Sweet on Dough

Peanut Butter Pie; In honor of Mikey and Jennie Perillo

 
 

I haven't posted for awhile; suprisingly enough, my husband has nudged me a few times, but the inspiration or maybe the time just wasn't there.  A few days ago, I heard about the horrible loss that Jennie Perillo of "In Jennie's Kitchen" suffered when she lost her husband at much too young of an age.  The food blogging community has reached out to her to fulfill her wish that everyone would make a peanut butter pie in honor of Mikey; husband of Jennie, father of two lovely little girls who passed just a week ago.  The pie recipe, which is simply delicious can be found here: Jennie's tribute to Mikey.  Please also take the time to watch Mikey dance with their daughter one last time. Please make the pie, and share it with those you love.  Cherish those in your life, live each moment, love those around you.

To my children and husband; I love you eternally.....to the depth, and breadth of my soul.

 

 

Peruvian Lomo Saltado....or steak, fries, rice and some other deliciousness!

 
 

Was it all just a dream?  Last summer in mid-July, I got an email about this wonderful competition that was put together by a number of organizations and grants (National Council for Geography Education, National Association of Biology Teachers,  North American Association for Environmental Education, and Holbrook Travel).  The trip would entail traveling through northern Peru which is largely untraveled by vacationers, and better yet, I would get to see some amazing archaeology sites.....which I totally DIG, (pun intended)....the trip was for me.  Of course, I didn't imagine that I'd be chosen, but I confirmed with my husband who would be left with our two little ruffians that he could handle my being away for eight days if I was chosen......and then the email came with the subject of "Are you sitting down: Peruvian Delegation," and I knew I had been chosen before I walked out in the sunlight of our deck to read the rest of the email in peace, so as to absorb the details.  A phone call later, I realized how insanely jealous my loving husband was......and a few hours later, I had an old high school friend touting the deliciousness of Peruvian cuisine. 

Not only did my high school friend Carlos INSIST that I eat Lomo Saltado before I left the country of Peru, he sent me pictures of the food and shared with me stories of a friend in California who had kindly introduced him to Peruvian cuisine.  Carlos also did a little bragging about how easy it was for him to go to a local place to get such Peruvian meals.  I wasn't sure I could manage this, knowing that all of our meals were selected for us.  In my many preparations spent reading about the wonderful archaeologists that we would work with: Dr. Sonia Guillen, Dr. Walter Alva, and Dr. Alfredo Narvaez, I added looking up recipes for Lomo Saltado.  I hate vinegar, yet I repeatedly saw vinegar listed in the ingredients.  Luckily, I realized that a little vinegar is nearly unnoticeable, especially as it helps to tenderize meat and marry the ingredients.  I also wondered why french fries and rice would be served in the same meal.

I finally got to taste Lomo Saltado at Gocta Lodge the evening before our approximately nine mile hike to the falls.  It is in front of the rice and mushroom soup.  This is not the traditional way to serve it; rather our hosts wanted us to have a variety that night.  My recipe follows tradition.  Regardless; it was delightfully delicious! 

 

 
My fresh ingredients waiting to be made into Lomo Saltado; a Pacific Rim influenced meal. 

Lomo Saltado Recipe:

2 lb. Top Round London Broil; seasoned with salt and pepper and cubed

1 TBSP. olive oil

Sear on both sides for 3 minutes, then add to pan:

1/4 cup red wine (or grape juice)

2 medium garlic cloves minced

1 small white onion cut into strips

1/2 small red onion cut into strips

3 Roma tomatoes cut into strips

1 TBSP. cumin

3 TBSP. soy sauce

1 TBSP.  lime juice

1 TBSP. red wine vinegar

1 TBSP Aji Amarillo Paste (Peruvian pepper which can be purchased from La Tienda; this pepper has a sweet hotness which I truly believe isn't found in peppers grown in the U.S.)  It's quite cheap to purchase!

Stir fry these ingredients until your steak is cooked as you like it.

fresh cilantro for garnish

The starches

White rice (cooked per directions)

5-6 potatoes peeled and sliced lengthwise

season potatoes using 1-2 TBSP of olive oil to coat, salt, pepper and garlic salt.

Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes turning to brown evenly.

Assembly:

Approximately 1/2 cup of rice should be placed in the corner of the plate, followed by a large helping of the steak stir-fry.  Splay the fries on top of the steak for serving.  Use cilantro for garnish.

The beautiful Andes Mountains with alluvial fields of rice growing beside the Maranon River.  Though difficult to grow anywhere besides the alluvial fields in Northern Peru; the folks here love rice!

Small potato fields which we passed on our hike to Gocta Water Falls; Peru is where potatoes originated offering over 1000 sweet varieties and over 2000 regular varieties.  In a country where people are largely subsistence farmers; potatoes are served with most meals since they grow so well in high elevations.  Few crops do well in high elevations where oxygen levels are lower and temperatures fluctuate.

 

These great elevations also did wonders for the preservation of the Chachapoyan mummies of Museo Leymebamba where Dr. Sonia Guillen has worked so hard to preserve them at a cost of about $50 per day/mummy.

 
  
Mummies faces and bodies became contorted from being carried, but were wrapped in bundles as seen below.

 
Bundles were placed inside these sarcophagi to protect them; symbols showed whether the person inside was a man or a woman.

 
This sarcophagus is a male. The design of Museo Leymebamba is rather eco-friendly and easily maintained through Dr. Sonia Guillen's sustainable practices which include a small farm plot which is fertilized by the guinea pigs, horse, and cattle she keeps on the grounds.  An alpaca keeps the lawn trimmed.

 

Suffice it to say that I found I loved Peruvian food; and you will see some future posts here on Peruvian delights along with additional pictures of the country if you check back.  The trip was amazing and I cannot begin to say how thankful I still am at the opportunity that I had.
 

 

Steak with Parmesan Portobello Sauce

 

Young and naive, I took on the task of dragging seven students with me to Italy after my first year of teaching in a public school.  (I previously taught one year at a private-alternative school for bad kids, who were in fact, well behaved, probably more so than my public school kids...but that's another story).  I love teaching and the Italy trip was a whirlwind of fun! On the advice of another teacher, I contracted with one of those tour companies, which in reality offer quite good prices for flight, accommodations and all breakfasts and dinners.....but these companies often try to feed you cheaply and through bulk serving practices.  Admittedly, what eighth grader is going to notice....after all, in Florence, the boys were dying to go to McDonald's when we came upon one near the Trevi Fountain.  The few good meals that we had were those we purchased on our own during the mid-afternoon....and sometimes those stops were primarily made because we needed to use the hole in the floor or risk paying another quarter for the restroom.  It was one of these lovely meals where I experienced the most delicious mushroom ravioli dish I have ever had with a creamy parmesan sauce that inspired the recipe below.  I promise someday soon to take on the task of recreating those mushroom raviolis with a similar sauce; though it will include Gorgonzola cheese as well.

You won't see any fabulous pictures of Italy, as my trip in 1998 was recorded with only a few pathetic roles of film when my photography skills were worse than they are now.  Our first day, we arrived in Verona where our tour was hooked up with a wild and crazy guide and an older group of New England students who were allowed to run free during our tour.  Within an hour, our bus broke down, and I discovered the joy of the mechanics as they trained their eyes on me rather than our smoke-billowing bus when I asked to use the bathroom.  I emerged smiling; I didn't care about peeing in a hole in the floor.  To Juliet's balcony we went; where boys of all ages groped her statue and scribbled love notes.  I can't even remember what we ate that night, but I remember playing pool with a few Italian soccer players (no complaints).

Venice was as beautiful as I had expected, but somehow on this trip, I had not expected so many church stops.  Thankful that I had asked my group to pack some conservative clothes, I winced as one of our tour guides poked another vacationer in disgust regarding her lack of decorum for that which was holy.  The sheer size and finances that went into these beautiful churches was amazing. It was in these candle-lit churches, listening to the purest echoing and chanting of the monks, that I experienced the only peace I would feel on this trip.

On this particular night, we had simple fair.........while many people don't consider a sauce to be simple, the sauce that accompanies this meal was inspired by my Italy trip and was quite simple taking no more time to create than the steak; which I like medium rare.  My purchases in Italy were all related to food; olive oil, wine, limoncello....Italy is responsible for being the second largest producer of olives and olive oil.  Their Mediterranean climate and fertile soil, especially in the south, are perfect for growing the peaceful looking olive trees which cover many hillsides.

Steak with Parmesan Portobello Sauce 

1 TBSP. balsamic vinegar

2 TBSP. olive oil

Large pinch salt/pepper to taste

1 clove of garlic-pressed

16 ounce or so steak of your choice (Top Round London Broil is a good choice)

 
 
Steak drizzled with balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper

Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the steak, sprinkle the salt, pepper and freshly pressed garlic on both sides of the steak.  Heat a cast iron pan (or grill if you prefer) to medium-high heat and sear on each side for about three minutes.  Turn heat down to medium to finish the steak on both sides to your liking; checking the steak and flipping every five minutes. You may want to add a small pat of butter to the top of your steak while it is cooking to keep it moist.  Steaks should rest at least five minutes to keep the moisture inside prior to cutting.

Cook 12-16 ounces of pasta according to directions; I used a mini-penne for this recipe.

Parmesan Portobello Sauce

Large handful of portobello mushrooms-sliced

2 TBSP. butter

1 TBSP cognac

1 cup low-fat milk

2 ounces cream cheese

1/2-3/4 cup shredded parmesan

1 clove garlic

 Melt the butter in the pan; adding the cognac, pressed garlic, cream cheese and milk until the cream cheese is melted; using a silicone coated whisk to encourage the cream cheese to melt.  Add the parmesan cheese (adjusting your amount to the thickness you desire in your sauce); again using your whisk often to keep the sauce from clumping.  I added the sliced mushrooms about five minutes prior to the steak being done to keep them from being too limp. 

 
Parmesan Portobello Sauce

Preparing your plate:

Place the desired amount of pasta in a bowl, ladle with parmesan portobello sauce and slice your steak, placing on top of the pasta.   

 

Obsessed with Thai food.....Thai potstickers

So here it is; I really want to go to Thailand, and yes, my blog is about traveling, recipes and the stories behind the food....and yet my first post is going to be about a place to which I haven't yet traveled.  My husband and I got hooked on Thai food prior to the birth of our first son.  He was two weeks late and we were told spicy food might do the trick.  So after hiking and seeing a movie, our next stop was this lovely place in Marshall's Creek, Pennsylvania named Saen.  The family that runs this culturally laden little Thai place has decorated it with authentic wooden carvings that take you straight to Thailand and make you yearn for their freshly prepared delights.  The air is heavy with kaffir lime, lemongrass, and sticky rice scents wafting from the kitchen that I so terribly want to break into.  Is your mouth watering yet?  Mine is, for some red tea with cream and panang curry and some of these fabulous potstickers which I created from my favorite Thai ingredients recently.

Sometime soon after our Bailey's birth, I came across one of my main Thai food suppliers ....importfood.com and have been buying supplies from them and my local grocers since in order to make some of my favorite curries and an array of other Thai dishes. 

Ingredients: chives, lemongrass (by the way, pay the extra money to get fresh lemongrass, I made the mistake of buying a glass jar full of somewhat tasteless lemongrass), ginger, cilantro

 
Thai Potsticker Recipe:

Combine the following in a bowl:

1 TBSP fish sauce

1 TBSP chopped lemongrass

1 tsp cilantro

2 TBSP chopped chives

1 TBSP ginger (I used a microplane rasp grater)

1 Kaffir lime leaf rolled tightly, then cut into shreds

1 egg

1 TBSP garlic chili sauce

3 chicken breasts (pre-cooked in a TBSP olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper; then chopped)

The ingredients mixed for sharing with the kids (sans garlic-chili sauce)

 
 

Preparing the potstickers in batches of 6 WITH the garlic-chili paste added. The next step here is to wet the edges with water, then pinch together.

Continued Preparation of the Potstickers:

You will need to place one small spoon of the ingredients in each potsticker wrap from a

12 oz package of pot-sticker wraps

In a large frying pan:

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

Cook the potstickers at medium heat until the dough seems transluscent on both sides (flip every 5 minutes).  Mine were finished in about 15 minutes. 

 

Perhaps my friends have fed into my love of Thai a few times too many; after all, a week in DC a couple years back had my friends Betsy (Montana), Jerome (British Columbia), Chuck (Vermont), and Sarah (Colorado) eating at Thai restaurants three times.....no complaints about being trained in DC where I am surrounded by a variety of choices!