Cook Like Mad

A round up of my food photos this week. Most of these are very simple, so recipes aren’t included in this post. Enjoy : ) -M

L. A. Burdick’s Luxembourgers (very similar to macarons)

Intricate blown candy at the Sakura Matsuri festival in D.C.

A vendor grilling chicken on skewers at the Sakura Matsuri festival

Sunny-side up eggs in the pan

Sunny-side up eggs on baguette, covered in thinned potato leek soup (just try it, trust me!)

Steamed artichoke

and last but not least,

Really devilish eggs

First, let me say that I had no idea how hopping Bethesda, MD is on the weekends. D, his mom, and I went out to dinner this past weekend at Faryab and actually drove through an entire parking garage only to discover at the very top, that it was full. Yikes. We ended up going to another parking garage, only half full at that point, and thankfully got to the restaurant just as they were about to give our table away because all that searching took us 45 minutes and we were quite late. The owner took pity on us and showed us to our table. As we passed others, we saw a great deal of rice dishes- something that surprised me. I think I had imagined more bread than rice as the main starch component of the meal in Afghanistan, but once I saw the rice, with the meat stews, everything made sense. Just as in Indian cuisine, both breads and rice are a feature of Afghan cuisine, and while the bread was lackluster, the rice was moist and a perfect vehicle for the rich stews served with it.

The highlights of the meal were the lamb stew, topped with slow-cooked, skin-on eggplant slices and a to-die-for dish of pumpkin, topped with yogurt and a very thin meat sauce. The earthy spices in the meat sauce, such as cinnamon and cloves, married perfectly with the yogurt and slow-cooked pumpkin, It was toothsome and addictive. We should have ordered more.

The starter of meal pastries was rich yet not overfilling and came with a refreshing , soupy, fresh, green sauce that made me think of thai food. The steamed dumpling with meat filling were presented beautifully and made it seem like someone’s grandmother had been laboring over them all afternoon, folding each one into a purse by hand.

We didn’t have dessert, but the baklava looked spectacular and was drawing moans from the next table. Go on a weeknight, as the weekend parking in Bethesda is outrageous, but mostly, just go.

Atmosphere: B

Service: B+

Food: A-

Overall Experience: B+

Faryab

4917 Cordell Ave.

Bethesda, MD 20814

301-951-3484

-M : )

On our trip to North Carolina earlier this year, D and I learned many things about Southern food culture, some we expected, some we did not. I knew NC barbecue sauce was vinegary and it nearly always covered meat from a pig, but I was surprised-happily, of course- to see the number of ways Southerns cook cornmeal. D and I found between our teeth corn pone, cornbread, hush puppies both short and long, and cornmeal-coated everything. I had eaten hush puppies and cornbread up North, but not like this. I was used to dry, bland cornbread and hush puppies, made with instant mixes and the hush puppies fried so long they looked like lumps of coal. I needed this corn education in the South to show me how cornmeal could be made into tasty, craveable food.

My first lesson came at Speedy’s BBQ in Lexington, NC. D and I had heard that there was great barbecue to be had just south of Winston-Salem, so we made the 20 mile drive to Lexington to see what the fuss was about. Upon first glance we thought we’d be taken for fools- there was a gas station, a few hardware stores, and a surprisingly cute downtown area including a candy “shoppe” that looked straight out of the 1920s, but no Speedy’s. To be fair, we had passed another barbecue joint whose name I can’t recall, on the way into town, and it was pretty packed, but it wasn’t the place we had heard of online (thank god for the iPhone in times of barbecue need…), and we had our hearts set on finding our destination food stop. A few turns later and about to go back to the first barbecue place we happened upon, we found ourselves at Speedy’s, and the smell and sight of the smoker out back immediately assured us that we were in for a treat. Our waitress, totally emotionless and disinterested in our eagerness, at us down at a booth by the window and asked us for our drink order. D got a sweet tea, I got a coke, and what she brought to us were two pitchers of each. Ok, so even before the barbecue came out, I knew I liked this place- a pitcher meant, “even though we’re serving good food fast, if you want to linger, you’re more than welcome to.”

Soon our food came out, hush puppies, fries, and pork sandwiches- chopped and coarsely chopped, for D and me, respectively. The not-too-sweet, vinegary, thin sauce was light in color (demonstrating a lack of molasses) and heavy on flavor. The tang of the sauce went perfectly with the chopped pork, slightly fatty, mostly lean, and the soft bun could barely contain it. I asked for my sandwich with slaw on the side, and the odd, nearly pulverized cabbage mix that the waitress brought out was not was I expected, but delicious. I added it to my sandwich, and it rounded the flavors out nicely. (Side note: one of my favorite dishes is Choucroute Garnie, an Alsatian dish that involves braising various pork products in sauerkraut, so you can understand my enthusiasm for this American South flavor combination.) The hush puppies were wonderful as well- moist, deep golden brown (but not too brown!) and they had a slightly sweet n’ salty thing going on that I quite liked. Being too full to check out that old time candy shoppe in the middle of town, D and I bought Speedy’s BBQ t-shirts as souvenirs and hit the road.

