"Chuck & Dave's"

All it takes is one visit to Louisiana to become intoxicated with its cuisine, whether it be the spicy rusticity of Cajun cuisine or the urban sophistication of its Creole cuisine.  For people used to cuisines where spices and seasonings are heavily used, Louisiana's cuisines dispel the belief that all food in the United States is bland and uses limited seasoning.  Anyone who loves to cook will find themselves stocking up on cajun seasonings, hot sauces, tasso, andouille, and filé to bring back home in the hopes of trying to recreate those almost ethereal flavors....but it's pretty hard without a grandmère or maman to give you guidance.

One thing that I've added to my ever-growing list of positive things about Broward County's dining scene is the fact that there are actually a few Louisiana-style restaurants here.  Now, there are only 3 that I'm immediately aware of, but that's still more than I was used to seeing in Dade.  Most recently, John and I paid a visit to a place we call "Chuck & Dave's".  It's really Called Shuck n Dive, but upon quickly passing by one afternoon, I misread it as "Chuck & Dave's", and the name stuck.  The restaurant is actually located within a strip mall that houses a couple of other good eateries, including the elegant Christina Wan's and a wonderful coffee house called Brew.

The ambiance is very kitschy and themed so as to feel as if you're in southern Louisiana.  They only serve beer and wine here, so there was no opportunity for a daiquiri, but John started out with an Abita specialty beer.  For appetizers, we shared an order of boudin sausage and fried green tomatoes.  I had fried boudin balls at The Chimes in Baton Rouge and had heard a whole story about this Cajun specialty on NPR's The Splendid Table, so I knew what to expect - a natural casing surrounding a rich and spreadable combination of rice, spices, and often pig's blood.  Their version was true to form and was delicious spread onto saltine crackers and topped with slices of pickled banana peppers.  The fried green tomatoes were also good and arrived drizzled with a generous amount of remoulade, the Creole answer to the spicy mayo found at many sushi bars.

For an entrée, John had the Cajun sausage po' boy with tator tots, which was large enough for two people to share and offered a taste of Louisiana's most popular hand-held food at its best.  The sausage, which is also imported from Louisiana, was perfectly cooked so as to provide the ideal balance of firmness and tenderness.  The tater tots I would pass on, as they reminded me of what I was served at school cafeterias - memories that I prefer not to relive.  I was in rare form that evening and was really craving seafood.  Their selection of broiled and gratinéed oysters looked very tempting, so I ordered a tasting of 3 different varieties (6 in total) - Rockefeller, Bienville, and Black n' Blues (the restaurant's own creation).  I actually ended up with 7 oysters, as the kitchen threw in an extra Oyster Rockefeller.  All of the oysters were gently cooked, almost to the point of being rare, so as to keep their flavor and silky texture intact.  Some of the toppings complimented the oysters better than others, however, and it's no surprise that the more traditional recipes won out over "Chuck & Dave's" own creation.  The Oysters Rockefeller were offered a slight crunch from the parmesan topping and a green note from the spinach, as well as a light anise back note from the addition of the Pastis.  The Oysters Bienville were, by far, my favorite: topped with a cream reduction studded with green peppers and bacon, and topped with parmesan cheese before going under the broiler.  The Black n' Blues oysters were sprinkled with cajun seasonings and topped with crumbled blue cheese.  While not bad, I thought that the blue cheese was too overpowering for the oysters.

The restaurant isn't dirt cheap, but the prices are still pretty reasonable.  With the addition of my iced tea, everything that we had (including John's Abita) came out to $42 before tip, and we both left pretty satisfied.  I'll definitely come back and taste "Chuck & Dave's" red beans and rice, gumbo, and Cajun mixed barbecue consisting of ribs, tasso ham, and sausages.  I'm also looking forward to enjoying their Monday Muffaletta special, which can easily lay claim to being the "king of sandwiches."

Shuck n Dive

650 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale 33304

(Btwn NE 6th & NE 7th St)

(954) 462-0088

http://southflorida.menupages.com/restaurants/shuck-n-dive/menu

Provoleta

Last night we just fried up the provoleta that I had trekked down to Graziano's in Miami to purchase for Christmas Eve dinner.  Considering that the Noche Buena table was already heavily weighted with all sorts of cured meats, cheeses, breads, panetón, marinated vegetables, fresh anchovies, and John's Swedish meatballs and a spiral ham, as well as a platter of pigs in blankets, we decided to hold off on the provoleta that night.  However, every time I opened the "deli drawer" in the refrigerator, the vacuum-sealed package of two pale disks sprinkled with dried oregano and chili flakes kept looking back at me, almost asking me if tonight was the night it would get eaten.  Well, John decided to purchase some crusty Italian bread and make last night the night that we would partake in this Argentine and Uruguayan delicacy.

Argentina and Uruguay really don't have a very complex or even interesting cuisine.  It's actually very simple and relies heavily on grilled steaks and New World interpretations of European - mostly Italian - dishes.  Go to any Argentine and/or Uruguayan grocery or restaurant and you will be confronted by mostly a selection of meats and sausages, as well as a selection of pastas - no exotic seasonings, and very few vegetables.  Don't get me wrong.  The few dishes that comprise both countries' cuisines are very well made, and both Argentina and Uruguay are known throughout the world as being masters in grilling steaks.  Additionally, I consider the best Italian inexpensive Italian food to be had in Miami is to be had at an Argentine or Uruguayan restaurant; just like the Italians from which many of them descend, they have unrelenting standards when it comes to quality of ingredients and freshness.

Perhaps the national dish of both countries is La Parrillada (or El Asado), which is closest in nature to an American barbecue, but is comprised of different cuts of grilled beef, as well as sausages and some offal (their grilled sweetbreads are some of the best that I've tried).  As an appetizer to this style of cooking, there is provoleta, which is a slice of firm provolone (not the kind used in an Italian sub sandwich) coated with oregano and chili flakes and quickly grilled over a very hot open flame rendering a crispy crust and a gooey interior.  Call it South American fondue (or raclette), if you will.  

The technique is pretty tricky to master, as the cheese can drip through the grates of the grill and cause flare ups.  The short cut way to make provoleta is on the stove.  Leave the provoleta out for about an hour, unwrapped, so that the exterior forms a sort of light "crust".  You might have noticed this with cheese plates that have sat along too long, especially on cheeses like gouda or cheddar.  When ready to prepare, heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add just a little bit of oil to coat the bottom.  Place the slice of provoleta on the frying pan, and cook until bubbly and crusty on one side, then flip over with a spatula until a slight crust forms on the other side.  Put the provoleta on a plate and eat immediately with a baguette or ciabatta.  This really is a great dish to serve with wine for a an informal get-together.

Cevichery Restobar, My New Favorite Peruvian Restaurant

Peruvians are a tough crowd to please when it comes with food.  We've been referred to as the French of Latin America, and with good reason.  Peruvian cuisine, apart from being on par with China for having one of the world's largest and most diverse cuisines, is also the most elegant and sophisticated in Latin America.  Don't believe me?  Just read what Auguste Escoffier and Ferran Adrià (both gods of the gastronomic pantheon) say about Peruvian cuisine.  Contemporary Peruvian cuisine is a cross between the culinary traditions of various Amerindian peoples, West Africans, Arabs, Spaniards, French, Italians, Chinese, and Japanese.  To paraphrase Peruvian celebrity chef, Gaston Acurio, Peruvian cuisine is the original fusion cuisine that occurred decades before trained chefs began toying with the concept.  Unfortunately, due to poor marketing and an almost psychological confusion of where to compartmentalize Peruvian cuisine (being that it's unlike what many people picture Latin American cuisines to be), most people are ignorant about it or it just gets shoved to the back burner as something akin to Mexican food but with more potatoes.  I hope to bring about a greater worldwide appreciation for this cuisine that inspired the likes of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

Anyway, Peruvians are demanding when it comes to their cuisine and eating at Peruvian restaurants.  I've seen Peruvians get upset over being served by a Colombian or Argentine waitress.  I've seen Peruvians return platters of ceviche because it was sitting in lime juice a minute too long.  And Peruvians in Lima are known to return whole platters of chicharron (fried pork) because "there's just a little too much gristle on this one piece and how dare you try to cheat me out of meat and serve me a bad cut of pork!"  As one Peruvian chef in Miami once told me, "our Peruvian customers are our most....'special' customers".  That being said, THIS particular Peruvian-American is very demanding when it comes to eating Peruvian food at restaurants.  Ironically, a lot of the Peruvian restaurants in South Florida are pretty deplorable, and sadly they've become the reference point for many non-Peruvians as to what Peruvian cuisine is like.  Up until now, there have been only two Peruvian restaurants worth going to in South Florida that I know about:  Cvi.che 105 in Miami and Bravo! Gourmet Sandwich in Broward County.  Along with Chifa Du Kang (a Chinese-Peruvian style restaurant known as a Chifa), these are considered to be the best Peruvian restaurants in South Florida.

I now have Cevichery Restobar in Miami Beach to add to that list.  The name of the restaurant is an anglicized play on the word cevichería, which is an informal place to grab drinks and eat ceviche and other Peruvian seafood appetizers.  It's like the Peruvian version of a sports bar, tapas bar, and sometimes even blues lounge all wrapped up in one.  This particular cevichería is located on the beautiful Española Way, which gives you the feel of being on a quaint side street in the chic neighborhood of Miraflores in Lima, and the décor, location, cuisine, and service make it much more than your average hole-in-the-wall ceviche joint.  Regardless of its elegant surroundings and outstanding and inventive cuisine, the prices are very reasonable, with entrées all under $18.

I went with my sister last night, and we started off with a mora (a South American blackberry that has a floral note) pisco sour and a kiwi pisco sour.  Although both lacked the traditional head of foamy egg white, our waitress informed us that the traditional pisco sour did include the requisite egg white froth and the dash of bitters.  Both cocktails really piqued our appetites for our ceviche shots that were brought to us just moments after being made to order.  Proper Peruvian ceviche is never left to sit and marinate, but is left to "cook" in the lime juice for just a few minutes before serving, demonstrating an appreciation for raw seafood that was taught to us by Peru's Japanese community.  My ceviche was spiked with a purée of fiery rocoto pepper, while my sister's was accented by the sweetness of fresh-squeezed orange juice and a chiffonade of fresh mint.  While mine offered all the traditional elements a Peruvian would expect, my sister's ceviche presented a well-balanced mixture of flavors that was very refreshing.  After our ceviche shots, we were brought a plate of conchitas a la parmesana, a nod to Italy's contribution to Peruvian cuisine.  Six scallop shells arrived topped with a golden-brown layer of melted parmesan cheese sealing a tender scallop nestled in a cream sauce infused with the scallops briny-sweet juices.  There was perhaps just a little too much cheese on each scallop for my sister's taste, but the sauce beneath the cheese was so good I found myself licking each shell clean.

For an entrée, I was recommended the pescado a lo macho (macho fish), which consists of a lightly breaded and fried fillet of white fish (I believe they used grouper) topped with a spicy cream sauce ideally containing a cornucopia of shellfish.  Cevichery Restobar's version is the absolute best I have had in all of South Florida, period!  The fish was perfectly cooked and the sauce was rich, thick, and offered just the right amount of kick from yellow ají.  The shellfish that dotted the "macho" sauce was so tender it could be cut with a spoon.  This was served with a side of fluffy white rice (perfectly desgranado) topped with a few kernels of choclo (Peruvian hominy).  My sister ordered the lomo saltado served with a side of quinoto.  Lomo saltado is a dish of Chinese-Peruvian origin and contains bite-sized pieces of steak (traditionally sirloin) stir-fried with red onions, wedges of roma tomatoes, soy sauce and other seasonings and is finished with a touch of chopped fresh cilantro.  If served with plain rice, the stir fry is topped with french fries.  The version my sister ordered this evening came with a side of quinoto, a more contemporary addition to the Peruvian culinary repertoire that is basically a risotto made with quinoa, a grain cultivated in the Andes since time immemorial.  Quinoa is ideal for making a risotto, as it naturally has a creamy texture and does not clump like rice does.  At Cevichery Restobar, diners have the option of having their quinoto flavored with  rocoto chile, pesto, or huancaina sauce.  On the waitresses suggestion, my sister ordered the huancaina option.  Huancaina sauce is a thick dressing for boiled potatoes originating from the Andean region of Huancayo, and consists of a purée of ají amarillo chiles, onion, garlic, fresh cheese, and milk (with a few other things, of course).  The combination of the spicy-creamy quinoto with the juices from the sautéed beef tips of the lomo saltado was heavenly - a perfectly conceived and executed dish!

We were able to meet the chef, who is Peruvian but apparently was raised in the United States as evidenced in his flawless English.  He therefore is true to his Peruvian roots, but has a firm grasp on the American market as well as diverse culinary influences that only eating and cooking in the United States can give.  He informed us that he just devised a completely new menu that will be revealed very soon - I was still reeling from the intoxicating food to pay remember whether he said tomorrow (which would be today) or the next week.  Our waitress informed me that if we loved that evening's dinner, we'll be blown away by the new menu.  I'm finding it hard to contain my excitement!  Anyway, after having chatted with us, the chef sent us over some complimentary shots of passion fruit pisco sours, which should definitely not be missed.  We rounded out our evening with a slice of lúcuma cheesecake (see here for a description of lúcuma), with a cinnamon and clove-spiced graham cracker crust.  The cheesecake, while being rich and flavorful was uncharacteristically light in body and was made with a bit of gelatin, making it almost like a cheesecake-panna cotta.  Speaking of panna cotta, they were sadly out of their chirimoya (sweet sop) panna cotta that evening, but I will be sure to order it next time.

And there will be a next time, especially considering that my sister and I were given 10% off coupons to come back and try their new menu.  Cevichery Restobar will not only be my go-to place while I'm on the beach, but also new destination for perfectly-made Peruvian cuisine in a beautiful setting.

Cevichery Restobar

440-448 Espanola Way 

Miami Beach, FL 33139

(305) 532-6620

www.cevichery.com

My New Thing: Mustard Oil

One of the cuisines I've been obsessed with for over 12 years has been South Asian cuisine.  Over the years I went from adding every ground spice imaginable to a pot of simmering yogurt to realizing the differences between regional South Asian cuisines and refining my own spice mixtures and sauces to the point that I consider myself pretty pretty familiar with Indian cooking and cuisine.  Most of the dishes I try to make are from Northern India (Delhi and Punjab), as well as some Pakistani dishes.  I have also delved into southern Indian cuisines from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.  One regional cuisine that I have yet to experiment with is Bengali cuisine.  I'm familiar with their spice blend called panch phoron that contains 5 spices usually consisting of cumin, fenugreek, fennel, black mustard, and nigella.  The cuisine of Bengal and surrounding regions uses a lot of fish, thickens foods with ground poppy seeds, is particularly famous for its sweets (gulab jamuns and rasgullas) and is very fond of mustard - good, strong mustard.  Bengali cuisine is also known for its use of mustard oil as a cooking fat, which is unique to the region.

I went yesterday to my favorite Desi (South Asian) grocery, Asia Grocery, to stock up on some supplies and decided that I should buy a small bottle of mustard oil and start experimenting with Bengali cuisine.  As I was putting away packages of spices, dals, food dyes, and syrups, I decided to open up the small bottle of mustard oil and give it a taste to see what I'd be working with.  Once the drop of oil hit my tongue, it was like a new culinary portal was opened to almost endless possibilities.  This is going to be one of my new ingredient obsessions!

Imagine an oil that tastes like dijon mustard or chinese mustard!  Imagine being able to infuse that flavor as a backdrop to complex curries, or adding a few drops into salad dressings.  For dinner this evening, I used up the last bits of cucumber and daikon radish for a quick relish.  I made paper thin slices of both vegetables and marinated them in a mixture of white vinegar, salt, cayenne powder, black pepper, and just a few drops of mustard oil.  It was a flavor explosion that went beautifully with the tartness of the vinegar and the spice from the cayenne powder.  I can only imagine what a dash of sugar would do to such a dressing!

Think of mustard oil the same way you would think of sesame oil - a few drops can really add a je ne sais quoi to whatever dish you're making and really pull everything together.  Look for it the next time you're shopping for South Asian ingredients

Best Pizza in South Florida

Some people, like my dad, refer to pizza as "pan con vomitao" (bread with vomit).  I'm sure he's a very small and very rare minority, because to many (myself included) pizza is one of the perfect foods.  Done right, it's actually a pretty balanced meal containing all the basic food groups and can actually be quite healthy if eaten in moderation.  Pizza is also one of those foods that even when it's not that great, it's still pretty good, and very few people that I know will throw out a pizza unless it's absolutely terrible to the point of being inedible.

Unlike other American cities - particularly those in the northeast - Miami really isn't blessed with a significant Italian community, which reflects in our pizzeria options.  Independent pizzerias are not that abundant, and even when you find one, it can be twice the price and actually half the quality of one of the commercial chains.  If you don't believe me, I have two words for you:  Rey's Pizza.  Miami people will know what I'm talking about.  There are a few good pizza places in Miami that are worth mentioning and have a strong local following, like Frankie's, Casola's, Miami's Best Pizza, Pizza Rustica, and Steve's.  They're all good places for pizza, but I wouldn't consider them the best.

A pizza that would be a contender for the best has to have the following:  1) a crust that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside like a French baguette, 2) said crust must be able to withstand all the toppings without falling apart and turning into mush, 3) a sauce to remember, 4) good mozzarella.  Out of all the pizza places I've been to in Miami, none can hold a candle to Andiamo when it comes to these qualities.  On top of having a perfect crust, phenomenal sauce, and top quality cheese, Andiamo has the most well thought-out selection of specialty pizzas, a great salad, and a unique ambiance that is second to none.  Andiamo is actually one of my favorite places to just be in all of South Florida.  I can honestly just sit there and take in the scene without any food, and I'll be perfectly content.  Do you want to know where to find me if I've had a rough day and need to take a load off?  It's Andiamo.

Andiamo is located at the southern entryway to MiMo (Miami Modern District), which was my beloved home for one tumultuous year and one neighborhood that I hold near and dear to my heart.  It's location is known as the 54th Street Station, and is just a walk across the street from Soyka, the News Lounge (awesome happy hour 7 days a week), and Sushi Siam, as well as a salon, a gym, and several boutiques (including one that offers the best psychic reading I've ever had for the least amount of money I've ever spent).  Maybe now you're realizing why I love this place so much.  Andiamo's actual restaurant space is located in an old mid century car dealership, and it's the industrial-age design that will first captivate you.  Most of the seating is outdoors under a huge metal covering that used to protect the cars from the elements years ago.  You sill always find an eclectic selection of hipsters, models, families, artists, and just plain interesting people dining at Andiamo no matter when you go, but there is always a table available and hardly ever a wait to be seated.  Service is prompt, but never rushed, which is great because the people-watching here rivals that of Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.

Beer is the beverage of choice, but their iced tea is also great if you don't want to drink alcohol.  When I'm in the mood, I usually get a Peroni.  Andiamo offers breadsticks and a few other appetizers of which I can't remember because their house salad is probably one of the best ones you will have at any pizza place - a combination of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, red onions, kalamata olives, chickpeas, carrots, and wedges of tomatoes in a house vinaigrette.  The real draw to Andiamo, of course, are their pizzas.  You can have a simple Margherita or pepperoni pizza and have a pizza moment unlike any you've ever had in South Florida offering a perfect crust with just the right amount of char, a chunky and tangy sauce studded with torn pieces of fresh basil, and quality mozzarella that stretches about a foot with each bite you take.  However, you really should not pass up one of of their many pizza creations.  

A pizzeria's own topping combinations and unique creations can be quite frightening and usually end up being regrettable.  I've personally had a few situations involving mashed potatoes and chicken marsala that I wouldn't care to relive.  I can honestly say without a doubt that almost every pizza creation at Andiamo is perfect!  I say "almost" because I haven't tried all of them yet, being addicted to some of my favorites.  Reading the descriptions, though, it's easy to tell that a lot of thought - and maybe even trial and error - has gone into formulating each combination of toppings for each pizza, and no matter how many toppings are on an Andiamo creation, the crust never gives in and will always have that combination of crispiness and chewiness.  My favorite is the Portobello, which is topped with Andiamo's homemade sauce, portobello mushrooms, slivers of sun dried tomatoes, a chiffonade of basil, caramelized onions, goat cheese, mozzarella, and a drizzle of truffle oil.  When I want something different, I get the Genovese, which contains no sauce or cheese.  In its stead, it's topped with thin slices of rosemary roasted new potatoes, fresh garlic, caramelized onions, pancetta, and gorgonzola cheese.  Another favorite of mine is the Bella Bambina, which is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, pancetta, caramelized onions, and gouda cheese.  Andiamo also offers one of the best barbecue pizzas in South Florida, containing a combination of BBQ chicken, BBQ sauce, gouda, red onions, and cilantro.

I have tried pizza joints before  tried Andiamo and many pizzas afterwards from Kendall to Boca Raton.  Tucci's in Boca comes close in quality but lacks in Andiamo's selection and creativity.  Every other pizza I've had just makes me wish I had gone to Andiamo.

Andiamo!

5600 Biscayne Boulevard  

Miami, FL 33137
(305) 762-5751

www.andiamopizzamiami.com

How do you get the taste of curry out of your mouth?

The answer is mukhwaas!

Every South Asian meal should end with paan, but if paan is unavailable, there should be mukhwaas.  This comes after dessert, after chai or coffee, when you've decided that dinner and drinks are officially over.

I rediscovered my canister of mukhwaas while rummaging through my cupboard looking for some spice I thought I had, and quickly took a break, sat down in front of the television, sprinkled some into the palm of my hand and had a blissful mouth-freshening moment.  Mukhwaas is a mouth freshener, and after paan (which is almost impossible to find freshly-made in South Florida, but practically omnipresent in NYC or Chicago), it is the most perfect end to an Indian/Pakistani/Sri Lankan/Nepalese/Bangladeshi meal.  There are countless varieties of mukhwaas with all sorts of secret breath-cleansing ingredients, but most mixtures that I've found contain, first and foremost, saunf - fennel seeds.  These can be plain fennel seeds, but are more commonly sugar or candy-coated fennel seeds, which have a slightly medicinal, licorice-like flavor, but with more of a "green" note to to them than licorice or anise seeds.  To the fennel seeds are added a myriad of other ingredients, which can include:  minuscule sugar candies, sprinkles, melon seeds, chopped dates, dried herbs, silver leaf, coconut, betel nut shavings, rose petals, and even little bits of sandalwood or sandalwood essence.  There is nothing that cleanses the palate better after a multi-course Desi (South Asian) feast than mukhwaas.

At any good Desi restaurant frequented by South Asians, you will find a bowl of mukhwaas at the entrance (or sometimes even a jewelry box-looking thing by the hostess stand) with a teaspoon.  Like probably most goras (non-Desis), I had passed by such bowls for years thinking that it was some type of potpourri.  It was only after seeing someone at an Indian restaurant sprinkle a spoonful of the stuff into his right hand and pop it into his mouth that I followed suit and had my post-Indian meal epiphany:  this is the ultimate breath-freshener, and pretty natural compared to all the breath mints and gums out there!

Mukhwaas can be purchased at almost any South Asian grocery either in large pouches for placing into your own bowl at home or in canisters.  My canister has about half a dozen different compartments, each with a different mukhwaas mixture - some consisting of nothing more than sugar-coated saunf, and others consisting of exotic and luxurious combinations of seeds, spices, and dried fruits.  There are also countless brands of single-serving mukhwaas sachets that make excellent additions to lunch boxes as a unique post-lunch refreshment.  So, next time you're at a South Asian restaurant, make sure not to skip the big bowl of mukhwaas.  You're mouth will rejoice...and your dinner date will thank you for it later, I'm sure!

The best place to get a huge selection of mukhwaas, as well as pre-packaged paan and any South Asian foodstuff you could ever want is:

Asia Grocery

785 Miller Drive

Miami, FL 33155

786-268-7700

Sunshine Indopak Grocery in North Miami Beach is probably the next most recommended South Asian grocery.

If you are simply physically incapable of driving down to Miami, Little Market is a less-than-satisfactory alternative in Broward County, although don't expect any help from the shopkeeper, and bring cotton to stuff into your nose as this place always seems to reek of sulfuric-smelling hing (asafetida)

New Restaurant in MiMo!

You might have heard it called The Upper East Side or MiMo.  Regardless of the name, that stretch of Biscayne Boulevard between NE 54th Street and NE 79th Street was where I called home for about a year, and although that year was fraught with headaches, I have really fond memories of that neighborhood.  Before the recession, it was scheduled to be Miami's next "it" 'hood with a lot of promising restaurants that focused on the food rather than the hype (as is common in other parts of Miami).  Good restaurants opened and closed, but the best ones stood their ground and continue to this day:  Michy's, Andiamo, Moonchine, East Side Diner, and a few others.  There were some that started with good intentions, but failed like Verdade's Taco Shop, American Noodle Bar, and Wine 69.  There are also one or two that changed owners and now have gone to crap, like Dogma (the founder's girlfriend turned him into a juice fasting hippy, convinced him to sell the business, and now there is no more mint lemonade and really crappy chili fries!)

After American Noodle Bar closed, I hadn't heard much about MiMo's food scene until I received a press release about a new venture on 63rd and Biscayne called Blue Collar...and trust me when I tell you that the menu looks a lot better than the name implies.  the Chef and owner, Daniel Serfer, has taken cues from his favorite haunts in NYC and brought the idea to Miami with a few local spins (vaca frita-topped tostones, for one).  Like a diner, the menu offers a little for everyone, but with a more gourmet taste profile, utilizing quality ingredients and interesting combinations.  Pork n' beans with Berkshire sausage, bacon, and a fried egg looks very promising!  Additionally, Serfer makes his own pasta in house, will offer daily barbecue specials, and supposedly celebrates Hanukah every day with latkes.  There's also a short, but well-selected beer and wine list.  The prices all seem pretty fair, too.

Blue Collar is scheduled to open this lucky Friday, January 13th.  Let's hope that if the food is good, Chef Serfer's choice of grand opening date isn't a bad omen for things to come.  Miami needs more casual neighborhood joints like the one he's promising.

for more information, including the full menu, check out the website:  www.bluecollarmiami.com 

It's Like Cooking Underwater

South Florida is the Hell of cooking environments!  Actually, Hell would probably be dry and have more consistent heat, so South Florida is worse than Hell when it comes to cooking.  Today, I tried to make bhaturas, a puffy deep-fried Indian flatbread, and after a lot of cursing and sweating and scraping dough off of a French rolling pin, I finally threw out the whole batch of dough and just improvised my own chapati recipe, which turned out pretty well.  What really made me feel worse is that I actually followed the recipe...a recipe that fails to take into consideration that in South Florida you will always get about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of extra water in whatever you cook, whether you're baking or making a stew.  Suvir Saran wrote his little recipe in NYC where he lives, I'm sure.  Even though there is humidity all over the world, and most especially in India, I'm convinced that the humidity in South Florida is intent on ruining the lives of cooks and bakers.

Add a little more flour, you say?  With any recipe calling for flour - chickpea flour, rice flour, bran flour, corn flour, any flour - it seems as if the more flour you add, the more moisture it attracts, and before you know it you have a ten pound ball of dough that's just as sticky and unmanageable as when you started.  I've tried making besan ki laddoos once, an Indian sweet made by cooking chickpea flour in ghee (clarified butter) until it forms a ball and then mixing it with sugar and nuts.  After following the recipe and watching the online video, I ended up with a very buttery porridge.  

To accompany my chapatis, I had made aloo keema, an Indian dish consisting of ground meat (beef in this case) and sliced potatoes.  I used a Masala Mixins packet from Rhode Island and used the attached recipe, which called for two cups of water.  I knew that this was a ridiculous amount for the quantity of beef, potatoes, and tomatoes I was using, and it would give me a curried hamburger soup.  I cut the water in half, and still ended up with a soupy curry which I had to simmer over high heat to thicken.  In other words, when making a stew or curry in South Florida, it's probably best to use less than half the amount of liquid that it calls for.  I've found myself having to do the same when using Shan Masala seasoning packets from Pakistan, too.

Rice is another issue.  I've heard that people up north can actually make a pot of fluffy white rice using a 2/1 water to rice ratio.  If you were to use that ratio in South Florida, you'd probably have yourself a decent congee (Chinese rice porridge).  This was something that used to perplex me for years until a Cuban friend of mine gave me the correct proportion: 1 1/4 cups of water to every cup of rice....and it can still be a little clumpy on a rainy day!

A cookbook should be made with recipes on how to cook underwater, which is pretty much what cooking in South Florida can be like.

Saigon City...meh

One of the pleasant surprises I've found in Broward County is the ethnic diversity that exists here.  Yes, we all think that Dade is more "ethnic" and Broward is more "white", but I've found that Dade's "ethnicness" is strictly limited to Latin American and Caribbean nationalities, while I've found there to be more East Asian, South Asian, European, and even South African enclaves in Broward County.  Want Romanian food after going to a Romanian church service? Just head over to Hollywood (where you can also get Turkish and Armenian cuisine).  Want Korean barbecue or a jug of kimchee? Just head west on 595 and you have your pick of about half a dozen places.  Chinese bakery, Pakistani pizza, Filipino cuisine, or German schnitzel?  All in Broward County, along with Peruvian sandwich shops, Italian-American red sauce joints, Jamaican patty stores, Haitian bakeries, Trinidadian roti shops, and a few other ethnic eateries.

One thing that there seems to be at least twice as much of in Broward as there are in Dade are Vietnamese restaurants.  Dade County has about three worth mentioning:  Hy Vong (the gold standard), Miss Saigon (the chichi, bougie, rachacha, prissy option), and Little Saigon (barebones, good, and cheap).  In Broward, it seems as if every self-respecting foodie or gourmand that I speak to has his or her favorite Vietnamese eatery, including myself.  This past saturday evening, I had the opportunity to sample Saigon City with some friends who are self-professed Vietnamese cuisine connoisseurs having lived in Houston, which reportedly has one of the largest populations of Vietnamese immigrants.  I had been longing for pho for approximately 3 months, especially pho containing my newfound Asian food obsession, soft beef tendon.

Now, it is curious that a country with a delicately nuanced cuisine such as France would colonize a country with similarly delicate cuisine as Vietnam (or Indochine as it was called back then).  Many people can't seem to find the charm in Vietnamese cuisine because it is so simple and delicate, and if prepared poorly, it can taste pretty bland.  Vietnamese cuisine, like Japanese cuisine, also depends heavily on good quality, fresh ingredients to get optimal flavor and texture.  The embodiment, in my opinion, of the Vietnamese food philosophy lies in a well-made bowl of pho: an umami broth redolent with star anise and black cardamom, chewy rice noodles, onions, and various cuts of meat topped with a measured dose of nuoc mam (fish sauce), sliced chiles, and torn basil and culantro leaves.

Saigon City, while satisfactory, left a bit to be desired.   There was one table of Vietnamese diners, but everyone else - including our South Asian waiter - was non-Vietnamese.  It was more authentic than the chic Basilic located by Lauderdale By The Sea, but the flavor wasn't all there, and the presentation was lacking a little.  Cha gio (fried springrolls) were scrawny and had unappealingly pale wrappers - not the fat, golden-brown morsels that I'm used to seeing at the better Vietnamese restaurants.  Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk came pre-mixed and served in ice - not in a little coffee drip balanced on a glass and dripping into several inches of condensed milk and served with an extra glass of ice to pour everything in once it was finished dripping, as is traditionally done.  

I was happy to see "special" pho listed on the menu, which is known as combination pho elsewhere.  Besides containing strips of raw beef that cook in the hot broth, this type of soup is supposed to contain impossibly thin ribbons of tripe, slices of tendon, meatballs, brisket, and other cuts of meat along with the traditional rice noodles.  The last time I had a combination pho was with a Chinese friend of mine who brought me to Saigon Cuisine in Margate (highly recommended, although Vietnamese coffee was also served pre-mixed), and we partook in a bowl brimming with exotic cuts of meat, some soft, some slightly chewy, others melting in your mouth like gelatin, but nothing even remotely close to being rubbery.  Saigon City's version had me searching for my favorite cuts of meat, and I was rewarded with only two thumbnail-sized pieces of tendon, and two vermicelli-thin strands of rubbery tripe.  The broth was satisfactory, but not memorable and definitely not hot enough (pho should be so hot that you burn your tongue on it if drunken immediately).  John's pork chop was satisfactory, and his banh mi (baguette sandwich) was also okay.  Another friend's lemongrass chicken looked like something out of PF Chang's, and no comments were made about it other than it was really spicy.

While a cut above some Vietnamese restaurants, I wouldn't say that Saigon City makes it to my list of some of the best in South Florida, and judging from the clueless white guy at the table next to us squirting a 1/4 cup of hoisin into his pho, I'd say that this is not a meeting place for the seasoned Vietnamese cuisine aficionado.  However, every cloud has its silver lining, and my experience at Saigon City led me to the discovery of Maxim Oriental Bakery, authentic-looking Silver Pond Chinese Restaurant, and a Vietnamese market within the same strip mall

Saigon City

4301 N State Road 7 (441)

Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33319

South Florida's List of Demands

Dear non-South Floridian United States,

There are several things that you have in abundance that we want/need.  In exchange for sharing your wealth, we will be more than happy to send you some Pollo Tropical restaurants, Cuban cafeterias and bakeries, bartenders trained in making mojitos, La Carreta, A Sedano's, a Navarro, and maybe a Pizza Rustica or two.  Failure to meet our demands may result in all South Florida airports being shut down between the months of November and May, so think carefully about your decision to help us.

Our demands are as follows:

1. Trader Joe's
• Like Ikea, we just need one for the whole region.  You have a bajillion of them, so I'm sure this won't hurt you too badly.
2. White Castle
• All we ask for is one
3. Real Mexican Tacos
• C'mon, California, we're counting on you!
4. Raising Cane's
• Baton Rouge, we want free chicken fingers for our birthdays, too!
5. Giordano's
• It would be nice to have a deep dish pizza once in a while
6. Culver's
• It's hot here, and we need frozen custard....and butter burgers, too!
7. Izzo's Illegal Burrito
• Sometimes we want a really big burrito without all of Chipotle's hippy philosophies and feeling like we're eating in a tool shed; and sometimes we'd like something other than a burrito, too.
8. Sonic
• There's supposedly one down here, but we need more....many more.
9. Banh Mi sandwiches
• We need more Vietnamese people.  And tell them to bring their Southeast Asian neighbors, too.
10. Coffee shops that aren't Starbucks
11. Ethiopian restaurants
12. Puerto Rican cuchifritos
• With all the Boricuas in Broward County, I'm surprised we don't have a place serving little fried morsels of savory goodness.  NYC, this is your time to contribute!
13. Po' Folks
• So much better than Cracker Barrel.  But unlike Cracker Barrel, please put one somewhere where people can actually access it easily.
14. Halwa Puri, Paan, and inexpensive South Asian fast food
• Please, please, please send us down some of your Desis.  We're in dire need of Pakistani breakfasts, mouth fresheners, and the ability to grab a quick samosa, pani puris, or a falooda.

You can start with these for now, but be warned that the list might grow.  We'll send you some aspiring Argentine and Brazilian models, a Sergio's, and a fritanga to make up for it though.

Peruvian Comfort Food - Tallarines Verdes

Of all the Peruvian dishes there are, there is none that warms my heart more and is most satisfying on frustrating day than tallarines verdes.  This is one dish that The Momster (who's American) thoroughly conquered in her repertoire of Peruvian dishes, and few people do it as well as she does.  It's a dish that's also very simple to just whip up at the last minute....call it the Peruvian version of boxed mac n' cheese.  A few restaurants serve it with a typical grilled or breaded fried minute steak, but this is a dish best savored at home and preferably made by a mom.  The name means "green noodles", and it basically consists of pasta (usually spaghetti or linguine) tossed in a pureed mixture of spinach, basil, and milk.  Of course, there are few little secrets here and there to make it taste just right.  Garlic is a must, and The Momster adds cream cheese for added richness and body.  Served with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and maybe a dollop of ají (read here), you have yourself a satisfyingly simple meal.

There's so much talk of ceviches and seafood dishes in Peruvian cuisine, which are all great but are primarily eaten and prepared in restaurants.  If you want to know what Peruvians eat on a daily basis, then tallarines verdes are a good place to start.  Here's what you'll need:

• 1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil or jarred basil paste (found at a Peruvian market)
• 2 cups whole milk (equal parts evaporated milk and water/broth is even better!)
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a sauce pan with the olive oil on medium heat.
2. Fry the onions and garlic until the onions become translucent.  
3. Add the thawed spinach and the basil or basil paste and cook this mixture for 5 minutes or until spinach is softened and basil (if raw) is cooked.
4. Put all of the above in the blender with 1 cup of milk 1/2 cup of cream cheese, and the parmesan cheese and liquefy until it becomes uniformly green.  Continue adding milk until you get a consistency that's to your liking.  If you make the sauce too thin, you can add more cream cheese to thicken it.
5. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook on medium heat until the sauce is heated through.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste
7. Toss with your favorite pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  I found that this goes really well with penne pasta

I know this is like the 3rd article on Peruvian cuisine in less than a week, but after having it for dinner tonight I knew I just had to share it.

South Florida Caterers

Just as my father taught me that Broadway singers were those who couldn't make it in a proper opera, I've come to believe that caterers are those cooks who couldn't make it in a restaurant kitchen.  Working in a doctor's office, we see about a dozen pharmaceutical representatives each day, and almost every day we get lunch catered by one of those representatives.  When I started working at my current job, most of our lunches resembled cheap wedding food: items that were inoffensive to most, and thus lacked in flavor, originality, and too often in quality.  Surprisingly, most of the reps thought the food was "faaaaaabulous", which lead me to believe that a lack of taste buds was a prerequisite for entering the pharmaceutical representative profession.  As a foodie, I had to put my foot down, and I joined forces with the other disgruntled employees to begin suggesting restaurants that we liked.  Our experience with caterers led us to believe that food from any caterer was automatically going to be subpar and more expensive than food from any restaurant, and this fueled us to lead reps away from caterers.  From my experiences, most caterers have no clue as to what they're doing and serve just plain bad food, although in the year that I've been working at this medical practice, I've come across one or two that are excellent and better than many restaurants I've been to.  Still, unless you're having a wedding for more than 50 people, you're better off saving money if you cook the food yourself, or get some relatives to make it for you.

Caterers to avoid:

• From Soup To Nuts
• Just atrocious food!  This is run out of somebody's home kitchen which is probably located in a trailer home somewhere in Davie.  They never bring chafing dishes or serving utensils, the food always arrives cold, and nobody should be partial to a spaghetti and egg casserole, a "moussaka" mystery loaf, or a tiramisu made with cool whip.  Yellow rice has streaks of food coloring in it and arrives as a cold, solidified block.
• Bakers & Grillers
• Inedible breakfast!  corned beef hash sits under 2" of grease, eggs are grayish-green, and almost everything else consist of deep-fried frozen breakfast items.  What's really ironic, is that this is the caterer of choice for a rep selling digestive medications
• Passable lunches.  The company is Uruguayan-owned, and they make a great Chajá cake.
• Corporate Caterers
• If you want a forgettable event, hire these caterers who specialize in forgettable food.  Grilled chicken can be used as a projectile weapon.  Their idea of chimichurri is laughable
• Douglas K Katering
• Just a notch above Corporate Caterers.  I can't really remember anything they serve, although I know they've been to the office several times because they print their logo on the water bottles they bring
• Exquisite Catering by Robert
• Along with the two above it, this one belongs in the category of "forgettable food".  They do, however, have impeccable presentation.
• Paisanne's Catering (or Payzan, or Paysanne, or Paisan, or Pyesan)
• This guy spells it in a creative way, and I just can't remember how, but you should avoid this caterer.  The office spent a weekend with food poisoning after a barbecue and soul food lunch that looked really great when it arrived.  Additionally, this guy's Italian food is a dry and flavorless joke. Breakfast consists of green scrambled eggs and the store-bought rolls.  The guy's well-meaning, but needs to polish up his cooking a bit.

Recommended Caterers:

• Joe Knows Lunch
• ...and boy does he ever!  This place is absolutely phenomenal and pretty affordable.  We had a hamburger lunch that included 1/3 lb burgers, freshly baked rolls, avocado slices, fresh mozzarella, havarti, vegetables, and a well-made salad, just to name of few of the toppings that it came with.  They also offer a mac n' cheese bar with countless toppings.  Their catered breakfasts far outshine anyone else's - oatmeal with a wide selection of toppings, soft scrambled eggs cooked in butter, real sausage links, thick cut bacon, fresh-baked bagels, Greek yogurt, and more.
• Stork's
• If you have the money to spend on it, it's worth it, but make sure you have a crowd that's used to European-style bread and European-style portions.  Their sandwiches are great, and their salads have a good proportion of greens to toppings. Almost everything is extra here, but do splurge on dessert...you won't regret it.
• Howard's Market
• This caterer is based in Boca Raton, and the food can be a little on the bland side (it's in Boca, go figure), but they do serve quality and it is a lot lighter than the greasy and heavy food a lot of the other caterers serve.  Their grilled chicken with lemon beurre blanc and julienned vegetables makes for an elegant meal, and their salad is great with a mixture of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, and sunflower seeds.  Every order comes with freshly-baked bread, and the cookies are some of the best I've had from a caterer.

A word of warning to anyone ordering food from any caterer:  AVOID THE RICE!!!  Unless you're ordering from an exclusively Latino caterer, every caterer uses parboiled rice that has the consistency of driveway gravel.  Get potatoes or even pasta as a side.

In other news...

I was supposed to go to Il Mulino (in Broward, not the exorbitantly-priced Sunny Isles status symbol) tonight, but plans changed.  I was looking forward to their excellent house-made pastas, and particularly their tortellini.  I had work to do at home for Joonbug, where I'll be publishing some interesting articles on my friend and wine genius, Melissa Dotson's, wine picks, as well as a review of brunch at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink and a "best-of" list of Jewish delis.  Additionally, I was polishing up my application for NYU's Food Studies Masters Program.  I'm just a few steps away from sending off my application, and then the rest is in God's hands.  Additionally, I had to help The Momster register us on Iberia's (the airline, not the beans) website for our February gastro-trip to Paris.  A lot is going on this year, and I hope everything goes well.  I'll post updates on Joonbug articles, NYU, and Paris.

Il Mulino, we will meet again soon, I hope, and you will get your rightful review.

Lúcuma Ice Cream Mix

Neopolitan ice cream usually is composed of three distinct flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.  This is true in almost every country but Peru, where Neopolitan ice cream consists of chocolate, vanilla and lúcuma.  Lúcuma is a fruit that is native to Peru and has been prized since pre-Inca times as can be seen pottery motifs from that period.  It is related to the canistel fruit that grows in South Florida and is widely cultivated in Cuba and the Caribbean.  The flavor is hard to pinpoint and is something that brings warm and fuzzy feelings to most Peruvians just like peanut butter with Americans.  It is one fruit that, while sweet, has a great deal of umami that made me compare it in flavor to a very astringent tomato.  Of course, the idea a tomato-flavored ice cream is one that would be challenging even to the most adventurous eaters.  Upon tasting a ripe persimmon for the first time, I realized that the flavor was similar and both it and the lúcuma have an astringent quality to them.  Still, it wasn't quite the same.  The best description I've seen was first read in a Travel + Leisure article on the new Lima and its vibrant food scene, which described the taste of lúcuma as a cross between maple syrup and sweet potato.  Although much more complex than that, this seems to be the most spot-on description for American palates.

Fresh lúcuma, outside of Peru and California, is almost impossible to come by.  Frozen lúcuma pulp is available at most Peruvian groceries in South Florida, but costs anywhere from $7 to $15 for a packet.  Lúcuma ice cream produced by D'Onofrio is now readily available in most well-stocked Peruvian groceries, but are still about 3 times the price of their American Blue Bunny counterparts.  During my last trip to a Peruvian grocery called Mi Tierra in North Miami Beach, I found a sachet of instant lúcuma ice cream mix for a reasonable price made by Universal brand, which also makes other instant ice cream mixes like guanábana (soursop) and maracuyá (passion fruit). The instructions on the back of the packet required the use of an electric hand mixer to beat the powder together with one cup of milk until it becomes foamy and doubles in volume.  In effect, it creates a lúcuma mousse.   Given the lack of readily-available ice cream makers to the Peruvian middle and working class, the instructions then require you to fill serving cups with the mousse and leave in the freezer until it sets.  I decided to make a richer base with a combination of heavy cream and whole milk and froze it in a Cuisinart ice cream maker.  The resulting ice cream was rich and dense and tasted just like D'Onofrio lúcuma ice cream.  I recommend buying it if you're a fan of lúcuma ice cream or as a sweet finale to a Peruvian dinner.

Mi Tierra

16461 W Dixie Hwy 

North Miami Beach, FL 33160

(305) 947-1935

www.tiendamitierra.com

Rice Report: Rico Rice

I'm always on the lookout for a good long-grain rice for day-to-day cooking.  With Basmati and Jasmine rice being so expensive these days, I tend to only use those rices for South Asian and East Asian food, respectively.  When I'm making other foods - especially Latin American dishes - I need something a little simpler.  Although I'm a spendthrift through and through, I've found that with rice you really get what you pay for.  Never go for the bargain stuff as it tends to clump up and the grains break up into unrecognizable little bits.  Thrifty Maid is one of the absolute worst that I've used and has given me countless pots of rice that I've had to throw away...rice that I'd be ashamed to serve anyone.  My go-to rice has always been Canilla, which is produced and marketed by Goya.  With a good rinsing and careful preparation, it's almost always produced a good pot of fluffy rice where the grains are all separated and have a slight chewiness, a quality known as desgranado in Spanish.  

Recently at the store, Rico rice was on sale for about half the price of Canilla.  I've heard of Puerto Ricans using Rico rice almost exclusively and decided to buy a 5 lb bag.  The individual grains were, for lack of a better word, beautiful!  Each one held its shape and there were very few broken pieces.  In fact, the packaging advertises that there are fewer than 4% broken pieces in each bag.  Rinsing can usually cause grains to crumble and fall apart, and I was pleased that the Rico grains retained their shape.  After boiling with some olive oil, salt, and the correct proportions of water (1.25 parts water to each part rice), I uncovered a pot of the most perfect white rice I have ever made!  For anyone who cooks rice on a daily or weekly basis, I highly recommend Rico.  I know it will be in my pantry from now on.

Injera on my mind...

With the closing of Miami's first Ethiopian restaurant, Sheba, more than two years ago now, as well as the subsequent closing of Kaffa, located just down the street, one now has to fly up to DC just to have some Doro Wat, Kitfo, T'ej, and freshly roasted Ethiopian coffee.  What a surprise that Miami just wasn't ready for Ethiopian cuisine [insert sarcastic tone here].  The chief complaint I've heard - and quite the ethnocentric one - was "where's the rice?"  It seems as if Miami's Latin American community has it so ingrained in their psyche that any type of stew NEEDS to be served with rice that if it's not, there's just something wrong with it.  Ethiopia's staple is not rice, but a spongy sourdough pancake called injera.  Add to the lack of rice the fact that injera is grey-colored, spongy, stretchy, and has an unmistakable tanginess to it and there's no surprise as to why Miami's two Ethiopian restaurants shut down within months of each other.  There is no escaping injera in Ethiopian cuisine, just like there's no escaping rice in Asian and Latin American cuisine, especially considering that besides being the starch of your meal, it is also your eating utensil and your plate.  If you don't like injera, then chances are that you won't enjoy Ethiopian cuisine, and to enjoy Ethiopian cuisine you just have to buckle down and develop a taste for injera...that is, unless, you had already fallen in love with it on first bite.

The very qualities that deter most people from injera are the same that attract people to it and to Ethiopian cuisine, in general.  Ethiopian dishes, besides being laden with spices and chiles, also use a great deal of spiced clarified butter, called nitter kibbeh, which gives many Ethiopian dishes an exquisite richness.  The sourness of the injera cuts that richness, and its sponginess helps to soak up the juices.

I had been wanting to experiment with making Ethiopian cuisine at home, but without injera, there is just no way I can do justice to the cuisine.  Unlike rice, couscous, or even naan, injera is something that is hard to find ingredients for, hard to find equipment for making it, and a little complicated to make.  Injera is made from teff flour, which comes from one of the smallest grains in the world and is native to Ethiopia.  Without teff, you cannot make injera, and thus cannot make an Ethiopian meal.  Luckily, I was able to find teff flour made by Bob's Red Mill, which produces phenomenal grains and cereals, at a Publix Greenwise Market.  That was the clue from fate that 2012 will be the year in which I experiment with Ethiopian cuisine and injera.

Like sourdough, the batter for making injera needs to be fermented, and you always need to start with an injera "starter" just like when you make yogurt.  I spent a greater portion of last night doing a bit of research.  I found one recipe from an Anglo woman's blog who has a great love for Ethiopian culture.  She goes through step-by-step processes of how to make an injera starter, and how to make VERY authentic injera.  She's even gone through the trouble of getting an electric mitad (injera griddle) and other traditional implements.  You can check out her instructions and instructional videos here.  The other recipe seems a lot less complicated and actually comes from an Ethiopian webiste, called www.ethiopianrestaurant.com.  I'm thinking a fusion of both recipes would be ideal.  I'm not quite ready to make injera yet, but will definitely keep you posted of when I do venture into my first batch of of it....hopefully with some good Doro Wat and even better company.

Gilt Taste Offers Peruvian Products

So I guess Peruvian cuisine is getting a little more recognition within the US gourmet scene as evidenced in Gilt Taste's offerings of organic Peruvian products that include things that are exotic even to most Peruvians (Pussac Punay and Kañiwa?).  I was glad to see a collection of ají pastes that include ají amarillo (the backbone of Peruvian cuisine), ají limo (for ceviches), and ají panca (Peru's answer to chipotle).  Ají is what us Peruvians call chili peppers (chiles for Mexicans).  There is also a selection of dried ají powders, which I've never had experience with, but considering that 99.9% of Peruvian cuisine - regardless of the region - uses fresh ají, I wouldn't recommend the powders.

There are also a lot of flours and grains offered, like quinoa, kiwicha (amaranth), purple corn flour, and others.  While some of these products are not representative of products Peruvians actually use, it is interesting to see that such native products are being cultivated and packaged and will probably go to use in the nouveau Peruvian cuisine that is coming into its own these days but has yet to conquer the world like other ethnic cuisines have.  It might just be an issue of marketing, although I think that the issue is much deeper than that and has a lot to do with how non-Latin Americans view Latin American cuisine drawn from their experiences with Mexican and Caribbean cuisines, which have nothing to do with Peruvian cuisine.  You'll probably read more of my thoughts on contemporary Peruvian cuisine in the future, but for the mean time, check out the Peruvian products on sale at Gilt Taste, as well as their well-chosen selection of other gourmet products (I'm ogling the molecular gastronomy pantry items....maybe it's the year to experiment with xanthan gum and soy lecithin)

Haitian Indepedence Day & Soup Joumou

I can't believe that I had forgotten about Haitian Independence Day today, and most importantly, I had forgotten all about soup joumou!  True, I have never had soup joumou, but this is one Haitian tradition that is mandatory to partake in at least once for anyone who has a serious love of Haitian culture, and as some of you might know, I really love Haitian culture and its delicious cuisine.  So, what is soup joumou and why is it important today?

Soup joumou translates, basically, as pumpkin soup and is something traditionally eaten on New Year's Day, like black eyed peas in the American South.  However, it is more linked to Haitian Independence than to the new year.  Reportedly (although I've read different stories) joumou is a fragrant kind of winter squash - kind of like butternut squash or calabaza - that was off-limits to slaves under the French.  Additionally, the consumption of soup was said to be something only available to Whites, and African slaves (and freed Mulattos, as well) were prohibited from drinking soups.  After Haiti finally gained its independence on January 1st, 1804, this was the soup chosen to mark the Haitian people's newfound freedom, for it symbolized something that was unjustly off-limits to them but that they finally earned through their own hard work...and there was a lot of hard work involved.  Not only did Haitians have to overthrow their slave owners, but attacks from other European colonial powers who saw Haiti as free for the taking, as well as Napoleon's troops who wanted to annihilate the Haitians and take over France's lost colony.  It's not generally talked about, but Haiti's independence sparked the independence of other Latin American countries, and it was Haiti who helped liberate The Dominican Republic, aided Simon Bolívar in the liberation of South America and forced Latin America to enforce freedom for all its people and abolish slavery.

Soup Joumou contains joumou (pumpkin), beef, potatoes, any number of vegetables, and pasta.  Like most Haitian cuisine, it's filling and aromatic with scotch bonnet chiles, cloves, and thyme....but especially with this dish, I think a good measure of pride is added into the pot.  Sadly, I missed this delicacy in 2012 for lack of a Haitian manman (mother) and lack of planning.  If you want to try it next year and don't have a Haitian manman, yourself, I heard from a reputable source that Chez Le Bebe, known as the best Haitian restaurant in Miami (and renowned for its Legim) makes an exemplary rendition.

Happy New Year & Happy Independence Day, Ayiti cheri!

Chez Le Bebe

114 Northeast 54th Street

Miami, FL 33137-2416

(305) 751-7639 ‎

Curried Popcorn & Homemade Croquetas

It seems as if most of everyone's energy went into Christmas this year, and when New Year's Eve rolled around a lot of people (at least the ones I spoke to) realized that they had absolutely nothing planned.  Our plans initially involved parking the car at a Metrorail station and taking the Metrorail to Downtown Miami to watch the fireworks and the orange drop at Bayfront Park.  However, once I received news that Ludacris was headlining a free concert, I decided that I didn't want to deal with the mess that is any free hip hop concert at Bayfront Park.

New Year's Eve plans involved a bottle of Mumm sparkling rosé, some popcorn, and a couple of homemade Cuban ham croquettes.  I wanted to jazz up my popcorn, so I threw together some seasonings to make a curried popcorn, and the results were so good that I decided I need to make a huge batch to keep around for movie nights.  You can play around with the proportions to get a flavor you prefer.  Drizzle the freshly popped kernels with the desired amount of butter (or ghee if you want to be really Desi), and sprinkle the seasoning to taste.  You'll see the popcorn turn a beautiful light golden color, and each bite will have a good balance of warm spices, sweetness, and a touch of heat from the chili flakes.

• Equal parts curry powder (not Madras), Aleppo chili flakes (or any chili flake), and dark brown sugar
• salt to taste

Our other project that evening was making homemade Cuban ham croquettes from all the leftover Christmas Eve ham we had in the refrigerator.  John had put it into the food processor to mince and we had the choice of either ham salad or croquettes.  I'm glad we decided on option #2, and considering how easy they are to make, I'm thinking of making a large batch to freeze for future parties.  We perused a few recipes, including one from a Cuban abuela's blog.  The recipe we ended up using was from 3 Guys From Miami, whom I consider to be authorities on Cuban food in Miami.  In addition to turning out croquetas that are far better than anything from any restaurant or bakery, their recipe was very easy to follow (see recipe here) and yielded a very manageable ham paste that was very easy to form into the recognizable logs.  I like how they use a mixture of flour and bread crumbs for the coating, but there are a couple of minor things that needed to be tweaked with this recipe, as well as a few pointers:

1. If you like a smoother, softer filling, use half the amount of breadcrumbs that the recipe requires for the ham paste and make sure to chill the paste very well before forming it into logs.
2. A teaspoon (give or take) of finely minced garlic in the roux would really take these croquettes from great to phenomenal...and what's a good Cuban recipe without garlic?
3. The proportions for the breading are perfect, but it needs to be tripled, as I found that I ran out of breading after only coating 1/3 of the croquettes
4. Similarly, the egg wash mixture should be doubled
5. I replaced the bread crumbs with ground Ritz crackers for the first 1/3, and the last 2/3 were coated with panko.  Both coatings yielded wonderful crusts.
6. I don't know why I hadn't thought of this before, but use a fork to roll the croquettes in the egg wash to avoid coating your fingers in egg and breading and having to constantly wash your hands.