in the kitchen

Well, it's been a while since we've posted here. Various things have occupied our attention, but something I've been lingering at lately in my free time is cooking, usually with our housemate, Jeff.

A couple of weeks ago, we created an elaborate Ethiopian meal. We planned, shopped and cooked probably a total of four hours...and then the guest of honor was unable to attend at the last minute. BUT, we still enjoyed the delicious fruits of our labor, which included:

• Injera (sourdough flatbread, similar to a crepe)


• Boiled eggs


• Lettuce salad


• Alecha (spicy vegetable stew with potatoes, cabbage and carrots)


• Gomen (stewed collard greens with ginger)


• Yemiser Selatta (cold vinegary lentil salad)


• Green Pepper Relish

It was fantastic (if I do say so myself). I was so proud of us. We did our own version of "authentic" serving style by layering the injera on the bottom of a lazy susan and piling the gomen, alecha and yemiser selatta on top. For dessert: apples and pistachios with ginger tea.

Then last week we improvised some crepes using a crepe recipe book for the first time that Rob and I received about five years ago. It has a wonderfully simple recipe for savory crepes and we added chives from the garden for some visual interest and flavor. The filling featured portabella mushrooms, fresh corn, onion, tomatoes, garlic, carrots, green pepper, zucchini and locally grown asparagus seasoned with salt, pepper, sage, more chives, and red pepper in a sauce of sour cream, plain yogurt and white wine. Then in the serving, we added a blended Italian cheese, although it could have used something stronger like asiago or fontinella. Crepes are a wonderfully slow food, perfect for lingering over in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Of course it also meant we didn't eat until about 10:30 at night, but the result was worth it, I think.

I've also learned how to create a pretty authentic Indian dinner from our housemates, who were in India for nearly a month this winter. We've turned the fingers of numerous friends yellow with turmeric by introducing them to the traditional way of eating Indian food with your hands.

And I'll tuck these memories away like heirloom recipe cards to be pulled out any time I need to remember...