Chili Fish

For Allison

Cut the fish (I used Basa, you can use any white-fleshed, mild-tasting fish) into bite sized pieces, then marinate it in salt, chili flakes, 1 beaten egg and some flour (whisk them together). Rest for 15-20 mins 

Heat oil in a deep pan, deep fry then drain them on paper towels. 

In a wok, add bell peppers (better if you use different colors, I prefer red and yellow) and onions, sauté on high while tossing the wok. Add a dab of soy sauce and chili vinegar. 

Add the fried fish pieces, toss and cook till the sauce is coated. Add fresh grated or chopped ginger and green chilies for extra heat. 

Cambodian-Style Collard Greens with Pork Belly

1. Boil pork and wash in cold water. Dice and keep aside with salt and diced onion.
2. In the same water, boil chopped collard greens. You can boil both together to save time
3. Dry roast garlic, green chilies and one Trinidad Scorpion or Ghost Pepper. Grind or pound to a paste.
4. In a wok, cook the pork without oil. Add the chili garlic paste. and use fish sauce to wash the remaining ingredients and add to the wok 9about 2 tbsp)
5. Stir in the collards greens (you may also use mustard greens or bok choy instead), and cook until the greens wilt.
6.  Serve hot.

Kaju halwa/Cashew pudding

Ingredients
Raw Cashew nuts - 1 cup
Green cardamom - 2
Milk  (I used ALEXANDRE FAMILY FARMS Organic, Cream Top Whole Milk,  about 48 FZ)

Sugar - 4 tsp or to taste
Saffron a pinch
Ghee - 1/3 tsp for smell

Method

1. Bring milk to boil. Reduce flame and make it thicker.
2. You may add milk powder.
3. In a coffee grinder, add cashew and cardamom and make a powder. You can also use this to make badam milk.
4. Add the dry ground cashew and cardamom powder in batches while stirring so that no lumps are formed. Cook for another 15-20 mins or until all raw cashew is cooked.
5. Add saffron strands and a little ghee when it is almost done. Kill the flame. Let it cool and then serve. You can top it with ghee roasted cashew.

Sunday dinner scene- roti and bhindi masala from DoorDash, 

homemade cilantro chicken and cashew halwa 

Close up of Kaju Halwa

Fish with cauliflower and orange juice / রুই কমলা

Method

1. Wash the fish pieces, pat dry with paper towels, and marinate them with turmeric and salt.
2. Heat oil in a wok or kadhai. Fry the fish pieces till golden on both sides. Keep aside. You can squeeze some orange juice in this step for extra flavor. The fish pieces will soak in the juice while you prepare the gravy.
3. You may add cut cauliflower florets in oil you used to fry the fish (optional)
4. In the same kadai add ginger paste, tomato paste, red chili powder and cumin powder.
5. I prefer not to use water in this preparation so the orange flavor is more pronounced.
6. Add orange juice, garam masala powder and slit green chilies. Garnish with fresh orange segments on top.
7. Rui Komola (রুই কমলা) is ready to be served with steamed rice.

Tomato chutney with dates and jaggery

Method:

1. Slice pitted dates into strips and soak in water if necessary 
2. Chop tomatoes into bite size pieces. 
3.  In a sauce pan, add about 1 tablespoon refined cooking oil. I don't like my chutney oily. Best if you can cook it without oil while dry roasting the spices.
4. Add a pinch of panch phoron, take care not to burn the spices.
5. Add the tomatoes and dates. Cook well. Mash some tomatoes with your laddle. You may also blend a portion of the chutney now to make it thicker.
6. Add jaggery to taste. You may also add julienned ginger and raisins.

Chili shiitake noodles

For Paro,

Carrots from @farmfreshtoyou
Shiitake mushrooms from @farwestfungi, and
Green onions from garden and voila !


Method:

1.  Bring a sauce pan of water to boil. Boil noodles, strain.
2. While the noodles are cooking, slice shiitake mushroom and the carrots. Dice some onions and green onions
3. Sauté the mushrooms in oil. Add the carrots. Add red chili flakes, dark soy sauce and chili vinegar.
4. Add the noodles. Mix. If you have noodle powder, add it while stirring continuously for uniform coating. Add the green onions. Do not overcook.
5. Serve piping hot. With coffee.

Waldorf salad

Waldorf salad with Granny Smith apples 🍏

Waldorf salad is named for the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, where it was first created for a charity ball given in honor of the St. Mary's Hospital for Children on March 14, 1896. The original recipe was just apples, celery, and mayonnaise.

I also added grapes, raisins, cashews (walnuts preferred). You may use yogurt instead of mayo for the dressing. Citrus zest or lemon juice add another layer of flavor to it.

বাগানের ডাটা দিয়ে রুই মাছের ঝোল / Fish curry cooked with chard stems and mustard paste