What's cooking?

[Jenise]

Wow you guys. Robin, that's one of the prettiest lentil dishes I've ever seen. And Cynthia, aren't you lucky getting fresh produce from your CSA already, I'm so envious!--those dishes look great, I would be very happy eating food like that. And Jo Ann, fabulous baking. I'm unfamiliar with the book--sounds like that one's changing your game in a good way. I am presuming you'd reccomend it?

[Robin Garr]

I've been baking bread for the past month from Hertzberg and Francois' Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day. Here is what I did this morning.

That looks outstanding, Jo Ann! Breads like that take some doing to get them looking so right ... and I'll bet they tasted right, too.

And Cynthia, aren't you lucky getting fresh produce from your CSA already, I'm so envious!

Our CSA is year round. It's one of the few good things about Texas.

[Robin Garr]

Bund Ghobi Dopiaza, Indian spicy cabbage and onions. 

I've been baking bread for the past month from Hertzberg and Francois' Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day. Here is what I did this morning.

That looks outstanding, Jo Ann! Breads like that take some doing to get them looking so right ... and I'll bet they tasted right, too.

I can't even begin to tell you how easy this recipe is. Zoe and Jeff are right, this recipe revolutionizes bread making. Making breads and rolls is one of the things that bonded me and my son when he was young. He loved the smell of the yeast, and I had to watch him very closely on bread making day or he would eat the dough raw, he found it so intoxicating. Well, he's been back home for the past couple of years and not feeling good about a long-term relationship that went south. A few months ago I remembered the interview I did with Jeff and Zoe, and decided to try their basic bread recipe. At first I was skeptical, believing it to be just another gimmiky cooking technique that would yield okay results. But, I plunged in anyway and bought the few, inexpensive supplies I would need to make a bread batch using 6-7C flour.

Well, imagine my surprise when the first batch not only went together easily, but yielded a fantastic product. The bread has that hollow sound when you tap on the hard crust just out of the oven. Then, when you cut into it the crumb has that delightful custardy interior. I was absolutely stunned and thought it had to be just luck. But, No! I've made a batch of this bread every week for the past month or so and it is perfect every time. I don't recommend Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day for hardcore bakers. But, for the home cook would would like to make a fresh baguette or rolls for dinner, this is it! It is a wetter, refrigerated dough that will last about 10 days in the fridge, that allows you to skip the proofing and kneading steps. And the product is superior to anything you will purchase in a store or bakery (unless you are in France). In addition, they have a website that keeps everything updated with more techniques for making more types of breads and rolls (and pizza doughs) than you will use in a lifetime. If you like bread this is definitely a book you may want to include in your cooking library or give as a gift to someone who is intimidated by the process. Zoe Francios is the serious baker in the team (Jeff is a doctor -- long story), and she has her own baking site that you should also visit for inspiration.

Tonight we had daal, followed by chana masala. I didn't get around to making naan, though.

Chana masala is supposed to be served with poori!

I've had it with bhatura (large pooris) quite often in India, but plenty of other times with parathas, chapatis or naans when in India.

[Robin Garr]

Chana masala is supposed to be served with poori!

I've had it with bhatura (large pooris) quite often in India, but plenty of other times with parathas, chapatis or naans when in India.[/quote]
Noted with respect, Salil. Still, please do not dissuade me from yanking Cynthia's chain.

[Robin Garr]

Polenta with goat cheese and garlic-sautéed spinach and chard, inspired by the goat cheese polenta at Decca restaurant in Louisville. 

Arugula and Garlic Pizza at House Pizzeria.

We stopped in on our way to see Roy Haynes this evening. Pizza is always great there. Roy Haynes is still amazing at 87!

Busy cooking/baking day here.

Made corn tortillas to go with some leftover New Mexican spaghetti squash casserole for lunch, have just taken ciabatta out of the oven, am about to turn and set the challah for a second rise, have a 2 gallon glass jar of cabbage and salt packed for turning into sauerkraut.

We got some gorgeous asparagus from the CSA this week, so that will show up somehow tonight. And, of course, pizza dough is rising since we didn't have quite enough left in our fridge stash.

Polenta with goat cheese and garlic-sautéed spinach and chard, inspired by the goat cheese polenta at Decca restaurant in Louisville. 

I could eat that.

[Robin Garr]

TV dinner: Spanish tortilla and fresh garden spinach. 

Yesterday's dinner was Ethiiopian doro wat.

