Food and Crafts for All Occasions

Kvashenaya Kapusta, Russian Sauerkraut

Every year somewhere in the mid fall, Ilya and I make a batch of Russian style sauerkraut. It is called Kvashenaya Kapusta and tastes significantly less tart than regular sauerkraut. It is made only of shredded white cabbage, salt and carrots that are tossed together and then the nature does the rest with the lactic acid fermentation. You can eat it as it is, only lightly drizzled with unrefined sunflower oil, or use it for soups, salads, stews, and fillings for dumplings and pies.

Homemade Lox or Salt-n-Sugar Cured Salmon

Homemade lox is Ilya’s favorite snack. A piece of dark bread and several slices of the salmon and he is happy as a clam. For a weekend lunch, I cut croissants in half, spread some light whipped cream cheese on them (chèvre works great too!), top with thin avocado slices, some capers and, finally, with the lox. You  can eat the sandwich as is, open faced, or bring the halves together to form a tall closed one.

For a party, the cured salmon goes well with small rye toasts and sides of horseradish and sour cream or crème fraiche.

The good news about homemade lox is that it's surprisingly easy to make. It takes less than two days to cure it and almost zero effort. You can take any kind of wild salmon: king, sockeye, silver, whichever is available in a store.

Duck Rillettes

When I make rillettes, I usually make two batches - one meat and one poultry. My favorite poultry for rillettes is duck. I wouldn't mind at all to make one from goose hindquarters, but unfortunately they are not sold separately, whereas duck whole legs can be found in Asian supermarkets like Uwajimaya and Ranch 99.

Langoustine, Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Lemon Brown Butter

I was raiding my bottomless freezer yesterday and came across an open package of cooked langoustines from Trader Joe’s. I remember they tasted quite unremarkable and that’s why were exiled to the freezer in the first place.

Asparagus and Chanterelle Risotto

 

We went to a farmer’s market the other day and returned home with a paper bag full of amazing fresh chanterelles. My favorite mushrooms are in season again, yeehah! If I had a pogo-stick I would just hop around the block several times, so happy I am. (Good news for my neighbors – I don’t have one and ain’t planning to get any soon.)

Dashi Stock

Dashi stock is a base for many soups and sauces in Japanese and Korean cuisines. Think miso soup. Tempura dipping sauce. Udon noodle broth. Ponzu. Chawan mushi. All these contain dashi.

Spice Blends: Curry Powder

As you might’ve noticed, I like to use spices in my cooking. A lot. And lots. I have just counted my spices, spice blends and dried herbs and it turns out I have almost 100. Well, in fact, at least 100, because I’m certain that I have some more hidden in my pantry, but am reluctant to search for them right now.

Dungeness Crab Season: Crab Ravioli with Lemon Asparagus Sauce

I hope my lengthy “pasta saga” didn’t discourage you in making crab ravioli, the recipe of which I promised a couple of days ago. Here they are and right on time - even though local whole cooked crabs are still in stores, they are getting more expensive, which means that their season is coming to an end. So, if you live in Seattle, hurry up to catch the last chance.

How to Make Colored Pasta

 

Here's some ideas how to make your pasta look more festive and taste more complex.

Two Basic Pasta Doughs: Egg and Eggless

Today I was planning to post crab ravioli (yep, local crabs are still in season), but then – oops! - I remembered that I hadn’t posted pasta dough recipe yet. First things first:  I’ll give you several varieties of my pasta dough and then proceed to ravioli and other pasta formats.

Thai Curry Paste, Red and Green

Amazingly fragrant,  super spicy and a bit tart, for Thai food lovers curry paste doesn’t need any introduction. When added to sauces, soups, dumpling fillings and patties mixtures, it makes their flavor brighter and more sophisticated. And you know what, Thai curries can be used not only for Thai dishes. One of my favorite pasta dishes is sweet potato or yams stuffed ravioli in cream and Thai green curry sauce.