Sri Lankan Food

Whoo, here we go. This is gonna be a long one!!!  :)

Coconut is HUGE here. They do everything with it. For us westerners, eating locally and foraging for food has been a reactionary movement but for many Sri Lankans, eating locally and foraging is essential to their survival. They make the most of what they have. My introduction to Sri Lankan coconuts occurred about an hour after I landed. I mentioned to my driver that I was hungry and he stopped off at a roadside eatery for breakfast. We got the typical, average-Joe meal. In Sri Lanka, the average meal is starch & curry. The starch is often rice but could just as easily be hoppers, string hoppers, coconut rice, some variety of flat bread, pittu (rice flour and shredded coconut placed into a log-shaped mold and steamed) etc. Breakfast on my first day was string hoppers, two fish curries (a mild, coconut based curry and a fiery, sour curry) and coconut sambol. Not a clear picture of them, but string hoppers are a kind of lacey, thin-noodle-y rice flour based pancake looking thing. Hope that helps. :P  Eagle-eyed readers might notice that string hoppers come in white and brown. Some are made from white rice flour, others from red rice flour. Both are delicious.



My second coconut experience happened about an hour later. We were in the van on the way to the sacred city of Kandy. It was hot and I was thirsty so I asked the driver if we could stop off at one of the many King coconut vendors lining the road. They basically consist of a guy, a bike and some coconuts he cut down earlier in the day after shimmying up the tree. For about 40 cents, he’ll give you a coconut with a hole cut into the top. After you’ve drunk the coconut water, give the coconut back to the vendor. He’ll fashion a small scoop from the coconut husk, cut the coconut in half and you can enjoy the delicious, jelly-like young coconut flesh. I tell you, AMAZING on a hot, humid day.


And this is the inside of the coconut. The left half has already been cleaned of most of the meat:


Let me tell you more about rice and curry because it’s such a huge part of what you’ll find here. First of all, the rice isn’t the sticky short-grain stuff I am used to eating here in Taiwan nor is it the longer, fluffier stuff like Indian basmati rice. The everyday rice here is a local variety called “Samba” and is almost round/ovular in shape. It has a bit of a chew to it and doesn’t really stick to itself. It’s a lot of fun to eat, especially if you decide to go local and eat with your hands. Most rice and curry meals are centered around the rice (or other starch) and include 3-5 other items. Often you simply choose your main protein (beef, chicken, fish were most popular) or vegetarian if that’s how you roll and the rest of the curry plate is up to the restaurant. We ate FANTASTICALLY well at nearly every rice and curry joint. They do a really good job of balancing the rice and curry plates. For instance, you won’t get two coconut milk based dishes nor will you see repetition in the vegetables. From what we ate, it seemed like they generally offered one coconut milk based dish, a chili/sour dish, a dry curry, some sort of dhal and mallung. Mallung is a vegetable dish consisting of a leafy green with some shredded coconut mixed in. Think of it as a cooked salad. Here's an example...Beef curry, mallung, dal, carrots, curried cabbage and a crispy papadum:


And another, dal, daikon radish curry, sour fish curry and something I don't remember. This was at a small, seaside shack where we asked our tuk-tuk driver for a lunch recommendation:


Yet another, this from up in the hill country. Again, we asked our driver where he might head to eat and this is where he took us. Note no rice but roti. At this meal, a fantastic sour fish curry made not with fresh fish (we were inland) but with little dried fish, coconut sambol, dal and the best potato curry I have ever had:


One more so you can see how our bed and breakfast treated us. These guys at the Kandy Cottage in Kandy made some of the most incredible spreads we saw on our trip. Yah, the flavors were turned down a notch from what you got at local restaurants but they were really good about listening and delivering. We told them we wanted to try as many different things as possible so, for 4 nights, they served us completely different meals. At this one, fish curry, papadums, potato curry, green beans, beet curry an onion sambol:


Here's a crab curry combo served on a banana leaf. This was at a restaurant in the capital city of Colombo specializing in the cuisine of the northern region of Jaffna. Jaffna food is hot, hot, hot but very delicious. We learned about this restaurant from Brit celebrity chef Rick Stein who claims that this restaurant serves the best crab curry he's ever had. Small sample size but I'm inclined to agree:


As far as the flavors go, it seems like nothing got cooked in Sri Lanka without either cinnamon, curry leaves or Maldive fish. Sri Lanka is famous for its cinnamon and it’s fantastic stuff, very aromatic, soft and sweet. As you might imagine, most spices here are stunningly good. The green cardamom, in particular, is very, very nice...bright, floral and lemony. Curry leaves are huge not only in Sri Lanka but also in southern India. If you’re not familiar with them, there’s not much I can say to describe the aroma. It’s unique. Maldive fish is named after the nearby Maldives. It’s, from what I was told, generally bonito, sun dried. It’s flaked and used as a flavoring agent in curries, sambols etc. The flavor has some of that smokiness you find in katsuobushi. Sri Lankan food is, for the most part, very delicious but after 8 rice and curry meals, you do start looking for something else.

