Lately I have found myself enjoying the comfort of my apartment and curling up on my couch while I listen to my favorite Cat Power, or Death Cab album. The perfect companion-- a warm cup of tea.
I grew accustomed to drinking tea daily when I was in India. We would have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon tea. Plus if you ever visited anyone's house they would quickly heat some up or send someone out to get it from the local tea stall. I will never forget rolling up to an Indian railway station in the middle of the night and hearing the tea whallas yelling Chai, Chai in a high pitched nasal voice.
Steeps of late:
- Ginseng Peppermint
- Good Earth Original Blend
- Celestial Seasonings- Bengal Spice
- South India
- Honeyroo- A rooiboos blend that has a honey flavor- at the local Coffee shop I was always labeled the "high maintenance tea boy because this tea takes 10 minutes to steep-- 10 minutes of wonder, anticipation, and enjoyment of the sent it emits.
- Lest we forget my mom's blend of "spice tea"- instant ice tea mixed with tang and cinnamon
I could not live without my oxo tri-tone whistling tea kettle, my bodum tea basket and my trusty selections of loose leaf tea.
2/27/2006
Uppuma Pittikkum!
Uppuma Pittikkum = I like uppuma
My fridge is rather bare today. I was gone all weekend and didn't have time to go shopping. I am left with the bare essesntials that remain in the firdge: left over indian chillis, curry leaves and that's about it, other than a leek and some lettuce.
I can't think of a better excuse to make one of my favorite comfort foods-Uppuma! Uppuma is a South Indian tiffin dish that is made from rava (aka cream of wheat- though I resist this definition because it is nothing like cream of wheat). You can find rava at any Indian grocery store. The rava is mixed with onions peas and spices and water and then forms into a thick maleable mixture. I like to fill a bowl full with uppuma and then turn the bowl upside down. It creates a little mold of uppuma.
To eat-- I mix the uppuma with yougurt and a little bit of sugar.
Uppuma
-1 cup rava
-1 1/2 teaspoon Ghee
First: Heat the ghee in a pan and "fry" the rava untill it turns light brown and emits a roasted smell.
-3 teaspoons oil
-1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
-1 tablespoon Begal Gram dal
-1 dried red chilli broken into pieces
Second: Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds dal and red chilli.
-few curry leaves
-1 big onion- diced
-3 green chillis- diced finely
Third: When the mustard seeds start to sputter add the curry leaves onion and green chilli.
-2 1/2 cups water
-frozen peas or mixed frozen vegetables
-salt to taste
Fourth Afer the onion turns golden brown add the water, peas and salt. Bring to a boil and add the rava slowly integrating into the boiling water. Stir until the consistancy becomes thick and the water is absorbed by the rava.
ENJOY: Add a dallop of yogurt and some sugar! Best of all-- eat it like an Indian and mix everything together with your fingers; form into a ball and scoop into your mouth. Eat with a glass of fresh lime soda or make a batch of Indian tea (darjeeling topped off with milk and plenty of sugar).
Note on Indian cooking:
I find that whenever I invite friends over for Indian food they are always impressed by my ability to make Indian food. It is a common misconception that Indian food is impossible and full of many multiple steps. I am here to tell you that, once you get over your fear of Indian cooking, it is very easy and methodical. I learned how to cook by sitting on the floor next to my Indian amma (mother) Karthama while she prepared all our food when I was studying abroad in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Observation is a great way to learn the flow and rhythym of Indian cooking.
Additionally, I always make sure I read the recipe and divide the recipe into seperate sections. Next I prep all the food and put them in little bowls according to what step they belong to. Then all it takes is assembling all the seperate parts and adding everything at the appropriate time.
Special Indian cooking gadget of the day: Masala Dabba. This is likely one of my most prized cooking possessions. It is a tin canister that has 6 little cups inside that
I put my essesntial Indian spices in and it has a cover that seals in all the flavor and keeps air out.When I am ready to make Indian food, I pull it out of the cabinet above my stove and have all my indian spices at my fingertips. I like to include: cumin seed, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, fenegrunk seed, tumeric, and curry powder. (a very South Indian spice combination). This little gadget also makea a great wedding or housewarming gift for anyone that enjoys Indian cooking. It is my signature gift paired with a South Indian cookbook.
Recommended South Indian cookbooks:
Nita Mehta's South Indian favorites. isbn 81-86004-15-5
Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India, by Chandra Padanabhan.
