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Pozole Verde

2 poblano peppers
1 small jalapeño
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion (about 4 ounces), sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 (14-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
3 cups water, plus more as needed
1 (25-ounce) can hominy, drained
Kosher salt, to taste
Shredded cabbage, diced avocado, sliced radishes, cilantro sprigs and lime wedges, for garnish and serving

wear gloves and mask while handling peppers

Char the peppers
transfer them to a paper bag and fold it up tight
Peel and seed the peppers, then roughly chop them.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro and chopped charred peppers and cook until the onion appears translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the water and cumin, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Using a stick blender, puree until smooth. (If using a standing blender, puree in batches as needed to avoid overflow.) Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the drained hominy. Simmer for another 10 minutes, then adjust the consistency with more water, if desired, and taste and season with salt, if desired. Serve in bowls and top with shredded cabbage, diced avocado, sliced radishes, cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

Tofu Bites, baked

From It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1 In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.

2 Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.

3 In a greased cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook tortillas over medium heat until lightly browned, 1 minute on each side. Serve warm.

Vegetarian Kofta Curry Recipe
NY Times

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 green chiles (such as jalapeño or serrano), stems removed
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 spring onions or scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, 1 tablespoon reserved for garnish
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped, 1 tablespoon reserved for garnish
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon garam masala, plus more for garnish
½ teaspoon red chile powder
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more as needed
½ cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
8 to 10 ripe Roma tomatoes (about 3 pounds) or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Black pepper

Preparation

Put the garlic, ginger and green chiles in a food processor, and pulse until you have a coarse paste. Put half the paste into a large bowl. Set the rest aside.

Add the beans, spring onions, fresh herbs, bread crumbs, egg, garam masala, chile powder and salt to the large bowl with the paste. Mix well with a fork, mashing up the beans as you go into small pieces.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange on the pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, ginger and chile paste, and sauté until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. If using fresh tomatoes, purée them until smooth in the food processor. Stir the tomato purée or crushed tomatoes, coriander and cumin into the skillet, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the kofta to the skillet, and turn the heat to low. If necessary, add enough water for the liquid to come about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the meatballs, then simmer another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kofta are warmed through and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a light dust of garam masala and some extra herbs.

Mayo by Bittman

8 ounces silken tofu, about 1 cup
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt

Put all the ingredients in a blender and purée, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the container with a rubber spatula, until the tofu is completely smooth and evenly colored. This could take several minutes; add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water if necessary to help the machine do its work.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or vinegar if necessary. Use right away (or transfer to a jar and refrigerate for up to 1 week).

Lablabi (Tunisian Chickpea Soup)
Melissa Clark

Yield 6 to 8 servings
Time About 2 1/2 hours, plus overnight soaking

Ingredients
For the Crispy Chickpeas:

1 ¾ cup cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon za’atar, plus more to taste

For the Soup:

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 bay leaves
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ loaf hearty rustic bread (about 8 ounces)
1 cup chopped onion, from 1 medium onion
6 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
1 tablespoon ground cumin, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon harissa paste, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, for serving
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Preparation

Prepare the crispy chickpeas: Transfer chickpeas to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a clean dish towel or paper towels. Cover with another towel (or paper towels) on top, rubbing gently to dry. Remove top towel and let air-dry for at least 30 minutes and preferably 1 hour.

As chickpeas dry, start preparing the soup: In a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot, combine soaked chickpeas, 5 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon salt over high heat. Bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until chickpeas are tender, about 1 to 2 hours.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. While chickpeas are cooking, cut bread into thick slices, then tear slices into bite-size pieces. Place bread in one layer on large rimmed baking sheet and toast until crisp and light brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool on pan and set aside.

Finish the crunchy chickpeas: Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees. Remove the towels from baking sheet with the chickpeas, and toss the chickpeas with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and za’atar until well coated. Roast until golden and crispy, about 13 to 18 minutes, tossing halfway through. When chickpeas are still hot, sprinkle lightly more salt. Taste and add more salt or za’atar, or both, if you’d like.

When the chickpeas for the soup are tender, discard bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 2 cups of chickpeas, 1/2 cup of chickpea cooking liquid and 1/4 cup olive oil to a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to blitz half the chickpeas into a rough purée. Add the olive oil before puréeing. The broth won’t be as silky as it would be puréed in a regular blender, but it will taste just as good.)

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add a splash of the chickpea cooking liquid to the pan, and bring to a simmer to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat.

Add chickpea purée and onion mixture to soup, along with harissa and lemon juice, and stir well. Add a little water if soup seems too thick, and more salt, if needed.

To serve, divide toasted bread pieces among soup bowls, then ladle in soup. Garnish with lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, more cumin and some of the crispy chickpeas — you’ll have leftovers. Serve hot, with more harissa on the side.

Tip

You can use an electric or stovetop pressure cooker in Step 2 if you like. To do so, cook on high for 35 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally.

From Paul Krugman interview in http://Prospect Magazine

What is your favourite quotation?

I think it’s from Charles Issawi: “People get worse as they grow older, because they become more like themselves.” I try to keep that in mind for myself, as something to avoid.

2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise (white and green parts)

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup lime juice (from 2 or 3 limes)

Kosher salt

Combine the scallions and half the red onion slices in a medium bowl.

Here’s a trick to give you less onion breath (you’ll thank us later!): Cover the onions and scallions with hot tap water and squeeze them a few times with your hands. Let them stand for about 2 minutes to extract their raw flavor, then drain.

Step 2

Combine the lime juice, the rinsed red onions and scallions, and a pinch of kosher salt in a small jar or liquid measuring cup. Let stand  for at least 10 minutes.

Three 7-by-8-inch sheets of nori seaweed

3 tablespoons kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the nori in the oven until brittle, about 10 minutes. In a mini food processor, grind the nori to a powder. Mix the nori powder with the salt.