Robert Gérard Church

Tomato sauce in Vietnam? “What?”, you say. Yep! It’s very popular in Vietnamese cuisine and known as Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua, and if you make it you’ll find out why. The flavors are subtle contrasts unlike the in-your-face garlic and oregano you get up front with Italian and Greek tomato sauces. Instead, the aromatics permeate and perfume the sauce with suggestions of garlic and ginger. To balance the flavors more sugar is used then in the Mediterranean versions, but the effect is mild and works perfectly here.

Serve this dish with jasmine rice and either an Asian-style lager or soju from Korea.

Ingredients

1 16 oz. block extra-firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cut into planks

2 tbs. light vegetable oil

4 large or 8 small shallots, sliced

2 tbs. light vegetable oil

1 Thai or Fresno chili, seeded, veined, and chopped fine

1 tbs. grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice

2 tbs. tamari or soy sauce

2 tsp. brown sugar

Cilantro leaves for garnish

Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan to medium-high. When hot, add the tofu and sauté until lightly browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

2. Heat the oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until soft.

3. Add the chili, ginger, and garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant.

4. Add the tomatoes and their juice, tamari, and sugar.

5. Let simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until thickened and aromatic.

6. Add the tofu and heat through.

7. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves.

Serves 6 as part of an Asian meal

This is a short post for one of the easiest black bean mole recipes you’ll ever make. 9 ingredients. You can see them in the photo above. From left to right, top to bottom: Chili powder, cocoa powder, tomato sauce, cinnamon, garlic, black beans, oregano, onion, and almonds. Ok, you’ll need some olive oil as well, but I couldn’t pass up the photo-op with my new 9-compartmenrt platter!

And what does the finished product look like? Feast your eyes on this (with some slow-cooker Spanish rice, too)

Black Beans Mole

Ingredients

3 14 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

¾ teaspoon cinnamon (Mexican canela molida if possible)

1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano if possible)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 16 oz. can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup almonds, ground to a fine meal in a spice or coffee grinder

1. Heat the oil in a medium soup pot.

2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent.

3. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.

4. Add the cinnamon, oregano, and chili powder and cook until aromatic, 15-20 seconds.

5. Add the tomato sauce, cocoa powder, and almond meal and simmer 5 minutes.

6. Add the black beans and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Serves 6

And that’s it! Serve with tortillas or rice.

The dinner at Dazzle scheduled for Tuesday, June 11 has been postponed due to unforseen circumstances. I will announce the new date at a later time.

An Asian Tour de Force

On Tuesday, June 11, Chef Robert Church is returning to Dazzle Restaurant with a night of Asian delights. Come and bask in the flavors and aromas of dishes from the diverse cuisines of India, China, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Each course will be paired with wine.

Dinner starts promptly at 6:30 pm.

$34 per person (Includes dinner & wines. Does not include tax/gratuity)

Please call 303-839-5100 for reservations, or visit this link:

https://modtickets.com/Mod/Tickets/Tickets.aspx?id=401

Menu

Appetizer

Crispy tofu and vegetable stuffed butter lettuce parcels with tamarind dipping sauce.

Soup

Shiitake broth with glass noodles, spinach, and scallion.

Salad

Gado Gado. Raw and cooked vegetables composed with a peanut/coconut dressing.

Main Course

Kari Kapitan, Gohbi Masalum (baked spiced cauliflower), basmati rice

Dessert

Melon, ginger, and jasmine soup, served with pineapple and mint.

All dishes are vegan and gluten-free. No substitutions will be made.

Koreans are crazy about pancakes, and make them with all kinds of ingredients; scallions, mung beans, spinach, seaweed, and the list goes on. In fact, pancakes are so important to Koreans that they offer them on Gijesa, a day of remembering and venerating deceased family members. It so happens that I’m crazy about Korean pancakes, especially when made with one of my favorite Korean foods, kimchi.

