I have a problem with buffets. I thought about this last week at an Indian buffet. The fact that you can go more than once grosses me out. Mounds of food on my plate remind me of Chef Boyardee, no matter how good the mounds taste. The Indian buffet was really delicious but the fact that all the food touches each other and the sauces blend into a mushy colorful mess doesn't really appeal to me. As I bit into my spicy colorful palette, I noticed some Indian women eating. They had only two different colors on their plate and they ate slowly, dipping the Naan bread lightly in the spicy sauce.
It was as graceful as Swan Lake. I was eating like the ugly duckling and they were eating so peacefully. I was now, not only disgusted with myself but jealous.
I don't like the waiting in line in buffets either, the fact that everyone breathes over the food and their hair touches the food really suppresses my appetite.
What do you think? Are buffets worth it?
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Some of my posts this week..............
I have another blog and I chose a few posts that might interest some of you.
Book Review on Chocolate Cake Sutra- A bit of how to improve yourself all described in recipe format
My Favorite breakfast Shakshuka, eggs in tomato sauce
Interview with Chef Philippe Thomelin of Olive Tree Catering and a recipe for crusted
lamb cutlets in citrus breadcrumbs, artichoke barigoule and tapenade.
Book Review on Chocolate Cake Sutra- A bit of how to improve yourself all described in recipe format
My Favorite breakfast Shakshuka, eggs in tomato sauce
Interview with Chef Philippe Thomelin of Olive Tree Catering and a recipe for crusted
lamb cutlets in citrus breadcrumbs, artichoke barigoule and tapenade.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Last Minute Cooking
I woke up yesterday with a migraine.I decided to pull myself out of bed to a yoga class. I figured it might help. It did help for a few minutes but then after yoga I went to bed for an hour. Then I realized that I have guests. I sprang out of bed and started cooking. The guests have little kids so I made my favorite meatball recipe. Every kid and every adult seems to love this recipe. The recipe calls for matzo meal but I used Panko bread crumbs instead.
I made white rice to soak up the sauce. I made a salad. I made a pasta with peas, corn and cream. I boiled some fresh corn on the cob from the farmer's market. I almost forgot. I started the meal
with bruschetta. The bruschetta was made of tomatoes, olives and onions. As for dessert, I made meringues, covered with homemade peach gelato( no ice cream maker required) and topped it with fresh fruit.
I made all this in about 3 hours, except for the ice cream which I made the night before. Things went fine and the guests enjoyed. What I learned from all this....
If you put gummy worms anywhere near the kids then don't expect them to eat too much food. I also learned that even easy recipes can be made for guests!
I made white rice to soak up the sauce. I made a salad. I made a pasta with peas, corn and cream. I boiled some fresh corn on the cob from the farmer's market. I almost forgot. I started the meal
with bruschetta. The bruschetta was made of tomatoes, olives and onions. As for dessert, I made meringues, covered with homemade peach gelato( no ice cream maker required) and topped it with fresh fruit.
I made all this in about 3 hours, except for the ice cream which I made the night before. Things went fine and the guests enjoyed. What I learned from all this....
If you put gummy worms anywhere near the kids then don't expect them to eat too much food. I also learned that even easy recipes can be made for guests!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Amateur Gourmet Isn't an Amateur Anymore!
One day the thought crossed my mind about blogging? Will I have something to say?
Could I Write once a week? Then I found an article titled " How to start a food blog" in the Amateur Gourmet. That was it. I started my blog in the Seattle PI, promising to write twice or 3 times a week. HA! I write almost every day! Now I have my own savory blog because my food obsessed mind has way too much to say.
All this thanks to the Amateur Gourmet! Today I realized that the Amateur Gourmet
upgraded his site! If you read food blogs, then you probably know the Amateur Gourmet. So way to go! I am so proud to say that I am the third person to add comments to his post about upgrading his site. When you read this, there will probably be atleast 20 comments or maybe 200.
Good luck with your new look, Amateur Gourmet.
Could I Write once a week? Then I found an article titled " How to start a food blog" in the Amateur Gourmet. That was it. I started my blog in the Seattle PI, promising to write twice or 3 times a week. HA! I write almost every day! Now I have my own savory blog because my food obsessed mind has way too much to say.
All this thanks to the Amateur Gourmet! Today I realized that the Amateur Gourmet
upgraded his site! If you read food blogs, then you probably know the Amateur Gourmet. So way to go! I am so proud to say that I am the third person to add comments to his post about upgrading his site. When you read this, there will probably be atleast 20 comments or maybe 200.
Good luck with your new look, Amateur Gourmet.
Rude Food by Vir Sanghvi
I grabbed a book from the library titled "Rude Food" by Vir Sanghvi. I expected to read about real stories in the kitchen, how hard it is to survive in the dirty culinary world, how chefs fight and spit in your food. O.K, I'll stop. I think I expected an Anthony Bourdain type book, one of those books that will scare you into ever even thinking of opening your own place
and might convince you that chefs are possessed with the worst job on earth.
