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Strozzapreti Pasta with Fava Bean Greens Pesto, Spicy Italian Sausage & Toasted Walnuts

Susan S. Bradley — Sat, 04 May 2013 20:55:47 +0000

Strozzapreti (stroh-tzuh-PRAY-tee) is one of my all-time favorite pastas. Its 1-inch length and rolled S-shape captures and holds the sauce, while its chewy texture adds character and interest to any pasta dish. It’s always in my pantry.

In searching out imported pastas with this distinctive rolled shape, I have likewise become enamored with casarecci (cah-sah-RECH-ee) pasta (also known as casarecce or casariccia pasta), which consists of 2-inch lengths of pasta that are rolled in much the same way as strozzapreti. If you look at the pasta from an end, it has an S shape.

And then just this week, I encountered torchietti (tor-KYEH-tee) pasta, which is 2-inches in length, grooved, and twisted in one direction only, sometimes with a wider, bell shape on one end.

Any of these pastas work beautifully in this over-the-top delicious dish, which I created for my latest pesto addiction: Fava Bean Greens, Walnut & Orange Pesto.

Jump to recipe…

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Fava Bean Greens, Walnut & Orange Pesto

Susan S. Bradley — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:19:02 +0000

Every year, I create a couple of new pestos. When I encountered fava bean greens at the Portland Farmers Market in early April, my first thought was, naturally, PESTO. The flavor of the greens is delicate, buttery and appealing—much like the beans.

The trick with creating new pestos is to match the flavor of the key ingredient—in this case, fava beans—to other harmonious flavors. And there’s nothing like a quick dip into The Flavor Bible to research the possibilities.

As it turns out, fava beans and their green tops have a flavor affinity for many ingredients that will work marvelously in pesto–namely basil, dry feta, chile peppers, chives, cilantro, cumin, fennel, garlic, green onions, bitter greens, leeks, lemon, Manchego, mint, olive oil, onion, orange, oregano, parsley, Parmesan, peas, pecorino, rosemary, sage, shallots, sheep’s milk cheese, spinach, thyme, vinegar, walnut oil, and walnuts.

However, Chef Tony Liu of the August restaurant in New York City cautions against pairing fava beans with too peppery an olive oil, as their delicate flavor would be obliterated by the more assertive oil. this is even more imperative with the more delicately flavored fava bean greens.

So armed with this information, I decided to create a rather delicate pesto that allows the flavor of the fava bean greens to shine. The flavor partners that jumped out to me for this exploration were orange, lemon, walnut, chile peppers, garlic (or garlic scapes when they hit the market), Manchego (a sheep’s milk cheese), and green onions. The result is over-the-top delicious.

A while back, I hit the test kitchen for several days and developed a balanced, sure-fire pesto formula and five wonderful pestos: Rosemary Hazelnut Pesto, Cilantro Ginger Pesto, Herb Garden Pesto, Basil Arugula Pesto, and Basil Olive Pesto. This formula (now my standard) puts nuts in the starring role and a dry grating cheese in the supporting role. You can reverse or alter these two proportions for a slightly different effect, if you wish. You can also go light or heavy on the oil, which, along with whether you chop or puree the other ingredients, will determine the consistency of the pesto. Note that in the recipe below, the oil amount is listed as a variable between ½ and 1 cup.

A Note on Olive Oil and Cold-Emulsified Sauces

Before you run to the kitchen to whip up a pesto, let’s consider what oil to use. Cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil is the traditional choice. That’s what I always used–until a recent round of testing produced a particularly bitter sorrel pesto. I tasted the oil, thinking perhaps it had gone rancid. Nope, fresh and fragrant, with no bitter after taste. So I tasted the sorrel. Again, fresh and very lemony, with no bitterness. Then I noshed on a few toasted hazelnuts. Delish. There was simply nothing in the pesto to account for the bitterness. Perplexed, I searched the web to see if anyone had noticed this mysterious phenomenon. Bingo! The issue was explored in the March/April 2009 issue of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine.

As it turns out, extra-virgin olive oil contains bitter tasting polyphenols, which don’t usually assault your taste buds because they are coated with fatty acids. The fatty acids hold the polyphenols in check. Extreme agitation, as with a processor or blender, releases the full bitterness of the polyphenols. The magazine claims that agitation is only a problem when mixing a mayonnaise or vinaigrette, because with pesto, the other ingredients buffer the reaction. In my recent tests, however, the polyphenols wreaked havoc with the pesto, lending a sharply bitter aftertaste. From now on, for pesto, I will use either a light olive oil or a flavorless vegetable oil. Lesson learned.

Storing Pesto

Spoon the pesto into clean glass jars or plastic containers. Leave about ½” of space from the top of the container. Pour a ¼” layer of olive oil over the pesto to keep oxygen out and thus inhibit browning and spoilage. The oil solidifies when chilled. Replenish the oil topping as you use the pesto.

Always refrigerate pesto, but bring it to room temperature before serving. Refrigerated, it will keep for at least a week.

You can also freeze pesto for up to six months. Line an edged baking sheet with foil and then spoon 2-tablespoon dollops of pesto on the foil. After freezing, put the blobs into a plastic freezer bag for longer storage.

Jump to the recipe

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Asian Tacos with Prawn & Shiitake Filling & Cabbage Slaw

Susan S. Bradley — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:31:53 +0000

Fifteen years ago, there was a wonderful Chinese restaurant in the University Village shopping center in Seattle. I was completing a second degree at the University of Washington at the time, and along with a couple of other always hungry art students, found myself all too regularly chowing down at this nearby restaurant.

