cooksome

dalat aw taw kaw market

quite simply, i loved this place.  this was the coolest market ever.  cooler than the baltimore farmers market, more real than the market at the ferry building in san francisco certainly a different selection than the boulder market.  the widest selection of the most beautiful foods i had ever seen.  and honestly, i didn't know what half of them were.  i did however know what these babies were.  giant prawns with green chili sauce.  they were delicious.  the sauce was green from lime juice, cilantro and green chilies.

this is hoi tod or mussel pancake.  served with a slightly spicy sirracha style sauce.  the mussels were plump and sweet.  it was of course delicious

i tasted lots of stuff that day.  i had one of those coconuts drinks, i had a bright green drink in a bag that i know was something from my childhood but i can't remember what.  i had tamarind juice, some pad thai and my favorite of the day, duck soup noodles

this was what i went to thailand for.  i have read that there are better places to have lunch in bangkok but i didn't find them.  

bangkok

so after years of wishing and dreaming i finally embarked on a new journey.  i planted my feet in southeast asia.  sitting here now, i can close my eyes and still hear the sounds of the hasseling tuk tuk drivers, the choking smell of emission free vehicles and then finally, the tastes and flavors that filled me with profound amazement and had me begging for more.  

a country of deep contrasts.  lush tropical beauty countered by crippling poverty.  there were moments when i had a tough time wrapping my american sensibilities around the very questionable hygiene of the street.  i wonder how long it would take for my mind and body to transition to a place where it all seemed commonplace?

i went to see and experience first hand the origin of the food which has captivated me.  i left wishing i had more time to see and experience...  just a little more time.  

i imagine it will always be that way.

pasta pasta and more pasta

i have not been good about documenting my classes for the last month but here is a quick recap of the pasta primer.

a break in the action to savor the fruits of our labor...........

here we are enjoying our antipasti.  we prepared 4.  first, home made ricotta cheese which went on some grilled bruschetta along with some pesto.  second was simply roasted red and yellow peppers with capers, olive oil and balsamic syrup. next up, roasted shiitakes with basil oil and lastly, grilled shrimp.  

we washed all this down with banear proseco.  the lightly fruity flavors paired well with our starters.

next up we finished rolling out our fresh black pepper pasta

 we did 3 pastas, a pennette with tomato, basil and home made ricotta.  a penne with grape tomatoes, olives and capers and the star was our fresh black pepper pasta with bolognese ragu.  the silkiness of the egg enriched pasta and the richness of the sauce...wow  those italians know what they are doing and now, so do my students.

we enjoyed a pear and blue cheese salad with baby arugula and candied walnuts.  a great day, a lot of fun and some really great people.  boun appetito e grazie miele!

farmers market special

our farmers market special cooking class yesterday turned out to be sensational.  one of the things i like best about these classes is seeing how a diverse group of folks come together and really enjoy each other.  it happens almost instantly.  they walk in the door, there is a smile, an introduction and suddenly a joint purpose.  food does that.  it brings people togther.   

the menu for yestereday's class was based on using the very best of what was available at the farmers market. our menu was:

classic gazpacho

panzanella

nicoise salad with basic vinaigrette

caprese with a flavored vinegar and a flavored oil

pesto

 we brined two chickens and two pork tenderloins and later some shrimp.  i think everyone walked away from the class that day with a complete understanding and appreciation for that technique.  we put the pesto under the skin of the chicken and then we grilled everything.  the beauty of this menu was that everything could be mixed and matched.  you could serve any of the protiens with any of the dishes.  we tasted some great wines, my absolute favorite being the Pares Balta Blanc de Pacs.  it's a still cava.  it matched well with all the dishes.

lamb sausage with pistachio and mint

if you ned a picture, please  see the previous post.  this is crazy easy

start out with lamb shoulder.  trim some of the excess fat, cut into chunks and grind it.  for every pound of lamb shoulder also grind 4 oz of salt pork.  If you don't have a grinding attachment have it done by the butcher.

because you are using salt pork, it eliminates the need to use any further salt

for each pound of ground meat add 4 oz of pistachios and 3 tbl of chopped fresh mint

mix 

at this point it can be stuffed into casings, made into patties or rolled into logs in either aluminum foil or clear wrap.

This would make great burgers or be terrific with pasta tossed with some smoked tomato sauce.

crispy potatoes and smoked tomato sauce

currently one of my favorite cook books is The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen.  it's an amazing book filled with the kinds of food i love to cook.  not fussy or pretentious but simple fresh and full of flavor.  i tell you this to give credit to two of the recipes i am about to divulge.  both are based on recipes from this book.

in spain they are called patatas bravas and are considered the quintessential tapas.  done simply and precisely they are fantastic.

12 or so small yukon gold potatoes

salt

really you can cook as many as you like here i promise they won't go uneaten.

cook the potatoes in salted water until just done.  it is important not to over cook them.

drain, cool and slice into wedges.

toss the potatoes in olive oil and salt

spread out onto a sheet pan and place in a 450 degree oven

roast 35 to 40 minutes or until browned and crispy

at a wine tasting i recently catered i ran into some good fortune. One of the guests showed with a smoked duck breast from a small smokehouse in Connecticut.  after searing it off i was left with some delicious duck fat which i then used in place of the olive oil on my potatoes.  needless to say they were fantastic.

accompanying these potatoes was a smokey tomato sauce

olive oil

1 cup diced onions

3 or 4 clove garlic sliced

saute the onions and garlic until cooked but not browned

season with 

1 tsp cumin

 2 tsp smoked paprika

a crushed dried chili pepper

saute briefly then add 1  28 oz can of diced tomatoes.  (juice and all)  i use nature's promise  or muir glen brands.

simmer for a half an hour or so and season with 

1 tb sugar

splash of vinegar

puree in a blender until smooth

taste and re-season if necessary.

in spain these potatoes are classically served with allioli which i did as well.  mine was a version made with roasted garlic.  ms brezem gives several recipes as well as several variations in her book.

what else was on the plate?  pistachio mint sausage but that's for next time

brining shrimp

i am torched at myself for not photographing last nights dinner.  i had just finished watching vicky christina barcelona and was definitely in a spanish frame of mind.  for a few weeks now i have been pondering how to get more flavor in certain dishes.  brining is an easy way to do that-  kick up the flavor with salt and sugar and keep your proteins moist.  

for 3/4 lb of shrimp

1 cup water

2 heaping tbsp salt

1 heaping tbsp brown sugar

fresh cracked pepper

juice from 1/2 lime

tsp smoked paprika

peel and devein your shrimp.  place in plastic sealable bag with brine and refridgerate for about 30 to 45 minutes.  i found that amount of lime juice did not "cook" the shrimp but be careful not to not overbrine.

drain shrimp, double skewer them for ease in flipping.

throw them on a nice hot grill and cook until the center just starts to loose it's translucense.

i served these over some steamed jasmine rice and a simple sofrito of peppers, onions, and pancetta although the ones in the picture have a corn and avocado salad.

happy birthday tami!

no, this picture is not of tami's birthday dinner.  this was cee's dinner for her birthday a few weeks back.  sadly, i was not "feelin it" back then so tami's dinner was meant to make up for it.

the menu got tweaked all day long as i ran into and out of energy.

it all got off to a rough start when i awoke in the morning realizing i left my semi confited duck legs in the oven all night.  (it was off) if only they had been completely submerged in duck fat i would not have sweated it.  but they were not.  so not wanting to kill my friend on her birthday took precedence and i tossed them.  sustitute... duck breasts.  here is the menu

minted shrimp salad 

duck breast eggrolls with sweet hot chili sauce

miso glazed pork belly over radish salad

lump crabcakes over smoked cheddar stone ground grits with pickled chilis and cilanto oil.

frozen chocolate coconut rice pudding

we drank some fantastic sparklers starting with diebolt-valois  fleur de passion champagne.  it was a good night ending on the front porch. 

ahhh summer

 

oh my god the best taco ever

ok i'm a purist.  i wouldn't eat chinese food in italy or italian in hong kong.  i never quite got into the fusion thing and as you know there will be no asparagus in november for me.  

here's an interesting conundrum for you, when eating asian, i like being the only round eye; if it's mexican i should be hearing spanish.   however, i crave the knowledge that allows ME to be able to cook those things with the same skills as a native.  secretly, i want a native cooking it......  does that make sense?  

i think back on my cooking lessons in life.   my first teacher of italian food was a italian woman named yolanda who spoke broken english and taught me that cooking is about feeling the spoon in the pot.  i first made sushi 25 years ago with a japanese lady named junko.  her technique also involved a spoon.  we would run outside with the rice in a bowl and stir it very methodically until it started to cool.  and then  when i hungered to learn more about thai food, i studied with kasma, a very very talented thai woman living in oakland.  

but i stray from the reason for this post...............the best taco ever. sitting on a stool at a counter joint in fells point.  two hand made corn tortillas filled with your choice of meat..in my case beef tongue, topped with some diced onion and parsley .  an unexpectedly attractive tray with 2 sauces, one green and one red as well as some lime wedges appeared from nowhere to accompany the best taco ever.  for good measure there was a souffle of guacamole.  icing on the cake.  this is the stuff dreams are made of.  i ate this last sunday and have thought of little else ever since.  this is perfection.  simple ingredients prepared traditionally and surrounded by the sound of spanish.

tortilleria sinaloa

1716 eastern ave

baltimore

its coming...................

we are now entering the time of year when i want to yell  wait!!!  slow down! everything just slow down!  first the crocuses, then the tulips, daffodils, azaleas, irises, and peonies.  the weather warms the air smells like perfume.  life is new and there's hope

spring used to mean to me asparagus and morels, and later on in life, ramps and beets.

now you go to the store in november and see asparagus.  november! who the heck eats asparagus in november.  we used to talk about seasonality and now its eating locally.  yea they talk about locally and then they eat asparagus in november.  go figure.  i would not bemoan this fact as i am aware that half the population doesn't give a crap about any of that, they just want food, fast. they figure it must be in season somewhere if they see it at the market.  never mind the energy cost of moving it half way around the world....

i love spring  i was born in the spring and it has always been my favorite time of year.  i just wish it didn't go so fast.  i need those signs of hope.