The Hungry Philosopher

Experiment: Raw Spice Bar

June 21, 2015June 22, 20152 Comments

Hungryphil here….. reporting on the first installment of our new Raw Spice Bar subscription!

This spice of the month club packages small batches of spices for an exotic meal to share. The associated website offers alternative (gluten free, vegetarian etc.) recipes and most importantly enticing images of the dishes. A monthly gastronomic tour without collecting a drawer full of half used spice packets! I’ve been waiting for this. So how did it go….you might ask.

The May and June packages arrived in these brown craft paper envelopes. I loved the bright yellow celebratory feel of the May package. The stamps reminded me of collecting stamps as a kid and the promise of far away places. In contrast, the June brown craft paper envelope promises a fun craft project. Inside, like seeds in a pod the spice packets spilled out along with instruction cards.

The May Peruvian Menu included:

Smoked Paprika & Ancho Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken

Aji Amarillo Sweet Potato Wedges

Pink Peppercorn Voladores

I made one conscious substitution, 4 chicken thighs and legs quarters instead of the whole chicken for the roast.

and

one unintended recovery substitution. I suspect that I didn’t make the cookies thin enough or maybe didn’t bake them long enough. The wafers tasted bland and doughy. A substitution had to be made. The chocolate sauce was superb with the peppercorn salt. The Pink Peppercorn Voladores became Peruvian inspired Chocolate Pink Peppercorn cupcakes. No complaints. Delicious.

The roasted chicken was flavorful and moist while the sweet potatoes were soft and caramelized. The spices created a deep robust flavor and crust on both the chicken and potatoes. A surprisingly easy meal to prepare (just baked in the oven) for such smoky, developed and exotic flavors. The peppers ….Ancho, aji and peppercorns gave the meal its distinct Peruvian flair. It really did feel like a fun trip and a new cultural discovery. I’ve never had Peruvian food before so I didn’t have a reference to gauge the meal against. It didn’t matter. The meal was delicious. So good….that we were done with the meal before I realized I forgot to take pictures. Sorry dear readers. Make the meal….you’ll see why and certainly forgive me. I’m looking forward to our culinary trip to Jamaica soon!

https://rawspicebar.com/

p.s. I also made a green sauce to accompany the chicken. Fantastic! Here is a version of the recipe I used:

http://www.food.com/recipe/aji-verde-peruvian-green-chili-sauce-363714

Thank you Rawspicebar. Thank you Jim for the gift. Thank you Jennifer and Dave for being our willing gastronomic travelers. Thank you postal service. Thank you Peru for your delicious cuisine and peppers. Thank you Americas for the gift of potatoes.

Baking Experiment: Elvis Pound Cake

June 12, 2015June 10, 2015Leave a comment

Its the cup of heavy cream that makes this pound cake so moist. The extra whipping of the eggs, sugar and cream doesn’t hurt either. It was a fun and very easy recipe to make. Tastes, fantastic! Sweet crust, smooth light texture and very buttery. Very highly rated and reviewed. Only seven ingredients: sugar, eggs, cream, flour, butter, vanilla and salt. Makes two loafs. I’m looking forward to layering my leftovers with strawberries and whipped cream.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Classic-Elvis-Pound-Cake

Food Poem- Grandma Shorba’s Ragamuffin Stew by Freya Manfred

June 10, 2015Leave a comment

During World War II, Grandma Shorba
handed plates of bread and meat to strangers
who asked for work in exchange for food.
After chopping wood and mending fences,
the lean, stoop-shouldered men went on their way.
“May God watch over them,” Grandma said.

I was glad I didn’t have to follow them
down the long train tracks silvering west.
I didn’t want to sleep beside a strange campfire
around the bend, in the next world.
But I worried how they’d survive, and asked
my parents if they could live with us.

My begging only made everyone nervous.
Maybe Grandma’s stories of The Good Samaritan
and the Loaves and Fishes weren’t true?
If I’d been in charge, I’d have asked those men to stay—
but Gramma, who trusted God,
fed them, then sent them on their way.

“Grandma Shorba’s Ragamuffin Stew” by Freya Manfred from Speak, Mother. © Red Dragonfly Press, 2015.

