A Stack of Dishes

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gluten free

Donna Hay Challenge

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Donna Hay White Bean Salad
About 3 weeks ago I was perusing an older issue of Donna Hay Magazine (#42 Dec/Jan 2009) and I spied this recipe for White Bean Salad. I thought what a great thing to make and shoot. It was then the very next day that I happened upon the blog Jungle Frog who was offering up a challenge using the exact same recipe! As I am one to listen to the Goddesses when they try to tell me something- I decided to give it a go.
The idea was each month to replicate a recipe from one of Donna Hay‘s publications, not only the recipe, but the photography as well. I’ve always loved the style and the beauty of the images in the magazine, which I can prove by the stacks of every past issue I ever purchased that populate my apartment. As a side note: I am paring down my belongings in preparation of my move to Louisiana, but every single one of those babies are going with me.
The photography, like the food, is very clean, uncluttered and ethereal- and it was a bit trickier to produce than I thought. This was shot by Chris Court, who’s work I really adore.
I shot this using daylight continuous light bulbs through frosted paper. Though I have boatloads of sunlight in my apartment, I had to shoot this before the dawn this morning. I use a Canon 5D (LOVE my camera) with a 50mm, 1.2 lens. I shot it at f11 and used a folded white card for bounce back. I shot it on a pale blue paper because though her photographs often have a cool tint, it appeared to me in the photo that the plate was not cast. I did a little tweaking in Photoshop to bring out the midtones and lessen the contrast a touch. I also adjusted the white balance to make it tiny bit cooler as well.
This was a great exercise for me and the recipe is pretty fantastic too. I used ricotta that I had made from scratch last week and a lusciously fragrant Olive Oil. My daughter stopped over for lunch today and she tucked into a generous mound and loved it.
Donna Hay’s Ricotta and White Bean Salad
 
1 can white beans- cannellini-rinse and drained
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (I did a French cut)
1/4 c black olives, halved
1/4 c flat leaf parsley leaves
1c grape tomatoes, halved
S & P
several spoons of fresh ricotta
2T extra virgin olive oil
2 t red wine vinegar
 
Combine beans, onion, olives, parsley, tomatoes and seasoning. Gently toss.
 
Divide onto serving place and dollop with ricotta.
 
In separate bowl combine oil and vinegar then spoon over salad.
 
Serves 2

Homemade HOT sauce~ and my favorite way to eat it

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Sweet and Hot- that’s how I like it. I’ve put these two hot concoctions on a pedestal because seriously, that’s where they belong.
Let me first say that I have always been pretty much a fan of fire and spice. Perhaps it’s my Latina roots, but my relationship with my Louisianaian fiancee, and our month long trip to Thailand, has completely changed my definition- and appreciation– for spicy. A few months before taking that trip I prepared by upping my spicey in increments. I am really happy I did. I was able to really enjoy everything I ate there (and I pretty much ate EVERYTHING). It was also a walking start to the leap that my tolerance level attained as the trip progressed.
The first sauce is the fantastically hot and sweet sauce that I spoke about in my recent post here. It’s a kick tuckus sauce that gives you back some love with a vinegary sweet kiss. It’s awesome. It’s addictive. You’ve been warned. It’s Sweet Thai Chili sauce, but not that super sticky sweet stuff that you get in aisle 7 at the supermarket. That’s Baby chili and it cries in single notes. This is Mama’s sauce and it sings a full chord.
In that afore mentioned previous post I spoke about my favorite Gai Yahng spot in the Neiman Heyman area of Chiang Mai. It’s a hole in the wall sort of place that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Below is a picture of the grill master at the helm.  The fiancee says he’s been working that grill every day of the 5 years she lived there and has always (and still) wearing a knit cap. A remarkable thing considering it’s rarely below 90˚ and standing over that grill don’t make it no cooler!
The grill produces great banks of billowing smoke that is blown right out onto the street. You can spot the place from quite a ways away because of it.  The chicken is served with sticky rice and a side of Som Tom- Papaya Salad and, of course, a bowl of hot sauce. The chicken and rice are eaten with your fingers for the best flavor . One  of my favorite aspects of this place is a water bucket with a dented tin cup that is nailed to a tree. It sits above the water trough that funnels into the street. After devouring our plates of deliciousness you just dip into that bucket and pour water over your hands to wash them. Call me crazy, but I just love that. A wave to the grill master and then we can head off into the day.
I made my own version of Gai Yahng, which is quite tasty. Sadly my NYC kitchen does not have a charcol grill so I roasted my chicken instead. The chicken was first marinated overnight, though a few hours is fine. The marinate is made from the stems and some leaves of cilantro and this combined with some fish sauce gives it that unique Thai flavor. Don’t get me wrong, this is delicious with our without the grill. I dove right in and enjoyed every bite, and then walked to the sink with my sticky hands in the air to rinse them off.
Gai Yahng Chicken with a side of sticky rice and HOT sauce.

