Reading Food

Yes I am writing a lot these days on NAO, but honestly... I am at "work" and therefore, I need something to pass the time. Please refer to this post and you will know exactly what I am talking about.

I have just attended one of the many summer festivals that happen in the wonderful city that I live in. It is an annual food festival that takes time to show off all sorts of luciously delicious cuisine that this city has to offer...

Lunch yesterday was a divine experience where I was lucky enough to try out some of the food. I sampled succulent, juicy buffalo kabobs, spicy sweet, melt in your mouth savory garlic peanut chicken skewers, a whole wheat, delicately flakey, spinach and cheese filled pastry, and a balsamic strawberry dessert laced with creamy mascarpone cheese.

The event was spectacular and writing about it is torture for my taste buds :P

I won't beat around the bush here, I scarfed my face off.

The buffalo was so tender that it tasted like it had been marinating for 3 days straight. It was barbequed to perfection, sprinkled with fresh cracked pepper and had a sweet, tangy bbq sauce on the side for dippin'.

The oh so moist chicken skewers were freaking amazing with their creamy, peanuty garlic sauce and orgasmic aroma that filled the air for everyone to smell...

The spinach pastry was a delightfully light, yet rich and satisfying twist to the meal that, up until that point, consisted only of meat.

Finally, the balsamic strawberry mascarpone dessert was a such a
treat... A creamy and fruity medly of unbelievable taste, it was such a beautiful ending to such a beautiful experience.

Mmm! Yummm!

Of all the things that I have lost in my life, it's my mind that I miss the most.

I just wanna thank you for making my mouth salivate. I'd lost my appetite in the past few days, what with this blinking antibiotic; but now, I have visions of sugarplums dancing in my head...or more likely, your 'balsamic strawberry mascarpone'! Not to mention dreams of mixing up a batch of my moderately famous ginger chili creme brulee...so sweet and yummy...(not originally my recipe, though).

And I am dreaming of bananas cut down the center, and filled with lemon juice and powdered sugar, left to bake in the oven, and be eaten like a sweet garnet yam, or a jewel yam. Ummm...

Those kebabs sound wonderful. What with you mentioning kebabs, and null mentioning kebabs... Well, I think I want some kebabs. Garlic peanut sauce with Thai chicken satay, some of your spanikopita, cause I love spinach, and maybe, just maybe, tomorrow or Sunday, I shall nip on down to Pho Grand restaurant and have myself some of that yummy beef with pineapple and tomatoes, covered in hot sauce. And some lettuce wraps that my girlfriend introduced me to... for dessert I'd like a Smoothie King Peach shake with immune boost added. I'll skip the wheatgrass tomorrow, since I've kinda had my fill of green drinks and garlic this week. I say I kinda like wheatgrass juice, but, really. YUCK! I really do prefer frozen peas to that...and yet...pardon me for digressing here...the wheatgrass really helps when one is sick.

Anyway...I think here in St. Louis we are due for Straussenfest...the local German festival. There are an awful lot of Americans of German descent here...and every year there is a festival downtown complete with Corned Beef, Cabbage, and rye...funnel cakes, and stuff that actually IS traditional German food. Except I've only eaten the above when there. I think I missed the local Greek Orthodox church's festival, and their yummy baklava...but I can go to Olympia's and get some of that and their citywide famous dolmas. Yum. Grape leaves. Wrapped around rice with assloads of olive oil. And currants. And pine nuts...

I better stop. :-#

My mind is made up...not like my bed, which is a mess.

Not to mention dreams of mixing up a batch of my moderately famous ginger chili creme brulee...so sweet and yummy...(not originally my recipe, though).

Please rosyxxx, for the love of everything sacred, please pass the recipe on to me. I swear that description made me salivate from here to kingdom... wherever. Thanks, I now have dinner.

I am dreaming of bananas cut down the center, and filled with lemon juice and powdered sugar, left to bake in the oven, and be eaten like a sweet garnet yam, or a jewel yam.

