Watermelon Mary

Personally, I love a good Bloody Mary with brunch. So no surprise when summer came along, and I got to thinking, what else can you "Mary"...

Well, corn, zucchini etc. lost out to Watermelons. Watermelon Mary it was! Bloody Marys are hit or miss with folks, here is the recipe - you decide for yourself.

Ingredients
Makes 1 drink

For the juice:
1 cup cubed seedless watermelon
1 ripe tomato, peeled and seeded

For the Mary:
3 oz Watermelon-Tomato juice
Juice of one lime wedge
Pinch of salt
Pinch of celery salt
2 dashes of hot sauce (I used Cholula)
finely ground white pepper (you could use regular pepper, I just didn't want the black flecks in the drink)
¼ ounce agave nectar (optional)
Gin
Vodka

Preparation
1. In a blender, puree the watermelon and tomato and strain over a sieve into a bowl, reserving the liquid. Be sure to use a fine enough sieve to catch any seeds, but wide enough to let the pulp through.

2. In a collins glass filled with ice, combine the juices, agave nectar, lime juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce and stir.

Add half and half gin & vodka to taste, and enjoy!

Mediterranean Caprese

Ingredients:
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes (med) - cut in half
1 can unsalted garbanzo
1 cup mozzarella - chopped into bite sized pieces
3 persian cucumbers - chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cups of baby greens
1.5 - 2tsbp ground cumin (toast throughly first)
Olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix together tomatoes, cucumber, garbanzo and mozzarella. As a variation, you could aslo add thinly sliced shallots. Add cumin and mix thoroughly.

When ready to serve, dress with olive oil and salt, mix thoroughly. Add baby greens and toss well.

Mediterranean Caprese

Enjoy!

Chili Butter

Ingredients:
2 Jalapenos
1 Stick of salted butter (softened)
1/2 tsp chili powder (you can also use smoked paprika)
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Char jalapenos, and set aside in a covered dish. Once cool peel, seed and chop finely.

2. In a small bowl, add the butter, salt, chili powder and chopped jalapeno and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate.

This butter is great on corn on the cob, or is a great addition to grilled vegetables.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce

The Finale: Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for the pan
8 cups 1/2-inch cubed Pumpkin Bread or brioche (for best results, use pumpkin bread)
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cup whole milk
2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
9 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree, not flavored pie filling
3 tablespoons bourbon
Freshly whipped cream, for serving
Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 10-inch glass baking dish.

2. Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake in the oven, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

3. Combine the cream, milk, and vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

4. Whisk together the yolks, sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined. Discard the vanilla bean and whisk in the bourbon.

5. Scatter the pumpkin bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down on the bread to totally submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the custard.

6. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the glass dish. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and the water bath and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

7. Serve the warm bread pudding topped with whipped cream and drizzled with spicy caramel apple sauce . Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if desired.

Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce

Step 2: Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup apple juice
1 star anise
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon apple schnapps (can be substituted with bourbon)


Preparation
1. Combine the cream, apple juice, star anise, ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain the mixture into a clean small saucepan and place back over low heat while you make the caramel.

2. Combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, and the vinegar in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring until a deep amber color, 8 to 10 minutes. Slowly and carefully whisk in the warm cream mixture a little at a time, and continue whisking until smooth. Add the apple schnapps and cook for 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

The sauce can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat before serving.

Pumpkin Bread

This is a 3 part recipe for a dessert only a true dessert lover will ever attempt. It is basically 3 separate recipes to get to the final dish - Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce.

Step 1: Pumpkin bread (you can absolutely buy this, but nothing compares to making your own)
Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Scant 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not flavored pie filling
2 large eggs

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a small bowl.

3. Beat the butter, sugar, and oil on high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times, until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

4. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. Mixing on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and 2/3 cup water and mix until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Conquering Gnocchi

Over the past 2 years, gnocchi has come up on our list plenty of times, however it has never made the menu. Why? Well, for starters who wants gnocchi as hard as a rock.

For anyone that has tried to make gnocchi before, you know this isn't the easiest pasta to make. Having finally conquered my nemesis, here is the method I used. Hopefully this works for you too.

Ingredients
    3 medium or 2 large russet potatoes
    1 - 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
    1 egg, extra large
    1 pinch salt
    1/2 cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)
    nutmeg to taste (optional)

Directions
Boil the whole potatoes until they are soft (about 45 minutes). While still warm, peel and pass through vegetable mill onto clean counter top.

Make well in center of potatoes and sprinkle all over with parmesan, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup of flour. Place egg and salt in center of well and using your fingers gently stir into flour and potatoes. Once egg is mixed in, bring dough together, add flour 1/2 cup at a time as needed,  kneading gently until a ball is formed. Do not add anymore flour at this point.

Knead gently another 4 minutes until ball is dry to touch. Let the dough rest for a few minutes.

If you are going to cook the gnocchi immediately, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Roll baseball-sized ball of dough into 3/4-inch diameter dowels and cut dowels into 1-inch long pieces. Roll the pieces on the concave side of a cheese grater (or a fork if you find that easier).

If you are not ready to cook the gnochhi yet, cover and store in the fridge for upto 6 hours. Be sure to dust them with plenty of flour so they don't stick.

Things to remember:

1. Do not cut your potatoes into pieces before boiling, boil them with the skin on since the starch is necessary for the dough.
2. Potatoes must be run through the food mill while they are still hot, and the dough should be mixed while potatoes are still warm. Use a kitchen towel to hold the potato as you peel it.

 Gnocchi Gratin with Gorgonzola Dolce

Crispy Kale

 Ingredients
    1 bunch kale (washed and completely dry)
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Directions

Preheat an oven to 250 degrees F.
While the oven is preheating - completely remove the ribs from the kale leaves. I prefer to leave them whole, but you could chop them up if you like.
In a large bowl toss kale leaves with olive oil, salt and pepper until thoroughly coated.
Bake about 15-20 minutes on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. The leaves tend to burn easily, so keep an eye on them while in the oven.
 
Crisp kale can be stored for upto 2 days in an airtight box. Use as a garnish in soup, or enjoy as a snack as is!

I have even used it in place of seaweed in ramen.

Celery Root - Carrot Soup

Celery Root and Carrot Soup
16 servings

3 qt. broth  (my personal favorite is the Imagine Organic No Chicken Broth, but use whatever you like)
1 large onion, diced
1 leek chopped
3 large celery root
2 bunches of carrots, peeled and diced (~15 medium carrots)
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed.
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
Cream

Note: All vegetables can be in a medium sized dice since this will be blended eventually. 

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large pot, saute onions until soft.
Add leeks and garlic and saute for a few minutes.
Add broth, all remaining ingredients except for the cream.
Bring to a boil then simmer, partially covered until the vegetables are soft (about 30-40 minutes).
Allow the soup to cool a bit, then puree with a hand blender.
Return to pot, and bring to a boil. Add cream to taste, and preferred consistency. Yogurt can be used instead as well.

Serve with your favorite garnish - we had it drizzled with truffle oil, and crispy Parmesan kale. Enjoy!

Souper Monday

One of my favorite foods, especially on these cold nights, is soup. Yesterday at the farmer's market I picked up some lovely red bell peppers, and cauliflower. Voila! The idea for a charred red pepper and cauliflower soup was born!

It was just as good as I had imagined. Topped with sour cream, and just a few drops of truffle oil, it was a comforting meal along with fresh baked rolls.

Ingredients:
3 large red bell peppers
1 medium head of cauliflower - broken into florets
3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
Vegetable / chicken broth
salt to taste

Process:

• Roast the bell peppers so the skin is charred pretty evenly. Put them in a container with a lid and set aside - this will help them sweat so the skin comes off more easily.
• Heat some olive oil in a saucepan, add garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add cauliflower, and mix well. 
• Let a light char develop on the cauliflower & garlic. Once charred, add about 2 cups of broth and cover the saucepan with a lid and bring to a simmer.
• In the meantime peel the peppers and remove the seeds. Grind the peppers in your blender, then add cooked cauliflower and blend thoroughly.
• Return the mix to the saucepan, add salt and bring to a boil.
• Ladle soup into bowls and top with some sour cream, and/or a few drops of truffle oil.

 Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

My garden didn't do so well this year.  But that is for another day.  One of the few things I got in abundance is butternut squash.  I am not complaining though, such a wonderful vegetable to have in abundance! I gave a couple of them to my dad when he came to visit, but had otherwise yet to use any of it, until a day ago. 

I baked the smallest two squash in the oven for an hour at 350 degrees (or until it was soft to the touch). I fried some onions and garlic and put the squash, onions, and garlic into the blender together.  Here's where my favorite part comes in...I had made some stock from our smoked turkey that I have been dying to try out!  I filled the blender with enough stock to make a nice liquid soup.  To finish it off I melted a whole package of cream cheese into the soup and we served it for dinner with mini sliders.

It was awesome!!!

Smoked Turkey

In our house for thanksgiving this year, we wanted to do something new.  I had given Anupam a smoker last year for the Holidays, and he has never passed up an opportunity to use it.  We even smoked ribs for one of our QT dinners...  So, it was clear to us from very early one, that this year's bird would be smoked.

We also tend to be thoughtful in where we source our birds from.  I like to know that our dinner lived a nice and happy life, was fed healthy foods, doesn't have to travel far to our table and Anupam likes to know that it will be tasty.  We order our Thanksgiving turkeys from Marin Sun Farms, and weren't let down.  A very tasty bird indeed!

Smoked turkey needs very little prep work.  He seasoned her with herbs de Provencial and salt.  Fired up the smoker.

The hardest part was making sure she got into the smoker in enough time and then monitoring the temperature so it didn't drop too low or go up too high.  Once the internal temperature reaches safe levels, then she'd done.

We had a wonderful small dinner party with family and friends.  It's easy to see why Thanksgiving is by far my most favorite holiday.  But then again, I never really need an excuse for eating good food!

PS.  I saved the bones and made the most wonderful smoked turkey stock!  Tonight we'll be having butternut pumpkin squash soup for dinner, cut with smoked turkey stock and served with grass fed sliders.

"Indian" Chinese

Having recently returned from India, I was reminded of one of my absolute favorite foods. Well, its almost a cuisine really. Indian Chinese or desi Chinese, is the a fusion of Chinese ingredients and Indian flavors developed in Kolkata. Sure there are noodle dishes, soy flavored dishes, and sauces thickened with cornstarch, but the flavor profile is all its own.

A few of my personal favorites are sweet corn soup, chicken lollipop, Hakka noodles, gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian, paneer chili, and American chopsuey. Got your attention yet?

Indian Chinese was one of the earliest international cuisines available dating back about a 100 years, and eaten by the masses in India. It has gained so much popularity that you will even see a few of these dishes on the menu of the smallest restaurants. More recently there have been restaurants in the Bay Area that claim to have desi Chinese food, but in my humble opinion, they are not even close to the real thing!

So, I do what any self respecting home cook does, I make these dishes at home! Here is the recipe for Cauliflower (gobi) Manchurian. This dish can be served either dry, or in a sauce. The dry version is often served as an appetizer.

Gobi Manchurian:

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
2⁄3 cup cornstarch
2⁄3 cup flour

1 piece ginger, peeled and sliced into coins, + 1 teaspoon ginger, julienned
1 tsp. chili powder or cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

10 to 12 cloves garlic

3-4 tbsp. soy sauce
Oil for frying
2 small onions, chopped
2 fresh chilis, thinly sliced
3/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons sesame oil (optional)
Cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions:
In a blender, purée garlic, ginger slices, and 1⁄3 cup water. Set aside.

In a a pot of salted water, cook cauliflower until tender, about 5 to minutes. Drain, pat dry with a clean towel, and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, flour, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir in half the garlic paste, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, and 3⁄4 cup water to form a batter.

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dip cauliflower in batter, then fry until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer fritters with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté onions until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chilis and remaining garlic paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add ketchup, remaining soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1⁄3 cup water; simmer until sauce is thickened, about 1–2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Return drained cauliflower to the wok and toss to coat. Transfer to serving plate(s), garnish with julienned ginger and cilantro.

Serve as an appetizer or with rice as a main entree. Enjoy!

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving has got to be one of my all time favourite holidays. It doesn't get much better than giving thanks, for food, with food!

This year I decided to keep my menu simple, and for the first time we had a sit down dinner.

Our Thanksgiving Menu:
Entrees:

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Tarragon and Oregano

Lamkey (thats what I decided to call it) - Roasted Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Spiced Ground Turkey

Sides:

Bread Rolls with Herbed Butter
Brussel Sprouts with Caraway
Cranberry Chutney

Dessert:
Pumpkin souffle

Peppers!

My dad came to visit over Halloween weekend this year, and we were lucky enough to be on the recieving end of his garden bounty.  In particular, his freshly harvested peppers.  We got peppers of all kinds: Pablano, Anaheim, Jalepino, Bell and Ceyenne.

Most of the hot peppers went into the dehydrator.  Some of the Pablano and Anaheim were stuffed with onions and ground beef and then roasted together.  We roasted some just on their own, so we can put them over pizza (hmmmm, maybe that's what we'll have for dinner tonight!)...  My kids were thrilled to see so many peppers.  Here are a couple of pictures of Arjun helping his grandfather out.

Garden Beets

I think I already spent some time talking about the pickled beets I made several month ago. I might also have mentioned that it isn't a vegetable I really grew up with, or even thought I care much for.  Then I started gardening, and it just seemed to be something one should grow in their garden so I thought, why not?  I was pleasantly surprised by how the pickled beets turned out (I still enjoy them on weekends with a little goat cheese and a crisp glass of white wine in the afternoons).  I also experimented with beet halwa for a dinner party last March.

Now, I had heard that you can make an Indian vegetable out of beets as well. (In reality, that shouldn't have been a surprise because I think you can make an Indian vegetable from just about any vegetable!) So I thought I'd give it a try.  I didn't look up a recipe, but just decided that I'd use my standard spices and see how it turned out.

Here's what I did:

Heated a pan with 2 tsp of whole cumin and 1 tsp of mustard seeds.  When they started popping, I added and fried some onions.  After the onions started to brown slightly, I threw in some garlic and ginger and really let it fry nicely, but without burning it.  Once the onions and garlic were very fragrant and turning a nice golden brown I threw in the powdered spices: 1/2 tsp of turmeric, 2 tsp of cumin powder, 2 tsp of coriander powder, and cayenne pepper to taste.  Once it had a moment to cook, I also cut up a small tomato and put it in the pan.

After the tomato was cooked down, I added the beets (I had already boiled, peeled and chopped them).  Once they were soft, I salted them and then turned off the pan.  Some choped cilantro and powdered garam masala were mixed in while still hot.  Anupam and the kids loved it.  Even my mom liked it, after saying, "normally I wouldn't eat beets, but..."

I will definitely be growing more beets!

Home Grilled Pizza

Yes, you read that right.  Grilled pizza.  It's about the best pizza I've ever had (well, maybe besides all the yummy pizzas I had while in Italy). We used to watch a show with Alton Brown called Good Eats, and he did a show on grilled Pizza once.  Anupam knew right away he had to try it. 

Thank goodness it was a weekend and we just happened to have some bread dough in the fridge (it's a staple at our house).  I promptly started rolling out the dough, while Anupam heated the grill. 

I eyeballed the other ingredients we had on hand: sliced ham, fresh mozzarella, olives, tomato sauce, basil, onions...yep, we had enough to make a really fine pizza.

The trick, according to Alton Brown, is the really heat up the grill nice and hot - 450 - 500 degrees or so.  Roll out the dough and grill it on one side for about 2-3 minutes and then do the other side.  Take it off, load it up and return it to the grill just long enough to melt the cheese.

We actually prefer to grill on side the dough, remove it from the grill and flip it over so the side that hasn't been grilled is down.  (It is usually already mostly cooked, just not browned yet).  We load up our pizza, just sticking to a few toppings to help each individual flavor really stand out and then put it back on the grill, long enough to grill the bottom and also melt the cheese.  It is truly just heaven.

It was amazingly quick (certainly faster than delivery) and I don't think we'll order delivery ever again...

Masala Vadai (Crispy Lentil Dumplings)

This has always been one of my favorite snacks. It brings back the memories of being a kid, a kid who couldn't care less about calories, or fat content...

Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do. 

Ingredients:
2 cups bengal gram/chana daal
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 finely chopped green chilis
1tbsp of chopped ginger
curry leaves
salt
oil for frying

Preparation
Soak chana daal in warm water for half an hour. 

Grind it without adding water - you want a fairly coarse grind, not a smooth paste. Add the rest of the ingredients into the daal & mix thoroughly.

Note: You can grind the curry leaves and ginger into the daal as well, however the green chili & the onion must be finely chopped and added to the mixture, it adds to the flavor of the dumpling.

Form into patties - about 3" diameter, and deep fry them in oil. Serve hot with coconut chutney, or your favorite condiment.

Daal-Baati: A Comforting Lentil Dish from Rajasthan

One of the hits at our Diwali dinner was this lentil dish from Rajasthan, the "land of kings". It is a simple, healthy and comforting dish comprised of a combination of spiced lentils served with unleavened bread. This is best served with clarified butter available through most Indian stores.


Ingredients:

For the Panchmel Daal (5 types of lentils)
1/3 cup split Bengal gram (chana daal)
1/3 cup toovar (arhar) daal
1/3 cup green moong daal (split green gram)
2 tbsp urad daal (split black lentils)
2 tbsp whole moong (whole green gram)
1 big onions paste
1 medium tomatoes puree
1 tbsp ginger finely chopped
1 tbsp 3 teaspoons chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies, slit
2 pinch asafoetida
2 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
3 tablespoons ghee
salt to taste

Daal Preparation:
Clean the daals and Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles in medium flame or till the daals are cooked.

Combine the chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala with 3 tablespoons of water and keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cloves, bay leaves, cumin seeds, green chillies and hing. When the cumin seeds crackle, add onions paste ans saute till golden brown. Now add the prepared masala paste and saute for another minute or 2. Now add the tomato puree and let it cook till the mixture starts leaving oil from the corners.

Add the cooked daals, amchur, and salt and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust the consistency of the daal before serving and if required, add some water. You should have a consistency similar to lentil soup for this.

For the Baati:
4 cups whole wheat flour (or roti flour)
2 tbsp oil
3/4-1 tsp salt
ajwaien (carom seeds) to taste
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Whole milk

Baati Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F

Form a stiff dough with all the above ingredients, let it sit for at least 30 mins. Add milk gradually to make sure you dont end up with too soft a dough.

Make little disks out of the dough -  to form these disks pull the edges outward and then push it down to the center. This will make them a little more fluffy.

Put the baati in the oven for 20mins at 350, and then broil just before serving to brown them a little.

Enjoy!

Planning a Menu

As anyone that ever has people over for a meal knows, planning a “get together” is easy. That is until you get to the “what are we going to serve” part of the discussion, something the QT team does every month.

A fair amount of research goes into our planning, from frequent trips to the farmers market to make sure the things we are considering are in season, and to whole foods to order locally raised meat etc. It is a fun experience since the team brings a diverse perspective to the discussion.

For the first time in almost 2 years since we started QT, we planned a completely Indian meal to celebrate Diwali.

For those who are curious about what Diwali is, Diwali or Deepavali is also known as the “festival of lights” celebrates the triumph of good over evil. People light diyas (small oil lamps) to welcome the goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) into their homes. For the business people Diwali represents the start of the new financial year.

Regional traditions vary immensely when it comes to celebrating Diwali, however the one thing that is common is the celebratory feast prepared across the country. We had the tough task of planning a menu that represented the diverse cuisine of India withiin a finite number of courses.

We of course had a million things we wanted to make. Shortlisting dishes to make it both a menu we could pull off, and something our guests could finish within what would be acceptable as “dinner time” was tough. We were all really happy with what we finally came up with, and from the feedback, it looks like our guests really enjoyed it too.

Voila! The Menu!

Recipes to follow...