I don’t remember the name of the place (it’s long gone), but I do remember the dish I ordered without hesitation every time we ate there: Asian Tacos.

They came to the table nestled in a nifty rack that held three smallish tacos upright. The wrapper was a delicate, thin Beijing Pancake. Each pancake held a different filling and sauce. Lovely presentation and over-the-top delicious.

They were a bit messy to eat, but I licked the dripping sauce off my hands without even considering using a napkin. We all did. And I’ve been dreaming about those amazing Asian-style tacos ever since.

Which brings me to this post. It finally occurred to me that I could make them myself. But first, I had to master the pancakes and then a sublime peanut sauce. The filling was the easy part. You can improvise a different filling every night if you want to.

You can have these incredibly tasty Asian Tacos on the table in under ½ hour–if you make Asian Pancakes and Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce in advance. You don’t even need to dress the cabbage if you are in a rush.

This said, if you try to make everything at one go, you will be harried and irritable by the time you complete all the elements. I’m just saying.

But even though this dish requires time and effort, the results are well worth it.

Cookin’ with Gas (inspired recipes from around the web)

10^th Kitchen: Moo Shu

Asian Enticement: Korean Tacos Recipe

Big Oven: Chinese Plum Chicken in Pancakes

Casa Veneration: Fish Tacos, Asian Style

Kitchen.m: Moo Shu Pork

Nibble Me This: Asian Mini Tacos

Simple Comfort Food: Taiwanese Steamed Bun Tacos

Sprouted Kitchen: Shitake Mushroom & Lentil Asian Tacos

Steamy Kitchen: Korean Style Tacos with Kogi BBQ Sauce

The All American Chinese Cookbook 2: Homemade Mu Shu Pancakes

The SAM: Salmon Tacos

The Way the Cookie Crumbles: Not a Chinese Burrito (Moo Shu Pancakes)

Two Sisters, Two Suppers: Fried Fish Tacos with Asian Slaw and Hot Peppers

Yankee in Nashville: Asian Meat Marinade

Jump to the recipe

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Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

Susan S. Bradley — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 23:17:45 +0000

There are a million and one recipes for Thai Peanut Sauce, and I’ve never tasted one that I didn’t like. That said, I worked diligently to get a good depth of flavor and an intriguing balance of flavors in my rendition of this popular sauce. It’s a fabulous sauce to have on hand and keeps for a week or more in the fridge.

I use it as a simple deglazing sauce for sautéed chicken or pork, drizzle it over steamed vegetables, toss it with cold noodles, dress shredded cabbage with it, and eat it with a spoon straight from the container. It’s the perfect sauce for Asian Tacos with Lime Glazed Prawns & Shiitake Mushrooms (coming up next).

This sauce is so compelling, I find myself pondering the layers of flavors and naming each flavor note as I recognize it: lime, peanut, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, cilantro, fish sauce, curry, and chile–all in beautiful harmony.

The only flavor that’s difficult to isolate is coconut, but without it the sauce would not have its lovely, ultra creamy texture.

Preparing Lemongrass

If you haven’t worked with lemongrass before, you may be perplexed by its stiff, unyielding texture. Simply cut off 1 inch of the root end and 5-6 inches of the stem end. Remove the outer 1-2 tough layers. With a mallet or other heavy object, tap the lemongrass along the entire length to release the fragrant oils. Cut in half lengthwise, slice widthwise, and then mince.

Jump to the recipe…

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Asian Pancakes (Beijing Pancakes)

Susan S. Bradley — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:22:54 +0000

Also called Beijing Pancakes, Mandarin Pancakes, or Moo Shu Pancakes, these tasty wrappers are not actually pancakes at all. At least not what we think of as pancakes in the United States. They’re not made with a batter, but with a simple, unyeasted flour and water dough that is cut into golf ball-size pieces and then rolled as thinly as possible to form transparent disks.

That sounds fairly basic, but the water is boiling when it’s added to the flour, and that changes the whole dynamic. The boiling water dramatically transforms the texture of the flour, expanding and “cooking” the starch molecules. The uncooked dough has a pillowy texture—some cooks describe it as an “earlobe” texture. You end up with flatbread wrappers that are translucent, tender, and chewy. The wrappers can be completely uniform in shape–if you cut the rolled dough with a large biscuit cutter or other sharp-edged round object–or charmingly irregular–if you leave them just as you roll them (my preference).

TIP   If you do want uniformly shaped wrappers, it’s easier to roll a quarter of the dough at a time and then cut disks from it.

Perhaps the most traditional way to shape this dough is to layer two rolled disks of dough with a coating of sesame oil sandwiched between the disks and then roll again as thinly as possible. The disks are then fried for a minute on each side, cooled briefly, and pulled apart into two incredibly thin disks. You will also see recipes that add slivered green onion to the middle of the sandwich.

TIP   If you choose the layered dough route, roll one sheet of dough very thinly, slather with sesame oil, top with another sheet of thinly rolled dough, roll the two sheets together very thinly, and then cut the disks. Much easier than layering individual disks of dough.

But I’m taking a simpler route here, namely, no layering, with each single disk rolled as thinly as possible. Getting that right is enough for your first few adventures with this dough. And the result will please you to such a degree that you may never feel compelled to advance to the slightly more advanced method. (I’ve tried both methods and prefer the ease and chewy texture of the unlayered, slightly thicker pancake.)

