Recipe : Wild Mushroom & Polenta Casserole

For Thanksgiving this year, I started off planning to make a spoon bread recipe that I saw Michael Symon make on The Chew.  As I contemplated how I would execute it and also manage to make it in advance, I realized it just wouldn't work from many angles.  So upon much debate with myself, I decided to change the concept to more of a casserole that could be heated and added some greens to it to make it healthy. 

Unfortunately, it was not such a big hit with the Indian crowd at the Thanksgiving table because most people of Indian origin tend to not like mushrooms.  Also, there was far too much food.  I came home with most of the pan untouched. Luckily, I was entertaining at my house the next day and even had some vegetarians in the bunch. After getting permission from my guests, I reheated my casserole and it was such a big hit that the pan was empty and I was asked for the recipe.  So this post is keeping my promise to post.  It is tough for me to remember the proportions so please excuse the lack of any measurements on this one.  Also, I made it to feed a crowd of 25, but hopefully anyone who normally cooks will be able to figure out what works best for the size of the casserole pan they are using.  I made a 15 X 12 X 4 casserole dish and used 4 lbs of mushrooms, 3 bags of greens, and two cups of dry polenta.   

Essentially I made this in three layers - Sauteed wild mushrooms, sauteed baby greens & polenta. Next time I make it, I would change it to 4 layers by adding a thin layer of polenta at the bottom so as to hold the pieces together better during serving.  Thus, I will write the recipe this way. 

Recipe (Sort of)

Sauteed Mushrooms

Sliced assorted Mushrooms - I used Shiitake, Oyster & Baby Bellas - sliced
Olive Oil
Chopped shallots
Chopped garlic
Crushed red pepper
Dry white wine
Salt & pepper to taste

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add shallots, garlic and red pepper and stir to make sure garlic doesn't burn.  Add mushrooms.  You may have to add them in batches and allow them to reduce before adding more.  Raise the heat to medium high and stir occasionally until all liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.  Add white wine and deglaze the pan stirring until most of the wine has evaporated such that the mushrooms are moist but not liquidy or overly dry.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Sauteed Greens

Assorted baby greens - I used Spinach, Kale & Swiss Chard - roughly chopped
Olive oil
Chopped garlic
Nutmeg - preferably freshly grated
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.  Add as much of the greens as you can fit and stir with tongs. Continue to add greens in batches until they have reduced to fit in the pan.  Add nutmeg, salt & pepper.  Saute just until all leaves have wilted but remain vibrant green in color.  Set aside

Polenta

Prepare polenta per package instructions by determining how much you need for the casserole pan you will use to assemble.  As you finish the polenta, stir in some grated parmesan cheese.  

Assembly & Cooking

Butter your casserole dish.  While polenta is still hot, pour and spread a thin layer (about 1/4 inch thick) in the casserole dish as a base.  Then layer on the mushrooms, followed by the greens and then the remaining polenta.  You can make it up to this step in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.  If refrigerating, bring to room temperature for 1 hour before.  Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Add grated parmesan and gruyere cheeses on top and bake for: 30 mins if all is freshly made, 45 mins covered followed by 15 minutes uncovered if the casserole has been previously refrigerated.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.  

Buon Appetito!!

California Road Trip : Yosemite Valley & San Ramon

From Riverside, we headed to Yosemite National Park and if you’ve read my previous post on Los Angeles & Vicinity, you know that it was quite an adventure to get there.  Thank goodness for In-N-Out burger which was our dinner on the road for the evening.  We arrived at our destination, Inn the Woods Suites, at 2am and tiredly unpacked the car before crashing for the night.  We loved this well-appointed and pristinely maintained inn.  There are only three suites available and each suite has a kitchen, two rooms, private patio and a BBQ grill.  There is a game room and beautifully maintained grounds outside.  Though, it is located 30 minutes from the south park entrance in the town of Ahwahnee, CA and quite a drive to Yosemite village, I was very happy with my decision to stay here.

Knowing restaurant options in the Yosemite Valley are limited and require some long drives, I had come prepared to cook meals during this stay.  A little research on Google ahead of time told me that there is a Vons in the town of Oakhurst about 10 minutes away so I knew I could pick up perishables after arriving.  The quick trip I had made to Cardenas Mexican market before leaving Riverside allowed me to be more creative in my meals.  This market, which is a chain all over Southern California was an incredible experience for me.  I was like a kid in a candy store as I walked through the aisles, staring at all the specialty foods and produce we don’t get to see on the East coast.  The highlight however was their fresh tortilla counter which produces and packages fresh corn, flour and other varieties of tortillas all day long.  I couldn’t resist picking up a package of large, thick, handmade corn tortillas along with some avocados for guacamole and some fresh salsa.  I had a plan for them. 

