Τό γυναικεῖον τῆς Ὑπατίας - An Áit Bhanda na Hypatia - Hypatia's Gynaeceum

Colcannon on the Ganges;
or,
Ever Tried Cookin Stuff in Yogurt?

3 tbs ghee
4 medium potatoes, 7 small potatoes, or a dozen new potatoes, parboiled, drained, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 habanero pepper, cored and chopped
1 tbs ginger-garlic purée
1 tbs curry powder
2 tsp turmeric
½ tsp garam masala or allspice
½ tsp black pepper
1 bunch kale
2 cups yogurt
1 tsp yellow mustard seed, ground fine
½ tsp salt

1. Sauté the onions in ghee over medium-high heat until transparent.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Move the onions aside and tilt the pan to drain more ghee toward the empty space. Sauté the ginger-garlic purée in it separately for a minute.

2. Add the habanero and spices; stir well.

3. Add the potatoes and sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the chopped kale.

5. Stir in the yogurt, mustard, and salt over medium-low heat. Continue simmering slowly, stirring frequently to keep the yogurt from separating. When the potatoes are cooked through, about 30 minutes, remove from heat and either serve as is, or take a masher to the vegetables. The former is more like the Indian potatoes with yogurt and turmeric recipe that influenced this dish, the latter is more like colcannon.

3/4 cup cornmeal
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

2 eggs
3/4 cup milk

3 tbs olive oil or corn oil
½ onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced fine
1 or 2 jalapeños, diced fine
½ cup sweet corn kernels
½ cup green peas
1 tomato, diced
½ cup spinach, chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped (or cilantro)
½ tsp each of: black pepper, cayenne, cumin, coriander
1 tsp each of: oregano, basil

3/4 cup shredded cheese: mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey jack, Parmesan, etc.

1. In a large skillet, sauté the onion in 2 tbs cooking oil until transparent.

2. Stir in the garlic, carrot, jalapeño, corn, and peas, and sauté lightly for a few minutes. Stir in the spices and herbs.

3. Mix the cornmeal, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl.

4. Beat the eggs and mix with milk.

5. Pour the eggs and milk into the cornmeal and mix well.

6. Fold in the sautéed vegetables, tomato, spinach, and parsley.

7. Put 1 more tbs of oil in the large skillet over medium heat, and pour in the batter. Top with shredded cheese. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

Serves 6.

You Are Minestrone

You are a spontaneous person. You don't make or follow rules. You just go with your gut. You're eager to go wherever life takes you. If something doesn't work out, at least you've learned. Nutrition and eating healthy is very important to you. You eat your veggies. That being said, you're not a picky eater. You like all foods.

This is too perfect! In fact, minestrone is absolutely my favorite dish ever. I literally live on minestrone. This is a good opportunity to share my recipe.

Minestrone vegetariano di Gianna

My favorite comfort food…

There are millions of different minestrone recipes, but this is how I prefer it. This recipe doesn't need precise measurements; I cook by intuition. I usually vary it by adding whatever vegetables I have on hand that would go well in it, especially cauliflower and zucchini.

1 large onion
Several cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
1 or 2 whole cloves and a few black peppercorns
Bay leaves
Carrots
Celery
Cremini mushrooms (a.k.a. "Baby Bellas")
Red or green bell pepper
Green beans
Several Roma tomatoes, chopped
Peas
Spinach, chopped
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of cannellini beans, drained
¼ pound of small-sized whole wheat pasta
2 quarts vegetable broth and water (or more as needed)
Soy sauce
Crushed red pepper
Black pepper
Flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
Rosemary
Thyme
Oregano
Basil

1. Sauté the chopped onions until transparent, along with the minced garlic.

2. Add the cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves, along with the sliced vegetables: carrots and celery first, then after a while the mushrooms, bell pepper, and green beans, and sauté a couple more minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, peas, and spinach, and cook for another minute.

