Ode to the Mango (With Recipes)

Ever since I read the novel, "The Mango Season" by Amulya Malladi, my interest in the magnificent Indian mango has piqued. India has a whole season dedicated to this illustrious fruit, which was detailed vividly in Malladi's novel. The novel's protagonist returns home during mango season to break the news to her family that she's in fact marrying an American and not an Indian boy via arranged marriage. Family drama aside, I was enraptured with all of the details about the process of making mango pickle, which is salted and cured raw green mango with spices. It's sold in jars at the Indian grocery stores and my darling husband likes to eat it with his curd (yogurt) rice.

India has a huge variety of mangoes, the divine "King of Fruits." From what I have read, the Alphonso mango is the most highly coveted. I have been checking into our local Indian stores to see if I can get my hands on any of these mangoes. What I have mostly discovered, however, is that I can only find the Mexican or Filipino mango, which are great, but not what I am looking for. The Indian mangoes are sweet, juicy, and an all around flavor fest in your mouth. I prefer to eat mine a little chilled. 

The different varieties of mangoes found in India

I told one of my assistant teachers that I was on the hunt for this fruit and lo and behold, one day she shows up with an entire flat of Indian mangoes! Ashwin and I were both thrilled with our new treats but we had so many of them that we didn't know what to do. We ate a couple of them but they quickly began to ripen, bordering on overripe, so we cut them up and froze them to be used at a later date. 

Fast forward a few weeks and Ashwin forwarded me a recipe for mango cupcakes, which are actually vegan! A cupcake cannot be without frosting so I was on the hunt for a frosting recipe that would have complimentary flavors for it. I stumbled across a website that was exactly what I was looking for. I used their handy chart to come up with ideas for frosting for the mango cupcake.

A genius food pairing chart for mango

Based on the chart, rosemary pairs very nicely with mango, thus the idea for rosemary frosting was born, as Ashwin and I have a small rosemary plant on our balcony. A quick Internet search turned up a recipe for "Rosemary Buttercream Frosting," which sounded simple and delicious. I apologize, but unlike the cupcake recipe, the frosting recipe is not vegan. 

The frosting paired beautifully with the mango cupcake, which was light, fluffy, and not too sweet. The buttery rosemary topping accentuates the slightly spicy cake. I attempted to lightly frost the cupcakes, as I wanted all flavors to be noticed. Nothing is worse than a cupcake or any dessert for that matter that only tastes like its accent topping. 

Here are the recipes for both the mango cupcakes and the rosemary buttercream frosting. Enjoy!

Mango cupcakes - yields approx. 12 fluffy topped cupcakes

All purpose flour- 1 1/2 cups

Baking powder- 2 tbsp

salt- 1/2 tbsp

cardamom powder- 1-2 tbsp (I like more cardamom in mine)

granulated sugar-2/3 cups

mango puree- 1 1/2 cups

canola oil- 1/3 cups

vanilla - 1 tbsp

Pre heat the oven at 350F.

Mix all the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and mix them till there are no lumps.

Pour into cups and bake for 20-- 27 mins until toothpick inserted came out clean.

After that take off from oven and allow it to cool for 10 mins and enjoy the cupcakes.

Rosemary Buttercream Frosting - Yields approximately 2 cups of frosting, depending on how much butter/ powdered sugar you add to the recipe.

2-4 sticks of butter

1/2-1 cup of powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp of vanilla

3-4 sprigs of rosemary

Melt down two sticks of butter in saucepan and add the rosemary sprigs. Let these boil for a good 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and leave over night to infuse.

Re-melt butter and strain the rosemary sprigs out. Place in refrigerator until the butter thickens up a bit. I left mine in for about 30 minutes. You don't want it solid but a little congealed. Add in 1-2 sticks of butter to the infused butter, along with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until smooth. I would recommend placing it in the refrigerator to firm up a bit before attempting to frost your cupcakes (or any other treat you use the frosting on). 

An Empty Table - Missing My Grandparents

Forgive my lapse in writing, as the last few months have been difficult. My grandmother Margaret, who I was very close to, passed away on February 2, after succumbing to an illness that had wore her down for the last 9 years. She died a couple of weeks before my 29th birthday, which was the same weekend of her memorial service. This birthday was horrible for various reasons - I think the main one being that I missed her something terrible. My grandfather passed away unexpectedly the previous August and I was still dealing with that when she passed.

My grandmother and I 

I’m still missing her a lot, especially since I am beginning to feel like I didn't really know her. Sure, I know a lot about her, but my grandmother was very private, and I don’t really know how she thought or felt about a lot of things. I am trying to remember all of the conversations that we had and the important things that we talked about but I am struggling to remember. I do remember, however, that she always had something insightful and wise to say, no matter what the topic of conversation was.

I remember that she was always writing in those spiral bound notebooks. There were dozens of these notebooks, neatly stacked on her end of the dining table and in her office. I know she kept journals but I've never read them. I am hoping that my mom decides to let me read them, as I’d love to know the innermost workings of her mind.

She was an elegant writer, who always sent beautiful greeting cards penned in her graceful handwriting. I had received dozens of greeting cards from her over the years - for birthdays, graduations, Jewish holidays, and most recently, my engagement and wedding. I wish I could say that I saved every one of them but I didn't. It too is something that I wish I could change.

When I think about her, two images come to my mind the most. One is of her at her seat at the end of the dining table, where she would do everything from write, read the newspaper, pay bills, or just gaze out the window. It was the first place she sat in the morning with her cup of coffee. My grandfather, of course, would join her on his end of the dining table, coffee in hand. They did many things in tandem like this.

My grandparents with Brendan before a high school dance

The other image that comes to mind of my grandmother is of her in the kitchen. When she wasn't seated at the dining table with my grandfather, she was in the kitchen, creating something fabulous. Even if she was creating something simple, it would still be fantastic. I lived with my grandparents on and off for a years - the first time when I was 16 years and finishing up high school. The next round was when I was in my senior year of college and had just returned from living in New York. Many of my memories of living with them revolved around the kitchen table, where we shared dinner 99% of the time that I lived there. These were some of many favorite moments, especially in the second stay, when I was an adult and could have interesting conversations them about what I was learning in my classes, recent events, or old stories.

I wish I would have taken the time to learn cooking and recipes from my grandmother. At the time, I didn't have much of an interest in cooking or baking, but I do wish I would have just stopped for a few moments to learn something from her. I do remember calling her from New York to get her famous spaghetti sauce recipe, which is hands down some of the best sauce I've ever eaten. Perhaps one of my aunts or mother remembers the recipe. Some of my favorite things that my grandmother prepared were spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, icebox cake, meatloaf, and the various holiday cookies and treats that she always prepared. She also made a great homemade pizza that I always looked forward to. Whatever she cooked, it was simple but delicious, probably because it was made with love and grace. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't learn more from her while she was still here and healthy.

My grandmother and I in September 2001, when she was still healthy

What I did learn from her, however, was quite a lot and will stay with me for the rest of my life. I know I have acquired my love of the written word - both reading and writing - from her (and my grandfather). I believe I also inherited my grandmother’s elegant penmanship, which I love to use on the various greeting cards that I now send out. I learned the importance of sitting at the dining or kitchen table at the end of the day and just catching up with each other. She taught me the importance of recipes and cookbooks, but of also just “winging it” when it comes to creating something new. We both share a love of Julia Child. One of my most treasured possessions is the set of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” that Grandma gave me for Christmas/Hanukkah one year.

Just a few of the many books by and about Julia Child

I miss my grandmother (and grandfather) so very much. The dynamic in my family has definitely shifted, as I feel we no longer have a “home base” for all our family get-togethers, holiday parties, and last minute reunions. Sure, my grandparents’ house still stands, but without them there to fill it with the energy and love that they did, it’s not the same. This coming holiday season will be quite an adjustment, as it will be the first one without any of my grandparents. My life feels different without them, like I am missing something. And the world is missing two of the most wonderful people that anyone could have ever known.

Sparkling Wine - Not Just for New Year's Eve

I had the pleasure of attending a Sparkling Wine and Champagne class put on by Savvy Cellar Wine Bar and Wine Shop, a local go-to for all things wine. The class was an early Christmas gift from my husband and I had a great time, despite being one of a few people going solo for the night. I learned so much about champagne and sparkling wine that I felt compelled to dispense my knowledge before the night of champagne (New Years’ Eve) commences.

Some food (or wine for thought): many people believe that sparkling wine is only meant for special occasions but I happen to belong to the camp of people that believe sparkling wine is good for any day AND any special occasion! Sparkling wine can be used with many different types of food and can be served throughout a meal. It is also great by itself either in the company of others or by you alone as well. There is no wrong time or occasion to enjoy sparkling wine.

I was able to try seven different sparkling wines, all of them wonderfully distinct from the other. Being a bit traditional in my wine choices and an ardent lover of Pinot Noir, I of course prefer champagne. I love the yeasty, full, creamy flavor of the French beauty. Champagne is only made from three wine varietals – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or Pinot Meunier.

Good champagne can be a bit pricey so I was so happy to learn of a close cousin of champagne, the sparkling wine from the region of Champagne, France. There is a delicious and very similar type of wine to champagne and it’s called Crémant (pronounced cray-mawn). Crémant is simply any other sparkling wine from France! So it’s still a French sparkling wine with all its lusciousness, just from a different region of France. At the class, I had the opportunity to try Crémant d’ Alsace, which is a Crémant from the region of Alsace, France. It was divine and it only runs about $18-20 for a bottle. I tried a Rosé variety made from 100% Pinot Noir.

The Cremant that I was served at the class

Sparkling wine is made all over the world and has many different tastes. As I mentioned earlier, the French sparklers are creamy and yeasty, with a full mouth feel. New World sparklers (California) are a bit crisper with higher mineral feel in the mouth. Other sparkling wines that I tasted were Prosecco from Italy, Espumante Bruto from Portugal, a sparkling Shiraz from South Africa, and a sparkling Moscato (sweet wine) from Italy. I purchased a bottle of the Moscato for Ashwin, as he loves the sweet stuff.

My personal favorite for New World - Domaine Carneros

Cheese plate and sparkling from Domaine Carneros

Some sparkling wine tips: Avoid the wines that have had CO2 added to make the carbonation, as this will result in horrible headaches. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good sparkling wine. Be adventurous and buy a couple of different types of sparkling wine to try. Pair it with any type of food and I guarantee it will be great.

Please share what type of sparkling wine you have chosen for your New Years’ Eve celebration (or any random Monday).

Happy New Year – Cheers! 

With Gratitude and a Happy Tummy

It has been over a month since my last post (forgive me) and Thanksgiving has come and gone. Although the holiday of gratitude and thankfulness is behind us, I would still like to my express my appreciation for a few things in my gastronomical world.

First and foremost, I am most grateful for the fact that my husband and I can fill our kitchen with any type of food that we desire. We are not food insecure as many of our fellow Americans are. Food insecurity and hunger is a huge problem, especially as the price of healthy food rises and wages remain stagnant. Recently, my husband and I donated a monetary contribution to our local food bank because we would like the support to remain in our community. I encourage you to give anything - donated food items, money, or your time if you can't afford either.

Next, I am very thankful for the ability to afford wholesome, healthy food including organic fruits and vegetables. We are so fortunate to be living in an area where there is an abundance of farmer's markets, farm stands, and ethnic markets (our local Indian grocery store sells produce for a fraction of the cost of the regular grocery store). Cooking and eating healthy does not have to cost a fortune and it can be fun too! I have a pot of Portuguese potato and kale soup (Caldo Verde) on the stove right now and the cost was minimal and it is very healthy. It's even vegan (we left out the sausage).

Lastly, I am grateful for having access to so much great wine, beyond Napa Valley. Don't get me wrong - Napa is fantastic and is one of my favorite places. But California has so many wonderful little wine countries to explore - Lodi, Mendocino, Anderson Valley, Jackson/Plymouth, etc to name a few. I recently became a member of a winery in Anderson Valley. The experience and the wine at Navarro Vineyards won me over and if you are ever on a drive up to Mendocino, I urge you to stop in for a tasting. They even make their own cheese!

Watch for this sign on Highway 128

To conclude, I am grateful for so much more but these are my top three when it comes to my love of food and wine. What are you grateful for in regard to epicurean delights? Please feel free to leave comments - I would love the feedback.

Until next time...cheers and happy eating!

Beer and Bubbles Under the Redwoods

It’s been about a little over two weeks since my last post as life has managed to get in the way of my creative flow; however, during this time, I have had an opportunity to reflect on a wonderful trip that I had with my mother to Mendocino. What this experiences has taught me is the importance of simplicity and plain, old-fashioned fun and how they should be the most important ingredients in any occasion.

Let’s start with Mendocino. This coastal village has been a long time family retreat of ours and was the same place that Ashwin and I spent our honeymoon before jetting off to India this summer. The village is charming, tranquil, and has an all-around relaxed vibe. My mom and I had a three night, four day weekend planned for ourselves in this little haven, starting late Friday morning. Our plan was to stop at Roederer Estate in Anderson Valley, which is a winery that makes some exquisite sparkling wine. My mom and I had stopped at this beautiful estate on our previous trip to Mendocino two years ago and Ashwin and I also made a visit to the winery on our way up in July Each visit was pleasant and we enjoyed the tasting experience, even retreating to the outdoor patio to take in the spectacular views with a glass of bubbly.

The Roederer Estate tasting room sans snobby staff and patrons

Unfortunately, this visit was far from charming and relaxing. My mom and I met at the winery, dressed in casual but decent clothes and found a spot at the tasting bar and waited to be served. Our attendant had to finish her conversation with some middle-aged pseudo-rich guy who was bragging about his burgeoning wine collection…you know the type. Long story short, after one measly pour and being blatantly ignored by her and some older woman with a large set of keys (I think she was the tasting room manager), my mom and I just left the winery. The alleged manager looked right at us and went on to pour glasses for people who arrived after us. I had never had such lousy service at any winery nor have I ever felt so invisible.

I drove along Route 128 angrily until I decided to pull into the Navarro General Store to calm down and get a bottle of water. My mom joined me inside and we ended up purchasing a beer and a small bottle of sparkling wine (albeit bitter and made in Ceres, CA) and sat out on the picnic benches under the redwood trees.

Navarro General Store - a welcomed retreat on Hwy 128 on the way to Mendocino

We ended up having a great conversation and laughing about the whole ridiculous, pretentious attitude of the winery staff as well as the “Muffy and Biff” crowd that bellied up to the bar that particular day.  We continued on to Mendocino and had a wonderful, relaxing weekend, which I will detail in another entry. Right now, I just want to reiterate the importance of having a fun experience, regardless of what you do. It shouldn't matter where you are or even how you are dressed (just be clothed), as long as you are having fun and enjoying the company of those you love, whether it’s at a French chateau or a roadside general store in the heart of the redwoods.

Cheers!

Restaurant Review: Double Barrel Wine Bar

On Sunday my friend, Amanda, and I had the pleasure of having an exquisite lunch experience at Double Barrel Wine Bar in Livermore. Not only was the conversation and company stimulating, but the drinks and plates were definitely worth raving about. Since I live in the South Bay Area and Amanda is in Stockton, Livermore ends up being our meeting place because it is right in the middle. I found Double Barrel Wine Bar simply by using Yelp.

I made a reservation the Wednesday before, which was simple to do using their online service. I received a quick response back, saying that my seating request was reserved for Sunday at 1pm. At the time of the reservation, it would have been most helpful if the restaurant staff would have warned us about limited parking on Sundays because of the farmer's market that was being held right in front of their location. I had to drive around for quite some time looking for a parking space and ended up parking in garage on the other end of the downtown area. When I left the house I was wearing heels but after parking ridiculously far from the restaurant, I opted for the flip-flops that I had packed just in case (and am I glad I did). I had made a reservation outside but when I arrived there, Amanda was waiting for me at our saved table, which unfortunately was located near a screaming banshee child. The waitress was very accommodating and relocated us inside, which was much cooler and calmer.

The tapas menu was one page, while the wine menu was a nice booklet size collection of the many tasty glasses and bottles they had available. We started our meal with the delectable Artisan Cheese Board, which features three types of cheese from the local Cowgirl Creamery, as well as mixed nuts, flat bread, and port-infused grapes. The cheese was heavenly and we enjoyed every last bite of it. Along with our cheese board, we enjoyed some bubbles, me a sparkling rose from France and Amanda, a prosecco from Italy. Both were light and refreshing.

Artisan Cheese Board and Sparkling Wine

So many tasty options!

After about an hour or so, we decided to order some tapas, or small plates. Amanda ordered the Runny Egg Sandwich and I decided on the Tomato-Mozzarella Empanadas, which were a new item not yet on the menu. Our food arrived fairly quickly and the plates were simple, but beautiful. Everything tasted fantastic and were a perfect accompaniment to our glasses of bubbly.

