I ended up going a bit sourdough crazy this weekend. I ended up with two different sourdough breads under construction simultaneously and then tossed a bit of the leftover starter into some crumpet batter.

I can't say I was thrilled with the results of this first attempt. I found the batter slightly too thick and they weren't quite as bubbly as I'd hoped. I also had the pan much too hot! They burned on the bottom before they were anywhere near cooked through. That said, I'd be willing to give this recipe another go now that I've dialed in the cooking temperature.

Sourdough Crumpets

Slightly adapted from Sourdough.com

Ingredients

• 200g flour¹
• 90g (100% hydration) fed/active starter
• 260-280mL water²
• 40g sugar
• 4g coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Weigh flour into a 1L measuring cup.
2. Add starter and water and mix with a chopstick.
3. Add sugar and salt and mix with a chopstick.
4. Cover and leave in a cool place overnight³.
5. Preheat a cast iron frying pan/griddle over low heat.
6. Grease your pan and your crumpet/egg rings.
7. Place the greased rings in the pan and fill each one halway with batter. Pour the batter rather than scooping/ladeling it so as not to deflate it.
8. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
9. Remove the rings, cover the pan, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
10. Flip the crumpets and cook for 1 more minute.
11. Toast and slather with butter (and optionally jam).

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¹ I used hard whole wheat flour, but I'd be inclined to try it with all-purpose flour next time. ^Back
2 For white flour, use the lesser amount of water. For whole wheat flour, use the greater amount. ^Back
3 You may need to adjust the timing based on how active your starter is and how warm/cold your "cool place" is. I found that 12 hours was about right for a batter with a very active starter kept in a cool basement (~16°C) overnight. For less active starter and/or cooler temperatures, you'll need to give it more time. Warmer temperatures (or more active starters) will need less time. ^Back

Just a super quick post about this pizza. It's pretty simple, but I enjoyed the combo, so I figured I should probably add it to the blog. I haven't given any measurements because... I didn't really measure anything. Just configure it as you see fit.

The original recipe suggested 100g of haggis, 40g of cheese, and 1 "baby" potato. I definitely used more than that, but I'm not sure how much more.

Haggis Pizza

Slightly adapted from Ooni

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 medium potato, sliced thin
• haggis
• pizza dough
• tomato/pizza sauce
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• mozzarella cheese, grated (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F). If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven before you start preheating it.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add potato and cook until both sides develop a bit of colour. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Remove casing from haggis and add to now-empty pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook until browned. Set aside.
5. Roll/stretch the pizza dough to desired size and shape.
6. If using a pizza stone, transfer to pizza peel that has been liberally sprinkled with cornmeal. Otherwise, transfer to a baking sheet/pizza pan.
7. Top crust with sauce, cheese(s), haggis, and potato slices.
8. Transfer pizza to preheated pizza stone (if using). Otherwise, bake it on the baking sheet/pan you prepared it on.
9. Bake at 230°C (450°F) for 7-8 minutes.

The ramen train has no brakes. I did most of these a while ago but have been lax about writing them up.

This one is a bit more involved than the last, and the result is tasty, but also very heavy and quite salty. It's definitely a sometimes food.

Budae Jjigae Ramen

Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• Smoked sausage, sliced thin on bias
• ⅓ of a tin of spam (~100g), sliced
• 1 tbsp ketchup
  
• green onion, sliced
• 2-4 tbsp baked beans
• cheese
• optional kimchi to taste
  

Directions

1. Add 350mL water to a small pot (the original recipe calls for 600mL; we wanted it less soupy).
   
2. Add sausage, spam, seasoning powder, vegetable flakes, and ketchup; bring to a boil.
3. Add noodles and cook as directed.
4. Top with green onions, baked beans, cheese, and kimchi.

I have fond memories of making pudding with my mom. Butterscotch was always my favourite. I used to be able to whip up a batch of pudding from memory, but it's been a while and I've forgotten how. Fortunately, pudding recipes aren't exactly hard to come by. I pulled this one out of an old Cook's Country issue.

Vanilla Pudding

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country April/May 2018

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 c. whole (3.25%) milk, divided
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Combine 2 1/2 c. milk with the sugar and salt and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, over medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 c. milk until completely smooth.
3. Whisk the egg yolks into the cornstarch mixture.
4. Once the hot milk mixture comes to a simmer, remove from heat and gradually whisk it into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs.
5. Pour the mixture back into the pot and bring back to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly.
6. Once mixture has thickened, remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
7. Serve chilled.

We've been steadily working through all the Korean ramen recipes from Aaron & Claire. This one is pleasingly quick and simple to make, and the egg adds a bit of protein.

The pictured one is made with carrots, since we were tragically out of green onions.

Fish Sauce Ramen

Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 1 packet soupy Korean ramen
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Prepare ramen in a pot as normal.
2. Strain out noodles and transfer to bowl.
3. Into broth, mix fish sauce, onion, and egg.
4. Pour broth over noodles.

I had a butternut squash that needed to be used up and I needed bread. This recipe seemed like a good way of dealing with both things at once.

I probably should've given my starter a bit longer to ferment. It didn't really seem like it had reached peak activity by the time I was mixing up the dough. But I was tired and just wanted some bread, so I went ahead with it all the same. The bread came out fine. The flavour and crumb were nice. The crust was good. I'm sure it would've been nicer with a more active starter, but the results were decent even with my sub-optimal timing.

Butternut Squash Sourdough

Slightly adapted from Sourdough.com

Ingredients

First Preferment

• 25g sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 50g flour
• 50mL water

Second Preferment

• first preferment
• 125g flour
• 125mL water

Dough

• 264mL water
• 320g butternut squash, roasted and peeled
• 840g flour¹
• 18g coarse sea salt
• 240g second preferment²
• 50g sunflower seeds

Directions

First Preferment

1. Combine starter, flour, and water and mix thoroughly.
2. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 8-12 hours.

Second Preferment

1. Combine first preferment, flour, and water and mix thoroughly.
2. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 4-8 hours.

Dough

1. Combine water and squash in a blender and puré until smooth.
2. Combine flour and salt.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the squash puré and the second preferment (you will not need it all).
4. Mix, working from the centre outward, until just combined and a rough dough is formed.
5. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
6. Turn the dough out onto an oiled surface and knead for 1-2 minutes.
7. Adjust the consistency with more flour or water as needed. The dough should be fairly loose.
8. Return the dough to the covered bowl and rest for another 10 minutes, then knead it (on an oiled surface) for another minute or two.
9. Rest and knead the dough one more time.
10. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a covered bowl to rest for 30 minutes.
11. Stretch and fold the dough, then turn it over and rest for another 30-60 minutes.
12. Keep stretching at 30-60 minute intervals for ~3 hours.
13. Flatten the dough into a large rectangle and sprinkle with half the sunflower seeds. Fold the dough into thirds and then shape into a ball. Return to covered bowl to rest for another 30-60 minutes.
14. Flatten the dough again and sprinkle with the remaining seeds. Fold into thirds and shape into a ball.
15. If the dough still seems a bit lethargic, give it a few more stretch-and-folds (at 30-60 minute intervals) until it seems more active.
16. Once the dough seems nice and peppy, divide it into 2-4 equal portions (depending on whether you want large loaves or baguettes).
17. Round each portion, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.
18. Shape each portion as desired and transfer to fridge overnight.
19. In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge and preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F).
20. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with with cornmeal.
21. Once the oven is preheated, pour a few cups of boiling water into a large pan and place it on the lower oven rack.
22. Transfer your shaped loaves to the prepared pan and slash as desired.
23. Place the baking sheet with the loaves on the middle rack (above the pan of boiling water).
24. Bake at 230°C (450°F) for 10-15 minutes.
25. Reduce heat to 180°C (350°F) and carefully remove the water pan from the oven. Bake for another 5-30 minutes (depending on the size of your loaves).
27. Once loaves are done (sound hollow when underside is tapped), turn the oven off and leave the bread in the hot oven for 10 minutes.
28. Remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack.

Yet another recipe for korean fire noodles! We heard about this one from Aaron & Claire, too, although they touch on its origins . It seems to be fairly popular and you can find lots of writeups for it on the net, but they're all pretty similar -- noodles, skillet, egg, cheese, green onions.

It came together really quickly and easily, and was pretty tasty, too! I'd make it again; my only complaint is that since it only uses up half of the seasonings, you end up with leftover seasoning packets looking for a new home. Maybe they could be combined with some dried veggies and a Mister Noodles packet to turn it into something edible?

For the cheese, we used mozzarella; mild cheddar or american cheese would also work well, I think.

A&C mentioned in passing that it comes from "a comic", and most other writeups -- if they attribute it at all -- just say the same. I got curious and was able to track down the origin point: Mokuyoubi no Furutto ("Furutto on Thursday") by Ishiguro Masakazu, a long-running slice of life manga about a cat. The recipe shows up in chapter 3; I've included English scans (by Wonderland Translations) of the relevant pages (read the panels and speech bubbles right to left):

Interestingly, the cheese doesn't show up in the original recipe, although it appears to be all but universal in other people's takes on it.

Kujirai-style Ramen

Mokuyoubi no Furutto by way of Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 1 packet korean ramen
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• mild cheese, thinly sliced
  

Directions

1. Bring 350mL of water to a boil, covered in a skillet.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add the noodles, and cook until they start softening and can be broken up and rearranged, ~1 minute.
   
3. Add any veggie packets and half of the seasoning and/or sauce packets that came with the noodles, and stir them around a bit (I flipped them over).
4. Break an egg over the noodles, then top with cheese and green onions.
5. Cover and cook over medium low until the noodles are done cooking and the egg is set.

Another fire noodle recipe from Aaron & Claire, this one goes heavy on the eggs and cheese to produce a very filling dish. It doesn't include any apart from the green onions, though. For the cheese, we went with a mix of mozzarella and mild cheddar.

Steamed Egg Fire Noodles

Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 green onion, sliced
  
• 1 pack Korean fire noodles
• cheese
  

Directions

1. Whisk together the eggs, salt, and green onion.
2. Pour into a bowl and microwave on high for 90s.
3. Cook the noodles for 1 minute, then drain.
4. Mix noodles with fire sauce and drop into the middle of the partially cooked egg, without stirring.
5. Top with cheese and microwave for another 2-3 minutes.

I am on a bit of a ramen kick right now. More specifically, I'm on a ramyun kick. Ramyun is Korean ramen. The noodles tend to be a little thicker and chewier than the noodles you get in ramen packets from other regions.

TF and I went to the Asian grocery store a couple days ago and got a few packages of Korean fire ramyun. They are... very spicy. But there are some great recipes out there that offer ideas on how to dress them up and make them a little more interesting than standard ramen and, as an added benefit, many of these preparations also help to moderate the spiciness somewhat.

We tried out the creamy fire noodles earlier this week. With all the extra stuff added (and with only half the fire sauce), they were only just barely spicy. I think next time I'd actually add the full amount of fire sauce to them.

Today we tried tuna-mayo fire noodles. These ones (unsurprisingly) came out A LOT spicier than the creamy noodles! The tuna and mayo definitely helped to tone things down a bit. Eating them no longer felt like part of some sort of extreme elimination challenge. But they were still very hot. (Possibly I shouldn't have used the full amount of fire sauce here either, but I didn't want to miss out on any of the delicious flavour!)

If you're like me and enjoy the flavour of the sauce but find the heat a bit intense, you could always try adding more veggies to help tone things down a bit. Or try adding a bit of cheese. Turn it into a bowl of tuna melt ramyun. On the other hand, if you like to turn up the heat on your food, this recipe will probably be right up your alley as is!

Tuna-Mayo Fire Noodles

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 1/2 tin tuna
• 2 Tbsp. mayo
• 1 small green onion, chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 onion, minced
• 5-6 slices cucumber, julienned
• other vegetables¹ (optional)
• 1 package Korean fire noodles

Directions

1. Drain the tuna and combine it wiht the mayo, green onion, garlic, and onion and set aside.
2. Prepare the cucumber and whatever other veggies you plan to use.
3. Cook the noodles according to package directions² and then drain most (but not all) of the water. Leave ~1/4 c. of water on the noodles.
4. Mix the fire sauce into the noodles.
5. Top the saucy noodles with the tuna salad and prepared veggies.
6. Garnish with flakes (from the noodle package).

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¹ I think julienned/shredded nappa cabbage would work well. Shredded carrot might also be good. Corn could also be nice, but I think I'd want to use either corn OR cabbage, not both. ^Back
2 The package says to cook the noodles for 3 1/2 minutes, but we like our noodles more al dente than that, so we only cooked them for ~2 minutes. ^Back

This recipe was adapted from a recipe card in Cook's Country. The proportions have been significantly adjusted to match what we had on hand, and the kale is an entirely new addition, but apart from that it's prepared basically as written -- and it turned out great! It really does just need a single pan and a cutting board to prepare, comes together pretty quickly, and was a big hit with everyone. We actually ended up preparing two batches of it two days apart.

One-Pan Tortellini with Sausage, Cherry Tomatoes, and Kale

Cook's Country, December/January 2019, recipe card

Ingredients

• 500g italian sausage, peeled
• 4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1L chicken broth
• 400g frozen cheese tortellini
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 500mL chopped frozen kale
• freshly grated parmesan
  

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up, until browned.
3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, ~1 minute.
4. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, uncovered.
5. Add the tortellini and cook until not quite done.
6. Add the cherry tomatoes and kale and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until tomatoes are softened and kale is warmed through.
7. Stir in parmesan and serve.

I got some fire/volcano ramen for TF to try a little while back. She actually really liked it. Even though it did nearly melt her face off. It was quite tasty but they DO NOT mess around with the heat levels!

Then, a few months ago, I ran across an Aaron & Claire video full of fire ramen recipes. The recipes were recommended for people who "want to feel the taste of fire ramen but can't handle the spice". There were six recipes in the video and I'd like to try them all eventually, but this creamy, saucy version looked particularly appealing to me.

We adjusted the recipe a little bit to suit our tastes and what we had on hand. We used ham instead of bacon, added some chicken and some frozen peas, and used two packages of ramen (but the sauce from only one). Overall, I feel like we stayed pretty true to the original recipe though. And boy was it good! Really delicious! I would definitely make this again. TF and I are actually planning on heading back out to the Asian grocery store tomorrow to get a bunch more fire ramen so that we can try all the other recipes from the video.

Creamy Fire Ramen

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4-5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 100g mushrooms, sliced
• 100g ham, chopped
• 100g cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 2 packages fire ramen
• 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add garlic and cook until oil is nicely infused.
3. Add onion and cook until softened.
4. Add mushrooms, ham, and chicken and cook until mushrooms are done and everything is heated through.
5. Add butter.
6. Once butter has melted, add cream and fire ramen sauce. Use just one packet of the fire sauce for a final dish that's flavourful with a gentle, fairly mellow burn. Use both packets for a more intensely spicy kick.
7. Add the peas and stir in the Parmesan.
8. Cook until heated through.
9. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles.¹
10. Drain the noodles and stir them into the sauce.
11. Dish up the noodles and garnish with extra Parmesan and the nori-sesame mixture from the ramen packets.

