Wordless Wednesday: Memories of Cooking School in Puglia

Granola Pepita

I have been making granola forever, it was probably one of the first foods I made in my adult life as a cook. Recently a friend mentioned liking granola and I was reminded of this concept including pepitas (pumpkin seeds) that I first tasted when I was in cooking school in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I made a huge batch so that I could share it. My favorite way to eat granola is on top of fresh Greek style yogurt with some fresh berries or fruit. This is very easy to make and far better than most store bought versions. I do not add dried fruit to the granola until serving as it tends to soften the granola, but this goes nicely with dried fruits as well as fresh. You can also store granola in the freezer to prevent softening.

This recipe was adapted from Calle Ocho in New York City.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

6 Cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups hemp seeds (available at health food stores)
2 Cups unsweetened flaked coconuts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 cups green hulled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
3/4 cup local honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup maple sugar
sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon
pinch of salt

Mix all in a very large bowl. Bake on baking sheets lined with parchment or silpat for 15minutes, remove from oven and stir well, then bake for another 10 minutes. If the granola is browned, remove from the oven. If it is not browned, stir and put in for another 5 minutes. When golden brown cool, then place in airtight containers.

Miang Kham : Thai leaves with condiments

Maing Kham is one of my favorite things. It is a dish which requires a great deal of prep work, chopping, roasting and making of a deliciously pungent, spicy and slightly sweet sauce full of umami. After the work is done, there is a platter full of beautiful jewel like items and slightly bitter leaves to assemble. I made this dish for a luncheon with friends and then had the leftovers last night for dinner. I have enough sauce to make it again next week and I shall. The sauce can also be used with seafood or chicken as a glaze. If you eliminate the dried shrimp and use vegetarian fish sauce ( made with soy) this dish is also Vegan. I recently shared this recipe with a friend's daughter who is vegan and I think she will like it. Every time I make this, I vary it a little. This time I had some cucumber and Mandarin oranges, so I added them. You can also add avocado, mango, mint & the list goes on.

Miang Kham Leaves with Garnishes (also spelled as Mieng Kam)

 Mandarins and Limes

This recipe requires some preparation time, but it's well worth it—especially if 

you've eaten a tasty miang kham before and have a craving. There's nothing like

it. The blend of coconut, ginger, fresh bitter leaves, peanuts, lime, herbs and 

chile is full of fantastic flavor. It is great for a party, as it is the ultimate finger food. 

 fried garlic

While the easiest way to enjoy miang kham is to have it at your local Thai 

restaurant, it takes so much effort to make that many restaurants do not offer it.

Every time I serve it people are delighted with the way the many flavors kind of

explode in bursts. 

Chiles and Ginger with a Thai Basil Flower

Fillings

·        3/4 cup grated coconut, roasted in a low-heat oven (or toasted in a dry 

     wok) until lightly brown

·        2 small limes(When tangerines or clementines are in season I add them to 

     the limes),unpeeled (try to get limes with thin skin), cut into small 

     cubes

·        6 tablespoons shallots, peeled and cut into small cubes

·        6 tablespoons roasted peanuts (rough chopped)

·        6 tablespoons small dried shrimps (optional for vegans)

·        4-5 fresh hot chile peppers, cut into slivers (I use Hawaiian peppers)

·        4 oz fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small cubes

·        9 garlic cloves slivered and friend in oil till golden brown

·        Cilantro (rough chopped)

·        Fried shallots (available in Asian markets)

·        Very small diced extra firm tofu, fried till slightly crispy

·        Additional garlic chili sauce

The Sauce

·        1 tablespoon shrimp paste roasted until fragrant (optional for Vegans)

·        2 oz fresh galangal (Thai Ginger), cut into slivers and roasted until 

     fragrant (see note below)

·        1/4 cup grated coconut, roasted in a low-heat oven or in a dry wok until 

     lightly brown

·        ¼ cup toasted peanuts, finely ground

·        4 oz small dried shrimps (optional for Vegans)

·        2 oz shallots, peeled and coarsely cut

·        1.5 teaspoons fresh ginger, sliced 

·        8 oz palm sugar (broken into small chunks)

·        2 tablespoons table sugar

·        2 Tablespoons Tom Yum concentrate (available at Asian Markets)

·        ½ cup of chipotle jelly (optional)

·        ¼ cup of fish sauce (optional for Vegan or there is Vegetarian )

 fried shallots

Method: 

Sauce

In a mortar and pestle (or small food processor), pound together the shallots and galangal until fine (note about galangal: it's ok to use dried galangal

as long as it's placed in a dish of lukewarm water for a few minutes to 

reconstitute). 