This brings me to...short eats!!! Short eats are sorta the snack food of Sri Lanka but calling them a snack doesn’t do them justice. They’re usually about 3-4 bites per piece and vary in shape and size. The ones we saw were usually fried or baked. They range in complexity from spiced, fried lentil patties to squares of fresh roti stuffed with curried, shredded cabbage and slices of hard boiled egg. You can buy them nearly everywhere from street vendors to sit-down restaurants to itinerant merchants peddling their wares on trains. Most restaurants churn out fresh items twice per day. Just look for the large, enthusiastic crowd of locals at the store’s entrance. They’re a fun, cheap and mostly delicious way to eat. Also interesting is that most roadside short eats vendors used recycled homework as bags. Here's an isso vadai vendor:

and here's what I bought from him:

And a few items from a restaurant serving short eats:


Most Sri Lankans lack access to grocery stores and do most of their shopping at roadside vendors, wet markets etc. These places are super fun to explore. Sri Lankans are, in general, very curious, friendly and proud of their local produce (for good reason) so don’t be surprised if they try to shove slices of fruit into your hand. I tried some crazy delicious stuff just by wandering around and asking questions about what was available. On the coast, the fish markets are AMAZING. I hear that wild fish is on the decline but you’d never know it here in Sri Lanka. I watched a few fishing boats unload their catch and the variety is breathtaking. Restaurants seem to favor serving the big, meatier fish (swordfish, tuna) but I saw all sorts of other fish which I never got to try. If you decide to visit Galle (and you should, it’s a really cool enclosed city/fort) check out the fish market outside of the city’s walls. Really spectacular.

Also found outside if the city’s walls was this guy, a palm sugar merchant. Palm sugar, if you’ve never had it, is great stuff. It’s sweet, yah, but with so much character. Palm trees (in Sri Lanka it’s mostly the Kittul palm used for sugar production) are tapped. The sap is boiled down and, depending on how far it’s boiled you get different products. Boil it a little bit and you get palm syrup (locals call it “treacle”). Boil it further and you get palm sugar. Palm syrup can be purchased in grocery stores but villagers also bottle their own and I’d recommend the jankier, bootleg stuff. It’s smokier and more delicious. The syrup is also an integral part of one of my favorite Sri Lankan dishes...curd and syrup. The curd is made from water buffalo milk. Think thick, Greek yogurt but with some funk to it. Please notice the recycled arrack bottle and beautifully wrapped sugar:


To wrap this up, Sri Lanka is amazing. It’s not just the great food or the beautiful, exotic locale. It’s the PEOPLE. They’re some of the most generous, warm and friendly people I’ve ever met. Mass transit, the great democratizer, provided some of the clearest examples. There was the boy scout troop master on the train who spotted me checking out his banana leaf meal and immediately offered me a taste....and then ordered his scouts to let me also try their meals! There was the mother with the blind child on the intra-city van who turned around and pushed a few fruits into my hand and then turned back around before I could even thank her. I’ve always found it amazing that my travels have led me to people who have so little to give and, yet, they’re always the kindest and most charitable people. Anyhow, I’ll stop proselytizing but if you ever have the opportunity to visit, please do.

Please ask if you have any questions about visiting the country. I'll field anything from travel itinerary, cost, how we got around, bathrooms & toilet paper, etc.

Btw, the proper beverage pairing for a rice and curry meal is orange Fanta or ginger beer. Trust me on the orange Fanta. And the coffee universally sucked everywhere we went.     

BTTR Gourmet Garden and Sprouts!

Man alive (no pun intended), it is SO much fun watching something come to life. 

Exhibit #1.  Remember that mushroom box I picked up about a week ago?  Here's what it looks like today:  

Check it out!  Amazing!  I am so excited for this.  I am already dreaming about a big steaming bowl of Thai Tom Yum soup!

Exhibit #2: Sprouts!

Some of the seeds worked, some not.  Most notably, the yellow mustard seed went absolutely nuts, the fenugreek seeds look good and, I think with a bit more time, the black mustard seeds will look like their paler counterpart.  Nothing from the cumin, caraway and coriander.  Still, very exciting! 

Sprouts!

If it's Friday night, I'm probably doing something pointless and inane wickedly awesome with food!  Tonight's experiment:  Can the BCC sprout seeds?  We'll find out in a few days!

Step 1. Two layers of moist paper towels on a baking sheet:

 

Step 2. Sprinkle with seeds:

From left to right: fennel, caraway, cumin, black mustard, fenugreek, yellow mustard and coriander.  I've seen fenugreek sprouts in a restaurant I used to work at but, as for the rest, your guess is as good as mine regarding sproutability.  

Step 3. More damp paper towels and saran wrap:

I'll check every couple of hours starting tomorrow.  I'm hoping this works because I've been eating a lot of salad lately and am looking for a cheap, cost effective way of spicing them up. 

Greatest Pork Chop Ever

Remember the pork chop from the previous post?  Here's what became of it:

Nicely golden brown, right?  I'm going to teach you a useful technique which can be applied to steaks, pork chops, seared chicken breasts, whatever.  Very useful.  Start by cooking your meat until it's nearly done.  When it's about a minute from completion, throw in a knob of butter and a few springs of herbs, some sage leaves, a sprig of rosemary, whatever.  Herbs.  I used sage leaves with my pork:

The herbs will flavor the oil so use a spoon and baste your meat with the herby butter.  Careful, it'll be hot.  This technique is great because your meat gets great color, the herby butter adds great flavor and, above all, it's easy.

Random: This ladybug has been living in my room for a month now.  I don't see it very often but I am always happy when it reappears. 

And, very exciting:

Mmmm, fresh mushrooms!  I am curious about this for a couple of reasons.  1. How many mushrooms will I harvest?  I ask because the mushroom box was $25 bucks.  Oyster mushrooms are about $5.00/lb.  If I harvest, say, 4 lbs, I will call it a success.  Additionally, I want to see if I can screw this up because, thus far, I haven't demonstrated much of a green thumb.

A REAL post coming in the next couple of days.

X-Mas Eve Dinner

All right, a bunch of random stuff in here.  Christmas Eve was basically Meatfest.  For instance, this is what I had for lunch:

Food courtesy of Memphis Minnie's.  Other than the B+ sausage, the rest of the meal was uniformly awful.  Let's talk about the ribs for a second because this takes real talent.  First of all, the meat still had a deathgrip on the bone which would imply that it was undercooked, right?  However, the majority of the meat was already dry and stringy implying that it was overcooked.  I just don't get it.  Anyhow, several people had told me to avoid this joint but I just had to go see for myself.  BBQ FAIL.

