Magic Spice Soup Curry Caramel

Finally, it's part 3 of my Japanese caramel mini-series. I've saved the strangest for last -- these are Hokkaido limited soup curry caramels. I was never a particularly picky eater, but I find that as I get older, there are fewer and fewer foods I don't like. For a long time, asparagus was the devil, but it's become one of my favorite vegetables. Although I'm no Andrew Zimmern, there aren't too many foods that gross me out, either.

And yet, for some reason, I was afraid these particular caramels. It was pretty irrational, since I love almost every kind of curry I've ever tried. The idea isn't particularly gross either, since curry flavored sweets aren't unheard of. Still, they taunted me, and it took a little courage to pop one into my mouth.


The pieces were about 1.5 cm long and smelled just like curry udon. The spice was very bold at first, like the caramel had simply been dipped in curry powder. The spice was a little hot, too, giving a slight burn at the back of my throat just a bit stronger than cinnamon.

Sweetness was completely an afterthought, but under that strong curry flavor, the buttery caramel was there. The combination worked much better than I thought it would, and the chew was quite pleasant, despite a bit of graininess right at the finish. To my surprise, I enjoyed these, and would happily eat them again. They're also great to share, since they're bound to catch people off guard.

B+

Yellow Lentil Soup: Boring Name, Exciting Flavors

It's still cold out there, huh? How 'bout some soup?

Posts and pictures of soup never get me giddy with excitement, jumping up to make them on the spot (I take that back; this one did), but I always wish the featured bowl of soup were sitting right in front of me -- kinda like soup on demand.

Ummm...this soup? I don't have much to say other than curry, coconut milk, and lime are some of my most favorite flavors, and they're all in here. And some lentils, of course. Also, make the soup thick and it's awesome spooned on top of rice. This soup makes me happy. I hope it does the same for you.

Yellow Lentil Soup
adapted from Food Network Canada
serves 6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups yellow lentils, soaked overnight
1 can coconut milk
4 limes, (juice only)
2 small red chilies, finely chopped
6 cups vegetable broth (plus some to thin soup)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
limes and cilantro (garnish)

• In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, and cook for about 3 minutes.
  
• Add cumin, coriander, curry poder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and soaked lentils, and cook for 3 minutes
• Add coconut milk, lime juice, red chilies, vegetable stock, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
• Simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until lentils are very soft.
  
• Place half of soup in blender, and puree (or blend soup in pot with immersion blender). Add blended soup back into pot.
• Adjust seasonings to taste, and add additional water or vegetable stock to thin soup if too thick.
• Serve garnished with cilantro and a healthy squeeze of lime juice.
  

Beet Curry Soup

I was a little more than disappointed with my last beet soup - a classic and spartan borscht. And, yet, I was so excited to make that borscht, as I've never eaten borscht before (not in my family's recipe repertoire, and rarely found on menu's unless you're at a Polish or other Eastern European restaurant).

I followed a recipe from Olive Trees and Honey, a Jame's Beard award-winning cookbook of authentic Jewish vegetarian recipes, but its borscht recipe with meager onion, vinegar and sugar stock, cubed beets, and sour cream garnish just did not impress. I chalk this up to the fact that I like bolder flavors, and borscht is a simple soup. I still would love to try another version of vegetarian borscht, though (hint, hint, borscht recipe holders). Maybe a version with more variety of vegetables, since I went bare bones borscht the first round.

I still couldn't shake the need for beet soup, so now I present you with a beet soup my taste buds can get behind. And yours will too, if you like bold flavors. Roasted beets add an earthiness, apples add sweetness, and ginger and curry paste add that kick I so love in food.

One word of warning: the recipe I followed called for 1 to 2 tablespoons of curry paste, which I found a bit vague since there are many curry pastes out there. I went with a green curry paste, and started by adding less than 1 tablespoon, but that already was too much. So, do start with a much smaller amount of curry paste, as curry pastes are very different, and add more if needed.

Beet Curry Soup
adapted from The NY Times
serves 6-8

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large beets (2 1/2 pounds total)
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 apples, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth, more if needed
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 tablespoons curry paste
salt, to taste
yogurt or sour cream, (optional garnish)

• In a bowl, drizzle oil over beets, and toss to coat. Put beets on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour, or until beets can be pierced easily. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and chop into large chunks.
• In a large pot, melt butter and saute onions until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Add apples, broth, ginger, curry paste, salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until apples are soft.
• Pour soup into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Adjust seasoning and add more broth if too thick.
  
• Garnish with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
  

Vosges Naga Bar

This might be the most expensive candy bar I've ever eaten. This little thing was $3.50 at Whole Foods, but I've always wanted to try curry chocolate, so I just couldn't say no. The full size was something like $7.50 so I went with the little one. It was supposed to come with tasting instructions, but I didn't see any.


This was some smooth chocolate. The milk chocolate base was as silky as I've ever tasted, and the coconut added a nice grittiness. The curry was not how I expected, but I was pleased. I suppose I thought it would be more present, but it instead provided a bit of background heat and a nice spiciness. I am a huge fan of spicy foods, and spicy sweet is a fantastic combination.

OK, I lied, I have had this expensive stuff before. A few years back, my husband's parents gave us the Black Pearl (ginger + wasabi + black sesame seeds + dark chocolate) and the Red Fire (Mexican ancho & chipotle chillies + Ceylon cinnamon + dark chocolate) bars in a Christmas gift and they were very similar to this one; really high quality chocolate base and background heat.

The aforementioned Vosges chocolates are definitely something special, and although they aren't five alarm spicy, they definitely aren't for people with low heat tolerance. I can't really say it'd be worth the money for me to buy them often for myself, but as a gift, sure, bring them on!

B+

Vosges Haut-Chocolate

Truffles

For all you Valentine’s Day haters, this is not a Valentine’s post! It’s really more of a Christmas/birthday post, so go ahead and read without spite for superfluous, romantic holidays that have the propensity to make you either feel like shit if you're out of a relationship, or inadequate if you're in a relationship.

For a while there I was making truffles for Christmas gifts, but then I moved far away from my family (the truffle recipients), and the idea of busting out truffles the day before traveling home for Christmas did not appeal. My Dad still requests homemade truffles every year, but I haven’t obliged in the past four or so years. Pretty cruel of me.

The dead of winter is a slower time for me, so is a better time for making truffles. It just so happens that my Dad’s birthday is in the middle of February…and he’s getting truffles this year!! (Dad, I don’t think you read this blog that regularly, but if you see this before you get a box in the mail, you got truffles!)

I’m gonna be ballsy and just go ahead and say… these are the best truffles I’ve made so far!

I follow the Joy of Cooking’s recipe for truffles ( ½ cup heavy cream and 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate) to make the truffle part, and I live by the philosophy of “mo’ chocolate, mo’ better,” so prefer my truffles enrobed in chocolate instead of rolled in cocoa, nuts, or other ingredients.

Colored Fiestaware helped keep the flavors straight, especially when the cream was mixed into the chocolate.

I made four types of truffles by adding ingredients to the cream, or infusing the cream with flavors before adding chocolate to make the ganache that gets rolled into truffle balls. This is what I made:

Port Truffle
I didn’t think I’d like the port truffles, but once they were coated in chocolate, the flavor was subtle and enhanced by the bittersweet chocolate shell. Very classic!

Basil Truffle
I loved the basil ice cream I made last summer so much, I had to try making a basil truffle. These truffles have the same unexpected, mysterious, herbal flavor of the basil ice cream. For the adventurer, not weenies! Bittersweet chocolate enrobes the magic flavors.

Curry Truffle
Curry was made for chocolate! My favorite chocolate bar is the Naga bar from Vosges – so aromatic, spicy, and sweet. These truffles are a close replica. I like a milk chocolate casing on these truffles.

Earl Grey Tea Truffle
I’m torn between honoring the curry or the Earl Grey Tea truffle as my favorite. The Earl Grey is sweetly floral, and reminds me fondly of my Granddad’s tall glasses of cold sweet tea mixed liberally with evaporated milk. Milk chocolate covers these tea truffles!

Basic Truffle
makes about 35 truffles

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup heavy cream

• Scald heavy cream in a small saucepan on the stove.
• Add hot cream to chopped chocolate, and stir until chocolate is melted and thoroughly incorporated.
• Store in refrigerator until chilled (1-2 hours).
• Scoop out a small portion of chilled chocolate ganache, and, with your hands, roll into balls about the size of…a truffle!

8 ounces chocolate (your choice), chopped

• Melt 2/3 of chopped chocolate in a double boiler, stirring constantly.
• To temper, use a candy thermometer and bring chocolate to 110-113°.
  
• Remove from heat, and add remaining 1/3 chocolate, stirring constantly for about 8-10 minutes, or until the chocolate cools to 79-80°.
• Re-heat chocolate to 90°, and dip truffles quickly in chocolate.
  
• Place on wax paper-covered tray to cool.

This truffle dipper was fashioned out of a wire coat hanger. Very helpful!

Port Truffle
Instead of ½ cup heavy cream, use 1/3 cup heavy cream, then add port to heavy cream until the liquid reaches the ½-cup mark.

Basil Truffle
Tear about 10 large basil leaves into pieces, and add to hot, heavy cream. Set aside to steep for about 30 minutes. Remove basil before adding to chocolate.

Curry Truffle
Add 1 teaspoon curry powder and about 15 cardamom seeds to hot, heavy cream. Set aside to steep for about 30 minutes. Remove cardamom seeds before adding to chocolate. Add 2 teaspoons curry powder to melted chocolate used to enrobe truffles. Dust finished truffles with curry powder when chocolate shell is completely cooled.

Earl Grey Tea Truffle
Steep two or three Earl Grey tea bags in hot, heavy cream for 30 minutes. Squeeze out tea bags, and remove.

Curry Veggie Burgers

My last attempt at making veggie burgers was also my first attempt – and my first experience with tofu. I was 14 and a vegetarian newbie, so I turned to Fantastic Foods' veggie burger mix on aisle two of the health food store. I don’t know anyone who has been successful with tofu on the first go round, and my first try was dreadful. Removing moisture from tofu is paramount to many recipes, but I didn’t know that at this time.

The recipe for veggie burgers in The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, a recent Christmas present, doesn’t use tofu, but, again, removing moisture from the bulgur wheat, lentils and cooked vegetables that go into the burger is crucial.

I did as the recipe said, and my mix was still too moist. I added more bread crumbs, and when I ran out of bread crumbs, I added flour until I thought the patties were firm enough.

I fried the patties as instructed. I baked another batch of patties. I enjoyed the baked patties better – less oil and the baking took away some of the moisture from the patties.

The flavor of the patties is mushroomy-meaty, but I thought they needed more kick. I added more garlic than the recipe called for, and also added curry powder and cumin, making them curry burgers.

They say you can freeze the uncooked patties for later, but I just ate them all this past week!

Curry Veggie Burgers
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
makes about 12 patties

2 cups water
salt
¾ cup bulgur wheat
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, minced
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 large leek, white and light green parts finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can brown lentils, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise (or vegan mayo)
pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons cumin
¾ cup breadcrumbs (more if needed)

• Bring water and pinch of salt to a boil in a saucepan, remove from heat, stir in bulgur, cover, and let stand 15-20 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer, and press excess moisture using a spatula. Set aside.
• Add mushrooms, onions, celery, leek, garlic, 1 teaspoon oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.
• Uncover vegetables, turn up heat, and cook until liquid has evaporated. Spread vegetables out on a baking sheet to cool.
• Combine the bulgur, vegetables, lentils, cashews, mayonnaise, pepper, curry powder, and cumin. Pulse half the mixture in the food processor 15-20 pulses, and transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with other half. Stir in breadcrumbs. If mixture is too tacky, add more breadcrumbs, so you can handle the mixture.
• Form into ½-inch-thick patties, and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350°for 30 minutes, flipping patties at the half way point.

Genelle's

Update: as of Jan. 30, 2009, Genelle's has closed to the public after 14 years of business, and is only offering catering.

Until the other day, I have been missing out on the best curry I’ve had since moving to this region. It's at Genelle's.

I’ve actually passed Genelle’s, a Caribbean restaurant right on the main drag in downtown Wilmington, and looked at their menu taped to the front window, but always pass by on Sundays when most every store in downtown Wilmington, including Genelle's, is closed.

The interior of Genelle’s is divided in two - a small, dine-in area with a takeout counter up front; and larger back area with white linen-topped tables, and a bar with live jazz on Saturdays. The casual, front dining area did me just fine.

If dining in, just say so, and they’ll put your food on a plate. I just spaced it.

Jerk chicken, curry chicken, curry shrimp, curry goat, oxtail, chicken and okra, and jerk burgers are just a few of the Caribbean delights on Genelle's menu.

Vegetarians can order the curry vegetables, or two of the Chinese (?) dishes – vegetable lo mein or vegetable fried rice. If you're a vegetarian, don’t let the limited vegetarian choices stop you from trying Genelle’s.

The side orders read like a specials board at a Southern meat-and-three studded with Caribbean flavor – steamed cabbage, collards, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese (not available that day, or else I would have been all over it), fried plantains, rice and peas, dohl pourri, and Guyanese patties (owners are from Guyana).

More than enough for a big boy...or a small girl that just can't quit.

Standing at the counter, looking through the glass at the large pans of stewed curry on the steam table, I could just tell my meal was going to be good. And, oh, buddy, was it!

Genelle’s yummy vegetable curry plate ($5) consists of potatoes, corn, carrots, sweet peppers, peas, beans, and tomatoes, and is pilled atop a generous portion of rice and peas. The flavors mingled, with nothing overriding, and the spices and heat were perfectly piquant.

Steamed cabbage also comes with the vegetarian plate. I love all cabbage, even Genelle’s cabbage that was boiled to a translucent sweetness.

A bake.

Genelle’s also has baked goods – corn bread, carrot cake, pound cake, and occasional Caribbean specialties like cassava pone, coconut buns, and Guyanese rum cake.

I couldn’t resist the pastry unfamiliar to me – a bake ($1). A bake is a slightly sweet bread spiced with cinnamon. Stuffed from the curry, I brought the bake home for later. The grease-soaked, brown paper bag carrying the bake was evidence that a bake is not baked! If Genelle's bake were topped with powdered sugar, you could call it an elephant ear.

I like to visit my Wilmington lunch spots during lunch hour to get a feel of their popularity. Genelle’s had a steady flow of people coming in for take out, but not nearly the business they deserve. There should have been a line out the door and wrapping around the building!

My ignorance of Genelle's divine curry was a crime. I'm hoping this PSA counts towards community hours served.

Genelle's Bakery and Cafe, 730 Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801
302-654-5322
Mon.-Tues., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wed.-Thurs., 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-1 a.m.; Sun., closed

Crisps

Can you believe that I’ve had bags of potato chips (crisps) and other savory snacks from my trip to the UK last summer in my pantry for almost an entire year? I’m envious of all the curry snacks over there and simply adore them. I meant to get around to sampling and reviewing the various bags of curry flavored snacks from the UK that we silly Americans don’t have, but didn't.

While I have no willpower with sweets and desserts, I do have willpower with chips, nuts, and other savory snacks. I don’t purchase chips and can stare down a basket of tortilla chips without flinching. It’s not that I don’t like chips; I like them all right. It’s that I know they’re bad for you and, if given the choice between fried salty sin and buttery sweet sin, I would rather ruin myself with dessert. When I do eat chips – mostly at parties – I prefer bbq or some other flavor punch like Cool Ranch Doritos. Absolutely addictive!

I realized I had forgotten to blog about the chips from the UK a little too late to be relevant to my trip. I put it off. I put it off some more. I forgot about them. What is in that bag? Oh, chips from last summer. Well, now it’s about a week shy of being a full year from my UK vacation, so I decided to open the bags. As stupid as the passing of a year is for a reason to get around to something, I guess the stupid excuse did get me to open the bags and give ‘em the ol’ chew and review.

Walker's Sensations Gently Infused Lime and Thai Spices - These potato chips were my favorite. I suppressed my chip willpower and ate the whole bag. Tangy lime hits the tongue first, and a truly gently Thai curry flavor lingers.

Walker's Sensations Vintage Cheddar and Red Onion Chutney - Not a curry, but I have love for red onion chutney, so this one's slipping in. The initial scent and flavor is similar to Cheddar Ruffles, but more subtle and, due to the onion flavors, more complex. This one was my second favorite (First and second favorites where actual fried potato chips, which probably figured in their high ranking, but the flavors were the best overall, too.)

Kettle Crispy Bakes Korma (Coconut, Ginger, and Coriander) - These hollow crips are baked and made with a large percentage of lentil flour (very Indian!). The texture was that baked, puffed texture you get with other snacks that are so much better when fried, but you put up with to reign in the ass. The coriander seasoning stood out, and, as I chewed, the back of my mouth tasted like a balanced curry.

Ryvita Sweet Chili Minis - These were essentially rye crackers, again, with a puffy, airy texture. The initial taste is tangy and sweet, sort of like bbq sauce, but oddly not quite so. A slight heat was noticeable a little later. These were my least favorite, and not because of the rye; the rye was not perceptible. The initial sweet taste was just odd.

Waitrose Red Thai Curry Flavor Crunchy Coated Peanuts - If you like chips and you like nuts, stay clear of crunchy coated peanuts and avert a bad food habit - you will eat nothing else but these snacks. I discovered these things years ago in Asian Markets, ate a bag, enjoyed the hell out of it, disowned them, and never looked back. Super addictive! These in particular had a pleasant, mild curry flavor that was coconut forward.

Now all these bags are open, and I have to eat them. Oh, the torture. Maybe it's a good thing the US doesn't have curry chips; I don't have to be tempted.

Massaman Curry

Want to make Thai curry that tastes like the ones you eat at restaurants? The secret is to use the same curry paste and tofu as they do.

Grinding curry paste with a mortar and pestle is a lot of work. Make life easy and use the Maesri curry pastes. That’s what restaurant’s use. I’ve asked.

You can’t miss the small cans of Maesri curry paste in the Asian market; there’s a picture of a woman on all the products. I like to think of her as the Betty Crocker of Thailand. (Be careful with these curry pastes if you’re vegetarian, as some contain fish.)

Go ahead and buy fried tofu, too. Because, unless you have a deep fryer, you’re not going to fry up tofu in a skillet and get the same texture you get at restaurants.

I wanted to be lazy and just link to a Massaman curry recipe, but I couldn’t find one as easy as the one I use. So, damn it, I have to write it out. Of course, I’m subbing Maesri Massaman curry paste.

The recipe is adapted from Thai Vegetarian Cooking by Vatcharin Bhumichitr. This beautiful book, filled with vegan Thai recipes, was given to me in the early ‘90’s. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but you can find it used. These recipes are the real deal - not hokey, vegan re-do’s of Thai food.

Massaman Curry

Massaman curry is traditionally made with meat, potatoes, and peanuts, but feel free to add vegetables. I recommend trying it without vegetables first. Use full fat coconut milk for the best flavor; it makes a difference. I use reduced fat coconut milk when I make it for myself, but full fat when serving the dish to others. It’s impossible to make food and not eat it right away, but save some for lunch. The flavors are vastly superior the next day.

2 tablespoons oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 ounces Maesri Massaman curry paste
8 ounces coconut milk
⅔ cup peanuts or cashews
1-2 potatoes, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 ⅓ cups ready-fried tofu
3 shallots, sliced
1 tablespoon tamarind juice, or lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar

• Heat the oil and fry the garlic until golden.
• Add the curry paste, stir briefly, and then add the coconut milk. Stir well.
• Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked al dente.
• Serve over rice.

Siam Lotus

I judge Thai restaurants by two things – Pad Thai and Massaman curry. Massaman curry is a Muslim-influenced, Thai curry that contains the aromatic spices cardamom and cinnamon. I haven’t had the Pad Thai at Siam Lotus, but I've heard it's good. The Massaman curry is one of the bests I’ve had. So many places do it incorrectly – usually too watery and no depth of flavor. Siam Lotus’ Massaman curry is thick, rich, and right on.

Siam Lotus is on an uninviting block of Spring Garden St. - not that any block on Spring Garden is attractive. At night, neighboring businesses are locked down, and you feel as if you're in a desolate area of the city even though you're only minutes from Center City. Get past this, and enjoy some tasty Thai food surrounded by schizophrenic decor - homey, cute wainscoting and mod, plush wall hangings. A small bar and a DJ table up front transform the restaurant into a nightclub. I just went for the food, though.



Siam Lotus, 931 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA, 19123
215-769-2031
Lunch -Tues.-Fri. 11:30AM-2:30PM; Closed Mon., Sat., Sun.
Dinner - Sun., Tues.-Thurs. 5:30-10:30PM; Fri.-Sat. 5:30-11PM; Closed Mon.