Kimchi is admittedly a love it or leave it thing. It’s made by allowing some type of vegetable, daikon radish, carrot, or cabbage for example, to ferment along with garlic, dried red chilies, and salt, sort of an Asian sauer kraut. In the old days, kimchi was fermented in earthenware jars buried in the ground for 6 months or longer. Now, you will find sleek, modern kimchi fermenters at larger Korean markets such as Han-Ri Mart, where you will also find little Korean ladies making kimchi by hand that’s sold right there n the store. Very cool. Kimchi’s spicy, sour, with a bit of effervescence from the fermentation process, and if made with cabbage, slightly bitter. I love the stuff, and eat it right out of the jar. Koreans love it even more than I do, it’s their national dish after all, and if you find yourself in Seoul, take a trip to The Kimchi Field Museum and marvel at the fact that there are 187 documented types of kimchi. This is some serious stuff!

And now onto the kimchi pancakes, known as kimchijeon (kim-chee-june). Before you start, try some of the kimchi (if you haven’t already), and notice the sharp, pronounced flavors. Garlic. Chilies. Salt. Those will all mellow and become sublime while your pancakes cook, as will the onion and mushrooms, until you have a deep and complexly flavored amalgam held together by a light tempura blanket. You will notice the difference. Go easy on the dipping sauce; it’s very heady with rice vinegar and can overwhelm the subdued flavor of the pancake. Just dip a small corner and enjoy.

Here’s a hip kimchi tip. Open the jar very slowly, and allow the gasses that naturally build-up during fermentation to escape. Otherwise, the whole thing will escape all over your kitchen counter, hands, floor, dog, whatever’s near. You won’t be happy if that happens.

Also pictured, spinach flavored with sesame oil, carrots with chili powder, and cucumber with toasted sesame seeds. In the glass, soju, a slightly sweet and mild Korean rice liquor. You should try that, too.
They’re really easy. They’re really delicious. It’s about time you made some!

INGREDIENTS

PANCAKES

1 cup tempura batter mix (R brand from Korea is a good choice)
1 cup cold water
5 shiitake mushrooms, diced (caps only)
½ medium white onion, diced
5 tablespoons cabbage kimchi, drained, chopped
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
light vegetable oil (safflower, sunflower, canola)

DIPPING SAUCE

4 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons thinly-sliced scallion greens

1. Whisk the batter mix and water together
2. Stir in the mushrooms, onion, kimchi, sesame oil, and garlic.
3. Heat a skillet to medium-high.
4. Add a little vegetable oil and swirl it around the pan.
5. Pour enough batter into the pan to make a 3” pancake. Add 1 to 2 more pancakes and fry until almost set and brown on the side down. Flip the pancakes and fry until the brown on both sides.
6. Place the cooked pancakes on paper towels and serve with dipping sauce.
7. To make dipping sauce: Combine last 5 ingredients and mix well. Divide between small bowls and serve with the pancakes.

Makes about 10 pancakes

I have a thing for things Danish. I like the furniture, I like the architecture, and I like, no, I love the food. For instance, Smørrebrød. Say s’mor-a-brod. See, that wasn’t so tough. It translates to “bread and butter”, but means so much more.  Smørrebrød is a type of open-faced sandwich popular throughout Denmark. The toppings are limited only by your imagination, and my version is traditional with a twist (would you expect anything less?).

Submitted for your approval, exhibit one. Russian rye because I couldn’t find Danish rye. It’s a very good light rye bread with a smattering of caraway seeds throughout, which wouldn’t be out of place in the land of the Vikings. Next, slices of Cream Havarti, a mild, buttery cow’s milk cheese you may find with the addition of dill, caraway, etc. Paper-thin slices of red onion; I find red onion compliments mild cheeses beautifully. The thinner the better, to enhance rather than overwhelm the flavor. Butter lettuce for a little mildly-sweet leafy action. Looks nice, too. Thickly-sliced tomatoes, the riper the better. These are “tomatoes on the vine” which are the rare edible tomatoes available here at this time of year. Now for my twist, dilled Greek-style yogurt. This takes the place of dilled mayonnaise or sour cream, and tastes delicious, especially with the tomatoes. And it’s very good for you.

