Cuisine Eric

It's fascinating to me that hot spicy foods seem to come from hotter regions.  It's said that hot spicy foods cause you to perspire, which in turn cools you down.  They sure do start my sweat glands, but I'm not sure the cooling is always commensurate with the heating... But do your own sense-making and determine for yourself, with this delicious Morroccan prep - along, maybe with a cool beverage.  It's spiced up with Morroccan Harissa chili paste and Mediterranean herbs, all of which are softened by sweet apricots. This symphony of spicy and sweet is harmonized with the tang of lemon and the briny qualities of delicious olives. Serve on a neutral canvas of couscous or rice, and as Joni Mitchell would say "keep cool." 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in half Marinade: 2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 6-8 fresh mint leaves 2 cloves garlic 3/4-inch fresh ginger, peeled and quartered zest of 1 lemon

OK now it's really getting hot. So, chill over this cool salad.  And tomatoes are getting pretty good right about now. You could really use many different canned beans here - chick peas or Navy beans - I used lentils. 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 shallot, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, minced through press zest of 1 lemon juice of 1 lemon 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar 1 can lentils, drained 6-8 fresh basil leaves, finely torn 3-4 mint leaves, finely torn 1-1/2 cups kale leaves, finely torn 2 tsp seasoned rice vinegar 1 Tbsp olive oil Fold together the tomatoes in a medium bowl with the next eight ingredients. In a separate bowl, massage the kale leaves for about 1-2 minutes with the oil and vinegar using your clean hands - this is an important step to soften the leaves to be eaten raw in a salad.   Fold the kale into the lentil mixture and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.  If you have time, allow

Here is a delicious lamb curry with flavors from the Bengal north eastern region of India. This curry is cooked with onion, tomato and panchpuran - a delicious and convenient Bengali mixture of seeds, who's name literally means 'five spices', typically includes mustard, cumin, fennel, nigella and fenugreek. It is definitely worth the trip to your local Indian grocer to stock your pantry with this versatile mix.  Use it in Biryiani rice dishes, curries and so many other Indian-centric preps. Masala: 1/2 tsp powdered cardamom 1/2 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp powdered fenugreek 1 tsp powdered coriander 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp powdered cumin 1 tsp powdered turmeric 1 tsp Morton Kosher salt 1 Tbsp dried onion flakes 1 cup yogurt 1-1/2 lb lamb, cubed canola oil for browning 1 sweet yellow onion, minced 2 Tbsp ghee or butter 2 tsp panchpuran (see notes) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2-inch piece fre

This flavorful rice dish could be a nice vegetarian meal on its own, or a side dish as part of a bigger meal. This pairs beautifully with a rich curry. 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced 2 Tbsp ghee or butter 1 Tbsp ghee or butter 1 zucchini squash, cubed 1 yellow summer squash, cubed 1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed 1 tsp panchpuran (or 1/2 tsp cumin seeds plus 1/2 tsp fennel seeds) dash crushed red pepper flakes 2 cups cooked basmati rice fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional) Cook the onions in the ghee or butter for about 15 minutes, until nicely caramelized and browned.  Initial cooking can be at slightly higher heat, but stir often.  After about 5 minutes, the heat should be fairly low to avoid burning.  Set onions aside in a bowl. In the same skillet, brown the zucchini and summer squash in a bit more ghee or butter over relatively high heat.  This will brown the surface quickly, while keeping the structure of the squash firm.  Cook for only about 3-5 minutes.  Then return the onio

Here is a simple, elegant and fast chicken preparation, worthy of guests, or just when you want to pamper with comfort food. 3 cloves garlic 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 3 sage leaves Palmful fresh mint leaves 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced 2 cups artichoke quarters (I used Kirland marinated, or Trader Joe’s grilled halves) 2 dozen grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (I used yellow and red) 6 chicken leg and thigh pieces, patted dry Preheat oven to 375F.  Pulse the garlic and the herbs in a small food processor just to mince.  Mix together the herbs along with the onion, artichokes and tomatoes in a bowl.  Add a dash of olive oil (or oil from the artichokes) to moisten well. Place the chicken pieces evenly spaced in an oiled roasting pan.  Top with the veggie mixture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for about 30-40 minutes, until fully cooked through - measuring 165F with an instant read thermometer.

Once you get o er the fear pf crust making, you can do all kinds of tarts.  The only way I could overcome the fear was by making and making.  Crusts are not so delicate as everyone says; just keep your ingredients (and your head) cool. All Butter Dilly Crust: 1-1/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp dried dill weed 1 stick butter, cubed and chilled in freezer 4-6 Tbsp ice water 5 large eggs 1/4 cup sour cream freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/8 tsp powder 1 leek, cleaned and diced 1/4 cup water plus 1 Tbsp butter 1 sweet yellow onion, peeled and sliced 1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 3 cups butternut squash, cubed 1/2-inch 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese dash paprika for garnish First make the crust. Have all your ingredients at the ready. Pulse together the flour, salt and dill weed in a food processor.  Add the very chilled butter cubes. Pulse 8-10 times, only until you get butter pieces the size

These days when I make a pasta primavera, I keep the veggie to pasta ratio over fifty percent - this is no exception.  Sequestered at home because of COVID-19, I am using whatever I have on hand.  And I am reminded how much I love cabbage as a veggie in a dish like this. This oil chock full of veggies I had on hand in my fridge and pantry. I had some leftover browned Italian sausage and leeks from a chicken Galentine I recently made, which dressed up this dish enormously. You really almost can't go wrong with this dish - just use what you like and what you have. And if you want to go vegetarian, just leave out the sausage. 1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (optional) 1 leek, cleaned and diced plus 2 Tbsp water 1 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1 Tbsp fresh thyme eaves palmful fresh mint leaves 3-4 fresh sage leaves 1/3 lb ziti 2 cups green cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 carrots, sliced on a bias

Super fast, super simple, super good.  Even if you don't have the garlic and ginger, don't sweat it.  Everything tastes great baked in Thai sweet chili sauce! 4 chicken thighs, trimmed 2 cups Mae Ploy or other Thai sweet chili sauce 2 cloves garlic and 1/2-inch fresh ginger, minced Preheat oven to 425F. Pour sauce into an oiled 9x13-inch roasting pan or casserole. Place chicken thighs on top of sauce. Salt and pepper generously. Sprinkle with some olive oil and place chicken in the oven.  Roast for about 15-20 minutes to allow the thighs to brown up. Reduce heat to 350F. Spoon sauce over thighs and top with garlic and ginger. Bake another 15-20 minutes, until chicken in cooked through. Serves 4. Cook's Note:   Find Thai sweet chili in Asian markets or some supermarkets. So good - all gone!