tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79539621609053412392023-11-16T02:15:51.013-05:00Maya's KitchenFood, the universe, and everything...Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-69025579278782818732012-10-19T17:29:00.001-04:002012-10-19T17:29:45.032-04:00Napoleon of fall vegetables and herbed goat cheese<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lately, it seems like I've been just doing a lot of routine cooking, and not spending enough time having fun in the kitchen. Since it's Friday, I decided it was high time to change that!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's definitely been feeling like fall, with lovely colors in the trees, chilly mornings and evenings, and the abundance of squashes and root vegetables everywhere I look! I've been making use of fall produce in savory soups and curries, simple but tasty fare. This napoleon of fall vegetables is a more elegant dish that could serve as a first course or vegetarian main dish. It's easy to put together but looks like you spent more time and effort on it than you did. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is a napoleon, you may ask? It's usually a sweet, made of puff pastry layered with pastry cream and berries. I liked the idea, but wanted a savory version. Mine builds layers of crispy puff pastry with a herb goat cheese mixture and roasted fall vegetables.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the vegetables, use a combination of whatever's in season. I used delicata squash, celeriac and rutabaga, since they have distinct, but complementary flavors. For the herbed goat cheese, I used parsley, which highlights the faint parsley notes of the celeriac, but you could use any other herb of choice, or even any other flavoring that works with the vegetables. I used store-bought ready-rolled puff pastry, but you could make your own if you have the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I served my napoleons with hasselback fingerling potatoes and sauteed balsamic-glazed radicchio on the side. A plate full of contrasting fall flavors and textures: crispy puff pastry layers, cool and tangy goat cheese, sweet squash, earthy rutabaga, herbal celeriac and bitter-sweet radicchio. Definitely a hit with me! I'm sending this off to the <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/09/enter-our-puff-pastry-baking-challenge-halloween-fall-recipes.html">Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Baking Challenge</a> on <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/">Serious Eats</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Recipe: Napoleon of Fall Vegetables with herb goat cheese (serves 6)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The pastry, vegetables and cheese mixture can all be made ahead of time. Assemble just before serving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 sheet Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (or equivalent)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 egg yolk beaten with 1 t water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Roasted vegetables (Recipe follows)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Herb goat cheese (</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Recipe follows</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions. Roll out to thin it a bit. Cut into 9 equal squares/ rectangles. Dock with a fork, brush with egg glaze and bake in a 400F oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on a wire rack. Slice each piece horizontally using a serrated knife.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Build alternate layers of pastry, cheese mixture and vegetables, beginning and ending with a piece of pastry. Serve immediately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Roasted vegetables: Prepare any vegetables of choice as appropriate. I used delicata squash, rutabaga and celeriac, cutting them into large 2" pieces and peeling only the celeriac. Brush with olive oil flavored with any spice blend of choice. I used garlic and cumin. Roast in a 400F oven until tender and browned outside. Cool slightly, then slice thinly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Herb goat cheese: Combine 3/4c soft goat cheese with 1/4c creme fraiche and 2T olive oil; stir till smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in 3T chopped herbs of choice (I used parsley)</span></div>
Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-47977025633078573532012-07-03T10:43:00.002-04:002012-07-03T10:45:52.959-04:00Ice cream month! (Um...make that year)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Summer! Only a couple of weeks in and I've already harvested my first few tomatoes, lost power in a summer storm, had freshly churned pistachio ice cream turn into kulfi in said power outage, and become really lazy about turning the oven on. I'm happy to scarf down vast quantities of summer fruit in lieu of dessert.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The one thing I'm diligent about is making frozen treats, though. In the picture you see two that turned out really well, and are also delicious together. The chocolate ice cream is from David Lebovitz's <i>The Perfect Scoop</i>, and boy is it a perfect scoop. Lush and intensely chocolaty thanks to a custard base enriched with both cocoa powder and a generous dose of good dark chocolate, this is an ice cream of which even a single small scoop leaves you happy and sated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why stop with one though? Add a rosy scoop of strawberry sorbet, bright and fresh with the flavors of summer, and you have a winning combination. I bought the most beautiful berries at the market, tiny, jewel-like and bursting with flavor. Of course, I bought so many that I needed something to do with them, since berries go moldy pretty quickly. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And sorbet is</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> so easy to make, no recipe needed. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just macerate the fruit with sugar until juicy, puree, strain to remove skin/seeds, add lemon juice to taste, chill, spin et voila! A guilt-free treat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Recipe: Strawberry sorbet (Makes about 3/4 quart)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 cups strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lemon juice to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1t kirsch, tequila, Grand Marnier or any spirit of choice (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Honey or agave nectar to taste (if needed)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Toss the strawberries with the sugar and let stand till juicy. Mine were so tiny I just halved them, but if they are bigger you may want to slice them to make sure the fruit macerates evenly. Puree in a blender or food processor, and strain to remove the seeds. You can leave the seeds in if you like but they interfere with the texture. Add a dash of lemon, the spirit if using, and more sweetener (honey/ agave nectar) if the mixture is not sweet enough for you. Chill for a couple of hours, then spin in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The same method can be used for any fruit sorbet, just vary the quantity of sweetener based on how sweet the fruit is.</span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-61860820814180717422012-05-02T18:34:00.001-04:002012-05-02T18:34:51.617-04:00Eat this now: David Chang's Asparagus with Miso Butter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ah, asparagus. The harbinger of spring. I'm always excited to see the neatly-tied bundles when the markets open for the season. After months of winter greens and apples, the bright green of the vegetable is a sight for my sore eyes. Call me fanciful but even the shape is like a mascot for the growing season to come: spear-like, eagerly poking its head out into the world!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you might imagine, come April and my crisper drawers contain a fair bit of asparagus. I eat the tender new asparagus for its own sake; barely blanched or steamed, or even raw, shaved into a salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette and parmesan cheese. Later on in the season, I like them in soups and stir-fries. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New recipes are always welcome, though, and this recipe from David Chang called my name. His Momofuku restaurants and recipes have a cult following that I've never been able to appreciate, since they're known for being all about the pig. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The picture may look like plain old asparagus with an egg on top, but it has a secret ingredient: miso butter. I took one lick of the miso butter as I was mixing it and immediately wanted another. I mean, good salted butter is lovely to eat on top of most things by itself, but add miso to it and it transforms into a dangerously addictive umami-packed substance. I'm definitely adding it to my arsenal of delicious condiments - I bet it would taste wonderful on many other vegetables</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This dish is decadent enough for a Sunday brunch and takes only minutes to prepare. If you want to scale it up, you can even poach the eggs ahead of time and store in cold water. Reheat them in some simmering water just before serving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/10847-roasted-asparagus-with-poached-eggs-and-miso-butter">Recipe: David Chang's Asparagus with Miso Butter (Serves 2)</a></span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-8087156331214415982012-03-01T11:26:00.012-05:002012-03-01T14:05:13.672-05:00Romantic dinner for two<span style="font-size: 100%; font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSr5nlPZ-W6cw_GROnPg5D1wdksAHmSa6GnMBbI3Ue1gZrGsh2Q7BzmHXpuMATDKpmvRS9gfAU5EmQ156O0C5gB5KnYxv_XZWySEi7BUZI7rzQ7ycRrs1wMDGe7V_EOmn7eoE92SYbKk/s400/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715001315313625746" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span>It's March already and Valentine’s Day is a thing of the past, so why am I posting about this now? Well, my romantic dinners are driven by more practical considerations, such as having some time to spend in the kitchen, for starters. Which rules out busy weeknights, so I made mine during the weekend after. And while we're on the subject, why restrict romantic dinners to Valentine's day? I'd like to have one every weekend :)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span>My current cookbook crush is on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plenty-Vibrant-Recipes-Londons-Ottolenghi/dp/1452101248">Plenty</a> by Yotam Ottolenghi. I've given him plenty of love (pun intended, ha ha) by blogging about his recipes from The Guardian website, and though the book features many of those, it's even better. Gorgeous color photos and recipes organized by main ingredient (mostly by vegetable), rather than by meal or course, make this a lovely book to cook from. This is a great dinner party cookbook too, since the dishes are familiar yet inspired.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span>This, belatedly, was my menu for this year's belated Valentine's Day dinner. As I write this I realize that the entire menu is also gluten-free, though I didn’t set out to plan it that way.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span>First course: Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce (pictured above, and on the cover of the book)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span>He describes this as a "rustically elegant appetizer" and I concur. The eggplant is cooked in a similar way to <a href="http://mayaskitchenonline.blogspot.com/2011/08/chermoula-eggplant-with-bulgur-and.html">this</a>, but it's even simpler to make! Simply brushed with olive oil and roasted in the oven, then topped with a buttermilk-yogurt sauce, za'atar and pomegranate seeds. Flavor, color and texture contrasts are stunning. I served it with wholewheat rolls to mop up the sauce, but you could skip the bread or choose a gluten-free version.</span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3FPz_kI-hnVDa0_qgcI0z1FDT4rmJ3fDbUah7AdyaFi8FGv-4S-LyYr_oATORQkt0RByrt3LDJ1A-ylyM0NC5tzPon-PX7euYyoqzllu7tQjUaUv_Q_Rxh7hxyJvAblZtXtFWxW9mx8/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" style="font-size: 100%; font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3FPz_kI-hnVDa0_qgcI0z1FDT4rmJ3fDbUah7AdyaFi8FGv-4S-LyYr_oATORQkt0RByrt3LDJ1A-ylyM0NC5tzPon-PX7euYyoqzllu7tQjUaUv_Q_Rxh7hxyJvAblZtXtFWxW9mx8/s400/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715001401582724402" /></span></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span>Main course: Mushroom and herb polenta</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span><span>Polenta is flavored with Parmesan cheese and plenty of fresh herbs, then gets topped with braised mushrooms and Taleggio cheese and is finished off under a hot broiler. The Taleggio cheese is an inspired choice – it has the depth of flavor of a mature cheese, but melts beautifully like a young one. I’d never cooked polenta before for fear of creating a lumpy gluey mess, but I need not have worried! It is quite straightforward. Leftover bits of polenta can be pan-fried and served with any sauce for </span><span>a different take on pasta, or cut into cubes and baked in a hot oven to make delicious croutons.