Mushroom anticuchos

Mushroom anticuchos

To make these, I simmered rice vinegar and sugar until reduced to a syrup, then added soy sauce, aji paste, chestnut paste, and wine and reduced by half. (You could substitute miso for the chestnut paste and mussel broth or clam juice for the wine.)

I seasoned the cleaned mushrooms with salt and pepper, then poured the hot marinade over and let the mushrooms soak up the marinade for a few hours.

We grilled the mushrooms (about four minutes per side) on bamboo skewers. While the mushrooms were grilling, I heated and further reduced the marinade. We removed the mushrooms from the skewers and placed them atop the wasabi-chive cauliflower mash, then poured the hot marinade over the mushrooms as a sauce.

Sweet corn gelato

It went fast.

Uppama

Uppama

Uppama is a South Indian breakfast dish that can be made with coarse semolina, pearl tapioca, rice flakes, or vermicelli. You can toss in all kinds of vegetables. At home my family makes it with diced carrots, peas, green beans, but I also like it with black-eyed peas, asparagus, soaked and chopped kokum ka phul, chopped kale... Really, choose your own adventure!

It goes well with chutney. My favorite chutney pairing for uppama is red bell pepper chutney or ginger chutney.

1 1/2 cups coarse semolina ("sooji"), rice flakes ("poha"), pearl tapioca ("sabudana") or vermicelli ("sev")
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1 stalk curry leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
3/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely crushed, or tuvar dal
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 Serrano chili, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped and peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup sliced spinach (or other veggie)
3 tablespoons thinly shredded cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Salt

[If using tapioca, put the grain in a bowl and wash in several changes of cold water from the tap until the water loses its murkiness and remains clear and soak in fresh cold water to cover 8 hours. Drain in a sieve and spread on a tray laid with a paper towel. Refrigerate the drained tapioca at least 1 hour.]

Heat the oil in an 8-quart pot over moderately high heat until shimmering and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds being to pop, which will be almost immediately, add the curry leaves and cumin seeds and stir.

Add the peanuts/dal, shallots, serrano, ginger and increase the heat to high. Cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in the butter and when melted, add the grain and salt to taste. Cook until grain is heated through (3-4 minutes). Add the veggies and continue to cook until the grain turns transparent. Unless you're using the pre-soaked tapioca, pour 3/4 to 1 cup boiling water in, bring to boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and let the grain absorb the liquid and steam.

Just before serving, stir the lime and cilantro into the pilaf and season with salt.

Wasabi-chive cauliflower mash

Wasabi-chive cauliflower mash

Put a head of trimmed and roughly chopped cauliflower into the smallest pot it will entirely fit in and cover it with water. Salt generously. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and cook until the cauliflower is so tender it is mash-able.

Drain away the water, add olive oil, 2 bunches chopped chives, salt, and a few tablespoons wasabi to taste, and mash together with the cauliflower using a potato masher.

Beef rendang

Simmering the rendang

This recipe came to us via Floyd Cardoz, formerly the chef at Tabla and a good friend of Wiemer/Milo Vineyards cook-off star Sudhir Kandula.

10 pieces short ribs
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup sliced lemon grass
1 knob ginger, minced
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 Serrano chili
1 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoons coriander
One 2 inch piece of Pasilla de Oaxaca
1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1/8 teaspoons cayenne
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 inches Indian cinnamon
5 cloves
6 cups veal stock
6 cloves garlic
1 inch galangal sliced into coins
4 lime leaves
2 pandan leaves
4 cups coconut milk
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
1 teaspoons tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 sprigs rosemary
1 Thai chili
1/2 cup fried minced shallots 2 sticks lemon grass leaned and lightly crushed
1/2 cup ground cashews

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees at convection setting.
2. Season the short ribs with salt and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat in oven to 325.
3. Combine the sliced lemon grass, minced ginger, sliced shallots and Serrano chili in a food processor and processor till finely chopped.
4. Grind the cumin, coriander and the Pasilla de Oaxaca in a spice grinder to a fine powder and combine with the turmeric and the cayenne.
5. Place seasoned short ribs in oven and sear until golden brown. Approximately 15 minutes.
6. In a large stew pot add the canola oil and the ground shallot mix and cook over moderate heat stirring for 15 minutes until paste get slightly colored and releases some oil.
7. Add the cinnamon, cloves and ground spice and cook for 2-4 minutes. Add short ribs and all the other ingredients (except cashews) and bring up to a boil.
8. Place the pot with a lid in the oven and continue to cook until fork tender.
9. Cool down in liquid.
10. Next day remove form liquid and trim short ribs of any fat and gristle.
11. Reduce the brasage until thick.
12. Add the cashews stir. Place the short ribs in the pan and put into a 325 degree oven and cook. Letting the liquid reduce slowly. Baste the short ribs every 5 minutes.
13. The liquid will reduce and form a glaze on meat. At this time to the fat will start to separate.
14. Pull out the cinnamon, cloves, galangal and lemon grass.
15. Plate and top with cashews.

