My inspiration came from Surly Blog, A blog from the guys at Surly Bikes. They make steel frames and forks that I can personally recommend as some of the best-built frames for the money. (If you are into bikes... If not... suck eggs.)
Speaking of eggs, The Surly boys were in Scotland for the SSWC-07 at the beginning of this month, and blogged about being on the hunt for 'Scottish Eggs'. My interest piqued, I Google'd Scottish (or Scotch eggs as they are properly referred to...) and found a recipe only a drunken bike-riding idiot could love. (Well, we shall see about that.)
Scotch Eggs are a hard-boiled egg, wrapped in sausage meat, breaded and then deep-fried. Sound good? You're on your way to cholesterol heaven.
It starts off easily enough. Hard-boil some eggs, let them cool, then shell them. Mix your ground meat of choice with various spices, etc. I used a mix of 50% pork 50% cow. Mix in some salt, pepper, red chili for pop and a bit of 'Italian seasoning' and you're ready to go. I powdered my eggs with flour before packing them in a meat cocoon. Then stick them in the fridge so they can firm a bit up. After about 15 min, take them out, and cover them well with breadcrumbs. (One recipe says to coat the meat with egg yolk to make them stick better. I did not do this, but can see the advantage of it.)
Heat up a pan with a decent helping of oil and fry them till deep golden brown. Depending on your cocooning you may have to leave them in longer or shorter.
Once finished, you can cut them in half or 3rds and serve hot. A ranch dip is good, or and variation of hot mustard. Make sure your phone has 911 on speed dial.
—Christian
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So the wife had something written on the chalkboard the last few days; "Carrots, Coconut milk, thai soup...?"
I took it upon myself (with her help) to make something out of that little bit of information.
I started with 500ml of carrot juice and a can of coconut milk. Throw that in a pot on low, and get started on some ginger. (Yes, FRESH ginger.) I have one of those mixing wands; good for smoothies but thats about all. I tried to make hummus once, but it's just not up to the job. Dump a bit of carrot juice in with the sliced ginger and puree it till its good and liquid. Dump that in your base.
Next I added bamboo strips (not fresh) and baby carrots(also... not fresh. I can hear Anthony "smokes a lot" Bourdain bitching from here...)
While that simmers on low, I panned up 2 chicken breasts, and then salted and peppered them, and cut them into strips when cooked. Into the soup with them.
While that simmers, go have yourself a smoke or three or in my case; a beer or three. I actually did a beer run while it simmered, but to each his own.
Lastly i added a 'decent' helping of green curry paste. This is one of those things that has to be done little by little. 'To Taste' I think they call it. My portion came to just shy of 2 golf-ball helpings. This has more to do with the quantity of what I made, rather than how spicy I wanted it. It was fine for me, but a bit weak for the missus.
Make yourself a tasty bed of rice to lay underneath and you're done.
This was a perfect dinner, as it started storming right as we sat down. the temp dropped a good 10c and it was nice to eat a bit of healty stuff that warmed us as well.
Fix'ns : 2 chicken breasts, panned and sliced into strips.
2 good sized ginger knobs, sliced and then pureed.
1 500ml bottle of carrot juice (Think pint glass of beer)
whole jar of baby corn
1/2 jar of bamboo strips
1.5 cans of coconut milk (try to get the creamier kind.)
1 carrot sliced into thin strips or discs, your choice.
2 tbsp green curry (to taste. Add slowly to get to your level.)
pinch chili powder
—Christian
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Last night, I was watching an episode of Lidia's Italy on Tivo and was positively inspired by her recipe for Spaghetti with White Clam Sauce. All that beautiful freshly shucked clam meat swimming in a big bowl of its own liquor had me salivating and scheming, planning a trip to the fishmonger. Well, today I got up and drove to two local seafood purveyors, and I was shot down at both. It's Sunday. Not the best day to buy seafood. Neither one had clams. It was time for plan B.I wandered the aisles throwing stuff into my basket determined to dazzle Bob with deliciousness. Seafood pasta was firmly lodged in my mind and I figured I'd wing it and make some shrimp ravioli, though I'd never made ravioli before. I wrapped up shopping with some garlic, a package of wonton wrappers, a pound of lovely head-on shrimp and some ground pork, then headed home to figure it all out.
When I got back, I printed out a couple recipes for tomato sauce and had already pulled out a can of peeled whole tomatoes when I realized that I was completely ignoring the bounty in my backyard. I put everything back in the pantry and headed outside with a basket to collect cherry tomatoes and basil.
Once back in the kitchen, I cleaned everything and made sauce.
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CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a glass baking dish. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place dish in oven and cook, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes.
