Las Mañanitas

One afternoon, when I was a kid, I told my mom that I was going to run away and go live with my grandma in Texas.  I had packed a paper bag full of my stuffed animals and figured I’d just hop one of the trains that passed right by our house every day.  Without even missing a beat, my mom called my bluff and said, “Okay, but first you’ll have to take a bath.”  I couldn’t have been more than six and that bath eventually turned into a nap.   My mother, who had dealt with six of my siblings before me, clearly knew how to outsmart her kids so she could get on with her day and her errands.  And she did it all with the patience of a saint.

Mother’s symbolize so much in our world, it’s a shame we only pick one day to celebrate them.  I was reminded today of all the mother’s I’ve known that are now gone, and how lucky I am to still be able to pick up the phone and have mine answer, even if it’s only to tell me how she didn’t win anything at bingo or what she ate at the last party she got invited to.  This morning when I called her to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day, she told me about the special mass the local church gave in honor of all the mothers, and how she was given flowers and blessed by the priest and serenaded with a traditional Mexican song, “Las Mañanitas.”  It’s a song of celebration and every time I hear it I get goosebumps and lose it.  It is a small tribute to a woman of immeasurable courage.  My mother has endured a lot in her life and yet she continues to have the patience and strength of a saint.

I spent the last six years putting out nice meals for everyone else’s mother, that this year, I decided to create a little something in honor of my own.  Here’s to a little lady with a feisty spirit, my Mom.

TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA

INGREDIENTS

4 large red potatoes
1 large yellow onion
1 large green bell pepper
6 eggs
1 tsp salt
Olive oil

Yields: 8 servings

Peel red potatoes.  Cut into quarters, lengthwise.  Cut evenly into 1/4″ slices and place in a bowl.  Set aside.

Cut bell pepper and onion into medium dice.

In a non-stick pan, over medium heat, add potatoes and enough olive oil (about two cups) to cover them.  When I learned this recipe from a Spanish chef in Barcelona, the other Americans in class nearly fell out of their seats.  That’s a lot of oil!  Yes, but the potatoes only sit in it for as long as it takes to lightly simmer them or, until you can easily slide the tip of a knife through them, about 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat.  Be careful not to brown any of the potatoes.  Once that’s done, you can drain them from the oil and set them aside.

Using some of the same oil, saute until slightly tender, the green pepper and onion.  Add to the potatoes.

Season all the vegetables with salt and then add in the scrambled eggs.

Add about 2 TBS of the remaining olive oil to the pan and pour in the potato-egg mixture.  Once the rim of the tortilla has set, take a small spatula and go around the sides of the pan to make sure it doesn’t stick.  When it releases from the sides, you know it’s ready to flip.

Take a plate that’s slightly larger than your pan and place it on top of the pan.  Use your dominant or strongest hand to hold the plate firmly again the pan so it doesn’t slip.  If it’s your first try, do this over a sink.  With a hot pad, grip the handle of the pan with your other hand, as close to where it actually connects to the pan and, quickly, in one motion, flip the tortilla onto the plate.  Set it down and pour another 1 TBS of oil back into the pan.  Carefully slide the tortilla from the front end of the plate, back into the pan.  Take your spatula and tuck the edges under all the way around.  Cook until the tortilla feels firm, about 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

When it’s done, set a plate on top of the pan again and invert the tortilla onto the  plate.

TASTING NOTES

I must have eaten at least a dozen tortillas in Spain the last time I visited.  Some had tasty things in them like chorizo or smoked fish.  Some had beautifully thin slices of potato that made up most of the tortilla and had very little egg.  They tasted great room temperature but you always got asked if you wanted it warmed up which brought out more of the flavors.  They’re really quite easy to make once you get the hang of it and the right potato to egg ratio.  I’ve made some with smoked salmon, dill and smoked gouda or potato, piquillo peppers and smoked paprika.

If you have a saute pan that’s deep enough, you can also toss in the onions and green peppers in the same pan with the simmering potatoes when they’re about halfway cooked.  This will give your tortilla a little more flavor than cooking the other vegetables separately.

To reheat, simply microwave for about 2-3 minutes depending on thickness or place in the oven until warmed through.

To My Sister, With Love

Yes, that’s my sister pretending to be The Fonze, and yes, that is chocolate on my face.

After the recent loss of  my cousin Becky, I’ve been thinking of that special bond that exists between sisters.  Or maybe it’s just a bond that exists between women, because you know how one another hurts, how one another loves and what it takes to bring a smile to one another’s faces.  I count myself lucky to be surrounded by strong, brave, and resilient women.  Some are friends, some are family, and one who has defied all odds is my older sister, Olga.

Growing up as the second of only two girls in my family’s brood of boys, I looked up to my older sister for all that she did and all that she was.  I watched her put on make up and remember how she smelled of face powder, violet mints and Aquanet.  When one of my brother’s ”accidentally” swung a baseball bat into my eye, I remember how she and I spent the afternoon drawing Bic blue pen stick figures depicting how I’d get back at him.  She dressed me up like Boy George for Halloween, gave me my first taste of Old Milwaukee beer from Dad’s stash in the basement fridge and we’d listen to Prince on her radio in the summer while I gazed up at the posters of Rick Springfield on her wall.

And then she started dating boys and everything changed.  I continued to grow up in her shadow and just when I realized I had lost my best friend, it was too late.  I moved with my parents to Texas and she stayed behind in Milwaukee.  A lot changed, we went years without talking, but that bond between sisters never fades no matter what happens and we eventually reconnected.  With her help, I made it through college and started down my own path.

Now, all these years later, we’ve seen each other briefly and I’ve watched her from afar overcome great challenges from divorce, to raising five children, all the while moving herself forward with a job, school and making a life for herself and her children.  I share her story often with friends, strangers, because I’m proud of my sister for who she has become.  We may be hundreds of miles apart, but we are still connected by love, by forgiveness, by the joy in knowing we are sisters.  As she celebrates her birthday this coming Wednesday, I wanted to honor her with more than a greeting card or flowers.  So Sis, here’s to you.  I miss you, I love you, I wish you bastante blessings on your birthday.

MARGARITA CAKE

Adapted from The North End Italian Cookbook by Marguerite DiMino Buonopane

Thank God there’s at least one good baker in my family and that would be my sister who’s developed her craft for the last 16 years working at one of Milwaukee’s oldest Polish bakeries.  I thought this recipe was especially fitting to celebrate her as she is the better baker, loves all things Italian and will appreciate it when I say I think Mrs. Buonopane was a few margarita pitchers into the day when she sat down to write out this recipe.  Being somewhat crafty in the kitchen, I had to make several adjustments to end up with this sponge cake-like dessert with a little mexican chocolate frosting, cause, well, we’re Mexican, not Italian.

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

5 eggs separated
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 TBS lemon juice
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 TBS potato flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting:

1/2 round Abuelita or similar Mexican chocolate
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 TBS rum
6 TBS water

This recipe is my first foray into gluten free baking and, as I mentioned, I’m not a great baker so this was a two-time attempt until I got something that I think resembled the intent of this recipe.  Also, the instructions were a bit disjointed so I created my own which I think yielded better results.

Preheat oven to 375°.

In  large bowl, beat egg yolks with an electric mixture on low speed until thick and lemon colored.  Add sugar, lemon juice and almond extract and beat for five minutes.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form a soft peak.  Fold into the egg yolk mixture.

Slowly sprinkle in the potato flour.  This recipe originally called for 1/2 cup of potato flour but that just turned into a dry mess so I decided to cut back the amount and sprinkle it into all the wet ingredients.

Grease a 10″ square cake pan or do as I did and butter and coat with more powdered sugar a springform pan.  Bake on the center rack for about 22 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.  Pour vanilla extract over cake and let cool.

Over a double boiler, melt Mexican chocolate, powdered sugar, water and rum.  Add cocoa powder.  Frosting will be a bit gritty from the Mexican chocolate but it’s pretty tasty.  Drizzle or spread over cooled cake.

TASTING NOTES

This was a nice, light little cake.  I think it probably would have benefited from some fruit or more citrus but overall it was relatively easy and really moist.

Note to you all and to self, potato flour is like sand and wads up like it when dumped into a small amount of liquid.  Thanks for that lesson, Mrs. Buonopane.  I also came across this product at my local Ballard Market.  I’m a fan of sweet potatoes so I may do a little experimenting with it some time.  I learned potato flour can also be used to thicken sauces and soups which is a no brainer.  Since I’m lactose intolerant, I used left over cooked potatoes to thicken up soups at the restaurant.  Maybe not as rich as using heavy cream but still quite delicious.

New Traditions

For the last five years I’ve spent every holiday with my work family at the restaurant, putting out buffets to hoards of people and then coming home and crashing and not even remembering the significance of the holiday or having any nearby family to celebrate with. Being on my feet all day didn’t exactly leave me enthusiastic about coming home and cooking for a few more hours.

