food podcasts

If you haven't started listening to podcasts yet, you absolutely must familiarize yourself with this "new cool thing". It's like a radio show broadcast over the web, only you can listen to it whenever you want. Lots of existing radio stations make their shows available this way, so you can listen to your US local station while living in Zurich. And just like blogs, every average Joe and their dog has their own amateur podcast out there on the net. I prefer the professional podcast, but the point is that there's something for everyone. I find it a great way to make a couple hours watching my son play at the park or Trampolino more entertaining and even educational.

Anyway, I'd like to recommend some food podcasts I've started listening to (all free). This is a great way to get inspired and improve your cooking creativity.

• KCRW's Good Food - from the LA station, gives a weekly farmer's market report, interviews with chefs, recipes, etc.
• All You Can Eat - a Canadian journalist who does interviews with various food industry experts: cooks, writers, equipment makes, restaurant owners, etc.
• NPR Hidden Kitchens - stories about food culture
• NPR Food - collection of NPR food stories
• San Francisco Chronicle - Food for Your Ears - audio companion to food stories from the paper
• Bon Appetit - audio companion to food stories from the magazine

The easiest way to get these podcasts is through iTunes. You don't need an iPod (although that makes your podcasts mobile). You just install iTunes on your computer (free download), search for the podcasts using the software, then listen to the podcasts through your computer. You can also download the shows directly from the website links I give above. Then you can listen to them on your computer or on your MP3 player.

zucchini bread

Here is my mother's zucchini bread recipe, well-used and much loved. It's fun to look at her handwriting each time I make this bread and remember a childhood full of baking. Even though I love this bread, I'm pretty sure it could use some updating. The 3TB vanilla seems excessive and other spices like nutmeg might add some flavor complexity. But there's something comforting about making the same, old thing over and over.

Zucchini Bread

Yield: 2 loaves or 4 mini loaves

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. Grease and flour two loaf pans (or four mini loaf pans).
3. Mix: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup canola oil, 3 eggs
4. Add: 3 TB vanilla, 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
5. In a separate bowl, combine: 3 cups flour, 1 tsp soda, ¼ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 3 tsp cinnamon
6. Add above dry mixture to wet mixture and mix just until combined – do not overmix!
7. Bake for 1 hour.
8. Cool in pans for 10 mins. Then remove from pans and cool on wire racks until room temp.

Notes:

• When adding dry mixture, I run it through a sifter to remove any lumps. The most common mistake with this recipe is lumps of baking powder or soda in the final product.
• Use dark metal pans for best results.
• You can make brown sugar by adding 1-2 TB molasses to 1 cup granulated sugar.

tamarind, pad thai, and other Asian adventures

tamarind paste

I desperately miss the wide spectrum of Asian cuisine available in San Francisco. My mouth is watering just thinking of my long-lost favorites:

• Kao Ka Moo from Thai House Express
• Roti Prata and Nasi Goreng from Straits Cafe
• Phở Chín Nạc and Bún Chả Giò from Tu Lan
• pumpkin pork stew from Burma Superstar
• naan and mango lassis from Shalimar
• Lo Mai Gai (rice wrapped in lotus leaf) and Char Siu Bow (BBQ Pork Bun) from ABC Seafood

Zurich does have a decent showing of "ethnic cuisine", but every place I've tried so far has two big problems:

• too expensive - every dish I've listed above (except Burma Superstar) costs less than $8. In Zurich, you're more likely to pay at least CHF18 for the most basic curry. And this is for chow, not fine dining. This is not the The Slanted Door.
• too generic - most of the "Asian" restaurants I've seen in Zurich serve Chinese, Thai, and Indian (or other bizarre combos) instead of just one specialty, just like a bad chain restaurant in the states. Perhaps it's a strategy to appeal to the continental palate? It's not surprising that food is average and the different styles end up tasting quite similar. Yes, various Asian cuisines use similar ingredients and similar methods of preparation. But it's the small differences make each cuisine unique and interesting.

