The Spiced Life

Potatoes & Chickpeas: Food That Is Good For The Soul

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:00:00 +0000

I have discovered that, second to Mexican/Latin flavors, Indian flavors are fast becoming one of the things I crave when I am sick. Hearty, warming, homey, soul food. No doubt my parents are staring at this in some confusion wondering how Indian food has come to be comfort food for me since I had never even tried Indian food until after college. My family, escept my sister, has a strong aversion to Indian food, so of course I waited until my mom had left, but then the first thing I made for us was this dish of chickpeas on rice with potatoes. A little starchy, yes, but I crave starch when sick AND I started with the potato dish, but everything else I looked at and felt up to making seemed to need rice served with it. So 2 starches it was.

Both of these dishes were wonderful. The chickpeas were the more exciting discovery as I had never cooked with amchur before (dried green mango powder) and unsurprisingly I loved it (it is sour). It was somehow earthy and sour at the same time--which I had read but not really grasped until trying it, since that seems like opposing flavors to me. If you like sour foods I cannot urge you strongly enough to pick up some of this "spice" (it's not really a spice). Expect to see more dishes with it on this blog. Even now as I write this, several days later, I am craving more of those chickpeas, and there is a pot of dried chickpeas simmering away on the stove, waiting for me to try a new variation.

But I don't mean to shortchange the potatoes. The simmering makes them much creamier than regular sauteed potatoes, and the onions and mustard seeds are the perfect complement to the tubers. And if you are wondering, both my kids devoured both these dishes. I guess no one will be surprised if they think Indian flavors are comfort food!

I said a while back that with fall my pictures get sadder--wow, with the time change I had forgotten what it was like to serve dinner in the dark! I need to get the photo box set back up in the dining room (we eat in the kitchen) so that it is always ready and waiting for photos. These pictures are the sad result of photographing on a crowded counter with absolutely no daylight to supplement the kitchen lights. But I was hungry, tired and coughing, so dim pictures are pretty much what you get.

Urala Kilangu (Potatoes With Onions and Mustard Seeds)
Adapted from Shoba Ramji's recipe of the same name in Madhur Jaffrey's Flavors Of India

2 T vegetable oil
1 T ghee
1 heaping t brown mustard seeds
20-25 fresh (or frozen) curry leaves
2 medium-large onions, thinly sliced
salt to taste
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t paprika or cayenne pepper
1 lb boiling potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 medium tomato, chopped (I used a frozen tomato)
1 pinch of asafetida

Heat the oil in a large nonstick or well seasoned pan over medium high heat. Add the ghee. When hot, add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the curry leaves (stand back! they will splatter). Stir a few times. Now add the onions and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook until they are starting to brown at the edges. Add the turmeric and paprika/cayenne powder with another pinch of salt. Stir fry another 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and toss, coating the potatoes evenly with onions. Add the tomato and asafetida. Stir. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil.

Cover the potatoes and reduce the heat to medium or medium low depending on your burner--you want a vigorous simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the potatoes are fork tender (this is why I recommend boiling potatoes--I am concerned baking potatoes might fall apart). Remove the cover and fry the potatoes, stirring occasionally, on medium low heat for 5 minutes, to completely rid the dish of water and also to brown the potatoes a little. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Amchur Chana
Closely adapted from 660 Curries, Raghavan Iyer

2 T vegetable oil
1 t cumin seeds
2 green cardamom pods
3 cinnamon sticks (3 inches long)
3 medium tomatoes, crushed (or use 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, but I used frozen from the summer tomatoes)
2 T amchur powder
1 scant T ground coriander
1 t ground cumin
salt to taste
1/2 t paprika or cayenne
1/4 t turmeric
3 cups cooked chickpeas (I used 2 cans rinsed and drained)
2 T chopped cilantro, divided in half
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat. Add the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and roast until fragrant. Add the cumin seeds and continue to roast until the seeds are fragrant and browning--but do not burn. This will be a matter of seconds. Add the tomatoes, mango powder, coriander, ground cumin, cayenne/paprika and turmeric. Sprinkle a pinch of salt in to taste as well. Bring the sauce to a simmer and lower the heat to medium or medium low. Continue to simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the oil starts to separate from the sauce. This will take 5-10 minutes.

Stir in the chickpeas, 1 cup of water and half of the cilantro. Cover the pan and simmer the curry, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens, about 20-25 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with remaining cilantro and chopped red onion, and taste for salt. Serve with rice or bread.

(Leftover) Pumpkin French Toast

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

I have to apologize for this post in advance. On the one hand, this idea is just too good not to share, and I feel confident that anyone who has made French toast can do it. On the other hand, I have no recipe.

For one thing, I made the dish before I got bronchitis, and as everyone knows sick time is basically twice as long as regular time--i.e., there is no way I can remember what I did back then and shame on me for not writing it down. For another thing, even if I had written it down I would have had to guess. Because I did not measure anything, instead I started with how much leftover canned pumpkin I had (about 3/4 - 1 cup) and kept adding eggs and milk until the consistency looked right. I think I used 4 eggs, not sure about the milk, and I know I added a drizzle of maple syrup, a little vanilla and a lot of cinnamon. Soak each piece of preferably stale bread for at least 5 minutes, hopefully a little longer. Fry in a pat of butter on medium to low heat. Serve with maple syrup. Helpful? Well anyway, try it, I promise you will like it! It made about 6 fairly thick slices of French toast from leftover homemade sandwich bread.

October Family Recipes Round Up

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Better late than never... thanks for your patience, everyone! November's Family Recipes will be hosted by HoneyB at The Life & Loves of Grumpy's HoneyBunch, and the due date is Nov. 30.

Lynda, of Lynda's Recipe Box shared with us her family's standby Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. And they look perfect, too--take it from a connoisseur! Missouri, USA

Josie, of 1 Kitchen, 2 Dogs & A Girl, submitted the Canned (Spicy) Bread & Butter Pickles she made with my mom--and which they have still not taught me to make and I am rather bitter ;) but we'll just skip over that. Seriously, go check out the pickles--they're awesome. Columbus, Ohio, USA

I think I need Hilda, of Dhanggit's Kitchen, to send me some of her aunt's Dinuguan (Pork Blood Stew), which she made recently for her sick daughter. Sounds like just what the doctor ordered! Southern France

Cool Lassi(e) of Pan Gravy Kadai Curry shares with us her recipe for Stuffed Mini Eggplants In Kadai Gravy, many variations of which her mother made while she was growing up. USA

HoneyB of The Lif e & Loves of Grumpy's HoneyBu nch shared with us her daughter in law Kristina's Loaded Potato Soup. Serious comfort food! New York, USA

Deepika of My Life And Spice made her mother's Moong Dal Halwa, a simple but sophisticated dessert using roasted moong dal. Philadelphia, PA, USA

Gloria of Canela Kitchen's Recipes shared with us her Spanish grandmother's Petit Madelaines. Santiago, Chile

Deepti of My Kitchen's Aroma made her mother's Pumpkin Pooris (Squash Sweet Hearts) in the shape of squash--adapting the recipe using American ingredients. USA

And last we have my submission of my mother's Gingersnaps, made for me by my mom herself while I had bronchitis recently. Aren't moms the best? SW Ohio, USA

A Mother's Love: Gingersnaps (Family Recipes)

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:20:00 +0000

I apologize for the delay between posts--right before Sammy's big birthday party, and right as my in laws rolled into town, I got bronchitis. Which eventually cleared up but turned into a sinus infection. Thank goodness for my in laws, who basically threw Sammy's party for her while I hid in the bedroom. And thank goodness for my family, who were still willing to come even though most of them are germaphobic (with good reason--we definitely attract the microbes in my family). But it's been a rough week.

Yet appropriately timed. My mom had been planning to visit me for part of this week already, so instead she came for the whole week, while John was at a conference. She did everything--and when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING, in a way that has not been done for me since immediately after Sammy was born. She even chaperoned Alex's field trip to a pumpkin patch--and took Sammy with her as well. She went above and beyond--while I mostly moaned, grumped and slept. I cannot recall the last time I slept so much during the day.

She also made me gingersnaps.

Our family's gingersnaps are famous both within our family and outside of it as well. They do not bear much resemblance to the pale, snappy crunchy gingersnaps in the grocery store--it was not until I went off to college and someone asked me where is the snap in your family's gingersnaps that it occurred to me our gingersnaps are not exactly gingernsaps. Chewy, thick and craggy-crinkly, these cookies are rich with molasses and warm, autumnal spices. I guess I cannot speak for the boys, but my sister and I know how to make them--and no matter how many times I make them, they still taste better when my mom makes them. The recipe originates with my mother's maternal grandmother, but to me they are my mother's gingersnaps.

