Obligatory July 4 Food Blog Post (With Menu Suggestions, Red White and Blue Food and a Spicy Burger Recipe)

Red, white and blue sorbet for Independence Day

It's July 4 and I believe food bloggers are contractually obligated to come up with a post that celebrates one or more of the following:

• Red, white and blue themed food, often but not limited to either gooey desserts and or strawberries and blueberries
• Food for the grill
• American classics - either retro or revisionist

Better yet, if the blogger can somehow combine all three in one post they have hit the Facebook share trifecta.

My take on the foods of America to celebrate Independence Day is a bit different -- I'd prefer to focus on the foods brought to our shores and adopted (adapted? distorted?) by the teeming masses already here looking for the next big flavor hit.  America's taste buds are not so much analogous to a melting pot as they are a fusion reactor.

Based on what I've written about before on Blog Appetit, here's some ideas for going forth and partying on the Fourth of July celebrating the glorious diversity of foods and ingredients immigrants (and savvy marketers) have made popular here.  Think of it as a United Nations for your mouth.

Appetizers:

Any Night Cerviche (Mexico and Central America)
Tomato-Mango Bruschetta (India, Italy and Berkeley - which many Californians consider a separate state of mind)
Tortilla de Espana (Spain)
Not Quite Spring Rolls (Vietnam)

Main Dishes:

Egyptian Grilled Lamb
Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Pomegranate Molasses BBQ sauce (Middle East) -- also the link has a recipe for a berry sorbet for dessert you can dress up in red, white and blue.
Cincinnati Chili (Greek-American) -- works great as a hot dog topping, too.  For more American regional hot dog ideas, click here.
Grilled Vegetable Kabobs with Miso Glaze (Japan)
Turkish Inspired Hamburgers (see recipe below)

Other:

Assorted North African vegetable salads
Cold Beet Borscht (Russia)  Nice and red, serve with some blue corn chips and sour cream for the obligatory red, white and blue dish.
Cold Asian Noodles with Veggies and Peanut-Tofu Sauce (China)
Pomegranate Coconut Pudding (Near East/Mid East)
Lychee Sorbet (China)

See the link for the bruschetta above for an Indian-inspired rice pudding and the link for the chicken kabobs for a the very berry sorbet recipe (French?).

And of course, cruise the different categories listed in the labels section in the right column for even more recipes that help you cook local and eat global.

Oh, and happy birthday to my beloved father-in-law.  Vic's enthusiasm for my cooking is just one of his many, many wonderful traits.  Happy 89, Dad.

Keep reading for the Turkish burger recipe.

Making Almond Milk -- Utterly Easy

 

Fresh-made almond milk is amazing and incredibly easy to make. It is very customizable and avoids all the thickeners and additives commercial almond milk has. (Although it doesn't have the fortified vitamins or calcium, either.)  I like to pour it in my cereal or drink it plain or flavored with chocolate syrup.  It is a good base for recipes calling for non-dairy milks.  It works okay in coffee if you drink it right away. (It separates out when left sitting, so you'll need to give your hot drink a stir if you linger.)

 

It lasts for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, just shake before using if it separates out.

 

This recipe makes a slightly creamy, nutty flavored milk.  Add agave syrup or other sweetener to taste if you'd like afterwards. (I skip that.)  A bit of vanilla or cinnamon would also be nice additions. 

 



Almond Milk

Makes slightly more than 2 cups

 

Once your nuts have soaked, this recipe takes longer to describe than do.  (If your tap water doesn't have a nice, clean taste use filtered or bottled water.)

 

Equipment notes -- You'll need a nut milk bag -- a reusable, closely woven mesh bag available from Whole Foods and other natural foods retailers -- to strain and squeeze the milk through.  If this is not available, line a colander or strainer with several thickness of cheesecloth, leaving enough cloth overlapping the sides that you can gather the ends together, twist it tight and squeeze the milk out.

 

You'll also need a blender -- I used a regular home blender with a pretty strong motor.  You can use one less or more powerful, just watch for when the nuts are totally pulverized.

 

1 cup shelled raw almonds (with skins - no need to blanch or rub off the skins)

Water to cover

2 1/2 cups water

 

Cover almonds with water and let sit overnight (8-10 hours).  Drain and discard water.  Rinse almonds several times.  Put in blender jar with 2 1/2 cups water.  Blend until almonds are totally pulverized and only infinitesimal bits.  Pour into nut milk bag that is propped up in a large bowl or a 4-cup measuring cup. (Make sure it is big enough to catch the almond milk that will soon be flowing through the bag.) Scrape out all the liquid and solids that remain behind into the bag.

 

Lift nut bag up out and over the bowl and squeeze (as if you were milking a cow if you like that analogy) until all possible liquid is squeezed out of the pulverized nuts.  Transfer to storage container, stir in any sweeteners or flavoring, cap/cover and store in refrigerator.  Shake well if milk separates.

 

If you like yours creamier or thinner, use more or less water. 

 

You can discard the leftover bits of almond or reuse.  Reusing seems like a great idea, but I never seem to do that.  Maybe next time I'll use in a cake or stew.

 

 Update:  Added the nut meal to a soup.  It gave it a creamy texture with a pleasant grit, plus it amped up the protein.

 



Something Fishy -- Gravlax from a Box (Well the Recipe)

The box!

I'm been remiss in keeping up with Blog Appetit, and for that you have my apologies.  What finally prompted me to get back to posting is a gift of fish, this time from our friend Chris who caught and fileted a mighty salmon from San Francisco Bay.

He dropped off the fish and I offered to make my husband some cold-cured salmon, known as gravlax.  Well, I've written about this before, but it was a fancy shamancy recipe and truth be told I just usually use the recipe from the back of an old box of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. (It's been empty for years, but I keep it around for a combination of sentiment and practicality -- this way I always know where the recipe is.)


Diamond Crystal's Gravlax

Note: This recipe can take 2-3 days so start with really fresh fish and leave enough time.

About 3 lbs. salmon (two boneless filets)
1 bunch fresh dill


Gravlax from a previous batch

1/4 kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs. crushed black peppercorns

I like to slice off the silvery skin, but you can leave it on it you want.

Place one filet skin side down in deep glass baking dish, scatter dill on top.  Combine salt, sugar and peppercorns.  Sprinkle on top of dill.  Place remaining filet in baking dish on top of this, skin side up.
Cover with plastic wrap.  Place weights on top to evenly compress.  The salt box recommends bricks or cans of food.  I cover with a small cutting board to evening distribute the weight and then use 1 lb. tubs of tofu or cans.  Every 12 hours, turn the fish and baste it with the accumulated juices, including between the 2 layers of fish.  Continue to refrigerate and baste for 2-3 days until the fish seems "cured" to your taste. (The flesh should be firmed up.) Well wrapped, refrigerated leftovers will last for a few days.

I've made the recipe with as little as a pound of fresh salmon filets -- just adjust the seasoning.

To serve, scrape off dill and seasonings.  Slice individual filets (skin side down) into thin slices.  Serve as you would lox or smoked salmon or try with a mustard dill sauce.

The Diamond Crystal website has a wonderful looking Asian Fusion Gravlax recipe by Joyce Goldstein on its site -- I might incorporate some of these seasonings next time.  I was already thinking on my own about adding some crushed juniper berries to the seasoning mix.

Ending Childhood Hunger One Cupcake at a Time --- Come To San Francisco's Food Blogger Bake Sale this Saturday

 
It's food blogger bake sale time again!
Once a year local groups of food bloggers band together to support Share Our Strength, an organization that works to feed hungry children here in the U.S.

For the San Francisco Bay area bloggers it is this coming Saturday at Omnivore Books at 3885A Cesar Chavez St. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, check out the event's website.

There will be cakes, cookies, cupcakes and other treats, all baked by food bloggers and others who are not only into raising money for a good cause but displaying their amazing baking (and packaging) skills.  There will truly be some amazing goodies.

Worry not, those with food sensitivies or preferences, many of the treats will be gluten-free or vegan.
Blog Appetit (that's me) is planning vegan chai cupcakes with vanilla latte frosting and candied fennel sprinkles, but since the recipe is still under development, watch this blog for updates.

If you are a blogger or just a baker who would like to participate, it's not too late, sign up here.
If you can't contribute baked goods or can't stop by to buy, we have a website for you, too.
You can contribute here.

Live outside the Bay area and want to find (or start) a bake sale near you?  Here's a list of other locations.  Want to start your own?  Click here for the how tos.

Here's photos and information from bake sales past to give you a taste for what's to come!

Blue Cheese and Yogurt Puff

Recipe under development

First Post From My Cell Phone

Very much enjoyed my plant-based cooking class at Oakland Whole Foods as part of Oak Veg Week. Thanks Chef Alex Bury.

Honestly, a New Feature on Product Testing

To be honest, Blog Appetit gets a fair number of samples and I may share my thoughts on social media and with friends, or incorporate the products in recipes, but I haven't really taken the time to spell out the good (and bad) of the samples I receive as well as the new-to-me products I buy.

Right now, I'm still working out the mental kinks on a savory tea and contemplating what to say about a new chia seed pasta.  Watch for those posts relatively soon.  There will be more posts periodically reviewing food and cooking products, sometimes in length and sometimes very briefly, but always very honestly.

So look for these posts or search them out via the labels/categories on the right hand column called "Honestly - Product Reviews."

To kick off this feature, I want to give a shout out to Satori Cheese, who sent me a great gift pack of the company's BellaVitano cheeses awhile ago. I nibbled a few and found them very tasty (especially the ones rubbed with merlot and espresso powder -- that's two different cheeses by the way).  I had turned pretty much vegan by then, however, and didn't use them recipes.  Everyone I served them to seemed to like the basic cheese and some enjoying the flavored rubs.  My husband liked the plain (non rubbed) one best.  The red wine won honors as top flavored cheese.  Those who tried the espresso rub either loved or hated it.

Satori has some flavors that I've been unwilling to sample (the limited edition pink peppermint cheese, for example), but the wine and espresso were hits for me. 

-----------------------------
Photo credit:  Agence de presse Meurisse‏ [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Disclosure:  Satori Cheese samples were provided free of charge

Adding to My Suggested Links Section

I have been remiss in updating my long-neglected links section.  My lack of attention to my blogroll is especially shameful since I so enjoy clicking through other blogs' links to discover new favorites.

One of these days, I'm going to give it a complete overhaul, but for now I just wanted to introduce you to Anna Mindess's blog East Bay Ethnic Eats.  Even if you don't live in the area roughly bounded by being east of San Francisco and west of the Sacramento River delta, you'll find lots of interesting stories about food and the people behind it on Anna's blog.  You can read more about her and where else you might find her writing here.

Enjoy. 
(Oh, and I promise to revitalize the links section soon.  And if you are looking for my recommendations in the future, look for the link to the links in the right hand column of Blog Appetit.)

Taste of Judaism - International Jewish Food Beyond Chicken Soup and Gefilte Fish -- Recipes from My Talks

Messot Wot on Injera

Sunday I give my last in a series of lectures/tastings on international Jewish food sponsored by Jewish Learning Works.

Thanks to the JLW and to Peninsula Temple Sholom and Temple Sinai for hosting me for these programs.

I hope to post some of the info I talked about in the presentations soon, but for now I'll leave you with the recipes.  To see more on what I have written about what is Jewish food, the history of Jewish food and my Jewish recipes, please click on the Jewish label on the list of categories on the right side column of the blog.

I prepared three recipes for the tasting, a Syrian kibbeh (bulghur pie) dish (which is not my recipe and not posted here, check out the wonderful cookbook  A Fistful of Lentils for more info), an Ethiopian lentil stew and a Persian herb omelet.  Below are the stew and omelet recipes which are my interpretations of regional specialities. 

