uh, stuff

two really good salads in honor of cool salad weather.

1.
chop medium and carmelize in oil (olive ok, light vege maybe as lower smoke pt. your tolerence for smoky house, really) 1-2 onions. i cheat on this by fast sauteeing til close to translucent and then turning it down for the sugaring. I have no fricking patience. anyway, while that's a doin, boil small pan water, covered, clean and snap into reasonable lengths green beans. i used two medium onions, about 3 T oil, couple good handfuls beans, and one red pepper for this salad but do as you will. anyway, when water at boil blanch til peak vibrant (45-90 sec, depending on beans) and take out. rinse with cool or be lazy and shake an ice tray over. make green beanish size pieces out of the red pepper. so when all is prepped chuck together with leftover onion oil in something with sides and shake over some tarragon vinegar. just a couple shakes, you will add more later, it's just to make the flavors meld at this state. light sprinkle of salt, sea being preferred. put in fridge. leave at least 20 min, or up to 5 hours. (maybe longer- i don't know, it doesn't make it that long here) if you remember give it a stir from time to time. when ready to eat, stir, correct salt, give another shake t v or i like a parsimonious amt of plain old white v. really light hand but I think it pulls it together. this sounds simple, but its flavor is more than the sum of the parts and it's really bright. remember to keep going with the onions til a couple turn black and nearly all have browned edges, you want the sugar to be really dominant.

2. sort of same theme but more fancipants. clean and halve lengthwise 4-8 leeks, removing older looking layers, terminal bulb and all green 1 inch above fork. add maybe 3 T oil (olive) to non stick pan (you can use a real pan but who needs the aggravation?) and medium flame til brown on both sides, turning as needed. you will need tongs for the turning unless you are way jedi. this takes a while. do it first. also, take 2 med or one grande carrot, peel (i don't usually but do it here) and whack into inch lengths. put wee amt water in wee pan and cook til easily poked. take out and cool with ice. take same pan chuck water add 1-2 T oil, heat and then in with one big clove garlic, whole, that you've smacked and peeled all food network style. needs to be broken for oil entry. if you're all garlic central you could use more but for this salad try one so it doesn't compete with the leeks. anyway, fry at medhi til medium brown or more to the point til when you smell it it doesn't smell acrid, but just barely that done. you can use the oil for something else or just be a wasteful wasteful american, sigh, and throw it away. take out and into FOOD PROCESSER, WHICH YOU REALLY NEED TO DO THIS RECIPE, perhaps I should have said that sooner. anyway. into food processer with carrot and a couple big sloshes olive oil and a couple bigger sloshes of apple cider vinager, like 1/8 cup? more? play with it. and some tarragon v. If you had other weird ones like sherry or whatever you could give that a shot just i would say no balsemic- too sweet and the color with be ruined. puree, add big pinch sea salt, whirl, correct. so then chop some other stuff, i recommend french radish, avocado and a really decent tomato. arrange r, t, l, and a as artfully as you can on butter or red or heirloom lettuce, as you prefer, and then jackson pollock the carrot dressing over. if you want to thin it with water so it pours go ahead. I really liked it thick. this had non vegetarians licking the bowls.

Literary Recipes -- Sara's Dishes

The night was once again fairly successful, and we had dishes from across various countries and times as well, with the 15th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries all being represented. Below are my dishes, chef's notes and the books the recipes link to.

Amber Masud's Aloo Tikki (potato cutlets)
with Green Chutney
From Aruhndati Roy's The God of Small Things

4-5 medium red potatoes
1 tsp salt
1 small yellow onion
1 Tbs whole coriander seeds
4-5 scallions
2-3 serrano chiles, seeds and white membranes removed
1/4 bunch cilantro, stems removed
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Recipe Notes: red chili powder is different than american chili powder, and is most likely found in Indian or South Asian stockists. These cutlets, unfried, can also be made ahead of time and frozen for quite some time.

1. Wash the potatoes and boil with skins on, when you can easily stick a fork through each potato, remove from water, slip off the skins and place in a baking dish or bowl. Mash with fork or masher while they are still hot. When they have cooled enough to handle add the red chili powder and salt. set aside.

2. Finely chop the onion, either by hand or with a food processor, squeeze out all excess juice and add to the potato mixture.

3. Add the coriander, scallions, serranos and cilantro to the food processor and process to a fine consistency. Add to the potato mixture and combine all ingredients with your hands until well-blended. Taste the mixture and feel free to add more salt and chili powder to taste. Set mixture aside and let stand for 30 minutes.

4. Form the mixture into round patties about 2 1/2 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. Beat eggs. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, dip a cutlet into the egg mixture until coated on both sides and place in the pan. Repeat with more cutlets, but don't fry more than three at a time. Fry both sides of the cutlets until golden-brown. Remove from pan and place on kitchen towels to drain. After you have fried about half the patties, drain pan and use the second half of the oil to finish.
Yeild: 15 to 20 cutlets.

Green Chutney

1/4 bunch cilantro
A few sprigs of mint
1-2 tsps lemon juice
2 cups plain yoghurt (the thicker the better)
salt to taste

add all the ingredients but salt to food processor or blender and process until it's a fine paste. Add the salt to taste. Makes about 2 cups.

my notes: the finer you can process the herbs, pepper, and onions for the cutlets, the better, but not to a paste as you want there to be some good texture. Also, fry until crispy.

Scallion-Ginger Fried Rice
From Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth

*5 cups white rice, cooked and cooled
*3 Tbs chicken or vegetable broth
*1 Tbs soy sauce
*1 1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
* 1 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
* 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
* 2 Tbs corn or safflower oil
* 3 bunches scallions, finely chopped
* 3 Tbs minced fresh ginger
* 2 1/2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
*1/3 cup rice wine or sake

* - I found all these measurements to be COMPLETELY WRONG!!!! If you make 2 - 3 cups of rice, halve the scallion and ginger ande bean sprout amounts but keep the above amounts for the sauce. If you go ahead and make 5 cups, double all the liquid amounts.

1. Spread the rice in a shallow baking pan and separate the grains with a fork. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper and set aside.

3. In a large heavy skillet - non-stick is preferred - heat the corn or safflower oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and stir-fry scallions and ginger until fragrant. Not much longer than 20 seconds. Add the bean sprouts and rice wine and stir fry until sprouts begin to soften, about a minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through. Stir in the broth mixture, tossing gently to coat evenly. Serve while hot.
Yield: 6 servings (yeah, no, if you make 5 cups there are like 8 servings)

my notes: every market I went to was out of mung sprouts so I skipped them and I don't think they were missed. However, I regret that I didn't have the presence of mind to substitute in something else, like water chestnuts. I bet you could even add the sprouts and the chestnuts, perhaps even more subtley flavored veggies like bamboo or lotus. Or even mushrooms. That might help cut down the v. glutenous starchyness of the rice.

Mint Juleps
From F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

6 Fresh Mint Leaves
3 Ounces (6 Tbs) bourbon
2 Tbs Simple Syrup (recipe below)
3 Whole Ice Cubes
Crushed Ice
Soda Water
Mint sprig for garnish

1. Bruise mint leaves gently between your fingers and mix with bourbon and syrup in a large glass or shaker. Add whole ice cubes and stir. Let stand for a minute or two.

2. Strain mixture into a julep cup or tumbler filled with the crushed ice. Top with soda water and a mint sprig.
Yield: 1 Drink

my notes: I made a whole ton in a pitcher, playing around with the amounts of syrup and mint and soda. This is a fantastic drink for a hot day, and great for an introduction to the flavor of bourbon without too strong a taste.

Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

1. place water and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and gently simmer until syrupy, about 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool. Rerigerate. Can last a long time, great for iced teas and sweetening other cold beverages.
Yield: 1 1/4 cups.

New Yogurt Blog

Hello, my foodie friends! A quick announcement:

If you like yogurt, I hope that you'll come check out my new blog all about it. It's got product reviews, a scoring system...the works. There's plenty to say, and comments are very much welcome!

Looking forward to seeing some (most, I hope) of you this weekend!

-T

Recipe for tuna casserole

The tuna casserole I made for the trashy foods meet was from the Whole Foods Cookbook. This version that I found online is slightly different but still tasty:

Mmmm, tuna casserole...

March 25th Club Meet: Literary Recipes

our next club meets Sunday, March 25th at sara's in Astoria, btw. 6:30/7 pm is the start time. Directions will be emailed on the Friday before. The theme is Literary Recipes.

Those in search of inspiration or in need of a recipe, I own "The Book Club Cook Book" . If any of you would like a recipe and book name from this book, comment here and I will add the book name and recipe to this post.

I had a thought -- I think if possible, we shoud bring a copy of the book along with the dish (if we own one) so that we can discuss why we each chose the book and made the accompanying dish etc... I think it would be a great way to at least get to know one another a little better.

That's all for this post for now.

Beer Bread: Fast and Yummy

It was the lastest Minimalist video over on NYT (molasses quick bread) that reminded me of my own quick bread recipe, one I love because it's a quck and easy way to use up any beer you might have hiding in your fridge. I've posted the basic recipe below, but don't be afraid to mess around with it and make it your own. I've listed some tweaks I've done and their measurments below the recipe.

Enjoy.


Super-Quick Beer Bread

* 2 2/3 cup self-rsing flour
12 ozs beer, freshly opened (either straight from fridge or room temp.)

* if not using self-rise, add in 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp baking soda


Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a loaf pan (9"x5"x3"). Put flour into a medium bowl add beer and stir gently until
everything is moist and incorporated. Scrape into pan and bake for approx. 50-55 minutes, or until top is brown and a when a toothpick comes out clean. If you are not using self rise or are adding in more ingredients, make sure to mix all dry ingredients together first before adding the beer.

Some Yummy Add Ins:

1/2 cup scallions
1 cup sharp cheddar (grated)

or

1 cup coursely chopped kalamata olives

or

1/2 cup toasted and crumbled (or coarsely chopped) nori
1/4 to 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds

let me know if anyone makes this and added in something new. :-)

Fancy Finger Foods: Squashy Spring Rolls

Hi folks. I got this recipe from the recent article in the NY Times about vegan "post-punk" chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz. (You can find more of her recipes and her blog at www.theppk.com.) A few notes:

-Her original recipe called for cilantro but I substituted mint because I hate cilantro. Also, the amount of oil she calls for in the dipping sauce makes a really greasy sauce--I ended up pouring a lot of the oil off. I've left her original instructions below, but I'd start with a small amount of each oil (like 1 tsp) and then add more to taste.

