Maya's Kitchen

Happy holidays + an edible gift idea!

2011-12-26T20:59:00.006-05:00

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 these 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.

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)

What I'm eating now: Shakshuka

2011-11-04T14:58:00.004-04:00

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?

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.

Recipe: Shakshuka (serves one; scale up if you have more people)

2 large eggs

1 large ripe tomato, chopped (if out of season use equivalent in canned)

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno or hot pepper, minced (more or less to your taste)

2 t harissa

1 t sweet paprika

1 T olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Pita, Crumbled feta & chopped parsley or mint for serving

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!

Diwali, via the Silk Route

2011-10-25T13:32:00.012-04:00

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 :(

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.

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 badam-pista (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...!

Recipe: Almond-Pistachio Baklava, adapted from here.

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.

Summer's last hurrah

2011-09-10T16:05:00.013-04:00

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.

I made peach ice cream from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, 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.

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.

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.

Scones + Clotted Cream + Peach Butter = Weekend brunch heaven!

Recipe: Dried fruit scones (Makes 8)

Adapted from Delia Smith's recipe

1 3/4 c white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)

2 t baking powder

3T sugar

1/4 t sea salt

6T cold butter, cubed

3T buttermilk

1 large egg

Small handful mixed dried cranberries and golden raisins, chopped

Cream & coarse sugar for topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).

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.

Chermoula eggplant with bulgur and yogurt

2011-08-14T14:59:00.006-04:00

Happy second birthday, blog! Two years ago, the gift of some delicious home-grown cherry tomatoes prompted me to start writing about my culinary experiments. Today's recipe is another lovely summer dish, Ottolenghi's Chermoula Eggplant with Bulgur and Yogurt.

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!

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 this Sichuan peppercorn-infused chile oil.

Recipe: Ottolenghi's Chermoula Aubergine with Bulgur and Yogurt (Serves 4)

Foods of my childhood: Sevai and poli

2011-07-29T13:40:00.014-04:00

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 terroir 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! The day I left, the kitchen was buzzing with activity for two such foods, sevai, homemade rice noodles, and poli,- a sweet stuffed pancake.

The dough for sevai 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 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. What makes them unique is that the noodles need no further cooking as the dough they're made from is cooked twice before extruding.They can be eaten plain, with any curry of your choice, or stir-fried with seasonings or vegetables of choice. My favorite accompaniments are sevai urulai masala (spicy potato curry) and pulisseri (coconut-yogurt gravy). The icing on the cake: plenty of fried pappadums, of course!
Polis 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 (chana dal) 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 poli 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!

Moroccan mezze for mum

2011-07-15T12:18:00.007-04:00

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 Flatbreads and Flavors: A Baker's Atlas by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.

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, 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 ksra. We ate it with bessara, a kidney bean dip; harissa, 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!

The mezze 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 harissa. I'm thinking this would be a great summer brunch as well, with the addition of some shakshuka, that wonderful Tunisian dish of stewed tomatoes and poached eggs. Now on to the next region...

Singapore sojourn, part 2: Potato rendang

2011-06-06T13:29:00.015-04:00

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 rendang, a famous Malay/ Indonesian specialty.

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 painstakingly gathered from home cooks across the region. When browsing through the book, I was immediately drawn to the description of the technique for making rendang. 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!

Making rendang 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 confirmed carnivore would love. The potatoes are sweet and spicy at the same time, subtly 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.

The author recommends pairing this dish with goat curry, sauteed greens and rice, though I imagine it would also make a wonderful side dish to roast chicken, eggs or just about anything. We ate it with Malaysian flaky flatbread (prata) and sauteed baby greens. I'm also considering a version with traditional South Indian flavorings replacing the more Asian ingredients 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.

Recipe: Potato rendang (rendang kentang), serves 4-6

Adapted from James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor

2 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 lb baby potatoes

3 whole daun salam leaves

3 sprigs Thai or Italian basil

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Peanut oil, if needed

Flavoring paste:

1 thick stalk fresh lemongrass

4 shallots, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

5 red bird's-eye chillies, chopped

5 green bird's-eye chillies, chopped

1 2" piece fresh turmeric or 2 tsp ground turmeric

1 2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 2" piece fresh galangal, peeled and thinly sliced

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.

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.

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. Transfer the potatoes and the sautéed flavoring paste to a serving dish. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Singapore sojourn, part 1: Scenes from the market

2011-06-06T12:39:00.014-04:00

Colorful shophouses in Singapore's Geylang neighborhood

A bewildering array of tropical fruit. Clockwise from top left:
Baskets of stinky durian; pomelo, dragon fruit and star fruit;
mangoes aplenty; mangosteen and rambutan

Bright and perfumed garlands of flowers in Little India

Exotic produce of every stripe in Tekka Market.
Clockwise from top left: Four angled beans; turmeric and galangal;
Asian greens galore; Fresh tofu and egg noodles.

Fresh fish! It's luverly!

Ice cream adventures

2011-04-09T17:14:00.002-04:00

Rum raisin ice cream

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!
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.
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!

Coconut Ice Cream

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.

Recipe: Quick Coconut Ice Cream with Saffron
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.

Weekend brunch and a trip to a Korean store

2011-03-07T17:49:00.011-05:00

Top: Gateau Basque, homemade granola, vanilla yogurt
Bottom: Winter fruit salad, green bean-tomato salad, ricotta tart
Not pictured: Bagels and cream cheese, mimosas/ bellinis

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 this Nigella recipe 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.

Gateau Basque, cherry preserves filled in a cake-like cookie crust

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.

Spoils from my trip to the Korean store

Recipe: Gateau Basque
Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz
Crust: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds (I used Bob's Red Mill almond flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
Filling: 1 cup good-quality cherry preserves (Raspberry might be nice too)
3 tsp brandy
Egg wash: 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp whole milk
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.
To make the filling, stir together the preserves and the brandy.
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.

Holiday baking photoblog

2011-01-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

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

Here's to a sweet new year in 2011!

Après-shovel: Whiskey-spiked hot chocolate and a clafoutis

2010-12-16T15:55:00.004-05:00

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 Snowmageddon last winter, we lost power, so all we had to look forward to après-shoveling were a freezing house and cold sandwiches :(
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 poached pear clafoutis 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.

The shoveling wasn't crazy, thankfully, and the newly-acquired Blizzard Wizard 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.
I don't know if winter will ever be my favorite season, but clearly, it's not without its advantages!

Recipe: Whiskey-spiked hot chocolate (Serves 1)

3/4 cup milk (I use 2% but you can use whole milk, cream or half-and-half)
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken or chopped
1 1/2 tbsp whiskey, or any other spirit of choice (optional)
Brown sugar to taste (optional)
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!

Happy Diwali!

2010-11-05T13:54:00.004-04:00

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. 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. 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.
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!

Recipe: Amma's Badam Puri (Sugar-dipped Almond Pastry)

Pastry:

1 cup whole almonds, blanched, toasted and ground fine (or use almond flour such as Bob's Red Mill)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

A generous pinch of salt

3 tbs. cold ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp. baking powder

Ice cold water to make dough

Oil for deep frying

Layering Paste:

3 tbs. rice flour (available from most Indian and some Western grocers)

1 tbs. ghee or clarified butter

2 tsp. thick yoghurt or dahi (like Greek yoghurt)

Syrup:

2 1/2 cup sugar

2 cups water

A few saffron strands, soaked in 2 tbs. warm water

3/4 tsp.ground cardamom

Garnish:

2 tbs finely chopped pistachio nuts

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.

For the paste, simply combine all the ingredients and whisk till smooth and well blended.

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.

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.

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.

Stuffed squash

2010-10-26T11:03:00.003-04:00

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!

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.

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!

Recipe: Mejadra-stuffed squash (Serves two, but can easily be scaled up)
1/2 recipe Ottolenghi's Mejadra
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)
1 tbsp olive oil
Greek yogurt and sumac for serving (optional)
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.
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.

Tarte tatin, a fall favorite

2010-10-01T16:57:00.001-04:00

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.

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 tarte tatin. This is one of my favorite desserts - apples or pears cooked in salted buttery caramel and baked under a flaky pastry crust. 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.

This is the perfect fall dessert. Traditionally, it's served au naturel, 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!

Recipe: Tarte tatin (Serves 6-8, depending on your fondness for this dessert!)

Crust:
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
3-4 tablespoons ice water
Caramel:
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter (the French use salted, but I usually have only unsalted)
A good pinch of sea salt - I save my precious fleur de sel for use in sweet applications like this one. If using salted butter, reduce or omit this, depending on how salty you like your caramel.
Fruit:
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.

