Food Truck Friday - 314PIE

For today's installment of Food Truck Friday, I tried out a food truck with a logo that caught my nerdy attention while eating at Athena's last week: 314PIE.



Featuring a selection of savory and sweet pies inspired by New Zealand and Australia, 314PIE drew me in by revealing that the numbers 314 - the first three digits of the mathematical concept Pi - spell PIE when viewed in mirror image. 314PIE puts this to good use in their logo. And when you're parking next to buildings full of analysts and software developers, I'm pretty sure that's a selling point.







I tried one of the specials - a Lamb & Potato Pie ($8). Baked & served warm in a 5 inch diameter aluminum pie pan, it had a wonderfully flaky crust that somehow avoided being grainy, despite clearly including whole wheat flour - no easy feat. Inside was an incredibly flavorful mix of lamb, potatoes, carrots and peas. It wasn't overly gooey as some pot pies can be, but was moist and so delicious.









Despite (theoretically) being on a no-sweets anti-binge right now, I decided it was important to try a couple things, so also ordered a Caramel Apple Pie ($4). This was served cool in the same sized pan, but as a single crust pie. It had much more apple flavor than caramel, but I liked the balance that kept it from being cloyingly sweet. My plan to eat a slice and then share the rest quickly disappeared, as did the pie.







Beyond the excellent pies that I've already recommended to coworkers, one of the greatest perks about 314PIE is that there's no waiting. Walk up, order your pies, and by the time you're done paying the pies are in your hands and you're lunch break can be spent eating and relaxing, not waiting in the street for your food. This may well be the genius of their business model, making throughput incredibly high versus other trucks that must prepare food a la minute. That, and their amazing pies. Did I mention the great pies?

Remembering Caesar & Celebrating Life

The last couple weeks have done a number on Dan & I emotionally.  We returned from a long weekend over at Sun Lakes (the annual Dembiczak family trip), and noticed Caesar was acting strangely and not eating or drinking.  We took him in to see Dr. Kung at Rainier Veterinary Hospital.  Dr. Kung (an amazing vet, if you need one) noted a few new issues that were presenting themselves, and that it was very likely that Caesar had either a stroke, or has a tumor that's grown large enough to impact his brain functioning.  He did some blood work to confirm it wasn't an electrolyte imbalance,  but the tests came back negative.  He recommended we see a veterinary neurologist, to confirm the diagnosis and learn about our options.  This Wednesday, we took Caesar in to see Dr. Kline at VCA, and she concluded the same thing - a traumatic brain event of some kind.  Our options were to put him through tests to determine which kind of event (stroke or tumor), but the bottom line was his quality of life would not get significantly better.   He'd been fighting IBD for the past year and a half, and was down to under 6 lbs - so we decided it would've been cruel to put him through the tests only to know what's wrong, when in the end he'll only suffer more

Friday night, Dr. Barry Rickman, VMD from Peaceful Companion came to our home, administered a strong anesthetic, took a paw print of Caesar for posterity, and then gave him a lethal injection.  Dan held him in his arms the whole time while I sat with them.  Before the final injection, Barry stepped out of the room for a minute so we could tell Caesar how much we love him, one last time.  It was possibly the hardest thing Dan or I has ever gone through, as he's been Dan's companion for 14 years, through good and bad times.

In addition, Tuesday Dan learned that his uncle Don lost his battle with leukemia and heart issues.  And I learned that my aunt Ellen has been diagnosed with lymphoma and would be going into surgery on Monday.  (Thankfully, it's been typed as a lymphoma that responds well to treatment and has a high recovery rate, as my uncle, Ellen's brother, passed away from the rare Burkitt's lymphoma.)  For those of you who know Ellen, you can follow her journey through recovery here.

With so many dark clouds circling, today, we had a few friends over to celebrate life.  We kinda needed to be with friends, after days of tears.  And, of course, there was plenty of food and drink.

Ruth came over with bookmarks she made of pictures of us and Caesar, and brought her famous St. Louis Deep Gooey bars and a pineapple.  Jason & Jayson came over with mimosa fixins, cinnamon rolls and strawberries.  And Anna, Jason and Otis came by with a whole mashed potato bar - complete with bacon bits and sauteed morel mushrooms.



