dosa brunch (with heli in michigan)
February 15, 2010
Heli and I made dosas this morning. She has been wanting to make them for a while, so when I came up to visit, I brought a huge jar of urad dal from my mom. It is a type of “peeled” dal.
Last night we soaked a cup of dal and a cup of rice in separate dishes. First thing this morning we ground the rice and dal.
After they were ground (the dal more finely than the rice), we mixed them together and set them out to ferment for an hour.
Meanwhile, we got the potatoes started. (For the masala part of the dish…)
We boiled potatoes, and then added them to a mixture of oil, onions, spices, and hot pepper. While they cooked, we started working on the dosas.
Heli and I have never made dosas before. Just a disclaimer. So we didn’t have our hopes set too high for the success of our “paper-thin” rice and dal pancakes. Attempt one below…
Ok…so we thinned the batter considerably, tried different utensils, switched to silicone, and then back to the stainless steel, played around with the heat until we found the optimal temperature and when we were suitably satisfied with the cooking conditions, we had made enough dosas…
So We had masala dosas, but more like potatoes wrapped in nice little scraps of dough. They tasted good though!
A finished dosa with potatoes, cucumber carrot raita, and home-made lemon pickle.
fresh iowa greens in february
February 13, 2010
We are members of a wonderful CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in Fairfield, and enjoy fresh greens every week. It is one of the things that makes this whole winter thing a little more doable.
My mom and I get a box every week, and sometimes we have a little trouble eating anything…everything is just so beautiful and fresh, and we want to save it! (She often nibbles a little, but wants to save some for me, and we don’t always getting around to cooking or eating together.) Kind of silly, but oh well.
So this morning, as we were baking cookies, I dug through the fridge and found a few gems that we had not eaten. My mom came up with the idea to make a little casserole. She is such an inspired cook. You could probably give her a basket of vegetables, and she would turn whatever she was given into something fresh and delicious!
The base for the casserole is steamed greens: chard, kale, beet stems, and spinach. She placed the steamed greens into several baking dishes, drizzled with olive oil. On top of the greens she put mashed potatoes (cooked quickly in the pressure cooker), and finished the top with grated prairie breeze cheese (from Milton, IA).
It was a quick delicious casserole, fresh with the greens, but hearty with the potatoes (made with organic sour cream) and cheese.
To go with the casserole, she made a salad of lettuce, and ridiculously fresh arugula, topped with avocado, grapefruit sections, and carrot ribbons. YUM!
So if you ever find yourself with a produce drawer filled with yummy greens, this is a great meal to use them up and really ENJOY them. Thanks to my mom, of course!
kimchee (finished)!
February 11, 2010
Quick update.
I opened my jar of kimchee today. According to my recipe it said 3-6 days sitting, depending on how sour you like it. A much quicker turn around time than its Western counterpart (sauerkraut)! I was kind of excited to try the finished product, so I called it finished after 3 days. And to be honest, it doesn’t change much in color, and seems to mellow somewhat in flavor. Actually, mellow isn’t really the right word. Maybe more like the flavors come together. My kimchee ended up very spicy, very garlicy, and full of ginger! A perfect combination to keep healthy in this cold weather.
It is really spicy though, and Heli suggested for me to eat the kimchee with a fried egg or rice to cut the heat. (definitely helps!) I am really excited to try making a batch of kimchee with some other greens, such as bok choy, more kale, and other assorted items that I get from my CSA share.
kimchee!
February 8, 2010
Here is my first attempt to make kimchee.
I found a recipe for kimchee in The Joy of Pickling, by Linda Ziedrich. My kimchee is a simple mixture of napa cabbage, a little bit of kale, ground hot pepper, slivered green onions, and lots of garlic and ginger. The whole mixture sits in brine for several days, until the desired sourness is obtained…
Step one is to chop and brine the cabbage overnight. So last night, I chopped my cabbage according to directions, into 2″ squares. I placed the chopped cabbage in a bowl, covered it with salt water, and placed a plate on top to keep the cabbage submerged.
This afternoon, I added the additional ingredients to the chopped and drained cabbage. Slivers of green onions, lots of garlic…
…coarsely grated and chopped ginger. I couldn’t find my smaller grater, but the chopping seemed to get most of the big bits out. I added a little extra ginger to the recipe, as I love it, especially in the winter!
I was excited to use the dried peppers that I put up last summer. In the summer I always seem to acquire more fresh hot peppers than I know what to do with. As a result, I usually end up with more dried peppers than I know what to do with. This was a perfect use for some of my lovely dried peppers. I did have to grind them into a powder, which was a little difficult, with their spiciness…
I placed the cabbage mixture into a glass jar, with a plastic bag filled with brine solution on top. Looks like I put a little too much brine into the actual kimchee…
Here is the jar, all tidied up and ready to ferment in a cool corner of my house (not a problem, as I have many).
hot potato
January 25, 2010
I’ve been eating a lot of pretzels with slices of locally made cheddar cheese (prairie breeze, from Milton) and Patak’s Hot Lime Relish. Tonight I was still craving the taste, but wanted something a little more dinner like, so I switched the pretzel out for a potato.
And added some green onion, sliced jalapeño, and cilantro. And of course a dollop of butter. It was yummy, and definitely a welcome change from the pretzels.
Wash and prick potato (russets are good), stick it into a 400 degree oven, and let bake until tender. (Can’t remember how long..) While the potato is baking, chop some green onions (about 1 per potato), a little bunch of cilantro, and the tip of a jalapeño, and mix them up a little on the cutting board. Add a good amount of butter to the potato first, so that it melts, and then add the chopped green mixture and cheese. On top of all that add a big spoon of lime pickle (to taste!). This might taste good with yogurt as well (instead of the more traditional sour cream).
Pho and Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 19, 2010
Last night was a pho night. And being Martin Luther King, Jr. day we spent some time being thankful for him as well. Theo went to the library and picked up some books, cds, and dvds about Martin Luther King, Jr., and we ended up watching a documentary. I am always struck by how powerful he was. Such a great inspiration for justice and peace.
There is a little resturant in LA that makes vegetarian Pho. I like to go there when I am visiting, and last week I started wanting to make some pho on my own. Pho is actually Vietnamese beef soup, with rice noodles and lots of broth. So making vegetarian Pho, as my friend pointed out, is sort of like making pot roast without the roast… That said, our broth turned out really well, and the soup was delicious! I will definitely be making it again.
First step is to make the broth. I made a purple cabbage based broth, with carrots, onions, garlic, celery, and bok choy. I simmered everything for about 45 minutes and then strained the liquid. Because I made this last week, I put the broth into little ziplock bags and stuck it in the freezer for a few days. We also had a batch of winter broth that my mom made a few days ago for backup, in case we ran out of the purple broth.
Yesterday, when I got home from work, I took the bags of purple broth out of the freezer and started to make the “real” soup broth. Step one was to char the ginger in the wood stove. I went through several skewers before the ginger was suitably charred. Charring the ginger gives it a very distinct smell and taste.
Next was to dry roast the spices in the pan. This step helps release the flavor of the cinnamon, ginger, star anise, bay, and garlic. We went on a real hunt for star anise, and finally Jan at Everybodys found it behind the jar of Lavender flowers (in case you are looking for it there they DO have some!) After we had roasted the spices for a few minutes over medium heat, we added the purple broth, and let everything simmer on the wood stove while we chopped the vegetables.
I am not completely sure which vegetables are traditional, but we had a whole bunch of different things that we added. Sort of a composite of different pho recipes that I found online. From our local CSA we had some beautiful napa cabbage and baby bok choy. We shredded them and set them in bowls to be added to the broth at the table.
