Flourless Chocolate-Brazil Nut Cake

We pretty shamelessly took this recipe right out of a magazine and modified it ever so slightly (the original called for using hazelnuts) to serve as dessert at our Christmas eve dinner.

The recipe called for Frangelico, which I quite frankly hadn't heard about before. It turns out to be an Italian hazelnut liquor containing 24% A.B.V. and not at all difficult to obtain around these parts. When I went to a nearby provider of bottled drinks and asked for it I was informed that not only could he sell me Frangelico, but he could also sell me a knock-off brand for far less... since the recipe only called for 125 mL (1/2 cup) of it I opted for the real thing as that was also available in a handy 375 mL (1.5 cups) bottle (mind you, this was still a bit more expensive than 1 quart (1L) of the knock-off brand - but I didn't feel the need to stock up on this liquor).

Ingredients:
- 325 g (11.5 oz) 60% cocoa (bittersweet chocolate)
- 170 g (1 ¹/₂ sticks) unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs
- 2.5 dL (1 cup) golden brown sugar
- 125 mL (¹/₂ cup) Frangelico (divided)
- 145 g (5 oz) finely ground Brazil nuts [1]
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 2.5 dL (1 cup) heavy whipping cream

The chocolate and the butter was melted and stirred together on a warm water-bath (2 portions, mainly due to size of bowl used).

In a separate bowl the the eggs, golden brown sugar and half of the Frangelico was whisked together, then the chocolate butter mixture was whisked in. The ground brazil nuts and the salt was stirred into the mixture, which was then poured into a round silicone baking form placed inside a springform of slightly larger diameter for added support.[2]

The baking form was covered with a lid of foil, placed in a large baking pan which was filled with water so the water outside the springform was about level with the batter inside the silicone form. The cake was baked in the oven at 175 C (350 F) for about 1.5 hours. It was allowed to cool somewhat before moving it from the form to a plate, on which it was chilled in the fridge for several hours before serving with whipped cream whipped with the other half of the Frangelico. [3]It's excellent!! ... but quite heavy and this makes for a lot of servings - fortunately it stays good for days in the fridge (we might even think it's better the day after).

[1] We actually think that grinding the nuts less finely might add a nice crunch to the cake.
[2] A springform can be used instead of the silicone form - then you just have to wrap it carefully with foil, so no water seeps in.
[3] The recipe actually suggested topping with toasted nuts, we forgot this part, but might want to try that next time.

Red Cabbage

Although we do know at least one store that carries a brand of the traditional red cabbage sauerkraut we decided to try our hands at making some ourselves this holiday season.

Ingredients:
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 ¹/₂ red cabbage (1.1 kg, 2.4 lb)
- 2-3 dL (1 cup) red wine
- 1 dL (1/2 cup) balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 dL (1 cup) black currant juice
- 1-1.5 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tbsp sugar
- salt & pepper

The cabbage was chopped using a food processor, which actually ended up chopping it a little too finely. The cabbage was sautéed in butter in a large pot until it softened thereby reducing the volume. The wine and the vinegar was added, and the volume was reduced (till most or all of the alcohol had evaporated) before the black currant juice, allspice, sugar, salt & pepper was added.
The heat was reduced and the cabbage was allowed to simmer for a couple of hours.

When we first tried this, i.e. the same day as we prepared it, we were rather disappointed with the result, but we put the rest of the batch in the fridge anyway which turned out to be a wise decision: When we heated some of it up 2 days later it tasted a lot more like we'd hoped for (and what we've taken since then has also been fine).

This should also always be served warm, as a side to fatty meats such as pork roast (click here to see a picture of the final product), duck roast, liver pâté, Danish meat balls ('frikadeller') and the like.

Pork Belly Roast

Pork roast is probably the quintessential Danish cuisine: Pork, seasoned with nothing more fancy than salt (and possibly black pepper), served with potatoes and brown gravy. It's also winter food - few people find it ideal to eat such heavy (fatty) meals when it's too warm in the weather.

Traditionally it's made with a piece of meat with the skin still on it cut from the back of the pig. I haven't been able to find such a cut of pork here in California, but some years ago I found a small store that carries pork bellies with the skin still on it. Basically it's giant slab of uncured bacon - it's not perfect in the sense that the meat to fat ratio is a little lower than the cuts traditionally used, but at least it has the skin on it. And the skin is quite important - the true test of one's cooking skills in Denmark is to turn out a pork roast on which the skin has been cooked to crispy perfection...

Ingredients:
- 1 pork belly (see picture)
- salt & pepper
- water
- potatoes
- flour
- gravy color [1]
- red cabbage sauerkraut

The pork belly wasn't of equal thickness over the entire piece, so I cut it in two pieces each having even thickness because the thickness is quite important in the crisping of the skin towards the end of the procedure. The two pieces of meat were put in an oven-proof tray with the skin down, and enough water to fully submerge the skin was added. This was then placed in the oven at 175 C (350 F) for 30 minutes.

After this the skin was softened appreciably and could easily be scored as shown in the picture (taking care not to cut the actual meat). The skin was salted generously and the roast was put back in the oven, now with the skin up, still at 175 C (350 F) for 1.5 hours. At this point the larger of the 2 pieces already had the skin turned nice and crisp, while the smaller one wasn't quite right. The bigger piece was removed from the oven and sliced, the drippings were collected and the smaller piece went back in the oven at 275 C (525 F) to try to get the skin crisp on this piece as well. I wasn't very successful about this part of it - I was a little afraid to overdo it as it can quickly burn at this temperature.
While the roast was in the oven peeled potatoes were boiled in lightly salted water and when properly tender, the water was collected.

To make the gravy I took a tbsp of fat from the drippings, stirred in flour to make a paste, then with constant stirring added the potato water in small portions until a gravy of wanted texture was obtained - this was then seasoned with salt and pepper, colored with a few drops of gravy color.

Slices of pork belly roast was served with boiled potatoes, brown gravy and red cabbage. Pickles would also have gone well with this dish.

[1] Gravy color is a viscous liquid, highly concentrated in the same coloring agent as used to make Cola.

Ginger Herring

I think I can just squeeze in one more type of herring before Christmas: Ginger herring. These are in a clear dressing - unlike most other herrings I know.

Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp white vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 serrano chilies [1]
- 2 puya chillies [1]
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1 shallot
- about 200 g (7 oz) pieces of pickled herring

The chilies, ginger, shallot was diced finely. Then everything was mixed well and alloved to stand in the fridge over night before serving on dark whole grain rye bread.

[1] It is far from essential to use serrano and puya chilies - the idea is to use a green and a red chili. Since I used dried puya I soaked them before dicing them, but with fresh red chilies obviously this step can be omitted.

Kona Porter

I normally do not drink coffee in any of its many available forms, but when I saw this Pipeline Porter from Kona Brewing Co. made with 100% Kona coffee I saw sufficiently intrigued to try it out. And Mrs. Throat-Erator does enjoy coffee, so I thought she might enjoy it too.

It was pretty good. A good porter, although the coffee taste means I'll personally never be a great fan.

Liver Pâté

Danish liver pâté (leverpostej) is a quite popular spread in Denmark, most people will eat it - even those who otherwise shy away from liver (such as fried liver). On the other hand it can be difficult to get in stores as you travel far away from Denmark, and most people in Denmark only seldomly make it themselves (if ever). It doesn't particularly belong to the holiday season, but as it takes some time to make it, it has become traditional for us to make it when we have some extra time on our hands.

As far as I know it is more commonly made with pork liver in Denmark, but as I can only buy beef and chicken livers at the store here, I've opted for beef livers, which works out quite well. For pork fat we often buy cheap bacon and simply cut the fat from the meat (doesn't have to be done too meticulously - some of the meat can make it into the pâté).

Ingredients:
- 1.1 kg (2.5 lb) beef liver
- 550 g (1.2 lb) pork fat
- 3 large onions
- 60 g (2 oz) butter
- 100 g (3.5 oz) flour
- 8 dL (27 oz) milk
- 4 eggs
- salt & pepper

The liver, the pork fat and the onions were all chopped in a food processor (can be done together if the food processor is large enough to hold everything, but we did it separately here).

Chopped liver.

In a large pot, the butter was melted, then the flour was stirred in, and while stirring constantly on low heat the milk was added in portions (as when making a gravy - the end result should be of gravy texture). Then the liver, pork fat, onions, eggs and salt & pepper was stirred in.

The mixture was poured into bread pans (this size made 5 small (2"x5") and 4 medium (3"x8") pâtés and were baked at 220 C (440 F) for almost an hour. The bread pans were not filled to the brim as the pâté can rise somewhat during baking, although they do return to the original size when they're done.


The pâté can be enjoyed warm or cold, on white or dark bread. Some of our favorite extras include sliced pickled beets, crisp bacon, sautéed mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, red cabbage sauerkraut, or fried onions.

Of course it would be folly to make such a large batch if they didn't freeze well - which they do. They can also quite easily be warmed in the oven when de-frosted.

Update: The result is at least as good using pork liver.

Merry Christmas from Anchor Brewing Co

After a good friend (and trusted beer connoisseur) recommended this beer - the 2007 seasonal Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Anchor Brewing Co. in San Francisco - I went and got myself a six pack to taste for myself.

Not only is it quite good, but it also comes pretty to close to embodying all the qualities I would have expected for a Danish Christmas beer. And since those are impossible to get here in California (even in Solvang) this comes as a nice alternative.

Swedish Chocolate Bread

Quite similarly to Finnish bread, these Swedish chocolate breads are really cookies. And no, I don't know if they are from Sweden. Actually in this case, I'm not even sure they are particularly for the Christmas time - but I like them a lot so I talked Mrs. Throat-Erator into making them. They are quite similar to the Finnish bread, but with some important differences.

Ingredients:
- 300 g (11 oz) flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 200 g (7 oz) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar [1]
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- 200 g (7 oz) butter
- 2 eggs
- 50 g (2 oz) almonds
- 2 tbsp washed raw sugar [2]

The flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, cocoa, and baking powder was mixed in a bowl. The butter was cut in small pieces and worked in the flour mixture using fingers. One of the eggs was added the dough was formed using hands - it's a little soft. The dough was left in the bowl in the fridge for half an hour.

The dough was parted in 5 equal portions, each of which was rolled into rods - so long as to fit the baking plate on which they were then placed (on baking paper). Each rod was flattened until about 4 cm (1 1/2 inch) wide. They were then brushed with the other egg [3], and a mixture of finely cut almonds and raw sugar was sprinkled on top.

The large rods were baked at 175 C (350 F) in the top of the oven for about 10 minutes - they were rather soft (fudge like) when we took them out, the rods were immediately cut into smaller rods and allowed to cool before collecting them. This made us 75 cookies.

[1] see here for details.
[2] any kinds of sugar that comes in large crystals would do.
[3] actually this should have been only egg white, but we decided it didn't make that great of a difference.

Finnish Bread

Well, they are called Finnish bread, but actually they are cookies - and I don't even know if they really come from Finland. Foods have a funny tendency to get names that imply origins that may not be true. Think of Danish pastries - in Denmark they are known as bread from Vienna.

Finnish bread are considered one of the traditional Christmas cookies, and we decided they should be the one of the two kinds of cookies we'd bake this holiday season.

Ingredients:
- 375 g (13 oz) flour
- 85 g (3 oz) sugar
- 250 g (9 oz) butter
- 2 eggs
- 50 g (2 oz) almonds
- 2 tbsp washed raw sugar [1]

The flour and sugar was mixed in a bowl, then the butter was cut in smaller pieces and worked ("crumbled") into the flour/sugar mixture using fingers. Then 1 of the eggs was added and a firm dough was made using hands. The dough was rolled into rods approximately the thickness of a finger, which were then pressed flat and cut into small rods. The small rods were placed on baking plates with baking paper and allowed to stand in the fridge for at least one 1 hour.

After taking the cookies out of the fridge they were brushed with the other egg, and on top was sprinkled a mixture of raw sugar and finely cut almonds.

The cookies were baked in the bottom of the oven at 200 C (400 F) until golden (12-15 minutes).

This made us about 50 cookies, but they could probably have been cut into thinner rods.

[1] This doesn't have to be raw sugar - any kind of sugar that comes in relatively large crystals would do.

Pink Herring

Some 5-6 years ago I held a small Easter Lunch with 2 friends from the dorm. It was a fairly minimalistic concept: Basically we ate different kinds of pickled herring. For that occasion I came up with these pink herring (yes, the original name was more .. decadent..) which I quite liked and have made several times since.

Ingredients:
- 150 g (5 oz) sour cream
- 75 g (2 1/2 oz) mayonnaise
- salt & pepper
- 80 g (3 oz) red onion
- 75 g (2 1/2 oz) pickled beets
- extra beet juice to add color
- 150 g (5 oz) pieces of pickled herring [1]

The mayonnaise and the sour cream was mixed with a spoon, seasoned with salt and pepper. Into this was mixed finely diced red onion and pickled beets. The resulting color was very faintly pink, so I added a little more of the pickling juice from the beets. Finally the pieces of herring went in, and the mix was stored in the fridge overnight before serving on whole grain rye bread.

[1] This amount of dressing could easily take more herring than I used.

White Pizza

Not quite unlike this other pizza, this white pizza was made with olive oil, fresh spinach, ricotta cheese, crushed garlic, salt & pepper.

Bean Salad 2

This is just a slight modification of this salad.

Ingredients:
- 500 g (1 lb) green beans
- water
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 bunch Italian parsley (chopped)
- 100 g (4 oz) feta cheese (diced)
- 425 g (15 oz) white beans (1 can, drained & rinsed)

The green beans were boiled in slightly salted water.

While the water for the green beans came to a boil, the other ingredients were mixed in a large bowl. When boiled the green beans were drained and mixed in with the rest.

Was served with baked potatoes and lamb chops.

Leek Herring

As we approach the winter solstice it's a traditional time for eating pickled herring, and in the weeks to come I'll probably show a couple of my favorite herring recipes.
We'll start off with these leek herrings, which I learned some 8 years ago when I moved into my second dorm.

Ingredients:
- 150 g (5 oz) sour cream
- 75 g (2 1/2 oz) mayonnaise
- salt & pepper [1]
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small leek, ca. 80 g (3 oz)
- 150 g (5 oz) pieces of pickled herring [2]


The sour cream and mayonnaise were mixed with a spoon, then the salt, pepper, and crushed garlic was mixed in. The leek was cut in rings about 1/2 cm (1/5 inch) thick and rinsed well before they were added. Finally, pre-cut, pre-pickled herring was put in, mixed well with the rest and left to stand in the fridge for at least 1 night before serving on dark whole-grain rye bread. Goes well with beer and snaps.

[1] If I'd had any, I would have used white pepper.
[2] With the rest of the ingredients as listed here, certainly more herring could be added.

Chickpea Soup 1

Mrs. Throat-erator found this recipe and decided to make it for me because she knows how much I enjoy cumin. And because wintertime is soup-time.

Ingredients:
- oil
- 1 leek
- 400 g (1 14 oz can) chickpeas
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cane sugar
- salt & pepper
- 1.5 L (6 cups) vegetable broth
- 1 1/4 dL (1/2 cup) whipping cream
- 1 large onion
- 1 (small) bunch parsley

The leek was rinsed and cut in rings, which were sautéed in oil in a large pot until they started to soften. The drained and rinsed chickpeas were added together with cumin, sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Then the vegetable broth and the cream was added, the soup was brought to a boil, and then let simmer for 40 minutes on low heat.

The onion was cut in boats which were fried in oil in a pan until brown and soft. Then the coarsely chopped parsley was mixed in, and the mix was seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.

The soup was blended briefly - i.e. not all the chickpeas were pureed, some escaped whole, which was clearly not the intention of the recipe we found, but I quite liked it this way: Some chickpeas pureed to give texture to the soup, some left (more or less) whole in the soup.

The soup was served immediately with some of the onion/parsley mix on top.

Onion Soup

Some time ago we started talking about wanting to try making onion soup, but nothing happened for a while, then we found this recipe, and for a while still nothing happened. We have to admit we weren't familiar with the consommé the recipe calls for, but we ended up assuming that the idea was to have something a little more intensely beefy than ordinary beef broth. Looking at the available options at the local market we decided to try adding Better Than Bouillon to beef it up..

Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 kg (2 lb) yellow onion
- 4 cans (14 oz each) beef broth
- 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon beef base
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
- salt & pepper
- bread (to serve)

The onions were cut in boats and sautéed in melted butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot till they were soft and golden. Then the beef broth together with the Better Than Bouillon base was added and the pot was allowed to simmer for 10 minutes. Finally the grated cheese was stirred in and the soup was seasoned with salt and pepper.
Was served immediately with a slice of toasted multi-grain bread.

