Sunday, July 19, 2009

Gumbo with chicken and Andouille sausages by Virginia (Andree's mom)





When I learned that Andree, a member of my group, has a mother who's originally from Louisiana and a good cook, I couldn't help but ask her. Can she show us how to cook gumbo to my members?!  She finally accepted and made us very happy to visit their beautiful house. The gumbo was fabulous and her famous pecan candies and peach cobbler were.... so tasty they still make me salivate just the thought of them! lol

Here's the recipe:


~Gumbo with chicken and Andouille sausages by Virginia (Andree's mom)~

会員のアンドレ(Andree)のお母さんのバージニア(Virginia)さんから教わったガンボ。ルイジアナ州の名物料理。

12人分 (Serves 12 この日のレッスンの参加者が12人だったので This was to serve 12 participants of the cooking demo.) )

サラダ油 (vegetable oil such as canola or corn oil)
1カップ (1 cup)
小麦粉 (flour)
1カップ (1 cup)
*(以下、玉ねぎ、ピーマン、セロリはCajun Holy Trinityと言ってケージャン料理の基本の三要素です。セロリの代わりににんにくをいうこともあります。日記に解説)   玉ねぎ乱切り (onion, chopped)
2個
ピーマン乱切り (bell peppers, chopped)
2個
セロリ乱切り (celery, chopped)
4本 (4 ribs)
にんにくみじんぎり (garlic, minced)
4-6かけ (4-6 cloves)
チキンブイヨン (chicken stock)
4 クォート (約4リットル、4 qt=approx. 4l)
ローリエ (月桂樹の葉、bay leaves)
2枚 (2 leaves)
鶏肉 (large chicken)
一羽分 (1 whole chicken)
**クレオール・シーズニング (Creole seasoning) 以下、塩までがクレオール・シーズニングの材料で、この分量で作ると出来上がり約2/3カップですが、そのうち小匙2を使います  (The following ingredients are for Creole seasoning through salt, yielding about 2/3 cup. Use 2 teaspoons of the finished seasoning in this recipe.)
小匙2 (2 teaspoons)
パプリカ (paprika)
大匙2 1/2 (2-1/2 Tablespoons)
乾燥オレガノ (dried oregano)
大匙1 (1 Tablespoon)
乾燥タイム (dried thyme)
大匙1 (1 Tablespoon)
カイエンヌ・ペッパー (cayenne pepper)
大匙1 (1 Tablespoon)
オニオン・パウダー (onion powder)
大匙1 (1 Tablespoon)
ガーリック・パウダー (garlic powder)
大匙2 (2 Tablespoons)
挽きたて黒胡椒 (freshly ground black pepper)
大匙1 (1 Tablespoon)
塩 (salt)
大匙2 (2 Tablespoons)
***辛めのソーセージ (出来ればアンドゥイユ・ソーセージか他の燻製ソーセージ、日記に解説  Andouille or smoked sausage)
2パウンド (約900g=2 lb)
刻み葱(青いところのみ)(chopped scallions =green onion tops)
一束 (1 bunch)
刻みパセリ (fresh chopped parsley)
2/3 カップ (2/3 cups)
****フィレ・パウダー (File powder)
少々 (to taste)
 Direction:
【コツ、ポイント】今まで使っていたガンボのレシピは、小麦粉を先に鍋で空焼きしてましたが、これは油と一緒に炒め煮しながらルーを作ります。www.meetup.com/LACookingRecipesDiningandFrench/photos/593699/
【こ のレシピの生い立ち】会員のアンドレ(Andree)はロサンゼルス生まれですが、ご両親はルイジアナ出身でお母さんはとても料理が上手と聞き、是非正統 派ガンボの作り方を教えて!とお願いしました。素敵なお宅でプラリン・キャンディーやピーチコブラーもご馳走になりました。

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Acorn Squash Apple Soup with Pistou

This is Heather's recipe. She's an assistant organizer of my group, and has been helping me a lot. Last December she came up with a great idea of compiling a cookbook to sell to donate some charities, and she did an awesome job!! This is in her cookbook too!

http://www.meetup.com/LACookingRecipesDiningandFrench/messages/boards/thread/5929455

"The original recipe came from a professional chef, and I modified it to make it vegetarian/vegan. My boyfriend claims this is the best soup he ever tasted."

Thank you, Heather, for sharing the wonderful recipe! :-)


Acorn Squash Apple Soup with Pistou (Makes 6 – 1 cup servings)

Soup Ingredients

1 pd acorn squash, halved/seeded
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-2.5 cups chicken stock
1 cup fresh apple juice

Pistou Ingredients

1 bunch fresh basil, leaves only
½ tablespoon pine nuts
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil-packed sundried tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet and place acorn squash skin-down on the sheet, lightly drizzle olive oil over the top of the squash and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until squash is tender. If the squash is browning, but still is not finished, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake. Set aside and cool.

Heat a large stock pot and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. (Always heat the pot before adding the oil so that it is adequately hot before you add your ingredients.) Sauté the onions about 12 minutes or until soft and slightly browned. Add the garlic, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the chicken stock and apple juice and cook until the acorn squash is soft through.

Spoon the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. If you have a hand-held immersion blender it’s even better because you don’t have to transfer your food to dirty another appliance-simply lower the blender into the stock pot and puree.

For the pistou, add the basil and olive oil into a small food processor to quickly chop. Add remaining ingredients and process lightly until all ingredients are blended and consistency is slightly emulsified. Pistou can be made up to three days ahead and frozen for up to 2 months.
Drizzle pistou over the soup and serve hot.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Melody's Brie Cheese Appetizer


Our member, Melody, taught us at the Lamb and Shamisen meetup how to make this scrumptious appetizer using brie cheese, dried fruits and various nuts.

http://www.meetup.com/LACookingRecipesDiningandFrench/calendar/9567717/?from=list&offset=0

She also showed us how to make Greek cheese pie called Tyropitakia using three kinds of cheeses (feta, cottage, and parmesan), spinach, egg, wrapped in phyllo dough. At the same meetup, Allen taught us to cook braised lamb shanks, roasted beets and grapes salad, sun-dried tomato and raisin couscous, and Anne demonstrated how to bake clouftis with cherry. We spent more than 8 hours in a kitchen and a living room cooking, eating and talking! We also learned how to play traditional Japanese music instruments including Shamisen (three-string instrument) and Tsuzumi (large and small Japanese drums). What a fun day we had!! Thank you all for coming, and especially Joanne, who generously opened her house.


Melody's Brie Cheese Appetizer

Ingredients:

Just a couple of handfuls of your favorite nuts and dried fruits  (slivered almonds, pistacchio, pecans..)
dried cranberry
dried currants or golden raisins
dried cherries about 1 1/2 cups
Butter
One round of brie (in the little round wooden or paperboard box)
honey (you may substitute brown sugar)

You can use a wedge but its not at pretty! Place the brie on the center of a small plate. Melt some butter in a small skillet over medium low heat then add the nuts and saute until just starting to turn golden, then add the dried fruits.

Continue to saute until nuts are starting to brown then lower flame and add a couple of tablespoons of honey (you may substitute brown sugar) and stir until everything is smooth and glossy.

Spoon over the brie, arranging the nuts and fruit along the edge so they are even and attractive, then place in the microwave and heat on high for 1 minute (oven temps may vary). It will ooze the soft cheese from the center when you slice into it.

Serve with thin slices of baguette or water crackers

More recipes by Melody, Allen, and Anne will follow....

Roast Salmon with Smoke Salmon Filling

This is a recipe I found in a Japanese cookbook long time ago. It's very simple and easy to make, but tastes really delicious. Nothing can go wrong with smoke salmon anyway, to start with! lol

Roasted salmon with smoke salmon filling

Ingredients:

1 whole salmon fillet (about 3-4 lbs)
Salt and Black pepper to taste

*Filling:

130g (yes, I know, the original recipe is written in metric system... I guess 130g is about 4 oz based on the equation of 1 ounce = 30g) smoke salmon
1 1/2 Tablespoon butter, melted
2/3 teaspoon lemon juice
2/3 teaspoon paprika
2/3 teaspoon caper
1/2 teaspoon dill
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1 1/2 Tablespoon whipping cream

Parsley or dill sprigs, lemon wedges, black olives to decorate the roast.

Direction:

1. Place salmon roast on a cutting board with skin side down and with a sharp knife make horizontal slits 1 1/2-inch apart. Salt and pepper.

2. Prepare the filling: Finely chop smoke salmon and mix with melted butter. Add lemon juice, paprika, parsley, cream, caper, dill and combine well.

3. Stuff the filling into each slit.

4. Place the salmon on a baking sheet and drizzle the salmon with olive oil.

5. Bake in a 400 degree oven (or a little higher) for 25-30 minutes.

6. Top with parsley or dill sprigs, lemon wedges and olives (whole or sliced).

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Rock Shrimp Crostini




Our member, Roberta, who is very familiar with wine, hosted a special meetup called "Le Mariage - Food and Wine pairing" in March 09.

http://www.meetup.com/LACookingRecipesDiningandFrench/calendar/9723846/?from=list&offset=0

She's a fabulous cook with profound wine and food knowledge and cooked 5 different foods to match up with 5 different wines!!

This is the first course of the dinner at her place... Yum!!

http://cookpad.com/recipe/804232

Rock shrimp was cooked in court bouillon and tossed with carrot, celery, green onion in dijon mustard vinaigrette. Make crostini by toasting the sliced baguette and spread white bean puree and top with the shrimp.

A French sparkling wine called "Cremant du Jura" was paired with this tasty appetizer and they complimented (and enhanced) each other well.

What a way to start a five meal course. And as I was so fascinated I forgot to take a picture..... :-(


Rock Shrimp Crostini 海老のクロスティニ

バゲットの薄切りに白豆のピュレを塗り海老のサラダをのせた前菜。クレマン・ド・ジュラというスパークリングワインとペアリング

材料 ( 一人一切れとして8人分 Serves 8)

海老 (Shrimp)
1/3パウンド (約150g、1/3lb=approx.150g)
クール・ブイヨン (Court bouillon) (前回掲載レシピ参照。See the previous recipe of Court bouillon)
約1.5カップ (約300-350cc、1 1/2 cups=approx. 300-350cc) 
にんじんみじん切り (Carrot, finely diced)
1/3本
葱 (Green onion, finely diced)
1/2本
セロリ (Celery, finely diced)
1/4本
*以下黒胡椒までがビネグレットの材料
*Ingredients for vinaigrette
オリーブ油 (Olive oil)
1/3カップ (アメリカのサイズで約80cc 1/3cup=approx.80cc)
ディジョン・マスタード (Dijon mustard)
大匙1 (1 Tablespoon)
酢 (出来れば白ワインビネガー、vinegar, prefarably white-wine vinegar)
大匙2 (2 Tablespoons)
レモン汁 (lemon juice)
大匙1 (1 Tablespoon)
レモンの皮すりおろし (fresh lemon zest, grated)
小匙1 1/2 (1 1/2 teaspons)
塩 (salt)
小匙1/4 (1/4 teaspon)
黒胡椒 (black Pepper)
小匙1/8 (1/8 teaspon)
*以下塩胡椒までが白豆のピューレの材料
*Ingredients for white bean puree
カネリニ・ビーンズ缶 (cannelini beans, drained)
1缶 (1can) (カネリニ・ビーンズがなければ白いんげんをゆでたものでも可)
レモン汁 (lemon juice)
小匙1 (1 teaspon)
オリーブ油 (olive oil)
大匙1 (1 Tablespoon)
にんにく (garlic)
1-2かけ (1-2 cloves)
塩・胡椒 (salt and pepper)
少々 (to taste)
バゲット薄切り (baguette, sliced)
8切れ (8 slices)


1

ビネグレット(ドレッシングのこと)を作る。ボールにビネグレットの In a bowl, add ingredients


2

材料(オリーブ油、酢、マスタード、レモン汁、レモン皮すりおろし、 for vinaigrette and whisk


3

塩、黒胡椒)を入れ、泡立て器で混ぜる。 together to combine.


4

海老は殻を取り除き、背わたを取って、クール・ブイヨンを煮立てた中に入れ Peel and devein shrimp.


5

さっと色が変わるまで約一分ゆでる Cook shrimp in boiled court bouillon for


6

水気を切って残りの材料(にんじん、葱、セロリ、 one minute. Drain and add remaining


7

ビネグレット、塩、胡椒)を加え混ぜる。 ingredients (vegetables & vinaigrette)


8

白豆のピューレを作る。ミキサーに材料(白豆、レモン汁、オリーブ油、にんにく、塩、胡椒) Blend all


9

を入れ滑らかになるまで回す。 ingredients for white bean puree


10

in a blender until smooth.


11

バゲットの薄切りをトースターの一番低い目盛りで Toast the sliced baguette on the


12

トーストし、 lowest setting of toaster. Spread the puree on bread


13

白豆のピュレを塗り、海老のサラダを盛りつける。 and top with the shrimp mixture.

