Japanophilic: Kizuna and Black Sesame Otsu

Some people use the word obsessed pretty casually. Not me. I reserve the word for things that I am absolutely nuts about-- things that really preoccupy my mind. Examples of such things include the Momofuku/Milk Bar Birthday Cake Truffles, Pinterest and Japanese design. I'm also (mildly) obsessed with bamboo. A fast growing, incredibly strong grass, bamboo has become popular in green design and building. And bamboo forests are just the coolest. 

I was really excited when I heard that Kizuna (which means the "bond between people" in Japanese) was going to be on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens. I mean, c'mon. Japanese installation art with bamboo? It's just too good to be true!  

Kizuna: West Meets East is a series of pieces that were created by Tetsunori Kawana and Stephen Talasnik. The bamboo was plied and manipulated to form bold, striking pieces on land and more intricate, delicate water-based sculptures. The ephemeral forms play off the landscape beautifully...it's really something you should check out if you live in the city.   

In addition to the installation art, pretty much every inch of the botanic gardens is in bloom right now. There are peonies, irises, and poppies. We saw butterflies fluttering and colorful beds that were buzzing with bees. And the wildflower patches? They are pretty much what I hope my own garden will look like...one day!

As if the spring  blooms and Kizuna were not enough, the annual plant sale is also taking place. Otis really wanted a 'blue plant' and I found one that was just the right size. He named the plant Walter, which I think is a pretty good name for a potted lobelia. When I found out that it was buy one-get one free, we went back to the tables and picked out another plant. Otis named the second plant Alice-- which I think is in honor of "Imo" Alice who gifted Otis and Theo their very first Radio Flyer wagon..and boy do they love it! 

After we returned from the gardens it was nap time. The boys shluffed and I read up on Bonsai trees and maintenance. I regret to inform you that I think I'm getting a little bit obsessed...

Inspired by Kizuna, I made this Japanese-style soba (buckwheat) dish for lunch. I used a whole bunch of scallions (light and dark parts) that were fresh from the farmers market. Though scallions are available year round, this is their season and their flavor is delicious.
The recipe comes from my un-official bible, Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day. 

Black Sesame Otsu (Courtesy of Heidi Swanson, Super Natural Every Day)

Serves 4.
Ingredients

1 teaspoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon sunflower seeds
1/2 cup black sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons natural cane sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mirin
Scant 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Fine-grain sea salt
12 ounces / 340 g soba noodles
12 ounces / 340 g extra-firm tofu
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
Directions

• Toast the pine nuts and sunflower seeds in a large skillet over medium heat until golden, shaking the pan regularly. Add the sesame seeds to the pan and toast for a minute or so. It's hard to tell when they are toasted; look closely and use your nose. Remove from the heat as soon as you smell a hint of toasted sesame; if you let them go much beyond that, you'll start smelling burned sesame - not good. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush the mixture; the texture should be like black sand. Alternatively, you can use a food processor. Stir in the sugar, shoyu, mirin, sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust if needed.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, add the soba, and cook according to the package instructions until tender. Drain, reserving some of the noodle cooking water, and rinse under cold running water.
• While the noodles are cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut into matchstick shapes. Season the tofu with a pinch of salt, toss with a small amount of oil, and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, tossing every couple minutes, until the pieces are browned on all sides.
• Reserve a heaping tablespoon of the sesame paste, then thin the rest with 1/3 cup / 80 ml of the hot noodle water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, half of the green onions, and the black sesame paste. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and toss again gently. Serve topped with a tiny dollop of the reserved sesame paste and the remaining green onions.

For another Heidi Swanson soba dish click Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing. It comes from Super Natural Cooking. 

Tomatillo-Sauced Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms (To Go!)

I grew up in New York City, which is an incredibly diverse place. Yet surprisingly, and somehow, Cinco de Mayo flew under my radar. There's a Mexican neighborhood in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, but it's nothing compared to the size of the Mexican communities in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado or California.

Anyway, I first heard of the holiday the year after I graduated from college and moved to San Francisco. An office mate invited me to what would be my first Cinco de Mayo party. "Cinco de what?" I replied, as I opened my day planner. Then I said something like, "Sure, I'd love to come to the party! What's that date again?" There were blank stares. And a few eye rolls.

Many years later, I've got dozens of Cinco de Mayo parties under my belt. And here in Colorado there are tons of festivities around town and a two-day celebration is held at Civic Center Park. We decided to go to a friend's house to celebrate on the 5th and went downtown on the 6th. For the occasion I made these Tomatillo-Sauced Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas. They were delicious. I ate so many that I felt like a piñata about to burst. In a good way, sort of. 

