Hi everyone!  We are back in action here in the states.  The trip was amazing and I took a million pictures to prove it.  Well, not a million. More like a thousand.  The first batch went up on flickr today. Stay tuned for more pics in the next week.

I had the great pleasure of trying a few Galapagos delicacies while on the islands.  The island of Santa Cruz is inhabited by quite a few farmers who grow organic bananas, papaya, guava, and coffee. All of these are really yummy treats but are not native to the island. Santa Cruz is home to the endemic variety of tomato called the Galapagos tomato. It’s like the cherry tomato we are familiar with only half the size and twice as flavorful.  I wish I could grow these little beauties in my back yard.  Ok, I don’t have a back yard, and even if I did park officials and customs agents would be all over me if I tried to bring some back.

The island is also home to some wild giant tortoises which was our primary reason for visiting. On our way back from me almost tripping over myself to see the tortoises I spotted a pepper plant growing at the side of the path.  The little fruits on the plant were bright red, and shaped like Thai bird chilies only quite a bit smaller.  I was told that this was a variety native to Ecuador and that it would be ok to try one if I liked spicy food.  Of course, I think I’m too cool for school, so I said “yes, I do like spicy food” and of course “I can handle it”.  My coolness quickly turned into squinting and sweating and turning red after biting into one of the little firecrackers.  I know this because our guide was kind enough to snap a picture of me as I let down all of my former acting instructors and pretended (unsuccessfully) to not be in pain. It tasted good though. (That picture no longer exists,  don’t ask.)

What tastes better is the salsa that was created as a result of our recent travels.  This is a very simple pico de giallo salsa with the addition of a little fruit.  I use mango in the recipe, but peaches would also work.   This is a really good base to build more complex salsas on.  Try experimenting with spices like cumin or coriander.  Try a little chili powder for extra kick and depth, or fire roast the tomatoes first for a deep smokey flavor.  The sky is the limit! But first a picture of baby tortoises from the Charles Darwin Research Station because oh my golly they are cute!

Galapagos Salsa:

1 mango, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 small while onion, diced

1 jalapino pepper, diced fine

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together.  Serve room temperature or chilled with chips, with tacos burritos or nachos, on fish chicken pork or steak.

I am enjoying my last days in Ecuador and will be back at my desk (AKA kitchen table) by Tuesday.  I’m looking forwart to sharing all of my new recipes and pictures so check back soon.

Katn

Tony and I were watching TV the other day…not really TV, we were watching the computer but, like, shows…anyway someone on the show mentioned something about tuna burgers.  That’s when it hit me.  I know how to make stuff like that! I know how to make all kinds of stuff like that!  And I flipped out because I haven’t been making that stuff!

When I say “stuff like that” what I mean is fish burgers.  Tuna burgers are really yummy, but my fiancé (said with a thick French accent, pinched nose and scratchy throat noises) loves salmon in all of its forms burger and otherwise.  After I got done freaking out over the fact that I have not made these delights at home I went to the store and got the fixin’s to make salmon burgers.  I promptly forgot my excitement and didn’t end up making them until the next week, but hey, I got it done, and they were pretty darn good.

In this recipe, I use couscous as a binder but breadcrumbs would work equally well.  I usually have couscous handy because it’s so easy and quick to make.  Tuna could be substituted for the salmon too.  You could try substituting a half a tablespoon of prepared wassabi for the Dijon if you use tuna. I wouldn’t use wassabi powder without first mixing it in water because this can add an unpleasant bitter taste to the dish. If you don’t have a grill pan, use a regular flat pan. Try adding different herbs too.  Basil, cilantro, oregano and parsley would al be yummy in any version of the fish burger.

Salmon Burgers for My Fiancé:
Serves 2

2-7 ounce tail pieces of salmon
1/3 cup dry couscous
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 scallions sliced thin
1 clove of garlic minced
1 whole egg
salt and pepper to taste

2 rolls

4 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 small cucumber

Preheat grill pan over medium heat, and lightly oil with an oiled paper towel.

If the salmon has the skin on remove it with a sharp knife.  This does not have to be pretty.  Chop the salmon into roughly ¼ inch pieces. Put this into a mixing bowl.

Add the couscous, Dijon, scallion, garlic, egg and salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Form a patty of about 1 inch diameter, and grill in the grill pan to test seasoning. Adjust as necessary.

