Happy Meals

I have absolutely no scientific evidence to back this up, but I am convinced that eating orange food in the winter counteracts some of the effects of sun deprivation. Maybe its just the bright, cheerful color of sweet potatoes and carrots that lift my mood, or maybe beta carotene packs some kind of happy punch. All I know is, when the weather is grey I can't get enough orange. (And Germans seem to agree: almost every restaurant offers pumpkin or carrot soup this time of year.) (But my sweet potato lentil soup is better. :) )

So for the last few weeks, faced with the prospect of moving to a new country, planning two weddings, and staving off poverty until impending permanent residency (and accompanying work permit) I have been trying to lower my stress levels by loading up on delicious orangey bliss. Its been kind of working.

Above we have a simple dinner from S.- sweet potatoes mashed with a little bit of maple syrup, white miso, and cinnamon, fried tofu  that has been dredged in soy milk then coated in cornstarch, a little flour and sesame seeds, and green beans sauteed with salty soy sauce. Perfection.

And then here we have a variation on an old standby: carrot-cashew pasta. This time I aimed for more of a savory flavor profile rather than the sweet flavor my other recipe gets from ginger and agave nectar. This time I boiled sliced carrots, a handful of plain cashews, and a clove of garlic until tender, then blended them with a few tablespoons of the boiling water, plus a sprinkling of curry powder and black pepper. This was tossed with pasta and topped with sauteed brown mushrooms.

And finally you have my purest version of a happy meal:

A homemade black-bean burger on a sesame seed roll topped with onions, spinach, and sriracha-laced ketchup, served with sweet potato fries and, sure, more ketchup. Eat your heart out Micky D's.

How does one make sweet potato fries, you ask? Simply preheat your oven to 400 degrees and slice up a peeled sweet potato into thin, fry-like slices. Toss resultant slices with olive oil plus any of the following: salt and pepper; cumin, cinnamon and paprika; lemon pepper and salt; ect. Bake until crispy and  try to wait until they cool down.

So, that concludes my primer on stuffing your S.A.D. face full of orange. Here are several more dishes on the same theme:
Butternut Squash Risotto with sage
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

And now, friends, I'll continue my panicked Serbia preparations! Next time you hear from me, I'll be writing from Belgrade!
Следећи пут када чујете од мене, ја ћу бити у Београду!


Song of the Day: Tears for Fears- Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Breakfast of Champions... or cleaning ladies

Now that I actually have a job (my dream job, as a cleaning lady in a kindergarten) my weekends have taken on extra significance. I used to be happy eating a little bread and jam, but not anymore... now I have to clean out my fridge and eat huge, epic, brunch-like feasts on Saturdays and Sundays. It just makes my celebration that I don't have to use a mop that day all the more enjoyable. This weekend, I made tofu scramble for the first time in, it feels like, years. (In fact, I think it has been years...) This is partly due to the fact that I *finally* found some local tofu that doesn't have the consistency of feta cheese, so now I have to eat it everyday in some form. The above pictured foray back into scrambled tofu territory brought me back to my college days,when me and my 3 roommates would often cook together and tofu scrambles were pretty much standard on weekends. (This was before I mastered pancakes.) Just a bit of tofu, some red peppers and onions, and a bit of turmeric and thyme, and you are cooking with gas. (Or electric. Whatever.)

Sunday I took advantage of the bulk of frozen blueberries in my fridge to whip up some banana blueberry pancakes for S. and I... they were gone before we had finished our first cup of coffee.
Not being satisfied with that carb feast, I also whipped up some sesame-poppyseed bagels to enjoy throughout the week (or, lets be honest, through Tuesday) so that my weekday breakfast can have a little flair as well. As you can see, they turned out lovely, even in my cold kitchen. (Ever since I got the tip to keep rising dough in the oven with a bowl of hot water, I haven't had nearly so many disappointing dough experiences. Thanks, SMP!)

Now, feeling fortified from the weekend, its on to the freezing, mop filled days of the working week... let's hope Spring comes soon...

PS: I added a recipe index, as much for my use as for yours, as well as a page with some photos from my travel. I didn't do an "about me," as blogger suggests because, well, don't the posts say it all?

song of the day: Kanye West- All of the Lights

BBQ Sauce

As a kid, my family went on a "BBQ Tour of the South" to find the greatest version of BBQ sauce on offer. I don't totally remember the verdict, but I do remember getting a wicked sunburn on Tybee Island a week before the 8th Grade Dance (dammit.) However, I came out of this excursion with a great fondness for all varieties of BBQ, and turning vegetarian has not altered it one bit.

However, not all my favorite BBQ sauces are vegan, and I cannot stand to use those Kraft or similar fake-ass BBQ sauces that are all corn syrup and onion powder. So, rather than stock up on sauce the last time I went to the US, I made sure to get some fixings to bring back so I could make it myself: most crucially, molasses and liquid smoke, both difficult to find here in Berlin.

Yesterday, eyeing a block of tofu in the fridge and not wanting to indulge S's newfound obsession with deep-fried tofu, I decided to whip up some BBQ sauce and bake some slabs instead. I was a bit intimidated though... could anything I make approach the level of greatness of North Carolina or Memphis style BBQ sauce? I decided there wasn't much to lose in giving it a whirl. I looked up several recipes and combined them into one that featured the ingredients I had on hand, including a chipotle from an already opened can. (Never waste chipotles, that is my mantra.)

And upon taste, it turns out BBQ sauce is kind of... um.... easy? I mean, this may have not been a blue ribbon winning version, but it was damn tasty for something I made in less than 30 minutes. For a sauce that inspires such cult-like reverence in its followers, shouldn't this be a little more complex?

Well I'm sure I could stand some improvement, but this will more than do for those occasions which necessitate a slathering of BBQ to save the day. Here's my simple recipe. Feel free to alter it.
******************

*Perfectly Decent BBQ Sauce*
vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 Tbs. brown sugar or Agave nectar
1 diced Chipotle + 1 Tbs. adobo sauce
1/3 C. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 C. Molasses
1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
Salt + pepper
1 tsp. liquid smoke (opt.)

1.) Heat a saucepan over medium and add in a glug of vegetable oil. Add in onions and salt well, then wait until onions are translucent. Add in garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more, being careful not to burn.
2.) Add in remaining ingredients (except for liquid smoke, add it at the end if using) and raise heat to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes (or more), stirring occasionally.
3.) When sauce has reached desired thickness, remove from heat and blend well with an immersion blender. Taste and adjust salt/ sugar if necessary. Put back on low heat, stir in liquid smoke, and cook a few minutes more.

Remaining sauce can be kept in an airtight container in fridge.

*Substitutions* : I imagine you can go wild with substitutions here, subbing pomengranate molasses for molasses, white vinegar for apple cider, chile peppers or cayenne pepper for chipotle and other fruits(like mangoes for instance?) for the tomatoes. I will try it again soon and let you know.
*****************


The finished product slathered on some tofu and broiled for a perfect simple sandwich. (Number 30, anyone?) Just heavenly, and you don't even have to leave the house, let alone head south on 85.

Song of the Day: LCD Soundsystem- I Can Change

Viva Vegan!

Although I hail from the DC metro area and not, say, Guadalajara, the home cooking in my neck of the woods is often distinctly Latin inspired. DC has a huge Latino population, and in my neighborhood in particular you can get chipotles for pennies, at least five different kinds of tortillas at the local Giant, and plantains at all stages of ripeness any time of year. As a result, I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to Latin American cooking. So imagine my snobby annoyance that I have to scour Berlin for a measly can of cooked black beans. And you can forget about corn tortillas or chipotles. (I have to rely on my parents care packages for those.)

So imagine how thrilled I was to see that Terry Hope Romero, of PPK and Veganomicon fame, has come out with a new cookbook packed with DIY methods for my favorite Latino dishes, plus tons of things I had never dared dream of after going vegan (like Tres Leches cake!!!). Of course, I had to have it. And naturally, Viva Vegan, is amazing. (I had little doubt.) Some of the recipes seem rather intensive, but so worth the effort. I never really thought about it before, but Latin American cooking is actually such a natural fit for vegans. Its always rich in veg favorites like tomatoes, beans, and corn, plus it can be spicy and filling without relying entirely on dairy or protein for heartiness. It substitutes innovative cooking techniques for quick fatty fixes. And although its not a stretch to veganize dishes like guacamole or tortillas, Romero really goes the distance with a range of dishes that I haven't tried before, like hearty stews and sandwiches, as well as tamales, empanadas, pupusas and enchiladas. (oh, yeah, and flan. That's right. Flan.)

