Ferrari (Pan-Fried Potatoes with Peanuts, Black Pepper, and Lemon Juice)

This is another side from Meera Sodha's Made In India. I feel like India gets forgotten when Americans learn about other cultures, which is a huge loss because it's a country with so many complex, amazing cultures and such a long history. Learning about Indian food is exciting for me, because it's so much more than most non-Indian Americans suspect.

Meera writes, "'Ferar' means 'to fast' by abstaining from certain foods, which a lot of Gujarati Hindus do on designated days throughout the year. Peanuts and potatoes are some of the things which can be eaten on a fast day, hence the creation of Ferrari."

I personally like that this dish can also be eaten by Catholics on Fridays, because this dish was so much more than I thought it would be. It's fast, easy, and its wonderfully flavorful and spiced.

2 oz peanuts, unsalted and unroasted
20 peppercorns (1/2 teaspoon)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
14 oz new potatoes, chopped into 1 1/4 inch cubes
1 fresh green chili, very finely chopped*
1 3/4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 oz cilantro, chopped
1/2 lemon

*I used a jalapeno. I seeded mine because I'm a wimp. This did not make the dish bland, so if you're worried about too much heat, you should have no compunctions about seeding it.

Coarsely grind the peanuts using a food processor or mortar and pestle, remove, and set to one side, then grind the peppercorns in the same way.

Put the oil into a wide-bottomed frying pan on a medium heat. When it's hot, add the ground peppercorns and cumin seeds and, a minute later, the potatoes.

Stir-fry the potatoes for around 12 minutes, until they start to brown. Spear them with a knife to see if they're done (they will slide off easily if they are, and, if so, add the green chili, ginger, and salt. Continue to cook for another 5-6 minutes to cook the ginger and brown the potatoes.

When the potatoes are nicely brown, check the seasoning and transfer to a serving bowl. Scatter over the peanuts, add the cilantro, and squeeze over the lemon before serving.

Leek And Potato Soup

This is from James Beard's American Cookery which is one of my favorite cookbooks. This is a recipe that everyone should have because it makes a simple, delicious soup which is still hearty enough to be a main meal with a salad and perhaps a roll on the side.

The nutmeg and cayenne add a flavor signature which is not common but which I find addictive. (This also makes a good breakfast if your taste runs to the untraditional as mine does.) I have tinkered with it, of course, and my variations are listed below the main recipe. The other variations are James Beard's.

Leek And Potato Soup

5 leeks
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups potatoes, diced
1 quart chicken broth
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour

Wash the leeks, split them lengthwise, and cut into thin slices after removing all sand. Saute in 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet for about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and the broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Season to taste with salt, cayenne and nutmeg. Strain out the vegetables and puree in food processor. Return to the broth. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir in the flour. Add 1-1/2 cups of the broth and blend well until the mixture thickens. Return to the kettle and stir until soup comes to a boil.

My variation:

• Use a small onion instead of leeks
• Use 4 cups potatoes and do not thicken with roux.
• Use 1/8 t. cayenne

Vichyssoise variation:

• Prepare soup as above and allow it to cool. Add 1-1/2 cups heavy cream and blend well. Chill in refrigerator. Serve chilled.
• Or chill the soup without the heavy cream. Serve in chilled cups with a large spoonful of sour cream and chopped chives.

Still another variation:
Do not put the vegetables through a food mill but serve pieces of leek and diced potatoes in the thickened soup.

Whole-Grain Mustard

The other mustard recipe I made from America's Test Kitchen's Foolproof Preserving is for whole-grain mustard. My mother (Julie) was less thrilled than I, responding with a disgusted, "Why?" But I actually have several recipes in my regular rotation that ask for this (including the previously posted crab mac and cheese). I've actually had trouble finding whole-grain mustard, so I've been using stone ground, but I'll be using this from now on.

As with the Dijon, this has to soak 8-24 hours, then sit out for 1-2 days for desired spice.

