Spicy Asian Udon Noodle Stir-Fry

Did I mention we like spicy food? Anyhow, udon noodles are something we always have laying around and everything else in this recipe is a cupboard item (except the herbs). We like to throw this together when we want something fast, simple and with a spicy kick.

250 g udon noodles, or any noodles, really
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped finely
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped finely
2 red chili, deseeded, destemmed, chopped finely
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons cooking water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ cup cilantro, (coriander) roughly chopped
2 tablespoons peanuts, roasted, chopped

First, get a pot of water boiling. Once boiling, add a good handful of salt. Drop the udon noodles in and gently separate them with tongs or chopsticks and let them cook for about a minute, or until done (this time will vary depending on what kind of noodles you are using). Drain the noodles in a colander and reserve some of the cooking water. Set both aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil and give it a few seconds to heat through. Add the garlic, ginger and chilies and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for 15-30 seconds, just until everything starts to smell fragrant, stirring constantly. Add the fish sauce, hoisin and cooking water to the wok and let it bubble away, thickening, taking a 15-30 seconds.

Dump the noodles, sesame oil and cilantro (coriander) in and stir gently through to coat. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the peanuts and stir through quickly. Divide the noodles into bowls. Serve hot.

Sausage Pasta and Yummy Dessert

Two great recipes here from last night from the two most recognizable chefs in Britain: Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. The pasta dish from Jamie Oliver was an *overwhelming* success and didn't take a whole lot to throw together. We had originally planned on this pasta for leftovers, but we (and a lucky guest) finished off the pot. I can't recommend this one enough.

The dessert was similarly easy and had an equal payoff. Again, just a few ingredients and not a lot of fuss in putting them together. I hope you try and enjoy them. As a side note, the cookbooks these recipes came from (Cook with Jamie and Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food) are two of the best cookbooks I own in terms of having recipes that are both simple and really delicious. They are worth a look.

Proper Blokes' Sausage Fusilli

2-½ teaspoon fennel seeds
2 red chili, dried, crushed
olive oil
600 g sausages, Italian and/or Cumberland (good-quality)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
200 milliliters white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
500 g fusilli pasta, dried
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
40 g butter, (a few knobs)
½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
½ cup parsley, fresh, leaves only, chopped

Bash up the fennel seeds and chilies in a pestle and mortar (or spice grinder) until coarsely crushed, then put to one side. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Squeeze the meat out of the sausage skins and put into the pan, really breaking it up using the back of the spoon. Fry for a few minutes until the meat starts to color and the fat has rendered slightly, then crush it once more so that it resembles coarse mince (ground meat). Add the bashed-up fennel seeds and cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes until the meat becomes crisp, golden brown and slightly caramelized.

Stir in your oregano, then pour in the white wine and allow it to reduce by half. Add the lemon zest and juice. Turn the heat down to low while you cook your pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. When the pasta has cooked to al dente, drain it in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water, and toss the pasta in with your sausage mixture. Coat the pasta in all the lovely flavors then add the butter, Parmesan and chopped parsley, and a few spoonfuls of the reserved pasta cooking water. This will give you a lovely loose, shiny sauce. Taste and check for seasoning, then serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan over the top. Serve with a Valpolicella Classico.

Banana Mousse with Butterscotch Ripple

100 g light brown sugar
40 g butter
550 milliliters whipping cream
4 bananas, chilled in freezer for 1-2 hours
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dark chocolate, grated

Put the sugar, butter and 150ml of the cream in a saucepan over medium heat and stir continuously until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Let bubble for a minute or two, stirring frequently, then remove from the heat and leave the sauce to cool completely.

Pour the remaining cream into a blender. Peel and chop the bananas and add to the blender along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Whiz until smooth, thick and creamy.

Spoon a little sauce around the sides of four glasses, smudging some of it for an attractive effect. Divide the banana mousse among the glasses and top with more butterscotch. Use a small teaspoon the ripple the butterscotch through the mousse. Grate over a little dark chocolate and chill until ready to serve.

Burger Time!

Look, it's usually pretty cold around here. I get antsy for nicer weather, and lately, it has been less gloomy than usual. And when the "good" weather hits, I crave food that reminds me of the good 'ol days of living in south Texas, where you could pretty much bank on some nice weather for most of the year.

I am pretty proud of these. The turkey burger gets a little lift from the corn and the spices in the patty (and it's healthy). The sauce is one I have been making or awhile and I whip up a batch everytime BBQ-type food gets made. I am reluctant to let the recipe go here, as it is somehwat of a "secret recipe" of mine, but what the heck.

The onion rings were the star of this meal amongst a very strong field. A smallish commerical grade fryer is best for this (and any other deep-frying applications) is its heating coil maintains even heat so much better. Trust me, pick one up and it'll pay for itself after making these onion rings. Super crispy and light. Enjoy.

Smoky Paprika Turkey Burgers
1 cup bread crumbs, from 2 thick slices of bread
½ cup corn , thawed, if frozen
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika, smoked, if available
½ cup red onion, from 1/2 onion, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, finely chopped
500 g turkey, ground mince
4 buns
½ cup arugula, (rocket), rinsed and shaken dry

Combine the bread crumbs, corn, salt, pepper, paprika, red onion, Worcestershire sauce, egg and parsley in a large bowl. Mix through thoroughly until all of the ingredients are moistened by the egg. Now add the turkey mince and knead thoroughly with slightly wet hands. Make sure everything is mixed evenly. It helps of the turkey and the egg is somewhat cold, as they tend to be harder to work with once they become warmed up.

Separate the mixture into four parts. Pack each part into a ball, compressing it a bit. Flatten the ball out into a well-rounded patty, about 1/2" or so thick. You don't want these too thick, otherwise they will not cook through (which is bad for turkey) by the time the outsides are done.

Finish all of the patties and wrap them in foil and put them in the fridge for at least an hour to set the shape and make them easier to handle when the time comes to cook them.

When ready to cook, preheat a non-stick grill pan to medium-high. Pull the patties out and when the pan is hot, cook the burgers for 6-8 minutes on each side. Ensure the meat is done and remove from the pan. Place on toasted buns and top with some arugula (rocket) and some smoky barbeque sauce. Serve hot.

Spicy Barbeque Sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon molasses, or treacle
⅛ teaspoon paprika, smoked, if available
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Check seasoning. You should be getting some tang and acidity from the cider vinegar and ketchup. You should be getting some spice from the garlic, chili flakes and paprika. The sweetness comes from the molasses (treacle). Taste for these elements and adjust as necessary.

NOTE: Smoked paprika makes this sauce SO much better; it's worth investing in some. If you have liquid smoke, that can be used as well, though the paprika adds smoke as well as the hint of paprika spice.

Leffe Beer-Battered Onion Rings
1-⅓ cup flour, self-raising
1-¾ cup beer, preferably Leffe (or a good Belgian wheat beer, if you can get your hands on it)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika, smoked
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, cut into somewhat thick rings

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. The consistency should be that of a thick custard, almost a pudding. Adjust either liquid (beer) or flour levels to achieve this. Chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

Preheat fryer to 375F/190C. Dip the rings in the batter and fry (in batches) until golden brown, about 30-45 seconds, moving them around so they don't stick together. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt. Serve hot.

Skate with Tomato, Saffron, Garlic and Sultanas

This one came out of the Rick Stein "Mediterranean Escapes" cookbook, which has produced some winners in the past. A few cool things about this one: it cost £3 for two pieces of skate to serve two people. I had everything else on hand. It tasted GREAT. The interesting thing about it (to me) was the use of sultanas (or raisins) in the tomato sauce. It really worked nicely; they were a little hit of sweetness as you ate it, and were a nice contrast against the spice of the sauce and the saltiness of the capers. Also, it was EASY. Gotta love the easy things to make that yield a huge payoff... this is one of them!


450 g skate, 2 skinned and trimmed wings
100 milliliters olive oil
6 garlic, finely chopped
400 g chopped tomatoes, canned
30 g raisins, or sultanas
¼ teaspoon saffron, a pinch
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, a pinch
2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed and drained

For the sauce, put the olive oil and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the tomatoes, raisins, saffron, chili flakes, sultanas (or raisins), sugar, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then, and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Remove the bay leaves, season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Bring 1.5L (6 cups) of water to the boil in a large, shallow pan. Add one tablespoon of salt and the skate wings and leave them to simmer gently for 10 minutes until cooked.

Lift the skate wings out of the water onto a board and cut each on into 2 or 3 pieces. Spoon slightly more than half the tomato sauce onto the base of a warmed oval serving dish and place the skate pieces on top. Spoon the rest of the sauce down the center of the skate, scatter with capers and serve.

Poached Salmon with a Graprefruit, Avocado and Mint Salsa

Vanessa told me the other day that she had read something about grapefruit and avocado together in a salsa. I got to thinking about it and this is what I came up with. It is really a springtime dish; full of fruity acidity with the rich oiliness of the salmon, the coolness of the mint and the peppery-ness of the rocket (arugula to my American friends and family). It is well-balanced and yummy. Serve it with a flinty, dry and fruity Chablis. This is one of my originals and I hope you try it and like it.

½ cup white wine
8 cups water
10 black peppercorns
2 bay leaf
3 parsley, whole sprigs
½ lemon , in slices
½ tsp. lemon zest, zest of half a lemon
350 g salmon, fillets, skin off
3 tablespoons grapefruit juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup mint leaves, fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
¼ cup chopped grapefruit, with no pith
½ cup avocado, diced
30 g arugula ( a few small handfuls)
1 tablespoon olive oil

First make the poaching liquid by combining the wine, water, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley sprigs, lemon zest and lemon slices in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium, heat, then as it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low.

As you are waiting for the poaching liquid to get hot, make the salsa. Combine the grapefruit juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, grapefruit zest and mint in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the grapefruit chunks and avocado and mix through gently. Now taste and season as necessary. You want to taste the acidity of the grapefruit, the coolness of the mint and the earthiness of the avocado. Proper seasoning will make all of those flavors stand out. Add some more grapefruit material (juice or zest) if you're not getting enough fruity acidity. Mint if you don't taste enough mint and so on. You're looking for harmony. Set aside.

Rinse and spin (or pat) the arugula (rocket) leaves dry. Dress with the olive oil and some of the salsa. Mix around gently with your hands. Put a small pile of dressed leaves in the middle of a plate.

When the poaching liquid is ready, carefully put the salmon in, ensuring it is fully submerged. Poach for 3-5 minutes. Carefully remove, as it will want to flake apart. Place the salmon fillet on top of the dressed leaves. Top with reserved salsa. Serve immediately.

Visitors and a Little Food

We are back now after a short hiatus as Vanessa's mom and sister came out to visit. We went to Paris for a few days and hung out in London for a bit before laying low back here in P-town. We made some pretty good food while they were here, but I didn't have time to write a lot of it down. I'll follow with one recipe after a few travel pics here...




The Food


The cool thing about this was the springy-ness of the flavors... good acidity from the fruit and coolness from the mint with the oiliness of the swordfish really balanced each other out. Great for springtime with fresh, clean flavors.

Grilled Swordfish with Salsa di Giovanna

Juice of one lemon
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 mint leaves, roughly chopped
5 oregano leaves, roughly chopped
600 g swordfish, 4 fillets

Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl and add 3 times the amount of olive oil. Season with SOME of the salt and pepper and stir in the garlic, oregano and mint. Set aside.

Heat a griddle or frying pan until very hot and season the swordfish on both sides with some more salt and pepper. Place the fillets in the pan and cook for about 1 minute on each side, until golden. This will leave the fish slightly pink in the middle (which is good). You can cook it more if you want to. Divide the fish between the plates and spoon the sauce over the top.

Asparagus with Citrus, Parsley and Garlic

675 g asparagus
2 tablespoons lemon zest
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, finely chopped
2 tablespoons mint leaves, chiffonade
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt, preferably sea salt

Snap off the fibrous bottom part of each stalk of asparagus (it will break off naturally where it becomes very tough, provided that you grasp the very bottom of the stalk with your fingertips).

Bring 4 quarts (4 liters) of water to the boil in a large pot, and add 3 tablespoons of salt. Set up an ice bath next to the stovetop. Drop the asparagus in the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and immediately submerge in the ice bath to cool for five minutes, moving the stalks frequently to make sure no hot spots remain. Add more ice if it all melts.