I tried the Venezuelan black beans, citrus tofu, and garlic rice the other night (with some cashew sour cream) and it magically attracted the whole neighborhood, to my dismay. (I had plans for leftovers...) It was all amazing, even given my less than stellar tofu supply. The garlic rice was especially surprising, since I kind of thought rice wasn't really in need of improvement. (I was wrong.) The black beans were mild and a little sweet and really flavorful- totally worth the wait.

Well, I could fawn some more but I think you get the picture. Terry Hope Romero is a high priestess of Vegan cooking and I am thrilled beyond belief that she turned her attention to my favorite home cooking. You can get it here, and I imagine you will be seeing many more of its recipes featured on this here blog.

Song of the day: Jeanette- Por Que Te Vas

More Latin flavor:
-Chipotle Plantain Enchiladas
-Tamales
-Vegan Mole Power
- Mango Avocado Salsa

Gertrude & Alice; BBQ Tofu & Plantain Tacos with Avocado Cream

Unsurprisingly, I'm really getting burnt out on studying. I'm feeling very petulant these days, because while it is perfectly clear that I can't stop now, so close to the test, I still have the overwhelming urge to ditch all these notecards and tapes and sulk all day at a coffee shop over some Gertrude Stein novels and massive soy vanilla lattes.

As a matter of actual fact, my real escapist fantasy would be to just actually be Gertrude Stein, presiding over an avante-garde salon of famous artists and writers and making wisely arrogant quips while my lover cooks me french delicacies, a la Alice B. Toklas.
Stein and Toklas in their fabulous Parisian flat. Don't they look so relaxed?

However and unfortunately, I've yet to wake up in Paris just yet, so I guess I will have to just take some inspiration from both Stein and Toklas: look at every obstacle as if its just foolishness, and cook myself delicacies at every spare moment.

This evening's meal was a good start: I found some good plantains at the store and had a yen for BBQ tofu, so made my meal around that. The result? BBQ tofu tacos with plantains, black beans, and avacado-lime cream, topped with shredded lettuce and cucumber/mango relish. (I know, I got carried away.)

Looks kind of bizarre outside of the taco, but believe me it was all very tasty. I think anyone of the components could be good again in the future or with different combinations. What I might do differently next time is use a spicier BBQ sauce because altogether the meal was pretty sweet. But then again, any kind of sauce (jerk, hot) would work just as well.

BBQ Tofu
*Everyone has their favorite tofu strategies, I just happened to use this method because I wanted small pieces that would stay crunchy in tacos yet soak up the sauce.

-1 lb. extra firm tofu, pressed, drained, and sliced into smallish cubes
-plain soymilk
-flour
-corn-starch
-spice rub, seasoning salt, ect.
-oil for frying
-your fave BBQ sauce

1.) After cutting the tofu to your desired bite-sized dimensions, fill a large saute pan with about 1/2- 1/4" peanut or vegetable oil and heat to medium. While its getting hot, fill one small bowl with plain soymilk. Next to it, fill a small bowl with equal parts cornstarch and flour, and a good heap of spice rub or blend. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375.

2.) When oil is hot (test by dropping a small piece in and seeing if bubbles quickly fizz around it) start dropping chunks of tofu in the milk bath, then rolling them in flour/ cornstarch mixture before dropping them (carefully) in hot oil. Do this in batches depending how large your pan is.
3.) Using chopsticks or tongs, flip the tofu pieces over after about 3 minutes. When both sizes are lightly browned and crunchy, transfer to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels.
4. When all batches are done, remove paper towels and douse the tofu in your favorite BBQ sauce. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet or pan and stick in the oven for 10 minutes or so. This should render the outside BBQ sauce a little crunchy and keep your tofu hot while you prepare anything else you're having.

Avocado-Lime-Cream
-1 Avocado diced
-Juice from small lime
-1/2 clove garlic diced
-1 tbs agave nectar
-salt to taste (i used about 1/4 tsp)
-1/2 lb. silken tofu

1.) In food processor, pulse first 5 ingredients until creamy. Add in silken tofu by a couple spoonfuls at a time, stopping when cream has reached desired consistency and tanginess. Refrigerate until ready to use.


Perfect Plantains
-2 large Plantains
-Earth Balance
-Brown sugar (optional)

1.) First, find the right plantains. (This is where I usually f*ck up.) The ones you want for sweet plantains are going to be browning and speckled all over and yielding slightly to the touch. Basically it should look like a banana looks when you think "time to make banana bread."
2.) Peel plantains, using a knife if necessary. Quarter by cutting it once in the middle, then cutting each half into four. Meanwhile, place two knobs of EB over medium/ medium low heat and wait until butter has just melted but not yet started to bubble or brown.
3)Add in plantains, quickly coating to toss. If there is not enough butter to coat them all, add in a little more.
4) Raise the heat to medium and cook, turning and tossing occasionally, until sides have caramelized and plantains have changed to a bright golden yellow. At this point, sprinkle with a little brown sugar if desired, cook a minute or two more, and remove from heat. YUM!

Quickie Cucumber Relish
*Utter simplicity but so nice and cooling, I like to serve this relish aside thai or african dishes too. Alongside, for instance, tofu satay I would sub out mango for chopped red onion. Traditional recipes boil the vinegar first, but I don't bother and still like it. (Up to you my friends!)

-1 large cucumber
-1/2 mango
-Rice vinegar
-pinches of sugar

1.) Peel and de-seed cucumber, then cut into thin matchsticks. Cut mango into tiniest pieces possible (just try making matchsticks, ha!) Combine in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, and pour over enough rice vinegar to coat. Toss once, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.


Well its back to work, fortified by all the exotic fusion yumminess. And as Gertrude Stein would say: "Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really very frightening."

Song of the Day: Paolo Conte- Sparring Partner

Potatoes Faux Gratin, Take 2, and BBQ Tofu

Well its a few days after the inauguration and the whole nation seems to be in a state of post-inaugural bliss, turning to one another, taking a drag of their cigarette, and asking, "how was it for you?" I'm still having fun hearing my friend's anecdotes from the day, checking out everyone's pictures and chatting with people on the metro. Today, a man bedecked in blinking Obama buttons was standing outside the metro doors when I got off besides a mother and her adorable toddler son. The little boy pointed and shouted "Obaaaaa-maaaaa!" It was so cute I almost fainted.

At any rate, my energy is still pretty high and I decided to make myself a complete dinner, with different parts, as opposed to the one-pot meals I've been living off lately. (Yes, the prospect of dirty dishes cannot stop me now!) I made the BBQ tofu from V'Con, some broiled asparagus topped with a little balsamic reduction, and another take on my potato dish. This time, however, I layered sweet and regular potatoes, cut the milk, added more salt and a pinch of garlic powder, and topped the whole thing with japanese bread crumbs (panko.) This was somewhat better than my last try, and went great with the tangy BBQ sauce. Here's my recipe, keeping in mind that a) its a small, single girl portion, and b) that I will probably keep tinkering with it.

Two Potato Faux Gratin Serves 1, with leftovers

-1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into thin rounds
-1 med boiling potato, peeled and cut into thin rounds
-unsweetened soymilk
-soy creamer
-pinch nutmeg and garlic powder
-Salt and pepper
-A handful of panko mixed with nooch

1. Butter a tiny casserole dish with some earth balance and preheat the oven to 350. Add both kinds of potatoes to a small pot, and fill almost to covering with equal part soymilk and soy creamer.
2. Add in a nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
3. Remove from heat and spoon out potatoes into dish, arranging if desired. Pour remaining sauce in to cover, then sprinkle nooch and panko over top. Cook until bubbly and browned on top, about 25 minutes.

Song of the Day: Ton Steine Scherben- Rauchhaus Song

A Very Soul Power Christmas

Let's face it: holidays are all about food.

Ceremonies, prayers, costumes... all that stuff can be nice, but nothing beats brunch, dinner, or the moments when you are eating candy at 9 am and nobody gives you any trouble. After all, what's the real show of loyalty and family? Not who's around when you go to bed or open presents, but who comes for dinner!

At my house, Christmas dinner is always a special affair because of the fact that it is also my brother's birthday. This makes for unusual holiday fare (chicken wings and velveeta mac & cheese anyone?) and is not always the most vegetarian friendly. Of course, who can blame him? On your birthday, you want comfort food, special food, but not always, say, a Christmas goose, or a seitan roulade. No problem! The fact that my brother picks out the carniverous portion of the meal leaves me in charge of pleasing my younger brother and I, which is convenient since we can sort of go wild on the crunchy hippy stuff and not try to make crowd-pleasing approximations of omni meals.

Although, for breakfast, we did just that. There's this amazing restaurant in Atlanta called Ria's Bluebird which has gorgeous bluebird murals on the wall, a great friendly atmosphere, and absolutely scrumptious vegan breakfast hash. I have to hit it up every time I'm in town, and one of the best things on the menu is the pancakes with caramelized bananas. Although I wouldn't vouch for this being vegan there, the many times I've re-created it it has always been equally fabulous.

So while my folks munched on the eggs benedict which is traditional in my home, we had some pancakes (recipe courtesy of The Joy of Vegan Cooking) topped with caramelized bananas and pecans. The soysage is Morning Star and (!) not vegan, but since it was already bought I didn't want to disappoint everybody.

To make the bananas, simply heat a few knobs of earth balance until melted, then stir in a fist-full of brown sugar. Blend the two until you've got a nice bubbly syrup going, then add in sliced bananas and coat to your heart's burned-ness content. Top with pecans. Mine were a little mushy today, but fabulous nonetheless. Oh Ria!

For dinner, we decided on a feast of my favorites with the main course being Jimmy's pick. We had the paradise pie from The Candle Cafe cookbook, one of the J's favorite meals EVER, plus a yellow beet salad and the brussels sprouts with apples and tofu from 101 Cookbooks. To drink, I mixed a cheap prosecco with sparkling pomengranite juice for a refreshing cocktail. (At least, to me. Everbody else preferred Heinekin. Yatever.)


So first, the bad news. The 'paradise pie' was so amazing at the actual Candle Cafe that I had very high hopes. Unfortunately, I overcooked the millet and didn't get the beans just right, so although the miso and cinnamon-laced sweet potatoes were scrumptious, it wasn't quite the revelation that it was in NYC. Next time I might used canned black beans as a shortcut... and obviously try not to overcook anything.

The yellow beet salad, on the other hand, came together wonderfully and was extremely simple. I was pulled into some yellow beets at My Organic Market and decided that, despite the holiday-appropriateness of red ones I would give them a go. They were drizzled with a home-made dressing from my Mom that was delicious and broiled on each side for about 8-10 minutes.


Beet Happening Dressing

Combine in a food processor: 2 chopped shallots, 1/3 C. Balsamic vinegar, 3 T. maple syrup or agave nectar, pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle in 1/3 C. Olive oil until blended.

This dressing was a sort-of marinade for the beets, and then tossed into the spinach salad with some pecans (leftover from breakfast) as a landing for them after they came out from under the broiler. So perfect.

And saving the best for last, the Brussels Sprouts! OMG the Brussels Sprouts, with apples and tofu and pistachios! I know, I know, it has to stop, this obsession with those undesirables of the produce section, but holy frying pan was this good! The recipe, which is another brainchild of 101 Cookbooks' Heidi, the woman who brought us caramelized tofu, was beyond fabulous. It was by far the star of the meal, both with omnis and herbis, and so easy to put together (although I used pistachios rather than pinenuts). Cook this immediately. The recipe can be found AQUI.


So all in all, this meal was a bit of a departure from last year. I played around with tradition a bit and some things didn't come together. But tastes change, and I'm very happy with the way things turned out. And now, as a new year's resolution, I must find some new vegetables to obsess about. Any nominations?

Hope everyone's Christmas/ Chanukah was spectacular!

Jerk Tofu, Mashed Plantains, Garlicky Kale

Lately it seems to me that I exclusively make and eat food from other cultures. This bothers me since there is obviously such a rich culinary tradition in the U.S. and plenty of things I haven't tried (and God forbid I disavow my southern heritage!). But the fact of the matter is, almost every other country is more veggie-friendly than us. (With the exception of maybe cream-soaked France.) My daily diet rarely consists of what I would consider 'merican food- its more like hummus and pita, beans and rice, pad thai, ect. And I have a sneaking suspicion that if you cut me I would bleed curry sauce. With the variety of vegetarian delicacies available, I hardly ever get around to mac and cheese, or shephard's pie, no matter how many good vegan versions there are. But when you want people to get excited about vegan food, there shouldn't be the sense that you have to use exotic ingredients or spices at every meal.

But of course it should come as no surprise that when I got to choose dinner for last night I stuck again to another culture and chose Jerk Tofu with various other carribean accoutrements. The set-up got me thinking about how I might make a dinner of a main item and 3 sides that my parents would adore, that was totally familiar and U.S. American. I may even tackle the V'Con chickpea cutlets everyone is so enamored of...

Anyways, for the Jerk tofu recipe I used Nava Atlas' recipe, subbing tofu for seitan because I was having a hard time tracking down seitan yesterday. (Alas- most big supermarkets around here are just getting Earth Balance so seitan is a real long-shot.) The recipe was easy, produced enough for 5 people with multiple servings, and was generally tasty.(As evinced by my meat-devotee boyfriend finishing all his tofu.) My only quibble was that for a sauce so sweet, a little more heat would have enhanced it. I'm not sure if I want to start subjecting my family to scotch bonnet peppers, but maybe adding 1 roasted anaheim pepper into the mix would have enhanced things. But, overall, this recipe was pretty amazing.

As for the sides, rice and beans is a no-brainer. The plantains and kale were only slightly more time consuming, and went great with the Jerk Tofu. For the Mashed Plaintains just slice 4 or 5 ripe (ie, not green) plaintains lengthwise, and fry them until soft and brown in a few knobs of Earth Balance and brown sugar (use some olive oil if you need to). I usually use a cast-iron skillet for this. Then, take them into a bowl and mash them (or use a ricer if you have one) with some soymilk, a pinch of salt, and more EB. Return them to the skillet and fry as a flat sort of pancake for about five more minutes, flip over, and put back in the bowl. The result is a sticky, starchy side that compliments the kale well.

For the Garlicky Kale, first rinse and cut or tear into pieces a good amount of kale, or half a bag of the pre-rinsed stuff. Dice 2-3 large cloves of garlic and let sit for a few minutes to make it extra healthy. Then, in a spaghetti pot or other large covered pot, heat 2 T olive oil on medium low-medium heat and add in your garlic. When its sizzling and fragrant, add in your kale, and using tongs quickly toss to coat with the oil and garlic. Next, sprinkle in some H2O (like 1/4 c.) and put the cover on. Let sit for about 5 minutes and serve.

*Extra Extra* The Times has an article about the environmental and economic cost of meat production by non-vegetarian Mark Bittman. Check it out here.

Sticks and Sauces

Lately the list of food I want to cook is long outgrowing the list of food I'm actually cooking. Between a nasty flu and the start-up of a new semester (complete with heart palpitations over grades, summer jobs, ect.) my diet has been largely dependant on take-out thai and chinese. So when this 3 day weekend approached, I was more than happy to try out a couple of the recipes that have been on my mind.

First up was Coconut Tofu sticks from the blog What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat, Anyway?. I was so psyched to try this because I still secretly salivate over coconut shrimp, my fantasy non-vegan food. In fact, when I was reading their blog (which I often do) I actually shouted out "DUDE!" when I got to the post. It simply did not occur to me that you could veganize coconut shrimp! Its so crunchy, sweet, salty... exotic yet still greasy. Its the world's most perfect junk food. And guess what? The tofu version is pretty damn awesome as well.

The three-step battering technique did an excellent job of holding the coconut on to the tofu- I was fairly skeptical since I've had some disastrous battering attempts with tofu in the past. But the process really did the trick. No one at my table could keep their hands off the battered sticks. The recipe can be found here. I used some pre-made sweet chili sauce as a dip, but the dip they have created looks awesome as well. What a perfect appetizer or light supper. Fantasy fulfilled.

For my next project, I was in the mood for some pasta. I was reading this Times article recently, and the writer (Mark Bittman) was basically proclaiming that there is a new zeitgeist afoot for pasta sauces- that the new style is to have far more sauce than pasta. I definitely feel this way. To me, pasta sauce is usually just a vehicle for whatever veggies I'm hording (onions, zucchini, peppers) and the pasta is just incidental. After reading it though, it reminded me of a dish I've had a few times that is all about the sauce: Pasta alla Norma I'm sure one of my cookbooks has a recipe for this basil and eggplant laced dish, but I decided to wing it from the Epicurious recipe since it looked simple enough. (Its from Jamie Oliver, who is often fast and loose with the ingredients.) The recipe says it serves 4, but we definitely had way more than that.


The basic idea is that you fry quarters of eggplant in batches then set them aside. Then, you fry up some garlic and basil stems in the same oil, and after a minute put the eggplant back in, then add in some diced tomatoes and just let it get all saucy and delicious. The resulting super-chunky sauce is really vibrant and flavorful. I served it over whole wheat pasta, which holds up well against the strong sauce. (And obvs, I ommitted the cheese in favor of garlic bread to soak up the extras. Yum.)

Pasta Alla Norma
2 large, firm eggplants
EVOO
1 T dried oregano
optional: 1 dried red chili, crumbled
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 large bunch of fresh basil, stems finely chopped, leaves reserved
1 T white wine vinegar
2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 lb spaghetti

"First of all, get your nice firm eggplants and cut them into quarters lengthwise. If they've got seedy, fluffy centers, remove them and chuck them away. Then cut the eggplants across the length, into finger-sized pieces. Get a large nonstick pan nice and hot and add a little oil. Fry the eggplants in two batches, adding a little extra oil if you need to. Give the eggplants a toss so the oil coats every single piece and then sprinkle with some of the dried oregano—this will make them taste fantastic. Using a pair of tongs, turn the pieces of eggplant until golden on all sides. Remove to a plate and do the same with the second batch.

When the eggplants are all cooked, add the first batch back to the pan—at this point I sometimes add a sneaky dried red chili. Turn the heat down to medium and add a little oil, the garlic, and the basil stems. Stir so everything gets evenly cooked, then add a swig of herb vinegar and the cans of tomatoes, which you can chop or whiz up. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then taste and correct the seasoning. Tear up half the basil leaves, add to the sauce, and toss around.

Get your spaghetti into a pan of salted boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. When it's al dente, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water, and put it back into the pan. Add the Norma sauce and a little of the reserved cooking water and toss together back on the heat. Taste, and adjust the seasoning, then divide between your plates by twizzling the pasta into a ladle for each portion. Any sauce left in the pan can be spooned over the top."
Adapted from Jamie Oliver.

Penang Tofu

My Dad has been on a Thai food kick for the last, say, 15 years, but its rare that we attempt to recreate any of our favorites at home. We have such phenomenal restaurants nearby that we usually take out.

In NOVA, the golden standard is Duangrats, a classic Thai restaurant that's on the fancy side. You can't go wrong with the Sweet and Sour Tofu, the plaintain tempura, Pad See Ew... oh honestly, you can't go wrong. Everything here is fresh and perfectly seasoned- and their peanut sauce is the best I've ever had. On the other hand, there are plenty of meat dishes for family and friends to obsess over, so this can be a convenient special occassion place.

Right around the corner of the same shopping complex is Rabieng, a smaller restaurant owned by the same folks. The food is just as good but there is more of a street food focus, and the prices are slightly better. I always tend to get the ginger tofu, with plenty of fresh ginger and wood eared mushrooms, but all the other standards are equally great.

In Silver Spring (one of my other haunts) Thai at Silver Spring, right on the Hellsworth ave strip is actually pretty decent (and delivers!)I rarely stray from the Penang tofu (because its so freaking awesome) but I'm sure there are plenty of other great things too.

Which brings me back to my Dad. He discovered a small Asian foods market right next to Rabieng that has a lot of the ingredients necessary for their dishes. On top of everything else, they sell tofu wholesale for $.33 a pound. They also have a small can of penang curry paste with which he makes this simple and delicious dish. Its so good that is has actually held us back from Duangrats a few times.


Penang Tofu
1 package tofu
1 can penang curry paste
1 can coconut milk (1 1/4 c.)
1 tsp oil

1. Do your usual routine to rid tofu of excess water. (Freeze and defrost, weight it on a colander, ect.) Cut the tofu into thin squares, and in the meantime heat a wok or saucepan full of vegetable oil to high. Deep fry the tofu by placing pieces in the oil, and plucking them out when they are golden brown and floating. Keep the finished pieces on a plate with paper towels.
2. In a large pan, combine the paste, coconut milk and oil. Heat to medium and add the tofu. Serve over rice.