Fathers Day and Cadbury Chocolate

I know I have kind of fallen off the face of the earth but I swear there is a good story behind it.  I got back from my honeymoon, got into law school and quit my job.  I promise to fill you on all of these pieces but first I wanted to take a minute and talk about Fathers day. I know it was a while ago but I still want to share this story.

My Dad is awesome.  I have learned many things from him.

The difference between a phillips and flat head screw driver. 

How to build a deck.

If you turn off a computer and count to 30, your problem will most likely go away and if it doesn't, call you Father.

Pecan pie is better if warmed for 30 second.

How to ride a bike.

Sometimes it's better to listen than speak.

Pistachio really is the best ice cream flavor.

Patience is the most important thing in the world.

The list can go on and on and on.

There is a memory in particular that I have from growing up that was recently triggered when one of my friends brought me a bar of Cadbury fruit & nut from a trip she took to the UK.

While Cadbury is not rare or even gourmet in this day and age, it sent me back to when I was a kid and Cadbury fruit & nut was one of my mom's favorite things.  It was a pretty big thing in India when she was growing up so my dad would surprise her with a bar once in a while.  I think my brother and I would get more excited about it than my parents did.  

As I got older, I realized there were many other candy bars.  When I say older, I mean 10 and not 30.  Snickers, Twix, Almond Joy and my favorite, Kit Kat were always the ones I wanted when my mom dragged us to the grocery store.

The Cadbury bar would still make an appearance from time to time but Ferro Roche started staking it's claim.  Also, Cadbury purchased in the US didn't quite taste the same as Cadbury bought in India or the UK.  There was a merger with Hershey and rumors of recipe changes but who knows what really happened.

So back to 2013, when I had a piece of the chocolate bar that my friend Amanda brought from the UK, it took me back to when I was 5.  I had this vision of standing in my parent's kitchen when the wallpaper was still the alphabet and numbers and we had yellow linoleum chairs.  (Yeah, it rocked!) I remembered that excited feeling I use to get when I saw the purple wrapped bar in my father's hands as he gave it to my mother and she would smile her million dollar smile.  It was like they were saying something to each other that only they could hear.






My mom really does have one of the best smiles in the world.  I know every little kid thinks that but I'm pretty sure I'm still right.

We would all dance around and have some chocolate.  Ok, Mostly I would dance around the kitchen but we all shared the chocolate.  Things were simple back then.  A candy bar was all it took to make us all feel giddy.  Special.  Trapped in a moment that stopped the rest of the world around us.



 

In some way, that memory brings me back to earth.  It reminds me that sometimes the most simple things can be the biggest gestures.  It was sweet things like this that made my dad who he was.  For all of you that have met my dad, you know he is not a man of many words, but his heart is as big as it comes. 

Happy Fathers Day, dad.  Thank you for teaching me about what is important in life.

For sharing your whopper with me after I ate all my chicken nuggets.

For teaching me the value of hard work and dedication.

For knowing when to push me out of the nest and when to pull me in and protect me.

For always reminding me to follow my heart and take chances.

Chicken Tikka Masala and 7 years of devotion - part 1

My Husband loves Indian food, in particular, Chicken Tikka Masala and Sag Paneer.  For years, seven to be exact, he has asked me to make them for him.  My reply is usually no.  There are several reasons for this but the biggest being that Chicken Tikka Masala is not a real Indian dish. 

I grew up Gujarati and my parents were vegetarian (this is a post of its own that I will get to, promise) so this meant things like cauliflower or eggplant or lentils for dinner rather than Chicken Tikka Masala. We also never cooked with heavy cream.  Yogurt was sometimes added to a dish but never heavy cream.

I have seen many versions of Chicken Tikka and the first I made used ground almonds and cashews to provide richness to the sauce.  I spent hours making this for him the first time and his response after his first bite was "did you forget to add cream?"

So, I decided I would make my husband his version of an Indian dinner.  Paneer and cream included.  This post has the Chicken Tikka Masala but there was spinach with paneer and naan as well.

It's not that I don't love ordering this dish when I'm getting take out.  I just feel like this is fundamentally not an Indian dish.  There are a lot of elements that are authentic but some parts are not and I think that is why I have never been inclined to make it at home.

I also didn't want to know how bad this dish actually was for me.  I was happy in my ignorance, just eating it as takeout, and never knowing how much ghee or cream were really used to make this dish so tasty.

