Instant Tea Master

Last weekend we popped into Maido in Narberth just to check it out.  We ran into my son's classmate and decided to have lunch.  It was interesting - okonomiyak (a veggie and shrimp pancake) and yakisoba (noodles); we had this with barley iced tea - it put me in mind of iced coffee and is supposed to aid in digestion.

We stopped at TJs on our way home and were pleasantly surprised with the things that we tried - vegetable panang curry - tastes exactly like the panang from my favorite Thai restaurant, and only costs $2.69; shrimp with green curry, frozen jasmine rice, and miso soup. 

My son went to camp at Shofuso this week and absolutely loved it.  He made wonderful crafts, was introduced to Japanese culture, and acted as a tea master for the parent's tea tasting on Friday.  I learned so much about tea in just a short time and will be dashing out to purchase some matcha green tea. 

I was inspired and hungry so I returned to TJs, purchased additional panangs, more miso soup, sardines in olive oil, udon soup, and mango on sticky rice.  My plan was to have a bento style meal with my husband and son, but alas, Girl Scouts messed up my daughter's transportation plans and we had to drive to the Poconos. 

For lunch today, I went ahead as planned.  I used my son's ikebana as a backdrop and his painted tea bowl for rice.  We had miso soup, udon soup, jasmine rice, and sardines - an instant bento; our tea master poured a Teavana chai blend slightly sweetened with German rock sugar.  We topped that off with the mango and sticky rice. It's amazing what you can do with an electric kettle. 

Reduction

I went on a bit of a shellfish binge a couple of weeks ago.  All you can eat mussels on Monday and all you can eat dungeness crabs Thursday.  Dungeness crabs are not local (they're native to the Pacific northwest) but they do have a "Best Choice" sustainability rating.  On the other hand, the blue crab is relatively local - Chesapeake Bay (native to the western Atlantic) - but supply can come from anywhere along the coast due to high demand.  I usually get blue crabs once or twice a season and devour them with my cousin.  My husband doesn't like picking crabs, but he is definitely looking forward to Ramadan because crab cakes are a mainstay of the breakfast menu. Last year I figured out that I had to read the label for lump crab meat - not all of it comes from Maryland...as a matter of fact, a whole lot of it comes from Asia (especially if you're buying Phillips).

I've been thinking about scallops since I talked to a friend the other day...she was planning on pan searing them for dinner and I thought about how much I love scallops with a nice reduction.  Instead of going with a winner, Whole Foods, I sent my husband to Acme to get wild caught sea scallops and dungeness crab clusters on sale.  The scallops weren't dry packed so of course they weren't as sweet, succulent, and large after cooking; but they were decent, thanks to the reduction concoction. 

I threw some sweet potatoes in the oven, then got started on my reduction...I was literally grasping at straws, randomly combining ingredients: orange juice, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, and crushed red pepper.  I put the crab clusters in a dish and added garlic, crushed red pepper, and butter, covered with foil and threw that into the oven.  I sauteed some spinach and finally seared those scallops. 

Moroccan surprise

I had no choice but to cook...I was hungry and I had taken leg quarters out of the freezer.  I think I had a bit of inspiration from my daughter - she's at pastry arts camp this week and has a spring in her step.  There was no way we could justify eating the many desserts she brought home if it wasn't preceded by a nice home cooked dinner.

I can't even remember what I intended to cook when I took the chicken out...I jerked some breasts the week before last...my friend just returned from Israel bearing gifts of zatar and kurkum, but I need to make a call to UAE before I take the plunge because I've only had zatar as a tea or a topping and have never seen kumkum before but it looks a bit like bizaara...I still had a bit of longing for al Magrheb. 

I cleaned, skinned, and scored the chicken and that's when I started deviating from the plan - I seasoned the chicken and then sprinkled cayenne pepper....I placed that in the marinator while my daughter prepped the veggies - onions, garlic, potatoes, and celery - it was in the fridge so I used it. 

I seared the chicken, sauteed the garlic and onions, then added everything to the pressure cooker, sprinkling random seasonings here and there...after layering the tomatoes, I added my focal spices - ginger, cumin, nutmeg, paprika...then I threw in some cardamom pods and a few saffron threads - happened to notice them in the cabinet when I was getting out the rest of the stuff. 

I put a little liquid in the pot and then topped it with frozen vegetable normandy and sprinkled on a bit more seasonings.  These veggies should've been added later but I truly wasn't in the mood for any additional steps.  I let the pressure build and 15 minutes later we were enjoying our Moroccan chicken with a kick, courtesy of the cayenne pepper.

Hoodwinked

I've been in a bit of a slump lately...I want to cook but the house is in no condition for such a task.  Last week's rainstorm revealed a leaky roof in the rear of the house and now we're in the dry out process - industrial dryers and dehumidifiers on all three levels of the house.  Despite the central air, it's 80 degrees in here and noisy...not to mention it looks like we just moved in. 

I want to cook, but just can''t. 

Unfortunately we're back in dining out mode and it just occurred to me that I'm a hypocrite. I always say that I prefer not to dine out for ethnic food...that most of it has been bastardized to suit American tastes.  If that's true, why have I become a patron of PF Chang's? 

Saturday we went to the Marlton location and it was disappointing, not the consistency you'd expect from a chain (I assume it's because they may actually be cooking the food rather than heating it up).  The food was sweet and some of it was salty, none of it was flavorful.  Upon further reflection, I realized that each of the PF Chang locations I visited had the same patron demographic, suburban middle class, not an Asian in sight. I wonder if a Chinese person would even recognize the menu items. 

I'm still trying to figure out what possessed me to go in the first place. 

Roti revolution

A couple of weeks ago I "learned" how to make roti.  It's relatively simple to make, if you're Indo-Pak and have mastered the rolling technique because you make it everyday.  I attempted to make roti today.  Attempted is the key word.

First I chopped up a few onions, then I made my accompaniments - keema and aloo.  Both of these dishes are easy to make.  The aloo is similar to homefries, but uses tumeric, chili pepper, and of course garlic-ginger paste.  The keema is ground meat that is browned then finished with tomatoes in a pressure cooker, I decided to add peas for a splash of color and to make it a one pot meal.

Once the accompaniments were completed, I started to roll the roti - of course it kept sticking and I was never able to get the round shape.  I griddled it anyway and the texture was all wrong.  After attempting 4 or 5 pieces, it became clear that something was wrong with my dough and/or rolling technique.  I turned off the pots and dashed to the Indian spice store and bought refrigerated roti.  The clerk commented that they sell lots of it and only fanatics still make it, and then had the nerve to say that it's easy to make.

I returned home, griddled my roti and had a very filling lunch, complete with mango lassi.  I resigned that in 2010, I can allow myself the convenience of pre-rolled roti.

Late nite

Why did I serve dinner at 11:30pm as if it was 6pm?  Perhaps I thought I was in UAE, enjoying a full meal with dinner guests that arrived at 8pm...no, usually those meals, though plentiful, are rather light - mostly vegetables.  This is meat and potatoes.  Steak, potatoes, zucchini, and brussel sprouts. 

How did this happen?  I got lost in a book and an accompanying treatise on FB while my children packed for camp, but I was determined to have a decent family dinner before their departure.  

Eggstreme

My friend is pregnant with babies #5 and 6 (yup, twins).  She's always on the go, running here and there "real quick," volunteering, etc.  The problem with this model is not only that she burns a lot of gas and wastes a lot of time - she rarely has time to cook a decent meal. 

She stopped by with her 22-month-old daughter on Wednesday, so I made her coffee and an omelet.  She acted like that was the best omelet she ever tasted and even posted it on her Facebook page.  She kept asking me if I did anything special - no just the usual - onions, peppers, spinach (haven't used mushrooms in a while).  Because I'm not a fan of eggs, I make a 4-egg omelet in a 10" pan for 2-3 people and a 6-egg omelet in a 14" pan for 4-5 people.  She insisted that there were special peppers, I assured her that only green peppers are bitter; the red, orange, and yellow are sweet. 

Coincidentally, she called me Thursday morning around the same time; sensing the true purpose of her call, I immediately informed her that I was not making omelets but then I thought that there might be some blessings in feeding a pregnant woman and her daughter, so I told her to come over.  She arrived with another friend of ours and again I made coffee and an omelet.  Of course we followed that with cherries. 

This morning she dashed to Produce Junction to get ingredients to make her own omelet, she's sauteing the vegetables as we speak.

Inspiration

Today was so hot that I could hardly breathe.  I am so thankful for central air but every time I stepped out of the house I was slapped in the face by heat.  My son wanted to go to Coldstone when I picked him up from camp, but I suggested that we buy ice cream and make sundaes at home.  

I absolutely love banana splits. There was a bake-off at one of the cookouts I went to on Saturday, the winner was an 'icecreamless banana split' - it was delicious. Couple that with inspiration from my 'fresh fruit sundae' from Serendipity 3 and voila - a fruit split - butter almond ice cream topped with bananas, peaches, cherries, maple syrup (the real stuff, not the pancake syrup concoction), and whipped cream. 

Speaking of cherries - I think I'm running neck and neck with The Witches of Eastwick...I've eaten at least 6lbs of cherries (grown in Washington state by the Rainier Fruit Company) since Saturday.  It started with a trip to Whole Foods, I decided to take the plunge and get a couple of pounds @ $4.99/lb....I bought a few pounds from Genuardi's Monday @ $1.99/lb, and several more pounds today.  Dark, sweet, firm cherries - just the right topping for a sundae. 

After I indulged in the sundae I thought I'd make a light dinner.  There was a nice shrimp pasta salad at that cookout - instead of mayonnaise, shells, and imitation crabmeat, this salad had shrimp, garlic, tomatoes and spirals tossed with Italian dressing.  Tonight I made a tri-color pasta salad with garlic, red onions, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, and roasted peppers; topped that with tonno and grated sharp provolone; with sauteed spinach on the side. 

I think I'll eat a bowl of cherries for dessert. 

Marrakesh Express

My first exposure to Moroccan food was 2003 or 2004 when I convinced my Arabic teacher to have us over for dinner.  I remember him preparing a chicken dish with yukon gold potatoes and peas, I guess it was similar to salona but was made with Moroccan spices.  The following year when he returned from Marrakesh, he brought me a tea set and spices - black pepper, nutmeg, paprika, cumin, and ginger.  I stored them in airtight ceramic containers and they're still very fresh (much better than McCormick).  That was also one of my earliest exposures to "Arab hospitality," he felt as if he should have made more dishes, but the food was tasty and plentiful.

We tried a couple of Moroccan restaurants in the city but the atmosphere was not to our liking.  Then, during Ramadan 2008, I had the best couscous - with chicken and vegetables, subtle yet bursting with flavor.  That braised chicken and vegetables reminded me of a dish I had in UAE, so I recreated it (all but the homemade couscous) using my Moroccan spices.  Other than that, I've only created stews with what I call a regional (North African) flair.  But, now I'm reinspired to explore Moroccan cuisine.

I noticed a little restaurant on the fringe of University City - Marrakesh Express - a few days ago, a friend told me she had eaten there, saying that the food good but cost a little more than she expected.  Last night my husband wanted to go out for a quick meal, so I suggested Marrakesh Express.

The name as well as the decor conjures a quick, tasty, affordable, ethnic meal.  However the price point would have been more appropriate at a different venue.  The owner clearly has no qualms about how delicious his food is; and it was good but not as plentiful as I expected.  We had couscous (Friday special), ketban (lamb and and rice), salad (very good), and zaalouk (eggplant appetizer).  We finished our meal with a ichmick, a dairy based dessert topped with nuts, seemingly made from yogurt or cream cheese. 

I'm sure we'll go back but in interim I'm totally ready to travel the road to Morocco.