Don't Get Complacent: Ca Ri Ga revisited

One of my favorite things about cooking is finding new, better ways to do things. Whether it's technique or improvements to a favorite recipe, the discovery part is always fun. Case in point is the classic Vietnamese curry dish Ca Ri Ga. I've had a version locked and loaded in my repertoire for a few years now (see original post here). It was always delicious, had been made many times before for friends to much praise, and seemed perfect. The lesson here is one should never get complacent, because when I was in a curry-ish mood with a bit of starch craving on the side yesterday morning I entered three words into the awesome epicurious recipe search app: "sweet potato curry". Up popped this recipe, and a few hours later the results appeared as pictured.

This was almost a whole new curry from my previous ca ri ga. Slightly more pungently flavored and definitely brothier. In fact it was the broth that made the whole dish better. Equal parts chicken stock and coconut milk, it had a silky texture yet was not too thick and not too liquidy. Just right. In her notes below recipe author Mai Pham suggests having it with a baguette which I will definitely do next time (although our rice side was excellent). It could also be made vegetarian style by leaving out the chicken, maybe throw in some cauliflower and broccoli or whatever plant based needs you have. The prep was straightforward and simple, and the dish comes together ridiculously easy (both of which always score huge in my book and make this a perfect after work dinner). My mind was opened to a new possibility, my palate was extremely happy, and as much as I loved my old ca ri ga, I have just found a new, better way to edible satisfaction!
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Ca ri ga

from epicurious: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" by Mai Pham and are part of our story on Lunar New Year.

"True to the Vietnamese style of curry-making, this recipe is milder and lighter than Indian or Thai curries. You can make this with chicken stock, but the coconut milk adds body and enhances the overall flavor. Depending on my mood and the time of year, I sometimes serve this with a warmed baguette (a French influence) instead of steamed rice. Other times, I just make the curry with more broth and serve it with rice noodles. Like other curries, it's delicious the next day."

yield: Makes 4 Servings

ingredients:
3 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground chili
paste or dried chili flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled, cut into 3 slices and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 1/2 cups fresh chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
3 carrots, peeled, cut on the diagonal into 2/3-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 medium sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Garnish (feel free to use any/all):
1/2 cup Asian basil leaves, cut in half
8 sprigs cilantro, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 scallions, chopped

method:
1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the curry powder and the salt in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat the meat evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Add the shallot, garlic, chili paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon curry powder, and stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until the edges of the pieces are golden, 3 to 4
minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, ginger and chicken stock. Bring
to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Add
the coconut milk, onion and sweet potato and cook until the vegetables are
tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with Asian basil,
cilantro and scallions, and serve.

Fresh Corn & Pancetta Risotto: 'tis the season!

There's a time and a place for everything, and the time has never been better for this incredibly satisfying risotto. You may have noticed a few ears of corn being offered for sale out right about now? If you haven't then you obviously have been a shut in for the last three weeks. Like fresh tomatoes warm off the vine, corn is never better than you'll get it in late summer/early fall. I picked up three ears at our local market for about a buck. If there's a more satisfying way to spend a dollar I haven't heard of it! I knew immediately what I was going to do with them. Risotto is the perfect thing for me to be making at home right now since we're still in "moving phase", getting into our new house and getting the old one ready for listing. Simple is definitely the mantra right now, and nothing could be simpler or tastier than this dish. It takes about 10 or 15 minutes to prep, maybe 25 to cook, and then you can take all the time in the world to linger over the incredibly delicious results!
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Fresh Corn & Pancetta Risotto
an E.D.T original

ingredients:
3 ears fresh corn on the cob
4 oz. pancetta, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
5 cups chicken broth/stock (approx.)
1/2 stick butter (optional but a really good idea)
grated parmagiano-reggiano

method:
1- Shuck the ears of corn, removing as much of the silk as you can. Take your chefs knife and cutting as closely to the base of the kernels as possible, slice them top to bottom into a bowl. It's super easy, but if you haven't done it before click here for a great tutorial. You should end up with about two cups of kernels. Set aside.

2- Heat medium sized skillet over med-high heat, add pancetta and cook until semi-crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain off all but about two tablespoons of fat and set skillet aside.

3- Put chicken broth in a 3 quart saucepan and heat to a simmer. In a medium saucepan add olive oil and butter and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Add onion and saute until it is softened, about 6 or 7 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat for about 1 minute. Add white wine and stir until almost all of the wine is absorbed. Then start adding broth about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring all the while, until the rice is just al dente (or whatever texture you prefer). Reheat pancetta and add it (along with its delicious pork fat!) and the corn to the pan and stir to combine. Add butter and stir until melted, then ladle risotto into bowls/plates. Top with grated parmagiano and serve.

wine pairing note: I was most fortunate to have a random bottle of 2001 Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru white burgundy rolling about the cellar. It was chardonnay at its most sublime! Assuming not everyone has such liquid wonder available, I would still highly recommend you find a more reasonably priced white burgundy (or other not overly-oaked chardonnay), maybe a 2007 or 2009 Viré-Clessé or good Macon from those same vintages. Both '07 and '09 were warm years, and the rich fruit, with still young acids, would be great with the richness and vibrancy of the corn.

A little chutney love

When I made dinner the other night I figured this post would be about the awesome curry seasoned grilled salmon I was making. I picked up some fresh Pacific chinook at the market, a glistening pink fillet that seemed like it had just been plucked from the ocean. However you'll notice in the picture there is no salmon. No pink. There is some glistening going on in that dish, though. Not to say the salmon wasn't good. It was pretty fabulous. But what really impressed was the chutney that went with the salmon. Apples and dates, a little seasoning and a splash of this and that and a piece of really good salmon suddenly filled our mouths with a wonderful sweet, smoky, savory flavor explosion.

