Genoa "Porto Antico" Pesto

A few months ago I started working at a great small firm in Brooklyn working on three residential projects in New York, so sorry for not posting in a while. Luckily I am back in the world of employed architects and to further celebrate I just broke in my new food processor from my friends Dillon and Lindsey, and made this tasty pesto!

Pesto is a lovely sauce originally from Genoa, Italy, so I found this interesting terrarium on the waterfront Porto Antico in Genoa that architect Renzo Piano redeveloped. I thought of mentioning this terrarium after I was at an opening at  MoMA for the new terrarium pieces by Paula Hayes, which my friend Heidi Theunissen worked on the 3d design and fabrication, check it out!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/arts/design/03vogel.html?_r=1

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• fettuccine pasta, or whichever you would like

How to make it,

1. Put all ingredients except for the pasta into a food processor and blend until smooth, be sure to taste, so easy!
2. Boil water with a pinch  of salt and cook the pasta until al dente.
3. Mix in the pesto with the pasta, then garnish with a few basil leaves, enjoy!

"Studio Granada Architects" Pomegranate Chicken

After making this dish I learned that the "pomegranate" is derived from the Latin  pomum ("apple") and granatus ("seeded") and that the city of Granada may have been named after this fruit. So I chose to relate this dish to a beautiful sustainable home in Iceland by Studio Granada Architects. http://studiogranda.is/ Complete with passive solar design, geothermal heating and a lovely green roof, this home uses sustainable design while blending in with the surrounding beautiful landscape.

Ingredients:

•  a few tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 lbs. of chicken beasts cut into cubes
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 2 beets, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 half cup of walnuts, pulsed in a blender
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup of grenadine
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup of basmati rice
• seeds from 1 pomegranate

for the cucumber yogurt

• 2 cups of Greek yogurt
• 1/2 a cucumber peeled and shredded
• a bit of lemon juice
• salt and pepper

How to make it,

1. Brown the chicken in a bit of olive oil over high heat, then remove from the pan and set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, saute the chopped onions in a bit of olive oil, then add the beets, garlic, walnuts, cinnamon and cayenne. stir for a few minutes
3. Add the grenadine and stock and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover and let it cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the chicken  and half the pomegranate seeds and simmer stirring now and then for a half hour or so, be sure to taste the sauce to see if it needs more salt and pepper.
5. For the basmati rice, boil 1 1/2 cups of water then simmer and add 1 cup of rice, simmer for 12-15 minutes.
6. For the yogurt add the shredded cucumber to the yogurt and season with salt and pepper.
7. When I plated this dish i filled a cup with the rice then flipped it over, then poured the chicken stew mixture on top, garnishing with the other half of pomegranate seeds and a bit of mint. Then put the yogurt on the side, enjoy!

"La Caixa" Stuffed Shells

This Catalan dish is so delicious don't be surprised if your guests find themselves licking the bechamel sauce off their plates. When thinking of what architectural moment to relate to this recipe, I stumbled onto this lovely metro stop at the La Caixa Center in Spain by Arata Isozaki. Just as this shell dish holds a lovely filling comprised of 4 meats, onion and leek, this sculptural canopy is made of tree like structures which hold a beautiful glass canopy above.
Just as an added Spanish twist after seeing this canopy I was consequently reminded of one of my favorite sculptural pieces Berlin, by Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida, enjoy!

Ingredients,

• 1 box of. large pasta shells
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1 lb. of ground beef, veal, and pork
• 1 lb. of boneless chicken breast cut into small cubes
• 1 onion chopped finely
• 1 leek, cut into thin rings
• 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 4 tbsp of butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• ground nutmeg to taste
• 1 cup freshly grated Fontina Cheese

How to make it,

1. Preheat oven to 390 F. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and brown the meat, onion and leek.
2. Stir in the breadcrumbs and add salt and pepper.
3. Next is to make a rue, melt the butter in a pan and blend in the flour, cook until the mixture is a pale yellow viscous substance.
4. Add the stock and the milk, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth.
5. Then bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.
6. Season this sauce with thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg, be sure to taste!
7. Boil the shells until al dente, then fill with the shells with the meat/onion/leek mixture on a metal pan or glass dish.
8. Pour the bechamel sauce ontop of the shells. then add the grated cheese.
9. Bake for 25 minutes, then serve hot.

"Savoye" Chicken Noodle Soup!

Since I made this soup from my last chicken recipe I thought I would stay with the same architect, Le Corbusier, just introducing another of his projects. Just as this soup illustrates the quintessential chicken noodle soup elements, chicken, noodles, carrots, celery, the Villa Savoye illustrates the quintessential "Five Points of Architecture" which were Le Corbusier's basic tenets of a new aesthetic of modernist architecture. These five points are...

1. "pilotie" or ground-level supporting columns, which elevate the building from the earth allowing the garden to flow beneath.
2.  A "flat roof terrace" reclaims the area of the building site for domestic purposes, including a garden space.
3. The "free plan" made possible by the elimination of load-bearing walls consists of partitions placed where they are needed without regard for those on adjoining levels.
4. Horizontal "ribbon windows" which provided even illumination and ventilation
5. The "free facade", unconstrained by load-bearing considerations, consists of a thin skin of wall and windows.

Ingredients:

• leftover chicken bones (if you want to make your own broth otherwise just use ready made chicken stock
• 2 quarts of water
• 2 cups of leftover chicken
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium spanish onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch thick circles
• 3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces
• 1 1/2 cups of yellow squash, cut into slices and quartered
• 1 potato cut into small pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• tablespoon of thyme
• 8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon of paprika

How to make it,

1. Saute the chopped onion in a bit of olive oil in a large pot.
2. Add the water and chicken bones and boil for 20 minutes then reduce to medium heat, continue to cook for an hour, skim the scum off the top of the stock, then remove the bones from the stock.
3. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, potato, squash, chicken, thyme and bay leaf. cook for about 20 minutes until potatoes and veggies are just about soft, if not allow more time to cook.
4. Add the noodles to the soup and cook for an additional 7 minutes or so until the noodles are tender.
5. season with salt and pepper and paprika to taste, then serve hot, five points of architecture in 5 steps!

"Unité" Braised Chicken (Poulet Provençal)

This housing complex, the Unite de Habitation in Marseilles, France by architect Le Corbusier marks one of his large housing projects that was quite different from typical housing projects of the time. Inside, corridors run through the center of the long axis of every third floor of the building, with each apartment lying on two levels, generous sized spaces, communal facilities, a beautiful rooftop terrace, and a parkland setting. The Unité remains popular with its residents and is now mainly occupied by middle-class professionals, who I could see making this regional French chicken dish.

Ingredients,

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons of herbs de Provence
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves; 2 sliced and 2 minced
• 4 tomatoes cut into wedges
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup of pitted olives
• salt and pepper

How you make it,

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Combine tomatoes, onions, olives, sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence, fennel seeds, salt and pepper in a large glass baking dish.
3. Combine minced garlic, salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, this is what you will rub the inside and outside of the chicken.
4. Rub inside and outside of chicken including under the skin with this olive oil based rub then place the chicken amongst the vegetables.
5. Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and fully cooked.

"Shell House" Clams with Baked Yam Fries

Here is my take on another way to do the traditional  French/Belgian "Moules F rites" better known as mussels and fries" (which I realize I will have to add to my recipes as well).

 

 

I stumbled onto this shell inspired house by artechnic while looking for a building to relate to my clams and yams.  Its sinuous surfaces bend and wrap the shape of the house while standing out from the landscape, quite lovely.

Ingredients,

• 1 large yam
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• Cajun seasoning (optional, I like to spice them up a bit)
• package of clams about 12 clams total
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 piece of celery cut into thin 2" strips
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup white wine ( I use chardonnay)
• dash of salt and pepper
• fresh cut Italian parsley

How to make it,

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Scrub yam then chop into thin slices keeping the skins and put onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Cajun spices, then bake for 25 minutes, flipping them every so often.
3. Clean clams under water discard any clams that are open!
4. In a medium pot saute the chopped onion and celery in a bit of olive oil.
5. Add the garlic, the clams, then add the wine.
6. Cover over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until you see they have opened.
7. I use the sauteed onion and celery as a bed for the clams to lay on top of, the add a bit of the juice from the pot. (do not eat any clams that do not open!)
8. Remove the yams from the oven, plate with the clams and enjoy, I ate the whole package of these myself so don't let the photo of  4 clams fool you, these are addictive!

"Dutch Pavillion" Zucchini and Mushroom Lasagna

When I was studying in Bonn, I went back to Hannover where I had lived a few years earlier, to attend the World's Fair 2000, where many different countries build pavilions to represent their country. This amazing pavillion by MVRDV was one of my favorites, so it came to mind when I thought of the layers in this lasagna.

Ingredients,

• lasagna (I use the Barilla flat no boil variety)
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped basil
• 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• mushrooms cut into slices
• zuchinni cut into slices

How to make it,

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Mix together ricotta, eggs, milk, cheese, basil, and a bit of salt and pepper in a bowl.
3. In another bowl mix the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper (you can also just use pasta sauce from your grocery store.
4. In a glass dish spread a bit of the tomato mixture in the dish.
5. Cover that with a layer of lasagna, then a layer of the cheese mixture, then a layer of mushrooms.
6. Repeat layering with one layer of zucchini as well. 
7. When you get to the top put a few zucchini slices coverd in a bit of the cheese mixture.
8. Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan on and bake for 50-60 minutes.

"Vienna Rathaus" Pork Chops with Apple Yams

While studying abroad in Vienna I ate a dish that was quite similar to this one and although it was pork it tasted like a little Thanksgiving. The City Hall or "das Rathaus" was one of my favorite buildings in Vienna which was clad in vibrant red flowers spilling out of the flower boxes.

Ingredients,

• 2 pork chops
• salt and pepper
• 3 slices of bacon
• 1 small red onion
• 2 sweet potatoes, sliced into small pieces
• 1 apple (I use a yellow apple), sliced into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

How to make it,

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Chop the apple, yam, onion with the brown sugar and blend in a blender until blended into small bits, this can take a little while (and try some shaking of the blender) if it is not so great like my blender...
3. Cook the bacon in a pan, then set aside. Save a bit of the grease from the bacon in the pan.
4. Season pork chops with salt and pepper then brown on either side in the same pan that the bacon was cooked in just a few minutes on each side.
5. Layer the yam mixture and then the pork chops in a glass baking dish and cook for 1 hour covered with foil until the yams are tender. 
6. Plate the yams then top with the pork chop, add a few bacon slices on top and enjoy this mini Thanksgiving.   

"Quai Branly" Cream of Broccoli Soup

I have always been a fan of broccoli, it is one vegetable I never get tired of. This tasty soup is one of my favorites but be sure to taste it to see there is enough salt in it otherwise it will taste a bit bland. This lovely green soup made me think of this "Green" project in Paris, the Quai Branly Museum, by the French architect Jean Nouvel, which features an amazing vertical green planted facade.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 8 cups broccoli florets ( about 2 big broccoli bunches)
• 3 tablespoons butter for the cream mixture
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ground black pepper and salt to taste

How to make it, 

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion until tender. 
2. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Pour the soup into a blender.  Use a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a medium pot.
4. In a small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add the cream. Stir until it thickens a bit, and add to soup. Season with salt and pepper, bon appetit!

"Guell" Croquetas de Pollo

When it comes to Spain, there are some things that are just ubiquitous; the architecture of Gaudi and Croquetas or as we know them Croquettes. You cannot go to Spain without seeing some amazing work by the architect Antoni Gaudi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaud%C3%AD and you cannot pass up some amazing Spanish tapas like chicken croquettes. For this dish I was reminded of this lovely park by Gaudi, Park Guell, but if you are ever in Barcelona you cannot miss his masterwork, the Sagrada Familia church, it is an amazing sight.

Ingredients,

•  2 large chicken breasts
• a bit of olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• a large pat of butter
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg to taste
• 2 cups of breadcrumbs
• canola oil/ bit of olive oil for frying the Croquetas
• asparagus 
• garlic

How to make them,

1. Cook the breasts in a bit of olive oil on both sides for about 6 minutes. remove from the pan, cut them into smaller slivers and continue cooking until the chicken is done.
2. Chop the chicken into a paste in a blender with 1 egg and 1 egg yolk.
3. Melt the butter in the same pan, stir the flour and cook the rue on low heat until it turns into a yellow paste.
4. Pour on the (room temperature) milk stirring constantly, bring to a boil, then reduce heat for 10 minutes. Them remove from heat.
5. Add the chicken paste into the rue, season with salt pepper and nutmeg, the nutmeg is the secret ingredient, so be sure to taste.
6. Put this mixture in a bowl in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour, then take out and roll into round small cylinder shapes.
7. Dip the croquettes into the remaining whisked egg, then dip into the breadcrumbs.
8. Fry in a 1/4" of oil, drain on paper towel and serve them while they are hot, they will not be there long!
9. For the asparagus I just sauteed them in a bit of olive oil with salt and pepper and a few sliced garlic cloves.

"Malaparte" Pork and Vegetables over Red Quinoa

I was introduced to quinoa by my architect friend Sarah, who also visited this beautiful red villa in Capri, Italy. The house was envisioned in 1937 by architect Adalberto Libera for Curzio Malaparte. Malaparte actually rejected Libera's design and built the home himself with Adolfo Amitrano, a local stone mason.
When making this dish with this deep red quinoa, I thought of this famous red house, which also makes an appearance in Godard's film "Contempt" with Brigitte Bardot. walking on the roof of this house.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa

Ingredients,

• 1 cup of red quinoa and 2 cups of water
• 2 pork chops cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• salt and pepper
• a few handfuls of vegetables, asparagus, red pepper, and garbanzo beans

How to make it,

1. Boil 2 cups of water in a small pot, when the water boils pour in 1 cup of quinoa and turn to low heat for 15 minutes until water boils away.
2. Pat pork chop strips with salt and pepper
3. Pour a bit of sesame oil in a medium sized meatal pan and add the pork chops.
4. Flip the pork over until it browns, adding the honey and balsamic vinegar, then set aside.
5. In another pan, sautee the assorted vegetables in a bit of sesame oil and salt and pepper for a few minutes just to bring out the color and to keep them crispy.
6. Layer the red quinoa, then the vegetables, then the pork chops. I arranged the pork chops in a terraced "stepped" style in the fashion of the Villa Malaparte, which has a staircase that leads to its dramatic view roof.

"Dominus" Red Wine Sauce Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

Sometimes you just want really good steak and potatoes. Since it is not yet warm enough to grill outside, this steak recipe is a good indoor meal that is always a crowd pleaser.

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Dominus_Winery.html

The addition of the red wine and onion sauce in this dish made me think of this California winery by Herzog and De Meuron, where the building facade is made of wire boxes filled with rocks... sounds strange, but its construction provides some really amazing lighting effects from the interior and uses the gabion wire basket, which is usually used in terracing, in a subversive way.
I'd love to visit this winery some day and do some wine tasting in this lovely and unusual building, who wants to come?

Ingredients,

• rib steak or any sirloin steak fillet
• 1 red onion
• 2 shallots
• dry red wine about 2 cups
• salt, pepper and tarragon (on the steaks)
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• olive oil
• small red creamer potatoes, cut in half
• Herbs de Provence
• green asparagus
• chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish

How to make it,

1. Cut potatoes in half and put into a metal oven pan, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and dust with herbs de Provance, salt and pepper.
2. Put into a 425 degree oven for 25- 35 minutes or until the begin to brown a little.
3. For the steaks, pat with salt pepper and tarragon and set aside.
4. Put the butter into a large metal pan over medium high heat, when the butter melts put the steaks into the pan for about 4 minutes on each side or until the steaks have browned a bit to your desired level of cooking, then set aside and cover to keep warm.
5. In the same pan put the chopped onions and shallots with a little bit of the wine, just a glug.
6. Stir and deglaze the pan, which gets all the brown bits from the cooking of the steaks, this is full of good flavor.
7. Cook the onions and shallots until the become transparent occasionally adding more red wine to them as it cooks down.
8. In a separate pan cook the chopped asparagus in a bit of olive oil with salt and pepper for a few minutes, just to bring that vibrant green color out, very simple.
9. Add the sauce on top of the steak, enjoy!

"Fred and Ginger" Goat Cheese Pasta

This savory curly pasta brought to mind the interaction of Fred and Ginger as seen in Frank Gehry's Dancing House in Prague.Onion, bacon, goat cheese, and peas highlight this delightful pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1 large red onion, chopped
• olive oil
• 5 slices of bacon
• 2 handfuls of peas, fresh or frozen
• 4 tablespoons of goat cheese
• 3/4 box of cavatappi  pasta
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• garnish with fresh chopped parsley (optional)

How to make it,

This pasta is super easy and quick to make but its taste will surprise you in how tasty it is!

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot, add  cavatappi with a bit of salt in the water, cook until al dente then strain.
2. Chop the onion and sautee in a bit of olive oil
3. After the onion has browned add the bacon to the onion, add salt and pepper to taste.
4. 2 minutes before the bacon is done add the peas to the sautee mixture.
5. Add the onions, bacon, and peas to the strained pasta.
6. Add the goat cheese and stir until the cheese has dispersed throughout the pasta. 

"Villa Rosa" Salmon with Vegetables and Couscous

When I lived in Hannover Germany, my host mom Cordula taught me that food should always be beautiful and colorful, so when making this dish I was reminded of the villa that I lived in which was built in 1835 by architect, Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves, a rather well known architect of his time who was in a sense  the Friedrich Shinkel of Hannover.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Ludwig_Friedrich_Laves

Ingredients:

• a fresh wild salmon fillet
• olive oil
• a few pinches of tarragon
• 1/2 pound of red creamer potatoes, cut in half
• a dash of rosemary and thyme 
• an assortment of colorful vegetables, broccoli, corn, garbanzo beans, peas, and red onion, asparagus is great addition as well
• 2 cups couscous
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• salt and pepper to taste

How to make it,

1. Cut potatoes in half and put on a metal baking pan, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and season with a dash of rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper.
2. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 35 minutes, then set aside.
3. In the meantime, in a skillet add vegetables to a bit of olive oil and cook on medium heat until the color becomes more vibrant about 6 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
4. Put salmon onto aluminum foil, drizzle a bit of olive oil on the fillet and season with a dash of tarragon.
5. Fold up the edges and bake into the oven next to the potatoes for 15-20 minutes.
6. In a small pot bring 2 cups of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of butter.
7. Then remove from heat, the add 2 cups of couscous and cover the pot, then let stand for 5 minutes.
8. Create layers on the plate, first the couscous in a large circle, then the vegetables and potatoes, then the salmon on top.

as we say in Hannover, Guten Appetit!

An alternative and more casual way to make this dish is to mash all the ingredients together, which I call a "mash up" which is great for food on the go or at a picnic on the beach.

Vegan Vegtable "Firminy" Risotto

The first time I helped make risotto was at a dinner at my former professor (and architect) Jose Oubrerie's home. He worked with Le Corbusier and recently finished Saint Pierre de Firminy Church in Firminy Vert, France. So with that in mind I thought I would share another one of my favorite risotto recipe's and one of my favorite churches, which I hope to visit someday soon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Pierre,_Firminy

Ingredients:

• half of a red onion chopped
• olive oil
• 1 cup arboreo rice
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 6 cups of vegetable stock
• a handful of each, broccoli, leek, peas, button mushrooms; all chopped (really you could use any vegetables you like but I like this combination)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon of sage
• parsley to garnish
• (optional or spicy version) use a tablespoon or so of Cajun spices

1. Saute the onion in olive oil in a medium sized pot
2. add garlic to the onion after onion is sauteed
3.  pour in about 1 cup of vegetable stock to unstick the onions in the pot
4. Add arboreo rice into the pot
5. The trick to risotto is to alternate stirring the risotto and adding vegetable stock, add the stock little by little and let the risotto cook over medium heat. The 1 cup of arboreo rice will expand and the stock will cook down.
6. After about 10 minutes, add the vegetables to the pot. keep on stirring and adding the stock.
7. Add the paprika and salt and pepper to taste. It usually takes about 30 minutes to complete the stirring and adding of stock, be sure to taste.
8. Let the risotto sit for 10 minutes before serving and add chopped Italian parsley to garnish.

