February 7, 2012 - The Final Cook & Talk

The kitchen at the Bleicherstrasse has reached the end of the road - the building is being torn down, and the Cookers left without a proper kitchen. Alas, my new flat won't accomodate us - - but if anyone is interested to host us, I'm ready!

Nonetheless, it's been a good 5+ year run, a lot of food and a lot of fun. Thanks to Daniel for great photos tonight, and special thanks to all the Cookers who came out to make this a real party!

	<Cookers: Daniel, Kerstin, Julie, Amina, Gerd, Tina, Andrea, Ralph, Frank, Cyrus, Alex, Annette, Schatz >Kerstin on fire
	<The challenge: cleaning out the pantry before the move >chop chop
	<hard at work >the goat cheese makes an encore appearance
	<Sounds like chocolate! Flipping the arepas>
	Andrea brought us chicken soup with hot dogs!
	<Summer rolls >Arepa topped with goat cheese
	<Whipped cream from the washroom - Alex takes the mixer to the nearest plug >Important job: licking the beaters
	<enjoyment >Annette is happy for cake
	<the 'Talk' part >the part of Cook & Talk that no one will miss

A motley night of motley recipes, with the focus on cleaning out my cubbards before I move house. We cooked:

Summer Rolls with Satay dipping sauce

Cambodian Cucumber Salad

Arepas de Queso with Baked Brie with Apple and Cranberries

Risotto with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

Nicky’s Vanilla Cake

Ralph took the 'Words of the Week' list home, and seems to have lost it...

January 10, 2012 - It’s all about the Brie

It’s all about the Brie. Corinna’s baked brie recipe inspired me to bake brie. We further bastardized the recipe and made one with a soft-rinded goat cheese. All the rest came from there. And brie demands chocolate: hence, the gooey chocolate cupcakes : ))

	<Cookers: Cyrus, Kerstin, Gerd, Ralph >It doesn't look like much, but Ginger and Parsnip Soup tastes great
	<Warm homemade cornbread >and ginger parsnip soup
	<Triangles of brie and squares of soft-rinded goat cheese before >and after melting all soft in the oven
	<Melted goat cheese on sweet cornbread tips this recipe up to an 11 Tip: be sure the Tofiffee candies go in upside down>
	<Chocolate Cupcakes with a caramel surprise inside>

Baked Brie with Apple and Cranberries
by Corinna Knepper Troth on Monday, January 2, 2012 at 7:35pm
Taken from a Pampered Chef recipe...edited marginally.

1/2 c chopped apple (or more - I like to go crazy with apple)
1/4 c. sliced natural almonds
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1T packed brown sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1T butter, melted
1 round 8" brie cheese (or soft-rinded goat cheese, for the truly decadent)
French bread or cornbread

1. preheat oven to 350º
2. Coarsely chop apple.
3. Combine apple, almonds, cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon.
4. Mix gently (how this differs from "combine" in step 3, I don't know)
5. Stir in butter just until ingredients are moistened.
6. Cut brie in half horizontally.
7. Place on Pampered Chef bar pan, rind-side down (or let's face it...any appropriately sized baking pan)
8. Spoon topping on cheese.
9. Bake 12-15 minutes or until cheese is soft and melty
10. Serve with something. (Yes, this is what my recipe card says. I suggest you cut up the french bread and serve it on that. Or serve it on the warm cornbread, recipe below : )

Grandma’s Buttermilk Cornbread
½ cup (115 g) butter
2/3 cup (135 g) white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (235 ml) buttermilk
½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
1 cup (140 g) cornmeal
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp (3 g) salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Parsnip and Ginger Soup
It doesn’t look like much, but it tastes great. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage cookbook wins again!
1 Tbsp olive oil
15g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4-5 cm piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
500g parsnips, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
800 ml veg stock
200 ml whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional finish: 2-3 Tbsp chopped almonds and/or 1-2 Tbsp cream

Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, cardamom, cumin and cayenne and stir for a couple of minutes. Tip in the parsnips and stir until well coated in the spices. Pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper and summer until the parsnips are very soft – about 15 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool slightly, then puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pan, add the milk and adjust the seasoning. Warm through gently – if the soup is a bit thick, thin it with some hot water from the kettle.

While the soup is warming, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan until just beginning to turn golden.

Serve the soup in warmed bowls with a trickle of cream or yogurt and the toasted almonds scattered over the top. Finish with a grinding of black pepper.

Moist and Rich Homemade Chocolate (Cup)Cake(s)
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa
2 1/2 cups strong coffee
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 teaspoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar (granulated works fine)
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 Set oven to 350 degrees.
2 Cut parchment paper circles to fit three 9 inch cake pans, or 2 larger cake pans (depending on the size and style of cake you want to create).
3 Alternatively, this recipe will make about 60 cupcakes, using muffins tins lined with cupcake papers. (You might want to halve the recipe.)
4 Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5 Set aside.
6 Whisk the cocoa and coffee together until smooth (no lumps).
7 Set aside.
8 In a large mixer bowl, cream butter (about 1 minute), add oil, beat for one minute.
9 Add sugars, beat for 10 minutes.
10 Add eggs, beat 5 minutes.
11 Add vanilla, beat until blended.
12 Alternately add coffee and cocoa mixture and dry ingredients into butter mixture, mixing after each addition, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl often.
13 Pour into prepared pans.
14 Bake for about 25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
15 Spread frosting over layers, and frost entire cake.
16 Another delicious idea: cupcakes with Tofiffee candies in the centers. Fill cupcakes 1/3 full with batter. *Important: lay Tofiffee candies in upside-down so that they keep their shape. Add more batter on top until muffin forms are three-quarters full. Bake about 20 minutes.

Words of the Week:
pagans
hardware store
to propose
punitive damage
identify
to nibble / nibbling
the edge
chlorine
bleached
lizards
reruns
to evade
tax evasion
laundromat

River Cottage Night – December 13, 2011

Ralph brought me a fab vegetarian cookbook from his last visit to London: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Veg Everyday! We all chose recipes we wanted to cook, and viola! I can highly recommend this cookbook - beautiful photos, clear recipes, good eating!

	<Cookers: Gerd, Ralph, Andrea, Alex, Angelika, Kerstin >Andrea's beautiful Avocado and Grapefruit Salad plating
	<Second course: Sweet Potato Curry Soup >and a Goat's Cheese Tart
	<A slice of the Goat's Cheese Tart >Beetroot salad
	<The Root Veg Frittata cooked straight through and was delicious. Tip: be sure the eggs are at room temperature>
	<Poppy Seed Streusel Cake

Beetroots with Walnuts and Cumin
75g walnuts
1 tsp cumin seeds
400 g beetroot
Handful chopped parsley
Juice of one small orange
A squeeze of lemon juice
2 Tbsp rapeseed oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional:
a Tbsp greek-style yogurt
toasted cumin to garnish
a pinch of hot smoked paprika

Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat and add the walnuts. Toast gently for a few minutes, tossing often, until they smell toasted and are colouring in a few places. Tip into a mortar. Put the cumin seeds into the frying pan and toast gently for a few minutes, tossing a few times, just until they start to release their scent. Tip on to a place to stop them cooking further.

Peel the beetroot and grate it coarsely into a bowl. Add the parsley, orange and lemon juice, 1 tbsp rapeseed oil and some salt and pepper. Give it a good mix, taste and adjust seasoning. Ideally leave for 20 min or so – the dressing will lightly marinate and tenderize the beetroot.

Spread the beetroot in a dish or on a plate. Bash the walnuts roughly with the pestle and mortar and scatter over the beetroot. Tip the cumin seeds into the mortar and give them a rough bashing too, then scatter over the salad.

Finish with another trickle of rapeseed oil and, if you like, dot with blobs of yogurt, sprinkling more cumin and a dash of paprika.

Avocado and ruby grapefruit with chili
1 ruby or pink grapefruit
1 avocado
½ small or medium red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
A small handful of coriander leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Slice the top and bottom from the grapefruit. Stand it upright on a board and work your way around the fruit with a sharp knife, cutting off the skin and all the pith. Now hold it in your hand over a bowl to catch the juice and slice carefully down between each segment to release from the membrane, letting the segments fall into the bowl. Squeeze the juice form the remaining membrane in too.

Halve, peel and stone the avocado, then cut lengthways into thin slices. Arrange on a large plate with the grapefruit segments and trickle over the saved juice.

Sprinkle a little salt and the chopped chili over the salad. Finish with the coriander and a generous trickle of olive oil. Serve straight away.

Curried sweet potato soup
2 Tbsp oil
2 onions, chopped
3 sweet potatoes, approx. 700g, peeled and cut into 2 cm dice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4-5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1-2 red chilies, to taste, deseeded and chopped
1 Tbsp garam marsala
2 tsp curry powder
1 liter veg stock
400 ml tin coconut milk
A small handful coriander, roughly chopped
Juice of 1-2 limes (about 1 Tbsp)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To finish:
A few Tbsp plain greek-style yogurt
A small handful coriander, roughly torn

Heat the oil into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 10 min, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, chilies, garam marsala and curry powder, and stir for a minute.

