Sep 16

Houston Hot Sauce Festival

Let’s start by saying, I love chiles. Other chileheads will know that it is an addiction. You become addicted, not to the heat, but the endorphins that course through your body and cause the chile high. For those of you not addicted to chiles, you think that too much heat spoils your food, but all I can say, is you haven’t passed the barrier yet that causes you to have a out of body chile high, were the pain and pleasure your body is experiencing is like reaching nirvana.

On the corner of Pleasure St and Pain Ave

On the corner of Pleasure St and Pain Ave

I didn’t get my first taste of chile until I went to University and my friend Duncan introduced me to the heat and got me hooked on them, but my first taste of hot sauce (not Tabasco) was in the US. Since then I always keep a bottle of Dave’s Insanity Sauce in my refrigerator and mix it with mayonnaise for a spicy accompaniment.

I first went to the Houston Hot Sauce Festival on the first weekend I arrived in Houston four years ago, and thought, this is going to be a great city that puts on festivals like this. The festival is in its twelfth year now and is usually held in mid September in a field outside the Stafford Centre, Stafford, Texas, just outside the South-West of the beltway. Some of the vendors change from year to year, but there are old favourites that keep coming back each year from all parts of the country.

Hot, hot, hot

Hot, hot, hot

As well as hot sauce vendors displaying their wares, there is live music from Blues to Zydeco, beer and food, competitions and children’s entertainment including a fire-breather this year. Not all the hot sauces to sample are at the very top end of the scale, there are also some very mild spicy salsas, jams, pickles and cooking sauces to try. A few years ago a lot of the vendors would have been presenting hot sauces made with the Red Savina Habanero chile, since that was the world’s hottest chile at the time, but since then the Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) and then the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T took over. This year the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion is now the world’s hottest chile pepper at around 2 million Scovilles, and there were a few hot sauces to try containing them, but there were also hotter sauces, that combined chile extracts for more heat.

If you feel brave enough, you should try Cajohn’s Execution Station. There will be a row of about 8 hot sauces in order of increasing hotness up to a few million Scovilles. To put this into perspective a Jalapeño is roughly around 3000 Scovilles. This year the challenge was to taste was to sample the following hot sauces, Cojones, Kiss of Fire, Happy Beaver, Holy Jolokia, Trinidad Moruga, Angry Cock, Mongoose and Black Mamba. If you survive there will be a prize of a Cajohn’s beer koozie. These are very rare given the pain you have to suffer to get one.

Cajohn's Execution Station

Cajohn’s Execution Station

One word of advice before you visit, capsaicin, the active ingredient in chiles that gives you the burn, isn’t dis-solvable in water (or beer), so if you need relief from the heat, take some cheese strings with you or seek out some ice-cream or milk.

 

Sep 15

Spice Spice Baby

When grilling meat, the most important choice you make is the type and cut of meat for your chosen method of cooking. The second most important decision is whether to go a wet or dry rub. A dry rub is an excellent choice for flavoring already tender or moist cuts of meat.

Next time you are in the store, read the label of the ready made marinades. You’re likely to find recognizable spices but also things like:  silicon dioxide, maltodextrin and corn syrup solids. Now I am sure these things are important to the shelf life of a dry rub but why pay extra for it?  You can make your own dry rubs for cheaper and they do not contain weird stuff that you’ve paid extra for.

When making your dry rub, expect some trial and error.  I remember one of our first rubs I made, I got too excited about cumin, which my family did not appreciate!

Always make a double batch.  That way, after you have cooked with one batch, you can adjust anything that is to strong or to weak and you have some left to test out next time.  Just do not forget to write it down!

Choosing your spices doesn’t have to be difficult either. Do you already have a favorite ready made rub?  If so, look at at the label and use those ingredients as a base. You can also play with your taste buds: savory, sweet, Asian, Korean to name a few…

This is a base rub recipe that you can start with and if you do not have, or like an ingredient: it is okay to leave it out of the rub.

Simple dry rub ingredients made at home

Great Homemade Dry Rub for Pork Ribs

  • 1 tsp each of: white pepper, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
  • 1 tbsp each of: kosher salt, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, and smoked salt.
  • 2 tbsp of brown sugar.
  • Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly & store in an airtight container.

The opportunities for mixing and matching ingredients for dry rubs is limited only by your imagination and your taste buds.

Spice Rub with 11 Ingredients

Lyn’s Secret 11 Spice Rub

 

Sep 14

Piquant Red Cabbage and Apple Relish

Fall has started, everywhere except Houston where it is still hot and swampy, and it’s time to start breaking out the Autumnal recipes. Since my experiment with Hatch Chile Relish went well the other week and there is none left, I went on a supermarket trip looking for seasonal, ‘cheap’ vegetables to make other relishes or pickles. There were plenty of red cabbages and since it already goes well pickled as an accompaniment to pork, sausages etc, I knew I could come up with a relish that would work well with meats and cheeses.

The funny thing about red cabbage is that it isn’t really red until it is cooked in acid. It starts off purple, changing to pink and only after cooking does it change to a deep dark red. The reason for this colour change is due to pigments in the red cabbage called anthocyanins. An interesting experiment is to use red cabbage to test pH levels as it will turn blue or green in alkaline conditions.

Spicy Red Cabbage and Apple Relish

Spicy Red Cabbage and Apple Relish

This relish recipe marries the natural sweetness of red cabbage, with the sharpness of Granny Smith apples and some spicyness from the chile, and it has a little influences from Indian relishes from the fenugreek and cumin seeds. It is sweet, sour, salty and spicy all at the same time. I am looking forward to trying it with some cheese soon or with grilled pork.

Spicy Red Cabbage and Apple Relish

This recipe makes approx 2 jars. To make more, just increase the quantities accordingly.

Ingredients

  • Half a head of red cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 Serrano or other hot chile, chopped
  • 1 tsp of fenugreek (Kasuri methi)
  • 1 tsp of whole cumin seeds
  • Pickling Vinegar
  • 0.5 cup (100g) of granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp of salt
Red Cabbage Relish Ingredients

Red Cabbage Relish Ingredients

Method

  1. Prepare the vegetables and add to a large saucepan.
  2. Toast the cumin seeds and fenugreek in a skillet for about a minute to help release the aromas and then add with the vegetables with the salt.
  3. Pour the vinegar to about half way up the vegetables. Normally I would just cover the vegetables with vinegar, but the red cabbage will reduce in volume quite quickly.

    Red Cabbage Relish at the start of cooking

    Red Cabbage Relish at the start of cooking

  4. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid has nearly evaporated. Be careful not to allow the relish to burn.
  5. Once the liquid has nearly evaporated add the sugar. Stir and then allow the relish to thicken again. Remove from the heat once all the liquid has evaporated and the consistency is thick and ‘jammy’. Check for seasoning.

    Red Cabbage Relish at the end of cooking

    Red Cabbage Relish at the end of cooking

  6. Decant into sterilized jars and seal.
  7. Leave for a day or so for the flavour to mellow.
  8. Enjoy as an accompaniment to grilled meats, with cheese or even just spread on bread as a snack.

 

Sep 13

Grocery Store Sushi – Is It Safe?

Every time I go to the local HEB grocery store, I always accept a sample of a sushi roll being offered at the sushi stand located between the vegetables, meat and fish sections of the store. However, I have never purchased a container of fresh made sushi to go. Why do I not purchase the sushi? The simple answer is that I am at the grocery store to purchase ingredients to make a meal at home. However, when I travel for work, I do look for fresh made sushi that is sold at a grocery store located near the hotel.

Fresh Made Grocery Store Nigiri Sushi

Fresh Made Grocery Store Nigiri Sushi

Prior to 1953, the most exposure Americans would have had to sushi would have been during the military occupation of Japan after WWII. I can only imagine the response of the “greatest generation” had towards raw fish served with vinegar rice. I am sure the responses would have been colorful. In 1953, sushi was formally introduced to the United States when Prince Akihito served sushi at the Japanese Embassy in Washington.

Fresh Made Grocery Store Sushi Roll

Fresh Made Grocery Store Sushi Roll

It was not until 1965, when the first sushi bar / restaurant Kawafuku opened in Los Angeles. Fast forward to 2012, and there is sushi available in nearly every city and town in the United States whether served in a Japanese Restaurant, Chinese Buffet or available for purchase at your local grocery store coast to coast and even in the middle of Kansas.

Fresh Made Grocery Store Sushi Roll in Package for Sale

Fresh Made Grocery Store Sushi Roll in Package for Sale

The first question that comes to mind is whether or not store purchased sushi safe to eat? The answer is yes. Store purchased sushi is just as safe as store bought potato salad or deli meats. In fact, there have been fewer problems with contamination of sushi than chicken or hamburgers. You have a greater chance of becoming ill from the rice than the raw fish, but then the rice is mixed with vinegar which inhibits the growth of bacteria.

Fresh Made Grocery Store Nigiri Sushi Rolls Ready to Eat

Fresh Made Grocery Store Nigiri Sushi Rolls Ready to Eat

Despite all of the information that indicates that store bought sushi is safe, there is one criterion that I do use in determining whether or not to purchase sushi from a store. If I cannot see the sushi being made in the grocery store, then I will not make the purchase. However, if there is a sushi stand / island in the grocery store with the employees making the sushi, then I will make the purchase and enjoy the food when I am back in the hotel room. Fresh is fresh whether in a restaurant or in a grocery store, the same hygienic food preparation requirements and standards are in place.

Fresh Made Grocery Store Nigiri Sushi in Package for Purchase

Fresh Made Grocery Store Nigiri Sushi in Package for Purchase

If you have never tried sushi, sushi prepared in grocery stores is typically a combination of raw fish, cooked fish and vegetables whether together or separate. Even if you have no desire to eat raw fish, there are more than a few options that will allow you to sample sushi at a fair price and in the comfort of your own home.

Fresh Made Grocery Store Nigiri Sushi and Sushi Roll in Package Ready to Eat

Fresh Made Grocery Store Nigiri Sushi and Sushi Roll in Package Ready to Eat

For me, the option to enjoy American style sushi while traveling is an excellent alternative to fast food and chain restaurants. There are times when eating a salad for the fourth or fifth meal of the week is not just going to happen. I want something different, and for me, sushi is light, healthy and I do love that moment when the pungency of the wasabi hits me good and hard.

Fresh Made Grocery Store Sushi Roll

Fresh Made Grocery Store Sushi Roll

 

 

Sep 12

A twist on Greek Moussaka

Moussaka is a dish that has it’s origins in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Middle East, but the classic Greek representation of Moussaka is a fairly modern invention. Greek moussaka usually consists of layers of eggplant (aubergine), minced lamb, tomatoes and topped with a béchamel sauce, though in other countries there are versions that contain zucchini (courgette) or potatoes instead of eggplant, cheese sauce instead of béchamel and the Turkish version of Moussaka isn’t layered and the word itself comes from the Arabic word ‘musaqqaʿa’ which means ‘chilled’.

Moussaka with a ricotta topping

Moussaka with a ricotta topping

Just to add to the confusion, my version of moussaka is made with minced beef instead of lamb, which can be a bit greasy sometimes, and to my béchamel sauce, I add an egg and some ricotta cheese, topped with a little grated cheese. You would be correct in saying that my dish isn’t Greek moussaka any-more, but given the amount of different versions, I think it has a place, and I prefer my version anyway because of the fluffy topping.

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2lb (450g) of minced beef or lamb if you prefer
  • 3 large eggplants (aubergines)
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 heaped tbsp of tomato purée
  • 6 fl oz (150ml) of red wine
  • 2 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Topping

  • 18 oz (500 g) ricotta
  • 18 fl oz (500 ml) milk
  • 2 oz (50 g) plain (all purpose) flour
  • 2 oz (50 g) butter
  • 0.25 tsp of grated nutmeg
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • A little grated cheese or Parmesan

Method

  1. First slice the eggplant into roughly 0.5cm (0.33″) slices. Lay the slices out on a dish and sprinkle on a few teaspoons of salt over them. After about half an hour, wash the salt from the eggplant slices, and dry them with some paper towels.

    Sliced eggplant (aubergine)

    Sliced eggplant (aubergine)

  2. Place the slices on a greased baking sheet, spray with a little oil, and then cook them in 180C (355F) oven for about 25mins until they start to turn brown.
  3. Sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until soft. Add the minced meat and brown. Add the tomato purée, cinnamon and red wine. Reduce the liquid until it has been fully absorbed. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
  4. Place a layer of the eggplant in the bottom of a deep oven proof dish.

    Layer of eggplant

    Layer of eggplant

  5. Cover with a layer of the minced meat and repeat the layers twice more.

    Layer of meat

    Layer of meat

  6. To make the béchamel topping, first make a roux by melting the butter in a pan and whisk in the flour a little at a time so that it is fully absorbed.

    Making the roux

    Making the roux

  7. Add the milk and slowly bring to a boil, while continuing to stir.
  8. Once the béchamel has thickened, take the sauce off the heat, add the ricotta, the egg, and gently whisk them into the sauce until they are fully combined. Return the sauce to the heat to cook for a minute of so, while continuing to stir. Add the nutmeg and season to taste.

    Adding ricotta to the bechamel

    Adding ricotta to the bechamel

  9. Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle a little grated cheese or Parmesan over the top of the sauce.

    Ricotta bechamel sauce poured over the moussaka

    Ricotta bechamel sauce poured over the moussaka

  10. Bake the moussaka in a 180C (355F) oven for about 25 minutes until the top has started to brown.

    Moussaka

    Moussaka

  11. Remove from the oven, cut into slices and serve by itself, a small side salad or some bread.