I have recently discovered dals. Not that I did not know that they existed, but that they were easy to make and not just restaurant fare. Many of the recipes I have found call for cooking the legumes in a pressure cooker—which I do not own—or alternatively cooking them for hours. I have found that neither of these is required to produce a decent dal.
Karl’s Moong Dal Tadka
with Chingri (Shrimp)
Filed under California Fusion, Main Dishes, Seafood, Shrimp, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian
Just Miriam is joining us for dinner this Sunday, Chris is off to New York for the week. She is on the Atkins diet, so I still have to adapt my cooking to her desires. She is entering Phase two, so I thought I would make a dhal to go with my chicken curry and palak paneer.
Karl’s Carrot and Red Lentil Dhal
Filed under Side Dishes, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian
Louise’s adobo was her own variation of the more traditional adobo made by Louise’s aunt. The Philippines is a large country of many islands and ethnic groups, so what is true for one group may not be true for other groups and islands—this is the way Louise’s family makes adobo. Adobo can be made either wet—simmered submerged in the sauce for hours—or dry—slowly braised, while adding a bit of the sauce at a time. Continue reading
Filed under Main Dishes, Pork, Stews
A few days ago. I made what I thought was Filipino pork adobo—based on a recipe I had tweaked from the internet—and served it to Eilene’s friend from the Philippines. The response I got was disappointing—“…good, but it is not Filipino pork adobo.” Continue reading
Filed under Main Dishes, Pork, Stews
Adapted from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe
I get these emails from Cook’s Illustrated as they put up their videos. This week’s video included a recipe for Cuban Picadillo. I was inspired to make it for this Sunday night’s dinner.
Karl’s Cuban Picadillo
Filed under Beef, Main Dishes, Pork, Stews
Jan’s friend needed a soft soup after her oral surgery and Jan’s family is descending upon us. Blended soups are the order of the day. In addition to Ezo Gelin and Maafe, I will be making another soup I have made before, Avgolemono.
Karl’s Avgolemono Soup II
Greek Egg and Lemon Soup
Filed under Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry, Soups, Stews
Jan’s friend needed a soft soup after her oral surgery and Jan’s family is descending upon us. Blended soups are the order of the day. In addition to Ezo Gelin and Avgolemono, I will be making Maafe. Maafe, at its simplest, is a sauce made with peanuts and tomatoes with onions and sweet potatoes being a frequent additions. After that, the variations for this soup/stew are near endless. Traditionally, this dish is probably served “chunky,” but I will blend it into a smooth creamy soup for people with problems chewing.
Karl’s Maafe II
West African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup
Filed under Main Dishes, Potatoes, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian
Jan has a friend who is getting oral surgery and will have a week where she will not be able to chew. My brother-in-law and his family are also coming to the Bay Area and they all have troubles with their teeth. Soft soups are the order of the day and I decided to make three soups that I have made before: Ezo Gelin, Maafe, and Avgolemono. Half I will give to Jan’s friend as a mitzvah and we will have a soup tasting for the family with the rest.
Karl’s Ezo Gelin Soup II
Filed under Beef, Main Dishes, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian
Adapted from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe
Last week I made a hunter’s chicken. Jan asked for the same again when her old school friends, the aunties, came for Stitches this weekend. I did not want to do the exact same thing, so I made something much closer to a recipe in Cook’s Illustrated this month.
Karl’s Coq au Riesling
Filed under Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry, Stews
Many European countries have some variation of hunter’s chicken: the Italian pollo alla cacciatore, the French poulet chasseur and coq au vin, and the German hühnchen nach jägerart. The general idea of this dish is that you make it with the ingredients that a hunter would have on hand while out in the woods. Many modern versions include tomatoes and are served over pasta.
Karl’s Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter’s Chicken)
Filed under italian, Main Dishes, Poultry, Stews
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 