Hi folks:

Here are a few photos of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the world’s largest Gothic-style church. It is also affectionately known as St. John the Unfinished because construction on the cathedral, which started in the 1800s, still continues to this day. Services and events are held there.

My favorite event in the cathedral is The Blessing of the Animals (or the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.). Each year, a celebration of the life of St. Francis is held and people and their animals are invited to come. A patron of animals, this feast celebrates St. Francis’s love for all animals and God’s creatures. It also celebrates God’s love for all creatures. Every October, about 4000-5000 people bring their pets into the cathedral for blessing.

A few years ago, my sister and I decided to take our dogs to participate in the event. Early, one Sunday morning , we went to the cathedral and stood on a long line that snaked around the block. We stood on line for about an hour for tickets to enter. Luckily we were in the front of the line.

While we waited a little girl (about seven), her brother (about ten) and their mother stood in front of us. The girl brought her gold fish (in a bowl, of course) and her brother brought his lizard (in a shoebox). Both were excited about the event. All around us, people came with various animals — cats and dogs (of course), birds, chickens, snakes….

Inside, everyone sat in the pews with their pets. I was really surprised that my dogs were very well behaved, since they normally bark at other dogs. Actually, everyone’s pet was well behaved. There were no barking, fighting, no accidents.

A service was held and afterwards a special group of animals marched down the aisle, the length of two football fields, to begin the blessing ceremony — an elephant, monkey, donkey, camel, horse, llama, cow… It really is a sight to behold, to see the animals strolling into the cathedral.

Later, a fair with activities for everyone was held. Vegetarian food and handicrafts were sold. For the children, there was face painting, puppeteers, a petting zoo was held. Everyone got to enjoy a concert and theatrical performances. Lots of fun.

Have a great week!

New York greetings,
Paz

I love that there are so many ways to prepare plantains, my favorite food. Mangú, mashed green plantains, is a typical breakfast meal in the Dominican Republic. It’s become one of my favorite breakfast dishes. To see what a green (unripe) plantain looks like, go here.

I first made mangú, a while ago, when my Dominican friend, Rocío, gave me the recipe. Thank you, Rocío! I was so excited and since then, I’ve prepared it several times. You can serve mangú with onions (preferably red) and sausage, bologna, cheese or fried eggs. I like to eat my mangú with red onions and ox tails. The best thing about knowing how to prepare mangú is that I can eat it anytime I want, not just for breakfast. Yes!

Plantain, how do I love thee? I love thee so many ways!

Paz

Mangú served with red onions, eggs, and sausage

Mangú (Mashed plantains)
Dominican Cooking

Ingredients:
4 unripe (green) plantains
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of oil
2 large onions (*Paz note: I normally use red onions!)
1 tablespoon of vinegar
1 cup of cold water
Salt

Preparation:
- Peel plantains and cut into 8 pieces.

- Boil the plantains, adding 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. When the plantains are very tender turn off the heat.

- While the plantains are boiling, heat a tablespoon of oil in a shallow pan. Sautee the onions, add the salt and the vinegar. Reserve.

- Take the plantains out of the water and mash them with a fork. Add the butter and the cold water and keep mashing until it is very smooth.

- Garnish with the onions and serve with scrambled eggs or deep-fried slices of salami.

Despite the freezing weather, it’s been busy on the Hudson river. They’re doing some kind of work on this part of the river’s edge and have big machinery set up. There are two tugboats (blue and red) that have a job to do as well.

Also interesting to see on the river is the melting ice floating up and down the river.

New York greetings,
Paz

I ordered some cookies from Mischief Mari and received a delightful treat when they arrived. Her cookies are not only visually pleasing but delicious as well. If you’re not familiar with Mari’s cookies, you can check out her creative site here. You can also find her fun blog here.

I’m off to get some more cookies before they all disappear. Thanks, Mari!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Paz

Cookies in honor of the Chinese New Year of the Pig

Lime Pistachio cookies

The Chinese New Year has given me the opportunity to make my very first Chinese dish – a very simple recipe of Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce. From what I’ve read, clams are a popular dish to serve for the Chinese New Year because its shells look like Chinese coins and that represents prosperity. The idea of a prosperous recipe reminds me of an Italian dish I once made for New Year’s. It involved lentils because its shape is also reminiscent of coins and represents prosperity.

For my New Year’s prosperity dish, I had to buy three ingredients – clams, Shao Hsing rice cooking wine, and Chinese dried black beans. I’d never heard of the last two ingredients before. I planned on going to Chinatown to grocery shop but I was too tired and didn’t feel like getting on the subway to go there. Instead I stopped by a neighborhood store that sells various Asian products.

I found the rice cooking wine, easily, but had more of an adventurous time finding the Chinese dried black beans. It turned out that the store only carried Korean dried black beans, not Chinese. I wasn’t sure of the difference and the store employees couldn’t help me. I bought the bag of Korean beans because I figured that they couldn’t be very different from the Chinese beans.

I stopped at another Asian grocery store and all they had was some kind of soy dried black beans. The staff couldn’t help me. Just in case, I bought that bag of soybeans, too.

I went home and used the first bag of beans I bought. Guess what? They were the wrong type of beans, I discovered belatedly. Everything cooked, except for the beans. They were still hard. Hard as a rock.

One of my favorite parts while cooking was when I put the ginger and garlic into the pot. So aromatic, it prompted me to do my happy dance. The dish tasted pretty good – except for those hard beans.

Despite that little glitch in my meal, preparing the Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce was a fun way to welcome the Chinese New Year of 4705. I plan on making this dish again and my co worker is going to bring me the real Chinese dried black beans, so my next attempt should be more successful.

And what am I going to do with the wrong type of beans, I bought? I have no recipes for which to use them. However, I plan on making a pie soon, and I think they’d make good weights for when I make a pie crust — the docking method, I believe it’s called. I’m glad everything has worked out. That’s a good start to the New Year. ))))

Happy New Year!

Paz

Ed. Note: My co-worker brought me the real Chinese dried black beans. Thank you, L! Boy, what a big difference from the ones I bought. As many of you have pointed out, the Chinese dried black beans are fermented and softer. I definitely plan on making this meal again with the proper beans. Thanks, everyone for your comments. I truly appreciate your input! It’s a lot of help.

Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce
The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen: Classic Family Recipes for Celebration and Healing – Grace Young

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
2 dozen littleneck or cherrystone clams
2 tbsp. Chinese dried black beans
2 tbsp. finely shredded ginger
1 tbsp. finely minced garlic
½ cup homemade chicken broth
2 tbsp. Shao Hsing rice cooking wine
1 scallion, finely shredded

Directions:
1. Thoroughly wash the clams in several changes of cold water, discarding any open clams. Scrub the shells with a vegetable brush to remove grit and rinse well. Drain the clams in a colander. Rinse the black beans in several changes of cold water and drain. In a small bowl, coarsely mash the black bean with the back of a wooden spoon.

2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, ginger and garlic, and stir-fry 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the remaining tablespoons vegetable oil, beans and clams, and stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes, or until the shells just begin to open. Add the broth and rice wine and cover 2 to 3 minutes, or until some of the shells have opened.

3. Transfer the opened clams to a platter and continue stirring, uncovered, on high heat until all the clams have opened and broth is reduced slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.

4. Garnish with the scallion. No need to add salt; clams are naturally salty, as are the black beans. Serve immediately.

Correct beans for this recipe — Chinese Dried Black Beans
It’s fermented and much softer than the beans pictured below.

Wrong beans for this recipe #1 — Korean black beans, instead of Chinese.

Wrong beans for this recipe #2 — Soy Black Beans

Shao Hsing Rice Cooking Wine

We had the first snow and ice storm of the season on Wednesday, 14 February 2007. I’m not too crazy about snow in the city. It looks beautiful when you’re inside watching the first fresh snow fall. But a few hours later, the snow turns dirty and black. You have to start jumping over puddles and finding ways to cross the snow piles to get to the sidewalk. If the snow freezes, then you have to worry about slipping on ice. *sigh* Oh well, I’ve survived the snow so far, so I know I’ll live through the after effects of this storm.

In the sixth photo below, notice the two men wearing shorts — in this extra cold weather! Hmm…

The poor black dog below was tied up in front of the post office and he anxiously waited for his owner to return. He kept barking and looking out for his owner. I felt sorry for him. It’s not safe to leave your pets behind (tied up) and then disappear for a time. It’s so easy to steal dogs when they are left that way. I’ve heard some very sad stories of that happening. Also, it’s very stressful for the dog.

That’s it for now.

New York greetings!
Paz

Melting Wok recently tagged me for this MemeMe. I’ve done a few memes similar to it, so I think you know everything about me at this point.

Let me see if I can think up five more things that you don’t know about me. Hmmm….

1- I like the 1990s Batman & Superman cartoon series.

2- I don’t drive (don’t know how).

3- I enjoy Brazilian novelas and movies (some Spanish-language ones, too)!

4- Since I can’t think of anything else to write, at the moment, see my Culinary Confessions meme response.

5- See also my Too Much Information meme & 10 Things You Never Knew About Me meme response.

If you’re a glutton for punishment, you can find a list of my other meme responses here.

I tag anyone interested in participating. Thanks, Melting Wok!

Paz

A cold but sunny Sunday.

Have a great week, everyone!

New York greetings,
Paz

My name is Paz and I’m a riceaholic. Yup, I love rice. It’s a staple in my home and I have to eat it at least once a week.

In All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou, the author writes about her stay in Ghana, West Africa. I don’t remember why, but for some reason, the cafeteria at the YMCA, where Dr. Angelou ate, did not serve rice. The non-rice menu continued for several days, till one of the other boarders, a dignified-looking woman from Sierra Leone almost went crazy from lack of eating rice.

The next time the cafeteria served lunch and there was no rice in the plate, the woman’s entire demeanor changed. “I want some ri’,” she insisted.

“I want some ri!” She got bolder and crazier.

In order to calm her down the staff had to run out and buy rice, cook it, and serve her on the spot. She wasn’t the same until she got her rice.

Haha, I could relate! I want my rice!

Now that I’m learning to cook, instead of the plain white rice, which I’d normally eat (and the occasional brown rice when my health conscience kicks in), I’m learning to cook different types of rice. My rice repertoire includes Jollof rice, which I used to eat as a child in Africa. I’ve mentioned that my Auntie Toshie made the best Jollof rice (she made the best everything, actually). I’ve made Basmati and Nut Pilaf (I really love this one), Forbidden Rice, Yellow Rice with Corn (Arroz Amarillo con Maiz – I really like this one, too!), Garlicky Rice, Rice and Beans (Moros y Cristianos) Rice Water, and Paella.

When I first made rice it was touch and go because I’d either add too much water or not enough. Uggh! I’m happy to say that things are looking up. My rice turn out pretty good.

I came across an interesting-sounding rice prepared by celebrity chef Daisy Martinez called Rice with Pigeon Peas. It was definitely something I wanted to try.

My cooking adventure wasn’t bad. There were a few things I had to prepare first before making the rice. I had to make achiote oil, which gives the color to the rice. It’s not hard to do – fry achiote seeds in oil and be careful not to leave it in the oil too long otherwise it will turn green and bitter. Second, I made sofrito, which flavors the rice. Oh, how I love to prepare that. I love the smells of the fresh herbs, especially the cilantro. I love the smell and taste of cilantro, which makes me start doing my happy dance in the kitchen when its fragrance is released into the air. Yes! You can buy ready made sofrito from the store but I prefer the homemade one, which is so much fresher and tastier.

The recipe calls for using smoked pork neck bones, smoked turkey wings or smoked ham. With the exception of the occasional bacon and eggs or bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, I don’t normally eat ham but I was curious about the taste of the smoked pork neck bones and decided to use that in my rice. Ummm… I didn’t like it.

Next time I make this rice, I’ll use the turkey wings instead. I liked the pigeon peas, the alcaparrado and everything else in the rice.

The recipe also mentions banana or plantain leaves but I didn’t use them because I couldn’t find them at my local grocery store.

So now you know I love rice. I’m curious: What foods do you need to eat? What foods will drive you crazy if you couldn’t eat it after a couple of days?

Rice with Pigeon Peas (Arroz con Gandules)
Daisy Cooks

Makes 10 to 15 servings, as part of a larger meal

1/2 cup Achiote Oil
1 cup Sofrito
3 tablespoons alcaparrado or coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
3 tablespoons fine sea or kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 pounds smoked pork neck bones or smoked turkey wings or one smoked hamhock
One 13-ounce bag frozen pigeon peas OR one 15-ounce can pigeon peas, drained
6 cups long grain rice
Beef Broth, homemade or store-bought and/or water as needed (about 8 cups)
1 banana leaf*, optional

*Note: Banana leaves and/or plantain leaves, are large, pliable, dark green leaves that are used quite a bit in Latin American cooking. Here they lend the rice a subtle flavor. They are available, usually frozen in 1-pound packages, in Latin markets and some specialty stores.

Heat the achiote oil in a heavy 5-quart pot or Dutch oven over high heat until rippling. Stir in the sofrito, alcaparrada or olives, salt, pepper and cumin. Cook until the sofrito stops boiling and starts to sizzle, about 5 minutes.

Add the pork bones and stir until they’re coated with oil, then stir in the rice until everything is mixed together and the rice is coated with oil.

Stir in the pigeon peas and enough broth and/or water to cover the rice by the width of two fingers. Top with the banana leaf, folding it up as necessary to fit over the rice. Bring to a boil and boil without stirring until the level of liquid meets the rice. Take the banana leaf off, give the rice a big, healthy stir and put the leaf back on top. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove the banana leaf, give the rice a big stir and fluff it with a fork. Serve hot.

Sofrito
You can find my first homemade sofrito here.
I make it a lot now. It’s very easy!

The other day, I found an interesting-looking recipe – Beef Ribs and Lentil Soup – in Tiempo New York, a local newspaper. What actually caught my eye was the fact that one of the ingredients included plantains – green plantains to be exact. Well, regular readers know how I feel about plantains. I love them. I immediately tore out the recipe and planned to make it for dinner that evening.

I managed to buy all the ingredients; except for the one I craved the most – the plantains. By now, I’ve learned that in all adventures, especially cooking ones, not everything goes as planned and one has to make due with what one has. Too tired to go to the store that sold the plantains, I had no choice but to cook without them.

Still, my Beef Ribs and Lentil Soup turned out well. The beef ribs added a succulent taste to the soup. The potatoes, lentils, celery, carrots were light yet filling. Instead of two small potatoes as the recipe dictates, a friend suggested using the baby potatoes, which is what I used. I liked that much better. The same idea applied to the carrot called for in the recipe. Instead of one whole carrot, I used a handful of baby carrots. I liked their perfect bite-size and the fact that I didn’t have to bother peeling or chopping anything.

So two things were missing from the soup: Plantain and cilantro, an herb I also love. I had the cilantro but by the time the food was cooked I was very hungry and forgot to add it to the soup. Luckily, I was able to spare a few minutes to take a photo before eating.

Plantain, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… I plan on making this Beef Rib and Lentil soup again very soon. Next time I’ll make sure it contains the plantain and cilantro. I believe those missing ingredients will enhance the soup flavor even more.

In the meantime, after the ingredients had the chance to meld together even longer, I found that my leftover soup tasted even better the next day. Mmm… Mmm good! Very good!

Paz

Ed. Note: I’ve made this recipe again, several times. Those times, I included the plantain (and cilantro), which you can see in newer photos below.

Dish made again in February, this time with plantains and garnished with cilantro (yum!)

Beef Ribs and Lentil Soup
Adapted from Tiempo New York by Viviana Palacios
Dining – page 12 (January 11–24, 2007)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
½ pound of beef ribs
1 chopped onion
1 chopped carrot*
1 chopped celery strip
2 diced potatoes (small)*
½ diced green plantain
½ cup of lentil
5 cups of water
Salt, pepper and ground cumin
2 tablespoon of chopped cilantro

Preparation
Before chopping your ingredients, set the lentils aide in a bowl of water for at least 20 minutes or more. Preheat a soup pan; add the butter, onions, celery, garlic and beef ribs, salt, pepper and pinch of ground cumin. You brown the ribs for about 5 minute then add the drained lentil, potatoes, plantain, carrots and water. Check for salt and pepper taste and let boil for about 30 minutes, or to the desired thickness. Lastly you sprinkle some fresh cilantro on top and you are ready to serve. I like to add a squeeze of lime for enhanced flavor – try it!

*Paz Note: I used a handful of baby potatoes and baby carrots, instead.

It’s De-Lurking Month!
That means that if you regularly or occasionally read this blog but never leave a comment, here’s your chance to do so. And if you normally comment, please feel free to continue to do so. It’s no fun without you here!

Beef Ribs and Lentils prepared again with plantains (and garnished with cilantro)

There are several musical trees in my neighborhood. Whenever I pass by, I hear cheerful harmonies coming from them. Sometimes it sounds like a jam session. Other times, a well orchestrated set. During the summer and spring season, the trees are normally full of lush green leaves so that I’m never able to see its musicians.

However, since we’re now in the winter season, all the leaves have fallen. As I passed by in the early morning, I heard the familiar sounds and for the first time, I saw the ensemble on a naked tree. About ten musicians sat, perched on different branches, like musical notes on sheet music.

Just as I stopped to take a picture, the musicians seemed camera shy and flew away – all except for two that remained, watching me closely. Then one of the two decided it had enough of the stranger with the camera. It flew away… and then there was one.

Have a good week, everyone.

New York greetings,
Paz

It’s De-lurking Month!
That means if you regularly or occasionally read this blog but never leave a comment, here’s your chance to do so. And if you normally comment, please feel free to continue to do so. It’s no fun without you here!

Edna Staebler’s cookbook, Food That Really Schmecks, has been republished. In honor of this occasion, food bloggers are participating in an event called A Day That Really Schmecks. The bloggers will prepare a recipe or two from the book and blog about it. Jasmine of will post a line up of the blogged about recipes on Confessions of a Cardamom Addict on January 15, 2007.

Staebler was an award winning journalist and author. She recently passed away in 2006 at the age of 100. I’m certainly glad that it’s never too late to learn about her and her work.

From the title to its content of Mennonite Country Cooking recipes, I found Food That Really Schmecks appealing. As I read the book on the subway and at work, people who spotted the title made comments. The title alone was a conversation starter. I’m not sure what “schmecks” literally means, but I get the gist that it means something along the lines of “good, great, awesome…” that sort of thing. Anyone out there, please feel free to enlighten me.

I liked how the book is filled with recipes for seemingly everything – from Grape Wine to Milk Toast, sauces for vegetables, pickled eggs, cheese bread, porridge bread, Almond Macaroons, to Angel cake, Sponge cake and more. There are even recipes for candy! I also like that a measurement conversion table is located in the back. And if that’s not enough, there’s also a section entitled ‘A Variety of Things,’ where you can find recipes for sausages, cheese, and home remedies.

Interspersed throughout the book are Staebler’s stories about cooking Mennonites and her family, which I found entertaining. The book really packs a punch and has a lot to offer.

I decided to make the recipe entitled, ‘The Best Vegetable Soup I’ve Ever Tasted’ (another title I like). The ingredients are simple and the recipe uncomplicated.

I’m wondering, though, if there’s a typo in this recipe. ½ cup raw rice is mentioned twice. In any event, I only used the ½ cup rice measurement once and it worked out fine. The soup was light, yet filling.

Best of all, I like how Staebler encourages the reader not to take the recipes seriously but instead have fun with them. “Experiment, improvise, be a little reckless,” she writes. I did have fun and added a little Cajun Spice, which my friend had sent me, to make the soup spicier. Loved it!

There are many recipes, from which to pick. The soup I prepared was a good start and I plan on trying out more of the recipes.

Look, mom! I’m making Mennonite Country food! That really schmecks!

Don’t forget to check out Confessions of a Cardamom Addict, January 15, to see a round up of all the prepared meals that schmeck. Thanks, Jasmine for putting this together.

Paz

Ed. Note: According to Jasmine, “Schmecks” means “tasty” or “tastes very good.” Also it seems that the double posting of the rice ingredient is indeed a typo. The rice ingredient only appears once in the first cookbook printing. So that that means there should only be one listing of 1/2 cup raw rice in the new cookbook version, as well.

The Best Vegetable Soup I’ve Ever Tasted
Food That Really Schmecks – Edna Staebler

It’s Delurking Week!

Paz

Our fellow food blogger and friend, Ruth Daniels has a recently released cookbook. It’s called Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories: Recipes to warm the heart. Months ago, I had the pleasure of being one of her recipe testers and I liked the recipes I tried.

The cookbook is filled with favorite family recipes and personal stories. I like how each recipe comes with a “Tips and Variations” section. There’s also a “Cooking Primer” section. All are helpful to the reader.

The first recipe to jump out at me from this new cookbook was the Garlicky Rice. I’m a rice eater, so this recipe called my name (“Paz, Paz! Make me first! Make me first!”).

The ingredients consist of rice, butter, onions, carrots, chicken stock and most important of all, garlic. The recipe calls for 8 cloves of garlic. Who’s afraid of a little garlic? As long as it tastes good, I say, “Bring it on!” Besides, garlic is good for you. Years ago, I’d read the memoir of two American sisters called Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years. At the time they were age 101 and 103 and part of their health regiment consisted of eating a clove of garlic (raw, I think) daily. So, I’m not afraid of garlic.

The combinations of the ingredients were delicious! Ruth recommends serving this rice with grilled steaks and chicken, other slow cooked roasts or your favorite shrimp or scallop dishes.

If you’re looking for a different version of rice to make, try this Garlicky Rice.

Congratulations Ruth on the release of your cookbook!

Paz

Garlicky Rice
Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories – Ruth Daniels

Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
8 cloves garlic, minced – This is not a typo!
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped or grated (1/2) cup)
2 cups plain white raw rice, preferably Italian, well rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken stock

1- In large skillet, melt butter and cook carrot and onion until golden, about 5 minutes.

2- Add garlic now so it will be aromatic. If you cook garlic in step 1 with onion, mixture it will become bitter.

3- Add rice to the pan with an additional tbsp of butter if needed. Stir to coat the rice.

4- Add chicken stock, bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

5- Remove from heat, fluff/stir gently with a fork. Re-cover and let rest for 5 minutes or so.

Mischief Mari sent me some Chocolate Truffle Cookies over the holidays. She truly makes the “coolest cookies on the planet.” Did you see the Paz for Prez cookies she made the other time? So cool!

Anywho, I was pleasantly surprised to find that she’d included the recipe to the Chocolate Truffle Cookies. So, I decided to try my hand at making them. The process wasn’t bad. I was able to follow the directions fairly well. Only thing was that I was supposed to roll the dough into a walnut-size shaped. However, I unintentionally rolled them into a much bigger size. Apple-size, grape-size, walnut-size, whatever the size… I’m never able to get the exact size… Oh, well! Next time will be better. I guess it takes practice, huh?

According to the instructions, I used parchment paper. But I think that the heat must have been to hot because the paper turned a burned brown color. I think I’ll skip the parchment paper next time.

All in all, my cookies turned out well for a first timer maker of Chocolate Truffle Cookies. Thanks, Mischief Mari for the cookies and the recipe. If you haven’t done so already, check out the site for the coolest cookies on the planet here. You can also check out Mari’s delectable blog here.

I wish each and everyone all the best for this New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Paz

Chocolate Truffle Cookies
The New Cookie Book, by Catherine Atkinson with recipes by Joanna Farrow and Valerie Barrett

Makes 18 cookies
Time Needed: 1 hour

Ingredients
1/2 Cup All-purpose flour
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa powder (Sift it, please)
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Butter, diced
1 Egg, beaten
1 tsp Cherry brandy or Orange juice
1/2 Cup Confectioner’s/powdered/icing sugar
*A Whole Lotta Love

Instructions
1- Preheat oven 400F. Line 2 baking heets with parchment paper papier.

2- Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the ugar. Rub in the butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix beaten egg with the Cherry brandy (or Orange juice); stir into flour mixture. Cover with clear film, chill in fridge for 30 minutes.

3- Put powdered sucre in a bowl. Shape walnut-size pieces of dough into balls, tos in powdere sugar until thickly coated. Put on baking sheets.

4- Bake for 10 minutes.

5- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

6- Eat. Enjoy.

Ever since I’d seen this Makhouda D’Aubergine recipe on The Traveller’s Lunchbox, I was interested in trying it. By the way what does ‘Makhouda’ mean? Can anyone tell me? Months after I’d first seen the recipe, I became even more excited about it because I’ve discovered that I really like eggplants/aubergines. Yum!

This recipe of eggplants, eggs, red pepper, onions, garlic, gruyère cheese, and fresh herbs was another hit in my house. I made it with the intention of saving some for lunch the next day. Well, that didn’t happen because they finished in record time.

The instructions were really straightforward and I had all the ingredients except for one – rosewater. I like that the recipe gave suggestions to replace unavailable ingredients – like using black pepper if you didn’t have the Tunisian spice blend bharat, or cayenne pepper as a replacement for North African hot pepper paste, harissa.

I didn’t have bharat or harissa but I did have their substitutes and they worked out well for me.

The photo isn’t too appealing. While the food baked, I worked on the computer and watched The Lord of the Rings (I and II) on T.V. Caught up in multitasking, I left the Makhouda in the oven a tad bit too long. As a result, the top became a little too dark, but it didn’t mar the taste. Served with salad, the Makhouda D’Aubergine was delicious and very filling.

The Flying Apple made this dish as well and like her, I plan on making it again (and again and again.) It was that good. Thanks, Melissa for this recipe. And congrats on your doctorate degree! Yippee!

Paz

Makhouda D’Aubergine
North Africa: The Vegetarian Table

Serves: 4-6 Notes: Serve this as a side dish with sweet or savory tagines, or as a light main course with a fresh green salad. Tunisians also apparently love to stick slices of it inside crusty bread spread with a little harissa and eat it as a sandwich.

1 large globe eggplant
salt for sprinkling
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and diced
8 large eggs
a handful (about 1/2 cup packed) chopped fresh parsley or coriander/cilantro leaves, or a mixture
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz (225g) gruyère cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon bharat (Tunisian spice blend; you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon rosewater)
3/4 teaspoon salt
harissa (North African hot pepper paste) or cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
lemon wedges

Peel and cut the eggplant into 1/4-inch dice. Sprinkle lightly with salt and place the cubes in a colander to drain for about 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the eggplant, onion, and pepper, stirring occasionally until golden and soft, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a colander to drain off as much of the oil as possible.

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs and add the herbs, garlic, cheese and bread crumbs. Add the eggplant mixture. Season with the bharat, salt, and a small spoonful of the optional harissa or cayenne pepper.

Grease a 2-quart soufflé dish. Pour the egg mixture into the dish and bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and puffed in the center, 40-45 minutes (a knife inserted into the center should come out clean). Let cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a serving platter (you can also just leave it in the dish). Cut into wedges or squares to serve. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges on the side.

My first peach cobbler. Okay, so everything I make here is my first.

Well, this first peach cobbler wasn’t bad at all. The best part of the cobbler was the peach filling. I used canned peaches, which were perfect for me — perfectly cut, perfectly ripe… The filling was very good and tasty.

I had a slight problem with the crust: I could have/should have left it in the oven to bake a little longer. I didn’t. Also, I could have/should have sprinkled more sugar on the top but I didn’t. The reason I didn’t do either was because the instructions were vague – “bake until golden brown.”

Better instructions for me would have been, “Bake for 30-45minutes.” Something like that.

Instead of “Sprinkle with sugar,” better instructions for me would have been, “Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar,” etc…

The dough was fine, but next time I’d like to try it with the dough that I used for my Roasted Baby Roma Tomato and Feta Tart. I like that dough better and wonder if that will make a difference with the peach cobbler… I’ll see…

I plan on trying this peach cobbler again.

Paz

Making the peach filling

Double Crusted Peach Cobbler
Boy Meets Grill

Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping and rolling
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Peach Filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch salt
10 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (if peaches are out of season, use thawed frozen peaches)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Crust:
Place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough just comes together.

Remove dough and knead lightly on a lightly floured surface until it just comes together. Divide the dough in half and form into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Once dough is chilled, remove from the refrigerator and roll each disk into a 9-inch square approximately 1/4-inch thick. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets and return to the refrigerator to chill until ready to assemble.

Filling:
Melt butter in a large high-sided saute pan over medium heat. Add the sugar and water and cook until sugar is dissolved. Add nutmeg, salt, peaches, and flour and cook for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place half of the peach mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch square buttered baking dish using a slotted spoon. Top the peaches with 1 layer of dough. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is light golden brown. Remove from the oven and top the crust with the remaining peaches and cover with the other crust. Brush the top crust with heavy cream, sprinkle with sugar, and return to the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbly. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Right out of the oven

I’ve mentioned that I’ve discovered I like mushrooms! A lot!

Here’s another easy and tasty recipe with mushrooms from Coconut and Lime. LOVE it! Thanks, Rachel!

Paz

Mushrooms & Egg Noodles
Coconut and Lime

Ingredients:
½ lb egg noodles
⅔ cup fresh parsley, chopped
6 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
salt

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Then add egg noodles and cook about 6 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the butter and oil. Add the shallot and garlic, sauté until soft and translucent but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until coated and cooked through. Drain the egg noodles and toss with parsley and lemon juice. Add the mushroom mixture and a sprinkle of salt and toss again. Serve immediately.

Holiday decorations in the city have gone up and will stay up for a while. Here’s a sample.

Have a great week, everyone!

Paz

I’ve mentioned before that there are many foods that I did not like to eat, until I started to cook. Let’s add mushrooms to the list.

I found this Portobello Mushroom Salad recipe on Domestic Cat. The recipe mentions whole Portobello mushrooms but I bought the ones already sliced. I think I’m allowed to take a little short cuts once in a while.

I enjoyed making this salad and eating it. The mushrooms, sprinkled with dried oregano and thyme tasted perfect. The mixture of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juiced, simply enhanced the taste. Last, I garnished the dish with one of my favorite herbs — chopped, fresh parsely (the flat leaf kind). I don’t think this herb will ever fail you as you prepare your meal. Any time I toss it on the food I prepare, it always seems to liven up the meal in taste and appearance.

The recipe does not call for red onions. However, I had some leftover chopped onions in the fridge and threw it into the salad. Mmm… Mmm good! I loved the crunchy texture with the soft, smooth mushrooms and the textured feel of the parsley. Definitely a good combination. Thanks, Domestic Cat, for this recipe! I’ve made it several times, now.

I’d like to submit this recipe for Weekend Herb Blogging. It is one of my favorite food blog events but due to my busy schedule, I haven’t been able to participate in quite some time. Parsely is one of my favorite herbs with which to use on food. I probably went overboard here with the parsley and put too much, but I don’t care! I love it! I don’t think I can have too much parsley. It tasted good with the mushrooms.

Everyone knows about parsley. I’d say it’s a common herb used by many (Middle Eastern, European, and American cuisine). However, I learned something new from Wikipedia. Among its many uses, parsley is used as a breath freshner. It works well against garlic breath. Hmm… I’ll have to remember that. In the mean time, if you want to know more parsley, you can visit Wikipedia.

Paz

Portobello Mushroom Salad
Domestic Cat

• 400grs portobello mushrooms
• fresh or dried herbs, such as oregano and thyme
• balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt, freshly ground blackpepper

Preheat your oven to 200-210 C. Quickly wash mushrooms under running water and pat dry. Using a mellonballer or a coffee spoon, scoop out the black flesh under their caps. This will help them to have a better colour. Place mushrooms upside down on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt and place herbs on their caps. Cook in the oven for about 30 mins or until soft. Remove the tray from the oven and transfer mushrooms on a cutting board. Cut them lenghtwise in 0.5 cm slices. Combine mushroom slices with the rest of the ingredients and check the taste. Balsamic vinegar especially goes well with this salad. Serve warm with meat or fish, or on its own. Enjoy!

*One can blog about herbs, plants, vegetables, or flowers for Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB). To see the list of other interesting WHB posts, go to Kalyn’s Kitchen, Sunday afternoon.

Interested in participating? Check out the guidelines.

Almost a week after Thanksgiving and would you believe we STILL have leftover turkey? Yikes!

With the exception of its wings, I don’t really care for turkey. I mean, I’ll eat it but I’m not crazy about it. I do love the wings, though. Yeah, I already said that…

Normally, I hate turkey leftovers. Simply Recipes posted a Turkey Chili recipe (and other Turkey leftover recipes). What’s a gal named Paz, whose looking for cooking adventures expected to do? Attempt to make it, of course!

This Turkey Chili was a winner for me. As recommended in the recipes, I served the Turkey Chili on a bed of rice, topped with red onions, cheedar cheese and sour cream. Let’s all say, “Delicious!” I especially loved the crunch of the chopped red onions and the combinatoin of the cheese and cream with the chili.

For once, eating leftover turkey a couple of days in a row, hasn’t bothered me at all. The Turkey Chili was basically easy to make and even more tasty as the days passed (Just like my Chili with Sirloin). Thanks, Elise! Your recipe made the leftover turkey go down much easier.

Paz

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Turkey Chili
Simply Recipes

2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (35 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, crushed
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock
2 Tbsp chili powder (or up to 4 Tbsp if you like it really hot)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tbsp salt, plus more if desired to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 to 4 cups of shredded, cooked turkey meat
Sugar

Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, sour cream for optional garnish.

1 In a large, 8-quart, thick-bottom pot, cook the onion and green pepper over medium high heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for a minute or two more. Add a bit more olive oil if needed.

2 Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock. beans, oregano, salt, pepper, and cooked turkey meat. Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for an hour.

3 Salt to taste. Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of sugar to take the edge of the acidity of the tomatoes if desired.

The chili may be made in advance and chilled for 2 days, or frozen for 2 months.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, and or sour cream. Serve alone, over rice, or with corn bread.

Makes about 12 cups. Serves 8.

Some time ago, I mentioned that I’d post a follow up of the changing colors of scenery posted here and here. The leaves have finally turned colors and fallen off the trees.

Have a good week, everyone!

Paz

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According to Zorra of Kochtopf, “In Berne (Switzerland) the annual Zibelemärit (onion market) is be held on the fourth Monday in November. This year it will take place on Monday, 27th November. More than 50 tons of onions – in artistically woven plaits – are offered on this day on more then 300 market stalls.”

On November 27, Zorra invites all bloggers to prepare an onion dish and blog about it. Here are the rules:

How to participate:

• Prepare an “onion dish”, take pictures (if possible) and blog about it on Monday, 27th November or Tuesday, 28th November 2006

• Send an email to kochtopf(at)gmail(dot)com including
  – your name
  – your blog’s name and your blog’s URL
  – the recipe name and the post’s URL
  – your hometown/region and country

If you would like to use technorati tag, please use this code:

If you have any suggestions or questions let me know.

Technorati tag: zwiebeltag/onion day

Zorra, thank for putting this event together!

Paz

Last month, we celebrated World Bread Day ’06. There were 113 entries. You can find the roundup here.

Zorra has put together an After Hours (World Bread Day ’06) party. You are invited to choose a bread recipe from the entries, bake and blog about it. You can find the invitation here.
( http://kochtopf.twoday.net/stories/2829763/ )

Let the bread baking continue!

Paz

Aubergine… Eggplant… Eggplant… Aubergine. Until recently, I didn’t know that eggplants were called aubergines elsewhere. Aubergine. It has a nice melodic sound to it. I like the word.

I’ve discovered I like Aubergine salad – a recipe from Domestic Cat. I’ve made it three times this month. Each time, I’ve been too hungry and tired to take out my camera for a photo for my blog. Instead, I’d gobble up the food very quickly. Until now. This time, I was able to spare a few seconds to take a picture.

In addition to the aubergines, the salad includes onions, green peppers, garlic, parsley, and tomatoes. Very simple, don’t you think? The third time I made this salad, I made a less sophisticated version of the recipe but it still tasted really good.

The recipe calls for grilling the vegetables, but I simply put them in the oven after covering them with a little olive oil. The recipe also calls for peeling the vegetables after they’ve been grilled and scooping out the eggplant flesh. I left the skin on and I left the vegetables alone. Also, I included feta cheese – an idea I got from another Domestic Cat recipe called Aubergine Gondolas. I added extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Delicious! I was in heaven! Thanks, Tülin!

To those celebrating Thanksgiving, I wish you a happy holiday!

Paz

Ed. Note: This gets better and better! More names for eggplant/aubergines: Brinjal, Badanekai, Mullugai. Thanks for the info. I love to learn something new everyday!

Aubergine Salad
Domestic Cat

Another classic dish, which can be found under different names across Mediterranean. Some versions includes tahini while excluding tomatoes and other colourful ingredients. Some gives the priority to onion and garlic, and some consists only aubergines, olive oil and salt. Even the most primitive version is delicious. The recipe you will find below is how we make it in our family.

For four persons:
3 medium aubergines
1 medium onion (sliced in rounds, thinly)
3-4 green peppers
1-2 cloves garlic (mashed)
2 ripe tomatoes (peeled and diced)
Half a bunch of parsley (chopped)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice

The amount of the ingredients are subject to change according to your preferences. You can omit garlic or the vinegar. But I should say that these are giving the real taste. Start by washing and drying all the vegetables. If you have an outdoor grill, or a stove-top one, that would be best for the smoked flavour. In case you do not have either one, just lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and cook the vegetables under broiler, starting with the aubergines. You can use a preheated oven at 200 C but be careful with peppers, if they get charred too deeply, it will be pretty difficult to peel them. Place grilled vegetables in a container with a tight lid, while they are still hot. Wait 10 minutes. This will make it much easier to peel them. Peel aubergines or cut them lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Immediately drizzle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Mash them well with a fork. Peel peppers and slice them thinly on a cutting board. Add garlic, parsley and tomatoes. Drizzle with vinegar, sprinkle with salt and blackpepper. Generously drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve warm or cold with a crusty bread. Keep leftovers in the fridge, in tightly closed containers. Enjoy!

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Riding on the bus, on my way home, a mesmerizing sunset caught my attention. Despite the cacophony of the highway traffic and passengers talking on the bus, the atmosphere felt incredibly peaceful.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Paz

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My first gumbo! I made my first gumbo dish! And boy, did it turn out really well! Even the pickiest eater in my family asked for seconds and thirds and ate the leftovers the next day. ))))))))

Until I made my gumbo, I’d never tasted it before. The opportunity to eat it never came up. When I started cooking, for some reason, I always thought gumbo was a very complicated dish to prepare. After seeing the recipe on Melissa’s blog, The Traveler’s Lunchbox, I became inspired to make it. It didn’t seem too hard to make.

I already had most of the ingredients, except for the sausage. When I went food shopping, I couldn’t find the andouille sausage, which was the first time I’d heard of it. However, I did find Kielbasa sausage (another type of sausage new to me). Melissa’s advice about what to do if you don’t use the andouille sausage (add cayenne, garlic powder, and dried thyme) helped a lot.

Another ingredient I couldn’t find was the filé powder. My search took me to three stores with no luck. I wonder how much different my gumbo would have tasted with the filé powder. However the end product was delicious.

One of my favorite parts of making the gumbo was making the roux. I had fun mixing the flour and oil and seeing it thicken and actually turn into the color of peanut butter. Peanut butter! Yeah, I know: It takes very little to get me excited. The roux really did bring out the “nutty flavor” that Melissa describes in her blog post.

Served with rice, the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo was very reminiscent of some West African cuisine. Perhaps that’s why that picky family member gobbled it up. My favorite part of the gumbo was the okra everything — the okra, chicken, and sausage…

I’m sure gumbo is great to eat at anytime, but this hearty and tasty dish was especially perfect to eat on a cold rainy day, which is when we had it. I know I’ll be making more during the winter.

Melissa, thanks for the recipe!

Paz

Ed. Note: Filé powder is made from ground sassafras leaves that was used to give root beer its distinctive flavor before artificial flavorings replaced it. Southerners add filé to their gumbos to thicken and flavor them. The powder gets stringy when it’s heated, so add it only after you’ve removed the gumbo from the heat source. Filé also doesn’t reheat well, so add only to the gumbo that you are planning to serve. ~ Lowfat Lifestyle.com

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Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
In a Cajun Kitchen by Terri Pischoff Wuerthner

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (she admits that bone-in, skin-on dark meat chicken pieces, such as legs, thighs and wings are more traditional as well as flavorful in Cajun cooking, so that’s what I used – a much better idea, in my opinion)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup corn oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 quarts warm chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced 1 inch thick (or other spicy smoked sausage, such as Kielbasa, though my advice is to add the following if you don’t use andouille: another 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 1/2 pounds fresh okra or 20 ounces frozen okra, defrosted, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons filé powder (I left this out, as I couldn’t find any locally)
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish cooked rice, to serve

Season the chicken cubes (or pieces) with the salt, paprika and cayenne pepper; set aside. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour has turned a medium-brown, like peanut butter. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly (and reducing the heat, if necessary, to prevent burning).

Add the stock and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the hot sauce and sausage; reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the okra and simmer for 30 more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the filé powder just before dishing it up. Serve in soup bowls with a mound of rice in the center of each portion.

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Have a good week, everyone!

Paz

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A few years ago, my sister was hosptialized. Among other things, her iron levels were dangerously low. She would asked me to run across the street to Wendy’s and buy her a cup of chili. I would do this every time for lunch.

The chili was nutritious and helpful to her because beans contain protien that her body badly needed. In addition, beef is high in iron and protein. The combination of the beans and meat helped increase the iron levels in the body. Soon, her lab values for her iron test got better and better.

It’s been quite some time since we’ve eaten chili but after finding this recipe on Cream Puffs in Venice, I was anxious to make my very own homemade chili. I really liked the way mine turned out. Delicious! Okay… Well, I may have put in a tad bit too much chilli pepper (my sister complained) but I like my food hot and spicy, so I didn’t mind. It still tasted GOOD!

Also, I was able to have the leftovers for lunch the next day. Mmmm… Mmmm…Good! CreamPuff was right — hours later, the chili tastes even better! I was in heaven! I love when something I make comes out just right! CreamPuff, thanks for bringing this hearty and delicious recipe to my attention.

Paz

Chili with Sirloin
Adapted from www.epicurious.com. For the original recipe, click here.

3 tablespoons, olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, sliced thinly
1-1/2 pounds, ground sirloin
1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 2 or 3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano)
1-1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
16 ounces, tomato puree
1 cup beef broth (you can use water if you don’t have beef broth)
1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (depending on taste)
1 19-ounce can red kidney beans
1 bell pepper, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat, being careful not to burn them.

Add the garlic and carrots and cook for two minutes.

Add the ground sirloin and cook until the meat is completely browned. There should be no pink visible in the meat anywhere. This should take about 10 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook for two minutes, stirring often.

Add the tomato puree and the beef broth or water. Bring to a boil, stir the mixture and lower the heat to simmer.

Let the chili simmer over low heat for an hour, or until much of the liquid has evaporated and you’re left with a thick mixture. If it gets too thick, add some more water.

Add the kidney beans and the chopped bell pepper and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Taste the chili and adjust the seasoning, adding as much salt as necessary. Depending on how spicy you like your chili … and this one is spicy … you may not want to add any pepper.

Spoon the chili into serving bowls and garnish with sour cream, aged cheddar and avocado.

Enjoy!

Note: I think this chili actually tastes better after it sits for a few hours so I like to make it in advance and reheat before serving. This chili will easily serve 6 to 8.

A lighthouse no longer in use. Have a great week, everyone!

Paz

I got this delectable chicken recipe from Is It EDible. At first glance, it looked so simple and delicious that I knew I would be making it.

The ingredients were easy to find and purchase and the recipe was easy to make. I must say that I boiled the chicken more than steamed it, but it still turned out well. I was also very proud and happy with my very first cilantro pesto. Oh, how I love cilantro!

I liked how the recipe calls for adding some of the chicken broth into the rice (Jasmine rice, which I love). That certainly gave it more flavor. Rice, chicken, cilantro pesto — the combination made an enjoyable meal. Thanks, Ed, for the recipe!

Paz

Steamed Chicken and Rice with Cilantro Pesto
Is it EDible

For the Cilantro Pesto

1 bunch cilantro , washed and patted dry

3 cloves garlic

1 inch of ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons oil

For the Steamed Chicken & Rice

3 lbs of chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on (about 10 pieces)

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups of rice, uncooked

1) In a food processor, pulse the cilantro, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and black pepper. Gradually add in the oil until to form a thick emulsion.

2) Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water. Place the pasta insert inside. Cover and bring to a boil.

3) When the water is rapidly boiling, reduce to medium high heat. Place the chicken pieces skin side down in the pasta insert. It’s ok for the pieces to be stacked on top of each other.

4) Cover and let steam for 45 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle salt over the chicken pieces.

5) Meanwhile, cook 3 cups of rice according to directions on package.

6) When rice is cooked, fluff the rice. Take 3/4 cup of the broth (including chicken fat that has drained down) from the stockpot and pour over the cooked rice. Fluff the rice again.

7) To serve, place 1/2 cup of rice on a plate with 2 chicken thighs. Spoon 1 tablespoon of cilantro pesto on top of each chicken thigh.Makes about 5 servings.

Ed’s 1st Note: I like to use jasmine rice because it is so fragrant. Do not use instant rice, converted rice, or Rice-a-Roni (even if it is the San Francisco treat). They are not starchy enough for this dish.

Ed’s 2nd Note: You can also serve this with sliced raw cucumbers as edible garnish.

Last week, I posted photos scenes of a clear day. Today, I’m posting the same scenery, except it’s a cloudy day. Despite the weather, I think there’s something hauntingly beautiful about such settings.

Gattina commented, earlier, that the trees should be changing colors. She’s right. Some trees around the city have already completely turned colors. The trees in these photos only started to change colors last week. There are tiny patches of color, not very visible in the photos. In the next couple of weeks, I’ll post photos of the same trees in their new colorful autumn clothing.

Have a great week, everyone, and don’t forget to click on the photos here for larger images!

Paz

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I got this recipe from SaltShaker. It’s easy to make AND tasty. Dan served his chicken with brown rice, flavored with garlic and basil. I didn’t have that on hand, so I used plain white rice. I also garnished the food with freshly chopped cilantro. I like to garnish. My favorite part was chopping the cilantro and catching a whiff of its scent, as it floated upward from the chopping board. Mmmm, Mmmm, good! Thanks for the recipe, Dan!

Paz

Poulet en Fricasée à la Lyonnaise

Salt Shaker’s (Dan’s) adaptation from the recipe of bistro A l’Alliance, Paris

1 large frying chicken

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (you could also peel them if you like, I didn’t)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of flour

salt and pepper

Cut the chicken into serving pieces and shake in a bag with the flour and a little salt and pepper until lightly coated. Heat the butter and oil (traditionally, a fricasse would be only butter, but I wanted to lighten it slightly – probably didn’t make enough of a difference, but it makes me feel better about it) in a pan big enough to accomodate the pieces all in one layer. When hot, put the chicken in and fry to a golden brown on all sides. Then lower the heat to minimum, cover the pan, and let the chicken cook through – about 20 minutes.

Put the chopped tomatoes in a small saucepan and cook with just a pinch of salt to help them release their juices. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat but keep them warm.

Back to chicken – remove the lid, add the vinegar around the edge of the pan to help deglaze the sides, add the wine, the tomatoes, and the cream.

Mix the sauce ingredients together, leaving the chicken in the pan. Cover again, and simmer for about 9-10 minutes. The bit of flour from the chicken, along with the cream, will thicken the sauce nicely. Serve the chicken along with rice (I used brown rice here, the light nuttiness worked really well – and I’d flavored it with garlic and basil). Adjust the seasoning in the sauce and spoon around and/or over the chicken and rice.

I’d say that this serves 4, but it’s so good that it probably only serves 2…

Sorry I missed posting photos last week. My schedule has become even busier and I wasn’t able to do any blogging or visit other blogs.

Here are some shots overlooking the Hudson river. On a clear day it’s a beautiful sight. Mischief Mari usually comes up with tunes for some of the photos that I post (like here and here). This time, the lyrics to a song that Barbara Streisand sings came to mind as I stared out into the clear view. Here are the words to the song On a Clear Day. Anyone familiar with it?

Don’t forget to click on the photos for larger images.

On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
LyricZZ.com

On a clear day
Rise and look around you
And you’ll see who you are
On a clear day
How it will astound you
That the glow of your being
Outshines every star
You’ll feel part of
Every mountain, sea and shore,
You can hear from far and near
A world you’ve never never heard before

And on a clear day
On a clear day
You can see forever and ever and ever and ever more.

Have a good week!

Best,
Paz

P.S. I’d like to wish all those celebrating Deepavali and the end of Ramadan, a joyous time!

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As written in an earlier post, The International Union of Bakers and Bakers-Confectioners (UIB) have designated October 16, World Bread Day.

In celebration of this day, Zorra from Kochtopf is hosting a bread blogging event, where we’re all invited to bake or buy bread and blog about it.

I had planned on baking my first bread ever, but I just haven’t had time. So here are photos of the bread I bought to use for lunch this week. Pita bread. It tasted nice, fresh, and good smelling when I removed it from the plastic bag covering. I like the light yet filling pita bread, especially when I have it with foods like fallafels, tabbouleh, and fattoush salad.

My future plans include baking bread, so you may still see it here one day. Stay tuned.

Paz

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In my childhood food memories meme, I mentioned a spinach stew that my mother used to make. I set out to see if I could recreate it. In The Butterfly Effect meme, I wrote how my efforts were very successful.

Well, here is the spinach stew. There is no written recipe for it. I jotted down some notes as I prepared it. However, I lost them. To give a somewhat proper recipe, I’d have to make the dish again and write down everything.

So, for now, I just give you the ingredients: Frozen spinach, shrimps, canned salmon, tomatoes, tomato paste (I think), onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, hot pepper. That’s about it.

Paz

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My photo doesn’t do justice to the beautiful and mesmerizing full moon that appeared back in September. I never had an opportunity to post it. Ilva’s recent blue moon photo has inspired me to post mine now. If you haven’t seen her wonderful and dramatic shot, please go see it.

I remember reading somewhere that strange things are supposed to happen when a full moon occurs — werewolves become more active, people do crazy stuff, the dogs howl at the moon, the tides are affected, etc…

Happily, as far as I know, everything was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary happened in the city. My dogs didn’t howl, I didn’t howl…

I want to send my dear Cindy from Gorgeous & Delicious (formerly Cindy’s Kitchen) a Happy, Happy Birthday, today! May all your dreams continue to come true, my dear friend! Keep baking and creating all those gorgeous and delicious foods and blogging about them!

Have a great week, everyone! And don’t forget to click on the photos for larger images.

Ciao,
Paz

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Hmmm… I’m not to sure I’d want their job, especially on this particular building. This is a lot of work! I admire these workers.

Have a great week, everyone! Don’t forget to click on the photos for larger images.

Paz

I’m now looking for lunch suggestions to take to work. Lunches that I don’t have to worry about heating up or putting in the fridge. I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks,
Paz

I am thinking about: how the weekend is going by so quickly, my grocery list and all the things I have to do before Monday!

I said: I don’t remember what I’ve said.

I want to: buy a PDA or a Blackberry (I have to find out the difference) and an iPod/MP3 player (are they the same?)

I wish: that I had that PDA or Blackberry and an iPod right NOW!

I regret: not having that PDA or Blackberry and an iPod.

I hear: my dog barking at someone standing outside our apartment door.

I am: tired.

I dance: in the kitchen when I’m making something that smells delicioso – called my happy dance!

I sing: when I’m exercising and I’m listening to music of Mana or when I’m cooking and a good song comes on the radio.

I cry: at sad and sappy things I see on T.V. or in the movies. Actually I don’t cry but I get teary eyed and a lump starts to form in my throat.

I am not: going to cook today.

I am: going to walk my dogs right now.

I write: all the time.

I confuse: I do get confused, but I can’t think of an example to give you at this moment. Sorry!

I need to: go walk my dogs right NOW. It’s that time of the day! Ciao!

I tag ANYONE who wants to do this meme. Have fun!

Paz

I got this recipe while watching Jamie Oliver’s show, some time ago, on the FoodNetwork channel. The recipe wasn’t posted on the food site. Luckily, I’d scribbled notes as I watched the show.

Jamie’s ingredients included clams, mussels, snapper, red mullet, brine (you can use any shellfish and fish). I used salmon, clams, and mussels. The recipe called for potatoes but I decided to add corn, as well.

Loose instructions:

Heat olive oil and add red onions (chopped); add garlic (chopped) and chili (chopped) for taste; let fry for a while; add mussels and clams – when they cook they’ll open up and give flavor; add French white wine (Chardonnay) – about 1 wine glass; add the fish on top – fish will slowly steam; add ½ tin Italian whole tomatoes (or fresh); add chopped parsley – finely sliced; add olive oil; add sliced potatoes (spring/baby potatoes) and let slow simmer for about 5 minutes until the wine evaporates.

Serve and garnish with parsley and top with the aioli. Drizzle evoo on top.

Make aioli:
Mayo; add lemon zest of 1 lemon; add some lemon juice; add one clove garlic grated; mix the mayo mixture.

All I can say that this was simple and good. I liked it a lot!

Paz

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Happy Monday, everyone! I’d planned on posting some other photos but for some reason, I had a problem downloading them. So, here are some photos that I took some time ago. What’s Magyar, I wonder. I guess I’ll have to look it up.

Have a good week!

Paz

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Challah Braiding (Wikipedia.com)

Happy Rosh Hashanah, to all who celebrate it this time of the year!

I would have liked to make something but didn’t get a chance. Check out two wonderful food related posts about the Jewish New Year:

Aja of Mudpies in Jaffa shares a nice recipe that includes an interesting tidbit about pomegranates, along with her experience in Israel during the holiday.

Rosa of Rosa’s Yummy Yums shares more recipe ideas that we can make in celebration of the new year. Thank you ladies, very nice reads!

Best,
Paz

A shofar made from a ram’s horn (Wikipedia)

I got this very easy chicken curry recipe from Kafka Na Praia. I think the mango chutney ingredient made this simple rice and chicken dish taste extra special. It’s taste is interestingly similar to an African stew we used to eat and as a result, my family really enjoyed the meal. Oh, I forgot to mention that I didn’t have any curry powder, so I omitted it when cooking. Perhaps that’s why it tasted like an African stew. I’ll have to remember to buy some curry and try the recipe again.

Paz

Chicken Curry

2 chicken thighs and 2 drumsticks, no bone , no skin

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 big tomato, peeled and seeded, chopped

1/4 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons cooking oil

salt to taste

1 teaspoon mango chutney

1/2 cup yoghurt

Sprinkle chicken with a little salt and half curry powder.

Heat oil in a pan. Add chicken, browning on both sides. Add garlic, onion, ginger, tomato, remaining curry powder, mango chutney, and chicken stock. Mix gently, cover and simmer over low heat for about 20-30 minutes or until tender. Taste, and add salt as needed. Serve with rice and 2-3 tablespoons yoghurt.

Mango Chutney is the secret ingredient that makes this dish special

There’s always something happening on the streets of New York City. Here are two men playing a game of chess, while another looks on. The chess set is out everyday and different people stop by to play. I’ve even seen children sitting across from the adult to play chess, while their parents patiently and silently observe the game.

Although I don’t know how to play chess, I like the fact that anyone — the young and old– can play. It is not a restrictive game.

Have a great week, everyone!

Paz

Click on photo for larger image!

Click on photo for larger image

I think guacamole and chips are the perfect snack at anytime. I found this “perfect guacamole” recipe on Simply Recipes. It really is perfect!

Paz

Here’s the recipe:
The Perfect Guacamole
Simply Recipes

2 ripe avocados
½ red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
A dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Garnish with red radishes or jicama.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more.

Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours.

Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve.

Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.

Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.

Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.

Serves 2-4

Here someone has used a park bench as a bed. The person even managed to find a big fluffy pillow and covered it with a bed sheet of cardboard.

I didn’t see the owner of this bed. He or she had left by the time I’d passed by, but many a time, early in the morning, I’ll see someone sleeping on one of the benches. Unfortunately, homelessness is a problem in the city. The situation is better than it was a few years ago but it still presents a problem.

I’m currently reading a book called Points of Light: A Celebration of the American Spirit of Giving by Robert Goodwin, Thomas Kinkade, and Pam Proctor. It features inspiring stories of everyday people who show the spirit of caring and giving by volunteering to help others in so many different types of situations. Their stories are very encouraging. I think about how I can help others more. No matter the gesture, big or small, there’ll always be someone who needs and appreciates the help.

One of the authors, Robert Goodwin, shares his experience with a homeless man he saw regularly on the street. Sometimes, the author would give the man money. On this particular occasion, things turned out a little differently. Here’s a portion of Goodwin’s story:

Walking at a steady pace, I took off my glove and reached into my coat pocket to find some change. But I didn’t have a dime, not one penny to put in that sack on a cold winter morning.

I could have simply shrugged to myself and passed him by, determined to help him out the next time. But as I drew in front of him, something told me to stop. I looked him in the eye and said, “I’m sorry, my brother. I don’t have anything to give today.”

His eyes brightened and his lips turned up in a slight smile.

“Oh, but you already did,” he responded. “You called me brother.”

Have a great week, everyone!

Paz

Click on photo for larger image

A few weeks ago, in a New York Monday post (#32), I’d highlighted a park bench that underwent a transformation.

Initially, shrubbery covered the bench and while it looked beautiful, it also appeared wild and a bit scary to me. Months later, the greenery around the bench was cleared. You can check out the before and after photo here.

This bench continues to undergo a new look. Today, tiny white flowers surround it. I promised Elizabeth that I’d post the photos. Does anyone know the name of these flowers? I have no idea. You can click on the photos for larger images.

Have a good weekend.

Paz

Click on photos to enlargen

Click on photos to enlargen

Click on photos to enlargen

Click on photos to enlargen

Some time ago, I made this Roasted Baby Roma Tomato and Feta recipe. It’s created from a combination of three different recipes found on Haalo’s Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once.

One day during the week, I first made the Marinated Feta. I liked the feta because I was able to eat it with different foods. The effects of the feta marinated in the olive oil with the herbs made taste extra special.

Marinated Feta
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Another day, I tried Haalo’s recipe for slow roasted baby roma tomatoes. This is another recipe I love. Throughout previous posts, I’ve mentioned other foods I never cared for, until I fell into my cooking adventures. I liked tomatoes until I started cooking. I loved the simple combination of the roasted baby tomatoes, garlic, thyme, and olive oil. Really good! Kalyn’s Kitchen and Küchenlatein have also made their version of roasted tomatoes. Yup! I’ve become a lover of tomatoes, all right.

Tomatoes going into the oven
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Tomatoes after roasting
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Click on photo for larger image

A few days later, I was ready to make Roasted Baby Roma Tomato and Feta Tart. I started with making the tart shell. Haalo provides a recipe to make the shell, but I couldn’t figure out the European measuring system — 250g, 150g… I always have a problem, so I decided to use the recipe from the first pie that I made (much simpler for me). Tanna has recommended that I get a measuring scale to figure out the European measuring ingredients. After my first experience where I had a bit of trouble making the pastry, I was a bit nervous to try again. However, I used all the comments and advice everyone gave me and it turned out perfectly! Thank you all! I’m feeling very confident now in making the pastry.

Haalo made two medium-sized tarts from this recipe, but as I only had one nine inch tart pan, that’s what I used.

A little bit of drama occurred when it came time to par bake (Am I using the right word?) the shell. The instructions call for covering the pastry shell with baking paper and filling it with weights before baking it for a few minutes. I had no weights. Neither did I have baking paper or aluminum foil, but I felt too lazy to go out to buy them. I learned from Kathleen and Kalyn that I could probably use the method called docking, where I pierce the bottom of the shell and bake uncovered for a short time.

However, I ended up going to the store and bought the aluminum foil. For weights, Tanna gave me a great suggestion of using tightly wrapped pennies. I had a lot of pennies! So, the first time I made this recipe, I used the pennies. The second time I made the recipe, I used beans as weights.

Weights made of beans. Next time I’ll use wrapped pennies or better yet the docking method

I liked the idea of using the pennies; they worked really well. I would use them again. I didn’t like using the beans because I had to throw them away afterwards; I felt it was a waste of food. So, the next time I make this recipe again, I’ll use the pennies as weights or I use the docking method.

After making the filling of milk, eggs, my marinated feta, and roasted tomatoes, I added it to the pastry shell. Then I sprinkled it with basil and chives and placed it in the oven.

Preparing the filling
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Not long after, my tart was ready. I enjoyed it so much that I made it again the next day. Roasted Baby Roma Tomato and Feta tart two days in a row! Yum! Thanks for the recipe, Haalo!

Paz

Click on photo for larger image

Roasted Baby Roma Tomato and Feta Tarts
Makes 2 x 15cm tarts
Haalo’s recipe

½ portion Shortcrust Pastry
10 slow roasted baby roma tomatoes, depending on tomato size cut them in half
a few pieces of Marinated fetta, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
6 large Basil leaves, ripped roughly
2 eggs
½ cup cream

Make the tart shells:
Roll out the pastry and line two 15cm tart tins, leave a little overhanging to compensate in case of shrinkage. Let this rest an hour. Cover with baking paper and fill with weights. Cook in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for around 15 minutes or until the pastry is starting to become golden. Remove paper and weights.

Make the filling:
Place the eggs and cream in a bowl and whisk until amalgamated. I find I don’t need to use salt and pepper here as the tomatoes and fetta are already seasoned.

Prepare the tarts:
Place the par-cooked tart shells onto a baking tray – this makes it easier to place into the oven and helps contain any spills, if they occur. Place the tomato pieces in each of the pie shells, then add the fetta. Sprinkle over with the basil and chives. Pour in the filling and place back into the oven and cook until the filling has set – this should take between 10-15 minutes. Remove from the tins and serve immediately

In what has now become a yearly tradition, my friends and I get together to attend the Brazil Day festival held in the Little Brazil section of New York City (Read about last year’s fun here.). Thousands of people attend, making it the largest Brazilian-themed festival held outside of Brazil. Brazilian celebrities show up, popular Brazilian musicians perform, and related paraphernalia are sold.

Up until the day of the festival, we weren’t sure if we’d go because it had rained for the past couple of days, including the day before the festival (See the Mackerel Sky, which means rain in two days. Interestingly enough, it did rain two days later! Then, it rained some more, the effects of Hurricane Ernesto.). However, the morning of Brazil Day, the rain stopped and the sun miraculously came out. So we met at our special meeting spot, right on the corner of Little Brazil – 46th Street and 6th Avenue.

At 11 in the morning, crowds already filled the streets. Vendors had already set up their wares – foods, books, CDs, jewelry and other things of interest to a street fair attendee. Brazilian music competed with Peruvian music on the other side of the street.

Excitement filled the air as proud Brazilians roamed the streets wearing their country flag colors – yellow and green. Many wore shirts; others wore scarves, and hats, while others draped the flag on their backs. Every year, I always say I’ll wear something green and yellow but I don’t have those colored clothing in my closet. I wore pink and white! To my chagrin, I stood out like a sore thumb. Uggh! I’m going to start looking now for something more appropriate to wear for next year’s Brazil Day.

We joined the crowds and walked down the very packed street. In particular, we looked for Brazilian foods we’d tasted the previous year. Last year, we had a wide variety of Brazilian foods, from which to choose. This year, not so. Despite it being Brazil Day, we saw more foods from other countries (i.e., Colombia, Thailand, Mexico, Greece) than from Brazil. It was kind of strange and disappointing. After all, for Brazil Day, we expected Brazil food.

My friend, A, wanted Pão de queixo, a cheese roll/bread that we tried the year before and enjoyed. We searched up and down the crowded streets but didn’t find it. It seems that nobody sold it this year. ;-(

I did see Pastels (deep-fried pastries) and Brigadeiro (Chocolate fudge sweet), but I did not see Churrasco (Brazilian BBQ), foods we tasted last year.

Another thing we looked forward to having and did find was Caipirinha, a traditional Brazilian drink, made from sugar, lime, and Cachaça, a Brazilian rum (See the recipe here.). This year the alcohol in the drink was very strong but it sure tasted good. A and I shared the drink. A very interesting note is that the description of the drink posted for everyone to see was very misleading. The sign read, “soda and water!” Yeah, right! Obviously, the cops monitoring the crowds knew nothing about Caipirinha because vendors are not allowed to sell alcohol at a festival. They should have had a clue when they saw such a long line to buy the so called “soda and water.”

My friend Kathleen and I bought a churro recheado com doce de leite, a pastry filled with sweetened milk (condensed milk). I have to say it was pretty expensive, unlike last year, as was the chicken empada (not to be confused with empanada, which is what I’d done) that I’d bought. I’d never had the chicken empada before and I expected a food of reasonable size. Instead, for my two bucks, I was handed a small finger-like food, the size of a quarter that disappeared in my mouth in one pop. It should have cost a dollar, if not 50 cents. Ya live and ya learn.

Kathleen bought a shish kebab from the Greek food stand, which she said tasted excellent. It looked good. Later we bought a beef empanada and I bought a roasted plantain from the Mexican food stand. So much for eating only Brazilian foods.

Despite the slight disappointment with the choice of foods offered this year at the festival, I still had a fun time. With gorgeous weather, a festive crowd, and the good company of my friends, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. All in all, I had a fun time. Who knows what next year will bring.

Paz

Brazil shirts

Wearing the Brazil flag

Some advertisements

Lining up for food served by women from Bahia (wearing white)
Photo by Kathleen R.

A beautiful woman in white from Bahia
Photo by Kathleen R.

A celebratory band
Photo by Kathleen R.

Band continues to celebrate
Photo by Kathleen R.

Misleading ad for Caipirinha. It is NOT soda and water!
Photo by Kathleen R.

Cups in which to serve Caipirinha

Making Caipirinha. Main ingredients include lime and sugar

The end product: A nice up of Caipirinha to enjoy

You can see more photos below (Part II). Check them out!

Melissa of Traveler’s Lunchbox has started a meme of sorts asking food bloggers to recommend “things you’ve eaten and think that everyone should eat at least once before they die.”

Susan of Porchini Chronicles, Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen, Gilly of Humble Pie, and Tony of Bachelor Cooking have tagged me to participate. Thanks, ladies and gentleman!

I’ve seen a lot of wonderful lists. Here’s my humble list. I wish it could be longer but this time, I’m going to be good and stick to the required five-list instruction.

Paz

1- Fried plantain – (called kelewele in Ghana, West Africa) or ripe plantain in any recipe form: Everyone knows by now this is my number one favorite food from childhood. Plantain, sprinkled with salt, sometimes fresh ginger, and then fried – delicious!

2- New York City hot dog – In particular, Nathan’s hot dog from the original Nathan’s at Coney Island (Brooklyn). There are other Nathan’s around the city but the hot dogs don’t taste the same. My friend Kathleen wonders if it’s the salty air by the beach that makes the difference. Another recommended hot dog place in the city is Grey’s Papaya Hot Dog. My favorite hot dog topping is mustard and sauerkraut but other topping choices are available.

3- New York City pizza: There’s nothing like a NYC pizza; one can become addicted to it. It’s so different from other pizza made elsewhere. It’s unlike deep-dish pizza, thin crust pizza, Chicago pizza, and Italian pizza… You get the idea. You can order different toppings — either vegetables and or meats — on your pizza. While I like that, my favorite is a plain ole’ slice (just cheese and sauce).

4- BLT sandwich (Bacon, lettuce, and tomato): From the right NYC deli, this is a simple yet mouthwatering, tasty sandwich.

5- Italian gelato: One of my favorite memories of Italy was having delicious gelato every evening after dinner. Yeah, every evening! It’s too bad I didn’t try all the available flavors.

Tag:
I tag anyone who would like to participate in this meme. Go for it! What’s your list of five things to eat before you die?

* * * * *

Man eats 53 ¾ hot dogs in 12 minutes!

Every July 4th, there a hot dog eating contest held at Coney Island in Brooklyn. A Nathan’s hot dog is pretty good, but I do not suggest you gorge yourself like this, as you will not enjoy your hot dog.

Six-time hot dog eating champion, Takeru Kobayash from Japan.
Photos from news.yahoo.com

Champion’s hot dog contest eating technique

Wiener Wars

On Blog Day, participating bloggers are supposed to spotlight five blogs that they have recently discovered (Read more about it here). This way, the highlighted bloggers receive exposure and a cross-cultural exchange is enhanced. Most important of all, Blog Day encourages us to extend our regular blog reading routine to look at other blogs that we normally wouldn’t.

Within the past year, I’ve discovered so many new blogs. If you don’t believe me, check out my link section, which has quietly gone out of control. It seems like I discover a new blog every other week. The five blogs I’ve listed below are not nearly enough. Check out my link section for more blogs, which may be new to you.

Here are my five highlighted blogs:

1 – Cook (almost) Anything At least Once:
I love this blog. The photos are gorgeous and the posts are very informative. Latest interesting recipes from this blog include Leche Frita (Fried Milk) and Walnut Butter Cookies! Yum!

2- Gattina:
Here’s another blog with creative foods, beautifully prepared and dreamy photos. It’s inspiring.

3- Tapioca Flour:
This blog is by Valentina, who also writes Trembom in English (and a few other blogs). There! I snuck in an extra blog! I’m interested in Brazilian cuisine and Tapioca Flour is all about that.

4 – AkshayaPatra
This blog features “Recipes from India and Around the World.” Everything there is enticing and new to me. There are more beautiful pics to see there! I want to eat each meal prepared there.

5- Raven Ridge Gardens
Christine’s blog features wonderful photos of a beautiful garden of flowers and nature. In addition she also has a cooking blog called Christine Cooks. Yay! I got to add an extra blog as a two-for-one deal.

Oh, no! I’ve reached five blogs already? I’m still going to list a few more blogs below:

Discovered this week!
Pia & Co.

Blogs I’ve been reading for a while but feel they deserve a special mention:
Küchenlatein

Na Zdravi

Yogurt Land

Up A Creek Without a PatL

The Flying Apple

Blog from OUR Kitchen

Kafka Na Praia

I guess I should stop here, huh?

Paz

http://technorati.com/tag/BlogDay2006

There must be some conspiracy with the pigeons in New York City. All of a sudden, they seem to be attracted me, nowadays. As I took the photos of the sunflowers, a pigeon flew over and landed on the bench behind the flowers, striking a pose for me.

A baby squirrel decided that it wanted to join in the fun, too. Can you see it in the fourth photo?

About an hour later, I looked up and noticed these beautiful clouds gathered in the sky. Does anyone know what type of clouds these are? From my old school days, I’m guessing cumulus. What do you say?

By the way, the next day I passed by spot I saw the sunflowers, and they’d disappeared. I don’t know what happened to them. I’m guessing that someone probably cut them and took them home. I suppose this is typical of the New York City scene, where you’ll see something one day and then it’s gone the next.

Have a great week!

Paz

Ed. Note: Case of the missing sunflowers solved: Elizabeth informed me below that the squirrels could have stolen the sunflowers, as they did in her garden. Also, she mentions that she normally calls these type of clouds in the sky, a Mackerel Sky, which means rain in two days. Interestingly enough, it did rain two days later!

As passengers and I waited for the bus to arrive, a group of pigeons fluttered around closeby. One pigeon left its group and walked over to where I stood and stopped a few inches from my foot. Its actions surprised me because they usually keep their distance, unless perhaps you are feeding them. But even then, they are very careful. So, I wondered why it approached me. Within a few seconds, I realized why it behaved the way it did.

Right next to my foot was a crack in the sidewalk, which I hadn’t noticed before. The crack was filled with rainwater. The thirsty bird sipped the water from its personal fountain and stopped only to look at me every so often.

Soon the bus came and the pigeon and its friends flew out of the way. The passengers and I got on the bus and went on our merry way.

Have an awesome week!

Paz

Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image

BlogDay 2006 will take place August 31. To read more about this event and how to participate, go here.

Paz

This past week has been the one year anniversary of my blog. Last year on this date, I posted my first blog post. You can find the first month of my blog posts here.

I can’t believe I’ve been cooking and blogging for one whole year now! It’s been a fun and challenging experience.

Thanks to all who have stopped by here, especially those who have taken time to leave a comment. I appreciate it very much. Thanks for all your encouragement and tips. It has made cooking even more fun and a greater learning experience. I also thank all the food bloggers, who are so creative and inspiring.

I look forward to another year of cooking adventures with you all!

Best,
Paz

In order to save time, I tried to buy stamps from the stamp machine, but some kind of malfunction prevented it from accepting my money. So I had to get back on the long line. Lucky for me, I had my CD player (no I don’t have an iPod. Yet.) to distract me and help block out the noise of the man grumbling behind me about the bad postal service and how everyone was dumb.

Listening to my music, I was also able to block out an argument going on between the same man and a woman about who got on the line first.

You can see that I had my camera, too. My favorite photo is of the older lady in the third photo. She had about 20 white, large invitation-sized envelopes in her hand. Before depositing them into the mailbox slot, she inspected each envelope very slowly. Her careful actions made me wonder what type of news she mailed out. Obviously, something very important to her.

I finally made it to the front of the line, bought my stamps, and mailed off my cards. Yay!

Have a great week, everyone!

Best,
Paz

It’s Weekend Herb Blogging time and I’d like to spotlight the herb Sage. Its name comes from the Latin word, which means health or healing powers. As far back as the Dark Ages, sage has been used for two purposes – culinary and medicinal.

Ancient Greeks and Romans used sage to do things like promote long life, cure sterility, snakebites, and depression. You can find a few modern medicinal recipes here. Sage is the best herb choice for killing bacteria.

This week, I made a jar of Marinated Feta from a recipe I saw on Haalo’s blog, Cook Anything (Almost) Once.

The ingredients contained a mixture of herbs. To achieve an Asian flavor in her marinated feta, Haalo chose to use coriander, chives, lime leaf, and parsley.

I opted for the Mediterranean taste by using fresh sage, basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme. It tasted very nice. Good feta and olive oil are the key here. I love feta cheese and this was a nice and different way to prepare it. Next, I’ll try Haalo’s Asian flavored version.

Domestic Cat also has a different recipe for Marinated Feta, which I plan on trying in the near future.

Thanks Haalo and Tülin for such enticing recipes!

By the way, recently, Sravanthi wrote a nice article for The Hindu Business Line called ‘Hot off the… blog!’ It’s about the world of food blogging. Our fellow food blog friends Sailu of Sailu’s Indian Food & Andhra Recipes, Napur of One Hot Stove, Sury and Cesar of (Lima) Beans and Delhi Cha(a)t, Vineela of Vineela’s Cuisine, Mae of Rice and Noodles, and Indira of Mahanadi are mentioned. So am I. You can read the article here.

Paz

Marinated Feta
Click on photo for larger image

Haalo’s recipe:

Marinated Fetta
1 slice of your favourite fetta cheese
assorted soft herbs
freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, very finely sliced
fresh chilli, to taste, very finely sliced
good olive oil

First thing is the pat your slice of fetta cheese dry on a paper towel. Next dice into a smallish cube (maximum 1cm width) and place in a bowl.

Prepare the herbs – I like to maintain a theme with my herbs. This version will have Asian flavours so I’m using, coriander, chives, lime leaf, parsley. If I wanted a more Mediterranean feel, I’d use basil, sage, rosemary, oregano and thyme. Feel free to experiment with your favourites.

Add the sliced garlic and chillies and finely chopped herbs to the cheese. Carefully toss through. Generously grind over the top with fresh pepper, then toss again.

Pour enough olive oil (use a good oil – why sacrifice the dish and use a horrible tasting oil) until it covers the cheese. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge to allow the flavours to develop. You can if you like, place the herb and cheese mix into a sterilised jar, cover with oil and seal for a more longer life product.

I recently participated in the BPW event organized by Meeta and happily sent off my post card to my assigned buddy. The next step: Wait to receive my card. I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve, waiting with excitement for Christmas Day to arrive, so that I could tear open my gifts. I waited and waited and waited. Okay, maybe I didn’t wait that long, but if felt like I’d waited an eternity. I hadn’t received my card.

Disappointment took over and I didn’t think I would get a card. Perhaps my post card buddy forgot about me… Perhaps the card got lost… I felt like the child who found out that Santa Claus had skipped her home. Sniff! I gave up on receiving a card and stopped checking the mailbox.

A few days later, my sister picked up the mail. “You have a postcard,” she told me.

“Postcard?” I asked with a little suspicion. I didn’t quite believe her.

She handed it to me, and I recognized the card as one that I’d seen one of the food blogs. My heart started beating faster with excitement. My card had arrived! It was a collage of different sights of New Brunswick, Canada. Beautiful! I’d heard of New Brunswick, New Jersey (U.S.A.) but not Canada. Interesting!

Gillian from Humble Pie, who turns out to be my postcard buddy, wrote a delightful note. She has such a nice, neat handwriting (I began to feel guilty for the chicken scratch I wrote on the back of the card I sent out.).

Thanks, Gillian! I’ve put New Brunswick on my list of places I’d love to visit. Meeta, thanks again for putting this postcard event together. This was lots of fun – just like Christmas time!

If you’re interested in participating in the BPW event, another is tentatively planned for September October. Check out What’s for Lunch, Honey? for future updates.

Paz

Have a great week and if it’s hot in your neck of the woods, try to keep cool.

Paz

Click on photos for a larger images

BlogDay 2006 will take place August 31. To read more about this event and how to participate, go here.

Paz

*Ed. Note: A few have asked the definition of “new blogs.” Basically, it means blogs you’ve recently discovered or blogs, which are new to you.

I found this unusual salad on Trembom in English. I call it unusual because I’ve never had a carrot and peanut salad before.

I’d been dying to try it, but didn’t have the peanut and sesame oil. When I finally bought the oils, I got to working in the kitchen. It didn’t take much work. That’s my kind of recipe – the easy kind.

I chopped baby carrots in half, added the peanuts, and then covered them with the red wine vinegar, peanut oil, and sesame oil mixture. Very different! I liked the combination of flavors and the texture of the salad. Can we say “Crunchy?” Boy, was it ever!

Valentina of Trembom in English recommends that if you decide to grate the carrots instead of chopping them, do not to grate them finely because it will take away from texture of the salad. I agree. The best part of the salad is the crunchiness of the carrots and peanuts.

This salad is great tasting, especially during these hot summer days. What’s more, its major ingredient – carrots – have great health benefits: They are rich in antioxidants and vitamins and help fight against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Could you ask for anything more? If you like carrots and peanuts, try this salad!

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Read about this event below.

Paz

The Rainbow Room’s Carrot and Peanut Salad
Adapted from Forever Summer with Nigella – Nigella Lawson

4 medium carrots peeled and coarsely grated or cut into chopstick shape
75g salted peanuts
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Groundnut oil (*Peanut oil)
Few drops of Sesame oil

Throw the carrots in a salad dish followed by the peanuts and give it a good mix. In a separate container add the vinegar, groundnut and sesame oil. Pour it over the salad and just have a good time chewing away. Crunch, crunch…

My ankle is much better and I don’t need to use crutches to get around. So, I decided to celebrate by making Jumbleberry pie. The minute I saw this pie on Cream Puffs in Venice, something about it intrigued me so. Perhaps it was the photo of all those luscious-looking fruits – blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and red currants (I’ve never tasted red currants before.). I love fruits! Or maybe it was the photo of the beautiful brown baked pie top with the hint of escaped purple berry juice, and the nicely crimped edges.

Cream Puff (aka Ivonne) has baked several different delicious-looking cakes and tarts. Perhaps, the Berry Jumble pie was an accumulation of my desires for one of those baked goodies. Whatever the reason, I took one look at the photo, read her post, and knew I wanted to bake Jumbleberry pie – even if it was too hot to turn on the oven.

With a sure and steady step, I walked to the store and bought my ingredients. I bought most of the fruits from the street vendor.

Making the Crust:

I thought I would have problems making the crust. However, the process was much easier than I imagined. I expected to throw flour all over the place. Amazingly, I was pretty neat.

My only problem arose when it was time to roll out the dough to line the pan and cover the top. After rolling the dough, it turned out too thin. When I lifted it, it fell apart. Darn! I rolled it again and tried once more. I didn’t have enough dough to line the pan. It barely reached the top of the pan. I rerolled it a third time but had no luck.

I worked on the dough for the covering and barely had enough to leave a one-inch overhang at the edge. Talk about frustrating.

Can anyone tell me why I had this problem? I think I’m going to have to take lessons or watch someone roll the dough out.

Making the filling for the pie:

The vendor didn’t sell red currants and neither did the grocery store. I’ve never seen them sold before. Maybe, if I go to a large Farmers Market I’ll find them there. I decided to use strawberries as a substitute.

When I opened the two raspberry containers, I’d bought, I found all the raspberries moldy. I had to throw them away. What a shame. I almost used cherries, but I just didn’t know if it would work and didn’t want to take a chance. So my filling ingredients involved blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and red currants strawberries.

Ivonne mentioned that the original amount of cornstarch listed to balance the amount of liquid that the berries released was insufficient. As a result, she increased the amount to a half-cup. However, her pie was still watery than she liked. Bearing that in mind, I increased my cornstarch amount to a whole cup. I don’t know if that was too much, but I didn’t have a problem with soggy pie.

I covered the filling as best as I could but since I didn’t have enough dough for the covering, I couldn’t seal and crimp the edges properly. It was pretty pathetic, really. But, hey, it was my first time, I reminded myself.

After I covered the pie, I remembered that I hadn’t sprinkled the butter pieces over the fruit. I had to uncover the pie as carefully as I could and pray that my thin covering didn’t tear. Uggh!

I made amateurish slashes (exceedingly long slices) on the covering to allow the steam to escape, placed it in oven, and prayed.

My pie baked nicely, I’m happy to write. It didn’t look perfect. Instead, it looked like a real amateur baked it. However, it tasted very good. I loved the crust, which had a very nice buttery, soft, flaky taste.

I think my filling was too thick. I’m not sure if it was because of the amount of cornstarch I used (one cup) or the amount of berries in the recipe. Three cups blueberries, two cups blackberries, two cups raspberries, and one and a half cups of red currants – that’s A LOT of berries. So, what do you think? Was my problem the cornstarch or the berries?

Anyway. I baked a pie, which I never thought I’d ever do! What a way to start! I’m ready for other pie/tart baking recipes! Yes! Thanks for the inspiration, Cream Puff!

Paz

Jumbleberry Pie
Adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/. For the original recipe, click here.

For the crust:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
ice water

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt and mix well.

Add the butter and shortening and with your fingers or a pastry blender, cut the butter and shortening into the flour until it resembles oatmeal or coarse crumbs.

Add 3 tablespoons of ice water to the mixture and begin to gather into a ball. If it does not easily come together, add another tablespoon of ice water. Do not overwork the dough. Once it has come together into a ball, knead a few times on a floured work surface. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

For the pie:
3 cups blueberries, washed and dried
2 cups blackberries, washed and dried
2 cups raspberries, washed and dried
1-1/2 cups red currants, washed and dried
1/2 cup cornstarch (I used a half cup but I’d recommend using a bit more.)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
a few tablespoons of heavy cream (to brush the top of the pie)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine all of the berries.

Add the cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and cinnamon and mix well.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide in half. Roll half the dough out into an 13-inch circle. Fit the dough into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate or pan.

Scrape the berry mixture into the pie plate and refrigerate while you roll out the top portion of dough.

Roll out the second half of the dough into an 11 or 12-inch circle. Remove the pie from the refrigerator and sprinkle the butter pieces over the berries.

Carefully transfer the rolled out dough to the top of the pie plate. Trip the edges of the dough so that you have a one-inch overhang. Seal the edges of the dough all the way around and crimp decoratively.

Slash the dough a few times to allow steam to escape.

Brush the top of the pie with the heavy cream.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the crust is golden and steam is coming out of the vents in the pie. You will notice the juice bubbling up as well.

Serve the pie warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Note: If you’re using frozen berries, let them thaw completely and drain off any juice. This will help prevent the pie from being too liquidy. Use any combination of berries that you like!

Making my crust — easy!

Fresh fruits for the filling

I forgot to add the butter and had to remove the cover — Uggh!

Pie top brushed with heavy cream

A nice big slice!

Have a great week!

Paz

Click on all photos for larger image

“You scored a 10 on this,” my sister said as she reached for seconds of the Ripe Plantain Pie I’d made for dinner.

If I scored the food on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest mark, like my sister, I’d give it a ten, too. The pie tasted very good. Regular readers know from past posts that my all time favorite food is plantain.

I developed the taste for plantain as a youngster in Africa. Although my favorite way to eat plantain is in its plainest prepared form (kelewele), I like that there are different plantain recipes. Depending on the country, there are several ways to prepare it.

Since I love plantain and it goes back to my childhood days, it’s become a comfort food for me and I enjoy eating it in any form. So, when I found this recipe on Stephan Cooks, I knew that I’d try it. Thanks, Stephan!

This is a Puerto Rican recipe known as Pastelón de Plátano (Ripe Plantain Pie). Stephen describes it as “sort of the Shepard’s Pie of Puerto Rico, although a lot more interesting.” I have to agree. The piecrust is made from ripe plantains and the filling from ground beef (or pork). Add bacon, onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, olives capers, oregano and tomato paste and you have a scrumptious pie.

The recipe is fairly easy to follow. I made my piecrust and filling, and then I put them together and placed the pie in the oven. Yes, the oven. Thankfully, our heat wave spell has temporarily broken, so I was able to brave the oven. I practiced Ulrike’s trick when she baked Rosemary flatbread on one of the hottest days in the history of her country. I used the oven in the evening when the weather was a little cooler.

I served the plantain pie with salad. It tasted so good that no one left a crumb on their plate.

Gourmet meal at a fancy restaurant… $200
Fast food at Mc Donald’s… $7
Comfort food at home… priceless

This is my contribution to July’s From My Rasoi event. Meena from Hooked on Heat created this fun food affair. Revathi from En Ulagam is the guest host and has chosen comfort foods as the theme. What is your comfort food? Share them with us!
Deadline: August 1, 2006
Send your post link to: Revathicsm AT yahoo DOT com

Paz

Pastelón de Plátano (Ripe Plantain Pie)
Adapted from Rice and Beans and Tasty Things: A Puerto Rican Cookbook, by Dora Romano

Filling
1 lb ground beef or pork
4 oz bacon, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1 small sweet pepper, finely chopped
2 small hot peppers, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
10 pitted green olives, chopped
1 T capers, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 T tomato paste
1/4 C water

Crust
4 large ripe plantains, boiled and peeled
3 T butter, softened

Sauté the ground meat and bacon until browned in a heavy skilled, stirring, over medium heat. Remove the meat, salt to taste, and set aside. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and add the onion and peppers. Sauté, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, olives, capers, oregano, tomato paste and water and cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Return the meat to the pan and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To make the crust, mash the plantains and mix in the butter. Line the bottom of a buttered 9″ pie plate with half of the mashed plantains. Spread the meat filling over the plantains and top with the rest of the plantains. Dot with butter and bake in a preheated 375º oven about 25 minutes, until nicely browned.

About to prepare the crust – boiled ripe plantain and butter.

Straight from the oven

Almost gone

It’s time again for Weekend Breakfast Blogging, which is led by Nandita of Saffron Trail.

I decided to make something I remember having for breakfast, many times, as a young girl in Africa: Rice Water. I haven’t had Rice Water in ages.

There is nothing extraordinary about this breakfast. Rice is a staple food in West Africa, so it seems to make sense that a way to include rice as a breakfast meal would be found. The basic ingredients are rice, water, canned evaporated milk (I suppose you can use other types of milk but canned evaporated milk is the best and original), and sugar. No kid could complain with that. I certainly didn’t.

Basically, you put cooked rice* in a pan. Pour enough water to cover it – sort of like what you’d do with cereal and milk or porridge. Add some more water. Bring the rice/water mixture to a boil. The rice will be much softer than before. Turn off the fire. Add canned evaporated milk (as much or as little as you like) and then sugar (to your taste). That’s it. You can also add sliced bananas and or raisins (or any other fruits). Oh, I added some cinnamon to the Rice Water, too.

Delicious and filling.

*You don’t have to used cooked rice. You can start from scratch but when you’re making the rice use more water than usual.

If you’re interested in participating in Weekend Breakfast Blogging, the deadline is Monday, July 31. Here are Nandita’s guidelines:

- Your entry should be servable at breakfast.

- Recipes that are a reflection of your culture (not compulsory) will be most appreciated.

- A brief write up about the origin/a tale associated with the recipe/when you first tasted it will make an interesting prelude.

Send your post link to Nandita: saffrontrail AT gmail DOT com.

Paz

Have a good week!

Paz

Click on all the photos for a larger image

Hello, Folks!

It’s time for the WHB roundup of entries! In case you’re coming across this event for the first time, here’s a short explanation: Every weekend, food bloggers, worldwide, write about herbs, plants, veggies, or flowers.

To read more about WHB, how it started, and a backlist of previous entry lineups, look here. Check out the guidelines if you’re interested in participating in next weekend’s WHB event.

I encourage you all to visit these blogs during the week to read more about the WHB posts and see some awesome photos!

Kalyn, thanks for the opportunity to guest host!

Paz

Spinach and Sorrel Chopped Salad with Pecans and Goat Cheese (Sorrel)

Creative WHB event founder, Kalyn from Kalyn’s Kitchen starts off our lineup. She blogs about sorrel, a perennial herb, and makes an original recipe of Spinach and Sorrel Chopped Salad with Pecans and Goat Cheese. Appetizing!

Baked Peach with Almond and Amaretti

Gattina from her self titled blog prepares a healthy and lovely breakfast of Baked Peach with Almond and Amaretti. Succulent!

Neil from Food for Thought blogs about vanilla pod and a fun story of how he prepared meals for a professional that may intimidate many – an executive chef. One winning recipe was his Goat’s Cheesecake. Delicious!

Shiso (Japanese Basil)

Haalo from Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once focuses on two Japanese ingredients –Shiso, which is known as Japanese Basil and Umeboshi, known as Japanese Apricot. Haalo uses these two ingredients to make Iwashi No Umé Maki Yaki (Rolled Sardines with Plum Paste). Attention-grabbing!

Spaghetti Puttanesca (Capers)

Ruth from Once Upon A Feast blogs about capers, described as “a biennial spiny shrub.” She prepares a meal of Spaghetti Puttanesca, using Kalamata olives, anchovies and capers. Wonderful!

Ratatouille with Petrale Sole (Thyme)

Sher from What Did You Eat? features thyme for her WHB post and uses the herb in a recipe of Ratatouille with Petrale Sole. Yummy!

Spanakopita (Silverbeet)

Anna from Morsels & Musings spotlights Silverbeet also known as Swiss chard. She decides to use the vitamins and minerals-rich vegetables to make Spanakopita (Greek spinach and Feta pie) when spinach isn’t available. The results are a delicious dinner.

Nasturtiums

Christine from Christine Cooks showcases nasturtiums from her garden. She uses them in salads and as a garnish for salads, grilled chicken, or fish. Beautiful!

Focaccia topped with Fresh Figs and Fennel Seeds

Ilva from Lucullian Delights highlights fennel seeds. She makes a Sweet Focaccia, topped with Fresh Figs and Fennel Seeds. I believe her when she says it was really good. Thanks for not leaving me hanging, Ilva!

Please look below for the second part of the Weekend Herb Blogging roundup.

Ulrike from Küchenlatein showcases Rosemary from her garden. Despite it being the hottest summer weather in 30 years, Ostwestwind decided to bake Rosemary flatbread. Her trick to baking in the hot weather? Bake in the evening when it’s cooler. Delicious!

Manathakali Chutney

Indosungod from Daily Musings blogs about Manathakali. Unsure of the English or Botanical name, Indosungod believes it called Black Nightshade. She grows them in her garden every summer and enjoys eating the berries with her daughters. She makes an easy chutney, which she recommends eating with rice. Very nice!

Vanilla Pod

Kitchen Mage of the same named blog writes about vanilla and shares a secret source. How generous! I agree with Kitchen Mage that vanilla is “anything but boring.”

Spice Chard with Pinenuts

Jmom from In Our Kitchen blogged about Spiced Chard and prepared a meal of Spiced Chard with Pinenuts. Lovely!

Roasted Corn and Tarragon Risotto on Fresh Tomato Salsa

Surfindave from The Serendipitous Chef focuses on tarragon. He writes about a tarragon tomato romance and a corn tarragon relationship. Then he shares two recipes for Roasted Corn and Tarragon Risotto with Fresh Tomato Salsa and Roasted Corn and Tarragon Risotto cakes on Fresh Tomato Salsa. Mouth watering! I wanna be a part of this relationship!

Capers

Cyndi from Cookin’ with Cyndi used capers in her dinner and decided to blog about them for WHB. She provides extensive information on these unopened green flower buds, which are grown mainly in Mediterranean countries (southern France, Italy, and Algeria) and also in California. Very informative!

Melon Balls with Fresh Mint

Gabriella from My Life as A Reluctant Housewife spotlights cantaloupes and shares a recipe of Melon balls with Fresh Mint. Very interesting information and very cool recipe, especially for the extremely hot summer weather we’ve been having.

Grape Tomatoes

Genie from The Inadvertent Gardener shares a Caprese pasta meal, which she calls I Wanted to be Airline Food. She made the after not being able to catch a flight to a family reunion. The vegetables come from her garden and include tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, zucchini, Vidalia onion and whole-wheat pasta. It’s a nice meal despite the disappointing airline experience.

Fattoush

Alanna of A Veggie Venture makes Fattoush, a Lebanese Veggie Salad that includes ingredients like chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, mint, lemon juice and olive oil. She highlights Sumac (Sumaq), a spice used in the dressing. It comes from berries that grow in the Middle East and parts of Italy. Another nice meal.

Cherry and Buttermilk Soup

The Chocolate Lady of In Mol Araan makes a Cherry and Buttermilk Soup. Wow! I have a feeling it’s a perfect meal for hot weather.

Chickpeas Feta Coriander Salad

Last but not least, I blogged about cilantro and made a Chickpeas Feta Coriander salad. Perfect for summer weather!

Thanks, Everyone, for participating in the latest WHB. Thanks, Kalyn for starting the event and the opportunity to guest host. It’s been fun!

Don’t forget to check out the individual blogs during the week and read more about the WHB entries and see wonderful photos.

Have a great week!
Paz

We’ve been having heat wave weather in my neck of the woods for the past couple of days. It’s simply too hot to stand over a burning stove and try to cook anything. As a result, instead, I’ve been making a lot of salads.

I found a nice, cool salad recipe on Trembom in English blog. Valentina has a wonderful blog in Portuguese and I’m so glad that she decided to make one in English. That way, I’m able to discover a lot of great recipes from her.

The Chickpeas Feta Coriander Salad recipe comes from the cookbook Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros. That’s another cookbook I’m interested in getting in the near future.

Valentina wrote that the ‘chickpeas’ in the title attracted her to the recipe. Interestingly enough, the feta cheese and coriander (cilantro to me) in the title caught my attention. You see, I’m a big fan of those two main ingredients. I love feta cheese and cilantro is one of my all time favorite herbs. I’ve mentioned several times how chopping herbs like cilantro and smelling its fresh aroma rising from the chopping board can lead me to do my happy dance in the kitchen. Yes, seriously. I do the dance (See #9 here). You can ask my dogs.

I’ve learned that cilantro is a love-it or hate-it herb. It seems to inspire intense feelings in many people. I actually came across an online anti cilantro community with over 700 members. I can’t imagine not having this herb as a part of my meal, if a recipe calls for it.

Cilantro may be a controversial herb, but it’s used in several types of cuisines ranging from North African, Indian, Mexican, Tex Mex, Asian, to Caribbean.

A lover of history, I’ve enjoyed reading about the existence of cilantro from time immemorial. It’s been mentioned in Sanskrit texts, the Bible, the Medical Papyrus of Thebes. It’s said to be one of the plants in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, Greeks and Romans all used cilantro. It was also one of the first herb plants brought to the North America when the settlers arrived there. Clearly, it’s been around a long time.

The Chickpea Feta Coriander Salad calls for cilantro, mixed with flat-leaf parsley. The herbs acted like the icing on the cake for me. Or in this case, the most delicious garnish on the salad. I really liked the combination. I suppose if you don’t like cilantro, you can eliminate it and use parsley alone.

The chickpeas made the salad very filling. A really good quality feta cheese is the key to making the salad even tastier. My mouth still waters at the thought of the flavorsome feta cheese I bought.

The salad ingredients also call for red chili peppers, which I suppose is optional. The use of peppers also captivated me since I like hot and spicy flavors. I expected a sizzling tasting salad but the recipe pleasantly surprised me when the peppers blended very nicely with the rest of the ingredients to produce a cool tasting salad. Just right for this volcanic atmospheric-like weather we’re having.

By the way Elizabeth makes a different Orange, Red Onion, and Fennel Salad with ingredients that include dried chili peppers. Sounds good! Have a look!

This post is for the upcoming Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB) event started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. You can read about WHB and its guidelines below the banner.

This week, I have the honor of being the guest host of Weekend Herb Blogging. If you are interested in participating, send me the link to your blog post by this coming Sunday, 3 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. E-mail your WHB links to: PazCooks AT yahoo DOT com. I will post a line up of the entries the following Monday.

Paz

Click on photo for larger image

Chickpea, Feta & Coriander Salad
Adapted from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros

250g dried chickpeas(without skins if possible), soaked overnight in cold water; or 400g tinned chickpeas
250ml olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 or 2 red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
250g crumbled feta cheese
4 spring onions, green part only, chopped
25g chopped coriander
30g chopped flat-leaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon

If using dried chickpeas, rinse them and put them in a saucepan, covered with loads of water. Bring to the boil. Lower the heat slightly and cook for 1-1 ½ hours, until they are soft but not falling apart. Add the salt towards the end of the cooking. When cooled, drain them and put the chickpeas in a large bowl, removing all the skin. If using tinned chickpeas, drain and rinse them before transferring to a bowl.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and fry the red onion gently until it is cooked through and lightly golden Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a few more seconds until you can smell the garlic. Take care not to brown the garlic. Leave to cool completely.

Add the feta, spring onion, coriander, parsley and lemon juice to the chickpeas and season with pepper and dash more salt, if needed. Add the cooled garlic oil and the remaining olive oil and mix through very well.

I apologize to anyone who stopped by on last Monday, expecting New York Monday photos and found nothing. I wasn’t able to post anything that day.

Here are some before and after photos of a bench I’d pass daily in the park. The overgrown leaves took over the bench. I used to be a little scared to walk by because I wasn’t sure if anything would come out from the foliage. Yes, I know. I have an active imagination.

Just recently they have cut the leaves and everything is back to normal. Now, I sort of miss the out-of-control weeds. It gave the bench an interesting look.

In the last set of photos, I found the dedicated benches touching and nice. I have no idea about the people. May they rest in peace.

Have a great week!

Paz

Before: Months earlier

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After: Months later

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Fairly New:

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*Old friends… sat on their parkbench like bookends…
~ Simon and Garfunkel