Traditionally, they are only supposed to be eaten in months containing an "R".
The CC being a traditionalist complies, and only eats them in:
April, September, Jrune, January, November, Raugust, February, October, Jurly, March, December, and Mray.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Cookbooks and personality
One of the genuine pleasures of reading cookbooks is when the personality of the author shines through from beneath what, after all, is a manual.
Here's Marcella Hazan talking about her kitchen instruments:
Nearly all the kitchens I have seen, mine included, have more tools and pots and gadgets than are strictly needed.
The "mine included" -- succint, delicately placed, and gently ironic -- creating a perfect bond of complicity between author and reader. She knows what you're thinking, and she sympathises. She's here to help.
And she's responsive to our whims, our love of convenience and short-cuts like a lovable grandmother.
There is not the slightest justification for preferring homemade pasta to the factory-made. Those who do deprive themselves of some of the most flavorful dishes in the Italian repertory.
When you are unable to get good fresh tomatoes, rather than cook with watery, tasteless ones, it's best to turn to the dependable canned variety.
Even when fresh porcini -- wild boletus edulis mushrooms -- are available, the dried version compels consideration ...
But not too indulgent, of course.
She has tried, "again and again", to reconcile the use of the microwave with the principles of Italian cooking, and "happily, she has failed."
How can you not be tickled? When was the last time you heard someone say, "Happily, I have failed"?
On "instant" polenta (as opposed to the real deal):
It is so easy and takes such little time to make polenta using the instant product, that I wish I could regard it more favorably.
Isn't the last turn of phrase just heart-breakingly delightful?
Here's Marcella Hazan talking about her kitchen instruments:
Nearly all the kitchens I have seen, mine included, have more tools and pots and gadgets than are strictly needed.
The "mine included" -- succint, delicately placed, and gently ironic -- creating a perfect bond of complicity between author and reader. She knows what you're thinking, and she sympathises. She's here to help.
And she's responsive to our whims, our love of convenience and short-cuts like a lovable grandmother.
There is not the slightest justification for preferring homemade pasta to the factory-made. Those who do deprive themselves of some of the most flavorful dishes in the Italian repertory.
When you are unable to get good fresh tomatoes, rather than cook with watery, tasteless ones, it's best to turn to the dependable canned variety.
Even when fresh porcini -- wild boletus edulis mushrooms -- are available, the dried version compels consideration ...
But not too indulgent, of course.
She has tried, "again and again", to reconcile the use of the microwave with the principles of Italian cooking, and "happily, she has failed."
How can you not be tickled? When was the last time you heard someone say, "Happily, I have failed"?
On "instant" polenta (as opposed to the real deal):
It is so easy and takes such little time to make polenta using the instant product, that I wish I could regard it more favorably.
Isn't the last turn of phrase just heart-breakingly delightful?
Anchovies
The world separates out into two categories: those who hate anchovies, and those who can't get enough. Unsurprisingly, the CC falls into the latter category.
If all you've had is the godawful stuff they put on pizzas (except a few good places,) you really owe it to yourself to give it another try.
The combination of garlic, olive oil, and anchovies is heavenly. When cooked, the anchovies "dissolve", and the dish takes on a surprising complexity. If you've ever had a well-made Caesar salad, rest assured that the "tanginess" of the salad dressing is due to the anchovies in it.
This recipe is simplicity itself. Perfect for an evening when you're tired.
Ingredients
olive oil
10 cloves garlic (whole)
2 dried red chillies (go easy here!)
20 anchovy fillets
2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
fresh black pepper (lots!)
salt (to taste)
flat parsley (chopped)
tubular pasta like penne (cooked al dente.)
Recipe
Fry the whole garlic (+ dried chillies) till the garlic is golden (and slightly bloated.) Toss in the anchovies, and cook till they are just falling apart. Add the tomatoes, salt and black pepper, lower the heat, and cook for 7-8 minutes till the mixture becomes "saucy".
Toss with the pasta and parsley and serve.
If all you've had is the godawful stuff they put on pizzas (except a few good places,) you really owe it to yourself to give it another try.
The combination of garlic, olive oil, and anchovies is heavenly. When cooked, the anchovies "dissolve", and the dish takes on a surprising complexity. If you've ever had a well-made Caesar salad, rest assured that the "tanginess" of the salad dressing is due to the anchovies in it.
This recipe is simplicity itself. Perfect for an evening when you're tired.
Ingredients
olive oil
10 cloves garlic (whole)
2 dried red chillies (go easy here!)
20 anchovy fillets
2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
fresh black pepper (lots!)
salt (to taste)
flat parsley (chopped)
tubular pasta like penne (cooked al dente.)
Recipe
Fry the whole garlic (+ dried chillies) till the garlic is golden (and slightly bloated.) Toss in the anchovies, and cook till they are just falling apart. Add the tomatoes, salt and black pepper, lower the heat, and cook for 7-8 minutes till the mixture becomes "saucy".
Toss with the pasta and parsley and serve.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Crab Masala
This recipe has a relatively large number of ingredients, and is a bit of work, but if the CC can cook it on a weekday night with an injured thumb then so can you. This is truly lip-smackingly good.
Put on some music, and start chopping!
(This would also work with prawns, or mussels.)
Ingredients
crab meat (cleaned)
1 large onion (diced finely)
1 large potato (diced coarsely)
4 small tomatoes (cut into quarter-rounds)
8 cloves garlic (ground into a paste)
1 inch ginger (ground into a paste)
5 Thai green chillies (slitted vertically)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp coriander powder (roasted and ground)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Indian red chilli powder
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut (frozen is fine)
15-20 fresh curry leaves
3 tbsp tamarind paste (or a little more to taste)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (chopped finely)
salt to taste
Recipe
Fry the onions till they are golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, black pepper, cumin, coriander, red chilli powder, turmeric, curry leaves, and salt; fry for a minute or so.
