Add oil to a pan with the chillies, heat till you can smell the chillies. Toast the sesame seeds and coconut flakes till they just start to turn brown.
Add to a blender or food processor with the garlic (I used my trust Vitamix which makes micemeat of the sesame seeds)
Refrigerate for, oh I don’t know, several months? It never lasts that long in my house.
I was introduced to the idea of preserved lemons through a Moroccan recipe with whole preserved lemons. Preserved lemons are routinely used in India but as pickles – never cooked over heat directly.
My first attempt ended in failure, I used chilies and lemons and salt and had a horrid fungal growth within a week . For my next attempt I used whole lemons with salt as instructed without chilies and I kept off the fungus for a full 5 weeks.
My 3rd attempt (I am persistent) I went the Indian pickle route- I sliced the lemons into eights and I added turmeric with the salt. It worked, the preserved lemons stayed good for months. I now sometimes add whole spices, all-spice berries and peppercorns and dried red chilies etc to different batches and I refrigerate my preserved lemons.
I use these lemons in dals ( wonderful in dal-fry) and pastas. They are particularly good in cold pasta and couscous salads.
Meyer lemons work better than regular lemons. Limes work even better, the picture below is of preserved limes.
Recipe:
4-5 lemons or limes- preferably organic- washed and dried – they need to be dry, very very dry
I wrote this recipe down a while ago. This pasta is a huge hit at our house, the only real work is breaking down the cauliflower. I love recipes that cook for a while without much intervention. The Marcella Hazan recipe adds a half cup of onion (in place of the garlic) and doubles the butter. Sacrilegiously, I like my version better. At the end, the cauliflower should be soft enough to break down. I remember a America’s test kitchen episode where they discussed how the grassiness of cauliflower goes away with a longer than 20 min braise. This is important in this dish
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower- finely chopped into florets
4 cloves garlic
1 cup vegetable stock
1 can tomatoes
1 cup cream
2 tbsp butter
Melt the butter, add the garlic and cauliflower, let it sizzle. Add tomatoes, cook for 10 min. Add the stock- cook for 20 minutes till cauliflower is soft. Add cream. Add salt to taste.
Add pasta, top with parmesan.
The cauliflower, butter, tomatoes and cream get together to make magic.
Never say I got nothing from Kentucky. This delicious candy was a favorite in our Kentucky clinic. All through the month of December, clinic staff would bring in sweets and this was my favorite, because it was not only the most delicious but also the easiest to make
Line a jelly roll with one box of saltines (let your kid do it). Melt 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar together until the sugar has melted. Pour over the saltines evenly. Slide the jelly roll pan into a 425 F oven for 3-4 minutes until it starts bubbling (careful, it burns quickly). Sprinkle with chocolate chips, allow to melt and spread with an offset spatula.
Cool and break into pieces and eat.
It’s not called christmas crack for nothing, I dare you to stop at one.
Notes for next time:
1) Use only the real saltines, I used the whole foods ones this time and they turned out a little soggy
2)I will use 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar the next time
If I had to pick a favorite tomato sauce, it would be this one. Outstandingly delicious and just as easy, it also freezes really well. I always make a double batch. The original recipe is from Marcella Hazan, the queen of Italian cooking.
I just have pictures of the in-process sauce, I forgot to take after pictures. We finished the pasta so soon. I will take them the next time I defrost the sauce.
Ready for the recipe? In a pan, put 2 cans of whole tomatoes , one onion sliced in half and 6 tablespoons of butter and 1 tsp of salt. Heat at a simmer for 30 -40 minutes. Remove onion. End of recipe.
Recipe notes
1) I use san marzanos whole tomato cans – each can is about 400g and you will need to peel them if you are using whole tomatoes
2)yes it is nearly a stick of butter but it’s divided in about 6 portions and also yes butter is essential
3)the original recipe says to throw the onion away but it is a delicious cook’s treat with some salt and pepper
The butter and tomatoes and the juice from the onion create some kind of culinary magic, it results in a thick, finger-licking sauce. The original recipe doesn’t call for anything else. I sometimes add chopped basil at the end, but it’s not necessary. Toss with pasta, add parmesan. It’s food fit for gods!
Delhi Girl Meets Food 