Dhal Curry for Gringos with Roasted Cauliflower

Being the cheapskate that I am, I loaded up on dried beans at the health food store the other day.  Pinto, black, fava, and just for kicks I grabbed two kinds that I've never worked with before: mung and adzuki.  I've been making curry with lentils for so long and calling it Dhal that I didn't even realize Dhal could be made with mung beans.

I discovered a recipe over at Lisa's Kitchen for Creamy Mung Dal Curry while Googleing "what do I do with mung beans?" and thank the lard, because her recipe sounds fantastic.  I made a variation and even though this is quite different from Lisa's I used hers as a base.

Once you plan ahead enough to soak the mung beans the night before, this comes together pretty easily.  There is another hour or so of cook time, but there isn't much meddling.  If you don't use butter, like I did, it can be vegan. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of cauliflower, washed and chopped into 2 inch sized pieces
• 1 cup mung beans, soaked in water overnight 
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon powered ginger
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 can tomato paste
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt & pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400.  Toss the cauliflower with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place in the oven and roast until the edges of the florettes brown, about 30 minutes.

The technique is a straight-foward curry.  In a large pot over medium-high heat, bloom the spices in about 2 tablespoons of oil stirring often.  I used 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil but you can use anything you like. Have the tomato paste ready and once things start to smoke, about 4 minutes in, dump the paste in and stir like crazy.  

Cook the paste for a few minutes, stirring continuously and add the can of tomatoes and the coconut milk once the paste starts to stick to the pot.  Add the beans and enough water to cover them, if necessary.  

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until the beans are soft, 40-65 minutes. When the cauliflower is roasted, stir them into the mung beans.

Once the mung beans are soft, serve over Coconut Saffron Basmati Rice, wrap in tortillas for Awesome Dhal Burritos, or serve in lettuce wraps.  Top with a dollop of yogurt and curl up to a bad comedy.

Serves 4

Ham Bone and Pinto Bean Soup

 Ham Bone and Pinto Bean Soup

My husband ended up with an unusual gift this year from the white elephant Christmas exchange at his work........a HAM!

I guess we were the perfect people to receive such a gift as we cooked it right up and saved the ham bone for further use. I was craving a home cooked comforting soup the other night and got this going on the stove.

I used pinto beans because we had a giant bag of them sitting around but it would also be great with cannellini beans or navy beans. This is the perfect soup on a cold winter evening. Enjoy!

Ham Bone and Pinto Bean Soup

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsly chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 ham bone with some ham left on it
• 10 cups water or chicken broth (or combination)
• ½ teaspoon herbs de provence
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups dried pinto beans, sorted and soaked overnight

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat and add onion, celery and carrots. Saute until vegetables soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and chopped tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add ham bone, water/broth, herbs de provence, and bay leaf.

If the ham bone is not covered add some additional water.

Bring liquid up to a boil then lower heat and let simmer for 1 hour. Stir in beans and cook for an additional 2 hours. Remove ham bone and pull off any remaining meat. Chop the meat into desired size and add back into the soup.

Check soup for seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Optional garnishes: Top soup bowls with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil or pass around some of your favorite hot sauce.

Serves 6

The Elena Ruz, an Uncommon yet Delicious Cuban Turkey Sandwich

The Elena Ruz

Turkey, strawberry jam, and cream cheese? I first heard of the Elena Ruz in the sandwich issue of Saveur Magazine (April 2011).  My gut reaction was, "gross," but my cranium was intrigued.  My thoughts went to Habana, the sand between my toes and the crisp smell of coconut-scented suntan lotion in the air.  It must be good.

I never knew about how many amazing Cuban sandwiches there were until I read this thread on Chow.  Many of their sandiches are also rolled up and called bocaditos.  They seem to have much of the same custom as the British with tea, only the Cubans do it with coffee.

The Elena Ruz itself has it roots in some conflicting and varied histories.  One such story is that was invented by Babe Rush's wife while he was playing baseball in Cuba.  She asked a waiter at the Hotel Nacional in Havana to prepare her a sandwich that her grandmother used to make.