From the Writer’s Almanac, June 10, 2015

http://writersalmanac.org/

Tasting Milwaukee (Summer 2015)

June 8, 2015June 9, 20152 Comments

Dear Milwaukee,

I apologize for having given you little thought except for being the backdrop for That Seventies Show (and also, Laverne and Shirley and Happy Days). You are much more than a stage prop. You are quirky, obsessive and gritty with style. Your passion for the fermented and the fast is unparalleled.

http://www.safe-house.com/mainmenu.html

My ode to you appropriately begins with the Safe House, one of the many hidden oddities of the city celebrated on the television show Man finds food. The lack of blaring signage was refreshing. I’m not supposed to reveal the location or the password since that would rob visitors of the fun. We had delicious burgers and fries, as well as a Wisconsin cheese plate to start.

http://www.thepfisterhotel.com/

Oh the Pfister Hotel, you made me feel like a princess with your lavishly ornate 1893 flair throughout. You were gracious and charming without a hint of snooty ostentation. I felt welcomed in my road-trip casual clothing despite being surrounded by bridal party glamor and beauty. The 23^rd floor lounge with it’s morning breakfast buffet and dainty afternoon snacks was a wonderful “fancy but absent mom’s living room” to plot, plan and chill between explorations.

http://mam.org/

Thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava to design your art museum. It is magnificent. When we first arrived we saw the atrium filled with yogis through the locked doors. It gave us time to walk around the building and enjoy how perfectly sited it is. Anchored yet moving. It conjures images of a sailboat, wings, fish fins, bones, scales and more. Witnessing the fountains spring and the wings open when the museum did officially open was just magical. To see the sailboat transform into a seagull was an experience I will fondly and gently hold for a very long time. Thank you, Milwaukee.

http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/

Then there was lunch (salad and fried fish) at the Lakefront Brewery perched on bar stools ON the lakefront followed by the most comedic learning experience in the form of a tour. I learned more about beer than I ever wanted to know that included the sex life of yeast. Katy, the tour guide, channeled her middle school teaching experience very well in managing a group of avid beer connoisseurs (many of whom were on their third brewery tour for the day!). TripAdvisor.com ranks this as the number one tourist attraction in Milwaukee. Yes, Milwaukee I admire your deep obsession with fermentation.

A stroll through the historic third ward and the Public Market was worth all the smells and sights. And gave us space to walk off our lunch and get ready for dinner.

http://braiselocalfood.com/

B…r…a…i…s….e………….I say with the same longing that I speak my husband’s name. Braise lured us in with it’s promise to deliver Wisconsin on a plate. And, oh my, did it. It felt wrong to corrode and objectify the experience by whipping out an iphone. Sorry, no pictures. Again, I learned a lot, tasted new flavors…like smoked trout on a Johnny cake, tea soaked chicken, rhubarb-radish granita, golden beet salad….so much more. Chef Swanson’s pairing of bright and velvety flavors marked every dish. Not the most exciting or inviting part of town but sure was worth seeking out. As I said, you are a city with marvelous hidden secrets.

There is no way to top a dinner at Braise. So, back to our cloud soft bed at the Pfister to conclude day one in Milwaukee.

Day two began with coffee at the Pfister lounge. I am told they have a lovely Sunday brunch as well. At the time we were still recovering from your gastronomic generosity the day before, dear Milwaukee.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/museum.html

We spent the morning at the Harley Davidson Museum’s celebration of beautiful speed. I found my new hero there. In 1929, in order to prove girls can ride too, Vivian Bales rode her motorcycle from Albany, Georgia to the Harley Davidson headquarters in Milwaukee. Just amazing (and humbling). Where is my passion, I demand! I want to be “The Eater Girl” or ah…yes….”The Hungry Philosopher.” Somehow this doesn’t sound as inspiring. I’ll have to think on it. Suggestions?

http://www.coquettecafe.com/

Back to the Historic Third Ward for lunch at the Coquette Café. We took advantage of downtown dining week and enjoyed a three-course menu. The leek-potato soup was the best I’ve ever had.

http://www.pabstmansion.com/

We completed our visit with a tour of the Pabst Mansion. An eccentric mansion in style, very consistent with the general “do your own thing” vibe of Milwaukee. The house combines nautical and beer making themes. What a town!