My next favorite Chili concoction, though not exactly a sauce is Foodie with Family‘s “Cowboy Candy”. Fresh jalepenos are used instead of dried chilies. The technique is the same, and it produces a slightly sweeter and tangier chili with a manageable fire.

I just LOVE these and really like the look of the rings too. You can put these babies on just about anything- but a ham sandwich? oh yes. Cream cheese on baguette? sure. I’m thinking atop a turkey burger would be good but I haven’t tried it.. yet.
The real bonus of making this “candy” is that there is quite a bit of the syrupy sauce left after putting the peppers into the jar. Later that day during my late afternoon couch respite, it struck me that there was a tequila cocktail in my near future with that spicy tangy juice as the feature.
I grabbed a glass, squeezed 2 fresh limes into it, added a serious glug of tequila and then topped it out with a half glug of the juice. The result?…….HOOOOOWEEEEE!  oh yeah baby- that’s the stuff. A splash of seltzer would also be good if you liked it just a step back, but the fire of the chilies, combined with the smokiness of the tequila was just all slap happy to be conjoined with vinegary sweetness. I may just start bottling this stuff- I’m thinking stocking stuffers….

Sweet Hot Thai Chili Sauce
 
1 c sugar
1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 c water
2 T chopped garlic
1 t salt
3/4 c pureed red chilies or Sambal Oelek (prepared chili sauce)
 
Combine sugar, vinegar, water, garlic and salt in a sauce pan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer on low for about 10 mins. You should be left with a thin syrup that will thicken as it cools.
 
To make your own pureed chilies- take about 4 c of dried red chilies- I get this pretty cheaply in Chinatown. They come in big bags for a few bucks. Remove any stems and then place in a heatproof bowl and cover with some hot to boiling water. Let them sit for about 4 mins to get them softened.
 
Place the chilies in a food processor and give them a whirl. Take care to stand back and not breathe in the chili oils that get released. Though not lethal, they will invoke unsightly coughing attacks. If the mix is a bit too dry you can add in some of the soaking water to get a paste going. Don’t worry about adding too much, it’s all good in the end. If you were a proper Thai chef you would get out your mortar and pestle and pound those chilies into submission. If you get the chance give it a try one day- there is beauty in watching a ruby red paste materialize. It’s zen. It’s good.
 
After the syrup is prepared you can put the chilies right in and give it a good stir.
 
And that’s all there is to it. 
 
You can get yourself some fancy pants bottles, but the Thai’s use whatever they got on hand. I used my leftover vinegar bottle. There is poetry in that.
 
Store in the fridge and consume within a month or so.
 
 
For the Cowboy Candy recipe please visit Foodie with Family.
 
 
Gai Yahng Marinade
 
3 T coarsely chopped fresh cilantro roots and stems
3 T chopped fresh garlic
2 T soy sauce
2 T fish sauce
1t salt
 
Place all ingredients into a blender and blitz into a puree. If necessary you can add water if needed. Conversely, place cilantro and garlic in mortar and pestle and pound into a paste. Add sauces.
 
Place chicken parts into a large plastic bag and pour marinade in and turn chicken to coat. You can put this into a bowl, but you really want this marinade to get all in there, so go for the bag.
 
Grill chicken on BBQ or roast the chicken at 350˚ to doneness ~40 mins.

Friday Night Eggplant

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Asian Inspired Eggplant

A quick simple post for a simple Friday night sup. A long strange week in the kitchen left me feeling like a needed a little something special without pulling out all the pots and pans. I purchased an eggplant earlier in the week with an inspiration to do something smokey and some sort of stuffing? but I got myself into an Asian mood, probably a hang over from the Thai rolls yesterday.
So late in the afternoon, during my 4pm “must sit on the couch now for a few” break, I pulled out Kylie Kwong’s book Simple Chinese Cooking. I really enjoy her cooking style and the easy simple recipes. The techniques are also so straight forward and easy to master, it’s like magic. The hardest part really is gathering the ingredients such as sichuan peppercorns, shao hsing wine and malt vinegar. Once they are established in the pantry it’s an easy delight pull it all together.
It’s fascinating to me how a handful of simple ingredients can be transformed into something so unimaginably different and delicious.
Eggplant Salad
Adapted from Kylie Kwong’s, Simple Chinese Cooking
 
 
1 large eggplant, peeled
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon finely sliced spring onions
pinch ground white pepper
 
dressing
 
1/4 c malt vinegar
2 tablespoons shao hsing wine or dry sherry
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
 
Cut eggplant into long slices lengthwise, then cut into 3/4″ strips. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and lay on tray in single layer. Set aside for 10 minutes.
 
Dressing: place all the ingredients into a small heavy-based saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 mins, then set aside to cool.
 
Place eggplant in colander and rinse well under cool water. Drain and pat dry.
 
Arrange eggplant in one layer on a heatproof plate that will fit inside a steamer. Steam covered for 6 mins or until eggplant is just tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from steamer and allow to cool slightly.
 
To serve, arrange eggplant on a plate and spoon over dressing. Sprinkle with onions and white pepper.