The Inn provided some fruit, muffins and oatmeal for breakfasts along with coffee, tea and creamers.  We packed our lunches to go in a backpack cooler since we planned to hike most of the day and ate on the trails.  Lunch on the first day was simple sandwiches, water and bananas.  On the second day, however, I made use of my corn tortillas by making spicy chicken burritos in the morning which I wrapped in aluminum foil.  They were so good and much better than boring sandwiches.  I simply grilled the chicken the night before alongside our dinner.  I also grilled some onion and a serrano chili.  The next morning, I simply cut everything up and put it on a roasting pan in the convection oven to reheat and then wrapped it all in warm tortillas with some fresh cilantro, sliced avocado and tomatillo salsa (also from Cardenas).  I did go a bit overboard on the serrano chile apparently, as my son (who can usually handle some heat) was unable to finish his burrito after biting into several of them.  But he did admit it tasted good which is really all that matters. 

We grilled some prime ribeye steaks and asparagus for dinner the second night and picked up some fresh sourdough bread at Vons to go with it.  I used an herb and pepper rub on the steaks and seasoned with sea salt.  The asparagus I simply grilled with some olive oil and sprinkled with salt & pepper when cooked.  A simple yet satisfying dinner paired with a lovely petite syrah from Tobin James ended the day on a very relaxed note.  On our last night, we had done far more hiking and returned fairly late.  So we decided not to cook as originally planned and instead picked up some cheeses, salami, more bread, grapes and steamed some broccoli in the microwave.  We ate this all “picnic style” while chilling out in front of the TV.

We loved our days at Yosemite National Park.  We hiked the Bridal Veil Falls trail but took it to another level by climbing on the rocks where the falls would normally flow.  My son even found a clear lake at the top since he went much higher than me.  In the summer, the falls dry up significantly leaving this “trail” made of large boulders open for the more adventurous at heart.  We also hiked to the top of Vernal Falls which is a 1000 foot vertical climb within a distance of 2.4 miles, the Mirror Lake trail with lots of wildlife present & more rocks to climb, and the Sentinel Dome trail.  To this day I can’t believe I actually did the last one.  It’s not a long trail at 1.8 miles but the steep final climb up the dome is quite daunting and even more so on the way down.  But I made it and the 360 degree view from the top made the journey worth it.  We also walked around the base village area but the true beauty of Yosemite is off the beaten tourist path.  This was my second visit and again an incredible experience especially since I got to share it with my son. 

Once again, we felt as if we hadn’t spent enough time but it was time to continue and as I drove the windy, hairpin turns through the mountains to San Ramon, the sunset made me wish I could freeze time for just a little while. 

We stayed with friends in San Ramon who I’ve known for a long time and recently relocated from the East coast to California.  Yes, I know people everywhere!!  We were only there for two nights and one full day which was actually a work day for me full of meetings, but my son had a great time touring around with my friend’s brother and his family who were also visiting from New Jersey.  Honestly, it was fun to just sit around and do nothing but enjoy the conversation with some great wines from their collection after our three days of hiking.  I cooked again one night and made chicken burritos with the remaining corn tortillas.  Since we were traveling with two coolers and freezer packs, it was easy to transport the food to each destination.  This time I added some bell peppers and a couple of other ingredients.  I also made some fresh guacamole while dinner was cooking.  The wonderful thing about eating in, is that conversations are always more comfortable and open.  And since there were other kids around, my son enjoyed a little time to escape the adult world.

The next day we got a relaxed start after breakfast and a long walk to burn of some calories.  We made plans to see our friends again in San Francisco when we returned toward the end of our trip and hit the road again towards Napa Valley and Redwoods National Park  

California Road Trip : Los Angeles & Vicinity

After a short 2 hour drive from San Diego, we arrived in Rancho Cucamonga, which is about 45 minutes East of Los Angeles.  I have a good friend who lives there whom I’ve known for nearly 30 years.  Interestingly we met on a tour bus in Italy and have stayed in touch ever since, gone on vacations together, attended each other’s weddings, etc.  Despite all of this, she had never met my son.  I was working for the first two days and so we spent most of the day indoors.  It was a blistering 108 degrees in the shade outside so this wasn’t a problem.  It gave us a bit of rest in between adventures too.  In the evenings though we ate well.

On our first night, I asked my friend who is of Mexican descent, to take us to her favorite hole in the wall Mexican restaurant.  I love California Mexican food so I had to introduce my son to it.  We went to Las Cerritas near their home and as expected, the food was delicious.  I had Chicken with Mole which was really good something I haven’t had in a while.  My son loved his Carne Asada, but wasn’t crazy about the refried beans which he’d never eaten before.  Okay, it’s an acquired taste. 

The next night, I promised to cook Indian for my friend and her husband.  Since the rest of the trip would involve many stays in hotels with kitchens, I traveled with many of my important spices and masalas so this was pretty easy to do.  A quick trip to the grocery store and I pulled off a pretty good Chicken Curry, sautéed some Zucchini from their garden, along with a coconut & cilantro rice.  Her husband contributed Tangelo Margaritas made from tangelos in their garden and a self-aged tequila.  The added excitement of being really close to the Blue Cut fire that was raging nearby made the evening even more unforgettable as we ate and also planned our evacuation strategy.

The other two restaurants we visited during these days were Ludo Bird in Universal Studios on our visit there and Bardot in the small town of Claremont.  Ludo Bird is a fast food restaurant that serves only Fried Chicken with a few different options.  Chef Ludo started in a food truck in Los Angeles and now has made a name for himself.  All I can say is that the Fried Chicken sandwich, while likely not the healthiest of meals, was really really good.  It was perfectly crispy and served with a cabbage & fennel slaw that was very tasty.  I added a bit of hot sauce of top for extra flavor.  We ate at Bardot that same evening after walking around   quite some time to burn of the calories from lunch.  Despite that, I was not very hungry and opted to get asparagus soup and a tomato salad.  Others ordered their food and the only two meals that we liked were my tomato salad and my son’s burrata salad.  The rest of the food was unimpressive and I can make better cream of asparagus soup in my sleep. 

Before leaving Rancho Cucamonga, we stopped for an early taco lunch at Tacocino where my friends insisted we must go.  Well, they were indeed right – best tacos I’ve ever had!!  It’s a small place in a mall with a few tables, but the tacos they serve on warm corn tortillas with fresh cilantro and salsa are incredible.  I had the fish tacos because one can never have too many, while my son opted for the carne asada.  Mind you, we were not really hungry but devoured our tacos nonetheless.  A quick stop at BevMo for some wine & tequila and we were off to Riverside to visit more friends.  

It’s always great to visit with people I’ve gotten to know through various aspects of my life, but don’t see very often.  These friends just had a baby and I loved spending time with their 5 month old daughter.  My son got spoiled with hot breakfast every morning from homemade waffles to scrambled eggs along with fresh fruit and all the milk he could handle.  I even got hot oatmeal each morning to start my day.  What more could we ask for and proclaimed this to be the best B&B in California.  Immediately upon our arrival and though we’d eaten our tacos only a few hours earlier, I asked my friend to take us to Asahi for sushi.  Just like the Mexican food, I find sushi in California to be much fresher.  My son has recently discovered sushi & sashimi and I wanted him to experience it in California. He loved all of it and we ordered far too much food including albacore tuna (my personal favorite), salmon, shrimp tempura, spicy tuna and so much more.  Mind you, I don’t eat sashimi very often but here I ate it all. The albacore tuna is my favorite.

Other culinary highlights from the stay included my son’s very first In-N-Out burger following an afternoon/evening at Laguna Beach.  He loved it and had several more Double Doubles before we left the state.  We also ate at a very nice restaurant in Santa Monica in the Casa Del Mar hotel called Terrazza Lounge after our second day at Universal Studios.  One nice thing about the West coast is that most restaurants will let you in even if you’re not exactly in the right attire for their ambiance.  This makes it easier to go from tourist destinations to dinner without trying to negotiate a clothing change.  We sat by a window overlooking the beach and enjoyed some quiet time with good food and wine after a hectic day.  What was originally planned as lunch became dinner due to traffic but we didn’t mind because we were on no schedule.  After our food, we walked on the beach goofing around and finally made our way to Venice Beach to goof around some more before heading back to Riverside to our temporary home.

