Early Spring comforts

I still remember the morning when I walked down the stairs, stumbling in my slumber. The sun was still a couple of hours away from rising. I turned on the light and took a peek at the thermostat. It read: 0.

I trust that we won't have another day like that for many more months, even though I know in my heart that this Spring like weather could turn any moment, sending us back to frigid, snowy days. But one can have faith, yes?

Inside our house, there are signs of spring. The tomato seedlings have sprouted, bulb flowers abound. There have even been days when the windows are open to let in some fresh, clean spring air.

In the oven, however, the comfort of early Spring like a David-Tanis-Roasted-Chicken, still reminds us that the cold days are not completely behind us, just yet.

This roasted chicken is a joy to make, really. I prefer to cook chicken this way than any other. Just flatten the bird, rub with fresh crushed garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and some herbs (rosemary does wonders). Decorate the surface of the bird with a few rounds of lemon, and roast at 400 for about 1.5 hours (depending on the size of the chicken).

The gravy materials await on the bottom of the pot (I use a large enamel cast iron pot). A little water to flush out the goodness, a little sprinkle of flour to thicken it. Salt and pepper to taste. And there, you have a feast before your eyes.

Homemade Yogurt

Though we don't have the results to prove that we indeed made yogurt, at home, we have photos to prove that we did make an attempt at it.

The setting of yogurt, you see, takes hours. So there is a lot of patience involved, which is the most difficult part of the process!

We didn't make just any regular yogurt...we attempted at making Greek yogurt! If you have had it, you will know that Greek yogurt is superior to regular yogurt. It is thicker, smoother, more flavorful.

If our batch turns out to be anywhere near success, we will let you know, and will spell out what we did so that you, too, can make yogurt, in the comfort of your own kitchen!

The other chef

When I saw Jim studying the cookbook the other day, I knew something was up. And honestly, I was a wee bit worried.

I can be rather territorial, especially in the part of the house that I find myself spending most of my time: the kitchen. I am occasionally joined by the younger members of the family (when they respond to my invitations). But it's not often that the oldest member of the family lingers in there.



And when he does linger, he is up to something rather grand.

It's true: when Jim cooks, or bakes, he is often doing something much more complicated than I normally am. For instance, the man made Beef Bourguignon a la Julia a few years ago. He even made beef consomme to go with it as an appetizer. That impressed even our Chef-friend whose jaw dropped when he found out that indeed it was Jim who made it, not me.

Jim's also known to make homemade Caesar salad dressing, homemade rye bread, and my favorite, lemon pudding.

These masterpieces, fortunately or not, occur once in a blue moon. And so, the kitchen (wherever we happen to be living) remains my domain.



Anyhow, the other day when he was studying the cookbook, and reaching for cake flour, and asking me to make him a pie crust (I just need one, he said), I knew to get out of my territory.

After a while of activity, and help from a little one, what did I see rising out of the oven, but a beautiful Banana Cream Pie, with a beautiful meringue top and all.



Not only that, the product tastes amazing, and was enjoyed by all. I think I even heard one of the kids saying:

Daddy, you are a really good cook!

Ah, yes, he is... But the kitchen is still mine!

Maple-Syrup Cranberry Relish

Three ingredients together can bring your Thanksgiving Turkey dinner to a whole different level.

I love cranberries. I love maple syrup. A little sprinkle of orange zest, and you are done!




Maple-syrup Cranberry Relish

3 cups fresh whole cranberries
1 cup grade B maple syrup
Grated zest from one whole navel orange

Rinse the cranberries well. Put in a sauce pan, and add the two other ingredients. Bring to boil, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until all the cranberries have popped. The relish will start to look jam-like. Have a taste, add more syrup if you would like it to be sweeter. Otherwise, enjoy with your turkey, and stuffing!

A Coconut Story

I am not sure why I bought these coconuts. I saw them at an Asian grocery store recently, and they called to me, so of course, I had to bring them home.

It could be that I wanted them for the sake of nostalgia, helping me to remember my childhood days of seeing these round, hairy, brown balls all over the place.

It could also be my optimistic self, thinking that I can make something out of them, involving the kids in the process. I thought it would be fun to show them how to whack these things open, anticipate the coconut water that follows, and grate the white flesh in preparation for making coconut milk.

