Finally, I’ve come across a way to get rid of limp cucumbers! To make cucumbers extra crunchy and fresh tasting for salads and vegetable platters follow these simple steps.
1. Arrange cucumbers in a strainer placed inside a medium sized bowl
2. Sprinkle with salt
3. Cover with ice cubes
4. Refrigerate for an hour
5. Voila! Pat dry and refrigerate until ready to use!
The true origin of this dish is debatable. Some will tell you it comes from the Shan State of Burma, while others say it arrived in Thailand with Muslim traders from Yunnan. Whatever the origin, this dish is delicious and easy to make (once you’ve made your red curry paste). The recipe is traditional made with beef, though I’ve used chicken here as it was what I had in the fridge. Chinese egg noodles can be found at most Asian groceries. They come in one pound packages and the noodles look similar to linguine noodles. (Click below for a photo of the restaurant where we first experienced the delightful Khao Soi!)
Khao Soi (Chiang Mai Curry Noodles)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp red curry paste (homemade is best, but you can use store bought paste also)
1 tbsp peanut oil
3 cups canned coconut milk (reserve 1/2 cup of the thickest milk in a separate container)
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup water
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
peanut oil (for frying crispy noodles for topping)
1 pound Chinese egg noodles (some reserved for frying)
Optional Condiments:
1/2 cup minced shallots
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 lime, cut into wedges
a couple of birds eye chilis
pickled cabbage
Cynthia Rowley just did a line for Target and it is FULL of fabulous things! Here are some of my favorites.
Rattan Dinnerware Collection - 12 piece set! - $19.99
Rattan Melamine Serving Tray - $9.99
Stainless Steel Ice Bucket and Scoop - $12.99
Once the sweet corn and summer squash start appearing in the grocery store, you know it isn’t long until it’s in the garden and markets also! This is one of my favorite go-tos for dinner when running short on time and wanting to eat fresh and light.
Sweet Corn Stuffed Summer Squash
6 skinny summer squashes (zucchini works too!)
2 cups low fat ricotta cheese
1 cup fresh sweet corn, steamed and cut off the cob
1/4 cup basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash squash then cut in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, gently scrape down the middle of the squash removing the seeds and a bit of flesh. You want to create a pocket to hold the filling.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then season to taste. Gently pack filling into squash. Place squash halves in 9×13 baking dish and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
Enjoy!
5. - The Boston Globe Cakes Baked with Care in a Time of War “Kaye’s company, Bake Me a Wish!, has been sending cakes to and from US troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. About 10,000 cakes have gone over as part of Operation Birthday Cake.”
4. - LA Times Farmers Markets: the next generation ‘ “As farmers age and retire, markets need new blood. A new generation of growers is appearing: idealistic newcomers, immigrants and family following in their parents’ footsteps.”
3. - Cape Cod Times Mom’s Recipes - gift that keeps on giving “As you think about what to get Mom for Mother’s Day on Sunday, don’t forget all the delicious meals - and memories - she’s given you.”
2. - NY Times Wine’s Pleasures: Are They All in Your Head? “…in recent months American wine drinkers have taken their turn as pop culture’s punching bags. In press accounts of two studies on wine psychology, consumers have been portrayed as dupes and twits, subject to the manipulations of marketers, critics and charlatan producers who have cloaked wine in mystique and sham sophistication in hopes of better separating the public from its money.”
1. - Rocky Mountain News Grain Reign: As food habits change, so does our taste for rice “However, our rice epiphany came when we discovered basmati, jasmine, black, red - a rice world beyond long-grain white, and tasted the globe’s legendary dishes from biryani, risotto, pilaf and paella to feijoada, congee, nasi goreng, “dirty” rice and, especially, sushi.”
After a delightful dinner at a local Malaysian restaurant last week, I was determined to make roti chanai, the incredible bread served with delicious homemade curry as an appetizer. Below is the recipe I used, along with tips I used from this article on how to get it just right!
Roti Chanai
3 cups plain flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/5 cup extra water
If you haven’t ventured out to The Plains, Virginia, you must! As I mentioned last week, Great Meadow has Twilight Polo all summer long and then the International Gold Cup races are in the fall. It is a great excuse to pack a picnic, grab a couple of bottles of wine and spend the day in the country! If you attend either of the Gold Cups, check out the website for more information on the tailgate competition - you could win prizes as great as a free spot on the rail for next year!
Here are a couple of pics from the Virginia Gold Cup this past weekend.
Even though it’s Monday, we say you kickback, make yourself a Margarita and take the afternoon off in celebration! Want to learn more about why Cinco de Mayo is an important day in US history? Click here. Or want to learn more about tequila, click here!
Here’s our recipe for the classic beverage!
Classic Margarita
2 parts tequila (the better the quality, the better the margarita)
1 part fresh lime juice
1 part triple sec (or I prefer Cointreau)
salt for rimming the glasses
Combine tequila, triple sec (or Cointreau), and lime juice in cocktail shaker filled with ice. Moisten rim of glass with lime juice or water. Holding glass upside down, dip rim into salt. Shake and strain drink into glass and serve.
Enjoy!
Head over to The Source - Wolfgang Puck’s new restaurant in the Newseum! Roger Potter, formerly of Rock Creek at Mazza Gallerie is the new pastry chef and he is baking up a storm! My favorites are the Warm Blueberry Almond Crumble and the Passion Fruit Cheesecake.
The crumble was really amazing as it was well-balanced with a hint of saltiness to it - just the way I like my sweets! And the passion fruit had the perfect sweet/tart balance to not be too filling at the end of a meal. We’re hoping to feature Roger as one of our Chef’s of the “Week” soon!
5. - The Boston Globe A Portion of the Proceeds “Every week this column explores the restaurants of Boston and beyond, and every week in writing it I’m reminded how lucky we are to have such a varied, vibrant dining scene. These days I’m reminded all the more. In the past weeks and months, we’ve seen the prices of wheat, rice, and other staples skyrocket worldwide, pushing an estimated 100 million people deeper into poverty.”
4. - The Chicago Sun Rhubarb Loves Company, Especially Sherry ‘‘ “My love for rhubarb has followed me throughout my career. It is an elegant fruit with great flavor. It is wonderful in jams and compotes as a complement to pates and terrines, which we make here at the Ritz. When I am not able to cross the pond for my mother’s rhubarb trifle, I make this recipe — and I always remember not to be stingy with the sherry.” ‘
3. - NY Times The Next Best Thing in Sliced Bread “A great New York sandwich is large; it contains multitudes. And new contenders are turning up all the time to challenge the mighty meatball parm and the elegant B.L.T. Whether invented, imported, or refined here — whether discovered in the boroughs or farther afield — the seven sandwiches here move the dialogue forward.”
2. - Washington Post Space Invaders “In a way, the pantry problem is a reflection of our frenetic food culture. Thousands of cookbooks are published each year, providing ambitious kitchen warriors with recipes for Laotian beef salad, Italian grape and hazelnut tart, and the like. Americans also eat out more than ever and, with the help of the Internet, they can try to re-create restaurant dishes at home. If it’s Tuesday, it’s Belgian mussels. The catch: What do you do with the rest of the sour Flemish ale?”
1. - Dallas Morning News Salmon Shortage Raises Prices “Several factors have converged to produce the current situation. Start with the high price of diesel fuel, now more than $4 a gallon, which runs all those fishing boat engines. Add the mysterious calamity in California and Oregon: No one knows why there are dramatically fewer fish this year, but both areas are closed to salmon fishing right now.”
