have a nosh!

when nick's away... it's eggplant time!

2011-10-19T12:46:00.003-04:00

My darling husband is away, at an education conference in Athens (poor him), leaving me home alone for five days with our little bundle of joy. This means I need to eat well to keep up my strength! I've been doing this by making some of my old favorites that aren't necessarily Nick's favorites, like my bow-tie pasta salad with bresaola and my pregnancy go-to sweet potato stir fry. Tonight, still dreaming of an eggplant dish we had last weekend at ASD's annual progressive dinner, I set out to make something delicious out of a vegetable that Nick eats only under duress. And it was so, so, SOOOOO delicious that I am thinking about making it again for him when he comes home!

Warning: Multiple steps ahead. But it was so worth it!

Baked Eggplant with Goat Cheese, Spinach, and Red Wine Tomato Sauce

First, prepare the eggplant:
Slice the eggplants (note: I used three small-sized eggplants) into rounds just under 1 inch thick. Place them on a baking pan and sprinkle generously with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes and blot dry. Flip, salt again, and let stand for another 20 minutes before blotting again. Turn on the broiler with a rack around 4-6 inches below the heat. Brush both sides of the eggplant rounds with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit more salt and some pepper. Pop them in the oven and brown one side (about 10 minutes), then flip the rounds and brown the other side (for about the same amount of time).

In the meantime, prepare the tomato sauce:
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
2 small onions, finely minced (I cut one large white onion, for about 1.5 cups)
2 small bay leaves
1/2 t dried thyme
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried savory (instead I put in 1 t dried sage and 1/2 t dried basil)
a generous pinch of red pepper flakes
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 c dry red wine
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes in puree
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the onions, herbs, and pepper flakes and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Add the garlic during the last few minutes. Raise the heat, add the wine and 1/2 cup water, and simmer until reduced by half, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 35 minutes. Taste for salt (I didn't add any extra) and season with pepper (yes please!).

Deborah writes: "Use this as seasoning as well as a sauce. Stir a spoonful into hearty grain dishes, serve with herb-crusted tofu and lentil and caramelized onion croquettes, or toss with pasta and chickpeas for a substantial cold weather pasta."

Once the eggplant and sauce are done, you're ready to assemble the dish and bake!

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 11x13 glass pan with olive oil. Pour some of the tomato sauce into the pan, enough to coat the bottom. Place the eggplant rounds in one layer in the pan. Spoon additional sauce (you probably won't use it all) onto each of the rounds. Then place steamed spinach (I was generous with this) on the top of the sauce. Last, cut chunks of goat cheese (I used about 5 oz) to place on the top of each round, followed by generous amounts of shredded mozzarella (I used about 1 1/2 cups). Bake, covered, on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Then remove cover, raise the rack to the highest mark, and broil the cheese until it begins to brown (around 3 minutes). Finally, eat and enjoy!

Recipes modified from Deborah Madison (2007), Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, "Red Wine Tomato Sauce" and "Eggplant Rounds with Cheese and Red Wine Tomato Sauce."

a delectable "spicy, nutty" chutney with grilled shrimp

2011-09-03T13:46:00.003-04:00

Ahem. Well, nothing like a pregnancy and the birth of one's first child to make one drop off the face of the blogosphere for a year!

Over the summer, our little angel Graham got into a pretty good bedtime routine, wherein he is normally asleep by 7:30 pm and wakes up for the day some time around 8 am (with one early-morning feeding, and merciful returning-to-sleep, before that). Once he started doing this, we started being able to have a normal dining life again, one in which we can actually cook AND eat what we've cooked, all at once! Even throw in a glass of wine in there if we want! All this means that, for the two weeks we've been back in Doha, we've used our takeout menus only twice -- not bad. :)

Of course, we have done some good cooking over the past year, and luckily I did keep notes on some excellent recipes that I will post (backdated, of course, I'm OCD like that). And I have been doing a lot of BABY FOOD MAKING, which I'll have to highlight at some point too. But just to kick things off, here's the recipe for a fantastic chutney we made tonight, paired with shrimp (marinated in olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and salt, then pan-fried in olive oil) and homemade garlic bread. Nevermind that it took me TWO trips to the grocery store to get all the necessary ingredients (luckily it's only a 10-min round trip!). Nick and I agree that it was worth it.

Spiced Pistachio Chutney

Ruth writes, "Keep this nutty, spicy condiment in mind--it is also delicious with almost any grilled seafood or chicken."

Ingredients:
1 (8-oz) container plain whole yogurt
1/2 c unsalted shelled pistachios, toasted
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t olive oil
4 jalapeno chiles, coarsely chopped (note: I took the seeds out -- and it was fairly mild, so perhaps try a few seeds next time...?)
1 c loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs
1 T lime juice
kosher salt

Drain the yogurt: Put yogurt into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl (I used the yogurt container) and drain.

Marinate the shrimp (or whatever else you are using).

Make the chutney: Finely grind pistachios in blender. (I kept grinding a bit too long and turned my fine grind into pistachio nut butter -- oops! Luckily it still blended in well, thanks to my awesome new food processor.) Cook coriander and cumin in oil in a small heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes; cool. Combine chiles, drained yogurt, coriander mixture, and cilantro in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add lime juice, pistachios, and salt to taste -- puree to finish.

Notes: The chutney can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, covered.

Recipe (slightly modified) from Ruth Reichl, ed., Gourmet Today: More Than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen (2009), "Grilled Shrimp Sate with Spiced Pistachio Chutney."

zucchini, anyone?

2010-08-16T11:41:00.001-04:00

Just pretend that we lived in a place where we could choose to eat locally grown food at seasonally appropriate times. There would be a time of the season when we would be inundated with zucchini -- more zucchini than we would know what to do with. I'm already aware of the delectable ability of zucchini to pair with chocolate in zucchini chocolate chip cookies, breads, and cupcakes. Yet there's only so much dessert one can handle before you start beating yourself over the head with one of those massive and overabundant zucchinis. And sauteed zucchini (in pastas, for example) or grilled zucchini (as a burger side) aren't really my thing. So what to do?

Well, tonight's dinner may have permanently solved the zucchini problem -- still pretending that we have such a thing over here in Doha. Nick and I took one bite and had to forcibly restrain ourselves from more until a picture was taken -- "for the list!!", as Nick gasped. The salsa verde is ridiculously good. You would never know it was zucchini. Granted, the recipe made waaaaaaay too much, but we're planning an impromtu enchilada night just because this salsa is too good to waste. And the zucchini fritters were amazing -- topped with a baby spinach salad, with no need for the "green goddess" dressing (mostly mayo) that Bon Appetit suggests as accompaniment. Incredible how good healthy food can taste!

Zucchini Fritters with Baby Spinach Salad

For the fritters:
1 1/2 lbs medium zucchini (5 to 6), trimmed
1 1/2 t coarse kosher salt, divided
6 1/2 T all purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c beer
1 4-ounce package soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled, chilled (note: we used a sun-dried tomato and basil goat cheese -- YUM)
1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad topping:
3 1/2 cups (lightly packed) baby spinach
chopped fresh scallions
chopped fresh parsley
dried dill
Ranch dressing (fat-free was fine)

Using large holes on box grater, coarsely grate zucchini into large colander. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coarse salt over and toss to coat evenly. Place colander over large bowl. Let zucchini stand 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Press on zucchini to release as much liquid as possible. Empty zucchini into kitchen towel. Roll up to enclose and squeeze dry.

Whisk flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in medium bowl to blend. Mix in beer. Scrape zucchini from towel into bowl; stir to coat evenly (batter will be thick). Mix in cheese. If there is time, you can refrigerate at this step (I chilled it for ~2.5 hours).

Heat 1/3 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Working in batches, flatten 1/4 cupful of batter to 3-inch rounds and drop into skillet. Sauté until brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed. Note: Can rewarm in 375°F oven 5 to 6 minutes.

Place spinach in large bowl. Add chopped and dried herbs (as much as you want). Toss with a small amount of Ranch dressing (just enough to coat). Place fritters on plates. Top with mound of baby spinach salad.

Recipe modified from Ian Knauer, "Tender Zucchini Fritters with Green Goddess Dressing," August 2010 issue of Bon Appetit.

White Fish with Zucchini Salsa Verde

Ingredients:
10 oz zucchini (about 2 medium), trimmed, chopped
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 c chopped white onion
5-6 T fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1 1/4 t finely grated lime peel (about 2 limes)
2 1/2 T chopped seeded jalapeño chiles
2 1/4 t coarse kosher salt, divided
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
ground coriander
skinless whitefish fillets (halibut, cod, sherry)

Combine zucchini, chopped cilantro, onion, lime juice and zest, and jalapeño in blender. (Note: I had to do this in two batches.) Add 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt. Puree until salsa is smooth, adding a small amount of water if needed. (Also try shaking the blender back and forth, gently.) Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan. Rinse fish and pat dry. Combine pepper, coriander, and coarse salt in small bowl. Sprinkle fish on all sides with seasoning mixture. Pan fry until fish is just opaque in the center (time depends on thickness), flipping once.

Transfer fish to plates. Spoon some salsa over.

Recipe modified from Ian Knauer, "Halibut with Zucchini Salsa Verde," August 2010 issue of Bon Appetit.

disastrous lasagna, part 2

2010-05-02T23:30:00.002-04:00

After the previous disaster, I thought I vetted this lasagna recipe pretty well -- yes, it did use the weird "no-cook" lasagna noodles again, but the ingredients were so yummy -- leeks, shiitake mushrooms, and asparagus, who could not love that?

::sigh::

As Nick says, "Lasagna is the landfill of pastas." Granted, he admitted that this version was edible/decent -- in fact he liked it better than ricotta/spinach/tomato versions -- but I thought it was bland and unimpressive. Plus it looks like sh!t on a plate, does it not? And it didn't even heat up well as leftovers for the next day's lunch -- the final straw! Abort! Abort!

Just for posterity's sake...

Lasagna with Asparagus, Leeks, and Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2 T butter, divided
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced (about 2 c)
1 lb thick asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, coarsely chopped [can also use fresh morels]
2 t chopped fresh thyme
3 1/2 c low-salt chicken broth [I used vegetable broth]
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 bay leaf
2 T all purpose flour
3/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 9-oz package no-cook lasagna noodles (12 noodles)
1 1/4 c (about) finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; cook until wilted, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet. Add asparagus, mushrooms, and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until asparagus is crisp-tender, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add to bowl with leeks and toss to distribute evenly. Add broth, cream, and bay leaf to same skillet and boil over high heat until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and whisk to blend. Boil until sauce thickens, about 1 minute, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in nutmeg; discard bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Vegetables and sauce can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat four 2-cup shallow oval or round baking dishes with nonstick spray. [Note: I didn't have these dishes so I just made the lasagna in two 8x8 pans.] Break off corners of noodles to fit flatly into dishes. Spoon 1/4 cup sauce into each dish. Place 1 noodle atop sauce. Scatter 1/4 cup vegetable mixture over, spreading in even layer. Drizzle 2 tablespoons sauce over. Sprinkle rounded tablespoonful cheese over each. Repeat layering 2 more times with noodles, vegetables, sauce, and cheese. Drizzle remaining sauce over lasagnas.

Cover each dish tightly with foil. Place on rimmed baking sheet and bake until noodles are tender, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Ivy Manning (for Bon Appetit, April 2010), "Lasagna with Asparagus, Leeks, and Morels."

roasted tomato curry coconut soup with shrimp and peas... the winner!

2010-04-22T12:53:00.000-04:00

Apparently our federal government is getting into the nutritional kick, with the first "Feds Get Fit" cook-off that showcased government workers creating dishes a la Top Chef for a panel of judges -- which included my favorite, Carla Hall!

Since Carla loved the winning soup, I think it's a recipe worth hanging onto. Hopefully we'll make it soon...!

Roasted Tomato Curry Coconut Soup with Shrimp and Peas

Ingredients:
2 lb tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
2 T olive oil
1 ½ t plus 1 T curry powder
1 large onion, diced (about 2 c)
½ t crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 t freshly ground nutmeg
¼ t ground cinnamon
14.5 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
1 quart (4 c) low-sodium chicken stock (vegetable stock can be substituted)
¾ c light coconut milk
1 lb shrimp, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 c frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped peanuts to garnish (optional)
Serve with brown basmati rice (optional)

*NOTE: This recipe can be adapted for vegetarians by omitting the shrimp and using vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock. Tofu, steamed cauliflower, or red beans can be added instead of the shrimp.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place wedges of tomatoes on a baking sheet. Toss tomato wedges with salt, pepper, 1 T olive oil and 1 ½ t of curry powder. Roast tomatoes in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.

About 10 minutes before taking the tomatoes out of the oven, heat the remaining 1 T of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, crushed red pepper flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the heated olive oil and cook until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Take the roasted tomatoes out of the oven and add them to the pot with the cooked onions and spices. For maximum flavor, pour some of the chicken stock (about 1 c) onto the roasting pan, scrape off the brown bits that have formed on the pan, and add this liquid to the soup pot. Add the canned tomatoes, with juices, to the pot. Stir to incorporate.

Add the chicken stock to the pot. (If you used some chicken stock to scrape the pan earlier, add the remaining 3 cups. If you did not use any chicken stock earlier, add all 4 cups now). Stir to incorporate. Add the coconut milk to the pot. Stir to incorporate. Add the remaining 1 T curry powder to the pot. Stir to incorporate.

Bring the soup up to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blender, or food mill, process the soup until almost smooth and return blended soup to pot (if using an immersion blender, the soup would simply remain in the pot). Some pieces of tomato and onion should remain for texture. If using a standard blender, process the hot liquid in small batches to prevent soup from splattering out of the blender and burning you.

Turn heat back on and return blended soup to a simmer. Add chopped shrimp to the soup.

Cook shrimp in simmering soup for about 3-4 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque. Do not overcook! Add frozen peas and cook for 1 minute longer.

Turn off the heat.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped peanuts (if desired). Serve with brown basmati rice on the side (if desired).

Recipe from Melissa A. Knoll, "Roasted Tomato Curry Coconut Soup with Shrimp and Peas."

Photo credit:
Melissa and judge Robyn Webb, Aline Mays

Melissa, Robyn, and Carla Hall, Aline Mays

expand your mind, embrace cilantro!

2010-04-16T08:50:00.005-04:00

Cilantro is one of our absolute favorite herbs. It's a staple in our lives -- I buy it fresh almost every week from the store (and yes, one of these days I'll actually grow it in our very own herb garden), and it's essential to many of our favorite dishes. Just last night, we returned from a late-night party quite ravenous and enjoyed a breakfast waffle, topped with fresh cilantro -- and this morning we enjoyed more in our breakfast burritos! Even just the smell of fresh cilantro being minced on a cutting board is enough to make me salivate. How can anyone hate this delicious herb with such a distinctive smell and taste?

A small but vocal minority, apparently, can hate it -- including such culinary luminaries as Julia Child and Fabio from Top Chef. The New York Times just did an article on why some people hate cilantro, mainly focusing on the fact that its aroma stems from aldehyde fat molecules that have strong similarities to aldehydes from soap, lotions, and insects. So does me loving cilantro mean that I secretly want to turn over a log in the woods and have a feast on what's beneath? (Or swear loudly enough to have someone wash my mouth out with soap?) Not so, says the Times -- it all has to do with creating patterns in your brain that associate the flavor with enjoyable and familiar food experiences. Although I didn't grow up with cilantro-sprinkled dishes, I've had enough enjoyable experiences at Mexican restaurants with my south-of-the-border-obsessed husband that my mind has created quite a distinction between cilantro and noshing on soaps and bugs.

With that analysis in mind, I would implore all people who find themselves on the cilantro-hating side (or even balanced precariously on the fence) to try to expand your brain patterns and embrace what is an absolutely fantastic ingredient. Here are some options to try, from our favorite cilantro-infused dishes:

Cilantro Pesto (please note that the Times recommends cilantro pesto as "lotion-free and surprisingly mild" -- a good place to start reshaping your brain patterns!)

Mahi-Mahi Lettuce Wraps

Shrimp Tacos

Black Bean and Shiitake Mushroom Burgers

Guacamole

Cilantro Slaw and Fish Marinade

Breakfast Tacos

Mexican Lasagna

Pinto Bean Falafel

Marinated Tuna with Fresh Salsa

Raw Corn and Cashew Soup

Bean Dips

Nachos

Bean and Cheese Taquitos

Photo credit:
I Love Cilantro, Cafe Press

girls' night with gaby!

2010-04-14T23:16:00.004-04:00

Another great girls' night, in the books!

The impetus for our latest get-together was Gaby's return to Doha, for a brief vacation visit with her family. We were originally thinking about trying out Saffron Lounge, a new Indian restaurant by a Michelin-starred chef in Cultural Village, but considering the village project is delayed and they only had a set (delicious, yet a bit pricey) menu to offer us, we decided to save it for another day and instead chose Isaan, the Thai restaurant in the Grand Hyatt.

Now, you might be fooled by the online reservation form -- but no, despite appearances, Doha is still not able to handle requests made online, no matter what the website says. Once we got past the initial "I'm sorry ma'am, but we have no reservation for you, and our restaurant is very full tonight"/"I have seven people coming and you WILL make a table for me"/"Okay ma'am", we had a very nice experience! The lighting and decor are lovely, and the menu is perfectly sized for our petite appetites. Nevermind the "helpful" server who suggests that each person order 3-4 tapas -- that would have merely doubled our bill and provided an awful lot of leftovers for Gaby to take home for the party tomorrow... hmmmm, maybe that would have been a good thing... But anyway, we had fantastic food -- some favorites included my shrimp cakes with plum sauce, Mia's braised chicken, Whalin's coconut green curry beef, Sabrina's duck curry sauce, and Nikhi's papaya salad -- and all for a very reasonable ~80 riyals a person! Now that's my type of girls' night -- and a perfect welcome back "home" to Gaby :)

blasts from the past: white sangria and squash ravioli

2010-04-10T10:33:00.004-04:00

We started this food blog in November 2007 -- but of course, there were many recipes we'd tried and enjoyed from before that time! (Nick and I progressed past pasta around 2002, when I finally moved off-campus and into an apartment with a real kitchen.) I was rummaging through an overstuffed folder of recipes, searching in vain for the coconut carrot cake recipe I perfected for the wedding (lost to the ages, I fear), and found several recipes that we have made since we began the food blog. Here's a couple, both delicious -- the sangria is one of the few drinks with tequila that I actually can still stomach, and the squash ravioli recipe was part of the inspiration for our wedding menu (from an amazing entree at The Tombs in Georgetown). I should try to make them again soon!

White Sangria

Place together in a large bowl or pan:
2 peaches, finely sliced (note: apricots work too)
1 nectarine, finely sliced
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 lemon, finely sliced and pitted

Pour over the fruit:
1 1/2 c sugar

Add to the fruit mixture and mix gently:
1 c tequila (yes -- I actually like tequila in this drink!)

After three hours of fermenting, add:
2 c club soda

Let soak overnight if possible. Right before serving, add and mix well:
1 bottle dry white wine (the cheaper the better!), chilled
1 bottle peach champagne (regular will do)

Note: No ice, it kills the fizz. Makes 12-14 drinks.

Recipe from Jessica Kowalski.

Squash Ravioli with Sherried Onion Sauce, Walnuts, and Cranberries

Note: The chef recommends using wonton wraps (or "pasta wraps") as a good substitute for homemade pasta dough, but I wasn't that enamored of the wonton texture with these ravioli. I wonder if my recipe for egg pasta would be excellent incorporated into this dish...

Ingredients:
Filling
2 1/2 c cooked puree butternut squash or pumpkin (or 29 oz can of pumpkin puree)
4-6 T unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c maple syrup or 2 T brown sugar
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c ricotta
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese (or Parrano)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce
14-16 oz white onions, thinly sliced
3 T unsalted butter, more if needed
1/3 c dry sherry
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock (or 3 c if not using cream)
2 T finely chopped fresh sage

Ravioli assembly
cornmeal for dusting
80 wonton wrappers
2 eggs mixed with a dash of water

Garnish
1/2 c finely chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 c finely chopped dried cranberries
2 T chopped fresh chives
3 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler into shards

To roast the squash -- Put the seeded, unpeeled squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub the flesh with softened butter, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with orange juice and maple syrup, and flip them over. Roast in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 40-45 minutes, until the skin is blistered and browned and the flesh is tender. When the squash is done, let it cool, then peel. (Note: I heated canned pumpkin on the stove with 4.5 T butter, OJ, maple syrup, salt, and pepper, then let cool.)

To make the filling -- After peeling the cooked squash, put the flesh and any juices from roasting into a large heavy-based sauté pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes, to further dry out the mixture and intensify the flavor. To smooth out the squash somewhat, break up lumps with a spatula, a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Put the squash in a bowl and set aside until cool. When cooled, mix in the ricotta and grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. The mixture can be made a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.

To make the sauce -- Sauté the onions in 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until very soft and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the sherry to deglaze, raise the heat to medium high and cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Add the cream and stock (or all stock, if you prefer) and the chopped sage; reduce by half or until the sauce is the consistency you like. You'll have 2 to 2 1/2 cups sauce. Season with salt and pepper. If using stock only, whisk in 1 to 2 Tbs. butter at the end to give the sauce a bit of body. (If making the sauce ahead, reserve the butter until reheating. If using cream, reheat the sauce very gently.)

