Me, Myself and Indian Cuisine - White Mushrooms (Kumbh)

So, the other day I was thinking to Myself, "Self, you never cook anything from India".  Normally, and I use that term loosely, when "I" think to "Myself", Myself ends up traveling down some strange culinary rabbit hole leaving unsuspecting "Me" sitting in the aftermath thinking, "Whahappened?"   Yes, when "I" think to "Myself" it begins to worry "Me".

But Me being Me, the more inclusive of the three and spurred by some desperate need for "Self" preservation, as well as being more detail oriented than "I" or "Myself", piped in with "Ya know, for all the array of spices and herbs that We DO have, We are always missing something to execute a decent Masala."

After which "I" thought back, quite simply and succinctly, "Chicken".

"Don't bait Me"

"I'm just sayin'... Though "I" could really go for some Mushrooms, Myself"

And there it was....   White Button Mushrooms cooked in Spicy Butter and Milk.  Simple, elegant, and not requiring a full pantry full of the harder to find ingredients like Black Cumin, Nigella Seed, White Cardamom, Fenugreek and Curry leaves (yep, Curry is an herb too, not just a spice mix) or Mustard oil.  All We really needed was the contents already contained within the panty..... Cumin, Coriander and a little White Pepper.

Honestly, this dish tastes better with Cremini, Baby Bella, Champignon, Italian Brown, Brown Button, Chestnut mushrooms or whatever the current marketing BUZZ word is calling them right now.  They are all the same.  The original button mushroom (Agaricus Bisporus, mentioned above by the litany of names) mutated in 1926 while being cultivated in Pennsylvania, resulting in a "White" mushroom.  At that point in time, white foods, like white bread, were considered to be more healthy because they were "Pure".  (sigh) As if.  Anyway, all the white button mushrooms on the market are decedents of that original Pennsylvania mutation.  Me, Myself and I really prefer the flavor and texture of the Brown ones though.  The white ones have a rubbery texture and seem to be, almost, slimy on the outside after being cooked.  That's just Me.

White Button Mushrooms (Kumbh)

1 lb White Button Mushrooms (Cremini "Brown Button" are better)
4 oz Unsalted Butter (definitely NOT low fat)
3/4 cup Onion, minced
1 tsp Garlic, crushed
1 tsp Coriander, ground
1 tsp Cumin, ground
2 TB AP Flour
1 cup Whole Milk
Salt to Taste
2 tsp White Pepper

Remove the stems from your Mushrooms and save them for another purpose.

Set the Mushroom caps aside.

Place a large skillet over medium flame and allow the butter to melt.

Add the Onion and Garlic and Sweat for 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the Coriander and Cumin, cooking until fragrant.

Remove the skillet from the flame and add the Flour, stirring to combine.

Return to the flame and cook until the color darkens slightly.

Slowly stir in the milk.

Once thoroughly combined, add the mushroom caps.

Cook for 5-7 minutes, stir every once in awhile... (The mushrooms should begin releasing liquid to mix in with the sauce)

Remove from the heat and season with Salt and White Pepper.

Serve, over Brown Basmati rice.

Now if you will excuse Me, Myself and I need to have another chat.  :)

Mangia!!
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Wordless Wednesday - Fennel Risotto with Lamb Sausage

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Goin' Green; Spring Green That Is - Gremolata

Well, it's official - 12 days ago Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and spring is on the way.  Or at least, it is suppose to be.  I am beginning to think that Punxsutawney's predictive powers propose no promise of pacifying the North Pacific's propensity for protracting it's piercingly polar presence.  Then again, knowing that nefarious Nor'easter that nailed New England, it's fair to figure that Phil's forest floor forecast is faulty.

But even though it seems that Spring won't "spring" for another six weeks hence, there is no reason that you cannot "taste" springtime on a plate.  I am speaking of the infamous gremolata.  For nothing tastes quite as "green" as gremolata.  OK, Pesto tastes green too, but I have already posted about that.  :)

Gremolata recipes are fairly varied, but it's safe to say that they ALWAYS contain lemon zest.  Without the lemon zest, Gremolata looses it's sunny disposition and tastes more like a rainy day.  Which is sad indeed.  As far as other ingredients are concerned, there is a little more fluidity.  Usually it involves some combination of Garlic, Mint and Parsley; mainly because Gremolata is the key ingredient in Ossobucco alla Milanese (braised veal shank).  Tone down the Mint, or remove it completely, and Gremolata's verdant visage is a welcome addition to seafood and vegetables as well.

I take a little bit more of a pesto route when I make Gremolata and include nuts, pistachios in particular, but they are not necessary.  I do this because Gremolata is devoid of both cheese and olive oil, unlike Pesto Genovese, and the nuts give the "sauce" a little more body and substance without "pesto-izing" it too much.  But that is just my own personal preference.

My newest favorite vehicle for Gremolata conveyance is the Cauliflower "steak".  But as I stated earlier, it is also magically delicious over shrimp and fish.

Gremolata

1 bunch of Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley (none of that soapy tasting curly stuff)
2-3 cloves of Garlic
2 TB Pistachios
Pinch of Kosher Salt
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Zest of whole Lemon

Normally I would break out my mega mezzaluna for something like this, cause I prefer the texture created by hand chopping, but I was in a hurry.  Luckily, Gremolata doesn't emulsify as easily as pesto does, since it contains no Olive oil.  Thus, you can cheat with a food processor and still retain some form of texture.

In the work bowl, add Garlic, Parsley and Pistachios and give it several pulses to break everything down.

Add a pinch of Salt, and pulse again.

Add Lemon Juice, and pulse.

Add Lemon Zest and pulse briefly.

Serve over Cauliflower Steak or Shrimp.

mmmmmmm 

Fear not, my friends, though spring be late,
And Old Man Winter doth fulminate,
Your appetite may yet be sate,
With Springtide greetings on a plate.

Mangia!!
~~

Gadgets We Take For Granite - Seasoning a Granite Mortar & Pestle

I won't lie, I am totally addicted to a new show after only 1 episode...  Revolution.  

For those who did not seen the premier on Monday, the show is based on the premise that all electricity goes out and doesn't come back on.  At first that doesn't seem like such a big deal.  After all, there are black outs and brown outs and various other interruptions in the grid every now and then.  Heck, I spent most of the winters of my childhood without power due to the east wind and ice storms.  Sure, no TV or lights seems pretty prosaic, just grab a portable radio and a flashlight, right?  Nope, when I say "all the electricity" goes out, I mean ALL the electricity goes out.  This means no batteries and no generators....  And it isn't ever going to come back on.

Electricity has become such a part of our lives that we don't really pause to think about it.   If the electricity quits flowing, there are no cars (Internal combustion requires an electric spark) and even if your car was running, you would not be able to fill the gas tank, because the gas pumps run on electricity and even if the gas pumps could be rigged for manual pumps, the gasoline would eventually run out because the refinery runs on electricity.

Imagine....  No wrist watches, no beard trimmers, no computers, and no cell phones.  Heck, no regular phones or telegraphs either, since they run on low voltage current.  (kind of like Gilligan's Island)

If you are in the country and on well water, your pump is not working....  I don't think there are any city municipal water systems that rely solely on gravity, so city dwellers have no water.

Now, this is not totally fatalistic.  It's also part of the reason that I am addicted to the show already, for I am curious to see where they are going to take the story line.  It's set 15 years after the "power goes out" and yet, no one seems to have figured out how to re-harness steam power. Where are the Steam-Punks when you need em?

The industrial revolution started on steam power.  Electricity is not necessary to creating steam, just a lot of greenhouse gas causing coal and wood.  But, even steam produced by coal, could be an issue since it will now have to be mined by hand.  But, as I said, I am curious about WHY this was not brought up in the very first episode. (I am also puzzled by the fact that the "bad guys" have resorted to black powder rifles.... You don't need electricity to refill empty bullet casings... I'm just sayin)

Anyway, this started me thinking about how many kitchen gadgets we take for granted?  I'm not even talking about the major appliances like Dishwashers, Refrigerators, Hot Water Heaters, Stoves and Ovens.  What about all the small appliances?  How many of these conveniences do you have in your kitchen....?  Stand Mixer, Hand Held Mixer, Food Processor, Blender, Deep Fryer, George Foreman Grill, Waffle Iron, Electric Griddle, Bread Machine, Salad Shooter, Submersion Blender, Coffee Maker, Coffee Grinder, Toaster, Inside the Egg Shell Egg Scrambler?

I know I would weep bitterly over the loss of Kitchen Aid and my Blender.  Though I guess without a freezer there wouldn't be much ice for me to make margaritas.  Hmmmm. Well, I guess I would only miss my Kitchen Aid Mixer.  :(   Luckily, one of my favorite kitchen "appliances", that I could never live without, is not electric.  My Granite Mortar & Pestle.

I met my first Granite Mortar & Pestle via Jamie Oliver back in the late 90's during his Naked Chef days....  Mine is 8 inches across, 5 1/2 inches high, holds 3 cups and weighs a whopping 16 pounds.  I think Jamie's was even bigger.  (No, I do not have Mortar and Pestle envy, 8 inches gets the job done)  ;)
It is truly an indispensable part of my kitchen.  It crushes, it grinds, it mashes, it smashes, it blends, it purees, and it mixes.  In fact, the only thing it doesn't do, is make Julienne Fries.

But best of all, in the event of a break in, I can always use it as a weapon.  I have a loaded mortar and pestle and I am not afraid to use it.  Bring it!

All kidding aside, I don't think any kitchen should be without one.  Though I must admit that I am a little bias. I am sort of a Mortar and Pestle freak.  All shapes, sizes and materials; from wood, ceramic and brass to marble, cast iron and lava rock.  There is a mortar and pestle designed for every job. (I usually use the granite for curry pastes) But if you only have one... Go with the granite.  It's non-porous and doesn't absorb odors like other materials can.  Granted, oil will be absorbed on some level and it WILL develop a patina over time. 

So if you purchase a Granite Mortar & Pestle, you will need to season it before first use, just like you would a Molcajete, though it's not nearly as involved.   Granite, being much tougher than lava rock, is not nearly as prone to graveling and sanding your food. So first, wash the Mortar and Pestle in warm water with a stiff brush, and allow it to air dry.

It will take about 3-6 hours (it's not nearly as porous as a Molcajete). Incidentally, I always place a towel under my Mortar and Pestle, it's heavy and rough on the bottom (it was hand carved), so I am protecting the finish on the granite counter.

Meanwhile, you can assemble your ingredients.

1 cup Jasmine Rice
1 stalk of Lemongrass
1 tsp Coriander Seed
1 tsp Cumin seed
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Garlic Bulb

OK, Just like the Molcajete, you are going to place 1/4 cup of Jasmine Rice in the Mortar..... then crush and grind it into rice flour, or at least rice meal.

The first 1/4 cup will turn grey with dust left over from carving; go ahead and dump it in the garbage.

Grind the remaining 3/4 cup rice in 1/4 cup increments...

You will notice that the rice remains white after grinding the last 1/4 cup.

Now the fun part.....
Toss in the Lemongrass, Coriander, Cumin, Salt and Garlic.

Crush this into a paste and leave it to sit in the mortar for 12 hours....  mmmmm The Scent of Thai food!

Remove the paste, rinse with warm water and allow it to dry.

Even though Granite is not very porous, it will still hold onto soap flavors; so, just like cast iron, use only Hot water and a brush... NO SOAP.

And there you go, nice and clean with a lovely seasoning...

Now, it the power ever decides to "go out and not come back on" you are totally ready.  Now if I could just figure out how to rig my Kitchen Aid to run on steam power.......

Mangia!!
~~

All Thai'ed Up - Thai Red Curry Paste

A significant amount of time has past since my last post.  Sorry bout that, but I have had to re-prioritize a few things due to my study schedule for one of my Microsoft Certifications.  Basically, I needed to be certified "yesterday",  so I am attempting to cram copious quantities of technical data into my already overtaxed brain.

As a result, dinners are devoid of forethought and resemble a haphazard conglomeration of whatever happens to be in the refrigerator. 

Then "it" happened while I was deeply involved in the creation of SharePoint's Feature Event Receivers.  I had this undeniable craving for Thai food. 

Normally, I steer far and wide of Pan-Asian cuisine, simply because it requires a completely different, and somewhat foreign, pantry full of ingredients.  This can involve a significant amount of financial outpouring to accomplish, but I wanted Thai food REALLY REALLY bad.  So, I decided that since I am "turning a page" in my career, it would be fitting for me to turn a page in my culinary pursuits as well.

Luckily, since my appetite was focused on Red Curry, the list of "special ingredients" is fairly short.  Well, it was short for me at least.  I always have Kaffir (Makrut) lime leaves in the freezer (I use them in my Saffron sauce) and I usually have Cilantro floating around the refrigerator, and Galangal (which is Ginger's more robust cousin) as well as Sesame oil, multiple types of Garlic, Coriander Seed, Cumin and Peppercorns.  In fact, in order to make a fairly passable Red Curry, the only ingredients I needed were Dried Thai Chilies, Lemon Grass and Shrimp paste (though I have been told that you can use Fish sauce or Soy mixed with brown sugar)

So grab a large mortar and pestle, cause I have tried this in a food processor and the results were less than stellar to say the least, and follow along, cause Thai Red Curry is a snap to make... with a little elbow grease.

Thai Red Curry

(Gaeng Phet)

1 bulb of Thai Garlic (or 7 peeled cloves of American garlic)
1 TB Minced Shallot (if your using the American garlic)
2 stalks of Lemon Grass (peeled and thinly sliced pale parts only)
2 inch chunk of Galangal (chipped - this stuff is tough)
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
2 TB Cilantro (Coriander) Stems (though Cilantro root is better)
4 tsp Coriander (Cilantro) seeds, toasted
1 TB Cumin Seeds, toasted
1 tsp White peppercorns
10 Kaffir (Makrut) Lime leaves (middle stem removed and thinly sliced) or zest of 1 Kaffir lime
For Red Curry - 20 Dried Red Thai Chilies (prik haeng is their name I believe)
2 tsp Shrimp Paste 
2 TB Toasted Sesame oil for cooking everything together.

OK, let's prep first.
Now as far as the dried chilies go....

If you like a "medium" heat, I suggest that you cut the stem end off of 10 of them, and remove the seeds.

Thus reducing the Scoville burn potential of your final paste mixture.

Soak your chilies for about 15 minutes in a little boiling water, then drain.

Meanwhile, peel the Garlic (Please note that the Thai garlic on the right is significantly smaller than the normal American garlic, it also has a slightly milder flavor and a much thinner peel)

Thinly slice the Lemon Grass (Lemon grass has very long fibers so the thinner you slice it the less fibrous your paste will be)

This is Galangal (on the left) and Ginger (on the right).  Galangal's flavor is similar to Ginger, but without the warm "heat" usually associated with Ginger.

Hack thin chips of Galangal (with a VERY sharp knife, this stuff is tough)

Toast the Coriander Seed and Cumin in a dry skillet over medium flame for about 4 minutes (until fragrant)

This is a Kaffir lime leaf.  (it kind of tastes like lime zest but it's more perfume-y)

Remove the stems from the lime leaves,

then slice the leaf lobes thinly.

On a happy note, now you have something to do with the cilantro stems after you have picked off all the leaves.

Chop the stems fairly finely.

Don't forget to grab your shrimp paste....

OK, lets get to smashing and mashing.... 
In a large Mortar and Pestle (preferably a granite one, not a molcajete like I used) smash everything together until it forms a sloppy paste.

Finally, stir in the shrimp paste.
Heat the Sesame oil in a skillet set over medium heat.

Add the curry paste and cook it until it has absorbed all the oil and becomes extremely fragrant. (about 5 minutes)

Remove from the heat and your ready to jar it and store it in the refrigerator for 2 months.

Me, I have some immediate plans for about 2 TB of this curry.  But you will have to check in over the next couple of days to see what it is.   :)

Mangia!!
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