Now, what to do with these pancakes after you make them? Remember, they are wrappers. You can put just about any cooked meats or raw veggies inside. That’s why I think of them as Asian Tacos. My favorite Southwest Tacos have layers of flavor, so that’s what I like to do with Asian Tacos as well: grilled, roasted, sautéed, or battered and deep-fried protein of some sort, plus crunchy diced or julienned veggies, plus shredded greens, plus fragrant herbs, plus a killer sauce, or two, or three. How does that sound to you?

Or, you can take the traditional route: slather them with Hoisin Sauce, and fill them with Moo Shu Pork. The possibilities are nearly endless. I’ll present a few of my new creations in future posts.

But for now, let’s focus on the pancakes themselves. For your first attempt, I suggest a leisurely afternoon and the wafting sound of an Asian flute playing in the background. This is not a get-it-done-fast dish. But it’s not difficult either, and the results far outweigh the small amount of effort involved.

Asian Pancakes (Beijing Pancakes | Mandarin Pancakes | Moo Shu Pancakes)

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 cup water, brought to a boil
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

vegetable oil for kneading and shaping

2 tablespoons vegetable oil mixed with 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil, for frying

To prepare the dough, in a large bowl, add the flour.

In a 2-cup glass measuring cup with a pouring spout, whisk together the hot water, sesame oil, and salt.

Pour the water mixture over the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon to form a shaggy mass.

To knead the dough, when cool enough to handle, turn dough out onto a lightly floured countertop, oil your hands, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle with flour as needed.

To rest the dough, put into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and as long as 3 hours. If you need to hold the dough longer, refrigerate.

To shape the pancakes, turn the dough out onto the clean, lightly floured countertop and roll with your hands to a 16-inch long, 1-inch diameter rope. Cut the rope into sixteen, 1-inch length pieces. Cut each piece in half. You now have 32 pieces of dough, each weighing about 5/8 ounce. Roll each piece into a 1-inch diameter ball.

Using a small rolling pin (1″ by 11″–available in Asian markets), roll out each dough ball as thinly as possible to a 5-inch diameter disk. You won’t get perfect disks, but that makes your pancakes all the more appealing.

Stack pancakes on a plate as you complete each one. To prevent pancakes from sticking to each other, layer with plastic wrap.

To fry the pancakes, heat an 8- or 10-inch, non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Using a silicon brush, lightly coat the surface of the pan with the combine vegetable and sesame oil. Sauté one pancake at a time until barely golden and dry on both sides—about 1 minute on each side. Don’t overcook the pancakes or they will be brittle. Experiment with the first few, adjusting the heat as necessary, until you get the heat and timing just right. Brush the pan with oil repeatedly as needed.

To store the pancakes, wrap pancakes in foil (to keep them moist) until ready to use. You can also make them ahead and refrigerate. They keep for days. Reheat briefly in the oven (wrapped in foil) or microwave before eating.

Makes thirty-two, 5-inch pancakes.

Cookin’ with Gas (inspired recipes from around the web)

10^th Kitchen: Moo Shu

Asian Enticement: Korean Tacos Recipe

Big Oven: Chinese Plum Chicken in Pancakes

Casa Veneration: Fish Tacos, Asian Style

Kitchen.m: Moo Shu Pork

Nibble Me This: Asian Mini Tacos

Sprouted Kitchen: Shitake Mushroom & Lentil Asian Tacos

Steamy Kitchen: Korean Style Tacos with Kogi BBQ Sauce

The All American Chinese Cookbook 2: Homemade Mu Shu Pancakes

The Way the Cookie Crumbles: Not a Chinese Burrito (Moo Shu Pancakes)

Two Sisters, Two Suppers: Fried Fish Tacos with Asian Slaw and Hot Peppers

I Love Hearing from You!

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post. Happy cooking!

Copyright 2013 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

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Vietnamese Crispy Crepes (Banh Xeo)

Susan S. Bradley — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 01:49:12 +0000

You’re first bite of Vietnamese Crispy Crepes, served lettuce-wrap style with fresh mint, cilantro, Thai basil, prawn and pork filling, and sweet-sour-spicy-hot Nuoc Cham sauce is going to push all your gustatory senses into overdrive. The aromas, the flavors, the textures. It is one amazing taste sensation, and you aren’t going to forget it anytime soon.

These rice crepes are made a little differently than French crepes, in that they are steamed to complete the cooking. They are a bit easier on the cook too, because they are not flipped to brown the second side.

You’ll find varying methods described for filling the crepes. One method I encountered several times and finally tried involves sautéing the filling in the pan and pouring the batter over and around the filling.

This has the advantage of adhering the batter to the filling and the disadvantage of an uneven, dappled surface on the finished crepe. The crepes have such a gorgeous crusty surface that it seems a shame to mar it in this way.

So, primarily for esthetics, my preferred method is to pour the crepe batter into the center of the hot pan and quickly swirl the pan to get an even layer of batter over the bottom of the pan. Then, even more quickly, while the top of the batter is still loose and wet, scatter the filling over the top. If you miss the few seconds while the batter is still wet, the filling won’t adhere to the crepe. If this happens, just continue. It’s not a deal breaker.

It hardly matters what you fill the crepes with. The flavors that dominate are Thai basil, mint, cilantro, garlic, lime, and sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Vietnamese Crispy Rice Crepes (Banh Xeo)

If you are accustomed to tender, eggy French crepes, Vietnamese crepes will come as a surprise. Rice flour and the absence of egg creates a crepe with two contrasting textures—one side of the crepe (the pan side) is super crunchy and one side is pillowy soft.