Roasted peanut salad

Roasted peanut salad is a very easy, satisfying, high protein, vegetarian, tasty snack!

Finely dice a red onion into a large bowl, then squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the red onion. Top with 1/2 a bunch of finely chopped fresh cilantro.
Take 1 lb. raw Spanish peanuts and either pan roast them or roast them under your broiler until they darken and the peanut oils release and give your whole kitchen a peanut smell. Be careful not to burn them.
Toss the hot roasted peanuts with the red onion, lime juice, cilantro, and added salt and red chilli powder to taste.

Recipe: Asian Pear Salad

The friend who put me up to blogging, her husband, their roommate, and her sister and I are cooking together sometimes these days. The other night we threw together a yummy South Indian-inspired meal of lemon rice, sauteed red cabbage with peanuts, chillies, and coconut, and egg curry.

We started with this very simple salad:

• 3 asian pears, julienned;
• the juice of 1 lemon;
• some wonderful heirloom cherry tomatoes;
• a ripe mango, julienned;
• literally just a *splash* of extra virgin olive oil, some black pepper, and a dash of ground coriander seed; and
• some fresh cilantro.

Recipe by Miz SunDrop: Cornbread Dotted with Dried Cherries

We used Indian green chillies (just 2, finely sliced -- nowhere near the 1/2 cup the recipe calls for!) instead of the canned kind. Enjoy!

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup diced canned green chillies (or 2 finely sliced fresh Indian or Thai green chillies)

1 1/2 cups "creamed" corn (canned)
1/2 cup shredded jack or cheddar
1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup dried cherries

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Spread into a greased 9"x9" pan (double recipe makes a 9"x13").

Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

Fish tikkis and imli chutney, dal with hot lime pickle, and salad

During the week, putting together motley things I had completely or half-prepared on a Sunday:
- a salad made with arugula, cucumbers, and bell peppers, with a cranberry vinaigrette I have in the fridge that I made when the cranberry preserves were almost over and it was easier to get the last bits by swirling them with vinegar and making a dressing;
- moong dal made chunky-style with mustard greens, topped with hot lime pickle; and
- fish tikkis topped with imli chutney.

Citrus-Fennel Salmon

I swear, this dish took all of 15 minutes to prepare. We coated the salmon with citrus-fennel salt and freshly ground black pepper, and seared it. I sliced a few endives and a bulb of fennel, reserving the fronds, and sauteed them in olive oil, citrus-fennel salt, and freshly ground black pepper. When the fennel softened, I turned off the heat and tossed in a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice. We served the salmon over the sauteed vegetables and squeezed lemon juice over the whole dish, and topped it with the fennel fronds.

Watermelon-Tomato Salad

For this fresh summer salad, I cut large cubes of organic watermelon and yellow and green heirloom tomatoes and sprinkled fennel fronds and slices of red onion that had been marinated briefly in lemon juice. A scattering of pepper and a truly tiny drizzle of grapeseed oil finished it.

Light Summer Meals: Salmon Niçoise and Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Chipotle-Honey Dressing

Ah, summer. You don't feel like spending a lot of time in a hot kitchen and you barely feel like eating anything remotely warm. The tomatoes are delicious and everything seems more colorful. So we have been having simple dinners, basically salads topped with fish or shrimp:


Salmon "Niçoise" - Salmon poached in a pandan-galangal-lemon broth, over Satur Farms mache and endive salad dressed in a blood orange-mustard vinaigrette, with a few russet potatoes, steamed baby asparagus (which we had saved frozen from spring), heirloom tomatoes from New Jersey, and crumbled hardboiled egg.



Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Chipotle-Honey Dressing (with grilled shrimp glazed with the same chipotle-honey dressing). The salad has diced radish, diced yellow and red bell peppers, diced red onion, diced fresh bicolor corn, and cilantro. I soaked the black-eyed peas in the morning so they would cook more quickly, and boiled them with salt, two bay leaves, and the two dried chipotle peppers that I then made a salad dressing/glaze with (chipotles, a whole head of fresh baby garlic cloves that I lightly roasted, honey, lime juice, salt, a little bit of olive oil and some brown rice vinegar, blended with a hand blender).

