Happy Norouz, Everyone!

Ali travels the world, as I was saying during yesterday’s post. As a Foreign Policy Analyst, he rarely has the time for dinners with Shane and me. But finally, we all set a date. That date was summarily scuttled when the Shane came down with some equally international bug.

But true to form, Ali wanted to impress; he knew that Shane had been talking him up as an outstanding chef and wanted me to know that where the best Persian food in the city is. Turns out Shane was right, the best Persian in D.C. can be found at their home.

And so, the date is upon us, Happy Norouz, everyone! Persian New Year begins forthwith! In fact Norouz starts at this very minute.

And Ali and Shane are healthy again, so it is time for a little Norouz-shment.

This event usually coincides with the Vernal Equinox which according to the google-o-meter says:

Originally being a Zoroastrian festival, and the holiest of them all, Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although there is no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era the official year has begun with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox.

Well, I’ve always like Pisces (although, I think Ali is Gemini and Shane is Capricorn, uh, so never mind…) At any rate, I watched Ali make possibly the most tasty chicken thigh dish I can imagine. And this sort of cooking magic compels me to share the results with you.

Nothing special seemed to go into it, though. So, while I’ll tell you what he did, I must confess, I’m not sure why it tastes so excellent. Perhaps because the meat perches atop a bed of Javahar Polo or “jewelled rice.”

Javahar Polo

1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c grated carrot and orange zest boiled for 10 minutes to get the bitterness out. Create a simple syrup.

1 chopped large onion

olive oil for quick frying

1/2 c sultanas (golden raisins)

a couple fistfuls of slivered almonds and chopped pistachios

1 c barberries

4-5 c rice

1 t ground saffron in 1/2 c water and 1/2 c olive oil

First create the simple syrup as above. Set aside. Bowl rice with about 1″ of water above the rice in a Dutch oven with salt. Boil 6-7 minutes. Don’t cook more than 10 minutes, whatever you do. Drain.

Incorporate the carrot/orange peel mixture by laying it in the rice in layers. Replace the rice into the pot layering with the peel. Now pour the saffron/water/olive oil mixture into the hot pan on low heat and pour the berries and nuts in. Quickly fry these first until the nuts are lightly browned. Remove the berries and nuts. Pour the oil and syrup mixture back over the rice. Cook through. The oil, sugar and starch create that incredible tahdig or “bottom of the [rice] pot” crust that is so popular in middle eastern cuisine. I find it utterly indispensable for making flavorful rice and just wish I could make it every time I make rice.

Jewelled Rice

While you are making the javahar polo, begin preparing the entrée. Fry 8-12 boneless and skinless thighs on one side for about 15-20 minutes in some olive oil and the juice of two lemons in a regular (not a non-stick) pan. Add 1 medium onion, chopped, and 4-5 cloves of roughly chopped garlic near the beginning of the process. Salt and pepper the chicken as you go. Flip the chicken and cook through; you may need more lemon juice as you go, so the chicken stays in a moist lemony bath. After about 45 minutes, you’ll have dinner.

Sprinkle the berries and nuts over the top of the rice. And then place the browned chicken thighs atop the rice. Let the oooooohs and aaaaaaahs begin.

On a side note, Shane brought a little bit of home (Upstate New York, that is) to the table as well, taking this most Islamic affairs to a decidedly secular level with a Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Fingerlakes white varietal called Rkatsiteli. Crisp and clean, dry and not overly-alcohol-y, this vineyard is one of the very best in the Fingerlakes region.

2009 Rkatsiteli

Dr. Frank's Fingerlakes White

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyards

12%

Hammondsport, N.Y. 

I’d never had such an obscure varietal, which according to Wikipedia is a Georgian grape, and prior to the fall of the Soviet Union was the most widely exported grape in the country. Dare I say it: count on Shane to bring it! Who knew that a Persian/ Georgian mash-up was to be the order of the day.

Until our next Persian meal of veal shoulder, lava beans, and dried fenugreek herb, Happy Nourouz, everybody! And as Ali says, Noushe e Jan (roughly “Bon Appetit” or “To your life’s enjoyment!”)

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Baked Chicken in Cardamom-Coconut Ragu

Today's entry was my first blog post on my sister’s site, "A Family That Eats Together." While she's busy raising baby #2, she's taken a mental (not culinary) hiatus.

But it was very exciting to be able to contribute to her exceptional blog! So until she's up and running again, this one's for you, sis.

Ready for Lunch
the Next Day

Baked Chicken in Cardamom-Coconut Ragu
(Accented with a yellow/red bell pepper-and Vidalia onion-curried dressing)

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 mintues
Cooking Time: 40-60 minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken baking dish
4 chicken thighs (boneless will cook at 375 in 40 mins; bone in, you cook 425 for 60 mins)
1c coconut milk (don’t use light coconut milk)
1c pureed tomato (canned works great, but you can use chopped fire roasted tomatoes)
1 ½ T cumin seeds
½ T celery seeds
1T coriander seeds
4t paprika
1" to 2" inches of grated ginger (approx ½” in circumference)
2 chopped Thai finger peppers or similar peppers
1t salt
6 cardamom seed pods (whole or cracked, if you like)
5 cloves
3-5 garlic cloves peeled and chopped

For the dressing/topping
4-6 chopped whole fire roasted tomatoes
¼ – ½ c of ghee or if you prefer, use first-press peanut oil will give you the best flavor, but you could use regular canola if you don’t particularly care
½ T cumin seeds
1 ½ c Vidalia onion sliced wafer thin
1 chopped Thai finger pepper
½ t ground turmeric
½ t paprika
½ t black mustard seeds
1 ½ red or yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced or cut into squares
Chopped topping of cilantro or green onion tops

Preparation:

Toast the Spices in the Pan Over Medium to Low Heat

For the Chicken—

1. Toast the cumin, coriander and celery seeds for about 2-5 mins in a skillet; pour into a coffee grinder and turn into a powder. Pour into baking dish (If you don’t have the time, just use pre-ground spices).
2. Roll/dredge the chicken thighs in the spices. Remove from baking dish, put onto the back of the lid.
3. Combine the coconut milk into all the remaining spice ingredients into the baking dish. Fold the chicken into the liquid, cover, and put in oven at 425 for 45 minutes to an hour if they are bone-in.

Make the dressing—

Dredged Chicken

1. Heat the ghee over medium-high heat, add in the mustard seeds until they begin to pop.
2. Add in cumin seeds on a lower heat, so the mustard seeds do not burn. 
3. Then add in the onions and pepper at the immediate moment the seeds have NOT yet burned. 
4. Carmelize for about 5 minutes on medium-low
5. Add in the chopped tomatoes and all the juice from the tomatoes that comes out or add in a little water if there isn’t much juice. I added in about ¼c of the tomato water from the can that I’d used for the chicken. 
6. Add in the bell peppers and cook until soft. 
7. Season with salt and pepper.

Finish the dish—

1. Pull chicken out of the oven, open lid, top the chicken in the baking dish with all of the dressing. Then top with cilantro or chopped green onion tops. 
2. You can leave on the stove with the heat off for the night, I did. The juices and flavors should meld nicely.
3. Serve over a bed of basmati rice.

Were it not for my Camera,
This Picture Would Convey Just a Beautiful Final Product

Matthew's Famous Reheating Tips for Office Gourmands™
Ever wonder how to effectively reheat last night's dinner in a microwave? So often microwaves can destroy food. You pop it in for 4 minutes, walk away, hope for the best. This is the way of failure.

For your lunch the next day at the office: you should consider heating the chicken piece(s) first in a series of short "zaps:"

• 30 seconds on high covered with an inverted bowl. 
• Wait a full minute. 
• 60 seconds on high. 
• Wait a full minute. Remove the chicken piece(s) from the plate, Lay the plate with basmati rice. 
• Position the pre-warmed chicken on top of the cold rice. 
• Cover as you would envision serving the meal. Then cook on high for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce begins to spatter the inside of the inverted bowl. 
• Be careful! The inverted bowl will be extremely hot inside. 
• Instead of lifting that lid, let this sit in the microwave for about 1-3 minutes further. Go check email.
• Depending on the strength of the microwave you are using, you may need to continue heating for 1-3 minutes for the ragu to warm completely through. 
• Then pull out, let sit on the table, and rest for 30 seconds. Devour.