The Better Than Bouillon mixed in with the broth certainly worked nicely for the effect we were going for.

Serbian Stuffed Peppers

Recently I had my Serbian friend come over and show me how to make one of his favorite meals from home: Stuffed peppers. I couldn't find the authentic peppers for it, but he told me any sort of longish peppers, not too hot, should work. I decided to try out using both poblano and anaheim peppers.

Anaheim peppers

Ingredients:
- oil
- 1 large onion
- 500 g (1 lb) ground beef
- salt & pepper
- 3 dL (1 1/3 cup) parboiled rice
- 4 poblano chilies
- 4 anaheim chilies
- 1 roma tomato
- water
- plain yogurt (to serve)

Stuffing the peppers

The finely chopped onion was sautéed in a little oil in a large pan. When the onion pieces were golden, the meat was added together with generous amounts of salt and pepper. When the ground beef was browned the rice were added and the contents of the pan were mixed well, before being allowed to stand while preparing the peppers.

All the peppers were rinsed, the stem was cut out (leaving as much wall as possible) and most of the seeds were rinsed out of them. The meat/onion/rice mixture was stuffed into the peppers using a spoon and a knife, making sure they were stuffed quite densely and each pepper was closed with a slice of roma tomato. The peppers were put in a oven proof tray and the rest of the meat/onion/rice mixture was added around them. Then water was added, so as to just cover the peppers. Covered with foil, the tray went in the oven at 200-225 C (400-450 F) for about 45 minutes, after which the foil was removed allowing the excess water to boil off during the last minutes of cooking.

Serve with plain yogurt.

The poblano peppers were notably hotter than the anaheim peppers and my Serbian friend concluded they were a very good substitute for the pepper he would have used at home. He also said it's possible to use dried peppers, they just need to soak in hot water prior to being stuffed.

Update: Using dried peppers.

Potato Eggplant Curry

This dish happened one day when I wanted to prepare dinner using an eggplant and some potatoes, and I was quite happy with the result, so I made it again a few weeks later. Now, given that origin I don't know how close this comes to an actual Indian dish, but at least it should qualify as a curry.

Ingredients:
- oil
- caraway, ground coriander, cumin, Indian curry ^[1]
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large onion
- 8 medium potatoes
- 5 dL (2 cups) milk
- 1 large eggplant
- 3 dL (1 cup) coconut threads
- roasted nuts (to serve)

In a large pan (preferably non-stick) a little oil was heated up and added caraway, ground coriander, ground cumin, crushed garlic, and coarsely chopped onion. This was stirred till the onion were translucent and the potatoes cut in large cubes were added together with and a generous amount of curry powder. This was then cooked on high heat until the potatoes got a crisp edge (but not cooked through), before the milk was added, brought to a boil, reduced and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. The eggplant cut in large cubes was added, stir in to give them color (but not long enough for them to "collapse") and finally the coconut threads were stirred in.
Serve immediately with roasted nuts.

^[1] My "Indian Curry" lists these ingredients: turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemon peel, black pepper, lemon (freeze dried), cardamom, dehydrated garlic, and red pepper.

Peppers & Confusions

I know I'm no Edward Weston, but take a look at these peppers:

But what kind of peppers are they? There seems to to be quite some confusion about peppers. I live in southern California (and come from a climate where even bell peppers need green houses to grow), but when I go to one of my local stores I often find myself being asked by the people who work there to identify the peppers I'm buying. Are these jalapeños? Could these perhaps be serranos?

Adding to the confusion is the mix-and-match of pepper names. Take the ones above for instance: Here (all local stores in my area) these peppers are referred to as pasillas, but as far as I can read on the internet the rest of the world (i.e. outside of California) agrees that these are called poblanos. To make matters worse dried poblano is known as ancho, while pasilla is commonly used about Oaxacan pasilla as well as chilaca (chile negro)...

Anyway, they're my new favorite pepper: a little hotter than bell peppers and I love the flavor. Leave them for a couple of days and they turn first wrinkled, later red.

Bacon Bagels

It's just like a BLT with a few more ingredients - I guess that becomes a BLTCCCOMB - but it's truly delicious..

Ingredients:
- toasted bagels
- hot & sweet mustard
- apple smoked bacon
- Gouda cheese
- rings of red onion
- cornichons
- pickled capers
- tomato slices
- red leaf lettuce

Potato Sunchoke Homefries (Sunchokes IV)

The other day when making homefries I used a mixture of potatoes and sunchokes - that worked quite well. Under these dry conditions - like baking them in the oven - the sunchokes don't have much tendency to overcook and become mushy.

Bean Salad 1

This is a really simple bean salad with green & white beans.

Ingredients:
- 500 g (1 lb) green beans
- water
- 2 tbsp read wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch Italian parsley
- salt & pepper
- 425 g (15 oz) white beans (1 can)

If necessary clean the green beans, then boil them, and when they are done drain them.

While the water for the green beans is coming to a boil, mix in a bowl the oil and the vinegar, then add chopped parsley. Mix in the drained and rinsed white beans as well as the green beans. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Goulash of October 28th 2006

I came up with this dish last fall when I had bought some black lentils and made it a few times then. Some months ago I wanted to make it again, but then I couldn't find black lentils again anywhere. Finally I caved in and just got some ordinary lentils, so I could do this.

