"whose garden is this?" pasta

there are thousands of ways to make pasta .. undoubtedly because there are thousands of italian grandmothers out there. but i dare say: even though i am not someone's grandmother or italian, i can make a mean sauce.

it's not even a sauce, but more like tapenade. no matter: i'll write the recipe and you can judge for yourself! be warned, that this feeds two gluttons or three reasonable people; i also suggest some warm bread as accompaniment.

"whose garden is this?" pasta

ingredients, to be roughly chopped:

• a 8-oz package of mushrooms, nothing fancy: white caps are fine.
  
• one green bell pepper
  
• a few stalks of basil leaves, rinsed.
  

ingredients, to prepared with boiling water:

• two whole roma tomatoes.
  
• 4-5 cloves garlic, skins off.
  
• most of a box bow-tie pasta
  

flavoring ingredients:

• salt and ground pepper, to taste.
  
• good (but not extra-virgin) olive oil.
  
• dry oregano, crushed.
  

and now for jasun's confusing directions:

1. start a medium pan of boiling water, and throw in the garlic cloves.
   in the meanwhile, start chopping.
   
   
2. when the water's boiling, throw in the pasta and the whole roma tomatoes. after 1/2 to a full minute, take out the tomatoes, then peel them and dice them roughly. be careful not to lose any of that tasty tomato juice!
   
   
3. when the pasta's ready, fish out the garlic cloves, drain the pasta, and wash with cold water. yes, i know: everyone has an opinion about the water wash, but if you want to eat single bow-ties and not a blob of warm bow-tie mess, i suggest the cold water.
   
   as for the garlic, on the same chopping board, smash them with the side of your chef's knife; if you don't have one, use a fork. then chop it a bit.
   
   
4. now for the main event: SAUTE. at the highest heat you can muster, dry-saute the bell pepper with dried oregano, stirring often, until you hear little popping sounds (that sound is the pepper skin searing). then keep the saute going for another minute or two.
   
   i emphasize: dry saute means NO OIL. we add that later.
   
   set aside the peppers, and dry saute the mushrooms with a little salt, until they start taking a little brown color along the cut edges. then add back the green pepper, lower the heat, and drizzle just a little oil.
   
   stir (or shake) the pan a few times, then add smashed garlic and stir some more. two minutes later, switch to medium-high heat, add the basil and more oil on top. stir and let saute until you can smell the basil from two steps back.
   
   sauteed basil is an amazing joy in life, so savor this moment when it comes. in fact, open the windows and the front door, so that you can be the envy of your neighbors. after all, what is good cooking but living part of the Good Life, and making other people jealous? (;
   
   anyways, when the basil is powerful, add a little water (mushrooms have a natural gravy effect), stir, and turn off the heat.
   
   
5. now in a mixing bowl, add the pasta, drizzle a little olive oil, a little salt, the and as much ground pepper as you want. stir well, then add the diced tomatoes, and the cooling pepper-mushroom saute, and stir some more.
   
   then serve.

i find that the raw tomato and the sauteed veggies mix very well, but this pasta is bite-size. if it is not too unseemly, i suggest a large spoon instead of a fork.

also, i do not suggest raw diced garlic into the saute, because it overpowers the flavor and the overall effect is confusing. boiling the garlic takes some of the bite away, just as roasting garlic does, but roasting is messy and requires a preheated oven and more time than i am patient.

because of the fresh, light nature of the pasta, i suggest a crisp white wine, but not too tart. i don't know wine brands, so google a choice or four before heading to the winery.

two post-thanksgiving recipes.

if you really must get rid of all those mashed and sweet potatoes ..


two birds with one stone: oatmeal with sweet potatoes.

• two handfuls oatmeal (preferably the old-fashioned kind with some whole oats in it)
  
• two-three dollops of leftover mashed sweet potatoes from thanksgiving
  
• one egg (optional)
  
• brown sugar and ground pepper to taste
  

make as you would oatmeal: boil water in a little saucepan, toss in oats. when they commence simmering, crack an egg into the boiling mixture and swirl. when egg swirl is mostly solid, add sweet potatoes and wait for mixture to simmer.

then let cool and serve. add seasoning as desired.

---

it all mixes in the stomach anyway: thanksgiving shepherd's pie.

• pulled turkey from thanksgiving bird roast
  
• leftover roasted carrots, coarsely diced
  
• leftover sauteed green beans, coarsely chopped
  
• a cup of frozen vegetables, thawed in water,
  
• enough leftover mashed (sweet) potatoes for an oven-pan layer.
  

make as you would a two-layer lasagna. mix everything except the mashed potatoes in a bowl, spice as desired, and spoon into an oven pan (or two, if there is a lot).

add an additional layer of mashed potatoes, and bake in the oven at 360^oF or so, until the top layer is brown enough for your tastes. serve as comfort food; i suggest having a warm loaf of bread with this.

---

idea i haven't tested: sweet potato gnocchi.

i don't know if there would be enough starch to keep the gnocchi pieces coherent. anyone willing to make this?


idea i haven't tested: sweet potato falafel.

• leftover sweet potatoes, mashed
  
• falafel mix
  

and pan-fry or deep-fry it. i wonder what the consistency would be like.

a simple vegetarian soup ..

.. and i mean, really simple.

it's so simple that i was done with the preparations in 12 minutes, and leaving the pot to simmer on medium heat, i walked over to have a roasted veggie burrito at the nearby Big Ten Burrito.

[if you know the area, it's on Packard St, two blocks south from the Stadium Blvd intersection. for me, it's about 3 blocks.]

as for how the soup tastes, it's light and fresh, like a thin minestrone but without any tomato flavor. in this case, i think a few of the herbs and spices are key (i'll put them in bold, below), but you can replace the vegetables below with any that are in season .. even squash would do, i'd wager!

GREEN VEGETABLE SOUP

ingredients.

• 1/2 bunch of asparagus, chopped into fingernail-sized pieces;
  
• 1 large (or 2 small) zucchini, diced;
  
• 1 small onion, diced;
  
• 1 large handful of lentils;
  
• 1 large handful of pearled barley;
  
• 4 tsp fennel seeds;
  
• 3 tsp dried leaf marjoram;
  
• 2 shakes of jarred nutmeg;
  
• 2 cups vegetable broth;
  
• water, to taste;
  
• vegetable oil, for saute.
  

1. set a large pan to high heat, and for 1-2 minutes, dry-saute the zucchini and asparagus with nutmeg and fennel seeds (i.e. do not add oil). then add diced onion, and after a 1/2 minute, add oil and saute well.
   
   
2. switch to medium heat, add broth, 2 cups water, lentils, and barley. let simmer until lentils and barley are ready. add more water, depending on how thick or thin you wish it.
   

i enjoyed this soup with julienned green onions and black pepper, but do as you'd like.

the measure of a cook ..

includes at least three tests of skill:

1. the quality of ingredients and how (s)he uses them;
   
2. the ability to handle preparations for several dishes simultaenously;
   
3. the flexibility and creativity in handling leftovers.
   

coming home dejected today, i felt like doing something easy, and having leftover roasted eggplant, i decided to make myself a sandwich.

if you like simultaneity, try this in the time it takes to preheat an oven and bake once-frozen french fries (the Ore-Ida kind you can find in supermarkets).

a sandwich from eggplant leftovers.

ingredients:

• one small baguette; as it happens, the corner liquor store also has a great day-old bread basket.
  
• enough roasted eggplant to spread over one small baguette;
  
• a small handful of sundried tomatoes;
  
• a clove or two of garlic, smashed beyond recognition;
  
• a bit of good olive oil;
  
• your favorite batch of meat marinating spices;
  
• a good wedge of cheese; i used a wedge of asiago left over from a friend's birthday celebration, this week.
  
