Breathe better with these Spiced Turmeric Mashed Potatoes from 'Simply' by British-Iranian chef, food writer and culinary teacher, Sabrina Ghayour (Mitchell Beazley, October 2020).

Spiced turmeric mashed potatoes with cilantro

I’ve always loved mashed potatoes, but this is the next level taste-wise. It’s so comforting, and I’m not sure how it could be improved. I am mad about turmeric and it’s no secret that I love chiles, and the natural sweetness of the potatoes means they can handle the spices and chile heat easily. This is a dish I can’t recommend enough, even if you are simply looking for an alternative to your usual mashed potatoes on the side.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

4½lb russet potatoes, peeled and halved, or quartered if large

 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

½ cup butter

1 to 2 teaspoons chile flakes, to taste

¾oz fresh turmeric, scrubbed and very finely grated

1 small pack (about 1oz) of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain in a colander and set aside to steam dry.

Place the saucepan over medium heat, add the cumin and mustard seeds, and toast them for a few minutes, shaking the pan until they release their aroma. Add the butter, chile flakes, and turmeric and stir until the butter has melted.

Return the potatoes to the pan and season generously with salt and pepper, then mash with the spiced butter until just combined (I like to keep some chunkiness in the texture). Check and adjust the seasoning, and when you’re happy with it, add the cilantro and mix well to serve.

Simply delicious with:

Spice-rubbed Spatchcocked Squab (see page 55) or Yogurt & Spice Roasted Salmon 
(see page 62). 

(* Recipe from 'Simply' by Sabrina Ghayour -Mitchell Beazley, October 2020- Photography Copyright Kris Kirkham...Reproduced with permission)

Can't Afford Bitcoins?

Indulge in this Chocolate Ganache Lingot by Gontran Cherrier.

Also not to miss, La Valentino, a chocolate and chocolate Buche de Noel.

Did not realize that Gontran Cherrier mini-empire is now close to 60 locations including 30 in South Korea.

(* Image from Gontran Cherrier Instagram Feed)

French Madeleine meets Italian chestnut with this Vanilla Chestnut Cream Madeleines recipe from Old World Italian 'Recipes and Secrets from Our Travels in Italy' (Clarkson Potter, September 2020) by Mimi Thorisson.

VANILLA CHESTNUT CREAM MADELEINES

I’m going out on a limb with the inclusion of this recipe. Madeleines are of course French. But in my defense, Torino as we know it was

established by French dukes, and that influence is everywhere, not least in the kitchen. Everyone loves madeleines, one of my favorite recipes.

Some desserts that I consider French have been appropriated by Italy and are very popular, like crème caramel and baba au rhum. So why not madeleines?

Adding chestnuts gives them an Italian feel.

Makes 20 to 24 madeleines

Ingredients

2 large eggs

½ cup / 100 g granulated sugar

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons / 100 g all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 tablespoons / 90 g unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pans

2 tablespoons rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

7 ounces / 200 g sweetened chestnut puree

powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Butter two 12-cup madeleine pans.

2 In a large bowl, mix the eggs and granulated sugar. Stir in the flour and baking powder. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, rum,

vanilla, and chestnut puree. Add the butter/chestnut mixture to the batter and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Divide the batter

among the madeleine molds.

3 Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F / 180°C. Continue baking until golden brown, another 8 minutes.

Unmold immediately and let cool on a wire rack for 1 minute before serving. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

(*Recipe reproduced with permission from Old World Italian 'Recipes and Secrets from Our Travels in Italy' -Clarkson Potter, September 2020- by Mimi Thorisson. Photograph by Oddur Thorisson)

Tantalize your happy hour with this Cranberry Shrub Cocktail recipe from 'Very Merry Cocktails' by Jessica Strand (Chronicle Books, September 2020).

CRANBERRY SHRUB COCKTAIL

This drink takes a couple of extra steps due to the tantalizingly tart shrub (a mixture of sugar, apple cider, and fruit), but the effort is all worth it for this delicious, healthy-ish cocktail.

MAKES 1 DRINK

Ingredients and Directions:

Cranberry Shrub (BELOW)

3½ oz [100 ml] vodka

Ginger ale, for topping off

3 fresh cranberries, skewered, for garnish

• • Fill a highball glass halfway with crushed ice. Pour in 2 oz [60 ml] of the cranberry shrub, add the vodka, and stir. Top off with ginger ale and garnish with the cranberry skewer.

CRANBERRY SHRUB

8 oz [240 ml] apple cider vinegar

1 cup [200 g] sugar

1 cup [120 g] cranberries

Heat the apple cider vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar fully dissolves. Add the cranberries and bring to a simmer, mashing the cranberries into the mixture as they soften. Simmer for 2 minutes and then remove from the heat. Let cool. Strain the shrub into an airtight glass container. The shrub can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes 12 oz [355 ml].

(* Reprinted from 'Very Merry Cocktails' by Jessica Strand with permission by Chronicle Books, 2020 -Photography by Ren Fuller)

Put your money where your mouth is with Giving Broadly, a selection of 40+ women food entrepreneurs and their creations, curated by Dana Cowin...

Here's what Giving Broadly is about in Dana's words:

"This guide highlights incredible products from women-owned brands that amped up my cooking at home this year. Drawing on more than twenty years of tastings as the editor in chief of Food & Wine, I discovered the most delicious products by outstanding artisans. Now I want to share this tightly-curated collection with you. Shop for delicious gifts and delectable meals; read for stories of vision, persistence and determination; donate to invest in supporting more women entrepreneurs!"

Instead of just talking about diversity, big and small efforts like this make it happen!

Molasse your meat with this Pomegranate Molasses and Honey-glazed Meatballs recipe from 'Simply' by British-Iranian chef, food writer and culinary teacher, Sabrina Ghayour (Mitchell Beazley, October 2020)

Pomegranate Molasses & Honey-Glazed Meatballs

Essentially, these meatballs are a total spice-cupboard raid, but what really brings them to life and sets them apart from other recipes I’ve written is the finish of pomegranate molasses. It’s an ingredient that works so well with red meat and game, as it cuts through any richness effortlessly and makes for such a wonderful and somewhat exotic flavor combination. I have always drizzled pomegranate molasses onto tomatoes, salads, kebabs, and grilled meats, so it was only a matter of time before I paired it with meatballs, too.

Makes about 24 to 28 meatballs

Ingredients:

1lb 2oz ground beef (20% fat)

1 onion, minced in a food processor and drained of any liquid, or very finely chopped

1 small pack (about 1oz) of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, crumbled

vegetable oil, for frying

For the glaze

¼ cup pomegranate molasses

2 tablespoons liquid honey

Directions:

Put all the main ingredients, except the vegetable oil, into a large mixing bowl and, using your hands, work them together really well, pummeling the meat mixture for several minutes into a smooth paste.

Line a plate with paper towels. Shape the mixture into 24 to 28 evenly-sized meatballs.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add a drizzle of vegetable oil and fry the meatballs in batches for 8 to 10 minutes until browned all over and cooked through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to the lined plate to drain.

Wipe the pan with paper towels and return it to the stove over medium heat. Mix the pomegranate molasses and honey for the glaze together. Return the meatballs to the pan and add the glaze. Roll the meatballs in the glaze to coat. Cook until the glaze has reduced to a sticky coating. Serve immediately.

Simply delicious with…

Tomato & Garlic Rice (see page 38) or Polow-e-Bademjan-o-Felfel (see page 125).

(*Pomegranate Molasses and Honey-glazed Meatballs recipe from 'Simply' by Sabrina Ghayour -Mitchell Beazley, October 2020- Photography Copyright Kris Kirkham...Reproduced with permission)

Holiday ice cream needs  a side of cookies

PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES from Milk Jar Cookies Bakebook by Courtney Cowan (September 2020/ Rizzoli)

When developing Milk Jar’s seasonal flavor for December, I knew it had to be my favorite holiday confection in cookie form. The way the cool peppermint dough hugs the gooey chocolate while the candy cane bits melt into a chewy surprise is like waking up on Christmas morning to a blanket of snow outside. Magical. If you can’t purchase crushed candy cane, you can crush mini candy canes using a food processor.

Makes 18 to 20 three-inch cookies

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
11 tablespoons (or 2/3 cup)
unsalted butter, cold and cubed
11 tablespoons (or 2/3 cup) vegetable shortening, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 extra-large eggs, cold
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons pure peppermint extract
¾ cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
¾ cup (6 ounces) white chocolate chips
¾ cup (6 ounces) crushed candy cane

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, shortening,
sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and beat on medium low speed until mixed with just small chunks of butter remaining, approximately 30 seconds. Every time you mix ingredients, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to be sure all ingredients are included in the mix—every bit matters! Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated and no flour is visible, about 30 seconds. Add half of the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated and all butter chunks are gone, approximately 20 seconds. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is not sticky to the touch, about 20 seconds. Be careful not to overmix—that’s how you get flat cookies. Stir in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and candy cane.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough 1/3 cup at a time and firmly roll into round balls approximately 1½ inches in diameter. Place 6 cookies on each prepared baking sheet, spacing them out well. Bake on the middle and lower racks of the oven until the tops are a light golden brown and you notice hairline cracks forming on the sides, 12 to 14 minutes, spinning each pan 180 degrees and swapping their positions halfway through.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer them to a wire rack or parchment paper on the counter to cool completely. Let the baking sheets cool before repeating with the remaining cookies.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to a month.

* NOTE: If you’re living a life free from gluten, this is an easy recipe to make gluten free! Simply substitute the all-purpose flour with 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of gluten-free baking flour (I prefer Cup4Cup brand) and reduce the chocolate chips to 1¾ cups. One trick to get the gluten-free version to bake perfectly is to mix the dough about 20 seconds longer when you add in the last of the flour mixture

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from 'Milk Jar Cookies Bakebook' by Courtney Cowan, September 2020/ Rizzoli / Photo © Ashley Maxwell)

Excellent Birds, Laurie Anderson's Birdhouse Potatoes with Brussels Sprouts, Snap Peas, and Mushrooms from The Ladies Village Improvement Society Cookbook by Florence Fabricant (Rizzoli, April 2020/ Photo © Doug Young)

Yes from that Laurie Anderson, another facet of the multi-media artist

Birdhouse Potatoes with Brussels Sprouts, Snap Peas, and Mushrooms by Laurie Anderson

This recipe, from the performance artist who lives part time in Springs, is flat-out delicious—so much so that when I made it for Thanksgiving instead of my usual potato gratin, no one missed the dish. The mushrooms were my idea, added with Laurie’s approval.

SERVES 6 TO 8

Ingredients:

salt
10 small Yukon gold potatoes
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 pint brussels sprouts (about 20), rinsed, trimmed, and halved
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
½ cup minced shallots
4 ounces medium cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered 1¼
cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

Bring a pot of water with ½ teaspoon salt to boil. Add the potatoes, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the potatoes and set them aside to cool. Add the peas to the pot, cook for 5 minutes, then drain them.

Toss the Brussels sprouts with 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil and the lemon zest and season with salt. Arrange them cut side down in a large heavy skillet. Place over high heat, and when the Brussels sprouts start to sizzle, lower the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove them from the pan. Add the shallots to the pan and cook until they have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining oil. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have wilted, another 5 minutes or so. Add the peas and cook briefly, stirring, until they have softened a bit, about 3 minutes. Quarter the potatoes and add them.

In a small bowl, whisk the cream and mustard together and add to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warm dish, scatter with the thyme, and serve.

Thanksgiving classics

(*Laurie Anderson's Birdhouse Potatoes with Brussels Sprouts, Snap Peas, and Mushrooms from The Ladies Village Improvement Society Cookbook by Florence Fabricant published by Rizzoli, April 2020/ Photo © Doug Young, reproduced with permission)

These ice pops for grown-ups tame a heatwave.

This is the first slice of Jude's Ice Cream &  Desserts by Chow and Alex Mezger (Kyle Books, June 2019) that I am pleased to share.

(* Recipe and Photo from Jude's Ice Cream &  Desserts by Chow and Alex Mezger- Kyle Books, June 2019- Reproduced with permission of the publisher- All rights reserved)

Italian Summer meets Tangy Melon Ice with Sparkling Sake Sgroppino from 'Japanese Cocktails' (Over 40 highballs, Spritzes and other refreshing low-alcohol drinks) by Leigh Clarke (Ryland Peters & Small, 2019), photography by Alex Luck.

Sparkling Sake Sgroppino

A popular summer dink in Italy, this version of Sgroppino swaps the usual lemon sorbet for a tangy melon ice, which works in harmony with the delicate sparkling sake.

Ingredients:

2 scoops Melon Sorbet*

15 ml...half fl oz. vodka or gin (as preferred)

Sparkling Sake, to top up

Lime zest, to garnish

Directions:

Remove the sorbet from the freezer 10 minutes before you want to serve.

Place two scoops of melon sorbet into a mug or glass and pur your chosen spirit over.

Gently pour the sparking Sake down the side of the vessel to stop it over-foaming, until you reach about 2cm...3/4 inch from the top.

Garnish with a strip of lime zest.

*Melon sorbet: 1 honeydew melon, peeled, seeds removed and chopped, 100g...1/2 cup caster/granulated sugar, 100ml...1/3 cup lime juice.

Place the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a freezer proof container and freeze. Stir the sorbet mixture every 3 hours, using a fork to break up any ice crystals, until smooth and frozen.

This is Tokyo Thursdays # 314

Previous One (April 25, 2019):

Invisible Mending, Meet Director of Kimono Restoration Koshiro Tatematsu at Japan Society, NY, May 21

(* Sparkling Sake Sgroppino recipe reproduced with permission from 'Japanese Cocktails' Over 40 highballs, Spritzes and other refreshing low-alcohol drinks by Leigh Clarke with photography published by Ryland Peters & Small, 2019).