pease porridge

Grilled Skirt Steak with Tomato, Caramelized Butter, and Cumin

Ana Sortun is one of my favorite chefs, and I'm not generally much of a chef-worshipper.  I first ran into her in the pages of a Food & Wine magazine; she had written an amazing menu of vegetarian meze which, when combined, form the Voltron of vegetarian eating experiences.  I've had her cookbook, Spice, for a while now, but I've been lame about cooking anything from it. 

It's true that some of the recipes have hard-to-find ingredients, and some take some planning ahead, and some are just a lot of work for family dinner, but there are also plenty that are easy enough for everyday, so I've been playing catch-up.

In the introduction to her book, Sortun promises "dishes absolutely alive with flavors that leave guests ready for a night of dancing - not weighted down and ready for bed", and she absolutely delivers.  In fact, this food is so amazing I find it hard not to jump up and start dancing after a meal.

Skirt steak is, as Sortun mentions in this recipe, both flavorful and affordable.  Give it a good rub with cumin, oregano and paprika (or Aleppo chilies), and it's pretty good.  Top it with a garlicky tomato sauce and brown butter and it's scrumptious.  Slide the whole thing onto a thick pita bread to soak up the juices, and crown it with a grilled pepper, and it's amazing, and I think the beet tzatziki topping sent it on to something in the realm of the divine.

Okay, the recipe only calls for plain yogurt, which I'm sure is also heavenly, but since I had the beet tzatziki (about which, more in a later post) around anyway, on it went.

There are several parts to the recipe, but they're all wicked easy, and it came together in about forty-five minutes - it would take even less time if you have one person manning the sauce and another outside grilling.  Got your dancing shoes on?

Books About Food

Lately I've been on a bit of a binge.  I've been tearing through books about food as if they were made of food.  Most of these weren't quite what I'd call gourmet meals, but none of them were junk food either:

The Ethical Gourmet: How to Enjoy Great Food That Is Humanely Raised, Sustainable, Nonendangered, and That Replenishes the Earth, by Jay Weinstein - I think maybe the title sums it up, don't you?  Weinstein seems to be aiming for the lowest-common-denominator approach to organic eating, but whatever, his heart seems to be in the right place.  This is a combination buyers' guide and cookbook, with some basic information about organic and fair trade standards, and fishing and farming practices.  Weinstein is a Jasper White protege, and it's always nice to see chefs taking an interest in conscientious cooking and eating.

A Field Guide to Buying Organic by Luddene Perry and Dan Schultz - Pretty much what the title says, this is a buyers' guide for organic food.  The first part is a breakdown of organic food facts, and the second is a breakdown of products on a case by case basis to help you decide based on cost, health benefits and environmental/social factors how to spend your food dollars.  There are even two quizzes (I scored as a 'classic organic shopper' on both).  This book really wasn't my speed, but if you like consumer guides in general you might check it out.

Grub: Ideas For an Urban Organic Kitchen, by Anna Lappé and Bryant Terry - This is a really sweet little book made by and for idealists.  The first half is a brief infodump about the evils of the food industry, followed by some recommendations for how to shop organic, and the last half is a bunch of menus with a vegetarian/vegan/macrobiotic bent (with soundtracks included alongside).   I found it hopelessly optimistic, and thus adorable, but I wouldn't read it unless you are inspired by young people who still believe they can make a difference in the world.

Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor, by Hervé This - This (er, the author) has great credentials, and the title and the ideas behind the book are great, but the work itself is pretty flat.  There are like a hundred really short chapters (often one or two pages each) that skim about the subject without ever delving.  Much of the book is little details dispelling food myths and the best way to make particular recipes.  The middle section hit upon what I was most interested in - cutting edge info on how we taste food - but, again, suffered from being very brief and cursory.  I would've loved this book if he had just taken that section and expanded it into a real book, but as it was I was really disappointed.

Organic, Inc.: Natural Foods and How They Grew, by Samuel Fromartz - Samuel Fromartz is business journalist, and it shows.  This book is a primer on the development of the organic food industry; it's chock full of facts and data and can be pretty dry at times.  You may find this book interesting if you don't know much about organic food (but want to know more) and enjoy reading the Wall Street Journal.

The Sex Life of Food: When Body and Soul Meet to Eat, by Bunny Crumpacker - A sort of stream-of-consciousness rambling set of essays about food and sex, this book starts off kind of interesting but quickly becomes dull, and then veers off into strange (but not in a good way).  Why a book about food and sex needs chapters about farting, cannibalism and Adolf Hitler, I'm none too sure.  The basic premise is that food and sex are linked.  Gee, really?  I imagine that Michael Pollan, say, could've gone somewhere with that, but Ms. Crumpacker (I'm trying really hard not to make fun of her name, here) just circles about; food is linked to sex is linked to food is linked to...

Bangkok Style Grilled Chicken

When you're faced with the usual array of grilled suspects - hot dogs, hamburgers, steak tips - the grilled chicken is usually the least appetizing alternative.  Dry, bland, uninspiring hunks of (usually) white meat painted with some kind of red sauce clinging to it in singed clumps.

This chicken is nothing like that one.  A coconut milk-based marinade keeps it moist, and cilantro and curry paste (or even powder, if paste isn't on hand) add flavor without overwhelming the flavor of the meat.  I know, you're thinking 'chicken has flavor?', but I promise you that if you get your hands a on naturally-raised bird you will be surprised and delighted by the taste.

The recipe calls for two butterflied chickens, which is a great party option, but if you're so inclined you can also pick out whatever pieces you like at your butcher (I recommend wings and drumsticks).  Finally, the Sweet-and-Spicy Dipping Sauce is a treasure all on its own.  It manages to be not only sweet and spicy, but also tangy, and a perfect accompaniment to the chicken.

Taste the Rainbow

Been a bit quiet around here, mostly due to the Fourth of July (and several related picnics and cookouts) and then my son's birthday party (and the preparation thereof).  Do not fear: weather permitting, we'll be back soon with veggies galore, and a favorite grilling recipe or two. 

In the meantime, I present, for your amusement: my latest wacky cake endeavor: