Sous Vide Basics - Part One

Plus Soups for The Cold Spell

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Hi Folks,

Happy Sunday, everyone! I’m organizing some of my old cookbooks from India. Some of these are my mom’s, while the rest are “cookbooklets” that came with a tin of Cadbury’s cocoa and pressure cookers many years ago. When I look at them, I grin because they remind me of how badly I wanted my mother to make some of these dishes and then make them myself or how terrible some of those ideas seem today. Why would I want a chocolate soup with orange slices in it? (it wasn’t in the Cadbury’s booklet, just in case you’re wondering) Yet, I still find many exciting ideas in these books and a curious way to compare how recipes are similar yet different across the world, but a reflection of the time they were published. My goal is to find and put all these little booklets in one spot, and I might even cook a few dishes from them.

For those unfamiliar with Cadbury’s, it’s India's most widely used cocoa and chocolate brand company; it’s like what Hershey’s is to Americans. I won’t enter the debate of which is better than the other.

This week, I kick off a new short series on sous vide cooking. We’ll cover the basics and cook a few fun recipes, too.

I need to go find the rest of those booklets. Have a great week!

xx

Nik

Andalusian-Style Chickpea and Spinach Stew

This moreish chickpea stew from Andalusia is originally based on Frank Camorra’s recipe, which I came across in Gourmet Traveller and fell in love with several years ago. It’s easy to make and one of my favorite cold-weather stews, though I could eat a big bowl anytime. Serve it with thick buttered slices of toasted sourdough or flatbread. Don’t be intimidated by the amount of paprika; it’s necessary to create that gorgeous smoky profile of the stew. 

Green Goddess Rassam

Okay, this is not an “authentic” rassam recipe. However, this recipe is inspired by both the original Green Goddess recipe of the San Francisco hotel, The Palace, and the rassam recipes of Southern India. This is a wonderfully light dish to serve and celebrate the rich fragrance of fresh herbs. Rassams are meant to be hot and spicy; the quantity of black pepper isn’t an error, and neither is the addition of the green chilli. Serve with plain steamed rice to enjoy. Crushed tortilla chips and crispy fried onions also work great as a garnish in a pinch.

Herb Lemon Chicken Soup

If I were to describe this chicken soup in one word, I’d say FRAGRANT! The refreshing scent of fresh lemons and the herby goodness of cilantro and dill, mingled with coriander and saffron, make this soup a satisfying experience. This is a soup I want to hug for its warmth and flavor.

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Sous Vide Basics - Part One

I first fell in love with sous vide cooking during a cookbook photo shoot, where I watched the cooks prepare eggs for a ramen dish to absolute perfection. When it came time for the shot, the food stylist used a sharp, medical-grade scalpel to carefully puncture the egg, letting the rich yolk flow over the noodles in the bowl. I was mesmerized and knew I had to learn more about this technique. What makes sous vide so incredible is the ability to cook food at precise temperatures with almost no risk of overcooking. Since water can’t exceed its boiling point of 212F[100C], it creates a perfectly controlled cooking environment. Chefs love sous vide for its consistency and reliability—it guarantees reproducible, flawless results every time.