CABBAGE ROLLS

Modified, from Chef John.  This recipe makes about 16 smaller rolls or 12 large rolls, depending on the size of the cabbage leaves.  


Ingredients:

Filling:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork (or veal if available)
3/4 C long grain white rice (try with brown rice next time)

5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, minced
1 T fresh thyme, minced

2 t salt
1 t black pepper
1 t dried garlic
1 t dried onion
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 t fish sauce
2 t worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/4 C melted butter (1/2 stick)

Braising liquid
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 large yellow onion, halved and cut into 1/4" slices.
4 C broth (chicken or beef)
1 C water (used to rinse out the tomato can)

1 large green cabbage


Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix the filling together until it is uniform (don't worry about over-mixing it).

Bring a large pot half-filled with water to the boil.  Core the cabbage and place in the water, turning occasionally.  A cabbage leaf should detach from the head approx. every 45 seconds.  Detach as many leaves as possible, and set aside to cool.

Fill each cabbage leaf with a roll of filling (about 1/3 C to 1/2 C in volume), and wrap loosely.

Place a few leftover smaller cabbage leaves on the bottom of a large pot.  Top with half of the crushed tomatoes and half of the onion slices.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place as many cabbage rolls as comfortably (but not tightly) fit on top of this base.  Repeat until all cabbage rolls have been placed, then top with another few leaves.  Pour over the broth and water, adding additional water if necessary to cover all the rolls. 

Cover pot and place in the oven to braise for 1 hour.  Check liquid level, pressing down on rolls if they are floating, and adding water if necessary.  Braise for another hour, checking occasionally.  Rolls are finished when they are tender and easily pierced with a fork.

Allow to cool slightly before serving rolls, well sauced, with crusty bread.

BUCKWHEAT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Basically a half-recipe of Bon Appetit's version from Bien Cuit

Ingredients:

1 C buckwheat flour
6 1/2 t unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 stick of butter (1/2 C), room temperature
3/4 C packed light brown sugar
1 t strong coffee or espresso
1/2 C chocolate chips
Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling atop cookies


Methodology:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a small bowl to combine and break up lumps.
Using a hand-mixer, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until lighter and fluffy, 4 minutes.  Add coffee and mix briefly.  
Add flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until mixture is combined, then blend with the mixer until all ingredients are well-combined.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 1 1/2" apart.  Sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, cool on pan for 2 minutes, then cool on rack. 

BANANA BREAD

Almost entirely from epicurious.

Ingredients:

1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened, plus more to grease pan
3/4 c brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature

1 2/3 c flour, plus more for pan
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t kosher salt

4 bananas, roasted in peel at 250°F for 20 minutes, cooled, peeled and mashed
1/4 c yogurt
1 t vanilla

1/2 c toasted nuts
1/2 c blueberries


Methodology:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter and flour a 5" x 9" loaf pan and set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine bananas with the yogurt and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is pale in color, about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one by one, and mix until uniform, about 2 minutes.  Add in the banana mixture, mixing until combined.  Add dry ingredients in two batches, mixing until just combined.  Fold in nuts and blueberries.  Pour into prepared pan and smooth surface with a spatula.

Bake at 350°F for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in comes out clean and surface is dark brown and cracked.

Cool in pan for 20 minutes, then release loaf onto a cutting board.

POTATO CURRY

Aloo hin From Maxi's Mo Mo and Bo Bo's Kitchen cookbook

Ingredients:

4 large yukon gold potatoes
4 medium or 3 large yellow onions, cut into 1/4" slices
1 block firm tofu, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 cups water
1/2 t turmeric
1 t paprika
1 t salt and sugar

2 scallions, sliced thinly

Yogurt and Naan to serve


Methodology:

Boil whole potatoes until a knife slides in with no resistance (start checking after 15 minutes).  Peel and chop into 1" cubes.  Return potato cubes to pot.

Add the tofu and onion to the pot, together with the turmeric, paprika, salt, sugar and water.  Cook at high heat until the water has almost completely evaporated.

Mix in the scallions.  Dollop with yogurt and serve with naan.

LEMON BARS

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

Base:
1 c (5 ox) AP flour
1/4 c (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
8 T unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 c (7 oz) granulated sugar
2 T AP flour
2 t cream of tartar
1/4 t salt
3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
2 t grated lemon zest
2/3 c lemon juice (4 lemons)
4 T unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

2 T confectioners sugar


Methodology:

Combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt, and stir in the butter.  Press into a greased 8"x8" baking pan and bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven, but leave oven on.

Add all filling ingredients but the butter to a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly.  Once the filling begins to thicken, remove from heat and whisk in the butter, mixing until smooth.

Strain the filling onto the base and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  Dust with confectioners sugar, slice and serve.

***edited to add note: these turned out extremely sour, and the topping was quite liquid-y***

HALF-SOUR PICKLES

Ingredients:

4 kirby cucumbers, halved lengthwise
3.5% of water kosher salt*
1/4 t mustard seeds
1/4 t celery seeds
1/8 t dill seeds
1/8 t whole black peppercorns
3 garlic cloves, bashed and quartered*
1 t kefir
5 stems fresh dill
Cold tap water to fill pint jar


Methodology:

Place salt, kefir and spices in jar, and add about 1 c water.  Swirl to combine and dissolve salt.  Add cukes and dill stems, and fill jar completely with water, leaving 1/2" headroom at top.

Ferment 10 days in the fridge, and enjoy!

*8/8/18, edited to add: these turned out delicious, but too salty.  Reduce salt to 3.5% of actual amount of water that fits into the jar, rather than 3.5% of total volume.  The garlic flavor was also quite prominent, so reduce that a bit.

