Elote Off the Cob

Mexican street corn but make it easy to eat.
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Elote Off the Cob

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil (butter works better)
• 1 pound (about 3.5 cups) whole kernel corn or 15oz canned, drained
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• some jalapeño or serrano, seeded and finely chopped (I use about 1/2" slice of serrano)
•  
• 1/4 cup grated or crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco or even Monterey Jack
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (or labne  or crema or mayo)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• juice of 1 lime
• Salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

• Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add corn and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized.  
• Add in the onion, garlic, and chile, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Remove from heat and add the corn to a mixing bowl.  Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to five days.

Tajin substitute

Tajin (a brand) is a mix of chili, lime, and other spices. 

I found this recipe to make your own (unfortunately don't remember source)

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon chili powder chipotle powder, or paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teasooon sugar

1 teaspoon lime zest approximately 1/2 lime

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then use as a seasoning or a rub.

Store in a glass jar

Don't Call It Fruitcake Bites 3.0

 

YIELD 20 small "cupcake" size bites

TIME NEEDED: days to soak fruit, at least an hour for baking


EQUIPMENT

• 32oz jar with a tight lid
• 20 cupcake cups

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups total assortment of dried fruit, bigger fruits chopped
  suggested options: dates, apricots, cherries, raisins, cranberries, figs, prunes 
• 8oz Amaretto (or other liquor)

• 3/8 cup candied orange or citron peel and/or crystalized ginger
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour or almond flour
• 1 teaspoon double acting baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup shelled pecans or walnuts
OR 2.5 cups nuts total

PREPARATION

1. Coarsely chop dried fruit, final measure (dates plus others) is 3 cups.
2. Put in a 32oz jar and add liquor.
3. Let soak 2 to 3 days, turning and shaking jar periodically.
4. Keep rotating that jar!
5. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
6. Combine fruit in a bowl with orange peel and its candied friends.
7. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
8. Sift this over fruit. Toss to coat.
9. In medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy.
10. Beat in sugar.
11. Pour over fruit.
12. With wooden spoon, mix well.
13. Fold in nuts, mix until coated with batter.
14. Divide mixture into paper cups that have been sprayed with PAM.
    (you can place the cups directly on a cookie sheet, no need for a muffin tin)
15. Bake for about 60 minutes, until tops of bites look dry but not brown.
16. When bites are done, let stand for 5 minutes.

If not eating right away, wrap bites in plastic wrap. They will keep for two months in refrigerator.
If storing, sprinkle with more liquor an hour before serving (optional, I haven't ever bothered).

Previous versions of this recipe, with links to sources:

2.0 from 1/3/2022

1.0 from 3/21/2020

Linking up with:
Is This Mutton

Shelbee On the Edge

Almond Coconut Granola Recipe

 

I've been experimenting with flavors, this is my current favorite.
Adapted from a hand written recipe from my Aunt Ricky

Almond Coconut Granola
preheat oven to 300º
spray a cookie sheet with Pam or similar
yield: fills a 1 quart Mason jar plus a little extra

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 c plain uncooked rolled oats
• 1 c coconut - unsweetened flaked suggested
• 1 c raw almonds, sliced
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix*

• 1/4 c canola or coconut oil
• 1/4 c maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
• 1/2 tsp salt (optional)

METHOD:

1. Mix oats, coconut, almonds, spice in a bowl
2. Mix oil, syrup, flavoring, salt in a measuring cup
3. Pour wet over dry
4. Spread over prepared cookie sheet
5. Bake about 45 minutes
6. Let cool and store

*Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
from allrecipes

• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Lodge Bread in Mar Vista

Lodge Bread! lodgebread.com

I’m not sure why it took us nine years to try this place out… oh my goodness! 

It’s awesome. 

We went to the Culver location.

Chai Latte for me, Americano for Severo

Our breakfasts:

Shakshuka for me

“Big Breakfast” for Severo

Then, breads we took home:

Pita (fluffy and yum)

Olive loaf (OMG)

We will return, soon!

Lodge Bread
11918 Washington Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90066

Salmon Chowder Recipe

When the recipe starts looking like this...

from 50 Chowders by Jasper White, p.106

It's time to type up a clean version here!

