turmeric & cumin crispy smashed potatoes

i do enjoy

serving a meal 

of

homegrown

freshly harvested food

i swell with pride

as i lay a platter down proclaiming

all prepared from our garden harvest

'so simple and easy'

knowing full well

that the ease i feel is from years

of curiously

observing generations of the amazing cooks in my family

of boldly

wandering into restaurant kitchens simply asking to see a technique

of sitting with locals

at a farm table in the hills of italy

on the banks of a river in costa rica

roadside in india

and listening 

of trial and error

of trial and success

i learned of turmeric potatoes in india

brightly colored and deeply spiced

a perfect accompaniment to richly stewed meats

the version i present here

is a bit more tame

still brightly colored and assertively spiced

but more suited to roasted meats or a vegetarian meal

sadly, my potato harvest was a bit of a bust this year...but in a brush of serendipity, i was sent a few pounds of potatoes from friedas asking if i would like to give them a try.  i like the piccolo potatoes (sold in 1 1/2lb bags from the little potato company at Ralphs grocery) for this recipe once cooked they have crispy crust, with creamy interior

 turmeric & cumin crispy smashed potatoes

1 1/2 lbs small potatoes

(i used piccolo from the little potato company, this will work with new, fingerling or any other small potato)

1 Tbs turmeric powder

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

3 Tbs olive oil

1 generous teaspoon whole cumin seed

1/2 generous teaspoon whole mustard seed

place whole potatoes in a pot of cool water to cover.  add turmeric and 1 tsp salt and stir.  bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes (until the potatoes are cooked through)

drain and place in a roasting dish in a single layer.  

using the back of a fork, press each potato until it is a bit broken and smashed, but not completely flattened.

in a skillet, place the olive oil, cumin and mustard seed.  heat on medium until the seeds begin to jump and pop.  immediately pour the hot oil and spices evenly over the smashed potatoes.  place immediately into to 375 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes. check periodically and stir if needed for even roasting.  remove from oven and taste for salt.

pair with roasted chicken or minted lamb or simply dab a bit of plain greek yogurt mixed with a bit of lemon juice over the top for a warm salad.

disclosure

while i was sent the potatoes as a courtesy, i was not prompted to write about them nor was i compensated in any way to write this recipe-post.  the opinions are my own.

cookbook review {the homesick texan-by lisa fain}

such a gorgeous book
the homesick texan

slick and bright

filled with beautiful food

real food

styled to seduce
without mocking the earnest home cook

(we've all been there, full of color and gloss on the page and just a muddle of beige in our home kitchen)

the homesick texan tells a story

of a time

of a place

of a person

of a passion

skillfully woven like heirloom linens
 yellowed with age
and
well worn memories

everything is not BIG in texas

lisa fain proves

flavors can be bold in their subtlety 

with careful alchemy

dried chiles are coaxed back to life

delicately nudged into sweet strawberry guajillo jam

and then

as if a storm rolled in

generously heaped into one-hour texas chili

the food in this book is not fussy

nor is it expected

its pages do not hold

a nacho recipe

piled high with runny cheese and a week's worth of calories

rather

you find

fresh baked corn chips neatly crisp 

each composed to a perfect bite

in the hundred plus recipes

you will find

the makings of

a homey winter breakfast 

biscuits, cream gravy, canned apples and migas

a summer lunch 

avocado soup, crawfish rolls and cornmeal shortcakes

a longhorn tailgate 

chipotle pimento cheese, dr. pepper ribs, shrimp and okra gumbo, cornbread and cobbler

along with many other intrigues

that will coax the texan out of you

The Homesick Texan is now available on-line and at your local book shop 

i give it a strong recommend

a small group of us virtually gathered each week

to cook, share and review

(you can see those recipes and reviews here)

as part of this effort

we received an advance copy of 

The Homesick Texan by Lisa Fain

gratis

from

Hyperion Publishing

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef

Levain Bread & The Institute of Domestic Technology

it isn't true

that graduating from

le cordon bleu

in baking and patisserie

makes you a fearless baker

i know

i have a diplome

yet 

the seemingly innocent combination 

of

yeast, flour, salt and water

gives me the shakes

or, should i say

gave

on a bit of a whim

i signed up for a course

at 

the institute for domestic technology

(you should check out the great foodcrafting courses here)

i came for the goats

but i stayed

for the bread

Look

at

This

i made it

if i seem obnoxiously giddy

it is because

i am

Levain Bread

recipe from erik knutzen

(full recipe with detailed instructions here)

