Fishinnards

Jasmine rice, Kai Jeow (Thai Style omelet), and Laab Gai ลาบไก่ (chopped chicken salad aka "Larb") with Lagunitas Lucky 13

Gaeng pet gai (red chicken curry with eggplant), yum mamuang (shredded green mango salad with shallots, lime, fish sauce, chillies, roasted peanuts, roasted coconut, and medium boiled eggs), tod mun pla (fish cakes with cucumber pickle (achad)), pickled ginger, raw vegetables, and jasmine rice.

I spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday wandering the Fancy Food Show so no need to cook or eat dinner, although Tuesday night we had a wonderful meal at Birch & Barley. Last night I made baked eggplant (Italian, Calabria, melanzane al forno) and a salad. I usually put some ham in the eggplant, but my generous neighbor smoked a brisket on Sunday and gave me some, so I used some a that instead (only about 2 oz.). It made it taste great. The smokiness blended really well and didn't overpower.

This holiday weekend I celebrated peaceful Thai elections and marriage. Saturday I Djed a wedding at Nellies on U street, so no cooking. Sunday I grilled some chicken (Gai Yang) and sausage (sai krok), made green papaya salad (Som Tam Thai), massaman curry with lamb (Gaeng Massaman Gkae), cucumber "pickle" (achad), and copious amounts jasmine rice. Then I had some friends over and we got drunk and watched old episodes of "Charlie's Angels". On Monday, I had leftover chicken (on purpose) that I sliced so I could make grilled chicken salad (Yum Gai Yang). which has a dressing of lime juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, fish sauce, alot of ground dried Thai hot pepper, and roasted ground peanuts. One of my favorites. Sexy close-up: Hope everybody had a great holiday.

I was in the area Friday around 12:30 so I finally tried the Chivito. It was a truly great sandwich and made me very happy. I got it to go and it survived the 20 minute drive to work. The fries, however, were not so great, but I really didn't care because the Chivito was plenty, and so good. I will dream about it till I get another.

Been back to Indian food since Saturday. Last night I made chana dal with tomatoes and a fried paste pounded cumin, coriander, bird chillies and garlic. Also potatoes and eggplant with tomatoes and toasted cumin (and fried whole cumin seeds in mustard oil, and chillies) and Brown basmanti rice with chard, onions and whole cumin seeds. I am a fan of chard, it was great in this recipe. I also love all the fresh tomatoes around now and getting fresh cilantro from the garden. Here's a pic:

Even in the book Kennedy says they prepare all the ingredients for Mole Negro and then take it to their local grinder guy to be ground to a paste. I will probably try to make it myself (my Mixie works really well for grinding) but only because I like cooking even more than eating. Last night I was lazy and made a watermelon salad with greens, olive oil and lemon juice and zest, chopped fresh mint, cucumber, and (sheep's milk) feta. We ate this with a loaf of Rustico bread from Lyon bakery. Requisite food porn pic:

Spent Sunday making Mole from scratch using Diane Kennedy's Oaxaca al Gusto (because I'm insane). I wasn't ready to make Mole Negro (her recipe makes 6 lbs), so I practiced with Mole Rojo Ixtepecano. I did most of the roasting, toasting and frying outdoors over charcoal. The task was made much easier using my Mixie (Indian wet/dry grinder), but it sill looked like I was practicing surgery in my kitchen, with all the splattered red chillie paste. I used the mole to make enchiladas (chicken) for the past two days and froze the rest. Here's some with rice, a salad, and frijoles negros Skipped dinner last night because I had a huge lunch at Meiwah (courtesy of work, not my choice), Friendship Heights location. I haven't had American Chinese food in a while. I really don't miss it all that much. The wife had a pimento cheese sandwich for dinner, with pimento cheese from the Cheesetique.

My wife has been away all week. I made Rat Na (ราดหน้า) (Lard Na) (rice noodles with gravy) a bunch of times. The last time the noodles were too soft to brown, so I just through them in. I like drunken noodles (ผัดขี้เมา) even better, but there was no holy basil this week. Wednesday, I made som tam (ส้มตำ) (green papaya salad) and smoked/grilled some Lao sausages I had in the freezer I put some grilled sausage in a Lyon bakery baguette with sliced cucumber and som tam on top. It was pretty good. Yesterday was pizza (cafe pizzaiolo NY style) and beer (weyerbacher merry monks, la chouffe) with friends on the porch.

