Microwave Potato Steamer / Cooker

Raise your hands if you love potatoes. Yep, that's what I thought. This has got to be the most popular tuber out there and I'd guess that there are as many ways to boil them as there are types of potatoes in the world. 

Here's the simplest and most mess-free way I have seen so far.

What?  Microwave potato steamer

Where? Mustafa Centre, microwave gadgets section

Price? 10 SGD or 330 INR

Contributed by Raks, here's the description in her own words: 

"Want to cook potato in hurry? You might have seen potatoes kept as such in the microwave bursts and moves here and there sometimes. 

This cool gadget allows you to microwave and cook the potatoes (8 numbers maximum) in a jiffy. Takes only 4 minutes (+1 Minute standing time) to get cooked!! (Time may vary from one microwave to other but no huge differences. Only 1 or 2 minutes difference)

Just nail the potatoes in the sharp edges provided in the stand and microwave. The stand never gets hot!

What's more? The handle can be removed for easy cleaning and for storing purposes."

So,  how do you cook your potatoes?

Crispy Cajun Tofu Sticks

My approach to tofu these days is to coat it in some kind of spice mixture before doing anything else. This is a great way to add lots of flavour to the otherwise neutral bean curd. After coating with spices you can fry it, grill it, coat it with sauce . . . whatever suits your fancy. This tofu is dipped in soymilk and coated with bread crumbs (cereal, actually) to provide some crispy crunch. I think these would have been even better with some kind of dipping sauce, so I am open to suggestions.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut into sticks
- 3/4 cup soymilk
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- bread crumbs, or crushed cereal

Spice Mix
- 2 tsp (smoked) paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Mix together ingredients for spice mixture in a large bowl. Add in tofu sticks and gently toss to coat.
2. Mix together soy milk and vinegar. Dip a tofu stick in mixture, then toss in bread crumbs or crushed cereal to coat. Repeat with remaining sticks.
3. From here you have two options: 1. Fry in 350 degree oil; or 2. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 mins, turning half way through.

How Do I Submit My Kitchen Thing(s)?

Simple!

Here is the quick step by step guide on how you can send in your favourite kitchen thing to be part of this site.

1. Click a few pictures of the 'thing'. Actually, even one picture will do but about 2-3 is a good number. In different angles and stuff, you know.

2. Send me an email at meetmykitchenthings@gmail.com with the following details about the 'thing':

• Price (or approx. price if you can't remember exactly). Please mention the currency as well. 
• Where you got it - like name of store, website URL, gift, etc.
• Uses / a small description
• Any recipes that are related to the item with links if you are a blogger.

3. I will be crediting the source of course so please leave me a name or nickname that you want me to use and any blog or site link you want me to link to. 

That's it! Your item will be listed soon after and available for others to admire and feel jealous about.

A lot of you asked if you can share an item that's already been shared. YES you can! Unless what you have is the exact same thing that's already been shared in the site, I'd love to hear from you. No harm in getting to see different types of ovens, or woks, or measuring spoons, right? 

English Muffins: Baking Through the Bread Baker's Apprentice

I am munching on one of these right now, slathered with the strawberry jam I made this summer (the jam is on the muffin, not me). I have made these before, but after some practice I think I have them perfect now. The trick is to make a wettest dough you can without it being sticky. This will give the muffin a nice tender and holey structure.

GENERAL NOTES
1. I always double the recipe so I can make a dozen. No point going to all that work for 6 muffins that the kids would down in one sitting.
2. As mentioned above, aim for a wet dough without it being sticky. You need to shape it without it sticking to your hands. I used the full amount of liquid listed and kneaded it in a stand mixer.
3. I like to press the boules into puck shapes so they are flatter and cook more evenly.
4. I use a cast-iron flat skillet to cook these. Monitor the temperature carefully to make sure the muffins do not burn. Adjust as needed.
5. When the muffins rise, they round slightly on the top side. Cook the top side first, and gently press down on the muffin with your fingers once in the skillet to flatten it out a bit.

VEGAN NOTES
1. I subbed plain soy milk for the milk.

The one where I am bored but also includes Tomato Saar Recipe Link

Yes, I am bored. Of what? Of:

- blogging regular every-day recipes like rasam and sambar and paratha and paneer butter masala.
- looking at the same old template that this site has been stuck with since the middle of last year (or has it been longer?).
- looking at my Reader chock full of blogs I am yet to read simply because I am too tired or busy to comment and I hate leaving a site without commenting. I have to say something (only genuine stuff though, don't worry).

What does this mean?

I think the content of this site needs some serious overhaul. I am going to look for those gems out there. In other blogs and sites, in cookbooks, in relatives' kitchens, everywhere! Recipes that are not run-of-the-mill. Recipes that are quick or are worth the extra time you may need to spend on them.

I only have two more recipes in my draft, one is the tomato saar that's coming up and the next one is Methi Paratha so don't tease me when I post that because a Methi Paratha recipe is anything but radical.

But.

This is like a resolution I have for the blog so let's see how it goes. For now, I am going to leave the template alone. God knows how obsessed I can get when I start editing it.

Now onto the Tomato Saar Recipe. This is directly lifted from Arch's blog, The Yum Factor. Tried it based on SJ's reco and loved it. Thanks Arch!

butternut squash soup & culinary freedom due to banana stuff

Remember the recent post when I went on and on about how I needed a picture to be inspired to cook something? Well, a friend of mine told me about this butternut squash soup by Ina Garten with toppings that included but were not limited to: diced bananas, coconut flakes, and scallions. For some reason, without a beautiful photograph of the finished soup to taunt me, I kept thinking about those diced bananas. Diced what, Ina? On butternut squash soup? How bad can that be?

I took a look at the recipe and realized it was a curry-inspired version of the soup, which lent a better understanding to the condiment selection, but also increased my desire to make it. But alas, that left me with no "their version" photo and I couldn't just make the soup like a normal non-attempt meal, could I? That wouldn't be fair to the world. So, I thought about it and came to the decision that Ina Garten with her Martha-Stewarty-but-in-a-much-more-approachable-way lifestyle and beautiful Hampton's kitchen was inspiration enough.

Ina's version(?):

our version:

As it turns out, throwing out the one mainstay element of this blog proved extremely freeing for me. All it took was Matt and I accidentally eating both of the bananas we'd bought for the recipe during breakfast for me to forgo the entire curried nature of the recipe. (We ate at separate times. Who ate the second banana? We don't know. Is this like reverse Gift of the Magi?) And what resulted was a butternut squash soup inspired by Ina's recipe, but with a heavy dose of Bon Appetempt improvisation (read: half and half).

Ina's soup was essentially three ingredients: b-nut squash, yellow onion, and apple. And they were all roasted together, the smell of which was supremely autumnal and lovely.

After the roasting, we blended with chicken stock, watched the U.S.A Men's curling team blow it, and then poured the mixture into a thick-bottomed stock pot.

At this point, Ina would have you heat it up, serve into bowls and add the weird stuff on top, but might I recommend adding some half and half first? I think it really mellowed the squash and apple flavors while making it a little richer. Also, don't go light on the salt here. To serve, we skipped the banana and coconut, but went for the scallions and toasted cashews.

Thanks, Ms. Garten!

RECIPE:

Ingredients 
3 to 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 yellow onions
2 McIntosh apples, peeled and cored
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/2 teaspoon good curry powder

Condiments for serving:
Scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and sliced diagonally
Flaked sweetened coconut, lightly toasted
Roasted salted cashews, toasted and chopped
Diced banana

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the butternut squash, onions, and apples into 1-inch cubes. Place them on a sheet pan and toss them with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Divide the squash mixture between 2 sheet pans and spread in a single layer. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, tossing occasionally, until very tender.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock to a simmer. When the vegetables are done, put them through a food mill fitted with the medium blade. (Alternatively, you can place the roasted vegetables in batches in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add some of the chicken stock and coarsely puree.) When all of the vegetables are processed, place them in a large pot and add enough chicken stock to make a thick soup. Add the curry powder (OR some half and half?), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings to be sure there's enough salt and pepper to bring out the curry flavor. Reheat and serve hot with condiments either on the side or on top of each serving.

Dates and Butter Dessert Bar

When I saw this, I knew I had to make it. I mean, look at all that butter. And dates. Dates are meant to be baked. Oh and also to be pitted and the seed replaced with a whole cashewnut before eating. These are the only two ways dates are meant to be used, really.

