Mint Chocolate Iced Tea

I invented something!
And it's amazing!
And it actually tastes like mint chocolate!

Enrique and I visited our dear friends Harry and Rufina who were also hosting George and Julie. These get togethers are few and far between, so being something special I wanted to make something deserving. My pasta was rushed and not as good as it usually is (though Enrique was kind and said it was still okay) and I ran out of time and omitted the olives and Parmesan. But the iced tea was spot on. And with early prep, it wasn't difficult at all.

The taste starts with a chocolate aroma, the initial sweet tea on the tongue, turning minty, and once again, a chocolate finish. Delicious. The recipe below gives 2L - great for a summer BBQ.

Rooibos Teas are becoming more and more common, and I believe chocolate is the most common of all flavours. In Toronto you can find it an the tea shops in First Canadian Place (as my wonderful husband treats me to now and again) and also at Luba's tea shop in St Lawrence Market, who is wonderfully effervescent and helpful. If you ever go to St Jacobs Market in Waterloo, there is a stall (aptly named The St Jacobs Tea Shop) with a variety of teas. I just bought a coconut rooibos from her and can't wait to try it!

The mint leaves can be bought in any grocery store, but if you have mint growing in your yard, that is best because it will make the shortest journey from picked to pot. I made they syrup at my mother's after picking, (thoroughly) washing, and drying the leaves, they went straight into the pot for the maximum flavour and fragrance.

I almost always would recommend vanilla pods, yet I used extract because I get mine from local markets in Mexico and it always lasts me until my parents decide they want to take another vacation there. If you can't get the best quality extract, please do yourself a favour and use the pod!


Mint Chocolate Iced Tea

Chocolate Rooibos Tea Mint Leaves Sugar Cardamom Pods (whole) Vanilla (pod or extract) Water

5 tbsp 1 large bunch 1.5 cups 7 pods 1/2 pod (not seeds) or 1 tbsp 2.5L (approx)

MINT SYRUP

1. In a large heavy bottomed pot, dissolve sugar in approx 1.25L of water.
2. Turn heat up to High and reduce to form a light syrup, to about 2/3 of original volume.
3. Reduce heat to medium/medium-low and add washed and clean mint leaves. Stir to saturate every leaf.
4. Bruise and add cardamom pods.
5. When syrup coats back of spoon and can hold the line drawn across with your finger, turn off heat and cool (be careful with the spoon - it's a cooking sugar and can burn).
6. Strain leaves and pods and set syrup aside to cool.
   

ROOIBOS TEA

1. Boil the rest of the water and in a teapot, brew the chocolate rooibos tea. I use a coffee filter in addition to the mesh strainer since the needle-like leaves have a tendency to get out into the liquid. You want a clear tea for this application.
2. When tea has cooled to warm from hot, add the vanilla.
3. Let tea cool completely while steeping (no tannins = no bitterness!).
4. Remove filter with leaves shortly before chilling.
   

TO SERVE

1. Let both the syrup and the tea cool completely.
2. Chill in the fridge to bring down the temperature.
   
3. Combine both the cooled syrup and the tea to your serving jug.
4. CIN CIN!

TO SPIKE OR NOT TO SPIKE:
If you want to spike it, I would recommend Frangelico and/or Mint Schnapps, but that would ruin all the wonderful nuances of the tea. Yup, I'm actually recommending we go alcohol free on this one!

Islamic Noodles

Many people I know are addicted to Salad King's Islamic Noodles - an offering not on the menu, but available to those in the know. Hell, I'm addicted to half their menu. But I stopped working in that area years ago, and then there was the fire that shut them down for a good while, but now they are back. It's still difficult for me to get down there, so last night, I said screw it, I'm making Islamic Noodles.

