I talked a long time ago about the Indian potato crepes that I make. I call them dosai but technically they aren't dosai. Anyhoo, I make it regularly and sometimes have more potatoes than can fit in the crepes. The other day I did an experiment with my leftover pototoes that turned out alright. Figured I'd show and tell.
The potatoes I use for my dosai crepes are seasoned with cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic, onions, and other miscellaneous things. They are mashed but not completely mashed; I like to leave them a little chunky. I mixed a little bread crumbs and some egg into a bowl of the potatoes and added a little extra salt and pepper. Then I formed them into thin patties and coated them with more bread crumbs. Actually for the outside I used panko bread crumbs, for the extra crispness.
Then I just fried them in shallow oil on both sides until golden brown. I drained them on paper towel and kept them in the oven to keep them warm and crisp while I cooked the rest. Dan and I ate them with sour cream and a basic garlic aioli I threw together. They turned out well! If making a potato mixture just for the cakes, I would leave it even chunkier, but using what I already had was fine. I liked them a lot. I always enjoy more potato options because it's cheap and can be a substantial substitute for meat. I'll definitely put this one in the repertoire.
Happy eating!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Physiology Of Taste
First of all, I just want to say that I personally find it amusing that I am writing a post about Brillat-Savarin right after one entitled Spaghetti Lasagna.
The cheese lovers, Iron Chef fans, and food history buffs out there will already be familiar with Brillat-Savarin. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was well known for his master work on eating, "La Physiologie du Goût," or "The Physiology of Taste." He was a famous French gourmand and is credited with having helped create and influence our modern ideas of gastronomy. He was born in the 18th century but wrote the famous book in the 19th century, not long before his death.
He is famous for many well-known quotes, not the least of which is "Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell you what kind of man you are," which of course we all paraphrase as you are what you eat. That is the quote that is highlighted in every episode of Iron Chef Japan. One of my favorites, though, is "A dessert without cheese is like a woman with just one eye." This is from the days when the cheese course was traditionally served at the end of the meal. Brillat-Savarin was known to love cheese perhaps as much as I do (hehe), and would not hear of a meal without it. As the other cheese fanatics out there know, the cheese Brillat-Savarin is of course named for him.
"The Physiology of Taste" has been on my list to read for some time now, and I'm finally getting to it. I've been wanting to read about this famous gastronome who so greatly influenced our ideas of meals, food, and even social graces.
I knew it would be a little difficult given the cultural and languge differences, but wow, that is one wordy, difficult book. I'm moving through it slowly. I am still in the beginning portions of the book, where he outlines his reasons for writing it and lays down what he understands as the basic science and operations behind eating and taste. Many parts are quite amusing, for instance when he waxes poetic about the taste buds, or describes why he thinks libido is the sixth sense (don't ask me why that is necessary in a food book). But to see a glimpse into what people thought of the science of eating at the time is fascinating. I'm looking forward to getting into the later portions of the book, and to see what he has to say about various foods.
Has anybody else ever read this book?
Happyeating reading!
The cheese lovers, Iron Chef fans, and food history buffs out there will already be familiar with Brillat-Savarin. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was well known for his master work on eating, "La Physiologie du Goût," or "The Physiology of Taste." He was a famous French gourmand and is credited with having helped create and influence our modern ideas of gastronomy. He was born in the 18th century but wrote the famous book in the 19th century, not long before his death.
He is famous for many well-known quotes, not the least of which is "Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell you what kind of man you are," which of course we all paraphrase as you are what you eat. That is the quote that is highlighted in every episode of Iron Chef Japan. One of my favorites, though, is "A dessert without cheese is like a woman with just one eye." This is from the days when the cheese course was traditionally served at the end of the meal. Brillat-Savarin was known to love cheese perhaps as much as I do (hehe), and would not hear of a meal without it. As the other cheese fanatics out there know, the cheese Brillat-Savarin is of course named for him.
"The Physiology of Taste" has been on my list to read for some time now, and I'm finally getting to it. I've been wanting to read about this famous gastronome who so greatly influenced our ideas of meals, food, and even social graces.
I knew it would be a little difficult given the cultural and languge differences, but wow, that is one wordy, difficult book. I'm moving through it slowly. I am still in the beginning portions of the book, where he outlines his reasons for writing it and lays down what he understands as the basic science and operations behind eating and taste. Many parts are quite amusing, for instance when he waxes poetic about the taste buds, or describes why he thinks libido is the sixth sense (don't ask me why that is necessary in a food book). But to see a glimpse into what people thought of the science of eating at the time is fascinating. I'm looking forward to getting into the later portions of the book, and to see what he has to say about various foods.
Has anybody else ever read this book?
Happy
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Spaghetti Lasagna
A couple of days ago I went into the kitchen to figure out what to cook. I had plenty of leftover ricotta - plus some I had eeked out of my cheesemaking whey - and I wanted to use it up. I didn't have any normal pasta ricotta vessels - lasagna noodles, shells, manicotti, nothing. I did have spaghetti.
Suddenly I remembered an episode of Dolce Vita where he made something he called "pizza pasta." He took leftover spaghetti, already in sauce, mixed with a little egg, and sauteed it in a pan to make a big disc of noodles that was a little crisp on the outside. I thought I could use that concept and use the spaghetti "pizza" as layers for something lasagna-like.
In a round casserole pan, I layered a thin spaghetti "pizza pasta" disc, a ricotta layer, some sauce, another spaghetti layer, more ricotta, more sauce, and I topped it with queso fresco, since I didn't have any mozzarella. Queso fresco is a fresh mexican cheese which is mild and creamy, and very similar to mozzarella. I baked the whole thing until it was bubbly, and it was actually pretty good!
It turned out to be a great way to use my leftovers. I'm calling it Spaghetti Lasagna.
Happy eating!
Suddenly I remembered an episode of Dolce Vita where he made something he called "pizza pasta." He took leftover spaghetti, already in sauce, mixed with a little egg, and sauteed it in a pan to make a big disc of noodles that was a little crisp on the outside. I thought I could use that concept and use the spaghetti "pizza" as layers for something lasagna-like.
In a round casserole pan, I layered a thin spaghetti "pizza pasta" disc, a ricotta layer, some sauce, another spaghetti layer, more ricotta, more sauce, and I topped it with queso fresco, since I didn't have any mozzarella. Queso fresco is a fresh mexican cheese which is mild and creamy, and very similar to mozzarella. I baked the whole thing until it was bubbly, and it was actually pretty good!
It turned out to be a great way to use my leftovers. I'm calling it Spaghetti Lasagna.
Happy eating!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Pakoras with Cilantro Pesto
Pakora is an Indian word that means something that is battered and fried. It is a well-known Indian restaurant appetizer not unlike things we are already familiar with in America, such as fried zucchini, fried cheese sticks, or onion rings. The batter can vary but is usually thin and crispy. If you are having an Indian meal and want a quick appetizer or side, or if you need a snack and have a few miscellaneous veggies sitting around, this is a simple and tasty thing to make.
I love both vegetable pakoras and paneer pakoras, and I especially love them with various sauces and chutneys. At home, I have a few sauces I make that go well with pakoras. A cilantro pesto is particularly good, and quite easy to make.
The way I have been making pakoras at home recently is with a chickpea flour batter based on Bal Arneson's (The Spice Goddess) recipe for pakora batter. I don't follow her recipe exactly, but it is very similar. If you don't want to use chickpea flour, you can use regular AP flour for the batter instead. Good veggies to use for pakoras are zucchini, onion petals, eggplant, mushrooms, cauliflower, bell peppers, or even hot peppers if you are so bold. They should be in smallish, one-or-two-bite pieces. Paneer pakoras are also very tasty.
Here is my recipe for pakoras and for a cilantro pesto to go with them.
Pakoras
veggies and/or paneer cheese, in bite-size pieces
1/4 c chickpea flour
1 tbls plain yogurt
2 tbls water plus extra
1 tsp garam masala
dash salt
veg oil
Stir flour, yogurt, and water just until there are no lumps. Mixture should be a little thinner than pancake batter; thin the mixture with a little more water if necessary. Stir in garam masala and a dash of salt.
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in skillet. Dip veggies or cheese into batter to fully coat, and fry in oil until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Let them drain on paper towels. Serve warm with dipping sauce or chutney.
Cilantro Pesto for Pakoras
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh chives, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil (regular or chile-infused)
1/4 tsp salt
a pinch of red pepper flakes
veg oil
In a small food processor, pulse to mix cilantro, garlic, chives, sesame oil, salt, and red pepper flakes just until mixed. Drizzle in a few drops of veg oil and pulse. Add a little oil a few drops at a time and pulse, until the consistency is right, being careful not to overprocess. The cilantro leaves should be finely chopped but not pureed. Serve with pakoras.
I love both vegetable pakoras and paneer pakoras, and I especially love them with various sauces and chutneys. At home, I have a few sauces I make that go well with pakoras. A cilantro pesto is particularly good, and quite easy to make.
The way I have been making pakoras at home recently is with a chickpea flour batter based on Bal Arneson's (The Spice Goddess) recipe for pakora batter. I don't follow her recipe exactly, but it is very similar. If you don't want to use chickpea flour, you can use regular AP flour for the batter instead. Good veggies to use for pakoras are zucchini, onion petals, eggplant, mushrooms, cauliflower, bell peppers, or even hot peppers if you are so bold. They should be in smallish, one-or-two-bite pieces. Paneer pakoras are also very tasty.
Here is my recipe for pakoras and for a cilantro pesto to go with them.
Pakoras
veggies and/or paneer cheese, in bite-size pieces
1/4 c chickpea flour
1 tbls plain yogurt
2 tbls water plus extra
1 tsp garam masala
dash salt
veg oil
Stir flour, yogurt, and water just until there are no lumps. Mixture should be a little thinner than pancake batter; thin the mixture with a little more water if necessary. Stir in garam masala and a dash of salt.
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in skillet. Dip veggies or cheese into batter to fully coat, and fry in oil until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Let them drain on paper towels. Serve warm with dipping sauce or chutney.
Cilantro Pesto for Pakoras
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh chives, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil (regular or chile-infused)
1/4 tsp salt
a pinch of red pepper flakes
veg oil
In a small food processor, pulse to mix cilantro, garlic, chives, sesame oil, salt, and red pepper flakes just until mixed. Drizzle in a few drops of veg oil and pulse. Add a little oil a few drops at a time and pulse, until the consistency is right, being careful not to overprocess. The cilantro leaves should be finely chopped but not pureed. Serve with pakoras.
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