Spicy Tuna Salad

photo for Boston Globe by Debra Samuels

Think spicy tuna and a sushi bar comes to mind. But there are other ways to meld rich fish and hot condiments. One is this composed canned tuna salad, made with the same spicy sauce used in those popular sushi rolls. You can make the same dish with shrimp, grilled salmon, smoked salmon, or leftover roast striped bass. The sauce begins with ordinary mayo, to which sesame oil and a few squirts of the Thai hot sauce sriracha are mixed in - enough to make a lip-tingling, faintly pink-colored sauce. Flake white tuna onto peppery arugula, garnish the plates with radishes for even more bite, and toss on a few cucumbers to cool the presentation. Then drizzle with spicy sauce. Not your mother’s tuna salad.

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, or more to taste
1 bunch arugula, stems removed
2 cans (6 1/2 ounces each) solid white albacore tuna in water
1 bunch radishes, soaked to remove sand, trimmed, and quartered
2 Armenian or pickling cukes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 scallions, chopped
4 small whole-wheat pita, halved and toasted

1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sesame oil, and sriracha. Taste for seasoning and add more sriracha, if you like.
2. On each of 4 plates, arrange some of the arugula. Divide the tuna among the plates, setting it in a mound on each one. Add radishes and cucumbers.
3. Spoon the sauce over the tuna and sprinkle with scallions. Serve with toasted pita.

Maharashtra fish curry

In this fish curry from the Maharashtra region in western India, you get both delicate and piquant in one dish. Coconut milk makes the sauce creamy but you get plenty of heat and flavor with a balanced blend of spices. Most Indian cooks toast and grind whole spices - some do this daily - but Renu Dvivedi, an Indian cooking teacher in Greenwich, Conn., and Dubai, says dried spices will work; buy them in small quantities and use them within 6 months. The spices are sauteed initially with onion and green chili pepper. Then stir in the coconut milk, and add thick white fish fillets such as haddock, cod, pollock, or sole, along with zucchini. Tuck the thinner sections of the fish under the thicker parts to create a uniform size for cooking. The fish and vegetable are bathed in a golden, aromatic sauce. Rice rounds out this exotic meal.

1 1/2 pounds white flesh fillets (haddock, cod, pollock, sole)

2 tablespoons oil 1 large onion, finely chopped

1 small green chili, seeded and finely chopped

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lemon, cut into slices

1. Tuck the thinner pieces of the fish under the thicker ones to make uniform pieces.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and chili. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the onion is golden.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, and cayenne and black peppers. Stir the spices into the skillet with the garlic and coconut flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the water to form a paste; cook 1 minute more.

4. Add the salt, turmeric, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat; simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Place the fish in the sauce. Set the zucchini at the edges. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook 3 minutes more or until the fish is done. Sprinkle with cilantro and garnish with lemons.

Adapted from Renu Dvivedi

Quick mix for chocolate fix

Photo by Debra Samuels for the Boston Globe

Debra Samuels Globe Correspondent / February 11, 2009

Instant cocoa mixes are made for the moments when you come in from shoveling, can't feel your fingers or toes, and need something hot and nourishing - fast. This easy hot cocoa mix requires only boiling water. To make it, mix nonfat dried milk with high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder and a modest amount of sugar. Dried milk is made from milk that's fortified with vitamins A and D. Carnation brand yields the best results. After you stir your homemade mix into a cup of hot water, add mini marshmallows with a few chocolate chips for extra melting richness.
Turn the cocoa mix into a pudding treat by adding cornstarch. Pudding is one of the first things kids learn to cook, stirring the mixture with a long-handled wooden spoon, waiting for the magic moment when the chocolate liquid turns gooey and the wooden spoon turns into a chocolate lollipop. This pudding firms up in the refrigerator but still has a soft creamy texture. Add chocolate chips to this, too, for an intense kick. You'll defrost completely.

Recipes
Hot cocoa mix
Makes about six 8-ounce servings

1 1/3 cups (one 3.2 ounce packet) nonfat dried milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 chocolate chips

1. In a bowl, combine the dried milk, cocoa, sugar and salt . Store in an airtight container.
2. In a separate bowl mix the marshmallows and chocolate chips. Store separately in a plastic zipper bag.
3. Use as directed.

Hot cocoa
Serves 1

1/4 cup cocoa mix (see recipe)
1 cup boiling water
Handful mini marshmallows and chocolate chips

1. In a large mug, combine the cocoa mix and boiling water. Stir until combined.
2. Sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chip.

Chocolate pudding mix
Makes about ten 1/2-cup servings

1 1/3 cups (3.2 ounce packet) nonfat dried milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a bowl, combine the dried milk, cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Store in an airtight container. Use as directed.

Chocolate pudding
Serves 2

1/2 cup chocolate pudding mix (see recipe)
1 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

1. Have on hand 2 ramekins or small bowls (1/2-cup capacity each).
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the pudding mix and water. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a boil. Continue cooking for 30 seconds.
3. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla and chocolate chips, if using. Take a piece of plastic wrap and set it directly on top of the pudding. This will keep a skin from forming. Let the pudding cool for 15 minutes until it is room temperature. Spoon the pudding into the ramekins or bowls. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Chinese chicken soup casserole

Photo By Debra Samuels
Globe Correspondent / January 21, 2009

This Chinese chicken hot pot combines the heartiness of a casserole with a light, warming chicken broth. Slices of fresh ginger root and scallions are two aromatics that signal that this is not Grammy Greenberg's Jewish penicillin. But like hers and other pots of chicken soup, this begins with a whole bird. Here, it's cut up and browned first, which cuts the simmering time to 20 minutes. Add strands of transparent noodles, which float like threads among the pieces of chicken. Soy sauce seasons the broth, along with fresh shiitake mushrooms (or use soaked dried shiitakes and add the soaking liquid to the broth). Serve bowls of steamed white or brown rice beside the brimming bowls of soup. You'll put a smile on any grandmother's face.

Recipe
2 ounces transparent noodles
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 thick slices fresh ginger
3 scallions 2 halved and thinly sliced
1 small onion thinlt sliced
1 frying chicken, cut up ( cut breasts cut into thirds)

1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
3 1/2 cups water
10 fresh shiitake mushrooms, halved
1 small head Chinese (Napa) cabbage, cut into quarters, with stem intact
1. In a medium bowl, combine the noodles and cold water to cover; set aside for 30 minutes.
2. In a large flameproof casserole over high heat, heat the oil for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, scallions, and onion. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides for 2 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the chicken with soy sauce and continue cooking
for 1 minute. Transfer the
chicken, onion mixture, and juices in the pan to a bowl. Wipe out the pan.
5. Add the water, mushrooms, and cabbage pieces. Nestle the chicken and onion mixture among the vegetables. Tip the juices from the bowl into the pan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Drain the noodles and add to the soup. Cook for 5 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or soy sauce, if you like. Return the soup to a boil. Cook for 1 minute.
7. In four large bowls, place a quarter of the cabbage, some of the chicken pieces, and mushrooms. Ladle the broth into the bowls and set the noodles on top. Sprinkle with scallions and more pepper.
Adapted from "The Key to Chinese Cooking."

Kasha varnishkes

By Debra Samuels, Globe Correspondent December 17, 2008

Serves 8
Eastern-European Jewish immigrants brought kasha varnishkes to this country at the turn of the 20th century. Kasha is roasted buckwheat groats; varnishkes means noodles in Yiddish (bow ties are now classic), and Wolff's Kasha is the brand most cooks use. Mix eggs into uncooked groats to keeps the groats firm. The grains cook in about 10 minutes. Add sauteed mushrooms and let sit for five minutes. The dish goes with beef brisket, or can be a vegetarian entree with more veggies. This is stick-to-your-ribs cuisine.

1 teaspoon salt, and more for the pasta water
8 ounces bow tie pasta
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2eggs, beaten to mix
2cups coarse kasha
4cups water
1/2teaspoon pepper, or to taste
10ounces white mushrooms, sliced

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bow ties and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender; drain.
2. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
3. In a bowl, combine the eggs and kasha. Add the kasha mixture to the onion mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the kasha is dry and the grains are separated.
4. Add the water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
5. Meanwhile, in another skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cook the mushrooms for 4 minutes or until their liquid evaporates. Stir the mushrooms into the kasha. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the bow ties. Add more salt and pepper, if you like. Adapted from Wolff's Kasha

© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

Buttermilk pancakes

Buttermilk was originally made from liquid left over after churning butter. My butter churn is next to the spinning wheel somewhere in the basement.

Today, buttermilk, which has a month long refrigerator life, is made from pasteurized skim milk that is slightly fermented. The thick consistency and slightly sour taste add a light texture and tang to baked goods and salad dressings.

Buttermilk is wonderful and indispensable in pancakes , but unless you make buttermilk pancakes all the time, who keeps a quart of the liquid on hand? That's where powdered buttermilk comes in . Saco makes a cultured powdered blend that you add directly to dry ingredients (as opposed to reconstituting it first). When it's time to mix the liquids you simply substitute water for milk or fresh buttermilk.

You can even make your own pancake mix, which I started doing, beginning with a recipe on the Saco box and adapting it. When it's time for breakfast, take out your own mix, add water and an egg, heat the griddle, and fluffy pancakes will be ready in minutes.

If you're headed to someone's summer house, the pancake mix makes a nice host gift. Package the dry ingredients in a cellophane bag and tie it with ribbon. Add a pancake recipe, a jar of pure maple syrup, a new nonstick skillet, if you're staying more than a night, and you have a practical present. It will last longer than the summer, get put to use on busy school mornings come fall, and you may be invited back next year.

Makes about 10

1 1/2 cups buttermilk pancake mix (see recipe)
3/4 cup water
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. In a bowl, stir together the pancake mix, water, egg, and vanilla.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Turn off the heat. Take 1 tablespoon of the melted butter
and stir it into the pancake batter. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.

3. Reheat the skillet of butter until it begins to foam. With a 1/4 - cup measure, pour pancake batter into the hot pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake s . With a spatula, flip the pancakes over. Cook for 1 minute more. Serve with syrup or confectioners' sugar.

Buttermilk pancake mix

Makes about 3 cups (enough for 20 pancakes)

2 cups flour
1/2 cup dry buttermilk
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl blend the flour, buttermilk powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.

2. Store in an airtight container. Adapted from Saco Cultured Buttermilk Blend

Escarole and meatball soup

Escarole and meatball soup
Serves 4 as a main course

Often referred to as Italian wedding soup, this hearty bowl has been mistranslated for many years. The name, minestra maritata, really means "married soup," which refers to the pleasing combination of vegetables and meatballs. Light but substantial, the soup contains escarole, curly bitter greens, and pork and beef meatballs simmered in homemade or prepared chicken stock. Near the end of cooking add dried pasta -- ditalini, bow ties, orzo -- and top with shredded Parmesan. Add crusty bread and salad and you have a satisfying supper. No license required.

SOUP
8 cups chicken stock
2 carrots, thickly sliced
1 celery stalk, thickly sliced

1. In a soup pot over medium heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil.
2. Lower the heat and add the carrots and celery. Simmer for 30 minutes.

MEATBALLS
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2[1 ]eggS, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt, and more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and more to taste
1 head escarole, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup small pasta (ditalini, bow ties, orzo)
Extra shredded Parmesan (for sprinkling)

1. In a bowl, combine the beef, pork, egg, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. With your hands, shape small balls (about 1 tablespoon each). You should get about 40.
2. Add the meatballs and escarole to the simmering soup. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until it is tender but still has some bite. Taste for seasoning, add more salt and pepper, if you like. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan. Adapted from Alice Taverna