mizchef

posted by admin on Aug 27

This week at the Natural Gourmet Institute, we had wheat-free baking. Wheat allergies/sensitivities seem to be a growing issue around the world; consequently, wheat-free products are part of a booming industry, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to wane anytime soon.

I personally know people who are affected by wheat sensitivities and I have been experimenting with different grains and flours for a while now. I probably would be doing it anyway because I just love using different products in my cooking, but it was nice to learn more about wheat-free baking in an official forum.

We had different flours at our disposal, such as chick pea, white rice, potato and tapioca starch, sorghum, and arrowroot, and we also made flour out of almonds. We made cookies, cakes, macaroons, scones, and tartlets.

I personally made currant scones with chick pea flour, aka garbanzo flour, bean flour, besan, and gram flour. This type of flour is very popular in Italy, but is essential in Indian cuisine. So, it can easily be found in any Italian or Indian market, and probably well-stocked supermarkets these days. A traditional dish in Italian cuisine that utilizes chick pea flour is panelle, which are blocks of chick pea flour mixture, baked or fried, and eaten with sauces or in a sandwich with ricotta and grated cheese. In fact, I have a recipe for it in my cookbook, What, No Meat?

Right now, though, I’m going to share with you the recipe for Currant Scones with chick pea flour. Enjoy!

Wheat-Free Currant Scones

Copyright © Natural Gourmet Institute

Yield: 10 tiny scones

1 cup garbanzo flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tb maple crystals
2 Tb cold butter*
1 egg
2 Tb + 2 tsp cream
1 Tb orange or lemon zest
1/4 currants

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and maple crystals.

3. Cut butter into dry mix to form coarse crumbs.

4. In another bowl, beat eggs, cream, zest, and currants together.

5. Add wet to dry until just combined.

6. Fold out onto table and form a semi-flattened log.

7. Cut log into triangles and bake on parchment for 10 minutes.

8. Serve warm.

*If found that 2 Tb of butter was not enough. The dough was dry and I had to more than double the amount of butter until it was moist enough. When the butter is cut into the dry ingredients, it should stick together lightly when you pinch a little between your fingers. If it looks dry and “flour-y” instead of like coarse crumbs, add more butter, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s the right consistency.

posted by admin on Aug 18

Class was back in session last night at the Natural Gourmet Institute after a two-week break. We had A la Carte 2. As with A la Carte 1, the object of the class was to work our way around three stations to make three different entrees. The idea is to get a feel for what it’s like working at different stations in a restaurant.

The three entrees were Pan-Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Sauce, with mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini and yellow squash; pan-seared Tempeh with Curried Coconut Sauce and Grilled Pineapple Chutney, with black rice; and Quick Tofu Teriyaki (stir fry), with basmati rice.

We broke up into three groups and each group did the mis en place for one station. Then

Photo: www.weightwatchers.com

we all rotated and worked each station. And we continued rotating until we ran out of food and time. When we completed each dish, we presented it to the instructor for evaluation. Overall, I did well, with the exception of a few issues with my sauces (the mushroom sauce needed to reduce a little more; there was too much coconut-curry sauce for the tempeh; my second round of stir fry needed a little more sauce).

Everything was delicious. The mushroom sauce was incredibly flavorful, as was the coconut curry sauce (although I’m not a huge fan of curry). My favorite overall dish was the Tofu Teriyaki, and if I took only one thing away from this class, it’s that I’ve finally learned how to make a good stir fry. When I’ve made stir fries in the past, the flavor always seemed flat, and whenever I’ve added tofu, it always broke up into crumbles, which then dispersed throughout the vegetables, creating a very unappetizing dish. I now know that there are two elements to a good stir fry: 1) a sauce and 2) marinating and cooking the tofu before putting it into the stir fry.

When I say “sauce,” I don’t mean sesame seed oil or shoyu (although those went in the stir fry, too). I’m talking about a brown sauce made by combing the tofu marinade with some kuzu to thicken it.  It gave the vegetables a more complex flavor and depth that just shoyu and sesame seed oil alone don’t. As for the tofu, that was marinated, cubed, and pan fried until golden brown.

The first A la Carte class was a little hectic for me because I was flustered. This time, I was more at ease and was able to enjoy the process more. And best of all, I have leftovers. Today for lunch, I had some that delicious stir fry. And because I was so happy with it, I’m sharing the recipe. Enjoy.

Quick Tofu Teriyaki

Copyright © Natural Gourmet Institute (with modifications)

Yield: 4 servings

Marinade
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1/4 cup peeled, grated ginger
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp shoyu
1 tbsp umeboshi paste
1/2 cup apple juice

1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
1/4 – 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp kuzu

Stir Fry
1/4 cup vegetable oil
cup julienned red pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup julienned carrot
1 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup shoyu
2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
1/2 cup sliced scallions

Method

1. In blender, combine first 6 ingredients with 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth.

2.  Slice tofu into 4 slabs of equal thickness.

3. in a medium saucepan, combine tofu with marinade. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

4. Drain tofu (reserving marinade) and blot iwth paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

5. In medium skillet, heat oi land pan fry tofu over medium-high heat until golden on both sides.

6. After tofu is cooked, drain any excess oil out of pan and place tofu in warm oven.

7. Place marinade in blender with kuzu and process until smooth.

8. To cook 2 servings at a time: In a wok or pan, heat 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil; add half the red pepper, half the onion, half the carrot, and half the celery. Stir fry until vegetables start to brown. Add half the cubed tofu, half the shoyu shoyu, and a tbsp of sesame seed oil. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

9. Serve over rice. Garnish with scallions.

posted by admin on May 16

The third week of May is International Pickles Week. Some people can take or leave pickles, but some absolutely love them and they will eat anything pickled.

If you’re new to pickling, you can get some instructions from HowtoPickle.com and PickYourOwn.org.

And get some great pickle recipes from PickleThis.com,  AllRecipes.com, and Pickle-Recipes.

Let me know how they turn out.

posted by admin on Mar 15

Saturday’s class at the Natural Gourmet Institute—It was grain day and we had to cook and taste a whole bunch of grains—rices, bulgur, millet, quinoa, kasha, couscous (although not technically a grain)—ad naseum. I never thought I’d be sick of the sight of grains, but halfway through the tasting, I was grained out. I felt like a zombie, just mindless and stupefied: “Grains! Grains!” 

But the most important thing I learned about grains: If you want fluffy grains, start with boiling water, not cold water. All these years, I’ve started by combining rice with cold water, the way most people do. With rice, it’s always a 50/50 prospect of getting fluffy grains. Well, as soon as I have time to cook some up, I’m going to try using boiling water and see what I get.

posted by admin on Oct 21

Hi, fellow foodies. We are in full pumpkin swing and candy is popping up all over the place! If you haven’t already, start stocking up because those trick-or-treaters will be knocking on your door in about a week. And you don’t want your house toilet papered, do you?

For any of you having ghoulish gatherings and sinister soirees, there are lots of horrific recipes out there that will make your guests scream…or at least look twice at what they’re eating and drinking. Some good places to check out are…

Decayed Corpse Chips: Britta.com

Britta.com

Cooksrecipes.com

Halloweenrecipes.org

Scary Skulls: BHG.com

If you stopped by last week, you’ll know that I promised you a recipe for pumpkin ravioli. So, if classic cooking is more your thing, go with that, rather than the demonic creations suggested by these sites. You can use canned pumpkin for the ravioli but nothing beats the flavor of fresh pumpkin.

Here’s a tip: If you and/or your kids do any pumpkin carving, use the pumpkin that’s being removed from the jack-o’-lanterns.
I say this knowing full well that processing fresh pumpkin is a bit of a job. But if you’re up for it, here’s the step-by-step process. (P.S. Make sure everyone’s hands are clean when scooping out pumpkins. Also, wash the outside of the pumpkins and make sure the utensils being used are clean, too.)

Tombstone Brownies: BHG.com

1. If you’re starting with a whole pumpkin and it’s small enough to fit in your oven, bake it. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and use a knife to poke holes all around the pumpkin (you don’t want that sucker exploding in your oven). Place it on a baking sheet and bake until you can pierce the pumpkin easily with a knife. The pumpkin may collapse and that’s okay. Remove it from the oven and let it cool. If the pumpkin is too big for your oven, cut it up and steam as instructed below.

If you’re starting with large pieces (cut from a jack-o’-lantern), cut them into chunks. Cut away the skins and fibers and put in a bowl; set aside. Place the chunks in a steamer rack and steam until soft.

2. Scoop or cut the flesh away from the skin. If it was baked, cut away the seeds and fibers and place in a bowl. Place some of the pumpkin flesh in a food processor and puree. You may need to nudge it with a rubber spatula now and then. If you need to add liquid, add as little as possible to get it going. Transfer to a bowl. Add the next batch, and so on, until all the pumpkin is pureed. Combing all the batches in the bowl.

3. Transfer the puree to a strainer set over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least a few hours). If possible, give it a stir and let it sit in the refrigerator another day or two. It’s now ready to use in a recipe.

To Toast the Seeds:
Separate the seeds from the fibers. Discard the fibers and rinse the seeds in a strainer under cool running water. Drain well. Spread them out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle salt over them and stir. If you want, you can add seasonings to them, such as chili powder or cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

Now, without further ado, here is Pumpkin Ravioli, courtesy of Recipeland.com. Note that I’ve changed the sauce from the original Pumpkin Seed Sauce to the more traditional Butter-Sage Sauce. Also, the recipe says to use canned pumpkin, but you can substitute your own freshly made pumpkin puree. Have a great weekend, everybody.

Pumpkin Ravioli

1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup pumpkin canned
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups flour, unbleached all-purpose
½ teaspoon salt
1/4cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large eggs

Mix the cheese, pumpkin, 1/2 tsp salt and the nutmeg. Set aside.

Mix the flour, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour. Beat the tomato paste, oil and eggs until well blended and pour into the well in the flour. Stir with a fork gradually bring the flour mixture to the center of the bowl. Do this until the dough makes a ball. If the dough is too dry, mix in up to 2 tbls of water.

Knead lightly on a floured cloth-covered surface, adding flour if dough is sticky, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for another 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll the dough, one part at a time, into a rectangle about 12 x 10 inches.

Drop the pumpkin mixture by 2 level tsp onto half of the rectangle, about 1 1/2-inches apart in 2 rows of 4 mounds each. Moisten the edges of the dough and the dough between the rows of pumpkin mixture with water. Fold the other half of the dough up over the pumpkin mixture, pressing the dough down around the pumpkin. Trim the edges with a pastry wheel or knife.

Cut between the rows of filling to make ravioli; press the edges together with a fork or cut with a pastry wheel sealing the edges well. Repeat with the remaining dough and pumpkin filling.

Place ravioli on towel, let stand turning once, until dry, about 30 minutes.

Cook ravioli in 4 quarts of boiling salted water (2 tsp of salt) until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes; drain carefully.

Serve the ravioli with the Butter-Sage Sauce spooned over.

Butter-Sage Sauce

8 tbsp (1 stick) butter
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves, minced
¼ tsp nutmeg

Melt the butter in a small pan. Over medium-low heat, let it sizzle until it turns brown. Add the sage and nutmeg and cook about 1 minute. Turn off the heat; keep warm until pasta is ready.

posted by admin on Dec 26

Question: What is tiramisú?

Hi, all. I hope everyone had a happy and fun holiday. And I hope that the gifts you all got were the meaningful kind, rather than the costly kind. Sometimes, those two things overlap, but far too often, people buy expensive gifts just because they’re expensive and not because they really mean something to the recipient. I know several couples who opted to make donations rather than send out Christmas cards and buy gifts. I know one family who sponsors needy families in other countries by buying important items for them. For example, last year they bought a goat through Heifer International. This year they bought a goat, a flock of chickens, and a flock of ducks. If you visit Heifer International, you can choose your gift and they send it to those who need them.

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by admin on Dec 4

Hi, gang. This week, I spent a lot of time testing recipes that required coconut. The recipes are mostly Indonesian and African, and call for shredded coconut, chunks of coconut, and coconut milk. It’s not that I was jonesing for Southeast Asian or African food, or even coconut—it was a decision of practicality. I decided that if I was going to go to the trouble of cracking open a coconut and working to get the meat out, I’d might as well do two coconuts at once and have enough for all the recipes that require it. So that’s what I did. Now I have some in the refrigerator and put a container of it it in the freezer.

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by admin on Aug 22

Hi, gang. One of the things I like to pick up when I go to rural areas is honey produced  by local farmers (beekeepers, really). We’re talking pure, raw honey that hasn’t processed. You can taste the purity of the nectar and once you’ve tried it, you’ll never want to go back to the processed stuff.

Read the rest of this entry »

posted by admin on Aug 7

Hi, gang. This week I experienced one of those things recipe developers hate: a recipe disaster. It came with my first attempt at dolmas, Greek-style stuffed grape leaves. They completely fell apart and I had a big mess in the pot. On researching this tragedy, I noted two things: 1) I hadn’t rolled them the right way and 2) they need to be packed tightly in the pot.

Now, I’ve made things that needed to be rolled. I’ve wrapped spring rolls in rice paper; burritos in tortillas; manicotti in pasta; rice in banana leaves; and those of you who have been reading this blog know that I’ve wrapped tamales in corn husks (story here). All of these require the roll-and-tuck method. But there is a particular technique to rolling grape leaves. The reason for this, I imagine, is because grape leaves are oddly shaped. They are not perfectly square or round, so they have to be handled a certain way.

I was placing the filling on the left side, then trying to roll the leaf, using the roll-and-tuck method, as if it were a square. I learned that you have to place the filling across the center of the leaf, right above the stem, fold the left side over the filling, then the right, then the left, then the right, then rolling it forward over the rest of the leaf.

The wrong way to do it.

Source: www.cafefernando.com

The other secret is to use a pot that will allow you to pack in the dolmades tightly and to weigh them down with something. While I did weigh them down with a plate, they were not as tightly packed as they should have been and probably jiggled around a little. So, for attempt number two, I will be more informed. (I should have looked it up before…duh!)

Here is a great website with step-by-step instructions on making dolmades: Greek Recipes with May Lerios.

TIP: Don’t skimp on the quality of the grape leaves. I went to a local Russian market for mine. They had several brands on the shelf and I opted for the cheapest one, figuring grape leaves are grape leaves. Right? Wrong. What I got were basically grape-leaf irregulars. Who knew there was such a thing? They were scraggly, ripped, and all different sizes. I tried piecing together scraps to make whole ones but that was a bust. I was going to go buy more when I realized something: I had my own grape leaves in my backyard!

If you’re fortunate enough to have a grapevine growing in your yard (and, believe me, because of the large Italian and Greek communities in NY, it’s not that unusual), you can put all those beautiful, luscious leaves to use. If you do have access to fresh leaves, here’s what you do.

Pick the largest, nicest looking leaves you can find and rinse them off. Cut out the stems. Bring a pot of water to a boil; place the leaves in the water, shut off the heat, and let them sit for 5 minutes. Drain and let them cool. You’re ready to use them.

Store-bought leaves are available packed in jars, in tins, and vacuum-packed. Good, quality brands should give you more or less same-sized leaves. But whether you’re using store-bought or fresh leaves, keep in mind that they are extremely fragile and will rip easily, so handle them gently.

I also need to perfect my filling recipe. Needed a little something. Or, maybe they just got water-logged when they unraveled and sat in the broth/water mixture I was using. Hmm, we’ll see. If anyone has any pointers, feel free to leave a comment.

Have a wonderful week and I hope that next time, I’ll have a success to share instead of a flop. Peace.

posted by admin on Jul 3

Hi, everyone. So, tomorrow is the Fourth of July, the day when anyone who hasn’t done so already dusts off the BBQ grills, sets up the picnic tables, and opens up the pool for business. Here in New York, we’ve FINALLY gotten summer. And it’s only July—go figure.

Anyway, today I’m making my first pasta salad of the summer. After all, what would a barbecue be without pasta salad? But what to put in it? There are so many ways to make pasta salad, so many ingredients to choose from. And so many dressing you can use. This time around, I’m using green goddess dressing.

Read the rest of this entry »