It was supposed to be a classic chicken soup — I am still nursing a cold. But recent frost that prompted a hasty garden clean up provided a good deal of tomatillos, a few poblanos and serranos. In the pantry, there were two cans of hominy from some previously failed project, pepitas, cilantro, and lime. So pozole it is.
The idea and the recipe to push off comes from The Chicken Soup Manifesto by Jenn Louis — a Klondike of cold weather remedies from around the globe. I changed a few things based on my pantry, on what I have learned from decades of cooking from Rick Bayless’s books, and my recent obsession with Chinese ways.
WHAT WENT IN
Base:
— 4 lb chicken drumsticks
— 10 cups chicken stock (water is ok, too)
— 2 15 oz cans hominy, drained and rinsed
— salt and pepper to taste
Flavor:
— 3 poblano peppers charred under the broiler, peeled and seeded
— 3 serrano peppers charred under the broiler
— 1 garlic head, cloves peeled, large ones halved and sautéed with onion in olive oil
— 1 large white onion, very roughly chopped and sautéed with garlic in olive oil
— 1 lb tomatillos, charred under the broiler on all sides
— 1 bunch cilantro
— tail greens of a bunch of radishes
— 1/2 cup pepitas, toasted
— 1 Tbsp ground cumin
— 1 Tbsp dried oregano
— 1/2 tsp ground cloves
Garnish:
— chopped cilantro
— chopped scallions
— lime juice
— sour cream
— chopped crunchy lettuce
— crushed corn chips or tostadas
— avocado
— radishes, sliced
The process will be on the blog👆
#food #cooking #chickensoup #pozole #inmykitchen
#inmykitchen
Zhajiang Mian, or Beijing Bolognese. We had it on our second morning in Beijing in Nanxiawazi hutong at Michelin-listed Fangzhuanchang No.69 Noodles with Soybean Paste.
Thick workhorse noodles, savory-sweet pork sauce flavored with doubanjian and tianmian, crunchy vegetables — nothing much apart, amazing when combined together. Chili oil on the side can raise the heat to desired level.
What was missing last night is that jar of greenish pickled garlic cloves that one can find almost on every table in Beijing restaurants. Something to add to my list of things to make.
#food #cooking #chinesefood #noodles #zhajianmiang #homemade #inmykitchen
Thick workhorse noodles, savory-sweet pork sauce flavored with doubanjian and tianmian, crunchy vegetables — nothing much apart, amazing when combined together. Chili oil on the side can raise the heat to desired level.
What was missing last night is that jar of greenish pickled garlic cloves that one can find almost on every table in Beijing restaurants. Something to add to my list of things to make.
#food #cooking #chinesefood #noodles #zhajianmiang #homemade #inmykitchen
Dan Dan noodles. Now ubiquitous like borscht, like meatballs, like hummus, like chicken soup, like kimchi. Every family has its own recipe, every book has a different version, everyone has an opinion. Each one is the best.
I am beginning to zero on mine.
Definitely thicker noodles. Lots of chili oil with dòuchǐ, lots of sūan cài. Sichuan peppercorns crushed but not too fine. Easy on sesame paste. Pork is better than beef. Greens barely touched with heat. Not too soupy. That’s about it for now.
How do you like yours? Looking for suggestions.
#food #quickfood #homefood #chinesefood #dandannoodles #chilioil #suancai #noodles #cookingathome #inmykitchen
I am beginning to zero on mine.
Definitely thicker noodles. Lots of chili oil with dòuchǐ, lots of sūan cài. Sichuan peppercorns crushed but not too fine. Easy on sesame paste. Pork is better than beef. Greens barely touched with heat. Not too soupy. That’s about it for now.
How do you like yours? Looking for suggestions.
#food #quickfood #homefood #chinesefood #dandannoodles #chilioil #suancai #noodles #cookingathome #inmykitchen
May be more crisp than apple.
Soup season. A riff on Italian wedding soup:
— basic sofrito of carrots, celery, and onion,
— chicken broth,
— spinach,
— noodles, cooked separately, then added,
— chicken meatballs, roasted in the oven, then added,
— parsley and dill, dill, dill.
It seems better to prepare noodles and meatballs separately rather than in the soup so they won’t absorb too much liquid.
I can have this every day.
#food #cooking #soupseason #chickensoup #noodles #cookingathome #inmykitchen
— basic sofrito of carrots, celery, and onion,
— chicken broth,
— spinach,
— noodles, cooked separately, then added,
— chicken meatballs, roasted in the oven, then added,
— parsley and dill, dill, dill.
It seems better to prepare noodles and meatballs separately rather than in the soup so they won’t absorb too much liquid.
I can have this every day.
#food #cooking #soupseason #chickensoup #noodles #cookingathome #inmykitchen
What do we have here? A seriously tasty and interesting Lithuanian dinner for us, a tongue twister for you:
— Medjetoiu Vinetinai,
— Bulviu Plokstainis,
— Rauginti Kopūstai.
Medjetoiu Vinetinai is a dish similar to Polish zrazy. Both probably carry back to Rzeczpospolita times so similar they are. It is smoked pork, wild mushrooms, and onions wrapped in beef and fried. In Polish version, the beef for wrapping is thinly sliced, In Lithuanian, the beef is ground. The idea of wrapping a large handful of chopped smoked pork, sausage, wild mushrooms, and onions into a film of ground beef did not sound appealing. I was already planning how to squish fallen apart mass together for the picture when suddenly… the patties held their shape. Miracle!
Bulviu Plokstainis is similar to what is known to the world as potato kugel: grated potatoes, mixed with ground onions, spices, eggs and baked in the oven. The difference here is the sauce that comes with it — smoked bacon fired with onions and mixed with sour cream. This simple sauce is my new discovery — great on toast, with eggs, vegetables, over rice, or plain by the spoonful.
Rauginti Kopūstai is a salad of sauerkraut mixed with carrots, lingonberries, apples, and grapes. It is dressed with olive oil and sugar.
And there is no proper Eastern European dinner without pickled cucumbers and mushrooms. We’ve got that covered.
#food #cooking #lithuanianfood #cookingzen #inmykitchen #foodblog #cookathome
— Medjetoiu Vinetinai,
— Bulviu Plokstainis,
— Rauginti Kopūstai.
Medjetoiu Vinetinai is a dish similar to Polish zrazy. Both probably carry back to Rzeczpospolita times so similar they are. It is smoked pork, wild mushrooms, and onions wrapped in beef and fried. In Polish version, the beef for wrapping is thinly sliced, In Lithuanian, the beef is ground. The idea of wrapping a large handful of chopped smoked pork, sausage, wild mushrooms, and onions into a film of ground beef did not sound appealing. I was already planning how to squish fallen apart mass together for the picture when suddenly… the patties held their shape. Miracle!
Bulviu Plokstainis is similar to what is known to the world as potato kugel: grated potatoes, mixed with ground onions, spices, eggs and baked in the oven. The difference here is the sauce that comes with it — smoked bacon fired with onions and mixed with sour cream. This simple sauce is my new discovery — great on toast, with eggs, vegetables, over rice, or plain by the spoonful.
Rauginti Kopūstai is a salad of sauerkraut mixed with carrots, lingonberries, apples, and grapes. It is dressed with olive oil and sugar.
And there is no proper Eastern European dinner without pickled cucumbers and mushrooms. We’ve got that covered.
#food #cooking #lithuanianfood #cookingzen #inmykitchen #foodblog #cookathome
In a pickle about pickling? Wanna make jamming your jam? Friday's column was a bit of a 101 on home preserving. If you missed it, you can listen here:
#Food #Foodsky #InMyKitchen #Jams #Pickles #Preserves
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-104-the-morning-edition-k-w/clip/16166421-jammin-jasmine
Today's Canapalooza instalment. Forgot to make ice, so used ice packs -- one from Guelph's Sweet Cheeses! Iced the beans and the jalapenos in hopes for crunchier pickles.
And Rufus was not amused about waiting until snacky time to get snackies.
Late night sconning.
The wedges are oopsies (too much milk and added flour to fix) so did a second batch. The round ones will go with me to the radio studio tomorrow.
Deets in alt text
Peachberry jamming is done. A smaller batch than usual, but I'm just topping up preserve reserves with this one.
