Watermelon Soup (aka summer chili)

22 Tuesday Jul 2014

Tags

Chili, food, Foot in Mouth, Peace Offering, Summer Soup, Watermelon

A “P”eace offering, of sorts. I think perhaps I offended my friend. Well, not offended as much as skewed some of the facts, hence making him crazy. He needs things to be accurate and perfectly factual. I just like to tell it like I see it, even if my view is slightly skewed. So, as an offering of goodwill (and subsequent editing – well, one item at least), I used his “gifted” watermelon to make my favorite watermelon soup.

This one is “from the journals” (mine) – July, 2009. I came up with it on a trip to my brother’s place in Manzanita, Oregon where we were vacationing with my in-laws, Lois and Bill, at the time. Each of us had brought a few baby watermelons to the gathering on the coast. When life brings you watermelon (or 5), eat it with salt, then use the leftovers to make soup.

Watermelon Soup (AKA Summer Chile) Serves 6 – 8

Although this is served with a “salsa”, the salsa is actually the body of the soup. The watermelon broth is ladeled over the the salsa and they mingle nicely to become a light chili. I like to dollop a spoonful of sour cream or crème fraîche over too before serving. This soup would also be good chilled but I prefer it warm.

INGREDIENTS (for soup broth)

Olive oil for sautéing (approx 1 TB)
1 heaping cup chopped sweet onion
2 TB chopped jalapeño
2 TB chopped, peeled, garlic
1 tsp chopped, peeled, ginger
_____________
5 heaping cups, rinds removed, sliced, seedless watermelon (juice from sitting counts too)
Juice of 1 lime (approximately 2-3 TB)
1 tsp honey (you might want to omit this if your watermelon is overly sweet)
1 tsp ground cumin (1/2 tsp if you are not a fan of cumin flavor as I am)
1/2 tsp kosher salt (+/-) to taste
Many grinds of fresh pepper (I did 20, for the record)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
____________
1/4 cup (+/-) mix of fresh mint, basil, cilantro
_____________

INGREDIENTS (for salsa)

2 cobs of corn, grilled, corn removed from cob
2 cups cooked black (or pinto) beans (I make mine from scratch which you can see here). If you are using canned beans, drain and rinse them then add some salt, cumin and chili powder to taste)
1 TB lime juice
Minced jalapeño, to taste (optional – only if you want to add some more heat. Alternatively, a little bowl could be offered to guests on the side if some like it spicy (Bill) and others are more tame (Lois))
1 avocado, peeled and diced
A sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste

PREPARE (soup broth)

Sauté the onion, jalapeño and garlic in olive oil until soft (approximately 5 minutes).

Add everything (including the cooked onion mix) other than the herbs to a food processor and purée. You might need to do this in two batches.

Transfer to a saucepan, bring to a simmer and reduce by approximately one cup.

Check for consistency and flavor. Adjust to your taste. Perhaps a little more lime juice or another pinch of salt? Like it spicy? Add more jalapeño to the base or keep it for your salsa.

Stir in the chopped herbs, let warm a few minutes longer while you pull together the salsa and heat your bowls.

PREPARE (salsa)

Mix all the ingredients together. I leave the avocado out to place on top, separately, so that any leftovers won’t spoil.

TO SERVE

In heated bowls, place a large spoonful of salsa (topped with the avocado if you haven’t. Mixed it in yet) in the center and ladle the warm soup broth over top. Garnish with sour cream or crème fraîche if you like.

For “P”, I have included a spoonful of chopped garlic, since I left “lot’s of it” out of his “loaf” burger. It was meant as a joke but before I could warn him, he had already added to soup and consumed half the bowl. I have yet to hear if it was too much (but I suspect not). This is where I would argue that minced jalapeño would be nicer than garlic.

Knock, Knock.

Who’s there?

Soup.

Soup who?

Souper sorry. :o)

We told her to do it… (“P” – please keep visiting us and taking us for walks, signed “Princess” + buDdY).

Mirror, Mirror

11 Sunday May 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in family gatherings, the kitchen

≈ 36 Comments

Tags

dessert, family, food, Goat cheese cheesecake, lemon curd, Mother's Day, recipes, strawberries

I sometimes feel like a broken mould. A fish that feels out of the water. A unique character that is looking to be told that she is okay, or perhaps, okay is what she is? Life can take us in many directions; one way may not necessarily be better than the next, and that way, not necessarily worse than the last. Life’s paths are often twisted and sometimes it is hard to steer them straight. Many years ago, I seemed to have lost touch with a piece of my family, one that I never really knew all that well since our connection was lost through the early death of my natural mother. Sadly, despite my adopted mom’s attempts at keeping us all in contact (she was the one who raised Scott and I from a very young age and is the only mother we ever really knew). As kids we traveled every summer to California to visit them, until we didn’t. Another path.

I have always thought it would be fun to have a twin, an identical twin like my mother had, but I would have settled for a sister. I have two brothers who, don’t get me wrong, I love very much; one slightly older, one younger, and all of us quite different from one another, but then in some ways, not too much. Through the years I always wondered if my cousin Julie, daughter of my mother’s twin sister, would be like me? I heard about her on-and-off through the years and although we had similarities, we didn’t seem to be the same.

Yet, I met a version of myself last week. A version that felt familiar, yet one I didn’t know. She was different enough, yet strangely quite the same. Her hair was longer, a bit lighter (perhaps because this version lives in the sun), her jawbone more pronounced, and without that bump in my nose (Tom was sure she’d have it too!). A version that was possibly more articulate and perky, more humble and less vain. This version, was my cousin Julie. I had only seen her once since childhood. She was only one and a half years older, but when you are under the double-digits in age, that year and a half is much grander than it is when the decades begin to multiply.

Cousin Julie on the left.

