Ghetto Sous Vide - Steak

Yes, I said ghetto....this is a recipe courtesy of David Chang's Momofuku cookbook.  So far I've made 2 dishes using his cooking techniques and they have both turned out amazing.  For all of those who don't know what sous vide is, please read about it here.  I used a Tri-Tip cut and marinated in a soy sesame garlic concoction and 45 minutes later, it turned out perfect!  My friend did an awesome job of maintaining  the water temperature at 125 degrees F.....as seen in the picture--- her handiwork with the clip paid off!

I recommend to anyone, who loves meat, to try this technique!  The meat was cooked evenly and was super juicy.  Also a note, I seared this to be rare but of course you can sear it longer to medium rare.  After enjoying this meal, I am thinking of getting my own sous vide machine and doing it properly....but what would be the fun in that?!!!

Sous Vide for 45 minutes at 125 degrees F

Sear immediately on all sides until desired internal temperature.

Let rest for 5-10 minutes and slice.  

Tis the Season for...Potlucks, Casseroles, Turkey

Can't tell you how many potlucks I've been to in the past month and more to come.  I tend to make things that are weird...or let's just distinct, haha.  Here's what's been cooking of late.....  

Potluck!!!!

Savory 'Cheesecake' of Butternut Squash, Bacon, Caramelized Onions, Thyme

Lasagna Bolognese

Creamed Tuscan Kale and Mac

Cheddar Bacon Muffins





Cauliflower & Brussel Sprout Gratinee

Turkey Meatballs on Pretzel Bread

Countdown to Turkey Day

In preparation for the big showdown, I cooked a few dishes to tease the palette and get the creative juices going.

Wishing you all a fun lovin' stuffin' filled Thanksgiving!  Bon Apetit!


Bratwurst in-a-Blanket




Seared Scallop over Manhattan Chowda'



Stuffed Turkey Breast with Wild Rice & Herb Stuffing



Stuffed Turkey, Gravy, Collard Greens, Potato Hash

 



Pumpkin Cheesecake



Guest Post: Kerala Sambar

This is one of Tammy's favorite Indian dishes I make and she wanted me to share the recipe with you.  Most of the ingredients can be found at an Indian Market or Ethnic Market.

Sambar is a lentil based dished common in Kerala, South India.  This is my comfort food that I will always cherish. Growing up, I remember my Mom making Sambar whenever they wanted to get rid of vegetables they had in their fridge. They added every vegetable imaginable from potatoes, plantain, okra, beans, celery to pumpkin, squash and eggplant. This was also their way to make my brothers and I eat our veggies. There is no wrong or right way to prepare Sambar, but I always favored my Mom’s Kerala Sambar because of its fresh authentic flavor. I think partly because most of the vegetables were grown in our backyard.

Enjoy! 
-Tini Baby


What is…..?


Toor Dal – yellow pigeon peas.
Curry Leaves - The fragrant leaf of the curry-leaf tree, a plant native to India, used as a seasoning in cooking.
Chana Dal -. split Chickpeas without the seed coat.
Urad Dal - black gram/black lentil.
Asafetida - Derived from a species of giant fennel, asafetida has a unique smell and flavor.

Sambar:

Toor Dal or any kind of lentil beans - 1 cup
Tamarind Pulp- ¼ cup
Onions 2 medium sized, chopped
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized, chopped
Cauliflower – 1 cup, chopped
Carrots – 1 cup, sliced
Potatoes – 1 medium sized, peeled and diced.
Curry leaves – 5-6 individual leaves
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped.
Salt – as desired
Water - 3-4 cups.
Ginger – 1 tbsp freshly chopped
Garlic – 1 tbsp freshly chopped
Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
Mustard Seed – 1 tsp
Cumin Seed – 1 tsp
Sambar Powder – (see below for recipe) or you can buy packet in store

Sambar Powder

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp.
Chana Dal - 1 tsp
Urad Dal -1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Asafetida Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilies - 2 to 4, according to taste
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Methi(fenugreek) seeds - 1/4 tsp

1.  Dry roast all the items separately on low flame then grind to a fine powder.

Cooking Instructions for Sambar:

1. Cook Toor Dal in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until soft, about 15 minutes.
2. In another saucepan, mix together the tamarind pulp stir in 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables to the tamarind juice, and continue to boil until the vegetables are soft, and the liquid has reduced to almost half.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When they stop crackling, add turmeric powder, curry leaves, chopped onions, garlic and ginger. Fry until golden brown.
4. Add Sambar Powder to onion mixture and mix for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into vegetable mixture.
5. Add salt to taste and boil for another 5 minutes.
6. Top with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Dinner this Weekend: French Inspired

Decided to make a few dishes ala Thomas Keller this weekend and had a blast!  First up Boeuf Bourguignon which was doctored just a tad.  As Keller says, I strained the sauce a good 5 times and damnnnm was it flavorful and just...pure clean!  I opted to put it over Pommes Puree instead of using Fingerling Potatoes and it was so satisfying.  Next up, Chicken n' Dumplins, that was dang tasty too but next time, I must concoct up a flufflier dumplin'.

I served up a few Fall type sides and my friends brought their Sleazy Mac n' Cheezy aka Velveeta style :)  And for dessert... Brioche Bread Pudding which another friend helped me bake from scratch!   So good and fatty...all of it.  Enjoy! 

My friend, George's Croque Monsieur as appetizer



Vietnamese -French action of 'Banh Mi' as an appetizer

Black Kale and Brussel Sprout Saute

Roasted Cauliflower with Anchovy Butter

Chicken Fricasse n' Dumplins

Boeuf Bourguignon with Pommes Puree

Someone's plate
Note: Manadin orange for perspective--SO MUCH FOOD!



Brioche Bread Pudding with Caramel Bourbon Sauce and Ice Cream

Brussel Sprouts: 3 Ways

Yes folks....it's that time of year for apples, pumpkin, root vegetables, warm pies, colored leaves, a light scarf and of course brussel sprouts!  I bought a brussel root last week at Trader's Joe's for $2.99 and went a longgggg way.  3 different dishes of brussel sprouts later....my favorite was preparing it raw in a salad.  I will leave you with the recipe below.  How many different ways have you had these 'baby cabbages'???



 



Sauteed Brussels with Mushrooms, Broccoli, and Bacon



The standby - Roasted Brussel Sprouts at 450F, olive oil, salt, and pepper until crispy 





Raw Brussel Sprout Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

For Salad:

15-20 Brussel Sprouts, sliced thinly on mandolin or by hand
1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup Pecans, toasted
1/2 cup Dried Cherries, diced small
Black Pepper and Salt to taste

For the Dressing:

2 T Garlic, minced
2 T Shallots, minced
1 T Dijon Mustard
1 cup oil Olive Oil
1 oz Sherry Vinegar
1/4 cup juice of Orange (fresh)
1 oz juice of Lemon (fresh)
Pinch of Black Pepper and Salt

1. Mix mustard, garlic, shallots, orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar until a paste.
2. Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated with black pepper and salt.
3. Toss dressing with brussel sprouts, pecans, pomegranate seeds, and dried cherries.
4. Salt and Pepper as needed.

Inspiration of Colors

It's turned into a game to see how many different colors I can incorporate in a dish.  Everyone knows I'm the biggest fan of leafy vegetables and any kind of tomato sauce.  And beets and eggplant!  Now if there was a blue vegetable...I'd be set!!!  Here's what's been cooking of late....

Roasted Tomatoes and Cilantro Tostada



Poached Egg over Brussel Sprout Potato Hash



Broccoli Basil Straganoff with Meatballs

Every-vegetable-in-your-fridge-omlette and salsa

Bibb Lettuce Blue Cheese Salad

Muir Woods, California

This was a great way to spend a day up North away from the chaos of LA.  Plenty of Redwood trees to see and fresh air to breathe. The Muir Woods is a beautiful place for a hike AND you can make a pit stop at the Tourist Club for a beer or two. Just to be sure to finish the down hill hike very slowly.  Can't you already smell those trees and hear ...well nothing......? 

Perfecting Pizza Dough and Welcoming Fall

I've been trying to find the ulitmate full proof pizza recipe for years now and this comes as close as it gets.  Wish I had an oven that was 800 degrees so I could really test it out.  For now, 475 degrees F will have to do.  I'm a big fan of anything wheat so incorporating a cup without effecting the texture was a huge moment for me!  This recipe is actually adapted from Bobby Flay. 

