Taste of the Tropics Stir Fry - A Vacation For Your Tastebuds

I like snow.  I think it's pretty, I think it makes the air smell fresh, and I love making snow angels and snow sculptures.  One of my favorite things to do is walk around the city during a gentle snowfall, and I smile like a doofy kid every time I see fluffy white flakes outside my window.  But after four major snowstorms in the past 30 days and another one on deck for Wednesday, even I am a little burned out on snow.  I've found myself longing for the beach, sunshine, and fresh summer vegetables.  Since I can't bring the feeling of the Cape's sand, the scent of sunscreen, the energy of Fenway Park, or the taste of a burger or hot dog fresh off the grill to this dismal January day, I decided to transport myself to a tropical paradise - well, I transported my tastebuds at least. 

There's not much that tastes more tropical than coconuts, rum, lime juice, and shrimp.  If you could use a sensory break from the winter doldrums, stop into your grocery store and buy what you'll need for this recipe before the milk/toilet paper/batteries crowd shows up, download some Jimmy Buffett or Bob Marley, and use your snow day to whip up this virtual vacation!

Taste of the Tropics Stir Fry

For the stir-fry sauce:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup spiced rum
1 T. red chile flakes
1 t. grated fresh ginger
1 t. Goya Adobo seasoning
generous grind black pepper
1 habanero pepper, quartered (optional)

1 T. coconut oil (can substitute butter or vegetable oil)
1 large shallot, minced
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled
1 jicama, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh coconut, cut into 1/4" strips

Cooked white rice, to serve

Make the stir fry sauce.  If using the habanero, let sit for approximately 30 minutes, then remove the habanero and discard. 

In a large wok or frying pan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat until it melts.  Saute the shallot until it begins to soften.  Now, add the remaining ingredients.  Stir-fry until the shrimp just begin to curl and are firmed up - do not overcook.  Add the stir-fry sauce, toss several times until all the vegetables and shrimp are coated, then remove from heat and serve hot over cooked rice. 

Around the World in Eighty Bites - Poland

If you ask people on the street what their favorite Polish foods are, most will say kielbasa and pierogies.  After all, spicy smoked sausage is pretty good, and so are those little dumplings that seem to be the blond-haired, blue-eyed love child of gnocchi and ravioli.  But there's far more to Polish cooking than kielbasa and pierogies.  Game meats, both freshwater and saltwater fish, hearty grains, and winter vegetables are featured in many Polish recipes, and a little flour, butter, and sugar can make magic with Poland's local fruits and berries. 

Poland shares borders with Germany and Russia, and these two influences can be seen in the frequent use of cabbage, beets, and buckwheat.  But Poland also received a Italian influence in the 16th century when a Polish king married an Italian queen, who brought with her a team of Italian chefs.  Porcini mushrooms, garlic, wine and leeks began cementing their places in the Polish kitchen, and they are still popular ingredients today. 

As a tribute to my readers in Poland, I steered clear of kielbasa and pierogies and decided instead to make Duck with Red Cabbage, a traditional dish that hasn't yet become synonymous with kuchnia polska here in the States.  Unfortunately, my grocery store was completely sold out of duck.  Normally I would have hopped from store to store in search of fresh duck, and I normally would not compromise the integrity of a recipe, but all bets are off during massive ice storms!  I substituted chicken thighs - not the same, but still delicious.

To accompany my Chicken and Red Cabbage, I made a batch of fluffy Potato Dumplings seasoned with garlic and smoked sea salt.  Just before serving, I tossed these in a skillet with some bacon drippings and butter.  Try these recipes for yourself if you want to experience a little taste of Poland on your palate!

Chicken with Red Cabbage

1 T. butter
2 oz. bacon or pancetta, chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
4-6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 head red cabbage, shredded
1 cup dry red wine
1 T. caraway seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.  Add the bacon and cook for several minutes, or until it starts to crisp.  Next, add the onion and cook for about a minute more, stirring occasionally. 