To eat, guests tear a piece of crepe, tuck it into a lettuce leaf, add a few fresh herbs, and drizzle with sweet and sour Nuoc Cham sauce. This is great communal fun but by necessity rather messy. Be sure to have extra napkins on hand.

NOTE   Because there is no egg in the batter, Vietnamese crepes are too delicate to flip. Instead, cook the top of the crepe by putting a lid on the pan and steaming for a couple of minutes.

Crispy Rice & Coconut Crepes (makes 2½ cups batter)
1½ cups rice flour
½ teaspoon turmeric
1¾ cups cold soda water or nonalcoholic ginger beer, more if needed (regular water can also be used)
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced
several sprigs of parsley, trimmed, and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled, and minced or pressed
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, or more to taste

vegetable oil, for cooking the crepes

Prawn & Barbecued Pork Filling
½ pound large prawns, peeled, cleaned, and cut into ½-inch dice
½ pound barbecued pork or Chinese cooked sausage, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, peeled, and minced or pressed

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking the filling

fine sea salt, to taste

Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham) (makes 1½ cups)
½ cup fish sauce
½ cup sugar
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon Sriracha chile sauce (or other chile sauce, such as Sambal Oelek)
1 clove garlic, peeled, and minced or pressed

Garnishes
curly lettuce leaves
Thai basil leaves
mint leaves
cilantro leaves

To make the crepe batter, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the rice flour and turmeric. Add in coconut milk and mix until well combined. Slowly whisk in the soda water until all the lumps have dissolved. Whisk in fish sauce and scallions. Set the batter aside for 30-45 minutes. Makes 2½ cups batter.

To make the dipping sauce, combine fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, warm water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add chilies. Reserve. Makes 1½ cups sauce.

To make the filling, in a medium mixing bowl, combine prawns and barbecued pork, and garlic.

To cook the filling, set a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the mixture and cook for a few minutes until the prawns are almost cooked through, adding a little more oil if necessary to keep the ingredients from sticking to the pan. Remove from heat, salt to taste, and reserve.

To cook the crepes, in a 10-inch, nonstick sauté pan, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat to sizzling.

Whisk the batter vigorously, and pour a scant ½ cup batter into the pan. Very quickly, tilt and swirl the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Pour a little more batter into any bare spots. Immediately scatter a portion of the filling on top if the crepe. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the bottom off the crepe is golden brown. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.

Remove lid, and using a silicon spatula, carefully fold the crêpe in half, gently pressing down on top. Transfer to a serving platter.

To serve, accompany crepes with lettuce leaves, mint, cilantro, Thai basil, and dipping sauce. Guests tear pieces from the crepes and wrap in lettuce leaves along with herbs and a drizzle of Nuoc Cham sauce.

Makes 6-8, ten-inch crepes.

Cookin’ with Gas (Inspiration from around the web)

Chef J Looney: Bánh Xèo – Vietnamese Sizzling Crepes

Then Ravenous Couple: Banh Xeo Vietnamese Sizzling Crepes

The Unfussy Epicure: Crispy Vietnamese Rice-Flour Crepes with Nuoc Cham

I Love Hearing from You!

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post. Happy cooking!

Copyright 2013 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

The post Vietnamese Crispy Crepes (Banh Xeo) appeared first on LunaCafe.

Thai Red Curry Soup

Susan S. Bradley — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 02:47:43 +0000

Remember when I devoted all of January to Asian-inspired recipes, such as Home-Style Chinese Fried Rice, Spicy Pork Wonton Soup, Korean Spicy Noodle Soup (Jjambbong), and Chinese Cracker Jacks? You liked those, right?

Well, it’s March, and I’m still hooked. There is something about the aromas of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, freshly squeezed lime, fresh ginger, chiles, garlic, cilantro, and warm spices that make me happy. The flavors are energizing and transporting as well.

You’ll find several of these key Southeast Asian flavors in Thai Red Curry Paste–a magical potion guaranteed to rock your world. If you have it on hand, dinner is only minutes away.

Take this classic soup, for instance. It’s nothing more than dreamy, creamy coconut milk, chicken stock, lime juice, roast chicken (which you can grab ready-made from most grocery stores), egg noodles, and a few easy garnishes.

You should have most of the ingredients in your fridge or pantry. And what you don’t have, you don’t absolutely need—except the coconut milk that is. You could probably substitute light cream in a pinch, but stock up on canned Chaokoh brand coconut milk instead. And if you don’t have fresh noodles, dried noodles will also work. There’s really no way to go wrong here.  What are you waiting for?

Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup

This is one of those soups that everyone raves about for days after eating it. You will have to make it again and again–so luckily it’s easy to make, especially if you have the Thai Red Curry Paste on hand in the fridge or freezer (which I highly recommend).

1 cup Thai Red Curry Paste

Soup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
two 14-ounce cans coconut milk (I like Chaokoh brand)
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups shredded or chopped roast chicken (12 ounces)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
fine sea salt, to taste

Noodles
1 pound fresh, thin rice or egg noodles (preferably Asian-style)

Garnishes
lime wedges
cilantro sprigs
lime zest
roasted peanuts, chopped
pea shoots, optional

First make the curry paste. You need 1 cup.

To make the soup, in a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat, and add 1 cup Thai Red Curry Paste. Saute, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. This eliminates the bitter, raw taste of the fresh paste.

Add the coconut milk and stock. Whisk briefly to smooth the coconut milk.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add lime juice. Taste for seasoning, and add salt to taste.

Keep the soup warm over low heat or reheat just before serving.

