Foreign Correspondence

E M P A N A D A S

C H I L E A N A S !

¡Saludos de Chile! Yesterday my friend Marcelo taught some friends and me how to make Chilean empanadas. They remind me of pasties: oven-baked, hand-held pies filled with onions and beef. You can't walk a block in Santiago without seeing a stand selling hot empanadas. We made the real deal- pino filling, the most common, while cheese is a close second- and the options are endless! Here's the recipe (ad verbatim from Chef Marcelo himself):

Ingredients:

3 white onions

1 kilo of beef

Olive/ vegetable oil

2 cubes of chicken stock

Pepper (whatever kind)

2 kilos of flour

3 tbsp salt

2 tbsp baking powder

250 grams lard

milk (small amount)

2 hard boiled eggs

olives

raisins

Method:

1. Make sure the chef has wine.

2. Filling (pino): Dice the onions and beef into half-inch cubes

3. Fry the beef on the stove, adding a little oil. Add onions, chicken stock cubes and spices, and wee bit of water (wee- you want this to boil off so the filling is dry when you roll em up). Let this simmer for a bit.

4. The crust (masa): Toss the lard in the microwave until it's liquid. While it's heating, make a big volcano with the flour. Make a small divot, and slowly add the hot lard to the flour, kneading the dough in between lard addition. When you run out of lard, mix half milk half hot water in a cup and add that slowly. Once it's dough, ready in consistency to roll, set it under a towel to sit for 10-15 minutes.

5. At some point in the dough-making, take the pino off the stove. Cool it down in the freezer or outside if it's cold.

6. Hard boil those eggs if you haven't already.

7. Empandada: Roll out the dough in approximately 8-inch diameter circles (hot tip: cut using a plate/bowl as a template).

8. Add a spoon of pino (must be dry enough not to fall through the dough) to the masa, as well as a tiny bit of hard boiled egg. Add one olive and two raisins. Tradition, I'm told, dictates these quantities. Should look like this:

9. Fold once into a half circle, pressing the dough to lock up the pino. Fold in the two sides, and finally the top.

10. For bonus points, brush the top with egg yolk.

11. Toss 'em in the oven for 20-30 minutes at around 375 F. When the egg gets golden and the crust is dry and flaky, take out your creations and feast! (Recommended accompaniments include salad and red wine).

Chef Marcelo says "¡Buen provecho!"

The Kitchen Beet.

here is beet hummus.

1 Can of Chickpeas

2 Medium Beet, or 3-4 Small beets

1 Tbl olive oil

small yellow or white onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of tahini paste

1 tbl spoon cumin

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup of olive oil

1) Boil beets until tender, remove skins
2) saute onion and garlic in tbl of olive oil for 4 mins
3) whisk together lemon juice and olive oil in small bowl
4) in food processor blend everything, slowly adding lemon juice and olive oil mixture

BEET PARTY!

Quiche!

OKAY. I know for a fact I'm not the only one who's been playing around with baking up some eggs. Whether they include zucchini flowers or come from a slightly faulty bakers square pan, I have yet to be treated to a quiche that is anything less than delicious and, as I shrug off my vegan ways, I find myself quickly falling in love with this hearty way to start a morning. My particular contribution to the world of breakfast-pie comes in the form of a Crustless Mushroom, Spinach and Leek Quiche - HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium leek, thinly sliced

6. oz fresh spinach

4 oz fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 eggs

2 egg whites

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

WHATCHA DO:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Lightly grease a quiche/pie pan

3. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in skillet. Saute leeks and mushrooms until soft, but not browned.

4. Add spinach and cook 1 min til wilted. Set aside.

5. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, then stir in veggies and cheese. Pour into prepared pan.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until center is set and the edges are golden brown.

7. Let set for 5 minutes and slice!

p.s. happiest fourth of july! AMERICA!

It's a Pasty Night

Early Season means bountiful herbs. While herbs are a wonderful addition to any meal, few recipes call for more than a tablespoon or so. But not pastes. Oh no, when your fridge is overflowing with parsley, basil, kale (granted not an herb) and cilantro, its hard to resist the temptation of pastes.

maxawareness.com

On the menu tonight:

1) Spicy Peanut-Cilantro Spread.  

2 C chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic 

1 t lime zest and juice of 2 limes

1 chile peppers: remove seeds to reduce spiciness. 

2 tablespoons peanuts

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Add to magic bullet and blend!! mmm.

2) Kale and Walnut Pesto.

1/4 C chopped walnuts. Toasted to perfection.

1/2 t salt

1/2 lb of kale

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 C olive oil

1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: boil kale in water with 1/2 t salt. Cook until tender. Add all ingredients to 

food processor and blend, slowly adding olive oil (not possible in magic bullet).

3) A Parsley-Basil Blended Pesto. 

2C basil and parsley. Any ratio works. 

1/3-1/2 C olive oil

2 cloves of garlic 

1/4-1/2 C pine nuts toasted (walnuts work too)

1/2 C Parmesan cheese

lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Blend!!

Top: Basil/Parsley Pesto.  Left: Kale-Walnut Pesto. Right: Spicy Cilantro-Peanut Spread

We're Jamming.

Strawberry season is upon us and we, the canning connoisseurs that we are, took no haste in making a heavenly jam.

Step one: Acquire your fruits: Carandale Farm, located in Oregon Wi was where we ventured for some U-pick strawberries. Highly recommend it. Our rhubarb, we bought at the farmer's market. 

Here is the recipe: 

4 C mashed fruit (e.g. 3C Strawberries, 1C rhubarb)

1/2-1C Honey or 3/4-2C Sugar (we aim for the low end, strawberries are pretty sweet)

2t Pectin Powder

2t Calcium Water (comes in pectin package)

Yields 4-5 Cups. We tripled the recipe to adjust for the 8 1/2 lb

s of berries we picked

Step 2: Wash and prepare fruit: Remove hulls from strawberries and thinly slice rhubarb 

Step 3: In a large bowl mash strawberries using whatever mashing materials are available.  Mix in rhubarb slices and add calcium water to fruit mixture 

Step 4: Mix together sugar/honey and pectin powder.

Step 5: Bring Fruit to a boil. Add pectin-honey/sugar mixture and stir vigorously for 1-2 min to dissolve all the pectin. Return the mixture to a boil and remove from heat. 

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And now, a short lecture on proper canning procedure.

to avoid death or other serious injury, it is recommended you follow USDA approved canning procedures. However, I have not read said recommendations but feel comfortable with what i will now selfishly term the "KB Canning Process"

1) Clean and sanitize all surfaces you will be using throughout your canning experience. 

2) When Canning, use mason jars with a 2-part lid/screw top. 

3) Wash and rinse jars with hot soapy water.

4) Sanitize jars and lids in boiling water for oooooh 5-10 mins. Let stand in hot water until needed. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Step 6: Fill jars to 1/4" to the top. Wipe rims clean and screw on tops. Place jars in boiling water for 10 min. Remove from water and place up-side-down on dish towel. Allow to cool. Check seals. Place in fridge when done. 

~~~

Best of luck in your jamming endeavors. It's a very simple process, but if you find yourself in a pickle don't hesitate to call the Jamline @ (413) 772-6816. Really, it exists. 

CousCous TuesTues: Vol. 1 - Stuffed Poblano Peppers

It's a long standing tradition in our apartment that Tuesday is the night Lena and I experiment with cous cous. CousCousTuesTues (or CousTues for short) in the past has been everything from deliciously ethnic (Moroccan, Greek, etc) to unconventional (couscous pudding anyone?) to straight up weird (pizza?) but without fail it's always different and mostly a product of whatever we can find buried in the fridge. This week, CousTues took the form of Poblano Peppers stuffed with Black Beans, Adobo, Tofu and Whole Grain Couscous sprinkled with Monterey Jack. ENJOY.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Poblano Peppers, sliced in half with seeds removed.

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 an onion, diced

garlic (either powder or cloves, take yr pick)

Firm Tofu (I'd say we used about 3/4 cup crumbled, but can be modified to taste)

1 15oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)

2 tbsp adobo peppers

chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

1 cup uncooked couscous

1 tomato, pureed (we used the magic bullet)

1/2 cup grated cheese

WHATCHA DO:

For the Cous:

1. Heat 1 cup water and 1 tsp salt til boiling.

2. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes.

3. Fluff with fork.

For the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Heat the olive oil and saute the onion til soft. Add garlic powder/cloves to taste.

3. Add the tofu, beans and adobo and begin to season with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

4. Remove from heat and add couscous and tomato puree. Continue to season.

5. Stuff peppers and top with cheese. Arrange on baking sheet and stick in the oven for 10 minutes or so, making sure peppers start to sizzle but cheese doesn't burn.

VOILA.

horchata

i used to be addicted to this stuff from the SevenEleven across the street from jake's and my (grammar?) high school... but naturally it's more authentic from the giant carafes at the little Mexican joints that speckle LA, and more original if you make yer own. i kind of just throw things together and keep adding stuff by feel and taste, but i looked up the proportions so as not to get yall making sick ass cinamon water; however, add or subtract anything so that it pleases your pallate.

foodstuff: (4 servings)
- 4 c. H20
- 1/2 c. rice (i used jasmine brown, but any will do)
- 1/2 - 1 t. cinnamon or 1/2 - 1 cinnamon stick if you have one
- 1/2 t. vanilla
- 1/4 c. sweetner (*piloncillo, white/brown sugar or honey, agave, maple syrup, etc. to impart a more nuanced flavor)

*piloncillo: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/piloncillomexicansugar.htm

how:
1. let rice soak overnight in the water
2. cook rice as you normally would and slowly integrate the cinnamon, vanilla, and sweetner
3. once the rice is kinda soupy let it cool for 5-10 mins
4. liquidify the rice in a blender and semi-finely strain the mixture
5. refridgerate the drainage (in a jug) and the mess you strained (in a bowl/tupperware) for:
- a cool cinnamony rice drink (best served with blended ice) &
- rice pudding (maybe add some soaked raisins/craisins/cranberries)