eG Foodblog: SobaAddict70 (2013) -- La Cuisine du Marché

[SobaAddict70]

Carrot and cippolini onion confit

4 rainbow carrots, peeled and trimmed

3 gold cippolini onions, peeled and trimmed of its stem end

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large shallot, peeled and trimmed, and thinly sliced

juice of 1 lemon

1 lemon, cut into quarters

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon capers

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the carrots and onions. Simmer for 8-10 minutes over low heat or until carrots yield some resistance when pierced with a fork. You don't want the carrots to be tender, since they'll cook further in the olive oil bath.

Drain the vegetables, then place in a heavy-bottomed pot and add the olive oil, shallot, lemon juice, lemon, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, sea salt and capers. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to one hour or until the carrots are tender and easily pierced with a fork. The onions should be falling apart.

Spoon onto a serving bowl, garnish with parsley or chives, then serve at once.

Substituting cauliflower for the cippolini onion is another variation. Other add-ins are orange juice and quartered oranges, kumquats, Meyer lemons, marinated olives and green garlic.

[SobaAddict70]

Pearl barley biryani.

I like pushing the boundaries of "what is possible" when it comes to food while still keeping one foot in tradition. The only things that differ here are the grain that was used and dried cranberries instead of raisins, otherwise it still has the same spices and ingredients that you may find in a vegetable biryani -- black mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin, green cardamom, onions, ghee, etc.

Edited May 27, 2013 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[huiray]

The non-rice biryani is interesting and looks tasty, yes - but I will confess that I would prefer to have rice in my biryani. I might call the barley-subbed dish by another name, but that's just me.

BTW - are the plates you show (in general, not just the ones in this blog) the plates you eat...or do you do that Keith_W subterfuge of plating a teeny portion for the photo then loading it up after the photo? Just curious. Enquiring minds want to know and all that stuff. :-)

[SobaAddict70]

The non-rice biryani is interesting and looks tasty, yes - but I will confess that I would prefer to have rice in my biryani. I might call the barley-subbed dish by another name, but that's just me.

BTW - are the plates you show (in general, not just the ones in this blog) the plates you eat...or do you do that Keith_W subterfuge of plating a teeny portion for the photo then loading it up after the photo? Just curious. Enquiring minds want to know and all that stuff. :-)

1. "tradition" is not the same thing as "authenticity". I think we can all agree that the barley biryani is not authentic, but it follows the same techniques as a traditional biryani -- toast spices in ghee, add aromatic vegetables, etc. I can do an authentic biryani, cassoulet, carbonara, bourguignon, etc. but I'm more interested in expanding the realm of what is possible while still following certain rules. it works for me, and maybe other people. *shrug* for instance, on the blog you will find a recipe for BEET bourguignon -- pretty much Julia's recipe except it's vegan and gluten-free.

2. most of the time, what you see is how it's served. there are times when I do what Keith does, but that's not information that has to be shared.

Edited May 27, 2013 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[SobaAddict70]

So, tomorrow (Monday), I have brunch in the East Village with my mother -- you'll see pix of that.

Not sure what's for dinner tomorrow, probably leftover biryani -- but I might do a salad or a couple of apps to start.

I'll also comment more on how I devise menus. A few months ago there was a thread started by liuzhou on "Cooking For One"; this blog was a reaction to that.

Talk to y'all later.

[patrickamory]

PERFECT omelet Soba. No unsightly brown on the outside - it could have been made in France. Rare to see.

[huiray]

Heh. I like to see some browning on my omelets. I don't personally care for the ultra-French type of omelets. I for one thought that Top Chef episode in the last season with Wolfgang Puck asking his gang of cheftestapants-to-be candidates to "make him an omelet" (without any other qualifications) to be both laughable and eyebrow-raising. I WISH someone had made a SE-Asian type omelet for him, or a bubbly-browned-flat omelet for him, or even something like Oh Chien (oyster omelet) for him, rather than defaulting to some approximation of a FRENCHIFIED omelet.

[weinoo]

Heh. I like to see some browning on my omelets. I don't personally care for the ultra-French type of omelets. I for one thought that Top Chef episode in the last season with Wolfgang Puck asking his gang of cheftestapants-to-be candidates to "make him an omelet" (without any other qualifications) to be both laughable and eyebrow-raising. I WISH someone had made a SE-Asian type omelet for him, or a bubbly-browned-flat omelet for him, or even something like Oh Chien (oyster omelet) for him, rather than defaulting to some approximation of a FRENCHIFIED omelet.

I guess you can show everyone those when you do a blog.

[patrickamory]

Gauntlet thrown!

[SobaAddict70]

for huiray, here's a one-egg omelette from a few days ago ... I forget what the filling was, but I think it might have been cheese and something else.

you'll notice the brown spots. this omelette had 1 tablespoon cold water and no cream. personally I prefer a French omelette in the same way as how Julia demonstrated on her show, but as the saying goes, à chacun son goût.