Another origin revolves around a once popular restaurant in Habana called El Carmelo, located in the area of Vedado at Twenty-third and G Streets. Some people it was an American patron who frequented the during the years of 1945 and 1948. The rumor was that Elena's last name was Rush, and was thus pronounced Ruz.

I think the most interesting history revolves around a young Cuban socialite named Elena Ruz Valdez-Faulli, a relative of Fidel and Raul Castro (whose mother's maiden name, they claim, is Ruz).  The real Elena Ruz is 101 year young, alive and well and living in, you guessed it, Miami - or according to this article, Costa Rica. 

In any case, the meaty-sweety combination makes this delicious all day long: it could be a hearty breakfast, a light lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner I suppose, or a late night treat.  What it would would be especially adept at would be soaking up Thanksgiving leftovers.

Here is the recipe from Saveur:

• 1 Cuban roll or brioche bun
• 2 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
• 3 oz. sliced turkey breast
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter

Split roll, spread cream cheese on bottom half, and top with turkey. Spread jam on top half of roll and close sandwich. Heat butter in a 10″ skillet over medium heat; cook sandwich, weighing down with a cast-iron skillet and turning once, until golden brown and heated through, 3–4 minutes. Cut in half, and serve hot.

By all accounts the sandwich is done in a panini-style, and some have the crusts cut off.  Sometimes I don't feel like dragging our panini press out (sometimes, like ever) and so here is my more approachable, everyday adaptation:

Take 1 English Muffin, split and toast it.  Spread your Cream Cheese on thick, like a bagel in NY.  Add a large dollop of Strawberry jam.  Fold 2-3 slices of Turkey on top.  Enjoy!

What we've been reading... 9/12/11

Catfish BurgerHot dogs are as dangerous as cigarettes?  Well yea, maybe if you ate 2 packs a day!  

• 8 Essential Bacon Hacks
• Police: Pa. newlyweds shoplifted $1,000 in food from supermarket for wedding reception - The Washington Post
• Jim Cramer's Favorite Food Stocks - Seeking Alpha
• 10 Ways to Dress Up and Improve a Frozen Pizza » Man Made DIY | Crafts for Men « Keywords: pizza, top-ten, recipe, kitchen
• 8 things you probably shouldn't eat at a chain restaurant - latimes.com
• Doctors group says hot dogs as dangerous as cigarettes - USATODAY.com

Buy a Goat for $5

Photo by Bohemianism

If you haven't heard Alton Brown plugging Heifer International lately, you haven't been watching enough TV.  Well good for you.
 

In any case, since 1944 Heifer International has been helping families and invigorate communities through livestock and training.  They have developed programs that alleviate hunger and poverty; and one of those programs is providing a family with a goat.
 

So you can't buy a goat for $5.  A whole goat costs $120, which even in the United States is a good amount of dough, so here's the deal.  
 

I have set up a PayPal donate button (see below) that will go into a goat fund.  For every $120 we collect, we will buy a goat through Heifer.  This will be an ongoing campaign.
 

So bring it on!  Tweet this, Like this, post about it, StumbleUpon, Digg, Delicious, and Reddit.  Let's buy some goats!

Heifer Project International
One World Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72202
tel: (800) 422-0474
fax: (501) 907-2902
EIN: 35-1019477

Rooster Vs. Rooster

Rooster vs. Rooster

I love hot sauces.  Mexican, Asian, Southern, thick, thin, red, green, brown.  I'm not picky.  I love them all.  Los Angeles' own Sriracha Thai-style hot sauce is one of my personal favorites. It has a white rooster and green screwcap on a backdrop of bright red deliciousness that is recognizable from 50 yards away.  For those who have some difficulty pronouncing Sriracha, they just call it Rooster-sauce.

A Louisiana-style hot sauce is also always a staple in our house.  Usually these are watery, vinegary, and often have a backbone of paprika and black pepper notes.  Tobasco took the Louisiana-style to the moon and back.  Even celebrity chefs like Jaques Pepin use it; like advocating the addition of a squirt or two into his French onion soup.

I'm not a big fan of Tobasco. Although I'll sprinkle it, I feel like it lacks much flavor.  Maybe I'm just too used to it.  Maybe your average bottle at the diner has been sitting next to the sugar, salt, and maple syrup for 6 or 7 years.  In any case, for Louisiana I prefer Crystal and Red Rooster.

I decided to put Sriracha and Red Rooster into a Title Bout, pitting them in a no holds barred battle of the heat...

In the first corner with the little green cap, hailing from Los Angeles, at 31 years of age and weighing 17 ounces, fighting in a Muay Thai style, from Huy Fong Foods, SRIRACHA!!!

In the second corner with the bright yellow shirt, from New Iberia Louisiana, 83 years young and weighing 12 ounces, fighting in a Southern Preying Mantis style and from Bruce's Foods, RED ROOSTER!!!

Round 1

Round 1: Trader Joe's Toaster Oven Gorditas

Trader Joe's Toaster Oven Gorditas

Both levels of heat were appropriate and necessary, the Gorditas are pretty bland on their own.  Although neither sauce was anything like a Mexican picante sauce, they both worked well.  The dry corn pupusa-like shells absorbed the sauces almost completely.

The Result:  A Draw!

Both were good and I couldn't eat these things without hot sauce.

Round 2

Round 2: Deep Dish Pizza

Deep Dish Pizza

We opted for a layer of spicy Giardiniera on this and it was a load hotter than either of us expected.  My face and neck sweated profusely as I pounded out this battle but I prevailed in determining a winner.  I can't say I entered the fight without prejudice, I fully expected Red Rooster to win.  I have been putting Louisiana hot sauces on my pizza since before I learned how to use a fork.

The Result: Sriracha!

I liked the strategic placement the squirt bottle top provided and how the thicker Sriracha stayed where it was placed.  It also has a little sweetness which may have given me that extra edge against the heat to continue judging.

Round 3

Round 3: Tin Roof Sundae

Tin Roof Sundae

Oh no he didn't!  Oh yes he did! This half gallon of Tin Roof Sundae kept taunting me every time I went into the freezer, haranguing me, challenging me.  Well, with great power comes great responsibility and I couldn't let anyone down in case they were looking for a hot sauce comparison with ice cream.

The Result: Sriracha!

Again, I came in with prejudice.  I thought the garlic in Sriracha would make it an unbearable mix with the fudge swirls but when I hit a peanut, it reminded me of Pad Thai. The Red Rooster has no distant cousins on tin roofs.

Round 4

Round 4: Taco night!

Taco Night!

This was a tough decision.  I wonder if I did this battle with Taco Night 10 times what the end result would be.  The sharp vinegary-ness of Red Rooster was strong and held its own against the seasoning of the ground beef.  

The Result:  Sriracha!

Again, both sauces worked well but it was the smart-bomb delivery system that comes from the magic green squirt top.  I was able to place the exact amount on each bite right where I wanted it to hit my tongue.  This was a close, hard-fought battle.

Round 5

Round 5: Breakfast Sandwiches

Breakfast Sandwiches

Eggs, cheese, English Muffins - a staple around here.  Having a good hot sauce makes a good thing wonderful and this was another fight I was especially interested in the outcome.  The paprika and black pepper notes in the Red Rooster aided their cause well, the garlic and catsup-y consistency of Sriracha benefited their camp.

The Result: Sriracha!

I think it came down to our American association of eggs with catsup.  Sriracha is like catsup's bigger, more worldly older brother that spent time abroad and came back kissing women on the cheek and saying things like, "Ciao." 

Round 6

Round 6: Thai Food

Thai Food

This battle was in Sriracha's back yard.  We had some Pad Thai and some Eggplant in Green Curry.  The squirt bottle top was playing in the Thai fighter's favor but the piquant acidity of the Red Rooster put up a solid defence.

