Okra & salt fish

Vacation is over…yesterday I made a spinach, mushroom, and cheese omelet and then we started packing - our intentions were to go visit my dad in Atlanta, but by the time we got the car loaded it was almost 3pm…the 5 hour journey was not going to happen. We arrived home a little after 2am and hit the hay. This afternoon, I woke up hungry. I took the last of the turkey wings and legs out of the freezer and began thawing them in cold water. I spoke to my Italian-American friend for the first time in a while and she described the 7 Fishes Christmas Eve dinner she had enjoyed with her family…I then realized that my fling with fresh seafood had come to a screeching halt, so I thought I might have some salt fish.

As usual, I sautéed onions and garlic, added chili peppers, then added the okra and seasoning; after simmering that, I added tomatoes - meanwhile, I was boiling the salt fish - I mixed it all together, simmered and voila - okra & salt fish. I didn’t have dumplings (don’t know how to make them), so we had cornbread instead…I don’t like boiled bananas, so we substituted plantains. The results - a tasty treat.

Simply delicious

This has been a wonderful week - relaxin' and good eatin'!  Wednesday I met a friend in Savannah for lunch, which is totally random considering she moved to Los Angeles from Philadelphia several years ago and we both just happened to be vacationing in the same general area.  After lunch I met up with a farmer that I found on the Eat Wild website - grass fed cattle, the way cattle should be.  The folks from Hunter Cattle were accommodating enough to meet me on River Street so that I didn't have to drive the hour and a half to the farm.  I paid $7/lb - I made hamburgers for dinner, just added a bit of Tabasco worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrin's contains corn syrup), and they were tasty and lean, I think this was the best beef I've ever tasted.  We ate them on Arnold's sandwich thins with a side of zucchini sautéed with onions and garlic.

The fellas went golfing today and the girls went horseback riding along the St. Helena coast.  On the way back, I stopped at a roadside stand and bought corn-on-the-cob, strawberries, and 3 pounds of freshly caught shrimp (they popped the heads off for me - probably would make a nice stock) for a grand total of $17.  As a midday snack we ate strawberries and I fried the shrimp - those suckers were sweet!  It's no wonder I don't generally eat a lot of shrimp, I've never had the real thing, ever - until now.

For dinner, I marinated the beef ribs in Odul's Amber and garlic and the beef brisket in worcestershire, garlic, and olive oil - didn't want to overpower the delicate meat flavor...my husband slow cooked those along with the corn on the grill...I baked sweet potatoes (29 cents per pound), and made kale - kale is now my green of choice - just caramelized onions, garlic, and kale...it was delicious.  We were afraid to overcook the meat so we finished it in the oven...it turned out very nice. Everything was delicious...the sweet potatoes tasted like they were candied and the corn was sweet...we had Simply raspberry lemonade to drink.

Southern style

I think this might be the first vacation I wont need a vacation from.  Yesterday's breakfast was grits and pan-seared scallops, then we went for an after breakfast bike ride that turned into quite a journey as we followed the bike trails and ended up on Fish Haul Rd (I think we were near a Gullah community - I think I might want to explore that a little closer, considering my interest in hybrid cultures and cuisine).

We came back in and I fried catfish (according to the seafood monger at Publix, the majority of the catfish is farm raised), made some turnips & mustards (frozen - sautéed onions, garlic in olive oil, a bit a broth and seasoning and simmered), on the side we had rice & beans.  My son, sister, and I decided to go for a stroll along the beach; instead HE decided to run into the ocean and ride the waves wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.  That's when I messed up - decided to go to Tanger Outlets to get a couple of things - I actually had a list, but being the consumer that I am, went far beyond the list.

On the way home from the outlets, stopped at the Bi-Lo and picked up some more sweet tea and wild caught croakers for breakfast....fish and grits were quite tasty this morning!

Oysters & okra

We are definitely on vacation...our grocery bill is through the roof, but we are definitely spending less than we would if we were dining out for seafood.  We drove into Historic Bluffton today to get the oysters.  The oyster house is basically a tattered building on the dock.  As soon as we parked, we saw what looked like a dolphin close to the shore (we think it was likely a king mackerel).  My order was ready (1 qt shucked oysters, 2 lb sea scallops);  I got caught up in the moment and added a dozen of oysters for a total of $50; I wanted to ship some to my sister-in-law (she loves oysters), but they said shipping was ridiculously expensive.

You know you're in the South when you walk into a supermarket and there's canned okra & tomatoes and canned field peas & snap.  I got the remaining ingredients for the gumbo as well as some additional necessities from Piggly Wiggly and that's when I realized we had just bought $130 worth of groceries the previous day.

I sautéed scallions, garlic, and thyme in butter, added a bit of broth and steamed the oysters for about 8 minutes.  They were delicious, didn't even need the drawn butter.  I fried some okra and we enjoyed a southern style appetizer.

I ended up making more of a stew than a gumbo (didn't have a thickening agent).  Sautéed onions, garlic, scallions in evoo & butter; added tomatoes, hyme, and seasonings then simmered.  I added the frozen gumbo vegetables (okra, corn, peppers, onions, celery), broth, then simmered.  I dumped the oysters (including liquid) and simmered an additional 7 minutes.   This morning I finally developed a technique for electric cooking - keep a burner on high and one on low - this way I can adjust the heat without too much difficulty.

We had cornbread on the side and thoroughly enjoyed the Red Diamond sweet tea made with water, sugar, orange & black pekoe - no corn syrup, no caramel coloring.

To finish off the evening, we are going out for a bike ride and will probably have Rita's water ice (buy one quart get on free) for dessert.

Shrimp and grits

We left Philadelphia just in time to avoid 20" of snow and have been enjoying walks on the beach and bike rides (I love my new bike!). We'll be on Hilton Head Island for a week so of course we need to think about what to eat!  Local seafood makes the most sense.  Why buy shrimp from Thailand when you can get wild caught South Carolina red shrimp?  I cooked those today with yellow grits for a toe-tapping breakfast.  I don't think I remember a shrimp tasting that good.

I bought the shrimp from the Publix but I asked around and will go to Barnacle Bills later to re-up.  I also want to go to Bluffton Oyster Company to get oysters so that I can try to make a oyster gumbo...I'm just pissed with myself for putting the shrimp shells in the garbage disposal instead of making a stock out of them.

We are still in shrimping season so I got excited when I saw the opportunity to go out for a educational excursion on a shrimping boat - until I saw that it uses trawling - what's the lesson - how to ruin a habitat?

I haven't noticed any industry so I imagine the waterways are relatively pristine...I'm thinking about all the stuff I want to cook this week - oysters, pan seared sea scallops, grilled fish; and I want a burger - haven't had one in ages, I wonder where's the grass fed beef in these parts.

Tremendous tomatoes

I planned to make timtimo today but didn't have enough onions.  By evening, I needed something quick to make and wanted Eritrean food.  I remembered that my friend said the beef zigni was much quicker to make than the chicken...I couldn't figure that out for the life of me...apparently it's more like a stir fry than a stew and the meat is cut small so it cooks relatively quickly without being tough.

I bought onions and two small packs of stew meat totaling 2.25 pounds, but only used 1 pack...after I cut the meat up, it seemed like plenty - I got to thinking, 5 of us will eat 1.25 pounds of meat - that's relatively small for Americans, but quite generous for those for whom meat is a luxury.

My planned accompaniment was to be peas and potatoes, but I forgot to buy the potatoes; my back up plan was spinach, but I had used most of that on Sunday; so I turned to the freezer - okra.  I was at a loss...my Ethiopian friend makes some very nice veggies, so that was my inspiration.

I sautéed onions, added a bit of ginger, tomato paste (I recently switched to TJs tomato paste when I finally decided to read the label on the standard cans - yup, high fructose corn syrup), then added the okra and 10 minutes later, the spinach.

When I started cooking, my sister was complaining that I was making another stew, but while we were sitting on the floor eating, she was loving it, especially the vegetables.  The qulwah was tasty, quite spicy, but tasty nonetheless.  That got me to thinking about the power of tomatoes to release and enhance the flavor of foods.  Is it the lycopene?

Tomatoes can be found in regional dishes all around the world, they can grow almost anywhere. They're cooked down as sauce, served raw in salads, and used as a base - the variation is due to cultural preferences.  Unfortunately the world renowned popularity of the tomato has contributed to its adulteration - most tomatoes are hybrids, sterile industrial jet-lagged pseudo-tomatoes that lack the character of what we now refer to as heirloom varieties.  The solution, grow them at home, in pots if you have to - tomato plants are high-yielding so they'll be plenty to preserve for the winter.

