Traditional side dishes are so 2009. This year, I’m departing to India and the Middle East. Well, sort of.

While browsing the vegetable bins at the farmer’s market this morning, the bright, vermilion hue of the cauliflower, peeping out from underneath the bushel of herbs, immediately drew me in.  Yeah, I know, cauliflower again, but trust me, this time it won’t be made into soup.  Instead, I will be making cauliflower with a Middle Eastern flair and taking a stab at replicating Mimi’s Hummus‘ wicked good lemon tahini cauliflower salad.  Now, if everything goes according to plan, it will look like this, but slightly more orange tinged.

Lemon Tahini Roasted Cauliflower
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets (about 1 1/2 lb.)
4 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
2 Tbs. tahini
Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

1. Place oven rack in top position. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Toss cauliflower with 2 tsp. olive oil, and season with salt. Spread on large cookie sheet, and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is fork-tender and slightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tsp. olive oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in tahini, lemon juice, 5 Tbs. water and salt. Simmer over low heat 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Divide cauliflower among plates. Whisk sauce, then spoon over cauliflower. Sprinkle with parsley and sesame seeds, and serve.

Then I’m off to India via Geetika Khanna’s recommended Turkey sidekick, Aloo Tikki, scallop-sized spiced potato pancakes stuffed with peas which she affectionately calls “Indian Potato Croquettes”.  Thanks for the suggestion, Geetika!

Geetika Khanna’s Indian Potato Croquettes (Aloo Tikki)

3 large starchy potatoes, boiled in their skins
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For Stuffing:
1/2 cup green peas cooked, or frozen peas defrosted
1/2 tbs. minced ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
Red chili powder to taste (optional)
1tsp. coarsely ground dry-roasted cumin seeds
¼ tsp. coarsely ground coriander seeds
Oil for pan-frying.

Method:

1. In a bowl, mash the peas using the back of a spoon.  Add all the stuffing ingredients and mix.  Set aside.
2. Peel the cooked potatoes and grate them with a box grater (on the largest side).  Add salt and pepper, and mix well.
3. Divide into 10 equal portions.
4. Now wash and dry your hands and rub them with little oil.
5. Take each portion of potato mixture and make a ball.
6. Taking one ball at a time, gently flatten it into a round patty about 1/2-inch thick and place a portion of the pea stuffing in the center.  Fold the edges together carefully so that mixture does not come out.
7. Now very gently flatten it into a 2-inch patty. Repeat the procedure for all pieces.
8. Heat 1 tbs. oil in a non-stick pan over low heat. Slip in the patties making sure not to crowd the pan and cook on both sides till crisp and golden brown.  On a very low heat this can take up to 10 minutes per side.
9. Serve aloo tikki hot with chutney.

Note : Boil potatoes until fork-tender. Preferably, potatoes should be boiled well in advance so they can cool thoroughly.

And that’s about all the action my kitchen will be seeing this Thanksgiving because this year I won’t be wrestling any turkeys, just eating one.  Alright, safe travel and good eats everyone.  Catch you all after the Thanksgiving madness is over!

This past Thursday, the sweet and savory aromas of Thanksgiving filled my apartment building. Through my bathroom vent, I can usually smell what the neighbors are cooking. Since the kitchen and bathroom vents in the building are conjoined, it often draws in odd yet strangely alluring scents to the apartment by way of the bathroom. Sometimes it’s waffles, bacon and Pantene Pro-V on Sunday mornings. In the evening it can be a medley of pot roast and spicy Thai curry. But it was Thanksgiving day, and most kitchens in the building were already whirring with activity by early afternoon. The familiar smells of sage, pumpkin, cinnamon, and roast poultry were not only coming in from the bathroom, but had managed to slip into the hallway as well, enveloping me with delicious aromas when I opened the door and walked to and from the elevator.

So, what was happening in my kitchen? Although I mentioned in my previous post that this year’s Thanksgiving was going to be an international affair, my sister Kelly and I have a strong attachment to traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Having to forgo the centerpiece of this holiday only meant that we had to compensate with side dishes. My parents, on the other hand, (who happen to conveniently live next door to us) are just not as attached to this holiday. Instead, they saw this holiday as an opportunity to put their culinary acumen to the test. They visualized a tasting menu with delicate portions and artfully plated miniature bamboo boats. Meanwhile, Kelly and I envisioned big plates piled a mile high with an orgy of food. How was Thanksgiving going to work? After some bickering over what was to be cooked for dinner, the four of us came to a compromise. And here was the result..

