I have been wanting to make Focaccia for a whlie now. Watching the 2019 series of the Great British Baking Show inspired me. Giuseppe Dell’Anno, who won the show, made a fantastic focaccia and that is what got me going. To make my first focaccia, I used
500 g of bread flour
320–340ml warm water (increase slightly)
50ml warm milk
7g instant yeast
4g sugar
10g salt
40 g olive oil
Its a wet dough, so it rests for 45 min, then I stretch and fold, and repeat that several times (30-45 min rests) then it goes into the oiled pan and into the fridge covered for about 7 hours. After that, it comes out for an hour before it gets dimpled and topped, in this case with kalamata olives, Roma tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and garlic with a litle rosemary and flake salt for seasoning
When I was a kid, I loved when we had samousas. Since we have all these Indian stores in our neighborhood, we have access to any ingredient needed in that realm. One day, I went to the local grocery store and in their delly they had samousas, so I tried one. It wasn’t bad at all, but it was not quite the taste I was used to. So, I set about making samousas!
I started with making a ground beef stuffing with peas, garlic, ginger and onion. The spice I mainly used was garum masala and some red chili powder along with cumin and cardemom. I also used cumin seeds along with cilantro, lemon juice and jalapeno peppers. After I cooked that up, I put it in the fridge to cool, then set about learning how to make the dough to make Samousa.
It’s an enriched dough made with peanut oil and the secret ingredient are the Ajwin seeds.
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt 1–2 tbsp oil (or melted ghee) ~
¾ cup water (as needed)
Extra flour for dusting
1/4 tea spoon of Ajwain seeds.
The secret to this dough is to get it together, let it rest a while then divide it into seperate balls, (I used 50 g), keep them coivered, then roll each one out as thin as possible, around a 1mm thickness. Once rolled, it gets dropped on the hot plate for 15 sec a side then layed out under a cuver to keep it moist.
Once rolled out and cooked briefly on each side, you use the pizza cutter to cut rectangles. Then, make a four paste for glueing the sides before folding. To fold, make a pocket. Fill without over filling, seal the pocket and set aside, covered.WHen all the samousa are made, they go in the freezer till its time to fry.
Nest is the oil. I used peanut oil and tried the first batch in the wok, which got too hot. They tasted great, but I needed to get better control of the heat. So, I went to a sauce pan with a candy thermometer, and did these at 350.
They really need to be at 300 first then finished at 350
These are MUCH better, also delicious, but I still do not have the blistering I am looking for. Next time!
Here are the potato and peas with chicken vindaloo version
We LOVE food from NOLA. That Big Easy feel in every bite. A heat that grows, with textures and flavors that demand you take another bite on your way to cleaning the plate. Because beef is getting really expensive, we made the choice to try to make less expensive meals. Red beans and rice NOLA style is a very good and tasty strategy.
Ingredients
1 lb dried red kidney beans (soaked)
1 smoked ham hock + ½ lb thick-cut bacon (or pancetta)
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
5 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cayenne (adjust later)
1 tsp black pepper
6–7 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp soy sauce (secret umami boost)
1–2 tsp apple cider vinegar (finishing acid)
2 tbsp butter (finish)
Rice:
Jasmine or long grain rice
Add 1 tbsp butter + 1 bay leaf while cooking
. Render & build flavor
Cook bacon slowly until fat renders and it’s lightly crisp.
Remove bacon (leave fat).
Brown sausage in that fat → remove.
Add the trinity (onion, pepper, celery). Cook longer than you think—you want slight caramelization.
Garlic + spice bloom
Add garlic and spices.
Let them toast 30–60 seconds in the fat (huge flavor payoff).
Slow simmer with structure
Add beans, ham hock, bacon, sausage, and stock.
Simmer low for 2–3 hours.
Skim occasionally, stir gently—don’t rush this.
When beans are tender:
Remove ~1–2 cups of beans
Blend or mash them smooth
Stir back in
This gives that silky, gravy-like body instead of watery beans.
Final layering
Stir in:
Worcestershire
Soy sauce (you won’t taste it—just depth)
Butter
Splash of vinegar
Taste and adjust:
Salt (now, not earlier)
Heat (cayenne or hot sauce)
Rice (don’t neglect this)
Cook rice with butter + bay leaf.
Fluff and let steam off slightly → you want distinct grains, not mush.
Plating like a pro
Rice first (tight mound)
Beans ladled around and slightly over
Slice of sausage on top
Finish with:
Green onions
Parsley
Few drops hot sauce
The process from start to finsih was simple but involved. The first step is to soak the beans for 24 hours. Then you start by making pancetta with the chopped bacon. Next you brown the sausage coins, and only then do you start to build flavor. Yook the holy trinity in the bacon and sausage fat till its pretty caramlized before adding the garlic, then the spices. After that you add the meats and the ham hock along with the stock and the beans, and it cooks very slowly on a simmer for about 3 hours. After that, you mash a cup or two of beans to get that silky smoothness before adding the liquid flavoring. We let it sit ovenight, and ate it the next day after finishing it with butter. We served it with chopped green onion and parsley along with a thick slice of sourdough bread. I am certain we will make this again!
I recently watched a show where Christina Tossi, from Milk Bar in NYC, made a cake and she inspireed me to make Heather a birthday cake. I tole her I am going to make her a chocolate cake. She smiled and said, “Nobody ever made a cake for me for my birthday.” So, I decided to go all out. I made a 4 layer cake with icing and oreo and chocolate crunch in every layer along with a rum soak, and rum flavored icing. Naturally, she was quite impressed!
I Love Japanese food. There is so much technical skill involved in preparing Japanese food correctly, and I realize I do not have those skills, but, that does not stop me from trying to improve my skills.This is one of my favorite brekfast dishes. Lightly sweet yet savory, Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelette) is flavored with dashi stock and makes a delightful Japanese breakfast or side dish for bento lunches. Primarily enjoyed in the Kansai (Osaka) region, this tamagoyaki is a dashi-forward Dashimaki Tamago.
I used to live around the corner from Hoagies Corner, a prominent convenience store and deli chain in the Pacific Northwest during the 1970s and 1980s, famous for its signature “Cheesy British” sandwich. One of the things I loved, and was new for me, was the idea of building a sandwich that they would make for you on the spot. Recently arrived from South Africa, this was not a thing I was familair with. The sandwhich I built became an instant favorite. Let’s call it “the accidental favorite”. Why accidental you ask? Because having built the sandwhich that first day, the server asked me if I wanted it heated, and I said, “W,hy yes, please!” assuming that he had a press or some other mechanism to heat it. He did not. He wrapped it and put it in the microwave. I took the sandwich home (a couple of block away on my bike), and dived right in. It was alchemy.
So the sandwhich is
Roast beef (thin sliced and rare)
Lettuce
Tomato
Pickles
Swiss cheese
light mayo
It has to be a hot sandwich. And, its best if its wrapped in wax paper and heated in the microwave. Every time I have one of these sandwiches, I am transported back in time to the day where I introduced this bite to my friend Will, who worked with me at the Nursery when we were pretty darn stoned. He said, “That is the best thing I have ever tasted!” and I feel that way every time I make the sandwhich and bite into it. Now that I have created that San Francisco sour taste, I cannot wait to try it!
Having made a great loaf of Rye Bread, we chose to make the Ultimate Rueben sandwich. It started out early in the morning when we went to the store to find the ingrtedients we needed as soon as the deli opened. We found great pastrami, and had it sliced paper thin. Most Rueben’s fall flat with the Russian Dressing. I chose not to!
Mix:
½ cup mayo
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Dijon
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 tbsp chopped pickles (or relish)
Squeeze of lemon
Black pepper
And let it sit 15–30 min in order to wake up.
Next, the Sourkraut. Most people ruin Reubens here.
Not me!
First I drained it
SQUEEZED it dry (seriously—like wringing a towel)
Quick sauté in butter + pinch caraway seeds
To get it warm, and slightly toasty—not wet and sour sludge.
Next, the meat.
Game changer:
Steam or gently warm it (NOT microwave dry)
A splash of water, covered pan, low heat
Hot + moist = sandwich magic
Finally, build it right
On my excellent rye bread:
Butter outside of bread
Inside layer:
Swiss cheese
Meat (generous…be honest with yourself)
Kraut
Dressing
More Swiss
Cheese on both sides = glue + melt
Medium-low heat
Press gently (don’t smash it flat)
Flip once
Looking for deep golden, slow melt Not rushed. Not burnt
I LOVE biscotti with my coffee in the morning. I used to get one at the little coffee card outside my office back in the day. When I sold my office and moved, I sort of missed out on that biscotti fix. All the ones I tried were not as good as the one she had at that cart. After my divirce, I resolved to make the perfect biscotti.I tried several recipies till I found this one, Nona’s Biscotti, in Gourmet, and have never looked back.
Ingredients
1 cup (200 g) sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp. brandy
2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole almonds with skin, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2¾ (344 g) cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Step 1
Stir 1 cup (200 g) sugar, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, 3 Tbsp. brandy, 2 tsp. pure almond extract, and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract with a wooden spoon in a large bowl to combine. Add 1 cup whole almonds with skin, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped, and 3 large eggs, lightly beaten, and stir vigorously to combine. Sift in 2¾ (344 g) cups all-purpose flour, 1½ tsp. baking powder, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt and stir until just combined and no floury streaks remain. Chill dough, covered, 30 minutes
Step 2
Place rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 3
Using moistened hands, divide chilled dough in half and form 2 (16×2″) loaves on an ungreased large baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Carefully transfer loaves to a rack and cool 15 minutes.
Step 4
Cut loaves into ¾” slices with a serrated knife. Arrange biscotti, with a cut side down, on a clean baking sheet and bake until golden, 20–25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Do ahead: Biscotti improve in flavor if made 1–2 days ahead. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature.
Editor’s note:This recipe was first printed in the January 2009 issue of ‘Gourmet’ as Nonna’s Biscotti.
My Life: A Memoir 