Cardamom Molasses Cookies

Spice haters, look away.

Cardamom is making a grand entrance into the cookie world!

I usually use cardamom in Indian dishes and desserts.  It's definitely something you can't miss.  Its distinct flavor that lingers in your throat and makes you want more is so indescribably pleasurable that there is absolutely no reason it can't be one of the main characters in a cookie.

Cinnamon, step aside (but don't go too far, we love you too).

These are basically like the Maple Snaps or Gingerbread Cookies, except where the maple syrup went, Grandma's Molasses goes, and where the other spice mix went, Cardamom is the predominant one.

Ready?

Ingredients
2 1/3 cups (300g) whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp freshly roasted and ground cardamom
1 tsp Pain d'Epices spice mix (or use allspice)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup (60g) butter softened
3/4 cup (150g) real moist dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup (130g) pure molasses
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
granulated sugar with ginger and cardamom powder for garnish
Directions
1.  To make 1 1/2 tsp freshly roasted cardamom, roast 6-7 pods on dry heat until the aroma develops, then grind in a mortar & pestle or coffee grinder.
2.  Sift together the flours, baking soda, salt, and dry spices.
3.  In another recipient, beat the butter and dark brown sugar.  Whisk together, then add the molasses and vanilla.
4.  Add the egg and ginger and beat until homogenous.
7.  Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring constantly until you have a blob of cookie dough.  You definitely want to refridgerate a bit so it will be easier to handle.
7.  Preheat the oven to 350°F 175°C.  When you're ready, make 1 Tbsp sized balls of cookie dough, roll in the granulated sugar mixture, and press onto your cookie sheet.

8.  Cook for 10 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack.

These are seriously my favorite cookie creation.
It completely reflects my personality.. somewhat American, somewhat Indian, yet full French butter and flour.. two of the basic ingredients French are known to be the best at...

Prasopita Terre & Mer

I'm in a leek phase.

I love the look of them.. like rebel vegetables sporting the unkept hairdo.

I love them in soups, the way they deepen the flavor.. I love them on pizza, with mussels, scallops, chicken.

I love the way they smell raw, and how the aroma is enhanced as they are cooking.

It's not a surprise that Prasopita, a dish made almost entirely of leeks, has found its way several times into my humble home.

This time, though, I only had 1 1/2 leek, and some leftover sautéed mushrooms, so I altered it a bit.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 leeks, sliced into rounds and thoroughly washed

3 Tbsp EVOO

3 Tbsp tarragon

4 cubes frozen spinach, thawed

1/2 cup sautéed mushrooms (optional)

2 filets code, cubed

1/2 cup mix of quinoa and bulgur, soaked for at least 30 minutes

3 eggs, beaten

1cup (100g) grated Gruyere/Swiss or Kasseri cheese

3 Tbsp breadcrumbs

7 oz (200g) cubed feta

Salt/pepper

Directions:

1.  In a wok, heat the oil and fry the leeks for approximately 5 minutes.

2.  Add the tarragon and spinach.  Stir and cook for another 10 minites or until almost tender.

3.  Add the quinoa and bulgur and incorporate.  Add some salt and fresh pepper.

4.  Turn off heat and stir in the grated cheese, most of the feta, fish, and beaten eggs

5.  Preheat oven to 425°F-220°C.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs into a baking dish and transfer the leek mixture into the dish.

6.  Arrange some feta cubes over the surface of the dish.  Cook for 30 minutes, then let cool for at least 10 minute before eating.

Pizza Duo for picky eaters

Those ravenous pack of wolves scarfed down my two magnificent pizzas without giving me a chance to photograph them

pizza 1: Leek & Mushroom with roasted chicken and mozzarella on a cream base

pizza 2 : Roasted chicken, tomatoes, zucchini, and mozzarella on a pesto base, similar to this one

Both with parmesan and egg on top

They were gorgeous, and instead of waiting for them to cool enough to handle (and giving me enough time to turn on the camera) they just ripped them apart and burned themselves while eating...

Grrrr

and then complained it was too hot.

But.. they loved them.

