helenas

Was planning to make some mechoui tonight but there were no appropriate lamb cuts in my grocery - instead got couple of perfect monkfish tails (filleted). Marinated them in charmoula (sans lemon juice) for several hours, then wiped the marinade from one of tail sides and tied them together (thick end to thin end for even hight) stuffing all charmoula inside, dredged the tied roast in some flour and browned on all sides. A splash of riesling and then roasted in hot oven. Made a quick sauce of pan juices and creme fraiche. Served to a morrocan salad of grilled egglant sprinkled with turkish biber pepper. Warm pitas.

Susan, to get the idea check the cookware section in The Spanish Table: Cazuelas and Cocote. I have both types in couple of sizes but mostly use a 11 inch covered cazuela. In fact tonight i used it for yet another dish from the book: braised cabbage. Added some double smoked bacon, fresh bay leaves and riesling instead of chicken stock. Very nice, especially sprinkled with coarse sea salt and red pepper flakes (my favorite marash). I will probably be making country-style pork ribs adobado (sans chicken) tomorrow and then leave the book alone for some time

guppymo, looks beautiful. Where do you get pepper leaves or did you use sesame leaves? I made a similar dish once using grape leaves as a substitution as was suggested by a recipe.

Susan, have you checked your local Marshalls recently? My local ones carry quite a selection of different spanish/portuguese earthenware casseroles and cazuelas. They are glazed except for the bottom and stovetop safe.

Made the Goan Chicken tonight. Chicken thighs marinated overnight in mint/cilantro/ginger/garlic paste and braised in rum and chicken stock, finished with a splash of cream. Once again i used a cazuela and braised the dish in oven and not stovetop eliminating the need of turning the pieces over and over, but allowing them to stay juicy while keeping this nice crust of the initial browning. Also used a dark rum instead of amber as this is what i had. And finished with creme fraiche and not cream as the sauce needed a touch of sourness. The sauce was addictive. Served over cazuela fried rice - a recipe from one of the first Wolfert's books where you brown raw rice in evoo until toasted and then cook it like a regular rice.

Susan, any baking or deep saute pan should be fine, i just happen to be mildly obsessed with claypot cooking especially during the winter. I had these Bisteces Rancheros reheated for lunch, and have a radical suggestion of skipping potatoes altogether. They really don't bring much to the dish and sort of nasty tasting the next day after sitting in quite a sour tomato/vinegar sauce. Maybe just to boil them and smash with some butter and chopped parsley.

As i'm waiting for my chicken braise to get ready, here a result of googling for goan, cooking and rum: GOAN ROAST PORK Sounds like a recipe deserving the attention

Made Bisteces Rancheros tonight. Shoulder beefsteaks braised with tomatoes, potatoes and poblano peppers. Some obeservations/suggestions: use cazuela if possible; white onions are perfect - pungent/sweet balanced although don't slice them too thin - negatively affects the presentation; potatoes - although sliced thinner than suggested 1/8 inch they came out underdone - parboiling? tomatoes - the idea of flattening is a smart one - a visual plus. poblanos - for a perfect heat i suggest to double the amount. Overall - should be added ti the list of highly recommended recipes in this book.

right. those are ingredients used in marinade for chicken thigs which then braised in reduced rum with reserved marinade and some chicken stock. Afterwards the braising liquid is reduced and a bit of cream added. Sounds enticing. Will report tomorrow. btw, Le Gavroche book that i like has a recipe for sauteed chicken breasts with mushrooms where the sauce is made with dark rum and creme fraiche. Though in this particular recipe the only other flavoring element is shallots.

I like to cook with different spirits and always wanted to try rum. So when i stumbled on a recipe involving rum in Molly Stevens' excellent Braising book, i immediately decided to give it a try. I have no clue about different kinds of rum, and the only one i have at hand is Tortuga. whereas the recipe calls for gold/amber rum like Mount Gay. So my question if it's ok to substitute. The concern is that a dark rum might overpower a cilantro/mint/ginger flavor in chicken marinade. I also hope that egullet members will share their experience in using rum in savory dishes.

Thank you, thank you: i like how it looks myself Served with spaetzle made with grainy dijon mustard and thyme.

pork belly roast:

The Vietnamese Cuisine was a nice surprise from my husband: the book is available only from Sofitel in Hanoi but incidentally his friend is a visiting professor in a local university there. The remaning three were ordered from amazon canada - either not available in US or much more expensive here.

Amazon shows this as being out of stock but don't despair. You can order the book straight from Chef John D. Folse. You can also preview a lot of recipes from the book using this site but get the book nonetheless - it worth every penny and then many more.

These two threas are actually talking about the same vegetable - asian leeks aka suan miao: Chinese Leeks. They're in season right now so make sure you get some to make Fuchsia Dunlop's Twice-Cooked Pork (hui guo rou)

In addition to Dave's excellent recommendations two recent books come to mind: Bertolli's "Cooking by Hand" and Aidells' "Complete Book of Pork".

A bit of perseverance et voila i found the thread i mentioned above: Balic discussing the technique of eggs slow roasting technique

i think Paula Wolfert and/or Adam Balic mentioned eggs baked in slow cooker (slowly of course) or in a very low oven ( temperature one can't get in a gas oven). The technique is from some Middle Eastern cusine i just don't remember what country. The description was so enticing that i thought i should get a slow cooker just for making those eggs.

ok against all odds i attempted to make them tonight. The technique in Blonder's Dim Sum book didn't involve the cloth just a large skillet and small non-stick baking pan. You pour the batter in greased baking pan and let it float in covered skillet for 5min or so. I sprinkled soaked and minced dried shrimp, scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds right after pouring the batter. Of 4 rolls i made, the 3rd one came almost perfect. There is of course a learning curve as i had no clue what i'm doing or what to expect. But the result was quite tasty so i'm ready to try more soon. Corinne Trang mentions a vietnamese version called Bahn Cuon. so i googled and found the interesting blog piece:Stall 1006 - Banh Cuon. Watch the movie - looks familiar?

yesterday i devised some way to make brussels sprouts not only palatable but great tasting Preheat the oven to 300F. Separate as many leaves as possible, halve the remaining tiny core (or leave it whole). Dice bacon fat and melt it slowly in large cazuela. Add brussels sprouts, diced bacon meat, shredded oyster mushrooms (tearing legthwise into strips), sliced garlic, some thyme and lemon zest and toss. When they start to sizzle, transfer to the oven and roast for about 40min or so, stirring once in a while. The leaves will become somewhat crisp but not dry getting the mosture from mushrooms i guess, and mushrooms will develop a nice texture as well - crispy and meaty absorbing the wonderful pan juices. I will try this with shiitake next time. I also think it will be a great filling for open galette. And as KatieLoeb suggested a base for lamb and lamb sausage.

Another aussie favorite - Ian Hemphill. I have his Spice and Herb Bible - excellent reference book. What do you think of Spicery and Herbaceous? Does one need them if already owning his bible?

Cheung Fan aka fresh rice sheets. I'm looking at the recipe in Trang's Essentials of Asian Cuisine and it reads like making them is not that difficult but quite fun. Has somebody tried making them and if yes any advice to neophyte?

Good luck - sa far i can't claim success in this quest

Paula, this sounds amazing - i'm ordering freekeh right away And this thread made me think about some technique i learned from Clifford Wright's Little Foods of the Mediterranean - 'zeytinyagli' - cooking in olive oil. Sounds like chard stacks are natural for this right?

Not exactly confit but i'm using olive oil for a quite a while in all confit recipes. And for those willing to try this, Paula Wolfert's pork coddled in olive oil is a way to go - one of the best pork dishes ever.