Snow Peas Soup

This is one of my favorite summer soups to make! I get very happy when I see fresh snow peas at Whole Foods. The recipe is simple and you can make vegetarian version as well. This time I used Pacific Organic Chicken Broth, but you can use vegetable broth, or just water.

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1/2 lb snow peas (remove the ends by hand)
• 1 large ripped tomatoes chopped (or 2 cups of small once)
• 2 large potatoes cubed
• Cilantro chopped
• Parsley chopped
• 2-3 small garlic smashed
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

Sautée onion in a large pot using olive oil. Add tomatoes and potatoes for 2 minutes, then add snow peas. Next, poor desired broth or water in the pot so it almost covers all the ingredients. This is more of a thick soup than liquidy. Let the mixture boil on a medium heat and the simmer it till the potatoes and snow peas are done. Add chopped parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper at the end. Enjoy!

We were looking to buy a small fish to grill for the weekend and when we got to Market Street we didn't see any. But, after talking with the associate in the fish department, she happened to have some in the freezer that someone ordered the large quantity the same week. We got very lucky! We just seasoned the fish with salt and olive oil and cooked it over the coals with asparagus and potatoes. We made wild rice with fresh cilantro on a side. And for desert, we bought the sponge cake from Market Street and made pineapple and strawberry cake.

Is It Black Pepper or Toxic Foam in Martha Stewart Pepper Mill?

Who Knew I was grinding away toxic materials with my black pepper using the Martha Stewart Collection 7.5' Walnut Acrylic Salt and Pepper Shaker purchased from Macy's.

This is a very upsetting day for me and my family. I was making a coconut curry sauce this afternoon when I took out the Martha Stewart Pepper Grinder, which I've had for two years now and used regularly. After I was done cooking I noticed some strange looking, 3 mm black particle in the sauce. I took it out, and rubbed it in my hand. It didn't look like anything "food related" that I had added. Then I thought, well, the only black thing I added was the pepper.  I took the pepper grinder and took it apart. I was shocked! There was a black foam (probably toxic material) and adhesive in the grooves/lining of the grinder! The black foam material was disintegrating and ending up in my food! It looks like my family has consumed half of this black foam material and adhesive without even knowing. It's mind-blowing to think about what ends up in our food without our knowledge.

 

In today's society, we cannot prevent toxic materials from entering our bodies, but this one is just upsetting. I'm sure Martha Stewart or many people have no idea that this product was defective. But shouldn't there be someone controlling this? If you put your name on it, shouldn't you be responsible? Materials that are used for cooking, especially ones that end up in our mouths, should be subject to better control. This product is made in China and who knows what cheap materials they use. Does Martha Stewart knows that? I don't think so. Most of you who have this product may have not even noticed since it looks so much like a black pepper. I bet if you opened one you may find it disintegrated. It's no wonder why so many people get cancer and other health problems. I feel like a victim here. I'm very health-conscious for my family, especially now that I have a baby, and I think someone needs to take action on this sort of thing. Major product recall and health risk!







































The product received great reviews on Macys.com but do they really know what they were actually grinding with their pepper. Major product recall!

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/martha-stewart-collection-75-walnut-acrylic-salt-and-pepper-mill?ID=258477&CategoryID=31839#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D7%26kws%3Dpepper%20grinder%26slotId%3D2

Georgian Orthodox Easter and Paska Recipe

I am going to share some of my Georgian Orthodox Easter traditions. It is very different than Easter in the US. We do not have bunnies or kids hunting for eggs in the bushes. Preparation normally starts on Friday night. We color the eggs and make Paska, which is an Eastern European Easter bread.

Mom usually boils the eggs and dyes them red using red onion skins. Sometimes she places cilantro leafs, or other plants that have interesting designs, against the egg and then wraps the egg tightly in a fine net (usually pantyhose). The resulting egg is imprinted with the pattern of the leaves. Next, she makes Paska. The recipe is at the end of this post. 

It's a Georgian tradition that after the Easter mass we come home and start the game of breaking the eggs. Each person gets an egg and then we alternate hitting eggs the tip-to- tip and bottom-to-bottom. The first person with the unbroken egg is declared the winner! One year, my neighbor got a wooden egg that resembled a real egg and broke all of our eggs (obviously). We quickly realized his ploy!

P.S. If you like decorate your Easter table then, two weeks prior, you can sprinkle wheat seeds on a cotton ball in a container. The cotton ball should be moist with water. What grows in two weeks is called Jejili (grass), which is used as a table decoration. See the image below. 