But this year, I woke up to a gorgeous, sunny Seattle day and decided to start a new Easter tradition. I wasn’t going to waste empty calories on cheap Easter chocolate, so I took a stroll down to the waterfront with the craving of a pain au chocolate I couldn’t ignore. Luckily, Seattle’s Pike Place Market was open, despite the Jesus and bunny festivities, and I scored not just that chocolate croissant, but also a delectable palmier, the world’s most deceptively simple but sinful butter and sugar heart-shaped cookie.

Why couldn’t I start new traditions now that my life has entered this new chapter of independent bliss?  So instead of Easter ham and jelly beans, I’ve dusted off my Around the World in 450 Recipes book and finally cooked something from it. Marrakesh Pizza is a stuffed bread that is lightly toasted, almost panini style, on a griddle. Skipping the recommendation to serve it with a boring arugula and black olive salad, I picked through my pantry and fridge and came up with one of my own best recipes yet: Gingered chickpeas with spinach, tomato, mint and meyer lemon. Yes, it’s true that I’ve never been to Morocco, but sometimes all one has to do to transport themselves to another place is close your eyes and smell the spices and imagine yourself in the center of a crowded and colorful Marrakesh market.

Here’s to making your own new traditions.  Happy Easter, Everyone!

MARRAKESH PIZZA
Adapted from Around the World in 450 Recipes

INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup warm water

For the filling:
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
2 oz (about 4 1/2 TBS) vegetable shortening or vegetable suet if you can find it
1 1/2 oz grated Cheddar cheese

First prepare the yeast.  Place 2/3 cup warm tap water in a small bowl, stir in the sugar and then sprinkle with the yeast.  Stir until dissolved.  Set aside in a warm place for about 10  minutes or until frothy.

Next, in a small bowl, mix together the diced onions, tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, paprika, cumin, cheese and vegetable shortening.  Season with salt, mix well to incorporate and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix both flours, salt and the yeast mixture.  Add another cup of warm water until the dough comes together.  Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is firm and elastic.  I use the technique of lightly flouring my hands to keep the dough from sticking to them and add a dusting of flour to the work surface until the dough is good enough to handle.  The moisture in your kitchen will have a lot to do with how much flour you need to add until the dough is workable enough so it doesn’t stick to the work surface.

Cut the dough into four pieces, cover the three you aren’t working with a linen towel and roll the other into a 8×12″ rectangle.  Scoop about a 1/2 cup of the filling mixture down the center of the dough and flatten out with your hands.

When your done, fold the dough into thirds so you end up with a 8×4″ rectangle.  Roll this second rectangle out so that you end up with the 8×12″ size again.  Set this filled dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet or silpat mat lined baking sheet.  Repeat this process with the remaining dough.  Cover each pizza with an oil sprayed sheet of clear cling wrap and let rise for about an hour.

Over medium heat, place a cast iron grill pan or skillet that has been oiled or is well seasoned.  Use a fork to prick the dough about six times and brush with a little melted butter.  When pan is hot, carefully lift dough and place into grill pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes per side. Prick the second side and also brush with more melted butter.  Remove from pan and let cool before cutting into wedges.

CHICKPEA SALAD

I was thinking slow-simmered, ginger and tomato curried chickpeas but then realized I didn’t have enough tomatoes but did have some left over fragrant meyer lemons and fresh ginger that needed to be saved.  So here’s how it goes:

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 onion, finely diced
1 knob of fresh ginger, finely diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 cups fresh spinach, julienned
4 TBS finely chopped mint
Juice and zest of 4 meyer lemons
1 tsp salt
2 TBS olive oil

Saute onions in olive oil.  Cook over medium heat until slightly brown and softened.  Add ginger and cook for about 3 minutes.  Add chickpeas, tomatoes, salt, lemon zest, juice.  Cook for another 3 minutes.  Add spinach until slightly wilted.  Add mint at the end.  Serve hot or chill.

TASTING NOTES

I can only imagine how Marrakesh pizza came to be.  It seems like something that is rustic enough to be everyday food and versatile enough to accommodate a host of fillings.  Maybe it’s something served from a street cart vendor, wrapped in crinkly paper and dusted with a little paprika or sumac.  My only complaint about this soft and lofty bread was that I wanted more filling.  I loved the grilled flavor imparted by cooking it on my grill pan, and the gorgeous outer crust that formed and crunched as you bit into it.  I think I’d double the filling mixture next time and go a little heavier on it for each pizza.

My chickpea salad was a winner.  I served it cold which brought out more of the fragrant meyer lemon flavor.  I suspect chilling it overnight will make it that much more flavorful tomorrow morning.  Too bad there’s only a few spoonfuls left.

Sweetness In Surrender

My yoga teacher is always reminding us about the sweetness in allowing one’s self to surrender to the moment, to whatever aches and pains the body is presenting, to whatever grief or strife the mind is imposing upon us.  As painful or as difficult as it can feel, it’s only temporary because when we allow ourselves that moment of surrender, there eventually follows a quiet moment of grace and peace, and it can be sweet if we just give it room to enter and invite it to come in.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to write about the recent passing of two very special women in my life.  One was taken too quickly, a life half-lived,  and the other had lived long enough to bury a husband and meet her one and only grandchild.  Both were strong, generous, caring women who left very different impressions on my life.  Becky was my beautiful cousin, as much a sister as my own, who had a whisper of a laugh, a gentle soul and a way of connecting with you even if it had been 10 years since the last time you saw each other.  Verna came into my life after I met the man who would be the reason I moved to Seattle.  She was a complicated woman who had worn many hats, that of wife, mother, friend, and like many women of her generation, I think she strove and struggled to excel at each one of those roles.  She was like any mother with a son, at times I think she thanked me for loving him, at times I think she hated me for leaving him.  And yet, despite all that, I would still get the occasional Christmas card with her kind words in her neat cursive handwriting reminding me that she still considered me a small part of her world.

It’s hard saying goodbye to someone when you can’t see their faces one last time or hear their voices the way you remembered them.  It’s hard making sense of the fact that the place they held in this world is now vacant.  The whole space and time of their experiences, their past and future, all of it gone forever.  A period at the end of a final sentence.  No other opportunity for rewrites or new thoughts.  Breathing in the quiet lessens the sorrow, but I wonder if this is just the dress rehearsal.  When loss gets a little closer to your doorstep, you can’t help but see the world in a different light.

Verna loved to bake and like any mom she shared a few of her treasured recipes with me years ago.  This next recipe was one of her favorites.  Shoo Fly Pie is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch pie, sweetened from molasses, hence the name, “Shoo Fly Pie” as the sugar tended to attract the flies and one had to “shoo” them away.  The sweet smell of this warm pie baking in my oven this evening put a smile on my face, one which has been hard to maintain with all this recent grief and sadness.  Sometimes that sweetness in surrender can be as easy as putting on your apron and baking a Shoo Fly Pie.

SHOO FLY PIE
Adapted from Verna Both’s recipe

1 1/2 cups molasses
1 1/2 cups hot water (tap water around 100°)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups flour
1 cup light brown sugar
4 TBS shortening
1/2 tsp salt
2 unbaked pie shells

Yields:  2-9 inch pies

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Move the top oven rack to the middle of the oven.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, shortening, brown sugar and salt with a fork as is making pie dough.  Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, mix together molasses, hot water and baking soda.  Mixture will foam.

Mix the molasses mixture into the flour mixture, 1/3 of the mixture at a time until all is well incorporated.  Divide the batter into the two pie shells.

Place the filled pie shells onto a baking sheet and into the oven on the middle rack.  Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool about 20 minutes.

IN MEMORIAM:

Becky Garza

“Always and forever surrounded by love”

Verna Both

“May you rest in your eternal garden and watch your flowers grow”

Sacrifice

I have sacrificed speaking the truth for fear of many things, wanting to be loved, not wanting to hurt, wanting to be happy.

I have sacrificed my personal life by being married to my work.

I have sacrificed being close to my family because I needed the distance and now it is distance that has grown between us.

I have sacrificed falling in love because I fear no man will ever come close to filling that space in my heart just the way I need him to.

I have sacrificed letting go because there’s a fear in losing control and having someone see you as you are.

I have been thinking of sacrifice lately and how we each choose to define it.  Sometimes we do it out of necessity, other times we do it as a compromise.  Sometimes we do it without really know why and in hopes that one day it will all just make sense.  That’s where I’m at these days.  It’s been almost a year since I began a journey of my own renewal and sacrifice.  I was looking inward, feeling restless and not having much clarity other than knowing that something in my life had to change.  I sacrificed and gave up some very dear things so I could bring change to my life and I got that and so much more.  And still, I’m on the brink of something bigger, but I am struggling to remain honest and true with myself and about what I want and need.  It is a scary place to be, alone, with no popcorn trail to lead you back home.

Not being a “practicing Catholic” anymore, but still keeping in tune with the cycle of the season, I pulled out this recipe last week and taught it to a very special group of women.  My mother has cooked this recipe during Lent each year when Fridays are reserved for meatless meals.  I felt honored to teach it to ten women who sacrificed many things to come here to this country and find a better life for themselves and their children. It’s a humble recipe but one that always reminds me of what it means to do with little or do without.  All religious references aside, please enjoy my mother’s albondigas.

ALBONDIGAS (TUNA PATTIES)

2 medium russet potatoes
1 can tuna fish, drained
4 green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Yields: 8 patties

Boil potatoes for about 10-15 minutes or until you can easily pierce with a fork.  Drain, cool and remove skin.

In a medium bowl, combine potatoes, canned tuna, green onions and cilantro.  Add salt and pepper and season to taste.

In two smaller bowls, separate three egg yolks from their whites.  Reserve the yolks.  Whisk the whites until slightly foamy.  Add in the yolks and whisk to incorporate.  Add the eggs to the potato mixture.  The mixture will be slightly wet and loose.

In a non-stick saute pan, over medium-high heat, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to spoon out some of the batter into the pan.  Use the back of the cup to flatten out the patties.  Cook about 3-4 minutes per side, or until firm and golden brown.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

TASTING NOTES

My mother originally used to make these patties with a little dried shrimp powder and then would deep fry them.  Somewhere along the line, she surprised me by cutting out the oil and the salt and making a version that’s still delicious and somewhat healthier.  By whisking the eggs, she’s created an almost pancake fluffiness to these patties.  Albondigas translates to meatball but these are more of a croquette.  Either way, they’re great served warm, but can also stand up to reheating a few days later.  If you wanted a little more fiber, you could keep the potato skins on and just mash it all together.

We never really had a sauce to go with these, but I made a quick blender red sauce with red peppers, garlic, romas, parsley and oil and that worked well.  You could also just dunk them in ketchup or tartar sauce.

Any ethnic food aisle at the supermarket or a specialty Latin or Asian market would carry dried shrimp powder.  Sometimes you can also just find the whole dried shrimp.  It’s has a unique fishy pungency, so if you are going to cook with it, a little goes a long way.  It’s a great way to experiment with a new ingredient, but lock up your cats, because it’s pretty stinky.

España Bound

Sometimes things just come together in your life the way they’re supposed to.

I’m headed back to Spain!

This week I was one of only nine lucky people to secure a spot in a very unique food and lifestyle photography workshop in the Basque country hosted by 2012 James Beard food blogger finalist, Aran Goyoaga and her equally talented friend and fellow blogger, Nadia Dole.  Pinch me, cause I still feel like I’m dreaming!

The workshop will take place at the  Astei estate, a beautifully remodeled farmhouse surrounded by forests and the Biosphere Reserve of Urdaibai.  We’ll visit local organic farmers and artisans, cook and eat delicious food and learn the art of food styling and great photography.  And as if that wasn’t heaven enough, also on the itinerary is visiting the  beaches, eating our way through the best pinxtos in San Sebastian and exploring the French Basque countryside. Oui oui, I still can’t believe my incredible luck!

I fell in love with San Sebastian three years ago on my first trip to Spain and always hoped to go back one day.  The friendliest people, men singing in quaint courtyards, couples strolling together hand-in-hand in the evening, old men in berets walking their poodles, and the center of some of Spain’s best gastronomy.  It was so welcoming, it felt like home.  And now I can’t believe my luck to be going back this year and to be doing it in such an amazing and creative way, with a native Spaniard and professional food photographer as my guide.  I’m honored and humbled by the opportunity and know only great things can come of this.  I can’t wait for this adventure to start.

Whip It Good!

Part of what makes food so attractive is its ability to bring people together.  While we might never forget a nice meal shared with a loved one, it’s the feasts we enjoy with friends and family that truly leave an indelible mark upon our memory.  Silvena Rowe’s Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume, with its stories of times past and recollection of family recipes, recently inspired me to host a dinner party to bring together a special group of my friends who are like family to me.  It was a wonderful way to close the first month of this brand new year, and a reminder of my good fortune to have a life so rich in friendship, food and happiness.  Years from now when I look through the rumpled pages of this cookbook, I will remember that dinner party and all the new flavors we experienced together and how it brought us together to reconnect in our paths if even for a brief moment in our histories.

One of the simplest recipes in the book, was a version of hummus that was more like guacamole.  Instead of using chickpeas, Rowe takes avocado and blends it together with tahini and that wonderfully tangy spice sumac.  What you have is a dip so substantive and creamy, you may never want to eat hummus again.

AVOCADO AND SUMAC WHIP
From Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, Silvena Rowe

2 ripe avocados
juice of 1 small lemon
1/4 cup tahini, plus more for garnish
3 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed sumac
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS black sesame seeds

Yield: 4 servings

Peel and cube the avocados, discarding the pits.  Blend with the lemon juice in a food processor until smooth.  Add the tahini, olive oil, sumac, cinnamon, cumin and garlic and mix together until it’s the consistency of mayonnaise.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and a little more tahini, and serve.

TASTING NOTES

You know that question people sometimes ask about if you could have dinner with someone famous, who would you choose?  If I were so lucky, I’d choose Silvena Rowe.  I would put her up there with greats like Julia Child and Jacques Pepin who just have that natural cooking instinct about them and can produce more than just a well executed dish but one that comes with thoughtfulness and a little bit of daring.  You can definitely taste that in the exquisiteness of this recipe.  Bold spices like cumin and sumac, mingle with a fragrant hint of cinnamon.  Only a creative mind in the kitchen can do that and do it well.  For such a simple dish, the combination of these flavors, elevate what could be an ordinary appetizer into something truly extraordinary.

Since avocados are in this whip, it is prone to browning.  It doesn’t brown as much as guacamole and the intense flavor holds up for at least 2-3 days if you don’t mind scraping off the top layer.  It would be great piped into deviled eggs, for something a little different, or used as a spread in a sandwich.

Sumac is a spice that’s harvested from one of the over 250 species of flowering plants found across Africa and North America.  What we know as poison ivy and poison oak are a species of sumac, but I don’t think you’d want to eat those. The flowers, or red drupes, of the plants which are harvested to make the spice, are ground into a fine powder and have a lemony taste which it makes it a great addition in many Persian and Turkish recipes.

A Nod To The Ancients

Growing up, my family would spend summers in Laredo, Texas where my grandmother lived and I remember well the thickness of the heat, the sound of cicadas, the crows of mean roosters and my grandmother’s exotic and wild pomegranate tree.  Or more succinctly, I remember wondering what ever could these giant, red, leathery orbs with fruit that stained your fingers be and why didn’t I ever see any back home in Milwaukee.  Had I known what I know now about the rarity of this fruit, I would have made sure my family helped preserve the pomegranate tree.  But it, along with my grandmother, have long since perished, and all I have left is that wonderful memory of eating those first sweet seeds and thinking they were bird food to feed to my grandmother’s chickens.

Living here in the Pacific Northwest, pomegranates now remind me of winter because it seems that’s really the only time you see them available in the stores.  True, they are festive, but they are so much more than that.  Another recipe I tried from Silvena Rowe’s Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume blew me away and made an eggplant fan out of all my dinner party friends.  It’s a sexy dish that’s meant to be served as a spread but, short on time, I ended up turning it into a cold salad.  It’s secret ingredient, pomegranate molasses, which you can now readily buy, but it’s so easy to make with Silvena’s simple recipe.  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did.  I think grandma would have approved of it, too.

EGGPLANT, ALEPPO PEPPER* AND POMEGRANATE SPREAD
Adapted from Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, Silvena Rowe

4 small eggplant
3 TBS olive oil
1 tsp Urfa Biber or Aleppo pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped with seeds
2 tsp pomegranate molasses (recipe to follow)
4-5 TBS water
seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
3 TBS cilantro, finely chopped
1 TBS grated lemon zest
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Yield:  Serve six

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

1 quart bottled pomegranate juice
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, stir all ingredients until the sugar has dissolved.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for roughly 1 hour, or until the juice has a syrupy consistency.  Pour into a jar.  Allow to cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Yield: About 1 cup

I’ve not done much cooking with eggplant because, let’s face it, when most people cook it, they usually get it wrong and it ends up tasting bland and bitter.  But the Mediterraneans do it right by combining it with the most wonderful smoky, tangy and sweet ingredients, that you can’t help but fall in love with it.  I admit, I had to pull out a few kitchen tricks to get this to come together just 5 minutes before the guests arrived, but what I managed to muster was a crowd pleaser.

To start, wash and trim both ends of the eggplant, then thinly slice into rounds.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy, non-stick skillet and add the eggplant slices a few at a time, cooking them until golden brown.  Okay, so here was the first challenge.  Eggplant doesn’t brown, it’s soaks up oil so I split the eggplant into two pans and tried to get them to soften a little before adding the rest of the ingredients.  No browning ever occurred.  If anyone has tricks, besides deep frying it, let me know.

Stir in the urfa biber, (I totally forgot the Aleppo, but this other type of Turkish pepper worked really well, dried chipotle or any smoky pepper would, too) garlic, ground coriander, and allspice (I also didn’t have this so I used pumpkin pie spice instead).

Add the chopped tomatoes, pomegranate molasses and water and simmer on low heat until the liquid is almost gone and the eggplant is soft, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

Add the pomegranate seeds and the fresh cilantro to the cooled mixture, combine and season to taste.  Sprinkle with the lemon zest and drizzle with another tablespoon of the pomegranate molasses before serving.

TASTING NOTES

I think part of the trick to this recipe is the thinly sliced eggplant and using the smaller, slender type of eggplant.  With all of the other flavors going on, the eggplant had just enough texture to be noticeable, but none of the bitter to peek through the blanket of spices and molasses.  It would have worked just as well served warm, but I managed to cool it down in the freezer before I added the fresh cilantro and lemon zest.  Had there been any leftover, I’m sure it would have tasted even better the next day.

Aleppo pepper had a run of popularity in most trendy restaurants here in Seattle a few years ago and you can still occasionally find it on menus.  It has a sweet, fruity and slightly smoky flavor and you can find it at most specialty spice stores.  Since I didn’t have it, I substituted that lovely smoky, tobacco-like pepper, urfa biber, which nearly smoked out my apartment and left my first guest and poor cat a bit overwhelmed.  I, on the other hand, was loving the taste and flavor it imparted to the dish and hadn’t even noticed the smoke collecting in my living room.

I’ve been enjoying the leftover pomegranate molasses in my yogurt, but you could also use it to make a sauce to pour over fish or chicken.  It’s incredibly thick and flavorful so a spoonful goes a long way.  Mostly, though, I’ve just been enjoying it by the spoonful right out of the jar.

A Börek A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

I’m crazy about sweet potatoes!  They have a character that lend themselves well to either savory or sweet recipes, and they’re loaded with so many vitamins and nutrients, I dare say they’re right up there with all the other superfoods.  So when I saw that Silvena Rowe’s Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume cookbook had a recipe for something called sweet potato börek, and it only consisted of seven ingredients, I was intrigued.  Sometimes both the beauty and the struggle with learning a new cuisine is getting your hands on hard-to-pronounce and even harder to source ingredients.  But I live in Seattle, a city brimming with immigrants, ethnic food choices and an ever-growing, curious food scene, so I just shrug it off when a recipe calls for something like nigella seeds.  Nigella seeds, no problem!

If you’ve never worked with filo dough, have no fear.  This recipe is incredibly easy and quick to make.  It does require a bit of a light hand and attention working with the filo, but all in all, it’s ridiculously simple and rewardingly delicious.

SWEET POTATO AND SCALLION BÖREK

From Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, Silvena Rowe

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 TBS unsalted butter
6 scallions, finely sliced
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
2 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
4 sheets of filo, thawed
melted butter for brushing
1 large egg yolk, beaten

Yield: Serves 6

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place the sweet potatoes in a saucepan of cold water and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.  Drain and coarsely mash the sweet potatoes-you don’t want them to be too smooth.

Heat the butter in a deep saucepan and saute the scallions for 1 minute.  Add the warm sweet potatoes, paprika and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the nigella seeds.  Combine well.  Let cool.

Place a sheet of filo pastry on your work surface and brush with melted butter, then immediately place another sheet of the filo on top of the first.  (Filo can dry quickly, so keep the pastry that you are not using under a damp cloth.)  Spoon half the potato mixture along the bottom edge of the stacked filo.  Roll away from you to form a thin sausage and tuck the ends in.  Repeat the process with the remaining filo and filling.

Arrange the 2 böreks on a baking sheet, brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the remaining nigella seeds.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden.  Cut up and serve warm.  Simple and delicious!

TASTING NOTES

As  my first attempt at börek, my results the first time were so great, I made it a second time for friends.  My local supermarket was all out of regular filo dough so I substituted instead whole wheat filo.  It worked surprisingly well, but you do have to take the same care to make sure it doesn’t dry out.  When you’re only working with two sheets at a time, however, this is not that much of a concern. The trick is to slowly peel one end of the filo sheet and gently lift up until you’ve cleared the rest of the stack. If you get a small tear, it’s okay, this is double layered and will be rolled so you can easily cover up any holes.  Just be sure when you transfer the final rolled log to a baking sheet, you put the edge of the pan as close to the log and slowly lift it onto the sheet.  I almost had a near tear in half on the first one.  So take your time.  It’s worth it!

I also added a dash more paprika and salt the second time around as the flavors on the first were a bit muted and understated.  The smokiness of the sweet paprika really worked well to bring out the earthy taste of the nigella seeds.

I’m used to things made with filo being crunchy and flaky.  The trick to these is to make sure you cut them immediately after you removed them from the oven, otherwise you get a steamed effect which softens the filo.  It’s still tasty, just not as crunchy.  My börek also took about another 5 minutes to brown.  Rotating the pan halfway through helps.

Nigella seeds, according to the nice “eastern mediterranean pantry” index at the back of the book, are from a flower that is a member of the buttercup family.  You can toast them beforehand to release the flavors.  I think they have a sharp, almost metallic but earthy flavor and they look a little like a black sesame seed.

These börek heated well in the toaster oven the next day and actually tasted just as great cold.  It’s certainly a versatile recipe and one that’s fast enough to make for company, provided you’ve taken the filo out of the freezer ahead of time.  Plus, you’re getting your healthy vegetables, if not accompanied by a little butter, so for any of you who have a hard time getting loved ones to eat new things, try this out next time and don’t be surprised if you make sweet potato fans out of your family members.

Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume

You know how I was just commenting on how I’d love to travel to Turkey? Well, coincidentally, a few months ago, I treated myself to a new cookbook.  I was looking for something that would get my culinary juices flowing and I came across this beautiful book by Silvena Rowe, executive chef of Quince restaurant in London.  It is one part cookbook, one part story book and chef-author, Rowe, transports you back in time to pay tribute, and put her own modern spin on, dishes made by her Turkish father and recipes inspired by the great chefs of the Ottoman Empire.  The photos are sheer artwork, the recipes are poetry themselves.  It is a cookbook worth owning if you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, with a nod to the past and a respectful celebration of the present.

I love this cookbook so much, with its ingredients of exotic spices like allepo peppers, za’ atar, and nigella seeds, that I can’t just cook one recipe.  So for the next few posts, I invite you to come along on this journey of reawakening your senses to a cuisine that is truely mystical and delicious.

HUMMUS

From Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, Silvena Rowe

Everyone thinks they have the best hummus recipe, whether you’re Mediterranean or not, but you haven’t tasted hummus until you’ve had this.  Rowe shares a few tips she’s picked up from Chef Muhanad Jazier of Sednaya restaurant in Syria, who omits olive oil and uses  ice cubes instead to create a smooth, creamy hummus that’s so light you’d swear you could spread it like butter on toast.  This definitely beats Rowe’s version which lovingly, but laboriously calls for removing the skins from the garbanzos.  As a nod to Rowe, I incorporated both methods and what I got was a hummus that was like no other I had ever tasted.

1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
1 tsp baking soda
4-5 ice cubes
1/4 cup tahini
2 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Yields: 10 servings

Drain the chickpeas, place them in a saucepan and cover with cold water.  Add the baking soda and bring to the boil.  Continue to simmer on low heat until the chickpeas are soft.  Skim the foam from the top of the water from time to time.

Drain the chickpeas and reserve a few of them.  Blend the remaining chickpeas in a food processor, dropping in the ice cubes one by one.  This method produces a wonderfully smooth texture and turns the hummus almost white.

Transfer the blended chickpeas into a bowl, stir in the tahini (if you prefer a less nutty flavor, use less), garlic and lemon juice and season.

Serve topped with the reserved chickpeas.

TASTING NOTES

The texture of this hummus was definitely its claim to fame.  I’ve had hummus in Mediterranean restaurants before and wondered how they achieved such silky textures.  This technique definitely makes sense and saves you on using up costly olive oil.  However, what was remarkable in texture was a bit quieter in flavor.  This is a much milder version of your everyday, heavily garlic and lemon flavored hummus.  You could certainly taste the chickpeas and the tahini and with just a scant bit of salt and black pepper, this hummus was a good, simple foundation for any combination of flavors you might want to mix into it.  Rowe shares Chef Jazier’s versions such as, beiruti ,which calls for the addition of yogurt, parsley and mint and, kumuni, which omits the tahini but ads in cumin and olive oil.  I think this might just be my go-to hummus recipe from now on, minus the 2 hour detour to remove the skins from the garbanzos.

To bloat or not to bloat, that is the question indeed!  I read a lot of different reasons for why people cook beans with baking soda.  It has been said it helps reduce the “gassiness” beans produce and helps soften the shell so that they cook faster.  It took about 10-15 minutes for the beans to cook and the gentle rolling foam produced by the baking soda  helped lift some of the skins off the beans so removing them was somewhat easier.  Whether it helped reduce the gassiness, I couldn’t say.  I always thought that’s why people soaked beans overnight.

For next time…

In case you were wondering what deliciousness was sharing the plate with the hummus, that’s the next recipe up: Sweet Potato & Scallion Börek.  I hope I’ve enticed you to come back for a little more.