Sardine Hammam

 There is nothing new going on here, but I thought these little ladies were so pretty marinating in their little mixture, waiting for their turn on the plancha, that I needed to photograph them.  That's 2 and a half layers of orderly sardines drizzled in lemon juice, garlic, piment d'espelette, and olive oil.
Nothing beats bbq season like fresh Mediterranean sardines.  This is the first of many I'm planning for the summer.

Followed by some excellent firm shrimp marinated in orange juice, garlic, fleur de sel, black pepper, and chopped parsley.

Can Life get any better than this?

Floor Yourself Salad with Apricots and Feta

Ok, so.. this was not a planned event.  The planned event was a big honking griddled steak and a simple salad.

A simple salad for me is just some red oak leaf lettuce and batavia leaves in some tangy vinaigrette made of mustard, special olive oil, and cider vinegar.  That's how it started, really, but then I heard some incredible siren-like voices that seemed a bit muffled.  I started searching and placing my right ear onto windows and cupboards, trying to figure out the source of the hypnotizing voices.  I eventually evolved toward the fridge, where the song sweetened.  "No... pobrecitas!" I thought, "The lovely things are trapped inside!"  After opening the pleasure box (or pleasure prison, depending on who's side you're on) I discovered my lovely tree-to-my-hands apricots in a harmonized acapello, dedicated to me.  Moved by their lullaby, I plucked one from the group and inspired its aroma.  It softly whispered to me, "take me now.. I am ready."  This is obviously an offer I can't refuse, I must find a way to integrate this beauty into myself through a dish. In response to the pleads, I sliced the plump sweet organic apricot and sprinkled it over my greens.

Now what?  The Happy Place drawer is calling.  I knew right away that my pine nuts were dying to participate, after hearing all the commotion.  I indulged their wants by sprinkling a few over my apricots and greens.

"This salad is starting to have some personality," I thought to myself, "but something is missing..."

And that's when the feta pranced in, taking this nice interesting salad into an all out Floor-Yourself-In-The-First-Bite salad.

Of course the griddled steak was good, that's a constant truth..

... but this salad..

.. there are no words..

Shitake and Kelp Linguine

After discovering the loveliness of kelp (and ending up with too much of it) I repurposed it into this very interesting pasta.  Interesting because, who adds kelp in pasta?  I do.  But I didn't do the Asian spin on it.  I did it creamy style with some sliced shitake mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and some cream.  That's it, and it is a nice spin from ordinary pasta dishes.  These are flavors that go so well together it just gets me all tied up in a knot.

The kelp adds the sea saltiness, the shitakes add the meatiness, the tomatoes add a bit of fresh, the garlic a bit of bite, and the cream ties it all together.  It's also a perfect way to use up any kelp you may have made too much of.

Serves 4

Ingredients

350g (3/4 lb) linguine, cooked al dente

30g (1oz) dried kelp, soaked in warm water until rehydrated

8-9 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water, then sliced

2 gloves garlic, grated

1 tomato, chopped

lots of fresh cracked pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

some reserved water from cooking pasta

fleur de sel to taste

parmesan for garnish

1 Tbsp EVOO

Directions

1.  Heat the oil in a heavy based pan or wok and add the sliced shitakes with a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring until slightly colored.

2.  Add the kelp and garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring.

3.  Add the chopped tomato and lots of pepper.  Remove from heat.

4.  Toss the hot linguine with the cream and the kelp shitake mixture.  If it seems too dry, add some of the pasta cooking water and coat the noodles well.

Garnish with some grated parmesan and serve piping hot.

This meal was simple but intriguing at the same time.  The shitakes are a newfound infatuation.  I know I've had them before, but I've never worked them as I've been doing this week, and they are soooo MeaTy!  When you bite into them it's like you're biting into a piece of beef, but that tastes like an amazing shitake.
How did they do that? Where's the Food?
It might seem like I'm purposely eating tomatoes and mushrooms.. but it really is not as it seems.  These items just happen to be appearing in my life and I am embracing them enthusiastically..

