The Well-Seasoned Cook

Getting Your Goat (Cheese) - A Giveaway

2009-11-23T22:12:00.004-05:00

Feta on Olive Oil.

Life's little luxuries. They are often unexpected gifts: the hand-written thank-you note from a far-away friend; the cat who spies the spider before it lowers itself onto your head; the Valentine extravagance of Italian black lace languidly pooled in a glossy white box. We all have our favorites. And sometimes, we have to get them for ourselves, like the parcel of certified organic goat cheese I purchased from an artisan dairy hidden in the mountains of Montana, brought to my attention by Toni of Daily Bread Journal, who wrote to me of her visit there while wandering the wilds on a recent vacation.

Amaltheia Organic Dairy has been in business since 2000. Named for the Greek mythological she-goat who nursed the god Zeus, the 20-acre, 500-head operation was recognized in 2008 with a Montana Eco-Star Award for its commitment to fully sustainable farmsteading. The owners, Mel and Sue Brown, have also enjoyed awards from the American Cheese Society for their distinctive, vegetarian-friendly chevres. The Browns pride themselves on products that are made exclusively with their own born-and-breed livestock, without dependence on offshore ingredients of any kind.

For the health conscious, goat cheese is high in Omega 3 fatty acids yet lower in fat than bovine cheese. It is generally easier to digest and rich in potassium, Vitamin A, thiamine, and niacin. Four ounces provide 16 grams of protein at the same calorie count as a candy bar, but with no refined sugar, hydrogenated fats, or artificial flavors or colors.

Now, it is your chance for a little luxury of your own, courtesy of Amaltheia Organic Dairy*. I will be conducting a random drawing to select one winner who will receive 8 ounces each of the following chevres: Plain, Roasted Garlic and Chives, Spiced Pepper, Sun-Dried Tomato, Perigord Black Truffle, Whole Milk Ricotta, and Feta - a total of 3.5 pounds of cheese. For inclusion in the drawing, please leave a comment on this post by December 1, 11:59 p.m. New York time. You do not have to be a blogger to be included in the drawing. For the purpose of fairness, anonymous readers who are not bloggers must identify themselves in the comment with a first name and first initial of surname which must match the name given me to ship the prize should you be the winner. Due to the perishable nature of dairy products, this prize can only be awarded to residents of the continental U.S. Family and friends are not eligible to win. The winner will be announced in a post on December 2. Good luck, everyone!

For those who'd like to try Amaltheia Organic Dairy products for themselves, as I initially did, they are available online or in selected markets nationwide.

Flavored with Perigord Black Truffle.

*Amaltheia Organic Dairy is the sponsor of this giveaway. I have not been personally compensated either financially or with products in exchange for discussion on this site.

All About Eve - Baked Mutsu Apples

2009-11-17T16:20:00.018-05:00

There are certain popular and common fruits that I can pretty well pass up. Take apples, for instance. Really, you take them. I buy them by the bagful for Scott, an Apple-a-Day man, if ever, but once they get the tumble into the cavernous glazed bowl on the sideboard, I never look at them again. I'd much rather cup a sweet palm of berries to my mouth or leisurely sink my teeth into the yielding, succulent curvature of a pear. Until fairly recently, I just hadn't found apples particularly hedonistic in texture nor flavor, especially when eaten out of hand, and have a hard time believing that Eve really seduced Adam with one.

Of course, Eve never had a microwave, nor did Mutsu apples grow on the Tree of Knowledge. A Mutsu in a microwave is a miraculous thing; it has restored my faith in apples. Hissing cinnamon vapors, its golden haunches gashed and splayed, bleeding brown sugar, it looks like a crime scene. It tastes like a sin.

Also known as Crispin, Mutsu is not your typical baked apple.

Baked Mutsu Apples – My own off-the-cuff recipe. Substitute your own spices, sweetener, fruit, and nuts, if desired.

Ingredients – (Per serving, although Mutsu can be very large, easily serving two.)

1 Mutsu apple, washed and cored
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup brown sugar, packed (this can be omitted if you prefer less sweetness)
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons shelled walnuts, coarsely broken

Method

Center apple in a microwavable serving bowl that is large enough to accommodate the expansion of it once it is cut open. Microwave on high power* for 3-4 minutes or until apple yields when pushed down gently with a spoon. Remove bowl from microwave and cut apple into quarters, letting them fall away from the center. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon. Return to microwave for another 30 seconds. Remove again, distributing brown sugar on and around apple. Toss raisins and walnuts in center of apple. Return to microwave for another 2 minutes or until brown sugar is melted and apple is soft. Remove carefully from microwave (will be very hot) and serve immediately. Continue to use caution; hot sugar can burn the mouth.

* Microwave power and cooking duration vary among brands and models.

This post is for Paru of Brindavan, hosting MEC (Microwave Easy Cooking) - Sweets 'n' Savories for Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons, the creator of MEC.

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Been There, Done That ~
Cardamom Apple Custard
Sourdough Waffles with Pumpkin Butter
Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Roll Cake

Other People's Eats ~
Mele Cotte
Baked Apples Baklava
Three Things to do with Baked Apples

Intriguing Ingredients - Dundee Cake

2009-11-08T11:35:00.025-05:00

It started with a cake. It was the kind of cake that Arthur Rowe "...always liked, especially rich Dundees and dark brown home-made fruit-cakes tasting elusively of Guinness." One did not expect to happen upon such a treat during the rationing days of World War II, when England was at constant risk from aerial bombings. It was the kind of cake that drew a crowd of admirers, longing for a cut of buttery crumble, baked light with "real eggs," to cheer the heart and sweeten the tongue. Others were fixated on that buttery crumble, too, but their hearts held secrets that could not be cheered, nor did they want them to be. But it seemed like Rowe's lucky day, that he should win that "magnificent cake" at a fundraising fair, much to the consternation of those others. As it turned out, it was not his lucky day at all.

Billed as "An Entertainment" by its author, Graham Greene's The Ministry of Fear charts a distinctive, enigmatic, and malevolent storyline segmented by the state of mind of its protagonist, Arthur Rowe. Haunted by a crime committed as an act of compassion, conspired against by a fifth column costumed as fortune teller, séance medium, and charity league, Rowe is a man whose fate is as existential and bleak as the irony that grips and plunders his sanity and safety.

Life, unfortunately for Arthur Rowe, was never wistfully sweeter than during the brief respite of a seemingly innocent cake in an era when loyalty and love were especially unkind.

Dundee Cake – Adapted from the recipe on Food Down Under
Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger
1/3 cup ground almonds (also known as almond meal or flour)
2/3 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup dried currants
1 cup mixed candied fruit peel
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons orange extract
3 tablespoons golden syrup, honey, or light-colored fruit jam
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped, slivered, or sliced
Method

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch X 3-inch springform cake pan, then line the pan's bottom and sides with cut-to-fit baking parchment, slightly overlapping the side strips. Grease all interior surfaces of parchment. (You may have to clip the side parchment to the pan to keep in place.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and spices. Set aside. In a small bowl, toss raisins, currants, and fruit peel with ground almonds until fruit is uniformly covered with the almonds. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric beater until soft and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange extract. Slowly beat in dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time, into butter mixture, until batter is thick and well combined. Stir in fruit mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Place pan on center rack of oven. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven, glaze cake with syrup, and scatter almonds on top. Return to over to bake another hour or until center tests clean with a slim knife or skewer. Remove cake from oven onto rack to cool for 20 minutes. Remove from pan, peel off the side parchment, then carefully slide the cake off the pan bottom with the bottom parchment intact. Return to rack to cool completely. Once cool (it will take at least four hours), cake can be lifted to peel off bottom parchment. Cut with a serrated knife. Serves 16 (realistically, 8). Best served the same day, when it's very moist and tender. Leftovers must be wrapped tightly in plastic; it is discernibly dryer as it matures, like most fruitcakes, accounting for the tradition of soaking to cure in whiskey, stout, or rum.

This recipe is for Simona of Briciole and Lisa of Champaign Taste, hostesses of the quarterly Novel Food event, featuring food and drink inspired by the books we love to read. Special thanks to both ladies for waiting on my post.

Been There, Done That ~
Simnel Cake
Candied Lemon Loaf
Extreme Gingerbread Muffin Makeover

Other Peoples' Eats ~
Mini Dundee Cakes
Christmas Marzipan Cake
Candied Lemon Peel

Goodbye to Gourmet - Chickpea Caldo Verde

2009-10-31T18:39:00.022-04:00

Call it the last supper. When I walked out of my supermarket the other day, I was fortified with two serendipitous finds buried within my heavy grocery totes: a massive and corrugated bunch of cobalt-green dinosaur kale, and a dinosaur of another sort: the November, and final, issue of Gourmet Magazine.

Once home, my feet up and fingers flipping through the glossy pages of the end of an era, I startled to discover a recipe for caldo verde, the thick and garlic-y Portuguese potato soup, distinctive for its mermaid's tangle of kale strips floating on the surface. Was it fate? There was a deep vat of potato chunks boiling and bobbing in a spicy broth at the back of my stove. I was already making caldo verde.

Is my recipe an adaptation of Gourmet's version tucked away on page 68? Technically not. But why not say so anyway, as tribute to one of the trailblazers in bringing sophisticated world-class cooking and travel to home kitchens across the U.S.? And who knows? It might be back someday; look at Polaroid. Perhaps it won't be like a phoenix rising from the ashes; perhaps it will be a pheasant instead.

Dinosaur Kale

Chickpea Caldo Verde - My own vegetarian recipe, replicating the spiced flavors of chorizo without the pork.

Ingredients for Broth

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera, a smoky Spanish paprika, or other more commonly available paprika
Pinch of saffron, gently crushed between your fingertips
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground dried ancho pepper
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, or Italian oregano
10 cups water
2 very large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Ingredients for Finishing

1 bunch kale, any variety, cut into strips after rinsing and removing thick center vein
3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
Hot pepper sauce (optional)
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a very large soup pot or Dutch oven, warm oil very briefly over low heat. Add garlic, pimentón, saffron, cumin, ancho pepper, and oregano. Sizzle mixture, maintaining low heat, until fragrant and garlic is golden but not burned. Add water, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes, depending on variety). Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or working in batches with a stand blender, purée broth until smooth. You can also mash a few of the potatoes to somewhat thicken it, yet keep it chunky. Return to low heat. Add kale and chickpeas, mixing to distribute. Simmer until they are heated through (around 3 minutes) and kale is slightly wilted. Taste for additional salt and pepper. Divide into bowls. Drizzle each serving with olive oil and dot with hot pepper sauce, if desired. Serves 4-6, depending on size of bowls used.

