Blueberry and Cardamom Yogurt Cake

I'm turning into my mom!!!!

Wait, does this mean that one day <if> I have a daughter, she'll gasp and think the same thing too?!  Okay, I will quickly remind myself it's not a bad thing at all.  In fact, it's great, because my mom's cooking and her teaching are always an inspiration to me. 

Anyways, I'm turning into my mom because I'm adding all things "Persian" to any recipe I come across these days--especially desserts.

As noted in one of my previous blogs about strawberry cake, I noted how I practically despised anything that involved cardamom, rosewater, whatever "Persian" that my mom added to desserts when I was a kid.

Well I'm all grown up now. And here I am, adding those pesky ingredients to a recipe I recently came across in the June 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine. It's called Raspberry Buttermilk Cake. 

I took out the buttermilk, sub'ed Strauss Organic Yogurt and added 1/4 a teaspoon of ground cardamom. Oh and I used blueberries instead of raspberries. Raspberries freak me out sometimes...they're fuzzy and the little seeds get stuck in my teeth.

It's best to use Strauss Organic Yogurt for this recipe because that tangy taste that I love about that yogurt really comes out in this cake.  Also, when you add a couple of dashes of ground cardamom to this recipe, it really pairs well with a hot cup of Persian tea (Earl Grey or Darjeeling is just fine).

Recipe for (1) 9'' round cake (I made two in the photos):

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 stick of unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar, divided

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg (preferably free-range)

1/2 cup of Strauss Organic Yogurt (or buttermilk)

1 cup fresh blueberries

Pre-heat oven to 400 with rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9" round cake pan.

Whisk together first 5 ingredients and set aside.

Cream butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until well combined.

Floured pan--I like to use cornmeal on the bottom of my pans.

Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter the blueberries evenly on top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar. (remember this recipe is for one cake pan, I doubled it to fill 2 pans)

*my added "touch": lick the bowl and spatula while you're waiting for the cake to bake

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm 10-15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

This is the best afternoon dessert! Thanks to my old issue of Gourmet magazine and my mom's wisdom of adding and sub'ing random Persian ingredients!  

Braised Brisket with Southwestern Spices

I have a HUGE crush on Southwestern cuisine.  I think of cowboys and campfires, lassos and horses--an open field with roaming cattle.  I like to picture a big cast iron pot on an open flame, simmering with meat along side vegetables and beans--and a hungry cowboy waiting patiently for his meal after a long day.

Typically known for food that has been influenced by our wonderful neighbor Mexico, Southwestern cuisine involves the use of chiles, spices, and braised meat.  Instead of using cuts of meat like the head, ears, or feet in these braises that's typical in Mexico, Southwestern cuisine revolves around larger cuts of meat such as beef brisket or pork butt/shoulder.  

I made this recipe of braised brisket in honor of Rumi's 1st birthday.  A true "cowboy" sort of meal for friends and family.  The spread was turned into a taco bar with home made salsas (roasted tomatillo and spicy cilantro-onion), home made pickled carrots and onions, lots of cilantro and limes and a strawberry cake topped with a #1 candle for many wishes to come true.

For 8 pounds of Brisket (about 3 cuts) you will need:

A head of celery (roughly chopped)

2 onions roughly chopped

1 pound of carrots roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper roughly chopped

1 green bell pepper roughly chopped

1 lime, sliced in half

1 serrano

2 dried pasilla peppers

1 bulb of garlic (whole, not peeled)

1 bottle of beer (preferably Modelo negra, but I had an IPA on hand) *you can substitute beef broth or just water.

1 can of tomato paste

3 chipotle peppers from a can

For the Rub:

1 1/2 tablespoon New Mexico Chili powder

1 tablespoon Paprika

1 1/2 tablespoon Cumin

2 tablespoons Salt

A few turns of fresh cracked pepper

Rub these spices all over the brisket and let it marinate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan (preferably the pot you will be braising in, but a pan will do if you plan on putting it in the slow cooker) and sear both sides of the brisket starting with the side with a slab of fat on it.  And don't feel obligated to remove that fat as it adds body and flavor to the braise.  

Next:
Sautee all the vegetables in small batches for 2 minutes.  During your last batch, add the tomato paste and chipotle peppers and mix it in.  Deglaze with the beer and then add the meat and vegetables in layers into your pot.

Cover with a little more water if necessary.  About mid-way in the pot. Cover and braise in the oven for at least 6 hours at 275 degrees. Or until the meat is tender and falls apart.

It should look like this when it is ready to be cut into shredded pieces.
Using tongs, gently place the meat on a clean sheet pan.  Toss all the other veggies (or snack on them as I did).
SAVE THE LIQUID!!!
On medium high heat, reduce the liquid by half and add a little honey to it (optional).  The honey adds a touch of sweetness to the spicy sauce.  

On a clean cutting board, remove the fat on the under side and cut the meat into small shredded cubes.  Pour most of the reserved juices that have been reduced on top.

And here it is: braised brisket with Southwestern spices.
Eat it as taco meat, burrito meat, "sloppy joe", layered into nachos, served with rice and beans or jalapeno corn bread. Just remember to eat it like a COWBOY :)

Southern Fried Chicken Marinated in Persian Spices

I have played around with this recipe on several occasions--especially when I'm feeling homesick.  I always miss my mom's delicious cooking.  She's never made us fried chicken, but  growing up in the South we would eat it on occasion.
When I think of fried chicken, it takes me back to the first few weeks of getting situated in Jonesboro, AR.  On the weekends my dad would drive us around and show us our new city (pop. 45k at the time) to call home.  We were surrounded by tall oak trees and miles of greenery.  Like a breath of fresh air from the dry, hot summer days of Tucson.  It was a new beginning to what we left behind.
To help us get situated, my parents would take us to different restaurants on the weekends.  Buffet restaurants were popular at the time and as a nine year old I loved them for the dessert section with hotel pans of peach cobbler, strawberry cobbler, cookies, and a self-serve yogurt machine.
The buffet had an array of fried foods as well: okra, catfish, frog legs, corn on the cob, collard greens--but the winner for me was always fried chicken.  These are some of the foods of the south. At the time I didn't think anything of it, but I was slowly learning the culture and traditions of the South by frequenting these restaurants.
Living in the South for 14 years I've learned that the techniques of Southern cooking are a little similar to the techniques of Persian cooking.  In the south, meat is marinated in buttermilk to tenderize, seal in juices and add flavor to it.  In Iran, meat is marinated in yogurt for the same purpose--although this technique is used for grilling rather than frying.  In the South, every household has their own spice mixture they call "secret" and in Persian households they have theirs "advieh" in which it too is a family secret.
This fried chicken recipe is my recipe.  It takes me back to living in Jonesboro--not always wanting to be there, but learning the importance of culture and acceptance of others through the foods people eat.  This is fried chicken, with my Persian "advieh" (spice mixture), that represents me.

The recipe as follows:

Spice blend clockwise: 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic powder, 1/8 tsp. cayenne, 1/2 powder cumin, 1/2 tsp. angelica powder, 1 tsp. turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. paprika, kosher salt to taste.

Rub all over chicken (I used 6 pieces of legs and thighs each-bone in). Add fresh cracked pepper and marinate in equal parts buttermilk and yogurt.

Chill overnight or at least 3 hours.

Dredge in flour mix with cornmeal (3:1 ratio) with a few shakes of cajun seasoning.  Dust off extra and pan fry in canola oil until golden on both sides but not cooked through.

Bake off in the oven at 350 until cooked and juices run clear.  Baking it cuts out the time it is frying in the oil.  The crust is still crispy, and the chicken is juicy.

As we say in the South, "Y'all come back for more"

and in Iran

"Nousheh Jan"

I will never forget my Persian heritage, Southern upbringings, and living in the Southwest through the foods I eat and create.

Hope this inspires you to cherish where you come from and appreciate where you are today.