Beef Stew with Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Mushrooms, and Parsnip

The last few weeks have been exceptionally busy here; I feel like I hardly spend any time at home, and I love being home.  But I did manage to make a really rustic, hearty, and healthy beef stew.  It is tender and flavorful and just fantastic. This stew just hit the spot during those cold winter days we’ve had lately. Just complete satisfaction. Warm, like a blanket; bursting with flavor like summer. Feeds your belly and your soul. The potatoes and sweet potatoes are actually still from one of the winter shares of the CSA.  I couldn’t believe it that they’re still good.  But sure enough, if you store them properly (cool, dark place), they’re great.  And I have to comment on the beef.  I purchased it at Grassway Organics and it’s truly delicious.  I have noticed that I am able to detect a difference (sometimes) in the quality of the beef and this is by far the best I’ve tasted.

Beef for stew

Diced Beef for Stew

So this is the beef. It looks great and smells clean. Have you ever smelled meat when it’s raw? No? Too weird? I know. But sometimes I do smell it and often detect a hint of something. Not quite sure what but it’s not spoilage. This just smelled clean, almost grassy, which would make sense since these are grass fed and grass finished cows. Don’t know how else to describe it other than “clean”.
And those bones…. Oh wow…. They add so much incredible flavor. Plain water would have made it a good stew, but when I added the beef stock to this stew, it just put it over the top.

Check out the marrow. It’s that squidgy, soft part inside the bone. When cooked, it’s quite delicate in flavor and has a hint of sweetness. I saw a show once where it was served as a delicacy in some fancy NY restaurant. Just a few bones on a plate and a spoon. LOL. Delicious, I’m sure, but just a few bones… C’mon… But I’m off on a tangent. So back to this particular stew. Here is what I did.

Ingredients:
1 large onion
4-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced (it’s really good for you!)
1.5-2 lb beef, diced into large-ish pieces (see picture)
2 medium carrots, cut into large bite size pieces
3 smallish sweet potatoes, cut in large chunks
10 oz of mushrooms
1/2 large parsnip, large dice
3-4 cups beef stock (or you can use another stock or water)
1 qt diced tomatoes (or you can use 2 15oz cans of diced tomatoes)
1 lb of potatoes (Yukon Gold; cut into large chunks or if they’re small enough, I just threw them in whole)
3 bay leaves
Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Coriander, to taste; a touch of Spanish Smoked Paprika
A little parsley, for garnishing, optional

Onions Sauteing

Beef Browning

Beef, Carrots, Parsnip

Beef, Carrots, Parsnip, Sweet Potato

Home-canned diced tomatoes

Beef stew with home-made diced canned tomatoes

Beef Stew with Mushrooms

Beef Stew cooking

Beef Stew with Potatoes

Beef Stew with Root Vegetables

Steps:
1. Saute some onion. Once they are gorgeously sauteed, add the garlic and saute them too. Add spices as you go along to build the flavor, but start slow.

2. Brown the beef. If the beef chunks didn’t fit into the pot all at once, split them into several batches. You want to brown it instead of steam it.

3. Add cumin and coriander.

4. Add the carrots, parsnip, and sweet potato. Let cook for a while.

5. Add the diced tomatoes. Let cook for a while. These particular ones are the ones I canned in the summer/fall and I’m very proud of that (I’ve never canned anything or done any food preservation before). And I’ve eaten canned tomatoes for innumerable years. But I have to tell you, once I opened this jar, I could smell summer. Didn’t expect that, but all that hard work from last year really payed off.

6. Add bay leaves. I tend to add them toward the end because I think they add bitterness if they’re in too long, and I don’t like bitter stuff.

7. Add stock (or water) and simmer on low-ish heat for about a an hour and a half. Longer if the beef is still tough, so check at this point and decide. In my case, 1.5 hours was enough and the sweet potatoes and carrots didn’t disintegrate, but were nice and delicious.

8. Add potatoes (yukon gold). IF they’re large, cut them up in large chunks to match the sweet potatoes. If they’re small, just throw them in whole, I didn’t even bother with peeling (just be sure to scrub them well). There was enough liquid in my pan for the potatoes. I just pressed on them and they went under the liquid. If you need more liquid, add some stock or water.

9. Taste to make sure seasoning is to your liking and adjust what needs adjusting.

Given all that (and a quick perusal of the blog), it probably wouldn’t surprise you that I set annual goals.  But first, let’s reassess last’s years.

Ugh.

Here is what I said at the beginning of the year, and a few updates.

“Without further ado, here are my food goals for 2011:

1. Learn to make Challah – Make Challah at least once
   • I sorta/kinda almost reached this goal.  I made a challah at a challah-making event, where the dough was already prepared.  But I haven’t tried it on my own.
2. Expand my soup repertoire – make soup at lest twice a month, even if it’s a soup I made previously
   • Pepper Soup
   • Leek and Cabbage soup
   • Patty Pan zucchini soup
   • As you can see, I didn’t do so well on this goal either.  I did cook more soups, but definitely not twice a month. More like once every two months, at best.  Definitely something to work on going forward.
3. Make more Uzbek food – learn at least two new recipes
   • I tried making Plov, but didn’t blog about it because it didn’t turn out quite perfect.  The trick to that dish is rice and I haven’t been able to find the right rice in my neck of the woods. 
4. Use fewer processed foods – yes, this seems very general and not “measurable”, but this means I’ll have to give up hot dogs, ketchup, sugar, canned/jarred/pre-packaged foods, etc.  The sugar will be a hard thing to give up in certain situations like dessert; giving up hot dogs will be really hard too since they’re such an easy meal and I like them.
   • Butter
   • Butter was as far as I got.    Didn’t do anything else on that list.  Still eat the hotdogs and sugar and ketchup and other such stuff.
5. Cook more Jewish/Russian/traditional dishes – a way to explore my culinary and historical heritage, a way to recreate things I haven’t eaten in decades – make 1 new thing every season
   • Holodetz
   • Traditional Cherry Preserves
   • Cherry Compote
   • Tomatoes:Pickled
   • I did a lot of food preservation, and lots of jams (strawberry, raspberry, and cherry).  Didn’t blog about a lot of it because I was too busy preserving all that bounty of the season.  Froze a lot of tomatoes and peppers, as well as making tomato sauce of sorts, and preserving chopped tomatoes.

”

The conclusion I draw from last year is that I need to be a little more focused and maybe have fewer goals.

So here’s what I want to try for 2012 (and yes, some of these are repeats from 2011).

1. Make Challah (Jewish food)
2. Make Samsa (Uzbek food)
3. Make a dish using beef tongue (are you grossed out already?)
4. Continue with canning/jam making/food preservation
5. Reduce sugar consumption (not sure how to measure this one yet, other than avoiding dessert)
6. Make bone broths/stocks (I’m actually already on my way with that, having 2 fresh stocks in the freezer already; turkey and beef)
7. Eat more fish
8. Cook something I encountered on my travels, regardless of when I encountered it or where.

I better stop here.  Here’s to a more delicious 2012!

Stuffed Shells Detail

I have always wanted to make a stuffed pasta dish but was always intimidated by it. Not quite sure why, because it’s so easy. Easier than lasagna, and I consider lasagna to be easy.  And when I found a recipe in a magazine (Whole Living, March 2011 edition) and realized I had all the ingredients, I knew I had to try it.  I was also surprised at how quick this came together.  It is also healthy and very satisfying.  The spinach, the low-fat farmer’s cheese (I noticed it’s lower fat than the ricotta the original recipe called for), the mushrooms in the sauce (another one of my tweaks) all contributed to the guilt-free satisfaction of this cheesy dish.  It was devoured quickly, hence no shots of plated shells.  But trust me, this is quick, easy, delicious, healthy, satisfying on a deep level, and elegant enough for a dinner party. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Ingredients:
1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes (I used tomato sauce instead)
1 14 oz container of mushrooms (I added these since I had them on hand)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup bulgur (I omitted this)
25 jumbo pasta shells (I think I used about half)
1 pound bunch spinach, stems removed (I used frozen)
1 15-oz. container part-skim ricotta (I used farmer cheese instead)
1 egg, beaten (I’m pretty sure I omitted this)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (or any other melty cheese)

Onions and Garlic sauteing

Added mushrooms to onions and garlic

Sauted mushrooms

Tomato sauce with mushrooms

Spinach and Farmers Cheese

Spinach and Farmers Cheese Mixed

Mushroom tomato sauce

Shells stuffed with farmer cheese and spinach

Stuffed Shells with Sauce

Spinach and Farmers Cheese Stuffed Shells

Steps:
1. Saute onion and garlic until tender, about 7 minutes, in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add mushrooms and cook until they’re cooked down, about 5-10 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
4. Cook shells in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and let cool. Don’t cook all the way through as they will be further cooked in the oven, I cooked them for about 4-5 minutes, just enough for them to be pliable.
5. Add defrosted spinach to farmer’s cheese. Mix, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
6. Coat bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with 1 cup sauce.
7. Spoon filling into shells and arrange in pan.
8. Cover with remaining sauce, cover with foil, and bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, in a preheated oven at 350 degrees.
9. Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

Leek, Cabbage, Potato Soup

Take a look at this soup.  It’s not photogenic.  It’s not sexy.  But it’s first and foremost delicious.  Of course, it’s also healthy and incredibly easy to make.  And on cold autumn or winter days, it really hits the spot.  How could it not?

The other fabulous feature of this soup is that it features veggies from the CSA (Highcross Farms), and home made chicken stock (chicken was from Grassway Organics).

If you think that this combination is a little odd, I wouldn’t blame you.   But then again, I think anything with peanut butter is strange.  Just think about it, there is a leak and potato soup, and cabbage and potato soup.  I just combined them.  See?  Logic!  Without further ado, here’s what you’d need.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 smallish green peppers (optional, they were part of the CSA box that week)
3 large stalks of leeks (sliced thinly, but not too thin)
2 large-ish carrots (sliced into medium thick half moons)
4-6 smallish potatoes (cubed into bite-sized chunks)
1 medium size cabbage
8 cups (or more) of chicken stock
Parsley, for a garnish, optional
Salt and pepper to taste. Add other spiced if you like (a warm curry would work beautifully here).

Cleaning Leeks

Leeks sauteing

Cabbage

Leek, Cabbage, Potato Soup cooking

Steps:
To wash leeks, slice them first and then dunk them into cold water. Some wash them in the sink or a large bowl, but I prefer to use the salad spinner since it’s a bowl, a colander, and a spinner in one. This way, only one “dish” gets washed, and reducing cleanup is always welcome.

1. Saute onions for a few minutes, until they become soft and translucent.
2. Add leeks and let cook for few minutes.
3. Add carrots and let cook for a few minutes.
4. Add green peppers and let cook until carrots get a little softer, about 20 minutes.
5. Add cabbage and let cook for a few minutes. While all the veggies cook, add the seasonings.
6. Add chicken stock. If you like it a little thicker, use less liquid.
7. Add potatoes and cook till potatoes are tender.
Garnish with parsley, if you like, when you serve it.

Winter Squash, Pumpkins, Acorn Squash

It’s true, I’ve never had acorn squash before.  “How can that happen?”, you ask.  Simple.  I thought I didn’t like it.  It looked foreign (which it really is, to me), and hard to figure out, and since I’ve never had it before, I never knew what I’d ever do with it.  But as I mentioned in some of my earlier posts, one of the benefits of joining a CSA is that you get veggies you might not have picked out on your own.  Just check out the pumpkins/squash in the picture for an example of what I got in the last few CSA boxes.  The folks at Highcross Farm do a great job with getting fantastic food to us and I take these opportunities to try these new foods.  So, here’s my very first introduction to acorn squash.  I hope you like this as much as I did.

Acorn Squash, removing seeds

Roasted Acorn Squash with butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup

Roasted Acorn Squash

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash (cut in half lengthwise)
Brown sugar, maple syrup, and butter, to taste (in total, I used about a table spoon each of butter and brown sugar, and maybe 1.5 tb of maple syrup; and a few tablespoons of water)

Steps:
1. Cut the acorn squash lengthwise, after scrubbing the outside a little. Be careful when cutting into it. I had to use a hammer since I couldn’t get the knife to go into the squash enough to cut it. So be careful!  Remove the seeds and the stringy stuff.
2. Sprinkle the brown sugar, a bit of butter, and some maple syrup on each half of the squash. Add a few tablespoons of water to the oven-proof pan.
3. Roast uncovered for about 30-45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Cathedral of Seville, Spain

Oh what a magnificent city! It’s sophisticated, romantic, passionate, modern, and ancient at the same time, and all these things seem to fit together perfectly. Though I’ve visited this city (does one day count as “visiting”?), it’s still on my list to visit again, and definitely spend more time here. This is the city where Flamenco reigns supreme, history goes back more than two thousand years, and architecture never fails to take your breath away.

And since this is a food blog, I have to mention the oranges. You’ve heard of Seville oranges, right? No? Then let me tell you about them. They’re bitter. That’s it. Seriously. Even the residents don’t really eat them. Our city guide told us that the only recipe you’d use them in is to make marmalade and most women in Seville find it much easier to go to the store and purchase it.

Plaza de Espana, Seville, Spain;

But back to the tour of the city.  In Seville we also had a tour guide who is from Seville and specializes in her city.  We started the day at exhibition area of Plaza de Espana.  Strangely enough, this was an optional excursion, and I really don’t understand that.  This is a “must see”!  Plaza de Espana is in Maria Luisa park, and is the site of the 1929 World’s Fair (Ibero-American Exhibition).   Countries had pavilions (buildings) showcasing various styles of architecture and were built to remain after the closing of the fair to serve other purposes.

Plaza de Espana, Seville, Spain;

The Plaza is fairly large and I’m glad we were there in the morning (hence the shooting into the sun, sorry) because there’s little shade. The bridges, the little canal, the antique street lamps, and tiles.  Oh the tiles!  I’m always blown away by the artistry that goes into something so utilitarian.  But then again, there’s a very strong tradition of tile craftsmanship, going back at least to the Moors.

Seville Alcazar

After Plaza de Espana, we took tree-lined boulevards through Seville to see the Alcazar. If you’ve noticed, the word Alcazar is used often, and you might be wondering why. The reason is that an Alcazar is a royal palace, which also happened to double as a fort during Moorish times, so they’re all over Spain.  Here are some photos of this particular Alcazar.

Alcazar of Seville, Spain

Seville Alcazar Architecture detail

The Courtyard of the Maidens, Seville Alcazar

Seville Alcazar Dome

The Bell Tower and the weather vane of the Giralda are actually just about across the street from the Alcazar. The Giralda used to be the minaret of a mosque, but then when the mosque was converted to the cathedral it is now, the minaret was converted to a bell tower. The Bell Tower is the tower in the first photo and the weather vane is the sculpture at the very top of the tower.

Ceiling in the Seville Cathedral

Cathedral of Seville

This Cathedral, as most other Cathedrals I’ve seen, has intricate ceiling work. But here, the lighting highlighted the shape of the church, a cross. And like most other Gothic churches, this one too was rather dark and depressing, despite the lighting and a throng of people.  Maybe it’s the darkness or the starkness or the severity of architecture that makes these ancient churches so foreboding to me.  The architecture just makes me imagine that I’m inside the belly of a giant beast, with all the stone ribs and spines.  Makes me want to get out as soon as I can, unless there’s something else that can hold my attention and not let my imagination reign uninhibited.

Tomb of Christopher Columbus in Seville Cathedral

Tomb of Christopher Columbus in Seville Cathedral

The Cathedral of Seville is also the resting place of Christopher Columbus. Our guide was telling us that there was a long-standing dispute about where the actual remains were, with some believed to be in the Caribbean. She also told us that there was a ceremony in the 1990′s or so (I think that’s what she said), with his descendents, dedicating the tomb after checking the DNA of the remains in this particular tomb.  I wonder how many of them there are.  Hundreds?  Thousands?  Or just a handful of people?

Maria Luisa Park,  Jewish Quarter, and Lunch

Jewish Quarter in Seville; Sidewalk cafe in the shade

Tiled map of Jewish Quarter in Seville

As our tour of the Cathedral came to an end, we headed to Maria Luisa Park and the Jewish Quarter. The Jewish Quarter is a maze of narrow streets, much as I imagine it was more than 500 years ago. Today, the squares are filled with cafes and restaurants and the shops are full of tourists. Including me. I love to bring small but meaningful souvenirs. Here, I got a few hand-crafted tile magnets because Seville is known for tile work and was world-renowned for craftsmanship in this area during the Moorish times. just check out the tiles in the photos. Ah-mazing!

At this point in the day, it was getting hot and it seemed like our tour guide wanted to be rid of us.  So she hastily lead us through the Jewish quarter, briefly mentioned a story about Dona Elvira (something about a young Jewish girl wanting to marry a particular guy who ended up betraying her family and getting her father killed, and Elvira felt bad about it and decided to remain unmarried; I think).  Now we were on our own and I relished the chance to go through the quarter on my own, discover hidden treasures, lurk in quiet corners imagining how life could have been 500+ years ago.    But the gem I discovered first was lunch.  Mind you that it was close to around 1PM or so and breakfast was scant and early, and we moved primarily on foot.  (And hey, this is primarily a food blog, so travel food is more than apropos.) This gem of a lunch turned out to be a restaurant at a ho(s)tel.  People will tell you to count on spending about 15 E(Euros) for lunch and that’s what I planned, but I was frequently able to find a deliciously satisfying 3- or 4-course meal for about 10EU.  This was one of them.

Gazpacho and Beer at lunch in Seville

Rabbo del Torro; Oxtail Stew with fried potatoes

Ice Cream Dessert

This three-course lunch started with a very refreshing gazpacho, a cold soup of tomato and herbs. They also included beer with lunch. You can see how much I drank in the last photo. I assure you that that’s the most beer I’ve ever had. Cumulatively. I don’t really like beer, but this wasn’t as bitter and nasty as all other beers I tried. Even with that, I couldn’t manage more than half a glass. LOL. Beer is obviously not my thing. I actually asked for some water. (Oh, if you’re afraid of tap water in Spain, don’t be. As someone with a sensitive stomach, I’m always careful, but Spain’s water was perfectly fine, even if it wasn’t as cold as we’re used to here in the US.) The fresh gazpacho did much to quench my thirst. As soon as I was done sipping it, the waitress brought out the oxtail stew (rabo del torro). I LOVE oxtail stew and have made it myself a few times. But not like this. This was very light and summery, whereas mine is thicker and more suited to winter. I have to figure out how it’s done. Any know?? Wanna share? It was absolutely lip-smacking-ly delectable. If you’ve never had this cut, I would recommend that you do. I can’t speak more highly about it.

Dessert was an ice cream bar. It seemed to be a popular dessert option. The other thing I noticed was that fries (or fried potatoes) were ubiquitous. I don’t know why they’re so popular, other than cost, maybe. Doesn’t seem very authentic to me, but maybe it’s been a staple of the region for ages (yes, I know that potatoes are a New World food).

Stay tuned for the rest from Seville!

Easy puff pastry dessert with honey and nuts

I love this dessert. It’s easy, quick, and most importantly, delicious.  This dessert has enjoyed a successful introduction to my family, co-workers, and a CSA pot luck.  There are several things that make this recipe extra easy.  One, is that I use store-bought puff pastry.  As you know, I have no room for working with dough (see my kitchen), so these shortcuts become more of a necessity.  But I don’t mind, it makes my life easier, and that’s a much welcomed thing.    (However, if you’d like to try your hand at home-made puff pastry, check out Sofya’s version.)
I wish everything was as easily simplified as puff pastry dough.  But the other thing that makes extra easy is that I always have the other ingredients on hand.  Here, I used honey and nuts, hence the “pseudo baklava”, but I’ve also used strawberry jam, apricot jam, and a date honey and nut mixture, which is actually the inspiration for this specific combination here.  Oh, and the best part…  it takes only 20 minutes, 15 of which are inactive, with the dessert baking.

Wow your family and friends next time you make dessert.  Better yet, wow them and save a lot of time and effort for yourself, for Thanksgiving!

Here are the details:

Ingredients:
1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry
1/2 cup of warmed honey
1/2 cup (or more; I used a large handful) of crushed nuts of your choice (I used walnuts)
1 egg for the egg wash
powdered sugar

Puff Pastry with Honey

Puff Pastry with Honey and Nuts

Puff Pastry with Honey and Nuts being Rolled Up

Puff Pastry with Honey and Nuts, rolled up on a cookie sheet

Puff Pastry with Honey and Nuts, Done Baking

Puff Pastry with Honey and Nuts. ENJOY!

Steps:
0. Defrost the pastry according to the package directions. I found that defrosting in the fridge over night is better than on the counter for an hour. The dough defrosts more evenly and doesn’t tear quite so much. But in a pinch (or if I forget, which happens more often than I’d like to admit), defrosting on the counter works too.

1. Roll out the dough so the seams are smooth.
2. Spread some honey. It’s easier to spread when it’s warmer, and I use a silicone brush because it’s easier to clean. Spread the nuts as thinly or thickly as you like. I like an even covering, so I lay it on thickly.
3. Roll up the pastry.
4. Cut into 1-inch pieces, or so. If they’re much thinner, they’ll fall apart. Lay flat on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (if you’re using a non-enameled baking stone, it would work fabulously). Brush on egg wash.
5. Bake in a preheated oven, at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
6. When they’re done, remove from the baking sheet and let cool. Once cool, add powdered sugar.
Enjoy!

Puerto Lapice

Well, it’s been a while since my last post about Spain, so I thought it’s time to get back to that. (Otherwise, at this rate, I’ll finish up Spain after my next vacation, which isn’t even anywhere on the horizon.)

Puerto Lapice

Today, we had an early wake-up call.  We typically have an early wake-up call, so it wasn’t anything new.  Our first stop was in a tiny little village called Puerto Lapice.  If you’ve read Cervantes, you’d recognize this location as he tended to use real places.  This is where the fictional Don Quixote was knighted by the innkeeper.  Today, this is a good roadway stop where we used the lavatories and some people bought snacks.  Trafalgar (the tour company from which I purchased this tour package) advertizes this for more than it is, and it is just a quick “bathroom stop”.  After this stop, we continued our trip to Cordoba.

Cordoba

Our only stop in Cordoba was at the Mezquita, or Mosque.  This ancient mosque has a church inside it, and it’s really a mind-blowing sight.  This magnificent building was spared, but of course, it couldn’t remain “as is”, and thus the church was built inside and now it’s officially a Cathedral.  Is that a “take that” to the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul? (it’s a church that was converted to a Mosque.)

I really can’t describe the beauty and majesty of the Mezquita; words fail me.  So instead of me trying to describe it, here are some pictures.

Mezquita (Mosque) Gate, Cordoba Spain

Mezquita (Mosque), Cordoba Spain, Moorish Architecture, Dome

Mezquita (Mosque) in Cordoba, Spain - Moorish Arches

Mezquita (Mosque) in Cordoba Spain; Ceiling Detail

Mihrab - Mezquita, Cordoba, Spain, Moorish Architecture

Seville

After being herded through the Mezquita at break-neck speed, we were on our very long way to Seville. I am still rather bummed that we didn’t spend more time in Seville. I really, really wanted to see more of this magnificent city. I think by now, you’ve realized that I completely fell in love with Spain. Well, with the architecture, weather and food. Not a fan of the Inquisition. But back to Seville. Right before dinner, which was actually an optional excursion for tapas, we stopped at Maria Luisa Park. It’s a stunning park, with some amazing buildings built as part of the 1929 World’s Fair Exposition. Here is an example.

Museum of Popular Arts of Seville, Spain; Mudejar Pavilion in Maria Luisa Park

Tea

All great tea cultures have their own traditions for brewing and serving tea. Uzbekistan has quite a long history of tea consumption, and as such, has specific ways of brewing and serving tea. Though Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union, don’t confuse Uzbek tea culture with that of Russia as they’re distinct enough.

When I was growing up in Uzbekistan, I remember drinking tea just about every time we drank anything; I don’t remember drinking milk with dinner as is common here in America, and I don’t remember drinking a lot of water, though I’m sure I did. But the memories of tea, at each and every occasion, are what stick out in my mind. We had tea with breakfast, dinner, supper, snacks, and when we were just thirsty. You see, in USSR, we had to boil our water before consuming it. Always. I still do that. Safer that way (anyone remember the cryptosporidium outbreak in the early 1990s?).

But here is how we brew tea, with my dad explaining the details.

Tea - Step 1 and Step 2

Step 1. You have to boil some water. Get a little teapot. Get some loose leaf tea (for a teapot this size, we use a heaping teaspoon). Rinse the teapot with boiling water. This heats up the inside of the teapot a little.

Step 2. Put the tea into the teapot and cover with the hot water. My family likes really hot water, barely less than boiling, so that’s the temperature of water we use, though if you read up on how to brew tea, almost all sites have different temps for different kinds of tea. We just don’t bother with that.
This little amount of really concentrated tea is called “zavarka” in Russian, and depending on how strong you like tea, you can drink it straight up or diluted with some hot (or boiling) water.

Tea - Step 3

Step 3. Get a clean cup and pour about a full cup from the teapot.

Tea - Step 4

Step 4. Pour the contents of the teacup BACK INTO the teapot. Repeat Step 3 and Step 4 two more times, for a total of 3 “back and forth” pours. The more you do this, the more concentrated the tea in the teapot will become.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, this back-and-forth pouring has a name: Kaitar (pronounced “kite – AR”, with the accent on the “ar”).

Tea - Enjoying the tea (this is a full cup, I poured it myself, for me. Too lazy to do it again 15 times through dessert.)

Now, you’re ready to serve it.    Uzbek tradition has the cups filled about half way.  At first, it might seem that the host is being stingy with tea, but nothing could be further from the truth.  The reason for filling the cups only half way is to show your guests that you are there to serve them, that you like doing that, and that it’s an honor/pleasure to do so.

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Tomato and Chickpea Salad

I was completely struck by the simplicity and deliciousness of this salad when I saw it at an event about a month or so ago.  Of course, it was also one of those “why didn’t I think of that” moments.  I mean, it’s tomatoes and chickpeas, both of which I love.  But perhaps my experimenting with food stopped the moment it started when I decided to put salt in my tea when I in kindergarten.  Quite traumatized by that still.  LOL.

Anyway, this salad is incredibly easy, especially if you use cherry tomatoes, which is how this salad was made when I first saw it.  But I didn’t have cherry tomatoes and I didn’t see anything wrong with just dicing regular tomatoes and using those.  And if you have cherry tomatoes, just slice them in half, lengthwise.  Here are the details:

Ingredients:
1 15oz can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans
2 large tomatoes (or 2 pints cherry tomatoes)
1 small red onion
Basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt pepper (to taste)

Steps:
1. Dice the tomatoes and onion. Discard the seeds from the tomatoes; they’ll make the salad too watery.
2. Drain the can of chickpeas.
3. Combine the tomatoes, onion, and garbanzo beans in a bowl. Add thinly sliced basil, salt, pepper (to taste).
4. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste. Toss everything to make sure everything is coated well. Enjoy!