heart‐shaped garlic & onion roti

roti: mix 2 cups of flour with ½ tsp salt. add 4 tsps oil and mix until lumps smooth out. add ¾ cup warm water ¼ cup at a time. form a dough ball; careful not to over-knead the dough. coat the ball with a few drops of oil, and then let it rest for 15 minutes. divide the dough into 12 balls., dip the balls in flour to coat them, and roll them out into flat rounds. use cookie cutters for shapes. cook in a skillet on high heat for 10-15 seconds each.

because why not

my banana crumble snack cake with custard from matt's vanilla pots de crème, & a basic strawberry, raspberry, blackberry sauce.

vanilla pots de crème

another remarkable mark bittman recipe

heat oven to 300. pour 2 cups heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat until steam rises. cover pan, turn off heat, and let steep for 15 minutes. beat yolks of 6 eggs with 1/2 cup sugar until light. pour about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar/egg mixture into cream and stir. add 1 tsp vanilla extract. pour mixture into four 6 oz ramekins and place in a baking dish; fill dish with water halfway up the side of dishes. cover with foil and bake 45 minutes to an hour until center is barely set. chill before serving.

chicken & vegetable cobbler

amazing recipe by mark bittman

heat oven to 400 degrees. heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. add a sliced leek, with salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes. add two cups quartered button mushrooms and cook 10 minutes. add 1½ cups chicken stock and some rosemary in a tea ball. bring to a boil for a few minutes, then add three chopped chicken thighs and two chopped carrots, and reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for ten minutes. add 1 cup peas and cook until vegetables are tender.

whisk cornstarch with a few tablespoons of broth to make a slurry. add slurry to pot and stir until liquid thickens slightly. transfer everything to an ovenproof dish and set aside.

put 1 cup flour in a food processor with ¾ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp soda and ¼ tsp salt salt. add 3 tbsps chopped butter and process 30 seconds. transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in ½ cup buttermilk and 1 egg until it just comes together; it should be sticky.

drop spoonfuls of batter on top of vegetables and chicken and smooth with a knife, covering as much surface area as possible but leaving a few gaps for steam to escape. bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden on top and bubbly underneath. scoop into bowls and serve immediately.

baba ganoush, tomato feta spread, & roti

tomato feta spread: made this one up on the fly. slice cherry tomatoes in half. toss in olive oil, sea salt, & fresh pepper. roast in toaster oven at 425 for ten minutes. combine in food processor with crumbled feta, to taste. super tasty.

baba ganoush: prick a large eggplant with a fork, then roast at 425 for about an hour until it is soft. let it cool, then purée in a blender with garlic, peanut butter (or tahini), some olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt, to taste.

roti: mix 2 cups of flour with ½ tsp salt. add 4 tsps oil and mix until lumps smooth out. add ¾ cup warm water ¼ cup at a time. form a dough ball; careful not to over-knead the dough. coat the ball with a few drops of oil, and then let it rest for 15 minutes. divide the dough into 12 balls., dip the balls in flour to coat them, and roll them out into flat rounds. cook in a skillet on high heat for 10-15 seconds each.

Tuna Ceviche

A few days ago we were having grilled tuna steaks. I rescued a few pieces before they hit the flames to make ceviche.

Take some tuna. I probably had roughly one normal-sized steak, about an inch thick.

Cube the tuna, about 1/2" per side.

Chop up a few green onions. I used both the white and green parts. I stopped a few inches shy of the top, because these ones were only OK, and I didn't want any woody bits.

Finely chop half an onion. I would have preferred a red one, because they're prettier, but this yellow one worked well enough, and was probably a bit milder.

Peel and finely chop some ginger. This is about two knuckles' worth, or about 4 teaspoons when chopped.

Juice some limes. I used two whole limes, and later added a whole lemon because I wanted the flavor to be a bit brighter. Also, add a teaspoon or so of soy sauce to taste.

Mix it all up in a non-reactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Walk away for 2-3 hours. Return and top off with some chopped cilantro. Time for some noms.