I made a blackberry refrigerator cake using a recipe I saw on SeattleTimes.com (based on a recipe from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion).  The cake used both vanilla and almond extract, and was fairly dense.  When combined with the marscapone/whipped cream frosting, the almond and texture lent a very 'wedding cake' taste to the whole thing - though it wasn't quite up to wedding cake standards, given it was lopsided and the frosting was a little sloppy and sparse in spots.

I also made some chorizo sliders with avocado, carmelized onions (from our garden) and Sriracha mayo.




I tried something new while making the sliders, and thought it was novel enough to share.

We always start with King's Hawaiian Rolls Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls 12 ct. ( 2 packs ) as our slider buns, which come in a 12 pack, attached to one another in a 3 by 4 roll grid.  Without breaking them apart, I sliced them in half, creating a sheet of top buns, and a sheet of bottom buns.


Next, I mixed about a pound of chorizo with a pound of ground pork, and then flattened and formed it into a rectangle, the same size and shape as the buns.  The Hawaiian rolls come in a waxed cardboard container that can be used to do this perfectly.  Then I scored the meat, pressing part way through to create a 3 by 4 grid, matching to the buns.



Keeping the meat as a single sheet, I set it on the hot grill pan on the stove, cooked them on both sides (flipping very carefully), and then pulled them off and set the whole sheet of meat on the sheet of bottom buns.




I loaded the buns up with toppings, popped on the top buns, and then put a 6-inch bamboo skewer through each one and served.  People just tore off a slider when they wanted one.  It was way easier than making 12 individual patties and balancing them on the buns.  I'm definitely using this trick the next time I make any type of sliders.




   

Proud, Drunk and Colorful

It's been a few years since Dan & I have done anything special to celebrate Gay Pride month, and many years since we've made it to the Pride Parade - held on the 4th Sunday in June each year here in Seattle.


I remember the first time I saw the parade was marching in it with my gay/lesbian/bi/trans youth group, with my proud parents also marching (with PFLAG).  Growing up gay can be very isolating - hiding a secret, being bullied, being afraid of what people think (and sometimes for my life) - and I remember how powerful the experience of being surrounded by THOUSANDS of other gay & gay-friendly people of all ages and backgrounds was for 17 year old me.  After my first Pride parade, I went to Lambert House - a LGBTQ teen outreach center that was throwing a dance for all us under-age gays.  It was the first time I slow danced with a boy.  The boy was from Montana and had a big scar on his cheek, and the song was "Crazy for You" by Madonna (of course).  Hearing it still sends me back to that night.





Although we still didn't make it downtown to watch the parade this year, we did get invited to a decidedly South Seattle celebration for Pride - getting together with old and new friends for brunch in Columbia City, then back to Jason & Jayson's place in the Othello neighborhood for some drinks.  The plan was to brunch at Geraldine's Counter, but they seemed flummoxed by the need for seating for 12 and said it would be a 40+ minute wait, so we took our business around the corner to Rookies, where they found a spot for us immediately.


After eating, we carpooled to The Ja(y)son's condo to hang out, have some drinks, enjoy the beautiful day on their rooftop deck, and relax.  Never one to miss an opportunity to bake, I decided to try out my new Booze Cakes
 cookbook.  There's been a bit of a trend on Pinterest of people making multi-colored cakes, and I'd seen some done as rainbows.  Since, after I turned 21, my Pride Parade memories are a bit of a blur of rainbows and drinking - I figured a rainbow bundt cake soaked in rum was perfectly thematic.




 I followed the Golden Rum Cake recipe as is, then colored one cup of batter at a time using gel food colorings (to avoid changing the consistency).  Into the bundt cake pan I layered the red, then orange, yellow, green, blue and purple - then popped it into the oven.

An hour later it came out and I soaked it in a rum/sugar/butter glaze that made this cake extremely moist.  I could tell from the bottom of the cake that the colors remained vibrant inside, but from the top it looked like any old bundt cake - kinda sad and brown.  But slicing in revealed that not only had all the colors remained true, but a Pride Day miracle happened and the colors curved in an arc - a perfect rainbow.



