running with tweezers

the heat of the moment

As anyone who has read this blog with any regularity can attest, I am a huge fan of soup. Both emotionally and physically, it makes me feel good. Another one of my culinary loves is Indian Food. The warming spices and the slow cooked, sultry taste of it always makes me feel both fiery and cozy at the same time.

This soup came about rather serendipitously, I must say. I had purchased some red lentils at the local farmers market in hopes of finally trying to cook them at home - I've really only made brown lentils in dishes at home. I had also recently run across a jar of Harissa at a gourmet store, something I had hoped to keep on hand around the house. Then, perusing the Cooking Light 2008 cookbook, I see this recipe for a light and not pureed lentil soup - neither of which I normally associate with soups of this kind.

The chunky texture of the soup gives all of the ingredients ample opportunity to shine without one overpowering the other. The soup comes together quickly - in about 40 minutes from start to finish. I added a little extra smoked paprika and harissa for a tad more heat. This would also be lovely with a little cumin-scented yogurt or creme fraiche for a little richer dish. 

 Chunky Dal Lentil Soup - recipe originally found here at Cooking Light - serves 5     

*  1 1/2  teaspoons  olive oil
    * 1/2  cup  chopped onion
    * 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
    * 1 1/2  teaspoons  minced peeled fresh ginger
    * 3/4  teaspoon  Spanish smoked paprika
    * 1/2  teaspoon  salt
    * 1/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
    * 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
    * 3  cups  water
    * 1  cup  dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
    * 1  cup  canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
    * 1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
    * 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
    * 1  teaspoon  harissa
    * Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 6 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in ginger, paprika, salt, cumin, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add 3 cups water, lentils, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil.

- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and harissa. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.

in the raw

I'm not sure about in other places but here in Atlanta, the burger craze is in full effect. They have reached cult status here in our town with the opening of Flip, the burger "boutique" concept of Richard Blais - yes, of Top Chef fame.

The wide variety of burgers there at Flip - from the lamb burger to the Vietnamese "bun mi" burger - really inspired me. My favorite that I've had there was the steak tartare - a really delicious twist on a classic. It got my mind working on a version that incorporated one of my favorite things on earth: tuna tartare. With a slab of really fresh tuna, some wasabi and a couple other simple (and high quality ingredients) - this came together brilliantly. The play of the toasted bun with the tooth of the raw tuna and the crunch of the frisee was pretty sublime. It was also a lot of fun to let your mind wander and come up with your own answer to the question - what defines a burger?

The full story is available here at Atlanta Cuisine in page 16 of the January issue.

Tuna Tartare Burger - serves 2 large burgers or 4 smaller "slider" sized burgers

• 1 pound fresh ahi tuna
• 1 small handful chives - minced
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 large high quality hamburger buns - brioche would be a nice touch here!
• 3 tbsp. creme fraiche
• 1 tsp. prepared wasabi
• 1 large handful of frisee or other greens

For the wasabi creme fraiche: Bring creme fraiche up to slightly below room temp. Mix with wasabi paste and set aside.

For the tuna tartare: Using a very sharp knife, dice tuna in small 1/4 - 1/2 inch dice. Place tuna in a bowl set inside an iced bowl to keep the tuna cold during assembly. To the tuna, add the liquid ingredients and stir carefully not to break up the fish. Throw in minced chives and gently stir again. Salt and pepper the tartare to taste. If not serving immediately, keep the tartare on the iced bowl to keep it cold.

Assembly: Lightly toast hamburger buns or cut-out rounds of brioche. Spread a scant smear of wasabi creme fraiche on the bottom of the bun. Top with the tartare in whatever ratio you want and will accommodate the number of burgers you're making. Top with a small handful of frisee or other greens. I like serving the burger open face with the bun on the side and let your diners decide their best plan of attack.

the bitter truth

My life, at the end of last year, was full of more bitterness than truthfulness, unfortunately. little did i know. some things, no matter how you try and doctor them up...no matter how you season them, are tough to swallow - in life and in food. this year, we're off on a much better foot, i assure you.
Like a lot of people, I turn to comfort foods (as evidenced in the way my jeans were fitting there right after the holidays - I could still button them, though!). Cheese and bread come to the forefront of that for me. In the heart of winter chilliness, I also love all of the winter greens that are available at the market. I normally turn to chard and kale when I want to add some chewy bitterness to a recipe.
For this version of a toasty bruschetta, I experimented with rapini or broccoli rabe. It has all of the health benefits of dark greens and the touch of peppery bitterness with the benefit of eye-pleasing broccoli-esque flowers. A quick saute with some garlic and heat from red chili flakes makes the broccoli rabe a perfect wintertime - yet unusual - topping for a gooey and crusty bruschetta. Serve these when all of the ingredients are warm for maximum effect.

Broccoli Rabe Bruschetta - makes 16

• 1 loaf ciabatta bread or crusty Italian loaf bread
• 2 tablespoons good quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small whole fresh mozzarella - sliced into 1/8 slices
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced 
• 1 large bunch broccoli rabe - tough ribs and stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. dried red chili flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

- Cut one end off the ciabatta loaf and then cut 16 1/4 inch slices of ciabatta or slices of Italian loaf bread with a serrated knife.Spread out on baking sheet in preheated 350 degree oven until golden on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add a slice of fresh mozzarella to each piece of bread and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes. The level of melty-ness is up to you.
- Meanwhile, heat the EVOO in a large skillet or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft but not browning. Add broccoli rabe and saute until small stems are tender, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the red chili flakes and salt & pepper to taste. Divide evenly on the breads, heaping the greens a bit in the center. Serve immediately.

crunch and munch

I don't make New Years resolutions. I just don't. It sets a tone of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Besides, don't you think we should constantly be striving to achieve things throughout the year?

That having been said, my goal for myself this year - besides the fact that this year is just straight up going to be all about me - is that I am going to be open-minded to trying new things. Taking cooking classes. Going to concerts and plays and shows and gallery openings. Allowing myself - after a tough 2008 full of a myriad of reasons to bunker down and not let anyone in - to be open to all of the good things that life has to offer. Hopefully, new experiences will enhance the life I have now and bring new (and awesome) people and opportunities my way. It's been 10 days so far and I'm happy with the year so far.

That open-mindedness is something that I constantly try to apply to my cooking, as well. I've always been an adventurous eater and will give anything a go once. In my own kitchen, this often comes in the form of throwing together tastes and textures that some may not think go together.

One of my favorite ways to eat Brussels sprouts (which I realize are usually a love 'em or leave 'em kind of thing for people) is a quick and easy pan saute of them in some really good quality olive oil. Throw in some toasted nuts and pomegranate seeds. I had the hankering to make that recipe today but couldn't find a pomegranate to work with. I spied some red currants and threw them in at the end and it was zippy and delicious. The currants provided some tang and a pop that was similar to the pom seeds but without the sweetness. Either way, it's a great flavor and texture combo that will surprise you and anyone you serve it to. You can also amp this up with some diced pancetta or bacon in the pan before you add the sprouts in.

Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Currants - serves 4-6 as a large side dish

• 1 pound brussels sprouts - cleaned, stems and tough outer leaves removed and shredded
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup walnut pieces
• 1/2 cup red currants or pomegranate seeds
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

- In a dry pan, gently toast the walnut pieces and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan until glistening. Add shredded brussels sprouts and cook until softened but still slightly al dente - about 5 to 6 minutes. Add in walnut pieces and stir until thoroughly mixed. Salt and pepper to taste. Take the pan off the heat and add the currants or pomegranate seeds and mix gently as to not break them or discolor the brussels sprouts. Serve immediately.