Curry Fever

Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken

This is a can of Maesri curry paste:







This is a can of coconut milk:







Mix them together with chicken and vegetables, and you have a curry as good as you will get in most Thai restaurants. You may also consider adding some lime juice, cilantro and lemongrass, but even if you just stick with the cans, it's a quick and satisfying meal. Maesri curry paste comes in several flavors, including yellow, green, red, panang, masaman, karee, etc...take your pick. It typically costs less than a dollar, and is strong enough to get two or three meals out of a can. Pack the leftover paste in a piece of plastic wrap and freeze for a later date.

When you buy coconut milk, shake the can- you should be able to tell how thick it is by the sound. Of course, you can be a pansy and buy the reduced-fat version, but only if you like watery curry. I prefer to cut corners elsewhere, thank you very much. And do not use the coconut stuff that goes into a pina colada, since it is heavily sweetened and not the same thing as regular coconut milk.

Chicken Curry With Vegetables

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic
1 small onion, sliced
1 red pepper
1 zucchini, sliced in half-circles
1 6 oz. can bamboo shoots
1 12 oz. can straw mushrooms
1-2 tbsp. curry paste
1 12 oz. can coconut milk
splash of lime juice
fresh cilantro (if desired)
Salt (if desired)

Sautee the garlic and onions in oil on medium high heat until brown. Add the zucchini and brown lightly. Add the chicken and allow it to get a little brown if possible. Then add your bamboo shoots, mushrooms and curry paste, and pour in the coconut milk. Stir well to distribute curry paste, adding a little water if the consistency is too thick. Cook ingredients together until chicken is just about done, then add the red peppers and stir. Add the lime juice and cilantro at the end if you like. Personally, I didn't think this needed salt, but you may respectfully disagree. Serve with jasmine rice to soak up all the lovely curry liquid.

Roast Beast (Beast = Chicken)

Oven-Roasted Chicken

I have passed another culinary milestone this weekend by roasting my first chicken. There is something uniquely satisfying in having successfully roasted a whole animal. I'll be moving up to roasting camels shortly.

This basic recipe, which I adapted from various versions, worked extremely well with a 3 1/2 lb chicken. That's pretty small, enough for 2-3 people. If you use a bigger chicken, add 20 minutes of cooking time for each pound of meat. This was a standard, pre-packed Perdue bird, with the gizzards and whatnot cleaned out and packed inside. You can use those bits to make a nice gravy, but I didn't have time. I felt slightly bad wasting them. I swear I'll use every part of the buffalo if I ever roast one.

I seasoned my dainty little capon with a combination of Turkish seasonings, though the next time I roast a chicken, I'll experiment with different flavorings. I have some Jamaican jerk seasoning that seems promising. *Note to healthy chefs: if you must remove the skin, do it after the chicken is roasted. The skin keeps the rest from drying out. You can even season under the skin by making a few little cuts and sticking in some slices of garlic, so that you're not stripping the flavor away when you peel your poultry.


Oven-Roasted Chicken

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes

1 chicken (3.5 lbs)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp seasoning of choice
1 small onion, quartered

Clear the bag with the innards out of the chicken and rinse inside and out, then pat dry all over. Rub the lemon juice and olive oil all over the bird, inside and out, making sure all surfaces are covered. Sprinkle your seasoning on and rub in evenly. Stuff the body cavity with the quartered onions and close over the opening. Tie the chicken's legs together tightly with cotton twine. You can wrap and leave the chicken for a few hours at this point, but try not to leave it for more than six (remember- acids like lemon juice "cook" things and change their texture).

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, and place your chicken in a roasting dish, on a rack if you like. Cook the chicken at 450 degrees for 20 minutes (this will seal in the juices), then lower the heat to 350 degrees and let it cook for one hour. Mine was juicy and tender, but definitely cooked all the way after this treatment. The skin had a nice crispness to it, and was extra-yummy from the seasonings. I'm looking forward to trying this again when I can cook at a leisurely pace.

Tom Turkey Goes to Thailand

Thai Turkey Burgers with Peanut Sauce

The first time I had a barbecue at my own place, I knew that our guests would run the gamut from true carnivores to virtual vegans. Hamburgers and Gardenburgers cover the extreme ends of that spectrum, but in the middle you typically find that most maligned of patties: the turkey burger.

Subject a lean meat like turkey to your average grill and you get a nearly inedible disk of dessicated poultry. The solution for turkey burgers is similar to the one with meatloaf; you need to put other things in it to keep the moisture in and lighten it up. I came up with this Thai-inspired mix of Asian vegetables to add to your ground turkey, which hold up quite well. I no longer have a grill, but these are also excellent when pan-cooked. The peanut sauce also gives it a nice kick. Apparently, someone agreed- at the end of that barbecue, there were plenty of hamburgers left over, but every single turkey burger had been devoured.

Thai Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey

1 8 oz can bamboo shoots, minced

1 8 oz can water chestnuts, minced

3-4 shiitake mushrooms, minced

2 eggs (minus 1 yolk)

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp kecap manis

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp Thai seasoning (try Penzey's Satay Seasoning)

1 tsp black sesame seeds (optional)

Whirl the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and shiitake mushrooms in a food processor (or mince very small), then add to the turkey. Add the eggs, bread crumbs and seasonings. Mix well with your hands until everything is thoroughly incorporated. If the mix seems too wet, add more bread crumbs until it reaches a consistency where you can form it into patties. Throw them on the grill or into a pan and cook just until firm.

Thai Peanut Sauce

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp rice vinegar

2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp sesame paste (optional)

1 tsp Thai seasoning (try Penzey's Bangkok Blend)

Water to achieve proper consistency

Mix all of these ingredients in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20 seconds. Stir ingredients together vigorously. Too thin? Add peanut butter. Too thick? Add a little water at a time to create a thick (but not paste-like) sauce for your burgers.

Mama Mia!

Unexpectedly Delicious Tomato Sauce

I've been meaning to post a tomato sauce recipe for some time. According to commercials for Ragu, Italian families hand down a time-honored recipe from mother to daughter for generations, the methods and flavors of the past preserved and enriched with loving care. This is soooo not the case with my family. My grandmother made a tangy, relatively thin sauce, while my mother prefers hers to be thick and sweet. Since it's clear I am not going to break my poor mother's heart by experimenting saucewise, I like diced tomatoes in mine.

A while back, there was a commercial on TV where this Italian family was so excited about Kraft Italian dressing, they got up and danced the tarantella around the dining room table. For some reason, that never happened at our house...

While roasting some sausage a few weeks ago, I discovered just how incredible broiled tomatoes can be. These were farm-fresh sweeties from (where else?) the farmer's market. Roasting brought out their sugars and mellowed them wonderfully. I had a few this week that were a bit past their prime as a salad ingredient, so I roasted them up and made a sauce. I put it over store-bought, shelf-stable gnocchi and, God, was it good.

Ingredient of the Day: Vidalia Onions
These onions are grown in Georgia, and are significantly sweeter than your standard white or yellow onion, and have a milder flavor than even most sweet onions. Use a sweet onion here, especially if you like a sweeter sauce.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

2-3 tomatoes, in wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 Vidalia onion, diced
1 small can tomato puree
1/3 cup white wine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dry parsely
lots of fresh basil, shredded
salt (to taste)
pepper (as desired)
sugar (if your tomatoes suck)

Spread some olive oil in the bottom of a metal roasting pan, arrange the tomato wedges skin side down, and broil for 5 minutes, or just until you see brown at their edges. While that's going on, sautee your garlic and onions in a little olive oil until browned. Once that happens, add the roasted tomatoes, the small can of sauce, and the white wine. Simmer and stir, adding the balsamic vinegar, parsely, salt and pepper as desired. Throw in the basil last, and stir in well. Only add the sugar if the tomatoes and onion aren't sufficiently sweet, unless you plan on using this sauce as a dessert topping.

Cool Beets, Tasty Bud

Quail Eggs, Golden Beet Bruschetta and Fried Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Hey- it's been a while. But I'm back, and the farmer's markets are in full swing, bringing things to my fridge the likes of which I have never seen. Today, I'm posting three appetizers I've discovered in the past few weeks. They involve some interesting specialty ingredients: quail eggs, golden beets and zucchini blossoms. If you are lucky enough to come across these things, here's what you can do with them...

Quail Eggs

"I don't even know what a quail is!"

-The Wedding Crashers

You may get your guests to say "Ooh, how dainty!" by serving these. Honestly, they're just little tiny eggs- nothing special except that they're kind of cute in a bite-sized way. They also make a simple but impressive appetizer, and cook up like any other egg, just faster. Place the itty bitty eggs in a good, solid pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and boil for two minutes. Turn the heat off and leave them there for another 3-4 minutes, then rinse in cold water. Peeling quail eggs is a fairly delicate operation, but the thin shells are more likely to come off in one piece than a chicken eggshell. I served mine with a tiny dish of seasoned salt and some toothpicks.

Golden Beet Bruschetta

A golden beet is just a variety of beet that isn't red inside. This eliminates one of the main hassels of preparing beets- dealing with the juice that stains everything it touches. I roasted my beets for 20 minutes, chopped, marinated and chilled them for a refreshing and colorful treat on crusty bread.

3-4 golden beets, roasted and diced

1 tomato, diced

1 tbsp. scallion, sliced into thin rings

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

salt (to taste)

black pepper

fresh basil, shredded

Prepare beets and marinate in dressing and seasonings, adding tomato and scallion just before serving. Mix well, and heap onto thin slices of crusty bread.

Fried Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Fontina Cheese

Now here's a fancy little dish. Notice how I hardly fry anything, and how I'm making an exception here. Really, there is no other way to appreciate the delicate zucchini blossom.

6 zucchini blossoms

1/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup water

2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

salt

These orange, trumpet-like flowers should be gently washed and patted dry. Then you can stuff them (not too much) with a little cheese and twist the ends closed. Dip them in a mix of the flour and water, and fry them till golden. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and serve quickly.

Turkish Delights

Beef Kofta, Veggie Couscous and Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

It is hottt. Hot with, like, nine "t"s. I wanted some tasty summer food. Conveniently, my roommate went berry picking and I returned home to find her sorting through a huge pile of strawberries. I also visited the Persian store recently, and picked up a new ingredient...

Ingredient of the Day: Sumac

Sumac is a popular seasoning in Middle Eastern cuisine. It's made from the crushed dried berries of a tree, and has a pleasant tanginess with a hint of fruitiness that works especially well with ground meats. If you eat at a kebab restaurant, you might find a jar of it on the table. I like it on my couscous, too. Do try to find it at an ethnic grocer, where I got 3 oz for $1.79, as opposed to the fancy herb catalogue that sold a .5 oz jar for nearly four bucks.

Broiled Beef Kofta

1 lb ground beef

2 egg whites
3 shallots, chopped

1 tbsp sumac

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

Mix meat and seasonings, then roll into cylinders about the size of a sausage and place on a rack inside a metal pan. Broil for 10-12 minutes, turning at intervals to get all sides browned.

Veggie Couscous

1 tsp garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 carrot, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 cup couscous

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

Parsely

Oregano
Pepper (black, or Aleppo pepper)

2 tbsp lemon juice

Sautee garlic and chopped veggies in oil until lightly browned. Add couscous, broth and seasonings, lower heat to lowest setting and cover, cooking for 5 minutes. Add black pepper and lemon juice at the end when couscous is cooked. Stir and fluff before serving.

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

3-4 strawberries, chopped

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp fresh black pepper

I poured this over my salad, and then found I liked it on the meat even better. It's best if you can use a sweet, thick brand of balsamic. If yours does not fit that description, add a teaspoon of sugar to the mix.

Steak? Is It My Birthday?

How To Broil A Steak

Steak! For me? You shouldn't have! A good steak is the perfect treat for all carnivores, both boys and girls. I don't eat a ton of steak in real life, but it's remarkably easy to broil one at home and save on nights at the Outback. Even better, a steak is many peoples' idea of the perfect reward, a meal for celebration. As a food, it is a form of foreplay in and of itself. Now put on your sexy underpants and go find your broiler...

Examine your oven for a moment. The broiler is most likely in a drawer at the bottom. You might have been using it to store things, but today you will use it for steak. Steak always comes first. If there is no drawer, you may have the type of oven where you need to shift the oven rack to the topmost notch to broil food. Some ovens do not have a "broil" setting. In that case, go find a flame thrower. Just kidding. Don't do that. If your oven can't broil, I'll post a "pan-seared" steak recipe for you soon.

I won't go into extensive descriptions of cuts of beef. Personally, I like a good boneless sirloin, which is particularly flavorful. Porterhouse steaks are extremely popular, too. I'm sure some obsessive steakaholic will read this and say "oooh! you can't cook a (insert cut) like that!" But I have, and it came out at least as well as the steak I ordered at the fancy steak place, so you can take a walk, Mr. Fancy Steak Man.

First you should marinate your steak for at least an hour. All marinades should contain an oil, an acid (lemon, vinegar) and a sugar (sugar, molasses, kecap manis). They actually "cook" your meat a little, so in my opinion there is little to be gained by marinating things forever unless a recipe calls for it.

Here's a yummy marinade for your steak:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp coarse mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

Let your steak soak for a bit, turning it over to make sure the marinade covers all surfaces. It's a good idea to marinate in the fridge, but let the meat reach room temperature before cooking. Get out a solid metal pan (make sure it fits in the broiler!!), and a rack. Your broiler may have come with a special broiler pan with a slotted surface over a base. Once your steak is ready for cooking, set the oven to "broil". Cook the steak for 5 minutes on one side, then get your meat fork and flip it over, cooking the other side for 5 minutes. This will get your steak somewhere between rare and medium-rare. If you're looking to become an obsessive fancy steak man, get yourself a meat thermometer. If you like a well-done steak, cook it for 2-3 minutes more, but don't overdo it. The broiler is powerful. Respect.

If the steak is cooked to your satisfaction, I recommend mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. Enjoy the rest of your evening...