The Result: Red Rooster!

Well, if you bet on Sriracha winning this one, you lost.  I'm not exactly sure what it was that I liked so much in the Red Rooster; maybe it added some flavors that were not already present in the Thai dishes that gave it a little more depth.  Who knows?  

Round 7

Round 7: Chicken Tacos and Homemade Black Beans

Chicken Tacos and Homemade Black Beans

This was another close one.  The Red Rooster had an early lead, that Sriracha closed in on.  Both faired well.  Although either would suffice in lieu of a real Mexican hot sauce, I would have much rather had some Tapatio, Pico Pica, or Valentina (mmm, Valentina).  

The Result: Sriracha!

In the end, it came down to delivery again.  With a finger-food, like a taco, precise delivery is the key to success.

Round 8

Round 8: Stouffer's Frozen Lasagne

Stouffer's Frozen Lasagne

The Stouffer's product is a good one as is, and especially with some homemade garlic bread and a salad - but it could still use a little pick me up.  I tend to touch this up with a dash of hot sauce so this was another result I was curious about.

The Result: Sriracha!

Again I thought Red Rooster would take the cake, again I was made a fool.  The garlic melded well with the Italian fare.  That little green squirt top is like a flavor laser, it goes right where you want it.

The Final Countdown: Sriracha wins with a 6-1-1 record.  I didn't think it would be the landslide that it was.  I love my Louisiana-style hot sauce and I especially love Red Rooster.  There are always 4-6 hot sauces in the rotation at any given point in our fridge.  It's not as if I am going to put Sriracha on everything and it does surprise me a bit that it won so many close battles.  It is one heck of a condiment however, and there's good reason why Huy Fong Foods is now building a brand new $40 million, 655,000 square foot facility to keep up with demand.

Long live sauces with roosters on them!

What we've been reading 8/14/2011

Tuna Wrap with Spinach

• Scientists learn startling new truth about sugar | R&D Mag

• Twinkie Diet | A Twinkie diet? It comes down to calories - Los Angeles Times

• Scott's Pizza Chronicles: A Brief History of the Pizza Box | Slice Pizza Blog

• The Opena, the iPhone Bottle Opener Case

• Counting Calories? Your Weight-Loss Plan May Be Outdated - NYTimes.com

• Wet- Process versus Dry-Process, Light Roast versus Dark Roast. | a sweetmarias wee-blog

• Try This: Infuse Your Cold-Brewed Iced Tea | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

What we've been eating... July 2011

"From Leo Carillo to the Pismo shore..." This video was brought to you by the letter B.  Sorry, I been watching too much Sesame Street.  Some solid south swell hit Malibu pretty good in July and for a stretch there I ate beets everyday for more than a week.

The music is by Braw, thanks to Andrew for letting me use it.

Tomato and Corn Chowder with Thyme

Tomato and Corn Chowder with Thyme

With an abundance of tomatoes right now thanks to my father in-law and Avalon Hill (thanks!), we thought Joanne Weir's "Tomato and Corn Chowder" would be a quick, easy, healthy way to use them all before they went to waste.  This recipe came sirendipitly into our email inbox last week; she's a gem, and you can sign up for her newsletter here.

Like everything, I can't just leave well enough alone so I made some modifications.  Instead of the chives, I added some thyme because I just felt like it needed a little stronger herbal touch.  I used more tomatoes and didn't drain or seed them.  I added more butter, less water, and I also cooked it for a little longer.

The result is a hearty, yet summer-y and vegeterian chowder that makes a great meal, especially served with some toasted crusty bread.  If you were to use olive oil instead of butter, you could make it vegan.

Here is our variation:

2 large Russett potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoon butter
1 yellow onion, minced
3 cups chicken stock
6 ears of fresh corn, shucked, kernels removed 
1/2 cup heavy cream
7 ripe medium-size red tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
3-4 sprigs of thyme

Bring a large pot three-quarters full of salted water to a boil.  Add the potatoes and cook until tender, 10 minutes.  Prep everything else while the potatoes cook.  Drain and reserve.  

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, 7 minutes.  Add the corn but reserve 1 cup of it for later.  Add the chicken stock, the thyme, and 2 cups water.  Simmer until the corn is very tender and the liquid is reduced by one quarter, 15 minutes. 

Remove the thyme stems from the soup, by now most of the leaves will have fallen off.  Puree the mixture with an immersion/stick blender until very smooth.  Add the cream, the reserved corn and the potatoes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Heat over medium high heat just until hot, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook 6-8 more minutes.  Serve hot with toast and possibly a dry white wine.

Serves 6

What we've been eating... June 2011

I took 5 months off my project of photographing everything I ate (I know you missed me) - but I'm back, and since I'm doing the videos on a monthly basis and not a weekly one, the videos are going to have somewhat more interesting content.

I'm skipping the mundane - the bag of chips, the pint of Metamucil, the morning cup of coffee.  I'm also having a little more fun with photography, trying different filters (I dumped the Blackberry and got an Android phone), and different angles. 

You may notice duelling bottles of hot sauce, I'm working on an article called "Rooster Vs. Rooster," which pits the Thai-style Sriracha against a Louisiana hot sauce called Red Rooster.  Stay tuned.

What we've been reading... 7/3/2011

Old School Winchell's

• LA’s Newest Brewery « Beers In Paradise
• Farm Fresh To You - CSA in So. California
• Acrylamide in Food and Cancer Risk - National Cancer Institute
• Grow your own mushrooms with these DIY kits! — Eating Rules
• Nibbles & Feasts: I Love L.A.? Tacos Verdes de Rajas
• Not Your Father's Pizza: Spanish Pizza
• McSweeney's And Celebrity Chef David Chang Cook Up A New Food Mag | Co.Design

Mommy, Where do Chicken Strips Come From?

Cat food or human food? by Maggie T

I'm going to spare you video of chicken farms with 1.5 million birds under a 1/4 acre roof; the thrashing around, the sound, and any references to what only a few poor souls truly know what about what it might smell like inside.

 

Instead, let's take a closer look at the shear genius that goes into mass-production meat - because on many levels it is a miracle of science that there are 6+ Billion people on this Earth, and the vast majority of them are NOT starving.

 

Don't lecture me about how meat is murder, and how a vegetarian lifestyle is the only way to really give back to society.  I'm fully aware that the amount of meat Westerners consume isn't sustainable, and that the meat-industrial complex is slowly killing us all.

 

Nevertheless, there is something hypnotic and awesome about a machine in motion.  The exacting movements, carefully set and regulated by the Engineers.  The cold metal in rhythm.  There is something primal about admiring a machine that can tear the flesh off an animal.  

Especially one that can tear the flesh off 1,500 animals an hour...

 

Enter MAYEKAWA...

 

Atsushi Suzuki tells us how:

"The most important thing in removing chicken meat from bones is the process of making shallow cuts.  In that process it makes shallow cuts at the tip of the shoulder and around the collarbone.

It recognizes images taken by the camera and changes the depth and location of the cuts for each chicken.  Then it finally pulls the meat off the bone.  After that some white breast meat still remains on the bone, so it makes a shallow cut there and removes the white breast meat.

In the end, it has removed the breast meat, wing base, wing tip, and white breast meat that was hidden behind the breast from the bone, and all that is left is the bones.  After making the shallow cuts, the process of removing the bone from the meat on a track is quite similar to the manual process.

After all the manual process is an excellent one, and we make it a point to make ours as close to it as we can.  Our company's machine for de-boning thighs and the lower torso in the same way is selling very well right now overseas

Overseas the food culture is to eat more breast meat than thigh meat, and we therefore intend to introduce this to our customers overseas."

What we've been reading 6/26/2011

Trader Joe's sushi platter (for one)

• Olive Oil Granola with Dried Persimmon and Pistachios | Healthy Green Kitchen
• Microwave Chocolate Peanut Butter & Oat Snack Bars
• Seafood Seasons Availability Chart, U.S
• Tipping Etiquette Around the World [infographic]
• How to Store Food Properly in the Freezer and Fridge
• How to eat when you're really broke - MSN Money
• The 5 Most Disgusting Chain Restaurant Drinks from Zagat
• 18 Tasty Basmati Rice Recipes To Try : TipNut.com

Chia Fresca Muffins: Lime, Poppy Seed, and Chia

Chia Fresca Muffins: Lime Poppy Seed and Chia

This is modern take on the old classic, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins; these have a bit more of a bite because we used limes instead, and chia brings a host of good omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.  Let's be honest, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins need a renaissance.  

Besides, what are poppy seeds for besides getting stuck in your teeth?

Chia Fresca is a popular drink in South America; it is simply water, chia, lime or lemon juice, and honey or sometimes agave syrup.  This is all covered in our earlier article, Chia is the New Flaxseed.  I thought that since poppy and chia seeds are nearly indistinguishable from each other, let's incorporate them into the same recipe.

When you mix chia seeds with water, after about 20 minutes they form a gel.  If you've made a chia Pet, this is what you spread on the 'pet' part.  Chia is popular to bake with because many people find they can substitute up to half the fat or oil in a recipe with chia gel.

In this recipe, I kept all the butter.  They're muffins after all.

This recipe is an adaptation of the Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, brought to us by way of both Sea Salt with Food and Brown Eyed Baker.

Chia Fresca Muffins

Wet ingredients:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup of sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 stick of melted butter
• 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon of chia
• 3 tablespoons of water

Dry ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Glaze:

• Juice of one lime
• Enough powdered sugar to form a honey-like consistency, about 1/2-3/4 cup

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix the tablespoon of chia with the 3 tablespoons of water, stir well and allow to sit for 20 minutes.  This will form a thick gel.

Butter or spray your muffin pan.  Once the chia has formed its gel, combine all the wet ingredients in one bowl.  Combine all the dry in another.

Fold the dry into the wet using as little work as needed.  Do not overwork the dough.

Fill your muffin pan and bake for 20-30 minutes.  They are done when a toothpick or chopstick inserted comes out clean.

Glaze the muffins while they are still hot out of the oven.

Makes 12 muffins.

Happy Father's Day! What we've been reading... 6/19/2011

Nothing makes the park more fun than Pinot Grigio in a sippy cup

• Electric Beer Truck Delivers Great Taste, Less Filling | Autopia | Wired.com
• Meatloaf, mashed potatoes fight loneliness - UPI.com
• The Food Lab: More Tips For Perfect Steaks | Serious Eats
• Vitamin D lack linked to early Parkinson's - UPI.com
• DIY Bahn Mi… | making SundaySauce…
• Applebee's Sizzling Skilled Steak Fajita contains 3 days worth of salt
• Coffee, Sichuan Peppercorn & Chocolate Pots de Creme are Mocha Magic | Sippity Sup
• The Top 10 Breakfast Trends of 2011 - Foodservice - Convenience Store News

Viral Video: Whole Foods Parking Lot

By FogandSmogFilms - I think I've seen that guy at the Venice Beach Whole Foods!

Ranger Pale Ale and Garden Vegetable Soup with Basil Pesto

Ranger Pale Ale and Garden Vegetable Soup with Basil Pesto

Spring has come but things haven't quite warmed up yet.  We're still dealing with the 60'sand 70's here in LA and after a non-existent summer last year, I'm ready for some heat.  While we wait, this is a delightful spring soup that ties the seasons together.

This vegetarian soup can use either Great Northern or Cannellini beans to give it some girth and the blast of pesto adds a vibrant touch that ties it all together.  It may require some chopping and prep work but once that is done, assembly is easy and you can scale the recipe up to feed Napoleon's army of keep some for another rainy day in the freezer.

We were approached by Foodbuzz's Tastemaker program to come up with something that pairs well with the beers from New Belgium Brewing Company. We jumped on the idea - New Belgium is one of our favorites and on any given day, you'll have a good chance of finding one of their Folly Packs (a variety of different brews) in our fridge.

Garden Vegetable Soup with Basil Pesto

Soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 fennel bulbs, chopped
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 medium tomatoes (or 2 cans chopped tomatoes), peeled and chopped
• 2 quarts vegetable stock (homemade or store bought)
• 2 cups cooked cannellini beans (fresh or canned)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Basil Pesto Garnish:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions, carrots and celery seasoned with a little salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add in garlic, fennel, zucchini and red bell pepper and continue to sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Add in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes break down, about 3-5 minutes.
 

Pour in vegetable stock and bring up to a boil, turn down heat and let simmer until vegetables are almost cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Add in beans and continue to simmer until beans are warmed through. Taste soup for seasonings and add additional salt and pepper as necessary. Ladle warm soup into bowls and garnish with a tablespoon of basil pesto.

To make pesto: In a food processor or blender add basil, garlic, and pine nuts and pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running slowly pour in olive oil until everything is incorporated. Stir in parmesan cheese and taste for seasonings. Add in salt and pepper as necessary.

Black Witbier: A Homebrew Recipe

Black Witbier: A Homebrew Recipe

I've been homebrewing for about 16 years now and after tasting nearly everything on the shelf, I enjoy pushing the boundaries.  I don't see the joy in duplicating Guinness when you can buy it for a heck of a lot less work and likely cheaper than to make your own.  If the Reinheitsgebot was the Wicked Witch of the West, I'm a bucket of water.

A Witbier is a Belgian style that uses spices besides hops to flavor.  Coriander and bitter orange peel are standard but black pepper, grains of paradise, chamomile, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger are sometimes (albeit rarely) added by brewers to add a little more depth.

Today we take a more-or-less common Witbier and add chocolate malt to it.  This gives it a dark color but also a smokiness and a little toasted earthiness.  I added a little more spices than usual to compensate for the added flavor of the dark malt.

Besides the normal bitter orange and coriander, I also added ginger.  I first tasted a Wit with ginger from Shmaltz Brewing Company's "Coney Island Albino Python."  It has a distinctive ginger bite, and although I wasn't going for that so much, it is an excellent beer.

Disclaimer:  I've been brewing for so long, I haven't read a recipe in a while.  If I make some what you may consider "errors," please leave them in the comments.  I have made, quite possibly, a ton of beer and this technique works. 

Black Witbier

• 3 gallons of water
• 5 pounds dried pale malt extract
• 1 pound crushed chocolate malt
• 1 packet of dry Belgian yeast
• 2 ounces of Cascade hop pellets
• 3 tablespoons bitter orange
• 3 tablespoons Grains of Paradise
• 2 tablespoons of powdered ginger
• 5 pound bag of ice

Put all the chocolate malt into a brew bag.  Add it to your largest brew pot and fill with water, leaving 6 inches from the rim, bring the water to 140 and keep it there for 40 minutes, stirring continuously.  

Once that step is done, hold the bag over the pot and rinse the grains with fresh water to extract the most from them.  This is called the wort (pronounced wert).  Take 2 tablespoons of the wort and pout them into a bowl, when it has cooled completely, sprinkle your yeast on top (called pitching the yeast).

Add the 5 pounds of malt extract and 1 ounce of the hops and bring to a boil.  Keep it there for 45minutes.  Add 1/2 ounce of the hops, boil for another 15 minutes.  Kill the heat and add the remaining 1/2 ounc of the hops along with the spices.

Add the bag of ice to your clean and sanitized primary fermenter and dump the wort into it.  Once it has cooled to 80 degrees add the yeast/wort slurry.  Cap and wait 10 days.

Once primary fermentation is done, rack into a second bottling bucket and bottle.  Give the bottles another 2 weeks to carbonate at room temperature.  Once they are ready, chill and drink!

