Halloumi

Halloumi is a cheese, that originated on the island of Cypress.  What is unique about this cheese is that it does not melt when heated.  Most traditional halloumi made from goat's milk or sheep's milk, but most mass produced halloumi today is made from cow's milk.  The curds are heated and then placed in brine.  This initial heating process is what causes the cheese not to melt.  The cheese is then packaged in a lightly salted brine, usually with mint.

All you need to do is spray your pan with a non-stick spray and heat on each side for about 2-3 minutes, until browned.  No need to add salt because of the brine.  Latin America also makes a frying cheese called Queso de Freir, used widely in Southa and Central America, but I find the halloumi much more flavorful, due to the mint in the brine.

This cheese is wonderful as an accompaniment to breakfast, but it also pairs nicely with sweet things.  On of my favorite sandwiches to make is grilled halloumi with blood orange marmalade (my favorite brand is Sarabeth's) and tomato.  The sweet and salty and acid of the tomato is a wonderful marriage of flavors.  Halloumi is also a great cheese to be included on a fruit and cheese platter.  It pairs wonderfully with fresh figs.

You can purchase it at gourmet markets like Whole Foods and Fairway, but will do much better pricewise if you go to the Middle Eastern enclave located on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, NY.  There you will find Halloumi and Oriental Pastry and Grocery (170 Atlantic Avenue) or at Sahadi's (187 Atlantic Avenue).

Try some Halloumi and I am sure you will love it as much as I do!!!


Chef Mireille
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Moroccan Soup a la Kalustyans

Kalustyans is ( East 28th & Lexington Ave) the best International market in NYC with foods from every country in the world - India to Turkey to Jamaica to Mexico. If you want to cook authentic International cuisine this is the place to shop.
They have Jamaican curry powder, as well as Sri Lankan, Indian and Singapore. They have grains from all over the world, including Masa Harina for making arepas and gram flour for Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. I don't think there is any region NOT represented here.
They have now expanded making shopping here a much more pleasurable experience, not bumping into someone every 2 seconds.
You can find frozen jackfruit and drumstick (Indian vegetable) Many gourmet products are also available for the professional chef from blood orange puree to pink salt stones (pictured above).

Using products available at Kalustyans includiung an autumn soup mix of lentils, split peas and rice purchased here, I made a delicious Moroccan stew:
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
2 stalks celery chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 pound chicken pieces
2 tablespoons Ras Al Hanout
8 ounces Soup Mix
2 bouillon cubes
2 cups frozen vegetables.
1 handful fresh coriander chopped fine
1 heaping tablespoon Harissa
In a large pot heat oil and add ginger and garlic paste. Saute for 1 minute. Add celery and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add 12 cups water, bouillon cubes and soup mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile season chicken liberally with Ras Al Hanout. Add chicken, vegetables and harissa and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in coriander and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with warm pita bread!
This is great to bring to a potluck dinner!

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5th Annual Coffee and Tea Festival

 The 5th Annual Coffee and Tea Show is happening this weekend at the 7 West 34th Street building.  Tickets are $20 and I highly recommend attending tomorrow, which is the last day.
Purveyors of tea, coffee and even one hot choccolate maker are all there, giving away sample tastings of their products.  There are also soap makers and beauty products, who include tea herbs in some of their products.
There are wonderful seminars, including the one I attended this afternoon on coffee.  You will be able so see and smell the differences in coffee beans from Kenya, Indonesia and Latin America.  Seeing the unroasted, green coffee bean was a first for me.  The fruity smell of Indonesian sumatra is an indication of why that has always been one of my favorite coffees.  These coffees were all delicious, though unsweetened.  Good coffee is NEVER bitter.

If you are able to attend, please don't forget to stop by the Shapna booth - they are coffee and tea with a conscience.  Started just a year ago by some students from Colgate University, they give back 40% of all profits back to the communities where they get the product from.  They currently have tea from Bangladesh and coffee from Uganda.
We are having beautiful weather this weekend and this is a perfect reason to leave your house tomorrow.



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A little more about Jaggery

 Jaggery was one of the ingredients in yesterday's Fish Curry recipe.  Jaggery is the sweetener of choice in much of India, especially in South India.
Most jaggery is usually made from sugar cane sap, but there are regional varieties that are sometimes made from the sap from date palm trees, sago palms or coconut palms.
The sap is boiled at high temperatures and when this concentrated syrup solidifies, it is cut into cones or blocks.  Jaggery retains the natural mineral salts, unlike refined sugar and is regarded as a more healthful sweetener.  It is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine, especially in treating throat ailments.
For culinary use, the jaggery is then grated and added to savory dishes or combined with other ingredients to make sweets.  The sweetness of jaggery is often used in combination with tamarind, which is widely used in South Indian cuisine, to soften the tartness of the tamarind.  Whenever a sour agent is used in savory foods, jaggery is used to provide the sweet element and chile provides the heat which leads to the complex flavors of South Indian cuisine.  Due to the largely vegetarian community of this region, the additions of all these elements - sour, sweet, hot - make even the blandest of vegetables flavorful.  I never miss the meat when I eat South Indian vegetarian cuisine a la Kerala and similar regions.

Jaggery is readily available in most Indian markets in the US. Specifically, in New York, it can be purchased at Patel Brothers In Jackson Heights (Queens) or Kalustyans on Lexington Avenue and 28th Street (Manhattan).


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South Indian Fish Curry

This is my week to introduce unique ingredients, that are not common in the Western diet.  Tamarind is a fruit that also grown in a pod, like cardamom.  Once you open the pod, you eat the fruit, watching out for the seeds.  The fruit has a very tart flavor so when used in savory dishes, sugar is also included.  This is one of the things that contributes to the complex flavors in South Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine.
This is a South Indian style curry with tamarind and curry leaves.  Curry does not simply mean the addition of curry powder, contrary to much Western belief.  A curry is simply a mixture of spices and these spices will vary from country to country and from region to region within the same country.  That is why a curry from Jamaica tastes nothing like a curry from Sri Lanka. Curry leaves grow on a stalk and provide a unique flavor when it is added.  It has a kind of anise flavor and complements fish and seafood superbly.  When paired with stronger meats like lamb or beef, the two flavors battle each other because they are both so strong, but the curry leaves enhance mild flavored white fish.

South Indian Fish Curry

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fried onion paste (use 1 chopped onion if you cannot locate onion paste)

2 tablespoons tamarind pulp, soaked in boiling water

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons chili powder (make sure you use Indian pure chili powder and NOT American chili powder which is a combination of various spices)

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon grated jaggery

4 large firm fleshed white fish fillets (tilapia, cod, sea bass)

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

6 dried curry leaves (or 10 fresh curry leaves)

Place tamarind pulp in a small bowl with boiling water to cover for 5 minutes.  Strain and retain liquid.

Mix coriander, chili powder and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl to make spice paste.

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add garlic and onion paste.  Fry for 1 minute.Add spice paste and fenugreek.  Fry for another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.  Add tamarind liquid, jaggery and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add fish and cover.  Cook for 10 minutes, until fish is cooked thoroughly.  Add salt, to taste.

Finish by stirring in chopped cilantro and curry leaves.

Serve immediately with Basmati rice.

Chef Mireille

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Cardamom

 While most of the Western dessert eating world uses ground cinnamon as the standard spice in most dessert for anything from cookies to cake to strudel to apple pie, this is not the case in many different countries.  In South Asia, the Middle East and Scandinavia, cardamom is the most common spice in desserts.  In my opinion, it is one of the most fragrant of spices.
There are two types - green cardamom and black cardamom.  While black cardamom is used more often in savory dishes, green cardamom is used in both savory and desserts.  Cardamom are pods.  The green cardamom are shown here.  In savory dishes like Biryani, the meal is cooked with the whole pod.  It will open up during the cooking process and the flavor from the seeds will infuse the dish.  To make ground cardamom, the seeds are removed from the pods and ground to a powder.
To introduce you to the wonderful world of cardamom, here is a super simple recipe for Cardamom Cookies, which I developed some years back and make often:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour 2 baking sheets, shaking off excess flour.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cardamom.
Using an electric mixer or Kitchen Aid, beat egg until frothy.  Add melted butter and sugar.  Beat for a few minutes until well combined and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Using a wooden spoon, fold in dry ingredients until you have a soft dough (see photo). 
Using a teaspoon, place heaping teaspoons of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake in oven for about 12-14 minutes, until golden.  Let cookies set for about 3 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Enjoy with a cup of tea!!!

6/1/2012 update:
..linking to Julie's Herbs & Spices - Basil & Cardamom event, hosted this month by COOK-EZEE

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Malaysian Banana Blossom Salad

Banana Blossoms are a very common ingredient in Southeast Asian cooking, especially Malaysian, Vietnamese and Philipino cooking.
Banana blossoms are the hearts of unopened banana flowers.  They can be eaten raw or cooked and are used primarily in soups and salads.
In South Asia as well as the Caribbean (depending on the island), these are products that are readily available in your local market.  However, here in the United States, finding fresh Banana Blossoms can be very challenging, unless you are lucky enough to live near a Chinatown that has Southeast Asian markets.  In any Chinatown, even if you cannot locate the fresh, you should definitely be able to find the canned versions and even in some gourmet markets you might also be able to locate the canned version.
This is one of my favorite salads to make.  The last time I taught a cooking class on Malaysian cuisine, this was the biggest hit and something that everyone said they would make again and again.

