Sorry, Becca HATES food

Don't even talk to me about that four letter f-word right now. I'm sure that in several months, I might be able to tolerate things like, yiccchhhhh, onions, or, godforbid, GARLIC.

But for now I'm going to wallow in my 2nd trimester misery, choking down string cheese and mocha protein shakes (half milk, with ice, please) and enjoy the luxury of having Matt be the Food Guy.

So... sorry for the long and depressing silence. Believe me, you don't want to know what I'm eating these days. Think bland colorless high protein unflavored kid food and you'll get the idea.

So I'll see you in a couple, well, maybe lots of months, when my creative energies turn again to the gourmet rather than to incubation.

Artisan Olive Oil Dough

Olive Oil Dough
From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
The recipe is introduced with: "This versatile, rich dough works nicely in pizza, focaccia, or olive bread. The fruitier the olive oil, the better the flavor."

2 3/4 c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
6 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (okay, I'll confess. I subbed in two cups of whole wheat flour-- I just can't make an all-white-flour recipe! It seems like a sin or something. Anyway, it turned out wonderful.)

Mix everything but the flour together in a big bowl, then add the flour using a spoon, and finishing with your wet hands.
Cover (not airtight) and let it rest at room temp for 2 hours, or until the dough rises and collapses.
Use right away, or refrigerate covered for 12 days.
To make a pizza, preheat the oven to 500, dust the surface of the dough with flour, cut off a chunk of dough (orange to grapefruit sized), dust with more flour and shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball as you go.
Flatten the dough into an 1/8th inch thick round (or square, if you're into that).
Quickly add the toppings, (herbs, fancy cheese, chopped garlic and olive oil (with possibly some sneakily grated cabbage) throw the thing in the oven (on a pizza stone is good, but I don't have one so I just use a greased cookie sheet and it works for me) and cook it for about 8 or 10 minutes. Drizzle it with balsamic vinegar. Enjoy. You're welcome.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I checked this book out from the library last year and after three days I had made a small mountain of carmel-crusted, fluffy crumbed toothsome baked goods. Two olive-oil soaked flatbreads, three loaves of crackly wholesome wheat and oat bread, and a pizza dinner later... I was convinced. I promptly returned the library book before all the pages got gummed together and Amazoned myself my own copy, now floured and gummed without fear of library fines.
I love that the authors streamlined the bread-baking event-- which I LOVE in any form-- but this just gives me an excuse to do it even more. Nearly every recipe I've tried has been show stopping, even with my piddly dink no-flash camera.
And the "five minutes" thing-- it's a teeny bit exaggerated. What it really means that the recipes are all no-knead and can be made in big batches, stored in the fridge, and baked up easily one loaf at a time. A beautiful ideal-- suggesting a life of daily fresh baked breads and pastries. The cookbook also includes other recipes that make the breads into complete meals-- soups and salads and savory grilled meats. I recommend you keep a hankie on hand as you read this book to mop up all the drool.

Uncle Jeff's Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Country Gravy

My dear Uncle Jeff is an amazing, incredible, astounding, superlative cook. He sent this recipe out yesterday, and here it is, with his directions and asides:

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Country Gravy

I just did this last night, and you didn't.

get some potatoes boiling for mashed taters. I also boiled some baby carrots in salted water.

salt and pepper however many chicken breasts you want to cook. I like the boneless, skinless frozen variety from Tyson or the like (they have a 100% natural version now). The pre-frozen ones are more tender when cooked in my experience. I thaw them in a clean sink in hot tap water (just remember to not let them sit around for very long before cooking).

To a sautee pan or large skillet (I use a non-stick sautee pan which the purists deride, but feh on them*) add enough fat to coat the bottom. Olive oil is fine, whatever oil you like is fine, last night I used bacon drippings because they RULE. Medium-high heat.

Put in the chicken and whatever other spices you like (it's good with just salt and pepper). I put in some cumin, some coriander, some Zip, and some organic Jamaican seasoning. Brown well on both sides and then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low or so; you want a good fond** on the pan but not black burned stuff. If it gets way too dry you can add a bit of water, wine, or more fat.

When the chicken is just done (don't overcook it; just make sure the juices are clear), remove it to a plate and add 4 TB more fat to the pan (butter is good; I used bacon drippings because they RULE. If you disagree, you are wrong). Turn up the heat to about medum high, sprinkle in 4 TB flour (all purpose is fine) and whisk/stir/scrape until the fat and the flour combine. Make sure you scrape up the fond; I use a flat, wooden spatula. If you're in a hurry you can add the liquid now, but if you want more flavor let the roux get tan and a bit toasty. When it does, add 2 cups of milk, a bit at a time. If you dump it in all at once you get dumplings, which is fine if that's what you want. For gravy it's not desirable.

Whisk/stir while the milk comes up to a boil. Boil it for a few seconds and then remove from the heat. It will thicken quite a bit as it cools. Remember to adjust for salt; mine needed just a bit. If it's too thick you can whisk in a tad more milk.

Serve with the taters, carrots, or whatever side dish/es you like.

It don't get much better, folks. 8-)

Note: if you're counting calories;
1. kill yourself
2. you might be able to get by with 2TB fat/flour and 1 cup of milk, making less gravy. But why would you want to do that??

*according to the stuffshirts, you can't get the fond with a non-stick pan. BULL. It's just easier to get off.

**it is required that you roll your eyes every time you use the word "fond."

©2009 Jeff Davis

Julia’s Roasted leg of lamb with vegetables

Julia’s Roasted leg of lamb with vegetables
From Mastering the Art of French Cooking

A leg of lamb
Olive oil
Red Rock Salt and pepper
Garlic slivers
Rosemary, thyme chopped
2 carrots
2 onions
3-6 cloves unpeeled garlic

Preheat the oven to 450. Cut as much of the fat and skin off of the lamb as you can, rub the skin with olive oil, cut little slices into the meat and stick garlic slivers, rub the meat with the salt, pepper, and chopped herbs. Place it in the top third of the oven, let it brown slightly on all sides—for 15 to 20 minutes.
Reset the oven to 350, put the vegetables in the bottom of the pan. Roast for 20 minutes for every pound of meat, or until the internal temp is 145 degrees, for medium.

Rating: A. So, so delicious. Hearty, lamby greasy vegetables, amazing sustaining meat— enough to feed us all week with shepherd pies and cold lamb salads. This was great.

Joy’s Orange Ice Milk

Joy’s Orange Ice Milk

Combine in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved:

1 ½ tsp orange zest

1 ½ c. sugar

1 ½ c. orange juice

¼ c. lemon juice (my oj was really tart already—I just subbed OJ for the lemon juice)

¾ c. mashed bananas

Stir the mixture gradually into:

4 c. very cold whole milk

Pour into your ice cream maker. Voila!

Rating: A

Notes: Custard ice cream always works better for me—they freeze better, thaw better—but this is VERY good, and firmed up very nicely after a night in the freezer.

Joy's Butter Almond Ice Cream

Joy’s Butter Almond Ice Cream

1 c. packed brown sugar
½ c. water
1/8 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 c. whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. lightly beaten heavy cream
½ c. chopped toasted almonds

Boil the brown sugar, water and salt, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 2 minutes. Beat the eggs, and slowly beat the syrup into the eggs. Cook in a double boiler until the mixture thickens slightly. Add and stir the butter until it melts. Strain and refridgerate overnight. When you’re ready to make the ice cream, add the milk and vanilla, and cream. Freeze in your ice cream maker, and when the ice cream is almost frozen, toss in the almonds.

Rating: A+. Why do I bother with these ratings? Of course this is superlative. It’s amazing. Astounding. Mind bending. Give in. Go ahead. You will never be the same. You’ll certainly NEVER feel the need to buy ice cream again…

Joy's Fish Fumet

Joy’s Fish Fumet with salmon Belly

I bought two huge heaps of salmon belly—it looked so delicious and fatty and frugal at the store. At home though, it looked like what it was: a mish mash mix of scales flaking off, snaky long pieces of skin, wedges of pearly blubber, and fins.

I betray myself for what I am: not a fishwife. I like fish, but I’m a novice, and my attempts at tugging and slicing the gorgeous deep-orange sushi-grade salmon belly off of the offal? Not successful. Stock to the rescue! Three cheers for any food that lets you throw alarming garbage in, and strain gorgeous nourishment out.

2 tbsp butter

2 lbs fish heads and bones

1 sliced unpeeled onion

1 large leek

1-2 garlic cloves

1 c. white wine

1 tsp lemon juice

Cold water to cover

Bouquet garni

Melt the butter in a stockpot, and cook the vegetables about 5 minutes on medium-low. Add the fish and cook until they begin to turn opaque, 5 more minutes. Don’t let anything brown. Add the liquid and bouquet garni and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, skimming often for 20-30 minutes. Strain and cool uncovered, then refridgerate covered.

Rating: A+. Ah... this is why I heart Joy. A warning though-- this made my house reeky for three days.

How To Cook Everything Lightning-Quick Fish Soup

How to Cook Everything Lightning-Quick Fish soup

5 c. fish stock (Joy’s Fumet)

1 onion

1 tbsp garlic

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp olive oil

1 c. canned tomatoes with juice

Salt and pepper

1 ½ lbs seafood (I used shrimp)

Minced fresh parsley for garnish

Combine all ingredients except for fish and parsley. Boil, then turn to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Add the seafood and cook through—about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley!

Rating: A, easy, yummy, hearty.

Julia's Cheese Quiche

Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Cheese Quiche
I saw this recipe and decided it would be the ideal one to use my manna eggs in. When I cracked them open, there were so beautiful. The yolks were dark orange and very solid—as small as nickels. They were tiny so I used all four of them where this recipe calls for only two. Merci, wild chickens!
3 oz cheese
6 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp softened butter
3 tbsp cream
2 eggs (or four, if you found them under your coconut tree)
Salt and (white) pepper
Cayenne to taste
½ tbsp minced green onion tops (or chives)
An 8” partially cooked pastry shell placed on a baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 375. Blend the cheeses, butter, cream and add the eggs. Force through a sieve to get rid of the lumps. Stir in the herbs and spices. Pour into the pastry shell and set in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the quiche has puffed and the top has browned.
Rating: A. Yummy! The quiche was so fluffy and rich.
Note: The recipe suggests using Roquefort, camembert, brie, or Liederkranz cheese. But I had a block of soft sheep cheese on hand, and used that, with tasty results. I also used LOTS more green onion tops, and still couldn’t hardly taste them.

Julia's French Onion Soup

Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking
French Onion Soup
5 c. sliced yellow onions
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 quarts boiling beef stock
½ c. white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz swiss cheese, slivered
1 tbsp grated raw onion
Several rounds of hard-toasted French bread
1 ½ c. grated swiss and parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
In a large OVENPROOF pot, heat the butter and oil on medium low. Add the onions and cover, cook for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium, add salt and sugar. Stir frequently for 30-40 minutes, until the onions are deep brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes. Off heat, blend in the boiling stock and wine and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30-40 minutes more.
Preheat the oven to 325. Stir the slivered cheese and grated onion into the soup. Float the rounds of toast on top, and spread the grated cheese over them. Sprinkle with the oil. Bake for 20 minutes, and set for a minute or two under a broiler to lightly brown the top. Serve immediately

Rating: B.

Notes: This sounded so good, and the final product was yummy… but it was not-homemade tasting. It almost tasted like French onion soup from a can! Next time I would add herbs and spices and skip the last bit with the grated onion and all that—just serve the soup with toast on the side.

Deceptively Delicious Macaroni and Cheese 2

Deceptively Delicious Macaroni and Cheese 2
1 ½ c. whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 c. milk
½ c. chickpeas (or other light-colored bean)
1 ½ c. shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey jack)
Pinch salt
pinch paprika
pinch pepper
Cook and drain the macaroni. Meanwhile, puree the chickpeas and milk.
Cook the milk mixture in a large saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes, until it’s smooth. Add the cheese and cook until melted and creamy. Stir in the seasonings and then add the macaroni.
Rating: B. Yummy.

Deceptively Delicious Baked Egg Puffs

Deceptively Delicious Baked Egg Puffs
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
¼ c. carrot puree (recipe calls for yellow squash or butternut squash, but use what you got, right?)
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 400. Cut 4 ramekins or tiny coffee cups with cooking spray and set on a baking sheet.
In a large bowl combine the ingredients. Divide the mixture—at a scant ¼- ½ c. each—between the four mugs. Bake for 13-15 minutes, when they are puffy and the eggs are no longer runny.
Rating: B
Notes: Yummy! This didn’t turn out like the picture, which looks like an ethereal angel food cake. Mine looked like puffy scrambled eggs with bits of carrot. But they were very tasty!

Joy's Sourdough Pancakes

Joy’s Sourdough Pancakes

I had this favorite place to go watch the lesbian couples chase their kids—on the corner of Gilman and 10^th in Berkeley. That place had these silver dollar pancakes that were so mind-bogglingly good. Fall on the floor, throw your head back and drool good. I could never figure out what was so amazing about those pancakes. The traffic exhaust? The industrial pollution? Lesbian mother mojo???

Then the other night I was looking for a breakfast recipe with an overnight rest, and stumbled onto this recipe. And.

These are them. *sob*. These are the pancakes I was waiting for my whole life, and I didn’t know they were out there, but I never stopped believing, and—here they are! The texture, the flavor—I know, who’s ever heard of pancake-flavor. These… I wish I were eating them right now. I will never go back to regular old pancakes again. And don’t even DARE say bisquick within earshot...

½ c. warm water

2 ¼ tsp yeast

1 ½ c. warm milk

3 tbsp melted butter

2 c. flour

3 tbsp sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

Whisk together the water and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. Add the milk and butter, then the flour and sugar.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for one hour. Stir the batter down, cover again, and then let it rise overnight in the fridge.

Let the batter stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then stir the batter to deflate, whisk in the eggs and salt.

Cook on a very lightly greased griddle at medium-high heat, ¼ c. or less at a time.

Drool.

Rating: A+ Superlatives, perfects, amazing, will use this and only this recipe for the rest of my life.

Joy's Chicken Stock

Joy’s Chicken Stock
I came down with a cold this week and kept obsessing about chicken soup. I finally made this and filled my fridge with quart jars of the lovely golden stuff.

4-5 ½ lbs of chiekcn parts or one whole bird.
Cold water to cover
1 unpeeled onion coarsely chopped
1 carrot
1 celery rib
8 peppercorns
1 bouquet garni (I cheated and just used a big handful of the hard herbs from my potted garden and a couple of bay leaves)
(I added 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar for color)

Put the chicken in a stock pot and cover in cold water. Bring slowly to a boil, reduce the heat at once, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Skim often. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer partly covered for 3-4 hours, skimming often and adding water if needed. Strain and cool uncovered, then refrigerate covered. Remove the fat when ready to use.
Rating: A

Cabbage Soup

Cabbage Soup

Olive oil

2 cups chopped cabbage

1 onion

1 sweet potato

5 c. beef broth

Saute the cabbage, onion and potato in the oil on low heat for10 minutes or so—until the veg is getting tender. Add the broth and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Stir in a little fragrant cheese or whole wheat croutons, and voila!

Easter in February this year?

Can you see it?

How about now? Under the Samoan coconut tree?

Lookathat! Like Easter or something!

I found 4 wild chicken eggs under the tree-- I'm thrilled! I haven't quite eaten them yet. I'm trying to think of something suitable. I'm hoping there won't be any little bones or feathers inside, but if there are, that will be a new culinary experience.
Thanks for the bounty, nature! Who needs grocery stores? Now I just need some gallons of milk to come tumbling from the clouds.
This is one of those rare posts that intersects with each of my scattered blogs, so if you are disappointed to see the same one thrice, sorry!

Becca's...Red...Rice....

This was a shockingly easy beautiful little side dish the other night.
Red...Rice....

2 tbsp or so olive oil
2 cups cooked rice
3 tbsp or so tomato paste
sea salt
pepper
fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan, add the tomato paste and spread it around, let it cook for 30 seconds or so. Add the cooked rice and the salt, combine it all thoroughly, and stir it until the rice gets a teeny bit carmelize. Grind some pepper and toss with cilantro, and voila. Practically instantaneous.

Becca's Bean Gunk

Originally published at Run and Not Be Weary

Matt and I fell in love in our dingy student apartments over steaming bowls of this stuff. It's fast, easy, made of cheap ingredients, and tasty too!
Bean Gunk

olive oil
sea salt
one onion, chopped
garlic
2 or 3 cups of vegetables: celery, carrots, peppers--even fennel or hard squash would be good, too.
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 can of black beans, with their juices
fresh herbs-- cilantro is my favorite
other possible additions: chipotle tabasco, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric

Saute the onion, garlic in the olive oil until they're a little bit carmelized. Add whatever spices and the veg and cook for a few more minutes until everything is really combined and smelling amazing. Then add the tomatoes and the beans and let the stuff simmer for 10 minutes or so, until it thickens a little bit and everything is thoroughly combined. Add the chopped fresh herbs and voila!
I like to serve it on rice, with maybe some cheese or sour cream on top.

Note: You could expand this into a soup easily-- just add broth and/or white wine when you add the tomatoes.
I hope you enjoy it!

Aunty Adele Loo's Shockingly Delicious Bread Pudding

The name says it all, folks:
Aunty Adele Loo's Shockingly Delicious Bread Pudding

2 c. warm milk
5 c. bread cubes
2 beaten eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins (optional)
3 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 300. Pour warm milk over bread cubes in a large bowl. Add and mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and raisins. Pour into a greased 8" pan. Top with dots of butter and bake for 45 minutes until knife comes out clean.
Aunty Adele adds in all caps, "Please note, I usually double the recipe and bake in a 9x13" pan"

Rating: A slobbery and infatuated A+
Notes: Aunty Adele brought this to a potluck and knocked all the other ladies on their butts. She finally acquiesced to our begging for the recipe by bringing about 50 printed copies to church. My copy, crunchy now with butter and milk stains, is folded cozily into the jacket of my Joy. But I figured I should put it here for safe-keeping, too. Thanks Aunty!

Deceptively Delicious Oatmeal (with Sweet Potato)

Oatmeal (with Sweet Potato)
From: Deceptively Delicious

1 c. milk
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sweet potato or pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon to taste
1 c. old fashioned oats (I shamelessly endorse Coach's Oats)
2 tsp peanut butter
dried fruits and nuts
pure maple syrup, for serving

Combine the milk, sugar, sweet potato, vanilla, and spice. Bring to a boil, then add the oatmeal. Simmer until the oatmeal is soft, 2-5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter. Serve with fruits and nuts on top, milk, and warm maple syrup.

Rating: B
Notes: Good, but kinda like eating a delicious brick. I would leave out the peanut butter next time, or seriously reduce it.

Deceptively Delicious Turkey Chili

Turkey Chili
From: Deceptively Delicious

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 lb ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
pinch pepper
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 liters chicken broth
1/2 c. red pepper puree
1/2 c. carrot puree
1/4 c. cornmeal
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 can kidney beans

Cook the onion in the olive oil in a large pot, till it softens. Add the Turkey to the pot, and sprinkle with the spices. Stir until the meat is cooked through, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, beans broth, purees, cornmeal, flaxseed meal, and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes, until it's nice and thick.

Rating: A
Notes: I like adding the beans with the tomatoes, earlier than the original recipe suggests , so that the beans can absorb all those flavors.

How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bittman

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I went to the used book store the other day with some cast-off hard-backs to trade in. I shoved several lounging cats aside, and found all 944 pages of this tome. The shiny "Julia Child Cookbook Award" and "James Beard Foundation Cookbook Award Winner" stickers intrigued me. So did the Washington Post quote, "Think of it as a more hip Joy of Cooking"

Them's fightin' words. I'm a Joy devotee. But flipping through, I was intrigued. I like the illustrations, the larger print, the informative lists and inset boxes.... So I traded in my castoffs (sorry Yiddish Policeman's Union) and brought it home.

So far, I feel a little weird about it. Like I've brought home somebody else's grandma to pretend to be my grandma. It's nice and all, maybe there's some stuff that's even better about this grandma than about my own, like maybe her recipe for Crisp-Cooked Sunchokes or Garam Masala, but... Joy is my home.

I've only tried about 3 recipes from this book so far. And I have to admit, I checked the Joy equivalent for each one. And where they differed... I sided with Joy. It's a trust thing! Joy has never let me down!

I'll keep trying this one out, but I suspect that Joy will always get the final word.


View all my reviews.

Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This pert little cookbook will have you pureeing your way to a balanced diet!!!!!!! And Loving every perky bite!!!!!!

Okay, so it's maybe a little too cutesy for me.

But the glossy upclose food-porny pictures are tantalizing, and the recipes are tasty, if a teeny bit fussy. It reminds me of a diet or self-help book: you have to be committed to the whole philosophy of the thing to get any real benefit out of it. You can't just browse and pick and pluck the appealing recipes-- you have to dedicate yourself to the cult of pureed veg.

Which is fine, in itself. I'm just not willing to commit. Yet!!!!!!!!!!!!


View all my reviews.

How To Cook Everything Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate

From How to Cook Everything

4 servings

4 c. milk

¼ c. powdered cocoa

¼ c. sugar

Pinch salt

Blend the dry ingredients with about ½ c. of the milk over very low heat in a small saucepan, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the rest of the milk. Heat over medium low until hot. You can also substitute freshly brewed coffee for half or more of the milk!

Rating: A

Notes: Howsabout a teaspoon of vanilla mixed with cinnamon, added right at the end? Not too shabby for a cold winters breakfast! (Look, 58 degrees is cold for me.)

Whipped Cream

Whipped Cream
Yes, this is shockingly basic. But it's the kind of thing I seem to be always looking up to double check...

1 c. cold heavy cream
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp corn starch

Put the cream into a chilled bowl (put it in the fridge for a while, or put it in an ice bath, or this morning's choice, balance it precariously on a frozen bag of edamame). Whip the daylights out of it. When it's about halfway there (thickening but not really taking shape) add the sugar and corn starch. Whip it some more-- if it's for a topping, stop when it's still glossy but is just starting to hold soft peaks. If it's for decorating, whip it stiff-- till it's practically butter. Yum!

How To Cook Everything's Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate Pudding

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c. sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
pinch salt
3 eggs
2 1/2 c. half and half
2 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp vanilla

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or small saucepan. Meanwhile combine the sugar with cornstarch and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and half and half. Stir the liquid into the powders and heat over medium heat, whistk to eliminate lumps and then stir until the mixture thickens. The recipe claimed 10 minutes, but after 25 I finally cranked the heat to medium high and got the job done in another five. Add the melted chocolate, and stir to combine. Add the butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, directly on the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate.

Rating: B-
Notes: Sad, huh! It seems so right! But the Joy of cooking vanilla recipe was just so much better. And the half and half and butter were excessive-- they didn't add anything. Too bad. Still infinitely better than anything instant, with a nice dark chocolate flavor. I'm just convinced there are better chocolate pudding recipes out there.

Joy's Quick Coffee Cake

Joy's Quick Coffee Cake

1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4-1/2 c. sugar
1 large egg
2/3 c. milk
1/2 tsp vanilla or 1 tsp lemon zest

Struesel:
combine until crumbly:

1/3 c. sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon,
1/4-1/2 c. ground nuts

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a pan-- cake or cupcake. Sift together the flour, powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and add the sugar till fluffy. Add the egg and milk. Add the dry ingredients and the vanilla. Stir until smooth. Spread in the greased pan. Top with the Struesel. Bake about 25 minutes

Rating: A. Why do I bother with these ratings? If I put it on here, I thought it was delicious. So. A. So good, so buttery-- in fact, maybe (dare I say this blasphemy?) a little too buttery. Next time I might halve the butter. But amazing with tea for a Sunday brunch.

Happy Birthday Matt Trifle

Trifle is Matt's favorite, and this year I made a good 'un.
Happy Birthday Matt! Trifle

Pound cake
couple teaspoons of rum (or more, if you're WILD and WICKED. Or a pirate.)
Doubled recipe of vanilla pudding
Strawberry preserves
Thinly sliced green apples
purple seedless grapes, cut in half

In a glass bowl, put down a layer of cake slices, and sprinkle them with the rum. Around the edges of the bowl, arrange a layer of the apple slices and grapes so they're visible. Then pour on half of the pudding (still warm and unset is fine). Then another layer of cake slices, more jam some more fruit, and the rest of the pudding. Arrange the rest of the fruit artistically on top. Chill a bit before serving. Voila! You may get reviews as spectacular as I got: "Wow, Becca, this is a good--fruit salad?"

Hawaiian Style Enchiladas

Hawaiian Style Enchiladas

1 lb kalua pig, already cooked and shredded (or, okay, any other cooked meat.)
3 c. of cabbage, green or red or both
6 tortillas, or more, whatevahs
1/2 c. grated monterey jack cheese
chipotle tabasco to topper.

Preheat the oven to 400. Throw the tortillas in there to get soft-- just 5 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the pork and the cabbage in a heavy skillet. Grease a casserole dish, then put a bunch of the pork and cabbage in each of the tortillas. Roll 'em up, put 'em in the casserole dish. Dump any extra pork-cabbage stuff on top, and then put the cheese on top. Bake for 10 minutes till the cheese is nice and melty. Voila! Too easy!

Joy's Vanilla Pudding

After this, you will never deign to put one of those Yellow #5 powdered jello atrocities together again. This... is the true and perfect meaning of pudding. Testify.

Joy's vanilla Pudding
Mix thoroughly in a medium saucepan

1/4 c. sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt

gradually stir in, making a smooth runny paste

1/4 c. milk

whisk in:

1 3/4 c. milk

stirring constatnyl, heat over medium heat until the mixture just comes to the simmer. Remove from the heat and stir 1/2 c. of the milk mixture slowly into:

1 large egg, well beaten.

Stir this back into the milk mixture, bring to a boil over medium heat, and continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in:

1/2 tsp vanilla.

Pour the pudding into a bowl or individual cups, then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Rating: A+ Try this. Just..... try it.

Coconut Rice Pudding

With coconut water, rather than milk or cream, this is a really light-tasting pudding. The intensity of the coconut flavor will depend on your liquid. We have a samoan coconut tree that makes huge generous coconuts full of very mild flavored water-- about a half gallon per nut!

Coconut Rice Pudding

1/2 c. sugar
3-4 c. coconut water
1-2 c. cooked white rice
Splash of Cream

Combine everything in a saucepan, and simmer for a long time. Maybe 40 minutes? Until the rice expands and absorbs all the liquid, and the pudding plops and glops (technical culinary terms, those.) Garnish the servings of pudding with drizzles of cream.

Recipes of Japanese Cooking, or "Eigo de Tuskuru Washoku"

I love this book. This is my go-to Japanese cookbook. It has beautiful color photographs, and includes the basics of Japanese cuisine: sukiyaki, sushi, miso soup, mochi, karaage, tenpura, nikujaga, lotus root, burdock, soba etc. etc. etc.
And plus, the Janglish is really charming. "'Silken' tofu coated with sauce is tasty and pleasant on the tongue" ! How can I resist?
I bought this in Japan, and the only complaint is that some of the ingredients are mistranslated or hard to find, like nagaimo (or "stinking snotfruit" as I have heard it called in some circles.)

Salt Grilled Akule fish with Savory Cabbage

Two gorgeous whole hooked Akule were at our grocery store. Here we are living on an island and I almost never cook fish-- I just don't really know how! Plus their goggly eyes looking up at me through the saran wrap, it's almost too much. But these guys called my name. They're a small fish-- about 1/2 lbs each-- with nice white flesh.
We got them home and Matt cleaned them out for me and scraped off their scales(one of which I see lodged in my cookbook), and left the heads on . I patted them dry, rubbed them all over with red sea salt, and dredged them in flour. Then I heated about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a big skillet over medium high and threw the suckers in to brown. They cooked for about 6 minutes per side and got a nice golden crust on them.
Meanwhile I chopped up a quarter head each of green and purple cabbage, threw those in a little saute pan with 1 inch of chopped fresh ginger, about 3 tbsp mirin, and a tablespoon of hoisin sauce. I stirfried that for about 2 minutes-- until the cabbage is still crunchy but warmed through and the sauce is bubbling.
I served the fish whole on a bed of the cabbage. Yummmmmmy.

Joy's Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche

Joy's Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche
Basic Pie or Pastry Dough

1 and 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. chilled lard
1 tbsp cold butter
3 tbsp ice water

Sift together the flour and the salt. Cut in the fat, and sprinkle on the ice water and mix until it just holds together. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it until ready to use. Roll it out and fit it into a 9" pan. Brush the dough with a beaten egg yolk and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven to 400. Set a rack in the lowest position in the oven.
Drain and squeeze out the liquid of a pound of canned tomatoes and set them aside.
Combine until smooth:

4-6 ounces fresh goat cheese
3/4 c. cream
1/2 c. milk

Add and whisk until smooth:

3 eggs
1 tbsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp chopped basil
pinch salt
black pepper.

Put the squeezed tomatoes in the pastry shell, pour the cheese mixture over the top. Bake until the top is golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Rating: A+. Rapturous. Lovely. Fluffy and salty and cheesy--- absolutely gorgeous. I wished I was a photographer this thing was so crusty and golden brown. I could eat it every day.

Becca's Coconut Rice Pilaf

I found a dusty and foreign smelling 5 pound bag of basmati rice on the "deep discount" shelf of our local grocery store. I couldn't resist its burlappy charms. Here's what I did with it when I got it home, inspired by Ajanta.

Coconut Rice Pilaf

3-5 tbsp oil
1 onion
1 chopped carrot
2 c. basmati rice
4 c. coconut water
1 bay leaf
1 stick cinnamon
pinch salt

Saute the onion and carrot in the oil until nicely carmalized. Add the rice and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add the coconut water, bay leaf, cinnamon and salt, and bring back to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to Very Low, and cook for 18 minutes. Voila!

Apple Juice Gell-o

Apple Juice Gell-o
This recipe comes from the Knox gelatin box.
4 packets unflavored gelatin
1 c. cold apple juice
3 c. boiling hot apple juice

Sprinkle the gelatin on the cold juice, let it stand one minute. Add the hot juice and stir. Pour into a pan and chill. This is stiff enough that you can cut shapes out of it with cookie cutters! Wheee!

Cat Cora's Custard Ice Cream

Here it is! The vanilla ice cream I've been searching for my whole life:

Cat Cora's Custard Ice Cream

4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 vanilla bean, split
1 1/2 c. heavy cream

In a large saucepan, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and salt. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mixture, and throw in the open bean. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and "coats the back of a wooden spoon." (one of those baffling culinary directions that has befuddled me for years-- I just watch for a slight thickening.)
Strain the mixture into a cold bowl, cover and refridgerate over night. Add the cold cream and freeze in your ice cream maker. Go to heaven.

Rating: A drooling and besotted A+

Becca's Tortillas

The first time I made tortillas was on the floor of my freezing cold apartment in Ueda, Japan. My companion was Karina Maqueda, from Mexico City, and we had no languages in common. We communicated in hugs and earnest gestures and feeble monosyllabic Japanese.
She was a real cook-- she would put her finger right into a simmering pot to taste, and then suck on it thoughtfully, then splash in salt or cream in a cascade, a foot above the stove. She had drama and flair. And she gave me a very stern look when she caught me eating my asparagus right out of the cooking water. "Do you always eat it like THAT?"
I wish these were her tortillas, which she threw together and rolled quickly with her palms, and spread into even perfect circles. But they're not.
I like to make these in huge batches and freeze whatever I don't use that day. So this recipe makes about 3o.

Becca's Tortillas

2 c white flour
2 c wheat flour
2 c corn meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. lard
2 and 3/4 c. hot water

Knead these together with your hands until it comes together into a ball and holds together, about 5 minutes. Then roll the dough into balls of about 2 tbsp each, flouring your hands and the board if you need to. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes.
Then heat a skillet or two to medium. Roll the balls out into even thin circles and cook in the hot pan (ungreased!) for a minute on one side, 20 seconds on the other. Adjust the heat if it takes too long or blackens too quickly. Juggle rolling pin, flour, hot pans, dough, and spatula until you have a small mountain of tortillas. Let them cool, then freeze 'em!

Becca's Sweet Potato Soup with Crusty Toasts

Sweet Potato Soup
Saute in a pot:

Olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 big or 2 small bell peppers, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
salt

Add and stir until well-combined:

1/2 to 1 tsp turmeric
fresh ginger
2 cups shredded sweet potato

Add:

3 or 4 cups Beef Broth
Simmer for 15 minutes or so, until all the flavors are combined. Serve garnished with chunks of cheese (I had sheep feta on hand, yum!) and chopped basil.

Crusty Toasts

whole wheat bread slices
olive oil/butter or both
sea salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 400, slice whole wheat bread. Drizzle with olive oil or spread with butter. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Toast for 5 minutes or so.

Joy's All-Whole-Wheat Bread Cockaigne

Joy's All-Whole-Wheat Bread Cockaigne
Combine in a large bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes

1/4 c. warm water
2.25 tsp yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar

combine:

6 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c. dry milk powder

combine, and then add to the yeast mixture:

2 cups warm water or miolk
1 tsp salt
1-3 tbsp melted butter or bacon fat
4-6 tbsp molasses or honey

Gradually add the flour to the yeast and butter mixture. Knead briefly. Allow dough to rise covered until doubled, and once in greased loaf pans, about an hour each.
preheat the oven to 350, bake about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and bottom sounds hollow. Cool completely on a rack.
Rating: B Good, but not really inspiring. I like that it's all-wheat, though...

Joy's Bean Tomato and Sausage Gratin

Bean Tomato and Sausage Gratin
This is in the "Brunch, Lunch and Supper Dishes" section of the book, which gives all the recipes an illusion of simplicity and speed. Hah! This was ultimately delicious, but waaaay too complicated. The same result could come much easier with a few cut corners. But here it is:

Soak overnight:

2 cups pinto beans

Drain the beans. Transfer to a large pot and add:

8 cups water
1 onion, halved, each half stuck with 1 clove
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bouquet garni

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Add salt, then simmer until beans are tender, another 30-60 minutes.
While the beans are simmering, heat a heavy casserole over medium heat. Add:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 oz pancetta or bacon, diced.
Cook, until it renders its fat. Add
1 pound sweet italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled.

Cook, stirring until the meat loses its color, about 5 minutes. pour off most of the fat. Add, stirring for two minutes:

1 onion
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste.
2x28 oz cans of whole tomatoes with juice
1 tsp fresh thyme or oregano

Add the beans and 2 cups of the beans' cooking liquid to the sausage and tomato mixture.
Simmer it all for 30 minutes. Mean while preheat the oven to 400. Grease a casserole dish, add the mixture. Top with

1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups grated swiss cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned and bubbling.
Rating: B

Joy's Brown Beef Stock

Brown Beef Stock

5 lbs meaty beef bones
2 onions with skins on, quartered
2 carrots cut up
2 celery ribs cut up
2 c. cold water
cold water to cover
1 leek split lengthwise and cut up
1 bouquet garni, including 1 whole clove
tie together:
3 or 4 sprigs parsley
1/3 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
1 leek
2 cloves

Preheat the oven to 425. roast the bones for 15 minutes, then add the onions, carrots and celery. roast for 40 minutes, until the bones are well browned. Transfer to a stockpot. Add 2 cups water to the roasting pan, scrape up any delicious brown debris, then add the liquid to the stock pot. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer gently for 30 minutes, skimming off the foam. Add the leek and the bouquet garni, and simmer uncovered for 6-8 hours, adding water as needed to cover. Strain and cool uncovered, then refridgerate covered.
Rating: B for basic, useful, pretty simple.
Note: I like to add a splash of apple cider or balsamic vinegar to the stock

Joy's Spicy Seafood Stew

Joy's Spicy Seafood Stew

Olive oil
onion
celery
1 jalapeno pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 28 oz. can of tomatoes
2 cups clam juice
1/2 cup red or white wine or additional clam juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb skinless cod fillets, cut into 1" cubes
8 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined.
salt and pepper
1/4 c. chopped basil or parsley

Heat the olive oil and brown the onion, celery, pepper and garlic in a skillet for 3 minutes.
Transfer to a slow cooker, add the tomatoes, liquid, and red pepper flakes.
Cover and cook on the low setting for 4 hours. Turn the setting to high. Add the seafood. Cover and cook until the fish is opaque-- 10 minutes. Add the chopped herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Rating: A
It would be lovely with some crusty bread, and a drizzle of olive oil over the finished soup.

Becca's Creamy Coconut Curry

Becca's Creamy Coconut Curry

Some olive oil
1 tbsp fresh turmeric
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 tbsp fresh garlic
some cumin
some salt (red, thanks!)
some paprika
some pepper
2 carrots
an onion
3 potatoes
handful of corn
2 c. sweet potato
3 cups coconut water (if you don't have, leave out the cream and use coconut milk)
1.5 cups cream
1.5 cups chicken stock
Some cheese (I used Gouda)

Heat the olive oil, add all of the spices until they combine into a fragrant paste. Add the chopped vegetables and saute them until they are nice and browned and coated in the spices. Add the coconut water and cook the vegetables until they are almost done. Add the cream and the chicken stock and simmer gently (no boiling the cream) until everything is nicely combined and the veg are soft.
Serve with cubes of cheese.

Joy's Vanilla Ice Cream

For Christmas I got my husband two vials of vanilla beans and we've been carefully hoarding them until we can find some recipes worthy of the black beauties. This seemed to be a good one to start on...

Joy's Vanilla Ice Cream

1 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. sugar
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk

Combine one cup of cream, the sugar and the salt in a saucepan. Split and scrape the vanilla bean in, and add the open bean. Bring to a simmer and dissolve the sugar.
Pour into a bowl and add the remaining cream and milk.
Refridgerate overnight, remove the bean, and freeze in a ice cream maker.

Rating: A. Totally easy and very yummy.

The Joy of Cooking

It's just shocking hubris of me to think I can review "The Joy of Cooking."
So I won't, too much. I'll just turn to random pages and report:
ah, green tea ice cream...spicy seafood stew, rich butter pastry crust, broiled rabbit, eggnog, longan berries, deep frying, hot chocolate, purslane soup...
This book-- I'm getting choked up-- has changed my life.
I kept checking it out from the library but finally bought my own copy when the grease stains and flour lumps started to irritate the librarians. Now my copy is thoroughly greasy, lumpy, floury, and not even hardly broken in. It's absolutely my first reference (totally launching "Better Homes" right out of the water) for cooking anything. The recipes are practically infallible.
I heart "The Joy of Cooking."
Amen.

Cat Cora's Basic Crepes

Basic Crepes

1/2 c. flour
1 egg
1 c milk
butter for the crepe pan

Whisk together the flour, egg and milk. Heat a skillet over medium high, brush VERY lightly with butter, add about 1/4 to 1/3 c. of batter and tilt the skillet to spread it out.
When the edges pull away from the pan, turn the crepe and cook for 30 more seconds.
You can freeze these by layering them with wax paper.

Rating: A+

Note: I adore these with a squeeze of lime juice and a dusting of powdered sugar. Maybe that's just me. :)

Cat Cora's "Cooking From the Hip"

I picked this up in the damp outdoor Borders discount rack for $3.99.
Why so disrespected, Cat? Why are you out in the drizzle when others less worthy are "Bam"-ing and "Y'all"-ing with abandon inside?
This book is beautifully photographed, full of fairly easy but really tasty recipes. My only complaint is that the organization is slightly weird and not very intuitive. For example, desserts are scattered throughout the book, under sort of arbitrary categories such as "Fun" or "Good to Know" or "Phenomenal."
But this is a mouth-watering book to flip through and a welcome addition to my bursting family of cookbooks.

Roy's Roasted Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

Roy's Roasted Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

5 ears of corn with husks
1 bell pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
1/5 lbs of sweet potatoes
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 onion
5 garlic cloves
1/4 c. leeks
1/2 stalk celery
3 quarts vegetable stock
1/2 tbsp each fresh thyme and basil and chives
1 bay leaf
2 quarts cream
salt and pepper to taste

Roast the corn and bell peppers in a 350 oven. Remove peppers to a plastic bag after 20 minutes, let the corn go 10 more minutes. When the peppers are cool, peel seed and dice them.
Shuck the corn and cut the kernels from the cobs. Keep the cobs.
Boil the sweet potoatoes until soft, then dice.
Saute the onion, garlic, leeks, celery and corn COBS in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add stock and herbs, boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until it reduced to 1 quart. Add the cream and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat to reduce. No boiling!
Strain into a clean pan. Simmer for 5-10 more minutes. Add the sweet potato, corn, and bell peppers, and season with S & P.

Rating: B- for excessive fussiness.

note: Sorry Roy, I took this one for a little ride. I just sauteed the corn and peppers with the onions, added the cooked sweet potato with the cream, halved the liquid, and voila. Tasty results in a fraction of the time. I'm sure the long drawn out version would be lovely, but not tonight. I'm thinking I might puree half of it.

Roy's Banana Pancakes with Raspberry Coulis, (with plantains and strawberry-blueberries instead)

Roy's Banana Pancakes with Raspberry Coulis

Raspberry Coulis

4 oz fresh raspberry (or strawberries, papayas, mangoes-- I used strawberries and blueberries
3 tbsp simple syrup (I used honey)

Puree the fruit and syrup in a blender, and strain.

1.5 c. flour
t tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
1.5 c. whole milk
3 tbsp canola oil
5 bananas (I used 3 ripe plantains)
granulated sugar
confectioners sugar
also: mint, kiwis, strawberries, candied pecans, maple syrup.

Prepare the fruit coulis.
Combine dry ingredients, make a well and add wet ingredients. Don't overmix.
Cut the bananas (or plantains) into wedges, sprinkle with granulated sugar and broil until they brown.
Heat a griddle to 350. Add pancake batter. When bubbles start to form, place banana slices on each pancake, flip and cook the other side.
Decorate each plate with the coulis, and serve with the mint and fruit and syrup. Or just with the coulis and powdered sugar.

Rating: A

Roy's Tuscan-Style White Bean Soup

Roy's Tuscan-Style White Beans

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 c. onion, diced
1/4 c. pancetta (I used bacon), diced
2 tbsp celery, diced
2 tbsp red pepper, diced
2 tbsp carrot, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 c. dried white navy beans
5 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Note: I presoaked the beans by placing them in cold water, boiling them for 5 minutes, then letting them soak till cooking time.

Heat the oil, saute the garlic, onion, pancetta (bacon), celery, pepper, and carrot (*I add a pinch of salt here) over medium heat for till the bacon becomes a little crispy. Add the tomato, thyme, and rosemary and stir to combine. Add the beans and the stock and simmer until the beans are soft but still firm in texture (45 minutes to an hour). Season with salt and pepper.

Rating: A. This was easy and simple and delicious.

Roy's Grilled Pork Medallions with Watercress Salad and Shoestring Potatoes

Roy's Grilled Pork Medallions with Watercress Salad and Shoestring Potatoes

Marinade:
warm water
1 chopped green bell pepper
1/2 chopped onion
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
1/2 cup sugar

1 boneless pork loin, about 1 3/4 lbs
1 large potato

Mushroom-watercress Bed:
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic
4 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms (I used dried)
1/2 c. watercress stems
1 c. julienned red bell pepper
2 c. bean sprouts
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 quart canola oil for deep frying

Watercress salad:
3 tbsp olive oil
pinch ginger
pinch garlic
pinch chile paste with garlic
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 c. julienned red bell pepper
1/2 c. julienned yellow bell pepper
8 oz watercress leaves
3 tbsp crushed toasted mac nuts.

Marinate the pork over night in the fridge.
julienned the potato and soak in water for up to an hour.
Shortly before you're ready to cook the pork, prepare the grill. To assemble the mushroom-watercress bed, heat a wok and stir fry the ginger, garlic, mushrooms, watercress stems and bell pepper over medium heat for 1 minute. Add bean sprouts and oyster sauce, saute for 30 seconds longer, add sesame seeds and remove from heat.
Grill pork, 7-8 minutes per side over high heat for medium doneness. Cut into 12 slices.
Drain potatoes and dry thoroughly. heat the oil and deep fry the potatoes over high heat until browned and crisp, (*toss with salt) and drain on paper towels.
To make the watercress salad, heat the olive oil, lightly brown the ginger and garlic over medium-hihgh heat. stir in chile paste, vinegar, bell pepper. Put into a large salad bowl and toss with watercress leaves and mac nuts, and 1/4 of the shoestring potatoes.
Arrange a mushroom watercress bed in the center of each serving plate, top with three slices of pork. Place the watercress salad on top of the pork and remaining potatoes on top of the pile.

Rating: B for excessive fussiness.

Roy's Basic Pizza Dough

Roy's Basic Pizza Dough

3/4 tsp yeast
3/4 c. warm water
1 tbsp honey
2-2.5 c. flour
pinch salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Sprinkle yeast over the water, add honey and whisk. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add yeast mixture to flour in a large bowl. Mix and then knead until the dough looks smooth and satiny, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover til doubled in bulk (45 minutes). Divide into 4, knead each portion 1 or 2 minutes, then shape into balls. Let rest for 15 minutes. Roll out into 6-7" rounds with slightly raised edges.
Preheat oven to 425.
Add toppings, and bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.

Note: I like to quadruple the recipe and freeze partially baked shells for easy homemade pizza nights. Rating: A+

Roy's Red Chile Lentil Stew

Red Chile Lentil Stew

1 c. lentils
2 tbsp olive oil
4 oz pancetta (I subbed bacon)
1 onion, diced
1.5 tbsp garlic
2 tbsp diced carrot
2 tbsp diced celery
3 bay leaves
1 tsp chile flakes
1 lb peeled and seeded tomatoes (canned ok)
2 cups veal or chicken stock
1 1/2 c. tomato juice
2 tsp fresh basil
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh tarragon
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper

Vinaigrette
1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1.5 tbsp olive oil

Soak the lentils for 30 minutes.
Saute bacon, onion, garlic, carrot, celery over high heat till lightly browned. Stir in remaining ingredients except lentiles and vinaigrette. stir for 1 minute, then add lentils. cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Just before serving whisk together vinaigrette and stir it into the lentils.

Rating: A+

Note: this is lovely vegetarian-- leave out the pancetta or bacon, and substitute vegetable broth for the meat stock.

Roy Yamaguchi's "Roy's Feasts From Hawaii"

This book is full of beautiful color pictures of food, of course-- mouth watering dribbles of sauces and splashes of pestos-- caramelized meats and gleaming fruits. But even more enticing than the food are the full page spreads of Hawaiian landscapes: cattle grazing in the Kamuela highlands, waterfalls, oceanscapes. And smiling Hawaiians selling lettuce, plucking basil and netting fish look wholesome, tanned and welcoming. The recipes tend toward the fussy (cut out 35 1/2" rounds of zucchini, squash, and pepper skins to make scales, julienne everything) but are deliciously sophisticated Asian Fusion Pacific Cuisine.
Aloha! E Kaukau kakou!