Mediterranean Cooking Class

I had the pleasure of being asked to do a cooking class with a group of women on July 18.
They get together on a regular basis but had never had a cooking class together as a group.
The class was held at a beautiful ranch, set on a hill on 70 acres with a lake view. The kitchen was open, with plenty of counter space, a professional style gas range, and had a lovely view of the lake.

They selected the Mediterraean menu which included:

Hummus with Cucumbers and Carrots
Herb-crusted Lamb Chops
Mediterranean Couscous with Spinach
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Peaches

I demonstrated the dishes while the guests observed and then they sampled what I made.  The hummus was
a version I have made many times and can be modified depending on your mood.  Personally, I think it was too salty and I have modified my recipe to start with less salt and add more later.  A pretty dish with a bowl of hummus surrounded by sliced carrots and cucumbers is a beautiful appetizer.   The class enjoyed the hummus with the crispy fresh vegetables and pita chips.  We made the panna cotta next using a fresh vanilla bean.  If you've never worked with a vanilla bean it's an interesting technique and the fresh vanilla bean makes things tasted so good.  The panna cotta had little flecks of vanilla bean throughout it and great flavor.
The couscous dish was next, a simple but complex tasting dish, with the fresh tastes of good cherry tomatoes and herbs, and the tang of the feta cheese.  It was also a colorful and appetizing dish to look at.
Finally, we made the lamb chops so when they were done the lamb could be eaten with the couscous and spinach.  The class was surprised to see that I made my own bread crumbs by cutting the crusts off some Italian bread and pulsing it in the food processor.  The herbs and fresh bread crumbs looked and smelled fantastic.  It was a little tricky making the lamb chops on a stove I had never used, but they turned out fine, tender and juicy with the taste of the crust in every bite.  The hostess invited me to sit at the table, which I did, and we all ate the lamb and couscous.  The panna cotta with fresh peaches was a nice finish to the meal. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did!

Hummus

2-4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1/2 tsp kosher salt (you can add more later if you like it saltier)
1 tsp cumin, toasted
1/3 cup tahini
6 T fresh lemon juice
2 T liquid from chickpeas
1/2 tsp hot sauce or 1/4 tsp cayenne
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
optional:  add a chopped jalapeno or serrano pepper
For red bell pepper hummus, add a roasted red bell pepper
Garnish with paprika, chopped cilantro or chopped parsley
Serve with pita chips, toasted pita bread, sliced cucumbers, sliced carrots or any vegetable.

Pulse all ingredients in the food processor, adding chickpea liquid to thin as you desire.  Drizzle with more olive oil. 

Mediterranean Couscous

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked couscous
1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup red onion (or sweet yellow onion)
2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
3 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add couscous and salt and stir.  Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.  In a mixing bowl add lemon juice, dill, and pepper.  Add a few drops of oil and whisk briskly, then add the rest of the oil.  Add the other ingredients to the couscous.  Serve warm on a bed of raw or wilted spinach.

The couscous was excellent and a perfect side dish for the herb-crusted lamb chops.

Herb Crusted Lamb Chops

2 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 T fresh basil
1 T fresh oregano
2 T fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup grapeseed oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place garlic, bread crumbs and herbs in a food processor and pulse until herbs are finely chopped.  Sprinkly sea salt and pepper on the lamb chops and coat with olive oil (lightly).  Press crumb mixture firmly on both sides of the lamb chops.
Heat grapeseed oil on medium high in a saute pan.  Brown each side of the lamb chops, leaving undisturbed for the first 2 minutes to allow a crust to form.  Place on a baking sheet and finish in the oven for 4-6 minutes for medium rare.

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Hiyashi Chuka Soba

 The Fort Worth Japanese Society July luncheon on July 17th featured the popular cold noodle dish, Hiyashi Chuka Soba. I volunteered to coordinate the preparation of the meal with a few others from the board. The Japanese Society has a kitchen so we had a place to prepare the food. I prepared numerous packages of dried chukka soba and thin omelets ahead of time and at 9:30 AM our hard working group of four started slicing vegetables and ham. With our good team effort we managed to finish all the preparation in an hour and a half. Sam cut carrots, I cut cucumbers, Elisha made sauce, and Sonya cut up ham. Nobuko brought cooked shiitake mushrooms.
I cut up seaweed and Elisha prepared Chinese hot mustard. We were ready to put it all together by placing a cup of cooked noodles on the plate topped with all the beautiful toppings and sauce, with a dab of mustard, and a little beni shoga (pickled ginger).
Judging by the clean plates and comments the food was good. I can say from my tasting, it was delicious! Please make this Japanese summertime dish and you will not be sorry.

1 8 ounce package of Chuka Soba, cooked according to package directions, rinsed in cold water
1/4 pound ham, cooked chicken or cooked pork, cut in julienne strips
1 cucumber, julienned
1 carrot, julienned
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp sugar

Dressing
1/3 cup water
3 T rice vinegar
3 T sugar
1 tsp sesame oil

Garnish
beni shoga
nori (dried seaweed strips)
roasted white sesame seeds
Karashi mustard (hot Chinese mustard)

Add sugar to beaten egg and mix well. Heat some oil in a skillet and pour about one quarter of the egg mixture in the skillet. spread the egg thinly and fry until done. Make four thin and round omelets like crepes. Slice in thin strips. Put chilled noodles on individual dishes. Arrange cucumber, ham, and egg strips on the noodles. Garnish with beni shoga. Pour dressing over noodles just before serving. Sprinkle on some nori and sesame seeds. Put a little dab of karashi on the plate if you like.


A total of 50 plates of noodles were made!



This is the type of noodles I used.



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Private Cooking Class for Linda Johnson

  
A long time ago I gave Linda a list of some of my favorite recipes. She selected three recipes for this week's class. Her selections were: Korean Cucumber Salad, Chunky Potatoes with Garlic and Peanuts, and Lemongrass Beef with Rice Noodles. I believe she saw the recipe for Lemongrass Beef on an earlier blog post, but she chose the Cucumber Salad and Chunky Potatoes from my list. I was tickled when I realized we were going to make Korean food, Indian food, and Vietnamese food in our class. Considering that Linda rarely ever ate any ethnic food, other than a little Mexican food, I am quite impressed with her willingness to stretch beyond her comfort zone. We started with the Lemonsgrass Beef so we could marinate the meat. Linda has some sirloin from her sides of beef and the marinade was perfect for her beef. The recipe for the Lemongrass Beef can be found on this blog, June 21, 2011.
The Korean Cucumber Salad is a great way to made cucumbers taste sensational.

2 small cucumbers
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallinos, finely chopped
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 T Sambal Olek
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fish sauce
2 T rice vinegar

Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/8 inch half moons. Place in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly with salt. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile combine garlic, scallions, ginger, vinegar, sambal olek, sugar, vinegar, and fish sauce in a medium ceramic or non reactive bowl. Stir the cucumbers into the vinegar mixture. Cover and refrigerate.



Chunky Potatoes with Garlic and Peanuts
From 600 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

2 T white sesame seeds
2 T raw peanuts
4 garlic cloves
3 dried Thai chiles, stems removed
2 T canola oil
1 pound russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes, and kept in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes
2 tsp kosher salt
2 T finely chopped cilantro

Combine the sesame seeds, peanuts, garlic, and chiles in a food processor and pulse to form a gritty, sticky, mellow-smelling blend. Heat the oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium low heat.
Scrape the sesame-peanut blend into the warmed oil and roast the mixture, stirring, until it starts to release its own oils and loosen, turning crumbly and nutty brown, 5-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain the potatoes. Stir the turmeric into the sesame-peanut blend and cook for 5 seconds. Then add the potatoes, tomatoes (with their juices), 1 cup water, and the salt.
Stir, then bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened, 25-30 minutes.

This dish is really good with rice.

All the dishes turned out really well. The Lemongrass Beef was tender and flavorful and I could tell Linda really liked it and so did her husband, Baker. The spicy Indian potato dish was also a hit. I was so pleased that Linda loved the Korean Cucumber Salad, one of my favorites. I'm looking forward to the next lesson in August.

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Special Banana Bread

My friend, Yo, in California sent me some fantastic wines last month and I wanted to send him something special from my kitchen since I really can't compete in the wine department.  I did send a few of my favorite Becker Vineyards wine, though but I doubt they will taste as good as the Marinus or Opus One.
I made some of my gourmet banana bread.  I call it gourmet because I use only the best ingredients.

Pecans and walnuts, from Central Market, Callebaut dark and milk chocolate, Lindt white coconut chocolate

The recipe is fairly standard, although I have modified it every time I've made it, depending on my mood and the ingredients. Sometimes I make a healthy whole wheat flour version with turbinado sugar, but this time I made it with the works.



Recipe

3 medium bananas, very ripe and soft

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room termperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup toasted walnuts and pecans

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

2 ounces white coconut chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease mini loaf pans with Baker's Secret.  In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with the sugar.  Add softened butter.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Mix the flour with the baking soda, powder, and salt and add it, very gently mixing with the wet ingredients until just combined.

Divide evenly between 4 mini loaf pans.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in pans for 10 minutes, remove to rack.





I hope he and his family enjoy the banana bread!

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