Remove the asparagus and drain on paper towels, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the zests, lemon juice, mint, parsley and olive oil and toss gently to mix well. Arrange the spears in a platter and pour the mixture remaining in the bowl over them. Sprinkle with the sea salt and serve.

Roasted Aubergine Curry with Cauliflower

This was a quick vegetarian dish from Waitrose. They publish these recipes every month which usually coincide with the use of some seasonal vegetable. English aubergine and cauliflower are at their peak now, so we gave this a go. I was pretty good, but it needed some 'love' in the spice department. I added some garam masala in with the curry powder and it did take a good bit of salt and pepper to taste right. In the end, it turned into a nice (healthy!) vegetarian curry.

1 eggplant, (aubergine) medium-sized
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, medium, chopped finely
2 garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons cumin seed
½ cauliflower, cut into large florets
150 g red lentils, washed and drained
100 g yogurt, natural
20 g cilantro, (coriander), finely chopped
150 g pomegranate seeds

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Place the whole aubergine on the rack and roast for 15 minutes. This helps it to cook more quickly, giving a more concentrated flavor. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and saute the onion over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a further minute without coloring Sprinkle in the curry powder and cumin seeds, and cook for 1-2 minutes over a gentle heat, stirring continuously.

Add the cauliflower, red lentils and 900ml of water and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then stir, reduce the heat to low and cover. Leave to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the curry has thickened and is a smooth consistency.

Peel the aubergine and remove the stalk. Roughly dice the flesh and tip into the curry. Simmer for another 15 minutes, until all the ingredients are tender.

Stir in the yogurt and half the coriander, and warm through. Divide between four bowls and top with the pomegranate seeds and the remaining coriander. Serve with extra yogurt for spooning over, plus rice or a selection of indian breads or chutneys (if desired).

Scallop Pizza with Leeks and Fennel Seed

I tried to take a photo of this, but for some reason it didn't save on my phone. No matter. This was one of the best pizzas I have tasted in terms of there being a variety of complex flavors at work which work so well together. Remember the pizza dough we made a few days ago? Well, we popped one of the frozen ones in the fridge to thaw last night and it was ready to go by tonight.

This was really, really good and tasted great with the wine we had leftover from the cooking. We went with a light Chardonnay. I sincerely hope you try this, as it represents a real departure from ideas you may have about what makes a good pizza in your mind.

1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup white wine
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leek , sliced, white part only
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon mustard, whole-grain
3 scallion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
5 scallops, sliced in half to make 10
1 pizza dough
½ cup arugula, washed
½ teaspoon sherry vinegar

In a heavy saucepan, bring the cream and wine to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the cream has reduced by one-third and is thick. Season the cream with salt and pepper and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the leeks and fennel seed until the leeks and fennel seed until the leeks are tender and soft, about 8 minutes. Be careful not to brown the leeks or they will become bitter. Season the leeks with salt and pepper.

Stir the leek mixture into the cream mixture and add the mustard, scallions and garlic. Turn the scallop on its side and split it down the middle so that you have 2 thin discs. Repeat with the remaining scallops so you have 10 pieces.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (or preheat the grill to high heat with a pizza stone in the oven). Roll the pizza dough out as thin as possible, dusting with flour as you go. Make sure the dough is room temperature.

Place the dough on the pizza stone or heavy baking sheet. Spoon the leek mixture onto the pizza crust, and spread as evenly as possible. It should be very thin (as it is very rich) like butter.

Arrange the scallop slices on each crust and then season them with salt and pepper.

Place the pizzas in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are crisp and browned and the top and bubbly.

Slice and serve hot with plenty of rocket (arugula) lightly dressed with sherry vinegar and olive oil.

Mongolian Hot Pot

We dug this up in a magazine called Cooking Light, which is sold in the States; we used to have a subscription. The recipes are supposed to be better for you. I mean, it can't all be cream and butter all of the time. So we whipped this up, and it makes 6 servings. It was pretty good, though I found myself adding a little more soy, hoisin and crushed red pepper flakes at the end to bring the spice and saltiness level to my taste.

