With my ITP thesis ready to go, I finally got a chance to do some creative cooking again.  Tonight I made a fried soft shell crab salad with a curry aïoli dressing.  I improvised through this one (like most things I cook), so no exact measurements.  I got the soft shell crabs (which are currently in season) from FreshDirect, and they were already cleaned, which saved me the scary task of cutting off the eyes of live crabs as demonstrated here by Mark Bittman of the NY Times.

Start with the aïoli dressing.  Put in a blender:
1 raw egg (without the shell, silly!)
1 clove of garlic
2 chopped up cornichons
1 generous spoonful of Dijon mustard
1 shake of curry powder
1 dash of soy sauce
1 dash of Tabasco
1 heaping teaspoon of apricot jam (the sweetness offsets the intensity of the other flavors)
2-3 teaspoons of vinegar (I used a combo apple cider and rice wine vinegar that has been infused with jalapeños. I like to live a little on the wild side, so I chucked in a couple slices of the pickled jalapeños too
2-3 generous glugs (I know, this is hardly scientific) of grapeseed or other neutral oil

Blend everything together and season to taste. It should come out more like a thick salad dressing and less like a mayonnaise. If it’s too thick, add some water or more vinegar to taste.  This makes a lot of dressing, so these measurements would be enough for 4-6 servings.

Now for the crab. Clean the crab if it didn’t come cleaned already. Rinse in some cold water and pat dry with some paper towels. Make a tempura-style batter by mixing flour, ice cold water, freshly ground black pepper, Tabasco, and fish sauce (plain old salt would work here too). The batter should be really cold and rather thin. Don’t over mix.  Dip the crab in the batter and deep fry.  It takes 2-3 minutes per side. When done, drain on some paper towels.

Tonight I served the crab on some heirloom tomatoes and Boston lettuce with the dressing drizzled on top.  I had a glass of vinho verde to go with my delicious dinner, but an off-dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer would also probably work well with the curry flavor.

I’ve been on a cooking spaghetti kick lately.  Here are two kinds I’ve made in the last week.

Above: Pasta With Sardines, Bread Crumbs and Capers from Mark Bittman of the New York Times.  I had this with some vinho verde, my default house white.  Fantastic.

Below: Shiitake carbonara – my own creation.  Super easy.  Sauté some cubed pancetta in some olive oil, add a diced shallot and diced clove of garlic, some hot chili flakes, a pinch of pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika), 3 chopped shiitake, some herbes de provence, and plenty of black pepper.  When things start to brown, turn off heat and whisk in 2 raw eggs, a handful of grated cheese (I used Manchego) and a bit of half and half or cream.  Then add the cooked spaghetti and serve.  That’s it.  This would make a great brunch dish with some champagne, cava or prosecco.  Or even a some of the 8-bit wine I still have around from last fall.

Videography and off-camera commentary by Kris Hartley.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of herbes de Provence
1/4 teaspoon of pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika)
1 heaping tablespoon of white miso
1 half package of Neufchatel or cream cheese
2 handfuls of grated Gruyère
1 egg, beaten
Olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
6 fresh shiitake, chopped
2 roasted red or yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 large apple, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
Half package of membrillo (quince paste), chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 package of frozen sweet potato gnocchi
1 slice of whole wheat toast, blended into crumbs and sautéed in olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make the Béchamel cheese sauce: melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour. Add the milk, herbs, and pimentón. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Whisk until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and mix in the miso and the cheese while the mixture is still hot.

Cook the vegetables: in a large (12 inch) cast iron pan or other oven-proof pan, heat up some olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until they start to brown. Then add the shiitake and cook until lightly golden. Add the bell pepper and sauté for another minute or two. Turn off the heat and stir in the apples and the membrillo.

Cook the frozen gnocchi in boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes, until the just start to float. Drain and add the gnocchi to the vegetable mixture. The sauce will have cooled off slightly by now. Whisk in the egg and pour the mixture into the pan and mix.

Bake the gratin in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Add the bread crumbs on top for the last 10 minutes of baking.

My friend Sophia IM’ed me the other night while I was at school. She asked me for some cooking advice based on the ingredients she had in her kitchen.  It turned into a game of IM Iron Chef or Stump the Cook from The Splendid Table.   Here is a log of our chat (edited for readability).  I’ve also posted photos from Sophia of the final result.

Sophia: ok Iron Chef, I’ve got ground turkey, yellow squash, broccoli florets, onion, tomato, garlic, some white rice, bag of frozen cut veggies (carrots/corn/peas), heavy cream. olive oil and balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, ground pepper.
And Fage yogurt

me: ok. You have a rice cooker?