I validated myself today and put these coconuts to work. We did all of the above, including moments of reliving my childhood: I remembered grating coconut meat on a "Coconut Bunny" (as it is known in Thai...after translation of course), and then playing with the coconut remnants after my grandmother had finished making her first and second and third rounds of 'milking' the grated coconut meats.

Of course the kids loved hearing about it all, asking with curiosity about the Coconut Bunny, and what we would make with the coconut milk afterward.

I had a grand idea. I wanted to make some sticky rice (white and black), and soak in with the creamy coconut milk we had made ourselves with a bit of palm sugar and salt. We would have it for dessert tomorrow, maybe with a bit of mango, or that frozen Durian I still have in the freezer.

The kids did a wonderful job making coconut milk from scratch. They proudly brought me a bowl full of the said milk and wanted me to be sure to strain out all the coconut meat that got in by accident. Sure, I said, I can do that.

If my head was in the right place, we would be eating that delicious dessert tomorrow night. Except that we won't be. I did everything right, but forgot to have a bowl under the strainer. Yup, you guessed it. The precious coconut milk went down the drain.

On the bright side, I did get to accomplish all the reasons (I think) I bought the two coconuts in the first place. After all, I did not buy them while dreaming of a sticky rice dessert, did I?

Cherry Tomato Jam

We are expecting some frost tonight...our first one, I believe. And yet, we still have so many cherry tomatoes that are trying to make it just one more day!

Our dear Claire was inspired in the garden yesterday. She wanted to can tomatoes... which we have done a lot of this season already, and there is not enough to can anymore. But those cherry tomatoes! Something must be done with them before they go to waste.

Tomato Jam. It just popped into my head just like that. Not that I had made it before... but why not? Can't be too hard right?

The little chef got it all together: the harvesting, the cleaning, the chopping, the stirring. I was just the sous-chef. The result: brilliant. It went very well with the Alaskan Cod I made (and did not plan to have tomato Jam on the side). It was just meant to be.

Claire's Cherry Tomato Jam

Two cups of ripe cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

a pinch of salt

Wash and slice cherry tomatoes into halves. Combine all ingredients and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Let cool, and serve!

Last Fresh Pesto!

For the first time in a while, we have our own basil plants that are prolific, delicious, and oh so fragrant!

It is going to be heart-breaking to see the first frost-bites on these little plants...so, I am not going to wait for that. Instead, I am going to harvest them before that dreadful day, turn them into pesto and freeze for a mid-winter's feast (or two or three or more!).

I generally don't measure my ingredients for pesto. It it by taste, and may vary from person to person (you may like more nuts and less cheese, more garlic or a miniscule amount). Here is a basic way we make ours at home:

Ingredients:

• Bunch of fresh basil leaves, washed and drained
• Handful of nuts (we like tamari almonds, or walnuts)
• One clove of garlic
• A good amount of grated Parmesan Cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• A squeeze of lemon juice

I generally start with the nuts, cheese and garlic in the food processor, and mix that well. Then add a lot of olive oil so you get a consistency of a thick soup. Add the basil leaves next, then salt and pepper to taste, and squeeze in lemon juice at the end. You may need to add a bit more oil, or water works, too, if it is still too lumpy. Remember, taste as you go. You can tweak it with less or more of each ingredient, depending on your liking.

Freshly made pesto over a well-cooked (al dente) pasta is one of the most delicious dishes ever! Try it now before the season is over. Or like I said, make it, freeze it, and celebrate summer in the middle of January...because it will be summer somewhere in the world!

Shoo-Fly Pie

This was our first attempt at making Shoo-Fly pie, the Amish way.

And this was after purchasing a small pie from the Amish booth at the North Market farmers' market a couple of weeks prior. We were inspired by its simplicity...and well...Amish things.

There is some tweaking we still need to do...but it was a rather simple thing to make. Molasses, sugar, flour, shortening (or lard, you know, if you prefer!).

What was the most eye-opening lesson from our baking session was the pie-crust recipe. I have always used Julia Child's as my go-to pie crust. But this one is called "Never Fail Pie Crust". Who would not give it a try?!

It surprised me that we needed an egg, and apple cider vinegar to make the pie crust. You would have been proud of me, though, because I followed the recipe precisely (something I have a hard time doing). And poof! A perfect pie crust! Those Amish are trust-worthy when it comes to cooking!

Easy Banana Cake

In warm weather, bananas go ripe so quickly. What better way to use them but whip up a Banana Cake?!

I found this recipe while in New Zealand...and can't remember where it came from. I did add some yogurt to it ( you should know me by now!), so it's been changed a bit. I think with the yogurt, the cake is a bit more moist, but you sure don't have to add it in.

Sometimes I add a cup of blueberries, or chocolate chips to the batter as well. Other times, to please the only person in the family who likes nuts in things, I sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top. But it's pretty rare...

Banana Cake

Dry ingredients

1.5 cups self-rising flour (or cake flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

3 ripe bananas, well mashed

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup yogurt

Preheat oven 300 degrees Farenheit.

In a large bowl, mix all wet ingredients well. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients, then add to the wet ingredient bowl. Incorporate everything until it is a smooth batter.

Grease a loaf pan or a round cake pan. Pour batter into pan, and bake for one hour.

Memories with the Pie Plant

I sometimes wonder what I like more: the rhubarb itself, or the idea of the rhubarb, or the memories I have that come with the rhubarb.

I did not grow up with rhubarb, not at all. Thailand is too warm and humid for this seasonal plant. I am not sure when I was introduced to it exactly. I know it was sometime during my life in New England.

I remember visiting Jim in Maine (where I later lived) at an old farm house where a huge rhubarb plant thrived in the dark, nutrient rich soil. We would make rhubarb crisps out of it. I was hooked.

While studying Chinese herbs, it was introduced to me that rhubarb root is a very important Chinese herb, Da Huang, it's called in Chinese. It's a potent purgative, used for many ailments from serious constipation to serious febrile diseases. Every time we learned about Da Huang, though, my mind would go back to the farm house in Maine, and the delicious Spring time rhubarb crisps, and other Maine memories.

Then there was Blue Heron Organic farm, my friend Ellery's farm in Lincoln, Massachusetts. We spent a huge amount of time on the farm during our sojourn in the Boston area. One of the first things that came up in the Spring on the farm was the rhubarb plants, with its rather ugly-looking buds poking from the ground. Once the stalks were big enough, I would help Ellery harvest and bundle them for the farm-stand. I remember coming home one day with one of the bunches ourselves. I had moved beyond the crisps by that point. Strawberry-Rhubarb pies became our family new favorite dessert.

Most recently, while living in New Zealand, the house we rented had its own rhubarb plants! I was delighted to have an easy access to this coveted (at least for me) ingredient.

For several reasons, those New Zealand rhubarb stalks did not turn into pies or crisps (too cold? too English?). Instead, I turned them into rhubarb compote, simply by chopping them up, adding sugar to the heated pot and watching it soften and transform into the sweet and sour stew.

I loved eating the compote with some creamy Greek yogurt (NZ did that well). In fact, I would have it everyday at about 10am. It became part of my routine.

So, you see, the Pie Plant is full of memories for me. It brings me back to different times of my life: Maine, Massachusetts, and New Zealand. When the lady at the market asked me the other day what I was planning to do with a big bunch of rhubarb, I could not really give her a good answer. It was like saying hi to an old friend, really. But I was not going to tell her that... Luckily, it's a tasty kind of friend.

Milk Bread and Corn Bread

It was a cold and rainy day here, perfect for bread-making! Since the challah was eaten within hours of it coming out of the oven, we were ready to bake something else. Looking for something simple with ingredients at hand, we decided to make one yeasted bread (Milk Bread) and one without yeast (corn bread).

The corn bread was easy, and was eaten with dinner of baked beans and clam chowder (you would think we were back in Boston).

While we waited for the other bread dough to rise, we went to the park to ride the bikes. The rain had ceased and the fog was settling in for the evening.

As I post, the house is overwhelmed with the smell of the Milk Bread being baked in the oven! It is heavenly, and we have not even tasted the fruit of our labor.