Making squash ravioli "assembly- line" style is quick and easy. To avoid air pockets, seal the ravioli by pressing down around the filling first and then sealing the edges. To assemble the ravioli -- Lightly dust your work surface with cornmeal, lay out the wonton wrappers (10 to 12 at a time) and brush half of them with egg wash. Place 1 scant tablespoon of the squash filling in the center of each piece of egg-washed pasta and flatten slightly (a pastry bag works well here). Quickly and gently cover each with a second wrapper (without egg wash) and with the tips of your fingers, press tightly around each mound and out towards the edges of the pasta to create a tight seal. (Start pressing around the filling first to avoid creating air pockets). If you like, trim the ravioli with a cookie cutter or knife. (Alternatively, if using homemade pasta sheets, space the filling 3 inches apart on first sheet, cover, seal, and crimp as desired). Arrange the filled ravioli in a single layer on a sheet pan lightly dusted with cornmeal. Cover and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

To cook and serve the ravioli -- Warm the sauce and have the garnishes ready. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add a touch of olive oil, and drop in 4 to 6 ravioli at a time. When they rise to the surface, boil for 4 minutes then remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a strainer (or a cooling rack set over a pan) to drain. Arrange 3 or 4 ravioli on a large plate for an appetizer (6 for a dinner portion), cover lightly with the sauce (about 1 tablespoon per ravioli) and sprinkle with the walnuts, cranberries and chives. Add a few shards of Parmesan and serve.

Notes: When I used wonton wrappers, I used 1 per ravioli (folded in half to make a rectangle). I cooked eight at a time (one serving). I also cooked them ahead of time, layered the ravioli in saran wrap, and refrigerated until dinner. Then I microwaved them for 30 seconds per serving to heat them up again. Not sure if this is the method I would use in the future, just FYI! This was back on July 22, 2007. :)

Recipe modified from Ris Lacoste, Fine Cooking (1999), "Squash Ravioli with Sherried Onion Sauce, Walnuts, and Cranberries."

Photo credit:
White sangria, Charles Maraia

rob's birthday at khazana

2010-03-25T18:31:00.000-04:00

For Rob's 29th birthday, Lauren organized a dinner at Khazana Restaurant, near the Old Souq. The restaurant has a fantastic outdoor atmosphere and excellent service, although it's on the expensive side (relatively) for Indian food. I particularly liked the chef's specialty of black dal, the butter chicken, and the paneer stuffed with mushrooms, saffron gravy, and truffle oil. Lowlights included the "peppery lemon" drink (not a good idea, Joseph!) and the lemon with mint (which had waaaaaaaaay too much mint, you had to chew your way through), along with the 0.75 liter of Evian water for a whopping 19 riyals (!). Definitely a place we'd be happy to return to, for another special occasion. Happy birthday, Robbo!

jasmine green tea vanilla rice pudding

2010-03-18T18:13:00.000-04:00

I looooooooove rice pudding. So when I happened to notice this recipe, which combined rice pudding with Jasmine green tea, I couldn't resist. I didn't have vanilla beans, so I added 2 teaspoons vanilla as a substitute (as per recommendations of 1-2 t or 2-3 t). I also substituted extra light cream instead of heavy cream, and soy for whole milk, to no ill effect. Soooo goooood.

Jasmine Green Tea Vanilla Rice Pudding

1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup basmati rice or any short-grain rice

1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
3 bags of Jasmine Green Tea

1 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Bring 1 1/2 cups water, rice, and salt to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. In the meantime, pour the milk into a small saucepan. Submerge the teabags in the milk, keeping the paper tags out of the liquid and away from the stove burner. [Note: I just removed the paper tags and scooped the bags out when done.] Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and let sit uncovered until the rice is cooked (about 10 minutes). [Note: The milk took a long time to simmer, so this should be started first, followed by the water/rice/salt simmering, which happens quickly with the water absorbing in around 7 minutes.]

Add tea-infused milk, cream, and sugar to the rice. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Increase heat to medium; cook uncovered until rice is tender and mixture thickens slightly to a soft, creamy texture, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. [Note: I found it took around 20 minutes.]

Remove pudding from heat and discard vanilla bean. Divide pudding evenly among small bowls. Serve warm or press plastic wrap directly onto surface of each pudding and chill thoroughly.

Recipe modified from 17 and Baking, "Vanilla Bean Jasmine Rice Pudding," adapted from Molly Wizenberg, "Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding," Bon Appetit.

Photo credit:
Jasmine green tea rice pudding, swampkitty's Flikr photos

cartwheel salad

2010-03-17T18:05:00.000-04:00

Mmmmm... an old (Mitchell) family favorite, which for some reason hadn't yet made it on the food blog! Simple and delicious, perfect with Mexican entrees. Plus we made garlic bread with multigrain rolls and a mixture of butter/olive oil/garlic. Delish!

Cartwheel Salad

Ingredients:

chopped spinach

crumbled pieces of tortilla chips (bigger is fine)

chickpeas

sliced beets

halved cherry tomatoes

Ranch dressing mixed with some of the beet juice

Combine and enjoy!

toasted yellow dal and two cumin basmati rice

2010-03-16T17:49:00.000-04:00

We love our Indian food here in Doha, but haven't yet mastered cooking it on our own. This excellently written article about dal got me really excited for finally, finally making something we could imagine ordering at an authentic restaurant. Sadly, the results were still mixed -- I thought the flavors were nice (perhaps a bit too subtle for Nick), but we had to simmer the dal for about 1.5 extra hours, adding 6 more cups of water along the way, to get it to a soupier texture. We'd still prefer to order a dal from the Garden, though!

Cozy Toasted Yellow Dal

Note: Kate writes, "Because making a highly seasoned dal can be time-consuming (especially when making other Indian dishes at the same time), I like to make one big batch and freeze half. I add all the ingredients to the whole recipe, as described below and freeze a quart of it. But to refresh the flavors after defrosting and reheating, I mix a half-batch of Mixture 3 to stir in just before serving, and I also add extra fresh lime or lemon juice to perk up the flavors. Mixture 3 includes mustard oil, available in Asian and Indian markets, but you can use canola oil and a hefty dose of horseradish if you can't find it. As for ajwain seeds, if you can't find them omit them or substitute a 50-50 mix of thyme and celery seeds. As with all dried legumes, be sure to sort through the mung beans thoroughly to remove any rocks or debris. This recipe is adapted from one by author Bharti Kirchner. It makes a soupy sort of dal, but if you let it sit for 30 minutes or so before adding the 3rd mixture, the cooked mung beans will expand and help thicken the broth."

Ingredients:
Mixture 1
2 cups yellow split mung beans
2 quarts water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 whole serrano chile, or
other fresh or dried hot chile

Mixture 2
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander seed

Mixture 3
2 tablespoons mustard oil
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced serrano or
jalapeño chile (with or without seeds)
1/2 teaspoon ajwain seeds
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Finishing Seasonings
1/3 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
lemon or lime wedges to squeeze at table

Speed Note:
While the mung beans toast, mince and measure the remaining ingredients. Also, put on the pot of water (2 quarts) to begin boiling.

Toast the yellow mung beans in a hot, dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until light brown, about 8 minutes. Rinse and drain.

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring water to boil. Add the mung beans, turmeric and whole chile. Simmer on low, uncovered, until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Stir the beans occasionally to keep them from sticking to the pot. When the beans are tender enough to be broken easily between your thumb and finger, stir in the salt, sugar, cumin and coriander. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes for the flavors to blend, or turn off the flame now if reheating later.

At this point the mixture can be set aside and reheated before use. Or, for a mild taste, you can serve the dal as is, skipping the remaining step.

Make sure the dal is fairly warm. Just before serving, prepare Mixture 3: Heat the mustard oil on medium-low heat until hot. Add the bay leaves, ginger, and minced chile. Stir and cook until the ginger begins to brown. Stir in the ajwain seeds and garam masala and cook for a few seconds; do not let the ajwain seeds burn. Stir the mixture into the pot of mung beans. Remove the mixture from the heat, stir in the lime or lemon juice and serve hot in small bowls or cups, with lemon or lime wedges. (Remove bay leaves before serving.)

Recipe from Kate's Global Kitchen, "Cozy Toasted Yellow Dal."

Basmati Rice with Two Cumins

Note: Kate writes, "This rice makes a sublime partner to any dal or Indian meal, especially Cozy Toasted Yellow Dal. If you have a rice cooker, you can cook basmati rice as you normally would, adding the seasonings before cooking, or follow the instructions below. If you don't have black cumin seeds (available in Indian markets), substitute regular cumin seeds."

My note: This made a LOT of rice. If you're not planning on eating eight servings all at once, it would be safe to halve this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice
3-3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons ghee or canola oil
1/2 tablespoon cumin seed
1/2 tablespoon black cumin seed
1 teaspoon salt

Rinse the rice in several changes of water, swirling with your fingers. Repeat until water runs fairly clear. Place the rice in a large heavy saucepan.

Heat the ghee or oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cumin and black cumin seeds. Stir quickly for 5 to 15 seconds and turn off the heat; the seeds should sizzle and release their fragrance, turning a shade darker, but will taste bitter if burned or overcooked.

Pour the seed mixture over the rice. Add the salt and water. Bring the rice to a boil. Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to very low. When the water stops foaming (about 3 to 5 minutes), completely cover the pot and cook until the rice is tender and all water absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Stir with a chopstick or fork to fluff the grains, then cover again and let rest 10 minutes or until ready to serve. Rice will keep warm 30 minutes. (You can reheat or even freeze any leftovers for future use.)

Recipe from Kate's Global Kitchen, "Basmati Rice with Two Cumins."

my obsession with sweet potatoes commences

2010-03-15T15:28:00.003-04:00

Ditto what the title says. :)

I recently remembered how much I like sweet potatoes -- and it turns out they are one of the absolute best veggies for you to eat! And it's so simple to cook them -- I sliced off the ends, poked holes with a fork, rubbed the skin with olive oil, and baked it in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for about an hour... soooooooooo good. I did put a little butter on one half, but it tasted just as good without it. I am definitely eating more of these in the future!

Update, 3/18/10: As per an online recommendation, I topped my baked sweet potato with plain low-fat yogurt -- it was an interesting tart/sweet contrast. Not necessary though!

Photo credit:
Sweet potato, BellyBytes.com

disastrous lasagna

2010-03-14T23:07:00.002-04:00

Another great idea from Beth's blog, originally from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes -- but it didn't turn out so well on my end! I added a package of veggie ground beef, which was a good thing -- but Nick's not a big fan of spinach and ricotta cheese lasagna, and I wasn't a big fan of the precooked lasagna noodles that Mega Mart offered (should have bought the real noodles in Family Food, but I was holding out hope that I would find whole wheat noodles... ha!). Better noodles might improve this recipe...?

While flipping through Gina's blog to find the original recipe, I couldn't help seeing other yummy-looking recipe ideas:

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

Baked Zucchini Sticks

Pumpkin Banana Bread

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
15 oz fat free ricotta cheese
1 package veggie ground beef
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and fresh pepper
32 oz tomato sauce
9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
Optional: oregano, basil, other Italian seasoning (I put 1/2 t of each in)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine spinach, ricotta, veggie ground beef, Parmesan, egg, salt, pepper and other seasoning in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/4 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

Recipe modified from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes, "Spinach Lasagna Rolls."

Photo credit:
Spinach lasagna rolls, Gina's Recipes

flapjacks!

2010-03-12T21:06:00.000-05:00

I'll admit, although some stories annoy the crap out of me (like this one about an irrational fear of phyllo dough), there have been some articles and accompanying recipes in Bon Appetit that I have really enjoyed -- including this month's feature on British flapjacks (not to be confused with any type of floppy pancake). Since I'm eating "healthy" now by trying to incorporate more whole grains into my diet, I was attracted to this recipe, which, yes, is a sweet, but a sweet that uses whole oatmeal... yum! I tried out the recipe and, as everyone who had one (or several) can attest, it is AMAZING. Perhaps Bon Appetit is growing on me just a little (although I still mourn the loss of Gourmet).

British Flapjacks

Note: Golden syrup is a type of syrup popular in Great Britain; available at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and British import shops. Apparently it does impart a distinct flavor, but since it's not available here in Doha, I substituted with a mixture of maple syrup and honey (as per this recommendation) and it turned out perfectly.

Ingredients:
1/2 c (1 stick, 8 T) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 c (packed) golden brown sugar (I used dark)
1/4 c golden syrup (I substituted 1/8 c maple syrup and 1/8 c honey)
2 1/3 c quick-cooking oats (not instant or old-fashioned) (I used rolled, it was fine)
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add oats and salt; stir until coated. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread out in even layer.

Bake until top is golden (edges will be darker), about 25 minutes. (I took it out after 23, didn't want it to burn.) Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut into 4 squares; cut each into 4 triangles (mixture will still be soft). Cool completely in pan before serving.

Recipe modified from Molly Wizenberg, Bon Appetit (March 2010), "British Flapjacks."

Photo credit:
Flapjacks, Elinor Carucci

mediterranean whitefish

2010-03-11T22:23:00.001-05:00

I've been getting some great ideas lately from Beth's food blog, Someone's in the Kitchen with Brina... It seems like she often chooses healthy, vegetarian, fish, or Mexican entrees that catch my eye! Nick and I liked this simple and yummy dish.

Mediterranean Whitefish

Ingredients:
6 T sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
2 T capers, drained
2 whitefish fillets (we used sherry; can also use tilapia)
2 T oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
1 T lemon juice
4 T kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
100 g feta cheese (used full-cream, but low-fat would be fine)
brown basmati rice for a side

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, stir together the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers and feta. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice.

Place the tilapia fillets side by side in a baking dish. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice. Spread topping over fish, and bake for up to 30 minutes, until fish flakes with a fork. You may need to rotate the fish in the dish as it cooks. Check after 10 minutes, so as not to overcook, or the fish may be dry.

Recipe modified from Someone's in the Kitchen with Brina, via AllRecipes.com, "Mediterranean Tilapia."

Photo credit:
Feta cheese, Greek Homeboy

how (not) to do a sushi buffet

2010-03-09T23:22:00.001-05:00

So Frans, Riette, James, Nick and I had a major craving for sushi and made plans to go to Asia Live at the Marriott for their 99-riyal all-you-can-eat sushi buffet on Tuesday nights -- only to find out, when calling to make a reservation, that this promotion was February only! Boo!

We next called Neo, which also had an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet (albeit a little pricier, at 135 riyals) on Tuesdays. They confirmed that their sushi buffet was still going on -- but they had fully booked tables until 10 pm that evening!

Oishi, at Royal Plaza, has a buffet on Sunday/Monday nights, although the selection is not too diverse, but this being a Tuesday... we thought we'd try something new and go to Sushi Minto.

Sushi Minto has specials as well -- Sunday/Monday nights, 6-midnight, “Sushi Madness” – 99 riyals for all-you-can-eat sushi, sashimi, and maki served at your table; Friday 12:30 pm to 4, “Friday Brunch Buffet,” again 99 riyals for all-you-can-eat sushi, sashimi, and international cuisine. Again, as it was a Tuesday, none of this applied to us, but we were really set on sushi, so off we went anyway!

In general, Sushi Minto had good quality sushi, excellently presented on the plates; however, it was on the expensive side and a bit of a pretentious atmosphere, the kind of place that only has 18-riyal Aqua Panna in glass bottles (although the waitstaff warmed up to us quickly once they made the Afrikaans connection with Riette and Frans!). I wasn't too impressed with my sea dragon roll -- the combination of eel, salmon, tempura shrimp, avocado, and roe seemed a bit unfocused, but the miso soup was excellent (and generously sized) and the tempura vegetables were nice as well. We would return, but probably just for the specials!

Photo credit:
Sushi bouquet, Lulu Painting

honey cornbread

2010-03-02T23:09:00.000-05:00

To go with our leftover chili, I broke out the box of cornmeal that I had finally found on the grocery shelves here in Doha (after a year and a half of only polenta) and tried a new recipe for honey cornbread. Nick still complained that it wasn't "fluffy enough" and suggested more baking powder or soda -- but I liked the honey taste, and the density of the bread!

Although I didn't try it, here's an interesting concept for those days you are really in a rush: five-minute microwave cornbread.

Honey Cornbread

Tim writes, "A sweet cornbread that will crumble in your hand and melt in your mouth."

Ingredients:
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
1/4 c white sugar
1 T baking powder
1 c heavy cream (note: I substituted soy milk here, with no ill effects)
1/4 c vegetable oil (canola)
1/4 c honey
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the cream, oil, honey and eggs; stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out clean.

Recipe from Tim Lastrapes, AllRecipes.com, "Honey Cornbread."

Photo credit:
Coarse yellow cornmeal, Anson Mills

quinoa with caramelized onions and german apple cake

2010-03-01T23:41:00.001-05:00

Tonight we made one of our old favorites, chili-rubbed fish (with salmon, marinated for four hours -- yum!) with cucumber salad, and, continuing on my whole grains experimentation, made a quinoa with caramelized onions. I thought it was a bit heavy on the onions (overpowering the quinoa), although all the flavors -- fish, cucumber salad, and onion quinoa -- went well together. Nick's reaction: "Why can't we just have rice?" ::sigh::

A true winner tonight, however, was this excellent German Apple Cake found on All Recipes. With the exception (as with any apple dessert) of the time spent preparing the apples, it was incredibly fast and easy -- and super delicious!

Update, 3/23/10: I made the apple cake again for my stint as book club hostess -- to rave reviews. Definitely a fantastic dessert!

Quinoa with Caramelized Onions

Bittman writes, "This dish makes an unbeatable bed for grilled vegetables or braised artichoke hearts. The quinoa adds a subtle crunch to the deep and sweet flavor of slow-cooked onions, and, if you make it with red onions, the color is almost lavender. Molasses contributes a slightly smoky flavor."

Note: If I were to make this again, I'd reduce the amount of onions and perhaps increase the amount of quinoa. Also, I'd try molasses for the "smoky" flavor.

Ingredients:
4 medium yellow or red onions (about 1 lb), halved and thinly sliced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T brown sugar or molasses
3/4 c quinoa
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c vegetable stock, beer, or water (we used beer)
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Put the onions in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring infrequently, until the onions are dry and almost sticking to the pan, about 20 minutes. Add the oil and the brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions brown, another 10 to 15 minutes. (The onions can be cooked ahead to this point, covered, and refrigerated for a day or two. Gently reheat them in the covered skillet and proceed with the recipe.)

Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the quinoa, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir as the grains start popping and toasting, a couple of minutes, then add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir one last time, add the thyme if you're using it, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes.

Uncover and test the quinoa for doneness. If the kernels are still sort of hard, make sure there's enough liquid to keep the bottom of the pan moist and cover them to cook for another 5 minutes or so. When ready, taste, adjust the seasoning, and remove the thyme if necessary, adding a few extra grinds of pepper. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature.

Recipe from Mark Bittman (2007), "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

German Apple Cake

Barbara writes, "This German Apple Cake is a moist dense cake that keeps well. It has been a family favorite for twenty years." It's also apparently a favorite on All Recipes -- it gets 4.5 stars from 411 reviews!

Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 c canola oil
1/2 c applesauce
1 1/2 c white sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose white flour
1 c light brown flour
1 t baking soda
5 c golden delicious apples (about 5) - peeled, cored and thinly sliced (each 1/8th into thirds)
1/2 c golden raisins
spiced rum for soaking raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease one 9x13 inch cake pan with flour spray and cinnamon sugar sprinkles. Soak the raisins in a small bowl with spiced rum.

In a mixing bowl; beat oil, eggs, and applesauce with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.

Combine the white and brown flour, salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Drain the raisins, and fold in the apples and raisins by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool on a wire rack. Optional: Once cake is cool serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar or with a Cream Cheese Frosting. (Note: I thought the cake was so delicious, it didn't need any topping at all -- delicious right out of the oven!)

Recipe modified from Barbara, AllRecipes.com, "German Apple Cake I."

umami: toasted nori

2010-02-28T23:46:00.002-05:00

A fairly new buzzword (apparently it was formally introduced into the modern chef's lexicon around 2002, and I noticed it coming up in the last couple seasons of Top Chef) is umami -- a Japanese term that means "delicious essence." It's hard to describe exactly what it is -- words such as "savory," "brothy," and "meaty" have been tossed about -- but luckily I don't have to, since there's an absolutely excellent article by Wine Geek Matthew Citriglia on the nuances of umami. His article, along with a shorter NPR piece and the extensive Umami Information Center website, helped clarify the concept of umami for me -- in short, it's a three-dimensional flavor, scientifically studied by chefs and scientists for about a hundred years, which enhances the other flavors (sweet, sour/bitter, salty, and apparently also capsicum and fat).

Here's a great "tasting" exercise that Citriglia shares from David and Anna Kaspian's book, The Fifth Taste: Cooking with Umami -- I would really like to try this sometime!

Prepare the following solutions:
• Sweet: 1 cup water with 2 teaspoon sugar
• Salty: 1 cup water with 1 teaspoon salt
• Sour: 1 cup water with ½ teaspoon cream of tarter which is tartaric acid
• Bitter: ½ teaspoon unsweetened baking chocolate - do not mix with water rather chew and coat the mouth with it
• Umami: 1 cup water with 1 tablespoon dried shiitake mushrooms – boil it and then let it cool

By tasting each solution individually you will be able to isolate each individual taste. Make sure you rinse your mouth thoroughly with plain water before tasting each new solution. Taste each solution multiple times to make sure your taste receptors understand their differences. Then taste each solution again but add a small amount of the Umami solution to it. Pay close attention and you will find that the salt and sweet solution become more intense while the sour and bitter sensation are muted or rounded. Remember only add a small amount of the Umami solution, too much will distort the results.

Anyway, I have become obsessed with umami ever since reading in Bon Appetit's February issue about the benefits of eating seaweed -- apparently packed with iodine, folate, iron, vitamin K, and calcium (sounds like a prenatal multivitamin!). Tim Cushman, chef/owner of a Japanese restaurant in Boston, was quoted as saying, "Sea vegetables add an incredible depth of flavor to so many dishes. It's all about umami." He suggested toasting a sheet of nori in a hot skillet, then crumbling it over scrambled eggs. Well, I like eggs, I like nori, and I like getting essential vitamins from food sources rather than supplements -- and I figured it would help me understand "umami" once a for all, so I tried it out!

Since the first time I tried a sheet of toasted nori on a piece of wheat toast with a fried egg white, I have become obsessed. At this point, my breakfast feels incomplete without the addition of sea vegetables. I recently tried the crumbling technique over scrambled eggs with the addition of ketchup, and it was even more incredible -- which now makes sense, since Citriglia notes that ketchup is another umami trigger. The trick is to put the nori in a dry skillet over medium/medium-high heat, flipping as needed until it turns bright green.

Photo credit:
Nori, Samuels & Son Seafood Company

cholesterol buster: whole wheat couscous

2010-02-27T22:35:00.001-05:00

Soooooo... I got my cholesterol results back from the doctor the other day, and yowza -- my cholesterol has skyrocketed since we've moved here in August 2008! I have genetically high cholesterol, so I've always been conscious of the need to avoid or reduce my consumption of certain foods that others (namely, my husband) gobble down with abandon, like lovely runny egg yolks and sizzling shrimp. When I was in DC, I started really taking control of my cholesterol, combining exercise with diet modifications such as lower-in-cholesterol eggs (and reducing egg yolks), whole wheat bread and bagels, lots of spinach, obsessive consumption of our favorite cereal (Quaker Oatmeal Squares), etc. -- and all my efforts paid off, with my "bad" cholesterol coming in at just above 100 in my 2008 test. (Anything over 100 is bad, although it can be partially offset, as in my case, with a high "good" cholesterol level.)

I should have known something was up when we went in for our physicals last April and I noticed that my bad cholesterol had gone up 30 points. After all, we are living in a land where healthy eating is extremely hard to achieve. According to the Economist's 2010 Pocket World in Figures, Qatar's obesity rate is #2 in the world for men (34.6%, just ahead of the US and "beaten" only by Lebanon) and #1 for women (a staggering 45.3%). Diabetes is also a major problem here, with over 28% of children under the age of five suffering from the disease, one in three Qatari adults suffering either from diabetes or glucose intolerance, and Sheikha Mozah calling it "perhaps the most serious and pervasive health problem in Qatar and the Gulf." There are many reasons for this sort of health issues -- marriage between close blood relatives, sedentary lifestyles, and irrational food choices, according to the Gulf Times -- but surely one of the reasons has to do with the ease of making bad choices (the prevalence of fast food, for example, or the cooking techniques that rely heavily on sweeteners, ghee or full-fat butter, and frying) and the difficulty of making good choices (high prices for organic products, salad bars, and free-range eggs, and the lack of healthy choices on restaurant menus and in grocery store aisles for things such as whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, butter substitutions, and low-fat dairy products, especially cheese).

Sadly, I think that I've gotten a bit lazy here, eating the white pasta and rice at the cafeteria because there's no other option, eating the full-fat cheeses because it's almost impossible to find low-fat versions, and of course indulging in all the delicious -- and terribly bad for you -- Arabic desserts, especially that milky buttery deathtrap, Umm Ali. Well, no more! My latest test has my bad cholesterol at 160 -- that's absolutely ridiculous. Yes, there were some extenuating circumstances in the past month that may have led to a higher-than-normal reading (lack of exercise from surgery recuperation, for one), but that doesn't matter -- what matters is making the best choices I can with what Doha has to offer.

Besides cutting egg yolks out completely (sigh), eating only the reduced fat Kraft Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese blocks, the low-fat feta, and the vegetable oil-skim milk mozzarella (double sigh), and trying to cook with less butter and heavy cream (triple sigh!), I am also making it a priority to eat lots of fish, spinach, and toasted nori (good sources of omega-3 fatty acids and folate) and whole grains -- brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and breads, oatmeal, quinoa, couscous -- all of which are high in fiber and phytonutrients that help lower cholesterol. These healthier choices, combined with getting back into my exercise routine, will help me reduce my bad cholesterol back to "normal" levels, I'm sure of it!

To start things off, I experimented with a package of whole-wheat couscous that I found at Mega Mart. With some crucial additions, this modified recipe from Bittman made an excellent side dish that Nick and I (well, mostly me) enjoyed for days afterward.

Whole Wheat Couscous with Broccoli and Cauliflower, Walnuts, Chickpeas, and Spinach

Ingredients:
1/2 c walnuts or almonds
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, minced (can also use shallot)
3 c finely chopped cauliflower and broccoli
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 c whole wheat couscous
2 t smoked paprika
1 1/2 c white wine (can also use vegetable stock)
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
freshly grated cheese for garnish (Bittman suggests semi-hard sheep's milk, but we used Parm)
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
chopped fresh spinach
balsamic vinaigrette

Put a dry deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, just a couple of minutes. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil.

Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to color, about 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower and broccoli and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until it is coated in the oil and starts to pop and sputter in the pan, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the couscous and keep stirring until it too is coated in oil and begins to toast, another 3 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the mixture with smoked paprika and stir to combine. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down very low. Cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Chop the nuts as finely as you can. Add them along with the parsley and chickpeas and fluff gently with a fork. Return the lid and turn off the heat. Let the couscous rest for a minute or two, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with grated cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, and chopped spinach.

Recipe modified from Mark Bittman (2007), "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

Photo credit:
Whole wheat couscous, Chieftain Wild Rice Company

three strikes

2010-02-12T21:14:00.007-05:00

I don't know what to blame this week on, other than bad luck... all of these recipes sounded good on paper, and were chock-full of ingredients we liked. But each time Nick and I tasted them, we had the same reaction... disappointment and even a little disgust! Here's hoping I have better luck next week with my parents' visit. One, two, three strikes you're out...

Parsnip Soup with Ginger and Parsnip "Croutons"

Deborah writes, "I always like a parsnip soup but not its dingy color. Mixing it with plenty of carrots gives it a warm, golden glow."

Note: I didn't think this soup was terrible, and I liked the parsnip croutons, but Nick absolutely despised it. I think the Bittman broth may have actually been too heavy for it, something I also noticed with the potato leek soup I tried with it as well. Maybe make one of the lighter versions (without the mushrooms or soy sauce) for next time...

Ingredients:
3 large parsnips, about 2 lbs, peeled
6 cups basic vegetable stock or water (I used Bittman's roasted vegetable broth)
1/2 c chopped cilantro stems plus sprigs for garnish
4 thin slices ginger, unpeeled
3 T butter or canola oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3/4 lb carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 t ground coriander
1 T white rice
salt and freshly milled pepper
1 c milk, cream, or almond milk to thin the soup, as needed

Cut two of the parsnips crosswise in half, then quarter each half lengthwise. Cut away most of the cores. Reserve the other parsnip. If you're making stock, include the parsnip trimmings, cilantro stems, and one slice of the ginger. Brown the vegetables before adding the water to bring out their flavors.

Heat 2 T of the butter in a soup pot over medium heat, letting it brown a little. Add the vegetables, remaining ginger, and the coriander. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion and carrots have begun to brown here and there. Add the rice and 1 1/2 t salt and cook a few minutes more. Add the strained stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are very soft, about 35 minutes. Remove the ginger [note: I didn't], then puree the soup, leaving a little texture or not, as you wish. For a very smooth soup, pass it through a food mill or sieve. Thin if necessary with the milk.

Dice the third parsnip into little cubes and cook in the remaining butter in a skillet, stirring frequently, until golden and tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup with a spoonful of the parsnips added to each bowl. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro.

Recipe from Deborah Madison (2007 [1997]), Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, 10th Anniversary Edition.

Mushroom Enchiladas with Epazote and Green Chile

Deborah writes, "Epazote's unique flavor is impossible to duplicate. Look for it in Latin and Mexican markets [guess what we don't have in Doha!], and if you can't find it, add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro to the mushrooms once they're cooked."

Note: Waaaaaaaaay too much mushroom and not enough anything else in these enchiladas! We melted pepper jack on the top, and also topped them with sour cream and salsa, which helped, but the flavor was still too overpowering. (Maybe I shouldn't have mixed white, shiitake, and portobello mushrooms together, and just stuck to white?) One possibility is to substitute these mushrooms for the artichokes in the roasted red pepper and goat cheese enchiladas we make, as we think these ingredients would go well together... but a bit much on its own. Even the homemade oven-roasted tomato sauce (recipe following) was bland and unimpressive.

Ingredients:
3 T safflower or peanut oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 t chopped garlic
1/2 t dried oregano
1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, finely diced
4 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
salt
1/4 c chopped cilantro
3 serrano chiles, finely diced
2 t dried epazote
1 c vegetable oil for frying
12 corn tortillas
2 c oven-roasted tomato sauce (see following recipe)
1/2 c creme fraiche or sour cream

The Filling: Heat the oil in a wide skillet over high heat. Add the onion and saute for about a minute, then add the garlic and oregano and cook for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes, season with 1/2 t salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until any juices that have been released are absorbed and the mushrooms have begun to color, about 6 minutes. Add the chiles and epazote, then remove from the heat. If you're using cilantro, add it now. Taste again for salt.

The Tortillas: Cover a baking sheet with two layers of paper towels. Heat the oil in an 8- or 10-inch skillet. When hot enough to sizzle a drop of water, fry the tortillas for only 4 seconds on each side. Don't let them crisp. Lay them on the toweling. When done, blot them again to absorb any excess oil.

Filling and Saucing the Enchiladas: Spread 1/4 c filling on the lower third of each tortilla, making a neat row of filling. Fold the bottom of the tortilla over it and roll. Adjust it so that the seam ends up on the bottom. Place the enchiladas in an ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spoon the sauce over the enchiladas, being sure to cover the ends. Bake until bubbling and heated through, about 20 minutes. Stir the creme fraiche, then drizzle it over the tops of the enchiladas.

Recipe from Deborah Madison (2007 [1997]), Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, 10th Anniversary Edition.

Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 thyme or marjoram sprigs
2 to 3 T olive oil
salt and freshly milled pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the tomatoes in a single layer in a baking pan with the onion and thyme, drizzle the oil over all, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until they're soft, shriveled, and falling apart, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the thyme branches [note: I kept them in] and puree or pass through a food mill. Taste for salt and season with pepper.

Recipe from Deborah Madison (2007 [1997]), Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, 10th Anniversary Edition.

Wild Mushroom Frittata

Note: We had leftover mushrooms (white, shiitake, and portobello) from the disastrous enchiladas, so I thought I'd use them up in this Rachael Ray recipe that gets 4 out of 5 stars. Unfortunately, ugh. It was a mild, bland frittata that became okay only when drowned with salsa. Perhaps more hot sauce? Better cheese? (We did only have mozzarella...) Add some asparagus or spinach? Whatever the problem, I won't be in a big hurry to make this again.

Ingredients:
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
12 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 c shiitake mushrooms, a couple of handfuls, stems removed, chopped
1 c oyster mushrooms, a couple of handfuls, chopped
1/2 T chopped fresh thyme leaves
Coarse salt and pepper
12 eggs, beaten (I only used ten, and left out some yolks)
Dash of half-and-half
1 lemon, zested
2 scallions, sliced
2 t hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1/2 c Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet, with oven safe handle over medium to medium-high heat. Wrapping a rubber handle in foil will allow the pan to transfer to oven as well.

To hot pan, add oil and mushrooms. Season mushrooms with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 5 minutes until all of the veggies are tender. Beat eggs with salt and pepper, dash of half-and-half, lemon zest, scallions and hot sauce. Pour over the mushrooms. Lift and settle eggs in the pan as they brown on the bottom. When the eggs are set but remain uncooked on top, transfer to oven for 7 or 8 minutes, until frittata is golden brown and puffy. Sprinkle the frittata with cheese and return to the oven for 1 or 2 minutes.

Recipe from Rachael Ray, "30 Minute Meals: Wild Mushroom Frittata."

Photo credit:
Three strikes, Duhaime

nick's birthday: poker night!

2010-02-11T23:15:00.008-05:00

So Nick's 28th birthday was fast approaching... and I knew nothing would top last year's surprise party -- nothing, that is, except a POKER NIGHT. :)

We were able to get exactly 18 people -- three tables of 6 -- and borrow the ASD PTA's massive set of poker chips (since ours aren't coming for another few days, courtesy of my parents' visit!). The poker was great fun as always, and the birthday boy was happy at the end of the night, coming in 3rd (Jimmy was 2nd and Riette, that closet poker fiend, came in 1st -- again!) -- as the top three got some of the pot as a prize. (I came in 4th, just out of the money... d'oh!) But the best thing of the evening was being surrounded by good friends... and good food!

"Finger food" included: wrapped dates (with bresaola, a decent substitution for prosciutto), veggies and dips (red pepper strips, baby carrots, peeled cucumber sticks, broccoli and cauliflower, plus creamy spinach dip, green onion dip, and ranch dressing), multigrain chips with salsa and guacamole, a block of cream cheese covered with sweet chili chutney (Riette's preferred South African brand: Wellington's) and served with Ritz crackers, and a new bruschetta recipe with toasted wheat baguettes. We also had a (boxed) yellow cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles, and a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake -- so no one went hungry!

Also, besides beers and wine (and, yes, non-alcoholic drinks), we had whiskey sours again, and I finally perfected the champagne punch recipe -- it was so delicious that it almost made up for the headache I woke up with the next day... :)

(Lauren gets FOUR ACES)

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Elise notes, "Italian bruschetta (pronounced "brusketta") is a wonderful way to capture the flavors of ripe summer tomatoes, fresh garden basil, and garlic."

Ingredients:
6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread (note: I doubled this recipe and used two 2-foot-long wheat baguettes)
1/4 cup olive oil

Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.

Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.

While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta. (Note: Did the first method.)

Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy. (Note: I did the separate bowl and spoon set-up, which worked really well.)

Makes 24 small slices. Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Or 3-4 for lunch (delicious served with cottage cheese on the side.)

Recipe from Elise, SimplyRecipes.com, "Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil."

Perfected Champagne Punch

Note: I used our big water cooler (with the tap spigot) and that worked really well.

Ingredients:
3 cans ginger "beer" (33 oz)
3 c orange juice
2 c strawberry juice
1 bag frozen strawberries (for "ice" and taste)
1 750 ml bottle champagne

Combine orange juice, strawberry juice, and frozen strawberries in a punch bowl (or water cooler). Slowly pour in ginger beer and champagne. Remember to take a preemptive Advil before you go to sleep.

salmon lunch wrap

2010-02-09T18:03:00.003-05:00

It was a gourmet lunch for me today! This meal was fast and delicious. You just need to have a luscious salmon fillet laying around, saying, "Eat me." Which, luckily, I had.

Update, 3/22/10: I made this for a quick dinner tonight. Nick took one bite and said, "This has to go on the list." Great success!

Salmon Lunch Wrap

Ingredients:
salmon fillet
olive oil
salt and pepper
whipped cream cheese
capers
red onion, sliced thinly
big lettuce leaves (chopped spinach works well too)
tortilla wraps

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Coat the salmon fillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and sauté until just cooked through, about 8 minutes with turning and flipping.

Prepare the wrap with whipped cream cheese, capers, red onion slices, the freshly cooked salmon, and a couple big lettuce leaves. Yum!

Photo credit:
Salmon, Dallas News

german lightning cake

2010-02-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

As the Joy of Cooking says, "You can transform any cake batter into cupcakes" -- so when I had to put together a dessert at the last minute for Chase's dinner party, I decided on the German Blitztorte (Lightning), "named for the speed with which it can be produced." I found the lemon flavor quite refreshing at the end of the meal, although Nick grumbled about the lack of chocolate.

German Lightning Cake

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare the cupcake pans (will also fill one 8x2 inch round pan).

Whisk together thoroughly:
1 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

In a large bowl, beat until creamy, about 30 seconds:
8 T unsalted butter

Gradually add and beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture, 3 to 5 minutes:
1 c sugar

Beat in 1 at a time:
3 large eggs

Beat in:
1 t grated lemon zest
2 T fresh lemon juice

Stir in the flour mixture just until smooth. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. If desired, sprinkle the top with a mixture of:
1/3 c chopped or sliced almonds or other nuts
1 heaping T sugar

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes (30-35 minutes for a cake). Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on the rack.

Recipe from Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer, and Ethan Becker (1997), "The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking."

Photo credit:
Lightning bolt, Life Clever

THE FLU

2010-02-05T23:33:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm not going to say who got the flu vaccine this year, and who did not. I'll just point out that one member of the Mitchell household got the flu this year (regular, not swine) on his flight back from New Delhi, and the other member took care of him all week long as he lay moaning, in pain and misery, on the couch -- without coming down with the flu herself despite frequent close contact. I will also note that the unnamed person who refused to get the flu vaccine this year has agreed that, from now on, he will get vaccinated.

Yes, yes, there is a million-to-one chance that if you get vaccinated, something terrible will happen to you -- it'll kill you or ruin your nervous system or make you walk backwards for the rest of your life. Guess what? There's a much greater chance of you getting the flu -- and perhaps having serious complications, including death, from it -- if you don't get the vaccine. There's plenty of misinformation out there about whether the vaccine is safe, with a lot of voices (with varying degrees of ignorance) downplaying the benefits and hyping up the risks. It basically comes down to whether you trust modern medicine. I'm with the ad posted above -- Just Say Yes.

/rant

Back to cooking! This is a food blog, right?

Inspired from my first try with Indian cooking a couple weeks ago, I experimented with another Indian recipe, this one a lentil soup from Mark Bittman. I thought I would surprise Nick with it when he returned home from India... not really thinking about the fact that he would be totally sick of Indian food at that point. Not only was that the case, but (b) he also came down the flu, and (c) I didn't really like the soup that much anyway. I did, however, like the roasted vegetable broth recipe, and I made another batch for a grateful Nick to drink during his week on the couch.

I also made two different entrees this week, both of which Nick was able to eat. The fish especially may have helped him on the road to recovery -- he ate two helpings of it!

Lentil Soup with Coconut

Bittman writes, "Use whatever vegetables you love, in any combination, from cooked winter squashes, turnips, or sweet potato to cauliflower, spinach, eggplant, or green beans."

Ingredients:
3 T peanut or other neutral oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced peeled fresh ginger
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 t ground turmeric
3 T curry powder
1 c chopped tomato (canned is fine)
1/4 c sliced or shredded coconut
1 c sliced okra
1 small zucchini, roughly chopped
1/2 c dried lentils or split pigeon peas (tavoor dal), washed and picked over
1 quart vegetable stock or water
2 c coconut milk (1 can plus extra water)
12 fresh curry leaves, if available, or fresh basil leaves

Put the oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden and beginning to melt together, about 20 minutes.

Turn the heat back up to medium-high and add the turmeric and curry powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until darkened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato, coconut, okra, zucchini, and lentils. Add the stock and coconut milk, then bring to a boil; turn the heat down to medium-low so that the soup bubbles gently.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and vegetables break apart, 30 to 40 minutes; add water as necessary to keep the mixture brothy. Stir in the curry leaves, stir once or twice, then taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Recipe from Mark Bittman (2007), "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

Mahi Mahi Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients
1 mango, diced (substituted 5 apricots)
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced (only half a red onion)
1/2 jalapenos, diced (increased to 1 whole jalapeno)
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper
2 mahi mahi fillets (used precut chunks of kingfish)
Olive oil, as needed
Lettuce leaves (recommended butter or romaine)

Combine the mango, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice in a medium mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium-low heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Grill for roughly 3 to 4 minutes per side, until just opaque in the center. Set aside to cool. When slightly cool, chop into large chunks. Place fish and salsa on lettuce leaf and roll.

Recipe from Paula Dean, "Mahi Mahi Lettuce Wraps."

Braised Tofu with Eggplant/Green Beans and Shiitakes

Ingredients:
1/4 c peanut oil or neutral oil
1 c sliced shiitake caps
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 T chopped garlic
1 T peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 lbs eggplant, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (substituted green beans for half the eggplant)
1 T chile paste (substituted curry paste)
1/2 c vegetable stock or water (I used up to 2 cups of broth as I let it slowly simmer)
2 T soy sauce
1 lb tofu, prepared or simply blotted dry, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 T dark sesame oil for garnish
chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
1 T toasted sesame seeds for garnish
2 T minced scallion for garnish
rice, cooked

Baste the tofu in soy sauce and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about one hour.

Put half the oil in a deep skillet or shallow saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shiitakes and some salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining oil and, a few seconds later, the garlic and the ginger if you're using it. As soon as it sizzles, add the eggplant/green beans. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the eggplant browns, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the chile paste, along with the stock. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan if necessary to release any stuck bits of eggplant. Cook until the eggplant is really tender, 10 to 15 minutes more, adding a little more liquid if necessary. [Note: I simmered for more than 45 minutes and used about 2 cups of liquid total.]

Stir in the soy sauce and tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is heated through, about 5 minutes; stir in the reserved shiitakes and turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish as you like and serve with the cooked rice.

Recipe from Mark Bittman (2007), "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

Photo credit:
Just Say Yes, Aislin, the Montreal Gazette (via The Moderate Voice)

making my own vegetable stock

2010-02-04T23:14:00.000-05:00

Never again!

I recently started making my own vegetable stock for soups... and it's so much better than using bouillon cubes. The flavor, the aroma... even just the knowledge of what I'm actually putting into my soups (including salt content). As Mark Bittman writes, "I'm offering three recipes for straightforward vegetable stock, each a bit more work, a bit more flavorful, and a bit more time consuming than its predecessor. When you want to mimic the flavor of meat stock, try the mushroom stock recipe that follows them. I'd hoped to include an appraisal of store-bought vegetable stocks but, to date, none is consistently good enough to recommend. You're better off with water simmered for twenty minutes with an onion, a carrot, and a celery stalk -- really."

Note on storing stock: "If you store it in the refrigerator and bring it back to a boil every second or third day, stock will keep more or less indefinitely. Freezing, of course, is more efficient. Here you have a couple of options: One is to simply ladle or pour the stock into convenient-size containers -- quarts are usually good. Cover and freeze. If you want to save space, boil the stock down to about half its original volume. Now you have concentrate. Just remember to add water when you start cooking it."

Simple, Easy, and Fast Vegetable Stock

Note: Makes about 1 quart (4 cups)
Time: 40 minutes, somewhat unattended

Ingredients:
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 onion, quartered (don't bother to peel)
1 potato, cut into chunks
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic (don't bother to peel)
10 or 20 parsley stems or stems with leaves
2 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine everything in a saucepan or small stockpot with 6 cups water, using a pinch of salt and a bit of pepper. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily but gently and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. (Longer is better if you have the time.)

Strain, then taste and adjust the seasoning before using or storing.

One-Hour Vegetable Stock

Note: Makes about 1 quart
Time: 1 hour, somewhat unattended

Ingredients:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, quartered (don't bother to peel)
1 potato, sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic (don't bother to peel)
5 to 10 white mushrooms, halved or sliced
10 or 20 parsley stems or stems with leaves
2 T soy sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the oil in a deep skillet or broad saucepan or casserole over medium-high heat. When hot, add the carrots, onion, potato, celery, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook without stirring for about 5 minutes, then stir once or twice and cook until the vegetables begin to brown. (If you have more time, brown them well, stirring only infrequently.)

Add the parsley, 6 c water, the soy sauce, and some pepper. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily but gently and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. (Longer is better if you have the time.)

Strain, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more soy sauce or a bit of salt, before using or storing.

Roasted Vegetable Stock

Note: Makes about 3 quarts
Time: About 2 hours, largely unattended

Ingredients:
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
2 well-washed leeks, cut into chunks, or 2 large onions, quartered (don't bother to peel)
4 carrots, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
1 parsnip, cut into chunks (optional)
2 potatoes, quartered
6 cloves garlic
15 to 20 white mushrooms, halved or sliced
a small bunch of parsley leaves, plus 10 sprigs
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 c soy sauce, or more to taste
10 black peppercorns
1/2 c white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the oil, leeks, carrots, celery, parsnip, potatoes, garlic, and mushrooms in a large roasting pan; stir to coat all the vegetables with oil. Put the pan in the oven and roast, shaking the pan occasionally and turning the ingredients once or twice, until everything is nicely browned. This will take about 45 minutes; don't rush it.

Use a slotted spoon to scoop the roasted vegetables into a stockpot; add the herbs, 1/4 c soy sauce, peppercorns, wine, salt to taste, and 2 quarts water. Turn the heat to high. Meanwhile, put the roasting pan over a burner on high heat and add 2 to 4 cups water, depending on the depth of the pan. Bring it to a boil and cook, scraping off all the bits of food that have stuck to the bottom. Pour this mixture into the stockpot (along with 2 more cups water if you used only 2 cups for deglazing). [Note: I notice that this recipe makes less than 3 quarts, so if you want to add 2 extra cups of water here, that's okay.]

Bring to a boil, then partially cover and adjust the heat so the mixture sends up a few bubbles at a time. Cook until the vegetables are very soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Strain, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much juice as possible. Taste and add more soy sauce, salt, or ground pepper if necessary before using or storing.

Mushroom Stock

Note: Makes about 6 cups
Time: About 1 hour

2 T neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
1 small onion, 2 shallots, or 1 leek, well washed and sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb white mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
1 oz dried shiitake, porcini, or Chinese mushrooms or a combination
10 to 20 parsley stems or stems with leaves
2 bay leaves (optional)

Put half the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, another 10 minutes or so. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Put the remaining oil in the pan, turn the heat to high, and when the oil is hot, add the white mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they give up their juices and begin to brown well, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, then add the dried mushrooms and cooked vegetables and stir.

Stir in 2 quarts water, along with the parsley and bay leaves if you're using them. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the stock bubbles vigorously. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are very soft and the stock has reduced slightly, about 30 minutes. Strain and use or store.

All recipes from Mark Bittman (2007), "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

Photo credit:
Bouillon cubes, Anhui Quiangwang Flavouring Food Co.

chickpea burgers

2010-01-31T22:59:00.002-05:00

At first, I thought the flavor of these chickpea burgers was just “okay” (the chili powder seemed to overpower the other ingredients), but then I paired it with a whole wheat wrap, a big crisp lettuce leaf, and half-and-half mayo and Thousand Island dressing… yum!!! These burgers heated up well and provided a nice change from black-bean burgers.

The Simplest Bean Burgers

Bittman writes, "This is the way to go when you want a burger and have neither the time nor the inclination to fuss. When made with chickpeas, they're golden brown and lovely; with black beans, much darker; with red, somewhere in between. Lentils give you a slightly grainy texture. Like almost all veggie burger mixtures, these will hold together a little better if you refrigerate them first (ideally you'd refrigerate both before and after shaping, but that's only if you have the time).

Ingredients:
2 c well-cooked white, black, or red beans or chickpeas or lentils, or one 14-oz can, drained
1 medium onion, chopped finely (can't depend on the blender to mix it up!)
1/2 - 1 c rolled oats (start with 1/2 c, see how wet the mixture is)
1 T chili powder or spice mix of your choice
1 t garlic, minced
1/8 c sesame seeds
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/4 c fresh cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
bean-cooking liquid, stock, or other liquid (wine, cream, milk, water, ketchup, etc.) if necessary
extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil, as needed

Combine the beans, onion, oats, garlic, spices, salt, pepper, and egg in a food processor and pulse until chunky but not pureed, adding a little liquid if necessary (this is unlikely but not impossible) to produce a moist but not wet mixture. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes if time allows. (I refrigerated for about 15 minutes.)

With wet hands, shape into whatever size patties you want and again let rest for a few minutes if time allows. (You can make the burger mixture or even shape the burgers up to a day or so in advance. Just cover tightly and refrigerate, then bring everything back to room temperature before cooking.) Film the bottom of a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet with oil and turn the heat to medium/medium-low. A minute later, add the patties. Press the patties onto the pan so they are pretty thin and flat. Rotate patties after about 2 1/2 minutes. Cook until nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes; turn carefully, turn down the heat a little, add more oil if necessary, and cook on the other side until firm and browned (about 3 more minutes).

Recipe from Mark Bittman (2007), "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

Photo credit:
Chickpea pods, Eitan F

fiesta red snapper

2010-01-24T22:42:00.000-05:00

This recipe gets 4 "forks" out of 4 on Epicurious, but Nick and I thought it was just "okay." It definitely had potential but perhaps some tweaks in the future would make it better. I didn't have a can of green chilis so I added one sliced jalapeno (seeded and de-ribbed), but it could have used two jalapenos, along with perhaps a chipotle chili for some kick. I did use the can of tomatoes because I thought it would need the sauce, but real tomatoes would have tasted better -- and beefsteak ones would have enough juice to make a sauce (and a less watery one at that, too!). The fish also took longer to cook -- about 5 extra minutes, but perhaps they were thick fillets. We served the fish with a side of cornbread, the highlight of the entree. Maybe I just don't like red snapper anymore...?

Fiesta Red Snapper

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion
1 4-oz can diced mild green chilies
4 T chopped fresh cilantro
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 14 1/2-oz can Mexican-style or regular stewed tomatoes
1 1/4 lbs red snapper fillets
lime wedges

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes. Add green chilies, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Mix in tomatoes with juices, breaking up tomatoes with back of fork. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper; place fish atop sauce. Bring to simmer. Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until fish is just opaque in center, about 8 minutes.

Transfer fish to platter. Simmer sauce to thicken slightly, if desired. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. Surround with lime wedges and serve.

Recipe from Peter Rasmussen, Bon Appetit (November 2000), "Fiesta Red Snapper."

mamma mia!

2010-01-23T21:36:00.002-05:00

We already know that Mia's a fantastic chef, so we expecting greatness from Mamma Mia (Su) -- and we were not disappointed! Thanks to Anthony and Inna hosting a large group of friends at their place, Mia and Su whipped up some incredible food: roasted eggplant, peppers, and red onions with balsamic vinegar; delicious salad of greens mixed with thinly sliced red onions, citrus segments; roasted chicken pieces with crackling lemon-pepper skin; curly macaroni pasta with shrimp and fresh clams (in the shell). I heaped my plate full and ate it all -- what a true compliment!

The desserts were yummy as well -- besides my pumpkin bread, Whalin brought her banana bread and her ginger cookies. Both are absolutely incredible -- and health-conscious -- and deserve a recipe highlight in this blog. You can check out more of her recipes on RecipeZaar.

Spicy Christmas Ginger Cookies

Whalin writes, "delicious, spicy, gingery traditional ginger, chewy cookies. perfect for holidays & presents." Note: "You can buy candied ginger at Carrefour sometimes or I make my own by dicing ginger root and boiling it with water and sugar (simple syrup) for about 30 min—use the resulting syrup to make ginger ale too."

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter, softened (I used 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 butter)
1/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1 large egg
1/2 c soft diced gingerroot (cross between crystallized ginger and ginger in syrup)
2 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c light molasses (I used dark molasses or a mix of 1/4 c molasses and 1/4 c corn syrup)

Cream butter, sugar, spices, salt and backing soda until well blended. Beat in the egg and ginger, then the flour, alternating with the molasses. Refrigerate the dough for several hours, or overnight; it needs to be stiff enough to handle easily.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll half the dough about 1/4" thick on a floured surface (I mix flour with sugar in the raw). Cut into whatever shapes you like. Transfer to an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. (I sprinkled some with sugar in the raw). Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes until they're puffy, and the edges are firm. Remove from oven and cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Makes 24-36 cookies.

Recipe from Papagayita, RecipeZaar, "Spicy Christmas Ginger Cookies."

Low Fat Banana Bread

Whalin writes, "No oil added, moist, low sugar, whole wheat...and delicious! The dough should be very moist and sticky."

Ingredients:
4 very ripe bananas (using medium sized bananas)
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs
1/3 c nonfat milk or plain yogurt (I generally use all yogurt)
1 T vanilla
1/2 c brown sugar
1 t baking soda
2 t baking powder (bread ~doubles in height while baking)
1 t salt
3 c flour (I use half whole-wheat & half white with some oat bran mixed in)
3/4 c smashed almonds (I've always used almonds or pecans, pounded with a hammer until they are like rough ground pepper)

Mix wet ingredients together, stirring & add mixed dry ingredients. Stir batter only enough to completely mix ingredients; don't over mix. Not sure why, but all the recipes I've read cautioned against it. Pour batter into two greased loaf pans (sprinkled with granulated sugar if you want a crunchy sweet crust) and bake at 350 for 1 hour-do the knife test to check doneness, being careful not to burn the top and bottom of the loaf. Bread will continue to cook in the middle after you take it out of the oven.

Recipe from Papagayita, RecipeZaar, "Low Fat Banana Bread."

inspiration from asha

2010-01-17T20:46:00.002-05:00

Nick and I recently went to Villagio to watch Avatar in 3-D -- despite the shenanigans involved in getting the tickets, and the unaccompanied 10-year-old sitting next to me who was on his phone half the time, it was well worth the effort! -- and afterward, heads still swimming from all of the fabulous and dreamy imagery, sat down for dinner at Asha's and had an absolutely incredible Indian meal. In particular, there was a shrimp dish in coconut and turmeric sauce that was just divine -- we ended up taking the extra sauce home and making more rice and shrimp just to finish eating it, it was that good!

I didn't quite realize what sort of restaurant we had stumbled upon until I did a quick Google search and found the following editorial from Scene Advisor:

You've got to respect a celebrity who is legitimately multi-faceted. Sure, Bono "paints", Ethan Hawke "writes", and Joaquin Phoenix "raps" (okay, that's still acting), but none of these people approach Asha Bhosle. That name might not be familiar to North Americans, but just about everywhere else in the world, Bhosle is adored and renowned as one of the most prolific Indian singers and Bollywood play back artists in history. She's also a pretty damn good cook and a successful restaurateur. Before opening in Qatar, Asha's was already established in Dubai, Kuwait, and England, and the Doha version brings the same quality that has come to be expected from the fledging chain.

Looks like we've found a winner!

Unable to get the taste of that shrimp dish out of our minds, I tried to replicate it with a recipe from our Kerala cookbook. (Side note: You can see some of the beautiful pictures from this cookbook through the Google Books limited preview; and Amazon is selling it, but at $30 -- we paid $8 for it in India!) It certainly smelled good while cooking, but it seemed to be too mild, like something was missing... we are not experts at Indian cuisine, so we don't know what! It was still fun to make and something we'd like to get better at. Until then, though, I think we'll have to go back to Asha's.

Meen Moily (Fish and Coconut Sauce)

Hena writes, "Meen mappas is a mildly spiced fish preparation in coconut milk and is popular with Syrian Christians of Central Kerala. It is usually served as a starter dish accompanied with Appams and is often served as a starter on festive occasions and is a favorite breakfast dish with my family, especially on Sundays."

Ingredients:
1.5 lb (500 g) fish, cleaned and sliced into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces (note: I substituted shrimp here)
1/4 c (50 ml) coconut oil
2 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced
1 c first-extraction (thick) coconut milk and 1.5 c second-extraction (thin) (note: I didn't add all of this because it already seemed too watery/thin)
4 green chilis, slit in two
1/4 t turmeric
1 inch (3 cm) ginger, cleaned and finely chopped
10 cloves garlic
2 medium tomatoes, quartered
2 cloves
2 cm cinnamon stick, broken into two pieces
1/4 t pepper powder

Heat the oil in a mann chatti or shallow clay pot (we used a wide saucepan) and add cloves and cinnamon. When they sputter, add onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilis. Saute until the onions become transparent. Lower the flame and add turmeric and salt to taste and mix well. Place the fish pieces gently into the pot and mix together without breaking the fish slices. Add the coconut milk (2nd extract), cover the pot, and allow it to simmer till gravy thickens. Add the sliced tomatoes and pepper powder and simmer for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk (1st extract), allowing it to only heat up and not boil. Transfer to a serving dish.

Recipe from Hena Jacob and Salim Pushpanath (2004), Flavours of Kerala.

Photo credit:
Asha Bhosle, Valobasi-Bangla (with a collection of her music!)

international noshes

2010-01-14T20:15:00.001-05:00

It was time for our second annual vacation slideshow extravaganza -- sadly, it was not as well attended as last year's event, but that just meant more food for those who did come! The appetizers had an international theme, and I got the ideas from my new "subscription" to Bon Appetit magazine. My favorite was the Greece-inspired feta tomatoes, but all appetizers were well-received. A few ideas for the future: fig and onion bruschetta, zucchini and goat cheese tarts, and prosciutto-wrapped arugula.

India: Garam Masala Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
6 hard-boiled eggs
3 1/2 T mayonnaise
3 T minced green onion
1 T minced seeded jalapeño chile
1 1/2 t minced mango chutney
1/2 t (scant) garam masala
Finely chopped radishes

Shell eggs, then cut in half lengthwise. Transfer yolks to small bowl and mash with fork. Mix in mayonnaise. Stir in onion, jalapeño, chutney, and garam masala. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon yolk mixture into whites. Top generously with chopped radishes. Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover loosely and refrigerate.

Recipe from Kristine Kidd, Bon Appetit, "Garam Masala Deviled Eggs."

Mexico: Chile-Corn Custard Squares

Ingredients:
3 1/2 T vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 c cornmeal
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 large egg
2/3 c shredded Mexican cheese blend or 1/3 c sharp cheddar cheese mixed with 1/3 c crumbled queso fresco, divided
1/2 c sour cream plus additional for garnish
1/2 c canned creamed corn
2 T minced seeded jalapeño chiles
Tomato salsa (for garnish)

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped onion and sauté until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Cool.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. Whisk egg, 1/3 cup cheese blend, 1/2 cup sour cream, creamed corn, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl. Add flour mixture; stir to blend. Stir in jalapeño and caramelized onions. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup cheese blend over.

Bake until puffed and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely. Custard squares can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Cut into 1-inch squares. Place on platter. Top each square with dollop of sour cream, then small spoonful of salsa.

Recipe from Diane Rossen Worthington, Bon Appetit, "Chile-Corn Custard Squares."

Greece: Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Marinated Feta

Ingredients:
1 7- to 8-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 T extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
1 T minced shallot
1/2 t chopped fresh oregano
1 lb large cherry tomatoes
12 pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise

Toss cubed feta, oil, shallot, and oregano in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut 12 tomatoes crosswise in half. Scoop out tomato pulp with melon baller or small spoon. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on serving plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Stuff hollowed cherry tomatoes with marinated feta. Slide in olive half alongside cheese. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Can be made 6 hours ahead.

Recipe from Maria Helm Sinskey, Bon Appetit, "Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Marinated Feta."

Photo credit:
Slide projector, Left Coast Classics

pasta again!

2010-01-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

Cute picture and film memory, bad grocery planning.

Fast Tomato Sauce

Mark writes, "This is among the most basic and useful pasta sauces and one of those staples, like vinaigrette, that is too easy not to make yourself. The main recipe uses basic pantry ingredients and is familiar to just about everyone. This sauce works tossed with any pasta or noodle, for pizza, or as an accent to other cooked foods like grain, tofu, eggs, or vegetables."

Ingredients:
3 T extra virgin olive oil or butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 24- to 32-oz can tomatoes, drained and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan or other cheese (optional)
chopped parsley or fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)

Note: We didn't even have these "basic pantry ingredients" in the house; had to substitute garlic for the onions, added sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers to our last 15-oz can of tomatoes. As for fresh herbs? Ha ha ha!

Put the olive oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break up and the mixture comes together and thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and immediately toss with pasta (garnish with cheese or an herb if you like) or use in other dishes. Or cover and refrigerate for up to several days (reheat gently before serving).

Recipe from Mark Bittman (2007), "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

Photo credit:
Lady and the Tramp, Disney (via Channel4 "Films with food to get you in the mood")

a versatile and gourmet tomato sauce

2010-01-10T21:42:00.000-05:00

::sigh:: We really need to start planning meals better around here.

To make our dinner of pasta a little better, I made the following red wine tomato sauce from Deborah Madison. We have subsequently used this for pasta, pizza crusts (gourmet!), and on fried eggs, inside a corn tortilla with melted cheddar, for breakfast. Definitely worth including in the repertoire, although note that it takes about 1 hour to make.

Red Wine Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
2 small onions, finely minced or grated
2 small bay leaves
6 thyme sprigs or 1/2 t dried
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried savory
pinch red pepper flakes
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 c dry red wine
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes in puree
salt and freshly milled pepper

Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the onions, herbs, and pepper flakes and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Add the garlic during the last few minutes. Raise the heat, add the wine and 1/2 c water, and simmer until reduced by half, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 t salt. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 35 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper.

Recipe from Deborah Madison (2007 [1997]), Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, 10th Anniversary Edition.

Photo credit:
Pasta aisle, warriorgrrl on Flickr.com

shrimp tacos with warm corn salsa and guacamole

2010-01-04T22:19:00.001-05:00

Redbook comes through once again! We tweaked this recipe a bit and were quite happy with the results. The shrimp and corn salsa went great with Nick's guacamole, a side of Old Mexico soup, and the never-ending box of white wine from the NYE party. A lovely way to start eating healthy, home-cooked meals again!

Shrimp Tacos with Warm Corn Salsa

Salsa
1 can (about 1 1/4 c) corn kernals
5 smallish tomatoes, roasted and chopped
1 chipotle pepper, diced
1/3 c finely diced red onion
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 T fresh lime juice

Shrimp Tacos
8 corn tortillas
1 T olive oil
1/2 t minced garlic
1/2 t ground cumin
3/4 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 T fresh lime juice

Salsa: Heat corn in a dry large nonstick skillet over high heat and cook, tossing corn frequently, 4 minutes or until lightly charred in spots. Add tomatoes and onions; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Keep salsa warm.

Tacos: Bake tortillas in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven with some grated pepper jack and fajita seasoning, as per Suzi's baked tortillas recipe.

Shrimp: Heat oil, garlic, and cumin in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, salt, and pepper and cook 3 to 4 minutes, tossing several times until shrimp are firm and cooked through; remove from heat and toss with lime juice.

Fill each tortilla with 6 or 7 shrimp and top with warm corn salsa and guacamole.

Recipe modified from Frank P. Melodia, Redbook Magazine (January 2010), "Shrimp Tacos with Warm Corn Salsa."

Photo credit:
Shrimp tacos, Ellen Silverman

leah and dan's visit!

2010-01-04T11:49:00.005-05:00

We have been so lucky this winter break that Leah and Dan could come visit us -- besides going to Tanzania together for possibly the best vacation of our lives, they also got to experience the wonder that is Doha! Mostly that means the restaurants of Doha... we brought them to all the important places: Thai Snack, Korean Garden, Layali, the Souq's Fish Market, and Lo Spaghetto. We also went to look at both the Museum of Islamic Art and the Villagio Mall; as Leah said, "the two centers of Qatari culture."

Leah and Dan even got to experience a lovely Qatarded moment when they attempted to fly back to Washington Dulles airport yesterday on "5-star" Qatar Airways -- after hours of being refused check-in, along with 30 other equally-confused people, they were finally told that all of their seats had been given away to other previously-stranded passengers and that they would be rebooked on the next morning's flights... with hotel accommodation and food vouchers, but no other recompense for their missed flights. It was bad enough that Dan had to call his work to tell them he wouldn't be making it in the next day as planned -- there were people there begging to get on the flight, one woman crying and saying that she would be fired, another woman who was missing all her connecting flights to Canada to be with her mother during surgery... The worst of it all was that Qatar Airways had known this would have to happen since the previous evening when the other passengers missed their connecting flight to the US, but they did not notify anyone ahead of time. Nor did they have anyone available to explain the situation as everyone waited for hours in the little check-in area of the airport -- not even any chairs, bathrooms, cafes...! And then the passengers were put in Al Liwan Suites, which, believe me, is not the same number of stars as Qatar Airways' supposed rating. Dan was so frustrated he ended up walking (not advisable!) through the crazy streets of Doha to a Qatar Airways office in a vain attempt to get any sort of perk for their inconvenience (business class seats, substantial vouchers, money back). The one good thing that came out of it was that we were able to have an encore dinner out and then watch The Lion King and reminisce about Tanzania one last time (did you realize the monkey is called "Rafiki"? - this means "friend"! Plus, his nonsense song when he's knocking sense into Simba is actually half-coherent: "ahsante sana squash banana" -- the first two words are "thank you very much"!). Well, and they got to have an authentic cultural experience of life in Doha. :)

We didn't have much time to cook, but we did make this excellent black bean burger recipe for when they first arrived -- just making it out of DC as a snowstorm hit -- and it's a sure keeper. I got the idea from Beth, who had found it from the Brown Eyed Baker, who had modified it from Culinary in the Country, who adapted it from The New Vegetarian Grill. Here's the recipe, with my own modifications!

Black Bean and Shiitake Mushroom Burgers

1 T canola oil, plus additional for brushing
1 c finely chopped onion
8 oz (1 c) shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t smoked paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
4 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, lightly toasted
15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 oz (about 1/2 cup) neufchatel cheese
salt and fresh ground black pepper
olive oil
4 English muffins, split and toasted (we used whole wheat rolls)
sour cream or salsa, for garnish
shredded spinach, for garnish

Preheat grill.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion - cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, garlic, cumin and paprika - cook until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Tear toasted bread into pieces and place into a food processor - process until broken down into crumbs. Pour into a medium bowl. Add mushroom mixture, beans and cilantro into the food processor bowl - pulse until combined, but not smooth - leave some chunky bits. Scoop mixture into the bowl with the bread crumbs - add goat cheese and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Mix ingredients together, then divide into four equal portions. With dampened hands, shape each portion into 6 patties. Lightly brush each side of all patties with oil.

Place patties onto the grill and cook until thoroughly heated through and the outside has crisped, about 5 minutes per side. Serve burgers on toasted muffins and topped with sour cream, salsa, or spinach, as desired.

Makes about 4 servings.

Recipe modified from Andrea Chesman (2008), The New Vegetarian Grill, Revised Edition: 250 Flame-Kissed Recipes for Fresh, Inspired Meals.

happy 2010!

2010-01-01T18:55:00.000-05:00

Who said you need more than a day to plan a fantastic New Year's Eve party?

With mere hours to spare upon our return from Africa, our group of friends pulled together a great New Year's celebration that provided food, fun, tiaras, and drama for all! Following are the recipes for the whiskey sours (amazing) and real Italian biscotti, courtesy of Kat's family recipe. Here's to a great 2010!

Whiskey Sours

For a full (750 ml) bottle of whiskey, mix with 16 ounces of lemon juice, 32 ounces of water, and 32 T sugar. Add in crushed ice and maraschino cherries.

Recipe modified from Emeril Lagasse, "Whiskey Sour Recipe."

Kat's Biscotti

Ingredients:
1/2 t salt
5 eggs or 6 small
5 c flour
2 c sugar
1/4 t extract
1 c shortening or butter
3-4 t baking powder

1. Blend salt, eggs, sugar, butter, baking powder.
2. Mix in flour, one cup at a time with a wooden spoon.
3. Divide into 3 equal parts.
4. Shape each part into a log on greased baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes.
6. Cool.
7. Slice in pieces, and brown under broiler for 1 minute. Turn and brown opposite side.

ALTERATIONS:
almond extract, 1/2 cup almonds, 1/2 cup dried cranberries
cocoa powder, vanilla extract, 1/2 cup nuts
anise extract, no nuts
just vanilla extract

My Aunt Carolyn uses cocoa powder and peppermint extract. But you can do any combination of nuts/dried fruit/extract. Sometimes I dip the end in white or dark chocolate and press it in crushed nuts.

I like them softer, so bake them to kind of cake like consistency. Then I broil them under a very high heat. If you like them crunchier, bake the full 50 minutes and broil them under a lower heat.

Make the logs thin, because they spread out a lot. It might take a few runs to get them the right shape. GOOD LUCK!

chanuka vittles and rock band (followed by a karaoke christmas)

2009-12-10T23:18:00.003-05:00

James and Nick and I were feeling the holiday spirit... so what better excuse than Christmas and Chanuka to get in a little food noshing and rock band/karaoke playing?

The evening started in our apartment, promising "Chanuka Vittles and Rock Band," before progressing to James's for a (loosely) Christmas themed karaoke party. Our menu focused on the desserts: besides sugared jelly-filled donuts (the easy version of sufganiot), we had pumpkin pie, rum cake, Guinness chocolate cake, Corrie's cuppa-cuppa-cuppa cobbler (just as easy as she promised), and two "new" recipes -- sour cream pumpkin pie, and my mom's poppy seed cookies, hand-cut into festive holiday shapes. Delicious, if not necessarily nutritious, and a nice way to celebrate the holiday festivities with everyone!

Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan, preferably glass.

In a large, heavy saucepan, whisk together thoroughly:
1 can pumpkin puree
8 oz (1 c) sour cream
3/4 c sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves or allspice
1/4 t salt

Whisking constantly, heat over medium heat until just warm to the touch. Beat on medium speed until foamy:
3 large egg whites, at room temperature

Add:
1/4 t cream of tartar

Continue to beat until soft peaks form, then gradually beat in:
1/4 c sugar

Increase the speed to high and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake until the top has browned lightly and feels softly set when touched, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. At this point the pie can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Let warm at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream.

Recipe from Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer, and Ethan Becker (1997), "The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking."

Mom's Poppy Seed Cookies

Ingredients:
1 c melted margarine (or butter)
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t baking powder
3 c flour
1 t vanilla
1/2 t almond extract
1/2 c poppy seeds

In a large mixing bowl, melt margarine in microwave for 3 minutes. Beat melted margarine and sugar well. Add eggs, one at a time. Add baking powder and 1 cup flour until smooth. Clean beaters.

With wooden spoon, stir in 1 cup flour and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Stir with spoon. Chill dough wrapped in wax paper, at least 2 hours. Roll out. Cut into shapes, re-rolling as necessary. Place on greased cookie sheets, spacing well. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Makes 68-75 Chanuka cookies. Can leave as is or decorate with frosting.

Photo credits:
All photos, Mia Buchignani

the case of the poisonous portobellos

2009-11-13T22:06:00.002-05:00

So once again, we found ourselves in a house with nothing to eat... except Portobello mushrooms of questionable quality. In my defense, I thought they looked a bit suspect, but Nick yelled at me that they were fine. So I looked up recipes to try to make the most of them. Three different soup recipes looked good (Paula Dean soup, Epicurean soup #1, Epicurean soup #2), but instead I made the fateful decision to make the stuffed breakfast Portobello mushrooms -- and it was the nastiest thing ever. The stuffing and egg weren't so bad, but the walnuts were overpowering and the Portobello was gross -- overbaked, tough -- so I didn't even eat mine. Honestly, it's not even worthy of a re-type on this blog.

Nick ate all of his, however, and then almost immediately fell apart, shivering uncontrollably and climbing into bed. Two days later he finally felt better, but only after proclaiming to the world via Facebook that his wife tried to poison him. The case of the poisonous Portobellos... or just too much beer the night before?

Photo credit:
Murder Mystery, Divertimento Entertainments

one hundred things (part two)

2009-11-08T04:30:00.003-05:00

So Bruce has now given us his 51-100 things that restaurant staffers should never do... strangely, many of them seem taken verbatim from the myriad comments spawned from his last list. Perhaps he only had come up with 50 to begin with and figured he could cull the rest from an outraged or appreciative public. At any rate, I agree more often (approximately 80% of the time!) with his second 50 than the 50% from my last analysis. Again, bold means I agree (in general), and my comments are in italics.

51. If there is a service charge, alert your guests when you present the bill. It’s not a secret or a trick.
In Doha, it's always a mystery -- is the service included or not?

52. Know your menu inside and out. If you serve Balsam Farm candy-striped beets, know something about Balsam Farm and candy-striped beets.
This was, again, one of my biggest problems with Maggie's. We went there specifically for the local, organic, sustainable food -- but never heard about it once.

53. Do not let guests double-order unintentionally; remind the guest who orders ratatouille that zucchini comes with the entree.

54. If there is a prix fixe, let guests know about it. Do not force anyone to ask for the “special” menu.

55. Do not serve an amuse-bouche without detailing the ingredients. Allergies are a serious matter; peanut oil can kill. (This would also be a good time to ask if anyone has any allergies.)
I'm down with the server detailing the contents of an amuse-bouche (since you didn't order it yourself and it's nice to have some inkling of what you're amusing your bouche with), but any responsible person with allergies will be smart enough to ask when random food is brought to the table: "Does this have X?"

56. Do not ignore a table because it is not your table. Stop, look, listen, lend a hand. (Whether tips are pooled or not.)

57. Bring the pepper mill with the appetizer. Do not make people wait or beg for a condiment.

58. Do not bring judgment with the ketchup. Or mustard. Or hot sauce. Or whatever condiment is requested.

59. Do not leave place settings that are not being used.

60. Bring all the appetizers at the same time, or do not bring the appetizers. Same with entrees and desserts.
YES. It's the worst when you get your appetizer first, and you know the others are waiting, and they're pressuring you to eat, and you'd like to wait for everyone to be served...

61. Do not stand behind someone who is ordering. Make eye contact. Thank him or her.

62. Do not fill the water glass every two minutes, or after each sip. You’ll make people nervous.

62(a). Do not let a glass sit empty for too long.
Yes. Hovering isn't good, but neither is abandonment. I drink a lot of water and always appreciate a prompt refill. 62(b) -- always refill everyone's glass at the table, even if it's just a top-off (unless it'll make it slop over the rim).

63. Never blame the chef or the busboy or the hostess or the weather for anything that goes wrong. Just make it right.
God yes. I still remember the Cosi (on King Street, Alexandria) debacle when we ordered the smores and were told they were "all out" -- and then we proceeded to watch as another waitress brought several of her tables the smores platters. When we brought this up to our waiter, he went on a diatribe about how the waitress was "hoarding" the graham crackers. We asked for a manager, who tried to blame the other waitress again. Finally I said, "I don't care whose fault it was. What are you going to give us?" and within two minutes, we were walking out with free entree coupons. It's not that hard, huh?

64. Specials, spoken and printed, should always have prices.
Direct from the comments section of the previous post.

65. Always remove used silverware and replace it with new.
I love it when this happens. It makes me feel special.

66. Do not return to the guest anything that falls on the floor — be it napkin, spoon, menu or soy sauce.
Duh. Who would?

67. Never stack the plates on the table. They make a racket. Shhhhhh.
Depends. I mean, which is worse -- stacking plates or returning five times, interrupting each time, to clear the plates?

68. Do not reach across one guest to serve another.

69. If a guest is having trouble making a decision, help out. If someone wants to know your life story, keep it short. If someone wants to meet the chef, make an effort.
I agree with this -- but it's in direct contradiction to his previous #10, #43, #44, which warned against personal interaction or recommendations.

70. Never deliver a hot plate without warning the guest. And never ask a guest to pass along that hot plate.

71. Do not race around the dining room as if there is a fire in the kitchen or a medical emergency. (Unless there is a fire in the kitchen or a medical emergency.)

72. Do not serve salad on a freezing cold plate; it usually advertises the fact that it has not been freshly prepared.
So you are supposed to disguise a non-freshly prepared salad with a room temperature plate?

73. Do not bring soup without a spoon. Few things are more frustrating than a bowl of hot soup with no spoon.
Or two spoons if the guests requested to share.

74. Let the guests know the restaurant is out of something before the guests read the menu and order the missing dish.
Yes, but again, I don't see how this is different than letting the guests know that something on the menu is in short supply (which he insists not to do, #11). Both are useful bits of information. And it would be really helpful in Doha, where anything that looks like it would be freshly prepared ends up not being available when it's time to order.

75. Do not ask if someone is finished when others are still eating that course.
This is basically the same advice as #17: don't take away someone's plate when others are still eating.

76. Do not ask if a guest is finished the very second the guest is finished. Let guests digest, savor, reflect.

77. Do not disappear.
GOD yes. Or if you have to take a break, ask a fellow waiter to check in on the table in your absence.

78. Do not ask, “Are you still working on that?” Dining is not work — until questions like this are asked.
Another one straight out of the comments section.

79. When someone orders a drink “straight up,” determine if he wants it “neat” — right out of the bottle — or chilled. Up is up, but “straight up” is debatable.

80. Never insist that a guest settle up at the bar before sitting down; transfer the tab.
Come on -- that's not fair. Then the bartender doesn't get a tip.

81. Know what the bar has in stock before each meal.
And I don't expect my waitstaff to have a bartender's knowledge. If I order a drink, it's okay with me if they go check to make sure they have the proper ingredients.

82. If you drip or spill something, clean it up, replace it, offer to pay for whatever damage you may have caused. Refrain from touching the wet spots on the guest.

83. Ask if your guest wants his coffee with dessert or after. Same with an after-dinner drink.

84. Do not refill a coffee cup compulsively. Ask if the guest desires a refill.

84(a). Do not let an empty coffee cup sit too long before asking if a refill is desired.

85. Never bring a check until someone asks for it. Then give it to the person who asked for it.
But, as per #77, don't disappear right at the end of the meal, making us wait for ten minutes, looking about frantically and losing the train of conversation, to try to signal to you that we want the check. Make yourself available at the end of the meal so we can naturally ask for the bill.

86. If a few people signal for the check, find a neutral place on the table to leave it.

87. Do not stop your excellent service after the check is presented or paid.
It would be nice, if it seemed we were staying for a few extra minutes, to have a refill on water, for example. And what if we change our minds and want to stay for dessert? It's nice to not be rushed out the door.

88. Do not ask if a guest needs change. Just bring the change.

89. Never patronize a guest who has a complaint or suggestion; listen, take it seriously, address it.

90. If someone is getting agitated or effusive on a cellphone, politely suggest he keep it down or move away from other guests.
This is a manager's or host's responsibility, not a waiter. (I could imagine someone obnoxious enough to be talking loudly on a cell phone in a restaurant would also be obnoxious to a waiter asking them to stop.)

91. If someone complains about the music, do something about it, without upsetting the ambiance. (The music is not for the staff — it’s for the customers.)
Yeah, but if no other customer has complained, then it may be because everyone else likes (or is at least tolerating) the music. A restaurant is not a DJ-by-request radio show. One complaining customer shouldn't dictate the ambiance for everyone. Occasional dislike of music is the price one pays for interacting with the greater world outside of one's own house/car bubble.

92. Never play a radio station with commercials or news or talking of any kind.
In this day and age of CDs and iPods, is this even still a problem?

93. Do not play brass — no brassy Broadway songs, brass bands, marching bands, or big bands that feature brass, except a muted flugelhorn.
So, so random.

94. Do not play an entire CD of any artist. If someone doesn’t like Frightened Rabbit or Michael Bublé, you have just ruined a meal.
Whatever. I've enjoyed listening to whole CDs at restaurants before. See my comments on #91.

95. Never hover long enough to make people feel they are being watched or hurried, especially when they are figuring out the tip or signing for the check.

96. Do not say anything after a tip — be it good, bad, indifferent — except, “Thank you very much.”

97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her.
This would be super-cool, but I don't understand how it's realistic, either for business reasons (why are you giving away your secret recipes?) or time constraints (how are you going to get the recipe from the chef in the middle of his or her shift?).

98. Do not wear too much makeup or jewelry. You know you have too much jewelry when it jingles and/or draws comments.
Eh. This is about the waiter's/waitress's personality. I don't see how it would affect a meal.

99. Do not show frustration. Your only mission is to serve. Be patient. It is not easy.

100. Guests, like servers, come in all packages. Show a “good table” your appreciation with a free glass of port, a plate of biscotti or something else management approves.
Hey look, I think that would be super-cool if I were at the table that was bestowed with such an honor. But why is this any different than his previous admonition (#42) not to compliment a guest's hair/makeup/attire/etc.? Here you are complimenting a table's behavior -- and by default, you are insulting any tables around them, who might notice the preferential treatment -- or guests at that table, who may have been there in the past and not received this (or who will not receive it in the future). I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying Bruce contradicts himself several times. If you're going to give your staff 100 rules -- make it a little easier and make them all make sense with one another!

Photo credit:
Lazy waiter, Cartoon Stock

one hundred things (part one)

2009-11-02T00:32:00.008-05:00

So Bruce Buschel has written a list of one hundred things restaurant staffers should never do. Who is Bruce Buschel, that he is such an expert on restaurant etiquette, you might ask? His wikipedia page is sparse and indicates no real experience with restaurants other than the guess that he's probably eaten in several over the years. Apparently he is in the process of opening his own restaurant -- a self-described "organic/nouvelle/locavore/fish restaurant" -- in Bridgehampton, a town of less than 2,000 people. In this economy. Yikes!

Yet despite some equally random blogger calling him a douche (don't worry, the blog site's raison d'etre is to "provide readers with a thoughtful and searching alternative analysis"), I agree with ~50% of his tips, and, for the most part, the ones I don't agree with wouldn't make me want to tear my hair out if they were followed. Dining in a restaurant with this sort of service would probably be a lovely experience. So maybe Nick and I will make a pilgrimage to Bridgehampton one day -- provided he's still in business when we finally move back to the States. ;-)

Following are the first 50 tips and my comments in italics. Bold means I agree (in general).

1. Do not let anyone enter the restaurant without a warm greeting.

2. Do not make a singleton feel bad. Do not say, “Are you waiting for someone?” Ask for a reservation. Ask if he or she would like to sit at the bar.

3. Never refuse to seat three guests because a fourth has not yet arrived.
Yes. Why are the guests who are there on time less important than the one who is late? And if you seat us, we'll probably order some drinks and appetizers while we wait. It's a win-win.

4. If a table is not ready within a reasonable length of time, offer a free drink and/or amuse-bouche. The guests may be tired and hungry and thirsty, and they did everything right.
GOD yes. This would have vastly improved my feelings about Maggie's.

5. Tables should be level without anyone asking. Fix it before guests are seated.
Is this the waitstaff's job? Isn't this the restaurant owner's responsibility to buy decent tables and keep them in good shape?

6. Do not lead the witness with, “Bottled water or just tap?” Both are fine. Remain neutral.
In fact, tap is better for the environment, and just as safe. You should really be biased toward the tap water: "Bottled, carbon-emission-laden water, or environmentally sensitive tap?"

7. Do not announce your name. No jokes, no flirting, no cuteness.
Hmmmm. I don't mind a light attitude as long as the waiter doesn't make the meal all about him. But I would like to know his name, even just for practical reasons, and also because otherwise I would feel weird.

8. Do not interrupt a conversation. For any reason. Especially not to recite specials. Wait for the right moment.

9. Do not recite the specials too fast or robotically or dramatically. It is not a soliloquy. This is not an audition.

10. Do not inject your personal favorites when explaining the specials.
Really? I like knowing the waiter's preferences. I frequently ask for their advice if I'm having a tough time making up my mind. As long as the stated "preferences" aren't always the most expensive things on the menu, that is... ("I just love the surf and turf, or the twin lobsters!!!!")

11. Do not hustle the lobsters. That is, do not say, “We only have two lobsters left.” Even if there are only two lobsters left.
See above. But I would like to know if there are shortages on things -- that's helpful, especially if you're really hankering for something.

12. Do not touch the rim of a water glass. Or any other glass.
Who does this?

13. Handle wine glasses by their stems and silverware by the handles.
Who doesn't do this?

14. When you ask, “How’s everything?” or “How was the meal?” listen to the answer and fix whatever is not right.

15. Never say “I don’t know” to any question without following with, “I’ll find out.”

16. If someone requests more sauce or gravy or cheese, bring a side dish of same. No pouring. Let them help themselves.
This would be awesome at a restaurant, and really appreciated.

17. Do not take an empty plate from one guest while others are still eating the same course. Wait, wait, wait.
YES. Especially as I am such a slow eater. It makes me feel terrible when everyone else's plates are cleared and I'm the only one left.

18. Know before approaching a table who has ordered what. Do not ask, “Who’s having the shrimp?”
Look, I appreciate it if they remember, but at the same time, they've probably got ten+ tables to manage. I'd prefer that they ask instead of deposit plates at random on the table.

19. Offer guests butter and/or olive oil with their bread.
Mmmmmm. And balsamic vinegar.

20. Never refuse to substitute one vegetable for another.

21. Never serve anything that looks creepy or runny or wrong.

22. If someone is unsure about a wine choice, help him. That might mean sending someone else to the table or offering a taste or two.
I love it when I can actually get small tastes of the wines before ordering -- like the Greek Corner allowed me to do. Especially if these wines are already available by the glass, what's the harm?

23. If someone likes a wine, steam the label off the bottle and give it to the guest with the bill. It has the year, the vintner, the importer, etc.
This would be anal retentive, but super cool.

24. Never use the same glass for a second drink.
Why not ask the customer about their preference? I love how Bruce is so into local, organic, sustainable... but he doesn't want to give the customers any chance to reuse their glasses and save a bit of energy and water.

25. Make sure the glasses are clean. Inspect them before placing them on the table.
This goes for silverware too -- nothing yuckier than having to get clean utensils at the beginning of a meal! But again, isn't this, in general, someone else's job?

26. Never assume people want their white wine in an ice bucket. Inquire.
Who drinks room temperature white wine? Eh, probably the same people who like room temperature beer.

27. For red wine, ask if the guests want to pour their own or prefer the waiter to pour.

28. Do not put your hands all over the spout of a wine bottle while removing the cork.
Why is this a problem? It's not like the waiter is bathing his hands in our wine as it pours into our glass.

29. Do not pop a champagne cork. Remove it quietly, gracefully. The less noise the better.
Duh.

30. Never let the wine bottle touch the glass into which you are pouring. No one wants to drink the dust or dirt from the bottle.
I never thought about this, and I guess he's right. Yet I have not died from all these years of wine bottle contamination...

31. Never remove a plate full of food without asking what went wrong. Obviously, something went wrong.
Yes, it's about ownership of the customer experience. And it might simply mean the customer wants a take-away container.

32. Never touch a customer. No excuses. Do not do it. Do not brush them, move them, wipe them or dust them.
Especially not my husband.

33. Do not bang into chairs or tables when passing by.
Like they meant to?

34. Do not have a personal conversation with another server within earshot of customers.
Sometimes this can be really amusing. It depends on the subject. :)

35. Do not eat or drink in plain view of guests.

36. Never reek from perfume or cigarettes. People want to smell the food and beverage.
Cigarettes, yes. Perfume? How much perfume would you have to douse yourself with to destroy a dining experience?

37. Do not drink alcohol on the job, even if invited by the guests. “Not when I’m on duty” will suffice.
But isn't this common sense?

38.Do not call a guy a “dude.”
I haven't heard someone being called a dude in a very, very long time. Circa Clueless, 1995.

39. Do not call a woman “lady.”
Well, at least this random rule would effectively prevent a Flight of the Conchords impression.

40. Never say, “Good choice,” implying that other choices are bad.
See my comments on #42.

41. Saying, “No problem” is a problem. It has a tone of insincerity or sarcasm. “My pleasure” or “You’re welcome” will do.
This is silly -- "my pleasure" can drip just as much with insincerity or sarcasm. It's about tone and body language, not word choice.

42. Do not compliment a guest’s attire or hairdo or makeup. You are insulting someone else.
This is similar in (skewed) logic to "good choice" (#40). It's not a yin-yang relationship here. Something caught your eye and you'll make someone's day by expressing your approval. No one leaves a restaurant in a huff because they (or their friend) got a compliment on their earrings.

43. Never mention what your favorite dessert is. It’s irrelevant.
See my comments on #10.

44. Do not discuss your own eating habits, be you vegan or lactose intolerant or diabetic.
Unless the customer is the same and you want to help them with the menu.

45. Do not curse, no matter how young or hip the guests.
Again, duh.

46. Never acknowledge any one guest over and above any other. All guests are equal.
It's good to be respectful of everyone, but if there is a clear host of the evening, you should acknowledge them above everyone else. They probably did the inviting and they will probably do the paying. It's nice to show that you recognize that.

47. Do not gossip about co-workers or guests within earshot of guests.
See my comments on #34.

48. Do not ask what someone is eating or drinking when they ask for more; remember or consult the order.
See my comments on #18.

49. Never mention the tip, unless asked.
Who does this? Who throws a shoe?

50. Do not turn on the charm when it’s tip time. Be consistent throughout.
That, I'll drink to.

Photo credit:
Waiter cartoon, A Server's Guide to Restaurant Etiquette (check out the site for the "other" side of the restaurant do's and don'ts!)

lament

2009-10-21T13:51:00.003-04:00

I know I'm about two-plus weeks behind on this, but just today I was reading a NYT op-ed, which mentioned that Condé Nast was closing four magazines... interested, I googled to see which they were... and beheld, agast, that one of the four was Gourmet.

I doubt I'll ever be a trend-setter, but I've never been this late to the party before: I just subscribed to Gourmet in August. My first issue was September. And my last issue, apparently, will be November. To compensate me, Condé Nast is fulfilling the rest of my subscription by sending me Bon Appétit, its other food magazine.

At the risk of echoing what 980,000 (the subscription total of Gourmet) fans already bemoaned two weeks ago (such as this one, or this one, or this one, not to mention all the comments made on the Washington Post's brief coverage), if I had wanted Bon Appétit, I would have subscribed to that instead of Gourmet. I remember making this very decision just a few months ago. I was at an airport. I saw the magazine racks. I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice to get a food magazine this year? I wonder which one..." Within a few minutes of flipping through the Gourmet and the Bon Appetit, I knew I liked Gourmet better. The recipes were more interesting, varied, and educational; there was this lovely emphasis on travel food journalism; and the narrative pieces on all things foodie looked like I would learn a thing or two with each issue. Little did I know that the editor, Ruth Reichl, was adored by the foodie world and had been tackling incredibly important issues in the pages of Gourmet (like local/seasonal food, the treatment of workers and animals, genetic engineering, trans fats...) since she took it over several years ago. Yet another reason to be proud that I was one of the 980,000 proud subscribers to Gourmet... and another reason to mourn its loss.

Photo credit:
Old Gourmet magazines, Market Manila

progressive dinner, take two

2009-10-09T22:50:00.002-04:00

This year Nick and I got the third course -- dessert -- for ASD's annual progressive dinner party, which was a lot less stressful than last year, doing the main course (for 8 people total!). We were so impressed with our hosts for appetizers and main course this year. It certainly gave us some great ideas for the future!

For appetizers, we went to Tim and Anki's villa (pictured above), where I learned a new drink: vineto (perfect for a designated driver such as myself, or a refreshing summer afternoon sip!). Vineto is made with 3/4 lemonade to 1/4 red wine, along with some ice. Unbelievably delicious! They also treated us to a white bean dip; deviled eggs with tuna; smoked salmon atop baguettes with capers and red onion; and an incredible dish of seared scallops, prawns, and a cream/butter sauce with tarragon and parsley. This was the appetizer?!?

Then it was on to Jeff and Karen's, where they hosted a Mexican-inspired make-your-own tostada buffet. Nick was in heaven! Unfortunately I had to steer clear of the homemade spicy salsa, but I heard from everyone else how good it was.

It was nice to be able to return home and simply pop the apple pie in the oven to warm it up. Besides the pie, we offered mini chocolate cheesecakes with freshly whipped cream and some vanilla ice cream. And of course, after eating, we ended the evening with Rock Band!

two years!

2009-10-06T23:25:00.001-04:00

How has it already been two years since our wedding??

We started the evening off with a showing of our friend Umut's documentary film on Turkey's attempts to join the EU. Such an interesting way of looking at the "courtship" between Turkey and the European Union!

Then it was off to Le Grill at the Diplomatic Club. This place could definitely become a romantic tradition. The restaurant had an inventive menu, reasonable prices, and a fantastic atmosphere -- well-lit and well-decorated, with great service. We knew we were in for a treat with the arrival of the freshly baked bread, steaming hot from the oven, that was served to us tableside with olive oil infused with roasted garlic as well as two different types of flavored butters. Our starter cocktails -- a cosmopolitan for me and a "Harvey Wallbanger" for Nick -- were also excellent; perhaps La Cigale's Sky Bar can come here to learn a thing or two about mixology? Next up: I enjoyed the forest mushroom cappuccino ("soup" is apparently too mundane of a term) in a bread bowl with just a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper on the top, followed by a delicious 7-ounce filet mignon perfectly medium-rare, with three different sauces (lemon butter, pepper, and mushroom) and four different types of potatoes (thick-cut fries, dauphine, mashed, and baby). The only disappointment was the side of honey and ginger carrots -- a real yawner, and quite surprising given the quality of the rest of the food. We ended with palate-cleansing sorbets of earl gray and ginger (yummmmmmmmmmmmm).

Then along came the servers with steaming hot towels, a clearing of the table, and a final surprise -- complimentary non-alcoholic fizzy fruity drinks and a generous slice of double chocolate hazelnut cake, in honor of our anniversary! All around, a lovely experience and a place to which we'll definitely return.

yom kippur

2009-09-28T23:20:00.001-04:00

One of the toughest things about living in a country where there is absolutely no Jewish community is having the holidays sneak up on you. As we had just arrived back from our trip to Jordan, yesterday I realized almost simultaneously that we had nothing to eat in the house and it was Yom Kippur at sundown. I'm not one for fasting on a previously-empty stomach, so after some creative thinking, I threw together an onion and mushroom frittata, which was pretty good with a side of buttered toast -- good enough for Nick and I to eat almost all of it!

Today I had more time to plan my break-the-fast; plus, I was hosting a small girls' get-together tea that evening, so the two coincided nicely. The break-the-fast menu was delicious and soothing on the stomach... the omnipresent bagels, lox, and cream cheese; Nana's noodle kugel recipe; Mia's arugula, fennel, and bresaola salad; pumpkin pie with freshly whipped cream; and cantaloupe slices wrapped in bresaola. Mmmmmmm!

Onion Frittata

Ingredients:
1.5 lobs onions, peeled and quartered (note: I only used one large onion)
some shiitake mushrooms (this is my own addition -- we only had 4)
1.5 T olive oil
2 T sherry vinegar
salt and freshly milled pepper
1/8 t ground cloves
6 eggs (I probably only put in half -- or less -- of the yolks)
2 T chopped parsley
2 T butter
1/2 c walnuts, roasted (toasted?)

Slice the onions crosswise about 1/4 inch wide. Warm the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet, add the onions, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they're golden and soft, about 30 minutes. Add half the vinegar, let it reduce, then season well with 3/4 t salt, pepper to taste, and the cloves. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (for cooking as per this frittata recipe).

Whisk the eggs, season them with a few pinches of salt, then add the onions and parsley (and mushrooms, if using). Grease a 9" pie plate with a tablespoon of melted butter and pour in the egg mixture. Scatter the walnuts on top and bake for 20-30 minutes or until it is no longer runny on the top. The broiler can be used if necessary to finish it off, taking care not to burn the walnuts.

Optional final sauce: Melt the other tablespoon of butter on the stove and, when it begins to foam, add the remaining vinegar. Slide the pan back and forth to combine the two, then pour it over the eggs.

Recipe modified from Deborah Madison (2007 [1997]), Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, 10th Anniversary Edition.

Pumpkin Pie

Note: I've been making this since 2003 -- but somehow it hasn't made its way onto this food blog yet! Pure pumpkin perfection from the Joy of Cooking.

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan, preferably glass.

Whisk thoroughly in a large bowl:
2 large eggs

Whisk in thoroughly:
1 can pumpkin puree
3/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c milk
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves or allspice
1/2 t salt

Warm the pie crust in the oven until it is hot to the touch, letting the filling stand at room temperature in the meantime. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust and bake until the center of the filling seems set but quivery, like gelatin, when the pan is nudged, 35 to 45 minutes. [Note: I wrote, "Can take up to 1 hour, bake until filling is puffing up and cracking."] Let cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate for up to 1 day. Serve cold, at room temperature, or slightly warmed. Accompany with: whipped cream, hot brandy sauce.

Recipe modified from Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer, and Ethan Becker (1997), "The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking."

Whipped Cream

Chloe et al write, "Did you know that whipped cream can cost almost as much as five bucks at the store!? Did you also know that it takes maybe five minutes and less than three dollars to make it!? Imagine having fresh home made whipped cream to put on top of your cakes and candies! Discover the perfect recipe to making a frothy, dessert-like sweet topping for anything from puddings to jello without the extra fat and sugars, or preservatives!"

1/2 pint (1 c) heavy whipping cream
1/3 c sugar
pinch salt

Note: The cream will expand as it is whipped -- 1 c cream = 2 c whipped topping.

Pour the cream into a large metal bowl. Add in about 1/3 c of sugar and tiny pinch of salt. (Adding more sugar will help thicken the mixture, but don't add too much. 3/4 c to a cup is too much.) Using a wire whisk or a beater, whip the mixture together until you get soft peaks. (Takes about 4 minutes.) Let sit in fridge to cool, then enjoy!

Recipe from WikiHow, "How to Make Your Own Whipped Cream."

two dinners in two days at the grand hyatt

2009-09-15T23:03:00.005-04:00

Mmmm... I've eaten well the last couple of days!

Last night the American Women's Association had their opening dinner in the Grand Hyatt's ballroom. For a buffet, it was quite impressive -- I enjoyed the mozzarella, cherry tomato, and pine nut salad garnished with a bit of arugula; the Indian paneer in green curry sauce; a perfectly rare thinly sliced seared tuna with seaweed garnish; thinly sliced still-tender sesame beef with tomatoes, sliced peppers, and onions; baked salmon with potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and roe... I literally cleaned my (large, full) plate, and we all know how hard it is for me to do that! Dessert was a little more of a mixed bag. The Umm Ali was excellent (with nuts and raisins, and a caramelized top from baking), and I also enjoyed the apple walnut tart, but the other desserts -- tiramisu, espresso mousse, and other assorted pastries -- were just okay. Impressive main courses for a buffet, however!

And tonight, back we went again, this time with some ASD work colleagues (and on ASD's dime, even better!). First we checked out an art exhibit from Dubai's Opera Gallery that was being displayed in the lobby. My favorite piece was a sculpture depicting an Arab man's head and shoulders, made entirely out of screws. The part that made it unique was that the screws were positioned to glint just so in the light of a camera flash, so that taking the picture with and without flash gave you two different views of the artwork. So smart and interesting! [The work is titled "Arab" and it's by artist Federico Uribe, on sale for $33,000 -- that's dollars, not riyals -- if you're interested.]

Then we sat down to dinner at the Grill. The atmosphere was great -- very soothing with the lighting, the arrangement of space, and all the waterfalls and fountains. And the food was excellent as well. Our choice of artichoke and garlic dip for the freshly baked bread was delicious. My sirloin was ordered medium-rare and came very close to purely rare, but it looked and smelled so good I figured it was worth the possibility of dying for (and I was right) and so happily ate as much as I could (at 300 grams a serving, only about half!). The steak came topped with an excellent mushroom sauce and caramelized onions, and the extra sides we ordered were quite plentiful and each could have served the four of us -- creamed spinach with veal bacon, sautéed mushrooms, baby baked potatoes with sour cream, and green beans. Nick ordered the roasted hammour with the green olive tapenade and crushed potatoes and said it was the best hammour dish he has ever had. The only weakness was my lemon mint cooler -- it tasted watered down. A small imperfection in an otherwise stellar meal!

We also got to enjoy the spectacle of a woman in a lavender skirt suit who looked like she was going to throw up -- or throw something-- when she was told it was illegal to serve alcohol during Ramadan. ("But in Dubai...!" she kept saying. Honey, this ain't Dubai.)

Photo credit:
Grand Hyatt lobby, Qatar Visitor

grilled tuna marinated with fresh tomato salsa

2009-09-13T21:48:00.001-04:00

I had made this dish before (June 19, 2007, to be exact -- before beginning this food blog!) and I had noted that the fresh tomato salsa was a "little bland." Luckily I was able to improvise and make it better, and now, along with the tasty marinade, this is a recipe worth keeping!

Sadly, I overcooked the tuna by using the broiler instead of just pan-searing it. Plus, adding injury to insult, I burned my arm on the oven door -- right before we go to Jordan and take a dip in the Dead Sea! Argh!

Anyway -- with a medium-rare steak, this would have been excellent, so here's to next time. :)

Grilled Tuna Marinated with Fresh Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
1 t ground cumin
juice of 2 lemons (or limes)
juice of 1 lime
2 T olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lbs tuna steaks
4 medium-size ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
two dashes cayenne pepper

Mix together half the cilantro, most of the red onion (reserving about 1/3 c for the salsa), cumin, juice of two lemons, 1 T olive oil, salt, and pepper. Marinate the tuna in this mixture for 1 hour or less (or more, refrigerated). Mix the remaining cilantro and red onion with the tomatoes, garlic, juice of 1 lime, 1 T olive oil, a couple dashes of cayenne, salt, and pepper; let stand until ready to serve.

[Here Bittman says to start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler -- I say pan-fry to avoid overcooking!] Cook the tuna, basting occasionally with the marinade. Turn once, after about 5 minutes. (If you are searing on high heat -- less!!) Check for doneness by cutting into the steak with a thin-bladed knife; tuna should not be cooked well done, and will continue to cook a bit after you remove it from the grill. Serve with the fresh tomato salsa.

Recipe modified from Mark Bittman (1994), Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking.

ramadan suhoor... and umm ali!

2009-09-11T23:27:00.002-04:00

Last year, Nick and I checked out the Diplomatic Club's Suhoor dinner for Ramadan -- and this year we have continued making the rounds! Last week we were treated by Georgetown to the Sharq's suhoor, which I thought presented a fairly traditional (and fairly delicious) Arabic buffet, although the crushed velvet gold-and-silver decor left a bit to be desired. It was here that I began my obsession with Umm Ali, an unassuming-looking milk-and-pastry pudding that is just divine. I looked it up in Claudia Roden's Middle East cookbook once I got back home, and let's just say it's pretty much the worst thing in the world for you to eat (her recipe follows). But for a treat once in a while? Perfectly fine! And this is even more justified when you note that every place makes it a little bit differently...

Tonight we tried out another suhoor, this time with the American School crowd, at the W Hotel. The food was excellent -- besides Arabic buffet and desserts, there were also live international cooking stations. I had Japanese (the sushi was very good, although only simple selections of salmon, tuna, and shrimp), Indian (the freshly-fried bread and the butter chicken were both excellent, although the rice was unexceptional), and French (thinly sliced beef cooked to order, topped with foie gras and a pepper sauce, along with buttery mashed potatoes -- mais oui!), plus the Arabic essentials: fattouche, Umm Ali, and lots of sweet tea. Nick liked the made-to-order crepes and the decadent ice cream as well. I liked the decor of the W's banquet hall, but the tables were not functional -- they were solid blocks so you couldn't stretch your legs out, and they were too wide to really hear the people on the other side (sorry, Lauren, Mary, and Joseph!). Yet the live music was excellent and the whirling dervish was pretty impressive too!

I can see how people gain weight during Ramadan...!

Om Ali (Egyptian "Bread-and-Butter" Pudding)

Claudia writes, "The name means 'Ali's mother,' and it is the most popular sweet in Egypt.... People find all sorts of ways of making it -- with pancakes, with thinly rolled-out puff pastry, with pieces of bread, and with fillo pastry. Fillo gives the most appealing texture, and it is good to bake the pastry initially rather than fry it in butter as is usual in Egypt."

Ingredients:
6 sheets of fillo
6-8 T butter, melted
2/3 c black or golden raisins
1 c mixed whole or slivered blanched almonds, chopped hazelnuts, and chopped pistachios
5 c whole milk
1 1/4 c heavy cream
1/2 - 2/3 c sugar
1-2 t cinnamon (optional)

Leave the sheets of fillo in a pile to keep them from drying out. Brush each one with melted butter and place them on top of each other on a buttered baking sheet.

Put the buttered fillo sheets in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes, until they are crisp and the top ones are very slightly colored.

When cool enough to handle, crush the pastry with your hands into pieces into a baking dish, sprinkling raisins and nuts in between the layers.

Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a pan with the sugar, and pour over the pastry. Sprinkle, if you like, with cinnamon, and return to the oven. Raise the heat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until slightly golden. Serve hot.

Recipe from Claudia Roden (2000), "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food."

tribeca one-minute film festival preview

2009-09-08T22:54:00.000-04:00

In preparation for the Tribeca Film Festival, which is coming to Doha in October, we went to a preview of some of the one-minute films, produced by local first-time directors. The W hosted this event and served the most excellent salmon and avocado sushi rolls, with fresh dill sprinkled on the rice -- yummmmm! But hey, the films weren't half bad either. :) Two of my favorites (click on the links to watch the clips): Sunshine by Amir Ghonem (starring the director of last year's Grease musical, Angela Walton) and Just Another Thursday Night in Doha by Katherine Spry (with a cameo by Nick at 0:11 and 0:18!).

black bean and bell pepper calico salad

2009-09-05T21:17:00.001-04:00

Another one of those days when we have no food in the fridge...!

I found this recipe while googling "black beans pepper salad recipe" and I liked it -- the dressing is quite yummy and it's a great way of eating a bunch of different vegetables together. We paired it with some cheese quesadillas and managed to avoid starvation for another day.

Other "black beans pepper salad recipe" search results that looked good for the future:

Black bean, red bell pepper, and shrimp stew

Black bean stew with sherry creamed corn

Black Bean and Bell Pepper Calico Salad

Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed thoroughly and drained
1 can (15 ounces) corn, rinsed thoroughly and drained
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeed, deribbed and chopped
1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons fresh, flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, bell peppers, garlic and parsley, tossing to combine. Add olive oil and red wine vinegar, plus salt and pepper to taste. Toss again, combining well. Transfer salad to a glass serving dish that allows its gorgeous colors to take center stage. Enjoy at breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Also, serve at happy hour or snack time alongside fresh tortilla chips or toasted pita chips. Serves 6-8.

Recipe from InnCuisine.com, adapted from Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian.

Photo credit:
Black bean salad, InnCuisine.com

baked eggs

2009-08-31T21:49:00.003-04:00

To accompany our always-delicious potato leek soup, I tried a new egg recipe from Deborah Madison's classic vegetarian cookbook. This recipe was so easy and a fun twist on weekend brunch. It would be especially great for a crowd of people! Note that we made 4 eggs in a small pie plate rather than the whole batch of 12. Also, we added the cheese, bread crumbs, and some fresh herbs. Yum!

Update, 9/11/09: We made these again for breakfast, crumbling tortilla chips on top instead of bread crumbs for an extra crunch. We also noticed that it seems to take the full 10 minutes if you want to cook the yolks through. Taking the last couple of minutes under the broiler helps to hasten the yolk-cooking and crisp up the crumbs at the same time.

Baked or Shirred Eggs

Deborah writes, "A reliable, easy method for beginners or those who get the willies when it comes to cooking eggs for more than one or two. And that's what this recipe is for, for it doesn't make sense to take the time or trouble to heat up an oven for just a single serving. Use a shallow ovenproof dish that can be brought to the table, so that the eggs nestle next to each other."

Ingredients:
Butter for the dish
12 eggs
Salt and freshly milled pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8- x 12-inch or equivalent gratin dish. Carefully break the eggs into it, placing them next to each other, then season with salt and pepper. Bake, covered or open, until the yolks are nearly set, anywhere from 6 to 10 minutes. The exact time depends on how quickly the dish conducts the heat, so check them after five minutes. The eggs will continue cooking when removed from the oven.

Additions:
Herbs: Add a sprinkling of chopped parsley, chervil, tarragon, or basil to the eggs as soon as they come out of the oven.
Cheese and bread crumbs: Loosely cover the bottom of the dish with grated cheese, crack the eggs on top, and cover with additional cheese mixed with several tablespoons fresh bread crumbs and chopped herbs, if desired. Season and bake as described.

Recipe from Deborah Madison (2007 [1997]), Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, 10th Anniversary Edition.

Photo credit:
Herbed-baked eggs, Columbus Foodie

potato gnocchi and scrambled eggs, julia child-style

2009-08-28T23:50:00.004-04:00

Well, I think I understand Julie's angst re: Julia Child's recipes now!

After reading My Life in France, I was completely inspired to try out some of Julia Child's recipes. I felt like every recipe must be fool-proof -- as Julia says herself, over and over and over again, she was so meticulous with testing and retesting, writing every instruction, every exact measurement -- surely nothing could go wrong! (The book jacket itself trumpets that the "revolutionary" book "leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection.")

But sadly -- as detailed by Julie in some truly hilarious excerpts of her blog/book -- oftentimes it seems that nothing in the recipe makes any sense. Although it was cutting-edge at the time, it's an old-school cookbook text nowadays -- it doesn't tell you how long things take to reach a certain point, exactly what things should look like...

The potato gnocchi took a looooooooooooooooooooooong time to make. If I had pureed the potatoes better, I think they would have been pretty perfect (Nick didn't like how soft they were, but I appreciated the melt-in-your-mouth quality) -- but considering the effort v. the results, why not just buy pre-made? It was like when Chef Michael Chiarello was competing on Top Chef Masters and he was criticized for using store-bought pasta in what was, ultimately, the winning dish of the episode. Chiarello completely rebutted the criticism and said something along the lines of, "If you buy good pre-made pasta, you're getting it from artisans who are experts at this, and it will be just as good as (if not better than) the pasta you can make at home -- with much less effort!" And that's all I have to say about making my own gnocchi from scratch... at least with this recipe. :)

I also tried Julia's scrambled egg recipe -- again, it took a while, but I have to admit that it was the creamiest and lightest scrambled egg I've ever eaten. I didn't even want to put ketchup on it -- just gobbled it off the plate! (Although I did have to discard some of the extra fluid that did not soak into the egg -- her original recipe called for 4-5 servings, using 8 eggs, so perhaps something was lost in my reduction of ingredients...) That said, my previous method produces lovely results at about 1/4th the time...

Gnocchi de Pommes de Terre (Potato Gnocchi)

Julia writes, "Gnocchi and quenelles are types of dumplings made of pate a choux into which a puree is beaten. They are shaped into ovals or cylinders and are poached for 15 to 20 minutes in salted water or bouillon until they swell almost double in size. After they have drained, they may be covered with a hot sauce, or they may be gratineed with cheese and butter, or with a sauce."

Note: This recipe makes about 12 gnocchi, 3 by 1.5 inches when cooked.

3 to 4 medium-sized baking potatoes (1 pound)
Peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil in salted water until tender. Drain and put through a ricer. You should have 2 cups.

Dry out the potatoes by stirring them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over moderate heat for a minute or two until they film the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat.

1 cup warm pate a choux (see following recipe)
1/3 cup (1.5 oz) grated Swiss, or Swiss and Parmesan, cheese
Beat the pate a choux and the cheese into the potatoes. Correct seasoning.

Take the mixture by dessert-spoonfuls and roll it with the palms of your hands on a lightly floured board to form cylinders about 2.5 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.

Slip the gnocchi into a 12-inch skillet of simmering salted water and poach, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Water should remain almost but not quite at the simmer throughout the cooking. If it boils, the gnocchi may disintegrate. When they have swelled almost double, and roll over easily in the water, they are done. Drain on a rack or a towel.

Serving suggestions: top with grated cheese and butter, brown under a moderately hot broiler; bake with cheese sauce; top with "hot sauce". Note: Nick and I broiled with cheese and butter and then topped with hot tomato sauce.

Pate a Choux (Cream Puff Paste)

Julia writes, "Pate a choux is one of those quick, easy, and useful preparations like bechamel sauce which every cook should know how to make. Probably the only reason for the packaged mix, which in addition to its purchase price requires fresh eggs and hot water, is that most people do not realize cream puff paste is only a very, very thick white sauce or panade of flour, water, seasonings, and butter, into which eggs are beaten. The eggs make the paste swell as it cooks. For half the price of a packaged mix, and in less than ten minutes, you can make your own cream puff paste with the good taste of fresh butter. Baked just as it is in the following recipe or mixed with cheese, pate a choux becomes puffs for hors d'oeuvres [beat 3-4 T of heavy cream into 1/2 c warmed cream puff paste, then add several T of grated cheese or minced ham/clams, spread on crackers/toast/bread and pop in a hot oven for 15 minutes]. Sweetened with sugar [1 teaspoon, added to boil with the water/butter, and salt is reduced to a pinch], it is ready to be cream puffs. When mashed potatoes or cooked semolina is beaten in, it turns into gnocchi. And with ground fish, veal, or chicken, it is quenelle paste, or can become a mousse."

Note: This recipe makes about 2 cups.

3 oz butter (6 T), cut into pieces
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Bring 1 c water to boil in a 1.5-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan with the butter and seasonings and boil slowly until the butter has melted. Meanwhile measure out the flour.

3/4 c all-purpose flour (scooped and leveled)
Remove from heat and immediately pour in all the flour at once. Beat vigorously with a wooden spatula or spoon for several seconds to blend thoroughly. Then beat over moderately high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and the spoon, forms a mass, and begins to film the bottom of the pan.

4 eggs (US graded "large")
Remove saucepan from heat and make a well in the center of the paste with your spoon. Immediately break an egg in the center of the well. Beat it into the paste for several seconds until it has absorbed. Continue with the rest of the eggs, beating them in one by one. The third and fourth eggs will be absorbed more slowly. Beat for a moment more to be sure all is well blended and smooth.

Oeufs Brouilles (Scrambled Eggs)

Julia writes, "Scrambled eggs in French are creamy soft curds that just hold their shape from fork to mouth. Their preparation is entirely a matter of stirring the eggs over gentle heat until they slowly thicken as a mass into a custard. Salt plus half a teaspoon of liquid per egg helps blend yolks and white, but no more liquid or liquid-producing ingredients or the eggs will turn watery."

8 eggs, or 7 eggs and 2 yolks
salt and pepper
4 t water or milk
With a fork or wire whip, beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with the seasonings and liquid for 20 to 30 seconds, just to blend yolks and whites.

2 T softened butter
a heavy-weight saucepan or skillet 7 to 8 inches bottom diameter (no-stick suggested). Depth of eggs should be 2/3 to 1 inch
a rubber spatula or spoon
Smear the bottom and sides of the pan with the butter. Pour in the eggs and set over moderately low heat. Stir slowly and continually, reaching all over the bottom of the pan. Nothing will seem to happen for 2 to 3 minutes as the eggs gradually heat. Suddenly they will begin to thicken into a custard. Stir rapidly, moving pan on and off heat, until the eggs have almost thickened to the consistency you wish. Then remove from heat, as they will continue to thicken slightly.

1.5 to 2 T softened butter or whipping cream
parsley sprigs
Just as soon as they are of the right consistency, stir in the enrichment butter or cream, which will stop the cooking. Season to taste, turn out onto a warm buttered platter, decorate with parsley, and serve.

Recipes from Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck (1961 [2009]), "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

welcome back mia

2009-08-25T23:24:00.000-04:00

What better way to welcome back a good friend than a scrumptious dinner out with the girls?

I had been wanting to try out the West Bay Moevenpick's Asian fusion restaurant for some time, and as our newly returned Mia was being put up in that very restaurant, the stars seemed aligned. Wok Mee welcomed us with good lighting, pleasant service, and absolutely delicious food. We received complimentary amuse bouche and lemongrass-infused drinks, whetting our appetite for our excellent main courses. Highlights included the juicy side of shiitake mushrooms and the Beijing duck, complete with little pancakes and sides of sauce, scallions, carrots, and peppers for wrap-your-own bundles of joy. And best of all, you can apply for a free membership card, on the spot, and receive 15% off your entire party's meal! (Which we happily did.)

Mia's final verdict: "As good as San Fran." 'Nuff said.

dinner party

2009-08-22T23:51:00.001-04:00

The only thing better than cooking a lovely multi-course meal is sharing it with your friends. :) We were happy to have Mark and Jenny over for dinner, which gave us a chance to catch up and of course play a little Rock Band at the same time. The menu: roasted tomato soup with parmesan wafers; green salad with homemade vinaigrette; pan-fried kingfish with white wine sauce and rice pilaf; and Jenny's fruit crumble for dessert.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Parmesan Wafers

Note: This soup tasted really fresh and good. The parmesan wafers have a very small time frame: it takes about a minute and a half for them to cool enough to be taken off the pan, but they must be removed within another minute and a half or else they will solidify to the pan and break apart when you try to remove them. The extra effort involved is worth it for the presentation effect (if you want to impress your guests!).

Gourmet writes: "Using beefsteak or other juicy tomatoes makes for a light, delicately nuanced soup that works in hot weather. Plum tomatoes will result in a more intensely flavored soup that's good for the chilly fall months."

Ingredients:
4 lb tomatoes, halved lengthwise
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 t dried oregano
2 t sugar
2 T unsalted butter
3 c chicken stock
1/2 c heavy cream
parmesan wafers (recipe following)
garnish with oregano sprigs, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with rack in middle.

Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in one layer in a large shallow baking pan and add garlic to pan. Drizzle tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes and garlic one hour, then cool in pan on a rack. Peel garlic.

Cook onion, oregano, and sugar in butter in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about five minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

Purée soup in batches in a blender, then force through a sieve into cleaned pot, discarding solids. (Note: This is incredibly important to do, as it gets rid of all the seeds!) Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer two minutes.

Divide soup among eight bowls and float one wafer in center of each. (Note: I served the wafers separately at the dinner table so that they would be appreciated as the works of art that they are before they are submerged in soup and become unrecognizable.)

Recipe from the August 2009 issue of Gourmet (note that this is reprinted from the September 2003 issue).

Parmesan Wafers

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c (4-5 oz) coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 T all-purpose flour
a nonstick baking pad (Silpat)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick pad.

Stir together cheese and flour in a bowl. Make four mounds (about three tablespoons each) about five inches apart on baking sheet and spread each mound to form a 4- to 5-inch round.

Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool two minutes on baking sheet on a rack, then carefully transfer each wafer (they are very delicate) with a wide metal spatula to rack to cool completely.

Stir cheese in bowl (to redistribute flour) and make 4 more wafers in same manner.

Note: Wafers can be made two days ahead and kept, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe from the August 2009 issue of Gourmet (note that this is reprinted from the September 2003 issue).

Green Salad

Ingredients:
Boston lettuce
green apples
toasted spiced walnuts
shaved parmesan
homemade vinaigrette (recipe following)

Combine the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and toss with the vinaigrette just before serving.

Sauce Vinaigrette

Note: Julia writes, "The basic French dressing of France is a mixture of good wine vinegar, good oil, salt, pepper, fresh green herbs in season, and mustard if you like it. Garlic is employed usually only in southern France. Worcestershire, curry, cheese, and tomato flavorings are not French additions, and sugar is heresy. The usual proportion of vinegar to oil is one to three, but you should establish your own relationship. For salads, make the dressing in the empty bowl or a jar, so that all ingredients are well blended and flavored before the salad is mixed with teh dressing. And be sure the salad greens are perfectly dry so the dressing will adhere to the leaves. Salad dressings are always best when freshly made; if they stand around for several days they tend to acquire a rancid taste."

Ingredients:
2 T wine vinegar (or a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice)
1/8 t salt
1/4 t dry mustard (optional)
6 T olive oil
big pinch pepper
1-2 T minced green herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon, basil) or pinch of dried herbs (optional)

Place all ingredients in a screw-top jar (I used a small Tupperware container) and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to blend thoroughly. Stir in the optional herbs and correct seasoning just before dressing the salad.

Recipe from Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck (1961), Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Pan-Fried Whiting with Dill and Scallions

Note: Whiting is another name for kingfish, a white fish so prevalent here in Doha. Mark Bittman is a fan, writing, "Whiting is tender and sweet.... I love pan-fried whiting, which is a standard preparation, but this fish also takes well to baking." I reduced the white wine sauce a bit too low, so this should be more carefully watched next time. Also, Nick wasn't a huge fan of the cornmeal breading, although I liked the crunch.

Ingredients:
whiting (can be fillets or small whole fish, scaled, gutted, and beheaded)
1/3 c olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
1 c cornmeal for dredging
2 T minced fresh dill
2 T minced scallions, green and white parts
3/4 c dry white wine
lemon wedges

Dry the whiting with paper towels. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and heat until the oil shimmers and becomes fragrant. One at a time, dredge the whiting well in the cornmeal and add to the pan. Cook until lightly browned; season with salt and pepper, then turn, season, and brown the other side; total cooking time will be about 8 to 10 minutes, and the whiting will have no trace of redness in their cavities.

Remove the fish to a warm platter and add the dill and scallions to the pan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat, for about one minute. Add the wine and stir while you let most of it bubble away. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve immediately, with lemon quarters.

Recipe from Mark Bittman (1994), Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking.

Jenny's Crumble

"Put apples, blueberries or whatever fruit you like in the bottom.

Then the crumble topping is
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of sugar (white or brown)
1/2 coconut dessicated
1/2 rolled oats
Teaspoon of cinnamon
150g butter

Mix dry ingredients together then melt butter and mix in with dry ingredients until crumbly. Spread on top of fruit and back in oven for 30-40 minutes or until brown colour on top."

breakfast tacos

2009-08-21T12:33:00.000-04:00

Well, these are definitely going on the list of deliciousness!

I woke up this morning determined to do something new and scrumptious for breakfast. Nick makes me breakfast every weekday morning, and I really should return the favor every once in a while, don't you think? So I whipped up some breakfast tacos (key ingredient: corn tortillas) and they were a BIG. HIT. As Sue Sylvester of Glee says, "It's why I pay taxes—it keeps garbage men earning a living, so they can afford tacos for their family."

Breakfast Tacos

Ingredients:
corn tortillas
monterey jack cheese and fresh cilantro OR mozzarella cheese and fresh basil
taco seasoning
eggs
red onions
tomatoes
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place corn tortillas on baking sheet and top with cheese and taco seasoning. Bake for about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the eggs, leaving one runny yolk for each person. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and sauté thinly sliced onions and thickly sliced tomatoes.

Top the tortillas with the egg, then sautéed vegetables, then some more cheese and fresh herbs. Pick up the tortillas like tacos and enjoy!

my life in france

2009-08-20T23:38:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned earlier, a couple weeks before the end of our summer vacation in the US, I suddenly decided that I wanted to read My Life in France, Julia Child's autobiography. I had already read Julie and Julia, and with the joint-book movie coming out, I wanted to read the other half before watching the film. Luckily, the books arrived at my parents' house in Maine about one hour before we left for the airport. Perfect timing!

I just finished the book and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Julia Child is known for her exuberant personality on her cooking show -- well, that personality was evident in her writing style as well. The book was full of hilarious descriptions, wry commentary, self-deprecating humor, and lots! of! exclamation! points! There were so many bits that I liked... her first encounters with French food and the many steps she took toward "mastering the art"; the passion and detail she put into her cookbook and the struggle to get it published; her various friendships; the descriptions of the houses, kitchens, and restaurants she frequented... and of course, so many lovely details of her relationship with her husband, Paul. The love and respect shone through in all of their interactions. The way he supported her sudden (and all-encompassing) interest in French food; the way she supported his photography and diplomatic work (including the McCarthy investigation!); and how they supported each other in countless ways, every day. And how funny they were -- they posed for ridiculous holiday cards as well! (Including one in a bubble bath... maybe Nick and I will copy that some day...!) And had fun dinner parties with all their friends... and enjoyed every bite of food together.

Reading this book made me realize what an impact Julia had on American cooking. And it also made me realize how, for want of a better word, cool she was. Highly recommended.

Julia's lovely ending should whet your appetite for reading the previous 300 pages: "In Paris in the 1950s, I had the supreme good fortune to study with a remarkably able group of chefs. From them I learned why good French food is an art, and why it makes such sublime eating: nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should. Good results require that one take time and care. If one doesn't use the freshest ingredients or read the whole recipe before starting, and if one rushes through the cooking, the result will be an inferior taste and texture -- a gummy beef Wellington, say. But a careful approach will result in a magnificent burst of flavor, a thoroughly satisfying meal, perhaps even a life-changing experience.

"Such was the case with the sole meuniere I ate at La Couronne on my first day in France, in November 1948. It was an epiphany.

"In all the years since that succulent meal, I have yet to lose the feelings of wonder and excitement that it inspired in me. I can still almost taste it. And thinking back on it now reminds me that the pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite -- toujours bon appetit!"

red snapper korean-style

2009-08-19T23:32:00.003-04:00

An excellent Mark Bittman dish -- quick, easy, and tasty, using some of our favorite ingredients. We served this with a side of teriyaki rice for an excellent dinner in!

Pan-Fried Red Snapper Fillets Korean Style

Ingredients:
2 T sesame seeds
1 t minced garlic
4 scallions, minced
1 t sesame oil
1 T high-quality soy sauce
1/4 t cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper
3/4 lb red snapper fillets, scaled
3 T peanut oil

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking occasionally, until they darken and begin to pop, about 5 minutes (or microwave for 2 or 3 minutes). Mix half of them with the garlic, half the scallions, the sesame oil, soy sauce, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Coat the fillets with this mixture, and allow them to sit while you heat the oil.

Heat the oil in a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Carefully add each of the fillets. Cook until lightly browned and opaque all the way through, about 3 minutes; cook and brown the other side. Serve immediately, garnished with the reserved scallions and sesame seeds.

Recipe from Mark Bittman (1994), Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking.

dining out in doha

2009-08-18T20:54:00.006-04:00

We have been out to dinner almost every other night since getting back to Doha -- but I'm not complaining! :)

Some highlights (and lowlights) of our return to the land of sun and sand:

Layali, Salwa Road
Besides the fact that this restaurant served excellent Lebanese cuisine and the friendly owner gave us a tutorial in the various types of koftas, ordered an off-the-menu item for us to try (little birds fried whole... yes), and sent over complimentary desserts -- the lucky ladies out to dinner this night also were treated to an up-close-and-personal view of none other than Sheikha Mozah and the Emir of Qatar, whose permanently reserved personal table (since they come here 2-3 times a week!) was just feet away from ours. It was hard not to flip out, but we contained ourselves with surreptitious glances and carefully framed photographs, along with a message carried by one of the security detail to "please tell Sheikha Mozah that we LOVE her!" We were happy enough just to bask in the nearness of royalty... but we were totally unprepared for the Sheikha and the Emir to actually stop by our table on their way out and start talking to us. We were all so dumbfounded that we could barely get out any words -- Pooja was grinning ear-to-ear, Kat was bright red, I was doing some strange back-and-forth bob while clutching my heart, and Inna, being the only one not tongue-tied, kept blurting out the answers to their questions: "Dinner was great!" "We're from the US... and Canada! Don't forget Canada!" Then they swept out of the restaurant, we looked at each other in shock, and then the owner came over and said, "You know, you really should have stood up." Augh! It's not our fault, we're Americans, we don't know how to act around royalty!

Neo, Salwa Road
During our eventful Layali night, Kat had mentioned to me that Neo, a restaurant next door, served what she considered to be the best sushi in all of Doha. "The Japanese ambassador eats there," she explained. Then we found out that Imad, the owner of Layali, is also the owner of Neo, along with some other Doha restaurants (and restaurants elsewhere, such as DC!). This gave us the extra push needed to schedule a sushi night on the menu on a lovely double date with Riette and Frans. Neo's decor is pretty swish and modern; I covet the rectangular serving platters and dishes; the amuse bouche and artisanal bread selection were quite nice; and the gigantic sushi platters (we ordered two for the four of us) lived up to the hype -- although next time we'll ask them to hold the cuttlefish. We definitely want to introduce James to this place; maybe this will help him get over his "I only order sushi in Japan" snobbery. :)

Update, 10/3/09: Nick, Aaron, and I brought James to Neo for his 30th (!) birthday aaaaaaaaand... he enjoyed the sushi! Since Neo passed the James test, I think we can safely say that it is the best place to eat sushi in all of Doha. Although granted, that's not saying much.

Soy Asian Restaurant, Souq Waqif
Nick and I volunteered to help host a visit to Souq Waqif for the new ASDers, and so we were introduced to Soy, a favorite of Susan's, which handled the sudden influx of 30+ people surprisingly well (except for attempting to charge lemon mints to our bill at the end because "we forgot to put it on the other bill, and now they've left, so is this okay?"). Soy had some dinner specials (Japanese, Thai, and Chinese themed) which seemed like pretty good deals, but we weren't impressed with half of the courses (the salad was incredibly bland -- where's the ginger soy dressing?; the miso soup was just "eh"; the tempura was good, but that's not really hard to make, now is it?; the ice cream was fine) and the haphazard pace of serving left us picking at our salads while other people were close to finishing their main entrees. I'm willing to give Soy another chance sometime when I'm not in a 30-person group, but with so many amazing restaurants in the Souq (Isfahan Gardens, Al Bandar Fish Market), I wouldn't say I'm dreaming about the next time we return.

Royal Tandoor, Souq Waqif
Even though we are all new to the TA positions at the Georgetown campus here in Qatar, since I've been here for a year already I felt I should share my knowledge of fantastic eateries, which of course included the Garden, an incredibly inexpensive and delicious Indian restaurant close to the Souq. Sadly, when Nick and I led a car train of my fellow TAs to the Garden, we found an abandoned building and a sign that said they had temporarily moved elsewhere for renovations. So we went to Royal Tandoor in the Souq instead, and although it was much more expensive, it was a very nice experience, with good food, good service, and good company. Still, though, it's hard not to mourn the loss of dosas for 4 riyals each.

Moevenpick Swiss buffet night, Corniche Road
I've previously extolled the Moevenpick Asian, seafood, and steak buffet nights, and with Ramadan just a couple days away, the time was right to marshal a group for the last all-you-can-drink festivity for a whole month. This time it was the Tuesday night Swiss fondue buffet, with cheese fondues delivered to your table along with breads and apples for dipping. Again, I tried valiantly to eat as much as I physically could, but who are we kidding? The main reason to go is for the unlimited wine, and I definitely drank enough to last me through the holy month. ;-)

Applebee's, C Ring
Sometimes you just feel like having some good old-fashioned American food... especially when you first try to go to Korean Garden and find it closed a bit preemptively for Ramadan. I was favorably impressed with the mushroom soup, but not so much with the complete lack of vegetarian entrees. There was not a single entree without meat, chicken, or fish in it. Not acceptable in this day and age, Applebee's!

100th monthaversary and goodbye to dc

2009-08-07T20:06:00.007-04:00

Our last few days in DC have been a whirlwind! We ended up having to change our tickets to a day earlier than planned to accommodate Georgetown's TA training schedule (luckily, Qatar Airways did this at no charge, quite impressive), so we weren't able to have a huge weekend party for all our friends to say bon voyage. Instead, we invited the friends who could make it over for an impromptu Rock Band evening... which starred Soraya rocking the drums, Tobes strumming away at guitar, and James crooning into the microphone. Nick and I truly feel that our lives have been changed by the advent of Rock Band.

Next up was celebrating our 100th monthaversary. Nick took the milestone of 100 months very seriously, and planned a whole day of activities, including biking from the National Mall out to Mount Vernon along the Mount Vernon trail (I was skeptical at first, but this was a lot of fun -- even if, after 27 miles on the bike, my butt and knees were not feeling celebratory anymore!), eating at Alexandria favorites Mai Thai and Cafe Salsa, and then cleaning up for a scrumptious and special dinner at our Valentine's Day staple, the Melting Pot.

The Melting Pot, with its incredible service, romantic atmosphere, and ridiculously yummy fondue courses, was a perfect place for us to rest our aching muscles and joints, celebrate our 100th month, and look toward the future. It's amazing looking back on the past year and remembering that just one year ago, we were celebrating on August 6th at the Chart House in Alexandria and contemplating our impending move to the Gulf. Now it's been a full year and we're coming back for more!

There's one thing I'll really miss about our DC culinary experience, however. Even though we feel like we are returning "home" to Doha, it was a truly special treat to be able to stay for a month in our old apartment in Kalorama. And it was especially nice to share meals in our favorite room, the dining area, with its vibrant warm wallpaper and its beautiful views of Rock Creek Park. As a special brother-in-law sang at a special celebration almost two years ago... Candlelight, a glass of wine, and the trees of Rock Creek... Look at me, I'm smiling, I've got happiness I can't keep to myself, it's yours as much as mine... for time...

maine dining

2009-08-05T19:19:00.010-04:00

Ten days in Maine... so many lobsters to eat, so little time! :)

We've been treated to so many great dinners while visiting my parents and Nana. Recaps of some of them:

Five Islands Lobster Co., Georgetown, ME
We stopped by "the prettiest harbor in Maine" while on a visit to Punchy at her house by Reid State Park. The house and oceanfront were just as amazing as I remembered, and it convinced Nick that he wanted to retire on the ocean! And Punchy was just as sharp, talkative, and funny as she was before. We had lunch at the Five Islands Lobster Co. and had lobster rolls, fried clams, fried shrimp, and fried scallops, followed homemade ice cream for dessert. We also fed the mosquitoes, of which there were many on the wharf. :)

Greek Corner, Portland, ME
For Nana's birthday (81 years old!), we went to one of my mom's favorite restaurants in Portland -- a fairly non-descript place with excellent food at reasonable prices. Mom and Dad treated for dinner, and Nick and I picked out the wine from the Greek wine list -- the red table wine we selected was well received by all! Everyone loved their food: Mom and Nana had lamb kabobs, Nick had a swordfish kabob that was the "best swordfish" he's ever had, and Dad proclaimed the same about his moussaka. I enjoyed my orzo pasta and braised lamb -- my mainstay Greek dish -- as usual. :) Plus, the baklava wasn't too sweet and sticky; rather, it had some cinnamon and almost an apple flavor to it...? All this restaurant needs to do is fix the decor a bit inside and spruce up the outside signage (get rid of the neon Bud sign, for starters!) and they'd get the business they so rightly deserve.

Super Great Wall Buffet, South Portland, ME
Before you tease me for mentioning a Chinese buffet, let me stop you right there. First of all, there is no good Chinese food in Doha (how can there be, without pork?). Second, Nick doesn't like Chinese that much, so I almost never get my MSG fix. And third, Chinese food is an integral part of my Jewish culture, and I like celebrating my cultural roots by gorging myself on the. best. Chinese. buffet. EVER when I come back home! Super Great Wall lives up to its name, as it has tons of choices -- even Nick had to admit it was amazing. The sushi chef had a better spread than anything we've seen in the five-star restaurants of Doha (isn't that sad? Marriott, Movenpick, here's looking at you...) -- yellowtail, tuna, salmon, and eel sushi, along with various other rolls, seaweed salad, etc. The egg drop soup and crab rangoons were amazing as usual. I only wish I could eat more.

Pepperclub, Portland, ME
We had dinner at this hot spot with Andy and Jenny, excited about the local ingredients and the vegan/vegetarian options. The Pepperclub was celebrating a milestone anniversary (10 years?) and so they had a four-courses-for-$20 special going on, which was great. It was packed with lots of people on a Friday night, and perhaps due to the crowd, the waitstaff was semi-attentive all night. I liked the innovative and adventurous menu, but we noticed a lot of cost-cutting that detracted from what could have been an impeccable dining experience. The lobster bisque had a fantastic tasting broth -- but not a single chunk of lobster in either of our two cups! The beers came in 3/4-size glasses (and we had to go to the bar to get some lemons). My main course was excellent -- Turkish lamb strudel (basically a phyllo-dough wrap) with a beet chutney and rice -- but they had run out of raita because they didn't have any plain yogurt, which is such a simple thing to stock up on, I'm surprised they just gave up on such an essential component of a Mideast lamb dish. Jenny got the last piece of lobster-shrimp-scallop strudel -- keep in mind it was 8 pm on a Friday night when we ordered. Nick's baked haddock was just "eh" -- it was supposed to be stuffed with crabmeat but there wasn't much evidence of this either. He was quite pleased with his dark chocolate cheese cake, however, while my blueberry cardamon cake was certainly inventive and interesting, even if I didn't think the two flavors really went that well together. Oh, and we waited a good 45 minutes in between our appetizer and our main course -- it was after 10 pm when we finally got out of there, and we had gotten there at 7:30! Nevertheless, it was an inventive restaurant and the $20 tab per person simply cannot be beat for a Friday night dinner.

Lobster Shack at Two Lights State Park, Cape Elizabeth, ME
After a lovely day of hiking around on the Portland Trails, including a trek along the Presumpscot River, we rewarded ourselves with a late lunch of lobster rolls at this popular restaurant by a state park. Even a couple hours past normal lunch time, we still waited for a good hour, in line to order and then at our tables with our number, until we got our food! Luckily it was worth it. :) And the gift shop next door had the little maple-leaf-shaped glass containers of Maine maple syrup that I bought in bulk to bring back to friends and colleagues in Doha. Oh, and they also had beautiful conch shells -- all emblazoned with "product of Philippines" stickers.

Maggie's, Bar Harbor, ME
My parents took Nick and I to Bar Harbor for a few days to explore the town and Acadia National Park, and this vacation just happened to fall on their wedding anniversary! So Nick and I researched carefully and decided to bring them to Maggie's, an apparent "must do" -- we were especially attracted to it because it does organic and local produce with a seasonal menu that changes weekly. However, Deena had mentioned that the service wasn't good -- and that was our experience as well, unfortunately. Bad service really made the experience less special.

First of all, we walked in for our 8:30 reservation and were greeted by the frizzy-haired hostess, who I assume is Maggie, although I wouldn't know because she didn't introduce herself and in fact ignored us for the first two minutes of our arrival. Finally she let us know that our table wasn't ready ("they're taking their time, and I can't really tell them to hurry up, now can I?"). And when we were seated, she didn't give any sort of acknowledgment that we had to wait (like: "Thank you so much for your patience"). Luckily we only waited ten minutes before being seated, but little did we know that the waiting had just begun. We were seated and did not see the waitress for another ten minutes. Someone came over to fill our waters and give us bread, but we had time to sit there, get antsy, go to the bathroom, and eat most of the bread before the waitress showed her face. Her odd sense of timing continued throughout the night -- she checked in on us about three times during our main dish whenever we needed absolutely nothing, but then she just disappeared again at the end of the meal.

As for the food: the homemade bread really benefited from some salt, olive oil, and black pepper; Dad's blueberry soup with orange cream fraiche was delicious, but seemed like more of a dessert than an appetizer to me!; the goat cheese bruschetta had massive amounts of cheese on 3 toasts -- why not slightly less cheese on 4 pieces?; my parents loved their mussels with fresh tomato pasta; my scallops were "eh" but the side concoction of corn, roasted tomatoes, and bacon was excellent and would be a great picnic side or a topping on eggs, as were my buttery mashed potatoes; the green salads were very nice, with fresh lettuce, a great vinegar/garlic dressing, and good selection of veggies such as radishes, zucchini, and squash (although cut very thin and quite sparsely scattered about the salad); but the big disappointment was Nick's lobster crepes -- they were drowned in the "French brandy" sauce, which he says was way too buttery and creamy. The desserts were good -- Mom and Dad shared the plum upside down cake with an amazing cinnamon ice cream, and Nick was appeased with his warm chocolate truffle and vanilla ice cream. But my tea and Mom's coffee were a bit tepid.

"Ten or fifteen percent?" asked Nick at the end of the meal. The fact that the service was so bad -- there was not a lot of ambiance -- and that the organic/local aspect was almost completely absent from the menu descriptions... it wasn't a place I'd return to in a hurry. Oh well!

Chart Room, Bar Harbor, ME
We had our last Maine lobsters here, sitting outside with the "ocean front" views (although since it was low tide, it was more like "mud front"). The service was thoughtful and attentive, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable ending to our "Bah Hahbah" mini-vacay.

Last, but not least: Lake House, Gray, ME
We had some of our best meals in Maine at my parents' lake house. From our lobster dinner the first night we arrived to the many picnic-style lunches we had overlooking the lake, Nick and I reveled in the fresh air, blue skies, shimmering water, and greenery all about. Daily canoe or kayak trips around the lake freshened our appetites for late-night smores by the stone fire pit. After ten days in Maine, we felt we'd soaked up enough fresh air and outdoors time to last us through the late summer heat of Doha.

Till next year!

into the wild

2009-07-26T12:36:00.006-04:00

This past weekend Nick and I went to Sky Meadow for camping with Matt and Sandy -- and, for the first night, James!

Sky Meadow is a beautiful campground with only one small flaw -- you have to hike 0.8 miles to the site from the parking lot. This may not seem like a lot, until you contemplate the multiple trips needed to lug all our stuff (tents, chairs, backpacks, food bags, beverages, coolers, wood...). After hiking back and forth, back and forth (that's about three and a half miles, with heavy loads half the time!), we certainly had an appetite, as well as a keen desire to eat as much of our supplies as possible so as to avoid having to carry them back out! Luckily the food was organized much better this year than last year (when one member of our party had to resort to eating an old 3000-calorie army ration that he found in the trunk of his car), and we all felt pleasantly full at the end of each meal. :)

Nick and I were in charge of the food for the first dinner and breakfast. For dinner, we heated up Mark Bittman's minestrone soup as an appetizer (Nick had scoffed at my idea to bring it, but hot soup was a lovely start to our meal!). Then we did the main course: shrimp fajitas. Nick sauteed the shrimp in butter, oil, and garlic on Matt's trusty propane stove, and we roasted the veggies (red and green peppers, portobello mushroom slices, zucchini sticks, and sliced onions) in tin foil packets over the fire. These fajitas were delicious! We ended dinner with smores (of course). Breakfast was another adventurous feat: pancakes!-- again, easily done on Matt's stove -- along with bananas, donuts, baked beans, and James cooked up some fantastic looking (and tasting) bacon.

When it was Matt and Sandy's turn, they did not disappoint! For lunch we had delicious tuna wraps with pepper jack cheese and a homemade spicy mustard sauce. Dinner was a shrimp jambalaya cooked in tin foil packets over the fire, followed by an innovative banana smores dessert -- the banana was halved (still in the skin, stuffed with marshmallows, sprinkled with chocolate chips, and packaged in tin foil and set atop the fire grate to melt into perfection. Breakfast was scrambled eggs and hash browns in a breakfast wrap. Like I said, I think I gained weight on this camping trip! (Oh yeah, except for the forced 0.8 mile hikes back and forth, back and forth...)

last girls' night...

2009-07-23T23:20:00.003-04:00

Believe me, I feel like a lucky girl, that I got three girls' nights in the space of one month in DC!

This night was Hastie's turn, and we all reminisced about how her nights have gotten so much better since the first time she hosted us... Of course, as Hastie says, "It was a Paula Dean recipe!" And it does get 4 stars out of 121 reviewers. But we all agree that this just means that there are 121 delusional people frequenting the Food Network website, because any recipe that includes five different types of dairy (Swiss, feta, Monterey Jack, half-and-half, and yogurt) along with copious amounts of salsa, pasta, and shrimp is not one that we would run across on the interwebs and say, "Mmmmm, that sounds perfect for girls' night!" (Or any night, for that matter!)

Hastie's menu (much improved from earlier days!) and tips:

Appetizers: Cheese gougères
"just stir up the batter, let it cool, add cheese and chives, then plop onto a pan and bake in the oven"

Main course: Whole stuffed rockfish with a spicy onion (Persian) stuffing
"stomach tied with twine and then cut open halfway through"

Side dish: Asparagus and green beans with pesto-lemon (1 whole lemon) sauce

Dessert: Pavlova meringue with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries on top

julia child's kitchen

2009-07-20T21:38:00.001-04:00

Today Nick and I went to the newly renovated National Museum of American History and got to see several cool things, such as the original Star Spangled Banner, the Emancipation Proclamation (and a lot of other Lincoln memorabilia), all the fun pop culture stuff (like the ruby slippers, Oscar the Grouch, and a base used in the Red Sox World Series victory of 2004), and -- Julia Child's kitchen, donated after her death and recreated behind glass walls for the adoring public to visit.

I don't know much about Julia Child, but just by reading some of the snippets of commentary on the exhibit -- and seeing her loud and funny personality on the TV clips -- it made me want to know more. Plus, all the hype around the upcoming Julie and Julia movie (based on the books Julie and Julia and Julia Child's own My Life in France) also piqued my interest. So... I ordered the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, as well as My Life in France, to bring back with me to Doha. Maybe I'll get into French cooking...?

a day at the wineries

2009-07-19T23:22:00.001-04:00

A beautiful weekend in DC, and a beautiful day to go to some Virginia wineries!

Matt and Sandy brought us first to their new favorite winery: Barrel Oak Winery (whose acronym, BOW, is not an accident: their outdoor seating area is a dog-friendly haven). It ended up being our only stop, which shows how happy we were with it. :) One interesting thing about this winery is that they offer both homegrown wines and imported varietals meant to "fill out" the tasting menu.

We got the full 14-varietal tasting, and then cracked open a few bottles (specifically, the Traminette, the BowHaus Red, and the Cabernet Franc) while enjoying our picnic lunches on the shaded wooden deck. What a change from our one liquor store in Doha! ::sigh::

Notes:
Santa Julia Brut Rose, Argentina Sparkling
BOW: "Methode Traditionelle. 100% Pinot Noir. Cherry and Strawberry notes accented by delicate violet aroma and creamy palate."
N&J: "Mom would love it - refreshing, not too sweet"

BowHaus White, 2008
BOW: "Sunshine in a glass? Slightly sweet blend of Vidal Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc."
N&J: "80% Vidal, 1.5% sugar. Little sweet, easy to drink"

Seyval Blanc, 2008
BOW: "Citrus-y and light, great with fresh salads and South Asian cuisine."
N&J: [underlined "citrus-y and light"] "lemony, almost Hefe. too tart?"

Traminette, 2008
BOW: "Amazingly delicate floral aroma; Roses, jasmine and fresh cut grass. Dry."
N&J: [underlined "floral aroma"] "Mix of Gewurztraminer and Seyval Blanc, tastes 'not ordinary'"

Villa Wolf Gewurztraminer, Pfalz, Germany, 2007
BOW: "Passion fruit, carmel apple, tea rose, and spice. Classic Gewertz from Germany!"
N&J: "buttery aftertaste, tingles on the tongue"

Rose, 2008
BOW: "Classic style dry rose. Made from Bordeaux Varietals."
N&J: "sweet and too dry; Nick loves it"

BowHaus Red, 2007
BOW: "GREAT with pizza! Now blended with Syrah!"
N&J: "60% Syrah, 30% Chambersin (port-style wine), light, spicy, easy"

Merlot, 2007
BOW: "Luscious fruit; black plum and cherry, complemented by warm spice and hints of truffle and caramel."
N&J: "not a lot of tannins, drought brought out natural sugars, kick at end, soft"

Altos Las Hormigas, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, 2008
BOW: "'The Highest Ants Can Go!' Embodies Argentine values of craftmanship. Smokey, spicy, and earthy. Medium bodied."
N&J: [circled "smokey, spicy, and earthy"] "not my favorite malbec"

Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007
BOW: "Broad-shouldered with aromas of black currants, mocha and toasted nuts"
N&J: "Black cherries at the end, spice in the middle"

Cabernet Franc, 2007
BOW: "GOLD at the Virginia Governor's Cup! Smokey, deeply structured tannins, and a lasting finish."
N&J: "light, little spicy finish, little sour; good middle; vanilla tones"

Norton, 2008
BOW: "Fruity notes complemented by campfire-roasted marshmallows. VA's native varietal, aged in VA oak."
N&J: [circled "fruity"] "plum, almost bubble gum; stainless steel, then oak; varietal = Concord, muskadine, skoparad"

Late Harvest Vidal Blanc, 2007
BOW: "Honey, melon and vanilla. Perfect with a mild cheese."
N&J: "13% alcohol, 7% sugar; very sweet -- but I think it's refreshing -- cantaloupe"

Chocolate Lab, 2008
BOW: "Our classic! Natural chocolate flavor and texture comes from infusing Chambourcin wine with real cocoa nibs!"
N&J: "6 weeks cacao beans in barrel; 6% sugar, 16.5% alcohol (40 proof)"

girls' night dinner... in a house bereft of cooking equipment

2009-07-07T23:45:00.000-04:00

I had several ideas for eclectic and delicious menus for my girls' night dinner -- but unfortunately many of my ideas were dashed due to lack of essential cooking equipment (couldn't do a soup without a blender... couldn't bake a cake without a hand mixer...). Still, the food I ended up choosing to do was quite yummy and well-received by my guests, and that's what matters!

For the appetizer, I recreated the smoked salmon dip from last year's Rosh Hashana dinner (by the way, this made an excellent cream cheese spread for bagels when my sister visited this weekend). For crackers, I sliced up extra potato bread hot dog rolls from our July 4th celebration and toasted them in a 350 degree oven for 3 minutes per side on a lightly greased baking sheet.

The salad was Mia's impeccable arugula fennel salad with REAL prosciutto! (We're not in Doha anymore, Toto...) In the future, I think I would take the fat off the prosciutto; and two grapefruits would perhaps be too much, but I think I should add an extra half a grapefruit at least (never seems to be quite enough). Also, instead of soaking the fennel in lemon juice, I think I could do an acidic water bath instead: "add 1/4 cup lemon juice or vinegar to 2 quarts water" (from Deborah Madison, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, 10th Anniversary Edition, p. 20).

For the main, I reprised the chicken-and-onion wontons, along with trying a wonton filled with the beef-and-mint combination from previous kreplach attempts. Personally, I thought the beef was pretty good but not as moist and tasty as the chicken-onion. Maybe I should try a mixture of beef/pork next time, or maybe something like pork/shrimp?

Considering our subleased apartment lacked cake or pie pans, rolling pin, mixer, blender, baking powder and soda, cake flour... I gave up the idea of making my own dessert and went the easy route: pound cake from Whole Foods, sliced strawberries, and whipped cream (I couldn't find fresh cream!). In this situation, easy still equals amazingly yummy. The pound cake had an excellent texture and buttery flavor and we couldn't stop ourselves from having multiple helpings. An easy and tasty way to end a great night with friends. :)

july 4th in our nation's capital

2009-07-04T23:26:00.003-04:00

Nick and I have never been able to figure out why people leave DC to go elsewhere on July 4th weekend -- in our opinion, being in the middle of the patriotic mass of tourists, residents, bureaucracy, and kitsch that is DC on Independence Day is one of the best ways to feel truly American, and blessed to be a part of this country. :)

Of course, sneaking copious amounts of alcohol onto the National Mall is also a big contributor to the patriotic fervor of the day!

Mark Bittman had an amazing article on picnic foods that, unfortunately, I discovered too late to incorporate into our plans for this year... but next year, I am all about trying some of these ideas out. As it stood, this year we went for traditional favorites: Ryann's cornbread, Hastie's no-mayo potato salad, Nick's guacamole, and my Malibu-soaked watermelon. With Nick's trusty solar oven, we cooked up hot dogs and tofurkey dogs on site, and the chilled white wine in Honest Tea (yes, the irony) green tea bottles, along with the 3 liters of Deer Park water, kept us well-hydrated throughout the day.

Notes for future picnickers on Lincoln's end of the mall: We arrived around 2 pm and easily picked out an excellent spot to spread our blankets and umbrellas (for shade). Most of the good spaces were filled by 4 or 5 pm. By 6 pm, there were basically no spots left, and after that things just got crazy: people standing or sitting on every square inch of space. The fireworks started around 9:15 pm and were excellent as usual. I'm always glad every year that Lincoln gets such a great view of the fireworks. :)

Happy birthday, America! Till next year...