Celebration Fish Tacos

How many of our readers know the reason that Cinco de Mayo is a special day?

(And it's not what you may be thinking.)

Contrary to popular belief, it is not Mexico's Independence Day (which actually falls on September 16).  Instead, Cinco de Mayo venerates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when the Mexican Army successfully defeated French forces.

Whatever the historical reason, the real reason we celebrate this special day is that Mexican food is sooooo good...and it gives us an excuse to make a mean Margarita.

This Saturday, Keri and I are hosting a Cinco de Mayo dinner party for eight.  We're planning a sumptuous multi-course fiesta with a lime dominated menu comprising:

• spicy grilled shrimp with a squeeze of lime
• home made guacamole and tortilla chips
• fish tacos
• lime 'slaw
• lime pie

Think there's a theme emerging here...

A friend and neighbor offered up her go-to kid friendly fish taco recipe a while ago.  It tasted phenomenal, so we thought to run it again here.

Fish Tacos
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
4 tilapia fillets, or other firm white fish
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
Canola oil for frying
1 package small flour or blue corn tortillas
Salsa (see recipe) - I just use diced tomatoes but don't skip the taco sauce!! It's good!
Fish Taco Sauce (see recipe)


Combine cabbage and onion; set aside.

Cut fish into 1 inch strips, 4 to 5 inches long.  Mix bread crumbs and chili powder in a shallow dish.  Place beaten egg in a separate dish.  Dip fish strips in egg, then dredge in bread crumbs.  Heat canola oil in a large skillet.  Fry fish in hot oil for 3 minutes on each side until crispy brown; drain.

Warm tortillas in damp paper towel in a microwave for 1 minute. To assemble, place fish on a tortilla. Top with cabbage mixture and sauce and salsa. Serves 4


Salsa
1 cup seeded and chopped tomato
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine and serve.

Fish Taco Sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lime

Combine all ingredients.   Serve fish taco sauce at room temp.  

Preferring something slightly spicier for the adults, we are planning to test out a hotter version of the taco sauce.  Not for the faint-hearted, it's going to be amped up with a dash of Beck's hot sauce.

Devilishly Gooooood.

An Indian Banquet featuring Shrimp Curry

Bengali shrimp curry - an elegant and light dish

We've been looking forward to this invitation for the last month!  This friend of a friend has legendary Diwali parties and is a renowned hostess - and, more importantly, cook. 

In anticipation of this Indian banquet, we skipped lunch, having been promised, okra, lamb, smoked eggplant, daal, homemade roti and a Bengali shrimp curry.  Our hostess comes from Bombay yet the dishes she presented came from all corners of the Indian subcontinent.

The scene was set - rather beautifully we might add...

The weather cooperated so we could sit outside and smell the herbs and spices charring onto a rack of lamb:

Photos tell the story best, so without further prevarication, here goes.

The okra was a personal favorite.  It was mildly spiced and had a wonderful crunchy texture

The daal (which is also spelled dahl, dal or even dahl, according to Wikipedia!) included two different types of lentils - one green and one yellow.  It was a splendid bright yellow concoction infused with subtle spices and fresh cilantro. 

Accompanying the lamb, shrimp curry and vegetable sides was an unforgettable smoked eggplant yoghurt dish; we promise to obtain the recipe for this and share it with you!  This yoghurt side would work wonderfully with any grilled meat over the Summer to expect to hear from us soon...

The range of colors, tastes and textures of this meal was just perfect.

If you'd like to try out the shrimp curry for yourself, here's a recipe taken from http://www.allrecipes.com/.  You can tweak the chili/spice quantities depending on how hot you take your food. 

A last tip from our hostess..she suggests switching out "ghee" (a clarified butter which is a mainstay in all Indian cooking) for olive oil or other unsaturated oil in any recipes you find.   This lightens the dish generally and helps cut calories.

Have fun.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 tom1 chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 green chile peppers, seeded and minced
• salt to taste
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, and cook and stir onions until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic paste, turmeric, garam masala, green chile peppers, and salt, and cook for 2 minutes more.
2. Reduce heat to low, add the shrimp, and cook and stir over low heat until the shrimp are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center, about 8 minutes. Add a small amount of water if needed; the sauce should be thick. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Earth Day Veggie Balls

 

Earth day has come and gone, but this recipe, developed in honor of this occasion by our friends at Marabella Meatball Company, is here to stay.  Tasked with finding a with a healthy way to celebrate Earth Day, Marabella's chefs came up with the Veggie Ball, which showcases a variety of ingredients that, well, come from the Earth.  This dovetailed nicely with our pasta theme, so we thought we'd share their recipe.

 

Marabella’s Veggie Balls – yield approx. 15 balls, 2 ½ oz. each

 

INGREDIENTS

Make a base consisting of:

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, chopped

Salt, pepper, parsley to taste

Mix and refrigerate base.

