Score !

Today is a good day in the kitchen of Life.
I had been looking in vain all year for a Nigella Lawson signature Multi-Purpose Cooking Pot ( read: Couscousier ) It was on my Stylehive most-wanted list and unfortunately was discontinued before i got my hot little hands on one.
Thank the Gods for Ebay ! One finally appeared and i pounced !
Yes, my tasty friends , i won the auction and for a very reasonable price ( less than i was willing to pay ) and it will soon take its proud place in my kitchen .
Did i mention it is shaped like La Diva Lawson , herself ?
Behold ...


"a thing of beauty is a joy forever"

Favorite Things

This week's favorite things :

Great gadget find ~ Trudeau Silicone Spatulas

Why do i love these so much ?
ONE PIECE . Yup , no gunk gets trapped in the head or on the handle like on other spatulas i have used. Plus they are silicone - no melting , cracking or drying out like rubber ones. Easy to clean is the bonus. Pretty colors , too.
( the blue & lime colored ones are for you , Fleur ; )

Food item ~ Dreamfields Pasta



Are you searching for a guiltless way to enjoy more pasta ( like me ) ?
Well , search no more . I have done the research and the usually unpleasant task of trying low-carb alternatives to traditionally made dried pasta. If you are like me - you have tried these and said "Bleccch. I would rather not eat it at all."
Dreamfields has been a faithful companion to many a quick sauce and more ambitious Italian forays for several years now. In fact i became seriously depressed when i moved to Virginia and couldn't find it . I had to order it through Amazon grocery and pay SHIPPING. Thankfully , our local grocery store now carries it.
So , considering how important pasta is to me -I felt inclined to share the love.

Dreamfields uses Semolina but somehow , amazingly takes out all of the digestible carbs ( except 5 grams which in my opinion is negligible) versus the 42 grams of most brands. The beauty part though is that it tastes NORMAL and it retains an 'al dente ' quality that i admire. It also sits well in the tummy with no backlash.
Is this too good to be true ?
Nope- Margeret there IS a Santa Claus and he comes bearing Penne .
Don't believe me ?
Visit the website and see for yourself - better yet - buy some and make it tonight.
(plus you could enter and win a contest for a case of FREE lasagna !)
You can thank me later.

Yay ! Pasta lives !!!


Another Indispensable food item in my pantry ~


Muir Glen Organic Canned Tomatoes

Why wax poetic over such a mundane item ?
Well , everyone knows that canned tomatoes are superior to fresh in the off-season months and since Fall has arrived i figured it was not only timely but worth mentioning because Muir Glen makes the best canned tomatoes hands-down - and i have tried them all.
Not only that but the disconcerting fact that commercially grown tomatoes are rated as the number TWO cancer-causing food product in America ( how scary is that ? ) due to all of the chemicals and pesticides used in there production and their thin-skinned nature- this is reason enough to give such a superior organic product precious blog-space , non ?

The Colors of Fall

a small list of current favorite things -
and a find or two ...

( with a definite East Indian bent )


I love when i can share a 'secret' or something that gives me a moment of pleasure in an otherwise hectic life . I want to regularly list a few of my favorite things in the hope that it does just that - Spreads the Joy.

I have been trying to live an Epicurean lifestyle but also a way of life that is infused with a healthier outlook. Anyone that is familiar with my philosophy knows i do not believe in denial and that i think a bit of decadence now and then is good for the soul.
I also think if you take the care to use whole, humane, organic and/or local grown seasonal foods when possible that it goes a long way to insuring good health and good karma.

Taking the time to use good ingredients , a loving preparation and a leisurely amount of time to enjoy them also ensures that one will not 'over indulge' but will leave the table satisfied and happy. At least that is what i aim for ! ; )

With that all said i can now get to the good stuff...

First and foremost - a sweet indulgence
My current FAVORITE chocolate of all time .

Dagoba Chai !


TO DIE FOR- really!
I just ordered a case . Really.
You can , too... Dagoba Chocolate

My secret cooking weapon !

Ghee - or for the uninitiated, Indian clarified butter
I use this almost exclusively in place of butter these days for health and for insurance against burning whatever it is i decide to throw into a pan . It is perfect for cooking at high temperatures , fills the kitchen with a hot buttered popcorn smell ( yum! ) and tastes wonderful.
I include a link to Rebecca Wood's lovely & helpful site the Kitchen Dakini for an interesting and informative column on the ins & outs of Ghee which includes an easy home recipe for those so inclined . I buy an organic brand at Whole Foods but one day i just may make my own ( mostly so i can say i did it ! ) Try it , you will like it .

Now a timely recipe , given the Autumnal season .
Take all of those gorgeous fall colors and add them to a pan and what do you have ?
Why , Spicy Curried Dal with Pumpkin*, that's what !
Perfect for Halloween- serve in a hollowed out pumpkin for more glorious Fall fun.
Boo !


Ingredients
Split Orange Lentils (Masoor Dal) - 1 cup
Pumpkin ( sugar pumpkin does well in this dish)- 1 cup (cubed)
Onions - 2 (thinly sliced)
Tomato - 1 ( finely chopped)
Ginger - 1" (peeled and julienned)
Garlic - 3 cloves (Finely diced)
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp (Kashmiri chili powder)
Jeera (Cumin Seeds )- 1 tsp
Sea Salt - to taste
Water( or homemade chicken stock if desired for richer dal) - 3 cups
Ghee - 3 Tbsp

Method 1) Wash and soak the dal for 1/2 hour.
2) Pressure cook the dal along with salt, red chili powder and turmeric until done
( or use rice steamer )
3) Heat Ghee in a cast iron pan , add the cumin seeds ( jeera ) and allow to roast seeds without burning.
4) Then add the onions and tomatoes and cook until translucent.
5) Add the ginger and garlic and saute until you can smell them cooking.
6) Add the cubed pumpkin and saute until carmelized slightly.
7) Add water, cover and allow the pumpkin to cook until softened
8) Mix in the cooked dal and blend over heat until well incorporated.
9) Garnish it with coriander leaves (cilantro)

Serve with rice.

*based on a memorized dal recipe from Madhur Jaffery with my humble addition of pumpkin

Peach Perfect

We recently went for a scenic drive along the Shenandoah where you can see the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains glow their ethereal blue light in the skyline above the tree-lined road. We happened upon a strange roadside fruit stand and animal park and decided to stop . There is an old Carny Gypsy girl beneath my suburban bohemian exterior and the quirkiness appealed to me. Part of me was afraid of what we would find there.

What a pleasant surprise ! Not only did my toddler son LOVE the animal park , it was clean and the animals were well cared for in their funky homes. And we ended up purchasing some pumpkins and a nice basket of the last summer peaches.
What better excuse to make a peach pie ?

Here's my favorite recipe - basic and delish...
for a super-easy quick start use a Pillsbury ready-made pie crust.
Just roll & fill. Not bad in a pinch.
If you are more ambitious the pastry recipe provided below is worth the effort.

Peach Pie

This dessert also tastes good with a crunchy sugary crust: Forgo the egg wash, brush the pastry with cold water, and sprinkle with sugar. Serve with vanilla ice cream if feeling really decadent.

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch pie

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 4 pounds (about 8 large) peaches
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to a 1/4-inch-thick circle, about 13 inches in diameter. Drape dough over a 9-inch pie pan, and transfer to refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together egg and milk to make a glaze; set aside. Combine peaches, sugar, and flour, and turn onto the chilled bottom crust. Dot with butter. Roll out the remaining piecrust dough to the same size and thickness. Add an extra tablespoon of flour if the peaches are very juicy. Brush the rim of the crust with the egg glaze. Place the other piecrust on top, trim to 1/2 inch over edge of pan, and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Transfer pie to the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. Brush with glaze, and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 to 40 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack.

* for a special piecrust made from scratch...

Pate Brisee (Pie Dough)

Pate brisee is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. Pressing the dough into a disc rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster. This will also make the dough easier to roll out, and if you freeze it, it will thaw more quickly.

Ingredients

Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Summer's End

Well , Summer is on the wane and so are the salads , lightly grilled hordes of summer vegetables and sushi dinners We are so fond of in the depths of this devil's furnace we Washingtonians call 'Summer Weather' .
The blasted heat continues to blaze brightly. The days are indeed growing shorter though and Fall is just around the corner.

