"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.

As some of you may see ..

.. this isn't the Vegetarian Quest anymore. I stopped trying vegetarianism earlier this spring and left this weblog to fester and rot, but that seemed like a cruel thing to do ..

.. especially when I still have a few vegetarian dishes in mind. Anyways, why restrict ourselves, then? When we think of recipes which we'd like to share, let's share them anyways and sort out personal and ethical philosophies later.

At any rate, I'm back, so to speak.

Thanksgiving at Erin's!

This is hardly a vegetarian post, but it is a culinary post, and that's what counts.

Thanksgiving is upon us, and my friend Erin has graciously offered her comfortable abode as a meeting place for us graduate students and other young persons to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner together.

So let's make a plan.

MY CONTRIBUTION: I WILL COOK TWO SMALL TURKEYS, AND I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS ON TURKEY RECIPES. Otherwise everyone will have to bear my strange, experimental cooking ways.

Post if you'd like to contribute a dish! Jo, I know you're ready to pounce, so go right ahead! q:

Oh no! What do I do with asparagus stems?

That was exactly the question I asked myself today, seeing a plastic bag of asparagus stems left over from when I made salad (see last post).

Here is an answer. Make a noodle soup.

Getting-Rid-of-Asparagus-Stems Noodle Soup, with Fried Tofu.

Ingredients:

- 1 package Asian rice noodles; I suggest something thick, like udon or soba.
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 large cucumber (pick a dark green one; the seeds won't be as pronounced)
- 1 fistful of ginger stem (that is, a sufficiently large piece to fit in a fist!)
- leftover asparagus stems
- 1 package Egg Drop Soup mix (or Miso, depending on your taste)
- soy sauce
- honey
- sesame oil to taste
- chopped peanuts (I didn't actually use this, but as I think about it, I should have!)

.. and for the tofu:

- 1 package firm tofu (firm is important; you don't want to fish out silken tofu out of hot oil!)
- 2 large eggs (never mind whether they are animals or not)
- hot sauce
- plenty of vegetable oil (for obvious reasons)

The broth / soup: What you would expect. Wash the asparagus stems, then chop the living daylights out of zem! Be nicer to the ginger: chop them into matchsticks.

Now take a pan with a large bottom, put to high heat, and sear the asparagus as you would in the case of a salad (again, see last post). Move the stems to one side of the pan, and add the ginger in the presence of vegetable oil. Let sizzle for a moment or two, then blend the two together.

When the mixture appears a little dry, reduce to medium heat and add water .. say the volume of one noodle bowl. When that begins to boil, add another and repeat. Do so until you'll have enough broth for everyone.

When you're ready to put the noodles to boil, add in the soup mix, and leave to a simmer until the noodles are ready. When all is ready, use a strainer to remove the ginger and stems pieces.

The cucumbers: Again, this is a searing / saute technique. In a bowl, add 1/4 cup soy sauce, a few shakes of sesame oil, and a teaspoon of honey. Mix well.

Peel the cucumbers and slice into .. well, slices, say 1/4" thick.

Take a small pan and put under high heat. While waiting, dip a few cucumber slices into the bowl mixture. When the pan is ready, sear the cucumber slices on both sides; there should be sufficient color while retaining a crisp texture.

If you're deft, you can dip a new batch while searing the old. If not, ask someone for help or lower the heat to buy yourself time. No sense in burning good cucumbers.

The tofu. There should be a little soy sauce mixture left, after searing the cucumber. Break the two eggs and blend it together. Drain the tofu and slice lengthwise, then across to form 12 slices.

Take a small saucepan (~ 1 quart size) and fill up to 1 inch with vegetable oil. Push to high heat, and keep the oil at a ready temperature ..

(bubbles should form when a chopstick is dipped into the oil)

Now take each tofu slice, dip into the egg-sauce mixture, and with pot lid ready in the other hand, add to the pot of oil. Beware the sizzle and spatter; use the pot lid as a shield, if necessary.

