Heirloom Tomato Bonanza

The farmer's market is overflowing with the season's final crop of heirloom tomatoes. They are best served in all their jewel-toned glory with fresh mozzarella and roughly torn basil leaves, and drizzled with sea salt, black pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Summer in a mouthful!

Everyday Chicken Curry

This is the everyday curry I grew up eating. It was made almost daily and is probably imprinted into my DNA. When I was very little and couldn’t tolerate as much heat, the curry was a golden yellow and made without any red chillis. As my cousins and I grew older, the amount of red chillis in the curry steadily went up, so that by the time I was in my teens, it was a fiery orange-red. But the colour is not the only hallmark of this recipe. In fact, in my mind, the chicken is secondary to the potatoes, which is more than worth fighting for. And the light, broth-ey curry is irresistible sopped up with warm, freshly made rice.

Ingredients 

6 tbsp Vegetable oil
1½ lbs [750 gms] Potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
3 whole Cloves
3 whole Cardamom pods
2 sticks Cinnamon
2-3 Bay Leaves
1 large Onion, chopped (approximately 1½ cups)
2 small Tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp Turmeric
2 tbsp Red Chilli powder (adjust to your taste)
2-inch piece Ginger, peeled and crushed to a paste
6 cloves Garlic, crushed to a paste
4lbs [2 kgs] bone-in Chicken pieces with skin removed (combination of thigh, leg, and breast)
Salt (to taste)
3½ cups Water

1. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium–high heat. Add potatoes and brown for 5 mins, until lightly golden. Remove potatoes and set aside in a bowl. 
2. Add remaining 3 tbsp oil to the pot. When the oil is smoking, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves, stir for about 1 min and allow the spices to swell. Add onions and fry for 7–8 mins, until golden brown and well caramelised. Add chopped tomatoes and stir well for 5 mins until they disintegrate into the onions. 
3. Mix turmeric and chilli powder with a little water to make into a paste, and add to the pot. Stir briskly for about 2 mins, and then add ginger and garlic. Continue stirring, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pot, until the oil starts to separate from the spice mixture, about 5-7 mins. 
4. Add chicken and stir well to coat the chicken pieces thoroughly with the spices. Continue stirring the chicken until it loses its raw, pink colour. Add potatoes, salt and water, stir, and bring to a brisk boil. Then lower heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 40-45 mins. Check the pot occasionally and stir to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. You know it is ready when all of the onions and tomato have amalgamated into the curry, and the oil separates into a glossy topcoat. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 mins before serving.

2011-2012 Opera Season

Hubby and I just booked our operas for this coming season. Can't wait to see Anna Netrebko as Anne Boleyn. . . !



Oct: Anna Bolena (Donizetti)
Nov: Don Giovanni (Mozart)
Dec: Faust (Gounod)
Jan: The Enchanted Island (Handel, Vivaldi. etc.)
Feb: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini)
Mar: Manon (Massenet)

On top of these, I'm also accompanying my dear friend JJ to see the glorious countertenor Andreas Scholl in Rodelinda, Handel's Baroque masterpiece.

Pineapple Salad with Cilantro and Sea Salt

I hate to call this a recipe—it really is just an excuse to use leftover fruit and herbs. But after marinating in the fridge for a couple hours, simple pineapple miraculously transforms into a fragrant salad or side dish, perfect as an accompaniment to grilled meat or fish, or just as delicious served as dessert.

Ingredients 

2 lbs [1 kg] Pineapple, cut into 1” cubes
¼ cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
2 tsp Sea Salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
Pinch of Paprika
4 tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil

1. Combine pineapple, cilantro and sea salt in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 mins.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the flavours to steep. Serve cold.

Mushroom Ricotta Tart

Puff pastry is an elegant and delicious dough, but arduous and time-consuming to make. When I’m inclined to some serious kitchen therapy, I pull out my trusty copy of Larousse and follow the laborious roll-fold-turn technique to a T. This is all very well and good when you have days to prep for one precious dessert. But some things in life can be just as delicious when you cut corners, and for this recipe, I recommend foregoing the labour of love, and using store-bought, frozen puff pastry for the base. You’ll be none the worse for wear and you can proudly present it at a weeknight dinner without breaking a sweat.

Ingredients

½ cup fresh Ricotta cheese
1 large Egg yolk
2 tsp extra virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup Crème Fraîche or Sour Cream
4 tbsp Butter
4 Shallots, finely sliced
2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1½ lb [750 gms] assorted fresh Mushrooms (like shitake, oyster, chanterelle, portobello), sliced
Salt (to taste)
1/8 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
1 tsp fresh Thyme
1 sheet (14 oz/400 gm) frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
1 Egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp water (for glaze)
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
10–12 Chives, roughly torn (for garnish)

1. Puree ricotta in food processor for about 1 min, until smooth. Add 1 egg yolk and olive oil and blend. Transfer ricotta mixture to a bowl and fold in crème fraîche. Set aside. 
2. Heat butter in a large skillet or frying pan over high heat. Add shallots and garlic, and stir briskly for 2 mins, until golden brown and well caramelized. Add mushrooms and sauté for 8–10 mins until they are cooked through. Turn off heat and stir-in salt, black pepper and thyme. 
3. Preheat oven to 400ºF [200ºC]. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and trim down to a roughly 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to a large, ungreased baking sheet. Using a sharp knife and starting ¼-inch in from the edge, score a line around the entire perimeter of the dough, cutting halfway through. Brush ¼-inch dough border with egg glaze. 
4. Spread ricotta mixture evenly over dough, inside the border. Top with mushrooms and then parmesan. Bake tart in oven for 30 mins, until the dough is golden and the top is well browned.
5. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 mins. Cut tart into 8 pieces and serve garnished with chives.

