Food/Travel/Nature/Cooking/Culture
I’m visiting family in metro Detroit, it’s Friday night game night and we’re having a hometown favorite, Buddy’s Pizza! Buddy’s pizza is lightly sauced, cheesy and crisp crusted. Never round (if you’re smart), always square, always delicious.
Add a salad. Our family’s favorite is the Antipasto, but Greek is good as well.
It’s almost enough to make me forget the -12 degree temps this morning!
The whole family has been plagued by some sort of bug that really hit us hard. Massive sinus pressure calls for comfort food. My children’s favorite memory of visits with their grandmother was her Beef Vegetable Soup. So my achy body demanded a batch and I obliged.
Tomato juice, cabbage, beef chunks, onions, red and yellow carrots (my addition), beef broth, potatoes and chick peas (also mine) go into the mix.
Lots of fresh ground pepper, a little salt to taste….
Some brown bread with butter..
TGFN…thank God for Nanny!
I have been trying to find the recipe (a closely guarded secret) for the chicken wings prepared in our favorite Korean restaurant in Annandale, VA. “Halmoni” will NOT divulge the truth no matter how much you cajole her! I don’t live in Virginia anymore so I feel that I MUST figure this out. Today was that day! It is labor intensive but so worth the effort. So give it a try for your next gameday!
Start one day ahead by separating the wings and removing the tips. Salt, and refrigerate overnight to leech out some of the water in the wings. Dry carefully with paper towels and dust lightly with potato or corn starch.
Don’t rush now. Let them rest for 15 minutes while you heat enough oil to cover (usually about 1-2 inches). Heat oil to only 320 degrees for this first fry. It will be a slow, bubbly fry.
Fry the wings for 10 minutes. Remove from oil. Wings will be only partially cooked and not yet golden brown.
Increase heat to 375 degrees and fry wings again for exactly 3 minutes. Wings will be golden brown and crispy.
The last step determines the flavor of your wings. For wings with the great Korean flavor I achieved, you toss them immediately in a mixture of soju (or vodka), crushed garlic, chopped ginger, chili paste, brown sugar,soy sauce and sesame oil. Turn up the heat with a second bit of a dried chili. The mixture is cooked for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Strain out any pieces.
When the piping hot wings hit the sauce it creates a “crackle coat” that is fantastic. Note: only toss the wings in this sauce for 1 minute for maximum crispiness!
Finally, I like a nice, spicy-sweet cole slaw to accompany my wings. My recipe is shredded cabbage, 1tsp granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp mayonaisse, 1tsp Siracha.
Put it all together…
There’s some fireworks for ya Katy Perry!
I have been in love with Mexican food and culture since I was 15 years old. If you know me, that’s a really long time. Attending a Catholic High School in Michigan, and on a college bound path, I was required to study a language. Not really interested in French or German, I opted for Spanish. I found it to be quite easy to learn and I enjoyed the methods of my teacher which included a grade boost for involvement in the Spanish Club. I didn’t need the grade boost, but I did need a reason to stay after school and get out of a few chores at home so needless to say, I joined. My high school Spanish Club often went out to eat at Mexican restaurants as many do. But the real benefit for me was to have a couple Hispanic kids in the club who agreed to teach us a few secrets about Mexican cuisine.
I learned how to make enchiladas and Spanish rice in that club. I made them for dinner at home, impressing my Greek-only parents. I learned the importance of pork fat and lard, softening the tortillas, and fresh cheese. But my scope of Mexican cuisine was limited to what was Mexican in Pontiac, Michigan in the 70’s.
Once in college, I met the wonderful Graciela. Graciela was a tiny dynamo who opened my Mexican horizons from a culture I had only observed, to a culture I began to love. While we were college roommates I witnessed the heart of Mexican-American culture firsthand. I learned how to make tortillas from scratch, enjoy posole and dance the cumbia.
I decided to study abroad in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula after 3 years of college Spanish. Here, I learned another side to Mexican cuisine. Very different from most types of Mexican food we are familiar with in this country, La Comida Yucateca is complex, bright and intriguing. Ever since that trip, I have been studying Mexican cuisine and practicing cooking it.
Here are some of my family’s favorite dishes….
Homemade Guacamole with chips:
Smashed avocados
Diced onion,garlic, and Jalapeño or Serrano chiles
salt, pepper, chili powder,cumin and squeeze of lime
Spanish Rice:
Sweat rice and onions in lard or bacon fat
Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes and 1tsp tomato paste
I serve topped with cotija cheese and salsa
Finally, THE best dish in all of Mexico….
Chicken in Mole:
My recipe is too complex for this post….contact me directly for some hints!
I use a lot of sesame and pumpkin seeds!
Trust me when I say there are never any leftovers!
I hope to continue my love affair with all things Mexico and I continue to visit there as often as I can.#IFWTWA
My husband’s favorite ethnic food is Thai. Yes. I said Thai. Not Greek. Not Irish. No ethnicity connection whatsoever. But this man LOVES Thai food. So about 17 years ago I decided it was something I needed to study. I have made Pad Thai so many times that I cannot count them. It is a bit like Mac and Cheese in other households. We eat it often. Tonight I made a slightly different version with XL rice noodles and Lap chang (Chinese sausage). What a wonderful result! Sweet sausage with the spicy peanuty sauce of Pad Thai! The contrast is great!