Ingredients:
- 4 slices bacon
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- paprika & oregano
- 8 pieces of chicken
- 1 large onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups lentils
- 4 cups water
- salt

Cut the bacon in smaller pieces and fry in a large pot, then add crushed garlic and generous amounts of paprika and oregano before putting in the chicken. Turn the chicken pieces over until they are dark and crisp looking on the surface, continue cooking till they are cooked through, then take them out of the pot and store them under a piece of foil (or in the oven on low heat - just to keep them warm).
Add now to the pot the diced onion, strips of bell pepper and the tomatoes cut in halves. Add the lentils and the water, and let it all simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with rice and the chicken.

Salmon Bagels

Well, I guess technically this is an open sandwich. I've grown quite fond of bagels while I've lived in the states, and this classic is one of my favorite bagels recipes.

Ingredients:
- bagels [1]
- cream cheese
- smoked salmon
- (pickled) capers
- arugula

On toasted bagels spread cream cheese, add a layer of thinly sliced smoked salmon, some capers and a top of fresh arugula. Eat immediately.

[1] I prefer everything bagels, but do as you please.

Italian Sausage Pizza

Pizza with 2 Italian 'sweet' sausages, 1 red bell pepper, 1 shallot, mozzarella and tomato sauce.

Jícama

When I first told one of my friends about the sunchokes, he asked me if they were anything like jícama. Shamed, I had to admit that although I had noticed jícama at the store I had never tried them and actually had no idea what they were like. He told me he had had them in salads, where they were somewhat like pears. I immediately resolved to buy one and see for myself.

I discovered that the jícama had an interesting texture, tending a little bit to fall apart in flakes. From my friend's description I guess I shouldn't be, but I was actually surprised at how sweet the taste was. In the simple salad that I made with it at first it didn't work very well.

However, balancing the sweet with something sour works quite well, and I was much happier with the result the second time around, when I cut the jícama in cubes and soaked it in a mix of freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes, 1/2 pink grape and 1/2 orange (added a little salt & pepper to taste). As I said, I liked this a lot better, but the result still isn't quite what I expect from a salad. More like a fruit salad.

Corn Chowder

A chowder is a thick soup, and the following is a modification of the first chowder I ever encountered (Ironically, I spent a month in Boston prior to this and didn't have clam chowder even once). Once this dish was introduced at the cooking club at my dorm it occurred repeatedly.

Ingredients:
- oil
- caraway seeds & ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large onion
- 1.3-1.4 kg (3 lb) potatoes
- 2 dL (1 cup) flour
- 1 L (1 quart) vegetable broth
- 1 L (1 quart) milk
- 650 g (23 oz) frozen corn
- bunch parsley [1]
- 150 g (5-6 oz) sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
- sour cream (to serve)

In a big pot heat up a little oil, then add generous amounts of caraway seeds and ground cumin, followed quickly by crushed garlic and chopped onion. Stir for a minute before adding the potatoes as cubes 1 cm (1/2 inch) to the side. Stir till the onions are translucent, then add the flour and stir it around so the potatoes get even coated with flour. With stirring pour in the vegetable broth and milk, and continue to stir constantly while bringing it to a boil. Now cover, reduce to low heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Then add in the frozen corn and the chopped parsley, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir in grated cheddar cheese and stir till the cheese is melted. Season with salt & pepper. Serve with a little sour cream on top.

[1] could just as well be chives or cilantro

Mrs. Throat-Erator's Signature Cheesecake

For the recent Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner that we participated in we brought along this cheesecake - always a winner. Especially with the raspberry coulis.
Ingredients:
(cheesecake)
- 200 g (7 oz) digestive biscuits
- 100 g (3.5 oz) butter
- 150 g (5 oz) cream cheese
- 2.5 dL (1 cup) plain yogurt
- vanilla beans from 1 vanilla pod
- 65 g (2 oz) sugar
- approx. 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2.5 dL (1 cup) whipping cream
- 4 sheets husblas [1]
(raspberry coulis)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) frozen raspberries
- 1 tbsp sugar

Crush the biscuits (e.g. in a closed ziplock bag) while melting the butter in a small pot. Mix the biscuit crumbs with the butter. Spread the mixture in the bottom of a springform pan and press it to a firm layer.

In a bowl mix the yogurt with the cream cheese (till creamy and homogeneous), then mix in the sugar, the vanilla and 1-2 tbsp lime juice. In a separate bowl whip the cream stiff.

If using 'husblas': Cover the sheets of husblas with cold water for 10 minutes, then transfer them to another bowl (now they're soft, do not let them drip off). Place in this bowl in a hot water bath till they are molten. Now add about 1 dL (1/2 cup) of the cream cheese-yogurt mixture to this and mix it quickly before pouring it all back into the rest of the cream cheese -yogurt mixture with stirring. Add the whipped cream. Add lime juice to taste. Now cover and place in the refrigerator until the mixture becomes semi-firm (1/2 - 1 hour), then place on top of the biscuit crumb bottom, cover and put it back in the refrigerator for some hours (preferably overnight). Serve with raspberry coulis.

Raspberry coulis is made by blending raspberries (if frozen, thawed and drained) with sugar.

[1] Husblas is a type gelatin sheets. As this recipe details, it needs a little bit of preparation before use. While I'm sure other gelatin sources could be used we haven't really found out how much to use of the other types (e.g. powdered, as is easily bought around here).

Lasagna with Eggplant

By now I know a couple of people who swear by making the meat sauce for lasagna using so-called Italian sweet sausage (see here), but this is the first time I'm trying it .. but it won't be the last.

Ingredients:
- 225 g (8 oz) lasagna plates
- 1 eggplant
- bread crumbs
(meat sauce)
- 5 Italian sweet sausages
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 800 g (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 170 g (6 oz) tomato paste
- oregano, rosemary, salt & pepper
- water
- oil
(béchamel sauce)
- 25 g (1 oz) butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 4-5 dL (approx. 2 cups) milk
- ground nutmeg, salt & pepper

If your lasagna plates need to be boiled get started on those first, then proceed to the meat sauce while they're boiling.

Otherwise just start with the meat sauce: In a big pot heat up some oil, add the diced onion and stir for a few minutes. Then add the sausages, and work them well with the spoon, so you get a pretty homogeneous mixture. Add crushed carlic and continue till the meat is cooked. Then add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, plus a little water to rinse out the cans (and to make the sauce a little less thick). Bring to a simmer and leave it simmering while preparing the béchamel sauce.

Preparing béchamel sauce is basically just like preparing the kind of gravy I grew up with [1] - on the one hand I don't think it's all that complicated, but on the other I do seem to remember some learning curve when I was a kid, and I've definetely met a lot of people who seem puzzled about the whole concept. Anyway: I a small pot, melt the butter - be sure not to brown it. Once melted turn down the heat and stir in the flour to get an even, thick paste. Now, on medium heat add the milk in smaller portions with constant stirring - for each portion of milk added stir until the mixture is homogenous and turns thick again. Finally season it.

The eggplant is simply cut in slices about 1 1/4 cm (1/2 inch) thick.

Now assemble it: In an oven proof tray, put alternating layers of béchamel sauce, lasagna plates, meat sauce and the eggplant. It's a good idea to have béchamel sauce as both the bottom and top layers, and using 1 eggplant I got just a single eggplant layer in the middle. On top put a layer of bread crumbs.

Bake it in the oven, at 225 C (450 F) for the first 10 minutes, then at 175 C (350 F) for the last 20 minutes.

Serve with a little grated pecorino (or parmigiano).

[1] That kind of gravy goes well with boiled potatoes, which I ate regurlarly when growing up.

Chickpea & Couscous Salad

When using canned chickpeas this becomes a really easy and fast salad to make.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup couscous
- 1 cup water
- 1 can chickpeas (= garbanzo beans)
- 1 tomato
- 1 shallot
- 1 small bunch italian parsley
- salt, pepper and paprika

Bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat and mix in couscous, salt, pepper and paprika - stir it up and let it stand, covered, till most the water has been absorbed. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas together with the diced tomato and shallot. Finally mix in chopped parsley.

Roast with tubers (Sunchokes ]I[)

Roast is something I have relatively little experience with. My parents would make it sometimes, but cooking most oftenly just for myself I have tended to make it only seldomly. Well, trying to get by on a tight budget probably played a part too. Then I lived for a couple of years with a guy who would grill a tri-tip every so often and after moving out of that house I find myself being more interested in cooking roast (although I don't plan on getting a grill any time soon). As mentioned recently cooking sunchokes brings out the flavour nicely so for this roast there'll be tubers on the side.

Ingredients:
- 1 tri-tip roast
- salt & pepper
(tubers)
- 8 potatoes
- 8 sunchokes
- salt & pepper
- rosemary
- oil
(mushroom relish)
- 3 shallots
- 100 g (4 oz) mushrooms
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- 1 dL (1/2 cup) red wine [1]
- salt & pepper
- tarragon
(salad)
- red leave lettuce
- 1 roma tomato
- kalamata olives

Season the tri-tip roast with salt and pepper, then seared it on all sides for a few minutes before putting it in the oven at 200 C (400 F) for about 50-55 minutes. After it comes out of the oven, let it rest for a few minutes, then slice it thinly.

Cut the potatoes in 3-4 pieces each, and put them in a oven proof tray together with the sunchokes. Drizzle a little oil over them and season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. This tray also goes in the oven at 200 C (400 F) for about 50-55 minutes.

Sautee the finely diced shallots, then add sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, tarragon, and red wine. Reduce the volume for a few minutes, then add the sour cream and stir well.

Cut the lettuce, dice the tomato and add some kalamata olives.

Serve everything together.

[1] While I'm somewhat of a beer and whiskey snob, I am quite the opposite when it comes to wine. Usually a $5 bottle of cabernet sauvignon will do just fine for me.

Biksemad with sunchoke salad (Sunchokes ][)

Biksemad is Danish and translates roughly as "fiddled food" - I guess in America the term 'home fries' would cover the concept most accurately - and it's a typical left-overs dish. In my family we would traditionally get it when there were too many left over potatoes that needed to be used [1]. Other ingredients include any of the following: onions, carrots, green beans, bacon, meat balls, roast and so on.

In my cooking I rely somewhat less on boiled potatoes, and also often don't boil so many that I find myself with that excuse for making biksemad. Fortunately I've found that if you're willing to give it some extra cooking time the potatoes don't actually need to have been boiled and cooled first: fresh potatoes can be diced and fried just as well (particularly with a non-stick pan).

Biksemad tends to be a rather heavy dish, so adding a some salad on the side makes for a nice combination - and since recently I promised to use sunchokes, it will be a sunchoke salad.

Ingredients:
(biksemad)
- 4 medium-large potatoes
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 small onion
- 300 g (2/3 lb) frozen corn
- 2 eggs
(sunchoke salad)
- 6 leaves lettuce
- 6 sunchokes

Cut the bacon in small pieces and fry till crisp in a large non-stick pan, then add medium-finely chopped onion and stir till the onion is translucent. Then add diced (cubes 6 mm (1/4") to the side) potatoes and cook till the potatoes are cooked through. This takes a while and requires stirring relatively oftenly [2]. Then add the frozen corn and cook for a few minutes more. Make eggs however you like them. Serve with ketchup.[3]

The salad is really simple - coarsely cut the lettuce, add thinly sliced sunchokes and serve with a vinaigrette.

