Baba ghannouj

I tried to make baba ghannouj several years ago using a recipe, and concluded that it was a hassle. Today, I decided to try it entirely by feel and concluded that the recipe I'd tried was stupid. Baba is really easy. I wish I'd had this epiphany before.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 eggplant
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
  
• 1/2 jalapeño (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice the eggplant the long way into 3/4" slices. (Do not peel.)
2. Arrange the slices on a broiler pan and broil on high for 10 minutes per side.
3. Transfer all the eggplant and all other ingredients to the food processor.
4. Process until desired consistency has been reached. Adjust seasonings if desired.

Serves two; recipe scales easily.

Blueberry sourdough cake

Simple and refreshing. Based on this coffee cake recipe. Note that the center of this cake will rise, creating a cute little hill at the center of a round pan.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups sourdough starter
  
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
  
• 1 egg, beaten
  
• 1 tsp. baking soda

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
   
2. Combine frozen blueberries and 1 tbsp sugar in a bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. If still frozen, stir and microwave for another 15 seconds or so.
3. Combine the sourdough starter, blueberries, egg and butter in a bowl; set aside.
   
4. Combine all remaining ingredients in a second bowl. Combine with the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour into an 8" round non-stick cake pan.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until center of the cake is set.
   
7. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Pure as the driven snow; thick, zesty and delicious. And it takes about 15 seconds to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 shallots, peeled
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
  
• 1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 10 seconds. Serve on any green salad.

Molasses pancakes

I woke up this morning hankering for some pancakes, but out of eggs. So I googled 'eggless pancakes,' found this, and crunchified it. Note that these cook pretty fast and don't really give visual cues of when to flip them, so be attentive.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
  
• 2 tbsp. dark molasses
• 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. water
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
  
• 1/4 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
   
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Preheat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet to medium heat.
4. Pour 2 tbsp. batter onto the skillet for each pancake.
5. Turn over after about 45 seconds; turn again; serve immediately.

Apple cranberry sauce

Adjust the proportions here according to taste; they can vary pretty widely. Mine comes out quite tart and not too sweet.

Note that applesauce requires almost no water; you just add enough to allow the apples to steam themselves into a sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lbs granny smith or other sour apple, peeled, cored and quartered
  
• 1 lb. fresh cranberries, rinsed
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
  
• 4 cloves, whole
  
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix thoroughly and turn heat to low. Let cook for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally. Mash before serving. Refrigerate unused portion.

Butternut Squash Bread (or muffins)

Butternut squash has a flavor profile related to pumpkin (the squash is milder and softer). Generally speaking, then, if something works with pumpkin, it will probably work with butternut squash.

This butternut squash bread is based on the recipe found here. It was very good, but needs tweaking. I followed the first posted suggestion to make it less sweet, and still found it bordering on saccharine; and there was not enough salt to emphasize the squash.

This proportions below are for my next attempt, based on my current impressions; I have not yet tried them this way.

I have not yet decided how best to prepare the squash itself. The successful methods I've used are to peel it, cut it into pieces and boil it until soft (easy, but nutrient-robbing); or to cut it in half, remove the seeds and bake, cut side down, at 425 for 45 minutes. Steaming would probably be great, but I don't have a steamer. I once tried peeling it and then baking it, but the exposed part formed an unpalatable outer "skin" that could not be pureed.

A variant I would like to try is to add shredded carrots or zucchini (or both?) to the batter.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, cooked and mashed
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Spray three nonstick 9" x 5" loaf pans (or three 6-muffin tins) with nonstick spray.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix until there are no lumps.
4. Fill each loaf pan half-full with batter. (Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.)
5. For loaves, bake for about 70 minutes; for muffins, about 35 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool on a rack briefly before serving.

Deviled Eggs

If you must serve boiled eggs, you might as well make them interesting. (Why anyone would serve boiled eggs outside of a religious ritual is entirely beyond me.)

Since aioli contains raw egg yolk, it is important to serve the deviled eggs on the same day that you make the aioli and make sure that you keep the eggs refrigerated until ready to serve.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 dozen eggs
• 3 tbsp. horseradish aioli (see below)
• 1 tbsp. spicy mustard
  
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsely
• Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. To this, add all of the eggs and allow to steep for 13 minutes. Remove from hot water and immediately steep in ice water for several minutes.
2. Remove the shells, being careful not to damage the egg in the process.
3. With a sharp knife, cut each egg in half. Remove the hard-boiled yolk to a bowl; reserve the whites.
4. Combine the yolks with all remaining ingredients, pressing down with the back of a fork.
5. Put the filling into a resealable bag. Cut one corner off the bag at a 30 degree angle, creating an aperture a little narrower than the yolk-sized hole in an egg white.
6. Squeeze filling from bag into each egg with a circular motion. Smooth gently if necessary.

Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with additional parsely. Serve on the same day.

Horseradish Aioli

I really hate store-bought mayonnaise. I don't think I've ever bought a jar of it. The homemade stuff can be alright, though, as long as it has something going for it. This one does, and would make a good condiment to something that needs both richness and bite.

Use extra virgin olive oil if you like the strong taste that it gives. (I do.) For something less intense, use a milder variety of olive oil.

UPDATE 4/21/2008: Remember that garlic varies greatly in pungency. 3-5 cloves is meant to be emphatically garlicky. Adjust to tastes.

Thanks to eHow for the basic recipe I've used here.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 4 tsp. spicy (brown) mustard
• 3-5 garlic cloves (about 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp. chopped)
• 1 tbsp. chopped horseradish
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4. tsp. salt
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the egg yolks, garlic, mustard and horseradish into the blender. Run on low for about 1 minute.
2. With the blender still on low, remove the plastic stopper at the top of the blender and very gradually add the olive oil. If your blender doesn't have a stopper, shut off the blender, add a couple tablespoons of oil, put the cover back on and turn it back on. This should take 2-3 minutes at least.
3. Add the lemon juice and salt. Continue running the blender on low for another minute or until the contents develop a thick, foamy consistency.

Use wherever you might have used mayonnaise.

Thai Peanut Sauce

This peanut sauce is extremely good on a variety of pastas and grains, and would likely do a nice job for poultry and fish as well. Based on this recipe, but adapted for more readily available ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 4 tbsp sushi vinegar (or 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar + 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp salt)
• 1 tbsp. anchovy paste
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• Hot red pepper flakes to taste

Combine all ingredients in a nonstick saucepan; simmer until combined. Easiest to mix while still warm.

Sausage with sweet and sour pears

Another gem from Rafael Pereira's tapas class. This has some of the fruit-and-wine flavors of sangria in a food context. This is a fine example of the kinds of foods that keep me from ever going strictly kosher. However, I think that this could be kosher-ified by replacing the sausage with a spicy beef meatball.

UPDATE 4/26/08: I tried this with apples and it was still quite tasty. Use crisp apples. Also, a clarification: do not peel the fruit. Finally, a thickener such as cornstarch is recommended. I have updated the recipe to reflect all three of these things.

UPDATE 6/29/08: I tried this with peaches and chourizo. Very delicious. Use somewhat under-ripe peaches so that they hold their shape. Also, when using a softer sausage like chourizo, consider cooking it in larger pieces and then cutting it into diagonals. This way, it will hold the shape that you cut much better.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lbs (1 package) linguica, sliced 30 degrees askew into 1/4" slices
• 1 cup sugar if using dry wine, or 1/2 cup sugar if using sweet wine
  
• 1 cup red wine vinegar (or 3/4 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar)
  
• 1 cup red wine (if using sweet wine, reduce the amount of sugar)
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 pears (Rafael used green; I prefer Bosc or Asian) or crisp apples, cored and cut up (not peeled)
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the sugar, vinegar, wine and cinnamon in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil and let simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
3. Add pears and let simmer, covered, for 20 more minutes.
4. Let this mixture sit out (at room temperature) overnight.
5. THE NEXT DAY, remove the pairs from the sauce and set aside.
6. Bring the sauce to a simmer; add the linguica and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
7. Remove the linguica to the container with the apples, keeping the liquid in the saucepan.
   