You will not find this recipe online. I investigated, checked out links for Panang Curry, Muslim style Thai food, and they all provided hints, but nothing definitive. So understanding my ingredients, I set out to recreate this elusive delicacy. Granted, my version is extremely un-Islamic, with pork AND shellfish that my Muslim friends would cringe, but to Halaal it up, I would just sub in some other items. I'm not sure how I would replace the Crab Paste.


Without further ado, here is my recipe. It makes 1 massive pot - good for family style (6-8) or leftovers.

ISLAMIC NOODLES COMME SALAD KING
_________________________________

Rice Noodles		1/2 package
Coconut Milk		1 can
Pork Tenderloin		2
Tofu (semihard)		2 cups
Shrimp		750 g
Carrot		2
Snow Peas		250 g
Bamboo Shoot		1 cup
Straw Mushrooms		1 can
Bird Chilli		7 chillis
Green Onion		5 stalks
Tamarind Paste		4 tbsp
Lemongrass		1 stalk
Khafir Lime Leaves		7 leaves
Fish Sauce		1/4 cup
Lime Juice		1 can
Brown Sugar (optional)		2 tbsp
Canola Oil		to coat pot

_________________________________

CURRY PASTE
Onion		1 large
Garlic		1/2 head
Crab Paste		6 tbsp
Tomato Paste		3 tbsp
Galangal/Ginger		3 tbsp (grated)
Lime Zest		1 lime
Cumin		1 tsp (whole)
Coriander		2 tsp (whole)
Chilli Powder		1/2 tsp
Lemongrass		top 1/3 of stalk
Water		bring to 1/2 cm high in mixer

_________________________________

GARNISH
Cilantro		chopped
Lime		wedge
Bean Sprouts		(optional, I don't b/c I'm preggers)

Curry Paste:

1. In a small pan, toast the Cumin, Coriander, and Chilli Powder.
   In a mortar and pestle, grind spice mix into a powder.
   
2. In a food processor, combine Onion, Garlic, Crab Paste, Tomato Paste, Galangal, Spice mix, Lime zest, and the (tough but pliable) top third of the lemongrass stalk that has been chopped into smaller nibs.
   
3. Add enough water to mix and process until you have a paste.

Ingredient Prep:

1. Pork: soak in water/cider vinegar/salt solution, trim of silver skin and fat, and wash. Cut into 3" strips.
2. Shrimp: wash in lemon water, trim and devain.
3. Tofu: I get the plastic sealed, fish-flavoured cubes from the freezer section. Cut them down further into 1/2" cubes.
4. Tamarind Paste: soak tamarind in boiling water (equal parts) and mix to dissolve pulp. Press through strainer.
5. Carrots: trim and cut into 2" sticks on the bias.
   
6. Lemongrass: remove outer husk and cut on the diagonal into 1" pieces.
7. Snow peas: Wash, top and tail. Leave whole.
8. Straw Mushrooms: I can only find these in the can. Strain, rinse, and cut lengthwise into halves.
9. Bamboo shoots: I hate the smell. I strain and rinse thoroughly. Get as much of the smell out as you can. These will likely come in match width sticks.
10. Chillis: Mince.
11. Khafir Lime Leaves: rinse and bruise with the back of a knife.

Cooking:

1. In a wide heavy bottom pot, add oil on medium high heat.
2. When hot, add curry paste. Cook until most moisture has evaporated and the mixture begins to brown on bottom of the pan. Watch carefully - you cannot let this mixture burn. Push paste to the side.
   
3. Add pork evenly and let caramelize. Then mix in quickly with the paste until evenly coated. Reduce heat to medium and let all the juices cook out until pork mixture is once again frying. The key is to letting this fry as long as possible without letting the meat burn. Towards the end, turn the heat back up to medium high.
   
