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Guess Who?

partysugar — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:00:56 -0700

Guess which chef was in Cape Town with Nelson Mandela yesterday?

Sunday Slow Cooker: Moroccan Turkey Stew

YumSugar — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:00:36 -0800

After a weekend of opulence and seduction, perhaps you're craving a return to the simplicity of Winter basics. For that, turn to a stew that's soothing yet also a refreshing departure from, say, mother's pot roast.

This turkey stew, with its cumin, allspice, and dried fruits, is the ideal dinner for a casual Sunday evening. To make this straightforward slow cooker recipe, read more.

Moroccan Turkey Stew
From Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground allspice
Kosher salt
4 skinless, bone-in turkey thighs (about 4 pounds)
1/2 medium butternut squash, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juices, broken up
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
8 medium carrots, cut into 11/2-inch pieces
3 medium red onions, halved and cut into wedges
2 whole dried red chiles
1/2 lemon
2 cups fresh cilantro, including leaves and some stems
1 cup fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Combine the allspice and 3 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Season the turkey thighs with half the salt mixture in a 5-quart slow cooker.
Toss the squash, chickpeas, tomatoes, apricots, raisins, carrots, onions and chiles with the remaining spiced salt. Pour the vegetables over the turkey (the cooker will be full; arrange the mixture so the lid fits). Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Spoon the vegetables and broth into bowls. Remove and discard the turkey bones and place the meat on top of the vegetables.
Juice the lemon; pulse with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Add the oil and process until smooth. Serve the stew in bowls; drizzle with the cilantro sauce.

Serves 6 to 8.

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Chocolate Crops to Become Endangered Species?

partysugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:15:40 -0700

With the production of African cocoa beans in a serious decline, the future of chocolate is questionable. A crop that's naturally grown in the rainforest, two-thirds of the world's cocoa beans are now harvested in in West Africa. However, the African soil degrades quickly, shortening the lifespan of the plants to 30 years or so. The director of Ghana's Nature Conservation Research Council, John Mason, explains the situation:

I think that in 20 years chocolate will be like caviar. It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it. The way we farm is just not sustainable. I'm afraid by the time we wake up to that fact it will be too late. I've worked in Ghana for 25 years and I can show you huge areas that can no longer support a crop.

Drastic changes need to be made in order for the world to meet the chocolate demand. Together with international environment charity Earthwatch, Cadbury (which gets all of its cocoa beans from Ghana) is looking for a solution to the problem. I find this highly disturbing and can't imagine a world without chocolate. How about you? Will you start stockpiling chocolate now?

Source

Would You Eat This Lamb and Couscous Without Utensils?

partysugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:30:49 -0700

Last week before interviewing Marcus Samuelsson, I ate his African spiced lamb chops and mango lime couscous. The pairing was delicious: the meat was moist and succulent and the couscous flavorful and exotic.

While the ingredients were not grossly insane, the method for eating the dish was out of the ordinary. There were no serving utensils and the chef requested that we eat the lamb while using the bone to scoop the couscous out of the bowl.

I greatly enjoyed sucking on the lamb bone as it doubled as a spoon, however I can understand how some people might not be interested in eating without utensils. Do you have a problem with it?

Meeting Marcus Samuelsson

partysugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:20:16 -0700

Last week I was invited to a demonstration hosted by Chef Marcus Samuelsson. An awarding-winning chef and cookbook author, Samuelsson is known for his role as chef and owner of Aquavit, New York City's innovative restaurant devoted to Scandinavian cuisine. Taking inspiration from his Ethiopian roots, the chef recently opened his first African restaurant, Merkato 55. His love for African cuisine was illustrated at the demo where he cooked shrimp piri piri in lettuce wraps and rack of lamb with couscous. In San Francisco to promote BlueStar cooking ranges, Samuelsson took some time out of his hectic schedule to speak with me. To see where he likes to eat in San Francisco and hear what he has to say about his buddy Rocco DiSpirito, read more.

Samuelsson is friendly yet focused, personable yet professional. The chef, who was angered by buzzed, pretentious fans who interrupted our interview, clearly values respect, privacy, and consideration.

His favorite places to eat in San Francisco: Samuelsson enjoys the Ferry building and all it has to offer. He recommends "the Mexican food stand behind the building" because "it has the most amazing breakfast burrito." The Slanted Door and Coi are other favorites.
The difference between food in San Francisco and food in New York: Both cities are incredibly "magical in different ways." Out of the two, "New York has a true reflection of the world. The entire world is right there. However, New York doesn't have the same sort of relationship to farmers. The relationship, the bond that the chef has with farmers, that was started by Alice and the Berkeley hippies is still something that is very San Francisco."

The ingredients he can't live without: Anything in season. Samuelsson enjoys the farmers' markets and is quick to point out that New York City has over 42 farmers' markets.

