Weave a Thousand Flavors

Ring in the New Year with a Touch of Splurge ~ Lobster & Saffron Risotto

Lobster & Saffron Risotto - just saying the name and I can see the $$$ signs flashing before my eyes (and yours too I suppose)!

In my defense, we found live lobster at the market for $6/lb and we’re in that Holiday bubble. You know what I’m talking about…the kids are home, we’re all high on too much sugar, too much gluwine and too much food. So adding some more won’t hurt a bit! Or so I’m telling myself.

The reality is when the first of the year comes rolling in and reality bites, the bills come rolling in and the lbs go reeling up – is NOT the time to make this dish.

So I’m making this now – just in time for that special holiday/New Year’s eve meal. As you see, I can play ostrich in the sand with the best of them!

This risotto got me to sit up and pay attention when I first read the recipe in Molto Mario, years ago. So I am pleased that it is a spin off Batali’s recipe – I have however added my own risotto success techniques because in my opinion, when it comes to somethings, you’ve got to stick with what you know works.

For one, I love a whole lot of flavoring in the risotto – so I added red chili flakes and saffron. Since the flavor base is the stock, I can’t imagine cooking the risotto in water so for seafood, I’m partial to a mix of chicken stock, clam juices and water with other flavoring veggies and herbs thrown in.

Next, I can’t imagine making risotto with a set time in my head – that changes with the age of the rice, it’s quality and the btu’s you’re working with. I know that on my no-frills gas burner, no way I’m ever going to fix risotto in 15 minutes!

So with risotto the determining factor, the performance indicator if you will is the mouth-feel; rice that’s cooked to al-dente with a soft creaminess. So no matter what time a recipe calls for, you keep going until you’ve reached it.

Having said that once you give yourself enough time and patience, risotto needs very few ingredients to make it incredibly amazing! Like in this risotto, once we have the stock base, all we’re adding is onions, tomato paste, wine and of course Arborio rice (and only Arborio rice).

At the end, parsley, butter, saffron and lobster - high-quality ingredients done just right!

Lamb Spezzatino from Molise ~ A Gorgeous lamb stew with Rosemary & Sage

We're all set! The last of  the Thankgiving turkey made an appearance at the dinner table in the face of a casserole and that means, it's done. I don't think I'm alone in that by day 4 after Thanksgiving the sentiment around the table is, it's "enough with the turkey already"!.

Which brings us to this factoid. We’re nutters for lamb in our family.

We crave spring goat when we do our Punjabi dishes and crave lamb for our stews, roasts and everything in between.

Nothing screams a hearty cool weather meal to me than a pot of lamb stew simmer on the stove top. It brings the point home when I look outside my window and all I see is rain with temps at 36 deg F. Like I said, cool cool weather.

So when my bright red Emile Henry Brazier makes an appearance on the counter top, the boys know something good is in the works.

Every winter, I do a little trot around the globe with my lamb – Irish stew, French Stew and of course all manner of Italian stews. When I don’t want to fuss around the kitchen, I tend to headstraight for my Italian recipe. It hardly requires an involved prep work and once you get the lid on, you’re nearly there….an hour and half later of course!

Sicilian lamb stew is lovely in that it is cooked with saffron. What’s not to love?!

But this herb lamb recipe from Molise is lovely in that it involves mashing up anchovies in a bowl along with loads of fresh sage, rosemary and garlic and olive oil. It is then sautéed in a little olive oil until fragrant with red onions and finally the lamb. A splash of wine and water with a lid…and an hour and a half or so later, a fantastic dinner is done!

And while the stew simmer away, curl up on the couch with a glass of vino, a good book, a cuddly blankey and the rest will  follow.

What say you?

Fettuccine with Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage

 

I am much more a cold weather person than a warm weather person.

That is to say, I love a nip in the air, the scent of woodsmoke coming through the chimneys and all the great root veggies, colorful gourds and squash that make an appearance in the markets.

Once the daylight savings time switches over like it did on Nov 2nd, I'm all about the squash and butternut squash is my favorite. It's sweet, mild and just plain delicious. You can make the creamiest soups with them, I love them with shrimp and of course they come alive roasted. Not to mention it takes all of 20 minutes in the oven.

So where you have butternut squash, how can you not have sage and Parmigiano Reggiano? I am completely in sync with the Italians when they worked out that combo.

But let me tell you, Sicilians love toasted breadcrumbs - they'll roll them up when they do their beccafico with sardines and line just about every pan with heaps of it.

Turns out, freshly roasted on a pan, they're genius added to this simple pasta. One thing I've learned from cooking with my Sicilian friends, is no way can I ever compete with them when it comes to their liberal use of olive oil. Not in a million years can I ever come close to the cups of the good stuff they use on a  daily basis.

Needless to say and much to their chagrin, I continue to measure out my olive oil except for the final lashing at the end. 

What can I say? I do my best - my said friends looks all of a 100 lbs, wet! I, on the other hand continue to look like an overstuffed sausage walking around.

Hence, the  measuring because I don't think I can sleep at night with the voice of Natalie my trainer in my head asking me to watch my 'macronutrients'!

Sigh! Some people have fairy godmothers and others end up with 'guilt' godmothers.

So I know I've gone all around the mulberry bush but the point I'm trying to make is, you're going to need to use generous amounts of olive oil for this one. The toasted breadcrumbs are key and you'll be ever so grateful you did.

And please don't kill this dish by adding cream to it. If you really want an amazing authentic culinary experience, stick to the reccipe and get the creaminess you want by adding more olive oil and a bit of pasta water to keep it nice and moist.

This is hands down a favorite. I have yet to find someone who didn't love this recipe so I hope you'll be adding this one to your menu soon.

ciao ciao!

Perfect for the Season ~ Pancetta, Chick Peas & Swiss Chard Soup

Now here’s a cool weather staple I just can’t get enough of!

Versions of this soup - with pancetta, without pancetta, with anchovies & without anchovies are made all over Italy.

In this version, my favorite, onions are sautéed with chopped up pancetta to which home cooked chick-peas are added (not canned puhleez), a bit of crushed tomatoes and a whole bunch of chopped up red Swiss chard. The whole pot, chick pea stock and all is set to simmer for over an hour.

A lovely and hearty thick soup, really wholesome and filling and just perfect with some yummy crusty bread is all you need for a complete dinner. I have been packing these to school and work for the boys in their Pyrex soup-to-go cups and they love it.

 You really want to make the effort and cook the chickpeas at home. You’ll need to soak the chickpeas overnight and use a pressure cooker so they cook in 25-30 minutes. Cooking at 2 atmospheres will do the trick every time!

Lately I’ve found that the quality of chickpeas is a little tough and doesn’t get creamy after cooking which really makes a huge difference to the mouth feel. My mum suggested a pinch of soda bicarbonate to counter this and it really works. You know what they say, mum knows best!

 Also, chopped up pancetta and right there you know we’re off to a roaring start. If you can’t find pancetta, which is slightly milder to bacon, use chopped up bacon. Vegetarians of course can forego the whole lot but no worries, the soup will still be delicious.

So give it a go and let me know how you like it.

SICILY! One land, Many Faces & Linguine with Spicy Italian Sausage & Clams to follow

 

If you’ve been following the blog for any length of time, you’ve probably realized that I have been somewhat absent.

This I assure is by no means an indication that I'm overcome with boredom after being at it for 5 years.....yes 5 years! But rather the result of something exciting I have been working on this year.

I’ve just returned from what can only be described as a spectacular Culinary vacation in Sicily.  It’s been something I have been working on all year that I put it together for fellow foodies. Many of these wonderful folks who joined have been cooking with me for over 2 years. And let’s face it,  good people know good people. So by that philosophy we ended up with friends, their better friends and spouses – a merry band of 11 if you will.

And boy did we have a blast!

From street food tours in Palermo, to a beautiful Azienda Agricola in the countryside where we learned all about artisinal olive oil, cooking classes with two of Sicily’s finest Instructors, hole in the wall places with amazing food in the villages like Chiaramonte Gulfi to Michelin restaurants to the insanely beautiful Baroque towns like Modica serving up some of the finest gnocchi pillows I have ever eaten in my entire life to vineyard tours, whew! we’ve done it all.

At our last meal together, someone asked me how I had managed to bring together 9 fantastic, strong women to the table? And I realized, it’s because the real treasure in what we do are the people. And if we’re lucky enough like I’ve been, then your paths cross with these incredible folks and what results are working relationships that turn into true  friendships. And herein for me, lies the real wealth, the real treasure. 

As I’m back and slowly finding my feet under me, I find myself looking at the hundreds of pics – moments forever captured in stillness which would otherwise be lost, and I see why Sicily is so haunting. Don’t get me wrong, I love Italia. Period.

But Sicily has so many faces and that to me is what makes it truly haunting. As I got off the small plane from the mainland walking down the metal stairs, in the shadow of the rock mountain in Palermo, I thought to myself, “Dorothy, you ain’t in Kansas anymore”!

The traffic, the insanity of Palermo with its magnificent grandiose architecture and incredible street foods to the stark beauty of its landscape – hues of brown due to the large volcanic Mt Etna never quite far away, the countryside often littered by plastic bags that is quite surprising and turns out a sore subject with the locals, to the peaceful olive orchards on the west coast, the spell bounding magnificence of the Baroque towns to the glistening azure colors of the limestone formations of Scala dei turchi– the steps of Turkey to the endless horizon of vineyards in Central Italy, Sicily is one place with a myriad faces.

So whether I sit at the breakfast table nursing my cup of coffee (no longer prepared by the very excellent barista Valerio in Modica) or going to dinner at a neighbourhood restaurant, I realize, that just like saying good bye to a close friend, I am suffering separation from Sicily. Nothing tastes quite the same – as my friend Kathy kept saying through out the trip, “it all tastes like buttah!”

So whether it’s the bread, the meat, the shrimp, I’m ruined! And so I look over to Mr. Hubby and proclaim that I’m all wined out, dined out and until my memories of Sicily fade, I don’t want to go out to dinner or plan any vacations. I just want to be.

And cook at home, and be inspired by the beauty from which I have returned. And hence comes this pasta.

Think of it as Pasta alla vongole in drag! The classic pasta with clams and white wine made so much better with Italian sausage. Some vino (oh how I miss you my dear bottles of Campobello di Licata and why can I carry back only 2, dear TSA?!) and crusty bread and a nice robust insalata and dinner is served.

Mr. Hubby has been playing Paolo Conti on a loop to keep the ambience going.

Sigh…..

Mquilla ~ Moroccan Fish Tagine with Chermoula & Vegetables

 

Here’s another great colorful, fish and vegetable laden Moroccan Tagine dish that celebrates preserved lemons. Thick whitefish fillets, marinated with chopped up preserved lemons, olives, olive oil, saffron and of course chermoula.

