SobaAddict70

It's not going to happen this week, but when I get back from my vacation, I'll be looking into making some of the desserts. I'm curious about the clementine cake, for instance.

Wikipedia also mentions that the shoots and the flowers are edible, but I have no experience with those forms of salsify. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragopogon_porrifolius

As a side note, I think it's really funny just how many recipes are vegan. A big plus in my book.

I can't leave well enough alone; I just adore this cookbook. I only wish that "Plenty" grabbed me more; I'm curious about his third book, "Ottolenghi". Anyway, part of tonight's dinner was Wild and basmati rice, with spiced chickpeas, crispy fried onions and herbs The recipe for this is from page 106. There are five major components to this dish: the rices, the chickpeas, the onion, the herbs and the dried fruit. I subbed dried cranberries for the currants because it's what I had on hand (but I reduced the amount because dried cranberries are sweeter than currants to begin with). I subbed fennel fronds and fennel stems for the dill, and panch phoron for the curry powder. Prepare basmati rice and wild rice according to package directions. I ignored Ottolenghi's instructions in the cookbook. As someone who was born with the rice cooking gene, I don't bother with cookbooks in that respect. Next, warm some olive oil in a pan and add cumin seed and curry powder. I used panch phoron instead for textural contrast. I understand that Ottolenghi is going for a slightly spicy undertone here; I suppose next time I'll use garam masala or filfel chuma. (I have a jar of garam masala somewhere in my spice cabinet that I made a while ago.) Add your chickpeas and a pinch of salt once the spices have bloomed in the oil. Cook for a couple of minutes and you should end up with something like this: The rest of the recipe is fairly straightforward. * Chop your herbs and have them at the ready. * Make the crispy fried onions (thinly sliced onion tossed in AP flour, then fried in batches in oil); the next time I make this dish, I definitely switch to slow-cooked onion in olive oil for about 25-30 minutes over low heat or until the onions caramelize and become golden brown. I prefer them that way. * If using currants, you can leave them as is or plump them by soaking them in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain, then use as needed. Once the rices are ready, combine in a large mixing bowl, then add the chickpeas, onion, herbs and dried fruit; mix well. Taste for salt and pepper, then serve immediately.

Wild and basmati rice, with spiced chickpeas, crispy fried onions and herbs (page 106 from the "Jerusalem" cookbook) Stufato di verdure

I didn't intentionally pair it with dairy; it was what I had on hand at the time. You can turn it into chips or simmer it in a little bit of broth and purée it (I don't mean as a soup, but rather as a "mash", like pure di patate for example), and have it accompany it fish. Salmon or arctic char is an idea.

thanks. thick-sliced sourdough whole wheat bread soaked in a mixture of 4 beaten eggs, I don't know how much heavy cream, a dash of cinnamon and tablespoon of tawny port. I am a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, otherwise I'd use more of it and anyway, I'm only interested in the flavor. fry in melted unsalted butter on one side for 2-3 minutes, then flip. toasts are done when they're browned. I had two slices with plum confiture and two slices with spicy tomato chutney.

Tawny port French toast, plum confiture

it's because saffron threads are water-soluble and don't dissolve well in oils or saturated fats. incidentally, you don't mention whether you're using saffron threads or powder. if you're using powder, you don't have to steep it. this link goes into more detail: http://goo.gl/fNafOA

This is what's available at my farmer's market, usually sometime between early January and the middle of March. Doesn't look so appetizing, does it? Has a black/dark brown peel and white flesh. When exposed to air, the flesh tends to oxidize (like apples, for instance). Something I did back in February. Carrots and salsify, with lime, Indian spices and burrata

peel them and plunge the peeled roots into lightly acidulated water (juice of half a lemon in a bowl of water); if you don't, they'll discolor. * simmer salsify in lightly salted water, then drain and sauté in a little unsalted butter. * sauté in unsalted butter with onion or leek, then simmer in water, chicken stock or vegetable stock until tender; remove pot from heat, then working in batches, purée in a blender; return soup to pot, stir in a little light cream; cook until warmed through. taste for salt and pepper, then serve. basically use as you would parsnips, carrots or turnips. they have a faint "artichoke heart" flavor to my palate.