Sichuan Kelp Salad

I've gotten to a point where I can more or less invent a dish using region specific ingredients, and then casually name that dish as being a dish from that region.. and after making sure I'm not being sacrilegious, it turns out my "invention" is something that would be home cooked in that region.
To be a bit less general, my target region is Sichuan, China.  To make a Sichuanese marinade or dressing, you pretty much use the same basic ingredients.  Doubanjiang, sesame oil, black vinegar, cooking wine, and soy sauce with varying ingredients being Sichuan peppercorns, sugar, garlic, ginger, seeds...
Once you understand the seasoning, you can use Chinese vegetables and mushrooms to make a stir fry, soup, or salad.  Here I used dried kelp I cooked and rehydrated to make a hot/cold salad.  The hot being some grilled marinated chicken and shitakes, the cold being the kelp acting as cold noodle with some fresh, herbal, and crunch.
Certain recipes require studying beforehand, technique, and concentration.  Others only require understanding.  This is one of those understanding recipes.

Lets talk about that kelp.  The bag had 60g dried kelp, which is peanuts.  I thought it would make only one serving.  The thing is, once you cook it, it rehydrates and quadruples in size, making it enough for 4.  Oh no worries, I will find ways to repurpose it.

While cooking it smells like the ocean.  It's a soothing aroma.  In the salad it did not taste fishy at all, but acted as noodles.  I'm aware there is a product called "kelp noodles."  This is not that product.. though I will be seeking those out next time I take a trip to Asian Wonderland.  Kelp is a great fight food.  It's full of vitamins, minerals, iodine, chlorophyll.. and protects from radiation and reduces it in the body.. which makes it an appropriate food for anyone, especially the extreme orient (with their recent radiation troubles).  It's fun to play around with and it keeps like pasta when dried, or can be frozen.  There really isn't a reason not to include kelp in the kitchen.  You never know when you might have an urge.

Serves 2

Ingredients

30g (1oz) dried kelp, soaked

1/2 julienned cucumber

6-8 shitake mushrooms, soaked if dried, then sliced

2 chicken cutlets, cubed (or more mushrooms if veg)

1 Tbsp oil

marinade:

1 tsp doubanjiang (Pixian broadbean chili paste)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp black vinegar
1/2 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed

dressing:

1 tsp doubanjiang

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp mirin

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 clove garlic, grated

toppings:

chopped basil

chopped mint

crushed peanuts

1 tsp sesame seeds

fried onions or shallots (thought of it too late)

Directions

1.  Make the marinade and rub it into the chicken and mushrooms.  Set aside while you chop and prepare the rest.

2.  Cook the kelp in some boiling water for 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water until cooled, then set aside (preferably in the fridge)

3.  Heat the oil in a wok and add the sliced shitakes.  Let them cook a few minutes, then add the chicken.  Stir fry for about 3-5 minutes until all cooked through.

4.  Assemble.  Place a portion of kelp in your serving dish.  Make a spot for each item, the shitakes, the chicken, the herbs, the cucumber.. then spoon some dressing over it all.  Top with the crunch toppings, the peanuts and sesame seeds.  Now that I think about it, some fried onions would have been lovely here as well.  Ah maybe next time.

5.  Observe and take in the beauty of your creation, then tear the sheets off the bed and throw the blanket to one side, the pillows in the middle, and plop yourself onto the pile.

see translation = stir it together with your chopsticks.

This was pure delight.  The most surprising part is how full I was after eating this.  It's basically a salad, but that kelp really satiates.. and those mushrooms are so meaty they stand out all on their own.  This could easily be all vegetarian if you skipped the chicken and doubled the shitakes! 

I would not be shy serving a salad like this to a Chinese friend.  I'm sure that friend grew up eating salads like this.. seasoned like this.. made with love like this... which is why I can proudly call it a Sichuan Kelp Salad.

Kadhai Golden Egg Curry

After Kadhai Chicken and Kadhai Paneer, here is my little twist, the Kadhai Golden Egg, inspired by Burmese Golden Egg Curry.

My hallucination day led me to this curry.  This is drug free hallucination, mind you..I just have a powerful imagination at times, mostly when I'm in the kitchen.  While writing this, a memory just flashed before me..the one of my mother cooking diligently, and I walk in, wanting to help, but surely making things worse since I have no idea what to do or how to do it..and my mother freaking out over something seemingly silly, such as moving the carrots over to make space for the salad bowl.  My reaction at that time was.."you get schizophrenic in the kitchen" and that little description lived on for years to come.  I'm not sure the scene went exactly as I described, since it was so long ago, but it's the result that made it so memorable.  Whenever we would talk about being schizophrenic, we were obviously referring to cooking, and only a couple of people in my world would even understand  anything I have just described.  That flash has made me realize tha I am truly my mother's production in the purest form.  I felt "schizophrenic" today...in  a way only my mother would understand..
Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 steamed or hard boiled eggs, peeled
Pinch turmeric
3 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 whole dried chilis

1 large onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp minced ginger

2 chopped tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp amchur (mango powder)

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

1/2 cup whole milk to taste

julienned ginger for garnish

Directions:

1.  Dry roast coriander and fenugreek seeds with the dried chilies.  Crush with a mortar and pestle.  Set aside.

2.  Heat the oil in a wok and fizz in a pinch of turmeric.  Add the peeled eggs and cook until the skin has blistered all around.  Remove and set aside.  Leave about 1 Tbsp oil in the wok and pour out the rest.
3.  In the remaining oil, fry onions until brown.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

4.  Add the tomatoes and cook until soft.

5.  Add the ground spice mix, then add some salt and the rest of the spices and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring on low heat.

6.  Add the sliced bell pepper and milk.  Cook until boiling, then reduce heat until bell is desired tenderness.
7.  Add the eggs back in about 5 minutes before serving, to heat through.

I served with some cold Caviar Lentils and Khaman Dhokla

Carrot Halwa Burfi

If you were to take a tour through my brain today, you would have to shield your eyes or cover your ears at one point, but generally, you would find yourself in a minimalist kitchen surrounded by women of various ages in saris all performing a different task involving toasting, shaping, or simmering Indian snacks and desserts.  All of us working together, singing, laughing, and merrily chatting in preparation for the big event.  You would find all this natural and normal and would either watch in amusement or wash your hands and join us without for one moment asking youself what that big event is..

Well, when reality politely kicks you out of my brain, you will realize you are alone in your kitchen in an apartment in France, in shorts, probably talking or singing to yourself while busy doing various tasks in preparation for...well, nothing really, but feeling so much joy anyhow.

Sometimes my brain is a fun place to be..I wouldn't rather be anywhere else, actually.

So, since reality is only a question of point of view, my task requires halwa making skills, but as I may have mentioned before, halwa is not very portable.  You kind of have to serve it in a little dish with a spoon.  You can't just randomly distribute it without going around collecting your empty recipients at one point.

My plan is not to randomly distribute my halwa.  I have a very targetted and thought out distribution plan, but still, I wanted it to be easy to eat with the hands and somewhat portable.

I've done the fusion thing before and baked it into a cookie, and it was spectacular.  Here I'm going the more traditional route and making it into Burfi.  I'm really not changing anything from the original carrot halwa except the cooking time, so there is less moisture and I can shape it and cut it easily when it cools.

There is no difference in taste, but oh will there be a difference in appropriate times to eat halwa!

Now, this halwa can be enjoyed anytime throughout the day (or night) instead of waiting for dessert time.  That alone makes the big huge difference.

Yield approximately 16 Burfis

Ingredients

400g (approx 1 lb) grated carrots (5 medium)

3/4 can sweetened condensed milk (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup desiccated coconut

7 cardamom pods, dry roasted and ground

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup raisins

3 Tbsp ghee or oil

Directions

1.  Heat the oil in a wok and add the grated carrots.  Stir well to make sure they all cook evenly.  Cook this way until they slightly change color and become tender, about 5-7 minutes.

2.  Add the condensed milk.  Lower the heat a bit and cook, stirring until lost of the liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes.

3.  Add the coconut, ground cardamom, raisins, and almond slivers.  Turn heat to low, stir, and cook until it thickens, about another 10 minutes.  I'm givinh time indications, but if you place the halwa on one side od the pan and liquid leaks out, it's not done yet.

4.  Place some parchment paper in a rectangular oven tin, the press the halwa into it, being careful not to burn yourself.  Shape it the way you want, then refrigerate until cool.  It should have slightly hardened and be easy to cut.

