Culinaria: recipes, memories ...

Post by **Kvetch** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 6:36 pm

I can't help much in this kind of thing, but as a vegetarian much of my food is bean based. One nice way of serving the stuff is in a white sauce enlivened with leek and onion. Suprisingly nice for a simple dish, but you do need something to give it more body (we usually use it as a sort of sauce for rice).
I dunno if 'beans' includes all pulses, but if it does, there is nothing like lentil soup (we call it Dhal, but I'm not sure if there is an exact correspondance between what we eat and what the world recognises as Dhal...)
Considering the way my dad cooks I can't provide recipies, but I can provide an outline if you are interested.

Aunflin · Post by **Aunflin** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 6:43 pm

An outline would be lovely--that's how my recipes (the ones I make up) are anyway, mere outlines: basically a list of ingredients...and if you know what your doing you can figure it out.

I'm interested in vegetarian cooking (though I'm not a vegetarian myself), but several of the doctors of the hospital I cook at are and I need to learn more--to keep the bitching at bay...

tollbaby · Post by **tollbaby** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:31 pm

I have about a dozen good vegetarian cookbooks.... I'll try to get them entered into the database. The Complete Vegetarian is my current favorite, and I love Vegetarian Times magazine!

(no, I'm not vegetarian anymore.... I'd like to go back to it though...)

Aunflin · Post by **Aunflin** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:41 pm

I just look at the teeth of humans: we're omnivorous. If we were supposed to be vegetarians, our teeth would have been designed differently, as would out digestive tract...

mccormack44 · Post by **mccormack44** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 11:55 pm

Aunflin and Kvetch

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'll copy them off tomorrow and start to work on them. I couldn't think what to do, and these ideas will get me started. I don't mind winging it, but I needed a direction for starting.

Yes, I have consulted with a dietician, and know our limitations pretty well; there really aren't a great many, but it's important to our health to pay attention to them.

And we're not vegetarians, but I try to have at least one vegetarian meal a week because it's good for our health to get away from meat from time to time. Also, we need more fiber in our diet and the beans are rich in both types of dietary fiber.

And yes, I use "beans" as a shorthand for all the pulses; lentils are very high in the nutrients my dietician has told me to reach for, and Bob and I like them a lot; so they're often in the dishes I try.

Sue

Post by **Kvetch** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 5:35 am

Aunflin wrote:An outline would be lovely--that's how my recipes (the ones I make up) are anyway, mere outlines: basically a list of ingredients...and if you know what your doing you can figure it out.

I'll have a go ... (I just need to go and observe a meal in progress first

)

Post by **Darb** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 8:41 am

mccormack44 wrote:QUERY:

In an effort to better control my diabetes through diet, I've been exploring dried bean recipes as found in my cookbooks. A very large number of them use tomatoes; a no-no in our household, because we are both sensitive to them.

I know I can just omit them, BUT tomatoes tend to help tenderize food, and they add to the flavor. So can anyone think of a substitute for tomatoes?

Would buttermilk work? I hope I wouldn't need soda, as one does in baked goods; baking soda destroys vitamins in vegetable dishes. But I think it's just part of the leavening in baked goods, which wouldn't apply to casseroles.

Sue

Beans and Lentils are often recommended by dieticians for diabetics because they're a complex carbohydrate and thus have a low glycemic index.

Yes, a lot of bean dishes tend to include tomatoes (my favorite), but not all do. There are 2 major cuisines that include a lot of beans and lentils. Mexican includes a lot of the former, and Indian includes a lot of the latter. Of the two, I've found lentils to be more taste friendly, culinarily flexible, and more easily digested.

Yamuna Devi's book includes many lentil (dhal) based recipes, across a broad range of flavors ... but to take full advantage of them you'll need to have a fairly well stocked spice rack and a source of various types of lentils. The latter goes without saying, but not everyone has the former. I'm fortunate to have both.

Camelia Panjabi's book has a few nice recipes (I like her recipes for green dhal with spinach), but Devi's book is far more exhaustive ... although not as visually friendly.

Post by **Darb** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 8:44 am

Here's my recipe for hummus ... chickpeas have a very low glycemic index and are therefore diabetes friendly.

Brad's 3 Pepper Hummus:

Comments: This recipe is quick, easy & costs only 1/3 the price of a commercially pre-made dip. It goes well with tortilla chips, toasted papadams, toasted nan, or burrito wraps. The 3 peppers & garlic add a subtle warmth & spiciness. The default heat level is "mild" - it can be easily scaled up or down to taste.

Origin: I reverse engineered it from commercial versions, but substituted cashews for sesame tahini.

Batch Size: A "Batch x1" makes about 2.5 cups - which comfortably serves as dip for 4-6 people.

