tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15120836118742796302024-03-18T23:00:43.217-07:00Ken Albala's Food RantKen Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.comBlogger411125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-80713013319873409242024-01-08T13:19:00.000-08:002024-01-08T13:19:39.468-08:00My Sycamore <p class="MsoNormal">Another selection from Food, Clay, Wood </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">A grand sycamore stood sentinel by the sidewalk at the front
lawn of the colonial revival house where I grew up in central New Jersey. The
entire Levitt planned community was planted with this and a handful of other
species, and they must have been fairly large in 1967 because I could easily
climb them a decade later. I would hang out in one particular sycamore along
the sidewalk. It had low limbs, evenly spaced, and was very easy to hoist up
and into. I went as high as I possibly could, hugged the main trunk and let it
sway in the breeze as I twisted along with it. My neighbors claimed that I
would sing opera up there, which may be true. Eventually I nailed a plank of
wood into the main V-section about 20 feet up as a seat. It’s still there, the
wood grew around it, and 45 years later is almost completely engulfed. The
lowest limb is now maybe 40 feet up; it’s a massive tree today. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">What I liked most about my tree was its resonance. You could
rap any limb, with your ear up against the bark and it would offer distinct
mellifluous tones. You couldn’t get a conventional scale out of it, but
definitely worth slapping and knocking. I like to imagine that the tree knew
me, responded to my moods, maybe even hugged me, as I definitely did its limbs.
I came to know that strange mottled bark so intimately and even saved pieces as
they peeled off. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After college, when I moved home between degrees, I spent
more time in the tree. I wrote up there. I even threw parties in it. At one
point there were 6 or 7 people in the tree, drinking cocktails hoisted up in
Ziplock bags, and snacks in little bowls. I started dating the woman who is now
my wife right up in that tree. I went away of course, eventually so did my
parents, literally. Until recently, I still visited the tree, thousands of
miles from the other coast where I live now. The last time I saw it was long
before I started carving, and a limb fell off. I took a few tiny pieces. What I
would give now for that whole limb! Sycamore, as it turns out, is utterly
gorgeous wood, with a clear set of rings, but also tiny vertical lines cutting
across them that create a gorgeous pattern in carved wood. Even the smell of
that tree I think I could recognize blindfolded. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I say all this because I think people can have very intimate
relationships with other living beings that don’t react like pets, but in a
very different primordial way. When I encounter a huge old copper beach or a
valley oak where I live now, it’s more awe inspiring and intense than seeing a
large animal. Just knowing they were alive hundreds of years ago thrills me. In
the case of the towering redwoods in the California foothills, they were around
at time of Plato. They stand as living witnesses to the past - if you are
willing to listen. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I say all this because I have a deep empathy for wood. So it
felt strange the first time I carved it. Some trees have deep pink striated
flesh that resembles tuna or rare beef. Sometimes wood will be so fresh and wet
that it seems to bleed, or practically splashes with the fall of the axe. This
isn’t a bad feeling. It’s no different than butchering an animal. I’ve never
killed a large mammal but taking one apart I truly enjoy, cutting around the
bones, following the sinews connecting to muscle tissue. The same is true of
wood and its own internal structure. When a limb falls down in a storm, I’m
happy to make use of it. Or when a tree needs pruning. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That’s exactly how I got into carving in the first place.
Two olive trees – Scylla and Charybdis, so named because I planted them too
close together. Today they not only can’t be disentangled, but steering between
them is treacherous, especially when trying to pick the olives. A really low
branch needed to come off as it stuck out over the sidewalk, and I thought,
this is such nice wood, something must be done with it. I had absolutely no
idea what I was doing. I had a pocketknife. And I so wish I hadn’t ruined so much
of that beautiful wood. But a few of these early olive wood spoons I still use.
It carved so wonderfully that I believe I have never worked with a finer wood. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">All this is to say that a tree you know well, have harvested
fruit from, see every day perhaps, or best of all planted with your own hands,
is one whose wood you will respect and cut with care. Even those in my
neighborhood, I treat with a certain reverence, and knowing full well that a
branch will end up chopped and used as compost, gives me great satisfaction
knowing something else might be done with it. At times I’ve been tempted to
knock on people’s doors, not to ask if I could take some wood, but to say I
already did pick up a branch on the curb, and carved it, and here’s a spoon,
thanks so much. There is actually no feeling better than giving someone a spoon
or anything handmade for that matter, and knowing they will be using it for a
long time to come. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboaKW6wGwrBsxOOENnto4nDPwJBdp9kAg1d-I93M_TPJysPr20zK0m0hKPv7fuFGjz6ruy7zOo5EsjLg4NNJP5We60o0rfwl_JEDRl7_0edoVbNpdjfXX8aCN0IOJHbaY5CbCkzyDr9mH-DPBbm8vovXyvyFKROEG4Wy4fRlOprb3xkQSfX5AUqIqwLY/s1455/IMG_2382.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboaKW6wGwrBsxOOENnto4nDPwJBdp9kAg1d-I93M_TPJysPr20zK0m0hKPv7fuFGjz6ruy7zOo5EsjLg4NNJP5We60o0rfwl_JEDRl7_0edoVbNpdjfXX8aCN0IOJHbaY5CbCkzyDr9mH-DPBbm8vovXyvyFKROEG4Wy4fRlOprb3xkQSfX5AUqIqwLY/w309-h400/IMG_2382.jpeg" width="309" /></a></div><p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-10128442715617076912022-11-09T16:43:00.002-08:002022-11-09T16:43:35.489-08:00Food Clay Wood: An Excerpt <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIs2Y7yGBeUlezUMlFop4pA3oidqBhDISrijywMkZUYfVbz1kxL_HI-4u7m57SNOwxkCoVDYxaVNwinpqN38_oyNdEc-xPeZpoJ6zipxPpDGb0oepgSb7VUi18cFh01rrATS9JCW_6zhJcfmVNZQvFMrkC61MB57SiJwDN3bJNG7QmJMRbnbW2PIKK/s2922/food%20clay%20wood.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2922" data-original-width="2757" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIs2Y7yGBeUlezUMlFop4pA3oidqBhDISrijywMkZUYfVbz1kxL_HI-4u7m57SNOwxkCoVDYxaVNwinpqN38_oyNdEc-xPeZpoJ6zipxPpDGb0oepgSb7VUi18cFh01rrATS9JCW_6zhJcfmVNZQvFMrkC61MB57SiJwDN3bJNG7QmJMRbnbW2PIKK/w604-h640/food%20clay%20wood.jpeg" width="604" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>This week I started writing a new book, and I thought I'd share a brief essay from it. Here goes: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beauty and the Graceful Line <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It sounds a little silly nowadays to be talking about Beauty
with a capital B in universal terms. We are so used to setting everything in
historical context, being careful to understand the culture that produced an object
without our own blinkered prejudices. We do this for good reason: it’s
difficult to escape the way our own culture shapes our judgement, since we are
so embedded in our own time and place and so swayed by the forces of fashion.
We are hesitant to judge at all after so many centuries of revering great
masters as canons of taste. Swinging in the complete opposite direction, the
Romantics insisted that only the direct imitation of nature, even if gruesome,
can serve as an objective standard, that which evokes emotion because it
strikes us at the core without the intervention of intellectual rationale, or
taste – which is just a byword for status. This was the complaint the energetic
Baroque had with the cool intellectualism of 16<sup>th</sup> century Mannerism,
and how 19<sup>th</sup> century Romantics rejected the Enlightenment, by
turning to nature. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nature does indeed offer lessons for craft, if not precisely
in the way a painter approaches a landscape or a human body. We find objects
beautiful precisely because they are well fitted to carry out specific
functions. In nature, a flower is beautiful because it offers color, aroma,
inviting form to the bee, who finds it beautiful and spreads pollen for the
plant. WE find it beautiful for the same reason, though of course with added
cultural baggage. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So too is there beauty in objects. It is not so simple that
form should follow function as architect Louis Sullivan insisted, but that
certain material dictate certain shapes, or they simply collapse or refuse to
work. A teapot may be gorgeous but if it doesn’t pour, it’s not a teapot – I’ve
made a few of those. It may be art, but that’s an entirely different topic.
