Sweet, and Hot, and Indian Spiced, Red Corn Ice Cream Perfect for Summer Cookouts.

   There is nothing that says the hot weather is here like the taste of homemade, fresh churned ice cream. One of the best investments in cooking equipment I ever made was buying an ice cream machine. I have worked that thing to death and it's still going strong. It gets so much use in the Summer months around here that I actually bought another bigger machine to keep it company. Homemade ice cream is fast and easy and one of the few desserts that almost no one can refuse. Don't eat dairy? It can be made with coconut milk, and when cooking for gluten-free friends, it's an allowed indulgence.
  
   I veered from my vegan diet a few months ago when I was doing chemo. I was anemic from treatment and advised to add more protein to my diet, and so I did, just a bit. Now that I'm done, I'm still taking iron pills everyday and getting back to regular vegan fair, but sometimes I'm just plain vegetarian and that's where the ice cream comes in. One of the best things about doing your own cooking is having control over what goes into ones food and one of the clearest examples of that is ice cream. Fresh organic milk, fresh organic cream, sugar, and pure vanilla. That's it. No gums or fillers, or fake flavors, just the real deal.
 
   So, when I set out to make some plain vanilla ice cream the other day I got distracted by something I'd only seen once before at my local Whole Foods market and that's organic red corn. Not wanting to repeat my loss of fresh garbanzos a few weeks ago, I didn't wait. I  jumped on that corn like a starving locust and then once I got it home I kept wondering how it would be in ice cream. I've made sweet corn ice cream before and I've even used red corn before in Red Corn and Radish Sprout Salad with Peanut Chili Dressing so I wondered how I could use my red corn and make a different sort of ice cream.Could I take an Indian spice rub used for grill roasted corn and add a  few things and come up with an ice cream? You bet I could, and I did just that. You can too.

Indian Spiced Roast Red Corn Ice Cream

Here's What You Need:
2 cups organic whole milk
2 cups organic heavy cream
3/4 cup of sugar
2 ears of fresh red corn, (or regular corn)
2 whole limes
salt to taste
2 pinches of cardamom
1 tsp of Kashmiri chili
2 tsp vanilla
1 generous pinch of cinnamon
1 pinch of sugar

Here's What To Do:
Wash and shuck the whole ears of corn.

Cut the ears in half.

Roast them on a grill until they are soft and slightly charred.

Cut the limes in half. Put the Kashmiri chili in a small bowl. Dip the halved limes into the chili.

Rub the chili-coated limes on the ears of corn while squeezing to get the juice out.

Like so.

The corn should be coated in chili and lime juice.

Sprinkle a bit of salt on the ears of corn.

Cut the kernels off of the corn ears and place them in a bowl.

Add two pinches of cardamom...

...a generous pinch of cinnamon and a couple of pinches of sugar, and a touch more salt.

Stir everything together and check for taste. This is up to you as to how how or sweet or hot you want this. When it's seasoned to your satisfaction set it aside.
Add the milk, cream, and sugar to a large bowl.
Stir everything around until it's well mixed.
Add in 2 tsps of vanilla.

Pour everything into an ice cream machine.

Churn for about 30 minutes.
Scoop out the ice cream and put it into a freezer container and into the freezer for an hour or two to firm up.

Then serve it up.

Sweet, with a touch of heat and the wonderful flavors of cardamom and cinnamon.

   The red corn adds a faintly pink color to the ice cream, and the sweet hot chewy corn kernels are the perfect addition. This recipe of course will work with any color corn, but if you're lucky enough to run across red corn, grab some. You won't regret it. Coming up next, as I get back to a normal appetite again I'm looking at Indian vegetable salads the perfect side or even main dish for Summer entertaining. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

Silere Alpine Origin Lamb from New Zealand.....The Lord of The Lambs!!!

      
   Lamb. What's in a name? Quite a lot actually as I found out just last weekend when the kind people at Marx foods offered me a chance to sample something I'd never heard of before. Silere Alpine Origin Merino Lamb. To be honest, I've never made a study of lamb. I know about chicken, beef, fish certainly, and lots and lots about various vegetables. But lamb is just lamb, right? The only thing I knew about Merino lamb was that I have a drawer full of Merino wool sweaters. As it turns out I was wrong. There's a lot to learn about lamb and I was about to get an education.
 
   I don't eat a great deal of meat, in fact most of the last year I've been on a vegetarian if not vegan diet. Recently however, I've decided to incorporate a bit of meat into my eating, and on occasion, also add some dairy. I've been careful to use grass-fed, naturally-raised meats and only pastured dairy products. Luckily, living here in the heart of California Wine Country, that's not been hard to come by. We're surrounded by ranches and farms. However as it turns out, some of the best lamb in the world doesn't come from here or any where near here. It comes from Middle Earth.