Vir Sanghi is slightly negative about the culinary world but not in a depressing way. He paints a picture of the restaurant world as it really is, minus a constant nagging negativity. He knows how to give credit when needed and makes sure that every detail on every subject is thoroughly explained.
Although a lot of the stories are about Indian cuisine, he writes about every type of cuisine, gives you surprising facts and history and most of all motivation to try foods that may seem odd at first.
The book is compiled of short essays of only a few pages each on basically every trend in the culinary world from truffles which he compares to the smell of sex, to caviar to a whole section dedicated to explaining diet trends.
If you are obsessed with food, the history of food, the smell of food or just want to learn some culinary tips, this is the book for you.
And as far as the subject of wanting to be a chef or learning how to cook( been harassed a lot lately):
All I hear is how this world is so hard. I shouldn't bother because my legs will hurt all the time,
working in a hot kitchen is really bad for your pores. But hey, wake up and smell the coffee
culinary fools. Working is rarely fun and everyone gets sick of their job at one point.
I would rather have a smiling belly then even dream of doing something else.
and might convince you that chefs are possessed with the worst job on earth.
Vir Sanghi is slightly negative about the culinary world but not in a depressing way. He paints a picture of the restaurant world as it really is, minus a constant nagging negativity. He knows how to give credit when needed and makes sure that every detail on every subject is thoroughly explained.
Although a lot of the stories are about Indian cuisine, he writes about every type of cuisine, gives you surprising facts and history and most of all motivation to try foods that may seem odd at first.
The book is compiled of short essays of only a few pages each on basically every trend in the culinary world from truffles which he compares to the smell of sex, to caviar to a whole section dedicated to explaining diet trends.
If you are obsessed with food, the history of food, the smell of food or just want to learn some culinary tips, this is the book for you.
And as far as the subject of wanting to be a chef or learning how to cook( been harassed a lot lately):
All I hear is how this world is so hard. I shouldn't bother because my legs will hurt all the time,
working in a hot kitchen is really bad for your pores. But hey, wake up and smell the coffee
culinary fools. Working is rarely fun and everyone gets sick of their job at one point.
I would rather have a smiling belly then even dream of doing something else.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Orna and Ella Pancakes
Here is a recipe for sweet potato pancakes. It is from a really amazing restaurant in Tel Aviv. Every person who tries them is hooked!
Orna and Ella's Sweet Potato Pancakes
1 1/4 kilo sweet potatoes(750 grams after peeling and cooking)
2 tb soy sauce
3/4 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of fresh black pepper
butter for frying
Cream sauce
3/4 cup of chives
250 grams of sour cream
1/3 of a cup of mayo
salt aand pepper as desired
mustard and lemon as desired
1. Peel potatoes and cut into big pieces
2. Cook in a pot of water until soft.
3. Place in a strainer for an hour or two in order to drain the water out.
4. Place potatoes in bowl, add soy and mix with hands.
5. Add flour, sugar, salt and pepper and mix with hands(remove any hard or black parts).
6. The batter should be soft, even and a bit sticky. If it is watery add some flour.
Don't overmix or it will become too sticky.
7. Heat a teflon pan with butter on medium heat.
If you want to perfect it, you can put it in an icing bag and use that. You can also use a spoon or your hands to make little rounds. The dough is a bit sticky so you have to practice on the first few in order to get them to come out perfect. Fry on each side.
The Sauce: Mix all ingredients and season as desired.
* This recipe is from Israel and the sour cream is a bit different. You might have to be creative and use a different cream or yogurt. I noticed that recipes from different countries may vary because the products are slightly different.
Orna and Ella's Sweet Potato Pancakes
1 1/4 kilo sweet potatoes(750 grams after peeling and cooking)
2 tb soy sauce
3/4 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of fresh black pepper
butter for frying
Cream sauce
3/4 cup of chives
250 grams of sour cream
1/3 of a cup of mayo
salt aand pepper as desired
mustard and lemon as desired
1. Peel potatoes and cut into big pieces
2. Cook in a pot of water until soft.
3. Place in a strainer for an hour or two in order to drain the water out.
4. Place potatoes in bowl, add soy and mix with hands.
5. Add flour, sugar, salt and pepper and mix with hands(remove any hard or black parts).
6. The batter should be soft, even and a bit sticky. If it is watery add some flour.
Don't overmix or it will become too sticky.
7. Heat a teflon pan with butter on medium heat.
If you want to perfect it, you can put it in an icing bag and use that. You can also use a spoon or your hands to make little rounds. The dough is a bit sticky so you have to practice on the first few in order to get them to come out perfect. Fry on each side.
The Sauce: Mix all ingredients and season as desired.
* This recipe is from Israel and the sour cream is a bit different. You might have to be creative and use a different cream or yogurt. I noticed that recipes from different countries may vary because the products are slightly different.
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