Thursday, July 3, 2008

APPLE SAUCE NOODLE KUGEL

Apple Sauce Noodle Kugel
[Variation on a recipe that was an edible snark on a different blog.]



Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/10/apple-sauce-noodle-kugel.html


8 oz. broad noodles.
4 eggs, slightly beaten.
Half a cup sugar.
Half cup raisins.
Two cups (1 pint) sour cream (smetana).
Two cups (16 fl.oz) applesauce.
Half tsp cinnamon powder.
Half tsp salt.
Quarter tsp dry ginger.
Quarter tsp ground cardamom.
A little lemon zest.
Butter.




Cook and drain the noodles.
Klits the eggs, apple sauce, sour cream, raisins, and sugar together, then add the noodles and mix. Dot with butter in greased 8x8-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 60 minutes.

BOTERKOEK

BOTERKOEK
[Moist butter shortbread or cake.]


Orignially posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2006/09/boterkoek-butter-cake.html


One and three quarters cup of flour.
One cup of sugar.
Three quarters of a cup of butter.
One large egg, yolk and white separated.
A pinch of salt.
A pinch of dry ginger.
A teaspoon or so of almond extract.
About a quarter cup of sliced almonds for garnish, and a little butter for greasing the pan.


Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix in the egg yolk and almond extract, then add the flour, salt, and dry ginger. Knead to a crumbly dough - do not overwork it.
Grease a shallow pan or pyrex dish. Press the dough into the pan - it should be between an inch and an inch and a half thick. Brush the surface with the egg-white, which you have beaten beforehand. Strew the almonds over and press down slightly.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for no more than twenty five minutes. The result will be firm on the outside, still soft within, dense and buttery. Let it cool before eating.

SAMOR LIDA

SAMOR LIDA
[Dutch-Indonesian (Indo) Stewed Tongue.]


Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2006/12/hold-your-tongue.html



One three pound beef tongue.
One large onion, sliced thin.
Half dozen cloves garlic, slivered.
Half cup each: stock, rice wine (or sherry).
Quarter cup each: ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce), olive oil.
Two TBS each: lime juice, wine vinegar.
Half TBS ground coriander.
Half Tsp each: cayenne, turmeric, dry ginger, ground cumin, whole peppercorns.
Half dozen Roma tomatoes (or three beefsteak); peeled, seeded, chopped.
Bay leaves, stalk lemon grass, chopped fresh ginger.


Boil tongue in salted water for fifteen minutes. Remove, drain and dry, scrape off skin that covers the tongue. Trim the root end. Rinse and dry.

Heat oil in a large stewpan. Gild the onion, garlic, chopped ginger. Remove to a plate. Put the tongue in the pan and brown it all over. Re-add the gilded onion, garlic, and ginger. Add the tomatoes and spices - cook till the fragrance rises and bottom starts to crust. Add remaining ingredients plus water to cover, turn heat low and simmer for three hours.

Remove tongue to a plate and let it cool. Meanwhile, reduce pan-broth to a pourable sauce or gravy thickness, and remove the lemon grass. Slice tongue, arrange on a platter, and nap with the sauce.

Serve with stir-fried long-beans, crisp veggies, pan-roast potatoes and crusty bread to sop up the juices. Make sure that a little pot of Indonesian hot-sauce (sambal) is on the table. Also good served with rice.

ZWARTZUUR

ZWARTZUUR
[Dutch-Indonesian (Indo) treatment of shot fowl or game, often served for holdidays in the pre-war years. Nowadays a much-degenerated rarity.]


Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/04/one-kosher-three-not.html


One LBS of meat, chunk cut; duck, hare, or chicken.
One onion, chopped
One teaspoon mace or ground nutmeg
Half teaspoon whole peppercorns
Two or three whole cloves
A generous pinch powdered cinnamon
One cup good stock
One cup red wine
2 tablespoons reserved blood from the animal, mixed with a squeeze of lime juice to keep it from congealing
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
Small squeeze of lime juice to finish


Rub the mace and cinnamon into the meat, with a little oil to facilitate.
Cook the meat and onions till fragrant and golden in a little butter or oil. Then add everything except the reserved blood, sugar, and soy sauce. Simmer on low until reduced by half. Now add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, stirring, for another ten minutes. Squeeze the lime over and serve.

Note I: one can do a whole duck breast this way, slicing it after cooking and serving with the sauce draped over.

Note II: If no blood is available, increase the soy sauce slightly.

ADOBO

ADOBO
[Philippino savoury-sour stewed pork ('adobong baboy') or chicken ('adobong manok').]

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/04/one-kosher-three-not.html


1 LBS pork or chicken, chunk cut
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1 or 2 bay leaves
1/4 cup vinegar or enough to cover meat
2 tablespoons soy sauce


In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender and the liquid is much reduced.
If meat is still tough and there is no more stock, add 2 Tablespoons hot water and continue simmering.
When the meat is tender, brown the meat slightly in its own fat.


Note: I usually add some tomato paste and coconut milk (santen) to this.

PAKSIW

PAKSIW
[Philippino sour-cooked pork ('paksiw na baboy') or fish ('paksiw na isda').]


Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/04/one-kosher-three-not.html



One pound fatty pork, or a nice fish, chunked.
Half a cup vinegar
One tablespoon amber fish sauce
Minced ginger and garlic
One teaspoon sugar
A mild or hot chili pepper, left whole

Mix all ingredients except the pork or fish, and bring to a boil. Turn low and simmer for five or ten minutes before adding the pork or fish. Pork will need over an hour, fish no more than ten minutes. Pork may therefore require more liquid, fish less.

Note: chunks of lechon (roast pig) are often also cooked this way.

DINUGUAN

DINUGUAN
[Philippino blood soup]


Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/04/one-kosher-three-not.html


1 Lbs fatty pork, diced or chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 Lbs pork liver, diced
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoon amber fish sauce
1/2 cup stock
1 cup frozen pig blood (dugo na babuy - available at some Philippino or Vietnamese stores)
2 teaspoons Sugar


Cook pork in stock with water to cover for about half an hour. Sautee onion and garlic in a separate pan till golden and fragrant, then add the liver. When the liver is tender mash coarsely with a fork, and add to the pan with the pork chunks. Pour in the vinegar and the fish sauce, and simmer for about twenty minutes. Then add the pig blood and the sugar, and cook, stirring, for another ten to fifteen minutes.

SOP DUONG

SOP DUONG
[Green Papaya (duong) Soup]

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/04/bebek-asem-sour-simmered-duck.html


One green papaya (approx 1½ pounds); peeled, seeded, and sliced.
A dozen black mushrooms; soaked, stemmed, halved.
Two stalks of lemon grass, bruised to release flavours.
Two or three shallots, chopped.
Two or three Roma tomatoes; peeled, seeded, chopped.
Some chopped celery - the quantity is up to you.
One Tsp ground coriander.
Half Tsp each: sugar, cayenne, turmeric, ground pepper.
Pinches cinnamon powder and dry ginger.
Two TBS each: lime juice, soy sauce, rice wine (or sherry), olive oil.
Six cups of clear broth.
One or two cups water.
Minced scallion, parsley and cilantro.


Sauté shallots, garlic and ginger till colour turns. Add spices, stir fragrant, and seethe with the rice wine. Add everything else except the scallion, parsley and cilantro. Simmer till the papaya is tender. Add the scallion, parsley and cilantro just before serving.

ATJAR TIMON

ATJAR TIMON
[Dressed cucumber]

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/04/bebek-asem-sour-simmered-duck.html


Two cucumbers, peeled, seeded, coarse chunked.
Two TBS each vinegar, water, sugar.
One Tsp salt.

Dump everything in a pan and heat, stirring, till the sugar has dissolved. Decant and let it sit in a cool place for a few hours.

BEBEK ASEM - SOUR COOKED DUCK

BEBEK ASEM
[Soured duck.]