Tip in the sweet potatoes and stir until they’re well coated in the spices. Add some salt and pepper and pour in the stock. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Cook gently until the sweet potatoes are very tender – about 15 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat, cool slightly and then puree in a blender or food processor or with a stick blender, until very smooth. Return to the pan, stir in the coconut milk and warm through gently.

Take off the heat and add the coriander and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve the soup topped with a good dollop of yogurt, if you like, and scatter over some torn coriander. Finish with a little black pepper.

Thyme, tomato and goat’s cheese tart
A little sunflower oil
½ tsp fine cornmeal (optional)
375 ready made puff pastry
Beaten egg, for brushing
About 350g tomatoes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
100g rinded (hard) goat cheese
A handful thyme sprigs, leaves only
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 190°C. Lightly oil a baking sheet and scatter over a little fine cornmeal – this keeps the pastry really crisp.

Roll out the pastry fairly thinly and trim to a rectangle about 30x25cm. Put it on the baking sheet. Cut a 1 cm strip from each edge. Brush these strips with a beaten egg, then stuck on to the edges of the rectangle to form a slightly raised border. Brush the edges with a little more egg.

Thinly slice the tomatoes across into 2-3 mm slices; discard the stalky top and skinny bottom slices. Scatter the garlic over the pastry, then arrange the sliced tomatoes on top, overlapping them only slightly. Season with salt and pepper and trickle with a little olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and lightly browned.

Take the tart out of the oven, scatter over the cheese and thyme, add another twist of pepper and a trickle of oil, and return to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is melty and bubbly and the pastry golden brown. You can serve this hot, but it’s best about 30 minutes after it comes out of the oven, with a green salad.

Oven Roasted Roots Frittata
About 600g mixed winter veg, such as shallots or onions, carrots, squash or pumpkin, parsnip, celeriac, beetroot or potatoes
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
7 large or 8 medium beaten eggs, at room temperature
A handful of mixed herbs, such as curly parsley, chives and thyme, finely chopped
About 20g parmesan, hard goat’s cheese or other well-flavoured hard cheese, grated
Sea salt and finely ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Meanwhile, prepare your chose veg: peel shallots and quarter or thickly slice; peel carrots and cut into 5mm slices; peel squash or pumpkin, deseed and cut into 2-3cm cubes; peel parsnip, celeriac or beetroot and cut into 1-2 cm piece; cut potatoes into 1-2 cm cubes.

Put all the veg into an ovenproof dish, about 23 cm square. Add the garlic, oil, and plenty of salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the veg are all tender and starting to caramelize in places.

Beat the eggs together with the chopped herbs and some more salt and pepper. Take the dish from the oven, pour the egg evenly over the veg and scatter the grated cheese. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until the egg is all set and the top is starting to color. If your oven has a grill, you can use that to accelerate the browning of the top.

Leave to cool slightly, the slide the frittata out onto a plate or board. Serve warm or cold.

Poppy Seed Struesel Cake
Yeast dough:
400 g flour
30 g yeast
50 g sugar
1/8 liter milk
1 egg
100 g butter
Filling:
¼ Liter milk
50 g butter
125 g sugar
100 g Gries (small-pearl tapioca)
250 g ground poppy seeds
50 g chopped almonds
1 egg
Streusel:
200 g flour
100 g sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
Salt and cinnamon to taste
100 g butter

Preheat oven to 175°C. Put the flour in a bowl and dig a well in the center. Break the yeast and sugar into the well, add lukewarm milk and stir into a wet dough. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.

Add the rest of the milk, the egg and the butter and mix in. Knead together until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl surface. Let rise another 15 minutes. Roll out onto a greased baking sheet and let rise 20 minutes more.

For the filling, heat milk with butter. Add poppy seeds, Gries, sugar and almonds and allow to cool. When cooled, add the egg. Spread evenly over the dough.

Mix all ingredients for the streusel together in a bowl and sprinkle over the filling. Bake 25-30 minutes.

Words of the Week:
dammit!
father-in-law
depressed
goat cheese
writer / author
athens
rosemary
courses
lamb chops
stem
screen
polish
chest
remedy
gadgets
body bag
hops
sheets
angle
ankle
insects
sect
catholic
pyjamas
advertising

The Wrong Bird - A Ducky (early) Thanksgiving – November 8, 2011

Thanksgiving usually involved a turkey. It's also usually celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November. As usual, we played fast and loose with anything traditional - and it tasted good.

	<Cookers: Angelika, Ralph, Cyrus, Lukas, Sally the Official American, Gerd, Dagmar, Kerstin, Julie >At Ralph's prepping the bird, we found a heart-shaped potato : )
	<sprouts and shallots, pre-roasting >prepping the bird on Tuesday morning at Ralph's
	<Tater tots weren't quite tot-shaped, but they were easier to make and fry this way >A pan full of yummy
	<Sweet potato tater-tots >Roasted brussels sprouts and shallots
	<Green beans with garlic and parmesan >Un-stuffed stuffing
	<The bird, post- roasting >Much to give thanks for
	<the pumpkin pie >with the obligatory whipped cream : )

Ranch Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 clove fresh garlic, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 dash of paprika
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and let chill for 1-2 hours.

Sweet Tater Tots with Maple Syrup
3-4 medium size yams or sweet potatoes (enough to get 3 cups of shreds)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tsp Salt
Enough oil to fry

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the yams or sweet potatoes with their peels still on and boil for 20 minutes. Transfer out of water and let cool.

Peel potatoes. Using either a box grater or shredding attachment on food processor, shred enough sweet potatoes to get 3 cups of shreds.

Place 4 sheets of paper towels on your countertop, dump your shreds on top of the paper towel, and fold the towel up over the top of your shreds.

Push on the shreds until you have squeezed as much moisture out of the shreds as possible. Combine shreds with flour, cheese and salt. Mix well to combine.

Using a 1 Tbs measuring spoon, portion out tater tots, and form into small tater logs.

Fry in 350 degree oil for 3-5 minutes, until brown. Serve with real maple syrup, slightly warmed.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shallots
400 g Brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed
350g shallots, peeled and quartered
3 Tbsp olive oil
Several sprigs of thyme
Fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 190° C. Put Brussels sprouts and shallots on a large roasting pan, drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat, then add thyme sprigs.

Roast for about 35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until all a bit crispy brown and caramelized,

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the sprouts and serve.

Stuffing
1 loaf 12 grain bread
200g chopped mushrooms
2 onions chopped
50g butter
200g vegetable broth
1 clove garlic
freshly ground pepper
Brown mushrooms and onion in butter. Add 1/2 of the spices. Remove from heat. Cut or rip bread into small pieces. Combine with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle on remaining spices and add more to taste as desired. Mixture should be the level of moistness you would desire it to be at the outcome. Add broth or juice to achieve this as necessary. This stuffing is excellent both stuffed in the bird or not. Usually, I oil a casserole dish and pack the stuffing into it, cover it, and bake for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Garlic Green Beans
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium head garlic - peeled and sliced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans green beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil; add garlic, and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Stir in green beans, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until beans are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

PUMPKIN PIE
Pie crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Pumpkin Pie filling:
3 large eggs
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree or 1 - 15 ounce can (425 grams) pure pumpkin
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (110 grams) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine ingredients, being careful not to overmix. Bake at 190 C until knife comes out clean, 45-55 minutes.

Words of the Week:
applause
the magic wand
annullment
biased
divorce filing
black eye
rolling pin
novelty gifts
whoopie cushion
foreplay
corpse
body bag
car maker
wanker

Irish-Bayerish Friendship Night - October 11, 2011

Soliciting ideas from the group, there was a request for Irish sour cherry pie, as well as an overwhelming demand for Semmelknödeln. Hence: German/Irish, otherwise known as Irish-Bayerish (Bavarian). It's a good thing everyone likes Semmelknödeln, since Kerstin made enough of them to send home doggie bags with everyone.

	<Cookers: Kerstin, Angelika, Julie, Alex, Gerd, Ralph and Anke >Semmel- knödeln, after being fished out of boiling water
	Choose your Knödel sauce: <onion and parsley, fried in butter, or >mushroom cream sauce
	Carbohydrate festival: <Irish potato cakes and >Knödeln
	<Brussels sprouts >Pumpkin potage (looks like soup to me ; )
	<a full plate >The Sour Cherry Pie (someone borrowed my pie plate, so we had to improvise a square pie)
	>Sour Cherry Pie

Irish Pumpkin Potage
3 pounds peeled, seeded and diced pumpkin
2 leeks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cups veg stock
4 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (feel free to add less)
Halve the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds and pith. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
In a large skillet, saute the pumpkin, leeks, onion and garlic in olive oil. Add veg stock and bring to a simmer.
Strain vegetables, place in food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer puree to pot or crock pot; add enough milk to reach smooth consistency.
Add the cayenne pepper, paprika, ground pepper and nutmeg; simmer for 30 minutes and do not allow to boil.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
½ lb / 225g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and outer leaves removed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 oz /28g butter
2 Shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional)
Finely shred the Brussels sprouts with either a sharp knife or in a food processor.
In a large frying pan, heat the oil and butter (do not overheat or the garlic will burn). Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes, add the garlic, stir and cook for another minute.
Add the shredded Brussels sprouts and cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the leaves are cooked through. They should be slightly firm, not too soft. Season with salt and pepper, add the pine nuts and serve.