My second lesson on cornmeal and its culinary applications in the south came at Mama Dips’ Kitchen in Chapel Hill, NC. God, this place made me wish I went to UNC, Chapel Hill… From the time we walked in the front door, we knew we’d set foot in an institution. The first thing you see when you walk in is the restaurant’s gift shop posing as a reservation desk. Here you can buy Mama Dip’s t-shirts, her signature barbecue sauce, her cookbooks (yes, she’s published more than one, and yes, I bought one), and numerous other goodies, all of which you will see as essential items to stock up on once you taste her food. Soon, we pass into the main dining room, unable to ignore the seemingly endless hallway of framed recognitions to our right.

Once we’re seated, our waitress quickly comes with the menus and takes our drink order- another sweet tea and another coke, please. We look at the menu and immediately panic as any good foodie does in a place you know you won’t be able to come back to for a while. There were too many choices. I mean way too many choices, like three panels of 9-point font, single-spaced lists of menu items. Needless to say, D and I took a deep breath and ordered. And with our order came the most incredible corn muffins and biscuits. Delicate, moist, and addictive, D and I dipped them in our gravy, our collard greens, and our squash casserole, savoring the harmony of flavors those dips created.

That that trip to North Carolina was a few months ago, but my interest in cooking with cornmeal is as strong as it was the day we came home. I suppose it’s taken me a few months to recover from the food of that trip (it was heavy, meat-centric, and pretty high in fat, to be honest) and to get up the courage to recreate my new favorite dishes at home. Would I be able to pull it off? D had started to crave those southern foods more than ever, partly due to another more recent trip to South Carolina and Georgia, and I wasn’t sure I could live up to both his and my expectations. So I researched a few dishes, and thought, how hard can it really be? I would make catfish and fried okra and hush puppies- all safe, tasty bets. In the end, the catfish and hush puppies were A-game dishes, but the okra (in my opinion, since D and our guests liked them) was sub-par. So below, find the recipes for hush puppies and fried catfish- two very Southern dishes, the former from North Carolina (but originally from New Orleans) and the latter from South Carolina. These recipes represent two out of the infinite number of preparations that are possible with a sack of cornmeal, and showcase the delicious flavor this ingredient adds to any dish. Enjoy! : )

Fried Catfish (adapted from Chitterlings.com)

Serves 4

4 catfish fillets, skinned.
1 cup Yellow Corn Meal
2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt (or just plain salt)
4 cups vegetable cooking oil (Enough to cover the catfish)

Method
1. Preheat oil to 325 degrees. Rinse the fillets thoroughly and then pat dry with a paper towel. Pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Roll the fresh, catfish fillets in a mixture of corn meal and Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. If you cannot find Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, then your favorite seasoned salt will have to do. It’s just that Lawry’s Seasoned Salt is a southern favorite. A quick way to coat the fish in the corn meal and season mixture is to place it in a plastic bag and just shake it.

3. Drop fillets two at a time into deep fryer. Fry until it turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on double layered paper towels and serve immediately while hot.

Hush Puppies (from Chitterlings.com)

Makes 6 servings

2 cups yellow corn meal
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (you can also use plain milk in a pinch, but nothing compares to buttermilk)
3/4 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt (or just plain salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 teaspoon baking soda (if using regular milk, substitute baking powder here)
1/8 cup bacon grease. (This is another big key to the flavor. You can use other types of cooking oil, but bacon is my favorite)
Vegetable oil for frying (peanut oil is great too, but make sure no one you’re cooking for is allergic to peanuts!!)

Method

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add your eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Stir it all up until the flavors are thoroughly blended.

2. Turn your cooker on medium-high heat. When it’s hot you can drop your hush puppies in using a table spoon. Allow them to brown on all sides. They should begin floating when done, but if they don’t, don’t overcook them.

You can also store this mixture in the refrigerator for a day prior to frying. Before cooking let the mixture reach near room temperature.

-M : )

Very early on in this blog’s life I posted a recipe for turkey meatballs, which I called “Pimm’s Polpette.” It’s a bit of an unconventional recipe for meatballs, using Pimm’s for the liquid component and adding orange zest for tang. Last night I made more traditional turkey meatballs (what you’d call a “trusty, stand-by” recipe) and folded them into a pasta dish with asparagus, swiss chard, and a light white wine sauce.

What I love about this dish is that the variations are endless. You can use virtually any ground meat or poultry to make the meatballs, any mix of fresh vegetables and your favorite shape of pasta, short or long. I like to add red pepper flakes for a hint of spice, but it’s up to you. So here’s a great weeknight dinner recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes. Fully flavored yet light, soft and crunchy, spicy but soothing, this dinner is one for kids, boyfriends, or just nights alone with a good book. Enjoy! : )

Turkey Meatballs with Farfalle, Swiss Chard, and Asparagus

Makes 4 Servings

For the Turkey Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano, dried

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced

1/2 tsp coriander, dried

1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

canola oil, for cooking

2 cups farfalle

1 lb asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 packed cup fresh swiss chard (frozen can be substituted)

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup butter, diced into small pieces

juice of 1/2 lemon

pinch hot red pepper flakes

salt, to taste

Method

1. Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat with enough canola oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Mix all ingredients for meatballs together and form mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Once the oil is hot, place 1/2 the meatballs in the pan, cook for 5 minutes, or until fully cooked inside, transfer to a plate lined with a double layer of paper towels and repeat this process with the rest of the meatballs. Set aside while you assemble the rest of the dish.

2. While the meatballs are cooking, cook the pasta in abundant amounts of salted, boiling water. Drain the pasta but reserve 1/4 cup pasta water in a separate dish. Do not rise pasta or coat pasta with oil!

3. Add white wine to the saute pan you cooked the meatballs in and add the asparagus and swiss chard. Once vegetables are just barely cooked and the wine is reduced by half, add butter, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, reserved pasta water and a pinch of salt to the pan. Swirl and stir the ingredients over medium heat until combined and the butter is melted. Add pasta and meatballs to the pan and fold ingredients together to warm and evenly coat with the sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve immediately and enjoy!

-M : )

It’s not the best picture, but it’s the picture of the best chicken piccata recipe you’ve ever tasted. Served with sauteed sugar snap peas and sun-dried tomato rice, this chicken piccata will satisfy gourmands and picky children alike. Just as some people swear they hate anchovies but greedily dig into plates of caesar salad, guests claiming to hate capers will lick their plates clean after eating this dish. When I’m entertaining, I ask the friends I’m having over if there are foods they don’t or won’t eat. Generally, this results in answers like, “Cheese makes me sick,” or “No red meat,” or “No shellfish,” and rarely answers as specific as “No capers.” Yet, if you ask a group of people if they like certain foods like capers, mushrooms, or eggplant, you’re guaranteed to get some Nos. What’s the deal? I think many people avoid certain foods (proteins notwithstanding) because they think they don’t like them, or have had a bad experience with them served in a less-than-tasty preparation. Of course, some people have food allergies, but for those who don’t, my take is that many caper-haters and mushroom-avoiders just need to try capers and mushrooms in a tasty preparation.

There’s something to be said for the earthiness mushrooms add to a stew and the brininess capers add to a rich sauce. Without them, the balance in flavor is lost, and so is the quality of your resulting dish. In this recipe for chicken piccata, capers are a mandatory ingredient, not only for maintaining authenticity, but also for brightening the flavor of the pan sauce that elevates this dish to a level beyond simple, breaded, sauteed chicken. Serving it with sugar snap peas and rice cooked with sun-dried tomatoes elevates this dish to a meal elegant enough for any dinner party. Last week, I made this on Wednesday night to eat while watching Top Chef- an homage to one Italian contestant who didn’t know how to make chicken piccata despite growing up in the restaurant biz… It shocked the judges- and I would assume nearly every Italian-American watching- so I decided to show those contestants (in spirit, perhaps) how it’s done. Below, find my recipe for chicken piccata: one that begs to be served with a glass of dry Italian white wine and an episode of your favorite food show. Enjoy!

Chicken Piccata

Serves 4

For the Chicken

4 small chicken breasts, boned, skinned (if chicken breasts are the large supermarket variety, buy 2 big ones & slice them in half)

1 cup all-purpose flour, mixed with 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp paprika

2 eggs, mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice

salt

canola oil, for cooking

For the Sauce

1/2 cup dry white white

1 cup chicken stock or water (if using water, stir 1 tsp cornstarch into it before adding to the pan, so the sauce thickens)

2 tsp capers

2 tbsp butter, cold, diced into small pieces

2 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste

1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

salt

Rice, steamed with minced Sun-Dried Tomatoes, to serve (follow package directions and add tomatoes with the water)

Sugar Snap Peas, sauteed in a pan with olive oil, 1 small squeeze of lemon juice, and salt)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Pound chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer or mallet, to 1/4 to no more than 1/2 inch thickness.

2. Preheat large saute pan with canola oil over medium high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and dredge first in flour, then in egg mixture, coating each piece completely. Immediately place dipped chicken breasts into hot pan, cooking two at a time, a makign sure not to crowd your pan (with a crowded pan, your chicken will steam and not form a golden crust).

3. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook 1-2 minutes on the other side. It will take less time than normal since the chicken has been pounded into thin cutlets. Set cooked chicken on an oven-safe plate, and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the other two pieces of chicken. Set those pieces on the plate in the oven once cooked through, and keep warm while making the pan sauce.

4. Remove any large pieces of breading from the saute pan, but keep the small golden brown bits that have created a “fond”on the bottom of your pan. Place the pan on high heat, add the white wine, and reduce the liquid “a sec,” or until there is only a couple tablespoons of liquid left in the pan.

5. Add the chicken stock or water/cornstarch slurry and capers and cook for 2 minutes to meld the flavors. Add the cold butter, stirring constantly, until fully melted. Stir in the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning. Add salt as needed and serve on top of the chicken, plated with the rice and sugar snap peas. Enjoy!

-M : )