One of things I love about cooking from across continents and cultures are the wonderful similarities that exist across the board; from Argentinian chimichurri, Italian Pesto to Indian Chutney, we have so many versions of finely chopping or grinding together fresh herbs to create a lovely mixture to be used in a myriad ways. In this Moroccan version, chermoula is used as both a seasoning for the vegetables as well as a marinade for the fish.

Onions, potatoes, colorful bell peppers, tomatoes are layered, seasoned with chermoula and mound with marinated fish fillets ready for the tagine. If you don’t have a tagine, use a Dutch oven.

As in most tagine dishes,  the dish is assembled off heat and then a medium-low heat is applied to the tagine until a ‘happy sizzle’ emits from the dish.

After the dish has been stewing for an hour or so and as if that wasn’t enough to make it delicious already, thin slices of preserved lemon, pitted green olives and piece de resistance – Grade A saffron strands are added in the last few minutes to finish the dish.

Wonderfully fragrant, full of healthful ingredients and magnificent with a side of couscous, I hope you love this as much as we do!

Classic French Onion Soup

Here’s one of those simple joys of life. Really easy on the pocket, perfect to make on a Sunday when you’ve a bit of time and the result, great enough to get rave reviews from everyone. I love that this gratinee can be a part of a meal or the star of the meal.

It all begins with a ton of onions sliced very very thin with your best knife. Sauteed in butter and oil for close to an hour – in stages. First softened, then slowly cooked to  a beautiful dark golden brown ‘mush’.

Julia Child’s addition of white wine and cognac is superb to get those complex palimpsest of flavors we crave in this classic. I have deviated from her recipe in that she calls for the thick slices of baguette to be toasted for 30 minutes before layered on the soup with gruyere cheese.

And I think we’d need to do that is we were using fresh baguette which would simply absorb a ton of soup and sink. However, the problem is solved by using a time-saver tip of using 1-2 day old stale baguette. Since so much of moisture has dried out of the baguette, it has the structural strength to float atop the soup with sinking thus saving us an additional 30 minutes.

Mind you, this isn’t one of those in-a-jiffy soups but the effort is so well worth it that when you finally huddle with a bowl of this lovely out of the broiler, with that lovely cheese-bread island floating on the soup, you’ll find the result completely rewarding.

If you’ve never thought of including this in your culinary repertoire, a remedy is in order.

Think of me when you take your first bite, won’t you?!

Amritsari Chole - A North Indian Staple of Chickpeas with Roasted Spices

Chickpeas or Chole is a staple in most Indian homes. Though most commonly prepared in North-India, mainly in the Punjab region, versions of the dish are also prepared in Sindh, Gujarat & Rajasthan.

It is often eaten with a type of fried bread called Bhaturas and the two together is known as Choley Bhatura. One of the finest Choley recipes comes down from Amritsar, one of the main districts in Punjab and what follows is an interpretation of its cooking style. This is not one of the those dishes that is authored by a particular person but rather a style & methodology that is handed down from one family to another, one generation to the next, each adding their own touches and creative liberties.

Now my Mother never made Bhaturas at home but she makes a phenomenal Chole; a recipe taught to her by my Grandfather that i must post soon.

However, I  have distinct memories of going down to our neighborhood restaurant  Puranmal to feast on Chole Bhaturas. It was a small restaurant & sweets store and just a few minutes drive from our home. On some weekend mornings, I would pine for Chole Bhatura and my Mother and I would walk down to the street corner to flag down the first available 3-wheeler or rickshaw.

Puranmal was on such a busy street and it was always impossible to find parking that it was much easier to rely on rickshaws though with the precarious driving of the rickshawalas you always stood the chance of being thrown out as they veered the corner at neck breaking speed! But for a good Choley Bhatura, I'd withstand that & more!

Now what I loved most about  Puranma Bhatura's were they were the size of footballs (soccer balls in the US?), all puffed up & crispy & the choley was served almost dry with savory & tangy flavors. Just about every Indian you meet will have their own favoriteroadside eatery so it's kind of fun to hear people talk about their favorite food spots in their respective cities.

Soon after I left India my mother informed me that Puranmal had closed down in some big brouhaha among family members, all very scintillating and spicy like their chole. haha....

So anyway back to the chole - the preparation & cooking of Amritsari Chole involves 4 parts & to make life easier for everyone, I am going to separate the ingredients & cooking method  for each step.

There are some unique features to this recipe -

• The chick peas (choley) are cooked with  black tea bags or a immersion strainer filled with black tea leaves. Why? Quite simply, to achieve a dark color - the flavors are not at all intrusive unless you use some fruity, peach/echinaecea concoction - please don't!

• Salt - the salt used through out is an equal mix of regular white salt & black salt (readily available in Indian stores) and quite essential for authentic results. The salt is mixed in equal parts, so it is a good idea to mix 1 tbs white salt & 1 tbs black salt and set aside - to be used throughout the recipe as & when called for.
  

Part 1 - Cook Chick Peas

Begin by soaking dried chick peas in plenty of water overnight (at least 3 times the amount of chick peas) I do not recommend that you use canned chick peas.

Once you have soaked the chickpeas overnight they will swell up with water. Drain away the water.

Place the chick peas in a pressure cooker and add 7 cups fresh water.

Gather the remaining ingredients required for this step - the black tea leaves or tea bags, salt mix, bay leaves cooking the Choley or chickpeas in a pressure cooker with tea bags (or tea leaves in a tea immersion strainer), cardamom pods and 1/2 tbs salt mix.

Cover the pressure cooker with lid & whistle. On high heat, build up pressure for 5 minutes. Then lower heat to low setting and pressure cook for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave alone for about 20 minutes or until the pressure has subsided & the whistle comes off with no resistance.

Drain and reserve the chick peas liquid from the pressure cooker - you should be left with about 1-1/2 cups liquid. Set aside.

Cook's note - To get this nice dark coloring for the chickpeas, use tea leaves in an immersion ball strainer. If you use tea bags you will end up with a lighter coloring.

Part 2 - Choley Spices (masala)

Feel free to do this in advance or the day before to save time.

 

Gather:

6 cloves

1" bark cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin powder

1 tsp ground coriander powder

2 tsp dried pomegranate seeds

In a clean non-stick frying pan, on medium heat saute the spices all together for a minute or so, until the scent of the spices hits you - the first one that reaches me is always the coriander.

Turn off the heat & empty into a clean dry bowl to cool.Set aside for 5-10 minutes.

In a coffee grinder, dry grind to a fine powder. This may take a few minutes & a few pulses.

Remove to a clean dry bowl.

To the choley spices, add:

1 tsp  garam masala powder

1 tbs salt mix

1 tsp dry mango powder (available in Indian stores - also known as Aam Chur)

Combine once again and set aside.

Part 3 = Part 1 + Part 2

  

Prepare the fresh ingredients required for this step -

Tomatoes - Wash the tomatoes and chop.

Ginger root - Scrape the skin off and finely chop

Green chilly (Thai) - Slit down the middle and set aside

To the cooked chick peas, add the choley spices, ginger, green chilly, chopped tomatoes and stir. Set aside. Adjust the seasonings - especially the salt.

Cook's Note - Do not add any more spice powders at this point because as the chickpeas are  simmered with the spices & the flavors mature the flavor of the spices will also become more potent.

Part 4 - Simmer the chickpeas with onion & spices.

Prepare the onions - Peel and finely chop 1 large onion. Also gather cumin seeds, ghee and 2 dried bay leaves.

In a large saute pan, add ghee & on medium heat bring to fuming. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaves and as soon as the cumin seeds simmer, add the chopped onions.

Saute for 10-15 minutes or until the onions are soft, have turned transparent and are just beginning to slightly brown. Do not allow the onions to brown.

While the onions are sauteing, to a clean bowl remove 1 cup of the cooked chick peas. With a potato masher, mash the chickpeas best you can. This will help thicken the Choley once it is being simmered.

  

Once the onions are sauteed add the chick peas (the mashed ones as well) to the onions and stir. Add the reserved chick peas liquid.

With a potato masher, go around the whole pan 5-6 times the mash the chick peas some more.

Cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes on low-medium heat.

Cook's Note - This tastes much better if it is allowed to sit a while. Prepare this earlier in the day for dinner or the night before.

To warm, add 1/4 cup water and reheat on medium heat till hot.  Taste and adjust seasonings - the salt & the garam masala powder.

To serve, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

 
This is best served with Bhaturas or Pooris - a match made in heaven this one!

This is fantastic meal to have with friends, eaten in groups when you are craving something a little out of the way. Also, you don't need to fix anything else with it. It's a meal in itself. Also, kids couldn't get enough of it either. Go - mom!

 

Recipe for

AMRITSARI CHOLE

Overnight to soak chickpeas

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Cooking time - about 30 minutes

Serves 4

Shopping list:

Salt mix - 1 tbs black salt + 1 tbs regular salt - mixed together

Part 1 - The chick peas

2 cups dried chick peas

1 tbs black tea leaves

1 stainless steel tea immersion  ball

5 green cardamom pods

Part 2 - Choley Spices (masala)

6 cloves

1"  cinnamon bark

1 tsp ground cumin powder

1 tsp ground coriander powder

2 tsp dried pomegranate seeds

1 tsp  garam masala powder

Part 3 = Part 1 + Part 2

1 large tomato

1" fresh ginger root - enough to yield 1-1/2 tbs chopped

1 - Green chilly (Thai)

Part 4 -

1 large onion

2 dried bay leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 tbs Ghee

Preparation -

Part 1 - Cook Chick Peas

Begin by soaking dried chick peas in plenty of water overnight (at least 3 times the amount of chick peas)  Drain away the water.

Part 2 - Choley Spices (masala)

In a clean non-stick frying pan, add cloves, cinnamon bark, ground cumin powder, ground coriander powder & dried pomegranate seeds.

On medium heat saute the spices all together for a minute or so, until the scent of the spices hits you - the first one that reaches me is always the coriander. Turn off the heat & empty into a clean dry bowl to cool.

Set aside for 5-10 minutes. In a coffee grinder, dry grind to a fine powder. This may take a few minutes & a few pulses. Remove to a clean dry bowl.

To the choley spices, add the garam masala powder, salt mix & dry mango powder (available in Indian stores - also known as Aam Chur) Combine once again and set aside.

Part 3 = Part 1 + Part 2

Prepare the fresh ingredients required for this step -

Tomatoes - Wash the tomatoes and chop.

Ginger root - Scrape the skin off and finely chop

Green chilly (Thai) - Slit down the middle and set aside

To the cooked chick peas, add the choley spices, ginger, green chilly, chopped tomatoes and stir. Set aside. Adjust the seasonings - especially the salt.

Part 4 -
Onion - Peel and finely chop

Cooking method-

Part 1 - Cook the chick peas -

Place the chick peas in a pressure cooker and add 7 cups fresh water.

Gather the remaining ingredients required for this step - the black tea leaves or tea bags, salt mix, bay leaves cooking the Choley or chickpeas in a pressure cooker with tea bags (or tea leaves in a tea immersion strainer), cardamom pods and 1/2 tbs salt mix.

