Month: November 2008

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo

/ Ren

Cooked chicken, andouille sausage, onions, jalapeno, parsley, Cajun spices, scallions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, oil, flour, chicken stock, S&P, cayenne and bay.

Begin by browning sausage in a tablespoon of oil.  Remove sausage to drain, reserving rendered fat.

Brown chicken in reserved fat with dry herbs and spices.  Remove chicken to drain, reserving fat.

Add enough butter to approximately double the amount of fat in the ban and allow to brown slightly. Add flour in batches, cooking and stirring continuously until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Continue stirring and cooking until the roux has the color of chocolate, about 20 mintes.

Add the vegetables (except scallions and parsley) to the roux and cook 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and the reserved chicken and sausage.  Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 1 1/2 hours.  Adjust seasoning.

Put a mound of cooked rice in a soup bowl and top with scallions and parsley.  Ladle hot gumbo over the top and serve with lots of hot sauce.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Tuna Salad

/ Ren

Chopped egg, cucumber, scallions, pickled ginger, shaved fennel, black and white sesame seeds, spinach, lemon wasabi, sashimi-grade ahi, sesame oil and shoyu.

Toss the salad ingredients together and moisten with a little brown rice vinegar.  Season lightly with salt and pepper. Briefly marinate the tuna in shoyu with a little sesame oil while the skillet heats.

Sear the tuna over medium-high heat for two minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes.

Plate the salad and top with sliced tuna. Dress with wasabi and a scant amount of the marinade.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Thanksgiving, part two

/ Ren

For the bird: fresh sage, dry rub, garlic, butter, honey, stock, bourbon. remove the bird from the brine and rinse it thoroughly inside and out. Pat dry. Cream together softened butter, snipped sage and minced garlic.  Use your fingers to carefully seperate the skin from the flesh, creating a pocket on either side of the breast.  Put the butter mixture into these pockets, pressing with your fingers to distribute as far as possible.  See how the whole breast area looks yellow now?  Thats the herb butter.  Dress the outside of the bird with melted butter, honey, bourbon and dry rub mixture.  Put into a preheated 500 degree oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

For the garlic mashed potatoes: diced red potatoes with some skin left on, garlic, onion chives, milk, truffle butter and S&P.

For the dressing: dried herbs, celery, onion, parsley, baguette, stock, butter and S&P.

After 30 minutes, baste the bird with honey and bourbon and return to the oven.

For the bean dish: haricot vert, half & half, mustard seed, mushrooms, onion, buckwheat flour (I made this by grinding hulled buckwheat in a spice grinder), olive oil, nutritional yeast and S&P.

Toast the bread for the dressing. Saute the celery, onion, herbs and spices.  Moisten with stock, then put the pan in the oven with the bird.

Remove the bird when the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees – it will continue to cook a little while on the counter.

Boil the potatoes.  Drop the bundle of beans in the same pot for 3 minutes, then remove to a bowl of ice water.

Dredge thinly sliced onions in seasoned buckwheat flour and fry in olive oil until golden brown.  Set aside to drain.

Saute the beans and mushrooms.  Add half & half and cracked mustard seed and reduce over medium-low heat until thickened.  Season with S&P.

Mash the potatoes with milk, onion chives, garlic and truffle butter. Season with S&P.

Assemble the plate: thick slices of honey bourbon roasted fowl, bread dressing, green beans with mushrooms and fried onions, garlic mashed potatoes with pan gravy and cranberry rhubarb chutney with sliced persimmon.  Serve with a glass of chilled hibiscus mead.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Thanksgiving, part one

