Monday, May 31, 2010

Rhubarb Jam


Here at the Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast I never buy any industrialized, supermarket or even homemade jams from the Farmers Market where I get most of my food ingredients. I make all of my jams with fresh, organic and local ingredients. Couple of weekends ago I decided to make rhubarb jam without looking up any recipes. I thought the best recipe is what I put together in my head. The simple truth for any kind of jam is sugar and the fruit or vegetable.

For this rhubarb jam I used:
Rhubarb - 8 cups of rhubarb
Cane Juice Organic Sugar - 2 cups
Arrow root - 2 tablespoons
Raisins - 1 cup
Toasted Walnuts - 2 cups
Toasted Coconuts - 1 cup
Cardamom pods - 1 cup

Wash and cut the rhubarbs into small bits, put it in a pot, add the sugar let the sugar melt while the burner is on low heat - about 30-45 minutes. Take a little bit of the juice mix the arrow root in the juice add it to the pot and stir so it gets mixed up with the entire rhubarb. Toast the walnuts add it to the pot, toast the raisins add to the pot, toast the coconut add to the pot, ground with pestle and mortar, the shell removed the pods added to the pot. Stir all the ingredients then let the jam cook under low heat for another 20 minutes. By now it should have a good thick texture.

Put about 10 4 oz mason jar in boiling water to sterilize, fill the jars tighten the lids. Since I don't cook the jams for long hours even though I sterilize the jars I still store them in the refrigerator till I use them. Once I open a jar I leave it outside the fridge till it is finished.

I served the jam to the guests over the Memorial Day Weekend and the guests loved it. The taste is not too sweet, you can taste each ingredient, the tartness of the rhubarb, the toastiness of the walnuts and the coconut and the raisins each have their distinct flavor. By adding the coconut and raisin you can add less sugar and by adding the arrow root you add the thickness to the jam. Enjoy it ... if you find it difficult to make, please come to the Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast to enjoy it here either for breakfast as stay over guest or with scones for afternoon tea as non-stay over guests.

Please, contact Shadi at 207-443-3399 or email stay@kismetinnmaine.com

Friday, May 21, 2010

Blueberry Jam


It was raining on Tuesday here in Bath, Maine so I decided to make blueberry jam for Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast's guest since I have only one more bottle left. I try to add a different taste to the jams I make so it doesn't have the generic taste of all the jams that are made out there.

The ingredients are:

1. 7 pounds of Blueberry - wild Maine blueberries which are MOFGA certified (Maine organic farmers gardeners association)

2. 3 pounds Sugar

3. 1 cup full cardamom coarsely grounded with mortar and pastel, the peel/skin removed.

4. 2 Tablespoon Arrowroot

Put the blueberries in a good pot such as Le Creuset add the sugar - absolutely no water. Once the sugar has melted there will be plenty of juice, take a bowl pour some of the juice into the bowl mix the arrow root then pour it back in the pot, add the cardamom. Let it cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Sterilize the jars by putting them in a pot and boiling the water ... remove one jar at a time, pour the blueberry jam then put the lid on tighten it and store it.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Beet Green Quiche


As a child I remember my family would make so many different kinds of quiches. My favorite one was the spinach one mixed with herbs. As I was thinking of those wonderful days I thought of making a quiche with beet greens right here at the Kismet Inn bed and breakfast.

The ingredients:
Beet Greens
Eggs
Roasted Walnuts
Barberries
Onion, garlic, salt, pepper, masala spice

Fry the onions then add garlic let them fry till they become crispy.
In a big bowl whip up the eggs with a hand whipper, add the the beet greens, roasted walnuts, barberries, the fried/crispy onions and garlic, salt, pepper and masala spice. Mix all the ingredients, whipping them by hand turn it into a big frying pan (use ghee) put a lid on it let it cook over low heat for 30 minutes!

Then let it cool cutting it into triangles after it has cooled. Serve it with salad as brunch, lunch, dinner or even breakfast just by itself. It is healthy and easy to make.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Egg with Avocado


My cooking is never the same. I never follow any recipes however, I do have a collection of cook books, books on food or anything to do with eating... very diverse. Today, as I was doing gardening I needed to take a break so I came in and made two eggs with spring onions and mixed it with avocado.

Yes, it doesn't sound anything special but it was, the taste was incredible because I made the spring onions crispy so when I was eating this wonderful crispiness was a delight in my mouth. I also hardly ever mix the egg, meaning don't mix the white and the yolk, I crack the egg over the ingredients which I did this time as well. The onions and the egg both turned out very crispy and crunchy. I added just a little bit of salt, dash of black pepper, sliced one avocado then put the eggs over the avocado then ready to eat.

Now back to the gardens of Kismet Inn bed and breakfast ... there is a lot to do in getting the inn ready for the start of season of 2010.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Sword Fish with Fiddle Heads


Today at Kismet Inn Bed and Breakfast in Bath, Maine I offered Sword Fish with Fiddle Heads and my guests loved it.

It was very simple to make. To me the quality of the ingredients is the key for making any dish whether it be a French, Chinese, American, Middle Eastern, Indian and...

I usually buy my fish from Plant's Sea Food on 'High Street' in Bath, Maine which is only a few miles away from Kismet Inn. I went to get some sword fish on Friday later in the day they had sold out so I went on Saturday morning around 9 and got some sword fish. It was sparkling white. I also go some haddock as well. I will post some writings about the haddock for now here is what I did with the sword fish.

Rinse it under cold water. Warm up the pan add coconut butter, put the fish in the pan, add salt and pepper, a spoonful of saffron infused ghee let it simmer for a few minutes. Turn it over, do the same with this side.

In the meantime, clean and wash fiddle heads, add a cup of water, salt bring it to boil the turn it down let it cook for 5 minutes, add some fresh crushed ginger.

To serve:
Put the fish on the plate, put the fiddle heads over the fish et voila ready to present it to the guest to eat.

The guest loved it and finished every bite of it.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Salmon, Asparagus Sandwich


Today at the Kismet Inn Maine Bed and Breakfast seems to be fish day. I made salmon with Asparagus for lunch, dinner is going to be Tamarind Fish stew with Saffron rice which I will post later.

The Salmon, Asparagus sandwich was loved by the guest. It is easy to make and very delicious.

Salmon, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, onion, ghee, salt, pepper and asparagus.

Saute the onion in ghee then add the salmon sprinkle it with salt, pepper, crush the ginger and garlic on the salmon let it cook for couple of minutes then turn it over do the same with this side.

Cook the asparagus in just a little bit of water with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes after bringing the water to boil.

Put the salmon on the plate first then the asparagus then salmon.

The asparagus was fresh from 'Firefly' Farm in Topsham, Maine.

The guest thought it was the best salmon and asparagus she had ever had. What a great compliment to receive.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Baklava Pastry


It is cloudy and rainy in Bath, Maine today so I decided to make some baklava at Kismet Inn bed and breakfast.


Please note... all the ingredients are organic and local... not even industrialized organic but local organic.
The eggs are free range, fresh, local, farmers market egg.The ghee which I make myself again from the local, organic butter I get.
The flour is from local Maine co-op.
Ingredients:1/4 cup milk -- I used my own homemade yogurt made with raw, organic milk.
1/2 cup ghee -- melted
1 tablespoon syrup -- sugar, water, rose water
1/4 cup rose water
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour

Combine the yogurt, ghee, syrup, rose water, and egg in a mixing bowl or dough maker. Add the flour and mix well for 5-10 minutes to form a dough that does not stick to your hands. Divide the dough into 2 balls of equal size and place in a bowl. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for 1/2 hour in room temperature.