Rice Noodles with Mustard Seeds and Coconut

You'll be flabbergasted at the ease of preparation here. And most proud of the results! The urad dal and curry leaves may be eliminated if unavailable, though the latter is widely sold online in a dried version. If using such, increase the amount considerably as dried curry leaves have a very mild flavor. Rice noodles are sold at all Asian markets and most supermarkets.

[Above photos: Cafe Drake plated the noodles with sauteed daikon matchsticks, green chile and mint relish and longbeans tossed in a creamy tofu dressing.]

1/2 packet of very thin rice noodles / about 3 T. vegetable oil / 2 t. or more black mustard seeds / 1 T. urad dal (split dried white gram beans / about 1 inch grated ginger / 4 green chiles, chopped finely / 1 large carrot, peeled and grated / 1/2 cup frozen baby green peas / 2 t. salt / 8 curry leaves / 3/4 cup frozen and grated coconut, unsweetened

Bring a large pot of water to a boil then turn off the flame. Add to this the rice noodles, broken up a bit into pieces with your hands. Let soak for 5 minutes then drain well.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, deep skillet. When very hot add mustard seeds. Be careful as they will begin to "pop". At this point add the beans, reduce heat somewhat and cook quickly until they turn brown. Now drop in the ginger and chiles and after 15 seconds, the carrots. Add curry leaves and after 1/2 a minute, the noodles and salt. Stir all very well before adding coconut.

Stir again and when noodles are hot - and incorporated thoroughly with the other ingredients - then remove from heat. Serve warm and garnished as you desire . . . green onions, chives, cilantro, green chiles etc etc.

Because Books Are Important As Well

Cafe Drake is a broken record on the topic of essential reading practices; without literary references and inspiration our own kitchen would be a much duller place we're certain. Short days and long nights, coupled with cold winds and now nightly frosts, direct us to our favorite culinary season of slow braises and long roasts.

Situated within a century-old building Cafe Drake regards a hot oven as a friend and ally against icy draughts, and while heating up the kitchen (and thus home) for extended periods we find a good book the coziest of companions (not counting Sailor Page of course). We continue to plow through the oeuvres of Muriel Spark and Barbara Pym - two recent favorites from these satiric and sharp-tongued ladies include, respectively, The Driver's Seat (Spark) and Quartet in Autumn (Pym). Both novels supplied Cafe Drake with the acid so needed to perk/cut up the rich, indulgent dish we call Life.

Returning to former wunderkind Bret Easton Ellis, we lapped up the bitter undernotes of his 2006 masterpiece Lunar Park, a dark, supernatural-tinged/unhinged study of dinner and cocktail parties gone mad. If you ever wonder what happens to that friend who's always the last to leave . . . this is the chilling read for you.

No we haven't yet bought or borrowed Lorrie Moore's October 2009 published novel, but we're late to the party re: her economic yet insightful prose, and after one short story collection which left us breathless, Cafe Drake is slurping up the equally succulent prose of an earlier tussle of stories, Like Life.

Morbid by nature, macabre by choice, Cafe Drake seized - for 15 years in a row - the 18th installment of Ellen Datlow's (editor) intelligent and always gruesome Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. Hey, all good cooks need an appetite suppressant now and then.

Chutney X 2 Dinner with Jen L and Lucy L

Rum and Soda
Cayenne Corn Chips
Poha (Pounded Rice) Pilaf with Vegetables
Spice-Rubbed Roasted Chicken Thighs
Fresh Pear Chutney
Fiery Tomato-Mint-Green Chili Chutney/Relish
Candy Corn and Digestifs

AVAL ( Brahim Beaten Rice (Poha) and Vegetable Pilaf)

After years of curiosity and pointless inaction, Cafe Drake finally purchased a 2 lb. bag of poha (beaten rice grains) and prepared a pilaf for the equally adventurous palette of Jenny Lazzaro. The starch here consists of cooked rice which has been pressed and pounded into tiny slivers resembling snowflakes. Available at every Indian food market in the U.S., Canada and abroad, pounded rice has a texture and flavor hardly akin to the grain we're all familiar with - less starchy and redolent of a fermented aroma. According to Indian food god Julie Sahni (revered cookbook author and owner of Nirvana Restaurant in NYC) the following is an entree especially adored by the Brahmins of Maharashtra, hence its exotic and regal name. Our guests Jen and Lucy Lazzaro adored the pilaf, especially when combined with two Cafe Drake relishes/fresh chutneys as below.

2 1/2 cups beaten rice (poha) / 4 T. oil / 2 t. black mustard seeds / 2 t. cumin seeds / 1/2 t. asafetida / 2 chopped onions / 2 chopped potatoes (we use Yellow Finns) / 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped / 1/2 cup frozen peas / 2 t. kosher salt / 1/4 t. turmeric / about 1 T. of fresh lemon juice

1. Soak rice in water for about 30 seconds and drain; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan and when very hot add mustard seeds. When the sputter add cumin and asafetida. Cook for 15 seconds then add all veggies. Cook on high, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
3. Now add your turmeric and salt and a splash of water. Lower heat considerably, cover pan and cook for 10 minutes.
4. When veggies are tender add peas, rice and salt. Mix very well and cover. Cook for another 15 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with lemon juice. Fluff pilaf and serve.

FRESH PEAR CHUTNEY

Saute 3 peeled and chopped pears and 1 chopped onion in some oil. Cook until pears become slightly tender. Now add roughly 2-3 T. of apple cider vinegar and 3 T. of sugar. Cook for 1 minute and add a few dried red chiles and about a tablespoon of 5-spice powder. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 5 more minutes. Add some water and cook until pears just begin to break down. Remove from heat and season to taste with additional sugar and spice. Serve at room temperature.


TOMATO, GREEN CHILI, MINT AND ONION RELISH (Podina Piaz)

Yes this condiment/side dish is scorching hot with a blistering amount of fresh chilis, and No, we've never met a dinner guest who didn't adore its floral, painful flavor. Hurts so good!

2 cups diced onion (red is best) / 2 tomatoes, chopped / 12 hot green chilies / 1/4 cup chopped cilantro / 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves / about a teaspoon of salt or to taste

Combine it all in a blender, Cuisanart or Magic Bullet. Process until chunky.

Cream of Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup

This is the soup you're most familiar with at Indian restaurants. Often confused with mulligatawny, and drawing from the same British colonial culinary traditions, this thick and hearty soup owes as much in origin and taste to Northern Europe as it does to India. Hence the use of curry powder here, another English invention and fairly uncommon in the subcontinental kitchen. Authentic or not this makes an absolutely divine light supper, especially when served with good bread and a green veggie or tossed salad. Cafe Drake savored the soup as above - with kale, toasted onion bread and an avocado puree.

CREAM OF RED LENTIL AND VEGETABLE SOUP

First let's cook the red lentils. Boil 1/2 a bag (about 8 oz.) in roughly 3 cups of water until they break down to a thick puree. You may need to add more water while cooking and you'll definitely want to add 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric. The foamy scum that arises from all dried legumes can be reduced greatly by a thorough rinsing of the lentils. There is no need for pre-soaking.

When lentils are cooked as above, in a large saucepan heat up 1 T. of butter and a bit of olive oil. Saute for 5 minutes in butter oil: 1 large diced carrot, 1 large chopped leek, 1 t. cumin seeds and 1 T. good curry powder. Now add the cooked lentil mush, a cup of water and 1 small can of tomato sauce. Season liberally with salt and black pepper.

Cover and cook on very low heat for 30 more minutes, adding water if needed and stirring now and then to prevent burning. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of whole milk. Serve immediately.

Note this soup keeps very well in the fridge, improves with flavor over a day or two but needs to be reheated very gently.

A Dinner Collaboration with Jen Lazzaro

Apple cider vinegar could be swapped out for the malt variety in the recipe below.

Apples, raisins, curry powder and crushed chiles are a few of the unconventional components of South African Malay Style Meatloaf (recipe below).

The meatloaf was dished up with delectable sides courtesy of Jen L., including roasted potatoes and onions, fruity red wine sangria and a farmer's market green salad (not pictured).

SOUTH AFRICAN MALAY MEATLOAF

Proportions and ingredient choices are pretty flexible here. Do however try some variation on the astounding combination of ground meat and fresh and dried fruits tarted up with a splash of vinegar.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil an 8 X 8 casserole dish.

Combine in a large bowl and mix very well with your hands: 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey, 2 peeled and chopped apples, 4-5 T. raisins, 2 T. malt vinegar, 1 T. curry powder, 3 T. brown sugar, 1 1/2 T. salt, 1 T. crushed red chiles, 1 t. dried mustard and 1 cup of oat bran.

Place in baking dish and top meat mixture with: 1 cup of milk mixed with two beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.

Cook until egg topping is completely set and very firm and browned. This may take well over an hour so schedule accordingly. When done, remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm immediately and sliced and cold the following day. Provided you have any leftovers.

Dinner For One

Fresh betel leaves

The shredded leaves ready to be tossed with a dressing of oil, soy sauce, lime juice and sugar. Betel leaves are popular in both Indian and Thai cuisines and worth seeking out for their unusual taste (slight smoky, somewhat bitter, highly aromatic) and texture.

