The Food Thread

Recipes:

Please forgive the lack of hard measurements where they would be helpful. If I don't give a measure, it's because I don't measure it.

Pimento Cheese
Fresh grated cheddar cheese, sharpest you can find
Mayonnaise, to taste but be conservative
Sambal oelek, to taste but be liberal
Salt and pepper

Swapping the traditional pickled pimento pepper for sambal oelek will change your opinion of pimento cheese forever. From a bland, heavy gut bomb to something spicy, springy and eye-openingly flavorful. Serve with bread and other dippers, melt into a grilled cheese, or serve on a burger.

Basic Hummus
One pound dried chickpeas (never use canned)
Tahini
Non-fat yogurt (not Greek)
Garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Toasted sesame oil
Lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
Smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Baking soda

I guess "flavored" hummi are acceptable if you're desperate for something new, but in my opinion a traditional hummus is always superior. I've never had a flavored hummus that I've made or ordered in a restaurant that left me wanting anything but my own basic hummus. (Since "developing" this recipe, I never order hummus out anymore. Everything pales to this. Even restaurant versions I used to love are garbage to me now.)

Cook 1 lb. chickpeas in a slow cooker in 7 cups of water and a 1/4 tsp. of baking soda on the low setting for about 6 hours until they are very soft. (Tip: a whole pound makes way more hummus than a standard food processor can handle, so I like to remove an entree's worth of chickpeas at the 3-4 hour mark when they're cooked through but slightly firm; recommended application below.)

Remove and cool to room temperature. DO NOT remove the skins. Removing chickpea skins is what retired people who've given up on a fulfilling life do. There's simply no need for it. I PROMISE.

Once the chickpeas are cooled, add 3-5 cloves of garlic (let your preference guide you) to a food processor and blitz. Add the chickpeas and blitz into a rough paste. Add 3-4 big spoonfuls of yogurt (more than you think you need), two spins around the blade of tahini and your first addition of salt and black pepper (we'll refine later). Blitz.

As it comes together into a hummus-like amalgam, remove the feed chute and drizzle in the EVOO until the hummus looks creamy. While it spins, switch to the toasted sesame oil and give it 2-3 Tbsp. (I love the stuff and tend to go heavy with it). Add 1-2 Tbsp. of lemon juice.

At this point the mixture should be luxuriously creamy and smooth. A heavy dollop will slide off the end of a tilted spoon easily. If it's not, add more yogurt or olive oil. Now taste. Does it need more lemon, salt or pepper. My preference is to be very forward with all 3 of these seasonings.

Finally, service: scoop onto a plate or into a bowl, make a well, sprinkle with smoked paprika in an attractive pattern, fill the well with EVOO. Serve!

Easy Tikka Masala
3-4 hr. cooked chickpeas (see hummus recipe)
Green peas (fresh or frozen)
One can tomato sauce
One cup heavy cream
Yellow onion
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Garam masala seasoning
Cumin, paprika, cinnamon, dry mustard, cayenne pepper
Lemon juice
Oil (or ghee if you're fancy)
Salt and pepper

Tikka masala is one of the easiest "Indian" dishes you can make, and this recipe is possibly the easiest version there is. Surisingly, it still packs a wallop of spice and a depth of flavor you might not expect from using so many frozen/pantry/dried ingredients. And because the actual star of the dish - the protein, veg, or whatever - can be almost anything, it's remarkable refrigerator velcro.

Dice the onion and caramelize in oil (or ghee). Yes, caramelize. I know browning onions that are forming the base of a sauce is usually crazy talk, but it's the only way to go with this dish. Once they're good and browned, add fresh minced garlic and fresh grated ginger, each to your taste. After a minute or so, bomb the pan with you spices to give them a toasty cooked flavor.

Here's the deal with the spices: you can use pre-fabricated garam masala powder alone and this dish will be great. I get mine from the bulk spices section of a Central Market in Plano, TX (it's like the Whole Foods of Texas). BUT, it's also fun to augment the base garam masala to your taste. I love the cumin and cinnamon flavors in GM, so I add a little more to my mix. I also like the red color that paprika adds, the tang of dry mustard, and the heat of cayenne pepper, so those go into my mix as well. Make it your own. That's the whole point of masala. ONE IMPORTANT TIP: Use more of the spice mixture than you think you need. Those spices have to battle a cup of heavy cream, so you need to be assertive with it.

After cooking the spice/onion/garlic/ginger mixture for a minute or so (it will look just awful at this point), add the can of tomato sauce. I actually like to do this off the heat, because the water in the tomato sauce will boil quickly if you're not careful, and that means little red specs all over your counter/floor/cloths. Mix everything well and return to the heat. Add the cup of cream and stir until you have a homogenous orange gravy. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. It will need to cook down to thicken, but you can definitely start tasting at this point to see where you're at. Do you need more salt, pepper or lemon juice? Being a little forward with the lemon will bring out that savory, mouthwatering quality in the dish, so don't be afraid of it.

As the gravy tightens (medium heat, don't rush it), add your mixers. In this case, I've recommended those chickpeas we made earlier and some frozen peas (fresh if you have'em). But really the point is that you can use ANYTHING that goes well with tomato sauce. Try to pick at least two if going vegetarian, or stick to one if adding meat. Some of my favorites: roasted cauliflower (OMG!), sauteed potatos, corn, zuchinni, chunks of good quality tomato, eggplant, baby bokchoy, asparagus, firm tofu, paneer, grilled or sauteed haloumi, white beans, chicken, turkey, lamb.

Serve with basmati rice and naan.