South African "Rhodes" Bobotie

One of my adventures during this interim period was volunteering for a few months in South Africa. In addition to learning about the complex past and current situation of this country, I was also exposed to some of the most amazing landscapes and cooking in my life.

This dish was made by my fellow architect friend Heidi, who is a native South African (and also knows how to make an amazing Bobotie). She explained to me that this dish  is quintessential South African cooking and is a  common dish for large get-togethers when grilling or doing a "braai" is not an option.
After eating this dish I was reminded of one of the most beautiful hikes I experiences in Cape Town. My first stop was the Rhodes Memorial and then further up into Devils peak, which is a part of the Table Mountain National Park and is by far the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen.
Bobotie is an amazing and complex dish that leaves you wanting more with every changing bite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodes_Memorial
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobotie

and feel free to take a look at my photos from my trip

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_baker/sets/72157620011234355/


Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground lamb or beef, or a mixture of the two
• butter, olive oil
• 2 chopped onions
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 2 slices bread, crumbled
• 1/4 cup milk
• grated rind and juice of 1 small lemon
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon salt, milled black pepper
• a large handful dried apricots, chopped
• 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• a handful of slivered almonds
• 6 bay leaves
• TOPPING
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Set the oven at 325°F. Butter a large saucepan and add a bit of olive oil.
2. Heat butter and oil in a saucepan and ( do not quite fully) brown the meat, onion and garlic until translucent. Stir in the curry powder, cumin, and turmeric, and cook briefly until fragrant. Remove the pot from the heat.
3. Mix together the crumbs, milk, lemon rind and juice, egg, salt, pepper, apricots, apple, golden raisins and almonds and mix in. 
4. Pile into the casserole dish and level the top. Push in the bay leaves and bury them in the meat mixture. 
5. Seal with foil and bake for 1 hour. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. 
6. Mix together the topping milk, eggs and salt (you may require extra topping if you've used a very large casserole dish), 
7. Pour over and bake uncovered for a further 15 minutes until cooked and lightly browned. 
8. Serve with basmati rice and chutney, sprinkle a bit of turmeric over the rice for added yellow color.

"Maiden" Moussaka

My fellow architect friend Heidi shared this recipe with me one night and I fell in love with this dish and I have been making it ever since. Layers of eggplant, spiced meat, and a flavorful custard top make this dish in a sense a "Greek Lasagna". Try it out, you will love it too!
In thinking of a Greek piece of architecture to inspire my moussaka dish, I was reminded of the Caryatid porch or "porch of the maidens" as some call it, of the Erectheion. Like the beautiful Caryatids who hold up the structure; in this dish layers of eggplant hold up the top layers of meat and custard to make a harmonious and tasty dish. 


Ingredients:

• 
  
  
  
  • 1 medium sized eggplant
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground beef ( you can use lamb if you want to be authentic)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • about 1 tablespoon of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
   

How to Make It,

1. Cut eggplant into 1/4" slices, brush with a bit of olive oil, and bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes, then set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium/high heat. Add ground beef and chopped onion and cook until beef is brown, breaking up beef with fork, about 15 minutes. 
3. Mix in tomato sauce, red wine, parsley, crumbled oregano and ground cinnamon. Simmer until mixture thickens and is almost dry, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
4. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of eggplant in bottom of dish and cook ahead of time a 350°F. oven for 20 minutes and set aside.
5. tomato sauce, red wine, parsley, crumbled oregano and ground cinnamon. Simmer until mixture thickens and is almost dry, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Add flour and stir 1 minute. 
7. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Boil until thick, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. 
8. Beat eggs in small bowl to blend. 
9. Whisk small amount of milk mixture into eggs. Return mixture to saucepan. 
10. Bring to boil, whisking constantly, then remove from heat.
11. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. 
12. Season custard to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
13. Spread meat mixture over the eggplant.
14. Pour hot custard cheese sauce over eggplant. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. 
15. Cover loosely with foil and bake 50 minutes. 
16. Uncover and continue baking until golden and bubbling on edges, about 10 minutes longer. Cool 10 minutes.