What we've been reading... 3/6/2011

Pre-flight check

Common Home Bartending Mistakes

• Target's Surprising Commitment to High-End Coffee - Slashfood
• Google Makes it Easier to Get Cooking - PCWorld
• The Big Mac index: An indigestible problem, why China needs more expensive burgers | The Economist
• Wilde in the Kitchen: Childhood favorites - taffy?
• Simply Life: Stuffing in February?
• The Babbage diet: Six diet tips from our Science pages | The Economist
• The Microwave Makes Holiday Candy Making Easier - NYTimes.com

Chia is the New Flaxseed, So Hot Right Now

Chia Shrek by doyle.jack

Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia!  We've heard it all before, the daytime TV slogan of the ubiquitous Chia Pet and other Chia-related products of Joseph Enterprises (also the maker of The Clapper, "Clap on! Clap Off!).  What I didn't realize until last year was that chia is the name of the grain that sprouts on your Pet/Shrek/Obama/Homer/or Scooby Doo.

The little black seeds we all made fun of as children are now being touted as "Aztek Superfood" and being sold at Whole Foods and the like.  Its health benefits have been brought to light by both Oprah and Dr. Oz.  2010 brought record setting global chia harvests and 2011 will likely be even bigger.

Yes folks, chia is the new flaxseed. 

from Google Trends

I first had chia at the Granville Market in Vancouver as "the world's most amazing breakfast cereal," - Holy Crap.  Yes, that's the name of the brand, Holy Crap.  They mixed it with hemp milk and it was great; the tiny seeds remind my of poppy seeds but when wet they form a gelatinous bubble around them, much like a tomato seed has.

I've never had a Chia Pet but the Pet-making process is the same as eating it; you mix the seeds with liquid and give them a few minutes to gel.  Instead of spreading them on your Spongebob Squarepants; however, you eat them.  This gel is formed by soluble fibers, called mucilages, and helps slow the breakdown of the carbs during digestion.

According to The Chia Book, The University of Arizona Press, “Chia has more Omega 3 than fish oil, flaxseed and marine algae. It has more protein, lipids, energy and fiber - but fewer carbs - than rice, barley, oats, wheat or corn... Chia is an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and copper.”

The chia plant is indigenous to Central America and Mexico and is used to make the popular drink chia fresca and is often mixed with ground toasted maize kernels to make pinole.  Because of it's high protien and of its ability to absorb 10 times its weight in water, it was a staple for indigenous people to take on long journeys.

In his book “Born to Run,” author Chistopher McDougall outlines how the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico routinly runs 50-100 miles at a time after drinking their chia fresca, made with water, chia, honey, and lemon juice.

The long distance running connection piques little interest to me to me because I don't run, I'm top-heavy and wouldn't even run to catch a bus - I do; however, often make a shake of sorts for breakfast anyways so I got some chia to check it out.

Chia Seeds Soaking in a Mason Jar by GilmourCreative

I tried mixing mine with almond milk, coconut milk, cow's milk, and sometimes simply water.  It never got to a consistency where I would enjoy eating it with a spoon; just too loose and watery.  They have very little taste anyway.  I ended up mixing 1-2 tablespoons with about 10 ounces of liquid, stirring, waiting and pounding it.

I didn't notice an outpouring of Aztek energy pumping through me, but I'm usually 3 cups of coffee deep when I leave the house anyway.  It produced a level of satiety that was similar to my normal breakfast concoction so I didn't see much of a benefit.

There was the novelty of the chia gel and I have read several recipes that use the gel to substitute for fats while baking.  They do this because the gel is so hydrophilic that it holds onto the water in the oven and keeps the baked goods moist.

I'll keep experimenting with chia and since it is so hot right now, I suggest everyone goes and grabs a bag at their local health food store to check it out too.  Some people report that they can't stand the gel because it is too mucus-like, other (whack-jobs, likely) report chia addictions.  But then again, there's that lady who likes to eat Comet.