Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: the savory and salty

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Six cloves of garlic, ready to go in

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: the savory and salty, travel

1. Tear the bread into small pieces and add the milk. Allow the mixture to soak for 5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients. Mix lightly with your hands. Form into 2-inch meatballs.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add the meatballs and brown for 3.4 minutes, Turn over and brown on the other side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
4. Pour all but 3 tablespoons of oil out of the pan. Over medium heat, add the shallots. Allow to soften for 3 minutes or so. Add the wine and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to reduce by half. Add the tomatoes and sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
5. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cover. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, start boiling the water for the spaghetti.
6. Uncover the saucepan. Simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
7. Make the spaghetti according to the directions.
8. Add the parsley to the sauce and stir. Serve with the spaghetti and pass the Parmigiano!

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

• Samurai Noodle: This place on the side of Uwajimaya totally blew my mind. I loves some noodle soup, but the pork broth seriously Knocked. Me. Out. It was that good -- creamy, salty, tasty tonkotsu broth (not to be confused with tonkatsu, which is pork cutlet). No wonder the place is jammed at all hours of the day. Thanks to my sis for the awesome tip!

• Trophy Cupcakes: Another recommendation from my sis. I am normally not super impressed with cupcake joints because usually their goods seem too sweet. (See this post for my typical opinion). Even though they were sweet, I really liked the cupcakes at Trophy. The price almost made me fall over, so at first I bought two cupcakes (at $2.99 a pop, they'd better be good!), but we gobbled them down so fast that we had to go back for more. The flavor not to miss? S'mores. This one took the cake, so to speak. And I don't even like real s'mores.

• Stumptown Coffee: This one was a tip from my friend Joseph, the best home barista I know. Here you can get the perfect latte. My brother called them "those feather coffees" because of the leaf pattern on top -- which, as I've mentioned before, is the sign that the coffee and milk were worked perfectly. Sigh, I don't find that too often here in NL, so Seattlelites, don't take your great baristas for granted!

Labels: the savory and salty, the sweet, travel

1. For the sauce: combine the peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Pour the hot water over it, whisking with a fork. It'll take a little time for it to come together, but continue whisking until smooth. Taste for salt. Set aside.
2. Pour the liquid off the tofu and press slightly to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Cut into 3/4-inch thick slabs. Blot with a paper towel to dry the tofu.
3. Heat the oil over high in a large nonstick wok or skillet (you will need to be careful -- the tofu will splatter, so if you have a screen you can set over the skillet, have it ready).
4. Slide the tofu pieces into the oil and let it fry, undisturbed for 3-5 minutes, or until golden. Flip over and brown on the other side. Set on a paper towel.
5. Pour off all but a couple tablespoons of the oil from the skillet. Add the whites of the scallions and garlic and swirl around. Add the tofu back in and toss. Pour in the peanut sauce and toss the tofu to coat in the sauce. The sauce will thicken really fast, so do this quickly.
6. Pour the mixture into a serving dish and serve with white rice.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Trim the ends off the sprouts and split each one in half.
2. Heat a wok over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil and butter, swirl it around and add the sprouts. Let the sprouts sit for 30 seconds or so, then stir them around (the ones that were on the bottom should be a bit brown). Cover, and lower heat to medium low.
3. After 5-7 minutes, uncover and try to pierce a sprout with a fork. If it's still too firm for the fork to go through, cover the sprouts again and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. You may need even more time if the sprouts are large ones. Just keep checking in the same way every few minutes.
4. Once the sprouts are fairly soft, raise the heat to high again and add another tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and salt and pepper and stir around until the sprouts brown a little bit more. Taste for salt. Serve immediately.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 C). Heat a large Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the olive oil and the bacon. Fry until the bacon has browned a bit and some of it's fat has melted.
2. Add the onions, garlic and carrots. Fry until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the ground meat and pate (if using). Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and fry until the meat is mostly brown.
4. Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the fat separates from the milk and the meat is sizzling.
5. Tilt the dutch oven, and using a large spoon, spoon out as much of the fatty liquid as you can without spooning out the meat. (It's okay if it seems like a lot is remaining; this is just to keep the sauce from being really greasy).
6. Return the pot to medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir to mix. Add the red wine and allow it to simmer in the meat until it has mostly reduced.
7. Add the tomatoes (with their juice), breaking it up with your hand as you add it to the sauce. Add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring the whole thing to a low simmer.\
8. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Simmer in the oven for about 3 hours. Take it out to stir it once every hour or so, making sure the meat is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
9. After 3 hours, remove from the oven. Skim fat off the top of the sauce. Stir in the parsley and serve with noodles, passing shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Fresh spaghetti (or fettuccini or linguini, depending on your pasta cutter)
makes about 1 pound

Ingredients
4 large eggs
3-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (400g)
1 tablespoon water

1. Place the ingredients in your stand mixer. Combine the ingredients on the lowest setting.
2. Put the dough hook on and beat at medium-low for two minutes. You may need to take it out and knead it by hand for a few minutes. It shouldn't feel crumbly -- rather it should feel leathery and smooth, but not sticky. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water. If it is sticky, add a bit more flour.
3. Let the dough rest, covered with a dry towel, for 15 minutes.
4. Run through your pasta roller as directed. (Make sure to dust the noodles with flour, otherwise they will stick together.)

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Villa Olmo, Lake Como

Donatella made us a delicious appletart from a family recipe, among other yummy things to eat.



Of course we picked up sweets at this bakery in Citta Alta, Bergamo.



At one of the bakeries in Bergamo, Donatella pointed out a specialty: a giant croissant filled with Nutella. Bon appetito!



Donatella took us to an amazing restaurant the night before we left -- La Colombina, which specializes in la cucina bergamasca, total dishes from Bergamo. Here are casoncelli, the local filled ravioli served with butter, bacon and sage, and risotto with a red wine reduction. Very very rich but really delish. (and also affordable, with the most expensive dish being only 12 euro!)


In season peaches at the neighborhood market near the Mylius home.



The town center of Verona is really compact and walkable. Here is a statue of Berto Barbarani, a famous poet from Verona.


And of course no trip is complete without gelato! Here is the little chica's favorite flavor: yogurt.

Labels: the savory and salty, the sweet, travel

1. Rinse the greens and spin them in a salad spinner. Add the pecans. Set in a bowl and place the bowl in the fridge.
2. Place the garlic in a small bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, then the olive oil. Pour the honey into the same measuring spoon that you used for the olive oil. (This will keep the honey from sticking to the spoon – a brilliant tip I learned from Alton Brown!) Add the salt and pepper. Whisk together the ingredients. (Alternatively, you can place all the ingredients in a small jar, close the lid and shake it like mad. All you really need is to make sure the vinegar and oil come together.)
3. Pour the dressing over the greens and mix. Serve immediately.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Place the dal in a dish and pick out any stones or sediment. Rinse under cold water in a colander. Combine the dal and the water in a medium saucepan. Add the cinnamon and bay leaves.
2. Over medium high heat, bring the mixture to a simmer (make sure not to let it boil over-- this tends to boil over really easily.). Scrape the scum off the surface of the water and discard. Lower the heat and partially cover, low simmer, for 25 minutes. The dal should turn yellowish and look a bit watery/mushy. When it is done, remove and discard the cinnamon and bay leaves, and add the salt.
3. While the dal is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee over medium heat in a small saucepan (that has a cover). Add the mustard seeds, give it a stir to coat it in the oil and cover. Wait until you hear popping (this is why it is important to cover it). When the popping has mostly subsided, uncover and immediately add the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Stir to combine, then add the onion and garlic. Stir until the onions are soft and even a little bit brown on the edges.
4. Add the onion spice mixture to the dal when it is done. Cook over medium heat to combine the flavors for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the cilantro over it and serve immediately with rice.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Refreshing

Labels: the savory and salty, the sweet, travel

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients. Let it sit while you prepare the pork.
2. Cut the pork into small pieces about ¼ inch in width. It'll feel like the pieces are too small, but this is important as huge chunks will not cook fast enough on the grill. Transfer the pork to an airtight plastic container.
3. Reserve about a 1/2 cup of marinade. Pour the rest over the pork. Stir, put the cover on (make sure it is sealed, otherwise everything in your fridge will smell and taste like marinade). Set in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours.
4. In the morning, give the pork a stir to make sure it's all distributed. Set your skewers in a container of water.
5. About a half hour before you plan on grilling (more if you are making a lot), start skewering the pork, leaving an inch or so at the bottom of the skewer.
6. Heat your grill as you normally do (relatively high if you have a gas grill). Grill the pork, brushing with the excess marinade everytime you turn them over.
7. Serve with steamed rice, or, if you want to go classic pinoy fiesta-style, with pancit, lumpia shanghai and rice.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

One of my all-time favorite vegetables is Chinese broccoli (also known as gai lan, sometimes spelled kai lan). It not only is really good for you (it's a classic leafy green, high in vitamin A and C), but it is super easy to cook and goes with just about anything. It is also really mild, absorbing the flavors of whatever you cook it in, so it is a good choice for those who are not crazy about greens. (We have this trick with my 5-year-old to get him to eat green vegetables. My daughter tells him, "It will make you really big and strong and it's good for your brain!" When he ate gai lan the other day, he said, "I can feel my brain growing!")

Classic flavors with gai lan are oyster sauce, soy, garlic and ginger. Oyster sauce is great by itself if you do a quick steam, then just pour a bit of oyster sauce over the greens. The water coming off the greens and oyster sauce will create a watery sauce that is really great on rice. My favorite though is a quick stir-fry with garlic, ginger and soy, which is how I prepare it in the recipe below.

Stir-fried gai lan
serves 4

Ingredients
about 200 grams gai lan
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon shredded ginger
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, mixed with ½ cup water

1. Trim the ends of the stalks of the gai lan. Rinse under cold water.
2. Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and swirl around to coat the pan. Add the gai lan. Fry, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and stir until combined (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add the soy mixture. Cover and reduce heat to medium low for 3-4 minutes.
4. Uncover and stir. You might want to check the stalks to make sure they are tender enough. If they are still tough, add a bit more water and cover and cook for another minute or two. Otherwise, taste for saltiness and add a bit more soy if it's not salty enough.
5. Turn out onto a plate and serve immediately.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty, the sweet

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 8 patties.
2. Grill!

Of course you'll want to go the extra yard and toast and butter the kaiser rolls (my bread of choice for this). Oh and cheese, and preferably some guac and it may just be the perfect burger.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh into a medium bowl.
2. Put the minced onion in a small sieve and run it under cold water. (This keeps the onion from being too sharp.) Shake off the excess water and add it to the avocado.
3. Mash the mixture with a fork, adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar and a couple pinches of salt. Stir and taste, adding more vinegar if necessary.
4. Serve with tortilla chips, or tacos, burritos, whatever!

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: the chocolatey, the savory and salty, the sweet, travel

1. Scrub the brand new wok inside and out with hot water, dish detergent and a scouring pad. Set on a burner over medium heat.
2. Using tongs, dip a wadded-up paper towel into peanut oil. Rub it around the inside of the wok until it 'drinks' up the oil.
3. Switch to a new wadded-up paper towel and rub the oil all around the inside of the wok. Once it seems like it's absorbed all the oil, repeat step 2.
4. Keep doing steps 2 and 3 until the paper towel no longer turns black when rubbing. This should take about 15-20 minutes, and will be about 3 or 4 repetitions of steps 2 and 3.
5. You should have a blackened area in the center of the wok - after lots of use, your wok will eventually look entirely like that.
6. Heat the wok again over medium heat. Add 1 cup peanut oil and a large handful of chinese chives. Fry for about 10 minutes. Discard.

To care for your wok, rinse it each time immediately after frying in it without using dish soap; just a soft sponge. Dry it on the burner rather than using towels or dish racks-- this will prevent rusting.

Stir-fried snow peas
Don't substitute snap peas. Those are delicious too, but they need to be cooked differently. They will become instantly mushy in a high-heat stir fry.

Ingredients
250 grams snow peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
about 1 teaspoon Maggi sauce

1. Rinse the snow peas and drain in a colander (it is good if they have a bit of water clinging to them.)
2. Heat the wok over high heat. When it is totally hot, add 3 tablespoons peanut oil and swirl around the entire wok.
3. Add the snow peas and stir fry for 2 minutes, or just until they turn bright green.
4. Add the garlic and Maggi sauce, fry for another 30 seconds or so, then turn out onto a plate and serve immediately.
   
   

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. With a sharp chef's knife, split the chicken breasts lengthwise so you have two equal pieces. (this will make the chicken flatter so it cooks faster when you deep fry it.) Pound (but not too thin) to equal thickness all over. Pat dry with a paper towel.


2. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in one bowl. Beat the eggs lightly in a second bowl. Place the panko in a large, shallow bowl or pie plate.


3. Bread the chicken in the typical assembly line: flour first, then eggs, then panko. Shake off excess after each step. Place the breaded pieces on a plate.


4. Heat the oil in a heavy 3 or 4-quart saucepan to 325 degrees (I always use a candy thermometer.)


5. Fry the chicken in batches, 1-2 minutes on each side. Place the finished pieces on a cooling rack to stay crispy (I noticed that they get a bit soggier if you put them on paper towels, so a cooling rack does a better job.)


6. Serve with tonkatsu sauce and heaps and heaps of steaming white rice.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty, travel

My friend Deb brought over some really nice plum tomatoes from our excellent (and huge!) market right here in Den Haag. They were so sweet, and I also had some cherry tomatoes from our vegetable subscription, so I had to make something that featured them. Salad? Too boring. I ended up making something just as easy: a tomato mozzarella tart that, besides the tomatoes, uses only three other ingredients that anyone might have on hand: fresh mozzarella, basil and frozen puff pastry. (I'm not counting olive oil or salt and pepper as ingredients though!)

One rule though: you gotta have good tomatoes, so none of those icky pink winter hothouse tomatoes here-- only the real deal will do.

Tomato mozzarella tart
adapted from Cooks Illustrated
makes one 9 x 13 tart

Ingredients
1 pound box of frozen puff pastry, thawed in refrigerator overnight
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and sliced
1 pound ripe tomatoes
a handful of basil leaves, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set parchment paper on a 13 x 9 baking sheet. Lay out the puff pastry, pressing down to seal the seams between the sheets. Cut 1-inch strips of pastry to make a frame around the tart, brushing with egg or water between the layers. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
2. Remove tart shell from oven and cool on a cooling rack. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
3. Slice the tomatoes into rounds and set in a single layer over paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with salt and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
4. Press down on the tomatoes with more paper towel, absorbing some of the moisture (this will prevent the tart from becoming too soggy).
5. Place the cheese in a single layer on the pastry crust. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the whole thing.
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Sprinkle the basil over the tart. Cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes, transfer to cutting board or serving dish and serve warm or at room temperature.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the soaking liquid to the chicken stock. Chop the mushrooms very fine.
2. Place the stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Make sure it's on the burner next to the one you'll be using for the risotto. The stock will stay over the low heat as you cook the risotto.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the shallots, sauteing them until they are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and continue stirring and cooking for a minute or two.
4. Add the mushrooms and wine. Stir until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
5. Add 2 cups stock and the salt, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed, 8-10 minutes.
6. Uncover, add 1/2 cup stock and stir until, again, mostly absorbed. Continue adding the stock in 1/2 cup increments until its finished. The mixture should be quite creamy, but the rice will still have just a hint of chew. Taste for salt.
7. Sprinkle the sage over the rice and pass the cheese for grating.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty, travel

1. For the pastry crust: Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, and using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, with some crumbs the size of peas. (It is important that the mixture is not totally uniform.) Combine the creme fraiche and water. Add the creme fraiche mixture to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork. The dough should still be rather dry, but add up to 2 tablespoons of water until the dough gathers into a ball, but is not sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish or tart pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the dough to settle.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prick the crust all over the bottom with a fork. Bake for 17 minutes. (If within the first few minutes of baking, the pie crust starts to balloon a bit, just push the ballooning areas back down gently with your finger.
4. For the filling: In the meantime, prepare the filling. Fry the bacon until crisp, then crumble into bite size pieces.
5. Combine the eggs, milk, cream, salt pepper and nutmeg.
6. When the crust is done baking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the bottom of the crust, making sure to cover any holes in the crust with the cheese (this will prevent the crust from leaking). Sprinkle the bacon over the crust, then pour the eggs mixture into the crust. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown and the filling is golden and puffy.

Quiche with spinach, mushrooms and cheese
makes one 9-inch quiche

Ingredients

1 recipe pastry crust (above)
3-4 ounces fresh spinach (100 grams)
8 ounces sliced button mushrooms (250 grams)
1 shallot, minced
1 cup shredded cheese, such as a medium Gouda or cheddar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream (180 ml)
3/4 cup whole milk (180 ml)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
pinch of nutmeg

1. Prepare the pastry crust same as above. While the crust is pre-baking, prepare the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the mushrooms until they are lightly browned. Add the shallot and spinach and continue to saute until the spinach is bright green. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Combine the eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Remove the pastry crust from the oven and lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the bottom of the crust, making sure to cover any holes in the crust with the cheese (this will prevent the crust from leaking). Add the spinach mushroom mixture, then pour the egg mixture over it. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown and the filling is golden and puffy.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Combine the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir until well-combined.
2. Add the yogurt and cooking oil. Using the dough hook at medium-low speed, gradually add the water. Knead with the dough hook for 10 minutes until the dough looks nice and elastic. Form into a bowl, transfer into a large, oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with cling wrap and let rise for 1-1/2 hours.
3. Preheat oven with baking sheet in it, at 475 degrees F. Punch down the dough and divide into 4 balls. Roll in a bit of flour and let stand, covered with cling wrap, for 10 minutes.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll or stretch the dough into pieces about 12-14 inches in length and about 6 inches in width. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Bake for 6 minutes until light golden and puffy in areas. Remove to a cloth lined dish.
   

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Combine the spices for the chicken. Rub onto the chicken pieces and let sit for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, combine the garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and pound until a paste forms. Add 3 tablespoons of water to the paste. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, black pepper and turmeric for the sauce and set aside.
   
4. Heat 2 tablespoons sunflower oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the chicken pieces (don't crowd) and brown on both sides-- don't worry if they aren't cooked in the middle; they will finish cooking in the sauce later. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside on a plate.
5. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Fry until the onions are just a bit browned, then add the garlic/ginger mix. Cook until the water is almost evaporated, then add the dried spice mixture. Stir carefully until the spices are fragrant, taking care not to burn them.
6. Add the pureed tomatoes and lower heat to medium low. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit.
   
7. Add the yogurt, maybe a tablespoon at a time, making sure it is incorporated before adding more. (This prevents the yogurt from curdling.)
8. Add the chicken, along with it's accumulated juices. Stir to combine, then add the 1/2 cup water and 2 teaspoons salt. Lower heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. (If you are using chicken thighs, cook for 10 minutes longer.)
   
9. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Add the cream to the sauce, along with the garam masala and stir to combine, reducing the sauce just a bit. Cut the chicken into serving pieces and add back to the sauce, along with the cilantro. Serve right away with rice and naan (see recipe here).

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

• There are seven major islands in the Canaries: La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote
• All canaries (the birds) descend from birds native to the Canaries (the islands). The name of the islands came first, allegedly named by the Romans when they encountered fierce dogs kept by the native population. (And so called the island 'Gran Canaria', and the people canarii, because they kept the dogs; canine being Latin for dog, of course. )
• The islands have been under Spanish rule since 1495.
• The indigenous population is called the Guanches.
• Fuerteventura, which has a dry desert climate (only 18 days of rain a year, on average), still has more goats than people.

Some of the ingredients for mojo picón: red pepper, dried pepper, garlic

So even if my facts are iffy, no matter-- there's your primer! Anyway, back to the treats. Although the food encountered is mostly mainland Spanish (jamón serrano, tapas, bocadillos), we did find a few things unique to the Canaries. The main indigenous Canarian food staple is gofio, a toasted grain flour that is used to make porridge and desserts. You could maybe call it the poi of the Canaries. I had never seen gofio on mainland Spain, and so I bought a bag of it at the grocery, where there was an entire section of the various types of gofio. (Some consist of corn, barley, wheat, or a mixture of the different grains.) I'm going to try to reproduce the one gofio item that I ate that was delish: a dessert called mus de gofio, or gofio mousse. All the recipes I've seen so far differ immensely (some call for egg yolks, like a traditional mousse, and others call for condensed milk as a sweetener, with no egg). Hopefully I'll figure it out and post it, without wasting the whole kilo of gofio in the process!

Other Canarian specialties are queso majorero (Canarian goat cheese), and anything involving goat meat, such as roasted cabrito (roasted kid goat). (Fuerteventura has a lot of goats because of the non-vegetation-friendly climate there-- there are barely any trees on the island!) The food preparation that most captured our attention was mojo. Not mojo like Austin Powers, but mojo-- pronounced 'mo-ho'-- as in a sauce. It is basically the Romesco sauce of the Canaries, and comes in different incarnations: red mojo (the most common), green mojo, goat cheese mojo, etc. It is apparently used on nearly everything, but most commonly found on papas arrugadas, or 'wrinkled potatoes'. These are small potatoes boiled in their skins in sea water then cooked dry until they gain a wrinkly appearance. Mojo is then poured on top and it is served as the most common tapa in the Canaries. I bought a bottle of the mojo picon, the red pepper mojo, but decided to just try to make my own at home. After going through various recipes (in Spanish and English!) here's what I came up with. It is actually really similar to Romesco-- many recipes even call for almonds-- but all seemed to have the North African touch of cumin, which gives it a bit of a different flavor. Many recipes seem to call for the spicy dried red pepper found in the Canaries, but as that isn't very common, I used a typical dried red pepper, like the type found in Asian grocery stores, and used a bell pepper to give it fresh flavor, color and also to control the spiciness. (There was no point in using several dried peppers-- all you would taste is spicy and nothing else.) I came pretty close to the mojos that I had while there, and you can further adjust it to taste by using more or less vinegar as well.

Canarian Mojo Picón
makes about 1 cup of sauce

Ingredients:
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 dried red pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small red bell pepper, diced, seeds and stem removed
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Remove the seeds from the dried red pepper. Soak it in boiling water for at least 2 hours.
2. Mash the dried pepper in a mortar and pestle. Add the cumin seeds, garlic and salt, and pound until a paste is formed.
3. Place the paste in a blender or food processor. Add the bell pepper, vinegar and olive oil, and process until smooth.

The sauce is traditionally served with papas arrugadas. You can substitute steamed or boiled new potatoes. I had larger potatoes on hand last night, so I roasted them instead, with olive oil and salt, and they tasted crazy good with the mojo.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty, travel

Drained chickpeas

After our trip to Tunisia, I made a slightly disasterous attempt at a Tunisian-style couscous (don't worry-- it was still edible, just kind of clumpy). I had found the super fine-grained couscous at the open-air market here, but I think the cooking time was off or something, not to mention that one of the handles of my couscoussier fell off while lugging a heavy load of chickpeas to the sink. Since I had purchased a huge bag of dried chickpeas, the next day I temporarily gave up on couscous and decided to make one of my favorite stews.

This has similar North African flavors, but my personal inspiration was chicken apretada, a Filipino dish I grew up with. One aspect of that dish that I never totally liked was the chicken itself; it always seemed to dry out a bit, and it also made the stew a little greasier than I would have liked. But I love the flavors of red pepper and tomato together, and had found the perfect application when I replaced chicken with chickpeas (hey, they sound the same.) In Filipino dishes, chickpeas are more commonly used in pochero, which has eggplants and pork. But this is my unusual version of apretada-- although sometimes I will add some chicken tenders toward the end to give it that classic chicken-y flavor that I grew up with.

One added bonus of making a big batch of this is that the stew is even better the next day, once the flavors have come together and it has thickened a bit. I like to add a splash of fish sauce when I'm eating it (that's my pinay side coming out!)

Chickpea Stew (or "garbanzo apretada")

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium sized red bell pepper, diced
2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained (or 1-1/4 cup dried chickpeas cooked in advance)
1 lb yellow Finn potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock (or if you cooked your own dried chickpeas, use cooking liquid with some salt added to taste)
3 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and stir until onions are a bit soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced red bell pepper and continue to cook until the bell pepper softens, another 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes, followed by the white wine. Allow the wine to reduce to about half.
3. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and their juice, chicken stock and salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, partially covered until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. You can continue cooking a bit until the liquid is reduced to desired consistency (if you like a thicker stew).
4. Take off the heat and add freshly ground black pepper to taste and the chopped parsley.
5. Serve with steaming white rice and maybe a nice salad or my favorite: sweet pickled sliced cucumbers.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place the whole salmon fillet in a shallow dish. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the salmon. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
3. Arrange the scallions in a row in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Remove the salmon from the marinade and set on top of the scallions. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 120 degrees at the thickest part of the fish. (Thanks to frequent Good Eats viewership, I have a digital probe thermometer, which is really handy for everything like this, not to mention Alton Brown's excellent recipe for standing rib roast.) I had a pretty thick piece of fish the other day, so it actually ended up taking about 18 minutes to reach the 120 degrees.
4. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine the marinade with the stock, salt and sesame oil and bring to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Dunk the spinach in the sauce until it wilts slightly (this should only take a few seconds) and remove the spinach (sans sauce) to your serving dish. Add the dissolved cornstarch to the simmering sauce and allow to thicken slightly.
5. Remove salmon from the oven and transfer it and the scallions to serving dish with the spinach. Pour the sauce over it and serve with lots of white rice.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Brown your pork shoulder (also known as a boston butt) in a bit of olive oil and butter.
2. Put the pork shoulder in a crock pot.
3. Pour a few cups of milk in around the pork shoulder. I use a quart of whole milk because I'm usually cooking for a crowd, but with a smaller chunk of meat you'll want to use less.
4. Add salt and pepper. You could also add sage or garlic or something here -- that's what I did the last time I made this dish -- but it really doesn't need it.
   
5. Cook on low for eight+ hours. I've let it go 12 with no ill effects.
   
6. Remove the pork shoulder.
   
7. De-fat the cooking liquid using whatever method you prefer, pour the remaining cooking liquid and beautiful nutty milk bits into a pan, and reduce by half.
8. While the liquid is reducing, slice the pork if you can, or shred it if it's too tender to slice well.
9. Pour the liquid and the beautiful nutty milk bits over the top.
10. EAT

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

1. Combine the spice paste ingredients in a granite mortar and pestle, or food processor and combine until it's nearly a paste texture.
2. Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan and fry the spice paste, being careful not to burn it. Add the beef and cook, stirring until it is coated in the spice paste. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer.
3. After 20 or 30 minutes, add the potato. Cover and continue to simmer.
4. Meanwhile, fry the eggplant in a teaspoon of oil over high heat, until it has some charred spots. Set aside.
5. The meat should be tender after 2 hours, and the coconut sauce thickened. Add the eggplant and stir to keep the sauce from burning. Let the eggplant heat through and remove from heat.

This is delicioso garnished with scallions and served with white rice (jasmine, of course, for you Filipinos out there!)


Grubbin!

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty