Sunday Feast № 26 | Goat Cheese Cucumber Radish Avocado Sandwich and Pimm's Cup, anyone for tennis?

So for the longest time, at least it seemed like a long time, I have been preoccupied with cucumber sandwiches, that dainty staple of Victorian upper classes in Queenly Kingdom. I would mention them often enough, and mentioning does not necessary mean doing, to anyone that would listen, that I felt like the Kid from "Bad Santa" and probably deserved Willie's response, but everyone was polite and just nodded and hmm-d. Kid: Want me to fix you some sandwiches? Willie: What the fuck is it with you and fixin' fuckin' sandwiches?    By the time I got to it, Pimm's № 1 came into the picture, which may not be typical pairing for cucumber sandwiches, but what a great London offering! And it was all in the Queenly family! As far as coincidences go, Pinterest offered a tasty looking alternative to the Victorian fare - OK, maybe not so coincidental considering I did search cucumber sandwich recipes and the algorithm is watching.   So it was set: The Green Thumb Sandwich courtesy of Broma Bakery - adapted to what I had - and a Pimm's № 1 cocktail. Next choice was to rather than go with Victorian afternoon tea to find some tennis. Made sense with Pimm's № 1 in the picture. Instead of waiting for next tennis Open, I went with a movie about upwardly mobile former professional tennis player and his twisted pathway. Anyone for tennis?

Fun on the side Pimm's Cup 2 parts Pimm's № 1 4 parts lemon-lime soda 1-2 mint sprigs A few slices of cucumber Add ice to a chilled highball glass, then pour Pimm's, lemon-lime soda, and stir. Garnish with slices of cucumber and mint. Movie Match Point (2005)

Sunday Feast № 25 | Pea Cashew Soup

The inspiration was a scene from "Best in Show", a mockumentary about a prestigious dog show: Sherri Ann Cabot: [Discussing her 80 year old husband who's 44 years her senior] Leslie and I have an amazing relationship and it's very physical, he still pushes all my buttons. People say 'oh but he's so much older than you' and you know what, I'm the one having to push him away. We have so much in common, we both love soup and snow peas, we love the outdoors, and talking and not talking. We could not talk or talk forever and still find things to not talk about. Soup. Snow peas. Peas. How about a pea soup? Luck had it that Bon Appétit July 2016 issue arrived earlier and it had a recipe for a more mealy pea soup, thanks to the cashews, that I adapted and dressed up with olive oil and pepper.

Sunday Feast № 24 | Vietnamese Chicken and Mint Salad

Have mint. Crave a salad with more than vegetables and dressing. A salad that can stand on its own, yet feels light. I looked to the trusty "The Cook's Companion" by Stephanie Alexander for answers and found a super easy recipe to play with. Thai chilies may make more sense regionally, but Serrano chilies are a good substitute, if that is all you can get your hands, and in a pinch if you are in possession of sambal oelek, that ground chili paste goodness, you are good. Three teaspoon, about.    I like the way my small herb garden is pushing me around, first with Thai basil - a beef dish repeated many times since, also with substituting Thai chilies with sambal oelek - then with mint - mixed with radishes and pumpkin seeds. Thai basil shoots up and out vigorously, while mint - well, mint really just hangs around draping as it sees fit, gently twisting on itself, surprisingly laissez-faire for such a refreshing herb. Cocktails with it will be in order soon. Meanwhile, poach chicken breasts yourself with lemongrass, ginger, salt, initially covered with cool water by an inch or so. Bring to boil then simmer for 10-15 min. Skim the foam as you go along if you plan to hold on to the light broth. Might come in handy.

Sunday Feast № 23 | Pizza Margherita with 212 Cocktail

Thank you The Daily Meal for pointing out that savory cocktails CAN go with dinner - see 11 Cocktails That Go Perfectly With Dinner slideshow - and since I am still on the gem looking cocktail trip since the Negrosky aperitivo session, 212 cocktail recommended by Ryan Fitzgerald, bartender at New York City’s ABV, looks good to me. I lightened it up by switching reposado tequila parts with grapefruit part, going for 1:2 instead or Ryan's 2:1. Take your pick there. The Daily Meal suggests pizza Margherita to go with. Not a problem at all. Not a problem whatsoever.    The recipes for the dough, sauce and the final product are abridged from “The Food of Italy: A Journey for Food Lovers”.	Fun on the side 212 Cocktail Lite 1 part reposado tequila 1 part Aperol 2 parts grapefruit juice And useful to know How to Defrost Frozen Pizza Dough

Sunday Feast № 22 | Aperitivo, or what to have with that Russian cousin of Negroni called Negrosky

The yearning for sunshine increases as the temperatures rise and days become longer. To while away the long afternoons drinking and eating at an outside table at you favorite watering hole is now a real possibility, and one long overdue. All that whiling means that a preamble to the dinner is called for. Since that ray of sunshine limoncello has to wait till after the dinner, being a digestivo, my mind drifted to Campari, a fine red aperitivo, a pre-dinner gem reminiscent of freshly breaking sunrise or the last smidgen of sunset, the latter yet to come if you start early enough. Now, we are civilized people; therefore, we will not sustain on Campari drinks alone (say, the titular Russian cousin of Negroni called Negrosky), but indulge the Italian art of aperitivo which calls for curbing alcoholic overindulgence with tasty sides. What a way to ease into the dinner hour!    As for that red goodness, "[Campari] is made by infusing a base of alcohol and water with a proprietary mix of herbs and fruits, including rhubarb, orange, and a variety of sour orange known as chinotto in Italian. The bitter infusion is then sweetened with sugar in the form of simple syrup and stiffened in accordance with its destination: 24% alcohol (48 proof) for American drinkers and 25% alcohol by volume (50 proof) for the Italians. Differences in taxation on alcohol are the most likely explanation, as Italians are not particularly well known for their high tolerances. Campari's signature ruby red color comes from colorants. Until recently, Campari's colorant of choice was cochineal dye, an all-natural coloring agent extracted from a beetle-like insect native to Central and South America. In 2006, the beetle juice was replaced with FD&C Red #5. Some claim the change came in response to protests of animal rights activists, but it's more likely that the artificial colorant was simply less expensive." - from Aperitivo: The Cocktail Culture of Italy by Marisa Huff, where the recipes are also from. Saluti bambini!

Fun on the side Negrosky 1 part vodka 1 part Campari 1 part sweet vermouth You know what to do. Serve on ice with a slice of an orange. Movie Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Sunday Feast № 21 | Roasted Cornish Hens with Lemon, Rosemary, Garlic, and Balsamic

Photo by Aurora Samar

Last time was Chinese. "We should do it again." "What should it be this time?" "Greek! We can do lots of salads. Stuffed peppers." "OK, what about a meat dish? Lamb?" That is roughly how it went. Fast forward. "We can do Greek, but maybe mix in Italian ..." "Mediterranean like? Well, close to." "Then I make tiramisu." "Love Tiramisu!" "Then I'll think if it is still lamb or something else." In the end, it was close to Italian. And sorry, but no, this is not tiramisu recipe blog. I have professionals for that. My mind drifted to chicken. And rosemary. The Gooey Shell    Having found a recipe for roasted chicken with rosemary in one of my trusty books, I went shopping for an approximately 3 lb/1.5 kg bird. Maybe it was laziness, but with little time to scour supermarkets within my immediate walking distance let alone any further a field, I settled for the closest and met with monster chickens. At around 6 lbs each! Whoa mama! Yes, each could feed a small army but roasting a BIG BIRD is a different game I might reserve for turkey. Luckily, the supermarket had lots of frozen Cornish hens, and those I was willing to deal with. Six of them. Yes, yes, also can feed a small army, but smaller birds mean quicker roast and greater likelihood of being cooked throughout without drying out. So I set to task finding required roasting temperature and time, as well as possible combinations of flavorings for the roast. One criteria for the latter: rosemary must be included.    The result was a lovely brood of hens for carnivores (one bird per person in one sitting) and lesser carnivores (half a bird per person in one sitting with the other half for next days). Very satiating. Mind you there were salads - "Mum" made sure, grilled octopus - we had two that not just love but LOVE octopuses (queue up Octopussy snickering and general nudge nudge wink wink behavior), there was bread, foccacia, polenta, bruschetta, tiramisu of course, and macarons with smoked salmon filling (not my recipe or mine to disclose, but a fine product, and like I said, I have professionals for that), and more. Macarons?! Well, France does boarder the Mediterranean Sea.

Sunday Feast № 20 | Cherry for Blueberry, or with Blueberry, Tart with Oat Crumble

There is nothing like late night baking. Well, there are other as exciting, if not more exciting things, to do late at night, but sometimes switching it up is called for, and honestly, if the muse strikes in the middle of the work week, late night is the only time to do it. The beauty of late night baking is that it perfumes the air for a great soporific effect while the baking goods cool overnight to welcome you in the morning with temptation. So here I was again, this time adapting a recipe by Rachel Conners of Bakerita.com. The result didn't last long when next day's visitors started tasting - a seal of universal approval.
The original recipe called for blueberries since Rachel was "having waaay too many blueberries in the house". I had leftover frozen cherries, reserving fresh ones to eat as they are, and I had some blueberries for the start of the season, which for the most part I also wanted to eat raw. Nevertheless, I "sacrificed" some. Walnuts I had on hand were a good pairing for what in my case was predominantly cherry filling.    This is the most solid coconut oil I have ever used in anything, and baking at night when it was cool meant it stayed solid rather then liquefying in the jar the way it tends to do at the height of summer. There is also something comforting yet decadent in baking with almond flour. With the addition of honey and oats, I guess this tart is borderline healthy in a way few tarts can be. Trick of the mind? Perhaps, but a very good one. Very tasty.

Sunday Feast № 19 | Radish Salad with Mint and Pumpkin Seeds

Fun on the side and after Drink Pinot Gris Movies Saint Laurent (2014) vs. Yves Saint Laurent (2014)

In the Midwest, the season for radishes starts in March, provided the weather abides. It should by May. So here I was with a bunch of radishes, and a box of raw pumpkin seeds. The latter happened to stare at me from the nuts and seed shelf at the local and jumped into my basket. A happenstance that eventually worked out as I was looking what else to do with the radishes. My usual with radishes is very simple and satisfying - slices of good or toasted bread, smeared with butter, layered with radish slices, and sprinkled with a pinch of salt - but I wanted to try something different. Recently, I had a seasonal platter that included finely sliced, shaved really, radishes with mint and dressing. Radishes and mint? Hmm. Different, and the inspiration I needed. By now, just as the Thai basil did, my hydroponic mint was in bloom and begging to be messed with in other ways than tea or mojito. And nuts or seeds are good! I have seeds!    The recipe I found called for radish wedges, which is fine, but I slice for a mellower bite, and pistachios, which is fine, but I have green pumpkin seeds. Great lunch salad with a slice of good bread (could not stray too far from my usual), sharp-ish personable cheese such a Saint Malachi (cow milk cheese from Unionville, PA) beckoning from my fridge, and a bottle of Pinot Gris to match the crisp radishes peeking through the smoothness of olive oil and the freshness of mint.    Why Saint Laurent vs. Yves Saint Laurent? By this point my brain was somehow remembering something about clean whole radishes dipped in salt as a French snack. Since I did not have a movie about the quintessential French fashion designer Coco Chanel, ladies who lunch had to do with chronologically next best thing - Yves Saint Laurent. That I had, together with enough wine to see us through almost four and half hours of indulgent viewing. This did not have to make sense, but that is what long Sunday lunches can be.

Sunday Feast № 18 | Rosemary and Chocolate in a Cake

In winter, rosemary is milder, and in Midwest spring fights with winter, trying to assert itself before summer assuredly stomps on it. So it stands to reason that since late April is more like a mild winter, or a cool spring at best, rosemary is less pungent and robust right now. Having said that, I never thought of rosemary in a sweet cake or with chocolate, as a singularly savory bake makes more sense to me for a herb I love on anything roasted. Then I came across an image from 101 Cookbooks of a rosemary olive oil cake from "Good to the Grain" by  Kim Boyce and wondered "How would this taste?" I got to work, but I wouldn't be me without attempting some short cuts. First time.
Local supermarket had 2-for-1 bags of bittersweet chocolate chips and fresh rosemary pack was generous, so I had the goods for multiple attempts. The first time, I used the chips as-is. All good, but since rosemary was such an odd taste for me in a cake, I figured that coarsely chopping the chips as the recipe suggested would work better to mix the two flavors of rosemary and chocolate in each bite. Second time, I did just that. The recipe called for 9½-in fluted tart pan, which worked just fine despite the cake rising slightly just above the rim, but next time I chose 9½-in round spring form with higher sides so I did not have to worry even about that as both times 40 min bake was all I needed for a good bake. I have to admit that chopping the chips and refrigerating the cake before eating worked a charm. The beauty of oil is that it does not solidify like butter when chilled, but keeps the cake nicely moist. The consistency was much better than at room temperature, and I suppose like stews cakes tend to be better next days. Patience does pay off. It is also possible that having rosemary in a cake with chocolate shavings grew on me, and that the addition of rosemary made this cake fair game for breakfast or lunch and thus more frequent exposure to this new mix. Breakfast or lunch?! The cake was somewhat savory after all, non? Not that cake being nothing but sweet has ever stopped me from having it for breakfast or lunch ...

Sunday Feast № 17 | Abundance of Thai basil leads to one thing

Construction got in the way of nature, so I invested in technology to bring the nature back. Then nature forced my hand by thriving.    In plain words: I have a kitchen window facing east, which for quite some time faced an empty lot. The lot is a bit over 250 ft deep, so every morning sunrise streamed in to wake me up before coffee. Then over a year ago construction began. Now, the kitchen window faces grey walls. No sunrise and less light till the sun is high, provided there are no clouds. The new conditions are hardly ideal for growing herbs. Ah the joys of city living. When I buy fresh herbs, I hardly ever seem to use the entire package till they start to wilt ever so slightly forcing me to dry the excess and defeating the very reason I bough them. I decided to look for options. What I needed is a source of sunlight, and luckily there are compact indoor gardens that are hydroponic units, taking out any guess work regarding watering - there is always water in lieu of soil, with LEDs. Double BINGO!
	I chose one that came with a box of six seed pods: Genovese basil, Thai basil, cilantro, dill, mint and curly parsley. Thai basil was first to sprout and grow - abundantly, with the other five playing catch up. It was time to harvest it, so it did not obstruct the light from reaching the cilantro and mint close by. After collecting the next two handfuls, I started to look for recipes, after all the reason for having fresh herbs is to use them fresh, and since Thai basil was plentiful - Thai it was!    This recipe from “The Food of Thailand: A Journey for Food Lovers” is so easy and fast to make, and so tasty, it is almost embarrassing, but it is what I love about Thai food. It can be simple, meaning few ingredients, thus often requiring fresh ingredients, much like Italian, that are cooked quickly to preserve their freshness. More so, Thai basil can withstand heat of stir frying, perking up with its anise spice the funkiness of fish and oyster sauces glossing over the spiciness of beef fried with garlic and chili. Add rice and crisp vegetables and you will have a quick feast.