This was a fun meal to make.  My husband made Manhattans, played DJ and took pictures.  We spent the entire evening making this dinner but loved being able to sit down at our dinner table and enjoy it together.  

As we sat down to eat this meal, my husband had the biggest smile on his face and as he took that first bite, he looked at me and said "it only took 7 years of devotion, but it was totally worth it."

Chicken Tikka Masala

(Adapted from Bon Appetite)
 
6 garlic cloves, grated
4 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
4 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cups whole-milk yogurt
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons ghee
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cardamom pods, crushed
1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish

Preparation

I use a microplane to grate the garlic and ginger.  Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl.

Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl.  Pour into a plastic bag and add chicken.  Make sure the mixture is spread all through out the chicken and it is all evenly coated.  Refridgerate over night. 

Cover and chill remaining spice mixture.

Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chiles and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until bottom of pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes.

Add cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange chicken on rack in a single layer. Broil until chicken starts to blacken in spots (it will not be cooked through), about 10 minutes.

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, add to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. 

Serve with warm Naan or rice or both!

Bahn Mi Sandwiches

I love Sandwiches.  Not just in a they are nice for lunch kind of way.  A good sandwich stops time.  It is selfish and requires both your hands.  Some are so bad that they won't even let you put them down because if you do, everything will come undone.   I especially love the ones that are so big that you are not sure where to take that first bite. 

I have actually gotten into fights with my husband over this.  There is no splitting of sandwiches in our household, only trading halves with each other. 

I don't know if this is because I am from NY but I consider Sandwich making and art.  It's not just putting a few things between some bread.   It's layering different texture and flavors and knowing how much of each is needed and where they all go.  The combinations are endless. 

One of my favorite sandwiches of all times is the Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich.  If you don't know what this is, you are missing out.  Traditionally there is some type of pork (pork belly, grilled pork, pate etc...) or even chicken that is topped with sliced jalapeno, cucumber, cilantro and pickled carrots & daikon served on a crusty and chewy baguette.  It is everything I think a sandwich should be.  Juicy and tender meat , cucumbers cold and crisp, jalapenos just spicy enough to make you sweat a little, pickled carrot & daikon fight against the fattiness of the meat and then there is fresh and grassy cilantro.  It is almost a religious experience for me.

We ended up eating these in the kitchen right off the cutting board with some cold beers. It was a magical night.
 

Bahn Mi
(Inspired by Not Without Salt)

Freshest Baguette you can find
Cilantro
Cucumber spears
Slices of Jalapeno
Balsamic Vinegar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickled Carrot & Daikon

2 carrots shredded on a box grater
2 daikon radish on a box grater (same size as carrots)
2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar, depending on how sweet you want your pickles
2 teaspoons salt


Place shredded daikon and carrot in a glass jar with a secure lid. Place remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix till sugar is dissolved. Pour over the daikon mixture until submerged. Refrigerate till ready to use.

 

Spicy Mayo

2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of Garlic flavored hot sauce (I used Sambal Olek but the original recipe called for Sriracha)
¼ teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredient in a small bowl and refrigerate till ready to use. I made it 24 hours in advance to let all the flavors come together.

Pork Meat Patties

(Makes 12 meat patties)

1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro stems, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce (again, I used Sambal Olek)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt


Start with the ground pork in the bowl and press it all along the sides so you have a wider surface area for the meat. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the ground pork and combine till evenly mixed. This recipe makes 12 patties about the size of a tablespoon.  I like the shape of the patties instead of a traditional meatball.  I think they cover more surface area of the bread.

Preheat the oven for 350. Cover the bottom of skillet (I used cast iron) with a thin film of oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, place a few of the patties in the pan. Make sure you don't over crowd the pan. You want the meat to brown and not steam. Once you have brown the first batch, move them to a baking sheet. You may have to pour out the oil and wipe the pan out between batches. Some of the herbs may come lose as you brown the patties and start to burn.

Once the patties are browned, place them in the oven and finish cooking. Should be done in 10-15 minutes.

Now it's time to assemble the Sandwich!


Cut your Baguette into 6 inch slabs ( I found individual rolls at a local bakery) and slice in half leaving the back connected. Rip out some of the insides of the bread so the sandwich can be more compact. Slather the bottom half with the spicy mayo. Splash a little balsamic vinegar on the top half of the bread. Place 3 of the patties on the side with the mayo.