Cover the pressure cooker with lid & whistle. On high heat, build up pressure for 5 minutes. Then lower heat to low setting and pressure cook for 25 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave alone for about 20 minutes or until the pressure has subsided & the whistle comes off with no resistance.

Drain and reserve the chick peas liquid from the pressure cooker - you should be left with about 1-1/2 cups. Set aside.

Part 2 & 3 - Refer preparation section

Part 4 - Simmer the chickpeas with onion & spices.

In a large saute pan, add ghee & on medium heat bring to fuming.

Add the cumin seeds and bay leaves and as soon as the cumin seeds simmer, add the chopped onions.

Saute for 10-15 minutes or until the onions are soft, have turned transparent and are just beginning to slightly brown.

Do not allow the onions to brown.While the onions are sauteing, in a clean bowl remove 1 cup of the cooked chick peas.

With a potato masher, mash the chickpeas best you can. This will help thicken the Choley once it is being simmered.

Once the onions are sauteed add the chick peas (the mashed ones as well) to the onions and stir. Add the reserved chick peas liquid.

With a potato masher, go around the whole pan 5-6 times the mash the chick peas some more.Cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes on low-medium heat.

Cook's Note - This tastes much better if it is allowed to sit a while. Prepare this earlier in the day for dinner or the night before.To warm, add 1/4 cup water and reheat on medium heat till hot. 

Taste and adjust seasonings - the salt & the garam masala powder.To serve, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Enjoy with Bhaturas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hungarian Rabbit { Or Chicken} Paprikash

Now here’s a classic Hungarian stew. I’ve been having versions of this since I was a kid always with chicken, never with rabbit.

Speaking of which, this is how we foodies say “we love you” – we gift you ‘bizarre’ foods that make others gawk. Like X’mas when I call everyone and ask if they want some of my duck fat. For a regular, sane person such an offer can be quite offensive. I mean who thinks about getting the gift of duck fat for the holidays?!

My more sane friends have learned to expect such freakish phone calls from me and have learned to accept these with polite grace.

But in my ‘crazy foodie’ world, it would quite an honor followed by “any other organs meats you want to share”?  See, bizarre.

So you can quite imagine when I got the gift of rabbit from a friend the other day, it spelled l.o.v.e. Now because it was the whole rabbit and not just the breasts, it seemed to be quite a good choice for stew rather than a lovely French version of duck breasts seared and served with apples or peaches. Yum.

Nope, stew was calling. Since I haven’t fixed Paprikash in so long it’s nearly fallen out of memory, it seemed like the perfect time to revive an old classic.

The ingredient list is so very simple – rabbit or chicken pieces – cut up by the butcher, lots of excellent Hungarian sweet Paprika, sour cream, onions and right there are the foundations of this classic. It may be impossible to imagine but a rich paprika based sauce is quite lovely.

Now I’m not professing this recipe to be some old authentic grandma version but rather it’s the result og some gently tugging on a long lost wisp of memory. I so remember the flavor of this dish as a child, that it was enough to get me going.

Mushrooms are not typical buy I do love them my Paprikash. My kids ate it for the first time, rabbit and all. And thoroughly enjoyed it.

Word of advice, you may want to refrain from the using the term ‘bunny’ while referring to dinner, on the plate, at table.

A Week Day-Night-End Special for All Occasions ~ Mediterranean Lentils Burgers with Pomegranate Molasses & Feta

 
I cannot lie, I love my meat.

You won't see me professing undying love for lentils - usually.

Fact of the matter is, my love for lentils has been a 'process'. It all began with laziness. That green lentils unlike the Asian, Indian compadres does not require overnight soaking.

Which meant that I could haul my lazy ass out of bed the following day and still be able to a decent dinner on the table with lentils without having to have remembered the night before.

And then I realized that green lentils are actually fabulous when cooked with a touch of salt, turmeric and whole garlic cloves. They keep for a week if not more in a container in the refrigerator.

Which means, all of a sudden I have a whole range of 'quick-fixes' for the dinner table and next days lunches.

Yup, school really is back in session and I feel it every night as I line up the lunch boxes. Whew!

So coming back to lentils. I've been throwing them is pasta with sage and they're just marvelous. Fabulous too stewed with tomatoes, onions and celery with a side of seared salmon steak. Oh yeah!

And then, as I discovered the other night, they are a great culinary medium to play with and turn into the most drool worthy burgers.

So much so that this patty sandwiched between 2 slices of bread with a touch of Jalapeno ketchup in the boys lunches earned me an extra kudos with a sweet little kiss for my youngest minion.

If you have boys you know those hugs and kisses are worth the price of GOLD. Rare is when boys give those out freely.

So whether you have big boys, little boys or you're married to one, I think you're really love these lentil burgers with these fantastic flavors even if you're a carnivore like me!

Moroccan Style Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons & Olives

Once in a while, not very often I come across a medley of flavors that makes me sit up and pay attention.

The kind I know that will forever be embedded in my pshyce and onto my taste buds. The refreshing flavors of the cilantro based marinade, the signature tang from the preserved lemons to the briny flavors from the olives does all that and more.

You'll never think of chicken as the same old boring bird and I know I'll love this dish forever - right up there with my love for the likes of pollo pibil.

No way are these dishes related or an are even from the same continent but they transform the humble bird into something exotic and memorable. And how often can one say that?!

Tagine, is my fave version of 'fast food' not so much because it take a jiffy to make but rather, that the ingredients are all piled into one conical mound, fitted with the conical tagine lid and then forgotten on a slow simmer for the next hour. Meanwhile, I'm free to potter around, writing blog posts, watching PBS chat with 'my person' and do a load of laundry.

Yippee! As you can see nothing gets me in a tizzy more than the ability to multi-task through my chores!

As my Aussie-Moroccan friend Yasmine has often reminded me, forget about searing the chicken with skin on the way many western versions of the dish profess. This chook is all about cooking in steam and it's own juices. And nothing worse that all that skin releasing it's fat in a skim layer over the whole dish. Yuck!

So do it the traditional way and get the butcher to skin and joint the chicken for you. The tagine will not only be yummier but also better for you.

Traditionally this dish is served with a mound of fries - yup them greasy French fries which we all love but can't afford to. So I serve mine with Moroccan style taters with a hint of cumin, oven roasted to perfection in the oven which is fab too and much much healthier for us all.

That recipe coming up next. Meanwhile, get this dish on your calendar 30 days from now but begin with preserving your lemons today!

Spiced Cauliflower & Almond Soup

I’m about the brag about one of the most unlikely candidates to qualify as stellar in the culinary world – cauliflower.

In a soup.

Mind you, I love cauliflower; roasted, mashed or turned into a Indian style veggie but the thought of cauliflower soup usually brings to mind some ‘cream-of-concoction’ often known to grace French cuisine.

Which is why this is a moment of sheer triumph. Very rarely do I get taken by knock-me-off-my-feet-surprise by a dish. Most times I’m pretty good about judging if something’s going to turn out well.

But I was completely blind sided by this Moroccan style soup – with just simple this soup did just that.

It had me lapping up bowlfuls with such relish, I couldn’t believe I was thoroughly enjoying a marvelous vegetarian, low carb, healthful soup with cauliflower and almonds.

In fact I taught this at my culinary class over the weekend and had one of the ladies mention today that she'd been telling everyone about the soup.

What can I say?

You’ve got to try this and prepare to be swept off your feet by the ‘prince-in-the-frog-of-soups’!

Moules à la Marinière ~ Mussels in White Wine Inspired by Julia Child

 

I love an idyllic Sunday.

The kind when unavoidable soccer practice with the kids ends up with a pot of mussels stewing in white wine, herbs and butter in my favorite Mauviel copper pot.

It's the sign of good things to come.

It doesn't hurt that the recipe is one of Julia Child's classics and that she'd make this for her husband Paul nearly everyday for lunch. It was his favorite.

Followed by a nice long nap my idyllic Sunday, check.

You know how much I love my Italian style mussels that I have cooked many a version of. But these are a classic and so beloved have they become, that I urge you to make these - quickly.

The fact that you'll put these together in less than 30 minutes, means that you don't have to wait for a Sunday to fix these. Fix these on a busy weeknight, and what started out as a heactic day might just end on a lighter, lovely note.

Don't take my word for it. Listen to Julia Child y'all!

Arroz Con Pollo ~ Mexican Style Chicken with Rice but so much more!

 

If all you think of when you think of Arroz Con Pollo is some chicken sauteed with onions, a can of tomatoes thrown in with some chicken and cooked up with rice, then think again.

This Daisy Martinez recipe one I have been following for years with some tweaks of course and it the closest thing to the real deal we'd fill up on in Arizona.

It all begins with making some achiote oil - achiote seeds are pigment red seeds easily and cheaply available in Mexicana grocery stores. The seeds are simmered for a bit in olive oil and the oil develops a marvelous orange hue. The chicken is seared in this lovely oil.

The next step is where most of the pow wow flavor comes from - a large pot of fresh sofrito - anaheim peppers, jalapeno, garlic, tomatoes and cilantro all pulverized in the food processor. The rice is sauteed in this incredible sofrito and truly forms the foundation for the whole dish.

The chicken and rice is cooked in this wonderful base to which some peas and pimento stuffed Manzanilla olives are added. Once the chicken and rice are cooked, strips of roasted red pepper are folded in for yet another spot of color and flavor.

One marvelous meal for the weekend - hearty and delicious! What more do you need to gather around the family table?

Julia Child's Classic Quiche Lorraine {with just some twists}

 

There is something so special about a really great quiche – the mouth feel of the buttery crust as it shatters under your teeth at first bite, the melt-in-the mouth texture and then of course the flavor of rich custard that brings it all together.

Quiche Lorraine is a classic! It can be made with sautéed onions or none, bacon or ham, cheese or no cheese. And so it takes on all of these manifestation depending on the creator’s mood and tastes.

Julia Child’s version is wonderful and simple. Hers begins with the classic Cordon Bleu recipe for pate brisee which is one I have been following for years with one BIG exception. She adds lard along with her butter. And it is brilliant. I’m never doing mine without lard ever again.

Her filling is lovely too – no onions, just crispy bacon in and egg cream custard. I have taken the liberty of adding some Gruyere to mine - freshly shredded of course! I mean how can one go wrong with Gruyere?!

Other than that, it’s mainly all Julia Child through and through. Of course with my tips on how to make perfectly cooked bacon, the first step of which begins with water, yes, water!

So if I’ve piqued your curiosity enough and you want an amazing meal at the end of a bit of time & effort, it’s time you got started – with a glass of wine in hand & an apron to tow. Julia Child style, of course!

Bon appétit

Authentic Mexican Pollo Pibil ~ Chicken with Achiote paste in Banana Leaves from Yucatan, Mexico

Pollo Pibil, is a very special age-old dish hailing out of Quintana Roo, in Mexico’s Yucutan region.

