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.

Caol Ila

As I came through Heathrow a few days into the new year I had time to go to the World of Whiskies store and let myself be tempted for a present to myself.

As I stood there contemplating my options I was approached by a salesperson who inquired as to whether I was looking for anything in particular. I replied that I was normally very fond of Islay single malts and that therefore I was interested in trying something new from that region.

Thus I was promptly made aware of their most expensive bottle from that region, a Port Ellen, and I was informed that it was "very good". Quite frankly I was insulted that this person thought I would settle for such a meaningless description of the taste, and so I decided to make up my own mind and disregard any further input from the staff.

I ended up settling on Caol Ila and I (as well as friends coming over for a taste) have been much pleased with that choice. Perhaps not as intensely peaty as, say Laphroaig, but lovely complex nonetheless. I found that it went well with the rich taste of Häagen-Dazs Belgian Chocolate. Now it is all gone, the picture above showing the last bit of it.

Blue Cheese Pizza

Not very different in approach from other pizzas mentioned here, but the combination works quite nicely.

Toppings:
- 8 oz (200 g) tomato sauce
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1/2 medium onion
- 4 oz (100 g) mozzarella
- 4 oz (100 g) blue cheese

Baking time at 400 F (200 C) was at least 15 minutes.

Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale 2006

Anderson Valley Brewing Company is one of my favorite Californian breweries, so when I noticed that last year's Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale was selling for $3.99 a six-pack at one of my local stores I could not just ignore it. I figured that they were probably still good, and that the reduced price was more a reflection of that huge glaring 2006 on the label which means they might not be such hot sellers when this year's edition hits the shelves. The store obviously had too large a stock of them and the crates (each holding 4 six-packs) were piled up at least 2 different places in the store. I decided to take one of the crates - it's a very good price for a beer I like.

Fiery Meatball Garlic Pizza

This was an attempt to recreate my favorite pizza from a certain Kurdish pizzeria I used to visit years ago (and 6000 miles from where I'm living right now).

Ingredients:
- 1 pizza dough
- semolina
- 8 oz (200 g) tomato sauce
- 4 oz (100 g) mozzarella
- 10 oz (250 g) ground beef
- salt
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 serrano peppers (finely diced)

First mix the ground meat with 1 clove crushed garlic, salt, and 1 serrano pepper, shape into small meat balls and fry in a pan. While the meat balls get done roll out the pizza dough with semolina. When the appropriate size place in baking pan on baking paper. Spread out the tomato sauce on the pizza, then add the rest of the garlic (crushed) and the other serrano pepper, the meat balls and finally some mozzarella. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for about 15 minutes.

Turned out pretty good - the taste was good, but I might have like the cheese a little more spread out over the whole pizza.