I figured out how to deal with picky eaters.. don't tell them what's in it until they take a bite.

Roasted Carrots, Leek Fondue with Grilled Chicken on Bulgur

I tagged this meal French because with a slightly better visual arrangement, it could have easily been served at a well known "grande table" for a hefty price.

Each ingredient released its happiest elixir naturally, without too much fuss, and in my opinion, that is what real French cuisine is about...simple, yet full of natural earthy flavor.
I wasn't quite sure where I was going while cooking this, but I felt like eating root vegetables was appropriate for the season.  Things just came together naturally and oh so happily.. enough to make me want to do it again, and maybe even for guests.  Those types of feelings usually happen while making exotic type of food.
This meal serves 3 - 4.

First featured are the sexy part of the meal: Roasted Carrots.  I used 2 xL carrots.
Chop some carrots into sticks, toss them with some olive oil, a sprinkle of fleur de sel, and some cracked pepper, then pop in a 200°C (400°F) oven for about 30 minutes.  It's the approximate time needed to do the rest.
What happens during these 30 minutes is the carrots cook in their own internal juice, and then auto caramelize.  They taste slightly sweet but full of unaltered flavor.  This type of discovery makes me go bonkers.  I've roasted carrots before, but never in this shape and always alongside other roasted things, so they ended up cooking in other people's juices and didn't quite explode with flavor like these.

Next are the melted ladies: Leek Fondue.  I used 1 very large leek.
In French, they call it Fondue de Poireaux because the leeks just "melt" as they are cooking.
For this to happen, cut the leeks in half lengthwise and wash them well, then thinly slice them crosswise.  The whole thing.  Yes, the green part is delicious.
In a frying pan, heat some olive oil, then add the sliced leeks.  Stir fry for a bit, then turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring until they reduce by at least half.  Sprinkle some fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper.  When they start to stick to the pan, deglaze with the element of your choice appropriate for your household or beliefs.  I used dark beer.  I drizzled about 5 cL in.  You could use white wine, chicken stock, or just water (but it won't have as much flavor.)
Keep cooking until it all evaporates, then turn off the heat, add about 2 Tbsp of heavy cream, cover, and set aside while you grill the chicken.

Then comes the manly part: Grilled Chicken.  I used 400g (almost 1 lb) breast sliced into cutlets.
Season each cutlet with fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper and brush with some olive oil.  Grill on a skillet a few minutes on each side until nicely colored.  I was impatient and didn't let the chicken color enough, but I was hungry and I reached the point of no return.  I checked the inside of one of the cutlets to make sure it was almost cooked, then I deglazed again with another 10cL dark beer.  Cook until most of the liquid evaporates, then add 1 Tbsp heavy cream and taste your amazing sauce.
I promise it doesn't taste like alcohol.  It just had this deep flavor.

Last but not least, the carbs: Cracked Bulgur.  I used 1/2 cup.
Rinse the bulgur, then add to 1 cup salted boiling water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered until water is absorbed.  Add some chopped parsley for some nice flavor.

That's how it's done.. many items simultaneously, but efficiently, to bring a
"oh what am I going to present for dinner tonight"
to
"mama's gone top chef on us tonight"

except that nobody exclaims any such things in my house.. ever.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

During my stay in Quebec, I came in contact with a wonderful family who showed me the real handcrafted culture of Quebec; maple syrup, maple butter, maple sugar...maple anything... but also excellent vegetables.  The soil near Trois Rivières is sandy, which, when correctly worked, can yield wonderful produce.  I would never have guessed.  Before landing, I had always imagined most of Canada in November as a huge glacier where nothing worth talking about would grow.  I don't know if it's a stereotype or just my imagination, but I was very pleasantly surprised to discover otherwise.

2 lbs of deliciously organic butternut squash and 6 cloves peeled garlic, tossed with olive oil and sage, roasted 50 minutes @ 200°C

blended with a handful ground roasted pumpkin seeds, sage, and 1 cup parmesan as a filling

then delicately folded into 44 hand made ravioli..
cooked for 4 minutes, then tossed with a drizzle of browned butter sage, spinach and garlic

Is there a better definition of love out there?

