Indian dinner | Kasha varniskes | Bye bye summer | Spam

Samosas, Basmati rice, and whole wheat roti

Last night we attended the monthly dinner sponsored by Vegetarians of Washington. Each month a vegetarian dinner is catered by a different Seattle area restaurant. The dinners are always vegan, but the diners are a very diverse group that includes eaters of all ages, occupations and dietary persuasions. Last night we had a great time with a particularly congenial group of people, and we all enjoyed an Indian meal presented by Pabla Indian Cuisine, with restaurants in Renton and Issaquah.


Kabli Channa (Punjabi style garbanzo beans)


Mixed vegetable curry


Aloo gobi (spiced potatoes and cauliflower)

In addition to the foods pictured above, we also had rice pudding for dessert, and received Nature's Path Peanut Choco chewy granola bars as an extra treat.

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Kasha and bow-ties



In my last post I displayed a photo of kasha and bowties (kasha varnishkes) made with shiitake dashi, shiitake mushrooms* and miso, promising a recipe. I'm posting a recipe with less exotic ingredients, instead, and a note on using shiitakes. For one thing, I'm out of dried shiitakes and need to make a trip to our favorite Asian market to restock our supplies. Instead of trekking down to the International District, my husband headed to the closest supermarket to purchase fresh mushrooms and raw, hulled buckwheat groats.*

As I have written in an earlier post, "traditionally, in Russia, kasha means porridge and can be made from any whole grain or combination of grains. To me, it means buckwheat groats, and kasha varnishkes is buckwheat and noodles, specifically bowtie noodles. Kasha varnishkes is a traditional comfort food brought to America by Russian Jewish immigrants.

Buckwheat is actually the seed of a fruit, not a grain. (You can read all about buckwheat and its possible appropriateness in gluten-free diets here.) It is very nutritious, delicious and quick cooking. Hulled, raw buckwheat is called buckwheat groats, and that's what I'm starting with in this recipe. After it's toasted it's called kasha."



Kasha and bow-ties

• 8 to 10 ounce package bow-tie pasta (or other small pasta or flat noodle)
• 1 cup raw, hulled buckwheat groats*
• 2 tablespoons oil
  
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 to 1-1/4 cups)
• 4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (about 8 or 9 mushrooms or 2 heaping cups)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 1-1/2 cups hot water
  
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon evaporated cane juice (natural sugar)
• heaping 1/2 cup minced parsley

1. Cook the pasta, drain, (toss with 1 teaspoon of oil if desired) and set aside.
2. In a large, heavy, dry pan such as cast iron, toast the buckwheat until fragrant (about 4 to 5 minutes) stirring continually.
   
3. Add the oil to the pan then add the onions and mushrooms. Cook and stir until the onions begin to soften (about 5 minutes).
4. Stir in the garlic and a pinch of salt (less then 1/8 teaspoon). Cook and stir for about a minute.
   
5. Add the 1-1/2 cups of hot water to the pan slowly. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to simmer, and cover the pan. Cook until the buckwheat is tender and dry. (about 12 to 15 minutes)
6. Meanwhile, add the tamari to the warm water. Add the sugar and vinegar and stir to dissolve sugar.
7. When the buckwheat is tender, mix in the noodles. Stir in the tamari mixture.
8. Stir in the parsley, reserving some for a garnish. Grind black pepper over the kasha. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. Serves 4 to 6.

*If you can only find toasted buckwheat groats, you can skip the pan toasting and start cooking the kasha at step 3. Warm the oil in the pan, then add the onion, mushrooms and toasted buckwheat to the pan together.



*You can also make this with dried shiitake mushrooms and mushroom broth. Soak 8 to 10 dried mushrooms in 2 cups of warm (not hot) water in a bowl for at least an hour, or until soft. Squeeze out the mushrooms into the bowl, remove the stems and slice the mushrooms. Add enough water to the broth, if necessary, to make 1-1/2 cups. Make the recipe using the shiitakes and broth instead of the fresh mushrooms and water.

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Bye bye, summer


Spider web-draped still-green tomatoes and a lone pepper from our tabletop garden.

With fall officially here, there's no choice but to bid summer a sad goodbye. I'm not one of those people who can't wait for the cool, damp, RAINY days of fall. (Oh wait, wasn't "cool, rainy" supposed to be a description of winter? Or was that spring? Or maybe even a good part of this past summer, here in the PNW?) Cool-rainy is not my favorite type of weather (and thank heavens I spent the summer in the blazing Midwest where I soaked up heat like a sponge) so I hate to see summer — even a less-than-perfect summer — end. I like soup, and and other cold-weather foods like kasha, as much as anyone, but I like sunshine more. Come back, sun come back. Sigh.

I photographed some of the "end of summer" herbs and veggies growing at our house and around the neighborhood. You can see a lone Asian pear in our tree. When we went out to gather the fruit the other day, there was another couple happily picking them all. We asked if they could leave a few for us since it was our tree (we're living in the house and paying rent!) and they informed us the house's owner said they could pick the pears. They carted off all the reachable fruit, and that was that. We're not very argumentative and don't like to cause trouble with the neighbors, so we let it go. But we were a little sad.


An Asian pear beckoning from our tree.


The last sprays of fennel withering in a neighbor's garden.

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Spam, anyone?

Every blog gets spammed, and this blog is no exception, but it's been getting a lot of crazy spam lately, and I thought I'd print a few of the messages (though not the links) for you to admire. I'm leaving out the male-enhancement spam and the totally unintelligible stuff, and just including a sampling of the "jokes" and "friendly messages" I receive. Blogger has been doing a good job of filtering this stuff out so it almost never makes it to the comments section. Only I see it, but really, I wanted to share. So here are five examples of the weird spam this blog attracts, with the types of links in brackets.

1. well, it suppose to be in 3D. Can I download and watch? Will it show normally? [no links]

2. Hi, A altogether inebriated people was stumbling down the street on the subdue and undivided foot in the gutter. A cop pulled up and said, "I've got to swipe you in pal. You're doubtlessly drunk." Our wasted old china asked, "Office-bearer, are ya wholly unshakable I'm drunk?" "Yeah buddy I'm sure," said the copper. "Let's go." Breathing a sigh of abatement, the wino said, "Give goodness. I thought I was crippled." [links to poker sites]

3. Our business creates a business birthday card on the underpinning of unrivaled and pretty projects. These projects are carried revealed by way of the cards the get the better of team of explicit artists and designers in the market who are experts in every gist of the word. They are also extraordinarily supple, so you can achieve barest fascinating business easter card designs, depending on the separate needs of each client. Wide batch of paper allows you to bump into rendezvous with the expectations of parallel with the most tough customers from every conceivable industry. We guarantee the copy and service of mammoth quantities of responsibility cards in the shortest doable time. [link to printing??? site]

4. A the human race walks into a boutique and sees a shrewd only slightly dog. He asks the shopkeeper, "Does your dog bite?" The shopkeeper says, "No my dog does not bite." The man tries to darling the dog and the dog bites him. "Ouch!" he says. "I brainstorm you said your dog does not scrap!" The shopkeeper replies, "That is not my dog." [links to "how-to-cook" sites]

5. It is very interesting for me to read this post. Thank author for it. I like such topics and everything connected to them. I definitely want to read a bit more on this blog soon. BTW, rather nice design you have here, but don't you think it should be changed once in a few months? [Jane Smith escort agency in london.]

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Eggy tofu, avocado and tomato on toast. Sourdough bread was better.

Dreaming in color | daikon soup variations | crochet

Daikon, shiitake and buckwheat soup

I always dream in color. Sometimes my dreams are so vivid I wake up not knowing where I am and what is real. I used to remember more of my dreams, and at one time kept a dream journal to document the weirdness. Now I hardly ever remember my dreams, but recently I woke up disturbed after a particularly vivid one, and recounted it to my husband who suggested I write it down. Here it is, open for interpretation.

I was in Australia with my husband and youngest son, and we were headed off to tour a scenic area. We were in an underground train station, and I became separated from them — couldn't see them anywhere, and was feeling a little panicky. The station was packed with people trying to board the train, and the doors closed before I could enter the car. Suddenly the doors opened again and I rushed in, convinced they had boarded and would be inside. They weren't there but I hoped to find them when I got off at our destination.