;)
;)
Set sauce aside.
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SUMMER SHRIMP RAVIOLI
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined (I had purchased one pound of head-on large shrimp. Once shelled, they weighed a bit more than 1/2 a pound.)
1/4 lb ground pork
1 dozen basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 generous tablespoon ricotta cheese
1 package wonton wrappers
1 egg white, beaten
Parmesan cheese (grated) to taste
Place shrimp, pork, basil, and ricotta cheese in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until pieces of shrimp are no longer identifiable, about 15 pulses. Add ricotta and salt and pepper and pulse again several times to combine. Mixture should resemlbe a chunky paste.
Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and lay out wonton wrappers. Place approximately 1 teaspoon of shrimp mixture in the center of each wrapper. Brush edges of wrapper with beaten egg white and either fold into a triangle or place another wrapper on top. Be sure to completely seal the raviolis, expelling all air pockets.
;)
;)
;)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 5-6 raviolis and gently boil for 3-4 minutes. I took one out and cut it open to test for doneness and to guage how long they should cook. I'd recommend you do the same.
Spoon some of the tomato sauce onto the bottom of your plate. Top with ravioli, then with more sauce. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
Makes approximately 36 ravioli.
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Because I was only cooking for two, I froze half of the uncooked ravioli. Simply lay out the unboiled ravioli on a parchment-lined sheet pan and place in the freezer. Once frozen, stick them into a zip-top bag and store them. To serve, just drop them into boiling water, cook until they are done, then top with sauce.
I can't tell you how well this recipe went over. It was pretty simple, the ravioli were light and fresh tasting, and the sauce was perfect. If you make this, please let me know how it turns out.
The clams only have a momentary reprieve. I'll be hunting them down soon enough!
-steen
tags: shrimp+ravioli, recipes, pasta
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On one of my trips around the world of food blogs, I encountered an irresistable recipe. Could I really be expected to pass by "Doughnut Soup" without trying it? (Any excuse to drive out to Krispy Kreme...)So, I tried it. I made it. I didn't like it. I think I'm the only one. That's not entirely true. I took it over to my friend's bar and foisted it upon Charlie and Hunter. Hunter liked it, but Charlie was creeped out by the texture. He said it tasted good, tasted just like doughnuts, but he couldn't get past the fact that it was in liquid form.
Me? I just didn't care for it at all. It was really heavy and kind of cloying at the back of my throat. You're supposed to serve it with some espresso, but I don't drink coffee. Perhaps the java helps. I'll never know.
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Moto's Doughnut Soup from Remains of the Day
5 glazed yeast doughnuts
1 c milk
1 c water
powdered sugar
salt
For the stock:
Break 2 doughnuts into small pieces and caramelize in a dry pan.
Add milk and water, bring to simmer.
Remove from heat and steep for 20 min.
Strain.
Puree 3 doughnuts in a blender with enough stock for a cream-like consistency.
Season to taste with salt and sugar, and run through a fine strainer. Serve warm in demitasse cups alongside an espresso.
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I've got to tell you, as this recipe is like "entry level molecular gastronomy"... And coupled with my previous experiences with that genre, maybe I'm just too simple or unsophisticated, but I don't think it's for me. I've never been one to seek out the underlying meaning in songs or the metaphors in books. I am coming to realise that I'm just too literal for any of that stuff. So, world, you can keep your foams and powders and stuff that's supposed to taste like other stuff. I'll stick to real food.
-steen
tags: doughnut+soup, molecular+gastronomy, recipes, food
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The garden is in full swing, and I am determined to make the absolute most of it this year. That means cookbooks have been consulted, recipes have been marked, and preservation has already begun. I know from experience that no matter what I do, I end up with a surplus. So, I'm making a big effort toward reducing waste and I'm starting with pickles. So far, I've picked several cukes and a good amount of cherry tomatoes. I've pickled cucumbers before and, indeed, chose to plant "pickling cucumbers" specifically this year for that very purpose. My Romanian parents pickle green tomatoes every year, but they were never my favorites as they were a little too sour for my taste. But, in scouring my cookbooks for pickling recipes, I came across one for Pickled Green Cherry Tomatoes in the The Prudhomme Family Cookbook. Cherries are the most abundant tomatoes in my garden thanks to several rogue plants that continue to reappear season after season, so I'm giving them a go too.Once more cucumbers ripen, as well as my beans, I'll be making a bunch of different pickle varieties, the following two are just the start.