Rainbow Rum Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/8 tspn salt
1 cup milk
1 tspn vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark rum

Glaze
4 Tbspn (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour the bundt cake pan.  In a mixer using a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on low-medium speed, until light and fluffy.  With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding the next.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt - whisking the mixture to combine it well.  In a small bowl, combine the milk, vanilla extract and rum.  Beat in flour mixture and milk mixture alternately, in three additions.  Scoop one cup of batter into a small bowl and add red gel food coloring, stirring until uniform in color - then pour evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Clean the bowl and repeat for the remaining colors - orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.  Bake 1 hour.

For the glaze:  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add sugar and 1/4 cup water, and turn heat to medium-high, bringing the mixture to a boil.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and carefully add the rum, whisking it in to create a uniform glaze.  When the cake comes out of the oven, invert it onto a serving plate and slowly pour the glaze over the cake, allowing it to soak in.

French Macrons for an Irish Holiday

My friend & coworker, Adam, found a free copy of Cecile Cannone's Macarons cookbook for me recently, so I promised I'd make something and bring it in.

Rumor has it that French macarons are the new pie (which was the new cupcake for a hot-second). I'd never had one, but the technique seemed straightforward enough and the cookies themselves are so interesting looking that I was eager to bake and taste one. The versatility of them (you can fill them with ganache or buttercream or any number of creamy things) reminded me of profiteroles, for which I have a special place in my heart.

Not to be confused with Macaroons (the coconut & egg white cookie that I believe was an American adaptation of the French original), these are sandwich cookies made of almond meal, confectioner's sugar and egg whites, which are then filled. They tend to be tinted in a pyschadelic array of colors.

I ended up with free time this past weekend, and time in the evenings the early part of the week, so that gave me the opportunity to make a batch of macarons over the course of a few days - making the cookies first, then the ganache, then filling them, then dipping them. Since this week was St. Patrick's Day, Dan suggested I tint the cookies green. They ended up looking a little sci-fi, which I don't mind.

Having not had one before, I wasn't sure if I cooked them long enough. I think I actually made most of them a little too big, which resulted in them being a little chewier and more fragile than ideal. I filled them with dark chocolate ganache mixed with peanut butter, then dipped them in melted milk chocolate. The ganache actually broke on me, but I was able to get it to come back together. Despite my concerns, when I took them in to work my coworkers didn't seem to mind at all. My director even came back for seconds! And Adam said they were great, so I did my job.

French Macarons
250 grams almond flour
350 grams confectioner's sugar
1 cup egg white at room temperature
pinch of salt
2 tspn powdered egg whites (if humid)
150 grams superfine granulated sugar
5-7 drops gel paste food coloring (optional)

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Blend the almond flour with powdered sugar in a food processor to make a fine powder. Then sift the mixture through a strainer until it's as fine as you can get it. This keeps crumbs from forming on the macaron as they bake.

Using a wire whisk attachment on an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt and the powdered egg whites (if using them). Start slowly and then increase the speed as the whites start to rise. Add the granulated sugar and the food coloring. Beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks and your meringue is firm and shiny.

Pour the beaten egg whites onto your almond flour mixture and gently fold them in using a rubber spatula. Move the spatula from the bottom of the bowl to the edges with one hand, using the other hand to rotate the bowl. Now hit the spatula against the rim of the bowl until the batter falls in a wide ribbon when you raise the spatula. When you can't see any crumbs of almond flour and the mixture is shiny and flowing, you're ready to start piping.

Fit the pastry bag with a number 8 tip and fill with batter. Start by squeezing a small amount of mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet to form a 2.5 inch diameter circle. Be sure to leave an inch of space between macarons so they won't touch when they bake. If the peaks that form on the top of the macarons don't disappear after piping, you could have beaten the mixture a bit more - but a tap of the baking sheet on the counter should remedy the problem.

Let the piped macarons rest for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for 14 minutes. After the first 5 minutes, open the oven door briefly to let the steam out.

Let the macarons cool completely on a rack before taking them off the parchment paper and filling.

Fig and Starfruit Cookie Thing

The Complete Book of Cookies

Chocolate Cake w/ Coconut Cream

This week was my father-in-law, Don's, 80th birthday - and tonight we all got together to celebrate. I got the honor of making the cake for the big occasion!

