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.

Dill potato salad

This is an update on the spicy mustard potato salad, and I think this time I got it where I want to be. The sauce on these is a lively shade of spring green, so garnish with red onion rings and whole dill.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 lbs red potatoes
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
• 3/4 cup coarsely ground mustard
• 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
• 1 bunch dill, stems removed (divided use)
• 1 shallot, peeled
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil the potatoes, skin-on, until tender but not too soft, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
   
2. Cut the potatoes into 3/4" cubes and place in a mixing bowl with the onions. Set aside.
   
3. Put the mustards, oil, vinegar, shallot and half the dill into a food processor. Puree until quite smooth.
4. A little at a time, gently mix the dressing into the potatoes, tasting as you go, until the desired intensity is reached.
5. Transfer to a serving dish, garnishing with the remainder of the dill.

Best if served at room temperature.

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.

Tofu vaVohu

At last, a stew that does justice to the namesake of this site. Dark and profound, this sweet stew has its roots in Korean braised beef and ma po tofu. I am quite pleased with it.

The peppers provide an important flavor dimension, so if you're averse to spice, replace the 6 jalapeños with 3 poblanos. The jalapeño version is surprisingly moderate, however.

Notes: I tried cutting the peppers thin and adding them directly rather than roasting them separately; this turned out poorly. Chopped up steak, particularly cuts that tenderize well in stews, is better than hamburger. Chop in a food processor or slice into small pieces as preferred. You can replace up to 1/4 cup rice vinegar with lemon juice (1 lemon = 1/4 cup vinegar); in this case, add more sugar to offset the additional acidity.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. soft tofu, cut into 3/4" cubes
  
• 3/4 lb eggplant (1 large), cut into 1" cubes
  
• 1/2 lb ground beef
  
• 6 whole jalapeños (or 3 whole poblanos)
• 2 packages (10 oz. each) crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• 1 cup reduced-sodium tamari
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1. Broil the peppers on high for 6-8 minutes, turning once.
   
2. Combine rice vinegar, tamari and brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
   
3. Combine tofu, beef, eggplant and mushrooms in a stew pot. Bury the peppers in the mixture. Pour vinegar mixture over these ingredients.
   
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for an hour, stirring every ten minutes until liquid covers all the vegetables.
5. Remove several tablespoons of liquid in a cup. Add one tablespoon cold water, then combine with corn starch. Quickly stir this mixture back into the stew.

Garnish with grated carrots or beets. Serve with steamed bok choy and brown ale.

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.

Cauliflower Florets in Sambal

Update 6/2/09: As I've been discovering other uses for sambal, I've decided to spin the sauce out to its own post.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large head cauliflower, cored, washed and broken into florets
• 1 batch sambal

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 500º F.
2. Arrange the cauliflower in a casserole or glass dish; bake for 30 minutes, stirring twice.
3. Combine the cauliflower and the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, and cooking for several minutes, stirring frequently to cover.
   

Serve with rice.

Feijoada Completa

I went into a local Portuguese grocery to find carne seca, a spicy Brazilian dried beef product. There was a Brazilian woman talking to the cashier. I asked the cashier if she had it. She looked at me quizzically. The Brazilian woman, however, began to wax poetic.

"Ah, carne seca! Feijoada! com presunto. e cebola. e farofa. e caipirinha...ah, boy."

"I think you need to go to a Brazilian store," said the cashier.

This recipe is the result of a good deal of research, and draws principally on the feijoada completa recipe on this page and this recipe. The salt pork provides all the salt you need.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb black beans, soaked overnight and drained
  
• 1 lb. ham, cut into 3/4" pieces
• 1 lb. linguica (see below)
  
• 1/2 lb flanken or other stew beef (see below)
  
• 2 spanish onions, diced
  
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  
• 4 oz. salt pork, finely minced (divided use)
  
• 2 oz. carne seca or plain beef jerky, soaked overnight
  
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
  
• Zest of one orange

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prick the linguica several times with a fork. Simmer in water for about 10 minutes, then cut into 3/4" pieces.
2. Drain and mince the soaked carne seca.
3. Tenderize the stew beef by pounding it with a tenderizer or kitchen mallet, then cut into 3/4" pieces.
4. Heat 3 oz of salt pork in a heavy stew pot over medium heat until it begins to cast off grease. Turn heat to high and add the flanken. Sear on all sides for about 30 seconds per side.
   
5. Add the beans, bay leaves, zest and all of the meat to the pot. Add enough water to cover by one to two inches. (You can add or remove some later.)
   
6. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 90 minutes. Add more water if needed.
7. In a nonstick frying pan, heat the remaining salt pork on medium heat until it begins to cast off grease. Sauté the onions and garlic with the sugar until they begin to turn golden.
8. To the onion mixture, add 2 cups of beans from the stew. Mash well and allow to cook together for 3-5 minutes.
9. Stir this mixture back into the stew; cook for another 30 minutes.

Serve with farofa and fresh orange slices. Pair with a tart cocktail such as caipirinha.