Here I am concerned with the relationship between objective standards of beauty
and the utility of everyday objects. If we simply say everything is beautiful,
then there are no standards and we are subjected to hideousness and filth. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What then constitutes Beauty? Let’s begin with the line.
They come curved, straight, bent, twisted and curled. Each exists in nature and
for quite specific reasons. In my own backyard there are grape vines that
stretch out and tightly grab anything with little curled tendrils that support
the plant’s desire to stretch outward. The leaves thus achieve maximum exposure
to the sun, and the result is sensuous curvaceous vines. The bamboo has an
entirely different strategy, it busts straight upward as fast as it can in a
week or two growing 50 or 60 feet, and then pops out leaves that are so high
up, nothing can shade them. The higher it goes, the thicker the stem needs to
be and some can be a foot in diameter. Each is beautiful in its own very unique
way. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leonardo da Vinci appreciated this. He drew the swirls of
the horsehair equisetum plant and wondered why the whorls were similar to the
eddies in gushing rivers, and the flow of blood coursing through our bodies. I
think he was considering precisely what physical properties can be considered
universally Beautiful. Skeptics of course will point out that appreciating such
forms is a cultural value, even nature itself is culturally constructed. What
one people find beautiful is strange or meaningless to another. The
Enlightenment philosophe Voltaire quipped about this in his Philosophical
Dictionary when he asked what is the To Kalon, or ideal form of beauty. To a
frog it’s a green complexion and bulging eyes. He was calling for a
relativistic approach, to each his own. But Voltaire entirely misses the point,
that frogs are eminently beautiful – their slippery skin, their bulging legs
perfectly designed for jumping, their circumspective eyes. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How does this relate to human made objects? Let’s turn to
pottery. If you lift the walls of a clay vessel, either wheel thrown or hand
built, straight upward, eventually the form will twist and buckle and then probably
collapse. To prevent this you have to make the walls so thick that the vessel
is blunt and too heavy to use. But if you give the pot a shoulder or hip (ceramic
forms are often anthropomorphized) so it bulges toward the top or bottom, the pot
gains structural integrity. But it also becomes beautiful, the line becomes
sensuous, much like the bend of a spoon, and it becomes stronger, lighter and
more functional. An acute angle in a pot wall or spoon compromises its use. A
bent spoon will spill soup in your lap. A pot that flares out at the top too
sharply will flop down through the force of gravity. The “well wrought urn” is
not curved because that’s the way the Greeks did it, but the Greeks did it that
way because they had to. So did the Chinese masters of the Song Dynasty and
potters of Seagrove, South Carolina. The vase turns out to be a great example
of Beauty. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hear your objections. Aren’t there awkward angles in pots,
and forms intended to disturb or shock the viewer/user? Obviously in museum
art, but I’m not so sure about utilitarian wares. Think of food, it must be
palatable, meaning it can’t contain sherds of glass or metal, and it can’t be
laced with arsenic, or it’s no longer food. But don’t some cultures adore foods
that others abhor? Yes, but anyone can learn to overcome those culturally
learned preferences, just like they can learn to like coffee or whiskey, or
unlearn our instinctive predilection for sweetness. I mean, a baby would
happily eat a worm if offered by a parent. Does that mean that there are some
foods that are universally Beautiful for all cultures and all times in history.
Of course there are, just as there are dreadful foods people learn to love –
I’ll take a marshmallow peep or gummy candy any day. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I argue that certain flavors, combinations of ingredients,
cooking and preserving methods are universally tasty. Maybe some don’t like too
much heat, or are genetically averse to cilantro, but think of that innate
preference for sugar. Or think of how smokey flavors are hardwired into our
limbic brain after millennia of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cooking
over fire. Or even take a food spread around the world – like pasta, which is
universally Beautiful. If anyone tells you they don’t like pasta, they are
either on a low carb diet or lying. I would say the same for an elegantly
sloping bowl, just holding it in your hands gives instinctive pleasure, as does
the graceful arc of a well carved spoon. These transcend all time, space and
cultural prejudice. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-47103747865310682672022-11-08T16:20:00.003-08:002022-11-08T16:20:50.840-08:00SPOON CARVING <p>I realize I haven't posted in months! This is what I've been up to. Carving spoons. It took me a long time to get decent at it. Today I counted, 80 spoons so far since the spring. I intend to get a book out of this, provisionally called FOOD CLAY WOOD. I just started writing. Stay tuned. In the meantime the Gelatin book is in the warehouse and ready to be shipped! And the cookbook now entitled OPULENT NOSH is about to be contracted. All ready to go. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AA3UXDoPPdQ4AifedLqRXXcvw5iolDoMfeobRz79vEzsGfh23mcZAQSwZOQpWkwm-5ARdPkjOUcVS5Fd5RimqKMfWWBqf3g3ttYtQ3FgmIBuFEqR5ya-osOP3fS_ImsE1xcrFTBONLpPM7VqzIYp5dG0X-cZQ2wM72LPCrq6hXP9sFR6u-Mmt3tz/s2878/spoons%20on%20shelf.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2600" data-original-width="2878" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AA3UXDoPPdQ4AifedLqRXXcvw5iolDoMfeobRz79vEzsGfh23mcZAQSwZOQpWkwm-5ARdPkjOUcVS5Fd5RimqKMfWWBqf3g3ttYtQ3FgmIBuFEqR5ya-osOP3fS_ImsE1xcrFTBONLpPM7VqzIYp5dG0X-cZQ2wM72LPCrq6hXP9sFR6u-Mmt3tz/w467-h397/spoons%20on%20shelf.jpeg" width="467" /></a></div><p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-77826831769376130182022-04-18T11:19:00.001-07:002022-04-18T11:19:03.942-07:00The Great Gelatin Revival - WE HAVE A COVER! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xSvFadewrTx8mfT9onRS1Xu-LRTPc1LS77boyyECAyCjLiHqnmzsSPKhVLm7HAgf2qnImrjXkciBk4GbUsNAN3lwuND_OG-Y0-Q63lOCAowkFRVGTmC6aEilvlxwWmOhf58kk3bj072vPZ2P-5-BYcLdEDtKVmZUNjtjMBgVxxGm0tA2f_Bn6j0q/s3000/Gelatin%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xSvFadewrTx8mfT9onRS1Xu-LRTPc1LS77boyyECAyCjLiHqnmzsSPKhVLm7HAgf2qnImrjXkciBk4GbUsNAN3lwuND_OG-Y0-Q63lOCAowkFRVGTmC6aEilvlxwWmOhf58kk3bj072vPZ2P-5-BYcLdEDtKVmZUNjtjMBgVxxGm0tA2f_Bn6j0q/w512-h640/Gelatin%20Cover.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-39269513448147372292022-02-07T04:01:00.002-08:002022-02-07T04:01:45.194-08:00Macaron Tartare avec creme de raifort et roquette<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg60ksNZwZW8SblNh6ZSnbtbaCP_alRjfCRgfAdL5DqcXtaWPHPRGa6jpnNvdoLZ5U8r3qxW2kIq2dbNaRX0Gs2UGrp1cCaM1o3iDwaNwAahCNRqnheqp0GA9gqyAKFg-41RGRn-YjR7KVsaW_ho2mgFHfMdPijq4hQo1a8SKnc_CxQzcbq9zgJEl-w=s3055" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3055" data-original-width="2543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg60ksNZwZW8SblNh6ZSnbtbaCP_alRjfCRgfAdL5DqcXtaWPHPRGa6jpnNvdoLZ5U8r3qxW2kIq2dbNaRX0Gs2UGrp1cCaM1o3iDwaNwAahCNRqnheqp0GA9gqyAKFg-41RGRn-YjR7KVsaW_ho2mgFHfMdPijq4hQo1a8SKnc_CxQzcbq9zgJEl-w=s320" width="266" /></a></div><br /> My first shot at macaron and a bit lumpy, no smooth top and no "legs" but they taste very good, with raspberry jam everyone ate them happily. But mine I filled with this chopped filet mignon. It has very little flavor when cooked as a steak, only softness. But that makes it ideal for eating raw. <p></p><p>The sweet almond flavor of the macaron with meat makes me think of medieval flavor combinations, and if there had been a little spice to it, definitely so. As it was, the compliment of the bitter green and pungent horseradish went perfectly. </p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-40720739543727445002021-11-19T06:11:00.001-08:002021-11-19T06:11:22.081-08:00Tacoyaki<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1_hvFyGev3iPuiRIcZbekhbMfgUnRP7M3yRKXvQr-dbJCSqH7mRnZnNCYv0OQ9go5yD_IOpjTPh5MCd-UdIBMtn3HaSCDu8YVywTwcDWk0pFTGFrpKKC6Uoro_1bFQKsPYx_S1jD-6Y/s2048/4905C397-6368-41CB-A43D-5FCDD8A059DC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1993" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1_hvFyGev3iPuiRIcZbekhbMfgUnRP7M3yRKXvQr-dbJCSqH7mRnZnNCYv0OQ9go5yD_IOpjTPh5MCd-UdIBMtn3HaSCDu8YVywTwcDWk0pFTGFrpKKC6Uoro_1bFQKsPYx_S1jD-6Y/s320/4905C397-6368-41CB-A43D-5FCDD8A059DC.jpeg" width="311" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I can't imagine I'm the first person to stumble on this wordplay, but the flavor combo is truly delightful. Takoyaki with octopus of course, in a taco with pico de gallo, cheese, mayo and sauce on top. </p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-62733410471742810392021-08-11T13:57:00.002-07:002021-08-11T13:57:38.005-07:00 Plum Crumble in Bourbon Campari Jello with honeyed yogurt. <p><br /></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcP7l-p0cmwMtfOltcYIn4MX4h183sbvFb9wtBUK0NoWgml5KLSXJgFPAKfk5YtrPxh1WQUR-W9zdTE3PbYahp6g_fKYz3FaUkhHfc0Z0jTPLbZLMPtvZORh8dBObgYzZpng_VHMFz8mc/s2048/plum+crumble.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1861" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcP7l-p0cmwMtfOltcYIn4MX4h183sbvFb9wtBUK0NoWgml5KLSXJgFPAKfk5YtrPxh1WQUR-W9zdTE3PbYahp6g_fKYz3FaUkhHfc0Z0jTPLbZLMPtvZORh8dBObgYzZpng_VHMFz8mc/w400-h364/plum+crumble.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Recipe: 1 c whole wheat pastry flour, 1 c unrefined sugar, 1 stick butter. Crumbled up. 4 sliced black and green plums on top, baked 350 1 hr. 3/4 c bourbon, 1/4 c campari, 1 tbs gelatin. Dissolve gel in 1/4 liquid, heat the rest, pour over, let cool. Pour over chilled pie. Chill. Dizzyingly luscious. The bottom is like a sugar cookie, crunchy on the outside and chewy inside.</div></div>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-10557022224578123602021-06-25T05:55:00.002-07:002021-06-25T05:55:45.176-07:00Lobster and Noodles <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7mWFWgx9eQzDDNi1_CpCHJ5m8-Tgv1APlMiD6-vtIaL8oxiya7BsPJW-24LV6kLL6V0e4cES-IhyD1OCJ96uGRb43p-3MSsIR4cqzCISQQdPpz3ehGd41ODjjcoTlUXvovfCj0FopZs/s2048/C554919C-2A8A-4815-917B-348ACF28420F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1822" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7mWFWgx9eQzDDNi1_CpCHJ5m8-Tgv1APlMiD6-vtIaL8oxiya7BsPJW-24LV6kLL6V0e4cES-IhyD1OCJ96uGRb43p-3MSsIR4cqzCISQQdPpz3ehGd41ODjjcoTlUXvovfCj0FopZs/s320/C554919C-2A8A-4815-917B-348ACF28420F.jpeg" /></a></div><br /> There's a first for everything in life: Leftover Lobster. It called to me from the fridge all night. So I gave in, made some fresh egg noodles, tossed with butter, parm and a little lobster stock. OH my goodness! <p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-47965733660612800652021-03-23T09:47:00.000-07:002021-03-23T09:47:03.804-07:00Chawanmushi Improvs <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwk7rHd2IrqqIxHaA-L6h7yDELY-opb-y-WtuAEJ8Hp8zrWAdUhuhvi7uUKzvfPrDmudrn_LLZu_H95_8g8XHbJ24GBH64UbxGqX0HMXXtnYQXQOgKGlW69GQam5kxsk27dk3nz1ZVfE/s2048/Chawanmushi+1+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1796" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwk7rHd2IrqqIxHaA-L6h7yDELY-opb-y-WtuAEJ8Hp8zrWAdUhuhvi7uUKzvfPrDmudrn_LLZu_H95_8g8XHbJ24GBH64UbxGqX0HMXXtnYQXQOgKGlW69GQam5kxsk27dk3nz1ZVfE/s320/Chawanmushi+1+.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is a kind of Japanese custard which people think
requires some remarkably complex technique. It’s actually easier to make than a
poached egg. Its appeal lies primarily in the soft creamy texture, especially
when contrasted with crunchy or chewy garnishes. In flavor it can be as
delicate or as intense as you like in the morning, and is entirely dependent on
the strength of the stock you use. The key to success, I discovered after much
travail, is adhering to a simple formula and precise timing and after that you
can use any ingredients you like. Here is a relatively classic version, though
garnished according to my personal whim. <o:p></o:p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">½ c dashi stock<br />1 jumbo egg<br />½ tsp mirin<br />½ tsp soy sauce<br /> 2 small pieces of lightly salted
salmon<br /><p style="text-align: left;">A few whisps of dill, Thin wedge of tomato, 1 shiitake mushroom, 1 tsp neutral oil</p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>If you can make dashi stock, by all means do. It is a
handful of skipjack mackerel shavings and a piece of kombu steeped in hot water
and strained. You can also find powdered dashi stock, just try to avoid the
jarred instant hondashi powder. Put 3 inches of water in a small pot and bring
to the boil. Break the egg gently into the room temperature stock, and stir
with your finger. On no account should you beat this mixture, or you’ll have
spongy scrambled eggs. Add the mirin and soy. With a small fine meshed sieve
set over a small teacup, press the mixture through. This takes a few minutes,
so be patient. Cover it with tin foil tightly. Lower the heat of the water as
low as it will go, and place the tea cup in the pot and cover. Steam for
exactly 12 minutes. If the water is over 170 degrees, the liquid stock will be
pressed out of suspension and you’ll have wet scrambled eggs. Do don’t be
tempted to turn the heat up or even peek at it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile cook your mushroom in oil, and char the tomato
too, then set aside. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Remove the teacup from the pot and let rest 3 minutes.
Remove the tin foil and arrange the garnishes on top. Serve at once with a
spoon while still warm.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Now here’s the best part, you can use absolutely any kind of
stock and any garnishes you like. An intense mushroom stock was remarkable with
sour cream and chives and a few sliced of truffle for extravagance. Chicken
stock was incredible in custard form, especially contrasted with crunchy sweet
corn fried in butter, with a few chewy chicken meatballs to garnish. A
shellfish stock with shrimp would be so delightful too. I leave this to your
imagination. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmgIl_BO8U36C47GmSgzFuiPkjuPJPX65Iibz_WToVHcX8DRuYne1719zuALAC_tSSXMvPVkcxAK6ff3eQ7BbHZ59c_MvQT0cFj2p0Ns5sQft9vysbfpEfycR3rOxEOwbNIGezF_nIfo/s2048/chawanmushi+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmgIl_BO8U36C47GmSgzFuiPkjuPJPX65Iibz_WToVHcX8DRuYne1719zuALAC_tSSXMvPVkcxAK6ff3eQ7BbHZ59c_MvQT0cFj2p0Ns5sQft9vysbfpEfycR3rOxEOwbNIGezF_nIfo/s320/chawanmushi+3.jpeg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEwB-kvYqC68jgUGNpAUHQmLUEmZxAwc59LjWOE4Cz1K7EQProYODcEg1-4be53aJfV7q92qC8bxfAbsw7T0kpGScpmjyti1sErvqlpQWIKHBx11RLNIOR-n0g_xpehfjDYCoYg3MZH8/s2048/chawanmushi+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEwB-kvYqC68jgUGNpAUHQmLUEmZxAwc59LjWOE4Cz1K7EQProYODcEg1-4be53aJfV7q92qC8bxfAbsw7T0kpGScpmjyti1sErvqlpQWIKHBx11RLNIOR-n0g_xpehfjDYCoYg3MZH8/s320/chawanmushi+2.jpeg" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-42694282453498314262021-02-23T12:57:00.003-08:002021-02-23T12:57:54.312-08:00Sample Images from The Professor Cooks Breakfast <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6R1ziv57lTsg85WgQybFkZyqJx6FSN521SmRzU8m68f86iy7xskJuhyVbk7VmDETB_8kTtijjejlzrpXw7bSZBZtCclepYJAjDzETtI5C5x2Jsedxtnl21IlJuk3lbZJ253PaSFfuXc/s2048/carp.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6R1ziv57lTsg85WgQybFkZyqJx6FSN521SmRzU8m68f86iy7xskJuhyVbk7VmDETB_8kTtijjejlzrpXw7bSZBZtCclepYJAjDzETtI5C5x2Jsedxtnl21IlJuk3lbZJ253PaSFfuXc/w480-h640/carp.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWTh_gfcgwTyx7g-oKU7S7e6xufeYoVijyAcsQiGmbjn_2RmiOc-cY99Dweg2hjKRZnnr77r_yFhO87qI07tnx5lekYW05cHAq4AW5_2YPMsuESk1jY8lIQZkLGkpNMoSoQLI-Nc4-Os/s2048/pea+muffin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1739" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWTh_gfcgwTyx7g-oKU7S7e6xufeYoVijyAcsQiGmbjn_2RmiOc-cY99Dweg2hjKRZnnr77r_yFhO87qI07tnx5lekYW05cHAq4AW5_2YPMsuESk1jY8lIQZkLGkpNMoSoQLI-Nc4-Os/w544-h640/pea+muffin.jpeg" width="544" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxrsnHIEMKcNX59g7pZflKt8EL_qlhjk6MrShfsPBDQAs9avZlD_AnSALJTYlemDRHLfZNV_OvaclvdlEZr74YHSZDD4eqlmjM5vEhRrTPV5MytO29Av1Ik_R2zBBw7J6YlNkM5yBYQk/s2048/boyos+2+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1991" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxrsnHIEMKcNX59g7pZflKt8EL_qlhjk6MrShfsPBDQAs9avZlD_AnSALJTYlemDRHLfZNV_OvaclvdlEZr74YHSZDD4eqlmjM5vEhRrTPV5MytO29Av1Ik_R2zBBw7J6YlNkM5yBYQk/w622-h640/boyos+2+.jpeg" width="622" /></a></div><br />Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-90490752985348688542021-01-15T12:18:00.002-08:002021-01-15T12:18:21.660-08:00Amaranth Sushi with Smoked Trout <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWa6TY4PV6CQh63P7X3sw9aKFzhyd0f2S2pxMQzwSxV-l4utUlJr19Cvp4jY0UwCEq3P-mgSsyZD8n8iY1DE5D6gpFpMWyLekRp0m99phfNfIuiXb9W_SQMCjFbczd4RtwT7pUUrR32s/s2048/Amaranth+Sushi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1913" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWa6TY4PV6CQh63P7X3sw9aKFzhyd0f2S2pxMQzwSxV-l4utUlJr19Cvp4jY0UwCEq3P-mgSsyZD8n8iY1DE5D6gpFpMWyLekRp0m99phfNfIuiXb9W_SQMCjFbczd4RtwT7pUUrR32s/w598-h640/Amaranth+Sushi.jpeg" width="598" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Amaranth Sushi 1/15/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some grains simply don’t stick together well enough to hold
together in a rolled sushi, but amaranth is an exception. The nutty flavor also
goes so nicely with the fish that it doesn’t need any further embellishment.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">¾ c water<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1/8 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">½ c amaranth<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 smoked
trout filet<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">1 tbs
mayonnaise<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">2 sheets of
nori <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bring the water to the boil in a small pot with the salt.
Add the amaranth and lower the heat. Simmer very gently for 20 minutes covered.
Remove the lid and let the steam rise in the hot pot, stirring now and then,
until the amaranth is completely dry and cool. Mix the trout and mayonnaise.
Briefly pass the sheets of seaweed over an open flame for just a second so they
are toasty and crisp. Divide the amaranth between the two sheets and make a
thin layer. Place the trout in a thin line along the middle. Then place the
whole thing in a sushi rolling mat, and roll up tightly, pressing it in with
the edge of the mat rolled around it. Remove the whole roll, cut into 4 parts
with a serrated bread knife, very gently so you don’t squish out the contents.
Repeat with the other sheet. Makes 8 small pieces. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-238149822037895592020-12-27T11:13:00.002-08:002020-12-27T11:13:58.372-08:00Sev Nachos <p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CDqBg1mcZtsukjT9XVs5kcFjTziqVyKDH07a1RumV_SqOiLc1VKXBtnoev90Vp9CzowoLl214M6FY6-MSmkur5rwyUGuhOoERm0jMpbc_zmMs2F1RsVZtklhbf5bopwa33wM24LSKzc/s2046/sev+nachos+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="1826" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CDqBg1mcZtsukjT9XVs5kcFjTziqVyKDH07a1RumV_SqOiLc1VKXBtnoev90Vp9CzowoLl214M6FY6-MSmkur5rwyUGuhOoERm0jMpbc_zmMs2F1RsVZtklhbf5bopwa33wM24LSKzc/s320/sev+nachos+.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Among the most ingenious ways
to transform chickpea flour is to extrude it through a brass device used in
India to make <i>sev</i> – a kind of fried noodle that goes into a variety of
dishes. There are various other machines that will work just as well, a small
hand-held noodle extruder, a ricer and even a cookie press with a perforated
die. Here I have obviously desecrated a revered snack food, but it is so
remarkably delicious, I implore you to try it.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1 c
chickpea flour</li><li>1 tsp
vegetable oil</li><li>½ tsp salt</li><li>½ tsp
turmeric</li><li>1/8 tsp
paprika</li><li>1/8 tsp
cayenne pepper </li><li>Water (less
than ¼ cup) </li><li>2 inches
of vegetable oil in a pan </li><li><o:p> </o:p></li><li><o:p><br /></o:p></li><li>1 ounce
mozzarella </li><li>1 Roma
tomato </li><li>2 tbs sour
cream</li><li>¼ c fresh
cilantro </li><li>1 tbs milk
</li><li>1/8 tsp of
salt </li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in;">Mix the
first 6 ingredients and add just enough water so it becomes a stiff dough. If
necessary add a little more chickpea flour and form into a cylinder with your
hands. Slide it into your press. There is no need to oil it, your hands, or
anything. Now heat your oil in the pan. To test take a tiny bit of the dough
and put it in the hot oil. See if it floats up. If it sinks and no bubbles form,
it’s not hot enough, if it browns quickly, it’s too hot. Adjust heat
accordingly. Then put the plunger in your extruder and turn the crank directly
over the oil, filling the whole pan with noodles. With a pair of metal skewers,
start turning them over. Cook on both sides about 5 minutes or until golden.
Remove with a slotted spoon or strainer and place on paper towels to cool. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in;">Then
arrange on a baking sheet covered with tin foil, sprinkle on the cheese and the
tomato, chopped. Place in a toaster oven at 350 degrees until the cheese is
melted. While that is heating, mix the sour cream, chopped cilantro and salt,
thin with milk until it’s pourable. Take the nachos out of the oven a drizzle
with the sour cream mixture. Be forwarned: it’s awfully messy, but there’s no
other way to eat it but with your fingers. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-74047742737695012922020-11-25T08:49:00.004-08:002020-11-25T08:51:22.584-08:00Boyos (Sephardic Rolls with Rabe and Feta) <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMRfTzHKQKCyJ8uCa5u-Vpn0AdhWzLx9kzF71v5D0tqVwxEpDxEUlHtuOGvejiIkQPKSTYenhvJdh6NO65-mENlluhFeasGkISp_YDlgy3KQw9mkaIdrqpdak9E05aYWJLvwMwMMQigA/s2048/boyos+1+.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMRfTzHKQKCyJ8uCa5u-Vpn0AdhWzLx9kzF71v5D0tqVwxEpDxEUlHtuOGvejiIkQPKSTYenhvJdh6NO65-mENlluhFeasGkISp_YDlgy3KQw9mkaIdrqpdak9E05aYWJLvwMwMMQigA/w300-h400/boyos+1+.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“My grandma was the best cook ever!” says anyone who has
ever been interested in cooking and eating. I say the same thing myself. For
years I have been trying to replicate her recipes from memory. She died when I
was 13, so it’s mostly guesswork. One of these is boyos – a kind of round roll
with spinach and feta filling. There were also other fillings, like onion and
egg, ground beef too. I recall vividly one day exclaiming how much I liked
them, so whenever I saw her, she would have made dozens just for me, to put in
the freezer and have for breakfast every day. In all honesty, they were a bit
dense and since she was Mediterranean at heart, she poured olive oil on top. My
father would become incensed; he liked them fine without oil, but she insisted.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After a little sleuthing I found that boyoz, as they are
spelled in Turkey, are still made in the city of Izmir (Smyrna) where my
grandmother’s family came from, and they are still associated with the
Sephardic Jewish community. Of course the name is bollo – and they come
originally from Spain. They are often unfilled in Turkey and are made of a
pulled filo dough, light like a croissant. Nothing like my grandmother’s. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So with this recipe I thought about how much better they
would be light and flaky, so I made a simple yeasted and laminated croissant-like
dough with butter. I also used broccoli rabe instead of spinach, because the
oxalic acid in the latter strips the enamel off my teeth and makes them feel
chalky. And because rabe is the best vegetable on earth, period. Use a good
creamy feta too, ideally from Bulgaria, but French feta can be great too. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">1 c pastry
flour<br />1/8 tsp sea salt<br />1 tsp
instant yeast<br />1/3 c water,
plus a little more for kneading<br />6 tbs salted
butter<br />1 bunch
broccoli rabe<br />3 tbs olive
oil<br />1 tsp salt<br />6 oz feta
cheese<br />1 egg<br />1 tsp each
black and white sesame seeds</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mix the flour, salt, yeast and water and knead for about 10
minutes, keeping your hands wet with extra water (rather than dry with flour).
Place pats of the cold butter on a sheet of plastic wrap and put another sheet on
top. Roll it out into a thin square. Roll out the dough on a large wooden
board, this time floured. Remove the top sheet of plastic from the butter and
set it directly on the dough; then remove the other sheet. Fold the dough over
the butter like a book and roll out. Repeat folding over and rolling out 4 or 5
times more, wrap the dough in the plastic and let rest in the fridge for an
hour. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Chop the broccoli rabe, discarding the thick ends of the
stems. Fry in the oil and season with salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring now
and then, for about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl to
cool. Then crumble in the feta and add ¾ of the egg. Mix well. And set aside
until the dough is finished resting in the fridge. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Roll out the dough on a floured board. Cut into four pieces.
Place the filling in the center of each piece and fold over the sides, encasing
the filling. Then turn them over, so the top is smooth. Brush with the
remaining egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Then heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the boyos for 10
minutes and then lower the heat to 350 and cook another 20 minutes until
browned. Eat them hot, for breakfast of course. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxTUFPuPtlcHOopTDOwTtffO5c4fd-nGF3CuzKBIwnZskq69RgeN8xy5XvqXRbkxjq7QubGE6BRNDX9mZ4_qhYfSNRSbGIB_1_VuAThJ599sOO8YFNWAXgyDgqisVz2mZ-a0oKk97BrM/s2048/boyos+2+.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1991" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxTUFPuPtlcHOopTDOwTtffO5c4fd-nGF3CuzKBIwnZskq69RgeN8xy5XvqXRbkxjq7QubGE6BRNDX9mZ4_qhYfSNRSbGIB_1_VuAThJ599sOO8YFNWAXgyDgqisVz2mZ-a0oKk97BrM/s320/boyos+2+.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-33091671418567651152020-10-29T16:31:00.006-07:002020-10-29T16:31:35.839-07:00Recipe Testing <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkhhFmsMlBFn-pi-QoyX8U00KucPP3nj8p7r3WFcunq_OI0_bsu4t8-M1XlV1hVUQNPPRkQwoexYWcUL-xGpBJE1ySUr8ClzhyphenhyphenRS5ubP3I_o9Lwe45glzT142f3d_62REruCX4-jXbYE/s2048/Recipe+Testing.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkhhFmsMlBFn-pi-QoyX8U00KucPP3nj8p7r3WFcunq_OI0_bsu4t8-M1XlV1hVUQNPPRkQwoexYWcUL-xGpBJE1ySUr8ClzhyphenhyphenRS5ubP3I_o9Lwe45glzT142f3d_62REruCX4-jXbYE/s320/Recipe+Testing.jpeg" /></a></div><p><br /></p>How to do Recipe Testing<p></p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First get on your sturdy hiking shoes and a good hat and a
little blue backpack from Disney Word with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit on it. Set
out early, but not too much before stores open. Head north. Don’t forget your
earbuds. Prepare to spend about 4 hours listening to <i>Trout Fishing in America</i>,
which will lull your brain into a state of hypnosis. This will help you focus
on the recipe at hand, still as yet unimagined. Drop into a little party supply
store that is almost always closed, and for no good reason buy a few 3-inch
tinned brioche molds for $2.40 each. Keep going north. Stop in the famous San
Francisco Boudin Bakery chain, which you haven’t been in for about a decade,
when your son was taking guitar lessons and the other son wanted clam chowder
in a sourdough bowl. Buy some sourdough and wonder, as always, how that the
particular lactobacillus strain can survive the heat of Stockton. Keep walking
north. Imagine stuffing the bread into the brioche molds. Pick up some vodka
(best to plan ahead) and put it in Oswald. Buy some olive oil, the last drop of
which you used last night. The backpack will begin to sag by now. Richard
Brautigan will make you say <i>Trout Fishing in America</i> when the person at
the cash register asks if this is credit or debit. When you finally get home,
cut the sourdough into thin three-inch rounds with crust all around. Butter
every surface, including the sides, your hands, and the top of your head. Suddenly
remember that although you have no trout, there are chunks of salmon, well
salted, strewn with dill and splashed with Linie Aquavit, which is better than
any other because it has crossed the equator. Unlike the salmon, who only went
upstream. But they didn’t have a ship, which is why they die after spawning.
The people who bring Linie Aquavit across the equator, they do not die after
spawning. Squish your buttered bread, but not your head, into the brioche molds
and fill with a few nubbins of cured salmon. Nibble on the salmon, then
remember that you put the vodka in the freezer and make a drink with lime,
sugar and lime-flavored seltzer so you can bear out the 15 minutes you arbitrarily
decide will be the time this recipe takes to bake. Preheat the toaster oven.
Crack and egg, add a pinch of salt and pour into the molds. Whisk the brioche molds
into the toaster oven and sip your cocktail. When the bell goes off, remove
them, take a few pictures and pry them out of the molds and take a few more.