The inside of the car looked exactly like the worn-out buses I used to ride to high school, with cracking leather upholstery and a bench seat stretching across the back. It was packed with people but there was one space open on the rear seat, so I went to sit down. A young woman who seemed to know the other people on the seat came and squeezed in beside me. She and her friends were all laughing and talking in a language I didn't understand but somehow I knew that the seat had been hers — she had just left it for a few minutes to talk to friends. The seating was ridiculously tight and uncomfortable so I got up and worked my way to the front of the car. I was worried about missing my stop (15th and 45th Street!) so asked the conductor for help. I got off at my stop but my family wasn't in the station. I tried to use my cell phone to call my husband but I couldn't seem to press the right numbers. I kept messing up. Suddenly I was accosted by a man who tried to steal my phone. I told him I really needed it but he demanded I turn it over, and I asked if I could make one last call. While the thief was distracted I ran out of the station with my phone, into the city.

I wandered around and discovered a craft fair where a woman was selling small sculptures, each with a thin, reddish twig attached. I was thinking that the sculptures weren't too great, when someone approached me and whispered that there existed a certain worm that had four stages of life, and one of the stages was a reddish twig. I asked the sculptor if the twigs would turn into live worms but she didn't answer — just murmured something and smiled enigmatically. I walked away.

I needed to find a bank to change U.S. dollars into Australian dollars so I could take the train back to where we were staying. After I got directions and headed towards the bank, I tried to call my husband again and reached an operator. I learned that because we were using U.S. cell phones, an operator had to place the call. The operator knew us (though I wasn't exactly sure who she was) and was very friendly and helpful, and she placed the call for me but my husband still didn't answer. I tried calling my son but he didn't answer either.

A traveler's aide representative came out of a building and offered to help me. (I was kind of surprised to see she was someone we know from Wisconsin.) I told her I needed to find a bank and she gave me Australian dollars. Then she walked me to the train station and told me which train to catch. I was very worried because I only had one bar of power left on the phone, and wasn't sure how to get home from the train. I woke up suddenly, and after several moments of disorientation, realized with relief I was in my bed, and wouldn't need to find my way home after all.

Well, I suppose some parts of the dream are about my feeling separated from my home, and stranded in this new city, and my difficulty navigating the streets. But the worms? What are they? Too bad the dream wasn't about daikon or dashi, and didn't take place in Japan — it would have been a better segue into the soup I prepared and would like to share with you. The soup was influenced by the Japanese cooking class we recently took, and the recipe for cooking the daikon comes directly from that class. It's very easy to make and incredibly delicious but may take a little advance planning to make the richest tasting dashi. It's worth it.



Daikon, shiitake and buckwheat soup
To make the dashi:
Soak 8-10 dried shiitake mushrooms (rinsed) and 1-1/2 pieces dried kombu seaweed (wiped off with damp cloth) in 6 cups of water overnight in the refrigerator. When you're ready to prepare the soup, remove the kombu. Gently squeeze out the mushrooms into the stock and remove the stems. Slice the mushrooms into 1/4" strips and set aside.

To prepare the daikon:
• 1 medium daikon radish, peeled
• 1 cup dashi
• 3 tablespoons sake (or brown rice vinegar) (you can buy a cheaper sake for cooking)
• 3 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 teaspoon salt (or less to taste)

1. Cut daikon into 2" pieces. Trim off the edges of each cut end so the pieces are slightly rounded.


2. Put the daikon in a pot with just enough water to float the daikon, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, until the daikon is mostly cooked.

3. Drain the daikon and add 1 cup of dashi to the pot. Add sake and mirin. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.

4. Turn heat to low and add tamari and salt. Cook until daikon is tender. (easily pierced with a toothpick) Turn off heat and let sit while you prepare the soup.

To prepare the soup
• dashi
• 2 to 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick on diagonal
• 8 to 10 shiitake mushrooms (from the dashi), stems removed and sliced into 1/4" strips
• 1 to 2 cups 1/2" firm tofu cubes
• 1/2 cup buckwheat groats, lightly toasted in a pan
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 ounces fresh baby spinach, washed
• scallions, thinly chopped

1. In a large soup pot, sauté the mushrooms, carrots and buckwheat for a few minutes in the oil.

2. Add the tofu and remaining dashi and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to simmer and cover. Cook until buckwheat is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Add daikon and its cooking liquid.