Naturally, just like the need for a transitional wardrobe , we similarly need a transitional cuisine to usher in the coming season in all of its glory.
I still want to cook outdoors, bringing the last of the summer bounty to the table but stepping it up a bit , giving ever so lightly a nod to the coming of Autumn and the heavier fare that it promises.
So , in that spirit i have decided to include a recipe for a late summer vegetable stew - really a Ratatouille , but with a new method of cooking i found in a back issue of Fine Cooking .
This one has depth AND flavor, and of course , beautiful jewel tone colors, like Indian Summer herself. You will find no mush here- which of course in my opinion is the problem with most recipes for ratatouille.

My infant son is WILD about this , too if you are curious about its appeal to the younger set. It is a good way to get little ones ( and older ones ) to eat their vegetables .

Sophisticated , yet deceptively simple. This one is worth the extra effort. It yields 6 cups of late summer goodness.

Try it with a nice grilled Chilean Sea Bass and a glass of Pinot Blanc out on the deck or patio while the air is still warm and lush.

Au revoir , Summertime. Bienvenue Autumn...

Summer Vegetable Stew - RATATOUILLE

ingredients

1 lb. eggplant (1 medium globe), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (about 3-1/2 cups)
Kosher salt
9 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. onion (1 medium), thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 lb. red bell peppers (2 medium), peeled (as much as possible with a vegetable peeler; serrated works best), cored and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 lb. zucchini (3 or 4 small), halved lengthwise and cut into 1/8-inch-thick half-moons (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup chopped garlic (6 to 8 large cloves)
1 lb. tomatoes (2 medium), peeled (with a serrated vegetable peeler; otherwise, skip the peeling), cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 3 cups)
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Few drops hot sauce
2 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh basil (a chiffonade)
2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh mint (a chiffonade) (optional)

how to make

Toss the eggplant with 1 tsp. kosher salt in a colander and let sit in the sink or over a bowl while you prepare the other vegetables.

Sauté the vegetables one at a time.

tip

If the juices in the pan look black and burned at any time, rinse the pan with water and wipe it out. If not, leave the cooked-on juices in the pan; they'll add flavor to the final dish.

In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 1 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, the thyme, and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and deep golden brown, 15 to 20 min. Scrape into a clean colander or large strainer that's set over a bowl to catch the juices.

In the same skillet, heat another 3 Tbs. oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften and get browned around the edges, about 5 min. Add the rosemary, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're extremely soft and sweet, another 10 to 15 min. Gently fold into the onions in the colander.

Heat another 1 Tbs. oil over high heat, and as soon as you see the first hint of smoke, add the zucchini and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Shake and stir to distribute the zucchini slices evenly in the pan so they all get browned. Cook over high heat until tender and nicely browned on both sides, 5 to 7 min. Add to the colander and gently fold with the onions and peppers.

Finish with the eggplant and tomatoes.

Dump the eggplant onto some paper towels, and pat to blot up surface water. Heat 3 Tbs. olive oil in the skillet over high heat, add the eggplant (no additional salt), and shake and stir to distribute the cubes evenly in the pan so they all get browned. Cook over high heat until lightly browned on several surfaces, about 5 min, and then lower the heat to medium. Cook until the eggplant is very tender--not at all al dente--another 13 to 15 min. Fold into the other vegetables.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and let sizzle for about 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and all their juices and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Cook until the tomatoes collapse slightly and the juices thicken and darken a bit, 3 to 5 min. As you're cooking, scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze all the cooked-on vegetable juices. Add to the colander, scraping out all the juice from the skillet, and fold everything together.

Let the vegetables rest, then reduce the juices

Now let the vegetables sit in the colander for 15 to 20 min. At that point, you should have around 1/2 cup liquid in the bowl. Pour it into a small saucepan, heat until gently boiling, and boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. The flavor should be very bright and intense. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and a few drops of the hot sauce to taste. Fold this glaze into the vegetables, along with the basil, parsley, and mint (if using). Taste for salt and add more if needed.

Serve now or later.

Serve soon, if you want it to be warm, or let the ratatouille cool and serve at room temperature.