Watermelon, Red Onion, and Feta Salad

Nothing says summer more than watermelon. But three months into the season, I’ve over-dosed on the fruit and am constantly thinking of fresh, new ways of serving it. Pairing perfectly ripe watermelon with pungent red onion and creamy feta is unexpected, but utterly delicious. And the fragrance of mint takes this salad to the next level of happiness and contentment.

Ingredients
3 lbs [1½ kg] Watermelon, cut into 1” cubes
1 medium Red Onion, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime
16 oz. [½ kg] Feta cheese, cut into ½” cubes
½ cup Mint leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup Parsley, finely chopped
1/8 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
¼ cup extra virgin Olive Oil

1. Combine watermelon, red onion and lime juice in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 mins.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavours to steep. Serve cold.

Fiery Sausage Curry

I came up with this recipe to help cure one of hubby’s pesky head colds. The curry is armed with enough chillis and black pepper to clear any stuffed nose, and the tangy-ness of vinegar and tomatoes is perfect for cleansing a sick-bed palate. The trick is to use hot Italian sausages, or, even better, fresh chorizo, to bolster the heat of the spices. Chicken sausages are fine in a pinch, but lamb or pork have the preferable body and complexity.

Ingredients 

Marinade: 

1 medium Onion, quartered
2 medium Tomatoes, quartered
6 cloves Garlic
2” piece Ginger, peeled
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 tbsp ground Coriander
1 tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp Turmeric
3 tbsp Red Chilli powder (or less, according to taste)
½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
½ cup white Vinegar

2 lbs [1 kg] spicy Sausage (I prefer fresh chorizo, hot Italian, or merguez), cut into 1” pieces
5 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 whole Cloves
2 whole Cardamom pods
2 sticks Cinnamon
4 Bay leaves
1 medium Onion, diced
1 tsp Brown Sugar
Salt (to taste)
2 cups Water
6–8 fresh Green Chillis, minced
¼ cup Cilantro, finely chopped

1. Put onion, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and grind to a smooth paste. Pour into a large bowl, add garam masala, ground coriander and cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, black pepper, and vinegar, and stir. 
2. Add sausage to marinade and mix well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sausage marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, and up to 1 day. One hour before cooking, remove sausage from fridge and bring down to room temperature. Shake off any excess marinade from sausage, and reserve all of the marinade for use later in the recipe. 
3. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, over high heat. Add sausage in batches and brown well on both sides. Remove sausage from pot and set aside in a large bowl. 
4. Add remaining 3 tbsp vegetable oil to the pot. When the oil is smoking, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves, stir for about 1 min and allow the spices to swell. Add onions and fry for 5–7 mins, until golden brown and well caramelised. Add brown sugar and continue frying for 1 min. 
5. Add reserved marinade to the pot. Stir briskly for about 3–5 mins, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pot, until the oil starts to separate from the spice mixture. 
6. Add sausage and accumulated juices to the pot and stir well to coat sausage pieces thoroughly with spices. Add salt and water, stir, and bring to a brisk boil. Then lower heat, put the lid on the pot, and simmer for 1½ hrs. Stir the curry every ½ hour while it is cooking. If the liquid in the pot becomes insufficient, add 2-3 tbsps of water at a time, as needed. 
7. You know the curry is ready when the sausage feels tender when prodded with a fork, and a dense, creamy gravy has formed. Turn off heat, stir-in green chillis and cilantro, and put the lid back on. Allow the flavours to steep for 15 mins. Serve hot with rice or naan.

Fennel Orange Arugula Salad

Now that we’re in the dog days of summer, most weeknight meals are low on stovetop cooking, and are mainly a light, cool salad accompanied by whole-wheat pita and sweet tea or limeade. I let the produce at the farmer’s market inspire the salad of the day, and try to keep the prep-work to a minimum by using, large pieces of fruit and roughly sliced vegetables.

In this colourful salad, sweet, mandarin orange segments, and peppery arugula balance the licoricey scent of crunchy, raw fennel.

Ingredients 

Dressing: 

2 tbsp freshly squeezed Orange Juice
4 tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
1/8 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
Pinch of Salt

1 large Fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and cut into half-moon slices
3 cups Arugula
3 Shallots, finely sliced
3 Mandarin Oranges, with segments removed and peeled
¼ cup slivered Almonds, lightly toasted

1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
2. Combine fennel, arugula and shallots in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss well. 
3. Add orange segments and almonds and toss gently, making sure not to break the orange segments. Serve immediately.