gay goy gourmet

matzo balls

2013-05-10T23:00:00.001-05:00

2 large eggs, well beaten
3 tbsp seltzer
2 tbsp schmaltz, melted (preferably herb-infused)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup matzo meal

Mix the eggs, seltzer, chicken fat, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Gradually stir in the matzo meal, stirring until everything is well combined.

Chill, covered, for at least 4 and up to 8 hours.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Using cool, wet hands, shape the matzo mixture into 8 balls, each about 1½ in in diameter. Reduce the heat to simmering and gently add the matzo balls. Cover the pot and poach the matzo balls in the barely simmering water for 25 min.

— poaching separately will preserve the ﬂavors in the matzo balls so they don’t just taste like mushy bits of soup. The temperature of just water is also easier to control than that of a pot of soup.

spicy cashew-dill penne

2013-05-10T22:52:00.000-05:00

8oz penne
½ cup sun dried tomatoes
2 tsp olive oil
¼ cup raw cashews
3–5 dried chiles
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp salt
6 cloves garlic, ﬁnely chopped
4 cups fresh spinach
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

Cook the pasta, reserving 1c or more of its cooking water
Rehydrate the tomatoes in the pasta water for 15 min
Heat the oil over medium-high heat and stir-fry until the nuts are reddish brown and the chiles have blackened, 1–2 min. Remove them to a jar, leaving the oil over low to medium heat.
Blend the nuts, chiles, ½ cup of the half-and-half, and salt together.
Fry the garlic in the oil for about a minute. Add the spinach and stir-fry until wilted. Add the cashew-chile paste, and rinse the blender with the rest of the half-and-half, and add to the skillet.
Pour in the cooked pasta, along with the dill and sun-dried tomatoes.
Simmer for a few minutes, and serve.

thanksgiving week

2012-11-17T12:04:00.000-06:00

onion-spinach rice; nutty-tart bell peppers with peanuts
tacos with beef, oaxacan salsa, cilantro, radish, avocado, queso blanco
ﬁsh-fragrant eggplant (鱼香茄子); korean mixed rice
brussels sprouts with bacon; salad with roasted golden beets
spiced mustard greens & methi; yogurt rice

things to eat

2012-10-26T16:24:00.002-05:00

salad with pears
more salad
pakistani-style ghee and spinach rice
okra with urad dal, mustard, and coconut
cucumber salad
corn with tomatoes and madras-style curry powder
potatoes and carrots with dill

kabuli chana biryani

2012-10-14T20:46:00.004-05:00

Minty rice layered with chickpeas and greens

Adapted from 660 Curries

For the curry:

2 large tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
2 small red onions, 1 chopped, 1 cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
8–10 thai chiles
4 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
½ cup nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, whatever)
½ cup golden raisins
2 tsp cumin seeds (or black cumin / shah jeera)
4 cardamom pods
4 bay leaves
2 3in long cinnamon sticks
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp sambhar masala
½ tsp punjabi garam masala
½ tsp ground turmeric
8 oz fresh greens (spinach, mustard, radish, whatever)
8 oz cauliflower, cut into ½in florets
2 cups cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed if canned

For the rice:

1½ cups basmati rice
2 tbsp ghee or butter
½ tsp saffron
1 tsp salt
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup mint, chopped

Cook the chickpeas.
Rinse and soak the rice in cold water while you do the rest of the prep and curry making.
Purée the tomatoes, chopped onion, and chiles to make a smooth, reddish-pink sauce.
Preheat the oven now to 375ºF.
Heat 2 tbsp of the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the nuts and raisins, and stir-fry until the nuts are reddish brown and the raisins have swollen, 2–3 min. Remove using a slotted spoon.
Add the remaining 2tbsp ghee to the same skillet. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks, and cook until they sizzle and smell aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the sliced onion and stir-fry until it is light brown around the edges, 5–8 min.
Carefully pour in the puréed tomato blend, and lower the heat to medium. Simmer the sauce, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the ghee starts to separate around the edges of the skillet, 15–20 min.
Stir in the salt, the two spice blends, and the turmeric. Pour in 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the greens, a couple handfuls at a time, stirring it in until wilted, 2–3 min. Repeat until all the greens ahve been added. Add the cauliﬂower and chickpeas, and remove the skillet from the heat. Cover and set aside.
Drain the chickpeas, remove to a bowl, and use their pot to prepare the rice: heat ghee, then add the rice together with the saffron and carefully stir-fry to coat the rice with the saffron. Pour in an equal volume of water as rice, add the salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until the water has evaporated from the surface and craters are starting to appear in the rice, 5–8 min. Remove the pan from the heat.
Spoon half the chickpea-cauliﬂower curry into a large enameled cast-iron dutch oven and spread evenly to form the bottom layer. Spread half the rice mixture on top, then more curry, then more rice. Scatter the cilantro and mint on top. Cover and bake for 45 min.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the nuts and raisins. When you serve, scoop out portions that contain all four layers.

2012-10-14T14:31:00.001-05:00

kabuli chana biryani — with cauliflower, tomato, raisins, cashews, and mint
sweet corn and tofu with mustard greens; korean mixed grain rice
roasted beets, potatoes, and parsnips; salad with egg and sardines
pan-blistered eggplant with kala masala; sweet-hot basmati rice
balsamic-glazed pork chops and eggplant; carrot parsley pilaf

indian-thai eggplant

2012-10-06T15:41:00.001-05:00

adapted from 660 curries: chile-spiked eggplant with lemongrass and scallions

Put all this stuff in a food processor and pulse until minced.

½ cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and stemms, chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
1tsp sat
4 medium size cloves of garlic
2–4 frseh green thai ciles
2 large kaffir lime leaves

Then heat oil in a skillet over high heat and put in the eggplant, followed by the tasty stuff above. Stir-fry to partially cook the eggplant and the herbs, 1–2 min.

2tbsp vegetable oil
1 large eggplant, about 1½ lbs, cut into french-fry-size fingers
1 large tomato, cored and cubed
½ cup finely chopped scallions
½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Add the tomato and continue to cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the tomato softens and the eggplant is tender, 10–15 min.

Stir in the scallions and basil, and serve.

montaña de tomates

2012-09-08T12:19:00.003-05:00

gazpacho
bolognese (+freezer)
cucumber salad
tabbouleh/panzanella
aloo gobi
something with okra
crack pepper beef!

food this week

2012-09-03T17:14:00.001-05:00

seared okra with potatoes and tomato, corn
fried baby eggplant with peanut coconut sauce, radish greens
salad with pasta, roasted potatoes, corn
baked kibbe balls; salad with yogurt dressing

insane summer produce

2012-08-17T08:10:00.000-05:00

watermelon
red ﬁre & romaine lettuces (Scott: “I like the crispy red lettuce. Can you get more of that?” Me: “Of course, only on Friday though. It’s the same farm as the baby corn and they said they sell out of lettuce by like 8:30. By far the best lettuce of all the markets.”
assorted carrots
assorted small beets
red peppers and a green pepper
peaches and nectarines
apples
pineapple mint
summer squashes
onions
mixed small tomatoes
baby corn — I learned they started growing this at a request from Blue Hill; also, last for at least 3 weeks but there will be more.
assorted tomatoes

So what will this stuff become?

watermelon, feta, basil salad
summer salads
quinoa with vegetables and tasso
lecsó!
summer squash risotto

yay summer

2012-08-10T16:00:00.003-05:00

cantaloupe-basil sorbet
more peach frozen yogurt

‘sea robin’ (like scorpionﬁsh) sautéed in olive oil over quinoa with tomatoes, salad
basil and dandelion pesto (half for freezer)
thai red curry: tofu, okra, carrot; sticky rice
chile basil baby corn and tofu, chinese mixed grain rice stuff
corn and tomato curry; potato and paneer rice
lemongrass eggplant, coconut rice
steak with my favorite salsa; caesar salad

2012-08-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

stir fried on choy with shrimp paste and ‘mock chicken’ style tofu
ﬁsh-fragrant eggplant with ground pork
tofu in caramel sauce
rice with potato and paneer
big salad with carrots and tomatoes, walnut bread / olive bread

Summer market explosion!

2012-07-20T08:27:00.001-05:00

baby corn (!) stir fried with broccoli and scallions
gongura dal
sesame-flavored green tomatoes
olive-oil pan-blistered shishito peppers and green beans; big mixed lettuce salad with carrots and tomatoes
potatoes and eggplant with garlic-chile sauce
caramel peach grunt for movie night, from the always fantastic Rustic Fruit Desserts

2012-07-06T08:46:00.002-05:00

~~pad grapow chicken (fresh thai basil!)~~
salady tabbouleh (mint, parsley, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, bulgur; egg & smoked ﬁsh for me)
bengali squash in coconut milk (mustard oil, panch phoron)
potato purslane salad
blueberry buttermilk sorbet

assiette de fromages

2012-01-14T15:27:00.000-06:00

Dorset Consider Bardwell Farm, VT, US washed rind raw cow

Equinox Consider Bardwell Farm, VT, US extra-aged goat

Pawlet Consider Bardwell Farm, VT, US raw cow tomme

Petit Basque Pais Vasco, ES mild raw sheep

Caveman Blue Rogue, OR, US strong cow blue

Smokey Blue Rogue, OR, US smoked cow blue

Cabrales Asturias, ES cow/goat/sheep, spicy blue

Monte Enebro Avila, ES pasteurized goat, P. roquefortii

Gouda, Pittig 4y NL pasteurized cow

Dorset	Consider Bardwell Farm, VT, US	washed rind raw cow
Equinox	Consider Bardwell Farm, VT, US	extra-aged goat
Pawlet	Consider Bardwell Farm, VT, US	raw cow tomme
Petit Basque	Pais Vasco, ES	mild raw sheep
Caveman Blue	Rogue, OR, US	strong cow blue
Smokey Blue	Rogue, OR, US	smoked cow blue
Cabrales	Asturias, ES	cow/goat/sheep, spicy blue
Monte Enebro	Avila, ES	pasteurized goat, P. roquefortii
Gouda, Pittig 4y	NL	pasteurized cow

2011-12-11T15:57:00.001-06:00

stir fried tofu, bok choy, tatsoi
indian kohlrabi, yogurt rice or kala masala rice
palak paneer
butternut risotto, salad

this week

2011-11-13T22:09:00.001-06:00

I have bought more at the market last week and this week than I managed to eat. In addition to being unusually busy, I failed to have a good plan, so back to menu-making:

cauliflower and spinach with black pepper coconut milk sauce
pad see ew with tofu and mushrooms
mexican fava bean salad, probably in tortillas, probably guacamole
chile lemongrass rice, red curry zucchini and tofu

upcoming food

2011-10-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

miao pork with chiles and corn
ﬁsh-fragrant eggplant
fragrant thai curry ground chicken and wax beans
panch phoron potato and spinach; whole wheat couscous
smoked cheddar macaroni and cheese; salad
garlic, cheddar, stone ruination ipa soup (um, half recipe, 2lb of cheese wtf); pretzels

septembery greenmarket

2011-09-16T15:22:00.001-05:00

september greenmarket, a photo by gay.goy.gourmet on Flickr.

gai pad grapow, jasmine rice
cayenne-spiked cauliflower with onion-tomato sauce; rice with peas
pesto and whole wheat pasta
eggplant curry with kala/goda masala and tomato; rice with almonds and fresh mint
polenta with rogue oregonzola; salad
macaroni and cheese with andouille and Beecher’s cheddar from Seattle; roasted brussels sprouts

oh, and I made a challah.

tasty market things!

2011-09-09T21:30:00.001-05:00

focaccia with tomatoes and garlic; salad with red leaf lettuce, basil, and anchovies
linguine with tomatoes, garlic, basil, and anchovies
zucchini and tomato stewed with saffron and basil, served with couscous
spicy-tart bell peppers and peas, yogurt rice

some vicki produce!

2011-08-18T16:21:00.000-05:00

lentils with roasted beets
kohlrabi with bacon
tofu with brown sauce, celery, and water chestnuts
bengali summer squash (gorgeous huge pattypans) with tomato, mustard oil, and panch phoron
thai eggplant salad

A few days of tasty things before heading to Chicago next thursday

2011-08-05T12:47:00.001-05:00

some kind of moong dal with tomato, and some flaky parathas
thai eggplant salad or perhaps eggplant biryani, maybe both
pad prik khing (the canned kind, though I should make the paste again soon)
pretzel rolls and salad (mainly to show up Andrew’s pretzel bread)
Maybe pesto. I bought a giant bunch of basil for $3 today, with enough root attached that I planted it. If it seems like it is dying int he next couple of days though it will just become pesto.

food

2011-07-22T10:45:00.001-05:00

Red-wine spaghetti with broccoli
Pain meunier au romarin (sourdough boule with rosemary, 15% rye, 15% wholewheat); salad
Quiche with ricotta and zucchini
Something Indian with eggplant and curry leaves
Red lentils with pan-roasted green pepper; mooli chapatis

indian grocery restock

2011-07-06T10:11:00.002-05:00

well, I’ve been through 20lb of basmati since moving here in September (not to mention the almost-empty jasmine and the various smaller varieties of rice and other grains). I guess that is a milestone of some sort. I had been putting off making several dishes that I felt really did require fresh curry leaves, and I was ﬁnally so frustrated at this situation that I had to go to Jackson Heights last night to ﬁx it. So the next few days are all Indian.

palghat spinach (with amaranth/waterspinach/calaloo from the greenmarket)
corn with cumin, curry leaves, and chiles
coconut ivy gourd with curry leaves
mooli parathas (pictured here)
kheema mutter
pigeon peas sambhar with okra, shallots, tamarind

for this week

2011-06-22T14:56:00.004-05:00

I got back from Dublin and restocked on some basic things (coffee, store milk and yogurt) since there’s no market until thursday and I like the friday one best anyway.

tofu and snow peas, garlic-oystersauce
moong nu dal, onion-spinach rice with ghee
tea and ginger chickpeas, puréed into hummus
asparagus and baby potato salad with hard-cooked eggs and garlic scapes; sourdough roll from buon pane
blue cheese polenta — westside still has rogue creamery stuff for the insane price of $8/lb! not to be missed. I bought some caveman, but would probably use oregonzola for this.
For Sunday
- zaletti
- onion focaccia
- stuffed hard-cooked eggs?
- oaxacan charred-garlic chipotle salsa
- umbrella cookies filled with some stuff
- …