I've made a couple of different chutneys recently to go with dinner, and before I ever made one I (wrongfully) assumed they'd be somewhat complicated to make. What a fool I was. This recipe off of epicurious couldn't have been easier...or faster. One of those reward to effort things that totally favors the former. I can see pairing it any number of things besides salmon. Pork tenderloin comes immediately to mind. Also some spring lamb wouldn't be a bad idea. The main thing is to make extra, because you'll be wanting to spoon this stuff directly onto your happy tastebuds!
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Broiled Salmon with Apple-Date Chutney
from: Bon Appétit | November 1997

Yield: Makes 2 servings

ingredients:
2 1-inch-thick salmon steaks (each about 6 ounces)
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

2/3 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped peeled tart green apple
1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
2 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

method:
Heat 3 teaspoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Mix in apple, dates, apple juice and remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder. Cook 2 minutes longer. Mix in vinegar; simmer 1 minute. Season chutney to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Prepare medium hot fire on your grill. Brush each salmon steak with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon curry powder, salt and pepper. Grill salmon until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 teaspoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Mix in apple, dates, apple juice and remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder. Cook 2 minutes longer. Mix in vinegar; simmer 1 minute. Season chutney to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer salmon to plates. Spoon chutney alongside and serve.

Cooks note: I bumped up all the ingredients for the chutney by about a third. I wish I would've made more!- bb

Vij's Cilantro-Mint Chicken Curry: is it "the one"?

I've posted probably two hundred or more recipes on the blog in the last 4+ years. I've made dozens more things that didn't make the cut because I truly do care about your tastebuds. Out of those couple hundred or so recipes there's been a few dozen show stoppers. Those all too rare restaurant quality moments. Whittling it down further you get to the "Oh my f*cking god this is good" meals, which also will invariably entail swooning and eyes rolling to the back of the head. The foodgasms if you will. Like that other kind of "gasm", some are better than others.

This recipe from the greatest Indian restaurant in North America, Vij's in Vancouver, B.C., falls squarely into the last category, a "how did you do that and would you do it again?" sort of eating experience. Out of the several hundred recipes I've posted, could this be "the one"? Well, if it isn't the one, it is definitely one of the two or three best things I've ever made, fully deserving of the bold face type. As soon as I had the first bite I couldn't wait to make it again for friends to knock them on their asses. It is phenomenally good, so incredibly deep and complex. Vij's cookbook is a source of inspiration that should be in every cook's library. Not only are the few things I've made from it as good as what you have in their mind blowing restaurant, but usually they are also incredibly easy. As far as ease of prep and cooking, this would fall into the "ridiculously simple" column. To give yourself or some very deserving friends a sensory thrill ride, you must make this....soon!!
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Vij's Cilantro-Mint Chicken Curry
From "Vij's Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine"

ingredients:
Cilantro-Mint Chutney
2 cups cilantro, chopped
2/3 cup mint, chopped
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
1/3 teaspoon asafoetida (you can find this in any Indian market, or some specialty grocers)
1 cup water

Curry
½ cup canola oil
1.5 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seed
3 tablespoons garlic , crushed
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt, stirred
3 lbs chicken thighs, bone in
3 cups basmati rice, cooked

method:
for chutney:
Mix cilantro leaves and stems, mint, jalapeño peppers, onions, ginger, and asafoetida in a large bowl. Pour one third of this mixture into a blender with 1/3 cup of water. Purée until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat two more times with remaining cilantro-mint mixture and water. You should have a smooth green chutney. Set aside while you prepare curry.

for curry:
Heat oil in a heavy, shallow pot (make sure it has a tight fitting lid) on medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Add cumin and coriander seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 30 seconds (the cumin will actually sizzle, the coriander will just cook) Add garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir in the salt. Turn off the heat and after 2 to 3 minutes stir in the yogurt. Add chicken thighs and stir well. Turn the heat to medium, then cover and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove curry from the heat and cool about 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a bowl. Peel chicken off bones. The size of the chicken pieces doesn't matter but do not shred them. Discard the bones and stir chicken back into the curry. Stir in the cilantro mint chutney. About 15 minutes before serving bring curry to a boil on medium heat. Turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

Place 1/2 cup or so rice in a bowl and ladle chicken curry over the rice.

note: when you cook the cumin and coriander the oil will probably start to smoke very near the end. Assuming the smoke isn't rolling out of the pot, don't worry, it is just the spices cooking and you'll be turning off the heat soon. It adds a real lightly smoky character to the spice flavor.- bb

update: after just having some leftovers 2 days later, this is one of those meals that while still delicious doesn't improve the next day. It loses a bit of the über-fresh cilantro-mint punch. Like I said, still good, but not quite the impact.- bb

Asian Cucumber Salad

Before you leave your comments, let me say it for you: "Man, would that picture have been so much better if I had artfully arranged some cilantro sprigs on top of the salad." You know the drill on why this didn't happen, because it's happened to you. I'm at the store buying ingredients for dinner, and I KNEW I had a bunch of cilantro at home. Of course upon arriving home I find that there was no cilantro anywhere to be found, but I'll be damned if I'm going to go pack C-boy back out to the car, run to the store and fight the after work crowd, just so my f*cking picture turns out better. I may be a bit obsessive about taking pictures of my food, but I'm not THAT crazy! So there ya have it.

In any event, even without the visually pleasing, but unnecessary to the enjoyment of, cilantro, this bright tasting cucumber salad was delicious. A perfect accompaniment to the cod with two sauces I served with it (that freakishly good..and easy...recipe tomorrow). It received the highest compliment from w, who said it tasted similar to the cucumber salad her dad makes (and w's dad is not to trifled with in all things Asian-flavored). Its cool, fresh flavors played off the spicy, full-flavored fish dish perfectly, and took all of about ten minutes to throw together, not counting the hour it sits in the fridge where the magical flavor melding happens. Try it out, you'll be impressed!
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Asian Cucumber Salad
adapted from Southern Living Magazine (proving that one never knows where inspiration may come from!!- bb)

serves 6

ingredients:
3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/8 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

method:
Stir together first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add cucumbers, tossing to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour. Using your hands, place on salad plates, letting excess dressing drain off into bowl before plating. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately.

