http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SpanishRecipesinpictures/~3/XTklfXcqUrU/empedrat-beans-and-cod-salad.html

This is a traditional Catalan dish. Its literal translation would be: Stoned; meaning done with...

Get the rest in my blog! See you there!

Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is hand's down, my favorite holiday of the year. I think I even like it better than my birthday, which is really saying something. So here's why:

1. There is nothing you have to do on Thanksgiving, other than share a meal. There are no religious ceremonies or gift giving. You can say a prayer before eating or watch a parade or play football if you want, but you can also take a nap! It's all good.

2. It's inclusive. Anyone who is in America (or outside of America for that matter) can celebrate this holiday if they want to. It's not about race or religion or nationality, in fact, it's about welcoming and helping those who are newcomers and celebrating the harvest.

3. It's about comfort food. I hear a lot of people complaining about traditional Thanksgiving food, they say turkey is boring, pumpkin pie is heavy and stodgy. To them I say, it's comfort food, not fine dining. Get over it. Besides, this holiday is about sharing a meal with friends and family, what you eat is secondary. Go out for Chinese food if you prefer, that is, if you can find a Chinese restaurant that's open.

4. It's two blessed days off. For most people anyway. That is reason enough to be thankful.

5. Leftovers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few favorite past Thanksgiving posts from the archives:

How Thanksgiving became a national holiday

Brussels sprouts with brown butter and hazelnuts recipe

Cranberry coffeecake recipe

Curried Butternut Squash Soup recipe

Pilgrim onion marmalade recipe

Turkey drumsticks braised in cranberry sauce recipe

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

The Good Food Awards 2012 January 13-14

Photo credit: Marc Fiorito

Now in it's second year, the Good Food Awards comes to the San Francisco Ferry Building this weekend. It's a celebration of food in the categories of beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles, preserves and spirits. The awards draw attention to the most delicious, authentic (no artificial ingredients) and responsible food (GMO-free, respect and fair compensation). More details on the guiding principles here.

The awards are a great way to learn about some of the best speciality foods being produced in America today and if you come to the award ceremony or the marketplace, a chance to meet the makers firsthand. After the winners are announced, the winning products and the rest of the finalists and even last year's winners, will be available nationwide in a dedicated Good Food Awards e-store on Gilt Taste. Other sponsors include Whole Foods Market, Williams-Sonoma and Bi-Rite Market so expect some of the winners to be carried at those stores as well.

Last year's winners included some of my favorite things, including prosciutto from La Quercia, Red Hawk cheese from Cowgirl Creamery. the Salty Sweet Cashew bar from Charles Chocolates and the Ellelle Kitchen's Central Coast Raspberry jam. If you are not in the industry and attending the Fancy Food Show next week (or even if you are), this is a great way to discover new and tasty things.

Marketplace
Taste, buy and celebrate the award winning products from craft producers in 26 states who are redefining 'good food' by creating products that are not only tasty, but also authentic and responsibly produced.

Saturday, January 14, 9:00am-2:00pm (8:00am-9:00am with Early Access ticket) at the San Francisco Ferry Building
General Admission: $5 suggested donation at the door
Beer &Spirits Garden: $12 (includes 5 tastes and entry to Marketplace)
'Early Access' Tickets: $15


Awards ceremony & reception
Meet the 99 Good Food Award Winners, mingle with Ruth Reichl, Alice Waters, William Werner and many more at the gala reception. Enjoy small plates featuring the winning products (as envisioned by Foreign Cinema, Boxing Room, Bar Agricole and more) and an open bar with famed mixologists, the Bon Vivants. 

Friday, January 13, 8-10 pm at the San Francisco Ferry Building
Tickets: $100

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

PIDI KARUNAIKIZHANGU CHOPS / YAM FRY

I love chops made with vazhakkai and senaikizhangu ( Elephant yam ).Recently I bought small sized black colored pidi karunai kizhangu from my native.I heard its a good remedy for piles. We usually make vatral kulambu by adding this kizhangu. This time i tried chops by searching the recipe.I got from a discussion forum hub. It was very nice and aromatic with the perfect blend of spices. The original recipe was named as 'Karunai kizhangu kola ' and it was told to deep fry. But i followed the same recipe and made in dosa tawa instead of deep frying. I would say this recipe is apt for making with elephant yam and raw banana. My doter loved it very much.We enjoyed with sambhar  and curd rice !!
                                                             
INGREDIENTS

Pidi karunai - 4 nos TO GRIND: Pottukadalai/ Fried gram dal/ Dalia - 3 tbsp Tamarind paste - 1/2 tbsp Turmeric powder - A pinch Cloves - 2 nos Cinnamon - 1 inch piece Fennel seeds/ Soambu - 1 tsp Garlic cloves - 4 nos Red chillies - 5 - 7 nos Shredded coconut - 1 tbsp Ginger - 1 small piece Salt & water - As needed. Lime juice - Optional Coriander leaves - To  garnish.

METHOD

1. Wash & soak the kizhangu in abundant water for sometime to remove all the mud.
   
2. Pressure cook in high flame for 1 whistle.It should be half done.(Skin should be hard to touch)
   
3. Now grind all the items given above adding required salt & water to make a smooth paste.
   
4. Remove the skin of the kizhangu and chop it round.
   
5. Now mix the paste ans marinate for sometime. The  kizhangu should be fully coated with the paste.
   
6. Now heat the dosa tawa and sprinkle some oil. Cover Cook the marinated pieces for sometime.Keep the flame low for even cooking. flip the pieces to cook the other side and do the same.
   
7. I Wanted a brown layer to be formed so i kept for a longer time.
   
8. Finally garnish with coriander leaves and add lime juice if necessary.
   
9. Karunai kizhangu Chops is ready !!

NOTE:

• If u want to try kolas , just cook the kizhangu well till it mashes.Mash it with ur hands and add the paste.Mix well. Add finely chopped onions and coriander leaves . Make small balls and deep fry them in batches.
  
• If u wish to try the same with senai / elephant yam , add little more tamarind paste by avoid the irritation in tongue.Add less tamarind paste to make the same with raw banana.

 I am glad in sending this recipe to priya's event..