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Pickled Green Cherry Tomatoes from The Prudhomme Family Cookbook
1 pound small, very green, and unblemished cherry tomatoes, washed thoroughly and stems removed, about 1 quart
8 washed and peeled pearl onions or 8 washed and trimmed bulbs from green onions (each trimmed bulb should be about 1 inch long)
4 fresh unblemished cayenne or jalapeno peppers, washed throroughly, trimmed of stems but not seeded, and cut in half lengthwise
1.5 cups water
1.5 cups white distilled vinegar
Assemble all utensils before starting. You will need a water-bath canner with a rack and lid or a very deep pot with rack and lid; the pot must be deep enough to cover the upright jars (sitting on the rack) with 1 to 2 inches of water and still allow space for brisk boiling once the pan is covered. And you'll need 2 freshly scrubbed pint-size canning jars, metal rings, brand-new self-sealing lids, and a few clean dish towels. Fill the canner or pot with water and bring to a near boil (this takes quite a bit of time!) before beginning to fill the jars with food. Have extra boiling water ready in case you need to add more water to the canner once the jars are in it.
Submerge the clean jars in water and sterilize by boiling as directed by the manufacturer, but for a minimum of 15-20 minutes. Leave jars in the hot water until ready to fill. Wash and boil lids and rings according to the manufacturer's directions.
Trim any bruises, decay, or other imperfections from the tomatoes, onions, and peppers.
Combine the water and vinegar in a 2-quart non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the onions and peppers; boil about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Fill each very hot jar with the tomatoes, up to 1 inch from the rims, packing snugly. Using a slotted spoon, place half the peppers and onions from the vinegar mixture into each jar, pressing vegetables down to 1/2 inch from the rims. Return water and vinegar to a boil, then pour liquid over the tomatoes, leaving headspace of 1/2 inch and pushing vegetables down into the liquid. Then, promptly wipe rims well with a clean, damp cloth and place hot lids on top with sealing compound down; screw on metal rings firmly but not too tightly.
Immediately place filled jars upright on the rack in the water bath canner, or deep pot, filled with hot but not boiling water. Arrange jars so they don't touch each other or sides of pot. If necessary, add boiling water around but not on jars to cover jar tops by 1 to 2 inches. Cover pot and bring water to a rolling boil over high heat then boil 35 minutes for pints, 45 minutes for a quart jar.
Immediately remove jars with canning tongs and place upright and at least 2 inches apart on a wooden surface or on folded dish towels to cool at room temperature, away from drafts. Do not cover. Once jars are completely cooled, test for an airtight seal by pressing down center of each lid. Lid should stay down. Label and date jars, then store upright in a cool, dark, and dry room or pantry.
Store at least 48 hours before using. Refrigerate after opening.
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Dutch Lunch Spears, by the Quart from The Joy of Pickling
1.25 pounds 3" pickling cucumbers
3 tbsp plus 2 tsp pickling salt
1 quart plus 3/4 cup water
1 garlic clove
1 small onion, peeled
1 dill head
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp mixed pickling spices
Gently wash the cucumbers and remove the blossom ends. Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise and put them into a bowl or crock. Dissolve 3 tbsp salt in 1 quart water, and pour the brine over the cucumbers. Top the cukes with a heavy plate that just fits inside the crock or bowl. Let the cucumbers stand for 8 to 12 hours.
Drain and rinse the cucumbers, then drain them again. Pack the cucumbers, garlic, onion, and dill head into a 1-quart jar.
In a nonreactive saucepan, bring to a boil the 3/4 cup water, the 2 tsp salt, and the vinegar, sugar, and spices, stirring to dissolve te salt and sugar. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers. Cap the jar tightly, and let it cool.
Store the jar in the refrigerator for at least 1 week before eating the pickles. Regrigerated, they will keep for several months, at least.
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I'm looking forward to actually tasting these two recipes, and to making a lot more for myself and to share with friends. I've got pages marked in Preserving the Harvest and Small Batch Preserving, too.
Hooray for the bounty!
-steen
**UPDATE** 08 July, 2007
I finally cracked open one of the jars of green cherry tomatoes last night. I got home really late and tired and nuked some leftover pizza for dinner. The pickled tomatoes caught my eye so I brought them out too. They were incredible! I ended up eating almost the entire jar along with my slices. The tomatoes were surprisingly sweet and tender, and everything had a subtle spiciness thanks to the serranos. I am going to be making this one in much bigger batches before the summer is over.
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I love soups, especially thick, creamy ones. This baby was a fridge-cleaner as I was starting to fret about my beautiful produce going to waste. It's a quickie and so tasty, a take on vichyssoise. I used roasted beets because I roasted them as soon as I got home from the farmer's market, though I'm sure you could just cook raw beets along with the cauliflower. I made this soup the other day and, looking back on it, I have to point out what made it special.
