November 2012 – Turmeric and Twine

Garden Pesto + Job Hunting in Korea

November 30, 2012December 29, 2014Turmeric and TwineLeave a comment

To the minor detriment of finding time to write posts, I have been focusing on finding a teaching job in South Korea for the past few weeks. It’s been a little slow going because I’m being very picky and haven’t actually applied to many positions. Luckily, as ESL teaching positions are quite plentiful, I can afford to be somewhat picky, but a large portion of me just wants it over with. Job searching gives me ulcers. Gah.

Actually, this won’t be my first time out there. I will be returning to SoKo after a year away. I first left North America (as a dual citizen of the States and Canada, I claim North America as my home) in August 2008. My intention was to stay for a year, but it just ended up being too good an opportunity to leave then, so I stayed an extra 2 and a half years.

In that time, I made friends with people from all over the world, traveled to about 25 countries, paid off all of my school loans and ate a metric ton of kimchi. Maybe two. As a Seoulite, I always found plenty of things to do, see, eat and experience. Seoul, like any city, has its plusses and minuses.

#1 plus- the amount of people

#1 minus- the amount of people

I’ll let you ponder that.

I look forward to experimenting with traditional Korean dishes (which is saying a lot- Korean food has such a wide array of strong flavours that experimentation could be extreme) as well as getting to know some more people in food circles upon my return to Seoul. I will keep you updated as things progress. Until then: Pesto!

This summer and fall, herbs were ridiculously plentiful in mum’s garden. It was difficult to find ways to use them all. We were stuck with excessive amounts of (among other things) basil, parsley, cilantro, arugula and yellow wood sorrel.

Yellow wood sorrel is a delightful, clover sized plant that happens to be extremely and surprisingly sour. It’s kind of like eating a flat, dry and green lemon. Well… kind of. It grows everywhere and chances are it is growing in a green space near you. You most likely think of it as a weed, but I can assure you of its usefulness. It is wonderful as an extra salad green, gorgeous as a garnish and a delightful addition to anything needing tang. The entire plant is edible (although the stems get harder later in the season) and loaded with Vitamin C. It has some medicinal properties and will help treat skin rashes, swelling and inflammation. It can also be used as an orange/yellow dye. Thanks yellow wood sorrel for being so fabulous and helping to flavour my pesto to perfection!

My recipe yielded a very large amount of pesto. Luckily, pesto freezes perfectly and months after making the stuff, I’ve still got containers full and it’s still gorgeous. It also makes wonderful gifts.

Garden Pesto

Ingredients

10 cups basil, arugula, parsley, cilantro and yellow wood sorrel mixed
3 ½ cups walnuts
1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
20 cloves of garlic
1 ½ tbsp salt
2 ¾ cups olive oil
water

or for those who lack freezer space

2 cups basil, arugula, parsley, cilantro and yellow wood sorrel mixed
½ cup walnuts
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves of garlic
1/8 to ¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
water

Directions

Using a food processor, blend herbs, nuts, garlic, salt and olive oil in small batches. Add small amounts of water for extra blending lubrication. Blend until beautifully smooth with bits of green.

Once the ingredients have finished blending, mix the parmesan into the rest until well incorporated.

Pesto can be frozen for many months and keeps well in the fridge.

Variations

Omit parmesan for a vegan version and add a touch more salt. Or use a salty hard vegan cheese (any suggestions?).

Roast garlic if you’re garlic sensitive, although I would never recommend omitting garlic entirely.

Enjoy!

33 1/3rd Birthday + Grapefruit Cheesecake with Lemon Licorice and Vodka Cream

November 23, 2012February 11, 2013Turmeric and Twine2 Comments

Last week, I celebrated my 33 and a third birthday. 33.33. I know it isn’t commonplace to celebrate a fraction of one’s birthday, but turning exactly one third of a century was too good to pass up without festivities. An old roommate and friend of mine from Montreal invited me to her 33 1/3^rd birthday some years ago. It really struck me as a perfect event to celebrate; after all, three is a magic number.

Three. Past, present and future. Spirit, mind and body. Mother, father and child. Beginning, middle and end. The Three Furies, the rule of three, triangles, etc. 3 or 33 has appeared as important numbers in history, science, astronomy, sports, spirituality, nature, math and even geography. It symbolizes balance, clarity and wholeness. Threeness had overwhelmingly sold itself to me as something awesome. I was determined to do something great when I hit the big 33.33 and since my actual 33^rd birthday was kind of a non-event, it was even more reason to party.

