A Summer Minestrone

The garden is really beginning to get going. The summer squashes are threatening to overwhelm if not picked on a regular basis, the corn is as high as a well... you know, and the peas and green beans have produced their first flush. A pefect time to make a summer minestrone.

A Summer Minestrone

Ingredients
1 medium-large zucchini (about 8")
1 medium summer squash (crook or straight-neck - about 6")
4 leeks, sliced (whites and light green only)
1 sweet onion, diced
1 sprig each fresh thyme, oregano, marjoram, and savory
¼ C fresh Genovese basil
¼ C fresh Italian parsley
4 cloves fresh garlic , coarsely chopped
½ cup white wine (such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
1 cup chicken consomme
3 cups water
1 large can crushed tomatoes
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp coarsely crushed black pepper

Directions

1. Add onions, leeks and garlic to a stock pot with about 3 tbs olive oil and sautee until translucent but not browned (about 5 mins. over medium heat).
2. Meanwhile, cut zucchini and summer squash into spears, then into 1" triangles. Once the onions are translucent, add the squash to the mix and sautee about 3 mins.
3. Add wine and bring to a boil for 3-5 mins. then add chicken stock, water, tomatoes, the remaining salt & pepper and sugar.
   
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins. or until squash is tender but not mushy.
5. Turn off the heat, then stir in herbs and lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, sugar and acidity.
   
6. This is best if the flavours are allowed to mingle overnight in the refrigerator, but it can be served immediately, or held until ready and reheated just before serving.

Carnival of the Recipes #44

The Carnival of the Recipes #44 is up, hosted by Michele at Meanderings.

As always, oodles of tasty recipes for your cooking pleasure!

Chili Cookoff

After a langorous day spent working from home, laptop in... well, lap, reclined on my sofa coding like the good monkey I am, the evening brought a bit of coolness and with the setting sun, a longing for the warmth of a good bowl of chili.

I'm not from Texas, but I'll admit to taking inspiration from the "original" Texas-style chili. While I'm prone to adding vegetables such as celery (and even the occasional carrot) to my stock, and am divided over the issue of tomatoes, I feel that the dish can stand a bit of variation. The chili I cooked up today is a fair representation of my signature recipe... optional ingredients can be added or subtracted at will.

I like to use a combination of beef and pork, as well as a fair sampling of different types of chiles to add depth to the dish. If there's beef stock on hand, I'll use that for additional flavor, but if not, a bit of Worschestershire sauce usually suffices. Herbs include whatever is currently in my garden, which in the summer is quite a handful. Like so many other dishes I cook (especially liquid dishes,) I'm going for a blend of the sweet, salty, sour, spicy, and bitter.

The ingredient list is quite daunting, but well worth the while. If you're lazy (like me) it is probably best to double or triple this batch and freeze the leftovers for later use.

Chile con Carne

Ingredients

1 lb. ground chuck
½ lb. lean ground pork
3 tbs olive oil
2 sweet onions, diced
8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, split and sliced
¼ cup fresh herbs (oregano, marjoram, savory, thyme, basil, sage, cilantro)
12 chiles (I used 3 New Mexico, 3 California, 4 ancho/pasilla, and 2 chipotle)
6 sun/ovendried tomatoes
2 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp celery seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
½" cinnamon stick
1 tbs cocoa powder
¼ cup Worschestershire sauce
½ cup dry Marsala wine (my secret ingedient)
4 plum tomatoes, diced
juice of 1 lime
2 tbs molasses (or 1 tsp brown sugar)
2 bottles beer (lager or light ale)
½ cup pinto beans
½ cup small red kidney beans
2-3 tbs salt

