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Minggu, 28 Februari 2010

Maharaja's Haveli (Vindaloo Against Violence)


It is so exciting to see Barkly Village evolve organically.  While the Council drags its heels on its street beautification scheme, more and more of the ugly, empty shopfronts are filling up with colourful Indian restaurants, complementing the many existing Indian grocers.  The West Footscray Neighbourhood House is riffing on the theme, hosting the first of its new four-yearly markets, this one based on Holi, the Indian festival of colours.  For Vindaloo Against Violence, we decided to try one of the newcomers to Barkly Village, Maharaja's Haveli.


The walls were freshly painted and the menus crisp.  Despite the spartan feel, the couple who run this haveli or mansion are professionals.  You can see it in the little touches, such as the chilled glasses and the ice bucket for our beer, as well as the friendly, efficient service, complemented by their sweet kids who dutifully cleared and set every vacated table.

 

We had to try their samosa chat.  Chat are a family of dishes that are normally sold at street stalls in India - they usually include some sort of fried element such as fried crispy puffs of rice, fried bread or puri, etc, topped with any combination of onion, coriander, tamarind chutney, yoghurt, little crispy noodles and/or chat masala, a spice mix featuring tangy, umami "black salt" and sour amchoor (green mango powder). 

Samosa Chat ($7.00)

North Indian-style samosa chat always comes with a big dollop of chana masala or chickpea curry.  I know this is totally authentic and often really nice, but as a tamarind fiend, I did miss the lashings of tamarind chutney you sometimes get and which was absent from this version.  Still, it had a great slow chilli burn and lots of bright cumin flavours.

The stars of the show were the thalis, a kind of Indian TV dinner if you will - lots of different curries, neatly compartmentalised, with bread and/or rice and even a little pot of sweets.

South Indian Thali ($13.90) 

These thalis were very good.  I felt like a tween opening her first, pristine eyeshadow palette and not quite knowing where to start, so entrancing were all the different shades.  The South Indian thali was totally vegetarian and came with three curries (sweet, mild vegetable korma; a spicy dal, heady with asafetida and cumin; and malai kofta, cooked home-style without the excessive cheese and cream of some restaurant versions).  The obligatory soupy, South Indian sambhar featured too, infused with the tannic tang of curry leaves.  Sambhar plus puri, the deep-fried puffy breads featured above, was our regular breakfast in Bangalore.

Non-Veg Thali ($16.90)

The Non-Veg Thali was Punjabi-style, with roti instead of puri, plus butter chicken and lamb rogan josh replacing the sambhar and dal.  The roti were brushed with ghee and concealed a smear of delicious pickle on the tray's base.  The stand-out dishes were the vegetable korma, mild and delicate, and the lamb rogan josh, tender and laced with cardamom that complements the meat's sweetness.  This is real Indian food - no "mild, medium or spicy?" here.  The various dishes are spiced according to tradition, in that a korma is entirely without chilli and a vindaloo is violently hot.  The kheer, a luscious rice pudding-style dessert, fragrant with cinnamon, was a delicious, refreshing end to the meal.

Half tandoori chicken ($8.90)

We paid the babysitter in tandoori chicken and garlic naan.  While we were eating, a few tables of the owner's compatriots were brought sizzling platters of this vibrant, red chicken on a bed of raw onion.  A taste when we got home revealed fantastic smoky flavours and juicy meat, and the complimentary mint chutney was a nice touch.

Garlic naan ($3 each)

The one thing I will say is that I may be a salt fiend, but some things were VERY salty (in particular, the dal, rogan josh and tandoori chicken) to the point that it began to spoil the enjoyment of the dish.  We just remedied this with lots of Kingfisher!

 

No, it's not a piccolo of beer, it's a longneck against an ice bucket.  Nothing but class for the Baklovers!  At least we weren't necking them down by the Court House Hotel.

