08 August

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August 13, 2010

Filet Mignon

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Filet Mignon

Filet Mignon

August 13: National Filet Mignon Day

Happy “month-aversary” to Highlander and Islander! We were married on July 13, 1996, so every 13th of the month since then, we have commemorated our “I do” date in some way. With a high national divorce rate, unexpected death or other misfortunes in life, reaching a monthly milestone for a wedding anniversary is a blessing!

We encourage the engaged couples whom we sponsor at our church to create a tradition and take time out of their busy schedules to FOCCUS and REFOCCUS on each other by observing month-aversaries. Celebrations can range from simple to sophisticated—anything that reminds them often of their vows to each other (for ideas, we recommend a book we got when we were engaged: 1,001 Ways to Be Romantic by Greg Godek). We pray that our fellow married couples continue to express their love for each other daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.

Since our August month-aversary coincides with National Filet Mignon Day, we splurge on a special steak for a cozy home-cooked dinner using our simple George Foreman grill. We do not eat steak very often (yet we currently live in cattle country!), so this month-aversary meat makes this a doubly special day!

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 five-ounces filet mignon
  • 2 strips of bacon
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • pinch of dried rosemary
  • sea salt
  • fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Wrap a strip of bacon on the side of the filet mignon. Secure with a small toothpick. Repeat for the other steak. Brush both sides with olive oil infused with rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let the seasoned steaks sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Preheat the grill.  When the grill is hot, place the filet mignons on the bottom of the metal plate. Lower the cover and press on the steaks. Cook for three or four minutes for medium (more or less time for rare to well done). Remove from the grill and serve on individual plates. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary (optional).

Filet Mignon

Notes

  • Thanks to the RRVG family for the George Foreman grill that they gave us several Christmases ago. VG were married on July 7, 1996, in India—just a week before us! For our fifth wedding anniversary, we celebrated jointly in New Jersey and in New York City. RR are their twin son and daughter.
  • UPDATE: On November 13, 2010, we got a big gas grill for our backyard. It is our 172 month-aversary gift for ourselves and an early Christmas present from Islander’s parents! Now we can properly grill filet mignons for future month-aversaries! Mahalo, Mommy and Daddy!
 

August 11, 2010

Pasteis de Santa Clara

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Pasteis de Santa Clara

Pasteis de Santa Clara

August 11: Feast Day of St. Clare

The Franciscans have had an enduring presence in our lives. Capuchin friars used to administer at Islander’s family parish in Hawaii for many years. In fact, a Franciscan priest officiated at our engagement blessing at a special mass. We also currently attend St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Texas.

St. Clare, a 13th century Franciscan nun, is known as the feminine counterpart of St. Francis of Assisi. She was born into nobility but vowed a monastic life of poverty. We honor St. Clare on her feast day with an adaptation of a recipe for pasteis de Santa Clara (St. Clare turnovers) from a monastery in Portugal.

Recipe

(Adapted from Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf)

For the pastry dough

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, chilled
  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten

Directions

In a mixing bowl, cut in the butter with the flour and water. Knead until a pliable dough is formed. Cover with a plastic film wrap and refrigerate while making the filling.

For the filling

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • ½ cup almonds, ground
  • 4 egg yolks

Directions

In a saucepan, melt the sugar with the water and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil until thickened. Add the ground almonds and egg yolks, stirring constantly until the filling is thick and well blended.

Pasteis de Santa Clara

Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Use a round cutter to cut a three-inch diameter. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of the circle. Fold over and seal the edges with water. Continue making the rest of the turnovers.

Pasteis de Santa Clara

Brush the tops with the beaten egg. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven. While they are still hot, dredge in sugar. Cool over a wire rack. Yield: 24 turnovers.

Pasteis de Santa Clara

Notes

  • We used almond meal/flour for the filling ingredient in this recipe. Thanks to Lisa L., our generous friend in Germany, for sending us the package of pulverized nuts for the pasteis de Santa Clara.
 

August 9, 2010

Kheer

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Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

Kheer

August 9: National Rice Pudding Day

We only lived in Woodbridge, New Jersey, from 2000-2002, and were so spoiled with the convenience and variety of Indian restaurants in Middlesex County and nearby Manhattan (census data ranks these areas first and second, respectively, with the highest Asian Indian population in the the United States). Although we have moved to two different states since then, we have returned regularly to New Jersey to visit and stay with our Indian friends in North Brunswick and Somerset. They have been hospitable as always and generous in feeding us our favorite Indian foods! Highlander especially likes kheer because his Mum used to make rice pudding for dessert when he was growing up. Kheer is India’s version of rice pudding; it is made with exotic and expensive spices, such as cardamom and saffron, and has a distinctively rich, sweet and flavorful taste. Indulge with Indian rice pudding and cook kheer for National Rice Pudding Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Indian Food Forever)

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup basmati rice
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4-5 cups of milk
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons almonds, blanched and slivered
  • 1 tablespoon pistachio nuts, coarsely ground
  • 2 tablespoons golden raisins
  • pinch of saffron

Directions

Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Drain the rice well. In a large pan, melt the butter on low heat. Toast the rice in the melted butter by stirring it for about two minutes. Pour in the milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly so it does not burn. Lower the heat to simmer the rice mixture. Add the cardamom pods.

Kheer

Stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cook the rice mixture for about 30 minutes on low heat until the rice becomes soft. Stir often to break the thin film that develops over the milk. Add the almonds and pistachios.

Kheer

Add the raisins and a pinch of saffron. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the stove top. Pour the rice mixture into a glass container. Discard the cardamom pods. Let the kheer cool at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to add firmness to the rice and allow the flavors to blend. Serve in dessert cups or bowls and sprinkle ground pistachio nuts on the top as a garnish.

Kheer

Notes

  • Thanks to Lisa L. for sending the saffron from Spain.
 

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