The most important thing to remember, whether you are using either the fresh or the frozen banana blossoms is that they oxidize very quickly.  Once you have peeled the outer layers, squeeze lemon juice over them so that they will not change color, especially if they are to be used in salads.  If they oxidize, the salad will not be aesthetically appetizing.

Pisang Jantung
1 fresh banana bud
1/2 lemon, juice only
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons dried shrimp, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, drained and coarsely chopped.
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cucumber, julienned (about the size of matchsticks)
1 starfruit, thinly sliced into strips
1 red chile, thinly sliced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
7 ounces prawns, peeled and deveined
For spice paste:
3 red chiles, thinly sliced
5 shallots, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
2 teaspoons sugar

Remove the outer layers of the banana blossom and simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain. Half lengthwise and rinse with water to remove any dirt from the inside layers. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over it & thinly slice the blossom, vertically.

Steam shrimp for about 5 minutes, until just cooked.  Using a food processor, grind all spice paste ingredients with 4 tablespoons water.

In a skillet, heat oil and stir fry dried shrimp for about 1 minutes.  Add spice paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.  Add the coconut milk and salt.  Stir to combine.  Remove from the heat to cool.

In a large bowl place all salad ingredients.  Pour coconut spice dressing and toss well to combine.  Garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately.

Before you know it, it will all be gone!!!



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Chola

Chola is an Indian restaurant located on the Midtown East side of Manhattan.  If you are a Bollywood fan, it is conveniently located 1 block from the Imaginasian Theater, one of the few theaters in Manhattan showing Bollywood films.

Lots of Chaat (street food favorites) and appetizers, you can have a delicious, varied meal just ordering some of these.  Large options for both vegetarians and vegans.  They also had a very large Paneer entree section.  One of the most varied menus of Indian restaurants - including Low Fat options and South as well as North Indian selections.  Many things I have never before seen on a restaurant menu - Green Banana Varuval (plantains, mustard seeds, curry leaves, saambhar), traditionally home made breads like Chappati and Lotus Raita (yogurt, fried lotus, cucumber, cumin).

There were so many unique options on the menu I will have to come back many times in order to try all of these.  For my first visit, what stands out most is the Lasoni Cauliflower in a chili and ginger sauce (middle picture here).  The cauliflower had been stir fried before so they were nice and crispy, giving it texture.  When these vegetables are in a lot of sauce, they can sometimes just disintegrate into the sauce if they are overcooked and they loose their texture.  Unless someone tells you, you would not know what vegetable it is.  This is not the case at Chola,  Each sauce is unique and everything was cooked to perfection - never overcooked!!!

Customer service is excellent.  We were the last people in the restaurant and did not even realize it until one person in my party decided to go to the restroom.  They were not rushing us out.  They did not bring us the check before we asked for it, even though we had finished eating. Very friendly and accomodating staff added to the nice ambience.

I have absolutely NO complaints about Chola and would recommend it to everyone - meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans - there is several options for everyone!!!


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Ode to Travel Days of Past

Fondly, I remember vacations of my youth.  My parents would pay hard earned money for plane tickets.  In exchange, we received flights with sober and capable pilots a la Captain Sully of last year's Hudson River landing.  I remember resting comfortably with soft pillows and warm blankets, especially in long flights to Europe.  We were given a choice between different options of warm meals.  These are now fairytales of the past.  Depending on the length of your flight and the airline,  you now have to pay for everything from a cold sandwich to now pillow and blanket sets.  Jet Blue and US Airways started the pillow and blanket sets back in '08 and '09 respectively and now American Airlines has followed.  Currently this charge is for domestic flights only, but I think it is just a matter of time before they start charging this necessity on international flights also.
Cabin temperatures have to remain cool, I imagine to keep all the computers, etc. cool.  I am not a pilot or a mechanic, but I am sure there is a reason for their cool temperatures.  It is impossible to last more than about 2 hours on a flight, without needing a blanket.  Sometimes, they are FREEZING.  There have been times when I have been sitting in my seat under my warm blanket and have procrastinated going to the bathroom, only because I did not want to venture out into the cold cabin without my blanket for cover.
Flying has almost become more trouble than it's worth.  I say ALMOST because learning new cultures and seeing far lands is a passion I could NEVER give up, but the headache to get there is so frustrating.  Necessary increased security measures - can't even carry a bottle of water on the plane.  Just pray I don't choke before the flight attendant comes by with the beverage cart.
Due to the cost of baggage, some airlines now charging for even the first bag, many people try to squeeze all their necessities into on board luggage so they don't need to check anything.  Now they are going to have to try to squeeze a blanket also, unless they want to spend $8 on a pillow and blanket set.  Granted, it is a one time charge as it is yours to keep and re-use, but that is just more stuff to add to your Packing List.

When you travel, check your airline's website for all extra charges or call them and ask about:

• Pillows and Blankets
• Food
• Checked Luggage

 I am just waiting to see what they will charge for next - bathroom use - nothing, unfortunately, would surprise me at this point!!!



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Restaurant Week at Industria Argentina

Industria Argentina is a Tribeca establishment that has a very diverse menu; not just your typical Argentinian bistro with everything in Chimichurri sauce.

A nice bar with signature drinks - like Green Apple-Orange Sangria.  The fruits are soaked in brandy and orange juice and are already properly drunk, when they are added to the wine.  The drunk fruits are the best part of the Sangria.

Even the limited Restaurant Week menu was very diverse with the Appetizer choices of sweetbreads, empanadas, or a carmelized onion and smoked provolone tart.  The Main course options included fish, duck and filet mignon.  Dessert options included poached pear, goat cheese cheesecake and Dulce de Leche tartufo.

The smoked duck, soft and delicious, was served with a unique quinoa risotto that was cheesy and moist and popping with flavor.

The desserts were also delicious - a heavenly Marscapone cream accompaniment made the Poached Pear a perfect end to this delicious meal.  The goat chese cheesecake was surprisingly mild with very little tartness.

The portions were small, typical at high end restaurants, but enough so that you felt content.  I did not have to eat again when I left, as has occurred in the past.

The one factor that put a blemish on the evening was the waitress from HELL.  It took 20-30 minutes for her to respond to any request we had - from a glass of water to seeing the Wine List.  The restaurant did become very busy as the evening progressed, but then they should schedule adequate staff during Restaurant Week - not to mention her lousy attitude as though we should feel honored being allowed the privilege to dine there. Just because it is Restaurant Week with a lot of clientele that normally would not come because of the price range is no reason to treat the guests in such a condescending manner.  She then proceeded to screw up our bill charging me the incorrect amount, causing my card to be denied.  Then she had tried so many times my bank blocked the card, for my fraud protection.  Luckily, I had funds available from another account. When I called the next day to clear up the banking/billing issues as my bank still had another charge from them pending, the manager was very attentive and apologetic, so I will not say the entire restaurant staff lacks Customer Service skills, but my waitress certainly did.

In short, for the food, I would definitely recommend getting a reservation at Industria Argentina the last couple of days before Restaurant Week ends and just pray you don't get my waitress!!!!


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Palaver Chicken

 The NYC Cooking and Dining Group celebrated the cuisine of Ghana on Sunday.  It was the group's first foray into African cuisine (excluding the Middle East influenced Moroccan cuisine).  We cooked a diverse variety of foods, with each course being more interesting and delicious than the first:

• Kelewele (Sweet plantain marinated in onions, ginger, chile and then fried)
• Ghanian Salad - not the healthiest of courses but a hearty layered salad with everything but the kitchen sink (beans,salmon,tomatoes,cucumber,lettuce,vinegar marinated onions,potatoes,snow peas,corn,eggs,avocado) in a mayo-soy milk dressing (see photo)
• Fish and Okra Soup
• Beef Suya - Ghana's version of kebabs marinated with ginger, garlic, onion, chile and crushed peanuts
• Joloff Rice - Spicy tomato rice
• Palaver Chicken - cooked in a sauce of peanut butter and spinach (see photo)
• Gari Foto - toasted cassava flour cooked with vegetables
• Roasted Fish and Vegetables

Ghanian restaurants are not exactly in abundance in western cities and oh what a shame, when I think of all the years we have been deprived of this cuisine, using delicious fresh foods and a variety of spices - particularly ginger and chile. I am providing you with the Palaver Chicken recipe.  This recipe is present in many countries of North Africa, including Nigeria and Sierra Leone.  Although we used chicken in this version, this is a popular sauce for any kind of meat - beef, lamb, etc.  If we were enjoying this recipe in Africa, particularly in Ghana, the vegetable used would probably be taro leaves.  Since this vegetables is not easily found in American supermarkets, spinach is usually substituted.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast fillets, skinned and boned
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons palm oil, or vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 sprig fresh thyme
8 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped
1 fresh chili, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
1.    Cut the chicken breast fillets into thin slices.  Place in a bowl and stir in the garlic and a little salt and pepper.

2.    Melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry the chicken over a medium heat, turning once or twice to brown evenly.  Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon and set aside.

3.    Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion and tomatoes over a high heat for 5 minutes, until soft.

4.    Reduce the heat, add the peanut butter and half of the stock ot water and blend together well.

5.    Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring all the time to prevent the panut butter from burning.  Add the remaining stock, thyme, spinach, chili and seasoning.  Stir in the chicken slices and cook over a medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

6.    Pour the chicken mixture into a warmed serving dish and served with boiled yams, rice or gari.


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