Last Pre-Indian Dinner

We decided to cook one last Indian dinner before going for the real thing. We made two of our favorite dishes. Goan Style Shrimp Curry is delicious and rich with coconut milk. I really like it. At the Hollywood Farmer’s Market we bought beautiful large shrimp from the fish truck. I wonder if we will have lots of Goan Shrimp when we go to Goa on our next trip. Hope so! It will be interesting to see the difference. One difference, I am sure, is that it will be a lot spicier in Goa! We use a recipe adapted from Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur, from the restaurant Devi in New York City. You can get the recipe from our blog of: Aug. 9, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

We also made Gobi Jalfrezi (Cauliflower blended with tomato puree and vinegar) from Rocky Mohan The Art of Indian Cuisine. At the Hollywood Farmer’s Market we picked up probably the last tomatoes of the season, and candied them in the stove. We then used them in this delicious recipe. The Indian’s sure have a way with vegetables! You can get the recipe from our blog of: Sep. 11, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Fig Pasta

Fig season is growing to a close. We made Fig Pasta once last time. It is unusual in that it is a sweet pasta. We use the recipe from Lynn Rossetto Kasper in her cookbook: The Splendid Table Cookbook. It is very simple and delicious. You can get the recipe from our blog of Aug. 22, 2006. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a salad of White Nectarines, Prosciutto, Almonds and Saba. We love salads made with fresh fruit!

Moroccan Tuna on Skewers

We were so impressed with the quality of the fish from the truck at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market we decided to make another Moroccan Dish. We used the cookbook: The Food of Morocco – a journey for food lovers. Susan had the book in Santa Fe and we decided to purchase a copy. The recipe is called: Tuna Skewers with Herb Marinade. Doesn’t sound that special in English but it tasted great!

The J & P West Coast Fish truck had fabulous fresh Sushi Grade Tuna. It looked like giant steaks. I wondered if the tuna would fall apart when skewered but it held together. The herb marinade is really a Chermoula. Nice and spicy!

The tuna grilled very fast on the grill (just a about 1-2 minutes per side.
We made another Moroccan dish to go with it. Grilled eggplant covered with onions that had been slow cooked in spices. It was OK but not great. Win some loose some. The Tuna is a keeper! We served it with Tunisian Couscous.

We had also made Corn Pasta. It will probably be our last fresh corn dish of the year. You can find the recipe for the corn pasta in our blog of: Aug. 12, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.



QUOTBAN DEL TON BIL CHERMOULA
TUNA SKEWERS WITH HERB MARINADE
From the food of Morocco a journey for food lovers

TUNA IS IDEAL FOR SKEWERS AS IT IS A FIRM-FLESHED FISH AND DOES NOT FALL APART DURING COOKING. THE CHERMOULA GIVES THE TUNA A FLAVOUR BOOST AND KEEPS IT MOIST. WHILE MOROCCANS COOK TUNA THOROUGHLY, YOU CAN SEAR IT AND SERVE RARE IF DESIRED.

1 Ib 12 oz tuna steaks, cut into 1 1/4 in cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

CHERMOUUX
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
3 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
2 1/2 fl oz/1/3 cup lemon juice
4 fl oz / 1/2 cup olive oil

SOAK eight bamboo skewers in water for 2 hours, or use metal skewers.

PUT the tuna in a shallow non-metallic dish. Combine the olive oil, cumin and lemon zest and pour over the tuna. Toss to coat, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 10 minutes only.

MEANWHILE, to make the chermoula, put the ground coriander, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper in a small frying pan and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Combine with the remaining chermoula ingredients and set aside.

THREAD the tuna onto the skewers. Lightly oil a chargrill pan or barbecue grill and cook*the skewers for 1 minute on each side for rare, or 2 minutes for medium. Serve with the chermoula drizzled over the tuna.

A Taste of Morocco (Tagine)

We went to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market and bought a beautiful piece of fresh Halibut from J & P West Coast Fish. They sell fresh fish from their truck - that kind of looks like a typical Los Angeles roach truck (for those of you not from LA – there is some seriously good food available from these trucks). Their truck has been modified to sell fish and has lots of ice to keep the fish fresh. The fish is better than most of the fish you would get in a market. It is straight from the boat to San Pedro to the truck to us!

