Weather is Cooling and Time for Soups

Having allowed my website to lapse, due to many complaints (mine) and difficulties, I am using solely my blog for publishing recipes these days. Also, without all those recipes on my website available anymore, I have been trying to get them published here in my blog, so they continue to be available. 
 

Add Beef with Sweet Cabbage

What with all the website recipes not there anymore, the other problem is that I have a whole lot of places where there are links to a recipe on the website - and the website is not there any longer, and this is not good in any way, so I have been going over my blogs, starting from the very first post, correcting link errors wherever I can find them. There were and still are, lots of posts that are missing photos - only heaven knows what happens "out there" online! All I can say is that it is a very slow and tedious process, going through all my posts, updating, updating. And something else - I realize that there is a  glaring lack of certain recipes. Even when I though I had all my lists made, something else comes up. One is one of my Mom's recipes. In flavor, it was one of my favorites. However, she made it with beef short ribs, notorious for a lot of fat and bone, with a little meat that you really have to fight for. That made the recipe one I didn't try to make for a long time. Then one day I thought, "Hey, what if I used a different meat?" 

Living in Guatemala at the time, I used what I later found was brisket. I find brisket, especially when cooked in a soup, gives really great flavor. I happened on it by chance in Guatemala, as I was young and with little cooking experience, but I stuck with that meat ever since, because it turns out so delicious. Mom called the recipe "Beef with Sweet Cabbage."

Beef with Sweet Cabbage

Serves 8 - 10

1 (2 – 3 pound) brisket

Beef with Sweet Cabbage

1 large onion, diced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
¾ cup ketchup, or as needed
¼ cup of sugar
2 – 4 tablespoons vinegar
A few grinds of pepper
2 - 3 large potatoes, peeled, cut in 1-inch dice
1 small head of cabbage, in cubes

Place the brisket, onion, bay leaves and salt into a large soup pot with a tight fitting lid. Add water to just cover. Bring to a boil on high heat, then lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat and bay leaves from the pot. Set the meat on a platter until cool enough to handle.

Slice the meat across the grain into 2 – 3-inch sections. Break the sections into smaller pieces and pull the meat apart into strips. Return the meat to the pot.

Add in the ketchup. The soup should be nicely reddish. If it is not, add more. Add in the sugar and some of the vinegar. The goal in this dish is a nice sweet/sour balance between sugar, salt and vinegar. If the dish needs more vinegar, add a little at a time. Conversely, if it needs more sugar, add more. Remember it is easier to add more, but it cannot be taken back out. Start small and build the flavor. Grind in some fresh black pepper. Add in the cabbage and potatoes, stir, bring pot back to boiling, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for at least another half hour, or until the cabbage and potatoes are very tender.

NOTE: If you can only find a large cabbage, use only half, or as much cabbage as preferred.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Revisiting Some Great Foods

Ever since moving to the southwest in late June, I have mostly been occupied with unpacking and finding "homes" for things. I have only really experimented with one new recipe, in these past months. That doesn't mean I haven't cooked, and I have so many great recipes (if I do say so, myself) that I am thoroughly enjoying going back over some of them.

Hamburger Andouille Gumbo

I am planning to let my website lapse this Fall, due to circumstances that are highly frustrating and too numerous to go into, and so any recipes that are in the website but not here in my blog, I will be working to get into the blog soon. Not to the entire detriment of any new recipes I come up with, but just to have old favorites included. Of late, I have been using a lot of hamburger, first in deference to my husband's poor teeth, but also as it is less expensive than some meats, as moving is an expensive undertaking. One of the recipes I have had in my website but not in this blog, is Hamburger Andouille Gumbo. Since I made it originally many years back, I have made it a few other times, and it is always amazingly good, despite not being completely authentic, with hamburger. All the other flavors are totally authentic though, and the flavor is terrific. 

If you are unfamiliar with Andouille sausage, a very Louisiana type sausage (though originating in France), it is a quite highly spiced style. If it is unavailable where you live, substitute with a smoked, spiced (preferably pork) sausage of your own taste.

Hamburger Andouille Gumbo

Hamburger Andouille Gumbo

Makes 8 servings

½ cup shortening or oil
½ cup flour
2 tablespoons oil for cooking vegetables
2 onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound hamburger
2 – 4 andouille sausages (or other spicy sausage)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
¾ teaspoon dried oregano flakes
¾ teaspoon dried basil
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon ancho chili powder, or cayenne if heat is tolerated
6 cups stock or water
1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, to taste
Filé powder for serving

Make the Roux: Heat a heavy soup pot and melt the shortening or oil. Add in the flour and over relatively high heat, stir briskly with a whisk for about 10 minutes, until the roux has turned a very deep, dark mahogany chocolate color. Remove from heat and whisk a few times, in case the residual heat of the pot continues cooking. If the roux scorches, there is no salvaging; it must be made again.

In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons oil and sauté the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add this to the pot with the roux. In the same pan, brown the hamburger very well. Add to the roux, along with the andouille (pronounced "on-DOO-eee") sausages and the thyme, oregano, basil, bay leaves, ancho powder and stock. Add salt and pepper, and check for seasoning. Bring this mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour to meld flavors. Serve the gumbo over white rice and pass the file powder.