Our last stop as we drove back to Indiana was at the Cheese Castle. Our trip just wouldn’t be complete without purchasing a cheese head and various Wisconsin cheeses. Tourist traps exist for a reason. We willingly walk into them. I am not ashamed. I have cheese to eat tonight and to remember the wonderful time I had visiting you, dear Milwaukee.

Thank you for your hospitality and your artful love of the rotten and the odd.

Yours truly,

Hungryphil

And, a BIG thank you to Jim (as reflected on the Museum entrance) for being the best travel partner and willing photographer ever. Exploring wouldn’t be as fun if not for all the people we’ve met together along with way (even the disoriented person who almost hit our car!).

Thank you to all the online advisers… food network, trip adviser, Yelp and more.

Thank you to my car, Clementine, wonderful weather on Saturday, weekends, summers and all the little and big things that make adventures of learning and sharing like this possible.

I wish my fellow hungry philosophers many happy tastes of summer! Thank you for being a sweet part of mine. And your willingness to read this!

Food Poem- In a Kitchen Where Mushrooms Were Washed (Jane Hirshfield)

June 2, 2015Leave a comment

In a kitchen where mushrooms were washed,

the mushroom scent lingers.

As the sea must keep for a long time the scent of the whale.

As a person who’s once loved completely,
a country once conquered,
does not release that stunned knowledge.

They must want to be found, those strange-shaped, rising morels,
clownish puffballs.

Lichens have served as a lamp-wick.
Clean-burning coconuts, olives.
Dried salmon, sheep fat, a carcass of petrel set blazing:
light that is fume and abradement.

Unburnable mushrooms are other.
They darken the air they come into.

Theirs the scent of having been traveled, been taken.

“In A Kitchen Where Mushrooms Were Washed” by Jane Hirshfield from The Beauty. © Knopf, 2015. From the Writer’s Almanac, May 29th. http://writersalmanac.org/page/5/

The Dance of Cooking Together

June 1, 20152 Comments

Think of the event of cooking. You are standing at the sink, washing the lettuce, while your partner reaches into the refrigerator to get the cucumbers, reaching back at the same time to turn off the stove. With one hand, she gives you the cucumber and despite the fact that you move across to reach for the grater at the same moment as she moves to pick up a fork, you somehow do not bump into each other. It’s not just that you’ve cooked together hundreds of times. It’s that the cueing is continuously rejigging the now of movement-moving. You are both dancing the interval of the decisions as they realign your cooking bodies.

This quote from dancer-philosopher, Erin Manning’s, Always more than one: Individuation’s Dance is a beautiful description about why it is a joy to cook with people in sync and why it is so difficult to have people help who are not in rhythm. I can imagine this dance is choreographed, perfected and fine tuned in professional kitchens. I wonder if there is a video of a professional kitchen dance somewhere like the early 20th century American and German efficient kitchen movement studies?

I’m lucky to have a partner who “dances the interval of decisions” with me so well and senses when to stand aside, ready to support with washing dishes or chopping. A certain generosity of spirit is demanded of those willing to adjust to the rhythm and lead of another in order to truly help in the kitchen. To be able to cook with someone is perhaps a greater test than being able to eat with someone. I’m not sure how to interpret this passage related to anxious dogs, i.e. Oreo, our dog who eagerly waits for a scrap to fall, constantly adjusting, cueing, rejigging….don’t know if he’s a better dancer or worse. Who is your favorite cooking partner? Why?

(Thai) Essential Lessons

May 14, 2015May 14, 20156 Comments

This week I had the privilege of volunteering at a fundraiser event benefiting Nepal’s earthquake victims, hosted by Thai Essence in West Lafayette, Indiana. Chef Ake Waratap designed and prepared a six course vegetarian menu (with a secret seventh course, a testament to his generosity). This was my first time in a professional kitchen. It was scary and exhilarating at the same time. The strange rhythm of pause-mad rush-pause-extra mad rush was new to me. The challenge to find a place to stand without being in the way of others was overwhelming. “Where can I go, how can I help and more importantly, how can I not mess up?” Were the three worries that persisted the whole five hours I was there. It reminded me of Bill Buford’s description of a professional kitchen in Heat. Don’t get me wrong……. it is precisely this hyper awareness of time and space that makes being in a kitchen so compelling and possibly addictive. It was a joy to watch chef Ake’s attention to detail. Throughout the evening he glanced at his illustrated map of the meal taped to the wall for quick reference. It was as if he was shifting scale between the landscapes of each plate to the movement of whole meal.

Here is what I, a professional kitchen kindergartener, learned:

Course 1: Fresh Basil and Flower Hand Roll

My job was to gently ladle the tamarind sauce in the tomato flowers. I’ve never poured so intently ever. Thank fully there was another very patient volunteer (Thank you Chris) who wiped out my drippy mistakes.

Course 2: Momo

This was art on a plate. Chef Ake recreated the eyes of Buddha in gastronomic form. I learned how to place the red sauce inside the black sauce lining. I also learned how to crimp the dumplings into this round shape (I still need practice on that part). Just like the ladling, the simple process required a lot attention.

Course 3: Green Papaya and Mixed Mushroom Salad

My contribution to this plate was the scattering of the white mushrooms. I learned how to “deliberately scatter,” to fill the plate without touching the rim. Essentially, I was trying to have the mushrooms take up space but not to dominate the plate. I’m amazed how each course became a philosophy lesson about attentive and deliberate action aimed at beauty and yumminess.

Course 4: Pa Lo Tofu Soup

My contribution here was mostly in the placing the green seaweed piece at the appropriate time (too early it would melt into the soup and right before Chef Ake’s application of three tiny drops of truffle oil). The last four bowls, chef Ake, asked me to apply the oil, as he set up for the next course. I messed up and added four instead of three drops. That bowl was rejected. Chef Ake then explained “you have to let the drops fall by themselves, don’t rush, wait.” Again, another moment of zen, practiced.

Course 5: Triple Curry Medley with Rice and Roti

My contribution here was to place the ginger flowers on the plate.

Course 6: Kheer Dessert

My role here was in the making of the small cantaloupe balls hidden in the pudding like little orange jewels.

Course Seven: Mango-Peaflower Water Sticky Rice and Coconut Water Agar Agar

This surprise dessert shaped like two hands in the Namaste position was saying thank you to the diner for their contribution. My small role was shaping the sticky rice for the mango hands to wrap around.

As you can see, mine were only one pair of many hands that went into this meal and event. Even in my tiny role, I learned a lot. It was a lesson, in attentive action, placement, rhythm, detail and love of the craft and most importantly, of other people. I thought I was helping but I think I was helped more. What an odd meditative rush!

With a deep bow of gratitude to Thai Essence and Chef Ake,

hungryphil

Images from Thai Essence facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thai-Essence/161166797243714?pnref=lhc, please follow and like if you live in the area or have traveled through.

Thank you for sharing this image of the eyes of Buddha

http://www.100bestwebsites.org/alt/sacredimages/eyesofbodhnath.htm

Lemongrass Tilapia

May 13, 2015May 13, 20151 Comment

We stopped for lunch at a small Vietnamese place in Indianapolis last weekend and ordered Vietnamese Lemongrass Basa Fish. It was light, delicate and lemony. Perfect for a spring lunch. Inspired by the dish, tonight’s dinner: Lemongrass Tilapia.

Anyone reading this please note, my recipes are for people like me who use recipes as a loose guideline. Sorry for the fuzzy numbers and directions.

I used:

2 Tilapia filets

1/2 small tube lemograss puree (or 2 lemongrass stalks chopped and processed fine)

1/2 teaspoon each of ginger and garlic paste

2 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon of lemony ponzu or just soy sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame oil (although I”m questioning the inclusion of this…seems to add a roasty element to an otherwise citrus dish)

1/2 onion sliced

1/4 red bell pepper sliced

1/4 cup of shredded basil leaves

Salt and pepper (white, if you have it)

1. Rub garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and cornstarch on the fish. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

2. Make a sauce combining lemongrass, ponzu, sesame oil and enough water to give it a dressing consistency.

3. Fry the filets in 2 tablespoon oil. Set aside.

4. Saute red bell peppers, onions just until soft.

5. Pour sauce mix over and let heat through.

6. Add fish and basil leaves (I added thinly sliced thai peppers). Let it come to a hard simmer, cover and let rest.

Serves two (and a little one) with jasmine rice.