4. Add the beans, tomato sauce, water, and vegetable broth.

5. When the liquid starts to simmer, drop in the pasta, cover the pot, lower the heat all the way down, and simmer very slowly for about 20 minutes.

6. About five minutes before cooking is done, stir in the spices, herbs, and soy sauce, and maybe a little salt to taste. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese and maybe a little drizzle of olive oil.

The relative proportions of each ingredient are up to the cook's best judgment. The whole wheat pasta makes this a thick hearty minestrone. Having all the food groups combined, it can even be a whole meal in one bowl.

I just concocted this because I've been having mad cravings for vegetarian poutine. OMG it turned out so incredibly excellent, even more delicious than I'd imagined! I amazed myself.

1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound Cremini mushrooms ("Baby Bellas"), chopped fine
¼ cup olive oil
3 tbs butter
5 tbs whole wheat flour
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 cups vegetable stock
2 tsp Marmite
2 tbs soy sauce
black pepper, paprika, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, cayenne

1. Sauté the onion in the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until it starts to brown.

2. Add garlic and mushrooms, and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms.

3. While the above is sautéing, make the roux: melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

4. Stir in the flour and blend well; cook, stirring occasionally, until moderately browned. Darker brown shades of roux will result in stronger-flavored gravy, but if gets too dark, it won't thicken as well. Cook until it turns the color of milk chocolate. Using whole-wheat flour instead of white flour makes it brown to begin with, so the finished color will be darker than if made with white flour.

5. Add the mushrooms to the roux.

6. Deglaze the skillet the mushrooms were cooked in with the vinegar and some of the vegetable stock. Stir this into the saucepan, along with the rest of the stock.

7. Mix in the Marmite, soy sauce, and seasonings to taste. Simmer over medium low heat until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

La mejor salsa del mundo es la hambre.
—Cervantes

½ lb. fresh hot red chili peppers
3 cloves garlic
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. coriander
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1. Slightly roast the garlic cloves in their skins on a dry skillet over medium heat, turning them over before each side gets cooked too much. Peel.
2. Combine chili peppers, garlic, salt, spices, and lemon juice in a blender. Purée until smooth.
3. Pour the harissa into a dish and drizzle olive oil over it.

It keeps covered in the refrigerator, and the flavor improves after a day or two. It goes over couscous and tagine.

Barley cakes were common to the ancient Mediterranean and Levant. One of the most ancient foods in the world. This is a recipe I've developed, based on ancient recipes.

2 cups barley flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs baking powder
3/8 cup milk
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbs honey

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

2. Stir in all the wet ingredients and mix well. Knead with hands in the bowl until smooth textured. If the dough is too dry and crumbly, you may need to add a few more drops of milk.

3. Preheat oven to 350º.

4. Pinch off one-inch balls of dough and flatten them into disks approximately 3 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Pat between the palms into nice even disks.

5. Bake on an oiled baking sheet for 15 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack.

Yield: 13 cakes.

1 eggplant, diced
2 zucchini, sliced
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ lb new potatoes, quartered
1 tbs cumin
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbs hot sauce
1 tbs chili powder
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
2½ cups tomato puree
1 tbs tomato paste
1 cup water
1/3 cup dried apricots, halved
1 15-oz can chickpeas
¼ tsp salt

1. Toss eggplant and zucchini in 1½ tbs olive oil. Broil slowly until lightly browned (approx. 20 minutes).

2. Heat 1½ more tbs olive oil in a pan and cook onion and garlic until soft. Add potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.

3. Add spices and mushrooms; cook for 3 more minutes.

4. Pour in tomato purée, tomato paste, and a cup of water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

5. Add eggplant, zucchini, chili powder, apricots, chickpeas, and salt; simmer for 15 more minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add more water if tagine becomes too dry.

6. Garnish with cilantro. Serve over couscous and top with harissa. Makes 9 servings. Serving size=1 cup.

mmmMMM this is so yummy!

Caponata is a classic Sicilian antipasto that also makes a vegetable course in its own right, with sweet and sour, delicate and robust flavors finely balanced.

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggplants, cubed
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
¾ cup olives, sliced
⅓ cup capers
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
½ cup tomato sauce
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbs honey
¼ cup red wine vinegar

1. Rub salt into the cubed eggplants and let sit for a while. Rinse well and press out water in a colander.
2. Sauté the onions and garlic in ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet for a couple minutes.
3. Add celery and sauté for another 7 minutes.
4. Add green peppers, olives, capers, tomatoes, tomato sauce, herbs, pepper, honey, and vinegar. Cook, stirring, for another 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, fry the eggplant in a large pot in ½ cup oil for 7-8 minutes.
6. Add the sautéed vegetables to the eggplant, cover, and simmer slowly for 10 minutes.
7. Cool overnight to allow the flavors to merge (this is the crucial step). Serve cold on toasted Italian bread. Serving size=½ cup, makes about 18 servings.

I made up a big batch of this last night, and now I'm lovin it. Been wanting to make this again for a long time. What a great pizza topping it would make...

"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food."
--Hippocrates

This is what I've been making every day since Saturday when I came down with a cold with flu-like symptoms. Miso, shiitake, ginger root, garlic, and cayenne are reputed to add many health benefits. Please note: I made this soup intensely spicy for myself because I can take it and I want it strong to blast the illness right out of me. Anyone else who isn't as used to high levels of Capsicum scovilles may want to reduce the amount of cayenne to 1/2 teaspoon or less. (Although my fire-eating friends catskillmarina and invisione would add even more.)

4 cups water
1.5 tbs fresh ginger root, minced
2 tbs onion, minced
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup peas
1 tsp black pepper
1.5 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1/4 block lite firm tofu, diced
1/4 cup spinach, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs Westbrae Organic Mellow Brown Rice Miso

1. Boil the water, adding ginger root and onion.
2. Add in succession the carrots, celery, peas, shiitake, pepper, cayenne, tofu, and spinach. Simmer on medium-low for a few minutes.
3. Shut off the heat, add the garlic, and let the simmering gradually cease.
4. Put the miso in a bowl, add a spoonful of broth to it, and mix well. Keep adding a spoonful of broth at a time and blending until the miso is smoothly liquefied. Pour it into the soup pot, stir, and serve.

Eat it all up. Feel the burn. :) Cayenne may sting, but it doesn't actually hurt you... I find it very soothing.

( Nutritional analysis follows... )

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 red bell pepper, chopped
5 Sicilian olives, pitted, sliced
5 Kalamata olives, pitted, sliced
2 tbs capers
1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas
1.5 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbs lemon juice
2 cups mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1. In a large skillet, sauté the onions and garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil until transparent.
2. Add celery, red pepper, black pepper, bell pepper, olives, capers, mushrooms, and chickpeas; sauté 5 more minutes.
3. Stir in herbs and lemon juice.
4. Oil the bottom of a deep baking dish with olive oil, and coat with a couple tablespoons tomato sauce; place half the chickpea mixture into the dish.
5. Cover with 1 cup mozzarella.
6. On top of the mozzarella, spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce.
7. Place the remaining chickpea mixture on top.
8. Cover with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
9. Cover with the remaining 1 cup tomato sauce.
10. Cover with parmesan; top with bread crumbs.
11. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes; raise heat to 425 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes to get a crispy top. Serves 8.

( Segue la ricetta tradotta in italiano... )

Gather round, Capsicum lovers, for an unusual twist: Instead of just seasoning the dish, here chili peppers are the very heart and substance of the dish itself. Mirchi ka salan is one of the greatest classics of Hyderabadi cuisine.