[SobaAddict70]

PERFECT omelet Soba. No unsightly brown on the outside - it could have been made in France. Rare to see.

ty Patrick. that's high praise indeed. thanks again.

[SobaAddict70]

so it turned out that Prune was closed -- I'll probably mosey on down there for lunch sometime this week or maybe Mission Chinese Food. and I still wanna try Torrisi Italian Specialties for dinner.

in the meantime, brunch was some Japanese izakaya on St. Mark's Place.

there is a reason why I don't do restaurant food photography, because I'm using a camera held together by tissue paper and glue from 2006.

miso soup

broiled chicken bento box -- clockwise from bottom left: broiled chicken in ponzu sauce, salad with carrot-ginger dressing, california roll, shumai, fried chicken

shrimp and vegetable tempura, steamed rice

lunch for two people, for $27.95, including tax and tip. very reasonable for cheap eats.

Edited May 27, 2013 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Keith_W]

Indeed a one egg omelette would be quite a challenge. Would it help if you had a smaller pan?

As per huiray I grew up eating SE Asian omelettes which had lots of browning, so I was confused when people said that a true test of a chef's skill is how well he can make an omelette. Simplest thing in the world, how can it be? Well, that was what I thought until a friend made me an omelette - blonde on the outside, gooey and eggy in the center. It needs nothing else but a sprinkling of herbs and some salt. I tried it at home and my omelette resembles scrambled eggs more than an omelette - and I use three eggs! I don't think I will be posting my efforts at a 1 egg omelette any time soon.

Would you be able to show us some pics of your kitchen and your kitchen toys? That is, if you don't mind. It would be nice to see where all this lovely food is made.

[SobaAddict70]

I was describing to Mom dinner last night as we were walking to the train station.

The funny part is that she thinks my dinner is "gourmet". It's interesting to me, because I consider what I do to be "simple". A reminder that perception is truly in the eye of the beholder.

[SobaAddict70]

Indeed a one egg omelette would be quite a challenge. Would it help if you had a smaller pan?

As per huiray I grew up eating SE Asian omelettes which had lots of browning, so I was confused when people said that a true test of a chef's skill is how well he can make an omelette. Simplest thing in the world, how can it be? Well, that was what I thought until a friend made me an omelette - blonde on the outside, gooey and eggy in the center. It needs nothing else but a sprinkling of herbs and some salt. I tried it at home and my omelette resembles scrambled eggs more than an omelette - and I use three eggs! I don't think I will be posting my efforts at a 1 egg omelette any time soon.

Would you be able to show us some pics of your kitchen and your kitchen toys? That is, if you don't mind. It would be nice to see where all this lovely food is made.

I don't think the size of the pan is so much a factor as being quick and having everything ready -- a good reason why mise en place is so important. Even in my hobbit-sized kitchen, I still try to have things within easy reach so that I'm not looking for things at a critical juncture. There is literally a 15-second window before the eggs go from "perfect" to "overdone".

Here's a pic of my kitchen.

Note the extreme lack of counter space. The top of the garbage can sometimes serves as one.

Edited May 28, 2013 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[SobaAddict70]

So I might do a demo for tomorrow's lunch (not breakfast as I have a doctor's appt. at 9:45 am) on how to make a one-egg omelette. Would people be interested in that? These will be filled with asparagus and ricotta cheese.

A comment on how I devise menus:

I know what I am capable of in terms of skill set and equipment. I have not much in the way of the latter -- one frying pan/heavy skillet, one Dutch oven, one medium-sized pot, one small saucepot, one 6 quart stock pot, three Pyrex baking/roasting dishes, one cookie sheet. No microwaves, blenders or food processors. I'll probably get a mortar and pestle soon. Maybe an immersion blender for cream soups and stuff. A mandoline for turnip or potato galettes. This is an extremely low-tech kitchen.

My kitchen skills are somewhere between ambitious intermediate home cook and advanced. Yes, I know how to make the French mother sauces, how to do stocks and some other classic elements of haute cuisine. I don't know pastry or baking -- you can all laugh later this week at my effort to bake bread. but that's slowly changing. recently discovered how to make homemade pasta.

So I devise menus knowing what I can do and what I can't. sometimes something will work, sometimes not, but I document everything and show the results, failures or no. that's important. the key thing is that I tried, not whether it succeeded or failed. and if it failed, I use that knowledge for next time.

I don't think as to whether it will be all vegetarian or vegan or whatever. I usually have a mental inventory of what's in my pantry, then devise accordingly. I look for inspiration from cookbooks, restaurant menus (like the ones at Chez Panisse or Gramercy Tavern), newspaper articles, food blogs, Facebook posts, books on food, or forums like eGullet. Another key lesson is something my writing professor once mentioned -- "Keep your eyes open and be observant, because you never know when the next thing you see will be what sparks the urge to create, to write." And so it goes, as far as cooking is concerned.

And some things, like the baked eggs with asparagus salad, have personal meaning that go far beyond a mere meal. I draw from experiences in my personal life which serve as material for future use.

Dinner menu for May 27, 2013:

Insalata di funghi (this version will have roasted shiitake mushrooms)

Asparagus, with pistachios, coconut and Indian spices

"Potatoes and turnips"

Leftover pearl barley biryani

More later.

[huiray]

for huiray, here's a one-egg omelette from a few days ago ... I forget what the filling was, but I think it might have been cheese and something else.

you'll notice the brown spots. this omelette had 1 tablespoon cold water and no cream. personally I prefer a French omelette in the same way as how Julia demonstrated on her show, but as the saying goes, à chacun son goût.

011.JPG

Thank you.

This looks much nicer to me than the un-browned one. :-)

[SobaAddict70]

but according to Julia, not as perfect. she's one of my kitchen goddesses.

http://youtu.be/RThnq3-d6PY

[Keith_W]

Wow, that is a pretty small kitchen! Real credit that you can turn out such lovely looking food from there!

Bit of a bodybuilder are we? Are those protein shakes on the floor?

[huiray]

Heh. I like to see some browning on my omelets. I don't personally care for the ultra-French type of omelets. I for one thought that Top Chef episode in the last season with Wolfgang Puck asking his gang of cheftestapants-to-be candidates to "make him an omelet" (without any other qualifications) to be both laughable and eyebrow-raising. I WISH someone had made a SE-Asian type omelet for him, or a bubbly-browned-flat omelet for him, or even something like Oh Chien (oyster omelet) for him, rather than defaulting to some approximation of a FRENCHIFIED omelet.

I guess you can show everyone those when you do a blog.

Looks like you may have never seen one of those things. Possible also that you can't conceive of an omelet which does not look like the pale French type and might be upset that there could be such a thing as a browned omelet or a non-neatly-folded one which is tasty. I've provided links for "Oh Chien", did you look at them? As for a food blog myself, perhaps one day - but in a sense I already do sort-of one on a regular basis on the "Lunch" thread where I explain in detail what I do and what I use in my meals. You might want to take a look.

Keith_W has chimed in above about SE Asian omelets having lots of browning, so I am not just the only one claiming such a thing. I make them regularly too, such as for some of my fried rice dishes where I do the quick-fry omelet in a very hot pan with plenty of oil (NOT butter) to give that flat, browned (NOT burnt) omelet that one then cuts up into strips to scatter into the fried rice. Perhaps you have even eaten it without knowing it in a Chinese-origin restaurant when you had some kinds of fried rice. ;-)

[huiray]

but according to Julia, not as perfect. she's one of my kitchen goddesses.

http://youtu.be/RThnq3-d6PY

Maybe it might be an idea to have other kitchen goddesses as well. :-)

ETA: One of the issues here - to me - is that folks talk in the West/USA about "an omelet" as being only one kind of thing - that pale FRENCH omelet. Even then the non-English speaking parts have frittatas, as an example, which may have browning and have a different shape than that pale, neatly folded French omelet. Yet it is still an omelet. So are all these other kinds of fried beaten-egg dishes in other parts of the world, which DO NOT follow the French model. If one said that one was making a "French omelet", rather than just simply "an omelet" then the specifications for it become narrower. (I'm not specifically referring to you, of course, I'm talking in general)

ETA2: Even Wikipedia lists all sorts of omelets/omelettes, amongst which a French omelet is just one kind and the ONLY one described as having "little to no colour" when properly done. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omelette

Edited May 28, 2013 by huiray (log)

[huiray]

Gauntlet thrown!

See my response to Weinoo above.

[SobaAddict70]

Wow, that is a pretty small kitchen! Real credit that you can turn out such lovely looking food from there!

Bit of a bodybuilder are we? Are those protein shakes on the floor?

those are bottles of protein powder.

and yes, I need to start lifting again. those are old pix, from 2008.

ty for the compliment.

[SobaAddict70]

but according to Julia, not as perfect. she's one of my kitchen goddesses.

http://youtu.be/RThnq3-d6PY

Maybe it might be an idea to have other kitchen goddesses as well. :-)

I do, but with respect to specific things like omelettes, Julia is it for me.

*shrug*

[huiray]

but according to Julia, not as perfect. she's one of my kitchen goddesses.

http://youtu.be/RThnq3-d6PY

Maybe it might be an idea to have other kitchen goddesses as well. :-)

I do, but with respect to specific things like omelettes, Julia is it for me.

*shrug*

Heh.

I made an addition to my post above. :-)