100 grams starter

250 grams white flour

250 grams whole wheat flour

375 grams filtered water

10 grams sea salt

stir together the starter and water until dissolved.  mix in the flour until water and flour are incorporated.  do not knead, just get the flour fully combined. cover and allow the mixture to sit for 30 minutes.  add the salt and mix together with wet hands. cover.

at the end of the 1st hour

turn dough onto a floured surface. hold one end of the dough and with your other hand, pull the other end to stretch. fold the stretched end on top of it. give the dough a half turn and repeat the stretch and fold. place the dough back in the bowl, cover and let sit.

end of hour 2

repeat the stretch and pull and put back in the bowl. cover.

end of hour 3 or 3 1/2

turn the dough onto a floured surface.  begin to shape the boule. take the dough and pull the sides together as if you are making a beggar's purse, press the edges together and pick up the dough. turn it over in your hands and turn to form a round.

place the dough, round side down in a heavily floured proofing basket or in a bowl lined with heavily floured baking canvas/or cloth.  cover and let sit at room temperature for 3 1/2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator (preferred)

when ready to bake

you will be baking this in an dutch oven

preheat oven and cooking pot to 500 degrees, turn the bread out of its basket or bowl onto a floured surface.  use a razor blade to score a 4" square on the top of the bread.  once the oven/pot is up to temperature,  plop the bread in the pot, round side up.  cover and let bake for 25 minutes. remove the top and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. the bread should be nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped.

allow to cool for 1 hour before eating

spinach and mushroom enchiladas {cooking from the homesick texan}

hubster was living in alaska

when we met

he had
what i like to call

a food routine

minimally diverse

and

easily prepared

as i write this

i feel sorta bad

i suppose

there was a bit of steam-rolling involved

his beloved flavor-wave
relegated

to a dust laden storage bin
paired with
a slightly traumatic

relocation
to a place

where winter is 

a bit of rain

and 

breakfast of fresh seasonal fruits

aside from everyone
being all up in his business

he doesn't mind it much

unless

he is craving enchiladas

then
i hear how much he loved

the spinach enchiladas in anchorage

how perfect

and creamy

and spinachy

i do like spinach

he says

in a tone more suited to love of chocolate cake

than greens

hubs is neither italian nor jewish

but

when it comes to

my play in his separation from
those enchiladas

i
feel
the guilt

imagine my joy

when he came to me

with

the homesick texan cookbook

in hand

turned to page 155

can you make this?
was his query

spinach and mushroom enchiladas

with

tomatillo salsa

using the best wasilla accent i could muster
i tossed a
"you betcha"
right to him

spinach and mushroom enchiladas w/tomatillo salsa
from the homesick texan
4-6 servings
(printable recipe)
tomatillo salsa
1 poblano chile
1/2 lb fresh tomatillos, husks removed or 11 oz can tomatillos--drained
1/2 cup cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1-2 serrano chiless, seeds and stems removed, cut in half
1 tsp lime juice
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp vegetable oil
salt and black pepper to taste
roast the poblano chile under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side.  place the chile in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tight, and let the chile steam for 20 minutes.  take the chile out of the bag and rub off the skin.  remove stem and seeds and chop the chile. place in a blender.
meanwhile, if using fresh tomatillos, on high heat, bring a pot of water to boil and cook tomatillos until soft, about 5 minutes.  drained cooked tomatillos. (if using canned, skip this step.)  place tomatillos, either cooked or canned, in the blender with the poblano chile. add the cilantro, garlic, serrno chiles, lime juice, chicken broth, and cumin, and blend until smooth.  
heat the oil in a pot on medium low, pour sauce into pot, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. adjust seasonings and add salt and black pepper to taste.
Filling
1 tsp vegetable oil
10 oz mushrooms, sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 medium yellow onion--sliced
2 cloves garlic--minced
1 serrano chile, seeds and stem removed--diced
1 lb fresh spinach or 10oz frozen spinach thawed
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 Tbs lime juice
1/4 ts cayenne
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
heat the oil on medium in a large skillet.  saute the sliced mushrooms for 5 minutes. add a pinch of salt and with a slotted spoon remove the mushrooms from the skillet and place in a large bowl. add to the skillet the onion and cook until translucent, 5 minutes. add the garlic and serrano chile and cook for another minute. add the spinach. stir until it is mixed with the onions, garlic and serrano chile. cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes or until it is wilted.
remove the lid and season the spinach with salt and pepper.  drain spinach mixture and add to the bowl with the mushrooms. stir in the ricotta cheese, lime juice, cayenne. cumin and cinnamon and mix well.  taste and adjust seasonings.
For the Enchiladas
1 Tbs vegetable oil or lard
12 corn tortillas
2 cups monterey jack cheese--grated
preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking dish.  in a skillet heat up the oil or lard on medium-low heat. one at a time, heat up the tortillas in the hot oil.  keep them wrapped in a cloth or tortilla warmer until all the tortillas are heated.
take a heated tortilla and with tongs, dip it into the salsa.  shake off most of the salsa, but make sure that its moist enough to be pliable. lay the tortilla on a place or clean cooking surface, add 1/4 cup of the filling down the center of it, and then roll the tortilla. place rolled enchilada in the greased baking dish and repeat with remaining tortillas. pour salsa over enchiladas and top with grated cheese.  bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly brown and bubbling.