Salmon Chowder
8 servings

ingredients:

• 4 oz bacon (if slab, rind removed and 1/3" dice) optional
• 4 tb butter or bacon fat
• 1 med onion, chopped (or leeks, ramps, shallots)
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced optional
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp fennel seed (if no fennel bulb)
• 1 tsp dry tarragon (or. 2-3 sprigs fresh)

• 2 lbs potatoes, sliced or chopped
• 1 large carrot, sliced optional
• can corn, optional
• 4 c stock (fish, veg, chicken...)
• salt + pepper

• 3 lbs salmon or salmon parts, cut into large chunks
• 1/2 (+) heavy cream or Mexican crema

• fennel leaves, chopped garnish if have

method:

• Heat large heavy pot, add bacon. Cook until crisp. If no bacon, heat butter or bacon fat
• Add onion, garlic, fennel. Saute until soft
• Add herbs, stir about 1 minute
• Add potatoes (and other veg), cover with stock. Bring to a boil, cover, boil about 10 minutes.
• Add seasoning and salmon, cook for 5 minutes
• Stir in cream, let sit for up to 1 hour (if you can wait that long) or at least 15 minutes
• garnish with fennel leaves

10 on the 11th: My 10 Fave Foods of Thanksgiving

This is a fun monthly thing instigated by Marsha In the Middle. 
Usually we answer 10 questions.
And usually I answer over on my fashion blog SpyGirl. 

This month, however, there was one question: Tell us 10 of your favorite things about Thanksgiving. My 10 things are all about food! I love Thanksgiving food!

1967. Grandfather carves, I pose.

I'm no longer a fan of Turkey (I find fowl foul), but I do love 

1. Stuffing! 
    My Mom's version is what I compare all Thanksgiving stuffings to... 
    most don't live up to my flavor memory.

2. Gravy
    I made the gravy when I was growing up.
    Recently I made pork gravy for Severo and the recipe/muscle memory immediately returned.
    I was missing the proper utensil, however.

    You might think me weird, liking gravy and disliking turkey.
    It's not the taste, it's the texture of the meat.

3. Creamed Onions!
    OK, I'm starting to drool.

4. Mashed Potatoes
    I make really delicious mashed potatoes.
    I cook them in a pressure cooker and use some of the potato water as my mashing thinner. And lots of butter.

5. Roasted Yams (or Butternut Squash)
    I prefer my yams savory. I slice in 3/8" rounds and roast them in olive oil.

6. Baby Green Peas
   I use frozen, boiled, with a bunch of garlic power in the water.

7. Cranberry Relish
    I'm team made from scratch.

8. Pumpkin Pie
    OK, I'll accept Pecan or Apple as well

Hmmmmm. These are my most important Thanksgiving items.
Only 8!

our plates in 2016

After looking online at what Whole Foods offers I'll add:

9. Spinach Artichoke Parmesan Dip
    Yeah, that would be nice to graze upon while cooking the other stuff.

10. Brioche Rolls (to go with the dip)

Tada!
Hungry yet?
What foods say "Thanksgiving" for you?

Link to Marsha's answers for this month.

Linking up with Marcia

and

Shelbee's Shelbee's On the Edge

Delicious Breaded Fish

Tim and Lisa, my pals in Portland, have served this a couple of times when I've visited. Their recipe comes from a magazine (not sure which). I wasn't totally happy with the breading, and found something better from NY Times Cooking.

The aioli is addictive - make a double batch! Great for Tuna Salad!

Fish

• 1-1/2 lbs mild fish fillets (sole, swai, tilapia, halibut, etc)

Chile Cilantro Aioli recipe from Tim 

better if made in advance to let flavors blend

• 3tb mayo
• 1/2 serrano chile, cored and deseeded, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• handful cilantro, minced

Breading recipe from NY Times Cooking

• 1 egg
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons water [or milk]
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• ½ cup flour

• 3 cups fresh bread crumbs or panko

1) Beat the egg, salt, pepper, water and oil in a flat dish.

2) Put the flour in a flat dish and toss the fillets in it. Shake off excess.

3) Put bread crumbs in a flat dish.

4) Dip the floured fillets, one at a time, in the egg mixture to coat well. Dip them on both sides in the bread crumbs and pat lightly to make the crumbs adhere.

5) Fry the fillets in butter or olive oil until golden brown and cooked

Serve with lemon wedges

Tastes of Ethiopia

 I met up with Sheena last week to deliver some goodies from our mutual insta-friend Silvana.

Sheena was craving Ethiopian cuisine, and we met for lunch at Merkato, in the heart of Little Ethiopia on Fairfax.

I had Asa Tibbs: fried fish with sides of (right to left)
Tomato Salad, Atkit Wot Cabbage, Collards, Misir Wot Lentils, Kik Alicha Yellow Split Peas, served on Injera bread

The mix of flavors was SO delicious!
The takeaway leftovers substantial!
There was so much Injera, I decided to try cooking more of my favorites.

After much Google sleuthing, I landed on these recipes, including the essential Berbere spice blend:

• Berbere spice blend
• Atkit Wat cabbage
• Misir Wot or this version lentils
• Kik Alicha split peas
• Injera bread

and Zigni which sounded so good, and is! beef stew

Linking up with

Michelle's Potpourri

Tom Kha Soup with Corn

This is recipe is a combination of 

Seonkyoung Longest's online recipe and one from Victor Sodsook's True Thai cookbook

It's mainly for the flavors of the soup broth, the protein is up to you!

tom kha soup

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups broth (chicken, veg, seafood, etc)
• 1 tbsp minced or 1 large OR 2 small lemongrass, pounded
• 2 oz ginger, minced OR galangal, pounded
• 2 medium or 4 small shallots, diced OR 1 small onion

• 2 tsp brown OR palm sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
• 1 large tomato
• (5 oz mushrooms - suggested: oyster or beech mushrooms but you can use your favorite mushrooms) [didn’t use]
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 to 3 Thai chilies, pounded OR 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste

• 1 lb shrimp and/or fish OR tofu
• 1 15oz can corn [my nontraditional addition, inspired by NEP Cafe]

• Handful cilantro, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (approximately 2 to 3 limes)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour broth into a wok or medium size pot. Add lemongrass, ginger and shallots. Bring it to boil over medium high heat
2. Add palm sugar, fish sauce, coconut milk, tomatoes, mushrooms, lime leaves, chilies, tamarind pastes. Stir gently and bring it to a light simmer, then reduce heat to medium and gently simmer for 6 minutes 
3. Add protein, simmer until cooked
4. Add green onion and cilantro. Turn off heat. Lastly, add lime juice. 1/4 cup if you like more creamier soup and 1/3 cup if you want more tangy flavor in your soup. Stir gently one last time and serve with warm cooked jasmine rice! Enjoy!

Meatless Lasagne

This recipe more or less comes from the Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagne Noodles box.
My proportions are low on noodles, dense with cheese for a 9 x 9" or 9 x 12" baking dish.
I have found that the noodles don't totally soften up during the initial baking and I've been experimenting with pre-soaking them in sauce.

[1st revision 2/25/2022 replaced mozzerella with fontina]

[3/31/22, manchego was the replacement]

Meatless Lasagne

6 servings

Preheat oven to 375º

INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 "ready to bake" noodles (Barilla noodles are flat and 3.5 x 6.5")
• 24 oz jar Spaghetti Sauce (we like Rao's Roasted Garlic)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 15-16 oz ricotta or requeson
• 2 cups grated mozzerella OR monterey jack OR 8 slices of Fontina 
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan for top

METHOD

1. Lay noodles on a cookie sheet and spread some sauce (or water) over to moisten
2. Let sit for a while (optimum time TBD)
3. Beat eggs in a large bowl
4. Add cheeses, mix thoroughly (if your cheese is sliced, leave for later)
5. Spray or spread olive oil on baking dish
6. Add some sauce
7. Make a noodle layer
8. Add a layer of 1/2 the egg/cheese mixture
9. Add a layer of sliced cheese, if that's what you're using
10. Make another cheese layer
11. Make another noodle layer
12. Make another sauce layer
13. Make another fontina layer on top (see step 9)
14. Sprinkle top with parmesan
15. Bake for 25-30 minutes (cover with foil if needed)
16. Let rest 15 min before serving

"Don't Call It Fruitcake" Bites 2.0

My recipes are always morphing.
The big upgrade here is soaking the dried fruit in liquor. For days!
Got the tip from a recipe in the LA Times. Then I carried on with the original Bites proportions.

