Ipanema Bitch

My friend David loves flan. Sometimes, he even dreams about it. David used to own this large company, so every Christmas they used to have a potluck dinner, and trying to make "the boss" happy, all latin women in the company would bring their own secret recipe family flan. David tells me he never tasted any flan there that compared to the one below. This is the real thing, the one that used to come in the cans of condensed milk 30 years ago. AH! Flan should NEVER be eaten with fruit. The only thing you can eat flan with is caramel sauce. Brazilian Milk Pudim (flan) Ingredients: A. Caramel sauce: 1 1⁄2 cups of sugar 2 cups of water B. Flan: 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (the best one is "La Lechera " from Nestle. I buy it at the Norwalk stop and Shop or any Hispanic market. If you can't find it, Magnolia is second best) 1 can of milk of full milk (use the can from the condensed milk to measure the milk) 3-4 eggs (de...

Another one from the London times...no curry powder in the authentic curries! I shared this recipe with a friend recently and she loved it so much she called it "Shrimp Curry Hero" (she made it with shrimp - in this case reduce cooking time from 15 to 10 min) Her picky kids loved it, so do mine. Ingredients 4 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped 5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped 6 tbsp vegetable oil 3 bay leaves 5 cm cinnamon stick 8 cardamom pods, crushed in a pestle and mortar 4 cloves ¼ tsp black cumin seeds (or regular cumin seeds) 130g/4½oz onions, peeled and finely chopped 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 tbsp ground cumin 3 tinned plum tomatoes, chopped 1.5 kg/3lb 5oz chicken pieces, skinned and cut into serving portions ¼ - 1 tsp chilli powder ¼ tsp salt 3 tbsp single cream 250ml/8 ¾fl oz water Method Put the ginger, garlic and 3 tbsp water in the container of an electric b...

Mark Bittman's NYT column this week offers up an excellent must-have list of ingredients for running a successful family kitchen. It's like he's been to my kitchen! My favorite... OUT Canned beans (except in emergencies). IN Dried beans. More economical, better tasting, space saving and available in far more varieties.

I used to live in London and became a regular at the Wagamama chain because my kids loved it. It has mostly noodles, some good, some just OK, but for the price, the speed and the cool waiters (guys and girls) I can say it is the only chain I will not refuse to eat at. They opened in Boston, hopefully will be in NY soon. My favorite dishes are the Japanese Curry and the Yaki Soba . They used to have the Yaki Soba on their website, but it has been removed. I have made it so many times, though, that I remember it by heart. I do use way less red pepper and I do omit the green pepper mentioned on the original recipe, mine is exactly like it was at the restaurant.  Yaki soba from Wagamama For 2/3 people Sauce: Makes about   1/2 cup, you'll only need 3 tablespoons for the recipe, will keep well in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, and can also be frozen). If you can't find the light and dark soy sauces (very common in the UK), just use 1 1/2 cup regular soy sauce and let...

I quit my job recently. My company moved to NYC a year ago and because of the 4 hours daily commute I decided to stay in our “satellite” office in CT. That Friday, I did not leave home in the morning thinking, “I am quitting today”. I have been frustrated for a while, and that morning was particularly bad. My moment of truth came at lunchtime—I had brought the leftover shrimp I made the night before from home. I took 2 bites at the dish, looked at the beautiful day outside and thought to myself “That’s it, I am done”. I called, IM ’ed and emailed my supervisor ASAP, I had to do it immediately Of course now I will be broke and freelancing for a while, but I could not be happier. Here is the career decision-making shrimp. This is a classic dish from the northeastern Brazilian State of Bahia. It is based on African cooking techniques and flavors. INGREDIENTS: 4 lb medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined (keep the shells) 4 lb cassava, peeled and quartered (can be Goya fro...

I have this friend Eddie. Eddie and I used to work together through chat and became good friends. He's a cool surfer dude from California who happens to be one of the most inspiring people who have crossed my way lately. I like him because he has no agenda and pushes my buttons all the time, and keeps me hip and going. Yeah, some drama involved, but at the end of the day, if I feel whatever, hell yeah, Eddie is the one I will call (or chat). Eddie's only problem is, he has never tasted true Carbonara. He loves the one from an Italian NYC restaurant, but Oh mamma, they use cream on it, which makes it an Alfredo with bacon, not the real thing. Hey Eddie, this 1's 4 u ;) INGREDIENTS 3 eggs 1/2 cup grated cheese — any combination of Parmigiano Reggiano and/or Romano cheeses 1/2 cup chopped pancetta or good-quality bacon 1 clove garlic, slightly smashed but still in the skin 1 tablespoon olive oil 12 ounces spaghetti Fresh ground pepper PREPARATION Bring a pot of salted water to...