We began the evening with a fleet of Sashimi-filled small bamboo boats. Within each boat was a duo of Hamachi Sashimi and Tartare

Then came the visually unappealing yet tastefully appealing Calf Liver with Worcheshire Sauce

Seared Scallops with Tomato-Shallot Relish

After the small portions were served, we segued to the traditional segment of the meal with our Cauliflower and Leek Soup. Being a forgetful photographer, I was busy serving the soup and incidentally forgot to document the soup. Thankfully, I have a photo from a previous batch of soup! A recipe for this soup will be for another time in the near future.

The Cranberry, Rosemary Mini Polenta Cakes were first poured into a mini cupcake tin, chilled in the refrigerator, smothered with butter, then broiled in the oven.

Ever since my Middle School principal disclosed his secret to making tasty Brussel sprouts to my mom at a PTA meeting, we’ve been cooking them this way: Brussel Sprouts with Shallots, Bacon and Thyme.  Thanks, Mr. McDermott!  Drizzle chicken stock while cooking to keep the sprouts from getting too dry.

Last but not least, my favorite dish of the evening was the Curried Butternut Squash and Apples with Sage. Props to Mark Bittman for the recipe!

The Thanksgiving side dish spread.

An orgy of Thanksgiving side dishes… oh yeah, there were mashed sweet potatoes too, but those managed to slip past my camera lens too..ooops

By this point in the evening, I was beginning to fade due to my food coma and disappeared into my bedroom to take a post-Thanksgiving dinner nap.   One too many glasses of red wine and sangria may have also been the reason for my fatigue.  While I was in a deep slumber, Suckling Pig and Hainanese Chicken brought by family friends were devoured, as well as a Pumpkin Pie.  You’ll just have to imagine how good those tasted.

Even though it’s been several days since Thanksgiving, you may not have any desire to relive that night. Yet, if you are a fan of sweet and salty, as you probably already know I am from my previous entries, I encourage you try making Curried Butternut Squash and Apples with Sage. I leave you with a recipe adapted from Mark Bittman’s 101 Thanksgiving dishes.

The buttery squash and apples are mingle with a few tablespoons of curry powder, a toss of torn sage leaves, a generous drizzle of maple syrup, and most importantly, pats of butter, thrown into the oven and left to develop a lovely, complex flavor. As the cubes of squash and apples bask in the oven’s heat, they start to bear a similar resemblance. The final result is almost of a uniform golden color, yellowed by curry powder.  Each bite leaves you guessing which cube you’re going to get next.. apple or butternut squash?!

Curried Butternut Squash and Apples with Sage

Ingredients:
1 Medium Butternut Squash
2 Apples (preferably two firm ones of a red variety)
4 Tablespoons of Salted Butter
1/4 Cup of Maple Syrup
4 Tablespoons of Curry Powder
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Dice butternut squash and apples into 1 inch cubes
2. Toss chunks of butternut squash and apples with curry powder, smears of butter, and maple syrup
3. Roast at 350 degrees, shaking the pan occasionally, until everything is golden and tender

In the meantime, while you lucky ones are wrestling with your turkeys at home, I recommend taking a break from basting to watch a few episodes of Posh Nosh on Youtube — a British TV program on BBC recommended to me by Elsapeth, the nicest bonnet wearing, bespectacled lady and owner of Podunk, a homey little nook of a tearoom in the heart of the East Village.

Podunk is where butter is used unsparingly and cookies are sprinkled with love..and sugar.  Like a cross between an antique store and a cozy country house kitchen, a varying assortment of tea pots and children’s books populate the shelves, which sit beside the brightly painted wooden furniture and a sundry of knickknacks.  Entering the tiny tearoom, I was transported from the dark, rainy streets of New York City into a warm, familiar place.

Sweet and buttery Podunk goodness

It was after she overheard the food-centric conversation my friend Davis and I were having, over our a pot of cardamom and pepper chai and a tray of buttery cookies and scones, that she recommended Posh Nosh.  If you’re a fan of dry, British humor and a lover of food (which I assume is the case, since you’re reading this), check out the first episode below:

Posh Nosh (Episode 1)

Podunk
231 E. 5th St., New York, NY 10003
nr. Second Ave.
212-677-7722