Behold, the Deviled Egg!

There is never a time when deviled eggs are a bad idea. N-E-V-E-R! You serve them as an app at a party or show up at someone's door with them and you, my friends, have instantly risen in everyone's esteem. There are a few unfortunate souls who can't take the egg (all is forgiven DOR) for whatever reason. But for those who do, which is seemingly 98% of the population, the deviled egg is usually lusted over. Maybe it's the feelings of childhood memories it brings back. Certainly in my case it is. I always remember my mom's eggs, and those rare occasions we'd have them were highly anticipated. She didn't do anything fancy....a little mayo, some yellow mustard, salt, pepper...that's about it. Didn't matter. Instant happiness.

Now I may use a little more creativity than mom, because deviled eggs are the perfect vehicle for experimenting, but the results always bring the same feelings back. The ones pictured I did by mashing up the yolks of six hard boiled eggs with mayo, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, a couple small cloves of minced garlic, and some crisply fried pancetta bits, then dusting the whole plate with grated parmesan. You can go in any direction you want. Plus, they are about the easiest appetizer you can make. Like I said, everyone loves them. Just watch what happens when there are eight people at a party, and one or two eggs left on the plate. Everyone will play it cool, like "Oh, I couldn't possibly have another" while inside you can bet they're desperately figuring a way to grab one without anyone noticing. Yeah, you know who you are........

A note on boiling eggs: the key to the perfect deviled egg is of course a clean, just done yolk. One without that rim of blue-grey that comes from cooking it too long. Here's what I do that seems to work like a charm- add the desired amount of eggs to a large sauce pan and cover with cold water. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. When the water comes to a full boil, remove the pan from the heat and cover. Let the eggs sit for 16-18 minutes, then remove lid from pan, drain water, and run cold water over the eggs to stop the cooking and cool the eggs down for easier peeling. You should have perfectly yellow yolks with which to work your devilish magic.

Butternut Squash Soup with star anise and ginger shrimp: yummy in a hurry!

Have I mentioned my affinity for all things delicious, fast, and easy in these days of being a slave to an A.D.D. afflicted one-year-old? Oh, that's right , I just did in this recent post. Okay, C-boy really isn't A.D.D. afflicted. I hear they're all like that. Damn those developmental milestones. What will I hear next, that he's about to start walking? You know, when I mention hobbling his wrists to his ankles I get the funniest looks. Anyway, I have also meant to make use of these butternut squash that I grew in my little garden this summer. My b-nuts were one of the few "successes" in an otherwise not so fulfilling garden season. Now I know why they invented grocery store produce sections! You know, I really don't think when you factor in water, time, and worry that these are all that cost effective grown at home. I mean at our organic market they cost about $.50 a pound.

So I've had the squash in my basement, thinking that I can somehow make ALL FIVE of them last until next year. We had a pretty decadent pasta the night before, so a light soup seemed to be the perfect follow up. Then I can rationalize overindulging again tonight. So sitting at work I start perusing epicurious and came across the followiong butternut squash soup recipe that led to that (in my not-so-humble opinion) pretty sweet picture above. Just what I needed...10 minutes of prep time, about 30 minutes of watching things cook. The results were lovely. The soup was rich, silky smooth, with an intriguing added dimension, ever so very slightly licorice-y, from the star anise that cooked in the pot along with the squash. Great stuff with the crispy ginger shrimp resting in pinkish splendor on a golden pool.....or something like that.

If you're looking for a perfect wine pairing, I think a bottle of Argentinean Torrontes would be awesome. Make sure you get a drier styled one, like the 2009 Crios de Susanna Balbo, one of the best out there.
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Butternut Squash Soup with Star Anise and Ginger Shrimp
adapted from epicurious

makes about 5 cups

ingredients:
18 large shrimp in shell (about 1 lb), peeled, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact, and deveined
2 or 3 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2/3 cup chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
3 whole star anise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3/4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (5 cups)
4 cups chicken stock or broth (the original recipe called for adding 2 cups water, which would have left this way to thin- bb)
Salt and white pepper (you can use regular freshly ground black pepper, but I prefer not to have black specks floating in the soup. All about aesthetics, you know!- bb)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

method:
1-Have all prep done before combining shrimp and ginger.

2-Toss shrimp with ginger in a bowl and marinate, chilled, 30 minutes (do not marinate any longer or enzymes from ginger will begin to cook shrimp).

3-Cook shallot, garlic, and anise in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot is softened, about 5 minutes. Add squash, stock, and water and simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove star anise.
Purée soup in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch, then transfer to cleaned pan. Season with salt and white pepper. Keep warm, covered.

4-Sprinkle marinated shrimp with salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp in 2 batches, stirring, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per batch, transferring to paper towels.
Bring soup to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Divide among shallow soup bowls and mound 3 or 4 shrimp in each bowl.

Keeping hunger and the Boy at bay!

My new paradigm of weekday cooking:
1-racing after work to pick up C-boy at daycare before their clock starts ticking at their usurious rate of a ten spot for every five minutes late (like the college tuition I'm already paying them shouldn't buy me some fucking leeway)
2-stopping at the market to shop, hoping said boy maintains composure at the store as hunger and cranky end-of-the-day tiredness start to encroach on his usually sunny disposition
3-getting home, plopping him on his play mat while I whip out some homemade babyfood to stuff in his starting-to-scowl piehole
4-stuffing C-boy's piehole
5-doing dinner prep and cooking while he sits on the kitchen floor playing with various cooking utensils and plots new forms of parental torment to draw me away from the task at hand, which is making something to stuff in our pieholes after he-who-must-be-served goes to bed.

