nannie Davis & Million Dollar Pie

Family are relations by blood but sometimes if you are very lucky, family are relations by bond.

People who adopt you into their fold, who become your brothers, sisters and Nannie's. The most unlikely of people who at the most unlikely of times invite you into their lives and engulf you in their warmth.

These are your tribe.

It was the summer Mr. Hubby & I had just purchased our first home and it was a mess. It was a 1950's brick colonial but a real dog of a house - a true fixer upper. The spinster who lived there before us had many cats, the exact number of which is unknown but from the sheer quantity of fur balls behind each radiator, in each kitchen cabinet & the rancid smell that emanated from everything I'd say it was a herd (or is it litter?).

It was also the time I had learned we were to have our first child. We didn't know this when we first purchased the home. It was a surprise gift. Mr. Hubby, our dear friend Michael & I worked relentlessly finishing the hardwood floors, staining them, painting the walls and getting rid of layers & layers of ugly gray carpet which graced every inch of the home, right down to the bathroom. The kitchen & bathrooms would have to wait a good 3 years for a renovation.

Then, we began working on the yard. We had more weeds than grass and more brush than bushes. Every weekend we'd spend hours on end trying to turn the front yard into something presentable. It was then that a 92 year old woman who looked more 70 than 90 shouted out at us from the home next door. " You're putting me to shame "she said. "I feel like I should be working in the yard with you rather than sipping lemonade".

She was warm & friendly & so very kind offering us cool drinks every time she'd see us working in the yard. The next day, she bought us green beans, tomatoes & fresh corn that she picked up from the farmer's shed down the road. Fresh & succulent.

From that day on, every time I went to the shed, it was with her. People always looked at us funny when we were together. I guess they thought what an odd pair we were.

I'd get back home from work and the first think I'd do is run across the 10 ft of grass to her back door and shout out to her to come over for tea. The walls around our house dissolved & it was as though the two homes became one. My dear friend Beth who is her grand daughter cared for her and lived with her. A person, like her grandmother, true as gold. I am so grateful for her continued friendship.

One day Nannie came over with this - Million dollar Pie. 

Lobster, Mascarpone & 4-Cheese, 'Macaroni & Cheese'

  
This one has been on my mind.

It started off with a flicker of an idea and much like a cow slowly chewing and regurgitating its fodder, I have been doing the same - mentally. My kids like most kids luv Mac and cheese but I was a bit tired of fixing the same old yellow goop. Mind you, nothing wrong with that especially when  it's done right as is invariably in the South!

But I wanted a Gourmet, more adult Mac and Cheese if you will, one that the kids would love but Mr. Hubby and I would love even more. As it turned out, it was my kids who ended up ooh-ing and aah-ing over the lobster more than we did!

The heart of the recipe is the combination of cheeses and I am a little embarrassed (but not much) to admit that I have been making several trips to Costco on the weekends especially during the cheese road shows in an attempt to try out the different free cheese samples. This, to work out their flavors, separate and combined. Seriously, I wasn't going to buy four 8 dollar slabs of cheeses in trial & error just to realize it wasn't working out!

Finally, after several weekends of not only trying out the cheeses but also waiting for the seafood kiosk to have a sale, I was ready. The final four cheeses - Imported & aged Parmigianna Reggiano, imported Gruyere cheese, Smoked Gouda, Vermont White Cheddar cheese (aged 3 months) come together to create an unforgettable culinary symphony. All this against the back drop of a creamy Mascarpone sauce.

Trust me, this one's going to have you weak at the knees. I could barely contain myself and have to admit  to forking it straight from the hot pan and that's before it went into the oven!