We have been on a bit of a Moroccan quest and found a recipe for a recipe for Moroccan Fish Tagine with Tomato, Peppers, and Preserved Lemons in Paula Wolfert’s World of Food Cookbook. This is a fish dish we will definitely make again! It is great. I usually don’t like leftover fish, but this dish re-heats well in the microwave. Part of the reason it is so good has to be the quality of the fish. It was very firm and cooked perfectly!

Cathy made our favorite Couscous from Tunisia to go with it.

Two days later Kashmera and Krushna stopped by to say goodbye (they were returning to India). We offered them some leftover Tagine but they demurred saying they had a big lunch and had to get on a plane. We let them smell the tagine and they decided they wanted some. It was cute they kept eating it. I think we will continue to expand their food horizons.

Moroccan Fish Tagine with Tomato, Peppers, and Preserved Lemons
From Paula Wolfert’s World of Food Cookbook

SERVES 4

A popular Moroccan green-hued sauce used in fish stews, or tagines, is called charmoula, a balanced combination of quantities of flat-leaf parsley and fresh coriander, oil, cumin, paprika, and hot pepper. I love it for its powerful taste and the way it permeates the delicate flavor of fish, and in this dish especially it makes marvelous eating. You can make it ahead of time and keep it refrigerated for 1 or 2 days.

In Morocco fish stews are always cooked in earthenware, which is especially helpful when the stew contains tomatoes. (Tin-lined copperware and aluminum definitely alter flavor.) In this Moroccan fish tagine, the rich tastes of tomatoes, green peppers, and hot peppers are offset by the tart, briny flavor of preserved lemons. Traditionally this tagine would contain an entire fish with head intact, but I have found it easier to make with thick fillets. Serve the fish directly from the baking dish. Pass slices of anise-flavored Moroccan bread, and accompany with a light, dry red or white wine.

CHARMOULA
1 large garlic clove, crushed with 2
teaspoons salt in a blender or mortar
until smooth
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian fiat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red-pepper flakes, seeds removed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fruity olive oil
4 thick lean fish fillets or slices, about 8 ounces each: monkfish, red snapper, sea bass, tilefish, or other ocean fish
1 large carrot, sliced very thin
1 pound red, ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced thin
small green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced thin
1 small green or red hot pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced thin
Sea salt and pepper
2 wedges of Preserved Lemons, rinsed and drained, pulp discarded, peel sliced thin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sprigs of fresh coriander, for garnish

Early in the day, or the day before, make the charmoula: In a blender, combine the garlic, spices, herbs, and pepper flakes. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and blend until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a small saucepan and heat it slowly, stirring, until hot and aromatic, about 30 seconds; do not boil. Let it cool, then divide the spice mixture, or charmoula, in half.

Rinse the fish and pat it dry with paper towels. Rub one portion of the spice mixture into the fish and let it stand at least 1 hour, or overnight. Add 1/2 cup of hot water to the remaining spice mixture, cover, and refrigerate separately. (The recipe can be prepared to this point a day ahead.)

About 1 1/2 hours before serving, preheat the oven to 300° F. Spread 2 tablespoons of reserved charmoula over the bottom of a shallow 2 1/2-quart baking-serving dish (about 10 inches in diameter). Scatter the carrots on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with a little charmoula. Add half the tomatoes, bell peppers, and chili pepper; sprinkle with a little charmoula. Lay the fish over the vegetables and cover with the preserved lemon peel and the remaining tomatoes and peppers in a decorative pattern. Spread the remaining charmoula over all. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Pour off the liquid from the fish into a small non-corrodible saucepan. Bring it to a boil over moderately high heat, and boil until it is reduced to 1/2 cup of thick liquid. Pour it back over the fish. (The dish can be prepared up to 1 hour ahead to this point.)

Raise the oven temperature to 500° F. Uncover the baking dish, baste with the pan juices, and bake in the top third of the oven for 10 minutes, or until a nice crust has formed over the vegetables. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with sprigs of coriander. Serve warm.

