The World is Ending in an Explosion of Deliciousness!

...by world, I mean year.

Daria and I are together again! We've been hard at work the last few days making delicious creations of epic proportions. So far we've had a waffle feast with whipped cream and strawberry compote, hummus, Greek salad and fresh pita meal, and mouthwatering breakfast burritos.

We hit up this global grocery store and stocked up on all the essentials for my visit.

Between the food, wine, vintage shops, lovely weather and movie marathons, I may not want to go home.

supă de găluşte

We got a crap-ton of snow today. Everything is covered and slushy and cold. Luckily, I've got yet another soup recipe in my arsenal to beat the Chicago winter. This one is all the way from my mom's kitchen. She taught me to make this as a kid. It is truly one of my favorite soups ever. It's light, yet filling and I loooove pronouncing it. Supă de găluşte is a dumpling soup similar to matzo ball soup, but instead of matzo crackers, we use farina (cream of wheat).

supă de găluşte

4 cups of water
3-4 carrots, sliced lengthwise
2-3 parsnips, sliced lengthwise
1 veggie bullion cube or tablespoon of Vegeta
1 small onion, quartered
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
approx 2/3 cup of farina
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the carrots, parsnips, onions. Add the vegeta or bullion cube. Let simmer about 5 minutes. Taste the broth to see if it needs salt. The carrots add a sweetness to the soup that might be overwhelming, so be sure to add plenty of salt and pepper.

In a non metallic mixing bowl, beat the egg (about 75 strokes) or so with a fork or wire wisk. Add the baking soda, beat for another 30 strokes. Slowly add the farina to the egg mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick. generally, you want it thick enough so it sticks to the spoon without dripping. These will be your găluşte.

While the soup stock is boiling, take a metal cutlery style spoon and hold it in the boiling stock for 30 seconds. This allows the metal to get hot. Spoon small amounts of the farina mixture into the boiling stock. When you drop the găluşte in, they should not break apart. If they do, you need to add more farina to your mixture. After each spoonful, dip the empty spoon in the stock to clean it of any farina residue. This makes taking the next spoon full easier.

Once all of the farina mixture is in the stock, cover the pot, turn off the heat and let it sit for about 5-7 minutes. The little găluşte will have blossomed into hearty dumplings.

Important notes to remember:

This soup does not store well. The găluşte will continue to soak up soup stock, so if you stick it in the fridge, it's likely that you will not have any soup the next day, just giant găluşte.

Do not use quick cook farina. The regular kind works best.

You do not need to serve this soup with bread. The găluşte will give you your carb fix.





Yield: 4 Servings

Spinach, Lemon & Lentil Soup

This recipe has been in my repertoire of winter favorites for a couple years now. I got the idea when I wandered into a Whole Foods in search of vitamins and supplements to battle a particularly nasty contagious illness. No, not pig flu, since this was years before the H1N1. Whole foods was the only place that carried the specific supplement the doctor at the free clinic recommended. I like the idea of sharing germs, especially with those who regularly frequent Whole Foods.

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 cups of veggie stock*
1 cup of lentils, rinsed
5 oz. of frozen spinach (you can use fresh if you have it available)
2 tablesppons of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

* if you buy the veggie stock or use bullion cubes, you won't need to add salt. If you're using homemade stock or unsalted stock, you'll want to add about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt.

Saute onions and carrots in olive oil over medium heat in a large pot, until soft. Add the veggie stock and lentils. Let simmer for about 30-40 minutes until the lentils are thoroughly cooked. Add the spinach. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Take a potato masher, preferably one with fine holes, mash the lentils until the soup gets creamier, about 5 minutes. Add the apple cider vinegar and the lemon juice. Let simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with pumpernickel rye bread or a marbled rye.

Tofu Rant and Curried Tofu Salad

Begin Rant.
Why do so many usually open-minded, intelligent, aware people hate on tofu? For example, if I tell people that some dish contains tofu, it won't get touched. I brought a tofu dish to a work holiday party and the only person to touch it was the other vegetarian. If I say that same dish has cheese (tofu is often a substitute for ricotta cheese, if crumbled, farmer's cheese or paneer cheese), it will disappear in a matter of minutes and I hear for months on how amazing that dish was. I don't want to lie to people to get them to eat tofu! (I only did this once to people I no longer work with.) Tofu is delicious, but it gets a bad rap. I admit, plain, raw tofu is an acquired taste and tofu is a politicized food. I'm the only one of my tofu-loving friends who eats tofu straight out of the package. It's often seasoned, cooked, baked and prepared in a variety of ways that make it a great addition to any meal. This idea that vegan dishes are some how less than meat dishes is at the heart of the issue. Just because a dish doesn't have meat or dairy in it, doesn't mean it can't possibly be any good.
End Rant.


Curried Tofu Salad

1 package or extra firm tofu, crumbled
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 a small green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup of cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of curry powder
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients listed. modify spices to suit your tastes. Spread on a toasted baguette or other crusty bread.

Viva Tofu!

Pumpkin pie, the harcore way.

I'm on San Juan Island this weekend, visiting my aunt. She has a huge, amazing garden with about a million squash, more apples than you'd ever know what to do with, and three fabulous pumpkins. One thing leading to another, I ended up commissioned to make two pies. Hours later and I am so full of pie that all I can do is lie here and type.


A note about pie crust: Above all, you want to handle this stuff as little as possible. Otherwise, it gets tough and chewy and generally gross. You don't want that. You want it to stay as close to room temperature or cooler as possible, so just use the tips of your fingers to incorporate the butter if you can. Also, the less water you use, the better.


Ingredients:

For the crust
Just over 1c flour (I use all-purpose unbleached here, but whole wheat pastry flour is great, too.)
1 stick of butter, room temp but not too soft
1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp baking powder
ice water

For the filling
A smallish pumpkin. get a baking pumpkin, or be cheap and easy like me and grab a carving pumpkin off a porch somewhere.
1c sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp grated or powdered ginger
a pinch of cloves
1 heaping tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
1/3c chopped pecans




Make the crust!
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes the size of your thumb and toss them in. Using your fingertips, incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients as quickly as you can without becoming a total disaster. You want the end product to be something like coarse cornmeal or rolled oats.
When it gets there, form it into a ball and set aside.
If it's going to be awhile until your filling is ready, I suggest wrapping it in Saran and sticking it in the fridge.
If it's too dry, dip your fingers in ice water and sprinkle them over the mixture, scattering droplets over the dough. Too much water makes the crust tough. You want to use just enough to make it hold together.
Set the oven to 350˚F and allow to preheat.
Pre-bake the crust for around 20 minutes, or until it is just solid, but not browned.

Butcher yourself a pumpkin, aawh yeah!
If you've ever carved a jack-o-lantern, this will not be a challenge.
Place a steamer basket in a really big pot and fill water to just under the basket. The less water touching the pumpkin the better, since the flesh is already soggy enough without your help.
Instead of carving a hole in the top, I suggest simply cutting the whole thing in half top to bottom, then trim off the stem. This makes the whole scraping out the guts process a lot easier.
Speaking of which. Once you have your halves, scrape out the guts. Reserve the seeds if you want them.
Chop it into workable chunks, maybe 4"x4" on average, and place them in the steamer basket in the pot.
Cover and set the heat to High, until the flesh is soft and a knife blade sinks in easily.
Let it cool. Seriously. If you like your skin at all, you want to do this.
When it's cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut the skin off the pumpkin chunks. It'll be wet, so either squeeze it out in cheese cloth or set it somewhere to drain for awhile.
Using a food processor, puree the chunks til essentially liquefied.

Make the filling!
Mix 1 and 1/2 cups of the pumpkin puree with the other filling ingredients until smooth and well incorporated. Pour it into the crust sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the pie. Bake at 350˚ for around 50 minutes or so, until the center just barely jiggles when gently shaken.
Allow to cool until set.

