you know? like the one a week before your birthday when a long-lost friend surfaces out of the clear blue, & invites you over to to THROW DOWN on her real, state of the art grill/smoker b/c she knows you're a grill whore? ok maybe not the greatest hypothetical set up, but there it is.
friends, a few words about grills:
don't buy a gas one. please? don't buy a gas one? there is absolutely NO difference whatsoever between broiling in your oven, & throwing stuff on a GAS grill.
it sucks.
friends, the whole point of grilling is the smoke flavor. it cannot be obtained in any other way. you need to start a fire, let the coals/wood go white/red/glowing, then GRILL. this is why @ a time in civilization when we, as a culinary culture need to be making info on the most fabulous smoking woods (hickory, apple, & mesquite among them), more generally available, we are instead flipping a switch, & getting no flavor.
sub-par.
not only that, but these gas joints employ all types of technology, & are EXPENSIVE. K??? & for WHAT? it is the greatest scam of our time, & so symbolic of where we are as a culture: expensive, meaningless style over substance.
i had been separated from one of my favorite pastimes for too long.
& since central park has outlawed grilling, & since apparently grilling on a fire escape is a fire hazard (philistines!), my grilling options were SEVERELY limited. & when my grrrrrrl the epic/alpha/A reached out, i had to put whatever lingering tensions there were from our last silly argument aside, & roll. A is a grrrrrrl who is always, without question, the boss. this can... chafe, if you call yourself a friend & not a staff member. still, that FLY-ASSED gas grill: it haunted me. finally, a week before my birthday, i woke up w/wisps of grill smoke haunting my barely remembered dreams & said fuck a beef. what beef you ask? oh you must be talking about the 10 yes, count them 10 juicy, freshly cut, grass fed porterhouses i got in my refrigerator, right? (stew leonard's, y'all - i travel far & wide for my madness & you should too - it is in white plains, but don't people be traveling for like, casinos??? ya. so i dispatched my dad - who lives nearby to make it happen & stew's b/c - they are genius. they have their own farms, & so can offer grass-fed beef @ a cut rate.)
ya.
i called epic A: "i am in."
"yay!" she trilled. "& grrrrl, don't even brang nothin! i got it all covered."
the porterhouses would wait till my next grill trip.
when i got there, she had a perfect grill feast waiting to be marinated...
she had:
scallops
salmon
shrimp
chicken
corn
peppers
zucchini &
yellow squash
she has a palate, & so there was an astute selection of flavorings, as well. i like to go fairly subtle on some grill flavors, like the salmon, which i marinated in a simple
garlic,
soy
lemon juice &
sesame oil
joint for about an hour per pound, then prepped the rest. the salmon ultimately got grilled for about 5 - 7
min on each side.
all the veg - except for the corn - got a brush w/fine olive oil, doused liberally w/sea salt & pepper, then was grilled till marked, & removed to a light drizzling of soy sauce & balsamic vin.
the shrimp got a 15 min soak in habanero hot sauce - cause she had some. & it was dope! - (you can simply puree 3 habaneros & 6 TBSP apple cider vinegar & use this mixture)
salt, black pepper &
vinegar situation, & got grilled w/the shells on till pink.
in other news, she had in her possession, walkerswood jerk paste. now the classic recipe for jerk has among the lead flavors:
thyme
allspice
habanero - this is a recipe that works quite well, actually:
5 scallions (green onions)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 onion
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
* a beautiful secret addition, if you want to ratchet up the flavor a notch: 2 oz rum, & 2 oz angostura bitters... they do something special to the meat...
blend all ingredients together. mix w/about 3# chicken cut into serving pieces. let it hang around for an hour or two. then grill!!!
but then my grrrl already had the walkerswood, a magical paste that i have seen reduce mainland jamaicans to their knees. so i was ecstatic. an ecstatic virgo, nevertheless, so tinkering was a must: i added some soy sauce & doubled the garlic. also, the orange juice became a 1/2 & 1/2 mix of lemon & orange juice, & we were on.