NOTES: Filé powder, pronounced "FEE-lay", is powdered sassafras. It is generally found among the spice jars in the supermarket, and adds a bit of  flavor along with the ability to add just a little thickening. It should not be added to a gumbo while cooking, but only in the bowl when ready to eat. If added in to the cooking pot, it may become stringy. Use from one teaspoon to one tablespoon, as per taste, to a bowl of gumbo.

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Another of the recipes I want to include here in my blog is something I originally created for the very first "Winefest Renaissance" back in 2013, held to raise funds for a new building for the (then - pre-move) local Aberdeen Boys and Girls Club. This building has been long since built and is allowing so many more children a safe place to spend their time. The recipe was for Squash, Apple, Leek and Asiago Triangles. While these require a bit of quick work when wrapping with Phyllo (Fillo, Filo) Pastry, once you get the hang of it, it is quite simple. 

These can be made ahead: roll the filling in the pastry and brush with butter, then set onto parchment lined baking sheets to freeze. Once frozen, carefully set them into containers to keep for up to three weeks. Remove from freezer and set onto baking sheets and bake just before serving. OR, the filling can be made up to a few days in advance and then rolled into the pastry just prior to baking.

Rolling little triangle packets of phyllo

The rolling process is as for rolling a flag, into a neat triangle. How large or small the triangles will be determined by how wide the lengths of phyllo dough are cut. Two inch widths are great, making a small, easy to pick up and eat little bundle, for a walking-around type cocktail party. If made larger, then they would be perfect to serve as a first course to a larger meal. Either way, these were created specifically to pair with a buttery Chardonnay wine, and made an amazing pairing.

Phyllo dough must be handled with great care, since it is delicate and dry to the touch. Carefully unroll as many sheets as needed and store the remainder immediately. Place sheets not immediately in use between damp towels to prevent drying. If weather is hot and dry, sprinkle a little more water on the towels periodically. The folding process requires starting with two layers of phyllo pastry, then brushing with melted butter. Cut the pastry into two-inch wide strips down the length of the pastry. Placing a small amount (from 1 tablespoon for these tiny pastries to 2 tablespoons or so for larger ones cut three or more inches wide) on one corner of the pastry nearest you (figure a), take the lower right corner and fold it across to the left, making what was the edge nearest you, now touch the left side (figure b). Now take the point nearest you and bring it up vertically (figure c), then flip the bundle to the right (figure d), each time lining up edges neatly into triangles. Continue, repeating this pattern (flip up left, flip up, flip right) until you reach the end of the strip of phyllo. Brush the outside of the little packet with melted butter, then set on a parchment lined baking sheet. Begin again with the next strip. The filling mixture should allow using the entire box of phyllo. 

Squash Apple Leek and Asiago Triangles

Squash, Apple, Leek & Asiago Triangles

Squash Apple Leek and Asiago Triangles

Makes about 50 triangles

FILLING:
2 - 3 leeks, white and light green parts only
1 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons dry sherry or other dry white wine
¾ pounds butternut squash, peeled
2 (6 to 7 ounce) apples (I used Pink Lady)
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
A few grinds of black pepper
---
1 cup grated Asiago cheese, about 3 ounces
---
1 box Phyllo sheets
1 stick butter, melted

FILLING: Cut ends off leeks, leaving only the white and lightest sections (about 4 to 6 inches) and slice in half lengthwise. Fan the layers under running water to clean out any mud or grit. Laying flat side down, cut them again lengthwise, then slice across into thin strips, making about 2 cups. Cut off about a 4-inch neck section of the squash, about ¾ pound. Peel and cut in half lengthwise. Laying flat side down, cut each section into three more lengthwise sections. Slice each of these across into thin pieces about 1 x 1½ inches, making approximately 2+ cups. Peel and core the apples and cut into 8 wedges apiece. Slice across the wedges into thin slices, making about 3 cups, total.

In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add in the leeks and sauté for about 5 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the Sherry and cook to evaporate, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the squash and toss to combine; cook for another 5 minutes before adding apples. Add in salt and nutmeg and a few grinds of black pepper. Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 10 - 12 minutes or until the squash and apple are very tender. Take off the heat and cool slightly for about 20 minutes. At this point, the recipe can be held in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Before using, thaw the box of Phyllo at least 12 hours in the refrigerator, or 4 hours at room temperature before using. Have a stick of butter melted and a pastry brush at the ready. Add the shredded Asiago cheese to the filling mixture. 

ROLLING AND BAKING: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. When ready to make the triangles, unroll the phyllo from one packet (usually 2 packets in a box), covering the sheets completely with a damp towel to prevent undue drying. If the phyllo becomes too dry it will split and break and folding will be impossible. Set the phyllo sheets to one side, then remove two sheets to an open work surface, short end facing you, and quickly brush with melted butter. Slice along the length of the sheets, making approximately 2-inch wide strips. See above for further instructions on rolling the triangles. Once rolled and brushed with more melted butter, the triangles, set on baking sheets, may be well covered and frozen for up to 2 weeks, then removed from the freezer and baked straightaway, or they may be baked immediately after rolling. Bake the triangles for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot, or at room temperature.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Replicating an Amazing Soup Recipe

Okay, at the risk of becoming a travel bore, this blog is dedicated to one of the foods I ate in the greater Seattle area on the last day of my trip out there. My son's new lady is half Hawai'ian by birth and she took us to a Hawai'ian restaurant on that last evening for dinner. The restaurant was located in Everett, WA.
 
