Spices are for lovers

They say many spices used in Indian cooking are aphrodisiacs. I don’t know, but there certainly is something about them I can’t stay away from.

Give me cauliflower, and I’ll give you Aloo Gobhi. Cauliflower, potatoes and tomatoes – good basics, but a bit bland. Add cumin, garlic, ginger and some curry powder and – now you have something special.
Great as a side dish – or as a base for a frittata. My wife absolutely loved it. Make it and who knows – you might get kissed!

Aloo Gobhi
[Indian cauliflower and potatoes]

2 new white potatoes, peeled and diced ½-inch
1 small head cauliflower, (~3 cups) broken into small pieces
2 dozen grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼-inch fresh ginger, minced
½ tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 Tbsp. sundried tomatoes
1 tsp. curry powder
about ½ cup water

Bring potatoes to a boil in enough water to cover. Gently cook just until soft – about 8-10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil in a pot. Blanch cauliflower in water for about a minute, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, is a large non-stick skillet, sauté the ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and cumin in a bit of olive oil, for about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook another 3-4 minutes. Add the cauliflower, potatoes and cumin, and sauté for another 5-10 minutes, adding water if it gets too dry.

Fragrant Tagines for Springtime

Now that it’s spring, the apple blossoms, dogwoods and lilacs are out and fragrant. An aromatic tagine of spiced lamb or chicken resonates with spring.

Tagines are clever dishes from Northern Africa with a conical lid, used to prepare tender stews. They accomplish this better than many pots, because the conical shape of the lid allows steam to reflux (a chemist’s term for condensing and dripping back down) and cycle moisture back into the stew.

Meat, dried fruits and nuts are common ingredients for Moroccan tagines. Here are two examples.


Lamb Tagine with Sundried Fruit and Almonds

1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece ginger, minced
½ tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
2.5-3 lb. lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups water
1 cup dried prunes
½ cup dried apricots
¼ cup dried blueberries
½ cup blanched whole almonds

Sauté onion in a bit of olive oil until softened. Use your tagine if it is stove-top compatible – otherwise use a separate fry pan. Add garlic, ginger, cumin seeds and pepper flakes, and cook another few minutes until fragrant. Set aside in a bowl. Add a bit of oil to tagine (or pan) and turn heat to high. Sauté lamb in batches if necessary, to brown all sides. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss lamb and onion mixture with water in tagine. Distribute cinnamon sticks in mixture. Cover, and simmer on low heat for at least an hour. Then, add dried fruit, mix and simmer another half hour.

Meanwhile, toast almonds in a bit of canola oil in a pan for a few minutes, just until fragrant. Top tagine with almonds.


Chicken Tagine with Dates and Roasted Butternut Squash

1 small butternut squash, peeled, cored and diced to ½ inch
½ tsp nutmeg (preferably from fresh whole clove)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger, minced
½ tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
6 skinless chicken thighs
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup water
1 cup dried dates, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 450C. Toss butternut squash with nutmeg, about a tablespoon of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Distribute evenly onto a jellyroll pan. Roast for about 20 minutes, turning 2-3 times, to brown the squash. Let squash cool in pan.

Meanwhile, sauté onion in a bit of olive oil until softened. Use your tagine if it is stove-top compatible – otherwise use a separate fry pan. Add garlic, ginger, cumin seeds and pepper flakes, and cook another few minutes until fragrant. Set aside in a bowl. Add a bit of oil to tagine (or pan) and turn heat to high. Sauté chicken thighs, browning all sides. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss chicken together with onion mixture and water in tagine. Distribute cinnamon sticks in mixture. Cover, and simmer on low heat for at least a half hour. Then fold in dates and squash, and simmer another 20-30 minutes.

Eat Fish (in Brittany, if you can)

Arriving in Brittany from Paris for a few days R&R, I found my cousin Christine had placed a history of Block Island on her guest room nightstand. We share a passion for a fantastic island.

She showed me her favorite corners of Brittany’s coastline, and I understood more clearly why my father always said the Southern New England and New York coastline in many ways reminded him of Brittany. Except the tides!

I have a classic T-shirt from Block Island on the front of which is written “Eat Fish”. In Brittany, I really understood that imperative. In the four days I visited, I ate ONLY FISH.

Shellfish of Brittany are especially unique – the Boulot snails in decorative coiled shells; huitres de Cancale – a unique flat and especially mild oyster my mother always told me about; Langoustines – a cross between a crayfish and a lobster; and the most tender, rich and rare Abalone you can find. Daniel is an expert at opening les huitres – watch out, a difficult job!

Besides shellfish, I enjoyed Dourade, Sole (twice!) and a great souppe de poisson. Not to mention the cheese, bread and wine! With the help of Christine’s husband Daniel, we scoured the markets and chose restaurants to sample the best of the locale of their village of St. Briac in Brittany.

Three tagines from Morocco about the cupboards were a hint that Christine knows her way around the kitchen (and the world), and is not afraid to experiment. These recipes of the open-air market ‘poissonieres’ fish mongers, of Christine, and of myself inspired from a great visit, demonstrate the essence of simplicity (and speed!) of seafood, and how seafood can also provide a foundation for stronger, more robust flavor motifs.

Langoustines Christine

2 kg fresh langoustines
1 bay leaf
500 mL water (about a quart)

Bring the water and bay leaf to a boil in a large pot. Add the langoustines and steam for about 10 minutes. Drain and cool to room temperature in the shade.

This is the ultimate in simplicity – serve as is (we did), eating with your fingers ‘sur l’herbe’, or with lemon or with any variety of tartar dipping sauces.


Boulots Bretagne
6-8 Boulot snails per person for appetizers
Water to cover

Bring water to a boil in a pot. Drop snails in water and boil gently fr 15 minutes. Set pot aside and allow water and snails to cool together in the pot. Drain snails and serve with a sharp metal or wood toothpick.

Again this is the ultimate in simplicity – serve as is (we did), eating with your fingers ‘sur l’herbe’, or with lemon or with any variety of tartar dipping sauces.


Sole au Poile (Panfried Sole)

4 sole, skin removed (fillets are fine as well)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour

Scatter flour in a plate and turn sole in the flour to coat gently. Meanwhile melt butter until bubbling in a wide non-stick skillet and tip sole into pan. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat, until first side is browned. Salt and pepper to taste.

Flip fish and cook on second side about 2-3 minutes. Serve with lemon.