KITCHEN CLINIC

Description These tender and tropical perennials grow up to a height of 12-18inches (around 30-45cm) in a spacing of 24-36inches (around 60-90cm). The leaves are around 50 cm in length and consist of many oval leaflets. These plants bloom around spring producing mauve or magenta colored flowers with fragrance. 3-4 years are generally required for the corms to be harvested. These evergreen plants can be grown in container as well if the soil is acidic. Elephant yam is an edible tuber. It is one of the oldest plants known to provide food. It is so called because of its huge size and resemblance with the elephant foot. It is widely consumed as a food crop, usually boiled or baked. Buying tips It is preferred to buy elephant yam from the markets where it is available is a fresh condition. It is preferable to wear gloves while handling the elephant yam as the sap of these plants causes skin irritation. Culinary usage Karunai Kilangu (elephant foot yam) can be consumed in many ways safely only after removal of its toxic materials. In scarcity of different staple foods, yam is used. So it is also sometimes referred to as a 'famine food'.  Before cooking, the wild forms must be soaked in water and boiled for a long time to remove bitterness. The outer brown skin of Karunai is thoroughly washed and removed. Then they are generally cut into small cubes. It can be boiled in clean water as well as with a pinch of turmeric in water. Delicious recipes are available for cooking elephant yam. Elephant yam can be cooked in tangy sauce. Using minimal oil and by shallow frying yam kabab can be made. Deep frying half boiled Karunai in red chilli and turmeric powder can make a nice side dish. Adding paste made of coconut, snuf and jeera to the deep fried Karunai, it can be roasted and served as a delicious dish. Boiled Karunai can be also consumed by mixing it with lemon-juice, mustard paste and salt. Green chillies can also be added to the preparation for enhancing its taste. Yum pulusu ia a dish made of elephant yam. It is made by cooking it in nice tangy and spicy tamarind sauce. Yam can also be eaten as a supplement of cereals. Storage For planting purposes only the fully matured, cured and graded tubers are used for storage. Cool and well ventilated places are used for storing. Generally the tubers are stored in single layer. If there is insufficiency is storage space, then the tubers can be stored in two layers as well. But storing the tubers in a heap should be avoided. In seed bank vaults, the dried and packed seeds are stored at a sub zero temperature. The seeds resemble a flat lens. The light brown, apical seeds of diameter 5mm have membranous wings which are usually 10mm long and about 7mm wide. Medicinal values It has been proved that Karunai Kilangu (elephant foot yam) has many medical benefits as its root is highly stomachic, restorative, carminative and tonic. The cooling effect of Karunai Kilangu can be a cure for Hypertension. It is often use as a treatment for piles. Yam helps to reduce cholesterol levels in blood. It can even act as an anticoagulant. Elephant yam can be safely consumed by diabetic people. Karunai Kilangu helps to maintain the hormonal balance by increasing the estrogen level in women. It can relieve the women from pre-menstrual syndrome as well. Hemorrhoids patients are also prescribed to have elephant yam. Powerful antioxidant Vitamin C is present which delays aging. It is also provided as a medicine for treatment to patients suffering from acute rheumatism. Irregular bowel movements and constipation can also be cured with its intake. However, it should be borne in mind that elephant yam is a cooling food. Hence patients suffering from cold, sinus infection or asthma should avoid its intake. Where to buy the vegetable in US This plant is grown mostly in tropical regions like Florida. Altamonte Springs, Brooksville, Cape Coral, Fernandina Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville, Lakeland, North Fort Myers, St. Augustine, Tampa, Winter Haven are the places in Florida where the plant grows. Clayton and Sacramento in California, Kenner in Louisiana, Portland in Oregon, Reynoldsville in Pennsylvania, Puyallup in Washington and Cabin Creek in West Virginia are also known for growing this plant. Nutritional and dietary information Karunai Kilangu (elephant foot yam) has a rich nutritional profile. It provides energy about 330KJ/100g (approximately). Potassium, Phosphorous and Magnesium are the key minerals found in elephant yam. It also contains trace minerals like zinc, copper and selenium. It also contains Calcium. 50-56mg/100g of its contents is Calcium. Its 18-24% is carbohydrate content. About 0.8% is fibre. Its water content is about 72-79% 1.7-5.0% of its content is protein. It has omega-3 fatty acids. Diosgenin, a molecular hormone which has potential anticancer effects, is found in yam. Elephant foot yam is high on vitamin B6 content. It also contains Vitamin C and Vitamin A. From its wide medicinal benefits and nutritional profile we can hereby conclude that elephant yam is very potent source of nutrition. So its consumption will prove beneficial to health. It can also be consumed by people looking for weight reduction as it is low on fat content (0.2-0.4%).

Technorati Tags: KARUNAI KILANZHU CHOPS,KARUNAI KIZHANGU VARUVAL,kArunai Kizhangu poriyal,Pidi karunai fry,pidi karunai dry curry,pidi karunai poriyal.

Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle recipe

Dining out is one of the best favorite forms of culinary inspiration. Last weekend I went out for brunch at 'Eats' on Clement Street and ordered the Waffle Bacon which was described as bacon pressed in a waffle, cheddar, Hungarian peppers and a sunny up egg. It was a wonderful combination of gooey, chewy and crisp and had many classic flavors associated with breakfast. It was definitely the sauteed peppers that tied the bacon, egg, cheese and waffle together and took the dish to the next level. I knew this was something I had to order again or better yet, try to duplicate at home.

Instead of using Hungarian peppers I took the easy route and used diced green chiles from a can. The result? Oh my. It was delicious! The truth is, a bacon waffle topped with chiles and cheese is actually quite good without the egg as well, though you can imagine how the yolk forms a lovely sauce for the bacon waffle. Sometimes more is better, and it's the excess of this recipe that makes it so satisfying. Who doesn't love bacon, cheddar or green chiles? They are my go to ingredients for making everything from eggs to soups or stews taste better.

I'm not a huge proponent of packaged foods like pancake and waffle mix, but in this case it's a good shortcut. While I often make pancakes or waffles from scratch, having a mix on hand is worthwhile. You can even make your own mix if you like. What restaurant dish will inspire my next recipe? I can't wait to find out...

Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle
Makes one serving (multiply to serve as many as you like)

Waffle batter, homemade or from a mix
2 strips bacon, cooked and cut into 4 pieces
2 Tablespoons cheddar, shredded
2 Tablespoons fire roasted green chiles (such as Ortega brand)

Optional:
1 teaspoon butter or oil
1 egg

Heat waffle iron and grease as directed. Pour in the batter and lay a piece of bacon in each quadrant. Close cover and cook until done. Meanwhile heat a small nonstick pan. Add the butter or oil and fry the egg. Meanwhile place the chiles in a microwave safe container and gently heat in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Place the waffle on a plate, top with the chiles, cheese and egg, if desired.

Enjoy!

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

Bread Baking Babes - Stromboli

Elle from Feeding My Enthusiasms was the lucky lady to choose our bread for May, and she chose the Stromboli.

The stromboli is a sandwich in every slice - meat and cheese layered on a lovely bread dough, rolled up and baked. The recipe is straightforward to make and the results are delicious.

Our stromboli was layered with proscuitto and salami and swiss cheese and basil.  I rolled it up as tight as I could, sprinkled it with salt and baked it.

Unfortunately I forgot the apparently critical step of piercing the bread before cooking, presumably so your bread doesn't bake up hollow like mine did.

Regardless of the big air pockets in the bread, it was delicious. As Elle mentioned in her post to us Babes, this is a perfect picnic food. If the warm weather decides to stick around, maybe we'll find out!

Please visit Elle for the recipe, and all the deets on being a Buddy with her delicious pick. And please visit the participating Babes (listed over on the left) to see their breads as well.

Cheers!

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/sBff/~3/jFwSjdQt5lA/coming-soon-fried-stuffed-squash.html

RAW MANGO - DRUMSTICK GRAVY| PORICHA KUZHAMBU

I learnt this from my MIL. Usually we make this gravy only with drumstick. But during mango season , we make this combination. It tastes great with the excellent flavor of mango. If u don't get sour raw mango ,no problem , u can try this with drumstick alone by adding little tamarind extract to get the tangy taste. We mix this gravy in plain rice with little ghee.Here i've used Vengaaya vadagam for seasoning.I think most of u may not have/aware of this. So i've given the ingredients below to replace vadagam.

Try this simple & delicious poricha kuzhambu. Iam sure u'll love it and start to make it often.

 INGREDIENTS

• Raw mango - 1 no ( Medium sized) (cut into cubes as shown in the above picture)
• Drumstick - 2 nos
• Moong dal - 2 tbsp
• Sambhar powder - 1.5 - 2 tsp
• Salt & water- As needed

To grind:

• Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
• Water - As needed.

To temper:( to replace vadagam)

• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
• Jeera - 1/4 tsp
• Small onion - 10 nos ( cut into small pieces)
• Curry leaves - a few (finely chopped)
• Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

METHOD:

• Pressure cook moong dal by adding a pinch of turmeric powder and a drop of oil. Mash it and set aside.
• Now in a bowl , take the drumstick pieces.Add the required water & cover cook. When it is half cooked, add the cubed mango pieces and add more water if necessary. Once it starts to boil , add the sambhar powder, salt  & cooked moong dal. Cover cook till mangoes & drumstick pieces get cooked.{Make sure the mango pieces should not be mushy and dissolved in the gravy}.
• Now grind the grated coconut adding little water to make a smooth paste.
• Mix this paste to the gravy and allow it to boil for sometime. If u feel the gravy is too thick, add water to bring the consistency. (In this step , check the salt & spice, add if needed)
• Suppose if the gravy is too watery after adding the coconut paste , u can add a little amount of rice flour to make the gravy thick.But this step is purely optional.
• At last , season the gravy with vengaaya vadagam or the above mentioned items. If u use the above said items for tempering, saute till everything turns brown. This gives a spl flavor to the gravy.

ENJOY MIXNG WITH HOT PLAIN RICE & A DROP OF GHEE OR SERVE AS A  SIDE DISH FOR VATRAL KUZHAMBU / SAMBHAR RICE.

KITCHEN CLINIC:

DRUMSTICK All parts of drumstick tree are useful and have long been used for nutritional, medicinal, and industrial purposes. The drumstick pods or fruits are used as a vegetable in curries and soups and very popular in Indian food. Crushed drumstick leaves are used as a domestic cleaning agent; powdered seeds are used for clarifying honey and sugarcane juice, and for purifying water. Moringa seeds produce oil, also known as Ben oil, which is a sweet non-sticky oil that doesn't become rancid. This oil is used in salads, for lubricating machines, and in perfumes and hair-care products. The seeds are also eaten green, roasted, powdered and steeped for tea or used in curries. This tree has in recent times been advocated by organizations such as Trees for Life as an outstanding indigenous source of highly digestible protein, calcium, iron, Vitamin C, and carotenoids suitable for use in regions of the world where malnourishment is a major concern. Drumstick and Health Quick Facts Almost all parts of the drumstick tree have medicinal value. The small, round leaves are especially beneficial in treating many ailments because of their high iron content and many medicinal properties. Drumstick leaves can be eaten fresh, cooked, or stored as dried powder for many months without refrigeration, and reportedly without loss of nutritional value. Where starvation is imminent, consuming the drumstick-leaf powder can be life-saving. According to the Trees for Life organization, "ounce-for-ounce, Moringa leaves contain more Vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more Vitamin C than oranges, and more potassium than bananas," and that the protein quality of Moringa leaves rivals that of milk and eggs. Because of the high calcium, iron, and vitamins, drumstick leaves can be used as a wonderful tonic for infant and growing kids and teens to promote strong and healthy bones and for purifying the bloodstream. To prepare the tonic, drumstick leaves should be ground with water, filtered, and mixed with milk. Drumstick-leaf juice is also very beneficial for pregnant women as it can help them overcome sluggishness of the uterus, ease delivery, and reduce post-delivery complications. In India, drumstick leaves are boiled in water and salt, the water is drained, and the leaves are served with ghee (clarified butter) to lactating mothers to increase breast milk. Drumstick leaves are very useful in treating wheezing, asthma, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. A soup prepared by boiling a handful of leaves in 3/4 cup water for 5 minutes and cooled is served to those with respiratory problems. A little salt, pepper, and lime juice can be added to this soup. Drumstick has antibacterial properties and as such is very useful in preventing infections such as those of the throat, chest, and skin. Drumstick soup can be prepared from the leaves, flowers, and pods and used for this purpose as an antibiotic. Dried and powdered bark of the drumstick root can also be used for fungal skin infections. Drumstick leaves, flowers, and seeds are useful in treating sexual debility and weakness. A teaspoonful of fresh drumstick-leaf juice mixed with honey and a glass of tender coconut water taken 2-3 times a day is a wonderful remedy for digestive disorders like diarrhea, dysentery, colitis, jaundice, and cholera. Drumstick-leaf juice is also effective in treating urinary disorders such as excessive urination. Drumstick-seed oil is useful in treating conjunctivitis. Fresh drumstick-leaf juice mixed with lime juice can also be applied to treat pimples, acne, and blackheads.

Technorati Tags: RAW MANGO GRAVY,PORICHA KUZHAMBU,MAANGAI KUZHAMBU,MURUNGAI KAI PORICHA KUZHAMBU,RAW MANGO KOOTU

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Watch, listen, learn, and enjoy! Hundreds of free, original video recipes, done by Chef John Mitzewich, the web's most popular cooking instructor.

ULUTHANKALI / URAD DAL KALI

I hope u all would have tasted this at the time of puberty. Generally grannys used to give this for the teen age girls to make the bones strong.When my paati gave this for me, i hesitated a lot to eat this .But now i know its importance. Nowadays at this early age, we get pains in joints and back very often.We are not able to bend continuously for sometime.We get pain in spine.This shows the weakness of our bones. So its better to have urad dal in our regular diet to avoid all these problems.Apart from eating idly/dosas and vadas , i feel this is also a good choice of including urad dal in our daily diet..

Now coming to the recipe,

INGREDIENTS:

URAD DAL – 4 TBSP JAGGERY or PALM JAGGERY  – 4 TBSP GINGELY OIL – 2 TBSP CARDAMOM SEEDS – 2 NOS WATER – AS NEEDED.

METHOD:

• In a kadai ,roast the urad dal till golden yellow. Powder it in a mixie adding cardamom seeds. Store it in an air tight container.
• Now take 4 tbsp of urad dal powder in a bowl and mix  2 cups of water.
• Cook the urad dal for 7-8 mins. It thickens . Stir well for sometime and make sure there are no lumps formed.
• Now add the powdered jaggery and mix well . Keep the fire in low flame. Allow it to boil till the raw smell of jaggery emanates.
• Add the gingely oil and stir well.U'll get a glossy , sliding non sticky kali is ready to njoy ..

Delicious , healthy uluthankali is ready to eat !!

NOTE :

• If u use palm jaggery instead of jaggery , dissolve in water and make a syrup. Strain and use.

KITCHEN CLINIC

URAD DAL Urad, also referred to as the urad bean, urad, urid, black gram, black lentil or white lentil (Vigna mungo) is a bean grown in southern Asia. It is largely used to make dal from the whole or split, dehusked seeds. Black gram originated in India where it has been in cultivation from ancient times and is one of the most highly prized pulses of India. It has also been introduced to other tropical areas mainly by Indian immigrants. The bean is boiled and eaten whole or after splitting into dal; prepared like this it has an unusual mucilaginous texture. Ground into flour or paste, it is also extensively used in culinary preparation like dosa, idli, vada, and papad. It is very nutritious and is recommended for diabetics, as are other pulses. Though very beneficial in limited quantities excessive intake causes flatulence, which some sources claim can be prevented by adding a little asafoetida, pepper and ginger in the culinary preparations. It is very popular in Punjabi cuisine of India and Pakistan where it is known as 'maanh'. The product sold as 'black lentil' is usually the whole urad bean or urad dal. The product sold as 'white lentil' is the same lentil with the black skin removed. HEALTH BENEFITS & NUTRITION Black beans with a white center are sold as urad in many Indian groceries. As halved beans, they are called urad dal. Urad dal is available unhusked with its black seed coat and husked. A one-cup of urad dal serving contains 189 calories, 13 grams of protein, 12 grams of fiber (about half a day's worth) and one gram of fat. Black gram requires only minimal soaking -- about half an hour -- before cooking, which takes another 30 to 40 minutes. In India, mung beans are the common man's meal. They're very popular and are eaten throughout India, from Kashmir to Tamilnadu in the south. Most popular South Indian dishes contain urad, e.g., Idli, Dosa, Uthappam, Vada etc.

 

Technorati Tags: kali,uluthangali,uluthangali for teens and ladies.