A) I purchased gorgeous golden beets at the Hollywood Farmers Market the week before. That's worth noting cuz it means I got up early on a Sunday. Woot!
B) Bob devoured it and he doesn't like beets or cauliflower. He even ate it as leftovers for the next two meals and if there's anything he dislikes more than beets and cauliflower, it's leftovers. Shazam!
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Golden Summer Soup
1 bunch golden beets (peeled, cut into quarters)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 head cauliflower cut into 1-2" pieces
3-4 cloves roasted garlic
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp crema (or sour cream)
Toss beets with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place beets onto a large sheet of aluminum foil. Fold foil in half and crimp edges. Roast packet of beets at 400 degrees for about 1 hour. This may be done ahead and kept in fridge for up to a week.
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, combine chicken broth, cauliflower, roasted beets, and garlic. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree soup using immersion blender or in batches in a standard blender. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with crema.
Can be served hot, room temp, or chilled. Seeing how it's summer and all... Chilled is awfully nice!
---------------------
-steen
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I like to tease Big Jonny about how I can get a really awesome schitzel with country potatoes that would feed an Ethiopian family of 7 for at LEAST a week. He keeps commenting about it, and I keep linking to the pics Steen made while she was here.
Last night I texted Sara about her wishes for dinner. Her reply? "Something greasy."
Off to the store I joyously skipped, thinking of grease, pork and fries. And beer, or course.
Making schnitzel is easy, fast and it tastes damn good. First the ingredients.
Pork, chicken, veal or turkey tenders
2 egg yolks per schnitzel
Flour
Breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil (I prefer sunflower, but use whatcha got.)
Beer.
First pound the meat as flat as you can. In vienna, they make it (no joke...) wafer-thin. So thin, it could be used as paper. But pound it till its as thick as your pinkie or so. Then dust it well with flour. This helps the yolk stick.
Next heat up the pan with a generous bit of oil. Youre frying these babies. We want grease, people. When it is sufficiently hot, dunk the meat in the yolk, covering it well, then into the breadcrumbs. The more evenly covered the better, but don't get your knickers in a twist if it's not. Also, your fingers will be well-covered in the yolk-breadcrumb goo, so wash liberally. TIP: After yolking and breading, leave them resting on the breadcrumbs. Saves you a bit of hassle, and you want that oil to be really hot, so the crispy outer doesn't fall off.
Fry it till golden brown. You can cut one to see if it's still pink inside, or you can 'go cajun' like me. I prefer a bit more black, that way I know it's well done inside. Don't forget a lemon wedge for drizzling like I did.
Serve with fries or country potatoes, and a nice cold beer. Any leftovers make a great cold sammich for the morning after a long night of drinkin as well.
—Christian
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You know what's weird? I was reading through The Wednesday Chef some time ago and came upon a recipe that sounded too good to pass up. I bookmarked it, later printed it out, and finally set about making it. The recipe was called Ana Sortun's Flatbreads with Spiced Chicken and Pistachios. Can you blame me? Getting back to weird... It sounded great, but I had no idea by just reading it that I'd had this before. It was always called some sort of pizza. Like "Mediterranean Pizza" or something like that. I remember first buying it at a little Armenian deli by my parents' house, then variations at Trader Joe's, and finally at Jon's Market. None of them were this particular variety, but they're all similar. It wasn't until they were done cooking that I realised it!
I've mentioned before my very good fortune to live in a city with so much diversity, specifically in regard to food. I live in Korea Town (more on that in an upcoming post) and am therefore surrounded by Korean Restaurants and two Korean supermarkets, there's a Columbian restaurant around the corner from my house, Mexican and Salvadorian restaurants too numerous to count, a terrific Thai place a block from here, and anything else you can dream of just a short drive away.
Our local market, Jon's, is within walking distance, is a big grocery store, but not one of the major chains. That means that the vegetables aren't always flawless, but you can buy parsley root. It's a compromise, and one that I'm willing to deal with. If I need flawless produce and every single brand of canned carrots, there's a Pavillions and a Ralph's less than a mile from here. What makes Jon's great is their huge deli case (Want feta cheese? They have six different kinds to choose from, including the superior French variety), and all of the ethnic specialty items they stock. So, it was really easy for me to gather the ingredients required in the recipe. They stocked all of the spices listed below, and also offer fresh lavash. I've made this again since then with lavash from Pavillions, and it wasn't nearly as good.
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Flatbreads with Spiced Chicken and Pistachios from The Wednesday Chef
Makes 8 servings
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 red bell peppers, 1 minced, 2 roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into strips
1 small onion, minced
3 scallions, minced
2 teaspoons sumac, more for garnish
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon za'atar, more for garnish
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1 egg
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup lightly toasted, finely ground pistachio nuts
4 large rectangles of lavash
Pepper to taste
1 cup thick yogurt
1. Cut chicken into 2-inch chunks and place them in a food processor. Process to a smooth paste until it forms a ball, about 1 minute. Add minced red pepper, onion, scallions, sumac, Aleppo or cayenne pepper, za'atar, salt, egg, cream and pistachios, and pulse together just until incorporated, about 6 pulses.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees; heat a pizza stone if you have one. Cut lavash into rectangles, about 5 by 6 inches. Cover each piece with about 1/3 cup chicken mixture, spreading to edges.
3. Place on a heavy baking sheet or pizza stone and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until crips and chicken is cooked through. While still hot, sprinkle with additional sumac and za'atar. Serve warm with a dollop of yogurt, and strips of roasted pepper on each.
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The only change I made to the recipe was that I used ground turkey instead of the chicken. I figured I'd just save myself a step and I wasn't disappointed.
It sounds like a lot of work, but really wasn't. The flatbreads emerged from the oven smelling wonderfully, their edges crisp and cracker-like, the toppings surprisingly moist. VERY flavorful. I've made it again since, and would gladly serve it to guests. The spread could easily be made a day ahead and applied to the lavash at the time of cooking. I served them cut into strips with yogurt, roasted red peppers, and eggplant spread on the side.
-steen
tags: middle-eastern-food, flatbreads, recipes, food, eating
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Way back in early February, I prepared Nancy Silverton's Bagna Cauda sandwich. As I mentioned in that post, I had a fair amount of the tasty anchovy/garlic goodness left over. The next day I prepared a simple lunch that really knocked my socks off. I've got to make more bagna cauda sometime soon, it's got a million uses, all of them delicious!
Shmancy Crab Salad Sangwich
Fresh french bread/baguette
2-3 tbsp bagna cauda (recipe here)
1 6oz can crab meat (well drained)
1 tbsp mayonnaise (more if you like)
1/2 tsp good quality mustard powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mixed herbs or baby greens, rinsed and dried well
Cut bread in half and lightly toast. Spread with bagna cauda.
Mix together crab, mayonnaise, mustard powder, lemon, salt and pepper and pile onto one half of the bread. Add the greens and close her up.
Easy as pie!!
This sandwich was pretty refined and extremely flavorful. You could easily serve it on toast points for a tea party or something like that. Overall, it's classy and you'll look good serving it to friends. =)
-steen
tags: cooking, crab, sandwiches, recipes
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Love him or find him the fool, one of the best things ever was and still is the George Foreman grill. I got a knock-off a while back, and only occasionally use it. Let me tell you, it is nice to be able to grill a chicken breast at home and get those cool stripes on your own. Not to mention grilled cheese sammiches. I know one can just as easily make it with a pan, but again, My contraption comes with a sandwich option, where it grills it, AND makes into little triangles all by itself!
Anyhow, I wasn't in the mood to really cook anything, but at the same time I didn't want to just order a crappy pizza and be done with it. The old lady offered up a platter of tomatoes and mozzarella, and another 'to be announced' item. I mulled it over, and said."You know... I cold really go for a bike sammich."
"Ooooh... that does sound good."
I ran to the store to get the parma, some baguette and rucola and we were red-to-go.
A little background. Across from the cinema where we rarely go to see films, there is a place called Pinnochhio. run by a group of Italians, it has some great gelato, wood-oven pizzas and a few pannini. Always friendly, we usually hit it after buying tickets before the show. (You can reserve tickets, and pick them up when you get there. Ain't the internets wonderful?) I go for the bike sammich 98% of the time, and the others I get the King. (A tasty but boring tomato/mozzerella affair. Does the trick, but it just doesn't >pop<.) We were waiting this summer when the world cup was on TV and of course, we had to order while Italy was playing. Not the final against France. That would have been murderous, and I would bet they were closed. the wait took a bit longr than usual, but it was still hot and tasty. Perfect to top you off before seeing some Hollywood tripe.
Finished product.
Cut the baguette in half, lay on the mozzarella (or mortadella if you want...) throw on the parma and some rucola. Salt and pepper and throw it in the grill. (If you are unfortunate enough NOT to have one, just grill it in the pan. Squishing it is essential, as is the melting of the cheese.) Get on this easy and cheap sammich while you can. A warm meal is almost the best thing since sliced bread when its cold out.
—Christian
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