0 KASHA, BLACK-EYED PEA, MACKEREL, FAVA BEAN, TOMATO & MISO SALAD - SALADE DE SARRASIN, DOLIQUES A OEIL NOIR, FÈVES, MAQUEREAU, TOMATE ET MISO

Be careful of those who pat you on the back. They might be looking for a soft spot to plant the knife.
- Anonymous

Honest hearts produce honest actions.
- Brigham Young

Those who know me are aware of the fact that I cherish honest, genuine as well as selfless beings and look for the deep and meaningful things in life. Superficiality, artificiality, triviality, egocentrism and materialism put me off. I reject all the false values that this modern and unethical society apprizes.

Calculators, manipulators and profitors are my biggest enemies. I fear them like the pest and smell them from a distance. Actually, I make it a rule to stay far away from anything that is shallow or anyone who is toxic, fake and untrustworthy as they can only be harmful to me and drain me of my life force. Negative energies and all forms of parasitism are to be avoided at any cost or they'll bring you down and suck you into their decadent spiral of chaos and destruction.

After having been psychologically abused by my tyrannical parents who exercized their maleficious control over me and could not care less about my person, but prefered to use me as a pawn in their viscious family game, and escaped from my Machiavellian sister's iron grip and mean powers of subjugation, I am finally free of all oppression so I really treasure my new found freedom and fiercely protect it with all my might. I have given enough and refuse to bleed more.

Since I have been deceived and ripped-off quite a few times by despicable individuals who are only interested in misusing others for their own egotistical purposes and evil agendas, I tend to be very careful when it comes to letting people into my existence and trusting them blindly. I pick my pals meticulously. This is the reason why I am not surrounded by hords of "friends" and definitely not the most popular girl on the block. But that's ok with me as I have my peace.

Nowadays, I listen to my heart and follow my instincts. If somebody is devious or something is shady, then I'll feel their bad vibrations and will not let them corrupt or rape my soul as I have understood that nobody can be my master nor that I am accountable to anyone. Power is in my hands and "no" is not a taboo word anymore...

Make food simple and let things taste of what they are.
- Curnonsky aka Maurice Edmond Sailland

I want a dish to taste good, rather than to have been seethed in pig's milk and served wrapped in a rhubarb leaf with grated thistle root.
- Kingsley Amis

I detest...anything over-cooked, over-herbed, over-sauced, over elaborate. Nothing can go very far wrong at table as long as there is honest bread, butter, olive oil, a generous spirit, lively appetites and attention to what we are eating."
- Sybille Bedford

When it comes to food, I love my grub to be straitforward and real. Pretentious or unnatural eats have no place at my home nor in my heart. I loathe unneccessarily complicated or pompous dishes and detest industrially processed aliments that have been deprived of their nutritional qualities and are loaded with a multitude of gruesome additives (saturated fats, artificial colorings and sweeteners, preservatives, corn syrup, etc...).

My dinners are seasonal, hearty, comforting, stripped of any chichis, yet they don't lack refinement or aromatic complexity. I try to enhance produces and get the best out of them without ever spoiling their original characteristics. This demands a little understanding of nutrition, some knowledge regarding the ingredients employed, a good dose of patience and a lot of gut feeling. Nothing very esoteric or difficult to accomplish, however it requires commitment and dedication.

Cooking is at once one of the simplest and most gratifying of the arts, but to cook well one must love and respect food.
- Craig Claiborne

Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements.
- Marcel Boulestin

If you are a passionate gourmet who is interested in your physical wellness, then it is absolutely not a sacrifice to relentlessly surf online in order to search for useful culinary information, to spend a few hours experimentig in the kitchen or to follow a healthy diet. Your hard labor will be rewarded and your body will be thankful for treating it like a temple rather than a dustbin. Certainly worth the effort!

Speaking of power foods, the salad that I am presenting today pretty much carries all those characteristics and is not far from perfection. It is well-balanced (contains many essential nutrients: fibers, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fatty acids, antioxidents, proteins and other compounds), extremely satiating, not expensive, fresh, easily prepared and although it appears to be simple, this harmonious tasting meal offers intricate flavors (nutty, herby, pungent, spicy, sweet, smoky, etc...) which will make your palate sing and your tummy smile.

My summery "Kasha, Black-Eyed Pea, Mackerel, Fava Bean, Tomato & Miso Salad" is ideal for a relaxed lunch or supper in the garden/on the balcony and for taking on picnics or bringing to potlucks, parties as well as work. Quirky, practical, energy-ladden and scrumptious!

Kasha, Black-Eyed Pea, Mackerel, Fava Bean, Tomato & Miso Salad

Recipe by Rosa Mayland, June 2012

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients For The "Miso Dressing":

1/3 Cup (75ml) Apple vinegar

1/3 Cup (75ml) Olive oil

2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbs Barley miso

1 Tbs Sweet soy sauce (Kikkoman)

1 Tbs Sweet chili sauce

1 Tsp Runny honey

1 Tsp Sesame oil

1/2 Tsp Fine sea salt
Ingredients For The "Salad":
1 1/2 Cups Raw kasha (buckwheat groats)
1 Tsp Fine sea salt
1 Cup (120g) Fresh fava beans, shelled (method)
260g Cooked black-eyed peas (cooked from scratch or canned)
2x 125g (2x 95g net weight) Canned mackerel
1x Beefsteak tomato, chopped
1 Medium onion, finely chopped
Fresh coriander, to taste

Method For The "Miso Dressing":
1. In a big salad bowl, whisk all ingredients together.
Method For The "Salad":
2. In a medium pan, lightly toast the kasha until golden.
3. Add 4 cups water (~1l) and the salt. Bring to a light boil, then immediatly lower the heat to a soft simmer.
4. Cook for about 8-10 minutes (it should still be a little crunchy - see remarks).
5. Sieve and rince with cold water, then let the water drip off.
6. Once the kasha is at room temperature, add to the bowl with all the other ingredients. Mix delicately.
7. Serve. 

Remarks:
The onion can be replaced by 2 chopped spring onions.
In case you don't have black-eyed peas at home, any legume of your choice will do (white beans, chickpeas, red beans, etc...).
You can also use other fresh herbs: chervil, parsley, basil or thyme.
Don't overcook your kasha, otherwise it'll go mushy. In order to avoid that, keep testing it while it is cooking.
If you like to eat your salad chilled, then mix all the ingredients together (minus the coriander, tomato and fish - you'll add them at the last moment) a few hours before serving and refrigerate. 

Serving suggestions:
Serve chilled or at room temperature and accompany with a glass of quality white wine (Gewürtzraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Chasselas,  etc...) or rosé (Vin Gris, Oeil de Perdrix, Weissherbst, Provence, Gamay Rosé, etc...).

Salade De Sarrasin, Doliques A Oeil Noir, Fèves, Maquereau, Tomate Et Miso 
Recette par Rosa Mayland, juin 2012.

Pour 2-3 personnes.

Ingrédients Pour La "Vinaigrette au Miso": 
75ml de Vinaigre de pomme
75ml Olive oil 
2 Gousses d'ail, hachées finement 
1 CS de Miso d'orge
1 CS de Sauce soja douce (Kikkoman)
1 CS de Sauce de piment douce 
1 CS de Miel liquide
1 CC d'Huile de sésame
1/2 CC de Sel de mer fin
 Ingrédients Pour La "Salade":
1 1/2 Coupes de Gruau de sarrasin 
1 CS de Sel de mer fin 
120g de Fèves fraîches, pelées (voir méthode) 
260g de Doliques à oeil noir cuites (voir méthode - vous pouvez aussi prendre une conserve)
2x 125g (poids net 2x 95g) de Filets de maquereau en conserve 
1 Tomate coeur de boeuf, coupée en dés
1 Oignon moyen, haché finement
Coriandre fraîche, selon goût

Méthode Pour La "Vinaigrette Au Miso": 
1. Dans un grand saladier, mélanger tous les ingrédients ensemble. 
Méthode Pour La "Salade": 
2. Dans une casserole moyenne, torréfier le sarrasin jusqu'à ce qu'il soit légèrement doré. 
3. Ajouter environ 1 litre d'eau et le sel. Porter à légère ébullition, puis immédiatement baisser le feu et laisser mijoter à feu très doux.
4. Cuire pendant environ 8-10 minutes. Le sarrasin devrait encore être un peu croquant (voir remarques).
5. L'égoutter et le rincer à l'eau très froide, puis le laisser égoutter encore une fois afin que toute l'eau se soit évacuée.
6. Une fois que le sarrasin a refroidi (température ambiante), le mettre dans le bol avec tous les autres ingrédients et mélanger délicatement. 
7. Servir. 

Remarques: 
L'oignon peut être remplacé par 2 oignons de printemps hachés. 
Dans le cas où vous n'aurez pas de doliques à œil noir à la maison, vous pouvez alors utiliser une autre légumineuse de votre choix (haricots blancs, pois chiches, haricots rouges, etc ..). 
Vous pouvez également ajouter d'autres herbes fraîches dans cette salade: cerfeuil, persil, basilic ou thym.
Ne pas faire cuire votre sarrasin à feu élevé sinon les graines exploseront et vous vous retrouverez avec une purée. Afin d'éviter cela, faites-le mijoter à feu très doux (pas de gros bouillons). N'oubliez pas de régulièrement goûter votre sarrasin afin que vous ne le cuisiez pas trop (perte de son croquant). 
Si vous aimez manger froid, mélanger tous les ingrédients ensemble (sans la coriandre, tomate et le poisson que vous ajouterez au dernier moment) et réfrigérer votre salade pendant quelques heures avant de la servir.

Idées de présentation: 
Servir bien réfrigérée ou à température ambiante et accompagner d'un vin blanc (Gewurtzraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Chasselas, etc ..) ou d'un rosé (Vin Gris, Oeil de Perdrix, Weissherbst, Provence, Gamay Rosé, etc ...) de qualité.

0 POISSON D'AVRIL!

In Venice BEAR was dreaming of fish...

Chocolate fish!

But everyday the plat du jour was poisson. Poisson. POISSON!

Today in Paris it's Poisson D'Avril and the plat du jour is.

CHOCOLATE FISH!

You'll see signs all over town.

It's the day you play a trick/blageur on your nearest and dearest.

And secretly attach a paper fish on their back...ahem

Plus you MUST eat FISH!

Specially in season are ganache-filled chocolate 'sardines'.

Sachets and baskets of them await you.

Or marzipan fish of all ilk.

And species.

You can always settle for a giant chocolate fish filled with friture (even more tiny chocolate fish).

Poisson d'Avril is the day to get fish out of your system by eating as much as possible. A good place to get your fill is La Mere de Famille.

So get out the fish plates and glasses.

And put on those fish shorts while you're munching away...

BONJOUR POISSON D'AVRIL!

0 ASSAMESE SOUR FISH CURRY - CURRY AIGRE DE POISSON

A few months ago fellow foodblogger and expat (Hong Kong & London) Janet Ching from "Gourmet Traveller 88" who lives in Basel (Switzerland) kindly proposed to send me a complimentary copy of her self-produced book as an appreciation of my supporting her blog all along. It was with much excitement that I accepted her kind proposition...

A few days later the book arrived and I had a lot of pleasure going through it's pages. This little 32 pages cookbook is enjoyable and is full of delicious recipes that can be found on her blog. The vast majority of the courses presented are Asian-oriented (Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean and Vietnamese) and a minority of them are Western-oriented (Switzerland, Holland, Italian and French).

Picking out a main course that would be featured in an article was not an easy task as I fancied many of them. Thanksfully, as I am passionate about Asian cuisine, as I drool any time the word "curry" is pronounced and as I believe in seasonal cooking my choice was made a lot easier. Since a few dishes required summer veggies I opted for a recipe that would enable me to buy local produces and respect the environment. It is for that reason that I decided upon preparing "Assamese Sour Fish Curry". Not only did the picture of that dish attract me, but I also liked the idea of eating a spicy meal that would not be too heavy nor too fat and which would bring a little heat as well as comfort - much needed with this polar weather (snow and minus temperatures) we are having here at the moment.

"Assamese Sour Fish Curry" or "Masoor Tenga" hails from Assam in northeastern India where it is a very popular speciality (a note to the purists - of course this version is a little Westernized and different from the original LOL). This light curry is really easy to prepare, can be put together in no time at all and it tastes lipsmackingly good. It is quite peppery and hot, exhaliratingly spicy, delightfully sour and has a certain freshness thanks to the addition of lime juice. Perfectly balanced and flavored!

~ Assamese Sour Fish Curry ~

Recipe adapted from " Discovering New Tastes And Rediscovering Long Lost Tastes" by Janet Ching.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs Coriander seeds
2 Tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp Ground tumeric
1 Tsp Black peppercorns
2cm Piece fresh ginger (10g), grated or chopped coarsely
2 Cloves garlic, grated or chopped coarsely
Sunflower oil
400g White firm fish (e.g. monk fish fillets or blue-eye cutlets), cubed
2 Medium brown onions, sliced thinly (hald moon)
1 1/2 Tsp Black mustard seeds
4 Dried or fresh curry leaves
1 Tsp Samabal oelek
1 Tsp Sweet chili sauce
180ml Water
1 Tsp Organic chicken stock powder
The juice of 2 limes
1 Tbs Fish sauce (or to taste - I added 5 Tbs)

Method:
1. Using a small pan, dry fry the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and tumeric until fragrant, be careful not to burn them.
2. Form a paste by crushing the peppercorns, ginger and garlic with pestle and mortar.
3. Heat some oil in a large frying pan, pan-fry the fish fillet until cooked and lightly brown. Remove the fish from the pan and keep the oil.
4. Add a little more oil, stir fry the onions, mustard seeds and curry leaves until the onion becomes lightly brown and translucid.
5. Add the fried spices, keep stirring until fragrant.
6. Then, add the wet paste, the sambal oelek and the chili sauce. Stir.
7. Dissolve the chicken stock powder in the water and add into the pan, then add in the lime juice and fish sauce.
8. Bring the mixture to boil and then add the fish back into the pan. Simmer for about 5 mins or until the fish is cooked.
9. Serve.

Remarks:
The original recipe didn't contain sambal oelek or sweet chili sauce. Instead you can add 1 red chili that has been seeded, chopped and crushed to a paste in the mortar and pestle.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with basmati rice or jasmine rice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Curry Aigre De Poisson ~
Recette adaptée de " Discovering New Tastes And Rediscovering Long Lost Tastes" par Janet Ching.

Ingrédients:
1 CS de Graines de coriandre
2 CC de Graines de cumin
1/2 de CC de Curcuma en poudre
1 de CC de Graines de poivre noir
Un morceau de 2cm de Gingembre frais (10g), pelé et haché grossièrement
2 Gousses d'ail, hachées grossièrement
Huile de tournesol
400g de Poisson blanc à chair ferme (merlu ou beaudroie), coupé en gros cubes
2 Onions moyens, coupés finement en demi-lune
1 1/2 de CC de Graines de moutarde noires
4 Feuilles de curry fraîches ou sèches
1 de CC de Samabal oelek
1 de CC de Sweet chili sauce
180ml d'Eau
1 de CC de Bouillon de poule bio en poudre
Le jus de 2 limes
1 CS de Sauce de poisson (ou selon goût- j'ai ajouté 5 CS)

Méthode:
1. Dans une petite poêle, griller à feu doux les graines de coriandre, de cumin et le curcuma afin que les arômes se développent. Faire attention à ne pas les brûler.
2. Dans un mortier, réduire le poivre, le gingembre et l'ail en une pâte homogène.
3. Chauffer une grande poêle et ajouter un peu d'huile, puis faire griller les cubes de poisson jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés de chaque côté. Retirer le poisson du feu et le transférer dans une assiette. Mettre de côté.
4. Ajouter un peu d'huile dans la poêle et faire revenir les oignons, les graines de moutarde et les feuilles de curry, jusqu'à ce que l'oignon soit translucide et légèrement doré.
5. Ajouter les épices grillées et bien mélanger jusqu'à ce qu'un parfum s'en dégage.
6. Ajouter la pâte (ail, gingembre et poivre), le sambal oelek et la sweet chili sauce. Mélanger.
7. Dissoudre le bouillon dans l'eau et l'ajouter à la poêle, puis faire de même avec le jus de lime et la sauce de poisson.
8. Porter à ébullition et ajouter le poisson, puis laisser mijoter pendant 5 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que le poisson soit cuit.
9. Servir.

Remarques:
La recette originale ne contient pas de sambal oelek ou de sweet chili sauce. Vous pouvez les remplacer pas un piment rouge qui a été au préalable nettoyé, haché et réduit en une pâte dans le mortier.