there's a deep love in the pit of my soul for pit grilling, lol. there is something so ancient/free/primal about it. people have been cooking this way since the discovery of fire. & i just love that.
the next week, i was still in possession of the porterhouses. & then it was Happy Birthday! to me. yes, yes happy birthday - i love to cook for friends on these days, or work, or both. a friend once advised that whatever you are doing on new year's eve, you will most probably be doing for the rest of the year, & i tend to agree. & for the new year's day of our lives - the day of birth, what could be better?
which is how i found myself on my birthday, in the seafood section of fairway, agonizing over scallops,
not even daring to lust over the live lobsters, those attention seeking bastards, swimming around in their tank...
when my homeboy F swooped in & joyfully called out a request for "6 whole live ones, my man..." a shopper gazed up @ his beauty, speechless, as if to ask, "why so many?" @ this invitation, he offered helpfully to the gathered seafood shoppers, "'tis the season. & you better snap them up this year. 'cause it ain't gonna be this way next year - maine had some sort of crazy surplus... mark my words." "good to know" she beamed. we were all beaming. F is a portable party. the all-stars were there: F, the Siren, the Smartest Bitch I Know, et. al... & it was fabu. sometime during the fine festivities, F was like, "what do you want to do w/the lobster? i was thinking thermidor." a quick google search revealed the recipe:
2 (1 1/2-lb) live lobsters
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 lb mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons medium-dry sherry
1 cup heavy cream, scalded
2 large egg yolks
the recipe i read instructed me to parboil the lobsters. but ever vigilant of the precious flavor lost to even the most minimal cooking of shellfish, we declined. instead, we split all the lobsters raw. then cleaned the innards & poured the custard over the lobster halves.
custard:
heat butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook mushrooms, stirring, until liquid that mushrooms give off is evaporated and they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. add lobster claw meat, paprika, salt, and pepper and reduce heat to low. cook, shaking pan gently, 1 minute. add 1 tablespoon sherry and 1/2 cup hot cream and simmer 5 minutes.
whisk together yolks and remaining tablespoon sherry in a small bowl. slowly pour remaining 1/2 cup hot cream into yolks, whisking constantly, and transfer to a small heavy saucepan. cook custard over very low heat, whisking constantly, until it is slightly thickened. add custard to lobster mixture, stirring gently.
preheat broiler.
arrange lobster tails & shells, cut sides up, in a shallow baking pan and spoon lobster with some of sauce into shells. broil lobsters 6 inches from heat until golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes. serve remaining sauce on the side.
* when salting water for cooking, use 1 tablespoon salt for every 4 quarts water.
we had tons of great stuff to play w/: like filet mignon, again smeared w/garlic, copious black pepper, sliced shallots, & the ethiopian spice F still spurns me for: request after request for the name of said spice still leaves me w/no eye contact... & no answers as to the name of said mysterious ethiopian spice.
friends. how many of us have them?
oh well. @ least i have sea scallops. we did them w/a wild mushroom emulsion:
1 & 1/2 # sea scallops sprinkled w/sea salt,
lemon zest
black pepper
grated garlic
a melange of mushrooms, dried, worked well for my purposes. they were in one packet, & the mix was black trumpets
chanterelles
hedgehogs
matsutake
morels
porcini
shiitake
reishi - (chinese medicinal mushroom royalty - also good tasting w/great texture)
hydrate in water room temp then chop roughly.
to this i added fresh crimini &
fresh maitake
also chopped rough
get a saute pan going & saute the scallops on one side to a thick brown crust. turn & sear on the other side for 2 min. set aside.
then in the same pan saute
6 sliced shallots
6 cloves black garlic
6 cloves roast garlic
& caramelize over medium heat. raise heat & add the shrooms. saute till the shrooms give up their liquid & begin to glaze. pull from the heat. add fish sauce, reduced balsamic vinegar, 2 TBSP, & a few squirts of lemon juice to a blender. then the shrooms. pulverize. add olive oil while the blender is running, until the mixture becomes creamy. stop blending immediately, & pour onto a platter. arrange the seared scallops, crust up artfully.
what a spread!!! happy birthday to me. do i feel old, you ask? since i am methusula, i will say this: i have a sneaking suspicion that old = strong/sexy/wise. in which case, yes, i am old. oh! & old is rich:
you already have the balsamic vinaigrette recipe that i used for the green salad, just search this blog for balsamic vinaigrette. & add it to 3x washed greens, in this case romaine, & add walnuts, pomegranate seeds & goat cheese to this, & you have the salad to the left.
the corn was simply boiled & buttered - my favorite!
after this i did a third, yes you heard me, #3! dinner party & repeated the greatest hits of the previous party w/the addition of clams, & a bruschetta for my vegan friend:
broil slices of a nice whole grain bread to desired done-ness. drizzle w/olive oil.
then make a walnut pesto w/1 whole bunch of clean basil
2 hands full walnuts
6 cloves garlic
& some creminis sliced in quarters, & sautee in olive oil till brown @ the edges & seasoned w/sea salt & black pepper.
smear the grilled bread w/the pesto. randomly smear some st. andre on top of this & add the mushrooms.
voila:
enter word rock sword,
& a chance to sample my concepts w/a clan that i love: the artist/womanyst/creatrix group that makes up a festival of freedom fighting luminaries who gather once a year to bring awareness to the fact of being a woman... anywhere. this year it was yet another feminist bonanza: a series of events: spoken word, short films, outreach to woman prisoners, a concert, & the closing ceremony, to name a few. as caterer for the closing ceremony, i knew that i would have a grouping of people who don't hold back on the truth w/stellar/well-cared-for/well-traveled taste buds to test my evolving food philosophy on. word rock sword, a return engagement (see september 2011 for the recipes from last year) that always leaves my soul healed/refreshed/ready to party. a gathering of some of the most talented/glamorous/hot-to-def ladies get together to wax poetic, dance, do yoga, & sang, do you hear me? all in the name of supporting women's worldwide rights. this year a gathering/awareness/city-wide ritual circle like this is IMPERATIVE. b/c the rethugs are trying to slap women back to the 17th century - & let's not even delve into what they are trying to visit upon black folks. (it has occurred to me more than once that the right wing's tea party is tantamount to haiti's ton-ton macoute: government terrorizing its own citizens by dressing up as ghosts - i hope y'all are voting...) it is always heartening to commune w/my sis's who give a fuck what is going to happen to the country & are not afraid to take to the streets/yoga studio/stage to announce it. & the sight of nashira reaching out to touch her incandescent aunties as they alighted to the stage to set our hearts on fire was priceless. she & i scored a seat, stage-side, B/C SHE DEMANDED IT, & were right under the nose of the legend the lovely Miss Nona Hendrix as she belted out her ode to Rush Limbaugh & his porky politics. i swear i saw the Siren, S, LJP, TR, & LW levitate. i swear!
nashira's eyes were like saucers.
& then, the closing ceremony... which i was catering.
nervous much? - oh always. especially since, for the first time, my goofiness was caught on film/video by my grrrrrrrl/circle sister E/S, of whom i have always said, "this bitch waves a magic wand in jersey, & there is a tidal wave in Bali" who, among 1 million other skills is the capturer of the most ritual/powerful/beautiful images on film?
this time, the epic musician whose name is power called me, & i was ready. b/c over the last few months, 2 things have obsessed me: kundalini foods, & the concept of umami:
umami is the japanese word for 'delicious'.
japanese food is, by definition, seafood based, so the prevalent taste of seaweed is a non-issue. indian food is highly spiced, & it is easier to break down its components & scatter them around a bunch of different dishes, but the healing essence is also less localized than w/japan.
w/regard to kundalini foods, it is my opinion that kundalini demands sexiness/deliciousity/vibrance from its food. it should be food that connects the DNA strand of magickal energy that emanates from us as life force. it should strengthen our organs, soothe our souls, nourish us past the point of any illness or di-ease to wellness, & it should encourage us to use this every day healing w/pure abandon. as far as i am concerned, the japanese & the east indians have mastered this in a way that i can only hope to touch in this life time. the japanese have infused healing seaweed into everything they do. it is the backbone of the cuisine. & it is detoxifying/healing/soothing. east indians have been, for centuries, practicing a special form of alchemy which connects their, what? 3,000 year old system of ayurvedic medicine to their perfume-y sumptuous vittles.
how could i, i wondered, combine the 2 concepts into a series of menus that would work for the local palate?
so my first steps, & you are taking them w/me, were to integrate the seaweed w/taste compatible ingredients. hence the concepts, & menus...
the main idea:
1 Shakti is the primordial creative force of the Universe that lives as The Goddess, Kundalini Shakti. Shakti Ultimately desires to be united with Her Divine Cosmic Lover, Shiva, who resides at the top of the brain in the crown chakra.
2 The Great Serpent Power, Kundalini, lies coiled, three and 1 half times around our tail bones and can be aroused spontaneously by different means. This is known as a Kundalini Awakening
3 The Microcosmic Orbit is a main energetic circuit that nourishes all the channels and meridians in the body.
4 The Functional Channel starts at the tailbone and moves up past the genitals, stomach, heart, and throat-and ends at the tip of the tongue.
5 The Governor channel also starts at the tailbone but moves up through the spine into the brain and terminates at the roof of the mouth.
6 The tongue is like a switch that connects the two streams of energy.
i did a kind of demo/presentation/tasting that centered around the concept that
1 - your tongue is a magical tool.
2 - food = magical ingredients. &
3 - when eating for kundalini/manifestation, visualize the area of your body/life that you are stimulating & imagine/visualize the food literally feeding that chakra.
menu:
1st chakra, mooldhara: root place red/black: survival/elimination - spicy beet salad w/roast garlic, matsutake mushrooms e.o. bk pepper, & balsamic vin - trying to make the rent? see yourself as successful, as safe/taken care of/secure, & while you are eating your beet salad, also visualize your root chakra as the lovely, juicy, clear red of the beets. taste the earthiness of the beets, & feel yourself rooted to the soil, cared for/nourished ENRICHED by the soil.
this is kundalini food magic.
Roast Beet Salad w/Black garlic, Walnuts, & Goat Cheese for 10 - 15 people
roast 6 beets @ about 450 for 45 - min to an hour for medium sizes & allow to cool. skins should slip right off. then cut them into 1 inch cubes. add pink himalyan sea salt, copious black pepper, & if desired, 1 drop only - essential oil (e.o.) of black pepper. sautee in
1 TBSP grapeseed oil
w/roast garlic, 6 cloves chopped roughly,
3 cloves black garlic:
also chopped roughly, on high heat till the garlic becomes extremely fragrant, but not burnt.
when the beets have given up all their liquid & begun to caramelize, remove from heat & set aside while you dress the greens:
to clean, dry, hand-torn greens, singly or a mixture of red leaf, green leaf, & butter lettuce, add olive or grapeseed oil* to coat. then add the plum/balsamic vinaigrette:
6 cloves garlic
2 anchovies
10 drops fish sauce
2 TBSP soy sauce
6 TBSP umi (plum) vinegar
6 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP lime juice
1 drop black pepper essential oil
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 TBSP e. v. olive oil
whir in a blender/food processor everything except for the oils. in drops, then a mid stream, add the oils one right after the other. this will render everything creamy, as it emulsifies. add sea salt to taste - & taste; you may not need it!
add to the vinaigrette to your discretion. then toss in
1 - 2 cups shelled walnuts
the cubed beets
& mix.
garnish each plate w/1 tsp. fresh goat cheese, which looks stunning against the beets, i feel:
grapeseed oil has tons of vitamin e, & has an extremely high smoke point, so for regular saute & even for deep frying, below 400 degrees, there is no chance of rancidity. it is chock full of healthy, unsaturated fats, a fine balance of omega 3's & 6's & powerful antioxidants.
2nd chakra, swadisthana: place of one's abode 2nd chakra reproductive - orange
this recipe addresses the 2nd & 3rd chakras: miso is orange, w/yellow properties, re: the probiotics in miso!!! miso not only has tons of umami, but also precious probiotics, just like the ones in yogurt that make the system alkaline, restore the natural flora of the intestine, & keep illness far away!
grapefruit yellow, miso is orange...
Miso Perfumed Salmon w/Sake & Butter
2# salmon steaks
4 TBPS miso paste
1/2 cup sake
2 TBSP soy sauce
grapefruit juice
lemon juice
2 TBSP butter, pref. grass fed
marinate salmon in the miso mixture for 1 hour. sear in melted butter, & set aside. serve w/
superfood caesar salad:
6 anchovies
2 tsp capers
2 TBSP lem j
1 TBSP worchestishire
1 TBSP sriracha
1 TBSP mustard
3 TBSP soy sauce
6 - 8 oz olive oil
1 TBSP blue green algae
add all to a blender. dress clean dry greens w/this mixture.
heal/enjoy!
3rd chakra, manipura: city of sparkling jewels digestion/analysis - in feng shui, this is the taichi - sacral chakra, yellow: adrenals/power/ego spiced yellow dal w/shallots miso, yll. onions, yll. peppers, yll. toms
4th chakra, anahata: unstuck/heart - creative expression/emotion/love: watermelon/cucumber salad
or green salad w/balsamic/ume (plum) vinaigrette
5th chakra, vishudh: throat/thyroid - purification/communication:
Kombu Wrapped Bluefish w/Sake Glaze
3 # bluefish, fileted & scaled
sake
soy sauce
lime juice
1/2 package kombu soaked briefly in water to cover. when soft, wrap the fish in the kombu. let marinate for an hour.
oil a screaming hot pan. lay the fish skin side down & allow to sear to a crust. the flesh side facing you will begin to look a bit opaque. when the skin has browned, flip to the skin side up. another 5 - 10 min, & it is done.
if you want, you can then deglaze the pan w/some of the kombu water, & a touch of sake. reduce this a bit, then add 2 TBSP butter. OMG.
just a note - for a non party situation, i would saute some garlic,then spinach in hot oil, then serve the bluefish on top of this. yes.
6th chakra, ajna: pineal/pituitatry gland/nervous system: command - lavender/lemon tea bread lavender is calming
this one is gluten free - i have all the ingredients for it. when i make it, i shall post pics:
preheat oven to 350
2 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 C almond milk
2 cups almond flour
2 tsp lemon zest
2 eggs
4 oz. virgin coconut oil
1 cup honey/maple syrup/brown rice syrup/anything but AGAVE which is cactus' answer to high-fructose corn syrup
4 Tbp yogurt - can be soy/coconut/cashew/dairy yogurt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp cornstarch
optional: 2 - 3 drops e.o. lavender, lemon
cream together the honey & coconut oil.
lightly whisk the eggs & add to the mix.
mix the baking soda into the yogurt then alternately mix 1st amond flour, then yogurt into the honey/eggs/oil.
bake @ 350 till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 - 45 min
smoothness. ♥
ps the frosting: dissolve the cornstarch into 1/2 tsp water, mix w/the 1/2 cup honey, & @ this point add the lavender flowers & if you wish, the lemon &/or the lavender e.o...
smooches
7th chakra, sahasrara: third eye/base of brain: - clarity
Seared Scallops w/Wild Mushrooms
^^^ see birthday recipe above!^^^
i know artists. & for the most part, success as an artist has everything to do w/balancing the natural stressors of life while keeping a clear creative channel. so a spread that energetically focuses on stability/sensuality/prosperity was a must. all the chakras are presently represented by the menu, w/a concentration on the 1st (red/black/survival), 2nd (orange/will/power), 3rd (yellow/digestive analysis), 4th (green/pink/creativity/love) & 5th (blue/expression).
& it must be said here: of course, as usual, nashira was the belle of the ball. & the laughter/sisterhood/beauty that evening! took on an otherworldly quality. was it the chakra twiddling? the level of sorcery/magic/genius in the room? or what???
no way to know for sure, & nothing to say now but:
jai ma!!!
peace/love/thank you for reading!
chef/healer stefanie kelly