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.
Preheat the oven to 375F(190C)
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.
For the caramel, put 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.
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.

Ottolenghi's Fried Cauliflower with Tahini

2010-09-12T20:32:00.001-04:00

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 muhammara 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.

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.

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!

Recipe: Ottolenghi's Fried Cauliflower with Tahini

Banana leaf parcels (Elai Adai)

2010-08-15T19:40:00.005-04:00

I'm back from a wonderful trip to India and already suffering serious withdrawal symptoms from all the delicious food I enjoyed there! 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 (sapota), limetta (sathukudi), elephant yam (chenai), and tender coconut juice (elaneer) to name just a few.

Possibly the most exotic of these is the jack fruit (chakka), 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.

In 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 chakkavaratti. 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.

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.

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!

Recipe: Elai Adai (Banana leaf parcels)

Makes about 15 parcels, approximately 4"X2"

1 cup raw rice

Salt to taste

A few teaspoons all-purpose flour

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.

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.

To fill and shape:

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.

Mad about mangoes!

2010-07-16T14:07:00.003-04:00

Langra, banganapalle and chausa mangoes

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.
India is home to the best mangoes in the world, hands down. There are literally 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. I was doubly excited about this trip home because it meant I could catch the tail end of the mango season here in Madras. 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.

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.

The langra 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.

The chausa 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.

The banganapalle 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.

A big shout-out to my 6-year-old niece who assisted me on the photo shoot!

Daring Bakers' Challenge #7: Chocoholic heaven!

2010-06-27T00:00:00.006-04:00

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. 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.

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 previous challenge, 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 ... ... 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.

The final component of the dessert was a Sambuca-spiked mascarpone cream to drizzle on top, which I swapped for a plain crème anglaise 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.

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.

A visit to a farm and some shortbread

2010-05-26T01:15:00.001-04:00

Guernica peppers
Photo by Tammy Gordon

Last Sunday, I went with the DC Food Bloggers to Eco Farms, 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 - Elyssa, Mary, Olga, Tammy, Luke & Joe - made for some great company as well!

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!

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 (Laura 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.

Snapping turtle
Photo by Tammy Gordon

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!

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!

Recipe: Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread (Makes about 3 dozen cookies)

Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I replaced half the quantity with white whole wheat flour. My "healthy" version!)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 tsp dark rum (I bet bourbon would be great too, but this is optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Fleur de sel (optional)
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.
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.

Daring Bakers' Challenge #6: Sticky Toffee Puddings

2010-04-27T00:00:00.061-04:00

The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet.

I grew up in India reading the very British books of Enid Blyton, and their puddings always sounded so exotic and delicious to me - Treacle sponge, Spotted Dick, you name it. I was excited to try my hand at one for the first time. Being vegetarian, though, I wasn't wild at the idea of using suet, even a veggie version, so I stuck to a butter-based version. I'm in the camp that firmly believes everything tastes better with butter!

I based my pudding recipe on one for Sticky Toffee Puddings from David Lebovitz's new book, Ready for Dessert. Yes he's American, but I've always had great results with his recipes. I used a bit more dates than he calls for, so that the puds would be nice and sticky, and reduced the amount of sugar. His version also uses kumquats for a tangy contrast to the sweet pudding, but I couldn't find any, so I made the recipe without them. Instead, I added some chopped crystallized ginger, and a bit of ground ginger, for some spicy undertones. I steamed mine in individual cups, and then poured a generous ladle of toffee sauce over the top and broiled them for five minutes.

I have a feeling the suet crust puddings may have been more of a challenge to make, but these were so delicious I'm not about to complain! This dessert really begs to be eaten warm, and it was just perfect for a chilly, rainy spring day. Gooey caramelized toffee with moist, buttery cake - what's not to like? The dates melt into the background, allowing the spicy zing of the ginger to shine through. The broiling really boosts the caramelized flavor as well. I would love to experiment with adding a boozy flavor, such as bourbon or cognac. This would be fabulous with some vanilla ice cream on the side, too, but sadly, I didn't have any on hand. Now that's an excuse to make these again!

Recipe: Sticky Toffee Puddings (Serves 6)
Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz

1/2 cup finely chopped dates
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Sauce:
1 cup half-and-half (or heavy cream)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp molasses
Big pinch salt
Prepare 6 individual cups by oiling them lightly and get your steaming apparatus ready. You can also bake these puddings, in which case you could use a 6-cup muffin tin and preheat the oven to 350F(190C).
Combine the dates and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the baking soda and the chopped ginger and set aside for ten minutes. Mash up the mixture till it's almost fully smooth.
For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Place about a tablespoon of sauce in each cup.
For the puddings, sift all the dry ingredients together. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Gently stir in half the dry ingredients, the date mixture, and then the rest of the dry ingredients. Divide the batter among the cups, secure the top with two layers of foil, and steam over boiling water until fully set, about 30 minutes. While the puddings are steaming, preheat the broiler with the oven rack set close to the top.
Invert the puddings on a baking sheet, pour a generous helping of the toffee sauce on top and broil for about 5 minutes, until the tops of the puddings and the edges of the sauce are dark and caramelized. Allow to cool briefly and serve warm with extra sauce and a sprinkling of extra chopped crystallized ginger.
If not serving immediately, allow the puddings to cool and then cover with foil. When ready to serve, reheat in a moderate oven (300F) and proceed with the broiling as above.

Daring Bakers' Challenge #5: Orange tian

2010-03-27T22:55:00.002-04:00

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.
I had never heard of a tian before, but it looked light and delicious, so I was keen to give it a try. The recipe required a few different components: Pâte sablée pastry circles, orange marmalade, stabilized whipped cream (I flavored mine with Grand Marnier) and orange segments for the top, all finished off with a drizzle of orange caramel sauce. To make it easy for myself (and to make a smaller portion) I used leftover pâte sablée, so I just had to make the other components. However I also had some lemon cream leftover from this tart, so I wanted to make a version with that as well, simply because it's the most delicious lemon cream ever. So I ended up making lemon and orange marmalades, one for each.

This dessert is quite easy to do, and is pretty as a picture, but a bit messy to eat. Even though the cream stands up to the weight of the fruit quite well, it's difficult to cut with a spoon without squishing all the cream outwards.

The lemon cream was not really intended for this use, as you can see from the picture below - but it does taste really good.

And finally, the cook got to enjoy this bite-size tian sandwich, made with pastry scraps!

Pierre Hermé's extraordinary lemon tart

2010-03-21T16:47:00.005-04:00

Spring is finally here! Flowers are blooming and temperatures are climbing - and not a moment too soon! So when I was wondering what dessert to take to a party this weekend, I knew I had to make something light, cool and refreshing, to herald the warmer weather ahead.
Pierre Hermé, pastry chef par excellence, has invented a unique lemon cream that seems to have wowed all the pastry lovers in the blogosphere. The filling is made using the same ingredients - eggs, butter, lemon juice and zest, sugar - as you would find in lemon curd, the custard filling normally used in lemon tarts. Only, in his version, the butter is not melted into the lemon custard. Instead, you cool the custard for ten minutes and then emulsify the butter, by adding it bit by bit while blending the mixture at high speed. The result: a light, silky cream, which dissolves into your mouth with a burst of citrusy flavor. It doesn't have the vivid yellow color of traditional lemon curd, but the texture is far superior. I think this technique would work well with any citrus fruit, and I am also wondering how a mango version would turn out.

Recipe: Pierre Hermé's Lemon Cream Tart
Dorie Greenspan's tips for how to get it right

I used a pâte sucrée made with a bit of ground almonds added to the flour for the tart shell. The only changes I made to the filling were: I didn't use a thermometer (I don't have one) and I used only one stick of butter. The original amount called for seemed like the product would be too rich for me. I blended the mixture a bit longer to compensate! Everyone seemed to like it, so I plan to stick with the lesser quantity.

Daring Bakers Challenge #4 - Just the pick-me-up I needed!

2010-02-27T00:00:00.004-05:00

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

This has been a hectic month - I just realized I haven't had the time to get around to updating my blog in between challenges! However, I was determined to participate, since I love tiramisu (Italian for pick-me-up) and had never made one before. The challenge involved quite a few steps. The mascarpone cheese and savoiardi (ladyfinger) cookies had to be made from scratch, and the cream layer had three other parts, zabaglione, pastry cream and whipped cream.

I initially had my doubts about the mascarpone, because it's made in exactly the same way as home-made ricotta or paneer, using cream instead of milk. However, you don't get the same dramatic curdling of milk once the lemon juice is added. It simply thickens slightly, like a custard, and the time spent in the refrigerator is what produces the finished product. It was really good, too, luscious and creamy! I'm planning to make some more during berry season.