I adjusted the heat of the tomatillo salsa a bit, but you can tweak it to your suit your taste preference. I thought the dish was a really nice twist on a casual, yet traditional, Mexican entree.

I had some tomatillo salsa (salsa verde) to spare, so the next morning I put it on top of  some baked eggs with Gruyere, which was also very delicious!

Enjoy! 

 

Tomatillo-Sauced Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms (Adapted from Rick Bayless, via Cookstr)

Yield : Serves 4

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 medium-sized (2 1/2 inches) jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and quartered (if you want it hotter, leave the seeds in-- I've made it both ways)

1 ½ pounds (10 to 12 medium) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters

¾ cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro, plus a few extra sprigs for garnish

4 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil, plus some for the tortillas

2 cups vegetable broth, plus water as needed

8 ounces mushrooms (I used button, but you can use oyster or  shiitake too), stemmed and sliced

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

10 ounces (about 10 cups) spinach, stems removed

Salt

12 corn tortillas, preferably store-bought

5 tablespoons Mexican cream, sour cream, heavy cream or crème fraiche

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled Mexican queso fresco

Directions

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. With a food processor or blender running, drop in the garlic and chiles one piece at a time, letting each piece get finely chopped before adding the next. Add the tomatillos and cilantro; process until smooth.

Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium-high. Add the puree and cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the mixture has reduced to the consistency of thick tomato sauce, about 7 minutes. (The more you cook down this base, the richer and sweeter the tomatillo sauce will be.) Add the broth and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes to blend the flavors. (If the heat is a bit too much, you can mellow it a bit by adding some water.)

While the sauce is simmering, heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring nearly constantly, for a couple of minutes, until they begin to brown. Add about three-quarters of the onion (reserve the rest for garnish) and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for another minute or two, until the onion looks translucent. Add the spinach and optional chicken or ham and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or so, until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt, usually a scant teaspoon. Cover to keep warm.

Lay out the tortillas on a baking sheet and spray or brush lightly on both sides with oil or bacon drippings, then stack them in twos. Slide the tortillas into the oven and bake just long enough to make them soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and stack them in a single pile; cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm. (This step is necessary. If you skip it, and try filling the tortillas without baking or frying them, they will fall apart when you start to roll them up.)

Stir the cream (or its stand-in) into the sauce. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon (add the sugar if the sauce seems quite tart to you). Holding a tortilla by one edge, dip most of it into the sauce, then lay it on a plate. Spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons filling down the center, roll up and lay seam side down in a dinner plate. Repeat with 2 more tortillas, arranging them on the same dinner plate. Douse the enchiladas with about ¼ cup of the warm sauce, sprinkle with a quarter of the crumbled cheese and garnish with some of the reserved onion and cilantro sprigs. 

Assemble the rest of the servings, and carry to the table without hesitation.

The day after Cinco de Mayo we decided to head down to the Civic Center to check out the scene and eat some food. (The temperature had also dropped about 20 degrees, so it was a much better day for walking around.) The park was seemingly less crowded than it had been the day before, but there were still lots of people, great food stalls and live music...and a lot of Tecate. My favorite snack of the day were the elotes, ears of corn smothered in mayonnaise, chili powder and cotija cheese. Mmm, yum. 

We topped things off with a funnel cake, which is decidedly un-Mexican, but very much a part of fair/street food. Deep fried batter sprinkled with powdered sugar?! Yes, please! 

On the way back to the car we passed the Denver Art Museum (YSL is still going on), the main library, some great public art, and the Clyfford Still Museum (still one of my favorites, pardon the pun).

All in all, we had a great time celebrating Cinco de Mayo and I'm looking forward to celebrating again next year, on the 5th of May! 

 

Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield (and Linguine with Lemon, Feta and Basil)

The other day I found myself wanting to leave the city. I didn't want to go too far, so I ruled out Rocky Mountain National Park. I was thinking about the Wildlife Sanctuary which is relatively close by, but decided to save that for a day when we had a few more hours to spare. I remembered that I hadn't been to the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield in quite some time and it was calling me.  

The satellite garden is a nature preserve that has grasslands, blooms and Hildebrand Ranch. The old ranch is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it houses chickens, roosters, goats and ponies. We also met a large toad in the pond. Otis named him Walter. He wanted to "take him" and relocate Walter to our couch. I explained that the toad probably liked his natural environment a lot more than he would our home...and that his mom and dad would miss him dearly if we were to snag him, put him in a paper bag and bring him back to Denver. Otis seemed satisfied with my explanation. Walter was left in the pond. 

The garden is also affiliated with a local CSA  and if I lived a little bit closer I would have signed up for the season. But our long-term plans in Denver aren't certain, and I decided to forgo a CSA membership this year. Instead we will rely on the Denver Farmers Markets for our fruits and vegetables. I'm heading to the markets next week and I'm excited to see what they've got.

Back to the farm...

We spent a good deal of time in front of the chicken coup. Otis decided that this would be a good place to wrestle his baby brother Theo. As you can see from the photos below, the hens couldn't believe their eyes.  

There are lots of picnic benches in the gardens, so next time I'll bring some food and eat outside. And since Chatfield is only 30 minutes away from Denver, I think I'll be going back again soon...

When we got back from Chatfield, both boys feel asleep. It was quiet time in the house and I, not wanting to use all of nap time to cook, decided to make something super-simple that I had seen on Cookstr. And here it is...

Linguine with Lemon, Feta, Pinenuts and Basil (Courtesy of Cookstr, Gordon Ramsay)
The light and zesty flavor of this pasta dish makes it ideal for the summer. It's also quick and easy for supper during the week, because you are likely to have the ingredients on hand.
Yield : Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound fresh (or 10 ounces dried) linguine
¼ cup olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Handful of fresh basil, leaves only
7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Directions
Cook the fresh pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. If using dried pasta, cook according to package directions until al dente. Tip the pasta into a colander, leaving about 2 tablespoons of the cooking water in the pot.
Immediately return the pasta to the pot and add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, Parmesan, basil, and three-quarters of the crumbled feta. Toss well and check the seasoning. Divide among warm plates and scatter the remaining feta and the pine nuts over the top. Serve at once.

Lunch Is Served: Senegalese Saladu Awooka ak Mango (Avocado-Mango Salad)

Generally speaking, I'm not someone who typically eats a salad for lunch. But yesterday I found myself craving a salad-- not lettuce or spinach based-- something with a little bit more heft. I saw this recipe for Saladu Awooka ak Mango in Saveur Magazine and since it's packed with avocados, I was pretty sure it would leave me feeling sated. 

The verdict on lunch? It was absolutely delicious and bursting with flavor. The Senegalese like eating this refreshing salad because it's a nice break from their traditional stews which tend to be much heavier. I thought it was the perfect lunch. It was just over 80 degrees in Denver yesterday, so light(er) was the way to go.

Making this salad reminded me that I really want to delve into West African cooking, though I think that this particular dish seems rather Caribbean too. And while I'm going the West African route, maybe I should try to cook my way through the whole continent! There's a ton of diversity in African cooking (from ingredients, spices, styles, influences, etc.), and that means that there are lots of options. I know that most people don't typically think of vegetarian fare when they think of Africa, but there are some really great national dishes that don't use meat. Well, okay, unless you are Masai (Maasai). They eat cow and...that's pretty much it. 

I travelled to Kenya and Tanzania a few years back, and actually had amazing vegetarian food-- thanks in large part to the sub-continental Indian community's influence on East African cuisine (many Indians were recruited to work on the British railway that connected points in Uganda to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa.)

Of course North African cooking (Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian and Egyptian) has some great options for vegetarians such as tagines, couscous and legume dishes. And there's Ethiopian food, one of my favorites...but I don't think I'm confident enough to start with that just yet.

So there you have it. My first West African post. I hope to explore more Senegalese dishes in the future. 

Happy eating!

Saladu Awooka ak Mango (Avocado-Mango Salad), Courtesy of Saveur Magazine, A Feast for All

Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS

½ cup finely chopped parsley

¼ cup peanut or canola oil (I used peanut)

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4" cubes (I went with 1/2 inch)

2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1″ chunks

1 small navel orange, peeled and cut into segments (I only had half an orange left, so I used it)

2 tsp. unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk together 6 tbsp. parsley, oil, both citrus juices, jalapeño, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add mangoes and avocados, and toss gently to combine; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate to meld flavors, about 1 hour. (I didn't chill it for an hour, and still thought that the avocado and mango soaked up the flavor.)

2. To serve, transfer avocado salad to a serving bowl; halve orange segments crosswise, and lay over salad. Sprinkle with remaining parsley, and coconut if using. Serve chilled.

Euclid Hall Inspiration, Grilled Cheese: Camembert with Pear Puree (And A Walk Through LoDo)

It was 5:30 in the afternoon (or should I say early evening) and the babysitter had arrived. We had a quick review of instructions/suggestions, said goodbye to the boys (in a very undramatic way) and we were out the door- very, very happy to spend a night out on the town. It is a rare occasion. 

We met two other couples for drinks at Peak's Lounge, a bar near the top of the Hyatt Hotel, which is known for its spectacular views of the city and the mountains. After a round, or was it two (?), it was time to head out for dinner, located about 8 blocks away. The restaurant, Euclid Hall, is one of three Jennifer Jasinski joints on or near Larimer Street. I was excited to try it. We didn't have reservations so the wait was pretty long. Not to worry though, we hit the bar. And as best as I can recollect, the drinks were excellent. I got the "Rosita"- Republic Blanco tequila, Campari, sweet vermouth, lavender simple syrup and lemon juice. It was an a** kicker...and very good.  

Euclid Hall is definitely not what I would call a vegetarian haven (it's motto is "Crafted, Not Cranked Out" and that refers to their sausage), but it had quite a few options for yours truly. I shared a mushroom poutine and the gingered spring vegetable were excellent. For my main I had a delicious sandwich-- "Griddled Camembert and Pear Preserve Sandwich" which was served with a red grape and basil salad, topped with a sherry vinaigrette.

When I got home I knew I was going to make something like it for lunch. The pairing of Camembert and pear is a really nice alternative to classic grilled cheese. And with the Denver Bread Company a short walk from my house, I can get fresh (amazing) artisanal bread in a snap!  

As for the cheese, I picked up a really delicious Camembert from my local cheese shop, St. Killian's. The people who work there are so incredibly nice.

I found a recipe for pear puree on Epicurious and went with it. It takes about an hour to cook the pears down, but there's very little hands-on time, and it can be made up to 2 days in advance. 

I made these sandwiches on Saturday, the day we were supposed to do an early morning walk of  Lower Downtown (LoDo) Historic District. (Our walk was postponed until later in the afternoon because the Colorado Rockies were playing a game on Saturday and the stadium is located at the end of LoDo....I didn't know the game was going on during our initial descent from the Highlands). 

I've found that LoDo is relatively quiet during the weekend compared to the weekdays when it's pretty crowded. But baseball season has started and the fans were out. Available parking was pretty much non-existent, so we drove back home, walked to our local playground, napped and then ventured back out to LoDo once the crowds died down. We walked around for about an hour and a half, and it was a really nice way to spend the late-afternoon.

If I had to think of someplace that is comparable to LoDo, I think I would probably say the Warehouse District in New Orleans. In fact, I think the two are pretty similar. 

LoDo has some great loft spaces, excellent restaurants, lively bars and some breweries (Wynkoop Brewing Company) too. There's Union Station, which is under repair, and The Tattered Cover-- an amazing independently-run book store. I took a few shots of the neighborhood to give you a sense of our walking tour, but the area is much larger than what I was able to cover on foot yesterday... enjoy! 

Oh, if you want more information on the District, you can take a Denver Microbrew Tour!

Not the best picture of said sandwich...but by the time I uploaded the photos, the grilled cheese was already done...so a re-shoot was not an option!

Roasted Pear Puree (Courtesy of Epicurious)
(I had enough puree for 4 sandwiches)
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
• 8 Bosc pears, peeled, quartered, cored

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine honey, lemon juice, and melted butter in large bowl. Add pears; toss to coat. Arrange pears in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast pears 30 minutes. Turn pears to coat with juices and roast until very tender, about 35 minutes longer. Transfer pears and caramelized liquids to food processor; blend until smooth. (Pear puree can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Assembly
1. Cut two slices of bread, each about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Put a generous amount of pear puree on each sandwich (1/4 of the puree for each sandwich).
3. Add three thin slices of Camembert per sandwich (Camembert has a very rich and intense flavor, so you don't need to use a lot.)
4. Close sandwich and brush olive oil on each side.
5. Heat in a panini press/sandwich maker until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
6. Eat! 
This really is a very nice alternative to classic grilled cheese. Thanks Euclid Hall for the inspiration. I'll be back soon to see what else you've got! 

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I had a good deal of bread left over the next day, so I made these Parmesan-Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches . And, after that, I still had bread left over. (It was a loaf of considerable size!) So I made some fresh pea crostinis and turned the rest of the bread into croutons for Cauliflower Soup with Mustard Croutons. 

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Art installation