Southern Hors d'Oeuvres

Pulled Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches on Sweet Potato Biscuits and Mini Mac 'n' Cheese Bites

Southern Hors d'Oeuvres

by Victoria Challancin

It may have been almost 37 years since I lived in the U.S., with one brief interlude in Colorado sprinkled within, but I am still a Southern girl at heart.  Perhaps it is because we are approaching Day of the Dead here in Mexico with loving reminders everywhere of those we love who have passed on, perhaps because my birthday was last week and I was a bit whiney about missing my family, or perhaps because my taste buds just somehow required a dose of good Southern food, in last week's   cooking class I chose comfort food as a theme.  Memories of my Aunt Sibby's sweet potato biscuits, my Dad's barbecue, my Mom's cole slaw and macaroni and cheese all coalesced into this offering of  true Southern hors d'oeuvres:  Pulled Barbecue Chicken on Sweet Potato Biscuits with Cole Slaw served with Mini Bites of Macaroni and Cheese.  Whew!  Now there is a mouthful full of promising taste sensations.  And they really did deliver.

Although these could be served in full, adult-sized portions, I chose to make them mini, which makes them a perfect appetizer (or main course if you go full size) for a casual-themed party.  I had wanted to use pulled pork, but because I didn't have time to make it properly in class, I chose chicken instead.  Worked perfectly.

Pulled Barbecue Chicken on Sweet Potato Biscuits with Cole Slaw

Cook's Notes:  While I chose to make an easy barbecue sauce by Emeril Lagasse, you could even use a good quality purchased sauce if short on time.  For that matter, you could also shred a purchased rotisserie chicken.  But for the chicken I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts.  Be sure to drain the chicken a bit before placing on the biscuits so as to avoid soggy bread.  Serve additional sauce on the side.

Recipe: Pulled Barbecue Chicken

 (Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs and breasts

Olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce of choice (or use the following recipe)

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a sautée pan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with the smoked paprika, stirring to mix well.  Add the chicken pieces and barbecue sauce.  Stir to coat chicken.  Once the mixture begins to boil, cover and reduce the heat.  Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Once the chicken is cooked through and very soft, remove the chicken from the pan and place it in a wide-mouthed bowl.  Shred the chicken using two forks.  

Heat the sauce again, bringing to a boil.  Allow to simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until reduced by half.  Return chicken to the sauce and heat through.

Serve with sweet potato biscuits, a dollop of cole slaw, and a slice of dill pickle.  Extra barbecue sauce can be served on the side.

Cook's Note:  This is a super simple barbecue sauce that was great, especially when cooked for so long with the chicken.  The original recipe suggests refrigerating this overnight, but this isn't necessary if you are cooking it as I did in the above recipe.

Emeril's Barbecue Sauce

(Recipe by Emeril Lagasse from Food Network)

1 3/4 cups ketchup

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons molasses

2 teaspoons Creole or whole grain mustard

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar

Dash hot pepper sauce

Dash Worcestershire sauce (I used several dashes)

Pinch salt

Pinch cayenne 

2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger

Pinch freshly ground black pepper (I used more)

In a food processor fitted with a metal blad, combine all of the ingredients.  Process until smooth, about 15 seconds.  Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.  Pulse 2 or 3 times.  Refrigerate overnight before using  (if possible!).

Carmen and Laura making the biscuits

Carmen, cutting the biscuits with a small glass about 2 inches in diameter

Cook's Notes:  Both my beloved Aunts Sibby and Peggy made fantastic sweet potato biscuits and, being good Southern Ladies born in Georgia, both were know for them.  I would have used the family recipe, but the measurements were lacking, not needed by knowing cooks.  Because I must use measurements in class, I chose a recipe from the internet.  This version is not as full of sweet potatoes as my family recipe, but still delicious (you could add more...).  It also calls for grating frozen butter into the dry ingredients, which was a new technique to me.  These were light and delicious served hot with butter for breakfast the following day.  Also, these would be a nice addition to any American Thanksgiving meal.  We used a small glass to cut them (two bites), but a tequila or shot glass would make even tinier single bite-sized biscuits.  We patted them out instead of rolling them.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

(Recipe from Chow.com)

Makes 12 large biscuits (or 18 to 20 smaller ones)

Note:  To make tender, fluffy biscuits, less handling, not more, is the golden rule.  Use the same minimal touch you would reserve for pie pastry, kneading the dough just long enough for the ingredients to combine (about 30 seconds), then pat or roll it out as lightly as you can before cutting.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup whole milk

1 cup baked, mashed sweet potato (we boiled ours in water)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

Heavy cream for brushing the tops

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.  Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set aside.  In a separate large bowl,mix together milk and mashed sweet potato until evenly combined.

Grate frozen butter through the large holes of a box grater and toss with dry ingredients. until butter is coated.  Add milk mixture and mix lightly until dough forms a shaggy mass.  Turn out mixture onto a floured surface and knead just until dough comes together.  (The dough will not be smooth).

Pat into a circle and use a floured rolling pin to roll dough to a thickness of about 3/4 -inch.  Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or glass, cut the dough into rounds.  Gather leftover dough into a circle, re-roll, and cut until you have 8 large biscuits ( or smaller ones as we have done).

Place biscuits on a baking sheet, brush tops with heavy cream, and bake until the bottoms are golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

The uncooked biscuits before brushing with heavy cream

Juanita, filling the biscuits with the barbecued chicken

Laura, mounting the filled biscuits with cole slaw

Cook's Notes:  If I had had the juice from my Mother's homemade Bread and Butter Pickles, you can be sure I would have added it.  This recipe was in my file and I believe is my own.  This is how I make cole slaw, so I pray I am not borrowing someone else's recipe.   When something is in my files from so many years ago before I needed to give credit, I just don't always have the sources.  I don't really use a recipe when I make it, but found this on a file card to use in class.

Recipe:  Cole Slaw

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

3 cups finely shredded green cabbage

1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage

1 cup shredded peeled carrots

1/4 cup grated red or white onion

1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon celery seeds

2 tablespoons sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour before using.  Serve on top of the pulled chicken and top with a dill pickle slice. 

The oh-so-fun Mini Macs

Cook's Notes:  Macaroni and Cheese is another of those recipes I never use a recipe for, but when I saw how cute these mini mac 'n' cheese bites were, I knew I had to use the idea.  The original recipe calls for American cheese as well, which I didn't use.  I also added a bit of dry mustard, a dash of hot sauce, and a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce to the bechamel sauce, because my Mother always did.  For the topping, I mixed the Parmesan cheese with a bit of Panko crumbs and some paprika for a bit of added crunch.  These were made in a mini muffin pan, but you could certainly use a regular muffin tin if you wanted individual portions and not hors d'oeuvres bites.  After cooking 1/2-pound of macaroni, I ended up using less when adding to the sauce as I think a whole half pound would have made them too dry.  I opted for Pam to grease the muffin tin, simple because it was easy.  Butter would have been a healthier choice.

Mini Macs

(Adapted slightly from a recipe by Grace Parisi for Food and Wine Magazine)

Makes 36 to 42 mini macs

1/2 pound elbow macaroni (I used a bit less)

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing (or use Pam)

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or more, if needed)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

2 packed cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Dash of hot sauce
A couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 large egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon Spanish paprika

For the topping:

2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons Panko

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente.  Drain, shaking off the excess water.

Grease the mini muffin tin with either butter or Pam.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.  (You may need a bit more cheese).

In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients together.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.  Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes.  Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes.  Add the Cheese and whisk until melted.  Off the heat, whisk in the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, egg yolk, and paprika.  Fold in the cooked macaroni.

Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the mixture into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently.  Sprinkle with the topping mixture.

Bake ;the mini macs in oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.

MAKE AHEAD:  The recipe can be prepared without baking and refrigerated overnight.  Add topping just before baking.  Bring to room temperature before baking.

A plate of Mini Mac 'n' Cheese Bites

Fourteen pesos is a little over one U.S. dollar--for my overseas readers

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using photos or text.  Thanks!

Easy Delicious Chicken Dijon and the History of Mustard

Easy, Delicious Chicken Dijon and a Bit of History of Mustard

by Victoria Challancin

Who doesn't love a dish that serves double duty?  This Chicken Dijon does just that.  The first time we made it in a cooking class, we served it with a Breton Potato Cake.  On Day Two, when I enjoyed leftovers, I removed the chicken from the bone, chopped it, and served it with all that luscious sauce over egg noodles.  Perfect.  But first, a little background and history...

What exactly is Chicken Dijon?

There is no easy answer to this question.  Chicken Dijon is a simple, bistro-style French dish made with chicken, Dijon mustard, white wine, and crème fraîche.  In France, where countless versions exist, this dish would be called Poulet à la Moutarde or Poulet à la Dijonnaise, both names signifying that the chicken is cooked with Dijon-style mustard, which originated in the Dijon region of France.

Happily, I can find large jars of the French Maille brand of Dijon-style mustard here in Mexico at Costco.  Maille has been making this type of mustard (and many others more recently) for over 260 years with two boutiques that feature nothing but the company's mustard, one in Paris and one in the city of Dijon.  This particular mustard is perfect for this dish, but any "Grey Poupon" mustard would work--both contain white wine which accentuates the wine already present in the dish.

This easy version comes form French in a Flash, a feature on Serious Eats, where I found it.  Author Kerry Saretsky is the creator of the blog French Revolution where she features easy versions of her family's French recipes and shares them both on the blog and on Serious Eats.

Cook's Notes:  I used extra virgin olive oil because I didn't have light.  I also used a combination of  legs and boneless chicken breasts and a dry white wine.

Recipe:  Dijon Chicken

(Recipe by Kerry Saretsky for Serious Eats)

3 tablespoons light olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon

10 chicken legs (or desired pieces)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 shallots, diced

3/4 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock

6 stems thyme, plus extra for garnish

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup heavy cream

In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, heat 3 tablespoons light olive oil on medium-high heat.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, and pat dry with a paper towel.  Sear in hot oil until golden-brown on all sides.  Remove to a plate.

Pour out the hot oil, and lower the heat to low.  Add 1 tablespoon fresh light olive oil to the pan.  Ad in the shallot, and then the garlic 1 minute later, and sauté just until translucent and fragrant--two minutes total from the time the shallots went in to the pan.

Pour in the white wine, and raise the heat to medium-high.  Reduce the wine--it will bubble the chicken bits up from the bottom of the pan, and reduce by about half.  The add the chicken stock and 6 stems of thyme.  Then, nestle the chicken back into the pan in a single layer.  Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, and cover the pot, simmering for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the cover from the pot, and allow the chicken to simmer a further 5 to 10 minutes uncovered.  Take the pan off the heat.  Again, remove the chicken from the pan.  Whisk in the cream and mustard (I mixed these together first in a bowl) until the sauce is homogeneous.  Then strain.  Toss the chicken with the Dijon sauce, top with fresh thyme, and serve right away with crusty bread and a salad.

Mustard:  A Bit of History

Mustard, a condiment made from the yellow, white, brown, or black seeds of a mustard plant, is one of the oldest spices known to man.  The Chinese have grown mustard for over 3000 years.  Egyptians were known to have popped the seeds into their mouths when eating meat. Mustard seeds have been found in Stone Age settlements. And the Romans positively loved the spice, sprinkling the seeds along the roads where it flourished--all the way to France and beyond.    

In Rome the first century A.D. cook book, Apicius shows that mustard was used ground with pepper, caraway, lovage, coriander seeds, dill, celery, thyme, oregano, onion, honey, vinegar, fish sauce, and oil. These same spices can be found in various mustards today.

In England one early use of mustard was found in the form of mustard balls, coarse-ground mustard seed combined with flour and cinnamon which was moistened, rolled into balls, and then dried to be later mixed with vinegar to make a paste.  Even Shakespeare mentioned the famous mustard of Tewkesbury in  one of his plays.  

They etymology of the word "mustard" shows that originally it derived from the Latin mustum ("must" a type of unfermented grape juice), which is logical as the Romans were known to have mixed the seeds with "must" until they made a paste-like condiment of which they were very fond.  The English word derives from the Old French via Anglo Norman.   The "-ard" part of the word hails from the Latin ardens, which means "hot or flaming," and from these two words mustum ardens, we get "mustard."  

In ancient times, mustard was primarily considered a medicinal plant rather than a culinary one, being used from everything from a cure for toothaches to a poultice used to treat all manner of illnesses.  Both Pythagoras and Hippocrates cited ways to use mustard as a cure.

France's mustard history stems from that very mustard that sprang from those seeds planted by early Romans as they plied the ancient roads traversing Gaul.  In fact, the monks of St. Germain des Pres in Paris were early mustard-makers to kings dating to 1292.  By the 14th century, the condiment mustard existed and was actually called "mustard"; at the same time in the city of Dijon, the recognized center of mustard-making, mustard was considered the condiments of kings.  In 1382 mustard appeared on the motto of the coat of arms of the Duke of Burgundy for the city of Dijon in the motto which stated "Moult Me Tarde," or "much awaits me," clearly echoing the name moutarde.  Although Dijon was known as the home of the master mustard makers as early as the 14th century, it was in 1777 that Monsieur Grey developed the secret recipe for a strong mustard made with white wine, and thus Grey Poupon came into being and a new industry was born.

And in my own life, I smile to remember that my flat in Bahrain was often called "The House of Mustards" due to the variety I had on hand (or alternately "The House of Tea" for the same reason).  And my own father always grew two kinds of mustard (for the leaves alone) in his garden:  flat- leaf and curly-, which my Mom cooked with hamhocks into those famous Southern greens, perked up with a bit of hot pepper vinegar.  Today, I break from that tradition and use the young leaves to be eaten raw in salads.  Also, as a part of my personal mustard history, there are fields of bright yellow mustard flowers dotting the Mexican scenery in the spring, a happy capsulation for me of a lifetime of mustard love.

The Legend and Lore of Mustard

• Pythagoras in the 6th century B.C. applied mustard poultices to scorpion stings
• Hippocrates (5th century B.C.) also prescribed it for various ailments
• The Sumerians ground it into a paste and mixed it with verjus, the juice of unripe grapes
• Wealthy Romans often ground it with wine right at the table
• In the Christian faith, mustard is a prominent reference in the Bible to exemplify something small and insignificant, which when planted, grows in strength and power--as in faith, the size of a mustard seed
• Westerners had mustard, a Northern Hemisphere plant, long before they had black pepper, which originated in India, making it the primary spice known to Europeans before the advent of the Asian spice trade
• Pope John XII was so found of mustard that he created a new Vatican position for his lazy nephew who needed a job, the grand moutardier du pape, or mustard maker to the Pope
• In German lore, it is recommended that a bride sew mustard seeds into the hem of her wedding gown to assure her dominance of the household
• Legend also has it that some American baseball pitchers apply mustard to their fastballs in order to obtain strike-outs--though I'm not sure how that works!
• Since 2005 products in the European Union must be labelled as potential allergens if they contain mustard
• In both India and Denmark it is thought that spreading mustard seeds around the exterior of a house will keep out evil spirits
• Queen Victoria appointed Jeremiah Colman, founder of Colman's Mustard of England, as her personal mustard maker--and Colman's dry mustard is still a staple on my shelf
• French's mustard, that bright yellow American version, made brighter by the addition of turmeric, was used on hot dogs at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair
• Mustard oil is popular, especially in the cooking of Bengal, India
• Beer is often substituted for vinegar in some American mustards
• In Dijon, both red and white wines can be found in mustard
• Can't cut the mustard?  Can't measure up?  Yes, mustard also infiltrated the language in other ways
• There are about 40 species of mustard plants
• Mustard seeds do not become pungent until they are cracked and mixed with a liquid, usually wine, beer, or vinegar
• The leaves with their stems are often eaten fresh as a cooked vegetable or younger ones enjoyed in salads
• Mustard gas is a synthetic gas based on the idea of the volatile nature of mustard oils
• White mustard originated in the Mediterranean Basin, while brown mustard originated in the Himalayas
• Brown mustard is the base for the Chinese mustard served in many American restaurants
• Black mustard is popular in the Middle East and Asia Minor, where it originated, but isn't much used in the West because it must be hand harvested
• The paste we buy in stores in a jar is known as "prepared mustard"
• Nutritionally, mustard has significant nutrients called isothiocyanates that have been shown to prevent the growth of cancer cells, (particularly related to stomach and colon cancer)
• Mustard seeds also contain selenium, which reduces the severity of both asthma and rheumatoid arthritis
• The magnesium in mustard may reduce high blood pressure and the frequency of migraines

Parting Shot:  In a Friend's Garden

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using photos or text.  Thanks!

Easy Delicious Chicken Dijon

Oops! The Recipe!

Oops!  The Recipe!

by Victoria Challancin

Thank you to those of you, and there were many, who emailed me asking for the recipe for the soufflés that I posted about on Monday.  You might think I was testing you to see if you were paying attention, but of course, I just forgot!  Click here for the short article about the history and science of the soufflé.

Recipe:  Hot Grand Marnier Soufflé

(Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine)

Cooking spray

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

4 large eggs

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier liqueur

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; place a heavy baking sheet on middle rack.

Coat 6 (8-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle each dish with 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, shaking and turning to coat.

Place egg yolks in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed 5 minutes or until thick and pale.  Gradually add 1/4 cup granulated sugar; beat 2 minutes.  Beat in liqueur and vanilla.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at hight speed 1 minute or until foamy using clean, dry beaters.  Add the cream of tartar and salt; beat mixture until soft peaks form.  Gradually add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into the liqueur mixture.  Gently fold in the remaining egg white mixture*; divide evenly among the prepared ramekins.  Place soufflé dishes on baking sheet in oven; bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until tall and golden brown (soufflés will rise 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the dish rim).  Quickly dust soufflés with powdered sugar.  Serve immediately.

*Note:  Using a wide rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into the batter by making a scooping motion form the bottom of the bowl to the top.  This prevents the egg whites from deflating.

Enjoy!

Parting Shot:

The large, larger than life size, door knocker on the colonial house of a friend, brought from Seville, Spain

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Soufflés, Squeals, and San Miguel

San Miguel de Allende, voted top city in Mexico and 8th Best City in the World in 2012 by Condé Nast Traveler

 

Hot Grand Marnier Soufflé 

Soufflés and Squeals

by Victoria Challancin

Do soufflés and squeals actually go together?  Are they part and parcel of the same thing?  Well, apparently in my home they are.  Did the squeals come from my Mexican cooking students who were so very proud of and excited by their efforts?  No...they clearly emanated from me.  Unabashedly, from me alone.  OK, maybe my sister-in-law joined in what became a chorus.

Last week in a loosely-themed cooking class on French cuisine, I decided to teach my Mexican students how to prepare a soufflé.  Why a soufflé, you ask?  For one thing, they are just so essentially French.  They are fun to make.  The visual rewards of seeing them emerge like magic from the oven are multiple.  And, sweet or savory, they are a textural marvel, a gratifying taste sensation.  So why not indeed?

 A tray of perfect individual soufflés

When I teach my students to make a soufflé, I always explain that there is only one real rule, nay, law of nature, that they need to know concerning soufflés.  They will fall.  One hundred per cent of the time.  They will fall.  Absolutely, they will fall.  Eventually.  Having said that, soufflés aren't nearly as delicate as some people fear.  In fact, you have a five- to ten-minute window of opportunity from the time your soufflé emerges from the oven before it collapses.

 Juanita, proudly removing them from the oven

Soufflés:  A Wee Bit of History

Soufflés are French, in every way.  The word soufflé is the past participle of the French verb souffler, which means "to blow up."  A gentler interpretation might be "to puff up."  Technically, what is a soufflé?  It is a lightly baked dish made with an egg yolk custard base, lightened with beaten egg whites and combined with other savory or sweet ingredients.  The base provides the flavor; the beaten egg whites proved the lift. 

So why do soufflés rise and why do they fall?  Let's ask Harold McGee, author of Food and Cooking:  The Science and Lore of the Kitchen.  McGee says that when placed in a hot oven, the air bubbles in the soufflé mixture heat up and expand, so the soufflé expands upwards, the only direction it can go--right over the top of the dish.  More lift comes from the evaporation of water from the bubble walls, creating gas molecules in the bubbles, which increase the pressure, causing the walls to stretch and expand as well.  As these bubbles cool down when the soufflé is removed from the oven, they contract and the vapor condenses back into liquid.  And if you heat it up again, it will rise again, hence the popularity of twice-risen soufflés.

According to The Oxford Companion to Food, soufflés are an 18th century French invention.  Beauvilliers, author of L'Art du Cusinier, was probably making them almost 30 years before his book was published in 1814.  However, other soufflé dishes developed elsewhere independent of the French style, notably in Russia and the Ukraine.

Whatever their origin, whatever the science of the magic they proffer, soufflés should be embraced by even the novice cook.  They are delicious to eat and satisfying to make.  And not scary at all.

 Carmen, dusting them with confectioners' sugar, with Laura, Juanita, and Marisol looking on

 Another view, in case you need yet one more--I seem to.  In fact, I could squeal anew just looking at the photos and remembering the taste

 Le Soufflé Restaurant in Paris, where soufflés are the only item on the menu

 A savory soufflé with chicken cooked in white wine with taragon to pair with it

And the pìece de résistance, my favorite:  Hot Grand Marnier Soufflé.  Wow.