1/4 cup golden raisins, roughly chopped

1/8 cup toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped

4 oz. chick peas rinsed, roughly chopped

1 lb. of cauliflower cooked, cool then roughly chopped

1/2 lb. of broccoli cooked, cool then roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients to the refrigerated base. Mix well by hand. Add extra bread crumbs as needed to help form into a ball.

These are very delicate and cannot be rolled but must be ‘shaped’ into a ball.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve with marinara sauce, atop pasta if desired.

Do you have any variations on the traditional meatball that you'd be willing to share?  If so, send them our way!

Happy Belated Earth Day.

Talking Pasta with La Cucina's Anna Florio

To look at Anna Florio, Owner of  La Cucina at the Market, you don't immediately think "food".  She is strikingly lovely, has charisma to spare,  a warmth that makes you feel you've been friends forever,  she's always impeccably dressed, and she's slender.   But you would quickly be reminded not to judge a book by its cover, for Anna is a serious Chef.  Her cooking school and demonstration kitchen in Reading Terminal Market just celebrated its 4th anniversary.

Having grown up with deep Italian culinary traditions, which included spending summers at her Grandparents' home in Campania, Italy, Anna is passionate about Italian food.  Our conversation naturally turned to pasta.

"I remember learning to make pasta dough with my grandmother, and even though it sounds silly, part of the key to great pasta is to put some love into it.  Make it by hand.  Feel the dough.  I use a blend of  unbleached white flour and semolina flour."

When asked about dry vs. fresh pasta, Anna's offers some interesting observations:  "Sometimes dry is better.  You can't really make fresh pasta al dente--that firm 'to the teeth' texture that epitomizes perfectly cooked pasta.  Sure, fresh is wonderful in a dish like pappardalle bolognese, where you want that rich, chewy noodle, or pesto, or for a filled pasta like ravioli.  But one of my favorite pasta dishes is penne with marinara sauce--made with dry, boxed penne cooked just al dente."

We also had to ask about the strict Italian edict banning Parmesan cheese on seafood pasta.  (I confess to dousing my linguine and clams with generous scoops of grated cheese.)  Anna disproves--but in the nicest possible way.  "Seafood and dairy just don't mix for traditionalists.  One thing to consider is the innate saltiness of seafood, and when you add a salty Parmesan it is overkill.  I also don't feel that the saltiness of the fish mixes will with the dairy of the cheese--salt and milk simply don't go together."

To see Anna in action, try one of her upcoming classes:  Brunch Italiano, Fish without Fear, or my personal favorite:  Handmade Pasta for Two.

Watch for upcoming posts featuring pasta ideas--not to mention Anna's big reveal on the fatal mistake that most Americans make when cooking Marinara.  Stay tuned!

Italian Fest at the Reading Terminal Market

Anna of La Cucina divulged the secrets to making traditional filled cannolis

This Saturday the Reading Terminal Market was transformed into a Italian "mercato"...

Center Court was packed with vendors selling speciality products such as porchetta, fresh pasta, cheeses, wines, gelato (from Cappogiro of course), and much more!   Market stalwarts such as Molly Malloys, By George and Beck's touted traditional Italian foods such as paninis, pizza and strombolis while the Munier Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra serenaded shoppers and visitors for much of the afternoon.

"Sounds like the soundtrack for The Godfather," quipped one passerby.

A highlight of the Italian Fest was the action-packed Italian cooking demonstration which took place in La Cucina.  Chef and owner Anna Florio, who is herself of Italian origin, took this opportunity to share favorite recipes with the next generation of potential chefs and market shoppers.

Helping with the salad takes on a new meaning as these two volunteers vigorously shred Romaine lettuce.

Another volunteer rather more gingerly helps prep the citrus for the salad.

Photo opportunity anyone?

One of the most charming aspect of this Italian Fest is that many children and teens threw themselves into the festivities.  These cut out boards for example provided a photo opportunity for family members and were much enjoyed.

Aside from being a foodie heaven, the Reading Terminal Market is a great destination for visiting families, tourists to the City and locals.  Events like the Italian Fest help put the Market on the map, combining food, fun and educational opportunities.

Ever wondered what's on the inside of a muffaletta, for instance?

We found out, thanks to Chef Bill Beck...

Ever thought you should try a wheatgrass shot from the Market's juice bar??? 

I was talked into it by my teen son on Saturday.  Hmmmm. 

Wish I hadn't.

Stella's Lamb Bolognese

Most people visit Stella for their, um, stellar pizza.  But their non-pizza items are worth exploring.    In honor of this week's focus on lamb, we sampled their lamb bolognese, promptly fell in love, and their chef was kind enough to share the recipe.  This version serves 12, which is a hefty batch.  If you announce that you are making Stella's lamb bolognese, however, we're certain that you'll fill the seats at your table quickly.  If not, you can freeze what's left.