8. Stir the cornstarch into two tablespoons of water (or wine or vinegar, if you prefer), then stir this mixture into the sauce. Allow to thicken for a couple of minutes at low heat, stirring occasionally.
   
9. Pour the sauce over the linguica and apples and serve.

Chinnappa's Sardines

I received this simple recipe from a colleague from work. He had red chili powder, but I wasn't feeling up to that tonight, so I opted for an equal amount of paprika. These are simply sublime. These little fish are refreshing and delicious.

If you are an East Cambridge resident, you can get fresh Sardines at the New Deal Fish Market at the corner of Fulkerson and Cambridge. Across the street is Mayflower Poultry ("Live Poultry Fresh Killed"), where you can buy excellent meat on the cheap.

INGREDIENTS:

• Sardines (8-10)
• 2tbs Paprika or chili powder
• 1tbs Turmeric powder (or my favorite, Madras Curry Powder)
• 2tbs Lime Juice
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
• Salt to taste
• 3-4 tbs olive oil to fry

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix the salt (1 tsp or salt to taste), paprika (2 tbs), garlic, turmeric powder(1 tbs), and lime juice (1-2 limes) to form a thin paste. Marinate the sardines 1 hour.
2. In a pan put the oil, and after the oil is hot, reduce the flame and fry the fish at low flame for 5 mins and turn the side and fry it for another 5 mins. Make sure you don't fry too much.

Serve immediately with any dry, structured white.

Chopped herring salad with pears

This is a slight variation on an Ashkenazi weekend morning standard. Serve this on a bagel with sliced red onion, sliced hard boiled egg and a few capers.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup pickled herring in wine sauce, drained
• 1 firm pear (such as Bosc, Concorde or Asian), peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• Several pecans or walnuts
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

Puree all ingredients in a food processor.

Olive and pecan tapenade

I have been taking a cooking class with Rafael Pereira, a very talented historian of Spanish and Latin-American cuisine, and one of his recipes (for olive pate) inspired me to create this recipe. In my opinion, this is best served with a dark, nutty bread or cracker, such as ak-mak crackers or whole-kernel pumpernickel bread.

You'll want to stay away from truly cheap-o, canned olives, but the simple olives you get in a jar are probably fine. Prepared with appropriate ingredients, this recipe is kosher (parve).

Serve with a fiery red wine such as a Rioja. It will bring out some of the subtler oils in the tapenade and expose qualities you never would have guessed were there.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz. green olives, pits removed
• 1 tin (2 oz) flat filets of anchovies, with oil
• 2 oz. pecans
• 3-4 cloves fresh garlic
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dry thyme
• pinch of cumin

DIRECTIONS:

Puree all ingredients in a food processor.

Vegetable Borscht

Vegetable borscht is extremely versatile. For one thing, it is fat free and extremely healthful (assuming you don't have some kind of prejudice against carbohydrate). It is appropriate to serve it either hot or cold; if you're kosher, it can go with dairy or meat meals depending on what you like to put in it.

Traditionally, you put things into the borscht right as you're about to eat it, just like dressing a hamburger. And like hamburger, there are a million and one options and they all have their appeal. Here are some suggestions:

• Shredded red cabbage (easy either by hand or in a food processor)
• Sliced radishes
• A hard boiled egg
• Half a boiled potato
• Sour cream or cottage cheese

When I make borscht, I usually have several of these things on hand. Speaking of hands, the beets will turn your hands purple, so wear gloves if that sounds unattractive to you. (For me, it's a point of pride.)

Beets get much sweeter as they cook, and somewhat sweeter as the soup mellows, so take it easy with the sugar. The following proportions are all approximate, as I have never measured anything when making borscht, even the first time I made it. And neither should you.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 lbs beets, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Lots of dill, fresh or chopped
• Prepared horseradish (quantity depends on intensity, which varies greatly)
• Cold water (see below)

• Optional: 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine beets and onion in a soup pot.
   