In addition to the BBQ plate, we ate a ton of meat later that night.  I've been pretty obsessed with a cooking technique called "sous vide" which I'll detail in an upcoming post.  This post is dedicated to simply giving you an overview of the technique and my X-Mas Eve dinner.

Sous vide hanger steak.  One of the great things about sous vide is that it gives you a lot more control versus cooking over high heat.  For instance, say you like rare steak.  Normally, you might season it and throw it in a hot pan, right?  But notice...there is a ring of gray, overcooked meat surrounding the rare interior.  Compare this to sous vide cooking.  The temperature for rare steak is between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.  All you have to do when cooking sous vide is to set your water bath at the desired temperature, drop in your steak and the steak never cooks past the preset temperature.  This technique is used in many high end kitchens but it is also very practical for home cookery.  I've sous vide cooked two hanger steaks and they've both been amazing.  For the X-Mas Eve dinner steak, I flavored it with garlic cloves, thyme and a few bay leaves.  In addition, I also added a ton of butter.  I probably went a bit overboard with the butter but you do need some fat to help carry and disperse the flavors. After you cook it in the bag (I use Ziploc brand bags...I've read that cheap plastic bags use cheap plastic.  Whether or not this is true is beyond my knowledge but I figure it's only marginally more expensive to use brand-name plastic) you need to sear the steak because it comes out sorta gray.  After that, slice and serve.

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In addition to the hanger steak, I cooked a turkey leg sous vide.  I packed the bag with all sorts of aromatics...oregano, orange peel, garlic, ginger, star anise, a few cloves etc.  Very Christmas-y.  Throw in the turkey leg (rubbed with allspice and a bit of salt) and cover with duck fat.  BAM.  Turkey leg confit.  176 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 or so hours.  When cooked, I shredded the meat and folded it into some lentils. 

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Given how heavy the rest of the meal was, I decided that a light salad was necessary.  Lots of citrus in the market this time of year so that made my choice easy.  Mint, olives, a little red onion and romaine hearts finished it off. 

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This just gives you an overview of sous vide.  I'm doing research for an upcoming post which will be more detailed but I hope this whets your appetite for more.  Hardy har har.  :)

Callaloo

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Have you ever owned a cookbook which you compulsively reached for?  A book which took your taste imagination on a never ending journey?  For me, The Soul of a New Cuisine by Marcus Samuelsson, is that book although it is far from perfect.  (For those who don't know, this book focuses on African food and the New World countries populated by ex-Africans during the slave trade.)  The writing kinda sucks, the pictures don't always match the recipes and the scope of the book is too broad to serve as a reference book but man, these recipes.  I love 'em so let me tell you why:

1. Chile peppers are frequently used in African cuisine and if you've read this blog for any amount of time, you already know that I love spicy food.
2. Liberally spiced recipes.  Much like Indian food, African food seems to be built on layers of spices.  This philosophy appeals to me
3. Lots of condiments and sauces.  I like dipping food into sauces...think Indian food and chutneys and you get the gist of it.  African food seems to share this idea of little taste enhancers.  In addition, the book contains recipes for interesting spice blends. 
   

The book also intrigues because of Samuelsson's heritage.  As I explained back in this post, Samuelsson was raised in Scandinavia but of Ethiopian heritage so his book represents an effort to get in touch with his roots.  It's obviously extremely personal to Chef Samuelsson although it's a shame that so little of his passion comes through in the writing.  Finally, it seems like only two African cuisines have made it to the United States: Ethiopian and Moroccan.  It's nice to see some material on what the rest of the continent eats and, given my experience, they eat well so let's get to this recipe.

First, a note on callaloo.  There is no definitive recipe for callaloo.  Much like other beloved ethnic foods, there are as many recipes for callaloo as there are cooks.  However, 15 minutes of Googling research have turned up a few commonalities.

1. Dasheen aka taro leaves and onions.  I didn't feel like trekking to Chinatown to get taro leaves so I used a mix of mustard greens, kale and collard greens.  The cookbook recommends spinach.
   
2. Some sort of pork product.
3. Okra
4. Chili peppers.
   

This version focuses on the Trinidadian version.  Callaloo is sometimes eaten as a soup but is just as often used as a thick condiment.  Either way, it's crazy delicious and very, very easy to make.  Please please please please please please give this a try.

INGREDIENTS   

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
2 bird's-eye chiles, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped (I couldn't find these chiles in my 'hood so I substituted 2 whole, chopped serrano chiles...very mild heat, I will probably add a third serrano next time)
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons coriander seeds (I will grind the coriander seed next time...the blender didn't do a good enough job pulverizing the seeds)
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup bottled clam juice (I see you raising your eyebrows...I was equally skeptical but just roll with it...think of the clam juice as a substitute for crab meat which is a common addition to callaloo...I found clam juice at my local grocery store)
1 cup heavy cream (You could probably add another cup of coconut milk if you are lactose intolerant)
Two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach (I used 1 16 oz. bag of mixed, chopped collards, mustard greens and kale from Trader Joe's...definitely one of the best things they sell)
Juice of 3 limes

1. Heat oil in a large pot.  When shimmering, add the onion, garlic and chiles and saute until the onion is soft and translucent.

2. Add the cumin, coriander, chicken stock, coconut milk, clam juice and heavy cream and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

3. Add the spinach and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until spinach is cooked.  (If using the bag of Trader Joe's greens, or if you are using other hearty leafy green, I recommend simmering the cumin, coriander, chicken stock etc. for 15 minutes, throw in the greens and simmer until the greens are mostly limp...it took me roughly 45 minutes)

4. Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches if necessary (definitely necessary), and puree.  (Please exercise caution when blending hot ingredients.)  Transfer to a bowl and stir in the lime juice.  Serve hot. 