This recipe is for Jeanne of Cook Sister!, sparkling hostess of October's MLLA - 16. Jeanne's round-up will be online very soon. Do stop by for an eyeful of delicious dishes from around the world.

Been There, Done That ~
Leblebi (Tunisian Chickpea Soup)
African Peanut and Yam Soup
Lima Bean and Artichoke Soup

Other People's Eats ~
Fasolatha (Greek Bean Soup)
Spicy Mung Bean Soup with Coconut Milk
Minestrone

More Other People's Eats ~
The good folks at Blogs.com have asked me to compile a list of Top 10 Beautiful Food Blogs. My guest post can be found here. Some are well known, others are recent discoveries, all are a feast for the eyes. If I was free to cite more than ten, my list would certainly be so very much longer.

Brevity and Beauty - Pomiane's Eggs "Sur le Plat"

2009-10-17T22:35:00.002-04:00

"First of all, let me tell you that this is a beautiful book. I can say that because this is its first page. I just sat down to write it, and I feel happy, the way I feel whenever I start a new project."

Opening paragraph from French Cooking in Ten Minutes

Joie de vivre. That's what the French call it. And that's what the Polish call it, too, if you were Edouard Pomian Pozerski, which is what Edouard de Pomiane was originally called when he was born in Paris in 1875. A medical doctor by training, and a research scientist by occupation, Pomiane embraced cooking as both science and art. Before there was a Heston Blumenthal or a Ferran Adrià with their avant-garde and esoteric techniques, there was Pomiane, avant-garde for his time in his scientific determination to understand the esoterics of French traditional cuisine. In demystifying cooking into a enthusiastic pleasure to be enjoyed by all, he became a popular culinary expert and lecturer whose books are still in print today. Though many of his recipes would be considered quaint or out-of-date by today's furious trends and technology, the durability of his practical instruction infused with a writing style of a beloved, mentoring, charming uncle will keep him in print for generations to come.

Pomiane is the food writer I return to when I want to laugh, expand my heart, and be reminded to embrace daily life, preferably as cook and hostess. In Cooking with Pomiane, he instructs in the finely detailed hierarchy of your guests:

"First of all, there are three kinds of guests: 1. Those one is fond of. 2. Those with whom one is obliged to mix. 3. Those whom one detests.

For these three very different occasions one would prepare, respectively, an excellent dinner, a banal meal, or nothing at all, since in the latter case one would buy something ready cooked."

Guests are also drolly apprised of their own machinations when accepting a dinner invitation:

"First of all, don't expect too much. In this way you will not be disappointed at the end of the meal - a thing which is very harmful to the digestion. The day before the party, assess your host at his true value. Calculate, and I am afraid this is a little cynical, just what you are likely to get."

Pomiane is as much a raconteur, perpetually bemused by human nature, ready with the anecdote, as he is a sensible tutor who neither lectures nor condescends. His French Cooking in Ten Minutes is a no nonsense approach to the standard repertoire of the good French home cook. Filled with over a hundred recipes, many no longer than a paragraph, this 1930 publication is a wealth of good will, good humor, good taste, and great reading. No wonder he was happy.

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Eggs "Sur le Plat" - Adapted from French Cooking in Ten Minutes by Edouard de Pomiane. Scientist that he was, Pomiane nonetheless was fond of using measuring terms such as "a little" and "some." I have taken the liberty to add some numbers that work. The shallot, chives, and pepper are my additions.

Ingredients

2 eggs
3 teaspoons butter, divided into 2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon
1/2 large shallot, peeled, sliced
5 blades of fresh chives
Salt
Pepper

Method

In an oven-proof gratin dish that has also been approved for stovetop use*, heat 2 teaspoons butter until melted over the lowest heat source. Carefully crack two eggs and tip them into the dish. (They will arrange themselves.) Maintain lowest heat. In meantime, in a small skillet, fry shallot briefly in 1 teaspoon butter. Remove from heat. Check on the eggs, continuing to cook until the whites are just set and opaque, repositioning the dish a few times for even heat distribution. (This is especially necessary if the dish is long.) Top with fried shallot and chives, then scatter with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, using pot holders to transfer dish to the table. Serves 1.

*If cooking on an electric stove, you must use a heat diffuser as a buffer between the heating surface and the dish. Alternatively, a small metal skillet very generously coated in butter or oil can be used; you can either lift the eggs out with a wide turner or serve in the skillet.

This post is for Sra of When My Soup Came Alive, hosting The Write Taste, an event featuring food writing. Though it wasn't a requirement, I did include a recipe. After all, it only took me ten minutes.

WEEKEND HERB BLOGGING #204 - THE ROUND-UP

2009-10-12T10:08:00.005-04:00

If Weekend Herb Blogging was running a popularity contest, then this week's blue ribbon would have to go to the hard-shelled, shaggy-centered spaghetti squash. Three of the recipes collected here feature the unique yellow vegetable. It must have a really good PR firm. Fifteen other dishy recipes in the incredibly broad world of edible plant parts are represented here, as well. Every one of them is a winner. Do scroll down and admire the menu. Thanks very much for inviting readers into your kitchens for a peek and a taste. Please let me know if there are omissions or errors that I need to amend.

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While awaiting the first killer frost, a dedicated gardener creates
a killer recipe with a bounty of exceptionally beautiful peppers.

Baked Stuffed Busillus Frying Peppers
Rachel - The Crispy Cook
Schuylerville, New York, U.S.A.

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Fresh, fragrant dill is a novel yet natural match
for a multi-layered, multi-flavored rice dish.

Shrimp Biryani
Muneeba - An Edible Symphony
Connecticut, U.S.A.

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An early autumn harvest of Asian greens is a
filling addition to a light meal you can eat on the go.

Ham Rolls with Tatsoi
Graziana - Erbe in Cucina
Italy

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Deciding which fruit to use is only a stone's
throw away for a salad as sweet as it is savory.

Nectarine Peach Salad
Hilda - Dhanggit's Kitchen
Aix en Provence, France

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Lyrical lavender baked in biscotti adds romance
to a sweet indulgence kissed with honey.

Honey-Lavender Biscotti
Pam - Sidewalk Shoes
Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, U.S.A.

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Golden-fried griddle cakes studded with golden-fresh
corn kernels are but a few simple ingredients away.

Corn Cakes
Haalo - Cook Almost Anything at Least Once
Melbourne, Australia

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Scrubbing the house to prepare for a holiday is less of a chore
when fortified with protein-rich pancakes punched up with spices.

Methi and Besan ka Cheela (Fenugreek and Gram Flour Crepes)
My Experiments and Food
India

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A captivating caper sauce holds its own with a colorful
collection of brassicas known for their strength and vigor.

Romanesco Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels
Sprouts with Mustard-Caper Butter
Laurie - Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A.

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A cluster of tomatoes still clinging to its vine is ripe for
the picking for a classic salad that epitomizes Italian flavors.

Caprese Salad
Soma - eCurry
Texas, U.S.A.

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Farm-fresh potatoes are shredded and fried to crispy
perfection in the famous Swiss version of hash browns.

Rösti
Anna - Morsels and Musings
Sydney, Australia

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There will be no crying over missed carbs when you're
served a hearty helping of a meal made with a pasta impostor.

Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin
Kalyn - Kalyn's Kitchen
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.

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Rounds of spicy potato filling are flattened into
fragrant circles of Indian bread that are tall on flavor.

Aloo Methi Paratha (Potato Fenugreek Stuffed Bread)
Sandy - Sandhya's Kitchen
London, U.K.

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas when crafting gifts
of home-preserved shallots glistening in olive oil and herbs.

Shallots in Oil
Cinzia - Cindystar Blog
Lake Garda, Italy

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No one need worry about singing for her supper with
the simplest of squash dishes that's always in tune.

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash
Joanne - Eats Well with Others
New York, New York, U.S.A.

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Saying farewell to friends is a little less painful when
you practice kitchen therapy with the art of pickling.

Pickled Bell Peppers and Onions
Brii - Brii Blog in English
Lake Garda, Italy

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Healthy eating in technicolor just got even easier
with a lively vegetable mix of green, red, and gold.

Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans, Corn, and Kale
Katie - Eat This
Haslett, Michigan, U.S.A.

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A wholesome sourdough mattress cuddles seasoned corn
custard in an old-fashioned dish of English origins.

Sourdough Bread Pudding with Corn and Caramelized Shallots
Stash - The Spamwise Chronicles
New York, New York, U.S.A.

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All the comforts of childhood are not to be found in
an old-time nursery favorite that fools and frustrates.

Rinktum Tiddy
Susan - The Well-Seasoned Cook
New York, U.S.A.

Thanks to Haalo of Cook Almost Anything at Least Once for allowing me the opportunity to host this long-running event for the umpteenth time. Weekend Herb Blogging #205 is currently being hosted by Cinzia of Cindystar Blog.

Comfort, My Foot - Rinktum Tiddy

2009-10-11T16:32:00.010-04:00

Never trust anything that sounds like it was named by or after a village idiot.

My Sunday started easy enough. I was up before dawn, sipping coffee, proud of myself for just starting to catch up on blogging duties. My day was all planned out before me: as soon as the sun reared above the roof, I would trot out my basket of plump and impeccable plum tomatoes. I would carefully select the finest, blemish-free specimens to arrange before the window to photograph. I would take a few dozen shots, upload them on the PC and, again, carefully select a few as finalists for this blog post. Then I would, again, trot the whole lot into the kitchen for a quick few steps before simmering them down into a sauce to be finished generously with Cheddar cheese melting into a swirl of deep orange purée, the foundation of the messy, New England nursery comfort classic, Rinktum Tiddy.

No one exactly knows who invented Rinktum Tiddy; it's one of those folkloric, traditional recipes passed down by Americans whose ancestry hailed from England, very similar to Welsh Rarebit. It seemed an ideal and easy little meal that could be slightly jazzed up for a more stylish presentation than slopped over some toast points. Why not fill ramekins with the soupy-sauce, then top them with croutons and a shower of extra cheese before sliding them under the broiler, à la French onion soup?

All was well until I reviewed my photos. I wasn't happy with any of them. Not one. So I grabbed back the tomato models from the kitchen, set them aside, and made the sauce with the remainder. I figured that while it was bubbling on the stove, I would shoot another batch of photos.

All was returned to well...until I returned to the kitchen. The tomatoes were ready to be puréed, and I had streamlined the recipe further than its already rudimentary ingredients by omitting the egg to avoid the tedious, but essential, precision of not curdling it. Nothing could go wrong, except, of course, the curdling of the Cheddar. Yes, folks, Cheddar is one of those dairy delights that's great when cold and carved off the slab, but fiendishly fickle at a temperature above tepid. I set aside the pot of cheese-streaked sauce and set about to do it again (with canned tomatoes), this time hovering over it, testing the sauce for just enough heat to melt the cheese without it seizing up. And it curdled again. Now who's the village idiot?

Rinktum Tiddy - Loosely based on this recipe, but I wouldn't recommend it without the changes I made to save it. See my note below for an alternate, nearly foolproof method. Despite the kitchen chaos, it was actually quite tasty.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, blanched briefly in boiling water, peeled, and seeds removed
2 teaspoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon brown mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, plus another
4 ounces, also shredded
2 cups croutons

Method

In a large, heavy, non-reactive saucepan, warm butter or oil over medium-low heat. Add onions, sautéeing until golden and translucent. Add tomatoes, mustard, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to luke warm. Pour into a blender to purée. Return to saucepan. Stir in a handful of cheese (from the 8-ounce measure) and return saucepan to heat, keeping it adjusted to its very lowest setting. Stir constantly and repeat until all the cheese is melted. Remove immediately from heat and pour sauce into a large non-reactive bowl. If it shows any unpleasant signs of curdling*, rub the sauce through a strainer into another bowl below it. Divide sauce into 4 broiler-proof ramekins. Toss remaining 4 ounces of cheese with croutons. Arrange ramekins on cookie sheet. Mound mixture on top of each ramekin, then slide cookie sheet under broiler, watching carefully, until cheese melts and croutons brown. Remove from oven (will be very hot), and serve immediately.

*You can also make a separate classic cheese sauce with a roux base which can be added to the tomato-onion purée (without the seasonings and mustard), then proceed with the topping. If all else fails, there's always take out.

This post, featuring tomatoes, is for Weekend Herb Blogging #204, hosted by me, presided over by Haalo, and originated by Kalyn. I'll be posting the round-up tomorrow night, New York time, unless something else curdles.

Weekend Herb Blogging #204 - Here This Week

2009-10-08T05:56:00.005-04:00

Are you kicking around ideas for a dish that predominantly uses ANY ingredient derived from a plant? If so, then kick one over here to Weekend Herb Blogging, the enduring weekly event, now in its fourth year, and hosted once again by yours truly.

The rules are simple, and there's plenty of time for you to create something fabulously delicious to share with the food world.

Thanks to those who have already sent in their recipes; I'll be acknowledging them formally and individually in the next day or two.

Right now (literally, before dawn), I am preparing a recipe using up the last of the northern summer's red-hot local tomatoes. I look forward, as always, to seeing your great creations as part of the round-up, scheduled to be online on Monday, October 12, New York time. See you soon!

A Meme-orable Meal - Spiced Vegetable Fritters

2009-10-04T17:58:00.005-04:00

Recipe for these fantastic fritters after the meme.

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I am here. Barely. It's been rather rough-and-tumble for me lately. I wish I could report differently, but it ain't going to get better any time soon, so apologies in advance for pretty much playing phantom a while longer. (Yes, I am hosting WHB #204 October 5 - 11.) In meantime, I'm answering a meme that Swati of Swati's Sugar Craft passed on to me so long ago, it must have been in a former life. I now sent it to Rose, Martha, Ricki, Simona, Nanditha, and Jessica, to play with or leave alone - no obligations whatsoever. As you can see, it's taken me over a year to respond to this one. Take. Your. Time.

1) LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATER?
I can't even remember. Really. I think it was Ratatouille. ??? I'm not kidding. On those very rare occasions when Scott and I actually go out to a flick, it's always animated kids' stuff: Corpse Bride, The Incredibles, Wallace and Grommit, Flushed Away...On the homefront, however, well, that's a different story. It's all very art house, subtitled, and sophisticated. So, every now and then, after a belly full of that, we have to run out to clear our heads with cartoons.

2) WHAT BOOK ARE U READING?
Several. I am currently juggling Le Carré's Karla Trilogy; Banville's Athena (for the third time); and I just added Camilleri's The Shape of Water. I've tried reading sequentially, but it just doesn't work for me; old multi-tasking habits die hard.

3) FAVORITE BOARD GAME?
Pictionary.

4) FAVORITE MAGAZINES?
Saveur, The Atlantic, Time Out New York.

5) FAVORITE SMELLS?
Lavender, peony, violet, scented-geranium leaves, cardamom, peach, cilantro.

6) FAVORITE SOUNDS?
The approach of a train; the syncopated tattoo of rain thumping the roof; the shriek of raptors; and the holy, surreal silence of walking in a powdery snowfall.

7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Grief.

8) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?
Coffee or inky-black tea.

9) FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
I rarely eat fast food, but Burger King has killer coffee and fries.

10) FUTURE CHILD'S NAME?
No kids planned, but I am very fond of the Irish and Scottish Gaelic: Katriona, Siobhan, Niall...

11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT— "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D..."
Buy a boat and learn to sail.

12) DO U DRIVE FAST?
No, I drive the speed limit (I'm not into an early grave nor a whopping traffic summons), and I'm not crazy about the guy in back of me kissing my tailpipe, either.

13) DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
You can't sleep with stuffed animals when you have the real deal; the bed is crowded enough.

14) STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?
Cool, always cool. The scarier, the cooler.

15) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
A Chevy.

16) FAVORITE DRINK/S?
Harpoon IPA.

17) FINISH THIS STATEMENT-"IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…"
Learn to sail, even if I can't afford that boat.

18) DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. And I've a recipe coming up that makes wonderful use of them.

19) IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
Since it's already been nearly every other color, any way, it's time to go back to being a brunette. I miss it. Truly.

20) FAVORITE SPORT/S TO WATCH?
Fencing. Yes, it's a spectator sport, too, but you've got to look sharp. (Go ahead and groan - I love puns and have given up apologizing for them.)

21) ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Swati's an all-around good soul. She hasn't blogged in quite some time - shame; she's got a natural talent for fondant cake decorating.

22) WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED?
Built-in storage. Thank God.

23) WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN??
The short answer is yes. The long answer is complicated, philosophical, and would bore you stupid with too much information. These twenty-eight nuggets of nothing are more than enough about me for the moment.

24) MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Night owl, although my favorite times are those of twilight, the dawn and dusk.

25) OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
Over Easy.

26) FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX?
In bed, juggling all those books.

27) FAVORITE PIE/S?
Wet Bottom Shoo-Fly.

28) FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR/S?
Butter Pecan, Black Raspberry, Coffee.

~~~~~~~

Spiced Vegetable Fritters - Reprinted by Permission from An Honest Kitchen - Kathyrn Elliott and Lucinda Dodds - All Rights Reserved - Copyright © 2009

Makes 12 fritters

300g (combined weight) cauliflower and broccoli, roughly chopped
½ onion, roughly chopped
1 x 400g can (about 250g cooked) lima or butter beans
1 egg, whisked
1 ½ tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons rolled oats
½ bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
Canola oil for cooking

Make the fritters: Place the cauliflower, broccoli, beans and onion in a food processor. Process until they're finely chopped and starting to clump together. Transfer this to a bowl and then add in the rest of the ingredients, except the oil. Mix together until it is combined - you may need to mash the mixture slightly with the back of a spoon to get the right texture. Season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 12 fritters - you may find it easier to mould the mixture with wet hands.

Cook the fritters: Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a drizzle of canola oil and once this is hot gently place fritters in the pan. You'll need to cook the fritters in batches of about 4 – 5 depending on the size of your frying pan. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain and then serve.

Cooking & Storage:
These fritters can be served in lots of different ways. I like them with brown rice and a dollop of natural yoghurt, but they also work well in a wrap with salad and mango chutney. You could top them with a soft-poached egg, or have them as a side to grilled fish or meat – again with a spoon of natural yoghurt. Leftover fritters can be kept for 2 – 3 days in the fridge. They don't freeze when cooked; however, you can freeze the uncooked mixture, formed into fritters.

Lucy’s Notes:
Well, if these don’t get you eating (and loving) cauliflower and broccoli, nothing will. Delicious with the mango chutney, yoghurt and salad combo.

~~~~

And my auxiliary notes: These fritters, as terrific as they are (I've made them thrice), are very moist, delicate, and crumbly. I chilled the mixture first, then froze the formed patties just to solid before grilling them very, very slowly until well browned, set, and dry before turning them quickly, yet carefully, with a long, slotted turner. You won't loose a crumb, and you won't want to, regardless of dressing them up with sauce (I mixed 1 part mango chutney with 4 parts Greek strained yoghurt) or dressing them down with a scattering of sea salt.

Dried Butter Beans

A big thank you to Lucy and Kathyrn for allowing me use of copyrighted material from their amazingly delicious An Honest Kitchen, available through either of their fine blogs, and an even bigger thanks to Sia of Monsoon Spice, hostess of MLLA 15. Sia wasn't planning on accepting late recipes, but I'm assuming she'll make an exception in my case and let me slip this under the door. ; P

Jeanne of Cooksister! is hosting MLLA 16, the October round. She will be announcing in the next few days.