Looking through the menu, I was interested in quite a few things, but finally settled on something that was called "Island Style 'Pho' - Huli Huli Chicken, Basil Leaves, Fresh Cilantro & Lemongrass Coconut Broth." As I read this description and pronounced "Pho" as it looks, with a long "O" sound, I was corrected. It is pronounced "Fa." However it is pronounced, it was amazingly good. And I wanted to have it again. Having never been terribly interested in Thai, or Vietnamese foods, I was unfamiliar with "Pho," and when I came home and looked up Pho, it turns out that everywhere I looked, it was a clear broth soup, with bits of meat, and or noodles and some herbs. Nothing at all like the creamy soup I was served, shown here below.

Island Style Pho at Kama'aina Grindz

These photos above are of the soup as it was served, and then after stirring it around and eating some of it. There were a lot of noodles in it, and they looked very like spaghetti. I have no idea if the noodles were made with wheat or rice, though the texture could easily have been wheat. The broth was slightly creamy in viscosity. Not thick, but certainly thicker than broth alone. The chicken was absolutely delicious. I have never eaten anything Hawai'ian before, so all of this was new, to me. And when I prefaced my online search with "coconut milk" I came up with things like Tom Kha Gai, or Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

Replicating the Soup

Coconut Chicken Soup with Huli Huli Chicken

The first step I took was looking at what was stated on the menu (I took a photo of the menu, so I could remember). Obviously, the soup part consisted of chicken broth, coconut milk, lemongrass. I assumed that onion, garlic and ginger might also be a part of this. There was an elusive flavor that stuck in my memory, but I could not put a finger on it.

The next step I took was looking up recipes for Pho. Needless to say, all the recipes I found, whether I prefaced the search with "Hawai'ian" or not, was a Thai style clear broth soup, sometimes with noodles and/or meat and some kind of herbs. But always a clear soup. Still, reading through the recipes, I found that many, if not all of these recipes called for fish sauce. I happen to have some fish sauce, since some while back I tried to recreate Pad Thai, which also called for fish sauce. 

In trying to think of how to make the broth into the consistency of the one I ate at Kama'aina Grindz, I felt that maybe I would cook the chicken broth with the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass (cheating with "Gourmet Gardens Lemongrass in a tube, since no lemongrass is available up in these parts). After the onion and other bits were cooked through and very soft, I chose to put the whole batch into the blender and puree smooth. While one onion didn't make the soup thick, at least it had a little bit more "body." Then I would add in the remaining ingredients to make the flavors right.

But First, Huli Huli Chicken

I had no idea what Huli Huli Chicken was, either. In this matter, I relied on recipes I found online to select what I would use and how much. Most of the recipes are extremely similar, with only the amounts having slight variances. This is what I did, and oh my, is this chicken ever fantastic. Whether it gets sliced into a soup or eaten as a main meal, it is exceptionally flavored. Give the chicken 1 to 2 days of marinating time, turning every so often for even flavoring.

Huli Huli Chicken

Huli Huli Chicken

Makes 1 whole chicken

1 whole chicken 
6 ounces unsweetened pineapple juice
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup brown sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons Mirin, or rice vinegar
⅓ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

Cut up the chicken into leg/thigh pieces, and cut each breast into two pieces, along with the two wings. Leave the back and any other bits to make the chicken broth needed for the soup. Place the chicken pieces into a large zip-top bag. Combine the remaining ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Measure out and refrigerate about ½ to ¾ cup of the marinade for basting, later. Pour the remainder of the marinade over the chicken pieces, seal the bag and move the chicken around to evenly coat. Set the bag into a container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days, turning every 6 or so hours to redistribute the chicken in the marinade.

When ready to cook the chicken, either light a grill or oven. I chose to grill the meat. I started it, skin side down, with the legs over the hotter part of the grill and the breast and wing pieces in less hot areas. Cook this way for about 15 minutes, rearrange the pieces, cook for another 15 minutes, lowering heat if needed to prevent burning. Turn the chicken over and grill for another 15 minutes. Baste with some of the reserved marinade over the last 15 minutes of grilling time. At this point, check for internal temperature, which should be 165 degrees. If not, continue to grill for up to another 15 minutes, until internal temperature is reached. 

If baking in the oven, it is preferable to use a broiler pan, so the chicken does not cook in its juices. Preheat broiler and set a rack so that the chicken, skin side up on the broiler rack, is about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil the chicken for 30 to 45 minutes, with the oven door ajar, checking for internal temperature of 165 degrees after 30 minutes. If more time is needed, watch closely over the next 15 minutes. Baste with some of the reserved marinade, over the last few minutes of cooking time.

Coconut Chicken Broth

On to the Soup

When cutting the chicken into pieces, reserve aside the back and any other bits and parts (neck, gizzards, etc). Place these into a pot and cover with about 5 cups of water. Add in a whole onion, skin on, a carrot, scrubbed, not peeled, and 1 to 2 celery stalks. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and let simmer as low as possible for 4 to 6 hours. Do not add any salt to the stock at this time. As the stock cooks, if it reduces, it would become too salty. As soy sauce will be used in the soup, salt may not be needed at all. 

Once all the goodness has been extracted from the bones, strain the stock, discarding all solids. Refrigerate the stock until needed, or, freeze, if it will not be used within three days.

