Roast pork, with fruit relish

Me? I've been roasting a lot of pork lately.
Trying to really understand how to do it well -- and make a memorable dish of it. Can't say I've got there yet, but hey its fun to try.
-- this loin was marinated in red wine vinegar, pineapple juice, over night, then stuffed with fresh pineapple and roasted. The meat was subtly flavored, I wonder if I could make that stronger.
Since not even I can eat a whole loin of roast pork at a sitting, I've been having this in sliced helpings over a few days.
When I warm it, I add a little sesame oil, and that really gives it fine, nutty overlay.
The relish is diced pineapple and mango with red chilli pieces -- some thing I've done with black bean beef earlier, on the blog.

Would you like try some? Seriously, if you are into food, and like the kind of stuff I cook (meats predominate right now) -- I'd like to hear from you -- if you can offer thoughtful comments on what you taste.
Really.
Leave a note on the blog or let me know on facebook, and I'll get back to you.

Strawberries & Curd

I’m back, after a break – for field work in the east, and other random office stuff.
But lots of new dishes are being planned, made and tasted, even as you read this, by the little and not so little critters who live on, and near the bar-counter top, in the Elibank Road apartment.

Today, I had fun with Strawberries.

Well Strawberries and Cream is a well known favorite, right – so I thought to try it with fresh buffalo curd, instead.

I diced 1 cup of strawberries, added ¾ cup of vodka, a pinch of salt and reduced it, until it was thick, adding about 2 table-spoons of sugar, and a few drops of white vinegar while it bubbled. I poured this into the bottom of the wine glasses, then liquidized the curd in a blender, adding that over the strawberry reduction, which was pulpy, since it was not strained, by not googy, and then let it cool in the fridge. After lunch, I topped it off with thinly sliced fresh strawberries dipped in the reduction.
The curd turns out well formed, and divides up the differently textured strawberries with its slightly sour, creamy froth. Yummy poo!

Update: Published in Spectrum, Feb., 2009:

Mango Panna Cotta & Liquor.

This is really similar to the Pineapple Coconut Panna Cotta I did a couple of weeks ago; except I used cream (Kotmale), instead of thick coconut milk, so it is more traditional as it were.
The mango substituted for pineapple, and I reduced it in white wine, pureed one half, adding cream and dissolved gelatin to this half, and a little vodka and sugar to the other half.
That’s what I call the liquor, and this goes in the bottom of the shot glass, with some small, dainty pieces of mango, from the reduction. If you don't have little pieces sticking up a tiny bit out of the surface of the liquor, you will have trouble keeping the two layers separate.
That's physics.
You can add a few more bits of mango, if you like – and then pour the creamed puree over it. Let it sit over night in the fridge, and then garnish with more slivers of mango.

Eat it when its cool, and savor the creamy mango layer, before swooping down with a eager spoon into the sweet, thick, mango-vodka nectar down bellow.
If only I had a longer tongue...!

And an update: Published in Zero77, Oct., 2007.

Rambuttans in Grape Jelly

I’ve gone rambuttan mad, I admit. Since there are about every where now, I went off on a flight of fancy. I’ve never seen this done anywhere, so I don’t have a guide. Its just off the top of my head, or put another way, I’m off my head.

Stew, in a heavy bottomed pan, one cup grapes, two cups grape juice, one half cup vodka, and as many rambuttans, as you like. When the mixture thickens, remove the now slightly pink rambuttans. And puree the rest, and add a tea spoon of gelatin.
Drop a stewed rambuttan into a shot glass, then add another or two so that the thick white flesh just peeks out, and then pour the hot puree into to the gaps.
Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours, even overnight.
You have work at eating this, sucking the rambuttan, peeling the flesh off with your teeth, and wallowing in a some rambuttan grape jelly, before sucking on the grape flavored rambuttan at the bottom.
Or, arrange them like this.

There you are!

And now featured in lakbima. How about that!

Rambuttans

Rambuttans
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

More?

A Mangosteen & a Rambutan

A Mangosteen & a Rambutan
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

Together!

Poached Eggs & Bananas

Poached Eggs & Bananas
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

Eggs again. I know.
I poached these eggs in a boiling water bath, setting the egg filled ramikins in, and then gently scooping them out, with a flat spatula after the eggs set. This kind of poaching, if you can called it that -- it strictly isn't, I suppose -- gives the eggs a moist taste, that comes I think from the steam of the hot water bath.
Its very refreshing.

A Soursop & Bananas

Katu Anoda & Kehel
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

The prickly green fruit is Soursop, sweet and sour, sticky and wet on the inside, with smooth dark seeds. I've just learnt the word is 'acid bag' in Dutch -- but the lingering power of the acidity, makes it a terrific base for salad dressings -- say with a little olive oil and crushed garlic.
The yellow banana's are everyday ambuls, and haven't any thing to do with Soursop -- I was in compositional mood :)

Mango + Chillie

Mango + Chillie
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

It wasn't really a sour mango; even though the colour seemed a little pale.
but i added a whole heaped tea spoon of chillie pieces, anyway and a small pinch of salt.
It seems enough for lunch, eating any else for awhile will only spoil the lingering burn of pleasure, deep on my tongue.

Waraka

Waraka(ii)
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

Its sweet, and a little tangy; thick and supple on the tongue -- great even with black pepper or chillie, and just plain. its hard to get for us city folk, but some times, the kind critters in school lane, send a little over.

Waraka, ripe jack fruit, is one of the great pleasure of living at home.

Floating Market, Thailand

 

A Rambutan for Dominic

A Rambutan for Dominic
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

Fruit and bowl, on the back of his new book.

Mellon Blur

Mellon Bokah
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

a watermellon morning.
moist and sweet and pink.

Red brown

Red brown(i)
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

Rambutan, anyone?
These were meaty, soft, juicy, and had beautifully balanced sweetness and tanginess. Bought on the road to Kalurata, and Panadure, for Rs. 5 each.
Heavenly.

Yellow Light

Yellow Light
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

Bananas are cool, I like em a lot.

Orange, blue & brown

Orange, blue & brown
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

well its not really a cooking picture, and can't be faked into one, i don't think -- but i am into still life, i guess, and i thought the colours would be nice and cool.
comments welcome, of course -- and there will always be more cooking.

Fruit Red & Yellow

Fruit Red & Yellow (Wet)
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

This time, the papaya and pineapple is dressed with lightly salted mango juice. You might add a touch of lime as well, to give the whole salad that tangy edge.

Red, Yellow and Smokey Blue

Red, Yellow and Smokey Blue
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

i just love fruit salad, usually with a little bit of lightly salted grapefruit juice added.

Mangoes in Brooklyn.

Mangoes in New York
Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan.

From, and it seems now a long time ago, when I spent two months in Brooklyn. I like uneven focus, low depth of field, low light, and above all, the DelMonte sticker. Thats America.