My Legume Love Affair 14 - The Round-Up

2009-09-13T19:43:00.004-04:00

They're all here: snappy salads; savory soups and stews; cauldrons of curry; fragrant folds of flatbreads; bouncing baby dumplings; stir fries and fritters; pilafs, patties and pop-in-your-mouth snacks; plus a little sweet something to finish off your meal. If I've left anyone out, or there's a correction that needs tending, please let me know, and I will update right away. A thousand apologies that I have not been able to include my traditional one-liners, puns, and other frilly (silly) intros this month. It's one of the reasons I enjoy hosting events so very much, but recent and relentless demands on my time, energy and focus have been much greater than I have anticipated. I could have managed it eventually, but it would have required at least an additional week, and you have already waited much too long. Besides, congrats are long overdue for Preeti of Relishing Recipes, the winner of the random drawing. Thank you all very much for your consistently amazing recipes. I feel blessed to be the recipient of your hospitality and creativity month after month. The pleasure is all mine.

~~~~~~~

Chickpea and Brown Rice Patties
Lisa - Lisa's Kitchen
London, Ontario, Canada

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Ma Po Tofu
Lucy - Nourish Me
Melbourne, Australia

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Parippu Vadai/Aama Vadai (Spicy Lentil Fritters)
Aparna - My Diverse Kitchen
India

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Gujarati Toor Dal (Split Yellow Pigeon Pea Soup)
Muskaan - A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine
New Jersey, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Lentils and Rice Stew
Shri - Tastytouch
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Split Pea Lentils with Vegetables
Sra - When My Soup Came Alive
Chennai, India

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Rasa Vadai
Lata - Flavours and Tastes
Accra, Ghana

~~~~~~~

Edamame Fried Rice
Siri - Siri's Corner
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Black-Eyed Bean Salad
Sadhana - A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine
New Jersey, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Tangy Curried Vaal
Nupur - One Hot Stove
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Groundnut Sundal
Shanti - Shanti Krishnakumar's Cookbook
Coimbatore, India

~~~~~~~

Varutharacha Sambar (Coconut Gravy-Based Sambar)
Ann - A Delighted Foodie
Switzerland

~~~~~~~

Black Chickpeas Spicy Curry
Rachana - Humming Today
India

~~~~~~~

Crock Pot Boston Baked Beans
Courtney - Coco Cooks
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Rajma Mushroom Pulao
Rakhee - Born Foodie
Dubai

~~~~~~~

Chola Mix
Soma - eCurry
Texas, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Green Tomato Masial

Vaishali - Holy Cow! Recipes from a Vegan Kitchen
Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Dahi Vada
Bee and Jai - Jugalbandi
The Northwest, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Creamy Butter Beans and Green Peas
Parita - Parita's World
Basel, Switzerland

~~~~~~~

Red Chori Beans Curry (Adzuki Beans)

Jaya - Jayaspace
U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

BBQ Baked Bean Burgers
Cathy - Cathy's Kitchen Journey
New York, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Mung Bean Wraps
Allison - Spice and More
Sydney, Australia

~~~~~~~

Alu Channa Tarkari
Shaista - Mixcalculations
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~~

Colourful Peppers and Sprouts
Lata - Flavours and Tastes
Accra, Ghana

~~~~~~~

Sweet Corn and White Bean Chowder
Matt - Hurst Bean Blog
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Dal Meethi (Lentil Soup with Fenugreek Leaves)
Jaya - Jayaspace
U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Chole Bhature
Humaira - Humaira's Food Passion
Naperville, Illinois, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Creamy Peas Curry
Indosungod - Daily Musings
U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Chickpeas Sundal
Priya - Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes
Paris, France

~~~~~~~

Black-Eyed Peans N Potato Cutlets
Priya - Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes
Paris, France

~~~~~~~

Curried Lentils and Swiss Chard
Katie - Eat This
Haslett, Missouri, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Adai Avial
Vidya - Vidya's Kitchen
Redmond, Washington, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Meethi Dal
Lubna - Yummy Food
Bangalore, India

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Missi Roti
Harini - Tongue Ticklers
Thane, India

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Bengal Gram Sundal
Preeti - Relishing Recipes
Arkansas, U.S.A.
Preeti is the winner of MLLA 14!

~~~~~~~

Cold Minestrone

Hilda - Dhanggit's Kitchen
South of France

~~~~~~~

Green Peas Pulav with Toor Dal (Yellow Pigeon Lentils)
Parita - Paritha's World
Basel, Switzerland

~~~~~~~

Methi Dal (Lentil Soup with Fenugreek)

Soma - eCurry
Texas, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Stir-Fry Broad Beans Shanghainese
Tigerfish - Teczcape
Sunnyvale, California, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Pumpkin and Bean Casserole

Miri - Peppermill
Delhi, India

~~~~~~~

Onion Medhu Vadai
Priya -Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes
Paris, France

~~~~~~~

Kathamaba Sundal (Mixed Beans Sundal)
Priya -Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes
Paris, France

~~~~~~~

Tuna, White Bean Pasta Salad with Herb Caper Pesto
Val (Bellini Valli) - More Than Burnt Toast
British Columbia, Canada

~~~~~~~

Ulundu Kozhukkatai (Urad Gram Filled Rice Dumplings)
Sadhana - A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine
New Jersey, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Bread Peas Masala
Vidya - Vidya's Kitchen
Redmond, Washington, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Masoor Dal (Red Lentil Soup)
Jaya - Jayaspace
U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Rajma (Red Kidney Bean) Spinach Wraps

Mansi - Twist to the Taste
U.K.

~~~~~~~

Urad Dal with Fenugreek
Nanditha - Satvika
India

~~~~~~~

Dal Makhani
Faiza - Faiza Ali's Kitchen
Oxford, U.K.

~~~~~~~

Steamed B&B Kofta in Onion-Tomato Gravy
Pari - Foodelicious
India

~~~~~~~

Ulundu Adai
Lakshmi - The Tastes of South India
Espoo, Finland

~~~~~~~

Butter Beans Masala Kuzhambu
Minu - Chettinad Fiesta
Chennai, India

~~~~~~~

Cream Lentils
Sudha - Malaysian Delicacies
Malaysia

~~~~~~~

Hayagreeva/Muddy (Sweet Channa Dal)
Vidya - The Tastes of South India
Espoo, Finland

~~~~~~~

Red Noodle Beans and Tofu
Rachel - The Crispy Cook
Saratoga County, New York, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Dal Tiranga
Sandhya -Sandhya's Kitchen
London, U.K.

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Pomegranate and Lentil Soup

Sweatha - Tasty Curry Leaf
Bangalore, India

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White Lentils with Beetgreens
Rinku - Cooking with Rinku
New York, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Carrot Salad with Red Beans and Miso Dressing
Lori Lynn - Taste with the Eyes
Los Angeles (San Pedro), California, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Malaysian Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce
Susan - The Well-Seasoned Cook
New York, U.S.A.

~~~~~~~

Sia of Moonsoon Spice is hosting MLLA 15, the current edition of this long-running event. She'll be accepting your great dishes through September 30. I'm offering an additional prize this month. Hope your participation proves lucky! Thanks always!

Tofu Twofer - Malaysian Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce

2009-09-05T22:06:00.001-04:00

The culinary world is divided into three camps: tofu lovers, tofu haters, and tofu tolerators. While this recipe will probably not convert anyone who hates the stuff despite its chameleon-like ability to ingratiate itself with finesse into nearly any recipe, it has made a lover out of a tolerator like me. And for the very reason that it wants so very much to please. But, no, it doesn't taste like chicken. Not everything does, you know, no matter what Robert Klein says. And it doesn't have to.

Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce - Adapted from the MalaysianFood.net recipe

Tofu Satay

Ingredients

2 14-ounce blocks extra firm tofu, drained and blotted of excess moisture
3 large cloves garlic
3 large shallots
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons brown sugar

16 wooden skewers, soaked in warm water for at least 1 hour

Method

Slice tofu into oblongs, approximately 4 inches by 1 inch; each block will yield eight oblongs. You can also cut it into cubes. Set aside.

Using a food processor, grind garlic and shallots into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl. Add all other ingredients to the paste. Mix well, then spread half the paste in a large, shallow casserole dish. Use a spoon to prevent staining your hands with turmeric. Press tofu into mixture to cover the underside. Spread the remaining paste on top of tofu. With a fork, gently and repeatedly turn tofu by quarters to cover with paste. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate to marinate at least four hours.

Remove marinated tofu from refrigerator. Wearing gloves to protect your hands from staining, thread tofu onto skewers, dividing it uniformly among the skewers if you are using cubes. Allow some space between cubes.

Arrange tofu skewers without crowding in a hot, greased grill pan or skillet that has heated for a few minutes over medium-high heat. Carefully turn the skewers every few minutes to brown tofu on all sides. Remove from pan and serve immediately while still hot with peanut sauce (recipe below). I also served mine with a tiny side salad of cubed cucumber dressed in sweetened rice vinegar. Serves 4 as a starter; 2 as an entrée.--

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
3 large shallots, peeled
2 macadamia nuts
3 tablespoons sliced lemongrass, white ends
2 tablespoons sambal oelek (or other savory red chile paste)
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon tamarind paste mixed with 1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
12 ounces coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Method

Using a food processor, grind onion, shallots, nuts, lemongrass, and sambal oelek into a paste. In a large skillet over low heat, warm oil then add paste. Stir to mix, then allow mixture to simmer until oil begins to separate. Add tamarind water, soy sauce, coconut milk, and brown sugar. Bring to simmer again. After ten minutes, mix in peanuts, and simmer another five minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl to allow to cool to room temperature.

Peanut sauce, hold the belacan.

It isn't often that I've prepared a recipe that is suitable to submit to two separate events. This veganized adaptation of traditional Malaysian satay and peanut sauce, usually prepared with meat and shrimp paste, is for Vaishali, hosting It's a Vegan World: Malaysian. This is also my ridiculously late entry for MLLA14, hosted by yours truly. It's been a hell of a few weeks for me; hence the delay. Please bear with me. I will have the round-up of your fine recipes online as soon as possible. Please be sure to set your sites and appetites on Sia, now hosting MLLA15 at Monsoon Spice.

~~~~~

Been There, Done That ~
Leblebi - Tunisian Hot Chickpea Soup
Chinese Steamed Red Bean Buns
African Peanut and Yam Soup

Other People's Eats ~
Malaysian Honeycomb Cake
Malaysian-Style Dal
Sambal Oelek

Fighting Fire with Fire - Chilled Red Pepper Soup

2009-08-20T23:26:00.003-04:00

Hot.

It's here. After a delay of nearly two months, summer has arrived in the Northeast, and it is one hot and angry season now. There is a theory that you can trick your body into feeling cool and refreshed by sipping on chilled soup that zings with the heat of hot chile peppers. There is also another theory, that if you fall off a horse, you need to get back on to avoid the trauma that will haunt you for the rest of your life.

I am tackling the second theory first: my horse is the habañero chile. It's been two years since a sassy, fearless, and smug me slit open a clutch of cherry bombs without gloves on. I've never, despite the warnings, ever protected my hands against the volatile oils measured in various Scoville Units that spit at you while preparing any sort of hot pepper. I knew enough not to rub my eyes or mouth with my fingers, but the gods were snickering at me when the fumes rose up from under the running faucet where I was cleaning out the seed cavities. I needed a respirator. Seriously. The pain was real and merciless. Drinking anything just spread the misery. I laid on the couch for half an hour, weeping tears, not of onions, but of terror. There was nothing to do but wait it out. Do not try this at home.

I would probably still be stuck in time, nursing my self pity, had this month's No Croutons Required not put out the call for pepper recipes. I've never been one to opt for the easy way out and am always on the prowl for new culinary horizons. An Internet search quickly brought up this recipe. At first I had palpitations, especially when I read that it called for four to six of the fiendish fireballs, and even more so when I read the intro, which was a reassurance not to be alarmed by the number of chiles. So I felt the fear and did it anyway, my way, by reducing it down to just one chile.

I'm not going to lie to you. Even this level of heat has enough cumulative kick to smoke your sinuses, enough so that you will no longer feel those wretched summer temperatures suffocating you. Which just goes to prove that that other theory is correct, too. This recipe will have you blowing hot and cold.

And hotter.

Chilled Red Pepper Soup - Adapted from the Gourmet recipe
(If you follow all the precautions I have provided while preparing the chile, you should have a positive - and painless - experience.)

Ingredients

4 large red bell peppers
2 pounds tomatoes (I used canned Italian peeled tomatoes for expedience)
1 very large yellow onion (about 1/2 pound), chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 small habañero chile (1-2 tablespoons when finely chopped)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Garnishes and Stir-ins (optional, but will soothe the heat somewhat)
Chopped avocado
Sour cream
Black olives

Method

Roast bell peppers over an open flame until uniformly charred, holding and turning them with a long-handled metal fork or tongs. If roasting indoors, ensure that your kitchen is well ventilated. Place charred peppers in a paper bag and fold over to seal. Set bag aside for at least ten minutes. Remove peppers from bag to a cutting board. The peppers will be collapsed and easy to peel. Discard the stems, membranes, seeds, and skins.

Prepare the habañero chile. Wearing disposable latex gloves and distancing your face as much as possible from your work area, cut off chile stem, then cut chile in quarters, trimming away membranes and seeds. Carefully discard these, ensuring you do not touch your face (especially your lips and eyes) with your hands. Finely chop chile and transfer to a small, dedicated bowl. Set aside. Carefully peel off gloves inside out from your hands and drop them directly into the garbage bin. Wash hands thoroughly before continuing.

In a large, heavy saucepan, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, chile (wash chile bowl immediately after emptying), salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until they are transparent and golden (about 10 minutes). Stir in bell pepper pieces, tomatoes, water, and bouillon cubes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer until peppers and onions are very tender. Turn off heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Place saucepan in refrigerator until the contents are lukewarm. Purée soup in small batches in a blender. Pour purée into large bowl and return to refrigerator to fully chill. Serve with garnishes and crackers. Serves 4. --

This recipe is for Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes who co-hosts No Croutons Required, the monthly vegetarian salad and soup event, with Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen. The August theme is peppers.

Summer Loves - Frozen Mocha Marlow (Chocolate-Coffee Marshmallow Ice Cream)

2009-08-09T12:56:00.007-04:00

Frozen Mocha Marlow (recipe below).

Every season has its special culinary celebrations: crisp, tart apples in autumn; bubbling, crusted pot pies in winter; and buttery leaf lettuces in spring. Summer heralds its own splendors. Here, I chronicle but a few of mine. What delectable, healthy or hedonistic, comestibles are you enjoying, wherever region you reside in, whatever season is visiting you now?

Juicy, sweet melons (Ambrosia variety).

Juicy, acidic tomatoes (Black of Tula variety).

~~~~~~~~~

Frozen Mocha Marlow - From the Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook, edited by Ruth Berolzheimer

A marlow is a melted marshmallow dessert dating back to the late 1800s, and a popular early recipe for ice cream. Its texture is like a luxurious mousse with a very rich, lingering mouth feel. Best enjoyed with strong, clear, unsweetened tea, black coffee, or ice water.

Ingredients

1 ounce chocolate
1 cup very strong coffee
16 marshmallows, cut into quarters with a sharp, wet knife (I used store-bought vegan marshmallows)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

Method

In the top vessel of a double boiler over slowly simmering water, melt the chocolate. Slowly stir in the coffee with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be streaky, not smooth. Add marshmallow quarters, stirring constantly until they are melted. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Using a whisk, beat mixture until smooth. The texture will be somewhat elastic. Allow to cool.

In a separate, large bowl, beat heavy cream until very thick, voluminous, and holds soft peaks. Beat vanilla extract vigorously into marshmallow mixture to thin the elastic texture. Pour and carefully fold into whipped cream with a large plastic spatula to ensure it is well incorporated but maintains volume. Lightly smooth surface. Seal bowl with plastic wrap and place in freezer until mixture is semi frozen, at least 90 minutes*. Remove from freezer and stir mixture briefly to remove ice crystals but maintain volume. Seal bowl again and return to freezer for final curing. Marlow will be soft-serve ready when mixture yields slightly to a spoon but is essentially solid. You can also freeze overnight, removing from freezer 10 minutes prior to serving for smoother and easier scooping. Serves 4-6.--

* Freezing times vary depending on your appliance setting, as well as how crowded your freezer is.

Vegan marshmallows.

~~~~~~~~~

This post was inspired by Hema of Salt to Taste, who kindly honored me with an award recently:

Thank you, dear Hema. There are far too many blogs which I love for a variety of reasons. Rather than attempt to list them all at the risk of leaving anyone out, allow me to assure you that my regard for you is more than just a summer fling.

~~~~~~~

Been There, Done That ~
Cappuccino Canapés
Halvah Ice Cream with Orange-Flower Syrup Apricots
Violet Granita

Other People's Eats~
Peanut Butter Moon Pie Ice Cream Milkshake
Chai Ice Cream
Ricotta-Vanilla Ice Cream

ANNOUNCING MY LEGUME LOVE AFFAIR 14

2009-08-01T17:36:00.003-04:00

My Legume Love Affair, the popular bean-centric event now in its second year, is stopping here at The Well-Seasoned Cook, where it all began. Hosting my own event is a special treat for me. The queue is long with guest hosts, and I have tried very hard to accommodate every request while making an appearance, however irregularly. I am forever thankful for the enduring creativity, support and good will this event has enjoyed throughout the months, and I have no doubt that August will spoil me with dozens of delightful dishes from around the world that tempt the tastebuds and spark new horizons in culinary adventure.

For those new to the event, your choice of recipes is very broad. As much as legumes are most commonly known as fresh or dried beans, peas, lentils and pulses, they are also the sometimes edible pods that contain these seeds. Add to the list alfalfa, fenugreek, peanuts, carob, tamarind and other members of the Fabaceae or Leguminosae family, as well as derivatives such as tofu, and you'll have a hard time focusing on just one. All courses and cuisines are welcome, as long as legumes are the dominant ingredient. (Please note: In France, vegetables of all sorts are known as légumes, and are not included in this event.)

To participate, please:

Post a new recipe or a newly posted one from your archives, linking to this announcement, with the following details to me [thewellseasonedcook AT yahoo DOT com] by August 31, although I will accept latecomers if the round-up is not yet posted:

Name:

Blog Name:

Name and URL of Your Recipe Post:

Location: Optional

Photo: 400 wide

~~~~~

Use of the logo is optional. I am happy to accept more than one recipe per cook as well as those submitted to other events. Those who do not blog are also welcome to join and will be included in the random drawing. Friends and family of hosts are not eligible to win.

Prizes:

1) The New Food Lover's Companion - My personal choice and purchase, which I will ship worldwide.

2) Hurst Bean Box - A case of six bags of your choice of Hurst Bean products, suitable for every diet, generously provided by Hurst Bean. (Due to shipping restrictions, this prize can only be awarded if the winner is a U.S. resident.)

Depending on volume of recipes, I expect to have the round-up online first week of September.

Thanks and good luck to all!

The Forecast Calls for Flavor - Hilbeh (Yemenite Fenugreek Sauce) - MLLA13

2009-07-31T22:07:00.003-04:00

Summer in New York has been rather unseasonable this year. It's rained here on average four of seven days for several weeks. And I'm not just talking passing sun showers or soft overnight soakers, but furious downpours and volcanic thunderstorms that tear the limbs off trees and turn the gutters into the great Mississippi. They last for hours at a stretch. Noah is scheduled to float by any day now.

Even though I don't get what's going on with the atypical weather lately, it does teach a lesson that nothing is all that predictable, not unlike the legume recipe failure I experienced the other day. It wasn't a particularly complicated nor uncommon dish; I used dried beans, the go-to ingredient most cooks turn to when they prepare legumes. Disgusted with the grayish mud of a meal I labored over, I scraped the heap in the trash, and began rummaging around my cupboards for something that would soothe my mood. And there they were: a half-pound bag of fenugreek seeds, something I frequently use as a spice, but certainly not as a key ingredient. Fenugreek, though not generally thought of as a legume, is, indeed, a member of that nitrogen-fixing plant family best known for beans, string and otherwise.

It wasn't at all easy to find a recipe that calls for a large amount of fenugreek seeds. I'm still not quite sure how I serendipitously landed on this fabulous Yemenite hot sauce, but I can pretty confidently predict that hilbeh will take you by storm. ~

~~~~~~~~

Hilbeh - Based on several recipes I researched. Here is one of them, from 1 World Recipes.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons dried fenugreek seeds (Soaked overnight covered with cold water, then rinsed and drained. Soaked volume is 1/2 cup.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, packed
4-5 serranos or other comparably hot fresh peppers, seeds and membranes removed if you want to control the heat
1 large fresh tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

In a large skillet, warm olive oil briefly over medium heat, then add onion and garlic. Sauté until they are translucent and golden, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes). Add fenugreek seeds, cilantro, hot peppers,and tomato stirring to heat through. In a separate, dry skillet, toast the spices until they are fragrant and lightly browned. Tip spices into larger skillet and mix through. Remove from heat. Transfer hilbeh to food processor or blender and grind into a coarse paste (about 1/2 minute). Transfer to serving bowl. Top with lemon juice and salt, and gently toss with fork. Can be enjoyed warm or chilled. Makes approximately 2 cups. Serve with crackers, pita, or lakhoach, a traditional Yemenite flatbread (recipe link follows).

Lakhoach - From the Lynne's Country Kitchen recipe
This recipe is so elementary that it's impossible to adapt. I have not rewritten it for this post.
~~~~~~~

This post is for Harini (Sunshine Mom) of Tongue Ticklers hosting My Legume Love Affair 13. The round-up will be online in a few days. I can't wait to see what you all have gotten up to this past month.

Cutting Loose - Batata Chips with Ají Amarillo Crema Dip

2009-07-29T10:05:00.008-04:00

I keep it in a shoe box with a skull and crossbones hastily but earnestly drawn on its cover, in a cupboard looped with child-proof safeguards despite the fact that there are no children living here. If I was a slightly decadent romantic, I would nickname it "Mack the Knife." As a realist well versed in those occasional but very real dangers of running a kitchen, "The Demon Barber of Eat Street" is a more appropriate moniker. A mandoline is as much a guillotine for fingers as it is an essential tool for the execution of precise and uniform slices of fresh produce, where exactitude is mandated for cooking and/or presentation.

It is only now, two years after my purchase, that I could venture to gingerly take him out of his shrink wrapping. The need for a finely honed edge of steel trumped the wobble of working a hand-held knife against the rugged, gnarly knobs of Latin sweet potatoes. Tools, despite their hazards, are, indeed, implements that ultimately make a cook's life easier, as long as you take the flashing, militarist warnings of Achtung! seriously.

Despite my fear, respect and deference to the sharpest cutting edge I have ever known, I must admit that its power made effortless the finest, almost transparent shavings of potato ever to float and crisp in a pot of roiling-hot oil. You could not, while running the vegetable holder against the blade, imagine that you are actually done nearly before you even started, expecting, instead, the slow creep of bloody cabochons and gaping slits decorating your fingertips, amid the wreckage of a pile of nasty, useless potato scraps.

The Barber is back in his box, now, back in his specially locked cupboard. I expect to take him out more often these days, to let him strut his stuff as he was stropped to do. And I will keep a keen eye on him in order to keep my fingers, to ensure he always performs the kindest cuts of all.

Batata Chips – My own recipe

Ingredients (Per serving)

1 large batata, approximately 8-inches long, peeled and nicked clean of rough edges and most pits (Some of the flesh will be patterned with dark and light colorations; this is normal.)
Large bowl of cold water, aciduated with the juice of a lemon
Flavorless vegetable oil, to fill a depth of 1 ½ inches in a skillet of your choice (I used safflower oil)

Method

Using a mandoline* set with its thinnest cutting attachment (about 1/16 inch), slice the batatas crosswise to create fine chips. Slip the chips immediately into lemon water to prevent browning. Heat oil to a temperature of approximately 350 degrees F. Blot chips with a towel and lower them individually into oil using long-handled metal tongs, allowing some small distance between chips to avoid overcrowding and reducing oil temperature. Watch chips vigilantly (do not leave hot oil unattended - ever), as you turn them repeatedly with tongs, taking care to ensure they are browned and crisped on both sides (about 5 minutes). Remove chips with tongs to plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Proceed with each batch until all chips are fried. Remove skillet from heat and serve immediately. Allow oil to reduce to room temperature before discarding.

* You can also use a very sharp, hand-held knife, as long as your cutting surface and potato are perfectly motionless, and you have a very good eye for measuring width.

Ají Amarillo Crema – My own recipe
(You can easily substitute low-fat dairy products for any listed here.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste (made with Peruvian hot yellow-orange peppers)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, packed
1 2-inch scallion spear, sliced into circles, white and green parts
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted briefly in a heavy, ungreased skillet

Method

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients except scallion and cumin seeds. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with scallion and cumin seeds. Makes approximately 1 cup, enough to serve 4 as a snack or starter.

This post is for Anna of Anna's Cool Finds, hosting Weekend Herb Blogging #194, for Haalo of Cook Almost Anything at Least Once, managing WHB for its creator, Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

Been There, Done That ~
Duchess Potatoes
Salsa Verde
Rosemary-Roasted Blue Potatoes

Other People's Eats ~
Blue Violette Potato Chips
Curried Potato Chips
Hot Pepper and Cool Watermelon Salsa
The OTHER Potato

It's a Girl Thing - Singapore Sling Slush

2009-07-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

The role of a defense attorney is not to believe in the innocence nor guilt of his client, nor to be made privy to more evidence than is necessary to defend the accused. How unfortunate, then, for Mr. Joyce of Messrs. Ripley, Joyce and Naylor of Singapore, that his client, Mrs. Leslie Crosbie, facing trial for a murder she committed in British Malaya, should open a complex abyss that sinks him into a perilous dereliction of legal ethics.

It is the 1920s, in a region of the world best known at the time for British imperialism, rigid racism and plantation commerce, that W. Somerset Maugham examines such an abyss in his compact and corrosive story, The Letter, one of six tales written under the umbrella of The Casuarina Tree. Maugham's Leslie Crosbie is as composed, dignified and well-bred a woman as she is a creature given to wild fits of rage, loathing and self pity. Joyce is as fascinated by her abrupt mood swings and the startling, pre-trial complications, as he is compassionate toward her husband, Robert, a hard-working and kind plantation manager. Were it not for the savage emotional toll that Leslie's arrest has exacted on Robert, and the growing possibility that she will, indeed, be executed for her crime, Joyce would never have bent his principles to procure a critical piece of damning evidence, the letter of the title.

For Joyce, there is little comfort in the outcome of the trial, save the knowledge that his own wife is in every way exactly what Leslie Crosbie is not, a loyal, supportive, and sparkling woman of impeccable standards, and a gifted hostess whose "...million-dollar cocktail was celebrated through all the Malay States..."

Except for a passing reference to whiskey and soda, and a gin pahit, no other liquor is directly identified in the story, not even, surprisingly, Mrs. Joyce's renowned cocktail. Had the Raffles Hotel, the Singapore institution where W. Somerset Maugham was a frequent visitor, not already invented the feminine and stylish Singapore Sling, I could easily ascribe that libation to Mrs. Joyce as her very own mysterious concoction.

As is typical with classic recipes, the Singapore Sling has sprung all sorts of variations on its theme of pink gin. The one I'm serving here is my own riff, generally unaltered but for a quick whir in the blender to produce an icy froth that glitters in the sunlight as well as the brain. Cocktail geeks and other purists would likely disjoint their noses, but I trust that you will forgive my crime. After all, it's not exactly like I'm getting away with murder.

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Singapore Sling Slush - Based on the Drink Boy recipe

Ingredients (per cocktail)

2 ounces gin
1 1/2 ounces Kirschwasser (a clear German cherry brandy)
1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1 ounce Bénédictine (a French herbal liqueur)
2 teaspoons grenadine syrup
Juice of 1/2 lime
Juice of 1/2 orange
4-5 large ice cubes
Club soda
Maraschino cherry to garnish
Stirrer/sipping straw (optional)

Method

Select a large highball or other oversized glass. Fill the glass with ice cubes, then add all ingredients except club soda and cherry garnish. Top with club soda to fill. Transfer contents to blender container. Blend in a few short bursts, using the ice crusher button if your appliance has one, until the ice is pulverized and foamy. Pour into glass and stir once to distribute ice. Garnish with cherry and serve immediately.

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This post is for Simona of Briciole and Lisa of Champaign Taste, co-hosting their quarterly Novel Food event, which features recipes derived from or inspired by the food and drink we love to read about in our favorite literature.

Telling Lies – Crustless Cherry Cinnamon Pie

2009-07-14T16:57:00.003-04:00

"When George," said she, "was about six years old, he was made the wealthy master of a hatchet! of which, like most little boys, he was immoderately fond, and was constantly going about chopping everything that came in his way. One day, in the garden, where he often amused himself hacking his mother's pea-sticks, he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly, that I don't believe the tree ever got the better of it. The next morning the old gentleman, finding out what had befallen his tree, which, by the by, was a great favourite, came into the house; and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author, declaring at the same time, that he would not have taken five guineas for his tree. Nobody could tell him anything about it. Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance. "George," said his father, " do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden? " This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all- conquering truth, he bravely cried out, " I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet."--"Run to my arms, you dearest boy," cried his father in transports, " run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold."

From Chapter 2 – Birth and Education
A History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington
By Parson Mason Locke Weems

It's a legendary anecdote familiar to nearly every American grade schooler, a devout and sincere tribute to “the father of his country,” and proof positive that the first president of the United States was a man of honor, integrity and truth. Too bad Parson Weems was lying through his teeth. Though George Washington continues to be held in high esteem as the indispensable keystone to the success of the American Revolution and the country's earliest government, there is no credence to the story that young George either cut down his father's cherry tree, nor that he honestly confessed to the deed upon questioning.

Things are often not what they seem to be. Why, just last week, I was wandering through lower Manhattan, where narrow, twisted streets, darkened in the shadows of financial skyscrapers, wind past venerated landmarks indelibly stamped in historic fact. So impressed I was by the grandeur and stateliness of Washington's statue presiding on the steps of glorious Federal Hall, that I had to stop to take a tourist picture.

Too bad the picture is lying through its teeth, too. Though carefully composed, it did require a strategic cropping out of a pair of police marksmen cradling their automatic rifles as they guarded the New York Stock Exchange entrance from a catecornered distance. I wonder what Washington would have made of it, or of Pastor Weems' folksy vignette, or of my crustless cherry pie. I have to be honest. Though this fruit-studded, spicy treat is billed as a pie, it is nothing remotely like a traditional American pie except for its shape and crumb top. More accurately, it is a dense wheel of very moist custard cake, a cross between a clafoutis and a bread pudding. I loved it for its rustic, comforting charm, butter-rich topping and chewy edges. And that's no lie.

Crustless Cherry Cinnamon Pie - Based on the Betty Crocker apple pie recipe

Ingredients

3 heaping cups pitted, halved sweet cherries (I used Bing)
(Fresh cherries work best. Do not use canned cherry pie filling; it is much too wet.)

1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 tablespoon shortening
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 batch crumb topping (recipe below)

Method

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch glass or porcelain pie, tart or quiche dish. Arrange prepared cherries evenly in dish. Reserve.

In a medium bowl, lightly rub flour, salt and shortening between your palms until a uniform, soft-crumbed mixture forms. It will look like very coarse meal. With a whisk, mix in cinnamon and brown sugar to combine. Add milk, eggs and extract, beating thoroughly to create a smooth batter. Pour batter over cherries in dish. Sprinkle crumb topping over entire surface of filling to cover it. Place on center rack of oven on a cookie sheet to catch any drips. Bake for at least 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. For a firmer, less moist texture, continue to bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until the edges are very brown (check every five minutes). Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before refrigerating. Pie will set best when fully cold, but can be enjoyed while still warm. For those who prefer a more cake-like texture, reduce milk to 1/3 cup or use only 1 egg. Serves 6-8. --

Crumb Topping (my own recipe)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
½ stick (4 tablespoons) firm butter or margarine, coarsely cubed
1/2 cup chopped almonds (or nut of your choice)

Method

In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Lightly rub and toss butter and dry ingredients between your palms until a uniform, soft-crumbed mixture forms. Handle as little as possible. It will look like very coarse meal. Add almonds, tossing lightly just to distribute evenly.

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Since this recipe heavily features cherries, I'm sending it off to Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu, hosting Weekend Herb Blogging # 192 for Haalo of Cook Almost Anything at Least Once. WHB is the long-running weekly produce event created by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

Cherries, currently ripe for the picking in northern climes, are not only one of the world's most cherished fruits, but are rich in Vitamin C, potassium, fiber and iron. At ninety calories per one-cup serving, naturally sweet black cherries are a guilt-free delight for most diets.

Bing Cherries - Black and Sweet

Been There, Done That ~

Cherry Almond Mini Tarts
White Peach Pie
Rosina Pie

Other Peoples' Eats ~

Cherry Pie - Two Ways
No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
Cherry Milkshake

MY LEGUME LOVE AFFAIR - PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

2009-07-01T20:40:00.006-04:00

It's been eighteen months since My Legume Love Affair first debuted as a one-off event. As ancient, enduring, versatile, economical, and healthy as legumes are, I was not expecting such a thunderous turnout of amazing recipes hailing from all over the globe - twenty, maybe fifty, but surely not 116! You have all overwhelmed, delighted and humbled me with your creativity, generosity and community spirit. Given the breadth and variety of your contributions, and my own desire to encourage a gathering place where legumes, as a valuable food source, can be celebrated for the hidden gems that they are, I reintroduced MLLA as an ongoing monthly event in August 2008. Nearly one year later, the round-ups are still going strong with hosts signed up through 2010.

Today marks the official start of MLLA's second year with its auspicious 13th month. I am very pleased to announce that in addition to the prize I customarily purchase and ship worldwide, Hurst Bean is generously donating a six-bag assortment case of their dried beans whenever the randomly drawn winner is a U.S. resident. (Certain restrictions prohibit international shipping.) The winner can select from a variety of bean products that are suitable for all palates and dietary considerations. Hurst Bean Blog will also be a regular recipe contributor to MLLA. N.B. - I do not receive free goods nor collect advertising revenue from Hurst.

This post will serve as an easy, one-stop destination for all MLLA-related information. It is a work in progress, to be updated as necessary. At the moment, it will house the host line-up as well as the round-up archives. I hope you will find these changes to MLLA to be as enriching as the beautiful recipes you set before us all. I thank each of you very much for your bounty - past, present and future.

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THE HOST LINEUP

Please email me directly at thewellseasonedcook AT yahoo DOT com if you are interested in hosting. It is the best way to reach me to avoid your request being overlooked among the many comments I receive. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pinto Beans Flameado - My Legume Love Affair - Twelfth Helping

2009-06-30T22:08:00.001-04:00

When one is too wired yet tired for words, it helps to let
your photos do the talking for you. I hope you will agree.

Pinto Bean Flameado – My own recipe
The traditional recipe is known as Queso Flameado (Flaming Cheese) and is doused with brandy and torched before serving. If your smoke detector is as sensitive as mine is, you may want to pass on the fire business. The alarm forgave me for charring the chiles (see below), but I always risk the howl from Hell when things get a little too hot in my kitchen.

Ingredients

1 cup assorted chile peppers, charred, skinned and diced* (I used poblano, jalapeños, and Hatch, in addition to sweet red and yellow bell peppers.)
2 generous cups cooked pinto beans
1/3 cup sliced ripe black olives (not the cured, salted Mediterranean type)
1 tablespoon dried epazote (or Mexican or Italian oregano)
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups assorted shredded soft Mexican or Mexican-style cheeses (I used Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Queso Quesadilla and Asadero.)

A few fresh cilantro leaves
6 warmed tortillas (white, wheat or corn)

Method

Using long-handled metal tongs, hold each pepper on an open flame, turning frequently, until all surfaces of its skin are blistered and charred. Place the charred peppers immediately in a brown paper bag, folding over the bag to seal. Set aside for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Meantime, combine beans, olives, epazote, salt and pepper in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Remove peppers from paper bag to a cutting board. Peel off and discard their skins, then cut off and discard the stems before scrapping out the seeds and softened membranes. If you like extra heat, retain the jalapeño seeds; otherwise, discard all seeds with the membranes. Dice peppers and add to the bean mixture. Adjust salt if necessary. Microwave mixture to heat through (1 minute), then divide into one or more oven-proof casserole dishes (depending on how you will serve it). Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Carefully remove hot dish/es from oven. Scatter with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with warmed tortillas. Serves 3-4 as a starter or 2 as a light, but hearty meal. --

This recipe is for Apu of Annarasa, hosting MLLA 12 for June. Apu has a charming round-up coming very soon. Please have a look at all the lovely legume recipes she's been collecting this past month from around the world. Apu will also be announcing the winner of a stylish set of kitchen textiles guaranteed to complement any decor as well as earn its keep.

I'll be returning tomorrow with another MLLA-related post. See you then!

CONGRATULATIONS TO.....

2009-06-28T20:09:00.002-04:00

Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums, and Val of More than Burnt Toast, winners of the complimentary copies of the bestselling "Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft" by Lauren Braun Costello and Russell Reich. Ladies, please contact me via email (see sidebar) with your mailing details.

Thank you, all, for your participation. I'll be back very soon with a MLLA recipe, as well as an announcement for a new, additional and ongoing monthly giveaway to celebrate MLLA's first year anniversary.

Hope you've enjoyed a wonderful weekend!

"Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft" – A Review and Giveaways

2009-06-21T18:00:00.006-04:00

The internal workings of a kitchen, with all its ingredients, equipment, fire and recipes, can sometimes be as mystifying and complicated as what goes on under the hood of a car. And the cook in charge, whether in a professional or home setting, must be a veritable mechanic with the tasks of coordination, safety, science and design squarely balanced on his or her shoulders. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a disciplined yet supportive voice whispering terse guidelines in your ear to glide you through the challenges that you might face at your stove? Well, now there is.

Written in a crisply concise, bulleted style, “Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft” by Lauren Braun Costello and Russell Reich, reads like The 217 Commandments of Cooking with nary a recipe to be found. Punctuated with food philosophy (“ 10 - Your soul is in your food.”) as well as dogmatic directives (“48 - Date and label perishables.”), this slim volume is fat on the kind of culinary wisdom that once contemplated, cannot help but often illuminate, validate and resonate, regardless of your level of expertise and interest. Novice cooks will particularly appreciate the fundamentals which dominate the book, such as stocking a larder, handling a blade, and controlling temperatures; the bullet-point format naturally lends itself to the basic principles that all cooks need to know. More experienced cooks will already be well versed in these tenets, but will enjoy, among other artistic elements, the leisurely delight of winding through a “word association” round robin of flavor affinities (“...balsamic vinegar & strawberries, strawberries & cream, cream & garlic...”) to spark their creativity beyond the well-mastered meal. As pleasurable to read as it is practical, "Notes on Cooking" is all about the little bites that you can really sink your teeth into.

And now, two lucky readers will be able to sink their teeth into a complimentary* copy of the book, generously provided to me by the authors, and includes worldwide shipping. Please leave a comment by 11:59 p.m. New York time on Saturday, June 27, to be included in a random drawing. The winning names which will be announced Sunday, June 28. To those who routinely comment anonymously, please include your first name so that your identity can be distinguished. Personal friends and family are not eligible to win.

*N.B. - This post marks the first official product review where I have accepted merchandise (the review copy and the giveaway copies). I agreed to review this book after carefully considering whether it would be valuable to my readership. My approach was unbiased, even clinical. At no time was I obliged to write a favorable review. As an established blogger with a substantial readership, I am routinely approached by public relations firms and other marketing agents to position products and services on The Well-Seasoned Cook. I will continue to be highly discriminating in my selections and pledge to maintain transparency in all transactions.

Maids in the Shade - Easy Richmond Maids of Honor

2009-06-12T12:43:00.004-04:00

You will want a translation, of course. Recipes are hard enough to follow at times without the added distress of being expected to dig up a coffin from some place. No, this isn't a spooky Halloween concoction months ahead of its time, but a rather simple-to-prepare dessert once you get past the funky Old English alphabet and lingo:

Take cream or almond milk, add egg with sugar, saffron and salt. Mix it
up. Pour it in a two-inch deep pastry case. Bake it well and serve it.

Recorded in the earliest English manuscript of cooking instruction, The Forme of Cury 1390 AD, Daryols (from the French) are custard tarts that have enjoyed many permutations through the ages, and are chiefly known today as Richmond Maids of Honor. Richmond, the London borough where King Henry VIII held court in Hampton Palace, claims direct titular connection to the diminutive treats, although the many theories seem to be based on legend or romantic fancies rather than hard facts. Regardless of their correct origin, Maids of Honor hold a special place on British tea tables and are one of the most foolproof cheesecake recipes available. Many medieval dishes revel in a certain elaborate simplicity, more elementary and primitive than exacting, despite ingredients that were exotic, priceless, and often exclusively for the consumption of royalty. With our modern conveniences of prepared pastry and jam, these hand-held gems can be ready for your tea (or coffee) in hardly more than half an hour, which will give you that much more time to linger in a little royal luxury all your own.

A "coffyn" made of phyllo.

Richmond Maids of Honor (Daryols) - My own streamlined recipe adapted from the 18th Century edition of The Forme of Cury by Samuel Pegge, above. The original 1390 AD manuscript can be found here, (in the Medieval Collection of The John Rylands University Library, The University of Manchester: The Forme of Cury, images 84v, 85f).

Ingredients

40 miniature pastry cups (I used phyllo.)
8 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup ground almonds (If you use pre-sweetened marzipan or almond paste, omit the sugar.)
1 egg
1 tablespoon almond extract (You can also use vanilla.)
1/2 cup jam of your choice (I used Francis Miot's Plaisir du Vert Galant, a lovely medieval-inspired indulgence from Alex, a friend who returned from Paris bearing beautiful gifts. Virtually impossible to find in the U.S., this is the sort of rarefied culinary treasure that you will not want to squander on a slice of aerated, flaccid white bread; better you should savor it by little licks directly off an ice-cold spoon.)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange pastry cups on a cookie sheet and place in oven for 4-5 minutes to crisp. Remove from oven and reserve.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and light. Sequentially beat in sugar, ground almonds, egg and almond extract until well blended.

Fill each pastry cup with a level teaspoon of batter. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the filling is shiny, cracked and set. Remove from oven and let cool. Top with scant and slapdash 1/2 teaspoons of jam; no need to be precise and fancy. Makes 40 two-bite tarts. --

This recipe is for Mansi of Fun and Food, hosting Sugar High Friday - Fruit & Nut for Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess, creator of Sugar High Friday, the long-running and popular monthly event.

Been There, Done That ~
Yorkshire Parkin
Almond Cherry Tarts
Simnel Cake

Other People's Eats ~
Richmond Maids of Honour
Darioles
Flaones

WEEKEND HERB BLOGGING #185 - THE ROUND-UP

2009-06-01T23:46:00.003-04:00

It's almost 12:00 a.m. here in New York. Over the last few years, I've become something of a night owl. OK, an insomniac, if you must know. And while I have learned to embrace the hours between the bewitched midnight and the crowing of the rooster at dawn, they sure do a hell of a number on one's disciplined diet. Dinner at eight only works to satisfy hunger if you hit the sheets before the day ticks into the next. Temptations are great to raid the cookie jar, and perusing this round-up of fine recipes from around the world is no help, either. So heed my cautionary tale to linger over this collection after daybreak or you might wind up breaking out the pots and pans again. You will thank me for it. And I will thank you for the beautiful array of dishes you've set before us all.

Please let me know if there are any errors or omissions, and I will quickly make corrections. Thanks always to Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen and Haalo of Cook Almost Anything at Least Once for the opportunity to host WHB again.

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The childhood comfort of okra is reprised in a medley of thickly
stewed vegetables in a sauce to curry a spice lover's favor.

Okra, Eggplant and Tomato Curry Over Quinoa
Katie - Eat This
Haslett, Michigan, U.S.A.

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Not to be confused with Western curry powders, handfuls of curry
plant leaves will leave you longing for more of their aromatic charm.

Spiced Powder
Soma - eCurry
Texas, U.S.A.

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Brightly baked, tender red peppers colorfully jazz up
classic Italian dumplings napped with a classic Italian sauce.

Gnocchi with Pesto and Red Peppers
Graziana - Erbe in Cucina
Italy

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Coils of tarragon suspended in tall glasses of green tea make
for a naturally sweet refreshment without the calories.

Tarragon Green Tea
Ning - Hearth and Home
Manila, Philippines

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If you've only known persimmons as an astringent fruit, this
autumn bread will give you a different reason to pucker your lips.

Persimmon Bourbon Bread
Anna - Morsels and Musings
Sydney, Australia

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With a texture akin to okra, and leaves clinging to wild vines,
this unique green proves that not all spinach is created equally.

Pui Chingri/Pohi Greens with Shrimp
Sandeepa - Bong Mom's Cookbook
U.S.A.

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Rosemary's resinous fragrance rises to fill a kitchen already ripe
with the distinctive homespun air of the freshest artisan bread.

Rosemary and Raisin Bread
Lynne - Cafe Lynnylu
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.A.

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Myriad herbs and spices bathe a gathering of meaty, oily
olives for an irresistible condiment for any festive table.

Marinated Moroccan Olives
Vicki - Flavors of the Sun
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

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Gloriously green peas get a flavorful spa treatment when
scattered with generous thin shreds of refreshing mint.

Peas with Prosciutto and Mint
Chris - Mele Cotte
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

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A glazed pot of chewy oats bubbling next to your automatic coffee maker feels
like morning maid service when you've taken a few steps the night before.

Crockpot Steelcut Oats with Agave and Pecans
Kalyn - Kalyn's Kitchen
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.

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Dazzle your next cocktail party with dramatic bowls of flash-fried
sunchokes, sure to win the kudos of the most jaded chip aficionado.

Jerusalem Artichoke Chips
Haalo - Cook Almost Anything at Least Once
Melbourne, Australia

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Love layered bands of delicate pastry but need to give your sweet tooth
a rest? Let local greens fill a savory sleeve of a meal with fresh seasonal flavors.

Green Strudel
Cinzia - Cindystar
Lake Garda, Italy

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Chilled pasta tossed with crushed salty and savory flavors
makes as ideal meal for warm evenings while dining al fresco.

Tapenade and Pasta
Brii - Brii's Blog in English
Valsorda, Lake Garda, Italy

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Flickers of rosemary are hidden in every bite of butter and almond
cakes baked with simple elegance in everyday muffin plaques.

Rosemary and White Peach Friands
Susan - The Well-Seasoned Cook
New York, U.S.A.

Haalo of Cook Almost Anything at Least Once will be hosting the current edition of Weekend Herb Blogging #186. She will be happy to receive your always creative recipes featuring any vegetable, fruit, edible plant or flower through next Sunday, June 6. Please consult this post for all the details.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Less is More - Rosemary and White Peach Friands - Weekend Herb Blogging #185

2009-05-31T16:49:00.010-04:00

See those teeny, tiny flecks of green? Don't be fooled - rosemary's

culinary power is anything but innocent and understated.

A slim and delicate relative of mighty, muscular pines, this comely
herb is suffused with medicinal and mystical properties that are
best handled with the lightest touch in and out of the kitchen.

Rosemary and White Peach Friands* - Another adaptation from Patricia Wells' recipe for Hazelnut Financiers from her Bistro Cooking, page 230, and online here

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup ground almonds (also known as almond flour or meal; almond paste and marzipan are different products)
1/2 cup cake flour
2 level tablespoons of very finely minced fresh rosemary needles or 1 level tablespoons dried needles, slightly crushed with a mortar and pestle
6 large unbeaten egg whites
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, melted and cooled in a small saucepan
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped peaches or other stone or berry fruit. (I used bits of white peach from homemade freezer jam that I just thawed out from last summer.)
1/3 cup almonds, slivered or chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift powdered sugar, almonds and flour into a large bowl. Add rosemary and whisk to combine. Pour in egg whites, beating with the whisk or a large spoon until they are well mixed. The batter will be wetter than you'd expect, moderately thick and slightly elastic. Pour in melted butter and stir until smoothly blended without any butter separating from the batter. Stir in vanilla extract.

Fill the well-greased depressions of a regular-sized muffin plaque (financier, barquette, madeleine or mini muffin sizes also work) almost to the rim with batter. Place on center oven rack to bake for 7 minutes. Carefully remove hot tin from oven and set on a heat-proof surface. Divide and arrange fruit and almonds on top of each friand, slightly pressing the toppings into the partially unset centers. Return plaque to oven. Reduce heat to 400 degrees F and continue baking another 7 minutes. Turn off heat to let them set in cooling oven for a final 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and lift cakes out as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Place them on a rack to complete cooling. Makes 12, or more if using the smaller aforementioned tins. Store in a tightly sealed tin or plastic container. --

* Friands are nearly indistinguishable from French financiers, the small, ultra-rich, moist and dense ground nut and butter cakes with their burnished, chewy crusts. They are wildly popular in the U.K. and Australia, often enhanced with fruit, and baked in oval muffin-like tins. I have yet to find this shape anywhere in the U.S. (despite several good sources for professional bakeware), and have used our typical round ones instead.

This recipe is for Weekend Herb Blogging #185, hosted by yours truly on behalf of Haalo of Cook Almost Anything at Least Once, mistress of ceremonies for the long-running weekly food event that was created over three years ago by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

The round-up will be online tomorrow, June 1, New York time. Do stop back for a taste of everything. I welcome late arrivals should some posts come to me after the deadline. Thanks always for your wonderful recipes!

Been There, Done That ~
Hazelnut Financiers
Yellow Raspberry & Rosemary Crisp
White Peach Crumb Top Pie

Other People's Eats ~
Banana Cinnamon Friands
Rosemary & Olive Oil Crackers
Easy Rosemary Focaccia