Round one: irrational passion

I love ethnic food -- the spices, the unique combination of ingredients, the richness of flavors, the leftovers! I have dabbled a bit with Indian cooking, but I've never followed a recipe (no surprise).

Enter: Madhur Jaffrey:

I actually thought Madhur was a man until about five minutes ago when I googled her. (Should have known with a woman on the cover). She is an Indian actress, chef and all-around goddess whose recipes and cookbooks have won such meager accolades as James Beard Foundation awards. I used the word radical yesterday, and I'll used it again to describe this woman's book: it is radical.

A friend and I decided it would be fun to cook a recipe from said book. I decided it would be fun to make three recipes meal from Madhur's book. For those of you who are not accustomed to absolute chaos in the kitchen, I would not recommend juggling all of these in unison.

Being that I am not a trained cook, this sort of production required enormous foresight. I had to scrutinize the recipes to figure out my timing -- what dish should be started first, how many cloves of garlic needed to be minced (15!), and then began the prep-work. Dicing, slicing, grating, rinsing, stirring, MEASURING! (I actually measured all of the spices).

Amazingly, my timing working out perfectly. We didn't eat until nearly 8:30, but all told, it was a blazing success. The. Food. Was. So. Good. I was in disbelief that I had just made the meal in front of me. I felt like leaving myself a tip!

As promised, here's the lowdown on the first of the three recipes.

The following is cleverly named: potatoes and tomatoes cooked with fresh coconut. BUT don't be fooled by this ingenious title. Madhur writes that "[she] loves this dish with an irrational passion." You guys think I'm nuts in describing food -- irrational passion is by far the most wonderful description I've ever heard/read.

The fresh coconut made the dish. Potatoes and tomatoes are good friends. Potatoes, tomatoes and coconut are something all together naughty. Yes, naughty. This dish was worthy of Madhur's eloquent description. Be brave and buy a fresh coconut. Cracking it open and scrapping out the flesh was part of the fun. How often do you get to smash something open, drink its juice and then eat it? Wow, I'm clearly on one today. I've been writing about Shakespeare and pioneer women far too much lately.

Anyhoo, try this dish. I want a full report on your irrational passion.

Happy Friday!

Grated coconut.

Don't let the grater trick you. The food processor did the job.

No vampires were invited to dinner.

The recipe called for three large taters,

but true to form, I had to tweak it a teensy bit.

Garlic, coconut, red pepper flakes and cumin.

Taters join the party.

This photo is no bueno, but at least you get a glimpse of the stewed-passion.

Totally irrational.

Potatoes and tomatoes cooked with fresh coconut

from Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East: Vegetarian Cooking

3 medium-sized potatoes, about 1 1/4 pounds, cut into 3/4 inch dice

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups grated fresh coconut

1 20 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 whole dried red pepper

4 tbs vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp red wine vinegar

As told by Madhur: Heat the oil in a heavy, 3-Quart pot over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the minced garlic. Stir for about 5 seconds. Now put in the red pepper and the cumin seeds. Stir for another 3 seconds. The garlic should brown lightly, the red pepper should darken, and the cumin seeds should sizzle. Lower the heat to medium, put in the grated coconut and stir it around for 10 to 15 seconds.

Add the potatoes as well as the turmeric, ground cumin and tomatoes (including any juice), the salt, and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir gently every 7 to 8 minutes during this cooking period.

Put in the sugar and vinegar. Stir again and cook, uncovered, for 1 minute.

My ass is in revolt

After sitting in this chair for a week now I am reluctantly looking at this screen, but it's been a week, and I've missed Hail's Kitchen so! Oh to write FOR FUN. Feels quite strange actually.

Anyway, the last week has been fueled by this:

Sweet, sweet coffee. I love you more than I did before, if that is even possible. I did manage to cook a meal and not just consume caffeine the past seven days. You're not going to believe me when you see the photo.

Looks like good Indian takeout, eh? Friends, I made this three course dinner and it was RADICAL! I am sure the term radical is not one that floats loosely through foodie circles, but here at HK, I flagrantly throw out such terms, well, because it was RADICAL. I'll post the recipes soon. Promise.

I cannot be bothered to look at this screen any longer, nor can my ass sit in this chair a second more. People, I turned in a 38 page paper yesterday and a measly 13er today. My brain (and now my behind) are mush.

I have a date with a bottle of wine. I hope you have a RADICAL night. I plan to :) Missed you all! xo

Hailey's taco bus part deux: attack of the crustaceans!

The one week countdown is on. Exactly one week from today one paper and one presentation will be done. Check, check. The following day my Shakespeare paper will be turned in, and then this little chick will sigh an enormous breath of relief. Check, check and check. But, not yet. One paper is nearly written. I am stuck, which is why I am posting. Hopefully this will help get the creative juices flowing again.

