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Cumin Coconut Soba Noodles

I threw this dish together, served it, ate it and never stopped to take a photo.

Imagine hearty buckwheat noodles in a creamy coconut milk sauce, enriched with salty miso, warming ginger, garlic and cumin, with kale and crunchy walnuts. This dish is healthy yet somehow decadent, and the perfectly enjoyed on a winter evening alongside a crackling fire.

5 ounces soba noodles

2 Tbsp coconut oil

4 Tbsp ground cumin (i prefer grinding whole seeds)

1 tsp chili flake

1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped 

1/4 c fresh ginger, chopped

2 cloves garlic, (blends better if already minced)

1/2 c red (or white) miso paste

3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 Tbsp mirin

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1 can whole coconut milk

6 stalks purple (or other variety) kale, roughly chopped

1/2 c walnuts

Place coconut oil in a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat. Once melted, add freshly ground cumin and chili flake. Stir for a couple minutes as spice aromas release. Add chopped onion to pot, give a stir, then turn heat to low and cover with lid. Fill a second pot with water and bring to a boil. In the meantime, combine ginger, garlic, miso, sesame oil, mirin, lemon juice, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Turn on and blend until a smooth sauce is created. After onions have cooked down for about 10 minutes, remove lid and add whole can of coconut milk. Continue to simmer and add kale. Place soba noodles in boiling water and cook until al dente. While noodles are cooking, add ginger-miso sauce to coconut milk-onion pot. Once noodles are done, strain and add to sauce pot. Lightly toast walnuts in a cast iron skillet, then chop or crush (place nuts on cutting board and with the smooth underside of a large bowl, apply pressure to nuts, crushing them). Serve noodles in bowls, making sure to include some of the sauce, and garnish with walnuts. Fresh herbs such as chives, parsley, or tarragon would be delicious on top as well.

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Dad and I spent the afternoon

 in the thick of the blackberry vines

on the opposite side of the creek

long sleeves and gloves

our only armor

harvesting 5 foot stalks of hearty

wild nettles

of which i had to make

one of my favorite simple dishes;

pasta with pureed fresh nettle sauce,

pinenuts, parmigiano

(and the outside light is golden right now,

hitting tree leaves sideways,

cool air drops into our little valley,

and three spots on my skin tingle;

incessant reminders of today's work)

 

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Bucatini alla Carbonara

 <<<  for one  >>>

A friend of mine recently made me pasta alla carbonara. It instantly transported me back to Italy last summer, where I wilted with pleasure from my first experiences of this dish. I never realized it was so rich, so indulgent; the perfect combination of breakfast, lunch and dinner. And for anyone with an egg obsession such as I, it's a must-have. Of course I had to make it for myself. I adapted this recipe from Mario Batali.

1 serving Rustichella d'Abruzzo bucatini noodles (or other long noodles)

1/4 c pasta water (after cooking noodles)

1 slice bacon

1/4 c parmigiano reggiano, grated

about 2 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 beautiful egg, separated

Boil a pot of salted water. Cook noodles. Cook bacon in skillet. Remove bacon and chop, leaving pan with bacon fat on stove. When pasta is cooked, add to bacon-pan with pasta water and cook on med-high for a few minutes while liquid reduces. Remove from heat. Add parmigiano, chopped bacon, pepper, and egg white. Toss. Plate pasta and top with egg yolk and more black pepper. (Mix yolk into dish right before eating.) No salt necessary in my opinion; the bacon and parmigiano do the trick.

 

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Soba Noodles with Bok Choy & Ginger

It's overcast and cold out today. Mom was baking her famous cookies for my brother's upcoming art show in Santa Barbara, and I got sucked into major pantry organization; consolidating bulk teas and grains and baking stuff, throwing old things out, and putting new things in jars. We were dancing to this and were both in the mood for something warm and delicious for lunch. I put together this simple pasta dish with buckwheat soba noodles, sprouted tofu, and bok choy.

Roughly chop 1/2 yellow onion. In a medium sized pot, heat 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp ground ginger with 2 Tbsp sesame oil. After 1-2 minutes, add chopped onion. Turn heat to low and cover, remembering to stir occasionally. In a smaller pot, boil water for noodles. While onions are slowly cooking and water is heating, cut 1/2 package firm sprouted tofu into small cubes, and roughly chop 1-2 baby bok choy. Set aside. In small mixing bowl, combine 1 heaping tablespoon white miso paste, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp brown rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp mirin (rice cooking wine), 1-2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (depending on how spicy you like it), 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp soy sauce. When water is boiling, add 1 bundle (about 3.5 oz) soba noodles. Add tofu and bok choy to onion pot, give a good stir, and turn up the heat to med-high, leaving uncovered. When noodles are cooked through, strain and transfer them to vegetable pot, along with sauce mixture. Cook for another minute or two (until excess liquid evaporates and ingredients come together), then remove from heat and serve. Garnish with chopped toasted peanuts (I used pinenuts since I had no peanuts on hand and they were great), and/or chopped green onions. Serves 2.

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for Dad's 65th

birthday spaghetti with eggplant & chanterelles >> 

boil salted water in medium sized pot. in another larger pot, add 2 tsp dried chili flake & 2 tsp ground nutmeg. toast for 1-2 minutes, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil & one roughly chopped yellow onion. cover with lid and cook on med-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. add 1 small eggplant (diced) & 3 cloves minced garlic and continue cook for 5 minutes. add 3/4 package spaghetti to boiling water (i use Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta). to eggplant mixture, add about 3/4 lb sliced chanterelles, remove lid and cook for a few minutes (allow mushrooms to release their moisture and cook down). add a splash of sherry to deglaze pan, followed by a few tablespoons cream. when pasta is almost al dente, remove it from boiling water and transfer to large pot with other ingredients (along with a splash of pasta water). allow liquid to cook off, and remove from heat. add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest, 1/4 c pinenuts, 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, & salt to taste. toss well and serve. serves 4.

birthday chiffon cake with cardamom-vanilla bean syrup and dark chocolate frosting >> 

i recently made Tartine's Basic Chiffon Cake recipe as a cake base for their Fromage Blanc Bavarian. however, the Bavarian recipe called for only 1/3 of the chiffon. i thoroughly wrapped the remainder of the cake and froze it for future use.

i removed it to defrost the morning i created this cake.

in a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c water, 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/2 vanilla bean (pod and beans). heat over low until the sugar dissolves. remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. using a pastry brush, moisten the entire top surface of the chiffon cake evenly with the syrup. in a new saucepan, combine 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c heavy cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. add 2 1/2 ounces Scharffen Berger 99% cacao unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped and 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces. stir until melted. pour into a bowl and stir in 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. refrigerate frosting for at least 40 minutes, and once thicker, frost top and sides of cake. serve with Straus vanilla bean ice cream.