Tempura prawns, carrots and zucchini
A conversation with the person who cuts my hair started off with “what did you do this weekend?” then turned into “what I cooked” before taking a detour and stopping at the topic of frying (like it) and donuts (love them!) The discussion sparked a thought about contraptions and gadgets for frying and before I knew it I had a vintage Fry Daddy on the way via a bidding frenzy on the web.
As I waited for my package to arrive, I pondered what I should make first. Donuts at the office? Hmmm.. not sure that the lack of open windows and third floor location would create the optimal “fry zone”. Potatoes? Maybe, but seemed like a mundane task for such a regal, vintage appliance. I finally settled on tempura because the combination of meat and vegetables seemed like a good compromise with the “deep fry” part of the equation.
Although usually associated with Japanese cuisine/restaurants (sorry to state the obvious) the concept of tempura or frying was actually introduced to Japan during the mid 1600’s by Portugese missionaries. The word tempura is thought to have been derived from Latin meaning “times” or “time period” which refers to the Lenten period. There is actually a Portugese dish called peixinhos da horta (garden fish) which is similar to Japanese tempura and can be found on various menus and sites associated with travels to or food from Portugal.
While munching on my test batch and waiting for the oil to cool in my new “old” fryer my thoughts returned to donuts covered in cinnamon and sugar. Another day would bring donuts but for now, some exercise to counter the effects of all the frying. With that I put away the Fry Daddy, laced up my sneakers and headed out the door for a hike.
The ultimate comfort – mac and cheese (with crab!)
Linguini with sweet Italian sausage
With October around the corner most think about Halloween, crisp days and leaves turning color. Me? I think it’s time to get off the grill, turn on the oven and turn to
comfort foods. And comfort foods mean things which are roasted, noodle-y or crisped (think
chicken pot pie,
mac and cheese or an apple crisp.)
If you ask your friends and family about their favorite comfort foods you’ll probably get a variety of answers or dishes. That’s because comfort foods usually have a sentimental or nostalgic appeal which is connected to a time in your past – most notably childhood. For me it’s less about my childhood (or I’d have to list things like Hostess Fruit Pies and Cheetos as my comfort foods – not that there’s anything wrong with that) and more about the time in my life I started to cook for myself.
Out of college and on my own I realized picking up the phone to order pizza or dragging myself to the campus food court was no longer an option. Spaghetti became my new norm with variations bordering on the simple to absurd (ok, the sauce was from a jar, but turning on the stove WAS involved!) Although spaghetti still appeals to me today I rarely eat it. I’ve moved on to more sophisticated – and international – dishes like tom ka gai (spicy and sour thai chicken soup) for under-the weather days and a decadent crab mac and cheese because the boxed stuff seems so bland without an extra handful of grated cheese :)
After all the savory here’s a sweet recipe to add to your list. The ingredients are simple but the result is a deeply satisfying dish – especially warm out of the oven with ice cream on top!
Apple Crisp
- 6 apples
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon clove, ground
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Topping
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Combine cinnamon, sugar and cloves. Set aside.
Peel, core and slice the apples*. Add the lemon juice, then the cinnamon & sugar mixture. Mix together and place in a 8×8 square pan. Crumble together the sugar, flour, salt and butter. Add the nuts and top apples with the mixture.
Bake at 375 degree for approx. 45 minutes or until the apples are tender and the top is browned.
*I use a vegetable peeler and then an apple slicer – much faster.
It’s the same every time. I say I will be prepared with clean wine bottles and snazzy labels but at the last minute I rush around getting ready. For what, you ask? Bottle and cork day at La Nebbia winery in Half Moon Bay CA.
Now for those of you who don’t live nearby, you’ll have to close your eyes and imagine the scene. It’s 10:30 am on a foggy day and people are lined up outside a giant wine warehouse with empty bottles waiting to be filled. The catch? La Nebbia will fill them with premium wine at a great price; cork, label and all. Really, at $4.75* per bottle there IS no catch.
It’s been a tradition for a loooonggg time (like, years!) The schedule is laid out for the year with a variety of “red” and “white” dates with the wine coming from various local wineries (last weekend it was a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendocino.) While they won’t tell you which wineries they buy from, they will let you taste before you commit to cases of the stuff.If you mark your calendars now, there are still three remaining days in 2009!
*$4.75 if you bring your own clean, empty bottles (great way to recycle!)
The corking station
- The filling station
- Yummly in a bottle
Rich, creamy burrata
At one of my favorite restaurants I’m often torn between wanting to share and being selfish. The object of my desire? The burrata cheese.
Burrata cheese is a close cousin of mozzarella (similar to buffalo mozzarella) and is apparently all the “cheese” rage these days. I guess it makes sense given that burrata is rich and creamy, difficult to find (due to a short shelf life) and the name means “buttered” in Italian. Anything with the word – or interpretation – of butter in it is a given for me.
So what’s the difference between buffalo mozzarella and burrata cheese? Buffalo mozzarella, also known as Fior di Latte, is made from water buffalo milk which is richer and higher in protein than cows milk. Burrata cheese is mozzarella with a center of cream and mozzarella which accounts for it’s rich and addictive nature. Although both are white in color and spongy in texture, to me burrata is the Cadillac of mozzarella. Or the cherry on top…or, well, you get the picture.
Burrata found it’s start around the 1920’s on the Bianchini farm in a town called Andria. It can be served adorned with basil, tomatoes and prosciutto or atop a pizza margharita in a melted state. Whatever the case, be forewarned if you decide to share. I’m told it’s never nice to elbow your guests at the table over the last piece of burrata!
Note: the burrata appetizer is NOT on the menu at my favorite restaurant, A Bellagio in Campbell CA, you have to request it!
Freshly baked bread right out of the oven!
You just know the old hobo dinner isn’t gonna cut it when someone pulls out a cast iron contraption and proclaims they are going to bake bread for dinner – while you are in the great outdoors. Say what?
Camping as I used to know it was standard fare: toasting marshmallows over a fire and hoping they didn’t burst into a ball of flames, throwing hamburger and veggies into a foil pouch and placing over the coals (a “hobo dinner) and scrambled eggs cooked alongside bacon for breakfast. Turns out I missed a chapter or two in camping cooking over the years and now the gear is better along with the recipes.
The most fascinating bit of cookery involves a heavy dutch oven which, when strategically placed over some coals (not too many, not too few) and then encapsulated by a few more coals on the lid, becomes an “oven” fit for baking bread or desserts. If you want to make a stew, chili or maybe even chicken with dumplings a dutch oven seems to be a handy, if not heavy option (don’t attempt to go backpacking with this contraption!)
Of course, it turns out my 70’s style sleeping bag complete with flannel duck-hunting scenes printed on the inside isn’t exactly practical either, especially in 40 degree weather. At least a few good meals – which are even better in the great outdoors – make it worth braving the elements and lack of hot water!
For those who want a 30 minute meal (tentside) this one’s for you…
Classic Hobo Dinner
- Cooking oil or spray
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef or ground chuck
- 2 potatoes, sliced
- 1 – 2 onions, cut into slices
- 5-6 carrots (cut into halves)
- Cremini, button or portabella mushrooms (optional) sliced
- 6 large pieces of foil
- Salt, pepper
Oil or spray the foil. Place about a ¼ pound of the ground beef on the foil and season with salt and pepper. Layer the potatoes, onions, carrots and mushrooms on top. Optional: herbs such as rosemary, oregano or basil.
Fold the foil and seal – be careful not to puncture or leave any open holes. You don’t want the juices to drip out! Place the packet carefully in the readied coals at the edge of the campfire.
The packet should cook about 20 – 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
Note: this is a great recipe for young, first time campers. It was one of the first things I made when camping (age 9) and one of my favorite outdoor food memories!
The bread oven
Peanut sauce perfection!
A good friend of mine who is an adventurous traveler and cook showed me how to make this simple Indonesian peanut dressing (gado gado) for rice and vegetables. I’d drop by her house, perch on a barstool and watch (with amazement) as she concocted this truly flavorful dish right before my eyes.
It occurred to me at one point that this peanut dressing would be the perfect foil for Vietnamese fresh spring rolls. Keep some of the basics on hand and you’re ready to entertain at a moment’s notice.
Note: the peanut dressing can be found at most Asian food stores – you won’t find it at Safeway (unless someone there is reading this here!) It’s a big timesaver because it contains the herbs and spices which will make a big difference in the final taste of your sauce in one “block” of ingredients.
Ingredients
• Package of peanut dressing (enak eco) or gado-gado
• ½ cup of boiling water
• ¼ cup of coconut milk (or to taste – more if you want the sauce to be creamy)
• 1/8 cup tamarind soup base (adds a sour flavor)
• 3 t. lime juice
• Sambal olek (to taste – more if you like it spicy)
Take the package of peanut dressing, cut into cubes. Add the boiling water, let sit until the cubes begin to soften. Stir until smooth.
Add the coconut milk, tamarind, lime juice and sambal olek. Adjust seasonings to taste, serve with Vietnamese fresh spring rolls.
Recipe courtesy of J. P.
Fresh spring rolls - healthy and delicious.
It was a dark and stormy night…oh wait, it was actually a humid afternoon in DC years ago and I was in need of A/C and a snack. I stepped into the only place in sight – a Vietnamese restaurant – and requested the house specialty which turned out to be
Vietnamese fresh spring rolls. My fascination has continued ever since.
Over the years I have visited numerous restaurants requesting the same thing: fresh rolls with mint, basil and either pork, shrimp or tofu served alongside that enticing sweet, spicy peanut sauce. Many places come close to that first taste (most notably a restaurant named Camrahn Bay which eventually burned down, not my doing of course) but some have been off the mark.
While perusing ingredients at the local Asian Foods store I decided to make my own rolls and have been “testing” ever since (turns out friends like the “testing” process and the resulting nibbles!) Below is my recipe which can really be tailored to your tastes (always happy to hear ideas about ingredients!)
A few notes:
- Rolling these takes practice and you know the old saying…
- Many of the ingredients are available at your local store so you might start there
- Invite your friends over and have fun. Fresh rolls are a great group appetizer and allow for plenty of creativity!
Ingredients
- Package of rice vermicelli (I search out the varieties made in Thailand or Vietnam, will set you back about $2)
- Unseasoned rice vinegar
- Package rice wrappers (9” diameter)
- Shrimp, tofu or other filling of choice (thinly sliced pork or mushrooms)
- Carrot, cut into matchstick pieces
- Radish and or cucumber – cut into matchstick pieces
- Mint
- Thai Basil
- Cilantro (optional)
- Red or green leaf lettuce (chiffonade)
Take a small section of the rice vermicelli and soak in warm water (2 minutes or according to the direction). Drain and add a little vinegar (only enough for flavor.) Set aside. Note: if you want some spice, add a chopped jalapeno to the vinegar and soak the vermicelli a few seconds. Prep the rest of the ingredients.
Pour some water into a pie pan or dish that will hold the rice wrappers. Dip the wrapper in the water, then lay flat on a cutting board or plate.
Starting with the section closest to you, layer the shimp/tofu or pork filling in a line. Next add the carrots, radish, mint, basil and leaf lettuce. You should have about 1 1/2” of space at the bottom of the wrapper (edge closest to you.)
Take the edge of the wrapper, fold it over the filling and then fold the roll up once. Wrap the left and then right sides over the center. Continue to fold up and away from you.
When fully wrapped, place on a plate and cover with a moist paper towel to finish the rest. Serve with seasoned vinegar and fish sauce + a slice of jalapeno pepper. Also goes well with a sweet, spicy peanut sauce (check back for the recipe!)