Semmelknödel with Mushroom Sauce
Old bread, cut into small cubes
Onion
Parsley
Butter
Eggs
Directions: Mash it all together. Let it sit for a while. Form balls. Cook for 20 minutes in boiling water. Remove from water, allow to sit for a few minutes. Serve with mushroom sauce.

Irish Potato Cakes
10 ounces (750 gr) potatoes
salt to taste
100 gr butter
4-5 tsp milk
a little flour, as needed
Peel potatoes, cut into cubes and drop into boiling water until cooked, about 20 minutes. Mash potatoes with butter, milk and salt. Adding a little flour to firm up the texture, form thin (about 2 cm) cakes. Fry cakes in butter until golden. Serve with sour cream.

Sour Cherry Pie
200 gr flour
125 gr butter, very cold
50 gr lard, very cold
3-4 spoons ice water
salt
750 gr sour cherries, stones removed (from a jar)
125 gr sugar
ca. 1 tsp grated lemon peel
150 gr crushed almonds
1 15g package vanilla sugar
1 egg
1/4 litre whipped cream, for topping
Cut lard and butter into flour using two knives. Spoon in cold water slowly, mixing in between, until dough just begins to form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes.
When dough has cooled, roll out onto floured board. Remove a piece of dough and form into a long snake and stick to the top of the pie plate. Roll out 2/3 of remaining dough, lay on the bottom of the pan (do not stretch). Add the crushed almonds along the bottom of the dough. Mix drained cherries, lemon peel and sugars. Roll out remaining dough for top of pie crust.
Beat egg yellow and brush over the top of the pie crust. Bake for approx. 25 minutes at 220° C.

Words of the Week:
leek
brussels sprouts
to peel
to douse
edible
eatable
blanket
lard
jar
mashed (potatoes)
strainer
plum butter
rubber band
lid
carbohydrates
paintbrush
brush
rolls – breadrolls
bland
improvised
‘You’re on your own.’
cutlery
silverware
consistency
unemployment benefits
resume, curriculum vitae (C.V.)
welfare
tomcat
magician

Eatings from Kiyiköy, Turkey - September 20, 2011

I spent a week in the tiny little fishing village of Kiyiköy on the Black Sea. We ate like kings. Here’s my attempt to recreate some of the fab stuff we ate. You can see pretty photos of Kiyiköy here.

	<Cookers: Kerstin, Cyrus, Gerd, Ralph, Birgit >The Secret Ingredient: Köfte spice mix (yes, we sometimes cheat)
	<The mushroom tofu filling, before being rolled into the Manti >Julie rolls Manti
	<Choppin' and rollin' (Sally made a guest appearance to do some reaming, too) >Manti before being deep fried
	<Manti after being fried... >...and staying warm in the oven
	<Garlic mint yogurt sauce for the manti >Eggplant salad
	<A full plate >Tomato salad
	<the last three pieces of Baklava (I accidentally mixed the sugar into the butter, so the top layer burned a bit. Don't do this.)

Marina Manti
The Marina Restaurant features a twist on the traditional Turkish Manti (which are usually referred to as ravioli, though they more resemble tortellini). Here, the traditional yogurt sauce covers something more like spicy mushroom (or meaty) egg rolls.

Sauce:
2 cups middle-eastern style yogurt (10% fat)
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp sea salt
Fresh chopped mint

Manti:
1 package eggroll wrappers or Turkish pastry dough, in rectangles
200g mushrooms
2 onions, finely chopped
1 brick tofu
½ package Turkish Köfte spice mix (if you can’t find this, use lots of red pepper, onion powder and salt)
100 ml mushroom soy sauce (use with spice mix instead of water)

Directions: Marinate tofu in soy sauce for several hours.
Prepare yogurt sauce first to allow the flavors to mix.
To prepare filling, saute onions until glassy. Add mushrooms and soften, then add tofu to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Wrap mushroom/tofu mixture in dough wrappers, forming into thin eggrolls approx. 5 cm. long. Fry in hot oil until golden.
(Meaty variation: spice ground beef or lamb with Köfte spice mix - don't use soy sauce. If you can’t find Köfte mix, make your own with lots of red pepper, onion powder and salt. Roll into little cylinders, wrap in dough, deep fry until cooked through).

Serve warm with yogurt sauce.

Turkish Eggplant Salad
• 3 eggplants
• 2 bell peppers, sliced finely
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• salt and ground black pepper
• a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
Wash the eggplant and prick all over with a fork. Place on the grill. To make sure it cooks evenly, turn it occasionally using the stem as a handle. When the skin of the eggplant looks quite burnt, make sure the flesh is soft right through by testing it with a fork. (You can also do this in the oven, though it's not as tasty.)
2 Hold the eggplant under cold running water to cool, then peel the skin, leaving the soft flesh. Slice it into a serving dish and add the tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic and cucumber .
3 Place the onion in a separate dish and rub with a good pinch of salt, then wash and drain. Add to the salad along with the parsley.
4 To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the salad and serve.

Tomato Salad (Domates Salatasi)
1 cup ripe vine tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/3 cup sliced red onions
1/2 cup feta cheese, cut in cubes
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
Pepper for taste

Mix all the ingredients and serve.

Baklava
Syrup:
1 1/4 cup water
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Baklava:
454 gr (1 lb) Phyllo Pastry (~20-22 sheets)
1 cup + 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cup pistachios, ground (use a mixer but do not grind finely), the measurement is after grinding
6 tbsp cream

3L (13x9x2") Pyrex casserole dish

To prepare the Baklava syrup place the water and sugar in a medium sized pot. First bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Then simmer for 15 minutes and turn the heat off. Add lemon juice and place the syrup in another bowl so that it cools down quickly.

Place the block of Phyllo sheets on the counter. Cut the sheets in half (8x12 inches). Now there are two blocks of approximately 40 sheets. After cutting in half, the size of the sheets should the same as the size of the Pyrex dish. Keep the blocks separate as half the sheets will go below the Baklava filling, and the rest above.

Brush the inside of the pyrex dish with the butter. Then lay down 2 sheets. Spread more butter on top , and then place two more sheets on top and butter again. Continue until you finish the first block of the phyllo sheets. Then brush on the cream evenly on top.

Spread the pistachios on the cream evenly. Then finish second block of the sheets the same way. Don't forget to brush the very top with butter.

Dip a big, sharp knife into hot water to cut the Baklava in rectangles. Cut 4 vertically and 6 horizontally to get 24 piece of Baklava. However, don't cut all the way down, only cut halfway until you reach the pistacchio. This will ensure only the top parts will rise when you bake it.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the pyrex dish on the middle rack. Bake for 25 minutes. At this point turn the heat down to 325 F while the dish is still in the oven. Bake for 30 more minutes and take the Baklava out. Leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Then using the same knife, re-cut the Baklava all the way down. This part may be a little bit hard but is worth it:)

With a tablespoon pour the lukewarm syrup evenly along the cut lines. Make sure not to pour it all over, only between the lines, otherwise Baklava won't turn out well.

Sprinkle some pistachios on top of each Baklava. Let it rest at least 4 hours before serving. The syrup should be completely absorbed. You don't need to refrigerate it. Cover Baklava loosely with aluminum foil.

Words of the Week:
dirt cheap
residence
publisher
external (hard) drive
shrink
shrimp

Roll Your Own Night – August 9, 2011

We were supposed to have a BBQ on the beach tonight. The weather did not encourage this. Emergency backup plan: a roll-able feast. The recipes below (as always) are merely suggestions. Feel free to use whatever you’ve got lying around in your fridge or your imagination.

	<Cookers: Birte, Julie, Kerstin, Gerd, Ralph, Alex >Chop chop: an evening of much chopping (and not too much cooking)
	<Shrimp sauteed with garlic >Left to right: lettuce, shrimp, guacamole, cucumer salad, green onions
	<Bottom to top: tortilla wrappers, bean sprouts, cheese, black beans, lettuce, shrimp, guacanomole, cucumbers, > Clockwise from top: duck sauce, shredded carrots, rice noodles, corn, Satay dipping sauce, chopped scallions
	<a rolled spring roll >a rolled burrito
	< puff pastry roll (with blueberries)

Summer Rolls
1 package round rice paper wrappers
Stuff to roll into them – may include:
Glass rice noodles (cooked, drained, cooled, stirred with sesame oil)
Fresh Thai spicy basil
Fresh coriander
Grated carrots (with a sprinkling of sesame oil)
Camobodian cucumber salad (see recipe below)
Shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes
Bean sprouts
Red pepper pesto
Shrimp fried in garlic (not vegetarian)
Fried egg
Fried tofu cubes
Hot chili peppers
Green onions
Soy sauce, duck sauce, Satay sauce (recipe below) for dipping
Directions: Soak a rice wrapper in cold water for 1 minute. Lay on dry plate, add ingredients, wrap and roll. Dip in sauce of your choice. Enjoy. Repeat.