Sophia: yup

me: Ok, easy. Cook the white rice.
while that happens, saute onions, garlic
add tomatoes and ground turkey
add the cooked rice in
and use that as stuffing in the squash (cut in half and partially hollowed out)

Sophia: woaaaahhh

me: you can chuck in some of the other veggies too
or a bit of the yogurt/cream to enrich things
and then put the stuffed squash in the oven
until the squash is cooked through

Sophia: nice – so I’m stuffing the raw squash?
(they’re skinny, is that ok?)

me: yeah, cut them in half lengthwise
and partially de-seed using a spoon

Sophia: oh shoot they’re yellow zucchini
that’s what I meant to say

me: yeah, you can still do it
to save time, you can parboil, steam, or roast the squash while the rice cooks

Sophia: I’m hazy on what cooked through for squash is – got an estimate on time?
oh ok

me: 30 minutes (or however long it takes for the rice to cook)
you can pre-cook the squash and make the squash then
if you have cheese, you could melt it on top
or put the Fage yogurt on as a topping instead of the sauce

Sophia: nice
that’s amazing – you need to do this for a living
or we have to put you on a blog

Sophia: how long would you cook ground turkey for? It’s always dry for me

me: because there is very little fat in the turkey, put the ground turkey in the sauce after you saute and onions and garlic and add tomato
so it cooks in sauce instead of frying it dry

Sophia: also – I was always taught to cook meat separately from veggies – in this case it’s ok to add raw meat to the tomatoes/garlic/onion?

me: yeah, because you are cooking it a long time
the turkey is not frozen, right?

Sophia: nope

me: or if you want to brown the turkey for color or taste, cook the turkey first in olive oil.
remove it from the pan, then cook the onions, garlic and tomatoes
then put the cooked turkey back in when the tomato sauce reduces

Sophia: I like it better not browned. So I can just add it raw to the onions? How long do I simmer/cook this together

me: here are the steps:
heat the pan. When it gets hot, put some oil in. Then the onions and garlic
then put in some turkey
and saute it until it changes color
then the tomatoes
bring to boil
then turn the heat to the lowest setting
until the rice is done
which would be about 20 minutes or so
if you are putting yogurt and cream into the sauce, put that in after you have turned the heat to low

Sophia: it’s ok to cook yogurt?

me: if you use yogurt, just stir it in just before you stuff the squash
but for cream, put it in when you turn heat to low
but I would choose 1, not both

Sophia: awesome. I’m going cream I think

me: sounds yummy. I’m in class and STARVING

Sophia: lol I have green onions too – would that mess it up?

me: no, I would chuck in the green onions at the end, just before you stuff the squash

Sophia: gotcha

me: in order of doing stuff: preheat oven to 400 degrees, wash the rice and get it going
then cut all the veg. Pop the halved squash in the oven
then make the sauce

Sophia: Definitely blog this!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon of minced jalapeño
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 pinch of saffron (optional, I just couldn’t help myself)
1/2 teaspoon coarsely-ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
4 pods of cardamom
2 bay leaves
1 bag of live mussels
1 cup of dry cider (I used Cidre Bouché Brut Etienne Dupont, an unfiltered and unpasteurized cider from Normandy)
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup of crème fraîche, I suppose regular heavy cream would work too
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley and/or cilantro for garnish

Instructions
Clean the mussels and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and sauté everything except the mussels and the liquids over medium heat until lightly browned. Take your time with this part to achieve a nice caramelization of the onions.

Add the mussels, cider and lemon juice and simmer until the mussels pop open. Stir in the crème fraîche and serve immediately with crusty bread (or, if you are hardcore, French fries) to soak up the sauce. To drink: the rest of the bottle of cider. Yum!

Serves two people as a main course, or 3 or 4 for an appetizer.

Ingredients

1 pound of hake, filleted and cut into 4 inch chunks (or substitute cod, pollack or similar flaky white fish)
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 roasted red bell pepper, sliced
1 handful of green olives
1/2 teaspoon of pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
1 cup of dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon of saffron, soaked in the white wine above
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
Minced parsley and/or cilantro for garnish
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Instructions

Sauté the onions and garlic in plenty of olive oil, until softened and ever so slightly browned (about 10 minutes on medium heat).  Season with salt and pepper and the pimentón.  Add the hake, olives and roasted red bell pepper.  Cover with the saffron-infused wine, stir, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a low simmer until the fish is cooked through (about 8-10 minutes).  Season to taste and garnish with the boiled eggs and herbs.  Serve with crusty bread and/or boiled potatoes.

Ingredients (serves two)
For the chutney:
6 fresh apricots, stone removed and roughly chopped
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons of ground coriander seed
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons of sherry vinegar or lemon juice
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
2 dashes of fish sauce (or to taste)
salt and pepper, to taste

For the scallops:
1/2 pound of scallops
1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons unsweetened dried coconut
3 tablespoons flat rice (poha), bashed up into a powder in a mortar and pestle or food processor
salt and pepper
Neutral oil for frying (I use grapeseed oil)

Instructions
First make the apricot chutney (this part can be done ahead of time). Purée the apricots, ginger, shallots, and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a small saucepan and add the remaining chutney ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat the oil for deep frying. Moisten the scallops in the beaten egg and then coat in a mixture of the dried coconut and flat rice that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Deep fry into lightly golden brown. Serve immediately with the apricot chutney as a dip.

Pickled herring, boiled potatoes and kale.  Mmm.

So I didn’t realize until a couple days ago that there was a difference between long and short grain sticky rice (I knew there was a difference between long and short grain regular rice though).  My mom was talking to me yesterday about how she associates long grain rice with “famine” (her word, not mine). WHAT!?

Ok, so my mom grew up in Taiwan. Long before it was the land of fist-fighting politicians and the Taipei 101 skyscraper, it was a poor developing country.  There was a rice shortage when she was growing up and they had to import long grain rice from South East Asia.  Short grain rice (similar to the kind the Japanese and Koreans eat) is more commonly eaten in Taiwan, so my mom said she couldn’t get used to the taste and texture of long grain rice.  She said it was so disappointing it made her cry, and she still won’t eat long grain rice today, because it reminds her of poverty and famine.  I, for the record, have no problems with long grain rice.

This reminds of me of the fact that my paternal grandfather, who is from China, won’t eat brown rice, despite the health benefits, because it reminds him of wartime poverty when white rice wasn’t available.

Or one of my fellow former JET assistant language teacher’s students in Japan, who cried when the JET made some American-style rice pudding in class.  Apparently the kid was upset that the teacher “ruined” some “perfectly good rice.”

Moral of the story: don’t mess with an Asian person’s rice, just like you wouldn’t mess with a French person’s baguettes.

In totally unrelated music news, the HEPNOVA recording sessions are going well.  More music coming soon.  Check out what we’ve got so far on HEPNOVA.com.  And follow us on Twitter.

I served this curry as the main course at my dinner party last night.  It’s based on Jamie Oliver’s Southern Indian Crab Curry from his book Cook with Jamie.  I kicked it up a notch (to borrow a term from another TV chef) by adding some fresh prawns and some Southeast Asian flavors like shrimp paste and lime leaves.   That’s why I call it an “Indian Ocean” curry, because it’s food from an imaginary sunny island between India and South East Asia transported to a dreary, rainy island between the Hudson and East Rivers.

• olive oil
• 3 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 heaped teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 5 green cardamom pods, crushed and husks removed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 fresh jalapeños, seeded and finely sliced (2 jalapeños turned out pretty mild, I would put in 3 or 4 next time, but I’m evil)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste (get it at Bangkok Center Grocery or Kalustyan’s)
• 2 heaped teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of tamarind concentrate (Kalustyan’s again)
• 1 large pat of  butter
• one 14-ounce can of coconut milk
• juice of 2 lemons or limes (I used 1 lemon and 2 limes)
• 2 lime leaves, stem removed and thinly sliced (Bangkok Center Grocery again)
• 1 pound of uncooked prawns, shelled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• one 1-pound can of crab meat
• fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
• 1 teaspoon of brown sugar or palm sugar (Or to taste. Bangkok Center Grocery and Kalustyan’s carry palm sugar)
• a few splashes of fish sauce
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat three splashes of olive oil in a large pan and add the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, onion, jalapeños, and shrimp paste.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden, then add the turmeric, butter, and tamarind.

After about 2 or 3 minutes, pour in the coconut milk and a can-full of water. Bring to a light boil and turn to low heat and simmer away for 5 minutes so.  Then add the lemon/lime juice and lime leaves and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

Add the prawns and crab meat simmer for 4 minutes or until the prawns cook through, and taste. Season with salt and pepper and a little more lemon juice if you think it needs it.  I also added a few splashes of fish sauce and a bit of sugar at this point.

Garnish with plenty of fresh cilantro and lemon or lime wedges if you like.  Serve with some fluffy white rice (jasmine or basmati).