Add roasted shrimp paste, ginger, coconut, peanuts and dried shrimp, and continue pounding until smooth. Remove the mixture and place in a pot with 1.5 cups water. Add Tom Yum concentrate and jelly. Bring to a boil over medium heat, add palm 

sugar and table sugar, then reduce heat and simmer, wait until reduced to 1 cup ora bit less. Taste and adjust. It should be tart, salty, sweet and slightly tangy, I prefer to not make it too spicy and allow guests to add their own heat. Remove 

from heat and transfer to a small bowl.

Wrapping Leaves (The choice of what leaves to use is up to you. Some use

lettuce or spinach leaves due to ready availability, but to get an authentic 

flavor you can visit an Asian grocery store and try to find cha-phloo

leaves. These leaves are also known in English as Betel Leaves, or Piper 

Sermentosum. In Vietnamese language, these leaves are labeled as La Lop. You 

could also use sesame leaves or tender bok choi (this is what I use bok choi most

often. Slightly bitter leaves are best for this. 

Serving 

Spoon the roasted coconut into a serving plate. In separate small bowls, arrange 

each filling ingredient listed above. With a fresh wrapping leaf in hand,

fold it once across the bottom then sideways to form a pocket. Place about 1 

teaspoon roasted coconut in the leaf together with a small amount of each

filling to create a bite-sized quantity. Spoon the sauce on top, pop in your mouthand enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday : Sun and Moon

Macadamia Belgian Waffles

I have guests with us this week and so I decided to get out the waffle maker and do some Belgian waffles this morning. It takes just a little planning, because the batter has yeast in it and needs to rise. I served them with butter and maple syrup along with some home smoked bacon. But for those of you who like crab, they make a great base for Crab Newburg and that is a great use for leftover ones. They can be halved and re-heated in the toaster. I often change around the flour for this, sometimes using 1/2 whole wheat or buckwheat and sometimes 1/2 chestnut flour.

Here is my recipe:


This classic yeasted waffle recipe produces waffles that are wonderfully crisp outside, and creamy-smooth and moist inside. Even when cooling, they retain their wonderful texture.

You can choose to prepare the batter for these waffles and cook it after an hour, but I prefer to let the batter rest overnight in the fridge, where it develops some real depth of flavor, rich and yeasty. 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) milk
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter
4 tablespoons maple sugar 

3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs sparated
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces)Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

3/4 cup of rough chopped unsalted macadamia nuts

Method

1. Scald the milk.  Place it in a large mixing bowl. and add the butter, maple sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir till the butter melts and the mixture has cooled to lukewarm. 
2. Add the eggs yolks, flour, and yeast, stirring to combine; it’s OK if the mixture isn’t perfectly smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour; the mixture will begin to bubble. 
3. You can cook the waffles at this point, or refrigerate the batter overnight to cook waffles the next day. (Make SURE it’s in a bowl large enough for it to at least double in size) 
4. Before cooking fold in the mac nuts. Then Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. 
5. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. 

*Note if using for savory waffles, you can omit the nuts and add 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese. 

Preheat the waffle iron. Spray with non-stick vegetable oil spray, and pour 2/3 to 3/4 cup batter (or the amount recommended by the manufacturer) onto the center of the iron. Close the lid and bake for the recommended amount of time, till the waffle is golden brown. It took us about 6 minutes, using our waffle iron here. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200°F oven. Serve with berries and whipped cream, if desired. Yield: about five 7" round Belgian waffles.

SPELUNKING!

Consider me a Spelunker! I have Spelunked! Since I had to explain this term to an extremely intelligent person yesterday, I suppose I should explain it here. Spelunking is very simply the sport of exploring wild (non-commercial) caves. Hawaii Island has one of the most extensive cave systems in the world right under our feet! Yesterday A group of friends and I explored the Kazumura Cave system with guide Harry Shick Junior and his father Harry Shick Senior.

Harry 

Noel descending down the first of many ladders

Francine and Pam coming into the cave opening

The Kazumura Cave It is in fact a Lava Tube, and it is the world's longest known Lava Tube. It was formed between four and six centuries ago as a result of a vent from the East side of the Kilauea Volcano erupting. As the lava flows advanced, they cool from the outside in. This produces a hard crust around the flow and that protects the lava from cooling too quickly. The protective crust thickens and over time a lava tube is formed.

This is an example of a Lava Fall

An other of the many ladders

Noel going down a ladder

Lavacycles

The Kazumura Cave is the longest cave in the state of Hawaii. 40.7 miles of it has been surveyed. It is also the longest known continuous lava tube in the world, the 27th longest cave in the world, 7th longest cave in the US and the deepest cave in the US descending 3613 feet.

Here is a video (not by me) that shows the tour of the Kazumura Cave I visited yesterday.






If you are interested in viewing the Kazumura Cave you can contact Harry Shick at 808. 967.7208. Tours start at $10 pp for the two hour exploration tour and are conducted on a reservation only basis Monday-Saturday. You can learn more about the tours and the cave here.