   Actually I'm talking about New Zealand, home of Peter Jackson and Lord of the Rings and some of the damnedest fine lamb anyone could possibly enjoy. As a screenwriter I'm used to thinking of New Zealand like this:

As a chef I've now learned to think of it like this:

Viggo, delicious:

Silere Alpine Origin Merino Lamb, also delicious but in a different way.

Yes, they're ready for their close-up.

   You can't get more natural than Alpine grazed meat, and the Merino lamb I found to have a much lighter flavor, not fatty or gamy. Most of the time In cooking lamb, the meat overpowers almost everything which is why people pair it with strong flavors such a mint. The Silere lamb I cooked was leaner, delicate, and the flavors blended perfectly with the Indian spices I used. I decided that we should share this lamb with friends and who better than the people who make CocoaPlanet chocolate. I knew Anne and Jeff would be great lamb judges as they both have excellent palates. It was the prefect excuse for a dinner party, not that I need much encouragement. I'm always ready to cook!

  Cooking the Silere lamb was the easy part, as one does not want to do too much so that the meat stays tender and juicy. I could then devote some thought to a proper sauce which turned out to be a Sikandari Raan, a delicately flavored traditional sauce with a North Indian / Afghan influence. The sauce is very easy to make and can definitely be made ahead. Since the lamb cooks up quickly this is a great time saver. The perfect company dinner.

Silere Alpine Grazed Merino Lamb In Sikandari Sauce

Here's What You Need:
4 Silere Alpine Grazed Merino Lamb Loins
1 and 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili
4 tbs coconut oil, or other vegetable oil

 3 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
3 black cardamom pods
A 2 inch stick of cinnamon
2 star anise
1 bay leaf
4 medium onions thinly sliced
2 tsp ground coridaner
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 cup of yogurt

Here's What To Do:
Put on your onion goggles and start slicing the onions...

...like this:

Set them aside.

In a kadhai or skillet heat 4 Tbs of coconut or vegetable oil.

When the oil is hot, toss in the star anise, green and black cardamom pods, the bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon stick.

Saute the spices for one minute. They'll start to puff up a bit, then toss in your sliced onions.

Cook the onions until they're translucent and soft, then add in the Kashmiri Chili powder.

Add in the ground coriander, cumin, and turmeric and tomato paste.

Saute everything until the oil starts to separate from the sauce. Add in the salt.

When everything is well mixed, remove the bay leaf and put everything else into a blender or food processor.

Grind it up really well you want to avoid any hard pieces of spice left over. You can pour it through a strainer or cheese cloth to prevent this.
Set your sauce aside. If you are going to use it later or the next day, keep it covered in the fridge.
Before you cook your lamb make sure to bring it to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
I found that the best way to cook this lamb was to sear it in hot hot hot cast iron and then finish it in the oven. One wants the internal temperature to be about 125 degrees for medium rare lamb.
Salt and pepper the lamb loins on both sides.
Place an empty, heavy, cast iron pan on the fire and heat that baby up.
When it's hot, hot, hot, lay the lamb loins in it fat side down. Cook them for about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, as you see in the background, I'm heating the sauce on simmer. When it warms up, add in the yogurt, 1/4 cup at a time. The idea here is to make surer the sauce is smooth creamy and not overpoweringly hot. It depends no how much chili you or your guests like. The yogurt tames things down to whatever level one desires.
After about 4 minutes, turn the loins over and cook them on the other side for another four minutes.
After that take the whole pan and put it into the oven for another 10 minutes or so to finish.

Use a meat thermometer. When the lamb is 125 degrees inside, it's done medium rare unless you like it more well done, in which case, back into the oven for another few minutes.
After you take the meat out of the oven let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Slice the meat into medallions.

Brush a layer of the sikandari sauce across one side of the plate, and lay the medallions on it.

Adjust them.

Drizzle a bit of the sauce across the top of the meat and serve it up.

I served this dish with Basmati rice with whole spices, Indian spinach and corn.

   I served a salad of spiced chickpeas with mango and grapes as a starter. It was amazing. The  spices in the sauce accented the lamb, but did not overpower it, and vice versa. The meat was succulent, juicy, and tender. I am now totally hooked on this amazing grass fed lamb which is so easily prepared. In fact it takes such a little bit of cooking to be perfect, it's hard to mess up. I'm two steps away from wanting to move to New Zealand.

   This is the lamb, that a Hobbit would enjoy and you know how much they love to eat!!!

I'd love to share more lamb recipes with you if you'll just click on the link and give me your vote for my recipe in the   Marx Food Silere Lamb Contest   I'd really appreciate it!
   I'd like to thank the Becca Lee and all great folks at Marx Foods and Silere Alpine Origin Lamb for allowing me this amazing tasting experience, thanks for spoiling me. Coming up next, great sides to serve with great lamb follow along on Twitter @kathygori

The Mystery Of One of The World's Best Bar Snacks, Chicken '65!! Gluten Free.

    

   Lately our life has been centered mainly around packing. We sold my parents house and now we're involved in the hunt for something for ourselves, and that's all I'm saying about that. If I think about things too much I'll start feeling  like this:  

So, moving on, I was delighted to get an email the other day from my friend Irving Ong in LA. We're always amused by the ways various cultures translate other group's dishes. Irving is particularly fascinated by Indo-Chinese food. Nearly every Indian regional cookbook has a section dedicated to Indo Chinese recipes, particularly Gobi Manchuria. Now Irving puzzling over the origins of Gobi Manchuria (a great favorite with Indian friends in LA) led to a discussion of another legendary dish, the legendary Chicken '65. Yes, it does sound like a minus third rate poultry-oriented spy flick from the days of go-go boots and beehives.

    No one seems to know where Chicken '65 originated, the legends are legion. What does the 65 mean? The year the dish was created? The address of the restaurant where it was first served? The Number of spices in the dish? The number listing the dish on an unreadable menu? Who knows. What I do know is the dish is HUGELY popular and that's not an understatement. Irving told me that it was something that I simply had to try. Karan, Suvi, Shreyas, all sent word from LA, I had to make this dish. I would not regret it.

   Easier said than done. Besides all the legends surrounding the dish, the number of recipes for it are equally long. After trawling the internet looking for clues, I finally decided on one that seemed to fit the bill from The Tiffin Box. Straightforward, simple, and above all fast because with all the boxes and wrapping going on around here I don't exactly have time for slow food right now.

Chicken '65

Here's What You Need:
2 lb chicken breasts, or chicken thigh meat
oil for deep frying

Marinade
1 Tbs Kashmiri chili (if you can't find that use an equal mix of paprika and cayenne)
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 inch piece of finely chopped ginger
2 shallots or  garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground coriander
salt to taste

Coating
5 Tbs gluten free cornstarch
2 Tbs sorghum flour (gluten free)
1 Tbs rice flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg beaten

Yogurt Sauce
1/2 cup thick yogurt
1 Tbs Kashmiri chili
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs oil
2 shallots or garlic cloves finely chopped
1 inch piece of finely chopped ginger
salt to taste
pinch of sugar
fresh chopped cilantro

Here's What To Do:
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
Set it aside.
Mix together the marinade mix.

Add the coriander to the Kashmiri chili...

...and the finely ground fresh ginger and shallot.

Pour the marinade into the bowl of chicken bites.

Mix everything together well.

Pour in the lemon juice.

Stir things up well , salt to taste, and set it aside in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

While the chicken is chilling, mix together the gluten free coating.

Beat the egg and set it aside in a separate bowl.
Meanwhile prep the yogurt sauce.
Mix together the shallot, and ginger.

In a separate bowl whip the yogurt, add in the Kashmiri chili, lemon juice and spices. Set it aside.
Pour the oil into a deep pot, wok or kadhai. Bring it to 350 degrees.
When the oil is hot dip each chicken piece into the egg mixture.

Dredge the chicken in the coating and plop it into the hot oil. I cooked the chicken in batches of 4 or 5 pieces.
Cook each batch of chicken for about 6 minutes.
As they cook place them on a paper towel covered plate to drain.

Here is where the paths diverge on Chicken '65. Some people prefer to fry their chicken and then use the yogurt as a spicy dipping sauce. This recipe is a bit different. The yogurt sauce is heated and the chicken put back in until the yogurt is absorbed. Here's how that works.

Heat 3 Tbs of oil in a skillet or wok.
When the oil is hot toss in the chopped ginger, shallot or garlic and stir fry everything for about 30 seconds.
Add the friend chicken pieces to the pan, then add the seasoned yogurt to everything.

Stir the yogurt mixture into the pan and mix everything together well.

When the yogurt is absorbed into the chicken it's done.
Plate it, sprinkle it with a bit of chopped fresh cilantro and serve it up!

   The important thing to look out for in this recipe, is not letting the crispy coating become un-crispy and peeling off while heating the chicken in the yogurt sauce. It worked fine for us, but I think next time I may save myself a roller coaster ride and just serve the spiced yogurt sauce on the side for dipping. So there you have it, the mystery dish, from the mystery place, that's loved throughout India. Sometimes you have to stop wondering about where something comes from and just shut up and eat it, which is what we did.

Coming up next, something a bit different. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori