La Platicona Habla: Tastes, Passions and Pursuits

This article from the NY Times "The 11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating" contains a list of vegetables that are uncommon on American dinner plates today. But, aside from the obvious benefit of eating leafy greens and pumpkin anything, I was horrified to see the cooking suggestions. "Chop and saute in olive oil" is a little too plain for the humble Swiss Chard. But eating beets "Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad" is simply sinful. Beets are not just the bulbs. They have amazing leafy greens that are also edible and delicious. The attitude that leaving out the greens in beet recipes is normal, is not confined to the NY Times. When I went to Mexico, I went with my "concunada" to the market. I had to rescue the beet greens from the vendor. He was about to chop off the greens when I stopped him. He was confused why I'd want the "weed" growing on top of the bulb. I guess after searching for recipes using the greens, I can agree that it doesn't make much sense to eat the greens too, but be assured, it is edible and delicious. And before I forget - raw beet bulbs can be extremely bitter. Jaime Oliver does have an interesting recipe for raw beets in horseradish dressing, but I can't say I've tried it.

Labels: beets, potato, vegetarian

Getting home late from work doesn't inspire me to cook some elaborate meal for dinner. Sometimes, even I look for shortcuts: frozen vegetables, frozen stuffed pastas, canned beans (aghast!). This penchant for cutting corners turned into a new gnocchi experiment. I've noticed that with my traditional gnocchi recipe, the little potato pillows are sort of mushy. Also, in the summertime, there is nothing worse than turning your oven on or boiling potatoes for 30 minutes. Besides - it's an energy drain. So in an effort to save time, energy, and my house from excruciating temperatures, I used the microwave. This may not be such a big deal for most people - the microwave is like a third appendage for many college students - but I hate the microwave and I almost never use the fancy built-in one in my kitchen. Last night was an exception, however.

Labels: gnocchi, pesto, pistachio, potato

I always wanted to try a Spanish Torta, but I never had a seasoned cast iron pan lying around until this last weekend when the Baking Master decided to make cornbread in a cast iron pan.

You will need:

- 6 red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 2 small yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/4 c olive oil, plus extra to roast potato slices
- 8 eggs (use large brown eggs)
- herbs (rosemary works great)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Step One: toss potatoes and onions in 3 tbsp of olive oil with salt and pepper to taste; spread onto a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Step Two: Lower temperature to 350

Step Three: Whisk eggs with salt and pepper. Scrape cooled potatoes and onions into egg mixture.

Step Four: Heave 1/4 c olive oil in cast iron pan over a stove burner on high heat. Pour in the potato and egg mixture and cook stove top for 1 minute. Place pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the center is firm to the touch. Remove and serve warm.

Labels: eggs, onion, potato, spices

I tried to use the last of the swiss chard bundles I bought on sale last week from Whole Foods. In doing so, I decided to revise a recipe I saw in Lidia Bastianich's cookbook for arugula and potato soup. I deviated a little, and it appears that this was not so wise as the roomie did not care for the creamy texture. The dish is still very tasty, but sans the cream (although Rick Bayless has a very similar recipe that uses cream). I say, divide the soup and try a batch with and without the cream and judge for yourself.

You will need:
- 1 bunch of swiss chard, washed and cut into ribbons
- 1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 or 3 potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced into rounds
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 4 c of vegetable stock
- salt and pepper to taste, and a few pinches of chile piquin (crushed red pepper)
- olive oil or vegetable oil
- optional 1/2 c of cream

Step One: In a large stock pot, add 4 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the sliced potatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook the potatoes until golden brown, stirring every few minutes to avoid sticking. I cooked these potato rounds for about 8 minutes (after the oil and pan were hot)

Step Two: Add the onions and minced garlic cloves and cook for another 4-6 minutes or until the onions soften. Add the swiss chard and toss. Cover the pan and cook for about 3 minutes so the chard just begins to wilt.

Step Three: Pour in the stock. At this point, you can let this soup cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the stock is nice and hot, or you can also add the cream. Add chile piquin to taste and enjoy. You can also add a nice handful of fresh grated Parmesan to taste.

