At Home with Hippocrene

We're introducing a new feature at Hippocrene Cooks called At Home with Hippocrene. Colette Laroya, our editorial assistant, will periodically try a recipe from our cookbook collection at home and share the results. We hope you enjoy this first edition!

A few months ago I married into a large, loving Filipino family. I had never tasted Filipino food before my husband and I started dating, and I quickly learned to love the staples of family parties: crispy lumpia, pancit, chicken adobo, pork menudo, kare-kare, and leche flan. I astounded them with my love of rice, and the fact that I grew up with the same imported jasmine brand they used. So when it came to deciding which cookbook to try first, I knew it would have to be Fine Filipino Food.

I have spent many hours as an observer over the years, but I had never tried to make the dishes myself. My mother-in-law doesn't cook, so my husband wasn't able to offer any advice. I chose Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk because adobo, as Bartell notes, "could very well be called the national dish of the Philippines" and for its simplicity. I knew the dish was a success when I kept catching my husband taking pieces from the pot!

Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk

(as featured in Fine Filipino Food, page 57)

Serves 4

1 (2-pound) chicken, cut into serving-size pieces

1 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

2 bay leaves

1/2 Tbsp black peppercorns

1 Tbsp raw or brown sugar

1 tsp patis (fish sauce) or 1 tsp salt, or to taste

1 (12-oz) can coconut milk

Directions:

1. Mince the garlic. First remove the brown end of the clove, then crush it under the flat of your knife (I used about 12 medium-sized cloves to make 1/4 cup).

2. Combine the garlic with the vinegar, soy sauce, ground pepper, bay leaves, peppercorns and brown sugar in a non-aluminum 4-quart pot. Aluminum interacts chemically with vinegar and affects the flavor. I used a stainless steel stock pot, but you can also use ceramic, glass, or wrought iron cookingware.

3. Mix well and add in the chicken. I used a chicken breast of the same weight to avoid cutting up a whole chicken. (However, you might have complaints about the lack of drumsticks.) Marinade for 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.

4. Place the pot on high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. (This is a good time to start your rice cooker.) You can remove the chicken and broil them 1 to 2 minutes on each side, but I skipped this step in the interest of simplicity. One-pot meals are easy to clean up!

5. Add the patis (or salt) and coconut milk and boil until it has been reduced by half. You'll see it take on lighter, creamier color. Remove the bay leaves. Serve over a bed of rice with the sauce.

The moist, tender chicken stands on its own, but you can round out your meal with steamed broccoli or Jicama Salad (page 41). The crisp jicama is perfect for a light summer salad.

Heathful South Indian Flavors with Alamelu

Hippocrene author Alamelu Vairavan (HEALTHY SOUTH INDIAN COOKING) launched her new 30-minute cooking show on Milwaukee's PBS station in May. Congratulations, Alamelu!

Check out the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article on her debut. The MPTV website has episode guides with the featured recipes. If you're in the area, be sure to tune in at 11 AM on Saturdays!

You can also follow Alamelu on her website www.curryonwheels.com and her blog www.whitefishbaynow.com.

Flavors of Malaysia author on WPIX 11

Susheela Raghavan, author of the upcoming Flavors of Malaysia, helped a local news reporter shop in NYC. The first ever Malaysian Restaurant Week premiered June 14-20, and Raghavan took Lisa Mateo in search of the ingredients that make Malaysian cuisine unique. If you missed it you can watch the video on WPIX 11.

For a list of Malaysian restaurants in the New York Tri-State area, and where to buy Malaysian ingredients in New York City, see www.malaysiakitchennyc.com.

Old Traditions, New Family Rituals

Giovanna Bellia La Marca, author of Sicilian Feasts, Language and Travel Guide to Sicily, and, forthcoming, The Cooking of Emilia-Romagna: Culinary Treasures from Northern Italy, is with us today to share a dish from her hometown. Giovanna writes:

This is a traditional Easter dish, but since one year is entirely too long to wait for this wonderful treat, I make it several times each year--usually for a special occasion. We celebrated my birthday on June 5th and our Son-in-law's birthday on the 9th with a Sunday dinner in between the two special dates with a delicious 'Mpanata. All Americans enjoy and preserve their ethnic customs and food traditions, and many of us have established some of our own rituals.