Is it any wonder that my new cooking life revolves around fast and easy? If I can throw in delicious then that's icing on the cake. Which is why this soup I cadged off of epicurious was so satisfying. With a couple of refinements (i.e.- adding more flavoring ingredients/less liquid) we ended up with a belly warming and palate tingling bowl of goodness, which along with its ease of prep drops it near the top of my list of do-overs. Plus should your soul need some warming on a cold winter evening, this does the trick beautifully!
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Curried Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

The cilantro oil listed is optional, but really adds a nice pop, both visually and taste-wise, to the curry.- bb

yield: Makes 4 main course servings
active Time: 25 min/ Total Time: 1 1/4 hr

ingredients :
For soup:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
2-1/2 tablespoons curry powder (a mix of 2 or 3 different curry powders really builds complexity if you can swing it)
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
16 oz. water
16 oz. chicken stock
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

For cilantro oil:
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup vegetable oil

accompaniment: cooked basmati rice

method:
Make soup:
Heat oil with butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook squash, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
Add lentils and water and stock and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Make cilantro oil:
While soup simmers, purée cilantro, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender.
Serve soup over rice, drizzled with cilantro oil.

"Hello doctor, this is BB's heart calling..........."

My last four dinners before last night: Ragu Antica (a post on that saucy wonder in the next week, I promise) with beef, pork, veal, & chicken liver; a perfect grilled burger & fries from Castagna Café; slow roasted pork shoulder with potato salad & bacon; leftover slow roasted pork shoulder. Throw in a few sides of wine, cocktails, and desserts. What I first notice about that list is that I had better schedule an angioplasty before my heart explodes out of my chest. Second, last night's craving for some sort of fish...anything but red meat...shouldn't come as any surprise. Hence, the picture of the broiled salmon you see above. I got the recipe from epicurious, which in this age of C-boy and his 8 month old world of distraction has become my quick, go-to source for new inspirations. It seems lately that even finding time to look through the cookbooks collecting dust on my kitchen shelf takes too much time. With epi I can sit at "work" and figure out what will be on my plate that night. This isn't a plug for epicurious, it's more of a confession of my own laziness and lack of time management.

Trying for the healthiest alternative I searched "broiled salmon". Now, I know that nothing is easier than broiling salmon. I just wanted to see what other ideas were out there. How I started out with such good intentions and ended up with two salmon fillets slathered deliciously in a tarragon butter sauce should come as no surprise. Apparently it is time to acknowledge that I have zero self-control. I'm just hoping that those Omega-3's that supposedly infuse salmon with its health giving powers can counteract 3 tablespoons of butter. At least I added to the health quotient with that pile of collard greens you see lurking behind the fillet. I'll blog the recipe tomorrow for those, which turned out to be perhaps the best collard preparation I've had. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I sautéed then in pancetta fat........oh, god, help me..............
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Broiled Salmon with Tarragon Butter
from epicurious/Bon Appétit

yield: 2 servings; can be doubled or tripled

ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper
2 1-inch-thick salmon fillets
Salt
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled

method:
Preheat broiler. Melt butter with lemon juice in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add generous amount of pepper. Arrange salmon skin side down on broilerproof pan. Brush with half of butter mixture. Season with salt. Broil without turning until just cooked through. Transfer to plates. Add tarragon to remaining butter. Spoon over salmon and serve.

Lucky 7: Shrimp Curry with rice

Are you of the "simple is better" school of cooking? Me too...depending.
There are times when I want to complicate my life in the kitchen
(mainly pre C-boy), throwing various meaty bits & other goodness into a pot for a slow braise. Other times, not so much. This absurdly satisfying shrimp curry recipe definitely attends the "not so much" school. Seven ingredients. That's it. I've made cocktails that had more ingredients. Oh, and it took about 20 minutes to throw together. You have twenty spare minutes, don't you? Well, if you're like me trying to keep a four month old entertained while you cook, just barely. The rest of you, get cooking, because this dish killed it. It supposedly makes enough for four. However, once w and I started in we couldn't stop ourselves and pretty much ate the whole damn thing. Plan accordingly!
*** *** *** *** ***
Shrimp Curry with Rice
adapted from Bon Appétit

yield: Serves 4 (maybe)

ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoon curry powder
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup bottled clam juice
3 tablespoons mango chutney

Cooked white rice
Chopped green onions

method:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to skillet and sauté until
almost opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer
shrimp to bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. Add onion and
sauté 3 minutes. Sprinkle with curry powder. Stir until onion is tender,
about 1 minute longer. Add cream, clam juice and chutney. Boil until sauce
is thick enough to coat spoon, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Return shrimp and any collected juices to skillet. Cook until shrimp are
just opaque in center, about 1 minute longer.
Spoon rice onto plates. Top with shrimp, sauce and green onions.

NOTE: the recipe called for serving this with small bowls of chopped peanuts, toasted coconut, raisins and chopped bell pepper. I used the roasted cashews and red bell pepper I had on hand. I highly recommend the additional options!

Still hungry? Not for long: Catalan Braised Pork Shoulder!

