Cooking for a Cause

The food I cook, the posts I write, and the general tone of this site is intended to be a celebration, a gastronomic gala, a tip of the hat to unapologetic hedonism.  And that is fine - this isn't a newspaper, and it isn't a political forum.  However, I would be remiss if I did not mention this week's tragedy in Japan.  We can definitely put down our forks, knives, and wine goblets for a moment and acknowledge that people are suffering.  As human beings, one of our more appealing qualities is our compassion, our instinctive drive to alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters.  So I write this post today with a bit more purpose than usual.  Enjoy the photos, enjoy the recipes, but don't stop there.  Starting tonight, for every re-post or re-tweet, I will donate 50 cents to the Red Cross's relief efforts in Japan.* 

tamarind pods

When I came up with this idea, the devastation was still unfolding and nobody knew who would be affected.  Because this site has readers in at least 10 Pacific Rim countries, I decided to make this weekend's recipes using ingredients native to areas that either were, or could have been, affected by this tragedy.  My readers mean the world to me, and if I can cook for a cause and do something to help, I will gladly do so.  With that, I bring you two recipes - Marinated Salmon with Coconut, and Spiced Beef with Tamarind. 

If you live in a city with a great supermarket and/or a large Asian/Pacific Islander population, most of the ingredients I use should be fairly easy to locate.  If you cannot find tamarind pods, you can buy whole tamarind pods online, or you can substitute prepared tamarind pulp.  If you cannot find serrano chiles, 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes is pretty close to the heat level of one serrano chile. 


Marinated Salmon with Coconut

1 lb. very fresh salmon, sliced into 1/3" strips
juice of 2 limes
1 T. fresh ginger, grated or very finely minced
1-2 shallots, sliced thin
1 serrano chile, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
2/3 c. coconut milk
splash sesame oil
salt and cracked black peppercorns

In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine all ingredients except the coconut milk, sesame oil, salt and pepper.  Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Once the dish has chilled for at least two hours and the salmon looks "cooked" due to the lime juice, add the coconut milk, sesame oil, salt and pepper.  Toss and serve.  A few extra chile slices or a lime wedge would make a nice garnish. 


Spiced Beef with Tamarind

4 oz. tamarind pods (or substitute 2 T. tamarind paste)
1 T. coconut oil
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 shallots, minced
2 serrano chiles (red or green), minced
2 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 lb. beef sirloin, sliced into thin strips
1/4" light rum
1 cup coconut milk
splash sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
cooked rice (when you cook the rice, add a cinnamon stick to the water for additional flavor)
ground cinnamon, for garnish


If you are using fresh tamarind, the pulp must first be extracted from the pods.  This is not a difficult process, but it does take a bit of time and effort and produces a product far superior to the concentrated paste you'll find in jars. 

In the photo collage below, from left to right, you'll see the result of each of the numbered steps below:

1)  Remove the papery husk from each pod.  This will give you a sticky fruit that bears the shape of what you'd see after walking a 25-35 pound dog. 
2)  Remove the fibrous veins from the pods.  These fibers look frighteningly like centipedes. 
3)  Pour boiling water over the prepared pods.  Let soak for 20-30 minutes, or until the pulp is softened and looks even more like dog crap. 
4)  Using a wide-meshed strainer, drain the soaked tamarind pods.  Discard the water.  Holding the strainer over a bowl, press the pods into the mesh using a large spoon.  The seeds should pop out; they look kind of like black chicklets.  Discard the seeds.
5)  Continue to press the pulp through the mesh until all the soft pulp has been extracted.  Any pulp that comes through the mesh but does not drop into the bowl can be scraped off the outside of the strainer with your spoon. 

Once you've extracted the tamarind pulp, set aside and continue with the recipe. 

Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan until it has melted.  Next, add the cinnamon stick, shallots, chiles, and ginger.  Cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently, then add the beef strips.  Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the beef is mostly brown on the outside. 

Next, add the rum and the reserved tamarind pulp.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the tamarind pulp is completely blended with the rum.  Now, add the coconut milk, sesame oil, salt, and pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and the coconut milk begins to bubble.  Remove from heat, and remove the cinnamon stick. 

To serve, fill a greased measuring cup with cooked rice.  Invert the cup in the middle of a bowl or plate.  Spoon the beef and its sauce around the inverted rice mold, then sprinkle the rice with a dusting of ground cinnamon. 

*  Because money doesn't grow on trees, this is not without limits - but I'm going to do what I can!