Easy Peasy Chinesey

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Considering I don't have a wok, I've made two really fantastic stir fries this week. The following jumped out at me while I was recipe surfing because by this point in the month, I would have usually thrown in the towel and ordered Chinese takeout. Before giving into my craving, I thought I might as well try to make it myself and see how it tasted.

Unlike the Pad Thai which didn't quite match the flavors, this was a pretty decent replication. I have adjusted the recipe below to bump up the spiciness factor--feel free to check out the original if you want to soften the blow, but I found the original recipe slightly bland and very Americanized.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Cooking Light, March 2010
Serves 4: Calories 476, Fat 12.9g, Protein 32.1g, Carb 52g, Sodium 523mg
Note: Cooking Light said it only takes 25 minutes, but they don't account for the ingredient prep--add another 10 for cutting up the veggies.

• 2  (3 1/2-ounce) bags boil-in-bag long-grain white rice
• 2 T. dry sherry, divided
• 2 T. lower-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1 t. sugar
• 1 lb. boneless sirloin steak, cut diagonally across grain into thin slices
• 1/2 cup lower-sodium beef broth
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 1 T. hoisin sauce
• 1 T. Sriracha (hot chile sauce) (originally 1 teaspoon)
• 2 T. canola oil, divided
• 1 T. bottled ground fresh ginger
• 2 t. minced garlic
• 4  cups prechopped broccoli florets
• 1/4  cup water
• 1/3  cup sliced green onions

1. Cook rice according to directions.
2. While rice cooks, combine 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sugar, and add to beef.
3. Stir together 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, broth, cornstarch, hoisin, and Sriracha.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture; sauté 3 minutes or until browned. Remove beef from pan. 
5. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add ginger and garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 
6. Add broccoli and 1/4 cup water; cook 1 minute. Add onions; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 
7. Add broth mixture and beef mixture; cook 2 minutes or until beef is thoroughly heated and sauce is slightly thick. Serve beef mixture over rice.

Shrimp Pad not-quite-Thai

Continuing my week of healthy recipes, I moved on to Cooking Light. It's a great magazine, but I feel they are a little ridiculous in their ingredients some times. Whereas ATK kept the spices easy (red pepper flakes, garlic, and salt in all recipes), Cooking Light might have you searching the grocery store for the random ethnic spice you've never heard of before.

I couldn't pass up this recipe, though, because I've sworn off ethnic take out because of the sodium and my tendency to eat three or four times a normal portion. But Pad Thai sounded perfect. PLUS it only takes 25 minutes.

The results were tasty--although I'm not sure how authentic it was to great Thai takeout. I'm guessing half of it was the fact I couldn't find FLAT rice noodles (damn you crazy ingredients Safeway doesn't has!) and the other half of it was that the sauce was probably lightened.

from MyRecipes.com

Shrimp Pad Thai
Cooking Light, March 2011
Calories 462, Fat 16.1g, protein 15.8g, carb 64.3g, sodium 779 mg

• 8 ounces uncooked flat rice noodles (pad Thai noodles)
• 2 T. dark brown sugar
• 2 T.  lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1.5 T. fish sauce
• 1.5 T.  fresh lime juice
• 1 T.  Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
• 3 T.  canola oil
• 1 cup (2-inch) green onion pieces
• 8 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 3 T.  thinly sliced fresh basil

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
2. While water comes to a boil, combine sugar and next 4 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl.
3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion pieces, shrimp, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until shrimp is almost done. Add cooked noodles; toss to combine. Stir in sauce; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to combine. Arrange about 1 cup noodle mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1 tablespoon peanuts, and 2 teaspoons basil

Travels in Jordan:On to the Mezze

When people think of the Middle East, mezze is most likely what comes to everyone's mind first. It's all about the hummus, the tabbouleh, the baba ghanoush, and the mixed grill. While the menu was the same as the states, there was a vast difference in a few key areas.

Baba ghanoush, with a basket of pita

1. The bread 
Pita here is better, hands down. Like a cheese steak isn't the same outside Philly or a bagel is too chewy outside NYC. The best pita I tried here was made fresh---and has inspired me to look up my own recipes once I'm home. I don't think I can eat the store bought stuff anymore---it's too thick and bready.