See also:

• You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto: Jamie’s Southern Indian Crab Curry
• Kathryn cooks with Jamie: Southern Indian crab curry

I served this banana coconut sticky rice dessert at my end-of-semester dinner party last night. It is inspired by a Filipino dessert called bibingkang malagkit, that I discovered on a recent trip to Las Vegas.  Both “banana coconut sticky rice dessert” and “bibingkang malagkit” are a real mouthful, so does anybody have a better name?

• 2 rice cooker cups of white sticky rice (AKA sweet or glutinous rice)
• 1 can of coconut milk (14 ounces, don’t shake before opening)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of palm sugar or brown cane sugar (I use a combination of both.  Buy palm sugar at Bangkok Center Grocery in Chinatown or at Kalustyan’s in Curry Hill.)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch diagonal slices
• 1 handful of dried shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Open the can of coconut milk and spoon off the thick coconut cream on top to separate it from the lighter coconut milk below.  Cook the rice, salt and light coconut milk in a rice cooker according the rice cooker instructions.  You may need to add some water to make the proportions correct.

While the rice cooks, preheat an oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and make the coconut caramel:  put the reserved coconut cream in a small saucepan with the sugar and vanilla.  Cook over medium heat and stir until the sugar melts and the mixture gets bubbly.  Turn off the heat and mix the dried shredded coconut into the coconut caramel mixture.

When the rice is done cooking, spread it out into an 8 inch x 8 inch oven-proof casserole.  Layer the banana slices on top of the rice and then cover with the coconut caramel.  Bake on the top rack of the oven until bubbly and slightly browned.  Let cool and serve at room temperature.

I made The Minimalist Mark Bittman’s recipe for Andalucian Tortillitas with Shrimp today for lunch.  The savory pancakes are actually made without eggs or dairy.  The yellow color and eggy texture actually comes from chickpea (garbanzo) flour.  Bittman gives a choice of different herbs to put in the pancakes.  I used scallions and parsely.  I also added some thinly sliced carrots.  The pancakes are extremely filling and very very good.  They remind me a bit of Korean pajeon. These are definitely going to have to go in my regular repertoire of dishes, although I might start halving the recipe when cooking for myself (I had Kris over as a tasting guinea pig today).

Get the recipe at NYTimes.com

I love Thai food, and especially Thai curry.  I’ve made Thai green curry plenty of times before, but I have always used store-bought curry paste, so for today’s project, I decided to make my own green curry paste from scratch.  There are some (slightly) obscure ingredients involved, so besides Whole Foods, I also had to hit up the Thai Grocery in Chinatown to get supplies like shrimp paste, Thai basil, lime leaves, and palm sugar.

I don’t have exact measurements for you to follow along at home, but there are plenty of exact recipes for Thai green curry paste on the Internets, so just do the Google.  I made my curry paste based on ingredient lists I found online and just improvised my own version.

First, roast some cumin, coriander, and black pepper in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then grind in a large mortar and pestle.

Next, cut up the curry paste ingredients (below) and then bash them all up in a mortar and pestle.

• Green chilies
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Lemongrass
• Galangal and/or ginger
• Lime zest, juice, and leaves
• Cilantro
• Shrimp paste

The paste will be a lot chunkier and more fibrous than the stuff you buy in the store, so put a few tablespoons of the paste in a blender with a can of coconut milk and blended it, then strained the mixture through a strainer before cooking.  Heat the curry and coconut milk in a pot until bubbly and fragrant, then add vegetables and proteins and simmer until done.  You might also want to add half a can to a can worth of water to dilute the curry to your liking at this point..  Season to taste with fish sauce, palm sugar, and/or sliced fresh green chilies.  Add a handful of Thai basil leaves and cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice in the last couple minutes of cooking.  Serve with jasmine rice.

I made two variations of green curry.  The shrimp and scallops cooked up very quickly, but the cod-potato-eggplant version took a bit longer for the vegetables to get tender, then I added the cod towards the end of cooking.

Green Curry with Shrimp and Scallops

Green Curry with Cod, Tofu, Eggplant and Potatoes

Ever have one of those Friday nights where you start boozing too early and forget to eat, and then get home ravenous like a pregnant woman but only have random ingredients in the pantry?  Well, if you ever do, check out this recipe I improv’ed tonight.

A splash of olive and/or sesame oil
3 scallions, chopped
1 handful of edamame
1 tablespoon of dried coconut flakes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 canned anchovy filets in oil, chopped
2 fresh shiitake, chopped
1 bowl of room temperature or cold cooked brown rice
1 free-range organic chicken egg, beaten
Salt, pepper, Sriracha sauce and/or shichimi togarashi to taste

Heat up the oil in a frying pan and sauté the scallions, edamame, coconut, garlic, anchovies and shiitake until they start to brown.  Add the rice mix thoroughly.  Then add the egg and stir until the egg is scrambled and cooked through.  Season to taste and serve immediately.  I’ve heard it tastes great while drunk and an excellent cure for hangovers too! 