Diana is in your kitchen, stealing your curries

Stolen Curry

This is called stolen curry because I stole it from my friend Rebecca. She made it for me back in the spring and I took mental notes so that I could replicate it. I did make some changes in the spice variations and added the carrots, but it's based on her recipe. Before watching her, I would always fuck up curry and make it too watery or the potatoes would be undercooked.

And lets face it, stolen things just taste better.



For this, you will need the following:


5 medium size potatoes
2 cups of peas
2 carrots (I like the sweetness the carrots bring, so if you like it less sweet, just add less carrots)
1 14.5oz can of coconut milk
approx. 4 tablespoons. curry powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
a couple of dried chillies (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mustard seed

Peel and quarter your potatoes. Pour the coconut milk over them. If they are not completely covered, add a little water, so the potatoes are completely submerged. About 20 minutes or so into cooking, add the carrots. When the potatoes are soft, add the peas and spices. Let cook for another 15 minutes or so, to let the flavors blend.

Serve over rice or eat by itself with a since of naan.

mmmmm stealing is so delicious.

White Bean and Arugula Pasta Sauce

This is really not as fancy as it sounds. Or, if it is, it's one of the easiest fancy things there is.

My mom used to make this for me when we got home late at night after school/work/band practice/dance class/rehearsal/trying to escape the country/etc, and it takes no time at all yet is utterly delicious. That is, if you like arugula and white beans.

It should also be noted that Firefox's spellcheck wants me to change "arugula" to "jugular". So, alternately, I'm calling this White Bean and Jugular Pasta. Enjoy.


Ingredients:

One can of white beans (I use Great Northern)
A healthy handful of arugula. Use your discretion; I like lots.
Five medium tomatoes
Half an onion
Five cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste


Chop the tomatoes into small cubes, dice the onion, and finely chop the garlic. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or frying pan. Before the oil is spitting, throw in the onion and garlic and cook until the onion begins to get translucent. Watch the heat, you don't want to scorch the garlic.

Throw in the tomatoes and cook for awhile, until the they get softish and start to go to mush, stirring so it doesn't stick.

When the tomatoes are breaking up and beginning to look like tomato sauce, drain and rinse the white beans well under cold water and then toss them into the pan. Cook a few more minutes.

When it looks like it's about done (your call, really), throw the arugula on top of everything, turn down the heat to low, and cover with a lid. Let it sit like this for a few minutes, until the arugula is wilted and soft. It shouldn't take long.

Serve with pasta or get creative. I'm sure it'd be good with couscous or quinoa.




Yes, that is a tomato the size of your face...

I've been getting most of my produce from local farms recently, since it's all in season. Smith's Berry Barn in particular has fantastic you-pick tomatoes (33 varieties) and peppers. My favorites are the huge yellow and green zebra.

Spice Cake

Double post today! Mostly because I'm a sucker for attention and Carrie made a request.

A little background: A little over a year ago when I moved from Chicago to Portland, my Chicago friends and I had a huge barbecue. This involved about two straight days of cooking, at the end of which I decided I hadn't had enough. I was, however, out of recipes. So... I made this cake. It consists of a basic cake batter which I then add half the spices in my drawer to and, if I'm feeling ambitious (today I wasn't), I add a lightbulb. This final detail is key if you want the real Random Cake Experience.

I post this recipe in honor of my fabulous Chicago room mate, Carrie. She really needs to get her butt to the West Coast.


Ingredients:

2c flour (I use one cup regular unbleached, one cup whole wheat pastry)
1c brown sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 cardamom seed, shelled and crushed to smithereens. (if you're lucky, you have a mortar and pestle. If you're me, you disturb you apartment complex by smashing the bejesus out of it with a hammer.)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp ginger (fresh or powdered)

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1c milk
1 stick (1/2 c) butter

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F and grease a bread pan. Or a cake pan. Or some muffin tins. Your choice, just adjust the time for how deep the batter is in the pan.

Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the spices and integrate evenly.

Cream the butter. Add the sugar gradually until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well mixed and not lumpy. Add the vanilla and mix more some more.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix til combined and not lumpy.

Pour into the baking pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for half an hour.

Borscht for a sick room mate

Borscht (pron. "bore-sh-ch") is Russian beet soup. It's made mostly in winter out of root vegetables, but my room mate has a cold and I have some beets, so here we go.

As far back as I can remember, my mother's side of my family has been making some variation or other of this. I'm making my Grannie's version, which has lamb shank in it, but my vegetarian mom does a really good variation sans meat that I'll include here, as well.

For the kitchen-phobic, this is a good one. It's ridiculously easy, the hardest part being controlling the amount of beet juice you get on every kitchen surface (including yourself).

As far as the meat is concerned, you can use a wide variety of things. I went to the Lebanese grocer up the street and got two smallish shanks of lamb. That's about as Russian as you can get. Otherwise, you could use a leftover roasted chicken carcass (mmm, carcass), a whole, uncooked chicken (in which case you'd want to make sure it cooked long enough for the meat to be falling off the bone), or leftover bones from roast beef or lamb or pork etc. It's a good way not to let those go to waste. I suppose you could also use chopped up bits of meat, if you wanted a stew-like thing going on, but I'm just gonna stick with tradition here.


Ingredients:

The right music
Lamb shank
3 medium-ish beets
3 medium-ish potatoes
a quarter or so of a large red cabbage. You can use more if you like.
half a large onion. Or the whole onion. Up to you.
A few cloves of garlic.
salt and pepper to taste
water
a couple tablespoons of cooking oil such as grapeseed, canola, or olive




In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the cooking oil til it coats the bottom of said pot easily when tipped. Toss in the lamb shank and cook til it's browned on all sides.

Peel and chop the potatoes and beets into bite-sized cubes. When the meat is browned, toss them in with it. Give a few stirs.

Chop the onion and garlic and add those after the beets and potatoes have been cooking about ten minutes.

Chop the red cabbage so it's in medium-length shreds and throw it in when the onion is getting soft. Sauté for a few more minutes.

Add salt and pepper and stir to mix. Then add about five cups of water, or enough to cover about an inch over the veggies. Turn the heat to medium and cover.

Simmer for up (or over) an hour, depending on how soft and mushy you like things. I like chunks, so I go with about forty five minutes or so.

Serve with a glop of sour cream and the freshest dill you can lay your red Commie hands on.




Variations:
If you're using a soup bone, toss in the veggies to sauté first, and when they're all going throw in the bone. If you're using a whole chicken, put it in when you add the water.

For vegetarians, sauté the veggies and then instead of water, add five or six cups of vegetable broth or the equivalent of water and bouillon. It's just as good, but your babushka won't know what to think of you.

Diana's Sangria of Doom

This comes all the way from the top of Doom Mountain (my Logan Square apartment, not the real Doom Mountain in British Columbia).

1 750Ml bottle of your finest, cheapest red wine, Shiraz or Cabernet
( I prefer Charles Shaw, available at your nearest Trader Joe's and a steal at approx. $3.00 a bottle)

2 1/2 cups of cherry or blackberry brandy

1/2 a cup of black currant juice (available in most Eastern European markets)

1 cup of pear nectar

2/3 cup of pineapple juice

1/2 cup of apple juice

1/2 cup of peach nectar

1/2 cup of grape juice

1/2 cup of plum nectar

You can find most of the nectars in the international food aisle of your grocery store or nearest Mexican produce market. They come in small cans, so you can arrange a 6 pack of different nectars and juices for about the same price as a 6 pack of pop. These nectars are pre-sweetened, so you don't have to add any sugar to your sangria.

2 lemons, quartered

2 limes, quartered

1/2 cup of pickled sour cherries in brine (these can also be found at European markets.)

In a large pitcher, really 2 large pitchers since you'll have quite alot of sangria, mix wine, nectars, juices and brandy. Add lemons, limes and cherries with brine. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Yeild: Approx 2 pitchers
Prep Time: 5 minutes

real/fake

It's been almost a year and we've yet to post because our real lives have interfered with our internet lives. This is by no means to say our internet lives are fake. They are only less real.