What distiguishes this dish from your average chicken dish is the pibil cooking technique.

Meats are marinated, wrapped in banana leaves and placed in pibs;  roasting pits buried into the earth and layered with stones and pieces of wood. This wonderful method of cooking the meat in the earth, gives this dish it's classic rustic, earthy flavor while the banana leaves infuse the meats with a lovely freshness, keeping the meat moist, juicy and tender.

Now perched here in my urban kitchen, it's not likely I'm going to be heading to the backyard with a shovel to dig a pit, it's time to take what's traditional and work it to fit my itsy bitsy kitchen.

The challenge is this; cooking the meat in an earthen pit, allows for excess moisture to escape our from the banana leaves into the surrounding earth pit. So what one is left with is all the tenderness without the meat resting in a soupy base.

To counter this, I've got a couple of tricks up my sleeve. First, I'm going to sear the chicken over high heat to get it all brown and crispy getting those lovely browning and flavor molecules to do their thing. Helloo, Maillard reactions!

After that, I'm reducing the amount of liquid traditionally used by half so not to end up in a soupy mess.

There are a couple of things that make pollo pibil pollo pibil and not pollo whatever and that's the nutty, pungent akin to sweet pepper flavor of the achiote/annatto paste which is quite literally a brick colored brick! I merrily buy my brick from amazon.com - God bless!

The other is the overnight marination in a sea of citrus. Bitter oranges traditionally but a wowzah combination of lime, orange, grapefruit juices and vinegar does the trick very nicely. All that citrus is 'cooking' the meat, breaking down those proteins as the chicken sits and of course infuses it with a ton of flavor.

Banana leaves can be purchased frozen in any Asian market and defrosted before use. Easy peasy.

So now that you know the why, the what and the who, it's off to the kitchen without further ado!

A Seriously Authentic Antipasti ~ Eggplant Parmigiano

 

This isn't the first or the last Eggplant Parmigiano recipe you'll come across.

It may be however, the last one you'll ever want.

If for you, Eggplant Parmigiano is all about refreshing flavors, eggplant without all that excess breadcrumb coating, fresh cheeses and herbs in a medley of purely genuine awesome flavors,

And you can't stand the thought of;

fried eggplants in a thick coating breadcrumbs that get all soggy or eggplants soaking up all that excess oil, then you've come to the right place.

So no, this isn't your main stream American take on Eggplant Parmigiano. In fact, the mainstream variety is exactly why I've never made this dish before now.

And now that I've learned how it's actually made, (thank you Tuscany) I'll never stop.

Thick eggplant slices that roast to softness in olive oil, layered with made from scratch tomato sauce, slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano and slivers of fresh basil all baking together to a gooey goodness. Sigh...now here is all what I love about food.

And evidently so do the boys.

They asked for it in their lunchbox as their last-day-of-school meal. Now that my friend, for a mum like me is a win all around!

Pollo Salsa Verde ~ Chicken in Roasted Tomatillo Green Sauce

 

This is one of my favorite chicken dishes to come out of Mexico. Some argue that the sauce is a mole (pronounced mo-lay) that comes out of the Yucatan region and that very well may be the case. I think of it simply as salsa verde. 

Quite honestly a sum of two very delicious parts. As humble as it may look, the simple step 1 of cooking the chicken in a pot of water with chopped onions,  cilantro & a few other ingredients is key to the intense flavors that follow. 

Step 2 is the sauce, the salsa verde. There are different ways this is cooked, some  simply sauté the ingredients others like myself, love roasting them. 

Whatever you decide to do, the ingredients remain the same – lots of tomatillos, jalapenos and onions tossed with oil and roasted until the tomatillos are blistered. The mixture is then pureed with freshly roasted cumin and fresh cilantro. The result is a deliciously refreshing tangy sauce. The chicken is simmered in for a few final minutes in the salsa verde and served with Mexican rice. Another one of my favorite dishes and recipe to follow soon. 

Before you go around thinking that tomatillos are the same as green tomatoes and go buy a whole bunch ( and I can’t blame you for doing so), this green tomato look alike has nothing to do with the family of tomatoes but is actually akin to the nightshade family, related to the cape gooseberry. Go figure! 

I buy them in heaps and cheap at the Mexicana grocery store. The same ingredients cost an arm and leg as they are considered ‘exotic’ in a regular grocery store. 

Either way, I think you’re going to love this one.

Parsi Style Patrani Machi~ Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves

 
Here's one of those incredibly delicious recipes that is simply not photogenic.

And then again it may be me (and my not superlative camera skills) at work here.

So if you're all about food porn, chances are you'll look and pass.

And therein my friend you'll be committing a grave error of judgment.

Especially, if you love seafood.

And here is why.

Imagine a fish that is smothered in a fresh green chutney with all these fabulous aromatic and delicious ingredients; coconut, fresh ginger root, garlic, Thai chillies , cumin, coriander, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, peanuts &  tamarind paste. 

Wrapped up in oil basted banana leaves and baked in a hot oven.

Not only is this dish uber healthy, the end result will have you forgetting all about the health and zero in on the burst of awesome flavors.

And for all of you food history buffs out there, this dish is one of the hallmarks of Parsi cuisine -  influenced by the fine blend of Gujarati and Persian cooking.

Parsis are a community of Zoroastrians found throughout South Asia. Though they descend from Persia, they ethnically distinct from Iranians and made their home in the western borders of South Asia (Gujarat and Sindh in India) somewhere during the 10th century.

Mumbai is home to a large Parsi community and if you've ever been to a Parsi navjot or wedding, you'll see that no Parsi celebration is without their beloved Patrani Machi.

But you don't have to been a Parsi to fall in love with a dish as flavorful and refreshing.

It's good eats, my friend!

Warm Seafood & Potato Salad

Of all our senses, our sense of smell – olfactory senses is perhaps one we underestimate the most. Don’t you think?

But as a foodie, I can’t tell you the number of times, the waft of food will transport me to a geographical location thousands of miles away. One scent of sambal, and I’m sitting in my favorite hawker scent in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore or the scent of basil, warm potatoes, olive oil and olives and I’m on a pebble beach off the Adriatic Sea, basking in the sun, with warm breezes, the feel of warm lapping my feet as I feel the lichen covered pebbles under my feet as I wade through the water.

This wonderful dish with warm potatoes, full bodied fruit olive oil, olives, herbs and barely cooked clams, shrimp (but could be any sea food of your liking) represents everything I love most about good food.

This is exactly the kind of meals I could live on – forever. So it is no wonder it often graces my table.

Brunch, dinner, whenever. I serve this with some crust ciabatta, my favorite olives – wait for that post ‘coz you will LOVE them, some Parmigiano Reggiano, a glass of my favorite Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc with the under tones of grape fruit, I just can’t get enough of and it’s dinner done!

Such wonderful thoughts are just what I need to get through Monday and what promises to be a very busy work week. What about you?

{Shorshe Maache} ~ A classic Bengali preparation of fish simmered in a lightly spiced mustard & yogurt gravy

In India there's a belief, our soul chooses our own parents.

That is a particularly good weapon to have in one's 'arsenal- as - parents'. I should know because every time I got into one of rebellious moods growing up & I would begin whining about how unfair my parents were to me, especially during those teenage years, they'd pull out that arrow - shut me up every time!

I wonder if that also applies to choosing ones mother-in-laws. If you think that I am going to start bitching and ranting anytime now you'll be sorely disappointed. Because I actually like my mother-in-law. Truly! She's a very nice person & believe you me when I say we are poles apart as people.

Let me explain how big a deal this is - I am the product of a fusion marriage - my father is North India n (Punjabi) and Mom is west Indian (Gujarati Jain). For those of you who are not familiar with Indian culture you're probably going - yeah, so what? well look next to you - if you're seated next to an Indian reading this, you probably just heard a gasp.

Back then my parents fell in love (another gasp) and got married against some serious odds. Basically I know all about 'black sheep'. Anyway, when I met my hubby-to-be and he turned out to East Indian (Bengali) as you can imagine the gasp wasn't so loud from my parent's side but there was definitely a  rumble coming from the other camp. No one & I mean no one in my husband's side of the family had ever stepped out - this was big news!

Anyway, we did our dance, they did theirs and it obviously it ended up well because here we are all are 17 years & 2 kids later.

Now back to my mother-in-law - she is a gentle & kind soul and I am a loud mouth if there ever was one. If I feel it, you'll hear it! So when we get together it never ceases to amaze me - we actually like being around each other. I make her laugh and she teaches me many things but most importantly  how to cook amazing Bengali foods.

This is the part where I wonder if I also chose my mother-in-law. Because she is an amazing master cook! That is where we meet unequivocally - when I see her cook, I am humbled. She has 'a hand' in Bengali cooking that I strive to achieve but quite honestly, either you got it or you don't and though I am quite good when she's in the kitchen, I step down.

Watching her is like watching Master Oogway work (I would say Master Yoda but she's much prettier & way younger) - underneath her gentle style, she cooks with such authority that I mainly just shut up and observe - grabbing onto every little pearl of wisdom she throws my way before heading back on that plane to India.

The Bengali recipes that I feature on the blog are hers. It is my attempt to recreate the magic she creates in the kitchen. Shorshe Maache - is a classic Bengali fish preparation that is cooked in every Bengali household but no one does it quite like her!

We begin by selecting a white firm fish such as shown here - I am using tilapia steaks  though traditionally 'hilsa' or'rohu' grass carp steaks are used. You can also use tilapia fillets or salmon fillets if you prefer.  

 

If you using fish steaks have them cut to 1/2" thick slices. Also, as with all fish Fresh-Fresh-Fresh!

We begin by marinating the fish with salt and turmeric powder. Use a  large flat platter so the fish steaks are not crowded and the salt & turmeric is applied uniformly. Use about 1/2 tsp salt (total) & 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (total) on each side. Sprinkle, rub with fingers. Flip over & repeat the process.

Set aside to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

  

Onion - Peel & finely chop.

Garlic - Peel & finely chop garlic cloves

Green Chillies - Slit down the middle 

Tomato - Wash, halve & Slice into thick slices

   

Mustard seeds - In a grinder capable of grinding to a dry fine powder, grind 1 tbs mustard seeds very fine.

 

Place plain yogurt in a mini-grinder/chopper and add 2 tbs mustard powder. Blend to a fine paste without adding any water.

Cook's Note - If you do not grind the mustard seeds dry first, they will not form a paste when added to the yogurt. The seeds will remain intact and you will have to discard & start over.

 

  

 

 

In a non-stick frying pan heat 3/4 cup of oil and heat on medium high flame till fuming. When you drop the first piece of fish in it should sizzle immediately. Fry for approx 2 minutes per side till is crisp and brown on both sides. I use a pair of tongs or a fork to gently turn over. Continue above method till all the fish has been cooked. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Cooks Note - Do not fry more than 2 pieces of fish at a time or the fish will not cook crisp like we want it to.  Also, if you drop the first fish in and sticks to the pan, that means the oil is not hot enough. Wait for the oil to heat a bit before you drop in the 2nd piece.