/ Ren

Brining solution: kosher salt with peppercorns, herbs and garlic, honey, bourbon and fresh sage. Bring a small pot of water to the boil and add the salt and bourbon, stirring until the salt is dissolved.  Turn off the heat and add snipped sage and honey.  Allow to cool to room temperature before pouring over the bird with sufficient additional water to submerge the bird.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Mead: Add simmered hibiscus calyses to traditional mead.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Cranberry rhubarb chutney: cloves, ginger, coarse mustard, onion, rhubarb, cranberries, salt, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, non-refined sugar, raisins and apple cider vinegar.  Cook rhubarb, cranberries, onions and sugar together until the cranberries pop and the juices that are released dissolve the sugar, about 15-20 minutes.  Add raisins, mustard, ginger, vinegar and spices and cook over low heat until thickened, about 10-15 minutes.  Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Turkey stock: celery, carrot, thyme, bay, peppercorns, parsley, onion and turkey necks.  Brown the necks in a little until well colored, about 15 minutes. Add vegetables and cook until glazed, about 5 minutes.  Cover necks and vegetables with cold water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and skim away any foam.  Add herbs and simmer 4 hours.  Strain into a clean container and allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Brussels Sprouts Gratinoise

/ Ren

Mustard seeds, shallot, garlic, lemon juice, Brussels sprouts, S&P, pancetta, multi-grain bread.

Grind the mustard seeds and set aside.

Dice the pancetta, garlic and shallot.  Cook the pancetta in a heavy pan over medium heat until golden brown. Add the garlic and shallot and sautee until garlic begins to melt, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the blanched, trimmed and split Brussels sprouts, and cook until browned.  Add the mustard seed, salt & pepper and croutons.  Sprinkle with a few drops of lemon juice just before serving.

A bit of pot roast and some hibiscus tea go nicely..

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Agua de Jamaica

/ Ren

Also known as hibiscus tea, agua de Jamaica (unlike the country, it is pronounced ha-MIKE-uh in Spanish) is an infusion of the calyces of the hibiscus sabdariffa flower, native to Latin America and popular throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Agua de Jamaica is high in vitamin C and is considered to have anti-hypertensive properties.  It is thought that the antioxidant flavonoids, polyphenolics and anthocyanins contained in the flower play a role in preventing the oxidation of low density lipoproteins, the so-called “bad cholesterol”.

Oh, and it tastes great!

Traditionally made using only the hibiscus calyces, water and sugar, I’m using hibiscus calyces (flor de Jamaica in Mexico), water, ginger root and agave nectar.

Rinse the calyces in cold water to remove any debris, then place in a pot of boiling water (approximately 1 cup calyces to 2 cups water) with a length of bruised ginger. Cover, remove from heat and steep for at least 10 minutes.

Add a tray of ice cubes and allow to cool. Strain through fine-mesh strainer, gently pressing the leaves to release their juice.  Sweeten to taste.

Middle Eastern Lamb Chops with Curried Kuskus

/ Ren

Lamb chops in spicy Tunisian harissa and Mediterranean curried kuskus with peas and carrots.

Curry blend with dried vegetables, harissa, cumin, cinnamon, mint, savory, chicken stock, tomato puree, kuskus, kosher salt, lemon juice, lamb chops, tomato, carrot, celery, green onion, garlic and peas.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle kosher salt on lamb chops and set aside at room temperature.

Peel, seed and crush 2 tomatoes, setting 1 aside.  Cook the other tomato over medium-low heat with garlic, tomato puree, cumin, cinnamon, mint, savory and harissa to taste until thickened, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting.

Arrange the lamb chops in an iron skillet with enough port wine to just cover the bottom of the pan.  Spoon spicy tomato sauce over each chop, coating well.  Place in oven and cook 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, flip the chops, cover with more sauce and add more port if the pan is dry. Cook another 10-15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 125 degree for medium-rare.  Remove pan from oven and allow chops to rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the coussous.  Saute the carrots, celery and green onions in a little oil until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the curry mix and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the kuskus and peas, reduce heat to low cover, and cook until done, about 8 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.

Add reserved chopped tomato to the sauce and heat through.

Serve the chops with additional sauce over the top.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

I got yer Brussels sprouts right here.