(The original version is here)

"Don't Call It Fruitcake" Bites

YIELD 11-12 small "cupcake" size bites
TIME NEEDED: days to soak fruit, at least an hour for baking


INGREDIENTS

• 48oz jar with a tight lid
• 11-12 cupcake or souffle cups (depends upon size of muffin pan)

• 8oz pitted Medjool dates or 12oz dates coated with walnuts, chopped OR 8oz yellow raisins
• 20oz total assortment of dried fruit, chopped suggested: apricots, cherries, raisins, papaya, figs, prunes *3 cups dried fruit total*
• 8oz Amaretto (or other liquor)

• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup shelled pecans or walnuts
• OR 2 cups almonds total

• 1/2 cup candied orange or citron peel
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon double acting baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

PREPARATION

1. Coarsely chop dried fruit, final measure (dates plus others) is 3 cups.
2. Put in a 48oz jar and add liquor.
3. Let soak 2 to 3 days, turning and shaking jar periodically.
4. ...
5. Heat oven to 275 degrees.
6. Combine fruit in a bowl with orange peel.
7. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
8. Sift this over fruit. Toss to coat.
9. In medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy.
10. Beat in sugar.
11. Pour over fruit.
12. With wooden spoon, mix well.
13. Fold in nuts, mix until coated with batter.
14. Divide mixture into paper cups, packing the cups solidly - fill in open spaces.
15. Bake for about 65 minutes, until tops of bites look dry but not brown.
16. When bites are done, let stand for 5 minutes.

If not eating right away, wrap bites in plastic wrap. They will keep for two months in refrigerator.
If storing, sprinkle with more liquor an hour before serving (optional).

Linking with

Michelles Potpourri
Shelbees Spread the Kindness

Bread Pudding

 Started with a very basic NY Times Cooking recipe, used the comments to make it superb!

Bread Pudding

enough for 9x9" baking dish

Ingredients

• 5-6 cups bread cubes (I used cinnamon swirl)
• 1-1/2 cups cream
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• some ground spices (I used cinnamon, ginger, cloves)
• splash of bourbon or brandy or Amaretto!
• 1/4 cup raisins consider pre-soaking them in the booze
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (or chopped other nut)

Method

1. Spray baking dish (preferably stoneware) with Pam
2. Place bread cubes in dish
3. In a bowl, beat eggs
4. Add cream, beat
5. Add rest of ingredients, stir
6. Pour over bread cubes
7. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, overnight in fridge even better
8. Preheat oven to 350º
9. Stir the mixture before placing in oven (extra: dot with butter)
10. Bake 45 minutes or so, until custard is firm and top is browned
11. Let rest 10 minutes after removing from oven

Linking up with

Shelbee's Spread the Kindness

Kimchi Tuna Noodles

My take on a NY Times recipe.

Kimchi Tuna Noodles

serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup cabbage kimchi, including juice
• 1 package udon noodles
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar, plus more to taste (or lemon or lime juice or fish sauce)
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus more to taste
• 1 5oz can tuna, drained
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into less than 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro
•  Red-pepper flakes, gochugaru or sambal oelek (optional)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds or furikake (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Place a colander over a medium bowl and drain the kimchi. 
2. Boil water, cook udon.
3. Coarsely chop the kimchi.
4. To bowl with the kimchi juice, add the rice wine vinegar and sesame oil; stir to combine. 
5. Stir in the tuna, breaking up the tuna into large chunks.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir to combine. Because each batch of kimchi tastes different, it’s important to taste and adjust seasonings. If it needs more tang, add more rice wine vinegar. If it’s too intense, add more oil or even mayonnaise. If you want it spicier, add red-pepper flakes, gochugaru or sambal.
7. Serve room temp or cold with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired. 

It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, if it lasts that long.

EggSlut and "The Slut" Recipe

 Last weekend, Severo and I made a trek to EggSlut Venice for takeaway breakfast.

Yum!

Behold "The Slut"

This morning, I decided to replicate it.

Success!

The recipe:

EggSlut Slut
makes 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/2 c mashed potatoes
• 1 egg
• butter (I used 1/2 tsp)
• chopped chives (I used Egyptian Walking Onion)
  

Method

1. Get a tempered* jar with tight-fitting lid (at least 8 oz size)
2. Before adding ingredients, measure for water level in saucepan. Put the empty jar in the pan. Add water to cover. You want the jar completely covered.
3. Remove jar from pan, heat water to boil
4. Spray inside of jar with Pam (cleanup will be easier)
5. In jar, add ingredients in order listed (start with potatoes on bottom)
6. Cover jar with lid, place in boiling water

I cooked mine for 7 minutes for a runny yolk.

Time may differ, depending upon size of jar and desired consistency of egg.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Narrow slices of toasted baguette a nice garnish.

*An 8oz canning jar is perfect. DO NOT use "any old jar". I tried.
The jar broke when I put it in the boiling water bath. Sad face.

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette from Lemonade LA

This is super delicious! Great on avocados.
I made some tweaks to the recipe from The Lemonade Cookbook, ISBN 978-1-250-02366-7

Here, I slathered it on a hard boiled egg:

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

ingredients

• 1/4 c lime juice (2-3 limes)
• 1 tb honey
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt

• 2/3 canola oil

• 1/4c cilantro leaves (I use 1c)

method

1. Blend first set of ingredients, 
2. Add oil slowly so it emulsifies, 
3. Add cilantro last, blend more. 
4. Store in jar in fridge.

My Most Easy Recipe

I call it the Hong Kong Scramble.

First, the backstory...

Dec 2003-Jan 2004. I was visiting Lisa in Hong Kong. She had a Nike Design HK contract job, staying at a long-term hotel with a double bed. She was lonely, and had a large meal stipend. All I had to pay for was my flight and any additional shopping (all, she says, haha).
The room came equipped with a microwave and mini-fridge. We usually had dinner leftovers.

Lisa went to work fairly early and I loved waking up slowly, sipping TenRen Tung-ting Oolong tea and looking out the window at the fabulous view.

I would make a super simple breakfast adding an egg to the leftovers. Indian Curries were especially accepting to this method.

Hong Kong Scramble

1. Put stewy leftovers in a bowl (curries, rajas, mash potatoes, creamed spinach, etc).
2. Stir in an egg or two.
3. Cook in microwave for 1 minute. 
4. Remove, stir again.
5. Cook for another 30 seconds+ (as needed)
6. Enjoy!

Here's a Hong Kong traffic movie to watch while you eat your scramble:

Linking up with
Shelbee's Spread the Kindness

Social Distance Picnic in Ojai

Anita, Severo, and I took a field trip to Ojai, for fresh air and hiking. (Hike link).
Then, naturally, we were hungry.

Originally, we were planning to go further north to Santa Barbara and get takeaway from La Super Rica. Sadly, LSR is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (thanks COVID), so we scrambled for an alternate. I had assigned Severo Yelp duty, but all he fixated on was finding Rajas con Crema, which he found, in Oxnard - no help.
I advocated for a picnic in Libbey Park and we ended up finding some delicious food at The Nest.
We ordered off the (limited) online menu, waited under a shady oak, then took our lunches to the park.

Anita sat at a separate table to social distance.

Our food:

• SMOKED SALMON CAESAR SALAD

greens, crispy capers, sourdough croutons, pickled onion, soft boiled egg + almond caesar dressing

• CRISPY BRUSSELS

maple, apple cider vinegar, dijon, hemp seeds + sunflower seeds

• BAO BUNS

pork belly, fermented chile aioli, pickled veggies, serrano, green onion, cilantro + squid ink buns

It was delicious! And the park was so peaceful!