The weather here in Eastern Idaho has been glorious. So glorious, in fact, that my eyeballs have been popping out of their sockets due to all the pollen in the air. I actually had to excuse myself from class yesterday because I had a sneezing fit. Anyone who knows me can attest that these fits are disruptive spells of endless sneezing -- not just a polite two or three, like thirty sneezes. No joke. It's an abdominal workout.

The weatherman is calling for storms through the weekend. Thank you, Jebus. It is painfully difficult to park myself in my computer chair and be productive when the sun is shining and beaconing me to come play. Mother Nature, you can be as tempestuous as you would like for the next week. Then after I turn in my Shakespeare paper, it's all sunny. Deal? Deal. I'll have my allergy meds in hand.

Speaking of sunny, I made shrimp tacos last night. They were deliciously light and fresh. A perfect spring/summer meal. These tacos are like prozac in food form. You can't help but be happy when you eat them.

However, a note on shrimp. I am doing my damnedest to adjust how I eat -- purchasing locally as much as I can from sustainable, environmentally sound sources. That said, I failed miserably by purchasing the shrimp for my tacos. The Monterey Bay Aquarium produces a fabulous pocket guide suggesting ocean-friendly seafood. It clearly lists items that are best choices, which are those that are "abundant, well-managed and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways." It also includes seafood we should avoid -- like shrimp farmed in Thailand, which is exactly where mine came from -- and also good alternatives.

Here's a link to the pocket guide. Print it out and post it on your fridge. If you are like me and want to adjust your purchases on land, you might as well do the same in our oceans and rivers, too.

Back to the grind, friends. Eliza Hart Spalding calls.

Me gusta this rice. Bright and cheery and delicious.

Familiar accoutrements with the addition of cabbage.

1 pound shrimpies in this marinade. I added red jalapenos.

Less than three minutes to cook: once they turn pink, they are DONE!

Coffee and string cheese: the breakfast of non-champions

Breakfast is my favorite meal to make. Unfortunately, I don't motivate well in the morning so my standard breakfast is coffee and string cheese. Lame and unhealthy, I know.

If I ever win the lottery, a breakfast cafe is on the top of my wish list. My menu would be filled with dishes like the one below. Plus, I could drink coffee all day long. Sweet, sweet coffee.

It's Sunday, treat yourself to a good breakfast (or dinner as was my case).

Find a cute dish.

I am a sucker for cute dishes.

Leftover chard, feta cheese.

Scramble two eggs, more feta on top, as well as fresh thyme.

Bake for 20 minutes or until firm in a 350 degree oven.

Red taters with fresh dill and chives.

Bread from the lovely ladies at the Lava Hot Springs Senior Center.

I am looking forward to my bread making lesson.

My convictions are strong

Today is April 15 -- Tax Day. True to form, I completed my taxes this morning. While I am not proud to admit I filed on the last day, I can say with my head held a bit higher that I prepared my own taxes by my little own self. I was more than a little giddy to see that I would be receiving a return since I was banking on this chunk of money to fund my trip to Ireland in September.

Good people of Ireland, hide the whiskey.

As I mentioned in my last post, this month is ugly. Taxes, papers, quarterly reports and timesheets, boo hoo, bla bla. I know you can empathize with my desire to hide in bed until May 5 when I take my last exam and all papers will be completed and out of my cramped-from-typing-hands. Until then, Hail's Kitchen will be sporadic -- more sporadic than it already is. But after May 5, friends, there will be so much cool shit I can hardly contain myself.

Stick with me. I still have to eat, which means that I will still be posting, but more than likely my meals will be less like the following gift from God and more like an evil trick.

That said, the following meal was DIVINE. I would have paid good money for this dish in a restaurant. My vegan and vegetarian friends, all you have to do is leave out the pancetta and voila, perfection. Please don't be scared of the Chard. Chard is less bitter than other greens and so, so delicious. It's similar in taste to spinach but BETTER! You could use spinach, kale, mustard greens -- any dark, leafy green you enjoy -- but the chard was fabulous.

A note on pancetta. My mission to purchase only local meat was met with an exception here. Pancetta is Italian bacon. Where am I going to get bacon from Italy in Eastern Idaho? Right. Exceptions have to be made occasionally. I have, though, stuck to my guns and have not purchased any meat from the grocery store. Yes, ma'am, my convictions are strong.

Try this recipe. You will like it.

Instead of using my meager funds to buy a new cutting board,

I choose to buy fancy mushrooms.

Priorities.

If I were a fairy, I would live under a shitake mushroom.

(Funny anecdote on shitake mushrooms: I once worked in a fancy shmancy restaurant outside of Sun Valley where we had to inform our guests of the nightly specials from memory. One server failed to attend our prep meeting with our manager who detailed the menu and explained any words like SHITAKE. Poor dude went to a table announcing the nightly risotto special as: shit - take risotto. mmm. I love me some shit - take risotto. Big seller.)

If I dare say, pancetta is better than bacon.

Fresh thyme and lemon zest make the dish.

Red chard.

We'll be planting rainbow chard this summer on the farm.

Cannot wait.

Criminis and shit-takes :)

They lose an enormous amount of volume.

Divine.

Polenta with chard and mushrooms

1 bunch chard, washed with stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 lb mushrooms, sliced (I used shitake and baby crimini)

1 large shallot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 oz pancetta, diced

1/2 cup broth, vegetable or chicken

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

2 tbs fresh thyme

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

polenta recipe

Prepare the polenta about ten minutes before service.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crispy. Remove and set aside. Add the shallots and garlic to the same pan. Cook for about 2 minutes then add the olive oil, butter and mushrooms. Stir well to combine and then allow to cook. Resist the urge to stir! Cook for about 1-2 minutes without disturbing to allow the mushrooms to caramelize. Add the wine to the pan and cook until the liquid is evaporated. Once browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the chard to the same pan. Season with salt and pepper. Once reduced in size, about a minute, return the pancetta and mushroom mixture to the pan. Add the broth and cook down to evaporate a bit of the liquid, about a minute or so. Taste for additional salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and zest and thyme and serve immediately over hot polenta.

A bit of flare

There's something you should know about me, something that I can't believe has not come up before in my musings on Hail's Kitchen. While I love truffle oil, crave Asian food to my core, and will fight for the last sushi roll, I would give all those things up for one thing: coffee.

I once had a neurologist tell me I was drinking too much coffee. She actually instructed me to "stop drinking coffee." I remember feeling as if she had just run over my dogs. I was devastated.

I really don't have many vices -- yes, I can't be within arm's reach of potato chips, as was proven yesterday at the local ski hill when someone placed TWO BAGS next me. Big trouble in little China, people. But I am totally fine giving in to my addiction to coffee. While I have cut back a teensy bit on my daily consumption per that mean, mean neurologist, it's a morning ritual (and often afternoon, too) that brings me much pleasure. Also, coffee grounds make your compost super happy. Happy compost = happy plants.

Anyway, my morning coffee has had a bit of extra flare as of late that is so subtle I bet I could trick my dad into enjoying it. I have been spiking my morning grounds with a blend of ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Apparently, other Mexican coffee recipes involve tequila and other super-charged accoutrements that need not be consumed before 9 a.m., but this extra little kick is muy good. Sneak it into your partner's coffee. Everybody likes a bit of flare in the morning.

Morning sunshine makes me happy.

Can't seem to focus;

have yet to consume my daily dose needed to function.

A little better.

Mexican coffee

6 oz water

2 HEAPING tbs ground coffee, plus a bit more for good measure

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(adjust the measurements for a larger batch of coffee)

Place cinnamon and vanilla on top of your coffee grounds -- easy peasy -- make coffee as you normally would. Press power. Brew. Drink. Enjoy.

One down, three to go

I have been dreading this month for a long time. April: the month when my two final papers are due. I am a procrastinator, wholeheartedly. I've tried to kick this nasty little habit over the years -- clearly without success. While I have improved a bit, I am about 1/3 complete with one paper, and I have nearly finished the research for the other, my blood pressure is steadily rising.

At the same time, though, April means that I am ALMOST DONE with my first semester of graduate school. Hooray for me! It went incredibly fast. Scary fast. That probing question of what I want to be when I grow up only gets closer with each completed semester. Noodle stocking probably isn't the most lucrative career, won't put much of a dent in my student loans, and doesn't really necessitate a master's degree in English. Damn. I really like that store.

I can at least look forward to a summer where all I do is work -- those were the days, 9-5 and you're done. I plan to spend lots of time on the farm with my dad; I look forward to canning the fruits of our labor with my mom; I can't wait to read the fantastic cooking memoirs/histories the Easter Bunny brought; I am excited to post lots of fun, fresh, summer recipes. Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.

Summer = a slower pace. I am craving a slower pace. I am also ready for flip flops, bare shoulders, drinking beers on patios, riding my bike, outside concerts, leaves on trees, grilled pizza, crickets, the sweet smell of a tomato vine, and sultry summer nights. Summer cannot come soon enough.

Spring has entered my kitchen despite Mother Nature's recent temper tantrums -- I am not giving in to her moods. Below is a bright, refreshing spring risotto that certainly awakened my spirits. I am confident it can do the same for you, too.

This stuff is pricey, but it will make several batches of risotto.

Think of it as investment :)

Fancy shmancy side cut.

I heart leeks.

The ice bath preserves the beautiful green color and prevents the

vegetables from turning to mush in the rice.

Greens with fresh blueberries, feta cheese and pecans.

This combination will be eaten again. DELICIOUS!

Definitely company-worthy.

Spring vegetable risotto

adapted from Back to the Table

1 bunch asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups peas

1 large shallot, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large leek, sliced

1 lemon, juiced and zested

2 cups arborio (short-grained, risotto-specific) rice

6 cups broth, vegetable or chicken

1 cup dry white wine

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (more if you are a cheese-monger like me)

salt and pepper

2 tbs fresh herbs: chives, Italian parsley or dill (any would be lovely)

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the asparagus and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another minute. Drain and place in an ice water bath to halt the cooking. Once the vegetables are totally chilled, remove and set aside.

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the burner.

In a large pan or dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and leeks. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, stirring often, until it turns from opaque to translucent (be careful not to brown), another minute or so. Add the wine, stirring frequently, and cook until nearly evaporated.

Gradually stir in the hot broth about a cup at a time. Cook, stirring almost constantly, until the rice absorbs almost all the broth. Stir in another cup and repeat, keeping the risotto at a steady simmer, adding more broth until it's almost gone and the rice is barely tender, about 20 minutes in total. If you run out of broth or if the rice isn't tender, use hot water. Add the asparagus and peas, lemon zest and juice and herbs to the rice. Stir well to heat through and then add the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with more cheese and herbs.

Definitely not vegan cream sauce

This is a typical night in my kitchen -- I start out making stir-fried Asian noodles and end up with pasta primavera.

I chopped my vegetables and was about to prepare a sauce when I realized I didn't have fish sauce. Sigh. Then I had the brilliant idea to make the vegan cream sauce I mentioned last week. I got out my food processor and was about to blend up the cashews when I realized I didn't have any tahini. Louder sigh. (I couldn't be bothered with a trip to the grocery store).

Being that I was more than halfway to my dinner, I threw together the following cream sauce, which is most certainly not vegan or particularly light in nature, but it sure was tasty. It was also super quick to make -- I bet I made this pasta in the time it takes to make those insta-bag-dinners. And I bet mine was better for you with less sodium, fat and other superfluous ingredients that I can't even pronounce.

Take your kids (or boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or wife or roommate or dog) to the store with you. Let them pick out their favorite veggies and favorite pasta shape. Make this dish together. Then eat it and be proud of yourselves that you produced such a fresh, delicious meal. Together. Try it. You'll like it. Then you'll get addicted, but you won't have to go to rehab for this sort of addiction :)

I love asparagus season.

I met a lady at one of my classes who has five acres of asparagus.

Lucky.

Kicks any bagged pasta's ass.

Too bad this spring-time pasta doesn't translate to the weather --

another snowy, windy day here in Eastern Idaho.

Pasta primavera

veggies of your choice cut into bite-sized pieces:

broccoli
cauliflower

carrots

asparagus

zucchini
garlic
onion

1/2 cup broth, veggie or chicken
1 cup half and half
1 tbs butter
1 tbs flour
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Garnish with chopped, fresh basil or Italian parsley and more parmesan cheese.

Choose any smallish pasta shape of your choice, cook according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large pan heat 1 tbs olive oil over medium heat and add the diced veggies. I added a bit of water and covered mine to steam them a bit, but be careful not to overcook. Once the veggies are tender, remove and set aside.

Next, melt the butter and add the flour. You want to combine the flour and butter, as they will be the 'glue' for your sauce. Cook for about a minute and then SLOWLY add the broth, stirring constantly, otherwise you'll have lumpy, bumpy, ugly sauce. Once the broth is incorporated, gradually add in the half and half. Add the cheese and salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or so or until the sauce thickens. Return the vegetables and the cooked pasta to the pan and stir well. Serve immediately with parmesan and fresh herbs.

What a difference a day makes

Happy Easter to you! I hope the sun is shining wherever you are.

And the Easter lilies smell sweet.

We had some very special brunch guests today:

The Easter Bunny

and Jesus.

Nice handy work, Jules.

As we do at every family gathering, we made entirely too much delicious food.

We don't get together often enough.

Julia's favorite cheesy potatoes; recipe to come soon.

Mimosas abounded.

Sisters and pretty girls abounded, too. Sisters: Belle and Berkley.

(If you look carefully, Berkley has donned her pirate outfit for scrap pillaging).

I don't get to see this pretty one often enough. I didn't want to let her leave.

You all recognize this pretty girl. Much better sans green teeth.

The prettiest. Sorry about the Mr. Wilson photo, mom.

Your eyes were the most twinkly in this one. xo

I hope you and yours had a swell Easter Sunday. I wish I could have hogtied mine so they had to stay another day. Time goes too quickly. I need a pause button.