Add the diced potatoes, and fry for 2-3 minutes, followed by the tomatoes. Cover, and let simmer till the potatoes are slightly tender. Add the crab meat, and cook for 8 minutes or so. Add the tamarind paste, and the grated coconut, and cook uncovered for a minute or so.
Toss in the chopped cilantro right before serving.
Put on some music, and start chopping!
(This would also work with prawns, or mussels.)
Ingredients
crab meat (cleaned)
1 large onion (diced finely)
1 large potato (diced coarsely)
4 small tomatoes (cut into quarter-rounds)
8 cloves garlic (ground into a paste)
1 inch ginger (ground into a paste)
5 Thai green chillies (slitted vertically)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp coriander powder (roasted and ground)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Indian red chilli powder
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut (frozen is fine)
15-20 fresh curry leaves
3 tbsp tamarind paste (or a little more to taste)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (chopped finely)
salt to taste
Recipe
Fry the onions till they are golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, black pepper, cumin, coriander, red chilli powder, turmeric, curry leaves, and salt; fry for a minute or so.
Add the diced potatoes, and fry for 2-3 minutes, followed by the tomatoes. Cover, and let simmer till the potatoes are slightly tender. Add the crab meat, and cook for 8 minutes or so. Add the tamarind paste, and the grated coconut, and cook uncovered for a minute or so.
Toss in the chopped cilantro right before serving.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Pepe's (in New Haven)
The original "New Haven" pizza with a coal-fired oven!
The CC (and his friends) had a clam pizza, and the crust is absolutely divine. For once, reality lives up to the hype.
Better believe it!
Sukke
This is an amazing Indian side-dish (from the west coast) but this is not a recipe. This is a meta-recipe.
Even the linguistics gives it away. It literally means "dry" but dry what exactly? Well, that's the meta- part!
Alas, they didn't have mathematical notation back in the day otherwise the CC would've begun the recipe as "∀V" (where V is a vegetable) do:
(Ignore the above. It's the CC's inner mathematician.)
For the record, the recipe varies up and down the coast. Towards the south, the recipe is as the CC records it. Up the coast, they start adding green chillies (Northern influence), and sugar (Gujarati influence.)
You may think, "What the hell? This doesn't look so special.", but rest assured, this stuff disappears the fastest every single time when the CC makes it.
Also, please don't make any substitutions. For starters, there's not a whole lot to substitute ergo you're looking at boiled V's minus the flavor.
Ingredients
2 tbsp mustard seeds
10-12 curry leaves
3 cups "vegetables"
3/8 cup grated coconut
salt to taste
Recipe
Heat some oil in a pan. When it's hot, add the mustard seeds, cover the pan, until they pop. Toss in the curry leaves and fry for 20 seconds. Add the vegetables, coconut, and salt.
You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water but remember the "dry" part!
Cook until the vegetables are tender. (If you use a multitude, add the "toughest" ones first followed by... etc.)
Even the linguistics gives it away. It literally means "dry" but dry what exactly? Well, that's the meta- part!
Alas, they didn't have mathematical notation back in the day otherwise the CC would've begun the recipe as "∀V" (where V is a vegetable) do:
(Ignore the above. It's the CC's inner mathematician.)
For the record, the recipe varies up and down the coast. Towards the south, the recipe is as the CC records it. Up the coast, they start adding green chillies (Northern influence), and sugar (Gujarati influence.)
You may think, "What the hell? This doesn't look so special.", but rest assured, this stuff disappears the fastest every single time when the CC makes it.
Also, please don't make any substitutions. For starters, there's not a whole lot to substitute ergo you're looking at boiled V's minus the flavor.
Ingredients
2 tbsp mustard seeds
10-12 curry leaves
3 cups "vegetables"
3/8 cup grated coconut
salt to taste
Recipe
Heat some oil in a pan. When it's hot, add the mustard seeds, cover the pan, until they pop. Toss in the curry leaves and fry for 20 seconds. Add the vegetables, coconut, and salt.
You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water but remember the "dry" part!
Cook until the vegetables are tender. (If you use a multitude, add the "toughest" ones first followed by... etc.)
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Conch (in New York)
So the CC has actually gotten off his ass, and wended his way to find conch in New York.
It's frozen but that doesn't affect the texture so it's great! Also expensive but worth it.
It's frozen but that doesn't affect the texture so it's great! Also expensive but worth it.
Fried Toor Daal
The ultimate comfort food when the world gets you down. Serve with basmati rice, or fresh parathas.
Ingredients
2 cups toor daal (pigeon peas)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 large red onion diced
5-7 Thai green chillies (substitute by serranos)
salt to taste
Recipe
Cook the daal in 3 cups of water (+ salt.) Alternately, just pressure cook it until it is soft (but not mushy.)
When that's done, in a separate vessel, heat some oil. Toss in the cumin and stir; add the onions and chillies and fry for a few mintues; add in the daal, and cook for 5-6 minutes.
That's it!
Ingredients
2 cups toor daal (pigeon peas)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 large red onion diced
5-7 Thai green chillies (substitute by serranos)
salt to taste
Recipe
Cook the daal in 3 cups of water (+ salt.) Alternately, just pressure cook it until it is soft (but not mushy.)
When that's done, in a separate vessel, heat some oil. Toss in the cumin and stir; add the onions and chillies and fry for a few mintues; add in the daal, and cook for 5-6 minutes.
That's it!
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