AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: The Origins of a Recipe (Juniper Scented Duck with Caramelized Balsamic Sauce) DATE: 4/07/2010 06:05:00 AM ----- BODY:
They say no idea is original, nor is any recipe. Most recipes take inspiration from someone else’s ideas. And my recipe for Juniper Scented Duck with Caramelized Balsamic Sauce and Celeriac Puree is no different.

Lorenza de Medici has a recipe for wild boar stew that has all sorts of unique flavorings and techniques. The marinade and subsequent braising liquid calls for juniper (the pine berry that is also the prominent flavoring in gin), red wine, carrots celery and onions. Separately, she caramelizes sugar with garlic, and then adds red wine vinegar to create a sweet and sour flavor. When the pork is cooked, the meat is pulled out, and the braising liquid (along with all the mushy vegetables) are pureed to act as a thickener to the stew. She finishes the sauce with chocolate, prunes and almonds.

As I often do, I substitute proteins within a recipe… chicken for pork, pork for duck, duck for beef or tuna, and so on… for this recipe, I decided duck breasts would be a fine substitute for the wild boar. And since duck breasts don’t require a long braising time (and in fact suffer from that) more modifications were necessary.

The duck received the same marinade as the original recipe. I then poached a technique from Thomas Keller to cook the duck “sous vide” I removed the skin, rolled up the duck breast lengthwise, the duck was rolled in a blanched cabbage leaf and then wrapped in plastic wrap like a tootsie roll. The whole package is poached in boiling water for 8 minutes for a perfect medium rare.

I liked the idea of the caramelized sugar for a sweet and sour sauce. But since I didn’t have red wine vinegar, I used balsamic instead. I didn’t want to lose the essence of the marinade, so I cooked that until the vegetables were tender, pureed that, and added it to the caramelized balsamic. Going back to the original recipe, I finished the sauce with chocolate. And recognizing my personal preferences, I omit the bay leaves, candied citron, raisins and pine nuts.

The prunes transformed into a tart relish with fresh plums, shallots and thyme.

Celeriac Puree pairs magically with the sauce – complimenting both the sweet and sour flavor, as well as the juniper.

Of course, I couldn’t lose the duck skin. Those went into the oven until they transformed into cracklings.

All together, this was an elegant main meal for the Passover Seder last week. I serve this dish year-round, sometimes with duck, other times with pork tenderloin, and sometimes even with tuna.

Original Recipe:
3 pounds wild boar
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
½ bottle red wine
4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. juniper berries
2 bay leaves
salt
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ cup sugar
½ cup red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 oz. grated bitter chocolate
1/3 cup raisins, soaked in water
½ cup pitted prunes, soaked in water
¼ cup pine nuts
1 tbs. candied citron, finely chopped.

1. Twenty-fours ahead, put the meat in a good-sized, flameproof casserole together with the carrots, celery and onions. Add the wine and marinate for 24 hours, turning from time to time.
2. On the serving day, remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until it begins to color. Brown the meat on all sides. Strain the vegetables from the marinade add to the meat with the juniper berries, 1 of the bay leaves, salt and pepper. Pour some of the marinade over. Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until the meat is tender, adding the remaining marinade, a little at a time.
3. Transfer the meat to a flameproof casserole. Puree the vegetables, then pour them over the meat and reheat. In a sauce pan, melt the sugar with the garlic and remaining bay leaf, and cook until lightly colored. Add the vinegar and bitter chocolate. Boil for a few minutes. Add the sauce to the meat together with the raisins, prunes, pine nuts and candied citron. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes before serving.

Julia’s Revised Recipe

Duck Roulade with Caramelized Balsamic Sauce, Roasted Plums and Juniper


8 duck breasts, skin removed
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cups red wine
1 tsp. juniper berries
8 big leaves from savoy cabbage (with no splits or tears)
1/4 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 oz. chocolate or butter
2 plums, quartered and chopped
6 prunes, pitted and chopped coarsely.
1 tsp. thyme, chopped
1 shallot, sliced or diced
salt and pepper to taste

1. Marinate duck with wine, juniper, salt, pepper, carrots, onions, and celery for up to 24 hours.

2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook cabbage leaves for 1 or 2 minutes, or just until wilted. Drain. Carefully, cut away large rib.

3. Remove duck from marinade.

4. Tear off a piece of plastic wrap about 20 inches long, and lay it across a work surface. Place cabbage leaf down. Roll duck breast, lengthwise into cylinder, and place cylinder of cabbage leaf. Roll leaf around breast. Trim edges, and roll tightly into plastic wrap. Roll both ends of wrap to secure shape and tie with kitchen string. Refrigerate packets until ready to cook.

5. Meanwhile, combine the sugar with the garlic and ¼ cup of water in a small sauce pot. Stir, over high flame just until the sugar dissolves. When the sugar begins to caramelize and turns a deep amber color, add the vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar re-dissolves (it will seize up with the vinegar is added)

6. Cook marinade in a covered sauce pot over medium flame until carrots are tender. Puree the vegetables with a little bit of the wine and add  about 1/2 - 1 cup to the balsamic sauce (taste after adding 1/2 cup and add more to taste). Swirl in chocolate and set aside in a warm place.

7. Toss plums with shallots and thyme. Season with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Mix with prunes

8. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add duck packages and cook for 8 minutes, for medium/medium-rare. Remove from water and let rest for a few minutes before removing the plastic and slicing.

9. Serve with asparagus and celeriac puree

Celeriac Puree
3 knobs celery root (celeriac)
½ - 1 cup cream
truffle carpaccio
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

Peel celery root. Cut into 1/8th. Put in a pot of cold salted water. Boil the be-jeebies out of it. When tender, drain. Put in a food processor, and puree with approximately 1/2 cup of cream. Add lemon juice, 1 squeeze at a time, until it is seasoned to your taste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.





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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:4/07/2010 10:59:00 AM Thanks for sharing your recipe and the thought process that goes into adapting a recipe for both available ingredients and personal preferences. Too often I think we're afraid to mess with what's written on the page, but here you've shown that not only can you mess with it, but you can turn it into something completely different while retaining the essence of what you liked about the recipe in the first place. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous nazarina DATE:4/07/2010 04:05:00 PM You have really poured your love into this delicious dish!I bet the recipients could not wait! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous easy recipe DATE:4/07/2010 04:17:00 PM Thanks for sharing this recipe, it looks amazing. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Cooking for Great Friends (Recipe: Beef en Rollo) DATE: 1/08/2010 10:48:00 AM ----- BODY:

I went into Chez Henri looking for a part-time job, something to supplement my income while I started my own business. I walked out with the position of sous-chef (and a temporary distraction from my entrepreneurial dreams). This was back in 1996, and Chez Henri had just opened to national praise for its inventive French-Cuban cuisine. I knew nothing of Cuban cuisine -- not even the now très-trendy Cuban sandwiches or mint mojitos.

I had to get smart fast! My first week on the job was writing the new spring menu with the chef de cuisine. I borrowed cookbooks from friends and scoured them for interesting recipes and general themes about the style of cooking. 

I had fun playing with ideas – black rice with white beans, duck pate with pickled pineapple and plantain crusted halibut with mango coulis.

One dish that never made it to the menu, but became a staple on my Interactive Cuisine menus, was the Biste en Rollo. The idea came from Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, but I quickly modified it to be my own. Typically, I prepare it with flank steak but the other night, I spiffed it up using beef tenderloin instead.

A few years ago, I contributed this recipe to a cookbook called “Great Chefs Cooking for Great Friends.” The book was published by Friends of Dana-Farber and all proceeds go to support cancer research. You can buy the book by clicking here. And if you live in the Boston-area, you can support the “Friends” by attending their annual fundraiser, “Chefs Cooking for Hope.”


Grilled Flank Steak and Red Pepper Roulade with Cilantro Mojo and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2 lb. flank steak or beef tenderloin butterflied
1 red pepper, quartered, seeds removed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks thyme
1/2 tsp. cayenne or chili flakes
1 tsp. fresh oregano
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic
1 lime, juiced
2 sweet potatoes
2 slices ginger
¼ cup cream
1/2 stick butter
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste



1. In a large sauce pot, add red peppers, thyme, 3 garlic cloves smashed and cayenne. Cover with olive oil. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Let cool.

2. Season steak with salt, pepper, oregano and lime juice. Rub meat with garlic. Lay out steak, and place red peppers and carrots on top. Dot with butter. Roll steak with the grain, and tie with kitchen string.





3. Peel and quarter sweet potatoes. Put in a pot of salted water with ginger and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking until potatoes are tender. Drain water and puree potatoes with cream. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
4. Heat oil in a pan. Brown meat on all sides, and finish cooking in the oven for 10 minutes for medium rare. Let meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Remove strings, and slice meat as thin as possible. Garnish with watercress, sweet potatoes and cilantro Mojo.

Cilantro Mojo

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup chopped garlic
½ cup chopped onion
2 tsp. cumin
1 tbs. fresh oregano
2 tsp. pepper
1 tbs. salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 ½ cup cilantro, leaves and stems


1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, cumin and oregano. Cook for 3 minutes, or until garlic becomes aromatic.
2. Strain olive oil and reserve. Puree garlic onion mixture with remaining ingredients. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Adjust seasoning to taste








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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous noble pig DATE:1/08/2010 12:51:00 PM Sounds like it was a good gig...and this dish I'm sure would have been a hit! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:1/08/2010 02:21:00 PM I always love the look of meats that are stuffed with a delicious filling, especially when they are sliced. I've rarely done it successfully myself, but you've encouraged me to try again. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:1/09/2010 07:00:00 AM A great recipe for a wonderful cause. What could be better than that? ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Laziness - Thwarted (Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala) DATE: 12/30/2009 08:50:00 AM ----- BODY:

With all the holiday mayhem, I craved a simple dinner. The convenience food aisle at the supermarket beckoned my lazy alter-ego, and my taste buds responded with a cry out for Chicken Tikka Masala. Unfortunately, the market no longer carried my favorite brand of Indian simmer sauces, the prepared sauces that only require the addition of meat to create a complete “freshly prepared” meal.

I was left to my own devices… and a semi-well-stocked pantry.

I started with a recipe from Alosha’s Kitchen…and chicken from the freezer, canned tomatoes from the summer and left-over cream from lord-knows-what. But as I scanned the ingredient list, I realized modifications would be necessary.

I didn’t have yogurt to marinate the chicken, but I did have a scootch of left-over sour cream from this year’s latke-fest. I didn’t have garam malsala – an Indian spice blend – but did have most of the ingredients. And the recipe called for grilling the chicken first before simmering it – and I had no interest in adding the extra step of precooking the chicken, much less digging out the grill from under its blanket of snow. Instead, I added some smoked onions to the sauce to give it that extra depth.

This was a bit more labour intensive than I planned, but still only 20 minutes from start to finish. All-in-all a delicious dish!

From the garden: canned tomatoes and jalapenos

Here’s the original recipe with my modifications.
Chicken Tikka Masala 
adapted from What's for Dinner via Alosha's Kitchen

Marinade

1 cup plain yogurt (I used 2 tbs. sour cream)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips or large cubes

Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 smoked onion
1 tsp. fresh ginger
1 jalapeno chile, minced (I used a smoked jalapeno leftover from the summer garden)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala (or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger + 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom + 1/8 tsp. clove + 1/4 tsp. cinnamon  +1/8 tsp. cumin)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups half-and-half (or 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a small mixing bowl, combine everything on the marinade list, including the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is better.)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, ginger and jalapeño, and stir for a minute. Add the chicken and lightly brown.  Stir in the seasonings, and salt. Add the tomato sauce, and stir for one minute. Add the half-and-half, and simmer, covered, until the sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.

Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.


Happy New Year! Wishing you a sparkling and joyous year.


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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Melissa DATE:12/30/2009 02:39:00 PM Nice modifications! I'm glad you marinated overnight though, as I think it really helps with depth of flavor in the end. One of my favorites for sure, and definitely a nice change post-holidays. Happy you enjoyed it! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:12/30/2009 05:53:00 PM In the true spirit of Indian cooking, you've managed to create something old and yet entirely new, with what you had on hand. Here's to more fun with food in 2010! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: The Legend of the Macomber Turnip (Recipe: Macomber Turnip Soup with Lobster) DATE: 12/11/2009 03:45:00 PM ----- BODY:


Macomber Turnips are prized for their creamy texture and subtlety balanced sweet-tart flavor. Intuitively, I know they appear on restaurant menus all over New England in the fall. Just for kicks, I Googled, “Macomber Turnip Soup Menu” to see approximately how many restaurants in Boston feature them. Eight out of the ten results on the first page led to a different local restaurant’s menu.

(photo credit: Wendy Maeda, The Boston Globe)

They look like the purple top turnips in shape, size and color gradations. But instead of white with purple shoulders, they are flesh toned with more muted purple shoulders.

According to Cukie Macomber, as written in the New Bedford Standard Times, "It (ed:the macomber turnip)began when two brothers, Adin and Elihu, sixth-generation farmers from the Westport portion of old Dartmouth, began experimenting with seeds. They returned from a fair in Philadelphia in 1876 with seeds for experimentation, planting radishes next to rutabagas (17th century crossbreed of a cabbage and a turnip) to allow cross pollination. The Westport Macomber Turnip was born. Their new turnip inherited the white flesh of the radish parent and turnip grandparent, but an unusual sweetness and horseradish aroma, raw and cooked."

Every year, I see them at Russo’s and think I will buy a few and experiment. Nothing happened until this year. And how glad I am to have discovered them.

As a simple side dish, I roasted them with apples, ginger and garlic.


This dish transformed easily into a soup. With the addition of a little wine and chicken stock I pureed them. I added a little cream to give the soup a little richness. I started to add lemon juice as its part of my usual seasoning routine. But when I tasted the soup it was wonderfully bright without any more seasoning.

This soup can be easily dolled up with a little lobster and/or truffles on top.

Roasted Turnip Base
1 tbs. butter
1 macomber turnip
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 gala apple

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Peel turnip and cut into ¾ inch cubes.
3. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, just to soften.
4. Toss the butter with the turnips. Season with salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven.
5. Roast t the turnips for 20 minutes.
6. While they’re roasting, core the apple and cut it into a ½ inch dice. Do not peel it.
7. After 20 minutes, add the apple to the turnips. Toss them together to make sure the apples get a little butter coating. Roast for 5 minutes more.
8. Serve as a side dish to braised short ribs or salmon.





Macomber Turnip Soup with Lobster
Turnip Base
1 quart chicken stock/broth
¼ cup heavy cream
1 small leek, white and light green parts, cut and washed.

½ pound lobster meat
1 tsp. fresh tarragon
1 scallion, cut into rings
1 tbs. butter
Lemon


1. In a large soup pot, combine turnip base, chicken stock and leek. Simmer for 20 minutes. Puree in a blender (in two parts if necessary) until smooth. Add cream. Return to pot, and set aside in a warm place.
2. In a medium skillet, melt the butter. Add the lobster and warm it through. Just before serving add tarragon, scallions and a squeeze of lemon.
3. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with lobsters and extra scallion rounds.


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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Lori Lynn DATE:12/11/2009 06:40:00 PM You call that "a little lobster?"
The soup looks divine. I hope we can get these here on the West coast.
LL ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Tall Kate DATE:12/11/2009 07:55:00 PM There is a Macomber turnip soup recipe in the current Edible Boston, too. Russo's has them, hm? That sounds like a good excuse to brave the crowds one of these days soon. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous jo DATE:12/11/2009 08:18:00 PM Mmmmmm we are beginning to fall in love with turnips here. Roasted with butternut squash, but I've never tried it as a soup. I'm intrigued. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Fresh Local and Best DATE:12/13/2009 05:31:00 AM The macomber turnip soup with lobster looks incredible. I adore the combination of lobster and tarragon. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger meanhenry DATE:1/20/2010 09:56:00 PM love the lobster/macomber connection Julia! Nice to bump into your blog! I get a lot of macombers from a 98 year old farmer named Bob Motha in S. Dartmouth. They are pretty amazing. You have to remove every other turnip from the ground about 40 days before they mature, to let some grow big. He grows 20,000 every year so thats a lot of digging!
cheers
Didi Emmons ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times DATE: 8/17/2009 08:39:00 AM ----- BODY:
Early in the summer I began noticing worms in the soil. I knew the soil started out in excellent condition, 3 summers ago, when I imported 5 tons of compost, but worried that I hadn’t sufficiently amended the soil in the subsequent seasons. The worms told me that I was doing okay.

Over the years, I have tried and given up on growing heirloom tomatoes. I’m lucky if I harvest one tomato at the end of September. Despite my track-record, I plant at least one heirloom every year. This year, I planted three. And so far, I’ve had 10 tomatoes! It must be the worms.

The threat of blight still looms. I regularly trim back any yellow spotted leaves that show signs of disease. The foliage is thinning, but the tomatoes stalks are heavy with fruit.


And I’m tense. Because, in fact, they are too heavy. The plants are drooping, bending the stalks despite all my efforts to stake them.
I wonder if the tomatoes will get the required nutrients and energy from the plant with a weakened structure.

The tomatoes still ripen on the vine (i.e. they don’t rot), so I continue to enjoy them: lots of tomato/mayo sandwiches and a few tomato sauces.


Mediterranean Eggplant and Tomatoes
With the glut of eggplant and tomatoes, I made a Mediterranean style dish. With basil, it takes an Italian bent and pairs beautifully with grilled steak and potatoes. With dill, the Turkish inspiration takes over making it perfect with mackerel and basmati rice. The dill is in short supply and I’m reserving it for pickles. I decided to lean Italian.
¼ cup plain oil
5 Japanese eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons currants or raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts or pistachios
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup white wine
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and diced
2 cups diced tomatoes – whatever you have in your garden
2 tablespoons fresh basil or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet heat oil over high heat. Add eggplant to pan, cut side down, and cook until a deep brown. Flip over and cook on the other side until the eggplant is soft, about 1 more minute. It’s important to cook the eggplant in a single layer, so you may need to cook them in batches. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt.

2. When eggplants are cooked, pour off the oil from the pan. Return the pan to a medium heat. Add the pine nuts and raisins and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, or just until the pine nuts start to brown. Remove from heat and drain.

3. Wipe the pan clean, return to medium high heat, and add the butter. When the butter melts and shallots and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the wine and reduce. Add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes have released their liquid and start to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Just before serving, stir in the fresh herbs.

When serving, sprinkle toasted pine nuts and currants on top.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:8/17/2009 10:37:00 AM This recipe sounds so good - I've been really happy with the Japanese eggplants I've been getting from the farm, and this really showcases them. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Alanna Kellogg DATE:8/23/2009 08:22:00 PM This whole blight thing sure is putting a crimp in tomato enjoyment this year - it makes me realize, once again, how much risk we allow when we rely on food from one source, whether one variety or one geography. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Summer Trilogy DATE: 8/11/2009 04:27:00 PM ----- BODY:

One of the best parts of summer (right behind the Crane's Beach and fried clams on the Essex River) is all the fresh produce available at farmers' markets and from my garden. I could subsist on tomatoes, corn and fresh herbs.

The garden tomatoes are still producing (and as I back-up, the farmers' at the weekly markets still have field tomatoes). My romas are a bit mealy -- is it the variety or all the rain we've had this summer? Whatever the reason, they are better for cooking anyway. And the cooking changes the texture so that mealiness disappears. I slow roast them in the style of Fred Flintstone tomato sauce.

Grilled corn is wonderful, but I also like it sauteed in butter with a touch of cream and a pinch of curry powder.

And to make the trilogy pop with color, I saute zucchini with fresh mint.

In the summertime, my cooking simplifies. While baked salmon doesn't have the crispy brown skin that's only achieved from sauteing, it's so much easier. I cover the fillets with fresh basil and tarragon, and layer lemon slices on top. The flavor is wonderful, the fish is moist and delicate and the presentation's okay too.

Roasted Salmon with Creamed Corn, Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini

6 - 8 oz. filets of salmon, skin on
3 ears of corn, kernels cut off
1 tbs. butter
5 shallots, diced
5 cloves garlic, diced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp. curry powder
4 roma tomatoes, cut in half
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffonade
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 tablespoon fresh mint
2 lemons: 1 juiced, 1 sliced thinly
1 fistful of fresh basil and tarragon
plain oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Toss tomatoes with 1 tbs. olive oil, thyme, 1 tbs. chopped shallots and 1 tsp. garlic. Roast in 450F oven, until tomatoes begin to brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with fresh basil.

4. Melt butter in a skillet. Add corn, 1 tbs. chopped shallots and 1 tsp. garlic. Cook until garlic and corn begin to brown. Add curry powder and cook for 1 minute more. Add cream, and cook for 5 minutes, or until cream is reduced by 1/2. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

5. In a skillet, heat remaining oil on high heat. Add zucchini and garlic slices. Cook until the zucchini turns bright green and the garlic browns. Season to taste with mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

6. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Cover the fillets with fresh herbs and layer lemon slices on top. Roast in 375 oven for 10 minutes, or until cooked to desired doneness. Garnish with corn, tomatoes and zucchini.


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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:8/11/2009 05:23:00 PM Individual vegetables are even better as a trilogy! What a great combination! I'm going to be so sad when winter arrives ... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:8/11/2009 09:47:00 PM This is the kind of summer cooking I love -- simple, clean flavors, taking advantage of what's at hand. Lovely color combination, too. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Unknown DATE:8/11/2009 10:10:00 PM You are so lucky to even have tomatoes...I am having a very hard time finding farmer's markets that have not been hit by blight. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Reeni DATE:8/12/2009 08:31:00 PM This doesn't sound simple with its wonderful flavors!! How delicious! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:8/13/2009 08:21:00 AM T.W. -- me too! I'm frantically preserving everything I can to carry me through.

Lydia -- Summer has such a vibrant palate, doesn't it?

Karen -- The conventional growers may still have tomatoes since they can use pesticides...

Reeni -- It only looks complicated. It really is straightforward. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Callie Durbrow DATE:8/13/2009 11:00:00 AM Summer cooking is so much more fresh and often healthier! Grilling all meats and cooking up fresh veggies and salads is the best. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Juliana DATE:8/13/2009 06:09:00 PM Yummie! Love salmon, the one that you feature looks really good with all the goodies in it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger giz DATE:8/13/2009 10:58:00 PM I love the basil/tarragon combination in fistfuls. I'm always amazed at how versatile salmon really is. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:8/14/2009 09:42:00 AM Callie -- It really is! I tend to much more vegetables.

Juliana -- it's fun to play around with the different color combinations too.

giz -- if you ask me, salmon is the real chicken of the sea. :) ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Beet Tales (Recipe: Beets with Cumin and Mint) DATE: 8/01/2009 03:19:00 AM ----- BODY:
Many moons ago, my sister lived in Morocco to learn Arabic and teach music in a school for the blind. Traveling to a foreign country with a native is perhaps the best way to see a country and avoid the tourist traps and scams. Traveling with my sister at the end of her year was a close second. She spoke (and read) the language fluently, which allowed us to navigate the country and menus quite easily.

When we’d go out to eat, I’d let her order. I recall one café... We placed the typical order, “jusz jasz”: two chickens. The waiter quoted us a price: 80 dirham. What?? My sister pointed to the Arabic menu and with a flawless accent and perfect grammar, she questioned, “But the menu says it’s only 20.”

Another favorite was the vegetable salad. Beets, potatoes and carrots were sautéed in fruity olive oil, seasoned with cumin, coriander and black pepper.

This year, I grew beets for the first time. As the British name, "beetroot," would suggest, they grow underground so it's not obvious when they're ready to harvest. One farmer advised to inspect the shoulders of the root which protrudes from the soil. When they are several inches in diameter, the beets are ready. Also, the leaves should be broad and long. I began harvesting the beets last week, and every time I dug one up, it seemed too small. Alas, once you harvest, you can’t put them back.

With my baby beets, I sautéed them with olive oil, cumin and coriander, and tossed them with mint: the perfume took me back to the summer with my sister, wandering the country together.

Moroccan Style Beet Salad with Mint
5 baby beets or 2 medium beets
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
8 large mint leaves, cut into chiffonade

1. Put beets in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil over high flame. Cover pot and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until beets are tender – a butter knife will insert easily.
2. Remove beets from heat and let cool. The skins should peel off easily.
3. Cut beets into 8th.
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium flame. Add cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook until spices become aromatic. Add the beets, and warm through, tossing to coat in scented oil.
5. Remove from heat and serve. Sprinkle mint on top, and a squeeze of lemon.


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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:8/01/2009 08:08:00 AM My brother and sister-in-law also spent several years in Morocco, but I never got there. I LOVE beets. The other day, I found white and gold beets at the Farmer's Market and roasted them. Can't wait to plate it all up and see what it looks like! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:8/01/2009 08:08:00 AM This comment has been removed by the author. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:8/01/2009 03:19:00 PM The first time I tasted beets with mint was in a salad made for me by a Moroccan woman living in Boston. She made a separate carrot and mint salad, too. Every time I think of it, I want to get on a plane to Morocco. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Tall Kate DATE:8/01/2009 08:22:00 PM This sounds divine! I'm growing beets for the first time this year, too, and it's been a lot of fun. I can't wait to try this recipe -- thanks for sharing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous noble pig DATE:8/01/2009 10:32:00 PM So did you get it for 80 or 20? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:8/02/2009 11:00:00 AM T.W. -- I can't wait to see too! I love the red beets best for eating, but the others are just so beautiful.

Lydia -- You definitely need to go to Morocco, for the salads and the tagines!

Tall Kate -- Hope yours are bigger than mine! :)

noble pig -- the cafe owner was so stunned, he gave it to us for 20. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Christo Gonzales DATE:8/02/2009 11:42:00 AM I here there are not a lot of beet fans out there but fortunately I am not one of them - this is such a nice twist on simple beets.... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Suspiciously Delicious DATE: 7/27/2009 08:32:00 AM ----- BODY:
Yep, that's Dina picking up a plastic bag of green stuff from a prearranged drop-off. Not suspicious at all, nope.

Hopefully, my neighbors don’t call the cops on her. This is Cambridge, MA, after all. And we know what could happen. Despite all the controversial media, I left a bag of mint on the front porch for Dina. I think I’m safe, though, since my neighbors also partake of my bounty of herbs: I regularly find 4-year old Oliver in the mint patch having a little snack.

Lord knows, I can’t possibly consume all the herbs on my own. I enjoy what I can throughout the summer, and freeze more for the winter. But even still the garden produces more than I can enjoy. I joke that I’ll start a farm-stand at the end of my driveway and peddle my excess herbs (and vegetables).

On Saturday evening, Dina returned for dinner with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Seems like a fair trade, don’t you think?

This recipe comes courtesy of www.epicurious.com. It sounds like the same as the one Dina used.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 cups packed fresh mint leaves
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)

In a blender blend cream, milk, and mint until mint is finely chopped. In a saucepan bring cream mixture just to a boil and cool 15 minutes. Whisk in eggs and sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and a thermometer registers 170°F. (Do not let custard boil or it will curdle.) Pour custard through a fine sieve into a bowl. Chill custard, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 3 hours, and up to 1 day. Chop chocolate. Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and stir in chocolate. Put ice cream in freezer to harden.


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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous noble pig DATE:7/27/2009 11:37:00 AM My favorite flavor of all time...looks delish! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Reeni DATE:7/28/2009 08:12:00 PM I bet this is just amazing with the fresh mint! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Juliana DATE:7/29/2009 06:12:00 PM Oh! This ice cream looks delicious...unfortunately I do not have an ice cream maker. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous limeduck DATE:7/29/2009 10:05:00 PM So let me get this straight... you leave a bag of "herb" on the porch in the morning, and this "Dina" picks it up and brings back *ice cream* that night?

This might be the Peoples Republic of Cambridge, but there must be something illegal about that.

Unless you share it with us, that is... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Callie Durbrow DATE:7/30/2009 12:59:00 PM Mint chocolate chip is one of the best. It looks even better home-made! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Unknown DATE:8/01/2009 09:20:00 AM Amazing...looks yummy...Just stumbled and submitted your site to http://Viralogy.com. Hope you get some great traffic from it. Your blog is here http://www.viralogy.com/blogs/my/13148 ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Spicy Chick Peas DATE: 7/22/2009 08:50:00 AM ----- BODY:
I have a few friends who make their food preferences very clear. Truthfully, I like that… with all the options of things to cook for dinner, I appreciate the focus this gives me. I know Dina likes Smoked Chicken salad, and Matthew likes lamb.

Last week, we planned a picnic at Tanglewood, and I knew what to bring: Smoked Chicken Salad for Dina, and Tandoori Lamb for Matthew. Sure, I had just made it a few times already in the past month, but why not make the guy happy.

I often serve the lamb with raita or mint chutney. But with the first jalapeno in the garden, I decided to make another recipe from Singapore Food, Spicy Chickpeas.

Spicy Chickpeas
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ghee or oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1 green chili chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 sprig cilantro for garnish

1. Heat a large skillet with oil. Add onions, garlic, ginger and jalapeno, and cook for 10 minutes or until onions soften. Add spices and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
2. Add chickpeas and ½ cup of water. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking until liquid is absorbed.
3. Stir in tomatoes, and cook just until they lose their raw edge.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger grace DATE:7/22/2009 09:47:00 AM i love chickpeas, but about 90% of the time i have them blitzed to oblivion in hummus. i like the idea of leaving them whole and spicing them up with CINNAMON. great dish! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:7/22/2009 10:25:00 AM I miss visiting Tanglewood, and this would be a great dish to take along! What a lively symphony of flavors! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Tall Kate DATE:7/22/2009 02:54:00 PM This looks amazing! I love chickpeas and I can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
(Longtime lurker emerging.) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:7/22/2009 05:14:00 PM Grace -- You know I really like cinnamon with savory dishes.. here's another chick-pea/cinnamon recipe:
http://www.growcookeat.com/2008/07/tales-from-farm-composting-cycle-from.html

T.W. -- you're good! "Symphony of Flavors"

Tall Kate -- Glad to see you've emerged! Please let me know how the recipe turns out for you. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous noble pig DATE:7/22/2009 11:21:00 PM What a great dish. I love chickpeas and the spicy sounds so great! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Callie Durbrow DATE:7/23/2009 12:18:00 PM Sounds great! Chickpeas are definitely not the most exciting food so this is a cool way to spice them up and get some great protein. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Becky and the Beanstock DATE:7/23/2009 04:31:00 PM Mmmm, chickpeas. They're so underrated (and often used just for hummus) and that's a shame. Cinnamon is my favorite "secret ingredient" for savory dishes. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Reeni DATE:7/23/2009 07:42:00 PM These sound amazing! The spice list is incredible! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:7/24/2009 08:44:00 AM noble pig -- I think chick peas are my favorite legume.

Callie -- honestly, i like chick peas plain too. but these are definitely better! :)

becky -- my other "secret" ingredient in madras curry powder.

Reeni -- it's a long list, but nothing is hard to find. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Free Range Eggs (Recipe: Oleana's Deviled Eggs) DATE: 6/24/2009 11:07:00 AM ----- BODY:
Amazing things happen when animals can roam freely. From all this exercise, more blood flows through their muscles, yielding meat that is more is more flavorful and also has a little more texture. And when egg-laying hens roam freely, the eggs taste better too!

Cooking farm-fresh eggs is different than regular supermarket eggs. They cook more quickly. When used in cakes or other baked goods, the results are lighter. The yolks tend to be more orange and flavorful as a result of the grain and grass diet.

When I get fresh eggs, I tend to make egg salad or deviled eggs so I can really appreciate the flavor and texture. Lately, I’ve tired of my usual recipe and decide to branch out.

With a recent dozen, I made a simple deviled eggs, seasoning the yolks with mayonnaise, mustard and cumin...

And the recipe from Oleana for Deviled Eggs with Tuna and Black Olives...
Ana Sortun's Deviled Eggs with Tuna and Black Olives
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup minced fresh tuna (about 6 ounces)
1 scallion, minced
1/2 cup minced celery
Tiny pinch curry
Salt and pepper
8 hard-boiled eggs, split in half lengthwise, with yolks and whites separated
1 cup thick mayonnaise, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
8 black olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 plum tomato, finely chopped

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the tuna, scallion, celery, curry and salt and pepper. Cook until the tuna is just opaque, about 3 minutes. Cool and drain well.

In a small mixing bowl, mash the egg yolks with a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise, tuna, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the egg whites with salt and pepper and fill their centers with heaping spoonfuls of the tuna egg filling. Top each with a black olive and tomato.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Katie DATE:6/24/2009 11:56:00 AM I was never a huge egg lover until I started eating free range eggs. Now I can't get enough! In addition to the difference in yolk color, I've also noticed that the shells are a lot thicker on free range eggs. Whenever I visit my parents and use "regular" eggs, I end up mutilating them because I've become accustomed to hitting them rather hard to break the shell.

You deviled eggs look great, too! I love the idea of using tuna in them. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Heather DATE:6/24/2009 07:48:00 PM to be honest with you, i never knew why free range eggs were better tasting. i thought it was just nicer to the chickens, so i buy them. but now i have a whole new reason! and i love deviled eggs :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Melissa DATE:6/24/2009 08:04:00 PM Free range everything is better and I wish I had discovered that sooner. We had our first truly awesome chicken last year. The difference was unbelievable. I used to buy the cheapest crap I could... please forgive me foodies.

I love egg salad and deviled eggs so much and don't make either often enough. Plus, I haven't tried it yet with my homemade mayo. Mmm. Maybe tomorrow.

By the way, I like how you've been doing your post titles like Lydia. It works. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:6/25/2009 05:23:00 AM Great to see a photo of free-ranging chickens. I've always wondered what it looked like. I love deviled eggs, so much. I could eat a whole platter of yours. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:6/25/2009 12:38:00 PM I must admit I'm partial to your egg salad, but it's hard to resist farm-fresh deviled eggs. I'm lucky to live in a place where many neighbors sell free-range eggs from their farms. And sometimes, where those chickens free range onto the roads, too. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Langdon Cook DATE:6/25/2009 01:32:00 PM My Seattle neighbor has chickens. Thinking about getting some for our "urban farm." Nothing beats a good deviled egg! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Lori Lynn DATE:6/28/2009 12:51:00 PM I love eggs, but now trying to keep cholesterol lower, so I am only eating egg yolks on special occasions. The deviled eggs look soooo good! Tuna is a great substitute, I could leave out the yolk.

I don't remember if I thanked you for the link to the sweet soy sauce.
LL ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:6/28/2009 08:16:00 PM Katie -- I actually didn't like the free-range eggs at first. They tasted too sulphery.

Heather -- could you taste a difference between the two?

Melissa -- Oh good! I'm glad you're finally going to make the homemade mayo ;-)

T.W. -- I'm curious to know if the "commercial" free range chickens have as much room as the smaller "artisanal" farms provide.

Lydia -- That's so great you can get eggs from your neighbors!

LC - Your neighbor in Seattle?? Cambridge law won't allow us to have chickens. That's so great for you.

LL - But eggs have the good cholesterol, right? ;-) ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Asparagus Vichyssoise with Sautéed Morels DATE: 5/29/2009 11:18:00 AM ----- BODY:

I never know how much fiddleheads and morels I’ll be able to get each year, so I always make sure to cook them at least once each Spring. But with the temperamental prices and my cooking schedule, I never know if the second opportunity will arise.

The first cooking, I keep simple. I want to savor the flavors and textures, uncluttered. The second cooking, I tend to be more “creative.” An elegant way to serve the morels is atop an asparagus vichyssoise.

Asparagus Vichyssoise with Sautéed Morels

1 qt. chicken or vegetable broth
1 tbs. olive oil
2 small leeks, chopped
1/4 cup potatoes, diced
24 asparagus spears, trimmed, tips reserved
2 sprigs parsley
1 cup spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Morels
1/2 pound morels, wiped clean
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup dry sherry

For the Soup:
1. Heat olive oil in large pot. Sweat leeks and potatoes. Add asparagus, parsley and chicken broth. Simmer for 15 minutes or until asparagus and potatoes are tender.

2. Put 1/4 cup spinach in the bottom of a blender. Ladle soup into blender and puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Repeat process until all the soup is pureed.

3. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus tips for 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water to lock in the color.

4. Garnish soup with asparagus tips and morels.

For the Morels:
1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the morels. Sprinkle shallots, garlic and thyme on top. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 3 minutes without stirring or shaking. Stir a little and cook for another minute.

2. Deglaze the pan with sherry. Cook for another two minutes until the sherry is absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If I have a third chance, I will serve sautéed morels with seared foie gras. I still have a small piece left over in the freezer.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Katie DATE:5/29/2009 09:01:00 PM This looks great! I don't know that I'll be able to get fresh morels, but I might try this anyway. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Dewi DATE:5/30/2009 09:55:00 AM Yum! The addition of morels must give this soup a nice and smoky flavor. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Lori Lynn DATE:5/30/2009 04:10:00 PM We had a most extraordinary meal in Paris last week at Le Cinq.
The first course was asparagus with morels and risotto. It was profound. I'll be writing about it later in the week. Your dish here is reminding me of it. Looks lovely.
LL ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:5/30/2009 09:07:00 PM Lovely! Nothing says Spring more than the two most wonderful Spring vegetables served together. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Melissa DATE:5/31/2009 04:30:00 AM While I am aware of how perfectly wonderful springy these are, I have yet to try morels. I know, I know. I should hurry to get some before it's too late.

I've also never tried asparagus pureed, but I bet it's awesome. I really want that bowl. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:5/31/2009 05:48:00 PM Katie -- You could also use dried morels... soaked in warm water for 20 minutes first.

Elra -- it did! And a little meaty too :)

LL - That sounds phenomenal! I can't wait to read about it on your blog.

Lydia -- I can't seem to get enough, either.

Melissa -- Sometimes I make it as a sauce for salmon, too, just adding less liquid. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Rejuvenating Salad DATE: 4/27/2009 03:33:00 AM ----- BODY:
Once a year, I retreat to Kripalu in the Berkshires of Western, MA for a weekend of yoga, relaxing and cleansing. The tranquil setting offers a respite from all the toxins of my urban lifestyle – noise, pollution, decadent eating and drinking.

I make no pretense that I would embrace this lifestyle in its entirety on a regular basis -- though I very much enjoy the elements. But every once in a while, it feels great to refresh my body. I relinquish wine and red meat in favor of the light cuisine they offer in the cafeteria. Honestly, it’s the quintessential “granola-crunchy-health” food. I never cook this way at home, but it tastes great, and I feel refreshed after eating like I never do after a meal of foie gras and truffles.

I have no plans for visiting Kripalu in the near future, but definitely need a little detoxing – especially after Taste of the Nation and Foie Gras Three-Ways. A friend just unearthed the recipe their famous salad dressing. I made a salad full of virtuous ingredients. After this meal, I feel light and rejuvenated.

Salad
(Serves 2 an invigorating lunch)

2 cups arugula or baby spinach
1 small can tuna fish, drained
½ cup cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 cup steamed broccoli.

Kripalu Dressing
1 cup sunflower oil or grape seed oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup sesame tahini
2 cloves garlic
½ tablespoon dry mustard powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon chili powder
pinch cayenne
½ cup water

Combine all ingredients and puree in a blender until smooth. Makes about 2 1/2 cups and lasts for a week in the fridge.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger ChristyACB DATE:4/27/2009 06:22:00 AM The dressing sounds yummy..love those ingredients! Thanks. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:4/27/2009 08:38:00 AM It was so warm this weekend, that I immediately went for the salad as well - there is something renewing about welcoming the nice weather with beautiful greens! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous noble pig DATE:4/27/2009 12:36:00 PM I love the sunflower seeds and cranberries in here. I'm sure they give it the perfect texture and crunch. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:4/27/2009 08:25:00 PM After two solid days of making and baking cookies (which I don't even eat), I had to have a salad for dinner tonight. I do feel lighter and refreshed! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Heather DATE:4/27/2009 08:57:00 PM a weekend of yoga and relaxing sounds wonderful! as does this salad!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Melissa DATE:4/28/2009 04:26:00 PM I remember when I came back from Vegas last year and could not WAIT to eat lean, homemade food. I love the rejuvenation it brings. Lovely salad! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger adele DATE:4/28/2009 09:21:00 PM I've been thinking lately that I need to branch out from basic mustard-oil-vinegar dressings. This seems like a good place to start. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger PG DATE:5/02/2009 05:09:00 PM I could handle a weekend like that. Well...maybe a weekend to sleep first and then a retreat weekend. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger amycaseycooks DATE:5/03/2009 08:24:00 PM I have a huge container of tahini that I only use for hummus. So glad I stumbled upon your recipe for dressing with tahini. I can't wait to make this recipe. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Wintered Brussels Sprouts DATE: 3/23/2009 07:33:00 AM ----- BODY:
With only a handful of Brussels sprouts still growing on the stalk, I wanted just the right recipe to make the most of this special treat. Having recently come across some great ideas in the food-blogosphere, I opted to deviate from my usual Roasted with Bacon.

I combined two recipes: Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots and Bacon from Evil Chef Mom with Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar from White on Rice Couple.

2 slices bacon, diced
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 brussels sprouts, sliced.
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium skillet, add bacon. Cook over low heat until the fat starts to release. Continue cooking until there's about 1 tbs. of rendered fat.
2. Turn heat to high and add shallots. Cook, stirring regularly, until shallots and bacon start to brown. Drain off excess fat.
3. Add brussels sprout leaves. Cook until they turn bright green, about 2 minutes.
4. Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger adele DATE:3/23/2009 10:50:00 AM Mmm. Sounds tasty.

Did wintering change the flavor of the brussels sprouts? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Sara DATE:3/23/2009 03:22:00 PM I love brussels sprouts in almost any preparation, but I think roasted might be my favorite! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Melissa DATE:3/24/2009 02:03:00 AM I really want to make that one of Krysta's, and have it printed out as a final hurrah to the sprouts for this week (hopefully). But you combining it with Todd and Diane's is pure genius and looks ridiculously awesome. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Dewi DATE:3/24/2009 04:07:00 PM Julia, this brussel sprouts look really delicious. I am lucky to live in California, I can get brussel sprouts all year round.
Cheers,
elra ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:3/24/2009 04:27:00 PM Adele -- they were incredibly sweet.

Sara -- Roasted is great! Even better with bacon ;-)

Melissa -- Can't wait to hear about your brussels.

Elra -- you are lucky! I'm so envious of the fresh produce available year-round in CA. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Heather DATE:3/24/2009 07:50:00 PM mmmmmm bacon. the perfect accompaniment for.... anything ;) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Peef DATE:3/24/2009 07:54:00 PM Yum. I'm a huge fan of brussels... and this looks like a winning recipe. Nice skill in combining the two! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:3/24/2009 09:49:00 PM Is it possible to make great Brussels sprouts without bacon? I usually roast my Brussels sprouts (no bacon involved), and while they are good, they're not great. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:3/25/2009 06:57:00 AM Heather -- you said it, sista!

Peef -- Thanks for visiting my blog.

Lydia -- Have you tried turkey bacon? A non-pork eating friend swears by chestnuts... a nice meaty smoky flavor. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Reverse the Curse DATE: 3/12/2009 03:39:00 AM ----- BODY:

As I contemplate “Cook. Eat. Grow.” and how I’d like to reverse that trend, I consider my worst eating habit… snacking.

Now there’s nothing wrong with snacking. In fact, some diet experts suggest that regular snacks prevent excessive hunger and binge eating. My challenge is what I’m snacking on. The other day, I decided to prepare some healthy options. I roasted a spaghetti squash and made a batch of Fred Flintstone tomato sauce. I packed individual containers topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan. When the snack pangs hit, I could microwave a portion.

I was amazed at its high satisfaction quotient. A small serving – 1 cup of spaghetti squash and ½ cup of sauce – sated me for 2 hours…. Enough time to last me to the next proper meal. And the nutritional value is quite high.

Cooking Spaghetti Squash

The microwave method:
Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds and inner soft pulp with a large metal spoon. Place face down on a plate and microwave about 2 minutes per half (multiple batches should be necessary) until BARELY soft. Let cool, then plunge a fork longitudinally through the inside flesh and work it from end to end to make the “spaghetti”. Use a metal spoon to get out the last strands.

The oven method:
Cut spaghetti squash in half and put cut side down on a baking sheet. Put into a 375F oven with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from oven and let cool. With a metal spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds and inner soft pulp. Then plunge a fork longitudinally through the inside flesh and work it from end to end to make the “spaghetti”. Use a metal spoon to get out the last strands.

Season squash however you like, here are two options:

1. Salt, butter and parmesan cheese.
2. Capers, toasted garlic and olive oil

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger jesse DATE:3/11/2009 05:13:00 PM That looks delicious! I struggle most with snacking too... I have a bad, bad habit of what I call "mindless snacking", where I'd just stand at the kitchen counter and switch off my brain and munch on random things without really being aware of whether or not I'm getting full. Like you, I'm learning to set portions aside just for snack time... and oh, one thing that really helped me was to set specific times for me to eat... so even if I'm not that hungry at 4pm, I'll still have something small so that I'm not starving by the time I get to dinner. Love this recipe... what a treat! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Heather DATE:3/11/2009 05:43:00 PM i always fail miserably at cooking spaghetti squash! yours looks amazing! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:3/11/2009 08:43:00 PM I know the snacking! I made these cookies and gave a bunch away yesterday. I had about a dozen left and decided to toss them in the freezer so I wouldn't be tempted by them. At midnight I pulled one out of the freezer and it was delicious frozen. It's hopeless. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Reeni DATE:3/11/2009 09:43:00 PM I just recently discovered I love spaghetti squash! What a great thing to snack on. The thing I hate most is going to the kitchen just cause I'm bored and not hungry. You know, when you just stare into the refridge and pantry hoping something will jump out at you. I started making a cup of tea when this happens, instead of eating something I don't really want. So far it's working. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:3/12/2009 12:03:00 AM When I'm really being good, I limit snacking to single items -- an apple, a hard boiled egg, something like that. Portion control is everything! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger White on Rice Couple DATE:3/12/2009 12:12:00 AM Don't fight the snack, just make the snack healthier, that's our approach. We are serious snackers, too. Love the spaghetti squash. it's such a fun gourd. Thanks for sharing. Todd ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:3/12/2009 12:19:00 PM Jesse -- good tip about setting aside specific times to snack.

Heather -- my first batch I over cooked... I didn't think it was possible.

noble pig -- Good effort putting them in the fridge! Next time, maybe make cookies that aren't tasty? :)

Reeni -- tea! another good suggestion! I always feel much better after tea.

Lydia -- I wish an apple would sate me! That's my biggest problem.

WORC -- I'm working on it.. Great tips all around! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Sara DATE:3/12/2009 10:05:00 PM This looks really good - back when I was just learning to cook, I made spaghetti squash for my family. It was a total disaster! They begged me never to make it again...I wonder if they've forgotten about that yet :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger PG DATE:3/14/2009 07:13:00 PM My current strategy is to try to enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Probably not nearly as functional as snacking on healthy options.

I've looked at spaghetti squash in the grocery store, but always passed them over for lack of a plan or knowledge of how to cook it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Celery Root - Recipe Request DATE: 3/03/2009 11:54:00 AM ----- BODY:

Just this morning, a friend lamented the vast quantities of celery root in his organic produce delivery box. For the benefit of my friend and the other customers receiving deliveries from Boston Organics, I've put together this compilation of recipes. Feel free to add your favorite recipe suggestions in the comments.

With a mild celery flavor, celeriac looks similar to a jicama, and is often confused at the supermarket. But its fuzzy exterior and knobby roots on the bottom distinguish it. And if you still can’t tell the difference, take a whiff – you’ll get a faint smell of celery. The celery root comes from the leaf celeri variety, which is different than the variety from which we get stalks.

The root’s minimal starch content makes this an easy vegetable to cook. And my favorite preparation, pureed with a little cream and lemon juice, capitalizes on this. Pureed celery root is a great side dish for pork, duck, braised short-ribs or salmon. Mine second favorite preparation: served with smoked salmon as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.

Alternatively, you can cook the celery root in cream and use the cooked root and cream to toss with pasta. No matter how you cook the celery root, it’s best to cook it in liquid. And like all root vegetables, start with cold water.

Celery root can also be eaten raw. Most commonly, it’s sliced into thin strips (julienne) and tossed with a mayonnaise based dressing: a French variation of coleslaw called Remoulade.

Celeriac Puree
2 knobs celery root (celeriac)
½ cup cream
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

Using a paring knife, peel celery root. Cut into 1/8th.

Put celery root in a pot and cover by one inch with cold ,salted water. Boil the be-jeebies out of it, approximately 15 minutes (more or less depending on how small the pieces are). When you can easily poke the celery root with a fork ,they’re tender. Drain, reserving about ½ cup of water.

Put in a food processor, and puree with cream. Adjust consistency with water. Add lemon juice, 1 squeeze at a time, until it is seasoned to your taste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

When serving celeriac puree as a side dish to salmon, duck or pork, consider one of these two wine sauces which will further enhance the flavors:

Wine Sauce
1 cup red wine or port
1/2 lemon juiced
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth, cream or water (or combination)
1 – 2 sticks butter

Melt 1 tbs. butter in a sauce pan. Add shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes or until soft. Add wine, and let it reduce to about 2 tbs. Add chicken broth (or other liquid) and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and whisk in butter, 2 tbs. at a time - for a total of 1/4 -1/2 lb. depending on your taste. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a small squeeze of lemon juice


Caramelized Balsamic Sauce
½ cup sugar
1 tbs. garlic, chopped
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. juniper berries, crushed

Put sugar and garlic in a pot, with 1/2 cup of water. Put over high heat, and stir just until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking without stirring, until sugar turn a deep golden color. Add balsamic, carefully, and juniper berries. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes, until sugar redissolves, and the sauce reduces by 1/4. Remove from heat, and keep in warm place. Strain out juniper berries before serving.

Celery Root Remoulade
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon drained bottled capers, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh tarragon, minced, or ¼ tsp. dried.
2 small celery roots, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces or shredded coarse

In a small bowl combine ingredients for dressing: mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice, capers, mustard, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined well. Toss with celery root. Chill until ready to serve. Makes a great side dish for crab cakes or grilled fish.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Heather DATE:3/03/2009 03:06:00 PM i rally enjoy celery root, and kind of love its rough and tumble appearance. your recipes sound great! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Karen DATE:3/03/2009 04:55:00 PM Too much celery root? Your friend can give some to me...I was going to buy it at Whole Foods, but it was kind of squashy so I passed.

I've made celery root puree with apples, and a soup with celery root and pear, but I can't find those recipes! If I dig them up I'll post 'em...in the meanwhile, I think you could substitute celery root for turnip in this recipe for saag (adapted from "The Complete Asian Cookbook," by Charmaine Solomon):

1 lb spinach or other greens
2 medium turnips or 1 giant white radish (like a daikon) or 1 celery root
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds or panch phora
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste (I use a lot less than that!)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Wash the greens and remove any tough stalks. Chop or tear the leaves into small pieces (I cheat and use baby spinach, no tearing or chopping required...).

Peel and dice the turnips/radish/celery root into ~1/2-inch cubes.

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pot and add the mustard seeds. Let the seeds fry until they begin to pop and then add the onion and ginger. Fry on medium heat until the onion is soft and golden.

Add the chili powder, turmeric, and salt; stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the diced turnip and a little water and stir. Cover and cook over low heat until the turnips are soft (check that they do not stick to the pot and add water as necessary). If you are using mature greens, add them to the pot now; stir occasionally as the greens cook down to ensure that everything cooks evenly.

Uncover the pot and mash the turnips with a potato masher or large wooden spoon. If you are using baby spinach, add it now: add a bunch of spinach to the pot, stir, cover and cook until the spinach wilts, then add another batch of spinach to the pot, etc.

Sprinkle the garam masala over the vegetables and simmer for another 5 min or so. If there is excess liquid, simmer longer. Mash everything together again, taste for seasoning and add a little lemon juice if desired.

Serve with rice and curries. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:3/03/2009 05:46:00 PM I love mixing my celery root puree with pureed mashed potaotes. It has such a great flavor! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:3/03/2009 05:49:00 PM and of course, it's delicious in any chunky soup. Just diced like you would potatoes, and add to the broth.

Such a tasty vegetable! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Mary Bergfeld DATE:3/04/2009 07:09:00 AM I, too, add celery root to mashed potatoes. Good stuff that! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you'll come often. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger grace DATE:3/04/2009 12:22:00 PM well, it sure is an ugly beast, but look at everything you can do with it! great post, julia. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:3/04/2009 03:51:00 PM Heather -- Great description!

Karen -- I'm with you! Looks like a great recipe! Thanks for sharing.

Noble Pig and Mary -- I think I'm the only one that like my celery root puree straight... I see you mix it with potatoes and Karen with apples...They all sound delicious!

Sylvie -- Brilliant... in a broth... I tend to pick the richer preparations, but I like this... light and clean.

Grace -- it is ugly, isn't it? But it's got a great personality! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger trapezeboy DATE:3/05/2009 06:15:00 PM I like to roast it along with potatoes and rutabaga, the standard olive oil, salt, pepper thing.

They are REALLY good as is, but I recently discovered making a curry out of them. The roasted flavor carries over nicely and it's super easy to do. Delish! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Karen DATE:10/15/2009 04:18:00 PM My great aunt always taught us to peel the root, slice it in 1/8th to 1/4th inch thickness, then cut into 1/6th's or 1/8th's wedges, steam until tender, drain, toss in olive oil, garlic and pepper to taste, chill and serve with in salads or on it's own with roast beef, grilled steak, roasted or grilled chicken, or a side for pasta. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Resilient Recipes: Beef Stew DATE: 2/02/2009 11:30:00 AM ----- BODY:
One of the biggest challenges in entertaining at home is timing everything. First, one must assume that the guests will arrive on time, and then as host, you need to create a time-line of when the meal must go in and out of the oven so that everything’s ready and hot at the same time. Yeah, right!

As I get away from professional cooking, and focus more on recreational cooking, my style of entertaining has evolved. After all these years of being in the kitchen for the party, I want to spend time with the guests. While the food is still important, I value other aspects of a dinner party – a relaxed and convivial atmosphere that encourages lively conversation. The food becomes the backdrop for the evening.

Part of my success, or so my friends tell me, is that I’m a calm hostess (I think it’s that I serve copious amounts of wine). I’m not anxious about the meal, nor am I racing around when the guests arrive trying to put the finishing touches on a recipe. Much of this is my professional training. But a lot has to do with the menu. I opt for resilient recipes – These could be dishes that don’t suffer from pre-cooking and last minute reheating. Or recipes that have a large window of “doneness” – think chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. Better yet, during the winter, I make stews that actually get better the longer they cook.

Such is the recommendation I offered my friend R who just got engaged. She’s hosting her parents and future in-laws for dinner – the first meeting for the two sets of parents. One can never predict how the evening will go… will the conversation be lively during the hors d’oeuvres and delay dinner? Will the silence be deafening and encourage an earlier start to the meal? For sure, let’s hope for the former. And with a stew gently staying warm in the oven, she can enjoy the company and know that the meal will be even better.

Beef Stew
(serves 4-6 guests)

2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup flour
3 slices smoked bacon
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 large shallot, peeled and chopped.
1 celery rib, chopped
1/4 lb. mushrooms, quartered
1 cup chicken broth
1 - 10 oz. can tomatoes
1/2 bottle red wine
1/2 cup brandy
2 sprigs thyme
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbs. plain oil.
salt and pepper to taste

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Dust with flour. Dice bacon, and put in a large skillet with high sides. Brown bacon over high heat. Remove bacon and set aside

2. Add oil and beef, and brown beef (on high heat) for about 4 minutes on each side. Add onions, shallots, carrot, celery, and cook for about 5 minutes more.

3. Turn heat off, and deglaze pan with brandy and red wine. Scrap all of the browned bits off the bottom, this is good stuff. Add chicken stock, thyme and cumin. Turn heat back to high, and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover pot. Put in 325 oven. After about 1 1/2 hour, add mushrooms. Cook covered for another hour or until meat is tender.

4. Serve stew over egg noodles or with grilled bread.

If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you can omit the flour. Potatoes would make a great side dish as well.

Here are some other resilient recipes from Grow. Cook. Eat.
Vietnamese Crepes with Salmon and Radish Salad
End of the Season Cannellonis
Moroccan Style Chicken Stew

I'm submitting this recipe to Tried Tested and True 3: Wedding Edition in honor of Psychgrad's recent engagement (to another R).

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger PG DATE:2/02/2009 01:28:00 PM Yay! You submitted it. Good post. I'm going to have to keep resilience in mind for the family meal (both my own and the food).

How do I interpret the ingredients for mushrooms?

Shamefully, I still didn't make the rolls. I bought the ingredients (well...all minus the cream cheese that was on the list but got forgotten in the shuffle) and hope to get it done some time this week. This weekend was just too hectic. If you're anxious to post yours, go ahead. I'm still committed to making mine, I'm just having a hard time fitting everything in. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:2/03/2009 02:51:00 AM Yep those are great entertaining tips. A stew is perfect for that! And the meal is more enjoyable when there is no hostess stress. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:2/03/2009 06:54:00 AM Psychgrad -- it's 1/4 pound mushrooms. # is an abbreviation for pound I learned in culinary school. I wonder if an abbreviation professional culinarians use, or only graduates of the CCA?

Look forward to hearing about your rolls! I'll hold off on my post.

noble pig - Now if we could just make a tonic to remove hostess stress.... ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Peter M DATE:2/04/2009 09:44:00 AM I like the deep brown colour of the stew and the cumin gives a nice kick too! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger grace DATE:2/04/2009 11:01:00 AM excellent stew, julia! and i firmly believe that a little wine can go a long way in easing tension and awkwards situations. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Melissa DATE:2/05/2009 07:10:00 PM I think it’s that I serve copious amounts of wine

Ha!

Your hosting tips are right on - I always try to make something for a crowd that can sit and simmer because I decided I actually wanted to enjoy my evening too. This time of year I am seeing a lot of beef stews and I have still not made my own. Don't know why not! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:2/27/2009 09:55:00 AM Thanks for the date of when to plant inside. March 15th. Every year I miss it and end up buying seedlings. Now I have a deadline for getting seeds planted. My daughter was planting pea seeds this morning in old paper egg cartons which we use in place of peat pots. Ideally, we like to have peas in the ground by March 15 but that's hard to achieve in New England. Here's hoping for a great growing season! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Methi, Eggplant and Potato Masala DATE: 10/20/2008 11:21:00 AM ----- BODY:

Russo’s Market in Watertown has an extraordinary produce selection – appealing to just about every ethnic group from South East Asian to Armenia to Europe and the Americas. I can often find unusual herbs and vegetables that I’ve seen in my travels or in ethnic cookbooks. It makes for more adventurous culinary experimentation. There are several things I see on a regular basis that I have no idea how to use. One such thing is methi leaves.

When I signed up to participate in “Taste & Create,” I didn’t expect to encounter such exotic ingredients. Taste & Create is a monthly food blog event, in which participants are randomly paired with other food bloggers and asked to choose and prepare a recipe from their partner's blog. I was paired with “Tasty Curry Leaf.” The recipes on this blog have a decided Indian, vegetarian bent. As I browsed through the recipes looking for something fun to try, and I was beside myself to find a recipe that used an ingredient I had seen in the markets, but had never cooked.

I’m not as familiar with Indian cooking so I was intrigued by some of the techniques. Most notably, the raw potatoes are salted before cooking. The excess water is squeezed out. And unlike typical French fried potatoes, the salty seasoning penetrates and satiates.

The methi leaves are considered a vegetable and not an herb. As they are sold with the roots attached, like cilantro or basil, this was not overtly obvious. When cooked, they retain more substance than spinach but have a similar texture: a cross between crunchy and creamy. If you can't find methi leaves, watercress would make a fine substitution.

Though the spice combination is straightforward, the flavors are quintessential Indian: a wonderful and simple recipe. The one modification I made was the addition of a few drops of lemon juice. The next day, we made omelets with the leftovers.

Ingredients:


Potato:1 cubed
Eggplant:1 cubed
(long purple Chinese eggplant/long green eggplant)
Methi leaves: 1 bunch
Onion: 1 medium
Tomato:1 medium
Chilli powder:1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder:1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder:1/4 tsp
Salt:as per taste

Preparation:

Cube the potato and eggplant.Apply salt to them and deep fry in hot oil after squeezing them.For potato cubes,you soak them in salted water inorder to season them and also prevent them from turning brown.For eggplant you simply apply salt and keep aside.You squeeze the salted eggplant to remove the bitterness if any.Make sure you squeeze the potatoes and eggplants as well before deep frying.

Now you can avoid deep frying by roasting them in the oven.This is my enhancement to the masala.You squeeze the salted potatoes and eggplant cubes and roast them in a 475F oven for 20 minutes (potatoes) and 10-15 minutes for eggplants in a greased dish.


Chop onions into long thin pieces.Cube tomatoes as well.You can also use tomato puree or tamarind paste/concentrate instead of tomatoes.Chop the methi leaves.Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan.Add chopped onions,saute till brown.Then add tomatoes cubed/pureed/tamarind concentrate,fried /roasted cubes and salt and powders.Saute till oil separates,add methi leaves and saute for a second then add water and cook till done.

Serve with rotis or rice.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Gita Jaishankar DATE:10/20/2008 08:50:00 PM Hi Julia,
Thanks for the comment. You have a wonderful blog. Nice to read all your posts :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:10/21/2008 08:41:00 AM Such a fun event, and how nice that you looked for a recipe that would bring you into unfamiliar territory! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger CurryLeaf DATE:10/21/2008 01:03:00 PM Nice Surprise you gave me today when I came to your blog.Hope you enjoyed the dish.It can be a bit spicy.THANKS & THANKS for trying this -clearly unfamiliar territory ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:10/21/2008 08:34:00 PM Gita, Thanks for visiting! I'm looking forward to trying some of your recipes.

Lydia, it is fun! Especially since I could try and learn something new

Curry Leaf, I thought the recipe was great, and not too spicy at all! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger CurryLeaf DATE:10/22/2008 03:43:00 PM Julia,I posted my savoury scallion scones today-you can find it here-http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/2008/10/savoury-scallion-scones.html.I twisted it avoiding bacon and eggs as I am a vegetarian.Hope its okay.They turned out great.Thanks ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger CurryLeaf DATE:10/22/2008 04:35:00 PM Thanks for the comment Julia.As for your doubts,Cheese is a dairy product,where as eggs are actually having a life inside them.So it is bad ethically to consume them.I used to take eggs when I were younger,though basically and traditionally I have been brought up vegetarian.Now its a personal choice.Well,vegan and vegetarian are bit different.Thanks for the question as well. :) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger anudivya DATE:10/22/2008 05:57:00 PM Nice event, never heard of it. This looks like a lovely entry to it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: What Every Omnivore Should Eat -- According to Andrew DATE: 9/04/2008 07:51:00 AM ----- BODY:
Over at Very Good Taste, they have a little challenge. They put together a list of 100 foods that they think every good omnivore should try at least once. I could add a few things to this list -- based on strange, and usually unfortunate things I've eaten -- like beaver, cow's foot or steak and kidney pie.

Want to play along? Here’s what you do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (Julia’s note: I’ll try anything once… at least a small bite)
and let me know the things you think are missing from the list!

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison (I even have a few pictures of the deer, but I don’t think you want to see them J)
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (probably when I was 19)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (see below for my recipe)
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses (yummy, creamy, salty goodness)
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (and I don’t particularly recommend it)
19. Steamed pork buns (best part of Chinese Dim Sum)
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - I’ve eaten other varieties raw.
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut – though I do prefer my Reuben’s with coleslaw.
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (I’m thinking I had one during my college years, but I must have black it out)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (- chipolines in Oaxaca Mexico)
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (I must have had one when I was in junior high school)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
A most unfortunate experience. The durian barely hit my tongue before I spit it out.
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
So close, I had a tasting menu at Le Bristol in Paris, only a two star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam – I’m proud to say no!
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake – In the bayou country of Louisianna

For a grand total of: 81!
What's your score?

1 lb. cauliflower, separated into florets
3 tbs. ghee
½ tsp. brown mustard seed
½ tsp. cumin
pinch fenugreek
½ tsp. turmeric
3 slices fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 fresh green chili, sliced
½ tsp. salt
Heat ghee and fry mustard seeds until they start to pop. Add cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, garlic and onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft.
Add cauliflower, and stir until well coated. Add tomato, chili, 1/4 cup of water and salt, and cook covered for 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:9/04/2008 01:48:00 PM There's also a vegetarian version of this list going around:
http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2008/09/04/the-vegetarian-hundred/. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:9/04/2008 01:59:00 PM I just saw that, Lydia. Thanks for pointing it out! It's a much easier list, I scored 93. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:9/04/2008 08:23:00 PM Your aloo gobi recipe lacks aloo ;)

Aloo gobi is supposed to be potatoes (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi). You've got a gobi recipe going, what looks like a yummy one. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:9/05/2008 08:53:00 AM Bishop22, thanks for correcting me. My Indian is a bit rusty. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:9/06/2008 03:31:00 AM Do you think that all Snake wines have the same beverage inside ?

http://www.asiansnakewine.com/

Thanks. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:9/06/2008 07:54:00 AM ASW - I had never heard of snake wine before, but I'll be in Vietnam in January, so I'll be sure to try it. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Seed Management DATE: 8/20/2008 09:11:00 AM ----- BODY:
There are three big reasons why Even’ Star Farm’s produce is superior to its competitors. Since it’s organic, we know that it has not been grown with synthetic pesticides or artificial fertilizers. This does not necessarily enhance the flavor, but it protects the environment and our natural resources. More importantly, because they sell only to local markets, the produce is able to ripen on the vine instead of in the back of a truck. The produce develops sweeter flavors and better texture. Most importantly, though, is how farmer Brett protects his gene line of seeds.

When I start my garden in the summer, I purchase seeds and seedlings from random suppliers. I still have the advantage of growing all-natural and fully ripening on the vine, but am beholden to their quality control.

Seed management is a rather straightforward process. For every crop, you save the most flavorful, hearty plants and harvest the seeds for the following year’s crop. The sheer volume of seeds necessary for production farm like Even’ Star means that one person could work solely on this project, and work full time. Further, the seeds are harvested when the farm is in peak production – essentially doubling an already full workload. In the midst of harvesting tomatoes, okra, eggplant and watermelon, the crew generates hundreds of pounds of seed!


Each crop has different criteria for ideal. For the ancho chilies, it’s the size, shape (perfect conical) and color (evenly red ripe). Meredith, who was charged this week with harvesting the breeders, had to taste each pepper to make sure the heat level was appropriate. Brett wanted just the slightest hint of spice. For the arugula, the seeds are saved from the hardiest plants that survive cold, frost and wind. The peachy mama’s which have an obscenely long maturation time, are bred to shorten that span. The tomato seeds are selected from the healthiest, disease-resistant plants. After several years of picking the best seeds, the gene lines get better and better. So good in fact, that Brett sells his seeds to Fedco in Waterville, ME – a national, highly regarded seed supplier. Even’ Star seeds sell for 4 times more than the equivalent “generic” variety.

You may recall that earlier this season, I harvested some of my broccoli raab seed for Brett. Because the raab had “wintered-over”, that is, it re-grew after being buried for 5 months under a blanket of snow and ice. Should Brett be able to grow raab from this seed, the plants will be more tolerant of cold weather.

To keep the workers/crew happy through all this work, I usually make them special lunches when I visit. One of their perennial favorites is arepas. The corn comes from Alan Sivak, whose farm is just 2 miles down the road.

Arepas with Tomatillo Salsa

1 – 1 lb. bag hominy
4 ears corn
1 tbs. chopped garlic
4 scallions, chopped
2 tbs. chopped cilantro *or more
1 – 2 cups grated jack cheese
3 tbs. butter
salt and pepper
plain oil


3 green tomatoes or tomatillos, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 tsp. Tabasco (or more to taste)
1 smoked tomatoes, chopped
1 tbs. lime juice
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbs. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook hominy according to package directions.
2. Heat a large skillet. Melt butter. Add the corn, then the garlic. Cook over medium heat until the corn begins to roast and brown.
3. Drain hominy. Grind with a medium hole. Grind corn and garlic mixture as well.
4. Mix in by hand the jack cheese, scallion and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Form patties with dough. Pan fry in plain oil until crispy on both sides.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger PG DATE:8/21/2008 11:03:00 AM It would be neat to go to your farm and learn all of this first hand.

I'm always amazed at the difference between produce that has ripened on the vine vs. on the back of a truck. Like night and day. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:8/22/2008 09:28:00 AM Psychgrad, I've been very lucky to have such a wonderful classroom and teacher. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:8/25/2008 08:43:00 AM I would enrol too!

Interesting that the basic principles of seed collection are the same the world over - but the ingredients for your Arepas recipe - are unheard of here!

hominy, scallions, cilantro
& jack cheese are all new!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Anonymous DATE:8/25/2008 09:09:00 AM I had much inferior arepas at the Fishermans Feast of the Madonna in the North End last week. Are they Italian in origin? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:8/25/2008 08:46:00 PM Topveg, the hominy I use is not the whole kernel, but the broken yellow kind. Goya makes it, but I couldn't find a photo of it on their website.

limeduck, I actually learned this recipe from a Colombian chef I worked with in Boston. I've only seen Latin American versions. Other variations have used the flour and not the dried kernels. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Farm Share Thursday DATE: 8/16/2008 08:50:00 AM ----- BODY:
My neighbors were on vacation this week, and they offered me their weekly CSA subscription box. The vegetables come from Parker Farm. I knew Steve Parker back when he used to deliver to restaurants. He also used to be a fixture at the Central Square Farmer’s Market, but this year he’s only at the Saturday’s Market in Union Square, Somerville. I especially like to support the farmers I know. In the spirit of Farm Share Tuesday, I invited a few friends over to enjoy a dinner in the garden eating farm fresh food.In my box this week: yellow carrots, cucumbers, corn, sweet onions, radishes and arugula. To add to the bounty, I still had a few things left from my visit to the farm: Cherokee purple and turtle gold tomatoes, eggs and new potatoes. And to round out the offerings: fresh herbs and celery in the garden.
With Dina in the house, I had to make my now famous Smoked Chicken Salad¸ tossed with celery, carrots, and onion tops, mixed with mayonnaise. I canned peachy mamas at the farm, which made a lovely hors d’œuvre to accompany the chicken, served with crackers. Or if someone has celiac disease, you can use cucumber slices instead of crackers.


The main meal, which coincidentally was gluten-free, manifested itself into:

Arugula, Tomatoes and Cucumber, Simply Dressed with Basil, Lemon and Olive Oil


Creamed Corn – the surprise hit of the night

Tortilla Española with Homemade Smoked Tomato Ketchup


Ginger Marinated Salmon with a Vietnamese Coconut Crepe and Radish Salad


And to top it off, Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Ice Creams from Christina’s.

Vietnamese Crepes
(Makes 16 8” crepes)

1/2 Pound Rice Flour
2 Ounces Corn Starch
2 Eggs
1 ½ Cups Coconut Milk
1 Cup Water
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil


1 Pound Carrots, Peel, Julienned Or Shredded
6 Red Radishes, Julienned Or Shredded
½ Cup Mint Leaves, Julienned
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Cup Vinegar
1 Cup Sugar
Pinch Chili Flakes
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce

Method

1. Combine corn starch, rice flour, salt and turmeric in a bowl. Stir in eggs, coconut milk and water. Add more water if the batter is too thick, more rice flour if too thin.

2. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high flame. Add 1 tbs. of oil, or enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add 1/3 cup batter to pan, swirl around to create a thin layer.

3. Cook crepe until crepe is crispy and brown on the bottom. Fold crepe in half. Repeat process with remaining batter.

1. Mix carrots and radish with salt and let rest for ½ hour, or until carrots are soft. Add mint.

2. Combine remaining ingredients for sauce in a stainless steel sauce pot. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat

3. Combine carrots/radish with sauce.

4. Serve crepes with salad.

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