Not Very Indian Dinner

Our friends from Bollywood Kashmera Shah and Krushna were in the town so we decided to invite them to dinner. We also invited Tim who introduced them to us. Just about dinner time I received a call from Harsha who was calling from the top of a Griffith Park Mountain he had just climbed. He was in town. I invited him to join us for dinner but didn’t tell him that Kashmera and Krushna were coming.

He was very happy to see them and was tickled to meet two Bollywood Stars!
We planned to grill steaks but realized that we would need some vegetable offerings for those that don’t eat meat. We also grilled a Salmon. The steaks of course were Dry Aged Porterhouse Steaks from Harvey Gus Meats. They are the best!

We found an absolute fantastic cauliflower recipe from a cookbook we had purchased on our last trip to India. It is called GOBI JALFREZI (Cauliflower blended with tomato puree and vinegar) the cookbook is called: The Art of Indian Cuisine by Rocky Mohan. It calls for tomato paste but we have frozen oven dried tomatoes this summer and defrosted and used them. It was far better than any tomato paste. We liked the idea of frozen tomatoes so much, we plan to go to the farmer’s market and buy a lot of tomatoes this weekend and freeze some more.

Tim brought a Bollywood Cake for dessert.

After dinner we played some Bollywood Dance Music and Krushna and Kashmera showed us some dance steps. They promise to teach us some more. We would really like to learn!

GOBI JALFREZI
(Cauliflower blended with tomato puree and vinegar)
From Rocky Mohan The Art of Indian Cuisine

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. Cauliflower (phool gobi) / broccoli florets
1/2 cup Clarified butter (ghee) / refined oil
4 Red chillies (lal mirch), dry
1 1/2 tsp. Cumin seeds (jeera)
Salt to taste
1 tsp. Peppercorn (kali mirch) powder
2 tsp. Ginger (adrak), juliennes
1/2 cup Tomato (tamaiar) puree
1 Tbsp. White vinegar (sirka)
1 Tbsp. Coriander leaves (hara dhaniya), chopped

METHOD

Heat the clarified butter / oil in a wok (kadhai); add the dry red chillies, then stir and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the cauliflower, salt, peppercorn powder, and ginger. Stir well. Cover the wok and reduce the heat. Cook on a slow fire until almost tender.

Add the tomato puree and white vinegar. Cook until the cauliflower becomes tender. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Malaysian Chicken

When we were in Bali we met the author of a Malaysian Cookbook, Christina Arokiasamy. Her cookbook is called: The Spice Merchant’s Daughter. Her mother obviously was a spice merchant and she grew up loving to cook. We bought a copy of her book and asked her to recommend some recipes. She recommended several. We decided to make Whole Roasted Chicken in Tamarind Butter Sauce.

It is one of several recipes that we have made that roast chicken on a rack over water. It is an excellent way to roast chicken because the steam keeps the chicken very moist. We made Couscous to go with the chicken. It is a great recipe!
We have found one particular brand of Couscous that we really like. It is called: m'hamsa hand-rolled couscous from Tunisia. It is far better than any other couscous we have ever eaten. Click herefor their web.

We started with a Corn and Avocado Salad with Cherry Tomatoes.


Whole Roasted Chicken in Tamarind Butter Sauce
From The Spice Merchant’s Daughter by Christina Arokiasamy

My mother was celebrated for her roasted chicken, which was tender and flavorful right to the bone. She first made this recipe for one of our regular customers at our spice stall and soon enough could hardly keep up with the orders. I enjoyed standing beside her as she made it, watching the palm sugar, butter, and tamarind as they caramelized. In this recipe, we never used the reserved juices from the pan as the tamarind sauce was so delicious on its own. However, you may serve the reserved sauce on the side if you wish. Just before
serving, my mother would sprinkle in a handful of fried chiles for an extra kiss of flavor. serves 6 »

Chicken
2 TEASPOONS CORIANDER SEEDS
4 STAR ANISE
ONE 4-INCH CINNAMON STICK
2 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED
'A CUP SOY SAUCE
ONE 41/2- TO 5-POUND WHOLE CHICKEN

Sauce
1 TABLESPOON UNSALTED BUTTER
1/2 CUP PLUS 2 TABLESPOONS TAMARIND LIQUID
2 TABLESPOONS FISH SAUCE
1/4 CUP SOY SAUCE
½ CUP PALM SUGAR SYRUP (OR BROWN SUGAR
1/2 TEASPOON CAYENNE

Tamarind Liquid

MAKES 2 CUPS
Put half of a 14-ounce block of tamarind in a medium bowl. Add 2 1/2 cups hot water and allow the tamarind to sit for 10 minutes to soften. Using your fingers, squeeze the tamarind block (like you would squeeze a sponge) until the pulp separates from the seeds and dissolves in the water. Strain the tamarind liquid into a medium bowl. Discard any seeds and pulp that have not dissolved. The strained tamarind liquid should be reddish brown. Store tamarind liquid in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Palm Sugar Syrup
MAKES 1 CUP
To facilitate using a small amount of palm sugar at a time, make liquid palm sugar by cooking an 8-ounce block of palm sugar in 1 ½ cups water over medium heat until melted, without stirring. The syrup is ready when large bubbles appear on the surface. Let it cool before pouring it into a glass jar. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. You may substitute Lyle 's Golden Syrup (available at gourmet markets) or brown sugar for palm sugar, although the taste will not be as mellow

To prepare the marinade, put the coriander, star anise, and cinnamon in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darkened. Set aside to cool.

Put the toasted spices, garlic, and soy sauce in a food processor or mini-chopper. Blend until you have a smooth paste.

Put the chicken in a glass baking dish and pour the marinade over the chicken, rubbing inside and out with the spices. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours,
preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the chicken on a rack, reserving the marinade, and then place the rack on top of a baking pan. Fill the pan with 1/2 inch of water.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting the chicken with the reserved marinade every 20 minutes.

Roast for 30 minutes longer without basting, until the juices run clear when you prick the thigh with a fork. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

While the chicken is resting, put a saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, tamarind liquid, fish sauce, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Add the palm sugar syrup and cayenne, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, until the sauce is deep reddish brown in color and slightly thickened.

Carve the chicken, arrange the pieces on a platter, and pour the sauce over them.

Lobster Left Overs

Wine: Benovia Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2006 La Pommeraie
Riveras

We had left over lobster and invited Bea over to continue our Lobster-a-thon. She brought a fabulous wine with her! We also had left over grilled corn on the cob. We read the Sunday New York Times and in the magazine they had a recipe for a Shrimp Chowder. Since we had the lobster we decided to make the recipe substituting the lobster for shrimp. The Lobster Chowder was wonderful, we will make again!

Matt Poley is The God of Lasagna. His catering company is: Heirloom LA. He is the caterer of choice in Silverlake. One of his specialties is the creation of different types of lasagna. He sells them. He brought a Smoked Cheese Lasagna over to Bea and she brought it to the dinner. It was quite good.

We started with a Lobster Parfait from The Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant Seafood Cookbook. . Lettuce topped with lobster and dressing served in a chilled parfait glass.

Lobster Dressing
½ cup Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh chives minced
½ teaspoon horseradish
1 tablespoon celery, minced

Mix ingredients and chill, then pour over lobster.

Red Shrimp Chowder With Corn
4 cups fish stock, clam broth or water
2 pounds shrimp, shelled, chopped into pieces roughly 1/2-inch thick, shells reserved (see note)
4 ears corn, shucked, kernels cut off, cobs and kernels reserved
2 basil sprigs, leaves cut into fine ribbons, stems reserved
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Half a fennel bulb, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
Salt
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 bay leaf
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
Freshly ground black pepper.
1. In a medium pot, bring the fish stock, clam broth or water to a boil with the shrimp shells, corncobs and basil stems and simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. In a large pot set over medium heat, melt the butter and fry the bacon in it. When the bacon is crisp, fish it out with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Fry the onion, garlic, celery, fennel and carrots in the hot fat until softened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
3. Strain the shrimp-flavored broth into the pot. Add the corn kernels, potatoes, bay leaf and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush a third to a half of the potato chunks against the side of the pot. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and juice, return to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes more.
5. Add the shrimp, stir well, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt, black pepper and more red pepper flakes to taste. (The shrimp will cook from the heat of the soup.) Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the basil ribbons and some bacon.
Serves 4 to 6.
Note: For a richer meal, lobster may be substituted for the shrimp. To prepare, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Drop in 2 lobsters (2 pounds each), cover the pot tightly and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lobsters and let them cool, keeping the water at a simmer. Pry the meat from the claws and tail, reserving the shells, and roughly chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Return the shells to the pot and proceed from Step 1 above, using the lobster water instead of fish stock or clam broth.

Lobster and Hot Dogs

We were planning to grill Hot Dogs. We really like the ones we pick up at The Cheese Store of Silverlake. They are called: Let’s Be Frank. Bea contacted us and was up for Grilling Lobster Tails. So we decided to combine the two and serve grilled Hot Dogs and Lobster (sort of a version of surf-n-turf).

It was a warm summer night and we started with drinks on the deck. We had eaten at Rivera and really liked a drink they served called: Rivera. It is made by crushing some cucumber in a glass, adding vodka, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake well over ice and sprinkle some salt on top. It is very refreshing.

We then proceeded to grill the hot dogs and lobster tails on the egg.

We started with a Summer Corn Salad. I stripped the corn kernels from some cobs we had previously grilled on the egg and added cherry tomatoes, avocado, chopped fresh tarragon and chives. We combined the corn mixture with a small amount of mixed greens and then added vinegar & olive oil. The salad was a winner!

I think that Bea really liked the Hot Dogs!

Gratin and Ham

We made a salad that we really like. We first saw it made at The Hungry Cat one night when we were eating at the raw bar. It doesn’t have a name so we call it The Hungry Cat Salad. It is a simple but delicious salad. Leafy lettuce, lemon juice. Avocado cut into pieces, sea salt, olive oil and Pecorino Cheese, grated hard boiled egg. No recipe just mix the ingredients to your taste. We usually don’t use avocado, but really liked this salad!

We made an absolutely delicious Potato and Cabbage Gratin from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen Cookbook. We had never made this particular Gratin before. We loved it. Anything with crispy potatoes we love! This is a good one!

We served with it Sliced Ham we had purchased from The Cheese Store of Silverlake. The ham is made by Fra’ Mani it is very good.


Potato and Cabbage Gratin
The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen

In this superb southwestern French gratin, a base of silky soft leaves of green cabbage are topped with a layer of crusty potatoes plus a second super-thin layer of cheese custard. The whole is baked to a golden brown crust.

SERVES 6
2 pounds green cabbage, quartered
Salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or duck fat
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 juniper berries, gently bruised
3 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
½ cup poultry, pork, or vegetable stock
2 ounces dry-cured ham, such as Bayonne or serrano, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1 to 1 1/4 pounds red potatoes (about 3 medium), sliced 1/4 inch thick
3/4 cup milk
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 ounces imported Cantal, aged gouda, or Swiss Gruyere, shredded


1. About 3 hours before serving, preheat the oven to 325°F. Slip the cabbage wedges into a large >t of boiling salted water until tender but still green, about 12 minutes. Drain the cabbage and ise under cold running water. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess water. Cut e cabbage into 3-inch pieces, discarding the core.

2. Meanwhile, put i tablespoon olive oil and the butter or duck fat in the center of a 10-inch -cup capacity) baking-serving dish. Add the garlic, juniper berries, thyme, and bay leaf, cover with a lid or foil, and set on the lowest oven rack. Bake for 10 minutes.


3. Add the cabbage, stock, and ham to the baking dish and stir to mix; then spread evenly in the dish, arrange the potatoes in overlapping circles over the cabbage. Cover with foil and bake for I hour.

4. Remove the foil and lightly sprinkle the remaining I teaspoon olive oil over the potatoes, raise the oven temperature to 4OO°F, transfer the dish to the upper rack, and bake for minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly browned.

5. Heat the milk in a small saucepan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole egg, egg yolk, flour, and nutmeg, Whisk in the hot milk and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the pota¬toes, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake on the upper rack of the oven for 30 minutes, or until browned. Serve hot.