Exploring Flavor Magic: Cooking from Diana Henry's Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons
Recipes for Bulgur Pilaf with Labneh and Chilli-Tomatoes and Baked Sweet Potatoes with Marinated Olives and Feta
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Hello Friends!
I finally got to eat at Anajak Thai, one of the most popular restaurants in Sherman Oaks. It has been on my list of places to eat for a very long time. Reservations are hard to come by ever since they were named the Best Restaurant in L.A. by Food and Wine Magazine and other media outlets like the L.A. Times and New York Times.
I proceed with a bit of caution when visiting restaurants that get named “The Best” because they tend to get too busy and overworked, which can affect the quality of the meal and the experience. It doesn’t help that these accolades also set expectations very high. And sometimes, they don’t live up to the hype, and I get disappointed. The restaurant itself is small, but they have outdoor seating. The staff that waited on us were friendly and kind and often checked in to ensure our group was comfortable. We were off to a great start. You can imagine my excitement and joy after I sampled the first dish, the prawns with makrut lime leaves. The prawns were cooked perfectly to retain their delicate, tender texture while the citrusy scent of the markut leaves permeated throughout. The crescendo kept building as we moved from the crispy chicken wings to the radish salad with crispy rice and finished off with their Dungeness crab fried rice and massaman. I didn’t have room for dessert that evening. Anajak Thai hit this meal out of the ballpark, and it’s a spot I’ll surely go back to. It was worth the wait!
Moving on from Thai food, this week is a special newsletter because I can cook and share recipes from one of my favorite authors, Diana Henry. In her new book Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons (Aster, 2024), she takes us on a journey through the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North Africa. You’ll enjoy the two recipes I picked as much as I do. There were no leftovers.
On the book front, I’m halfway through writing the chapters and feeling very happy with my small victory. I must return to writing, though I’ll force myself to take a breather this weekend. I’ll feel better once I crank out the final chapters and get to recipe work. That’s the exciting practical bit of the cookbook experience that gets me out of my office chair and into the kitchen.
I hope you have a lovely week,
xx
Nik
This week, we’re cooking from my dear friend, fairy godmother, and mentor Diana Henry’s cookbook Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons (Aster, 2024) (Amazon/Bookshop). This is a brand new edition of her famous book, which is now considered a classic. It was also one of the books in my latest cookbook newsletter, which was sent out a few weeks ago.
Diana has graciously let me cook and share two recipes from her book. For my vegetable side, I picked her Baked Sweet Potatoes with Marinated Black Olives and Feta and her Bulgur Pilaf with Labneh and Chilli-Roasted Tomatoes. Together, they make a fantastic combination but are also great on their own if you decide to pick one or the other. I took a shortcut (I’ve included Diana’s instructions on how to make labneh at home) and picked up labneh from my grocery store. Use the labneh sold as balls packed in oil or the thick labneh that’s like a spread. Do not use anything labeled “labneh dip” here; it is too runny for this recipe. Be generous with the herbs!
A Little Note on Bulgur
This week, one of the dishes on the menu contains bulgur, a beloved form of wheat eaten in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and South Asian countries. Growing up in India, I used it to eat boiled bulgur in sweetened milk as cereal for breakfast and a halwa. Bulgur is made from cracked wheat kernels and then parboiled, dried, and crushed into different sizes. Because of the parboiling, the starch inside bulgur is gelatinized, which in turn helps bulgur cook quickly, making it convenient to put together on a busy day. Once bulgur is cooked, it absorbs the water and turns soft and fluffy. Leaving it to sit for at least 5 minutes after cooking helps the bulgur separate easily with a fork. Otherwise, they can be sticky and end up clumping. Depending on the recipe, I’ll sometimes toast the bulgur lightly until fragrant over low heat. It will smell nutty, and that lovely aroma permeates the dish it’s cooked in. You can also cook bulgur in advance, refrigerate it in an airtight container, and then toss it into any dish you're cooking.