Prepping for Nothing-Raw Sushi

I didn't think through just how much prep there is for nothing-raw sushi. Spent three hours prepping and I haven't even made the rice yet!

Frying hot Italian peppers with garlic in olive oil

Greek Lemon Chicken

Oven roasted Greek lemon chicken thighs.

This dish first came into my life when we lived in Aldine, near Houston, Texas. Our next door neighbors were Greek. Or, rather, the mom was Greek, born and raised on a small island in the Mediterranean sea. She did not speak English, and she was one of the best cooks I have ever met, before or since.

The dad was of 100% Greek descent, and--without any negative intent or disrespect intended--he was also an all-American redneck. He hated immigrants, people who did not speak English, “colored” people, liberated women, and liberal politics in general. He owned guns in that very special way that some Texans own guns. Nonetheless, when he came of marriageable age, he followed the family tradition of traveling “back” to Greece to court and marry a “spinster,” a woman who had--for whatever reason--failed to marry before her 25^th birthday.

Meat-on-A-Stick Extravaganza

[Note: Links will appear as I post each entry, but they may not all be available for several weeks.]

For 4th of July this year, I decided to sample a variety of different meat-on-a-stick recipes from Asia. The offerings included:

• Chinese BBQ'd Tofu
• Indonesian Beef Satay
• Japanese Chicken Yakitori
• Indian Chicken Tikka
• Filipino Barbecue Pork

The end result was, obviously, too much food. I had a lot of fun, though, planning and cooking. Plus, I learned a lot and we all ate well. Which is what it's all about.

In the weeks since Independence Day, I've been pre-occupied with a sick dog that needed an expensive operation and close attention. I have not, until now, taken time to write up the blog entries for this meat-on-a-stick extravaganza. I am still planning, however, to write about each recipe separately, giving each one its own blog entry. (Just click on one of the links above--as they appear in bold--to read more about that recipe.)

It may take some time before all the recipes/blog entries are completed. Thanks for your patience.

Sign of The Times?

A year ago, I was complaining about not being able to find unadulterated chicken in the local grocery stores and feeling very grateful to have found local farmers selling their sanely-raised chicken direct to the public. But times (and the signage) have changed:

New signage in the meat section of the Struthers IGA.

Very nice. However, I've already pre-ordered this year's rabbits, chickens, capons and turkeys from my favorite farmers, so. . . .  

A Post-Rapture Feast, Part 1: Thai Green Curry & Tandoori-Style Wings

Since Thursday, I've been watching the news and reading Facebook commentaries about the approaching Rapture, predicted to arrive yesterday, May 21, 2011, promptly at 6:00 pm (6:00 pm everywhere). I loved the idea of a rolling Rapture, like a rolling blackout, that ripples around the globe like a 24-hour tsunami. Being 99.9% certain that I'd be one of the ones left behind, however, I didn't change my plans for the weekend. My real concern was this blog. I needed a meal idea that was not particularly fussy or time-consuming (since I have many other things to do and write at home this weekend) but a meal, nonetheless, that is worthy Post-Rapture Party fare.

Inspiration came early yesterday morning, about 12 hours prior to the Rapture in Ohio, when I asked myself whether those being taken up into Heaven later in the day would need wings, or would they rise spontaneously, released from the pull of gravity to float slowly (gloriously!) upward on shafts of brilliant, unearthly light? I didn't know who to turn to for an answer, so I went back to thinking about more practical things, like cooking and writing and making my weekly pilgrimage to Youngstown's north side.

And then it hit me: Those of us left behind will be the ones needing wings! Yes, indeed: Wings, heavenly wings! Baked rather than deep-fried, they'll be the healthier wings of the new millennium.

Thai Green Curry Wings

Tandoori Wings

(We'll need other comfort food, too--a silken soup and some homemade flat bread--sturdy food that will console us for not having been chosen for the ultimate transition team. I'll post those additional recipes--Indian Sweet Potato Soup and Onion & Bell Pepper Focaccia--soon).

Thai Green Curry Wings

• 2 cups buttermilk
• ¼ to ½ cup Thai green curry paste (depending on how spicy you like your wings)
• 2 limes
• 3 lbs. raw chicken wings
• salt
• cilantro leaves (or flat-leaf parsley), for garnish

This is absurdly easy. Add the zest of one lime and the green curry paste to the buttermilk. Pour the green curry buttermilk over the chicken wings and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight),

Line a half-sheet baking pan with foil or parchment paper (for easy clean-up). Set a cookie rack or baking rack on top of the cookie sheet. Arrange chicken on the rack. Bake in a 375-degree oven for about an hour (or longer), until the wings are done.

While the wings are still hot from the oven, squeeze the juice of the zested lime over them and sprinkle with salt (to taste). Garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.

(Today I was too timid with the green curry paste, using only 1/4 cup. For those who like some zing to their wings, I recommend using 1/2 cup of the curry paste instead.)

Tandoori Chicken Wings

• 3 lbs chicken wings
• 2 tablespoons each red and yellow food dye (optional)
• 1/2 cup water (optional)
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 2-inch piece of peeled ginger root, finely grated or minced
• 5-6 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
• juice of 1 lemon
• lemon wedges, to garnish
• coriander leaves or parsley, to garnish

For a really good, traditional red color, mix the red and yellow food coloring in 1/2 cup of water, then pour the colored water over the chicken wings. Keep turning and turning the pieces over until they are a bright, almost obnoxious red. Drain the chicken and discard the colored water. (Of course, the dye job is not really necessary, so skip it if you like.)

To the yogurt, add the ginger, garlic, and all the ground spices. Mix well. Pour over and coat the chicken pieces well, then cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or over night.

As we did with the Thai Green Curry wings, line a half-sheet baking pan with foil or parchment paper (for easy clean-up). Set a cookie rack or baking rack on top of the cookie sheet. Arrange chicken on the rack. Bake in a 375-degree oven for about an hour (or longer), until the wings are done.

While the wings are still hot from the oven, squeeze the juice of a lemon over them and sprinkle with salt (to taste). Garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.

Wings with a bit of cucumber raita on the side.

In Search of Chicken Tikka & Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala on Basmati Rice

I adore Indian food, but I know almost nothing about it. When I was a teenager, I learned how to make five Indian dishes from my mom, who got the recipes from a YWCA cooking class in Kuala Lumpur. The dishes were/are: Tandoori Chicken, Vegetable Samosas, Dal, Cucumber Raita and Chipatis. I also learned to make homemade paneer (cheese) from milk and lemon juice, though for many years, my success with that simple recipe was hit-or-miss.

My favorite Indian dishes--the ones I order over and over again at Indian and Pakistani restaurants in Seattle, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, however, completely eluded me in the kitchen. (Until recently.) Though the recipes I attempted sounded yummy on the page and looked seductive in the accompanying foodporn photo shot, my own final product was never as satisfying, never a smoothly textured, never as amazing as the restaurant versions. Not even close.
[This blog entry continues...]