Directions

1. Soak the beans overnight, or in boiling water for 1 hour. Simmer in salted water for 45 mins. or until just tender.
2. Unless you like a really hot chili, seed the dried chile pods thouroughly, then soak in water just off the boil for 20 mins.
3. Prepare a chile paste in a food processor together with the sundried tomatoes, garlic, spices, and half the herbs.
4. Meanwhile, add olive oil, onion, celery, and a bit of salt to a soup pot over medium-high heat and sweat about 5 mins.
5. Add meat and brown approx. 10 mins.
6. Add beer, Worschestershire, molasses, cinnamon, bay leaves, and Marsala wine, and simmer 5 mins.
7. Add chile paste and tomatoes, and simmer, uncovered for 30 mins.
8. Add beans and lime juice, and adjust salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
9. Serve over basmati rice, or in a bowl with saltine crackers, cheddar cheese, diced onions, and minced herbs.

Thai Pork Salad (Larb Moo)

Thai cuisine as it is most often proffered here in the States seems to be composed mostly of soupy curries in rainbow hues -- redolent in their coconut milk and spices -- and of the old standby Tom Yum Goong, a lemongrass and galangal flavored broth with shrimp and lime leaves. Alas, good those these dishes no doubt are, Thai restaurants do themselves a disservice (in much the same way as American "Chinese" restaurants) by not offering up a larger array of dishes from such a complex and aromatic cuisine.

Having spent close to 6 years in Southeast Asia, I often crave the sort of food that could commonly be had for less than $1 on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, or Bangkok. Fortunately, I have access to the very best source for authentic recipes in existence -- my housekeeper Nong. While Nong is not a gourmet cook, and should be let near the kitchen only with supervision, when she keeps it simple she can produce Bangkok street food par excellence. I try to tinker with her recipes very little... the tastes are simple, yet sublime, and impart the quintessence of Thai cuisine -- a marriage of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy that explodes on the taste buds and causes a gentle sweat.

Thai Pork Salad (Larb Moo)

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground or minced pork
4 tbs Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
2 tbs roasted rice powder*
1 tbs roasted chili flakes (for three star hot -- more or less to taste)
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp palm sugar (substitute brown if you can't find palm)
3-4 spigs fresh spearmint, chopped
2-3 shallots (Thai red shallots are best, but French shallots or even red onion will do in a pinch), thinly sliced
½" galangal**, minced (optional)
2 small Thai chillies (Prik Kee Noo), thinly sliced (optional)
2 Kaffir lime leaves, jullianed (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the ground pork for approx. 5 mins.
2. Meanwhile, chop and add the rest of the ingredients to a bowl, mixing with a whisk to get all the flavors good and happy.
3. Strain the pork, toss with the dressing, and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

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* To make roasted rice powder, take about a ¼ cup of uncooked rice and heat it in a dry pan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Once the rice has turned toasty brown, blend in a food processor or mortar and pestle into a coarse powder.

** Galangal is sometimes referred to as blue ginger. It can be substituted with young fresh ginger, but the taste is quite different. Look for galangal, along with Thai chillies, authentic jasmine rice, palm sugar, and fish sauce in your local Asian market, or in better supermarkets (though you'll probably pay more for less).

Carnival of the Recipes #43

Yes, the Carnival is up, delivered with amazing attention to detail by Songtress over at News from the Great Beyond.

Amazing work, and some really amazing recipes!

Campfire Cooking -- Kebab Style

Ah camping... it puts me in mind of eggs and bacon cooked over a Coleman stove, of cheap hotdogs roasted on sticks, of gooey smores and cans of pork n' beans.

Alas, I've grown up some since I last went camping, and the thought of subsisting on pork parts just isn't as appetizing as it might have once been (I was young, mmmkay?) So, for this particular trek into the wilderness, I've decided that a bit more upscale fare could certainly be purveyed... and right easily at that.