These cookies travel exceptionally well. She sent them to us kids when we were in college and camps, and she has sent them to the troops in the Middle East (where they were so famous they sewed an American flag for her, flew it in the face of the enemy, dedicated it, and sent it to her!). They are probably the most oft requested recipe that our family makes. They are also my better late than never submission to October's Family Recipes, hosted this month by myself. Due to the events of the past week, the round up might be a little late, but I will get it done, I promise!

Laura's Gingersnaps
(That would be my Great Grandma Laura on my mom's side)

1 1/2 cups shortening (I have subbed lard in which case use a little less lard)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark molasses
4 cups flour (scooped)
2 t cloves
2 t ground ginger
2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
2 t baking soda
Additional sugar for rolling--coarseness is up to you

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone (or grease if you prefer).

Cream the shortening and sugar together. Add the eggs and molasses and beat until well combined.

Meanwhile, whisk together all of the dry ingredients, including the spices. Add to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. These cookies can be made any size--just bake longer for bigger cookies. Scoop out the size of cookie you want and roll it in the sugar; we have always used granulated white sugar, but as an adult I have successfully experimented with sanding sugar, turbinado, and coarse decorating sugar. Place on the cookie sheet; repeat until the sheet is filled, keeping dough about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes for smaller cookies, longer for larger.

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Cake For Sammy

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

The previously un-considered dilemmas that arise with small children can be unexpected and tricky. For example, explaining Nazis to a 4 YO who loves The Sound Of Music. Or why the singer in Jace Everett's Bad Things wants "to do bad things to you" (that was a hoot of a conversation--"Mommy, this is NOT a nice song!!!!!"). Less significant in the long run but similarly weird is the idea that one celebrates one's birthday on a different day from the birthday itself. Toddlers do not get that.

Because my kids' birthdays are far apart, each sister gets extremely excited immediately after her sister's birthday, and then spends the next 4-8 months totally revved up for her own birthday. So by the time October rolled around this year Sammy was at fever pitch. Unfortunately, unlike Alex's birthday in June, Sammy's family birthday celebration (always held on the weekend for out of town guests) was scheduled for after her actual birthday. As the day approached it became apparent to me that Sammy was not going to understand us telling her Happy Birthday on Tuesday without an accompanying celebration.

So we decided to give her her presents on Tuesday (she'll get plenty from relatives on the weekend) and make a little celebration of it. I pan seared some steak, made homemade bread (this recipe), and Sammy and I made the mousse cake that I had meant to make for my own birthday before illness intervened.

We made the cake while Alex was at preschool, which was both a blessing and a curse. Blessing because Sammy and I had a blast--as I have observed she gets to help more when Alex is not there. Curse because I cannot help but wonder if the complete meltdown that Alex had later in the evening over wanting to play with Sammy's brand new dollhouse might have started with her feeling left out of the cake making mommy-daughter bonding experience.

This is the 2nd big time winner mousse cake/pie I have made from Tish Boyle. Her Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cloud Pie (taken from a Lisa Yockelson cookbook but Boyle's recipe) remains the best peanut butter mousse pie I have ever made and the only one I will ever make. This mousse cake was not only amazing, but so, so easy. I whipped it up with a toddler and it took us about 45 minutes, max.

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Cake
(closely) adapted from Trish Boyle, The Cake Book

Cookie Crust
1 1/2 cups (180 g) chocolate cookie crumbs--she recommends Nabisco Famous Wafers, which I did use
4 T (2 oz/1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Filling
1 lb bittersweet (70%) chocolate, chopped (I used Guittard discs to save time)
3/4 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 t instant espresso
2 pinches of coarse salt
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Garnish
whipped cream, lightly sweetened
crumbled chocolate wafers

First make the crust: Butter the bottom of a 9X3 springform pan (I forgot but mine is nonstick). In a food processor, make the cookie crumbs. Then drizzle in the butter and pulse several times. Toss and rub with your fingers to make sure the butter is distributed evenly and then press into the bottom of the buttered pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the mousse.

Heat the chopped chocolate briefly in the microwave in a large bowl, about 2 minutes on 30% power, stirring once in the middle. You just want it warmed/softened a little. Set aside.

Combine the milk, sugar, espresso powder and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring. Pour through a sieve onto the chopped chocolate. Whisk the melting chocolate smooth, adding the vanilla as you whisk. When it is totally smooth, set aside to cool (or let your kid keep whisking).

When the chocolate mixture is room temperature, whip the heavy cream into soft peaks. Boyle does not emphasize this, but remembering Alice Medrich's instructions for chocolate mousse made with whipped cream, I was careful not to over whip but rather whipped just until the soft peaks had formed but the cream still slid from side to side of the bowl when tilted. Pour 1/3 of the whipped cream into the chocolate and fold it in. Then add the rest of the whipped cream, folding gently into the chocolate mixture until it is completely mixed. Pour the mousse into the prepared springform pan, using a small offset spatula to smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours. Serve garnished with whipped cream and chocolate cookies.

Crusty Multi Grain Sandwich Bread

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000

For some reason, homemade bread season has been delayed around here--extra odd when you consider the chilly weather. But I finally got around to it earlier in the week when I made the Indian Spiced Pumpkin Lentil Stew. Granted, I realize that one might have expected Indian flatbread or basmati rice to accompany that stew, but I wanted stew with homemade bread, the kind of bread I grew up with, so that is what we had. With Indian spices in the stew.

This recipe started with a recipe for Sennebec Hill Bread from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads, Soups & Stews, but it called for a cup of rye flour, which I dislike and therefore do not keep around. So I subbed some teff seeds, some potato flour, and some additional white whole wheat flour. I also subbed honey for molasses since I am not that big on molasses in bread.

Crusty and chewy, this was an excellent multigrain sandwich bread. It also made fantastic toast--which we only got have for one day before I accidentally left the bagged bread on the counter and Finnegan stole it. Sigh. But it was great while it lasted.

I am submitting this to Wild Yeast's Yeastspotting--be sure to look for it every Monday.

Crusty Multi Grain Sandwich Bread
Adapted from Bernard Clayton

1/2 cup coarse stone ground cornmeal
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 T teff seeds (optional)
1/2 cup potato flour
1 cup dry nonfat milk
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 T salt
2 cups water near boiling
4 egg yolks, room temperature
2 scant T active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
Approx. 2 cups bread flour

Mix together the first 9 ingredients. Pour the hot water over them and stir. Leave to cool to 110-120 F (lukewarm). Add the egg yolks and yeast and white whole wheat flour and beat vigorously until well mixed (use the flat beater if using a mixer), about 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the bread flour by the half cupful--this is a very stiff dough. You will quickly need to switch to the dough hook if using a mixer. Likewise, knead the last cup of flour in by hand if necessary.

Knead the dough for 8 minutes. Place in a greased large, deep bowl--roll the ball of dough so that the top gets greased as well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 45-90 minutes, until doubled (it will depend on temperature of room).

*For a less chewy bread, Clayton offers the option of a second rise in the bowl, something I did not have time for. If you want to do this, punch the dough down and leave it, covered, in the bowl again until doubled.

Grease 2 9X5 loaf pans. Turn the oven on to 375 F.

Divide the dough in half, kneading the air bubbles out as you go. Shape each half into a loaf, pinching a seam down one side. Place the loaves seam side down into the greased loaf pans. Spray lightly with oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave to rise until doubled, 45-60 minutes.

When the oaves have doubled, remove the plastic wrap carefully and place the pans into the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes, at which time turn the loaves around and reduce the heat to 350 F. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the loaves reach an internal temperature of 200 F. Turn the loaves out onto a rack to cool. Wait at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Indian Spiced Pumpkin Lentil Stew

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:05:00 +0000

It is amazing how long it can take you to get around to trying a recipe. Many fall by the wayside (hopefully less so now that I have started To Try Tuesdays which will be back next Tuesday, so look for it then), but some stick in my head, no matter how long it takes for me to get to them. Such is the case with Tigers & Strawberries' Pumpkin Masoor Dal, published back in September 2008.

There is another Pumpkin Dal on this blog already; it is decently similar to the Tigers & Strawberries version, but it does not have a garnish of caramelized apples and onions. Those missing apples and onions were definitely enough to get to me to revisit the idea of a pumpkin soup with lentils.

Authentic Indian dal is made, as Barbara makes it, by cooking the lentils in fairly plain water and then adding the spiced and aromatic tarka to the lentils. Rather the inverse of western soup making, where you start with onions. I have done this before, and honestly I just cannot taste the difference and I find it overly fussy. Also, I like starting my soups with onions. No logical reason, think of it as being like people who need a tea ritual--I find making soups to be soothing to my soul, and optimum relaxation requires starting with onions. There is a rhythm to my soup making, that I can do it almost subconsciously, while I attend to other stuff around the kitchen (in this case making bread, stay tuned for recipe).

Another big difference in my soup is that I wanted a soup/stew, not a thick dal to be served with rice.

I am submitting this soup to one of my favorite blogging events, created by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook, My Legume Love Affair. The 16th serving is hosted this month by Cook, Sister! Be sure to check out Cook, Sister! after Oct. 31 for the round up.

Indian Spiced Pumpkin Lentil Stew
Adapted from Tigers & Strawberries

1/2 cup split yellow peas or toovar dal
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t paprika (cayenne if you can take the heat)
1 1/2 T vegetable oil
1/2 T ghee
2 medium-large onions, chopped
1 head of garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced ginger
2 T cumin seeds
2 T brown mustard seeds
1 1/2 cup red lentils
water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock to cover lentils by 2 inches (see instructions)
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t paprika or cayenne
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cans of solid pack pumpkin
apple cider to taste/desired consistency
1 T garam masala

For adjusting taste at end:
2-6 T dark brown sugar
more apple cider
more garam masala, up to additional 1 T
drizzle cider vinegar
cayenne pepper to taste
salt

Garnish
3 tart, crisp, firm apples, peeled, thinly sliced, and tossed with 1-2 t of cider vinegar
2 medium-large onions, thinly sliced
1/4 t cinnamon (no need for Vietnamese here)
1/4 t cloves
3/4 t brown mustard seeds
1-2 T ghee
2 t dark brown sugar
pinch of salt to taste

Begin by cooking the split peas in a separate, smaller pan. Rinse the split peas, add them to the pot, cover with cold water by several inches and bring to a boil. Add the 1/2 t turmeric and 1/2 t cayenne/paprika. Cover and simmer and until tender--the amount of time will depend on whether you use toovar dal or yellow split peas, with split peas taking longer than toovar dal (my toovar dal took about 30 minutes). When they are tender, add a decent pinch of salt, cook another 5-10 minutes, and then turn the heat off. They can sit in the cooking water until you are ready to add them.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil and ghee. When it is shimmering, add the chopped onions. Cook until dark golden, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes--you may need to reduce the heat to prevent scorching. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until dark brown, another 10-15 minutes. If you have trouble with scorching, you can splash some water into the pan and deglaze occasionally. When the onions are dark, add the cumin seeds and brown mustard seeds. Cook until the mustard seeds pop, maybe 2-3 minutes, stirring.

Rinse the red lentil. Add the lentils to the pot and cover with water or stock by 2 inches (I used part chicken stock and part veggie stock--I am almost always in favor of stock over water, and unlike most legumes, you do not need to worry about salt when cooking red lentils). Add the 1/2 t turmeric and 1/2 t cayenne/paprika. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until the red lentils are falling apart and thickening the soup.

At this point start the topping. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat with the sliced onions in it. When they start to sizzle add the ghee and cook for about 20 minutes, sitrring occasionally.

When the lentils are done, after about 20 minutes, add the drained split peas/toovar dal and the pumpkin (just eyeball the pumpkin). Stir until mixed in and add apple cider to desired consistency. Add the garam masala, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

While it is simmering, add the apples, spices and brown sugar to the onions in the nonstick skillet. Once the apples are sizzling, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the stew is ready, stirring occasionally and letting the onions and apples caramelize.

After the 15 minutes, taste for seasoning. The stew will need some brown sugar for certain--how much depends on your taste. A little cider vinegar will wake the stew up if it seems dull, and more garam masala or some cayenne pepper will help if it seems bland. I adjusted to taste with all of these ingredients.

Serve the stew topping with the caramelized apples and onions as well as a drizzle of tamarind chutney (the chutney is the inky dark drizzle in the pictures). Add some cayenne pepper if someone wants more heat. Several of us really liked the stew with a dollop of Greek yogurt as well.

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Preferably Naked

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0000

I was torn about whether to post this cake. You always want whatever you post to be your best effort or as nice as you know you could make it. But, knowing that I just made this cake, the soonest I would re-make it is probably next fall. And there is NOTHING wrong with the cake whatsoever. It was magnificent.

It was the icing that was my downfall.

Someday I will just remember that I do not like (non-citrus) icings on bundt cakes and that serving it "naked" with a dollop of whipped cream would be preferable. But oh no, I somehow always manage to forget, so then I try to make the icing something more to my taste, and, well, what results is something like the picture above. Really yummy cake, nothing wrong there, but the icing would not drizzle, I finally spread it, and it never set, leaving me with an oddly damp, sticky, not very attractive outer icing layer.

C'est la vie.

But it tasted great and if you are looking for a pumpkin bundt cake you could not find a tastier one. Do me a favor though and skip the drizzle and serve it with whipped cream instead. Although if you disagree, check out the link for the buttermilk icing.

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Adapted from Epicurious (Gourmet)

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups (284 g) AP flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 heaping t cinnamon (I used Vietnamese cinnamon for this)
1/2 t ground allspice
1/2 t ground cloves
3/4 t ground ginger
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (a 15-ounce can)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk (I subbed 2% milk w/ lemon juice)
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs

Place oven rack in middle position and preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a bundt pan with flour/oil mixture, like Baker's Joy. This recipe will fit a 10 inch, 12 cup bundt pan--if you use a 9 inch, 10 cup bundt pan, as I did, also prepare mini loaf pans or cupcakes for the remaining batter (I used a 2 cup batter petit four pan). Set aside prepared pans.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside. Whisk together pumpkin, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl. Set aside (whisking these while you operate the mixer is a great task for small children).

Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spices and beat an additional minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition (beat on medium-low speed for the eggs). Reduce speed to low and add flour mix in 3 batches and the pumpkin mixture in 2 batches,alternating between them and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Only mix until smooth--I found it easier to mix the last bit in by hand.

Spoon batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, then bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes (remember to reduce the time for a smaller bundt pan--mine took about 40-45 minutes). Cool cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert rack over cake and reinvert cake onto rack. Cool completely before serving with whipped cream.

A Drunken Pot 'O' Beans

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I've had a hectic, back and forth to Columbus, lingering virus, blah blah blah week or so, and when I recently got back from Columbus I did not want to think about anything complicated for dinner. As a matter of fact, what I really wanted was beans.

It may surprise you to learn that while I grew up with beans in my chili, I did not grow up with beans much besides that. There are a few bean soups my mom makes, but they are all very Southern, simmered with a ham hock, and for some reason--I wish it were different!--I just cannot stand the taste of simmered ham hocks. So I did not eat much beans growing up.

But from the perspective of my health and my pocketbook, beans are probably the best thing about my diet now. Dried and canned both, we go through oodles and oodles of beans, as a complementary ingredient, as a main dish, as a side dish, you name it.... And when I crave bean soup what I mean is I am craving some sort of Latin bean soup: Mexican, Cuban, Southwestern, South American.... Happily I had bookmarked this method of cooking beans (Borrachos, or Drunken Beans) from Rancho Gordo and so I used it as my guide when making this soup.

If you want to make this soup vegetarian, it could easily be adapted using vegetable oil but you might add either some liquid smoke or smoked paprika to replace the smoky bacon flavor.

A Drunken Pot 'O' Beans
Inspired by Rancho Gordo

1 lb dried beans of choice
6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
3 red onions, one finely chopped, the other 2 sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle good beer, I used lager
3 poblanos, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
crumbled feta cheese

Heat a large pot (at least 4 quarts) over medium heat. When it is hot, add the chopped bacon and fry until the bacon is crisped and the fat is rendered. Remove the crisped bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel. Drain and reserve all but 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook until browned. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Then add the dried beans, any water they have been soaking in (or enough water to cover--you want the water plus the beer to cover by 2 inches), and a bottle of beer. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low, partially cover and simmer until the beans are just getting tender.

In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon fat (freeze the rest for another time) and add the sliced onion when it is hot. Cook, first over medium high heat but gradually lowering the heat until they are brown and caramelizing on low heat. I cooked the onions for almost as long as the beans took to cook, if that tells you anything. Add salt (and sugar if needed) to taste. Set aside for a garnish.

Keep an eye on the beans--add more water or beer as needed. The water level should remain 1-2 inches above the beans. When they are barely tender, add some or all of the roasted chile peppers (I only added some and used the rest as a garnish because my poblanos were too spicy for Alex) and salt to taste (start with 1/2 teaspoon and taste every 3-5 minutes, adding more as needed). When the beans are creamy, the soup is ready. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup for a moment or 2, just until it is thick enough for your taste.

Serve the soup garnished with any leftover roasted poblanos, caramelized onions, feta cheese and crispy bacon pieces. If your daughter complains it is still too spicy (only Alex did), also add sour cream.

To Try Tuesday

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:40:00 +0000

I love beans. Like really love beans. And I am always looking for bean soups to try, but frequently they seem awfully similar to one another. So I was intrigued by this Mesa Grill Black Bean Soup that I saw over at Zen Kitchen. Made with red wine and loads of poblano chile peppers, it looks absolutely scrumptious.

These Apple Pie Bars by The Recipe Girl are just scrumptious. Take 2 things we already know I love--a crispy oat topping and cinamon laced apple filling--and add shortbread and the convenience of a bar. 'Nuf said.

I am normally leery of oil-based cookie recipes. But anyone who knows me knows that if there is one thing I cannot resist it is trying yet another lauded, revered and generally worshipped chocolate chip cookie recipe. So when I saw the Deb Tucker's Famous Chocolate Chunk Cookies posted by Velveeta Ain't Food (and coming to us straight from her mother), I knew I would be adding them to my list of cookies to try.

I can think of few things that make me happier than eating fruit pies or crisps for breakfast. Thus I was quite excited to see Smitten Kitchen's Breakfast Apple Granola Crisp. Granted, I don't know if a sleep deprived mother of a newborn is someone I should be taking caloric advice from, but she said it was breakfast food and I am going to make it for breakfast. Plus I figure it is better for me than a dessert crisp, with its greater quantity of sugar and cream instead of yogurt. And I have certainly been known to eat those in the morning.

Cinnamon Apple Crisp Topped with Vanilla Cream

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

I am annoyed with myself every fall for not trying to make more simple apple desserts. I see them everywhere on the internet, mouth watering, and I think I could do that. And then for some reason I do not. OK, I do know why part of the time--frequently those otherwise simple desserts involve making pie or tart dough, something that I just have not done often enough to find "simple." I guess the other part of the time I get lazy, or distracted, or probably I make something chocolate instead. That's a common failing on my part!

Today at the farmers' market, I picked up Golden Delicious apples and some heirloom variety--have you ever noticed it is impossible to remember the names of heirloom fruits and veggies? Although they have wonderful names, they are also unfamiliar and as a result they slip right out of my head. But anyway, this particular variety was quite crisp and tart--perfect to my mind for baking.

(Quick tangent: I was reading the other day that Southerners insist you only bake with tart apples and eat sweet, while Northerners feel the opposite. Well despite my strict allegiance to Northern cornbread, apparently I am a Southerner in this matter. In my family, tart apples are always for baking and sweet for eating. However, despite this, I decided to shake things up by adding some sweet apples for contrast.)

(Second quick tangent: Do you remember me discussing lack of lighting the other day as we head into fall? This is a good example: when I first served the dessert, the kids were waiting and so I just served it. But it was a Saturday night (I watch what I eat less on weekends) and I decided that in the interest of good photography, haha, I would have a second serving after they went to bed. The photo above was taken while the kids were waiting and I was in a hurry. The photo below was taken using the photo box, albeit with only one light because one was broken (the other photos were also taken with photo box, with white background).)

So back to last Saturday: I came home from the farmers' market with my apples, made my Malaccan Beef & Vegetable Stew, and sat down to watch the Michigan-Michigan State game. Those of you who watch college football will guess that as a Michigan fan by the end I was a bundle of nervous energy. First and mostly we looked awful. Then suddenly with not much time remaining, Tate Forcier and co. step into the collective phone booth and emerge unstoppable, take the game into overtime, and throw an interception to end the game. Yikes. So I was twitchy and suddenly peeling apples seemed like a good way to focus myself.

This is what came out of that. And may I say it was really, really good.

Cinnamon Apple Crisp Topped with Vanilla Cream
Partially adapted, partially by The Spiced Life, see below

Crisp Topping
Adapted from Flo Braker, Baking For All Occasions

1 1/4 cups (4 oz/115 g) old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (4 1/2 oz/130 g) AP flour
1 cup firmly packed (7 oz/200 g) brown sugar--I used combo of dark and light
5 oz (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter
1 t baking powder
1 t Vietnamese cinnamon
pinch of kosher salt

Apple Filling
Recipe by The Spiced Life

4-5 tart, crisp small/medium apples, peeled and sliced (I just kept peeling apples until pan was filled)
2 sweeter small/medium apples, such as Golden Delicious (if using Golden Delicious, use quickly after picking, do not buy from grocery store, otherwise choose something more reliable like Fuji)
1-2 t apple cider
3/4 t ground ginger
1 1/2 t Vietnamese cinnamon
6 T packed light brown sugar
1 T AP flour

Vanilla Cream
Recipe by The Spiced Life

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipped cream
sugar to taste
1 1/2 t vanilla

Butter a 9 X 13 baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

First make the topping by placing all of the ingredients into a mixer and mixing on low. Finish by rubbing and squeezing with your hands until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture clumps. Set aside.

Then start peeling and slicing the apples. Place in a large bowl. every 2 apples or so, drizzle with a tiny amount of cider and toss. This will both prevent browning and add some zing. When all of the apples are sliced, toss with the cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar and flour. Place in the prepared baking dish. If it seems too sparse, quickly slice and peel another apple and toss in.

Crumble the crisp topping over the apples evenly, making sure there are no gaps. Place in the oven; bake until the topping has browned and the filling is bubbling. You may need to reduce the heat to 325 F toward the end.

Let the crisp cool at least until warm instead of hot. When ready to serve, whip the topping. Whip the cream until frothy and then add the vanilla and sugar Finish whipping until you have soft peaks and serve on top of the crisp.

Malaccan Beef & Vegetable Stew

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0000

There should be more braised beef dishes on my blog. Seriously, if it was compatible with how I want to live from environmental and health perspectives, I would have some variation on pot roast every night of the week.

But alas I know I should not, so I try not to indulge too often. But the weather has had me hankering, and I basically took all summer off from pot roast, so I figured it was time.

I try to shake my pot roasts up quite a bit. For example, the Goan curried pot roast. This is not because I am bored with the classic beef, potatoes and carrots that I grew up with. On the contrary, my mom's pot roast is my idea of comfort food taken to its highest level--at least on the savory end, I suppose her apple pie gives it a run for its money. But sadly I married a man who does not really care for pot roast.

Some of my regular readers are probably thinking it serves me right since I don't like shrimp. To you I say but he does not like duck! So we are already even on that score. Plus, a braised brisket was the first meat my elder daughter ever ate--the meltingly tender texture a huge improvement over chewy and previously rejected steak. So my compromise is instead to search the world over for other culture's versions of pot roast--including some more unusual ones from here in America. That extra bit of flavor makes pot roast a dish he enjoys, albeit only occasionally.

This pot roast is from Portuguese Malaysia--which is why the end result bears a great resemblance to classic beef stews. I have made it previously, at which time I made it strictly according to instructions, but I found the separate cooking of the vegetables to be not only fussy but also less flavorful (I love potatoes braised in beef broth/fat/juice). And I also found braising the dish uncovered to be slightly stressful--I had to watch it and frankly it added nothing to the experience for me. I prefer to shove that baby in the oven and walk away. So here is MY version of Malaccan Beef and Vegetable Stew.

And here I include the obligatory October quick note to say that light is fading, the days are colder, and alas my pictures are suffering. My in laws gave me a wonderful photo box last year for Christmas, and I am trying to use it more often, but it just does not happen much with dinner and hungry children. Try to pretend the lighting is better!

Malaccan Beef & Vegetable Stew
Adapted from Cradle of Flavor, James Oseland

*I have noticed most chucks come in 2-3 lbs packages, so I usually make pot roast to last for more than one night. I also add more veggies than most people, in an effort to make the meal less meat-centric. Feel free to add or reduce to your preference.

2-2 1/2 lbs bone-in (preferably) beef chuck, cut into 4-6 large pieces
2 T double black soy sauce
1 t freshly ground black pepper
flour for dredging meat
1 red onion, finely chopped
2-3 T vegetable oil
3 green cardamom pods, cracked open with knife handle
6 whole cloves
2 2-3 inch cinnamon (cassia) sticks
1 whole star anise
1 cup beef stock
2 red onions, sliced
2 handfuls baby carrots
Approx. 1 heaping quart tiny potatoes
1 T cider vinegar

Massage the double black soy sauce and black pepper into the meat and leave to rest at room temperature in a large bowl for 30-60 minutes. When you are ready to cook the meat, heat a 5 qt Dutch oven over high heat. Gently shake the meat pieces dry(ish) and dredge in flour and set aside on a plate. Add the oil; when it shimmers, add the meat and sear on all sides. Remove when brown to the bowl with the remaining soy sauce. Preheat the oven to 230 F (this dish can be made faster on a higher heat, but I wanted it in the oven before my football game started; just do not braise at higher than 300 F).

Add the finely chopped onions to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, reducing heat to medium if necessary to prevent scorching. Add the whole spices and cook, stirring, until the dish is quite fragrant (3-5 minutes). Add the beef stock and deglaze the pot. Return the meat, with juices and soy sauce, to the pot. Cover tightly and place in the oven. Cook for 1 hour. Then remove the pot, flip the meat over, and return to the oven for another hour.

After the first 2 hours, remove the pot and add the potatoes (scrubbed clean) and layer the sliced onions over that. Raise the heat to 250 F and return to the oven for another hour. Remove the pot and add the carrots and cook for another hour. 20 minutes before serving, raise the heat to 300 F. Taste for additional salt. Serve in wide flat bowls; remove pieces of meat, potatoes and carrots, and then ladle onions and gravy over the entire thing.

To Try Tuesday--On Tuesday!!!

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Imagine that, on Tuesday!

Before I forget, I want to announce October's Family Recipes. Autumn into the holidays is my favorite time of year--culinarily and otherwise--so I know I have loads of family recipes to choose from and I bet you do too. As always, make a recipe from someone in your family that has memories for you (it can be an in law, a grandparent, a child, a cousin, you name it) and tell us about the recipe and the memories. It can even be your recipe if it has strong associations with your family and you tell us about them (for example, this post about cake and my mother in law). Send me an email with the links to the post and to your blog, at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com. Also, do not forget to include our badge in your post, pictured above. I will grab a picture from your post for the round up.

Anyway, To Try Tuesday....

Now that fall is here, my thoughts have turned away from seafood. But then I saw these Pan Seared Scallops With Cider Sauce (look under recent posts--for some reason I cannot link to the individual post) at Debi Shawcross's website. With apple cider and maple syrup, these qualify as autumnal for sure!

Do you guys read Cookstr? Just when I thought I had maxed out on recipes being delivered to my email box, I discovered Cookstr. I really like their taste in recipes--I am frequently copying down recipes that they send me, like this Thai Grilled Prawns with Emerald Noodles by Joey Altman. This was sent to me a bit back, I never got around to making it, but now I won't lose it at least!

Now technically I have the cookbook this next recipe is from--but seeing the recipe completed on The Colors Of Indian Cooking will hopefully give me the courage to try to make this kind of chaat myself! I even already have the puffed rice!

I could probably link to use real butter every single Tuesday and you would find something worth making--and by now you all know it. But hey, this post is not just for you, it is also for me to remember what I want to try--and what I want to try is this Apple Galette--with the grainy topping. It's like a crumble or crisp topped galette and looks amazing.

You all know I love scones. You also all know that the scones I ove are hardly healthy. Which is why when I saw these Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones at A Dash Of Sass I knew I would be trying them. Hopefully soon.

Snickerdoodles Take 2

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

When my October Saveur came in the mail and I saw Cinnamon plastered across the corner of the cover, I immediately flipped to the article. And I am an obsessive front to back in order kind of gal, too! The article did not disappoint, with 5 desserts and several savory dishes as well. You might have thought I would have chosen something other than Snickerdoodles, which I just made a month or 2 ago. But you would be wrong.

First of all, I've been sick, so honestly something easy like a cookie sounded best. Especially something which gave me a reason to turn on my oven given that my house thermometer read 53 degrees this morning! (OK I like to leave the windows open in the fall.) Second, it is fall, and fall says cinnamon baked goods. Third, and sadly I have no link because it is not on their website, but Saveur's photo of the cookies had me drooling. Thicker than the ones I made earlier in the summer, and darker, they said "We are sufficiently different and sufficiently delicious--MAKE US NOW." So what was I to do?

As far as how different they were from my previous Snickerdoodles (Nancy Baggett's recipe) the answer is Quite. They are thicker, and the texture is a mix, let's say 60% chewy and 40% soft/cakey, so not quite as chewy as the other batch. They are also the cookie you should be making if you really want cinnamon. Baggett's recipe uses 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to 3 1/2 cups of flour--this one uses 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to 3 cups of flour! They are equally addictive--in fact I had to go get one right now because writing about them had me craving one.

Snickerdoodles
Adapted from Saveur

3 cups AP flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 sticks (16 T) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 t Vietnamese cassia cinnamon (if you do not have Vietnamese, at least use a good quality cassia, not Ceylon or true cinnamon)
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 eggs

For rolling the dough:
1/3 cup sugar
1 heaping T Vietnamese cinnamon

Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes with a mixer. Add the vanilla and cinnamon--Saveur points out that the ample butter draws out and enhances the flavor of the cinnamon; I think it is important to add it here, instead of with the dry ingredients. Beat for 1 more minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Remember to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture and mix on slow just until combined. Cover dough tightly to prevent drying and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Whisk together the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a wide, fat bowl. Scoop out tablespoon sized balls of dough, roll them quickly into a bal and then roll them quickly through the cinnamon sugar. note: my daughter rolled them way too long (she's 40 and some of them became dry with cinnamon and no sugar stuck. They baked fine, but the sugar would be preferable so do not let your small child roll forever. Place the balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Ideal for me was 3 across and 5 down; when I made them just a tad smaller, and got 4 across, the cookies baked flat. Bake about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Moroccan Ground Beef With Couscous, Topped With Caramelized Onions

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Now that fall is here I have been craving long cooking, hearty dishes like braises and stews. However, my life has not really cooperated, and so I have not made any yet. But in a fit of frustration, I did decide to take Moroccan Braised Lamb With Couscous and Caramelized Onions and make a quickie version using ground meat.

It actually worked quite well. It was fast, tasty and filling. Served with a salad it was pretty nutritious too!

Now that fall is here I am also back to using canned tomatoes (or frozen but I did not want frozen in this dish). A while back, Muir Glen contacted me, saying that they had noticed that I recommend Muir Glen canned tomatoes (I do--from personal preference, I have no affiliation to the company) and asking if I would like to try their special reserve tomatoes? Heck yeah! What is better than being sent, free, the special version of something you already use anyway?

So after a very short while, some fire roasted tomatoes (which I love) and "Muir Glen Organic 2008 Reserve Halley Thirty-One Fifty-Five Tomatoes, Petite Diced, Hand Harvested" arrived in a cute little crate in my mail. I did not use them right away--seeing as it was real tomato season around here--but now that local tomatoes are far and few between I decided to pop open a can for this dish. Now in retrospect I don't know if that was the smartest decision since this dish did not really hi-light the tomato flavor, but I really wanted to try them and luckily I still have 2 cans, with a promise of 2009 Reserve to come.

They were wonderful. They tasted and smelled fresh in a way that most canned tomatoes do not, less simmered down or something. I am not sure how to explain it. I was originally planning to use them on something like chili, but now I am wondering if I should save them for Indian curries, since really wonderful, fresh tomatoes have a big impact in that cuisine's curries, as I have noted before.

So how can you get these wonderful canned tomatoes? Well, I guess by joining their Tomato Connoisseurs' Club, and since I have no idea how expensive that is I am not necessarily recommending it, especially if you preserve, either by canning or freezing, your own tomatoes. But I have always recommended Muir Glen canned tomatoes of those available commercially, and I certainly continue to do so.

Moroccan Ground Beef With Couscous, Topped With Caramelized Onions
Recipe by The Spiced Life

2 onions--1/2 of one finely chopped, the other 1 1/2 thinly sliced
2 t olive oil
2 T unsalted butter
salt to taste
approx. 1 lbs ground meat of choice (adjust fat as needed; I used half ground turkey and half ground chuck)
1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes (or equivalent fresh)
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
2 t cinnamon
1 t allspice
cayenne pepper to taste
several handfuls of golden raisins
2 handfuls of kalamata olives, chopped

Heat a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and the thinly sliced onions. Sprinkle with salt. Once they are sizzling, lower the heat. Basically you are going to caramelize these onions while to cook the rest of the meal, so keep an eye on them, tossing occasionally By then end you will have turned the heat quite low, but in the beginning I like to let them get some color.

Heat a second large stainless steel skillet over another burner, medium high. Add and heat the oil. When it is shimmering, add the finely chopped onions. Cook, stirring, until they are light golden brown, maybe 5-7 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the ground meat with the spices. Stir the spices into the meat and cook, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be fragrant with the spices--if it is not, add a little more (I added as I went, so I am giving my best guess as to how much of each spice I used). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and then add the golden raisins and olives. Cook, on medium-low, for another 10 minutes or so to blend the flavors. Be sure (as I did not and learned a lesson) to put a lid on the skillet if the liquid evaporates or else you will dry the mixture out.

Toss with couscous and top with caramelized onions. We tossed with less couscous for the adults the second night--the kids liked a lot of couscous, which is the ratio you see in the pictures.

To Try Tuesday... Late Again!

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

So at the moment my life is in a little bit of upheaval. Well, maybe not upheaval per se, but it is certainly was a crazy September and it would seem as a result To Try Tuesday will be posted on any day other than Tuesday.

C'est la vie.

It occurs to me as I type this that I never mentioned how stellar the pickled jalapenos were at Frontera Grill. Oh what I would give for greater heat tolerance because I ate almost an entire (large) one whole, as is. It was that good. But I wanted to enjoy the rest of my meal so I had to quit, lest my scorched mouth be unable to taste anything else. *sigh* So when I saw these Pickled Peppers over at SippitySup I knew I would be marking them down to try. Probably not til next summer, since peppers are done here, but at least this way I won't lose the recipe!

One of my favorite ways to find recipes it by following links within links within links of either unfamiliar blogs or blogs that are newer to me (and hence I have not read through the archives). This is how I found these Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars over at Dana Treat. I'm pretty much a sucker for anything with dulce de leche and the shortbread base just completes it. Yum.

Spicy Maple Roasted Apple Soup. That was all I needed to say, right? Find it over at Spinach Tiger. And it is the perfect time of year for this one.

I still have some of that fabulous Zchoog Inspired Middle Eastern Hot Sauce in my freezer, and I think the yogurt sauce it made would work well with these Ntomatokeftedes (Greek Tomato and Feta Fritters), posted by Closet Cooking. Anything with that much sun-dried tomato and feta cheese in it deserves a close look!

Family Recipes: Mary Jones' Shrimp Dish

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:30:00 +0000

As everyone knows by now, I was in Chicago recently to see U2 and generally have fun. While I was gone, my in-laws came to help with the kids. I suggested that while I was gone they make one of John's favorite dishes growing up, Mary Jones' Shrimp Dish (OK I made that up--to my knowledge his family never named the dish). The point being, I am not a fan of shrimp served in a sauce, but John has such a strong attachment to this dish--both flavor wise and nostalgia wise, that I felt it was a perfect entry for Family Recipes. And something he and his mom could make together while I was gone. Knowing I would be busy--and knowing that John is a very funny writer--I asked him to please write up the blog post and recipe for me. I am late posting it because he asked me to proof read it last week and then my entire family got sick, myself worst of all, so I put it on the back burner. Here it is now. Be sure to head over to The Life And Loves Of Grumpy's HoneyBunch to see what other family recipes people made.

This shrimp dish is a recipe that has been in my family for several generations, and one I loved growing up. I love it, my mother loves it, my grandmother loved it – I’m a little unclear if it goes back to my great-grandmother. (Who was born in the 1860s – before a major ingredient, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, existed.) So for all I know she invented this. (The recipe, not Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup.) It’s also unclear whether this will continue much further. My wife doesn’t like shrimp – a serious character flaw I have tried to learn to live with, but I remain hopeful that they will some day develop a surgical procedure for correcting it. So this doesn’t get made too much (read: ever). But when she was recently out of town, my mother helped cook it and my daughters, who love shrimp, refused to touch it. Hopefully this was just the random eccentricity of small children, and not a sign that this recipe goes no further through my branch of the family.

Anyway, it’s a fairly simple recipe, requiring:
· Shrimp
· More shrimp
· Shallots (Laura's note: pick an amount to taste, around 3 sounded good to John when I asked)
· Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
· Ketchup (2 tbs. per can of soup)
· Peas

Start by sautéing both the shrimp and the more shrimp (feeling free to add extra shrimp as needed). Separately, sauté the shallots (the onion wannabe of the allium world). Combine the shrimp and the shallots and add the Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. (I suppose it is possible you could use some other brand of mushroom soup, but I’ve never tried it and then it’s not my recipe, so why are you wasting my time? Nor can I guarantee that there won’t be some sort of unexpected chemical reaction causing the shrimp to explode and take out half your kitchen wall. So do so at your own risk.) Add the ketchup and heat. Serve on rice, with peas on the side. (I suppose this technically means that peas are not part of the recipe, but we always have them. Failure to do so means you are not making my recipe, so why are you wasting my time? And again, for all I know, they are suppressing some chemical reaction between the soup and ketchup that would otherwise blow your stove hood through your ceiling.)

That’s it: that is the great family recipe that generations have loved for years. My wife won’t eat it and my children won’t eat it – but if just one person who reads this blog likes it and can carry on this tradition, it still won’t help. Because I’m pretty sure you won’t be cooking it for me.

**Since writing the above I’ve done a little more research (meaning that I asked my mother) and traced the roots of this recipe. Turns out it had nothing to do with my great grandmother. (Incidentally, I also confirmed my suspicion that said great grandmother did not create Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup.) It was instead obtained from a woman named Mary Jones — a friend of my grandmother's who was apparently a Depression-era cookbook author. Attempts to google “Mary Jones” have proved (unsurprisingly) useless, so that’s about as far as I can go.

Zchoog Inspired Middle Eastern Hot Sauce on Kofta With Greens

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:00:00 +0000

John has a new colleague at work from Israel. He came over to our house during a work function, and while we were discussing the cookies I had made I sensed that he and his wife enjoyed cooking. I also suspected he could be a goldmine for recipes.

In the meantime I had been looking for a hot sauce for Middle Eastern recipes. Something to tie dishes together and give them a bit of zing for zing-lovers like us. So I asked John to ask Iddo if he had anything like that. Iddo sent me his version of Zchoog, described thus by him: "There is something called "Zchoog" ("ch" as in Scottish "Loch") that Yemenite Jews use to kill off whiteys like me. The real recipe is a secret carefully guarded by Yemenite grandmothers.... It's a paste, rather than a sauce...."

He gave me 2 versions, an obviously incendiary hot green version and a less hot red version (he says it is less of a "biohazard"), which added tomatoes. I had some of the ingredients, but not all, so I decided to use his paste to come up with a decidedly less hot but still tasty sauce. We have had it on these kofta and Feta with Eggs so far, and it is outstanding. Because of the high vegetable content (and corresponding low acidity), I was not sure how long it would last, so I divided it between small containers and froze them.

Middle Eastern Hot Sauce Inspired By Iddo's Zchoog

as many hot chile peppers as you can take--he called for 1 cup, pureed, but I used around 5 bird chile peppers with 4 somewhat hot Anaheim type chile peppers from our farmer's market--I did not seed anything
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (he called for WAY more plus cilantro as well but that was all I had, but I soldiered on)
1 t ground coriander
1 T ground cumin
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t turmeric
6 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
juice of at least 1, possibly 2 lemons (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1 t tomato paste
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped, with juices (possibly more, see instructions)

Iddo instructed me to "Grind up everything but the salt in the black basalt stone grinder you
brought from Yemen and keep under the kitchen sink" which made me laugh given the Thai stone mortar and pestle that we brought from Thailand. But that one reeks of curry paste so I put everything in a blender. Keeping in mind the original Zchoog is supposed to be paste-like but that I wanted a sauce, I adjusted the oil, lemon juice and tomatoes to get the consistency I wanted, adding more spices if I thought the flavor got weak. Unfortunately I was stuck with the amount of herbs and chile peppers I had, or I would have added more of those, especially the herbs. In other words, play with it until you get it the way you want it.

Drizzle directly on food or use to create other sauces (see yogurt sauce below).

Beef Kofta
Adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, Claudia Roden

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (use at least 10% fat, 20% works even better)
3 T minced mint
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely minced
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t paprika or cayenne, to heat preference
1/4 t salt
6 large cloves garlic, minced and toasted in nonstick skillet if raw garlic can bug your stomach

Mix everything together, preferably with your hands. Get everything evenly incorporated, but do not overwork. Form into patties the size of your choice and grill over medium heat. Serve with pita bread (if you're lucky enough to have any--I did not), greens, cucumber, tomatoes, crumbled feat cheese and yogurt dressing. Drizzle Zchoog inspired hot sauce, see above.

Yogurt Dressing
Recipe by The Spiced Life

This is all to taste--take amounts with a grain of salt and taste as you go. If you only have one kind of yogurt that is fine.

1 cup plain, whole fat yogurt
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
juice of one lemon (start with less and adjust to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1-3 t Zchoog inspired hot sauce, see above
1 t ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika
1 small, very finely minced garlic clove
chopped flat leaf parsley (did not have but would add next time)

Whisk everything together and adjust amounts to taste.

To Try Tuesday, Er Friday?

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Ooops, I totally forgot my new little weekly To Try post around here. D'Oh!

I love lemon quick breads and cakes--I can try an endless variety of them. Which is why this Glazed Lemon Bread by Simply Recipes is on my to try list. The honey and cardamom--both subtle--look especially interesting.

Apple season is here so what I really want right now is a slice of this Dutch Apple Quick Bread from Tummy Treasure. I am a sucker for anything with a crumble topping, especially with apples. And I love quick bread.

I love scones, as many of you know, and one scone flavor I have not yet tried is orange. So when I saw that Lady Craddock's Bakery had chosen Orange Scented Scones from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book for that blogging event (where they bake from that book), I immediately bookmarked it. You should too.

Why had I never heard of Bacon Jam? Seriously, bacon jam? Then suddenly I was seeing tweets, people were making it but not yet happy with their results. When I was going to see a successful bacon jam? At last, Homesick Texan came through! This is a weekend project to complete asap... the possibilities are endless!

OK apparently this week is mostly about the sweet tooth. This Vanilla, Salted Butter Caramel, & Chocolate Mousse from Tartelette is calling to me. I have to start contemplating Big Events (because for me this would be a big event dish--lucky Tartlette husband!) to decide which one this dessert would go best with. It is gorgeous and it looks SO GOOD.

Grilled Vietnamese Marinated Halibut

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I've had trouble writing this post. Not just because I have not cooked a lot in the last 2 weeks--I have not--but also it just seems somehow to really shut the door on my U2 adventure. I want that picture of Bono to be the first thing I see when I open my blog!

But alas, life goes on. I don't really have a recipe for you so much as an entry into the annals of Laura's Adventures Learning To Cook Seafood. Which is very exciting, because I would say this is the first solid A fish, not shellfish, that I have cooked by means other than frying. I should have known that my tried, true, favorite marinade would work on fish as well as chicken, pork or beef. As many of you know, this marinade is open to lots of subtle variations; I changed it up a little by using ginger in this one.

The one thing that did not translate so well was serving the fish with bun, i.e., rice vermicelli and salad with nuoc cham. I am not sure why, but it was not a homerun for me. So if you want to try this marinade, I recommend serving it as is or with nuoc cham for dipping, but with other side dishes. Maybe some sticky rice and simple steamed broccoli, for example.

For the fish: I used thick cut halibut steaks, but according to a lot of the SE Asian cookbooks I have salmon would work as well.

Vietnamese Ginger Soy Marinade

1 chopped shallot
5 chopped garlic cloves
2 T chopped ginger
2 T fish sauce
1 T sugar
1 T superior dark soy sauce
2 T vegetable oil

Mix all of the ingredients together, whisking well to dissolve the sugar. Cover the fish with the marinade and place in air tight container or ziplock bag. Leave for at least 20 minutes or up to 8 hours in the fridge. Remove and grill to desired doneness.

We Take A Break From Our Regularly Scheduled Programming To Present.... U2!

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:10:00 +0000

OK so some of you may not care about this--some of you have even left me comments indicating you did not care. But others of you want to see the pics and let's face it, I want to put them up!

I love it when Bono sings at the Edge. This picture is cropped a bit--it was down a little way to the right of where we were. Hooray for all 3 and half million pixels in my cell phone camera!

I decided to go see U2 at kind of the last minute--after the GA (general admission--what I could afford and where I wanted to be anyway) for both Chicago shows had sold out. I think ever since having kids I had decided I was too grown up for screaming myself silly at a rock concert.

NOT.

I had trouble getting a good shot of Larry (the drummer). He only came around during the amazing, fantastic remix of I Know I'll Go Crazy and the one point at which I thought I had an ok shot the camera man came in front of me--clearly he thought it was a good angle too.

I had similar issues with Adam the bassist)--he came by more than once, but usually walking quickly and I had promised myself I was not going to be so crazed with taking pictures that I did not enjoy the show, you know? However, the first time he came by, he grinned at us! In person that man's smile is contagious.

One of the times the bridge was in front of us--I could have died when Bono decided to sit down and sing rather than keep walking.

So I found the GA tickets by various means--one of them only 4 days beforehand!-- and headed to Chicago for 3 nights with my sister and some friends. The first night I wanted to watch the Michigan-Notre Dame game first, so we did not try to get to that concert early (plus we did not want to be too exhausted for the 2nd concert). Our plans were further messed up by the fact that our lodgings were in college sports bar central, where all the Notre Dame grads were watching the game. So not only were we competing big time for a taxi, we were competing with 100s of very angry (hehe) Notre Dame fans. I'm afraid I was mostly beaming at the world, having just beaten a hated rival at the last minute--I think Josie was worried I'd get beaten up or something. Hey at least I was not singing The Victors at them (the Michigan fight song).

Another cropped shot of Bono singing at the Edge to my right. Now that I think on it, and look at the Edge's guitar, I am certain this was Stay (Faraway, So Close). All of these shots with the Edge and that guitar are from that song.

So we did miss the opening act (Snow Patrol) the first night and we stood further back. (Sidenote: we saw Snow Patrol the second night and they played an awesome show. It is not often I notice the opening band, I recommend checking them out.) Although I decided that next time I would prefer to either get there early or pay for a mid level seat, it was still an awesome show. They played Bad and those who know me well know that I went crazy at that.

The Edge, at the beginning of Stay (Faraway, So Close), before he made his way to Bono to my right.

The second day we got there at 7:15 am. We waited all day in the sun--we covered ourselves in newspapers it was so blindingly hot. Kudos to Soldier Field for having amazing, clean bathroom facilities, being cleaned all day as we used them, in the parking garage alongside the line--I had heard horror stories from other U2 fans about port-a-potties at European venues. At 5 pm or so they let us in, and once again kudos to Soldier Field for maintaining calm. I have a hip injury from delivering Alex and there is no way I could have sprinted. As it was, Josie got there first and saved us spots along the rail.

The line stretching out behind us. Check out that evil, evil sun. Waiting in line was quite the experience. Granted, general admission was unheard of in my youth, but how did I never do this at 18 but end up doing it in my 30s?

The line in front of us--those lucky people, who got there between 5-6 AM, were in the shade. We decided we needed 4 hours of sleep however, so we got there at 7 and paid the price in heat.

Waiting for the show to start along the rail.

In later years, I have noticed Bono tends to get very excited and then eventually collapse, and finish the song (or talking) from a prone position. How lucky am I that he collapsed very close to me? :) Josie kept whispering at me that he was getting old and in need of medical attention, haha. Don't believe it for a second.

Rail versus pit was a big decision for us. Ultimately we decided that because U2 has put on a fabulous stage show, the rail was a better place to be because the catwalk (which the rail was about 3 feet in front of) was a normal height, i.e., shorter than me, whereas the primary stage was 9 feet tall AND you could not see the stage show (i.e., the screen and The Claw for those familiar with the show). When I realized I was standing directly opposite Bono's cheat sheet for serenading Chicago I knew we had chosen well.

This is a great example of how absolutely gorgeous the entire set up was. Those bridges moved, landing the band members in front of different people all the time. The bridge landed in front of us at least twice, maybe 3 times--my brain is a bit foggy now.

WE WERE SO CLOSE.

Bono, serenading Chicago right in front of me.

The camera used was a 3.5 megapixel cell phone with minimal zoon. Just sayin'.

After the first show... we used the time to scope out the best place to aim for the second show. Also a good view of The Claw.

Frontera Grill, FINALLY! & Arroz con Pollo y Frijoles y Calabacitas (Chicken and Rice with Beans & Zucchini)

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:15:00 +0000

I first started cooking from Rick Bayless cookbooks almost 10 yeas ago (!). I forget how I discovered my first, Mexico One Plate At A Time, but I did at any rate and I loved it. My beans came out perfectly, as did my homemade chorizo. Since then I have acquired all of his books, along with an intense longing to eat at one of his restaurants.

But alas I knew no one in Chicago, and when finances are pinched like ours are, vacations usually revolve around who is opening their doors to us to save on lodging.

So thank goodness for U2 touring on more levels than just the obvious, eh? Because Frontera Grill was everything I could have expected and more. It was swinging, it was authentic, it was delicious and actually, thanks to the little plates, trying a small bite or 2 (or more) of a lot of things was quite affordable. Especially with 6 of us. Several people have asked me what we had, so skip ahead if this would bore you (alas the lighting was dim and not at all cell phone camera friendly, so no pics): a Mexican mojito made with tequila--YUM, shrimp/squid ceviche (possible the best thing we tried), a tuna ceviche and a whitefish ceviche (both just as outstanding--the waiting in line was worth the ceviches alone), chips and guacamole (sublime), jicama salad (everyone loved but me, as I don't care for jicama), shredded duck taquitos in a chile sauce (outstanding), a chicken in green mole with pumpkin seeds in a tamale (amazing), sweet plantains with crema and queso fresco (to die for and my big I-am-so-jealous-I-did-not-order-that item), tacos al pastor (my favorite taco, a spit roasted pork with pineapples that was excellent), re-fried back beans (very good), pinto beans simmered with poblanos and bacon (every bit as good as that sounds), queso fundido made with cheddar and some meltingly tender shredded beef (good but the only mis-step as we all felt the cheddar was not melty enough--but the beef was wonderful), black bean soup (so good I literally could not figure it out and tweeted Rick Bayless himself to ask about it--and yes he did answer), and finally--I may have forgot a few--Mexican hot chocolate (not cocoa) with Creme de Metzcal (smoky, sweet, alluring). Oh yeah and my sister got some sort of empanada that I was also completely jealous of but since she ordered it I don't remember what was in it.

So I guess you know I am recommending you head over to Frontera Grill if you get the chance. Just be aware that thanks to him winning Top Chef and being Obama's favorite chef, the line starts forming outside of his restaurant literally over an hour in advance. Once again, worth it.

When I got home I was still dreaming of Bono, er I mean Mexican food, but I had no energy, so I pulled out Rick Bayless's answer to tired, time-starved cooks who love Mexican food: Mexican Everyday. Now you should know that because I was only tired, not time starved, I did not pan cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but instead roasted a combo of breasts and legs because I strongly prefer shredded chicken. So feel free to cook the breasts that way directly in the final pot (dicing afterwards) if you wish to save time and dishes. Also know that I added cumin and zucchini.

Arroz con Pollo y Frijoles y Calabacitas (Chicken and Rice with Beans & Zucchini)
Adapted from Mexican Everyday, Rick Bayless

1 - 1.5 lbs chicken parts of choice, bone in and skin on
1 T olive oil
2 T ancho powder, divided
salt and pepper to taste, as called for below
1 t ground cumin
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 small-medium zucchini, diced
1 cup rice, rinsed and drained dry
5 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 15-oz can beans of choice, rinsed and drained (I used homemade Vaquero from Rancho Gordo)
2 T chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Sweet tomato relish for garnish
Mexican hot sauce of choice (we like Tapatio)
queso fresco (I had none or I would have used)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Pull the skin partially off of the chicken and sprinkle half of the ancho powder (1 tablespoon) under the skin, along with salt and pepper. Place the skin back over the chicken. Sear the chicken in the pan, skin side down, for 5-7 minutes. Flip over, sear for 2 minutes, and then place the skillet into the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through. When it is done, remove from oven and let cool until you can shred the meat off of the bones. Set the meat aside--save the bones for stock. In the meantime, drain the fat from the pan through a sieve into a prep bowl.

Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add as much of the flavored chicken fat/oil as you want, at least 1 1/2 tablespoons. Add the onion and stir for 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir for another 4 minutes, until the rice starts to look dry and opaque. Add the garlic, zucchini, cumin and remaining chile powder and stir for another minute. Add the broth and up to a teaspoon of salt (I did not use any salt since I was using commercial broth), and stir well. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes.

Uncover the pot, and add the chicken and beans. Re-cover the pot and cook for an additional 12 minutes. Taste a bit of rice and make sure it is only barely not done--if it is less done than that, cover and cook another 5 minutes. When barely not done, uncover, stir in the green onions and cilantro, then remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Taste for salt. Serve with garnishes.

**If you wish to double the recipe (as I did), only use 2 1/2 cups broth and, after the initial 10 minutes of cooking, bake it in a 350 F oven for 20-25 minutes. Make sure you use a wide pot to encourage even cooking fo the rice (10-12 inches across).

To Try Tuesday Vol. 5

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:51:00 +0000

I am a huge crisp fan. For whatever reason I usually make them with blueberries. However, the minute I saw this Apple Crisp over at Simply Recipes I knew I'd be making it soon. If food porn is the ability of a picture to make your mouth water and your taste buds absolutely crave what you are looking at, well, then that is serious food porn.

When these Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars cycled onto my Facebook wall, I nearly drooled. Recipe Girl never disappoints, and these are headed straight to the to try pile.

If you've been reading my blog, by now you certainly know of Rancho Gordo. What you might not have known is that Steve Sando, the owner of Rancho Gordo, has a blog (also called Rancho Gordo) with fabulous recipes as well. His Borrachos (Drunken Beans), look both simple and fantastic. I love beans cooked in beer.

If you love onions like I love onions, this Balsamic Onion Marmalade from One Perfect Bite will be at the top of your to try list also. I am thinking I might buy a serious supply of local onions soon and make this in bulk and freeze it for the winter. And tell myself for the umpteenth time that I *will* learn to can next summer.

Stay tuned for U2 pics... I know you are all dying to hear about it--and even if not I am dying to tell you!

Dishing Out Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Have you ever been to a restaurant supply store? I finally had the chance to go over Labor Day weekend and it was paradise for cooks. I seriously could have spent hours in there but unfortunately my children's patience and my wallet were limiting factors. I found a MUCH cheaper 10 inch nonstick skillet to replace the Calphalon one that died (ok fine my dog mangled it), I found those incredibly nifty tubs that Alton Brown is always recommending for rising dough (the ones that are see-through and marked by quart), I found quarter-sheet cookie sheets, which while I did not buy ARE going on my Christmas list. And I finally found dishers of various sizes.

When I say various sizes, I mean they had at least 15 if not more. I had no idea that dishers--what I think of as cookie dough scoops--came in so many sizes! I just knew that while I loved the 2 that I already owned, they were not up to cookies like the NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie. The point being, I had been on the lookout for a bigger disher with no idea of where to find one. Until I wandered into Wasserstrom.

Happily I got a chance to work out the new, bigger disher (don't ask me what size I got, I already forget I am mortified to admit) on those Double Chocolate Chip Cookies I posted about this past Tuesday. Contrary to my plans, I did decide to put nuts in them. First, because I was craving hazelnut chocolate bars (and yes I did sub in toasted, chopped hazelnuts for the pecans). Second, because I made the cookies partly because my in laws were coming, and as already discussed, my mother in law really likes seriously chocolatey things, and I know she likes nuts too, so I figured since I will be (probably am right now!! YAY!) in Chicago while these cookies are being eaten, I might as well make them to her taste also. After all, the grandparents coming in to help John is making it possible for me to escape to Chicago and see Bono, er, I mean U2. The least they deserve is chocolate.

The verdict on the cookies: these cookies are very good. Very, very good. I think I would prefer them without nuts, but I am ok with the hazelnuts being there. Pecans just make me cringe, but I like pecans in granola, fruit pie, etc, not with chocolate. The cookies take, as you can see, a boatload of chocolate--for sanity's sake and the sake of your wallet, I recommend chocolate chips instead of chunks for mixing in (but do use good, chopped chocolate for the melting part). I would rate these cookies a notch below Lisa Yockeslon's Savannahs, which might be the epitome of chocolate cookies for me. Since this recipe is from my To Try Tuesday collection, I am going to link you to the recipe rather than type it out.

P.S. Because this blog has been interrupted by U2 touring, expect to see To Try Tuesday on Wednesday next week. I know you'll understand. Bono, er, I mean U2, only comes to the Midwest every 3-5 years or so.

Feta Cheese With Eggs, Peppers, Zucchini, & Tomatoes

thespicedlife@gmail.com (Laura) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:58:00 +0000

Is there anything more satisfying than pulling together a meal out of semi shriveled vegetables in your fridge, glorious fresh veggies from the garden, a few pantry items you already had on hand, and making a really fast meal that is absolutely devoured by your family? The only disappointing thing about this meal is that I am about to go (may already be there when this publishes) out of town to Chicago to see U2 (twice!) and so I cannot make it again the next night. It was that tasty.

This meal has 2 sources, although in both cases my version does not closely resemble the originals. The first is a hot sauce that was inspired by a recipe a friend gave to me--and I am waiting on permission to share it. So just assume any hot sauce friendly to Middle Eastern flavors--and know that my kids inhaled the meal without the hot sauce anyway. But that is what you see dabbed onto the dish.

The second source is Claudia Roden's The New Book Of Middle Eastern Food. Claudia Roden's cookbooks are interesting. On the one hand they are chock full of fabulous recipes, a terrific source of inspiration. On the other hand, the woman epitomaizes the culinary equivalent of brevity being the soul of wit. Her recipes are very bare boned, which is great for individual interpretation but not so great when you are staring at a recipe, puzzled by something. For example, this recipe calls for 2 slices of feta cheese. No thickness, no weight, no nothing, just 2 slices. Don't know about you but since I do not even think of feta as being sold or eaten in slices, I had no idea how much that meant. Luckily, as an experienced cook I can just guesstimate to make a finished dish I will enjoy, but I have no idea if what I made bears any resemblance to what someone from the Middle East would enjoy.

My main changes were to increase the size of the dish for 4 people and to add more veggies for a more complete meal. I found the pepper and zucchini--both on their last legs-- in my fridge and I found some beautiful ripe Hillybilly (heirloom) tomatoes in my garden, which I have woefully neglected.

Feta Cheese With Eggs, Peppers, Zucchini, & Tomatoes
Adapted from The New Book Of Middle Eastern Food

2 T cold pressed extra virgin olive oil--I used a good Spanish one
2 fat cloves garlic, minced
1 t ground coriander (I forgot--oops)
1 sweet bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
3 slices (I used about 2.5 oz and they broke apart a bit) feta cheese
4 eggs
1 fresh, ripe tomato, chopped

Heat a 10-12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and then the garlic and coriander. Let the garlic sizzle gently, reducing heat of necessary, to roast until golden and fragrant. Add the peppers and zucchini and cook for a few minute. Place the feat cheese over the veggie and leave to cook on medium low heat.

When the cheese is melting and falling apart, toss the veggies and cheese 2-3 times. Crack the eggs over the skillet--ideally all yolks would remain unbroken, but one of mine broke. Luckily my husband does not care about egg yolk. Sprinkle the chopped tomato around the edges and turn the broiler on.

When the eggs look like they have cooked pretty well underneath but are still raw in the center, cook under the broiler to desired doneness.