Fatoosh and rosemary grilled mushrooms

Tabbouleh

2. The Freshness
I fell in love with baba ghanoush back in the summer during my Vegetarian month, but it wasn't until I arrived in Jordan that I saw how much better the eggplant dish could be. I call it more like a Middle Eastern Salsa: there is the smokey eggplant and tahini, but here they add in tomatoes, onions, and parsley to create a really refreshing dip.

It's that freshness that kept repeating itself on the trip: all the salads tasted like they had just gone outside to pick the veggies themselves. The cucumbers are smaller here, and hold more flavor. The pickles are all made in-house. The list goes on...

Hummus

3. The hummus is divine
There's not much else to say about it that isn't expressed in the picture above. Light, fresh, awesome.

Mixed Grill, done right

4.The marinade on the meat
The chicken is marinated in yogurt, the steak has a nice char on it...there's not much to find fault with--only perhaps that the lamb isn't as good here as the other meats. Not sure why, I suppose I just don't like how the prepare it (it's ground and formed into patties).

How awesome is that mixed grill above? That was from my last dinner here at Levant around 3rd Circle. Gourmet Arab food, with fancy waiters and all. It was exceptional.

Travels in Jordan:More street food

Jordan's Sunkist Imitation

Fortified with Vitamin C!

Sufara Shawarma Stand
The Sweifieh shopping distract ended up being my favorite haunt. Located by sixth circle, there are a multitude of shawarma, spice, bread, and candy stores dotting the landscape of high-rises. Drew took me here after Reem so I could see a difference between the styles of cooking. While Reem is the more popular, Arab style, I actually liked this food stand better.

Chicken Shawarma with pickle

Beef Shawarma

First off, they have a chicken option, for those trying to avoid beef. If you go for the chicken, they put in a pickle, which is amazing (and i hate pickles!) along with the sauce. The juiciness and flavor of both the chicken and beef shawarma was noticeable. Another cool part of this store was the glass case of rotisserie chickens roasting in the windows. I watched them remove on rack, break it down, and move it to the grill for what I assume would give it the final, grilled flavor that made the shawarma so fantastic.

Manakeesh
So I've started referring to these as Pita Pizzas. This one store (also in Sweifieh) bakes at least 10 different varietities, all for about 1JD. The basic ingredient is a pita, with any number of toppings, baked in a pizza oven. We tried halloumi, za'atar, salami and cheese, turkey and cheese, and then a meat mix which I think was lamb. Coming fresh out of the oven, the pita folds in half and it's best eaten right away.

Halloumi in front, za'atar in the back, and salami to the right

The store front

Unlike shawarma, which involves wrapping a ton of meat around a spic, these are relatively easy to try at home. First, buy some good, fresh pita (from a bakery or homemade if you can), and then top them with whatever and toast in a oven at pizza heat (450-500 degrees) until cheese is melted or meat is cooked. I'm definitely looking for halloumi when I'm home---and with my Christmas present of za'atar from Alicia handy, I'll let you know how they turn out!

Travels in Jordan:Reem Shawarma Stand

The streets of downtown Amman

So it's been nearly a week since I've arrived here in Amman, and I've been having a blast. I have totally been won over by the sheer number of sites to visit that are all within an hour of the capital city: Jesus' baptism site, Moses' perch on Mt. Nebo, the amazingly well-preserved Roman city of Jersha, the Umayyad desert castles to the east, plus Lawrence of Arabia's haunt in Wadi Rum and Indiana Jones' "Last Crusade" in Petra. But enough of the sites---this isn't a travel blog after all---and of course what everyone is interested in is the FOOD!

I've been staying with my best friend Liz and her family, and throughout the first week I've been able to go eat at a number of shawarma, plus Jordanian pizza, and of course your more generic Mediterranean mezze. For my first post, I thought I'd give my input on the most popular shawarma stand in the city:

Right off of second circle, look for the blue and red awning

Reem
This second-circle food stand has been written up by the New York Times, and can single-handedly slow down traffic around lunch and dinner time. Drew took me here my first day, explaining that the meat here is produced in a more Arabic style.

Reem, in Arabic

When you think of shawarma, think of a gyro without all the fixings and with a thinner pita. The meat is prepared on large rods the night before, with layers of fat intermixing with layers of meat to keep the inner levels juicy and tender.

The meat on a stick

At the stand, workers shred the meat, then add in a pinch of onions (I couldn't detect any in my sandwich), a handful of tomatoes (giving the meat a juicy, acid pairing), and a sauce that makes the entire thing pretty drippy---definitely keep the paper wrapper on as you eat. While the sauce is a secret, I'm guessing they use a little tahini in there because Drew's friend who is allergic to seeds and nuts avoids this place.

Inside you get meat, with a light coating sauce and tomatoes

Ordering shawarma is a push-and-shove affair. Make your way up to the counter and order 1-2 per person (they are small enough two is a good-sized lunch but 1 will keep you relatively sustained). They give you a number, and while it has English and Arabic on the ticket, they call out numbers in Arabic so if you are unfamiliar, just pay attention to the people grabbing their orders before you so you know where you are in line.

Waiting for shawarma

My first question is why shawarma isn't more popular in the states. The thinner bread makes shawarma much easier to eat then a gyro, and with the food-stand craze in full swing, someone should be thinking about it. The aroma of the meat on the grill is enough to guarantee business.

Waiting for shawarma

So how does the shawarma at Reem stack up to the hype? I was actually less impressed with the meat. At this stand beef is the only option, and while the char on the pieces was absolutely amazing and gave the meat a fantastic flavor, it was a little tough and dry. I'm not saying I didn't wolf them down, but after trying Drew's favorite stand in Swfara, I definitely prefer the second stand to Reem. More on that stand next time....

Christmas Tamales...Day Two

Click here to go back to Tamales Day One

Final Tamale ready to eat!

The Tamales are made! I was kind of dreading the assembly, so I put it off until this morning, but this was actually the fun part. I pulled in Chris to help with the assembly, so it went by pretty quickly (we made 27 tamales in about 30 minutes). I spread out the masa on the corn husks, and Chris added the filling and rolled them up.

Here's a video of Chris showing you how to assemble the tamale:

I was a little shocked at how quickly we went through both the masa and filling--I was hoping to make at least 3-4 dozen, and we barely went over two. The recipe below is adjusted from what I did to give you a larger yield--because if you're going to go through the trouble to make your own tamales, you definitely want to end up with way too many than not enough. Luckily, 27 should just get us through the party we're throwing next weekend.

Christmas Tamales
- Chilies, masa, and corn husks can all be found at an ethnic grocery store.
- I doubled the filling recipe to bring the yield up to around 50, but you can also consider making two varieties of tamales.

Pulled Pork Filling
Original recipe
6 lb. Pork Shoulder, trimmed of most fat
Water--enough to cover meat, plus 3"
2 medium onions, quartered
6 garlic gloves, peeled
6 sprigs cilantro
2 T. salt

1. Trim fat from pork shoulder, chop into fist-sized pieces and place in a large dutch oven. Add enough water to cover meat, plus 2-3 inches. Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Skim off fat every few minutes until stock is clear.
2. Once at a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 2.4-3 hours, until meat is tender and cooked through. Remove meat and discard onions, garlic, and cilantro. Strain broth into a separate container, and allow to cool.
3. Using two forks, shred the pork and set aside for chili paste.

Sauce Filling
From Martha Stewart Living
6 plum tomatoes, halfed lengthwise
8 dried New Mexico and/or ancho chilies
1 c. broth, reserved from above
2 chipotle chlies (in adobo sauce) one can will have a few whole chilies, just pull out two.
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced
1/4 c. cilantro leaves
2 T. lard or veggie shortening
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. As the pork is cooking, half the tomatoes and preheat your broiler. Broil on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes, flipping once, until skin is starting to blacken. Place aside.
2. De-seed and de-vein the dried chilies. Heat chilies in a skillet 1-2 minutes until you can smell their aroma. Pour in enough hot water to cover chilies, and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain water and set aside.
3. In food processor or blender (I used an emulsion blender, but it got messy) puree chilies with 1 c. of reserved pork broth until smooth. Add in tomatoes and remaining ingredients (not lard or seasonings) and puree until smooth.
4. In large skillet, heat the lard on a medium-high heat and add in the chili paste and cook 5-7 minutes until thick. Season with salt/pepper. Add in shredded pork, and cook an additional 15 minutes until meat is tender.

Masa Dough
From Homesick Texan
2 c. lard or vegetable shortening
8 c. masa harina
4 c. broth, reserved from above
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
2-3 t. salt

1. Beat lard with mixer until fluffy. Add in cayenne, salt, 2 c. masa harina,  and 1 c. broth and beat until smooth. Continue adding remaining masa and broth until final dough is soft, but still holding it's shape. Refrigerate at least one hour.

---HERE IS WHERE YOU CAN STOP---
I split up the tamale making into two days, as this first part took the most of an evening. If you get an early start, this can be a one day process, but splitting up the work was a nice way to not be overwhelmed by too much cooking.

Tamale Assembly
1 large bag dried corn husks (at least 50--but you will want to pick out the larger ones)
 
A flicker slide show of the steps:

1. Cover the corn husks in water (holding down with weight) and let soak for at least 1 hour. As you assemble the tamales, look for wider, taller husks to use. Drain tamale husks and pat each one dry with a towel before using.
2. With the wide end of the tamale facing you, take about 1/4 c. of the masa dough and spread it over the lower right corner of the corn husk. You should leave around 2-3" at the short end, and 2-3" at one wide end. Make sure the dough covers the edge of that corner.
3. Taking 1 T. of filling, spread out lengthwise in the center of the masa.
4. To Roll the tamale, take the masa-side of the tamale and roll over to meet the other masa edge (that is in the center of the husk). Tuck in that side under the dough slightly, fold the top, short-end of the tamale over, and finish rolling the tamale up like a cigar. 
5. In a large colander (that will fit into a steamer) begin stacking the tamales vertically with the fold-side down. Once you have them all packed in tight, fill the base with 2-3" of water and steam tamales for around 2 hours. You will need to keep an eye on the tamales and add in water as needed. You will know they are done when the husk rolls cleanly away from the tamale.
6. Refrigerate for a few days, or freeze for up to a month.

Christmas Tamales...Day One

Since I'm not going home for Christmas, I really wanted to bring some element of a San Antonio Christmas to myself in DC. Nothing really says the holidays like Mexican tamales, and unfortunately, I haven't found the right kind up here in this area. Normally we order a few dozen from a lady at church, pick up a selection of pork, cheese, and venison from her garage, and then feast on them from Christmas Eve through New Years.

Of course because I'm slightly crazy, I decided making them from scratch would be a better use of my time (and oh, how much time it's taking) than picking up some frozen Salvadorean ones from the market. I'm throwing a holiday party next Saturday, and spent today prepping the items for this recipe for pork tamales I found on Martha Stewart.

While the recipe only called for 1 lb of pork shoulder, I could only buy a 6 lb. hunk of meat. So I tripled the first part of the recipe—reserving the extra meat and broth for future meals—and froze back half of the shoulder for another day (any good recipes for pork shoulder?)

Pork Broth simmering in my LC

The tamales almost didn't happen, as it's insanely hard to find dried corn husks at a typical grocery store. I finally hit pay dirt at El Eden in Alexandria--and was really impressed with their spice and chili selection as well.

Dried chilies soaking

I'll post the recipe tomorrow (I'm pulling elements from two different ones) but spent the evening making the pork filling and tamale dough. The filling is a wonderful mixture of pork cubes, with New Mexico, ancho, and chipotle chilies pulverized together with garlic, onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. (I found this handy glossary of chili types too!) Tune in tomorrow to see how the assembly goes!

All the ingredients, pre-emulsion blender

Click here to go to Tamales Day Two

Aji de Gallina

The first time I broke down a chicken was to make this dish. Naturally, if I'm going through the trouble of cooking an entire chicken--you better believe this is on the menu.

Aji de Gallina is a shredded chicken dish from Peru that gets its name from the Aji Amarillo pepper of the area. I have never found the actual pepper in the supermarket--but a quick stop at a South American/European food market (there is one down my street) and you should be able to find it in paste form. If you can't find any--cayenne pepper works as a good substitute, but you will want to SEVERELY reduce the amount you put in. Cayenne will give you that heat, but there is this smoothness to an aji pepper that really makes this dish something special.

Serious Eats did a nice run down on the spice, saying:

[It is] less sharp and harsh, more full-bodied, and a lot more subtle. If there were a chile to taste like sunshine, this would be it. It may sound odd to use the word "comforting" to describe a hot chile, but for aji amarillo, it seems fitting.

The recipe is fairly simple, and gets even more so if you decide to skip out on boiling the chicken and either buy a rotisserie one pre-made, or heat up some chicken breasts in the microwave. This is also good to freeze back--I've doubled up on the sauce and reserved half for a later meal, or used leftovers for a nice hearty lunch the next day.