Coconut Chicken Soup with Huli Huli Chicken

Makes about 4 servings

Coconut Chicken Soup with Huli Huli Chicken

4 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons lemongrass paste (Gourmet Gardens)
3 to 4 fresh cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ tablespoons lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, or preferable, coconut cream (unsweetened)

FOR SERVING:
6 to 8 ounces brown rice spaghetti pasta
Huli Huli chicken, skin and bones discarded, sliced
3 to 4 sprigs fresh cilantro, per bowl
4 to 6 fresh basil leaves, per bowl

In a pot, cook together the first 7 ingredients until the onion is very tender, about an hour. Puree the soup, so all the onion and other bits are completely smooth. Add in the lime juice and coconut milk or cream and heat through.

In a separate pot, cook the rice pasta according to package directions, drain and portion into bowls. Set a portion of the sliced Huli Huli Chicken into each of the bowls. Ladle the Coconut Chicken Broth over top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and basil leaves and serve.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Fabada Asturiana and Fabes versus Favas

I received the latest issue of Food & Wine Magazine recently; the issue was all about Spain, and the trip through Spain was hosted by José Andrés. I have been to Barcelona, once, for a day, and loved the city, or all I got to see of it. Food though, was not stellar in the one restaurant we got to try.

That said, I have tasted foods that are Spanish in origin, such as Paella Valenciana, or Caldo Gallego, though I was not in Spain to taste them at their source. I know some of the flavors and know that I love them. This issue of Food and Wine was just dreamy, with all the foods and recipes, and though I had heard of Fabada Asturiana, I had never eaten it. Still, it certainly got my attention (along with at least 15 other recipes), and though I am not at all fond of Morcilla, or blood sausage (I did taste it a few times in Guatemala), with all the other meats in this soup/stew, one sausage would not be terribly missed, at least in my book!

My Fabada Asturiana

The meats called for in the Food and Wine recipe, along with many others I researched online, are ham hocks, slab bacon, morcilla (blood sausage) and Spanish chorizo. As it happens, I had ordered a couple of packages of chorizo and had them in my freezer. And then I came to the beans: Asturian Fabes.

Asturian Fabes

Here began the search, because in most places, "fabes" (which is plural for Faba or Fabe beans) are interpreted as Fava beans. Let me just say: Fabes and Favas are NOT the same bean. Fava beans will not replace Fabes in this dish. As far as I can learn, Asturian Fabes are a vining bean, probably a runner bean variety of Phaseolus vulgaris.

Asturian Fabe Beans (shown top right in the photo below - photo source found here) grow in Asturias, in the mountainous areas of northwestern Spain. They are a large, white bean (though I had no luck finding exact measurements), and shaped similarly to cannellini beans. They are described as creamy textured and flavored. Many places cite how very large these beans get once cooked, since they start out quite large in dried form. I went online to look for Asturian Fabes, and let me just say that they are not easy to find, and once you do find them, they are (to me) exorbitantly priced. I chose not to pay $19.95 (now, as of 2022, $24.00) plus $9.95 S&H for just one pound of beans, on LaTienda.com. Believe it or not, I couldn't find them on Amazon! The one thing that kept getting substituted was Fava Beans.

Clockwise from top left: Fava Beans;  Asturian Fabes;  (map of Spain with Asturias in red), Mexican Royal Corona Beans

Fava Beans

By contrast, fava beans (seen top left in the photo above - photo source found here), also called broad beans, are from the scientific classification Vicia faba. They grow on a bush-like plant. They look entirely different, and are most often eaten fresh. Dried, they are a deep tan/brown and look nothing like the white Asturian Fabes.

The one other kind of bean that was suggested to take the place of the Asturian Fabe beans was dried cannellini beans. Cannellini beans are smaller than the Asturian Fabes, but are similar in texture and are a good substitute.

What I Chose to Use

After searching fruitlessly for Asturian fabes that were reasonably priced and having no success, I went to Rancho Gordo. I have not bought beans from Rancho Gordo very often, but what I have gotten is of exceptional quality. They grow heirloom varieties of beans, some that were nearly lost completely, sometimes due to nothing more than the trickiness of growing them. I really admire those brave souls that are working to bring back heirloom plants, be they beans, or types of ancient wheat or tomatoes (among many other foods). Rancho Gordo has some wonderful varieties of beans, and they have recipes and suggestions for their use. On immediate search, I found nothing of Asturian Fabe beans, which makes sense, as Rancho Gordo is in the American southwest and generally discovering some of the many beans that were found in the southwest. I read about each of the heirloom types of beans they had to offer, and with the last beans on the page, I found what I would use: Royal Corona Beans. This is the description:

"Enormous, thick-skinned runner beans with a surprisingly creamy interior. One of our all-time best sellers, it's a versatile giant that works in all kinds of cuisines. A true pantry staple."

The "creamy interior" part of that quote is what cinched the deal, for me. That is how the Asturian Fabes were described. And they were not kidding or exaggerating when they described them as "giant." 

My Royal Corona Beans: left, dried; right, soaked, prior to cooking

As soon as I received the beans, I set ⅓ of the bag to soak in lots of water overnight, intending to make this soup the following day.

And next morning I ended up in the hospital, and was there through the next day. I was fretting over the beans in the soaking water. Would they be okay after soaking for an extra two days? My husband said that my health was more important than beans!