So here we were this past weekend, talking and carrying-on about family, memories and life. Looking at her I realized that time goes by fast and we better take care not to let another 30 years slip by! Generously, she brought me a handmade year book that my natural mother had made, filled with black and white pictures and handwritten captions that I had never seen. When I opened the brown, rabbit-eared craft-paper pages, I thought I was looking at photographs of my young self, but realized they were photographs of our twin mothers.

Julie also brought me a silver hand mirror that our mothers were each given for their sixteenth birthday. I picked it up in my hand and felt the weight of the silver, saw the tarnish and crazing of age and understood the irony it implied. We are only versions of ourselves and in life, nothing is ever just the same, but sometimes objects are closer than they appear.

Lemon (goat) cheese cake
Makes 5 mini and 1 small cake (or would likely make 8 mini cakes or 4 small cakes)

The name of this cake might immediately turn my brother, Scott, away from this blog page. Not because he wouldn’t be interested in letting me finish my thought, but because he saw the title and felt he need not read more. I hope he does (read more that is).

Dinner, the night that Julie and her charming (and unknowingly witty) husband, Joe came for dinner (a mere three hour plane ride and 30 years later); my brother Scott also joined. My week at work, well, let’s just say it was challenged. My best laid plans had not been laid. I came up with a menu based on, well, unlike me, not much other than… just because. I didn’t know what Julie and Joe liked, or didn’t like (something I pride myself on knowing of my dinner guests).

Julie called me the night before our dinner. Having gotten only the polite response that “they were easy and ate anything” via email to my inquiry of their culinary discerning, I felt compelled to ask, “really, what don’t you eat”?

Mistake? No. Challenge? Maybe. I had just the night before braised a pork belly, in red wine and rhubarb for our first course. “We are easy” she replied. “Oh, well, there is just one thing”, she said, “if you must ask, I don’t like pork”.

Okay, so I could adapt. I bought her fresh scallops to replace the pork. The other diners would now get both because I decided they go well with pork belly too. I mentioned this casually as I was prepping our plates and Scott chimed in, proudly describing my knack for choreographing the food based on individual preferences; how his two dislikes are cilantro and goat cheese and if serving either, I always provide him a version without. Yes, that was true. I began feeling guilty because, well, for obvious reasons, if you remember the title of this cheesecake. I did have a back-up carton of ice cream ready to step in, but in the end, he ate every bite without mention. I’ll let him chime in again and tell us if he noticed?

Next visit, no pork for Julie, no salmon for Joe (especially not rare). There will be cosmopolitans (and/or Italian cocktails with Prosecco); most importantly, Scott, I promise, no goat cheese for you (even if you admit to having liked the dessert).

INGREDIENTS

8 oz chèvre (goat cheese)
1/3 cup natural turbinado sugar
Juice of 1/2 small lemon plus zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TB whole wheat pastry flour
4 eggs separated

Ramekins wiped with butter on the inside and dusted with turbinado sugar.

Fresh strawberries and lemon curd for garnishing (I use purchased “Thursday Cottage” lemon curd).

COOK

In a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, combine the chèvre with the sugar, lemon/zest, vanilla and flour. Add the egg yolks, one at a time and beat well.

In another bowl (smaller), beat the egg whites until stiff. Add these to the yolk mix and stir to combine.

Pour the mixture into each of the prepared ramekins. I like using the mini ramekins but found that I was either short of them or long on batter. It doesn’t really matter what size you use as long as you can cook them in a pan filled partly up of water. Like I mention in the title, this particular batch made up 5 “mini” and 1 “small” ramekin.

Set the ramekins in a pan of water filled 1/3 (-ish) way up the ramekin. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through so a toothpick comes out clean (you know that ‘ol trick) and slightly golden on top.

Let them cool in the water bath. Remove from the water and set the ramekins aside until ready to serve (keep refrigerated if made a day in advance).

SERVE

Carefully run a butter knife around the edge of each ramekin and turn them out onto individual plates. Top with a thin layer of lemon curd and garnish with fresh strawberries (as artsy or bohemian as you see fit).

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

and…

Happy Mother’s Day to Linda, Lois, Talita, Doris, Cousin Julie (Barb & Bev), Irma, Christine, Laura and Beth

Pictured is the “small” sized ramekin. I think the “mini” is a better individual portion but I only require a “little” dessert.

Treasures.

More treasures…

Lucky me, she signed my card

and house of cards as sun screen.

I yam what I yam (but no yams here)

08 Thursday May 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 43 Comments

Tags

Chickpeas, fiesta Friday, food, Popeye, recipes, Spinach, spinach soup

Stuck in my head was a verse:

“So, you want to be a super hero?” (to the tune of, SuperHero by Jane’s Addiction); you might notice I had the lyrics wrong? I’m always doing that; getting lyrics wrong and getting tunes stuck in my head. Somehow this got me to thinking about spinach, superheroes being strong and all.

Spinach was overrated in my book. In my whole set of encyclopedias, in fact. I did like Popeye and all, and particularly thought it was cool that he slurped down the green stuff (without a can opener) and became strong. Believe it or not, Popeye was not actually considered a superhero (I checked), but he did get superpowers from the spinach. I was okay with being weak; no spinach for me. For a little weakling though, I was actually pretty strong.

Ironically, as I began writing this post, I overheard two co-workers talking about Popeye and debating different theories concerning the characters. It seemed quite ironic as I hadn’t thought or heard about Popeye in many, many years, yet on my iPad sat a paragraph, beginning a post with Popeye’s mention. I couldn’t help but listen in on the debate.

A very quick synopsis of what I overheard:
Wimpy was the name of one of the characters (was this my character, I thought? Was I Wimpy?).
Olive Oyl was always getting Popeye into trouble (but spinach was always pulling him out).
Was the name of Popeye’s rival character named Bluto or Pluto (they settled on the wrong name, Pluto was their choice).
The conflict between Pluto and Popeye came from Olive Oyl (what, Olive Oyl was the antagonist? So is olive oyl good or bad for spinach?).
The whole spinach power thing was “wicked cool“ (dude).