So, I did. My real birthday is on July 12^th. I added a third of a year (4 months) to find that the precise date of my 33 1/3^rd birthday was November 12^th, 2012. In lieu of all the threeness, I decided that the theme of the party would be: (surprise!) 3’s! Here’s what I did:

Invite: I thought a party with a 3 theme could possibly be confusing and overwhelming for some of my guests, so I outlined the requests of the evening very simply in the hopes that my guests would interpret the theme in their own way. I asked everyone to dress up and bring food with 3 in mind. I told them that this was a very loose idea and could be interpreted in any way they like. It could be as simple as wearing three colours and bringing a 3-bean salad. I encouraged their creative ideas and humour to lead them more than what they thought I was expecting. It was all about fun.

Note: I wanted to celebrate on the exact date, which landed on a Monday. I asked my guests if they could manage coming on Monday or if they preferred Sunday. I tallied the votes before making the decision. Luckily, it worked out to be Monday. The official start time was 3:33pm, but I told everyone to come later.

Ideas: I encouraged my guests with a few ideas to pique their interest. Actually, I really just googled “things in threes” or “common threes” and loads of lists came up such as:

3 minute egg
3 Stooges
3 Cheers
3 Musketeers
3 piece suit
3 dimensional
3 ring notebook
Small, medium and large
On your mark, get set, go
Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil
Etc…

The list was pretty long. But effective!

Another clever costume: Third eye

Some of the dishes we ended up with were Shepard’s pie (3 layers), dip (also 3 layers), 3 different snacks, tri coloured soup, multi layered cocktails (details on those to come) and multi alcohol cocktails.

Food: My guests were most confused about food. I guided them with a few ideas like:
3 ingredients
3 layers
3 containers
3 colours
3 dishes

My main contribution to the food selection was the grapefruit cheesecake with lemon licorice and vodka cream (with the crust it qualifies as 3 layers). Gorgeously balanced in flavour and decadently rich.

Grapefruit Cheesecake with Lemon Licorice and Vodka Cream

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups crushed graham crackers
2 tsp grated grapefruit zest
½ cup melted butter
1 ½ tsp cinnamon

Filling

2 grapefruits
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp agar agar (powdered)
¼ cup water
1 pound (16 oz) of softened cream cheese
1 ¼ tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated grapefruit zest
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2/3 cup whipping cream

Cream

2 cups icing sugar
3 tbsp licorice powder (NOTE: I used hard candies I had brought back from Iceland and powdered them in the food processor. You could experiment with various different licorice candies to see which ones crush and/or melt well).
2/3 cups vodka
½ tsp lemon extract
3 cups heavy cream

Directions

Cheesecake

Mix crust ingredients until evenly combined. Press the crust to the bottom of the pan you will be keeping your cheesecake in (about 9 inches).

Peel the grapefruits and separate segments into small pieces. Drain the juice for the filling.

Combine agar agar and water in a pot and heat on high. Stirring constantly, allow the mixture to boil and remove from heat. Separate 2 eggs. Combine the yolks and remaining whole egg, sugar, salt and 1 tbsp of the juice in a double boiler. Stir regularly. Remove from heat when thickened. Combine this mixture with the agar agar in a bowl.

Beat the cream cheese with the remaining grapefruit juice (½ cup) and lemon juice/rinds. Combine with the egg mixture. Lightly whip heavy cream. Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold the cream and egg whites into the cheese mixture.

Pour this on top of the crust and chill for several hours.

Cream

Mix licorice powder, sugar, lemon extract and vodka in a bowl. Stir until well combined and smooth.

Whip heavy cream with a whisk or an electric mixer until stiff and forms soft peaks.

Gently fold licorice mixture into the cream until well mixed.

Chill for at least an hour.

Serves 8-10 lucky people.

Tangy Fried Green Tomatoes

November 15, 2012February 10, 2013Turmeric and Twine4 Comments

Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone for their wonderful support and comments in response to my previous post. It means a lot. Every bit.

Fall came quickly this year. We had many unripe tomatoes in our garden when the first frost arrived, and we had to find a way to make something interesting out of them. It seemed my only real option (in my opinion) was to give fried green tomatoes a go. I’d never made them and it just made sense.

Southern dishes are always such a curious undertaking. Rich, fatty, flavourful and full of character, dishes such as red-velvet cake, deep fried chicken, fatback collard greens and pecan pie are typical staples of southern cuisine.

