Tea Eggs Time!

My dear friend Kat, whom I love to feed because she, like me, cultivates an ongoing love affair with the edible stuff of life (remember chicken bread?!?), spent much of our senior year of college feeding me and, in great part, I attribute my proclivity for experimental cooking to her.  One of my favorites back at the dorm were her tea eggs, hard cooked eggs steeped for many hours (there really is no such thing as too long) in a salty-pungent concoction of black tea, star anise, soy sauce, and just a spoonful of sugar (cue the Mary Poppins).

These are as addictive as potato chips, but arguably more healthful, and I love the way the cracks in the shell absorb the tea, creating an intricate spiderweb design (as you can see).  Beautiful to behold - even more so to devour!

Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs
Makes 6

6 eggs
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 star anise
2 tablespoons black tea or 2 tea bags (I used Black Chai)
1 teaspoon honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)

In a medium-size saucepan, place the eggs and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, leaving the water in the pot, and allow to cool under running cold water.  Using the back of a teaspoon, gently tap the eggshell to create a network of cracks all over, being careful to leave the shell intact.
Return the eggs to the pot and add the remaining ingredients.  Return to a boil and turn the heat back to low.  Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, then cover and let the eggs steep for a few hours or overnight.  The longer, the better!
Drain the eggs from the tea, peel, and enjoy!

Popcorn in motion

In college, my friend Kat showed me how easy it is to make popcorn on the stove, after which point I never went back to the fakey-fakey microwave popcorn junk.  Then, recently, I found this shortcut for making perfect popcorn and, of course, I couldn't resist the urge to attain the unattainable and aspire to perfection.  Turns out, it works!

Here's a friendly little popcorn sequence to get you off to a good start this week!

First, heat 2 TB oil over medium-high heat.

When the oil is hot, add 3 popcorn kernels
and a large pinch of salt, and cover the pot.

Measure out 1/3 cup of kernels.
(check out these pretty red ones from the farmer's market!)

Once the few lone kernels in the pot have popped, add the remaining 1/3 cup,
cover, and hold away from the heat for 30 seconds (count it out!)

Return the pot to medium-high heat and listen to it POP!
Give it  a few shakes as it does its thing,
and remove from heat when pops are more than 5 seconds apart.

Et voila! No burnt pieces, no unpopped kernels, just perfect, tender popcorn!
Add salt, butter, smoked paprika, chopped rosemary, brown sugar - whatever strikes your fancy.
Enjoy!

My new super-snack

This might not be what you typically reach for when you're feeling peckish, but my new go-to is warm whole-wheat pita with homemade labneh and za'atar. It's delicious and healthy. This new dish was inspired by yet another wonderful addition to my cookbook collection: "Secrets of Cooking," a collection of Armenian/Lebanese/Persian recipes by Linda Chirinian. The book came wrapped in brown paper, with a NYC return address label that showed the headquarters of the AGBU (the Armenian General Benevolent Union) - for some, a mysterious benefactor, but I knew right away that this was a gift from my Aunt Viviane in Paris, who presides over the AGBU (in French it's "UGAB") in the City of Love. Big batchigs to you, Viviane!

Now, onto the definitions: Labneh is a yogurt cheese, made by straining plain yogurt, mixed with a bit of salt, through a sieve lined with cheesecloth for up to 12 hours. Imagine Greek yogurt, but even better. It is tart, creamy, and spreadable.

Za'atar is a word that refers both to a family of Middle Eastern herbs, closely related to thyme and oregano, as well as to a spice mixture that is a blend of sumac, toasted sesame seeds, the green herb itself (whichever variety you go with), and sea salt. I mixed a variation on what I found in the cookbook and on various websites:

1/4 cup sumac
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt

Simply toast the sesame seeds lightly in a dry skillet, then grind them gently, either in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle (my preference). Then mix in the remaining ingredients and Voila! you have homemade za'atar.

To enjoy these two creations together, spoon some labneh into a bowl, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle generously with za'atar and more sea salt to taste.

Happy dipping!

SPiCE!

As a kid, I used to love mixing watercolor paints, inventing bold new colors, and sometimes just making a mess on the page. As an almost-adult, a palette of (and a palate for) spices has replaced my watercolor collection, and thanks to a gift from my dear friend Zahra, I now have a new source of inspiration for my taste compositions: "Spice," a cookbook by Ana Sortun, the chef/owner of my favorite restaurant in Cambridge, Oleana. (Mom, remember that meal??) Her approach to the cuisines of Turkey, Morocco, and the Arabic tradition in general, is totally exciting and accessible.

The problem with me and cookbooks, however, is that I tend to get too excited to wait and try an actual recipe. I flip through the pages, skimming the ingredients and looking at the pictures, until my impatience and food fervor takes hold of me and I am compelled to do some improv cooking with what I have at hand. It's sort of my way of welcoming a new cookbook into my life.

So, this snowy morning, drawing inspiration from Ana, I cooked a pot of chickpeas, mixed a spice blend of my own, and made a salty, addictive snack food that will knock those old wasabi peas right off your shelf!


Crunchy Chickpeas

3 cups cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon whole cumin
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
3 whole cardamom pods, outer green shells removed
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

2. Set a dry saute pan over high heat. Once hot, add the cumin, coriander, cardamom and peppercorns. Swirl the pan around until the seeds are fragrant but not toasted or burnt. Remove to a spice/coffee grinder, let cool, and grind to a fine powder.

3. Add the spice mixture to a small bowl and mix in the turmeric, olive oil, and salt.

4. In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas and spice paste until the chickpeas are evenly coated. Pour out onto the baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring the chickpeas every 10 minutes or so to ensure they roast evenly. Enjoy these as a garnish for a grain pilaf, or on their own as a healthy snack.

I want to know: What's your favorite spice mix?