I told you next post would be about the accompaniment to that pile of spinach you've been staring at for the last several weeks. So finally, with a fair bit of embarrassment and apologies if your spinach with raisins and pine nuts has been sitting out getting colder and slimier for the last 31 days waiting for the followup, here it is!
Falling under the category of all good things are worth waiting for and yet another hit from Anya von Bremzen's "New Spanish Table" cookbook, where all has been delicious and...so far...not one disappoint on our plates. This also only confirms what I've been saying ad nauseum that I have come to the conclusions that pork shoulder is easily the best bang-for-the-buck chunk of animal flesh going. Actually, leaving price out of it, it is one of the best cooking/eating experiences at ANY price! This particular dish is amazing, another "restaurant quality" plate of food that is thrills your palate with that perfect savory and sweet combination of flavors allied with fork tender chunks of pork shoulder. So easy, and with a luscious sauce and perfectly delectable leftover potential should you and your guests somehow not finish every bite! Oh, and don't forget some crusty bread for this most sop-worthy of sauces.
*** *** *** *** ***
Catalan Braised Pork Shoulder With Dried Fruit
(Porc Guisata Amb Fruita Seca)
"Moist slow cooking brings out the best in a humble cut like pork shoulder,
making it fit for the most festive occasions. The sauce, enhanced with dried
fruit and a whiff of cinnamon, is classically Catalan. Try to get
best-quality organic dried cherries and apricots, ones that have some
tartness. If you're using ordinary dried fruit, you might want to reduce the
amount slightly, so the dish doesn't come out overly sweet. Alternatively,
you can add a splash of red wine vinegar to the sauce at the end. The dish
is best made ahead; cool the pork in the sauce and slowly reheat it."- AvB

SERVES 6

ingredients:
1 boneless pork shoulder, such as Boston Butt (about 4 pounds, trimmed of
excess fat)
salt & freshly ground black pepper (kosher or sea)
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press
2 to 3 tablespoons light olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 cup peeled white pearl onion, thawed if frozen
1/4 cup kirsch (or brandy)
2 cups full-bodied dry red wine (with a lively acidity)
1 cup stock (beef or chicken or both)
3/4 cup pitted dried sour cherries
1/2 cup dried apricot (preferably Californian, halved or quartered if large)
1 large bay leaf
1 small piece cinnamon stick
2 fresh rosemary sprigs

method:
1. Preheat oven to 325º.

2. Using kitchen string, tie the pork shoulder crosswise, spacing the ties 1
inch apart. Rub the pork generously with salt and pepper and the garlic.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 5 to 6 quart flameproof
casserole or Dutch oven over high heat until almost smoking. Add the pork
and cook until richly browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Add the
remaining oil while the pork browns, if the casserole looks too dry.
Transfer the pork to a bowl. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and pearl onions
to the casserole and brown well, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the kirsch and cook
over high heat until it is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 1 minute.
Add the wine, beef stock, cherries, apricots, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and
rosemary sprigs and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the casserole to
dislodge the brown bits. Season the sauce with salt to taste.

4. Return the pork to the casserole. Cover the casserole tightly and
transfer it to the oven. Bake the pork, turning it once or twice, until it
is very tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 165º, about 1 1/2
hours.

5. Transfer the pork to a plate and cover it with foil to keep warm. Remove
and discard the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and rosemary sprigs. Transfer the
casserole to the stove top and cook the sauce over high heat until it is
slightly syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Remove the string from the pork and discard it. Cut the pork into slices
and arrange on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the pork and serve.

Cooks note: I picked up the dried fruit for the usual extremely reasonable prices at Trader Joe's. And if you're not using frozen peeled pearl onions then you are a prep masochist who needs counseling!- bb

Portuguese Pork with Clams: the "wow" factor!

I've been sitting on this recipe for about 2 months now. Hell, I've been sitting on a ton of new stuff to share that is backed up due to Colman's arrival 6 weeks ago and my resulting reduction of mental bandwidth. But motivation and clarity is slowly returning....you give anyone weeks of interrupted sleep and eventually it becomes the norm...so it's time to ramp this here blog back up, because as I said there is much edible delight to share (luckily my lack of motivation has not extended to the kitchen) including this definite "Wow!" dish from the always reliable "The Dean & Deluca Cookbook".

I knew I was serving up a heaping pot of goodness when bro-in-law Dave said, not once but two or three times, "This is so good!" This is meaningful because Dave is not someone prone to superlatives and overuse of exclamation style speaking (of course I have seen & heard him go gaga over his latest beer find, but that's a whole 'nother category of D-love). While a true appreciator of all of life's liquid and edible indulgences, he is also someone who doesn't waste a lot of words (unlike yours truly). So to hear praise like that from him I have to say was quite the coup. So if you have someone in mind who needs to shed their mantle of public propriety, then may I suggest you plop a bowl of this in front of them.....
*** *** *** *** ***
Portuguese Pork with Clams
from The Dean & Deluca Cookbook: "This fabulous specialty of the Alentejo region is cooked there in a special hinged copper pot called a cataplana; its beauty is that it can be turned on either side on top of the stove, which enables the cook to shake the clams in the pan so they open evenly. If you can find one, by all means use it to cook this dish. But if you can't, don't fret; proceed with a regular Dutch oven. The dish will be just as delicious. By the way, the Portuguese would use presunto (their cured ham) and chouriço (their spicy sausage) in this dish; you may substitute the more available prosciutto (Italian) and chorizo (Spanish). Serve with Portuguese bread, a green salad, and very cold vinho verde."

bb note: I served this with a spicy Spanish red garnacha (followed of course by another bottle...or two....). Nothing too heavy, and it was perfect. There aren't that many ingredients but a ton of flavor, so a more fruit-forward wine is the ticket. I think with spring/summer coming this would be absolutely stellar with several ice cold bottles of your fave dry rosé!

serves 6

ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 -pound boneless pork butt, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound onions, finely chopped
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely minced
1 bay leaf
28-ounce can tomatoes in tomato purée
1 cup dry white wine
2-ounce chunk of fatty prosciutto (top-quality not necessary)
6 ounces chorizo
72 small clams (preferably Manila clams or New Zealand cockles), scrubbed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

method:
1. Place the olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over moderately high heat. Add the pork pieces and sauté until lightly browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, green pepper, and bay leaf, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes more.

