Monday, 29 November 2010
Variations on Pasta
At times I have to whip up a quick pasta when M is starving and cranky or when we've just come back from a long doggie walk and need something to warm our tired souls and aching feet.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Messages from Trinidad
Trinidadian culinary traditions have been influenced by as much its geographical location as the influence of the various national that invaded and colonised these islands at one point or another over a long period of time. Trinidadian food is a melting pot of global influences, from Indian, Chinese and African food to European, Creole and Mexican food. These have all come together to create the unique Caribbean taste, and the use of ingredients that infuse and blend savoury and sweet tastes in a way that makes me think- 'surely that couldn't work' but surprisingly does! And, does it very well indeed.
I have to admit that I don't know much about Trinidadian food. My own naive perception of this rich culinary culture was limited to the knowledge that they used a lot of sweet potato, yams and sweet peppers. So, when I saw a recipe for Trinidadian stew on the Food Network the other day, it was certainly worth a try. But, being me, I had to adapt it, of course. So, here's my take on the Trinidadian Stew.
I have to admit that I don't know much about Trinidadian food. My own naive perception of this rich culinary culture was limited to the knowledge that they used a lot of sweet potato, yams and sweet peppers. So, when I saw a recipe for Trinidadian stew on the Food Network the other day, it was certainly worth a try. But, being me, I had to adapt it, of course. So, here's my take on the Trinidadian Stew.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Kiwis
Bit of a hiatus on my food journeys at the moment.
Been absolutely knocked out by strong antibiotics while nursing a respiratory tract infection. The doctor suggested I should eat bland food in the meantime. On hearing which, TP remarked, 'Shall I cook then?' Well he has. Oven-cooked some readymade lamb mousaka! Not a bad effort!
I've just had some kiwi fruit as a starter. It's supposed to be rich in Vitamin C and the potassium content is just slightly less than bananas.
Bright green lush fruit. I like the patterns in it. And I like the sharp tangy sweet fresh taste on my tongue. It makes me think of beach and sunshine and cocktails. Not that I'm a big fan of beach holidays. I would get incredibly bored I think, and restless. But, I can just close my eyes and imagine sitting on a beach right now, and feeling the sunshine pore through my toes in the sand.
It is so fascinating that certain foods have such strong associations and capacity to evoke such strong sensations, memories and images of places. Isn't it?
I'm also fascinated by the journey that the kiwifruit seed once made from Southern China to which it was native, taken to New Zealand in 1906 or so by some missionaries to a Christian school, planted by a New Zealander and since then grown in New Zealand and taken its name from it. The fruit isn't really grown in China anymore except in certain areas of Eastern China around the Yangtze river. Did you also know that it is very difficult to pollinate the kiwifruit plant as the bees do not find its flowers especially attractive? Fussy little things.
I remember back in India a long time ago, kiwi was such a novelty fruit. You didn't see kiwi fruit in any normal fruit stalls on the street corners. This must have been 15 or so years ago but I remember going to a posh wedding and marvelling at all the exotic fruit that was on offer there. Things have moved on, and now I think it isn't even that exotic in India anymore, let alone in the supermarkets here in the UK.
Been absolutely knocked out by strong antibiotics while nursing a respiratory tract infection. The doctor suggested I should eat bland food in the meantime. On hearing which, TP remarked, 'Shall I cook then?' Well he has. Oven-cooked some readymade lamb mousaka! Not a bad effort!
I've just had some kiwi fruit as a starter. It's supposed to be rich in Vitamin C and the potassium content is just slightly less than bananas.
Bright green lush fruit. I like the patterns in it. And I like the sharp tangy sweet fresh taste on my tongue. It makes me think of beach and sunshine and cocktails. Not that I'm a big fan of beach holidays. I would get incredibly bored I think, and restless. But, I can just close my eyes and imagine sitting on a beach right now, and feeling the sunshine pore through my toes in the sand.
It is so fascinating that certain foods have such strong associations and capacity to evoke such strong sensations, memories and images of places. Isn't it?
I'm also fascinated by the journey that the kiwifruit seed once made from Southern China to which it was native, taken to New Zealand in 1906 or so by some missionaries to a Christian school, planted by a New Zealander and since then grown in New Zealand and taken its name from it. The fruit isn't really grown in China anymore except in certain areas of Eastern China around the Yangtze river. Did you also know that it is very difficult to pollinate the kiwifruit plant as the bees do not find its flowers especially attractive? Fussy little things.
I remember back in India a long time ago, kiwi was such a novelty fruit. You didn't see kiwi fruit in any normal fruit stalls on the street corners. This must have been 15 or so years ago but I remember going to a posh wedding and marvelling at all the exotic fruit that was on offer there. Things have moved on, and now I think it isn't even that exotic in India anymore, let alone in the supermarkets here in the UK.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
(un) Inspired Spaghetti
Puttanesca with aubergines
I'm not feeling very inspired today. Feel exhausted.
M had been ill for the last couple of days. We picked her up from school on Saturday afternoon and she looked ill. Poor child. So, she stayed at home on Monday. With walking the dog and odd jobs around the house, cleaning and cooking, I was completely worn out by Monday evening. Dinner had to be simple and uncomplicated (and quick with a starving teenager demanding food!). Digging around, I managed to come up with some bits and pieces and concocted this recipe which I realised later was (unknowingly) little bit of a variation on traditional Spaghetti Puttanesca .
I found an aubergine hiding in my food tray and so was determined to use it. Aubergine, Eggplant, Brinjal, Baingan, Melanzana as it's variously called through the world, it's an interesting and often under-used fruit. There's an interesting write-up here on the linguistic development of various names for Aubergine (as we call it in Europe) . If it's not completely geeky to admit it, I find this utterly fascinating!
So, the trick to using aubergines in any sauces is to chop it in small cubes, wash, pat dry and salt them and layer these in a colander, covering them with a fitted lid. Leave these for next 10 minutes or so, wash the salt off, and repeat the process a couple of times. This supposedly helps to get rid of the bitterness in the fruit, and makes it tender and easier to cook, especially when it's not being roasted beforehand. Also, it doesn't use as much oil when fried. I always follow this process although I do cheat and do not always repeat the process. It's debatable if this is really required as some believe that the bitterness has been bred out of the aubergines due to modern farming procedures, but it doesn't harm to do this if you have some time. Believe me, it does make a difference to the taste. Don't cook the aubergines in an aluminium pot or pan.
Ingredients:
1 medium size aubergine
olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 smallish onion
capers
tinned tomatoes
fresh or dried chilli flakes
ground cumin
So, I used one medium size aubergine and while this was being salted, I chopped 3-4 cloves of garlic, one small onion and slow fried them in 2 tbsp olive oil on a low flame so as to soften these but not brown them. I added some chilli flakes as M is a big fan of pasta sauces with a little heat. Fresh chilli would be better. Then I added the aubergine cubes (after they had been washed off the salt and patted dry with a paper towel), fried them till golden brown in the olive oil along with the onions and garlic on a low flame, and then added a can of good quality chopped tomatoes. Let the flavours soak in by letting the tomatoes simmer for a while and then add a little bit of water to this sauce, cover and let simmer for up to 30 minutes. The amount of water and the time it takes for the sauces to reduce and simmer down to the right consistency will depend on the amount of sauce, of course.
I added some chopped capers and fresh chopped coriander, along with some ground cumin to give it a earthy flavour that goes nicely with the aubergines. Season to taste with some salt and pepper and you are ready to go! Boil some good quality spaghetti until it's al dente, drain, and mix with the sauce to serve.
My pet peeve is when pasta is served with a bit of sauce on top. It is just not right.
This was a nice earthy, rustic sauce and complemented the spaghetti well, coated it well, and also would be perfect for a nice cold wintery afternoon (although we had it as a late evening meal).
Winner!
I'm not feeling very inspired today. Feel exhausted.
M had been ill for the last couple of days. We picked her up from school on Saturday afternoon and she looked ill. Poor child. So, she stayed at home on Monday. With walking the dog and odd jobs around the house, cleaning and cooking, I was completely worn out by Monday evening. Dinner had to be simple and uncomplicated (and quick with a starving teenager demanding food!). Digging around, I managed to come up with some bits and pieces and concocted this recipe which I realised later was (unknowingly) little bit of a variation on traditional Spaghetti Puttanesca .
I found an aubergine hiding in my food tray and so was determined to use it. Aubergine, Eggplant, Brinjal, Baingan, Melanzana as it's variously called through the world, it's an interesting and often under-used fruit. There's an interesting write-up here on the linguistic development of various names for Aubergine (as we call it in Europe) . If it's not completely geeky to admit it, I find this utterly fascinating!
So, the trick to using aubergines in any sauces is to chop it in small cubes, wash, pat dry and salt them and layer these in a colander, covering them with a fitted lid. Leave these for next 10 minutes or so, wash the salt off, and repeat the process a couple of times. This supposedly helps to get rid of the bitterness in the fruit, and makes it tender and easier to cook, especially when it's not being roasted beforehand. Also, it doesn't use as much oil when fried. I always follow this process although I do cheat and do not always repeat the process. It's debatable if this is really required as some believe that the bitterness has been bred out of the aubergines due to modern farming procedures, but it doesn't harm to do this if you have some time. Believe me, it does make a difference to the taste. Don't cook the aubergines in an aluminium pot or pan.
Ingredients:
1 medium size aubergine
olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 smallish onion
capers
tinned tomatoes
fresh or dried chilli flakes
ground cumin
So, I used one medium size aubergine and while this was being salted, I chopped 3-4 cloves of garlic, one small onion and slow fried them in 2 tbsp olive oil on a low flame so as to soften these but not brown them. I added some chilli flakes as M is a big fan of pasta sauces with a little heat. Fresh chilli would be better. Then I added the aubergine cubes (after they had been washed off the salt and patted dry with a paper towel), fried them till golden brown in the olive oil along with the onions and garlic on a low flame, and then added a can of good quality chopped tomatoes. Let the flavours soak in by letting the tomatoes simmer for a while and then add a little bit of water to this sauce, cover and let simmer for up to 30 minutes. The amount of water and the time it takes for the sauces to reduce and simmer down to the right consistency will depend on the amount of sauce, of course.
I added some chopped capers and fresh chopped coriander, along with some ground cumin to give it a earthy flavour that goes nicely with the aubergines. Season to taste with some salt and pepper and you are ready to go! Boil some good quality spaghetti until it's al dente, drain, and mix with the sauce to serve.
My pet peeve is when pasta is served with a bit of sauce on top. It is just not right.
This was a nice earthy, rustic sauce and complemented the spaghetti well, coated it well, and also would be perfect for a nice cold wintery afternoon (although we had it as a late evening meal).
Winner!
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Pot Roast
I came across some beef for pot roast while shopping in Waitrose the other day. We hadn't tried this before, it was a cheaper cut and looked like it could be an interesting thing to try so why not!
I should confess to something. I'm terrible at following recipes. I get very bored when I read exact amounts and find it tedious to measure and weigh specific quantities while cooking. Baking is, however, another matter. I have to make an exception there, of course. Perhaps I have ADD. But this is completely self-diagnosed so I wouldn't trust it!
Anyhow, I had this rump joint for pot roast so I scanned some websites, some recipe books, and read through a few recipes by Jamie, Nigella, Delia and Gordon. So many recipes claiming to be the 'best pot roast ever'. I didn't have time to test them all, and of course I had to work with what I could find in the refrigerator because my shopping yesterday evening was a little bit biased towards treats and fancy food rather than basic staples. Some didn't use the right kind of meat, using fancier cuts such as sirloin, while some others had too many ingredients(what's with the packet of dried French Onion Soup, Nigella?).
I mix and match recipes, borrowing what is necessary and omitting what I feel is unnecessary. It is very intuitive cooking, I would say! TP would perhaps say that it's a chaotic way of cooking. We choose to disagree!
So, this is what I did. Well, most of it anyways, I think!
Beef joint
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
beef stock
bay leaves
salt and pepper
plain flour
3 large potatoes peeled and diced into medium size chunks
some red wine
Fan oven at 150 degrees
I mixed some salt, pepper and paprika (I found this nice hungarian paprika which has a nice smoky flavour) into some plain flour, and rolled the beef joint in it until it was coated uniformly all around. I then browned it on all sides in a heavy casserole dish. This is supposed to help seal the juices and make it more moist and flavoursome. I'm not sure if it worked completely but it did add a nice flavour to the roast. I took the beef joint out and kept it aside, while I browned the onions, garlic, carrots and potatoes. Added the wine and let it bubble until reduced by half. Then, added beef stock, the remaining flour (that was used to coat the beef), bay leaves, some salt and black pepper. I decided on a whim that I would add some mustard powder to the sauce as well as a little horseradish. It seemed to have worked by adding a lovely, gentle but sharp taste to the sauce.
Added the beef joint back to this in the casserole dish, covered with foil and the lid to make it as sealed as possible, and placed it in the middle of the oven for appx. 1.5 hours or so. Took it out and let it rest for a while.
The sauce can be reduced further if needed, but we had ours with some steamed savoy cabbage on the side and left-over rice, so plenty of liquidy gorgeousness worked.
Verdict: The sauce had a nice flavour and depth to it. The beef was not as tender as I'd anticipated. Perhaps I'll cook it for less time next time or maybe even at a lower temperature for longer time. Waits to be seen what works. This was perfect comfort food for a cold winter night.
TP thought that it worked well which was high praise indeed, and if you knew him like I do, you would know what I mean. The dog was unimpressed that I had eaten up all the beef without sharing any tasty morsels with him and showed his disapproval by barking very vigorously at the television. The cat wasn't too impressed either, and after wandering around for a while in the hope that some bits might also come his way, he showed his disapproval in the best way that he can- by going and curling up on the chair next to me, and showing complete disdain and disinterest in anything to do with me. M wasn't really interested, being a vegetarian and all that, and went as far as to say that she didn't particularly wish to read about pot roast on my blog. The dish went down well in our household, I would say!
I did take some pictures, although I haven't really mastered the art of styling my food so that it looks attractive in a picture, so might not post them up yet!
I did watch a really interesting episode on styling food on Masterchef Australia recently but more about this in some other post.
I should confess to something. I'm terrible at following recipes. I get very bored when I read exact amounts and find it tedious to measure and weigh specific quantities while cooking. Baking is, however, another matter. I have to make an exception there, of course. Perhaps I have ADD. But this is completely self-diagnosed so I wouldn't trust it!
Anyhow, I had this rump joint for pot roast so I scanned some websites, some recipe books, and read through a few recipes by Jamie, Nigella, Delia and Gordon. So many recipes claiming to be the 'best pot roast ever'. I didn't have time to test them all, and of course I had to work with what I could find in the refrigerator because my shopping yesterday evening was a little bit biased towards treats and fancy food rather than basic staples. Some didn't use the right kind of meat, using fancier cuts such as sirloin, while some others had too many ingredients(what's with the packet of dried French Onion Soup, Nigella?).
I mix and match recipes, borrowing what is necessary and omitting what I feel is unnecessary. It is very intuitive cooking, I would say! TP would perhaps say that it's a chaotic way of cooking. We choose to disagree!
So, this is what I did. Well, most of it anyways, I think!
Beef joint
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
beef stock
bay leaves
salt and pepper
plain flour
3 large potatoes peeled and diced into medium size chunks
some red wine
Fan oven at 150 degrees
I mixed some salt, pepper and paprika (I found this nice hungarian paprika which has a nice smoky flavour) into some plain flour, and rolled the beef joint in it until it was coated uniformly all around. I then browned it on all sides in a heavy casserole dish. This is supposed to help seal the juices and make it more moist and flavoursome. I'm not sure if it worked completely but it did add a nice flavour to the roast. I took the beef joint out and kept it aside, while I browned the onions, garlic, carrots and potatoes. Added the wine and let it bubble until reduced by half. Then, added beef stock, the remaining flour (that was used to coat the beef), bay leaves, some salt and black pepper. I decided on a whim that I would add some mustard powder to the sauce as well as a little horseradish. It seemed to have worked by adding a lovely, gentle but sharp taste to the sauce.
Added the beef joint back to this in the casserole dish, covered with foil and the lid to make it as sealed as possible, and placed it in the middle of the oven for appx. 1.5 hours or so. Took it out and let it rest for a while.
The sauce can be reduced further if needed, but we had ours with some steamed savoy cabbage on the side and left-over rice, so plenty of liquidy gorgeousness worked.
Verdict: The sauce had a nice flavour and depth to it. The beef was not as tender as I'd anticipated. Perhaps I'll cook it for less time next time or maybe even at a lower temperature for longer time. Waits to be seen what works. This was perfect comfort food for a cold winter night.
TP thought that it worked well which was high praise indeed, and if you knew him like I do, you would know what I mean. The dog was unimpressed that I had eaten up all the beef without sharing any tasty morsels with him and showed his disapproval by barking very vigorously at the television. The cat wasn't too impressed either, and after wandering around for a while in the hope that some bits might also come his way, he showed his disapproval in the best way that he can- by going and curling up on the chair next to me, and showing complete disdain and disinterest in anything to do with me. M wasn't really interested, being a vegetarian and all that, and went as far as to say that she didn't particularly wish to read about pot roast on my blog. The dish went down well in our household, I would say!
I did take some pictures, although I haven't really mastered the art of styling my food so that it looks attractive in a picture, so might not post them up yet!
I did watch a really interesting episode on styling food on Masterchef Australia recently but more about this in some other post.
Me and my own
Although it's not really central to this blog, it might be useful to introduce my little family.
I was born in India but now live in the UK with my partner, henceforth to be called TP, a tall laid-back Scot, with our 13 year old daughter, M, musician extraordinaire, along with a cat (tabby with the loveliest eyes) and a dog (a gentle border collie- flat coat retriever cross) in a little village somewhere around the M6.
M is a vegetarian, I eat almost everything (I even tried a black pudding recently after years of squeamishness) and TP eats most things, although he finds seafood 'strange'.
The cat has become very greedy off-late, meowing for food, whenever he sees a human around. The dog doesn't like his own food, but begs for chocolates and desserts. Sweet tooth. Takes after me, I think!
Food does tie us all together in several different ways.
I was born in India but now live in the UK with my partner, henceforth to be called TP, a tall laid-back Scot, with our 13 year old daughter, M, musician extraordinaire, along with a cat (tabby with the loveliest eyes) and a dog (a gentle border collie- flat coat retriever cross) in a little village somewhere around the M6.
M is a vegetarian, I eat almost everything (I even tried a black pudding recently after years of squeamishness) and TP eats most things, although he finds seafood 'strange'.
The cat has become very greedy off-late, meowing for food, whenever he sees a human around. The dog doesn't like his own food, but begs for chocolates and desserts. Sweet tooth. Takes after me, I think!
Food does tie us all together in several different ways.
Another Food Blog?
There are so many blogs on food out there. Do we need another food blog? Really?
Oh well, bear with me. I need a project.
And, since I spent so much time thinking about food, watching food programmes, noting down recipes, reading recipe books, and so on, I thought that I might as well write down something about it too.
No one will probably ever read this blog ever. And, I'm not entirely sure what I'll be writing about to be honest. I do not claim to be a fantastic writer so it is quite embarrassing to put something out there but I'll be brave.
I'll try to map my life through food, and with food, and how food links me to places and people, and how food runs as this connecting thread between the various generations in my family, and how food has taught me to dream.
So, here we go!!
Oh well, bear with me. I need a project.
And, since I spent so much time thinking about food, watching food programmes, noting down recipes, reading recipe books, and so on, I thought that I might as well write down something about it too.
No one will probably ever read this blog ever. And, I'm not entirely sure what I'll be writing about to be honest. I do not claim to be a fantastic writer so it is quite embarrassing to put something out there but I'll be brave.
I'll try to map my life through food, and with food, and how food links me to places and people, and how food runs as this connecting thread between the various generations in my family, and how food has taught me to dream.
So, here we go!!
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