032: Livin' la Yoga Vida Loca
Kapalabhati techniques & recipes we came up with after we moved to the U.S. in 2003
(SB) Beloved readers, I hope you’re hanging in there and doing alright as this wicked and wack year draws to a close. Though I am sure we are all intellectually aware that that the shifting of the Gregorian Calendar into a new phase doesn’t imply the coming of a new reality (tbt 2016/2017), I have found it impossible not to yearn for some kind of release in casting off the itchy husk of 2020, a molting off a couple of layers of unprocessed grief and horror to make way for some kind of new growth. After downloading Chani’s new app and meditating on my total lack of a plan to ring in the New Year, I have been considering that perhaps these troubled times are ripe for some different traditions and superstitions.
I’m still mulling over what those might be, but have in the interim decided that my New Years Day could use all the culinary good luck I can muster by way of some black eyed peas. While I’m tempted by a classic Southern preparation, I’m leaning towards some gentle fusion (JS: she’s gotta feeling… sorry). More than likely I’ll be adapting Raghavan Iyer’s Indian Hoppin John or Meera Sodha’s Black Eyed Pea Curry and crossing my fingers for more hopeful days ahead.
Here’s what I ate:
For Christmas dinner, Genevieve Ko’s maple baked salmon, featured on both the NYT and our guest spot on Sifted this week.
A tortured (failed) attempt at crispy rice spicy tuna inspired by Tik Tok and a Pierless Fish delivery… salvaged as poke bowls leftovers. I’ll go ahead and say it: be very careful before trusting a wannabe influencer with your plans for sushi-grade fish!!
Smitten Kitchen mushroom lasagna (our PR for the week), prepared in a large dutch oven because we hate doing dishes in this house.
(JS) Ah, New Year’s Eve eve. What’s everyone up to this week? I’m pleased to report that I’ve binged The Flight Attendant and am now a total Cuoc-head. I’m looking forward to yet another opportunity to reflect and stew in my ever mounting self doubt over a big plate of beans! Bring on the lentils baby! Gimme exactly twelve grapes (as tradition dictates, two for each Baldwinito, plus two for los padres)! This is just the meal I’ve waited for all freakin’ year! Jokes aside, I have no idea what to cook for New Years and would love to hear what you’re all planning to make. I do have a wide selection of Leon & Son pet nats and don’t much care for caviar — a true Brooklyn gay of the people, I know.
Personal circumstances have led me to feel about a month behind the times, or perhaps better stated, like the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is dragging on at half speed; my museum contract expires at the end of January, so I’m deep in the job search, despite an inescapable sense that most of the potential employers I’m contacting have fully checked out for the year. I’m really trying to develop a diverse portfolio so if anyone is looking for an immediate hire in anything remotely related to writing or editing, let’s talk! Is this bold or bleak? Sound off in the comments!
Some things I ate this week:
For Christmas dinner (and many lunches to follow), Olia Hercules’ hearty bogracz stew with lamb ribs, pork ribs, and pancetta, served with sourdough focaccia and a simple salad of cabbage and... how you say… cucumber?
Birria tacos by friend of the newsletter Viv; here is my official call for more sides of consomme in 2021
Overnight oats, subbing leftover shaah cadays (Somali spiced tea with milk) from In Bibi’s Kitchen in lieu of my usual oat milk, and a little of the date and tahini caramel recommended by Salonee a few weeks ago
A CURE FOR DUCK BREAST WOES
(JS) While I firmly stand by my previous suggestion that our readers should eat more duck in 2021, I must admit that I find duck breast difficult to cook at home and more often than not a little underwhelming. Rendering the fat and crisping the skin while still keeping the meat medium rare is a delicate balancing act (and that’s before we deal with the issue of my poor ventilation and generally irritable smoke detector). Starting your duck in a cold pan helps, but at the end of the day these seared preparations will never give me quite the satisfaction of a slow roasted bird or legs and thighs confited or stewed in cassoulet. Rest assured, my most indulgent readers, there is another way!
What I offer today is a method for snacking duck that’s largely hands off and still quite impressive. David Leite’s duck prosciutto is an easy entry point into the world of homemade charcuterie, requiring nary a special ingredient save for the duck breast itself. After a two week cure, the gamey, crimson flesh emerges perfumed by the floral spice rub, while the fat takes on a buttery smoothness almost like lardo (SB: Please hold “lardo” for my concept restaurant).
Begin by filling a dish just large enough to accommodate your duck with a 1-inch layer of regular old kosher salt (we’re a Diamond house, FWIW). Lay the duck on this salty little beach then bury it with another inch or so of salt, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for a day or two to cure. When you’re ready to dig out your duck, combine fennel seed, coriander, and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove the excess salt with your hands and rinse the breast first with vinegar then with water. David suggests white wine vinegar, but I was out and used red instead — I don’t think it mattered too much. Pat dry and rub generously with the spice mixture, then wrap tightly with cheesecloth knotted at both ends. Hang your little fridge mummy from a shelf using painter’s tape or duct tape with a dish below it to catch any drippings — I didn’t encounter any, but better safe than sorry. Cure for about two weeks, until the duck feels firm but not dry. Thinner, smaller (*in my Shakira* and more humble) breasts will take less time, so you may want to start checking after a week or so. Use a sharp knife to carve your prosciutto into thin ribbons to munch on wherever, whenever, knowing you and this duck were meant to be together. Leftovers will keep for at least a few weeks tightly wrapped in plastic.