2. Add half the tomatoes with all their purée, breaking the tomatoes into small chunks with the back of a wooden spoon. (Save the other half of the tomatoes for another use.) Add 3/4 cup of the wine, and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Cut the prosciutto into tiny dice, and add to the stew. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes more.

4. Add the chorizo to the stew. Cook, covered, until the pork is tender, another 15 to 30 minutes.

5. When almost ready to serve, add the clams to the pot, stir them into the tomato sauce, and sprinkle them with the remaining 1/4 cup of white wine. Increase heat to moderately high, cover the Dutch oven, and cook until the clams open. While the clams are cooking, grasp the Dutch oven with both hands and shake it a few times to move them around.

6. When the clams have opened, reduce heat to low, cover Dutch oven, and cook for 5 minutes more, allowing the clam juices to blend with the stew. While the clams are cooking, remove the chorizo, cut it into thin slices, and return to the Dutch oven. Taste sauce for seasoning. Sprinkle stew with cilantro and serve immediately in a large bowl.
##### ##### #####
one year ago today @ E.D.T.: Eating PDX: 5 Guys Burgers; Spella Coffee; EVOE

Salmon Tikka: phat, not fat!

Sure Jamie Oliver's overexposed. And yes it seems you can't look at a bookstore's cookbook shelf without seeing another tome from him with his carefully tousled hair and doughy mug staring out at you. BTW- have you noticed how much weight he's put on since his Food Network days? For someone who espouses healthy eating in children he has the look of a guy on a one man crusade to decimate the fish and chip population of the world. Hell, I'd be worried about letting Colman get too close to him for fear he might take a bite out of him! Taking all that into account, I have to admit that I still like the guy. He still has that "don't take this all too seriously" charm, and I respect his work with kids. Plus, the dude can undoubtedly cook. I came across his salmon tikka recipe on the Washington Post food page, made it last night for w and I while the lad slept, and we loved it. Very flavorful, about 20 minutes start to finish, and I was gobsmacked about the work/reward ratio. In other words, as my British friends would say (if I had British friends, that is) it was a doddle!

"I won't stop banging on me drums until I get a whole fried halibut,
some bangers and mash, an order of chips and 3 bloody liters of ale, you pikers!"

*** *** *** *** ***
Salmon Tikka
adapted from Jamie Oliver

serves 2
ingredients:
2 naan breads
1 fresh red chilli
½ a cucumber
1 lemon
4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh coriander
2 x 1/2 lb. salmon fillets, skin on,scaled and bones removed
1 heaped tablespoon Patak’s tandoori curry paste (I couldn't find the tandoori and used the regular Patak Madras curry paste. worked just fine- bb)
olive oil

method:
-Preheat your oven to 110°C/225°F/gas ¼
-Pop your naan breads into the oven to warm through
-Halve, deseed and finely chop your chilli
-Peel and halve your cucumber lengthways, then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds
-Roughly chop the cucumber and put most of it into a bowl
-Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the bowl
-Add the yoghurt, a pinch of salt and pepper and half the chopped chilli
-Pick the coriander leaves and put to one side

-Slice each salmon fillet across lengthways into three slices
-Spoon the heaped tablespoon of tandoori paste into a small dish, then use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to smear the tandoori paste all over each piece (don’t dip your pastry brush into the jar!)
-Heat a large frying pan over a high heat
-Once hot, add a lug of olive oil, put the salmon into the pan and cook for about 1½ minutes on each side, until cooked through

-Place a warmed naan bread on each plate
-Top each one with a good dollop of cucumber yoghurt and 3 pieces of salmon
-Scatter over a little of the reserved cucumber, chilli and coriander leaves and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice

It's summer somewhere........

I've been feeling lately that my food hasn't been leaving a big enough carbon footprint lately. That's why last night, rather than trying to convince myself that those pencil thin stalks of asparagus at QFC were from some local greenhouse (local...at $1.99/#...sure), I just grabbed what I needed without thinking about jet fuel, ozone depletion, and the fact that there was a good chance some 6-year old picker was shuffling sadly through the fields from whence this came (I mean who's hands are better suited to deftly plucking these slender stalks than a 6-year old, right?). I went home and with, okay, maybe a tinge of guilt, and set about chopping and combining with some smoked salmon (excellent smoked coho from Trader Joe's) and some fresh tagliatelle from Pastaworks. The result? A dish that inspired w's initial comment "This seems so summery". Well...duh...it IS summer wherever this asparagus came from! I actually didn't say that. I have to admit I didn't even think that. I wish I would have but that response just came to me. Rats, another missed opportunity! I found the basis for this pasta (that tastes pretty effing good in mid-winter, fyi) on epicurious, and twisted it ever so slightly to amp up the flavor quotient. It was super fast, terribly easy, and incredibly delicious. I popped the cork on a 2008 Antoine Simoneau Touraine-Sauvignon Blanc from the mecca of sauv blanc, France's Loire Valley. The wine was spectacular with this dish. The citrusy, minerally, racy sauv blanc flavors pairing perfectly with the briny-smoky salmon and cutting right through the rich lemon-cream sauce and washing away those remaining flashes of guilt. Man, I dig it when it all works out!
*** *** *** *** ***
Tagliatelle in Lemon Cream Sauce with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon
adapted from epicurious
yield: Serves 4 as a main course

ingredients:
1 pound asparagus
2 large shallots
2 lemons
6 ounces smoked salmon
1 pound dried Tagliatelle (pappardelle or fettuccine would work just as well)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream

method:
1-Trim asparagus and diagonally cut into 1" thick slices. Finely chop shallots. Finely grate enough lemon zest to measure about 1 tablesppoon (a little extra is not a problem) and squeeze enough juice to measure 4 or 5 tablespoons. Cut salmon into 2 x 1/2-inch strips.

