Food Recipies Free: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Favorite Foods of Hawaii

During the plantation era workers in Hawaii sat together at lunch and ate a bite of whatever their co-workers brought. It might have been adobo, fried rice or teriyaki. Call it potluck, Hawaii style. Trying new flavors has long been part of Hawaii's heritage and something you should do too when you visit. Trying local specialties and discovering new (and old under-the-radar) places in Hawaii is one of my favorite vacation activities.

Everyone has their 'must try' things to eat in Hawaii. Here are just a few of mine and where to find them on Oahu. Each one of these dishes tells you a little something about the culinary history of Hawaii.

poke title=

Poke (pronouned po-kay)
Where to find:
Everywhere, but Alicia's Market has a big selection

This is perhaps one of the most 'authentic' dishes from Hawaii. It's primarily raw fish and it comes in many varieties such as wasabi, tobiko, and Maui onion, but traditionally it was just chunks of fish such as ahi, salt, seaweed and a bit of toasted kukui nut, all native ingredients.

manapua title=

Manapua
Where to find:
Royal Kitchen in Chinatown

These filled buns look like cha siu bao, but the version you find in Hawaii is larger and a little sweeter and much lighter. The dough seems a bit more Portuguese than traditional Chinese. You can also get it filled with Kalua pork which you definitely won't find outside of Hawaii.

While at Royal Kitchen don't miss the 'pork hash' Hawaii's version of siu mai. It's unique and succulent with less ingredients than siu mai, but it's very tasty all the same. Both the manapua and the pork hash are very inexpensive.

Taro Chips
Where to find:
Everywhere but for freshly made chips go the Hawaiian Chip Factory Outlet

You may or may not appreciate poi, but you are sure to enjoy taro chips. The Hawaiian Chip Company opened in 1999 and makes very popular vegetable chips served at restaurants, on Hawaiian Airlines and they are widely available in stores. But at the factory shop you can get a freshly made hot bag of chips and season them yourself. You can also get a snack, like the killer sliders they serve on Saturdays.

malasadas title=

Malasadas
Where to find:
Leonard's Bakery

These Portuguese donuts are a must. The big neon sign at Leonard's letting you know when they are fresh will lure you in. I don't know anyone who doesn't love these hot, yeasty, moist-in-the-middle pillows of love, better than any Krispy Kreme, that's for sure.

Shave Ice
Where to find:
Many places, but I like Tats the best

Better than a snow cone, more like a snowball, the best shaved ice is super fluffy. Shave ice first appeared as a cooling treat on the plantations, and was brought to Hawaii by the Japanese. Get it flavored with something tropical like lilikoi. It's sweet and cooling which is the perfect combination when temperatures rise. Favorite spots are widely debated. It's often said the older the shave ice machine, the better the shave ice.

My thanks to the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau and especially local girl and Oahu writer Catherine Toth for introducing me to some (but not all) of the items featured here

Meaty Cookbooks Part 2 -- Cooking Techniques

Yesterday I shared some new cookbooks that focus on a particular meat such as pork, brisket or goat, in today's installment I'm recommending four more books that are much more general.

One of the most anticipated cookbooks of the year was the Molly Stevens book All About Roasting The book is amazingly comprehensive covering mostly meat--beef, lamb, pork, chicken and poultry but also fish and shellfish, vegetables and fruits. Learn how to choose the best cuts of meat, the basic roasting methods and temperatures, how to carve and more. I love that her recipes also include convection as well as conventional oven temperatures!

Recipes you'll want to try include: Quick deviled rib bones, oven roasted porchetta, one-hour rosemary rib roast, roasted buffalo wings, crispy butterflied roast chicken

Another roast focused cookbook is sure a surefire winner for Francophiles. Rotis, roasts for every day of the week. This charming book follows a certain format, Monday is roast beef, Tuesday is roast veal, Wednesday is roast chicken and game, etc. Each chapter features French and Mediterranean style recipes that generally feel very classic, though some recipes like roast pork with Earl Grey tea feel decidedly modern. While a book about meat, the vegetable sides are equally delectable.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Roast chicken with anchovies and rosemary, roast pork belly with coriander, roast pork loin with endive and orange, lamb shanks with cannellini beans, 4 ideas for stuffing chicken (Boursin cheese? hello!)

Contrary to popular opinion, farm-to-table does not just refer to zucchini. Our own local butcher extraordinaire Ryan Farr has written Whole Beast Butchery which is a visual guide to 'breaking down' beef, lamb and pork with recipes as well. If you've ever wanted to take a butchery course, this is the book for you! The tone and style of the book is much like Ryan is in person, friendly, helpful and approachable.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Beef tongue pastrami, pork belly and garbanzo soup, braised lamb shanks with curry (keep in mind, recipes are limited; this is a butchery book, not a cookbook)

If your budget is a little more quesadilla then crown roast, From the Ground Up by award-winning author James Villas is for you. The most versatile of all meat, ground meat, is featured in hundreds of recipes that use beef, chicken, pork, seafood and more. From the humble and economical meat come recipes from around the world ranging from home style sloppy joes to elegant beef tartare sandwiches. Interestingly some of the recipes use raw meat and some leftover cooked meat that is then shredded, chopped or ground.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Mexican duck quesadillas, Tex Mex sloppy joes, Greek minted meatballs, Spanish eggplant stuffed with lamb, Shanghai lion's head

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Three Must Buy Cookbooks of 2011

I always write a series of 'best of' cookbook posts around this time of year. I've recommended a lot of cookbooks in 2011*, but there are three, you simply must add to your collection. They are written by three amazing women who I admire tremendously and feel honored to have gotten to interview or at least meet. They are not just wonderful cooks and writers but cultural anthropologists who dig deep into how people cook, preserving traditions and making food from other places accessible. These books would make great gifts, but really, I recommend buying them for your own collections, that's how good they are.

There are lots of books about Spanish food. I know, because I have plenty of them, but The Food of Spain
is truly the mother of all Spanish cookbooks with over 600 pages. It has stories, history--it's a true treasury that took years of work to complete. I know this because Claudia Roden told me about the work that went into the book when I interviewed her last year (Claudia Roden interview part 1 and 2)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Claudia Roden's recipes work. They make sense and give just the right level of detail. In this massive tome she uncovers so many more recipes than what you will find in run of the mill restaurants. In The Food of Spain you will discover many fascinating cultures that have influenced Spanish cuisine and recipes both familiar and rare. It's as much a book about food as it is a cookbook.

Dishes you will want to try include Eggplant with Bechamel and Cheese, Fish Stew with Peppers and Tomatoes, Migas with Bacon, Onion Coca.

What can I say about Paula Wolfert that hasn't already been said? She is the most well-known authority on Moroccan food and The Food of Morocco is one of her most important books. Having lived in Morocco for years, she has a depth of knowledge that is just unparalleled. But if you have spent any time with her, you will be struck by her genuine enthusiasm for capturing the details of the cuisine and her drive for perfection. Her recipes are meticulous. Like Claudia Roden, she goes well beyond the surface to discover the history and varied influences that make for such a rich cuisine. Her latest book is over 500 pages. You can read my interview with her from 2009 here.

The book also has plenty of tips and advice to help you get it right, from the different types of couscous to explanations as to why steaming is better than boiling. There are lots of shopping resources too.

Dishes you will want to try include Lamb with Onions, Riffian Split Pea Soup with Paprika Oil, Almonds and Hard Cooked Eggs, Double Cooked Red Chicken Marrakech Style, Barley Grits Couscous with Fresh Fava Beans

It might seem surprising that I put Lisa Fain in the same category as Claudia Roden and Paula Wolfert, but if you spend some time at her blog or reading her wonderful cookbook, The Homesick Texan
, you will see why I do. Lisa Fain's passion and connection to her Texas heritage and food shines through in everything she writes. She treats the cuisine of Texas with such respect and warmth that you can't help but appreciate it too, even if you are not 'homesick' for it.

Unlike Roden or Wolfert, Lisa Fain is not an outsider, but a native who shares her own personal stories. And if she can make Texas recipes work in a New York apartment kitchen you have to know they will work for you too. Her book is a little over 350 pages.

