Episode 11: Snacktoberfest (with Sumesh Uncle and Sonoratown)

Dr. Sumesh Uncle Hirway, Ph.D (@sumeshhirway) is back with more tips, Jen Feltham of Sonoratown (@sonoratownla) teaches us a tortilla trick, and Samin & Hrishi talk treats.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

Food ideas discussed in this episode:

Skinny chicken stew
To turn your tough, skinny chicken edible, slow-cook it in water with onions, garlic, carrots and some liquid (stock or water). Cook on low until it is falling off the bone. Remove the chicken from the bones and eat it in the sauce over rice or over pasta, or with fresh bread and yogurt.  Here’s a lovely coq au vin to try and a slow-cooker chicken vindaloo that looks amazing!

Broccoli pesto
Cut broccoli florets into small pieces. Blanch it in salty water until it's just tender.  Add it to the blender or food processor with Parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Basil is optional. Blend to pesto consistency. Here are a couple recipes if you want them.  

Broccoli, egg and cheese muffin
Steam or blanch broccoli until it’s just barely tender. Whisk together eggs. Add finely grated parmesan and a spoonful of cream or sour cream. Butter or grease a muffin tin. Pour egg mixture and broccoli into the tins, and add little cubes of a melty cheese like cheddar or monterey jack. Put a little grated cheese on top for browning. Bake. This recipe looks good if you want to try it!

Macaroni and cheese tips

1. Use a variety of cheeses: parmesan, gruyere, fontina, sharp cheddar 

2. Make a lovely bechamel sauce. Here’s Samin’s recipe (it’s an element in the lasagna).  Work the grated cheese into the bechamel after it’s cooked. 

3. Add a slice of American cheese, or a dash of sodium citrate, to make cheese melt smoothly. Read more about this fascinating technique here. 

Grits breakfast
Make grits or polenta. Add cheese, mascarpone or sour cream. Top with a poached egg and black pepper. 

Upma
Hrishi says this one looks just right.

Haleem 
Here’s a recipe for Haleem, a Persian wheat and meat porridge that is one of Samin’s childhood favorites. 

Smoothies
Blend up fruits and veggies with a liquid of your choice like a juice or a milk. For example, frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, a banana, spinach and almond milk. 

Seasoning cast iron
Here’s the video Samin was thinking about. You can also read here for more information.

Pinto beans
Slow-simmer pinto beans in a pot of properly salted water with the lid a little bit uncovered. Or, make it in the instant pot. You can add a whole onion or garlic clove or dried chiles. You can also add an old corn tortilla. When it’s time to eat, blister a serrano chile in very hot oil, then add the cooked beans and mash them with a potato ricer or a potato masher while they are frying. Eat with tortillas.

Recipe for dressing like Samin
1 pair overalls
1 pair red sneakers
1 curly ponytail
1 striped t-shirt
1 very dirty dish towel
Season with salt, combine and serve!