 This recipe was, as Bob Ross would say, a “happy accident”. I was busy chatting away with a friend when suddenly she asked if I was making some sort of caramel. Whoops. I dashed to the stove, turned off the flame and looked into the saucepan. It was a black, angry mess. Compost fodder. Or at least I thought it was. I had foraged a few quinces last year and took my eye off of them and they turned to mush in the pot. Perhaps they were a different variety? Whenever I read about quince I hear over and over how tough they are. They require patience. Well, apparently I used the exceptions that time.
The “black angry mess” batch, however, was true to form in that it held its form. I wanted to keep this recipe fairly simple but I couldn’t resist adding in a bit of Ritual zero proof whiskey to the poaching liquid. It infused the quince with the most wonderful vanilla, oaky flavors. I did end up discarding the syrup (okay, it was more of a crust than a syrup) but the quince were surprisingly tasty. Thanks Bob Ross for the reframe.
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Idli Rice and Mung Bean Pancakes with Onions, Mustard Seed & Asafetida and Tamarind Yogurt Sauce12/13/2021  These pancakes are the product of a class I taught at the beloved San Franciscan community cooking school, 18 Reasons. I had just returned from 7 months of international travel, 4 of which were in India. I was particularly charmed by the southern states of India and wanted to teach people more about my favorite meal there: breakfast. When I am at home in California I have reliable and gorgeous breakfasts: avocado miso toast, fermented vegetables, an egg and usually a salad or sauteed vegetable of some sort. I never missed this breakfast when I was in India. The food was just too good.
Idlis were a particular favorite of mine and I wanted to share them with the class. The idlis required idli rice, which typically comes in a 5 pound bag. Of course it does! If you’ve made idlis in the past you are sure to want more in future. However, how many idlis was this community cooking school really going to make? That class barely made a dent and thus, the gauntlet was thrown down. How to use up that big bag of rice without reteaching the same recipe? I ended up making many recipes with the rice but this one was my favorite. So often pancakes are a nutrient poor food, composed mostly of flour and water. One of the things that I love about this recipe is that it uses whole foods to create the base. Since we are using both a grain and a legume it winds up being a complete protein to boot. The curry leaves are magical and wonderful but don’t let their absence from your larder stop you from making the recipe. Ditto asafetida.  I think of this recipe as a seasonal bridge. It has a toehold in two worlds: the sunny, light days of summer and the blustery, cooler days of autumn. It is prepared with some of the last fresh tomatoes of the season which are roasted with Yukon Gold potatoes, cumin and even a few thin slices of Meyer lemon. As soon as the vegetables exit the oven they are tossed with a convivial assortment of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon. I love the earthy stability of the roasted veg and cumin alongside the zippy brightness of the herbs and citrus.
The contrast of fresh herbs against the savory, starchy potatoes is something that always pleases and nourishes me. Herbs to consider include parsley, tarragon, dill or cilantro. Play around with their ratios and customize it to your mood.  I love adding fruit to my salsas, both to add nuanced sweetness as well as to temper the dip’s spiciness. When making a fermented salsa the fruit’s natural sugars help to expedite fermentation, which can be helpful as temperatures begin to dip. I’m still able to get both tomatoes, peppers and even stone fruit at the farmers market (one of the big perks of living in California!) so this recipe is a no brainer.
I used a Fresno pepper because it has a robust amount of heat and it is red, which blends nicely with the other colors in the salsa. You can substitute with another chile of choice or omit entirely depending on your heat preference and tolerance.  This is a very simple and delicious way to incorporate end of season tomatoes into a quick and delectable side. Gratins are both a dish and a technique. They are made when you brown the top of a dish often using a combination of breadcrumbs, cheese and egg. I typically find that the filling below the crispy crust is rich and creamy, a wonderful contrast. No complaints here but it's been mild in the San Francisco Bay Area and wanted to do something that was on the lighter, brighter side.
It's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of miso and try to incorporate it any which way that I can. By mixing the miso into the panko mixture you are turning up the dial on the flavor, specifically umami. That goes double for adding the Parmesan cheese. For best results, use the ripest, juiciest tomatoes that you can get your hands on. |
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