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Initially this post was about the birthdays we celebrated in March. But an unexpected turn of things also calls for celebration of life.
Surprisingly both the husband and I share the birthday month, there are 11 days between ours. With some years in between but the days are more important. His is first so the dinner planning was ad hoc, at best. While grocery shopping I bought chorizo, shrimp and cod for a Mexican dinner. And the one question he asked on the day was if I would be interested in going to a local Italian restaurant we’ve heard about but have never tried. Shocked and thrown off, I convinced him to stay home for dinner. While he napped, I started preparing shrimp and fish tacos with a side of black bean and chorizo soup. His favorite dish of all time is shrimp tacos.
Black bean and Chorizo Soup, my version adapted from the original
1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight and cooked in a pressure cooker
Drizzle of olive oil
1 (3- to 4-ounce) link of Mexican chorizo, sliced ¼ inch
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups chicken stock, homemade preferred
Garnish: rounds of thinly sliced lemon and chopped fresh cilantro
Cook chorizo in a nonstick saucepan with olive oil on medium heat. When the meat releases oil and browns on all sides, remove it from the pan. Add onion, garlic, pepper flakes, cumin, and salt to the oil, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat, stir in chorizo and simmer for 20 minutes. Partially cover the saucepan while simmering. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add additional liquid for a thinner consistency or lightly mash beans with a potato masher for thicker consistency.
For the fish tacos- I coated cod fish in milk and then in seasoned flour. The flour was seasoned with salt, cayenne, ground cumin and ground coriander. I then pan fried it in 1/2 inch of canola oil. Half way through the pan frying, the fish fell apart. Unfortunately I haven’t mastered the fish frying technique (think fish and chips) yet. Cod is very delicate and flaky so we were picking broken pieces of the fish from the serving platter to fill our tortillas. Unfortunately due to falling apart the Mexican flavors (cumin and cayenne) in the flour were lost in the frying oil.
Dessert was Opera Crème cupcakes from Bonbonerie, a local bakery/cake shop, that always fits the bill for cakes and desserts. I believe everything is made on premises by their own pastry chefs and bakers.
My birthday, on the other hand, was much different from his. Because this year it was on a Sunday, some friends suggested going out for brunch and one even offered to host. Regardless of what it would be, I knew it wouldn’t be a repeat of last year, an all-out-get-crazy night at a local dive bar to raise money for a local non profit organization, The Women’s Connection. Raising money for the local charity was fantastic, however recovering from the night was rough. Instead I opted for an afternoon get together at my place with mimosas and appetizers.
Everyone brought a variety of foods. We had (from top left- clockwise) kaala chana (black/brown chickpeas), potato gratin with wild mushrooms and goat cheese, Paddington Torte from Bonbonerie, dukkah (not pictured) with olive oil and bread and fruit salad.
Kaala Chana is a common street food in India, in the metropolitan cities but especially in Mumbai, formerly Bombay. It's simple and a winner.
1 cup dried black or brown chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked
1 small- medium onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
pinch of salt, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon
There are three methods to cook dried chickpeas or any dried beans. My favorite is to pressure cook because of the short time it takes compared to the other methods. Add soaked chickpeas to the pressure cooker with 3 times the amount of water and cook on medium high and then reduce heat to low for 15 minutes or for 4- 5 whistles. Turn off heat and allow 10- 15 minutes for it to cool and the steam to escape from the cooker. (An important note: each pressure cooker has different cooking temperatures and times, I recommend following the instruction manual over my instructions on pressure cooking!)
Another method is to cook dried beans in a saucepan. In a large saucepan, add 1 cup of soaked chickpeas to 3 cups of water (the ratio is 3:1 water:beans, plus or minus some). Bring the beans and water to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30- 45 minutes.
And finally, if time permits the simplest method is to cook the chickpeas in a crockpot. Add chickpeas to the pot with 4 cups of water and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
To test if the chickpeas are done, smash between thumb and index fingers, if it smashes easily without the firmness, they’re ready. Drain. In a medium bowl, add drained chickpeas, diced onion, cumin, chili powder and salt. Combine and taste; adjust seasonings if necessary. Add lemon juice and serve at room temperature.