As you can probably tell, I love food. Unique food and everything that is Food. I am going to whip up a batch of those succulent sounding bananas the minute I get home. ;)

some of your spanikopita, cause I love spinach

These were abit different than spanikopita (there could be different types, Im not sure ;)). The filling wasn't as dense as traditional spanikopita and the pastry wasn't as flaky. Quite different really but equally as delicious. The pastry at the festival was whole wheat and wasn't as "crispy flaky" as a spanikopita, it was on the softer side, almost buttery and croissant like... Also, I don't know if it was feta that was in this pastry, it could have been... But it wasn't as salty :)

Of all the things that I have lost in my life, it's my mind that I miss the most.

Please rosyxxx, for the love of everything sacred, please pass the recipe on to me.

As per your request...here forthwith follows my variation on Debbie Puente's rendition of Larry Hunter's "Ginger Chile Creme Brulee".

In her book, it states that the recipe was developed in response to a potluck gathering of "chileheads" in Washington, D.C.

ingredients:

8 egg yolks
1/2 cup of superfine caster sugar (used for making meringues and such...dissolves better)
2 cups heavy cream/whipping cream
1 tbsp. finely-grated, or minced FRESH gingerroot
1 FRESH diced serrano chile pepper
1/8th section of a FRESH habanero chile pepper, seeded...for sure.
1/4 cup 'Sugar in The Raw' (the brand, or a raw cane substitute)

In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Add the cream, gingerroot, serrano, and habanero chiles. Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler, or a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water. The water must be brought to a simmer FIRST, and then maintained. It must NOT be allowed to boil, or else the creme brulee will 'curdle'. If it does this, you can stop the process immediately and push the creme brulee through a sieve into another container. Chilling this for an hour, and then bringing it back to be placed on the 'gently simmering' water, will repair the damage.

{Here, I find it important to note, that I do not, nor have I ever needed a double boiler for this... I use a pot with a heavy-duty vegetable steamer insert, upon which I place a thick glass heatproof bowl.}

Stir constantly for 30 to 45 minutes, or until mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. *this is where impromptu tastings can occur* Remove custard from heat and strain into a large, clean bowl. The straining is necessary to remove any further curdling for newbies to the creme brulee routine, as well as to filter out the gingerroot and chile peppers. The custard will thicken as it cools. Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Divide custard among 6 ramekins or custard cups.

When ready to serve, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar over each custard. Then caramelize the custards with a kitchen torch. Various cooking stores supply these, and it is the one crucial piece of equipment for the process which cannot be substituted. You need it. It's an investment.

Williams-Sonoma has a small hand-held kitchen torch that is the best. It will prevent you from burning the top of the custard, as long as you keep at least an inch in distance between the sugared-surface and the flame, and move the flame around, rather than holding it in one place. A common mistake with beginners.

When the "shell" is done, you are supposed to be able to crack into it by tapping with a spoon. The mark of a good creme brulee is not only this quality, but the smooth texture of the custard beneath the "shell", which should be free of 'curdling'. Re-chill custards for a few minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Enjoy. It's a lot of work. Just remember: FRESH gingerroot, serranos, and habaneros. CONSTANT stirring. CONSTANT watching. A watched pot never boils, and in this case...you don't want it to... Keep the torch moving over the surface until it browns.

WARNING: When handling habaneros, please use protective gloves. The juice is the fieriest known pepper juice to man, and can burn the crap out of your eyes and mucous membranes when used raw. A little goes a long, long, long way... Keep your fingers away from your face and nose and eyes. I learned the hard way.

Happy Cooking!

P.S. This is really a sweet-hot dessert. It isn't savory at all. When I serve it people are usually skeptical, but then devour every bit, ravenous for more...

My mind is made up...not like my bed, which is a mess.

This post was edited by rosyxxx on Aug 05, 2005.