Eat the whatchamacallits with your cocktail. Oh just call them <i>Trout Fishing
in America</i>. Mayonaise. <o:p></o:p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-56627724555592501272020-10-16T16:12:00.005-07:002020-10-16T16:12:39.431-07:00Idli with Almond Butter and Persimmon Chutney<p class="MsoNormal">Were I to tell you that this recipe is highly reminiscent of
a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you probably wouldn’t believe me, but it’s
true. Idli, from Southern India, are soft cakey rounds that are oddly like
white bread but pleasantly sour and made entirely from fermented rice and
beans. Almond butter is more nuanced than peanut but either would work well,
and the chutney is infinitely more vibrant than jelly. Combining these
ingredients also came to me entirely serendipitously. About a decade ago I
planted a little persimmon tree at the corner of my house, where it received
next to no light and even less water. I vaguely remembered it was there, but it
never bore fruit and never grew. This past season we trimmed back nearby trees
and fixed the sprinkler. I happened to be poking around in front of the house
mid October, and what do you know? Three gorgeous fuyu persimmons, crisp and
sweet and ready to go on the idli I had just steamed for breakfast. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In terms of cost, I bought a large bag of basmati rice for $5.99
and beans $2.99. To make the idli batter, I used about a dollar’s worth of rice
and 50 cents for the beans. The almond butter was already in the cabinet and
the persimmon, free. So breakfast for me, just a cup of the batter, of which I
had about 7 cups, so that means this cost 21 cents. I tested it a few times to
get the cooking time right, so let’s be fair and say 63 cents to test and 25
cents for the other ingredients – a shallot and a few raisins, a spoon of almond
butter. Eminently affordable, unusual, and quick. The only thing you need to
start ahead of time is the batter, but it takes very little effort. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Idli <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">2 c basmati rice<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">½ c urad dahl (tiny white black
gram beans with the outer coating removed – not lentils) <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Spring water or filtered tap water
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">½ tbs butter<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 tbs almond butter <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Put the rice in one large bowl and the beans in another.
Barely cover each with water. Cover with a dish cloth and allow them to ferment
for 2 days. Next put them together in a blender and process until smooth and
the consistency of cream. Return to the larger bowl and cover. Let ferment
another two days, stirring a few times each day. Don’t be alarmed by any errant
aromas the bowl may emit. It cannot go bad. It’s simply adjusting to your house
and the lactobacilli are multiplying, fending off other bacteria. At this point
it should be frothy and thick and resembles whipped egg whites. If your house
is hot it may go quicker and the opposite if cold.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Then generously butter a small bowl about 4 inches in
diameter and pour in some batter, about half way up. Place the bowl into a
steamer and cook for 12 minutes. A smaller bowl will take a little less time,
larger more. Remove from the steamer and let cool for a few minutes. Run a
knife around the perimeter to loosen the idli and turn out onto a board. Slice
the idli horizontally so you have a top and bottom, like a little bun. Spread
the almond butter on one side. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Persimmon Chutney <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">2 tbs neutral oil<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 small shallot<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 knob of ginger<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 small fuyu persimmon <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">About 20 golden raisins <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 tbs vinegar <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> When you put your idli in to steam, peel and chop the
shallot and start to cook gently in the oil. Peel the ginger with a spoon,
slice and dice finely, then add to the pan. Chop the persimmon finely and add. Likewise
chop the raisins and add them. Splash with vinegar. Ideally this should be
cooked just enough by the time your idli are done, about 12 minutes. Or let
cook a few minutes longer if necessary. Put a good dollop of the chutney on top
of the almond butter, close and serve up, just as you would a PB&J
sandwich.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisT-5A2D4rjNI13nMK-dUAF6SY8yfRONtl5SsFYYdcwQ1SOzaEIyNeQfZqkRuxkfm36CJwQOpTo8K_U_RI9XVY1LU4t0zFuWPPwxnrtMzkCb8XKSd2DPwM6f4u_BxfnVhntLM-aEV5HeE/s2048/idli.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2004" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisT-5A2D4rjNI13nMK-dUAF6SY8yfRONtl5SsFYYdcwQ1SOzaEIyNeQfZqkRuxkfm36CJwQOpTo8K_U_RI9XVY1LU4t0zFuWPPwxnrtMzkCb8XKSd2DPwM6f4u_BxfnVhntLM-aEV5HeE/w391-h400/idli.jpeg" width="391" /></a></div><p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-86657599157879136062020-10-02T13:20:00.000-07:002020-10-02T13:20:23.153-07:00It's a Wrap <p> I am fairly committed to writing a book about breakfast now. This very simple, quick and easy dish I made this morning has me excited to send out a proposal and get the ball rolling. I'm up to 16 recipes in the past few weeks, pretty much one a day. Well, here's a sample: </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcDKscY79f28B3kWr2QpWstm8XEXj04Lhc7kbZ-plCwo7lxZva3-frHQ5UP4dBKeqYiA7MtXzlYFHhF6iLe0YCstzTEwHXBgiXl8VnO8VvHab9zJHsGfLPbO-lQpJMEVr_EsNapxXwqc/s2048/wrap.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2005" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcDKscY79f28B3kWr2QpWstm8XEXj04Lhc7kbZ-plCwo7lxZva3-frHQ5UP4dBKeqYiA7MtXzlYFHhF6iLe0YCstzTEwHXBgiXl8VnO8VvHab9zJHsGfLPbO-lQpJMEVr_EsNapxXwqc/s320/wrap.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The Thanksgiving Wrap</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">1 flat bread, home made or
store-bought flour tortilla<br />2 tbs chevre<br /> 1 tbs umeboshi plum paste, found
in a Japanese grocery<br />¼ c walnuts, crushed<br />1 tsp unrefined sugar<br />¼ tsp salt<br />1/8 tsp ground cinnamon<br />3 slices leftover turkey or
roasted turkey cold cuts<br />1 tsp apple cider vinegar<br />1 tsp maple syrup<br />1 tbs walnut oil<br /> Pinch of salt<br />Handful of baby spinach<br /> <o:p> </o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Warm the flatbread over an open
flame. Then spread with the chevre and squirt on the umeboshi paste. This is a
stand in for cranberry sauce, it’s more sour, salty and sits in the wrap
better. Spread it around evenly. Heat the crushed walnuts in a nonstick pan
with the sugar and salt and cinnamon, stirring constantly and being careful not
to let burn. Transfer to a plate to cool. Then sprinkle on the flatbread. Add
the slices of turkey. In a small bowl mix the vinegar, syrup, oil and salt to
form a dressing. Add in the spinach and mix with your hands. Then transfer to
the flatbread. Roll up the bread tightly, cut on the diagonal and serve at
once. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
<br /></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-62020476939312263522020-09-10T10:42:00.001-07:002020-09-10T10:44:33.846-07:00Salt Cod Fritters with Romesco and Escarole<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBpIEcoODiQNAerTsRILahX6O9LKyNm_XHRFDcd0s9-nDDvPgfXiTOaVjihSK_TXkUkRK94ISFAQVNpWzFPbcbSwDOI7nVuQOMU8i-0Y3yV3lbxca7cyiWkgRFcHta8Hv5n_O9fXTOq8/s2048/cod+fritters.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBpIEcoODiQNAerTsRILahX6O9LKyNm_XHRFDcd0s9-nDDvPgfXiTOaVjihSK_TXkUkRK94ISFAQVNpWzFPbcbSwDOI7nVuQOMU8i-0Y3yV3lbxca7cyiWkgRFcHta8Hv5n_O9fXTOq8/w375-h500/cod+fritters.jpeg" width="375" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Makes one dozen fritters <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 lb box of bacal<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ã</span>o
(salt cod) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">2 tbs olive oil<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">¼ c heavy cream<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">½ c dry fino sherry <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 c okonomiyaki flour or regular
pancake mix, plus more if necessary for a very thick batter<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 tbs lard or butter<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">2 large red peppers </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">½ cup toasted almonds, crushed <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">2 cloves garlic<o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">¼ c olive oil </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 head of escarole</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
2 tbs olive oil<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Salt to taste<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Dabs of mayonnaise</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1 thinly sliced small hot red
chili pepper <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Soak the bacalão in water for 24 hours in the fridge,
changing the water often. Sauté it gently in olive oil until it begins to fall
apart, then transfer to a bowl. Add the cream and the sherry and mix until the
fish has broken up completely. Then add the okonomiyaki flour. With your hands
roll the batter into a dozen small balls and fry in a pan with hemispherical
depressions such as an abelskiver or Takoyaki pan, or simply fry in a regular
nonstick pan. Fry until golden brown and then transfer to a rack to cool.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Place the red peppers directly on the gas burner or grill
and turn frequently until completely charred. Place in a large paper bag until
cool. Scrape off the char with a knife, do not rinse, remove the seeds and
core, and chop the pepper finely. Place in a pan with the garlic and olive oil
and cook gently until soft. Add salt. Then transfer to a mortar and pound until
it becomes a chunky sauce. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Chop the escarole and sauté in the oil until tender. Add
salt to taste while cooking. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To serve arrange the fritters on a plate with the sauce and
the escarole on the side. Garnish with the mayonnaise and slivers of chili
pepper. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-32970632308188241142020-08-25T12:46:00.003-07:002020-08-25T12:46:29.742-07:00Jello Drinks to Beat Summer Heat<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWECMKQLjPVf632L2yw5xVkHs57aZ7laWzlg13pTW0HCOhD9WyMmn8u3PPC6D7orYIARoJn3V1AGYUOBBzyiFri1UQVKu5t4QoJ-Hd2p0b3Pk0RtRgQz09l6VgrIoEJaPjc2ODY0oM74g/s2048/3732D805-677D-4DD9-9F9E-E0B89BD31684.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1753" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWECMKQLjPVf632L2yw5xVkHs57aZ7laWzlg13pTW0HCOhD9WyMmn8u3PPC6D7orYIARoJn3V1AGYUOBBzyiFri1UQVKu5t4QoJ-Hd2p0b3Pk0RtRgQz09l6VgrIoEJaPjc2ODY0oM74g/s640/3732D805-677D-4DD9-9F9E-E0B89BD31684.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When the heat lingers for weeks on end, these Southeast Asian inspired jello drinks are seriously refreshing. The dark one is grass jelly cubes in white vermouth and sweetened condensed milk. The green is a pandan mung bean noodle in ice cold sake, also with sweetened condensed milk. I'm not sure why jello is so cooling in this form, but it sure is. </span></div><p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-9190309558869210062020-08-16T11:53:00.002-07:002020-08-16T11:53:34.362-07:00Gelatin Ice Vodka and Tonic <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH7MeVY4L-1zoaRQS4IMGc8qJmEFT29iIdgZT726JeB-GKK59lnpXAgQ4cLrzF46MKkiY_iRtQG03oAhAQkBMWUY50ZTiMSYdoZjKvDOe9N-s-R_NAdgjctia_W_3cTXnBq_vXeIXDjY/s2048/ICE.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1782" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH7MeVY4L-1zoaRQS4IMGc8qJmEFT29iIdgZT726JeB-GKK59lnpXAgQ4cLrzF46MKkiY_iRtQG03oAhAQkBMWUY50ZTiMSYdoZjKvDOe9N-s-R_NAdgjctia_W_3cTXnBq_vXeIXDjY/s640/ICE.HEIC" /></a></div> This was a fun little trick. Very pure gelatin, sugar and a little phosphate for the acid. Made into gelatin cubes, plopped into a vodka and tonic. And instead of the hard ice hitting your teeth, it's a squishy chewy gel cube. Delicious and refreshing too. <p></p>Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-41066112904269055522020-05-04T12:54:00.003-07:002020-05-04T12:55:35.108-07:00Tomatillo Tequila Jello in Tamago Spring Roll <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwbArpGvcneVMEy212mp1LGWQ8dDCYFC5jqacnFc_1f8Bg8u8KuDT6tLoeS2exkvYoKGuHbVZpVbOTqcWLxwfAa4w4LZLgYVztGWPrVlS6VW5OBnuyK5b446bEDGczdc0QamfDihnexU/s1600/139+Spring+Roll.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1507" data-original-width="1600" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwbArpGvcneVMEy212mp1LGWQ8dDCYFC5jqacnFc_1f8Bg8u8KuDT6tLoeS2exkvYoKGuHbVZpVbOTqcWLxwfAa4w4LZLgYVztGWPrVlS6VW5OBnuyK5b446bEDGczdc0QamfDihnexU/s400/139+Spring+Roll.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
Have you ever considered how many cultures roll things up in
starch or a bread-based wrapper? Burritos and spring rolls presumably have no
real connection, but the flavors inside and the way they’re eaten are so
similar. A good example of convergent evolution, two distinct species move
toward the same solution, though unrelated. Like humming birds and bees sipping
nectar from flowers. I decided to throw in another rolled favorite of mine.
Though I seriously thought about shredded turkey or cabbage leaves, egg just
seemed perfect and in terms of flavor, I think I was right.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6
tomatillos, husk removed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 whole
serrano chilies<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 tbs olive
oil <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
½ c tequila <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 tbs
unflavored gelatin <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 egg<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
½ tsp dashi
stock<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 spring
roll wrappers <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A little
chopped cilantro<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Slivers of
carrot <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lime or
tomato for garnish <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a pan or on a comal toast the tomatillos and chilies with
a little oil until charred and soft. Remove stems from chilies and put in a
blender with tomatillos and ½ c water and a teaspoon of salt. Blend until
smooth. Then fry the mixture in the pan with residual oil. Set aside in a bowl.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mix the tequila with the gelatin in a small pot, add ½ cup
of the tomatillo sauce and gently heat until it barely comes to a boil. Pour
into a greased square casserole pan and put in the refrigerator to set. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mix the egg and dashi stock and cook in a large frying pan
with a tiny bit of oil. Swirl it around so you have one very thin layer of
cooked egg. Let cool on a large plate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unmold the jello on top of the egg. Roll both into a cigar
shape and cut in two, trimming the ends if necessary. Moisten two spring roll
wrappers with hot water and place on a board or plate. Sprinkle on cilantro and
carrot. Place the cylinders of jello inside, fold in the sides and wrap up
tightly. Chill again until firm. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then cut each on the bias and arrange on a plate with
garnish of lime or tomato or whatever you like. It doesn’t need a dipping sauce
because the mole verde is already inside. It’s spicy, crunchy, chewy, and
refreshing, all at the same time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-59021030511708948292020-04-26T12:55:00.003-07:002020-04-26T12:55:25.283-07:00Bullshot Jello, Marrowbone Shortbread with Pickled Lemon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMkSu3dKh6Q0uMb9hNUnCFTO-yZ0phbzeV2jVZxssuiTqhKuv4cvi2t2h-of77l2pjNYmRERQrqH8RsOLfBxfxLQgjVC6MNBbDpRGMv7i6GSMj5zNk2xmllxmnKZKs39XM9TCmPu_65A/s1600/Bullshot+Jello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="756" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMkSu3dKh6Q0uMb9hNUnCFTO-yZ0phbzeV2jVZxssuiTqhKuv4cvi2t2h-of77l2pjNYmRERQrqH8RsOLfBxfxLQgjVC6MNBbDpRGMv7i6GSMj5zNk2xmllxmnKZKs39XM9TCmPu_65A/s320/Bullshot+Jello.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bullshot is a classic mid-century cocktail but gained a
certain popularity in the 1980s. For some reason I picture Tom Cruise ordering
it in a bar. As a cocktail it’s pleasantly savory but strange enough that you
won’t want to sip too much. As a jello it replicates the smooth creaminess of
roasted marrow without being quite as unctuous. Scooped onto the shortbread
with a dab of the lemon, it’s a marvel. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
3 four-Inch
sawed marrow bone tubes <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 tsp
powdered gelatin<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
¾ c vodka<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
¾ c home-made
beef stock (see recipe) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 cup flour
or more <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 tsp crushed
fennel seed<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
½ tsp salt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
¼ tsp sugar <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 pickled
meyer lemon*<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Briefly blanch the bones in boiling water. Remove from water
and push out the interior marrow fat with a small knife into a small pot.
Simmer the fat on very low heat until melted. Boil the hollow bones about 15
minutes to clean and scrape off any connective tissue on the exterior. Strain the
melted fat though a small sieve and reserve. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Carve down three champagne corks to plug the bottom hole of
the bones and so each will stand upright. Be sure they are very tight or they
will leak. If you have doubts, dribble a little hot candle wax into the bottom
of each. Then dissolve the gelatin in the vodka for 10 minutes and bring the
stock to the boil. I have deliberately used very little gelatin to keep the
final jello soft. Mix the two liquids. Arrange the bones upright in a container
so they don’t spill and pour in the hot gelatin, move to the refrigerator until
set. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mix the flour, marrow fat, fennel and salt into a short
crust pastry with just enough cold water to bring everything together. Roll out
½ inch thick onto a square of parchment paper and cut into long rectangles. Back
about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Remove from
the oven and let cool. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Arrange everything on a wooden board and naturally increase
the recipe if you are serving guests. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Pickled lemons are very easy to make but take a long time.
Cut the unwaxed lemons into rounds, and arrange in a jar sprinkling salt on
each layer. Cover with lemon juice and make sure everything is submerged. Cover
and wait one year. The lemons will be soft and exquisitely perfumed as a
condiment. You can add any spices you like. Eat them peel and all. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-25878288572118316842020-04-06T15:37:00.000-07:002020-04-06T15:37:06.555-07:00Purple Haze Jello <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-XVW3LiOewWCTaOzEwGmKEn6cl71eV8zGNK5elv1Ng7jwtyql2pD48OiVoVGdAxM-RWDPap292PZLiHrB-rU3Yge5YX3uSoShNKg7A09RhitpBUZOsS7_1L85QWpMBdAu_vkxn97-vQ/s1600/Purple+Noodle+Jello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-XVW3LiOewWCTaOzEwGmKEn6cl71eV8zGNK5elv1Ng7jwtyql2pD48OiVoVGdAxM-RWDPap292PZLiHrB-rU3Yge5YX3uSoShNKg7A09RhitpBUZOsS7_1L85QWpMBdAu_vkxn97-vQ/s400/Purple+Noodle+Jello.jpg" width="372" /></a>The world is a different place since I last posted. I have been making jello nonetheless. This is a mung bean noodle laced with purple butterfly pea flower. A ratio of 1 tsp to a cup of starch. Boiling water was added to make a dough, then that was extruded into a pot of boiling water to make noodles. Those were set in a combination or rum, lime juice and gelatin, turned out and then garnished with mango slices and smoked paprika. We need something sunny now, right? </div>
<br />Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-15116205136474915582020-02-06T11:59:00.003-08:002020-02-06T12:00:29.654-08:00Rabbit Braised in Homemade MeadThe pictures describe this experiment well. I took a pound jar of local unpasteurized honey, added two times the amount of water and pitched in about 1/2 tsp of yeast (intended for beer). Waited two weeks and it became pleasantly effervescent. Filtered that. Nice and clear and only a hint of residual sweetness. Then browned some rabbit pieces in butter, added mushrooms and whole shallots, and braised it in the mead. A few pieces were eaten for dinner and the rest was taken off the bones and put in a container in the fridge wherein it solidified as an aspic. Bunny jello if you will. Luscious!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg860Da03yiuwPxQw5G4cvd67vR1nSuq7Iz0uwjOeGb3pjm5R4BugiZlLdvytOAJj5MQ2sOHtR504tc1nLESgKRtdlTNMb8Us-xQ4_UsFBnxMnYkGeDRIiP7ITtxFYDfGjCP3SyjASYhLg/s1600/Mead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="686" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg860Da03yiuwPxQw5G4cvd67vR1nSuq7Iz0uwjOeGb3pjm5R4BugiZlLdvytOAJj5MQ2sOHtR504tc1nLESgKRtdlTNMb8Us-xQ4_UsFBnxMnYkGeDRIiP7ITtxFYDfGjCP3SyjASYhLg/s640/Mead1.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpTiyc-08kAnCoHDQu7oyBQeh8xVScWFTct1ma4kmLwGtJGQGxTYR8xErXiNm9UsFHM5zBTwt5xq8jvHPoGarOyWvNMa3OIC49F6E0qdOZaETj8QdNS3JUvmfkAXJnrCaToaxuSyZz6o/s1600/bunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="848" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpTiyc-08kAnCoHDQu7oyBQeh8xVScWFTct1ma4kmLwGtJGQGxTYR8xErXiNm9UsFHM5zBTwt5xq8jvHPoGarOyWvNMa3OIC49F6E0qdOZaETj8QdNS3JUvmfkAXJnrCaToaxuSyZz6o/s640/bunny.jpg" width="564" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxP6dMWMF-91ZOwIENITeygoE7rRtGrNqGQx2-4rIeGzcqEuqnnaOWasQamgunWFnEi1fWISh56snH20GpnQqTBWrDQaI7vtDuDE5u1Do5FmEnequ-dvbGFYVMCGgFIcI3Ou_er3rsY8/s1600/Bunny2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="946" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxP6dMWMF-91ZOwIENITeygoE7rRtGrNqGQx2-4rIeGzcqEuqnnaOWasQamgunWFnEi1fWISh56snH20GpnQqTBWrDQaI7vtDuDE5u1Do5FmEnequ-dvbGFYVMCGgFIcI3Ou_er3rsY8/s640/Bunny2.jpg" width="630" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhde2vTjM60XuiOhITfibv_zS6UQRlhRWaptnsvsq4dgHij1Eyg5zQlKA2zHv-XtZ_-Eioiie576FIotYUz5tKzjN0l3luMdRJbmxHX0Z6-TxaM0rTE3PFSKWbqp9uHNd-wGMVR8zDsuU0/s1600/Bunny+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="960" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhde2vTjM60XuiOhITfibv_zS6UQRlhRWaptnsvsq4dgHij1Eyg5zQlKA2zHv-XtZ_-Eioiie576FIotYUz5tKzjN0l3luMdRJbmxHX0Z6-TxaM0rTE3PFSKWbqp9uHNd-wGMVR8zDsuU0/s640/Bunny+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-754978021573752942020-01-05T10:20:00.002-08:002020-01-05T10:20:33.055-08:00Sherry Raspberry Jello Blinz Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6uG01MawUZUGKYAvYU21vORsCqbn_koYr-U27SGsVEBfy-_vgIiXQTs2YFDh3eRvzLkndOKXEV4DZI-vIwFS9kJ3Id0sbEeuK-jfZIpQp7ea8hI6AdEft_4J_rZP7QYScMX_WVRFlx0/s1600/81399964_10157635987226971_7614411871126290432_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="960" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6uG01MawUZUGKYAvYU21vORsCqbn_koYr-U27SGsVEBfy-_vgIiXQTs2YFDh3eRvzLkndOKXEV4DZI-vIwFS9kJ3Id0sbEeuK-jfZIpQp7ea8hI6AdEft_4J_rZP7QYScMX_WVRFlx0/s320/81399964_10157635987226971_7614411871126290432_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
2 tbs unflavored gelatin<br />
2 c Hartley and Gibson Fino Sherry<br />
1 tbs raspberry jelly without seeds<br />
2 tbs cream cheese<br />
2 tbs cottage cheese<br />
4 tbs powdered sugar<br />
1/2 tsp almond extract<br />
8 crushed amaretti<br />
lemon zest<br />
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Bloom gelatin in 1/2 c sherry and add jelly. Bring remaining sherry to a boil and add to the mixture. Let cool, pour into two large teflon pans to create jello crepes. Mix cheeses and sugar and extract and spread on the jello. Carefully roll jello around cheeses and move toa plate. Garnish with crushed amaretti and lemon zest.Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512083611874279630.post-51305986053644745862019-12-12T15:43:00.000-08:002019-12-12T15:44:37.101-08:00Basil Seed and Rice Whiskey Jello <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfZ1gCkdWkeccgB-WQqmLCOjQcTi4Tvf3XNW1aZNQpdZ8OmD8R2MJfb1vOqnOw27I-ps4WLXUm2LbSVtX3QYTynC5VXGiFUMbELeeffW4B5CdKa591Sva_cYJHo2HeUqnleCRrLt1owI/s1600/IMG_E0718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1322" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfZ1gCkdWkeccgB-WQqmLCOjQcTi4Tvf3XNW1aZNQpdZ8OmD8R2MJfb1vOqnOw27I-ps4WLXUm2LbSVtX3QYTynC5VXGiFUMbELeeffW4B5CdKa591Sva_cYJHo2HeUqnleCRrLt1owI/s400/IMG_E0718.JPG" width="330" /></a></div>
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<u>I must admit, this one scared even me. </u></div>
Ken Albalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379852662105383295noreply@blogger.com42