I thought that the soup was rather tasty with the cream. The purpose of cooking the potatoes in advance is to give them a crispy texture and withstand the stock. I think that this soup is a lot like the Roman Beet Greens soup, and the main difference being that the swiss chard is a little more hearty and gives a better texture, even after sitting in the fridge overnight. Again, the cream is entirely optional, so experiment a little and see what you think.

Labels: cream, potato, soup, swiss chard

I love to eat mashed potatoes, but often times I get carried away and I end up boiling too many potatoes. I usually leave these sad, naked little tubers in the refrigerator and never look at them again until they need to be tossed into the rubbish bin. So, to avoid another tragic execution I decided to put some leftover potatoes to work as faux potato latkes. The "refried" critters are a great side dish or snack and complement a soup, or go well with fried eggs (mmm).

You will need:

- 2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes
- 2 eggs, well blended
- handful of chopped Italian parsley
- handful of finely diced onions (red or green)
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- oil for frying and a good frying pan (cast iron works best)

Step One: Mix the potatoes and half the egg mixture together to form a sticky consistency. Use a potato masher or fork to do this as an electric blender will make the mixture too liquidy. Add the remaining egg mixture if consistency is too dry and patties will not form in your hand. Add the parsley, onions, garlic, and mix well.

Step Two: In a cast iron pan, place enough vegetable oil in the pan to rise 1/2 inch. Heat this oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Step Three: Form small handfuls of the potato mixture in your hand to make patties. Fry the patties in the oil for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Consider adding things to these patties to make them hardier, such as peas or diced carrots. There are also several herbs and spices that can make these potato patties more savory, so experiment away.

Labels: eggs, patties, potato

For some reason 2 bunches of red beets decided to jump into my shopping cart as I quickly passed them buy in search of porcini mushrooms, and even more curious, I bought them without any inclination of what to do with these bulbs of fuscia bitterness. I searched all of my cookbooks, and would you believe that only one cookbook had a recipe? And would you believe that the recipe had nothing to do with the beets, but rather the beet greens?!

Yes, I was shocked to learn that the green stalks of the beets are edible, and in fact are more common to eat than spinach in many places throughout Britain and Italy (the bulb is sadly discarded or used merely for its intense fuscia colored juice). So, here is a Mario Batali quick and easy soup featuring the beet greens. The taste is slightly spicy, like how arugula can be spicy or a bit peppery. It may sound odd, but the flavor is rather aromatic and goes wonderfully with bread and salad (the bonus feature is that it took all of 20 minutes to cook).

You will need:

- 1/4 c of olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 small onion, finely sliced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick dice
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups of washed and sliced beet greens (about 2 bunches of beets will do the trick)
- 1 c white wine
- 1/2 c vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 1/2 c of water
- 1 bay leaf
- grated parmesan

In a large stock pot, combine olive oil, garlic cloves, onion and cook over medium-high heat until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, salt to taste, red pepper flakes, and the green beet leafs. Stir in the stock, water, wine, and bay leaf, simmering for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Serve in bowls with grated parmesan over the top and crostini or fresh french bread.

Labels: beets, onion, potato

I love making a batch of gnocchi when I have a little time during the evening to dedicate to that delicate recipe. As such, I decided to dress up my gnocchi with a couple of the onions laying around in my veg basket. The sauce is a simple combination of onions, garlic, fresh thyme, and broth, and makes another wonderful option to dress your gnocchi. This sauce is perfect for cloudy, rainy, and cool weather, but works just fine for a summer meal on the patio.

The picture unfortunately is very yellow, but I hope you get the idea and try this simple sauce out.

You will need:

- 1 small red onion, halved and sliced
- 1 small white or yellow onion, halved and sliced
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- handful of thyme, picked
- nutmeg (pinch)
- 2 c of broth, veg and chx
- chile piquin to taste
- handful of chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil

Step One: Saute the sliced onions, garlic, chile piquin, butter, and olive oil in a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat with the lid on. Stir to ensure that the onions don't burn. Cook these onions for 7-10 minutes or until the onions appear slightly browned and are limp.

Step Two: Add the broth, thyme, and nutmeg. I also added a bayleaf here, but that isn't necessary for this recipe. Cover and cook for another 7 minutes. Add parsley towards the end of cooking time.

Ladle the gnocchi into the pot and coat well. Serve immediately into bowls, be sure to add broth as well. Voila! A delicious bowl of goodness.

Labels: gnocchi, herbs, onion, potato

I often go to my local bookstore and sit in the cooking section, browsing for cookbooks that I covet for my shelf of cooking wonders. I usually attend these leisurely reading sessions with pen and paper so I can jot down the ingredients to recipes that my catch my eye, or multiple recipes for the same dish so I can compare the ingredients. Recently, thumbing through the pages of the Barefoot Contessa's many cookbooks, I found a very simple recipe for corn chowder. I insisted on modifying her recipe, however, because she always adds way too much fat (butter, bacon grease, and cream) to her recipes and I just think that grease swimming at the top of your soup bowl will only bring you pesadilla and indigestion throughout your sleepless belly-aching night. I have modified what was obviously a recipe to feed a football team, and I have embellished the recipe with some of my own typical recipe touches (read garlic and fresh herbs here). Feel free to alter the recipe with the "optional" ingredients listed here, or not at all. This recipe is not gluten free, nor is it lactose free, so if you are either/or, adjust with corn starch and try a plain soy milk.

You will need:

- 3 tbsp of butter
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, cut in half, then sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 c flour
- 5 c of vegetable or chicken stock
- 6 small boiling potatoes (I used golden potatoes)
- 10 ears of fresh corn, kernals off the cob, or use 1 pkg of frozen sweet summer corn
- 1/2 c of cream or half-and-half
- 2 sprigs or 1 tsp of thyme
- optional: in lieu of olive oil, cook 6 slices of bacon or pancetta until slighlty crispy. Chop up bacon and set aside, and use 3 tbsp of reserve bacon fat for soup (I know some of you are just wincing in pain and disgust, but hey, if you see what the Barefoot Contessa actually looks like, and you still want to follow her instructions on using ALL the reserve bacon fat, more power to you)
- optional: 1 tsp of turmeric

Step One: In a large stock pot, saute the onions and garlic in the fat (whatever fat you choose above) over medium-high heat. After 7 minutes, add the flour, pepper to taste, and optional turmeric. Stir this around so the flour becomes totally incorporated into the mix and thickens into a roux, (like a paste). This takes about 5-8 minutes, depending on how often you are stirring. Add the stock and quartered boiling potatoes. Let this boil for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Step Two: Meanwhile, in a separate small pot, bring 4 c of water to a boil, then toss in the corn to blanche for 4 minutes. Drain immediately and add 1 c of this cooked corn to the stock pot with the potatoes and onions. Reserve the rest of the corn. Take the contents of the large stock pot and puree them in a blender. You may have to divide this up into two "trips" because the blender could overflow otherwise. Return the puree into the large stock pot and add reserved corn, and bacon if any. Pour in the cream and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve soup with fresh thyme. Barefoot Contessa served her soup with large handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese, but I find this combination to be vile and only suggest it if you'd like to further clog your arteries. The soup as is (minus the bacon and cheese) is like velvet with the bits of corn contributing to the overall look of the soup. I left a couple of potatoes to the side and chopped them up for more texture. Feel free to experiment with this recipe, it is very basic and yearns for your creativity.

Labels: corn, cream, onion, potato, soup

What can you use that leftover salmon or trout for? I suggest taking leftover fish and turning it into this light potato salad. I used pomme de terre or golden table potatoes, but new potatoes work just as well. Also, I suggest using green onions or chives in this recipe, but white or red onions work for this dish as well. Finally, this dish uses dairy, so beware my fellow lactose intolerant friends. Substitute a fresh aioli, mayo, or nayonaise if you wish.