Cappatalama? (Shall we eat?)
My fridge is rather bare today. I was gone all weekend and didn't have time to go shopping. I am left with the bare essesntials that remain in the firdge: left over indian chillis, curry leaves and that's about it, other than a leek and some lettuce.
I can't think of a better excuse to make one of my favorite comfort foods-Uppuma! Uppuma is a South Indian tiffin dish that is made from rava (aka cream of wheat- though I resist this definition because it is nothing like cream of wheat). You can find rava at any Indian grocery store. The rava is mixed with onions peas and spices and water and then forms into a thick maleable mixture. I like to fill a bowl full with uppuma and then turn the bowl upside down. It creates a little mold of uppuma.
To eat-- I mix the uppuma with yougurt and a little bit of sugar.
Uppuma
-1 cup rava
-1 1/2 teaspoon Ghee
First: Heat the ghee in a pan and "fry" the rava untill it turns light brown and emits a roasted smell.
-3 teaspoons oil
-1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
-1 tablespoon Begal Gram dal
-1 dried red chilli broken into pieces
Second: Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds dal and red chilli.
-few curry leaves
-1 big onion- diced
-3 green chillis- diced finely
Third: When the mustard seeds start to sputter add the curry leaves onion and green chilli.
-2 1/2 cups water
-frozen peas or mixed frozen vegetables
-salt to taste
Fourth Afer the onion turns golden brown add the water, peas and salt. Bring to a boil and add the rava slowly integrating into the boiling water. Stir until the consistancy becomes thick and the water is absorbed by the rava.
ENJOY: Add a dallop of yogurt and some sugar! Best of all-- eat it like an Indian and mix everything together with your fingers; form into a ball and scoop into your mouth. Eat with a glass of fresh lime soda or make a batch of Indian tea (darjeeling topped off with milk and plenty of sugar).
Note on Indian cooking:
I find that whenever I invite friends over for Indian food they are always impressed by my ability to make Indian food. It is a common misconception that Indian food is impossible and full of many multiple steps. I am here to tell you that, once you get over your fear of Indian cooking, it is very easy and methodical. I learned how to cook by sitting on the floor next to my Indian amma (mother) Karthama while she prepared all our food when I was studying abroad in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Observation is a great way to learn the flow and rhythym of Indian cooking.
Additionally, I always make sure I read the recipe and divide the recipe into seperate sections. Next I prep all the food and put them in little bowls according to what step they belong to. Then all it takes is assembling all the seperate parts and adding everything at the appropriate time.
Special Indian cooking gadget of the day: Masala Dabba. This is likely one of my most prized cooking possessions. It is a tin canister that has 6 little cups inside that
I put my essesntial Indian spices in and it has a cover that seals in all the flavor and keeps air out.When I am ready to make Indian food, I pull it out of the cabinet above my stove and have all my indian spices at my fingertips. I like to include: cumin seed, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, fenegrunk seed, tumeric, and curry powder. (a very South Indian spice combination). This little gadget also makea a great wedding or housewarming gift for anyone that enjoys Indian cooking. It is my signature gift paired with a South Indian cookbook.Recommended South Indian cookbooks:
Nita Mehta's South Indian favorites. isbn 81-86004-15-5
Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India, by Chandra Padanabhan.
Cappatalama? (Shall we eat?)
2/26/2006
Polbano Heat
The first time I had this meal was at a work holiday party. I distinctly remember fresh corn tamales and this dish. Tonight I'm making it for two friends. It's simple, quick and packs a punch of polbano heat. It is a great way to use up all those polbanos that come in a co-op subscription in late summer. But I also like to warm up the winter months with some polbano heat.
First- broil or grill 7-8 polbano peppers until the skin is bubbly and black. Put them in a paper bag to let cool down and let the bag get steamy. Skin and take the seeds out of the middle of the pepper.
Second- blend the peppers and sour cream (to taste) in a food processor. Add salt to taste.
Meanwhile- boil spagetti.
Lastly- Mix the spagetti and polbano/sour cream mix. Place in a rectangle pan. Cover with mozzarella and heat in oven till the cheese starts to melt and turn brown.
This is a great meal and I like to refer to it as a polbano pesto with cheese.
Everyone always enjoys it!
Plus, this recipe makes a big dish which means you get to munch on it for the whole week as leftovers.