#Food #Mastonom #FoodlandOntario #FarmersFeedCities #InMyKitchen
I be jammin'
This week's instalment of Canapalooza 2025 is my most favouritist jam I make: Blueberry-Peach (or Peachberry)
Yes, I had peaches last week...but I ate too many to make it worth the effort of setting up the kettle
#Food #Mastonom #FoodlandOntario #FarmersFeedCities #InMyKitchen
Turkish lamb köfte with grilled eggplant and longhorn peppers.
Tomato and yogurt sauce were perfect condiments to lift up the flavors.
On the side, there were bulgur salad dressed with tahini and ground walnuts, plus, blanched dandelion greens with capers and olives.
Homebaked pide cleaned up the plates — the dinner was delicious and very saucy after all.
#food #cooking #turkishfood #dinnerathome #homemade #köfte #bulgur #inmykitchen
Tomato and yogurt sauce were perfect condiments to lift up the flavors.
On the side, there were bulgur salad dressed with tahini and ground walnuts, plus, blanched dandelion greens with capers and olives.
Homebaked pide cleaned up the plates — the dinner was delicious and very saucy after all.
#food #cooking #turkishfood #dinnerathome #homemade #köfte #bulgur #inmykitchen
I be jammin’
This weekend: 2.5L of Strawberry vanilla jam, with Herrle’s strawberries.
#InMyKitchen #WaterlooRegion #InSeason #Food #Preserves #Jamapalooza25
As many versions as there are of French ratatouille, Italian caponata, or Greek tourlou, that many there are of Georgian ajapsandali.
Georgians cook vegetables together with roots, and add enormous amount of herbs usually in two stages: when cooking and once finished.
The dish is equally good hot, warm, or cold. It can stand on its own or make a fantastic side.
This version based on the recipe from Tasting Georgia by Carla Capalbo included approximately:
— 1 lb potatoes
— 1/2 lb carrots
— 1,5 lb eggplant
— 1 lb tomatoes
— 1/2 lb cubanelle peppers
— 1 lb onions
— 1 head of garlic
— summer savory
— thyme
— basil
— cilantro
— parsley
— dill
— fresh green chili to taste
— salt and pepper to taste
— neutral oil and butter
The vegetables are cut in large chunks, only garlic is very roughly chopped, and added to the pan in stages. First — the roots. In about 15 minutes — the eggplant. In about 10 more — the rest.
The herbs Georgians throw in as they live — by handfuls, with a swing. “Keep the change,”— if you remember the movie. 🐄🚁🇬🇪
#food #vegetables #georgianfood #adjapsandali #homemade #cookingathome #lovetocook #inmykitchen
Georgians cook vegetables together with roots, and add enormous amount of herbs usually in two stages: when cooking and once finished.
The dish is equally good hot, warm, or cold. It can stand on its own or make a fantastic side.
This version based on the recipe from Tasting Georgia by Carla Capalbo included approximately:
— 1 lb potatoes
— 1/2 lb carrots
— 1,5 lb eggplant
— 1 lb tomatoes
— 1/2 lb cubanelle peppers
— 1 lb onions
— 1 head of garlic
— summer savory
— thyme
— basil
— cilantro
— parsley
— dill
— fresh green chili to taste
— salt and pepper to taste
— neutral oil and butter
The vegetables are cut in large chunks, only garlic is very roughly chopped, and added to the pan in stages. First — the roots. In about 15 minutes — the eggplant. In about 10 more — the rest.
The herbs Georgians throw in as they live — by handfuls, with a swing. “Keep the change,”— if you remember the movie. 🐄🚁🇬🇪
#food #vegetables #georgianfood #adjapsandali #homemade #cookingathome #lovetocook #inmykitchen
I know we're under a heat warning, but I really wanted scones. It's been months since I last made them. One little one from the scraps and the most lumpy one are now history.
Yesterday was definitely Friday the 13th for me. Nothing catastrophic, but the day was punctuated by gremlins.
Since I survived them all, I decided to treat myself to a new knife.
I LOVE a good knife that fits my hand (difficult as I don't have man hands).
And this one (and all Shuns) was on a 30% discount at Relish in Kitchener!
Choppy choppy choppy. Slicey slicey slicey.
Playing Sicily on a Jersey porch.
I grew up on what is called eggplant caviar, a rare delicacy available to a lucky few only a couple of months a year after a lengthy wait in a grocery store line and a laborious process.
Later, I learned eggplant caviar had other names: adjapsandali, caponata, ratatouille, imam bayildi, zaalouk…
On our trip to Sicily, we ordered it in every restaurant. All different — all good.
At home, I wanted to make my own and combine the most memorable elements from the ones we tried. It worked.
Sweet, sour, savory, crunchy, chunky, smooth, oily but not too much, bold but mild, filling but not overwhelming — that was it. I’d say this is my favorite version.
The recipe in Clifford Wright’s Cucina Paradiso was my starting point. Then, I improvised.
WHAT WENT IN
— vegetable oil to deep fry;
— good olive oil to saute;
— 4 large globe eggplants cut 3/4”, salted and sweated for 2 hours, blotted dry;
— 8 celery stalks — tender center ones, cut 3/4” chunks;
— 2 large onions, sliced;
— 4 garlic cloves, minced;
— 1/4 cup double concentrated tomato paste mixed with the same amount of water;
— 6 plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded, chopped;
— 1 cup castelvetrano olives, pitted, quartered;
— 4 Tbsp capers, rinsed;
— 1/2 cup raisins;
— 1 Tbsp sugar;
— 6 Tbsp red wine vinegar;
— 2 tsp dried oregano;
— 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder.
THE PROCESS
1. Deep fry the eggplant and celery in batches in vegetable oil at 350°F and set on paper towels to absorb extra oil. Wok is best for this.
2. In a large braising pan, sauté onions on medium high until deep brown.
3. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients besides cocoa powder — one at at time — mixing in carefully but thoroughly. Cook for about 15 min.
5. Gently fold in eggplants and celery. Cook for another 10 min.
6. Add cocoa powder. Mix in and off heat.
#food #caponata #italianfood #homemade #eggplant #cookinathome #inmykitchen #cookingtherapy
I grew up on what is called eggplant caviar, a rare delicacy available to a lucky few only a couple of months a year after a lengthy wait in a grocery store line and a laborious process.
Later, I learned eggplant caviar had other names: adjapsandali, caponata, ratatouille, imam bayildi, zaalouk…
On our trip to Sicily, we ordered it in every restaurant. All different — all good.
At home, I wanted to make my own and combine the most memorable elements from the ones we tried. It worked.
Sweet, sour, savory, crunchy, chunky, smooth, oily but not too much, bold but mild, filling but not overwhelming — that was it. I’d say this is my favorite version.
The recipe in Clifford Wright’s Cucina Paradiso was my starting point. Then, I improvised.
WHAT WENT IN
— vegetable oil to deep fry;
— good olive oil to saute;
— 4 large globe eggplants cut 3/4”, salted and sweated for 2 hours, blotted dry;
— 8 celery stalks — tender center ones, cut 3/4” chunks;
— 2 large onions, sliced;
— 4 garlic cloves, minced;
— 1/4 cup double concentrated tomato paste mixed with the same amount of water;
— 6 plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded, chopped;
— 1 cup castelvetrano olives, pitted, quartered;
— 4 Tbsp capers, rinsed;
— 1/2 cup raisins;
— 1 Tbsp sugar;
— 6 Tbsp red wine vinegar;
— 2 tsp dried oregano;
— 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder.
THE PROCESS
1. Deep fry the eggplant and celery in batches in vegetable oil at 350°F and set on paper towels to absorb extra oil. Wok is best for this.
2. In a large braising pan, sauté onions on medium high until deep brown.
3. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients besides cocoa powder — one at at time — mixing in carefully but thoroughly. Cook for about 15 min.
5. Gently fold in eggplants and celery. Cook for another 10 min.
6. Add cocoa powder. Mix in and off heat.
#food #caponata #italianfood #homemade #eggplant #cookinathome #inmykitchen #cookingtherapy
Since the writing workshop was postponed, I decided part of the day would be dedicated to making granola. Letting it cool before putting it into a jar.
Today's kitchening:
Blueberry Muffins (from Nigella's HTBADG)
Cullen Skink...added the bacon. Because bacon.
Well, today’s scones seem to want to be fishies And one wants tk be an oyster, with blueberries as pearls.
They were supposed to be wedges. No worries. They’re still tasty.
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