2-½ tablespoon ginger, grated, fresh
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
225 g flank steak, or skirt steak, thinly sliced and cut into 1 1/2" lengths
2 garlic, large cloves, minced
450 g bok choy, thinly sliced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, cut into julienne
½ cup scallion, thinly sliced
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
28 ounces beef broth
110 g soba noodles, uncooked, buckwheat (or substitute egg noodles)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1-½ teaspoon sesame oil, divided use
soy sauce, to taste

Combine the first five ingredients in a large zip-top bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 1/2 hours, turning occasionally.

Heat a small dutch oven over high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add the beef mixture to the pan; stir-fry one minute or until browned. Remove the beef mixture and set aside.

Add bok choy, mushrooms, carrot and scallions to pan, stir-fry for two minutes or until bok choy begins to wilt. Add water, hoisin and broth; bring to a boil. Stir in noodles. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until noodles are done. Stir in beef mixture and vinegar. Ladle 1-1/2 cup of soup into each of 6 bowls. Drizzle each serving with 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil. Serve.

Seared Salmon with Egyptian Garlic and Coriander Sauce

I have this cookbook which focuses on the flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, or more specifically, the spices of Turkish food. The author of the book is also a chef in Boston (Ana Sortun) who won a big-deal chef award for her restaurant in Boston a few years ago. Our friends have been to the restaurant and suggested (strongly!) getting this book. We have not yet been disappointed.

She cooks fish differently than I do in that I like to leave it a bit rare in the middle. Salmon is great for this because you can watch the fish cook and see the color of the fish change along the side as it goes. I generally cook fish on medium-high heat and watch for the color change until it reaches about 2/3 of the way to the top. Then I flip and let it go for another 30 seconds to a minute. This usually gets me where I want to go with fish. I may try this method one day. In any case, the salmon was a success with the peanut and toasted coriander seed providing an interesting contrast. If I had some chard, I probably would have given it a quick saute and served it underneath the fish. Anyhow, hope you like it. Here is the recipe as written in the book:


1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons coriander, seeds freshly ground, lightly toasted
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
800 g salmon, fillets, 4 x 200g
2 tablespoons peanuts, lighty toasted, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, (or coriander) roughly chopped

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with one tablespoon of the olive oil until the butter starts to turn brown. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly until the garlic toasts and turns golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. The garlic will start to release its sugar and stick to the spoon just before it browns.

Immediately stir in the tomatoes and coriander. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the tomatoes for 20 minutes, until they are soft and make a sauce. The consistency of the sauce may vary depending on how juicy the tomatoes are. If it seems too dry, add a teaspoon or more of olive oil and a teaspoon of water.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper and set aside. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the pan is hot, place each salmon fillet on it's skinned side (the oily side, which browns the best) in the pan and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until a nice golden brown crust begins to form. Lower the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid or heavy foil. Continue cooking the salmon on this saide for another 6 minutes, until it's almost completely cooked except for a little rare spot in the thickest middle part of the fillet. Turn off the heat and flip each fillet over to cook the rare spot, letting the fillets sit for about 3 minutes.

Remove the fillets and place each on a dinner plate, crispy side up. Top each fillet with 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce and sprinkle them with the peanuts and parsley. Serve immediately.

Pizza Night

We have the Jamie's Italy cookbook and in it is arguably the best pizza dough recipe I've had the pleasure of trying. Usually, I make a big batch of it which yields 4 pizza dough balls. (Below, the dough is the first six ingredients - you would have to quadruple those six amounts. I highly recommend this, as the dough would make a few extra, freezes well and it's great to just whip up a pizza sometimes). Anyhow, we've made loads of variations, and it's really up to you. I recommend keeping the toppings relatively light, as the crust gets nice and crispy outside and soft in the middle, too much crap on it may turn it soggy.

Caramelized Shallot, Marsala Mushroom and Bacon Pizza with Gruyere Cheese and Thyme

100 g strong white bread flour
25 g semolina flour
⅛ tablespoon fine sea salt
2 g yeast, instant packet
⅛ tablespoon sugar
81 ml water, lukewarm
2 tablespoons butter, divided use
3 shallots, finely sliced
1 teaspoon thyme, fresh
100 g mushrooms, sliced
½ cup marsala
4 strips bacon
1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, truffle infused, if available
Thyme leaves, to sprinkle on at the end

Prepare the pizza dough. Add the yeast and sugar to the water and stir through with a fork and leave for a few minutes. Meanwhile, sift the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and mix on low for 10 minutes or so, until the dough is smooth, springy and soft.

Flour the top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 15 minutes. The dough is easier to roll thin at room temperature. Divide the dough into as many balls as you want. Alternatively you can wrap some up now and freeze them until you need them, pulling them out the night to thaw in the fridge - just remember to bring to room temperature (an hour or two should do it) before rolling out.

Timing-wise, it's nice to roll the pizza out 15-30 minutes before you want to cook them. Preheat the oven to 500F/250C. A pizza stone REALLY helps here (or a piece of granite) - if you have one put it in the oven to get it nice and hot, if not, it does help to heat up whatever you are baking it on.

Meanwhile get the toppings prepped. Get three saute pans hot over medium-high heat, two with a tablespoon of butter. When hot, place the shallots in one buttered pan and stir through, adding some salt and pepper. In the second buttered pan, add the thyme and for 30 seconds, let it infuse the butter. Next drop the mushrooms in with some salt and pepper. In the third (dry) pan, add the bacon strips and cook until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes, draining on paper towels when done. Cook the shallots, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown well, about 10 minutes, and remove from the heat and put into a small bowl. In the mushroom pan, keep cooking them until soft (about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally), then put the marsala in, cooking until fully absorbed by the mushrooms. Remove from the heat and put in a small bowl. Grate the cheese and set aside. Tear the bacon into little pieces. Your toppings are now prepped.

When the stone (or baking sheet) is nice and hot and the dough has been rolled out and is ready, remove the stone from the oven and place on the stove top. Sprinkle some cornmeal over the top of the stone so the pizza doesn't stick. Put the pizza dough on the stone and it will immediately start cooking the bottom. Drizzle the olive oil on it and spread it around lightly with your fingers. Top with the mushrooms, shallots and bacon and season with salt and pepper. Return the pizza to the oven and cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until hot and the cheese is starting to go brown.

Carefully remove the pizza and slide it off of the stone and onto a cutting board so you can slice it. Slice and serve.

Viva la Mexico, La Parte Dos

Well, Dave and Karena wrapped up their European adventure here and, as is the custom, we had to do a Mexican dinner. We have historically done this whenever we get together, and this time was to be no exception. This time, though, we decided to wing it and make up our own stuff. Everything turned out wonderfully and maybe even that little bit better since we came up with the ideas ourselves.

I know it'll sound like tooting our own horns here, but I have to say that this was among the better dinners we've had in a while. The flavors were rich and distinct.

Starter: Tequila-Lime Shrimp with Chili and Cilantro
400 g tiger prawns, raw, peeled, deveined
4 garlic, finely chopped
2 red chilies, finely sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup tequila
¼ cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
¼ cup cilantro
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tequila

Marinate the prawns in a bag with the garlic, lime juice, lime zest, chilies, tequila, cilantro, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least an hour. After an hour, strain the marinade out, leaving just the prawns and whatever marinade ingredients are sticking to the prawns.

Heat a pan to medium-high heat with a touch of oil. When very hot, add the prawns and saute quickly, about 2 minutes. When the prawns have just gone pink and are curling up, add the rest of the tequila and light on fire, sauteing for a further 30 seconds or so, adding the red pepper flakes.

Dump the mixture into a bowl and add the avocado and cilantro. Check the seasoning and serve.

Main: Chicken Enchiladas with and Roasted Chili and Tomatillo Sauce and Goat Cheese
3 green chilies
3 green pepper, cored, seeded, stemmed
12 tomatillos
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 garlic, finely sliced
1 red onion, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
8 corn tortilla
2 chicken breasts
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
⅛ teaspoon chili powder
225 g goat cheese

Preheat the broiler. Prepare the roasted ingredients by taking the chilies, green pepper pieces and tomatillos and placing them on a baking sheet lined with foil and drizzled with oil. Drizzle a little more oil over the top and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Place 4 inches or so under the broiler and cook until the skin is charred, turning the chilies over halfway through, about 10-15 minutes altogether. Remove from the oven and set the tomatillos aside in a bowl. Take the skin off of the green peppers and chop roughly. Next, roughly chop the chilies. Put this all in the bowl with the tomatillos and set aside. Change the oven temperature to 350F.