Once I was home and all was well, I set the beans to cook the next day, along with the rest of the ingredients and the dish came out so good that my husband and I were truly impressed. The beans were just as described. They were lovely, creamy and flavorful. I am planning to try them cooked and soaked in a vinaigrette as a side dish, with the next ⅓ of the package! The extra days of soaking (in the fridge) did them no harm at all.

My Fabada Asturiana

My Fabada Asturiana

Serves 4 to 6

⅓ pound dried Royal Corona or Cannellini beans
1 or 2 ham hocks
¼ pound chunk slab bacon
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves fresh garlic
1½ to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (Pimenton de la Vera)
¼ to ½ teaspoon saffron threads
¼ pound air dried Spanish chorizo

The night before making the soup, sort through and set the beans to soak with water to cover by at least 2 or 3 inches.  

The following afternoon, drain the beans and discard soaking water. Place the beans in a pot and once again cover with water by at least an inch or so. Add in the ham hock(s) with the chunk of slab bacon, the onion, garlic, smoked paprika and saffron. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours. The beans should be tender, but not falling apart.

Add in the chorizo, all in one piece, and cook for another half hour. Remove the meats from the pot to a plate to cool. Slice the chorizo into pieces and return to the pot. Remove meat from the ham hock, discarding the skin, fat and bones. Put the ham meat back into the pot. If your slab bacon is very meaty, cut up the meat and add back into the pot. Otherwise, just cube the piece of bacon and add that to the pot. Reheat and serve, preferably with a nice piece of crusty bread.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

What in the World is Pozole

Nixtamalized Corn, Pozole, or Hominy, oh My!

Pozole (or sometimes spelled "Posole") is a word I had heard, but couldn't really say for certain where I had heard it. And, nor did I know exactly what it was, except for that I thought it had to do with corn. Not just any corn, but the kind used to make corn tortillas, where it has been "nixtamalized," or soaked/cooked in "cal" (calcium hydroxide or pickling lime). This corn is sometimes called hominy and sometimes pozole. 

Nixtamalized corn (hominy or pozole) is made with larger "field corn" types rather than little "sweet corn" kernels. It can be made with white corn or yellow corn (most commonly), but also with others like blue corn, red and other varieties. The process of cooking and/or soaking the corn with calcium hydroxide is: 

1. to increase the bio-availability of proteins, calcium and niacin, and . . .



Corn Tortillas pressed above and patted below

2. it loosens and softens the outer skins (the bran) of the kernels, making them easy to rub off and discard.

The corn, once cooked this way with the skins discarded but still retaining the germ, is the type used to make corn tortillas or later, corn chips. When fresh, it has a smell unlike any other. If unaccustomed to this smell, it may not appeal, but once you've gotten used to absolutely fresh corn tortillas, made from this freshly ground nixtamalized corn,  and hand-patted, seen in the lower photo right, by a woman (or even some children - and I'm not discriminating, but truly I have NEVER seen a man do this!) skilled in this process, well, all I can say is that those super-pressed-flat and too-easy-to-crumble corn tortillas you buy in a store, seen in the upper photo above, just have no appeal left - at all!

So what is Pozole, Then?

Okay then, back to the original statement. Pozole is nothing more than hominy, and hominy is nothing more than nixtamalized corn. Aha! 

Nixtamalized Dried Corn next to a nickel and a dime

When I looked online to buy nixtamalized dried corn, much of the terminology was confusing, and I was unsure if any given item was truly what I was looking for. One person, in a review, stated that to be sure, to look for the term "Mote Pelado" on the label. I had no idea what the term "mote" meant, but I did understand "pelado," which means peeled, and nixtamalized corn is peeled. Once I found what I was looking for, I just ordered it, as I was tired from looking all over the place. Then it arrived, and holy cow! Those kernels were huge! Of course once I looked at the bag, it said "Giant White Kernels." They were not kidding!

Then, I found out that there is also a stew called pozole. It is Mexican, as far as I can ascertain, though to me, flavor-wise, it could very easily be Guatemalan as well. It is made with these nixtamalized kernels, whether hominy from a can, hominy made fresh or dried and soaked hominy/pozole. The pozole stew is made either green or red. It is made with pork or with chicken - or both. 

Pork Pozole Verde

 
I started looking at recipes online as usual, then as I got an idea of what I was looking to create, I made a recipe for myself. I used my own recipe for Salsa Verde, or Green Sauce, since all the ingredients that are in the green sauce are also in a green pozole stew. I went with the green version, for this reason. Plus, I love the flavor of my own Salsa Verde! 

Pozole Stew, Red or Green, and Why? 

Mirasol Chili left & Guajillo dried version right

A pozole/stew can be made "red" or "green." The difference is in the chili peppers used to make the sauce. For a red sauce, you would use dried red chilies, mainly guajillo and ancho, as far as I can see from various online recipes I perused. Guajillo chilies are somewhat hotter/medium spicy dried red chilies that are smooth and long. They are the dried version of Mirasol Chilies, so called because "mira sol" means look to the sun, and these chilies grow pointing upwards, rather than hanging down. A large quantity of both Guajillo and Ancho Chilies are used to make the sauce for red pozole. First they are soaked, then seeds and membranes are removed, then they are blended into a fine puree, along with fried onion and garlic.

Poblano Chili left and Ancho dried version right

Ancho chilies are also a dried red chili, larger, broader and the skin is very crinkly. Anchos start their lives as Poblano peppers. Most groceries seem to carry Poblanos these days. Once a green pepper (of most varieties) matures, it turns red. Once mature, the chili, when dried, will look very dark, as you see with an Ancho pepper. As far as heat levels go, Poblanos and Anchos can be fairly hot (rarely as hot as a Jalapeno), but sometimes they are very mild indeed. 

Tomatillos of the Nightshade Family

To make my Salsa Verde, in this instance, I used Anaheim chilies, since my grocery was totally out of Poblano chilies! I used a about 8 of them in the recipe, as they are smaller and narrower than Poblano chilies. The other things that make the sauce green are tomatillos, which are a fruit in the nightshade family, just as are tomatoes and peppers of all varieties. They look like ground cherries as they have a husk that covers the fruit inside. They are similar in flavor to a small green tomato and have a high acidity.

Since I was making my Pork Pozole Verde in my slow cooker, I browned the meat, cut into cubes of about 3-inches square. Once browned, I moved the pieces to the slow cooker and added the green sauce with the remaining ingredients and slow cooked all day long. 

In most of the Green Pozole recipes I read online epazote was added to the pot.

Epazote or Apazote

Epazote is a weed that is used at least in Mexico and Guatemala - maybe other countries. Generally in Guatemala it is added to black beans while cooking, hopefully to mitigate the after-effects of eating beans! It grows wild all over the place down there, and I also found it growing by the wayside while living in Florida. The herb has a very peculiar and pungent smell and flavor. Up north, obviously it is not found growing wild, so I ordered dried epazote. I had grown to love the flavor it gave to my black beans, and so still use it. I used it in this stew also, but it is obviously not completely necessary.

Traditionally, the stew is served in bowls with lots of side bits to add as desired: sliced radishes, cubed avocado, lime wedges, chopped onion, hot chili powder among other things. I served mine with lime wedges, though my husband would never add more lime to a food. He's not keen on sour notes. Nor is he keen on avocados, and dislikes radishes and chopped onion anyway. SO! We just went with the stew as is, and it was still truly delicious.

Two last things: If you cannot bring yourself to hunt out the dried nixtamalized corn/pozole/mote pelado, it is possible to add in drained, canned hominy, though it should be added towards the end of cooking time so it does not totally disintegrate. Second, this can be made in a large pot on the stove or in the oven, cooking through slowly over 3 to 4 hours.

Pork Pozole Verde

Serves 8 or more

Pork Pozole Verde

2 cups dried, nixtamalized corn/pozole
4 pounds pork shoulder, cut in 3-inch chunks
oil, for frying
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2½ to 3 cups Salsa Verde, made with
6 Poblanos or 8 Anaheim chilies
more hot chilies as desired, chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
6 to 8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon freshly minced oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly ground
1 teaspoon dried epazote or 2 sprigs fresh, optional
1 bay leaf
1 - two additional teaspoons salt, as needed
a few grinds of black pepper
1 - 2 potatoes, peeled, cubed

The night prior to making the pozole, place the dried pozole corn in a large bowl and cover with large quantities of water. Cover and soak overnight. In the morning, drain, reserving the liquid.

In the morning, combine the flour and first teaspoon salt and dredge the chunks of meat in the flour. Brown the meat thoroughly on all sides, then place them into the slow cooker. (You will need a large slow cooker for this recipe.) Add in the Salsa Verde, extra hot chilies per your spice level, the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, epazote, bay leaf, one more teaspoon salt and pepper. Add in the potatoes and the soaked/drained pozole corn along with 2 cups of the drained liquid. During cooking, add more of the liquid if needed to maintain a soup/stew consistency.

My slow cooker has only Hi or Low settings, and I cooked it on high for 6 hours. Once the meat is tender, remove the meat chunks and shred. Return the meat to the pot and check for salt. If needed, add more. Garnish the bowls of stew with chopped cilantro and wedges of lime and serve.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Remake of an Old Family Favorite

My ethnicity being divided between the Vojvodina area of Serbia and Slovakia via grandparents who immigrated to the US in the very early 1900s, I was brought up in great part on the recipes that came with them from "the old country." One of those recipes (which I absolutely did not like as a child) was Holupki. This is alternatively spelled in so many ways throughout Europe that it would be difficult to cover them all, but in essence, these are hamburger (or pork) and rice-stuffed cabbage rolls. My Mom called them "Pigs-in-a-Blanket", though this has become the title for little sausages wrapped in a dough of some kind. But you get the idea. This is the recipe for Holupki that I have made through the years:

Holupki aka Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Holupki (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

Makes approximately 12, depending on size

1 large cabbage
2 pounds hamburger meat
(or substitute ½ pound of the meat with ground pork)
1 medium onion, chopped and lightly sauteed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 cup rice, uncooked
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon sugar (to round out the flavor)
½ teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
2 or more sprigs fresh thyme
water, as needed to cook

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Remove some of the outer cabbage leaves, as whole as possible. Place into the boiling water until they are soft, then remove and set aside. When the leaves on the remaining cabbage become too entangled to separate, place the rest of the whole head into the pot and allow the leaves to soften. Remove periodically to trim off leaves at the core end. You will need at least 12 or so viable cabbage leaves for rolling the meat. Take the remaining cabbage and chop roughly. Place half the chopped cabbage into the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven. Set aside the remaining chopped cabbage.

In a large bowl, mix together the meat(s), onion, garlic, egg, salt, pepper, paprika and rice. Do not over mix. Trim off the thickest parts of one cabbage leaf, then take one portion of meat mixture (approximately ⅔ to ¾ cup worth) and set on one end of the leaf. Roll, burrito-style, folding in ends and tucking as necessary. Repeat, until all the meat is rolled into cabbage leaves. Place the rolls into the pot, on top of the chopped cabbage. Top with the remaining chopped cabbage. Tuck the bay leaves down between the rolls, and place the thyme sprig(s) on top.

Combine the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. Add in more salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the tomato mixture over the cabbage rolls. The rolls should not be submerged, but nearly covered. If the tomato mixture is not quite high enough, add water until just the tops of the rolls are visible.

Set over high heat to bring to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 1½ - 2 hours. Best served with mashed potatoes. 


As I grew up and particularly while in Guatemala, far from home and Mom's cooking, I started to have a better appreciation for those recipes that were a large part of my childhood. I will say that although I have made these Stuffed Cabbage Rolls quite a few times over the intervening years, the one reason I do not make them more often is that it is kind of a royal pain to make them. So while perusing Pinterest one day recently, I came across a photo, and them the recipe for what someone called "Unstuffed Cabbage." I am sure many have seen or done this, and I know I have seen this on Facebook also. Somehow though, with the cooler days, I suddenly perked up when I saw this recipe. 

I printed it off, mainly to compare with what I put into my own recipe for Holupki. Turns out it was not so very different - mainly differences in amounts of things. Today I decided to attempt this. It certainly goes together quickly, all things considered. The recipe I read called for browning the hamburger meat, and the rice was omitted. I happen to like the rice-in-the-meat part of this recipe, so I decided to make meatballs of the meat and rice mixture. Of course while they are cooking they start looking a little like porcupines with the grains of rice sticking out every which way! 

Unstuffed Cabbage

Still, the meatballs held together, mostly, throughout the cooking process, and the amount of liquid in the pot diminished a lot. Before serving, I had to add more water and a little more salt for balance. With the stirring and mixing process, many of the meatballs started to come apart. I did not pack the meat when making the meatballs, and maybe this would have made a difference. Who knows? Despite the meatballs coming apart more and more each time I had to mix or ladle, the soup / stew was delicious. Whereas my husband would remove all of the cabbage from the Cabbage Rolls in past, eating only the meat mixture inside - when presented this way he ate everything, including the cabbage, with no problem at all. I would say that this dish was a hit. It tasted great, was totally reminiscent of the Holupki I grew up with, and my husband will eat it. These criteria make this a hit in my book!

Unstuffed Cabbage

Unstuffed Cabbage

Makes a large pot, at least 8 servings or more

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds lean hamburger
1 cup long grain white rice
1 egg
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
--------
8 cups water
1½ teaspoons salt
1 onion, halved, cut in thin slices
1¼ pounds cabbage, cut in small pieces
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 (14-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar

In a skillet heat the oil and saute the chopped onion until it is just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and toss for a minute or two. While the onion is cooking, set a large pot on a burner and add in the water and 1½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to boil.

In a mixing bowl, combine the hamburger, rice, egg, 1½ teaspoons salt, paprika and pepper. Add in the sauteed onion and garlic and mix together very well. The meatballs are made in a snap if you have a cookie scoop. I used a cookie scoop, rounding the meat in the scoop as I formed 1½-inch diameter meatballs. Drop the meatballs into the pot of boiling salted water. As they start to be crowded, remove them to a plate using a slotted spoon. Once all the meatballs are set, add to the water in the pot the sliced onion, cabbage, thyme, bay leaves, the three cans of tomato (diced, sauce & paste), the vinegar and sugar. Return to the pot any meatballs that were set aside. Gently stir to combine the whole, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes or up to an hour.

Serve as a soup or stew. We always ate Holupki with mashed potatoes on the side. If you wish, mashed potatoes or other cooked potatoes would also be good with this soup, though with rice already in it, potatoes aren't truly needed.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Great Mulligatawny at Last

I wrote in my recent blog of October 23 about my first attempt at making a "Mulligatawny" soup. Mulligatawny is the Anglicized version of the Indian dish called "Milagu-thanni", or Pepper Water. 

Table Set for Indian Dinner

In my first attempt, I was using a recipe in a cookbook I own, and I believe one of the ingredient amounts HAD to be a typo: it called for nearly ½ pound (200 grams) of besan, or chickpea flour. I actually used 50 grams less than that, and when I added it to the stock, it seized into nearly a solid mass. I added water and added water and it took forever to cook through, and stirring was an absolute necessity, as it would stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Mulligatawny Leftovers

All this did not prevent that first try being delicious. We had our friend Rich visiting when I made it that time, and we all agreed it was downright tasty! Still, some changes were absolutely needed, both in the sequence of events in preparation and in the amounts of the individual ingredients. I added more of some, less of others, introduced a few other things and voila! this second attempt was a true "keeper" as my husband calls them. This second try was really a magnificent mix of flavors. It was still quite thick, though I reduced the besan flour by orders of magnitude (only 38 grams). Some of the recipes with photos online showed a runny soup, some showed a slightly thickened soup. Since my husband prefers thick soups anyway, this one suited him perfectly. And let me say that all of our guests on November 3rd were highly complimentary of the flavors of this soup. 

Viognier with Mulligatawny and Pinot with Biryani

I am well pleased. My husband went so far as to say he "wouldn't mind" having this soup on any cool evening. This is translated as "please make it more often." No problem from me! Once I got the kinks worked out of the recipe's order of events, it is really easy - though there are quite a few steps.

My husband and I hosted an Indian dinner with two other couples this past Thursday evening, and we all had a great time. The guests brought the wines for the meal, and we found that a really lovely Viognier went splendidly with the Mulligatawny soup! The Pinot Noir shown here went exceptionally well with the rest of the meal, going so far as to seemingly "cool and soothe" the heat of the hot chutney accompaniments.

Somehow I managed to get multiple photos of all the other dishes, but only one of the Mulligatawny soup that evening! I took one more semi-decent shot of the leftover soup I ate last evening.

My Menu for our Indian Feast

Some of the things I chose to do differently in the making of this soup were the order of cooking the chicken, the red lentils and the besan/chickpea flour. The original recipe called for cooking them all together. This resulted in losing a lot of the soup when removing the chicken wing pieces for bone removal, as much of this thick soup stuck to the wings when taking them out to cool. Another big difference was the use of chicken wings instead of pristine chicken breast to be sliced prettily for serving. I chose instead to use chicken wings firstly because anything cooked with bones will result in more flavor. Secondly, once cooked, the little bits of chicken removed from the bones were of a perfect size to not interfere with eating the soup. 

The original recipe called for removing any skin from the chicken breast to be used. This also removes most any possibility of fat floating on the soup. You might say that skinning chicken wings would be an onerous task, but truly, it took just a very few minutes to accomplish. Cut the wing segments apart and discard wingtips. Set a wing segment with the thickest skin side down. There is always a piece of the thicker skin that protrudes; hold onto this bit, and position a very sharp knife towards the wing and slide the knife away from you. The wing will roll along, leaving most of the skin behind. Easy-peasy.

Skinning Chicken Wings

I chose to cook the initial broth with the chicken wings, then remove them. Next I added the red lentils to cook through and finally the besan/chickpea flour to cook through. The whole soup (minus the chicken) is pureed smooth.  One of the ingredients in this soup is tamarind. I keep tamarind concentrate in my fridge, as I do use it now and again. I served Imli (Tamarind) Chutney with the meal also, so tamarind was used for that. If using fresh tamarind pods, or even one of those blocks of shelled tamarind all clumped together, the amounts will have to be adjusted (they will need to be soaked and sieved to remove fibers and seeds). I used 2 teaspoons of the tamarind concentrate, and it was perfect in this soup. 

How hot to make the soup is also a choice. Since I know my husband does not tolerate more than a very mildly hot spice level, and I didn't know about some of the guests' tolerance levels, I chose to make the main dishes mildly spiced, and then also provide various chutneys and "pickles" in varying heat levels from completely mild to screaming hot, so the guests could spice things to their preferences. I happened to grow cayenne chilies this past summer, and had quite a few green chilies that I'd picked before the temps started dipping too low. I added one whole cayenne chili that I only poked holes in with a knife tip. This provided a nice, mild spice to the soup; not overwhelming for anyone. If your spice tolerance is high, add in chopped whole chilies and dry powdered chili to your taste. Taste-testing this soup along the way is absolutely no hardship!

Milagu-Thanni or Mulligatawny Soup

Serves 8 to 10

Mulligatawny Soup

1½ to 2 pounds chicken wings, skinned
2 - 3 tablespoons ghee or oil
6 - 8 cloves garlic
1½ inches fresh peeled ginger
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds (may use regular cumin; taste will be different)
1 tej patta leaf
1 cup red lentils
½ cup chickpea flour (38 g besan)
2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon fenugreek powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
2½ to 3 teaspoons salt
1 hot green chili, holed poked in with tip of knife
1½ teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
2 teaspoons sugar 
Cilantro leaves for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Set all the skinned wing pieces on the sheet in a single layer and bake for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned. 

While chicken is baking, place the ghee into a large soup pot and add the onion with a sprinkling of the total amount of salt. Cook the onion over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until well softened. Add in the ginger and garlic with the coriander and cumin seeds and continue to cook, stirring for 3 to 5 minutes more. Add the baked chicken pieces and the tej patta leaf with 8 cups of water. Bring to boil, then lower heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the chicken pieces from the bones. Discard any bones and dark veins or remaining skin. Set chicken aside.

Add the red lentils to the simmering broth and cook for another 25 minutes, until tender. Once the lentils are cooked through, puree the soup and return to the pot (or use a hand blender). Now whisk in the chickpea flour and continue whisking until no lumps remain. Allow the flour to cook through, stirring, for at least 10 minutes. Add in the tamarind, lime juice, turmeric, fenugreek powder, garam masala, remaining salt, whole green chili and the black pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes more. 

MAKE AHEAD: If making ahead (1 or 2 days), chill the soup at this point. 

When ready to proceed, bring the pot back to a boil, reduce heat to a bare simmer and add in the sugar and the coconut milk. Heat gently and serve.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.