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/04/bebek-asem-sour-simmered-duck.html


One duck of four to five pounds.
One dozen shallots, sliced fine.
Several cloves of garlic, minced.
Equivalent amount ginger, ditto.
Four cups dark rice wine.
Four cups stock reduced to one cup.
Four TBS each: soy sauce, vinegar, sugar.
Hefty pinches mace, cinnamon powder, dry ginger.
Whole peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves.
A jigger aged vinegar.


Chop the duck into chunks through the bone. Brown the duck in its own fat, set aside.
Gild the shallots, garlic, and ginger. Add all other ingredients including the duck chunks, raise to barely boiling, then simmer on low for about twenty minutes.

Serve with a lime juice sambal and dressed cucumber. Rice is of course part of the meal, and some yau choi or greens in pot-liquor also go very well with this.

KETJAP MANIS

KETJAP MANIS
[Sweet soy-sauce]


Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/09/little-brown-notebook.html


Half cup each: sugar (white, or white and dark mixed), Kikkoman soy sauce.
Two tablespoons each: sherry, dark vinegar.
One teaspoon salt.
One whole star anise, one or two slices of ginger, and a clove or two.


Put everything except the vinegar and half of the soy sauce into a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, till the sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid syrupy and starting to foam. Stir in the remaining soy sauce and in a minute or so turn off the heat. Let it cool and strain it into a bottle. Use the dark vinegar to swish the remaining syrup coating the inside of the saucepan, and add to the bottle.

This is as close to typical Dutch and Indonesian sweet soy sauce as you can get, and far better than most brands. And you know what is in it.

SARUNDENG KADJO

SARUNDENG KADJO
[Toasted coconut shred condiment]

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/09/little-brown-notebook.html


One cup shredded coconut.
Half cup cashews.
Half teaspoon each: ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, sugar, salt.
Quarter teaspoon each: cinnamon powder, dry ginger.
Pinch: mace, cayenne.
Half tablespoon each: Louisiana hot sauce, lime juice.
Dash of hot water.


Whisk all flavourings till sugar and salt dissolve. Toss everything together to coat, let stand for an hour. Toast, spread out on a tray, for one and a half to two hours at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. It will be brown and crispy at this point. Can be kept in a jar with a screw-top lid for up to four or five weeks - but you will have eaten it before then.

This is used as a textural side-dish, adding crunch to curries and stews. It can also be eaten plain, or strewn over rice. Unlike the standard version, which you are probably used to, it contains no fish-paste, and no huge amount of palm-sugar (Javanese like much more sweetness than is strictly normal).

I have substituted cashews for peanuts - some people are allergic to peanuts.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

SAMOSA

Standard Indian restaurant deep-fried potato and pea turnovers.


Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/07/does-not-taste-just-like-chicken-hot.html


SAMOSA

Filling:
4 large potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed.
1/2 cup cooked and drained green peas.
1/2 TBS cumin seeds.
1 tsp ground coriander.
1 tsp amchoor(mango powder).
1 tsp cayenne.
1/2 tsp ground fennel.
1/2 tsp garam masala powder.
Squeeze from half a lemon, more or less.
A little minced cilantro or parsley.
Pinch ground cinnamon.
Pinch salt.


Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour.
1/2 cup flour, for rolling out and flouring your hands.
4 - 6 TBS heated ghee (or oil).
Cold water.
Pinch salt.


Making the filling
Heat a little ghee in a skillet and add the cumin seeds.When the seeds splutter, add the various spices, stir, and add the mashed potatoes, green peas, minced herbs - mix well.Add salt to taste.Cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes and remove from heat. Squeeze the half lemon over for little moisture.

Making the dough
Prepare the dough for the samosa by combining the flour, warm ghee (or oil) and a pinch of salt. Add water, in drabs, to make a pliable dough.Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for about 20 minutes.

Putting the samosas together
Roll the dough into ten rounds. Divide each round into two halves. Flour your hands, so the dough does not stick. Wetten the long edge of a half round, and fold to form a cone, bringing together and sealing the wet edge (allow for an overlap). Fill with the potato stuffing, wetten the edges and fold over the remaining flap of dough (allow for an overlap), seal.

Deep fry the samosas in oil at medium heat till golden and crisped, drain, and serve with fresh green chutney.