Get a large saute pan hot over medium heat with the oil. When hot, add the garlic and onions and saute, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes, or until the onions are well softened and starting to go brown in spots. Add the tomatillos, peppers and chilies and cook until it starts bubbling some, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until most of the liquid rendered out by the tomatillos has evaporated and the mixture is somewhat thicker. Take off the heat and set aside.

Heat some canola oil (at a depth of about 1/8") in a small saute pan (just big enough to fit a tortilla) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the tortillas, one at a time, for just 5-10 seconds per side in the hot oil. Pat dry between some layers of paper towels and set aside.

Heat a bit of oil a medium sized fry pan or skillet over medium-hig heat. Rinse and pat the chicken breasts dry. Season with cumin, coriander and chili powder to taste. When the pan is hot, fry the chicken quickly, browning on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and put the chicken on a cutting board. When just cool enough to handle, slice the chicken into chunks. The chicken will not be cooked through yet, and that's OK. Crumble the goat's cheese and reserve a 1/4 cup of it. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and assemble the enchiladas by laying some chicken and goats cheese along the middle of a tortilla, rolling it up carefully, and laying them side by side in the baking dish. (NOTE: I recommend doing the actual assembly inside the baking dish). Pour sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with the remaining goat's cheese. Place in the oven for 12 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese toasty and melty, and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot over Mexican rice.

Mexican Rice with Smoked Paprika and Bacon
6 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, small, finely chopped
1 cup rice
2 garlic, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, small, diced
1 teaspoon paprika, smoked and hot
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1-¾ cup chicken stock

Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Fry off the bacon until browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon.

Add the onion to the same pan and fry until translucent, about five minutes. Add the rice and stir thoroughly to coat in the oil, cook for an additional two minutes. Add the garlic, paprika and tomatoes, and cook 1 more minute.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and cover, simmering until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Check the seasoning, fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Dessert: Sopapillas
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon canola oil
5 tablespoons milk
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey

Sift dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, sugar) together in a bowl and add milk and oil. Mix well until it comes together in a ball of dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour. Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon and mix through. Set aside.

Roll dough out to 1/4" thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into squares or circles.

Heat 1" of oil in a pan over high heat. Fry the dough in oil until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Put on plates and drizzle with sugar. Serve immediately.

Meal fit for a Chairman

Our honeymooning friends Dave and Karena are back with us before going back to the States and we decided to have an authentic Chinese food throwdown before they left. Any of these ingredients can be found at a reputable Asian food market, and once you have bought a few key pantry items, you can make a wide range of stuff. All of these recipes appear in cookbooks written by a British woman named Fuchsia Dunlop, who is the first Western woman to ever be allowed to study (and graduate) from the Chinese Culinary Academy in Sichuan Province. She has written two cookbooks, "Sichuan Cookery" and "The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook", the latter dealing specifically with Hunan food.

The Dishes:
-Beef with Cumin
-Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork
-Fragrant and Hot Prawns
-Steamed Aubergines with Chili Sauce
-General Tso's Chicken (Taiwan Version)

A few observations:
1) We had six people over and made five dishes, plus some rice and it turned out to be just the right amount of food, with everybody being able to sample some of everything and not get too full.

2) The dipping sauce which accompanies the steamed eggplant (aubergine) is good enough to put on anything you want to eat which needs a spicy Asian kick.

3) Any of these dishes can be made on their own, put with some rice, and would comfortably serve two.

4) All of these dishes destroyed anything you could ever get in a mall food court or even most Chinese takeaways. That, and they were super easy to make. No reason to buy Chinese take-out again, in my book.

After this we watched The Big Lebowski, drank white russians and then played competitive sports on the Nintendo Wii until late. A good evening was had by all. Hope you like this food.

Beef with Cumin (Hunan)
340 g sirloin, trimmed of fat
2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
2 red chilies, deseeded, finely chopped
3 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon salt
2 spring onion, green parts only, finely sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
400 ml groundnut (peanut) oil , for frying
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn flour
1 tablespoon water

Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices. Add the marinade ingredients (Shaoxing wine through the 1 tablespoon of water) and mix well.

Heat the peanut oil to about 140C/275F. Add the beef and stir gently. As soon as the piece have separated, remove them from the oil and drain well; set aside.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the oil. Over a high flame, add the ginger, garlic, fresh chilies, chili flakes and cumin, and stir-fry briefly until fragrant. Return the beef to the wok and stir well, seasoning with salt to taste.

When all ingredients are sizzlingly fragrant and delicious, add the spring onions and toss briefly. Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve.

Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork (Hunan)
500 g pork belly, skin removed
2 tsp. peanut oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
20 g ginger, skin left on and sliced
1 star anise
2 dried red chilies
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
1 spring onion, finely sliced on the diagonal

Plunge the belly pork into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until partially cooked. Remove, and when cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized chunks.

Heat the oil and sugar in a wok over a gentle flame until the sugar melts, then raise the heat until the sugar turns a rich caramel brown. Add the pork and splash in the Shaoxing wine.

Add enough water to just cover the pork, along with the ginger, star anise, chillies and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes.

Towards the end of the cooking time, turn the heat up to reduce the sauce and season with soy sauce, salt and a little sugar to taste. Add the spring onion just before serving.

Fragrant and Hot Prawns (Hunan)
500 g tiger prawns, thawed
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili bean paste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon soy sauce
2 spring onion, finely sliced
1 tablespoon red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
peanut oil, for frying

Twist the heads off of the prawns and get rid of the legs. Remove the veins. Rinse the prawns, then mix with the salt and Shaoxing wine and set aside.

Heat the groundnut oil (about 300 ml) in a wok over a high flame until it reaches 180C/350F. Shake the prawns dry. Tip them into the wok and deep-fry for less than 30 seconds, until they have turned pink and are partially cooked. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the oil, and return the wok to the hob over a medium flame. Add the ginger, garlic, chili bean paste and pepper flakes and stir-fry until the oil is fragrant and is stained red by the chili bean paste. Add the water and soy sauce and bring to the boil.

Add the prawns and then cook over a high flame to reduce the sauce, stirring constantly. When the water in the sauce has evaporated, add the spring onions and red pepper to give them a lick of heat. You should smell the fragrance of the onions after a few seconds, at which point remove the wok from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve.

Steamed Aubergines with Chili Sauce (Sichaun)
2 eggplant, large
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
1-½ teaspoon Chinese vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons chili oil, with chili flake sediment
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Cut the large aubergines (eggplant) in half and sprinkle the cut sides lightly with salt. leave for at least a half hour to draw out the bitter juices. Oriental aubergines (the smaller ones) do not need this treatment and can be left whole.

Steam the aubergines over a high flame for 5-10 minutes, until tender. Leave to cool then cut into chunks.

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the oils.

Serve the aubergines and the sauce as a dip.

General Tso's Chicken (Taiwan Version)
340 g chicken thighs, boned, skin on
6 dried red chilies
2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil
peanut oil, for deep frying
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 egg yolks
2 tablespoons corn flour
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon tomato puree, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon corn flour
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons water

Unfold the chicken thighs and lay them, skin side down, on a chopped board. Use a sharp knife to make a few shallow crosscuts into the meat (this will help the flavors to penetrate). The cut each thigh into bite-sized pieces. Place the chicken in a bowl.

To make the marinade, add the soy sauces and egg yolk to the chicken and mix well, then stir in the corn flour and lastly the peanut oil; set aside while you prepare other ingredients.

Combine the sauce ingredients (tomato puree through the 3 tablespoons of water) in a small bowl; set aside. Use scissors to snip the dried chilies into 3/4 inch pieces, discarding as many of the seeds as possible.

Heat enough oil for deep-frying to 180-200C/350-400F. Add the chicken and deep-fry until it is crisp and golden (fry in batches, if necessary, to not crowd the pan). Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour the oil into a heatproof container, and clean the wok if necessary.

Return the wok to a high flame with 2-3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the dried chilies and stir-fry briefly until they are just changing color (do not burn them). Toss in the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds longer, until fragrant. Then add the sauce and stir as it thickens. Return the chicken to the wok and stir vigorously to coat the pieces in sauce. Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and then serve.