This recipe was shared with me by my aunt on Thanksgiving this year. It’s a bit laborious given that it calls for making the pumpkin puree and not using canned pumpkins (or as ML often calls them, ‘pämp-kiNG‘). But, I feel its worth it as the pie tastes a lot more fresh and “light”.

Pumpkin Puree

Preheat the over to 350 °F Cut the stems of 1 small-medium sugar pumpkins and scoop out the insides and discard. You can save the seeds for roasting (see below). Cut the pumpkin in half and lay on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until the pumpkin is tender. Remove from the over and let it cool.

Making the Pie

Preheat the oven to 425 °F. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup of raw cane sugar, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Beat in two eggs and the yolk of another. Scrape out 2 cups of the pumpkin puree from the pumpkins that we just roasted. Add in a 12 oz. can of condensed milk. Whisk the bowl until everything has mixed together well and you end up with a homogeneous mixture.

Pour the mix into a pie shell and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 °F and bake for another 40 minutes or until a knife comes out dry from the pie.

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

Pre-heat the oven to 275 °F. Instead of disposing the pumpkin seeds, rinse them in cold water and remove any pulp and strings. Toss the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray some olive oil on top of them (or butter if you so choose). Sprinkle some cayenne pepper, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss in the oven for about 10 minutes or until seeds are golden brown. Check for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.

Serves 2

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add about 4 oz of pimientos de padron to the skillet and cook until the peppers skin begins to blister and turn spotty black. Remove from the skillet, sprinkle some coarse salt and serve.

A great starter when making Paella and serve with a dry white wine like a Torrontes.

Last night, ML and I set out to make mac ‘n’ cheese incorporating our new found love for truffle oil. What came out was not your regular Kraft mac ‘n’ cheese dinner but an adult take on the classic kid-friendly american dish that was impossible to put down.

Serves 2:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil. Once boiling, add in 2 cups of Conchigliette pasta (or any other small sized pasta) and cook for suggested time (approx. 8 mins) till the pasta is al dente.

Meanwhile, take two slices of bacon and heat up in a pan until crispy. Once cooked remove the slices from the pan and chop them up into small bite-size chunks.

Drain the water and keep that pasta in the same oven-proof pot. Add in a teaspoon of white truffle oil and a half cup of shredded Gouda cheese. Mix the pasta and cheese well until the cheese has melted. Toss in the chopped bacon bits and a teaspoon of creme fraiche and mix well. Sprinkle some grated parmesan on the top of the pot and move it to the oven for 10 mins (until cheese has melted and parmesan on the top starts to turn a bit brown). Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Pair with a glass of Pinot Noir.

In an attempt to cook more seafood, ML and I have come up with a list of dishes we love and want to make and will slowly work down that list (more to come on this later). Our first dish was a paella of course. It is said that paella originated in the farms as a means of cook large amounts of rice in one go for the farmers. As this dish grew in popularity so did the ingredients change. Over the years as this recipe got adopted by people near the Mediterranean cost, the proteins that went into this dish changed from rabbit, snails, duck to include more seafood.

Here is an amazing recipe for seafood paella that can be cooked up in under an hour and much to the chagrin of your local Spanish restaurant owner.

Serves 5-6

Pre-heat the oven to 450° F. Take 1/2 lb of peeled and deveined shrimp, 1/3 lb of scallops and 1/2 lb of calamari (chopped into 1/2″ wide pieces) into a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2-3 minced cloves of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and mix well. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for later.

If you do not have a paella pan (14-15″ shallow skillet), no worries as you can use a large Dutch oven instead. Cut up a red bell pepper into longitudinal slices about 1/4-1/2″ in width. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the Dutch oven and toss the cut bell pepper into the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is peeling and is slightly black. Remove from the pot and set aside. We will add this the paella at th end.

Chop up an 8 oz. chorizo into 1/4″ slices. You can chop them on the bias (diagonally at a sharp angle) for a larger surface area and even cooking. Toss the cut chorizo into the pan on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Once the chorizo is dark brown and the fat has been rendered, remove from the pot and set aside.

Next we’ll make the Sofrito, which is the aromatic combination of tomatoes, garlic and onions cooked to a paste that serves as the base of the paella. Using the same oil from the chorizo, toss in 1 cup of chopped onions and heat on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. While the onions cook, drain a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes in a fine mesh strainer or lining a pasta strainer with paper towels. Squeeze out as much water as you can. Toss in 7-8 minced cloves of garlic and stir for a minute. Add in the strained diced tomatoes and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes.

To the dutch oven, add in 2 cups of rice. A short grain rice works better as they are more absorbent, such as Italian arborio. Allow the rice to soak in the sofrito for 4-5 minutes. Once the rice has absorbed some of the aromatics, mix in 3 cups of chicken broth, 1/3 cup of dry white wine, 1-2 bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1-2 strand of saffron if you have (these are expensive and hard to come by but are worth it for the aroma they create). Add in the chorizo to the pot. Bring the mix to a boil and then cover and place the pot into the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven, uncover and toss in the seafood medley we made earlier. Mix in well with the rice. Even out the rice in the pot and add in a dozen mussels seam-side down so that they cook from the inside with the heat from the rice. Add in the strips of red bell pepper. Cover and place the pot back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes until seafood cooks and rice absorbs all the liquid.

Remove from the oven and let the paella sit covered for 5 minutes. Check all mussels have opened up, discarding those that haven’t. Serve in a bowl with freshly chopped parsley and a wedge of lime.

As summer approaches, here’s a light salad recipethat as refreshing as it is nutritious: Spinach, Strawberries & Goat Cheese salad.

Serves 2.

Add 3 oz. of baby spinach leaves (or 2/3 of a 5 oz. bag) to a large bowl. Slice 3-4 fresh strawberries and coarsely crush a handful of walnuts and toss into the bowl. Crumble 1/4 cup of goat cheese into the bowl as well. Toss the salad with some red wine vinegar and olive oil and serve.

Toss in 4 cups of chopped baby portabella mushrooms. Mix the spices with the mushrooms well. Cook until the mushrooms have softened. Add a half cup of thawed frozen peas and stir until peas have cooked. Sprinkle some salt for taste and serve hot.

You can also replace and/or add potatoes to this recipe. To do so, chop up 2 large potatoes into cubes and add to the skillet with the onions. Make sure the potatoes are cooked (soft) before adding the peas and mushrooms.

Nice to see the neighborhood guilt factory, Bob’s Donuts, make the top 5 list. Walking by this store down Polk on an empty stomach takes the will of gods to not walk in.

Read more at Refreshingly Unhip: The Best Glazed Doughnuts in SF | 7×7.

A while back I had posted a recipe for Indian chicken curry but realized that I was missing a key step in the process. The step thats required before you cook the chicken in the spices is to create a strong concentrate of spices, tomato sauce, onions, garlic and ginger (see the second image above) – almost a paste like consistency. This is a key step in any Indian curry and is a base for a plethora of Indian dishes. The base of this paste could vary, either tomato based, or yogurt based but the process is the same.

Tomato curry base

Heat up some vegetable or canola oil in a large 12″ skillet. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds, 3-4 large peppercorns, and 2 bay leaves until just brown. Add a medium minced red onion, with a sprinkle of salt. Cook the onions until they are brown (3-4 minutes). Add in 3-4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of crushed/chopped ginger, 2 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Mix the spices well on medium-high heat in the spices and let them cook until they are brown and mushy. Add a 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and continue to cook the onions-garlic-ginger paste until reduced to a pulp (see second picture above). This paste-like concentrate is key to any curry that you make. Put heat on medium-

Potatoes

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and sprinkle in some salt. Add 2 medium sized potatoes to the pot and cook. Remove the potatoes a few minutes before they are done.

Chicken

Pat dry a pound of bone-in chicken breasts and/or legs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the curry base is ready, place the chicken in the skillet. Add a 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and cook the chicken until you are unable to see any pink on the top (add more water if curry starts to dry). Add in 2 cups of water along with the potatoes and cover. Let the chicken cook completely (about 20-25 minutes). Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro.

Serve over rice.

This curry base can be used to cook tofu/paneer, or any other meat (lamb, beef) and vegetables.

Here’s a recipe ML  has made time and again and is a classic. Always great each time. You can freeze the meatball sauce and use it later for sandwiches as well.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don’t crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don’t clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

via Food Network.

This is a hearty & healthy recipe from Eastern Europe I learned from a good family friend, Julia. According to wikipedia,

Kasha is a cereal commonly eaten in Eastern Europe. In English, kasha generally refers to buckwheat groats, but in Slavic countries, kasha refers to porridge in general and can be made from any cereal, especially buckwheat, wheat, barley, oats, and rye. At least a thousand years old, kasha is one of the oldest known dishes in the Slavic cuisines of the Eastern European cuisine.^[1]

Serves: 2

The Kasha

Boil one cup of the buckwheat groats in 2 cups of chicken broth. Add a little olive oil to the pot while the grains are boiling. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to low and let the buckwheat cook for 10-12 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

The Salmon

While the kasha cooks, remove the skin from .5 lbs of salmon fillets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with a splash of olive oil and add the fillet to the pan. Cook salmon until just done on both sides. Remove from the skillet and cut into cubes.

The vegetables

Finely chop up half a shallot, a couple cloves of garlic, and slice half a cup of mushrooms. Using the same skillet to cook the salmon, add a tablespoon more of olive oil and heat. Once the pan is hot again, toss in the chopped shallots and cook till lightly brown. Add the garlic, mushrooms and a half cup of frozen peas and carrots to the pan. Sprinkle some salt and let the vegetables cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Once the vegetables have cooked, mix the kasha with the salmon and vegetables in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Recommended wine pairing: Riesling