I am going to start this off by saying that I have been seduced by this dish. No. ‘Seduced’ is not strong enough a word. More like ‘captured’ by the combination of flavors. The zest of the vinegar, the sweetness of those browned onions, the fragrant allspice. It’s all there. In one tantalizing bite after tantalizing bite.

What also makes this recipe even more amazing are the soy protein patties in the dish. They are from Whole Foods and I have to say that their addictive! They have the best texture, almost fibrous, yet really juicy. For real. I like them so much that I am currently trying some secret scientist experiments in my kitchen to try to create them from scratch. Wish me luck.

Three great spices: 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp allspice and 2 tsps dried oregano.

Mix the spices in a bowl then coat the soy patties.

In 2 tbs of oil (I use olive) sauté the patties until lightly browned, remove from pan and set them aside.

Next cut an onion in half and make 1/4 inch slices. Add to the pan that the soy patties were in and sauté over med-low heat until caramelized. Diagonally slice 2 carrots and add to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes.

I then added some asparagus spears to the pan because, well, it’s Spring and I had them in my fridge. I snapped off the tough ends and also peeled them a bit before I added them to the pan. Sauté for about 4 minutes.

Take 3 peeled garlic cloves and cut them in half. Slice some peppers, whatever kind you like. I used a mix of pepperoncinis and sweet pickled red cherry peppers, but you could use Jalepenos or a Serrano. Whatever you chose, after you slice them add the garlic and peppers to the mix. Cook for a minute.

Next add the liquids. First add a 1/4 cup of cider vinegar.

Then add 1 cup of veggie broth. Mix well and let everything braise for 2 minutes.

You now can add the soy protein patties back into the pan, gently tucking them in between all those veggies and into the sauce. Cover with a lid and continue to cook for another minute.

To serve, I simply set the asparagus off to the side, added a small mound of perfectly cooked rice and then layed out a few of the patties topped off with the veggie mixture. Pour on some of the sauce and dinner is ready.

One more thing about this dish. It’s quick. Really quick. It came together in the time it took to make some rice. It just gets better and better, doesn’t it? What are you waiting for then? Get your Ecsabeche on tonight!

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When I was growing up, I remember my mom would always make the comment that a little dirt was good for you. She would usually say this when something would hit the floor for a few seconds, say a hot dog in the backyard or when my brother would put some dirt in between my sandwich when my back was turned and I came crying to her. She always said, “We came from the ground and that we would go back to the ground so the ground would make us stronger.” She also survived the Great Depression, living in a tent in the Dust Bowl of Arizona after her mother died, so I don’t doubt her. This got me thinking about dirt and how it’s made, which made me think about composting, and how I used to be afraid to compost.

Composting always seemed like something in which you would need a degree in biotechnology to understand. What type of container to use? What types of scraps are allowed? What about paper stuff? Grass clippings? All the questions I had in my head was making me more afraid of the whole process in general. Then I found a little book that changed everything.

Simply titled Composting - An Easy Household Guide by Nicky Scott, this book opened the world of dirt making wide open for me. With super easy directions, it explains how to start composting and why it’s so important for the planet. Here is what I have learned in the most basic of terms.

First, get a container for your kitchen. Make it as easy as possible to collect the scraps. I bought this metal bin that I painted the word “compost” on. It has a lid that is easy to remove with one hand and is heavy enough to keep the smells in. I always put a plastic bag inside so that I can easily carry the contents to my outside bin, but I don’t include the plastic bag in with the compost scraps, of course.

What sort of stuff can you compost? That’s easy. There are two categories. Greens and Browns. Greens are anything from veggie and fruit peelings, garden waste like fresh grass clippings, coffee grounds and egg shells. Browns are things that are brown or dry like cardboard, dried twigs, paper, shredded bills, junk mail (minus the plastic window of envelopes), even lint from your dryer. The mixture of these two things create an environment that is perfect for our microbial friends to come in and set up house and begin their magic. I’m not going to get into the whole nitrogen-carbon thing. Heck, I’ll let someone like Alton Brown tell you about that, but you should be able to get the general idea just from this little tutorial.

What type of Compost Bin to use? The choices are many and varied from large outdoor bins to apartment style, self contained Bokashi systems (used in Korean apartments). If you have a yard you could go with something like I have which is made of sturdy plastic. It also has vents and two doors at the bottom to collect the dirt. You can even make a simple box out of wooden pallets and a board on top for a lid.

Just make sure you secure the lid so that night time critters can’t forage inside. This is also why you don’t want to compost any meat or bones or things that will attract them, let alone how it would start to smell. Your neighbors would not be happy.

You want to make sure that air is circulating inside and that it is placed in a sunny area so that heat will begin generating to give the worms and bugs a warm place to chow down. There are also tumbler style units that are off the ground and even ones where you add special worms that eat everything, but if you use the plastic bin or wooden box types keep them on the dirt so that the bugs can make their way inside.

