Leave a comment

Munchee Biscuits Coconut Crunch Review

Posted by roodonfood on December 3, 2012 in Food Adventures, Snacks
Munchee Biscuits Coconut Crunch

Munchee Biscuits Coconut Crunch

During the Thanksgiving break I visited my brother over in lovely South Orange, NJ. Like New York, his township has some convenience stores offering more just soda and lotto tickets. M&A Convenience Store is a small bodega located on the edge of the town’s main drag (132 South Orange Avenue). It’s wall to wall with Sri Lankan packaged goods such as string hoppers, coconut oil, rice, spices etc.

Coconut Crunch

Coconut Crunch

Well-stocked currently on most spices, I opted to pick up a packet of red rice flour. That should be interesting (post to follow). Additionally I picked up a box of Munchee Biscuits: Coconut Crunch biscuits ($1.99, 200 grams or 7oz). The name Munchee successfully endears while the rather Spartan box seems to say “let the biscuits do the talking.” Inside are two separate “stay fresh” sealed biscuit packs allowing the customer to avoid the tragedy of staleness. Each of the packets contain 20 biscuits.

The biscuits have a picture of a coconut tree along with the word “coconut” so there can be no misunderstanding which flavor will be consumed. The power of suggestion or subterfuge? Not at all. The coconut flavor is front and center along with an appealing smoky wheat flavor. It’s sweet enough without going into cloying territory. Despite an ultra thin appearance the crunch is admirable. These biscuits are a steal for only $1.99. Recommended pairing: black coffee. I’ll absolutely get these biscuits again upon my next visit to South Orange around Christmas time. Speaking of biscuits, here is a link to the RoodonFood snack section.

Tags: , , , Permalink
Leave a comment

RoodonFood Comfort Foods: Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

Posted by roodonfood on December 2, 2012 in Recipes

RoodonFood Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

RoodonFood Turkey Meatloaf

RoodonFood Turkey Meatloaf

Despite our immigrant roots my parents grew to love American staples like meatloaf. Traditions are meant to be modified at times – We didn’t grow up eating beef so when Ma made meatloaf at home it’d be turkey or sometimes even chicken. The version below works with either.

It’s difficult to think of a more quintessential comfort food than meatloaf. Inexpensive and simple to make, meatloaf with sides like apple sauce, mashed potatoes, corn, greens and mac and cheese have taken the sting out of many a tough week.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey or chicken (80% lean is preferable just like with burgers)
1/3 of a vidalia onion (chipped very small)
1 egg
black pepper (to taste)
1.5 T Salt
1 T soy (tamari if GF)
2 T oats or tapioca flour/starch  (as binder)
1.5 T dried basil
2 T ketchup (Don’t ever think you’re too good for ketchup)
1 T minced garlic
1 t white vinegar

Method

Grab a big bowl. Throw in all ingredients and mix well. Allow to chill for a few hours in the fridge so everything can come together. Pre-heat oven to 375. Place meat into loaf pan forming to fit the shape. Add aluminium foil as well. When oven reaches temperature, place inside and cook for 45 minutes to 1 Hour. It will solidify some on its own.  Variation: Chop up a few chunks of cheese and add to the mix.

Tags: , , , , , , , Permalink
Leave a comment

Lam’s Caribbean Snacks Cassava Chips

Posted by roodonfood on November 30, 2012 in gluten free, Snacks, vegan
Lam's Cassava Chips

Lam’s Cassava Chips

Another gluten free snacking option is cassava chips. If you don’t know cassava (aka yuca and manioc), you might know it in it’s dry or pearled form, tapioca.

Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for around 500 million people. It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava. [Source]

This tasty snack was spotted at MetFood on 5th avenue between Prospect avenue and 16th street in South Slope. They’re ridiculously crunchy. The flavor is very close to potato chips with a slightly heavier starchiness and a hearty aftertaste. A product of Costa Rica, the Lam’s are fun because they aren’t a uniform size. Don’t expect a extreme divergence in flavor from a regular potato chip. Enjoy it for what it is – super crunchy and inexpensive, gluten free snack. $0.99 for a 2.5oz bag. Also available is onion and garlic which sounds painful. They can be purchased online through their website in bulk.

Tags: , , , , , Permalink
Leave a comment

Product Review: Gits Uttapam and Gits Sambhar Mix

Posted by roodonfood on November 29, 2012 in gluten free, indian, vegan

Over time it’s important to learn fundamental foods such as chili, the perfect burger, dal, aloo dum, etc. From the the South Indian cannon I’d add sambhar and uttapams among other items to that list. Sometimes though, convenience wins the day.

These Gits mixes, on sale for only $0.99, require little prep and a just a few veggies often already on hand. Both the uttapam and sambhar mixes feature no gluten ingredients. Be sure to check this with other brands as many will sneak in wheat.

Sambhar is a brothy, hot and sour lentil and vegetable soup often served in conjunction with uttapam, dosas or idlis. Uttapams are rice and lentil based savory pancakes. The flavor is akin to a dosa with it’s pleasant sourdough after taste. They’re often studded with chopped tomato, cilantro, chillies and onion.

The preparation was quite simple. First the sambhar mix, 2 chopped medium tomatoes and 40 oz of water (5 cups) are added into a pot and simmered for about 20 minutes. (The package gives a range of 20-30 depending on desired consistency).

Gits Uttappam Cooking

Open the uttapam into a bowl and mix with the suggested amount of water +10%. Let it rest about 5 minutes. In the meantime chop another medium tomato, a handful of cilantro and onion into small pieces. Add a little oil to a pan and turn to medium low. Ladle out the first uttapam. Quickly add in some chopped tomato, cilantro and onion to the side facing up. We made ours into roughly 4 inch diameters. Each side cooked for around 3 minutes. Just like with pancakes, the first one took the longest, the rest about 1 minute less. And just like pancakes it’s ready to be flip when it begins to bubble and curl up a little on the edges. We went to just shy of golden brown. This pack yielded 8 pancakes.

Gits Uttappam Detail

Gits Uttappam with Sambhar

I’m very happy with the product. It’s a light breakfast or lunch but very tasty. How they got that level of sour in the sambhar without the use of black magic is unclear but it will make you smile. Note1: The spice will sneak up on you. Note2: The only suggestion is to let the batter for the uttapam thicken for around 5 minutes otherwise you might wonder why it’s so thin. (That’s not written on the box). Note3: It bears repeating that other brands sell uttapam mixes but this one mentions no glutinous ingredients. Enjoy. And happy convenience eating. They can be purchased an Indo-Pak stores everywhere. These were from Patel Brothers in Jackson Heights Queens.

Tags: , , , , , , , , Permalink
Leave a comment

The Village Restaurant in Somalia

Posted by roodonfood on November 28, 2012 in Uncategorized

I wanted to share this great story from NPR of a man named Ahmed Jama. He’s a chef who repatriated to his homeland from London despite warnings of violence and suicide bombings. Extremists did try multiple times to attack his restaurants but he remains undeterred. He now operates 3, count’ em 3 restaurants in his native Somalia with another soon to open (there is also a location in London). The restaurants are all titled “The Village” and they serve traditional Somali food.

A meal at The Village starts with a salad of shrimp, mango, lime, onion and strips of chapatti bread. A fillet of kingfish, caught that morning, is grilled over charcoal and enlivened with a light green-chili sauce. A side of rice is garnished with carrots, onion, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, raisins and green pepper.

Everything is local, everything is fresh — because it’s hard to get processed food in Mogadishu. There are also traditional Somali dishes on the menu such as soor, sorghum mash; canjeelo, Somali pancakes; and camel meat.

If you ever find yourself in Mogadishu, be sure to stop by. Have you ever tried Somali food? Do you have any recipes to share?

 

Tags: , , Permalink
Leave a comment

Edradour Single Malt Whisky Review (Scotland, ABV 43%)

Posted by roodonfood on November 27, 2012 in Beer and Wine Reviews
Edradour Single Malt Whisky

Edradour Single Malt Whisky
Image Source: Scotchblog.ca

After recently posting about Amrut and now Edradour, I’m considering making a tag “My Brother’s Whisky/Scotch” though it probably won’t be particularly high on SEO ranking. Edradour is the smallest distillery in Scotland and according their website, in the world, producing only 12 casks a week. They export in extremely small quantities to around a dozen countries so it’s not easy to find. Luckily for me, my brother was gifted their 10 Year Single Malt Whisky during his most recent trip to to Scotland.

It’s extremely smooth on the tongue with a wee bit of smoke on initial taste. The aftertaste has some noticeable honey notes and is strangely light, even borderline watery though in a positive way. This is one of the most accessible whiskies I’ve ever tried. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to try it again. What whiskies do you appreciate? Here is another post about visiting the distillery and doing the tour.

Tags: , , , , Permalink
2 Comments

Deep Plaintain Chips (Ruffled)

Posted by roodonfood on November 26, 2012 in gluten free, indian, Snacks, vegan
Deep Plantain Chips Ruffled

Deep Plantain Chips Ruffled

Deep is a well known snack brand from India, going back to 1977.  These nice and simple plantain chips contain just three ingredients: plantains, oil and salt. Plantain chips are typically crunchy but being kettle cooked and ruffled takes it up a notch. In addition to impressive crunchiness the flavor is hearty with a mild natural sweetness. The subtle sweetness combined with the salt makes these a very addictive chip. Other flavors include original, masala, mari and tomato.

The bag was 7oz (200g) for $3.99 at Foods of India (Sinha Trading company) located 121 Lexington Ave @28th St. Deep items can also be found at Little India (128 E 28th) and at Patel Brothers in Jackson Heights Queens. Some items can be ordered online as well.

Tags: , , , , , , Permalink
7 Comments

Collard Greens Recipe

Posted by roodonfood on November 22, 2012 in Recipes

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! If leafy greens were like an 80s movie, kale would be the rich kids named Thad, Chaz and Victoria. Collards would be like working class Lloyd Dobler.  I’ll always have a soft spot for them because it reminds me of living in Tennessee, Southern Cooking and Soul Food. Beyond the positive association they’re full of good stuff like vitamin a, c, iron, calcium and fiber.

Collards possess a beautiful deep green color and oversized leaves.  Bitter and tough, like some people, they shrink to 1/3 the size, soften, and gain a hearty chewy texture when cooked. Wait that doesn’t sound right. [To clarify: Some people are bitter and tough at first but soften as you get to know them – Editors]

Below is my version of collard greens. It’s true to tradition with a few small modifications:

Collard Greens

Collard Greens

I use bacon instead of ham hock because it adds a nice sizzle. Corn adds a sweetness to balance against the salt, bacon and stock. A veggie, vegan version is possible by substituting veg broth and skipping the bacon. I’ve never tried liquid smoke but hear it works as a decent substitute for bacon/pork.

Ingredients:

1 bunch collard greens (Torn into small pieces. Remove stems)
½ vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 medium tomato, chopped
½ cup of chicken stock (bouillion can also be used)
A few ounces of corn
1 T garlic
1 T Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt to Taste
Pepper to taste
Sriracha or chili powder to taste
4 or 5 sticks of bacon (chopped to medium size pieces)

Method

Put chopped onions and a little oil into deep pot. Turn pan on to medium low. After a minute or so, toss in the bacon pieces. Allow these to cook for 5 minutes flipping once (depends if you like crispy or chewy).

Throw in your collard greens, corn, tomato, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, sriracha/chili powder, chicken stock and enough water to cover about 1/2 of the pot. Mix well. Bring to a boil, then simmer with lid. Continue cooking for 40 minutes or until tender, checking occasionally. Collards leaves will darken, wilt and soften noticeably. This isn’t the healthiest way to cook these greens but it’s nice to indulge ever now and again. Enjoy a soulful/southern Thanksgiving.

Here are a couple of other great recipes both of which are vegetarian/vegan: Spice Peanut Butter Tofu with Collards, Kashmiri Haak
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving sides?

Tags: , , , , , , , , Permalink
3 Comments

Eti Digestive Biscuits with Oatmeal Review

Posted by roodonfood on November 21, 2012 in Snacks
ETi Digestive With Oatmeal

ETi Digestive With Oatmeal

The term “digestive” doesn’t sound terribly appetizing from the American point of view. Originating in the UK, the name just indicates biscuits which typically have a higher fiber (fibre) and wheat content than a regular biscuit. Additionally many are made with sodium bicarbonate which is meant to help with (long pause) digestion. The general flavor is akin to a graham cracker.

ETi Oatmeal Digestive with Coffee

ETi Oatmeal Digestive with Coffee

The best known brand is McVitie’s Hobnobs oaty biscuits. Delicious to be sure but too expensive at $5. Thankfully, Eti Digestive Biscuits with Oatmeal are a wonderful, far less expensive ($1.25) replacement. I like the lattice, stroopwafel like pattern on the biscuits. The taste is just as oaty. It provides a respectable crunch and crumbles agreeably in the mouth. These are fantastic with coffee. A product of Turkey, they come 15 to a pack. Because they don’t have the sweetness of a cookie you’re really only tempted to eat 2 at a time. As yet there isn’t a “store locator” to find the products but if there is a Middle Eastern store in your area, that may be a good start. For those in the Brooklyn area, the biscuits are available at Black Seed (576 Atlantic), two doors down from Fertile Crescent.

For those who are gluten free and vegan, here is a recipe for making a homemade version.

Tags: , , , Permalink
Leave a comment

Black Swan Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (Australia)

Posted by roodonfood on November 19, 2012 in Beer and Wine Reviews
Black Swan Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Lisa’s Liquor Barn

Already a big fan of the Black Swan Riesling it just made sense to give a red a try. I can now say that the Cabernet Sauvignon is just as splendid as it’s white wine sibling. We rarely finish a bottle in a night but it happened with this $6.99 bottle.

It’s medium bodied with perfectly balanced tannins. Heavy black cherry notes on initial taste and smell. There are oaky notes in the aftertaste. The sweet to tart ratio works well and helps to make it quite lively. If you’re introducing someone to cabernet – this would be a great option. It’s a perfect wine for a chilly night. I’d also credit this Aussie beverage for helping through the disappointing sci-fi movie Pandorum. Score another win for Black Swan. Here is another positive review about it.

Tags: , , , Permalink