Udang Mie Goreng, or Shrimp Fried Noodles

It all started with wanting some crispy, spicy, quick seared shrimpies, vegetables and noodles, Balinese style.  Actually that last part evolved out of the first.  I  remember having  lots of delicious fried noodle dishes on Bali, many years ago, and wanted that, here and now.  We had fresh San Fan Pak Choi from our CSA and it just seemed meant for this dish.  Added in sliced Shitake mushrooms, a bit of onion and garlic, the softened rice noodles, and of course, fried shrimps back on top.  Thinning out the galangal patch left me with some fine roots for cooking.  Amazing how everything can come together so beautifully on occasion.

Banana Coconut Fritters

The fritters that aren't frittered (fried).  This is my long delayed, but promised post on banana fritters from the aebleskiver pan.  Fourth in a series, utilizing that silly fantastic purchase.  The last one was mini Yorkshire Puddings.   These delicious Banana Coconut Fritters were derived from François-Xavier's recipe at  fxcuisine.

This pan really is amazingly versatile. Of course, it's not as sexy or pretty as the Indian one on FX's link, called an Unniappam pan, but still, reasonably priced and quite serviceable for Corn Dodgers, Mini Popovers, Yorkshire Puddings, even Aebleskivers, etc. etc.  I intend to continue adding to the list.

Creamy Vegetable Risotto

 I recommend this dish to accompany your Father's Day, BBQ Teriaki Chicken.  A Vegetable Risotto, made according to Mark Bittman's NY Times recipe.  He and Mario made it with asparagus.  Though, as you might guess, I used what lovely CSA veggies I had available, in this case, squash along with some mushrooms from the market. There is an amazing variety of ingredients a risotto can be made with.  But, and this is important, the basic directions are impeccable. You can also make it without stock, as per Bittman's recipe, using slow cooked onions, dried porcini mushrooms, and water.

And, apparently all along, I've been stirring way more than I needed to.  Thanks Mario and Mark for bringing this to my attention.

Blooming Bromiliad

From my garden to you.  Just a floral note.  I am alive, and though not all that well, with my back and this cold, there is still much to be thankful for.  I think God made flowers as much for us as for the bees.

Easy Buttery, Fruit Coffee Cake, using Sourdough Starter

Use that Starter, go ahead, it doesn't make this coffee cake at all sour.  Also, use whatever fruit you have handy.  The original, from Heather Horn at the Atlantic, calls for rhubarb.  That is not a tropical fruit.  We don't get it here, unless it comes from the Mainland, and who wants to go that route, with plenty of other choices dropping off the trees?  So, the possibilities abound, tart apples if you have them, green peaches, plums would probably be good, or sour cherries.  And for you tropic people, greenish mangoes, guavas, or as I did, mountain apples and okay, a few frozen cranberries.  I just felt those bland mountain apples might need some help in the flavor and tartness department.  Looks like I'm not always consistent.

Her recipe first called to me mainly because it uses sourdough starter, which if you have one in residence, you know how demanding it can be.  USE ME, USE ME.  I was waiting for just the right fruit, when these mountain apples appeared. 

What I've done with them before, besides just eating a few out of hand, is make wine.  Doesn't that sound lovely, Mountain Apple Wine?   And, it is. This time, I had chopped up what there was, and popped them into the freezer until I knew what they might like to do with their lives. Then, something about them reminded me of this rhubarb recipe.  The color, maybe?  

Pasta With Herbs and Sardines

The theme this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs is Herbs.  Mine was going to be a particular oregano, actually Cuban Oregano,  which grows like a weed here, a nice perennial, always available.  I'm still learning what it goes best with.  I used it to finish Mark Bittman's Pasta with Sardines, and found the dish okay, but still lacking a zip and sprightliness I was looking for, to offset the oily sardines.  When I added cilantro, it was just amazing how much the overall taste profile changed for the better.  Bittman used regular parsley, but as he notes, more for the color.  I think cilantro works both to lift  flavor as well as appearance.

Very often, by the end of the day, and the meal preparation, I am very tired.  Duh.  Who isn't?  Maybe you 20 somethings.  At any rate my dishes frequently improve at a second serving.  Since I am the Left-Over Queen (or one of them), that would be my lunch next day, which is when the cilantro got added.  Bob hates the stuff anyway.