5.  Cut into diamond shapes (or whichever burfi shape you like) and you are ready to distribute!

This is just classic, accompanied by some Sesame Date and Sweet Coconut Ladoo.
I had to hide it before my lady peers ate it all...

Sweet Coconut and Sesame-Date Ladoo

Ladoo is a Sanskrit word for "small ball."  In India, ladoos are often sweet treats of various compositions often served at weddings, used as offerings during Hindu religious ceremonies, and served as a traditional dessert during the holy month of Ramadan.

The timing seems perfect now to respond to my lingering urge of making ladoos.  It turns out they are very simple to make and require little to no cooking.  The best part is that most of the work is done between the palms of your hands, which means the person wh will be enjoying your work should first taste the love you spilled into the ladoo, then taste the sweet.

Here I decided to make two versions.  One healthy and almost vegan, and another sweet and decadent.

When I say almost vegan, it's because I used 1 tbsp of honey, and honey, as I recently discovered, is considered non-vegan although it is a pure gift from God, which makes it even more appropriate as a sweetener for ladoos.  That little rule (and the fact that I love eggs and cheese) makes it a complete impossibility for me to go vegan.  I mean how could one possibly live without honey??  Isn't our very  purpose in this life to seek out and find all the different types of honey this earth has to offer?

Anyway, if you are vegan, just use a less than stellar substitute and life will continue on in its dull honey-less fashion.

Sesame Date Ladoo

Yield 12

Ingredients

1 cup sesame seeds

3/4 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

1 Tbsp honey (I used rosemary)

1 Tbsp water

Dry coconut for dusting

Directions

1.  Dry roast the sesame seeds until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to a spice grinder and pulse for about 3-4 seconds.  You are not trying to make tahini here, just burst open the sesame seeds.  Reserve into a mixing bowl.

2.  Dry roast the coconut about 1-2 minutes.  Add to the mixing bowl.

3.  Add the dates, honey, and water and start to knead.  Yes you will get it all over your fingers, but it is necessary to feel the lovely textures at your digital extremeties.

4.  Once the dough is well mixed, make small balls about the size of a mini golf ball (if that even exists).  Roll them well between your palms, singing or humming your current emotion.

5.  Dust each ball with some dry coconut and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sweet Coconut Ladoo

Yield 10

Ingredients

1 cup dessicated coconut

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Poppy seeds for dusting

Directions

1.  Knead the coconut and condensed milk together to form a ball of dough.

2.  Make little balls and roll them between your palms, concentrating your loving thoughts into each one.

3.  Dust each ball with some poppy seeds and refrigerate until ready to serve.

So If there were to be an order in which to enjoy the ladoo, I would start with the Sesame Date Ladoo.  These are not too sweet, but full of sesame flavor decorated with specks of date.  These would be more of a fast-breaker.
The Sweet Coconut Ladoo are decadent and very sweet.. dessert like.  These would be appropriate for  a bit of indulging.  They leave a lingering taste and have a very interesting texture.

We may now move onto the other tasks at hand.. for this is just the beginning.. since I opened up a can of condensed milk, I had to figure something out before eating it all by the spoonful...

Caviar Lentil and Mackerel Salad

I've never experienced actual Beluga Sturgeon caviar.  All I have been exposed to are salmon roe or lump eggs...both of which I thoroughly enjoy.  I don't particularly care for tarama, which is strange since that's what is most accessible in these parts.
These black lentils are known as Beluga lentils due to their shiny black color.  They lose a bit of that color during cooking, but are full of flavor and distinguishable from other lentils.  I usually do lentils Indian style, but I was told these are great cold, and I could trust my composed salad making instincts to bring the best out of this veg caviar.
You may not see it, but I laid them on a bed of grated carrots, then surrounded the arrangement with sliced tomatoes, basil, and feta.
Finally I placed some mackerel filets over the top, which made some nice volume in the plate that may not be noticeable, but which I greatly appreciated.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
Caviar Lentils:
6 oz (18cL) dried black lentils, rinsed
plenty of water
drizzle extra special olive oil
pinch of fleur de sel
few cracks black pepper
juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1 diced shallot
Grated Carrots:
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
1 large clove garlic, grated
1 Tbsp extra special olive oil
juice from 1/2 lime
pinch fleur de sel
few cracks black pepper
Toppings:
1 juicy vine tomato, sliced and halved
crumbled feta
few basil leaves
naked grilled or steamed or canned mackerel
Directions
1.  Cook the lentils in plenty of water until bite tender, but not mushy.  I'd say about 20 minutes simmering, but do the taste test to be sure.
2.  Rinse under cold water to cool, then toss (or shake) with the other "Caviar Lentils" ingredients.
3.  Toss or shake the "Grated Carrots" ingredients together.
4.  Arrange everybody nicely in your plate.