You will need:
- 1/2 lb of cooked salmon (I used leftovers from the salmon dinner), cut into pieces
- 4 small golden table potatoes, boiled and quartered
- 4 tbsp of sour cream (or substitute)
- 1/4 white onion, or 4 sprigs of green onions finely sliced
- handful of chopped flat leafed Italian parsley
- 3 tsp of horseradish (not horseradish cream!)
- 4 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- zest and juice of one lemon
- salt & pepper to taste

Step One: Boil potatoes for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and quarter. Set aside.

Step Two: In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, lemon zest & juice, onions, clove of minced garlic, parsley, olive oil, and horseradish. Mix until well blended. Add in cooked salmon and potatoes, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a wedge of iceberg lettuce or romaine with a side of bread.

My main complaint about this salad is that it doesn't keep well overnight, so eat it up for dinner because the horseraddish really looses its flavor the next day. I also suggest adding 1 tbsp of dijon mustard, and 1 tbsp of red or white wine vinegar to this dish to bring out the horseradish flavor (or in lieu thereof).

Labels: fish, lemon, potato, salad, salmon

I have recently attempted to make gnocchi and was surprised by my success, thanks to both Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batalli. Gnocchi is a homemade pasta that is mostly potato than flour. Although the ingredients are simple, the process is precise and must be strictly adhered to for a good texture. Special tools include a fork, and a potato "ricer" that resembles a lemon press with lots of little holes. I suggest buying a cheap five dollar ricer from Ross, Marshall's, or TJ Max in their kitchen sections. This dish is fun to make with another person, and with kids -- just be sure you have a very clean work surface.

You will need:
- 4 russet potatoes (about 3 lbs worth) washed and unpeeled;
- 1 tsp of salt;
- 1 large egg beaten;
- 2 c of flour;
- 1 large bowl filled with ice water;
- 1/2 c of canola or olive oil.

This yields about 4-6 servings.

Step One: Place the potatoes, skin and all, into a large stock pot with plenty of water (should cover potatoes) and a tsp of salt. Boil these for about 45 minutes. Drain. Using a towel to hold the potato in your hand, use a knife to remove the skins and set the peeled potatoes to the side.

Step Two: Cut the potatoes in half and place the half into the ricer, squeezing hard and making a pile of riced potatoes on your counter or extra large wooden cutting board. Repeat until all potatoes are riced. (see picture below)

Step Three: Make a well (hole) in the center of your pile of riced potatoes and pour in the beaten egg and salt (you may add 1/2 tsp of nutmeg too). Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of flour on top of your potatoes. Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients together, adding more flour only if the mixture is too sticky. The dough should be kneaded, but don't over do it! This pasta is supposed to be light and fluffy and over-mixing and over-kneading means tough yucky pasta.

Step Four: Once the dough is kneaded into a pretty little ball, cut that ball into 6 sections. Take each section, roll it out into a 1 inch thick "snake" and cut this up into 1 inch long pieces. Take each piece and roll it against the back of a fork with your thumb so the gnocchi takes the shape shown in the picture above. Repeat until the dough is all rolled out and shaped.

Step Five: In a stock pot of boiling water with 1 tsp of salt, place 2 handfulls of gnocchi in and wait for one minute or so until it floats to the top. Remove the floating gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place immediately into the ice bath. Repeat until you have cooked all the gnocchi this way. (it doesn't require much time to cook because the potatoes are already cooked! And DO NOT put all the gnocchi you just made into the pot at once because the water temp will cool and you will have a pile of mush in that pot).

Step Six: Drain the iced gnocchi; place into a large bowl with your oil and toss. You can refridgerate gnocchi up to 48 hours this way until you are ready to eat it. I will post the fantastic artichoke and lemon pesto I made for this gnocchi next time. You can try a simply mix of olive oil and basil, or butter cooked with garlic, sage, and salt in the meantime.

Labels: gnocchi, pasta, potato

Once again, the basic red chile (see post 1/18/06) saves the day. Huevos rancheros provide an amazing Saturday morning breakfast. I suggest that you cook this when you have some time and if you or a guest are very hungry.