On Easter Sunday morning, for instance, I get up quite early to prepare the showpiece of our festive dinner which is the 'Mpanata di Agnello Ragusana, the typical lamb pie which is made in my hometown of Ragusa in Sicily. I prepare the dough the night before, and I marinate the meat overnight in the refrigerator. The 'mpanata goes into the oven at 9:00 AM, it bakes for one hour, and it is then covered with a blanket or a terry cloth towel and allowed to rest and to cool very slowly so that the meat continues to steam and the bread crust absorbs the flavorful juices. We allow the 'mpanata this rest period well covered in the back seat of our car as we drive to our daughter and son-in-law's vacation house in Roscoe, New York from our home in New Jersey.

While we drive we listen to Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni, which is the only opera that takes place in Sicily on Easter Sunday. By the time we arrive at the scenic Catskill mountains which surround Roscoe, the 'mpanata is perfect and ready to eat. In an example of a break with tradition, I will make this delicious lamb pie for special celebrations throughout the year.

Mpanata Agnello Ragusana (Easter Lamb Pie of Ragusa)

(as featured in Sicilian Feasts, see page 95)

Author's Note: The 'mpanata is traditionally made with the bones. I ask my butcher to cube a leg of lamb with the bones as if to make a stew because when baked with the bones the meat is more succulent, but it's fine to use boned meat which makes it somewhat easier to cut and serve. Lard makes the dough tender and very flavorful, but shortening will also give a good result.

Dough for 'Mpanata

4 cups flour 1/4 cup lard or shortening
1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water

1. Mix the ingredients by hand, in an electric mixer with a dough hook for 10 minutes or in a food processor until the dough forms a mass.
2. Knead a few turns, shape into a ball, coat with a film of olive oil, place in a large bowl, cover and let rise. After the first rise it can be refrigerated, but bring to room temperature before using it.

Lamb Filling

2 lbs of lamb with bones or boneless
2 cloves garlic
small bunch Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix the lamb with the chopped garlic and parsley, and add salt and pepper.
2. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight and until ready to assemble.

Assembly of 'Mpanata

dough
lamb filling
1 egg, beaten

1.Take the dough, divide it into a larger and smaller portion.
2. Roll the larger piece into a circle and line a large pie plate. Fill with the marinated lamb.
3. Roll out the second piece into a circle, brush the edge of the bottom crust with beaten egg, place the top crust on top of the lamb, press with the tines of a fork all around the edge to adhere both crusts. Make a decorative edge if you wish.
3. Brush the top with beaten egg, prick with a fork and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
4. Remove from the oven, cover with a towel and let stand for 2 hours before serving.

Try more of Giovanna's delicious recipes!

Giovanna Bellia La Marca was born in Ragusa, Sicily and came to the United States at the age of 10. Now a retired art and Italian teacher, she can be seen leading culinary tours of Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, and teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.

Questions? Problems with a recipe? Visit Giovanna at giovannalamarca.com.

Indian Cuisine Next Big Thing!

Chutney Joe's, a "Chipotle-style" restaurant in Chicago, (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Our very own Editorial Director, Priti Chitnis Gress, was interviewed in an article on the increasing popularity of Indian cuisine in America.

"People, especially in metropolitan communities, are fairly sophisticated," she says. "It's not just chicken curry and rice and naan anymore."

"The American palate is no longer bland," [agrees] Andrew F. Smith, editor of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink of America, who predicts that Indian food will take off in the next decade the way sushi bars did in the 1980s and Thai food did in the '90s.

Check out the full story at ABC News!

And for those who want to master Indian flavors at home, any of these cookbooks are a great place to start:

In the famous cooking tradition of South India's Chettinad region, these mostly vegetarian recipes allow home cooks to create enticing fare such as Lemon Rice, Coconut Chutney, Chickpea and Mango Soondal, Eggplant Masala, Cauliflower Soup, and Black-eyed Peas Sambhar. These low-fat, low-calorie dishes are exceptionally delicious and nutritious, featuring wholesome vegetables and legumes flavored with delicate spices.
Each recipe is presented in a step-by-step format with complete nutritional analysis. Also included are 16 pages of color photographs, a shopping list for spices, and a list of recipes perfect for beginners. Sample menus offer complementary dishes and creative suggestions for preparing fusion meals.

Growing research about the significant health benefits of spices, especially the cumin and turmeric found in many South Indian foods, makes these recipes all the more appealing!

At the heart is the story of two women, a Punjabi villager and her American daughter-in-law, and the lives they built together. More than an exceptionally usable cookbook, this is also the intimate saga of a Punjabi family told through the food that has sustained, comforted, and offered them a creative outlet through the years.

Arguably India's most popular cuisine, Punjabi food boasts mouthwatering tandoori kebabs, satisfying curries, and an array of delectable breads. Twenty-two menus feature a wide range of dishes, from rustic, roadside dhaba offerings like Buttermilk Stew with Vegetable Pakoras and the famous Saag Mukke Di Roti (Stewed Mixed Greens with Corn Flatbread), to elegant Roast Leg of Lamb and Royal Bread Pudding that have graced the tables of Maharajahs. Remarkably healthful, over 125 of these recipes are designated vegetarian or vegan.

Veronica Sidhu will be your trusted guide, providing easy-to-follow recipes and advice on shopping, prepping, and creating menus with harmonious elements. Glossaries of food and religious terms, color photos, a resource section for finding Indian ingredients, and bibliography round out this collection.

This cookbook celebrates Kerala through 150 delectable recipes and the equally unforgettable stories that accompany them. Featured here are such savory delights as Meen Vevichathu (Fish Curry Cooked in a Clay Pot), Parippu (Lentils with Coconut Milk) and Thiyal (Shallots with Tamarind and Roasted Coconut). Equally mouthwatering are a variety of rice preparations, Puttu (Steamed Rice Cake) and Paalappam (Lace-Rimmed Pancakes), and tempting desserts like Karikku Pudding (Tender Coconut Pudding). These dishes are adapted for the North American kitchen, and accompanied by a guide to spices, herbs, and equipment, as well as a glossary of food terms.

In the best tradition of the cookbook memoir, there are tales of talking doves, toddy shops, traveling chefs and killer coconuts, evoking the beauty of a bygone era as well as the compelling pull of the present one. Full of beautiful photographs, charming illustrations and lyrical memories of food and family, The Kerala Kitchen is a delicious, memorable read.

Located in northwestern India, Gujarat is known as the country's "Garden State," and is renowned for its vegetarian specialties. Flavorful India showcases the cuisine of Gujarat—from street foods to traditional home-cooked dishes. Hot fluffy puri breads are used to scoop up fragrant vegetable curries and dals, seasoned with cumin, coriander, and freshly ground garlic and ginger. Kitchdi, the dinnertime staple of rice and lentils, is often served on a thaali, a large stainless steel plate containing four to six small bowls, each filled with a different delicacy. On the side, hot fresh chapatis (flatbreads), pickles, and chutneys complete the meal.

This collection of authentic family recipes will introduce you to some of India's most flavorful, yet often overlooked, culinary offerings. The simple, delectable recipes are written for the home cook and adapted to the North American kitchen. An introduction to Gujarati culture, sections on spices, ingredients, and utensils, and charming line drawings by the author's father bring the flavors of India to life.

Indian Spice Kitchen is not only a comprehensive encyclopedia of the ingredients used in Indian cooking, but a feast for the eyes as well as the mind. Monisha Bharadwaj shares the secrets of Indian cuisine and celebrates its variety and ingenuity. From asafoetida to walnuts, each of 100 ingredients is explored giving useful advice about its appearance and taste, how it grows, how to store it and, of course, its culinary uses, complemented with over 200 classic Indian dishes.

The author regularly cooks on TV for Good Food Live, on the UK Food Channel, and has been food consultant to the Times of India group of companies, creating menus for the Deputy Prime Minister of India as well as several top film stars. She also contributes to Elle, Delicious, and Food and Travel in the UK and Cookery Plus in India.

Short-listed for an Andre' Simon Award and the Guild of Food Writers' Book of the Year Award!