We also included dishes of bean sprouts, mint leaves, basil leaves, and lime. To garnish the top we added bowls of thinly sliced jalapenos, cilantro, and sliced green onions.
At the table, everyone got a bowl with some broth and then we added noodles, tofu, and vegetables.
Everyone’s bowl was distinct, and carefully mixed to taste.
We ate and ate and ate. It seemed to me that the broth was a little trick to get me to eat more and more vegetables.
new years pumpkin soup (haitian style!)
January 2, 2010
Swati came to visit for Christmas, and she brought with her the idea for pumpkin soup. Joumou, a type of pumpkin soup, is traditionally prepared for Haitian Independence Day (incidentally New Years Day). Although it is traditionally served for breakfast in Haiti, we got around to eating it late in the afternoon, settled around the fire. We used several different recipes to come up with a yummy, vegetarian version of the soup. Probably a little different from the one Swati had in Haiti, but pumpkin soup all the same.
I started the soup with “winter broth” from The Greens Cookbook, by Deborah Madison. Winter broth is my absolute favorite comforting winter food. I added extra pumpkin (including seeds and peels) to the broth because it was intended for pumpkin soup. The main soup pumpkin came from the farmer’s market about 3 months ago! Talk about long-lasting. Swati rinsed the seeds and set them out to dry to save for my pumpkin patch next summer.
Then I sauteed a little onion in some olive oil and added cubed pumpkin, and winter broth to cover. I put the pot on the wood stove to simmer. When the pumpkin was tender, I pureed it and set it aside.
Meanwhile, I put a little oil in a new pot and added some freshly grated ginger, shallots, 2 cloves, and a few cloves of whole garlic, pierced with a knife. While these veggies cooked, I added celery, potato, and carrots, and a dried hot pepper from my friends garden!
After a few minutes I added some more broth and the pureed pumpkin and set the entire pot onto the wood stove to simmer until the veggies were tender. About 20 minutes, slowly boiling. Yum!!
In case you were wondering, the photos in this blog are particularly beautiful. Thanks to my resident photographer, Swati!
comfort and simple food
December 8, 2009
I have a really fond memory of cooking in my friend Lucy’s kitchen during college. We had a mini summer cafe for a little while and would cook lunch once a week from mostly local foods. When I got over to her house on one of these days, she was cooking up a pot of sauerkraut. It smelled delightful, and I asked her what it was. She replied that it was sauerkraut, and that I wouldn’t want to eat it because there was bratwurst in there as well. I sadly agreed, and we went about our lunch prep.
Although I didn’t try the sauerkraut dish, I did quiz her about the recipe, which was from her grandmother. It was a classic recipe containing bratwurst, sauerkraut, apples, and onions.
Now, you either love sauerkraut or you hate it. I (in case you haven’t noticed) love it. Pretty much any way. Out of the jar, with potatoes, out of the jar, on pizza, etc. When my dad served some veggie bratwurst last week with some of the sauerkraut that I had given him, I remembered back to the recipe, and decided to give it a vegetarian try. First I browned the bratwurst in a little oil in my skillet and set it aside. Then I chopped up some onions, cooked them in a little oil, and added some diced granny smith apple. I have a vague memory of Lucy using a granny smith, but I am not exactly sure. When the apples and onions were slightly golden, I added the sauerkraut (well drained), some “winter broth” (optional), a little water, and the bratwurst, then turned the burner to low, covered the whole thing and simmered it for a while. When it was finished, I cooled it and YUM! What a delicious, simple, hearty meal for a snow storm (ok the snow is tomorrow, but I can pretend!). Now I just want to curl up into a ball and go to sleep.
chestnut cornbread stuffing
November 28, 2009
I made it home Wednesday night with a package of cornbread stuffing and a bag of cornmeal. (I wasn’t sure if I would be up to baking the cornbread and all…) But when I woke up Thursday morning, I was kind of excited about making stuffing from scratch. The recipe for stuffing that I came up with was inspired by a recipe from Chestnut Cookbook, the package of stuffing that I brought home, and my sister’s comments while I was cooking.