Maple Snaps

Stand back now.

I'm armed and dangerous with a multitude of pure maple products and I'm NOT afraid to use them.  My holiday sweets this year will all have that lingering subtle and delicious maple aftertaste...
I borrowed this from ButtermeupBrooklyn.
Yield 36 cookies
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups (270g) whole wheat flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
pinch ground cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp corn starch (I used corn flour)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (150g) real moist dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 (120mL) cup pure maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup (70g) butter
grated maple sugar for garnish
Directions
1.  In a saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat until it foams, then stir and remove from heat.  It should have changed color slightly, but not be burnt.  It should have reduced to 1/4 cup.  Let cool while you set up the rest of the ingredients.
2.  Sift together the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices.
3.  In another recipient, beat the egg, then add the dark brown sugar.  Whisk together, then add the maple syrup and vanilla.
4.  At this point, you should want to give up and just eat the mixture with a spoon.  Please don't, I promise it's worth the effort.
5.  Whisk in the 1/4 cup browned butter.
6.  Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring constantly until you have a blob of cookie dough.  You may want to refridgerate a bit so it will be easier to handle.
7.  Preheat the oven to 350°F 175°C.  When you're ready, make 1 Tbsp sized balls of cookie goodness with a spot of maple sugar in the middle of each one.  I was rather generous with my maple sugar.
Mmmmm maple...
8.  Cook for 10-12 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack.

Pure delight...

Thanksgiving

I wish I had something to show for this wonderful holiday,

but I don't...

I've never roasted or stuffed my own turkey

cooked candied yams

green bean casserole

and maple pie

but one day I will...

Anyway, this holiday is not about things you wish for, but being happy with what you have and giving what you can,
so I'm extremely grateful and blessed to have the life I have today.. filled with so much love and spice!

Masoor Dal, North Indian Style

After a 4 hour India therapy, I finally feel like my energized self again...
I'm not sure how to explain the feeling, but these last 2 months, I've been on the road 70% of the time, which is fine because I'm lucky enough to have a job that I love, so that working isn't so much of a constraint, but more a way of expressing myself.  Don't get me wrong.. there are stressful moments, ups and downs, and sometimes unexpected homework, but overall when I'm out of town for business, I'm a crazy tourist as well.
That said, there's nothing like the feeling of coming home sweet home.  My life is far from being routine (probably due to the open mind and lack of offspring...no offense) but there is nothing more comforting than sleeping in your own bed, pooping in your own toilet, wearing your own bathrobe, listening to your own vinyl records on your own sound system, and most of all, cooking in your own kitchen with full access to all the happy places.  Yes they have multiplied to properly adjust to the massive daal collection.
So it's not a big surprise that upon my return, I indulged in all the activities mentioned above, giving special attention to the cooking part, which, I may have previously mentionned, is the best therapy for anything from stress to anger to depression.  For me anyway.  The best part is when I'm feeling like the top of the hill, I equally enjoy it because it makes me feel creative and useful..and oh so very much in love.
I have no idea where I found this recipe, so I can't site it, but I wrote it down a few months ago after coming across masoor dal in Lyon, and integrated it into a thali.  The actual dish doesn't take more than 45 minutes.  The 4 hours is because I did a bunch of different things and not all at the same time.. to make the pleasure last for hours.......
Ingredients
1 cup whole masoor daal, washed then soaked 30-40 minutes, then drained
3-4 cups of water or whey
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 chopped green chili
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp grated garlic
2 chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder or to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
chopped cilantro or fresh fenugreek for garnish (I don't have fenugreek yet)
Directions
1.  Bring 3 cups water and the dal to a boil, then simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes or until bite tender.
2.  In a wok or tadka, heat the oil, then add the onions and cook until translucent, then add salt, approx 5 minutes.
3.  Add the chili, ginger, and garlic and cook until the raw smell goes away, approx 2 minutes.
4,  Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture becomes mushy.
5.  Add the cumin, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, and kasoori methi.  Stir to incorporate and cook for another minute or so.
6.  Add the mixture to the dal.  Bring to a boil again, then simmer until ready to serve.  I simmered mine 15 minutes.
7.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Stir in the yogurt, then serve with some chopped cilantro.
Here's my representation...

