From Art to Food

Over the weekend I decided to check out an art fair downtown. I thought it would be a fun day out among a few stalls displaying the upcoming local talent. When I arrived, the small quaint art fair I had imagined, was in fact a massive art carnival featuring 340 art stalls, and sprawling 16 blocks! The artwork work ranged from somewhat bizarre sculptures to some quite spectacular paintings. I was very impressed with the diversity of techniques, mediums, and creativity on display and even invested in a few small pieces myself.

What really caught my eye, however, was a stall tucked away behind throngs of people. It featured the work of the Asian American artist, Andy Anh Ha. Among the 314 stalls, his was the only one where I felt the urge to buy up the whole collection. Most of the paintings were done on wood with the sides bare and a strip in the middle infused with a fantastic mixture of color and form. Though, many were abstract, something about the fusion of colors and shapes really caught my attention. I went home and looked up his website where one can see his bold techniques and an Asian influence in almost all of his collections. I highly recommend taking a look at his website. I believe he will be a big name some day. http://www.andyanhha.com

After having looked at every single picture by this fantastic Asian artist, I was inspired to cook something from his side of the world. I flipped through a cookbook that I had laying at home and came across a recipe for chicken satay with peanut sauce. It took surprisingly little time to prepare. The chicken was succulent and lightly flavored by the mint and cumin. The sweetness in the peanut sauce was perfectly balanced out by the soy sauce, sesame oil, and mint. If you enjoy Asian food definitely give this one a try. It makes for a great appetizer as well as a main course.

Mint and Cumin Chicken Satay (adapted from Essentials of Grilling cookbook)

Serves 4 people

Ingredients to marinate the chicken

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

1 tbsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

20 bamboo skewers (soaked)

Ingredients for peanut sauce

1 or 3/4 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp Asian sesame oil

3 cloves garlic (or 2 tsp garlic paste)

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 small jalepeno chile (seeded and chopped - optional)

3 tbsp chopped fresh mint

To make the peanut sauce combine the peanut butter with all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor and pulse until mixture is smooth. Refrigerate and let the flavors sit until it is time to serve. Serve at room temperature

For the chicken mix together the chopped int, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Cut the chicken into cubes and pat the mixture onto the pieces. Weave the chicken strips lengthwise onto the skewers.

Cook in the oven at 375 F for about 20-25 mins and then broil the chicken for 5 mins more to make the outside crispy.

Serve with the peanut sauce

Apricot Tart

I am obsessed with the Food Network channel

My obsession began when I first moved to DC. I had become accustomed to eating very well thanks to my mother’s fabulous home cooking. University was a breeze because I found sympathetic roommates who graciously fed me. In DC, for the first time, I faced a kitchen full of intimidating stainless steel appliances.....all alone. I vowed, then and there, to whip up many a gourmet meal.

My resolve lasted about a week. I was quickly engulfed by my new job and the excitement that comes with moving to a new city. Those gourmet meals sadly turned into various versions of pastas or omelettes. Many a night and weekend, I found myself flipping to the Food Network channel watching in awe as talented chefs whipped up delicious meals in their measly 30 minute time slots.

When I moved to San Diego, I lamented to my husband, for the umpteenth time, how the Food Network would benefit from having a 1-800 number where one could actually order the delicious dishes prepared on the channel. One day, he wisely suggested, that since this 1-800 number had yet to be listed in the yellow pages, I should at least try a recipe. He offered, in return, to be my guinea pig, to pretend to like my food no matter how it turned out, and most importantly, to do all the cleaning up.

I’m glad he did because the first recipe that I tried was an apricot tart, a little ambitious, but it was well worth it. Here’s the tart that started it all….

Apricot Tart ( Adapted from Giada's Fig & Almond Tart Recipe)

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

· 2 tablespoons sugar,

· 1 lemon, zested

· 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

· 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

· 3 tablespoons ice water

· 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 2 tablespoons honey

· 20 dried apricots

Directions

Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, gradually add the water until moist clumps form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and form into a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

In a clean food processor bowl, combine remaining sugar, mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, and honey. Blend until smooth.

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a large, heavy baking sheet. Spread the mascarpone and sugar filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Arrange the apricots on top of the filling. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, pleating the crust loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in the dough.

Bake the tart until the crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the tart from the parchment. Transfer the tart to a platter and serve.

Mushrooms a la Nina

Mushrooms.

Its funny that a fungus should taste this good.

I hadn't eaten mushrooms in a while and wasn't missing them much until I came across a fabulous mushroom stall in San Francisco. The Ferry building has a selection of specialty gourmet shops ranging from pastries to cheeses to yes, even mushrooms. This stall had mushrooms galore in all shapes, sizes, and varieties.

Back in San Diego I went straight to a market and found large portobello mushrooms. For dinner that night I used whatever ingredients I had in the fridge (green onions, roasted red peppers, parmesan cheese), mixed them together, topped the mushrooms with it, and then stuck them in the oven. I wasn't sure how the concoction would turn out but having made it twice already, it really is delicious (see below). The cheesy, crunchy, and pepper flavored mixture paired with the rich earthy flavor of the mushrooms, is satisfying and barely takes any time at all to make.

I've decided to name it Mushrooms a la Nina after one of my best friends. I can always count on her to order the mushroom dish on the menu. She has called me up many times to describe mouth-watering meals featuring this ingredient. We have also suffered through countless meals of Campbell mushroom soup together during our university days (well, I did more of the suffering). At least our tastes have "mushroomed" into something slightly more sophisticated. No pun intended.

Nina this ones for you ;)

Mushrooms a la Nina Recipe

Ingredients

4 giant portobello mushrooms (or you can substitute several smaller mushrooms)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup of roasted red peppers

2 green onions

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the stubs off the mushrooms.

Dice the roasted red peppers and green onions into small pieces. Add the salt, pepper, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Mix well together in a bowl and top the bottom side of the mushroom with the mixture. (If there isn't enough, double the amount of ingredients in the recipe)

Oil a baking sheet and place on a baking tray. Place the mushrooms on it and let them bake for about 10 mins or until cheese has melted and mushrooms have become tender.

Roasted Vegetable and Couscous Salad

I've a feeling a number of my blogs will have something to do with France or French food. I am not a food snob by any means but I have spent countless vacations in different parts of the country and I can definitely vouch for one thing; the French eat very well.

While other families would come home from vacation with the latest designer bags and shoes, our suitcases would be filled with cheese, baguettes, or anything else that we could possibly freeze and eat in the following months.

One of my favorite dishes was served to us in a small rural town in France. It was a hot sweltering day and my sister and I had been horse riding for several hours. When we returned to the farm, the farmer's wife came out with a cold jug of lemonade and a light salad. The salad was perfect; an assortment of fresh roasted vegetables on a bed of couscous and lettuce, topped with chunks of cheese, and drizzled with a light vinegar dressing.

When we returned to Karachi my mother recreated it and her version definitely rivals the original. This salad served with bread is a perfect light and healthy lunch on a hot day. The great thing is that its simple to make and you can substitute the ingredients in the recipe with whatever vegetables and cheeses please your palate.

Roasted Vegetable and Couscous Salad

Ingredients

1 onion

3 tomatoes

1 eggplant

1 zucchini

lettuce

goat or feta cheese

160g of couscous

salt

pepper

1 heaped tsp garlic paste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a flat baking tray with foil and grease it with olive oil so the vegetables don't stick

Chop up all the vegetables into bite size chunks and coat them with the garlic paste in a bowl and then lay them on the baking tray. Sprinkle them with a generous amount of salt and few pinches of pepper . Drizzle them with a bit of olive oil. Make sure that the veggies don't overlap too much so that they all get roasted evenly. Leave in the oven for 30 -45 mins.

In the meantime add a cup of boiling water to the couscous, cover the bowl, and let it stand for 5 mins. Remove the lid and the couscous should be done.

Put a layer of lettuce on the plate and top it with couscous. Add the roasted vegetables and then place a few chunks of cheese on top just before serving.

For a simple dressing, mix together 4 tbsp of olive oil with 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Add some salt and pepper and shake well.

Passion Fruit Pavlova

I was introduced to a version of this divine dessert when I was 12 years old at an aunt's house. I don't remember the rest of the meal or who attended but I do remember going back for countless helpings of the fruit pavlova. So when I paid a visit to Extraordinary Desserts, a bustling cafe that certainly lives up to its name, I decided to see if my taste buds were still as fascinated by its wonderful sweetness.

It did not disappoint. The base, made of a light crunchy airy meringue, topped with an abundance of tropical fruits, and filled with a tangy passion fruit custard, has kept me coming back for more. A mouthful of this creation gives you an array of textures and flavors that are commanded of any good dessert. When I bite into it, the melange of berries, passion fruit, kiwis, and mangoes burst in my mouth. The oozy tangy custard slowly seeps in. It all ends with a satisfying crunch of the sugary meringue at the bottom.

I recommend having it with a kiwi fizzy lemonade if you're feeling tropical or a cafe latte if you're not. Here's a recipe from

Karen Krasne of Extraordinary Desserts. Its the pavlova I described except with white chocolate. I can't think of anything better....

Tropical Fruited White Chocolate Pavlova Recipe

12 servings

FRENCH MERINGUE

8 large egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 cup good-quality white chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sour cream

FRUIT FILLING

Assorted fresh fruit such as berries, kiwi slices, mango slices and passion fruit

Whipped cream

Fruit purees

For the French Meringue: With the whipping attachment of a stand mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar. When egg whites stiffen, gradually add granulated sugar. Fold in powdered sugar by hand. Scoop meringue out of bowl and form into 12 rounds on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes. Cool. Store in an airtight container if made in advance. Can be made one day in advance.

For the White Chocolate Mousse: In a heavy saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Place chopped white chocolate in a bowl and pour the cream over it. Stir until smooth. Warm the sour cream in the top of a double boiler. Add warmed sour cream to the white chocolate and cream mixture, stirring to combine. Refrigerate overnight.

To assemble: Pipe some of the mousse into each meringue shell. Fill with your favorite fresh fruit. Serve with whipped cream and fruit puree, if desired.

(From Karen Krasne of Extraordinary Desserts.)

A bit about me

Hi,

My name is Hina, and I write this blog. Everyone thought I (and subsequently) my husband would starve once I moved out of the comfort of my mother's home cooking. The weighing scale, however, completely disagrees...

I have always adored food. My favorite thing to do is to try out new restaurants and recipes. I've grown up on five continents and have sampled some delicious food through the years. My father's determination to scout out the best restaurants every summer vacation only added to my obsession when I was growing up.

I love to eat. I can't be friends with people who dislike chocolates. I decide what to order days before actually going to the restaurant.

If you appreciate food as much as I do, I hope you enjoy this blog "simply scrumptious!"

Bon Appetit!

Hina