Simple Lamb Stew - Cordero al Chilindrón

    When I think about food, the first thing to come to mind is what's in season. I grew up in a big city where summer was hot and humid and winter was cold and dry. It is nothing like living in California. We had to dress differently and eat differently, of course. But tomatoes and cucumbers were not available in winter and strawberries were available only for a couple of months in spring; unlike here, where these are available almost year-round. I often miss enjoying deliciously ripe fruits and vegetables in each season, and also the different kinds of seafood at different times of the year.

Lamb is delicious in spring with its mild and tender meat. This is a very simple Spanish stew with lamb, onion, bell pepper, garlic and a little chili pepper. It's all cooked in one pot and doesn't take a long time. I don't eat a lot of meat so I added some carrots.

This dish is good with Syrah/Shiraz, Garnacha (middle of p. 2), Tempranillo and Zinfandel (top of p. 2), which is grown only in California.


Cordero al Chilindrón: Spanish Lamb Stew
Serves 4

About 1 1/2 pounds chuck or leg of lamb, trimmed of fat as much as possible and cut into bite-sized chunks
  salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika, preferably Spanish
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced. You may use 1 cup of roasted pimiento in jar (12 oz.)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
1/4 cup ham or cured pork (e.g., pancetta), diced (optional)
1 carrot, peeled and sliced in 1/2-inch (optional)

Season the lamb with salt, pepper, paprika and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside for 15 minutes.
In a large pot or skillet, heat remaining oil and sautee the lamb over medium heat 4-5 minutes or until the meat is lightly browned.

Add the onion, pepper and garlic, and sautee for a couple minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, chili and ham. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Place a lid slightly off over the pot, so the steam can escape. Stirring occasionally, cook for 15-20 minutes
or until the meat becomes tender. Do not overcook -- spring lamb is pretty tender. Serve with steamed rice or country bread. Garnish with freshly-picked mint!

Syrah/Shiraz RHÔNE REGION WINES

Syrah and other wines (e.g., Grenache, Viognier) typical of the Rhône River region of Southern France are gaining in popularity in the U.S. Among the most popular is Syrah or Shiraz (Syrah is called Shiraz in Australia and goes by either name in many other regions).

Syrah is full of character and famous for its majestic longevity. Some of the best and most distinctive Syrahs are Côte Rôtie and Hermitage, from the northern part of the Rhône River, south of Lyons.

Deep purple and tannic when young, Syrah has strong tar and peppery flavors. The wine matures slowly and becomes full-bodied with more depth and complexity as it ages. It has been the choice for pairing with game meats (gibier) in France for centuries. Australia has been producing a large amount of Shiraz in recent years, and they often blend it with Cabernet Sauvignon and other red wine grapes.

In California, Syrah/Shiraz wine production has increased dramatically, particularly in the Central Coast region. Most of the wineries are relatively small but produce wonderful wines, albeit somewhat expensive, due to the smaller production. I recently attended the Rhône Rangers wine tasting event (Rhône-style wines by American wine makers) in San Francisco and tasted many wonderful, well-made wines, but the retail price of many is $30 or more per bottle – not an everyday wine.
However, I recently found a good Shiraz from Australia made by the famous Côte Rôtie wine maker Michael Chapoutier in collaboration with Napa wine distributor Anthony Terlato.
The 2009 Terlato-Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier  Victoria ($13.99 at K & L Wines) contains 5% Viognier for a bright, spicy and elegant Aussie Shiraz. It is different from typical Australian Shiraz, and I enjoyed the wine and its affordable price.

My other dinner wine choice is the 2010 Sainte-Croix Syrah-Merlot ($4.99 at Trader Joe’s), which is a 50/50 Syrah-Merlot blend. It is a Vin de Pays (one level above table wine) d’Oc (from the South of France) but well balanced. This is a great value in a Syrah... and good with spring lamb at this time of year.

FLAVORS/AROMAS associated with Syrah wine:

Ripe blackberry, black current, plums with a hint of smokiness, blueberry jam, black cherry, prune, spice/pepper, olives, roasted nut, oak, tar.

2010 Sainte- Croix  Syrah-Merlot

2010 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier  Shiraz-Viognier

Cauliflower, Fennel and Almond Soup

Spring has officially arrived, but the Bay Area is cold again this week. This year is strange indeed. So I made soup again. Cauliflower and fennel are not very popular vegetables among Americans, from what I can tell. However well I cook them, they are often left untouched, whether it is in soup or a salad, or cooked as a side vegetable. Anyway, this soup is delicious and it has been successful on the menu. Fennel's licorice taste is toned down by using almond milk. If you do not want to use chicken stock, use vegetable stock or more water and/or almond milk instead.

I don't normally drink wine with soup (water is best), but if you must...
Try a dry or semi-dry fino-style sherry, or a low-alcohol Riesling (bottom, right corner of p. 2).

Cauliflower, Fennel and Almond Soup

Serves 4-5

1 head of cauliflower, cleaned and sliced

2 heads of fennel, cleaned, core removed, and sliced

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup dry white wine (e.g., un-oaked Chardonnay)

½ cup water

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 ½ cups light chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup heavy cream

salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

¼ cup whole almonds, chopped (for garnish)

In a pot (3 ½ - 4 quart) melt butter with oil, and saute the onion until soft (about 3 minutes).

Add cauliflower, fennel, garlic, white wine and water. Add up to 1 teaspoon of salt (depending on how much is in the stock), stir well and cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Add the almond milk and chicken stock. Cover and cook about 10 more minutes over medium-low heat. The vegetables should be tender and fragrant.

Remove from heat and puree the vegetable mixture with a hand-held immersion blender (or in a standing blender*) until smooth (caution, the vegetable mixture is hot).

Add heavy cream and adjust seasoning with additional salt and white pepper.

Sprinkle chopped almond as garnish. Serve with a good baguette.

*Note: Be careful when using a blender. Allow the hot vegetable mixture to cool 4-5 minutes before blending, and remove center cap of the lid so the hot air can escape (otherwise it might explode on you!).

KITSUNE UDON -- Japanese White Wheat Noodles in Soup

Udon are very popular noodles in Japan, but particularly in the city of Osaka to the south. In the Tokyo area, Soba (buckwheat noodles) are more popular, as well as soups made darker with more soy sauce. I grew up in Tokyo, but Osaka-style soup is lighter and more delicate to my taste, plus I find it easier to digest than typical (Italian-style) pasta and soba noodles. 

KITSUNE means fox in Japanese, and it is used for the name of fried tofu pouches, the color of which looks like fox fur. This style of tofu is also used for Inari sushi (aka "fox pockets"), popular among children, with the sushi rice stuffed inside the tofu pouches. Inari sushi also has sugar added, which makes it sweeter (probably why kids like it).

Paired with green tea, this udon soup is relatively low in calories and fat (only what remains in the tofu after rinsing).

KITSUNE UDON, Japanese White Wheat Noodles in Soup

Serves about 5-6

Ingredients:

1 pound Japanese Udon noodles (dried white-wheat noodles)

2 quarts Dashi (Japanese stock or light vegetable stock of your choice)

1 bag (12 ounces) cleaned baby spinach, blanched and squeezed (to press out the water)

1 package usu-age, fried tofu pouches (2 pieces)

3 tablespoons Mirin (cooking sake)

2 tablespoons low-sodium/light soy sauce

   salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Shichimi togarashi (Japanese chili seasoning)

Garnish:

Wakame seaweed and/or Tororo Kombu seaweed (optional)

Cooked shiitake mushroom (optional)

2-3-ounces fish cake, e.g., Surimi, sliced (optional)

2 stalks scallion, sliced fine (optional)

In a large pot (5-6 quarts) of boiling water, add the noodles (just like cooking spaghetti).

Once water returns to a boil, reduce heat and continue cooking about 10-12 minutes, stirring noodles occasionally to make sure they do not stick together, particularly during the first few minutes.

Meanwhile heat the stock and season with the Mirin, half the soy sauce and pinch of salt. Cook for a minute and keep the soup warm.

Cooking KITSUNE:
Cut fried tofu pouches the size you prefer (about 2 inches wide). Put them in strainer and under hot running water to wash off the oil for 10 seconds. Place the tofu in a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of the stock and the additional 1 Tbsp soy sauce, plus a pinch of salt and the sugar. Cook the tofu over low- medium heat about 10 minutes.

When the noodles are done (not al dente, they should be on the softer side), drain the water and distribute the noodles to individual serving bowls. Pour the seasoned stock, spinach and cooked tofu on top of noodles.

Garnish as desired. Serve with a few dashes of Shichi Togarashi.

Note:  For information about Japanese ingredients and stock making, check this wonderful site: http://justonecookbook.com/blog/pantry/
Also another great blog you can see how to make traditional Dashi stock step by step:
http://www.tinyurbankitchen.com/2012/02/seared-sea-bass-with-bok-choy-and-yuzu.html

Tomato Soup, Quick Homemade

Tomato soup and rustic country-style bread is the perfect quick meal for me, especially on a cold rainy day, like pretty much all of this week. Then again, I always like soup... any kind of soup, anytime. Asian style, European style and of course creamy Boston-style clam chowder. Soup is soothing, sates the appetite and is easy on the stomach.

Once, a long time ago, an old Chinese friend told me that drinking too much soup makes a person very emotional. That is why he and his family do not eat soup very often. I was so surprised when he told me that, as I had never heard such a story, and soup is so common in the daily diet, along with rice, for almost all Asian people. They are accustomed to and enjoy it whether the weather is cold or hot. I remember he told me that his father had a strict military background, and he was trained to not consume much soup, for discipline reasons. I still don't know whether the story was true. I eat soup often. Maybe that is why I am a bit emotional, particularly about good food and wine.

Tomato Soup with Rustic Bread

Makes about one quart (4 cups)

Ingredients:

1 can (28 ounces) whole plum tomatoes

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 stalk celery, diced (optional)

1 small carrot peeled, diced (optional)

2 cups light chicken stock

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

salt and freshly grated pepper

a pinch of chili pepper (optional)

¼ cup heavy cream

 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or basil for garnish (optional)

In a medium-sized sauce pan (3½ to 4 quart) melt olive oil and butter over medium heat. Cook onion and other vegetables (if you are using) a few minutes, until soft. Add garlic and season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour in whole can of the tomatoes, chicken stock and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Place a lid over the pan and simmer about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, remove the bay leaf, and puree the tomato mixture with a hand-held immersion blender (or in a blender) until smooth. Whisk in heavy cream. Serve with thick pieces of good, lightly toasted rustic bread.

Note: I recently enjoyed the “Organic White Cheddar Cheese & Roasted Garlic Filone” from Trader Joe’s, and “Onion & Asiago Rustic Bread” from Whole Foods Market. These are very good choices to go with soup. I slice up the unused bread (1 inch thick), wrapped with baking/parchment paper then in a plastic bag, and store it in the refrigerator for the next few days or freeze it for "emergency bread."