I mentioned this to Tom on the drive home, who immediately said, “Bluto, not Pluto! Pluto was Mickey Mouse’s dog!”. That’s my Tom, vault of useless (+ useful) information (especially concerning cartoons, movie quotes, 80’s music, well, all things 80’s actually), much to my chagrin. He does make me laugh.

It wasn’t until one day while lunching with my former boss, that I discovered I had been missing out all along. When she ordered us a big plate of spinach sautéed with garlic and lemon to split as an appetizer, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. She could be, um, slightly judgmental, and I didn’t want to tell her I hated spinach, when she was so certain that this is what we needed to have. I knew I would need to eat it, what I did not know was that I would actually like it so much.

It has been some number of years since then and I have been happily munching on spinach ever since. Perhaps the difference between my like and dislike of the green stuff was all in the presentation. Wadded up and popped out of a can (the visual I gleamed from Popeye growing up) along with the frozen block out of a waxed box, soggy and slimy on the plate (the actuality of how mine was delivered growing up), versus freshly-sautéed in a bath of olive oil and lemon with aromatic bits of spicy garlic.

I love the latter of the above and cook mine by first putting a few pinches sea salt and fresh ground pepper into a pan and heating it until fragrant. I then drizzle in the olive oil, followed momentarily by the garlic and then finally the spinach. My spinach is always bone dry (as bone dry as spinach goes) as it hits the pan and must be tended to quickly, flipping, tossing and thrusting about. Within minutes, the whole process is complete, producing a wilted, yet perky result.

Spinach Soup

This soup is über-healthy, delivering an extra helping of “strong” while satisfying even the most skeptical spinach naysayer.

INGREDIENTS

1 celery stalk, chopped coarsely
2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, seeded, chopped
1 1/2 cups freshly cooked chickpeas, see how I cook mine here (or canned, rinsed, and drained)
2 cups chickpea cooking liquid (or vegetable stock if using canned beans)
1 tsp cumin
1 can lite coconut milk
1/2 cup vermouth
Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 3 TB)
1/2 lb fresh baby spinach, cleaned and dried

Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Sprouted pumpkin seeds and fresh Buffalo mozzarella for garnish

COOK

In a stockpot, sauté the celery, leek, garlic and jalapeño in a little olive oil until soft (approximately 5-7 minutes). Add the chickpeas/liquid, cumin, vermouth and lemon. Bring to a simmer. Continue cooking for a further 10-15 minutes, until the flavors have combined nicely.

Add the spinach and continue cooking until it begins to wilt; season with salt and pepper.

. Add the coconut milk and bring back to a simmer until the spinach is cooked through.

Purée in a food processor or by using an immersion blender.

Divide among bowls and garnish with the sprouted pumpkin seeds and fresh mozzarella (soft creamy piece torn off and plopped in). Paired with a salad makes for a fine lunch. Look out Popeye, I’ve got some olive oil too!

And head on over to Fiesta Friday for a dose of fun!

Serving time

27 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in Eating Out, Ginger + Buddy, the kitchen

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Clams & mussels, dogs, food, Looking Good dog grooming, service

When I started out, working at my grandparent’s restaurant at the age of twelve, I knew it was all about service. Speed, I quickly learned, also played an important part, as did efficiency, multi-tasking, product knowledge and stamina, but even more important was courtesy, compassion and a passion for your job. It is a combination of these (and other) components that provide great service.

So, I am always rather amazed that in a city such as Seattle, with as many good food eateries as there are, that there are so few servers actually providing good service (let alone great service). Having visited some great haunts in Chicago, San Francisco and New York, there is a different “professional” server that you don’t see often here, especially in a neighborhood establishment. Trust me, we had some bad experiences in those towns too (mostly at “the fancy” places; it is often the “real spots” that always shine through). Here, there are definitely some good servers, great ones even, and by no means am I saying that they are mostly poor at providing good service in Seattle, not true, but it is true that this city lacks the really professional service that leaves you feeling that you have been taken care of thoroughly, without judgement, and in a courteous, helpful and efficient manner, without a pause.

Tonight, as a follow up post to Ginger and Buddy’s spa day, I wanted to quickly show pictures of them sporting their de-clacked, coiffed and dapper selves. I will of course show you the pictures rather than state the obvious (you can see they are “looking good”).

Buddy is a little sleepy on the way home…

…but minutes before, had a spring in his step.

Later, at home, Ginger acting a little aloof (and groggy) but feeling and looking good. That is Buddy’s blue handkerchief, sleeping in the background.

Buddy sure was cute awake too.

As for the copy, I decided to write about service instead. Service is a field most of us are in (somehow, someway) yet the level of service we receive these days seems to have gone downhill (at least to me). I feel it is improving yet again, but old fashioned, old school service seems a way of the past as people try to do things cheaper, faster and with less effort.

Perhaps, that is why seeing the genuine thing makes me stop, pause and feel ferociously loyal. Victoria, for those who haven’t read this has been a part of our lives (Bufffy, Ginger, Buddy, Tom and I) for over 20 years. We drive over an hour (one way) out of our way, to bring our beloved dogs to her for grooming. We do this because we couldn’t imagine taking them somewhere else, to anyone else; service (and all this entails, no pun intended)!

Wednesday night, on the way home from “Looking Good“, we stopped at Bastille for a bite to eat.

This has become one of Tom and my favorite spots to eat when in “the hood”. The food has always been great (with the exception of our pork belly last August, but Wednesday night proved this as an anomaly). The service has always been pleasant and on-point; that night though, the service was exceptional (which is something that I don’t say lightly; I am a picky one, it’s true). We arrived just under the wire for Happy Hour and ordered our usual, two French 75’s followed quickly, very quickly, by two more, mussels + frites, the Bastille burger, new and improved pork belly accompanied by a carafe (yep, old school) of red wine (which BTW is always worthy of the meal and I am still a picky one, so take note).

Our server (Rachel), was without pause, hesitation or mis-timing on any of her moves, a true gem at every turn. Without getting too lengthy on the details, I would just like to say, thanks Rachel for doing your job well and with heart.

Rachel at another table.

Knowledgable + helpful…

…passionate.

Speaking of passion and compassion, don’t worry, we always check up on our pups during dinner.

Also, a big shout out to you Victoria, from Loooking Good in Ballard, for all that you do, not just for Ginger and Buddy, but for all the little critters that you take into your shop and care for with courtesy and compassion… we know you are passionate about what you do, and for that we are thankful.

Victoria and Buddy in such a furry flurry, the photo couldn’t help but turn out blurry!

Clams & Mussels with Spanish influence (I know, not French)

As the months become warmer, the shellfish becomes more fragile. Dinner at Bastille, reminded us how delicious a bowl of mussels, filled with a delectable broth for sopping, can be as an easy weekday seafood fix (enhanced notably by the perfect frites). So, flavors completely different and a bit heartier than those from Bastille (plus the mix in of clams), I give you this dish that I threw together one night during the, not-so-distant winter (honey mussels were still in season). I will be making it again soon (with a different variety of mussel) before summer comes full on and our waters become warm.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lbs each, clams & mussels, rinsed (mussels de-bearded)
3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4″ slices
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 poblano chili, slightly charred, seed and stem removed, chopped
1/2 Anaheim chili, chopped
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tomatillo, diced
1 tomato or a handful of grape tomatoes, diced
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 cup Prosecco
2 TB sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onion
Your appetite

Garnish: warm tortillas, cilantro

COOK

In a large sauté pan, put the cut bacon into the pan and turn to medium heat. When cooked through and beginning to crisp, add the garlic and both chilies. After a minute or so, add the paprika, cumin, tomatillo and tomato. Toss the pan a bit then add in the clams and mussels.

Squeeze in the lime juice then pour in the prosecco. The pan will want to recuperate from these additions to regain it’s heat; once simmering, cover the pan and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the shells begin to open. The clams will cook more quickly than the mussels so as they open, remove them to a bowl with tongs. Remove the mussels as they open too.

Turn up the heat on the remaining sauce and add the green onions and sour cream. After a minute or two, the sauce will thicken slightly. Add the shellfish back into the sauce to heat through, then divide the mixture amongst individual bowls. Serve with warm tortillas and garnish with cilantro.

Can’t wait ’til the summer months when we will be eating outside at Bastille.

…rather than inside.

Although, inside is cozy too.

There go the “clackers”

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in Ginger + Buddy

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

dogs, food, Raw asparagus, raw beets, salad

For me, it starts with the wayward hair that won’t go easily into place. From there, it progresses, to a split end… and then many, many more… ends that are split. Time is something that passes, without bold indication, but rather with small changes; mostly undetectable, until suddenly they are, detectable… and bothersome.

I awoke this morning to a sound, rhythmic, familiar. It sounds like this: tststst…tststst…tststst…? I know this sound, so I don’t even question it, the sound. I was still asleep. Later on, it occurred to me, my hair was having a very bad day; how long had it been since my last cut?

And later still, I am cooking, chop, chop, choppity-chop, chchchop…love to chop…; I was in a groove. Then thwack-a-thwack, thwack, thwack. Hate the thwack in the distance! But then enters the tststst…tststst…tststst! What the Hell is going on? I of course know and turn knowing what I will see.

Thwack-a-thwack, thwack, thwack. I look to my left and there sits Ginger… so busted! Itching her ear. Itching, itching but then getting up and walking… tststst…tststst…tststst… really? Buddy is following close behind… tststst…tststst… The clackers, we call them the clackers because of the sound that their nails make, now, as they cross the hardwood floors, it reminds us of the high heels of a clacker.

It’s been 6 weeks, 3 days and several hours since we last dropped off our beloved clackers at the boutique in Ballard, where on Wednesday, Ginger and Buddy will be spending the day. I know this because… of tststst…tststst…tststst… the sound that tells me we will be visiting Victoria soon; time to de-clack.

Buddy: “Hey Ginger, do you think we are getting shaggy?”
Ginger: “You are Mr. Stinky, but my hair looks good long.”
Buddy: Ya, well I can hear your paws from the other side of the house.”
Ginger: “Do you think we are going to see Victoria soon?”
Buddy: “We like Victoria.”

Like clockwork… yes, clockwork, for them, it starts with the wayward hair that will not brush easily from their eyes. From there it progresses to the shagginess that starts gradually, almost undetectable, until the twigs begin to attach themselves, following Ginger and Buddy in from the yard. Finally they look a few inches rounder; their slim frames hidden beneath their new coat. And then comes the clacking, the inevitable sign that we are quickly approaching seven weeks from their last cut. The toenails have once again given them away and served as a reminder that we will soon be making a trek to Ballard and perhaps eating out at one of the many places we love to eat at in that part of town, perhaps Staple & Fancy, Bastille…or Delancey?

Ginger: “I am feeling restless, do you feel like going for a run?”
Buddy: “No, I’m comfy.”

Raw beet & asparagus salad

This is just the kind of thing Ginger and Buddy like to eat.

Buddy and Ginger are big fans of salad but for some reason, they just don’t like the lettuce (unless it comes fully dressed, and that’s not on their diet). So, I thought this might be the perfect meal to send them off for a day at the spa. Asparagus is in season and available locally right now so I love to leave it raw; the flavor is crystal clear. I like to peel the thorns from the stems but to many people, this would be considered fussing. The beets are also in a nice state right now so I opt to keep them raw as well. I make up a little dressing for Tom and I but Buddy and Ginger require none.

For the dressing, I put a pinch of sea salt, a few grinds of pepper, a little chopped garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice and a spot of Dijon mustard into a mini jar (only a few inches tall by half as wide), filled it the rest of the way with olive oil and shook it up until it became creamy.

I then carefully peeled a golden beet and sliced it thin on my mandolin. The asparagus got stemmed, the tips reserved and the thorns lightly peeled away. Next, at a diagonal, I sliced them thinly into pieces.

I had a fresh container of Buffalo mozzarella which I squeezed of excess moisture. I divided some of the beets and asparagus onto two small plates for Buddy and Ginger then tossed the rest in a bowl with just enough dressing to lightly coat the vegetables.

This was then divided onto two, slightly larger, plates for Tom and I. Next came torn pieces of the mozzarella, scattered over all of our plates, and a drizzle more of the dressing with a sprinkling of sea salt for Tom and I.

Ginger: “Do you see what I see?”

Buddy: “Sure do…!”

! !
><

Don’t worry, their next course involved fish.

But…

Oh, If you are curious as to what became of the asparagus tips (Tom’s favorite part), I roasted them off to eat with our Easter lamb (Buddy and Ginger, gently and with supervision, licked the bone).

Put the lime in the coconut

11 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 33 Comments

Tags

Coconut prawns, Fiesta Friday #11, food, mango mustard, Thai coconut water

I am not a patient one – no, no and no. Wish I were… but no. For that, I have Tom. I’m the one who has to cross the street when there is no traffic coming while red; why the he…ck would I wait; other than to miss the diminishing sound waves from the father standing on the corner with his young daughter, informing her that “the woman crossing the street is a law-breaker” (oops, well, something to consider in this town, perhaps).

I am the one who has her foot on the gas pedal the second the light turns green. I am the one that looks from line, to line, to line at the grocery store and quickly changes lanes if there is a person down the way that might have one item less than the person ahead of me… and I am definitely the one that wishes she could wiggle her nose to make “the problem” (insert one from long list of problems) go quickly, very quickly, away.

At home, most “problems” can be fixed by trying it for myself first (yet failing). Trying it again, with more urgency and frustration (yet again, failing), then quickly, very quickly, calling for Tom to help. Problem solved. Tom always has the magic touch and almost always makes the problem go away… find my black long sleeve cotton shirt; the one that I got at Istina’s, not Betty Blue. Put the drawer back in the track (which is now slightly broken from my effort). [Tom here – Whaaaaat is this?] Untangle the necklace that will surely never untangle again. I can’t get this d*mn drawstring back through the waist of my pajama pants (problem solved), well, you get the idea.

Lately, I have been having a battle with the computer modem wifi thingy. Oh, how it likes Tom, but so does not like me. I wake up earlier than him on a weekend morning (Ginger makes sure of that). I shuffle (err… drag myself) out to get coffee and my mobile devices, plus take care of Ginger and Buddy’s needs, I climb back into bed, ready to tuck in and get some work done. Problem. No connection. Now I have to get back out of bed, go deal with the connection and hope for the best. Well, I can hope, but hope is never a reliable solution. Unplug… 1… 2… 3… re-plug. Should be good, right? Wrong. Again. Nope. Once more (for Tom), damn, T o o m m m m m, h e l p? He has the Midas touch.

Uh, oh. I forgot to factor in the what-happens-when-Tom’s-gone, solution. He has been traveling and it didn’t cross my mind, until it did. I came home from work, ready to get back to work. Problem. No connection and Tom’s Midas touch is in Boston, not Seattle. I muster up a good deal of positive thinking and go in for the fix. Nothing. I go back, slowly, breathing calmly and trying to channel Tom. I unplug the thingy Tom said to unplug (not the yellow one, which I couldn’t figure how to make release anyway) and count to four (1-2-3). Then plug it back in. Nothing. I continue this scenario, changing the count times, the position of the device, and the time between tries. Nothing. I contemplate, again, about the yellow thingy and should I give that a try? No, it still will not budge from it’s slot. I give up several times, going back to my iPhone (which always has a cell connection at least) but quickly cave and go back in for more.

Uncountable tries later, I began wondering if unplugging it and running around the room with it in my hands a few times would in fact help. I picture this in my mind and begin feeling a bit silly. Back to giving up. Okay, seriously, what is it I have to do? If I started jumping up and down begging for cooperation, would that work? It didn’t. Tom was not responding to my emails or my texts (pesky 3-hour time difference). Not sure what it was I thought he could do from Boston (I don’t think there’s an app for that, yet).

I was in my final round of coddling the device when I realized not even a single white dot of light was shining (there are three dots). Did I break it even further? Panicking (just a little), I started pulling at all the cords and moving it around in every direction it would allow while it still hung on by the yellow cord. The furthest left connection (as opposed to the middle connection with which I had misunderstood needed the unplugging) was slightly ajar and as I flitted about, I inadvertently shoved it back into place. All three lights lit up and (sky opening up, singing hallelujah) sent me skipping back to my seat to give my devices a try.

Ironically, as I sat down and picked up my phone, I saw a text message waiting. It was from Tom and said this, “Unplug far left grey round cord of white Airport for the count of 4 (1-2-3-4) (NOT I,000) and plug back in. Give it about 3-4 min to reset after to see signal.”

So it turned out, I had been unplugging the wrong cord all along. This time though, I figured it out all by myself (sort of).

So, as for dinner, calamari (fried this time) to start… since he’s not here.

It’s blurry cuz I was inpatient and worked up (or hungry?).

And a quick finish because I used up my patience.

Ahhh… Peace at last (and buttery smooth scallops over lentils, arugula and balsamic).

So, here it is Friday again and rather than jump up and down, I decided to whack, whack a shell, put the lime in the coconut and fill it up with shrimp. Heading over to Fiesta Friday with a little Island delight.

Coconut prawns with mango mustard

I think it is essential to treat yourself to a big swig of coconut water, fresh from the shell, as you cook these. Ginger and Buddy enjoyed a bowl of it too while I sipped on my coconut infused gin + tonic.

This is a personal favorite of Tom’s (to do with his love of Hawaii and all things tropical island) so to let him know I care, this one’s for him but we hope you enjoy. Happy Friday to all. Head over to Angie’s for more good food, friends and fun.

INGREDIENTS (for prawns)

1 lb fresh prawns
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
A few shakes of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup soda water
1 cup Shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Canola or peanut oil for frying

PREPARE (prawns)

Peel, devein and clean the prawns. Pat dry, well.

Combine the flour, baking soda and powder, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl. Add the soda water and whisk until smooth. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, or up to several hours before proceeding. The batter will be enough for at least 1 lb of prawns and possibly a little more. Discard any unused portion.

Lightly dust the shrimp with flour, then dip into the batter. Start with 1/2 cup coconut on a plate and press each prawn onto the coconut shreds, each side. Add more coconut shreds as needed.

They can be prepped to this point several hours in advance.

Fill a heavy pot with enough oil to cover the prawns. I use my deep cast iron skillet and fill it a few inches deep (you can cook in batches if you need).

When the oil Is quite hot, add the prawns and let cook until golden and cooked through (approximately 3-5 minutes), be careful not to let them burn or overcook. Remove with a slotted spoon or metal tongs. These are best served right away.

INGREDIENTS (for mustard)

1/2 cup course chopped, peeled champagne mango (sweeter than a regular mango)
1 TB Dijon mustard
1TB lemon juice

PREPARE (mustard)

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend. If it is too thick, add a little water and continue to process.

TO SERVE

Divide the mustard into little sauce cups. Cut off the diamond tips of a Thai coconut, poke a hole in the top and drain the water into a cup (to drink later). Crack open the coconut and tear it in half. You can clean it of it’s meat now or wait until you have finished your appetizer (in which case you might want to line it with a wax paper square, folded).

Fill each coconut half with prawns, a lime and tuck in the small sauce bowl.

So, “put the lime in the Coconut” and have yourself some fun,

The C h i c k p e a Under pressure

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in cooking basics

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

Chickpea, food, Garbanzo bean, pressure cooking

I am a big lover of legumes and Chickpea was the first. My husband often tells me I am full of beans and most times, he means this quite literally. I suppose I first fell in love with Chickpea at Godfather’s pizza in Alaska when I was young. My brothers were there for the pizza and video games, I was in it for the salad bar where I could pile my plate high with hard boiled eggs, sunflower seeds and chickpeas. If I became the recipient of an occasional spare quarter for a game, all the better. Pizza was not my thing. Yes, I know, what kind of kid doesn’t like pizza? Well, I didn’t like breakfast either but you all know how that turned out?

This longtime love of Chickpea (AKA Garbanzo), was elevated when breaking, quite literally, out of the can. I used to be completely satisfied eating and cooking with canned beans. They are convenient, tasty and usually tender. I casually mentioned this to my former boss once (the same one who got me to eat spinach – stay tuned for that…).

In context, We had been conversing about food and making things from scratch. I, with great authority (which shows I had none) said that there was no reason to cook your own beans because they were perfectly good from the can. She had a strong opinion to the contrary. It was at this point that I embarked on the long and frustrating journey of cooking the perfect bean.

Older, wiser and armed with a pressure cooker, I am now convinced that a homemade batch of beans is both convenient and a staple to many a great meal. I have my Sister-In-Law, Irma, to thank for the epiphany regarding the cooking of dried beans. She uses a pressure cooker, which I had always been fearful of but since converting to, have never looked back. So, without further ado:

C hi c k p e a
Under pressure

The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it is many things in one. It is chickpea soup if you ladle it into a bowl with the liquid, it is a side dish if you scoop it out of it’s liquid with a slotted spoon and it is an ingredient if you are making one of many different things such as hummus, salads, baked goods, soups and so much more.

You will need a pressure cooker for this. If you don’t have one but are intrigued with this idea, less than $100 is worth investing, if nothing else, in cooking beans. There is no need to soak overnight and the cooking time is cut in half. There are many other uses though, so it really is money well spent.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed
3 cups water
1 celery stalk, cleaned and trimmed
1 onion, cut in half, skin removed
3 cloves coarsely chopped garlic
The juice of 1 1/2 lemons
a few drizzles olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch fresh thyme (tied together makes it easier to remove; cooked in a cheese cloth pouch makes for a more aesthetically pleasing broth, sans dark green speckles).
1 – 1 1/2 tsp sea salt (approximately)

COOK

Put all the water, celery, onion, garlic, juice of one lemon, one drizzle olive oil, bay leaf and thyme in the bowl of an electric pressure cooker. Set it to high pressure and set the cooking time to 24 minutes.

It will take 10 minutes or so to work up to the right amount of heat and steam before the timer clicks down. Once the time is up, allow the pressure to work itself down by itself (which will take another 15-20 minutes or so),

Once the lid has released, remove it and check the chickpeas for tenderness. I like mine al dente; easy to bite through but not mushy and falling apart. If they are still a little tough, set the cooker to simmer and let simmer till done.

When they are cooked to your preferred consistency, add the salt, another drizzle of olive oil and the juice of the remaining 1/2 lemon. Turn the cooker off and let cool in the liquid. Once mostly cooled, check the seasonings and adjust to your own liking.

