Cuisine Eric

You can get such fantastic spice mixes these days that it sometimes seems not worthwhile to blend your own masalas.  I still like to, but a friend gave me a wonderful gift pack from Penzey's containing a collection of Indian and Southwestern spice mixes.  Oh the possibilities... Tandoori chicken is typically marinated in yogurt which softens the meat, and then dry roasted in a traditional uber-hot tandoori oven.  Who has that at home?  Though I'd love one (but I might choose to install a wood fired pizza oven first), just set your conventional oven to 450F for relatively hot roasting, and watch that chicken roast! 4 boneless chicken thighs, skin on 2 Tbsp prepared Indian Tandoori spice mix (I used Penzey’s) 1/4 cup Greek plain yogurt 1/2 cup long grain rice (I used Basmati), rinsed several times and drained 1-1/2 cups water 1/2 tsp salt 1 stick cinnamon 1 zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise, and then into half moons palmful fresh mint, chopped Mix t

We We brought home several pints of fresh Maine blueberries and I would have been remiss if I did not make a galette.  A galette is a rustic pie baked on a sheet, not in a pie pan.  Fruit is piled in the center of the rolled out dough, which is then folded back up over the fruit filling to hold it in.  Unpretentious, simple and delicious. I kicked up the dough here with some crushed red pepper flakes, fenugreek and sesame seeds.  1 pint blueberries 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 Tbsp cornstarch Dry ingredients: 1-1/3 cup flour 1 Tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp (or to taste) red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp ground fenugreek 1 Tbsp golden toasted sesame seeds 1 Tbsp black toasted sesame seeds 1 stick butter, cubed and chilled in freezer 1 egg plus 1 Tbsp half and half 1 Tbsp coarse turbinado sugar Mix blueberries together with sugar, salt and cornstarch in a medium bowl.  Allow the blueberries to sit while you prepare the crust. Mix dry ingr

 Dress up your next batch or pork chops with a spicy and tart sauce from Melissa Clarke of the New York Times.  I modified her tamarind sauce with what I had on hand and grilled up the most flavorful chops I have had in quite a while. 4 pork chops (I used bone-in) Tamarind sauce: 1/4 cup tamarind paste 1 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (or other favorite hot sauce) 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced Whisk together the tamarind sauce in a small bowl.  Slather two thirds of the sauce all over pork chops, and allow to rest at least an hour, or even better, overnight in the refrigerator. Reserve remaining sauce for cooking. When ready to cook, heat grill to high.  Return chops to room temperature. Grill chops on both sides about 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through - pork should be about 140F internal temperature for medium. Slater remaining third of the reserved sauce on the chops during the last few minutes of cooking

We love visiting family in Maine, and oh - the blueberries...  We just had to bring back a few pints. 1/2 pint fresh Maine blueberries, washed, rinsed and dried (if really necessary…) a dozen or so grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 6 cups mixed greens Favorite vinaigrette dressing, to taste Toss salad together with a dash of dressing - best leave it less than you might think.  Serve remaining dressing on the side, for those who wish enhancement. Serves 4. Cook’s Note:   Please consider not using a creamy dressing here!  The joy of fresh, small Maine blueberries, with summer-best grape tomatoes, is best accessed with a clear, slight hint of dressing flavors, I think.

This summer we visited family in Maine and enjoyed wonderful seafood, from the top-rated lobster rolls (according to Yankee Magazine) at McLoon's Lobster Shack in Spruce Head, to chowders and bisques wherever we could (see more in Cook's Note). Towards the end of our visit, my brother in law Bob and I decided we didn't want to replicate what we had been eating, but rather, amplify.  So Bob suggested, and together we cooked, Brazilian Moqueca - a seafood 'chowder' (no potatoes!) enriched with global spices, but powered by the fantastic seafood available on the Penobscot Bay in Maine. This dish is plated for the 2017 eclipse as seen in Maine the day after - only about 50-ish% coverage.  But you can look at this dish without glasses! (To see the eclipse from Maine, see Cook's Note). 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/2 lb large sea scallops, quartered 1 lb haddock, cut into 1-inch pieces juice of 2 limes 1 large sweet onion, diced 1 red pepper, diced

Lamb pairs well with fruit, and what better fruit than blueberry, when grilling by a lakeside in Maine? 1 lb ground lamb 1 cup fresh blueberries 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp cumin 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 tsp salt plenty of fresh ground pepper Gently mix the lamb with the remaining ingredients;  overworking ground meat can make it tough - so be careful and gentle.  [In the picture above we have the seasoned blueberry lamb burgers (top) with two grass fed beef burgers (bottom) - tastes differ in a crowd!] Form into about 6 patties - think wider and thinner, not short and fat - a much better strategy for quick, rare grilling. Heat grill to high and GO FOR IT! Here, Chef Hans (my Brother in law) grilled many versions of burgers, and paired the blueberry lamb burgers with Cheddar cheese - a great combo.   A bit of Dijon and salad - and there you have it - lakeside BBQ perfection. Cook’s Note:   But of course there was also sausag

This is a hearty stew I made for our uncle, Dimitri who graciously hosted us for our visit to Maine.  At 91, Dimitri remains a gourmet and appreciates fine cooking.  I'll cook for a free room in Maine any day - especially for Dimitri! 3-1/2 to 4 lb boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces 1 lb baby carrots 3 stalks celery, diced 1 sweet yellow onion, diced 1 red pepper, diced 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes 3 cups red wine 10 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced Brown the lamb pieces in a large pot or Dutch oven in a dash of olive oil.  Cook the lamb in batches, leaving plenty of room around each piece to brown well.  If too crowded, the cubes will boil and not brown. When the lamb is browned, set aside in a bowl.  Add the carrots, celery, onion, pepper and thyme into the pot and cook the veggies for about 10 minutes, until softened and beginning to get golden.   In the meantime, heat a large skillet and add the mushrooms

This is a classic French stew perfect for a crowd.  This serves six, though I doubled the recipe in two Dutch ovens for a family crowd when visiting in Maine. 6 chicken thighs 6 chicken drum sticks 10 oz fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced 18 sun dried plums (prunes) 4 cups red wine 8 oz tomato sauce 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup cream sherry, brandy or Madera wine Brown the chicken in batches in a dash of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.  When chicken is browned, set aside.  Add mushrooms to Dutch oven and cook until they release what water they will.  Brown the mushrooms a bit and then add the garlic, thyme and rosemary.   Cook another 2-3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot and add the plums, wine and tomato sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle boil, and stir gently.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for about half an hour, stirring ge

Lamb sautéed with onion and then served in a tortilla (or Greek flatbread) is heaven, especially served with a tangy salad, like a Greek salad or a fresh tomato salad.  This is simple delicious family fare. 1 lb ground lamb 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp ground fenugreek (or turmeric, or paprika if you don’t have fenugreek - but get fenugreek at your local Indian grocer because it is fantastic) 2 cloves garlic, minced palmful fresh cilantro leaves, minced 1/2 yellow sweet onion, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 6-inch tortilla wraps (I used Trader Joe’s Cilantro Jalapeño wraps) Gently turn together the lamb, spices and cilantro, in a bowl.  Form into four oblong patties.   Heat a dash of olive oil in a large skillet and start sautéing the onions and the jalapeños.  Allow them to soften and brown up just a bit for about 5-8 minutes, then add the patties to the skillet.   Brown the patties to medium rare, flipping each side sever

Take these to your next party! 8 whole chicken wings, split, tip discarded Marinade: 2 Tbsp sesame oil 2 Tbsp soy sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced 1-inch fresh garlic, peeled and finely minced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced Maple Teriyaki Glaze: 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp golden toasted sesame seeds 1 Tbsp black toasted sesame seeds Mix the marinade together in a large bowl.  Add the wings and marinate at least an hour, or ideally overnight, covered in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, heat grill to high and return wings to room temperature.  Grill wings for about 5 minutes to lightly brown each side.  Turn half the grill off and place wings on side turned off.  Cover and cook with indirect heat about 10 minutes, turning once.   Paint wings with glaze and grill over medium direct heat until nicely browned, turning and glazing often.  Place wings in a wide serving platter and

A fresh summer dish with fresh tomatoes and spicy tofu, and just a hint of pancetta for rich flavor. 1 brick extra firm tofu, cubed 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 4 oz pancetta, finely chopped 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half 2 cloves garlic, minced palmful basil leaves, chopped 8 oz tomato sauce 1/2 lb vermicelli Sauté the tofu in a dash of olive oil in a non-stick skillet.  Season with coriander, garlic and turmeric.  Salt and pepper to taste. Bring 2 quarts of water to boiling and salt generously for the pasta.  Add the pasta when boiling and cook al dente. Meanwhile sauté the tomatoes in a dash of olive oil.  Cook until they soften up a bit, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic.  Cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add the basil and tomato sauce and lower to a simmer. When the pasta is cooked, drain and tip into a serving platter.  Top with the tomato sauce and then the tofu pancetta mixture.  Garnish w

Here is a Mediterranean feeling shrimp dish with just a small amount of pasta for balance. 1-1/2 cups large Ditalini pasta, about 4-5 oz 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 2 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp honey 1 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 12 oz Tapas-style artichoke hearts (Trader Joe’s) 1 medium can California black olives, drained 1 Tbsp fine capers Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Salt generously for the pasta. Sauté the carrots in the butter and honey.  Season with coriander, cumin, pepper, turmeric and garlic. Allow the honey to bubble and boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook al dente. After the honey has thickened considerably, add the shrimp to the carrots and cook about 3-5 minutes, until the shrimp are nicely browned. Microwave the artichoke hearts for about 1 minute.  Drain the pasta and