Dishes you will want to try include Calabacitas (Squash and Pork Stew), Poblano Macaroni and Cheese, Coffee Chipotle Oven Brisket and Watermelon Salsa.

*Other cookbooks I reviewed and recommended in 2011:
Cooking My Way Back Home, Kokkari, Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food, The Family Meal:Home Cooking with Ferran Adria, 100 Perfect Pairings, Basic to Brilliant, Y'all

The Homesick Texan and The Food of Spain were review copies, I purchased The Food of Morocco

AVAL PAYASAM | RICE FLAKES PAYASAM

I make this payasam every friday for pooja. This is the simplest & delicious payasam that can be made in 10-15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

Thick rice flakes / poha/ Aval - 1 handful
Powdered jaggery - 1/4 cup or little less
Cardamom seeds - 2 nos (powdered)
Ghee - 1 tsp
Water - As reqd
Roasted Cashews - a few

For additional flavor

Cloves /Krambu- 2 nos
Roasted Nutmeg powder/ Jathikkai - A pinch
Edible camphor / Pachai karpooram - a pinch

METHOD

Heat a kadai with a tbsp of ghee and roast the cashews.Set aside
In the same kadai, roast the aval and cardamom together for 3-4 mins. Aval becomes crispy and turns little brown.
Allow it to cool. Powder it finely along with cardamom.
Now take the water in a bowl and add the powdered aval.Cover and cook for 5 mins. Stir in between and check the water level.
Add more water if needed. Now add the powdered jaggery and mix well.
Allow it to boil for 5-10 mins. Finally add the roasted cashews. Add the items given under 'flavor' if necessary.

****Add little milk at the end to adjust the sweetness. Enjoy !!
NOTE:

U can add coconut milk for richness. But it should be added at the end before switching off the flame.
If u feel sweetness is more, add little boiled milk.
When u add milk along with jaggery , payasam gives a curdled look.To avoid this, add milk only at the end.
If u want, u can replace jaggery with sugar.
Here i've powdered the aval. If u wish, u can roast the aval and cook as it is. It will take little more time to cook.

Technorati Tags: Aval payasam,poha payasam,dessert with rice flakes,Avalakki payasam,Easy payasam

Ed Kenny talks Hawaiian Food

I've been a fan of the restaurant Town in Kaimuki since I first dined there back in 2008. I always make a point of visiting whenever I'm in Honolulu.

Ed Kenney is the chef and owner, and a great voice for sustainability in the food system. He's very approachable, in fact you'll see him shopping at the farmers market most weekends. He also has his finger on the pulse of what's happening so on my last visit I got a sat down to chat with him about the local Oahu food scene and since I'm heading back tomorrow, I thought it's about time I shared this interview...

What do you think would surprise most people about the food scene here?
We have different kinds of visitors, the Cheesecake Factory here is the highest grossing location in the world. Then there are the Opentable people who look for places to eat before they even get here, but it's still a small group. People know the chains and the upper crust spots, but what makes it really amazing is the middle range and finding out about that takes a motivated foodie traveler. It's the middle range that's so diverse. And the diversity is blossoming.

What are your thoughts on the food truck trend? Any trucks you particularly like or patronize?
There have always been food trucks, it's beach thing, people get out of the ocean dry off and want to get something to eat. But the culinarily driven ones are new. It's a stepping stone, also it adds diversity, Zaratez, from LA tacos. Melt is run by Nobu alums, so fine dining is going more approachable. Soul Patrol, Sean's a good friend. The food is excellent. It's heavy stuff. Camille's on Wheels is run by a home cook, and it's got a really homey feel. Deep dish pies with flaky crust, fusion tacos. I haven't been to Eat the Street yet because I'm working that night.

So where should the visiting foodie dine?
The Pig and the Lady, Plancha, some of the pop up roving restaurants have young passionate, creative chefs.

Which chef or restaurant impresses you these days?
Mark Noguchi at He'eia Pier. (Note: More on Hee'eia Pier after my next visit)

How would you describe Town for people who haven't been?
We're very italian. The regional manager of Gucci comes to Town every time he visits and says 'This is not Italian but it is the essence of Italian food' and that's because because we have an Italian sensibility.

What should visitors not miss when they come to Hawaii, in terms of ingredients?
We can grow everything here, I'd like to think native Hawaiians would grow arugula today. Our locally grown vegetables even non-native ones are great. Paia hand pounded taro. We use it in breads and in dough. We slice and pan fry it crispy on the outside and mochi like inside. We've had invasive seaweeds, so it's good to eat those! Cooking with seaweed is like adding the sea to a dish.

SORAKKAI SWEET KOOTU & PAAL KOOTU/ BOTTLE GOURD GRAVY- TWO VERSIONS

I learnt this from my MIL.. We are not find of this vegetable. So i buy bottle gourd very rarely. But whenever i buy , i make only this kootu. With vathakuzhambu , it tastes divine… I've given a spicy version too. But my vote goes to the sweet version Love it a lot..!!

INGREDIENTS

Bottle gourd – 1 no (small size) or half if it is big
Green chilly – 1 no (chopped finely)
Salt & water – As needed
Powdered Jaggery – 1/4 cup (adjust )

To grind

Coconut – 1/4 cup or less
Rice flour – 1 tsp
Water – as needed

To temper

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
Red chilly – 1 no ( full , no need to pinch)
Curry leaves – a few

Milk (optional) at the end ..

METHOD

Wash and peel off the outer skin of bottle gourd .
Cut into two halves.Now remove the center portion which has seeds.
Finely chop it and add the green chilly pieces, salt and water.
Pressure cook up to one whistle.Meanwhile , grind the grated coconut with rice flour adding little water or milk.
Now open the cooker and add the powdered jaggery . Mix well. Let it boil for few minutes.Finally add the ground coconut mixture and allow it to thicken .. Add milk at the end if necessary ..
Temper all the ingredients given above in the same order. Add to kootu ..

Enjoy with Vathakulambu rice and papad !!

SORAKKAI PAAL KOOTU

Bottle gourd – 1 no (small size) or half if it is big
Sambhar powder – 1 tsp
Salt & water – As needed

To grind

Coconut – 1/4 cup or less
Rice flour – 1 tsp
Water – as needed

To temper

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
Red chilly – 1 no ( full , no need to pinch)
Curry leaves – a few

MILK – LITTLE AT THE END

METHOD

Wash and peel off the outer skin of bottle gourd .
Cut into two halves.Now remove the center portion which has seeds.
Finely chop it and add the sambhar powder, salt and water.
Pressure cook up to one whistle.Meanwhile , grind the grated coconut with rice flour adding little water or milk.
Now open the cooker and add the ground coconut mixture and allow it to boil .. Add milk at the end if necessary ..
Temper all the items given above and add to kootu..

Enjoy with rice and papad !

KITCHEN CLINIC

Bottle gourd

The bottlegourd belongs to the cucumber family and originated in Africa, and is now available in most parts of the world. Also known as calabash, cucuzza, sorakaya, lauki, doodhi, and ghiya in various languages, this vegetable comes in different shapes, the most common being the bottle-shaped (hence the name) and round.
The sizes vary from six inches in length to more than six feet.In the US, bottlegourds are available in farmer's markets, Asian grocery stores, as well as mainstream markets.
This is a popular vegetable in Indian cooking. When cooked, bottlegourd can be slightly sweet or bland, and lends itself to a variety of dishes.
Dried bottlegourds are used to make water bottles, bowls, musical instruments, and decorative ornaments.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Bottlegourd contains a lot of water - almost 96 percent is water, and as such is light and easy to digest. Bottlegourd is commonly used for treating indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea. Bottlegourd juice with a pinch of salt is also used to treat dehydration caused by diarrhea.
The water content in bottlegourd along with the high fiber content helps with constipation as well.
Low in calories (100gms has 12 calories) and low in fat, bottlegourd is a wonderful vegetable to include in any weight-loss diet.
Regular use of cooked bottlegourd is considered an effective remedy for tuberculosis, and for boosting immunity.
Bottlegourd juice mixed with sesame oil in a 50:50 ratio and applied over the scalp every night is recommended as a natural remedy for insomnia. Cooked leaves of the bottlegourd plant are also considered to be effective.
Bottlegourd has a calming influence and is effective in treating hysteria; fresh bottlegourd pulp should be applied on the forehead of the patient.

Cooking Tips

Select small, tender, and firm bottlegourds (light green and fresh-looking); prick the skin, and if it's thin, it's tender. You can use tender bottlegourds with the peel and tender seeds. To use mature bottlegourd, remove the peel and seeds.
Taste the bottlegourds before cooking, as they can sometimes be bitter.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate to keep the bottlegourds fresh.
Use them for curries, soups, salads, chutneys, jams or desserts. Their neutral taste lends itself to a variety of dishes, both savory and sweet..

Technorati Tags: sorakkai kootu,bottle gourd kootu,sorakkai paal kootu,sweet kootu.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Grocery Shop, July 10

Bought at DeMille's Farm Market in Salmon Arm.

Corn, kale, leaf lettuce, 2 kinds of apples, blueberries, cherries, carrots, potatos. Missing: loaf of cheese bread.

A Visit to Straus Creamery & Cowgirl Creamery

In the San Francisco Bay Area we are very lucky to have such incredible dairy products produced in our own backyard. Though many enjoy the milk from Straus Family Creamery and cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery very few have seen exactly where those products come from. Last week I got a chance to visit both, thanks to Cathy Strange , the Global Cheese Buyer for Whole Foods Market. While visiting California she took a small group of writers to visit both the dairy and the cheesemaking facility, at Tomales Bay and Petaluma. I learned what makes Albert Straus, Peggy Smith and Sue Conely such pioneers.

Straus cow

Albert Straus is a second generation dairyman. He took over his parents farm which was established in 1941. He transformed what was a struggling conventional dairy and converted it to the first organic organic dairy West of the Mississippi River in 1994. Despite all the challenges of running a dairy farm today it is thriving. In moving forward, he embraced many of the practices from the past, including using glass bottles, selling milk that is not homogenized and bringing back Jersey cows and Jersey crossbreeds. Jersey cows are smaller and produce less volume of milk so they were bypassed in favor of Holsteins but yield a richer, higher fat milk.

calves

To be organic, all the feed must be organic and free of growth hormones rBGH and rBST, but Straus goes one step further, verifying that the feed is GMO free as well. The cows are milked twice a day, and the young calves live in clean and idyllic quarters with plenty of access to pasteurized milk which helps them grow to be particularly healthy and robust.

All power at the dairy is offset by a methane gas digester that takes waste from the cows and turns it into electricity.

Straus Family Creamery

Straus has led by example, encouraging many local dairies to 'go organic.' Now 50% of the dairies in Marin and Sonoma counties are organic.

cheesemaking at Cowgirl

Peggy Smith and Sue Conley co-founders of Cowgirl Creamery got into the cheese business, inspired by the Straus matriarch, and Albert's mother, Ellen Straus. Both women came from the restaurant world and began by creating fresh organic cheeses from Straus milk. They still make clabbered cottage cheese, creme fraiche, and fromage blanc, but what they are most known for are some of their unique aged cheeses, especially the soft ripened bloomy rind Mt. Tam, Inverness and my favorite, the luxurious triple cream washed rind Red Hawk, so pungent and buttery, which won best of show at the American Cheese Society in 2003.

aging cheese

Peggy and Sue work with local organizations like Marin Organic and the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (where Sue is currently board chair) to ensure that farmland is protected.

Cowgirl Creamery cheese

At their main cheesemaking facility in Petaluma, not far from Straus dairy they use the freshest milk, and are particularly gentle with the cheese curds, creating very high quality cheeses.

Thanks Cathy! Come back and let's visit some more cheesemakers soon.

While Straus Family Creamery is not regularly open to tours, you can book ahead if you wish to visit Cowgirl Creamery or take a class.