Figs with Almonds and Cranberries

I asked Adrian if he'd like to have Vegan Coconut Chocolate Pudding or something Ethiopian for dessert. I didn't think he'd choose the latter given his preference for western sweets. A good round up for our first Ethiopian night though.

The original recipe uses prunes and raisins. I didn't want to buy them since I figured figs and dried cranberries might well be substitutes. I liked the complex sweet and tartness of the fruit and nut compote. Adrian had this ingenious idea of serving it with dark chocolate. It was a hit.

Ingredients:
(make 2 servings)

• 4 dried figs, chopped
• a handful of whole almond
• a handful of dried cranberries
• 2 whole cloves
• Natural brown sugar
• pinches of ground cinnamon
• 2 TB apple cider vinegar
• 1 Cup water
  

1. In a bowl, soak dried fig in boiling water for 10 - 15 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, soak whole almonds in boiling water for 30 minutes.
3. Mix together all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Stirring frequently.
   

Ethiopian-Style Bitter Gourd

It was meant to be Bamya Alich'a or Ethiopian-style Okra. I used bitter gourd because that's Adrian's favorite. He has been asking me to make some bitter gourd dish for awhile now. Especially after having tasted a Malay bitter gourd dish during our Chinese New Year visit back to KL in 2008. "Please find out how to make it". That's the only request he demanded again and again after having fallen into death ears, again and again.

I hated bitter gourd since young. I remember how my grandmother would trick me into eating them by describing the taste as "gan" instead of "ku" (bitter). It didn't agree with my immature taste bud then. Although I can handle it better now, it's still not something I'd gladly make. Except for Adrian. That's love.

I didn't grasp the extend of his thirst for bitter gourd until he told me that he skipped lunch because he was eager to try this dish. I didn't think (or know) this dish was good. Adrian affirmed me that it was. Still, I have doubt. Just my bias.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bitter gourd, cut into 1/2" coins
• 2 TB pure sesame oil
  
• 1/2 red onions, minced
• a handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 jalapenos, seeded and minced

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil. Saute onions with a generous pinch of sea salt until light brown.
2. Add tomatoes and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat. Stir in garlic, ginger, and cardamon. Add bitter gourd and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
3. Add chiles and cook another 5 more minutes.

Ethiopian Pinto Bean Salad With Shallots and Chili

The original recipe, Yemiser Selatta, uses lentils. I chose to use the frozen cooked pinto I have ready in the freezer.

Ingredients:
(serve 2)

• 1 cup cooked pinto beans
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoons pure sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 large shallots, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 fresh hot chili peppers, stems and seeds removed, finely chopped
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. Mix the vinegar, oil, salt and a bit of pepper in a bowl and beat together with a whisk.
2. Mix everything together with the beans and let marinated at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, before serving.

Ethiopian Spice Mix

Called berbere, it's a spice mix commonly used in Ethiopian and Eritrea cuisines. Once made it will reduce preparation time considerably. Although traditional recipe may require spices and herbs not known outside Ethiopia, the recipe here uses common spices as per Indian. I enjoyed making this very much. It's somewhat satisfying to cook with whole spices, and later grinding them into powder. I love the fragrant when it's heated.

Ingredients:
(make 2 cups)

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 4 whole cloves
• 8 cardamom pods
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, whole
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1/2 cup dried shallots
• 3 dried red chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 3 dried Thai chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons salt

1. In a frying pan, combine cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom pods, black pepper, allspice, fenugreek and coriander seeds. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
2. Blender with shallots and dried chilies until finely ground.
3. Combine the toasted seasonings with the remaining spices.
4. Keep refrigerated in a well-sealed jar or zip-lock bag.

Rye Spelt Injera

Injera - called differently - is a traditional stable food of Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopian and Yemen. It is a pancake-like sourdough flat bread made out of teff flour: the one ingredient thought to make cooking Ethiopian foods impossible. Teff is a minute, ancient grain thought to have originated in Ethiopia between 400 and 1000BC. Traditionally teff is grown as a cereal crop in Ethiopia where it is ground into flour, fermented for three days, and then made into injera.

Thank goodness for internet and the many innovative cooks around the world, we can now make injera - of sort - without using teff flour. Some sites on the internet use millet flour or stone-ground corn meal. I found one that uses spelt flour and thought it would work for me since that's what's available in the pantry. If you already have sourdough starter, jump right in. Otherwise you may want to delay the plan for three or four days and start from here first.

All I could remember of the injera I had before was it's moist and softness - qualities of which this recipe fulfills. Although the sour odor was a little bit stronger than I would like it to be. Also, I fried them on a 8" frying pan - not quite the table-size On the other hand, our Ethiopian foods enthusiast seemed to take a liking of it. He asked if there were more. Sure. Uncooked and still fermenting.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 1 cup organic rye flour
• 1 cup organic whole wheat flour
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup organic spelt flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• salt to taste

1. Mix the starter, rye, spelt, whole wheat flour with the water, stir well, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for overnight, or at least 4 hours. (Or up to 3 days, stirring once each day)
2. When ready to make the injeras, add baking powder and salt. Stir well. Add water as needed to make a thin crepe-like batter.
3. Heat a pan, brush or spray with oil as needed, ladle some batter and swirl it around to form a thin layer. Bubbles/holes will form at the top surface. Remove from pan when the bottom is set - no need to flip to cook the other side.
   

Ethiopian Green Beans And Sweet Potatoes

Called Yataklete Kilkil, this dish is traditionally served during Lent as a main course but can be served any time of the year as a side dish. The recipe calls for canned stewed tomatoes, which replaced with homemade. It's delicious and easy to make. I also substituted sweet potatoes for potatoes, as Adrian prefers.

There was some extra, which Adrian thought would go well with egg for tomorrow's breakfast.

Homemade Stewed Tomatoes

Ingredients:
(make 2 cups)

• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon green bell pepper, minced

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Blanch tomatoes for 10 seconds. Put under running water to stop cooking. Peel the skin and chopped into cubes.
2. Placed chopped tomatoes in a heavy saucepan. Bring it to boil. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes over lowest heat.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust with seasoning. Simmer, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. Stirring frequently until juices are reduced.

Yataklete Kilkil
Ingredients:
(make 2 servings)

• 1 Sweet potato, diced
• Green Bean, chopped
• 1/2 Tablespoon pure sesame oil
• 1 Clove Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 TB Berbere
  
• 1 Cup homemade stewed tomatoes
  
• 1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Lime Juice

1. Cover potatoes in boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes add green beans and cook for another 5 minutes. Drain.
   
2. In a separate saucepan, heat oil , fry garlic and berbere until fragrant.
3. Stir in cooked sweet potatoes and green beans. Fry until well coated. Add stewed tomatoes and fresh lime juice. Cook 7-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Ethiopian Comes Alive

In year 2008, Adrian and I were on an assignment to teach Yoga to this oligarch of Russia. It was quite a stint: everyday we were chauffeured around the city in a brand new Mercedes S-Class with two bodyguards at our dispense. One of whom Adrian strongly believed to be carrying gun under the jacket.

One night we decided to venture out to the slum to find this Ethiopian restaurant that Adrian read about in some local guide. Growing up in Seattle, where there's quite a community of Ethiopians, Adrian has had many Ethiopian foods, and loves them all. When Adrian took me to Seattle in 2008, I, too, had a taste of the Seattle Ethiopian foods that Adrian sometimes raves about.

After the new year holidays in up north, I asked Adrian what he would like to eat. Ethiopian, he said. I didn't think he meant it seriously because he mentioned about some rare ingredients that he has never found elsewhere but Ethiopia: teff flour. I did some research and found that this core ingredient of Ethiopian flat bread may be substitute by millet flour, stone-ground corn meal, or a mix of rye flour and spelt flour, with a touch of sourdough starter. Further research showed that Ethiopian foods are not impossible to make. Although it does require some pre-preparation of its signature spices but once made you are set to go.

If you haven't had Ethiopian foods before it is very much like Indian - spicy vegetables or meat in the form of wat (thick stew) served atop of large piece (about 20 inches) of sourdough flat bread called injera. The spices used are also similar: cardamom, cloves, turmeric, coriander, etc. You eat it with your hand, using pieces of injera to pick up the entree or side dishes. I made quite a few changes to the recipes that I found around the internet to suit what I can find and what's manageable.

I have only had two Ethiopian meals in my life - I'm not one to judge the dishes. Adrian commented that they were not the kind of Ethiopian foods that he knew of. However, they were extraordinary: not Indian nor Ethiopian; they deserved to be called one of themselves. I'm going to file for their rights under mine once I have a name for them.

Lemony Ricotta Pancake with Balsamic Fig Jam

I used to do all the cooking by myself. Sometimes I thought it would be nice if Adrian could help me instead of just sitting in front of the computer, then I rationalized I wouldn't have liked it because I would be very bossy about how things should be done - MY WAY -. Ever since he cooked for my birthday, he found new meaning in cooking: there's something satisfying about making your own foods that he enjoys. It, too, surprises me how much I enjoy having my husband, with me, in the kitchen. I am working to suppress my bossiness and express my dominating nature in the least oblivious way possible. It has worked for two months so far.

This was another lazy morning. We woke up rehearsing the languages that we each learning: he spoke to me in Mandarin, I replied in Japanese. It's one of the exercises we vouched to keep in order to develop our brain map. Adrian's Mandarin lesson has covered the verbs for "eat" and "drink", plus a bonus "hungry" from me, and that took us from bed to kitchen.

We had a bit of ricotta left from yesterday's French toast, and there's a jar of self-raising Farina flour that came from a absentminded mistake while I was making pizza dough: it's Farina flour with baking powder and salt. So I decided to make do with the two ingredients: Ricotta Pancake.

I can tell I'm becoming more intuitive with my cooking: I don't have to be looking at recipe as much as I used to; I'm able to concoct dishes based on what I cooked before. This Balsamic Fig Jam, for instance, is a spin-off of Balsamic reduction that I have tried a few times with different fruits and really like.

The jam turned out to be extraordinary, - not your ordinary pancake jam - especially so with sour cream. The pancake too was excellent. I was going to announce the best pancake I've made but Adrian said he got instant ecstasy from the sourdough pancake. It's a close call. This pancake was soft and fluffy while the sourdough pancake was tangy and had a cake-like texture. If I may give them attributes: this one was happy and bouncy; the sourdough pancake was mature and acquired. I found myself nodding my head to a symphony of happy tunes in my head with the fluffy Ricotta pancake.

Note: There was only 1/2 cup ricotta left and so I made up the 1 cup volume with sour cream. Adrian thought fresh strawberries would go very well with the fig jam; you can use other berries or non at all.

Ingredients:(makes two 8" pancakes)

Balsamic Fig Jam:

• Dried figs, chopped
• natural brown sugar
• balsamic vinegar
• ground black pepper
• fresh lemon juice
• sea salt to taste

1. In a saucepan, heat and cook dried figs with just enough boiling water until soft and thick.
   
2. Start adding sugar and balsamic vinegar, one tablespoon at a time, to desired taste.
3. Add a generous pinch of black pepper.
4. Adjust taste with lemon juice and salt. More balsamic or sugar if needed.
5. Set aside or chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
   

Dry Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Farina flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 TB natural brown sugar
• Zest of one lemon

Wet Ingredients:

• Homemade ricotta cheese + sour cream - 1 cup
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 2 TB virgin coconut oil
• Pure vanilla extract

Optional:

• Fresh strawberries, sliced
• Sour cream to serve

1. Combine all the dry ingredients, except lemon zest, in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
3. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture. Add lemon zest and strawberries.
4. Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil over medium heat. Drop half the batter into the pan. Cook until the bottom is set and the top begins to form bubbles.
5. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes or until it's nicely browned.
6. Repeat with the other half batter.
7. Serve with Balsamic fig jam and sour cream.
   

Spicy Polenta Roasted Vegetable Pesto Terrine

Ingredients:
(makes 2 servings)

• 1/2 cup organic polenta
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
• Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• Fresh thyme and oregano, minced
  
• Roasted vegetable pesto
• 1/2 cup goat cheese, grated

1. Grease baking dish. Preheat broiler at 180C.
   
2. Bring water, milk and sea salt to boil. Stir in polenta to cook. Remove from heat wheng liquid is fully absorbed.
   
3. Add Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Stir to combine well.
4. Pour half the cooked polenta to the prepared baking dish. Smooth out to a even layer. Let cool slightly. (if you are going to make bake egg, bake the cooked polenta now.)
   
5. Top the bottom layer with pesto and grated goat cheese. Cover with the other half of cooked polenta. (or eggs) Smooth out and let cool.
   
6. Lightly brush the surface with olive oil. Broil for 10 minutes or until the top turns golden brown. (Broil until the eggs are cooked to desired consistency.)
   
7. Cut into individual serving sizes to serve.
   

Sourdough Pancake

Ingredients:
(Two 8" pancakes)

• 1 1/2 cup sourdough starter
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
  
• 1TB unprocessed sugar
• 1TB virgin coconut oil
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 TB whole milk
  
• Frozen raspberries
  
• Natural brown sugar

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup macadamia nut spread
• 1TB organic raw honey
  

1. In a bowl, sprinkle a few pinches of natural brown sugar to frozen raspberries. Toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sourdough starter, egg, salt, milk, coconut oil and sugar. Gently fold in raspberries mixture. Add baking soda.
   
3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat on a 8" skillet until bubbly. Pour half the batter and cook until the bottom is set and pores are forming on top. Flip and cook the other side for another 5 - 6 minutes. Repeat with the other half batter.
   
4. In a separate bowl, mix macadamia nut spread and honey together. Serve honey macadamia spread over pancake.
   

Welcome to 2010

Having been gone for 9 days for our end of 2009 trip, we came home to a kitchen with little edible. This was going to be the first breakfast in year 2010. It somehow sound like it could mean a lot. Just like how the first day of the year means a great deal to me. In short, despite having missed the hype of the new year eve by turning in to bed at 9pm, I was very pleased with the new year day: quiet morning in the otherwise overcrowded street of Chiangmai; catching up with Yogi friends whom we don't get to see much; AND seated by the emergency exit with no seat in front blocking my leg on our flight back from Chiangmai! If that was a metaphor of what my 2010 is going to be like: plenty of room for growth, I'd say :) Seems like an awesome year ahead.

For whatever reason we didn't feel like leaving home for breakfast. After a thorough search through the kitchen, I managed to come up with two surprisingly good dishes: Spicy Polenta Roasted Vegetable Pesto Terrine and Sourdough Pancake.

Before we took off to Chiangrai, I took the extra roasted vegetables from Barley Grilled Vegetable with Avocado Dressing and turned them into pesto. I also added to it habanero and cilantro leaves. They had managed to stay well in the refrigerator during our absence.

This dish took us by surprise. So much so that we decided to make it again the next morning - with baked egg and herbed roasted tomatoes this time. I prepared all the ingredients the night before and instructed Adrian to do the cooking the next morning. He accidentally added too much water to the polenta and hence it turned out a little bit soggy. But the taste was still good.

The next dish took us took us more than surprise. It was astonishingly good. We loved the tangy yeasty taste of the sourdough pancake. Adrian claimed this to be the best pancake ever. He felt he had betrayed his family by saying this because he always felt his childhood was filled with delicious pancakes made by his mother. Wait a minute, I said "I'm family too!" He cleverly steered around, "Wow! I'm proud my family has created such yummy pancake".

It is unfortunate that I used up all the sourdough starter there was. We'll have to wait for 4 more days before the new batch is ready for consumption. If you haven't done it already, you may want to start with the sourdough starter. I was delighted to see my starter still fresh and alive after having been gone for 9 days. The night before, I discarded some of the starter retaining 1 cup. I stirred in to it 1/2 cup of organic bread flour and 1/4 cup water. It was ready for cooking in the following morning.

One of the highlight of our year end trip was the discovery of macadamia nut spread. It's produced locally by the Doi Tung Sustainable Alternative Livelihood Development Project up in Mae Fah Luang, Thailand. I must say how impressed I was having seen the scale of the project initiated by the late Princess Mother. Having spent 29 years growing up in South East Asia, I dare say there aren't many projects this scale in this region that are as successful and well maintained as Doi Tung's.

Doi Tung's was conceived in order to provide an alternative livelihood to the ethnic minorities in the Doi Tung area, whose livelihood were once largely dependent on growing and selling opium. Among the plants, orchids and coffees, there's the macadamia nuts. I have always loved macadamia nut. It's the number one item I'd request from Australia whenever opportunities arise. Although I was well aware of the Doi Tung macadamia nuts sold in the supermarket, I never paid much interest to them. Partly because they seem so tiny in comparison to the Australian's. Not only because having witnessed the Doi Tung project changed my view, but also the nut spread is really good.

We bought a jar of it and were indulged in every bite of it served with Lindt Chocolate Swiss Thins (the only dark chocolate we found in Chiangrai). It was almost painful to have to finished the last bit of the spread on day 3. Imagine how ecstatic we were when we saw them, again, at the Chiangmai airport while en-route back to Bangkok at the end of our trip. It was also comforting to know that they are available in the Doi Tong stores in Bangkok (sold at THB5 more expensive than in the north).

When I was making this pancake, I thought of ways I can involve the macadamia nut spread. The Coconut Syrup Peanut Butter Spread that I made for a banana pancake recipe came to mind. Although the spread was good but it's not the highlight. It was really the sourdough that stole the limelight.

Having kicked start our new year with these satisfying breakfasts, our tiny kitchen can only get more and more interesting from now.