GOING ✈️ DUTCH BABY
(SB) Growing up, my friend Lauren’s dad would regularly take us to Dinah’s Family Restaurant as a treat. Bleary-eyed from hours of playing the Sims and/or downloading music on Napster (RIP, I hope that statute of limitations is long up), we were always thrilled to order and split the fried chicken and a giant apple pancake. If I’m honest, the chicken was always the highlight for me, but I got why everyone was wild about the pancake: it was about half the size of a two-top table and looked more like an upside down cake, with a thick layer of caramelized apple compote on the bottom. I haven’t thought about the Dinah’s pancake in about a decade, but it entered my mind and would not leave midway through making a batch of brandy-apple-pear compote from all the cast-off apples in my fridge.
Some light investigative googling from my bed on Christmas Eve led me to believe that the beloved (and apparently “no longer what it once was”) Dinah’s pancake might be conjured in the form of a Dutch Baby, easily one of the most satisfying and simple celebratory breakfasts in my repertoire. First introduced to me by my Valiamamma in Plano, Texas, the Dutch Baby is something of a cross between a crepe and a yorkshire pudding: rich, easy, and prepared in the oven without the labor of being a flapjack line-cook.
I like Florence Fabricant’s recipe, and adapted it with no drama to serve my apple desires: preheat your oven to 425°, and when it’s hot, put a heavy skillet with 4 tablespoons of butter in there. Don’t listen to the comments: I think you and this pancake deserve all 4 tablespoons of butter (JS: pop that, pop that, jiggle that fat). While it melts, throw your room temperature (this is important!!) eggs, milk, a little nutmeg, and flour in the blender until smooth. If you’re skipping the apples, consider throwing in a teaspoon of sugar; I also added some vanilla extract. Remove the hot skillet from the oven and add any extras, if you’re using them. For me, this meant enough apple compote to cover the bottom of the pan. If you don’t have any apple compote, this could be where you sauteé some fruit down with a little sugar, brandy, and cinnamon. I bet bananas could be good, too. Inspired by one Times commenter, I will soon try blending some frozen corn into my batter and throwing in a few green chiles. Pour the batter over the cooked mixins, and return your skillet to the oven for 18-20 minutes, the pancake should puff up beautifully. Turn down the heat to 300°, and let it bake for another 5 before slicing and serving with warmed syrup, powdered sugar, or, in the case of my future savory Dutch baby, shredded cheese.
USE A CONDIMENT: Ginger Scallion Oil
(JS) There are perhaps as many uses for this quick and trustworthy condiment as there are recipes. The simplest version is a raw blend of chopped scallions and minced ginger suspended in a neutral oil with a pinch of salt. At once both rich and pungent, this humble blend is the perfect complement to roasted and barbecued meats or poached chicken. Spoon it over scrambled eggs. Toss with cold noodles or tease it into fried rice. With just four common ingredients, you’re good to go. But why stop there?
Some may insist on adding a splash of soy sauce — according to Kaitlin at The Woks of Life, this is the Shanghainese approach, whereas the Cantonese prefer a clear version. Gently warming your oil deepens the flavors while also coaxing the heat out of fresh chopped chiles. Cheffier takes might pump up the acid or umami; David Chang likes to use sherry vinegar, while Danny Bowien prefers a bit of fish sauce and mushroom powder (when you love a recipe, you want to defend it… consider the source). Try one or try ‘em all.
PERMANENT ROTATION: Lasagna. If you want a classic Bolognese approach, we swear by Merrill Stubbs’ birthday lasagna (which we also hyped in this week’s Sifted). For a vegetarian alternative, look no further than Smitten Kitchen’s mushroom lasagna, which is lighter than you might imagine a bechamel-and-parmesan bake might be.
WISH LIST
(JS) This butter and oil infuser recently came up in my Instagram ads and could well overtake the Instant Pot in the race to become my next underused kitchen appliance. How many devices can you honestly claim would be useful for creating both salad dressings and scented candles?
(SB) It seems to have quickly become pants-under-pants season. For a break from the long john lifestyle, I’ve been eyeing various knee-high woolens: cashmere and alpaca socks currently top my list.
(JS & SB) Digestivo would be a drag without the support of our beloved friends of the newsletter. This week, we’re thinking about friend of the newsletter Lexi and encouraging you all to donate or volunteer this season (or any season) at God’s Love We Deliver in memory of her mother Terri, a proud weekly volunteer. We love you, Lexi.
Feliz año nuevo, sweet readers; siguenos en instagram, y nos vemos en 2021.