(Next time, I will add even MORE greens.  I was dubious that this amount of liquid would support such a large quantity of veggies but I was dead wrong.  In addition, more greens equals a more vibrant color.  Hmmm, I can't think of a reason why you couldn't use broccoli in this recipe in place of the greens.  Both are from the brassica family, right?  Hmmm, the wheels in my mind are spinning...)

Time: An hour, almost all of it inactive cooking time.

Food cost:
Clam juice- $3.15
Chicken broth-~$2.50
Greens- $2.29
Cream- $1.99
Coconut milk- $1.39
Incidentals- Maybe $1.00?
Total- $12.32.  If you serve this as soup you'll probably get 4 large bowls so ~$3.00 per bowl.  I've been using it as sauce over hot rice...probably 6 servings...~$2.00 per bowl.

Corn, Tomato and Bacon Salad

I'm back...sorta. Anyhow, this is easy, fast and everything you need is probably at your local farmers market or grocery store.

1. Saute 2 pieces of bacon until brown and crisp. The bacon fat is the only oil in this dish so don't get rid of it.

2. Throw in half of a minced red onion and half of a minced jalapeno (or more to taste). Saute until onion is translucent. Add salt.

3. Throw in the kernels from one ear of corn. Cook for roughly five or so minutes.

4. Allow corn mixture to cool slightly and then add in lime juice to taste and some chopped tomato. I used one large, fist sized heirloom tomato.

5. Add some corn mixture to plate.

6. Grab a few handfuls of salad greens and add to the remaining corn mixture. With any luck, the warm corn mixture will slightly wilt the greens.

7. Adjust seasoning...lime juice, minced jalapeno and salt.

8. Add salad green/corn mixture to plate.

9. Optional. Garnish with toasted bread. I mashed up some avocado with lime and salt and used that as topping.

10. Eat!

Time- 20 Minutes

Cost: 40 cents for avocado, 1 buck for salad greens, 1 buck for bacon, 50 cents for corn, 2 bucks for tomato, incidentals 75 cents. 'Bout $6.00, total.

Mexican-Style Zucchini Tacos

So many thoughts running through my head! I am having a really, REALLY hard time focusing on any one thing so this post might be desultory and/or spastic. Desultory...now THAT'S a good SAT word.

This is the final installment in the taco trilogy. Hot weather provides tacit encouragement for the consumption of vegetables and I thought that this recipe would be appropriate...however, I failed to take into account the richness and lush texture that 2/3-cup of whipping cream would add. FAIL. This recipe is from Bayless' Mexico One Plate At A Time. As before, I consider this an excellent introductory book to the art of Mexican cuisine. If you happen to go looking for it, don't be perturbed by the gringo on the book's front cover. You might be obsessed with finding a Mexican cookbook by a Mexican but I assure you that Bayless and, by extension, this book are legit. The real deal.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
18 ounces of canned, whole tomatoes in juice, drained
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 large fresh poblano chiles (I used three because I really like the flavor of poblano chiles...Poblanos are large, fresh, green chiles with a vegetal flavor and mild spice...If you've ever had a chile relleno, you already had a poblano without knowing it!)
1 large ear corn, husked and kernels cut off (Canned corn would be fine, I suppose...use1 cup)
4 medium (1.5 pounds total) of zucchini (I used Mexican zucchini) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or, if you can find it, leaves from 1 sprig fresh epazote)
2/3 cup crema, creme fraiche or heavy whipping cream
salt
Crumbled queso fresco or other crumbly fresh cheese

Pour oil into a large (12-inch) skillet and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until well browned...recipe says 8 minutes. While the onion is cooking, puree the tomatoes in a blender. Add the garlic to the browned onion and cook for a minute, stirring, then add the tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Roast the poblanos over a gas flame or on a baking sheet 4 inches under a hot broiler, turning regularly until the skin is charred and blistered. Cover the peppers with a kitchen towel (or place into a bowl and cover with saran wrap) and wait 5 minutes. Rub off the blackened skin and pull out the stems and seed pods. Rinse BRIEFLY to remove any stray seeds and bits of skin. Slice into 1/4 inch strips.

Set the skillet with the tomato mixture over medium-high heat. Stir in the poblanos, corn, zucchini, cilantro, and the crema (or the substitution). Cook, stirring frequently until the zucchini is cooked through and the liquid is thick enough to coat the vegetables. This took me about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Serve with warmed tortillas and the crumbled queso fresco. Done!

Time-Roughly 40 minutes, some of it unsupervised.

Food Cost-I'm not going to break this one down because I don't have the receipts in front of me but it's around 6 bucks total. Should make enough filling for ~20 tacos. About 30 cents per taco, 3 or 4 per person so $.90-$1.20 per serving

LOLCat This one is kind of a toughie...Click here for an explanation:

"Drunken" Pintos with Cilantro and Bacon

Mexican food with no beans? Difficult to imagine. My blog without beans? Difficult to imagine. I love beans. Not only are they cheap and delicious, they will be a staple of my month-long Mexi-centric cooking. This recipe is a variation of the slightly soupy Mexican pot beans but with extra flavoring. This recipe (crudely adapted) is from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitche.

INGREDIENTS

1.25 cups of dry pinto beans (yes, you can use other beans)
6 slices of bacon
1 small white onion, diced
1 jalapaneno, stemmed, seeded and sliced
salt
2 tablespoons of tequila
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro (or more to taste)

Pick through the beans and remove any stones or sticks. Rinse the beans and remove any which float. Add the beans to a large pot, throw in 4 slices of bacon and add enough water to cover the beans by an inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are soft. This will take a few hours so be patient. Make sure that the water is a good .5-1 inch above the beans at all times.

When the beans are done, set aside, cooking liquid and all. Throw out the boiled bacon unless that's what you're into.

Chop up the remaining two slices of bacon into bite sized bits and fry up in a hot pan. When brown and crispy, remove the bacon but leave the drippings in the pan. Toss in the onion and sliced jalapeno. Get a nice deep, dark brown on the vegetables. This will take some time. Be patient and don't turn up the heat to accelerate the process. Don't want to burn the onions/jalapeno, ya know.

When the veggies are well browned, add the beans back into the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. The beans shouldn't be soupy but rather thick and stew-like. If the beans are soupy, continue to simmer until the your ideal consistency is achieved. Alternatively, you can just mash up some of the bean with the back of a fork. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss in the tequila and cilantro. Garnish with the reserved crispy bacon. Done!

Time: 2 hours of initial simmering, 25 minutes after that.
Food cost- Pathetically inexpensive. Not worth talking about.

LOLCat:

Red Cabbage with Apples and Honey

I want to play the greatest game ever so this is going to be quick and dirty. This recipe is from this cookbook. We had it with roast pork. It would be equally at home with a roast chicken or braised chicken/pork.

INGREDIENTS

4 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 cup honey
4 cups apple juice
1/3 cup white wine vinegar (both George and I agreed that the dish needed more acidity..so maybe a little more that 1/3 cup)
4 ounces smoked country bacon, cut into 1-by-1/2 inch strips
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 head red cabbage, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced

Put a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300F.
2. In a spice grinder or coffee grinder, finely grind the cardamom and coriander seeds. Bring the honey, ground spices, apple juice and vinegar to a boil and reduce by half.
3. In a medium cast-iron pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the red cabbage and apples and cook, stirring, until softened about 15 minutes. (Unless you have a really large pot, you might have to add half the cabbage, cook until wilted and then add the other half.) Pour the reduced honey-apple mixture over the cabbage and toss to coat. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven.
4. Braise for 2 hours, or until the cabbage is very tender. Taste for seasoning...shouldn't need much salt.

Btw, the cold cabbage is delicious on sandwiches. Just take the leftover roasted meat, some good, strong mustard, cabbage and bookend it with hearty bread.

Time-10 minutes of prep, 2.25 hours of cooking time.

Cost-Cheap...I think the most expensive part of this recipe is the apple juice.

No LOLCat for you!

Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham Hocks

I love soup and I love pork so this is a no-brainer recipe. It's also ridiculously easy. Chop stuff, shovel it into a pot and let it cook. It's not much more complicated than that. For those of you who don't know what a ham hock is, a hock is the lower part of a pig's hind legs. Think above the foot but below the lower end of the meaty part. So a ham hock is that cut of meat which has also been smoked. It's a pretty tough piece of meat filled with gristle, bone, connective tissue and some meat so you would never want to quick cook ham hocks. They need a nice, long stewing to transform the meat into something palatable. Beans and ham hocks are classic as are ham hocks and greens. In the south, they commonly throw in a smoked ham hock when they're cooking collards and things like that. In that same vein, I also like ham hocks with braised cabbage.

This is my recipe and, as I mentioned before, it's pretty basic. There are lots of ways to jazz it up so get creative!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of green split peas picked over, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
2 carrots peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick coins
2 onions peeled and cut into a large dice
2 stalks of celery cut into half inch pieces
2 cloves of peeled garlic, roughly chopped
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (optional; it doesn't add much heat but a nice roundness of flavor)
12 cups of water
3 pounds of ham hocks (I have the butcher cut them lengthwise)

Heat the oil and butter until the butter melts. Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic to the pot. Season with a teaspoon of salt and a few generous grinds of pepper. Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and soft. Add the drained split peas and cayenne pepper. Stir well and cook for a few minutes. Add the water and ham hocks. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat until the soup is just simmering. Make sure you stir the soup every now and then so the peas don't stick and burn.

After about .45-1 hour of cooking, I usually remove the hocks and place them into a bowl. Leave the peas in the pot to continue cooking. I like the meat to have a bit of texture so I try not to cook it to the point of being completely soft. When cool enough to handle, I peel the skin off the hocks and discard. I then remove the meat and break it up into bite size pieces. Set aside. I usually freeze the leftover ham hock bones because there's still quite a bit of flavor in them.

After around 1.5 hours, the veggies and peas should be completely soft. I turn the heat off and wait for 15 minutes. I then blend the soup with an immersion blender or with a regular blender. Use some care as the soup will still be very warm. Taste the soup for seasoning. Undersalting isn't a bad idea because the ham hocks will add a nice hit of saltiness. When the soup is blended, stir in the ham hock meat and you're done!

Feel free to have fun with the seasoning. Maybe go Indian? I mean, I make Indian lentils all the time and lentils aren't too far from split green peas so I think it would be delicious.

As for garnishes: croutons, freshly minced herbs, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, tangy yogurt, sauteed carrots, onion or celery, shucked, blanched green peas...ummm, this is right off the top of my head. I'm sure you can think of a few for yourselves!

Time- About 10 minutes of prep, 1.5 hours of cooking...most of it unattended, passive cooking.

Food Cost-
Peas- $1.35
Veggies- $1.50
Ham Hocks- $12.00 (Somewhat expensive, I know...gotta hate the upscale butcher's prices)
Total-$14.85...18 cups of soup. Say, 2 cups per serving? $1.65 per serving

LOLCat:

Sri Lankan White Curry

Yet another South-Asian vegetable dish. This one is a keeper not only because it's crazy delicious but because it involves a flavor which I don't normally associate with coconut milk curries. The secret ingredient? A bit of fish! The recipe calls for Maldive fish which is "small dried chunks of tuna that are crumbled or shredded and added to many dishes." The authors of the cookbook state that this product can be found in Sri Lankan grocery stores. Terrific, if you have access to a Sri Lankan grocer. Thankfully, they include a substitute, bonito, which is MUCH more widely available. Bonito is a Japanese food ingredient and it is the dried, shredded flesh of a fish in the tuna (or mackerel, I can't seem to find a definitive answer) family. It releases a wonderfully smoky aroma when added to whatever you are cooking and is a basic building block of dashi, the staple Japanese stock. Bonito can be found in any well-stocked Asian grocer or Japanese grocer. Go find some...it's really great stuff.


Anyhow, this dish is GREAT. Phenomenally cheap, REALLY, REALLY delicious and super easy to cook, it is something I encourage ALL of you to try. A definite A++++++ for this recipe. And, click this if you don't know anything about Sri Lanka. C'mon, click it...at least do it so you can figure out where Sri Lanka is on a map!

Oh, and yes, I do realize that "white curry" is somewhat inaccurate...the dish, as you might have noticed has a definite jaundiced hue. "White curry" in Sri Lankan cuisine refers to the presence of coconut milk. There is your fun fact for the day.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (Waxy potatoes refer to the white-skinned or red skinned potatoes...Russet baking potatoes would NOT be good.)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (maybe an equal amount of curry powder if you can't find fenugreek)
1 teaspoon Maldive fish or substitute bonito flakes, finely ground (I used my spice grinder to pulverize the bonito...works well.)
1/3 cup chopped shallots
2 green chiles, thinly sliced
8-10 curry leaves (no real substitute, omit if you can't find them)
1 teaspoon salt (I used considerably more)
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup canned or fresh coconut milk
1 teaspoon lime juice (use more if you like lime...I added extra because I liked the extra bit of zip)


In a large pot, combine the potatoes, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, Maldive fish or bonito, chopped shallots, chiles, curry leaves and salt. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. (Took me about 20 minutes)

Stir in the coconut milk, bring back to a gentle boil. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice. Serve.


See how easy that was? Just dump a bunch of stuff into a pot and cook it. Pretty much dummy proof.

Time- 10 minutes of prep, 25 minutes of inactive cooking time.

Food cost- Too cheap to cost out. The most expensive thing in this recipe might be the $0.89 can of coconut milk.

LOLCat...another classic...there are tons of derivatives based on ceiling cat:

Nepalese Asparagus Stir-Fry

More South-Asian vegetable goodness. As I type this, I am also watching season 2 of "The Office." The dynamic between Dwight and Jim is priceless. Anyhow, I've got alot of work ahead of me so I better get right to this. Not much to say about this recipe. Pretty simple stir-fry but it is quite tasty. From Mangoes & Curry Leaves Culinary Travels Through The Great Subcontinent.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pounds of asparagus
1 teaspoon mashed or minced ginger
2 teaspoons mashed or minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons of oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (Might be hard to find, I'd say that it's okay to leave it out but the dish won't taste quite as exotic. maybe substitute a few pinches of curry powder)
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (might be hard to find)
salt
1/2 cup water

Rinse and drain asparagus. Remove the bottoms if they are dried out. (Ever have fibrous, woody asparagus? I break off the bottoms...I just sorta bend the asparagus until the bottoms naturally break. I figure there'll be an organic break point between the tender part and the tough part. The possibility exists that you might lose some good asparagus but better that than woody, inedible asparagus that you have to spit out.)

Mix the ginger, garlic and ground coriander together.
Heat a wok or skillet on med-high. Add oil and, if using, the fenugreek seeds. Add the onion and cook until softened and a little brown. (This took me a good 8 minutes....if your onions are starting to burn but aren't yet soft, just turn the heat down!) Add the garlic/ginger/coriander paste and stir to distribute. Add the asparagus, turmeric and salt. Briefly stir-fry to mix everything together. Add 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil. (Recipe called for 1/2 cup but I found that excessive.) Cover the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes. (Recipe says 2-3 minutes. 2 minutes was a bit much...I would cook for a minute, taste a piece of asparagus and go from there. Cooking time will, of course, depend on the thickness of the asparagus...mine were quite thin.)

Remove the lid, taste for seasoning and eat!

Time-10 minutes from start to finish.

Food cost-
Asparagus- $3.29
Incidentals- $0.50
Total- $3.79

LOLCat-This one is a classic in the world of LOLCats.

Cucumber Raita

Standard issue yogurt condiment here. I like eating it plain although it's nice with spicy food. Something about the yogurt helps cool down spicy food. This recipe is from Mangoes & Curry Leaves Culinary Travels Through The Great Subcontinent.

Ingredients

1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 of a peeled English cucumber (1 cup chopped)
Salt
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup coriander leaves or 2 tablespoons mint leaves
Black Pepper

Line a sieve with cheesecloth. Place sieve over a bowl and place the yogurt into the cloth-lined sieve. (I guess you could skip this step but it's cool to see the yogurt's transformation.) Let it drain for 30 minutes.

Finely dice the cucumber. Sprinkle the cucumber with salt, toss and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Transfer the drained yogurt to a bowl and whisk it with a fork. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Add the cucumber but not the juice. Stir the cucumbers into the yogurt. Taste for salt.

Just before serving, cut the mint and add it to the yogurt. Stir it all together and serve.

Time- 30 minutes, much of it inactive.

Cost- Cheap. Very cheap. Not going to cost it out.

Grilled Tofu with Chinese Sausage and Black Beans

I cooked this a while ago but have never gotten around to posting about it. Poor neglected recipe...not that there was anything wrong with it! It turned out surprisingly well given my previously lackluster experiences with the cookbook from whence the recipe came (Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine). What a word, whence. Anyhow, this recipe is a fun one even if just to make the grilled tofu. I was very, VERY surprised at how visually appealing it was. A technique which I will definitely use again. This is an insanely easy recipe and if you are a cooking newbie, give this one a try. Hard to screw up.