• a large chicken breast, or the equivalent amount of chicken; i actually used some cut meat from chicken thighs that i prepared earlier this week, for these very hasty cooking moments.
  
  if you want the full vegetarian method, i think julienned green bell peppers would make a good substitute. i suggest against tofu, because it doesn't have the right crispness for a baked sandwich of this sort. you could try portobello mushrooms, though.
  

i suggest doing the chop in a particular order: julien the tomatoes first, and then soak them in warm water for softening. then slice the cheese into very thin slices; you'll need them in a form where they will dissolve easily. then slice the chicken (if it's not already chopped).

take the baguette and split lengthwise in half. add a little olive oil, and let it warm in the oven. just be careful not to leave it in too long; it wouldn't do to overdry the bread.

heat a pan until it's smoking from very high heat. sear the chicken first (and without oil), taking care not to cook it completely. then take from heat, and then chop it. returning the pieces into a bowl, then add appropriate spices.

saute the chicken in oil with the garlic and sundried tomatoes. if you did opt for the bell peppers, the same twice-saute will probably work. after the saute is done, remove the baguette from the oven, layer the top with the thin slices of cheese, and replace into the oven for a minute for the cheese to dissolve.

remove the cheesy baguette from the oven, spoon eggplant over the baguette, and then add a final layer of chicken/peppers and tomatoes. add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with those fries in the oven.

just add water.

i'm serious.

earlier tonight i was obsessed with one step of a research problem, and didn't have the desire to do any of my usual cooking. so i made this in the time it takes to boil a kettle of water.

it's not pre-cooked food in the usual sense. if you haven't had couscous before, then you are not yet a person; your parents were merely bolstering your self-esteem before your discovery of this miracle grain.

the ingredients i used, for 2 servings:

• two large handfuls of couscous grain.
  
• a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, julienned.
  
• 1/2 cup pre-cooked black beans .. from a can, for instance.
  
• sesame and/or olive oil, to taste
  
• some of cumin, curry powder, turmeric
  
• salt and pepper, to taste
  
• OPTIONAL: a cilantro or red chile garnish, or crushed nuts.

toss all the ingredients in a sufficiently large bowl, add boiling water, and mix regularly until the mixture is no longer wet. my usual rule is to add 4 parts boiling water to 3 parts couscous mixture, but if you like it a little drier and fluffier, less water might be right for you. the proportions might also vary with the type of couscous.

serve in bowls, and i suggest a side of baby carrots and a medium cluster of grapes.

as a warning, i tend to underflavor grain-based dishes, so these seasonings may remain a bit bland. in that case, i would boil some vegetable broth instead of water .. it doesn't kill the spirit of this recipe, but rather cripples it somewhat.

be the envy of your friends! i've used this recipe for lunch before. if your office has an electric kettle, you can mix the recipe beforehand and add hot water right at lunchtime, for a fresh, hot concoction; the sesame oil is usually fragrant enough so that your officemates will notice and envy you. q:

a more vegetarian inclination: fried tofu redux.

disclaimer: this post is an exercise in theoretical cooking, in that i'll suggest a recipe that i've never actually tried. for those brave souls out there, if you do give this a try, tell me how it turns out.

truly vegetarian noodle bowl, with fried tofu

with the exception of tofu preparation, this is exactly the same recipe as when we made use of asparagus stems for broth.

as for the tofu, in the old recipe i suggested a simple egg coating: from experience, a beaten egg mixture is sticky, but not sticky enough to add breadcrumbs or a layer of flour for a proper batter. so if you want to reduce your egg intake, here are some ideas:

1. tempura style. actually, when i wrote the first recipe, i had tempura in mind but couldn't be bothered to do the fast-paced frying. this uses egg whites, for those still egg-willing.
   
   take equal parts cornstarch and very-cold-water .. say 1 cup each; mix water and 3 egg whites until frothy, and mix in cornstarch. dip tofu and fry in oil, as usual.
   
   very cold water is essential; the larger the temperature gradient, the fluffier the coating.
   
   
2. paste coating. this part is theoretical, but i think it might work. you'll need some miso paste, and your favorite crispy coating, such as breadcrumbs or crushed peanuts or even thinly sliced scallions; i suggest a combination of the latter two. also, keep a little flour handy.
   
   the idea is pretty simple; it's more like a searing method, but you'll need two frying pans. i also suggest a pair of tongs instead of a spatula.
   
   cut tofu slices which are as thin as .. say, your pinky finger but large enough to eat in 2-3 bites. gently coat one side of a tofu slice generously with miso, and then press that miso side into the crispy coating; use for fingers if you have to. dust with a little flour so that none of the miso is exposed. do the same for each side of a tofu slice, then let the prepared tofu slices chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
   
   prepare one pan for searing, which requires rather high heat. set the other pan at low heat; if you have cooking spray, use it, but if not, a thin layer of cooking oil also works.
   
   add a thin layer of oil to the searing pan a half-minute before you're ready to fry the tofu, and do so with small batches at a time; if the tofu warms up, then the coating might be compromised.
   
   sear both sides of each tofu slice in the batch, and when a slice finishes searing, switch it into the low heat pan; the slice will keep cooking on low heat as you sear the other slices.
   
   variations on paste. any thick, sticky paste will do. for those who like strong flavors, a chilled peanut satay sauce or unsalted natural peanut butter could work, as well as a good, thick honey for the very brave, you could use wasabi paste.

being mindful of the Living Force ..

being a fanboy of jedi ways, i thought about this advice that qui-gon jinn offered to obi-wan kenobi in star wars: the phantom menace:

OWK: I have a bad feeling about this.
QGJ: I don't sense anything.
OWK: It's not about the mission, Master. It's something.... elsewhere, elusive.
QGJ: Don't center on your anxieties, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs.
OBK: But Master Yoda said I should be mindful of the future.
QGJ: But not at the expense of the moment. Be mindful of the living Force, young Padawan.

good advice .. to a point, at least. [1] i took this to heart as i was cooking today.

i made three things, two of which i'll offer details to its preparation. once you know the ingredients, the other one isn't so hard to figure out. also, by pure chance these are all vegetarian dishes.

STIR-FRY BROCCOLI (JUST BROCCOLI).

all you need is a frying pan and a spatula for this.

• two cloves of garlic, smashed and diced.
  
• 2 crowns (4 cups) of broccoli, cut into florets. (prepare the stems, if you know the drill.)
  
• frying oil. your choice.
  
• to taste: oyster sauce, oregano, salt.

PORRRIGE WITH BROWN RICE, BARLEY, AND YAMS.

* i suggest a rice cooker for this.

* the pot of water can boil while you're chopping the yam(s).

* having learned that not everyone knows this, remember to wash the barley and rice before steaming. i suggest two washes with cold water.

• 2 large handfuls of brown rice
  
• 2 large handfuls of barley
  
• 1 large yam, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
  
• sesame oil
  
• frying oil (again, your choice)
  
• honey
  
• 2 bay leaves, allspice, leaf marjoram

i'll give the main ideas: there are two events occurring at any given time.

1. chop the yams as the water boils. when ready, boil the yams.
   
   
2. wash the rice as the yams boil.
   
   
3. steam the rice with an appropriate amount of water in the rice cooker.
   
   as the rice steams, spoon out the yams into a separate bowl, but DO NOT pour out the yam water. you can use this for fine vegetable broth, after you let it simmer to half its volume; if you have vegetable scraps, toss them in and sieve them out later.
   
   
4. heat a frying pan and sear the yams for three minutes. after the first minute, add allspice and marjoram and stir. after the second minute, drizzle a little honey and stir. after the third minute, add the frying oil.
   
   
5. fry for two more minutes, stirring regularly, then shut off stove heat. add the sauteed yams into the rice cooker, along with a few shakes of sesame oil. stir the mixture, and top with bay leaves.

when it looks like porridge, then shut the rice cooker off. The thickness is up to you.

if you did choose to make a broth out of the yam water, remember not to let it over-boil.

COUSCOUS WITH BLACK BEANS AND PEAS.

* if you made yam broth from the last recipe, now's a good time to use it.

• 1/2 can of black beans, rinsed. do what you will with the other 1/2.
  
• 1/2 cup of peas. if frozen, thaw them out.
  
• 1 small onion, diced. if you shed tears easily from chopping onions, keep them in the fridge until you must chop them. cold onions are powerless against humans.
  
• 2 large handfuls of (unseasoned) couscous
  
• vegetable broth, simmering temperature.
  
• boiling water.
  
• cornstarch
  
• frying oil.
  
• to taste: salt, sesame oil, thyme, pepper flakes.

this is a simple recipe, but i'll say a few things, anyway.

1. to infuse the couscouse, prepare a mixture of boiling water and broth; i suggest 1 part water to 2 parts broth for a bare minimum of flavor.
   
   as a personal rule (subject to change) add enough mixture to immerse all the couscous, and noting that volume of liquid, add an additional half of that volume. it should look like you drowned the couscous.
   
   however, couscous is prolific. it will swell and use up all of that liquid. if it weren't so tasty, it would be scary.
   
   
2. saute the onions, then the peas, and finally the beans. try not to cook the beans for too long, because they will break apart if under heat for too long.
   
   
3. all the seasoning goes into the saute. as a thickening agent, in a separate bowl mix 1 heaping spoonful of cornstarch with 1/2 cup warm water. mix extremely well, and then add to the saute, stirring immediately. at a high heat, a sauce will thicken after a minute. when it thickens, i suggest turning off the heat.
   
   as a caution, never put unmixed cornstarch into the pan, or any flour for that matter. you will never get rid of the lumps.
   
   
4. when the saute is done, stir into the couscous.

the job is done.

[1] in a nutshell, the living force is a local, short-term flow, whereas the unifying force give global, long-term character.

one could say that because qui-gon was too adept at the living force, he saw the immediate need to train anakin skywalker. yoda, who is often credited with strength in the unifying force, disagreed because of the long-term consequences.

you know the rest.

before i forget: desire and philosophy.

the next post will say something about my culinary exploits today, but i've been meaning to form a list of kitchen appliances that i would like to have. so here they are.

1. a spice grinder. i have a jar full of fennel seeds and a small bag's worth of coriander seeds, ready to be pulverised into tasty seasoning. there is also the temptation of another vice of mine: freshly ground pepper!
   
   come to think of it, a mortar and pestle would work, too. (;
   
   
2. a food processor. it would be nice to make my own pureed soups without trying to mash the soup contents myself. the same also goes for sauces, like salsa verde and pesto-like concoctions, as well as my own hommos.
   
   in light of market price for good hommos and pesto and whatnot, i might actually be saving money..
   
   
3. a rice cooker. m won't always be my flatmate, but i use hers rather frequently.
   
   more so, alan uses her rice cooker like a crack addict, so perhaps i should invest in one of my own.

there are other little things, like a better set of kitchen knives, a more complete set of dinnerware, etc. but it would be a fine thing to have appliances.

this belies a deeper, more problematic issue. you see, i'm opposed to the acquisition of property [1] and especially non-essential property.

for example, i would be hard-pressed to buy a blender: it's purely for the mixture of drinks and smoothies and serves in no other purpose. a food processor, on the other hand, is quite utile in the preparation of tasty food .. then again, it's not absolutely essential ..

perhaps that's one reason why i don't own [2] a television or dvd player or stereo, or my own couch or living room set, or my own desk and bed. i'd also have to move them when changing residences, and being an irregular nomad and not in possession of a car, it's more trouble than not.

[1] rather, ideally i try to minimise the things i own on buddhist, not socialist, grounds. i am not a pinko .. at least, not most of the time.

[2] .. don't worry; i don't sleep on the floor. much of this stuff appears in my apartment. the television and ps2 are molly's, and as a general rule, all the cool and utile stuff in our apartment is either molly's or on loan from our housing company.