4. Just before serving, add spinach and stir in to wilt. Check and adjust seasonings.

5. Place in bowls and garnish with scallion. Serves four as first course or two to three as a main course.



The soup was so delicious we had variations of it two more times. My husband made it with buckwheat noodles instead of groats, and cauliflower instead of spinach but it wasn't as good.



We purchased a set of small white serving bowls that make perfect large eating bowls so I've been a little obsessed with making dinners in a bowl. Here's a lovely stir-fry with rice noodles and mushroom broth that I made for myself on a night when I was dining alone.



Now, I know this doesn't look good — it looked the same way in person — but it WAS good. It was really good. Maybe it just needs a little parsley or something. I was the lucky winner of a copy of "Vegan Fire and Spice" from Robin Robertson's blog, and this was the first recipe my husband tried. It's red beans and rice casserole made with pinto beans instead of kidney beans. I think it needs the deep color of the kidney beans rather than the bland-looking pintos.



Last but not least, this is me, modeling the hat and scarf I crocheted. It's made from Lion Brand Homespun yarn which is one crazy yarn to work with. I bought this yarn because Bethany from Spotted Devil Cat and His Vegan Assistant made a fabulous scarf with it, and I wanted to make one too. (Of course, mine isn't half as cool as hers.) It does make beautiful stuff but it takes some getting used to working with its crimped texture, and items made with it seem to grow. Seriously, the photo was snapped just before the hat grew past my eyes. :D I wet it and put it in the drier, and now it seems to have stopped growing, but consider yourself warned!

Kasha varniskes soup

I've never entered a blog challenge before, but this No Croutons Required event on Tinned Tomatoes caught my attention. It's for soups or salads involving pasta, with an eye to comforting dishes to ward off the chilly weather ahead—or already here depending on where you live! Now some people might consider mac and cheese their comfort food, and others (misguided others?) may name meatloaf, but when I think of comfort food for cold weather, I think of kasha and bowties, or kasha varnishkes.



Just the sound of the word "kasha" makes me think of blazing fireplaces and cozy sweaters — and my warm and wonderful grandmother. And bowties just seem thicker and mouthier than regular noodles, with a chewy twist in the middle of each one.

Traditionally, in Russia, kasha means porridge and can be made from any whole grain or combination of grains. To me, it means buckwheat groats, and kasha varnishkes is buckwheat and noodles, specifically bowtie noodles. Kasha varnishkes is a traditional comfort food brought to America by Russian Jewish immigrants.

Buckwheat is actually the seed of a fruit, not a grain. (You can read all about buckwheat and its possible appropriateness in gluten-free diets here.) It is very nutritious, delicious and quick cooking. Hulled, raw buckwheat is called buckwheat groats, and that's what I'm starting with in this recipe. After it's toasted in oil, it's called kasha. I've never encountered it in a soup before but thought I'd give it a try.



Kasha varnishkes soup

• three medium onions, halved and sliced thin
• two medium carrots, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms, 1/2 inch slices
  
• two cloves garlic, minced
• four green onions, sliced thin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• two-three tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup hulled buckwheat groats
• one cup frozen green soybeans (edamame)
• two tablespoons tamari soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• eight ounces dry bowtie noodles, cooked and drained
• six cups low-salt vegetable stock or water or a mix
  

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
   
2. In a five quart Dutch oven sauté the sliced onions, carrots and mushrooms in two tablespoons of oil until onion is soft, about five minutes.
3. Push the onions aside and add the paprika, garlic and buckwheat to the pan. Cook, stirring, until buckwheat is fragrant. If the pan is dry, you can add a little oil.
   
4. Add the 6 cups of water or stock, and return to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, add tamari and cook 12-15 minutes until buckwheat is tender.
5. Add noodles. Add green onions, reserving some to sprinkle on each serving.
   
6. Add a few grinds of pepper and additional salt if desired.
   

Not only did this soup meet my expectations as a comfort food, the whole house smelled fantastic for hours. We had this soup with teeny tiny steamed brussels sprouts and imaginary muffins. Next time real muffins!