Calamari prepared in the manner of a Goan beach shack: briefly marinated in red wine vinegar and chopped garlic and pan-fried with plenty of dried red chiles.

A last minute dinner cancellation left Cafe Drake with a set table and kitchen full of food; when faced with such a dilemma we always rise to the occasion. Or rather sit. Making the most of our evening we enjoyed a book by candlelight and a scrumptious meal of betel leaf salad with pan-fried butternut squash, Goan-style calamari, sauteed spinach with ginger and slabs of buttery whole wheat garlic bread.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Two More Recipes from Africa

PERI-PERI CHICKEN

Apparently peri-peri sauce is common throughout southern Africa, especially in former Portuguese colonies like Zimbabwe. This recipe is basically for the sauce itself, used here as a marinade. After marination cook the chicken in any manner you prefer: roasting, broiling, grilling etc.

Combine the following in a mixing bowl and mix to form a paste. You will need to work hard to thoroughly crush the garlic.

4 T. fresh lemon juice
4 T. oil of choice
1 T. cayenne pepper (use more if you like it hot)
1 T. paprika
1 t. kosher salt (a HEAPING teaspoon)
1 t. black pepper
2 cloves garlic

Rub this paste - or peri peri - all over roughly 2 lbs. of chicken pieces or even 1 3- lb. whole chicken. Cook accordingly.

BEEF AND PLANTAINS

Fairly basic dish here, but we love it Cafe Drake when decorated with plenty of fresh green chiles and chopped cilantro. The stew is also a good deployment of the often overlooked but delicious plantain. From the nation of Tanzania, home of the fabled Mt. Killimanjaro.

Cut a pound or so of lean beef into 1-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Dry cook for 3 minutes in a deep and large saucepan. Add 4 cups of beef stock and 1 chopped onion. Cover partially and simmer/low boil until the meat is tender. Keep adding stock orr water as needed.

When the meat is cooked add another onion - this time diced - and 2 large, green plantains chopped into 4-inch pieces. Add about 1 cup of thick tomato puree and 1 cup coconut milk. Cook until the plantain is soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce. As always taste for saltiness and adjust if needed; serve hot.

Vegetable Dumplings in Fenugreek-Yogurt Sauce

Don't worry about making the vegetable koftas (fried fritters in the shape of meatballs) yourself - they are tricky to pull off and perfectly acceptable frozen ones are available from all Indian markets and many specialty food stores. The sauce - as much a star of this show as the koftas - is impressive enough to wow guests. And simple enough to make even after work.

DUMPLINGS IN FENUGREEK YOGURT SAUCE (Hyderabad Tamatar Kadhi)

This recipe yields plenty of sauce (or "kadhi") so you'll need basmati rice and/or bread to soak it up. Cafe Drale likes to serve the dumplings and sauce as a vegetarian entree, sided with crisp pappadums, rice and sweet mango relish.

2 cups plain yogurt (low fat is OK - non fat is NOT) / 2/3 cup chickpea flour / 6 cups cold water / 1/2 t. turmeric / 2 t. ground coriander / at least 1 1/2 t. kosher salt / 4 T. vegetable oil / 1/2 t. fenugreek seeds / 1 t. cumin seeds / 4 hot green chiles, chopped / 2 tomatoes, chopped coarsely / 2 onions, thinly sliced / 1 package frozen vegetable kofta

1. Soak kofta in very warm water to cover for 1 hour.
2. While kofta soak, start sauce by mixing together yogurt, flour, water, turmeric, coriander and salt in a bowl and place near stove.
3. Heat oil in a large deep pot and fry fenugreek seeds for 5 seconds before adding cumin seeds. When both turn brown (about 15 seconds) add chiles and yogurt mixture. Stir with a whisk vigorously to prevent any lumping.
4. Bring sauce to a boil and add kofta. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or longer. Stir now and then to avoid sticking.
5. At end of cooking - and you could cook for up to 90 minutes if you keep a close eye on sauce - add tomatoes. Check for salt levels as you may wish to add more.
   
6. Ladle into soup bowls or large plates and serve very warm.
   

Salsa Verde, Muy Rapido

Sure the canned and bottled green salsas are generally very good, but why not create a batch at home now and then to appreciate the fresh difference? Below is the simplest and shortest version we know but still long on flavor; roasting the vegetables first mellows out the sharp notes of onion, garlic and tomatilloes.

Place a pound of tomatilloes (papery husks discarded) and 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves of whole garlic on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If the tomatilloes are large, cut them in half. Toss all with olive oil and some kosher salt and roast about 10 minutes. Scrape all roasted veggies into a blender and process till smooth with a bit of water or vegetable stock. Season to taste with salt and a pinch or two of sugar. Reheat gently for 10 minutes after adding some ground cumin and dried or fresh oregano. You may also add chopped cilantro and minced green chile peppers at this point.

Use as a dip for chips, as a condiment or a sauce for enchiladas. Above Cafe Drake employed this versatile sauce for the latter, or Lazy Enchiladas as we call them - warm tortillas dipped in hot green sauce, folded and topped with crumbled cheese, peppers and sour cream. Maybe Deconstructed Enchiladas sounds better.

Unusually Here, An Appropriated Recipe

Cafe Drake rarely if ever reprints a recipe without at least putting our own CD spin on it. But it's well nigh impossible to top David Chang's failproof and utterly easy instructions for crafting at home his famous ssam, a Korean/Pan-Asian take on the classic burrito. We're also diehard fans of Chang's legendary Momofuku restaurant in Manhattan's East Village; more than once we've extolled their tasty virtues on this site! So below find the original recipe and - because we feel sort of guilty doing this - a link to buy his new cookbook. And no we don't receive a commission.

The Original Momofuku Ssam Recipe adapted from David Chang

Makes 1 burrito

1 extra-large flour tortilla, steamed or microwaved until warm / 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce / 2 tablespoons cooked short-grain rice, right out of the rice cooker or pot / 1⁄2 cup pulled pork shoulder, warm (Cafe Drake loves Trader Joe's quick and easy brand) / 1 tablespoon pureed cabbage kimchi (frankly, no need to puree) / 1 tablespoon shelled soybeans (edamame, frozen and thawed are fine) /1 tablespoon roasted onions 3 or 4 slices quick-pickled cucumbers

Lay the tortilla on a piece of aluminum foil that you’ll eventually use to wrap around the burrito. Smear a thick line of hoisin sauce across the tortilla and arrange the rice in a neat, even mound over the hoisin. Scatter, spread and arrange the remaining ingredients over the rice.

Fold the right and left sides of the tortilla in first, then roll it closed as tightly as possible, using the foil to guide it.

Soup for the Sick

When Cafe Drake friend and co-conspirator Jenny Lazzaro came down with a dreadful cold recently - during one of the wettest, chilliest and gloomiest weeks in awhile - we whipped up a batch of Chicken Matzo Ball Soup and strolled across McGorlick Park to hand deliver (along with Theraflu, candy corn and Pet Shop Boys CDs). Our not totally traditional version adds breast meat and veggies to the normally clear broth, creating a sort of hybrid between the Yiddish standard and Southern chicken and dumplings stew. The use of garlic may be controversial but we add only 2 uncrushed cloves to 8 cups of water when creating our stock, so the flavor is mellow and not overpowering. Also unorthodox is a substitution of fresh dill for parsley leaves. Here's how to make a batch next time you - or anyone dear to you - falls ill. Or is cold. Or hungry. Or just needs a homecooked meal.

Begin with a large, deep pot and 6-8 cups of water. Add to it one full chicken breast with the skin removed but still on the bone. The latter is a strict requirement as you will not be able to develop any really deep flavors without the use of the poultry bones. Bring slowly to a boil while adding along: 1 large onion chopped in large pieces, 2 peeled large carrots (chopped large as well), 2 cloves of peeled but uncrushed garlic and 3 peeled and quartered turnips.

When mixture does finally boil, reduce to a simmer and add a few whole black peppercorns and 2-3 bay leaves. Season generoulsy with salt - the soup will need alot. Simmer until chicken is tender and remove from pot. Cool, remove flesh and add meat back to pot.

Now whilst the chicken and veggies cook and create a rich broth, get to work on the matzo balls. Grind to a fine powder (or meal) about 3 matzos. (Whole wheat are readily available in supermarkets now as are the zesty "everything" variety). You should have roughly 1/2 cup of matzo meal. Whip together 2 eggs and 2 T. of melted butter and add to meal. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

With wet hands roll matzo mixture into 10-12 balls and drop in simmering soup. Add 1/2 bunch of chopped dill. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Adjust salt as desired.

That's it.

Mazel tov!

From the Talented Lens of Jen Ruske

Jen Ruske's superb supper of skate wing, potatoes, grilled endive and cauliflower gratin.

Skinny and frail Sailor Page is still holding on.

Cafe Drake dinner of braised pork belly, roasted onions, garlic jam and frisee salad with apples.

Anthony Castro patiently waits for the next course at Cafe Drake.

A typically elegant composition from Jen R.

Cheers to an amazing chef and hostess!

Seasonal tablescape at Cafe Drake.

Pork belly braises for 3 hours at Cafe Drake