Paska Bread Ingredients

• 2 tsp yeast
• 500 ml of milk
• Around 500 g of flour
• 200 g of sugar
• 5 eggs
• 250 g of (melted) butter
• 2/3 cup of resins
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preparations

Pre-Ferment: Add yeast to 1/2 cup of warm milk. Next, add flour so that the consistency is like light a pancake batter. Wait for the mixture to rise. Keep it in a warm room.

Dough:In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar very well. Next, use the wooden spoon to add the melted butter, salt, cardamom, nutmeg and the pre-ferment. Next, add more flour untill you reach the pancake butter consistency. Wait for it rise for the second time. Next add rasins and let it rise third time. Several options are available for forming the loaves. If you have tin can forms, pour the dough into forms wrapped in parchment paper. You can also form the dough into a braided loaf or however else you please. Here, we assume you are using forms. Make sure that you fill the forms halfway. Put the filled forms in a warm place and let the dough rise again. After the dough rises in the forms, bake them in the oven at 355F for 35 minutes and then lower the temperature to 320F for 25 minutes. Happy Easter!

Shoo (Cream Puff Pastry aka Pâte à Choux)

Shoo is very popular in Georgia. The pasty is very light, airy, and you can't help to eat more than one at a time. As promised, here is the recipe. This recipe makes 7-8 pieces.

Ingredients
Batter

• 1/2 cup of water
• 50 grams of butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2-3 eggs

Cream (In Georgia we call this type of cream a 'boiled cream')

• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• Less than 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 stick of butter
• Vanilla

Ganache (optional)

• 3 tbs cocoa
• 5 tbs milk
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/3 stick of butter

Preparations
Batter: Boil the water in a pot and add the butter. After butter is melted set the heat to low and gradually add flour and stir. Remove the dough from the heat and start adding eggs, one at a time, while vigorously stirring the dough quickly with a wooden spoon (See the image below). When you add the first egg the batter might separate in chunks but it will come together after the stirring. The consistency needs to be thick so that when you scoop it out on a cooking sheet it stays firm.

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Start scooping out the batter using a large spoon and placing it on a cookie sheet as shown in the image below. Shoo should be done when the dough turns a golden color, about 30 minutes.

Boiled Cream: Place the milk in a pot on a medium heat. After the milk is warm (before it starts to boil) start adding flour and sugar mixture slowly and mix it constantly with a whisk. After all the flour and sugar is mixed, let it simmer for 5 minutes. You will know if it's done when the flour taste has left the cream. Next, poor the cream in a different container and let it cool completely. You may put it in the fridge but make sure to stir once in a while to prevent clumping.

After the cream has cooled completely begin whipping the butter (soft, at room temperature). Add the boiled cream, little by little, until it's all mixed, then add vanilla. The cream should come out very fluffy.

After Shoo is completely cooled, start preparing it to add the filling. Use a knife and slice the shoo in half without going all the way through, then fill the opening with a cream (see the image below). After you filled all the shoo take the powdered sugar and ganache and decorate the shoo before serving.

Ganache (optional): Take a small pan and mix coco powder with sugar. Add milk and put it on medium heat. After it boils let is simmer and add butter. Let is simmer 3-5 minutes until it thickens. You can drizzle the ganache on the assembled shoo and then sprinkle on powder sugar. Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon with Wild Rice and Asparagus

We are enjoying our charcoal grill so far and we use it almost every weekend. This time we purchased salmon from Market Street and grilled the filets on a cedar plank. First, we soaked the cedar in red wine and water for two hours. The salmon was seasoned with salt and pepper then placed on the cedar plank and onto the grill. The coals were set at the lowest position. The salmon was cooked until it just began pulling apart, but not so long as to dry out the meat. The cooked salmon had a wonderful flavor, and infusion of the wine, cedar, and the salmon's natural oils.

Fresh Fruit Kampot

Growing up in Georgia, we didn't go to the supermarket to buy juice. Instead, my mom would make it at home. It's so easy to make fresh fruit juice at home and avoid the store-bought juices full of preservatives, flavoring, coloring and other ingredients!

After picking fresh blackberries, peaches and strawberries from the farm, we decided to make kampot. First, we washed the fruit. Some of the peaches were sliced while others were left whole. We placed the fruit in a large pot, added water, let it come to a boil on medium heat, then let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the fruit was softened considerably. Lastly, we added sugar to taste. After cooling to room temperature, it was ready to enjoy! I usually love warm kampot, but cold is just as good. Some people strain the kampot before serving, but I love the fruit that remains at the bottom of the glass.

There is nothing fresher and healthier to give your children than homemade kampot! My favorite kampot is made with concord grapes--amazeballs! Unfortunately, we can't seem to find concords in Dallas. You can try making kampot with your favorite combination of fruit. Enjoy!

Medoki - Georgian Pastry

This is my most favorite Georgian desert! It's airy, soft, and out of this world. It resembles layered graham cracker cake filled with a soft cream that melts in your mouth. The recipe is not difficult to follow if you are careful and attentive to details. I included step-by-step pictures to guide you trough the process. I love this pastry so much that I requested to have Medoki at my Georgian wedding as one of the deserts. Unfortunately, I was turned down by my cousin who vehemently opposed my request on the grounds that Medoki was "out of fashion" in 2010. Yeah, in Georgia, desserts can go out of fashion! Oh well, I learned how to make it so I can have it anytime I want :) Ya'll ready for this? Here it goes....

Ingredients
Batter

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter
• 3 cups of flour (more or less)

Cream

• 4 Sticks of butter
• 1 1/2 cans of condensed milk 
• Vanilla

Preparation
Batter: The batter needs to be prepared on a double boiler. The top pot can be metal, glass or ceramic. Start boiling the water in a pot then place the second pot on top. Add eggs and sugar and start mixing with a wooden spoon. After sugar is melted, add baking powder and baking soda. Next, add honey and butter. Every five minutes mix this batter with wooden spoon until the batter turns light brown, about 30-40 minutes. See Figure 1 below.

>Figure 1: Making the batter.

After the batter has turned light brown, turn off the heat. Then, in the same container, add flour slowly and mix. Divide the batter into 6 parts. Each part should be about size of your fist. See Figure 2, top right corner. Begin rolling out the dough on a mat sprinkled with flour. Each sheet of dough should be paper thin, so stretch it well. See Figure 2, bottom row.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Place the first sheet of dough onto a baking pan and cook until the dough turns dark brown, about 3 minutes. The dough will burn easily because it's so thin, so pay close attention to the cooking process. Repeat the latter steps for the remaining five sheets of dough. Lay out the finished sheets of dough to cool.

Figure 2: Rolling and stretching the dough.

The pastries sheets are not perfectly square when removed from the oven. Trim the edges of each sheet, removing as possible, to make each sheet into uniformly sized rectangles.  Use this first sheet as a template for your next 5 sheets. Crush the pastry trimmings to make crumbs for later use. See Figure 3 below.

Figure 3: Trimming the edges of the cooked sheets and making the crumbs with left over trims.

Cream: Whip the butter well using a mixer, then slowly add condensed milk until the cream is fluffy. Add vanilla.  If the cream becomes too thin, put it in the fridge for few minutes and bring it back out and mix again. See Figure 4.

Figure 4: Preparing cream and then assembling the Medoki.

The final step is to assemble all the pieces. Add the cream to all 6 sheets and start spreading it evenly, being careful not break the sheets. Then, stack all sheets on top of each other. Add cream to the top piece then sprinkle on the trimming crumbs  to cover the pastry completely. Enjoy! 

Simple Pasta with Poultry Sausage and Asparagus

On Sundays we make a big meal and eat it throughout the week. However, by the middle of the week, we usually have run out or prefer making something different to change things up a bit. I created this quick pasta recipe and it became our favorite pasta dish.  I used whole wheat pasta, poultry sausage, plum tomatoes, and asparagus. First, I cooked the sausages in a covered pot with little bit of water. Once they were cooked and the water was evaporated, I added olive oil and pan fried the sausage with onions. I then added fresh plum tomatoes, and asparagus and simmered it together. Finally chopped garlic, cilantro, and parsley were added, with salt and pepper to taste. Simple, quick, and delicious!

East Side King @ Liberty Bar, Austin TX

After being in Dallas for six months, we finally made a trip to Austin, an easy four hour drive (short for Texas). Austin is such a free-spirited place, which seems odd for the Texan capitol. We think Dallas needs to lighten up a bit and take a note from Austin. What an unique culture! Most importantly, the food experience was incredible. I don't have time to talk about all of the places we ate at, but this one food truck was very memorable. Our friend Lindsey, who lives and breathes Austin culture, took us to Liberty Bar where they have an East Side King food truck parked in the back patio. I still miss their pan fried brussels sprouts which was amazing!

We ordered and shared Poor Qui’s Buns (roasted pork belly in steamed buns, hoisin sauce, cucumber kimchi, and green onion), Fried Brussels Sprouts ( in a sweet-spicy sauce, shredded cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeño), and Thai Chicken Karaage (deep-fried chicken thigh, sweet-spicy sauce, fresh basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeño). Everything was deliciously mouth watering. Can't wait to go back there again!