Satay dipping sauce
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
juice of 1 lime
4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon rice vinegar

Mash garlic and chili together in a pestle. Add peanuts, mash into mixture, then blend with peanut butter and half the lime juice.

Now add the oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and the rest of the lime juice. Shake again to combine all the flavours. When the mix looks smooth, pour it into a bowl and stir through the remaining peanut butter. If it’s a bit thick, you can loosen the dip up with a splash of hot water.

Cambodian Cucumber Salad
* 2 cucumbers, peeled
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
* 1/2 clove garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
* Few drops chile sauce
Slice cucumbers lengthwise. Sprinkle salt on cut sides, then place cut-side down on paper towels to drain. After 30 minutes, pat dry.

Slice cucumbers into matchsticks. Place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle on cucumbers and toss to coat. Let sit for 1 hour (or a few minutes) before serving.

Burritos
Wheat tortillas (we used whole grain tortillas)
Stuff to roll into them – may include:
Black beans (soak overnight, cook until soft with salt, pepper and bay leaf)
Grated cheese
Guacamole (recipe below)
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Sour cream or crème fraiche
Hot chili peppers
Fresh cilantro

Warm a burrito wrapper briefly in a frying pan (no oil necessary). Lay warm burrito wrapper on a plate, add ingredients, wrap and roll. Enjoy. Repeat.

Guacamole
* 1 large avocado
* 1 tbsp minced garlic
* 1/2 cup chopped onion or scallion
* 1/2 cup chopped Roma tomato
* Juice of 1 whole lime
* Salt and black pepper to taste
* Chopped hot chilies, chili powder, or red pepper flakes, to taste
Combine the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Eat.

Puff Pastry Rolls
Buy a roll of puff pastry (go ahead, you can make your own if you want to. Email me your photos of the results). Cut into pieces, roll with Nutella, blueberries, crème fraiche, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Bake and eat.

Words of the week:
keg
barrel
freak accident
scruples
animal shelter
to bitch (and moan)
thesis project
jury / jurors
urban legend
the least
candies / sweets
hydroscopic
sticky
gluey
yeast
drawer
ram
woodruff

Guinea Night – June 14, 2011

I found the recipe for the peanut-y salad at the Hamburg Spice Museum, and it got me thinking about Guinea. Though I'm not a big fan of peanuts, they appear here in almost every recipe - and that's not a bad thing.

	<Cookers: Julie, Kerstin, Birgit, Ralph >salad with peanuts
	<soup pot >featuring peanut butter and chicken (sorry, not vegetarian this time)
	<lentils with peanuts > a full plate
	<Peach puzzle, before flipping over >and after the (very messy) flip

Vegetarian Kansiyé
8 ounces green lentils
3 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups water
1 vegetable stock cube
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/8 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
cooked rice, to serve
1. Soak lentils in plenty of cold water for at least 2 hours. Rinse & drain.
2. Brown onion, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, parsley and clove.
3. Combine tomato sauce and 1 cup water with the stock cube, add to lentils mixture and stir well. Dilute peanut butter in remaining cup of water and add to mixture.
4. Add bicarb of soda & cook in a covered pan, over medium heat for 1 hour, or until lentils are soft. You may need to add a little extra water / stock.
5 Serve hot over the cooked rice.

Tomato Cucumber Salad with Peanuts
4 tomatoes
2 large cucumbers
1 fresh green hot chili
1 shallot
100g peanuts, shelled
2 Tbsp oil
Juice of one lemon
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
½ tsp black caraway seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash and dry tomatoes and dice into cubes. Peel the cucumbers, cut into strips lengthwise, then dice into cubes. Remove seeds from green chili cut into fine pieces. Skin the shallot and cut into thin rings. Mix all in a large bowl.
Roast mustard and caraway seeds in a pan without oil.
Grind peanuts in a pestle and mortar. Mix in oil, salt and pepper and drizzle over salad. Mix in parsley and coriander, then serve in bowls with roasted mustard and caraway seeds sprinkled on top.

Groundnut Soup
Sorry, it’s not vegetarian – but I guess you could try it with mushrooms…
1 Tbsp red palm oil (or peanut oil)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 red fresnos, minced (or substitute your favorite hot pepper, as desired)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger (about an inch)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 quart chicken stock (or fish stock)
15 oz can chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup water
salt
pepper
Garnish: Crushed peanuts or dried shrimp, to taste
Next, brown the boneless, skinless chicken thighs in red palm oil. Season with salt and pepper. This can take up to fifteen minutes, so don’t fuss with it too much. Turn once.
Meanwhile, chop up the peppers, onions and garlic. Grate that ginger, too. Stir in the peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger. Let the heat do it’s magic. Once everything is soft and slightly browned, add in the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for about thirty minutes. Meanwhile, mix the natural peanut butter with water until a smooth paste forms. Tradition dictates that you should use your fingers.

Add it to the simmering soup and simmer for up to fifteen minutes, until thickened slightly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve hot with crushed peanuts or dried shrimp.

Peach Puzzle
Peaches and Syrup:
7 medium peaches, peeled (place in boiling water 20-30 seconds to loosen peels)
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
6 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. butter
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Dough: (Note: we just used pre-made puff pastry dough this time)
1 ¼ cups all-purpose white flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
6 Tbsp. very cold milk

1. Peaches and Syrup: Pre-heat middle rack of oven to 400 F (200 C). Place 6 oz. ramekin upside-down in center of 9 inch pie plate, arrange peaches in a ring around the ramekin. Combine brown sugar, water, vanilla and butter, stir over medium heat until sugar dissolved. Pour syrup over peaches.
2. Grate frozen butter into bowl with flour mixture, rub between fingertips until mixture turns pale yellow and coarse. Using rubber spatula, fold milk into flour mixture. Squeeze dough together and flatten into disk. Roll dough out on floured surface into a 9 inch circle. Lay dough over peaches and ramekin, but do no attach to pie plate.
Bake until the top of the dough is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Cool on rack for 30 minutes. Place large flat plate atop pie plate, flip very quickly. Serve.

Azerbaijan Night – June 14, 2011

After reading my friend Crystal Allene Cook's book 'Bombardirovka' (you can download it for free,

here: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/crystal-allene-cook/bombardirovka/_/R-400000000000000245533),

I was curious about Azerbaijan and Azerbi food. We discovered that the food is far better than the music : )

	<Cookers: Birte, Annette, Klaus, Julie and Kerstin >Yogurt soup
	<the stuffing >and the stuffed: tomatoes, eggplants and peppers
the savory potato carrot loaf
	<pilaf, with a layer of toasted almonds on top > a full plate
	<Shekerbura pastries, ready to bake >and after baking
	<Cardamom, pastries, whipped cream and fresh strawberries - dessert of the gods

Savory Potato Carrot Loaf
4 medium potatoes (about 1 + 1/2 pounds)
1 medium carrot
2 eggs
1/2 cup corn oil or vegetable oil
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped fresh mixed cilantro (coriander) and dill - you can substitute cilantro with parsley
1 teaspoon salt
A pinch of ground black pepper

Put the potatoes and the carrot in a medium saucepan and fill it with enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Do not overcook - the vegetables should be cooked through but should not be mushy. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel off their skins. Cut the flesh into medium dice. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 190°C / 380°F. Grease (you can use butter, or vegetable oil spray) the bottom and the sides of a 9 X 5 X 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using a balloon whisk, stir the eggs to mix. Add the oil and stir to blend. Add the yogurt and stir again. Add the flour and baking powder. Stir to mix. Toss in the diced vegetables and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Gently stir to mix. (Note: there is no need for a vigorous beating, so do not use a mixer).

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour, or until golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Unmold the loaf from the pan and slice. Serve at room temperature or chilled. This loaf will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Yogurt Soup with Fresh Herbs and Chickpeas (Dovgha)
A few notes before you begin:
* The key to obtain the best tasting dovgha is to use the freshest yogurt (go for home-made yogurt) and herbs possible. The yogurt must be only somewhat sour but not overwhelmingly so, or the resulting soup will be too acidic in flavor. To decrease the acidity of dovgha if using sour yogurt, instead of 3 cups of plain yogurt, use 2 cups plus 1 cup sour cream. Or, once you remove dovgha from the heat and bring it to room temperature, gradually stir in 1/3 cup or more as needed milk.
* Hold off seasoning the soup with salt before it is completely cooked and removed from the heat; if you add the salt earlier, it will curdle the soup.
* Another worthy point to mention is that the herbs you will be adding to the soup should be washed together once they have been chopped (but wash the bunches thouroughly to remove any dirt before chopping the herbs). This is done to rid the herbs from their green juices to prevent the dovgha from coloring in green once the herbs are added to it.
* The consistency of dovgha depends on individual taste - some like it real thin, others like it thick and hearty, like in this recipe. For a thinner variation, simply add more water to the yogurt at the initial stage.
* A variation of dovgha is prepared without chickpeas - just omit them altogether if you wish.
* Note that the main ingredients here are cilantro and dill and others come as secondary. If you do not have any of the secondary herbs, do not worry - use cilantro and dill instead. Mint adds a nice flavor too, so try not to skip it if possible. Other possible secondary herbs include chives, sorrel, wild cilantro (you can find it in Azerbaijan) or any other of your choice, provided they are not bitter.

