Writing With My Mouth Full

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    • Argentina: Chimichurri

      Before Alex left for Buenos Aires, she told me that chimichurri always accompany asado, or grilled meats, in Argentina. I actually added the red wine vinegar to this recipe to have some more liquid in it. When I was done, I knew it was missing onions and a sprinkle of lemon juice. Alex’s mom wanted me to play with it and adjust it to my liking–I felt that was good enough permission to mess with this traditional salsa recipe.

      I bought a few pieces of beef bottom round, browned and baked them in the oven for a couple of minutes for some medium-rare goodness. I sliced the meat in smaller pieces and served them with crispy lettuce. I had this very satisfying meal with chilled white wine. I’ve never regretted not having wheat beer in my fridge as I did that night.

      Ingredients:
      1 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
      4 cloves garlic, minced and finely chopped
      1 small red onion, finely chopped
      1 tsp oregano
      1 tsp dried hot red-pepper flakes, or more
      1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
      1/3 cup red wine vinegar
      squeeze of fresh lemon juice
      salt

      1. In a bowl, slowly whisk in red wine vinegar with the olive oil. Add all the other ingredients. Use pepper flakes, salt and lemon juice to taste.

    • Barça 18

      225 Park Avenue South between 18th and 19th Streets
      212/533-2500
      $130 for three, with a few drinks, with tip

      A last-minute decision after a much-needed downpour led us to Barça 18 off Union Square for some stiff drinks and small plates of Spanish food. The spicy chorizo hit the spot and left us hungry for more. We ordered the dry cured pork loin and the Catalan Garrotxa cheese ($4 for two small pieces) before we shared the crab pizza topped with tarragon and roasted peppers, the octopus with sweet pepper confit and the lamb skewers in red pepper chutney which interestingly tasted just like the chorizo. A small pan of paella negra with mussels and shrimps in squid ink sealed our night.


      Catalan pizza with crab pieces and parmigiano

      The bar is at a first come-first served basis but a larger dining room takes reservations. The waitresses, as soon as you get their attention, are more alert than the busboys because a couple of plates meant for the small table next to us came our way. Suits from the investment banks in the area swarm Barça 18 but for an Eric Ripert-Brian O’Donohoe partnership, I can let that, and some sinewy lamb, slide.

    • Thailand: Ka Prow

      Pritsana manages to cook and cater for about thirty people when she’s not busy designing print materials and Web sites for non-profit organizations and for-profit companies. Now, if only her mother would believe that she can actually cook.

      Parents are always looking out for their children, so whenever Pritsana would visit them with dishes she cooked, they refuse to eat them because they’re thinking that she needs to eat more than they do. Sometimes, parents never realize that their children can get food without their help.

      Ka Prow translates to the Thai holy basil, one of the staples of Thai cooking and the main spice to this dish. (You leave off the R when you pronounced the prow.) We used chicken here and Thai locals would refer to it as Ka Prow Gai in which gai is the chicken.

      You can find kaffir lime leaves at a well-stocked Asian grocery store. They usually have them in the freezer so ask one of the clerks to make sure they’re not hiding the goods from you. There really isn’t a perfect substitute for them, but if you can’t get them dried, try using lime zest. You can also get Thai holy basil at the same store, but you can substitute the tinier, more purple sweet basil. Italian basil will do, too, if you don’t have access to Asian produce. You can also use brown sugar instead of the palm, and less soy sauce if you’re not using the semi-sweet kind. Thais cook this dish with ground pork and I can imagine you can use shrimps as well. Top with fried egg and you’ll be smiling.

      Ingredients:
      8 pieces of boneless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
      1 bunch of Thai holy basil
      2 Thai chilis, seeds removed
      2 kaffir lime leaves
      half a red onion, finely chopped
      4 garlic cloves, minced and finely chopped
      semi-sweet black soy sauce or kecap manis
      1 tbsp palm sugar
      a splash of fish sauce
      2 tbsp peanut oil

      1. Heat some oil in a heated large wok. Sauté garlic until light brown and cook onions until translucent. Add chicken and enough soy sauce to cover half of them. Cook chicken while stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
      2. When chicken is almost done, stir in the rest of the ingredients and cook for another 5 over medium-low heat or until basil leaves are wilted.

      Related post/s:
      More Cooking the World recipes: The Ivory Coast
      About Cooking the World: Global Gastronomy Food Project
      My favorite Asian produce store is Asia Food Market in Chinatown

    • Coconut Milk Rice

      Adapted from a coconut milk rice recipe without all the other ingredients

      Ingredients:
      3 cups of basmati rice
      1 can of coconut milk
      4 cloves garlic
      2 Thai chilis, seeds removed
      1 medium red onion, finely chopped
      a small knob of ginger, crushed
      a handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
      1 cinnamon stick
      6 whole cloves
      a handful of black peppercorns
      a handful of pine nuts
      some lime juice
      salt, pepper, oil

      1. In a large skillet with hot oil, sauté garlic until light brown and cook onions until translucent. Toast the pine nuts with the cloves for a minute or two. Add chilis, ginger and peppercorns. Stir until fragrant.
      2. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.
      3. Add rice and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked and all water has been absorbed. Fluff rice with a fork and sprinkle with cilantro.

    • Natural Tofu

      34 West 32nd Street between Broadway and Fifth, 2nd floor
      212/564-8200
      about $100 for two, with two drinks, without tip

      Their business card says Seoul Garden Restaurant but you might know it as Natural Tofu. People come here for the tofu chigaes, boiling hot woks of spicy broths with seafood or pork, all with tofu and bean sprouts.

      Meant to be shared between at least two people, it’s the ultimate food for those who are just winding down their night of drinking.

      What I come to Natural Tofu for, however, is their gae jang, raw crabs stewed in a hot soy sauce. I get into these moods where all I want is raw seafood and if I don’t mean sushi, I go for crabs Korean style.

    • Cauliflower Pilaf

      Adapted from delicious. Magazine

      Ingredients:
      cauliflower, cut into florets
      3 cups of basmati rice
      4 tbsps of curry powder
      3 cups of vegetable stock
      1 onion, finely chopped
      2 bay leaves
      1 cinnamon stick
      a handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
      oil

      1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook onions until soft. Add cauliflower and rice and cook, while stirring, for 5 minutes. Add curry powder and cook for another minute. Add stock, bay leaves and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked and all water has been absorbed.
      2. Fluff rice with a fork and sprinkle with cilantro.

    • Salmon and Scallop Boudin on Green Papaya Matchsticks

      Adapted from delicious. Magazine

      Ingredients:
      4 skinless salmon fillets
      6 scallops
      1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped
      1 garlic clove
      lime zest
      1 bunch of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
      1 tbsp fish sauce
      1 eggwhite, lightly beaten
      the top layer of coconut milk in a can, chilled

      For the green papaya salad:
      1 green papaya,peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
      12 cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
      a handful of cilantro leaves
      1 tbsp fish sauce
      2 tbsp lime juice
      1 tbsp brown sugar

      1. Make the sausages. Process salmon and scallops in a food processor until smooth. Add chili, garlic, lime zest, half of the cilantro and fish sauce and process. Slowly add eggwhite and coconut milk and purée. Scoop some mixture on aluminum foil lined with saran wrap. Roll into fat sausages and twist ends until tight and bouncy. Chill overnight.
      2. Make the salad. Combine papaya, tomatoes and cilantro in a bowl. In a small screw-top jar, shake fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Pour over salad before serving.
      3. When ready to serve, poach wrapped sausages in simmering water for about 10 minutes. Let stand for another 10. Unwrap and slice and serve on top of the papaya salad.

      Note: The green papaya photo above does not include tomatoes.

    • Tomato Bruschetta

      Adapted from delicious. Magazine

      Ingredients:
      8 sourdough bread slices
      2 garlic cloves, halved
      4 small vine-riped tomatoes, sliced thinly
      16 anchovy fillets
      shredded basil leaves
      salt
      olive oil

      1. Toast the bread for a few minutes until golden brown. While the bread is still hot, top on one side with garlic and brush with olive oil. Top each with tomato, anchovy and drizzle with some more olive oil. Season with salt and serve with basil leaves.

    • Grilled Squid with Parsley and Caper Salad

      Adapted from a delicious. Magazine recipe using caperberry

      Ingredients:
      4 squid hoods, cleaned
      1 small bottle of capers
      a handful of flat parsley, finely chopped
      1 preserved lemon, sliced thinly
      red wine vinegar
      croutons
      olive oil

      1. Rub the squid all over with olive oil. Heat a chargrilled pan and cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat, drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with some of the parsley.
      2. Combine the rest of the parsley with the lemon slices, capers and croutons. Toss with red wine vinegar and serve with the squid.

    • Banana Fritters with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

      Adapted from delicious. Magazine

      Ingredients:
      4 small bananas, halved lengthwise
      1 cup flour, sifted
      1/4 tsp turmeric
      3 tbsps unsalted butter
      1 tsp vanilla extract
      1/4 cup thin cream
      3 tbsps brown sugar
      French vanilla ice cream
      salt
      oil for frying

      1. Make caramel sauce. In a small pan, melt butter and stir in sugar, thin cream and vanilla over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Stir ocassionally until syrup is thick. Set aside.
      2. Place the flour, turmeric and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk in a little bit of water until combined but not too much to avoid toughening the batter.
      3. In a deep frying pan, heat some canola oil. When ready to fry, dip banana pieces in batter and fry for 1 minute per side. Turn and fry for another minute. Drain on paper towels, serve with ice cream and top with caramel sauce.

    • Coffee Panna Cotta

      Adapted from an Everyday Italian recipe using espresso

      Ingredients:
      1/2 cup whole milk
      1 1/2 tsps unflavored powdered gelatin
      1 1/2 cups heavy cream
      3 tbsps of coffee powder
      1/4 cup sugar
      a pinch salt
      1 small white chocolate bar and 1 small dark chocolate bar, for garnishing

      1. Place the milk in a heavy, small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over and let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves, but the milk does not boil, about 2 minutes.
      2. Add the cream, coffee, sugar, and salt. Stir over low heat, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
      3. Pour the cream mixture into 2 martini glasses, dividing equally. Cover and refrigerate, stirring every 20 minutes during the first hour. Chill until set, at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
      4. When ready to serve, use a vegetable peeler to shave about 1 tablespoon each of the white and dark chocolate shavings. Sprinkle the shavings over each panna cotta and serve.

    • Italy: Cianbotta or Cianfotta

      Lisa’s dad said that this Italian version of ratatouille has two names, depending on whether you live in the south of Italy or the north. Whether you grew up calling it cianbotta or cianfotta, it means “tasteful and colorful.” It’s a rural dish that farm folks learned to make after experiencing the hardships caused by the second World War. Lisa’s mom remembers this as very delicious and nutritious; the vegetables taking the place of meat, which was unaffordable during those times. Even though the recipe still represents poverty to a lot of the older generation, it’s a comfort food that evokes unforgettable childhood memories. Harold McGee recommends you salt the eggplant pieces after you slice them. This draws out the moisture and collapses their spongy texture, so they don’t absorb all the oil when you start cooking them.

      Ingredients:
      1 large red bell pepper
      6 small red-skinned potatoes
      3 plum tomatoes
      1 zucchini
      1 eggplant
      1 large onion
      a handful of fresh basil leaves
      olive oil, salt and pepper

      1. Cut all vegetables into 1/4-inch pieces. In a small pot, boil potatoes in salted water until half cooked. Set aside.
      2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and cook until soft. Add potatoes and peppers. Cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Add the rest of the vegetables including the basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
      3. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Enjoy as a side dish or as a main course, served with fresh Italian garlic bread.

      Related post/s:
      About Cooking the World: Global Gastronomy Food Project
      Ratatouille is the French version