From the top clockwise:
Lobia Pakoras
Plain Basmati Rice
Sabut Masala Chicken
Masoor Dal North Indian Style
Roti

I'm drunk with spicy pleasure...
Each time I cook I learn something new.  I had an epiphany about north Indian style cooking.
They almost always use tomatoes and garam masala and some kind of cream (ghee, cream, or yogurt).
They almost never use whole spices, mostly ground.
There is usually red onion involved, unless it's during fasting.
Interesting....

2 Weeks in Quebec

 Traditional meal: Eggs, smoked bacon, sausages cooked in maple syrup, pinto beans, potatoes.. all doused with a dash of home made maple syrup.. followed by buckwheat pancakes with maple butter.  Maple butter is 100% maple syrup simmered down to a buttery consistency.  That was the real highlight of the trip.  Very good.. very filling

 Local fare: La Tourtière.  It is like a Boeuf Bourguignon pot pie.  Actually, that's exactly what it is.

 

 La Poutine:  Popular fast food (and restaurant food) consisting of home fries topped with cheese curds, a gravy sauce, and then exotic toppings.  On the right is duck and on the left, lobster.  Pretty good.  It reminded me of carne asada fries.. mmmmm carne asada fries... except I was sober, and there was no guacamole or salsa. 

Buffalo wings:  I don't think I've ever seen as many restaurants specialized in buffalo wings as I did in Trois Rivières.  Nothing spectacular, but you can't miss them if you go there.

 Getting Asian.  Most non fast food food happens to be Asian.  Here is a Mongolian hot pot in Chinatown in Montreal.  One half of the hot pot is spicy, the other half regular.  The spicy side was seriously spicy.  Wow.  The surroundings are all you can eat Mongolian lamb, hand pulled noodles, tofu, algae, bok choy, quail eggs, and various other things you can keep ordering as you go.  This meal was so good, I decided to go back on a later date.  That never happens while I'm traveling.  Can you sense the happiness going on in my mind?  The photo doesn't show all the fixings.

 Then you fish your goodies out of the broth and plop them onto you plate and can arrange dipping sauces and eat with chopsticks or a spoon.  NO FORKS!!

 What a lovely rule.

The meat was heavenly, and the rest just made me drunk with pleasure for several hours.  Really, I didn't want to have dinner after a lunch like this because I didn't want to ruin the day.

I need to convince that Mongolian girl that works at the Coreen Barbecue in Lyon to open up her own restaurant.  I'd definately go regularly!

Vietnamese.  This dish is chicken sautéed in cari sauce with veggies and bean thread noodles.  Nice and spicy!

And then there was sushi..

The small makis were disgraceful.  Who puts industrial smoked salmon in a Philly roll?  Gross.  The rest was good though.  Especially the mango yellowtail roll.  Maybe it was just my Trois Rivières experience, but they have a loooong way to go before catching up to California or Florida sushi.

Comfort Food

After 2 weeks of almost full time fast food, this meal was a blessing.

Duck breast, just lightly pan fried skin side, then braised at low temperature

Slices of long white turnip, caramelized in the duck fat with basaalmic vinegar

Chanterelle mushrooms, cooked in some of the duck fat, with a dollop of cream.

All of these simple but delicious and easily accessible things make me very happy to be living in France (or at least not living in a certain part of Quebec).

I calculated the cost of this simple but fancy meal, just for kicks.. 6€50 per person.  You can't even get a fast food meal in Quebec for that price!

My real craving is obviously Indian food, but I decided to do that tomorrow when all my senses will be correctly functioning.  I can't really correctly arrange a sentence right now.. plus, I needed overnight soaking time.

I would have happily started to make cookies, pie, or muffins from pure maple products, but my luggage decided not to take the same plane as I did, so I won't have access to any of the good stuff until tomorrow evening.