Part I: French cooking in 2009? Mais Non!

I didn’t use a single one of my 37 French cookbooks in 2009. As much as I loved the movie Julie and Julia, think of Julia Child as my fairy godmother cooking mentor, and am in awe of Julie Powell’s accomplishment, I didn’t cook French. Not once. In Part II, below, I’ll tell you how I know this astonishing fact.

What was going on? I’ve cooked plenty of French food in the past, including the months preceding Katherine’s and my trip to Paris, Burgundy and Provence in 2005. This last piece of information is, I believe, crucial. My relationship with France has grown pretty slack since 2005. It is off my radar. I have a stronger connection to other cuisines at the moment. Were I to make plans to vacation in Provence next summer, everything would change. France would be back on the screen, I would need to get my mouth ready for the trip and the French cookbooks would resurface.

What do I make of these yearnings in my mouth for particular flavors and the spurning of others? Based on the French experience, anecdotal as it is, I want to propose a theory: My tastebuds are relational. If I have a strong relationship with a place (historical, in the present moment, or in my imagination), I am more likely to want to cook from that place.
So let’s look at what I did cook.

1. The answer is Middle Eastern, North African, and Mediterranean food. Lots of it. I love that part of the world: since 2003 I have visited there five times. But I was intrigued by the flavors long before the travel. I bought my first Persian cookbook in the 60s. [Indulge me here. According to my National Geographic DNA study, my gene pool reached Europe via what is now the Middle East. Is anyone willing to speculate as to the food my gene pool ingested on the way? Might I still be influenced by it?] In 2009 I visited both Jordan and Israel and my cousin-in law, Rivka, visited Syria. In preparing for my trip and following hers vicariously, I cooked from The Arab Table by May S. Bsisu, used Joan Nathan’s The Foods of Israel Today and devoured Saha by Malouf and Malouf. I cooked more food from this part of the world than from any other.

2. I also purchased a slim book (used and without a dust jacket) called Sara Foster’s Casual Cooking and used it a bunch. Sara Foster opened a primarily take-out market in 1990 in Durham, North Carolina where I lived from 1975 to 1995. I was an avid supporter of the market and often went there for lunch or to pick up some dinner. I ate great Southern food (Magnolia Grill and Nana’s in Durham, Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill) and acquired a fair number of Southern cookbooks (now up to 20). Last night we ate at Pican, a restaurant in Oakland specializing in sophisticated Southern fare. I love cooking from both of Sara’s cookbooks because they combine Southern hospitality with really good food, just like the market. Below you’ll find Southern-style recipes for Pimiento Cheese and Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde.


3. And finally I notice that my taste buds are pulling me in the direction of Thailand and Vietnam. Nancie McDermott’s Quick & Easy Vietnamese cookbook which I took with me to Hawaii has been getting quite a workout, along with a Thai soup that I love for its simplicity and delicious flavor. Check on next week's blog for some great recipes. Turns out I really want to visit Vietnam in the next couple of years and I’m getting my mouth ready to go. Fish sauce really didn’t do much for me until I got this hankering. Now I can’t seem to get enough.

I would love to know if you have any special relationships to the food you cook. My friend Karyn says that her relationship is with the place she gets her vegetables: The Farmers Markets and her own backyard. Once she has the produce in her care, she starts thinking about how to cook them and reaches for cookbooks that are organized by seasons or by the fruits and vegetables themselves. What about you? How do you choose what to cook?

Part II: My Cookbook Spreadsheet

How do I know that I didn’t cook French and ate a lot of Middle Eastern, you might ask?

Because I kept a list. At the beginning of 2009 I made a spreadsheet of about half of my cookbooks. I sorted the cookbooks into 29 categories, mostly by country or region. Every night after dinner when I wrote down what I ate in my little notebook, I would jot down on the spreadsheet the date next to the cookbooks I had used. At the end of this last year, I looked over the sheets to see if anything interesting showed up. It did—but maybe only interesting to me. You be the judge.

Turns out I cooked from 104 cookbooks in 2009, 39 of which I used for the first time, another way of saying that I acquired 39 new or used cookbooks. I prepared 202 recipes from these 104 cookbooks.
As I mentioned above, I cooked a lot of food from around the Middle East. Here are the numbers in terms of recipes: Middle Eastern (20), Turkish (2), Moroccan/Spanish (13), Persian (2) and Mediterranean (8). These flavor-related regions account for 45 recipes (22 percent of the recipes I used in 2009). I also used 33 recipes from cookbooks of the American West Coast (where I live) and 23 recipes from vegetarian and healthy cookbooks. Miscellaneous others: Indian (12), International (9), Italian (9), Mexican and Latin (7), and British (11).

The prize for the most used cookbook goes to Flatbreads and Flavors by Alford and Duguid. Eight times. I really do like that cookbook; it is simple and inviting. But I can’t say that it is my very favorite, even though I used it more than any other. Truth is, I can’t even imagine choosing a favorite—too reminiscent of Sophie’s Choice. I cooked from Sam and Sam Clark’s Casa Moro seven times. John Ash’s From the Earth to the Table and Niloufer Ichaporia King’s My Bombay Kitchen both came in at six. The Food of Israel Today, The Arab Table (both mentioned above) and Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking all came in at five.

I should mention that three recipe sources don’t show up in this calculation: 1) the recipes I was testing for this blog (about 84), 2) those I make up on the spot which I call “my own devising”, and 3) those which I find in newspapers, on the internet or in my handwritten notebooks or are given by friends. I might add these to this year’s list which now includes all my cookbooks (523).

Ten reasons for being a redhead (quick post)

As I don't want you to get bored of my pictures from Berlin, I was thinking today why I like being a redhead so much... so I decided I want to share this with you, without any particular order... so, my favourite redheads (yes, some of them dyed their hair, I know, but I don't mind) are...

1. Pippi Langstrump

2.  Shirley Manson

3. David Bowie

(read more)

 

4. Florence and the Machine

 

5. Julianne Moore

6. Elin with her red hair (I love her anyway)

7. John Lydon

8. Lily Cole

9. Rita Hayworth

10. The Weasley twins

 

... Yes, actually I love the Weasley twins!!

A picture that my friend Miriam retouched for me.

Almost all the pictures from weheartit.

Tomorrow I'll continue with our Berlin's adveture... but you can check today more pictures at Laia's blog... juct click on the photomaton picture on the sidebar and you'll go into her blog!

Southern Comfort Food from Foster's Market

Foster’s Pimiento Cheese Spread
Katherine’s mother who lives in Roanoke, Virginia always has a deli tub of this spread awaiting us in the fridge. The one she buys at her favorite place is really good. This one is even better.

















1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Note: You can grate the cheeses in a food processor if you wish.
1½ cups (6 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated smoked or regular Gouda cheese
2 roasted red bell peppers, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
     See note below for roasting instructions
1 cup mayonnaise
1 jalapeno, red is preferable but green is OK too, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon smoky sweet or regular paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

1. Mix together the cheeses and the roasted peppers in a large bowl.
2. Combine the mayonnaise, jalapeno, vinegar, honey, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir to blend well.
3. Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the cheese mixture and mix well. Taste for salt, adding more if necessary. Refrigerate in an airtight contained until ready to use or up to 1 week.

There are lots of uses: on crackers, toasted bread, biscuits, English muffins, or chips; as a sandwich spread, a topping for baked potatoes, or an omelet filling. Great for breakfast, lunch, or a pre-dinner snack.

To roast the peppers: Place them on a shallow rimmed pan lined with aluminum foil. Place the pan under the broiler on the second shelf down from the top of the oven. Keep turning the peppers until they are blackened on all sides. Remove from the oven. Place them in a bowl and cover; when they are cool enough to handle, remove all the blackened skin, the seeds, and the stem. Refrain, if you can, from rinsing under water. I save the liquid that the peppers release for use in any situation calling for stock.

Makes about 4 cups
Adapted from Sara Foster’s The Foster’s Market Cookbook

Chilaquiles and Andouille Sausage Scramble with Salsa Verde

This makes a great dinner but it can also be served for breakfast.











4 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
OR
1½ cups slightly crushed tortilla chips
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing the tortillas
Salt and pepper
1 andouille sausage link (about 8 ounces), thinly sliced into rounds
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 ounces Monterey Jack or cheddar or a combination of the two (about ½ cup)
Salsa Verde, see recipe below, or you can purchase tomatillo salsa

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Scatter the tortilla strips on a rimmed baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally and turning over the strips, until they’re golden brown on both sides and crisp.
3. Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage slices and cook and stir them for 4 to 5 minutes, until brown and cooked through.
4. Pour the eggs into the skillet and cook, gently folding the eggs as they cook, until just done but still wet looking. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
5. Add the cheese and tortilla strips or chips to the skillet and fold them into the eggs until the cheese melts and the tortilla strips or chips soften slightly.
6. Drizzle the chilaquiles with ½ cup of the Salsa Verde and serve warm with the remaining salsa on the side.

4-6 servings
Adapted from Sara Foster’s Casual Cooking

Salsa Verde

4 medium tomatillos, paper covering removed, chopped
OR
1 cup pureed canned tomatillos (with their juices)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 scallions, chopped (white and green parts)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper

1. Combine the tomatillos, cilantro, scallions, garlic and lime juice in a blender and purée until smooth.
2. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight contained until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 1½ cups
Adapted from Sara Foster’s Casual Cooking

King Prawn Fried Rice

After my traditional Scottish food venture of the past week, I decided that I was going to eat Chinese tonight. As I love both seafood and rice, I decided to have a King Prawn fried rice. I toyed with the idea of preparing a sauce to go with it but decided that I wanted it just the way it is in the picture. I have no regrets...

The thing which I like best about fried rice is that it is so versatile in the way in which it can either be used as a meal accompaniment or have any number of ingredients added to it in order to make the body of a meal itself. This recipe is for two people.

Ingredients

10 to 12 King prawns (shelled and de-veined)
4oz basmati rice
1 small onion (halved, then finely sliced)
1 clove of garlic (very finely chopped)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander (cilantro in USA)
2 tbsp corn oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

The first step here is to wash the rice thoroughly in cold water and then boil it for twelve minutes in salted water. When it is done, it should be rinsed in cold water again in a sieve to cool it and shaken extremely thoroughly to remove as much of the water as possible. The rice may then be left in the sieve - over a bowl or pot - to drain as much as possible while the remaining ingredients are prepared.

When cooking King prawns - or indeed any form of shellfish - it is absolutely imperative that they not be over-cooked. The texture which they will assume should that be the case will be akin to rubber and they are likely to be quite inedible.

The wok should be brought up to a very high heat and the corn oil added. When the oil is heated, the King prawns should be added and stir fried for around thirty seconds before the onion and garlic are added. The soy sauce and the rice should then be added and the ingredients stirred for another couple of minutes. The heat should then be turned off before the seasoning and chopped coriander/cilantro are stirred through. The dish should now be served, garnished with a little more coriander.

Crispy French Toast

 

Hey -- here's one of the recipes from the breakfast calendar I won in the WCGL giveaway! (Thanks, Deb!) This calendar is filled with delightful, delicious, decadent breakfast recipes. We tried Crispy French  Toast the other night.

Think State Fair meets breakfast: there's a crispy coating and some deep-frying involved. Yummy -- and  a fun change from regular, ol' boring french toast. Give it a try...
 

Crispy French Toast

8 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
6 thick slices of white bread (Texas toast)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 cups cornflakes

Preheat deep-fryer to 375° F. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. Beat well. Place cornflakes in separate bowl. Dip bread slices in egg mixture and press into cornflakes.

Carefully slide coated bread slices into hot oil. Fry on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

 Hints:

► It doesn't say to crush up the cornflakes in the original recipe. Do it. Smaller cornflake pieces make for a more uniform, crispy coating.

►  More eggs, a little less milk -- the coating will stick better.

 original recipe: Beyond Oatmeal, 2010 calendar from Carlene Duda

How to Make Guacamole: Food Tip of the Day - Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Well, much as it has been fun, affording tips and information upon the food of Scotland, my native land, in the run up to Burns' Night, I am somewhat glad to be able to branch out again and be free to incorporate in this blog whatever I so choose.

It so happened, that for lunch today, I was preparing some guacamole to enjoy with a selection of different biscuits. I thought, therefore, that in today's food tip of the day, I would share with you the way in which I personally make guacamole. I do not overdo it in the number of ingredients added as so many do in modern times but prefer to prepare it in as traditional a sense as possible. That includes using a pestle and mortar as opposed to any form of electronic food processing device!

The link below gives full details and simple instructions upon how to make guacamole:

How to Make Guacamole

ask me any question

ask me a question.

or any question(s). i will try to answer.

anything. i will choose those, that can be answered.

anything. seriously.

limited time only =P

Baso Goreng

26 Januari 2010, selasa

Pagi ini cepet2 bawa mobil ke supermarket coz siangan dikit si papa mo pake tuh mobil buat kerja, tentu aja bawa lah buntut dua. Mei hari ini libur skulnya coz gurunya pada mo trainning..heran, np ga ambil hari sabtu aja yah trainningnya, jadi kan ga perlu liburin anak2?? hihiihi...

Kemarin2 liat baso goreng di blog Veny , jadi kepengen dah , bener2 ngiler haha. so hari ini beli da segala macam bahannya. Pulangnya langsung masak udon buat makan siang gw n anak2. Abis makan baru deh mulai perang di dapur haha, campur bahan nya, aduk, tinggal goreng, simple tapi eankkk... thx ya buat resepnyaaa...

Ini gw catetin lagi resepnya, soalnya gw bikin cuman 1/4 dari resep aslinya, soalnya rakyatnya cuman 4 orang doanggg...kalo bkin 1 resep, kapan abis nya ya?? hehe.

Bahan
150 gr daging babi cincang
130 gr udang cincang
2 bh telur
65 gr sagu
merica garam, gula sdikit
1 sdm kecap asin
Cara
Campur semua bahan, masukkan telur kocok, aduk hingga rata. Buat bulatan dengan 2 sendok, goreng dengan minyak banyak.

Hasilnya enakkk bangettt...mpe Mei nyomot trus, walaupun baru goreng...hoho...

Australia Day 2010

How's it going down under? Another year passed by and I just want to send this greeting...

Happy Australia Day to all the Aussies around the globe :-)

How time flies and today I am reminded that it's my third year of celebrating this special day. It also serves as a reminder that I shouldn't give up my Australian dream. I wrote last year a lot of things about how I fell in love with this country. It's more than two years ago since I last visited Oz. How I terribly miss being there. I still remember how teary eyed I felt when the plane landed on Brisbane. So much joy when I saw the Sydney landscape while I was still in the plane. Indescribable feeling and unfathomable happiness.

Even though I am 8 hours away from Oz I still do join them in celebrating their big day! And my only way to do that is to do some cooking the Ozzie way. Last year I grilled pork which I marinated with black beer & honey. This year is the repeat of the same porky recipe but this time I marinated it with Coopers stout beer and spices. Aside from that my Fusilli Pesto with Sun dried tomatoes is ready. After office I will quickly run to the French bakeshop called Tours Les Jours to buy a small cake.

Somewhere in Geelong, Victoria - Australia

Somewhere in Portland, Victoria - Australia

Featherdale National Park, Sydney - Australia

London Bridge at The Great Ocean Road, Victoria -Australia

The Roof of Sydney Opera House - Australia

Missing Oz makes me feel pressured about my dream. Oftentimes I wonder if that will turn into a reality. Would I still get a Permanent Residence Visa? I am still praying for that. Sometimes I feel sad because the day something in my life crashed, I thought along with that is my Australian dream. That is what I thought so. But I told myself that as long as I breathe I will continue to dream for myself. As you see in my photos--like the cows they seem to have no direction and they seem to walk infinitely but surprisingly their purpose is to provide us milk everyday. Same as the unique plant I saw in Oz, I was bewildered that it exist and I do believe it has a unique purpose. Also with the little kangaroo that I never thought I will get that close to be able to feed and cuddle it. Maybe fate brought me there. Like the moment I touched the roof of the Sydney Opera House, it was an amazing feeling touching it. To think its not nice when you see it in a closer distance. And lastly the rock formation at The Great Ocean Road which Aussie called "The London Bridge." Its myth is about 2 people who fell in love. I do believe that the order of events in my life has a meaning. Each of us serves a great purpose and along with that lies a great dream.

Getting ready for Aussie Day dinner Saigon style!

hugs,
joanie xxx