More Indian Food

Well, Kara's on an Indian food kick now, the one cuisine I used to say she would never like. Here's last night's meal:

Coconut Milk Poached Spice Smoked Salmon with Sauteed Peas

Poach salmon in coconut milk with spices like coriander and star anise, then thicken the cooking liquid and mix with peas. Serve salmon on top of peas, top with toasted coconut flakes and then- this is the fun part- TORCH a bowl of aromatics- hickory, rosemary, thyme, cardamom, and rose petals, then tent the dish with a bowl and allow the smoke to infuse the food. It was a really good dish and very fun (will do it again), but I can't honestly say that by the time they were smoking that the aromatics imparted much flavor other than smoke; definitely a necessary step, but the rose would be better off in a vase.

and

Cinnamon Scones with Chai Berry Sauce

Slightly moist and fluffy scones, flavored with green cardamom and cinnamon, then the sauce is essentially like cranberry sauce, only made with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, and spiced with green and black cardamom, star anise, and cinnamon sticks. Use black tea and fresh-squeezed orange juice instead of water. Kara LOVED this one.

Squid Pizza with Saffron Aioli

Pizza night! I made three pizzas. Left to right in picture...

1. Kara Special- three cheese with herbed mushrooms, caramelized onions, sautéed yellow bell peppers, and ham 

2. Spinach-Artichoke- spinach-bechamel sauce topped with Parmesan, provolone, mozzarella, and artichoke hearts

3. SQUID PIZZA (don't worry, no cheese)...

This was  a staff favorite  in Food & Wine and I see why. Every ingredient works in harmony to make it taste just like the sea. The marjoram and saffron underscore the briny and fishy flavors of the squid while the tomatoes and lemon balance it with brightness and acidity, and the red pepper flakes and red onions give a bit of bite. Even Super-Taster Kara liked it. I don't normally review a dish in that kind of pretentious detail, but you can just tell this recipe is DESIGNED to be balanced and hit certain notes. Best of all, it's pretty cheap and easy (assuming you have saffron on hand and you can get squid at your local grocery store). And yeah, you could live without the saffron.

I followed the recipe exactly, though I halved the aioli and made my own pizza dough...

Here's the recipe.

First Foodie Email 2014

I've done a few tasty things already this year, but here's the first worth mentioning. This one was actually Kara's suggestion...

Garam Masala Crusted Halibut with Crispy Poached Eggs and Sauteed Mushrooms, Corn and Edamame

There are basically four parts to this- a bed of edamame and corn cooked with cumin seeds and rosemary is topped with oyster and shiitake mushrooms sautéed in clarified butter with mustard seeds, then panfried halibut crusted in garam masala follows, and this is all topped by a poached egg that has been breaded with panko and fried, so when you cut into it, the yolk runs all over.

I served it with a small side of basmati rice pilaf flavored with onions, green cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves.

This was an exotic experiment using fun techniques. We both agreed it's an acquired taste combination, but consider it a success. If nothing else, the fried poached egg could go on almost ANYTHING and make it yummy.

Italian Burger

Saw this on Food Network and had to try it. Giada calls it a "gourmet diner burger," but I see nothing diner about it, it's really an Italian spin on burger and fries.

It's the rest of my home-ground brisket blend burger with pickled zucchini, tomatoes, roasted garlic and oregano mayo, topped with a crispy Parmesan "frico"- basically a Parmesan wafer, all on a ciabatta bun. All homemade but the bread. The picture is before I mashed it all down and got sloppy with it. That's a full size plate, by the way, and a 1/3 lb burger.

It's served here with crispy breaded eggplant "fries" with basil infused "ketchup" that is essentially tangy marinara. Almost like eggplant Parmesan, but served as finger food (there's Parm in the breading).

Quite a bit of work, but it was really good.

 

 

French Pot Roast

No wonder the French remain generally thin. Their food is so incredibly rich and delicious you only need two bites to feel like you're going to pop. I even made a French dessert.

French Pot Roast - Chuck roast seared in bacon fat, then slowly braised in a red wine reduction with pearl onions, carrots, mushrooms, and fresh herbs. Thickened the au jus with gelatin and reduced further for gravy.

Boiled New Potatoes with Butter & Chives

Roasted Green Beans with Dijon/Maple Glaze - Made this one a while back. One of my new go-tos for green beans. Roasting is a great way to cook them.

Blueberry Crumble - Blueberries macerated in orange juice topped with oatmeal and almonds ground in a spice grinder, then baked in a small ramekin.

Believe it or not, especially given portions, it's not as artery-clogging as it sounds and is loaded with great, fresh ingredients. Amazing meal, plenty of leftovers, and lots of fun cooking. Including resting (before and after), the roast takes four hours, but with all the prep and the sides, plus timing them together, I pretty much wound up cooking the whole time.

Worth it.

 

 

Fall Pizza

Kara requested pizza tonight, and the way I top hers is delicious, but not unusual, and I usually want to try something adventurous with mine.

One of my first LA friends, Kristy, married and moved to Maine several years ago. She left her film plans behind and embraced her husband's idea of opening an "artisanal pizza and craft beer" restaurant. I asked her for a pizza idea, and her husband gave me a rough recipe.

As their menu describes it:

Acorn Squash Pizza

acorn squash purée (brown sugar & spices), goat cheese, mozzarella blend, prosciutto & toasted pecans

The squash purée serves as the sauce. I've never had theirs, but mine came together fabulously. My pecans were from the lawn of Kara's aunt in Mississippi. Prosciutto and chunks of goat cheese made it spring to life. And always on homemade pizza dough. Fantastic pizza idea.

In case you're ever in Ogunquit, ME or Portsmouth, NH, here's their restaurant: Cornerstone Artisanal Pizza and Craft Beer

 

Labor Day Foods 2013

I love surf 'n' turf, but I wanted something that better reflected the traditional holiday fare than filet mignon and lobster (and way less expensive).

Animal Style Slider, Grilled Jumbo Shrimp, and Grilled Steak Fries

The shrimp and potatoes are great and all- properly grilled with nice seasoning, etc, but the burger is a true triumph for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE In N Out's animal style burger and have been trying for years to do it at home, and I finally got it.

I've followed every copy cat recipe out there and finally found one that got it right, and then I blended it with some other twists just for fun, including making my own ground beef at home from sirloin steak tips and beef short ribs. Kara stopped me from making my own buns because she wanted me out of the kitchen a little, too.

I know this doesn't look exactly like a double double animal style because I miniaturized it, but trust this connoisseur, it tastes 100% spot on.