Parting Shots:  The Dogs

 There are those of you asking how Angus is faring.  Here he is at 4 1/2 months, with one remaining white eyebrow.  Not sure why.  Can't believe he is still enough for a photo.

 Angus trying to pick burrs out of his father's fur...sigh...

Burr-trimmed Roscoe and the ever-elusive Molly, our 13-year-old rescue dog that we got at 6 weeks of age

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using text or photos.

Morocco 2013 Trip Announcement

I'm on the first camel, taking the photo...

Morocco 2013 Trip Announcement

The dates for my Morocco trip for 2013 are April 24th - May 9th.  I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead my seventh small group to Morocco on an unforgettable journey.  Although not a culinary trip per se, food is never far from my heart--so if you join me, be prepared for market adventures and culinary fun as well as a profound cultural experience.  If you are the kind of independent traveler that revels in adventure, culture, good food, and lively company, contact me by email for the itinerary.            flavorsofthesun@gmail.com

And if you don't join me in person for this trip, stay tuned on the blog, where I will post about the journey!

Epiphanies, Scribes, and a Scrumptious Soup

 Paprika and Red Pepper Soup with Pistachio Puree

Epiphanies, Scribes, and a Scrumptious Soup

by Victoria Challancin

First of all, let me begin by saying I love epiphanies.  Love the sound of the word, love the meaning, love the idea.  I mean, what isn't to love about being struck with a life-enriching realization of something that carries eternal meaning, or at least personal?  [I once met a Mexican artisan whose name was Epifanio and have forever teased my son that I would be pleased one day in the long distant future to have a grandchild of that very name! Or Epifania, of course]

My most recent epiphany came just yesterday as I was going through the process of renewing my Mexican working papers.  Let me start at the beginning.

Throughout a lifetime of travel, often in remote areas of the world, I have long  been fascinated with the idea of scribes.  Bound up in history since the beginning of recorded time, the first scribes engraved their messages on lumps of wet clay.  Because they represented the educated, those who could write, they served royal courts, the rich, and the poor.  Who could ever forget the incredible almost five thousand year-old statue of the Seated Scribe at the Louvre or the countless images found all over Egypt, on walls and in three dimensional atatuary.  In fact, scribes are revered in art throughout antiquity, especially in the Fertile Crescent.

I can remember being touched by the modern-day scribes who sit outside the post offices of India, with their lists of Hallmark-style greetings ready to be copied from paper or even from the walls of the interior building itself.  And in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya, and other places--yes, I have seen scribes.  Even when I moved to Mexico 25 years ago, men with typewriters positioned themselves on the sidewalks outside government buildings, ready to make a little money with just the skill of being able to write the language.

And then yesterday, an epiphany.  As I sat in the office near the immigration building, where I have to renew my papers each year--an office complete with computers, printers, photography machines and yes, typewriters--for the polite and competent family of modern-day scribes to help me wade through the intricacies of Mexican bureaucratic paperwork, I had an epiphany. With their professional dignity and competence, these men and women helped me, a well-educated former university teacher with an acute love of the written word, unravel the mysteries of that which I couldn't understand.  And life spirals around again and comes full circle.  An epiphany indeed.

Pistachios:  A Little Information

From my early memories of my older brother loving Pistachio and Marshmallow Cream milk shakes from Howard Johnson's to my later life in the Middle East, where I learned that fresh pistachios arrived on Thursdays from Iran to sate my newly fueled love of the famed Middle Eastern nut, I have had a love affair with pistachios.  Growing up in South Florida, we did eat pistachios, albeit horrid specimens dyed red to disguise blemishes in the hulls and which tinted the fingers as well.  But after living and travelling in the Middle East throughout my mid-twenties and thirties, I really came into a serious case of pistachio love.

When I first moved to Abu Dhabi to start a school for an American company doing water pipeline work in the city, I lived for a while in a penthouse in a building that housed a popular Lebanese bakery on its ground floor.  While I didn't actually have to trip over the trays of tempting pastries, often replete with pistachios, to get to my flat, it seemed that way to me.  I started out sampling a piece at a time and slowly grew to buying increasingly larger boxes of treats.  And although walnuts were available in some pastries, I almost always opted for the pistachios.  Then, later in Bahrain, waiting on those pistachios from Iran (and cashews from Kenya), my appreciation just grew.  I even knew of one lone house, down a lonely and remote alley, where the mother made to order tiny cardamom-pistachio sweetmeats called al salooq, sent home in paper bags and prized as an accompaniment for coffee or tea, or to be served to special guests at any dinner or party.  Yes, my love of pistachios grew over the years.

And just for you, a bit of lore and history:

• Originating in Asia Minor (specifically the area known as Great Iran which is modern Iran and Iraq), pistachios are now grown in Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Italy (Sicily), Uzbekistan Afghanistan, Australia, and the United States
• Pistachios were a common food as early as 6750 BC
• Pistachios are one of the oldest flowering nut trees
• Pistachios can contain a toxin found in poorly harvested or processed nuts (also some can have aflatoxins) 
• The Hanging Gardens of Babylon contained pistachio trees
• The pistachio and almond are two nuts mentioned in the Bible
• Legend says that the Queen of Sheba decreed them to be exclusively a royal food
• Apicius mentions pistachios in his classic cook book of early Rome
• Pistachios were planted in Rome as early as the first century A.D.
• According to Muslim legend, the pistachio nut was one of the foods brought to Earth by Adam
• A desert plant, the pistachio is highly tolerant of saline soil and hot climates
• The FDA in 2003 approved the health claim that the nuts lowered the risk of heart disease
• Consuming 32 to 63g per day of pistachio can significantly elevate plasma levels of lutein, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene
• There actually exists a "Pistachio Principal" whereby the act of shelling and eating pistachios one by one slows one's consumption, allowing one to feel full faster after having eaten less--and it is a pleasant pass time to boot!
• Pistachio shells can be recycled and used as a fire starter like kindling, as a mulch for plants, a medium for orchids, and as a deterrent for slugs and snails when planted around the base of certain plants.  Research shows that the shells may be helpful in cleaning up pollution created my mercury emissions as well.
• Pistachios belong to the Anacardiaceae or Cashew Family, which includes mango, poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac 
• The pistachio has been used as a dyeing agent
• Because of its high nutritional value and long storage life, pistachios were an early indispensable travel item among travelers and traders alike, especially along the Silk Road that connected China with the West
• China is the largest consumer of pistachios today
• In folk remedies, the pistachio has been used to treat ailments ranging from toothaches to sclerosis of the liver
• Alexander the Great introduced pistachios into Greece
• Because of close trade relations with Syria, the Venetian Republic eventually grew pistachios to feed the increasing demand 
• Although pistachios were used in cooking in various ways in Italy, north of the Alps they were used primarily as a costly addition to baked goods
• Pistachios are rich in phytosterols, which are known to lower blood cholesterol
• Another tip from early folklore:  share some pistachios with your loved ones as an aphrodisiac guaranteed to enhance performance (if it worked for the Queen of Sheba, it might just work for you!)

The Soup

Pistachios and cardamom together.  Of course this recipe grabbed me. A combination redolent of flavor and rich history--and utterly impossible to ignore.  Truly, this is one of my favorite soups I have ever made.  Unctuous and rich, yet not really heavy, this soup is a marvel of delicate flavors.  If I could rate this with stars, I would give it an unabashed five out of five!

Cook's Notes:   I used canola oil, serrano chiles, water, Mexican sour cream (no buttermilk available here), and the pistachio puree, but forgot to sprinkle with cilantro.  I think the cilantro would also be nice blended with the puree of pistachios.  This is such a heady soup that the water base was fine, as was the canola oil, though I was tempted to use olive oil.  If you are careful when reheating so as not to curdle, yogurt would also be a nice substitute for the buttermilk.  Sometimes when buttermilk is required, I actually sour some milk with lemon juice or vinegar;  usually, I just substitute crema ácida, or Mexican sour cream.

Recipe:  Paprika and Red Pepper Soup with Pistachio Puree

(Recipe from Eating Well Magazine)

Serves 4

2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, stemmed, seeded and diced

1 to 2 red serrano or Thai chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios

2 cups vegetable broth or water

1 cup nonfat buttermilk

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Garnish:  Puree 1/4 cup shelled pistachios with 1/4 cup water and a pinch of salt.  Add a small handfull of cilantro or sprinkle it on the soup separately.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion, bell peppers and chile to taste.  Cook, stirring until the vegetables release some of their juices and the onion is lightly brown around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the vegetables with paprika, salt, and cardamom and cook, stirring, until the spices are very fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat; let cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender (in batches if necessary) and puree until smooth.  Return the soup to the pan.

Whisk buttermilk and cream in a bowl; sitr into the soup.  Gently warm over low heat.  SErve sprinkled with cilantro and pistachio puree.

Parting Shot:

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using photos or text.  Thanks!

Chai Snickerdoodles, Spice Queens, and the End of the Flowers

Chai Snickerdoodles

Chai Snickerdoodles, Spice Queens, and the End of the Flowers

by Victoria Challancin

Because I had chosen a complicated menu for this week's cooking class, I needed an easy dessert to offer the cooks for their repertoire.  What better than an American classic cookie, Snickerdoodles?  Although these cookies seem timeless, it seems that their history can be traced the New England with the earliest printed recipe appearing in 1889, perhaps coming from the German schneckennudeln,  or cinnamon-dusted sweet rolls.  Made of common pantry staples such as butter, sugar, and flour, these cookies, which can be crispy or soft, as preferred, are easy to make and even easier to consume.  My first exposure to them came not from my family though, as these weren't a part of my mother's extensive baking recipes, but rather from my freshman roommate, who introduced me to them on our first day together.  They have been a staple for me since then.

This version is slightly updated by the addition of chai spices [you may remember my Chai Concentrate which I wrote about here].  This recipe really delivers. Why the addition of extra spices you ask?  Well, it is simply because I love spices.  Love them.  Use them copiously and with joy.

In my very private musings, I secretly think of myself as The Spice Queen.  I know, in know, it's a bit pretentious and over-blown, but truly I gravitate to cuisines that use ample amounts of spices and I, myself, love to toast and grind all manner of blends, from Ras el Hanout, Curry blends (see my Garam Masala here), Middle Eastern baharat ( or Dukkah, or Za'atar) Cajun blends, and so many more.  Whether this love comes from deep in my DNA or simply is an offshoot from the countless spice markets I have loved all over the world, spices permeate my world.  I hunger for them; I seek them out; I read about them; I use them.  And while I am probably known locally for my extensive use of herbs, their culinary counterpoints are equally employed.

Once when my son was a teenager returning from a year of study in France, he commented off-handedly on the way our house smells.

Aghast, I said, "Our house smells?"

"Of spices, Mom.  I always smell spices when I come in the door.  I think I missed that smell."

Whew!  The smell of spices.  A good thing.  A good thing indeed.

Spices for sale in the Meknés souk in Morocco

Not beautiful, but so crispy and good

Cook's Notes: I prefer these cookies crisp, rather than soft and chewy.  If you want the softer, simply adjust the cooking time and remove them before they begin to brown on the edges.  Also, if you want to make them in the traditional way, just use cinnamon and sugar, omitting the other spices.  But you'll be missing something special...

Note that I gave another recipe for these, but I prefer the spice blend here and will thus call these Chai Snickerdoodles Redux.

Recipe:  Chai Snickerdoodles Redux

(Recipe adapted from one given to me over 40 years ago)

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the sugar and spices.  Set aside 1/2 cup of this mixture and place in a small bowl.  Add butter to bowl and cream with sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until completely incorporated.  Add vanilla and beat again.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda.  Add to sugar mixture and stir until fully incorporated.

Chill dough for 15 to 30 minutes.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in reserved sugar mixture.  Place on baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between balls.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until edges are firm and beginning to brown.  Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

More Puptides and the End of the Flowers

Every year I mark the end of the wildflower season with a twinge of sadness.  Watching the campo, or fields near our house, change from day to day is a constant marvel for me.  After the beginning of the rainy season here in Central Mexico, the world comes to life in every form, from the largest cacti to the minutia of the tiniest of tiny flowers in myriad colors.  Of course, with the gradual drying out of the flowers, come the seed pods, many of which cling to Roscoe's beautiful coat.

 The end of the yellows

 Roscoe, impersonating a native American headdress made of sticky seedpods instead of feathers

 I always try to catch Angus cavorting in the many flowers, but he won't be still enough to co-operate with photo shoots;  here I snagged one while I had him on a leash.  My, my, this dog does keep me laughing.

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Like life, recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask for permission before using photos or text.  Thanks!

Chai Snickerdoodles and the End of the Flowers