Yogurtsoda Gratuitous food and travel.

this is around the time of the year when i start to crave fresh fruits and vegetables, and lots of them. the kind you can’t get in the middle of winter, when the produce section is looking less than stellar.

in any case, wintery foods are nothing to pass over either:

cumin-spiced roast beets

falafel-spiced chicken with tahini

chive-garlic mashed potatoes

seared steaks with porcini mushroom cream sauce

and nothing beats cold weather foods like hot pot. i had shabu shabu last week, which has got to be one of the funnest eating experiences ever, right up with grilling your own bulgogi at wooden charcoal bbq spots.

beef, cabbage, enoki mushroom, udon and tofu shabu shabu

and while we’re on the topic of food (when are we not), check out pars arts, a fantastic website by, for, and about the young iranian diaspora. the editor, sepideh, has posted an article i’ve written about online iranian food shopping.

here’s the recipe for the seared steaks:

2 T olive oil
2 large new york strip steaks
salt and pepper
1/4 cup minced shallots
3/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/4 cup chopped chives

1. soak porcini mushrooms in one cup boiling water, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
2. heat a large skillet until very hot. add olive oil and swirl. season the steaks with salt and pepper; add steaks to skillet. cook over moderately high heat, turning once or twice, for about 10 minutes. transfer the steaks to a platter and keep warm.
3. pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the fat fromt he skillet. add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. add the porcini to each skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 2 minutes. add the brandy and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. add the stock and creme fraiche and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minutes.
4. stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper. spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve.