Newsletter September, 25 2002

Welcome to your next issue of "The Eclectic Cooking Newsletter".

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Lydia Jensen, Editor: Lydiajj@get2netdk

Lars Jensen, Webmaster/Publisher: Lars@Eclecticcooking.com

For this week's edition, you may visit:

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=> Members' Privileges update: Online Recipe Book Manager

=> Article; A Little Chutney

=> Cookbook review: Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table, by Mai Pham

=> New Recipes of the Week

=> Hot Tip

=> Joke/Story of the Week

=> Next week's Issue

=> Reader Comment

=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer

=> Subscribe information

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Online Recipe Book Manager

We are integrating an online tool which will help you organize any recipes you have seen

on our site and on the Internet in one place. Members' can just log in with their username

and password. There are actually endless possibilities; address book, recipes, contacts, 

small web pages, articles, notes and tips pages etc. Just use your imagination!

We are still working on it and hope it will be available next week some time. We will keep

you up to date. Stay tuned! :)

If you are interested in the Members' Privileges program and want to know

more about this feature please go here:

http://www.eclecticcooking.com/EclecticCookingMembersPrivileges.htm

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Article:

A Little Chutney - By Tina Caldwell

About this time last year my plum tree had a bumper crop. After I sorted through all the

plums, I ended up with about 30 kilograms (60 pounds) of good, firm plums. I made

plum jam, I made pickled plums, I froze them, I pureed them and I still had plums left

over. A friend of mine had a wonderful idea, "Why don’t you make plum chutney and

barbecue sauce with your plums," she suggested. Great idea, I thought, but where

do I find a recipe for plum chutney? I had actually never heard of such a thing. I had

made apple and mango chutneys, and decided that the texture of the plum was really

quite similar to that of the mango and peach, so I began experimenting with various

ingredients to see if I could develop a good plum chutney.A lot of people think that

chutneys belong with curries. Actually, chutneys are a flavorful accompaniment to

many dishes. Chutneys can be quite spicy (hot), mild or sweet, whereas some

chutneys are salty and spicy. Whatever your prefer, try a little chutney with some of

the meat dishes you serve, such as chicken, turkey, pork, lamb or game; if you are

vegetarian, chutneys are a wonderful compliment to many rice dishes such as nasi

goreng, fried rice or noodle dish such as bami goring. Many East Indian and Pakistani

people are vegetarians, and serve chutneys with many of their dishes. You can also

add a tablespoon or two or your favorite chutney to stews and casserole dishes which

otherwise might be a bit bland; be careful, however, that the flavors of the chutney

blend with the ingredients of the food you are preparing.

If you like a very spicy chutney, you can add more ginger, freshly chopped chili peppers

or chili powder. Tamarind, a sweet-sour fruit pulp and shrimp or prawn paste also add

flavors to chutney. Other spices which add flavors are cinnamon, cloves, coriander

seeds, ginger, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper and allspice. You can, of course, add

your favorite curry powders to chutneys, but using a little of the freshly ground spices

allows the flavors to blend more smoothly.

The term "chutney" is an East Indian term which means strongly spiced. It usually consists

of fruits, vinegar, spices and sugar. It can be served quite fresh or cooked; it can be

kept in the refrigerator for quite a while or it can be frozen. You can, of course, buy

chutneys in most supermarkets today, however, a home-made chutney, in my opinion,

is beyond compare. When you make your own chutney, you can regulate the sweet or

spicy flavors, as well as the consistency. My favorite chutneys are chunky, spicy but

sweet with a taste of ginger. You get the best chutneys when you use firm fruits, such

as mangos, peaches, apples, apricots, plums, and tomatoes. You can also use dried

fruits, later in the year when the fresh fruits are no longer in season.(We have included

some of our favorite chutneys, which we hope you will try on our website.)

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Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table

Recipes and Reminiscences from Vietnam's Best Market Kitchens, Street Cafes, and Home Cooks

by Mai Pham

A land of vibrant cultures and vivid contrasts, Vietnam is also home to some of the

most delicious and intriguing food in the world. While its cooking traditions have been

influenced by those of China, France, and even India, Vietnam has created a cuisine

with a spirit and a flavor all its own.

Chef and restaurateur Mai Pham brings to life this diverse and exciting cooking in

Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table. Born and raised in Saigon before emigrating

to the United States, Mai has often returned to her native land to learn the secrets of

authentic Vietnamese cooking, from family, friends, home cooks, street vendors,

and master chefs. Traveling from region to region, she has gathered the simple,

classic recipes that define Vietnamese food today: Green Mango Salad with Grilled

Beef, Stir-Fried Chicken with Lemongrass and Chilies, Caramelized Garlic Shrimp,

and especially pho, the country's beloved beef-and-noodle soup. With more than 100

recipes in all, Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table offers home cooks the chance to

create and savor the traditional flavors of Vietnam in their own kitchen.

Filled with enchanting stories and stirring black-and-white photos of life in Vietnam,

Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table provides a captivating taste of an enduring

culture and its irresistible cuisine.

Grilled Lemon Grass Shrimp

(tom nuong xa)

Serves 4 as an Appetizer

A land of vibrant cultures and vivid contrasts, Vietnam is also home to some of the most

delicious and intriguing food in the world. Chef and restaurateur Mai Pham brings to life

this diverse and exciting cuisine.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup minced lemongrass

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground chili paste

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound medium raw shrimp peeled and deveined

4 (10-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and drained.

What can be more enticing than the aroma of sweet, plump, shrimp with lemongrass on

the grill? It's a fragrance I often encounter at the market stalls in Vietnam, and it's always

hard to walk by without surrendering to a plateful. Fortunately, this delicious dish is easily

prepared at home and gets rave reviews from everyone, including children. Just make

sure that the shrimp is of high quality and the lemongrass is really fresh. Serve this as

an appetizer or as a main dish with the shrimp as the topping for Rice Noodles with

Fresh Herbs.

Instructions:

Combine the lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili paste, salt, sugar, and oil

in a bowl. Add the shrimp and marinate for 15 minutes. Thread the shrimp on the

skewers and set them aside.

Start a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to moderate heat. Just before serving, grill

the shrimp, turning the skewers, until just done, about 2 or 3 minutes total, depending

on the size. If you don't have a grill, trim the skewers and cook in a pan with a little oil

on the stovetop.

Available at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=eclecticcooki-20&keyword=Pleasures%20of%20the%20Vietnamese%20Table&mode=books

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Article: A Little Chutney

Recipes:

Curried Pork with Coriander

Plum Chutney

Coriander Chutney

Morellor or Cherry Plum Chutney

Tomato Chutney

www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm

http://www.eclecticcooking.com/whatnew.htm

http://eclecticcooking.community.everyone.net

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From Chef, Gert Hansen

Semi-dried tomatoes:

Take several small tomatoes and cut them in quarters. Place them on a baking tray,

brush them with a little olive oil, sprinkle with freshly chopped thyme, oregano or basil,

season with salt and freshly ground pepper and let them bake in a slow oven

(200° F / 100° C) for about four hours. Remove the tomato pieces from the oven

and place in a jar. Pour olive oil over the tomatoes and store in the refrigerator.

These are excellent toppings for salads and other dishes.

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Inside me there is a thin woman trying to get out, but I usually shut her up with chocolate.

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Next Week’s Edition, October 2, 2002

Article: Two Young Men and a Gift Certificate

Recipes: Compliments to Chutneys

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In response to a comment in the latest newsletter, there is a reason for the darkest

setting on a toaster. I use it whenever I am toasting English Muffins. After the full

cycle I turn it on again for about 2 minutes since we like them brown and crispy. JC

Does anyone have a recipe for Mexican sauce Suiz?

Joe Grabowski

Send one in to us at update@eclecticcooking.com. We'll make you famous!

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