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Monday, August 16, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Eat, Pray, Love
I actually won something! It's not the 1st time this has happened but it has been quite a while. When I was a senior in college I won a full stereo system from a local radio station. I still remember eating in the cafeteria shortly after winning and someone at the next table was talking about it. Me, they were talking about me!
Anyway, a few days ago the phone rang and it was someone from Allyson's Kitchen. She said that I had won a drawing for a spot at one of their cooking classes. Yes, I had entered my name the last time Dan & I stopped in - the class was last night and it was a very fun experience. This class was based on Elizabeth Gilbert's book "Eat, Love, Pray". I had read her book last winter and enjoyed it, for the most part. It comes out tomorrow in movie form and is the story of a woman who finds yummy food in Italy, spiritual awakening of sorts, in India, and love in Indonesia. This is my very sketchy synopsis of the book!
Chef Rose Makena prepared 3 dishes, each one representing a country.
From Italy: Panzanella
An Italian bread & tomato salad from Rome
Good crusty, stale bread - torn into 1 inch pieces
The best juicy ripe tomatoes you can get -farmers market heirloom tomatoes!
(don't make with crappy tomatoes!)
Fresh basil leaves - chopped or torn into pieces
White Balsamic Vinegar
Garlic cloves - grated or minced
Good Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Make your bread crumbs into croutons by tossing in a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper and toasting in the oven, on a baking sheet until crunchy.
Rough chop all your tomatoes and put them in a large bowl. Toss with salt & pepper. The salt will begin to draw out the juices.
Add the crutons, garlic and basil. toss well with clean hands. Drizzle some vinegar and oil into the bowl and begin to really mis the salad with your hands.
The idea is that the juices will soak into the bread. Taste the salad. Add more of any ingredient until you like how it tastes. Serve.
From India: Spiced Cauliflower & Potatoes with Raita
This spicy Indian dish is served with raita to cool the palate. Serves 4 as a side.
1 (3/4 lb) head of cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, pee;ed & cut into 1/2-inch cubes (she actually used red potatoes)
5 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. cumin seeds
3/4 t. salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 t. minced fresh jalapeno, excluding seeds
2 t. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. turmeric
1/4 t. cayenne (these last 4 spices are basically her own curry mix - can be altered to your own taste)
1/2 cup water
Method:
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F
toss cauliflower & potatoes together in a bowl with 3 t. oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 t. salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally until cauliflower is tender 7 browned in spots and potatoes are just tender - about 20 minutes.
While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeno and ginger in remaining 2 t. oil in a 12" heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden - 8 to 10 minutes. Add curry spices and remaining 1/2 t salt and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom & sides of the skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. cook, covered, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Raita Can't take the heat? Then eat some raita. In India, this condiment is used to cool the palate. Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup chopped seeded English cucumber
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 t. chopped green onions
1/4 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
Method:
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt.
From Bali, Indonesia: Ikan Senten
Fish in a hot coconut sauce over rice. Serves 2-3
1 lb firm white fish - she used tilapia
salt & pepper
oil
1 medium onion
1 T Sambal Oelek (chili paste)
1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed
1 t. palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 slice ginger root, peeled
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 bay leaf
2 Kafir lime leaves, finely chopped - can substitute lime zest and/or juice
1 1/2 cups rice, steamed
Method:
Season the fish with salt & pepper. Pan sear fish on both sides in the oil to a golden color. don't overcook, the fish must remain firm. Set aside.
Using a food processor, blend to make a paste, the onion, Sambal, lemongrass, sugar & ginger. Transfer to a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk and, on a low flame, reduce the sauce to about half the volume.
Place the fish in the sauce and add the bay & lime leaves - simmer for a few more minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice.
Each dish was excellent!! I will be trying the Panzanella next week after the local farmers market on Wednesday afternoon - for sure!
If you're adventurous, give one or all of them a try - let me know how it works out...
Anyway, a few days ago the phone rang and it was someone from Allyson's Kitchen. She said that I had won a drawing for a spot at one of their cooking classes. Yes, I had entered my name the last time Dan & I stopped in - the class was last night and it was a very fun experience. This class was based on Elizabeth Gilbert's book "Eat, Love, Pray". I had read her book last winter and enjoyed it, for the most part. It comes out tomorrow in movie form and is the story of a woman who finds yummy food in Italy, spiritual awakening of sorts, in India, and love in Indonesia. This is my very sketchy synopsis of the book!
Chef Rose Makena prepared 3 dishes, each one representing a country.
From Italy: Panzanella
An Italian bread & tomato salad from Rome
Good crusty, stale bread - torn into 1 inch pieces
The best juicy ripe tomatoes you can get -farmers market heirloom tomatoes!
(don't make with crappy tomatoes!)
Fresh basil leaves - chopped or torn into pieces
White Balsamic Vinegar
Garlic cloves - grated or minced
Good Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Make your bread crumbs into croutons by tossing in a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper and toasting in the oven, on a baking sheet until crunchy.
Rough chop all your tomatoes and put them in a large bowl. Toss with salt & pepper. The salt will begin to draw out the juices.
Add the crutons, garlic and basil. toss well with clean hands. Drizzle some vinegar and oil into the bowl and begin to really mis the salad with your hands.
The idea is that the juices will soak into the bread. Taste the salad. Add more of any ingredient until you like how it tastes. Serve.
From India: Spiced Cauliflower & Potatoes with Raita
This spicy Indian dish is served with raita to cool the palate. Serves 4 as a side.
1 (3/4 lb) head of cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, pee;ed & cut into 1/2-inch cubes (she actually used red potatoes)
5 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. cumin seeds
3/4 t. salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 t. minced fresh jalapeno, excluding seeds
2 t. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. turmeric
1/4 t. cayenne (these last 4 spices are basically her own curry mix - can be altered to your own taste)
1/2 cup water
Method:
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F
toss cauliflower & potatoes together in a bowl with 3 t. oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 t. salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally until cauliflower is tender 7 browned in spots and potatoes are just tender - about 20 minutes.
While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeno and ginger in remaining 2 t. oil in a 12" heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden - 8 to 10 minutes. Add curry spices and remaining 1/2 t salt and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom & sides of the skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. cook, covered, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Raita Can't take the heat? Then eat some raita. In India, this condiment is used to cool the palate. Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup chopped seeded English cucumber
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 t. chopped green onions
1/4 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
Method:
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt.
From Bali, Indonesia: Ikan Senten
Fish in a hot coconut sauce over rice. Serves 2-3
1 lb firm white fish - she used tilapia
salt & pepper
oil
1 medium onion
1 T Sambal Oelek (chili paste)
1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed
1 t. palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 slice ginger root, peeled
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 bay leaf
2 Kafir lime leaves, finely chopped - can substitute lime zest and/or juice
1 1/2 cups rice, steamed
Method:
Season the fish with salt & pepper. Pan sear fish on both sides in the oil to a golden color. don't overcook, the fish must remain firm. Set aside.
Using a food processor, blend to make a paste, the onion, Sambal, lemongrass, sugar & ginger. Transfer to a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk and, on a low flame, reduce the sauce to about half the volume.
Place the fish in the sauce and add the bay & lime leaves - simmer for a few more minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice.
Each dish was excellent!! I will be trying the Panzanella next week after the local farmers market on Wednesday afternoon - for sure!
If you're adventurous, give one or all of them a try - let me know how it works out...
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