26 June 2011

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival

"Nothing exists now but the tiger, filling his field of vision like a bad accident, like the end of the world; a pair of blazing yellow lanterns over a temple door framed with ivory columns."

-excerpt from The Tiger by John Vaillant


Originally there was some hesitation for reading Vaillant's book The Tiger, for fear that the book would be too gory for members to stomach and discuss at the dinner table. Vaillant however, does a fantastic job of describing horrid events in elegant detail, allowing the reader to experience beautiful power and grandeur rather than blood and guts.

The accompanying potluck dinner to our book discussion was a feast fit for a king. And staying true to our club's beliefs, most of the ingredients were locally sourced!

Dinner Menu: Russian cuisine -or- Tiger themed food

Beef Stroganoff
Russian Eggplant Caviar
Cheese and Potato Pierogies with saute onions
White Russian cocktails
"Snow covered" nuts
"USSR issued" soda
Tiger Cake (black and orange striped cake)
Russian chocolates

Russian Eggplant Caviar (Ikra)

Ikra aka “Russian Eggplant Caviar”
This delicious recipe comes to us courtesy of one of our members who made this dish for our Russian dinner themed June meetup, "The Tiger." 

Ingredients 
2 medium purple eggplants
3 medium tomatoes, pureed
1 large onion, minced
Garlic powder
Pepper
Olive oil
Pita or rye bread for serving

Directions

Bake eggplant whole in a glass pan at 425ºF. until it is soft and its skin is charred and blistered.
Cook diced onion in olive oil over moderate heat until they are soft.
Scoop bakes eggplant out of skin into a food processor / blender and puree.
Add eggplant and tomatoes to onion. Mix and season to taste.
Serve hot or cold with bread for dipping.

 *Photo from FoodNetwork.com

08 June 2011

Strawberry Cobbler

Another amazing dish brought by a Hungry Intellectuals member to our A Walk in the Woods meetup. From what I recall, we polished off the entire batch!


Ingredients

· 1/2 cup white sugar

· 2 tablespoons cornstarch

· 1/2 cup water

· 2 lbs. strawberries, hulled (and chopped if they're large)

· 2 tablespoons butter, diced

· 1 cup all-purpose flour

· 1 tablespoon white sugar

· 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 3 tablespoons butter

· 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Butter a 2 quart baking dish. (I used a 9X9 in. square pan, but I should have used a deeper one - the filling boiled over a bit)
  2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and hot. Stir in strawberries, and remove from heat. Pour mixture into the baking dish, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
  3. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in cream. Mixture should be fairly soft. Spoon on top of berries.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
  5. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and enjoy!

Chilled Peach, Tomato and Cucumber Soup



This refreshing twist on traditional peach soup was created by a member of the Hungry Intellectuals and brought to our May meeting, A Walk In The Woods. The smoothness and sweetness of the farmers' market peaches disguise the healthy tomatoes and cucumber flavors, and the cinnamon gives it a nice kick. The soup received rave reviews from everyone!


Ingredients
4 large ripe peaches
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 medium ripe cucumber, peeled and diced
Ground cinnamon
Sugar
Mint sprigs

Method
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut a small “X” through the bottom of each peach and tomato, then drop them into the water to blanch for 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer peaches and tomatoes to a bowl of ice water. When they are cooled, drain well then peel them, starting from the “X” at the bottom. Discard skin and pits and transfer to a food processor or blender.

Add cucumber and blend/puree until smooth. Add cinnamon and sugar to taste. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

Pour soup into bowls or cups, garnish with mint and enjoy!