Along with pizza, I made a version of 'Surf and Turf' Lamb chops and Crab cakes, sides of fingerling potatoes, brussel sprouts, and creamed broccoli for my guests.  Great way start to the Fall season!

Make sure to be on the look out for these vegetables and fruit which will be at their best; cavolo nero, dates, wild mushrooms, apples, pomegranate.  How can anyone not love this time of year?!?!  And yes football season too, GAME ON.  Anyways, enjoy the recipe below!     

Dough:
2 1/2 c bread flour (prefered, All purpose is fine)
1 to 1 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 t sugar
1 envelope instant dry yeast
2 t kosher salt
1 1/2 c water, 110 degrees F
2 t olive oil


1.  Combine the bread flour, wheat flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional  wheat flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
2.  Grease a large bowl with olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Living the Dream

It's been a crazy week and I'm headed to San Francisco for the weekend. Very excited for the fresh air and change of scenery. You'll be seeing posts and recipes for pizza dough, salmon en papillote, and whatever I'm eating soon enough. In the mean time, enjoy this poster.  Ain't life grand.... :)


Courtesy of:  http://shop.holstee.com/products/holstee-manifesto-poster

Dan Dan Noodle - esque!?!?

Wasn't it hotter than heck last week!?  Not sure about you guys but it was hard figuring out what to eat.  I needed something light, cool, and crisp.  So I came up with this noodle dish.  Let's just call them Dan Dan inspired since they totally different than original--- served cold using soba noodles and barely have any heat/spice.  Regardless, it was light, refreshing yet full of flavor.  Here's the original meaning of Dan Dan Noodles.  My recipe below.  Love to hear your comments if you decide to try this!

Noodles:


Soba Noodles, cooked and chilled (enough to serve 4, see package)
1/2 cup Soy Sauce (recommend Tamari brand)
1 oz Sesame Oil
1 oz Water
1 oz Rice Wine Vinegar
1 t Sugar

1.  Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, water, and sugar.
2.  Mix into noodles and chill.

Meat:

2 lbs Ground Turkey or Chicken
1/2 cup Carrots, medium dice
1/2 cup Yellow Onions, medium dice
1/2 cup Celery, medium dice
1/4 cup Mirin Cooking wine or Sake
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
2 T Chili Garlic Sauce (Huy Fong brand) or sub in Sriracha
Olive Oil as needed

1.  Saute carrots, onions, and celery with olive oil on medium heat until fragrant and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
2.  Add in turkey or chicken and cook until done, about 8-10 minutes on medium heat.
3.  Add cooking wine or sake and cook for another 2 minutes until evaporated.
4.  Add in soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, cook for 2 minutes. 

Garnish and Assembly:

As needed -
Green Onions, sliced thin
Cucumbers, halved, slice thin
Broccoli, florets, steamed, optional
Arugula, optional

Chili garlic sauce or Sriracha, optional
Sesame Seeds, optional

1.  Place noodles in bowl.
2.  Top with meat, green onions, cucumbers, arugula, broocoli, sesame seeds, and chili garlic sauce/Sriracha.

What's Been Cooking -- Tabouli Salad and more...

I've been trying like crazy to use tomatoes, corn, and any other summer vegetables I can get my hands on before the next season comes.  So, what's been cookin'?  My meal at Langer's inspired a bit of bread baking.  Tomatoes inspired a hodge podge of sauces.  Corn inspired a few salads and soups.  And Vegetables they just inspire me all around!  Below is a receipe for Summer Tabouli Salad.



Rye Bread - with wheat flour

Rye Bread Crostini and Soy Sesame Broccoli



Summer Tabouli Salad over Chicken Paillard and Tomato Coulis



Chicken Parmesan with Famer's Market Tomato sauce

Slow Roasted Salmon over Herb Pistou Cous Cous



Minestrone Soup with Summer Vegetables



Chilled Corn Soup

Summer Tabouli Salad

1 cup Corn, fresh, raw
1 cup Cucumber, medium dice, Persian or English
1 cup Tomatoes, medium dice
1/4 cup Green Onions, sliced thin
1 bunch Parsley, finely chopped
1 T Sherry wine vinegar
1 oz Lemon Juice, fresh
2 oz Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper as needed

1.  Gently mix all ingredients together.
2.  Salt and Pepper as needed.
3.  Chill and serve.