Sunday Feast № 31 | Crispy Tilapia with Spicy Thai Basil Sauce

Ah dear Thai basil, you just keep on growing! Also, it is time to clean out the freezer from those frozen tilapia fillets (fresh is always nicer, but stocking food is a must). How can I marry you both? Thai basil meet tilapia fillets. Tilapia fillets meet Thai basil. And lets coax this relationship along with a dowry of matching staples. The recipe is from Sel et Sucre, and considering that I more often than not have non-panko bread crumbs (for such comforts as breaded pork cutlet), panko breading was a textural heaven for the mouth with that funky Thai basil sauce. Up for many returns. Thank you Thai basil!

Sunday Feast № 30 | Apple Walnut Spelt Muffins

"Why is there spelt flour in the cupboard?" "Dunno." "There must be a reason. I get the almond flour, but ... What was it used for?" "Dunno." "Hmm. Wait. Ah yes, it was for that rosemary and chocolate cake! OK, what else can I do with it?" "What does it say on the packet?" "Muffins. Yes, muffins are good and while at it let's see what else is there to add. Apples. Nuts. OK. OK." So I searched and came upon apple walnut crunch spelt muffins by Anne of fannetastic food (get it, f-anne-tastic?). I had pretty much everything except for ground flaxseed or even whole flaxseed; hence, the recipe below uses old fashioned oats as a substitute, and for different kind of texture. Also, a small pointer: skip using muffin cups like I did, unless you are willing to spray them with something oily; just spray the muffin pan or use a non-stick one. Why? The cups adhere quite well to the muffins and do not peel as smoothly as usual. Otherwise, if you are OK with fussing or eating paper ... See how you do. Makes 12+ muffins.

Sunday Feast № 29 | Korean Soybean Paste Soup

This is a simple story I am prone to have. After a discussion about miso soup, I ventured to procure miso paste. Now a sane person would probably pay more attention to the fact that they are in a Korean supermarket and Korean delicacies are more than likely to occupy shelf space. I grabbed a box of soybean paste not paying attention that doenjang is not the same as miso paste. The preparation process differs and so does the taste spectrum, so I read. What to do with doenjang then, I asked myself?    PBS Food website features a warming and light yet nourishing soup from Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen that I altered by not using enoki mushrooms but upping the amount of shiitake and ground beef, using ichimi togarashi still curiously left from when I made Japanese-style Squid/Seafood Salad, and using a simple konbu and soy sauce broth instead of anchovy seakelp one. Apologies for straying into Japanese, but happily a mistake turned into a new favorite that hugs the belly just right.

Sunday Feast № 28 | Apricot or Peach and Almond Cake

When flicking through my cookbooks are got it into my head to make a cake with almond flour or at least almonds. Ultimately, I was looking through Spanish desserts and came upon inspiration. Then some time passed and apricots were in season. I found a recipe for Apricot and Almond Cake by Christina Marsigliese on her Scientifically Sweet blog. Admittedly, it is not as almond-y as I originally thought of, but is has almond flour and almonds and allowed me to incorporate apricots. Fast forward a bit and I tried the same again this time with peaches that appeared in the shops. Both cakes were light and fruity as desired and are highly recommended for tea hour.

Sunday Feast № 27 | Take on Caprese Sandwich

Caprese. Always a salad. Insalata Caprese. The foundation comprises mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil, then you play. I like a side of good bread to mop up the juices, whatever they may be, so the Charred Caprese Sandwich I found in Bon Appétit magazine June 2016 was absolutely up my alley - insalata Caprese on bread. Perfecto! Almost ...    I did not alter this one ... much ... well I made a "mistake" of not using fresh mozzarella like I know better. Kind of dumb of me really, since I have access to fresh white goodness at a reasonable price. I was lazy and used a somewhat solid one ... that I picked up at some point off the local supermarket shelf. Oh fellow buongustaio, please do not judge. I don't know how and when, but the solid stuff ended in my fridge, and I am lazy and was too hungry to do the walk to get something better, so there it was. However, when it is your turn, please be better foodie than me and use the lovely semi-solid mozzarella that floats in brine.