Form two patties out of the mix and place in the grill pan. They will feel like they are too wet, or don’t have enough binder.  Don’t worry, they firm up quickly as they cook. Do not move for at least 3 minutes.  After 3 minutes, flip and cook the other side.  This should take 2 to 3 minutes.

Slice the cucumber very thin and put on the bottoms of the rolls.  Spread the mayonnaise on the tops of the rolls.  Put the burgers in the middle of the whole thing and see if you don’t eat them immediately.  I bet you do.

Follow these guide lines to make delicious home made vegetable stock.

o    The amount water you use will depend on how much vegetable stock you need.

o    According to The Joy of Cooking 5 cups of vegetables to 6 cups vegetables makes about 3 to 4 cups of stock.  My feeling is that you should use what you have.  More vegetable matter makes a more flavorful stock, but if you don’t have a lot, something is still better than nothing.  Just bay leaves cooked in water tastes more interesting than plain water.

o    The vegetables can come from what you are already cooking just save the peels and trimmings.  Onion carrot and celery are always good to use for vegetable or any stock. Corncobs can add sweetness. Garlic can be left cracked with the peel on for a mild taste, or pealed and minced for a more pronounced garlic flavor.

o    Vegetables to avoid are any with inherent bitterness.  Asparagus, broccoli, greens, cabbages and eggplant are not good for stock.

o    Mushroom stems and gills make a hearty meaty tasting vegetable stock.  The gills will make the stock dark and cloudy, so use just the stems if you need a clear stock.

o    Vegetables that are roasted or browned on the stove in oil before adding the water will add deep flavor to your stock, but this will also make it less clear and give it more color.  This is great for gumbo or similar stews, not for consommé or light broths.

o    Herb stems are full of flavor and can be used so long as the flavors are appropriate.

o    If you will need stock later in the week, save the clean vegetable trimmings from all of the dishes you cook that week in a freezer bag or container with a lid to be made into a quick stock later.

Method:

To roast vegetables beforehand, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the vegetables on a baking sheet lined with foil for easy clean up. Drizzle with a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil.  Toss the vegetables lightly in the oil, spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet, and roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until brown.

If you want a clear stock with little color use raw vegetables rather than roasting them.

Select a pot that has a narrow top, and is large enough to hold all of the vegetables and water.  The narrow top will reduce evaporation.

Add the cold water, vegetables, bay leaves, garlic, a pinch of salt (to aid flavor extraction) and pepper to the cold pot.  Turn on the heat to medium and bring to a simmer.  Simmer at least 40 minutes but no more than 1 hour.

Pour through a mesh strainer into a heatproof container.  Cool to room temperature before putting in the refrigerator.  Ice packs meant for food related use are great for this.

I season the dish with salt rather than the stock.  A stock that tastes perfectly seasoned on its own can be far too salty for a finished dish particularly if it cooks for some time.

Store for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Freeze for extended storage.

Put water on to simmer with the bay leaves when you start preping vegetables called for in your recipe, and add the trimmings as you go.  By the time you need to add the vegetable stock, you have it!

Full guidelines are written out next…

Guideline for Quick Stock

water
vegetable scraps
garlic cloves
bay leaves
cracked black pepper
pinch of salt

o    The amount water you use will depend on how much vegetable stock you need.  Add about 1/2 cup of water to the amount of stock called for to account for evaporation that occurs while the stock cooks.

o    The vegetable scraps will come from what you are already cooking.  Onion carrot and celery are always good to use for vegetable or any stock.  Garlic can be left cracked with the peal on for a mild taste, or peeled and minced for a more pronounced garlic flavor.

o    Vegetables to avoid are any with inherent bitterness.  Asparagus, broccoli, greens and peppers are not good for stock.

o    Mushroom stems and gills make a hearty meaty tasting vegetable stock.  The gills will make the stock dark and cloudy, so do not use them if you need a clear stock.

o    Vegetables that are roasted or browned on the stove in oil before adding the water will add deeper flavor to your stock, but this will also make it less clear and give it more color.  This is great for gumbo or similar stews, not for consommé or light broths. I will explain this in Vegetable Stock 101.

o    Herb stems are full of flavor and can be used so long as the flavors are appropriate.  For example, cilantro stems would be great for a Vietnamese noodle bowl broth, but probably not for a tomato soup base.

o    As you prepare the vegetables you need for your recipe, add the scraps and peals to the pot.  Wash all vegetables before peeling/trimming.  You want to add clean peals and trimmings to the stockpot.

o    If you will need stock later in the week, save the clean vegetable trimmings from all of the dishes you cook that week in a freezer bag or container with a lid to be made into a stock later.

To make the Quick Stock:

Select a pot that has a narrow top, and is large enough to hold all of the vegetable scraps and water.  The narrow top will reduce evaporation.

Add the cold water, bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper to the cold pot.  Turn on the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Add clean vegetable peels and trimmings to the pot as you create them. Simmer at least 20 minutes but no more than 1 hour.

Pour through a mesh strainer into a heatproof container.

Measure the stock again before adding to your recipe to ensure you have the correct amount.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon wheat flour
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen okra cut into ½ inch rounds
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 links vegan kielbasa sausage
2 cups quick vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce (optional)

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy bottomed pot.  Add flour and stir out all lumps with a fork or whisk. Cook the flour and oil stirring occasionally until the flour smells nutty and is golden brown in color. Reduce the heat to low, and stirring constantly, cook the flour until it is completely brown in color but not burned.  This is the “rue”.

When the desired color is reached, immediately add the diced onion celery and pepper.  Increase the heat to medium and cook the vegetables until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the okra, bay, parsley, sausage and stock to the pot.  Bring to a simmer, the cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about one hour.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add hot sauce if desired to make this a bit spicy.

Serve hot with rice or cornbread.  Makes great leftovers.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
1 clove garlic crushed
1 bunch fresh collard greens
6 ounces or ½ can stewed tomatoes
½ cup water or quick vegetable stock
1 tablespoon vegan bacon bits
salt and pepper to taste

Warm olive oil in a large pot or wok over medium-low heat. Odd the diced onion and garlic, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft.

While the onion cooks, rinse the collard greens and remove the center rib. Stack the collard leaves on top of each other so that the centers all line up and cut them away with a knife. Cut the greens into 1 inch ribbons.

When the onions are soft, add the collard greens tomatoes and water or quick vegetable stock. Cook this mixture, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes, until the volume of the leaves has reduced by 2 thirds, and they start to loose their bitterness. If the pot gets too dry, add an additional ¼ to ½ cup of water.

Add the vegan bacon bits and salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 10 minutes.

Serve hot.

Leo Carillo Beach

Tony is an out door kind of guy.  He hikes, he climbs, he camps, and does all of the back country stuff.  One of the first gifts he ever got me was a large internal frame pack to carry my work stuff in. It’s been suggested that I can use it to go backpacking with him some day.  I hasn’t been hard to sell me this idea.  I love the outdoors almost as much as he does.  I’m just not as used to it as he is.

I’m not quite ready for backpacking yet.  It takes a lot of physical and mental conditioning to hike for days. We might go someday, but not today. I have started to do some conventional camping with Tony however, and it’s been a lot of fun.  Even now I’m sitting in my camp chair at Leo Carillo State Beach typing this post.

Ultimately we want to camp around the country so we have “geared up” with that in mind.  We have a pretty awesome set up, if I do say so. The tent we bought at REI is large enough to put both of our camp chairs in. This is cool, because if it rains and we still want to work we can  “home” office from inside the tent. Our camp chairs are so comfy that sometimes I set mine up in the apartment and use it as my desk chair. Various stuff sacks and Binto bags hold our clothes and other necessities.

We have a fold up kitchen set that has as much usable counter space as I have in the apartment.  We have aluminum pots and pans that nest in each other, and fit perfectly on our two burner Coleman stove. Tony even got us a three compartment “kitchen sink”.  It has two compartments made of waterproof fabric. One compartment is to soak dishes, the other to rinse. The middle compartment is made of netting and it holds dishes while they dry.

Today I learned how to set up the tent.  I learned how to unfold and set up the kitchen on our last trip to Joshua Tree.  I have to say, the kitchen set up is easier.  You really need a bit of strength to get those polls bent and clipped in.  Good thing I have a good looking er, strong man to help me out.  As for the kitchen, if you can fold a card table, you can set this up.

After using it a few times, Tony asked me if the kitchen was worth it.  I suppose we could set up the stove on available benches or picnic tables. And I could do prep on those tables too.  What I like about the kitchen is the consistency it gives me.  Campsites may not have tables or benches.  Every time I bring the folding kitchen, I know I have a level sturdy place to cook.  I know I can set up my “station” the same way every time we camp.  And I know where my kitchen has been.  I don’t know who those loose picnic tables have been hangin’ out with, lettin’ anybody sit on them and stick gum on them.  It’s shameful. Yes the kitchen is worth it.

Since I’m just learning this outdoor cooking thing I am keeping the food really simple until I get the hang.  The first thing that comes to my mind in camp cooking is slow cooked braised meats.  There isn’t much to cooking like that, you just put a lot of stuff in a pot and walk away.  We are pretty much vegetarian though, so that wont do. If anyone has suggestions on good vegy camp food email me or leave a comment. I love getting new ideas!

Aside from the cooking, there is the camping. I will tell you right now that conventional camping is great, but it is very different from the romantic version of wilderness seclusion I had imagined.  For example, rather that being far from any living soul, we have twice been camped right next to the campsites resident socialites.  This isn’t a big deal unless one is trying to go to bed early, or spent quiet time by the tent under the stars.  The stars may still happen, but the quiet time surely will not.  This campsite has a store in it, and the pacific coast highway is but a stones throw away.  Again, not bad just different. I am starting to understand that the secluded and romantic  version of wilderness I have in my head is only attainable through back country camping. AhHa! That must be why Tony does it.

There are benefits of camping this way. Having neighbors means you have someone to borrow a match from should you forget them on your first trip out. Yes that was an admission of guilt I did forget the matches on our first camping trip together.  On this trip I almost forgot the food. Well, that’s not entirely true. I did forget the food then Tony remembered it. This is like camping with training wheels. That’s fine with me because I clearly need the extra support.

As I get this outdoor stuff figured out come back to read about more food and camping fumbles!  This should prove to be pretty amusing stuff. I can already see headlines like “The professional cook who couldn’t get the can open” in my future.  (All I will say is that the can was opened eventually.)

More on the camping will come as it happens.  Some pictures from this trip and a trip to Joshua Tree will be posted on flickr.  Pretend you’re at the library and “check it out”.   Until then, I leave you with one of the many squirrels at Leo  Carillo.

My goodness we have been busy.  First we went to Joshua Tree for camping. We got back the day before I flew to North Carolina for a week with my family. Today we head out to Malibu for another round of camping.  Posts will come out of all this, don’t you worry, I’m just being slow out of the gate.  I’m going to get a chance to get some writing in with this camping excursion, so look for new stuff soon!

Today, I have to tell you about the grilled vegetable sandwiches (Caspian Sandwiches because Tony is great at naming things) we had for dinner recently.  I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking that grilled vegetable sandwiches are soggy and lifeless; they are hard to eat and have little in the way of real vegetable flavor; they are greasy and drenched in vinegar; the bread is so crunchy the sandwich is hard to eat.   What more reason do you need to make them yourself?  The best part of cooking for yourself is that you can make food the way you like it, and it’s often better than the way restaurants do it.

When I hear the words “grilled vegetable sandwich” my mind goes to a happy place where grilled vegetables are cut pleasantly thick and taste like… fresh grilled vegetables.  I imagine light drizzles of olive oil along with salt and fresh cracked pepper as the main flavor enhancers.  I dream of (Jeanie?) bread that is soft enough to bite through without cutting the roof of my mouth, and that holds those tasty veggies in place until I chomp down.

I’ve been tempted by these thoughts time and time again only to be let down by the soggy oily mess in front of me. How can there be such a discrepancy between what I imagine and what is on my plate?   “Enough of this nonsense!” I shouted to no one, “I will have the sandwich of my dreams!” With a loaf of yummy soft Kalamata Bread from The Bread Man at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market by my side, I faced the daunting task at hand and arrived triumphantly at sandwich bliss.  (Judging by this writing I must also have arrived a bit delirious.)

The biggest mistake I can help you avoid, one that I have made many times myself, is drenching “dry” vegetables like eggplant or even mushrooms with oil. If you are using a grill pan all you need is enough lube on the pan to prevent the veggies from sticking.  If you’re grilling them with enough heat, this shouldn’t be an issue anyway, as they will release from the pan quite easily when they are ready to turn.    Slices of eggplant and zucchini will look a bit dry when grilled this way, but trust me they aren’t.  There is plenty of natural juice in eggplant and zucchini and even mushrooms without all of the extra oil.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich
Makes 2 really big sandwiches

¼ cup olive oil
½ medium onion sliced into ¼ inch rounds
1 medium eggplant sliced into ¼ inch rounds
1 zucchini sliced on a bias into ¼ inch ovals
1 large red or yellow bell pepper cut into “fillets*”
½ loaf focachia style or similar bread (enough for two big sandwiches)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (veganaise will keep this vegan)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat for about four or five minutes.

While the grill pan is heating place the eggplant rounds in a shallow dish and lightly sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper.  The olive oil will not coat the vegetables. Toss the eggplant lightly to distribute the salt and pepper.

Repeat this process with the other vegetables. As some are in the grill pan, others can be tossed with the oil salt and pepper in the seasoning dish, so neither the grill pan nor the seasoning dish is too crowded.

When the grill pan is hot, lightly brush the surface with olive oil. Use a basting brush devoted to brushing oil on a hot pan, or a paper towel doused with a little oil.  Do not brush so much oil that it pools in the pan. Just gloss the surface.

Place the vegetable rounds on the grill pan in a single layer leaving about ¼ to ½ an inch of space between the slices.  This will prevent them from steaming themselves in the pan, and allow you room to turn them so they get nice grill marks.  You will need to do this in batches.

Grill for 2 minutes then turn 45 degrees.  Grill an additional 2 minutes then flip and repeat.  This will allow the veggies to cook through and give you lots of nice grill marks without burning.  Set vegetables aside.

(If you do not have a grill pan, you can roast the oiled and seasoned slices on a foil lined lightly oiled cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 5 to 8 minutes or until the veggies are just soft.)

Divide the bread into two halves.  Each half will be a sandwich.  Split each half  horizontally to make a top and a bottom.  Brush the cut sides of bread with olive oil and grill cut side down for about one minute.  Press the bread down, or weight it for darker grill marks.

Spread the mustard across the bottoms, and the mayo on the tops of the bread.  Layer the veggies evenly across the bottom slice and put the top on.  Cut them in half with a sharp knife to see the nice colorful layers of vegetables.

Serve immediately, warm or at room temperature.

*I know of about four ways to dissect a bell pepper.  I may write a post on this subject.  Until then check out Alton Brown on Good Eats here . (This is a fan page I found)
About half way down the page is part 2 of the 2-part video that instructs you in using a knife properly.  Part 2 shows an easy way to get bell pepper fillets, or the large square halves of a bell pepper that you see just before he juliennes it.

Just want to give you guys some updates on the technological happenings here in the testing lab (AKA my apartment).

I joined flickr so you can see more of the hundreds of photos I take each week.  Yeah, I take somewhere between two and three hundred pictures every week.  I was surprised by that too, it doesn’t feel like that many when I take them.  I would take more if lunch was always as pretty as the one pictured above.  This was yesterdays’ answer to the age old question “what can I make that requires less effort than ordering takeout?”  Toaster oven roasted onion and garlic cloves with steamed and curried new potatoes.  More on this later.

I am also on twitter for the time being. My name there is Landkat.  Don’t know how long this is going to last.  I suppose that all depends on demand. If people are paying following, I’ll stay.  If not, I probably wont.  No hard feelings, I promise.

Last update before I tell you how to make the  aforementioned  lunch/side dish.  I am thinking of moving my blog.  When this happens, I will give you all of the necessary information. Until then, check out all of the new stuff I’ve been working on.

Lunch

Serves 1-2 as a light lunch or a side dish

Roasted onion and garlic

• 1/2 white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• salt and pepper

Steamed and curried new potatoes

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 pound new potatoes
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Method for the roasted onion and garlic

Preheat toaster oven to 400 degrees.

Place half a pealed white onion cut side up on a sheet of aluminum foil that is large enough to wrap around the onion.  Put 2 whole cloves of pealed garlic on top of the onion, and 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine on top of this.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Wrap in the foil and bake in the toaster oven for thirty minutes, until the onion is completely translucent, and the garlic starts to turn golden.

Method for the Potatoes

In a pot that will allow a colander, strainer or steamer insert to fit inside, and that has a lid, bring 1 cup water to a simmer.

Place the potatoes in the colander or strainer or steamer insert and place this in the pot of simmering water. Adjust the placement so that the potatoes are not submerged.

Put the lid on and steam the potatoes for twenty minutes, until fork tender.

When the potatoes are tender, melt one tablespoon of butter or margarine in a small pan.  To this add the curry powder and paprika.  Swirl the spices in the hot pan for thirty seconds before adding the potatoes.  season with salt and pepper and pan roast for one minute.

To put it together

Break apart the petals of the roasted onion, and toss with the finished potatoes. Smash the garlic cloves and toss through for an over all garlic taste, or leave them whole for a nice surprise.  Serve hot.