Garlic

Crushed with the flat of your knife, not chopped. I even prefer the peel - jacket-cooking seems to enhance the flavour of garlic to make it more creamy. Put in hot oil, added to bakes. And of course, definitely not out of bottle - always fresh. :)

Aromatherapy

There are few things cooking for which I dont switch on the kitchen exhaust - like bacon. There is no way I am going to waste even a single molecule of that yumminess when I can have it floating about in my house.... yummmmmmm.

Interesting Article

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1190301982-subph0loA2UsCOwtiMKQMg

Trotter Soup

Serves 2

We need:
1 mutton trotter broken up in three places
3 medium sized onions
Ginger
10 cloves garlic
1 Bunch Coriander preferably with root
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 table spoons Soya Sauce

Procedure:

1. Clean trotter and boil in 2 cups water for about 45 mins in pressure cooker on low flame.

2. Let the cooker cool till it opens on it's own. Add water to the stock in case it has reduced to make it about 3 cups of stock. At this point, you may remove the gelatenous bits off of the bone and discard the bone if you wish. I just let it be in there and discard only dangerous shards. the rest of the bone can yield marrow.

3. Smash about 5 cloves of garlic and add to the stock. But the stock back on the burner and start it again.

4. Peel and slice the onions. Smash the rest of the garlic. In a separate pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and add the chooped onion and garlic. Fry while stirring occasionally till the onion begins to brown. Add this to the stock.

5. Add soya sauce, pepper and salt to the bubbling stock. Clean the coriander with the roots and chop finely including the stalk. Add to the soup. Add about 2 tablespoons of grated or ground ginger.

6. Boil till the onion goes completely mushy and the soup starts to look thicker. The soup is ready.

Chili Con Carne

Chili Con Carne can be made with beef or as in this recipe, mutton (lamb, goat). Basically red meat. This recipe tries to include the goodness of pork in essence by using smoked bacon to impart an interesting dimension to the aroma. (The link is interesting.)

Serves 2-4 (depending on how greedy people get)

We need:
2 fistfuls dry kidney beans (soak them at least 7 hours)
250 gms mutton mince
2 strips smoked bacon (with fat)
5 medium sized onions
3 medium sized tomatoes
7-8 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoon red chilli powder (if using flakes, use 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
tabasco to taste
salt to taste
cooking medium - 3 table spoons vegetable oil

Procedure:
1. Dice onions. Smash the garlic leaving the skin on - big pieces can be cut up roughly after smashing. Cut bacon into small bits about inch long.

2. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pressure cooker (the beans cook faster in a pressure cooker). Add bacon. Let the fat start melting and the meat go slightly red (this is when it startes smelling divine). Add the onions and garlic. Keep stirring till the onion starts to go slightly golden.

3. Add the mince. Mix well. Add the spices and herbs and a dash or more (according to your taste) of tabasco. Fry while stirring regulary to make sure the meat does not stick to the pan.

4. Cut the tomatoes is rough segments and add to the mince once the oil has separated from it. Add salt to taste. Fry till the tomatoes get soft.

5. The mince should be a nice brown by now. At this point, add about 2 and 1/2 cups water cover and leave on high heat till first whistle. Cook for another 45 mins and then leave the cooker to cool.

Serve with brown bread or brown/white rice.

Breakfast - Apple with ham and cheese

Loved this. Try it. :)

Core and cut apple into segments, preferably with the skin on. Tear ham into bits and drape over each segment. Top with chunks of your favourite cheese.


Yummmm-o !!!

Mango Sangria, Apple Sangria

I had a blast making Sangria this weekend with the help of some wonderful friends! (Do follow the link here, it's really interesting. And the one at the end of the write-up.)

Well, these quantities are to make a batch using one bottle of red wine. Makes about 5 glasses.

(The picture's obviously downloaded.)

We need:

1 Bottle red wine (any) (preferably chilled, since this is a summer drink)
1 to one and half cups 7 Up or Sprite
5-7 medium sized limes
6-7 tablespoons sugar
1 fruit: mango/apple

MAKING IT:

1. In a large-ish pot, squeeze the juice of the limes. Make sure you seive the pips.

2. Peel and dice the fruit. Add to the lime.

3. Add the sprite/7 Up and the wine. Add the sugar and stir till it dissolves. Refrigerate for about 10-15 mins (at least; it's best left alone for an hour or so) for the drink to chill and for the fruit flavours to blend with the wine etc. (Actually, the fruits taste much nicer too.)

4. Serve in glasses with thinly sliced lime and ice.

Why you should not order sangria in Spain

Ridged (Loofah) Gourd Stir Fry

This is a yummy Cantonese recipe.

Serves 2

WE NEED:
5 cloves Garlic - chopped/crushed
3 medium-sized ridged gourds
Cooking medium - vegetable oil
Salt
Fish Sauce (totally optional)



PROCEDURE:

1. Clean and scrape the grouds - I prefer not to use a peeler. Scrapping along the length of the vegetable with a knife gets the tough bits out (the rigdes) while leaving a little bit of the softer green skin which is yummy and which helps keep the vegetable juicy.

2. Cut into inch long fingers - cut along the length into quarters and then into inch long pieces.

3. Heat oil in wok or frying pan till it just about begins to smoke. Add garlic. Add the gourd after 2-3 seconds. Keep the heat high, but keep tossing or stirring to avoid burning for the next 7-8 seconds.

4. Add salt and toss - remember that gourd reduces a bit, so go easy. Leave it on high heat for another 4 seconds without stirring or tossing for a little bit of browing. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat a little.

5. Take off the lid - you should see the groud beginning to go soft around the edges - it's done. remember that gourd continues to cook even after you take it off the heat. So it's a good idea to turn it off now. If you want gooey-er, be my guest, leave it on longer. :)

6. OPTIONAL: Dash of fish sauce 3-4 seconds before you take it off the heat.


SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I like to serve it with chilli beef or pork. The gourd serves as a bed to top the chilli beef over.