The ladyfingers came together very easily, and if the process was a bit messy it's only because of my lack of skill with a piping bag! I figured no one would notice what they looked like once they were cleverly concealed between layers of tiramisu filling :) The leftovers were great with a cup of coffee too.

The other parts of the filling were zabaglione and pastry cream, which got mixed in with the mascarpone, and then the whipped cream got folded into it all. These were straightforward, if a little mixing-bowl-intensive ;)

As I mulled over flavor ideas, I knew I had to make a traditional one, since its mix of flavors is so perfect. But since this is a Daring Bakers' Challenge, I decided to do a mango tiramisu as well. I used the same cream filling, but dipped the ladyfingers in alphonso mango pulp diluted with rum. For the top, I swapped the traditional dusting of cocoa with a thin layer of mango puree set with gelatin.

The traditional one was delicious, and the mango one was surprisingly good too! I wouldn't attempt it with anything but alphonso mangoes, though, since I have never come across any other mango whose flavor profile is strong enough not to get buried under the weight of all the rich dairy ingredients. Freshly pureed ones if you're lucky enough to find them, otherwise the canned pulp (I use Ratna brand, available at Indian grocery stores) works fine.

This was a fun challenge! I'm pretty sure I would never have attempted making ladyfingers or mascarpone if it hadn't been for this. Looking forward to the next one!

Recipes:
Home-made Mascarpone Cheese
Savoiardi (Ladyfinger) biscuits
Carminantonio's Tiramisu

Daring Bakers' Challenge #3 : Rum-pecan dulce de leche nanaimo bars

2010-01-27T16:56:00.004-05:00

January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

I'll admit I'd never heard of nanaimo bars in my life. But hey, that's what being a Daring Baker is all about! I did change things up a bit, adding a generous shot of rum into the base layer, using only pecans and graham cracker crumbs (I dislike the coconut-chocolate combination), and swapping homemade dulce de leche for the buttercream. Since everyone on the forum had been commenting on how rich these were, I also cut them into bite-size pieces, more like candies than bars.

I think I crushed my graham crackers too fine, because I could barely taste them in the finished product. The verdict: tasty (with chocolate, rum, pecans, caramel - what's not to like?), and a novelty, but I may not make these again.

Macaron madness

2010-01-22T13:08:00.002-05:00

Ever since my failed attempt at making macarons for a Daring Bakers' Challenge a few months ago, I've been torn: do I try my luck with these tricky devils again, or do I relegate them to the list of only-to-be-bought-at-patisserie items? The decision was taken out of my hands when a batch of crème anglaise I made left me with a whole lot of egg whites. So, armed with Helen's guide, Demystifying Macarons, I soldiered on bravely. Like all of her recipes, this one seemed approachable for a novice, and as always, is written with a generous dose of humor and common sense.

I was pretty skeptical about whether I would pull it off, so I opted to make plain almond macarons. No fancy flavors or colors just yet, imagine if I were saddled with, say, a bunch of collapsed and sticky green cookies! I probably wouldn't even be tempted to scrape them off the sheet to snack on. Anyway. Just as I was subjecting the meringue to Helen's grandmother's anti-gravity test, the husband wandered into the kitchen. His shock at seeing me calmly turn a full bowl upside down quickly gave way to astonishment when the contents stayed put inside! The batter was fairly quick and easy to put together, and once I'd piped the shells out began the agonizing wait to see how they would turn out. The piped shells are supposed to dry out for an hour before baking to help them develop the distinctive "foot" around the base.

I popped them into the oven, set a timer, and refused to peek until it went off. Et voila! The shells had risen nicely, each with the cute little foot, or pied, at the base. Once they cooled, I sandwiched them together with chocolate ganache in two flavors - one made with dark chocolate, and the other with Toblerone, from a pack of minis I had sitting around.

The macarons weren't perfect - in my trepidation of squeezing all the air out of the meringue, I probably didn't fold my batter enough, so they were a bit more airy than they're supposed to be. Still, I'm very pleased with my elegant and delicious confections - I will be making these again, and the next time I'll be brave enough to try other flavors. Thanks Helen!

Ringing in the New Year - with sweet treats

2010-01-02T16:03:00.003-05:00

A new year, and a new decade. What better way than to celebrate with something sweet and sinful? We went party hopping, to a potluck dinner party and then to a drinks-and-snacks one. I love potluck parties and always jump at the chance to bring dessert. For me, it's fun to be able to lavish a little bit more time on dessert than if I had to cook the rest of the meal as well.

This is the holiday season, when folks often stop by with goodies. Hidden among those bags of candies and cookies was a jar full of assorted nuts in the shell - Santa's gift to the squirrels in the backyard, perhaps? I didn't think they'd mind if I helped myself to a few (okay - a lot!) and so I settled on a caramel nut tart as my dessert offering.

The recipe I used is adapted from one we used in a class I took at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York last year. Kathryn Gordon, a pastry chef who's worked at some of New York's famous restaurants, teaches a class on petits fours. It's a great class for baking enthusiasts wanting to expand their repertoire and to learn some cool tricks from a pro. We made miniature tarts, financiers, caramels, truffles, pate-de-fruit and more. Labor intensive but fun, not to mention delicious! I had always been a little shy of working with caramel and pastry before, but Kathryn's skilled demos banished my fears and I've since added them to my dessert repertoire.

For the snacks party, I took along some cookies. There's been many a New Year's Eve that I've been struck with a sweet craving in the wee hours, with not a cookie in sight! I decided to solve that potential problem by providing the cookies myself ;) Continuing with the nutty theme, I made Karen DeMasco's Pecan Shortbread cookies, which came to me by way of Jill Santopietro's blog on the New York Times. They are a snap to make, since the dough can be made and shaped into logs ahead of time, so when you are ready to bake them, all you have to do is pull them out of the fridge and slice them.

Happily, both the tart and the cookies were a hit. The combination of crisp hazelnut pastry with gooey, nutty, orange-scented caramel screams "holiday!" You could drizzle it with some melted dark chocolate if you wanted to make it totally over-the-top indulgent, but I opted to leave it plain. The cookies were the perfect post-champagne bite - lightly sweet, buttery shortbread, studded with pecans and subtly flavored with vanilla.

A great start to the new year - hope it brings many more sweet treats!
Recipes:
Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Caramel Nut Tart (Adapted from Kathryn Gordon's recipe for Caramel Nut Barquettes, makes 1 10-11" tart)
Pastry:
3 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup hazelnut meal (you can buy readymade or grind your own)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch sea salt
Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp water
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup orange juice
Big pinch fleur-de-sel or sea salt
1 1/2 cups mixed nuts, toasted and chopped coarsely - I used hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts and pistachios
Generous splash Grand Marnier (or other liqueur of choice - optional)
For the pastry, cream the butter and sugar together till fluffy. Mix in the egg and then fold in the combined dry ingredients. Form into a ball, flatten it and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour. When the pastry is rested, remove it from the fridge, allow to soften a bit, then roll between two layers of parchment paper. Line the tart pan (I used a 10" pan with a removable bottom) with the pastry and chill for another hour or overnight. When you are ready to bake it, preheat the oven to 350F(180C). Line the pastry shell with foil and fill with dried beans, rice or pastry weights. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and continue baking for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Lower the oven temperature to 300F (150C).
While the pastry is baking, make the filling. Heat the cream, juice and salt in a small pan and keep warm. In a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, place the sugar and the water on medium heat. Cook until it reaches a deep golden-brown color, cleaning the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in water. When the caramel is done, pour in the cream mixture all at once. Stand back, it will bubble up dramatically. Stir with a wooden spoon till the caramel is smooth and even, then stir in the nuts and liqueur, if using. Allow to cool slightly.
Pour the filling carefully into the crust and bake for another 25-30 minutes, till the caramel is bubbling. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Puffed up with pride

2009-12-16T17:10:00.006-05:00

A bad pun, I know! But that’s exactly how I felt when I pulled my first ever soufflé out of the oven, all golden, puffy and altogether irresistible.

Let me explain. I have long wanted to try my hand at soufflés, but have always been daunted by their notoriously difficult reputation. I mean, what if it sank to the bottom of the dish? Surely my heart would sink with it too. And what if it were totally inedible to boot? That would be a colossal waste of good ingredients. No cookbook I have seen to date has a recipe for a single serving of soufflé, which is a shame, because a) that would be the perfect size for a culinary experiment, since the quantities involved are small and b) if it’s just you, you don’t have to worry about having people ready and waiting at the table, holding their breath for the soufflé to come out of the oven, only to have it fall flat! And what’s more, none of the recipes I’ve seen so far have been amenable to scaling down either, since wrestling with fractions of eggs is not my forte.

I picked up Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food at the library the other day. This is a wonderful book for cooks of all skill levels, whether you are a beginner learning the basics or a more seasoned cook looking to expand your repertoire. The first part of the book has “lessons” covering everything from shopping and preparation to techniques and concepts. The second part is a selection of additional recipes for everything from salads and vegetables to desserts. The recipes are written in an organic narrative style instead of the usual format of ingredients followed by method. The ingredients are highlighted in bold, so you don’t miss anything important, and the step-by-step instructions ensure you’re doing things in the most sensible order. Overall, there’s a ton of stuff in there, simple recipes written simply, with enough variations to keep you busy for a long time. But I digress. While leafing through it, I came across a recipe for a Goat Cheese Soufflé, and surprisingly enough this one called for 4 eggs for 4 servings. Immediately, I knew I had to try it, scaled down to a single serving. As luck would have it, I even had a bit of goat cheese the exact size, so I took that as a sign and set to work.

The actual steps involved in making a soufflé are not too complicated. Making a béchamel is pretty basic, and whipping the egg whites is a snap when you have an electric whisk (otherwise it’s a lot of elbow grease!) The tricky part is whipping them to the correct stage, and then folding them in without deflating all that precious air that’s trapped inside. The air bubbles will begin to expand in the heat of the oven, lifting the soufflé to lofty heights. At the same time, the heat also coagulates the protein of the egg white, so that the soufflé has a structure to hold the air in. Even though I have a decent idea of the chemistry of the process, I don’t have a lot of experience working with egg whites, so I said a silent prayer before the final step of folding the egg whites into the cheese sauce. I vaguely remembered having seen a chef on TV use a paper collar around his ramekin to support the delicate mixture as it rises, so I tied a piece of parchment around mine for good measure and watched as the oven did its bit.

The soufflé began rising almost as soon as I put it into the oven. 15 minutes later, it was still proudly puffed up and beginning to develop a golden top, so I ventured to remove the paper collar to let the sides brown a little. In true fashion, its top deflated ever so slightly when I took it out of the oven, but it stayed mostly intact. I dipped a spoon in and took a taste. Success tastes like...a savory, cheesy cloud!

Recipe:
Goat cheese soufflé (Serves 1)
Adapted from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food
1 tbsp olive oil (Butter is the traditional fat of choice)
¾ tbsp white whole wheat flour
¼ cup milk (I used 2%)
1 egg, separated
1 oz soft goat cheese (a quarter of the small log usually seen in stores)
Salt, pepper and other seasonings to taste (such as herbs and spices of choice)
A drizzle of truffle oil (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Oil the inside of a 1-cup ramekin. You can also sprinkle the insides with grated parmesan or breadcrumbs. Place the ramekin on a baking sheet.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook for a minute and then pour in the milk, whisking continuously. Cook till the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon. Season with salt generously as the egg whites will have none, then add other seasonings to taste. I used freshly cracked black pepper and some red pepper flakes. Stir in the cheese and the egg yolk.
In a clean bowl, whip the egg white to moist firm peaks. Fold in a third of the whites into the cheese sauce, and then gently fold in the rest of the egg white, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour into the prepared ramekin. Run a thumb around the inside edge of the ramekin, and then tie a paper collar around it to help the soufflé rise.
Bake in the oven until puffed and golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time, remove the paper collar to let the sides brown a bit. Eat immediately, with some truffle oil drizzled over the top if you like. A salad of mixed greens with a lemony vinaigrette is wonderful on the side.

Thanksgiving dinner (Better late than never!)

2009-12-07T16:25:00.005-05:00

We had our first snowstorm even before I got around to posting about my Thanksgiving dinner! Not fair, I say :(

Since Thanksgiving and fall flavors are a thing of the past, and it's on to winter and Christmas now, I'm just going to post the pictures of my meal.

Our first course was acorn squash "boats" filled with lentils and topped with goat cheese, served with a fennel and baby spinach salad with parmesan shavings. The main course was a mixed mushroom lasagne with a side of lemon-pine nut broccoli saute. For dessert, we had David Lebovitz's pear frangipane tart (warm!) with vanilla ice-cream. All of the above were enjoyed with a 2007 Nederburg (Edelrood), a fruity Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend. Delicious!

Romantic celebration brunch (just add champagne)

2009-11-09T12:36:00.001-05:00

Giridhar and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary last week. We dined at Oyamel, a trendy restaurant that serves what might possibly be the most sophisticated Mexican food I've ever had. Delectable small plates such as black-bean-stuffed plaintain fritters, wild mushroom quesadillas, brussels sprouts in a pumpkin-seed sauce and melt-in-the-mouth corn tamal, just to name a few. We had a wonderful time, but, as always, we felt we could do with another celebration! I was keen to make it a champagne brunch over the weekend, but Giridhar seemed to prefer the idea of a Saturday morning lie-in and (rather cunningly, I thought) pointed out that the food at all of these brunch places was beginning to taste the same to him. Not wanting to be cheated of my brunch-with-bubbly, I went out and bought a bottle of Prosecco and set out to create a fall-themed menu that would be easy to put together without featuring any of the standard brunch items.

For our first course, I decided on a butternut squash soup - simple and comforting. I got the soup base ready while cooking dinner the previous evening; that meant our first course would come together with minimal fuss and I wouldn't have to sacrifice my lie-in! Roasting the vegetables in the oven intensifies their flavor and cuts prep time, since there is no peeling and dicing involved. All I then had to do was heat it up, season it and fry up the purple potato croutons - a last-minute inspiration for a garnish.

Our main course was a mixed mushroom risotto with a side of crusty pan-fried brussels sprouts. I used dried porcini mushrooms in addition to fresh shiitake and cremini mushrooms for an extra flavor boost. It's true that making risotto requires the cook to not stray too far from the stove top; that said, though, I find I can do plenty of other stuff, such as trimming sprouts and grating cheese, while giving it an occasional stir. I kept it warm on the lowest setting while we ate our soup; returning to finish it off with the grated cheese and a drizzle of truffle oil in between courses.

Before embarking on the main course, I had already got dessert going in the oven. I chose a tarte tatin for two, made using Clotilde's time-saving method. She recommends cutting the apples into eighths instead of quarters so that they cook completely under the pastry crust, eliminating the need to simmer them in the caramel on the stove top first. I cheated on the crust, though, using some of the puff pastry I'd saved up in the freezer from my first Daring Bakers' Challenge instead of making one from scratch just for this. It would be even easier with store-bought puff pastry, though it would have to be all-butter (In the US, Dufour is the only such brand I know of)

This was a really fun and easy meal to cook (and eat!), yet one stylish enough for a celebration. The warm tones of the spices complemented the roasted butternut squash in the soup beautifully, and the purple potato croutons added a pleasant visual and textural contrast. The crunchy, fresh-tasting brussels sprouts were a good foil for the earthy creaminess of the risotto. The tarte was the perfect fall dessert, all buttery and caramelly goodness that looks like it took far more effort than it actually did! Washed down with several glasses of bubbly, this made for a relaxed and leisurely midday meal. I'm already looking forward to my next project - creating a festive, seasonal and vegetarian meal for Thanksgiving!
Recipes:
Curried butternut squash soup (Serves 2, with some leftovers)
1/2 of a medium-size butternut squash
1 large onion
1 fat clove garlic
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tsp each ground ginger, cumin and coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
To serve (optional): Sour cream, purple potato croutons
Cut the butternut squash at the neck, and then cut each piece lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Peel and cut the onion into quarters, leaving the root intact. Place the squash, onion and garlic on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season and roast in a 400F(200C) oven for 40 minutes. When cool, squeeze out the garlic from the skin, scoop out the flesh of half of the squash (reserve the rest for another use), and cut out the root of the onion. Place all of these in a blender with the stock and blend to a smooth puree. To serve, heat until very warm but not boiling. Dilute with more stock till desired consistency is reached. Stir in the spice powders and season to taste. Serve in bowls garnished with a swirl of sour cream and purple potato croutons.
To make the purple potato croutons (this works with other potatoes too), cut the potatoes into a fine dice and blot off any moisture with a paper towel. Heat a small quantity of olive oil in a skillet, toss in the potatoes and fry them, shaking the skillet occasionally, till the potatoes are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
Mushroom risotto (serves 2-3)
3/4 cup arborio rice
5-6 pieces dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in boiling water to rehydrate
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups hot vegetable stock (plus more if needed)
1/4 cup dry white wine (I used sherry instead)
Two small knobs of butter
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tbsp truffle oil (optional)
In a skillet on medium heat, place one knob of butter and drizzle in a little olive oil. Add half of the onion and the garlic and saute till softened but not colored. Drain the dried mushrooms, reserving their liquid, and chop them fine. Add the fresh and dried mushrooms to the skillet, turn up the heat to medium-high and saute them until cooked. Remove fto a bowl and drizzle in the truffle oil if using.
In the same skillet, add the other knob of butter, a little more olive oil, and the rest of the onion. Saute till softened but not colored, then add the rice and stir around till the grains are evenly coated. Deglaze the pan with the wine or sherry and cook till it evaporates. Next, add the mushroom soaking liquid, strained to remove any dirt. This is full of concentrated mushroom flavor. Now add the vegetable stock, ladle by ladle, and stir till absorbed before adding some more. The rice is done when it is cooked through, but is still firm to the bite - it should not fall apart or be mushy. Stir in the mushroom mixture and the grated cheese, season to taste and serve immediately with an extra dusting of cheese and a drizzle of truffle oil over the top.
Brussels sprouts with almonds (Serves 2 as a side)
18 small brussels sprouts
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp slivered almonds
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Sea salt to taste
Wash and trim the brussels sprouts and discard any tough outer leaves. Cut in half lengthwise. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and place the sprouts in, cut side down. Sprinkle with a little salt, cover and cook for about three minutes, then turn the heat up and let the sprouts get browned and crusty, another 2-3 minutes. Toss in the lemon zest, slivered almonds and grated cheese and shake the skillet around so that everything mixes well. Serve immediately.
Tarte Tatin (from Chocolate and Zucchini)
I reduced the ingredients to fit a small cast-iron skillet, base diameter 4 1/2". I used 2 Gala apples, eyeballed the caramel quantity, and used a round of all-butter puff pastry large enough to cover the apples on top. I pricked the pastry round all over with a fork and baked the tarte at 350F(180C) for around 35 minutes. Next time I might try it with Golden Delicious apples instead.

Ottolenghi's lentil soup

2009-11-01T14:39:00.007-05:00

The next time I am in London (though I have no idea when that will be!) there is one visit I am determined to make: at least one of the Ottolenghi locations. I've heard great things about this super-stylish chain of delis; in their own words, they are the haute couture of food-to-go! Maybe one of these days they will consider making a foray across the pond to cities in the US.

Till then, though, I shall content myself with cooking up recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi's series in The Guardian, The New Vegetarian. When I first came across it I was struck by how aptly it is named - his recipes are very innovative, yet familiar. Mostly Mediterranean in character but with all kinds of other influences thrown in every now and then. I've tried a few, some with my own modifications, and all with excellent results. Just reading his recipes, with their bold flavor combinations, is hugely exciting. The only reason I haven't made all of them is that they tend to have long ingredient lists and appear somewhat time-intensive, too. I would love to eat like that every day but it's just not practical on a regular basis.

The fall weather on the East Coast has been so gloomy so far that I have been craving soup, so when I caught sight of Ottolenghi's Thai Lentil Soup, I knew I had to make it. This one uses mostly inexpensive pantry ingredients and, like most blended soups, is a snap to make too. My taste buds were tingling in anticipation as I chopped up the onion, stirred in some of my home-made red curry paste and waited while the lentils simmered away.

Well, suffice it to say that I was not disappointed! This is a perfect soup for cooler days. The velvety smooth lentils are a wonderful background for the bright flavors of the curry paste, lime and cilantro; the coconut milk adds a subtle silky nuttiness; and the sweet crunch of the snow peas and the fried shallots round everything out marvelously. I polished off two bowls double quick, barely stopping to take a picture! I love the flavors in Asian soups but don't find them hearty enough for cold weather; this one has the best of both worlds. I am already planning to try variations with butternut squash or carrots.

Recipe:
Yotam Ottolenghi's Thai Red Lentil Soup (Serves 4)

I did not have any lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves, so I added a bit of ginger and hot green pepper in their place. If you have the inclination, it is well worth the little bit of effort to make your own curry pastes, it's very economical, and once you're done you can freeze them in 2-tbsp portions to use as needed. For me, the added attraction is that I know they won't contain things like fish sauce and shrimp paste! And if you can't find deep-fried shallots, it is easy to make your own - just fry sliced shallots till crisp and browned in a little bit of oil over medium-high heat, and drain on a paper towel until cool. They can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for a few days, though to be honest I don't know how long since I get through them pretty quick whenever I've made any!

Daring Bakers' Challenge #2: Not-quite-macarons

2009-10-27T00:00:00.009-04:00

I got back a couple of weeks ago from an amazing trip to Tanzania and Rwanda (more on that later). Once the jet lag wore off, one of the first thing I did was to excitedly log on to the Daring Bakers' website to find out what this month's challenge was.The 2009 October Daring Bakers' challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming's The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

I was delighted to find that the challenge was macarons. It is almost as though the challenge hosts read my mind, choosing exactly those things that I have always wanted to do but was too afraid to try! I had a bag of almond flour that I'd bought expressly for this purpose, which had been slowly getting used up in other recipes. And since I had made molten chocolate cakes with creme anglaise for a dinner party last week, I even had the aged egg whites ready to go.

Well, I followed the instructions correctly, or so I thought. I have very little experience with meringue, so maybe the texture of the beaten egg whites wasn't right. Sadly, my macarons didn't have any "feet", the distinctive spread around the bottom. They flattened quite a bit and ended up more like flourless almond cookies than macarons. I went ahead and filled them with a chocolate-creme fraiche filling anyway, and they taste good...but I'm still disappointed! Oh well, there is always the next challenge to look forward to!

An Indian-themed cheesecake for Diwali

2009-10-19T23:56:00.003-04:00

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, has always been my favorite of them all. Even as a young child, I loved to hang out in the kitchen, watching my mother as she skilfully kneaded dough, ground nuts and spices, and stirred the boiling vats of syrup that would eventually become mountains of delicious sweets and savories to eat and share. My sister and I would be up at the crack of dawn to have the ritual oil bath and don our new clothes. Then, our guests would arrive to enjoy a huge, traditional South Indian spread for breakfast; and before we fell into a food-induced coma, we'd head out to visit friends and family with trays of goodies for them. In the evenings the neighborhood would come alive with the glow of the rows and rows of oil lamps that we'd set out; and the sky would light up with dazzling fireworks.

Here in the US, Diwali is a far more tame affair, since it is celebrated only by a small minority. Since this year's festival occurred over a weekend, I was keen to continue the festival tradition by inviting some friends over for a vegetarian Indian meal. Since Indian sweets can be a bit too sweet for most non-Indian palates, I knew I'd have to pick a dessert from another part of the globe. I finally settled on cheesecake, whose rich creaminess provides a good foil for spicy food. A good basic cheesecake recipe is very useful to have in your recipe file - you can mix in any number of added flavorings to suit your need! And the good part is that it needs to chill overnight before serving, so you have to make it ahead of time and thereby avoid any last-minute rush. In honor of Diwali I decided to flavor it with some of our favorite ingredients for festive sweets: saffron, cardamom and pistachio.

I mixed in some pistachio paste into one half of the cheesecake batter, poured it over the crust and let it bake until just set. The other half of the batter had saffron and cardamom and went over the first layer. The layers ended up mixing in the center, where it was probably not as fully set as the periphery when I poured the second batter on top; still, the bi-color effect came through and I was quite pleased with the results!

Recipe:
Saffron-pistachio (Kesar-pista) cheesecake (Makes 8-10 servings)
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup skin-on almonds, ground
3/4 stick (6 tbsp) butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch salt
Filling:
3 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Optional flavorings (use different ones if you wish):
1/4 cup pistachio paste
Generous pinch saffron threads, dissolved in 1 tbsp warm milk
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Preheat the oven to 350F(180C). Wrap an 8" springform pan in a double thickness of aluminium foil. Have a large baking dish ready that is big enough to hold the springform pan with room all around to pour hot water - this will be the bain-marie or water bath to bake the cheesecake in.
Mix the ingredients of the crust in a food processor. Press the mixture firmly into the base of the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until browned. Remove to cool and turn the oven temperature down to 300F(150C).
Mix the filling ingredients in a stand mixer, food processor, or by hand with an electric mixer. Scrape down the sides from time to time to ensure everything is well mixed. Divide the mixture into two equal parts. Mix the pistachio paste into one half, pour into the pan, and place the pan into the water bath with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until just set.
Meanwhile, mix the saffron liquid and cardamom into the other portion of the filling. Spoon the second batter gently (gently, unlike what I did!) over the part-baked cheesecake, return the pan to the water bath in the oven, and bake for another 45-50 minutes. The cake should still be jiggly in the center.
Turn off the oven and let the cake stand in the cooling oven for an hour. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath after an hour has passed, and let cool completely. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Cut into portions with a knife that has been dipped in hot water, and rinse the knife in hot water in between cuts.