4. You have had a kettle of water boiling on the side. Add enough water to cover the meat mixture completely. Do not add more than this amount, else you will water-log the dish.
5. Reduce heat to medium low. Add Tamarind paste, minced Chilli, Fish Sauce, Lime Juice, Lemongrass, and Khafir Lime Leaves. Stir and allow this mixture to simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered.
6. In a separate bowl, cover rice noodles with very cold water. Let sit for 20-25 minutes (no longer than 30 minutes).
7. In the pot, add coconut milk. Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add Bamboo shoots, Straw Mushrooms, Carrots, Snow Peas and Green Onion. Stir.
9. Layer shrimp on top. Cover pot for 5 minutes.
10. Stir pot.
    
11. Pull noodles from bowl (should be firm, but mildly pliable) and add place on top. Cover pot for 10 minutes.
12. Uncover pot. Noodles should be soft and pliable enough to fold into entire mixture. Completely incorporate noodles throughout mixture. Reduce heat to minimum for 5-10 minutes.
13. MANGE!
    

Tomatoes & Sea Salt

Sometimes this is all I need...

Alton Brown's 4 Lists

There are two food show hosts I invariably watch. I like their philosophies however much it deviates from my current diet, I believe in what they preach though I can't always put it in practice (hey, it's not my fault I have to eat heart healthy all the time). But today I watched Alton Brown's 'Good Eats' - he reflected back on his, uhm, heavier time, and vowed to do something about it. And he did. He looks maaahvalous. He looks much healthier. And you know what? I find it so sensible. Once diagnosed as being high risk for heart attack, I followed a similar list of my own making as though it were my bible. I waiver a little more these days, but I generally abide by the principles which guided him to compile 4 Lists:

ALTON BROWN'S 4 Lists:

Daily	3x Weekly	1x Weekly	Do Not Eat
Purple Breakfast Whole Grains Leafy Greens Nuts Carrots Fruits Green Tea	Oily Fish Yogurt Broccoli Sweet Potato Avocado	Red Meat Pasta Deserts Alcohol	Fast Food Soda Processed Anything Canned Soup 'Diet' Anything

I've always shunned anything marked 'diet', which generally means they've replaced the sugar. That doesn't help me much. I also naturally avoid fast food. I don't care if TGI McFunsters (a 'Bourdain'-ism) offers a healthy menu, as far as I'm concerned it's all processed, and all garbage. The key to this menu is consume foods with minimal handling from field (or stables) to your plate. I can make my own soups, thankyouverymuch.

Where have I fallen short? Well, Alcohol, for one. I'm sorry - if a friend calls to go for a drink (or if I call them), I'm allowed to enjoy a yummy beverage. Another area is slagging of in the fruit and veg area - but I must say, when the good weather creeps up on us, I tend to crave it more, and in raw form to boot, and though raw is most nutrient dense, I still feel I don't eat enough servings to serve me well. I could improve in this area. Especially since I enjoy them so much and are one of the best sources of anti-oxidants. The sad thing is, I probably eat more than others. I make hummus regularly, tapinades of olives and red peppers, sometimes pack baggies of fruit for work snacks and make sure I use plenty of fresh herbs which are chalk full of vitamins. I still think my intake can be increased and more nutrient dense.

When I prepare dinners, my husband and I are fairly heart healthy. All this means is using the right ingredients and employing the right cooking methods. Deep frying a carrot does not give you veg credit. Now, for those who have other ailments or have no heart issues, they may find my selections laughable, but as someone who needs to be extra careful with her heart, let them mock if it means I'm giving myself a few more years of energetic living.

Here are some more specific rules I keep for myself as part of my ongoing battle with cholesterol. Keep in mind, you can control what you cook, you can't always control what you eat out, and I will continue to eat out now and again!

Enjoy	Moderate	Limit	Avoid
Oatmeal Barley Fresh Fruit Fresh Vegetables Fresh Herbs White Meats Fish Edemame	Margarine Dark Meats Potatoes White Rice Corn Cauliflower	Cheeses Bacon Shellfish Egg Yolk Desserts Salt High Sugars	Butter Whole Cream Foie Gras Animal Fats Organ Meat Squid Frozen Dinners Corn Syrup (fructose)

Substitutions:

Use	Instead Of
Becel (margarine) Skim Milk, Soy Milk Canola Oil No Fat Sour Cream Fat Free Kraft Slices Whole Wheat Unbleached & WW Flour Meats (lean, skinless cuts)	Butter, Lard Cream Vegetable Oil Full Fat Sour Cream Kraft Slices White Flour Products White Flour Meat (organ, fatty cuts)

As for my methods of preparation, here are a few rules I follow:

Safe	Moderate	Limit	Avoid
Grill Roast Bake Broil	Stew (skim) Braise	Pan Fry	Confit Deep Fry

My Japanese Pantry

I've wanted to create a japanese dish, but staying away from sushi, which I rely on a restaurant to procure the best product for me. Then I saw Alton Brown break it down in his usual 'it's so damn simple!' manner, and I was hooked. I'm making Miso. But he also went over some staples that I want to capture here. Having these items in your pantry (save the tofu - to the fridge with you!) can be a lifesaver.

Kombu:
A dried seaweed with a dried starchy dust that is white and chalky against the dark seaweed. You need to soak it to use, or if in a soup, you need to simmer to get the flavour out. High on the 'umami' scale. Typically the firm seaweed found in miso soup. Oftenm marked as 'dried kelp' in the plastic packaging.








Bonito:
Flakes shaved off the smoked and dried SkipJack Tuna. Used (usually) in making broths.







Soba Noodles:
You can purchase dried and prepackaged, but nothing beats the freshly made noodles.

Miso White:
Subtle sweetness, used in desserts.

Miso Dark:
Used in braising meats (pork, beef).

Awase Miso:
Versatile, a balanced blend of the white and dark. Used in cooking with vegetables.

Mirin:
A sweetish cooking vinegar.


Dashi: the ubiquitous Japanese base stock.
To make a Dashi:
Cut the kombu into thirds
Soak 1 sheet of Kombu for 30 minutes in a pot of water and then simmer (med/med-hi) for 30 minutes. Remove Kombu.
Add 2 cups of bonito flakes. Bring to a simmer for 30 minutes ( 150 degrees).
Strain liquid.

MISO SOUP:
In a mixing bowl, add
6 tbsp Red Miso
2 tbsp white
Add 1 ladel full of Dashi and mix until miso is completely dissolved
Return Miso mixture to Dashi pot
(do not boil!) but heat on low-med
Add silken tofu (pressed of excess liquid)
Add 4 chopped green onions

Fish Glaze:
2 tbsp White Tofu
2 tbsp Honey
475, 15-20 mins

Tsuyu Sauce: (for Soba noodles)
1 cup dashi
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce

Bali and Your Belly - Coconuts for the Fruit Stand

The ubiquitous tropical fruit stand. Actually, it could be either friut or veg, but you see them along the highways in almost every tropical country you visit. With a flimsy shelter and well displayed produce, travellers are enticed to stop and pick up groceries or just a snack. I must admit, I wanted that whole stack of passionfruits and mangosteens (see the mottled orange round fruit on the lower shelf and the dark colour round fruit on the top shelf above). At home I find fruit tastes one dimensional. An banana, an orange, and apple, even berries - most of us rely on the grocery stores where they don't retain the complexity of flavour. In the tropics the fruit yields the full benefit of the sun, ripening until their sweet tangy juices develop until bursting.

I was happy to know most of our fellow travelers were eager to stop here and pick up some delicious treats. You have to admit, the display is enticing - they know how to attract buyers. The variety is outstanding. Being a Caribbean girl, I always prefer tropical fruit. Our Van (see left) stopped and we didn't wait long before the road was clear to run over. We were inundated with children wanting to sell us trinkets, which was both sad and frustrating, making our fruit stop bittersweet. One of our companions with a big heart even had a hard time with a child following her into the van! They are persistent, but not aggressive, which pulls at my compassion. I hope they are family with the fruit vendor, so at least they benefit from our purchases.

On a separate leg on one of our journeys we crossed paths with a coconut stand. We had coconut previously at a restaurant (read: tourist trap) which turned out to be lacking in flavour and a bit of a disappointment. This stand, however, made up for it completely. It was young, full of sweet water, and I'm not sure about everybody else, but mine had young tender flesh. Ah, I miss fresh coconut! They chopped it for us and we enjoyed it on our continued drive.

I don't think Enrique got one, I believe we shared. So when it came time to get the flesh, I used my nails to pare away the flesh from the bowled interior to feed him large sections of the almost jelly like flesh. OUCH! It's not easy to do. It takes time, but I wasn't going to let that flesh go; great coconut meat is not easy to come by. Of course we shared it - I fed myself as well - and oh, for such healthy food, it is damn tasty.

I enjoyed these last minute stops. Not only are they delicious, but it was fun. En & I lucked out in traveling with a great group, and everyone had a great sense of humour and weren't afraid to pipe up to Jack (our guide) and say "oooh! Coconuts! Let's stop!"

It just goes to reinforce my belief in straying (even if just a little) from the beaten path. That restaurant was great and an interesting experience, but if you want the best stuff, you gotta go to the local vendors.

Bali and Your Belly - Padang!

Street food in the far east has a far different connotation than it does here in North America, and while we are catching up, the variety and freshness are still incomparable. Padang is not just food, it is an experience. While it is not street food in the conventional sense, think of these mini-restaurants as take out stops where most Balinese order and zip off with plastic bags on their mopeds. Sit down (hidang) Padang exists throughout Indonesia, yet the few we saw had limited seating which was usually empty. This location pictured was run by Muslim Balinese, not too common in this predominantly Hindu nation. For the best experience, we asked our driver to take us to his favourite Padang shop. He couldn't stop smiling the whole way.

Padang is an activity in ordering - my initial attempt was overwhelming. 'How do I start?' I asked. As usual, the Balinese proprietor was very helpful, explaining the process as I went. First, you select your items. Most dishes are peppery, salty, and/or sauced with a coconut milk base. The meat stews tend to this chilli coconut taste. They have something like curried hard boiled eggs, dried and salted fish which looked like pomfrets, steamed greens, salty unsauced grilled chicken, and various curries, usually of organ or fibrous cuts. You pay only for the items you select. The order is then placed on a banana leaf on top of a pile of steamed rice (which absorbs any yummy sauce) and wrapped up for the journey. Condiments? I (of course) asked for hot sauce, and instead of dousing it over our food, they packed a little plastic bag, tying it off at the top (the way Enrique does with produce, lol) and sending us on our way with a smile. I cannot emphasize how friendly the Balinese are.

In every culture that eats from banana leaf (including ours), they claim it flavours the food. Nothing overt, but there is a tastiness imparted from the experience. When I see a leaf, I unconsciously want to use my hands to eat, but this time, eating on our bed, I decided a fork would be best. Once we returned to our room I brought a tray to the bed, laid out the food, and found a glass in which I could place and unravel the plastic bag of pepper sauce (see below). We settled in to silence as we enjoyed the first few mouthfuls. Sure we were hungry (not a day went by in Bali where we weren't exhausted by the evening), but that food was just the sort of hearty dinner you would expect from someone's home. It was comforting. It was spicy (yes, we both needed some additional pepper sauce). And after a refreshing shower and settling in, it was the perfect sedative. Sure it's glistening with fat, but it's the good kind - the kind that comes naturally from the food, not processed like a dirty water hot dog, but from food that was recently cooked from fresh ingredients bought that exact day. And if there is one thing I can appreciate about any given culture, it's the drive to keep local food and heritage flavours alive and on a plate. I don't care if we have to venture away from the tourist dense strip of burger joints and fried chicken to get it.