When the tofu slice is browned and floating happily, drain on paper towels. Too much oil is bad for you.

Do the same until the tofu is all done. If you avoid waste, take the remaining egg mixture and make a small omelette with some chopped scallions.

(say, on that same small pan you used for cucumbers)

When the omelette is done, slice into strips for the noodle bowls.

Presentation. To each noodle bowl, put a helping of noodles, then on the side add a share of seared cucumbers, then sprinkle with scallions. Add a measure of the Egg Drop Asparagus-Stem soup, then add crushed peanuts and a few pieces of fried tofu on top.

All told, you didn't really need the asparagus stems in the broth, but at least you can tell your guests that there is asparagus in the soup. It makes for good conversation, at least.

Brief Post: Asparagus Salad.

Spurred on by Jo, I will post again.

Terrible really, that it took me this long to jot down a single recipe for posterity! But for the record, most of my culinary creations of the last few weeks have been mediocre and simple to make, at best. Jose and Alan seem to like them, though, so perhaps that is the best test!

This is a quick recipe from last week, and it sounds exactly like its name. I apologize if I've forgotten any ingredients; add what you like.

Salad greens with Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

- 1 head green leaf lettuce (or your favorite field green vegetable; yuppy choices like escarole and endive aren't bad);
- 1 medium red bell pepper, julienned;
- 1 clementine or small orange, peeled and sectioned and seeds removed;
- 1 bunch asparagus, prepared (details to come)

I'll leave the dressing to you, though I suggest against anything creamy; it defeats the whole purpose of adding the clementine, which should give a fresh sweetness against the bitter tang of winter!

On how to prepare asparagus.

There's no canonical way of preparing this vegetable, but here is one method which seems reasonable trustworthy.

Stemming: Given an asparagus stalk, the best way to determine how much to remove from the stem is quite fun, actually. You take each stalk, hold it by both ends with both hands, hold the head tip steady, and bend the stem to the head tip until the stalk snaps. The division occurs precisely where the stalk is tough and untender.

Don't throw away the stems! Chopping and boiling them gives a good start to a pleasant vegetable broth. In fact, this is a general principle: just as how you might trim meats and poultry, take the remainder from this excision and boil them for broth.

Saute with Delayed Oil. For the record, I lied. You need some herbs for this, preferably dried (because they are lighter and adhere better to olive oil). I suggest thyme or oregano, and maybe a sparing of red pepper flakes. Add salt if you like, but don't overdo it; the asparagus will already wilt from the saute heat.

With these naturally stemmed stalks of asparagus, now snap them into fork-sized pieces. Heat a pan at high heat without oil at first, and when it is ready ..

(drip a few beads of water onto the pan; they should sizzle immediately)

.. just toss the asparagus in. Shake the pan every minute for a few minutes, until the asparagus begins to have seared spots on them. Then sprinkle with oil, and while it hisses, coat the asparagus with your chosen batch of herbs. Then give the pan a good shake, and this should be enough to coat each piece with oil and herbs.

Keep on high heat, shaking the pan regularly. When you think it's done, it's done. Then use as a salad ingredient with the others.

Red Lentil Dal Curry

Oh man, this was good. I referenced some recipes on the internet beforehand, but here's roughly what I did. Rinse and boil red lentils to not quite mush (transluscent on the edges). In fat (I used butter, ghee would be most authentic I guess, some recipes called for oil but where's the fun in that), roast spices: cumin, tumeric, mustard. Sautee in ginger, garlic, onion, sliced chili, salt. Add cooked beans (monitor how much water goes in with them, depending on the consistency of beans when added and the final consistency you're aiming for) and sliced tomato. Simmer until soupy and soft. I was missing a lot of ingredients (mustard, chili, tomato, cilantro) but it still came out good. To compensate for the missing cilantro, I added a bit of coriander to the spices. I missed having soft slices of tomato floating around; that with green cilantro would have made for beautiful presentation. Best over basmati (I ate it with leftover brown rice). Indians are experts at vegetarian food. Dal curry's my favorite: basic, homey, delicious. OK Jasun we're three for three. Granted, your entries are multi-part meals whereas mine are only one or two dishes. Still, I'm not posting anymore until you do!

Ode to Beets

Beets are best roasted, but I steamed them this time around since I wanted to hardsteam some eggs at the same time.

Fresh beets come with large leaves which I find delicious. Raw they have a strong, salty flavor; I made sure to taste a bit before cooking the rest for the recipe given here. I lopped the leaves into manageable pieces and sauteed them in butter, plus a little red wine on a whim, to eat over pasta (full-bodied whole wheat spaghettini) with parmesan cheese. Thick, fibrous red ribs run down the center of the leaves--I should have cut those smaller or cooked them longer than the green parts, otherwise they present a chewing challenge. The red and green over brown-dyed-red pasta results in dramatic presentation. I accompanied this with the root part of the beet, which in retrospect I think would have been nice drizzled with a white sweet cream thing, maybe creme fraiche or ricotta mixed with a little sour cream for oomph.

I was hardsteaming the eggs to go into a potato salad I was making for lunch the next day. Potato salad is by nature vegetarian and there are a million ways to make it. Inspired by Jose's salads, I cooked carrots along with the potatoes this time (also because I had only one potato) and that came out good. Of the selection of salty things one can add (olives, capers, relish) I used only olives this time around. Turns out I had leftover beets to eat with the potato salad today, and they made a good match--I mused that one could make a potato-salad-esque thing with beets as a base, and then realized that maybe I'd eaten something like that before, and forgotten.

With beets, be warned: red gets everywhere--in the kitchen, and in your system! I asked Arvind, from India, about a rumor I'd heard that hardcore Jain people who wouldn't eat beets because they're just too "bloody," but he didn't think it was true.

hey i was vegetarian monday night too--

with Andy, conjured up a rather rich meal:

Simple vegetable soup with potato & parmesan prominent. Not too much cheese to be overwhelming, though--about 1/2 cup for six servings of soup or so. Garlic and onion in butter first, then potatoes, carrots, leek, boil long enough to mush potatoes, afterwards broccoli and at the last minute, turnip leaves, at the last last minute the parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste.

Andy's contribution: wheat gluten fajitas. Sliced seitan (seasoned wheat gluten stir fry) sauteed with yellow bell pepper and onions, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste, with wheat tortillas and cheese but I preferred it just over brown rice.

Dessert: yams, preboiled as Jasun once advised, then baked with some pats of butter and slices of Braeburn apple (bakes well!) in a thin layer of apple juice.

Comments: no overarching theme here, more like cooking off the cuff with available ingredients! Yummy, though heavy. For the vegetarian challenge, relying too much on consipicuously faked meat (the seasoned gluten) would be cheating I think but OK sometimes. The only moral here is that a meatless meal can still be hearty, especially when taking advantage of vegetarian fat sources: cheese and butter are obvious; coconut milk is reliable; fancy-do delights are avocado, and nuts as Jasun mentioned. Plus plenty of great hearty not-fatty ingredients (all the kinds of beans come to mind) but that's no reason to omit fat :)

Comments to Jasun: I'm a fan of your vegetarian quest! You sound so hard on yourself; maybe perfectionism has its purpose, but please don't give it up! I look forward to the concoctions to come...

So-Called Recipes: Judge for Yourself!

I haven't added a new post in a week's time. The last few meals have been forgettable, and I must say that I miss meats. I don't miss eating them, but I do miss cooking with chicken, fish, or beef.

Even my failsafe meal is a chicken, red pepper, and broccoli stir-fry with rice - no special tricks, just what it sounds like - and it's not quite the same without the chicken. You don't get the light gravy / sauce when you add a cornstarch solution, for instance .. \:

Ah well. I suppose that it wouldn't be worth doing, were it easy. I continually tell myself that this vegetarianism will do me good: I'll pick up new culinary tricks, and in time I will become a better cook after a year's length of cooking with constraints.

But now? Woe is me .. or woe are my flatmates, who have agreed to eat my experiments. So far they seem to genuinely like my meals, or at least do a wonderful job of hiding their displeasure.

So-called Recipe #1: Curry Noodles

Ingredients:
angel-hair pasta,
1 medium jalapeno pepper,
3 tsp curry powder, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp thyme,
2 tsp honey,
olive oil or other cooking oil,
salt, water, cornstarch,
innards of green bell peppers (rest to be used later),
leftover mango preserves from last week's scallion pancake debacle.

Steps: Self-explanatory. Finely dice the bell pepper and jalapeno, then saute them first in a small saucepan. Coat them with all the spices and let the mixture smoke a little (but not burn!). Then add water, beware the sizzle, and mix well while slowly adding honey.

When mixture begins to simmer, mix a cornstarch solution and add half to the pot. Lower the heat and stir into a nice gravy, then add mango preserves and water. Let simmer again, and add remaining cornstarch.

One last simmer and it's ready: serve with drained angel-hair pasta.

Motivation: Nothing too revolutionary, but there seems a surprising lack of sweet-and-spicy foods out there. The fruit and honey should offset the curry and jalapeno sufficiently, without sacrificing either flavor.

This might work rather well as a meatless dish; chicken or beef might confuse the juxtaposition. Better to keep it simple, noodles and sauce, to determine whether this is a good balance or not.

Retrospective Alternatives: Instead of toasted almonds, crushed peanuts would be fine. Finely chopped scallions or cilantro on top wouldn't be bad, either. After all, you can never have enough cilantro. (;

So-called Recipe #2: Not-Quite-a-Murakami Salad

Ingredients:
1 peeled cucumber, 3 Roma tomatoes, 1 bunch red seedless grapes,
sesame oil, olive oil, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds

Steps: Even more self-explanatory. Cut cucumber into discs along the long side, then quarter discs. Do the same with tomatoes, but half-discs, and cut grapes in half, making sure to hold grapes firmly while cutting; otherwise you can slip and slice your fingers.

Toss into a sufficiently large bowl, dress with oil and vinegar, and sprinkle sesame seeds as a final flourish.

Motivation: Last time, the Murakami salad tasted exactly and sadly as it should be (ask if you want to know what it is). Never again, I say!

I've kept the cucumber and introduce tomatoes for a juicier texture. The dressing itself is plain, but the grapes allow a surprising sweetness. This works well for those people who like eating salads, one well-mixed forkful at a time.

So-called Recipe #3: Something from the Oven

It's a secret. q; Ask if you really want to know.

One thing is obvious; this must have used the aforementioned bell peppers .. but when? .. how?!? (;

Anyways, I'll see if I have any new ideas for Tuesday. Happy cooking.

No new recipes yet ..

Granted, I did cook this past Tuesday, but there was absolutely no originality in it and what I did make had, like Julia Roberts, an unappetizing look to it. Trust me.

Rather, this is an open invitation to my friends out there. If you'd like to share your vegetarian recipes on this blog, then send me an e-mail (there should be a link on my Profile page) and say so: I'll add you to the Members list and you can start posting your veggie-friendly culinary concoctions thereafter! Isn't that exciting?

Artless Cooking.

[Recipe from Yesterday]

I didn't have a very good feeling about yesterday's supper. It felt too .. simple, more like a random mishmash of disparate foods that happened to be served on the same plate.

I wonder if my flatmates figured out that I'm moving to vegetarianism, yet. I'll probably mention it tomorrow, when it's my turn to cook again.

Anyways, if you really want to know, here's what we had last night:

Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes - there's nothing like a good roasted flavor to starches like potatoes, yams, and squashes. A great seasonal flavor for the winter and fall.

Ingredients:

• 2 large, oval-shaped sweet potatoes - cut into 2-finger pieces
  
• 1 medium Asian eggplant, sliced into pinky-sized pieces (optional)
  
• olive oil
  
• cumin and paprika

Parboiling. Start a pot of water (~ 5-6 cups) boiling, and boil the potatoes for 3 minutes. Then add the eggplant, and after another 2 minutes, drain and do a quick warm water rinse.

(The idea is to start off the vegetables with abundant moisture; otherwise as single pieces they will dry out and burn easily in the oven, so this allows them to roast while retaining some moisture.)

Oven Bake. Preheat the oven to 425 ^oF, and on a baking pan spread out the drained vegetables into a single layer inside. Drip olive oil and mix with a spatula, to assure a good coating of olive oil on all the vegetables. Sprinkle cumin and paprika lightly and stir again.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until some of the potatoes have a roasted twinge of brown. If you prefer a more moist texture, you may consider covering the pan lightly with aluminum foil and bake at a lower temperature for a few minutes longer.

Remember to let the pan cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

---

Barley Concoction - I was treating this more like a risotto dish, in all honesty. However, it doesn't have a velvety sauce, and works more like a hearty base to the meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pearl barley (with rice cooker for steaming)
  
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
  
• 2 medium-sized Roma tomatoes, diced
  
• 1 8oz. package mushrooms, sliced
  
• olive oil
  
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
  
• 1 tsp. cumin
  
• 1 tsp. curry powder
  
• thyme and basil (store-bought and dry is fine)
  
• salt and red pepper flakes to taste
  
• 2 tsp. cornstarch (optional)

Philosophy. The idea is to use the ingredients in their best forms: the barley is cooked for heartiness, moisture, and to carry the other flavors. The bell pepper and mushrooms are best when sauteed. The tomato is left crisp and uncooked, otherwise it would lose the juicy liquid and make the dish too 'wet.'

Steam (2 possible methods). I highly suggest a rice cooker to steam the barley, because there's no need to watch it while other matters are at hand.

If you insist on pan-cooking the barley, then you can afford taking more time and care with it. Make sure to keep the stove at a medium-low setting, and stir at regular intervals, making sure to blend the bottom of the pot's contents with the top.

For the rice cooker, add the barley and stock together, then add enough water so that the liquid level is 1/3" above the level of barley in the pan.

For the pan and stovetop, do the same but with 1/2" of liquid above the barley level; you'll likely need to raise the liquid levels once or twice, since liquid evaporates quickly with conduction. Do so according to how moist you like your barley.

When the liquid in the barley has boiled almost to the same level as the barley, mix in the cumin and curry and stir well.

Saute. Start a frying pan on High heat and lightly coat the pan with olive oil. Add the bell pepper and mushroom at the same time, and after they are coated with oil, coat the contents with the thyme, basil, salt, and red pepper. This will allow the spices to sear into the vegetables and maximize flavor.

**on Texture: If you insist on a light, velvety sauce with this mixture, take the cornstarch and in a separate bowl, mix vigorously with 1/2 cup of hot water. The outcome is a thin, white liquid, and stir it into the frying pan. It will sizzle, and after a moment, the starch will thicken, and you may need an additional 1/2 cup of water into the pan to thin it out.

Keep stirring the saute until the mushroom texture softens. Then remove from heat.

Blend. When all is completed, take a large mixing bowl and spoon into it the cooked, lightly-spiced barley. On top add the sauteed bell pepper and mushrooms, and on top the raw diced tomato. Mix well, and you're done.

Really. It's that simple. Hence the misgivings.

---

Sauteed Rapini - rapini is an excellent vegetable: a dark leafy green which is full of good antioxidants. The flavor is much like some types of Asian greens, in that there is a little bitter taste, but mostly crisp.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch rapini (2 lbs) - lower stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
  
• 1 large garlic clove, finely sliced
  
• olive oil
  
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
  
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
  
• sugar and salt to taste

Saute, Pure and Simple. Start a ~large~ frying pan on High heat, and coat the surface lightly with olive oil. If your pan isn't big enough, you might need to saute in two batches.

Wait for the oil to steam, then add rapini and blend. Make sure all the rapini is equally and lightly coated with the oi. Next add a pinch of sugar and a light sprinkle of salt - not too much, because of the soy sauce later!

Cover for 1-2 minutes; this allows the rapini to steam into a brighter green color, but if you steam it for too long, you'll leech out the nutrients. The stalks should still have shape (not limp) when the steam is done.

Stir, and add soy sauce and sesame oil. Keep stirring, and after a moment, remove from heat. Done.

---

At any rate, that's what we had for dinner. It wasn't bad; we also split a baguette warmed from the oven. I suppose we're developing a bread addiction .. (;

Starting Simple ..

[UPDATE - 8 Jan '04: some commentary can be found here]
[Recipes from yesterday, 6 Jan '04]

I opted for something which seemed to me simple but tasty, so I've begun with an 'Italian' theme. Judge for yourself: No-Sauce Pasta, a Simple Salad, and a Suggested Bread.

No-Sauce Pasta - Ingredients:

• capellini / angel-hair pasta (2/3's of a package)
  
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced to pinky-sized pieces
  
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
  
• 1/2 package Crimini mushrooms, halved (if large)
  
• a large bunch of cilantro, stems removed and finely chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced finely
  
• 1 cup feta cheese
  
• plenty of olive oil and water
  
• salt, red pepper flakes (to taste)

Boil. If you're good at the chop, I suggest starting a pot of water first, and you may chop the vegetables while the water readies and the pasta boils. On the other hand, you can chop everything first and set the pasta to boil: there's no harm in it.

When the pasta is ready, drain and perform a quick rinse with cold water. This will keep the strands from forming a single blob, while you saute.

Saute. On High heat, start a large frying pan with a good measure of olive oil, and when it begins to smoke (it should sizzle a little if a few drops of water are tossed in) then add the garlic and tomatoes first. After a moment, reduce to Medium heat and add the mushrooms; a minute later, add the bell pepper. Let it all sear a little.

When some of the garlic reaches a slight brown color, ~slowly~ add enough water so that the pan has a 1/3"-high level of water (often this causes quite a sizzle!). Give time for the pan's contents to reduce, until the mixture reaches the consistency of maple syrup. Add red pepper and a little salt.

Next, add the cilantro, part by part. It should shrink quickly, so keep folding it into the mixture. After two minutes, remove from heat.

Blend. This is a plate-by-plate process. Drip a fair amount of olive oil on a serving plate, apply a helping of capellini on top, and then a large pinch of feta chesse. Stir the mixture with a fork until most of the pasta is lightly-covered with the olive oil and feta.

Next, dress the blended capellini with the saute. When all is done, the pasta gains the salty flavor of the feta, and the oil will help to blend the strands with the saute mixture. No tomato sauce necessary.

a Simple Salad - Ingredients:

• 1 head of green-leaf lettuce
  
• 1 large Roma tomato, diced
  
• 1/2 package of Crimini mushrooms, halved (if large)
  
• 1 small red onion, cut in slices

Dressing:

• 1 part sesame oil
  
• 1 part olive oil
  
• 2 parts rice vinegar
  
• 1 tsp lime juice
  
• 1 tsp honey

The dressing is straightforward: just blend it all together. It may help to heat up the honey a little, using the microwave at a Medium setting.

Dress to Order. I suggest chopping into 1" rings starting from the stem, then rinsing and draining. Add the mushrooms, then dress the lettuce before adding the last ingredients!

Philosophy. Typically mushrooms have a 'dry' flavor, and they do well with a little liquid flavoring. The lettuce forms the main body of the salad, and it should convey the dressing throughout the salad contents. There's no need to coat tomatoes or red onion with oil and vinegar, because they have enough 'wet' flavor as it is.

Suggested Bread - a ciabatta loaf from the bakery. Warm at 250 ^oF in the oven before serving, which gives it a great, crispy texture!