Fill a large saucepan with cold water, set on the stove, and bring to a full boil. Add salt if desired. Add the fresh noodles and cook for 1-2 minutes, or according to package directions. They should be a little chewy; don’t let them get too soft. Drain immediately.

Just before serving, add the chicken to the hot soup, and heat for a few minutes.

Divide the noodles between four soup bowls, and ladle the soup on top.

Garnish each serving with a lime wedge, cilantro, green onions, and peanuts.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Cookin’ with Gas (inspiration from around the web)

Curry and Comfort: Thai Red Curry Chicken and Corn Soup

Flavors of Mumbai: Thai Red Curry Chicken Recipe

Steamy Kitchen: 10-Minute Thai Shrimp Curry

The Kitchen Operas: Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

The Whole Kitchen: Thai Red Curry Soup with Shrimp

Women’s Weekly: Thai Pumpkin Soup with Spanner Crab

I Love Hearing from You!

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post. Happy cooking! …Susan

Copyright 2012 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

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Thai Red Curry Paste

Susan S. Bradley — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 02:34:59 +0000

I love the convenience of premium, ready-made condiments, such as Thai Red Curry Paste. They can be quite good. Especially when they are locally made and preservative-free, such as Thai and True curry pastes. But that said, ready-made can’t beat home-made. No way. No how.

For one thing, you can custom craft your home-made curry paste to your unique preferences. I go heavy on the fresh ginger, for instance. And the cilantro. And the garlic. Plus I fine-tune the curry spice mixture.

None of this is difficult. Active prep for a cup (that’s a lot) of Red Curry Paste is under 10 minutes. And the paste keeps for a good month (or longer frozen).

I use it extensively—for soups, stews, stir-fries, curries, sautés, steamed shellfish. I’ve even added Red Curry Paste to burgers, and wow, were they fabulous. You might even like to try Thai Red Curry Mac and Cheese. But, perhaps the most creative idea I’ve seen is Red Curry White Chocolate Peanut Butter Thai Truffles. True, the recipe only uses 1 teaspoon of paste, but it’s interesting nonetheless. My point is that if you have it on hand, you’ll find at least a dozen ways to use it.

Now to the chiles, which are the heart of this versatile curry paste. You can use almost any unsmoked dried chiles you want here, but each has a slightly different flavor and minor to significant differences in heat level. Many recipes for this traditional Thai flavoring paste call for dried Thai chiles, which are scorching hot–50,000-100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHUs).

When these are specified, the author may admonish the cook not to cut back on the number of chiles in the paste, but rather to cut back on the amount of paste used—to keep the flavor balance. The problem with this approach is that you will also be cutting back on the other great flavors in the paste (shallots, garlic, fresh ginger, cilantro, lime, and spices).

So, let me suggest another approach. Use dried chiles with moderate heat levels in the first place, such as New Mexico Chilies (dried Anaheim chiles, 500-1,500 SHUs), Ancho chiles (dried poblano chiles, 1,000-1,500 SHUs), or Guajilla chiles (2,500-5,000 SHUs). For the more adventurous, you can also use De Arbol chiles (15,000-30,000 SHUs) or Japones chiles (15,000-36,000 SHUs). I don’t recommend dried Thai chiles (50,000-100,000 SHUs) for the uninitiated.

Now on to the recipe…

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Warm Cauliflower Salad with Edamame & Raisins

Susan S. Bradley — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:33:56 +0000

Lately, I find myself staring at creamy white, firm heads of cauliflower in the market and then pass them by for lack of inspiration. Well, not this week. Enough is enough. I boldly pounce on the most beautiful head of cauliflower in the stack and set it my cart.

Then, as often happens once a clear decision is made, the next step presents itself. A carton of shelled Edamame beans catch my eye. What a gorgeous green! Now I have two ingredients, and an Asian theme is emerging.

But I am a bit nonplused when a bag of huge multicolored raisins makes its way into the cart. They sparkle like translucent jewels in the see-through packaging. MauiJim is crazy for raisins.

So even though I can’t recall an Asian-inspired dish containing raisins, I give it a go with the cauliflower, edamame, and creamy, spicy sesame ginger dressing, and voi·là … warm cauliflower salad with edamame and rasins.

There are several ways to cook cauliflower. You can boil it, steam it, roast it, deep fry it, stir-fry it, or saute it. I really love the saute method, because you can not only control the crunch level of the cauliflower but also give it a little color.

See page 2 to print this recipe.

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Portland Farmers Market Opening Day March 2013

Susan S. Bradley — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 02:42:33 +0000

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This is the day I wait for with keen anticipation every year. Honestly, I don’t know what to do with Saturday morning when the market is not in full swing.

Sure, there’s the Winter Market at Shemanski Park, but let’s face it, in the Northwest, winter does not yield the incredible abundance of the three other seasons. For me, even though the official launch of spring is several days away, it began today at the Portland Farmers Market.

If I can only pick one word to sum up the market today, it’s raab (AKA rapini). Heaps and heaps of Brussels sprouts raab, kale raab, broccoli raab, turnip rabb, arugula raab, mustard raab, and savoy cabbage raab bursting from the center of savoy cabbages (a two-for-one deal). We’ll be eating Spaetzle, Wild Mushrooms & Broccoli Rabb with Thai Yellow Curry Sauce this week.