-I found the rice paper wrappers for $1.40 at the Wholesale Thai store in Chelsea Market. I'm sure they're abundant in Chinatown, too.

-Finally, I subbed white and apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar (as I had none) and agave nectar for the sugar, both of which seemed to work fine.

Butternut Squash Rice Paper Rolls
Time: 45 minutes

FOR THE ROLLS:
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces vermicelli rice noodles or rice sticks
12 8-inch round rice paper wrappers
1/3 cup roasted salted pumpkin seeds or peanuts, coarsely chopped (I used TJ's 50% less-salt peanuts)
1 cup mint leaves and thin stems, torn into bite-size pieces

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons Asian hot chili oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil.

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and spread in a single layer. Roast 15 minutes, toss gently and return to oven until tender and caramelized, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

2. Meanwhile, prepare noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Turn off heat, add noodles, and allow to sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water; set aside.

3. To assemble rolls: Fill a large pie plate or shallow bowl with very warm tap water. Lay a clean, damp kitchen towel on counter to use as a work surface; this will prevent wrappers from sliding. Submerge two paper wrappers in the water to soften, about 1 minute. Gently transfer one wrapper to towel.

4. In lower third of circle, place a small handful of noodles, leaving about an inch and a half of empty wrapper on either side. Place two or three pieces of squash on top of noodles, and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and cilantro. To roll, fold left and right sides of wrapper snugly over the filling. Lift the bottom of the wrapper over the filling, tucking it underneath, then roll up firmly but gently. Place seam side down on a plate, and continue with remaining wrappers and filling. Cut in half when ready to serve.

5. For dipping sauce: In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the vinegar and sugar. Add chili oil and sesame oil, and taste. If desired, add additional soy sauce.

Yield: 12 rolls.

Fancy Finger Foods: The Recipes

If the other participants want to post their recipes here, they may, or they can make their own posts as well. Here's my entry:

Sara's Deep Fried Red Carpet Roasted Beet Ravioli
& Yoghurty Dipping Sauce

For the Ravioli:
3 beets - medium to large
1 package wonton wrappers
1 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 - 1/3 cup chives, finely chopped
1 egg- beaten
1/4 parmesan
1 medium bottle Olive Oil (whatever kind you like to fry with)

wrap beets in tin foil and whack in oven for about 1 hour, or until you can insert a knife into their middles and meet no resistance.

Once beets are done, place them in a cold water bath and rub with kitchen towel to remove the topmost layer. Dry them and then grate them into a large bowl. Mix in cheese and chives, but set aside at least 2 tablespoons of chives for later, and salt to taste. If you want your ravioli's v. beety, use less cheese, unless you like it cheesey, then use less beets.

Pour enough olive oil into a deep frying pan (or a saucepan if you don't have a frying pan) until it is about 2inches deep. Make sure the oil is really really hot before you attempt frying. Temp should be above 150 degrees. While oil is heating, begin filling your ravioli: use about a teaspoon of mixture and two wonton squares per ravioli. To seal up the pasta, dip a brush (or your finger if you don't have a brush) into the beaten egg and paint all sides of the bottom wonton square before sealing it with another wrapper. After you place the second wrapper on top, use a fork and press gently along the length of all four sides. Set each completed ravioli aside on a plate or platter. Once you've made your ravioli's drop them in the oil. If your oil is nice and hot they should brown in about 5 seconds for each side (use a slotted spoon to flip) Don't put in too many at a time, they will stick together. Once they are golden, scoop them out of the oil and place on plate covered in paper towels to drain.

After they've drained and cooled a bit, sprinkle with the chives and parmesan cheese (optional of course) before serving.

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2 heaping Tbs greek yogurt (or any thick plain yogurt)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsely
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste

If you have an immersion blender, reg. blender, or food processor, then it's easiest to just combine all the ingredients and whizz away. If you don't, try and get the herbs as finely chopped as possible. I find that this dipping sauce is best tweaked to tatse, so if you don't like a strong yogurt flavor, add in more parsely, salt and lemon than I called for. Substituting dill for parsely is also a tasty option. This is best served if it has time to rest before serving, at least one if not two hours.

And that is that people. Some notes I have are: the raviolis like to puff up when they hit the oil, some will appear like they aren't even in the oil anymore at all. To get both sides brown simply push them down with a spoon for a count of 3. Also, depending on how hot your oil is the cooking time for frying will vary. My oil was super hot and I found that if I didn't pull them right when they started to turn that toasty browny-yellow color, they turned black pretty darn quick. Counting to 5 (or to 8 when the oil cooled a bit) per side and then quickly draining, was my best method.

Oh, and make sure the beets have sat in the cold water for awhile AND are dried off really well before you grate them. Burned fingers and runny ravioli are no fun.