I did some adjustments to the quantity of ingredients based on my taste. I also think I under-cooked the bar but that's fine. One can always increase the baking time by 5-10 next time, no reason to hate the recipe for that.

Here's what we need.

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped into small pieces
2 cups all purpose flour / maida
1.5 cups butter at room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (or just use white sugar again in case you don't have this)
4 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (I used walnuts and about 2-3 tbsp of cashew nuts that I happened to have)
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Here's how to make the bars:

1. Melt butter in a pan over very low heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

2. Chop up the dates and nuts and set aside.

3. Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Add about 1/4 cup of this into the chopped dates and nuts mixture and mix (dredge) well to coat the sticky parts of the dates. Set aside.

4. Mix butter and sugar and beat lightly for 2 mins until well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating. Finally add the vanilla extract and mix well.

5. Fold in the flour-salt-baking powder mixture to the above gently until just mixed and no lumps remain. Then add the dredged dates and flour mixture continuing to fold in gently. This will form a thick batter.

6. Pour into a greased cake or brownie pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for 35-40 mins. The original recipe says 30 mins but mine were a bit under-baked so adjust according to your oven.

Cut and serve warm with ice cream for an indulgent treat. I stored mine in the refrigerator for 4 days.

Here's an example of a pic where the white balance is all off :D

Cranberry-Walnut Celebration Bread: Baking Through the Bread Baker's Apprentice

I didn't have anything to celebrate (seeing as I have to go back to work tomorrow), but this is the next recipe in The Bread Baker's Apprentice so celebration bread it was. If you actually had people over for some kind of celebration, this bread is bound to impress--a double braided loaf crammed with fruit and nuts. After messing up the challah, I got the braiding technique right this time, but found that my loaf rose a little lopsided. Oh well. It still tastes great. The recipe is not on Google Books, but you really should buy a copy of the book.

GENERAL NOTES
1. I used pecans instead of walnuts since I had no walnuts.
2. I did not have enough dried cranberries, so I used a mix of cranberries, dried cherries, and some leftover candied orange peel from Christmas. It was actually really good.

VEGAN NOTES
1. I subbed an equal weight of soy yogurt for the eggs.
2. I subbed soy milk for the milk.
3. I subbed margarine for the butter.
4. I used plain soy milk instead of the egg wash. As you can see, you can still get that deep brown and glossy crust without egg whites.

Bourbon Glazed Acorn Squash

Reading week is drawing to close and I have accomplished less than half of what I wanted to. Sigh. But, we did get to the cottage for a few days for some snow-filled fun with the cousins. Since we had pancakes for breakfast every day at the cottage, I really was not in the mood for them come Shrove Tuesday. Instead, I went with some Cajun flavours--a Cajun tofu (next post) and this glazed squash. No real culinary breakthrough, but very tasty nonetheless.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 acorn squash, seeded, cut into quarters
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch cayenne pepper

METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. Place squash quarters skin side up on a baking sheet. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 mins.
2. While squash is baking, melt margarine in a small pot, then remove from heat. Stir in sugar, bourbon, and spices. Set aside.
3. Remove squash from oven, and remove squash from baking sheet. Line baking sheet with the foil you used to cover the squash, then place squash skin side down on foil. Brush thickly with glaze.
4. Return to oven and bake another 20-30 mins, brushing with glaze about every 5 mins until deeply golden and cooked through. The glaze will pool a bit in the bottom of each wedge, which is fine. Serve in the skin. If you have leftover glaze, mix it with some cooked carrots.

baked eggs with chives and cream & candied bacon & a call from ADT home security

Sometimes this blog encourages me to do things I normally wouldn't do. Take making baked eggs and candied bacon for Matt for breakfast on Valentine's day--not that I wouldn't do this, just that I like to be slightly more spontaneous when it comes to my acts of kindness. But then Fine Cooking had this sweet and seemingly simple Valentinesy breakfast menu and I totally fell for it.

Fine Cooking's version:

 

Our version:

The meal should have been easy enough. All we had to do was bake some bacon with maple syrup and brown sugar and some eggs with chives and cream.

(Doesn't this slab of bacon kind of remind you of Tennessee?)

 

The problem lay in the timing and oven space. The recipe calls for the eggs and bacon to both bake at 425, only the bacon was ready before the eggs and since it had gone in the oven first, was situated in the back so that when we pulled it out, we tipped the pan a little too much and some bacon grease spilled onto the hot oven floor. 

Within ten seconds, smoke was pouring out of the oven and every smoke detector in the house was going off. (Here, it should be noted that Matt and I are housesitting.) We turned the detectors off manually, which was easy enough to handle--even though they kept going off every thirty seconds, but when the ADT alarm went off, the situation escalated quickly--a horrible, constant, piercing noise now layered on top of the smoke detectors mechanical beeping. When the phone rang, we looked at each other. "Fire department." The eggs only needed a couple of more minutes, so Matt left the alarms and picked up the phone:

ADT: I see there are fires in rooms one, three, and five.

Matt: No, we're just cooking. 

ADT: OK, then. Happy Valentine's Day!

Matt: Thanks.

Dear Sean and Sara, your house is on fire fine.

As for the food, the eggs were overcooked due to the extended distraction, re: the non-fire, but delicious. And the bacon is something I would definitely try again. If it weren't for the fire and smoke mayhem, it really would have been easy. 

In short: Happy Valentine's Day!

(Above picture via Heath Ceramics & Gilly Flowers.)

Happy Chinese New Year!

Sunday is Chinese New Year, and since I know next to squat about good Chinese cooking, you need to head over the Chow Vegan for an amazing spread of nine dishes to make your own New Year's feast. I only wish I could find egg-free wonton wrappers and yuba sheets so I could make all of this stuff!

Corn Bread: Baking Through the Bread Baker's Apprentice

This is the best corn bread I have ever had. Not that I have had a lot of corn bread . . . but still. Instead of dry and crumbly, this corn bread is moist and fluffy and filled with tasty, tasty, corn (I love the flavour of baked corn). Baked in a cast iron skillet for a nice crispy crust, this bread is perfection. Note: the pages are out of order on the Google Books version. Just scroll up a few pages to see the rest of the recipe.

GENERAL NOTES
1. I did not soak the polenta overnight because I did not plan ahead. Instead, I warmed up the soy milk and let the polenta soak for about 2 hours.
2. I think I will reduce the baking powder to 1 tbsp next time--the final bread had a bit of a taste.
3. As mentioned above, I baked this in a cast iron skillet. I think it is smaller than 10 inches, so I ended up baking it for 45 mins.

VEGAN NOTES
1. No bacon.
2. I added 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar to the soy milk to make "buttermilk."
3. The 3 eggs were made from 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp water, let soak, then whisk) and soy yogurt to make up the rest of the weight.

4. Maple syrup for honey (could use agave, I am sure)
5. Margarine subbed for butter.
6. I used 1 tbsp of canola oil to grease the pan instead of the bacon fat.

Gooey Chocolate Melting Hearts - Recipe for Valentines Day

I've come a long way from when I made those hand-shaped baked hearts for a Valentines Day a couple of years back. As much as I think they are cute, I'd just use a heart-shaped cookie cutter if I were to make it now.

Anyway, this recipe has been flicked almost entirely from my friend Reema's blog. I made them a while back with some minor adjustments - I didn't have 4 eggs so I used the 3 I had and then added 2 tbsp yogurt to replace the missing one - but was waiting for V-day to come nearer before I post. Although TH and I don't really celebrate Valentines day, I know many out there do in case you are looking for a quick chocolate dessert to bake, here's what you may find useful, not to mention yummy!

I have tried to give cup measurements wherever possible but for this recipe, ingredients would be easier to measure out if you have a kitchen scale.

Gooey Chocolate Melting Hearts
Adapted from here. 

What I Used:


All purpose flour / maida - 1/2 cup
Bittersweet chocolate, chopped - 125 gms / 4.5 oz
Cocoa powder - 1 heaping tbsp
Powdered sugar - 75 gms or 6 tbsp
Unsalted butter - 135 gms / 1/2 cup and a bit more
Eggs - 4 large ( I used 3 eggs and 2 tbsp yogurt)
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
A pinch of salt
Chocolate or white chocolate chips - 4 tbsp (optional but recommended)
Ghee or butter - to grease


How I Made It:

1. Sieve together cocoa powder, flour, salt and the baking powder. I did it about thrice so that the three are blended well.

2. Preheat oven to 180C.

3. Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl. Get another bowl that's about double the size of the first one, fill 1/4 of the way with water and bring to boil. Once the water boils, lower fire, set the first bowl in the water without touching the sides and keep stirring the choc-butter mixture until it melts.

If all of that was just too much, place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-able bowl and give it 30 second turns in the microwave, stirring well after each 30 seconds. Set aside.

4. Beat the eggs lightly with the yogurt (if you are opting for 3 eggs + yogurt) and then add the powdered sugar. Mix well until well incorporated. I used my wooden spoon for this.

5. Next, add the cooled chocolate-butter mixture and stir well to incorporate. Again, no need to beat, just mix in well.

6. Bring out the flour mixture now. Gently fold into the above mixture and mix in just enough to remove to any lumps and until you get a smooth batter.

7. Grease your heart-shaped moulds with butter or ghee. I used butter because that's my greasant (greaser?) of choice. Add the batter 3/4 of the way and top off with some chocolate chips.

8. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 8 mins. I found that for the first batch, I had to bake them for close to 10 mins before they were done. For ones after that, 8 mins was just right.

The hearts will be a bit flaky outside and soft inside. Make sure you cool well before serving. Refrigerating and using the next day is even better! Just warm up slightly before eating.

Lemon Rasam Recipe

My mom only makes one kind of rasam. Its watery, peppery, has no dal, and is ready in 7 mins flat. After getting married to a Tam Brahm I realized there are close to a gazillion different types of rasam and then some more. If dal or paruppu is added to rasam back home then we explicitly call it paruppu rasam and it resembles sambar, although taste-wise, its quite different.

Anyway, long story short, now I am introduced to the world of rasam where every single variety has a unique taste not just on the ingredients used but also depending on who makes it. Isn't that mindbogglingly amazing? 

Let's just say yes and move on shall we. 

Ingredients for lemon rasam

Lemon rasam is interesting to me for two reasons. Lemon or lime totally rocks. Although I would still choose a molten chocolate cake over a lemon pie for dessert, as a fruit, I respect lemon. It really packs a lot of stuff in its small yellow self. Another reason why this lemon rasam calls out to me is addition of fresh ginger. Gotta love that. 

I have tried this rasam with and without adding cooked toor dal. The lighter version makes for a quick and easy kozhambu on weeknights and the other can be made if you are serving with a light vegetable curry on the side and nothing much else. 

Lemon Rasam Recipe
Source: TH's mom aka repository of unending rasam recipes

What I Used:
1 marble-sized ball of tamarind (remember the lemon will make the rasam more sour)
Half a lemon
1/2 cup cooked and mashed toor dal / thuvaram paruppu / pigeon peas (optional)
1 small tomato, chopped
A 1" piece of ginger, cut into small pieces
2 green chillies, or to taste
2 tsp sambar cum rasam powderA pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste

For tempering:
1 tsp ghee or oil
Some mustard seeds
A pinch of asafoetida / hing / perungaayam
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves (for garnish) 

How I Made It:

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup warm water for 10 minutes. Kneading with your fingertips, extract juice and discard pulp. 

2. Take the tamarind extract in a bowl and add the chopped tomatoes, dal if using, slit green chillies, ginger, sambar cum rasam powder, turmeric powder and some salt. Bring to boil and simmer on low fire for 10 mins. Mash up the tomato well once its cooked and soft.  

3. Next add another cup of water. Bring to boil. Test salt and tanginess. Remove from fire and while hot, add the juice from half a lemon. 

4. Heat a small kadai and add the ghee or oil for tempering. Add all other ingredients and when the mustard seeds start popping, dunk into the rasam.
Serve hot with white rice and paruppu usili. 

Super Easy Southern Tofu

This is a quick and simple version of my Memphis BBQ Tofu recipe. I have really been slacking off on the winter BBQing this year, and I am pretty sure I am out of propane. I guess I am getting old and timid because in years past I have had no problem shovelling a path to the BBQ to grill up tasty food and dream of summer. The meal started with Peter Reinhart's corn bread (recipe coming in my next post) and I felt I needed some southern flavours to go with it. I had bought some collard greens earlier in the week so I cooked whipped up this recipe (but cooked them for about an hour). And, I made this tofu.

INGREDIENTS

Dry Rub

- 4 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut into 8 slices
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/3 cup Jack Daniels
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- dash of hot sauce

METHOD
1. Combine rub ingredients. Roll each tofu slice in rub until coated. Set aside.
2. Heat oil on med to med hi in a large frying pan. Fry tofu for a few mins on each side, until nicely browned. Add more oil, if needed. Remove from pan.
3. Add Jack Daniels to pan and let reduce a bit. Add remaining ingredient and mix well. Bring to bubbling and let thicken. Add tofu and turn to coat. Serve.

squid ink risotto, the cheese course, and a minor announcement

Dear Readers,
I have a minor announcement to make. Ready? Get set... My culinary point of view has changed.

Did that come out of nowhere? Maybe not. Maybe you've seen it coming. If you think about it, it probably should have changed by now. Now that I've braised previously obscure (to me) meat cuts, layered a dacquoise, and gilded eclairs.

When I first started this blog, I envisioned cake wreck after cake wreck. I assumed that the dramatic collapse of my Devil's Food Layer Cake with Peppermint Frosting—my eventual first post—was going to be the norm and pictured Bon Appétempt as the food equivalent of those occasions on Project Runway when real women instead of models pop out into the work room and all of the designers’ faces fall in sadness. My version of the recipe would be that real woman, the size 8+ woman that is so much harder to fit than those headless mannequin busts. And so, my version would call bullshit on those gourmet magazines with their team of trained chefs, food stylists and professional photographers. My version would be destined for failure and not only would that be OK, it would sometimes be hilarious.

But now, a year of attempts later, I must say that I no longer want the same thing...necessarily. (I don't want things not to be hilarious.) Maybe I should put it another way: I no longer necessarily want to call bullshit on the beautiful photography found in food magazines and cookbooks. Because the truth is I've come to love these images and the recipes attached to them. These publications haven't just gotten me to the grocery store and into my kitchen; they've inspired me to appreciate the tasks.

In the colossal, formerly adversarial, French Laundry cookbook, Thomas Keller sums up quite wonderfully what I believe I've learned:

"Cooking is not about convenience and it's not about shortcuts... Take your time. Take a long time. Move slowly and deliberately and with great attention.

These recipes then, although exact documents of the way food is prepared at the French Laundry, are only guidelines. You're not going to be able to duplicate the dish that I made. You may create something that in composition resembles what I made, but more important—and this is my greatest hope—you're going to create something that you have deep respect and feelings and passions for. And you know what? It's going to be more satisfying than anything I could ever make for you."

Aghhhh. What started as poking fun, as just funnin' in the kitchen, has turned somewhat life-changing and serious. I can't believe it. I've got to go chill out with an SNL digital short.

With all that finally said, the timing is perfect to share with you a seriously inspired meal I made with my dear dear friend, Mary Anne—of shorty cake and Buche de Noel fame—while visiting her in Seattle.

John Pawson and Annie Bell's cookbook, Living and Eating, has kind of blown my mind. The architect and food writer, respectively, are all about paring dishes down to the essentials, and while most of the recipes aren't exactly simple to me, the book does make a compelling case for letting go of some of the showiness that can quietly creep into recipes and entertaining. This book reminds us that a very satisfying three-course meal can consist of radishes and butter, a roasted chicken, and stewed fruit. Not to mention the photography includes some of my favorite food images to date. From my first read, I had major designs on their Squid Ink Risotto with Scallops (pictured on left), and Perail and Endive (on the right) found in the cheese course section.

After I explained all of this to Mary Anne and she corrected my pronunciation of perail (it's per-ay), we planned our menu:

Arugula with Lemon Dressing and Parmesan
Bread and Baked Garlic
Squid Ink Risotto with Scallops
Perail and Endive
Chocolate Tart

Though where we ended up was a little different—mainly due to the fact that I forgot to bring the squid ink recipe with me on the trip. So, after some Googling, we settled on Spicy Squid Ink Risotto a recipe similarly tempting by Kerry Saretsky for Serious Eats.

