Fresh Anchovies

My experience with anchovies was limited to the canned variety that have so much salt that I didn't really know how fresh anchovies are supposed to taste. I stumbled upon them at the fish stand at the Old Oakland Farmer's Market. The Pacific Ocean near San Francisco is full of amazing delicious seafood, but it is very difficult to find fresh catch straight from the ocean. The anchovies were fresh and were caught in the Monterey Bay, they simply looked amazing. They were inexpensive, I paid $5 for 3 lbs of fish!

Cleaning: Use a sharp pointed knife, I use a boning knife that has a sharp end, to cut a slit along the bottom side of the fish and scoop out the guts. I use a 1/8 teaspoon to scoop out the contents, and then rinse the fish under cold water.

Preparation: I put the anchovies in a stainless steel mixing bowl, added olive oil, salt, and chopped garlic and mixed them. Afterwards, I spread them on a baking sheet and baked them in the oven at 350 Fahrenheit for 6 minutes. They taste buttery and delicious. The bones are fairly soft and you can easily eat the sides bones, even the main bone is fairly soft and can be eaten. It is unlikely that I am ever going to eat canned anchovies again.

Padron Peppers

Padron are mild delicious peppers that are perfect for an appetizer. They are easy to prepare, saute them in olive oil and add some salt.

 Fresh padron peppers

 Half way through the cooking process

Misir Wot (Ethiopian Lentil Stew)

I finally managed to successfully make Misir Wot which is an Ethiopian dish made with pink lentils. Pink lentils are a nutritional powerhouse, 26% by weight protein, 30% dietary fiber by weight, and high in thiamine, folate, and iron. It is one of my favorites and is very easy to make. It also tastes amazing and I can practically eat it every day. Here is the list of ingredients (You can find these at Yagerbet Market, 2412 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, the lady there barely speaks English so please be patient):

• Pink Lentils (1.5 cups)
• Two medium sized onions
• Sunflower oil(four tablespoons approximately)
• Two medium sized tomatoes
• Four cloves of garlic
• Three tablespoons of berbere
• Salt (about two teaspoon, berbere has salt but I needed a little bit extra)
• Water: about five cups
• Niter kibe (spiced Ethiopian butter)

 Pink Lentils

Niter Kibe(Ethiopian spiced butter)

 Berbere (Ethiopian Spice Mix)

Recipe: Add about 3/4 cup of water to a pot and bring to boil, dice the onions and add them to the boiling water, and cook until the water has completely evaporated. This step is radically different from what most recipes will say, I got this suggestion from an Ethiopian friend. Once the onions are cooked, add oil, and also chopped garlic. Cook until the onions are brown. Chop the tomatoes finely and add along with the onions. Cook until the water from the tomatoes is completely evaporated. I keep the pot covered during this time to speed up the cooking of tomatoes, but you do have to stir the contents to make sure they don't stick to the base of the pot. You are done when the oil starts to separate.

Add berbere and mix and cook with the onions and tomatoes for about a minute or so, it will turn in to a thick red paste. Add the lentils, and two cups of water, cover and cook on medium heat while stirring intermittently. Keep adding water as the lentils soak the water and cook and swell. You will need about five cups of water, but pay attention to the consistency of the stew. It needs to be somewhat thick. Serve with injera and enjoy this healthy and delicious meal.

Misir Wot

Bottle Gourd/लौकी(Lauki)/葫子(huzi)

Thanks to my immigrant farmers, I can find some vegetables that are common in India, but hard to find in mainstream grocery stores here, the lauki is a good example. I bought these at the Oakland Chinatown farmers' market, they were fresh and perfect. Look for the young ones that are not too big.

I like to cook lauki from time to time to introduce some seasonal variety to my cooking. I peel it and then cut it in to small pieces. 

Saute one medium sized onion, garlic, and whole dried red chili peppers, add some cumin as well. Add three medium sized tomatoes and saute until the oil separates, add cumin, and turmeric, and the pieces of lauki. Add about two cups of water, and cook at medium heat for 15 minutes, lower the heat and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the lauki is fully cooked. 

Eggs

The best eggs are to be found at the farmers' market, I like the eggs from Highland Hills Farm, and Kaki Farm. The eggs are two to three times more expensive than regular grocery stores, but they are the real deal. The yolk is bright orange(as it should be), and they taste like how eggs do in the rest of the world. You are paying for the fact that these eggs are the outcome of nature's natural rate of production, which is inherently less efficient, but produces a far superior product.

I boil the eggs for six and a half minute, I prefer a slightly runny yolk. I sprinkle them with Indian kala namak(literal translation: black salt, although it is pink in color!).  It turns black when you sprinkle it on the eggs, not sure what kind of a reaction is taking place. It is known to have trace amounts of iron sulfide and hydrogen sulfide, the latter is toxic in high concentrations, but the amount is pretty low in the black salt that it apparently does not pose any health risk. You can just use plain old iodized salt and skip this risky black salt business.

Little Thai Eggplants(बैंगन)

This is a simple recipe to cook the tiny round eggplants in an Indian karahi(wok). I have seen at least three different types of these eggplants, the pictures below show you the color and texture. The yellow one's are a bit sweeter than the green and the light purple ones. The Oakland Chinatown farmers market is a good place, these are mostly grown and sold by East Asian immigrant farmers.

I cut the eggplants in to small wedges as shown below. The pieces will retain their shape more or less when fully cooked and don't really need to be cut in to small pieces.

Add mustard oil to the karahi and heat it add medium flame. Add two teaspoons of coarsely crushed black cumin, followed by chopped garlic, and dried red chillies, I break them in to pieces by hand. I couldn't find ginger, but ginger would go well with this recipe. Add the onions and saute until they are brown, about 8 minutes or so. Add two medium tomatoes. Cook until the oil separates. Add the egg plant and stir everything.

Add turmeric(1 teaspoon), garam masala(1 and a half teaspoon), salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Stir to mix in the spices, add a cup of water, and cover. Let it cook at medium heat for about 20 minutes, and lower the heat towards the end. Also, stir occasionally to make sure the eggplant does not stick at the bottom of the karahi.

Chai (चाय)

This is my version of a recipe to make chai that uses a combination of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and Assam black tea. Assam tea is preferred for making chai because it is full bodied and does well when combined with milk and sugar. Darjeeling, which is a delicate tea, is better reserved for drinking by itself.

Ingredients:
2 and a quarter cup of water.
7 pods of green cardamom (छोटी इलाइची)
8 cloves (लौंग)
Two inch long sticks of cardamom (either Indian or African, they tend to be more aromatic) (दालचीनी)
Two teaspoons of loose leaf Assam tea (Ceylon tea works as well)

The Kalami Assam tea is a good option, it costs about $5 for a pound of tea, almost a fourth of the cost that you would pay for this type of loose tea at most places. It can be found at the Oasis Food Market in Oakland.

• Crush cardamom and cloves.
• Bring water to a boil.
• Add crushed cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, along with tea.
• Brew for five minutes.
• Add milk and sugar that is appropriate to your taste.

 Enjoy!