YIELD: 2 1-cup jars

3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup yellow mustard seeds
1/3 cup brown mustard seeds
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Combine vinegar, water, yellow mustard seeds, and brown mustard seeds in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

Measure out 1/2 cup vinegar-mustard seed mixture and set aside. Combine remaining vinegar-mustard seed mixture, sugar, and salt in food processor and process until coarsely ground and thickened, 1-2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed; return to medium bowl. Stir in reserved vinegar-mustard seed mixture.

Using funnel and spoon, portion mustard into two 1-cup jars. Cover and let mustard stand at room temperature until it has reached desired spiciness, 1-2 days; mustard becomes spicier as it rests. Once desired spice level has been reached, refrigerate and serve.

Mustard can be refrigerated for up to 6 months; once refrigerated, flavor will continue to mature but will not become more spicy.

Dijon Mustard

I will preface this recipe by saying that I don't know where I thought mustard came from, but it blew my mind to see recipes for it while leafing through America's Test Kitchen's Foolproof Preserving. I was very interested in trying them out, partly for the novelty, partly because this house loves mustard, and partly because it turns out mustard is extremely easy to make.

I was curious to see if this was one of those things better made by the professionals, but after trying our homemade mustards, I think it's worth the (small) effort. We made Nigel Slater's crab mac and cheese with the Dijon and whole-grain we made, and it was definitely our best attempt yet, largely because of the mustard!

The first step in these recipes is to mix ingredients and then wait 8-24 hours. The Dijon also needs to be aged 5 days for best use. Plan accordingly.

YIELD: 2 1-cup jars

1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
3 tablespoons dry mustard powder (try Coleman's)
4 teaspoons onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/3 cups dry white wine

Combine water, vinegar, mustard seeds, mustard powder, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, cinnamon and turmeric in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit a room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

When ready to make mustard, simmer wine in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it has reduced by half (down to 2/3 cup), 10-15 minutes.

Process reduced wine and mustard seed mixture in blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to now-empty saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until slightly thickened, 5-8 minutes. Using rubber spatula, push mustard through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Work solids against strainer to extract as much mustard as possible.

Using funnel and spoon, portion mustard into two 1-cup jars. Let mustard cool to room temperature. Cover, refrigerate, and let flavor mature for at least 5 days before serving.

Mustard can be refrigerated for at least 6 months; flavor will continue to mature over time.

Pineapple Sage Cake

This is one of my favorite last-minute recipes for an easy offering for book club or a dinner party. I found it when we moved into the house we're currently living in and I discovered the flowering bush in the front planter was an herb called pineapple sage or tangerine sage, which is a type of salvia (salvia elegans). It will put out tons of flowers as long as you water it, and attracts bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds. I think they die off in winter in colder areas, but this is Texas and mine appears to have been here for at least a few years now. I'm not sure cuttings of this herb are sold anywhere, so if you want some you may have to grow your own. Trust me, it's worth it.

I found this Jamie Oliver recipe while searching for uses for the large bush of it we have. I've never put the pineapple in the recipe, partly because I've never felt it was worth purchasing just for this and partly because I dislike most cooked fruit. I also have baked this in everything from one larger loaf pan to four mini Bundt cake pans to muffin tins. Don't worry if you don't have the specific pan size he wants.

1 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey (light wildflower or sage preferred)
5 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped pineapple sage leaves (small, new leaves have the most flavor)
3 tablespoons chopped pineapple sage flowers (optional) [these pepper the cake with red/pink confetti]
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
4 tablespoons well-squeezed, chopped pineapple
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in honey.

Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat one minute after each addition.

Beat in sage leaves, flowers, and lemon peel.

Stir dry ingredients together and add to butter mixture. Fold these together gently until just blended.

Pour into 4 mini loaf pans (6"x3"x2"). Bake for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Spicy Lamb Burgers

Another Meera Sodha recipe to go with your baked masala fries. Because many Indians do not eat beef, lamb is a common base for meat dishes. You can always substitute beef if you wish, but we did use lamb when we made these.

As Meera notes: This recipe uses chickpea flour (besan) which is readily available in most big supermarkets, but if you can't get hold of it, you can use all-purpose flour to bind your mixture instead.

