Look back to remember what works

If you’re serious about improving your culinary skills, then sit down with a cup of coffee close to the New Year and reflect on what you’ve learned. I keep culinary journals, notes on current recipes I’m developing, ideas for meals, areas of culinary interest, lists of vegetable and fruit varieties to grow; write about food values and why I cook the way I do.

Cuisine For A Season

Last year, I cooked nothing but Vietnamese in the Spring, Italian all summer and food from the Caucasus in the Fall. I loved it! I was working on recipe pamphlets that led me to explore new ways of cooking. I made an effort, as an outsider, to grasp the day-to-day culture of the cuisines. Italian all summer was my favorite. I always knew what to cook, how to cook it, and that it would be delicious. I found that freeing, besides it feeling romantic and lush.

Boiling

During my Italian summer, I kept returning to the technique of bringing one big pot of water to a boil, and cooking everything progressively in it. Really it was blanching, but my Italian cookbooks referred to it as boiling. I became an expert at using a spider skimmer, and timing the veggies and pasta. It was a wondrous technique for using sturdy greens and roots in vibrant salads. I bypassed both roasting and sauteing for months, and because my kitchen has sliding glass doors, the steam went straight out the screens.

Pita, Lavish
and Armenian Pizza

In the Autumn, I immersed myself in Armenian cuisine and made batches of lavish dough, which is basically a pizza dough. I kept it in the fridge, and every day, I'd pull dough off to roll out pita or lavash, and bake them on a stone. Life is always good with hot bread. I’d make up fresh herb sauces and mixed pickles, add some feta with tomatoes and cucumbers, vary the protein, and we were set.

Gingerbread Gatherings

I've decided that from now on, I'll host two gingerbread gatherings during the holidays. I’ll make the dough, and set up a whimsical space. They were my signature events, and this decision allowed me to put boundaries around my time and effort.

Solve Tiny Problems

I tackled minor kitchen issues as they arose, using irritation as my compass: — limiting my daily cooking time to 90 minutes, including cleanup—making playlists for different cooking moods, seasons, and times—starting fourteen amaryllis bulbs in my dining room. What a spectacular joy they are throughout the winter!

From Parchment Paper
to Nettles

I never know how much ground I’ve covered until I look back, but there were many discoveries from banh mi to boiling greens. I settled into a new place that held the contentment of immersing into a foodway for an entire season. Most of all, I continued to make my kitchen a place I want to inhabit because it brings me closer to who I want to be when I grow up.

Check out my recent recipe collection “The Caucasus” , pick up a free hardcopy at the Food Coop, or download one at their website under “Community Cook”. Italian, Vietnamese, Greek and Indian are also available.

Chemen Chili

Instant Pot

Makes 3 quarts

This straightforward crowd pleaser, is based on the Armenian spice mix Chemen, used to make basturma, a cured air dried beef. Because basturma isn’t available here, I thought it would be yummy to include the flavors in a Plaki , a healthy vegetable and bean stew, kinda like our idea of a beef and bean chili. You could also try it without the beef, keeping the spice mix, and adding different veggies seasonally. Note: Basturma can be made at home as a project, and the recipe is included in the

cookbook Lavash.

For Instant Pot

1 cup dry navy beans

1 cup dry pinto beans

6 whole cardamom pods

1 teaspoon sea salt

5 cups water

For Saute

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium zucchini, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 bunch kale, finely chopped

14-ounce can of chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 lb ground beef

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Chemen Spice Mix for Beef

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon fenugreek

5 allspice berries

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons cumin seed

1 teaspoon coriander seed

1 teaspoon sea salt

Garnish

Chopped cilantro or parsley

1. Add the navy beans, pinto beans, sea salt, and cardamom pods to the Instant Pot with 5 cups of water. Set to high pressure for 30 minutes with a natural release. Remove the cardamom pods and discard.

2. Prepare the ground beef by grinding the spices in a spice grinder and mixing them into the beef with

the tomato paste.

3. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion until

translucent. Add the red pepper to the pan and sauté until soft. Add the zucchini and sauté until tender.

Add the kale and sauté for a few more minutes until soft. Add the spiced ground beef to the pan with

the vegetables and cook until browned and cooked through. Add the chopped tomatoes and red wine

vinegar to the pan with the beef and vegetables.

7. Add the cooked veggies and beef to the beans and broth in the Instant Pot. Stir everything together

and bring to a simmer to warm if needed.

8. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, but remember that the flavors will settle and develop with

time and a chili is always better the next day.

9. Serve hot with chopped cilantro or parsley as garnish.