vegetable thai curry

While this dish would taste absolutely wonderful made with chicken or shrimp, I had bought some tofu at the store earlier in the day and wanted to try cooking with it. I've never attempted tofu and thought a curry, with its complex spices and sauce, would be the perfect flavoring for the blank canvas that is tofu.

I also realize that the picture looks a sort of sickly-green, but the dish actually is a kind of sickly green color... partly due to the fact that I accidentally overcooked the broccoli. How sad!

for the green chili sauce:
2 Tbs coriander seed
1 medium or large onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2-3 jalapeno or other hot peppers
1 cup cilantro, washed and de-stemmed
3 lime leaves
2 Tbs fish sauce
1 thumb-size piece of ginger

1. Grind the coriander seed with a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder.
2. Add the coriander seed, onion, garlic, peppers, cilantro, lime leaves, ginger, and fish sauce to a food processor and process until the consistency of a chili sauce. (of course!)

for the rest of the ingredients:
I added vegetables I had on hand (and needed to use before they went bad). I think this recipe can handle most vegetables, but some should be pre-cooked and tossed in only a bit before serving. Sure, they might not soak up as much of the flavoring, but nothing is worse than limp broccoli!

1 can of coconut milk
2 tbs sesame or other seed/nut oil
1 package of extra-firm tofu
1 medium head of broccoli, chopped
3 bell peppers, chopped
1 can of bamboo shoots
1 package of mushrooms

1. Cut the tofu into bite-sized squares and sautee in oil briefly, until semi-firm on the outside. This will help the pieces hold their shape in the curry.
2. Mix green chili sauce and the can of coconut milk in a wok or large stir-fry pan; let it simmer (you might want to cover the pan or the mix will spit everywhere).
3. Add the tofu and bamboo shoots to the curry mixture.
4. Start cooking the mushrooms in a separate pan; let some of their water boil off, and place in the curry.
5. Add broccoli to the curry and let cook for about ten minutes.
6. Add the green peppers and cook for another ten minutes.

Serve with jasmine rice and add fish or soy sauce at the table if necessary.

seed cake

This recipe is a slightly modified version of a recipe I found online while looking for a "medieval" dish to bake. The original recipe called for sugar (which I think is highly unmedieval) and did not specify the type of seed to use; I love the combination of coriander, fennel, and caraway--it gives the bread a complex, licorice-y, and slightly savory flavor that intensifies as the bread ages, and the honey helps the bread stay moist even after a number of days on the counter (wrapped, of course).


1/8 cup warm water with honey or 1/8 cup warm ale
1 package yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups regular bleached or unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup honey
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon caraway seed
1/2 tablespoon fennel seed
1/4 tablespoon coriander seed
dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
1/2 cup milk


Preheat oven to 350 °F.
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water (or ale).
2. Mix flour and salt along with seeds and spices.
3. Cream butter and honey together, then add eggs and beat until combined.
4. Add wet ingredients to the dry, and mix completely.
5. Pour in the yeast and mix.
6. Add the milk and stir. Batter should be a "normal" cake batter consistency. If it is still too dry, add more milk until the appropriate consistency is achieved.
7. Spread batter into a greased 9" baking dish.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for a bit and then turn it over onto a cooling rack.
If you want more sweetness, add this to the top of the cake:

1. 1/4 cup honey
2. 1 tbs lemon juice

Heat until runny, and poke holes in the top of the cake. Then pour the glaze on top of the cake and hopefully the glaze will run down into the holes, making the cake a little moister and sweeter! Sprinkle shaved or slivered almonds on top.