Carolyn (my mother-in-law) tipped me off to a recipe she saw in her Woman's Day magazine, for a Chocolate Cake with Coconut Cream, which turned out to be very simple, and delicious! The decadent chocolate cake stayed really moist, and the frosting was delicate instead of cloyingly sweet (thanks to almost no sugar in it) adding a delicate textural counterpoint to the shaved coconut pressed on the outside. I'll definitely be making this chocolate cake again, and am wondering if you could replace some of the heavy cream used in the frosting with coconut cream, to bump up the coconut flavor a little bit?



Chocolate Cake with Coconut Cream

Cooking spray and flour, for the pan
1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
3⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1⁄2 tsp baking soda
1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
1⁄2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3⁄4 cup boiling water

1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
1⁄2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 cups unsweetened coconut (we used flakes)

Heat oven to 350°F. Coat two 8 x 2-in. round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with wax paper; spray the paper. Dust with flour.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, granulated and brown sugars, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated.

Add the boiling water to the batter and mix well to combine (the batter will be thin). Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream, sour cream and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Place one of the cakes on a platter and spread 1 cup frosting over the top. Top with the remaining cake and frost with the remaining icing. Gently pat the coconut all over the cake. Serve immediately or refrigerate, up to 1 day.

(Recipe Courtesy WomansDay.com)

Holiday Baking 2010

In preparation for Christmas, Dan & I decided on some cookies we wanted to make for post-Christmas Day dinner. In addition to no-bake ginger-molasses rum balls, we made more traditional chewy molasses ginger cookies, and (as a nod to our love of all things Hawaiian), mango oatmeal bars. We had originally planned on making gingerbread cookies, but wanted to make something softer (and simpler), and I found this recipe while flipping through a new (to me) cookbook I picked up at work by Lisa Zwirn: Christmas Cookies: 50 Recipes to Treasure for the Holiday Season. The Mango bars are from our old standby, the Best of the Best from Hawaii.

Mango Bars
Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x13 baking pan. Combine flour and sugar. Blend in butter and press into prepared pan. Bake 7 minutes.

Filling:
4 cups chopped mango or mango puree
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tspn lemon juice
1 tspn vanilla
1 tspn cinnamon
3 Tbspn cornstarch
3 Tbspn water

Combine mangoes, sugar, 1/3 cup water, lemon juice, vanilla and cinnamon in a saucepan. Simmer until mangoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water and stir into mango mixture, cooking until thickened. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then pour over prepared crust.

Topping:
2 cups quick oats
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened

Combine oats, flour and sugar. Blend in butter and sprinkle over mango mixture. Bake for 50 minutes, then cool and cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. Makes 2 dozen.

Molasses Ginger Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn salt
2 tspn ground ginger
1 tspn cinnamon
1/4 tspn allspice
1/4 tspn freshly grated nutmeg
12 Tbspn unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling the dough
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a medium bowl. In an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until fully blended. Beat in the molasses, then the egg. Slowly blend in flour mixture until fully incorporated. Place the remaining sugar in a small bowl. Pinch off clumps of dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat fully. Place balls about 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake 11-12 minutes, rotating the sheet pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool for two minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Both recipes were really simple and quick, and the results were mighty tasty. In the future, I hope to adapt the mango bar recipe, making it with different bases (ground up gingersnaps, graham crackers, or almonds?), and with different fruit fillings. Since I'm obsessed with the flavors in a Mai Tai, I thought an almond base with orange/pineapple/rum filling, a cherry on top and a lime icing would be delicious.

Reverse Trick-or-Treating

Halloween is my Christmas - the holiday I still get excited about for at least a month in advance, and spend a seemingly excessive amount of time planning and executing. This year was no exception, with lots of energy focused on transforming our front yard into a spooky graveyard to delight our neighbors and trick-or-treaters. But we also took a queue from our old neighbors, who welcomed us to Beacon Hill with a plate of homemade cookies delivered when their daughters trick-or-treated at our house.



Using that inspiration, Dan & I decided to whip up some Halloween themed baked goods, make up plates, and take them around to many of our neighbors - those we've met and some we've not. I figured that Halloween is one night when people are expecting people to knock on the door, so we wouldn't be intruding.



I made a couple batches of sugar cookie dough, and Dan & I rolled it out and cut it into Halloween shapes and little circles. After they'd baked and cooled, we topped them with royal icing, chocolate, candy corn and Nerds.



We did end up surprising a couple neighbors, as we went out a little early to deliver our treats, but all were excited by the surprise and very complimentary of our transformed yard. It was great to meet so many folks on our street, and I hope I can find more reasons to connect with our neighbors.



Despite the addition of a full sized coffin, an 8 foot tall gateway arch, more lighting and an animatronic bat, we had just 37 trick-or-treaters this year, a few less than last year, but they all seemed really excited by our decorations and the gift bags we give out (which included candies, stickers, Halloween rings, and chocolate eyeballs - a personal favorite).

Mushroom & Beef Bacon Quiche

Our good friend and culinary compatriot Jason gave us a bag full of chanterelle mushrooms he picked on a day trip, and tonight we finally made use of them as part of a quiche.

I hesitate to call it a quiche, since I packed the pie crust with so many fillings that I could barely add any eggs. I started with some beef bacon that Alan from Olsen Farms recommended to us, which I cut into thin strips and fried in a little butter (as beef bacon has much less fat than pork bacon). After removing the bacon from the pan, I added sliced onions and cooked those down until soft. Finally, I added a few more pats of butter to the pan and cooked down a 'chef's mix' of mushrooms Dan picked up at the store, plus the beautiful, golden chanterelles. Everything went into the pie crust I'd already baked, then topped with a few eggs mixed with a little milk (we didn't have any cream around). The final touch was putting slices of fresh mozzarella on top, and then into the oven for about an hour.

The amount of filling made this more of a pie than a quiche, as there wasn't enough space for the egg to really fill in between everything and bind it together. But it turned out delicious, and I loved how the mozzarella created a golden crust on top. The individual types of mushrooms tumbled out of the pie as I ate it, so that I could taste and enjoy the different flavors - which was perfect.

We Had an Aarti Party!

I've watched every season of The Next Food Network Star, and usually find myself disappointed by the final selection. To date, Guy Fieri is essentially the only true "Star", on caliber with other celebrity TV chefs, that has resulted from the process.

Each season the field of contestants seems overwhelmingly slanted toward American and French cooking, which is already very well represented on the network - leading (IMHO) to the failures of any of these shows to stand out, or any of the winners becoming household names. From what I can tell, Melissa D'Arabian's show is essentially the same as Sandra Lee's (making family meals on a budget). Aaron McCargo Jr couldn't mumble and cook at the same time, yet still won - bringing nothing new to the network (which they seemed to realize, as they gave the charismatic runner up, Adam Gerlter, two shows so far). Amy Finlay was slated to essentially be another Ina Garten, but then backed out. What the network needs is more variety, notably more shows that focus on non-Western cuisine.

This season, the 'Selection Committee' finally seems to have gotten it. The winner this round was Aarti Sequeira - an Indian born, Dubai raised, US educated blogger who was already doing her own online cooking show before competing to be the Next Food Network Star. She truly brings something new to the network - delicious, accessible Indian fusion cuisine, delivered in a fun and comfortable format. Dan & I are Tivoing it and watching it together, and every week we're inspired. This week, we finally made one of her recipes and were very pleased with the result.

Baked Samosas with Mint Chutney

Filling:
1 large russet potato
Pinch of Salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
3 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 mango, peeled, pitted and finely diced
Juice of 1/2 lime
5 tablespoons chipotle sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Big handful cilantro leaves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Samosas:
2 packages puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 teaspoon water

Mint Chutney:
1 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and soft stems
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced, plus more to taste
About 1/4 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Filling: In a small saucepan, add the potato and enough cold water to cover. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

In a second small saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a simmer and add a generous pinch of salt, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, peppercorns, chili flakes, and chicken breast. Simmer until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Mash the potato and finely shred the chicken and put into a large bowl. Combine with mango, lime juice, chipotle sauce, remaining coriander seeds, cumin, cilantro, and salt and pepper, to taste. Mixing with a spoon or your hands, until well incorporated. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Set aside.

Samosas: Roll the puff pastry out slightly, to flatten the seams. Using a paring knife to trace a 7-inch ring mold or bowl, cut the dough into 8 (7-inch wide) rounds. Cut each into 2 semicircles.

Put a tablespoon or so of the filling in the center of a semicircle. Have a small bowl of water handy. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the edges of the semicircle. Arrange the samosas so the flat side is facing away from you. Grab the left corner and fold it over the dough in a triangular motion, so that this corner lands on the bottom right side of the filling. Do the same with the other corner.

Squeeze bottom shut, and fold over, sealing with water. If you like, seal using a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Arrange the 8 samosas on a lightly greased baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 teaspoon water with a fork until thoroughly combined. Brush the tops of the samosas with the egg wash.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then turn heat down to 375 degrees F and bake for 10 more minutes.

Chutney: In a food processor, whiz together the mint, cilantro, ginger, lime juice and water until it all comes together as a sauce. Pour the chutney into a heat-proof bowl.

In a small pan, over medium heat, warm the oil until it shimmers. Add mustard seeds; they should sizzle. Immediately cover with a lid until they stop spluttering. Immediately add the seeds and oil to the chutney. It will sizzle so stand back.

Let the samosas cool for a minute or two, then serve with the chutney.



Recipe from Food Network's Aarti Party

Memento Meal - Royal Courts of the Middle Ages

Our sixth round of Memento took place tonight, hosted by Kristin - who selected the theme "The Food of the Royal Courts of the Middle Ages". The dinner took place at Gerald's new apartment up in Northgate.



David and Carolyn started us off with their tasty twist on a classic 'meat' pie - using Coho salmon with a variety of fruits, richly spiced, in a whole wheat crust, created in miniatures as a perfect 3 bite appetizer to get our taste buds warmed up. As you'll see, it was practically an amuse bouche - given a distinctive theme tonight.





In celebration of the royal courts of the Philippines, Gerald created their national dish - chicken adobo - the way it might've been enjoyed by medieval royalty: featuring chicken hearts, gizzards and livers in a vinegary sauce, with rice. This was Memento's first foray into offal - and nearly everyone cleaned their plates. I really enjoyed the chicken livers, and now want to explore other dishes that feature them. The hearts were a little dense (not tough, however) and it was definitely challenging to look down and see a whole heart on your plate - aortas and all.





Dan & I did a take on a medieval 'sallat', focusing on the preservation methods so integral to eating in the colder months in the days before refrigeration. We combined cured meats (salami & pancetta) with preserved fruits and veggies (kalamata and green olives, hearts of palm and capers), plus some fresh red onion and grapefruit - the latter representing the access to traded commodities that only the royalty of the era might've enjoyed. We topped it with some goat cheese and almonds that were toasted in pork fat and topped with sel gris (grey salt), and dressed it with a mixture of local honey, grapefruit juice, and white balsamic vinegar.





Anna & Jason presented a beautiful dish of perfectly roasted poussin (young chicken) on top of a medley of foraged mushrooms (including morel and king bolete) with house cured pig jowl (known as guanciale), a shallot infused potato crisp (cooked in pork fat, I believe), and a simple yet flavorful saute of carrots and foraged sea beans. True to the royal theme, they didn't do the foraging - they left that to the folks from Foraged & Found Edibles.





Our second entree (and second meat pie) was courtesy of our host, Kristin, who created a decadent layered pie of chicken, turkey and duck organ meats, dried fruits soaked in brandy, duck confit, nuts and cheeses, all thickened with trotter gear (aka pig feet gelatin). In the center of each pie was a large bone with breadsticks tucked inside for enjoying the amazing melted marrow.





And finishing us off with the closest thing to a meat pie one could reasonably pass off as dessert was Marcy & James 'Lombardi Custard' - a rich and lovely pie of dried fruits (figs, apricot and dates) with parsley and a secret ingredient that I saw James putting in the pie but still didn't recognize. While I was washing dishes, he was crumbling a bright pink pasty stuff on the pies, his hands covered in it. Never in a million years would I have realized it was bone marrow. Contrary to what you might think, it didn't lend a strong meaty flavor to the dessert - but certainly added some of the richness.