Aji de Gallina

• 3-4 lb. Chicken--skinned
• 4 c. Chicken Broth (reserved from boiling)
• 8 slices white bread, without the crust
• 1-2 T. aji amarillo paste (or 1 t. cayenne, or less)
• 1/2 c. evaporated milk
• 1 finely diced onion
• 1 finely diced garlic clove
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 c. pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
• Garnish: salt, pepper, parsley, black olives, hard-boiled eggs

1. To be done a day ahead or in the afternoon (takes 1-2 hours): Break down the chicken into parts (breasts, thighs, wings, back & neck) and submerge entire  bird in water. Liberally add salt. If you want, add in celery, carrots, onions to create a richer stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-45 minutes until chicken is done. Cool, reserve broth, and shred the chicken.
2. In a saucepan, saute onions and garlic in oil until golden.
3. In a blender, soak bread slices in broth and add aji amarillo paste and evaporated milk. Blend under fine.
4. Gradually add bread mixture to saucepan and stir constantly for about 15 minutes until liquid reduces to a thick consistency. When desired consistency is reached (thick, creamy sauce) add in cheese, nuts, and chicken. (Note: you might not need the entire chicken--add gradually, and use extra for other meals)
5. Cook another 10-15 minutes. Serve with rice and garnish with parsley, olives, and egg.

Escape to Brooklyn

This weekend I decided to escape DC to visit my sister in Brooklyn. I ran into a friend on the bus, and she inevitably asked what Alicia and I would be eating this weekend--because when the Weaver sisters get together, it's usually a food-centric trip.


Friday Night I got in around 8:30, and we went to try Hancos—they are known for Bin Maih Sandwiches and Bubble Tea. Alicia lives super close to this place, and got really excited last month when it was featured on This American Life on NPR. Really, really awesome sandwiches. I had the Classic sandwich (ground pork, ham, pate) and Alicia had the Grilled Pork. We ordered them mild--and then added on our own saracha at home. Great way to start my vacation.

Papusas at the Brooklyn Flea: Two for $5!

Saturday we started off at the Brooklyn Flea Market. Alicia and I meant to grab some lobster rolls, which she said were amazing, but when I realized they were the much-anticipated Red Hook Lobster Rolls that just arrived in DC, I decided to go for something I could not immediately grab at home. Hello Papusas:

Looks like a mess, but very tasty

We ordered four: a jalapeno, cheese, zucchini, and pork (all ingredients are cooked into the dough and then served with sour cream, pickled cabbage, salsa, and jalapenos). Zucchini was amazing, and was a great pairing with the incredibly spicy jalapeno.

Grand Army Plaza Market

After papusas, we walked them off by walking to the Prospect Park Farmers Market. Lots of really amazing produce was there for the taking: peaches, tomatoes, eggplant. I made Alicia grab some delicious looking Kale so we could make this crispy kale recipe Christina told me about back during my Vegetarian month. I'm thinking that will be our treat before dinner.

Can I have a falafel with hot sauce, a side order of Baba Ghanoush and a seltzer, please?

So my obsession with eggplant continues. While I've never tried baba ghanoush, (even though i recited the above Party Girl quote  continuously throughout college), that's never an excuse to make it and see what I think.

I used a recipe from Serious Eats, but I think you could easily get more creative with this. After my white gazpacho debacle, I decided to go for roasted garlic instead of fresh, and the result was a very sweet, savory dip. I added some feta, parsley, and feta cheese as a side and toasted some bread for a nice snack!

Enough Meat for a Day and a Half

Honey Pig
Annandale, VA

Korean BBQ is a delicious thing. I've been twice, and I've nearly gotten through a meal without the waitresses laughing at me for doing something wrong. Saturday afternoon we went to Honey Pig in Annandale, where the cook the meat at your table in a fun meat-filled party.

Some rules for Korean BBQ: 
(There were surprisingly few blog posts about this, but this one was most helpful and to the point.)

1. The Banchan (side dish appetizers) are always free, and come with the meal. You will usually get Kimchi, pickled slivers of veggies (both hot and mild), raw garlic, and a chili paste. A lot of online blogs mentioned bean paste, but I haven't been served that yet when I've gone. Eat these on their own, or adding to the lettuce wraps if you want more spice.

2. The Lettuce. The first time I ate Korean, we were like 'what is the lettuce for?' but by the second time we got it down: you wrap the meat in a piece of lettuce (tearing off a bite-sized piece from the larger leaf--not using the entire thing all together), add some onion, garlic, paste, and sauce to it, then wrap it up and toss it in your mouth.

3. The Grill. There might be a language barrier when you go to these places, but trust your server not to serve you raw meat--they don't want health code violations. My second visit we ordered pork belly, which was grilled in large strips, and weren't sure if we should be eating it in entirety or not. I went to grab one, but before I knew it the server had it back in the pot, saying 'not done'...Eventually they will come by with scissors and clip the meat into smaller pieces---that is a good sign that it's ready to eat, but you can always confirm by asking them.

4. The order. Everything is served for the group, so decide beforehand what you want to eat together--because chances are each dish will be served one-by-one on the grill. Unless you have some serious carnivores in your group, I wouldn't recommend ordering one-per-person. Saturday, we were in a group of 4, and three dishes would have easily sufficed.

What to Order:
Yaki Mandu (dumplings) These can be served fried or steamed. A fantastic way to start, and something familiar that newcomers will recognize.
Bulgogi (marinated beef) The safest, most generic meat. It cooks quickly, so had this first. Served with onions and garlic.
Samgyeopsal Gui (Pork Belly) Think of it as really thick bacon. This took longer to to cook, but was really rich and delicious.

--I hear spare ribs are also a solid bet, but I haven't tried them yet, so I'll leave that for you to decide.
--For more adventurous eaters, I ordered Baby Octopus, but Squid is also an option, and I might try that next time--the octopus was extremely chewy, although I did love the heads. (The rest of my crew were less impressed).

In the end, I definitely recommend experimenting. Honey Pig was a great place for newcomers, so start there--but Annandale is full of delicious hole-in-the-wall places (my first attempt was another excellent choice) to explore. Don't be intimidated, and don't mind when you do something wrong--in the end you are eating a delicious meal, no matter how you do it. Although be warned, we went for lunch on Saturday---and I'm still not hungry 24 hours later.

Pot Roasted Eggplant

Pot-Roasted Eggplant with Tomatos and Cumin

So this is my second try at Eggplant. This time I tried something a little heartier, and it turned out great. The mushy eggplant works great in a curry, and I served it with rice with a vino verde. Fresh parsley is key. There was a little spice to the dish, and I think I could have gone hotter. I did add in chickpeas because I had some extras, but they worked great in the dish.

South American Potato Salad

Papas Huancaina
(pronounced Papa's Juan Cayenne-a)

This dish was something I've grown up eating, first when my grandmother made it, and then when my mother took it over. It's traditionally Peruvian, and has the consistency of a spicy potato salad, which you get from the aji peppers.

Aji chili peppers are impossible to find here, usually, they are yellow and a good substitute is Cayenne, but you want to watch how much you put in, because Ajis don't have nearly as much kick: the spice hits you after this slight delay that makes you THINK you're safe, and then wham--it's hot. I found some recently in a Brazilian food store--actually I found Aji Salsa, but it works just the same. Instead of dishes tinting pink from the cayenne, they tint yellow.

There was a slight panic this morning making the recipe my mom gave me, because it called for three raw egg yolks. Not correct. As a family we did some digging, and my father found this one that is still easy, and nearly identical to what my grandmother had written down, except without the threat of illness from raw eggs.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
•  2 cloves garlic, mashed

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 2 t. ají amarillo salsa/paste
• 4 saltine crackers (we used two slices white bread)
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

• 4-6 White Potatoes, peeled
• Olives, sliced
• 3-4 Hard Boiled Eggs, sliced
• Lettuce or Cilantro to garnish

Preparation:

1. Boil or steam the potatoes until firm, but not too soft. Cool, and slice into discs.
2. Hard boil eggs, cool, and slice into discs. 
3. Sauté onion, garlic, and chile peppers in olive oil until onion is softened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Place onion/chile mixture in a food processor or blender. Add evaporated milk and blend.
5. Add cheese and crackers and blend until smooth. Sauce should be fairly thick. Thicken sauce with more saltines or thin sauce with milk if necessary. 
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
7. Arrange lettuce in serving bowl, place sliced potatoes on top and cover with sauce. Top with hard-boiled eggs and olives. Serve at room temperature or chilled.