The market was also overflowing with Laciano kale, winterbor kale, dinosaur kale, Swiss chard, Chioggia beets, celeriac, white cauliflower, purple cauliflower, leeks, chives, parsley, cilantro, basil, shallots, garlic, red radishes, purple radishes, French breakfast radishes, jet black carrots, purple haze carrots, yellow pak carrots, white satin carrots, fingerling potatoes, salad and braising greens, pea shoots, radish shoots, nettles, wild mushrooms, herb and lettuce starts, and a riot of daffodils, tulips, pussy willows, and Easter lilies. I bought a few bunches of radishes and plan to make Radish Leaf Pesto tomorrow using Basic Pesto, Pesto Oil, Rosemary Hazelnut Pesto, Cilantro Ginger Pesto, Herb Garden Pesto, Basil Arugula Pesto, & Basil Olive Pesto as a guide. The leafy tops are amazingly tasty.

The one surprising absence was hothouse rhubarb. I spied it in a store earlier this week and was expecting it at the market today. But it didn’t happen—maybe next week.

And no trip to the Portland Farmers Market is complete without a final stop at The Tart Lady. The tender, fragrant Almond Cake is heavenly, as is everything that Monica E. Halici bakes. Be sure to grab your goodies early though, as her booth attracts long lines of fans. And if you get there first next week, leave me at least one slice of Almond Cake. I’m just sayin’.

Early Spring Recipes from LunaCafe

Basic Little Potato & Five Onion Soup

Basic Pesto, Pesto Oil, Rosemary Hazelnut Pesto, Cilantro Ginger Pesto, Herb Garden Pesto, Basil Arugula Pesto, & Basil Olive Pesto

Cauliflower Gratin with Tillamook Aged Cheddar, Caramelized Onions & Applewood-Smoked Bacon

Heirloom Carrot Soup with Lemon Verbena, Spearmint & Garlic Gremolata

Heavenly Chocolate Beet Tea Loaf

Northwest Early Spring Farro & Lentil Salad

Quintessential Potato Gratin

Roasted Garlic & Sunchoke Soup with Rosemary Hazelnut Pesto & Goat Cheese Crèma

Spaetzle, Wild Mushrooms & Broccoli Rabb with Thai Yellow Curry Sauce

Spicy Sorrel Chive Pesto

Spinach & Egg Fettuccini with Wild Mushrooms & Pancetta (Straw & Hay)

Strozzapreti with Spicy Italian Sausage, Broccolini & Garlic Crema

Sweet Carrot Bisque with Umami Pesto

Weblandia

Portland Farmers Market

Winter Market at Shemanski Park

I Love Hearing from You!

Let’s talk. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post. Happy cooking! …Susan

Copyright 2012 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

The post Portland Farmers Market Opening Day March 2013 appeared first on LunaCafe.

Chewy Peanut Butter, Roasted Peanut & Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Susan S. Bradley — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:28:49 +0000

I’ve been working on perfecting Peanut Butter Cookies since around the age of eight. Not the taste, which is nearly always great, but the texture. I love these All-American cookies super-crispy or super-chewy–but not in-between.

You can get a chewy peanut butter cookie with nearly any recipe, if you seriously under bake the cookie and eat it warm. But then, as the cookie cools and sets, it loses that magical chewiness. At least, that’s my experience.

So I searched high and low for the answer. I even tested an idea I got from ChristinaTosi’s Momofuko Milk Bar cookbook, which required ordering glucose from the web and waiting several days for it to arrive. After doing some research on the various brands, I bought Caullet Glucose Syrup. The stuff is WIERD—stickier than anything I have ever encountered, including corn syrup, honey, and caramel. It’s scary-sticky. I’ve only used it a couple of times–so I will keep you posted on continuing adventures–but for now I haven’t seen enough of a difference to make it mandatory in these cookies. Corn syrup works just fine.

So are you ready for SECRET TIPS (don’t tell anyone) to making truly chewy, fabulously tasty peanut butter cookies? Here goes:

Secret Tips for the Chewiest, Tastiest Peanut Butter Cookies Ever

Use fresh, unsalted butter (can’t beat the flavor)

With a high-butter ratio, it is imperative to bind the butter to the sugars and egg with lengthy beating–5 minutes for recipes specifying butter and peanut butter and 10 minutes for recipes specifying butter alone.

Use low-egg ratio (too much contributes to cakey texture)

Use bread flour, especially with high-butter ratio cookies (contains more protein which helps bind the cookies)

Don’t use too much flour (contributes to cakey, dry cookies)

Don’t over mix after the flour is added; 1 minute tops. (contributes to tenderness)

Use corn syrup or glucose syrup (hydroscopic; contributes to chewy texture)

Use some powdered milk (contributes to chewy texture and depth of flavor)

Use some brown sugar (hydroscopic)

Use baking soda (increases browning)

Don’t use baking powder (contributes to cakey texture)

Chill shaped dough balls for at least 24 hours before baking (develops texture and flavor)

Dough should be cold (not frozen) when it goes into the oven (prevents spreading)

Under bake slightly (promotes moistness and chewy texture)

Chewy Peanut Butter, Roasted Peanut & Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These super chewy peanut butter cookies have amazing depth of flavor and an irresistible texture. No one can eat just one. In fact, it’s hard to stop eating even after three or four cookies. To accompany the just baked, warm cookies, cold milk is a must.

NOTE   These cookies may disappoint if you don’t follow the directions to the letter. Because this is a high-butter formula, you must use bread flour and beat the ingredients the full length of time specified. This binds the butter to the sugars and egg, which then prevents the butter from melting out while baking, leaving you with greasy cookies that have spread way too much.