Second sunday

Once again our family potluck fell on a Girl Scout Sunday.  My mom did not want to wait until January so she took the lead with organizing.  She suggested an Italian theme so of course I said ziti and alfredo, clarifying that alfredo sauce in the jar was unacceptable which essentially meant that I volunteered myself to make it.  A menu of baked ziti, grilled chicken alfredo, mussels, salad and bread was established and my mom started making phone calls.  On Sunday morning we wondered if that would be enough food, thinking we should've asked Liz to make spaghetti instead of bringing mussels.  I said, what about meatballs or ravioli?  I truly did not have time to make meatballs and ravioli gets tricky because my kids only like the 4-cheese (it balances out the ricotta) so I said I'd pick up the ravioli and figure out a sauce.

After Girl Scouts I went to 3 markets and then came home and got started on the ziti.  I had to wait for my mom to arrive with the alfredo ingredients (my sister's donation) - I think I went too far with the cholesterol (still working under the influence of Julia Childs) - it was loaded with butter, heavy cream, and so much cheese...I ended up sauteeing the chicken (my mom had sliced and marinated it in Italian dressing) and we ate it over linguini.  For the ravioli I decided to make a cream sauce that turned out delicious but I'm not sure I could duplicate - butter, garlic, onions, sun dried tomatoes, half and half, cheese, spinach - I wanted to do a splash of white wine, but that hadn't arrived yet so I used vegetable broth instead.

They arrived with so many mussels that I had to make two batches (at least 10 quarts).  Everything was delicious, including the stuffed mushrooms that flew off the plate.  On Thursday or Friday my mom mentioned that she might want to make stuffed mushrooms a la Red Lobster and asked for my input...I had no idea but I made up something and didn't tell her that I had never made stuffed mushrooms until Sunday.  Claw crabmeat, mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce, orange peppers, breadcrumbs, seasoning - stuffed into baby bellas and topped with cheese.

Unbeknown to us, my aunt had made spaghetti and one of the Neicy's brought a Stouffer's vegetable lasagna, so we had a ton of food which translated into a ton of fun. It was maybe 15 adults and 10 kids. We ate, talked, danced, drank sparkling grape juice, and had a blast....we also planned the next potluck.

Beef, that's what's for dinner

It seemed like we were overrun with miscellaneous leftovers but they were quickly devoured between my husband’s lunch and the kid’s afterschool snacks – for some reason when they come home from school they’re ravenous.

My husband was pestering me about making the beef; and had the nerve to tell me how to make it – can you make it plain, without all the vegetables and sauces; I just want to taste the beef. Then I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t remember how to roast a beef – I’ve been doing pot roasts for so long; then I thought a using an oven bag, but that’s also juicy, so I thought about picanha – of course I didn’t have the right cut of meat, nor was I going to grill it, but I went for it anyway. In hindsight I suppose I could’ve cooked it in my Showtime rotisserie oven that I haven’t used in at least 5 years but I used my convection oven instead.

I don’t know why I insist on cooking after a day of ripping and running. It was almost 2pm when I returned home, fortunately I had sense enough to “marinate” the meat earlier – garlic, pepper, seasonings, worcestersire sauce, a splash of red wine, and olive oil. I took it out of the refrigerator to bring it room temperature, and then put it in the oven. The planned accompaniments were asparagus and mashed potatoes. However, since it was Thursday, I had to teach, so they ate a corn and spinach concoction and TJ mac & cheese (TJs conveniences reentered as a result of the blister and flu fiascos, not to mention I have been extremely busy with end of the semester odds and ends).

The meat was delicious – flavorful and tender – my husband said, this reminds me of something, I said, picanha? He said, yes!

The lure of the local

This blog has evolved into something other than creative cooking.  It has really become a reflection (and at times a rant) about food and eating.  Food in the sense of the substances that we put into our bodies for nourishment and in my case, pleasure.  The more I learn about food production and food science the stronger I feel the urge to become a farmer.  However, being a farmer is not a realistic option at this point because I have no land, but there are things I can do on the urban scale.

This was my first summer not being a CSA member at Greensgrow, so I bought most of my produce from Whole Foods, Genaurdis, and Trader Joes.  I tried to be conscientious about meat, but it's nothing like the CSA - they identify the farmer (name and address) who provides the meat and related products.

I heard a CUNY podcast about a man raising chickens in Brooklyn, first for eggs and then for meat and I was very inspired. This man referred to himself as a locavore - I love the concept - eating only what is produced locally.  Why can't I raise backyard chickens?  This would be an invaluable lesson for the kids and would limit our meat intake to what we could actually grow.  Well backyard chickens are illegal in Philadelphia.  Why can't I become a locavore - well I suppose it's because I haven't made enough effort, and believe me there is some effort involved. Eggs, and Chickens, Grow in Brooklyn

My first step will be to make some adjustments to my backyard.  Right now it serves as a habitat for wildlife, mostly birds - there were at least two families that used the yard for nesting this past summer.  The yard is approximately 36'x16'; I will need to plan carefully so that I can do some intensive produce gardening this coming summer and maintain at least a bit of the habitat.  Then there's the meat - how much am I willing to pay and how far am I willing to drive to get meat that's been raised and slaughtered in an sustainable and appropriate manner?

These concerns become more than a matter of what's for dinner, but a matter of life and death.

No rest for the weary

First it was the blister, then it was the flu - I’ve been totally out of commission. I made cookies with my daughter (those scrumptious cookies that they give you when you check into a Doubletree hotel - we had them in Florida this past January and have been talking about making them ever since) and a mass of turkey wings and legs on Sunday; my mom made me turkey soup; and today I decided to take a stab at Cambodian cuisine. Here’s the first problem - I’ve never actually tasted or seen Cambodian cuisine. For some reason it seems to be a bit marginalized, perhaps because of Cambodia’s location sandwiched between Thailand and Vietnam; or perhaps the socio-political-economic conditions in the country. Honestly had I not met Ms. Nong, I would have never considered cooking the food.

Friday, she told me about tirk kroeung but I wasn’t clear on how to make it or what it was supposed to look like, so I called her and realized that it was an appetizer and not a main dish. That’s when I knew I needed to expand my menu…but to what? All I had to work with was tilapia filets that my husband bought on Sunday.

First, I marinated the filets in soy sauce, lime, and sugar - why? I have no idea. Then I simmered a couple in vegetable broth and reserved the others. I removed the fish and started the tirk kroeung. Browned garlic and chili peppers, added anchovies (this is a substitution that Ms. Nong recommended for whatever it is that Cambodians use), then used the stick blender to make a paste. I then stood in the kitchen not sure what to do. I thought about steamed fish but I prefer to use whole fish for that. So I decided to go with regional influences, or at least I thought - sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, carrots; simmered in coconut milk and lime - added filets. Then I looked at the other filets and felt utterly helpless. The kitchen was a mess, there was stuff everywhere, I was feeling exhausted and a little out of sorts.

I made fish fried rice. Sautéed onions, a head of garlic, added the remaining marinade, a bit of broth, green peas, the fish, and slightly overcooked basmati rice and stirred - this became the centerpiece of the meal. I slightly steamed the broccoli for the tirk kroeung and we ate.

I made mango lassi for dessert and then my husband surprised me with Julie and Julia, as I watched it, I wondered if I was a Julie wannabe with this blog that I have…I also want to return to Paris or at least Montreal, and I certainly wouldn’t mind learning the delving into the “Art of French Cooking”…this is actually timely because I’m in the midst of reading In Defense of Food, so mastering the art of any cooking other than American could be beneficial to my health and palate.

Asia-Pacific

Yesterday I went back to my brother’s house. The plan was to make adobo, embutido, lumpia, and fruit salad (similar to ambrosia). When I got there we added pancit, and apritada to the menu as well. We got started around 6 and were a bit overwhelmed at first…there was so much to make, we didn’t know where to start.


My sister-in-law got started with the fruit salad while I got started with the pancit – this time we used both the rice and canton noodles with chicken, savoy cabbage, and carrots. Then we started with the lumpia – mixed the meat with carrots, cabbage, scallions (forgot the garlic) – and my daughter and sister started rolling – 100 lumpia which we cut in half. Then onto the embutido, which is essentially a meatloaf, the adobo, and finally the apridada – kind of reminded me of salona. I was crazy with the garlic and it yielded wonderful results.

By 8, it was time to eat, the fellas couldn’t believe we made all that food. It was crazy…we decided that we are a Filipino catering crew and would get together for the next party. My dad arrived with his Cambodian friend, a very attractive woman – she initially seemed a little overwhelmed. As we were standing in the kitchen, it just felt like family – everyone got out their cameras and started taking pictures. The Cambodian commented about the rice (“is this how they eat rice in your country?”)–somehow it was hard; I think too much was put into the rice cooker. After dinner we were putting up the food and were trying to figure out what to do with all that rice…she said make fried rice…I said, there’s no time like the present…and we got to work. We were all laughing because I had everybody excited about cooking and this was the very first time we met this woman and she was frying rice (garlic, onion, egg, mixed vegetables – she desperately wanted meat but we had none). It was so good (almost like the Bennihana rice); she said it was Chinese style because it is only relatively recent that Cambodians fry rice.

Her English is limited but of course I asked her about the food. She told me many things and said that next time she would come with her daughter so we can cook and the daughter can translate. I’m thinking this might be the beginning of a Friday night cooking club.

A taste of Mexico?

I n order not to accumulate a lot of leftovers, I wanted to think of a quick, filling meal for Thursday. While I was in Wegmans on Tuesday, I was inspired by the Mexican section – I saw the masa harina and it is definitely cornmeal processed with lye. I decided to go with a 3-bean chili (pinto, red, and dark red kidney beans) with corn.

I left instructions for my husband – sauté two onions, a head of garlic; add tomatoes and seasoning (chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, cocoa – inspired by the museum visit, etc), add the beans, simmer in beef broth with a bit of lime and cilantro. I came home and added TJs corn to the pot. We topped it with cheese and ate it with a very basic salad – romaine, cucumber, red onion with olive oil, lime, and seasonings.

It was filling and tasty and would’ve been great with cornbread.

Petit poulet

What has it come to when we our primary concern about food production is cost and taste as opposed to nutrition? While driving to the Bronx I was listening to BBC and learned that through stem cell research they have been able to produce pork in the laboratory. This laboratory produced meat will alleviate the need for livestock and the associated environmental problems associated with factory farming. Initially the meat will be used as a filler for items such as sausage, ground meat, and other processed meat, but the goal is to produce things like steak, ham, and roasts. Something is dreadfully wrong when the solution to problems with food production is found in the laboratory as opposed to the land.


Yesterday after running errands, I went to the Drexeline Fresh Grocer. This is actually my Fresh Grocer of choice largely because I have more confidence in the freshness of the meat and produce than I do within the city limits. My plan was to roast a chicken for dinner but after seeing Food, Inc, I was a little apprehensive about buying one. There were two kinds of whole chickens – fryers and oven stuffer roasters.

I remember when oven stuffer roasters hit the market – they were plumper and went a lot further than the fryers – I think it was in the early 90s and sometimes you could get one for 79¢/pound. I have since learned that chickens have been genetically modified to grow larger breasts that subsequently impede their ability to be ambulatory.

Fresh Grocer always wins me over with the label that they put on their chickens “ I am strictly fresh – use within 2-3 days” the roaster label contained a disclaimer as well – “no hormones or steroids” – I guess not if it’s already in the DNA. Both the roasters and the fryers were $1.19/pound – clearly the roaster gave you more bang for your buck; I went with the fryer and my son asked “why are you buying those tiny chickens.” I explained the problem with a chicken with an oversized bosom trying to walk. He put 3 fryers in the cart – I guess from his 8-year-old perception, 3 fryers = 1 roaster (actually in terms of poundage, 3 fryers = 1 ½ roasters).

We ate dinner quite late (8pm) but it was tasty – roasted chicken with cornbread stuffing (due to the late hour I had no time to brine so I made a seasoned butter and rubbed it between the skin and the flesh), yams (this was the last of my supply – I simmered/steamed these in apple cider with a bit a butter and cinnamon – delicious), mac & cheese (I don’t use elbows, I use a combination of penne and shell pasta, I make a cream sauce, mix into the noodles, then put into the oven to set), and a kale/spinach combo (I used ethnic influences and it turned out great – onions, garlic, ginger, red pepper (yellow would have been more attractive), kale, peanut butter, spinach – I thinly sliced the kale and used whole broad leaves for the spinach).

My little birds were golden brown and juicy…honestly I don’t understand the hype with white meat, the dark meat is substantially more flavorful – the next bird I cook will be a duck.

Indigenous food

This blister situation has adversely impacted our meals. Food prep, etc has been next to impossible. I attempted to make a roast on Tuesday…I wanted to do something different so I decided to go Italian – heavy on the tomatoes, garlic, and onions but something didn’t quite work out – perhaps when I overdid it by adding beef broth and onion soup mix. I served that over polenta – boiled cornmeal in broth then added butter, cheese, and parsley – not too bad, but when you’re accustomed to eating meat and potatoes, it’s a little weird.

I then made the mistake of going to see Food, Inc with my friend from the wildlife refuge. I consider myself to be a foodie and we both consider ourselves to be informed citizens – aware of the environmental impacts of food production, etc –boy were we shocked and aghast with what we saw. I left the film wondering what I could actually afford to buy that was food - as opposed to this genetically modified stuff that permeates every facet of the modern food chain.

We spent Thursday – Saturday in the metropolitan DC area. We did not partake in a turkey dinner with our extended family but I did consume a substantial amount of food with no regard to its origin. I wouldn’t mind doing a dinner of game meats and native crops for our next First Sunday family gathering. While in DC, we visited the National Museum of the American Indian – this seems quite appropriate considering the farce under which we celebrate Thanksgiving. The Maize of the Americas exhibition was especially interesting for me given my interest in Mesoamerican cuisine…but there seemed to be some intentional subtle linkages made between the indigenous use of corn and our current overproduction and the subsequent new uses of corn and its derivatives.

Continental cooking

Last night my sister said "Go America"...cheering the simple yet flavorful dinner of turkey wings, yams, brussel sprouts.

Growing up, we consumed parts of the turkey - breast, chops, ground meat - but never the wings or legs. Two years ago I began loving turkey wings. My mother-in-law is not a great cook but she makes some nice dishes. Generally she cooks an assortment of things when she has gatherings - a little bit of everything. At one dinner she made a little bit of turkey wings, such that we each had one...they were delicious...the next time I wanted turkey wings, I asked her to make them...my Aunt Liz couldn't believe that I didn't know how to make turkey wings...she said the secret was to season them well and slow cook them with a bit of liquid...that explained why I failed the one time I tried to convection cook the turkey wings. Once I mastered the technique, we were eating turkey wings pretty regularly - it was the easiest semblance of a meal I could produce given my tight schedule.

I was at a function Saturday night...there was an smorgasbord of not-so-tasty food that included turkey wings; the only good thing was my aunt-in-law's cabbage...I still can't figure out how she makes it...though I think it has something to do with the cooking technique - the cabbage is almost caramelized (I should've taken a picture of it). The turkey wings were so lacking that I decided to make them for Sunday dinner. I picked up 2 stalks of brussel sprouts (I sautéed onions then simmered these in just a bit of liquid) and yams (simmered in OJ) from TJs as accompaniments.

The dinner was attractive and bursting with flavor...good ole fashioned home cookin'.

Something's fishy

I learned two important lessons yesterday...1. never try to make a new meal after a long day and 2. fried food is dangerous to both your heart and your skin.

I decided that it was too soon to migrate to Arabia so I thought I'd travel up the west coast through North Africa to East Africa and then cross the Red Sea. I even gained a Kenyan fish recipe yesterday (my daughter’s teacher is from Kenya and told me about kachumberri, rech, and ugali).

Tilapia must be the end all be all, - they are great for aquaculture, for water purification, and for controlling mosquito populations, but they can be invasive. Everyone I have talked to has mentioned Tilapia. I do like Tilapia whole but avoid the filets. Yesterday I ended up buying Red Snapper because Tilapia wasn't available. Technically this is a fair substitution in terms of flesh but not for ethnic cuisine - it's a Caribbean fish.

I attempted to recreate one of my favorite Senegalese meals - poisson. I first had this when a parent in my son's class took me to La Calebasse in University City 3 years ago. It was a bit of a hole in the wall and the service needed improvement, but the fish was delicious. Another friend kept telling me that in Harlem the fish was better, and at Senegal on Frederick Douglas Blvd, it certainly was. A year or so ago, my dad told me about Soliel de Minuit (Malian) in West Philly - a nice sit down/take out establishment with excellent customer service and they offered grilled fish in addition to the standard fried. The food was great, we explored new sauces - our family likes yassa sauce and okra sauce, the tomato sauce and peanut sauce aren't bad either. Recently we went to Kilimanjaro on the fringe of University City and although it was bustling with people, the food was unimpressive.

After running errands (I picked up several Built lunchbags because I learned that some of the insulated lunchbags contain lead), I arrived home at 515pm and thought the best course of action would be to fry the fish. I had already marinated it earlier in mustard, lemon, and onions with a few random spices. I knew the okra sauce would take some time but I hadn't the foggiest idea as to what to do....I was almost tempted to call the guy at Soliel de Minuit - yes, I get tunnel vision when it comes to food. I simply sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, added tomatoes, then simmered the okra with seasoning for almost 2 hours...the consistency wasn't quite right but the taste was similar.

When the okra was just about done, I put on a pot of rice (basmati - totally geographically incorrect, the rice the Senegalese tend to use is a bit mealy) and started my oil for the fish. Then I had the brilliant idea that I would fry yams in addition to the plantains and was thinking, this meal could potentially clog our arteries.

That's when I made a rookie mistake...using tongs to place the fish in the oil...the fish slipped, fell into the oil with a splash that dissipated over me and the floor...I was screaming and crying...running my hand under cold water, still I was determined to complete the meal....everyone said the food was delicious - I suppose the terrible blisters I have were worth it.

Sotho inspired

I was able to leave the Bronx earlier than expected Monday night so of course I decided to go to Wegmans on my way home.  I'm loving Wegmans even more now that I've gone through the entire store.  I have nitrate-free lunch meat for my children for $6.99/lb (they package Cooper Sharp cheese so that it doesn't stick) and a host of other things.  My mission was to get the ingredients for the mngqusho and to get some things for the kids' lunch.

I had a feeling that the corn product (samp) she described was something similar to hominy.  I learned a lot about corn products when I began the short-lived culinary trek through mesoamerica.  I wasn't able to find it, which is probably just as well because it seems that some of the corn products are processed with lye and I'm not that thrilled about knowingly ingesting sodium hydroxide.  I have a choice between the yellow grits and whole-grain cornmeal...clearly the texture of this dish will certainly be more like porridge than intended, but I'm giving myself culinary license to make some adjustments.  Sometimes I suppose I will be looking to cultures for inspiration rather than recreating authentic dishes.

Tuesday we had quesadillas for breakfast again, this time with a bit of chicken.  It is clearly not the time of year to attempt pico de gallo from fresh tomatoes...I ought to know better, especially since I just gave lectures to 4 different sections about food production.  I discovered that the key to making golden brown quesadillas on my Griddler is to use butter.

After breakfast I ran two errands that took 4 hours.  As I was putting out the recycles (I try to divert as much waste as possible from the landfill, including food scraps), I noticed Macy's One-Day Sale; I flipped through it and Martha Stewart's enamel cast iron pots were on sale.  With my coupon, I was able to get the 7-quart pot for $53, a substantial savings over the $270 Le Creuset I saw at Wegmans.

I think I went a bit too far with the hodge podge meal I put together.  I went with a kale/cabbage combo (sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes) that was quite tasty until I decided to give it a West African flare by adding peanut butter - the kids didn't like the result, so I drained the cabbage and poured vegetable broth over it for much better results.  Actually the peanut butter worked well with the kale, it was the cabbage that was problematic.

I also went with yams.  I know that yams are probably a stretch because pumpkin/squash would be more appropriate for South Africa, however I have 5lbs of yams that I picked up Sunday, so yet again I attempted to West Africanize them by sauteeing onions and simmering the yams in coconut milk for a tasty result. It was my interpretation of the mngqusho that proved to be the most interesting.  I went with a 16-bean mixture which I soaked overnight.  I sautéed onions, garlic, ginger added cloves and allspice (maybe a tad too much) then simmered the beans, adding salt and pepper...fortunately the flavor intensified because initially I was quite disappointed.  Once the beans were tender I added my last half of bag of TJs frozen corn then about 3/4 cup of stone ground cornmeal to thicken it up a bit.

The food wasn't very attractive but was quite filling, a well-balanced vegetarian meal.  The kids loved the yams and were lukewarm about everything else, unanimously voting to move out of Africa into Arabia.

Globe-trotting

Saturday I went to H-Mart so that I could attempt a shrimp and vegetable pancit - H-Mart is clearly a global market, the antithesis of eating locally, but when you're dabbling in ethnic cuisine, local is not always an option. One solution would be to grow your own produce and there ethnic communities that are doing this in community gardens throughout the city. 

I'm quite pleased with my Filipino cooking.  I recreated pancit (stir fried onions, garlic, shrimp, carrots, cabbage, sugar snap peas and canton noodles) and escabeche (Tilapia with plenty of onions, ginger, carrots, and red peppers sautéed and simmered in a sweet-and-sour sauce), my mom loved it; she came by last night just as we were sitting down to eat.  My brother has generously suggested that I come down to learn the dishes that I've been missing out on -adobo manuk, lumpia, sio pao, empotida, ensaimada, enpanada, appritadad chicken, rellenong isda, etc.  I have lots to learn, but I'm looking forward to it. 

Monday morning is always a bit of a scramble.  I was up late completing my lecture (the repercussion of changing a textbook), made mango lassi for breakfast, and was able to get everyone out of the house on time...I really need to avoid being out of the house after 5pm on Sunday...it causes a systemic delay in the routine. 

I'm not going to get back to my brother's for a few weeks and I was thinking about what to cook next.  My Brazilian friend suggested muqueca de peixe, but I think I want to move on from the stews but have no idea as to what to make, and I need to go to the grocery store. 

My mom mentioned the movie Skin; somehow this triggered a culinary response so of course I decided to call my South African acquaintance for some ideas.  Cooking varies by region, she is from the Sotho ethnic group (it surprised me to hear someone identify themselves as being part of an ethnic group) - her mother is from a pig family, hence she does not cook pork.  She told me that she doesn't really like cooking and that I should talk to her niece when she returns in January - apparently she knows lots of vegetarian recipes "from back home."  Some of the dishes she initially described sounded rather boring (fufu, fish stew, etc) and she acknowledged that they were indeed bland.  She said that they often season food with masala, have beets with every meal (yummie!), and they eat a lot of greens - cabbage, kale, spinach. 

She suggested mngqusho (a cracked corn and bean dish that sounds a bit like a porridge) as a flavorful dish- I think I will try that tomorrow perhaps with some cabbage or a West African spinach dish.

Go to the source

I went to my brother's yesterday to learn how to make my Filipino favorites - escabeche & pancit.  It's ridiculous how simple it is to make, they key is good ingredients and technique - makes me think back to when we made a stir fry in 7th grade home ec. Not a lot of ingredients or spices - I'm starting to think that excess seasoning in many ways perverts the food, masking instead of enhancing.

I have been eating Filipino food for 25 years and never once considered cooking it...it's light, quick, and easy.  My sister-in-law introduced me to mangoes when I was 10 years old and I learned to enjoy rice without butter, gravy, etc.  I guess our food preferences are largely shaped by what's familiar and enhanced by spatial interaction.

Yesterday I learned that there are many Filipino tastes that we never experienced; we only ate the things that were familiar (pancit is similar to lo mein, last night we made it with the clear rice noodles; escabeche is basically a sweet and sour fish - ginger is the key ingredient - we made it with tilapia - whole tilapia is a common substitution for ethnic cooking - I also use tilapia when making Senegalese poisson).  She was so surprised when I asked her to make the stinky brown fish - besogo - it's actually salted and dried, eaten as an appetizer over rice.  I am planning to return to expand my repertoire.  It was really nice to see my family, my brother & his wife were thrilled with the loaf that I brought - I think it's been way too long.

Soothing the senses

Nothing says 'thank you' like homemade baked goods.  A few weeks ago, faculty and staff at my children's school scrambled to help me out with last minute paperwork.  I thought I'd thank them with a little Lazeez Goodeez.

As the cakes baked, my daughter's mood lightened, she said "baking makes our house happier."  She started chatting about her day and sat anticipating what was coming out of the oven.  She's on to something...there is a great deal of research about what scents trigger, such that real estate agents often put a pie in the oven or burn a scented candle during open houses.

As we were wrapping the cakes Wednesday night, my husband reminisced about our previous operation; he desperately wants me to sell cakes but I'm not sure I have time to operate on that scale again.

This morning the kids were pleased with what they saw and eager to make the deliveries.  I even gave them a treat with a slice in their lunchboxes.

I was a little concerned that the formula was still not quite right (someone recently tracked me down on Facebook to ask me about cakes for Thanksgiving - I told her perhaps I'll be ready Xmas) and I thought they might've overcooked but the several slices I've had (I'm on a sweet binge - devoured a pecan pie yesterday) were actually pretty darned tasty.

The carrot cake loaves received rave reviews.

Desperately seeking fish

I am so desperate for ideas that I called one of my previous professors; I know, totally unprofessional, but his wife is Salvadorian so I was hoping for some inspiration.  I did get a quick intro to the culture - only 5% of the population is indigenous so the Mayan influence is not as strong; Pacific fish is consumed along the coast and of course other fish is imported.  He did tell me about pan con pavo - which is made with turkey, pupusa - a cheese stuffed tortilla, and something similar to coq au vin but made with guava.  It all sounds delicious but I will have to extend my culinary journey to El Salvador later because I want to do something with fish.

I refuse to be reduced to surfing the net for recipes. I've sent emails to my Peruvian and Brazilian friends in hopes of conjuring up something.  I have also put a call into my sister-in-law, she's from Mindanao and used to make an excellent sweet and sour fish (and a stinky dried brown fish dish as well). The Pacific islands are probably the most appropriate arsenal for fish dishes anyway.

No recipes?

I've been getting feedback that my blog could be greatly improved if only I posted recipes...well there are no recipes...I just make it up as I go along.  I am losing a bit of authenticity because I have been hybridizing my technique.  Most of the dishes start with sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, seasoning....then I usually cover and simmer...the quantities are based on how it looks and smells.

My daughter has been trying to help me out by sitting in the kitchen writing the steps in a "blue book" for fear that I will not be able to recreate her favorites.  It's a lot of trial and error.  I will say that most of the flavor comes from the food and not dried spices, I find that I'm using fewer spices than before.

Yesterday for example, I discovered that my husband had bought two 2lb chuck roasts and hadn't mentioned that they were in the refrigerator.  This was odd because he knows I'm trying to do this lentil expedition, but whenever he goes to the market, he always picks up beef in addition to forbidden snacks.  I thought, gee, how will I prepare this...it seemed so lame to just do a roast beef or a pot roast.  One of the roasts was rectangular and the other more round...I definitely wasn't going to cook the rump because I wasn't going to be home to carve it...there's nothing that I despise more than a 'butchered' roast...one my friends is the worst, she does a job on meat, I bought her an electric knife to help her out, to no avail.  I put the rump in the freezer and cooked the rectangular piece.

I decided to go with the oxtail technique.  That gravy was so rich and delicious that with a few adjustments, I thought would be excellent for a pot roast...so that's what I did, and it was a toe tapper...the difference is after searing the meat and sauteeing the veggies, I put it in the oven for 2.5 hours instead of cooking it on the stovetop (partly because I had to mozy out to Cherry Hill).  As an accompaniment, I made okra, tomatoes, and corn.  My husband referred to this as succotash...the only vegetable that I hate is succotash - a terrible green lima bean and corn concoction...this was not succotash...I remember my mother making okra and tomatoes when I was younger.  It was quite simple, sauté onions and garlic, add tomato, simmer, add okra and corn, season to taste.   I was able to eat a bit of that before I left last night.

Apparently my mother-in-law enjoyed the meal.  Usually she says "that wasn't bad" but last night she told my husband that I make interesting things and use a lot of vegetables.  She said she's tired of eating the same thing over and over.  Aren't we all?

Turkey tails

This has been a whirlwind of a day. My daughter set her alarm for 5:30am so that she could finish her outline about the Renaissance that is due today. She is in 6th grade and has more work ethic than some of these slackers in my undergraduate courses. At 6:30am, my son asked if I’d made the turkey soup. I had never got around to making it and it seemed like Tuesday morning would be my next opportunity to make the soup…then mother guilt swept over me and I dashed downstairs to the kitchen.

Melted butter in the pot; cut up onions and celery…added a bunch of scallions, baby carrots (yes I know that baby carrots are a sham, essentially processed food – second rate carrots cut into uniform shapes, but they’re convenient)…then I decided to add a little garlic and ginger to enhance the flavor…added the liquid, simmered while watching the clock and picking the turkey. I added the turkey and noodles to the pot and started prepping the thermoses…the bus driver was honking…we got outside 6 minutes late with bogus apologies.

I came back in, caught my breath and added a little more liquid…prepared a thermos for my husband and then took my sister to school by 8am. I returned, tidied the kitchen a bit and finally walked out the door at 850am…by the time I gassed up in Audubon, I knew arriving in the Bronx before 11am was not likely.

I must’ve been running on adrenaline. After class, I went to my office to eat my turkey soup – a colleague popped his head out of his office and said “nice smell” when I told him I made it this morning, he was impressed…it smelled wonderful and tasted delicious – the essence of the vegetables really came alive and was assisted by the turkey butt that I threw into the pot. After I finished my soup I went to my car and headed to Harlem to see a 2pm movie. This is when things started unraveling. The Major Deegan was delayed due to an accident on the GW Bridge. I arrived at the theater at 2:10pm but couldn’t find a parking space. I decided to head back to the Bronx…as I was exiting, I had the brilliant idea to go to COSI in New Rochelle.

I think there’s an oxymoron in here…turkey soup connotes slow cookin’ and comfort food. This stunt I pulled today symbolizes this fast paced society that is the fodder for fast food and agribusiness. The Slow Food movement asks us to pause, savor our food, tantalize our tastes, and be ecologically responsible for what we consume.

I just finished my Signature Salad and the procrastination has come to a halt.

A meal from al Mahgreb

For brunch yesterday I did Salt Fish and Pumpkin, this time with butternut squash. Then I went on a greasy spoon binge – beef pepperoni pizza, fried chicken wings, and French fries. I needed to detox so I just finished making a North African vegetable stew. Tomorrow I will have to make a turkey soup because my daughter is sick. My mother told the kids that you have to have chicken soup when you’re sick, so it’s been requested…I ‘m working with the remains from last Sunday, so turkey it is.

I used to make this stew 3 years ago or so but I have no idea as to how I used to make it, what vegetables I used, etc. The only thing I do know is that I primarily used my Moroccan spices – ginger, cumin, nutmeg, paprika. Today I used onions, tomatoes, garlic and tomato paste (not sure why), then I added lentils (for protein), carrots, yams, then okra and eggplant. I found a cup of bulk couscous in the pantry that is past its prime so I made couscous on the side to complete the protein. The pot was so full that I couldn’t fit the entire eggplant so I thought of some options.

Baba ghanoush – sort of.

Some recipes call for tahini; I think Mom (Al Ain) makes it with yogurt…I have neither. I think I went a little too heavy on the garlic, but it works…I need something to eat with it…maybe I’ll make some pita chips!

Wishy washy

I am in a culinary slump.  I am tired and have no idea what to cook.  My journey seems to be coming to a screeching halt.  But, I gotta eat so I need to figure out something.  This week I've been on a bit of a gastro-adventure.  I've been making quesadillas for breakfast (using my Cuisinart Griddler) - they are quite a hit, I graded papers today over Thai, and I even had a taste of Al Ain.

Rumman.  Pomengranates aka Chinese apples in the hood. 

I was on my weekly shopping trip to Wegman's in Cherry Hill when I saw Pom pomegranates for 2/$4.00. My goal was to locate authentic tortillas which I assumed I would, due to the substantial Mexican community in South Jersey.  At first I was a little taken aback by the fact that a corporation has laid claim to this ancient fruit and its beneficial nutrition.  I'm not a fan of Pom.  When I was in Boston at the AAG in 2008, I was not only disappointed by the pseudo Ethiopian restaurant, but also by Pom's pomegranate juice.  I had been drinking rumman with my breakfast in Al Ain for about $1, so imagine my surprise when I forked over $4 for something that had absolutely no resemblance. 

I bought 1 pomegranate because I wasn't sure if I would get around to eating it, if it would be ripe, etc.  Last night I desperately wanted a snack and decided to go for the pomegrante.  I cut the shiny, leathery fruit in half and began extracting the flesh.  I will admit that it was the best looking pomegranate specimen I've seen in ages, I wonder if it's genetically modified.   I remembered getting a Chinese Apple as a treat as a kid, sucking the fruit and spitting out the seeds.  I think they were 50 cents.  I thought about Eid al Adha 2007 when I was served rumman in a bowl with a spoon and decided to follow suit. 

First my son came into the kitchen wanting to know what the fruit was and if he liked it.  He started eating it and was pleased by the taste.  He asked me about the seeds, I told him they eat them in UAE.  He called my daughter upstairs and as soon as she saw the bowl of rumman, she said "oh, just like Eid al Adha, where did you get this?"  They devoured the pomegranate and wanted to know why I only purchased one...

I sat down with my bowl of rumman, smiling, grading papers...longing for a vacation.

Surprisingly satisfying

I woke up this morning exhausted.  I fried a plantain for breakfast then went to my son's class to help dry food for the winter as the Lenapes would have to prevent bacteria from causing the food to rot.  There were three stations - corn meal (removing corn from the cob and grinding), beans (stringing green beans to hang), and something to do with squash.  It's really something else when you think about how hard they had to work for food.  I was able to string quite a few green beans because I used to do my daughter's hair in two-strand (aka Senegalese) twists, but in the 45 minutes we worked, we hardly had enough for one meal, let alone an entire winter. We do not have to contend with picking surplus food for preservation. Instead, industrial agriculture allows us access to "fresh" produce all-year-round with no regard for seasonality.

When I returned home I got started with the grading...the story of my life from now until December...I do have stuff to read for my own research - this is why teaching is a major distraction from the pursuit of a doctoral degree.  I was feeling weak, so I decided to make lunch.  My plan was to make a hearty soup but I think I have something more akin to a gumbo.

I began with my famous - onions, garlic, tomatoes - added jalapeños (the kid's dentist grows peppers and the last time we were in, I brought home a pound of assorted hots), cilantro, cumin, seasoning.  I pureed that mixture with my stick blender and added broth.  The soup looked and tasted flavorful, along the lines of a tortilla soup.  Then I added pinto beans and basmati rice to complete the protein.  I hesitated with the rice because I was afraid it would expand (rightly so because indeed it did).  Then I knew I needed a corn product if I was going to keep with the Mesoamerican theme (how is it that corn was such an intricate part of their balanced diet but we have managed to degrade corn into a feared filler?) so I went with cornbread.

It just so happened that I had avocados for my smoothies (a Lebanese drink, kinda like a milkshake), so I decided to venture into the realm of guacamole for a topping.  It actually didn't turn out bad - cilantro, red onion, chili pepper, lemon juice (it would have been a bit more authentic to have lime juice, but I don't have any limes) and of course avocado.

Together, the soup, the guac, and the cornbread were surprisingly satisfying.

Turkey trimmings

I'm sitting in the Bronx eating my favorite leftovers - turkey, stuffing, mac & cheese, yams, greens...only thing missing is gravy and cranberry sauce.  For the past week I've been swamped!  I think it's the midsemester hustle.  I haven't been cooking much, partly because we were out of my staples - onions and tomatoes.  For one breakfast last week I made grits and canned salmon (I sauteed it with garlic, cream, and capers) and then I made something similar to a brown stewed salmon (using steelhead trout) for dinner. 

It seems that the majority of my time has been spent out of the house, running errands, having meetings, everything but cooking.  The key I think is to have ingredients on hand.  I could've easily started my Mexican quest with a tortilla soup if I had tomatoes.  Upon further reflection, it's not going to be a Mexican quest but moreso a Mesoamerican adventure.  I honestly don't know enough about the area to know if what we consume as "Mexican cuisine" is in fact Mexican.  I do know that in Mesoamerica, there are certain ingredients that dominate food.  When we were at the Grand Canyon in March we had a wonderful meal at the El Tovar restaurant, it seemed regionally appropriate, but I can't pinpoint it to a particular culture.

Towards the end of the week I realized First Sunday was approaching - the family dinner that I wanted to have.  I had been getting texted, Facebooked, emailed, etc about the dinner and had totally dropped the ball.  In addition, somehow I had 3 sections of papers to grade and a Girl Scout trip to plan.  My friend warned me not to cancel the dinner saying that it would never happen if I did.  My other friend warned me about overscheduling.  I sent out an email and a text on Thursday proposing a potluck.  I decided I would make a turkey and have everyone brings sides, dessert, and drinks.  I called Whole Foods and they had just received their first turkeys of the season $2.49/lb so I was in business.  My husband and I bought the turkey on Friday after running a bunch of errands and I brined it Saturday night. 

My mom called me Friday to ask if I was crazy - "we have a full day at Girl Scouts, is your house clean, how are you going to have people come over, you need to change it to next week."  I said it's no biggie, I'm just making turkey and you're making macaroni and cheese.  She tried to convince me that I make better mac & cheese (which I do) but I couldn't commit to that, I think that would've sent me over the edge.  I went to buy her the supplies and she came to get them Saturday night after taking my nephew "trunk or treating."  I spent Saturday night prepping for Girl Scouts and having the kids clean.  My husband really pitched in as well.  Time was literally on our side because clocks "fell back."  Sunday morning I made the stuffing and put the turkey on convection roast and dashed out the door. 

The trip to Tyler Arboretum was a success, the girls were engaged and we completed the badge requirements.  By the time I returned home I was exhausted and there was still tidying to do, but my mom and husband were on the job...the house looks pretty good (I hope it stays that way because we are hosting the book club on November 8th).  At 530pm we only had a beautiful golden brown turkey (my mother-in-law had taken it out around 1pm) and mac & cheese.  It wasn't clear who was coming to dinner.  My cousin arrived with the yams and my dad around 6pm and my aunt finally came with the greens close to 7pm.  We ate as the food trickled in and then ate again.  It was all so delicious.  The tryptophan kicked in and we really had a good time.  "This is my yummy favorite meal, can I have more"

As I was driving along the NJTP this morning, Nigella Lawson was on NPR talking about indulgence foods.  I'm sitting here smiling after finishing my leftover turkey dinner, thinking this idea of sensuous cooking works for me.

Daily dilemma

Nothing let's you know how much your family values you like coming home to a sink full of dishes, a cluttered house, and piles of laundry - after driving to the Bronx.  Each day I have to remind myself that I am not Sandra and Sattiya (my friend's housemaids) but I am a God-fearing wife and mother, so I don't mind the domestic responsibilities associated with my gender role.  Besides, I am an dishwashing expert - my father would inspect the dishes and make me rewash the ones that did not meet his cleanliness criteria.

The other dilemma I have is, what's for dinner?  This has been an ongoing issue because of my obsession with food.  I realize most people are happy to rotate through the five things  they know how to cook (as someone commented at the potluck ) but that rotation gets old fast.  There's a entire culinary world out there just waiting to be discovered.

I could easily map out my plan by continent and go online and find recipes - that just seems so inauthentic - I like the personal touch; I meet someone and extract information; or I just get a taste for something.  I was trying a regional approach, however last night I was thinking I could go with a more dispersed approach by following colonies - this is my rationale for jumping from Eritrea to Italy...and my husband is taking that class so it's six degrees of separation.

The Italians never amassed colonial holdings comparable to other European crowns (yes I am aware the the Europeans were not the first to have empires or subjugate people; but their empires were global and resulted in a significant redistribution of people, cultures, and goods throughout the world), but Christopher Columbus was Genoese and the present-day City of Genoa is now part of Italy.  Christopher Columbus' voyage to the New World opened up the Caribbean and the Americas to the Spanish crown.  This convoluted explanation is my attempt to connect my culinary voyage so far and justify my next stop - Mexico.  No, I am not buying a quesadilla machine.

Par for the course

Apparently I'm on a bit of a detour.  My lentils around the world plan has been delayed for a pit stop in Italy.  First puttanesca, now alfredo.  I guess it's timely since my husband is enrolled in an Italian course to fulfill his cultural studies requirement. 

Yesterday while sitting in the ER after being rear-ended by someone traveling way to fast in the rain, I was thinking about what to eat.  I thought, alfredo would be quick, easy, and tasty; then the reality of my aching body set in and instead my cousin and I went to California Pizza Kitchen (I love the Miso salad) when I was finally discharged 5 hours later (a function of people with flu-like symptoms using the ER in lieu of a PCP). 

Today I had lots of stuff to do that I was not able to get done yesterday.  Make the pepper pot for my mother-in-law's dinner; prepare my lecture; go to the potluck dinner for my son's class. After waking up later than I planned, I wasted 2 hours on the phone planning the Girl Scout calendar through January and then decided to make the alfredo.  Lectures still aren't ready. 

Alfredo is so straightforward, it puzzles me why people buy that stuff in the jar, and what is that stuff anyway?  I think of alfredo as a fat fest - butter, cream, cheese, garlic - rich and flavorful.  We didn't have fettuccine so we ate it over farfalle with a side of sauteed spinach.  The kids loved it. 

Then I started the pepper pot.  I am so thankful for my sous chef and apprentice (my son has recently joined the kitchen ranks) - for peeling and chopping all of the veggies.  Of course I almost forgot some key ingredients, but I was able to pull it together to create a flavorful dish that everyone enjoyed.  I also 'kicked it up a notch' by using two scotch bonnets instead of one. 

A colleague of mine is from Minnesota and he always speaks of a hot pot.  I'm not a big fan of buffets, potluck dinners.  The Bellagio in Las Vegas is an exception to the rule.  While a smorgasbord can be a great means of exploring new dishes, I prefer meals that are well coordinated so that all the food is complimentary and you don't end up with a hodgepodge of stuff on your plate.  When I plan potlucks at my house, I choose a theme and let everyone bring something based on their level of expertise.  Some might call that OCD, but I like to enjoy my meals.  Too many smells, sauces, etc is a recipe for disaster.

I decided to eat beef stew at the potluck.  It had carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions.  I love onions but pearl onions have quite a distinct taste.  The pot was attractive - indigo enamel covered cast iron with a distinctive shape.  The meat was quite tender, served over egg noodles.  I didn't venture any further but heard that the sweet potato salad was delicious.  I'm going to have to investigate that.

Post workout puttanesca

This morning I went to the gym for the first time in over a year.  My cousin (a fellow gym dropout) texted me and suggested that we go back to the gym.  I jumped on the elliptical machine and did 20 minutes and felt the burn - I haven't done a lick of cardio in who knows how long.  Then I rode the stationary bike for 10 minutes while we chit-chatted.

After the gym of course she and my husband wondered what we were having for lunch.  I'm more adverse to eating out now, so I thought I'd come home and make puttanesca.  The name of this dish just doesn't sound respectable.  I had it for the first time with my RN Trini friend a few weeks ago when we met for an Italian dinner after my class in Blackwood.  I thought it was tasty and that I could replicate it (garlic, olives, capers, anchovies, tomatoes)- she didn't think so...well guess what, I did masha Allah.

Surprisingly my cousin liked it, and had several helpings.

Everybody loves cooking

Apparently this blog has inspired a few of my friends to get back into the kitchen...I guess the feminists would have my head, but it's nothing like walking into a home filled with the aroma of home cookin'.  What's bad is the aftermath - washing the dishes and the smell that lingers - but the Saudi's have a remedy for that - bakhur. 

Today I made shiro.  Never had it, never seen it.  My plan for this week was to start my lentils around the world but that's not quite working out.  I haven't made anything since the pelau from Sunday and I'm about to buckle down on this research proposal.  Around 1pm, I was hungry and trying to figure out what to eat.  I didn't want to go out for lunch and I wanted to avoid meat.  Last night my husband surprised me and took me to Chima's...it was certainly not Fogo de Chau but there was lots of meat. 

I needed to cook something relatively quickly - I needed to leave home by 330pm at the latest in order to avoid the traffic to Blackwood.  Shiro seemed like an option.  I looked online and called my Eritrean friend to get some instructions.  After I made it I decided to go get injera...I didn't need 10 pieces, but who eats shiro with pita? 

It was quite tasty and filling.  Shiro is basically seasoned chickpea flour.  (I wonder if you could make this using besan flour).  I started it just like zigni then added the flour.  The consistency was almost like a bisque except it had bits of onions and tomatoes.  I think next time I might take the stick blender and puree the onions and tomatoes.  It makes you wonder about food production and availability when a culture uses flour as an entree, but perhaps they're on to something - chickpeas have protein and fiber.  I guess our meat addiction (in the name of protein) is just not justified. 

I just found out today that my friend has been holding out on me...there's more to Eritrean cuisine than zigni...guess that'll be my next exploration.

Precious pots

Today was a long day.  Mondays always are - driving to the Bronx, teaching, prepping, teaching, driving back to Philadelphia.  My prep time was absconded by students wanting instant gratification.  I never really got a chance to catch my breath - I graded papers then created yet another document that explains how to write a book review.

I am starting to feel a bit overscheduled - I am notorious for rippin' and runnin' but lately it seems that my days are packed beyond the point of productivity, and I have consecutive busy days to top it off.  Ok, so I'm not working a typical 40+ hour work week, but I am putting in hours - preparing lectures, grading papers, teaching classes, oh and NOT preparing a research proposal.

I ended my Trinidad exploration with a thud. The pelau I made yesterday was unimpressive.  Today I realized what I forgot to do...confirming that it was indeed flat, despite assurances otherwise.  Disappointing food aside, we had a great impromptu dinner in the company of great friends.  I don't know what my next dish will be...I want to do lentils around the world, or at least throughout my culinary cultures.  I have no idea where to start.  I guess I'd better start asking people - it is so much more authentic when an actual human provides insight about their culture through food, rather than gathering information from the internet.

Yesterday it became clear that I am going to need to purchase another pot. I'm thinking the Le Creuset 71/2 quart French Oven.  My 5 quart is not adequate, and I'm feeling a bit ridiculous having to constantly transfer stuff to the 9 3/4 roaster that I've been using.  For most stuff the 71/2 would be excellent.  Then I went online to price it - $300. Seems like a luxury item in the midst of this economic climate.  However, enamel covered cast iron is precisely what's needed for simmering.

I have a set of Le Creuset (flame).  I knew that they were high-end pots but I had know idea of the actual cost .  Grandmom Lou gave me her set of pots in 1994, after she had them for 40 years.  I also have a set of Cusinart pots that my sister-in-law bought me in 1998 - these are my everyday pots.  I remember how excited I was to get them - 18/10 stainless steel, stick resistant interior, stay cool handles.  I am thinking that I will likely purchase a comparable alternative to the Le Creuset - I can't justify the cost, particularly when there are so many people with empty pots, if they possess a pot at all.

Gorgeous gourds

I took the kids to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs today, $31 for 3-D tickets; movie ticket prices are out of control. The kids loved the movie, I was unimpressed. There were some good underlying messages - there's nothing wrong with being intelligent and pursuing your dreams...I wondered about the possible food message - is it about overconsumption/obesity; the environmental impacts of overproduction of food; processed food; or GMOs? These are all things to consider as we manipulate the food system. Woe to the sorcerer who loses control of his magic.  The earth's biogeochemical processes have been interrupted, largely due to food production; the results have been soil erosion and aquifer depletion manifesting as windstorms, desertification/climate change, and land subsidence.  As we manipulate plants to be resistant to fungi and insects while dependent on inorganic fertilizers, what is the impact on our bodies?

After the movies I stopped at the West Indian market (owned by Asians) to pick up my bacalao and pumpkin. This is actually the first time I've purchased "pumpkin"; I usually substitute some other gourd, such as butternut or acorn squash. I used to make salt fish and pumpkin in 2005 and my family loved it. I was introduced to this by my other Trinidadian friend - my two friends have slightly different cultural backgrounds which I attribute to the reported ethnocentrism on the island (I'll refer to this one as the RN and the other as the teacher).

We were invited over for a light dinner, she served sauteed spinach (it was my first time having it), curried shrimp, salt fish and pumpkin, rice, and lemonade - this had to be in spring 2005. I went home and duplicated the salt fish recipe and made it quite frequently that summer because my CSA was loaded with various gourds. I haven't made it since.

Tonight I realized I'm somewhat of a hybrid "chef", combining culinary techniques and ingredients from a variety of cultures - I did this with the oxtails and again with the salt fish - using tricks I picked up from Eritrean and Indian cuisine - greatly enhancing the flavor of the food.

The pumpkin was a little too soft but the kids loved it; they had seconds and thirds...allegedly, they do not like squash but pumpkin is a totally different story.

Lucious legumes

I've disliked lentils since I was 12 years old and my dad fed me canned lentil soup (I think it was Health Valley). I've avoided them like the plague; just the sight of them creeped me out...always opting out of daal at Indian establishments...actually I've had an aversion to the pastiness of a variety of beans for some time - including foodstuffs prepared from beans such as hummus and falafel (unless prepared exceptionally well). I will, however, eat certain dishes prepared with kidney, pinto, and fava beans.

I know better. I know all the nutritional benefits of legumes. I even know that they fix nitrogen in the soil. I know that beans would help me reduce the amount of my family's meat consumption, which I desperately want to do, but beans really turn me off. Or at least they used to.

Abay fasts on Mondays and Wednesdays...one day she offered me the timtimu...I obliged because it was Abay, and I loved it. When I made it for lunch last week it was a hit. I didn't hesitate when the APO told me to add 1/3 cup of lentils to the oxtails; I added almost a cup...those oxtails are so filling it's ridiculous.

Now I'm searching for interesting, flavorful, ethnic lentil recipes.

Thyme for tails

I love oxtails but have never considered preparing them. I usually get them from my local Jamaican take-out establishment. Keeping in line with this Caribbean theme, on Tuesday I thought I might just give this a try. I called the APO of my program and asked her for her recipe (her husband is from Trinidad). She told me the ingredients and the steps and then mentioned two seasons that I had to get - green seasoning and meat seasoning. She casually mentioned that the seasonings you get "back home" are much better than those you buy in the store...obviously I got excited because I've been known to covet powder.

The powder.

I drove to her house in Co-op City to get the key ingredients - they remind me of hara and garam masala. I was just too tickled with myself that I had authentic spices. This morning I was all set to get started, but I had forgotten a few ingredients. I spent several hours ripping and running to stores this morning because I didn't take a list while on a wild goose chase for thyme, which is a key ingredient in some island cuisine.

I went to 5 different purveyors of produce and was unable to locate thyme. I was pretty pissed off because I saw thyme at the Wegmans in Cherry Hill on Tuesday. Also, prior to becoming a "has been," I used to grow thyme (among other things) in my backyard. Needless to say, I had to resort to the dried stuff - there was a teeny weensy jar of McCormick for $4 and I just couldn't bring myself to pay it. Fortunately I went to a store with a specialty section and purchased the thyme for $1.

I deviated from her instructions slightly; I just can't help myself. The only "recipe" I follow is biryani; everything else I alter or I combine several recipes...I don't like the idea of being a cooking drone.

This, like the pepper pot, has been a lengthy process...but it was so worth it - I only wish we had a bit more meat (my husband bought 7lbs yesterday and it seems a bit sparse - it's mostly bone - I guess I shouldn't complain though, many people only have access to meat products on Eid al Adha, if at all).

I made some accompaniments - greens (I went out on a limb and experimented with these to work with the theme, not bad - I was inspired by my husband's cousin who makes the best greens I've ever eaten - I didn't have nerve to call and ask for her recipe - I doubt she would share it anyway), pigeon peas and rice - and a cake - for now I'm calling this simply tropical cake for lack of a better name - I took one of Grandmom Lou's cake recipes and made some adjustments. The cake was tasty but once again, my cake stuck - this is not looking good for the future of Lazeez Goodeez.

I forgot to make the plantains - I guess I got caught up in a mad dash...trying to get the food finished, needing to comment on rough drafts, needing to beat the traffic to Blackwood, and wanting to taste those tails.

Savory.

I was a little concerned because the color and aroma did not resemble what I was accustomed to. This stuff was delicious, lip-smacking good. The gravy is delicious by itself - I didn't need to go to the trouble of making the pigeon peas and rice concoction - plain rice would've been fine.

Trini tails are terrifically tasty.

Hybrid cultures

Once again I am sitting in the Bronx (on a Wednesday!). On the drive here I listened to the Afro-Brazilian and Merengue cds (I was drifting and needed something with pep, NPR was not helping). The musical arrangements were very different, the Afro-Brazilian using a great deal of percussion instruments and the Merengue using brass. I started thinking about the ways music expresses and reflects a culture's history. The Afro-Brazilian music seems to maintain the influence of West African music. Why then is the Afro-American (for lack of a better term) culture so far removed from its African roots - language, customs, religion, music, food, etc? What were the differences between North and South American slavery?

I teach a Cultural Geography course in New Jersey. It is a required course for students pursuing a degree in education. The textbook refers to customs and habits and reviews a variety of cultural elements broken down by chapter. Last night during the discussion of language, the term Creole was introduced. The text defines a creolized language as one that results from the mixing of the colonizer's language with the indigenous language, usually by simplifying the grammar of the colonizer's language. This explains why continental European languages differ from those found in the New World. In terms of an individual, a creole is a slave born in the master's house. Hence, creole signifies a mixing, a hybridization of people, language, and cultures.

In light of Columbus Day, I assigned an extra credit question to all of my sections - Was Christopher Columbus a hero or villain? What was his imprint on the landscape of Hispaniola?

Hybridization.

I'm certain that many sociologists and anthropologists have studied imperialism and colonialism - many people specialize in Latin American studies (this will not deter me from conducting my own culinary investigation). The bringing together of cultures in the Americas through exploration, voluntary and forced migration created a distinct, flavorful hybrid culture that does not seem to exist anywhere else in the world. How is hybridization different from a "melting pot" or "salad bowl"? How are elements of each cultural input retained yet combined to produce a unique, vibrant culture. Why, despite all of this vibrancy and resilience, are these post-colonial cultures dependent rather than productive in the global economy?

In North America, previous knowledge and culture has been almost eradicated - instead of hybridization there is a melting pot. Are there any cultural remnants? Is Soul Food truly African cooking techniques applied to the scraps provided by the slavemaster with some influence of indigenous cuisine? Is this the hybridity? Hybridity for the Afro-American is manifested quite differently than counterparts in the southern hemisphere. Essentially, it began with the same ingredients - indigenous, colonizer, slave - but the congealing technique was quite different, thus producing different results, instead of a gumbo it is condensed soup.

My daughter is very interested in "our culture" - for years I have been trying to figure that out - not really being able to move beyond oral accounts of my great grand parents that seem more anecdotal than anything else. I've come to realize that "our culture", meaning the culture that I intend to pass to my children and beyond, is what we make it. It is a hybrid based on interaction - elements that I enjoy from the various cultures that I encounter.

A pail of pepper pot

I have been wanting to make pepper pot since Friday, but first I had to distribute the biryani. Last night I made aloo palak (not too spicy) and mango lassi to accompany our biryani.

This was a long weekend and I've gotten absolutely nothing done - no grading, no writing...I did do a little cleaning and a couple loads of laundry - I need to find a balance between the domestic and academic realms.

I watched Coraline tonight with the kids, pretty good movie. I'm looking forward to gardening next summer, this summer we hardly did any maintenance, but it was a good bird habitat.

Apparently pepper pot varies by location in terms of ingredients and technique. As usual, I decided to make adjustments to the recipe...I was a little concerned that I had gone overboard but the result was a hearty stew that cost around $25, but I could've probably made it cheaper.

Corned beef (the first time ever making it...I actually just started liking it last year; of course I called Grandmom Lou for cooking suggestions); onions, garlic, tomatoes, scotch bonnet (one scotch bonnet added plenty of kick to the pot), yuca, white yam, carrots, 'pumpkin', pigeon peas - it was at this point that I realized I had gotten carried away...the 5 qt Le Creuset was almost full.

I transferred the contents to the larger pot - my daughter said "you're pulling an Aunt Mary" (my Aunt Mary always cooks way too much food, you would think she worked in a cafeteria) - then she said "are you making a pail of pepper pot?"

I added okra, cabbage (this was a major deviation, but my mother-in-law gave me cabbage yesterday so I decided to throw it into the pot), and spinach. Cabbage must be available in the Caribbean because it's served in all of the Jamaican restaurants. We had corn muffins on the side and I made a salad of boiled green bananas, cucumbers, and carrots tossed in a fruity balsamic vinaigrette that I whipped together.

If I 'mapped' the botanical families of this dinner I wonder what the branching pattern would be.

I was pleasantly surprised with the pepper pot. I have no idea how it's supposed to look, taste, or smell, but it was certainly hearty, tasty, and made our insides warm and tingly. I would definitely make it again...not a fan of the boiled bananas though. I wanted to make plantains but the plantains my husband made probably wont be ready for a few more days.

One thing I confirmed tonight is the right combination of food does not require tons of seasonings. I used a few basic things but the vegetables provided the bulk of the flavor. I once read somewhere that people who use seasonings and condiments have perverted taste buds, perhaps this is true. This brings to mind three unfinished books from 2005 that I need to complete - The Botany of Desire, The Natural History of the Senses, and Jacobson's Organ.