Where Asians Fear to Tread...

Zuccca "Kabocha" con Tofu Fermentato Piccante
Spicy Kabocha Squash with Fermented Tofu

 

I like to think that I have tried quite a lot, food-wise, in my 48 years and also, I suppose I pride myself a little in being relatively fearless when it comes to trying new things... but, WOW! There is no way I was ready for just how intense the flavor of fermented tofu can be!

This stuff is not for the faint of heart- it could be used as a weapon! Or possibly to fuel heavy machinery or something... it makes almost everything else I have ever known pale in comparison! Have you ever tried it? Do you think you are ready for it?

 

Let me try to begin to describe this... "food". Imagine one of those strong-smelling French cheeses... the way the flavor is really intense, but definitely much more enjoyable than the fragrance. The way that it tastes really nice in small doses- with some nice, neutral bread to go with it and maybe some kind of refreshing fruit to cleanse the palate.

This is very similar to that. Just maybe 10 times stronger than the strongest tasting cheese you have ever tried. I am describing it that way, because I do not want to exaggerate. Seriously.

 

I bought a quarter of a small Kabocha pumpkin on Saturday- and used half of it this evening- I would say about 3 cupfuls when diced. This was enough for 2 portions of this dish- although it was so intense tasting, that I did only eat one! haha- good for my diet!

Otherwise, all I needed was 2 cupfuls of rice, 1 shallot, a half of a chili pepper, about 1" of fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon of tamarind paste, 1 teaspoon of palm sugar, 7-8 cubes of fermented tofu and plenty of fresh cilantro.

 

 
I thought the tofu would go to season the otherwise sweet and rather bland squash- but little did I know, it did all of that and more! But I don#t want this to start coming across as too negative an experience- so let me say this:

For our "Western" palates, the only way this can be eaten and "enjoyed" at all, is for it to take over the role of seasoning... the WHOLE dish! No salt, no soy, no fish sauce- none of those other seasonings we are used to adding to our Asian dishes. It is THAT intense!

Also- thanks to the palm sugar- which I luckily just happened to have at home and which was my salvation- I was able to bring some much needed balance into the dish. And this is how I did it...

 

I cut the squash into bite-sized chunks, the shallot into relatively thick slices, I finely chopped the ginger and the chili and the tofu was already diced.

You can buy this stuff at most Asian supermarkets- it comes in jars and is sometimes preserved in brine, sometimes in oil, sometimes with added chili or other aromas... but obviously- I can not read those labels! So unless you can- you will have to be as brave as I was if you want to dare to do this! But it IS quite a DARE at that! This really is not a dish for everybody!

 

I began by frying the squash, ginger, chili and the stalks of cilantro in a little peanut oil for just a couple of minutes.

 

I then added the tamarind paste and enough boiling water to be able to dissolve it thoroughly.

 

I let it simmer away for 5 minutes with the lid on and then added plenty of cilantro and the shallot.

 

And I then tasted that tofu for the first time- just to see how strong the flavor actually was... and immediately knew that SOMETHING needed to be added! And that something was palm sugar this evening!

 

I added about 1/3rd of one of those little disks, mashed it down into the juices and then topped them up with more boiling water until the squash was just covered. I popped the lid back on and let it continue simmering gently for another 5-6 minutes.

 

Once the squash was cooked through, I added the tofu, which is really quite soft, and just let it simmer in the juices and come up to temperature before serving. It has a consistency, I suppose, similar to a soft French cheese like Brie. So- no stirring! Or that stuff will disintegrate!

 

I served it up with plenty of white rice and plenty of cilantro- it needed something plain and something fresh to bring some balance back into the picture- because otherwise it would have been too salty and tangy by far!

 

Amazingly, although still being an acquired taste for sure (and I am not sure that I HAVE acquired it!), the combination with the bland rice, the sweet squash and the fresh cilantro made it much more pleasant than I at first feared.

But at the same time... I think you get the picture by now! You may want to try one of my other experiments out first, rather than beginning with this one! 'Nuff said!

A Little Bitter- A Lot Better!

Minestra Rustica di Maccheroncini Integrale, Cicoria & Lenticchie Rosse
Rustic Whole-Grain Noodle, Chicory & Red Lentil Soup

I may live in Frankfurt, Germany, I may have been born in the West Midlands, in England... but my roots are firmly and well and truly set in Sicily when it comes to food! I like all kinds of cuisines from all over the world, but the kind of food I like the best is the simple, unpretentious home cooking of the South!