Now, add the chicken.  Brown on both sides, then add the cabbage, red wine, and caraway seeds.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked and the cabbage has softened up a bit.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with potato dumplings. 





Potato Dumplings

2 pounds potatoes, peeled
1 egg, beaten
1 T. smoked sea slat
1 T. garlic powder
1/4 cup flour, plus more for dusting

1 T. bacon drippings
1 T. butter

Cook 1 pound of the potatoes in boiling water until tender.  Mash, set aside to cool.  Grate the other pound of potatoes using the large holes of a box grater.  Squeeze any excess moisture from the grated raw potato.  In a large bowl, combine the mashed potato, grated potato, egg, salt, garlic, and 1/4 cup flour.  Mix well. 

Using your hands, form the potato mix into loosely packed balls the size of golf balls.  Working in batches, drop several at a time into salted boiling water and cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until they begin to float to the survace.  Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside on a plate. 

Once the dumplings are all cooked, melt the bacon drippings and butter in a large frying pan.  Add the dumplings and toss for a minute or so to coat.  Serve hot with Chicken and Red Cabbage.

Last Call Cuisine

Several days ago, Eater.com featured chef/author/TV personality Anthony Bourdain discussing his favorite 10-second drunk/hungover meals (view video here).  Besides proving that great minds think alike, this short video clip left me wistfully reminiscing over a long-forgotten career plan I developed during my final year of college over pitchers and nachos at Conors:  a late-night cooking show strategically aired 30 minutes after last call named "Drunken Dining for the S#!+faced Chef," wherein I, the host, would whip up yummy recipes that required neither open flames nor cutlery.  Obviously, my career path has shifted and my vision never came into fruition, but because the urge to chow down after a night of drinking is pretty universal, I'll revisit the topic.

So what would I have cooked had I gone through with the creation of this television show?  Well, that's part of the reason I never went forward in the pursuit of this path - I felt that the microwave stifled my creativity.  However, I have several tricks up my sleeve.  Change into pajamas, turn on some MXC reruns, and enjoy one of these tasty, filling, and safe-to-prepare snacks! 

• Oriental-flavored ramen noodles seasoned with a ton of crushed red chiles and about half a stick of butter.  Sodium, schmodium! 
• Toast topped with roast beef deli slices, roasted red peppers from the jar, and warmed Classico Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo.  Makes an easy open-faced sandwich! 
• Leftover cooked pasta combined with pesto sauce, bocconcini mozzarella, and bacon bits - heat in the microwave for a minute or two just to melt the mozzarella. 
• Easy Mac with a spoonful of chipotle salsa and a dollop of sour cream. 

Now it's time to get interactive - do any of you have any go-to snacks that can be prepared without using the stove and/or knives?  If so, feel free to share and discuss!

Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Champagne Cream

If I have even the slightest extrasensory perception, I'm probably picking up on someone thinking, "Gee, that would have been a great New Years Eve recipe, why wait until January 10 to post it?!?!?"  Well, kiddos, there's a method behind the madness.  This was a great NYE recipe.  However, NYE meant parties, which meant waking up on January 1 and not wanting to even type the word "champagne" until December 31. 

Now that I'm feeling much, much better, it's time to post this fantastic recipe featuring farfalle ("bowties" to the lay person) bathed in a rich cream sauce laced with luxurious champagne and smoked salmon and dotted with caviar.  Sure, you can make your own cream sauce, but when I made this, I simply used Classico brand Alfredo.  If you cannot find Classico, use a top-quality brand that is not loaded with preservatives and artificial flavorings.  This dish is sure to impress! 

Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Champagne Cream

1 lb. dried farfalle
1 jar Classico Alfredo
1/2 cup champagne
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 T. capers
dash cayenne pepper
generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper
4 oz. smoked salmon, sliced into thin strips
1 jar caviar (no need to go expensive, lumpfish works well)

Cook the pasta.  In the meantime, combine the Alfredo, champagne, peas, capers, cayenne, and pepper in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to bubble slightly. 

Add the cooked farfalle to the saucepan.  Stir to combine until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.  Now, add the smoked salmon.  Stir just until combined, then serve immediately, garnishing with a spoonful of caviar.  Enjoy!!!

Ingredient Spotlight - Thai Eggplant

What is Thai Eggplant?  From what I determined, it's a cuter version of common purple eggplant!

I stumbled across a bag of Thai Eggplant in the produce department of my grocery store. Each no larger than a tangerine, some as small as a golf ball, these shamrock green spheres speckled with white aroused my curiosity. Do they they taste any different from regular eggplant? Is their texture the same? What color is the flesh inside?  I stopped staring at them and threw them into my basket, mentally shuffling my shopping list to include the ingredients for a traditional Thai green curry with beef.

While slicing the Thai Eggplant, I noticed that they contained more seeds than regular purple eggplant. This could be due to their small size. The flavor is exactly the same as purple eggplant, and so is the texture. My conclusion? Unless you want to add visual interest to a dish, there is no need to seek out these eggplants when you could simply use the easier to locate and easier to prepare common purple eggplant. That being said, here is the recipe I created with my Thai Eggplant.

Thai Eggplants in Beef Curry

1 T. coconut oil (can substitute vegetable oil)
1 lb. beef sirloin, sliced into 1/4" strips (also known as "stir-fry beef")
1 shallot or small onion, minced
2 lb. Thai eggplants, quartered or cut into eighths (or substitute diced purple eggplant)
1 can coconut milk
1t - 2T. Thai green curry paste (depends on how spicy you like it)
1t. grated fresh ginger
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. fish sauce
black pepper to taste
generous handful shredded basil leaves
red chile flakes (optional)

cooked rice noodles

Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. When heated through, add the beef strips and brown for 2-3 minutes. Add the shallot or onion and saute for another minute or so, or until the shallot is translucent. Now, add the eggplant and stir a few times to combine.

Add the coconut milk, curry paste, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, and pepper. Stir to combine, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the eggplant has softened and the sauce has thickened up a bit.

Spoon the curry over cooked rice noodles, and garnish each dish with shredded basil, and chile flakes if you prefer a little extra heat.

"21st Century" Food Safety Bill - May I Read The Fine Print?

This morning, I read that the President is set to sign a bill that promises to bring our food regulatory networks into the "21st Century" and improve food safety in the U.S.  Like Brett Favre announcing his retirement, I'm throwing this one in the "I'll believe it when I see it" file.

Do I think that our food supply is safe?  Well, I don't suffer panic attacks at the thought of a trip to the grocery store.  In general, I think most of the food approved for sale is safe to eat, but I also believe it could be safer.  Today's news article states, "The new law would not extend to meat, poultry or processed eggs" (click here to read full article).  According to a CDC info sheet, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. Coli are the three most common causes of foodborne illnesses in the United States.  Common sources of these creepy cooties?  If you guessed, "What are meat, poultry, and eggs?" you just won the Daily Double!

How far have we come since 1906, the year Upton Sinclair's expose novel "The Jungle" was published?  Just read Dr. Michael Greger's 2006 book "Bird Flu:  A Virus Of Our Own Hatching" to find out. Dr. Greger descriptively (and sometimes humorously) outlines the shortcomings of our food regulatory agencies and protocols, and he describes in graphic detail some of the questionable practices of the poultry industry (the full text of his book is available online here).  I compared the two works, ironically published exactly 100 years apart, and I am not convinced that the differences between industry standards in the 20th and 21st centuries are very significant. 

One of the reasons I write this blog is to celebrate "culinary adventures."  I do not consider eating potentially contaminated food to be an "adventure."  While most smart producers recognize that selling a product that is 100% safe is essential to a healthy bottom line, some unscrupulous producers will quiver at the thought of required transparency, yet they will be permitted to continue doing business and selling to American consumers.  By exempting meat and poultry producers from the new accountability standards, our government fails to effectively protect us.