Maya's Adventures in Pastry-Land

2009-09-27T00:00:00.006-04:00

By the time you are reading this, I will be away visiting the land where humankind was born: Africa! I'm happy to say that I managed to complete my first ever Daring Bakers' Challenge in spite of the craziness building up to the 3-week trip.
The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

I was really excited to do this challenge since I have always wanted to try my hand at puff pastry, which is considered the most difficult of pastry doughs to produce. I watched the recommended video - Michel Richard made it look pretty easy, easy enough to forget that he had probably been doing it for some 30 years previously! So out came the rolling pin, and I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

I'm always intrigued by recipes that showcase both the science and art of cooking. Puff pastry is definitely a great example. It essentially consists of many thin layers of dough sandwiched together with thin layers of fat, made by rolling a block of butter inside a case of dough, and then folding, turning and re-rolling several times. When placed in a hot oven, the water in the butter gets converted to steam, which pushes the layers higher and higher. At the same time, the heat is cooking the flour, setting the gluten around all those air pockets, and eventually creating a puff that holds its shape. How's that for some cool food chemistry at work!

Back to my effort - I though the first two turns were pretty hard, I had to concentrate on rolling evenly to get the butter out to all the corners. Definitely time to put the upper-body strength to use! It got a bit easier to work with on subsequent turns but I did have the occasional tear or butter leak, so I was pretty much on tenterhooks till I had the vols-au-vent baked. After anxiously peeking into the oven several times hoping it was going okay, I was rewarded with this sight: well risen puff pastry shells, waiting to come out of the oven and be filled!

Though I had several excellent ideas for the vol-au-vent fillings, both sweet and savoury, I had no time to execute them all, so I decided to keep it simple. I filled the shells with lemon-scented crème fraîche and fresh raspberries, and added a swirl of raspberry coulis to liven things up.

Overall, I was really thrilled to have pulled off the puff pastry challenge! And yippee - I still have some dough waiting in the freezer for when a vol-au-vent craving strikes again :)

Go green!

2009-09-17T12:00:00.003-04:00

Continuing with my end-of-summer series, I made pesto this week. Now that the weather is turning cooler, it will soon be curtains for the large pots of basil that I tended through the summer...though maybe a small one will live through the winter on the windowsill!

I tend to think of pesto as less of a recipe than a technique. The idea lends itself so well to multiple adaptations - think arugula-hazelnut, or red pepper-walnut, or cilantro-cashew...you can swap in pecorino or piave cheese as well. This time, though, I decided to stick to the classic trio of ingredients: basil, pine nuts and parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Add garlic and olive oil, and you're well on your way to making something tasty and versatile that needs only 5 ingredients!

I'd like to say I made this the traditional way, hand-chopping it with a mezzaluna, but alas...I don't own one. It's on my list of hmm-looks-great-but-do-I-really-need-this kitchen gadgets! I did, however, chop up all of the ingredients by hand first, using a knife, before tossing them all into the food processor to finish off the whole thing with a few pulses. This helps preserve the identity of the individual ingredients without blending them all into a featureless mush. And it doesn't take too long either.

Pesto can be used in so many ways - dip hunks of crusty bread in it, or serve over pasta, or mix with some goat cheese for a sandwich spread. Here, I've used it as a dressing for a salad featuring some of my favorite health foods: quinoa, broccoli and green beans. Quinoa is one of the superfoods that everyone is talking about these days. It is one of the few vegetable sources of protein that has all the amino acids, with the goodness of whole grains too. Legend has it that the Spanish invaders in Latin America tried to destroy quinoa fields to rob the Inca warriors of this source of their strength!

The quinoa had bright flavor from the pesto and was accentuated by the crunch of the broccoli, green beans and slivered almonds. A pinch of chili flakes added some heat, and the whole was finished off with some salty, tangy feta. Healthy and delicious!

Recipes:
Basil pesto (makes about 1 cup)
1 large bunch basil, leaves only
1 large handful pine nuts
3-4 cloves of garlic
Small hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed (about 3-4 tablespoons)
Chop the first three ingredients using a sharp knife, then toss into a food processor. Add half the cheese, then process in a few short pulses. Add the rest of the cheese and pulse a few more times. Scrape into a bowl, stir in the oil and check for seasoning. Drizzle some more oil over the top, cover and refrigerate up to a week.

Green quinoa (Serves 2)
3/4 cup quinoa
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
1 large handful green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" lengths
1 1/2 tbsp pesto
Pinch chilli flakes
2 tbsp slivered almonds
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve and place in a pan with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down, cover and simmer till the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fork the pesto and the chili flakes through the cooked quinoa and leave to cool a bit.
While the quinoa is cooking, blanch the broccoli florets and green beans in boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Drain and refresh with cold water. Shake dry and then add to the quinoa. Toss the salad together and divide on to plates. Serve topped with the feta and slivered almonds.

One peach, two ways

2009-09-13T09:00:00.004-04:00

The peach season is sadly drawing to a close - where did summer go? So I thought I ought to write about my experiment with two peach desserts before we move into fall. The good news, though, is that these would be pretty good with apples or pears too! Now that's a reason, if any, to look forward to the season ahead.
Peaches are my favorite summer fruit. Well no, mangoes are, but sadly, if you grew up eating mangoes in India, the ones you get here in the US pale in comparison. So you might say peaches are my mangoes now! They present a similar sensory experience, plump and perfumed, with the same sensuous mouth feel, and they come with hot weather! I had some beautiful peaches from a trip to the farmers' market - big and juicy, their fuzzy blushing cheeks just begging to be bitten into. After devouring several, I set one aside for this dessert experiment.
Have you ever been out to dinner with people who don't even glance at the dessert menu? Happily, I don't count myself in their ranks. Even on the days I feel I've eaten enough, I always accept the proffered menu in the hope that some of the offerings will change my mind! That said, I do believe in cooking and eating healthy, so that you don't have to feel guilty about those occasional indulgences (a buttery croissant, a macaron or two, panna cotta...). The two fruit desserts I've featured here are, I'm happy to say, just right for those days when you need your sweet fix without feeling like you need an extra 15 minutes on the elliptical the next day. They are quick and easy to put together as well.
The first half of the peach was diced, sweetened with a whisper of honey, and baked under a crisp topping. Unlike many others, this is not loaded with butter, but is packed with heart-healthy ingredients like oats and walnuts. I swapped in orange juice for some of the butter, to keep it crumbly enough. The topping comes together super-quick in a food processor - I've included a picture of the cute mini-processor I used, so handy when you have a small quantity.

For the other half of the peach, I did a cheat's version of pesche ripiene, the Italian dessert of baked peaches stuffed with crushed amaretti cookies. Well, I didn't have any amaretti, but I did have ground almonds and amaretto liqueur, so that was what went into the center of the peach half, topped by the thinnest sliver of butter to keep things moist and flavorsome. Into the oven they both went, and emerged looking like this:

Okay, I must confess, I caved in to my baser instincts and added a scoop of ice cream - but there was that empty spot on the plate, just begging to be filled! All in all, this was a great dessert plate for two to share, you get some variety without the portion being too large or the desserts being sinful. A glass of Muscat (or Prosecco, for a lazy Sunday brunch!) would be good with this, I might venture to add.

Recipes:
Honeyed Peach Crisp (Serves 1 or 2, but can be scaled up)
1/2 of a large peach, diced
1 tsp honey
1 tsp cornflour
1 1/2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tbsp rolled oats
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp coarsely broken walnuts
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp orange juice
Pinch salt
Preheat oven to 375F(190C).
Toss the peaches with the honey and cornflour and place in a ramekin. Meanwhile, whizz all the other ingredients together in a food processor till crumbly. Crumble the topping on to the peaches, packing it down firmly. Run the tines of a fork on the top lightly a few times, then bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes.

Stuffed peaches, my way (Serves 1 or 2, but can be scaled up)
1/2 of a large peach, stone removed (You can blanch the peach before using if you like)
3 tbsp ground almonds
1 tbsp brown sugar
Pinch salt
1 tbsp amaretto
2 tbsp dark rum
Thin sliver of butter
Mix the almonds, sugar, salt and amaretto with a fork till crumbly. Pack this filling into the center of the peach half. Place in a ramekin, pour the rum over, place the sliver of butter on top, and bake alongside the peach crisp for roughly the same length of time.

