i'm thinking of making a chicken curry this weekend. i have thai yellow curry paste, coconut milk, peas, potatoes, and tomatoes, plus onions, garlic, and ginger. i've never made curry before. does anyone think i need any other ingredients? curry powder? coriander? basil? peanuts?

i was planning to take the gonzo approach with the sauce and just mix and taste until i like it.

i'm also test-driving morningstar farms' vegetarian chick'n strips. has anyone tried them?

Liz, good luck with your curry:) I have made it a few times and my boyfriend makes curry a lot, he too does the gonzo approach and it always turns out good. I would say check out a few different recipes to get a feel for what you may need. I myself have never used a curry paste, so I can't recommend it one way or the other. Also check the bottle the curry paste came in, it should have a recipe on there somewhere.
Good Luck :)

Liz --

If you've got a curry paste, you've got the foundation of a good curry. Everything else is bonus. I'd highly recommend using some fresh coriander, which I find adds a Thai touch, as I don't tend to use coconut milk. Peanuts are good too, but also in the absence of the coconut.

I make variations on Nigella's curry recipe a lot. I start by taking the thick part of the coconut milk and putting it in a pot on the stove. The heat will make it more liquidy. Then I whisk in some curry paste and mix them. Then I add in the rest of my ingredients -- chicken stock, fish sauce, a little turmeric and a little sugar. She calls for lime leaves and lemongrass, but I rarely add either. Then once it starts to simmer I throw in my stuff -- usually tofu, chickpeas and some squash. Then at the end of cooking, I thrown in some baby bok choy or spinach or something. It turns out a little different every time, but it's always a good comfort food.

Anyone got a favorite green garlic recipe or two? I took home gobs of it from the farmer's market last night with the idea of green garlic and sweetpea soup, but I'm open to other ideas...

i'm documenting the making of my first veal stock and osso buco. the stock is finished, i'm going to start the dish in about an hour.

Beware the curry paste! At least that's my experience when I make-up a curry as I go along. It seems to "bloom" in the pot --- like at first, it doesn't seem that strong so you add just a little bit more than then WHEW too much. I think as the spices in the paste warm and amalgamate into the curry, they get hotter. Anyone else ever notice this?

Chris - Oh so true. One of my funniest cooking memories is cooking with Thai red-curry paste. My friend and I kept adding a little bit more and a little bit more while her husband watched T.V.

After three bites he looked at us as if we had poisoned him! We tried to counteract the heat with coconut milk - but no dice. Nonetheless we all ate huge servings and sweated like pigs and laughed our heads off.

I made massaman curry lamb stew last night
and I wished for limes and peanuts, even tho it was pretty great without...
fresh cilantro also sounds like a good touch for yours

I used lite coconut milk and a paste - a tiny yellow can, Indonesian I think - ingredients in the can are chilis, shallots, sugar, tamarind, garlic - then rounded it out with more shallots and a little garlic, and a big dollop of tamarind and a dash of salt.
cubed lamb shoulder, potato, and green beans

you can use tamarind in yellow curries too
the concentrate keeps really well in the fridge

any thoughts for the other half of the lamb shoulder roast . . . sunday dinner, rainy springtime in NY

ooh, thanks for the tip about the curry paste "blooming." i dipped my finger in for a taste and it didn't seem very strong, but i'll be careful tonight.

limes are a great idea. i think i have one.

guido, how about roasting it w/some greek spices and making gyros? street food at home always makes me think of warmer weather ahead.

I just saw a Molto Mario with lamb shoulder stewed with artichokes (click my name for the link) and I *think* I saw artichokes at my food coop . . .
The recipe says cardoons, but they couldn't get them on the show so they sub'd artichokes

I've never worked with fresh artichokes, so it should be interesting

greek lamb sounds good tho, liz -- and isn't it greek orthodox easter this weekend . . . ?

I need a little menu planning help. I'm cooking dinner for 7 (including myself) tomorrow night. I knew that one of my friends that's coming is a vegetarian (she eats fish, though) but I just found out that another guest is kosher (so no shellfish) and lactose intolerant (so no dairy). I'm sure I could make the curry I described above, but I've been eating a lot of curry lately. Anyone have any other suggestions non-meat, non-shellfish, non-dairy and non-salmon (that last one is for me -- I just don't like it)?