Roasted asparagus, almond picada Almond picada: cubes of stale sourdough bread combined with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, minced garlic and slivered almonds, then toasted in a 375 F oven for 10 minutes, then tossed with thyme leaves and processed to a crumbly powder in a food processor. Pea and radish potage Potage: Finely diced radishes and onion sautéed in olive oil, then simmered in water, to which was added some English peas and 1 tablespoon long-grain rice, sea salt and black pepper. Substitute frozen peas or sugar snap peas instead if you don't have English peas. Simmer until the vegetables are the radishes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat, then working in batches, purée in a blender. Adding the rice will thicken the soup and ensure a creamy texture. Taste for salt and pepper, then serve immediately. Djaj bi-Basal wa Sumac ("chicken with onion and sumac") The green stuff is some Castelvetrano olive tapenade I stirred in at the last minute. Adapted from: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Chicken-with-Onions

date shakes remind me of avocado shakes from when I was growing up in the PI (the Philippines, or "PI" for short). yummy. okay, gotta do prep. will post later.

Probably, but you might have to play around with the proportions in the recipe. I needed to dial back on the garlic and tahini. I've noticed that Ottolenghi really amps up those ingredients in these recipes. I frequently find myself trying to lighten things.

try steeping the saffron in a small quantity of warm neutral-tasting liquid (water, milk), then straining the liquid and adding it to the pesto ingredients before you add the oil. the other alternative you have is to buy saffron pasta.

I buy vegetables from my farmers' market. I wasn't able to obtain any last week. http://www.echonyc.com/~lwollin/greenmarket.html says that some vendors had favas today but I didn't go because I'm eating the food in the house that I already have so that it doesn't go to waste.

wish we had fava beans...

I'd use it for anything savory -- whisked into scrambled eggs, or into mayonnaise. The fried tomatoes (see above) had a teaspoon stirred in.

Absolutely, but I'd cut back on the proportions of the dressing.

Saturday vegan/vegetarian brunch: Cauliflower with tahini, pomegranate molasses and mint Scrambled eggs, Castelvetrano olive tapenade

1/2 head cauliflower, broken into florets, seasoned with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, then roasted at 350 F for 35-40 minutes. About halfway through the roasting process, I stirred in about 1 tablespoon minced scallion. BTW, all of the proportions are off in this post compared to those called for in the recipe since (1) I'm cooking for one person and (2) I detest leftovers. Apart from the roasting, the proportions and the substitution of yogurt instead of Greek yogurt, the recipe is as written. The recipe instructs you to fry the cauliflower and the scallions in separate batches. Another advantage of doing it this way is that while the cauliflower is roasting, I can prep the tahini dressing. 1/4 cup tahini and 1 crushed garlic clove 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley + a similar quantity of chopped mint leaves to that mixture, add 1/3 cup yogurt, the juice of half a lemon and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses. mix well. if the dressing is too thick, add enough water so that the mixture becomes the consistency of honey. once the cauliflower is done, fold the dressing into the cauliflower and mix well. taste for salt and black pepper. spoon cauliflower onto shallow bowls, top with additional chopped herbs and a drop or two of pomegranate molasses. serve at once. Cauliflower with tahini, pomegranate molasses and mint (page 60). Time: About 50 minutes, including prep.

I'll be making the fried cauliflower tonight, but having reviewed the recipe (and also because two other dishes tonight will have fried components), I'll be making a couple of tweaks. I'm planning on roasting the cauliflower instead (because who can say "no" to roasted cauliflower, an eGullet classic?); in addition, I'll be subbing regular yogurt instead of the Greek yogurt because it's what I have on hand. Next week I will be in San Francisco visiting my partner. He does have the book (and "Plenty" as well) but he's never made anything from it, so that will be a treat. You might say that all of my efforts thus far have been a dress rehearsal.

Kim: thanks. Cerignola are also great if you can source any.

yup, that's the filfel chuma from the carrot salad post. a little goes a long way.

the recipe for this is on page 50 -- fried tomatoes with garlic it's one of those dishes that contains a minimal amount of ingredients -- tomatoes, chile, parsley, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper. that's one thing that I love about this cookbook, is that there are little nuggets hidden throughout where you can make something tasty in very little time, using barely a handful of ingredients that showcases what "Jerusalem" is all about. that being said, I didn't have any fresh chiles on hand and I also dislike the taste of raw garlic, which if, I had followed the recipe as written, would have been the result as far as the garlic cloves were concerned. i made a couple of adjustments which you can see below in the pic of the mise en place. i also slightly reduced the amount of garlic called for. prep the tomatoes by slicing them, then season to taste with sea salt and black pepper warm some olive oil in a pan, add the garlic. fry until the garlic turns color, then add the parsley and a teaspoon of filfel chuma. fry for 1 more minute, then add the tomatoes. fry the tomatoes for 1-2 minutes per side, then remove from heat and serve at once, along with a piece of bread to soak up the juices. Fried heirloom tomatoes with filfel chuma, garlic and parsley; sourdough whole wheat bread