Ingredients
½ cup dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight or 1 cup canned, drained
2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
2 cups chopped fresh dill
½ cup chopped fresh spinach
½ cup chopped fresh green garlic (if in season; leaves only)
½ cup chopped fresh mint
½ cup chopped fresh parsley or celery leaves
3 cups plain yogurt
4 cups water (or more if your yogurt is too thick and if you want a thinner soup)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/3 cup medium-grain rice, rinsed
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
If you are using dried presoaked chickpeas, put them in a small saucepan filled with water and boil until the chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

Place the chopped herbs in a colander and wash, tossing with your hands, under running water to remove the green juices. Do not squeeze the herbs. Allow the herbs drain on a colander.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the yogurt, water, flour and egg until smooth. Add the rice and stir to mix. Constantly stirring (very important, do not give up!) clockwise with a wooden spoon to prevent the mixture from curdling, bring it to a boil over medium heat. The soup should boil in 7-10 minutes.

As soon as it boils, stir in the fresh herbs. Stirring occasionally, simmer for another 7-8 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.

Add the cooked or canned chickpeas and remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature, then salt to taste and serve the soup ladled into individual serving bowls. If you wish, sprinkle decoratively with black pepper. You can also chill the soup in the refrigerator before serving. Note that dovgha thickens as it stands. Loosen with cold water. Nush Olsun! Enjoy!

Stuffed Eggplants, Peppers and Tomatoes (Badimjan, Biber ve Pomidor Dolmasi)
INGREDIENTS
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter

For the Shells
6 small black skinned eggplants (about 12 cm long and 4 cm in diameter)
6 medium green bell peppers
6 large firm tomatoes
salt
ground black pepper

For the Stuffing
4 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter
700 g tofu, cubed
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium green pepper (pointed or bell), finely chopped
chopped tomato pulp* (see the recipe)
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup cooked yellow split peas (1/2 cup dried, boiled in slightly salted water and drained)
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste

1. Prepare the shells:

Eggplants: Cut off the stalk end of the eggplants. Make a lengthways slit in each taking care not to cut right through. Fill a pan with water and bring to a boil. Gently drop the eggplants into the boiling water, and simmer for about 2 minutes, using a slotted spoon to keep them submerged. Remove and set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove the seeds from the eggplants with a spoon or by rubbing the eggplants gently between the palms of your hands to let the seeds fall out. Set aside.

Peppers: Start cutting tops off the green peppers about 1/2 inches (4 cm) from the stems and stop when you obtain lids attached to the peppers. Remove the seeds and ribs and set aside.

Tomatoes: Remove the stems. Start cutting tops off the tomatoes about 1/2 inches (4 cm) from the stems and stop when you obtain lids attached to the tomatoes. Scoop out the pulp, finely chop it and reserve for the stuffing*.

2. Make the stuffing. In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped pepper and tomato pulp and cook for another 5 minutes. Add tofu and cook until browned and softened. Remove the pan from heat. Add the fresh herbs, and cooked yellow split peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.

3. Sprinkle inside of the shells with some salt and black pepper and fill them with the stuffing. Cover the top of the peppers and tomatoes with their lids. Place the vegetables side by site in a deep frying pan. Pour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified over the top. Cover and simmer over low to medium heat for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender (but not mushy!) and the liquid has reduced to the syrupy consistency.

Azerbi Pilaf
½ cup of blanched almonds
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of unconverted white long-grain rice
2 cups of chicken stock, fresh or canned
½ teaspoon of white sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
¼ teaspoon of salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet in a single layer and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, watching for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly.
Set aside.
Melt butter in a heavy 1½- to 2-quart casserole set over moderate heat.
Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice turns somewhat white and opaque.
Stir in the sesame seeds, then pour in the chicken stock, ginger, salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Stirring constantly, bring to a boil, then cover the casserole tightly and bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the liquid has all been absorbed and the rice is tender.
Sprinkle the reserved almonds over the rice and serve at once.

Shekerbura
For the Dough:
500g pounds first grade wheat flour (white only) + 1 tablespoon (for step 3)
200 g unsalted butter, cut into large chunks
2,5 egg yolks
125 g sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dry yeast
1/2 tablespoon sugar
60 ml lukewarm milk

For the Filling:
350 g skinned hazelnuts, or almonds or walnuts (See recipe for how to skin if readily skinned nuts are not available)
350 g pounds granulated sugar
1 teaspoon, or to taste, ground cardamom

1. Prepare the dough. Put the flour and the butter in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, rub them together until you obtain fine crumbs. Make sure there are no large crumbs left.
2. In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix the eggs yolks, sour cream, salt and vanilla powder.

3. In another small bowl, put the yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon sugar. Fill it with 1/4 cup of lukewarm milk. Let stand for about 2 minutes.

4. Add the egg-sour cream mixture (#2), the yeast mixture (#3), to the flour-butter mixture (#1).
5. Using your hands, mix the ingredients until fully incorporated and a rough and inconsistent dough is obtained. Transfer the dough to your work surface. Put the remaining 1/4 cup of lukewarm milk in a separate bowl. Constantly wetting your hands with milk, knead the dough for a few minutes to make it smooth.
6. Shape the dough into a ball. Put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave aside to rest for about 30 minutes.
7. In the meantime, prepare the filling. If you are using already skinned nuts, grind them finely in a food processor. In a mixing bowl, combing the ground nuts with sugar. Add the ground cardamom and vanilla powder. Mix until fully incorporated.

To skin hazelnuts and walnuts at home: Place raw hazelnuts in a large frying pan, and roast over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the skins crack and begin to flake off, about 10 minutes. Take care not to burn the nuts. Working with small batches of nuts at a time, place them them on a kitchen cloth and rub with it to remove the skins. Most of the skins will come off although some will still cling to the nut (especially on walnuts). Do not worry, a little skin will not be that visible in the filling.
8. Divide the dough into 18 balls, each weighing 50 g.
9. Work with one ball at a time, and cover the rest. Roll each ball into a 4 inch (10 cm) circle.
10. Place the circle in the palm of your hand, slightly folded, and put 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center.
11. Starting at one end, begin sealing the left and right edges towards the center to obtain a half-moon shape. Sealed shekerbura must be somewhat chubby from the filling and never flat.
12. Using your thumb and index finger, start pinching and twisting the dough along the seal to decorate the edges.
13. Arrange the pastry on a baking sheet, lined with parchment (baking) paper. Continue working with the rest of the dough balls, arranging them on the baking sheet as you are finished decorating their edges
14. Bake on the middle rack of the oven preheated to 175C (350F) for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges just begin to change their color and the bottom is light brown. Take care not to overbake the pastries - their tops should be light color when baked. Coat the pastries with powdered sugar once they cool off.

Words of the Week:
diced
clingy
stork
c-section (caesarian)
whisker
whisk
stems
sour
sewer
stir
substitute
takeover
overtake
sunrise – sunset
cilantro
sage
almonds
settle
branch
twig

Cinco de Mayo – May 10, 2011

Not having cooked Mexican since a Cinco de Mayo long, long ago, we decided it was time to visit the land of little donkeys (burritos) again. The chocolate cupcakes claim to be in absolutely no way authentically Mexican, but I just didn’t have time to make a proper flan.

	<Cookers: Cyrus, Kerstin, Ralph, Gerd, Julie and Alex >Gazpacho cold soup
	<Hot black beans >Avocado salad
	<Guacamole >Sour Cream Chile sauce
	<Oven full of enchiladas >Enchiladas
	<Radishes are important >half an enchilada
	<Cupcakes before >and after

Guacamole
* 4 large avocadoes
* 4 Tbsp minced garlic
* 1/2 cup chopped shallot or scallion
* 2 cups chopped Roma tomato
* Juice of 2 whole limes
* Salt and black pepper to taste
* Chopped hot chilies, chili powder, or red pepper flakes, to taste
Combine the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.

Avocado Salad
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cocktail or Chile Sauce
1 sectioned pink grapefruit, peeled
1 skinned avocado, seeded and diced
1/8 cup toasted pecans (or walnuts), chopped
1 head shredded lettuce / salad greens
In a medium bowl, combine dressing and cocktail sauce. Cover and chill for 20 minutes. Stir in grapefruit, avocado and pecans. Serve.

Gazpacho
4-14 1/2 oz. cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped green chiles
1 cup celery chopped
6 flour tortillas
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. 2. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving. 3. Serve with flour tortillas.