Masala ingredients:
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup raw peanuts
1 cup coconut
1 large onion sliced thin
4 tbs whole coriander
4 tbs whole cumin
2 tbs salt
2 tbs ginger-garlic purée
2 tsp turmeric

Other ingredients:
1 lb tamarind
2 quarts water
1 cup peanut or sunflower oil
¼ cup curry leaves (Murraya koenigii)
2 tsp black mustard seeds (Brassica nigra)
1 tbs kalonji (Nigella sativa)
2 lbs fresh New Mexico, Anaheim, or poblano chiles
½ cup cilantro
optional: green finger chiles, tomatoes

Soak tamarind in 1 quart water for ½ hour. Squeeze by hand to separate seeds and pulp, extracting tamarind flavor into the water, and strain into a large bowl. Repeat extraction and straining process with another quart of water. Set tamarind water aside; discard seeds and strained pulp.

Masala: Roast sesame seeds in a deep pan over high heat, stirring till lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Repeat with peanuts, coconut, coriander, and 3 tbs cumin. Fry onion in ½ tsp oil until caramelized. Add to coconut in a blender, and blend until smooth. Grind sesame to a fine paste in a coffee grinder or food processor. Repeat with peanuts, coriander, and cumin. Add salt, turmeric, and ginger-garlic purée; mix well all masala ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Slash whole chiles lengthwise down one side. Heat 1 cup oil in a large heavy pot on high heat. Add curry leaves, black mustard seeds, kalonji, and the remaining 1 tbs whole cumin. After frying for 1 minute, add chiles and fry until their skins are all blistered. Remove chiles from oil and set aside.

Add masala to oil and fry, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes until browned and no longer sticking to the pot. Lower heat to medium high and simmer masala for a few more minutes until it gives off a rich aroma. Stir in tamarind water, a little at a time, and mix well. Add cilantro. At this stage, if the chiles are too mild and a hotter curry is desired, add some whole green finger chiles (or a couple of habaneros if you really feel daring); also optionally, a couple of quartered tomatoes.

Heat to boiling. Add fried chiles to liquid, lower heat to medium high, and simmer uncovered, occasionally stirring gently, for about 1 hour, until the liquid is mostly evaporated and the curry sauce is the consistency of thick gravy. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro.

Preparation time: 2½ hours.
Serves 10.

This preparation is essential to cooking practically everything in Hyderabadi cuisine. I prepare plenty in advance and keep it on hand.

1 lb. fresh ginger
1 lb. garlic
½ tsp. salt
1 tbs. water

Cut up ginger roots into ½" pieces. Peel the garlic. Purée both together with salt in a blender or food processor until smooth, adding just enough water to facilitate grinding. Keeps for weeks in a covered container in the refrigerator.

While both ginger and garlic can be found in the grocery already puréed, I do not recommend these as their flavor is very inferior to when you prepare it fresh. In Hyderabad, ginger-garlic vendors push carts through the neighborhoods selling only these two fresh items because the demand is so high. In fact, this preparation is so useful, I use it all the time, even in non-Indian cuisines.

As you may come to notice, I often take classic recipes and rework them into my own versions which by the time I'm done with them may bear only scant relation to the original. This was originally inspired not by a bruschetta recipe, but by how they serve Italian bread at the Macaroni Grill, as well as Arabic za‘tar which is a similar idea to bruschetta and probably a very ancient one going back to the Mediterranean Bronze Age. Lately I've really been rockin the olive oil and herbs in my recipes, and experimented with them in purest form. Then I brought this recipe around more in the direction of traditional bruschetta.

Combine in a bowl:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper (I just take a dried chile arbol or two and hand-crush; I hand-crush the herbs too)

Serve as a dipping sauce with crusty toasty bread. Ordinary American bread will not work with this dipping sauce. It has to be something firm but yielding and very crusty, like Italian bread or baguette. Actually, I usually have naan with this, especially the Afghan bread known as naan-e barbari, lightly toasted, or else fresh tandoori naan from the local Afghan kabob joint.