-Paul W.

It was our friend Margaret's birthday yesterday, so we had her and a couple of other friends over to celebrate. Margaret's in her 70's and prefers food that is heavy on vegetables and legumes and light on meat. Accordingly, I made a stew that contained, green lentils, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, garlic, and fresh oregano and basil. The stealth meat ingredient was bacon fat which was used to saute the potatoes. Our friend Annie brought a salad to go with and there was plenty of crusty bread. Since Margaret is the neighborhood cat lady (she comes by almost every day to give our elderly cat his subcutaneous fluids), we had a chocolate frosted birthday cake in the shape of a cat.

[Robin Garr]

Gobi mattar, Indian cauliflower and peas. . 

Indian inspired latke from a recent Washington Post article made with potato, chick pea flour and usual spices served with a puree of roasted pears seasoned with cardamom. Very nice

[Jenise]

Yesterday's dinner was Ethiiopian doro wat.

-Paul W.

Paul, ours too!

[Jenise]

It was our friend Margaret's birthday yesterday, so we had her and a couple of other friends over to celebrate. Margaret's in her 70's and prefers food that is heavy on vegetables and legumes and light on meat. Accordingly, I made a stew that contained, green lentils, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, garlic, and fresh oregano and basil. The stealth meat ingredient was bacon fat which was used to saute the potatoes. Our friend Annie brought a salad to go with and there was plenty of crusty bread. Since Margaret is the neighborhood cat lady (she comes by almost every day to give our elderly cat his subcutaneous fluids), we had a chocolate frosted birthday cake in the shape of a cat.

Very cute. How lovely that she has you as friends to help celebrate, and that you have her there to help support your cat.

Very cute. How lovely that she has you as friends to help celebrate, and that you have her there to help support your cat.

Yeah, when you have a 20 year old cat, you need all the help you can get!

Pumpkin's birthday so a tsunami of seafood: little necks on the half shell, shrimp cocktails, poke, shrimp & chorizo pot pie. Dessert of pumpkin cookies, Italian dark chocolate bars with hazelnuts and orange peel, and Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream.

Lots of clever shopping but the only real kitchen work was on the poke and the pot pie. The poke came out very well. I used cucumber and pine nuts for added crunch but I think I will find another nut next time; the pignoli got lost in the shuffle of the dressing (soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame seed oil). The pot pie was the recipe I identified on that pinterest site. Needs tweaking. My first try will be to swap out the potato and swap in some mushrooms, and to bump up the seasoning. I suppose this takes it more in the direction of a St Jacques (but not quite there because the recipe has no cheese in it).

Served with a bottle of Pepiere 2009 Muscadet "Clisson" and a (gift) bottle of Cook's California Champagne.

[Jenise]

Jeff, give Pumpkin a birthday kiss from FLDG! Sounds like a great meal. Still love the idea of that pot pie, and agree with your changing out the potato for mushrooms--going towrd a St. Jacques is not a bad thing.

Today I'll be cooking for supper club on Saturday: tamales, two kinds. Black truffle and goat cheese/mint. Not sure what dinner will be, besides samples.

Shrimp with black beans and Lan-Chi sauce. A wok stir fry, other ingredients include mushrooms, water chestnuts, onion, red bell pepper, and lots of garlic. This was good enough that Louise requested a second round. I think I'll put in more Lan-Chi the second time around, and maybe a touch of oyster sauce. The first version had a slight burn but you kind of had to look for it, I would like the Lan-Chi to be more obvious. It's great with shrimp.

Today I'll be cooking for supper club on Saturday: tamales, two kinds. Black truffle and goat cheese/mint. Not sure what dinner will be, besides samples.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the goat cheese/mint combo in tamales. Have you made these before?

[Jenise]

Today I'll be cooking for supper club on Saturday: tamales, two kinds. Black truffle and goat cheese/mint. Not sure what dinner will be, besides samples.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the goat cheese/mint combo in tamales. Have you made these before?

No, I haven't. But Mark Miller (Santa Fe's Coyote Cafe) says they're wonderful, so they must be. (Note: didn't get to them last night, so it will be this afternoon. I'll report) When you consider that epazote, which is frequently used in Mexican cooking, is in the mint family and that goat is a Mexican meat specialty, there really is a cerebral and logical connection there even if we haven't had these flavors in a tamale before. I'm expecting something more tangy and delicate than your average tamale.