Recipe: Quick Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse (vegan!)

We had some friends over for watercress and radish salad (dressed with verjus and extra virgin olive oil and topped with sliced boiled egg), fish tacos, and Mexican corn.  I made this quick (and vegan!) cinnamon-chocolate mousse the day before so we'd have a little chocolatey bite for afterwards!

Quick Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse for 4

1 ¼ cups chilled MimicCreme
1/8 teaspoon (generous) ground cinnamon
4 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate (at least 65% cocoa content), chopped

Combine ¼ cup MimicCreme and cinnamon in small saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer chocolate mixture to large bowl and add remaining MimicCreme. Using electric mixer, beat until chocolate is completely incorporated. Divide mousse among 4 glasses / bowls / ramekins and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until set, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

Recipe: Thai Red Curry Paste

This is just one recipe for Thai red curry paste. There are many
variations.

3 shallots, sliced
1 stalk lemongrass
1-3 bird's eye chillies
3 cloves garlic
1 3" piece galangal, peeled and sliced
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. ground coriander seeds
3 Tbsp. nam pla
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 tsp. shrimp paste
1 tsp. palm sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. red chilli powder

Process all ingredients in a food processor.

Red curry paste may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator
for about 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe: Thai Green Curry Paste

This is just one recipe for Thai green curry paste. There are many
variations.

1 stalk lemongrass
1/2 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. shrimp paste
1 tsp. palm sugar
1-2 green chillies
3 cloves garlic
1 3" piece galangal (or ginger), peeled and sliced
3-4 kaffir lime leaves, stems removed
1 cup fresh cilantro (including leaves and stems)
1 tsp. nama shoyu
2 Tbsp. nam pla

Process all ingredients in a food processor.

Green curry paste may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator
for about 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe: Mussels in a Lemongrass Bath

Last night, my cousin came over for dinner. It has recently been a somewhat difficult time on that side of the family, so I felt that we needed a sumptuously nourishing meal to linger over. I made mussels as a starter; then grilled shrimp over a julienned red cabbage-bell pepper-mango salad with a Thai-style dressing; and, finally, small servings of grilled salmon with a side of broccoli, drizzled with a thick Thai red curry coconut sauce, fresh cilantro, and black sesame seeds.

Mussels in a Lemongrass Bath for 3
2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and bearded, and rinsed thoroughly and drained
1/4 cup chopped spring green onion
1 bird's eye chilli, slit in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon green curry paste
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped
3 cups broth
2 teaspoons peanut oil

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, and then heat peanut oil until medium hot. Add green onion and bird's eye chilli and saute until onion is beginning to get translucent. Pour in broth and add green curry paste and lemongrass. When it's beginning to boil but not quite, add the mussels, bring completely to boil, cover, lower heat to medium, and steam the mussels for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the mussels that haven't opened, and serve the rest.

Recipe: Grilled Shrimp over Julienned Red Cabbage-Bell Pepper-Mango Salad

Grilled Shrimp over Julienned Red Cabbage-Bell Pepper-Mango Salad for 3

(This is a slight variation on a similar earlier post.)

Salad
1/3 of a whole red cabbage, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 orange bell pepper, julienned
1 mango, julienned
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (can also add fresh chopped mint)
1 bunch scallions: chop 3 of them finely; chop the rest on the diagonal into 2-3" pieces

1 pound shrimp, cleaned, de-veined, tails left on; rinsed, patted dry, and marinated for 10 minutes in salt, pepper, a tablespoon of peanut oil, and the juice of 1 lime or 3 key limes

Dressing
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup nam pla (fish sauce)
Splash peanut oil
1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
1 bird's eye (or serrano) chilli, minced
1/2" piece ginger, julienned

In a measuring cup, mix dressing ingredients and set them aside for the flavors to marry. 

Heat grill on high heat and spray with grapeseed oil. When grill is hot, place shrimp and 2-3" long scallion pieces on grill in one layer. When the shrimp is pink, turn the heat off and flip each shrimp.

Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing, and divide the salad among three large bowls. Top each salad with a third of the grilled shrimp and scallions.

Recipe: Moqueca de Peixe (Bahia Seafood Stew)

Moqueca de Peixe (Bahia Seafood Stew) for 6

• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound white fish fillet(s), cut into strips or chunks
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chopped red onion
• 1 chopped green bell pepper
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• 1 bunch chopped green onions
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 (8-oz.) bottles clam juice
• 1 (14 1/2-oz.) can low sodium broth
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red chilli pepper

Combine lime, salt and pepper, garlic, fish and shrimp in a large bowl; toss or turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, and bay leaf; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high; add tomato, and cook 2 minutes.

Add half the cilantro, clam juice, and broth. Bring to boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Blend vegetable-and-stock mixture until smooth (I used a hand blender, but you could also transfer the mixture, 1/3 of it at a time, to a blender for pureeing). Add coconut milk and red chilli pepper to pureed vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes.

Add fish-and-shrimp mixture; cook 3 minutes or until seafood is cooked. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.

We had this over brown rice, but it could also be served simply as a stew.

Recipe: Fish or Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp or fish tacos are perfect for an assemble-your-own dinner. Lay out warmed soft tortillas, prepared shrimp or fish, a few different sauces or salsas, shredded cabbage (green cabbage is classic but I like to use very finely shredded red cabbage), and lime wedges and let people fill their own tacos. Here's an assortment of options.

Avocado Sauce makes 1/2 cup. Mix/mash together 1/4 ripe avocado, peeled; a pinch of salt; a few drops of lime juice; 1-2 tablespoons water; and 2 cilantro sprigs, chopped (optional).

Chilies de Arbol Sauce makes 1/2 cup. Pour 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add 1 garlic clove, smashed with the side of a large knife, and cook 4-5 minutes until golden and aromatic. Place in a small food processor. Wearing gloves, seed 1 cup dried chilies de arbol (about 30 chilies), stemmed (unless you want hotter sauce, in which case, leave the seeds), and place in the processor. Process until well pulverized. Add 1/3 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and puree until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon white vinegar. Let stand at least 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or vinegar as necessary.

Tomatillo salsa Whisk 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice and 1/8 teaspoon grated zest in a small bowl and set aside. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add 1/2 cup diced red onion and cook 2-3 minutes until slightly browned. Add 1 cup diced red bell pepper, 1 cup diced tomatillo, and 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper (with seeds), and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the ginger-vinegar mixture to the pan and cook 1-2 minutes more, until slightly bubbly. Place in a bowl and gently stir in 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro. Season with salt.

Chipotle Cream Heat 1 tsp. oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped roughly, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic and slightly golden. Add 2 chopped scallions and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Place in a small food processor. Add 4-5 chilies in adobo sauce, 2 tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. Mexican crema and 2 tsp. water, and pulse. Add more water as necessary and pulse until sauce is thick and creamy (a few little bumps are fine).

Beer battered and deep fried fish (Baja-style) makes 24 servings, enough for 6 to 8 people
For the batter, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon dried whole Mexican oregano, rubbed to a powder, Kosher salt to taste, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in 1 bottle (12 oz.) cold beer until there are no lumps. Cut 2 pounds firm, meaty fish such as halibut or snapper into finger-shaped pieces and sprinkle them with some lime juice and salt. Pat dry. Dip the pieces into the batter, let the excess drip, and deep fry the battered fish pieces until golden; drain on paper towel-lined rack.

Baked fish makes 2 servings
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place two egg whites in a shallow bowl and lightly beat with a fork. In another shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal or grits seasoned with salt and pepper. Pat dry four 4-oz. servings of white fish, such as tilapia or halibut, and dip each piece of fish first in the egg whites and then dredge in the cornmeal. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning once mid-way through.

Skillet shrimp
Place 24 large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, in a large bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to coat. Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook 5-6 minutes, turning to ensure that they brown evenly on both sides.

Poblano-corn salsa
Char a fresh poblano pepper over an open gas flame, turning occasionally, until thoroughly blistered on all sides. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and gently scrape off the skin. Halve, stem and seed the pepper. Cut into strips, then dice and place in a bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kernels cut from one large ear of corn and cook 3-4 minutes until slightly charred yet crisp. Add to the bowl with the poblano pepper. Peel and dice 1 small avocado, sprinkle with a little lime juice to prevent it from turning brown, and add to bowl. Add fresh cilantro, season with salt, and toss gently.

Recipe: Lychee Royales

Lychee Royales

Mix lychee liqueur and chilled prosecco in a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio, to taste, and pour into a flute with one fresh lychee.

(We made virgin versions of these for the prego ladies, with lychee juice and sparkling water.)