• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp brewers yeast
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of hot seasoned stock (or enough to make a stiff batter)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix and pat into an oiled deep 9-inch pie pan or cake dish. Bake for ten minutes before filling.

From "Diet for a small planet" by Frances Moore Lappé

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2020-01-28: This is the first time I'm trying this crust. Truth to tell, I didn't think it would work. I didn't really believe the corn meal would hold together without an egg, but it did.

I didn't add brewer's yeast. By mistake I used an entire teaspoon of salt. I kept adding liquid until all the loose corn meal was gathered up, which probably took one cup or one and a quarter cups of water in total. One recipe I saw suggested that if you were cooking in a glass dish (as opposed to a metal pie pan) that you should reduce the cooking time by one quarter or one fifth. That sort of made sense to me since it would continue cooking for a bit when you took it out of the oven, so my 8.5 x 8.5 inch square Pyrex dish I put in for only 8 minutes. When it came out of the oven, it hadn't browned, but it looked like it would work. I was quite surprised.

The crust worked well. I made it too thick on the sides, so cutting the driest top part took some elbow grease.

Source: video

Ingredients for the chicken

• 300 gms chicken breast boneless
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• Oil to pan fry

Ingredients for gravy

• 500 gms roughly slit tomatoes
• 100 gms roughly cut onions
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 50 gms cashew
• 1 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
• 5 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp cream
• 2 tbsp malt vinegar / 1.5 tbsp White Vinegar
• Salt to taste

Method

• Marinate the chicken with ginger paste, garlic paste, red chilli powder. Salt and keep it aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a pan heat some oil, then fry the marinated chicken pieces in it. Once done place it into a bowl.
• In the same pan add onion, oil, a spoonful of butter. Once the onions are cooked, add tomatoes and cashews.
• Add some water and garlic paste, salt, malt vinegar, sugar, garam masala, and chilli powder. Evenly mix it and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes
• Churn the mixture into fine puree with a hand blender.
• Strain it back into the same pan. Make sure there is minimal wastage.
• Add butter, cream, chicken and kasoori meethi. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
• Garnish it with cream and kasoori meethi.

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2019-01-18: I tried the recipe for the first time, but didn't have all the ingredients. Here are my comments.

• I substitute Szeged paprika instead of Kashmiri chili.
• I used rice wine vinegar instead of malt vinegar.
• I didn't have garlic/ginger paste, so I substituted chopped garlic from a jar and ginger paste from a plastic container.
• I used curry powder instead of garam masala.
• Make sure to cut the chicken into thin chunks.

I like the result. It was rather more savory than the butter chicken I had the other day at Curry Corner.

Ingredients

• 1 jicama, about 1 pound
• 3 small oranges or tangerines
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Method

1. Peel the jicama and cut it into small cubes, 1/4 inch or so, or into julienne strips.
2. Squeeze the juice from one of the oranges, pour it over the jicama, add salt and lime juice, and let it sit while you prepare the other oranges. The jicama may marinate for several hours if you wish.
3. Peel the remaining oranges and cut into small pieces, removing any pits and tought fibrous material. Add oranges and basil to jicama, toss, taste and correct seasoning and serve.

From p. 101 of Mark Bittman's "How to cook everything."

So I made this for the first time and skipped both the salt and lime juice. I let the jicama soak in the juice of two oranges for six hours. I doubt the jicama picked up any flavor.

But it was great. I served it as a partner to chicken Tinga. Great combo. I'm really not all that fond of jicama, although my mother likes it. This I will make again, though.

Ready in: 1hr 45mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package dried black-eyed peas
• 6 cups water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 ham hocks or 2 cups cooked ham, cut into small cubes
• 1 -2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped

Method

1. Sort and wash peas; place in a large Dutch oven.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1- 1 1/2 hours, or until peas are tender.

2017-12-26: The seasoning on my Dutch oven apparently had gone rancid. Don't cook is such an event. It will cause your dish to fail. Gross. I threw it all out.

2017-12-27: Cleaned up my Dutch oven. Followed the recipe. Alas, the ham hocks available in my local Fry's Grocery are nowhere near as meaty as the ones I saw on YouTube. Next time I'll just use a pound of fried bacon. This batch is edible, though.

Not yet tried

Serves: serves 4

Ingredients

• ½ pound pancetta, cut into small dice (about 1 cup)
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound fresh brussels sprouts
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is fragrant and beginning to crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain and set aside.
2. While the pancetta is cooking, trim the ends of the brussels sprouts and cut in half from the root to the tips of the sprout. Raise the temperature of the pan to medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts cut side down in an even layer, and cook for 4-5 minutes and the sprouts begin to brown and caramelize, then turn, season with kosher salt and black pepper, reduce the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Add another tablespoon of oil to the bottom of the pan if needed. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the sprouts are fork tender.
3. Add the pancetta back to the pan with the sprouts. Whisk the remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and add to the sprouts, tossing to coat, and cook for another minute or two, so the sprouts are still fork tender but not mushy. Season with more kosher salt and ground black pepper and serve.

Haven't tried this yet.

Prep Time: 20 minutes	Total Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes	Yield: 4

Ingredients

2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping [freshly grated]
1 heaping cup of regular gouda cheese [freshly grated]
1 cup fresh carrots
2 small white onion
2 large cloves of garlic
1 cup half and half
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 Tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp salt
dash of ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Dice the onions, mince the garlic and shred the carrot.
2. For the broccoli :
3. Chop 2/3 of it into tiny florets and then take the remaining 1/3 and give it a rough chop so you have a few large pieces to add to the soup.
4. Place chicken broth, broccoli, onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaf to a pot and cook over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil.
5. Cook 4-6 minutes more or until broccoli is tender.
6. Once the broth is done, start your roux:
7. In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat, whisking constantly.
8. Once melted, slowly add 3 tablespoons of flour as you continue to whisk.
9. Remove from heat and pour in the broth-veggie mixture and slowly stir in 1 cup of room temperature half and half.
10. Place on very low heat, uncovered.
11. Remove bay leaves from the pot and season with the above herbs and spices.
12. Add the cheddar and gouda cheese a handful at a time, stirring to melt the cheese after each addition.
13. Serve immediately in bowls or bread bowls.
14. Steam reserved broccoli in your microwave.
15. Garnish the soup with the reserved broccoli florets and a little extra grated cheddar.

Ingredients

• 1 Pomegranate
• 2 Cups Rice
• 1 lb (454g) Chicken Drumsticks
• 1 oz (28g) Cilantro
• 1/2 Cup Raisins
• 1/4 Cup Sliced Pistachios
• 1 Tsp Ground Coriander Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tsp Saffron
• Turmeric
• Salt

Preparations

1. Soak the rice in water and 1 tbsp salt for 4 hours.
2. Deseed the pomegranate
3. Mince the cilantro.
4. Soak the saffron in 1 tbsp water for 20 minutes.

Directions

1. Transfer the drumsticks onto a small pot.
2. Add as much turmeric and salt as you would prefer.
3. Add enough water to cover the drumsticks.
4. Cover the pot with a lid (leave a crack open), simmer for 40 minutes or until cooked.
5. Boil the soaked rice for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat or until tender.
6. Transfer the cooked chicken drumsticks over to a large bowl.
7. Debone and shred the drumsticks.
8. Stir in pomegranate, raisins, cilantro, and ground coriander seeds.
9. Drain the rice.
10. Remove half of the rice from the pot.
11. Stir in one tablespoon vegetable oil.
12. Add the chicken mixture over the rice and cover with the half (rest) of the rice.
13. Combine a tablespoon vegetable oil with one tablespoon water and add to the rice.
14. Cover the pot with a napkin and a lid.
15. Over medium heat, cook the rice for 30 minutes.
16. Remove the napkin, pour the saffron over the rice and place the lid back on the pot.
17. Continue heating for another 5 minutes.

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2018-09-15: first attempt

Okay, there is a lot about this recipe that sounds ridiculous. First off, why the hell would you soak rice for five hours? My rise is usually done in 20 minutes. So here's what I did differently.

Rice: I cooked it via my regular 20 minute route with a scant teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder in it. Plus I'm thinking this should be not two cups of raw rice, but two cups of cooked rice. Next time: a tablespoon.

The store had no sliced pistachios. I used half a cup of sliced almonds instead of a quarter cup of sliced pistachios.

I used 2 lbs of drum sticks. I used 1 tsp of turmeric and 1 tsp of salt. Next time probably a tbsp of turmeric would be better.

I skipped the cilantro, of course. It's the herb of the antichrist.

Once I added the chicken to the rice, I cooked it on low for 25 minutes. Once I added the saffron water, I cooked another 5 minutes.

I have the feeling that the purpose of the later cooking is to partially dry out the rice and separate it. If so, my approach failed.

On the whole the result was entirely edible. I look foerward to improving it next time.

Haven't tried this yet.

Prep Time Icon prep time: 15 mins Cook Time Icon cook time: 20 mins (plus 10 minutes cooling) Serves 6

Salad Ingredients

• 8 ounces (about 1 1/8 cups) dried green or brown lentils
• 3 cups water
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

Citrus Dressing Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup almond oil or extra virgin olive oil
• Grated zest of 1/2 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. For salad: Bring lentils, water, garlic, and bay leaf to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain any excess water and discard garlic and bay leaf. Transfer lentils to a medium bowl and let cool 10 minutes.
2. Stir in cheese, carrots, cherries, almonds, and onion.
3. For citrus dressing: Put orange juice and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream. Whisk in orange zest, salt, pepper, mint, and parsley.
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Serve with good toasted bread.

The other day I wanted to try making hash browns. I just shredded the potatoes and cooked 'em for a long, long time. Sorta worked, but no great shakes and it took way too long: 45 minutes on one side and 30 on the other. My ex had said fried potatoes had to be cooked long and slow, so that was my reasoning.

So I started looking around for a better way to do it. At last I found an article where the author experimented with quite a few variables. His best version is in the link at the top of this entry.

So I decided to try this today. For the draining step I used a handkerchief, which was almost ideal: nice thin cloth that the water could easily get through.

This version is one manly serving or two lighter ones.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Shred potatoes on the largest holes of a box grater.
2. Wrap in a kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth, and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
3. Transfer the potatoes to a plate lined with two layers of paper towels. Cook in a microwave on high for 2 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add shredded potato. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Using a spatula, press potato into an even layer. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the potatoes with the spatula and brown on the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Remove and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

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Truth to tell, I did not expect them to cook so quickly nor to crisp up. I was wrong. The two-pronged approach of squeezing and then pre-cooking in the microwave worked great.

Thoughts:

• Next time around I might try a mix of butter and vegetable oil for a better flavor. On the other hand, the moisture in the butter might slow the process.

This is about the most basic potato cake recipe you can find.

Ingredients

2 cups chilled mashed potatoes (see Note)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

Divide the mashed potatoes into 8 equal portions. Use your hands to form 1/2-inch thick patties.

Heat the oil with the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a pie plate. Coat the potato patties in the flour mixture. Add the potato cakes to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until they have formed a golden crust, 15 to 20 minutes. (Peek underneath using a spatula before turning.) Turn and cook the other side until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper and serve hot.

Results

This version of the recipe makes patties that don't stick all that well together at first. I wonder if that is because the recipe I used for the mashed potatoes is wetter than some other versions?

These came out adequately. Next time around I might try one of the more complex recipes that includes eggs.