Tofu Enchiladas
Sauce:
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup onion, finely minced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
10 long red chiles or 1/2 cup pure ground red chile
2 cups water
2 to 3 Tbsp. flour (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt (use less if you use tomato sauce, as it is salty)
2 fresh tomatoes, pureed or 1/2 to 1 can tomato sauce
1. Put chiles and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove chiles and cool under running water. Reserve cooking water. Cut off stem, cut chiles in half and remove seeds under running water. Cut in pieces and place in blender with 1 cup water. Blend well to puree. Strain if desired.
2. In a skillet, brown the flour a little.
3. Place oil in saucepan and saute onion. When transparent, add garlic and saute for one minute. Add flour to mixture and stir well for 1 minute. Add chile puree and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add reserved cooking water plus extra water to thin if necessary. Add salt and tomato or tomato sauce, if desired. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, or while you prepare the other ingredients for enchiladas.

Enchilada Filling & Preparation:
2 12-ounce packages firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed
100 g mushrooms, diced
2 or 3 cloves garlic
2 large onions, minced
2 large leeks, peeled and diced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp taco/chili con carne seasoning OR 1 tsp chili powder
enchilada sauce
2 cups cheddar or jalapeno jack cheese
8 - 10 flour tortillas
Enchilada sauce (see above)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pan, sauté onions in olive oil until glassy. Add garlic and brown slightly, then add mushrooms. When mushrooms have softened add leeks and allow to cook through. Cube the tofu and add to mixture along with taco seasoning until lightly golden brown and coated with spices.
Transfer the sauteed tofu to a large bowl and add approximately 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and half of the cheese. Combine well.
In the bottom of a baking pan or casserole dish, spread a thin layer, about 1/4 cup, of enchilada sauce.
Place a few spoonfuls of the tofu mixture in each flour tortilla. Roll up and place in baking dish, stacking each enchilada closely.
Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas in the pan, and sprinkle the remaining of the cheese on top.
Bake your tofu enchiladas for 20-25 minutes, or until done.

Sour Cream-Chile Sauce
1 pint sour cream
1 packet dried cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups Salsa Verde para Enchiladas
1 7-ounce can diced green chiles
Mix well and serve.

Black Beans
500 g dried black beans
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried cumin
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
The night before, cover beans in one liter water and bring to a boil in a large pot. Turn off heat, allow the beans to soak overnight.
The next day, allow the beans to cook one or two additional hours, until softened. Serve with rice or in your favorite burrito.

Burritos
12 flour tortilla wrappers
guacamole
sour cream chile sauce
salsa
black beans
grated cheese
lettuce or green salad
Warm tortilla wrappers in a pan or over gas flame. Add cheese and melt onto wrapper. Lay on plate, add a few spoonfuls of black beans. Add other ingredients to tast (don’t add too much, or your burrito won’t roll properly.
First fold over ends, then roll into a cylinder. Use two hands to eat : )

Chocolate Cupcake Surprises
1/2 cup (50 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup (240 ml) boiling hot water
1 1/3 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 15-count box Toffifee

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners (if you use the Toffifee, they’ll stick to the bottom).
In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
Fill each muffin cup about half full, top with one Toffifee. Add a small dollop of batter to cover Toffifee until the cups are two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 16 - 20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Words of the Week:
diced (to dice sth.)
destiny
fate
sword
fat cells
the worst (bad, worse, worst)
distracted
prostrate
donkey
to mash
stuffed
to giggle
carbohydrates (carbs)
cops
liposuction
sank (sink, sank, sunk)
digestive system

To get your full cooking-with-fast-oompah-music vibe going, tune in to http://streamingradioguide.com/streaming-radio.php?format=43&radio-format=Mexican%20Regional
We got some major Ranchera music going on.

Portuguese Night - April 5, 2011

We ate well. The tarts, which were the whole point of the evening of Portuguese food, disappeared before they could be photographed.

	<Cookers: Amina, Daniel, Siggy, Ralph, Gerd, Julie, Kerstin, Birte >Chick pea salad
	<Broccoli Rabe >cooking in action (sort of)
	<Pineapple fried rice >OK, it would've been better if I'd read the directions - the cornbread came out kind of strange
	<The Tortilla de Patatas >imagine you see beautiful Portuguese custard tarts here (sorry, no photo)

Broa - Portuguese Cornbread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups white cornmeal (or yellow)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
1 package compressed or granulated yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (water for granulated yeast should be slightly more than lukewarm)
1/2 cup milk
3-4 cups (approximately) sifted all-purpose flour (a mixture of 2 parts pastry flour and 1 part all-purpose flour may be used and will make a softer dough)
Directions:
Grease a 9-inch round pan, 2 to 3 inches deep.
In a large bowl combine cornmeal, boiling water, salt, sugar, and butter. Stir vigorously until smooth. Cool slightly. Add the yeast mixture and blend well. Add milk and flour, using enough flour to produce a moderately firm dough. Place dough on a lightly floured board and knead by pressing down on it with the heel of the hand, lifting the mass off the board, and then throwing it back on the board. Continue this process until dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Avoid over flouring the pastry board. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, cover with a clean, dampened towel, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place. The oven, unheated, is a good spot. Set the bowl over a pan of hot water to hasten rising. When the dough has doubled in bulk, after about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, punch it down in its bowl, then take it out and knead it again two or three times. Shape the dough into a ball, place in baking pan, and allow it to rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Bake in a preheated 350*F. oven until top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
Makes 4 to 6 portions. The cornbread will be lighter in texture if dough is allowed to rise twice in the bowl before final rising in the pan.

Chickpea Salad with Roast Garlic
Ingredients:
1 head of garlic, papery outside husks removed
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, drained
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Slice 1/4" off top of head of garlic. Wrap garlic in foil. In small baking dish, roast garlic until it turns buttery soft,
30 to 40 mins. Let stand 10 mins. to cool.

Meanwhile, in serving bowl, mix chickpeas with basil and vinegar. Set aside. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze out each clove into
bean mixture. Stir well to coat beans. Toss
with diced tomatoes. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Pineapple Fried Rice
Ingredients:
4 tb vegetable oil
1 yellow onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 c carrots, chopped
1 c green beans, chopped
1 c pineapple chunks
3 c rice, cooked
1 tb tomato ketchup
1 ts Salt
1 cucumber thinly sliced
4 tb green onion chopped
4 tb cilantro leaves chopped

Directions:
In a wok (or skillet) heat the oil over medium heat & stir-fry the onion & garlic until golden brown. Add the carrots & green beans & stir-fry for 2 minutes longer Add the pineapple, rice, ketchup & salt. Mix well & stir-fry for another 3 minutes. Arrange the cucumber around the serving platter. Pour the rice into the centre. Garnish with green onion & fresh cilantro leaves.

Tortilla de Patatas
250ml (1 cup) olive oil
4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
6 eggs
Salt
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the potatoes until almost soft, stirring from time to time so that they don't burn on the bottom of the pan. Drain the potatoes in a colander to get rid of the excess oil. The potatoes should be soft but not crisp. Remove oil from pan.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt. Add the potatoes, mix well and check seasoning.

Heat the frying pan on a moderate heat. Pour in the potatoes and eggs and shake the frying pan from time to time so that the omelette doesn't stick to the bottom.

Once the bottom of the omelette has set turn the omelette by placing either a flat plate on the frying pan and quickly turning over. Gently slide the omelette back into the frying pan and continue cooking, once again shaking the pan from time to time so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.

When omelette has set slide out of pan onto a plate to serve.

Spiced Broccoli Rabe (Grelos Salteados)
1/4 cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
pinch crushed dried red chili pepper
2 tablspoons flour (optional)
1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed of thick ends, steamed or boiled to just fork tender
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper or to taste
1. Warm a deep skillet and pour in the olive oil. Add the garlic and bay leaf. Just fry in the oil until the garlic takes on a golden color then remove the garlic and bay leaf. Do not allow the garlic to burn as it will impart a acrid taste to the oil.
2. Dust the well-drained broccoli rabe with flour (if using). Shake off the excess and toss the broccoli rabe into the shimmering hot oil along with the hot crushed pepper. Turning to coat the greens with the flavored oil, season with the salt and pepper. The addition on flour five a little golden color after initially absorbing any residual moisture from steaming or boiling the broccoli rabe.

Easy Portuguese Tarts

* 160g sugar
* 3 egg yolks
* 1 egg
* 300ml milk
* 2 - 3 Tbsp flour (as thickener for custard)
* 1 piece lemon rind
* cooking spray
* 2 sheets ready-rolled frozen puff pastry (24cm x 24cm), thawed

- Preheat oven to 230C fan-forced (250C non-fan - yes, it's hot) and place the oven shelf at the top.
- Sift the flour and sugar in a bowl. Beat the egg yolks and egg together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan with the lemon rind. When the milk comes to the boil, remove from heat and take out the rind. Add the flour and sugar to the pan and stir well until there are no lumps. Gradually mix the hot milk mixture into the eggs.
- Rinse the saucepan and return the mixture to the heat. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes.Remove from heat and pour into a jug.
- Use an 8cm round cutter to cut out the pastry. Place into muffin tins that have been well greased. The pastry will only come a third of the way up the sides. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the pastry all over. Pour in the custard almost to the top of the pastry.
- Place in the top of the oven, towards the back, for maximum heat. Cook for about 12 minutes, until the custard is set and slightly browned at the edges. It will be puffed up and the pastry should be golden and cooked.
- Remove from oven and serve warm.