And did we "make a difference"?  Apparently, 17,000 people dined out on Wednesday 24 May for Vindaloo Against Violence.  I'm delighted it was covered in the media here but particularly in India.  So many people who feel strongly about an issue are not going to go to a classic, placard-waving protest on the Spring Street steps, because their lives are too busy or because, frankly, that form of protest doesn't seem to make much of a difference.  The media is generally negative in its portrayal of protesters or it doesn't get picked up at all.  (Did you hear about the well-attended SACS Red Rally back in November, unless you were there?  Try searching for it on Google - diddly squat, apart from YouTube and leftie media.)  Vindaloo Against Violence was quirky enough to prick the ears of the 24-hour news cycle, and so we managed to get the message of tolerance out in a fun, positive, and not to mention delicious way!

Maharaja's Haveli, 583 Barkly St, West Footscray Map
Phone: 9689 6490
Hours: 12.00pm - 10.30pm, 7 days
BYO only - no corkage charge 

Maharaja's Haveli on Urbanspoon

ALMOND JOY SHORTBREAD BARS


i'll make this quick...

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Shortbread with Roasted Salted Almonds...

what's more to say?...they're good, they're great, they're pretty and they're impressive. not too much of any one flavor, just enough for each element to shine and create that fab taste trio that you get from an Almond Joy...chocolate, coconut and almond.


.
i find this recipe a classic for dense Scottish Shortbread.
i've used this recipe quite a few times with a few changes in flavor and it always works well. many thanks to Barry the blogger @ ROCKRECIPIES for the recipe copied below. you'll find my notes and changes following the original.

Cream together:
1 cup salted butter
3/4 cup sugar
Add 2 tbsp vanilla extract
Fold in:
4 cups flour


for the coconut flavor i added a rounded 1/2 cup of shredded sweetened coconut. i put it in the processer until i didn't see any more long shreds, not to powder form but close to it.

i used 2/3 cup sugar instead of 3/4 cup

and used 1 tsp vanilla AND 1 tsp coconut extract

Roll in balls and flatten or roll out and cut into shapes as desired. I like to bake the dough in large rectangles and then cut the cookies in fingers just when they come out of the oven and are still warm. (don't forget to use a parchment sling)
Bake at 350 degrees 12-15 minutes until edges are golden brown. Allow longer baking time if you are baking the large rectangles of dough to be cut in fingers.
.
my shortbread notes.....i put the dough directly into the pan and start pressing down firmly....i mean i like this dough packed in tight, i don't want it flakey at all. press all the way to the edges. i put a flat surface in top, like a book and stood on it for goodness sake! then half way through the cooking i went in and lightly pressed the top with the bottom of a flat glass...
i think shortbread like this should be scored before cooking. then cut all the way through while still warm. i like to keep it in the pan through the whole process until completely cool in order to really hold it's sharp edges.

to creat the Almond Joy look...


my suggestion is to use roasted salted almonds (always the sweet and savory)


before dipping you must secure each almond to the top of the cookie with a dab of chocolate and let dry...check that they are stuck on there good, then proceed with your dipping. i chose to dip just the tops. i didn't want the chocolate to overpower the almond or coconut flavors. dip two cookies then sprinkle with a little coconut. they're kind of tedious at this point and a bit messy, but well worth it when your friends look at you in disbelief ..."did you actually make these?"

i must say they are excellent with a nice warm cuppa tea or a tall hot latte.

Sabtu, 27 Februari 2010

SIMPLE ROASTED VEGGIE SOUP


ROASTED VEGGIE SOUP...i know we've seen a bucket-full already this winter, but i don't think it can be said enough how easy and rewarding this little "bowl of gold" can be. the color, texture and flavor are well worth the few simple tasks it requires for this wonderful, smooth, savory pureed soup.

there are so many ways to prepare this soup and all of them are good. for instance some say cut the squash in half and roast it cut side down on a cookie sheet. some say boil the squash cubes in broth. some say butternut only. some say this and some say that. i can only tell ya what I SAY...

i say..use peeled and cubed squash because it gives a more roasty per square inch flavor.

for this batch i chose the ever popular butternut squash. the week before i used banana squash which was very similar to pumpkin. during pumpkin season i went wild with those cute little pumpkins. i kept buying them for decoration, but they would end up in a soup before the week was up. there's nothing like that pure, rich, deep orangy pumpkin meat.

HOW TO...

choose your squash. something like a med. size butternut.

peel and cube

2 small onions quartered (leave root end on so they don't fall apart)

5-10 cloves garlic (i like alot) peeled before or after roasting...just watch it. you might have to remove cloves before the squash is done

spread everything on a large cookie sheet

drizzle with olive oil

season with salt pepper and garlic salt

toss around on the sheet so everything is coated

roast in a 375 degree oven. approx 45-50 minutes

check every 10-15 minutes and stir

done when fork tender

now..put all your yummy roasted veg. into a deep stock pot and cover with approx. 6 cups of stock. i prefer homemade chicken broth. boxed or canned will be just fine. vegetable or beef is good too. what ever you have on hand.

cover veggies by an inch or two. remember you can always thin out your finished product by adding more stock, but you can't take it out.
add 1-2 tsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

bring to boil and immediatly turn to a simmer for 15-20 minutes

get out your immersion blender or GO BUY ONE...

a stick blender makes life so much easier in the creamy soup world. of course you can use your stand blender or food processer, but it's such a mess and if you've never pureed hot soup before. it can be quite dangerous. just go get a stick (immersion) blender. you'll love it and use it all the time.

remove bay leaf and blend untill smooth and creamy.

check seasoning and add what's needed.

at this point you can thin it to your preferred consistancy with some more stock . my mother likes to add milk or cream, but i like the pure veggie taste. when left a bit thick this makes a great pasta sauce or is just fabulous under roasted chicken or fish as a nice color addition to the plate.

so...starter, main course...soup or side dish?...i like to keep something like this in the fridge as a staple for those cold rainy days or those "WHAT WILL WE HAVE FOR DINNER?!" nights. this will always add some color and make any quick meal feel homemade and slaved over.


Dear Diary,


I have kept journals almost all of my life. I only stopped a few years ago (probably because of this blog), but I still have boxes of them. I don’t often go back through them – or, at least, it’s been quite a while. The other night, knowing I was going to have a busy week of work, I stole a night to myself and treated me to a dinner at Cheebo. With one of my old journals. And a few glasses of sauvignon blanc, a bowl of creamy artichoke soup and their signature chopped salad. Before I continue I will say that the food was very, very good. In fact, I will try to recreate the soup at home soon.

Here’s what’s wild: while reading my words from over a decade ago, it didn’t seem that I’ve changed as much as I would have hoped, or at least thought. Don’t get me wrong – I’m a really good person. What I noticed, though, is all of the things that got me dithered out, all of the promises I used to make to myself – are all the same dithers and promises of today.

Yet reading the entries still makes me miss something. Staying up until dawn? Dying may hair a new color and not to cover grays? Being able to do shots? Looking good in spandex?

I imagine it would be youth. Or at least the version of youth that allows us to fear little. The feeling of being invincible.

I wonder why that changes as we get older. Don’t get me wrong – I have no interest in going back in time. I don’t feel a need to recreate or relive any of the moments of my past. I am happy with the present and look brightly into the future. But I do find it interesting that, while looking through my words from all the years past that the more things change the more they stay the same. I can’t tell if I take comfort or concern in this little phenomenon.

I still spend too much time worrying about boys, friends, money, success and my hair. At least I don’t feel compelled to pierce anything or toy with the idea of getting a tattoo anymore. I’ve never liked doing shots, so I’m glad the pressure is off there. And I have little to no interest in wearing spandex (although it would be nice if it looked better on me).

Some of my old journals are filled with stories of my life, some are filled with watercolors, some have little taped scrawls and scraps from friends and the world, and some are simply filled with lists. Some parts are sad and some are happy, but they all mirror the trajectory of my life. They track the people who have moved in and out of my life, who have stayed, who have passed on. There is love, loss, elation, heartbreak, failure and triumph. I found them all to have beauty.