Runny Egg Sandwich

Tomato-Mozzarella Empanadas

After our lunches, we explored the dessert menu and toyed with the idea of just sharing one dessert; however, there were so many heavenly choices that we opted to order two desserts. Amanda ordered the Meyer Lemon Tiramisu and I decided on the Campfire, which was an amalgamation of chocolate mousse, molden smoked salt, toasted marshmallow, and milk chocolate crumble. It even arrived on a wooden plate, which transported me back to my childhood, sitting in front of the campfire, making s'mores. I also tried their sparkling wine flight, which was a trio of tasty, international bubbles. My favorite, of course, was the $21.50 glass of NV Henriot Brut Souverain from Champagne, France. It was everything a good champagne should be, yeasty and crisp, almost like baked bread. It went beautifully with my chocolately dessert.

Campfire with the fabulous champagne

Meyer Lemon Tiramisu

Despite the hectic parking situation and my flip-flop breaking on my walk back to the parking garage (forcing me to walk back with one barefoot), my experience at Double Barrel was great. If you're looking for a good place for tasty small plates and a great wine selection, check them out. If you come on a Sunday afternoon, be sure you give yourself extra time (and patience) to find parking.

Cheers and happy eating!

One Pot Wonder: Persian Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

As the chill of fall begins to set in, we begin to crave warmth and cozy sustenance. What better way to celebrate the autumnal equinox than to prepare a delicious pot of stew or chili, the kind that will fill your home with a divine bouquet of spices. The last two times that I prepared dinner, it was a "one pot wonder" kind of meal. These wonders usually consist of a bunch of savory (or sometimes sweet) ingredients thrown into a big pot and left on the stove to simmer and blossom into hearty, filling bowls of awesomeness. Today’s entry will focus on the Persian stew, or what I like to think of it as, Christmas in a bowl.

On Thursday night I made Persian stew, or khoresh, with sweet potatoes and spinach. I retrieved the recipe from Mollie Katzen's website, which is quickly becoming my go-to for great vegetarian recipes and ideas. Before I could prepare the stew, I first had to blend the Persian Allspice. I can say, without a doubt, that this is one of the most divine things I have ever smelled in my life. The spices, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cumin seeds, cinnamon, turmeric, ground ginger, cloves, and black pepper, had to be condensed into one ground format. To make these happen, we threw everything into our coffee grinder (now part time spice grinder). It worked fabulously, as the end result was a golden-colored dust of aromatic spices.

After the spices were made, it was on to prepping the vegetables, which actually wasn’t a lot of work. The onions and garlic needed to be chopped, along with peeling and chopping of the sweet potatoes. I also chopped the nectarines that I was using as a substitute for plums. I have found, thus far in my cooking experience, that it is best to prep all of your ingredients ahead of time. This prevents you from running around the kitchen like a mad woman (or man), trying to get everything together to throw in at just the right time. Veteran cooks probably know this, but this is something that I have had to learn the hard way.

After everything was prepped, I heated olive oil in my pan over medium heat and threw in the onions and the Allspice to sauté together. Again, the bouquet of this mixture was heavenly. I actually ended up having a coughing fit because I was just standing over the pot, inhaling the spices. Don’t inhale when standing over such an intense mix of spices.

After the onions were sautéed, I added the sweet potatoes, garlic, 2 cups of orange juice (1 cup fresh squeezed, 1 cup store bought), and the remaining salt. The stew was to now simmer for 30 minutes. Just imagine the scents now, as the pungent spices mixed with the sweet orange juice. Our house smelled amazing! It reminded me of Christmas, with a zesty, sweet scent hanging in the air.

The smell is unbelievably good! 

At the last few moments of cooking, I added the spinach and the nectarines and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes. The end result was a thick, spicy stew that tasted like winter with its cinnamon and orange aromas. I served it with leftover chapatis, although basmati rice would have been a fantastic compliment to the meal. Ashwin claims it is one of his most favorite things that I have made for him so far.

So tasty!

Recommended wine pairing: a lush, fruit-forward California Pinot Noir. I specify a California (preferably coastal) Pinot because Oregon pinots (while amazing) tend to be more on the earthy, spicy side and you don’t want to take away from the spice component of this dish.

Cheers and happy eating!