My new toy

Seeing as the Christmas season is upon us, I took this opportunity to be adventurous in my dishes, cooking things that normally I would not have had the time/reason/energy to cook. These dishes required a dutch oven. As much as I wanted a "Le Creuset" dutch oven, I decided (polite way of saying that I was forced by the evil tight grip of financial constraint) to buy a substitute.  It's cast-aluminium instead of cast-iron, and it has a glass top instead of a cast-iron one, BUT it did come in that fun burnt orange color, so almost a win-win! (sarcasm radar = off the charts)
Now that I had my dutch oven, I had to test it out before the big show of Christmas Eve dinner. Similar to the way you should never wear a new pair of shoes for the first time to a big party or event, I figured that the risk of disaster was too high to cook for the first time in my new dutch oven on Christmas.
I had been watching a lot of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics, and there was a episode where she makes "Company Pot Roast", apparently an elevated pot roast. This seemed like a perfect dish to try in my new toy.
And then the snags hit...
First, I couldn't find chuck roast, so I got rump cap roast. I really should educate myself more on cuts of meat, seeing as I have no idea of what's what.
Second, I couldn't find leeks. Ok, we'll just take them out of the equation.
Third, I didn't have brandy, and as I live in a Muslim country, I couldn't find any. I suppose I could have gone searching on the alcohol black market, but the seemed a bit too sketchy for just a pot roast. So scratch the brandy.
Fourth, I couldn't find chicken stock, and didn't have any home-made. Thank god I had brought some good quality "fond de poulet" from Brussels, but I nearly depleted my stocks with this meal.
After assessing the damage to the recipe's integrity, I began cooking. Luckily all seemed to be going well, even with all of my adjustments.  One major tricky bit was the salt. I knew that my "fond de poulet" was inherently salty, so I tried to remove the salt from everything else.

Finally, a few hours later, the pot roast came out alright. But I didn't see what all the fuss was about. Don't get me wrong, it was good, just not fantastically amazing, as the reviews would have one believe. Perhapsthose missing ingredients were the cherry on the cake, leaving me with just a cake. 

At least I know now that my dutch oven works well, but unfortunately I have nothing to compare it to, as I have never cooked with a real cast-iron dutch oven. 

On the plus side, I made roasted garlic mashed potatoes, a recipe I knew very well, and they were absolutely delicious!! 

I roasted 2 heads of garlic by cutting off the tops, pouring on some olive oil and salt, and throwing them in the oven for 45 minutes. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture and take note of the temperature, but I'm guessing it was around 200 Celsius. 

Next, I peeled and cut into quarters a kilo of potatoes and boiled them until soft. Then I drained them, threw in about 4 tablespoons of butter, 200g of heavy cream, and 200g of sour cream and began mashing. I also added one head of roasted garlic cloves. 

I decorated the pot roast and the mashed potatoes with the garlic cloves from the other head of roasted garlic. 

I would definitely make the mashed potatoes again, but as for the pot roast, I would only try it again if I had everything the recipe called for, down to the last grain of salt. 

But mission accomplished, I was feeling confident to tackle Christmas Eve dinner!

Some existential musings with a side of sweet potato

Can dreamers ever be happy? I'm starting to question the very core of who I am. One would say I'm in the midst of an existential crisis. No, crisis is too big of a word. Let's say "existential development". Does that work? Can I use those 2 words together in a coherent way? I'm going with yes.

So can a dreamer every find happiness. That is the question. I don't mean any kind of happiness, I'm more referring to a general, deep-down happiness. The happiness that comes from a soul at peace.

I know that I'm a dreamer. Numerous different people have labeled me this on many different occasions. And now I'm starting to feel like I'm constantly chasing after something that I'll never be able to catch. For example, when I was a teenager walking home from school, I would close my eyes and imagine I was walking on the streets of Paris. Then I would be happy. No problems that I had in Texas could follow me to Paris, oh no. But then in Paris, I would dream about being in London, close to my sister. And then in London, I would dream about being in Brussels, with my boyfriend. Then in Brussels, I would dream about being anywhere else where I could get a good paying job. Now I'm in Cairo searching for that good paying job, and I'm dreaming of being back in Europe, where life is so much easier on so many levels.

Or how I come up with new ideas practically each week; dreams of starting NGOs,  or restaurants, or interior design firms... Fires that burn just as bright as they fizzle fast.

I'm getting tired of searching for that one thing, that one dream, that will make me at peace. I need to be in the present moment. 

Easier said than done.

Well in the spirit of being in the present moment, I'm going to start focusing in on that which is around me and makes me happy on a day-to-day basis.

Starting with sweet potatoes.

Here in Egypt there are a lot of street vendors, of all varieties. You can hear them yelling advertisements as they walk through the streets, hawking whatever they are selling. My favorite is the "batata" guy. Batata is potato in Arabic, but seems to refer to sweet potato in this context. (I  definitely should ask my boyfriend for clarification on this subject). The sweet potatoes are roasted in a little makeshift wood burning oven, place on a small wooden cart (how the whole this doesn't burn, I don't know) and they taste delicious! Smokey and moist, these sweet potatoes actually converted me. I never liked sweet potatoes until I tried these. It's probably not the most sanitary thing I've ever eaten though. My guess is that the potatoes aren't properly washed, the oven is most likely in a horrendous state, they are wrapped in either pages from a magazine or newspaper (once I got one that was wrapped in someone's cell phone bill), but luckily, the potato comes in its own wrapping, the skin. So if you only eat the flesh of the sweet potato and not the skin, you should be fine. And I highly recommend this to anyone who likes sweet potatoes.

I tried recreating the potato at home, slow cooking it at a low temperature, and although it was good, it didn't quite have the same delicious smokey flavor to it.

So, whether I'm dreaming of the greener grass, or living in the present moment, I'll be keeping my eye out for my beloved "Batata".


*The photos are not mine, I found them on Google Images. 

It's been too long...

So I was wrong in my last post. I did not write another post "soon". I can't believe it has taken me over a year to get back to my blog. So much has happened. I have moved from Brussels to Cairo, in search of a job. So far, it's a slow process. And it's been emotional.
Egypt is going through a very tumultuous time, similar to me. The Muslim Brotherhood has taken control of the country, leading to a foggy future. I wish I could say that I have gotten used to living in such instability, but four months hasn't made it much easier. I have no idea how long I'll be staying in Egypt, or if I'll have to leave at the drop of a hat because of a civil war, or hatred towards foreigners, or strict religious laws being imposed... there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Let's hope they don't.
But enough complaining... I have decided that in order to find some stability and joy, I need to get back to cooking and writing. My boyfriend also just bought us a new oven, so I have a lot that I want to cook. The oven is Egyptian-made though, so i'm not sure of it's capabilities yet. So far I have succeeded in making a roast chicken with potatoes (that took 2 hours, as opposed to the normal 1 hour), and a chocolate cake from a cake mix (took 1 hour instead of 30 minutes). So clearly I need to figure out the temperature gauge before I start experimenting with more delicate recipes.
Right now I have a glimmer of an idea -  to start a sandwich shop here in Cairo. Unfortunately I'm not pursuing the idea until the political situation calms down a bit, and until I know more about my own job situation. But I am enjoying creating sandwich recipes! Here's one I made the other day...

Chicken and Balsamic Caramelized Apples Sandwich

1 Chicken Breast
1 Apple, peeled and thinly sliced
Butter
Balsamic Vinegar
Cinnamon
Sharp Cheddar
Honey
Dijon Mustard
Freshly-baked Country Bread Loaf (2 slices)

Fry the chicken breast with a dollop of butter and olive oil and a dash of salt for 5-7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove from pan, set aside of a separate plate. In the same pan, add more butter, about a teaspoon, and put in the apple slices. Add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of cinnamon. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes on a medium heat, until brown and caramelized. On one slice of bread, spread a small amount of honey. On the other slice, spread a decent amount of Dijon mustard. On the honeyed slice, add a layer of the apples. Slice the chicken breast as thinly as possible, and add a layer on top of the apples. Next, add the cheddar on top of the chicken, then close the sandwich with the other slice of bread. Cut in half and enjoy!

Hopefully I will continue to write here on my blog, whether I add recipes or not. I'm happy I'm back at it, so let's hope I can keep it up!

And I'm back...

It's been a while since I've made anything worth noting. It started with a bout of laziness, followed by chef's block (the vindictive cousin of writer's block), and then just when I was ready to started making interesting and delicious meals again, I found myself more "poor "and less "gourmand".

But I have a dinner party coming up, so hopefully I will post something of worth very soon!

Until then, I will leave you with a little quote from a fascinating woman:  Clementine Paddleford. Look her up. She was one of the first food critics in the United States, and an overall witty wonder.

"Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where you backbone ought to be. "

Conquering the enemy

I was perusing a food blog the other day, and I saw a post about cinnamon crumb coffee cake. I was immediately reminded of eating this as a kid in the states, thinking it was the best cake I had ever had. I decided I had to make it! I researched recipes on-line, and left the chosen one up on my computer screen as a reminder to make it. Two weeks of laziness accentuated by a dash of procrastination went by, until yesterday, when I decided I didn't want to buy some pre-made dessert from the store. I wanted something fresh and preservative-free! I could hear the faint calling of the cinnamon crumb coffee cake, slowly awakening me from my sedative state of laziness.

So I baked this cake. I added some toasted almonds for a little extra flavour. It was good. Definitely better than anything at the grocery store. Next time, I hope to have fully overcome my laziness, and will add something to spruce it up. Maybe apples, or some amaretto. But other than my excessive need to re-invent the wheel, the recipe was yummy as is. Very moist, and not over-poweringly sweet, despite the 500 cups of sugar I used.

Luckily I'm not too lazy to eat...

For the recipe, click here

Vienna

For the last few days, I've been in Vienna. It's come to be a very special place for me and my boyfriend. We go twice a year because he has work there, luckily in the warmer months of April and July. Vienna breathes music. You can hear it in the walls of the stunning buildings, as the wind whistles through the trees that have seen it all, and even through the food. I imagine the schnitzel to be the cello, the potatoes are the piano, and the Gemüse to be the violin, all coming together on the plate to play their requiem, proudly and boldly.

This trip was just as magical, albeit short. As the hotel where we stayed was outside of the centre, during the day I would wander the neighbourhood. It was so calm. 

One day I went to the Schönbrunn Palace, the ornate summer home of the Hapsburg's. I had already visited the palace on a previous trip, so I just walked around the grounds, with the intent to go to the zoo (even though, in principle, I completely oppose the concept of a zoo). But I got side-tracked on my way by the Palmenhaus, a greenhouse built in 1881/82, and still functioning.  This huge glass building is surrounded by intensely manicured lawns, and totally worth being side-tracked for.

 As I walked through the heavy doors, I could feel all my senses being aroused; kicked into high gear. Floral scents floating above the heavy smell of moist earth, the talkative birds competing with not-so-subtle recordings of crickets and frogs, the eye-full's of vibrant, exotic flowers... everything culminating to bring out my inner, adventurous child. And that child wanted to explore this Amazonian world! So I did just that.

Covering all the paths, I played "Where's Waldo" to find even the tiniest, unknown plant or flower. At some point I noticed questioningly why there were no bugs to be found in this paradise. I got my answer quickly as I turned a corner and came face to face with a very thug-like spider. He looked like he would mug me I came too close. I could practically see him rolling up the sleeves on his eight arms, preparing for a fight. Needless to say, I quickly and quietly extricated myself from his environment. 

As I continued my exploratory adventure, I played with my camera, taking portraits of the all too willing subjects... Palmenhaus

For dinner we went to one of the best restaurants I have been to in a long time. Definitely high on the "top ten" list. Freyenstein is located outside of the city centre, but 100% worth the trek. A "Gourmet Gasthaus", as they call themselves, Freyenstein has one menu (which changes weekly I think), no à la carte, so no choice as to what you will eat. But fear not, the chef will choose wisely! We also had the added twist of not speaking German, so we really had the bare minimum of an idea as to what we were about to eat. But everything was amazing. Completely, utterly, positively mind-blowing!

We started with an amuse-bouche duo (every course was two plates) of lemon cream with caviar and creamy, cheesy, herby stuff wrapped in roast beef with pickled peppers. It was a perfect way to start a perfect meal. 

Next we had a Czech dumpling in a mushroom sauce and a savoury mango-watercress soup. I think the soup was one of my favourite parts of the meal. It had so many levels and a deep richness. 

Risotto with peas and mint and a stuffed courgette (I think it was yellow patty pan squash) with a tomato and pepper puree, walnut oil, and tiny edible flowers, which I found to be quite bitter. Almost every dish had some sort of edible flower on it, an ode to summer. 

Battered sardine with pickled radish and another vegetable that I know the name of but couldn't place. Don't you hate it when that happens? I think it was parsnip. And next to it is a fish ball (fresh water fish) with flower petals and some kind of sauce. I wasn't crazy about this course, as I'm not crazy about either type of fish.

Corn-fed chicken breast with fried potatoes and sautéed cabbage next to roasted veal with celery puree and parsnips. Mmmh, my mouth is watering. The meat was so well cooked. Everything on the plate was shining its brightest.

Finally, the dessert. A sort of home-made warm marzipan on top of a stewed apricot, then whipped yoghurt with fresh raspberries, and a berry soup with fresh mixed berries. 

The next day, unfortunately we had to leave Vienna. But not before a quick trip to the Naschmarkt. This market is the most popular in Vienna, and has a array of restaurants and vendors. We stopped for a drink before exploring all the food stalls. To see my Naschmarkt album... click here

Hopefully I can go back to Vienna next April, and continue exploring this magical city! 

Happy birthday little Belgium!!!

Happy 178th birthday Belgium! You are a great country to live in. Of course, there are certain governmental issues, but other than that, I have to admit... I love you.

For those of you who want to learn more about Belgium, here is a great video explaining everything...

Unfortunately I had forgotten that grocery stores are closed on public holidays, and I hadn't been to the store yesterday. Thus I was caught without food. Or so I thought. It is situations like today that I am very happy about my method of shopping. It is similar to my mentality about clothes. If you always buy clothes that match, then you always have a cute outfit, even when you're just too lazy to care about fashion. Translated to food: If you always buy ingredients that taste yummy together, you will always have a nice meal waiting to be discovered in the back of the fridge! So tonight I made pasta (a staple ingredient in every household) with marinated artichoke hearts (which I had left over from the previous post's meal), mushrooms, garlic, white wine, cream, Gouda, and fresh Parmesan. It was simple and quick and most importantly, delicious! As Mitch Hedburg would say, "Mac and cheese  for adults". 

In case you were wondering how I made it, I'll tell you. I sliced up the mushrooms, fried them in olive oil, added one clove of garlic, and after it was cooked, added a bit of white wine. Once the alcohol had burned out, I added cream, Gouda, Parmesan and diced the artichoke hearts. Stir, stir, stir and you have a fabulous, easy pasta sauce. 


Not exactly a Belgian dish, but still one worthy of a celebratory meal. Now if only the clouds would go away so I could watch the fireworks...