OK -- I think I've answered my own question. After combing through a bunch of cookbooks (most of which never make it off the shelf because I just find stuff on the internet), I'm going to make a big tuna nicoise (Barefoot Contessa) and macaroni and cheese (Ruth Reichl - I had been planning to make this all along, until I found out about the lactose-intolerant guest. But the rest will have to hold her.). It's a weird combination, I know, but I had my heart set on that mac + cheese. I'll get some yummy bread and that will be it. I don't even think I have to make a salad b/c the tuna platter has so many veggies. And then a berry crisp for dessert. If anyone has any further ideas, post 'em!

Abby - I feel your pain! I'm cooking for a group of friends this weekend. The guests are:
-vegetarian
-or lactose intolerant
-or just plain picky
NO idea what I could make for them that will still satisfy the meat-eating, cheese-craving people in the group.
Help please!

abby, what a coincidence--i was going to make tuna nicoise for tomorrow.

kelly, how about spaghetti and meatballs with a hearty veggie ragu? serve the meatballs on a separate platter, and grate the parmesan into a pretty serving bowl.

guido, yep, my calendar says it's greek easter on sunday.

btw all, the curry came out okay but not amazing. i'll have to play with it some more.

Hey everyone, the bad weather seems like it's been an excuse for everyone to stay inside and cook. I'm trying to make some springy pizzas tonight, but am feeling a little bit stuck.

If I put baby broccoli rabe on a pizza, should I cook it first? I think so. Steam, boil, or a flash in a pan of hot olive oil? What else would go with the broccoli rabe -- some cheese, a dried meat?

hi guido (a year ago I bought massaman curry by error, I threw it out thinking it was sweet, didn't know what to use it in! could it be used in something other than a lamb recipe?)
I have a recipe for lamb (agneau braise en papillote), from popular Quebec cookbook of 05, a la di Stasio (Mtl. chef Josee di Stasio)-lamb is baked for 5 hrs -oven 250, wrapped&sealed in parchment paper or aluminum. Juicy & flavourful is promised result.(So far book is avail.only in French, but hope it'll also be translated-recommend it.)
2lbs lamb shoulder, olive oil, 2 t salt, grnd pepper, 4 large rosemary branches, 8 garlic cloves. After cooking you separate meat from juices, cut the meat with serving spoon & serve with cooking juices + 1 cooked garlic clove per person-they will crush it into the juice.
Sounds good to me, even if I don't eat lamb, my only food dislike-had to have one!

Abby&Kelly-Was looking at vegetarian meal possibilities - roasted vegetables and polenta seemed to be a good one-leeks, carrots, parsnips & baby potatoes. You can roast chicken pieces (legs w/thighs or breasts) stuffed with 1/2 c ricotta&1/2 c herbs (your choice: chives,sage, basil, thyme or rosemary)separately for non-vegs., adding 2 t grated lemon zest & minced garlic to taste. Maybe a fruit&nut crumble for dessert..?
I want to cook something but so far not inspired.

chris
the match made in heaven for broccoli rabe is... drumroll please.... SAUSAGE and CHEESE
don't know why, but man, rab, sausage, cheese, chili flakes, on pizza, in pasta, in a stew, anywhere, its a wonderful culinary trinity!

oh, and yeah, cook the rabe first, however you like ...
i'm making soup after making a DISASTROUS dinner last night, but it could have been worse, i could have cooked the mushrooms some guy sold me
he told me they were "like" morels
yeah, morels that CAN KILL ME
folk in nyc, if you go to SOS chefs on ave b, DO NOT let the guy sell you gyromitra mushrooms
they're insanely deadly, and i have no idea what this guy thinks hes doing selling them in the first place

either way, happy to be around to eat another day

While waiting for inspiration, made a creamy rutabaga soup & a chopped salad with artichoke hearts. Will make this week: ricotta cheesecake with sweet onions, cranberries & sage, beef and bok choy stir-fry, and pork chops with mushroom & bread pudding (panade revisited?)
Went to this(click name)18th century Nouvelle France restaurant in Old Montreal on Fri.-great fun! All staff+musicians & actors in period costume & interactive, historical-recommend for anyone passing through Mtl.(seem to be a few), cuisine from that era also, v.good.

OMG -- Ann! What happened when you ate the mushrooms?

i didn't b/c i just happened to be paging through a book on unusual vegetables, stopped at the morel page and saw the huge warning about "false" morels
i was planning to cook with them, luckily, my bookworm-ish-ness saved me

get this, the gyromitras are so deadly that even just breathing in the vapors while parboiling them (which supposedly gets rid of the toxins) can kill you
the toxin is something found in rocket fuel
to paraphrase AB, definitely NOT good eats!

who knew there were such unsavory purveyors of death hiding in our local markets?

smart of you to check them first, ann!

Ann-Would this be a time to call health dept, city inspectors or someone like that if they're deadly?
Glad you remain healthy!

Yay! The nicoise salad turned out beautifully and the macaroni and cheese was really good. Even though the two didn't necessarily go together, I think they were very successful. And I was done with dinner 2 hours before the guests arrived! For pics, click my name...

Wow, Ann - yikes! I agree about calling the health dept... Glad you're OK.

Abby, your dinner looks lovely!

jeebus!
NYC Dept of Health, or Dept of Consumer Affairs, or your favorite local tv station if you'd like to be part of a media circus...

Are gyromitra mushrooms a specialty like fugu where the chef deals with hazmat? SO f*cked up that they sold you those!

leeds
chicken or TVP would be great with massaman curry.
It's generally done with a protien + potatoes.
Maesri is the brand I used -- great if you kick it up with extras, basic instructions are on the can.

The artichoke/lamb dish was delish, and seriously easy. The linked recipe isn't exactly what he did on the show -- I watched it again and cooked from that....

Agnello con i Carciofo (Lamb and Artichokes)
adapted from Molto Mario on tv

Dice one large white onion, or equiv,
and a bit of pancetta (or non-smokey bacon)

Cut boned lamb shoulder roast into large chunks and salt.
Brown in a hot Dutch Oven on the top of the stove, with a little olive oil

Trim fresh artichokes while your meat is browning
what you need to end up with is quartered hearts with the peeled stem attached. rub lemon on them as you go so they don't turn brown.
Use 3 to 8 artichokes . . . depends how much meat, how much you like artichokes . . .

When it's time to turn over the meat, add 2 or 3 T of tomato paste and let it fry up in the pot. Add onions and pancetta and some chili flakes (start with 1 tsp, depends on your taste for spice)

Let all that cook a couple minutes. Add your raw artichokes, and enough water to *almost* cover everything. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 40 minutes, uncovered.

Finish with a little fresh lemon juice, and fresh chopped parsley

we ate it with garlic sauteed spinach and rustic bread, but it would be nice over pasta as well

I'm thinking about doing it with a ton of garlic cloves instead of pork (pancetta/bacon) next time....

hi guido-
I prefer to see the preparation as well. THANKS for the breakdown, the artichoke&lamb dish sounds amazing! Using same method, maybe I can sub. pork or beef for lamb? Oh,and thanks for the curry info.
love Mario!
Today I saw baked lamb served over lentils...
Took a week off from work-I am enjoying local gastronomy (+ more time for cooking). Today had guinea fowl with a whisky sauce served with a remoulade. Then local market stop for fresh herbs,vegs.& salmon: want to make a salmon tartare, with shallots, scallions, chives +olive oil & lemon juice.

hi leeds
I'm sure the artichokes would be very nice with beef, for the anti-lambs. : )
Lamb shoulder = chuck roast. Maybe you'd need to cook it longer to get it to break down and become tender?

salmon tartar sounds yum
I often make salmon burgers with chopped up real salmon - minced shallots, herbs, mustard, egg, bread crumbs, fried in buttery pan. One of our favorite midweek meals, with chipolte mayo on a bun.

enjoy your (bound to be amazing, culinary) week !

thanks for the encouragement, guido! appreciate it. The salmon burgers...hmm!
I made a list this morning of dishes I want to make this week. Will need to invite friends at the end of the week to 'help' eat! New recipes except the last one. This is my list:
beef & bok choy stir-fry
Lebanese layered salad
salmon pate
sweet onion ricotta cheesecake w/cranberries
phyllo Brie cups (with apricot chutney)
cheese & spinach pie
broiled tofu & mango skewers
arroz con pollo
mixed antipasto plate
eggplant& olive truffles
blueberry or strawberry chilled cheesecake

I think I've got a theme going this week: food!
I'll see how many I get to make, I want to make the ricotta myself for the savory cake..

wow!
eggplant& olive truffles
(pls discuss)

ps
I used to make spinach pie pretty often, if you need any help

eggplant & olive truffles from: party food for vegetarians by Celia Brooks Brown (American now in Britain). Every single recipe looks great. I'm trying 3 (the ricotta cake & tofu/mango skewers are from the book as well).
So - they look like little meatballs, but are light. You serve them hot from the oven(mix can be made 1 day in adv.). They involve chopped roasted eggplant, pinenuts, kalamata olives, parsley, garlic, Parmesan etc.
Let me know if you want recipe.
Re: spinach pie. Have not worked with phyllo so it makes me nervous. But I am determined to face my fears (culinary ones this time!). My other culinary fears: yeast, & tamales! I've actually arranged for a demonstration of E.S. tamales in near future. It involves toasting & grinding spices, seeds & nuts, not to mention roasting of peppers & tomatoes, yikes! And that's just for the sauce--too many movable parts!:)) This is the year for me when mysteries will be revealed!

would love the eggplant/olive recipe - sounds excellent
I'll google a little, but tell me how it goes after you've made it

don't worry about the phyllo
(I'll assume you are not Making It From Scratch - the frozen stuff is great)
keep a faintly damp tea towel over it and lightly paint your lipid of choice (butter or olive oil, depending) between the layers
patch it if you need to
homemade spinach pie is fantastic

okay, I'm going to make some too

thanks for the support! Good to know I can patch if needed and NO I am not making it from scratch-I have the frozen stuff.
Will let you know re eggplant when I make it..

Update on spinach pie: pleased with result! working w/phyllo takes getting used to, lost track of # of sheets, some cracks happened (repaired) & didn't know what to do with overhang, trimmed it with scissors, leaving a bit, then turned it under to make an pie-like edge. +I'm sure butter&oil could be reduced by using a spray dispenser(prob.for oil only-?), maybe next time (no more phyllo this week!).
Made in the last couple of days:
pork chops over mushroom & bread pudding,
salmon tartare (ate some & cooked the rest-made a patty - thanks guido!)
chickpea stew(chana masala),needs more punch...
breakfast: plain omelette & sliced St. Paulin cheese in an all-butter croissant-umm!

guido, how excellently did your spinach pie turn out? (does your recipe call for dill?)

hola leeds
congratulations on breaking the phyllo ice
I didn't make the spinach pie yet, but I will
after I get some phyllo

I don't particularly like dill, so my recipe doesn't call for it
: )
I use a ton of flat leaf parsley, and mint/basil depending
the rest is spinach wilted in garlic, an egg, feta, maybe some mozz, lots of black pepper + s, and a dab of pepper flakes.
I've made it with meat (for my dad) but I didn't like it nearly as much...although I liked the opportunity to season the ground beef with cumin et al

I made a chick pea salad with roasted peppers (red bell and green polanos), shallots, parsley, lemon, EVOO, s + p

Last night, a mole rojo with chicken, and green salad. The dressing was my first use of tomato vinegar - good stuff. Tastes like concentrated tomato, in that sundried way. It's not infused, but an actual vinegar made solely of tomatoes.

Lunch today - aged feta and roasted poblano pepper on a rustic roll

hola to you too guido! It was a chick pea day yesterday-my chickpea masala just needed to sit for a couple of hours, it was actually good.
You know, all this talk about mole, I think I will try it too, with chicken--yes, I'm going to copy you!:) Haven't tried the tomato vinegar yet, sound nice. Made eggplant/olive truffles, they're tasty, good with cocktails:

eggplant&olive truffles (makes 24)
1 lg eggplant (approx 1 lb 2 oz)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 c pine nuts
20 Kalamata olives, pitted/chopped
4 T dry bread crumbs
2 T chopped parsley
1 plump garlic clove, crushed
1 beaten egg
Method: Oven 450. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise & brush with olive oil. Roast for about 30 mins., until golden & completely soft. Cool, peel off skin & discard, chop the flesh finely. Reduce oven temp. to 400 (I'd bake them at 375 next time).
Mix the eggplant flesh, pine nuts, olive, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley,garlic & egg together in bowl, lest rest for 10-15 mins.
Grease large cookie sheet with butter. Form the mix into bite size balls & place on sheet, top each one with a pinch of grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 15-20 mins. until golden & puffed. Serve hot, with a few parsley leaves & Parmesan shavings sprinkled over platter if desired.

To Josee di Stasio

Hi! My lady employer who is 81 years old (of course, she has no more interest in online information using computers) wanted so very much to learn about your latest beef recipes which she recently watched on TV (as the only media she appreciates at her age). She has been bugging me for quite a while now to search for you in the internet and request for the receipes of course.

She still engages in routine activities like shopping, strolling, driving, not to mention the fact that she also loves to experiment with gourmet recipes as she sees them on TV.

So please, would you send me some of your beef recipes that you recently demonstrated on TV. She will surely love to have them.

Thanks.

JoyA
(email: august23_lja@yahoo.com)