As when deep frying all foods the hot oil will splatter so once you drop the fish into the oil step back from the stove so you do not get hot oil splatter all over you.

  

 

In a separate saute pan or 'kadhai', take some the oil used for frying the fish .  Keep on medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and onions and saute till soft and golden brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder and red chilly powder. Saute for a few minutes on medium flame till tomatoes begin to soften approx 3-4 minutes.

Add 1 cup water and bring to a simmer. Taste & adjust the salt.

 

Spoon some of the gravy over the fish very gently. Add the mustard yogurt paste.Once gain, spoon the gravy over the fish very gently.

 

Add 1/2 cup water into the mini-chopper with the mustard paste. Swirl to capture the mustard-yogurt paste on the sides of the wall and pour over the fish. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Cooks Note -This fish gravy does not keep well. Unlike other fish gravies, this is best eaten as soon as it is prepared. It is best eaten with steamed rice, anything else and it takes away from the original intent & enjoyment. Cook the rice while you are preparing the fish so you can eat as soon as the fish is ready.

 
Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves & serve on a bed of steamed rice.

This is such a savory, delightful fish preparation. The mustard adds a characteristic  slightly pungent taste but the yogurt complements the flavors of the fish & the mustard beautifully and takes the edge off,  giving the dish a very smooth and rich gravy base.

Absolutely one of my favorite ways to eat fish!

 

 

Recipe for  

SHORSHE MAACHE - A classic Bengali preparation of fish simmered in a lightly spiced mustard & yogurt gravy

Preparation time - 25 minutes

Cooking time - 15 minutes

Serves 4

Shopping list

2 lbs  Tilapia steaks or  fillets, Grass Carp steaks or fillets or Hilsa steaks

1 tsp Salt  + 1/2 tsp turmeric powder for marinating fish

1 cup Vegetable Oil for frying  (of which 4 tbs  oil to be used for gravy)

Gravy

1/2 medium 0nion (1 cup chopped)

4 garlic cloves                         

1/2 large tomato 

1-2 green 'Thai' chillies (adjust based on tolerance to heat)

3/4 tsp red chilly powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1-1/2 tbs whole black mustard seeds

1/2 cup yogurt

1-1/2 cups water

1 tbs   chopped Cilantro leaves (optional)

Preparation

Fish: Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder.

Onion - Peel & finely chop.

Garlic - Peel & finely chop garlic cloves

Green Chillies - Slit down the middle 

Tomato - Wash, halve & slice into thick slices

Mustard seeds - In a grinder capable of grinding the seeds to a dry fine powder, grind 1-1/2 tbs mustard seeds very fine.

Place plain yogurt in a mini-grinder/chopper and add 2 tbs mustard powder. Blend to a fine paste without adding any water.

Cook's Note - If you do not grind the mustard seeds dry first, they will not form a paste when added to the yogurt. The seeds will remain intact and you will have to discard & start over.

Cilantro - Wash and chop. Immerse in a bowl of water till ready to use. Any soil or dirt will settle to the bottom of the bowl.

Cooking Method

In a non-stick frying pan heat 3/4 cup of oil and heat on medium high flame till fuming. When you drop the first piece of fish in it should sizzle immediately. Fry for approx 2 minutes per side till is crisp and brown on both sides. I use a pair of tongs or a fork to gently turn over. Continue above method till all the fish has been cooked. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Cooks Note - Do not fry more than 2 pieces of fish at a time or the fish will not cook crisp like we want it to.  Also, if you drop the first fish in and sticks to the pan, that means the oil is not hot enough. Wait for the oil to heat a bit before you drop in the 2nd piece.

As when deep frying all foods the hot oil will splatter so once you drop the fish into the oil step back from the stove so you do not get hot oil splatter all over you.

In a separate saute pan or 'kadhai', take some the oil used for frying the fish .  Keep on medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and onions and saute till soft and golden brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder and red chilly powder. Saute for a few minutes on medium flame till tomatoes begin to soften approx 3-4 minutes.

Add 1 cup water and bring to a simmer. Taste & adjust the salt.

Spoon some of the gravy over the fish very gently. Add the mustard yogurt paste.Once again, spoon the gravy over the fish very gently.

Add 1/2 cup water into the mini-chopper with the mustard paste. Swirl to capture the mustard-yogurt paste on the sides of the wall and pour over the fish. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve immediately  with steamed rice.

Enjoy!

 

Toscana Toasted Panzanella Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

 

Hands down Panzanella is one of my favorite summer salads. On the surface it’s a simple salad with just a handful of humble ingredients thrown together. 

Bread, tomatoes, red onions, basil and a simple dressing with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Pretty lame, right? 

You couldn’t be farther from the truth. Like almost all incredible seasonal and rustic antipasti, this one also depends on the quality of the ingredients. Which is why I have tweaked the traditional recipe to my liking and I humbly proclaim it’s better because of it. 

This roots of this dish lie in the copious amounts if extra bread at the end of a Tuscan baker’s day. The stale bread is soaked in water, squeezed out of extra liquid and tossed with lovely tomatoes and all the delightful ingredients listed above. 

Personally I don’t care for the notion of water logged bread so I toast the bread cubes with olive oil a light golden brown. 

I have also foregone gorgeous blood red, beautiful and perfectly round tomatoes for its ugly duckling cousins – the heirloom tomatoes. Because with the lovely hybrid tomatoes, what you gain in looks, you lose in flavor (and heart and soul). Hmmm….any celebrity come to mind, much? 

Hybrid tomatoes are far from pretty with their odd colors, bumps and over all ugly shapes reminiscent of a camel with one hump too many. But in the height of summer with the farmers markets in full swing, they are just ooh la la in terms of sweetness and flavor. 

Because I have forgone, soaking the bread, I am marinating the salad for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator allowing the bread to sop up all of that delicious dressing. 

The salad at the end is bursting with the scent of basil and so refreshing it will have you doing a little dance with each bite…reminding all of us that the day is bright and the sun is shining and some days that is all you need for a little happiness. 

A Work Lunch Special ~ No-Mayo Asian Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps

The older I get, the more I know that most days all I have is the illusion of control.

Kidnapped girls in Nigeria, global warming, melting ice caps, oceans rising, small government, big government, the list goes on and there is not much I can do about the chaotic macrocosm around me.

So I focus on the microcosm.

Instill a sense of right and wrong in my boys and pray that what they hear coming out of my mouth is more than just 'white noise'.

Heathful meals and regular exercise.

Pay the bills, keep the laundry clean and the towels warm.

More hugs, less nag.

More protein, less fat, low carbs.

Small things.

These are things I can do something about.

Big flavor per bite per calorie.

So these lettuce wraps are is that category. The kind you throw together because you can't stand to eat tuna the same old way again.

The more protein, more health, less fat - 'things I can control' category.

Being honest, I really wasn't going to blog these at all. Because they are take a full 5 minutes to put together and falls in what you call the dumbass recipe category.

But then my two fave ladies at work, took a bite and loved it and said they were going to try to make these the next day.

So maybe dumbass is not so dumb after all.

And since I absolutely love them, I thought you might like them too!

Mumbai Style Prawn & Peas Pulao

 

The great thing about living in a megapolis is that diversity hits you from every corner.

And in that respect Mumbai is a lot like New York.

Invariably what begins as traditional, amalgamates into a style entirely its own. This recipe shows influences from Bengali cuisine with the use of Bengali garam masala unique in that it uses only 3 ingredients – cloves, cardamom and cinnamon ground up to a fine dust.

But then it also uses coconut milk which is so very Western and Southern Indian in its roots.

Case and point – a recipe that is all Mumbai no matter where the story began. It’s also one I grew up with.

We’ve all grown up with dishes where our eyes would light up when Mom said, it’s what’s for dinner. This is one of those for me and not surprisingly the same of my boys today.

It's not hard to imagine why –

Fragrant ghee, sautéed onions with long grain Basmati rice which is cooked in seafood stock & coconut milk and flavored with ground garam masala.

 Peas & marinated shrimp are added in the final minutes.

The result?

Lovely morsels of basmati rice, fragrant with the scent of cardamom & spices in which plump, succulent shrimp is nestled with peas, providing that much needed burst of color.

Simply delicious! I have no doubt it’ll light up your eyes and those you’re serving it up to.

Enjoy!

Lemon & Oregano Grilled Baby Octopus

One of my favorite finger foods - not french fries, not chips, not any of that.

Baby octopus!

These cephalopods that belong to a family of mollusks and for whatever reason seem to be not as popular here in the US as it is throughout Europe. The trick is to either cook them for a very short time - I'm talking just a few minutes to very long. There's not in between with these - you can't wake up decide to cook them for 15 minutes, just because.

You'll end up with bits of tough, rubbery octopus, that's why!

This very quick way of enjoying these are popular all throughout Greece and Italy and doesn't even warrant a recipe. Because the concept is simple as 1-2-3. The octopus is marinated with lots of lemon juice, olive oil and fresh oregano for 2 hours. No short cuts here.

And then quickly thrown on the grill or broiled in the oven until then curl which takes 4-1/2 minutes exactly and then you pop then out of the oven and eat. With fingers. Just so.

The lemon juice is key. It is acidic in nature and the citric acid works on the proteins at a molecular level (no kidding!) and thus breaking down the connective tissue resulting in 'poppable' little octopus eats.

I love the lemony and slightly chewy texture of the meat and the scent of the herbs. I don't know about you, but they are so healthy and yummy that these are one kind of treats without the guilt fix.

And that, I can do more of!

Mediterranean Style Chick Pea, Fennel & Mussels Soup

I’m in a race against time or at least against the seasons.

Spring seems to be finally sprouting amidst freezing temperatures that still seems to catch me unaware. So I am trying to get in as many hot soups as I can before it gets so hot that no one wants to look at a steaming bowl placed in front of them on the dinner table.

This one is styled after Mediterranean flavors and at its heart is chick peas – and I don’t mean the ones out a can. To get the full benefit of its creamy texture that we all love, you really need to  begin with the dried peas soaked overnight and cooked in the pot with sautéed onions and garlic.

The soup base is flavored with crushed red chili pepper flakes and aromatic fennel seeds making it so delicious. Once the chick peas are soft and tender, slices of fennel are added along with mussels and stewed just for a few minutes.

Don’t be fooled by the handful of ingredients, loaded with flavor, sopped up with crust bread, this is one soup that you too are going to want to get into your menu before the season changes!

Norwegian Fiskesuppe ~ Cod & Root Vegetable Chowder

 

Meet the root vegetable and cod chowder from Norway. Just the ingredient list is drool worthy – celeriac, red potatoes, carrots and parsnips sautéed with onions and garlic, in a cream and milk based stock with thick chunks of Atlantic Cod fish and finished with scented fresh dill, parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Insanely delicious, I am fascinated with the process of cooking this chowder which is quite different from its American brethren and French cream based soups.

This hearty Norwegian stew adds all of the dairy – milk and cream right in with the root vegetables and the caseins (milk proteins) and milk fats are allowed to separate and reconstituted in the base again and again by stirring.

Surprisingly, it does not result in a grainy  texture but rather a creamy and delicious one.

Mind you, all the wonderful root vegetables like celeriac and parsnips and this should come as no surprise. These are cooked by simmering with seafood stock, cream and milk – no lid on pot!

And the last few minutes chucks of cod are stirred in, finished with generous  heaps of dill and parsley. Lemon juice at the very end and serve with thick slices of crusty bread.

 What’s not to love?!

Crostini with Pancetta & Balsamico Drizzle

Post a great night of wining and dining in Georgetown D.C, calls for a lighter fare the next morning.

With my slightly hungover, my-head-is-stuffed-with-cotton-wool-and-everything-is- slightly-fuzzy state, this is not a morning to be thinking up some big elaborate affair in terms of food.

No indeed.

This was more a small bites with a little bit of grease kind of day.

So it should come as no surprise that crostinis answer the call.

And not some long winded kind of crostini but a rather, 5 ingredients, assembled rather hastily in 3 minutes, stuck in the oven and there!

Not to mention the need for it to be delicious. Because if it isn't well, then it just isn't worth it. And and because this is IT for lunch, it had better be!

Crispy curled up pancetta sliced over crispy rustic bread, drizzled with aged balsamico and lightened with fresh slivers of basil?

Fast food - check.

Delicious - check.

Slowly emerging from the haze - check.

Italian Style Spinach & Egg Drop Soup

  

How about this for fast food?

Here’s a soup that literally takes minutes to put together and is lovely.

Quite unique too because egg drop soups are usually considered to be in the domain of Chinese cooking except this one hails from the very foodie region of Italy, Emilia Romagna. No offense Tuscany, I LOVE you but here’s a region that boasts, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Balsamico and prosciutto.

I rest my case.

And yet this soup is almost humble in its origins. But the few ingredients that it does consist of, requires top notch quality. Beginning with fresh spinach leaves,  preferably home made chicken stock, for which quite frankly there is no substitute and so easy to make as long as you collect chicken bones and scraps in the freezer and fix stock twice a month and freeze it. That’s my trick!

And of course the best quality cheese i.e.  Parmigiano Reggiano.

And no, Parmesan is not the same thing.

In fact for Parmigiano Reggiano to be sold as such in the U.S it automatically means, that it’s D.O.P certified (the Italian food Consortium) and is a minimum 2 year aged, Grade A and that’s the only kind that makes it on this continent. So it doesn’t really matter if your box says Kirkland or whatever as long as it says Parmigiano Reggiano, it’s the real deal.

So dearies stay away from the green tin and stick with what’s golden.

Your soup and your life loves will thank you!

Carne de Porco à Alentejana ~ Braised Pork & Clams from Portugal

Pork and clams are a traditional combination from Portugal. This dish hails from the region of Alentejana and if you think that’s what makes this dish unique is just that it combines pork with clams, well then that’s not just it.

The real secret is the red bell pepper paste known as massa de pimentao. Traditionally, this is made by marinating bell pepper strips overnight with salt. Obviously, this is to draw the moisture out of the cells and soften the vegetable. The bell pepper is then blended into a pesto like paste with garlic cloves and olive oil. Yummy!

All that salt acts as a natural preservative and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Mind you, I love using it all in the stew plus, any extra is the best on sandwiches. Thus far, I have yet to end up with a jar of this yumminess just sitting in the refrigerator. You can also buy the paste bottled up and purists insist on Incopil brand. However, I love the paste freshly made and with it being so hard to but it in the U.S. why not just make it at home?

If you are tempted to use middle eastern Ajvar as a substitute, I wouldn’t, simply because there is no ‘heat’ component in the traditional recipe.

This is such a simple stew once you make the red bell pepper paste, the pork chunks are marinated overnight with massa de pimentao and a generous glug of white wine and stewed the next day.  Clams get added towards the end and a sprinkle of chopped up parsley and cilantro with lemon wedges and crust bread is all that’s required to complete this delicious meal.

Just one last thing, don’t use a lean cut of pork because like in all old world stews, you need the fat to render softer meat. Tenderloin may be tempting but you’ll be chewing on chunks of leather by the time you’re done! 

 

Braised Beef Short Ribs In Hard Cider with Gremolata

 

Beef short ribs are tough cuts of meat so do very well as a slow cooked braise.

This simple and comfort food version is delicious with carrots, onions and bunches of fresh thyme and rosemary. The the one thing that really takes it up a notch is the use of seasonal beer like Chestnut beer during the holidays or hard apple cider during other times.

The meat is first seared in hot oil for a gorgeous browning thanks to the Maillard reactions at play and then stewed for a long time. Best cooked in the oven for a long time, it also turns out spectacular on the stove top when schedules demands so. But what really takes this heavy, stick-to-ribs comfort food and transforms it into a refreshing experience for the palate is the gremolata.

Gremolata is simple fresh herbs (such as parsley) chopped up, mixed with some fresh and fragrant lemon zest with a pungent dash of garlic or grated horseradish. It truly is above and beyond a garnish and turns the meal into a real treat for the palate as well as the olfactory senses.

You really do need to serve this on top of yummy, fluffy, cheesy soft polenta. The recipe for that, is coming up next!

Ragu alla Bolognese ~ Traditional Meat Sauce with Tagliatelle from Bologna

 It’s Valentine's day today!

And it’s a Friday with 15 inches of snow on the ground and the kids at home with schools closed.

A great day to stay in, stay warm and cuddle over a lovely dinner. So why not do what I'm doing and cook a wonderful dinner for your loved one and I have just the thing.

I have no doubt you already have wonderful and chocalatey already planned so allow me to fill in the gap with this ~ an absolutely wonderful and traditional Ragu alla Bolognese from Italy.

The people of Emilia Romagna know in the essence of their cooking that FAT CARRIES FLAVOR! Whether it’s pastry or meat, fat does carry flavor.

And instead of shying away from it, Bolognese cooking celebrates it. This traditional recipe of the Bolognese sauce is completely different to what we consider Bolognese sauce here in the US.

So here is where  they differ:

-          The American Bolognese sauce is served over spaghetti. Traditionally, it is only ever served with tagliatelle pasta, preferably fresh.

-          Our version is tomato sauce laden while traditionally no more than ½ cup to as little as 2 tablespoons are used!

-          The traditional Bolognese sauce is cooked with butter and olive oil.

-          In our American version usually beef is a major component and this is completely missing from the traditional version! In fact, ground veal or boar and pork are used in equal quantities. So is Italian sausage in smaller quantities. All the meat is sautéed with chopped up bacon in bacon fat-olive oil-butter blend.

-          Lastly, in our American version, the sauce is served over spaghetti with liberal quantities of parmesan cheese.

-          The traditional Bolognese sauce is finished with cream and serve up with fried chicken livers and mushrooms for an even richer experience.

All in all, you’ll find this traditional Ragu from Bologna does not bury the pasta but rather simply coats it in a thick meaty Ragu. It’s wonderful and I recommend that you follow the traditional recipe to the letter for a truly wonderful culinary experience.

After all, let’s not try to make this all low fat and subject thos lovely sauce to the Wusification of Ragu!

Trust me, your belly and the love of you life will thank you!

Contadina Lemon Chicken from Emilia Romagna

 

 Contadina in Italian means Farmhouse & is such a good name for this dish.

Very rarely does a lemon based dish in any cuisine have such subtle flavors combining the strong acidic flavors from lemon juice with a slight tanginess from diced tomatoes. It goes to show what a great combination of flavors it is.

This dish is an excellent example of good rustic cuisine from Emilia Romagna and is just another reason I so love this cuisine. Though what makes this such a favorite is that the though the cooking from this region truly celebrate meats and pork in particular and  can be quite rich, this particular dish leaves one a sense of being light and refreshing.

Fresh  herbs like sage, parsley, finely chopped carrots, tomatoes,  onions and most importantly lemon zest and lemon juice, the chicken is stewed with all these wonderful ingredients in its own juices.

So perfect with simple mashed potatoes or some rustic bread to sop up the juices. A good salad, a nice wine will complete the meal splendidly!

Succulent Octopus & Potato Salad ~ Put a cork in it!

It is impossible to turn a corner in Italy and not bump into a marvelous octopus and potato salad. Cooked right, the octopus beats every preconception of a tough flesh and is of a melt-in-the-mouth softness.

And though this remains one of my favorite ways of eating octopus, it does however pose quite a challenge here in the U.S.

For one, I can hardly find fresh raw octopus on sale. Ask an Italian or  Greek how to cook an octopus and the variations are varied though both cultures speak animatedly about flaying the poor octopus on a rock at least 150 times!

Thankfully, I have been saved the prospect of aimlessly wandering my urban streets in search of a rock on which to flay the poor creature.

Octopi are cephalopods (not fish or shellfish) and if there is one thing I am most grateful to Mario Batali for, is writing at length on the subject of cooking cephalopods in his books in which he states that the secret to succulent octopus is this -

Gently simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour in salted water on with a wine cork!

That's it! Turns out, the enzymes in the cork work in some fashion and help tenderize the octopus. Though it may not be an impressive explanation, it's good enough for me as long as it leaves me to happily eat my succulent octopus. What about you?

There are a couple of things to bear in mind though, I do not recommend that you buy frozen octopus.In my experience it is quite tough once cooked.

If you cannot find fresh octopus, I have found much success with using Sushi grade, precooked, frozen octopus from the Asian market. It might be sacrilegious to purists, but unless I can find fresh bounty of octopus, a girl's got to do, what a girl's got to do!

And once you've got those wonderful morsels of octopus laved in olive oil and lemon juice sharing the plate with warm cooked potatoes, Kalamata olives, parsley and sweet red onions, I doubt you'll be thinking of much else anyway.

Bucatini Pasta with Cauliflower, Raisins, Pine Nuts & Saffron

This is no exaggeration.

In all the years I have been cooking and for all types of cuisines I enjoy cooking, I have never come across a dish that celebrates the humble cauliflower as this one.

A wonderful dish from Sicily that celebrates all that makes a dish quintessentially Sicilian; loads of pine nuts, golden raisins, liberal splashes of olive oil to the piece of resistance - saffron strands.

Everything from the choice of pasta - bucatini,  long strands of pasta almost double the thickness of regular spaghetti to the combination of flavors from cooked up cauliflower florets to the dance of flavors between the pine nuts and raisins not to mention the hint of the sea from the mashed anchovies to finally the ephemeral flavors of the divine saffron.

I don't hesitate one bit in proclaiming that perhaps of all the pasta dishes I have ever come across, this is one that is most memorable and one that I know I will always make at dinner parties, at brunches and at home when ever I want a dish that takes something simple and makes it memorable.

And as all of us can vouch, some days we need to do just that. Celebrate the ordinary.

Computer Crashes, Techy Mr. Hubby & Potluck Steak & Ale Pie

I am one of these people who attracts computer crashes like a honey attracts bees.

And there is nothing more irritating to a grown woman such as myself than when the computer decides to collapse on me like a souffle and all I can do is stare at the bright blue screen talking rude gibberish in a vocabulary meant clearly for drones and not for humans.

That and the fact that I am further paralyzed from touching something lest I ruin the situation further and so I must wait for techy persons such as Mr. Hubby to come to my rescue. For some unfathomable reason Mr. Hubby like a breed of other techy's seem to have this overwhelming urge to explain all that they're doing to fix the darn thing while they're doing the fixing!

 I don't mean to be ungrateful but for one couldn't care less because all I want is this doggone thing fixed so I can get on with it! And the more Mr. Hubby engages in techy drone talk with me the more my brain feels like its being stuffed with cotton wool.

And when I bring this fact kindly to Mr. Hubby's attention he has this to say -"Behind every successful woman is a man....... providing tech support!"

So there you have it - it is under such excruciating circumstances that I have come to the realization that I now have a mere hours before I must cart a large potluck sized steak  & ale pie for our community gathering.

Now for most women this wouldn't be a problem because I suspect most women have their recipes nicely categorized in folders and such. Mine are all crammed into the computer - a computer that has only just after extensive CPR has blinked back to life and in the interim valuable time has been lost.

Besides having to compile a grocery list, do the shopping & cooking at neck breaking speed, I have yet another challenge on my hands -

What's the challenge you ask?

Well, traditional steak and ale pie has a lovely puff pastry top that covers the whole thing but since we're going to be so many for us at the gathering I shudder to think what the state of the puff pastry will be after all the shoveling. 

The question is, how to prevent the puff pastry from crumbing into smithereens & withstand the digging and prodding?

After a restless night, I had a moment of clarity!

I am channeling the concept behind chicken & dumplings and intend to do the puff pastry topping not an one humongous sheet but rather 2" circles thus making shoveling  (around the pastry) all the more easier & so very potluck friendly! See for yourself!

 

Yotam Ottolenghi's Eggplant with Buttermilk sauce & Pomegranate

Yotam Ottolenghi, the Israeli Chef is all the rage in the U.K. and revered in culinary circles the world over. His partner in love as in life, Sami Tamini is a Palestinian and the two of them own several well known eating establishments in the U.K. which serve a fantastic array of meals respecting both culinary traditions.

You have to admit, a love story across borders does make the heart go pitter patter, even just a little.

In this recipe you'll find Sami Tamimi's technique for getting the seeds out of the pomegranate, which is now a very well-known secret as illustated with great form by the gentleman who is very much not Sami.

BTW, If you are ever in London (and this is on my to do list as well) is to go to their bakery and order the orange polenta cake which I have heard from reliable foodies in one word - exceptional!

And since orange and polenta in a cake is one of my all time favorites, you bet!

Just so you know, I am currently fighting an uphill battle against the onslaught of holiday treats and parties and subsequent effects to my thickening waistline among other things.

Needless to say, I feel a great sense of self-reproach.

And it is in such a moment, that I turn to Yotam Ottolenghi's Eggplant with Buttermilk sauce & Pomegranate.

I mean, what's not to love? All that flavor for what I hope will make up for the three chocolate truffles I had no business eating but ate nevertheless.

Eggplant halves are liberally slathered with olive oil and roasted with thyme. And served with rich 'toum'-like yogurt and garlic sauce and bejewelled with pomegranate rubies.

Like I said, what's not to love? Not to mention, the colors are just perfect for the season!

Portuguese Style Bacalhau ~ A Layered Salted Cod & Potato Stew from Brazil

Every day I grow exceedingly fond of salted cod, bacalhau.

I adore the texture, the meatiness and the flavor that is so unlike fresh cod. And what started out as a necessity on those large voyages when the Portuguese set out across the Atlantic to colonize Brazil, has evolved into a culinary delight that is quintessentially Brazilian.

There are several versions of bacalhau or salted cod stew and I love the one I blogged a few weeks earlier - here

This version is a completely different take on the previous one with a few more steps - boiled potatoes, oil cured olives - kalamata or a mix, boiled eggs, roasted red peppers, sauteed onions and poached, flaked salted cod are all baked together in layers with generous glugs of olive oil.

Wonderfully flavorful all together, just the ingredient list makes me want to do a happy dance!

I recommend this for a weekend dinner or when company is over. It makes quite an impression, I guarantee! Some wonderful bread and a nice crisp white wine is all that you need.

Mind you, you'll need to begin at least 24 hours in advance to de-salt the cod and this is a step by no means you want to miss.

Post Thanksgiving ~ Pan Fried Red Snapper with Lemon & Olives

I adore fish.

But today I need to adore it more than ever. It's called after Thanksgiving stupor.

I feel like a beached whale right about now and so I think fish on the menu is quite appropriate. That and the fact that I am trying to remedy a much of the damage between now and Saturday.

Always the optimist. Right.

So on today's menu are gorgeous red snapper fillets. A fish so easily available in the US albeit a little pricey is always the envy of my European friends who find it nearly impossible to find in their markets. Red snappers are found it the Gulf of Mexico - that part of the ocean hugged by Florida and Texas & of course Mexico.

Such a delicate and flavorful fish deserves a treatment where the flavors burst with each bite. So I opt for pan frying the fish in olive oil, tranfering the fillets to an oven proof dish. Meanwhile deglazing the pan with wine and adding loads of flavor with citrusy lemon, chopped up kalamata olives (think tapenade) capers and lemon zest.

That wonderful sauce is drizzled on the fish and finished in the oven for about 5-10 minutes.

All in all, quite spectacular don't you think?

I guess as much as I love a good cream sauce once in a while atop my fish, I am partial to intenselyyet delicately flavored, piquant sauces that envelope the fish without overpowering its delicate meat.

Leaving the scaled skin on the fish is just fine by the way but there is a trick to preventing the fish from curling up. Since the skin shrinks at a different rate to the meat, the fish fillets end up curling. So the thing to do is to make very thin 2-3 slashes on the skin side.

Served with a side of some simple boiled potatoes drizzled with olive oil and a glass of some crisp white wine and it's just a lovely dinner.

For company, because it's the weekend and sometimes just because I feel like a beached whale.

Crostini with Jumbo Prawns, Rosemary & Cannellini Beans

 

I can’t think of a more delicious way to eat ones dinner or ones veggies than on toasted rustic bread.

And depending on how thick the bread is, one is a bruschetta and the thinner one is a crostini.

Inspired by Toscana cooking at it’s best – cannellini beans, some jumbo prawns, fresh herbs, a hint of mascarpone and finished with some fresh greens like spinach or arugula, I put this together one busy weeknight and think it’s such a wonderful way to eat healthful and delicious.

Perhaps this is  why I serve it as a appetizer for when company is over or just throw it together for a curled up on the couch kind of meal

Who says you need anything else with?  And let me tell, you the kids aren’t c omplaining either.

If I were you, I'd use this recipe as a guide and once you can get the hang of it, you'll be whipping up all kinds of combinations, putting it on toasted bread and calling it dinner,

And what’s wrong with that?!

Cordon Bleu's Pintadeux au Choux ~ Stewed Cornish Hens with Polish Sausage & Savoy Cabbage

I am embarrassed to say and that I have been meaning to make this stew for over 3 years. What possible reason for it to take that long for me to make this?

I think I'll take a philosophical point of view on this one and say that the time had to be ripe, the planets had to align and so this was the right moment. Oh well!

I will say this though, now that I have made it, I won't stop. It's that good.

With utmost respect for Cordon Bleu, unlike so many of their recipes that are over done (which is the reason I have such respect for Richard Grausman and his books) this one is marvelous - in it's simplicity, in it's flavor - just simply, honest food the way I like it best.

I have omitted 2 steps from the recipe that I thought were unnecessary - 1) I have not double stewed the Savoy cabbage 2) I did not truss the Cornish hens.

I also only ever do the bouquet garni, using the Grausman method (shown below).

Before I get carried away, let me tell you a little something about this stew - large quarters of Savoy cabbage, thick slices of Kielbasa polish sausage, lardons of bacon nestle perfectly moist little Cornish hens. This is achieved by first roasting and then adding the birds to the stew.

The original recipe calls for guinea hens which are much gamier but I could only find Cornish hens which I have substituted here.

What makes this stew unique is that unlike most stews where all the ingredients are cooked together in a big pot and the flavors meld, this stew is a fine representation of palimpsest - a juxtaposition of flavors since each key ingredient - cabbage, bacon, sausage & cornish hens and quickly prepared separately and put together at the very end.

Don't be distressed by what sounds like a lot of work. I usually begin in this stew in the morning for a nice luncheon or a small dinner party or for just for a special family meal. A nice green salad and some crusty bread is all that it takes to finish the meal.

It is great as leftovers the next day which is always welcome with our busy schedule.

Bucatini Pasta with Monkfish & Mint

Monkfish.

 

A fish with a face only a mother could love!

 

A 'flat' bodied fish with a singular bone that runs along it's entire length. If there ever was a time and place where the idiom, "don't judge a book by its cover" holds water, this is it.

 

And there is a very good reason to look beyond this fish's ugly face. Quite simply, its flavor; subtle, delicate, akin to cod and yet so much better and so very delicious. There's a reason why the French adore it in their creamy sauces and the Italians in their pasta and baked in wine.

 

One of my very favorite pastas from the Amalfi coast, this pasta has yet another surprise - mint. Lots and lots of mint. Cut up and sauteed with the fish and then finished with a minty emulsion of mint leaves and olive oil, it is dee-li-cious! Not to mention my very favorite pasta - bucatini, a cousin of spaghetti but with twice it's thickness.

 

Now there are only so many times a woman can keep saying the word 'delicious' before becoming boringly repetitive and since I am so very close to that line, I'm just going to finish up here with a sincere encouragement - shelve your prejudices and cook this fish.

 

You'll thank me. (later is fine)

 

Savoy Cabbage, Swiss Chard, Rice & Pesto Stew

 

 

It's been years since I made this stew. And I don't think I would have survived my uni days in Sydney without it.

I never opted for the job but it seems like I used to cook for my whole class! In those days as a student, I used to run up 350 dollar grocery bills. No wonder I had to work multiple jobs!

But when moolah was lean and the weather was cold, this was one of those soups that I would always turn to.

Rustic almost reminiscent of peasant food, it's marvelous in that it uses excellent 'ruffage' as my Mum likes to call it - savoy cabbage and big swiss chard leaves all shredded up, a handful of rice and simmered together in a big pot until all soft and swollen.

At this point the soup is pretty much blah but makes a swift turn around and goes from boring to fragrant as soon as lovely pesto hits the pot. I can't lie - I didn't used to make my own pesto those days and a quick run to the Italian delicatessen down the road was my quick fix.

Now things are a little different and I think that there is no second to homemade pesto.

A light, wholesome, fragrant and wonderful soup with thick slices of rustic bread, slathered up with some rich Irish butter, not so blah, now is it my friends?!

Pasta alla Trapanese ~ Pasta tossed with Tomato & Almond Pesto

One of the things I love exploring are the variations of pesto made all throughout Italy.

If all you've ever met is the traditional basil and pine nut pesto famous out of Genoa, then you're in for a surprise.

Variations of this pesto are wonderful because some are without cheese, some with, some without basil using parsley or even kale and when you come to the nuts all bets are off! Everything from walnuts to pistachios are used.

One of my favorite pastas comes out or Trapani and uses almonds, basil and fresh tomatoes. Just the thought of this makes me drool as I reminisce over summer days spent on the porch enjoying this pasta with summery ripe fresh tomatoes and herbs.

Fall is very much here, but thanks to global warming, I'm taking every opportunity of the warm spite of weather we're having and promptly set out to get some ripe red tomatoes to make this fragrant and refreshing pasta.

Here's another reason it should be on your top list of weeknigt meals or as part of a spread on the dinner table - no cooking! (excpet for boiling up the pasta of course). Just the handy use of the food processor and it's dinner done.

I love serving it up just as is or as a side to some pan sauteed chicken sausage or ever some sauteed garlic-parsley shrimp.

Either way, if you're anything like me, you won't get enough of this fragrant side and it's just the thing for bust weeknights when all you want to get to is dinner done!

 

Garlicky, Peppery Filipino Chicken Adobo

 

There are many things I will always think fondly of when it comes to my years in Singapore.

And though the gastronomic delights rank among the top 5, one of the singular things I miss most is the cultural diversity - people from all over the world living in a crush on a tiny speck of an island no more than 247 square miles was an exhilarating experience to say the least. 

Not to mention the steamy tropical temperatures and rains that seemed to arrive every afternoon like clockwork.

I accepted my first proper job in Singapore and I was delighted to find myself surrounded by Filipino community. As a community and I hate to generalize, here is a bunch of good spirited people who love good food, parties & laughter in equal quantity and being around them means some of that good humor is bound to rub off.

Working in one of the most stressful high-tempo environments on the planet, the Filipino brand of humor helped all of us fellow 'expats' get through the day and survive the work week with a sense of well being and all round jocularity.

My first experience in Makati City, Manila during my early teen years was riddled by memories of hawkers & dust, open air buses that never ever stopped - people simply jumped on and off them as well as some of the most lecherous gawking men I had ever come across in my life!

Needless to say my fellow Filipinos in Singapore were a welcome surprise. It was in the company of these friends that I learned all about Chicken Adobo and Deep Fried Milk Fish - some of my favorite foods in the world.

Especially on busy days with a little bit of planning before running off to work,  Chicken Adobo always gallops to the rescue like a knight in shining armor on a white horse.

My only problem with writing this post is whether  a handful of qualifies as a recipe. That being said, the very name adobo refers to a common cooking process indigenous to the Philippines that involves stewing foods with vinegar. To this is simply added a ton of garlic, ground black pepper, soy sauce, an onion and a couple of bay leaves. And the result is simply delicious. So here's to all my Filipino friends in Singapore, who made my life so much better.

Thank you.

Spaghetti alle Vongole ~ A Classic Preparation of Spaghetti with Clams in White Wine

Know what I love about traditional Italian dishes such as this one?

How simply, just a few ingredients come together to make a dish so intensely flavorful and visually stunning.

This pasta is one of the most famous and popular dishes of the Neapolitan culinary tradition and is served in every corner of the globe though perhaps best savored in Naples, overlooking the sea in a small village, watching the sunset?

...sigh...

For now, I must be content serving this at home, on a weeknight in celebration of the boys first day back at school. You may think that clams are a funny choice as a kids meal and you may be right except for the fact that my boys quite enjoy the drama of forking each clam out of it's shell.

And as a mum, who am I to complain? No doubt, it's the excellent bottle of Villa Maria, Cabernet Sauvignon from New Zealand that has done much to lighten my spirits. I simply cannot get enough of it's citrusy notes and though I open a bottle (for the recipe of course) it's not long before I've chugged down a glass even before I've even headed for the stove.

A lovely broth made all the more briny by the uber-fresh clams, some excellent olive oil, loaded with chopped garlic, a good chug of wine and fresh parsley not to mention the spaghetti cooked al dente, makes up this excellent meal.

Apparently in Naples, it's quite the holiday tradition especially on Christmas eve and New Year's day.

But I for one see no reason to wait for the holidays to enjoy a meal this good. And in my humble opinion, neither should you.

Portuguese Soup of Stewed Clams & Andouille Sausage with Charred Tomatoes & Chorizo

 
There is nothing I love more than unpretentious foods.

The sort of foods where what you see is what you get and because you begin with the freshest of Nature's bounty, the result is inevitably just that - honest, delicious food!

My first introduction to the both clams and the process of charring vegetables for the wonderfully smoky flavor began young. Growing up, we had a lady who worked  in our home.  She was stunning & had such grace about her that from day one, Mum called her Sundari which means beautiful and the name stuck for the next 30 years no one in her family or the neighborhood  ever refered to her by any other name.

Though she was technically a maid in our household there was nothing maid -like about the way she carried herself. She was very much a part of our family and had no qualms about reprimanding my Mum for something she's done in 'her' kitchen or expressing her displeasure at some of my shady choice of friends during my teenage years.

Finally, when I came home with 'the boy' that I wanted to marry, she asked Mum to 'produce this boy' in front of her - the one who wants to marry 'baby' (never mind that I was 25 years old!) So began his (Mr. Hubby's)  interview who to date remembers that not only did he have to withstand the 'Spanish inquisition' from my own father but also from the maid as well as the dobermann!

Anyway, in addition to to being quite the matriarchal figure head, Sundari was also a superlative cook & when Mum & Dad were traveling for work as they sometimes were, Sundari  & I would let loose our cooking inhibitions & cook up  all kinds of adventurous things - smelly stuff with dried fish and slimy fish and tiny crabs and what not with Mum & Dad being non the wiser.

Sundari also made a fantastic chicken preparation by charring dried coconut which was then ground into a masala paste. Besides that we would commonly char eggplants for various dishes. So the process of charring vegetables is not new to me and comes with fond memories in tow.

However, a decade or so ago when I came across Mark Miller's spin on a Portuguese soup using charred tomatoes, I was intrigued. Once having fixed the soup, I was hooked! It has been a staple in our kitchen ever since and nothing beats this soup when you just want some honest to goodness grub!

Queso Fundido ~ Shrimp, Chorizo & Roasted Poblano Peppers

 

Queso Fundido!

Finally a dish that has 'fun' in it's name and how apt!

Roughly the name translates from Spanish to  'melted cheese' and is one of those dishes that can be just that or so much more. The traditional variations to this dish is as diverse as the families that make. Using everything from just peppers, to a mix of chorizo & peppers, this is a dish that can be as simple or as complicated as you make it.

Since I have a potluck to go to, I'm making two dishes of this because it is just the dish when it comes to feeding a crowd.

Traditionally Oaxaca cheese is used for Queso fundido but I have taken the classic and reworked it.

Here's why - as much as I like the stringy cheese that Oaxaca which by the way is very very similar to mozzarella, I don't care for the lumpy texture of the fundido that results with just it.

So I'm adding a good melting cheese from Salvador but Manchego or any of your favorite melting cheese will be good too. Also, a good measure of sour cream goes a long way for a nice, smooth and much-more-apt-for-scooping-kind of texture.

Don't for one minute mistake this to end up like your 'jar of cheese sauce processed business' type of dip. It won't and thank goodness for that!

This here is a chunky, meant to be scooped-up kind of dip.

It all begins with sauteed onions, roasted poblanos, chopped jalapenos, chopped tomatoes, cumin and chipotle, then heaped with crispy chorizo sausage and shrimp and finally our cheeses which brings it all together.

So I hope you fix this for your next family gathering or football party and sports won't be the only thing the crowd will be howling about!

PS:  It disappeared quick at the pot luck as well as at home and I had many people emailing me for the recipe including professional chefs! 

 

Bacalhau ~ Brazilian Salted Cod Stew with Peppers & Olives

Ever come across a dish and thought, your life was better because of it?

Well, here's one!

Once I tasted my first bite of Balcahua, I wondered where salted cod had been my entire life and felt a shade of envy rise within me for all Brazilians, everywhere who enjoy this lovely on a regular if not daily basis. Sigh.

I know, shallow me.

It all started with the Portuguese who while colonizing Brazil had to make their long voyages across the Atlantic ocean. And since carrying fresh produce posed obvious issues, bought along with them salt cured meats and fish - namely balcahua - salt cured cod  and carne seca - salt cured beef, which evidently is a key ingredient in preparing Fejioda (pronounced Fay-jwaa-daa) Brazil's national dish.

I also placed a prompt call to my foodie friend Heguiberto of weirdcombinations without whom my life's path would perhaps have never crossed this dish. There are many many versions of salted cod splattered around the blogosphere and almost all of which are potato-laden-vegetable-missing versions.

In this delightfully rich, sunshine-bright version, the flavors from the assortment of peppers and olives mix with the rich & briny flavors of salted cod to create an incredibly delicious, perfectly salted combination of a mouthwatering meal.

Don't take my word for it - shake that fear of salted cod, try this and you'll see just what I'm bragging about.

And while you're at it, please don't forget to stop by Heguiberto & Stevie's blog and read Hegui's wonderful story about this dish.

Peruvian Salmon Ceviche

When a gleaming fillet of fresh salmon calls to me at the fish market, it invariably has ceviche  written all over it.

Mr. Hubby is not what I call a crazed out foodie. I feel for him. It must be hard for him to be living with someone who is always amped up about food and has an opinion about everything she eats.

And so though Mr. Hubby does appreciate good food, you'll never hear him swooning, drooling, cussing or fussing over a dish (unlike someone else we know). However, just the words ceviche & sashimi let  loose in a conversation brings a twinkle to Mr. Hubby's eyes.

Ceviche (pronounced sa-vee-chay) involves the process of chemically cooking fish in an acidic base such as lime lemon or other citric juices has been around a long time and one variation of this dish or the other is easily found is most Latin countries.

It also happens to be a staple in our kitchen and is happily devoured by grown-ups and kids alike especially in warm weather but come to think of it, I make this quite often in the winter too.

When you go down the ingredient list with fresh salmon fillet, ripe cocktail tomatoes, ripe avocado, limes, fresh cilantro leaves, good quality olive oil,  bell pepper & Serrano chiles, is it any wonder why?!