コツ・ポイント

クロスティニは、イタリア語で「ミニ・トースト」のことで普通プレーンな食パンの薄切りをトーストします(日記参照)。海老をソテーするクロスティニのレ シピもありますが、このワインと合わせる場合クールブイヨンで茹でた方が繊細でより合うようです。


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Mugdha's Aloo Gobi Recipe (3)

OK. Now that I've posted recipes for spice mix and garlic-ginger-chili paste, I can post the entire recipe of Aloo Gobi! Here we go!

http://cookpad.com/recipe/816976


カリフラワー (Califlower florets)
1カップ (1cup)
じゃがいも角切り (potatoes, cubed)
2個
にんにく・しょうがペースト (以前掲載のレシピを参考にしてください。http://cookpad.com/recipe/818719 garlic-ginger paste, please see the previously uploaded recipe)
大匙3(3 TBSP) (大匙1+大匙2)
ガラム・マサラ (garam masala 以前掲載のレシピを参考にしてください。http://cookpad.com/recipe/815927 click the link to see the previously posted recipe)
大匙3(3 TBSP) (大匙1+大匙2)
トマト角切り (tomato, cut up)
1個
玉ねぎ乱切り (cut onions)
1/2カップ (1/2 cup)
グリーンピーズ (frozen green peas)
1/2カップ (1/2 cup)
黒マスタードシード (black mustard seeds) 
小匙1 (1 teaspoon)
クミン・シーズ (cumin seeds)
小匙1 (1 teaspoon)
ターメリック (turmeric)
小匙1/2 (1/2 teaspoon)
チリ・パウダー (chili powder)
小匙1/2 (1/2 teaspoon)
塩 (salt)
一つまみ (a pinch)
砂糖 (sugar)
小匙1/2 (1/2 teaspoon)


1

カリフラワーは、洗って電子レンジで Wash and steam cauliflower for 2 minutes


2

2分加熱する。ジャガイモは皮をむいて角切りにし、固めにゆでる。 in microwave. Peel and cut


3

potatoes into cubes and parboil. In a bowl, add 1TBSP each


4

ボールにガラム・マサラとにんにく・しょうが Garam masala, ginger and garlic


5

ペースト各大匙1を入れよく混ぜ合わせる。じゃがいもを加えて paste and mix well. Add the


6

10分漬ける potatoes to the mixture and marinate for 10 minutes.


7

鍋に油を熱し、マスタードシード、クミン、ターメリック、チリパウダーを加え Heat oil in a pan and


8

add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric and chili powder.


9

マスタード・シードが弾けて来たら When the mustard seeds start to pop, add


10

玉ねぎを加え透明になるまで炒める。 onions and fry until transparent.


11

Add 2 TBSP each of the garlic ginger paste and garam masala


12

にんにく・しょうがペースト、ガラムマサラ各大匙2を加え1分炒める。 and fry for 1 minute.


13

トマトを加え2,3分炒める。 Add tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes.


14

グリーンピースを加え2,3分炒める。 Add peas and fry for 2-3 min.


15

カリフラワーとじゃがいもを加え、塩、砂糖を加えて10分弱火で煮る。 Add the cauliflower,


16

potatoes, salt and sugar and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

コツ・ポイント

http://www.meetup.com/LACookingRecipesDiningandFrench/calendar/8188045/?from=list&offset=0  手間がかかってもポテトをマリネすると味が違います!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Mugdha's Aloo Gobi Recipe (2) Garlic-Ginger-Chili Paste

Garlic and ginger.... A golden combination in Indian cooking, just like in Chinese and Korean cooking, and Indian people usually make their own garlic and ginger paste at home or buy at a market to keep it in the fridge or freezer instead of making the paste every time they cook as they use a lot! Mugdha's Aloo Gobi recipe calls for homemade garlic and ginger paste but it also has green chili. Here's the recipe I got from her and modified a little.

Recently I started writing about various types of Culinary Holy Trinity in the world. I guess Garlic, Ginger and Chili is the Indian Cuisine's Holy Trinity, maybe..?! Just like the Three Doshas (Devanāgarī: त्रिदॊश्)—vata (wind/spirit/air), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm)!! :-)


Mugdha's Garlic-Ginger-Chili paste

http://cookpad.com/recipe/818719


にんにく (garlic)
100g
しょうが (ginger)
100g
オリーブ油 (olive oil)
適宜 (約大匙1、approx. 1 TBSP a little to make it easier to process in a blender)
酢 (vinegar)
小匙2(2 teaspoons)
青唐辛子 (green chilis, Optional 好みで。省いてもよい)
適宜 (辛さを見ながら1-数本加えてください Add a few depending on how hot you want the paste to be。)


1

にんにくは皮をむく。 しょうがは、皮をこそげ落として洗い、粗く刻む。 Peel the garlic. Scrape


2

the skin from ginger root. Wash it and chop.


3

ミキサーかフードプロセッサーに、にんにくとしょうが、酢、唐辛子を入れてペースト状にする。うまく回りにくい場合には、水か


4

オリーブ油を少しずつ足す。 Put garlic, ginger, green chilis and vinegar


5

in a blender or food processor. Pulse to blend until smooth,


6

adding a little amount of water or olive oil to help in the


7

grinding. Store in a clean airtight jar and refrigerate or


8

清潔な密閉容器に入れて冷蔵庫か冷凍庫で保存すること。数週間もつ。 freeze. Will last for


9

weeks. The same amount of chopped onion could be added to


10

further enhance the flavor. Turmeric can be added to prevent


11

discoloration of the paste over an extended time period.


12

Basic paste consists of the equal amount of garlic and


13

ginger: adding vinegar, olive oil, green chilis is optional.

コツ・ポイント

好みで玉ねぎを同量加えてもいいそうです。酢は保存をよくするのと味をまろやかにするのに加えますが、なくてもOK。時間が立つと青みがかってくるので ターメリックを加えることも。にんにくとしょうがを同量あるいはにんにくを心持ち少なめにするのがコツ。



Friday, July 3, 2009

Mugdha's Aloo Gobi Recipe (1) Homemade Spice Mix

It's been a long time since I posted the last recipe....Over a year! It doesn't mean I haven't done anything... We've been quite busy with cooking and dining out meetups, and I also created a blog at a Japanese recipe site called "Coodpad." It's Japan's No.1 recipe site with more than 530,000 recipes submitted by readers. Just like Allrecipes.com, but in Japanese. Over the years, I have collected more than 1,800 recipes that I've tried and liked (and most of them have been approved by my family and friends). But they are written mostly in Japanese, and I have two grown sons who don't really read Japanese.

I wanted to hand down those recipes somehow, and decided to upload my recipes on the above site both in Japanese and English. Then my Japanese parents and friends can read in Japanese and my sons and my friends can learn in English as well. It takes so much time to post in both languages, but my page on the site got 14,000 hits so far since April, and it's really encouraging to see the numbers increase everyday!

Here's my page:

http://cookpad.com/kitchen/1082293

Although the titles of the recipes are in Japanese, if you click and scroll, you can see the English texts too. I have posted my recipes and the recipes my food group members and the past instructors of cooking meetups have given to me.

I've talked about this site to my members, but it still seems to be a little intimidating for my American members to see all the foreign Japanese characters, so I decided to resume posting the recipes here.

Yesterday I was writing an Indian vegetarian recipe. It was given by Mugdha, my food group member from India and who taught us how to cook Indian Vegetarian food last year.

http://www.meetup.com/LACookingRecipesDiningandFrench/calendar/8188045/?from=list&offset=0

June 27, 2008. Wow, a little more than a year has passed already!

Actually this Aloo Gobi is a little complicated using homemade spice mix and garlic-ginger paste, so I posted in three different recipes, and here's the first one talking about garam masala type homemade spice mix!


Mugdha's Homemade Spice Mix

http://cookpad.com/recipe/815927

コリアンダー(ホール。coriander seeds)
小匙1 (1 teaspoon)
クミン (ホール。cumin seeds)
小匙1 (1 teaspoon)
フェンネル (ホール。fennel seeds)
小匙1 (1 teaspoon)
カルダモン (cardamon)
大1個(小さいものなら2個 1 big/2 small pods)
シナモン・スティック (cinnamon stick)
1本
クローブ (cloves)
2-3個
けしの実 (poppy seeds)
小匙1 (1 teaspoon)
胡椒の実 (peppercorns)
2-3個
乾燥ココナッツ (dry shredded coconut)
小匙5-6 (5-6 teaspoons)
乾燥赤唐辛子 (dry red chilies)
2本


1

全部の材料を(フライパンに入れ) Fry all the ingredients on medium heat for


2

中火で熱する。冷めたら、ミキサーに入れ about 5 minutes. Once they are cool,


3

粉砕する (コーヒー豆挽き器でよい)。 blend it in the coffee grinder.

********************

I didn't know you put shredded coconut too.

OK, could you tell me if you like to see the English text only?

Sally