More great ideas for extra ratatouille

Fill an omelet with a spoonful of ratatouille and some crumbled goat cheese.

Toss ratatouille with hot penne pasta, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a few spoonfuls of pasta cooking water to loosen.

Layer lasagna noodles with ratatouille, a little tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; bake until warm and bubbly.

Mix ratatouille with some chopped brine-cured black olives, capers, and grated orange zest and pile onto toasted baguette slices as an appetizer.

Nestle three jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined) in individual gratin dishes or cazuelas filled with ratatouille. Top with Greek black olives, crumbled feta, and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake until the shrimp are pink and everything's hot and bubbly, and serve as a first course.

Grill some meaty fish steaks, such as halibut, tuna, or swordfish, and top with a spoonful of ratatouille and a squeeze of lemon. Or use the ratatouille as a bed for slices of grilled lamb.

Use a scoop of cold ratatouille as part of a Niçoise salad, along with steamed new potatoes, green beans, tuna in oil, black olives, and hard-cooked egg. Drizzle with a lemon-garlic vinaigrette.

adapted from Fine Cooking

Summer Drinks

Siren's Sangria

1 bottle of Yellowtail Merlot
1/4 cup Demerara Sugar ( unrefined brown sugar)- melt into a tablespoon of hot water first to
create a simple syrup so it incorporates well.
1 Meyer Lemon , 1/2 juiced into mixture then discarded, 1/2 sliced fairly thinly & added to the mix
1 Orange, juiced and sliced as above
Mix well and let stand for two hours - no less or it won't taste as good !
Chill for at least an hour and serve over ice in large goblets.

Makes 1 pitcher for four .
Can be doubled or tripled as needed !

Sante~

Simple Roasted Rack of Lamb

This recipe is perfect for Easter dinner or any Springtime occasion.
I served it with new red potatoes , shelled edamame and a mixed Spring greens salad.

You can easily change the flavors by varying the ingredients in the flavor coating - i used Mediterranean spices but this works equally well with Middle Eastern spices .
Be creative and have fun in the kitchen - use your family's favorite ingredients and experiment.

Herb Encrusted Rack of Lamb

adapted from Cook's Illustrated and a family recipe

INGREDIENTS

2	racks of lamb (each 8 to 9 ribs, weighing 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds), rib bones frenched, and meat trimmed of fat and silver skin (see illustrations below)
	Table salt and ground black pepper
2	tablespoons vegetable oil

Herb & Mustard Crust (optional ) Put one small bunch of parsley , 3 heaping tablespoons dijon mustard , 2 garlic cloves, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, a 1/2 tablespoon of dried thyme, a generous pinch of herbs de provence and blend in food processor, add a bit of olive oil until a thick paste forms. Apply to racks making sure to cover meat thouroughly-( after searing and before putting into oven for final cooking.)

Preparation ( see below for prep of rack prior to cooking)

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place shallow roasting pan or jelly-roll pan on oven rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. To SEAR-Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over high heat until shimmering. Place racks of lamb in skillet, meat-side down in the center of the pan, with ribs facing outwards (see photo below); cook until well-browned and nice crust has formed on surface, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, stand racks up in skillet, leaning them against each other to brown the bottoms; cook until bottom sides have browned, about 2 minutes longer.
3. Apply Herb Mustard Coating now if using - Transfer lamb to preheated roasting pan. (Begin pan sauce, if making.) Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each rack registers about 135 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes, depending on size of rack. Cover meat loosely with foil and let rest about 10 minutes. Carve, slicing between each rib into individual chops, and serve immediately with an additional sprinkling of salt and pepper or with an accompanying sauce.


STEP BY STEP: Preparing the Rack of Lamb

1. Using a boning or paring knife, scrape the ribs clean of any scraps of meat or fat.	2. Trim off the outer layer of fat, the flap of meat underneath it, and the fat underneath that flap.
3. Remove the silver skin by sliding the boning knife between the silver skin and the flesh.

STEP BY STEP: Crust on Rack of Lamb

1. To get a good crust on the rack of lamb, brown it on both sides on top of the stove before placing it in the oven.	2. Leaning one rack against the other, as shown, allows you to brown all parts of the meat.