/ Ren

(Wikipedia) Fore-runners to modern Brussels sprouts were likely cultivated in ancient Rome. Brussels sprouts as we now know them were grown possibly as early as the 1200s in what is now Belgium.[1] The first written reference dates to 1587.[1] During the sixteenth century they enjoyed a popularity in the southern Netherlands that eventually spread throughout the cooler parts of Northern Europe.[2]

Brussels sprouts grow in temperature ranges of 7 to 24°C (45 to 75°F), with highest yields at 15 to 18°C (60 to 65°F).[2] Plants grow from seeds in seed beds or greenhouses, and are transplanted to growing fields.[2]. Fields are ready for harvest 90-180 days after planting.[1] The edible sprouts grow like buds in a spiral array on the side of long thick stalks of approximately 2-4 feet in height, maturing over several weeks from the lower to the upper part of the stalk. Sprouts may be picked by hand into baskets, in which case several harvests are made of 5-15 sprouts at a time, by cutting the entire stalk at once for processing, or by mechanical harvester, depending on variety.[1] Each stalk can produce 1.1 to 1.4 kg (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), although the commercial yield is approximately 0.9kg (2 pounds) per stalk.[2].

Brussels sprouts are among the same family that includes cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi. They contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fibre. Moreover, they are believed to protect against colon cancer, due to their containing sinigrin. Brussels sprouts are cruciferous.

Steak night

/ Ren

Sirloin steak, red pepper, garlic, shallot, jalapeno, sweet corn, thyme, onion chives, black truffle butter, russet potato, pasture butter, kosher salt, olive oil and black pepper.

With a stiff brush, scrub the potato under cold running water.  Remove any bad spots with the tip of a sharp knife.  Pat the potato dry, then rub lightly with olive oil and sprinkle all over with kosher salt.  Poke with a fork, then roast in a 400 degree oven until internal temperature reaches 210 degrees, about 45-60 minutes.

Lightly sprinkle the steak with kosher salt then set it aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.  This will help to ensure that we get the all-important Maillard reaction later.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables as shown.  I’ve decided to add chili powder and cilantro for the corn.

15 minutes before the potato is ready, pat the steak dry and put it into a hot iron grill pan. Sear it for 5 minutes without moving it.  Flip the steak over and smear it all over with butter containing minced shallot, garlic and thyme.

Saute the corn with the peppers until light golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add cilantro and chili powder.

Remove steak to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes to redistribute the juices.  Meanwhile, deglaze the steak pan with a little red wine.

Plate the steak and top it with pan juices and a little of the garlic butter.  Serve with the corn and baked potato topped with truffle butter and onion chives.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Watermelon Syrup

/ Ren

“Wherever you are, we must do the best we can. It is so far to travel, and we have nothing here to travel, except watermelon sugar.  I hope this works out…”

Skin and gut a fine watermelon or three.  Liquefy them by whatever means necessary, then pour the mass into a fine-mesh strainer set over a heavy-duty saucepan. Press the mass with a ladle or the back of a spoon to extract all the juice.  Try not to waste a drop.

Bring the juice to a quick boil, then skim off the foam.  Using a candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer, adjust the cooking temperature to around 220 degrees.  Its OK if you don’t get it exactly right.

Using a vented glass lid has the benefit of allowing you to see what’s going on as well as to wash down the sides of the pan so that you don’t have to.  Regardless, things are going to get a little sticky around here as the goal is to reduce the liquid to about 25-30% of its former volume.  The more you reduce it, the thicker and sweeter and darker it gets.  This is a good, good, very good thing.

Use your own taste buds to declare the moment of attainment of the ambrosial state, then remove the pan from the heat and allow to completely cool (still covered) before transferring to a glass container for keeps.

OK, so how many for buckwheat pancakes w/watermelon syrup, scrambled eggs & smoky tempeh strips?

Beef Stock

/ Ren

No sodium, hydrolyzed yeast extract, butylated hydroxyanisole, sugar or artificial anything here.

Nothing you can buy in the store costs less or tastes anywhere near as good as homemade beef stock.  It could not be any easier.

Roast meaty beef bones at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once.  Add about 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and coarsely chopped celery, onions, carrots and garlic to the pan and roast another 30 minutes.

Transfer the browned bones to a Dutch oven, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.  Skim off the foam then transfer the vegetables to the pot with the bones. Discard the rendered fat or set aside for another purpose if that’s your want- just don’t let it near the stock pot.

Deglaze the roasting pan with red wine, scraping up all the brown bits.  Add this to the pot with parsley, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf and a couple of whole cloves.

Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 4 or 5 hours, occasionally skimming away any accumulated foam.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer and allow to cool completely.  Refrigerate and use within 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Pasta with Sea Conch and White Clam Sauce

/ Ren

A variation of the classic Linguine with White Clam Sauce.  Tasted much better than it looks in the pictures, by the way; seems I need to acquire some camera skills along with a decent camera.  Ah, well..

Sea conch, Pacific clams, S&P, white wine, my home-dried Italian herb blend, red chili flakes, red bell pepper, scallions, garlic, celery, butter, half & half and long pasta.

Drain the conch and clams over a sauce pan and set aside.  Add white wine, S&P and half & half to the liquor and and bring to simmer.  Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced by half, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, mince the seafood and chop the vegetables.

Cook the vegetables and seafood in a little butter and olive oil until “relaxed” in texture but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add herbs and pepper flakes.

Add the white sauce and simmer gently until thick, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and combine with other ingredients.

Serve with bruschetta and a spinach salad, if you like.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Steak Udon

/ Ren

Good stir-fry demands a proper, seasoned wok.  Properly cared for, this $15 wood-handled carbon steel model will last for years.

Cilantro, white miso, ginger, chili pepper, chives, scallions, red bell pepper, garlic, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, fresh udon noodles, sirloin steak, plum vinegar, sesame oil, brown rice vinegar and soy sauce.

While preparing the vegetables, marinate the steak in a non-reactive container with soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegars for about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil (I’m using a high-heat tea oil made for this purpose) until it shimmers.  Test its readiness by dropping a small piece of beef onto the sloped side- it should sizzle and brown immediately.

Add the meat to the hot oil, drawing it up the sides and around the perimeter of the wok.  Let sizzle undisturbed until the pan recovers all its heat.  Add the vegetables to the center of the pan and stir to combine.

Continue to cook by drawing the meat and vegetables up the side of the pan.  Add a few tablespoons of the marinade to the pan and quickly heat the tofu, udon noodles, miso and cilantro.  Stir to combine.

Serve with additional soy sauce, hot chili sauce and sake, if desired.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Chicken & Biscuits

/ Ren

A one-skillet dinner, adapted from a recipe at the always-tasty What Geeks Eat

Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme, celery, onion, potato, carrots, milk, baking powder, S&P, roasted chicken stock concentrate, all-purpose flour, white wine, butter and bone-in chicken thighs.

Prep the vegetables.  Cook the potatoes to about half done in a little olive oil and butter.  Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to cook until colored but slightly underdone (the flavor of root vegetables is enhanced by browning).  Set the vegetables aside.

Add a little more butter & olive oil to the pan and brown the chicken well on all sides.  Continue to cook the chicken until slightly underdone.  Set the chicken aside.

Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add herbs, liquid chicken stock and a spoonful of the concentrate to pan and reduce over high heat until reduced by half.  Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan and simmer over low heat while preparing the biscuits.

Make a basic biscuit dough from flour, salt, baking powder, milk and cold butter.  Roll the dough into a cylinder then cut into 1 inch thick biscuits.  Place biscuits on top of chicken then put the skillet into a 400 degree oven until the chicken is cooked through and the biscuits are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve 2 thighs and biscuits per adult.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Arroz con Habichuelas y Nopalitos

/ Ren

Red Beans and Rice with Prickly Pear Cactus

Dried red beans and rice, hot sauce, dried herbs and spices with bell peppers, S&P, Mexican oregano, tomato, red onion, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno and a cactus paddle.

Prepare the rice and beans according to package directions or even better, make your own.

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables. 10 minutes before the rice is done, saute all but the cactus until tender, about 4 minutes.

Grill the cleaned cactus paddle for 2-3 minutes per side until fork-tender.  Take care not to overcook.

Fold all the vegetables into the bean and rice mixture and cook another 2 minutes to distribute flavors.

Serve topped with a squeeze of lime, queso bola and hot sauce.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Adobado Turkey with Pomegranate Molasses and Cornbread Dressing

/ Ren

Turkey breast tenderloin, brining mixture, dried chili blend, cornmeal, non-refined sugar, butter, pomegranate, cilantro and lemon juice.

Dissolve brine mix in cold water, add chili blend and pour over turkey.  Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.

Gather the rest of your ingredients.

Prepare the turkey by coating in melted butter then rolling in a mixture of coarse corn meal cut with a little flour, cilantro and chili blend.  Place into a 350 degree oven and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, about 1 hour.

Prep the ingredients for the cornbread dressing.  Butter, pomegranate seeds, leftover cornbread cut into cubes, onion, celery, jalapeno and poultry seasoning.

Bring 2 cups pomegranate juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1/4 cup non-refined sugar to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 hour or until the consistency is that of a thick syrup.

Drizzle the pomegranate molasses oven the turkey and return to the oven until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Saute celery, onion and jalapeno in buter until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add cornbread and cook until it begins to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Moisten with chicken stock and stir in the pomegranate seeds.

Slice the turkey on a bias and top with pan drippings and a little reserved molasses.

Crispy, tender, juicy, sweet/tart and spicy.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Beeff in a Faire Possenet

/ Ren

Beef Pot Roast, adapted from 16th century recipes using techniques suggested by Cooks Illustrated.

“Take faire ffresh beef, and (if thou wilt) roste hit til hit be nygh ynowe; theñ put hit in a faire possenet”

Beef chuck, garlic, thyme, bay, bacon, horseradish root, gelatin leaves, celery root, onion, wine, S&P, stock, parsley, carrots and turnips (I decided not to use the potatoes after the picture was taken).  Not shown: barley, barley malt, mushrooms and flour.

Following the natural seam, pull/cut the roast in two. Trim away thickest fat, but leave some thin layers intact.

Sprinkle roasts on all sides with kosher salt and place on a rack to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.  After about 15 minutes, you will begin to see moisture (containing sugars and proteins) forming on the surfaces of the meat.  The osmotic effect will begin to reverse after about 30 minutes as the salt partially dissolves and the liquids are reabsorbed.  Salting the meat helps to ensure a proper Maillard reaction which is critical to the success of this recipe.

While the meat is resting, cut the bacon into 1/2 inch dice and cook over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven until all the fat is rendered, about 10 minutes.  Set cooked bacon aside and pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the melted fat.

Meanwhile, reduce an entire bottle of decent red wine (more fruity than dry) until the volume is halved.

Blot any remaining moisture from meat, pepper it on all sides and brown well on all sides in the bacon fat. Remove from pan and set aside.

Using the same pan, cook the onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cooked bacon and about 1 tablespoon of flour and cook another minute.

Add reduced wine and broth to the pan with the onions, scraping the sides and bottom to release the fond.

Put the browned meat and its juices into the pot. Seal the pot with foil, cover and place into a 300 degree oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the pot from the oven and turn the meat over. Replace foil and lid and put back into the oven for another hour.

Prep the rest of the ingredients- celery leaves, stalks, celery root, carrots, barley, mushrooms and turnips.

After 2 hours of cooking, remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the meat to a rack and cover with the foil to keep warm.

Turn up the heat on the cooking liquid and reduce its volume by half.

Meanwhile, saute the celery root and turnips in butter until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add this to the pot of cooking liquid.

Saute carrots and celery stalks in butter until browned, about 5 minutes.  Glaze with a spoonful of barley malt before transferring to the pot with the turnips.

Salt the mushrooms and saute in butter until browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms to the pot with the rest of the vegetables.

Add the cold-water softened gelatin to the pot and stir until dissolved.

Cut meat into thick slices and ladle gravy and vegetables over the top.  Garnish with chopped celery leaves and grated horseradish and serve accompanied with a glass of wine and a dish of hot, roasted chestnuts.

By far the best pot roast and one of the most satisfying meals in recent memory.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Winter Stores

/ Ren

img_1489

I’ve been busy putting by goods against the uncertainty of the coming months- a little bit each week.

Shown here are Roma tomatoes, garlic packed in oil and coarse salt, chilies, mushrooms, smoked and dried jalapenos, savory and lemon grass.

Headed for the dryer tonight are epazote, great piles of purple basil and marjoram. Come February I hope to still be enjoying the local bounty and not buying goods of dubious circumstance, flown in from distant hemispheres.

Chili

/ Ren

“…During the 1880s, brightly-dressed Hispanic women known as “Chili Queens” began to operate around Military Plaza and other public gathering places in downtown San Antonio. They would appear at dusk, building charcoal or wood fires to reheat cauldrons of pre-cooked chili, selling it by the bowl to passers-by. The aroma was a potent sales pitch…” (Wikipedia)  Visit npr.org for more information about The Chili Queens of San Antonio.

Chili con carne, Texas-style chili, Pedernales River chili, white chili, Cincinnati-style chili, Louisville style chili, chile verde.  All very different. All very good.

This unique chile selectively borrows from many of these traditions.  It would, of course be immediately disqualified from any self-respecting Texas chili cook-off.

Tomatillos, cilantro, masa flour, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, 3-bean chili beans, onion, queso Oaxaca bola (string cheese), Mexican oregano (related to lemon verbena, Mexican oregano is stronger than the Greek and Italian varieties), celery, Mexican dark beer, annatto oil, chipotles en adobo, 90% lean coarse-ground chili meat, dried ancho with cumin, pepper and cloves, red Frisco peppers, garlic, dark chocolate with cocoa nibs, cinnamon and chipotle and sweet white corn. Not shown: beef stock

In a Dutch oven, brown the meat in a little annatto oil. Drain any excess fat.

Chop the peppers, celery, onion, tomatillos and garlic and add to the meat.  Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft.

Add tomatoes, crushed ancho blend and chipotles en adobo. Allow the chili to come to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer.

Add beer and beef stock. Chili should be thin (lots of liquid) at this point. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cut the corn from the cob and toast in a skillet to intensify color, flavor and sweetness (this makes a nice contrast to the heat of the peppers).

Add the corn, cilantro, chocolate, drained beans and oregano to the pot, stirring until the chocolate is incorporated, about 5 minutes.

Add masa and tomato paste to thicken, simmer another 5 -10 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheese.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Korean-style BBQ

/ Ren

This is my take on a Korean-style BBQ, inspired by the more traditional bulgogi and galbi.

“English-cut” short ribs, garlic, ginger, scallions, brown rice vinegar, oil, soy sauce with citrus and non-refined cane sugar.

Remove the cap and excess fat and cut the meat from the bone. Cut the remaining meat on a bias about 3/8 of an inch thick, and place into a non-reactive container.

Add minced garlic, ginger and scallions and about 1 tablespoon each of oil, vinegar and sugar to a quantity of soy sauce sufficient to cover the meat. For extra hot BBQ, add 1 tablespoon of chili garlic sauce to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

At meal time, cook sweet rice according to package directions, and steam choy sum until tender, about 3 minutes.  Transfer steamed leaves to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and preserve the color and nutrients.

Meanwhile, sear the beef in a hot skillet until medium rare, about 5-7 minutes.

Lay the choy sum out on a flat surface.

Top with a spoonful of rice.

Then a piece of meat.

Add some odoriferous kimchi.

And some hot sauce.

Fold the leaves over and eat like Korean tacos, or serve open-face.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Aztec Drinking Chocolate

/ Ren

“The first chocolate beverage is believed to have been created by the Mayan peoples around 2000 years ago, and a cocoa beverage was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 A.D. The beverage became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the New World, and has undergone multiple changes since then. Today, hot chocolate is consumed throughout the world and comes in multiple variations including the very thick cioccolata densa served in Italy, and the thinner hot cocoa that is typically consumed in the United States.”

Melt about 1 1/2 oz of the darkest*, unsweetened chocolate that you can get in a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water.

Add about 1 tablespoon each non-refined cane sugar and hot water, stirring constantly until smooth.

Add cream and vanilla and heat through.

The mixture will be thick, silky and not sweet so much as just not bitter.

Put 1/4 cup boiling water in a heavy mug and pour chocolate mixture over the top.  Top with grated cinnamon and a pinch of chili or chipotle powder.

* I’m no mathematician, but I’m guessing that this 100% cacao is about as dark as it can get

Pease Porridge

/ Ren

“Pea soup has been eaten since antiquity; it is mentioned in Aristophanes’ The Birds, and according to one source ‘the Greeks and Romans were cultivating this legume about 500 to 400 BC. During that era, vendors in the streets of Athens were selling hot pea soup.‘”

Split yellow and green peas, chicken stock, kosher salt, pepper, country bacon, celery, onion, carrots and garlic.

Pick over peas and rinse. Add to heavy pot with chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Rinse and dry thick slices of country bacon, then fry over medium heat, turning often, until fat is mostly rendered. Pour off fat and add the bacon the pot with the peas.

Cook the vegetables in the bacon pan, stirring frequently until soft, about 3-5 minutes.  Try not to let the vegetables brown.

Add the vegetables and pepper to the pot with the peas and bacon and continue to simmer, covered, until the peas are tender and begin to lose their shape, about 45 minutes.

Transfer the bacon to a cutting board.

Puree the soup in place using an immersion blender, taking care not to splash hot liquid.

Mince the bacon and stir it back into the soup.  Adjust the seasoning with pepper and kosher salt if needed.

Serve with crema and stoneground mustard and slices of hearty bread.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Curried Egg Salad Sandwiches

/ Ren

Red onion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, curry powder, eggs, celery and cilantro.

Place eggs into pan and cover with cold water.  Turn heat on high.  As soon as the water begins to boil, cover the pan and remove from the heat.  Allow to sit precisely 10 minutes (f you want to see a perfect soft-boiled egg, pull one out at 6 minutes. Top it and season with S & P).

Pour off the hot water and transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Allow to sit until thoroughly cooled, at least 10 minutes.  Tap egg on counter and roll back-and-forth.  Beginning from the large end, peel the shell away in a near-continuous strip.  Yeah, right.

Dice eggs and add the rest of the ingredients and toss with a fork until just combined.  Adjust seasoning with S & P if needed.

Serve with field greens on toasted pumpernickel.  The egg salad isn’t actually green, by the way- that’s just a photo/lighting anomaly.

Because I’m weird, though, I eat my egg salad sandwiches with lots of Mexican hot sauce.

Pan Seared Duck in Port Reduction with Agave Mustard Glazed Carrots

/ Ren

Garlic, shallot, caraway, butter, agave nectar, double strength lemon juice, baby carrots, port wine, peppercorns, duck glacé, sea salt and duck breasts

Cut a criss-cross pattern into the fat on the back of the duck breasts.  Try not to cut into the meat.

Place breasts into heavy skillet over medium heat and cook until the fat stops rendering and the skin is crisp, about 20 minutes. Pour the fat off 3-4 times during this process.

Begin cooking the carrots and caraway in butter and a scant amount of water.

Season the duck with salt and pepper and turn breast side down.  Continue to saute until medium rare*, about 5-7 minutes.

Add shallots and garlic, saute 1 minute.  Deglaze pan with port wine.  Swirl the duck in the wine for a few moments, then transfer to a cutting board.

Add agave, mustard, chopped greens and S & P to the carrots, and cook over medium heat until glazed, about 3 minutes. Cover and set aside.

Add glacé to pan with port and whisk over medium high heat until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Use to dress the thinly sliced duck.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

* This is against USDA guidelines which say that poultry must be cooked to 165 degrees.