It wasn’t an exact replication but sure was delicious. The lemongrass gives it a gentle citrus flavor that is wonderful. Definitely worth trying and remembering.

The plate needs some vegetable. Next time, maybe some sauteed garlic spinach?

Warm Mother’s Day Wishes with a Bowl of Braised Short Ribs and Polenta

May 10, 2015May 10, 20152 Comments

If you have a weekend to work off a good meal, here’s an idea: Braised short ribs with Creamy Polenta and Oreo Brownies. Yes it was, over the top. Wow! I really don’t need to say anymore. Both easy recipes. Very forgiving. Didn’t have carrots, didn’t feel the need to reduce the braising liquid, didn’t really have the best short ribs either, didn’t have enough parmesean for the polenta…still delicious and creamy. The brownies…well…I don’t think I ate more than a few bites….super chocolatey…really needs the milk alongside, as the recipe warns. So, be warned. This was an easy recipe to make and very easy to eat. Maybe too easy. Perfect for a weekend treat. Or a beloved’s homecoming.

Had salad and soup for dinner tonight. I feel less guilty about last night. Tomorrow is Mother’s day…all bets are off.

Wishing all of you hungry moms a very warm satisfying meal and HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY,

HungryPhil

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/braised-short-ribs-with-creamy-polenta.html

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Oreo-Brownies-976297 for the Idea Room

My Right Hand Cuisine and the Fork

May 6, 2015May 6, 2015Leave a comment

I have a theory. Maybe even a problem. Eating curries and rice with a fork is immensely unsatisfying. Here’s why:

Curry is meant to be eaten with rice (or bread), never alone! Rice is the main dish….everything else garnishes, which is why we ask “did you eat rice?”….not did you eat lunch or dinner. We should serve and eat rice like pasta dressed in sauce, lightly coated with flavor. The rice, whatever it is, jasmine, basmati or brown, is the final component that softens, absorbs and most importantly FLAVORS curries. Hey…is this why Biriyani was invented? Hence, first problem is substantive, we should be eating rice flavored with curries, not curries with a side of rice in restaurants.
The mixing of curry to rice with a fork is always incomplete. It is difficult to break down the rice enough for the curry to be absorbed. Eating with my hand I can press the rice together with the curry just enough to adhere on its journey to my mouth. That moment of adherence, when the rice forms a compressed bite, is the perfect amount of curry to rice ratio. Such a bite, in Bengali, is called a lokma. I would form and arrange these little bites on a plate for my girls when the were little. As you know, there are rules: right hand, finger tips, no food should touch the palm. Second problem is formal, we are missing the optimal flavor when eating with a fork.

We also miss the textural component, the feel of our food, the dexterity of picking out bones and whole spices. BUT, I have to admit, eating with my hand can be messy even when allowed and not frowned upon. And worse, despite all the washing in the world some pungent curries can refuse to leave. I want to eat my curry not smell like it.

This is quite a problem. How can I get the taste of a well hand-mixed bite of Deshi food with a fork? Can I design a fork/spoon that can form little rice bites? Disappointment, not necessity must be the mother of invention.

Take for example my dinner tonight: Chicken and potato curry, basmati rice and roasted vegetables. I mixed and mashed it as best I could with a fork and made bites with a cookie scoop. The bites did not form as well as hand mixing would allow. What to do? Oh….the problems I have….sheesh.

But, it does give me an idea of building a 7 course meal with these premixed rice bites….Rice with Bittermelon (bitter), Rice with Dal (salty), Rice with Vegetables, Rice with fish (Garlic), Rice with Chicken (Ginger), Rice with Beef (spicy), Rice pudding (sweet).

Lokma: A bittersweet journey in 7 bites. This will have to be my next experiment.

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