learning to be human, since 1984
cooking
Tzatziki – Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce
Aug 29th
You’ve probably eaten it on gyros – which is entirely fine. But most likely, it came out of a plastic squeeze bottle, watered down and soapy – which is not so fine. Most Greek food places use inferior ingredients. Sorry, countrymen, but garbage in, garbage out. And when the garbage out is synonymous with the food you shovel into your face…things aren’t good.
Here’s how to make it at home, like my mom, aunt, and yiayia make it. You’ll need:
- a small cucumber, peeled (save the peels and put them on your forehead to cool down in the summer. I also eat them or compost when possible)
- garlic cloves – one or two will do
- 1+ cups of strained yogurt – only get Greek or Middle Eastern. It should be thick, creamy, and rich. I avoid low fat yogurt which tends to be filled preservatives and other junk – and just doesn’t taste as good. I generally don’t endorse brands, but if you don’t know what to get try Fage Total. It’s increasingly available, and even their 0% fat version beats the living hell out of excuses for yogurt like Yoplait.
- lemon juice or vinegar to taste (only about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons chopped mint or dill, chives, parsley, etc
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
(notice the super high fat content, and only four ingredients. It could be argued that there are only 2 ingredients, but lets not push it. Four is low enough)
- a small or medium bowl
- a grater
- a paring knife (or veg peeler)
- a fork
Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out. I eat them. You can do as you please. Then peel with the paring knife and grate into the bowl. My mom squeezes out the excess water using towels or a colander – but its not entirely necessary. This is mostly for texture and crunch, so add as much as you like.
Use the back of a fork to smash the garlic into a paste. Add it to the bowl along with the lemon juice or vinegar. Lemons are more traditional especially in the summer. Just squeeze the juice into a clean cupped hand to filter out the seeds before adding to the bowl. The citric or acetic acid serves to cut the richness of the fat and to enhance the natural tanginess of the lactic acid present in the yogurt. Now, mix in the yogurt.
Optionally, add the mint or dill and season with salt (I like several cracks of fresh black pepper too) and mix everything together. Finish generously with extra virgin olive oil – give it a swirl to blend it in but not too much – and garnish with dill, cucumber segments, olives, or anything that seems suitable. If it looks ridiculous it probably is – if not, then its probably fine. Don’t sweat it.
Tzatziki is traditionally sopped with bread or eaten with meat, fish, or veggies. The richness of the fat and the acidity of the lemons compliment the strong flavors of many Greek, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods. You might want to double or triple the recipe – it goes quickly, especially in my family. If it makes it past the dinner table, it should keep a week plus, covered in the fridge. Oh, and the longer it sits in the fridge, the more the flavors meld – I’d suggest making it a few hours ahead of time at least.
N.B. After finding some fennel in the fridge, it occurred to me that the anise flavor would work well with the yogurt. Serving tzatziki with shaved fennel rather than or in addition to cucumber would work especially well if pairing it with another food prepared with fennel or tarragon, such as fish. But that’s an entirely different post!
Garam Masala inspired Rice with Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions
Aug 21st
Rifling through a book at work landed me on a page with a recipe for garam masala, the classic Indian spice mix. Seeing those ingredients got my wrinklepatch whirring like mad! What if I were to combine flavors from two disparate cuisines?
There’s nothing new about the idea – afterall, there’s surf-n-turf, East/West fusion, and the wonderful explosion of Mediterranean dishes whose origins are often debated, and passionately at that.
So what’s different? Maybe not much, but when I think of the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, nutmeg, and cumin in garam masala … I immediately think: India. Sautéed mushrooms with onions isn’t as clear – but they certainly are traditional in French, Italian, and American cuisine. I’d never really thought about combining the two – but figured it couldn’t hurt.
The recipe is simple – rough measurements if any, so use your discretion. Lightly toast some cardamom pods, cloves, and whole black pepper corns in a hot pan. I also added some very roughly chopped chiles. Then add a little butter and oil to the pan. Once the fat is nice and hot, brown the rice. Add the water to the pan as well as a stick of cinnamon and wait till it simmers. Turn to low and cover for 18-20 minutes, or according to how you normally cook rice.
While the rice was cooking, I chopped three medium portobello mushrooms into a large dice, and did the same with a large onion. I sautéed both in a medium pan with butter, adding salt and pepper to taste. The sautéed stuff finished about the same time as the rice. I simply removed all the spices from the rice, and served the sautéed mushroom and onions on top, heavily garnished with roughly chopped parsley.
I really enjoyed using fridge and pantry stuff to try something I’d never done before – which was infusing the rice with the aforementioned spices. If oil was used rather than butter, this would be entirely vegan! You could even drizzle a little lemon juice on top for a nice acidic bite. If you come up with some other ideas, let me know by posting a comment. Thanks for reading!
Culinary Heroes
Aug 18th
I am absolutely captivated by people, by the Human race. Remarkable creatures, with knobbly joints and bulbous brain baskets, gallivanting across the girth of the globe and daring enough to transmit their memes across the synapses of the young and impressionable. And that includes me, hopefully on both ends of transmission.
Here are some people who have influenced and inspired me in the kitchen (and elsewhere, as life would have it) in rough order, not necessarily of importance.
- My mom – the best cook I know.
- Yiayia – Sorry, yiayia – mom wins.
- Theia Neni – Ditto. But I still love you both.
- Marco Pierre White – for helping me realize that food is remarkable, and that food’s qualities must be approached both scientifically and with an almost mysticism.
- Gordon Ramsay – Despite being portrayed as a complete ass on American television, I’ve learned a lot about being a leader from Mr. Ramsay. To lead effectively, you must take responsibility and react appropriately. Whether it be inspiring someone with a bollocking or with a sincere compliment, this man knows how to inspire people to get things done.
- Anthony Bourdain – partly to blame for my “try anything twice” philosophy, especially when you’re eating food that someone specifically prepared for you. To almost every culture in the world but American, it is offensive to not eat when offered food.
- Jamie Oliver – quick, fresh food, home-grown – wholly inspirational. It’s exciting to put food production back into our own hands!
- Mario Batali – made me realize that food is regional, everywhere, for a reason – and that we should embrace what we’ve got, when we’ve got it.
- Julia Child – my youth was filled with her shrill voice and excuses for drinking sherry – an excuse in which I fully partake in today
- Alton Brown/Heston Blumenthal – double whammy science overload! They explained the hows and whys of cooking with diagrams, experiments, and logic.
To everyone on the list: You’ll probably never read this (except maybe mom and theia), but thanks anyhow. Hopefully I can inspire others as you have inspired me.
Fried Rice Explorations, with Mustard Greens
Aug 15th
This post will kill two birds with one stone – and three if you count the chicken thighs I used.
A few days ago, some friends explained the process of preparing fried rice. Nothing overly complex, but there are a few ingredients that I had seldom used. Also, I had never cooked mustard greens. As the ever-intrepid food-a-holic, I embraced the opportunity and decided to combine the two. I’ll explain the basic process of fried rice, as it was told to me (with some of my input), and also weave in where I used the mustard leaves.
You’ll need:
- long-grain already cooked rice; I’d stick with something neutral in flavor, or Jasmine.
- oil; again, as neutral as possible; superlight olive oil or sunflower oil – or for some more flavor, peanut or sesame. I’m still on the fence about Canola.
- garlic; washed and finely chopped.
- green onions; washed and cut – these make the dish.
- sauces: oyster, fish, soy. If you have wheat allergies, I’m sure you know to make sure your sauces are gluten free. If you are AVERSE to any of these sauces, let me know of some AltERnatiVES.
- salt & pepper (not to be confused with Salt-n-Pepa)
Optional, though suggested:
- veggies; carrots, onions, snow peas, broccoli, and so on – you pick. Make sure to wash and clean them before chopping them into uniform bits, big enough to keep shape after a quick sauté. This is where the mustard fits in. Though they wilt somewhat quickly, it’s best to add them a bit early if you don’t like their bitterness, and also to soften them up a little.
- cilantro, basil, and other herbs for finishing. Wash and run your knife through these two or three times. Use your senses!
- a protein, be it chicken, pork, eggs, tofu, etc. Chop into bite-sized bits. If using eggs, you’ll scramble them after the other ingredients are cooked.
Totally optional:
- another protein!
- chile oil, or chile peppers, or something spicy.
You’ll also need:
- two large pans, depending on how much you’re making (but large enough to hold the contents of the other pan)
- chef’s knife/cutting board
- vessels for holding your prepped items. If you’re cooking meat, avoid cross contamination! I use a green board for veg and red for meat, but that’s not entirely necessary.
- wooden spoon/spatulas/etc
We’re going to do this in two parts. First, cooking the veg and proteins, then the rice, then mixing the two. So let’s get a move on!
Prep all your ingredients. Get your oil as hot as possible. You’ll need to work quickly, so get ready to move. Add the garlic. If you’re not adding the suggested stuff, move to the next paragraph – otherwise: add veg and protein in order of longest cook time first. You want to cook the veg but keep them crunchy in the center. Broccoli and carrots cook slower than onions, for example. Always keep the pan’s contents moving so they don’t stick and burn – remember, the pan is hot! Season with the sauces. About 2-3 minutes before the above pan’s contents are ready, heat another pan (unless you’re only adding the eggs – just use the one pan) and scramble the eggs. A little runny is fine, as the residual heat will continue to cook them. Transfer the scrambled eggs to the other pan. Lightly clean, oil, and return the egg pan to the heat, as you’ll use it to cook the rice.
Add the rice to your hot, oiled pan, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Season with your sauces to taste. A little goes a long way – so if these ingredients are unfamiliar to you, add them slowly. You can always add more, but can never remove it. Also, the fish sauce smells gross. After all, it’s usually made from fermented sardines or other salty fish. Taste it on its own at your own risk – I have.
Finally, mix the two together in one of the pans. Taste. Whichever sauces you think are necessary, salt and pepper. Mix in or garnish with green onion, herbs, and the spicy component!
The mustard greens added a mild bitterness, and some contrasting texture to the rest of the dish – both things with which I was pleased. And I apologize for any temporal confusion you may have endured. I blame that on all the Dr. Who episodes streaming through my computer. As always, if you have any questions/comments please let me know. I’d love to clarify any confusion or hear what you think. Also – I’ll soon be posting another recipe with the mustard greens. Till then!
Fond du Lac “Fondy” Farmer’s Market
Aug 14th
I just biked back from Milwaukee’s Fondy Market, on 22nd and Fond du Lac. I talked to some vendors, the manager (and her trainee), and bought a few things:
- green beans
- habenero peppers
- chiles
- mustard greens
One of the vendors was a wonderful older Hmong woman, with whom I spoke for awhile – mostly about cooking. I’ve never prepared mustard greens before, so I figured I’d give them a shot, per my previous post on Cooking by Feel. I know one method is to boil them for a long time, but she also suggested serving them with chicken or pork, and even sautéeing them in some oil.
After trying them raw, however, I am extremely tempted to just eat the whole bunch plain, or with a little olive oil, vinegar, and a light seasoning of salt and garlic. They are wonderfully peppery and mustardish (one would hope!), and entirely remind me of what those terrible Chinese mustard packets – the ones you get from take-out – should taste like. Their peppery-ness is a bit stronger than roquette but I love that quality in leafy greens. I’m still trying to figure out why one would boil them to oblivion though… Anyone?
I’ll update with the results of my explorations, and what I actually decide to do with the mustard greens!
Some Quick Notes On Umami
Aug 13th
Most of my friends know that I am a food fanatic. I love food. Buying food. Tasting food. Making food. Growing it, when I can. So its natural that I talk about it. Hopefully you can relate – you are reading my predominantly food-related blog. More >
Cooking by Feel
Aug 8th
This post is a bit different than the rest. No photos. No recipes. Just an idea.
When it comes down to it, cooking is about feeling – and to feel, one must sense. There is little thinking involved. Certainly, you can learn to cook by following steps, by reading books, and by watching your grandmother elicit extraordinary elixirs over the stove-top flame. There is, however, nothing more rewarding than knowing nothing about an ingredient and turning it into something remarkable – without the aid of anything but your own brain.
The only way to do this is to use your senses. Trust what your fingers, eyes, mouth, nose, and ears tell you. Use what knowledge you have, but do not depend on it. Instead, deduce what you can from what you’ve got. Taste it. Roll it through your fingers. Discern its qualities with your eyes. Smell it. Listen to how it reacts. Do these things at all stages of preparation, whether it be in its original raw state, its prepared state before cooking, its state while cooking, or its final condition. Keep notes if you must but never forget that it is the senses to which food appeals.
The only way to know what is appealing is to constantly evaluate ingredients and how they interact with each other. You cannot learn this from a book, your favorite food network star, or from me. You must know your own palate, and trust it wholly. Only then can you feel. Only then can you cook.