I fully admit that I have barely explored the restaurants in this town. So I optimistically hope there are some gems to be discovered. But each time I do go out, I'm so disappointed. Doesn't anyone in this town have a Tandoor so I can get some decent naan?

mise en place ... pad thai is served

Anyhoo... I'm attempting to make home versions of these favorites (the naan was a failure - I've tried twice and decided, for now, it's impossible). I'm a little intimidated by the unfamiliar ingredients and cooking techniques - but anything for flavor. I started with Pad Thai, an obvious, but much beloved Thai staple and I couldn't be happier. It was so much easier than I expected and it tasted great, if not authentic. I'm definitely working this into my regular rotation. The predominant flavor of Pad Thai comes from tamarind paste, which I was able to source from an excellent Asian market on the corner of Josefstrasse and Hafnerstrasse, behind the HB, a few doors down from El Maiz (which I'll save for another posting). It's not quite 99 Ranch, but it can cure some cravings. They also serve lunch, popular and not bad, but still mixed cuisine.

Up next... Is it possible to make good, dare I dream, great Phở Chín Nạc at home?

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P.S. What's up the term "ethnic cuisine"? How different does the other ethnicity have to be considered ethnic? If you live in France, is German food "ethnic"? It would also be interested how long it takes "ethnic foods" to be incorporated into the local cuisine, to the point where they are no longer considered "ethnic"? I'm also curious about how other ethnic groups linguistically refer to "American" food. If you live in China, are hamburgers labeled "ethnic cuisine"? Unfortunately, I suspect they just call it fast food.

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Pad Thai Recipe

From Cook's Illustrated...A wok might be the implement of choice in restaurants and the old country, but a large 12-inch skillet (nonstick makes cleanup easy) is more practical for home cooks. Although pad thai cooks very quickly, the ingredient list is long, and everything must be prepared and within easy reach at the stovetop when you begin cooking. For maximum efficiency, use the time during which the tamarind and noodles soak to prepare the other ingredients. Tofu is a good and common addition to pad thai. If you like, add 4 ounces of extra-firm tofu or pressed tofu (available in Asian markets) cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 cup) to the noodles along with the bean sprouts. Serves 4 as a main dish

2 tablespoons tamarind paste or substitute (see Tamarind options in related articles)
3/4 cup water (boiling)
3 tablespoons fish sauce (available at Migros or Coop, look near soy sauce and coconut milk)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
8 ounces dried rice stick noodles , about 1/8 inch wide (the width of linguine)
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon table salt
12 ounces medium shrimp (31/35 count), peeled and deveined, if desired
3 cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (1 tablespoon)
1 medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons dried shrimp , chopped fine (optional)
2 tablespoons Thai salted preserved radish (optional)
6 tablespoons chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
3 cups bean sprouts (6 ounces) (available at Jelmoli grocery in a refrigerated section behind the fruit counter, along with other speciality Asian food ingredients. I think they're called "Sojabohnensprossen")
5 medium scallions , green parts only, sliced thin on sharp bias
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional) (called Koriander here, available at most groceries)
lime wedges

1. Soak tamarind paste in 3/4 cup boiling water for about 10 minutes, then push it through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds and fibers and extract as much pulp as possible. Stir fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cayenne, and 2 tablespoons oil into tamarind liquid and set aside.

2. Cover rice sticks with hot tap water in large bowl; soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside. Beat eggs and 1/8 teaspoon salt in small bowl; set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) over high heat until just beginning to smoke, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook, tossing occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and browned about the edges, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to plate and set aside.

4. Off heat, add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and swirl to coat; add garlic and shallot, set skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes; add eggs to skillet and stir vigorously with wooden spoon until scrambled and barely moist, about 20 seconds. Add noodles, dried shrimp, and salted radish (if using) to eggs; toss with 2 wooden spoons to combine. Pour fish sauce mixture over noodles, increase heat to high, and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are evenly coated. Scatter 1/4 cup peanuts, bean sprouts, all but 1/4 cup scallions, and cooked shrimp over noodles; continue to cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are tender, about 2 1/2 minutes (if not yet tender add 2 tablespoons water to skillet and continue to cook until tender).

5. Transfer noodles to serving platter, sprinkle with remaining scallions, 2 tablespoons peanuts, and cilantro; serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately.