The other day I stumbled across some Peruvian purple corn in a local, ethnic market and had to share it with you guys.  I nabbed a big stash of it, since it’s dried and will last for a minute in my pantry.  Peruvian purple corn is a variety grown in the Andes and is used to make a popular drink called chicha morada and a dessert called mazamorra morada, both of which I had in Peru a few years back.

I’ll start with the fact that there are a bunch of studies that show that purple corn has incredible health benefits.  Rich in antioxidants and with anti-inflammatory properties, it’s thought to treat everything from high blood pressure to obesity.  Doesn’t it always seem like foods some cultures have been consuming for years for its health properties we are just discovering?

Now, mazamorra morada is a sweet corn pudding, thickened with potato or cornstarch and scented with spices like cinnamon and clove.  But my favorite way to use this is chicha morada, which is a great warm or cold weather drink.  It’s extremely easy to make, and you really don’t need much of a recipe.  You basically want to steep the dried corn in water with a few sticks of cinnamon, some allspice berries, a few cloves, a bit of apple or quince, maybe some dried cherries, and pineapple rind.  Let that simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, sweeten with sugar or honey, add a bit of (key) lime juice and that’s it!

It’s served cold, and in many places, chopped fruit is added at the end, much like sangria.  A big secret is to let it stand in the fridge for a few days.  That fermented taste is signature to a great chicha morada.  Enjoy!

Peruvian Purple Corn is a post from: Aliya LeeKong

I am very excited to let you guys know that a pilot I filmed will be airing next week on the Food Network!  It’s called Chef Marks the Spot, and it’s airing after Chopped, next Tuesday the 23rd at 11:00 p.m.  It’s re-airing on Friday, the 26th, at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, the 27th, at 1 p.m.  Please support and check me out on the show!

Chef Marks the Spot on Food Network is a post from: Aliya LeeKong

Lately, I’ve been craving desserts on a daily basis, and so in an effort not to get too crazy, I’ve been searching out healthier alternatives to satisfy my sweet tooth.  I made these as a fast and healthy weeknight dessert, but the leftovers quickly became my morning snack over the following days.  And why not?   Eggs, milk, fruit and almonds?  Perfect breakfast food!

These are decently healthier than the last version of clafoutis I posted with Amarena cherries and dark chocolate…which are delicious!  But, here, I used lowfat milk instead of heavy cream and made them gluten free with the addition of almond flour in lieu of all-purpose.  Everything (except the berries) gets whirred in a blender before a short rest period, so these are super quick to make and can’t be easier for clean up.

I don’t put a ton of sugar in these since I have them for breakfast, so you may need to sweeten them up a bit more if you like it on the sweet side or finish with a bit of powdered sugar or an extra drizzle of honey.  If you are using peak season berries, they should be plenty sweet – I use frozen berries in the off-season months myself.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 6 6-ounce ramekins

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk, lowfat or otherwise

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tsps almond extract

¼ cup honey or light brown sugar

¼ tsp salt

1/3 cup almond flour

1 ½ cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or some combination)

cooking spray, for greasing

powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a blender, blend together eggs, milk, extracts, honey and salt.  Add flour and blend for 10 seconds.  Scrape down the sides and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds until flour is incorporated and there are no lumps.  Rest batter in the refrigerator for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to overnight.

Grease the ramekins, and place on a large baking sheet.  Place ¼ cup of mixed berries in each ramekin and top with an even amount of batter in each.

Transfer baking sheet into the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes until lightly browned, raised and the custard is set.  Remove and let cool slightly before serving.   Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

My Breakfast Clafoutis is a post from: Aliya LeeKong

In cooking for my cookbook, I went through a slew of different ingredients and techniques, played a lot, and intensely focused on flavor for my dishes.  I had used fortified sweet wines like Port and Sherry in the past, but Banyuls was a new experiment for me, and I had to share with you guys.  It’s a wine from the southeastern portion of France, called Banyuls-sur-Mer, very close to Spain, and it adds ridiculous flavor and depth to sauces, stews and marinades.

The wine is made primarily from Grenache grapes, harvested in the fall during peak sweetness, and result in wines that range in color from blond to red (most common).  It’s aged in oak barrels for at least 12 months.  What makes a wine “fortified” is that a spirit is added during the wine making process.  Here, alcohol is added to stop the fermentation process of the grapes, a process called mutage.

But really – how does it taste?  For me, the flavor is reminiscent of baked stone fruits, with chocolate, caramel and even tobacco notes intermingling.  It’s complex and sweet, and is the type of dessert wine you’d pair with a foie gras or a caramel tart.  The vinegar made from the wine, Banyuls vinegar, is equally intriguing – a delicate, deeply flavored concoction that falls somewhere between a balsamic and sherry vinegar.

Chicken or pork recipes that call for a bit of deglazing with wine are beautiful with Banyuls – I used it in a chicken and biscuits recipe in my cookbook where the stew had meaty mushrooms in it.  It’s delicious to marinate steaks and to poach fruit for a chutney or even a dessert – think: Banyuls poached figs with ice cream (yum!).  Let me know if you’ve ever cooked with it and what you made!

Banyuls, My New Obsession is a post from: Aliya LeeKong

Recently, a friend suggested I check out an exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History called Our Global Kitchen, and it could not have been more up my alley.  I stood in front of each piece of the exhibit for silly amounts of time, greedily absorbing as much as I could.  For anyone interested in food – farming practices, what local means to different cultures, how trade has shaped cuisine, the science of taste, connectivity between food and heritage – this is an extremely informative and fun exhibit that I highly recommend and may end up checking out again!

This exhibit literally walks you through so many details on the history and evolution of food – it’s amazing.  The initial portion details how farming practices have changed, evolved to fit while simultaneously shaping our food needs.  I was amazed at how chicken and eggs have increased production for our demand.

This is a global exhibit, so getting to see how farming works in other places around the world is fascinating.  Though I am a huge fan of Gotham Greens in BK!

You walk through a typical Aztec market and see how ingredients, like chocolate, were used then (savoury not sweet!).

Now, this is where we get into my favorite portion of the exhibit.  We talk about how ingredients and spices have been traded and spread, incorporated into local food.  Tomatoes were never grown in Italy, and half of the ingredients in Mexican food were from outside the Americas.

A look at how Kublai Khan ate shows how Mongol rule created a unifying force and a true blend of foods. Is it fusion? Can you call it that?

What’s interesting is that I lightly touch on a few of these points in my cookbook, in terms of how I see food now and evolving in our much younger country.  I think history will repeat itself with all of the ethnicities in America contributing to a rich food culture.  What do you think?

Our Global Kitchen @ The American Museum of Natural History is a post from: Aliya LeeKong

March 4, 2013

Brown Alumni magazine profiled Aliya in a piece called Food, Family and Friends.

Brown Alumni Magazine is a post from: Aliya LeeKong

On Veria Living‘s show, Peggy’s Kitchen Cures, Aliya LeeKong was a guest and showed off a recipe to help elevate your mood.  Aliya made her North African-Spiced Chicken Thighs, an easy weeknight meal that’s also a mood-booster.

Peggy’s Kitchen Cures: Mood Foods is a post from: Aliya LeeKong

Hi guys and Happy Valentines Day to you all!  I wanted to share a little sneak preview of my cookbook – I can’t believe it!  The manuscript is in and out of my hands, and it feels like years of work have been pored into this book.  I really can’t wait to share it with you all and am so happy with the recipes and the visuals.  This is just the beginning, and once I have the cover of the book, I’ll share it with you all!

It Has Begun… is a post from: Aliya LeeKong

On Veria Living‘s show, What Would Julieanna Do?, Aliya LeeKong was a guest talking about how to cook for Inner Beauty.  Aliya made her Swiss Chard Leaves recipe, a healthy, vegetarian take on traditional Middle Eastern grape leaves.

What Would Julieanna Do: Inner Beauty is a post from: Aliya LeeKong

Happy New Year to you all!  Between the cookbook deadline, holidays and travel, I have been a bit MIA, but I wanted to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2013.  AND I wanted to share some pretty cool shots from an open-air market I visited in Jamaica.  This is a true local spot and gave me a great snapshot of what’s traditionally used in real Jamaican cooking.

This is fresh sorrel used to make a delicious, tart drink.  You also may know this as hibiscus, if you’ve ever had the tea.  I’ve always seen it in dried form, so good to know what it looks like fresh!

Talking that talk!

This is a major part of the cuisine, the national fruit of Jamaica, ackee.  It’s often eaten with saltfish and related to the lychee and longan actually.   Unripe, it can be toxic.

A little spice shopping – here is fresh nutmeg with its wrapper, mace.

The ubiquitous scotch bonnet pepper!  I love it, but that heat is deadly.  I was shocked by how much went into Jerk seasoning – such a key flavor.

Happy New Years + Shots from a Jamaican Market is a post from: Aliya LeeKong