To wit: kebabs. Those sticks of meat and veg that marry so well with the campfire to provide cuisine even an Eagle Scout would envy. To mark this momentous occasion, I've put together a little East-West marinade to spice it up a bit:

A Marinade for Campfire Kebabs

Ingredients
1 sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
c. 12 curry leaves
2 sprigs each, sweet marjoram, thyme, oregano, and summer savory
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs sea salt
12 black peppercorns
1" ginger, peeled and sliced
2 bay leaves
2 tbs brown sugar
juice of 4 limes
2 tbs cider vinegar
1 heaping tbs tandoori spice
½ cup water
½ cup soy sauce

Directions

1. In a food processor blend, herbs, curry leaves, black pepper, salt, sugar, garlic, onion, ginger, olive oil, and tandoori powder to a pastelike consistency.
2. Mix paste with vinegar, water, and lime juice.
3. Taste and adjust... once again, we're looking for a good balance of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy.
4. Place skewered kebabs in a gallon Ziploc bag and pour the marinade in. Zip and remove as much air as possible.
5. Refrigerate until ready to use... at least one hour, but preferably overnight.

For the kebabs themselves, take some bamboo skewers and soak them in water for about an hour. Once waterlogged, thread meat and vegetables in alternating rows. I'm partial to meat, onion, mushroom, meat, pepper, tomato, meat... which is a pretty full kebab. Marinate the whole thing... you want the flavour to penetrate into every pore.

Cooking is as simple as adding fire. If you're roughing it (like I'll be,) I'd suggest a fish basket of some sort to hold the kebabs in place while turning over the campfire. If you're just at home grilling, remember that medium rare is probably no more than 5 minutes on each side over medium heat. Don't worry if the olive oil drips and they catch on fire... it's just a little more flavah.

Veal Loin Chops Marsala

When I ran into Veal Loin Chops for half-price at Harris Teeter just the other week, it was clear to me what was in store for dinner. Veal is an awesome meat that is eaten far less in the US than in Europe, probably due to the fact that we have some innate sensibilities that prevent us from slaughtering and eating cute little baby cows with big eyelashes. Or (perhaps more likely) it could have something to do with the fact that the beef industry in America is huge. America is one of the biggest consumers of beef per capita, although recent "health" trends have skewed those numbers towards turkey and chicken. The fact remains, however, that with so much beef cheaply available, veal is bound to take second place -- which is a shame.

Veal brings a certain taste wholly unlike adult beef to the table, a tenderness and milky quality that is arguably unparalleled. It is a taste that is easily overwhelmed, but one that marries extremely well with Marsala wine, a fortified wine from the city of Marsala in Silicy, Italy. Marsala is aged (like Sherry) in soleras. Like sherry, it is a fortified wine with a dry, woody character. In sauces, it reduces to a syrup that blends the sweetness of the grape with an earthy undertone. In short, a perfect match for a creamy cut of young cow.

Marsala Sauce (a la Geek Can Cook)

Ingredients

4 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet Spanish or Vidalia onion, diced
1 cup button or crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup fresh herbs (such as marjoram, oregano, thyme, savory, parsley, and basil), chopped
1 cup Dry Marsala Wine
½ cup veal broth
1 tsp white flour
salt and fresh black pepper

Directions

1. Melt butter and olive oil in a saucepan over med-high heat.
2. Add onions, and sautee until just soft, but not brown (about 5 mins.)
3. Add garlic, salt and pepper, and sautee another 2 minutes.
4. Add Marsala and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 mins., or until the wine has reduced to a syrupy consistency.
5. Add flour, and sautee 2 mins. to thicken.
6. Add veal broth (or if veal broth is not available, substitute water with 3 tbs Worschestershire sauce mixed in) and bring to a boil.
7. Add herbs and simmer 5 mins.
8. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
   

Inaugural

After some time at LiveJournal, it seems that the cooking section of my blog -- food entries, recipes, and the like -- has grown to the point where it veritably demands separate treatment. This blog is a means to that end.

Geek Can Cook shall endeavour to chronicle my escapades in culinary art, as well as providing some history and other geekery around various food items and preparations.

In the words of the immortally campy Chairman Kaga of Iron Chef fame:

Allez Cuisine!