1 onion, very finely chopped
1 fresh green chili, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 3/4-inch piece of ginger, peeled
2 cloves of garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons garam masala
a few grinds of the pepper mill
1 1/2 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan)o
14 oz ground lamb
1 tablespoon canola oil

Put the onion, green chili, and cilantro into a bowl. Grate the ginger and crush the garlic and add them, too. Then ass the salt, garam masala, black pepper, chickpea flour, and ground lamb and use your hands to mix everything together.

Divide the mixture into four balls and flatten them into round patties with your hands. Put the oil into a non-stick pan on a medium to high heat and, when it's hot, add the patties. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side.

Baked Masala Fries

I checked out a Meera Sodha book from the library in the hopes of expanding my culinary horizons to Indian food, and I'm not giving it back until I have to. Made In India is a wonderful introduction to many basic, mostly simple Indian recipes. These baked masala fries are easy and very good, as well as versatile. I say versatile because we actually made them with sweet potatoes instead of the suggested varieties, which changed them a little, but I would have loved them either way. Put some of these in the oven and they'll be ready by the time your spicy lamb burgers are done!

4 large potatoes (russets, Yukon Gold, or all-purpose)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Peel the potatoes and chop them into your perfect fries. I cut each potato into 3 pieces lengthways and 3 again to make 9 long fat fries from each one.

Put all the potatoes into a lidded saucepan, cover generously with cold water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and put the lid on the pan. Bring to a boil on a medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and fluffy around the edges.

Drain the potatoes in a sieve and shake them a bit to fluff up the edges, but be careful not to break them. These fluffy edges will turn into nice crispy ones later.

Put the oil into a roasting tray and put the tray into the oven for around 2 minutes to heat it. Take the tray out of the oven and carefully put the potatoes into the oil (lower them gently so the oil doesn't splash out), then coat the potatoes in it.

Put the tray back into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, shaking it a couple of times during the cooking time to turn the fries over. When you take them out they should be crispy and brown all over. If not, leave them in for a bit longer.

In a bowl, mix together 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, the chili powder, and cumin, and sprinkle evenly over the fries.

Serve them as quickly as you can, while they're still hot!

Sauteed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Peanuts

From Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison, this was the recipe that taught me I like mustard greens! As Madison writes, you can use a mix of red and green mustards, or go with just one kind if you prefer.

8 heaping cups stemmed mustard greens (about 8 oz)
2 teaspoons roasted peanut oil
1 plump garlic clove, slivered
Sea salt
Few drops of soy sauce
A handful of roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Chop the mustard greens into large pieces and give them a rinse.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and then add the garlic. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the mustard greens and season with a few pinches of salt. Saute, turning the greens frequently, until the water from the leaves is largely gone and the leaves are tender. This should take about 5 minutes, depending on the plant. Add the soy sauce, cook for another minute, then toss with the peanuts and serve.

With soba: Toss the mustard greens with soba noodles and garnish with the peanuts
With smoke: Season the cooked greens with a few pinches of smoked salt
With tofu: Serve these garlicky greens with cubes of steamed tofu or golden friend tofu and season with red pepper flakes or a few pinches of shichimi togarashi (a Japanese seasoning blend that can be found at Japanese groceries or made at home)
With sesame: Instead of using peanut oil, cook the greens in light sesame oil, then toss with toasted sesame seeds and finish with a few drops of toasted sesame oil

Serves 1-2

Stir-Fried Yellow Chives and Eggs

All Under Heaven by Carolyn Phillips is an amazing compilation of authentic recipes gathered from all areas of China. This recipe is very easy in execution, but it was hard for me to find yellow chives, which are chives grown under a tarp or pot so they don't develop their normal green color. It also decreases their oniony flavors. I had to go to a Korean grocery store (after searching a Thai grocery, a Vietnamese grocery, and a Chinese grocery), and the last time I was at the same store I couldn't find them. So I don't know how available these will be in most areas, but on the chance you can find some, I'm giving this recipe because I loved it.

Warning: If you do manage to find yellow chives, try to use them the same day or as quickly as possible. Even in a container and a freezer bag, the chives made my entire fridge smell funky as long as they were there. Worth it!

1 pound yellow chives
6 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil (or use half unsalted butter and half oil)
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Rinse the chives and pat them dry. Trim off any dry ends or less-than-perfect leaves. Either finely chop the chives if you like them particularly tender, or cut them into 1-inch lengths if you prefer a crunchier texture.

Place a wok over high heat, and when it's hot, add the oil and salt. Swirl the oil to dissolve the salt, and then add all of the chives. Quickly toss the chives until they wilt and a few strands start to brown.

Scoot the chives to one side and add a bit more oil if you don't see any at the bottom of the wok. Pour the eggs in and stir them around as they curdle. As soon as most of them have formed large curds, chop them up with your spatula and then toss them with the chives. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Plate and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

Notes from Phillips on this recipe:

There are many variations on this dish. Instead of eggs, try julienned pressed bean curd, shredded pork or chicken, little shrimp or even thin strips of fresh black mushrooms. Or, instead of the yellow chives, chop up some garlic chive flowers, which will serve as a sweeter, crispier companion to the eggs.

Artichokes and Cannellini

Artichokes and cannellini have become a quick, weeknight staple at my house. It's from Nigel Slater's Eat, which I love because the recipes in it are all pretty easy with only a few ingredients.

3 tablespoons butter
1 lemon
2 green onions
10-oz jar water-packed artichokes
15.5-oz can of cannellini beans
Parsley (optional)

Melt butter in a shallow pan. As it melts, squeeze in the juice of half the lemon. Chop green onions and let them soften in the butter over moderate heat. Drain artichoke hearts, rinse well, then slice each one in half and add to the butter.

Add cannellini beans to the pan and leave to quietly bubble over medium heat until a sort of impromptu creamy juice has developed. Season with salt, black pepper, and perhaps a little more lemon and some parsley.

Serves 2

Notes from Slater on this recipe:

This is not a recipe where anything should be allowed to brown in the pan. Keep the colors pale.

Tarragon is good here, as it always is with beans, and so would be mint. Add mint at the last minute, so it doesn't  discolor much. You could cook your own artichokes if you wish. Prepare and boil them until tender, then add them, halved, to the melted butter and lemon as above.

Swap the beans for Puy lentils and add more parsley for an earthier style.

Corn and Pancetta Risotto

This is one of my favorite recipes. I love all risotto, but this one especially. This is from Salt to Taste by Marco Canora with Catherine Young.

The corn can also be pre-cooked for this recipe (grilled or sweated in butter) then added with the last ladle of broth.

1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta
4 ears of corn, husked
6 to 8 cups Brodo or chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cups Arborio or other short-grained rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated
Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 400. Divide the pancetta between 2 rimmed baking sheets, laying it out in a single layer. Bake the pancetta until the fat renders and the meat is beginning to crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour off the rendered fat and reserve it. Chop the pancetta; add the chopped pancetta to the fat and set the mixture aside. (I only baked the pancetta the first time I made this. Now I just crisp it in a pan on the stove.)

While the pancetta cooks, cut the corn from the cobs. Reserve the corn kernels, break the cobs in half and put them in a large pot. Add the broth and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer until the broth has reduced by one-third, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the cobs. Season the broth lightly with salt and pepper and reserve.

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a rondeau or high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil so the bottom of the pan is generously coated, about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 10 minutes.

Increase heat to high and add the rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir the rice with the onion and fat until the rice no longer looks chalky and the grains begin to crackle, 2 to 3 minutes.

Make sure the pan is really hot, then add the wine/ The wine will almost immediately begin to boil. Stir constantly until the rice absorbs the wine, about 1 minute.

Add enough warm broth to just cover the rice, 1.5 to 2 cups. Cook at an active summer, stirring and scraping the rice away from the sides occasionally. As the rice cooks, the broth will become viscous. Cook the rice until it is once again almost dry, about 5 minutes. Then again add enough broth to cover. Add the raw corn and simmer, scraping and stirring every so often, until the broth is incorporated, about 5 minutes more.

At this point, add the pancetta and fat and no more than 1/2 cup broth. Stir frequently and add broth in small increments until the rice is just tender. Depending upon the age of the rice and how soft and brothy you like your risotto, you can expect to add 1 to 2 more cups in all. Just take care to go slowly so you don't add too much.

Stir in the Parmigiano and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve.