This recipe is brought to you by the color yellow. This week's color at Ian's school was yellow, and his coloring page for the week had a lemon on it. I had a lemon in the fruit bowl, and one thing led to another led to Citron Kake, or lemon loaf.
Some recipes I pick because they seem fun to make or I've always wanted to try this dish, and some recipes get picked because of the enthusiasm of a four year old with a penchant for yellow.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Colcannon (Ireland)
Right now we are a meat and potatoes kind of family. Back to school has been great for all the Steiners, but it has also hit us hard! The early mornings aren't so bad, but the evenings are painful. Twice this week one or both of the boys have been too tired to even eat dinner, so they've gone to bed and been asleep before 7:00. It makes for a nice long evening for mom and dad, but not much quality time with the boys.
So meal time has been about simple and comfort. Even as I write this, John is making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. But one night this week I was determined to cook up a recipe from Extending the Table. This week it was Colcannon, or creamy potatoes and cabbage. It seemed like a simple recipe, but I used several appliances, pots and pans, and utensils before it was all said and eaten. But I had a little Bon Jovi cranked up, the boys played downstairs, and I sang and danced through all the work. Pairing it with Polish sausage and baked corn pudding, I was reminded of the meals my mom cooked for us. Comforting and delicious, we managed to settle down for a meal where everyone was awake and talking about the day.
Most of the recipes in the book are very simple and easy to make, but the newness of some of them can be overwhelming when everyone is tired and dragging. So mashed potatoes, jazzed up Celtic-style was enough for this week, and maybe next...
So meal time has been about simple and comfort. Even as I write this, John is making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. But one night this week I was determined to cook up a recipe from Extending the Table. This week it was Colcannon, or creamy potatoes and cabbage. It seemed like a simple recipe, but I used several appliances, pots and pans, and utensils before it was all said and eaten. But I had a little Bon Jovi cranked up, the boys played downstairs, and I sang and danced through all the work. Pairing it with Polish sausage and baked corn pudding, I was reminded of the meals my mom cooked for us. Comforting and delicious, we managed to settle down for a meal where everyone was awake and talking about the day.
Most of the recipes in the book are very simple and easy to make, but the newness of some of them can be overwhelming when everyone is tired and dragging. So mashed potatoes, jazzed up Celtic-style was enough for this week, and maybe next...
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Melkam Addis Amit!
Happy Ethiopian New Year!
This year the 10th anniversary of September 11th also falls on the same weekend as the Ethiopian New Year. Our choice today was to celebrate with our children a day of new beginnings in our beloved country of America, a country that allows a family like ours to unite and thrive as any other.
Today was a day to revel in our blessings, to contemplate what it means to be alive and well, to engage the senses. Ethiopian food, prepared and consumed today in celebration, is such that it engages all of the senses. The wats arranged on the injera are a kaleidoscope of red, yellow, and green. Rich aromas of berbere, garlic and onions hang in the air. The spongy injera used to scoop up the wat soaks up the spices, which explode on the tongue, countered with the slightly sour fermentation. And then the satisfied murmurs and sighs as our bellies fill.
The morning began with dancing. Ian requested Ethiopian music, so we but on Bole to Harlem and spun in circles and raised our shoulders with many giggles in our pajamas. There was much silliness and the boys decided to trade pajama shirts before abandoning them all together. As I settled in to make Ambesha, our favorite bread of an earlier blog post, the boys played school. Mostly it was taking their toys in and out of their backpacks, but the occasional book was read as well. Their innocence in so precious, to be protected from the events a decade ago that took what remained of my own. I couldn't help but join them in their play.
For the new year, I decided to make Doro Wat, a chicken stew. This is a pretty traditional wat, one served in berbere sauce with a hard boiled egg. This was a new recipe for me from Extending the Table, and I broke from the recipe to make it in the crock pot. Crock Pot Sundays during the school year are a long tradition in our house, and this was our inaugural slow cooking of the year. By the time I had it all placed in the slow cooker, the boys were ready to get going for the day. Ian wanted to wear an Ethiopian outfit for the day, and looked so sweet in his traditional white shirt and shorts. Suki joined in as well in a Learn Amharic tee shirt, and away we went to buy our injera.
When house hunting two years ago, I always joked that I wanted to live within walking distance of the Holy Land Deli, and wouldn't you know it, we ended up pretty close. Fresh spices and breads from the Middle East and beyond are right at our finger tips. We of course ran into an Ethiopian gentleman there, dressed very similarly to Ian, and exchanged wishes for a happy new year as we both bought our injera for the night's celebration. We love the deli, and today I couldn't help but marvel at my Thai kid in his Learn Amharic shirt picking out Greek humus at the Holy Land. Only in America, that's for sure!
While Suki and Daddy napped, Ian and I went to my mom's to share the Ambesha, one of her favorites as well. Again, it felt right, comforting to spend today sharing fresh baked bread and chatting with my mom while Ian and Grandpa searched for pine cones in the yard.
Along with our Doro Wat, I also put together some Alecha, a mild Ethiopian stew with veggies. The cabbage came from the garden and had been saved for this very recipe since we planted it back in June. This bright yellow dish, seasoned with ginger and turmeric, is the perfect balance to the spicy chicken. As we piled the food high on our injera, Ian broke into a spontaneous Happy New Year song, composed on the spot, and sung in his sweet, sweet voice, a sweet, sweet balm at the end of a challenging day to mark another new beginning.
This year the 10th anniversary of September 11th also falls on the same weekend as the Ethiopian New Year. Our choice today was to celebrate with our children a day of new beginnings in our beloved country of America, a country that allows a family like ours to unite and thrive as any other.
Today was a day to revel in our blessings, to contemplate what it means to be alive and well, to engage the senses. Ethiopian food, prepared and consumed today in celebration, is such that it engages all of the senses. The wats arranged on the injera are a kaleidoscope of red, yellow, and green. Rich aromas of berbere, garlic and onions hang in the air. The spongy injera used to scoop up the wat soaks up the spices, which explode on the tongue, countered with the slightly sour fermentation. And then the satisfied murmurs and sighs as our bellies fill.
The morning began with dancing. Ian requested Ethiopian music, so we but on Bole to Harlem and spun in circles and raised our shoulders with many giggles in our pajamas. There was much silliness and the boys decided to trade pajama shirts before abandoning them all together. As I settled in to make Ambesha, our favorite bread of an earlier blog post, the boys played school. Mostly it was taking their toys in and out of their backpacks, but the occasional book was read as well. Their innocence in so precious, to be protected from the events a decade ago that took what remained of my own. I couldn't help but join them in their play.
For the new year, I decided to make Doro Wat, a chicken stew. This is a pretty traditional wat, one served in berbere sauce with a hard boiled egg. This was a new recipe for me from Extending the Table, and I broke from the recipe to make it in the crock pot. Crock Pot Sundays during the school year are a long tradition in our house, and this was our inaugural slow cooking of the year. By the time I had it all placed in the slow cooker, the boys were ready to get going for the day. Ian wanted to wear an Ethiopian outfit for the day, and looked so sweet in his traditional white shirt and shorts. Suki joined in as well in a Learn Amharic tee shirt, and away we went to buy our injera.
When house hunting two years ago, I always joked that I wanted to live within walking distance of the Holy Land Deli, and wouldn't you know it, we ended up pretty close. Fresh spices and breads from the Middle East and beyond are right at our finger tips. We of course ran into an Ethiopian gentleman there, dressed very similarly to Ian, and exchanged wishes for a happy new year as we both bought our injera for the night's celebration. We love the deli, and today I couldn't help but marvel at my Thai kid in his Learn Amharic shirt picking out Greek humus at the Holy Land. Only in America, that's for sure!
While Suki and Daddy napped, Ian and I went to my mom's to share the Ambesha, one of her favorites as well. Again, it felt right, comforting to spend today sharing fresh baked bread and chatting with my mom while Ian and Grandpa searched for pine cones in the yard.
Along with our Doro Wat, I also put together some Alecha, a mild Ethiopian stew with veggies. The cabbage came from the garden and had been saved for this very recipe since we planted it back in June. This bright yellow dish, seasoned with ginger and turmeric, is the perfect balance to the spicy chicken. As we piled the food high on our injera, Ian broke into a spontaneous Happy New Year song, composed on the spot, and sung in his sweet, sweet voice, a sweet, sweet balm at the end of a challenging day to mark another new beginning.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Locro (Paraguay) & Ahm Phul (India)
This three day weekend was a perfect antidote for a busy first week back at school. It started with the potential to be just as hectic as the week prior, with house guests and a fairly major home improvement project, but it managed to be one of simple joys, many involving food and family, of course, starting with a Friday night recipe from Extending the Table.
Now I am not an end of the week cook. Usually as the week rolls by, the recipes become less about preparing a meal and more about heating something edible in a short amount of time. My evidence would be the Hamburger Helper we consumed with drooping eyes on Thursday night. So Friday I found myself wondering why I had planned to make Locro, an enchilada casserole from Paraguay, on my least productive night of the week. What I discovered is that the recipe was a delicious balance of 5 fresh ingredients , garnished with a little salt and cheese, and refreshing in its simplicity. I have to believe that the palate cleansing flavors, compared to the boxed concoction of the night before, set the tone for the rest of the weekend.
My job for most of the weekend was to keep the boys out of John’s way as he and his brother tiled our back porch/mud room. John ‘s mom, Donna, also came to spend time and help with the boys. She brought plenty of fun gifts that she doled out through the weekend to keep the boys busy with artwork or music. She also brought 6 dozen farm fresh eggs and 2 dozen ears of sweet corn. The boys were tired after their week of school and daycare, and both really just wanted to settle back into their home routine, happy for the Grandma time. We used almost a couple dozen eggs for breakfasts and ate corn Sunday night for our official Labor Day Weekend Grill Out. The highlight of the weekend for me was our backyard campfire. The boys roasted marshmallows for s’mores while we told silly stories of marshmallow boys and sang our favorite Sunday school songs.
Over the course of two days, the big guys laid the sub flooring and tile, and the little boys slept a lot. I also tried to keep up with the garden. I managed to stew tomatoes from the garden to freeze, threw together a loaf of bread and canned another batch of pickles between art projects. We ate our fill of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, as well.
Today the project was finishing up. After saying good-bye to our guests this morning, Ian found a recipe in a school project that he wanted to try. It was an easy recipe for granola, so the whole family walked to the store, enjoying the sunshine, to pick up a few ingredients. While John put down the grout on the porch and Suki slept almost three hours(!), Ian and I mixed up the granola that we will be eating for breakfast this week.
So despite busyness around the house, the weekend was productive, full of fresh food and a newly tiled parch, which brought family for a fun time. It ended as it started, having dinner with my family, salads with veggies from the garden, and an easy mango whip dessert from India, ahm phul. Ian almost fell asleep at the table, but Suki drank his ahm phul in one giant gulpJ
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Ambabur Bed (Somalia)
Big day in our house! Today was Ian's first day in his Hi-5 preschool program. After eagerly packing the backpack and picking out a new school outfit, Ian was off and running as an official student, one who rides the bus and everything. Something we love about Ian's school is the diversity of the student body. Almost 40% of the school is black and 35% Latino, so many of the students are brown like Ian. Many of his classmates are Somali, so tonight in honor of Ian's first day of school and of Eid al-Fitr, which falls today to celebrate the end of Ramadan, I made Ambabur Bed, Somali Egg Crepes, which is a recipe made specifically for this holy day.
For a long time, Ian believed that any brown person he saw was from Ethiopia. Technically that's true for all people, since the origins of humanity have been linked to ET, but that isn't exactly what he understood;) We've slowly been introducing him to concept of race by explaining the different places where brown people can be born and what that means. This is a big idea for a four year old, only complicated by his understanding of adoption! Just recently he asked what country his new cousin, my brother's baby, will be from when it is born in October. I explained the baby will be American and why, yet he still asked what language it would speak and how we all might be able to communicate. He knows so much of the world and what makes a family, but then is limited by the uniqueness that experience.
And the fact remains that many of his classmates are indeed Somalian, from a country right next to Ethiopia. Their journeys to America are much different than his, though they share a complicated history of culture and conflict as neighbors from this corner of the world. Some of that history is quite recent or even ongoing for many members of the Somali community, and I want my son to understand the complexity of the Ethiopian-Somali ties. That will take some time and effort. Today we started with food, soft, warm crepes, rolled tightly and flavored with a healthy amount of clove.
As I poured the thin batter into my skillet, the rest of the family sat coloring at the kitchen counter, and Ian told us about his day and his classmates. He got to drink juice at school and color a school bus yellow. He made one new friend. One of the boys in his class cried when he had to get on the bus home, and one of the girls rolled her wheelchair onto a special platform to help her ride on Ian's bus. During his telling, little Suki just demanded his crepes:) There are many different experiences and people that Ian and Suki will encounter in their school days. I hope that we can teach them to be open to how that might enrich their lives and the connectedness that may exist. Ian is certainly ready to get back to school tomorrow, which was made even sweeter by the promise of left over crepes from breakfast in the morning.
For a long time, Ian believed that any brown person he saw was from Ethiopia. Technically that's true for all people, since the origins of humanity have been linked to ET, but that isn't exactly what he understood;) We've slowly been introducing him to concept of race by explaining the different places where brown people can be born and what that means. This is a big idea for a four year old, only complicated by his understanding of adoption! Just recently he asked what country his new cousin, my brother's baby, will be from when it is born in October. I explained the baby will be American and why, yet he still asked what language it would speak and how we all might be able to communicate. He knows so much of the world and what makes a family, but then is limited by the uniqueness that experience.
And the fact remains that many of his classmates are indeed Somalian, from a country right next to Ethiopia. Their journeys to America are much different than his, though they share a complicated history of culture and conflict as neighbors from this corner of the world. Some of that history is quite recent or even ongoing for many members of the Somali community, and I want my son to understand the complexity of the Ethiopian-Somali ties. That will take some time and effort. Today we started with food, soft, warm crepes, rolled tightly and flavored with a healthy amount of clove.
As I poured the thin batter into my skillet, the rest of the family sat coloring at the kitchen counter, and Ian told us about his day and his classmates. He got to drink juice at school and color a school bus yellow. He made one new friend. One of the boys in his class cried when he had to get on the bus home, and one of the girls rolled her wheelchair onto a special platform to help her ride on Ian's bus. During his telling, little Suki just demanded his crepes:) There are many different experiences and people that Ian and Suki will encounter in their school days. I hope that we can teach them to be open to how that might enrich their lives and the connectedness that may exist. Ian is certainly ready to get back to school tomorrow, which was made even sweeter by the promise of left over crepes from breakfast in the morning.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Murgir Korma (Bangladesh) vs. The State Fair (MN)
This weekend, my last before the start of the school year, started with a culinary adventure from Bangladesh and ended with the Minnesota cultural phenomenon that is the State Fair. Friday night I cooked up murgir korma, sweet chicken curry with yogurt, for dinner. This recipe from Extending the Table was a fun experiment in flavors. The curry was one built within the recipe. The book did give me the option of substituting 2.5 tsp of curry powder, but where is the fun in that? So I patiently fried ginger, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, red pepper, turmeric and salt in with the onion, garlic and oil. It was heavenly, and literally brought John to an abrupt halt when he caught the scent. This recipe actually gave me a lot of 'optionals' which I chose to use. I'd come this far with the list above, why not add a bit more? My only concern was whether the boys would eat it or not.
To our delight, the dish was delicious for all. The curry was sweet and delicate, perfect for the young palates of the boys, who are just starting to enjoy flavors beyond cheese and peanut butter. The boys gobbled up their chicken with little interest in my attempts to talk with them about the origins of the recipe in Bangladesh. Instead we talked about the day's swimming adventure, giggled about this and that, and had seconds. It was the most relaxed I had been all week.
Today we went to the State Fair for a different sort of cultural experience. It is such an event that I can't help but use capitals when I type it out! The Great Minnesota Get Together. It was Suki's introduction to an annual event that he will share with us for years to come and an event that Ian now can't wait to get to. John and I have an eating strategy from way back that allows for making our way around the fair. We share everything we buy so that we get to try more things, even though we eat less of them. There are a few exceptions, like the Pronto Pup and the frozen cider sticks, but for the most part it works well. All four of us shared, in the order we ate them, Pronto Pups, mini donuts, frozen cider, turkey sandwich, sweet corn ice cream, cheese curds, strawberry milkshake, french fries, and honey sticks. It was quite the afternoon of feasting, yet the acts of sitting on the edge of a bench and in the strollers, sharing our food, usually with just one or two spoons, was intimate, even surrounded by a couple hundred thousand people.
These two experiences were such opposite experiences for our family's palate, from a dish made from fresh ingredients and joy to mass produced and fried. But they ended up really being about the same connection of being a family, sharing, giggling, eating, talking. As time goes by and our family gets busier with sports and activities, when our boys grow to need several Pronto Pups of their own to make it through the day, we may need to be more intentional about creating these moments, but I have no doubt we will. We are building the foundation now, one meal at a time.
To our delight, the dish was delicious for all. The curry was sweet and delicate, perfect for the young palates of the boys, who are just starting to enjoy flavors beyond cheese and peanut butter. The boys gobbled up their chicken with little interest in my attempts to talk with them about the origins of the recipe in Bangladesh. Instead we talked about the day's swimming adventure, giggled about this and that, and had seconds. It was the most relaxed I had been all week.
Today we went to the State Fair for a different sort of cultural experience. It is such an event that I can't help but use capitals when I type it out! The Great Minnesota Get Together. It was Suki's introduction to an annual event that he will share with us for years to come and an event that Ian now can't wait to get to. John and I have an eating strategy from way back that allows for making our way around the fair. We share everything we buy so that we get to try more things, even though we eat less of them. There are a few exceptions, like the Pronto Pup and the frozen cider sticks, but for the most part it works well. All four of us shared, in the order we ate them, Pronto Pups, mini donuts, frozen cider, turkey sandwich, sweet corn ice cream, cheese curds, strawberry milkshake, french fries, and honey sticks. It was quite the afternoon of feasting, yet the acts of sitting on the edge of a bench and in the strollers, sharing our food, usually with just one or two spoons, was intimate, even surrounded by a couple hundred thousand people.
These two experiences were such opposite experiences for our family's palate, from a dish made from fresh ingredients and joy to mass produced and fried. But they ended up really being about the same connection of being a family, sharing, giggling, eating, talking. As time goes by and our family gets busier with sports and activities, when our boys grow to need several Pronto Pups of their own to make it through the day, we may need to be more intentional about creating these moments, but I have no doubt we will. We are building the foundation now, one meal at a time.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Lekatane Jam (Botswana)
This week the boys started to daycare for the school year, and I imagined myself anxiously puttering through the house for endless hours wondering how the boys were faring. Of course, I have been ridiculously busy, the week full of errands and projects, and the boys are having a blast playing with the other kids. So today I finally got around to one of the recipes that I wanted to try, which is Lekatane, or watermelon, jam.
Let me just say that this jam was fabulous! I made my first batch in my pajamas before I even finished my first cup of coffee. See, that's the kind of schedule I put myself on this week. Make jam, go to Costco, make pickles, go to the store, make another batch of delicious jam, stew tomatoes, Hi 5 open house, make bread, and on and on. These are in fact all the things I did today. I was so busy I hardly had a chance to enjoy this sinfully sweet jam with a touch of ginger and a tart finish. I kept sneaking into the fridge for a quick bite between dusting the house and checking my email. All I really wanted to do today was make jam!
I don't know that I am going to learn anything or impart anything to my family if I don't slow down and take the time to enjoy cooking like I absolutely love cooking. Even after I made the jam, I thought, damn, now I have to find time to write about it. And I was really looking forward to writing about it when I started this blog last week! I'm not going to connect to a global community if I'm disconnected from my process at the most basic level. So tomorrow I'm going for a do-over. I'm going to make another recipe. I'm not sure which one. Whatever inspires me. And I'm going to take my time and enjoy the work and enjoy the eating. And that is all that I have planned. For now.
Let me just say that this jam was fabulous! I made my first batch in my pajamas before I even finished my first cup of coffee. See, that's the kind of schedule I put myself on this week. Make jam, go to Costco, make pickles, go to the store, make another batch of delicious jam, stew tomatoes, Hi 5 open house, make bread, and on and on. These are in fact all the things I did today. I was so busy I hardly had a chance to enjoy this sinfully sweet jam with a touch of ginger and a tart finish. I kept sneaking into the fridge for a quick bite between dusting the house and checking my email. All I really wanted to do today was make jam!
I don't know that I am going to learn anything or impart anything to my family if I don't slow down and take the time to enjoy cooking like I absolutely love cooking. Even after I made the jam, I thought, damn, now I have to find time to write about it. And I was really looking forward to writing about it when I started this blog last week! I'm not going to connect to a global community if I'm disconnected from my process at the most basic level. So tomorrow I'm going for a do-over. I'm going to make another recipe. I'm not sure which one. Whatever inspires me. And I'm going to take my time and enjoy the work and enjoy the eating. And that is all that I have planned. For now.
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