Remove the thyme stems (leaves will have scattered about unless you cooked them in a cheese cloth pouch). Remove the bay leaf too and press on the onions and celery with the back of a spoon. They should begin to melt into the broth as you press on them. You can remove and discard any large pieces, if you wish.

You now have a wide range of options, as mentioned above. Store the unused chickpeas in their liquid.

Munch often and eat well but don’t forget that beans go bad quickly so try not to forget you made them (not likely, right?).

Oh, and don’t forget to pick a Sweet Pea….

…starting to ripen.

…in the sun.

k e b a a a b

04 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 42 Comments

Tags

fiesta Friday, food, kebab, naan, Pork, yogurt sauce

Kebab, kebab, kebab

I just wanted to be able to say k e b a a a b. It’s very catchy. It sounds quirky if said with a certain twang and mysterious if an accent is used. Plus, I really do just like the way it sounds.

I also didn’t want to feel left out since it seems to be rather popular as of late. Everybody’s making them. I might not jump from a cliff if everyone were jumping but I would make a kebab…and so I did. Twice actually. I will spare you the lengthy goings on of my beet powder chicken kebabs tucked into naan with grilled asparagus and fresh mozzarella. Instead I will tell you about my, “I really want to make kebabs right now so I can bring them to Angie’s party kebab”. Kebab, kebab…k e b a a a b!

Lemony Pork Kebabs tucked in naan with spinach, hummus and green olive yogurt sauce

This pork mixture is delicious pan sautéed as well, which sometimes I make tossed in parpadelle with sautéed spinach and a quick pan sauce made with wine and lemon juice. You can form approximately 25-30 pieces from this mixture so if you don’t plan on using them all, they freeze nicely for a night when you need something quick and tasty for dinner.

I am assuming you know how to make hummus, or at least know where to buy a good one, so I am going to save my not-so-secret hummus recipe for another time (I do use a secret ingredient though). I used the humus from Whole Foods for this dish because it is actually quite good and saved me an extra step (I am picky about my humus so I was happy to find one that I liked).

INGREDIENTS (for kebabs)

1 lb ground pork
3/4 cup freshly made breadcrumbs (using olive bread will score brownie points)
3 thin slices fresh lemon, chopped (peel in tact, seeds discarded)
Juice of said lemon which in my estimation, is around 3-4 TB
1/4 of a preserved lemon
3 cloves chopped garlic
4-6 green olives (such as picholine). pits removed, chopped
2 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB grated Pecorino Romano cheese
A few pinches sea salt along with freshly grated pepper
A large wad of fresh cilantro, chopped

INGREDIENTS (to finish)

1-2 naan per person
1-2 TB hummus per naan
1 handful baby spinach per naan
1-2 TB yoghurt sauce per naan (recipe to follow)
1 kebab skewer per naan

TO PREPARE

Combine all of the ingredients for the kebabs in a mixing bowl except the salt and pepper; using your hands, gently but thoroughly mix together. Grind over the pepper and sprinkle with a little salt. You won’t need much due to the olives, cheese and preserved lemon.

Form into small balls and flatten ever so slightly.

Oddly formed, I know.

Thread three pieces onto each skewer (I like using the small skewers). I don’t bother soaking them in water first but you may if you wish.

Over hot coals, on an oiled grate, grill the skewers approximately 8-10 minutes, until cooked through. Turn them a few times to evenly brown.

As they are cooking, I grill the naan alongside.

I had good company.

TO ASSEMBLE

Spread the humus on each piece of warm naan. Top with spinach, then dollop over a spoonful of sauce. Place one skewer on top.

You can serve, skewer in tact, and let each person remove the skewer before picking up the naan, folding it in half to eat like a sandwich.

Ahhh, comfort food.

INGREDIENTS (for yogurt sauce)

4 green olives, pitted and chopped
1 fingertip wad of fresh cilantro, chopped (approx. 1TB)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 thin slices fresh lemon, chopped
1 tsp chopped preserved lemon
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 TB grated Pecorino Romano cheese

PREPARE (yogurt sauce)

Combine everything except the yogurt and cheese in a small bowl. Put the yogurt in another bowl and add the olive mixture then the cheese, adding a little more cheese to taste if needed.

Wait, not so fast…

Before heading over to the Novice Gardener for Fiesta Friday, take a few minutes for a Friday chuckle.

I like the way he says kebab; check it out here. If you don’t want to hang around for the whole thing, fast forward to about 2 minutes, 5 seconds into it.

Oh yeah, I forgot that an accent can also make kebab sound sexy

If you still need to finish your drink before heading out, take a look here (go about 1 minute, 45 seconds in).

Okay, now, run to the party (It’s Fiesta Friday). We are already late.

Since he’s not here…

28 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 30 Comments

Tags

fiesta Friday #9, food, Sautéed calamari, tomato garlic and olive

To this day, calamari continues to remain on Tom’s, “I really won’t eat that” list (I’m working on him though). It was actually the first (of only a few) things that I have cooked for him that he actually wouldn’t/couldn’t eat. Full disclosure: this particular calamari steak turned out so badly, we both had to throw it away. I later found out that he strongly dislikes squid, so it already had a black mark (heh, heh) against it, however, on our first date, he managed to choke down, without mention or commentary, the other four foods that he strongly disliked (I, of course, happened to make them all in one dinner, lucky Tom). To think, I was quite pleased with myself for cooking him, what at the time, was my most impressive meal. It was what I cooked myself when I wanted to be fancy. It also happened to include four of my favorite things: lamb, eggplant, mushrooms and legumes. Well, they do say opposites attract.

That was over twenty-one years ago and I am much better at cooking calamari now, and cooking in general. I think Tom is (secretly) starting to like squid, but baby steps are in order here. [Tom here, uh, Hell no] I would never subject him to another dinner of calamari doré, so I will happily take my squid to Fiesta Friday this week but I won’t say “more for us”, instead I’ll say “since he’s not here!”