Cookbook pet peeve here...bad recipe testing. For instance, the first ingredient is Szechuan peppercorns. The first step of the recipe is to toast and grind the peppercorns...so far, so good. However, it never tells you when to add them to the dish! Am I supposed to toast the peppercorns as a strictly mechanical exercise? L'etude de Cuisine? Because the authors want my kitchen to smell of peppercorns? C'mon! As a consumer, I have paid good money for the book...put a little more effort into it! I just realized, it's not even bad recipe testing, it's bad editing! Reading the recipe should've been sufficient to notice the error!

1 teaspoon of Szechuan Peppercorns.
1 pound of firm or medium firm tofu
oil
1/2 pound ground beef (Given my experience, I urge you to buy lean ground beef...if you buy the fattier stuff, the beef fat and fatty sausages make for an overly oily dish)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 1-inch piece fresh, peeled, grated gingerroot
1/4 cup fermented black bean paste (Pretty common product, not too unusual)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
1 bunch scallions
3 Chinese sausage links cut into 1/2 inch slices

Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

Toast the peppercorns, let them cool and then grind them.

Heat a grill pan. Grill tofu. This will take some time. I grilled it until I got a nice charred crosshatch. I cut the tofu into large chunk.

Heat a small, ovenproof pot. Add oil (just a touch). Add ground beef, garlic and ginger. (At this point, I also added the peppercorns.) Cook until the meat is browned. Add the bean paste, soy sauce, sugar and a cup of water. Stir. Add the tofu, stir well and bring to a simmer. Scatter the sausage and scallions over the tofu. Add a bit of water, if you need. Add seasoning...shouldn't need much. When the pot is at a simmer, cover it and move it to the oven. Or, I guess you could finish it on the stovetop but at a super low heat.

Recipe calls for a 1.5-2 hour braise. I did 1.5 and was perfectly happy. Serve with PLENTY of rice.


Time- 5 minute prep. 1.5-2 hour cooking time. Much of it is unsupervised.

Food cost
Ground Beef- $0.75
Tofu- $0.80
Chinese Sausages-$1.25 (Working from memory here)
Black Bean Paste- $0.75
Incidentals-$0.50
Total-$4.05, Will serve 4 with rice and a veggie side dish/$1.00 per serving.

LOLCat:

Spiced Grated Carrots, Kerala Style

Grated carrots. Who knew they could be good? While I really enjoyed the flavor of this recipe, my execution sucked. I let the yogurt overcook and it sort of turned into a weird dairy curd. Oops, my bad. Mangoes & Curry Leaves Culinary Travels Through The Great Subcontinent even warned me that this could happen. Anyhow, my lust for Indian vegetable recipes continues. And so does my lust for a nice Irish lass. Rawr!

2 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 cup of minced onion
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon grated or minced ginger
2 green chiles, seeded and cut up
10 curry leaves (exactly 10...I will hunt you down if you disobey my decree)
1.5 cups of grated carrots
salt
1/2 cup of yogurt (recipe says "preferably full-fat")

Heat oil (medium-high heat) in a heavy skillet or wok. Add the mustard seeds and cover until they pop. (You'll be able to hear them popping, trust me.) Add the onion and turmeric and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the ginger, chiles and currry leaves and stir-fry until the onions are soft. Add the carrots and salt. Cook until the carrots are very soft. (Or, I guess you could just cook them until the carrots are done to your liking. I'm not a tyrant...really, I'm not.)

Turn heat to very low. Add the yogurt and stir the yogurt into the carrots. (You just want to heat the yogurt.) "Do not allow it to boil." I didn't. But it still separated on me. I guess the secret is to not use any heat at all? I dunno.

Time-10 minutes for prep, 10 for cooking.

Food cost. Again, I'm not going to cost this out but, rest assured, it's cheap. Do you see any ingredients that might be expensive? I thought not.

LOLCat:

Katchhi Village Potato Curry

This is the first post which will utilize the new picture widget. I think it is terrific. Food porn addicts get to look at the pictures without getting bogged down with the details. People who want to read the actual recipe can read the post and discover the details. I REALLY, REALLY like it. Uploading with Flickr's photo uploader is also a joy...much better and FASTER than Blogger's crap uploading. Lemme know how you like the new photo thingy. That's the BCC. Also trying to improve his readers' experiences. What a guy, what a guy (and he's still single!)

So this is, obviously, another Indian vegetable post. It is from Mangoes & Curry Leaves Culinary Travels Through The Great Subcontinent which I have cooked from before. It keeps its status as a great book to cook from. In fact, I've made it my goal to cook every vegetable recipe in the book...I'm about halfway through and it has been a mostly delicious experience.

Anyhow, here we go. I guess I will also use a more traditional cookbook format for recipes.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons of oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic or garlic paste..(.oops...just realized I made a boo-boo in the above picture...pretty sure it says tablespoon...and it also includes ginger...my bad)
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 cup of sliced shallots
1 cup of chopped tomatoes (I used canned, diced tomatoes)
2 green chiles seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup of water
(NOTE-I MADE A DOUBLE BATCH AND THE PICTURES REFLECT THAT)

Heat oil in a large pot, toss in half of the garlic and cook until fragrant. Don't burn the garlic. If you do, you've failed and should start over. Add the potatoes and shallots. I cooked this until the shallots softened and went limp. Toss in the tomatoes, green chiles and give it a good stir.

Add the spice blend and the rest of the garlic. Stir well. Add the water and PLENTY of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are cooked through. After 10 minutes, give it a good stir to make sure nothing is sticking...if it is, add a bot of water.

OPTIONAL ACCOMPANIMENTS
Fresh sliced shallots
Fried green chiles
Jaggery
Chapatis

I opted for none of the above. Instead, I ate the starchy potato curry with rice. Starch and starch. Got a problem with that? Then you'll probably also have a problem with the fact that ate the starchy potato curry with starchy rice AND starchy lentils. 'Cause I'm tough like that.

Time-20 for prep, ~25 for the cooking.

Food cost. Not going to bother with this one...I mean, potatoes? Shallots? Some tomatoes? Cheap, cheap and cheap. It's got to be well under a buck per serving.



Wow. This new format is EASY. SUPER DUPER EASY. And fast. However, it seems like alot of the obsessive details which I used to add have been lost. Hmmm. I dunno.

Here's your LOLCat prize.

How to Peel a Fava Bean

Some of you may have noticed fava beans showing up in your local grocery stores. Because they are kind of funky and a bit intimidating, I thought I'd put together an instructional blog-post. It's actually kind of weird that I'm putting this together because I'm not the biggest fan of fava beans in their fresh, natural state. However, they ARE a major component in doubanjiang, my favorite Chinese hot bean paste. You'll find versions made with soybeans but those are inferior. *rubs fabric...Polyester, no good.* Inside joke.

So. This is a fava bean. Actually, this is the outer pod.Split it open and you'll see the individual beans. I suppose the pod could be edible but I'm not brave enough to try...just the beans for me:
See how nature has created a cozy little home for the beans? They've even got their own fuzzy padding!

Pluck out a bean:Did you think you were done? Not yet! The beans have their own skin which must be peeled! Some cookbooks blanch the beans before peeling the skin but in the French Laundry cookbook, TK tells us that gases can get trapped underneath the skin and cause discoloration. So, peel the beans before you blanch them.

Peeling:
The finished treat!Yes, slightly tedious but it's mindless enough so that you can do this while watching tv. So, what to do? I am definitely not the right person to ask but there are plenty of resources for online recipes.

In addition, I finally perfected crispy chicken skin. The technique? I first dried the chicken thighs with a paper towel and then left them to dry, skin side up, in a fridge. The fridge helps evaporate even more moisture from the skin...probably did this for about an hour. Then, a HOT cast iron pan and patience. I let them brown, skin side down for probably 8-10 minutes.I then flipped the thighs, scattered some thyme and chunked zucchini among the chicken and finished cooking it in a HOT oven. Around 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Yes, the zucchini was HELLA overcooked. Finished product:
Just look at that skin. Perfectly crispy, salty, delicious chicken skin. Soooooooo good. Ignore the zucchini. Blech. Dipping sauce for the chicken was meyer lemon juice, honey, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Lastly, I've run out!!! This stuff is amazing. Blis maple syrup...you might think it's plain maple syrup but this is AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS!!!! Yes, you can taste the difference. Someone send me more!!!! See ya!

White Bean and Sausage Stew

Mmmmm, I just ate the most delicious grapefruit. George and I had a discussion where we debated whether of not grapefruits are underrated. After an informal survey of our IM friends, grapefruits ARE underrated. Just like I thought. I win, George. You lose.

So I've been the apartment cook for the past few days and this has given me the chance to cook fromChef On A Shoestring. As with the pizza recipe and an upcoming braised beef recipe, this recipe turned out really, really well. Absolutely no complaints.

I forgot to take the traditional picture of the collected ingredients. Oops. Please forgive me. But for this recipe it doesn't really matter 'cause it's so easy.

Start by soaking 1 pound of small, dry white beans overnight. Although there is debate over the necessity of soaking beans, I'm not going to get into it here. If you prefer other types of beans, feel free to use them. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time.

The next day, pick through the bloated, engorged beans. You're looking to get rid of any pebbles and things of that sort. Some people like to sort the beans before soaking them...this is fine. The important thing is to pick through the beans at some point.

After the beans are soaked and picked through, it's time to cook them. Add the beans to a large pot. Cover with water. ALOT of water. Toss in 5 or 6 Italian sausages (hot or sweet) and a bay leaf or two.
Bring to a boil and then drop to a simmer. Remove the sausages after 15 minutes of simmering and set aside.
Continue cooking the beans until smooth and creamy. This will probably take between 1-1.5 hours.

While the beans are cooking, dice some veggies. You're looking for a cup of carrots, a cup of celery and a cup of onion. If you want to use more veggies, feel free. If you feel like adding other veggies, feel free. It's your call. Also, mince some garlic until you have a few tablespoons worth. I made the mistake of pureeing mine with my Micro-plane. I say mistake because pureeing the garlic releases ALOT of garlic flavor. I felt it was a bit overpowering. Oh well, you live you learn. Slice the sausages into bite size pieces.
Once the beans are done cooking and have had a chance to cool for 1/2 an hour, drain them but reserve 4 cups of the bean cooking liquid. Take 1/2 of the cooked beans and blend them with 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to your large pot and saute the carrots and onion until the onions are soft and transluscent. Toss in the celery and garlic and saute for 30 seconds or so. Pour in 1/2 cup of dry white wine. Recipe calls for a full cup but I felt 1/2 cup was sufficient. Cook for 30 seconds. Toss in the drained beans, sliced sausage and blended/pureed beans. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and chuck into your pre-heated oven. Cook for 30-45 minutes.

Remove from oven, re-taste for seasoning. If the stew is a bit thick, thin it down with the reserved bean cooking liquid.

Done! I like to drizzle each bowl with a nice glug of good quality olive oil.

And just a short video to show you the aftermath of pizza night and white bean stew...actually, our kitchen has been much, MUCH worse than this.


Time-Overnight to soak the beans, a few hours to simmer the beans but the rest of it takes no more than 30 minutes.

Food Cost-
Beans-$1.09
Sausage-$3.29
Veggies-$1.00
Incidentals- $0.50
Total- About 6 bucks. Serves 4-5. $1.20-$1.50 per serving.

Text only link click here.

Lolcat: