split pea dahl, 100 g, soaked overnight in cold water
red lentils, 100g soaked in water overnight
ground turmeric,, a pinch
vegetable oil, 25 ml
onion, 150g, peeled and finely chopped
fresh ginger, 3 T peeled and finely chopped
fresh red chilli, 2 t finely sliced
garam masala, 2 t
asafoetida, 1 t
deried fenugreek leaves, 1 T
plum tomatoes, 150 g, cored, quartered and roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
crispy onion sprinkle

for the Tarka
vegetable oil, 2 T
cumin seeds, 1 t
garlic, 3 T, peeled and finely sliced
dried chilli, 1 split in half
Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 t
coriander, a small bunch, leaves picked and shredded

1.  Drain and rinse the soaked lentils.  Place them together with the tumeric in a saucepan, cover with and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1½ – 2 hours, or until the lentils are soft and tender.  Skim off any scum that floats to the surface, adding more water if necessary during the cooking process.  Remove from the heat, cover and set aside to cool while preparing the rest of the dish.

2.  Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.  Add the onion, ginger and red chilli and cook without colouring until the onions are soft and translucent.  Add the garam masala, asafoetida and fenugreek and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the spices to prevent them from sticking to the pan, becoming bitter or burning.  Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook until they break down into a pulp.

3.  Drain the lentils  (reserve the cooking liquid to thin out the dahl, if necessary), add to the sauce and cook for a further 15 minutes.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary with salt and pepper.

4.  To temper the tarka, heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.  Add the cumin, garlic, dried chilli and chilli powder and cook until the garlic i golden brown.  Stir the garlic and the spices continually to prevent them from sticking to the pan, becoming bitter or burning.  Pour the tarka into the dahl and stir until fully incororated.  Add the shredded coriander leaves and stir through.  Serve the dahl in a warm dish and garnish with the crispy onion sprinkle.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
150ml dry white wine
400 grams tinned chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
sea salt
24 mussels, washed and de-bearded
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
freshly ground pepper

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and fry gently for about 5 minutes.

2.  Add the white wine and let it sizzle, then add the tomatoes bay leaf, chilli, sea salt and pepper.   Let it bubble, then turn down the heat and gently simmer for about ten minutes.

3.  Turn the heat back up, add the mussels and cover with a lid. Leave to boil for about 5 minutes or until the shells open.  Discard any unopened shells.

4.  Serve in big warmed bowls and sprinkle with parsley to garnish.

Ingredients
About 2 ½ Kg russet or all-purpose white potatoes, as needed
¾  cup clarified butter, melted
Fine sea salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
2 to 4  garlic cloves, sliced paper-thin on a mandoline (optional)

Preparation
Step 1
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a rack in the middle and set a rimmed baking sheet on top of it.

Step 2
Trim potatoes into cylinders, peeling any skin left after trimming. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice into 1/8-inch slices and blot dry with paper towels. You should have about 8 1/2 cups.

Step 3
In a heavy 10-inch cast-iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons clarified butter over medium heat. When hot, carefully place 1 potato slice in the middle, then quickly place more slices around it, overlapping them clockwise to make a ring. Place a second ring to surround the first, going counterclockwise. Continue to the edge of the pan, alternating the direction in which the potato rings overlap. Sprinkle with a generous 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle with another 2 tablespoons butter.

Step 4
Create second layer of potatoes, just as you did the first. Dot a third of the garlic slices, if using, on top of this layer of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper; drizzle with butter.

Step 5
Continue layering potatoes, garlic, butter and salt until everything is used, making a dome of potatoes in the middle (they will sink as they cook). Occasionally shake skillet gently to ensure potatoes aren’t sticking. When finished, there should be enough butter that it can be seen bubbling up the sides of the skillet.

Step 6
Butter the bottom of a 9-inch pan and one side of a piece of foil. Push the pan down firmly on top of the potatoes to press them. Remove pan, then cover potatoes with the foil, buttered side down. Cover the foil with a lid. Set skillet on the baking sheet in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Step 7
Remove skillet from oven, uncover and remove foil, and again press potatoes down firmly with the 9-inch pan. (Rebutter bottom of pan, if necessary, before you press down.) Return to oven and bake uncovered, until potatoes are tender and the sides are dark brown when lifted away from skillet, 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 8
Once more, remove skillet from oven and press potatoes down firmly with pan. Tip the skillet away from you to drain off the excess butter into a bowl (this can be reused for cooking), using the lid to keep the potatoes in place. Run a thin spatula around edge and bottom of skillet to loosen any slices stuck to the pan. Carefully turn out the potatoes onto a serving platter.

Ingredients
1  cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

Preparation
Step 1
In a small pot, melt butter over low heat until bubbling and foaming subsides. Remove from heat, let cool slightly (don’t let butter resolidify), then skim any foam off the top.

Step 2
Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a clean dish towel and place over a heat-safe bowl or container. Leaving the white milk solids at the bottom of the pot, carefully pour or spoon yellow butter fat through the sieve and into the container. Let cool completely before refrigerating for up to 1 month.

Ingredients

3 cups  all-purpose or bread flour (400 grams), plus more for the work surface
1/4 teaspoon  instant yeast (1 gram)
1 1/4 teaspoons  salt (8 grams)
1 5/8  cups water (384 milliliters)
Cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed

Directions
1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or your hand until you have a shaggy, sticky dough. This should take roughly 30 seconds. You want it to be really sticky. (Many people who bake this bread find the dough to be unusually wet. Even though it’s not what you’re accustomed to handling, it’s perfectly fine. Most of the water is meant to be released as steam during baking. Besides, you’ll be handling the dough very little, so you don’t have to worry about your hands looking like some creepy monster that just crawled out of a lagoon.)

2. Cover the dough and bowl with a plate, towel, or plastic wrap and set aside to rest at warm room temperature (but not in direct sunlight) for at least 12 hours and preferably about 18 hours. (Ideally, you want the room to be about 72°F. In the dead of winter, when the dough will tend to rise more slowly, as long as 24 hours may be necessary.) You’ll know the dough is properly fermented and ready because its surface will be dotted with bubbles and take on a darkened appearance. This long, slow fermentation is what yields the bread’s rich flavor.

3. Generously flour your work surface. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to turn the dough onto the surface in one blob. The dough will cling to the bowl in long, thread-like strands and it will be quite loose and sticky. This is exactly what you want. Do not add more flour. Instead use lightly floured hands to gently and quickly lift the edges of the dough in toward the center, effectively folding the dough over onto itself. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round. That’s it. Don’t knead the dough.

4. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. Place the dough, seam side down, on the towel and dust the surface with a little more flour, bran, or cornmeal. Cover the dough with another cotton towel and let it rise for about 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will be more than double in size and will hold the impression of your fingertip when you poke it lightly, making an indentation. If the dough readily springs back when you poke it, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

5. A half hour before the dough is done with its second rise, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and place a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot and its lid (whether cast iron or enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats.

6. When the dough is done with its second rise, carefully remove the pot from the oven and uncover it. Also uncover the dough. Lift up the dough and quickly but gently turn it over into the pot, seam side up, being very careful not to touch the pot. The blob of dough may look like a mess, but trust us, everything is O.K. Cover the pot with its lid and bake for 30 minutes.

7. Remove the lid and bake until the loaf is beautifully browned to a deep chestnut color, 15 to 30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a wire rack. Don’t slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes at least an hour.

Ingredients
5  cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼  teaspoon saffron threads, pulverized
½  teaspoon ground ginger
1  teaspoon sweet paprika
½  teaspoon ground cumin
½  teaspoon turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1  chicken, cut in 8 to 10 pieces
2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3  medium onions, sliced thin
1  cinnamon stick
8  calamata olives, pitted and halved
8  cracked green olives, pitted and halved
1  large or 3 small preserved lemons (sold in specialty food shops)
1  cup chicken stock
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1  tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
Step 1
Mix garlic, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin and turmeric togetherand add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add pepper to taste. Rub chicken with mixture, cover, refrigerate and marinate 3 to 4 hours.

Step 2
Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and brown on all sides. Remove to platter. Add onions to skillet, and cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to tagine, if you are using one, or leave in skillet. Add cinnamon stick.

Step 3
Put chicken on onions. Scatter with olives. Quarter the lemons, remove pulp and cut skin in strips. Scatter over chicken. Mix stock and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.

Step 4
Cover tagine or skillet. Place over low heat, and cook about 30 minutes, until chicken is done. Scatter parsley on top, and serve.

INGREDIENTS

4-8 cups of cooked beans
some oil for sauteing
A large onion, chopped
Some garlic
A couple of carrots, chopped
Some chilies, fresh or ground
Cumin
Tomato juice, several cups
Optional ingredients
Other spices: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cocoa, Carob?
Other vegetables: Olives, Mushrooms?
Toppings: Sour cream, Green onions, Cheddar Cheese, Saltines

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat skillet and add oil. Saute the onion and garlic in oil.  When tanslucent, add carrots.  Coof for a couple of minutes and then add fresh peppers.  Cook for a couple of minutes long and add dried spices.  Stir spiced into vegatable mix and let  cook for a couple of minutes.  Add tomato juice.  Bring to a simmer then combine beans and any optional vegetables.  Let simmer on stove for a couple of hours so the chili gets good and thick.  Serve with toppings of your choice.

The Art of Making Chili
Chili is a food that men have been able to make without feeling wimpy.  It rates up there with large slabs of meat cooked over a grill or open fire.  Maybe that explans why it isone of the traditions passed down through the male line of my family.  Like so many skills that I have inherited through this male descent, it has been a bit twisted by me.  Insted of the meaty chilis that I grew up with, I fix vegetarian chilis.  But I still think I do it with some flair.  So here is the art of chili making as I understand it.

The Beans

The heart of the vegetarian chili is the beans.  I start with either small red beans or kidney beans, somtimes black beans or pinot.  Be sure to rinse them well and pick out any stones or clumps of dirt that may be hiding in the beans.  I always presoak the beans, usualy overnight, in water.  Smetimes I quick soak by brining the beans to a boil, turning off the heat, and letting them sit for a couple of hours.

I usually put in some salt after I’m done soaking the beans.  I have been told salt makes beans harder, but I have never noticed this with my pressure cooker.  I usually put in a couple of tablesoons of oil as well.  Sometime I add half a strip of Kombu – a saeweed.  I think this adds some good nutrients, rounds out the flavour a bit, and in theory, it even helps with digestion.  Remove the Kombu from the bens after you are done cooking.

You will have to experiment with the amount of water you use. Ideally, water and beans are at about the same level in the pot when the beans are done cooking, and the water is gravy ile.  If you slow cook them, they may not get this same gravy consistenecy.  You may want to drain some of the juice before mixing the beans withthe chili.

The vegetables

I saute a large onion and some garlic in a skillet.  Garlic can be hard to taste in chili.  So soetimes I dont even bother, and other times I put it in by the foot (four little toes and one big toe.)  I haven’t tried it yet but I bet squeezing a roasted garlick into a mostly cooked chile would be good.

When the onions are are turning translucent I add some chopped carrots.  I like the aweetness carrots can add, and their colour goes well with the chili’s red.  You can also use some celery, but I am  not as excited about it.  It doesn’t look as nice and a crunch that I find distracting.

After the carrots have sauted a bit I ad any fresh chilles I am using.  I like small red chillies, serrano’s or even habeneros..  This usually determines the the spicyness of the chili.  Knowing your chilies is essential.  From year to year and crop to crop your chilies will change.  What was merely a warm chili  one year can be a killer the next.  Pay attention to your audience and spice it appropriately..  A few of my friends I cokked for always asked for the habenero index of my food, which was basically the the number of habeneros I used.  I would sometimes go as high as three.  But for most people I would be reluctant to use a whole habenero.  If you realy need your food cooled down a bit, you can scrape out all the pepper’s seeds.

The spices

Now put in the dried spices.  The spices should cook for a couple of minutes and enhance it a bit too.  he really distributes the flavour of the spice and enhances it a bit too.  My simplest chilies have only two spices, cumin and cayenne (or other dried chili). If you are using fresh peppers you can omit the cayenne or reduce it.  A caynees powder compliments a habenero.  The heat of the habenero is usually felt at the back of the tongue and down the throat.  Cayenne hits you near the front of your tongue.  Usin both, balanced just right, will give you a full heat effect!  I like a lot of cumin.  I pour it  into my hand so it covers my palm and heaps a bit.  This hould be about half a tablesoon per cup of beans.

I have made more complex chilies which have used some bizarre spices, cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg, … use these sparingly for a really twisted chile tatse.  I used to add other green spices, like oregano, but I haven’t done this for a while.  I never liked the tatse of it in the final product, so I stopped using it.

Cook these spices in with the vegtables so it soats everything evenly.  This will probebly soak up the oil you used in the saute.  Your veggies will be steaming, you may be coughing and crying because of all the steam comming off of the peppers.  Still, try to let this cook for at least a minute or two.

Putting it together

When it looks well distributed, or you just cant stand it any longer, pour in some tomato jiuce.  Open some windows while you wait for it to simmer, then add the beans, (or add this mixture to the beans.)  If you need more liquid, add some tomato juice.  I will use about half a large can of tomato juice.

If you want to add any miscellaneous vegetables to this, you can do it now.  Add some sliced black olives, or maybe some mushrooms.  Feel free to experiment, but I belive simpler is better.  You also don’t want to mess up the lovely red look the chili should have at this point.  Think about colour and texture at thi spoint, as well as flavour, before you add someting.

Let the chile simmer for an hour or two, then serve it up with some crackers, and maybe some hot sauce for those who dont think its hot enough already.  Try garnishing this with grated cheddar, sour cream green onios or someting else creative.  Always make pleny because the cili will tatse even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS

300ml plain yoghurt
1 thumb's length of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely sliced
125ml (1/2 cup) chopped dhania leaves, plus more for garnish
2 tsp ground jeera (cumin)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 heaped Tbs masala (curry mix of your choice)
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 kg mutton, cut into pieces
15ml (1 Tbs) ghee or butter
1 1/2 tsp jeera (cumin) seeds
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
6 cardamom pods, cut open and their seeds removed (use the seeds, Daisy)
2 bay leaves
2 sticks cinnamon or cassia
3 large onions, finely chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped
60ml (4 Tbs) boiling hot water
2 tsp salt, or more (to taste)
1 large onion, halved and then sliced thinly, and some butter or ghee to fry

2 cups (500ml) cooked basmati rice
250 ml (1 cup) rice water
A pinch of saffron for the rice

INSTRUCTIONS
First pour the yoghurt into a large bowl and add the ginger, chilli, chopped dhania (coriander) leaves, ground cumin, chilli powder, masala and ground turmeric. Add a little salt to taste and mix well, then put in the mutton pieces and coat the meat well. Leave aside for an hour or more to marinate.There's nothing to stop you having done this hours earlier for longer marination.

Make the rice and keep aside, adding a pinch of saffron or turmeric to the water (if you have not already done so). Retain a cup (250ml) of the rice water.

Melt the ghee and add the whole jeera, cardamom and mustard seeds, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. When the seeds start to crackle, add the chopped onions and garlic, and saute until the onions are soft. Add the meat, including the yoghurt marinade, and braise for a few minutes. Add about 60ml (4 Tbs) boiling water. Season to taste with salt. Cook this on a low heat for about 30 minutes, then remove from the heat and add a layer of parboiled potatoes (if using), then top that with a layer of rice. Fry the remaining sliced onion in ghee or butter until golden brown, and sprinkle over the rice. Pour the rice water over the top, carefully, cover and simmer for as long as it takes for the mutton to become tender, which could take up to two hours. It must be on a low heat so that it does not catch at the bottom. If it appears to be drying out, add a little more boiled water, but not too
much.

INGREDIENTS
    2 tablespoons olive oil (or as needed)
    salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 large split chicken breasts, on the bone, with the skin
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    3 stalks celery, finely chopped
    1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
    4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped --OR-- 
    1 can (15-ounce) petite diced tomatoes
    4 cloves garlic, chopped
    1 cup dry white wine
    2 cups chicken broth
    2 bay leaves
    2 sprigs fresh thyme
    1 pinch saffron threads
    1 (2-inch) piece orange peel
    1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
    8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
    Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
    
ROUILLE
    1 pinch saffron threads
    2 tablespoons hot cooking liquid from pot
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
    Cayenne pepper, to taste
    Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with salt and black pepper. Place in the 
hot oil, reduce heat to medium and brown well on the skin 
side, approximately 6-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion, celery and fennel to the oil (adding more if 
needed) and cook 8-10 minutes or until very soft. Add the 
tomatoes and garlic and cook 2 minutes.

Add the wine, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, saffron, orange peel and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.Place the chicken back in the broth. Cover and cook 25-30 minutes  or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through to at least 165 degrees. (Chicken should be able to be removed easily 
from bone.)

Add the potatoes and cook gently 10 more minutes or until 
potatoes are tender.

With a fork, remove skin and shred chicken into large chunks.Place back in broth. Add chopped fresh parsley.
    
ROUILLE
Place saffron threads in a small bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons  of the hot cooking liquid and allow saffron to soften a bit. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.

TO SERVE: 
Serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread, topped with a 
dollop of the rouille.

INGREDIENTS

2 red onions
4 cloves of garlic
2 aubergines
3 courgettes
3 red or yellow peppers
6 ripe tomatoes
½ a bunch of fresh basil , (15g)
olive oil
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 x 400 g tin of quality plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ a lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Prep your ingredients before you start – peel and cut the onions into wedges, then peel and finely slice the garlic. Trim the aubergines and courgettes, deseed the peppers and chop into 2.5cm chunks. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Pick the basil leaves and set aside, then finely slice the stalks.
2.Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large casserole pan or saucepan over a medium heat, add the chopped aubergines, courgettes and peppers (you may need to do this in batches) and fry for around 5 minutes, or until golden and softened, but not cooked through. Spoon the cooked veg into a large bowl.
3.To the pan, add the onion, garlic, basil stalks and thyme leaves with another drizzle of oil, if needed. Fry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened and golden.
4.Return the cooked veg to the pan and stir in the fresh and tinned tomatoes, the balsamic and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
5.Mix well, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Cover the pan and simmer over a low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until reduced, sticky and sweet.
6.Tear in the basil leaves, finely grate in the lemon zest and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve with a hunk of bread or steamed rice.