Words of the Week:
whisk
anticlimactic
beekeeper ***
New Year’s Eve
sales opportunity
marketing opportunity
niche
Nelson Mandela Memorial Marshmallow Kiss
wholesaler
retailer
to grandfather (a law, for example)

Cambodia Night - March 8, 2011

Alex made the request for Asian food, and thinking of which countries we've not cooked from, I realized it was time to try Cambodia. Finding a bitter melon was a challenge - a new taste sensation, curious for us but interesting indeed... And the cake rocked.

	<Cookers: Daniel, Alex, Ralph, Gerd, Cyrus, Kerstin, Julie >Hot and Sour Mushroom Soup was exactly that
	<perfect cucumber salad >cooking in action (sort of)
	<Daniel's pancake masterpieces >Wrapped up and ready to eat
	<Bitter melon stew was very bitter indeed - strange for our Western tastebuds >the lovely cake looked better without bananas, but tasted better with them (no photo)

Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup
* 6 c Vegetable stock
* 2 ts pepper sauce
* 2 inch piece lemon grass -- crushed
* 6 kaffir lime leaves -- roughly torn into three pieces
* 2 ts Sugar
* 4 tb Lemon juice
* 4 oz Oyster mushrooms -- coarsely separated -OR- button mushrooms
* 4 sm Fresh red or green chilis - (more if desired) -- crushed
In a large pan, bring the vegetable stock to the boil and stir in the pepper sauce. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring well until the mushrooms are just cooked but still al dente. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Cambodian Cucumber Salad
* 4 cucumbers, peeled
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 4 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* Few drops chile sauce
Slice cucumbers lengthwise. Sprinkle salt on cut sides, then place cut-side down on paper towels to drain. After 30 minutes, pat dry.

Slice cucumbers into 1/2 inch pieces. Place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle on cucumbers and toss to coat. Let sit for 1 hour before serving.

Samlor Kor Ko (Khmer Stew)
* 1 Asian eggplant, in bite size chunks
* 1 Bitter melon**, remove seeds and cut into chunks
* 2 Cups fresh pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut in cubes
* 5 oz. Frozen or fresh spinach. Chopped
* 2 Slices galangal
* 1 Kaffir lime leaves
* 1 tbsp minced lemon grass
* 1 tbsp mushroom sauce
* 1 tbsp sugar
* 2 tbsp roasted rice powder
* 1 tsp salt
* ½ tsp turmeric powder, or 3 pieces fresh turmeric roots
* ½ tsp paprika
* 1 Cup coconut milk
* 2 Cups water
Put coconut milk, water, lemon grass, galanga, kaffir lime leaves, turmeric, paprika and garlic in a blender and blend it.

Place eggplant and bitter melon in a soup pot. Pour the mixed spices sauce over, and cover the pot with lid. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add pumpkin and spinach. Cover and cook till the pumpkin is tender.

Season with sugar, salt, mushroom sauce and roasted rice powder. Stir well. Serve hot with rice or hot bread.
**bitter melon is sold in Asian shops – it’s long and thin and green, and if you didn’t know better you’d think it was a cucumber with warts.

Num Ta Leng Sap (Khmer Vegetarian Pancake)
BATTER:
* 1 cup rice flour
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1 cup coconut milk
* 1 ½ cups water
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
* 2 stalks green onion, finely chopped
FILLING:
* 1 piece firm tofu, mashed
* 1 cup diced jicama (we substituted kohlrabi)
* 2 cups bean sprouts
* ¼ cup peeled mung beans
* 2 cups water
* 2 tablespoons mushroom sauce
* 2 tablespoons cooking oil
VEGETABLES:
* Romaine lettuce (or your choice of lettuce), washed and drained.
* Cucumber, peeled and sliced
* A bunch of fresh mint leaves or your choice of fresh herbs.

Put mung beans and 2 cups water in a small pot. Cook till the beans are tender. Pour the beans in colander to drain off water. Set aside.
Mix rice flour, corn starch, water and coconut milk together.
Season with sugar, salt, turmeric powder and green onion. Stir well and set aside.
In a separate bowl, mash tofu with cooked mung bean.
Add jicima (kohlrabi) and mushroom sauce with tofu. Mix well.
Heat a non-stick pan, pour 1 tablespoon cooking oil when it hot.
Sauté the tofu mixtures in the pan for couple minutes, then add bean sprouts. Stir and remove from the heat, set aside.
Reheat pan at medium high temperature. When the frying pan is hot, take a piece of paper towel and dip in the remaining oil to wipe inside the frying pan.
Stir the batter again and pour a thin layer of batter in the hot frying pan. Tilt pan to spread batter around in a circle.
Spoon some filling into the middle of the pancake.
Cover pan to cook for few seconds or till the bottom of the cake is golden brown.
Flip half of the cake over to form a half moon shape cake.
Remove the cake and place on a plate, repeat until the batter gone.
HOW TO EAT:
Take a piece of lettuce, put some pancake in with a slice of cucumber and a few mint leaves inside the lettuce.
Wrap the lettuce and dip in vegetarian fish sauce or sweet soy sauce.

Num Tirk Doung (Coconut Pound Cake)
* 4 eggs
* 2 cups all purpose flour
* ½ cup melted butter
* ½ cup coconut milk
* ¼ cup fresh or frozen unsweeted, shredded coconut
* 1½ cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
* ½ teaspoon baking powder
* ¼ t easpoon salt

Preheat oven at 325 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together.
Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well.
Add vanilla, baking powder, salt and coconut milk.
Blend in all purpose flour and shredded coconut.
Grease a cake pan with cooking oil and sprinkle some flour on the bottom of cake pan.
Pour the cake batter in to the cake pan.
Bake for 1½ hour.
Remove from oven, wait until cake cools off before taking it out of the cake pan.

Kuay Namuan (Bananas Cooked In Coconut Milk)
* 4 large ripe bananas
* 1 cups thick coconut milk
* 1 tablespoons sugar
Peel and cut each banana into 3 or 4 pieces. Make coconut milk from the creamed coconut available in packets or tubs. Simmer coconut milk and sugar until thick and creamy. Add bananas and cook gently until bananas are soft but not mushy. Serve warm.

Words of the Week:
engineer’s union
grater
award ceremony
mushy
apron
opening
audition / auditorium
casting
subtle
to mumble
mastery
sweepstakes
competition
last rites
foil
hazard
dominatrix
colonialism

Birgit's Birthday Feast - February 8, 2011

For Birgit's birthday, I chose Cuban recipes and she chose the guest list. With many people cooking together, we were able to cook a whole lot of food (and apparently consume a vast quantity of wine, based on the number of empty bottles I found the next morning). I hope everyone had as much fun as I did!

	<Birgit enjoys her birthday feast >a full kitchen: 13 (!) cookers (they didn't even all fit in the picture)
	<cooking is not a spectator sport >the key ingredient: sofrio
	<First course: black bean soup >Many, many avocadoes for the shrimp and avocado salad
	<a plate full of cheese arepas >fried plantains (best topped with sofrio)
	< sweet potatoes, Cuban style >art meets wine
	<tonight, the chef eats last >the cake

Black Bean Soup
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 pound dried black beans
* 12 1/2 cups water, divided
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 3 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper (about 3 medium)
* 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
* 1/3 cup chopped shallots (about 2 small)
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 2 tablespoons dried oregano
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
* 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 2 cups diced peeled avocado
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 2 cups thinly sliced red onion
* 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 cup light sour cream
* 10 teaspoon unsalted pumpkinseed kernels, toasted
* 1/3 cup finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (about 2 medium)
* Lime wedges (optional)
Place bay leaves and beans in a Dutch oven. Add 12 cups water to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 1/2 hours or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, chopped onion, and shallots to pan; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, dried oregano, and fresh oregano; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place vegetable mixture in a blender; add remaining 1/2 cup water. Puree until smooth.

Add vegetable mixture, sugar, and salt to beans; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Combine avocado and juice; toss gently. Ladle 3/4 cup bean mixture into each of 10 bowls; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons avocado mixture, about 3 tablespoons red onion, 2 tablespoons ham, about 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 teaspoon pumpkinseed kernels, and about 1/2 teaspoon jalapeño pepper. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad
* 2 avocadoes
* 24 shrimps
* salt, olive oil and vinegar to dress the avocados
* ¾ cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of Worcester sauce, ¼ cup of ketchup – to make sauce
* 1 can of pimentos, lettuce and 4 stuffed olives - to garnish.
It doesn’t really matter where you come from, a shrimp and avocado salad is always going to be a popular hit! To prepare a Cuban shrimp and avocado salad, you need to peel and e-vein the shrimp. Then, rapidly bring to boil a quart of salted water. Throw in the shrimp and take the shrimp out one the water starts to boil rapidly again. Place the shrimp under running cold tap water to stop them from cooking. Turn your attention to the avocado by cutting them in half and tossing out the seed. Dress the avocado in olive oil, salt and pepper and vinegar. Mix together some mayonnaise, ketchup and Worcester sauce and pour this sauce mixture over the shrimps. After this, all you need to do is fill-in the avocados with the shrimps and cover the avocados in a plastic wrap before putting them in the fridge to chill. Garnish with olives and sweet pimentos if you want and serve over a bed of cold lettuce.

Arepas de Queso
2 cups (470 ml) milk
1/4 cup (60 g) butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups white cornmeal (cornmeal)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup mozzarella or other salty cheese, grated or cut in thin slices
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and stir in butter. Combine arepa flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to hot milk and whisk until combined. Let mixture stand until milk is absorbed enough but batter is still a bit runny - it should be like pancake batter, but a bit thicker. Heat ‚ tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat until hot. Pour in a small circle of arepa batter, then lay cheese atop the batter. Top with another thin layer of batter. Cook 2 or 3arepas until cooked through and golden in patches, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Make more arepas in same manner, adding oil between each batch. Serve warm with black beans or sofrio sauce.

Plantains and Rice
For Plantains:
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ripe plantains, peeled and cut on a diagonal into 1/4-inch slices

Mix together the plantains, mix together the pepper, salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a bowl. Lay the plantain slices on a work surface and sprinkle on one side only with the spice mixture. Heat 1/8 inch of vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and place the plantain slices, spice side down, in the hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown or slightly black. Remove the slices and drain on paper towels. Keep warm. Serve with rice and sofrio sauce.

Sofrio
* 1 chopped green peppers
* 11 chopped tomatoes
* 5 garlic cloves
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* 1 each of chopped green peppers and onions
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/3 of a cup of sherry
* cumin, oregano, sale and pepper for taste
If you are keen to learn how to cook Cuban food, you will, eventually, have to learn how to cook Sofritos as they form the base for so many popular Cuban recipes. Indeed, they’re not that complicated to prepare. All you need do is sauté some tomatoes, onions, bay leaves, garlic, peppers, oregano and cumin in some oil very slowly until all of your vegetables are limp. Then you add some sherry and leave the whole thing to simmer. After which, you serve.

Cuban-Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes
6 large yams, peeled and quartered
8 tbsp olive oil
Fine sea salt
Freshly grounded black pepper
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp oregano

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

Place the yams in a medium bowl, toss with 2 tbsp of the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet, and roast until they can be pierced easily with a knife but still offer some resistance, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes or so.

Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, and toss with the garlic, lime juice, parsley, and remaining 2 tbsp of oil Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Easy Vanilla Cake with ‘Dulce de Leche’
Ok, this isn’t authentically Cuban. But we didn’t have time to refrigerate flan, or a proper Tres Leches cake, so this is my take on the good stuff (a Cuatro Leches without the first 3).
Cake Batter:
2 cups sugar + 1 envelope vanilla sugar
1 cup butter (230g), room temperature
4 eggs
3 cups cake flour
3 ½ tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
Cream sugar and butter together with mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating in thoroughly. Add baking powder and flour. Finally, add the milk slowly to mix it in. Bake in a greased baking form for 30-40 minutes at 175°C.

Dulce de Leche cheat (when you don’t have 3 hours):
1 cups sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 oz Butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Combine all ingredients except vanilla in heavy 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil (15 to 20 minutes). Cook approximately 5 minutes until you’ve got a thick, wonderful syrup (don’t overcook or you’ll have hard candies).

Words of the week:
head chef
belated
impression
garlic press
lavender
penalty kick
shattered

Egyptian Night - January 11, 2011

Don't ask my why I decided on Egypt tonight, but everyone was very glad I did. Some fantastic recipes!

	<Cook like an Egyptian: Birgit, Nico, Amina, Tina, Cyrus, Gerd, Ralph, Kerstin >tonight, featuring new aprons
	<fresh-baked pita bread > the perfect mate for fresh-made hummus
	<Much to chop: Gerd the Onion Man, Amina, Cyrus and Kerstin >Sweet and sour okra
	<Koushari should have been starch overload, but somehow it works (tasty!) >Lettuce salad with orange juice
	< Ralph's perfect plate >and the perfect chocolate cake (bringing new meaning to the phrase 'coffee cake')

Koushari (Lentils, Macaroni, Rice, and Chickpeas)
Ingredients
* 1 cup lentils
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup elbow macaroni
* 1 cup rice
* 1 can (15-ounce) chickpeas (also called ceci)
* 2 Tablespoons olive oil
SAUCE :
* 1 cup canned tomato puree
* ¼ cup olive oil
* 2 onions
* 1 garlic clove, or to taste
Procedure
1. Prepare lentils: Place the lentils in a sieve and rinse thoroughly. Place them in a large saucepan with 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Heat until the water begins to boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for about 1 hour until lentils are tender. Drain and set the lentils aside.
3. Prepare the macaroni: Fill the same saucepan with water (add salt if desired). Heat until the water begins to boil.
4. Add the macaroni and boil about 12 to 15 minutes, until macaroni is tender. Drain and set the macaroni aside. (It is okay to combine the macaroni and lentils.)
5. Prepare the rice: Heat the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in the same saucepan. Add the rice and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, thoroughly coating the rice with oil.
6. Add 2 cups of water and heat until the water begins to boil. Cover the saucepan and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
8. Assemble koushari: Drain chickpeas and rinse. Add chickpeas, lentils, and macaroni to cooked rice and toss very gently with a fork.
9. Make sauce: Peel the onions and cut them in half lengthwise. Slice each half crosswise into thin slices.
10. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until onions are golden brown.
11. Add garlic clove and cook 1 or 2 more minutes. Stir in tomato puree and heat until bubbly.
12. Now pour the sauce over the lentil mixture and heat over very low heat for about 5 minutes, until completely warm.
13. Serve with pita bread.

Bamia (Sweet and Sour Okra)
* 1 pound small okra pods
* 2 Tablespoons olive oil
* 1 Tablespoon honey
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
* ½ cup water
1. Wash the okra and pat it dry with paper towels.
2. Discard any blemished or hard pods.
3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan and sauté the okra in the oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning each pod once.
4. Add the honey, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and water. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
5. Serve hot.

Lettuce Salad
* 1 small head of lettuce, shredded
* ¾ cup orange juice
* Pinch of salt
* 1½ teaspoons pepper, or to taste
1. Toss lettuce with orange juice.
2. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Lemon and Garlic Potato Salad
* 2 pounds of red potatoes, scrubbed but with skin left on
* ½ cup parsley, chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* Juice of 1½ lemons
* 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
* Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Boil potatoes until tender (½ hour to 1 hour, or until a fork can easily pierce the skin) and let cool.
2. Add parsley, garlic cloves, lemon juice, oil, and salt and pepper; mix well.
3. Chill and serve.

Easy Hummus
# 1 large can chickpeas
# 7 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
# 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
# 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for garnish
# 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), at room temperature
# 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
# Salt
# Paprika, for garnish
# 1/4 cup chopped parsley
1. Peel the garlic cloves. Drain liquid from chickpeas.
2. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas with olive oil and garlic cloves. Add the cumin along with the tahini and lemon juice and process until creamy. Season the hummus with salt and transfer to a serving bowl.
3. Sprinkle the hummus with the cumin and paprika. Garnish with parsley, and serve with pita bread.

Pita Bread
* 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
* 1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 2 cups wheat flour
* 3 cups all purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.

Combine white flour, wheat flour, and salt in large bowl.

Make a small depression in the middle of flour and pour yeast water in depression.

Slowly add warm yeast water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until dough becomes elastic.

Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded.

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated with oil. Allow to sit, covered, in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. For best results, use a pizza stone or a ceramic flower pot saucer to set the bread on while baking.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.

Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes.

Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.

Take spatula and gently push down puff. Serve warm.

Keeka Baladi min Shokolata (Egyptian Chocolate Cake)
280g plain flour
280g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
250ml milk
120ml vegetable oil
105g dark cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
240ml hot, strong, black coffee
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the oil and the eggs. Stir to combine then add the milk and the black coffee. Stir until you have a smooth batter then turn into a well-greased cake tin or a baking pan about 22 x 33cm in size.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 30 minutes, or until well risen and nicely browned and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake emerges cleanly.

Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cake can be served as is, or it can be iced with plain or chocolate icing. 4. 4 Top with cinnamon whipped cream

CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM
1/2 t Cinnamon; Ground
1 t Vanilla Extract
2 c Heavy Whipping Cream
CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM:
Chill large mixing bowl and beaters. Beat cream with an electric mixer set at high speed until soft peaks form and mixture is thick enough to spread. Add sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and beat briefly to mix. DO NOT overbeat or you will have butter instead of whipped cream.

Words of the Week:
rubber spatula
apron
to curse
peanuts
“it’s a piece of cake”
“no sweat”
stuffed
container transfers
tin / can
seconds
iodine
flower pot
whipped cream
heirloom
waist

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