2 cups (9 ounces) unbleached, bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (8 ounces or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cool room temperature
1 cup creamy-style, natural peanut butter (peanuts and salt only)
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1 cup (5 ounces) packed golden brown sugar
¼ cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons dry milk powder

1 large egg, cool room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Embellishments
1 cup (6-7 ounces) premium-quality semi-sweet (56% cacao) or bittersweet (70%-72% cacao) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (5 ounces) roasted, skinned, lightly salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the bread flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, at medium speed, mix the cool room temperature butter, peanut butter, and sugars together until smooth, at least 1 minute. Add the corn syrup and powdered milk, and mix for another 1 minute.

Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix at medium speed for 5 full minutes.

On low speed, slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Mix for no longer than 1 minute.

Stir in peanuts and chocolate. Dough will be very soft.

Use a 2-tablespoon, release-style scoop to portion dough balls close together onto a foil-lined baking sheet.

If you want to bake right away, proceed to Step 9.

Otherwise, chill, covered, for at least 2 hours; or freeze and then put into freezer bags for storage in the freezer.

Arrange 6-9 freshly made or thawed, chilled cookie balls on each edged baking sheet, spacing balls 2-inches apart.

Position a rack in the upper center of the oven (not too high). Heat conventional oven to 325º. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom of the cookies, checking cookies after 8 and 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet once for even browning.

NOTE   Cookies will not appear done at 11-12 minutes, but they will be nicely browned on the bottom. THAT’S IT! PULL THEM FROM THE OVEN. If you over bake, the cookies will not be fabulously chewy.

Remove from the oven, let rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, and then use a thin, flexible metal spatula to remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 42, three-inch diameter cookies.

More Chewy Cookie Recipes from LunaCafe

LunaCafe’s Triple Lemon Doodles

Bittersweet Chocolate & Toasted Walnut Cookies Perfecta Mundo!

I Love Hearing from You!

Let’s talk. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post. Happy baking! …Susan

Copyright 2012 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

The post Chewy Peanut Butter, Roasted Peanut & Chocolate Chunk Cookies appeared first on LunaCafe.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Honey Crème Brulee

Susan S. Bradley — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 20:39:06 +0000

Who doesn’t love Creme Brulee? Or better yet, Chocolate Creme Brulee? And February is all about love and chocolate at LunaCafe.

But, there are so many formulas for Chocolate Crème Brulee, I hardly knew where to begin. After some initial testing, I figured that the important thing was to first get the perfect proportion of egg yolks to cream, then the perfect types and amount of chocolate, and finally the perfect process. The romantic flavor pairing was added after I worked out the basic formula.

It’s such a simple dessert really, but the results I obtained in my early tests were far from perfect. In fact, one was a real clunker.

I made all possible mistakes: too few egg yolks, too many egg yolks, too much chocolate, too little chocolate, and because I wanted to complicate things and include peanut butter, I even used too much peanut butter with too mild (milk) chocolate on the clunker test. And then to top it off, I followed other cook’s directions to bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, which was far too hot and far too long. My clunker Creme Brulee looked like wacky little souffles.

In frustration, I almost gave up. Then finally, like Goldilocks, I hit upon a formula that is JUST RIGHT.

After I got a workable formula, the next thing was to develop a Valentine’s Day-worthy flavor pairing. I wanted it to be familiar and yet remarkable, like someone you’ve loved for a very long time. I think you’ll agree that this combination of bittersweet chocolate, roasted peanut butter, wildflower honey, and vanilla fills the bill.

Thank you, Bobby Flay, for your inspiration in the brilliant Mesa Grill Cookbook. Yes, of course, I wreaked my usual havoc with your concept, changing the proportions, process, and even the ingredients–so I guess this is a ThrowDown. But you’re still The Man.

P.S. Valentine’s Day was three days ago, mea culpa. But now you have this recipe a year in advance of NEXT Valentine’s Day. And besides, any day is a good day for love and Chocolate Crème Brulee.

Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Honey Crème Brulee

If there is a flavor pairing made in heaven, it is surely chocolate and peanuts, or even better, chocolate and peanut butter. Add a floral honey and fragrant vanilla bean in a creamy, silky baked custard with a caramelized sugar crust, and the angels will join you for dessert. Maybe Bobby Flay will come too.

3 cups heavy cream
4-inch length vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
½ cup wildflower honey
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

5 ounces premium-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped (around 56% cacao)
½ cup natural, creamy peanut butter

6 large egg yolks
¼ cup sugar

Finishing
½ cup turbinado sugar

Arrange eight, ¾-cup (6 ounce) ramekins in a large baking pan on top of a clean washcloth (to protect bottoms from overheating). Reserve.

In a large saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer.

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean halves into the hot cream and throw in the bean as well. Stir in the salt.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and peanut butter until melted and smooth.

Let steep for at least ½ hour, and then bring back to a simmer.

In the meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until well combined.

To temper the yolks, add a little of the reheated cream mixture and whisk to combine. Repeat this process several more times to gradually warm the yolks, and then whisk in the remainder of the cream mixture.

Pour the custard through a fine strainer into a quart-size, spouted, glass measuring cup. Rinse, dry, and reuse the vanilla bean. Discard residue remaining in the strainer.

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.

Fill the ramekins, leaving at least ¼-inch of headroom. Put the baking pan onto the oven shelf and carefully pour boiling water around the ramekins to halfway up the sides. (If the water is not boiling, your ramekins will take longer to bake.)

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the custards are set at the edges but still soft (not liquid) at the centers. Remove from the oven and carefully remove each ramekin from the water bath to a cooling rack.

When cool, cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill until cold, from 4 to 24 hours.

When ready to serve, arrange an oven rack close to the upper heating element of the oven and heat the broiler.

Using a small processor, process the turbinado sugar until very fine, and then scrape through a fine sieve into a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle the surface of each custard with about 2 teaspoons sugar, arrange ramekins on an edged baking sheet and broil to melt the sugar, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar, being careful not to burn the sugar.

Serve immediately.

Makes 8 custards (4 cups batter).

There’s More

Check out these additional CHOCOLATE recipes, from the first, second, third, and fourth Love Rules! All Chocolate! All Month! celebrations at LunaCafe.

2012 Celebration

Warm-Spiced Molten Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Ginger Chipotle Stout Cake

Spicy Chocolate, Banana & Fresh Ginger Tea Loaf

Mexicano Chocolate Ebelskivers (Aebleskivers)

2011 Celebration

Spirited Mocha Crepes with Peanut Butter Caramel, Peanut-Cocoa Nib Brittle & White Chocolate Crema

Heavenly Chocolate Crepes

Chocolate Shortcake with White Chocolate Crema, Strawberry Lime Sauce & Strawberry Lime Salsa

Rosalyn’s Toasted Coconut White Chocolate Dream Pie

Chocolate Almond Pound Cake

2010 Celebration

Bittersweet Chocolate Orange French Toast for Lovers

Fried Banana Split with Mexican Chocolate Sauce & Strawberry Lime Salsa

LunaCafe Otherworldly Silky Fudgy Brownies

Quintessential Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

The Wonderful World of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

White Chocolate, Cardamom & Coconut Beignet

2009 Celebration

Bittersweet Chocolate & Cabernet Butter Cake

Bittersweet Chocolate & Montmorency Cherry Morning Love Muffins

Bittersweet Chocolate & Toasted Walnut Cookies Perfecta Mundo!

Burnt Sugar & Rosemary Chocolate Tarts

LunaCafe’s Ultimate Chocolate Pudding

Luscious White Chocolate & Raspberry Rose Petal Cheesecake

Mexican Hearts of Fire Cookies

I Love Hearing from You!

Please leave a comment. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post. Happy New Year! …Susan

Copyright 2012 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

The post Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Honey Crème Brulee appeared first on LunaCafe.

LunaCafe

Strozzapreti Pasta with Fava Bean Greens Pesto, Spicy Italian Sausage & Toasted Walnuts

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The post Strozzapreti Pasta with Fava Bean Greens Pesto, Spicy Italian Sausage & Toasted Walnuts appeared first on LunaCafe.

Fava Bean Greens, Walnut & Orange Pesto

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The post Fava Bean Greens, Walnut & Orange Pesto appeared first on LunaCafe.

Asian Tacos with Prawn & Shiitake Filling & Cabbage Slaw

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

Asian Pancakes (Beijing Pancakes)

Asian Pancakes (Beijing Pancakes | Mandarin Pancakes | Moo Shu Pancakes)

I Love Hearing from You!

Vietnamese Crispy Crepes (Banh Xeo)

Vietnamese Crispy Rice Crepes (Banh Xeo)

I Love Hearing from You!

Thai Red Curry Soup

Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup

I Love Hearing from You!

Thai Red Curry Paste

Now on to the recipe…

Warm Cauliflower Salad with Edamame & Raisins

See page 2 to print this recipe.

The post Warm Cauliflower Salad with Edamame & Raisins appeared first on LunaCafe.

Portland Farmers Market Opening Day March 2013

I Love Hearing from You!

Chewy Peanut Butter, Roasted Peanut & Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I Love Hearing from You!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Honey Crème Brulee

Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Honey Crème Brulee

I Love Hearing from You!

LunaCafe

Strozzapreti Pasta with Fava Bean Greens Pesto, Spicy Italian Sausage & Toasted Walnuts

Jump to recipe… The post Strozzapreti Pasta with Fava Bean Greens Pesto, Spicy Italian Sausage & Toasted Walnuts appeared first on LunaCafe.

Fava Bean Greens, Walnut & Orange Pesto

Jump to the recipe The post Fava Bean Greens, Walnut & Orange Pesto appeared first on LunaCafe.

Asian Tacos with Prawn & Shiitake Filling & Cabbage Slaw

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

Asian Pancakes (Beijing Pancakes)

Asian Pancakes (Beijing Pancakes | Mandarin Pancakes | Moo Shu Pancakes)

I Love Hear­ing from You!

Vietnamese Crispy Crepes (Banh Xeo)

Vietnamese Crispy Rice Crepes (Banh Xeo)

I Love Hear­ing from You!

Thai Red Curry Soup

Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup

I Love Hear­ing from You!

Thai Red Curry Paste

Now on to the recipe…

Warm Cauliflower Salad with Edamame & Raisins

See page 2 to print this recipe.

The post Warm Cauliflower Salad with Edamame & Raisins appeared first on LunaCafe.

Portland Farmers Market Opening Day March 2013

I Love Hear­ing from You!

Chewy Peanut Butter, Roasted Peanut & Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I Love Hear­ing from You!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Honey Crème Brulee

Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Honey Crème Brulee

I Love Hear­ing from You!

Jump to recipe…

The post Strozzapreti Pasta with Fava Bean Greens Pesto, Spicy Italian Sausage & Toasted Walnuts appeared first on LunaCafe.

Jump to the recipe

The post Fava Bean Greens, Walnut & Orange Pesto appeared first on LunaCafe.

I Love Hearing from You!

I Love Hearing from You!

I Love Hearing from You!

I Love Hearing from You!

I Love Hearing from You!

I Love Hearing from You!