Chef’s note: To simplify the recipe, ya know, you could just cut out all the toasting of the spices and buy powdered, dry spices. I just happen to like toasting spices in a skillet; it makes my house smell amazing. My upstairs neighbors all talk about how the house we share smells like a fine dining restaurant! (Or a fragrant Indian restaurant) And I’m a sucker for the compliments.

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Acqua al Due—A Valentine’s Day Dinner revisited

Acqua al Due

212 7th Street, SE

Washington, DC 20003-4311

(202) 525-4375

It’s perhaps no surprise that since this is Washington, D.C., and I’ve lived here for like forever, that I just couldn’t leave the house until the NEWSHOUR report on the mid-primary caucuses had conclude.(yes, this blogpost is from 2012!) 

Jeez, I’m no more impacted by the results than anyone else, but I’m assuming most folks would just leave and wait to read it on their smart phones or for the 11 o’clock news or something. Yet simultaneously, I’m all concerned about being late for the 7:30 p.m. reservation not only because I want my 100 points on Open Table, but also because the three folks joining me had offered to be critics with me as we evaluated Acqua al 2, the American transplant from Florence, Italy. So I grab my keys and drive from downtown to Capitol Hill in 15 minutes flat. Which given the vagueries of the L’Enfant-designed city in which I live is quite an achievement.

“Oh the drama has already begun! You’re late, you know that, right?” Lady O said, as a young girl approached the stand next to the really quaint little bar front of the store. “So you missed it, but wait, wait, I’ll tell you in a minute when she leaves again. Ssssssh! The maitre d’ is coming back. Ssssssh!”

A bit flummoxed, I turned to the right and saw Kimmie with her new man, Timmie, a former bartender now turned Legal Man. Lady O had warned me that Kimmie had a Timmie in her life now, and that I’d be pleasantly surprised in part because he had been a former restaurant and bar man. So he could give us some solid insight into how Acqua al 2 performed.

Assaggio d'Insalate

Wow, well, after yesterday’s review from Firenze, it’s a bit of fun to find three friends who were willing to make the comparison. Timmie introduced himself and informed me that first impressions were not good, “You aren’t going to believe this, but I said to the bartender, two glasses of wine. What have you got that’s big and robust!” The bartender gave him exactly what he asked for…at $30 per glass. With tax and tip, two glasses of wine ran well over $70.

Kimmie chimed in, “Well, you see, Timmie bought me flowers for tonight, and I’d put them on the bar and in no time, they’d offered to put them in the freezer while we ate. Isn’t that nice? And then we got the wine bill.”

$30 Super Tuscans by the What? By the glass???

By the time we ended up getting seated, they placed us in the coziest corner in the place–the same one where my cousin and I had sat comfortably earlier in the month. But this time it was four people in a nook meant for about 2 1/2 or 3 people. Not comfortable. But directly next to the kitchen and ideal for people watching.“Yeah,” said Timmie, you don’t screw the customer on the first drink. I cannot believe this happened to me! And I’m a bartender!”

The decor was a cross between kitsch with all these “signed” plates all around the office (some from CNN people, some from Hill people, some from sports folks), and cozy (a really nice bar area when you enter on the left and a really nice seating area by the kitchen. But those plates: we were seriously doubting these had been signed by the famous people whose names appeared on them.

At any rate, we had to prod our waitress to get beyond the specials, which she knew like the back of her hand. She had a terrific grasp of all the details of the restaurant and Timmie pronounced her a stellar waitress. I had to ask her, however, what the heck is an assagio plate? She wasn’t forthcoming with something for which the place is renowned. So like I say, after she explained what guest blogger New York Jetsetter Jon told us about yesterday regarding their assagio plates, we settled into like thirty minutes of debating what the hell we were going to get and what we could actually afford after the gouging at the bar.

We settled on LA VALENTINA D’ABRUZZO red for $48 a bottle. For a bottle that normally runs $12-$18 in boutiquey stores, this didn’t seem completely off the charts. Two bottles of that later…we had a lovely assagio d’insalata and capped the starters off with the sensational burrata with grapefruit, fleur de sel, honey, and pine nuts. The firm exterior and soft interior made for a very special treat; combined with the sour/salty/sweet/nutty flair from the added touches, Kimmie exclaimed, “Is anything not better with Pine Nuts sprinkled on top?”

The entrée steak choices we made could have been better presented and thought out. As I say a couple of weeks prior, I’d eaten here and had a simple pounded chicken breast grilled and the flavors were amazing. I am not a chicken fan, and combined with the arugula and cherry tomato salad, it was a truly strikingly memorable meal for $16. But these steaks were in the $30 range, and they were absolutely fine. There was nothing memorable, except for the cloyingly sweet balsamic glaze on Kimmie and Timmie’s and the overly creamy green peppercorn sauce for Lady O’s New York Strip.

Sweet Balsamic Steak

With a couple of nice, but pricey sides of spinach and potatoes, we rounded out an otherwise expensive meal. We felt that we really couldn’t afford to each purchase an entrée. And after spending $90 each and having only two entrées, well, you get the picture. There were no lunchworthy leftovers from Acqua al 2.

By the time a dessert plate came to us to split four ways, I think we’d more or less forgotten why we’d come. It was a splendid time with good friends, and a swell experience to boot. But the food was on the perfectly adequate side. With a couple of bottles of expensively cheap wine and the blot on the record from the top, I can safely recommend with obvious caveats:

• Pre-game before you arrive, and sip tap water with lemon slices. (I find the lemon slices do a great job masking D.C., water treatment facility weaknesses.)
• 
  

Insert smiling emoticon here.

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Pleasure Food and Wine: A New Look at How We Live

A Blog Slowly Coming Back to Life*

"Rise like lions after slumber In unvanquishable numberAnd for chrissakes, Eat a proper lunch, will ya?"

(*My thanks to Percy Bysshe Shelley for the above modified quote. and a warning, due to my work schedule, this blog will be an intermittent one...wish I could promise better frequency!)

I started  ALunchBoxBlog.com (now rechristened, "A Thing That Makes Me Go Yum") back in 2011 because I want to start a lunchtime revolution in this country’s workplaces.

What?! you say. A revolution? When people all over lost their jobs in 2008 and have fallen out of the workforce since!?

Shouldn't we just be grateful for the jobs we DO have now, and eat quietly at our desks?

Ah, hell no. These are first world problems, and I intend to be the flag bearer for the middle class whiners who are sick of hiding pleasure, food, music, and wine. Why compete with the pious and virtuous? I say let the Middle East enjoy all the piety and perfection Allah provides. I want a world without a piety that denies folks their human failings. What a boring place earth would be if we couldn't enjoy the fruits of our indulgences.

So yes, a revolution! But not like Bernie Sanders (...or well, maybe a bit like him, he seems open to politically incorrect indulgences). Yes, indeedy, but this isn’t just any workers’ rebellion. Trust me, even your co-workers will freak out on you if you try eating like this at the office.

But I assure you, it’s worth it. It’ll change the way you eat and enjoy food in the workplace forever.

Many of us spend more than eight hours a day in the office. And workers should be encouraged to eat away from the stress of email and pending work assignments during their breaks without being judged by their coworkers or bosses for doing so. “Oh, she should be eating at her desk while she works. We all do. Who does she think she is?”

Trust me, I know that’s what they’re all saying. Paranoid I may be, but prove to me I’m wrong.  It’s time we stand up for our food rights in the face of this tyranny!

Maybe it’s because none of us take a lunch break that so many people have colitis, IBS, etc., in this country. The mix of stress and a lack of a good food break on a daily basis probably contributes to the neurotic eating habits of our fellow Americans.