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¹ The package says to cook the noodles for 3 1/2 minutes, but we felt like they'd reached a good level of doneness after ~2 1/2. Follow your own judgement on this. ^Back

Caesar dressing is traditionally made with raw egg yolk. You make an emulsion of egg yolk and olive oil and season it with garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, Parmesane cheese, salt, and pepper, and sometimes mustard and/or Worcestershire sauce. This is delicious and works very well. It does, however, leave you with the problem of what to do with the leftover egg white. Plus some people are squeamish about eating raw eggs.

This recipe solves that problem by using mayonnaise as the base. Mayo is just an emulsion of egg (either whole eggs or egg yolks) and oil. It usually has vinegar, mustard, salt, and various other things added, but the basic idea of "beat a bunch of oil into some egg" is still there. It's not quite as "from scratch" as traditional caesar dressing, but it still gives you some leeway to tweak it and adjust it to your tastes. And it means you don't need to be quite so careful about mixing it since the emulsification step is already done for you!

I quite like the idea of using mayo to streamline and simplify the process. The egg and oil are still there, they're just premixed and have a bit of seasoning and acid added to them. I think it works quite well.

Easy Caesar Salad Dressing

Slightly adapted from Once Upon a Chef

Ingredients

• 1 small anchovy
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Roman or Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground

Directions

1. Heat the anchovy in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it and then mash it up with a fork.
2. Add the garlic, lemon juice, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and stir (with fork or whisk) to combine.
3. Whisk in the mayonnaise, Parmesan, and pepper.

Bierocks are buns stuffed with cabbage and meat. They sound delicious, but individually making and stuffing all of those buns sounds like a lot of work. Fortunately, symbol found this recipe in Cook's Country for a casserole version; rather than stuffing individual buns, an entire baking dish is filled and then topped with bread dough.

This was a great success, although we had to trim the dough somewhat after cooking to fit everything into the fridge.

Bierock Casserole

Cook's Country, April/May 2015

Ingredients

• Dough
• ¼+¾ C whole milk, divided
  
• 1 tbsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp + 5 tsp sugar, divided
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1¾ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• Filling
• 3 lbs lean ground beef¹
• 1 small cabbage, cored and finely chopped, about 8 C
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 6-8 oz (170-225g) American cheese or mild cheddar, chopped
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
  

Directions

1. Microwave ¼ C milk until warm, 15-20 seconds.
2. Stir in yeast and 1 tsp sugar and let stand until bubbly, ~5 minutes.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar in a large bowl.
4. Add yeast mixture, melted butter, and remaining milk to form a sticky dough.
5. Knead until it forms a smooth ball, ~2 minutes.
6. Return to the bowl, cover, and rise for 30 minutes.
7. While the dough is rising, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large² pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
8. Add the beef, cabbage, and onions to the pot and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for ~5 minutes.
9. Uncover and continue to cook until beef is browned and cabbage is wilted, 10-15 minutes; if you are adding the cabbage in stages it may take longer.
10. Mix in flour and cook for 1 minute.
    
11. Drain (either by draining the pot or removing the filling to a bowl using a spider).
12. Mix in cheese and mustard.
13. Pour mixture into a 9×13" baking dish and let cool for 10 minutes; while cooling, preheat the oven to 375°F.
14. Brush the rim of the dish with the egg wash.
    
15. Roll dough out into a rectangle and drape over the dish.
16. Fold sides in so that it is flush with the edges of the dish, and crimp edges.
17. Brush with egg wash.
18. Cut 9 venting slits into it.
19. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling bubbly; 15-20 minutes.
20. Let stand 20 minutes on a wire rack, then serve.
    

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¹ We used a roughly 1:1 mix of actual ground beef and Beyond Meat ground beef substitute, with great success. ^Back
2 I'm not kidding about the "large". If you can't fit everything in, add the meat first, break it up and cook it a bit, then add the cabbage a bit at a time -- it'll reduce as it cooks. ^Back

I love this bread! It is so, so good! The crust is perfect, the crumb is just right, the flavour is excellent. It's easy to adjust the inclusions to your taste. And the timing is pretty laid back.

The first time I made it, I made it with dried cranberries and slivered almonds and followed the proportions given in the original recipe. The second time I opted for dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds to make it school safe and upped the hydration a little bit. I also played around with the timing and hydrations levels in the starter/preferment. I think the first preferment worked better, but the higher hydration in the second batch was an improvement.

Fruit and Seed Semolina Sourdough

Slightly adapted from Sourdough.com

Ingredients

First Preferment

• 13g starter (100% hydration)
• 26g hard (strong/bread/high grade) whole wheat flour
• 26mL water

Second Preferment

• first preferment
• 83g hard whole wheat flour
• 83mL water

Dough

• 230g fine semolina flour
• 233g hard whole wheat flour
• 275mL water
• second preferment
• 10g coarse sea salt
• 1g malt syrup mixed w/ 10g flour
• 22g olive oil
• 7g fennel seeds
• 70g nuts and/or seeds of your choice
• 110g dried cranberries

Directions

Morning or early afternoon of Day 1

1. Combine the starter, flour, and water for the first preferment and mix very well.
2. Let stand, loosely covered, at room temperature for 4-8 hours. (4 hours for warmer rooms, 8 hours for cooler.)

Evening of Day 1

1. Add the flour and water for the second preferment to the first one and mix very well.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the semolina flour, whole wheat flour, and water for the dough and mix until combined.
3. Loosely cover both containers and let stand at room temperature overnight (8-12 hours depending on room temperature).

Morning of Day 2

1. Add the preferment to the flour-water mixture and fold/knead it in.
2. Work in the salt and malt-flour mixture as well.
3. Cover and let stand at room temperature for one hour.
4. Add the olive oil and fennel seeds to the dough and stretch and fold it/knead the dough until the new ingredients have been incorporated. (It's okay if they're not evenly distributed at this point.)
5. Flip the dough over, cover, and let stand for another hour.
6. Add your preferred nuts and seeds and work them in as above.
7. Turn the dough over again, cover, and let stand for another hour.
8. Add the cranberries (or other dried fruit) and work it in as above. (One again, it's okay if things are a little uneven at this point.)
9. Flip the dough, cover, and let stand for an hour.
10. If the dough seems lively and light at this point, you may proceed with shaping. If not stretch it and fold it again and return it to its covered bowl for another hour. Keep repeating the hourly stretching process until the dough has reached a good level of activity. This may take 8 hours or more in a cool room.

Afternoon/Evening of Day 2

1. Once the dough is pleasantly airy and supple, place it on a lightly floured surface and press it flat.
2. Fold the dough into thrids (like a letter) and press it down a bit again.
3. Roll it up jelly-roll style, starting from a short side to form a loaf.
4. Place the loaf in a floured banneton, cover, and chill for 8-12 hours.

