Gourmet Play : Two amateur foodies and their long distance cooking experiences.

Finally!  Leana and I reconnected for a cooking session!  She suggested we try Ethiopian food!  I've never tried it and had no idea what we were in for.

I called Leana on our cooking day and she was behind schedule ~ but she was willing to chat while I prepped;  We spent a good hour talking, talking, talking!!!  It was great to reconnect!

We had several dishes planned, but this one stood out as a family favorite!  I've since made it two more times.  My Dad who is a huge cabbage lover simply can't get enough of this.  I'm making it again this week so I can take him some.  I love cooking for my Dad...especially when I'm providing him a heart healthy dish!

As usual, I can't leave a recipe alone.  I've provided my modified recipes and their original links below.  Enjoy!


Ethiopian Cabbage


Modified from: http://www.ivu.org/recipes/african/ethiopian-cabbage.html
A delicious dish that can be served as a side or a vegetarian main course.
SERVES 6-10

• 3-4 tablespoons Niter Kebbeh (recipe follows, or you can substitute olive oil…but it isn’t as good!)
• 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper (you can substitute black pepper)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 head cabbage, shredded
• 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Niter Kebbeh (Seasoning)

Today, Lisa and I were scheduled to cook our Indian dishes, but unfortunately we were never able to connect. When I received her e-mail telling me that her phone was not charged, I could only smile, as I've fallen prey to the death of my cell phone far too many times. These sorts of incidents remind me that, despite our perceptions of others, each of us are subject to the demands of life that take us away from our simplest activities. For me, I viewed Lisa as the woman who planned carefully, executed flawlessly, and delivered without exception. It seems that, in this particular case, we are more alike than I thought.

We had agreed to make Rob's Chicken Tiki Masala featured on her blog site, http://housewifecooking.blogspot.com/2009/05/crock-pot-chicken-tikka-masala.html.

My project began last night when I marinated cubes of boneless, skinless chicken in a mixture of Greek yogurt, lemon juice and a series of spices of which the star was garam masala purchased from my local Indian market.

This morning I assembled my ingredients.

While the marinated chicken was baking, I prepared the sauce which was comprised of an onion, tomato puree, heavy whipping cream, and garam masala and other spices. I was intrigued by the technique used in Indian cooking whereby very simple spices are incorporated into the dish in stages. This ingenious and wonderful process is evidently why Indian cuisine is known for its depth of flavor. The sauce was then incorporated with a tomato-cream sauce in a crock pot where it cooked for about three hours.

Now that I'm finished cooking and finished dining, I have no idea why I have not tried to make Indian food before.  It's one of my most favorite ethnic foods and we order takeout often from Mountain City Coffeehouse.
So, Leana and I decided on Indian fare and we decided to make our friend Robyn's Chicken Tikka Masala.  To that I added Panjabi Aloo Gobi (spiced cauliflower and potatoes), homemade Naan, and Jasmati rice.  Of course, I wanted basmati rice, but that's asking too much in Frostburg.  I was glad to find Jasmati...which I'm guessing is Jasmine and Basmati rice?  I don't know...it was yummy.
Unfortunately, my cell phone was dead and I couldn't retrieve Leana's phone number!!!  It just wasn't right cooking without chatting with her!  Honestly, it wasn't nearly as fulfilling as having our monthly chat during the cooking process!  Darn phone...it won't happen again!

Recipe: Punjabi Aloo Gobi – Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

• 2c russet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 2c cauliflower, cut into small-medium sized florets
• 1.5c canned diced tomatoes
• 1c frozen peas
• 5-6 inches long ginger, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Salt
• Bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

1. In a large skillet heat the ghee or canola oil over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and gently stir-fry until they begin to turn golden, approx. 1 minute.
   
2. Lower the heat, add the potatoes, garam masala, turmeric and a pinch of salt. Carry on stir-frying until the spices cook and begin to smell fragrant – approx. 2-3 minutes.
   
3. Add the cauliflower and toss to incorporated with the spices, then pour in the diced tomatoes. Stir once or twice, cover and allow to simmer over a medium heat for approx. 30-35 minutes. Stir occasionally. The vegetables should be tender but still firm.
   
4. Add the peas about 10 minutes before the cooking time is completed and gently stir
5. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with homemade naans. 

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons powdered garlic
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

My morning began when I awoke to face my messy house and the seemingly hundreds of preparations that must be readied before my long and busy weekend. My tendency to over-obligate sometimes makes me forget how fortunate I am to have such an active social life. Tomorrow I am throwing a party to display and sell my Wildtree food products as well as to enjoy an ordinary Saturday night with lots of friends. For tonight, I will cook with my cooking club to celebrate my friend's birthday. His dessert of choice: Raspberry Tiramisu a la Giada.

When I found myself running behind schedule on Saturday and unable to keep my promise to make Navarin Printanier, or lamb stew with spring vegetables, on our appointed time, I came to the conclusion that Lisa would eventually understand when she learned how frequently I am tardy. Seldom are the days when I don’t feel like Sandra Bullock dropping articles from my armful of items as I’m running to my next engagement. I never mean for it to happen; it’s just such a slippery slope. I didn’t quite feel that she was ready for that yet.

As it turns out, Lisa didn’t cook her stew on Saturday either, and once again we found ourselves talking on the phone while preparing our lamb and chopping our vegetables. This time we chatted as if we were sitting at the same table preparing and assembling the ingredients for our next project. We talked about our friends; the friends with whom we recently came into contact and those whom we wished we did. We talked about the ongoing events of our lives and our plans for the future, intermittent with my questions about what happens if I don’t cut all of the thin clear skin off of the lamb to the taste of parsnips. We laughed about and loved the term of our circle dubbed “Peas in a Pod”, as we have the privilege of belonging in a friendship of extraordinary women. It truly was a fulfilling conversation between friends. Again, we hung up at the time I needed both hands to continue cooking.

It took about an hour toiling over trimming skin and cartridge from my boneless leg of lamb (at $22.00 for about 3.5 lbs). Yep, just trimming the lamb.

Fortunately, I always find this type of activity to be relaxing and very soon found myself happily in my zone. My kitchen was soon filled with the satisfying aroma of browning meat, followed by the inclusion of the seasonings, broth and tomato paste. I felt relaxed from my hectic weekend when my Navarin Printanier, happily housed in my beautiful green iron Rachel Ray roasting pot, was finally placed in the oven.

For the first time in my life, I engaged in preparing and eventually eating turnips and parsnips. I was excited at the notion of trying new vegetables to my repertoire. Lisa told me that parsnips are often used in place of carrots in this type of dish, and as a root vegetable, it made sense. If I liked them, it would be another great way for me to sneak in an additional vegetable into my sometimes-healthy diet. After the first hour of roasting, the vegetables were put into the pot, which marked the beginning of the home stretch to mealtime.

The stew was perfect. It was a rustic and hearty meal without any of the sophistication found in other dishes. I ate it over jasmine rice – of course, because everything is served with rice in a Filipino household – and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All-in-all, the Navarin Printanier, like my friend Lisa, offered a sense of comforting familiarity.

Yesterday was Leana's and my day to cook Julia's Lamb Stew.  Once again, I was near a real supermarket on Friday so picking up some various lamb cuts was not difficult.  And, the lamb was on sale and each pack had a $2 coupon on the packaging as well!  Awesome!  I purchased, lamb loin chops, lamb shoulder chops, and a rack of lamb.  I didn't use the rack of lamb...I'll save that.
So, Saturday, I started to get things out to begin this endeavor and I stalled.  I had to show the house, had to see my Dad, had to run to the store, and we had a sitter that eve so we could join friends for an adult dinner out.  Ugh.  Saturday just was not going to work for me.  So, I facebooked Leana that I would be putting of my cooking until Sunday.  As it turned out, she was totally on board with that because of her busy Saturday!!

So, Sunday late afternoon rolled around and I gave Leana a call, leaving a message for her to call me when she began cooking.  While I was assembling, rearranging and taking pictures, Leana called back.  She too, was just getting started.  So we chatted up a storm while prepping our ingredients!  Seriously, we talked for an hour...maybe more!

Shortly after reconnecting with Lisa on Facebook, I learned that she is also a "foodie". That sort of person always interests me, as I love all things food-related; from the cooking gadgets, to grocery shopping, to the cooking process itself and of course, the utlimate reward of eating. It was just too bad that she lives half a country away, but not to be deterred, I suggested that we cook "together" despite the distance. She and I haven't been in contact for 25 years, so I was pleasantly surprised when she responded with such enthusiasm. Remembering the same excitement my cheerleader friend possessed in high school, I was brought back to the fond years when we knew each other.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I have many ideas for hobbies and am a great starter, but more often than I would like to admit do not always have the best follow through. Luckily, Lisa turned out to be the driving force behind the blog, and thank goodness for that. She has initiated the means by which we will rekindle our newfound friendship.

Stealing a page from "Julie & Julia", we have decided to cook Bouef Bourguignon on the same date - I mean, what choice did we have, really? I don't have the giant Julia Childs cookbook like Lisa, so I looked up the recipe on the World Wide Interweb. For something so elaborate, it seemed surpirsingly simple.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous when I called her for the first time. I was worried that we would struggle for conversation. I wondered if the uncomfortable silence would be filled with struggling small talk. When she answered the phone, no longer did I hear the cute and small voice from years past, but instead, a wise and confident woman answered. The sound of her voice provided hints of the familiar sweet and perky girl that I remembered from so long ago, and I was happy to find that her kind spirit never changed in the years that had passed.

We caught up for a bit on the phone while beginning the dish, but had to hang up because we came to the point where we needed both hands to work. My modification was that instead of the thick chunk bacon called for in the recipe, I used regular bacon, as the local Pick'n Save didn't have chunk bacon at the meat counter. Oh, and in response to the flaw I found in Julia's recipe, I doubled the meat. I needed it to fully absorb all of the extra wine I poured in - also an apparent oversight on Ms. Childs' part, God rest her soul. It seemed to take forever to cut all the meat and veggies, but I know it would pay off when the aromatic scents would fill my home. In the future, however, I may have to respectfully request that I be exempt from peeling 18 - 24 pearl onions should it be required for future recipes. Either that or I will wait out Ryan Reynolds' existing marriage and let him peel them and then reward him in the only way that would make sense at that time :) (Oh wow...was that inappropriate...) By the way, Lisa wasn't the only one who couldn't figure out when the carrots and the lovingly peeled pearl onions had to go into the stew!

In the movie, I'm not exactly sure how Julie Powell could have possibly fallen asleep while the dish was roasting in the oven, because I tried to take a nap during the four hours of roasting in the oven. The aroma of the stew was too distracting - in an exciting way - to allow a full afternoon of self-centered indulgence.

[True to form, I did not have my camera charged, so there is no pictorial documentation of the dish. I do, however, have several satisified witnesses.]

Suffice it to say, the dish was WONDERFUL, I mean close-your-eyes good! Ryan Reynolds would have eagerly fought David Beckham for my hand in marriage after eating my dish. The meat was so tender that I was glad that I added what seemed like too much at the time. My friends loved it and hope that I make it again. Perhaps I will, the next time I have 7 free hours to spend in the afternoon.

Sharing our love for cooking was a wonderful experience, one which we plan to continue. Lisa and I have decided on Lamb Stew this coming Saturday, March 13, 2010. I promise to submit pictures next time!