Sunday, January 4th, 2009 - Leftovers

D is still sick. We were tempted to go to Cypress to ride but he then started to cough again and we stayed in.

An hour later he went to check out WebMD for cold remedies. Like my mother, he defers to the voice of experts than second hand. So when I told him he should steep some fresh ginger in boiling water, he agreed because WebMD concurred :0).

So for breakfast, we both drank copious amounts of ginger tea with a slice of lemon and a stick of cinnamon. Well not cinnamon really. Most of the cinnamon on the market in stick form is not really cinnamon. It's bark from the Cassia tree. Cinnamon bark actually comes in enormous towel sized rolls. Some sticks of real cinnamon can be had but most likely if the source is Vietnam or Cambodia. Read the pack. If it's from Indonesia or otherwise, you're probably getting Cassia.

I had my tea with some dry cereal. Natural Path Heritage O's and Flax Flakes. That way I could eat it as a snack on the couch with my book. D had it the normal way.

Around 11, I heated up a Spanakopita from yesterday. On high for 30 seconds is good for toasty. A litte longer for piping hot for TWO. Obviously reheating in the oven is better because the phyllo is soggy in the micro. But if you have a toaster oven that'd be perfect. I don't like turning on the oven for a reheat.

D busted out some souvenir mexican xocolate pucks we bought in Puerto Vallarta last year. It's called Kekua. I think they have a website. You 1 litre of water or milk... or rather just to the point of boiling. We did milk. Water?? who would do that? Then you bust up a puck and drop it in and whisk until frothy. If you have a molinillo to do it properly then all the better. They're usually made of wood and kind of look like those honey scoopers that are rounded. A whisk is just fine. You don't need to add anything else if it is a sweetened puck. Ours had Chocolat, Azucar (sugar) and Canela (cinnamon) already in it. D mis read the spanish instructions and used half the amount of milk. The resulting beverage was very sweet and pungent but very delicious. I couldn't finish the last bit at the bottom of my mug so D combined it with his and added more water.For lunch, we went for the egg yolks from last night soufflee, kale from a few nights ago and the half bunch of spinach. I love kale. I only discovered it a few years ago in England since it's been a peasant staple for ages, particularly in Ireland where it's often served in mashed potatoes. It's much heartier than spinach and even after a blanching is till chewy and substantial. Great as an easy side dish. You can buy it anywhere.

Oyster Mushroom and Eggplant Frittata with Kale

Frittatas are the italian version of an omelette. It usually contains vegetables, herbs and cheese. Unlike the french equivalent which is tossed rapidly and folded, it is set in the pan and finished off in the oven. The spanish equivalent would be flipped over with the aid of a plate and turned back into the pan to finish.

D braised the kale, one or two leaves chopped with the spinach, washed and chopped. Fry some garlic in a little olive oil add the leaves and toss until slightly wilted. Cover and set aside. They'll continue to cook on the element with the heat off.

In a pan, we fry some oyster mushrooms, perserved jarred eggplant you can buy at any italian grocery..mmmmm, shallot, leftover dill and garlic. Salt and Pepper to taste. Beat three eggs or four for two people but we beat three and then added the two yolks from yesterday. Pour over the veg and stir. Move the egg around gently pulling the cooked egg away with a wide rubber spatula to let the raw egg cook but don't scramble. When it's nearly set, put the broiler on high with a rack in the highest position. Cut on plum tomato in to slices and place strategically around in whatever pattern you like. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until set.

Now some people wouldn't dare put a non-stick pan under the broiler. First, if your handle is wood or plastic, wrap in tinfoil, no worries. As for the teflon, some studies have shown that under intense heat, teflon can be toxic. However, it will not be under the broiler for very long and it has food in it. Now, I would advise preheating an empty teflon pan on extremely high heat for very long.

You can top the frittata with grated parmesan (the real stuff) or guyere. mmm Cut the frittata into fourths and serve with the kale. It's enough for a light lunch for four but we ate the whole thing.

The evening was more tea and leftover souflee. If you have half of it left, reheat in the oven. Otherwise 45 secs on high in the microwave is good.