Each item has its place, make sure you don't get confused in the placement.
Through the course of your life or meal, all the ingredients will mix together, infusing your mind and body with ultimate delight.  During this time, each ingredient will lose it's individual purpose, but will serve you for the greater good.

That Mackerel has absolutely no idea it would be paired with caviar.. but it is enjoying the moment so much, it is blinded by love...
One day I will experience and enjoy real Beluga Sturgeon Caviar, but that day, I will be the producer..
Why worry about tomorrow when you can enjoy today?

Rolled Turkey Roast with Lemon Quinoa

Alright alright.. I don't always eat salad.  Actually, I only eat salads by craving.  I went through a major salad craze that may not be completely over, but tonight I took a salad break for some roasted food.

Here in France, you can find turkey breast rolled into a roast and bound together with string.  It's actually a strange concept, but works well.  Since it's rolled, they stay moist throughout the roasting instead of becoming dry as if you roasted just a full breast.  It's a concept I like because it stays together well like a log in the oven, and then slices nicely with no bone in the way.

Since I was turning the oven on to roast, I decided to use it to its full extent and roast some eggplant slices, tomato, and zucchini in there as well, you know, to kill 2 birds.

This was a great idea, by the way.  There are few more exciting ways to "déguste" these types of vegetables than roasted or grilled.  The tomatoes become just sublime, the eggplant creamy, and the zucchini just mildly colored and still crunchy.

I also did a no fuss deal.  My rolled turkey roast was frozen when I plopped it into the oven with a drizzle of olive oil, some fleur de sel, and some thyme.  I cooked it at 190°C for about an hour and a half, basting every once in a while.

About halfway through, I slid some olive oiled zucchini sticks, eggplant slices, and tomatoes into the oven.  I sprinkled all fo it with a touch of fleur de sel, some piment d'espelette, some black pepper, and some thyme.

I also cooked up about a cup of quinoa with 1 cup salted water, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1 large grated garlic clove, and 2 Tbsp chopped basil.  I cooked this covered on low until all the liquid was absorbed.

The end result was both hot, creamy, tangy, and meaty.  The lemony quinoa with basil made my heart leap.  

This was exactly the type of comfort I needed to calm my violent uproar of voices in my head.. making me take long deep breaths with my eyes closed and my head slightly tilted back.

Hopefully this remedy will work at least until tomorrow.. 

Watermelon Basil Chili Salad

Welcome to July.  Time is flying by so fast I'm not even sure what my name is anymore or which language I'm supposed to be speaking at what time of the day.
The basil in season these days has one of those lingering aromas that sticks with you all evening.  Just catching a whiff makes my heart thump and my limbs tingle.

Basil is sophisticated and fresh, and when paired with watermelon, it creates something outstanding.

I've made a similar salad before, but here I decided to keep it simple.  No tomatoes, vinegar, or red onion.  I wanted to keep the watermelon chaste.

The watermelon I used is baby watermelon.  The seeds are black but so small they don't bother me while eating.  And oh is it perfectly sweet and crunchy.  I love that about watermelon.. it gushes with a subtly sweet flavor while staying crisp.. but so juicy.. but so firm..

oh dear, I'm hyperventilating..

Serves 1

Ingredients

as much watermelon as you feel like eating, cubed

1 Tbsp chopped basil

1 Tbsp chopped scallions

1 small handful crumbled feta

1 thai chili

juice from 1/4 lemon

light drizzle of EVOO

Have this alongside some grilled sardines, and start singing Great Gig in the Sky like a madwoman.. but in a good way..