[1] Since boiled potatoes were the staple food of my upbringing this would not happen all too seldomly.
[2] If not using a non-stick pan this should be almost constant stirring.
[3] Of course this dish goes extremely well with beer.

Sunchokes I

The other day I was shopping for a few things at a local store and suddenly I noticed these tubers looking slightly like ginger. I immediately recognized my old friends the sunchokes. When I was a kid my parents always grew these in the garden - back then I didn't appreciate them too much, but I've later grown to like them a lot.

Judging by the puzzled looks on peoples' faces I'd say they are not very well known here in southern California, but they do go by quite a few names nonetheless: sunroot, jerusalem artichoke and topinambur as well. They are not closely related to the artichoke, in fact they are much more closely related to the sunflower - and they are in several ways reminiscent of potatoes, although with interesting differences. Continuing the confusion they have no connection to Jerusalem - that name probably comes from the Italian for sunflower girasole. In Danish they are called jordskokker, which seems to be derived from jord-artiskokker (earth artichoke). And certain German-speaking regions they even go by Erdbirne (that is: earth pear - just like potatoes are "earth apples" in French).[1]

Because there's almost no market for them here they are somewhat pricey - especially considering that they are very easy to cultivate and give high crop yields (when I quoted my parents what I pay for them here they concluded they had a small fortune in the garden). Untill recently I only knew one store that carried them, but right now I know a least 3 stores around here carrying them.

They can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw they add a nice crisp crunch to a salad, but cooking them really brings out the flavour in them. If you decide to boil them, beware: They cook much faster than potatoes and quickly turn to a mush if boiled for too long. This is possibly because they contain inulin instead of starch.

Upcoming posts will showcase a few uses.

[1] Reading up on this I just learned that in southern Germany they make a schnapps from distilled sunchokes - now there's something I'm curious to try.

Carnitas

It's already the 11th and no posts in November yet - overnight visitors kinda disrupted things around here. But before all this happened I finally got round to trying my hand at making carnitas - browned pieces of pork, Mexican style. I say finally because I grew up eating a lot of pork, so it's a little funny that I'm not trying out this variety any sooner although I've heard about it for years.

Ingredients:
- 1 pork shoulder
- water
- salt

The pork shoulder should have the bone and the skin removed, but some of the fat should remain. Cut the meat in pieces - about 2" x 1" x 1/2" (5 cm x 2.5 cm x 1 cm) and place in a large pan. Add salt and enough water to barely cover the meat. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat a little, so that the water can evaporate over the next 45 minutes to an hour. When the water is gone reduce the heat a little more and continue cooking while turning the pieces over until the fat is rendered out and they have been browned nicely. Serve immediately [1] with e.g. tacos, sour cream, guacamole, jalapeño beans, green salsa and red red rice.

[1] While they taste just fine being heated again later, the special delicious texture is only really there when freshly prepared.

Laphroaig

Laphroaig is generally considered one of the most strongly flavoured of Scotch whiskies and somewhat of an acquired taste. For that reason if nothing else it is interesting that this was the very drink that started my interest in Scotch single malts some 8 years ago.

I know I've had at least a couple of bottles of it by now - and the other night I had that last drop of this one leaving me with a single (and nowhere near full) bottle of Scotch for the moment.

Lima Bean Gumbo

Another word for okra is gumbo - and of course it can be used for the cajun dish of the same name. I've been a great fan of cajun cooking since the first time I encountered it, but I've never really tried to make it much myself. This was an experiment somewhat into that.

Ingredients:
- 1 lb (500 g) dried lima beans
- 1 lb (500 g) sliced okra
- 2 chicken filets, cut in strips
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, mashed
- 2 dried puya chilies
- water
- salt

The preparation starts 1 day before...
Put the lima beans in a large pot and cover with 2 L (1/2 gallon) water. Let stand overnight (or at least 6-8 hours). Then drain and set aside.

Cut the ends of the puya chilies, shake out most of the seeds, put in water in a small pot, bring to a boil, turn off and let stand for half an hour to soften - then cut in small pieces.

In a large pot, heat up a little oil, add onion and chilies and stir till onion is translucent. Then add the chicken and the garlic and stir til the chicken is cooked. Add the okra, the lima beans, about 1.5 L (3/8 gallon) water, salt and the bell pepper. This looked at first like a soup and I was afraid I'd added too much water, but after simmering for 2-3 hours the dish had thickened up nicely and I was rather happy with the result, served on a bed of parboiled rice.

Unfortunately Mrs. throat-erator didn't fancy this at all.

Bøf Lindstrøm

Although not the traditional or famous Swedish meatballs these meatballs are Swedish nonetheless. This is one of many great eats with pickled beets. Cooking this time by my muse.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb (250 g) ground beef
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp capers
- 2 tbsp finely diced pickled beets + more for serving
- 1 egg yolk
- salt and pepper

Using your hands mix everything together and shape into 2 patties, which are fried on the pan.
Serve with e.g. with boiled potatoes, more pieces of pickled beet and pickled cucumber.

Potato Okra Pan

Some time ago a friend from India was complaining that it was hard to obtain fresh okra around here. I asked if she'd tried the local supermarket as I thought I remembered seeing them there, but she said no, they only had them frozen, and those weren't nearly as good. Wanting to help I promised I would show her a few stores with wider than average selections. So one day we went on a trip, first to the produce market, then the upscale market, then a couple of other shops and finally to pick up something else a stop at the local supermarket. Ironically I was right, they did have fresh okra and I pointed them out to her, gleefully victorious.