Messor Wot – Ethiopian Lentil Stew

Serves 6

This is my adaptation of a traditional lentil stew.  Berbere is available from some specialty markets and on line.  See my post at http://www.clickblogappetit.com/2012/11/almost-ethiopian-food-recipes-for-kinda.html for a substitution and other Ethiopian inspired recipes.  Cooking time is approximate.  Sometimes lentils will take longer to cook.  Works well made in advance and reheated.

2 red onions, finely chopped
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. plus 2 Tbs. tomato paste
1/3 to ½ cup berbere
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
½ cup olive oil
4 cups water
1 lb. lentils (green or brown supermarket style)
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. salt

In a large, heavy pot over medium high heat, add onions (with no oil or other fats), cook until translucent and soft (about 5-10 minutes).  Stir if needed or add a bit of hot water if browning. Do not let brown or burn.  Add garlic and 2 Tbs. tomato paste.  Stir well and cook for a few minutes. Add berbere, ginger and cardamom. Stir and sauté for 5 minutes, adding hot water if needed to keep from sticking or burning.  Add oil, stir well, cook for 5 minutes.  Add lentils, mix well. Add 4 cups water.  Bring to simmer. Cover and simmer until lentils are soft and falling apart, about 35-40 minutes. Sauce should be thick and not at all soupy, but add hot water if needed.  Add remaining tomato paste, pepper and salt. Mix well. Let cook a few more minutes. Taste and correct seasoning.  Serve with green salad with injera (Ethiopian flat bread), millet or rice.

Baked Kookoo

Baked Kookoo – Persian Egg and Greens Omelet

Serves 4-6

Normally this omelet is fried, but I like this version with less oil and less fuss.  It doubles well, just use a larger baking pan.

1 cup cooked spinach
2 Tbs. vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing pan
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped leek (light green and white part only)
¾ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
6 large eggs, beaten
1/8 tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Squeeze and drain spinach. Chop. Set aside.  Grease 8x8” glass baking pan with oil.  Heat 2 Tbs. oil in skillet.  Sauté onion and leek over medium high heat until softened.  Add parsley and mint, sauté for a moment and then mix in spinach.  Stir until well mixed.  Sauté until any excess liquid from the vegetables has evaporated.    Take off the heat to let cool slightly.  Mix turmeric, salt and pepper in to eggs.  Stir in vegetables until well combined and pour into prepared pan.   Bake until set and cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Eggs will have pulled away from the edges of the pan, be firm but still springy and slightly puffed and lightly browned. If desired, after about 20 minutes of baking, lightly sprinkle top of omelet with paprika.

Lychee Cocktail for the Lunar New Year

I first had a lychee martini at the lobby bar of the Four Seasons in Shanghai almost five years ago.  It's remained one of my favorite drinks ever since.  I'm not really a fruity cocktail drinker, but there is something about vodka mixed with the lightly floral and slightly spicy taste of the lychee that I really enjoy.

When I came back from China, the first place I looked for ingredients to recreate this cocktail was my local supermarket which had Soho lychee liqueur on sale.  I grabbed a bottle and have been making lychee cocktails since.

My current version of this cocktail involves chilling a cocktail or large martini glass and putting the following in a cocktail shaker over ice (for one large drink):

2 oz. unflavored vodka
2 oz. lychee liqueur
1-2 Tbs. of syrup from canned lychees

Put a canned lychee in chilled glass.  Shake well and strain cocktail into glass.

I've also made this with a vodka-lychee liqueur ratio of 3 parts to 1.  Some brands of canned lychees are packed in syrup that is cloyingly sweet, so taste before using and use the lesser amount if that's the case.
Gānbēi!
And of course, wishing everyone Xin Nian Kuai Le (which I understand is Mandarin for expressing New Year's wishes)  or Gung Hay Fat Choy (which is the Americanized version of the Cantonese expression).

----------------------------
You can see other posts on the Lunar New Year here.