Batch x1 Ingredients
1/3 cup Unsalted Cashews, pre-toasted (subst: sesame-tahini)
15 oz can Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas), drained (reserve the liquid, if desired)
3+ tbs Sesame Oil, Dark
1-1.5 med Lemons, freshly juiced
1 med Garlic Clove, peeled (subst: Â¾ tsp Garlic paste)
Â¾ tsp Coriander Seed, ground
Â½ tsp Cumin Seed, ground
Â¼ tsp Black Pepper, ground
Â¼ tsp White Pepper, ground
1/16 tsp Cayenne Pepper, ground (note: 1 med pepper = Â¼ tsp, ground)
(to taste) Salt & extra lemon juice (to taste)
1 tbs Fresh Cilantro, chopped fine

Directions:
1. NUTS: Almost any variety of fresh mild nuts will work (ex: almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc), but toasted cashews, without skins or bitters, yeild the best results (bitters & skins add a murky/bitter flavor). Grind nuts into a fine meal in a large (7+ cups) sturdy food processor & set aside. If using Tahini instead of nuts, omit the oil indicated above. Do NOT try to use commercial peanut butter in this recipe unless it is completely unsweetened.
2. BEANS & HERBS: Next, add the drained chickpeas, along with cold water, plus the oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and the ground nuts (or tahini) to the food processor.
3. SPICES: If you like to use freshly ground whole spices, then prep them as follows: briefly dry toast them (in a tiny skillet) over medium heat until aromatic, then let cool & grind them fine. Pre-ground spices will do in a pinch. After grinding, add the spices to all the other ingredients in the food processor.
4. BLEND: Blend for a FULL 4-6 minutes - the longer you blend it, the creamier it gets. It won't be as smooth as commercially made hummus, but it'll help. Adjust acidity & salt to taste. If necessary, reduce thickness by adding a little more water or some of the reserved garbanzo liquid (discard remainder). The ideal thickness seems to be that of soft ice cream - you want it loose enough that it can be scooped up with a tortilla chip, but not so firm that it breaks the chip. Remember that the dip will thicken slightly if chilled.
5. TIPS: (a) If any minced veggies or herbs are added whose texture you want to remain recognizeable, chop them very fine & add them at the very end so that they donâ€™t disappear due to overblending. (b) Freshly roasted garlic cloves also go very well in this dip. (c) The spice profile can be entirely customized to taste. (d) For extra richness and creaminess, increase the oil and/or add a small dollup of sour cream or creme fraiche at the very end of blending.
6. VARIANTS:
Â· ROASTED PEPPER HUMMUS: Same as above but with following changes ... rinse & drain chick peas, and discard liquid (you'll be using roasted pepper liquid instead). Roast, cool & deseed a red bell pepper - or open a jar of red peppers. Grind in Â½ of a large roasted red bell pepper, plus enough of the pepper liquid to emulsify the dip. Add Â¼ tsp of paprika to the spice blend. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Â· WHITE BEANS & ROASTED GARLIC: Substitute cannelini beans for half the chickpeas, add some roasted garlic, and adjust seasonings and acidity to taste.
Â· BABA GANUSH (Eggplant): Roast, de-skin & let drain in strainer for 30 mins, discarding liquid. Puree pulp with garlic, salt, lemon juice, tahini, and a tiny amount of honey.

Aunflin · Post by **Aunflin** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:21 pm

Not that this has anything to do with food, but Brad's hummus recipe reminded me that Cicero [the cognomen or surname of the great Roman orator and statesman] means "chickpea" in Latin.

Post by **Darb** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:21 pm

Aunflin: I tried the English curry powder recipe I posted on the previous page.

* First of a ll, a correction - the recipe, if I recall, makes 8-10 tsp, rather than 10-12, so it's roughly 1/2 - 2/3 a standard spice bottle.

* The flavor's a tad off ... when I figure out why, I'll post a correction. The fact that I substituted bay for curry leaf is probably part, but not all, of it. As is, it tastes a bit too much like regular sambar powder.

Post by **Kvetch** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:25 pm

Not enough garlic in the hummous.

What is the effect on the taste/texture of swapping cashews for tahini?

Aunflin · Post by **Aunflin** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:29 pm

Well, kvetch, just add more garlic!

And as for the difference between the cashews and tahini...I've only used the tahini, so I have no real idea...

Post by **Darb** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:37 pm

Kvetch wrote:Not enough garlic in the hummous.

What is the effect on the taste/texture of swapping cashews for tahini?

As with all recipes, you start with a basic one, and then adjust it to your personal preference. In this case, 1 clove of raw garlic in 2.5 cups of hummus seems about right to me ... if the garlic were roasted, it could take a LOT more - but doing so changes the recipe from "3 pepper hummus" to "roasted garlic hummus". In any case, when it comes to raw garlic, a little goes a long way. Personally, I'm with you - I like more garlic, but my wife cant eat it at all, so I usualy omit it when I make it for her.

As for cashews ... grinding your own cashews into meal before adding all the other ingredients, and then re-grinding it for 5 mins results in a hummus that a tad more gritty and less smooth than with tahini ... but commercial grinders are always going to give you a somewhat smoother product. Tahini is expensive, separates, and has to re-mixed before you can use it, which is annoying. I like the texture of 100% tahini slightly better, but cashews are cheap at the local indo-pak markets near me (under $1/lb), and making this whenever I want is easy and inexpensive. I can also correct for the flavor difference with the dark sesame oil that you see in the recipe. If you like that component, add more to taste.

Post by **Darb** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:47 pm

I've only used the tahini, so I have no real idea

Pardon the pun, but take a leap of faith and give it a whirl (a food processor whirl that is).

Remember - grind for a full 5 minutes.

Aunflin · Post by **Aunflin** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:59 pm

Will do, boss...

Post by **Darb** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 2:48 pm

Anyone planning anything good for July 4th ?

Post by **Kvetch** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 3:34 pm

I'm getting the black flags of mourning out...

The answer is no.

Post by **Darb** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 3:39 pm

Well, that was helpful.

Anyone else ?

We're talking THE PRIMARY BBQing day for America here.

Aunflin · Post by **Aunflin** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:19 pm

I actually have no plans other than relaxing, since the 4th is one of the few days I'm NOT working in July... I dunno what I'll do. MY roommate friends from Long Island are coming in on Saturday...so I might be doing some BBQing on the fourth...but I might go to my friend Steve's house so we can make more music--which is quite fun, though neither of us can sing with any great ability...

Post by **Darb** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:31 pm

I'm having a mixed crowd on the forth, plus small children, so I cant do anything too culinarily challenging this weekend ... but I will make it a point to do EVERYTHING on the grill, just to make it fun.

/me brainstorms ...

* Grilled quesedilla bar (I use a bartender's condiment tray for various fillings, and make them to order)
* Grilled pappadams
* Chips with Grilled Dips (Grilled Salsa, Grilled Guac, Curried Grilled Eggplant dip)
* Grilled seafood apps (shrimp, clams in the shell, etc)
* Grilled corn
* Grilled marinated asparagus & carrots
* Grilled marinated pork chops ... and perhaps some grilled peaches
* Grilled dessert (probably something in a foil pouch)

Post by **Darb** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:39 pm

I already told my more hardcore chow hound friends that I'll probably be doing a seafood-themed party sometime later in the month. We'll be doing some more challenging fare for that. Everyone will take turns making/serving a signature dish

Some ideas:
* Blueclaw jimmies wok'd in a tequila based sauce, or fried crab fritters.
* Grilled tuna 'cheek' meat (my sushi chef friend buys whole tuna, and stores it in a hyperfreezer, at his restaurant)
* Ceviche
* Plank Salmon
* Assorted homecured gravlax canapes
* Seared jumbo scallops w/remoulade
* Fried seafood goyoza (homemade - they freeze well)
* Fresh oysters
* Seafood salad w/crostini (one of my specialties)

Aunflin · Post by **Aunflin** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:47 pm

:drool:

When is this, Brad? Sounds like a fun time.

Post by **Darb** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:50 pm

No clue yet. We'll play it by ear, based on the weather and who's available when.

mccormack44 · Post by **mccormack44** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:31 pm

No, no home cooking for the 4th. And no grilling ever, because my husband says no and there's no real reason to go against him on this.

He works July 4, a regular workday for him, but it will be a heavy duty one, as he works at a convenience store which is more or less exactly halfway between St. Louis on Highway 40 (as it was BEFORE I70) and a smidgeon closer to Kansas City as I70 now runs.

As he works the 2 to 10 shift, he'll deal with all the weekend returnees who need gas/refreshments before getting home, and also all the truck drivers who are doing the usual Sunday run on Monday evening. NOT conducive to celebration.

We ARE having a family get together on either Saturday or Sunday, but, since it involves helping us put up new window hardware and new tab curtains, we'll go to a restaurant (as yet unchosen) for our meal. This actually is more of a delayed Father's Day than an early 4th, but of course it will combine both.

Sue

Post by **laurie** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 9:59 pm

Kvetch wrote:I'm getting the black flags of mourning out...

ROFLMAO

But why? Aren't you glad to be well rid of us?

As for celebrations, my niece's High School graduation was last Sunday, and her parent's are having a party for her on the 3rd, so I'll probably be eating some grilled chicken and/or ribs (my brother's favorites) at that.