On that day I didn't buy any, but recently I did pick up some thinking I could try out a few ideas with them. This first one is the P.O.P. - Potato Okra Pan. Well, it actually has onion too, but that makes for a less inviting abbreviation.

Ingredients:
- 10-12 okra
- 1 small-medium onion
- 4-5 potatoes
- oil
- salt & pepper

Cut the potatoes in 1/2" (1 cm) cubes, chop the onion medium coarsely and cut the okra in 1/4" (1/2 cm) slices - remove both ends of the okra.
In a large pan heat up a little oil, add first the onion, and when the onion is starting to brown add the okra. Season generously with salt & pepper, and keep on high heat. From the okra a thick sticky liquid will come out - much like when frying nopal cactus - and if you're not using a non-stick pan you might need extra oil. Continue till the juices are dried up (after some 5-10 minutes, I think). Then add the potato cubes and continue till the potatoes are cooked through. By this time everything should appear fried.
Serve immediately, e.g. with ketchup and a pickle.

Breakfast Bagel-Burger

Last sunday morning I wanted to create an eggy breakfast that could possibly be eaten without the use of knife nor fork.

Ingredients
- 2 bagels
- 2 eggs
- a dash of milk
- a handfull of mushrooms
- a few slices cheese (e.g. Dubliner)
- salt, pepper and tarragon

Rinse and slice the mushrooms, then heat them up in a pan with a little oil, salt and pepper.
Beat the eggs together with the milk, and add salt, pepper and tarragon - pour in a hot pan (diameter approximately twice that of the bagel) and let it solidify. Toast the bagels, and assemble: bagel bottom, egg, mushrooms, cheese, fold the rest of the egg over and top it off with the bagel top. Voila.

Saturday Night Pasta

Felt like having pasta last night and didn't want to make anything to complicated, nor anything involving too many ingredients I didn't already have - I did pick up the mushrooms though.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb (250 g) cheese ravioli
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 large tomato
- 1/2 anaheim chili pepper
- 1/2 lb (250 g) crimini mushrooms
- 1/4 cup (1/2 dL) milk
- approx. 20 brazil nuts
- salt, rosemary, oregano

While boiling the pasta start off by heat the diced onion in a bit of oil for a couple of minutes, then add the finely cut pepper and a little later the diced tomato. Cover while rinsing and cutting the mushrooms. Then add mushrooms, crushed garlic, salt, herbs and the milk. Keep on medium heat till the liquid is reduced to a fraction of what it was. When the pasta is ready, mix it in and finally add coarsely chopped brazil nuts and serve at once.

Turkey Meatballs

Leaving the kitchen once again to my significant other I got these delicious turkey meatballs.

Ingredients:
- 1 lb (500 g) ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion
- 2 tbsp sundried tomatoes
- 1-2 tbsp flour
- salt & pepper

Cut the sundried tomatoes in thin strips, dice the onion (medium fine) and mix everything together. Shape meatballs and fry in the pan.

Went nicely with this cous-cous salad.

(Anne Grethe's) Coconut Cake

Here's another cake that bears obvious signs of coming right out of my mother's recipe collection. It's been ages since I even heard my mother mention Anne Grethe though, so I have no idea what she's up to.

Ingredients:
- 150 g (5 oz) shortening
- 260 g (9 oz) sugar
- 3 eggs
- 75 g (2.5 oz) flour
- 150 g (5 oz) coconut threads
- 3 tsp. vanilla sugar *
- 3 tbsp. cocoa podwer
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder

Melt the shortening, mix it well with the sugar, then mix in the eggs before adding the rest of the ingredients and mixing well. Then place the dough in a 10" x 17" (25 cm x 43 cm) baking pan that has been coated with first a thin layer of shortening and then a layer of flour (as I do here) - it should be spread out to an even, fairly thin (no more than 1/2" (1 cm)), layer. Then it takes about 18-20 minutes in an oven at 400 F (200 C).

* see here

I guess it's some kind of moussaka...

...but it doesn't really follow any recipe I found anywhere.

Ingredients:
- 24 oz (650-700 g) potatoes
- 3 small zucchinis
- 2 yellow crookneck squash
- 1 red onion
- 1-1.5 lb (500-700 g) ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- dried red pepper
- shawarma spice
- 1 bunch italian parsley (coarsely chopped)
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup grated jack cheese
- olive oil

Start by heating the oil in a large pan, add the coarsely chopped onion and stir till translucent. Then add the ground beef together with all the spices, and stir till browned, cover and let simmer. Dice the potatoes (I used a 1:1 mix of white and purple potatoes), the zucchinis, and the yellow squash - dices should be about 1/2" (1 cm) on each side. Put them in a baking pan, pour over the milk, then the meat, and finally a layer of grated cheese. Goes in the oven at 400 F (200 C) for about 40 minuttes.

NB: The baking pan in the picture is about 9" X 9" (22 cm x 22 cm) and that was for HALF of it.

Update: For a shawarma spice mixture, see this later post.

Potato Pizza

This is a somewhat different type of pizza - but it's excellent nonetheless.

Ingredients:
- 1 pizza dough
- semolina
- 4 red potatoes
- 2.5 oz (70 g) chèvre
- rosemary
- salt & pepper
- olive oil
- (baby) arugula

As usual, roll out the pizza dough using semolina. On the dough place sliced potatoes (4-5 mm or about 1/5"), drizzle a little olive oil on top, then add the goat cheese in small pieces and lastly salt, pepper, and rosemary. Goes in the oven at 400 F (200 C) for some 20 minutes or so. Serve with arugula on top.