The Hungry Turk

Rise and Shine

Huh, what? Did I miss something?

Huh? Oh, yeah... that. The winter...

No entries in six months?

My dog ate my computer...

Not good enough?

What about... I forgot my password as well as the answer to the super tricky security question (what’s your name?)... aaaand my dog ate my computer.

Ok fine! I don’t have a dog! I have an imagination that goes into overdrive, so what?! 

Hmmm...

No! I will not admit that I was plain lazy. I can’t. Reality is harsh.

But maybe I have no other option...

Winter in Montreal has been very long this year.

Way too long...

And that’s what winter does to you in this part of the world... you get lazy.

And please hush now! Don’t remind of thousands of other bloggers who also live in this part of the world and who were not deterred by the ever falling temperatures, never ending snow storms and freezing rain in mid-May... don’t remind me of those who were dedicated and who just typed away their winter blues.

Anyways, I should really teach that dog some manners now.

The Mother of All Scones (with lime and coconut)

The base recipe for these amazing scones belongs to Molly Wizenberg, the creator of Orangette and the author of A Homemade Life (well, the recipe actually belongs to her sister but that you can learn about in more detail by reading the book). Despite our diverging stories, I couldn’t but feel a very strong connection with Molly Wizenberg. Endless were the times I thought she read my mind and, sensing my laziness, decided to write about it herself (I totally second her on plums!). Check out her blog and her book, they are both worth the read!

Back to the recipe... I kept all of Winzeberg’s measurements but changed most of the ingredients. So far, apart from the below recipe, I have tried the original Wizenberg recipe with lemon zest and ginger, as well as my own little invention with bacon, parmesan and corn flour (and yogurt)! This is a great recipe to play around, have fun!

Makes 8 scones

2 cups flours
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons sugar
Zest of 1 lime
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ cup coconut milk plus more for glazing (you can use low fat coconut milk)
1 large egg

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220 °C).

Stir the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and mix with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse meal (you have to work pretty fast as you don’t want the butter to start melting from the heat of your fingers). Stir in the sugar, lime zest and coconut. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and egg and pour it in to the flour mixture. Gently fold the mixture using your fingers as blender mixers (do not knead). The dough will start sticking together pretty fast. As soon as you can lift it as one whole dough ball (with a lot of itsy bitsy pieces falling off), transfer it on to a dry surface and knead it into a 1 inch thick disk. Do not knead it too much (Wizenberg says no more than 12 times, and I have stuck to that recommendation like religion). It’s OK if your dough looks a little flaky and cracked. It’s all a charm! Cut your disk shaped dough into 8 wedges and place those on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Glaze the scones with the remaining coconut milk and pop them in the over for about 15 minutes, or until they become golden.

Groovy Beans

I guess it’s safe to say that food and music go hand in hand. I mean Smashing Pumpkins must have been quite hungry (and angry) when they thought of the name of their band, right? The list of foodie musicians is long with well known bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Cranberries, Meat Loaf, Cake and so on.

Having said that, naming a band after something as humble as a bean and then make millions of dollars not only requires appetite but also a good amount of guts: The Black Eyed Peas? Uh-huh!

Not many people actually know about black eyed peas (the food) or cook it in Northern USA, Canada or much of Europe. On the other hand I’m pretty sure that as I write these words some Joe Blow in Boonville, Ontario is dancing to the beats of “I Gotta Feeling” from The Black-Eyed Peas (the pop band) like someone who has just been tased.

The black eyed peas have hit stardom in my kitchen, that is for sure. They were my mom’s secret weapon (and still are). Fish? Black eyed peas. Meat? Black eyed peas. Chicken? Black eyed peas. Cheese fondue? Yes, black eyed peas.

Maybe the black eyed peas should not be credited for the success of this multi-award winning salad. Maybe it’s the fool-proof combination of fresh herbs, ripe tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice. Maybe it’s the bright colours that, no matter what your personal beliefs about beans are, attract your eye and force you to help yourself to a few spoonfuls. I don’t know. Whatever it is, this black eye pea salad is a crowd pleaser each time and the beans' unusual looks provide a nice little change to the usual tabletop scenery.

A must try!

Black Eyed Peas Salad

Serves 8 as a side dish


2 19oz canned black eyed peas, well rinsed
4 ripe Roma tomatoes, diced (alternatively a pint of cherry tomatoes, diced)
3 scallions, finely chopped
½ bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
About 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, adjust it according to your taste
Pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and give them a good stir. Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you serve to give some time for the flavours to mix together and accentuate.

Note: I realise that “real” ripe tomatoes are hard to come by during the winter months. I made this salad over the summer and completely forgot to post it. I apologise for the seasonal inappropriateness of this recipe. You could use cherry tomatoes that are still sweet (hmm I wonder why... could it be because they're shipped all the way from Mexico... sorry).