Morning of Day 3

1. If dough was still sluggish before shaping, allow the loaf to stand at room temperature for an hour or two before baking.
2. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F).
3. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal.
4. Boil a few cups of water.
5. Carefully turn the loaf out onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Lightly brush the surface with water and sprinkle with a bit of cornmeal if desired.
7. Once the oven is preheated, slash the loaf as desired.
8. Pour several cups of boiling water into a large pan and place it on the bottom oven rack.
9. Bake the bread on a rack set above the pan of boiling water.
10. Bake at 230°C (450°F) for 15 minutes.
11. After 15 minutes, carefully remove the pan of boiling water and reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F).
12. Continue baking for another 20-30 minutes.
13. When loaf looks and smells done, remove it from the oven and tap the underside. If it sounds hollow it's done, otherwise return it to the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
14. Once loaf sounds hollow when tapped, turn off the oven. Leave the loaf in the warm oven for 10 minutes.
15. Remove bread from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

I picked up some frozen lamb's feet from the local Halal grocery store and have been trying to decide what to do with them. I debated between a few different recipes but, in the end, I liked the look of this one the best. I didn't make too many modifications: just reduced the chilies (for Kidlet compatibility) and added some tomatoes (because I found another paya recipe that called for tomatoes and I had some that needed to be used).

The flavour was excellent, but the broth was somewhat lacking in body. I think I'd probably try reducing the water next time. The author also suggested chickpeas as an optional inclusion. I didn't use any this time, but I think I'd like to try some if I make this again. I think it'd also be nice with the oil swapped out for ghee.

Mutton Paya

Slightly adapted from Tasted Recipes

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 2 (7cm) cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 8 black peppercorns
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 450g stewing lamb, mutton, and/or beef
• 300g lambs' feet
• 1-2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies
• 1-2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, gound
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 c. roasted split chickpeas (optional)
• 1 c. diced tomatoes (optional)
• 1 c. water
• 2-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat ghee over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook until softened.
3. Add black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon sticks, star anise, peppercorns, cloves, and cumin seeds and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
4. Add the garlic and ginger pastes and cook for another minute or two.
5. Add the stewing meat and feet and cook for 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the paprika, ground chilies, chili powder, ground coriander, salt, and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds.
7. Add chickpeas and tomatoes (if using).
8. Add water.
9. Pressure cook (on high) for 25 minutes.
10. Remove feet if desired.
11. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over rice.

This came out really well. The fish was excellent. The sauce was delicious. The real star of the show though was the masala. It was incredible!

I thought we'd made pretty much all the masalas in the book at this point, so I was surprised to see one that I didn't recognize called for in this recipe. I was even more surprised to find that it was a wet masala. It is a delicious, pungent mix of vinegar, chilies, and spices and I love it!

As much as I loved this mix, I think TF felt even more strongly about it. She took to spreading it on toast (and pretty much anything else that didn't run away fast enough). Now that we've restocked on dried chilies, I've promised to mix up another batch for her so that she can continue putting it on and in absolutely everything.

Even if you don't end up making this curry, I highly recommend trying to the masala as either a condiment or ingredient in other dishes.

Poached Salmon with Scallions and Tomato

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 650g salmon fillets (preferably with skin on)
• 1 c. coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp. balchao masala
• 3/4 tsp coarse sea salt
• 15 fresh (or frozen) curry leaves
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Sprinkle the turmeric over the skinless side of the salmon, cover, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2. Combine coconut milk, masala, salt, and currly leaves and set aside.
3. Heat oil over medium heat.
4. Add the salmon, flesh-side-down and cook for 2-4 minutes.
5. Flip and sear the skin side for 1-2 minutes.
6. Stir the coconut milk mixture and pour it over the fish and bring to a boil.
7. Place the tomatoes and scallions over the fish.
8. Cook, uncovered, occasionally tilting the pan and basting the fish for another 5-8 minutes.
9. Serve with rice/your favourite pulao.

Khaukswe Hin (Burmese Coconut Chicken and Noodles)

After the great success of the liver curry, I decided to try out another pick from the One-Pot Meals of Asia cookbook. This one came out looking a bit grey and unappealing, but it tasted delicious! I think I'd make a few tweaks next time, but nothing major.

Khaukswe Hin

Slightly adapted from One-Pot Meals of Asia

Ingredients

• 1 (1.6-1.8kg) chicken¹, skinned and jointed
• 1/2-1 tsp. ground cayenne
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 3-5 whole cloves (optional)
• 1-2 bay leaves (optional)
• 1 whole dried lime² (optional)
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 8-10 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1/4 c. chickpea flour
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 2 c. coconut milk (lite/thin coconut milk is fine)
• 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
• 1 c. frozen chopped kale (optional)
• 1 c. frozen green peas³ (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1-3 Tbsp. hot chili oil
• 450g wheat noodles⁴
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
• 5-6 green onions, chopped
• 4 limes, quartered
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Sprinkle the chicken with the turmeric, cayenne, and salt and place it in a pot.
2. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Toss in the cloves, bay leaves, and lime (if using).
3. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for ~20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place the onions, garlic, and ginger in a blender or food processor and blend to form a paste. You may need to add a little water if using a blender for this step.
5. Once chicken is cooked, remove the pieces from the pot (reserving the broth).
6. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones and set it aside.
7. Heat neutral oil over medium-high heat and pour in the onion paste.
8. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the paste begins to fry.
9. Fry the paste for another 2-3 minutes.
10. Add the chicken and stir to coat it with the fried paste.
11. Add enough of the reserved stock to the chickpea flour to form a smooth paste and stir it into the pan.
12. Stir 2 c. of stock into the pan and bring to a boil.
13. Add the paprika, coconut milk, and lemongrass and cook for another 5 minutes. The sauce should thicken slightly.
14. Add the kale and peas (if using) and cook until heated through.
15. Stir in the fish sauce and the chili oil.
16. Just before serving, boil the noodles. Aim for al dente so they still have a little bite to them.
17. Drain the noodles and give them a quick rinse under cold water.
18. Serve immediately! Place a serving of noodles on a plate/bowl and top with curry. Garnish with egg quarters, green onions, and cilantro. Serve each portion with a lime wedge so that diners may squeeze the juice over the curry before they eat it. Enjoy!

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¹ I ended up using ~1kg of chicken drumsticks + 250g of king oyster mushrooms that had been fried in butter and then seasoned with pepper and soy sauce. ^Back
2 Neither dried limes nor bay leaves nor cloves were called for in the original recipe and I didn't use them this time 'round but, after tasting the finished dish, I think they'd make a nice addition. ^Back
3 The original recipe also doesn't call for peas or kale. However, without them, it's severely lacking in the vegetable department. I didn't want to have to make a separate vegetable side -- kinda defeats the purpose of a one-pot meal, doesn't it? -- so I added some veggies to the curry. I think it worked pretty well. Especially since I was a bit short on chicken anyway. ^Back
4 I ended up using a bag of dried Chinese egg noodles for this. The author notes that spaghetti, vermicelli, or tagliatelli may be used if you don't have any Asian-style noodles. ^Back

Ground lamb was on sale last week, so I grabbed a bit on a whim. TF loves lamb. (So do I, but I think she feels more strongly about it.) I figured I could peruse 660 Curries and find something tasty to do with it.

Most of the curries in the lamb section actually call for chunks of lamb rather than ground lamb. But there are a few at the end of the chapter and in the appetizer section that have you making various types of dumplings and meatballs out of it.

I opted for shahi kofta curry, which involves making slightly minty lamb-almond meatballs and then dousing them in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce. It was delicious!

I served it with some palak pulao and gobi manchurian and called it a day. I think it probably could've done with one more curry to round out the meal, but I ran out of both spoons and time. And, on the bright side, the Kidlet actually liked both the lamb and the cauliflower! Great success.

Shahi Kofta Curry

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 450g ground lamb
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. ground almonds
• 1/4 c. fresh mint leaves¹, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Punjabi garam masala
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 c. tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds (from green pods), ground
• 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream

Directions

1. Combine lamb, onion, almonds, mint, cilantro, garlic, garam masala, and salt and mix very well.
2. Form meatballs of whatever size you prefer. Iyer suggests 12 meatballs, but I prefered to make a larger number of smaller balls.
3. Heat the ghee over medium-high heat.
4. Add the cumin seeds and sizzle for 10-15 seconds.
5. Add the meatballs and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the meatballs have browned all over (5-8 minutes).
6. Carefully remove the meatballs from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
7. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and scrape any stuck-on bits off the bottom.
8. Add cardamom and cayenne.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the oil starts to separate (~8 minutes).
10. Stir in the cream.
11. Return the meatballs to the pan and stir/spoon the sauce over them to coat.
12. Cover and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through (10-15 minutes).
13. Serve over palak pulao, pasta, or other starch of your choice.

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¹ If you have access to high quality dried mint, you may substitute 2 Tbsp. of dried mint for the fresh. Avoid generic grocery store mint if possible, it tends to be fairly lacklustre and bland. I have had good luck with dried mint from halal/Syrian grocery stores. ^Back

Kaleja Aloo Karhi (Liver and Potato Curry)

I'm always on the lookout for more good liver recipes. I love liver, but I like to have a few different ways of preparing it. Liver and onions is a classic, but I get bored of it pretty quickly. Liver fried rice is nice, but it's also very much a "once-in-a-while" thing for me, especially since I find it a bit fussy to prepare. And the tomato-y Burmese liver curry is alright, but it just doesn't sing to me most days.

This recipe looked interesting, but I have to admit, I was expecting that it would be on the same level as the Burmese liver curry for me: okay, but not great. Just another way to use up liver, without actually being a stand-out dish or something that I'd go out of my way for if I didn't have liver to use up.

I was pleasantly surprised. It was really good! I made a few tiny tweaks, but nothing major. And it produced a lovely, flavourful, harmonious curry that went great with a vegetable stuffed paratha and a bit of spinach-y rice (palak pulao).

Kaleja Aloo Karhi

Slightly adapted from One-Dish Meals of Asia by Jennifer Brennan

Ingredients

• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2-4 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. aniseed
• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 c. ghee, divided
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 450g calf/beef liver¹
• 3 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chilies, minced
• 2-3 boiled potatoes, sliced into 1cm (1/2") thick discs
• 1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
• 1/2 c. hot water (or reserved potato cooking water)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. fresh or frozen peas
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine onions, garlic, coconut, water, cinnamon, cumin, aniseed, coriander, and cloves in a blender or food processor and process into a paste. You will likely only need 2 Tbsp. of water if using a food processor. The full 1/4 c. of water is likely to be required if using a blender. Set the paste aside.
2. Heat 3 Tbsp. of ghee over medium-high heat.
3. Add the mustard seeds and cook, covered, until seeds have stopped popping (30-60 seconds).
4. Add liver and cook until seared on both/all sides. Remove from pan with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside.
5. Add potatoes and chilies to pan and cook until browned. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon.
6. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. of ghee to the pan and pour in the onion-coconut paste.
7. Cook, stirring occastionally, until water has evaporated and mixture begins to fry.
8. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
9. Return liver, potatoes, and chilies to the pan.
10. Add the tamarind paste, water, salt, and peas to the pan and bring to a boil.
11. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
12. Stir in cilantro and cook for another minute or two.
13. Serve with rice, flatbread, and/or vegetable side(s) of your choice.

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¹ The recipe calls for cubing the liver, but I missed that instruction and ended up leaving it as two large slices. I'm sure it would be good chopped into smaller pieces. This would likely make it easier to get a uniform mix of potatoes, liver, and sauce. That said, I quite liked the approach I ended up taking. I found it easier to flip and manage the cooking of two big pieces vs. lots of little pieces. ^Back

Dudhi Besan chi Bhajee (Squash with Chickpea Flour Sauce)

I have been slowly but surely working my way through the bottle gourd squash curries in the book. The fritters were delicious (if somewhat lacking in structural integrity and general healthfulness). The patra and squash curry sounded very promising, but turned out to be a bit of a letdown in the end. Not bad, just not great either. But this one... this one FAR exceeded my expectations!

I wasn't really expecting much from this curry. It didn't really seem to have a whole lot going on. Just a bunch of bottle gourd squash chunks floating in a watery sauce with only a bit of chickpea flour and a few spices to round it out. Doesn't really excite the palate, does it? But it was a relatively quick and easy vegetable side and it used up bottle gourd squash, so I made it to go along with a few other curries and called it a day.

I no longer remember what other curries I made to go with the squash. I'm pretty sure they were good. But this one stood out for just how deceptively good it was. I would definitely recommend it if you find yourself, like me, with a huge surplus of bottle gourd squash and are looking for a use for it.

Dudhi Besan chi Bhajee

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 700g bottle gourd squash
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-3 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chilies, halved lengthwise
• 1 Tbsp. chickpea flour
• 10 fresh (or frozen) curry leaves
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• juice of 1 lime

Directions

1. Peel the squash. Trim the ends and cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Dice the flesh into ~1cm cubes.
2. Place the squash cubes in a pot and add enough water to cover them.
3. Add the salt and the turmeric and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the somewhat tender but still retains some of its crispness (~15 minutes).
5. Pour off 1 c. of the cooking water and set it aside. Drain the squash.
6. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
7. Add the cumin seeds and sizzle for 10-15 seconds.
8. Add the garlic and chilies and stir-fry for ~1 minute.
9. Add the chickpea flour and cook for 30-60 seconds.
10. Whisk in the reserved cooking water.
11. Add the curry leaves, sugar, cilantro, and drained squash.
12. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 2-4 minutes.
13. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice just before serving.

This is very different from what I normally expect a masala to be. It is also incredibly delicious. Acidic, pungent, spicy... full of garlic! It is goodness in a jar that you can add to all your favourite dishes to kick them up a notch. (Okay, maybe don't add it to your trifle, but you get the idea.)

Balchao Masala

From 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. cider or malt vinegar
• 1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
• 1 c. dried red Thai, arbol, cayenne, or Kashmiri¹ chilies
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. black pappercorns
• 1/2 tsp. whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 12-14 cloves garlic
• 2 (6cm by 2.5cm by 3mm) slices of ginger or 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 (7.5cm) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces²

Directions

1. Pour the vinegar into a blender jar.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the blender.
3. Purée, scraping down as needed, until a paste is formed.
4. Store in a sealed container in the fridge. (Iyer says it'll only keep in the fridge for 2 weeks; in my experience it's gone long before you have to worry about it going off!)

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¹ Iyer only mentions Thai and cayenne chilies in his recipe. I really like Kashmiri chilies thoug, so I opted to use a mix of arbol and Kashmiri chilies for my masala. I am extremely happy with the results! ^Back
2Our blender is not good at fully reducing the cinnamon sticks in this environment; it would probably be a good idea to run them through the spice grinder first, to reduce the prevalence of cinnamon chunks in the final paste. ^Back

Swedish Cardamom Buns

I needed something to use up sourdough starter and decided on these cardamom buns. Sadly they didn't rise super well, but I think that was just down to my starter not being as active as it should've been. The buns are still tasty, they're just slightly denser than I'd hoped.

I made the recipe pretty much as written this time. The only change I made was to reduce the amount of cardmom called for since mine was freshly ground. Pre-ground cardamom tends to have a much more muted flavour, so you need more of it to get the same effect in the finished buns.

I think I might try swapping out the brown sugar in the dough for granulated sugar next time. The original recipe called for 75g of brown sugar in the dough. I think I'd probably try it with just 30g of granulated sugar in the future. (This isn't as dramatic a sugar reduction as it sounds since brown sugar has a much higher moisture content than granulated.) I've written the recipe up to reflect this change, although I haven't had a chance to test the sugar swap yet.

Photo goes here.

Swecish Cardamom Buns

Slightly adapted from Sourdough.com

Ingredients

Dough

• 210mL milk
• 75g unsalted butter
• 390g all-purpose flour, divided
• 30g sugar
• 5g coarse sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp. decorticated green (or white) cardamom¹, ground
• 150g fed/active starter (100% hydration)

Filling

• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 60g brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. decorticated green (or white) cardamom, ground
• 40g ground almonds/almond flour

Assembly

• 1 egg, beaten
• sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Combine butter and milk and heat until butter has melted. Set aside.
2. Combine 235g flour, sugar, salt, and cardamom.
3. Once the milk mixture has cooled to about 37°C (98°F), add it to the flour mixture along with the starter.
4. Beat with a wooden spoon for ~5 minutes to develop the gluten.
5. Stir in remaining 155g of flour to make a very soft dough.
6. Shape into a smooth ball (as best you can), cover, and set aside to rise for 2-3 hours.
7. In a small bowl, combine all filling ingredients and mix to form a paste. If it seems too stiff to be spreadable, warm it up a bit (on the stove or in the microwave) until it becomes soft enough to spread.
8. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a sheet about 4mm thick.
9. Gently spread the filling mixture over 2/3 of the dough sheet.
10. Fold the unfilled thrid of the dough over the middle, then fold the opposite thrid (with the filling) over that. So the dough ends up folded in thrids like a letter with filling between each layer of dough.
11. Cut the dough crosswise into 2cm wide strips.
12. Let the strips rest for 10-15 minutes.
13. Grease a large baking sheet.
14. Gently stretch a dough strip so that it can be wrapped twice around two or three of your fingers. Then tuck one end through the hole in the centre to make a knot.
15. Place the knotted dough on the greased baking sheet and repeat the knotting process with the remaining dough strips.
16. Cover and let rise for another 2-3 hours.
17. Lightly brush the risen buns with beaten egg and sprinkle with a little sugar.
18. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15-20 minutes.
19. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

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¹ Double cardamom quantities if using pre-ground cardamom as it tends to be much less potent than freshly ground. ^Back

Gulab Seekh Kebab (Rose Lamb Kebabs)

We decided to do up a big Indian dinner on labour day weekend and share it with TM. She made an incredible fish curry with coconut milk sauce and we made cucumber raita, paav bhajee, and these delicious lamb kebabs. Then we just put on a pot of rice to cook while we chatted and finished up the cooking. It made for a wonderful end-of-summer get-together.

Gulab Seekh Kebab

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 450g ground lamb
• 1/4 c. fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne powder
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 scallions, minced
• 1 tsp. Kashmiri garam masala
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt, divided
• vegetable oil
• 1 c. half-and-half or table (10-18%) cream
• 1/4 c. dried rose petals
• 1/4 tsp. saffron threads

Directions

1. If you'll be using bamboo skewers, soak them in some water first.
2. Combine lamb, mint, cayenne, garlic, scallions, 1/2 tsp. of the garam masala, and 3/4 tsp. salt and mix well. Cover and keep chilled until ready to use.
3. Scoop up a handful of the meat mixture¹ and shape it into a ball. Impale the ball on a skewer and spread it out to cover most of the length of the skewer, pressing tightly.
4. Repeat above process with remaining meat.
5. Preheat your grill or broiler. (I recommend a charcoal grill if possible.)
6. Grease you grill (or the kebabs) with a bit of vegetable oil.
7. Grill the lamb over direct heat, turning frequently, until cooked through (6-10 minutes).
8. Once the meat is cooked, transfer it to a serving platter.
9. Combine the half-and-half, rose petals, saffron, remaining 1/2 tsp. of garam masala, and remaining 1/4 tsp. of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened (2-3 minutes).
11. Pour the sauce over the cooked lamb and serve.

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¹ Iyer says the recipe should make 8 skewers, but that entirely depends on the size of your skewers. We made lots of little ones rather than a few big ones. ^Back

This recipe was a hit with everyone, but especially symbol, who declared it a personal favourite.

Jerk Chicken Burger with Charred Pineapple

Hello Fresh

Ingredients

• 2-3 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tsp + 4 tsp jerk seasoning, divided
• corn oil
  
• ½ C mayonnaise
  
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 green onions, minced
  
• 4 chicken breasts (or 8 chicken thighs)
• 4 burger buns
• 400g pineapple, chunked (or 4 pineapple rings)
  
• 1 large tomato, sliced
  

Directions

1. Cut sweet potatoes into wedges.
2. Toss with 2 tbsp oil and 2 tsp jerk seasoning.
3. Bake at 450°F for 20-25 minutes.
4. Whisk together mayo, lime juice, lime zest, and green onions. Season with black pepper.
   
5. Season chicken with remaining jerk seasoning.
   
6. Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
7. Add pineapple and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 5-6 minutes. Remove and buffer pineapple.
8. Reduce heat to medium and add another 1 tbsp oil and chicken.
9. Cook until golden brown and cooked through.
10. Toast buns. Spread with mayo, then top with tomato, chicken, and pineapple.
11. Serve with remaining mayo on the side to dip sweet potato wedges into.

Kabuli Chana Biryani (Chickpea-Vegetable Biryani)

This is a spectacular dish! The flavours are complex and delicious and everything balances perfectly. I was initially worried that the quantity of rice called for wouldn't be enough for the amount of curry, but it worked out just fine in the end. And the cashews and raisins on top are a wonderful finishing touch.

Kabuli Chana Biryani

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

Rice

• 1 c. long-grain brown rice
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1/2 tsp. saffron threads
• 1 1/3 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

Curry

• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small onions, 1 chopped, 1 halved and sliced
• 4-10 fresh green Thai chilies
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 (3" long) cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 tsp. Sambhar Masala
• 1/2 tsp. Punjabi Garam Masala
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 c. water
• 100g spinach or kale, rinsed and chopped
• 225g cauliflower florets¹
• 2 c. cooked chickpeas

Toppings

• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1/2 c. golden raisins or sultanas
• 1/2 c. raw cashews
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh mint
• 3/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Being by rinsing the rice and then placing it in a bowl with just enough water to cover it. Set aside for at least an hour.
2. Meanwhile, place the tomatoes, chopped onion, and fresh chilies in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp. of ghee over medium to medium-high heat.
4. Add the cashews and raisins (for the topping) and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove the cashews and raisins from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
6. Add another 2 Tbsp. of ghee to the pan.
7. Add the cumin, cardamom, bay leaves, and cinnamon (for the curry) to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
8. Add the sliced onion to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes.
9. Pour in the puréed mixture from the blender, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
10. Stir in 1 tsp. salt, sambhar masala, and Punjabi masala and cook for a minute or so.
11. Stir in 2 c. of water and the greens.
12. Cover and cook until greens have wilted.
13. Stir in cauliflower (or zucchini) and chickpeas.
14. Cover and set aside while you prepare the rice.
15. Drain the rice.
16. Heat 2 Tbsp. of ghee over medium heat.
17. Add the rice and saffron and cook, stirring, for a minute or two.
18. Add water and salt, stir once, and allow to boil.
19. Cook rice (without stirring) until the water has almost completely absorbed.
20. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside while oven preheats.
21. Grease a 23x33cm (9x13") pan and preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
22. Pour the curry into the greased pan and spread it out to form an even layer.
23. Spread the rice into an even layer on top of the curry.
24. Top with mint and cilantro.
25. Cover and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 1 hour.
26. Remove from oven, uncover, and top with cashews and raisins.
27. Serve with flatbread(s), raita(s), and/or pickles of your choice.

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¹ I didn't have any cauliflower, but I did have an excess of zucchini. I tossed in 225g of chopped grilled zucchini in place of the cauliflower for my version and it worked very well. ^Back

Sarson da Saag (Mustard Green Curry)

We got some fresh and very pungent mustard greens from Psyche and were very excited to try them in a curry. I picked this simple mustard and ghee curry because I wanted something that would really let the greens shine. Unfortunately, this particular variety seems to become extremely bitter when cooked. I think, in future, I'll enjoy those greens fresh and save the curry recipes for the milder store-bought greens.

Sarson da Saag

From 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1-2 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies
• 1-2 fresh green Thai chilies
• 450g mustard greens, rinsed and chopped
• 2 c. water
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 2 Tbsp. cornmeal
• juice of 1 lime

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the cumin seeds and sizzle for 10-15 seconds.
3. Immediately add garlic, dried chilies, and fresh chilies and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the mustard greens a handful at a time and cook until wilted.
5. Continue cooking, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes.
6. Add water and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for ~10 minutes.
8. Transfer the curry to a blender and blend until smooth.
9. Return the blended mixture to the pan and add the ghee and cornmeal.
10. Cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, for ~15 more minutes.
11. Stir in lime juice and serve immediately.
12. Top each portion with additional ghee if desired.

The original recipe calls for making this with either grapfruits or pomelo. I'd never had a pomelo before, so I figured I'd take that option and give it a try. As it turns out, I don't really care for pomelo, so I wasn't really crazy about this salad. I'm still glad I tried it though! That said, in the future, I think I'll stick with grapefruits and give the pomelo a miss.

Grapefruit Salad

From Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid

Ingredients

• 2 medium grapefruits (or 1 small pomelo)
• 1/4 c. thinly sliced shallots, soaked in cold water
• 1 tsp. Dried Shrimp Powder
• 1 Tbsp. Toasted Chickpea Flour
• 2 Tbsp. Fried Shallots
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. Shallot Oil

Directions

1. Peel the grapfruits with a sharp knife, being sure to remove the pith as well as the peel.
2. Carefully cut along the membranes between the segments to free the fruit from all traces of membrane and/or pith. Place the juicy segments in a bowl and set aside.
3. Squeeze the membranes over the bowl to release any remaining juice.
4. Once the shallots have soaked for at least 10 minutes, drain them and add them to the bowl with the grapefruit segments.
5. Add shrimp powder, chickpea flour, and fried shallots and toss to mix.
6. Add fish sauce and shallot oil and toss again.
7. Season to taste with additional fish sauce and/or salt.

I have, apparently, been quite remiss in writing up the Burmese recipes that I've tried. I've made quite a few at this point. I've liked most of them. But when I went to check the blog... I could only find one!

I'm trying to rectify this now. This means that the Burmese recipes will probably be coming thick and fast for a few days with not too much in the way of notes or musings since it's been ages since I cooked most of them. I'll do my best to add relevant commentary, but it may be a bit sparse. I know, for instance, that I made this carrot salad. But I can't remember a darn thing about it!

Mandalay Grated Carrot Salad

Slightly adapted from Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid

Ingredients

• 225g carrots, grated
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. Dried Shrimp Powder
• 1 tsp. Toasted Chickpea Flour
• 1 tsp. minced green Thai or cayenne chili
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1 Tbsp. chopped toasted or dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
• 2 Tbsp. Fried Shallots
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or mint

Directions

1. Place the carrots in a bowl and add the lime juice and fish sauce.
2. Press/mash with the back of a wooden spoon for a few minutes to break them up a bit.
3. Add the shrimp powder and chickpea flour and toss to mix.
4. Add the chili and salt and toss again.
5. Add the peanuts, fried shallots, and herbs and toss a final time.
6. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt, lime juice, and/or fish sauce and serve immediately.

This is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: get some dried shrimp, soak them, then grind them up. The author stresses the importance of getting good-quality dried shrimp. She recommends getting the largest ones you can find with the darkest colour: Red > pink > beige. She also advises looking for shrimp that still have a little give to them rather than being rock-hard and completely dry.

Dried Shrimp Powder

From Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid

Ingredients

• 1 c. dried shrimp

Directions

1. Place the shrimp in a bowl and add enough water to just cover them. Set aside for 10-20 minutes.
2. Drain the shrimp and dry them off.
3. Use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to grind them into a somewhat fluffy powder.
4. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Fish Cakes (Burmese)

I don't have a food processor, so I always find these a little labour-intensive as I have to grind the fish by hand. But, with the appropriate appliances, this is a very easy dish to make. Very different from what I grew up calling "fish cakes", which really seem to be more like fish croquettes with their mashed potato and crispy breading. Both are good, but I think I'd give the edge to these Burmese fish cakes with their mouth-watering aromatics and the tendency to let the fish really take centre stage and shine.

Fish Cakes

From Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid

Ingredients

• 225g tilapia (or other white fish) fillets, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. minced shallots
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. minced ginger
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• canola (or other neutral) oil, for frying

Directions

1. Combine fish chunks, shallots, garlic, ginger, and salt in a bowl or food processor. Mash, grind, or process the fish until it's broken down and the mixture is as smooth and homogenous as possible.
2. Lightly oil a plate and set it next to you.
3. Working with ~1 Tbsp. of the fish mixture at a time, shape it into a smooth ball, flatten it into a disc about 4cm across, and set on the oiled plate.
4. Once all of the fish mixture has been used up, heat ~0.5cm of oil over medium-high heat.
5. Carefully pick up a fish cake and slide it into the oil. Keep adding patties to the pan until it starts seeming too crowded to add more.
6. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
7. Once patties are cooked through and golden on both sides, remove from pan and allow to drain off excess oil. (You can hold them over the pan in a spider for a minute or fit a small rack over one side of the pan/wok where they can sit and drain.)
8. Transfer cooked fish cakes to a plate to cool.

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Variations

Fish Balls

Ingredients

as above

Directions

1. Make fish mixture as above.
2. Working with ~1/2 Tbsp. of fish mixture, shape it into a small ball and set it on the oiled plate. Repeat until all of the fish mixture has been used.
3. Bring a pot of broth or water to a boil.
4. Drop the fish balls in and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Fish balls may be eaten immediately or frozen for later use.

FODMAP-Friendly Version

Ingredients

• 225g tilapia (or other white fish) fillets, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. minced scallion, green parts only
• 1 tsp. minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• Garlic Oil, for frying

Batirsh (Eggplant Dip with Tomato Sauce and Ground Lamb)

I've only ever had eggplant dip as an appetizer/mezze. I was intrigued to find this main course dish that uses baba ganouj/mutabal as its base. It's really good. The different flavours and textures all complement each other really well. It's meant to be enjoyed as-is on pitas or bell peppers, but I like to add another layer and a bit of grilled halloumi and mint to my pita.

Batirsh

Slightly adapted from Our Syria by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi

Ingredients

• 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 400-500g fresh tomatoes, blended OR canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 250g ground lamb
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1 recipe mutabal
• 1-2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
• 2 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• flatbread and bell peppers, to serve

Directions

1. Melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and just starting to brown.
3. Add tomatoes and salt, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat.
5. Add the lamb to the oil and cook, breaking up any large chunks, until all the pink is gone. You may season the lamb with salt and pepper if desired. I used ~1/2 tsp. of coarse sea salt and maybe two dozen grinds of pepper.
6. Place the mutabal in a serving dish, layer some tomato sauce on top of it and place the lamb on top of that.
7. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley and serve with pita wedges and pieces of bell pwpper for dipping.

Mutabal (Eggplant Dip)

I grew up eating an eggplant dip very much like this. Everyone seems to call it baba ganouj here. It's very garlicky and delicious. This seems to be a very similar dish, but apparently "baba ganouj/ganoush" is something completely different in Syria and they call this dip "mutabal". It's a little less garlicky and more lemony than the version I grew up with, but very similar otherwise.

I strongly recommend charring the eggplant over an open flame if you can. It makes a world of difference. Personally, I think wood or charcoal gives a better flavour than gas. I've tried cooking my eggplants under a gas broiler and directly over a gas burner on the stove, but the flavour when I did them on a charcoal barbecue was much, much better. That said, if you don't have any way of doing a wood or charcoal fire, gas will work. And the dip will still be nice. It just won't have the same smoky element to it.

Mutabal

Slightly adapted from Our Syria by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 cloves garlic¹
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 3 Tbsp. plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. tahini
• juice of 1 lemon²
• olive oil, to serve
• polegranate arils, to serve (optional)
• flatbread and/or veggies, to serve

Directions

1. Fire up your grill, preheat your broiler, or turn on a gas burner.
2. Poke the eggplants all over with a sharp knife.
3. Cook over (or under) open flame, turning occasionally, until the skin is blackened and crispy all over. The flesh will get very soft and the skin will begin to split. Make sure the eggplants are thoroughly charred over their entire surface.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Carefully peel off the blackened skin. Discard the skin and stems.
6. Mash or purée the flesh.
7. Crush the garlic and salt with a mortar and pestle and add it to the mashed eggplant.
8. Mix in the yogurt, tahini, and lemon juice.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
10. Drizzle with olive oil.
11. Sprinkle a few pomegranate arils on top (if using)
12. Serve with wedges of flatbread for dipping.

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¹ If you're feeling lazy, you can swap out the fresh garlic for garlic paste. ^Back
2 I found my mutabal to be very lemony. I was using it for batrish, so the strong lemon flavour ended up balancing out with the other ingredients, but I think it would've been too strong on its own. If you're planning on serving the mutabal alone, it might be worth holding back half the lemon juice. Taste it and see if you think it needs the rest first. ^Back

Ghraibi (Butter Cookies)

I was craving dessert tonight and wanted something that could easily be shared with friends, so I made these simple cookies. They're delicious and very easy to make. The flavours balance each other perfectly. The rose water is present without being overwhelming. I like them a lot.

Ghraibi

Slightly adapted from Our Syria by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi

Ingredients

• 75g unsalted butter
• 75g icing (powdered/confectioners') sugar
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 150g all-purpose flour
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tbsp. neutral oil
• 15-20 shelled pistachios

Directions

1. Warm the butter until very soft and beginning to melt.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and beat with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated. It may seem dry at first, but if you keep stirring it will form a smooth, buttery paste.
3. Stir in rose water and vanilla.
4. Mix in the flour, egg white, and oil.
5. Knead for a few minutes, adding a little more oil if the dough is too dry.
6. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
8. Shape the dough into several small balls and place on a lined baking sheet. You should get 15-20 in all.
9. Slightly flatten the balls and press a pistachio into the top of each one.
10. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 12-13 minutes. The cookies should still be pale and very nearly the same colour after baking as before.
11. Best enjoyed fresh!

Labneh (Strained Yogurt)

Labneh is distinct from "Greek yogurt" which is another thick, strained yogurt. Greek yogurt is usually just strained overnight. This strains off most of the whey and results in a deliciously thick and creamy yogurt. Labneh takes it a step further. You add salt to the yogurt before straining and let it drain for a full 24 hours, with a weight on top. This draws out even more moisture. So, rather than having a thick, spoonable yogurt, you end up with something that's more akin to a fresh cheese. It can be used as a spread or even shaped into balls.

The recipe I have says that 500mL of plain yogurt should make ~250mL of labneh. I started with just of 1L of yogurt, and by the looks of it I'm going to end up with maybe 300mL of labneh. I suspect that the recipe authors may be used to working with richer yogurt with a higher concentration of milk solids. I did add a little bit of skim milk powder to my milk to help produce a thicker yogurt, but I think next time I'd be inclined to add some cream as well. It should still work fine regardless. Just be aware that you may lose a lot of volume depending on how rich the milk/yogurt you're starting with is.

Labneh

Slightly adapted from Our Syria by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi

Ingredients

• 1L plain yogurt
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• olive oil
• fresh mint, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. If making your own yogurt be sure to use whole milk. I recommend adding a bit of cream and/or dry milk powder as well.¹ If using store-bought yogurt, be sure that it doesn't have any gelatine or other stabilizers added as those will likely prevent it from draining properly.
2. Stir the salt into the yogurt.
3. Line a fine mesh seive with a double layer of cheesecloth and pour the salted yogurt into it.
4. Fold the cheesecloth over the yogurt and place a weight on top.²
5. Allow yogurt to drain at room temperature for a full 24 hours.
6. Once drained, it should be thick enough to handle and shape into balls. (Almost like a slightly dry ricotta.)
7. Shape into several small balls (maybe ~1 Tbsp. each) and store submerged in olive oil in the fridge or transfer to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh mint, and serve as a spread.

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¹ I used 1L of whole (3.25%) milk + 1/4 c. skim milk powder. Next time I'd probably replace 250mL of milk with cream (either 18 or 35%) as well. This version worked fine. I just ended up with a lot less labneh than expected. ^Back
2 I let my yogurt drain for several hours first. Once it had stiffened up a bit, then I folded the cheesecloth over and placed the weight on top. (This wasn't actually an intentional decision at the outset; I simply forgot that you were supposed to use a weight. But, now that I've had a chance to think about it, I think that it would've been difficult to press the very runny yogurt that I started out with. Better to let it firm up a little first and then press that. ^Back

The kidlet was lukewarm on this and I thought it was ok but not outstanding, but symbol loved it and had two bowls, and it's very easy to make -- apart from the greens, it even uses ingredients that we almost always have on hand. So I could definitely see us making this again.

I made a few modifications to make the green onions more evenly distributed, and it's that modified version I record here.

Sesame-Soy Salad

Hello Fresh

Ingredients

• 1 lb beyond meat (or ground beef)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2-4 tsp sriracha
• ¼ C oyster sauce
  
• 1+1 tbsp soy sauce, divided
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ lb spring mix

Directions

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the meat, breaking into bite-sized pieces. Cook until slightly crispy.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, ~1 minute.
4. Add the sriracha, oyster sauce, and half of the soy sauce. Stir together until the sauce is absorbed.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions.
   
6. Whisk together the remaining soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar.
7. Toss with the spring mix and bell peppers.
8. Serve salad topped with meat.