Ethiopian Mushroom Lentil Stew

Hello again.

Thank you for being so patient while I was gone on my roadtrip to Seattle and Portland...and would you believe that we did so much in the span of one week that I came home and needed a week vacation from that vacation?! I'm sure you know how that feels.

I still haven't uploaded my photos yet (but I will!), but I wanted to mention a cute little Ethiopian restaurant in Portland called Queen of Sheba (recommended by the nice man at Powell's City of Books) that literally saved us from starving as we got into the city late and didn't know where to go to fill up our empty bellies...If you aren't familiar with Ethiopian food, remember that it tends to be quite spicy (lots of jalapenos and other peppers are used)...order the vegetarian sampler platter and you will get a huge platter with 8 or 9 dollops of their various vegetarian dishes over layers of that distinctively sour Inerja crepe-like bread (no utensils are on the table so you roll up your sleeves and use the inerja to scoop up the food!). Do a google image search for ethiopian food and you will see some awesome stuff! The food and presentation really is lovely and the flavors vary from restaurant to restaurant so it's always fun to try new places. For the record, Portland's Queen of Sheba was DELICIOUS (the Inerja was outstanding!) and I highly recommend it if you get the chance!

I live right across the street from Axum in San Francisco and I adore their vegetarian platter. I have gone with a big group of 6 friends and we can get a HUGE platter of food to feed us all for $45!!

Most Ethiopian dishes are made with a traditional spice blend called Berbere. Since I am generally not a fan of spicy food, I've decided to take up cooking some Ethiopian dishes at home (and then just run across to Axum and buy some Inerja) so that I can control the amount of spice! Berbere blends can be either a dry mix or a wet paste and vary greatly from region to region (or restaurant to restaurant), but here is one that I use:

BERBERE SPICE BLEND:

* 2 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
* 1/4 tsp turmeric
* 1 tsp ground fenugreek
* 1 Tbsp paprika
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
* 1/8 tsp cloves
* 1/4 tsp ground coriander
* 1/8 tsp allspice
* 1/8 tsp cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit if you don't like it spicy!)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

So, with all this talk of Ethiopian food, I thought I would leave you with a very special recipe I created for Ethiopian Mushroom Lentil Stew. It's the least I can do. I walked right across the street to Axum and bought some Inerja for this meal (because from what I can tell by reading recipes, it is not very easy to make).

Clockwise: Mushroom Lentil Stew (recipe below), Shiro Alitcha (slow cooked split peas cooked with turmeric and onions) and Okra Tomato Stew served with Inerja and some salad and a scoop of plain yogurt:

ETHIOPIAN MUSHROOM LENTIL STEW

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 Tbsp. canola oil
* 1 large yellow onion, diced finely
* 2 cups diced mushrooms (baby bella or cremini have great texture for this dish)
* 1 cup cooked lentils (brown or green)
* Berbere spice mix (see above)
* 4 or 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated finely
* 1 can tomato paste
* 1.5 cups vegetable stock

DIRECTIONS:

* Heat oil in a deep pan on medium-high heat.
* Sautee onions for 5-7 minutes until they become slightly transluscent.
* Add in diced mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes
* Mix in the minced garlic, grated ginger and spice mix and stir well.
* Add in the lentils and mix together.
* Add tomato paste and stock and stir thoroughly.
* Allow to simmer for 25-35 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced down (should have the texture of a fairly thick stew).

Assembling a platter of ethiopian food is so much fun! I put a big round piece of Inerja on the biggest plate or platter I can find, scoop the stew or various dishes onto the inerja. Then I like to do something a little less traditional--I put a small heap of lettuce leaves tossed with fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper and then a little dollop of plain yogurt thinned out with fresh lemon juice just to cool things down a bit....

I still don't know much about Ethiopian food and cooking preparations, but do know one thing--it is best when shared with a group of friends. Dive in and get your hands messy!

Medicine: a new-shojin eatstation, San Francisco

When I was living in London (and thenafter Sydney), my friend, tiffany said "you HAVE to go eat at Wagamama". So I did, because Tiffany knows all great spots when it comes to bars, food and bars. Wagamama is a pan-Asian noodle bar of sorts with cafeteria-style seating (Americans generally aren't used to sitting right next to another person with your elbows touching, but it didn't seem to bother anyone in London or Sydney). And oh boy, is it yummy for those days when nothing sounds better than noodles, and lot's of it. Actually, my favorite dishes were Amai Udon (udon noodles with a sweet tamarind sauce, teppan-fried with egg, fried tofu, prawns, red onions, leeks and beansprouts and topped with crushed roasted peanuts and a fresh wedge of lime) and the vegetarian katsu plate, which came with slices of sweet potato, zucchini and butternut squash deep-fried in Japanese panko breadcrumbs and served with a mild curry sauce and sticky white rice. The Amai Udon is sort of like a Japanese version of pad thai and I immediately went home and recreated a recipe for it if you are interested...

Anyway, Tiffany happened to be in town and wanted to meet up for a quick lunch...ah, the office lunch. For me, there are the days where 10 hours pass in the span of what feels like 10 minutes and you suddenly realize that an unacceptable number of hours have passed without eating. There are days that swallow up the lunch hour and I am caught snacking on raisins, walnuts, dried fruit. And, of course, there are days where I sneak away from my desk to eat some good 'ol lunch brought from home (which generally consists of salad or dinner leftovers). But the extra special treat, for me, is when I can escape the office altogether for that precious hour to meet my friends who work near my office and try new restaurants...So I decided to take Tiffany to Medicine because, sadly, San Francisco does not have a Wagamama...

I have now eaten several of their dishes and, while it is no Wagamama, it is certainly unique and yummy (and they also don the cafeterian-style seating). Their signature is a sushi roll made with a purplish-colored 9-grain rice. My favorite appetizer is the Shiitake Croquettes--a mash of Japanese mountain yam, buttery sweet potato and shiitake, breaded and fried in panko breadcrumbs and served with a Tonkatsu-style dipping sauce. The curry udon is a big bowl of udon noodles in mild, creamy curry sauce (which is made from kombu, avocado, apple carrot, roasted soy beans, coconut milk, lemon and a secret spice blend) and they give you a bamboo wooden spoon to help you slurp up the noodles. But I think my favorite is the Miso-marinated tofu bento box (who doesn't love the Bento box with all sorts of yummy unexpected goodies??). It is tofu broiled with a thick, sweet yet salty paste made with pinenuts, pistachios and miso and then put under a broiler until it turns golden brown and sticky...

Oh, and I hope you can forgive me for forgetting my camera...somehow i flew out the door for the Office Lunch with out it...

PB&J Madness

I once got into an argument with a stranger over whether an "adult" can still eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (affectionately known as PBJ's). It's the truth. She claimed that those who eat PBJ's never really grew up into adulthood. I can't remember the end result of this ridiculous debate....perhaps we had to agree to disagree...oh, and something along the lines of "I eat PBJ's when I want!"

If you ever make pancakes, put a little dollop of peanut butter in the pancake right after you have poured the batter onto the hot griddle. Then heat up your favorite jam and use it in place of maple syrup. Trust me, you will be so happy to discover PB&J pancakes. Or, make a classic PB&J, lightly butter both sides of the bread and grill it just you would for a grilled cheese sandwich...YUM.

You know, I recently discovered that this SF bar called Butter, which you might hear referred to as "a classicly trashy bar" that serves forty's of Miller High Life, jello shots and deep fried twinkies (among other things). I have to say that, before Butter, I have never seen a menu that made me want to laugh as though it was a comic strip about robot porn. I mean, just imagine yourself ordering drinks called Whitetrash Driver (good 'ol vodka and Sunny-D) or a Shotgun Wedding while keeping a straight face!...Of course, my latest girls-night-out adventure landed me at Butter with a forty in one hand, jello shot in another while listening to some 90's hits...out of the corner of my eye, I catch their specials scribbled on a board. Deep fried PBJ. Gasp! Really?! I spent a good ten minutes wondering why I hadn't thought of this treat myself. It surprised me.

And then there was Stone Brewery in San Diego, whose menu is always full of fresh and creative ideas (like Mac 'n Beer Cheese). I was so happy to find their creative version of PBJ: a slather of pistachio butter, local apricot jam and a semi-soft cheese, which was all pressed between delicate slices of bread similar to ciabatta. It was one of the best panini sandwiches I have ever had....They mix up the type of preserves and cheese from time to time, but I am sure it is always reliably magical. Stone also has a very creative daily vegetarian special, which you can sign up to receive by email if you are ever at a loss for recipes and want to be inspired by unusual dishes.

p.s.--I also prefer to eat my waffles with PB&J. Try it! Feel free to share your favorite PB&J combinations/variations...

I am heading out this morning on a road trip to Portland/Seattle and you know I have packed all the PB&J fixins!

Happy PB&J eating! :)

Creamy Hummus

This past week I took my mom to try Lebanese food for the first time. We were in San Diego, so I took her to Mama's Bakery & Deli and ordered a feast (to be shared with eight people, including my mom). I can't say that she loved it, but I did!

I was really surprised to see that they make their own flatbread for wraps. My favorite menu item was the garlic chicken wrap made with soft and warm schawerma chicken with a garlicky paste, lettuce, parsley and little cornichon pickles...Personally, I am a big fan of garlic so I loved it!

I also really love to make homemade hummus. Ironically, the first time I made homemade hummus was in 2003 in England. No, really! It's a long story...but we even soaked dry chickpeas for it! I don't think that was really necessary, and to prove it, I am going to share with you my favorite hummus recipe. I hope you don't mind, but it is a little on the non-traditional side because it has some extra goodies in it to make it really yummy, but I promise that you will not be disappointed.

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 garlic cloves (do NOT use old garlic or it will have a strong bite!)
* 1 can of organic garbanzo beans plus 2 Tbsp. of the liquid (low sodium, if possible)
* 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
* 3 Tbsp. lemon juice (about half of a lemon)
* 2 Tbsp. tahini
* 2 Tbsp. smooth peanut butter (secret ingredient!)
* 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 2 Tbsp. sour cream (optional)
* Garnish with fresh parsley and paprika and a drizzle of olive oil on top!

DIRECTIONS:

* Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until very smooth.

Serve with flatbread, pita, pita chips or fresh vegetables.

Note: This makes a fairly thin hummus, so if you prefer it to be thicker, just add another half of a can of garbanzo beans to reach your desired consistency.

I know what you're thinking--it's a bit unconventional to put peanut butter in hummus. But maybe, just maybe, if you trust me even one iota, you will just close your eyes, scoop the creamy goodness out of the jar and put it in there and you will be so glad you did....

Polenta Cakes with Tomato and Basil

I am so sad the summer season is coming to an end...I still want to bite into sweet early girl tomatoes and eat them like apples and scurry into my grocery store to buy 8 (yes, eight) ears of fresh corn for $2.00. Unfortunately, fresh tomatoes do not freeze well...but, fresh corn does! I just cut all the kernels off the cobs, put them in a ziploc freezer bag and freeze them for later use...I mean I'm not about to tell the Green Giant to his face that canned corn tastes like household cleaning products, but I try to use fresh (or freshly frozen) corn if at all possible...And when I can't have fresh corn, I make polenta. or my favorite super duper easy and fast polenta cakes.


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 polenta log
* 1 jar of your favorite bruschetta topping
* fresh basil for garnish
* canola oil for shallow frying

DIRECTIONS:

* Cut the log of polenta into slices (about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick).
* Heat some oil in a pan on medium high.
* Shallow fry the polenta rounds until the edges turn crisp--flip them occassionally to get both sides.
* Remove polenta cakes from pan and drain any excess oil on a paper towel.
* Top each round with a spoonful of bruschetta and sprinkle it with basil.
* If you want, you can also top the rounds with some freshly cracked pepper and/or sea salt to taste.

I haven't met a single person who didn't swoon over these things...

Sugar Cookie Cream Cheese Bars with Fruit

My cousin's wife, Tara, makes outrageously gorgeous cakes as a hobby of hers and oh my does she know how to make a cake! I keep telling her she should make it into a business, but now she is a full time mommy with two little boys that keep her very busy. Her son, Kyan, had his first birthday and she made this amazing caterpillar cake for the birthday party. That's Kyan reaching for a delicious fistful of cake in hopes to ruin it before we have finished singing Happy Birthday...and that's Tara's hand trying to prevent him from doing so...And here are some other photo's of her exceptional handiwork:

I am so incredibly impressed with her cakes--aren't you?! Tara, you are amazing!

For our family's Fourth of July party this year, Tara made a very simple fruit tart--think soft, chewy sugar cookie with a cream cheese filling with fruit on top! It was such a big hit at the party that I thought I would share the recipe because it is so simple, you just won't even believe it!


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 roll of slice-n-bake sugar cookie dough (I highly recommend seeking out an all natural brand like Cookie Love to avoid partially hydrogenated oils)
* 1 package of all natural cream cheese
* 1/3 cup sugar (preferably evaporated cane sugar)
* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (no imitation!)
* fruit for topping (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, and/or mango)

DIRECTIONS:

* Flatten out the dough in a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees according to directions on package--it should turn just slightly golden brown but still be a little undercooked. Set aside to cool completely.
* In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until creamy and smooth.
* Use a rubber spatula to smooth the cream cheese mixture out on top of the cookie layer.
* Arrange fruit as desired and refrigerate for at least one hour.

You will be shocked by this simple, yummy dessert!

Another yummy variation is to add 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon and 3 Tbsp. maple syrup to the cream cheese mixture and, instead of fruit for the topping, sprinkle 1/2 cup of toasted and chopped pecans...

Fresh Ricotta with Figs, Pistachios, Walnuts and Honey

In the summer of 2005, I got a fancy job working at a US-based law firm in their London office (I also lucked out with the World's Best Boss who took me all around London and even took me to Wimbledon 2005, but that is another story entirely). I rented a flat near the Baker Street tube station--right across from St. Regent's Park. It was perfect. I used to rush home from work, crammed in an insanely packed train trying to avoid having my face smooshed into someone's sweaty armpit, drop my things off at my flat, wiggle out of my suit into some jeans and a sweater and run out to the park to sit by the water and watch the clouds change shapes...

It was also that same summer that I became hopelessly addicted to a brand of strawberry yogurt called Biopot (funny, i know) and became affectionately known amongst my flatmates as the "biopot-monger" because I literally ate a tub a day of the stuff (luckily, it was easy to find at any Tesco corner store). I liked Rhubarb-Vanilla flavor too but the strawberry--oh, the strawberry....it was thick (but not too thick) and incredibly creamy and probably mixed with a wildly addictive dose of crack. There is something remarkably different about yogurt purchased in Europe that makes U.S. yogurt seem thin and watery and shamefully inferior...Since that summer, I have become a huge fan of mixing yogurt with fruits, nuts, berries, granola, and cereals...

I have since branched out (expanded, if you will) from yogurt so, I thought I would share another one of my favorite dishes to have for breakfast--it is extremely flavorful and light with all the right textures and flavor combinations...

INGREDIENTS:

* 1/4 cup fresh ricotta
* 1/2 cup fresh figs (green or black), quartered
* handful of pistachios, chopped
* handful of walnuts, chopped
* 2 Tbsp. honey to drizzle

Word to the wise--never underestimate the seductive combination of figs and pistachios. Or ricotta and honey.