Stella's Stellar Lamb Bolognese

3 lbs ground lamb

10 cloves garlic (minced)

2T Spanish paprika

1T fennel seed (toasted & ground)

1T coriander (toasted &  ground)

1T black pepper (ground)

2t cumin (toasted & ground)

2t ground cinnamon

1t cayenne pepper

1t sumac

1ea red bell pepper (small dice)

1ea red onion (small dice)

½  spanish onion (small dice)

1 stalk celery (small dice)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

2t crushed red pepper

2t piment d’ espilette (Basque chili powder; order here)

2C spicy red wine

1QT lamb stock (use chicken if unavailable)

2C whole milk

2C crushed tomato

2 oranges (juice and zest)

sachet: 1oz parmesan rinds, 6 sprigs thyme, 6 sprigs oregano, 3 sprigs rosemary, 3 bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1t black peppercorns

1C pistachio gremolata (recipe follows)

cooked rigatoni pasta (5oz per person)

unsalted butter  (1t per portion)

grated parmigianno regianno (1T per portion)

extra virgin olive oil (1T per portion)

minced flat leaf parsley (1T per portion)

S&P to taste

Method

For the Bolognese:

1.     combine first 10 ingredients and refridgerate for 48hrs allowing the spice to permeate the  meat

2.     sweat  onions , celery, red pepper,  and remaining garlic until translucent

3.     add crushed pepper and piment d’ espilette and toast until fragrant

4.     add lamb/spice mixture and cook through breaking apart meat as it cooks, seasoning with S&P as you go

5.     deglaze with red wine and reduce by half

6.     add remaining ingredients (stopping at  gremolata) and simmer slowly until texture is meaty with very little liquid (about 3hrs)

For the Gremolata (combine the following):

1C grated parmesan cheese toasted in a low oven on non-stick pan until golden brown

1C fine bread crumbs toasted

½ C pistachio dust

1T chili flakes

Rind from 4 preserved lemons finely minced

6 sprigs rosemary leaves minced

S&P to taste

To Finish:

Combine hot pasta with Bolognese sauce and allow to cook for a couple minutes  so pasta can absorb the flavor, finish with butter, cheese, olive oil, parsley and gremolata. 

Farah's Indian Lamb

We love Indian food.  Regrettably, and despite the burgeoning local food scene, we have not found a really good, authentic Indian restaurant in Philly.  (Recommendations welcome.)  Happily, we have several Indian friends who are marvelous cooks and we make it a point to appear at their dining tables on a regular basis in order to enjoy this favorite cuisine.

We've featured Farah Kapoor before; she's our go-to girl for Indian recipes, and we couldn't very well showcase lamb without a curry. 

 So here, in all its glory, is Farah's Lamb Rendang.  (See cook's notes and ingredient sources below.)

Lamb Rendang Recipe (Spicy Lamb Curry)

Equipment:

Crock Pot

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless leg of lamb (or any other stewing meat), cut into cubes
7 tablespoons oil
1/4 piece turmeric leaf (optional), thinly shredded
10 kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2-inch length
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut, lightly toasted
2 small sized potatoes (optional), peeled, and cut into bite-size
salt and sugar to taste

Spice Paste:

3 tablespoons oil
10 dried red chilis, soaked in warm water and seeds removed
5 fresh red chilis, seeds removed
2 stalks lemongrass (white part only), lightly smashed
7 shallots, or 1 small red onion
1 clove garlic
1/2-inch ginger, peeled
1/2-inch galangal  peeled (if not available, skip and double amt of ginger)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 candlenut OR 4 cashews, lightly smashed
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

1. Plug in the crock pot/slow cooker and turn setting to High. Blend all Spice Paste ingredients in a food processor until fine. Scoop out, and set aside. Season lamb cubes with a little salt and put aside.

2. In a wok, heat up oil, stir-fry turmeric leaf and kaffir lime leaves until fragrant.

3. Turn heat to slightly medium-high, add blended Spice Paste, stir-fry until fragrant, or until color changes for 5 minutes.

4. Put in lamb cubes, stir well and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

5. Pour in coconut milk and toasted coconut and bring to a quick boil. Turn off heat and move all pre-cooked contents from wok into crock pot and braise for 1 1/2 hours.

6. Remove pot cover, stir and check to make sure the dish is not too dry and the lamb is tender enough to your liking.

7. Mix in potatoes, cover pot, and continue cooking for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender enough. Turn off heat. Unplug crock pot and allow the dish to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The sauce will slowly evaporate, and may appear slightly dry and thickened. The Lamb Rendang is ready to dish up. Serve with steamed white rice or coconut rice.

Cook’s Notes:

You may substitute coconut milk for yogurt, milk, evaporated milk or other dairy products, however it will alter the taste of an authentic Rendang.

Desiccated coconut may be replaced with a two tablespoons of coconut milk.

Rendang tastes better when served the next day. If possible, store some overnight in refrigerator.

If you have trouble finding ingredients, we recommend a trip to one of the Indian Grocers in West Philly.  International Food and Spices at 42nd and Walnut (closed Tuesdays) or Dana Mandi Asian Spice at 42nd and Chestnut are both excellent sources.