2-Fill a 6-quart pasta pot three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for asparagus and pasta. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. Cook asparagus in boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, and with a slotted spoon transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Reserve water in pot over low heat, covered. Drain asparagus and set aside some asparagus tips for garnish.

3-In a deep 12-inch heavy skillet cook shallots in butter with salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and zest and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons lemon juice and remove skillet from heat. Return water in pot to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente and ladle out and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta in a colander and add to sauce with asparagus, 1/2 cup pasta water, three fourths salmon, remaining lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat mixture over low heat, gently tossing (and adding more remaining pasta water as needed if mixture becomes dry), until just heated through.

4-Serve pasta garnished with reserved asparagus tips and remaining salmon.

Smart food: Pistachio-crusted Halibut with spicy yogurt sauce

It's funny how one's priorities and eating habits change when you're expecting a kid. Suddenly my natural inclination for bacon-cheeseburgers and tater tots has to take a back seat to the idea that when you are in your 3rd trimester of pregnancy the developmental benefits of fish are somehow greater than the benefits, both spiritually and developmentally, of cured pork products (personally I'm waiting more scientific research on this subject). Supposedly those fishy omega-3's lead to greater brain development. Hey, if w eating a piece of fish now leads junior later in life to better analyze and explain the differences and merits of bone-in versus boneless rib eye steaks, then I have to get with that parenting program. Besides, we'll have plenty of time to share bacon in the future!!
*** *** *** *** ***
Pistachio-crusted Halibut with spicy yogurt sauce
adapted from epicurious
serves 4

This was delicious and incredibly easy and fast to put together. A great last minute meal. Make sure the skillet is fully heated before putting fish in to help prevent sticking.- bb

ingredients:
for halibut:
4 (1 1/4-inch-thick) pieces skinless halibut fillet (about 6 ounces each)
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped
3 tablespoons cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

for spicy yogurt sauce:
1 cup thick Greek yogurt (8 ounces)
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

method:
Put fish in a shallow baking dish, pour milk over it, and chill, covered, turning over once, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together pistachios and cornmeal in a shallow bowl.

Remove fish from milk, letting excess drip off. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in cornmeal-pistachio mixture. Transfer to a clean plate as coated.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté fish, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total.

While fish cooks, stir together all ingredients for spicy yogurt.

Serve fish with spicy yogurt on the side.

T-Day burnout? Relief is at hand: Curried Butternut Squash Soup!

You know and I know there's a good chance you'll be having turkey burnout after Thanksgiving....or just plain burnout leading up to the day. Given how heavy everything is going to be, you don't really need to be piling onto a body already screaming for relief. I mean how clogged can your artery's get? So for something a bit lighter, but still with more than enough flavor to make you feel like you're not cheating your tastebuds, this awesome curried butternut squash soup is the total deal. Insanely easy to make (and as I said this is the week to make it simple where you can), and so satisfying. The roasted squash gives it boatloads rich flavor, the curry paste kicks in just the right amount of heat, and the creamy texture gives it kind of a sexy, sensual feel in your mouth. Assuming you're in to that sort of thing!

I adapted this from an epicurious/Bon Appetit recipe (where they called it a "Bisque". Hey B.A., it's a fucking soup, okay? I don't need to call it anything else to validate myself....geez...posers!), making it a bit lighter than they called for in their usual heavy handed, satisfy "fat America" way. It would also be a killer make-ahead first course for a dinner party.
*** *** *** *** ***
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
adpated from Bon Appetit

makes 6 servings

ingredients:
2 2-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped peeled apple
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
28 oz. low-salt chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoons honey

6 tablespoons sour cream, stirred to loosen (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro

method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush cut side of squash with oil; place squash, cut side down, on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. Scoop squash out into large bowl. Measure 3 cups squash (reserve any remaining squash for another use).

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and apple; sauté 5 minutes. Add curry paste; stir 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and 3 cups squash. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 1 hour. Discard bay leaves. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to same pot. Stir in cream and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Rewarm over medium-high heat.

Divide soup among bowls. Drizzle with sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro.

note: you can also hand blend it or use a food processor, although neither will give it as velvety a texture as a good upright blender. For so many soups, I think a blender is SO worth the investment! -bb

The perfect finish: Huckleberry Bundt Cake

At the tail end of our dinner party last night, after the protein fest and the most insane mashed potatoes ever (future posts coming on those two!), we didn't need to be brought to our knees by some super-rich dessert. The only thing keeping my blood flowing at that point was all the red wine we slurped down (sorry for the extra workout this morning, recycling guy). Which is why one of my favorite desserts is a classic bundt cake. Fast, easy, and delicious, this particular version has the perfect crumb and flavor. Plus, if you are fortunate enough to have some huckleberries that you had the brilliant foresight to stock away in early fall lying in wait in your freezer, then all the better (blueberries would also work). If you need one more reason to make this, and assuming your guests didn't wolf it all down, this is also a perfect treat to have with your morning coffee!
*** *** *** *** ***
Huckleberry Bundt Cake
from Bon Appétit

Using frozen huckleberries in the batter will keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the pan as the cake bakes.
Makes 12 servings.

ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups frozen huckleberries (or blueberries)
Powdered sugar Optional)

method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 10-inch-diameter Bundt pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 2/3 cups sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in orange peel and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Fold in berries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.) Transfer cake to plate, sift powdered sugar over if using, and serve.

Thai Fish Curry: healthy food for a growing family!

Tired of looking at that piece of fried chicken from the previous post that has been staring at you for the past week and a half? Me too, so it's time to get off the blogging slacker seat and get some fresh material up here. I mean it's not like I've been going hungry the last few weeks. With plenty of deliciousness backed up in the blogging pipeline, I'll start off with this excellent bit of Thai-ishness that w and I had last night. We've been hitting the heavy food thing pretty hard right now, and with w carrying the next generation eating obsessive inside her ever expanding belly, something lighter for us and brain-healthy for the young 'un seemed in order. I was in the mood for something easy and flavorful, and since Thai curry always satisfies those needs, I jumped on the epicurious app on my iPhone (have I ever mentioned how much I love this app? Oh, yeah, I did here) to see what they might come up with. The first hit back was this Thai Fish Curry that was printed in Bon Appetit in 1992 (1992?? I am constantly amazed at the internet!). After reading the recipe and the comments, I did a little adapting, took a very few minutes to throw it together, and out came two very attractive and palate satisfying platefuls of southeast Asian flavors. It really is ridiculously easy, and the incredibly aromatic dry rub (pic at right) you process will leave you enough for another go, maybe with some chicken or shrimp subbed in for the halibut.
*** *** *** *** ***
Thai Fish Curry
adapted from epicurious/Bon Appetit
yield: Serves 2

ingredients:
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro stems
2 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass (from bottom 6 inches of stalk)
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 large garlic cloves, halved
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-1/4 pound 1 1/2-inch-thick halibut fillets, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup bottled clam juice
Minced fresh cilantro

method:
1-Blend first 9 ingredients in processor to dry paste, stopping frequently to scrape down sides of work bowl. (Paste can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.)

2-Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 rounded tablespoons spice paste; stir 1 minute. Add fish and cook 2 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs. Add coconut milk and clam juice and simmer until fish is cooked through, turning occasionally, about 4-6 minutes depending on thickness of fillets. Transfer fish to plate. Boil liquid until reduced to thick sauce, about 8 minutes. Season with salt. Return fish to sauce and heat through. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve over rice.

Could I get a new belief system to go with that rotisserie chicken, please?

I have to not so humbly say that I make the best roast chicken I have ever tasted. As such I also don't buy pre-made rotisserie chickens from the store. But late yesterday afternoon after stumbling around the house in a daze from this pain-in-the-ass cold that has had my head in a fog for the last three days, I was half-heartedly leafing through the latest issue of Food and Wine when I noticed this recipe for Chinese chicken salad that called for a 2-1/2 pounds of rotisserie chicken. As good as this recipe looked, roasting my own chicken was about the last thing I was going to drag my ass off the couch to do. So breaking with long held tradition and shattering my personal belief system, I drove to the local QFC where I know they always have a hot case filled with roasted chickens that have been there god knows how long. The girl behind the counter assured me that they make them fresh each day, and these had come off the spit about 45 minutes ago. She seemed too apathetic about her job to worry about lying to me, so with great trepidation I bought the "French Classic" chicken (eschewing the "Traditional Italian" and "Teriyaki Treat" versions). $5.99...on sale...for a whole chicken. That makes up for a lot of shattered belief system. So I took it home, tore it up, whipped this salad together for w and I, and I have to...and hate to....say I may be a convert to the ease of the rotisserie for times when I just need some roast chicken for salads or enchiladas or whatever. I already feel like I'm on a slippery slope down the side of Mt. Easy Prep with this one chicken purchase. But did I mention it was only $5.99??!!

Oh, and the salad was damn good, too. Both w and I were loving its sweetly piquant dressing and the crunch of the veggies, not to mention the, uh, roast chicken. I took recipe author Joanne Chang's and added Napa cabbage, carrots, and cucumber for added texture, which really made it snap. Quick, easy, and delicious...three of my fave descriptors...this has already found a place in our regular rotation.
*** *** *** *** ***
Chinese Chicken Salad
adapted from Joanne Chang/Food & Wine Magazine

ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon Tabasco
one 1/2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
one small garlic clove, peeled and minced
one 2-1/2 pound rostisserie chicken, meat shredded and skin and bones saved for stock or discarded
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 cup salted (or unsalted) roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 carrot, cut into 2" matchsticks
1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
one small head of romaine lettuce, sliced crossise into 1/2" ribbons
2 cups napa cabbage, sliced crosswise into ribbons
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
lime wedges, for serving

method:
1- In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with 1/4 cup of the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the soy sauce, sesame oil, Tabasco, ginger, and garlic. Add the chicken, scallions, celery, peanuts, cilantro, carrot, and cucumber and toss until coated.

2- In another bowl toss the romaine, cabbage, carrots, and cucumber with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar, and the olive oil. Spread romaine/cabbage onto four plates and top with the chicken salad. Serve with lime wedges.

Raita: millions of Indians can't be wrong!

It was halfway through the main course of spice crusted pork (recipe to come this week) last night during a dinner party at our house when my friend Amy said "This is delicious, but I wish I had some raita." I instantly had that "oh shit" moment and ran to the fridge to grab the bowl of raita I had made with such anticipation earlier in the day and completely forgot to bring to the table. Better late than never I suppose.

Raita. As ketchup is to Americans, chismol to Hondurans, and ajvar to those of the Balkan persuasion, raita is the yogurt-based accompaniment that millions of Indian families will not go without. As Vikram Vij says in his "Vij's Cookbook", where this recipe come from: "With the exception of coconut curries, it's hard to think of any Indian dish with which we would not eat raita." And no wonder. With its subtly complex flavor and cool, creamy texture, it's the perfect foil to the pungently spicy dishes of India. Vij says they also at times eat it on its own as a soup. Ridiculously easy to make, this is a must at your next sub-continental soirée!
*** *** *** *** ***
Cucumber Raita
from the Vij's Cookbook

ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
1 medium to large cucumber, peeled or unpeeled (do not use bitter cucumbers or the long English cucumber. If you want to add color to this dish, don't peel the cucumber. Make sure the peel is not bitter)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup milk (optional, use if raita appears too thick)

method:
Place yogurt in bowl. Using a hand grater, grate cucumber and all of its water into the yogurt. Stirl well to combine. Add salt, garam masala, and pepper, and mix well.