If the words squid ink turn you off, just call it Tinta Calamar. Fair? If an image of a squid swimming along, extruding its ink still comes to mind and doesn’t entice, try and think of this: classic parmesan risotto and the ocean. That's really what it tasted and smelled of, and thus, it was delicious. The tiny hint of heat from the chili flakes was a perfect addition too.

Then, despite a trip to a specialty cheese shop and a few calls to various Whole Foods, we couldn't find anyone who carried the super creamy and runny perail. We substituted Cremeux de Bourgogne, which is like brie but maybe a little richer and a bit tangier, and while neither of us had ever tried perail, we don't think too much was missed. Of course, we may have been way too excited that we were eating a cheese course to care.

We had to be just a tad flexible with the chocolate tart as well since digestives were also nonexistent at the store. We substituted organic graham crackers without a problem. And I wholeheartedly recommend the recipe. It wasn't very difficult or taxing, especially since the crust is the only thing baked. The filling just needs to set. It's one of those perfect desserts that all you need do is pull it out of the refrigerator at the end of the meal (post-cheese course, obviously).

We took our time collecting each ingredient—changing buses and schlepping grocery bags from market to market. We took a long time. We washed the arugula, juiced and zested lemons, baked garlic, chopped onions and squid, separated egg white from yolk. We stirred the risotto until each grain of rice had surrendered to the stock, had plumped and softened. We moved slowly and deliberately and with great attention, taking in the savory aroma that grew and evolved as we worked, until all that was left to do was sit down with the full plate in front of us and eat.

Arbi / Colocasia / Cheppankizhangu Fry Recipe

I am not going to go yap yap yap through this recipe. The pictures will do the talking.

Oh just one thing. If you are like me and used to turn down cheppankizhangu because its too "slimy" then this dish will make you rethink. Well, its fried, that's a no-brainer but apart from that, it also brings out the unique flavour this tuber has.

What you need to make the Cheppankizhangu Fry (apart from a mother-in-law who cooks this for you and waits patiently while you click pictures at every step)

500gm cheppankizhangu / arbi/ colocasia / chembu
5 tbsp (more or less) rice flour
1 tbsp besan / kadala maavu / gram flour (optional - you can also use rava / semolina instead)
2 tsp red chilli powder
A generous pinch of turmeric powder
A generous pinch of asafoetida / perungaayam / hing
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Let's get started. Here's how to make the Cheppankizhangu Fry.

1. Wash and boil the Cheppankizhangu in enough water to cover it for about 10-12 mins until it is cooked but not mushy. Its better not to pressure cook to avoid over-cooking.

2. Cool. Yes, you also need a little patience to make this dish. That's why my mom-in-law made it while I just watched her, snacking on murukku and clicking pictues like its going out of fashion.

3. Once cooled, peel and cut into small, bite-sized pieces that are of the same size more or less. This is so that when you fry the stuff, it gets cooked uniformly.

4. Throw in the rice flour, besan if using, chilli powder, salt, hing and turmeric and toss until well coated. Set aside for 10-15 mins while you heat up the oil for deep drying.

5. Once the oil is hot enough, fry a few pieces at a time until golden brown.

If there's any left after your initial snacking, you can serve with rice and mor kozhambu / moru kachiyathu. I'm told its a good combination.

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread: Baking Through the Bread Baker's Apprentice

Entry two in the cinnamon section: a raisin walnut bread. For the life of me I can't find the pics I snapped of the bread, so I am including the one from the book found on Google Books. Sorry to say that the recipe is not also included (I guess this is what "limited preview" means). This is a pretty straight forward raisin bread (with super easy vegan subs), and the walnut adds a very nice touch. It was perfect warm from the oven, and still good the next day toasted for breakfast.

GENERAL NOTES
1. I need to get an 8.5 by 4.5 inch pan since Reinhart seems to favour smaller loaves for breads baked in pans. I was tempted to just make one mega loaf in a large pan, but decided against it.
2. I used half of the cinnamon mixture for the cinnamon swirl, and opted against dusting the loaves with cinnamon and sugar.

VEGAN NOTES
1. I used an equal weight of soy yogurt for the egg.
2. I used soy milk for the whole milk.

Easy Green Curry

I love green curry, but I find I rarely make it and gravitate more to a sweet and sour red curry. This dish came together quite quickly from the veggies still kicking around in the fridge at the end of the shopping week. As you can see from the pic, this is a drier curry, but you could add more coconut milk to make it more saucy to be served over rice. I really like the black beans with the broccoli--an unexpected and tasty combination.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp, oil
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1" piece of ginger, minced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
- green curry paste, to taste
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup coconut milk, or more as desired
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Saute shallot, garlic, and ginger for a few mins, until fragrant and lightly browned. Add sweet potato and fry for 5 mins.
2. Add broccoli and cook for about 15 mins, adding splashed of water as needed to help stem/cook the veggies and keep them from sticking to the pan.
3. Add curry paste, along with 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Add soy sauce and beans and cook for about 5 mins, making sure the veggies are now fully cooked.
4. Add coconut milk, season to taste, and serve.

Nan On Tawa or Tawa Naan Recipe - Step by Step

Naan or Nan is TH's favourite bread. That and palak paneer are his absolute favourite dishes to order in a restaurant. I recently got the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day from the library and got totally smitten by it.  I don't have most of the stuff that they have mentioned as requirements, like pizza peel and oven thermometer and baking stone and even a proper oven to do broiler method of baking in but this, this Tawa Nan I could try.

The dough is the master Boule recipe mentioned in Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I halved the recipe since I only wanted to use it for Nan the first time around. 

Here's what we need first - 3/4 tbsp of active dry yeast. Please make sure that its fresh and not past the expiration date. Why do I mention this explicitly? Err... no particular reason. Let's move on. 

Throw the yeast in a bowl with 1.5 cups of lukewarm water. I warmed my water in the microwave for a minute on medium-high powder. The recipe says no need to dissolve the yeast or anything but I secretly made sure it is dissolved. You see, nothing wrong in being extra careful. 

Yes, I check atleast twice if the front door is locked before I go to bed. Why do you ask?

Btw, the below picture is not pretty. 

Told ya! Just add 3 and 1/4 cups of all purpose flour and a generous pinch of salt to it and the prettiness factor increases exponentially. 

See? 

Ok, now bring the mixture together with your fingers. No need to knead. Heh. You'll be left with a sticky mass of dough. Just leave it covered somewhere for about 20-30 mins. 

I left it alone for around 20 minutes and it almost doubled. The recipe says not to worry about doubling, etc so I didn't. I always listen to what cookbooks say. Ok, almost always. 

The dough will be sticky and very elastic. Dig your hand in some flour and tear off a peach-sized piece. 

Lay it on a floured surface (my 'surface' is this). 

With the use of your hands and/ or your rolling pin, stretch out the dough till you form a nan shaped... err.. thing. Mine is square cuz TH wanted square naans. What? You don't believe me? Its true!

Heat a skillet on high heat, brush on some ghee or oil, lower the heat to medium and lay the nan on carefully. 

Flip over in about 2 mins when the first side starts browning. 

Cook closed for 30 seconds to a minute now, depending on the thickness of your nan, which shouldn't be too much, btw. 

That's it! Yummy, spongy, soft nans are now ready. 

The texture and taste was awesome and we loved it. Just make sure to have it when still hot otherwise the nan may turn a bit rubbery. That's to be expected right, even the ones baked in tandoors that we get in restaurants turn all hard on us if we don't eat it immediately. 

Reminds me of pizza base. Ahh.. pizza base from scratch! That's what I am making next. 

Here's the recipe, all in one place. 

Tawa Naan / Nan Recipe

Source: Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

What I Used:

1.5 cups lukewarm water

3/4 tbsp yeast

3 and 1/4 cups of all purpose flour

A generous pinch of salt

How I Made It:

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add in salt and the flour, incorporate well until a sticky dough is formed. No kneading necessary. 

2. Set aside covered for 20-30 mins. 

3. Tear or cut off with a serrated knife peach-sized amounts and transfer to a floured surface. Shape into oblong nans with help of rolling pin if necessary. Make sure there are no holes in the nan once you are done rolling it out. 

4. Heat a skillet on high heat, brush on some ghee or oil, lower the heat to medium and lay the nan on carefully.

5. Flip over in about 2 mins when the first side starts browning. 

6. Cook closed for 30 seconds to a minute now, depending on the thickness of your nan. 

Serve HOT.