Then (from top left- clockwise) there was dried figs and onion confit with goat cheese crostini, olives, almond and olive oil cake, and Vietnamese summer rolls.
Here's a recipe to serve as an appetizer or simple snack at anytime of the day.
Fig and Onion Confit, adapted from a recipe by Diane Phillips
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3 vidalia onions, chopped
3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup good, aged balsamic vinegar
6- 8 dried figs, soaked and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
In a large sauté pan on medium heat, melt butter, add the chopped onions and sauté until the onions begin to turn golden brown, 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add the brown sugar, vinegar, chopped figs and rosemary and simmer for 45 minutes or until the mixture is thickened like jam. Cool completely before serving on crackers or French baguette with goat cheese on side.
(pictures from my birthday are courtesy of Michelle Gatmaitan) Thank you!
Not pictured were goat cheese with crackers and bread, stuffed shells, lox cream cheese with onions and crackers and one of the best cheese from Amsterdam.
I only made kaala chana, fig and onion confit and Vietnamese summer rolls so all credit and a big thank you goes to everyone for bringing the other delicious foods. This post or a million spoken thank you’s won’t suffice in expressing how grateful I am to have friends like you in my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Even the weather cooperated, it was bright and sunny, slightly chilly, but not a cloud in the sky.
And amongst the celebrations, we also celebrated life. I recently lost a grandfather, my only living grandparent. He was an independent, determined and tenacious man. At the age of 18 he left his parents’ home to pursue education and a career, unheard of in India in the 40s. And after college his perseverance and desire to work aboard landed him a job in Iraq. He loved talking about the time in a mostly Muslim country with his young bride, my grandmother, in the 1950s. He was always interested in politics, American, Indian or International. Our regular phone conversations consisted of him sharing stories of his past or our agreements and disagreements in politics. He was very opinionated about the current wars. One of his favorite political stories was about a run in with at-the-time-not- so-well- known-activist Mohandas Gandhi on a train.
Two Saturdays ago my dad called to say grandpa wasn’t doing well in the hospital because of his pneumonia, kidney failure and stomach irritability. I then decided to visit him and boarded my flight on Monday afternoon.
While there he and I talked about our home in India, culinary school and family matters. Upon leaving I held his hand tightly and kissed his forehead. When waving my final goodbye, he returned the favor and raised his hand. Sadly, little did I know that would be his last night. I arrived home at midnight on Tuesday and received the phone call on Wednesday morning, one that I wasn’t expecting so soon; at 10am on Wednesday morning my grandfather passed.
I am still mourning and recovering from the loss but understand and accept that his time was now. He lived a long and healthy life and journeyed the world with his soul mate. Although he was a strong man throughout his life I think he fell apart when my grandma passed away 7 years ago. I will always cherish all of our memories together but especially our time together on the last two days of his life.
This post is to you and for you dadaji.
This week, the book club was at Nada. For some it was the first time and for others it was second or third. Like the last time the food and experience was wonderful. Additionally, the service was fabulous. And I mean that in more ways than one. Rick, our server, was eager to answer all food questions and had superb drinks suggestions.
We started off with chips, guacamole and salsa. Both the guacamole and chips were spot on; the chips were warm and freshly salted. Some shared a ceviche, a light appetizer. It was shrimp and scallops marinated in citrus juice and tomatoes. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but one woman thought it didn’t compare to the one she had in Spain.
The drinks were strong and flavorful. My recommended drink was a tad sweet but still very good. Unfortunately I can’t remember any of the names but if you order anything from the drink menu, you won’t be disappointed.
When everyone’s dinner arrived there was a variety of tacos on the table; vegetarian, mahi mahi, and chicken. I got vegetarian tacos which had sautéed portabella mushrooms topped with beans, rice and chihuahua cheese. The combination of mushrooms and toppings tasted great. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the flour tortillas, again. For me, not only does flour tortilla take away from the authentic taste but it also makes the tacos rubbery because of gluten. Regardless of my personal demands, the ladies raved about their tacos. There was one concern raised for fried mahi mahi tacos; traditionally fish is grilled and at Nada the fish is dipped in a batter and fried. Since I like all things fried, I didn’t mind that when I ordered them during my last visit. Liz was the only person that did not order tacos; instead she got a pork green chile cazuela. And she raved about it after the first bite. Now, I know I said I wouldn’t eat pork after the roast, but I couldn’t resist a bite. It was very good, indeed. I have a feeling there will be many exceptions to the rule in the future. (Don’t judge me, how well did you keep your weight loss goal from January? okay.) We finished dinner with a caramel flan, key lime cheesecake and warm chocolate torte (in lieu of Emma’s birthday). All were decadent; my personal favorite was the torte because of the banana foster gelato from Madison’s. Speaking of Madison’s, Amy’s table did a show about their gelato on CET. And now I really have a craving for it.
Overall, it was a great evening for book club, dinner, and a birthday celebration. As I previously said, Nada’s a hip place for drinks and appetizers or a full fledged dinner. After greeting us, Rick stated “for those that haven’t been here, this is a contemporary Mexican restaurant with twist on some traditional dishes.” That sentence perfectly describes Nada.
My team asked about my birthday lunch and the only restaurant I wanted to try was Nada. It opened in late 2007 and has been on everyone’s charts since opening day. From my knowledge Nada took Bella’s place. A coworker called to make reservations for 10 and before she hung up she was told we would get a private room for the birthday party. A private room for me? oooooh, that’s exciting.
On Friday, I was so excited to go to lunch I almost didn’t get any work done. Yes I am that bad when it comes to food. The restaurant is conveniently located in the heart of town so street parking’s hard to find; if you find a spot, you’re lucky. We parked in one of the underground garages which set us back 7 dollars for 1.5 hours. Not bad.
After being greeted, we were told our party would sit upstairs in the back room. We walked up the funky, curvy stairs and headed to the private room. As we walked pass long and curvy red couches I was in awe of Nada’s contemporary chic interior. It plays up the bright color theme with reds, yellows and oranges. For a Mexican restaurant, they’ve transformed the space to resemble a hot spot for hip happy hour goers and diners.
The lunch menu is limited compared to the dinner menu, obviously, and consists mostly of tacos and sandwiches. I got Mahi Mahi tacos and my companions ordered grilled chicken tacos or Nada sliders. If any of you are familiar with White Castle, you know sliders are infamous with the fast-food joint. I won’t disgust you with the origins of the name. Tacos are served with a side of beans and rice and sliders are served with sweet potato fries. I read reviews about the Jalapeno Macaroni and Cheese so I ordered an extra side along with rice and beans. Gluttonous, I know.
My Mahi Mahi tacos had bright flavors. The fish was dipped in a batter, fried and stuffed in flour tortillas between guacamole and pico de gallo. With a sprinkling of lime juice the tacos came alive. As a lover of Mexican food, I would have preferred corn tortillas for my tacos as opposed to the flour tortillas. I am glad I ordered a side of macaroni and cheese. The top was crunchy from the broiler and the pasta was not overcooked. Additionally, the cheese and jalapenos added a spicy creamy kick to the traditional favorite. I didn’t care for the rice and beans because they weren’t flavored properly. There wasn’t enough of anything- cumin, coriander, chili powder or salt. Others that got sliders raved about the meat, they said it was tender and juicy. I stole couple sweet potato fries, for good reason. They were flavorful, not overcooked or greasy which is easy to do with shoestring fries. After stuffing ourselves, dessert wasn't an option for anyone.
Our server did an excellent job serving and staying on top of everything, especially with the 10 of us. And we're a colorful bunch. We were all a little surprised with the bill; we thought the portions were small for the price. However, combination of good food, service, food presentation and ambiance give Nada a prominent place in the mix. If you’re in search of an upscale modern Mexican restaurant, Nada fits the bill. I certainly plan to go back for happy hour, a formal sit down dinner, or even the macaroni and cheese. While it is a great restaurant to visit once in a while, I prefer the holes in the wall, mostly Spanish speaking joints that serve authentic food- the no frills spots that satisfy my Mexican food fix, inexpensively.
If I had to pick one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be fish or Shrimp tacos, along with sushi, Indian food, and chocolate. okay so that scenario wouldn’t ever work for me….. but you get the point, Shrimp tacos rate very high in my book.
It’s the combination of chili powder, ground coriander, lime juice, delicious juicy Shrimp, and lots and lots of cumin that come together on a homemade taco topped with sliced onions, cabbage and sour cream that make me happy happy. I love these little things. If I didn’t have to watch the numbers, I’d eat 8 in one seating, at least. When we went to California, fish tacos were on the top of the list because of the freshness of the seafood and the authenticity of the meal. We stopped at a small Mexican joint around Del Rey, that served the best fish & Shrimp Tacos. I wish I had pictures to share…. we’ll have to go back…
For the best Shrimp Tacos, I highly recommend buying fresh wild caught Shrimp. If you’re on the coast, that’s not such a problem. However for us Midwesterners, ocean is a 5 letter word. I cheated, as I always do. When we visit my parents in New Jersey, I make it a point to stop at their local seafood market and load up on shrimp and various types of fish. As soon as I come back from the market, I freeze everything for lasting flavor and freshness. I suggest buying shrimp that are still in their shells. Yes, it’s a giant pain in the ass to peel and devein them, but if you want authentic shrimp tacos, this is the best method. Lynne Rossetto Kasper explains the buying, peeling and deveining process here. And About.com provides a step by step guide.
Tacos de Camarones- Shrimp Tacos
(The spices are added approximately, as in all my recipes. Are you surprised? Cumin and Coriander are not hot spices, they add a lot of flavor so don't skimp on those. However chili powder is hot therefore add according to taste.)
Tacos:
2 cups of masa flour- It’s corn flour made from field corn. I use the Maseca brand.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of water, more or less
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour and water together until you get a smooth doughy texture. Knead the dough and if it is dry and crumbly, add water and on the contrary if it’s too watery, add flour. If you have to add water or flour, start small. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Marinade
25-30 count medium shrimp
2 tablespoon Vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoons Ground Cumin
1 tablespoon Ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons red chili powder, we like it hot
Salt to taste
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Fresh Lime juice
Chopped Cilantro for garnish
Extras
1/4 of Cabbage, shredded
1/2 of Red onion, sliced
Sour cream
While the dough is resting, mix shrimp with oil, ground cumin, coriander, chili powder and salt. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile shred cabbage and red onion into thin slices for toppings, and finely chop cilantro.
After the dough has rested, roll into 12 golf size balls. Using a tortilla press, make medium tortillas. I believe this is the best way to make tortillas. I’ve read recipes on rolling out the dough between pieces of plastic, though that may work, I prefer to use my press. It’s a sturdy cast iron press and cost me about $20 on Ebay. The local Mexican grocers carry it as well.
Before starting, make sure to line the top and bottom of the press with plastic, sandwich, bags to keep the dough from sticking. Two tricks: press the dough slightly in hands before pressing and press it twice in the tortilla maker.
1. Press the golf side dough ball between hands. Lay it between the two pieces of plastic in the tortilla maker, off center, and press.
2. Then, open the top, reposition the flattened dough and repress for a thinner tortilla.
Repeat the process for all tortillas.
Heat a nonstick pan, cast iron skillet or the traditional comal on high heat and cook tortillas for 30 -60 seconds on each side and remove from heat. Do not add any type of grease to the pan.
Heat a non stick pan on medium high heat, add vegetable oil. When the oil is ready, add garlic and cook for 15-20 seconds, then add marinated shrimp to the pan, spices and all. Turn down heat to medium and cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes on first side and 1-2 minutes on the other side or until opaque in the center. These cook really fast so don’t leave the room to make a margarita. As tempting as that is....
Serve warm. Top a cooked tortilla with shrimp, cabbage, red onion, and sour cream.
(I took the pictures before adding sour cream)