*9/18/18, edited to add: made a second batch following the above recommendations.  Also omitted the kefir.  The saltiness was corrected, but the pickles did not seem to sour, so must make sure to always include leftover brine or kefir.

CHU CHEE CURRY WITH SHRIMP

Chu Chee Ta-leh

Ingredients:
1 can full-fat coconut milk (don't shake the can, refrigerate 20 minutes if possible)
3 T Chu chee curry paste

500g medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 bell peppers, diced

2-3 T fish sauce
1 T palm sugar
8 fresh kaffir lime leaves, minced
2 small fresh birds-eye chilis (optional)

30g fresh Thai basil

Methodology:

Skim off the thick coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk and bring to a simmer in a large skillet or wok.  Reserve the remaining coconut milk.  Add the curry paste to the skillet.  Reduce the heat and simmer on low for 10 minutes, until the oil separates from the cream, stirring occasionally.

Add the shrimp, bell pepper and remaining coconut milk.  Cook until shrimp are pink on one side, then flip, about 2 minutes.

Add fish sauce, sugars and kaffir lime and simmer 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and stir in half the basil, reserving the rest for garnish.

Serve with steamed Korean short-grain rice, recipe below.



Korean short-grain rice:
from Maangchi

Ingredients:
1 C short-grain rice
1 C water

Methodology:
Scrub and drain the rice 3 times in cold water to remove excess surface starch.  Drain well.  Add to small pot with 1 C water.  Let rice soak in water for 30 minutes.  

Bring pot to boil over medium-high heat with lid on and cook for 10 minutes.  Stir, return to heat with lid on for additional 5-8 minutes, fluff and serve.

CILANTRO SALAD

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks


Ingredients:

Shallot oil:
1 1/2c neutral oil
10-20 shallots, sliced in 1/8" rounds

Salad:
1 bunch cilantro, very fresh, chopped
3 sprigs of mint (optional), sliced
3 sprigs of Thai basil (optional), sliced
1/8 head red cabbage, finely shaved

Dressing:
1/4 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. fish sauce
1/2 t. lime juice
1/2 t. rice syrup (or sugar)
2 T. shallot oil

To finish:
1/4 c. peanuts, toasted and smashed
Toasted, ground sesame seeds


Methodology:

Fry the shallots in the oil over medium heat, until they are toasted and deeply golden, 15-20 minutes.  Watch them carefully toward the end, as they scorch quickly.  Drain the shallots on paper towels and strain the oil into a jar.  Store the oil in the fridge.

Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk the dressing and toss with the salad to combine.  Top with peanuts and ground sesame seeds.  

WHOLE CHICKEN SOUP

Parts of the recipe from this nytimes recipe. 

It's best to start this the day prior to serving it. 

Ingredients:

For the broth:

1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs, broken down into pieces

2 carrots, cut into chunks

1 large yellow onion, cut into quarters

3 celery stalks, cut into chunks

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1" ginger, peeled and smashed

12 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs thyme

8 peppercorns

1 star anise

2 bay leaves

For the soup:

1 large carrot, cut into small dice

1/2 celeriac, cut into small dice

1 yukon gold potato, cut into small dice

Chicken from the whole chicken, chopped

Dill, finely chopped

Chives, finely chopped

Methodology:

Place all the broth ingredients in a large pot and cover by 1" with water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to gently simmer for 1.5-2 hours. 

Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the pot and cool on a baking sheet.  Using two forks, tease the chicken meat from the skin and bones.  Place the meat in the refrigerator.  Return the bones and skin to the pot and continue to simmer, reducing, for another half hour.  Strain the broth and cool, then refrigerate it.  Discard the solids.

---- The next day ----

Skim the chicken fat from the top of the chilled broth and store for another use.

Pour the chicken broth into a pot and bring to a simmer.  Add the carrot, celeriac and potato, and simmer until they're cooked, about 15 minutes.  Add as much chopped chicken as you want (I don't usually use all the meat) and heat until warm. 

Serve over spaezle, sprinkled with dill, chives and freshly ground black pepper.

FRENCH 75 COCKTAIL

From wikipedia: The drink dates to World War I, and an early form was created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris—later Harry's New York Bar—by barman Harry MacElhone. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun.

Serves 2


Ingredients:
Ensure all ingredients are very cold before mixing.

1 oz lemon juice = 2 T, 1 T per glass
1 oz simple syrup = 2 T
2 oz gin = 1/4 c
4 oz champagne = 1/2 c

Mix lemon juice, simple syrup and gin directly in serving flutes.  Top with champagne and enjoy!

BUTTERMILK GRANOLA

Adapted from Serious Eats.

Ingredients:

Grains, group 1:
340 g rolled oats
40 g wheat germ
30 g flax seeds
15 g chia seeds
225 g buttermilk
115 g butter, melted
1/2 t salt
200 g sugar
___________________

Nuts, group 2:
120 g pumpkin seeds
70 g almonds
60 g pecans
1/8 t kosher salt
___________________

Fruit, group 3:
115 g dried apricots
85 g dried cherries
55 g dried blueberries


Methodology:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine group 1 ingredients, let stand 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine group 2 ingredients on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, tossing once.  Cool, chop into desired size.

Reduce oven to 300°F.

Bake group 1 at 300°F for 1 hour, tossing every 20 minutes.

Add groups 2 and 3 to group 1 on baking sheet, tossing carefully to combine.  Cool, store in a jar on the counter.

Please note all amounts are variable.  The only important relationships are between the dry grains and the buttermilk/butter/sugar/salt.  However, I often add considerably more oats without upsetting the balance.