Here is a good recipe for Yum Som-o (pomelo salad) on RasaMalaysia.com. It's a guest post from Leela at shesimmers.com one of the best Thai cooking blogs in English. I get my green papayas from the Thai grocery, either Bangkok 54 on Columbia Pike in Arlington, or Duangrat in Bailey's Crossroads. You can even buy preshredded green papaya, which is great. The few times I tried to buy green papaya from a regular store they would be starting to ripen inside, so I stick to Asian stores. Neither of these stores are close to a metro though. You might have better luck in MD, maybe Weaton or something. Vietnamese groceries would have them as well, but off hand I can't think of any near metro but I'm not to familiar with Asian grocery geography in MD . Last night I made som tam (green papaya salad) again along with yum gai yang (grilled chicken salad) from the leftover grilled chicken, and pad pet mu sai tua keak, (pork strir fried in red curry paste with green beans) and lots of jasmine rice.

It was so hot and I am crazy and love this weather, so I grilled a chicken. Marinated it with garlic, white pepper, coriander root, palm sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and dark soy. Also made green papaya salad, and lots of rice. drank some Flying Fish Belgian Abbey Dubbel

"Nahari" made with lamb shanks from ecofriendly braised with fried onion, hot pepper, ground fresh ginger, ground dried ginger, nutmeg, mace, fennel, bay leaves and cinnamon

Meatless Friday, southern (Indian) style, zucchini sambar (kuzhambu), potato paliya. poppadoms (not homemade!), eggplant chutney (kathirikkai thuvaiyal), cucumber yogurt salad (vallarikkai pachadi), and rice, with Allagash Curieux (which was great) and for desert Banana Pudding Custard from the Dairy Godmother (also amazing).

I like this idea. Two of my favorite things together, farmer's markets and beer (and wine). Tim Carman's post Anyone have any more info on this?

Last night I made murgh saag (chicken with greens, not saag actually but spinach and kale), chapatis, aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes) and homemade paneer with tomatoes, onions, ginger, chillies, cilantro, lemon juice, and chaat masala This weekend we had meat and potatoes, (aloo memna) with lamb shoulder from Let's Meat On The..., and chickpeas with spinach, cucumber raita, and chapatis, washed down with Graham Beck Brut Rosé

I made everything but the Kimchee. I haven't gotten it together to make my own kimchee this year, but have in years past. There is only my wife and I, so making my own kimchee requires a fervent commitment to eating Korean food on almost a daily basis. We've done this in the past, but I find we are eating mostly Indian nowadays. Thai food is making a comeback though. I just scored a large bunch of cilantro roots at the Del Ray Farmers market.

Last night, very tired from a long drive from North Carolina, managed to make pasta alla puttanesca and baby spinach salad Tonight, Bibimbap (with mustard green kim chee)

Raita (yogurt with cucumber and mint), chapatis, aloo gosht (lamb with potatoes), green beans with mustard seeds, green chili pickle and Brother David's Belgian-style Double Ale

Thursday was more Thai food cause I had Holy basil. Yum pla grabong (tuna salad), gaeng chud pak gaad dong (pickled mustard green soup), gaeng gai heng (dry chicken curry with holy basil and peanuts), khai jeow with nam prik siracha and lots of jasmine rice. Back to South Asia last night with leftover Dal Gosht, green beans with mustard seeds, dry potatoes (sookeh aloo), and chapatis

Scored a fat sack from my supplier: Holy Basil from Bangkok 54 I made gai pad bai kaprow (chicken with holy basil), khai jeow (Thai "omelet" ) with nam prik siracha, and nam prik pla, eaten with copious amounts of jasmine rice.

Last night I made Dal Gosht (but actually murgh i.e. chicken with moong dal), tomato/onion relish, Tel Ke Aloo (potatoes in mustard oil), papads and pickles with brown basmanti rice. Friday I made chana dal with peanuts and spinach, potatoes in mustard oil, tomato chutney, mint/cilantro chutney with brown basmanti rice Then I worked all weekend and didn't get to cook till Sunday. I made Lard Na (or Rat Na or whatever) fresh rice noodles with Chinese broccoli and beef in a thick sauce. Sorry, no picture. I wanted to make drunken noodles but there was no holy basil at the Thai store . I don't sub Bai Horopa ("Thai" basil) for Bai Gaprao (holy basil) and I hate when Thai restaurants do that. It's one of my pet peeves. I just really love holy basil. Hopefully some will grow in my garden this summer. Now I'm thinking of checking the Thai store to see if I can score some tonight.

Yes! I recently rediscovered this book as well. I've been meaning to make Dhebra again (Gujarati millet/squash bread p.409-410). I got a bag of millet flour (bajra atta) from the Indian grocery when I remembered how good those were. There's lots of great stuff in that book. Last night "east Indian" (Mumbai) chicken curry and brown jasmine rice.

chapatis, masladar sem (spicy green beans), saag gosht (lamb with spinach), green chili pickle, hari chutney (cilantro/mint chutney), raita (yogurt with cucumber), cheese vali gobi (cauliflower with cheese) and gnomegang ale

asparagus frittata, roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary

sorry for the double post. I got some error message the first time. oops