September 2014 in food

Just trying to keep track of what things I’ve eaten/made this month. My iPhone unfortunately got dropped in a toilet so I wasn’t able to take pictures of some of the latter dishes. 😦

smoky roasted corn soup with chipotle chili
recipe: The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook
notes/modifications: added anchovies, salmon, and a touch of fish sauce

harissa egg salad over spinach
recipe: my own

blueberry crumb bars
recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/07/blueberry-crumb-bars/
notes/modifications: used frozen blueberries, baked for 58 minutes total – cut back a little next time.

harissa chicken with green beans and brown rice
recipe: my own

panang chicken curry (no pictures)
recipe: my own… next time, stick with chaokoh coconut milk, it’s the best!

crackly banana bread (no pictures)
recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/09/crackly-banana-bread/
notes/modifications: baked for 50 (possibly 55?) minutes but the center still seemed a smidge mushy. Still good, though – the millet was a very nice and crunchy touch.

urad dal with panch phoron and okra (no pictures)
recipe: my own
notes/modifications: first time cooking with urad dal… perfectly edible, but not my favorite dal. Next time I’ll stick to masoor dal.

red bean soup (no pictures)
recipe: http://userealbutter.com/2010/07/15/chinese-sweet-red-bean-soup-recipe/
notes/modifications: added some lemon zest (should have added orange peel but had none on hand). Also added 2 additional tablespoons of tapioca. Next time: don’t use as much water for the tapioca or the beans — I ended up draining a lot out.

za jiang mian
restaurant: zoe ma ma
notes: was pretty good, but tasted like hippie Chinese food, not like authentic Chinese food. I think it needed more oil, and/or more cornstarch to thicken the sauce.