Moorish Chickpea and Spinach Stew

2  cans (15-oz) garbanzos or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 c Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1-2 slices white bread, crusts removed (2 oz)
2 TBS Spanish sweet paprika
1 pinch saffron threads
2 TBS Spanish sherry vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
5-8 oz washed spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
1 TBS lemon juice

About an hour before serving, pour chickpeas into a heavy pot and cover with water.  Bring to a low boil slowly then simmer for about an hour.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small sauté pan over a medium-low flame.  Add the garlic and cook until brown, about 3 minutes. Remove garlic from pan and set aside.  Add the bread to the pan and brown on both sides, about 1 min each side. Remove the bread and set aside.

Remove the pan from the heart and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Add the paprika and saffron to the pan, then immediately add the sherry vinegar to prevent the paprika from burning.  Add the cumin and leave the pan off the heat.

In a mortar, smash the reserved garlic and toasted bread to make a very thick paste.

Close to serving, bring up the heat on the chickpeas and add spinach to the heated chickpeas. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the paprika mixture and the garlic paste.  You should have a thick stew-like sauce.  Simmer for another 5 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.  Serve immediately.

This basic recipe comes from Tapas, a Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres, 2005.

Sweet Potato Galettes

1 large sweet potato

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 egg, slightly beaten
6 TBS sour cream
3 TBS goat cheese crumbles
2 TBS raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 medium-hot chile, finely chopped
1TBS EV olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
2 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil
Coarse salt and fresh-ground pepper

1.       Microwave sweet potato on high for 5 minutes (not cooked through). Let cool to touch and peel.

2.       Thaw puff pastry for about 8 minutes until soft to roll out.

3.       Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. And preheat oven at 400 degrees F.

4.       Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to 1/16 inch (very thin).

5.       Cut out about 9-12 rectangles and place on parchment.  Prick all over with fork tines. Leave to rest in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

6.       Meanwhile, when the sweet potato is cool, use a mandolin and slice very thinly. Move the slices around so they are not all bunched on top of each other.

7.       Remove the puff pastry and brush lightly with beaten egg.

8.       Spread a small dollop of sour cream on each piece leaving a small border.

9.       Top the galettes with the thin slices of sweet potatoes (overlapping a little).

10.   Sprinkle the pepitas, goat cheese, chopped chile, and salt and pepper over the sweet potato.

11.   Bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is cooked through.

12.   While galettes are cooking stir together the olive oil, garlic, parsley or basil and a pinch of salt.

13.   When pastries are removed from oven, dab them with this mixture.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

The basic recipe comes from Ottolenghi, The Cookbook, 2013

Old Fashion Cocktail

Boil 5 min to make syrup:
  2 1/2 c sugar
  1 1/4 c water
  3 cinnamon sticks

In a large bowl add:
  24 cloves
  one sliced orange
  one sliced lemon
  1 can chunk pineapple with juice
  1 large can Maraschino cherries with juice
  1 tsp orange bitters

Pour syrup over juice
  add 1 c Bourbon
  Let sit in refrigerator

To serve:  Put 2 TBS juice and 1 jigger Bourbon over ice.
                 Add fruit and 2 TBS club soda

While Moody would make this every Christmas, the recipe comes from Terry Gudger's mother.

Asian Wings

5 lbs  chicken wings, split with tips removed

Marinate wings for 24 hours in
1/2 c Thai fish sauce ( try Golden Boy Brand)
1/2 c sugar
1 TBS rice vinegar
1TBS Sriracha sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped

Remove from marinade and pat wings dry.
Dredge in rice flour. Let sit 5 minutes.
Deep fry in oil about 14 minutes.
Reduce the marinade in sauce pan over low heat until thick.

Finely chop mint and cilantro (1/4 c each)

Toss fried wings in reduced marinade (1/4 c) with mint and cilantro.

Homemade Ice cream

No egg ice cream base:

1. Mix slurry in small bowl:
1/2 c milk
1 1/2 TBS cornstarch

2. Place 1 1/2 oz cream cheese in large bowl with flavorings and set aside.
Flavorings could be 1 TBS vanilla or 1/4 tsp oil such as fiori di sicilia, or lemon or peppermint, etc.

3. Stir in saucepan over medium heat:
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/4 c heavy cream
2/3 c sugar
2 TBS light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt

4. Heat to boiling and simmer for 4 minutes.
Mix in the slurry and return to boil.
Stir until thickened about 2 minutes.

5. Restir the cream cheese/flavorings mixture and slowly add in the hot cream mixture, whisking until smooth.

6. Pour ice cream base through a sieve into a clean container, cover and chill 4 hours or overnight.

7. Process in an ice cream maker (15-20 minutes).  Makes about 1 quart.

For chocolate ice cream, omit the flavoring in step 2. 
After finishing the ice cream base above add the following:

Combine in a small saucepan and bring to boil stirring;
1 c cocoa powder
1 c brewed dark coffee
1 c sugar

Remove from heat and stir in:
3 oz bittersweet chocolate

Add chocolate mixture to the finished ice cream base and chill as in step 6.
Process in ice cream maker as in step 7.  I do this in two batches because my ice cream maker is a 1.5 qt capacity.

Serving size is 1/2 cup.

Courtesy Lee Duberman, Ariel's Restaurant, Brookfield VT

Kaddo Bowrani (Afghan Baked Pumpkin)

For pumpkin:
1 small sugar pumpkin
1/4 c vegetable oil
3/4 c sugar
Cinnamon

Slice pumpkin and remove seeds. Peel outer skin.  (Or I often used store-bought cut-up pumpkin or squash.)  Place oil in skillet and heat to medium heat. Add pumpkin. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning once.

Remove from pan and place in small casserole.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Cover tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until soft. Serves about 6-8 people as a first course or appetizer.

Serve warm with yogurt sauce.  Often I will use as filling in little wonton wrappers and deep fry them. For the full Afghan experience I also make some wonton fillings with leeks.

For yogurt sauce, combine until smooth:
1 c plain yogurt
1 tsp fresh-cut diced garlic
Dash salt

Courtesy of Qayum Karsai, Baltimore's The Helmand

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1egg

1 c whole-fat buttermilk

2 TBS melted butter

Mix dry ingredients and mix in wet ingredients.

Cook on griddle.