As we were leaving for our next leg of the journey, my friend realized that we hadn’t yet had Korean BBQ, something else my son had never eaten.  And so it was declared that we couldn’t leave the LA area without having Korean BBQ for lunch.  I knew it would set us back for time as we had a long drive ahead of us, but later in the evening I would be thankful we did as an accident on the I-5 had us at a standstill for 2 ½ hours, and didn’t get us to our rental in Yosemite until 2am.  Leaving an hour earlier would have made little difference, but the decision allowed us to spend more time with friends.  Yet again, far too much food was ordered between the shaved beef slices and kalbi (marinated short rib) and all the sides of kimchi, pickled cucumbers and rice.  If you’ve never had Korean BBQ, the true fun is that you cook your food right on the table over a grill, and then enjoy it with all the side condiments which makes for a very interactive meal.  My son thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will not forget it soon especially since we ate with friends of Korean descent making it all that much more authentic.  Stomachs full, we said our reluctant goodbyes and started our journey north.

Though we stayed in the LA area for 5 days, I could have easily spent five more.  We are already planning a return to our friends in Riverside as we didn’t get nearly enough time together because they were hosting us and a couple from Holland also.  What an amazing food and travel adventure this was for my son as he discovered so many foods for the first time.  For me, it was fun and different to enjoy it through his perspective and was so happy that I could make the introduction.  I can’t wait to return again soon…..

#californiafoodadventures #koreanbbq #losangelesfoodie #calmex

California Road Trip : San Diego

The last few days in San Diego area have been fun and delicious and this is only the start...

We spent our first day with a morning walk along the Pacific coast in La Jolla Cove watching the seals and snorkelers and enjoying the beautiful weather.  Our stomachs still on the East coast, we were hungry by 10:30am and decided to stop in for a snack at George's by the Cove where my son enjoyed his first real Fish Tacos.  What makes them different than what we find on East coast? Well, they're made with grilled mahi mahi and topped with cabbage not shredded romaine lettuce.  Lime, guacamole and hot salsa are a requirement.  And the most important thing of all is that they are served with handmade, thick corn tortillas not store-bought flour or thin corn ones that fall apart as soon as you take the first bite.  They were delicious!!

The rest of the day was spent at the harbor and walking around Seaport Village and the USS Midway. After a break and nap at our hotel, we headed to the Gaslamp Quarter for some dinner.  We looked through a few menus and my son decided on The Hopping Pig which is a divy looking bar but had some great cocktails and food.  He had the sausage flat bread and I opted for the carnitas tacos with a sazerac.  We also ordered a side of roasted Brussels sprouts which came with big chunks of pork belly & a balsamic sauce. All was delicious and plates were empty.

Our second morning was spent at the San Diego zoo.  Since we got there early, we were able to beat the crowds and cover all the exhibits in 4 hours.  Food options in the zoo are your typical junk foods, but I had a plan in advance for lunch.  We packed enough snacks to keep our stomachs at bay and then headed over to Liberty Public Market afterwards for lunch.  This is a large area with stores and restaurants next to the San Diego airport.  One of the building houses a giant food & beer hall with multiple vendors selling their products.  The variety includes fresh pasta made to order, Argentinian empanadas, raw bars, sushi, and so much more.  

My son opted for a stuffed burger which was gigantic, juicy & delicious and I opted for a Thai spicy basil rice with chicken.  We found a table, I grabbed a local beer on tap from the beer hall and enjoyed an amazing but affordable meal.  My Thai rice was actually spicy and they provided additional hot sauce if I needed.  Thai food on the East coast is always so mild that it makes it taste unauthentic.  This had real Thai chilies and basil along with the flavors of fish sauce.  

For our final meal in San Diego, we returned to George's in La Jolla, but this time to their fine dining restaurant called California Modern.  We opted for the four course dinner and I also indulged in their wine pairings.  We loved the food and service at this restaurant and had a very relaxed meal. There is too much food to describe here but suffice it to say it was all delicious.  I'll let the pictures do the talking....


 

"Fish Tacos" - rolled ahi tuna with spices

Strawberries & Figs w/ Burratta & Basil

Posole

Venison Loin w/ Spaetzle & Vegetables

Striped Bass w/ Yogurt Mint Cream & Roasted Carrots

Mocha Slice w/ White Chocolate Ice Cream

Coconut Ice Cream within a Coconut "Cloud"

Next stop Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga & Riverside..............

Foodie Road Trip Through The Golden State

It has been nearly ten years since I have been on a real trip to California. Sure I've gone for a few quick weekends, but this time I'm doing a road trip for three whole weeks with my son. I'm so very excited about seeing some friends, catching some sun, showing my son some sights, and eating lots of great food. Workouts will be a must. 

We will start in San Diego and work our way through the state North to the border of Oregon, winding up in San Francisco. Fun trip planned with lots of food adventures thrown in. Love the freshness of California cuisine, the authenticity of Cal-Mex (can you say Baja fish tacos?) and all the amazing Asian flavors throughout the state. I plan to hit food halls & farmer's markets, breweries, distilleries & wineries. And so much more......

So come along with me over the next few weeks as I dive into food & beverages of all varieties all over the Golden State!

Impromptu Entertaining

Last week I hosted a last minute evening of cocktails and nibbles for some friends in the neighborhood.  My son is away camping which usually allows me with some free time that I otherwise wouldn’t have.  I didn’t expect everyone to make it since it was very impromptu but ended up with a few yeses, a few maybes and a final count of four.  What I hadn’t thought of was what to serve, and I didn’t have much time to shop with my work schedule.  Luckily I generally keep a stocked pantry and freezer for just such occasions.  Here’s what I was able to pull together without going to the store:

• Yellow squash sticks & Pita chips with store bought Hummus
• Mango & Nectarine salsa with Tortilla chips
• Grilled Shrimp marinated with chilies, lemon zest, cilantro & turmeric
• Belgian Endive with a filling of Greek yogurt, radishes & watercress

I even whipped up a very light cocktail with gin, homemade watermelon juice (I had made some earlier in the week with watermelon, ginger, mint & lime juice), cucumber soda (I order the RW Knudsen brand which is not sweet) & lime juice.  It was refreshing without going to our heads since I only used ½ Cup of gin for the pitcher.  There is always wine & beer in my house in case someone didn’t want the cocktail.

How did I manage this?

I always have most of these ingredients on hand.  Shrimp can be frozen and thaws out in minutes which makes for quick last minute scampi with linguine in a pinch.  I always have yogurt, limes, lemons, chilies, cilantro & various kinds of fruit for my daily meals.  Watercress, endive & radishes were in my fridge for my salads that week.  I mix up different salad ingredients each week.  It could have easily been arugula, cucumber & sprouts.  Since I eat veggies and hummus for an afternoon snack, I usually have those on hand too.  I only had one ripe mango and one not so ripe nectarine.  Combining the two gave me enough quantity on the salsa and the mango helped tenderize the hard nectarine by the time I served it.

So here are a couple of the recipes:

Mango-Nectarine Salsa

1 ripe mango cut into small cubes

1 nectarine cut into small cubes

½ red onion chopped finely

¼ cup chopped cilantro

½ jalapeno chopped finely (remove seeds & veins to reduce heat level)

Sea salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.  Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips.

Grilled Shrimp

1 lb jumbo shrimp

½ jalapeno finely chopped

½ cup cilantro finely chopped

Zest of one lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp turmeric

Peel, devein, wash & dry shrimp thoroughly.  Combine remaining ingredients and add to the shrimp in a bowl and mix well.  Allow to sit for 20 – 30 minutes but not longer.  Heat the grill (indoor or outdoor) and cook the shrimp for approximately 1 minute on each side till it just turns pink.  Do not overcook as it will get tough.  Serve immediately. 

Gin-Watermelon Cocktail – I don’t have exact proportions for this as I usually taste and add ingredients to taste until it’s what I’m looking to achieve.  But here are approximate quantities:

½ cup gin (I used Tanqueray Rangpur)

2 cans cucumber soda

2 cups watermelon juice (Juice has ginger & mint in it)

Juice of 1 lime

2-3 mint sprigs

Muddle the mint in a pitcher with a wooden spoon. Add all other ingredients to the pitcher.  Add ice just before serving.  Stir and serve in martini glasses garnished with a slice of lime.

So, it's true what they say - when you have lemons, make lemonade.  What can you pull together for an impromptu evening with friends?

Recipe : Banana Bread w/ Flax & Bourbon Soaked Raisins

Ingredients

3 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
4 tsps Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Allspice
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Ground Flax Seed (optional)
2/3 Cup Canola oil
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
4 Eggs
4 overripe mashed bananas
1 Cup Raisins
1/4 Cup Bourbon (you can also substitute dark rum or brandy)

______________________________________________________________________________

Recipe

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Prepare two loaf pans or bundt cake pans by spraying with non-stick spray.  I use the spray made specifically for baking.  You can also coat with a layer of butter instead.

Soak the raisins in the bourbon in a bowl and set aside turning from time to time.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt.  Mix in the flax seed. Set aside

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or stand mixer beat together the canola oil & sugar until frothy and well combined (about 3 minutes) on medium speed.  Add the eggs and beat on high until light and fluffy and soft peaks form. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Add 1/3 of the bananas and beat on low speed until just combined.  Repeat with remaining flour and bananas 1/3 at a time. Do not overbeat else the bread will be tough.  Add the raisins and bourbon and fold in. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 45 mins to 1 hour.  Bread is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cut into slices and enjoy!!  Makes two loaves.

Note: if you choose to leave out the liquor but include the flax meal, you will need to add an extra banana as the flax will dry out the bread without the additional moisture from the bourbon.  If you aren't concerned with making it healthy, cream together 2/3 Cup of softened butter with the sugar instead of canola oil for an even more yummy bread!!

Weekday Chicken Curry

I have several different ways to cook Chicken Curry.  There's no one recipe that I use and typically it depends on what I have on hand in the house and how much time I have.  This particular recipe is quick enough to make for a weeknight meal, but can be made over the weekend and eaten during the week.  It will only get more flavorful over time.  

As I've likely explained before, a curry is anything with a gravy.  The gravy is the curry. It is NOT a spice as many believe in the West.  Real Indian cooks never use curry powder.  We do use different masalas (spice blends) which are added to various other ingredients to form a curry.  

I took this pot of chicken curry to the office with me and it was a big hit so I promised to post the recipe on the blog.

Ingredients

6 - 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup lowfat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp Patak brand Madras Curry Paste*
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3 - 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or mashed
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
3 Tbsp Canola oil
1 large cinnamon stick
1 medium onion finely sliced
1/2 cup unsweetened grated dry coconut*
1 large onion finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chile powder* (not the kind you use to make Texas chili)
2 Tbsp garam masala* (I used the Rajah brand. If there's time I will make my own)
1 Tbsp salt
2 cans unsalted tomato sauce
Water as needed
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

*Available at most Indian markets

Recipe

Wash and dry the chicken thighs and place in a large glass bowl. Combine the yogurt, Madras curry paste, black pepper, garlic and ginger in a bowl adding a little water to thin out, if needed, to make the marinade.  Add the marinade to the bowl of chicken and mix thoroughly.  Set aside for at least one hour or refrigerate overnight if possible.  If refrigerating, remove and bring to room temperature one hour before cooking.

In a large dutch oven, heat the canola oil on medium high flame with cinnamon stick.  When cinnamon starts to sizzle, add the sliced onion and cook until it is golden brown being careful not to burn it.  Reduce heat if needed.  Add the coconut and stir quickly.  It will brown within 10 seconds. Immediately add the chopped onion and stir and cook for 2 minutes until the onion is translucent.  Add the turmeric, chile powder, garam masala, bay leaves & salt.  Stir well and cook until the oil starts to separate - about 3 to 4 minutes.  Turn heat to high flame.  Add the chicken thighs in one layer. Allow to brown on one side for 2 mins, then turn and brown on the other side for an additional 2 mins. Add the tomato sauce, Sriracha and enough water to just cover the chicken and stir well.  Bring to a boil, turn heat to simmer and cover.  Cook for 40 - 50 minutes until chicken is tender.  Taste to adjust seasonings adding more salt, chile powder or sriracha to suit your taste buds and heat level.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over Basmati rice.  

To Ski or Après Ski - Adventures in Whistler BC

Blackcomb Glacier

I fell in love with skiing many years ago after a week of lessons in Canada at a resort called Gray Rocks and have enjoyed the sport more and more each year.  I am not a “lay on the beach person” and don’t find it at all relaxing and thus opt for more active vacations.  Much of my vacation time is used up each year at ski resorts.  There is something very satisfying at the end of the ski day where one has conquered a challenge or two never before undertaken such as a particularly difficult run or interesting new terrain.  Even more fun, after a tough day on the slopes, is the concept of après ski which basically involves food and drinks and fun (three of my favorite things), preferably with a group of friends in a slope side bar, restaurant, or your own condo.

Whistler Village

This past week, I went skiing at Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia with some friends.  My last trip to Whistler was more of a family trip with my son, and two other families who joined us.  It was equally fun but very different than this trip which was adults only.  This time I had the chance to après in a very different way, stopping for a beer or a drink and some light snacks before heading back to the condo; sometimes alone and sometimes with others.  I didn’t have to rush or worry about meeting someone or finding my son.  We each had our independent days and met up if we could without pressure.  My daily life revolves so much around a tight schedule that not being on a schedule is a wonderful treat.  That is when I feel like I’m on vacation – something I really haven’t had time to do for over a year between work and a construction project.

Whistler has a lovely village at the base with many restaurants and bars from casual food to upscale establishments.  The nice thing is, one can walk into most of them with ski boots on.  In fact, one evening, we didn’t leave the mountain until after dinner still in our ski clothes.  The base of Blackcomb is a bit quieter if you prefer to be away from the hub bub, with a few restaurant options and base area bars of its own. 

We started our vacation by meeting in Vancouver arriving at the Pinnacle Marriott at different times and met up at breakfast the next morning.  After some smoked salmon on English muffin and tea – so very Pacific Northwest - I went for a walk along Vancouver harbor to take in the beautiful morning sunshine.  We picked up our rental car, stopped at Whole Foods for some provisions for the week and then headed to Whistler which is about a 2.5 hour drive from Vancouver. 

Vancouver Harbor

Nita Lake

We arrived in the early afternoon and since our condo was not yet ready, wound up at Nita Lake Lodge on the recommendation of the front desk for some lunch.  Though their restaurant was not open, we got a nice table overlooking the lake in their lounge and ordered some sandwiches and beer.  I opted for a grilled chicken with a side salad and a local lager which was simple and yet everything seems to taste better on vacation in beautiful surroundings.  We took our time with our meals and then went for a walk along the lake enjoying views of the mountains and the beautiful houses built along the water’s edge.  After checking in and unpacking, we set off to collect our ski passes and rental equipment before settling down for the evening.  Still full from our late lunch, we opted to snack on some cheese and bread with some local wine and skipped dinner. 

Our first day on the slopes was challenging but fun with poor visibility on the mountain which did not stop us from having a full day of playing in the snow.  We ventured all over Blackcomb mountain that day, stopping for breakfast at Glacier Creek lodge and lunch at the Roundhouse lodge, and wrapped up our day around 3:30pm when our legs were feeling tired.  Choices for breakfast and lunch on the mountain are far better at Whistler than what I’m used to at other ski resorts and go beyond the usual burgers, fries and chicken fingers.  Most of the lodges offer Noodle bowls, Pasta, Soups, and more.  The first full day on the slopes is always tiring and even more so if it’s in challenging conditions, and so we decided to cook in that evening.  We had picked up some beautiful halibut in Vancouver and decided to make Thai green curry along with some Jasmine rice cooked in coconut milk and a salad.  I wouldn’t say it was my best effort but it wasn’t bad considering I had to make do with minimal ingredients, an electric stove, and basic cooking vessels.  Sadly, in my rushed packing efforts, I forgot to include my normal stash of spices and other ingredients that I like to carry along on most trips.  But we were so hungry after our day on the slopes that we managed to finish it all any way along with a bottle of wine.

Skiing the Bowls

Made it through these trees

The next day, we signed up for “The Camp” at Whistler which is a ski coaching program that breaks you up into groups according to your ski level and provides a coach for four days.  I can ski quite well on groomed trails but don’t have much experience off-piste (ungroomed terrain).  So I was placed in a more advanced group at first, but after a very humbling day of skiing on very steep slopes and through trees, I was moved to a group more my speed the next day, though I must say I was proud to have conquered the trees for the first time.  The next four days were grueling, challenging, exhausting and the most fun I’ve had in a very long time.  I skied on a glacier, rode a T-bar without falling, skied in fresh powder as deep as my waist and became a better skier thanks to my coach, Kim.  We worked hard but also played hard.  We made new friends and après’d with them to discuss the day on the mountain, later meeting up with our own group for dinner.  Each day was a new adventure on and off the mountain.  Here are some of our après highlights including some amazing meals.

At the top of Blackcomb Glacier

Après Ski

View from Black's Pub

Manhattan at Milestones

I don’t drink beer very often, but something about a nice cold one just hits the spot after skiing.  Black's Pub, GLC and the Brewhouse are all great places to get some good local brew.  The younger crowd tends to favor the Longhorn Saloon at the base of Whistler with its heat lamps, hip vibe and music playing all day long.  Milestones at the base of Blackcomb is a bit more refined and good for cocktails and some interesting snacks too like the warm goat cheese with roasted garlic served with grilled flat bread. I accompanied it with a Manhattan while sitting under a heat lamp and watching the skiers come down the slope in front of me.   One evening we continued the fun in the condo and my friend made a baked brie with garlic and white wine which we scooped up with pieces of baguette.

Whistler Dining

We dined in twice - once on the Halibut curry mentioned earlier and another night I cooked chicken with maitake mushrooms and white wine served over a rice pilaf with steamed asparagus.  I find cooking very relaxing after a long day and enjoyed preparing both meals.  We had two very memorable dinners at Elements and Trattoria di Umberto and one not so memorable one at Legs Diamond.

Pork Belly on Bacon & Rosemary Bread Pudding

Elements is an urban tapas restaurant serving nothing like your typical Spanish or Mediterranean style tapas.  The food is very good and while there isn’t much of a wine selection, there are some interesting cocktails on the list.  We shared Duck Confit Sliders, Seared Scallops, Bruschetta, and an amazing slow cooked Pork Belly served over Bacon & Rosemary Bread Pudding with a Maple Glaze and Apple Butter. For dessert we ordered Sticky Toffee Pudding and the Peach Cobbler.  At the end of this very satisfying meal, we unanimously decided that we would have all been perfectly content with one order of the Pork Belly and one of the Sticky Toffee Pudding each.  That is how much we enjoyed these two very memorable dishes.  So much so that we went back on my last evening for the Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert in an effort to try to coax the recipe out of the chef. We did not succeed and so I will now be on a mission to experiment with it on my own.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Kitchen at Trattoria di Umberto

Trattoria di Umberto is the less formal cousin of Il Caminetto di Umberto.  If this is on a lower scale, I’d love to see what the more formal restaurant is like because this was a very nice experience in terms of ambiance, wine list, food and service.  The Sommelier recommended a nice Cabernet Sauvignon from the Okanagan region of British Columbia which was more fruit forward than most cabs I’m used to, but very good nonetheless.  I ordered a Caesar Salad and the Roasted Half Chicken which were both excellent.  My friends ordered a Tiramisu for dessert of which I tried a spoonful and can honestly say it was one of the best I have ever eaten.

Roasted Chicken with Veggies and Demi Glace

Tiramisu

Albacore Tuna Carpaccio

On my last day, the weather was wet, the snow difficult to traverse and my legs were tired.  After a couple of runs my non-waterproof ski jacket had allowed water to permeate to the inner layers and I was no longer a happy skier.  So, I decided to head back to the condo, changed and went for a walk in the Village.  I’m not much of a shopper but sometimes it’s fun to browse around for interesting items that you wouldn’t find in your day to day life.  After a stop to pick up some Aero bars for my son (he recently discovered how awesome they are) and a few browsing stops, I was hungry for lunch.  I walked around to check out all the options and wound up finding a recently opened wine bar.  Basalt Wine & Charcuterie is a small but inviting space with a long bar in the front and about a dozen tables.  I took a seat at the bar and the bartender, Gil, immediately greeted me with a friendly smile.  After some conversation around the food options and trying a few different wines, I ordered the Albacore Tuna Carpaccio to start, paired with a Marsanne from New Zealand.  The tuna was presented beautifully over arugula & avocado puree, and topped with roasted peppers, pickled red onion and fried capers. It was so good that I finished it in about five minutes.  Still hungry, I ordered the chicken liver mousse to follow which was served with toasted bread and mustard and topped with a berry jam.  This too was absolutely delicious and I was glad that one of my friends had joined me part way into the meal because I was full and hated to see it go to waste.  I paired the mousse with a Nero d’Avola which was a light refreshing red that worked perfectly with the dish.

Chicken Liver Mousse

The food at Legs Diamond, which is at the base of Blackcomb, was not bad but it wasn’t great either.  My salad was overdressed and nothing special, my one friend’s fish was way undercooked and the Beef Wellington was not quite what we expected – slices of beef with a biscuit on the side.  It was a bit underwhelming compared to the other restaurants we ate at and not one that I would likely revisit.

Overall this is was an amazing and memorable trip from all aspects – phenomenal ski conditions & experience, meeting new friends, wonderful food and a truly relaxing vacation.

So the next time you’re faced with the dilemma of “To Ski or Après Ski”, just do both!!