Cooking in Russia

So, it's my first day cooking for the faculty of the New York Institute in St. Petersburg Russia. I spent a few days trying to figure out how to read the labels of things in the supermarket (key is knowing the alphabet and taking some chances). Spices are especially tough, but I am doing okay thus far with pictures (distiguishing a bay leaf from a basil leaf on a tiny bag is quite a feat!).

Tonight as the sun went down at midnight I made a leek, celery root and potato soup. I had no stock and so used the peels and rinds of potatoes, celery root, onion, parsley and garlic (along with a lot of salt, pepper and the ubiquitous bay leaf) to make a veggie stock and I thought it tasted pretty okay. I made a roux with potato flour and regular (I think??Again using pictures) flour with sunflower oil (big here for some reason).

I am sure someone has made a coffee table book entitled "kitchen tools from around the world" and i certainly could have used it before coming here. I am finding some pretty different utensils and vessels, but am having a good time trying to figure out how they work. Well, so that's a start. Hope they like the soup. Next I'm making an Asian slaw and will try to make a pie without an oven thermometer. Hmmmm

Leda

Nectarine custard tart

Well, my zucchini has all been eaten by woodchucks, deer, and some animal with major fangs. So, now it's on to fruit--specifically peaches and nectarines. This tart has a red currant jam glaze, with a custard made with my last vanilla beans (sigh). I also made a nectarine ginger chutney, which while it tastes good, isn't really picture-worthy. That's about it for nectarine season. Onward to cantaloupe, and cantaloupe granita, cantaloupe and celery salad with mint vinagrette, and some more cocktails. Happy end of summer.

Leda

cocktail anyone?

This was a hit this past weekend on the island--in Lake Erie--even in a crowd of non-cocktail drinkers(that is, bud or busch).

Delicious, with or without alcohol

Ginger-Lemon Freeze

Make simple syrup in saucepan

C Sugar

C Water

Grated ginger @1 inch (or chunk it and take out later)

zest lemon

fresh Mint

Stir until sugar dissolves, then add ginger and mint and simmer awhile. Let cool and chill

In blender, add ice 4 C, C Vodka , C simple syrup and juice of one lemon.

Enjoy!

an easy-to-make sauce for all your garden veggies

The last zucchini post just inspired me to post a new garlic dill sauce that I just prepared for a salmon dish. The sauce makes a great dip for any garden vegetable, especially zucchinis! And it is really easy. 

1 cup yogurt (greek, plain yogurt works best!)

1/8 cup of fresh dill

2 large cloves of garlic (less if you are not a garlic fan)

3 teaspoons of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of ground mustard (if you don't like the little kick, you'll want to use less)

Happy August,

Emily

Challenge you to a zucchini recipe contest

How many different recipes can you come up with for zucchini? Thus far I have made (beyond the usual fried, baked, steamed recipes), zucchini/potato pancakes, zucchini quiche, zucchini mock-apple pies, zucchini applesauce bread, zucchini-blueberry cake. Here is the latest recipe--although i've added my own quirky stuff:

Zucchini-Blueberry bread

3 C flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t cinnamon

.5 t star anise powder

.5 vanilla powder

1.5 C sugar

3 eggs

C nonfat plain yougurt

stick melted butter

1 t vanilla

shred @2.5 cups zucchini and drain/squeeze out juices

1 C blueberries

Beat butter and sugar together, then add eggs 1/time, then yougurt, then vanilla

Sift together dry ingreds in separate bowl and add in thirds

to wet.

Add zucchini and then fold in blueberries. Pour into 9 X 13 baking pan . 350 degrees for @45 minutes.

Have fun.

Welcome all Cooks -- a place for recipes, pix of your creations, food narratives, and philosophy

Hi all,

At long last, I am starting this blog, as promised. For those of us who like to cook, to share ideas and our creations (in our spare time) this is a place to start. Please pass the invite on to those who might be interested--inside the department and elsewhere. No doubt we can turn this into something acacdemic down the road but for now. . . penny for your thoughts, recipes, ideas. I'm currently cooking with a broken arm, and have invented some new recipes as a result--but typing and writing remain a challenge. Nonetheless, when time permits, I'll post about what I've been up to. Hope you will too.

best,

Leda