Month: November 2008

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?