Or use this mixture to make bruschetta:

herbs in olive oil mixture (above)
1 clove garlic, slightly bruised and cut lengthwise
½ lb. barbary bread (نانِ بربرى) or Middle Eastern bread
1 tomato, diced
1 oz. mozzarella
1 oz. parmesan

1. Rub the bread with the garlic.
2. Spread the diced tomato over the bread.
3. Drizzle the herbs in olive oil over it.
3. Top with and cheese.
4. Bake in a toaster oven at 400° for 10 minutes.

Too bad about my low-carb diet which has gone by the wayside, because I'm addicted to naan. I've been having this for breakfast every day when I can get it. Consume olive oil and your skin will be smoothed and softened from inside. It's healthier than butter.

2 carrots
2 stalks celery
other vegetables, e.g. ½ head broccoli, 1 julienned red bell pepper, ½ head cauliflower, 1 diced cucumber or zucchini, radicchio, jicama, etc.
1 cup yogurt
¼ cup olive oil
finely minced garlic
fresh chopped chili pepper
black pepper
salt
basil
dill
oregano
Italian flat-leaf parsley
rosemary
thyme
sprinkle of lemon juice

Chop the carrots, celery, and other crunchy raw vegetables. Mix in a bowl with the other ingredients.

This is admittedly only loosely inspired by actual Greek-style tzatziki... I just wanted a way to serve raw vegetables with yogurt and herbs.

No animals were slaughtered in connection with the making of this dish.

I'm attempting a low-carb vegetarian diet. I need to lose 20 pounds to fit into a slinky new dress. So far, so good. I started yesterday by making a salad with raw vegetables and yogurt sort of like tzatziki, and then I made chana dal, which is high protein and low glycemic. This morning for breakfast I had eggs and my one slice of whole wheat bread for the day. This afternoon on the way home from downtown I got all the Thai ingredients from Grand Mart, and went to work.

I sliced up carrot, Chinese eggplant, baby bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, shiitake, and tofu, and also used snow peas. I chopped ginger, galangal, garlic, hot little green Thai chilis, lemongrass, makrud lime leaves, and a bit of onion, added spices and soy sauce, and ground it all into a paste. I sautéed this green curry paste, then added the vegetables and stirred, covered them with coconut milk, added a couple bunches of Thai basil, covered and let it simmer, and when it was done topped it with cilantro.

It turned out pretty excellent for the first try! This is one of my favorite dishes ever and I'm delighted to be able to make my own now. I made a big pot of it and used 6 Thai chilis, which made it "American hot." But when I took my own serving, I sliced three more Thai chilis and sprinkled them on my curry, making it "Thai hot."

คิฉันรักอาหารไทยค่ะ dichan rak ahan Thai kha :)

This is very economical, easy, healthy, nutritious, vegan, and yummy. Perfect for winter months.

3 carrots
3 stalks of celery
1 onion
3 red potatoes
2 rutabagas
1 sweet potato
2 tomatoes or half of a winter squash

Baste:
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup apple juice or orange juice
1 ounce balsamic vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 ounce honey
½ cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 chopped chili pepper (I used habanero just now)
2 or more cloves chopped or puréed garlic
½ teaspoon rosemary
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon thyme
1 pinch of sage, marjoram, or savory

Cut the vegetables into 1" chunks and place them in a large deep baking pan. Mix all the baste ingredients, pour over the vegetables, and mix well until all vegetables are covered in baste. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 360 degrees for 90 minutes.

This big batch will keep well for days when refrigerated and is good reheated. Be sure to save the ends, peels, and stems of all the vegetables and parsley, simmer slowly for an hour in a big pot of water with bay leaf and peppercorns, and strain to make soup stock for use instead of water in cooking anything. Making stock of the vegetable parts you would otherwise throw away reduces waste, saves nutrients, and enriches the flavor of anything you use it in. Bon appétit!