First- broil or grill 7-8 polbano peppers until the skin is bubbly and black. Put them in a paper bag to let cool down and let the bag get steamy. Skin and take the seeds out of the middle of the pepper.
Second- blend the peppers and sour cream (to taste) in a food processor. Add salt to taste.
Meanwhile- boil spagetti.
Lastly- Mix the spagetti and polbano/sour cream mix. Place in a rectangle pan. Cover with mozzarella and heat in oven till the cheese starts to melt and turn brown.
This is a great meal and I like to refer to it as a polbano pesto with cheese.
Everyone always enjoys it!
Plus, this recipe makes a big dish which means you get to munch on it for the whole week as leftovers.
2/24/2006
Peppery Roots
It is getting closer to radish season. I cannot wait. As a kid I remember hating them. They always showed up on vegetable platters and I always skipped over them. Then I discovered the packed peppery punch of the slender French Breakfast Radish. I love to crunch on them and enjoy their fresh peppery bite. They are best eaten by themself as a snack or on the side of a spring green salad. I can't wait till they show up in the market.
Delicious Revolution
Alice Waters made a call to arms today (02/24/06) in her Op e-d in the New York Times "Eating for Credit". She calls for a "Delicious Revolution" "that will induce children -in a pleasurable way- to think critically about what they eat." Waters has already won several battles and has liberated many of the past food oppression. Her edible schoolyard project teaches kids in public schools the importance of fresh local food and gives them a chance to integrate food into all subjects at school. The result- citizens that value good food and respect the earth that it comes from.
I like the sound of a delicious revolution. It is time for a regime change. We are surrounded by so many bland uninspiring foods that we consume, why not overthrow the blah regime and replace it with a delicious revolution. I remember the first free range chicken I ate (french cut breast from a local farmer at the dupont circle farmer's market in DC). I felt like I was eating chicken for the first time. For me everyday is a battle in the delicious revolution. Every meal we create and enjoy is a victory on the side of our taste buds.
The coming delicious revoultion will liberate us all of uninspired food and will enrich our lives with delicious food.
Stand up for deliciousness... start a delicious revolution in your backyard and your kitchen.
I like the sound of a delicious revolution. It is time for a regime change. We are surrounded by so many bland uninspiring foods that we consume, why not overthrow the blah regime and replace it with a delicious revolution. I remember the first free range chicken I ate (french cut breast from a local farmer at the dupont circle farmer's market in DC). I felt like I was eating chicken for the first time. For me everyday is a battle in the delicious revolution. Every meal we create and enjoy is a victory on the side of our taste buds.
The coming delicious revoultion will liberate us all of uninspired food and will enrich our lives with delicious food.
Stand up for deliciousness... start a delicious revolution in your backyard and your kitchen.
Inspiration
When cooking, I think inspiration is of prime importance. What makes you happpy? Why do you enjoy cooking? I find cooking inspiration in multiple places. Much of my inspiration derives from my senses.
Sight: Perhaps its in the beautiful displays of fresh produce at Whole Foods, or the many samples that let me try new things. Sometimes its a desire to try something new, or learn a new technique. Other times, I just like the look of a vegtable, or a can of tomatoes with a cool label on it. The farmer's market provides many inviting inspirations in the colors and freshness of everything. More than anything I love the colors mixing together in a saute pan- green celery, orange carrot, red tomato. Better yet are the mutiple shades of green produced from a diced leek. I love the colors of food.
Smell: As I walk by a fresh cart of oranges I am drawn to their citrus smell or the smell of fresh basil. Such smells pull me in and inspire a meal. Again the smell of freshly sauted produce YUM!
Touch: Sometimes I like to touch the food I'm looking at (yes I know this is perhaps unhygenic) what about those ripples on dinasaur kale? or the tightly held together broccoli heads?
Sound: The crack of a celery stalk, or the crunch of a carrot. The quick slice of a potato and the chopping sound of an onion.
Taste: I almost forgot the whole reason for all this cooking-- Your Taste Buds. Obviously, taste plays a big part in my inspiration. I remember a recent trip to the farmer's market. I had a sample of sorrel. I bit into the leaf and in return I had an explosion of lemony citrus flavor in my mouth. It was so juicy and all the flavor was packed into a little leaf. Taste leaves an imprint on my taste buds and continues to inspire all that I eat. Try some sorrel all by itself just washed, or add a light vinnegerette and you too can expeirience the joy of sorrel.
DESIRE: The strongest sence perhaps-- Sometimes I just have a craving for something-- my mom's beef strogenough, or minstrone soup. Desire many times controls my diet.
Inspiration is the root of good cooking!
Sight: Perhaps its in the beautiful displays of fresh produce at Whole Foods, or the many samples that let me try new things. Sometimes its a desire to try something new, or learn a new technique. Other times, I just like the look of a vegtable, or a can of tomatoes with a cool label on it. The farmer's market provides many inviting inspirations in the colors and freshness of everything. More than anything I love the colors mixing together in a saute pan- green celery, orange carrot, red tomato. Better yet are the mutiple shades of green produced from a diced leek. I love the colors of food.
Smell: As I walk by a fresh cart of oranges I am drawn to their citrus smell or the smell of fresh basil. Such smells pull me in and inspire a meal. Again the smell of freshly sauted produce YUM!
Touch: Sometimes I like to touch the food I'm looking at (yes I know this is perhaps unhygenic) what about those ripples on dinasaur kale? or the tightly held together broccoli heads?
Sound: The crack of a celery stalk, or the crunch of a carrot. The quick slice of a potato and the chopping sound of an onion.
Taste: I almost forgot the whole reason for all this cooking-- Your Taste Buds. Obviously, taste plays a big part in my inspiration. I remember a recent trip to the farmer's market. I had a sample of sorrel. I bit into the leaf and in return I had an explosion of lemony citrus flavor in my mouth. It was so juicy and all the flavor was packed into a little leaf. Taste leaves an imprint on my taste buds and continues to inspire all that I eat. Try some sorrel all by itself just washed, or add a light vinnegerette and you too can expeirience the joy of sorrel.
DESIRE: The strongest sence perhaps-- Sometimes I just have a craving for something-- my mom's beef strogenough, or minstrone soup. Desire many times controls my diet.
Inspiration is the root of good cooking!
Mushroom Power
This month's Food and Wine (Feb.) has a great article on the healthy qualities of eating mushrooms (pp 42). Additionally it talks about how the sponges of the earth are good for one's skin. This aspect of fungi skin products wierds me out a little bit, because I remember a dinner party where we had mushroom pate. The conseunsus of the party was that the pate looked, smelled and tasted like dirt-- fitting characterization given the source! So I still have a hard time contemplating a daily mushroom pate skin scrub.
With mushrooms on my mind, I ventured to Whole Foods and glanced at all the mushrooms, my eyes are always on alert for morels (delictable morsels of earthy goodness), instead I saw a basket of shittake mushrooms calling out my name. I filled a bag and was on may way to mushroom health.
My sliced shittake's found their home in a simple cream sauce (heavy cream and parmesean) with sauted onions and garlic, with a little white wine, and broccoli rabe over linguine. This turned out very good and went well with a side of roasted brussel sprouts with walnuts and raisins.
The next day for lunch I used the left over mushrooms and made an omelette with mushrooms and goat cheese.
Later on in the week the mushrooms were included in a cream cheese/butter/flour crusted tart with swiss chard, shittake mushrooms, bacon, leek and goat cheese.
Food and Wine's "Polbano and Chedder Stuffed Portobello" (Feb. pp.48) is also a GREAT meal.
The many uses of the mushroom- the sponge of the earth.
I can't wait for morel season
With mushrooms on my mind, I ventured to Whole Foods and glanced at all the mushrooms, my eyes are always on alert for morels (delictable morsels of earthy goodness), instead I saw a basket of shittake mushrooms calling out my name. I filled a bag and was on may way to mushroom health.
My sliced shittake's found their home in a simple cream sauce (heavy cream and parmesean) with sauted onions and garlic, with a little white wine, and broccoli rabe over linguine. This turned out very good and went well with a side of roasted brussel sprouts with walnuts and raisins.
The next day for lunch I used the left over mushrooms and made an omelette with mushrooms and goat cheese.
Later on in the week the mushrooms were included in a cream cheese/butter/flour crusted tart with swiss chard, shittake mushrooms, bacon, leek and goat cheese.
Food and Wine's "Polbano and Chedder Stuffed Portobello" (Feb. pp.48) is also a GREAT meal.
The many uses of the mushroom- the sponge of the earth.
I can't wait for morel season
Foodlog
As my culinary jigsaw mystery progresses each week I like to keep a record of what I made and how it turned out. I have found that a cooking journal/foodlog is a great way to remember what you made and who came over to share the meal. I also like to include the wine that we drink. It is fun to go back and see all the different creations that I have made.
I like to organize my food journal in two main sections 1) the food journal chronicling the finished products; 2) a section where I include all my list of things in the fridge and the outlined menus for the week.
I like to think someday when an archaeologist or a geneologist finds my food journal they may have some, if only slight, insight in the world we lived in in 2006.
Keep a foodlog!
More food to come next week- I will be out this weekend enjoying cafeteria style 4-H camp food. Perhaps I will be inspired with some broccoli casserole or mac n' cheese. YUM!
I like to organize my food journal in two main sections 1) the food journal chronicling the finished products; 2) a section where I include all my list of things in the fridge and the outlined menus for the week.
I like to think someday when an archaeologist or a geneologist finds my food journal they may have some, if only slight, insight in the world we lived in in 2006.
Keep a foodlog!
More food to come next week- I will be out this weekend enjoying cafeteria style 4-H camp food. Perhaps I will be inspired with some broccoli casserole or mac n' cheese. YUM!
2/23/2006
Origins
The Jigsaw Mystery has its origins in a winter basement apartment in DC. Feeling lonely and hungry, I started to take small pleasure in shopping for food, reading multiple cookbooks and then feeding myself and friends. I relish stopping by the grocery after work each evening strolling the produce aisle and looking for inspiration for the evening. Who ever thought that brussell sprouts or celery root could provide an evening of entertainment? Well I soon discovered that such fruits of the earth could entertain, sooth and make me happy.
I started by picking one vegetable each day that I had either never eaten before or remember hating as a child. The discovery and rediscovery of new and formerly despised foods (likes slimy brussell sprouts) led to many nights of plunging into cook books combining recipes and creating new Luke recipes. Part of the mystery involves learning as much as possible about the vegetable and different ways to use it. What caught my eye each day? Sometimes it was a weird looking vegetable- celery root, or I was attracted by the color, or other times I just liked the name- e.g. watercress. After discovering the vegetable, I would experiment and make various dishes.
Slowly, the processed evolved and I got a subscription to a local organic food co-op. This provided a completely new culinary mystery. Each week I opened a new box to discover what my canvas was for the week. The process began and I started planning meals and finding ways to use all the food. Fun thing about a co-op is- you have no control over what you get and have to figure out how to use it all.
RESULTS: a culinary adventure where I constantly discover new likes and dislikes and along the way fill my evenings and my belly with self indulgence.
I started by picking one vegetable each day that I had either never eaten before or remember hating as a child. The discovery and rediscovery of new and formerly despised foods (likes slimy brussell sprouts) led to many nights of plunging into cook books combining recipes and creating new Luke recipes. Part of the mystery involves learning as much as possible about the vegetable and different ways to use it. What caught my eye each day? Sometimes it was a weird looking vegetable- celery root, or I was attracted by the color, or other times I just liked the name- e.g. watercress. After discovering the vegetable, I would experiment and make various dishes.
Slowly, the processed evolved and I got a subscription to a local organic food co-op. This provided a completely new culinary mystery. Each week I opened a new box to discover what my canvas was for the week. The process began and I started planning meals and finding ways to use all the food. Fun thing about a co-op is- you have no control over what you get and have to figure out how to use it all.
RESULTS: a culinary adventure where I constantly discover new likes and dislikes and along the way fill my evenings and my belly with self indulgence.
Culinary Mystery of SUPREME Proportions
While not quite in the line of culinary mysteries, Ruthy is also one of my hero's and what a great Jewish mother she is--She even helps her co-justice on the Supreme Court wipe out some schmutz on his robe. Ruth Bader-- I love her. And the picture begs the question what was it that Alito ate for breakfast that was smudged on his robe? That indeed is a culinary mystery.
2/22/2006
cole crops unite around a cold day
Another friend just left and we had a nice reuinion with various winter vegtables. (the 3rd meal with friends of the week). Someone stop me!
First we had sauteed spinach with raisins and pine nuts
Second- linguine with brussell sprout leaves, asparagus, onions garlic, peas and goat cheese. My creation
dessert- an orange zest, rosemary and yogurt cake.
such a filling winter meal.
I love sharing food with friends. Food baby likes it too!
Julia oh Julia
NYtimes had a great article on my hero Julia Child in the magazine section this past week. She is the best former spy chef that I know. I suggest all of us Juliaphiles cut out the picture of her and place it someplace auspicious in our kitchen--- mine is on my fridge. ( in the hindu tradition of having a shrine to gods in the kitchen) And ironically enough one of Child's first posts as a spy was in the tamil and hindu land of Sri Lanka. I like the think the same sun that cast shadows on her and the steam from her pots in the piture also shines on me when I cook.
Plus a new book is comming out that was co-written with Julia - rememering her time in France when she began her passion for food it is: My Life in France," by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme
How to Enjoy your own Culinary Jigsaw Mystery
The enjoyment of creating yummy meals out of soon to be rotten food can be enjoyed by all. All it takes is a few idle moments at work, an imagination, curiosity, and no fear.
When you find yourself overwhelmed by all the produce in the fridge and cannot think of a way to use it before its expiration date or worse yet--- your fridge has started to smell-- This technique is a sure fire way to 1) nurish yourself, 2) not waste anything 3) clean out your fridge and prepare it for next week's puzzle.
First Step--Open the fridge door and out waifs a pungent smell- the smell of partially or rotten food- or at a minilmum you sight a fridge full of produce bags stuffed in every corner and have an axienty attack about how you will use it all before its impending doom- a return back to nature via either the decompopsition process or the human digestive tract.
Usually, when work or life gets me down or in a fit of bordom- I lean back in my chair and start typing a list of everything in my fridge. The perfect part of this technique is that to all outside observers you are hard at work typing on the computer. Little do they know that you are planning a war on partially rotten food that lurks in the fridge. This process is somewhat like those MENSA and intelligence tests, where the instructor shows you a drawer full of objects and 10 minutes later you are asked to recall what was in the drawer. Make a list of the impending casulties in your war on wasted produce, AKA collateral damage.
Next- I start the process of putting the puzzle together. Oh those two things sound good- maybe I'll make something with them. As you go along you find the puzzle coming together. Slowly the puzzle's "picture" appears. This is the satisfying part of the process-- but satisfying yet is the consumption of the puzzle.
Then finally you have a comprehensive list of meals for the remaining of the week. Perhaps there is a loner in the bunch but if you look hard enough you will find the jagged edged puzzle piece that completes your gourmet jigsaw puzzle.
Last step - cook the puzzle
Then next week you take all the puzzle pieces, throw them in the air and you get to start all over again.
When you find yourself overwhelmed by all the produce in the fridge and cannot think of a way to use it before its expiration date or worse yet--- your fridge has started to smell-- This technique is a sure fire way to 1) nurish yourself, 2) not waste anything 3) clean out your fridge and prepare it for next week's puzzle.
First Step--Open the fridge door and out waifs a pungent smell- the smell of partially or rotten food- or at a minilmum you sight a fridge full of produce bags stuffed in every corner and have an axienty attack about how you will use it all before its impending doom- a return back to nature via either the decompopsition process or the human digestive tract.
Usually, when work or life gets me down or in a fit of bordom- I lean back in my chair and start typing a list of everything in my fridge. The perfect part of this technique is that to all outside observers you are hard at work typing on the computer. Little do they know that you are planning a war on partially rotten food that lurks in the fridge. This process is somewhat like those MENSA and intelligence tests, where the instructor shows you a drawer full of objects and 10 minutes later you are asked to recall what was in the drawer. Make a list of the impending casulties in your war on wasted produce, AKA collateral damage.
Next- I start the process of putting the puzzle together. Oh those two things sound good- maybe I'll make something with them. As you go along you find the puzzle coming together. Slowly the puzzle's "picture" appears. This is the satisfying part of the process-- but satisfying yet is the consumption of the puzzle.
Then finally you have a comprehensive list of meals for the remaining of the week. Perhaps there is a loner in the bunch but if you look hard enough you will find the jagged edged puzzle piece that completes your gourmet jigsaw puzzle.
Last step - cook the puzzle
Then next week you take all the puzzle pieces, throw them in the air and you get to start all over again.
Fermented Rice Crepes (dosai)
For all those non- tamilians out there Fermented Rice Crepes is AKA Dosai. The quintessential south indian "snack" (tiffin) food. Paired with a spicy coconut chutney or a sambar (thick veggi stew) the dosai is a perfect way to wake up and start your day off with spice. (its a traditionally breakfast food in south india)
On Saturday I got my new 7 cup Cuisinart and have been itching to use it to make my own Doasi batter from scratch. Scratch indeed. The process requires:
1) soaking special "boiled" rice and lentils and fenegrunk seed overnight ( i had to treck to three indian grocery stores-- ending at the Tamil owned one in town to find the special rice and ended up luging home a 25 pound bag of rice that is only used to make dosai)
2) after a good overnight soak, grind the water logged grains in the food processor
3) mix together the two soaked mixtures and let ferment for another 12 hours.
The important process is the fermentation of the batter- yes it is strange to think of fermented rice and indeed the mixture emmits a sour smell and sour taste- but as with other fermented things- these fermented grains are wonderful
My food processor did not completely grind the waterlogged grains smooth enough the first time so I gave it a double processed grinding. ( in India they have these contraptions that are composed of a big stone bowl with another big stone cone that rotates around the bowl and smashes the grain into a smooth paste---Even better-you can make this by manually rolling a stone rolling pin against a stone valley to create the batter). I succombed to modern technology and have become complacent with the less than smooth batter the cuisinart creates.
Modern or stone ground-- either way these crepes are delicious.
It took about ten trys before the pan was hot enough where I could flip the dosai without it falling apart.
Paired with a good coconut chutney ( compliments of the cuisinart) and a mixture of iddli podi ( more ground spices into a powder mixed with veggi oil--- adds a nice light spice to the meal).
On Saturday I got my new 7 cup Cuisinart and have been itching to use it to make my own Doasi batter from scratch. Scratch indeed. The process requires:
1) soaking special "boiled" rice and lentils and fenegrunk seed overnight ( i had to treck to three indian grocery stores-- ending at the Tamil owned one in town to find the special rice and ended up luging home a 25 pound bag of rice that is only used to make dosai)
2) after a good overnight soak, grind the water logged grains in the food processor
3) mix together the two soaked mixtures and let ferment for another 12 hours.
The important process is the fermentation of the batter- yes it is strange to think of fermented rice and indeed the mixture emmits a sour smell and sour taste- but as with other fermented things- these fermented grains are wonderful
My food processor did not completely grind the waterlogged grains smooth enough the first time so I gave it a double processed grinding. ( in India they have these contraptions that are composed of a big stone bowl with another big stone cone that rotates around the bowl and smashes the grain into a smooth paste---Even better-you can make this by manually rolling a stone rolling pin against a stone valley to create the batter). I succombed to modern technology and have become complacent with the less than smooth batter the cuisinart creates.
Modern or stone ground-- either way these crepes are delicious.
It took about ten trys before the pan was hot enough where I could flip the dosai without it falling apart.
Paired with a good coconut chutney ( compliments of the cuisinart) and a mixture of iddli podi ( more ground spices into a powder mixed with veggi oil--- adds a nice light spice to the meal).
What is the Culinary Jigsaw Mystery?
Every week when I'm bored at work or at school I sit back and ponder all the things lurking in the fridge waiting to either rot or be eaten. My goal is to eat rather than let rot. Sometimes it ends up in yummy meals other times simply nourishment for a body in need of calories Simply a record of the multiple jigsaw puzzles that I put together with all the bounty in my fridge each week. Its always a mystery what will surface out of the larder and always a joy to discover a great meal from food that would otherwise rot.
Strangers in the fridge
So I decided to have friends over for the 2nd time this week. My cooking fun is turning into a nerosis. I looked in the fridge and had a strange combination of things:
-a couple leafs of swiss chard
-old goat cheese in need of being used
-pasta
-half a can of whole tomatoes
-cannallini beans
-bacon
-rosemary
So I figured lets make a pasta with a thick/dense sauce. Though the sauce was less of a sauce and more of a saute on top of a nest of pasta.
Saute: onion and garlic with rosemary and red pepper flakes
Add: chard and tomatoes.
Toss: cooked spaggehti with saute and goat cheese.
Result: Food baby is happy! A great way to get rid of the old goat cheese stray chard and canned tomatoes
-a couple leafs of swiss chard
-old goat cheese in need of being used
-pasta
-half a can of whole tomatoes
-cannallini beans
-bacon
-rosemary
So I figured lets make a pasta with a thick/dense sauce. Though the sauce was less of a sauce and more of a saute on top of a nest of pasta.
Saute: onion and garlic with rosemary and red pepper flakes
Add: chard and tomatoes.
Toss: cooked spaggehti with saute and goat cheese.
Result: Food baby is happy! A great way to get rid of the old goat cheese stray chard and canned tomatoes
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