On a typical night at Merkato: The restaurant is so new that he is focusing on communicating. It's his goal to teach everyone (the customers, his staff, food writers, the purveyors) the "elegant nuisances of African food." Although the majority of African ingredients can be found in 13 mom and pop stores, Samuelsson hopes that in the future African ingredients will be common and found in stores nationwide.

His tip for the everyday home cook: Understand the seasons. Look at food as you would clothes. Just as you wear certain things in the Winter and other things in the Summer, you should do the same with food. Even fish has seasons. If he were to serve a meal tonight, he would use wild salmon and pair it with delicious heirloom tomatoes. He says, "rather than try and make complicated dishes, make simple dishes that highlight the food that's in season."

What he thinks of his pal Rocco DiSpirito: Samuelsson feels Rocco is tragically misunderstood by the food industry. He believes Rocco is the best chef in America and is sad that one teeny mistake ruined his reputation as a chef. He's also confident that Rocco has what it takes to make a come back

After speaking with the chef, I was eager to get home and practice what he preached. The next time I'm in New York, I hope to eat at one of his restaurants.

Source

Sunday Dinner: Harissa-Crusted Tri-Tip Roast

partysugar — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 06:11:52 -0700

Tri-tip is one of my favorite cuts of beef because it's affordable and feeds a crowd. Besides being lower in cost, tri-tip is also incredibly flavorful with a lower fat content. If you have never experimented with it before, I suggest you do so tonight.

This simple recipe coats the steak with a spicy African sauce known as harissa. While the meat cooks, the sauce forms a delicious crust.

To see how it's made, read more.

Harissa-Crusted Tri-Tip Roast
From Bon Appetit magazine

Ingredients

1 3/4 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
1 1 3/4- to 2-pound tri-tip beef roast, most of fat layer trimmed

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Toast caraway seeds in small nonstick skillet over medium heat until seeds darken and begin to smoke, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
Add olive oil and garlic cloves to caraway seeds in skillet. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 1 minute.
Pour caraway mixture into processor. Add chili paste, tomato sauce, cumin, and chili powder and blend until garlic cloves are pureed. Season harissa to taste with salt.
Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper; place beef, fat side down, on rack on rimmed baking sheet.
Spread with half of harissa. Turn beef over; spread remaining harissa over top and sides.
Roast beef until thermometer inserted into center registers 125°F to 130°F for medium-rare, about 35 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Serves 4-6.

*Available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets and at Asian markets.

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African Safari Martini Glass: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:30:11 -0800

I was flipping through a catalog and stumbled across these African Safari Martini Glasses ($42 each). Each one is hand crafted in South Africa and would make a great gift for the safari lover in your life. Having said that, I just can't get behind these. I think they're a little on the tacky side, and question how easy it would be to hold them. Especially the rhino, that one looks downright dangerous. What do you think? Would you buy them?

Definition: Harissa

partysugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:00:44 -0700

Harissa
A hot sauce from Tunisia that is usually made with garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway, olive oil, and hot chilies. It's a great companion to couscous and is used to flavor soups, stews, and other main dishes. The paste is sold in tubes or jars in most Middle Eastern grocers and gourmet markets.

Source

Harissa Adds Pizzazz to a North African Vegetable Tagine

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:00:44 -0700

A while back, I showed you how to make your own version of harissa, a North African chili paste, from scratch. Although it tastes great in everything from couscous to pasta to grilled meats, I'd just come back from three days of all-out feasting and was craving nutritious, vegetable-forward meal. In this riff on a North African tagine, a little bit of spicy, smoky chili paste goes a long way. Make the best of harissa when you read more.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine With Harissa Yogurt Sauce
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup (8 ounces) Greek-style yogurt (like Fage or Oikos)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon harissa sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse kosher salt

Vegetable Tagine:
Coarse kosher salt
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces
1 3/4-pound turnip, peeled, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound spring onions or green onions, coarsely chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, rinsed
1 5-ounce bag baby spinach
1 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Make the yogurt sauce: Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Cover and chill; can be made 2 days ahead.
Make the vegetable tagine: Bring 8 cups water to boil in heavy large saucepan. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Add carrots; cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Using skimmer or large slotted spoon, transfer carrots to large bowl of ice water. Return water to boil. Add turnip; cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using skimmer, transfer turnip to bowl with carrots. Reserve cooking liquid.
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add next 7 ingredients. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Cook until onions are soft, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add wine; simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour. Add carrots, turnip, beans, spinach, and 2 cups reserved cooking liquid (save the rest of the vegetable stock for another use). Bring to simmer; cook until vegetables are heated through, adding more cooking liquid for desired consistency. Season stew to taste with coarse salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Divide stew among bowls. Spoon dollop of yogurt sauce over and serve.

Serves 6.

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Step-by-Step Photos of Moroccan Vegetable Tagine With Harissa Yogurt Sauce

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:57:55 -0700

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