The steps were pretty simple, but it took a while to bake the cornbread, let it dry out, etc, etc. I was particularly excited because a few months ago I froze some chestnuts that I gathered. (I know that you can bury them in sand, sawdust, or other things, but I didn’t really have time to figure that all out. I was also concerned about the likely mouse problem that could result from leaving a huge pile of unguarded chestnuts in my basement.)
My Approximate Recipe for Chestnut Cornbread Stuffing
1 recipe southern style cornbread from Joy of Cooking (preferably baked in advance so that it can dry out) cut into 1″ cubes
1 lb fresh/frozen chestnuts (still in shells)
2 stalks celery finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/3 cup butter
2 generous tablespoons sage (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
a bit of fresh parsley for garnish
Cut an X into the top of each chestnut and then bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes (or until tender). I bake them in a covered dish, and when I remove the dish from the oven I take a few nuts out at a time, leaving the rest warm for easier shell removal. Remove shells and chop finely. Set aside.
Meanwhile, melt butter in large pan over medium heat. Add onions and then a minute or two later the celery. Cook until translucent, taking care not to burn. Add sage, salt and pepper to taste, and chestnuts. Stir for a few minutes, and then add breadcrumbs. Pour in a little boiling water (I am sorry to say, I have no idea how much I used here..maybe about a cup). It should be enough to moisten the breadcrumbs, but not make them soggy. Cover and place in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes to warm before serving. I guess that you could stuff it inside a bird too, but I really don’t have any idea how!
tofu turkey legs (thanksgiving part I)
November 27, 2009
This isn’t really my favorite Thanksgiving food item, but there is something so magical or whimsical about it that I have to say it is my favorite Thanksgiving idea. Being vegetarian, I have never had the fun of eating turkey. I don’t really have a problem with that, and don’t really feel like I am missing some huge taste or anything. Maybe I just haven’t had any really good turkey yet…some day I will probably get around to trying it, but for now I will be happy with enjoying the company of the wild turkeys that strut down my lane, and be satisfied with tofu turkey legs.
I don’t know who came up with this recipe. But I do have a clear memory of my siblings and I wandering through the woods in search of the perfect “bones” (actually twigs). And then I have an image of tofu turkey legs roasting in the little toaster oven on the counter, probably because there wasn’t any room left in the oven. I can imagine my mom, busy all morning with baking, getting ready for guests, polishing silver, etc, etc, enjoying a quick break when we all trooped outside in search of twigs.
I went over to my mom’s house this morning and borrowed her hand written recipe card for tofu turkey legs. The general recipe is vague. I ended up adding a lot of sage to make the tofu taste good. And quite a bit of pickle juice from some bread and butter pickles that I made in the summer. Salt and pepper, mustard powder, and more sage. And some fresh parsley from the garden (still going!!!). And cornmeal for texture.
I sent Skye out to forage for the bird legs in the yard. He came back in, and we broke off a good bunch for our legs.
Break the branches into as manageable sizes as you want. I think that they end up being easier to handle if they are about 6″ or so long. Generally I would suggest to wash them, but we didn’t and the toasty oak bark definitely gave the legs a nice flavor! It ends up being a bit more rustic that way.
Mix up the tofu, and whatever you add to make it taste good and stick together, and press it onto the sticks. This step needs to be done carefully. The tofu really needs to be pressed onto to the sticks well, or it might fall off during cooking or transferring…
The finished turkey leg looks lovely on a plate full of thanksgiving sides. We opted for kale over green beans as the kale was fresh and green and in our garden!
I just love the finished dinner plate. Fancy china, freshly polished silver, pressed linen tablecloth, and a lichen covered dirty twig. hehehe
living in the woods and making stuff 