Last night, as I was trapped in the canyon, with my car needing a jump, my only phone dead and in a majorly crabby mood, I decided to make something that made me comfortable. Cozy. Something we all have eaten all of our lives in some form or another. A dish that, the more it changes, the more it stays the same. Something that can be colorful or monochromatic. Something that can be ornate or bare bones. Something that can taste both simple and complex.  Something that everyone perceives differently. Something that most of us have an opinion about. Something that, like the phases of our lives, seems to be ever morphing – moving forward while suspended in time.

Chili.

I have never used a recipe for chili. Rather, I like to toss all sorts of things in there each time and see what comes out. I never measure spices or concentrate very hard on it (except this time, so I could document the recipe for you). This go ‘round, I sautéed the onion in rendered bacon fat and kept the smoky bacon bits in. I always like to use lots of different kinds of beans for color and texture. It turned out great: thick, bold, good heat, smoky and rich. The sour cream and green onion on top add a splash of bright color and round out the spice.

And then I wrote everything you just read.



Chili with Beef & Bacon


2 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1 red onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chili powder
1 ½ tbsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp Hungarian paprika
1 bay leaf
15 oz can of tomato sauce
15 oz can of plum tomatoes
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp red wine
20 oz can of red kidney beans
15 oz can of pinto beans
15 oz can of cannellini beans
Salt
Sour cream and chopped scallions for garnish

Directions
1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon, stirring until it just begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add onion, lower heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 7 minutes. Uncover pan, stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute.
2. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef; break it up with a wooden spoon and stir gently until it loses its raw color, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in spices and 1 tsp. salt and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaf, and Worcestershire, wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and cook 30 minutes.
3. Add beans and cook 30 minutes, uncovered. Season to taste with additional salt. Serve warm, with toppings on the side.



*This post is part of the Denny's and/or Foodbuzz BACONALIA challenge and is an entry.

Sam's Anchor Cafe for Breakfast ..... Tiburon, California, USA


Sam Vella started serving breakfast out of tents along Tiburon beach in 1920......... and the rest was history (go check out the website if you are interested).

When you visit the Main Street of Tiburon, in the morning, you'll notice that Sam's Cafe is unanimously the most popular cafe along the stretch. Even the sea gulls (by the number of them circling the area) think so. Last year there weren't anymore seats for us left but I was glad that this time we arrived half an hour before noon and got our table.

If you arrived into Tiburon, entering the main street, you would have just shot pass the unattractive front door of Sam's cafe. You wouldn't want to enter after peering through the window and noticed the empty cafe (if you didn't see far enough). Don't be fooled by the facade.

Walk right in, all the way pass the empty cafe, onto the deck area. (Cat calls, and whistles...) This is where the party is. The crowd in Sam's cafe are all packed on the decks. Why be indoors when you got the great bay view overlooking the San Francisco skyline? Furthermore, the weather's great but do bring along the shades, or else your eyes get punished by the glare of the sun. The shades do come useful for the people watching.


My Breakfast

Clam Chowder
The clam chowder here was not as cloying as those that I've eaten in Fisherman's Wharf (San Francisco). It made a nice breakfast soup that can fill the stomach yet not too thick and nicely salted.


Crab Cake Benedict
I've liked Eggs Benny and having it with minced Dungeness crab meat was a first. The sight of my breakfast already made me hungry. The sweetness of the Dungeness crab went well with the appetizing Hollandaise sauce.


I always feel that a good ambience enhance the dining experience. In the case of Sam's Cafe it was simply the good weather, scenic views and most importantly the pretty people that throng the area.

27 Main Street
Tiburon, CA 94920
California, USA
Tel : 415 435 4527
Sam's Cafe Website

Jumat, 26 Februari 2010

Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, Napa, California, USA


We drove through the wet and cold weather in California but when we closed in on Yountville, a gaping hole appeared through the dark clouds, as if an invisible force field had blocked the dark clouds from entering the region. After a one and a half hour drive, we appeared at the doors of Bistro Jeanty. The unusual sunny, cheery sky (contrary to the weather reports) and sub twenty degrees (in celsius) temperature was good weather that creates good mood, for good food.


As I walk through the door, I stepped into a humble yet cosy bistro, its decor not as chi-chi as Bouchon Bistro (just 2 minutes walk away). Bistro Jeanty got a good wine list, very typical of restaurants in the Napa wine country. Even though Bistro Jeanty is on Napa soil, they still import a good number of wine from the French regions.


BON APPETIT

Petit Salë Aux Lentilles
Pork Belly and a Lentil with a Foie Gras Ragout
The whole appetizer was exuberating with savoriness from the lentils soaked in sauce. The highlights were pork belly, my favourite, and the grilled foie gras cooked to 'melt-in-your-mouth' standards.


Daube De Boeuf
Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes,
Buttered Peas and Carrots
KK picked this beef stew dish. This beef stew was cooked so soft and tender that there was no need for the knife. I swear I was picking at the beef with only one fork. This is one beef meal that I wouldn't mind eating with my lousy set of teeth that is not efficient in tearing. It was KK's first French cuisine experience. I was glad this beef stew made his wonderful maiden experience .


Cassoulet
Baked Beans with Duck Confit,
Sausage and Apple Smoked Bacon
When my Cassoulet appeared, I was delighted. Somehow, I knew that I will enjoy the duck confit, sausage and bacon buried inside the beans. Another dish that I ate with only my fork. Soft, tender meats and the rich flavours engulfed me. By the way, the duck meat virtually slipped off its bones when I picked at it. Marvelous!


Michelin Star
Bistro Jeanty had been awarded the Michelin Star for the past three years. Although, they are just one star, I selfishly hope they stay so. I want them to stay affordable for my second visit. This bistro is definitely worth a revisit.


6510 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
California, USA
Tel : 707-944-0103

Sweetest Treats in the Mission

Morning Buns at Tartine Bakery
I love the Mission District in San Francisco. Today check out my picks for the Mission's"sweetest eats" on Frommers.com. As soon as Bi-Rite Creamery reopens, I will do another post on all the fabulous ice cream to be found there too. My top picks are Mitchell's, Humphry Slocumbe, Bombay Bazaar and Bi-Rite. What are yours?

Kamis, 25 Februari 2010

Babylon Restaurant 2

Dear reader, I like to imagine you reading this blog just as I write it, with a plate of something at your side.  Is it a delicate cup of tea with a shortbread balanced across the rim, or perhaps a bowl of spaghetti, dressed with a zesty tomato sugo?  If this is the case, please navigate away now, perhaps to one of the other wonderful food blogs to the right, and return when you are suitably food-less, otherwise you may be food-less in another way less pleasant.  Vegetarians, you may want to sit this one out.

Is your snack over?  Plate in the sink?  Let's begin.


Babylon Restaurant is a little piece of Iraq in the heart of Footscray.  It is family-run with very friendly service and an enchanting, if somewhat bemusing, undersea theme.  Last time, I was entranced by the Iraqi delights on the menu, nestled between broader Middle Eastern dishes such as felafel and kebabs, as well as pizzas and lasagne.  In a previous incarnation, your host, Ms Baklover, majored in Arabic at university.  Since descending into the purgatory of small children, the furthest this has gotten me is an extra piece of baqlawa at Victoria Sweets.  So I relished this chance to use some of my hard-gotten gains to sort the pita from the pizza, as it were.

We were drawn to Tashreb and Barche which appeared on the menu with no further explanation.  As we chatted in Arabic, the very friendly server sketched out the dishes and confirmed happily that these were the Iraqi real deal.  Now I didn't go in blind, I knew Barche involved offal, but my kokoreç-loving father was by my side and ready to step up.


We started with a type of dolma or stuffed vine leaf to share.  It was fatter than usual, filled with a tangy mixture of rice, meat and tomato.  Very good.

Then came our Barche.  Now when the server said "feet, head and stomach", I imagined a relatively innocuous Iraqi version of Pho Dac Biet.  This is what we got:


Now some people can't eat a whole fish because the whole staring-eye thing creeps them out.  You try that with a sheep's head!


There was also a trotter and some flaps, identified later as stomach.  The smell was a hundred Sunday roasts in unison.  I mean, I can't believe I whinged about that little pot of goat-on-the-bone at Indi Hots the other day.  The table of lanyarded lunching ladies stared at us woefully.  Then we got this:


Yes, it is a proto-sausage, innards filled with a fatty rice and mince mixture.  I did warn you!!

Dad tucked in, slurping and groaning with pleasure.  Just another day at the office for a man who goes to yum cha just for the chicken feet and special order of duck tongues with extra jellyfish.  My daughter loved the "sausages".  Children are amazing - before a certain age they have none of the cultural hang-ups of adults and will eat purely guided by flavour.  At two years old, my elder daughter once ate all the offal off the top of a congee I mis-ordered, while I shuddered in horror.


Me - I was reduced to a pre-teen shadow of myself.  Remember when, faced with some horrifying meal prospect like broccoli soup, your parents insisted you "try it"?  You would then dip the tip of spoon in one millimetre, touch it to the tip of your tongue before insisting, "see, I did, and I don't like it!"  Well, that was me.  I couldn't even touch the proto-sausage, I had to extract a little of the filling with just the tip of my fork.  Footscray Food Blog - not faddish, but far from fearless!


Our Tashreb arrived, and if you want to geek out on Arabic grammar with me, the root of this word is shariba, to drink, and tashreb translates as "soaked".  The dish is a luscious, meltingly soft lamb shank which has been lovingly cooked for hours with bay leaves and other spices, atop pillowy, torn Iraqi bread that has soaked up all its salty, fatty juices.


This came with plenty of delicious Iraqi bread, which has the fluffiness of Turkish bread with a chewier crust.  The salad was undressed and a bit tired, a little disappointing.


The Tashreb was delicious but unfortunately, I was done.  Now before you cross Babylon Restaurant off your list and go back to eating at Souvlaki Hut, stop!  This is a fantastic restaurant.  They are unflinchingly authentic and I respect them for not trying to tone it down or steer us away from their delicacies.  We waited for a while for our delicacies and during that time, the food I saw coming out of the homely, family-run kitchen looked fabulous.  Fat, crispy felafels, chicken Maryland in a golden herb rub, rice studded with jewel-like vegetables and dusted with toasty-brown spices.

Babylon, I will return!  Maybe for a vegie platter next time though.

Babylon Restaurant, 152 Nicholson St, Footscray Map
Phone: 9689 3323
Hours: 9am until late, 7 days
No alcohol, no BYO

Rabu, 24 Februari 2010

Chicken Dinners with Katy

By now I'm sure that most of you know my dear bloggy friend Katy from Food for a Hungry Soul. I can't talk about Katy without just gushing, she so full of happiness and love that reading her blog is like being wrapped in a warm blanket (I told you I was going to gush!). And not only that, but her recipes are always fantastic.

So she definitely came to the rescue, not once, but TWICE a few weeks ago when I was in need of some great chicken recipes. I had a freezer full of chicken thighs and needed some great ways to use them. The first thing I made was this.

It's called Simply Great Chicken, which is exactly what it is. It involves three ingredients, and about five minutes to prepare for a chicken dish that my husband immediately requested again. It's sweet, tangy and a definite repeat. Check out her recipe here.

And only a few days later I pulled out more chicken thighs and made this delicious dish.

This is Slow Cooked Ginger Orange Chicken, and it is delicious! I've made quite a few orange chickens in the past, and this is my favorite. It's healthy, rich and has a wonderful citrus flavor. It also teases you all day with it's amazing aroma as it cooks. Go here for the recipe.

Thanks so much Katy! Keep those fantastic dishes coming, we have loved them!

Selasa, 23 Februari 2010

Cheesemonger A Life on the Wedge

Cheesemonger A Life on the Wedge
Remember last year I told you about my friend Matthew Amster-Burton's book Hungry Monkey? I told you it was funny and smart and filled with terrific recipes and that even if like me, you didn't have kids, you would still love it. If you read the book, then you know I didn't steer you wrong. Now I'm going to tell you about another book, by another friend. It's Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge by Gordon "Gordonzola" Edgar. And even though it's about cheese, you don't have to love to cheese to enjoy the book.

Because I was a big fan of the cheese department at Rainbow Grocery, I interviewed Gordon for KQED several years ago and was surprised to learn we went to the same high school. Since then I've been impressed with how knowledgeable, funny and what a great writer he is, in addition to being a great cheesemonger of course. So I am particularly happy to tell you his first book is just as wonderful as he is. The book combines humor, politics and all things cheese, especially the stories behind cheeses you may know and cheeses you will certainly seek out after reading the book. I had cheese on the brain while reading the book and it gently steered me away from some of my usual picks over to some more interesting ones. Hello, Explorateur!

As was the case with Matthew's book, by the end of the first chapter I was laughing out loud. Not that the whole book is humorous but it is completely engaging and delves into local issues, food issues, the world of retail, all with a bit of punk rock and political activism thrown in for good measure. If you enjoy Gordon's blog, Gordonzola you are bound to appreciate the book as well.

EVENT:
Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 7:00pm - 10:00pm
at
Books Inc. 1760 Fourth Street in Berkeley

Gordon will be signing books at a book launch party. Cheese will be provided by the Epicurean Connection. I will be there and hope you can make it too!

Senin, 22 Februari 2010

Recipe: Pad Thai

Last post, we learned how to make our own tamarind "water" or purée.  This can be used to make tangy tamarind chutney, accented with ground cumin, perfect for dipping samosas, or any number of curries, from Ayam Sioh to Dhansak.  My #1 thing to use it for, though, is Pad Thai.  I have been using this recipe for years, although since having children, many of the ingredients have gone out the window.  A word about Pad Thai.  I have heard many unkind things about this dish over the years - that it's not "real Thai food", that it's just Chinese noodles with Thai seasonings, that it's use as a "yardstick dish" to judge a Thai restaurant is unfair.  All of this may be at least partly true - but it tastes so good, I don't care!

 
Hate prep?  Have children, and make them do it for you!


Although you may need to factor snacks into your quantities...

"Bare Bones" Pad Thai
Serves 4

1 pkt wide rice noodles (200g)
3 Tb tamarind purée
3 Tb fish sauce
2 Tb palm sugar, grated
Oil e.g. peanut, rice bran
Prawns (about 12)
Garlic - to taste
Vegetables (one large bowlful)
2-3 eggs
Chopped peanuts, perhaps 1/3 cup?

 

Soak noodles in hot water until al dente.  Drain and set aside.  Mix tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar in a small bowl.



Heat a wok to smoking point.  Add oil, drizzling around the sides.  Add prawns and cook over high heat until just pink.  Remove and set aside.

 

Add another splash of oil and stir-fry garlic for 30 seconds.

 

Add veg and cook until just tender.  (Note: These should really be julienned, but the kids' knife skills have a way to go.)

Add noodles.  Mix well.


Push noodles up one side of the wok.  Add a little oil in the base, crack the eggs in and scramble lightly.  When just set, mix into the noodles and vegetables.

 

Add your sauce with your lovely home-made tamarind purée.  Stir-fry until well combined.  Very important: taste a noodle.  There should be a balance between sweet, sour and salty flavours.  If one predominates, correct with a little more of the others, to create a harmonious taste.  If it needs more sweetness, I just add a bit of white sugar, rather than pausing to grate palm sugar.  If you can't taste anything: add more of all three sauce elements.



Add prawns and most of chopped peanuts (reserving a little for garnish).
 

Serve, topped with peanuts (plus chopped coriander and a lime wedge if you have).  Despite all the cut corners, the home-made tamarind really lifts the whole dish.  If you rely on Thai restaurants to get your fix, or if you buy those "Pad Thai kits" from the supermarket, please give this a try - you won't look back!