</span></span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; font-family: Georgia, serif; "></p><span style="font-size: 100%; font-family: Georgia, serif; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx8PVtsIutC-XfD4QFSDu2HiyOpDAOm1_t5nmajer0seY_2vUVAMIxaYxyZQVC6CDGpXXb0j6Fok3UoeA5SapwrqTE2hBHovBHuirpMd2ucCXyRrZ20ZPX55E-Vu_WdAMw1b6Hx8rSOQ/s1600/photo+%252815%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx8PVtsIutC-XfD4QFSDu2HiyOpDAOm1_t5nmajer0seY_2vUVAMIxaYxyZQVC6CDGpXXb0j6Fok3UoeA5SapwrqTE2hBHovBHuirpMd2ucCXyRrZ20ZPX55E-Vu_WdAMw1b6Hx8rSOQ/s400/photo+%252815%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715001216175950482" /></a><br /></span><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; "><span>Dessert: Flourless Chocolate Cake with Hazelnut Ice Cream and Praline</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; "><span>For dessert, I stuck to a more traditional choice. It’s too bad Ottolenghi doesn’t tackle desserts – I’d be interested to see his flavor combinations! Chocolate and hazelnut are definitely a marriage that’s stood the test of time, though, so it is appropriate for the occasion. Plus points for introducing a heart-shaped element (hazelnut) if you're into that sort of thing :)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; "><span>Oh wait, the weekend is almost here! Time to plan another one :)</span></p></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></p>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-83937537844800699332011-12-26T20:59:00.006-05:002011-12-26T21:33:21.366-05:00Happy holidays + an edible gift idea!<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZm8z9LuGnwwlbIxkYDthwy2sqoISsaRqx9DtL5PNSsogRwJmDkw3ii1LHWB668JSEa7OWr_wFFEQt80gw-DCRTZNIULFWz_rOtbqpA-d7dik0VVVIBhUdXJUStXwvA9eng1eDoy5jEo/s1600/spice.JPG" style="text-align: left; "></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZm8z9LuGnwwlbIxkYDthwy2sqoISsaRqx9DtL5PNSsogRwJmDkw3ii1LHWB668JSEa7OWr_wFFEQt80gw-DCRTZNIULFWz_rOtbqpA-d7dik0VVVIBhUdXJUStXwvA9eng1eDoy5jEo/s1600/spice.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZm8z9LuGnwwlbIxkYDthwy2sqoISsaRqx9DtL5PNSsogRwJmDkw3ii1LHWB668JSEa7OWr_wFFEQt80gw-DCRTZNIULFWz_rOtbqpA-d7dik0VVVIBhUdXJUStXwvA9eng1eDoy5jEo/s400/spice.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690624454078693778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /></a></div><br /><div><span >Happy holidays! I am off on vacation to Colombia, and am super excited since this is my first trip to South America. In the spirit of holiday edible gift-giving, I'm taking this starter Indian spice kit to our hostess in Medellin. She actually lives in Italy, in a small town with limited availability of spices. I wanted to take her a traditional Indian spice box, which typically contains 7 identical open-top cylindrical containers that fit inside a larger round steel box, but didn't think it would transport well once she started using it, since the spices would all get mixed up. My version features <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=13335656">these</a> cute magnetic spice containers from Bed Bath & Beyond, set within a bamboo caddy (actually one rack from a 3-piece steamer), along with an insert (see image below) with tasting notes and instructions for use, the companion CD to Camilla Punjabi's 50 Great Curries of India, and refills.</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5oXsZs4Xr_9bk0fA8bSa7Q6RM5oHOqi9vu9c1Mg8sop76EbfCwBsJR0F4JC87C424ixoTyGKM8lOc8cbdgXoFmXwAstydraJKy32ktw3N0ATM2KIYVkc2d4IpZ08H9v4cLynruQwMuM/s1600/Spice+Label+Model+%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5oXsZs4Xr_9bk0fA8bSa7Q6RM5oHOqi9vu9c1Mg8sop76EbfCwBsJR0F4JC87C424ixoTyGKM8lOc8cbdgXoFmXwAstydraJKy32ktw3N0ATM2KIYVkc2d4IpZ08H9v4cLynruQwMuM/s400/Spice+Label+Model+%25281%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690629458447802882" /></a><div><span style="font-family: verdana; ">Contents of Spice Box: Karamedhu Podi (South Indian Vegetable Seasoning), Haldi (Turmeric Powder), Kuzhambu Podi (South Indian Curry Powder), Dhaniya-Jeera Masala (Coriander-Cumin Powder), Garam Masala (Best-known Indian Spice Blend), Panch Phoron (East Indian Five-Spice Blend), and Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)</span><br /><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-24987651085954205512011-11-04T14:58:00.004-04:002011-11-04T15:24:18.615-04:00What I'm eating now: Shakshuka<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9pE-7q_jG-AS4URsP4yldvFO9CObbh5XN4PP54BNo5KMCHW0G9ucCh92c2RyTVprX0qiRaxVhtCkqWoDpZYYCSchQAjRdW28pgeBC6YOt1tLuFdbzXZqQTzMsFFRzi5B3BDRlLY4qrs/s1600/photo+%252811%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9pE-7q_jG-AS4URsP4yldvFO9CObbh5XN4PP54BNo5KMCHW0G9ucCh92c2RyTVprX0qiRaxVhtCkqWoDpZYYCSchQAjRdW28pgeBC6YOt1tLuFdbzXZqQTzMsFFRzi5B3BDRlLY4qrs/s400/photo+%252811%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671219107952795810" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >If you're a lover of runny yolks, look no further: I have a wonderful idea for your lunch today. Or impromptu weekend brunch party. Or weekday dinner. Yes it's that good, and what's more, it's cheap, healthy, and comes together in a flash. You can make it for one, two, or up to eight people. Technically you could scale it up even further, but that would need a really large pan, which I'm guessing most of us don't possess. Best of all, it really is a one-pot meal. Sold already?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Shakshuka is a Tunisian dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. I think of it less as a recipe and more of a blank canvas, though. In the mood for Middle Eastern? Stick with the traditional version. Craving some Indian spice? Swap out the harissa for garam masala and add a splash of coconut milk to the sauce. More in the mood for Mexican? Jazz it up with cumin & coriander, serve with dollops of sour cream and sliced avocado. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>Recipe: Shakshuka (serves one; scale up if you have more people)</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >2 large eggs</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 large ripe tomato, chopped (if out of season use equivalent in canned)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 shallot, minced</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 clove garlic, minced</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 jalapeno or hot pepper, minced (more or less to your taste)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >2 t harissa</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 t sweet paprika</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 T olive oil</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Salt & pepper to taste</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Pita, Crumbled feta & chopped parsley or mint for serving</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the onion, hot pepper and garlic and cook for a few minutes, till soft. Add the tomato, spices and season to taste. Once the tomatoes have collapsed (about 2-3 minutes) crack the eggs over the surface of the stew, spacing them evenly. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or more depending on how you like the eggs. Serve at once, topped with crumbled feta and chopped herbs. Have plenty of bread available to mop up the delicious sauce!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-2508809260499838122011-10-25T13:32:00.012-04:002011-10-25T15:55:43.248-04:00Diwali, via the Silk Route<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YwOZ6zCdQaNv4gu55Cfrylia_xD6keUpkCL8A35ORtvWeTDitPx40Kyhdkfyx_j8SVBNRNJdbEVijECi9a6BRl926n_A8kpF9RueGwFMYA05pla87bOLOqH-OAubrNYyvfiTK1t_bnM/s1600/photo%252811%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YwOZ6zCdQaNv4gu55Cfrylia_xD6keUpkCL8A35ORtvWeTDitPx40Kyhdkfyx_j8SVBNRNJdbEVijECi9a6BRl926n_A8kpF9RueGwFMYA05pla87bOLOqH-OAubrNYyvfiTK1t_bnM/s400/photo%252811%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667516054379765810" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /></a><div>Happy Diwali! This is a really fun, festive time to be in back home, with lights, color and good food everywhere. Growing up in India, I would eagerly await the arrival of all the gift boxes laden with sweets and dry fruits, and tuck in merrily without a care. Oh to have the metabolism of a teenager again :(</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">As I've grown older, though, my palate has gradually moved away from the candy-like sugariness of many Indian sweets, towards those with interesting flavors and textures. And as I reflect on my favorites, I realized that many of their ingredients - almonds, pistachios, saffron - came to India from outside, back when caravans traversing the Silk Route dropped these off and picked up ivory, textiles and spices in exchange.</span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">So as a nod to the people who brought me my favorite once-foreign-and-now-quintessentially-Indian foodstuffs, I decided that my Diwali sweet for this year would be baklava. To give it an Indian flair I used our classic <i>badam-pista</i> (almond-pistachio) combination in the filling, and flavored the syrup with cardamom and rose water. The results are delicious! Even though baklava is not a traditional Indian sweet, it fits in perfectly with an Indian meal. I might even try a version with a saffron syrup next time. Now if only the caravans had brought filo pastry with them, I could have learnt how to make that in the kitchen of my grandmother as well...!</span></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwA3w3m75JyVzPeBN3zF90ykZZ_xhselcoDBnCu3zoBgL-5OJ7lniHwc5hoisnJyETFfQ1PNF_brKVlfxQWnu0_aK5c-yQYjW05109A1Z2HW5bOnZsR4YJQZb3O8Arlf4qEDCwIqIo-4/s1600/photo+%252810%2529-1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwA3w3m75JyVzPeBN3zF90ykZZ_xhselcoDBnCu3zoBgL-5OJ7lniHwc5hoisnJyETFfQ1PNF_brKVlfxQWnu0_aK5c-yQYjW05109A1Z2HW5bOnZsR4YJQZb3O8Arlf4qEDCwIqIo-4/s400/photo+%252810%2529-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667516149666615506" /></a><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Recipe: Almond-Pistachio Baklava, adapted from <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/baklava/">here</a>.</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">I halved the recipe and used an 8" square pan, since baklava is quite rich and a small piece is enough to satisfy even a pretty sweet tooth. I used only blanched almonds and pistachios in the filling, in equal quantities. I replaced the cinnamon in the filling with freshly ground green cardamom, and infused the syrup with cardamom pods instead of a cinnamon stick. I added some rose water to the syrup as well.</span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-43221391165799364142011-09-10T16:05:00.013-04:002011-09-10T17:01:42.531-04:00Summer's last hurrah<div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsq36hfacCj3QzxwCeSwMwyJNHCKET9_zo_p3yRbRbdvHUZ0_LgJnuDMuDn9R5z2hQmBrWieyV-_rta58EnnvchxDTiIh-gK4rLdGpfKDQ-E_PwUEbOQMiJKPYGmJzlp6_OkYluMdvGvc/s1600/photo+%25285%2529-1.JPG" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsq36hfacCj3QzxwCeSwMwyJNHCKET9_zo_p3yRbRbdvHUZ0_LgJnuDMuDn9R5z2hQmBrWieyV-_rta58EnnvchxDTiIh-gK4rLdGpfKDQ-E_PwUEbOQMiJKPYGmJzlp6_OkYluMdvGvc/s400/photo+%25285%2529-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650826416344403746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span">Come Labor Day weekend, and it struck me that summer was almost over, and, thanks to all the summer travel, I hadn't made ice cream in the longest time! So off to the farmers' market I dashed, in search of peaches, which will (sigh) be over soon as well.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span">I made peach ice cream from David Lebovitz's <i>The Perfect Scoop</i>, but decided to jazz it up with a swirl of raspberry. Like most of his other recipes, this ice cream recipe is perfect, not too sweet and really allowing the flavor of the fruit to come through. The raspberry swirl adds a burst of bright berry flavor and a beautiful color contrast as well.</span></div></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; ">Since I love peaches so much, I wanted to also try my hand at preserving them for just a bit longer, but having no experience at jam-making, settled on a simple peach butter instead. Most commercial fruit butters are too sweet and spice-laden for my taste, so I made mine with about half the quantity called for by most recipes, and added only half a vanilla bean to the peach mixture for a subtle vanilla scent. I thought about adding some bourbon, but decided against it, preferring to let the pure peach flavor come through instead.</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlgyWLewovFnNkB8Xdn94EccNB8J580F333sxWCOrKlAGVUzVy_95D8hbXeI1UGF5uv8XMgVLbQl_Tkl2ciJIzhqS-Pmkkrbx0euUbUp5MnrSZLmf6nPP5p7HEnIJGbrBcXHzqPJgEVA/s1600/photo+%25289%2529-1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlgyWLewovFnNkB8Xdn94EccNB8J580F333sxWCOrKlAGVUzVy_95D8hbXeI1UGF5uv8XMgVLbQl_Tkl2ciJIzhqS-Pmkkrbx0euUbUp5MnrSZLmf6nPP5p7HEnIJGbrBcXHzqPJgEVA/s400/photo+%25289%2529-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650832061201243778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Is that the limit to how much of a domestic goddess I can be, you ask? Well, the peach butter was crying out for some scones to go with it. What's a scone without clotted cream, though? Rather than dashing out to hunt for a gourmet store that sells it, I thought - why not make my own? I buy lovely cream from Amish farmers to make ice cream, and had a pint of it left over. The solution: Bake it in a low oven (180F) for 5-6 hours, chill overnight, et voila! You have deliciously thick clotted cream, ready to be spread lavishly on your scones :) It isn't as divinely smooth as the store-bought kind, but tastes just as good.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDziJfgCElGZxEgzd5K8nfTPesYezqzB9NCumAM_wZENRkEgAhkegLYunPrALFvM-TBe9rne2yspDkmtryF73l0VOJoXIFBZ5ibzwFZOtru5V4Gj4ArqvsVCi_0flF8Q36XUK9b-Wbeo/s1600/photo+%25286%2529-1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDziJfgCElGZxEgzd5K8nfTPesYezqzB9NCumAM_wZENRkEgAhkegLYunPrALFvM-TBe9rne2yspDkmtryF73l0VOJoXIFBZ5ibzwFZOtru5V4Gj4ArqvsVCi_0flF8Q36XUK9b-Wbeo/s400/photo+%25286%2529-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650837914057081586" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsS5RcV4DgYanJB4YI7mN-56gMyudYjy0zF0kzBc3xSHVz_32TOB_hVLNShJ-5TJ2Qufjvym8jtCX_HWAiCKkvQAf_2fR0wE3lPhQmAgghQYHUbSCEQZYPMdRgymc7PlJXBLECW41_bo/s1600/photo+%25287%2529-1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsS5RcV4DgYanJB4YI7mN-56gMyudYjy0zF0kzBc3xSHVz_32TOB_hVLNShJ-5TJ2Qufjvym8jtCX_HWAiCKkvQAf_2fR0wE3lPhQmAgghQYHUbSCEQZYPMdRgymc7PlJXBLECW41_bo/s400/photo+%25287%2529-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650834167782108098" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Scones + Clotted Cream + Peach Butter = Weekend brunch heaven!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>Recipe: Dried fruit scones (Makes 8)</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Adapted from Delia Smith's <a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/buttermilk-scones-with-west-country-clotted-cream-and-raspberry-butter.html">recipe</a></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 3/4 c white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >2 t baking powder</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >3T sugar</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1/4 t sea salt</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >6T cold butter, cubed</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >3T buttermilk</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 large egg</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Small handful mixed dried cranberries and golden raisins, chopped</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Cream & coarse sugar for topping (optional)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >In a food processor, pulse the first four ingredients briefly to combine. Add the butter and pulse a few times till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Scatter the fruit over the top, then beat the buttermilk and egg together and add to the processor bowl. Pulse 3-4 times till the mixture comes together. Turn the mixture out on to a floured surface and knead briefly to combine. Do not overwork the dough or the scones will be tough. Pat the dough 1" thick and then cut into rounds using a cookie cutter, re-rolling and cutting out more scones from the scraps. Or, if you're lazy like me, pat the dough into a round and then just cut it into wedges. Transfer the scones to a parchment-lined sheet, brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. Serve warm with clotted cream and preserves. These are best the day they are made, but any leftovers freeze very well. </span></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><br /></u></div></div></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-21703612468971953542011-08-14T14:59:00.006-04:002011-08-14T15:56:56.999-04:00Chermoula eggplant with bulgur and yogurt<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVsdzCZeiDl2JVYz95I_LWLVyoHCKqf3lgdYgML-JKxIqoM12Glp83J0mu56dn47q-T67z9NunSWilzJdNpjRtkr7ypxIC_KoSZSkacVBp0LNSPMczJL8-0B06ZPibaiTvZjr0o3EOjI/s1600/photo+%25284%2529-1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVsdzCZeiDl2JVYz95I_LWLVyoHCKqf3lgdYgML-JKxIqoM12Glp83J0mu56dn47q-T67z9NunSWilzJdNpjRtkr7ypxIC_KoSZSkacVBp0LNSPMczJL8-0B06ZPibaiTvZjr0o3EOjI/s400/photo+%25284%2529-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640789261240512002" /></a>
<br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Happy second birthday, blog! Two years ago, the gift of some delicious home-grown cherry tomatoes prompted me to <a href="http://mayaskitchenonline.blogspot.com/2009/08/taste-of-summer.html">start writing</a> about my culinary experiments. Today's recipe is another lovely summer dish, Ottolenghi's Chermoula Eggplant with Bulgur and Yogurt.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">During July and August, my shopping basket each time I visit the farmer's market looks pretty much the same: eggplants, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, stone fruit. I never get tired of them, because summer produce is always bursting with flavor. But I love to try new recipes with them, so that I get enough variety. This salad is a wonderful make-ahead dish that can be served warm or cold. I had it for lunch, followed by a ripe juicy peach - the perfect summer repast. But it would also be a lovely first course for a summertime dinner or as part of the salad buffet at a barbecue. Like many of Ottolenghi's dishes, this dish combines many contrasting flavors and textures with interesting results. The eggplant is roasted with chermoula, a North African spice mixture with notes of citrus, cumin & coriander. The bulgur salad is bright with fresh herbs, while sweet sultanas and almonds add a fruity-nutty counterpoint. The toppings of cool yogurt and olive oil complete the Mediterranean feel. I used a sheep's milk yogurt that I found while browsing at a local health food store - full-fat and decadent, but worth it!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">What made this dish stand out for me was the technique used to cook the eggplant. The eggplant is halved, scored and topped with the spice mixture before roasting in a 350F oven for about 30-40 minutes. This yields a crisp skin and meltingly soft interior, almost like it's been deep-fried, but with none of the guilt! Together with the bulgur and yogurt, it makes for a healthy and satisfying meal. I look forward to trying this technique with other spice blends, like harissa, niter kibbeh or <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/dining/04minirex.html?ref=dining">this</a> Sichuan peppercorn-infused chile oil.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/12/chermoula-aubergine-bulgar-recipe-ottolenghi">Recipe: Ottolenghi's Chermoula Aubergine with Bulgur and Yogurt (Serves 4)</a></b></span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-55807192993692527072011-07-29T13:40:00.014-04:002011-07-30T17:38:16.570-04:00Foods of my childhood: Sevai and poli<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-nMY1HbBb7DwtBFr9792IDpuOP1sbwgZGeD-ArnSK1BARt8zMBGN0du2P3ETgpPan_UUM8rihA5KWmlvfUK39OACKEHswBsrEqFxLkHFliC5VVShJTSqSbQjgti_RPRjELQAjJNs0L0/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-nMY1HbBb7DwtBFr9792IDpuOP1sbwgZGeD-ArnSK1BARt8zMBGN0du2P3ETgpPan_UUM8rihA5KWmlvfUK39OACKEHswBsrEqFxLkHFliC5VVShJTSqSbQjgti_RPRjELQAjJNs0L0/s320/IMG_0344.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635262673347528482" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" >I'm always sad to leave India. Not only is it hard to say goodbye to my family, chances are it will be another year before I get to eat many of the foods I love. I'm a firm believer that <i>terroir</i> makes all the difference when it comes to food - so many of those dishes just don't taste the same when I attempt to recreate them in my kitchen here. Though Indian pantry staples are easy to come by in the US, some of the produce doesn't come close in taste or freshness; and some dishes are just too labor-intensive for me to attempt! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" >The day I left, the kitchen was buzzing with activity for two such foods, <i>sevai, </i>homemade rice noodles<i>,</i> and <i>poli,- </i>a sweet stuffed pancake</span><span class="Apple-style-span" >.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; ">The dough for <i>sevai</i> is made by soaking parboiled rice, then grinding it to a batter. This batter is then cooked with water till a soft dough forms. This dough is then shaped into balls and steamed. The final step is to extrude</span><span class="Apple-style-span" > the dough through an old-fashioned cast-iron press. Though this looks like a medieval torture instrument, it's fairly easy to use: just pop in a ball of hot dough into the cylinder, and twist the handle down with all your might. Et voila, fresh rice noodles, ready to eat. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; ">What makes them unique is that the noodles need no further cooking as the dough they're made from is cooked twice before extruding.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; ">They can be eaten plain, with any curry of your choice, or stir-fried with seasonings or vegetables of choice. My favorite accompaniments are <i>sevai urulai masala</i> (spicy potato curry) and <i>pulisseri</i> (coconut-yogurt gravy). The icing on the cake: plenty of fried pappadums, of course!</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0E6vM_P5RLmeCnvZsib7jcH0-ZflurGO_eWcPg8hbikM4udmcaepxH3_jeBqGLRpbQaYzpAwC-wfl9mafuMLDOe8NvhCMSEUH4CXxQapvnVI7vAWQhjwELkXwj6kFwuUG2YVrebWUFo4/s1600/IMG_0330.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0E6vM_P5RLmeCnvZsib7jcH0-ZflurGO_eWcPg8hbikM4udmcaepxH3_jeBqGLRpbQaYzpAwC-wfl9mafuMLDOe8NvhCMSEUH4CXxQapvnVI7vAWQhjwELkXwj6kFwuUG2YVrebWUFo4/s320/IMG_0330.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635262486511252546" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "><i>Polis</i> are also a multi-step process, but the end result is well worth the effort - that is, when I'm not doing it! First, the filling is made by cooking together a mixture of cooked lentils (<i>chana dal</i>) and sugar, flavored with nutmeg, to a soft paste.The next step is to make the outer shell, a pastry enriched with ghee and saffron. Next, each <i>poli</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "> is painstakingly shaped by hand, by stuffing a bit of the filling in a pastry case and rolling it out into a round. The rounds are then shallow-fried in ghee. A final sprinkling of powdered sugar and you're ready to dig in. They're delicious hot or cold!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv59NkdjaK1Yz-w8tlxyPqgPX7sugJq3x1KU19rvn1LLT-vyYZv5T44v2uh3Rafff4iuoKVwOgD7cq8ImJ-IpvFWpHTJTBvX8_WlMMq6-lztWwnFeSeysGIPZpJpQjL1vIhxup4JxGwE0/s1600/2011-07-20.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv59NkdjaK1Yz-w8tlxyPqgPX7sugJq3x1KU19rvn1LLT-vyYZv5T44v2uh3Rafff4iuoKVwOgD7cq8ImJ-IpvFWpHTJTBvX8_WlMMq6-lztWwnFeSeysGIPZpJpQjL1vIhxup4JxGwE0/s320/2011-07-20.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635262290332576786" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-90128282950982140212011-07-15T12:18:00.007-04:002011-07-15T13:08:33.796-04:00Moroccan mezze for mum<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS47ZLACZHzj74iHOCRTz5xiP9r42RJVyJHa2XxWnk4upAHk3fO6qun86M6iKo_084Hx59eBSlR694zYRHFZfJDZD9czZ-5IB3cirEnHcQ06PxCsY82az4d5O2mbZQhoa_ig7lBUV0EGE/s1600/IMG_0322.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS47ZLACZHzj74iHOCRTz5xiP9r42RJVyJHa2XxWnk4upAHk3fO6qun86M6iKo_084Hx59eBSlR694zYRHFZfJDZD9czZ-5IB3cirEnHcQ06PxCsY82az4d5O2mbZQhoa_ig7lBUV0EGE/s320/IMG_0322.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629614455233460322" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" >I love being back home in India on vacation. It's always a treat to be surrounded by my family, made even more special by the appearance of all of my favorite foods at every mealtime! So to return the favor to my mum, who loves mezze, I cooked up this spread from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flatbreads-Flavors-Bakers-Jeffrey-Alford/dp/0061673269/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310749646&sr=8-1">Flatbreads and Flavors: A Baker's Atlas</a> by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Of late, I'm drawn to cookbooks that go beyond mere recipes, those that offer a glimpse into worlds I've not traveled to yet. The Washington Post calls this book "A wonderful journey for love and loaves", and I can't think of a better way to describe it. The husband-and-wife team of Alford and Duguid have traveled extensively across Europe, North Africa, Asia and North America chronicling people's lives through their daily bread. It's one of those books from which picking a recipe is really hard, since they all sound amazing. Fenugreek Corn Bread or Georgian Cheese-filled Breads, anyone? Finally, </span><span class="Apple-style-span">I chose this set of dishes since all of the ingredients are readily available here in India. The bread, scented with anise seed, is called <i>ksra</i>. We ate it with <i>bessara</i>, a kidney bean dip; <i>harissa</i>, the popular North African chile paste; and a herbed carrot salad. Only dessert was a departure from this region: I can't get enough of Indian mangoes while I'm here!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The <i>mezze</i> meal was perfect for the hot Madras weather, since everything is eaten at room temperature, except for the bread which I pulled out fresh from the oven. The different flavors and textures come together into a harmonious whole: crusty-soft bread, tangy-velvety bean puree, sweet and fresh-tasting carrots and spicy-hot <i>harissa</i>. I'm thinking this would be a great summer brunch as well, with the addition of some <i>shakshuka</i>, that wonderful Tunisian dish of stewed tomatoes and poached eggs. Now on to the next region...</span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-2149000368567004042011-06-06T13:29:00.015-04:002011-06-06T18:58:21.950-04:00Singapore sojourn, part 2: Potato rendang<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLQ3ZLEsGjxZ_rj_rWRMtl9Q1lY0JW-KtuDu-xq4O2jmi_4Du1Cg-1kXSqV63XkwDcAcgmQu0KGRprvXHBcwGZkdKKMgSdlxayltZKwldALxcY9Fnes1Vkrs9F197ShMtCGLZpMTPdCs/s320/DSC02181.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615196185786172274" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">One of my favorite things to do when traveling abroad is to visit local food markets and come back with bags full of exotic ingredients. Usually, thanks to US customs rules, I am limited to spices and pantry ingredients. On my recent trip to Singapore, happily, I had access to a kitchen (my sister's), so aside from palm sugar, Sichuan peppercorns and the like, I also set out to gather the ingredients for <i>rendang</i>, a famous Malay/ Indonesian specialty.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">I had long been wanting to try a recipe for West Sumatran Potato Rendang from James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor, a James Beard award-winning book featuring recipes from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. This is a fantastic book, which introduces a great many flavors and cooking techniques from this part of the world, along with several recipes</span> p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; ">ainstakingly g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; ">athered from home cooks across the region. When browsing through the book, I was immediately drawn to the description of the technique for making <i>rendang.</i> This is essentially the reverse of a Western-style stew, in which the item is first browned, then simmered in a liquid. Here, you start by simmering the item in spiced coconut milk, and then finish it off by browning it in the coconut oil that is left after all the liquids have boiled away. This ingenious technique developed as a way to preserve food without refrigeration!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Making <i>rendang</i> is a pretty time-consuming affair, which involves prepping, chopping and grinding the ingredients for the flavoring paste, long and slow stewing of the potatoes in the coconut milk, and gently browning the potatoes and aromatics as the final step. But it's so worth it: you're left with a unique vegetarian dish that even the most confir</span></span>med carnivore would love. The potatoes are sweet and spicy at the same time, subtl</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; ">y flavored with ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and lemongrass. The long cooking process ensures that the insides of the potatoes are creamy soft, with crispy jackets coated with caramelized aromatics and coconut solids.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix0v4xvcceQRX_BkA3ic32l5Z4vYwU3_nd_hoHr89KBqzv64UmLAET8_gMP117b-S-Osu58yBhxEYf-PEKYQK8q-a8i8jrbnYAA-BOEUxZDSEhgQRvuckYds8m3yvaxU40IxDM-ADyCI/s320/DSC02185-1.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 246px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615237964488399938" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; ">The author recommends pairing this dish with goat curry, sauteed greens and rice, though I imagine it would also make a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "> wonderful side dish to roast chicken, eggs or just about anything. We ate it with Malaysian flaky flatbread (<i>prata</i>) and sauteed baby greens. I'm also considering a version with traditional South Indian flavorings replacing the more Asian in</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; ">gredients like lemongrass and galangal! It can be made up to five days ahead and stored in the refrigerator - just make sure to serve the dish warm (not hot) or at room temperature.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; " ><b>Recipe: Potato rendang (<i>rendang kentang</i>), serves 4-6</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; " ><i>Adapted from James Oseland's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cradle-Flavor-Indonesia-Singapore-Malaysia/dp/0393054772">Cradle of Flavor</a></i></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >2 1/2 cups coconut milk</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 1/2 lb baby potatoes</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >3 whole <i>daun salam</i> leaves</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >3 sprigs Thai or Italian basil</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 1/2 tsp sea salt</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Peanut oil, if needed</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Flavoring paste:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 thick stalk fresh lemongrass</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >4 shallots, coarsely chopped</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >5 red bird's-eye chillies, chopped</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >5 green bird's-eye chillies, chopped</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 2" piece fresh turmeric or 2 tsp ground turmeric</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >1 2" piece fresh galangal, peeled and thinly sliced</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: verdana; "><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">First you will need to simmer the coconut milk in a large 12” nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. While it is simmering, make the flavoring paste by whizzing all the ingredients together in a food processor, adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary to keep the mixture moving. Add the flavoring paste to the simmering coconut milk, along with the daun salam and basil. Continue simmering the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced to half its original volume, about 45 minutes. While it is simmering, scrub the potatoes and slit each one half way through to help the flavors penetrate. Do not peel the potatoes as this will cause them to disintegrate from the long cooking.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: verdana; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">When the coconut milk mixture is reduced, add the potatoes and salt, and continue cooking the mixture, stirring often to prevent sticking. Cover the potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes to make sure they cook through. Continue this until the liquid has dried up completely and the fat is rendered out. Add some peanut oil to the pan, if necessary, to have a total of 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: verdana; "><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Turn the heat down to low and brown the potatoes and aromatics in the oil until medium-dark brown, about 20-25 minutes. The finished dish should be quite dry. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Transfer the potatoes and the sautéed flavoring paste to a serving dish. Allow to</span> rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.</span></p></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-89231216933090076662011-06-06T12:39:00.014-04:002011-06-06T13:28:19.011-04:00Singapore sojourn, part 1: Scenes from the market<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615149857954061570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiqpGhUMlRf8fdYtBoYXPfK0pwEVSO_SNexOZoQFxB2PLcT-5vaf0rOAyoMSahY5sC3QoJaoyyR2kzVlwPTh9_rz5Jy7prgqk1wZkEC6BBRaVhaRwodfjYcBdNMO9u6iWGHMQ7J6tEuQ/s320/DSC02174.JPG" style="display: block; height: 234px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Colorful shophouses in Singapore's Geylang neighborhood</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="512" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615150203334498114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLO8UCHyBwA5IDrSJYQZXIXhT8R8aoQMokSRZpFQR3FIDmKw-RoPaoxvgkx9s5d_5XpoPo6h96xj1baUx8OuIxQ-tavqs5AevjeI7nMw7H8a91Zo0eYg0kRXp6TRCzCx74y1R46oK07eg/s640/Fruit.jpg" style="display: block; height: 256px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A bewildering array of tropical fruit. Clockwise from top left:<br />Baskets of stinky durian; pomelo, dragon fruit and star fruit;<br />mangoes aplenty; mangosteen and rambutan</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615150395056854370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Z3FlXw3NwxSFMho5Gaa_p-jM9TvWusf4R-YOeB_Gw67jtgfkGznTGnCey4LdwvtGldTqsR4RVnEH3jTjR1JIuE7apIY3mEH9OHpiOV_LiQD3f3sV8Bh7P_kUBv_N72vr-Cse0y3Aq6Y/s320/DSC02075.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bright and perfumed garlands of flowers in Little India</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615150692913302658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRFXLHHnZDFUC7vbcChNXPyDHwTwXzOmSY80DQEtFHDUqQKlPttudBXwL47BX6W6iIWUUsul4R6KhtleaDGnIJ8zdw-QeyGXBK7yBbw33BVNCVWjDLFM3W0sMyCC7rAm-FVEbhPplDlc/s320/Vegetables.jpg" style="display: block; height: 256px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exotic produce of every stripe in Tekka Market.<br />Clockwise from top left: Four angled beans; turmeric and galangal;<br />Asian greens galore; Fresh tofu and egg noodles.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqF2Fw9VasiMdeD3shCyKQb9aJIOIms6C6gszjBVStjlRX6te4E149sATDM5maBAT-S3tIcGuW59ATf4WPOonqjKpZfw4xErxoeN53_4HosGIkf1KPYZ6RGd-OW8qd_NN6fzgjkC8tSY/s1600/DSC02083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqF2Fw9VasiMdeD3shCyKQb9aJIOIms6C6gszjBVStjlRX6te4E149sATDM5maBAT-S3tIcGuW59ATf4WPOonqjKpZfw4xErxoeN53_4HosGIkf1KPYZ6RGd-OW8qd_NN6fzgjkC8tSY/s320/DSC02083.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fresh fish! It's luverly!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u><br /></u></span></div></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-17438557703975270292011-04-09T17:14:00.002-04:002011-04-09T17:16:17.859-04:00Ice cream adventures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEt9GTof8a0VIuh2aKU8hpmF1x6LVTJ1tpIklOmHBpPU_89dsX-q3jfHsuMveAsKBSX8A04nM5dacmlDQ0t_VcFg7m1b9_FN9sSRqdP4JL-7Niq4uIRmGPXoYEy3r0R2vR9Gb1WpSgHM8/s1600/DSC02004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEt9GTof8a0VIuh2aKU8hpmF1x6LVTJ1tpIklOmHBpPU_89dsX-q3jfHsuMveAsKBSX8A04nM5dacmlDQ0t_VcFg7m1b9_FN9sSRqdP4JL-7Niq4uIRmGPXoYEy3r0R2vR9Gb1WpSgHM8/s320/DSC02004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rum raisin ice cream</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was really excited to receive a Cuisinart ice cream-maker over the holiday season. How cool is it to be able to have custom ice creams to accompany any desserts I make? And having homemade ice cream in the freezer is great for those days when you just want a bit of something sweet at the end of a meal. I was waiting eagerly for some mild spring weather to start churning out the frozen treats. Of course, that hasn't exactly happened as yet, but I decided to start churning away anyway!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My first attempt was not exactly a success. I made a batch of vanilla creme anglaise, intending to churn it into ice cream to accompany an apple tart I was taking to a friend's place for a dinner party. I thought a dash (okay, a healthy dose!) of bourbon would elevate this pairing from the classic to the sublime, but alas, in my enthusiasm, I forgot my middle-school science lessons: alcohol retards freezing! So my delicious custard never made the leap from liquid to frozen, and I had to resort to the making-ice-cream-without-a-machine technique of open-freezing, which yielded decidedly icy results. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next recipe I tried, Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, also called for whisky, but I decided to add the alcohol in the last few minutes of churning and everything worked just fine. Ditto the Rum Raisin ice cream I made to celebrate India's victory in the Cricket World Cup. I didn't know that India was going to win when I made the ice cream, but I reckoned that a boozy flavor would help us drown our sorrows if we ended up losing!</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U_GOGZhqU7XCvWNdlyjCH4nZdzhQ8qKt-G2jcRAeVsaS6nHktWLx2oGRLG3LnlDriSlRvF9kt0RcEq9ww7w_vHtd3sYaiZgRp8AqfVS7SYjMS3Hn_EkXNCEPNGzEivSnhnW7lnipsFw/s1600/DSC02003-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U_GOGZhqU7XCvWNdlyjCH4nZdzhQ8qKt-G2jcRAeVsaS6nHktWLx2oGRLG3LnlDriSlRvF9kt0RcEq9ww7w_vHtd3sYaiZgRp8AqfVS7SYjMS3Hn_EkXNCEPNGzEivSnhnW7lnipsFw/s320/DSC02003-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Coconut Ice Cream</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My latest ice cream success is a recipe for Quick Coconut Ice Cream with Saffron created by Nicole Stich of Delicious Days. It's a wonderfully simple concoction to whip up, just four ingredients get simmered together for 10 minutes to make the ice cream mixture. The results are fantastic! I used jaggery (an unrefined Indian sugar) instead of regular white sugar, because its dark, rich flavor complements the sweet creaminess of coconut milk beautifully. I can't wait to try other versions of this. How about one flavored with cardamom, and with roasted cashews mixed in, as a finale to a South Indian meal? Or a plain white sugar version to accompany grilled pineapple, great for barbecue season? Or a version with canned lychees mixed in, perfect for dessert after a spicy Thai curry. My mind (and soon my ice cream maker!!) is churning with all the possibilities.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/09/quick-coconut-ice-cream-with-saf/">Recipe: Quick Coconut Ice Cream with Saffron</a></b></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I replaced the sugar with jaggery. I also scaled the recipe up by 50% (and am happy I did!) to use up the cream I had left over from my previous week's Rum Raisin ice cream, and it worked fine.</span> </span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-19156578091404849252011-03-07T17:49:00.011-05:002011-03-07T18:20:43.507-05:00Weekend brunch and a trip to a Korean store<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTzKKFwNmzRRhi4DUZB2e3Kc_5feKL6u71yMf_U5-DaQaoEaf58t5kWCwjGajdMJqjRdAnojz5dqZEx9ltHQWCahnTQ57Ldg1NG0COAZlZaRG7i4n16iUOzDadtAksM-uVrt27jgRxNo/s1600/Downloads1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTzKKFwNmzRRhi4DUZB2e3Kc_5feKL6u71yMf_U5-DaQaoEaf58t5kWCwjGajdMJqjRdAnojz5dqZEx9ltHQWCahnTQ57Ldg1NG0COAZlZaRG7i4n16iUOzDadtAksM-uVrt27jgRxNo/s640/Downloads1.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Top: Gateau Basque, homemade granola, vanilla yogurt<br />
Bottom: Winter fruit salad, green bean-tomato salad, ricotta tart<br />
Not pictured: Bagels and cream cheese, mimosas/ bellinis</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love an American-style brunch on weekends. It's always the most relaxed meal, one you can linger over as long as you like, sipping mimosas, nibbling on food from time to time, with all the time in the world to catch up properly with friends. Best of all, it's easy to put together a luxurious brunch with relatively little cooking! When entertaining, I like to do things ahead as far as possible to be able to completely relax when my guests arrive. I chose a winter fruit salad that has to be made the day ahead, and for dessert we had a Gateau Basque, a confection which tastes like a cross between a cake and a giant cookie, which also tastes better the day after it is made. So all that I had to do the morning of was to bake my savory tart, toss a salad and buy fresh-baked bagels from the store. The only extra bit was making my own granola, hardly necessary since you can buy excellent ones in many gourmet or health food stores. However, I have had my eye on <a href="http://orangette.blogspot.com/2008/02/consider-it.html">this Nigella recipe</a> for a while now, intrigued by the mix of sweeteners and also the unusual use of applesauce, so this was the perfect excuse to try it. (And I have a whole jar now! Yippee!) The granola turned out very tasty, though next time I may reduce the nuts to two cups and use a mix of pecans and almonds.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxyF5GrbEDCKbWcpIm_M4-cXztijbuuY-w42NDTnhfT_co3L7NOCDZ3VN0n7F7AXTC7-AESYuwG2-BkuuUNrS-GkPVY6Jimi5Vn4nKElwY-LOhkGLWO7t87tnjY6awaTeG7UUqY3aLjo/s1600/DSC01431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxyF5GrbEDCKbWcpIm_M4-cXztijbuuY-w42NDTnhfT_co3L7NOCDZ3VN0n7F7AXTC7-AESYuwG2-BkuuUNrS-GkPVY6Jimi5Vn4nKElwY-LOhkGLWO7t87tnjY6awaTeG7UUqY3aLjo/s320/DSC01431.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gateau Basque, cherry preserves filled in a cake-like cookie crust</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My Saturday brunch this past weekend was extra special because a friend who came over later took me grocery shopping in a Korean store. Now, I love Korean food, but have never attempted to cook it before. I even have a store near me that sells a number of Korean products, but unfortunately the packages are all in Korean, leaving me wondering if they are safe to buy for vegetarians or not. It was great to get a guided tour from someone in the know, and I came back happily armed with rice sticks, Korean red pepper paste, kimchi and three different kinds of mushrooms! I'm excited to expand my culinary repertoire some more.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKxOoSWoFpM8SmNqKB4jSLMx40gwaUNGfMG3QDlCbim03Ix2c-IrgTa-fER87t-ciMEtdpQ2q0wowROoQgr8XAqGP49zVL5Xy9Tjbmx2bnj-4Kr4TNJ1YDFJfZDtxQM9leDW1qBDoKI0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKxOoSWoFpM8SmNqKB4jSLMx40gwaUNGfMG3QDlCbim03Ix2c-IrgTa-fER87t-ciMEtdpQ2q0wowROoQgr8XAqGP49zVL5Xy9Tjbmx2bnj-4Kr4TNJ1YDFJfZDtxQM9leDW1qBDoKI0/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoils from my trip to the Korean store</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Recipe: Gateau Basque</b> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Crust: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup ground almonds (I used Bob's Red Mill almond flour)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 tsp salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3/4 cup sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 large egg + 1 egg yolk</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 tsp almond extract</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Filling: 1 cup good-quality cherry preserves (Raspberry might be nice too)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3 tsp brandy</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Egg wash: 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp whole milk</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">To make the dough, put all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse till combined. Add the butter and process till it is in small pieces. Add the egg, yolk and extracts and pulse till the dough comes together in a ball. Divide it into two pieces, one larger than the other, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">To make the filling, stir together the preserves and the brandy.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Preheat the oven to 350F(180C). Butter and flour a 9" springform pan. Roll out the larger piece of dough into a 10" circle between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap. Line the pan with this circle of dough, then spread the filling in the center, leaving a 1" border. Similarly, roll out the smaller circle of dough into a 9" circle and place it on top of the filling. Press the edges to seal, then brush the top of the cake liberally with the egg wash and run a fork diagonally across to create a criss-cross hatch pattern. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown. Cool completely before serving.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-41880526474854843292011-01-05T19:58:00.000-05:002011-01-05T19:58:39.111-05:00Holiday baking photoblog<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjJQD_R5W_e0coI5lzDJcNtEylZf5_llGO6C6-C4jAcSgJ52oKWOi6OlNFQywrm-w70nOXS0aVipCdYAxI4oZWRln3qaswhkXbqrRQHPnknAojPbr3cEZjyPeHLtqNdEimJtN91gcwTo/s1600/2011-01-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjJQD_R5W_e0coI5lzDJcNtEylZf5_llGO6C6-C4jAcSgJ52oKWOi6OlNFQywrm-w70nOXS0aVipCdYAxI4oZWRln3qaswhkXbqrRQHPnknAojPbr3cEZjyPeHLtqNdEimJtN91gcwTo/s320/2011-01-05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clockwise from top left: Meyer Lemon-Almond cookies and World Peace cookies, Pear Frangipane tart, Meyer Lemon Curd petits fours and Bourbon-Pecan Caramel tart</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's to a sweet new year in 2011!</span>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-63604488513791208402010-12-16T15:55:00.004-05:002010-12-16T16:05:00.765-05:00Après-shovel: Whiskey-spiked hot chocolate and a clafoutis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnB_jKrAPM7iYWEL2znqNfJUtCf8juCVgfp6loGcNFsfFyEHFdRMTH2bODtdLHp2RRRZzYCYCsRKqnOnuouYaloqKc00EvFJfthATLDssDnLBhqe2VtqJ6jiWQPDYWu4sPNPCtt0Khh7s/s1600/DSC01957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnB_jKrAPM7iYWEL2znqNfJUtCf8juCVgfp6loGcNFsfFyEHFdRMTH2bODtdLHp2RRRZzYCYCsRKqnOnuouYaloqKc00EvFJfthATLDssDnLBhqe2VtqJ6jiWQPDYWu4sPNPCtt0Khh7s/s320/DSC01957.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shoveling is far less glamorous than skiing, but for those of us living in colder climes, it is, alas, unavoidable! My coping strategy: reward yourself with good food and drink at the end of it. (No surprises there!) Of course, this isn't always possible: during <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/02/the_evolution_of_snowmageddon.html">Snowmageddon</a> last winter, we lost power, so all we had to look forward to après-shoveling were a freezing house and cold sandwiches :(</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had our first shovel-worthy snow of the season today, so I resolutely dressed myself in my many layers of gear. Not before inspecting the contents of the fridge, however. It turned out I had a ramekin of clafoutis batter left over from last weekend's dessert, a <a href="http://www.mytartelette.com/search?q=fallen+souffle&x=0&y=0">poached pear clafoutis</a> made to use up, in turn, one orphaned poached pear that I had left over from Thanksgiving. You see how useful it is to cook and bake regularly! Your fridge and pantry are a treasure-trove of supplies that make it easy to whip up something delicious in no time at all. So I dropped a handful of blueberries into the ramekin for good measure and stuck it in the oven. Armed with our cheerful new yellow shovel (last winter's excessive snow busted the old one), I ventured forth bravely outside.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The shoveling wasn't crazy, thankfully, and the newly-acquired <a href="http://www.cleanlink.com/productwatch/details/Blizzard-Wizard-Ice-Melt--1264&useDate=12/7/2010">Blizzard Wizard</a> seems to be doing its job as well. (That is, after I wrestled the 50-lb bag from the most inaccessible corner of the garage). So all that was left to do was take a hot shower, fix myself some hot chocolate, and dig in to my treat! I normally make hot cocoa, which is a very guilt-free way to enjoy this winter essential, but since I'd officially had two workouts (gym + shoveling) I decided to make real hot chocolate, and add some whiskey to make it even more indulgent. Besides, two squares of chocolate were sitting forlornly in the pantry, and calling my name. Still, I don't like it excessively rich: I prefer to use 2% milk instead of cream. I also drink it unsweetened but you can add sugar to taste.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know if winter will ever be my favorite season, but clearly, it's not without its advantages!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Recipe: Whiskey-spiked hot chocolate (Serves 1)</b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3/4 cup milk (I use 2% but you can use whole milk, cream or half-and-half)</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken or chopped</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 tbsp whiskey, or any other spirit of choice (optional)</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Brown sugar to taste (optional)</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Place the whiskey, if using, in a mug. Heat the milk over medium heat in a small saucepan until steaming. Stir in the chocolate and whisk continuously until melted. Cook for another minute (or more if you want it thicker) and pour into the mug. Add sugar to taste, stir and enjoy!</span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-63052154539235474432010-11-05T13:54:00.004-04:002010-11-05T14:03:41.109-04:00Happy Diwali!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvJjA8C2LYRQrNTbob3D-zwNadwdDX5kK9_RvC4PsVxVC0m3RTNlKvAq72e3VWXCTx9nbbUo3YueWD_AhxFhiudxxa2gE_QL6g7tBYCQkr6mWCHg_CLfWzYX-0CNdxQnmpA-BRgpfHW0/s1600/IMG_0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvJjA8C2LYRQrNTbob3D-zwNadwdDX5kK9_RvC4PsVxVC0m3RTNlKvAq72e3VWXCTx9nbbUo3YueWD_AhxFhiudxxa2gE_QL6g7tBYCQkr6mWCHg_CLfWzYX-0CNdxQnmpA-BRgpfHW0/s320/IMG_0183.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today is Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. It's a time when I always miss being back at home in India, where the excitement of Diwali hangs palpably in the air! Firecrackers light up the skies at the crack of dawn and then later on in the evening. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The day kicks off to a great start with a South Indian spread for breakfast. The menu may vary but it always includes dosas, delicious rice-and-lentil crepes served with coconut chutney. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the day, we enjoy dressing up in new clothes and visiting the neighbors bearing platters of home-made sweets and savories, and getting more goodies in return! After dark, the city glows with the light of the many rows of lamps that people light outside their homes. It's also the most secular festival in India, when people of all faiths get together to celebrate.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the things I crave at this time of year is my mother's signature Diwali sweet, badam puri. This is a delicious confection of her own creation, featuring flaky layers of fried almond pastry soaked in a cardamom-saffron syrup and garnished with vibrant green pistachios. They're definitely a little labor-intensive to make, but my mother, sister and I love to make them as a team, laughing and chattering as we roll, fry, dip and decorate the pastries. Happy Diwali!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Recipe: Amma's Badam Puri (Sugar-dipped Almond Pastry)</span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pastry:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup whole almonds, blanched, toasted and ground fine (or use almond flour such as Bob's Red Mill)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">A generous pinch of salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">3 tbs. cold ghee (clarified butter)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 tsp. baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ice cold water to make dough<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Oil for deep frying<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Layering Paste:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">3 tbs. rice flour (available from most Indian and some Western grocers)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 tbs. ghee or clarified butter<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">2 tsp. thick yoghurt or dahi (like Greek yoghurt)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Syrup:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">2 1/2 cup sugar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">2 cups water<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">A few saffron strands, soaked in 2 tbs. warm water<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">3/4 tsp.ground cardamom<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Garnish:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">2 tbs finely chopped pistachio nuts</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For the dough, pulse the flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor a few times. Add the ghee and pulse a few more times to combine. Drizzle in some ice-cold water, a few tablespoons at a time, to make a dough that is neither too soft nor too sticky. Turn it out on to a floured surface and knead briefly. Leave to rest for half an hour.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For the paste, simply combine all the ingredients and whisk till smooth and well blended.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For the syrup, heat the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed pan. Cook until the syrup reaches one-string consistency (this corresponds to about 215F on a candy thermometer) and then add the flavorings. Keep warm. While the syrup is cooking, heat the oil for frying.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Break of lime-sized balls of the dough and roll them on a lightly floured surface into 4" circles. Place a few dabs of the layering paste and spread it over the circle. Fold the circle into half and then quarters, repeating the process of layering. Roll the dough quarter-circle out into a larger triangle. Prick all over with a fork and then fry in the oil till golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drop into the sugar syrup, turning once to coat. Dry on a wire rack that has been set over a plate. Repeat till the pastry is used up. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Collect all the leftover syrup from the plate and heat it once again till any crystals have dissolved. Working quickly, dip each pastry in the syrup again, and then remove to the wire rack to dry. Decorate with the pistachios and leave to dry. These pastries can be stored in an air tight tin when dry but are best eaten within 3 days of making.</span></span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-73876936009387105992010-10-26T11:03:00.003-04:002010-10-26T11:04:36.031-04:00Stuffed squash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAafgOzVQyVjBszz1NYdHTFIKG-3HM1F_0mQP_n7ijXT5DL8Aa926v-tWfZb0ZthkWpPEoKKN5C5xmFT4ME0OUZmtegB52Q24qGCgq3D4gQC9dtxSYmRumfw4MLxlWWnQgRbAWE9TLrs/s1600/DSC01929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAafgOzVQyVjBszz1NYdHTFIKG-3HM1F_0mQP_n7ijXT5DL8Aa926v-tWfZb0ZthkWpPEoKKN5C5xmFT4ME0OUZmtegB52Q24qGCgq3D4gQC9dtxSYmRumfw4MLxlWWnQgRbAWE9TLrs/s320/DSC01929.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why do I have a recipe featuring summer squash in the middle of fall? You may well ask. Even though this is the season for acorns and butternuts, some of the farmers at my local farmers' market are from further south, and were selling the last of their summer squash. Of course I couldn't resist those cute little pattypans and rond de nice! They are perfect for stuffing. I love food that's served in individual portions, and you can eat more than one depending on how hungry you are!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keeping the season in mind, though, I decided that the stuffing had to be a little more hearty than usual. If it were summer I would do a lighter one using the scooped out squash flesh, breadcrumbs, pine nuts and goat cheese; maybe liven the whole thing up with a drizzle of fresh tomato sauce. Instead, I settled for a stuffing of mejadra, a wonderful Middle Eastern dish of rice and lentils flavored with spices and plenty of fried onions. My go-to source for contemporary Mediterranean recipes is Yotam Ottolenghi, who writes a column called The New Vegetarian in the Guardian. He had posted a recipe for this a few weeks ago, which I had been keen to try, and this was the perfect opportunity. The only change I made was to pan-fry the onions instead of deep-frying them - it produces the same results if you have a good pan that will fit them in a single layer, and a little bit of patience. The onions can be left to cook on low heat and you can busy yourself doing other things.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I served the stuffed squash topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt sprinkled with some sumac. We all really enjoyed this dish - not too heavy, not too light, and the delicate flavor of the squash was a great counterpoint to the earthy lentils, sweet onions and warm spices. The bonus was I also got a small pot of soup made with the scooped out squash flesh - two dishes for the price of one!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Recipe: Mejadra-stuffed squash (Serves two, but can easily be scaled up)</span></span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span">1/2 recipe Ottolenghi's <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/09/mejadra-recipe-yotam-ottolenghi">Mejadra</a></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Four squashes suitable for stuffing (I used rond de nice and pattypan, but you can use a large zucchini, halved lengthwise, or acorn squash quarters or any thing else)</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span">1 tbsp olive oil</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Greek yogurt and sumac for serving (optional)</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Preheat the oven to 300F (150C). Cut a thin slice from the bottom of the squashes to make them stand upright. Cut off the tops and carefully scoop out the flesh with a melon baller or a teaspoon, leaving a shell about 1/3" thick. Reserve the squash flesh for another use (I made soup) Sprinkle the insides with some salt and stand upside down to remove some of the excess liquid while you prepare the mejadra.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a glass or ceramic dish large enough to hold the squashes snugly. Stuff the squashes with the filling, taking care to not to pack it in so tightly as to split the squash shells. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the squash shell is pierced easily by a knife. Serve with Greek yogurt topped with a sprinkle of sumac and with extra mejadra on the side.</span></span></span></span>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-38389142352955156362010-10-01T16:57:00.001-04:002010-10-01T16:59:40.892-04:00Tarte tatin, a fall favorite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtGCjxqMpE3IPMAhl2Ak4ThT4e6sSJGfkdz0f38vQa9b0B1zAL66azcL3-UTZihV0lvRJA3VUDTCWX5ytEg6akoywTX7Gs8ahUKecvZMWne0HuNZhk9x0ImGxM-o-ynQXHCKgj_boYPM/s1600/DSC01014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtGCjxqMpE3IPMAhl2Ak4ThT4e6sSJGfkdz0f38vQa9b0B1zAL66azcL3-UTZihV0lvRJA3VUDTCWX5ytEg6akoywTX7Gs8ahUKecvZMWne0HuNZhk9x0ImGxM-o-ynQXHCKgj_boYPM/s320/DSC01014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Fall is officially in the air! I love this season, with its breezy days and cool nights; the beautiful palette of colors as leaves turn; fall greens such as kale and swiss chard; and the bewilidering array of knobbly pumpkins and squashes in the markets. I also love apples and pears, the quintessential fall fruit. Growing up in India, which is mostly tropical, I didn't get to sample much variety by way of these, so it was only since moving to the US that I experienced them in their full glory. I'd visit every stall in the Union Square Greenmarket, sampling each kind that the farmers were generous enough to offer, making my own tasting notes and discovering my favorites along the way. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I enjoy apples and pears in so many different ways - baked, poached, in salads, or simply eaten out of hand. Of course, my all-time favorite way to cook with them is to make an indulgent </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">tarte tatin. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">This is one of my favorite desserts - apples or pears cooked in salted buttery caramel and baked under a flaky pastry crust. </span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There are amusing stories about the origin of this French classic - some say a server once dropped a tart, and then went on to serve it in its upturned state. Others say someone forgot to line the tart pan with pastry before filling it with the fruit and decided to bake it on top of the fruit instead. While I can't vouch for the authenticity of either story, I can definitely attest to how delicious this tart is. It is one of those rare desserts you can put together with just five ingredients: fruit of choice, flour, butter, sugar and salt. After tweaking around with a few different recipes, I've formulated my own version. It's easy to do ahead, too; the dough circle and the caramel can both be stored in the refrigerator overnight, making this a good dessert for entertaining.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is the perfect fall dessert. Traditionally, it's served <i>au naturel</i>, but even though the French may scoff at me, I certainly wouldn't say no to a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of creme fraiche alongside mine!</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Recipe: Tarte tatin (Serves 6-8, depending on your fondness for this dessert!)</b></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 23px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 23px;">Crust:</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 1/4 cup flour<br />2 tbsp sugar<br />1/3 teaspoon salt<br />6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed<br />3-4 tablespoons ice water</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Caramel:</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/3 cup sugar</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 tbsp butter (the French use salted, but I usually have only unsalted)</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A good pinch of sea salt - I save my precious </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">fleur de sel</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for use in sweet applications like this one. If using salted butter, reduce or omit this, depending on how salty you like your caramel.</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fruit: </span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As many apples or pears you need to fit your pan, which could be a cake pan or an ovenproof skillet 8-10" in diameter. Use a firm variety which holds its shape when cooked. The picture above is of a tart made with Bosc pears.</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For the crust, dump the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly. Add the butter and pulse till it is about the size of small peas. Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse till the dough just comes together. Turn it out on to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Flatten it into a disk, wrap in cling film and chill for half an hour. Once the dough is rested, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a circle a little larger than your pan. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill. This makes sense to do ahead because the chilled circle of dough is very easy to transfer to the fruit.</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Preheat the oven to 375F(190C)</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Peel and core the fruit and cut into quarters. If not using them immediately, transfer to a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon in it to prevent discoloration.</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For the caramel, p</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ut the sugar with a tablespoon of water in your pan of choice, and place over medium heat. Once the sugar is melted and starts to boil, cook it for a few minutes, until it caramelizes and turns a deep amber color. Remove from the heat, add in the butter and salt and stir till incorporated. If your pan cannot be used on the stovetop, do this step in a saucepan and transfer the caramel to the pan.</span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pat the fruit dry and arrange, rounded side down, on top of the caramel. Pack it in tightly to allow for shrinkage while baking. Place the dough circle on top of the fruit. The warmth of the pan will cause it to drape to the contours of the fruit. Bake the tart for about 45 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown. Allow to cool briefly, then place a large plate on the top of your pan and flip the tart over. The juices can be poured off and reduced further to glaze the tart. Serve warm on its own or with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche.</span></span></span>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-38927456624886722192010-09-12T20:32:00.001-04:002010-09-12T20:33:45.538-04:00Ottolenghi's Fried Cauliflower with Tahini<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tReoHFUDmOnr17BJ7NyQeLr5bkML3_QJn1nGxRD_vY76ahDzlPpkWo9BUmquCU_MlwOOp-HckARwgJ1S7QREatcm9ktyul3otmzqqqd2w8ZanAMGvev8BvhuOxc04lpgkG688BQGaM8/s1600/DSC01844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tReoHFUDmOnr17BJ7NyQeLr5bkML3_QJn1nGxRD_vY76ahDzlPpkWo9BUmquCU_MlwOOp-HckARwgJ1S7QREatcm9ktyul3otmzqqqd2w8ZanAMGvev8BvhuOxc04lpgkG688BQGaM8/s320/DSC01844.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will happily admit that I need a little bit of retail therapy once in a while. Except that my kind usually involves buying random food ingredients while browsing in markets, and then finding ways to use them later! Pomegranate molasses is one such ingredient I have in my pantry, bought when I had a <a href="http://mayaskitchenonline.blogspot.com/2009/09/mmmmuhammara.html">muhammara</a> craving last summer; and countless others, such as fried shallots (a welcome addition to anything from soups to curries) and shredded red peppers (merely because the long red strands look so attractive!). I also have a big bottle of tahini that I bought because it was on sale, and have been looking for ways to use up ever since.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enter Ottolenghi's fried cauliflower with tahini recipe. It calls for pomegranate molasses and tahini, two of the items I am keen to use up, and besides, it sounded so delicious I had to try it. The only change I made was to saute the cauliflower and scallions instead of deep-frying them, and I don't think it affected the taste one bit. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a fabulous dish! I ate it with some bread and some red and yellow tomatoes dressed simply with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. It made for a perfect summer lunch. The dressing is a wonderful medley of flavors, from nutty sesame to tart pomegranate molasses to fresh herbs and cool yogurt. It has become my current favorite - I've since used it in a greek-style salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and feta, as well as in a fried eggplant sandwich. Try it!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Recipe: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/17/fried-cauliflower-tahini-recipe-ottolenghi">Ottolenghi's Fried Cauliflower with Tahini</a></b></span> </span>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-72606177838794080342010-08-15T19:40:00.005-04:002010-08-15T21:49:27.106-04:00Banana leaf parcels (Elai Adai)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguoJzdhGcW3XVr2Yi24zKKZ6NZfPNERoZ_NFIu00_xwxW2gXnX2mGhGTq5vhaRHqNclTiDTnTEXMC92UWOPblr70r-xjgURZ8RUy_kKuTjHdmwBg4WJj5ZsPyIlnxiMSWMZpUZOIbp34/s1600/IMG_0167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguoJzdhGcW3XVr2Yi24zKKZ6NZfPNERoZ_NFIu00_xwxW2gXnX2mGhGTq5vhaRHqNclTiDTnTEXMC92UWOPblr70r-xjgURZ8RUy_kKuTjHdmwBg4WJj5ZsPyIlnxiMSWMZpUZOIbp34/s320/IMG_0167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I'm back from a wonderful trip to India and already suffering serious withdrawal symptoms from all the delicious food I enjoyed there! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">On any trip home, I make sure to load up on all the once-common, now-exotic fruits and vegetables that are hard to come by here in the US. Sapodilla (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">sapota</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">), limetta (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">sathukudi</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">), elephant yam (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">chenai</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">), and tender coconut juice (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">elaneer</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">) to name just a few. </span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Possibly the most exotic of these is the jack fruit (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">chakka</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">), the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, sometimes weighing in at a massive 100 pounds! The fruit has a spiny inedible skin that encases bright yellow, highly perfumed fleshy pods. These taste like a cross between a pineapple and a banana. The pods contain large round seeds that are also edible.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpGheR1bx7TXhNpDtnAN7FtEUc1YYGF1_hQixsgq6BEf2MV9PHfndynZPU4GtmYjpdU0VCY_t8Jm7OwJdCBF1C3-zaRO23bps-sO2zAdSpRN11XHSiytOgIyKD2RsxMjLNlSd_NCFJLc/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpGheR1bx7TXhNpDtnAN7FtEUc1YYGF1_hQixsgq6BEf2MV9PHfndynZPU4GtmYjpdU0VCY_t8Jm7OwJdCBF1C3-zaRO23bps-sO2zAdSpRN11XHSiytOgIyKD2RsxMjLNlSd_NCFJLc/s320/IMG_0115.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">n my native state of Kerala, jack fruit trees are found in every backyard and the plentiful fruit are used in myriad ways, both when raw and ripe. Most of these are rustic, homey dishes that you will never find in any restaurant! The flesh of the raw jack fruit has a meaty texture that makes it suitable for many vegetarian curries, some of which also include the boiled seeds that are an excellent source of protein. The ripe pulp is cooked with unrefined cane sugar (jaggery) to make a fruit preserve known as </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">chakkavaratti</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. This fruit paste keeps very well in the freezer and is delicious by itself, or caramelized with fresh coconut. It is also used as a base for many kinds of snacks and desserts.</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One of my favorite recipes using jack fruit is elai adai, a rice dumpling filled with sweet jack fruit paste and coconut. A thin batter made with ground rice is first spread on a banana leaf. Next, a spoonful of the filling is spread on one side of the batter. Now comes the tricky part: folding the leaf over so that the batter encloses the filling, while tucking in the sides so that it does not ooze out! The banana leaf parcels are then steamed over boiling water for 15-20 minutes, or until done. My sister turned out to be a dab hand at it, so I was able to click happily away as she deftly spread, filled, folded and stacked.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSxi6mOqoiMNuX_KBq25XugrVjdw60zh1j5Afs6xOWEwAV2Pw_8O35TWNVsBCz8l5CkrFo9h6GOqMzzNowkJusah6dDxwIZbF8z3PH4qlIa8wKOi3taim1BrMJqxtOW19KGAgZTTppUM/s1600/2010-08-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSxi6mOqoiMNuX_KBq25XugrVjdw60zh1j5Afs6xOWEwAV2Pw_8O35TWNVsBCz8l5CkrFo9h6GOqMzzNowkJusah6dDxwIZbF8z3PH4qlIa8wKOi3taim1BrMJqxtOW19KGAgZTTppUM/s320/2010-08-15.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">These dumplings make a great breakfast, snack or anytime treat - the moist, chewy and slightly salty rice covering provides a nice foil for the sweet, fruity filling. Try them with other sweet or savory fillings as well!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Recipe: Elai Adai (Banana leaf parcels)</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Makes about 15 parcels, approximately 4"X2"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 cup raw rice</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Salt to taste</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A few teaspoons all-purpose flour</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Filling of choice: The pictures above show the traditional jack fruit paste caramelized with coconut and jaggery. Other ideas include savory curried vegetables, or grated coconut caramelized with brown sugar or jaggery.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Soak the rice in water for at least two hours. Grind to a fine paste, adding more water to thin the batter as necessary. Season with salt and mix in a few teaspoons of al-purpose flour to make the batter more spreadable. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To fill and shape:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Spread a couple of tablespoons of the batter evenly in a circle on a banana leaf or parchment paper. Spoon a little of the filling on one half of the circle. Working quickly, fold the leaf over and tuck the sides in so that the filling is enclosed completely. Repeat with remaining batter and filling. Stack the leaf parcels in a steamer and cook over boiling water till firm.</span></span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-25517664791573309322010-07-16T14:07:00.003-04:002010-07-16T14:13:24.996-04:00Mad about mangoes!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIi_APePnYqiZQOU4zuDPHcgfD025lvFw9tqM7msrtxZUvfwkX41HUpXsCn-GuqC85rZ6XgfBJy7vShz0IB12JIhT72DMEGf_wiR-s2yBp67BHZzSwONRbx70W5ul-tOY0OOYKP8JGMqg/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIi_APePnYqiZQOU4zuDPHcgfD025lvFw9tqM7msrtxZUvfwkX41HUpXsCn-GuqC85rZ6XgfBJy7vShz0IB12JIhT72DMEGf_wiR-s2yBp67BHZzSwONRbx70W5ul-tOY0OOYKP8JGMqg/s320/IMG_0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Langra, banganapalle and chausa mangoes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm back in Madras, enjoying the company of my family and plenty of delicious home-cooked food! It is funny how only food from my mother's kitchen seems to merit that description, even though I can safely say I have a larger culinary repertoire than hers. Food is always a huge part of any visit home - I always have a long list of foodie experiences to catch up on that I don't have access to in the US. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">India is home to the best mangoes in the world, hands down. There are literally</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> hundreds of cultivars in the different growing regions, with eager mango growers developing new and delicious hybrids each year. Alphonso and Pairi mangoes from the west, Chausa and Dashehri from the north, Langra and Himsagar from the east, and Mulgoa and Banganapalle from the south to name just a few. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was doubly excited about this trip home because it meant I could catch the tail end of the mango season here in Madras. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Growing up, this was the time of year to look forward to, a time of holidays from school and long lazy days, a precious few months when I could eat my fill of ripe, juicy golden goodness, and savor the memories for the rest of the year.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I arrived in Madras thinking I'd get two weeks of mango eating at the most, since the season ends in mid-July. Happily for me, though, a friend of my father's sent us a box each of two cultivars from other growing regions in India, where the season ends later! This makes for more mango madness. I thought it would be fun to share my tasting notes of the three different types in the picture above.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>langra</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> mango from East India has green skin even when ripe. The fruits are small, weighing less than half a pound each.The flesh is a vivid orange yellow and fibrous in texture, somewhat like a plum. A peppery top-note yields to a tropical pineapple-banana flavor profile.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The <i>chausa</i> mango from North India is small, elongated in shape and has pale yellow skin. The flesh is a medium yellow-orange and buttery-firm in texture, like an avocado. It is perfumed, with hints of honey, lemongrass and vanilla.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The <i>banganapalle</i> mango from South India is large, with some specimens weighing in at over two pounds. The skin is thin and edible, a speckled pale yellow. The flesh is a bright yellow and impossible to eat without juice running down your chin! It has a highly perfumed, almost floral bouquet, with notes of rose, litchi and peach.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A big shout-out to my 6-year-old niece who assisted me on the photo shoot</span>!</td></tr>
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</span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-26670484676966345572010-06-27T00:00:00.006-04:002010-06-27T00:00:03.076-04:00Daring Bakers' Challenge #7: Chocoholic heaven!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCY6gA40rjNd8UznENiUdTaqPMeyHOj9sHjOzpxZBt1d0dCb0dGiN8kqYZO1kSg1AdPy4M891Ft4xO33Swl6gxzIdgnpHZ034lOUK82CU0_O2Gursb6hdkrGMKxP6ruevM98H7I8MCbo/s1600/DSC01454-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCY6gA40rjNd8UznENiUdTaqPMeyHOj9sHjOzpxZBt1d0dCb0dGiN8kqYZO1kSg1AdPy4M891Ft4xO33Swl6gxzIdgnpHZ034lOUK82CU0_O2Gursb6hdkrGMKxP6ruevM98H7I8MCbo/s320/DSC01454-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of <a href="http://www.doableanddelicious.com/">Doable and Delicious.</a> Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I took some liberties with the challenge recipe since I have never been a huge fan of plain meringue. I do, however, love all nut-based versions, so I picked Francois Payard's dacquoise recipe (also from Chocolate Epiphany) to use as the base, substituting hazelnuts for almonds. Thanks to a </span><a href="http://mayaskitchenonline.blogspot.com/2010_02_21_archive.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">previous challenge</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, I now know how to make my own mascarpone, so I'm never spending $10 on a teeny tub again! Of course, that meant adding another step to the many involved ... <sigh>... I also made three different chocolate mascarpone mousses to top the dacquoises with, using dark, milk and white chocolate. The dessert brought tiramisu to mind, so I dipped the bases in rum-spiked coffee to keep with that theme.</sigh></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The final component of the dessert was a Sambuca-spiked mascarpone cream to drizzle on top, which I swapped for a plain </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">crème anglais</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e</span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> instead, since I felt the dessert was rich enough as is. I bet it would taste great with some juicy summer fruit, so I've saved the recipe (and some mascarpone!) for later. Overall, it tasted wonderful, and looked pretty as well. Definitely a dessert to please all the chocolate lovers out there.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was a fun challenge, even though making it in the peak of summer meant that my mousses started melting before I could finish piping them. Nothing that a short spell in the fridge couldn't fix, though! Looking forward to the next one.</span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953962160905341239.post-85771055652196905772010-05-26T01:15:00.001-04:002010-05-26T01:15:26.210-04:00A visit to a farm and some shortbread<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MzuIQA2dNyGWlXDHqoAQqO1uWHdi9D0VhkOS8myGE1g47AXb_fFUv_BIGjuQBdXW3a233ZlNy7leCRaxbkcMAZqHss22eDcizCYBOCBKDlJp_wHXtbDc55dqlcnYn9ziqDsmiAP2tUg/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MzuIQA2dNyGWlXDHqoAQqO1uWHdi9D0VhkOS8myGE1g47AXb_fFUv_BIGjuQBdXW3a233ZlNy7leCRaxbkcMAZqHss22eDcizCYBOCBKDlJp_wHXtbDc55dqlcnYn9ziqDsmiAP2tUg/s320/3.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"> Guernica peppers<br />Photo by Tammy Gordon</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;">Last Sunday, I went with the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/DC-Food-Bloggers/315804470688?ref=ts">DC Food Bloggers</a> to <a href="http://www.ecofarms.com/html_home.html">Eco Farms</a>, an organic, bio-intensive farm in Lanham, Maryland. Eco Farms is a family-run operation that's been proudly serving up fresh local produce to some of the best restaurants in the region. I have always been keen to learn more about farming, and to do this with a bunch of food bloggers - <a href="http://statedinner.wordpress.com/">Elyssa</a>, <a href="http://arugulafiles.typepad.com/">Mary</a>, <a href="http://mangotomato.blogspot.com/">Olga</a>, <a href="http://floridagirlindc.blogspot.com/">Tammy</a>, <a href="http://thepassionfruits.com/">Luke & Joe</a> - made for some great company as well! </span><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Our tasks for Sunday were to weed lettuces, prepare some beds for planting, and to transplant some tiny seedlings out in the beds. One of the fun things I learnt was how to use the U-bar, which is essentially a pitchfork on steroids :) I will admit to having only mixed success with it, though. I found that being tiny is an advantage when performing some farm tasks, like hoeing, raking and planting, since most of the others were complaining of backaches, but working the U-bar, alas, is not one of them! </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;">We planted beets, which have the most adorable red-tinged roots; guernica peppers, which I'd never heard of, but am now keen to try; epazote, which, we discovered, smells like lead pencils when fresh (<a href="http://gardenvarietyphilosopher.blogspot.com/">Laura</a> took one sniff and pronounced that it reminded her of elementary school!); and four different types of basil. We had a surprise visitor, too, when a snapping turtle wandered in from the nearby woods! She is a regular visitor to the farm, but that was her first appearance of this year. She sat patiently on the gravel while we oohed and aahed and examined her from every angle; then, she disappeared into the woods as silently as she had arrived.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rnr1BZ9RROvsHbZQ0ioKdIZT2f9BBkHnikgaPJ6guCC750tFey55A4lqZHm2co1emwJKWe1pUXwRT3DmBgu_uaJ-fBlPivXYDEO9J3QNB0oPNxUBN-0ZNuPpBiuX6TsO9iKSTYHiZ88/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rnr1BZ9RROvsHbZQ0ioKdIZT2f9BBkHnikgaPJ6guCC750tFey55A4lqZHm2co1emwJKWe1pUXwRT3DmBgu_uaJ-fBlPivXYDEO9J3QNB0oPNxUBN-0ZNuPpBiuX6TsO9iKSTYHiZ88/s320/4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snapping turtle<br />Photo by Tammy Gordon</td></tr></tbody></table>Pretty soon, we were done for the day, and headed back into the farmhouse where Laura and Mike had laid out a fabulous spread for us. Grilled vegetables, salad greens from the farm, and couscous made for a healthy and delicious meal, accompanied by zesty dips and condiments like Laura's eggplant-red pepper hummus and Mike's stinging nettle pesto. I took along some pecan shortbread for a nutty, buttery sweet end to the meal. Recipe posted below!<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiDOi7oXp_TsRVynZWaZv3XJ29LsynV9CJrjF21DyXpkf66vLoArCpvTcM2aeFpXRa0HYSHNGEoyaaCRBwx56LoitNcWtxOiqqjbmxIfgAh3_zz0htstbvPfau-Y0wEXa-odOvHpOlec/s1600/DSC01433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiDOi7oXp_TsRVynZWaZv3XJ29LsynV9CJrjF21DyXpkf66vLoArCpvTcM2aeFpXRa0HYSHNGEoyaaCRBwx56LoitNcWtxOiqqjbmxIfgAh3_zz0htstbvPfau-Y0wEXa-odOvHpOlec/s320/DSC01433.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />A big thank you to Mike and his faithful crew at Eco Farms for a wonderful experience, and to Tammy for generously sharing the above photographs. Looking forward to the next time!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Recipe: Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread (Makes about 3 dozen cookies)</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz</span></i> </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">1/2 cup light brown sugar</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I replaced half the quantity with white whole wheat flour. My "healthy" version!)</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">1/4 tsp salt</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">3/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">1 tsp dark rum (I bet bourbon would be great too, but this is optional)</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">1/2 tsp vanilla extract</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Fleur de sel (optional)</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Stir the flour(s) and salt together in a small bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together till fully combined. Mix in the vanilla and rum, if using, then beat in the flour till thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the pecans. On a floured piece of plastic wrap, shape the dough into a round or rectangular log about 9 inches long. I used a dough scraper pressed against the sides to approximate right angles. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least for an hour or even overnight. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Preheat the oven to 350F(180C). Using a sharp knife, slice the dough log crosswise about 1/4" thick, spacing them an inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. If using fleur de sel, sprinkle a few grains on each cookie, pressing them in gently. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until a deep golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet till firm enough to handle, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Store in an airtight container.</span></span></div></span>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006462841937619737noreply@blogger.com2