As a Yank, I live vicariously through my Southern friends and the feeling they get about their comfort foods. Wikipedia told me that the most notable influences of Southern cuisine come from the English, Scottish, Irish, German, French, Native American and African American traditions. I enjoy taking moments to step back and savor the history of this melting pot cuisine before diving into my own version. Here are my fried green tomatoes.

Tangy Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

6-7 medium sized firm, green tomatoes
1 cup of cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
¼ cup milk or buttermilk
1 lemon
Cooking oil

Directions

Slice tomatoes into ½ inch slices. I do not recommend using end pieces as they don’t hold the cornmeal mixture very well, so be sure to make each slice flat on both sides.

In a small bowl, mix the eggs, milk and lemon juice as well as some of the zest.

Combine all the dry seasoning, flour and cornmeal into a container with a top (or one that is deep enough so you can shake the contents without making a mess).

Heat a skillet or frying pan in medium high heat. Add enough oil to grease the pan with a (not too) generous layer. Begin dipping slices of tomato one at a time into the egg mixture. Then drop them into the cornmeal mixture. Cover the container and shake for a few seconds. Your tomato should be thoroughly coated in cornmeal.

Place coated slices in the hot pan and fry until golden brown on each side. This could about 5 minutes per side depending on the heat your stove produces.

When cooked to your satisfaction, place the slices on paper towels in order to soak up some of the grease.

Dip in hot sauce and devour while hot.

Serves 4-6.

Phew! I made it this far without mentioning the movie!

…D’oh!

Molecular Gastronomy: Honey Wrap and My Dada

November 6, 2012December 29, 2014Turmeric and Twine15 Comments

Today is my father’s birthday. He would be 68. Were he alive, we’d probably celebrate by preparing him breakfast in bed, going to see a movie and taking him out to dinner. If he had it his way, we’d all go sailing (the rest of the family would probably protest the temperature, being November and all). In the spring of 2010, my parents moved back to the Abode after nearly 30 years away. They had plans to build a house on the land they had bought, but after a few days, it was clear that dream wouldn’t be possible.

Sid the Sailor. On a boat, dad was at his best.

My father, Sid Smallen; handyman extraordinaire, Sufi mystic, master woodworker and all around awesome guy, was struck on his back by a falling tree and paralyzed from the chest down. He sustained many other internal injuries, and after being helicoptered to the ER, we weren’t sure he would make it. For 10 months, he lived through one crisis after another; heart attack, appendicitis he couldn’t feel, not being able to eat, having to relearn how to breathe without aid, kidney failure, bedsores and at times not being able to talk due to the placement of his tracheotomy. He was moved to a rehabilitation hospital, and over those 10 months, he was never strong enough to leave it. Sometimes he was so filled with drive and energy that he was rockin’ his rehab exercises, sometimes infection and fatigue made it too difficult for him to lift his head. Finally, after being in a septic coma for 2 weeks, my father passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones and so much love on April 24^th, 2011.

Before the accident and as far back as I can remember, my dad was always doing something. He was an excellent tinkerer and could pretty much make whatever he put his mind to. He made most of the furniture in my mum’s home and built a house-sized, 3-story addition to a previous house we lived in. I don’t think he was capable of going a single day without thinking about power tools. He had a good mind for math and science and was also able to apply his creativity in design to his work. I have so much admiration for my father for his strength. He fought so hard when the going was really tough.

I wish to dedicate this post to my dad. Being my first post on molecular gastronomy, which is the science of cooking (started and cultivated by food tinkerers worldwide) I felt the scientific exploration behind MG accurately captures just the sort of tinkering he’d really appreciate.

Since buying my molecular gastronomy kits, I’ve responded by either sitting around for hours watching the neat instructional videos and springing into molecular gastronomical action in my kitchen or glaring at the kits in overwhelmed disbelief of the possibilities they possess. In the beginning, I needed to take it slow, so I started with a honey wrap or sheet.

Many of the gelification techniques in molecular gastronomy use agar agar, which is a gelatinous substance derived from algae and activated when boiled. It has been popular in the vegan/vegetarian movements as a gelatin substitute. It is tasteless, odorless, colourless and very easy to use. It can be ordered online and found at most health food stores.

Here is an instructional video demonstrating how to make a similar sort of sheet out of rum.

Honey Wrap

Ingredients

1/3 cup water
½ cup honey
½ tsp powdered agar agar

Directions

Place all ingredients in a small pot.

Stirring constantly, bring ingredients to a boil.

Pour contents on plates or in bowls so they make a thin layer. Spread the liquid around on the surface but make sure they’re not too thin as their strength could be compromised. I’d suggest varying the thickness on each surface so you can understand what works best.

Place honey wraps in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. If they aren’t perfectly solid, give your wraps more time to cool.

Cut out a circle shape about the size of your hand from the middle of your wrap. Carefully pull the circle off the surface.

Place yogurt and/or fruit inside your wrap and enjoy.

To dad, from your little girl. Rest in peace.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Foreign

November 1, 2012December 29, 2014Turmeric and Twine1 Comment

Alright, this doesn’t have anything to do with food, but I saw The Daily Post’s photo challenge and I couldn’t resist.

I took this photo on my recent trip to Iceland. The mineral pool is part of a geothermal field; the same geothermal field where Geysir is located. When I was in Iceland, I felt like an Earthling on the wrong planet. I was overwhelmed by how foreign it felt. The alien blue colour of this very hot water with the stark moon-like surroundings of this photo pretty much sums up the experience that is Iceland. Awe mixes with wonder and fear (so many dangerous possibilities!) and it’s easy to forget where you are.

DIY Halloween: Spiced Rum Sea Salt Tootsie Rolls and Oriole Costume

November 1, 2012December 29, 2014Turmeric and Twine2 Comments

Like most North Americans, I love Halloween. The history, the nostalgia and the excitement all jump-start us into Do-It-Yourself action to where we can’t help ourselves but to dress-up and party. It’s a very special annual event and I try to pay my respects by putting effort into costumes, candies and parties.

Having spent my previous three Halloweens in the massive metropolis of Seoul, this year’s quaint Berkshire retreat center Halloween just didn’t get my heart pounding. Though Korea doesn’t traditionally celebrate Halloween, the large ex-pat community (composed mostly of English teachers) and a general love of partying have made certain areas of Seoul a fountain of pure Halloween joy. A few Seoul neighborhoods, such as Itaewon and Hongdae, have become foreigner hot spots, so there is an endless stream of bars, people watching, parties and costume contests.

My Halloween this year was very, uh, … quiet. Many of the people I was surrounded by didn’t dress up or acknowledge that a special occasion was occurring. I, on the other hand, was possessed by the idea of a homemade DIY Halloween and fully allowed the spirit to blow through me like a hurricane (speaking of Sandy, we were extremely lucky in the NY Berkshires. We had very few power outages and little damage. A few weak trees were loosened and are threatening to fall, but haven’t yet. Hopefully, they will be removed soon. Other than that, it was just a very windy storm).

My costume this year was of an Oriole. I was inspired to make this for two main reasons:

1) I’ve had a ridiculous bright red-orange gown for years and have always wanted to alter it into something I’d actually wear.

2) I found this fun, easy and fabulous DIY wing tutorial that made me want to be a bird of some kind. A quick Google search of what birds fit my colour criteria told me that an oriole made perfect sense. Voila!

And, for obvious reasons of delciousness and awesomeness, I had to make some spiced rum tootsie rolls, too. They’re very easy and extremely satisfying.

Homemade Spiced Rum Sea Salt Tootsie Rolls

Ingredients

½ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup honey
½ cup molasses
1 cup icing or confectioners sugar
2 cups nonfat milk powder
3 tbsp melted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp spiced rum
A pinch of sea salt (coarse is preferable)

Directions

In a bowl, mix the cocoa, honey, molasses and vanilla together. Once smooth, add the butter, powdered sugar, salt and rum.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix the milk powder into the mixture. Knead the tootsie mix with your hands, if you prefer. It should form a smooth looking lump when finished.

Let it rest and further merge into tootsie-ness for 20 minutes.

Using a knife or pizza-cutter cut the giant tootsie into strips. Then into one inch chunks. The chunks should be malleable and not sticky.

Cut some wax paper into pieces large enough to wrap your tootsie chunks in. Wrap them.

Bring them to a party and watch your friends devour them.

Makes 40-45 pieces.

Turmeric and Twine

Creative Endeavors With Food and Travel

Month: November 2012

Garden Pesto + Job Hunting in Korea

33 1/3rd Birthday + Grapefruit Cheesecake with Lemon Licorice and Vodka Cream

Tangy Fried Green Tomatoes

Molecular Gastronomy: Honey Wrap and My Dada

Weekly Photo Challenge: Foreign

DIY Halloween: Spiced Rum Sea Salt Tootsie Rolls and Oriole Costume

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