Place 1 ½ cups whole raw cashews in a small pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 mins, then drain, cool, and dry with a paper towel. Using a large high-rimmed saute pan, heat 3 Tbsp oil on medium-high… Continue reading Indian cashew and green pea bhaji
Category: Uncategorized
Ghanaian palmnut stew with roasted eggplant, salmon, and okra (abenkwan)
This recipe is a merger of a friend’s family recipe, The Africa News cookbook, and my own improvisation. First, cut 2 large eggplants into 1 x 2″ pieces, each with skin on. Place on a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with olive oil, then lightly spray each eggplant chunk with olive oil. Season lightly with salt… Continue reading Ghanaian palmnut stew with roasted eggplant, salmon, and okra (abenkwan)
Burmese coconut milk agar (kyaw kya)
This is one of my favorite Burmese desserts, a firm gelatin made of only a few ingredients. My dear friend Juju shared this recipe. Using a medium sauce pan, combine 1 ½ Mugs (see Note 1 below) white sugar, 1 package (0.88 oz) Telephone brand agar powder, 1 tsp (or slightly less) salt, and 5… Continue reading Burmese coconut milk agar (kyaw kya)
Magic-7 bar
This is an upscale version of a childhood favorite. Recipe by Andrea Nguyen available here: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2015/05/updated-magic-7-layer-cookie-bar-recipe.html#more Our modifications (not pictured): first, instead of a quarter sheet, we use a 9x13" glass baking dish, the inside of which we brush with a neutral vegetable oil. After baking, we do not place this in the freezer (there… Continue reading Magic-7 bar
Japanese sautéed burdock
The sauce has mirin, soy, sake, and superfine sugar. This dish is tasty, but peeling and julienning the burdock root was time-consuming. Recipe from Harumi’s Japanese Home Cooking: Simple, Elegant Recipes for Contemporary Tastes cookbook, available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1557885206/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_Kd9mxbMVKKNVD (Apr. 2015)
Hakka soy-glazed black pepper chicken
Four ingredients (chicken, dark soy, black pepper, and cilantro) create a delicious meal. Combine 2 Tbsp dark soy and 1 Tbsp black pepper in a wide sauté pan. Place 2 lbs (about 6-7 pieces of skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed off excess fat) of chicken thighs in the pan, making sure to get the sauce… Continue reading Hakka soy-glazed black pepper chicken
Vietnamese chicken back and celery rice
Recipe from Andrea Nguyen, one of my favorite cookbook authors, who shared this soulful dish from her childhood: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2015/04/chicken-back-and-celery-rice-recipe-com-ga.html. The chicken fat rendered from the soup permeates every aspect of this dish. Absolutely delicious, although a bit time-consuming (see Note 2 below). She called for fish sauce to taste; we used about 1 ½ tsp… Continue reading Vietnamese chicken back and celery rice
Omelette with caponata
I decided to try something with last night’s Italian caponata (that recipe is here: piglettedc.wordpress.com/2015/03/27/italian-caponata-in-a-wide-high-walled-and/). Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet. Scramble eggs (I use half whole eggs, half egg whites) with some milk, then pour into skillet. Cook on medium-low, pulling in sides and spreading liquidy egg to the edges. When nearly… Continue reading Omelette with caponata
Vietnamese caramelized catfish
Daniel and I recently enjoyed this dish at a restaurant, so I wanted to recreate it at home. Marinate catfish in brown sugar, freshly ground black pepper, homemade Vietnamese bittersweet caramel sauce, fish sauce, and a dash of salt for 15 minutes. In the mean time, sauté scallions (whites only, cut into 1 1/2inch straws) and freshly sliced… Continue reading Vietnamese caramelized catfish
Afghan stewed pumpkin with yogurt and mint (kudu bourani)
This is one of my favorite Afghan appetizers when I eat out, and I finally made it at home. I used the remaining half of my pumpkin (from the Aruban soup) for this. Remove rind from pumpkin and cut into slices (as my friend Mary J advised, I microwaved the pumpkin for a few minutes… Continue reading Afghan stewed pumpkin with yogurt and mint (kudu bourani)
