The Hirshon Umbrian Pasta in Black Truffle Sauce – Strangozzi Ai Tartufi Neri

July 10, 2017 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

Pasta Ai Tartufi Neri Image Used Under Creative Commons License From thetasteofumbria.com

Citizens, I am extremely fond of the Italian region of Umbria, which is both rustic and gorgeous, with cuisine to match! Umbria is the leading source of Italian black truffles, and this recipe makes the most of its unmatched taste!

Strangozzi is an Italian wheat pasta, among the more notable of those produced in the region of Umbria where reputedly monks were the first to make it.

Strangozzi is a pasta that is a thicker, less smooth version of spaghetti whose rougher surface allows sauces to cling better than they can to spaghetti.

Strangozzi are quite a bit thicker than the average straight pasta you see. Not as thick as the Tuscan pici, but pretty close. If you want to make this dish and can’t find them, use linguini or even spaghetti and plan on using a bit more per person.

The dough is made with semolina and water. The long, rectangular cross-section noodles are made by hand and generally served with the local black truffles, a meat ragù or a tomato-based sauce.

The name of the pasta is drawn from its resemblance to shoelaces, as “stringhe” is Italian for strings.

My one tweak to this classic and very easy recipe is the use of a tiny pinch of red pepper – feel free to omit it for the classic recipe.

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Umbrian Pasta in Black Truffle Sauce – Strangozzi Ai Tartufi Neri

Ingredients

500 gr of Strangozzi (highly preferred) or use Linguini or Spaghetti
100 gr of extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Umbrian
100 gr of cleaned and washed black truffles
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 anchovy fillet, preferably Ortiz brand
1 pinch of dried red chili pepper (optional)
salt and pepper
Freshly-grated pecorino romano cheese (optional)

Instructions

Slice the truffles – ½ razor thin slices and ½ chopped. Pour the olive oil on top of them for 2 hours. This infuses the oil with the true flavor of the truffles!
For the sauce: warm just the truffle-infused oil in a wide pan (reserve truffle pieces), then garlic and the chopped anchovy, mixing until the anchovy is completely melted.
When the garlic is light golden, draw back the pan from the heat and take the garlic out; wait until the oil is colder and then add back truffles and pinch of red pepper.
In a large pot, boil 4 liters (4 US quarts) of salted, boiling water. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes; stir after first 2 or 3 minutes (but not before.)
Strain off the Strangozzi (cooked “al dente” not too much so it has a bite to it) and drain the Strangozzi. Mix with sauce immediately, add grated cheese if using plus salt and pepper and serve.

https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-umbrian-pasta-black-truffle-sauce-strangozzi-ai-tartufi-neri/

Hubert’s Cold Korean Noodles With Bulgogi – 비빔면

June 28, 2017 by The Generalissimo 1 Comment

Bibim Myeon Image Used Under Creative Commons License From mulpix.com

Citizens, a rare guest chef is in the house! :)

My friend Hubert is one of the most talented home chefs I know, and a technical guru to boot – a potent combination indeed here in Silicon Valley!

I’ll let his recipe for this classic Korean dish amply illustrate his kitchen ninja skills! :)

Koreans have a whole range of spicy noodle dishes, in this case a cold dish made with very thin noodles called somyeon with added flavorings, is one of the most popular traditional noodle dishes in Korean cuisine which is especially popular during summer.

There are many kinds of cold noodle dishes in Korea, including one made with cold beef broth; however, spicy cold noodles have historically been appreciated by spice-loving people in Korea and recognized internationally. What makes this dish so distinct from other cold noodle dishes from different cultures is the strong spicy flavor. Most spicy cold noodles are prepared with a slight touch of sesame oil to enhance the richness of its flavor.

Typically the dish contains beef, julienned cucumbers, and other garnishes which are mixed together with the cooked noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds and sugar. Garnishes placed on top and around the spicy noodles include hard-boiled eggs, pickled mu, dried gim strips, sliced cucumbers, and sometimes sliced Korean pear or tomato.

Citizens – I have every confidence you will enjoy Hubert’s recipe to beat the Summer heat! :D

Battle on – The Generalissimo

Hubert’s Cold Korean Noodles With Bulgogi – 비빔면

Ingredients

Bulgogi (불고기):
1 lb of thinly sliced beef sirloin – partially freeze the meat to make it easier to cut very thin
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp of rice syrup (preferred) or sugar
¼ cup chopped green onions or chives
2 tbsp minced garlic.
2 tbsp sesame seeds (grilled, preferably)
½ tbsp black pepper
Garnishes:
Cucumber
Korean pear-apple (preferred) or pear
Egg
Sauce:
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp of gochujang (Korean pepper paste)
2 tbsp of sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
Korean buckwheat (somyeon) noodles

Instructions

Prep marinade, mix, add meat, leave for 30mn minimum, and grill - because the meat is very thin, grilling is a short process. It’s better to brown both sides, and move on. This should be quick. One doesn’t need one of the Korean grilling device, I’ve done it on a flat iron plan. Don’t mind if the syrup and sauce will burn+stick a bit.
Don’t put all the meat and sauce at once. We don’t want things to be “soupy”, or you won’t have the BBQ taste.
Once done, put some aluminum foil on top, and we’ll use the meat later.
Cut cumcumber and korean pear into “matchsticks” about 1mm thick and 10cm long. Wrap to prevent oxydation, we’ll use later.
Make a soft-boiled egg: Boil water. Once water is boiling, put the egg in for 7.5mn EXACTLY. When the time has passes, leave the egg for 1-2 mn in cold water. Make sure there’s enough water to keep things cool. Ice cold is good. Peel, slice and use it later for plating
Cook the noodles following the directions on the package. Duration will vary from seconds to minutes depending on the noodle’s thickness and type. Mine had to be boiled and stirred only for 40 seconds (no more, or they’ll become saggy). Also, wait until the water is boiling before putting the noddles in. Stir during the whole cooking time.
I highly recommend boiling in some kind of straining recipient because it makes it easier to move the noodles out.
When the cooking is done, move the noodles into a large recipient filled with cold water (I add ice cubes). This will prevent them from being saggy or overcooking. You rinse them to remove all the gluten to avoid stickiness. Then you can make a bun by wrapping the noodles around your fingers, like you would do with small electric cables. You could leave them messy, but I just can’t do that. Lol.
Once you have one or two buns of noodles in the bowl, add:
The sauce
The cucumber sticks
The pear sticks
The egg
The meat
And voila! Enjoy and share!
Note: Koreans will typically cut noodles with scissors and mix everything (bibim means “mix”) before eating with chopsticks and spoons.

https://www.thefooddictator.com/huberts-cold-korean-noodles-bulgogi-%eb%b9%84%eb%b9%94%eb%a9%b4/

The Hirshon Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Olives – تاجين، ب، الزيتون

April 3, 2017 by The Generalissimo 2 Comments

Lamb Tagine With Olives Image Used Under Creative Commons License From myrecipes.com

Citizens, the tagine is one of the world’s great stew dishes, as well as the name of the cooking utensil it is cooked in!

Tagine is an ancient originally North African Berber dish – it’s a succulent stew made of meats and vegetables and traditionally cooked in a conical clay pot to allow the steam to rise, condense, and drip back down to the stew.

The traditional method of cooking is to place the tagine over coals, and typically the dish includes meat, chicken or fish, and most often vegetables or fruit. As this meal takes a long time to prepare, preparation of the lunch tagine begins as soon as breakfast is over.

There are several theories on the origin of the word tajine:

from Berber tajin meaning “the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked”.
from Persian tah-chin ته چین meaning “laid at the bottom [of the pan]”, referring to the way it is cooked. Tahchin is a Persian food made with rice and meat (chicken or beef). (See Tunisian tajine below and Persian tahchin)
from Persian tayān تیان meaning skillet or large pan. This word is Arabicized as ṭājin (طاجن) and ṭayjin (طيجن) and ṭajīn (طجين).
from Ancient Greek: τάγηνον (tagēnon), “frying-pan, saucepan”.

The traditional tagine pottery, sometimes painted or glazed, consists of two parts: a circular base unit that is flat with low sides and a large cone- or dome-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The cover is designed to return all condensation to the bottom.

Tagine is traditionally cooked over hot charcoal leaving an adequate space between the coals and the tagine pot to avoid having the temperature rise too quickly. Large bricks of charcoal are used, specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours.

Other methods are to use a tagine in a slow oven or on a gas or electric stove top, on the lowest heat necessary to keep the stew simmering gently. A diffuser, a circular utensil placed between the tagine and the flame, is used to evenly distribute the stove’s heat.

European manufacturers have created tagines with heavy cast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature, which permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking.

Tagine cooking may be replicated by using a slow cooker or similar item, but the result will be slightly different. Many ceramic tagines are decorative items as well as functional cooking vessels. Some tagines, however, are intended only to be used as decorative serving dishes.

Moroccan and Algerian tagine dishes are slow-cooked savory stews, typically made with sliced meat, poultry or fish together with vegetables or fruit. Spices, nuts, and dried fruits are also used. Common spices include ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron. Paprika and chili are used in vegetable tagines.

The sweet and sour combination is common in tagine dishes like lamb with dates and spices. Tagines are generally served with bread. As the domed or cone-shaped lid of the tagine pot traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables. This method of cooking is practical in areas where water supplies are limited or where public water is not yet available.

My version of this ancient dish is made with lamb, olives and a good hit of lemon – it is both delicious and ruthlessly traditional, I hope you enjoy it, my Citizens! It incorporates my ultimate Ras-el-hanout spice blend, but I also provide a simpler blend if you so choose!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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Ingredients

Spice Blend: either:
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 large pinch saffron
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
or preferably use 8 teaspoons of the Hirshon Ras-el-Hanout blend & a large pinch of saffron
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 cloves minced garlic
Tagine:
5 carrots, peeled, cut into fourths, then sliced lengthwise into thin strips
1 cup grated yellow onions, rinsed and squeezed dry
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups dark veal or chicken stock
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1" piece of peeled fresh ginger, grated
1 pound cracked green olives, drained and pitted - TFD prefers castelvetrano olives
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
⅓ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Couscous, cooked to your preferred recipe

Instructions

In the cup of a small food processor, combine the spice blend plus the garlic and grated ginger and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Process until smooth. In a large mixing bowl, toss the shoulder with the above mixture. Mix well.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in large cast iron or heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add the lamb and sear for 2 to 3 minutes, in 1/3 batches, and remove.
Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the sliced garlic and grated ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot (add extra oil if needed) and stir in the lemon zest, broth, tomato paste and honey.
Season with pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock. Add the herbs and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Remove any scum that has risen to the surface of the liquid.
Add the olives to the cooking liquid, increase the heat to high and boil for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is similar to a thick gravy. Stir in the lemon juice in portions to taste and re-season if necessary.
About 30 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and remove the lamb from the pot. Place the meat in a shallow ovenproof serving dish and cook until the meat is lightly crisped, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the lamb with the couscous and the sauce. Garnish with parsley.

https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-moroccan-lamb-tagine-olives-%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%ac%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%8c-%d8%a8%d8%8c-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b2%d9%8a%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86/