You will need: 1 potato, rinsed and diced; eggs; red chile (see post 1/18/06); corn tortillas; cheese (I prefer jack); refried beans; chorizo sausage.

Step One: Begin cooking this dish by frying up the potatoes in about 3 tbsp of vegetable oil. You should have about 1 cup or more of potatoes for 2 people. Fry over medium-high heat until golden brown.

Step Two: Using beans you made in the crockpot (see post 10/18/05), or a can of pinto beans, make refried beans by pouring them into a skillet with 3 tblsp of vegetable oil. Let liquid cook off and mash with a fork. Salt to taste and set aside.

Step Three: Reheat red chile (see post 1/18/06) in the microwave or over the stove and set aside for service.

Step Four: In a saute pan or comal (round castiron pan with no edges) heat up corn tortillas (traditionally you fry these for this dish but that is a lot of fat for one day). Place two tortillas on a plate and add a scoop of beans on each, cheese, and then an egg cooked to your liking (for poached eggs, see post 10/23/05). Smother this in red chile. Eat with a side of potatoes you just fried or if you like sausage, I recommend chorizo. Eat it up.

Labels: breakfast, corn tortillas, eggs, potato, red chile

This version of potato and leek soup employs the process of puree to give it a thick consistency that is easy to reheat.

You will need: 2 leeks, peeled and chopped up; 2 medium sized russet potatoes peeled and diced, 3 stalks of chopped celery; handful of chopped flat leafed Italian parsley; 3 minced garlic cloves; 1 c of water; 1/2 c wine; 1 1/2 c of vegetable stock; 1/4 c cream; 1/4 c grated parmesan; salt and pepper to taste; wedge of lemon.

Step One: In a stock pot, combine celery, potatoes, leeks, garlic, and 3 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until veggies are translucent.

Step Two: Add wine and cook off for 4 minutes. Add water and stock. Boil this on medium high heat for 7 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Step Three: In a blender or food processor, add parsley, cream, salt, pepper, and another 2 tblsp of olive oil. Ladle in the hot mixture (from the pot) into the blender. Blend until smotth (Blend this mixture a few cups at a time so you won't have spills from the blender). Return mixture to pot to reheat. Serve in bowls with a lemon wedge and grated parmesan. Eat with salad and warm bread.

Labels: onion, potato, soup

This is a bastardized version of a delicious Peruvian dinner I had a coworker's house last year. I took the basic idea of a potato salad and combined it with some of the ingredients I had at this delectible supper. To Ms. Cave - I thank you for this inspiration of purple passion.

You will need: 4 purple potatoes boiled and chopped into large pretty pieces, head of bib lettuce, 1 avocado cut into pieces, 3 hardboiled eggs peeled and quartered, cheese, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon.

Step One: Boil the potatoes whole for 10 minutes, drain and plunge into a cold water bath. Quarter these.

Step Two: Boil the eggs (add eggs after water boils) for 10 minutes. Plunge into a cold bath of water. Peel and quarter.

Step Three: Tear of large pieces of lettuce and arrange on plate. Cut avocado and place half on each plate. Slice your favorite cheese for this dish. I recommend goat cheese or queso fresco. Place potatoes and eggs on plate, drizzle everything with olive oil and red white wine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze a small piece of lemon over avocado.

Serve cold.

Labels: avocado, eggs, potato, salad

Perfect mashed potatoes are part ingredients, part method of mashing, and part good papas. Russet potatoes make the best baked and whipped potatoes because of their fluffy texture after being cooked. I made these potatoes as the carb side to this vegetable feast madness.

You will need: 3 russet potatoes; 1 spring of rosemary chopped finely; 1/4 c whipping bream; 1/4 c of vegetable stock; 2 crowns of broccoli (medium sized); 2 handfulls of fresh green beans; 5 cloves of garlic; handful of chopped flat leafed Italian parsley; 4 tblsp butter; 1 1/2 c of white wine; 1/4 minced white onion; 1/4 c olive oil; 1 tblsp flour; salt and pepper to taste; chile piquin; one lemon.

Step One: In a boiling pot of water, cook the 3 potatoes peeled and chopped into small pieces. Cook this for 8-14 minutes, depending on how big you chopped the pieces. Be sure they are very soft before draining. Place in a bowl with rosemary, 2 tblsp of butter, 2 crushed and chopped cloves of garlic, cream, vegetable stock, and salt & pepper to taste. Mix the ingredients with a blender or smash them a lot with a masher. Texture should be very smooth. Add more cream if needed. Set aside and cover.

Step Two: In a large stock pot, place 1 c of water and salt to taste with the chopped broccoli forettes, and cleaned green beans (take of stems). Cover and cook on medium heat until steamed (they will turn a pretty bright green, about 8 minutes).

Step Three: In a saute pan, put 2 tblsp of butter and olive oil on medium heat. Add minced onions and crushed garlic. Saute for 4 minutes. Add flour and stir until very hot (don't let it turn brown). Add wine and squeeze lemon in (through a civ so seeds don't get into sauce). Continue cooking until sauce thickens. Add parsley. Take off the heat. Consistency should be slightly runny.

Step Four: Plate the potatoes, greens, and crushed piquin pepper. Spoon on the wine sauce and serve right away.

Labels: herbs, potato

The best date I've ever been on was my first date with my viejo. I was treated to a feast of homemade food that featured the best roasted veggies I'd ever eaten. The dish included potatoes, bell peppers, garlic, red onions, and plenty of herbs. Feeling nostalgic, I've decided to recreate this dish tonight using Dutch Baby Potatoes - they are the cutest little potatoes you've ever seen - they are very buttery and cook to a golden yellow finish. You can use fingerling potatoes or russets. If you use a different potato, be sure to boil the potatoes partly before roasting as raw potatoes take a very long time to roast.

You will need: papas, onions (I used white but red is best), tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, italian parsley, basil, sea salt, pepper, parmesan cheese.

Step One: Boil the potatoes until soft, drain, and place back in the pot.

Step Two: roughly chop bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes, garlic (3 cloves chopped). Finely chop herbs - you can use whatever fresh herb is available including italian parsley (always the cheapest and freshest), basil, rosemary. Add to the pot with 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. If you like spice, add a crushed chile piquin.

Step Three: Toss the potatoes and veggies and place on a roasting pan or flat cookie sheet (if you don't have a pan, place on a few sheets of stacked foil). Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes have a roasted look and veggies are cooked.

Step Four: Serve veggie mixture in large bowls and grate fresh parmesan over the dish.

Any leftovers can be eaten for breakfast - just reheat potatoes and eat with an egg. MMMMM.

Labels: potato

Whether you are cooking in your dorm room or setting a table with your finest china, a good dinner party begins with good food. I played host many times in my college dorm kitchen and am confident that you fare better times with conveniences such as a microwave, freezer, fridge larger than a cooler, and a dishwasher. I went without all these things and managed to serve up quite a feast with a small range gas stove and 4 pans (one large stock pot, 1 medium sauce pot, 2 sautee pans). Should you like to play host/ess, I suggest a themed dinner. Mine included pineapple shrimp curry, jasmine rice, samosas, salad, and a chocolate dessert made by my flatmate.

For the Samosas you will need: russet potato, frozen peas, cardamom pods, carrot, salt, pepper, parsley, butter, corriander, cumin, white onion, garlic cloves (1 or two to taste), puff pastry or wonton wrappers. These are my imitation version of samosas which are fried or baked wrappers (like pastry dough) filled with seasoned potatoes, peas, and spices.

Step One: Peel your russet potato, dice into small pieces. Boil the diced pieces in a small pot of water with salt until soft. Drain and return papas to the pan.

Step Two: Add 2 tblsp of butter, dash of salt, 3/4 cup of frozen peas, cardamom pods (about 8-10), minced carrot (one), minced 1/8 white onion, 1 clove of garlic minced, 1/2 tsp of cumin and corriander. Sautee these ingredients until peas are hot, stir to keep from sticking.

Step Three: Set this mixture aside and take out your wonton wrappers or puff pastry. If you want low fat samosas, use puff pastry. Cut the pastry into triangles and place 1 tblsp or more worth of potato mixture on each piece, foling over and sealing edge to make a small triangle shape. The samosas should look like hand held appetizers at a party in the shape of triance wedges. If using wonton wrappers, do the same, sealing the edges with a dab of warm water on your finger. Set these aside.

Step Four: If baking puff pastry version, bake triangles at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until pastry is light brown. If using wonton wrapper version, take a small sautee pan and pour 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in pan, adding more if necessary. Put pan on medium heat and carefully fry each side until light golden brown. Set fried samosas on a paper towel to drain off excess oil.

Step Five: Serve this as an appetizer with a small side salad of simple spring greens, red onion, and balsamic vinegar and olice oil dressing. Eat samosas with a side of tamarind sauce, you can buy this at the store pre-made.

For the Curry you will need: a red curry paste from your local asian grocer (thai style), bamboo shoots, white onions, ginger, thai basil, garlic, potatoes, coconut milk, veggie stock, white wine, salt, pepper, shrimp (deveined and peeled, raw).

Step One: In a large sautee pan, add 1/4 thin sliced white onions, 3/4 cup of bamboo shoots, 2 finely sliced cloves of garlic, 1 thumb sized piece of ginger minced, 1 plug of olive oil, and 1 russet potato peeled and diced. Sautee this for 4 minutes on medium high heat.

Step Two: Add 1 cup of white wine, 2 tblsp of red curry paste, 1 can of coconut milk, and 1 cup of veggie stock. Bring to a simmer and turn down heat.

Step Three: Pluck the leaves from 5 sprigs of thai basil (or more to taste) and throw these into the pan. While this cooks, you should make your rice according to the directions.

Step Four: About 3 minutes before serving, add your peeled, raw, deveined shrimp to the pan and bring to a simmer. Take pan off heat as soon as shrim turn pink (about 3 minutes). Serve this over the rice.

The chocolate pie luxury dessert is all Susan, so she will have to post her recipe if she believes you all worthy.

Serve the samosas and the salad first. If you eat on paper plates or china, you should serve this as a first course. Serve the curry and rice next, making sure to add the shrimp only before serving as it cooks very fast and will turn rubbery if you add it too early. Finish off with dessert. Should you wonder about proper dinner service, I can add a posting on that at a future date if need be. In any case, serve and enjoy with friends.

Labels: curry, patties, peas, potato

Feeling a bit lazy today, I decided to try a recipe from jamie oliver's cookbook. I tried the mushy peas and they were fantastic. If you are running out of food and can't wait to eat, try this cheap delicious meal, serves 2 plenty.
You will need:
- 2 russet potatoes,
- 1 package of frozen peas (about 1 lb),
- 2 tbsp butter,
salt, pepper. Optional: mint or garlic (I highly suggest the mint).

Step One: Peel 2 medium sized russet potatoes (the brown potatoes); dice the potatoes up and toss into a pan of water with salt. Boil these potatoes on high for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are very soft.

Step Two: After the potatoes boil for 8 minutes, add the frozen peas to the pot. Cook the peas and potatoes for another 5 minutes. At this point, you should also add your sprig of chopped mint leaves if you have any - it tastes real great. Otherwise, you can flavor your mash with fresh chopped garlic at the end.

Step Three: Drain the peas and potatoes in a colander and return mixture to the pot (be sure to turn OFF the burner). Add 1 tbsp of butter and salt and pepper to taste. You optionally can add 3 tbsp of cream or veggie stock if your potatoes are a bit dry.

Step Four: Mash this up with a potato masher. Serve in bowls with a side of bread or whatever other thing you'd like to eat (fish, meat, etc.), or eat as a vegetarian dish by itself. Tasty bites.

Labels: herbs, peas, potato