Most of my dishes are based on the same simple methods, the simple ingredients and the rich, earthy flavors they bring. I like the bitterness of the wild chicory and the richness of the raw olive oil... the simple things indeed! The ones that remind me of "home".

 

Nothing is better, when the temperatures drop and the snow begins to fall, than a hearty bowl of hot, steaming and satisfying soup! I had this dish on my mind all the way home from work, with my scarf wrapped around my face to protect me from the chill of the wind... it was edible central-heating that I needed! And I got busy making it the minute I walked through the door and took of my coat!

 

To make myself 2 bowls of soup, I only ended up using 6-7 leaves of chicory, I needed 1 stalk of celery, 1 carrot, 1 shallot, 2 handfuls of noodles and 2 handfuls of red lentils, a little salt, pepper, olive oil... and about 40-45 minutes of my time.

 

Rich, earthy, with a touch of bitterness from the greens and nuttiness from the lentils- this was satisfying in the way that good examples of the "cucina povera" always are. It is the kind of food that poor people make- but that rich people envy. And I like it!

 

I cut up the carrot, celery, shallot and the stalks of the chicory into a fine dice and cut up the green leaves into thin strips, keeping everything nice and small so that it would swiftly cook-down and impart lots of flavor into the broth.

I began by frying up the carrot, celery and shallot together as a "soffritto"- the classic flavor-base of most Italian sauces and soups. These are the 3 important building-blocks of flavor- savory, sweet and full-bodied and essential in so many Italian dishes.

  

I then added the stalks of the chicory, a good pinch of salt, a little pinch of sugar and let them sizzle along for 3-4 minutes too.

 

Next came enough boiling water to cover everything well and a good 10 minutes at a gentle, rolling boil.

 

I then added the leaves of the chicory and continued boiling for a further 10 minutes.

 

10 minutes later, the greens and the other vegetables were fully cooked and the broth was a deep, rich green- packed with flavor from the greens! I tasted it and checked it for salt, added a little more on account of all of the other ingredients- and then added my noodles. And yep- back onto the boil it went for a further 10 minutes.

 

The lentils were the last ingredients and they cooked for 5 minutes at a gentle simmer, but then I left the soup to sit and finish cooking in its own residual heat before serving. Over-cooking red lentils is easy to do and when it happens they become soft and mushy and lose all of their bite- this way they remained intact and made for much more pleasant eating!

A good drizzle of raw, un-cooked olive oil at the end and a generous grind of pepper were the finishing touches- and supper was served!

 

Doesn't that look great? A real taste of Southern Italian country life!

 

 
You may not be a fan of bitter greens- but you can have my share of oysters and caviar and I will take them in exchange any day!

Summer Salads- Winter Nights!

Insalata di Chayote, Ciliegini & Peperone con Coriandolo & Lime
Chayote, Pepper & Cherry Tomato Salad with Cilantro & Lime

 

The funny thing about this salad is- that I made it using chayote, from the same vegetable that I turned into a hearty soup last time. Which was probably what I should have done this evening as well, what with it being as cold as it is here in Frankfurt!

And still... I remember thinking how wonderful and tasty, crispy and juicy the chayote was raw that first time I ever used it- and couldn't resist giving it a try as a salad this evening- and I am so glad that I did! Because it was really wonderful!

 

I remember finding the flavor of the chayote, which is a practically unknown (and un-eaten!) ingredient for us here in Europe, as similar to that of kohlrabi. It even has the same basic color- and if you were to peel and dice them both and put them into unlabelled dishes for people to try- I bet many of them wouldn't be able to tell the difference!

What I like about the chayote though is that it belongs to the squash family and is therefore easier to digest than kohlrabi. And being just as inexpensive and pretty readily available at Asian supermarkets here- it makes for a great alternative!

 

So, for a nice big bowl of salad, easily enough for 3 servings, I needed just 1 chayote, 1 yellow pepper- this was a pointed one, but a regular bell pepper (any color!!!) will do just fine. Then came a nice little bunch of cherry tomatoes (9-10 of them), 1 lime, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, a teaspoon of chili flakes (optional), a little salt and pepper and some good olive oil... simple stuff!

 

As always with my dishes, it is the combination of flavors and textures together that makes it so good. The crunch of the thinly sliced chayote, with the hint of lime chili, makes this work so wonderfully.

This would make a great side dish to any grilled meat or poultry , come Summer- so let's keep this in mind! Alternatively, this evening, it made a perfect supper in itself, with my last couple of tortillas toasted up. Light and tasty and good!

 

If you are not yet familiar with chayote- the first thing to do is to cut it in half and remove the "stone"... which is actually very soft and easy to scoop out with a teaspoon- or simply make 2 cuts in a "v". Then peel it and you are ready to go!

 

I cut the chayote into very fine slices, sprinkled it with salt, drizzled it with olive oil and sprinkled it with chili flakes. I then left it to sit and let the flavors mingle nicely whilst I halved the cherry tomatoes and cut the yellow pepper into little bite-sized strips.

 

Next come the pepper slices and cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, the juice of the lime, plenty of oregano, a good drizzle of olive oil and lots of fresh cilantro... by now the chayote will have developed a great flavor and everything will be ready to be tossed together and served and enjoyed!

 

This was more based on the Mexican chayote dishes that I looked at online and made a nice change for me to the tomato and basil styled salads that we have in Italy- I just love cilantro! And with that tangy lime and hot chili- it was a real tasty treat!

 

Somehow I feel that this will be made over and over again in the warmer months... and I am really looking forward to it! Come on Spring and Summer- hurry up home- we miss you!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...

Rotelle di Tortilla con Ricotta Fresca, Mela, Uva Secca & Cannella
Tortilla with Fresh Ricotta, Apple, Raisins & Cinnamon

 

Breakfast in a jiffy? With no stress, lots of fun and flavor- ready in just the time it takes for your coffee to brew- and nice and healthy to boot? How does that sound? Pretty good, huh? ;-)

I just improvised these rolls and made them up as I went along- sometimes that is the best way to go about it! Grab a couple of ingredients, start doing SOMETHING- and trust your instincts rather than using your head too much!

 

As you know, I like to keep the sugar and fat as low as possible in my food- but still, I like to have fun with what I am doing and lots of flavor in what I eat!

And basically, all I need to do, in order to achieve that, is to stop and think for a minute- rule out all of the things that are out of the question- and base my decisions on the options that are left over... simple!

 

You can't get easier than this- a couple of flour tortilla's, an apple, 2-3 tablespoons of ricotta cheese and honey and cinnamon for sweetness and spice. It's more than enough to start your day and it's all you need to do so!

 

Toasted with a light crunch on the outside, but totally fresh and raw and vibrant on the inside- perfect, refreshing and healthy too!

 

Especially if you are using a low-fat Ricotta, and just a little honey, as I did- these are a perfect breakfast to satisfy your hunger and to keep you on track if you're on a diet. I love enjoying my food and doing it in a guilt-free way. ;-) 

 

Simply peel, core and grate the apple, sprinkle generously with cinnamon and a tiny pinch of salt and stir together. The salt will help to draw the juice out of the apple and also to heighten its flavor.

 

Next, squeeze the excess juice out of the apple- you don't want the tortillas to end up being wet and soggy!

 

Add the apple to the ricotta and sweeten with honey to taste- I only added 1 teaspoon to mine as the apple brought a lot of sweetness of its own. Stir thoroughly together- use a whisk or a machine if you prefer, but for this small amount, I found that simply using a fork was fine.

 

The lack of raisins in my ingredient photo serves as evidence that they were indeed an afterthought during the invention of my breakfast- But I am so glad I did add think of adding them!

 

Once everything was blended nicely together, I spread the tortilla with it lightly and popped it into a frying pan over a moderate heat.

 

After a minute or two, the tortilla begins to soften up and this is the right time to gently roll it together. Make sure that you do not spread too much filling onto the tortilla, or it will end up spilling out! Yes, yes, yeas I know I repeat myself on this point all the time.... but less is more!

 

Once the tortilla is completely rolled, place it back in the pan with the last, overlapping edges facing downwards, so that it begins to toast up and become firm first- and therefore holds all of the goodness in. Now gently rotate the rolls so as to brown them a little more from all sides.

And the finished rolls will look something like this- and take no more than 4-5 minutes to make at the most!

 

The good part is that those outer edges, that are a little emptier and not quite "up to par" can be snacked on whilst you cut and arrange the others for serving! Ah! The perks of being a cook! Haha!

 

A tiny extra drizzle of honey- why not? The rest is so sensible you can go ahead and enjoy! Oh- and in case you think I am exaggerating when I say "less is more" when it comes to the filling- you will see that I am absolutely right and that it will squeeze out if you have too much and are not careful!