I understand, sure, sometimes you cannot leave your desk at lunch. This happens to me plenty, usually if I'm procrastinating. Some jobs there are regular periods where long breaks (30 minutes or more) are completely impossible to take without shirking and putting your co-workers through serious agita.

And some periods of intense work are worse than others. However, is it really completely impossible for us to eat slowly and actually savour our food at work?  Is it truly impractical to put our meals on an actual plate, eat with actual silverware, maybe a real napkin, and sit at a table that is not our desk? Yes, many workplaces suck, and it’s absolutely impossible to find a separate space to just fully engage with the joy of eating.

I spent an unholy 5 months working for Post Newsweek Corporation many years ago, and I had to wash my dishes in the men's room. It was revolting. And inexplicable. Like what? They didn't have the money to provide us a kitchenette?

But if you are one of the lucky, or one day hope to be, you can find a place or create a new space, even if it’s just an unused office down the hall. Make it into your dining room away from home—complete with flatware, plates, and actual bowls!

Even canned soup tastes better when you drink it slower in an actual bowl.

This blog is how I do it, as well as how I make what seems like complex meals—simple and sometimes not-so-simple food for those who can envision a new way of living in the workplace.

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I belong to an extended group of food lovers and inventive cooks who like to experiment, making fun and novel food to make lunch, dinner, even breakfast a better meal.

Caveat emptor: most of my meals need to be made the night before (or you can make them on the weekend before the work week starts. And the time these dishes sit in the ‘fridge or on the stove with the heat off only makes them taste better!

Since I work at a typical American office in the suburbs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., for me it’s all about making lunch-worthy leftovers at or after dinner. 

What can I make tonight that will cook up perfectly at work the next day and taste outstanding?

Let’s find out together.

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Yotam's Sweet Potato Cakes

Just about any recipe with the word “pancakes” in the title "grabs" my attention.  I remember graduating from high school and my friend Katriona bought me a book that was about 50 pages long with various pancake recipes. I recall salivating through the entire book.

This weekend with @makesascene and @ELB29, we scarfed down "johnnycakes" which will be provided to you in a future blog post. I was sitting there watching all the other tables getting their dishes while we waited and waited, and I realized how the very notion of pancakes makes me impatient. I'm Pavlov's dog when it comes to these quick fried devils.

Plenty Cookbook Cover

So it should come as little surprise when @ELB29 told me that she had made a dinner for her mom, dad, and a very picky brother out of one giant jewel sweet potato, some green onions, and a side salad.

It sounded far-fetched, but the pictures from YOTAM OTTOLENGHI’S PLENTY were compelling. I had to give it a go. While it's delicious as a dish, I have to say I think most guests would find this to not be a dinner. For me, as a former vegan, this is very much a dinner. The sum total is quite heavy.

Thinking aloud, I do not see why you couldn't make these into tiny fingerfood bites and serve as an appetizer. So go on, show Yotam what you can do to adapt his recipes...

Sweet Potato Fritters

Ingredients

For the Potato Cakes

2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 t soy sauce

3/4 c flour

1 t salt

½ t sugar

3 T spring onion, chopped

½ t fresh chilli, finely chopped (or more, to taste)

olive oil, for frying

For the sauce

6 T Greek yogurt

2 t olive oil

1 T lemon juice

1 T fresh coriander, chopped

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Frying in the Pan, Awaiting the Plate

Instructions

Bake the sweet potato at 350 degrees in about 1/2″ of water in a non-stick flat pan until soft for about two hours or until soft. Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients until smooth and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, work all the fritter ingredients by hand–it should be sticky, so if it’s a little runny, add flour as needed. I found you need all 3/4 of a cup. Do not over-mix.

Using a tablespoon, form a rounded bit of batter and drop into some hot oil that only lightly coats the bottom of the pan. Flatten with the top of a spatula after you flip. Brown both sides. Make them about 1/4″ thick. Six minutes per side is ideal. Place between plenty of papertowel to soak up the excess oil.

Serve hot or warm, with the sauce on the side, and a crisp green salad.

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