‘Good’ fat and umami overload!

Peel and slice one ripe (but not too soft) avocado and arrange on a plate.  Top with anchovy filets, chopped parsley, cilantro and scallions, and shaved Parmesan cheese.  Season with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Above: Meredith, Elizabeth, Lee-Sean & Kris

More photos on Flickr.

Recipes after the jump.

Arugula, Pear, Walnut, Blue Cheese Salad

1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of fig jam
Juice of half a lemon
2 splashes of olive oil
1 handful chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1 handful of Old Chatham Ewe’s milk blue cheese (Roquefort, or other mild blue cheese)
1 small pear
2 handfuls of toasted walnut halves
1 bunch of arugula

Mix the first 7 ingredients in a salad bowl to make the dressing.  Add the remaining ingredients, mix and serve immediately.

Cranberry Dried Fruit Compote

Juice of 2 oranges
1 cup of Port wine
1 cup of dried cherries
Half cup of dried apricots, halved
Half cup of dried figs, halved
One 9 oz can of pitted prunes, halved
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of Sherry vinegar

Spice bag filled with:
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole vanilla bean
5 cardamom pods
1 star anise

12 oz bag of fresh cranberries, washed

Combine all ingredients except for cranberries in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 30 minutes or until dried fruit is swollen.  Add fresh cranberries until cook until berries just begin to pop, about 5 to 8 minutes more.  Make ahead and chill.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Roasted Duck with Duck Sausage Stuffing and Port Wine Pomegranate Gravy

1 free range Long Island duck (~6.5 pounds), brought to room temperature, giblets and neck removed

Stock
2 liters of organic chicken stock
1 cup of dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
2 stalks of celery
1 handful of parsley stalks
2 shallots, sliced
1 duck neck
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon of herbes de Provence

Put all stock ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer while preparing the stuffing.

Stuffing
1 stick of butter
One 8.5 oz package of D’Artagnan duck sausage, chopped
Duck giblets, chopped

3 sticks of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup shiitake, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)
1 teaspoon of herbes de Provence
Half loaf of whole wheat bread, crumbled
Stock (see above)
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot.  Add sausage and giblets and sauté until meat begins to brown.  Add remaining ingredients except for the bread and sauté until softened.  Add the bread and enough stock to soften.  Stir to combine.  Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and stuff into the cavity of the duck.  Transfer the remaining stuffing to a casserole dish to bake separately (20-30 minutes at 400 F or until the top browns).

Place the duck on a baking tray and roast for 2 to 2.5 hours at 400 degrees F or until skin is golden brown and juices run clear when a pairing knife is inserted into the leg.  Baste every 15 minutes with some of the stock.

When duck is done, remove from oven and transfer to a serving platter to rest.  Pour off the duck fat from the baking tray, reserve 2 tablespoons and save the rest for another use.

Deglaze baking tray with 1 cup of port wine, 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice, and juice of 1 orange.  Scrape solids free form the baking tray and transfer mixture into a saucepan and reduce.

In a separate saucepan, make a roux with the reserved 2 tablespoons of duck fat and 2 tablespoons of flour.  Add 1.5 cups of reduced stock from above and stir to combine.  Add stock and roux mixture to the mixture above.  Stir to combine and cook over medium heat until thickened.  Strain mixture into a serving container and serve with the duck and stuffing.

Miso Walnut Green Beans

6 shiitake, sliced
2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons of white miso
2 teaspoons of mirin
2 pounds of green beans
Salt and pepper

Sauté the shiitake and shallots in olive oil until lightly browned.  Bash up the walnuts, miso and mirin with a mortar and pestle until well-incorporated.  Stir in the shiitake and shallot mixture.  Steam or blanch the green beans until al dente.  Mix the green beans with the sauce.  Season to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Maple Whiskey Butter Yams

2.5 lbs of yams (sweet potatoes)
1 stick of butter, softened at room temperature
2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons of Sortilège (Canadian whisky and maple syrup liqueur) or substitute Bourbon

Wash the yams and poke holes in the skins with a fork.  Wrap the yams in aluminum foil and roast in a 400 degree F oven for 45 minutes or until soft.  When yams are cool enough to handle but still warm, peel the skins off and mash in a bowl with a fork with the butter, maple syrup and Sortilège.

Sauerkraut-style Brussels Sprouts

2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, stem ends and outer leaves removed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of caraway
Splash of olive oil
1 apple, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup sweet white wine (I used Riesling)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

Sauté the Brussels sprouts, onion and caraway in olive oil until onions begin to soften but not brown.  Add the wine, broth and vinegar and braise until the Brussels sprouts are tender.  Add more liquid if necessary and season to taste.

Tropical Fruit “Ice Cream”

Flesh of half a durian
Flesh of 1 mango
2 bananas, peeled
1 can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons of brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons of brown cane sugar or palm sugar
Juice of 1 lime
4 Kaffir lime leaves, minced

Blend together all ingredients in a blender.  Blend in batches if necessary.  Transfer to a sealed container and freeze.

The mixture forms ice crystals when completely frozen, but regains a smooth creamy texture when it starts to melt, so let stand at room temperature at a few minutes before serving.

Goes well with a sweet white wine.  I paired it with a Benziger Muscat Canelli.

Arugula Persimmon Pear Salad
Serves 2

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil
1 shallots, minced

1 persimmon
1 small pear or 1/2 of a regular sized pear
2 handfuls of lightly toasted walnuts
1 bunch of arugula
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix mustard, lemon, olive oil and shallots in bowl. Add sliced persimmon, pear, walnuts and arugula, mix until uniformly distributed. Shave Parmesan cheese atop, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Citrus-Glazed Scallops with Avocado
Serves 2

1 ripe avocado
Half pound diver sea scallops
Juice of one orange
1/2 teaspoon of coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon of black peppercorns
1 shallot, sliced
1 tablespoon of Sherry wine vinegar
1 inch knob of ginger
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon of cilantro, minced
1 scallion, minced

Place in small sauce pan orange juice, coriander seeds, shallot, Sherry vinegar, ginger and white wine. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, simmer until reduced by half.

Season scallops with salt and pepper. Sear scallops in butter until lightly browned. Place scallops on plate. Do not wipe out pan.

Strain sauce mixture into pan. Bring to a boil for one to two minutes, turn off heat. Whisk in one or two pats of cold butter, until smooth and emulsified.

Peel and slice avocado on a plate with the scallops.  Top with the citrus glaze and garnish with the minced cilantro and scallion.

Rock Shrimp Toast
Serves 2 for lunch, or 4 as appetizers

1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 soft-boiled egg, peeled and mashed with a fork
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon of Sriracha sauce
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón)
1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Half pound rock shrimp
Handful of parsley minced
Handful of cilantro, minced
4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Half stalk celery chopped
4 slices of buttered whole wheat toast

In a mixing bowl, mix together the first 10 ingredients.

Steam the rock shrimp until opaque.  Add to the mixing bowl with the dressing.  Add tomatoes, herbs and celery and spoon onto the buttered toast.

I improvised this pasta dish tonight out of ingredients in my fridge and pantry that I needed to use up.  Despite the wacky mix of ingredients, it actually tastes delicious!

First I sautéed 4 cloves of garlic, 1 shallot, and 4 scallions in plenty of olive oil, seasoning with some herbes de Provence, freshly ground black pepper, and dried kombu and shiitake-laced sea salt (similar to the Breakaway Cook’s umami salt, but minus the Parmesan).  Then added a bunch of white Swiss chard, sliced into ribbons, a handful of chopped walnuts, and a roughly chopped Fuji apple.  Then I added in a few splashes of 100% pure apple cider from the farmers market and a heaping spoonful of organic white miso.  I let the mixture braise on low heat for a bit until the greens wilted.  Meanwhile, I cooked up the whole wheat penne pasta.  I used the apple and chard mixture to dress the pasta, adding a bit more olive oil, and topping things off with some grated Gruyère cheese and more freshly ground black pepper.

Yum!

I had a bunch of vegetables left over from the making of my stop action video, Herbivores as well as some other vegetables in my pantry that I needed to use up, so I decided to cook up a big batch of food to last me the week.  I seasoned some cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots, edamame, onions, ginger and garlic with a curry vinaigrette (homemade curry powder, Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar, and melted butter), and put the mixture on a baking sheet and roasted it in the oven (~400 degrees F) for 45 minutes or so.  Then I used the roasted veggies as a sauce for some whole wheat penne, and garnished with chopped dill.

I hosted the first ITP Eating Club event last night.  The theme was pintxos (a Basque genre of tapas) featuring some local ingredients and international flavors.  I was busy with the food prep and playing host for most of the event, so I didn’t take many pictures, but you can check out Cameron’s blog post and Derek’s photos.  We also live streamed the party from the webcam on my MacBookPro.  If you are super bored, you can watch the video of the party (we didn’t record audio) on my Blip.tv account.  Recipes after the jump.

Above: Liesje & Meredith sample the spread.  Below: Cameron and LS in the kitchen.  Photos by Derek Chung

Scallop Ceviche

Photo by Derek Chung

This is my take from an Eric Gower recipe, from the Breakaway Japanese Kitchen.

Chop up about a half pound (~230 grams) of dry diver scallops, 1/4 of a red bell pepper, 2 or 3 scallions/green onions, 1 avocado (ripe, but not too soft), and a handful of fresh parsley and/or cilantro.  Last night, I used a combo of parsley and chives because that was what I had around.

Mix everything together in a bowl with the juice of 2 limes, and season to taste with some grated ginger, soy sauce, olive oil, a bit of maple syrup, salt and pepper.

Let the mixture marinate in the fridge for a few minutes and serve.

Vegetable Frittata

Given the pintxos theme, this should have been called a tortilla, as the Spaniards call it, but it’s a bit confusing in the US, because people tend to associate the word “tortilla” with the Mexican flatbread.  Basically, it’s a glorified omelette with vegetables instead of the traditional potatoes.

In a large bowl, beat together 10 eggs and a couple tablespoons of sheepsmilk yogurt or strained Greek yogurt.  The yogurt is not in the traditional Spanish recipe, but I find that it adds some lightness.

Heat a non-stick skillet and add a few generous lashings of olive oil.  Don’t skimp on the olive oil!  Sauté some thinly sliced zucchini, red bell pepper, onions, and a clove of garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the vegetables are softened, add the egg and yogurt mixture.

Cook over medium to medium-low heat.  When the mixture is still very liquidy, stir it around to allow for more even cooking, but don’t do this when the eggs start to firm up.  Cook until you see the mixture come together and brown a bit on the sides.

If you are super ambitious, you can put an inverted plate over the skillet and flip the frittata out and then cook the other side, but I prefer to just finish it in the oven, with a few seconds under the broiler at the very end to brown the top.

Let cool, then cut into slices, put on slices of crusty bread (I got the baguettes from Le Pain Quotidien) and fasten with a toothpick.

Fromage Fort

Meaning “strong cheese” in French, this is a clever way for Frenchies to use up their leftover cheese.  I had about a pound and a half of various kinds of cheese in my freezer that I pulled out, defrosted, and brought to room temperature.  Cut off the rinds and cut up the cheese with a knife, or grate the cheese.

In a blender, put the cheese, 1 stick of softened butter (yes one whole stick of butter – this is the not-so-secret French weapon to making everything taste good), 1 small clove of garlic, a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, a handful of herbs (I used parsley and some dried herbes de Provence), and enough dry white wine.  Keeping in the locavore theme, I used a Wolffer Estate Vineyards La Ferme Martin Chardonnay from Long Island.

Transfer into a lidded container and let mellow overnight or for a few hours before serving at room temperature.  Serve as a spread for bread, or schmear onto slices of crusty bread and broil until melted and bubbly.

Salmon Pâté

This is my adaptation of an old-school Joy of Cooking recipe.  It also contains a whole stick of butter

Cut a half-pound wild Pacific salmon filet into chunks.  Put in a small saucepan and cover with just enough dry white wine.  Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and drain, discarding the wine.  Remove any bones and skin from the salmon.

Heat about 3 tablespoons worth of the stick of butter along with 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet.  Add the salmon and flake with a spatula in the pan.  Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes; do not let it brown.  Add 2 tablespoons of Sortilège maple syrup-infused Canadian whiskey (Cognac, brandy, or regular whiskey would work here too).  Season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Let the mixture cool slightly, then bash it up with a mortar and pestle along with the rest of the stick of butter, a peeled hard-boiled egg, the a bit of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and some chopped dill and chives.  Transfer to a container or bowl, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

To unmold the pâté, dip the bowl in some hot water and then use a rubber spatula to loosen and then invert onto a plate for serving.  Garnish with some more fresh herbs and fresh lemon juice.  Serve with good bread.

Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Roasted Cauliflower and Zucchini

Arrange the oven so that 2 baking trays will fit in at the same time.  Preheat to 400 degrees.

Cut the 1 large zucchini and 1 head of cauliflower into bite-sized chunks.  Mix in a large bowl with some roughly chopped garlic, the juice of half a lemon, a teaspoon or so of powdered turmeric, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer the mixture to a foil-lined baking sheet.

In a dry saucepan, roast 2 small dried chili peppers (seeded) and 1 teaspoon each of whole cumin, coriander seed, caraway seed, black pepper, and cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves and half a stick of cinnamon.  When the spices start to pop and get fragrant (be careful not the burn the spices), bash up using a mortar and pestle with a handful of fresh garlic, ginger 1 small onion (chopped), and plenty of salt to form a spice paste.

In a large bowl, mix the spice paste with 2 pounds (900 grams) of ground lamb, 6 ounces (170 grams) of sheepsmilk yogurt or strained Greek yogurt, a splash of olive oil, a bit of caramelized onions, 2 handfulls of bread crumbs or flour, a handful of chopped parsley, and 1 egg.  Mix well and form into balls with your hands.  Place meatballs onto another foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake the vegetable mixture in the meatballs for 30-40 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook.  The vegetables are done when they look wilted and slighly browned.  The meatballs will look dry and browned on the outside when they are done.

To assemble, skewer a meatball to a piece of cauliflower and zucchini and attach to a baguette slice.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Duck Confit with White Bean Purée and Frisée Salad

Ok, I cheated a little for this one.  I didn’t actually make the duck confit from scratch.  I bought some Hudson Valley duck confit from FreshDirect.

Drain 2 cans of white beans with a strainer and rinse well under running water.  Transfer to a casserole and top with 4 legs of duck confit and a little bit of olive oil.  Cover with aluminum foil and warm in a 400-degree oven.

Remove the skin from the duck confit and set aside.  In a blender, purée the duck skins, the white beans, half a bulb worth of roasted garlic, one onion worth of caramelized onion, the juice of half a lemon, a couple shakes of dried herbes de Provence or thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.  The beans are already salted, and the confit is salty too, so go easy on the salt.  You might have to stir the mixture a bit with a spatula between rounds on the blender to get the mixture fully incorporated.  You can also add some more olive oil or some stock to loosen the mixture if it is too thick, but it should be about the consistency of hummus.

Shred the duck meat off the bones.  In a bowl, make a dressing out of the juice of half a lemon, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, black pepper, and 2 handfuls of chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley and chives, but chervil would work well too).  You probably won’t need more salt, but taste anyway.  Add the duck meat and some torn up frisée.

To assemble, spread some of the white bean purée onto a baguette slice, then top with some of the duck and frisée salad.

Mashed Kabocha Squash with Sautéed Shiitake

Half a kabocha squash and scoop out the seeds.  Place in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper.  Cover tightly with foil and roast in a 425 degree oven until soft (about 30-45 minutes).

In the meantime, sauté 7 ounces (200 grams) of sliced shiitake mushrooms in a mixture of butter and olive oil with some chopped garlic and 1 small chopped onion.  Season with freshly ground black pepper and red chili flakes.  Add a splash of mirin and soy sauce and continue to cook until the mushrooms are browned.

When the kabocha is done in the oven, allow to cool slightly until it can be comfortably handled.  Remove the skin from the squash and mash together with 1 stick of butter and 2 tablespoons of white miso (or enough to taste).  Add the mushroom mixture to the kabocha.  Before serving, mix in 2 handfuls of chopped parsley and chives or scallions.

Serve as a side dish or spread on slices of crusty bread.

I think my mind is still in California, or at least my palate.  Maybe it’s this warm sunny weather we have been having.  The theme of this meal is Japanese-meets-Mexican-in-California.  In any case, this was a fantastic dinner for a warm night.

First make the corn mixture: Cut the kernels off a couple ears of fresh sweet corn.  Sauté them up in some olive oil with some chopped onions, bell peppers and/or chili peppers.  Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Let cool.  Or do this in advance and have it ready in the fridge.

Miso-Lemon Dressing: Whisk together 1 teaspoon of light miso, 1/2 teaspoon of honey, juice of one lemon, and about 1.5-2 teaspoons of olive oil.  Season to taste.

Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad: Mix together some of the cooled corn mixture with some chopped up cherry/plum tomatoes, half of an avocado cut into chunks, some scallion, and a handful of cilantro (fresh coriander).  Add some of the miso-lemon dressing and mix.

Scallops: Choose “dry” diver scallops, which means that they have not been soaked in a phosphate solution that bulks them up.  Also, they are kinder on our oceans than scallops that are caught with chains dragged across the ocean floor.

Rinse the scallops, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.  Season and sear on both sides until medium-rare.

Assembly: Put some of the salad mixture on a plate.  Top with some seared scallops.  Put some of the remaining dressing on top of the scallops.  That’s it!

Variation on a theme: Corn, Plum Tomato and Gruyère Omelette

Take some of the corn mixture, add some cherry/plum tomato slices, green onion and gruyère cheese.  Toss it all in an omelette.  The corn mixture also works great by itself as a side dish.