Mmm...muhammara!

2009-09-09T12:30:00.004-04:00

I love mezze platters. They are wonderful to share with a crowd, sipping wine, nibbling on salty olives or feta, enjoying the crisp cool salads and crunchy falafel, and feeling the whoosh of steam when you tear off a bit of warm puffy pita bread to dunk in those delicious dips.
My favorite of the dips is muhammara, a roasted red-pepper and walnut dip that sadly doesn't feature as often on mezze platters as its more familiar cousins like hummus and baba ghannouj. While I love them all, they don't come close to this one for complexity of taste and texture. Silky roasted red peppers are wonderful when combined with earthy, nutty toasted walnuts - red pepper pesto or romesco sauce, anyone?
The balance of flavors is rounded out by some fairly common ingredients - vibrant garlic, smoky cumin and a little heat from crushed red pepper flakes. Some versions have breadcrumbs in there as well, but I didn't use any and I liked it that way! You can make it thicker or thinner depending on your taste. What lifts this dip from the mundane to the simply sublime, though, is a splash of pomegranate molasses that adds a subtle tart-sweet background to everything. It is available at most Middle Eastern grocers and is an inexpensive purchase - a little goes a long way. I acquired a bottle on a recent visit to Sahadi's in Brooklyn, and I now add it to vegetable stews and salad dressings.
Muhammara is good as a dip, or you can use it in any number of other ways. It all comes together in the food processor in a flash. It makes an excellent sandwich spread too. Slather generously on some nice crusty bread, top with greens of your choice, some crunchy vegetables and feta or goat cheese for an exotically delicious tartine. The picture below is of my lunch: Multi-grain bread spread with muhammara, piled with arugula and topped with a slice of pan-fried eggplant. I placed a slice of fresh goat cheese on the eggplant for the last minute of cooking so it would get all nice and oozy with the heat. A tall frosty glass of fresh watermelon juice completed a delicious repast.

Recipe: Muhammara (makes about 1 cup)
Two large red peppers, roasted and peeled (I roasted my own but you can use bottled ones)
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine
1 fat garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses (available at Middle Eastern grocers)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Put all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process till a puree forms. Transfer to a bowl, taste and season if necessary. It's really that easy! Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Tastes good, good for you!

2009-09-03T14:00:00.001-04:00

I have been wanting to make my own granola for a while now, and I'm pleased to say I finally did! Since moving to the US, I've adopted the convenient practice of eating cereal for breakfast, hoping that the extra milk will make my bones stronger when I'm old and grey ;) Although I must confess to fantasizing about fluffy idlis and crisp dosas every now and then - sadly, these items are now relegated to the "on weekends only" category!
Breakfast cereals may look healthy, but they can actually be l-o-a-d-e-d with sugar. It is also an exhausting task to read through their lengthy lists of ingredients! Making granola at home is almost ridiculously easy. It's also very economical, and makes a good amount, so you'll have some to give your friends as well. I used rolled oats, wheatgerm, flax seeds, and almonds, all toasted together with pure honey and a drizzle of vegetable oil, and then mixed in dried cranberries and chopped apricots. This yielded a mix with a satisfying crunch, not too sweet - just the right way to start your day!

You can ring the changes endlessly, using different combinations of fruit, nuts and seeds to suit your taste. Coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, pecans, dried blueberries, dates, raisins...your imagination is the limit!

Recipe:
Honey-toasted fruit and nut granola (makes 10 cups, or about 20 servings)
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheatgerm
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped (you can also use ready-slivered ones)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
3/4 cup honey
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
Preheat the oven to 300F(150C).
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients excepting the fruit till well mixed. Heat the oil and honey together over low heat till the honey loosens up completely. Pour the warm honey mixture over the dry ingredients and stir till evenly moistened. Spread the mixture over two rimmed baking sheets and bake in the oven, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Stir in the fruit for the last 5 minutes of baking, just to dry up any excess moisture in them.
Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Simple yet stylish brunch for two

2009-08-30T16:32:00.003-04:00

The incredible edible egg. That's the slogan of the American Egg Board, and I love it! (Though I am less fond of their efforts, or lack thereof, to end battery farming of hens) Eggs are among my favorite things to cook for brunch on weekends. They're inexpensive, versatile, and best of all, quick to cook. Perfect for those mornings after a night on the town! Omelets, pancakes, frittatas, scrambled eggs...you can ring the changes endlessly and come out looking like a pro!

One of my favorite ways to cook eggs is to make a tortilla - also known as a Spanish omelet. This is for those days when you have a wee bit more time to lavish on your eggs, but it is a great dish to whip up if guests stop by unexpectedly, since you're quite likely to have potatoes and onions at hand.

Tortilla is good on its own, or with a nice green salad. Cut into small cubes and serve with drinks as part of a tapas platter, or sandwich with some crusty bread and head to the beach for a picnic! For today, though, I settled on a bright, lively salsa to accompany it - what better way to make use of those home-grown tomatoes and serrano peppers? I added some black beans as well, for a color and texture contrast.

The tortilla is proof that you don't need expensive ingredients to produce a truly delicious dish - just a little bit of love and care. Make sure to cook it on a low heat, running a butter knife around the edge every now and then. Flipping it may seem tricky, but all you need is a heatproof oven glove and a flat plate larger than your pan for it to work properly. The result? Thick, satisfying wedges of omelet, each bite laden with mellow sautéed onions and buttery-soft potatoes. You can make it thicker or thinner, well-cooked or a bit runny, depending on what your taste is.

And for dessert, I made one peach, two ways - an experiment at using a single peach to make two simple, light and healthy desserts, perfect for my husband and me to share! (Okay - I confess the ice cream was an added indulgence) I was pretty pleased with the results, so I will share that in a separate post.

Recipes:
Tortilla de patatas (Serves 2-3, depending on how hungry you are)
5 large free-range eggs
3 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
Extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
Peel the potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise, then slice them thinly. Do the same with the onions.
In an 8" pan, heat a generous slug of olive oil, then add the potatoes and some salt. Fry briefly, then turn the heat down, cover an cook till the potatoes are almost done. Add the onions at this point, and fry till softened but not colored. The traditional method involves deep-frying the potatoes, then draining the oil away, but for health reasons I prefer to use this one. I think it tastes pretty good as it is.
While the potatoes and onions are getting done, crack the eggs into a bowl, season to taste, and beat with a fork until combined. Once the potatoes and onions are done, let them cool briefly, then add them into the bowl along with the eggs and stir till well mixed. Pour the mixture back into the pan, turn the heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes, running a butter knife around the edge every now and then. When the surface looks like it is almost fully set, turn the tortilla out on to a flat plate larger than the pan, and slide it back in to cook the other side, about 10 minutes. Cut into portions of the desired size and serve.
Tomato and black bean salsa (Serves 2-3 as an appetizer with chips, or as a condiment)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup cooked black beans (canned is fine)
1 serrano pepper, chopped fine (You can use any hot pepper of choice, seeds in or removed, depending on how much heat you can handle)
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp each ground cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper
Juice of half a lime
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before eating, for the flavors to meld.

Lemon-almond loaf cake, for a New York weekend

2009-08-26T00:54:00.011-04:00

New York is a city any foodie would love. Spend an afternoon wandering through any of the neighborhoods, and stop to eat whatever strikes your fancy - ever so often, it turns out to be something you've never had before, or the best-ever of some food you always liked. Or poke through the many ethnic grocery stores, their shelves piled high with exotic herbs, spices and relishes! I had a wonderful time this weekend sampling Brooklyn's best and then some: capuccino at Cafe Pedlar, fresh hot sandwiches at Ted & Honey, lovely Italian small plates and wines at Frankie's Spuntino, myriad veggie dumplings at Dim Sum Go Go, sweet treats at Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory and Sweet Melissa.

Needless to say, I did not do much cooking over the weekend. I did, however, make this lemon-almond loaf cake, which made for a great snack in between all of the other eating (!). I am so glad I went for that run across the Brooklyn Bridge and back!

Lemon and almond is another of my favorite flavor pairings. Fresh, lively and perfumed, the lemon brings out the nutty sweetness of almonds beautifully. Here, I use them together in a tangy loaf cake that's perfect for the summer - not too sweet, not too sour, equally at home in a picnic basket or dressed up with a pile of juicy berries and whipped cream for dessert!

The luscious lemoniness (yes, I may have just made that word up) of this cake comes from finely grated zest, as well as a lemon syrup that's poured over when it comes out of the oven. I am planning to try an orange version too, with a splash of orange blossom water in the syrup for a flavor boost.

Recipe:
Lemon-Almond Loaf Cake (makes 1 medium or 2 small cakes)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground blanched almonds (I used ready-ground but you can grind your own as well)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
6 tbsp milk
Juice of 2 lemons
A few drops almond extract (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a 4 1/2"X8 1/2" loaf pan. I used 2 disposable aluminium foil pans, each of 1 3/4 cup capacity.
Sift the flour with the baking powder, then stir in the salt and ground almonds. Cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed, followed by the zest and almond extract. Lightly fold in the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour into the prepared pan(s).
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake is baking, make the syrup. Combine the lemon juice and the remaining sugar in a non-reactive saucepan. (You can use more than 1/2 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you want your cake to be. Taste the syrup once the sugar is dissolved, and if it seems too tart for you, add more sugar to taste.) Bring to boil over high heat, then turn the heat down and simmer for 2-3 minutes. The syrup should be light and quite runny. You can stir in some limoncello, light rum, or even an orange liqueur like Cointreau, into the syrup at this point if you like.
When the cake comes out of the oven, poke plenty of holes all over it with a toothpick. Slowly pour the warm syrup over, trying to make sure most of it goes in the holes and not running down the sides. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before cutting, as it may be soggy until the syrup is fully absorbed.

From farm to table

2009-08-18T12:34:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned before, I love farmers' markets. When I first moved to New York from India, I excitedly planned a visit to the famed Union Square Greenmarket in my first week - only to be crushed to find nothing but a few apples, pears and cut flowers on sale. The month was April, and it dawned on me that the growing season was yet to get underway! Once it did, I delighted in the new tastes it threw up - delicately garlicky ramps, weirdly beautiful romanesco, or fiery manzano peppers, anyone?
The picture above is of some of my wares from this weekend's trip to the farmers' market - so naturally, I had to plan my lunch around the contents of this basket. Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables so it was no surprise that I gravitated towards it. Roasted, grilled, stuffed, braised... I can think of so many ways to enjoy it. For today, though, I settled on pan-fried eggplant with a lentil salad.

I used French green lentils, which hold their shape very well even when fully cooked - but brown ones would be fine too, or chickpeas (which are always great with eggplant). I cooked them with some of the green onions and cherry tomatoes, but you could leave those out, or use whatever vegetable you had on hand - onions, shallots, carrots, leeks, celery would all work well. While the lentils were cooking, I made the dressing, and sliced and salted the eggplant. There seems to be a permanent controversy about whether or not to salt eggplant before cooking, but I always do so. I find it absorbs less oil when cooking, which is always a good thing!
Just for a bit of fun, I built a stack with the eggplant and the lentils, on a bed of greens. I used three slices out of a medium-size eggplant, alternating them with the lentils and a bit of Greek-style yogurt. It made for a tasty, filling and healthy lunch, with all kinds of interesting layers! Fresh, peppery arugula; fried eggplant, crisp on the outside and silken inside; soft, earthy lentils with the crunch of walnuts; and cool mint and yogurt.

And finally, here are some of the fruits of my labor - my first tomato of the season, grown painstakingly from seed. I've been watching eagerly as it went from bud to flower to fruit, slowly fattening itself up on the vine, shiny and green at first, then blushing delicately, before turning into this ripe and juicy summer treat. The serrano pepper plants valiantly fought back a slug attack to produce these - and my curries have had more zing ever since!

Recipe:
Eggplant and lentil stack (Serves 1, but can be scaled up easily)
3 1/2" thick slices from a medium-sized eggplant, salted
2 handfuls french green lentils, rinsed (or other lentils of choice)
1 green onion, halved lengthwise and sliced
7-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbs walnuts, chopped and toasted
1 cup water or vegetable stock
Extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Greek-style yogurt and arugula leaves, to serve
Dressing: 1 1/2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp walnut oil, 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, 3-4 mint leaves, chopped fine, 1 tiny clove garlic, mashed to a paste with some salt
Drizzle a pan with olive oil, toss in the green onions, cherry tomatoes and lentils. Saute for a minute, then add the stock or water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the lentils are soft and the liquid is absorbed.
While the lentils are cooking, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. Season to taste, add the warm lentils and the walnuts and toss well. Leave for a few minutes to absorb the dressing, while you pan-fry the eggplant slices in a little olive oil, about 2 minutes on each side.
To serve, pile some arugula (or any other salad green of choice) on a plate. Place a slice of eggplant in the center, top with some of the lentils and a dollop of yogurt. Build a stack with the rest of the eggplant and lentils, scattering the remaining lentils around the plate. Top with a dollop of yogurt and a sprig of mint, and some of the sliced green onion tops, if using.

The taste of summer

2009-08-13T20:39:00.000-04:00

August is whizzing by and to this child of the tropics, that can only mean one thing: summer is ending very soon - and with it, the wonderful variety in produce. I simply love the flavours of summer. Growing up as a child in India, that used to mean holidays from school featuring countless treats cooked up by my mother, and a plethora of tropical fruit - juicy mangoes, silken sapodilla, cool mangosteen. Here in the US, I no longer have access to those delights, but I thoroughly enjoy shopping at farmers' markets to make the most of summer's bounty.

A friend who visited yesterday brought me some just-picked cherry tomatoes from her garden. Though I had initially planned on a saintly(!) salad for my lunch today, those tomatoes were so delicious that I felt they deserved a better showcase. The basil in my garden called out to me, and I decided that it would have to be a tomato-basil tart. There is something about the combination of tomatoes and basil that makes my tastebuds sing a summer song!

I roasted the cherry tomatoes to concentrate their flavour, with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt and some of the fresh mint that was given to me with them. While they were roasting, I made the pastry for the base of the tart. I used Delia Smith's Quick and Easy Flaky Pastry, made with wholewheat pastry flour instead of regular all-purpose. In the past, I have made a sixth of the recipe (strange fraction, I know) and it turned out just right for one person; this time, I made the full recipe and froze the rest in individual portions. That way I get to make more tarts like this one before summer runs out!

The resulting tart had just the right combination of flavours and textures - crisp flaky pastry, fresh basil, sweet caramelized tomatoes and tangy goat cheese. I made a simple salad of baby arugula and shaved parmesan cheese on the side, and I just couldn't resist pouring myself a glass of chardonnay to go with it. A perfect lunch bursting with the flavours of summer!

Oh, and there is a sweet surprise at the end - this bite-size honey almond galette, made with the scraps of leftover pastry, sliced almonds and a drizzle of honey, cooked in the oven while I was devouring the tomato tart!

Recipes:
Tomato, basil and goat's cheese tart (Serves 1, but can easily be scaled up)
1/6 recipe of Delia's Quick and Easy Flaky pastry, or a 6" circle of ready-rolled puff pastry
Two large fistfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
7-8 large basil leaves
1 oz. fresh goats' cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350F, 180C. Toss the cherry tomatoes with a spoonful of olive oil, some salt and freshly cracked black pepper. I threw in some finely minced garlic and some chopped mint in there as well, but you could leave that out, or use any other herb of choice, or some balsamic vinegar. Spread on a baking sheet and roast till shrunken and caramelized around the edges, around 30 minutes. This can be done ahead - roast up a batch of cherry tomatoes when you have the time, store in the fridge and use in recipes as needed.
Turn up the oven to 400F, 220C. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to 1/8" thickness. Use a plate or bowl, approximately 6" in diameter, to cut around so that you have a neat circle. Transfer the pastry round to a baking sheet, pop in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes.
Top the pastry circle with the basil leaves, leaving a 1/4" border around the edge. Then arrange the cherry tomatoes on top of the basil leaves and crumble the goat's cheese over. Top with a basil leaf dipped in olive oil, and return to the oven for 8-9 minutes. Use a timer - or you will end up with burnt pastry!
Enjoy warm or cold.
For the sweet treat, re-roll the scraps of pastry left from cutting the circle out into a circle 1/8" thick. Top with a tablespoon of sliced almonds, leaving a small border all around. Sprinkle with a bit of nutmeg and then drizzle a teaspoonful of honey over the nuts. Working quickly, fold the edges around the nuts to make a small bowl so that the honey doesn't run out. Bake while you are eating the tart, around 7-8 minutes. Cool a bit before eating as the caramelized honey can be very hot and burn the tongue.

About me

2009-08-13T15:34:00.001-04:00

I am Maya, an Indian living in the US. I am an architect by profession, and I like to think this makes me more creative in the kitchen as well ;) Food is almost an obsession with me - I love cooking, eating, sampling new cuisines and browsing in ethnic markets for exotic ingredients. I am vegetarian by choice, and this is my first real attempt at sharing my culinary experiments with the world at large. Welcome to my kitchen; I hope you enjoy your visit!