Ma Vie, Aujourd’hui!
Musings
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Archive for December, 2008
Rugelach!
Jewish Luuuuurve Cookies! Most de-lish! They aren’t easy, per say, but I’ve laid out very detailed instructions to facilitate the process (which is why this recipe resembles a novel. Fear not it’s length; it’s well intentioned!) So, tie on a babushka headcover; pretend you just left the Schtetl; contemplate rhinoplasty; whip these up (in a merrily laborious sort of way;) envision your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren communing over these scrumptious Semitic snacks, and let your nagging maternal urges run rampant!
Sandy Brown and Golden Delicious
Mes petits trésors, voici ce qui ce passe:
I tried so hard to make this post more serious, so that you may understand that I do more in life than contemplate my next source of spit-swappage. But alas, my brain is so cramped from attempting college essays that it is obstructed. I have tried in vain to inundate it with various forms of mental ex-lax (Russian literature, my favorite cookbooks, The West Wing, and dinner parties), but it’s no go, if you know what I mean. So then I changed my tact, and waited for an event of notable hilarity to befall me. Considering that I haven’t written in a week, you can only imagine how well that worked out. So, a rather idiotic recounting of mes derniers jours:
Raw Brussels Sprouts in Apple Cider Vinegar
and Walnut Oil with Plumped Raisins and PecansYes, this salad is unusual. No, I am not a lunatic. It’s a dish conceived out of total boredom with the tasty but ubiquitous sautéed Brussels sprouts, accompanied by the possible sprinkling of pancetta to switch things up every decade or so. Before you click off this page, I invite you all to consider the fact that Choux de Bruxelles are miniature cabbages, des petits choux! You don’t cringe at the thought of cabbage salad or coleslaw, do you? No indeed. Raw cabbage is very at home in out culinary culture, and as Brussels sprouts are simply a dwarfed version, it is my personal contention that they ought to be indulged with the same favor. Try it! It’s delicious and fresh to the point that it’s worth the potential for finger amputation!
Ingredients, for 2:
- 8-10 Brussels sprouts
- 4 T raisins (the Thompson variety are the best)
- 12 pecans
- 2 T plus 2 t apple cider vinegar
- 1 T plus 1 t walnut oil
- 2 lg pinches fleur de sel, lots of pepper
Procedure:
- Cover the raisins in hot water to plump them.
- Peel outer layer of leaves (2 per sprout). Remove base and slice as thinly as possible on a mandoline, vertically, so that the individual slices are held together by the core. Of course, if the prospect of Carpel Tunnel is agreeable to you, by all means do this manually!
- Mix the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let sit for a minute to allow the salt to dissolve, then add the oil and pour over the shaved sprouts.
- Let this marinate for about an hour, so that the harsh cabbage flavor has time to soften.
- Just before serving, crumble the pecans and sprinkle them over the salad. Add the plumped raisins, toss, and enjoy!
Mes Nouvelles…
Dudes and Dudettes!
I am back at work, and for the moment all is well. Except for the body building mammoth that has replaced me as bus boy (he, at least, is of the appropriate gender to satisfy the job description. But that’s truly the only good thing I can say about him.) He’s a brain damaged brute, a study in stupidity of literally gargantuan proportion! I assure you, he can have absolutely no more brain cells than are necessary for survival on the most base levels of this earth. He’s like a throwback to Neanderthalish times, and an inbred specimen at that. But, as if his sheer idiocy isn’t offensive enough, he’s also a molester. Indeed, he’s taken to covertly fondling the small of my back with his steroid-swollen digits. Ah, good times… But then, get this! If I accidentally brush against his derriere (which is about every five seconds, given his hulking frame), he let’s out these gurgling reclamations, as if I’ve violated his delicate constitution. Honestly!
Quinoa in Ponzu and Toasted Sesame Oil
with Black Sesame Seeds, Nori, and AvocadoThis is quite possibly the most soulful dish I know. It’s my adaptation of an adaptation of an original recipe. The original, I believe, comes from the band Pink Martini, which was then adapted by the writer of the food blog http://teaandcookies.blogspot.com (the photo is hers, too). I perfected it a while ago, and have been eating it almost compulsively ever since. It is deeply, deeply satisfying. You’ll have cravings for it that are primal in their urgency! Which, for once, is totally OK. It takes no more than 15 minutes to make, start to finish, and is unusually nourishing. Quinoa is not a grain, despite popular misconception, but the tiny seeds of a plant indigenous to the Andes mountains. It’s therefore more comparable to sunflower or sesame seeds than grains in constitution, and boasts a full Amino Acid profile that is exceptionally good for you. It’s also very high in iron and fiber. This dish is lush and velevety, and it’s vegan, vegetarian, gluten and even grain free (well, minus the teensy bit of wheat in Ponzu), making it appropriate for people from all walks and palates of life.
There are three kinds of quinoa available: heirloom red; heirloom black; and the more common beige variant, which isn’t refined at all, but naturally white, so fret not! In my experience, the red kind is visually more appealing, provides more bite, and tastes far more distinctly like quinoa. I prize the beige variety’s ability to soften fully, to “melt” and form a still pleasantly toothsome but thoroughly comforting bowl of food. Beige quinoa is also more receptive to absorbing other flavors than its crimson counterpart. Try this dish both ways; each have individual merits to suit different moods and predilections.
Ingredients, for 2:
- 2/3 cup beige quinoa.
- 4/6 cup boiling water.
- 1 avocado.
- Large handful Nori seaweed, cut into cubes.
- 1 T black sesame seeds.
- 2 T plus 2 t ponzu.
- 4 t sesame oil.
- Few drops of Sriracha or Chili oil, if desired (in my experience, the spiciness is interesting, but it detracts from the fundamental character of the dish and prompts a need for re-seasoning).
Procedure:
- Place Quinoa and sesame seeds in small pot. Toast lightly for about 45 seconds, then cover boiling water. Once the water has come back up to a boil, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- During this time, cut up the Nori. I like to do this by stacking the sheets, cutting long strips, and then trimming these into squares (if you make this dish a lot, a reservoir of cut Nori can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator).
- Mix the ponzu and sesame oil. Depending on the quality of the ponzu you buy, you may want to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a dash of soy sauce to reinforce the acidity and saltiness.
- At the last minute, cube the avocado.
- Remove the quinoa into a serving bowl. Stir in the dressing, and taste. I’ve found that the ratio of ponzu to sesame oil is very personal, so don’t adhere to my recommendations just for the sake of blind obedience.
- Stir in 3/4 of the nori and the avocado. The incorporated seaweed will soften and become earthy and less reminiscent of the sea.
- Top the dish with the remaining nori, which will provide a delightful crackling texture, and serve. I like to eat this with chopsticks.
*Variation: Replace the sesame seeds with 2 T sunflower seeds for a more discernable crunch!
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