Simple Sautéd Calamari with garlic, olives & tomato

The first time I was able to cook fresh squid (not previously frozen), it was a game changer. Hard to come by, but I highly recommend it if you find some.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb squid (calamari) (both tentacles and tubes)
1-2 TB olive oil and a pad of butter
1 small tomato, diced
3 good quality olives of your choice, pitted, sliced or chopped
2-3 TB fresh courtly chopped Italian parsley

COOK

Rinse and drain the calamari tubes and tentacles; dry with paper towels. Season the calamari with sea salt and pepper. To a hot sauté pan, drizzle in some olive oil. Throw in the chopped garlic followed by the calamari, toss once or twice and quickly throw in a handful of diced tomatoes, good-quality olives cut in pieces and chopped, fresh parsley (if you like, melting a little butter in is nice too). Then squeeze in juice from a lemon wedge and voila – a quick and tasty first course. Serve with a slice of grilled bread.

Come on over to Angie’s place for Fiesta Friday to check out all the other great food and weekend inspiration.

What the duck?

21 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

duck tacos, Fiesta Friday #8, food, Roast duck

Rumor has it that it’s now Spring. I awoke chirping and cheerful. I’m not one to spring out of bed singing, but I did have a spring to my step; visions of sunshine and sunsets. Of flowers, Fiesta, Friday and fun. Buddy bounced happily behind me as I zipped room to room getting ready for work. Ginger languished behind, stretching, doing yoga moves and, most likely, contemplating breakfast. Soon she joined in and followed as we went back and forth, knowing we would soon land in the kitchen, where we would all replenish for the start of a happy Spring day. There would be squirrels for them to bark at as they looked through newly cleaned windows, there would be sunbeams to nap in, and plenty of time to snuggle.

I looked through my journals between sips of coffee to see where I had been on this day in years past. Turns out, I had been eating tuna tartare with blood orange, olives and avocado; seared halibut with mint aioli and beets. I munched on frisée salad with grapefruit vinaigrette flavored with Argan oil; and I lightened a soup of cauliflower with Pernod. This all started me thinking about asparagus and morel mushrooms, artichokes and goat cheese. I will soon find Spring onions and baby leeks, pea vines and sweeter beets.

It’s a good day when there is something to look forward to and something new to celebrate. Like standing in the sun or ending a long work week. Like I said, rumor has it that Spring has sprung.

The thing about rumors, is sometimes that’s just what they are. It must have been a rumor because as we rushed off to work, the air was shockingly cold and there was a layer of frosty ice on the car that was persistent and thick. All I could think of, as I scraped off the windows was, “what the duck?”.

Roast Duck Tacos

Tonight I will be bringing duck tacos to “Fiesta Friday” at Angie’s the Novice Gardener’s fabulous, ever-growing online party.

This is not so much a recipe as it is an explanation of a process. I usually make these when I have made roasted duck legs for dinner, one, maybe two nights before. I always be sure to roast off a few extra legs to make tacos, or wontons, or to garnish a soup.

This is a little like street food and can be packaged cutely (or not) for a party. I eat them quickly, as soon as they are assembled; sometimes standing at the counter, waiting for more tortillas to cook before even serving Tom his first one. They are easy, “Easy like Fiesta Friday” (to the tune of “Easy” by Commodores, written by Lionel Richie, no less). No extra frills or fuss, but they get the job done, always leaving me wanting more (Tom and the dogs agree as they may not have had theirs yet).

INGREDIENTS (quantities, for the most part, are left out because it is dependent on how many tacos you are making).

4 Duck hind quarters or legs
(+/-) 1 tsp each: Sea salt, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin
1/4 tsp 5-spice

Fresh flour or corn tortillas
Black beans, freshly cooked (or canned)
Shredded red cabbage
Diced red onion
Lime juice
Pinch of sugar, sea salt, pepper
Fresh basil, julienned
Finely grated pecorino Romano cheese

COOK THE DUCK

In a 300 degree oven, roast the spices until fragrant. Remove and let cool. Grind in a grinder or manually with a mortar and pestle.

Rinse the duck and pat dry. With kitchen scissors, trim off extra flaps of fat (set aside to render fat for other uses). Season with the ground spices, rubbing them evenly into the meat and under the skin.

On a heated grill pan (or skillet), brown the duck, skin side down.

Transfer to a 300-degree oven and let roast for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until crispy skin and succulent, tender meat.

One hind quarter will yield 4-6 tacos; shown here is 6 legs (not full hind quarters)

ASSEMBLE

Shred the duck meat and keep warm.

Drizzle the cabbage with lime juice and toss to coat.

I like to use fresh, homemade tortillas or really good quality, store bought. If you are lucky and live near a taqueria that makes their own fresh (and willing to sell some) go there. I have found a local store that actually sells, fresh, uncooked tortillas which are quite good. It is also easy, but time consuming, to make your own.

If uncooked and fresh, cook off the tortillas (each-side) on a hot, non-stick skillet, until slightly-browned and bubbly. Set aside into an enclosure of kitchen towels to keep warm as the rest cook. Otherwise, heat the tortillas wrapped in damp towel in the microwave for 30 seconds or to whatever method you are accustomed.

Top each tortilla with a sprinkling of duck meat followed by beans, onion, then cabbage. Sprinkle with cheese then scatter over basil. Grab a bite and join the others at Angie’s.

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10 Legs in the Kitchen

~ Food. Dogs. Life!

Tag Archives: food

Watermelon Soup (aka summer chili)

Mirror, Mirror

I yam what I yam (but no yams here)

Serving time

There go the “clackers”

Put the lime in the coconut

The C h i c k p e a Under pressure

k e b a a a b

Since he’s not here…

What the duck?