Dish #2 is Larb. Cannot get enough of this stuff! Ground chicken is sautéed with green onion, garlic, chili pepper, fish sauce, pepper (white), lime juice (don’t be stingy)and cilantro. Serve on lettuce cups or over lettuce or cabbage.
A wonderful side dish for any Thai meal is a cucumber salad. Thinly sliced cucumbers, carrots (I used red carrots for extra color), scallions, chili flakes, rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt and white pepper. Really refreshing!
Put it all together, and Thailand comes home…
As I mentioned in my last post, I have found a decent Asian foods market in Wilmington, NC. When I say Asian, I mean near east, mid-east and far east.
So along with my bat choy and shrimp har gow, I also purchased dried lemons, fried onions and cloves.
Tonight, it’s Persian Chicken with tri-color carrots, Saffron Rice Pilaf with fried onions and Cucumber Salad.
The spice rubbed chicken is browned in olive oil and butter (or Ghee if you have it), and stewed for two hours with a tablespoon of tomato paste, 20 green olives, 16oz of water, 1/2 an onion, the juice of half a lemon, and 2-3 dried lemons. The spice mixture I use includes salt, black pepper, cardamom, 3-4 whole cloves, nutmeg, cumin, cinnamon (or a cinnamon stick) and a little turmeric. After one hour, I add 3 carrots to the pot and cook for an additional hour.
Saffron rice pilaf with fried onions comes together during the last 15 minutes of cooking the chicken. I always start my pilafs in olive oil and butter, browning the orzo and/or rice in the fat before adding the liquid. In this case it is saffron softened in chicken broth. After cooking, add the fried onions on top.
The cucumber salad is easiest and last. Halve cucumber slices and marinate in olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, sea salt, lemon juice, and Kabsah or Zatar seasoning.
Great meal that even a Shah would love!
There are no restaurants offering dim sum in Wilmington, North Carolina. When you’ve lived in southern California and D.C. you start to crave these wonderful little treats. Dim sum dishes literally “touch the heart” and are a true art, imported directly from China. I had a yearning today, so I decided to go Chinese for dinner. Slow cooked pork short ribs stewed in a black bean and garlic sauce. Baby bat choy stir fry with chili garlic paste. Shrimp har gow…(I cheated and bought them frozen at a nearby asian market). My craving has been satisfied ….. for now!
Chopsticks anyone?
Another of my husband’s favorites for dinner tonight. Stefado (Hunter’s Stew) is a chilly weather dish that hits all the right notes. Best when made with game meat like venison, rabbit or even lamb, stefado is also wonderful when made with beef. Cubes of meat are browned in butter. (Let the butter brown in the pan a little before adding the meat for best flavor.) Add salt, pepper, 2 bay leaves, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1/2 stick cinnamon, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup red wine, 1/2 small can of tomato paste and add 2cups of water (or more depending on size of pan). Simmer on medium low for 2 hours and add 6 small sweet onions halved or 15-20 pearl onions. Cook for an additional 30-40 minutes or until onions are tender.
Serve with crusty bread (if you’re not gluten free) some good cheese (feta please) and greek olives.
Daddy’s happy today!
Sunday morning breakfasts are special. This weekend we are celebrating my husband’s birthday early because he will be out of town for his book tour on the 22nd. I have made one of his favorite breakfast treats, Eggs Benedict with a twist. Here’s the dish….from the bottom up!
Home fries cooked in duck fat…..
Two perfectly poached eggs…
Hollandaise sauce and a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning….
Gluten-Free Eggs Benny!
I’ve been intrigued of late by some Facebook posts, Pins, and recipe posts talking about a dough free pizza. Pizza without crust? Whatsa matter for you? Believe it or not…. this stuff is good. And for those who need to be gluten free or carb free…it is a BONANZA! I decided on a rainy day to make a big batch of Beef Barley and Mushroom soup. But I wanted a side dish to make the meal a little more hearty. So… why not try the dough free pizza?
Unfortunately, while I was cleaning my oven, the glass door cracked and needless to say I had no oven to bake the pizza in. I started to think…hmmm…could I make a pan pizza on the stovetop? Or in my trusty electric frying pan? Yes….and yes….both will work for this recipe. The latter is better if you prefer a little lighter “crust. In other words, it is much easier to control the temperature on an electric fryer than on an electric stovetop!
And, disclaimer for both…if you detest the taste of slightly burnt cheese….do not make this recipe! The cheese does get dark on the bottom because the heat comes only from that direction….so accept that and move on to the delicious, pizza wonderful taste of this great recipe.
The “Crust”
3-4 cups mozzarella (shredded)
3-4 eggs (beaten)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1tsp basil or oregano
Mix together and spread into a cast iron skillet or 12-15 electric skillet.
Cook at 450 degrees 10-15 minutes or until top is set and bottom is medium golden brown. Cover after 5 minutes. (if you do this in a cast iron skillet, spray with Pam and preheat on medium for 5 minutes) Add toppings, re-cover and finish cooking with stovetop/temp. on off. The residual heat will melt the cheese and warm the toppings.
The Toppings
Use your imagination!
Pepperoni
1/2 -3/4 cup pizza sauce or any good past sauce
1cup mozzarella (shredded)
1/4 cup asiago (shredded)
roasted red peppers, onions, ham, olives…etc.
Betzabroad...My personal recipe for tasting our big, fat, wonderful world 