2. Add the lemon juice and vinegar.
   
3. Fill up the pot with water until it's about 1-2" higher than the vegetables.
4. Add the remaining ingredients except cabbage (if using); bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to low heat and let simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the beets have softened.
6. If using cabbage, add it in and allow to cook until it has wilted somewhat.
   

Serve hot or cold.

PAIRINGS: Beets have a slippery, soft sweetness that pairs extremely well with acid. A structured, tart white wine such as a Muscadet or Chablis brings out some of the more delicate qualities of the beet.

Short ribs

This slow-cooker recipe works well with many stewing meats, so long as they are rich enough not to dry out. Short ribs and their boneless counterpart (known in Yiddish as flanken) are far and away the most impressive, but a shoulder chuck roast will hold up pretty well, too.

The single most important seasoning here is cloves; this cannot be omitted.

But as I think I mentioned in an earlier post, the real secret ingredient in sweet red sauces for beef in Yiddish-American cooking is soda: cola for dark sauces, and ginger ale for light ones. I have also experimented with cranberry and orange juices to good effect. (Orange juice ends up tasting like tzimmes.)

It's impossible to provide proportions here as it is completely a matter of personal preference. Since the sauce contains no raw meat, you can taste it until it "seems right"--and remember, of course, that it will be made far richer and milder by stewing with the beef.

INGREDIENTS (SAUCE):

• 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
• Plenty of molasses
• Ground cloves (this is essential)
• Spicy brown mustard
• Cider vinegar
• Chopped garlic
• Allspice
• Nutmeg
• A little cola or ginger ale
• Salt

INGREDIENTS (BRAISE):

• 4 beef short ribs --or-- 2-3 lbs. flanken or shoulder chuck roast
• 2-3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 onion, sliced

Arrange the potatoes at the bottom of the pot, followed by the onions, and then the short ribs, then apply the sauce to the top of the ribs. It will drip down as it cooks, so don't worry too much about spreading it around. It's OK to put some ribs on top of others; if you do that, put some sauce on top of the first layer before putting the second layer on. Cook in the slow cooker for 8-10 hours on low. Serve warm with kashe or rice.

Tuna Puttanesca

Easy, fast, cheap. Vaguely charming. Far be it from me, of course, to make a joke about puttanesca sauce being aptly named. (I'm too classy for that.) But once you realize how easy this is, you'll feel bad about having paid $18 for it at some fancy place in the North End.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (3 oz.) tomato paste
• 2 oz. anchovy paste (or 1 tin flat anchovy fillets)
• 2 oz. capers
• 6 oz. kalamata olives (without pits if possible)
  
• 3 cans chunk white tuna
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. crushed garlic
• Red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. linguini, cooked al dente
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the anchovy paste or anchovy fillets. If fillets are used, crush them with the back of a wooden spoon as they sauté.
3. Add in the garlic. Let the garlic and anchovies sauté for just a minute (they cook fast).
4. Add in the tomato paste, blending with a spatula. Allow to cook for a minute.
5. Mix in tunafish and red pepper; let cook another minute or two.
6. Add everything else; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve over pasta with grated parmesan.

PAIRINGS: Use a spicy wine with high tannins. A sufficiently ripe Cabernet Sauvignon is ideal. (Caution: unripe Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like the runoff from a Tabasco Sauce factory.)

Fauxlenta

I eat a lot of Cream of Wheat during the winter, but sweet Cream of Wheat gets kind of boring about two weeks after the snow starts to fall. But I don't really feel like making pancakes or hashed potatoes or steak and eggs at 6:30am.

So I took a cue from southern cooking and adapted an old grits trick to my favorite hot cereal. A pie made on Monday should last a good ways into the workweek, and you can heat it in the microwave. Prepare a Latin-American coffee in your French Press and suddenly being awake doesn't seem so bad anymore.

Based on this recipe and on a pie my mom used to make when I was a kid.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Cream of Wheat or grits
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup milk (or substitute both milk and water for chicken broth)
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 bundle of scallions, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
  
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Irish Cheddar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  
• Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a nonstick baking pan with cooking spray or butter it to prevent sticking.
   