Idées de présentation:
Servir avec du riz thaï ou du riz basmati rice.

0 KIPPER RILLETTES - RILLETTES DE HARENG

I'm a big fan of spreads and pastes as they are very practical, tasty and versatile. What makes them very exciting is that they can be paired with so many different accompaniments such as bread, crackers, savory biscuits, vegetables sticks and even with pasta or boiled potatoes. The association possibilities are endless...

I've also always loved smoked kipper fillets (in a tin/Appel brand) as they are healthy, incredibly delicious, cheap, very convenient and can be used in so many ways in order to make quick, easy, toothsome as well as quality meals...

So, for the farewell dinner that we organized on the occasion of our friends Jessica (see her blog "In Search Of Desssert") & Jonathan's definitive departure from Switzerland (they are going to start a new life in Austin, Texas), I decided that it would be a good idea to whip up some lip-smackingly luscious "Smoked Herring (Kippers) Rillettes" in order to serve them with my delightful "Hazelnut Golden Raisin Baguette" (see The King Arthur Flour recipe here).

These scrumptious and well-balanced rillettes were very popular and so was the bread. Both disappeared very rapidely. A real delicacy!

~ Smoked Herring (Kipper) Rillettes ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2009

Makes enough paste to fill 5 espresso cups.

Ingredients:
125g Smoked herring fillets (tin), drained
150g Cream cheese
1/2 Tsp Preserved lemon puree (see remarks)
1 1/2 Tbs Lemon juice
2 Tsps Capers, washed, drained and coarsely chopped
1/4 Tsp Piment d'Espelette (see remarks)
1 Pinch Paprika
1/2 Tsp Walnut oil (optional)
20g Chives, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method:
1. With the help of a fork, crumble the fish fillets very finely.
2. Add all the other ingredients and work the mixture into a homogenous paste.
3. Pipe the paste (or drop spoonfulls of it) into espresso cups.
4. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving (see remarks).

Remarks:
To make the preserve lemon puree, take a slice/piece preserved lemon and puree it with a fork. If you don't have any preserved lemons, just use the same quantity grated lemon.
Piment d'Espelette or Espelette peppers is a Basque chili powder. If you can't find any, use the same quantity of any chili powder.
I recommend you to keep the rilletttes in the fridge, overnight as the flavors tend to develop better that way.

Serving suggestions:
Serve this spread with "Lavash Crackers", "Oatcakes", "Smoky Chili Crackers", "Tiny Curry Scones", "Matzoh Sheets" or homemade bread (see bread recipes).

***************

~ Rillettes A l'Harreng Fumé ~
Recette par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2009.

Pour 5 tasses à espresso.

Ingrédients:
125g de Filets de hareng fumé (conserve), égouttés
150g de Cream cheese (type Philadelphia)
1/2 CC de Purée de citron confit (voir remarques)
1 1/2 CS de Jus de citron
2 CC de Câpres, lavées, égouttées et hachées grossièrement
1/4 CC de Piment d'Espelette
1 Pincée de Paprika
1/2 CC d'Huile de noix (en option)
20g de Ciboulette, finement hachée
Salt, à volonté
Poivre, à volonté

Méthode:
1. A l'aide d'une fourchette, émietter (finement) les filets.
2. Ajouter tous les autres ingrédients et bien mélanger afin d'obtenir une pâte homogène.
3. Remplir chaque tasse à l'aide d'une poche à douille (ou à la cuillère).
4. Réfrigérer au moins une heure avant de servir.

Remarques:
Ecraser le morceau de citron confit à l'aide d'une fourchette, ainsi vous obtiendrez une purée. Si vous n'avez pas de citrons confits, alors utilisez la même quantité de zeste de citron.
Le Piment d'Espelette est une poudre de piments doux en provenance du pays basque. Si vous n'en trouvez pas, alors vous pouvez utiliser la même quantité de piment en poudre.
Je vous recommande de garder les rillettes pendant au moins toute une nuit au frigo car, de cette manière, les saveurs se développent mieux.

Idées de présentation:
Servez ces rillettes avec des "Crackers Lavash", des "Palets A l'Avoine/Oatcakes", des "Crackers Au Piment Fumé", des "Minis Scones Au Curry", du "Pain Azyme" ou du pain maison (voir mes recettes).