Let me preface this next statement by saying that “quick” is a relative term. To get the quickest results you need to layer the browns and greens and keep it moist but not soggy. What I do is add cardboard like toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes (and even paper towels) to my kitchen bin as I go so that when I make a deposit in the big bin outside I am already mixing in the browns and greens. As for water, when it looks dry I just add some.

Composting is seriously easy and helps reduce waste in landfills. It has been estimated that each household’s waste has about two-thirds of compost-able trash! Also, this reduces the nasty carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and gives back to the earth what we have taken away. Plus, the excitement you will feel when you get that first shovel-full of homemade compost cannot be described.

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About a month ago, I was sitting at the table eating my breakfast with David. He was reading the paper when he saw that a new restaurant had opened in the downtown Durham area. For those that aren’t familiar with Durham, NC let me explain that we are going through a rebirth. The downtown area has laid dormant for many, many years. With the vision of a few key groups this area is now fertile ground for entrepreneurs to move in and begin opening businesses of their dreams. We have had more restaurants open in the last year than ever before, making all us hungry locals very happy Durhamites.

The restaurant that David read about that morning is simply called Toast. When we trekked over there on our bikes we saw a line out the door, a very good sign. We qued into the line and as we began to enter I noticed the large mural on the wall.

Toast, as it explained, is described in a number of ways:

toast (tost) vb 1: to make bread crisp, hot and browned by heat.
2: to propose or drink to as a toast
3: your neighborhood paninoteca.

paninoteca (pa-nee-no-TEK-a) n an authentic Italian sandwich shop

As we got closer to the counter to order we noticed the huge black board sign that displays the menu. Their focus is based around bread, whether hot or cold, small or large. What goes in or on the bread makes this a great option for veggie folks like us.

Kelli , one of the owners took our order. She has to be one of the most cheerful and kind people around town. She carefully explained the menu to us and made us feel very welcomed, even with the line continuing to grow behind us. I have to say that the service was quick and correct.

David ordered a $6 panini stuffed with a grilled portobello, fontina cheese and peppery arugula.

I wanted to try the $6 panini of tuscan kale, ricotta salata and sweet and spicy pickleed peppers. I also wanted to check out the $1.50 crostinis. We ordered 2 each of their herbed pesto and goat cheese. They had a selection of non-alchoholic beverages, but will soon be receiving their liquor license. A nice glass of red wine could have only made this better.

The panini’s were brought to our table within minutes, piping hot with smokey grill marks. We split each sandwich and were glad to share. Both were wonderful. Mine had the spicy kick that I love, almost a bit too hot for David. His was savory and meaty from the thick, well seasoned portobello mushroom. Just perfect.

Next we tried the crostinis (sorry, we didn’t get any pics because we were so focused on eating them). Each were a perfect 2 bite size, the bread tasting like it had a good bit of garlic rubbed on each slice, and the toppings were fresh and zesty. I could have ordered a plate full of these crispy treats with a glass of Pinot Noir and been the happiest person in the place. It made me want to try them all.

They also have salads and soups that need to be explored on our next visit. You can also add one of the soups or salads onto your sandwich order for a mere $2.

I am sure this has been said after every meal that anyone has had at Toast but, I will say it from David and I. “Let’s have a toast to Durham’s newest gem, Toast!”

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Whenever I make this dish, I go between feeling like I’m cheating , yet happy that it’s so easy to make. The reason, you might ask, is because I use an already pre-made spice paste. I first found these jarred spice mixtures in my local Indian market, so, I thought that if they were selling them they must also use them to make life easier. Besides, I had taken a lesson with a very wonderful Indian cook some years back. She showed me a few made-from-scratch recipes where we ground the spices and toasted them, which was a great deal of fun for me. We cooked the spices in ghee (Indian butter) and so on, but when she opened her pantry I saw the same jars of spice pastes that I saw in the market. She liked them as well, enough said.

One of the great things about this recipe is that my vegan friends can enjoy this dish since I replace the usual paneer cheese cubes with tofu cubes. I always use extra firm tofu and I always make extra since “seconds” are often requested.

Mise en place, kids…that means “everything in it’s place and a place for everything.” Basically have all your ingredients ready to go. It just makes sense.

Lightly fry your tofu cubes in a bit of oil, making sure to brown all sides.

Add a few tablespoons of the spice paste. I use a brand called Pataks that you can purchase in any Indian store and now in major grocery stores in the international foods aisle. They make at least 12 different spice blends from mild to hot and every combo in between.

Add a 3/4 bag of frozen peas and mix well.

Add in the diced tomatoes and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Now add some water to thin out the sauce a bit, about a 1/2 cup.

Then I add some of my home-made soy sour cream to make a thick sauce.

I simmer this for about 15 minutes until it’s thick and bubbly.

You can serve this over some nice basmati rice. I also buy the Indian pickled veggie rinds or sour chutneys that are usually served with the meals in the restaurants as well as assorted sweet chutneys and spicy mint condiments.

3 comments