Place 3 slice of Jalapeno, or how many you can handle, 2 cucumber spears, a few cilantro leaves and some of the pickled daikon & carrot mixture.

Turkey Sandwiches and Best Friends

I met my best friend Angela over a turkey sandwich on our last day of class during freshman year of college. I ran into a group of friends as I was walking to my car after my last final and they asked if I wanted to go to the campus cantina for lunch.  Being a true New Yorker, I wanted a deli sandwich.  I thanked them for the offer but said I was going to grab lunch at a deli right off campus.  I asked if anyone wanted to go there instead, and Angela, who I had just met, accepted my offer to come along.  We got sandwiches and sat on a bench by the deli and got to know each other.  We hit it off.  We almost had nothing and everything in common, if that make sense.  Instantly I had a friend crush but I played it cool.  This was college after all.  I didn't want to be a dork.

After the sandwich I dropped her back on campus and I went home to catch up on some much needed sleep.   I realized on the way home I forgot to get her number so we could keep in touch over the summer.  She lived 45 minutes from me so we could have hung out.  I was going to reach out to a mutual friend but was afraid Angela would think it was weird so I just hoped that I'd see her once our sophomore year started.

About 2 months later, I got a call from a number I didn't recognize so I let it go to voicemail.  It turned out that Angela got my number from a mutual friend and was just calling to say hi.  I called her back and we chatted for a bit and were both excited to see each other when school started.  We spent the whole of Sophomore year by each other's side and have been that way ever since.

I have travelled all over the country, even living as far as Alaska, and I have never doubted that she is there.  Even now when I live in San Francisco and she is in Middletown, NY, I know that I can pick up the phone and she is there.  When I am having a rough patch and can't seem to figure out what I am doing in my life, she is there to ground me.  Reminds me of what is important.  

She knows me better than I know myself.  She probably knew I was going to marry my husband even before I did. We have been through so many things in our lives as most best friends do.  Some of my scariest moments in life, moments when I had no idea how I was going to wake up and go one the next day, she has been there to help me pick up the pieces and been at my side to make that first step.










We have also been with each other through some amazing moments in life.
 
I got married in October of last year.  She was of course my Matron of Honor (she was actually the second call, after my family of course, that we made from Italy when we got engaged) and I have no idea how I would have gotten through planning a wedding without her.  There is a lot of emotions when you get married and it can be a little overwhelming.  She stayed with me the night before the wedding and I'll never forget waking up to her in my face, literally, with the biggest smile and screaming "you're getting married today!"  That moment is burned into my brain forever.

 

Photo by Jackie Pfeffer  

Angela gave birth to her first son, Austin John Strahl in August of 2010.  Watching her become a mother has been one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.  I can't put into words what has changed about her but it just makes me feel even more centered when I am around her.  When I get lost in the race of life, she reminds me what is really important.  Family, friends and living each day to the fullest. 

Last night at 9:34 EST, my God son and Angela's second child, was born.  Preston James Strahl.  I am already in love with him.  I love that Austin has a big brother.  I love that they can be partners in crime.  I can't wait to see the mess they get into.  

 

It's amazing how much a turkey sandwich changed my life.  I found my best friend, better half and sister and I can't imagine my life without her.

Congratulations on becoming a Mommy again.  You continue to amaze me in all you do and I can't tell you how thankful I am that you are in my life.

Rasa Malai

One of my favorite things to make with my Mom is Rasa Malai.  I remember pulling one of our yellow vinyl dining room chairs (yeah, it was the 80's) to the stove and stirring a pot of milk that I could barely see over.  My one job was to make sure the milk didn't burn and I took it very seriously.

Once the milk started to boil, I had to stir while my mom added lemon juice to break the milk so it would separate the curd out.  This was my favorite part and it was like magic.  As as she added the lemon juice we would both just stare at the pot waiting for the curds to appear. 

As I made this same recipes in my kitchen in San Francisco almost 25 years later, I could still feel the excitement as I waited for the lemon juice to take action. 

 

Once the milk breaks, you have to drain it in cheese cloth.  Try and squeeze as much water out as possible without burning your hands.  This can get tricky since it is milk that was just boiling.  Watch your finger!

Let it sit in a colander over a bowl for an hour.

While this sits and drains, it's time to get started on the sauce.  Reducing a gallon of milk by half take a lot of patience but it is worth it.  As the sugars start to caramelize and the milk gets velvety, I add some saffron that I steeped in warm milk and cardamom

 

This should take about an hour and if you arms isn't hurting from stirring milk, you haven't been doing you job!

Once the sauce is done, it's time to make the milk patties.  The curds have been draining for an hour and now you have to kneed them for a bit to make them smooth and uniform so you can roll them into patties.

Once they are all shaped, its time to steep them in the sauce for 10 minutes.

At this point I let them cool in the fridge overnight to give the patties time to absorb the flavors of the saffron and cardamom. 

Milk Patties

1 Gallon of Whole milk
2-3 Tbls of Lemon juice

See sauce recipe below

Bring the milk to a boil on medium high heat stirring constantly as to not burn the milk.  Once the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice and turn off the heat.  Once the milk has broken, strain the curds through cheese cloth and place in a colander over a bowl for an hour.

Once the curds have had time to drain, place in a bowl and kneed till soft and uniform but make sure to not over do it.  You should feel the fat from the milk coat your hands lightly.

Take about 2 Tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball.  Light press it down into a disc shape.

Once you have made all the patties, place them in the sauce which should be simmering.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  They should puff up and look swollen.

Let them rest in the fridge overnight.

Garnish with sliced almonds or pistachios

Milk Sauce

 

1 Gallon of Whole Milk
1 Cup of Sugar
big pinch of Saffron
10-12 Cardamom pods tied up in cheese cloth

Bring milk, sugar an cardamom to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Place the saffron in a bowl and add some of the warmed milk.  Let the saffron sit for 5 minutes an then add to the pot of milk.  Once the milk has reduced by half, take off the heat till it's time to cook the patties.

Gingerbread Cookies

My mother in-law is an amazing cook.  Here she is with her dog Cobbler.

This year, she let me help her make all the Christmas cookies, but the one I was most looking forward to was the Gingerbread cookies.


Every year she makes this incredible cookie tray with about 6 to 7 different cookies.  It's hard to pick a favorite.  Some of the recipes are from when she was a kid and some she picked up over the years.  She told me that when the boys (Jon, Nick and Joe) were little, she use to be able to make them all in one day because they would love to help, especially with the icing and decorating of the Gingerbread and Sugar cookies.

So this year, I was able to make all the cookies with her including the Gingerbread cookies.  We had to break this up into 2 days but it was my favorite part of the holiday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Now for the FUN!

There may have been some wine involved in the icing stage but it made for some interesting decorating choices.

  We know how to celebrate the holidays at the Short/Cummings house!

I'm not sure where she got the Gingerbread recipe but they are magic.  They are a mix between the chewy bite of a cookie and soft spongy feel of a quick bread.  These cookies may be my favorite part of Christmas and the fact we got to make them together this past Christmas meant the world to me.  We even got the boys to help ice and decorate them which I think may have been the part that my mother in-law liked the most.  I'm pretty sure they boys haven't helped since they were in middle school. 

 Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies

1/3 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)
1 1/2 Cups Molasses
2/3 Cup Warm Water
7 Cups Sifted Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice

See Icing recipe below


The shortening should be at room temperature.  In a large bowl, combine the shortening with the brown sugar and molasses and mix thoroughly.  Blend in the water.  In another bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt and spice together.  Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients 1/3 at a time.  Refrigerate the dough for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from the fridge and give it a few minutes to come to room temperature.  You can use this time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly flour your working surface and the rolling pin.  Working with half the mixture at a time, roll the dough to about 3/8 inch think.  These cookies are thicker than you are used to but trust me, it will all make sense after the first bite.  Cut with cookies cutters.  We had three different sizes.  Transfer to baking sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes.  You want them to look a little puffy and still be a little soft when transferring.  Move to a rack and let them cool completely before icing.

Decorator icing 

 

4 Cups Powdered Sugar
8 Tablespoons of Butter (at room temperature)
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
4-6 Tablespoons of Milk

Sift the flower into a large bowl.  Using a spoon or a hand mixer, blend the butter and the sugar until it looks like wet sand.  It's ok if it gets a little clumpy.  Add the vanilla extract and the milk and continue mixing.  You want it to be the consistency of yogurt or honey so it is a little runny and can spread, but doesn't spread too thin.  It's not an exact science to you may have to add a little more milk or sugar to get it right.  You want to use the icing right away or it can get hard so make the icing when you are ready to start icing.