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef

poblano macaroni and cheese {cooking from the homesick texan}

i grew up in

a waspy neighborhood

too rude?

perhaps i should say

well heeled

cotillion on tuesday

types

how we landed there

i 

do 

not 

know

a

bronx bred
italian family

moving in

must have been quite the shocker

a very dark man

(my father)

doing his own landscaping

seemed to be

equally disturbing

i tell you this

so you'd understand

it wasn't until my thirteenth year

that i discovered macaroni and cheese

while babysitting

mrs. ran me through the schedule

bath, bedtime

no tv

no prank calls

and for dinner?
i queried

pointing to

a little blue box on the counter

she said

the girls love macaroni and cheese

...out it came

in my not so soft voice

lilting to a question

is that what is in the box?

to which

i got the look

it made me feel

unamerican

it. is. true.

i didn't know

macaroni and cheese

came in a blue box

to me

macaroni

was a big plate of pasta

meatballs and sausage

cheese came in wheels, grated tableside

i think she felt sorry for me

fast forward more than 30 years

in of which

i have eaten 

many a mac n' cheese

boxed 

from scratch

scroxed

none being

a healthy eat

this one

however

uses

the fresh bite of citrus and cilantro

combined with the warmth

of 

poblano and cayenne

to cut through the dull sludge

of

gobs of  gooey dairy

which most macaroni and cheese recipes

hide behind

thus

wrapping this fabulous meal

in the illusion

of 

spa food

  *This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef

  poblano macaroni and cheese

8 servings

(printable recipe)

2 poblano chiles

8 oz (2 cups) elbow macaroni

2 Tbs unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic--minced

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 tsp mustard powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp lime zest

1/2 cup cilantro--chopped

salt and black pepper to taste

4 cups (12 oz) grated white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cojita cheese--for serving

roast the poblano chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side.  place chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tightly, and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes.  take the chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin. remove stem and seeds and chop the chiles into 1" long pieces

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta.  cook according to your package's directions and then drain the pasta.  (you want the pasta to be cooked but not mushy; i cook my pasta 5 minutes.)

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  grease a large baking dish or cast iron skillet, and pour the drained pasta into the dish.

in a pot (you can use the pot the pasta cooked in or you can do this while the pasta boils), on low heat melt the butter. add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. whisk in the flour and cook until a light brown, toasty paste is formed, about 1 minute.  whisk in the milk and stir until it's thickened a bit but still fluid, about 1 to 2 minutes. remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro and chopped poblano chiles. adjust seasonings and add salt and black pepper.

slowly add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it's melted and well combined into the sauce.  (if the sauce has cooled too much and the cheese won't melt, return the pot to low heat on the stove.  if, however, the sauce gets too thick, like a custard, you can then thin it by stirring in milk, a teaspoon at a time.)  pour sauce over pasta and top with the remaining half of the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling. sprinkle with cojita cheese, and serve immediately.

cornmeal and fig financiers

recently

i  met

a young man

he asked to meet 

to discuss an idea

an idea

born in sharing

i was early for the meeting

because 

i have yet to shake some of my

uptight corporate mores

he was tardy

only by minutes

delay caused by

a sweet pause

 to pick these gorgeous ripe figs

which he then

gifted to me

we talked for hours

about

our love of

good food

and

how we share it with others

cornmeal and fig financiers

(printable recipe)

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 Tbs honey

2 Tbs buttermilk

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cornmeal *

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

5-6 fresh figs-halved

measure the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  whisk to combine. in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and honey. add the eggs one by one, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  quickly beat in vanilla and buttermilk.  on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients, do not over mix.  scoop into small brioche molds, cupcake tins or other vessel. fill to about the halfway mark (perhaps just a tad bit more), and then gently push 1/2 fig on top.  bake at 350 for approximately 15-30 minutes. use the toothpick method to ensure they are baked through.  

*i used a medium coarse cornmeal--but you can use anything from fine to coarse...the texture of your cake will reflect whichever you choose to use.

{to learn more about devin's project

go to realgoodfood.org}

i can't promise he will bring you figs, but he could probably point you in the direction of someone who would!