2. Bring the water and milk to a boil in a nonstick saucepan. Gradually stir in the cream of wheat and keep stirring until thick.
3. Remove from heat. Gradually add in all remaining ingredients.
4. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, using a spatula to get it all out of the pot. (Suggestion: immediately rinse out the pot or it will be impossible to clean later.)
5. Bake the grits for 45 minutes or until set.

Refrigerate. To serve, you have a couple of options: cut 1/2 slices and sauté with an egg or two (thus impersonating polenta), or just heat it up in the microwave for 60 seconds on high.

Red Bean and Walnut Salad

Don't be fooled: the only similarity this has with the recipe below is the basic ingredients. Aside from that, it has much more in common with hummus: the flavor, the heartiness, the incredible ease of making it. The walnuts play a similar role to tahini, but of course have a very different flavor. With much more texture than hummus, this is also more of a salad than a dip. Served with an eggplant course, it would also make a good vegan or vegetarian dinner.

(This recipe is based on a similar recipe called "Red Beans with Walnut Sauce" from the Russian cookbook Please to the Table.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. dry red beans
• 8 oz. walnuts, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse and cook the beans. You can either do this the conventional way (soak overnight, boil for 2 hours, let sit for an hour) or the lazy way: throw them in a slow cooker with 3 quarts of water and let it cook on low for 8-12 hours. Drain the beans and put in a bowl.
2. Mash the beans slightly, then mix in all other ingredients.

Chicken Marbella

This is simply my favorite main course to make in the whole world. Period. It is very loosely based on a recipe by the same name from The Silver Palate Cookbook, although I haven't seen the original recipe in three years, so it's probably nothing like it.

Anyways, this is the most delicious thing ever. And it's really easy to make. And it's wonderful left over.

INGREDIENTS

To marinate the chicken (24 hours in advance):

• 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 10 oz. dried fruit (prunes and apricots are good)
  
• 8 oz. (1/2 jar) green olives, with juice
• 2 oz. capers, with a little bit of juice (not all of it)
• Garlic, minced (I use about 8 cloves worth)
• 3 tbsp. za'atar or oregano
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 bay leaves
• Dash of lemon juice
• Plenty of fresh black pepper
  

For cooking:

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white wine
• Toasted almond slices (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all the ingredients from the "marinating" section above (that is, everything but the brown sugar, white wine and almonds) in a big container and mix it all up. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Lay out the chicken pieces in a single layer in a baking dish. Spread the marinade (with the olives, fruit, etc.) evenly over the chicken.
4. Sprinkle the brown sugar and almond slices over the chicken.
5. Sprinkle the white wine over the chicken, so it moistens the brown sugar.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes, basting occasionally. You can tell it's done when you poke one of the chicken thighs and the juice that comes out is golden colored.

Serve with white rice. Makes a great leftover.

PAIRINGS:

A more skillful sommelier would probably disagree with me, but I think that this can be done with either a bright, fruity red or a crisp white. The main thing is that you want a wine that's a bit tart, to play off the herbs and the sweetness of the dish. I've also done this with a hefeweizen, but I really think wine is the better choice.

Linguica hash

This zesty hash is about the most welcome sight imaginable on a cold Sunday morning. Plan to have this the day after the beet salad, since the hash is made almost entirely from leftover ingredients for that.

INGREDIENTS:

• (Leftover) boiled potatoes, cubed
  
• Red onion, minced
  
• Cooked linguica, minced
• Just a pinch of flour (to hold it together)
  
• Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauce (such as Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot)
  
• Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the linguica if it's not already cooked. Cutting it in half and pan-frying it for a few minutes is the easiest way.
   
2. Combine the potatoes, onion, linguica, flour, a bit of oil and the two sauces in a bowl.
3. Pre-heat a skillet until it is SCORCHING hot. Spray with cooking spray or a bit of oil to prevent sticking if necessary.
   
4. Spread out your hash in an even layer across the skillet and let it crisp on the bottom.
   
5. Flip over the pancake and brown the other side briefly.

Obviously, you'll want to eat this with some eggs and good, strong coffee. After that, you should sit around in your pyjamas and read "The Economist" for about five hours.