I completed my dinner with split pea soup, though I have to be honest and admit that it was a slightly jazzed up pre-made soup. Dr. McDougall’s to be precise. I had very little time to get this together, and split pea soup requires about 2 hours to properly cook. Instead, I poured the soup out of the box, added a little salt and Liquid Smoke, and pureed. So there. It was actually very good, and I will eat it again.  The beer is a nutty, slightly bitter Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale. It was better than very good.

And how did it all taste? The sandwich was everything, except umami. The rye was slightly sour, with a touch of bitter from the caraway. The cheese, a cross between butter and mild white cheese, more of a mouth feel kind of thing than a flavor. The onion brought out a little sharpness, as did the tomatoes, which were accentuated by the yogurt’s tang. The dill gave it a good touch of herbal freshness. The soup was the base, slightly gritty and smokey, as good pea soup ought to be. It was the umami. The beer was perfect…hints of smoke, grassy herby, and somewhat bitter.

So go forth and make your own version of Smørrebrød. Use whatever you want, as long as you use your imagination.

Vegan? Gluten-free? Both? Well, here’s a noodle you can eat. Shirataki wide noodles made from tofu. Find them in the cooler case at your favorite natural grocers. They come in a fishy-smelling liquid which you’ll want to rinse off. You can put them in soup, or dry-fry them in a non-stick pan (for about a minute or two, until they squeak), and use them in your favorite Asian noodle dish.

I made a ridiculously easy soup tonight. Pour about 2 cups water in a small pan. Bring to a boil. Add 2 thickly-sliced scallions and about half a package of shirataki noodles. Simmer for 4 minutes. Add a tablespoon of light miso that you’ve mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water, and if you like, a tablespoon of thick soy glaze. That’s it. I was lazy and the soup was delicious.

Fall has arrived, a much anticipated respite from the 100+ degree summer we’ve had here in Colorado. To celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of soup season, I’ve created a simple, subtly-flavored butternut squash soup with some whimsical caramel corn “croutons”!

Orange/Rosemary Scented Squash Soup with Apricot/Caramel Popcorn Croutons

Croutons:

4 cups lightly salted popped popcorn

3 tablespoons apricot preserves

3 tablespoons water

½ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup vegan butter substitute

¼ cup light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Soup:

2 ½ pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup yellow onion, diced

¼ cup shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ½ cups vegetable stock

1 3" sprig fresh rosemary

2 3" strips orange peel (use a vegetable peeler and avoid the white pith)

Method

Croutons:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

2. Place the apricot preserves and water in a a small food processor and process smooth.

3. Place the sugar, butter substitute, corn syrup, and apricot preserve mixture into a medium sauce pan.

4. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. 

5. Boil for 5 minutes, and occasionally brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to avoid crystallization.

6. Spray a large (2-4 quart) baking pan with cooking spray.

7. Place the popcorn in the baking pan.

8. Pour the caramel syrup over the popcorn, stirring to coat the kernels evenly.  

9. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

10. Place a long strip of wax paper on the kitchen counter and turn the caramel corn out onto it. Allow to cool and break into small “croutons”.

Soup:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Toss the squash cubes with the olive oil and place onto a large baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes, Set aside to cool.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.

4. Add the onion, shallot, and garlic. Sauté until the onion is tender, 8-10 minutes.

5. Add the stock, rosemary, and orange peel. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the rosemary and orange peel.

7. Place the squash cubes into the soup pot and simmer 5 minutes.

8. Allow to cool slightly, and purée the soup either with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender or food processor.

9. Return to the soup pot and gently re-heat. Add more stock if the soup is too thick, allow the soup to cook down uncovered if it’s a bit thin.

10. To serve, ladle into soup bowls and garnish with caramel corn “croutons”.

Serves 6

This is the story behind my tagine.

“Hello Rob, it’s your beautiful mother!”, the voice on the phone was unmistakably familiar, one I knew well, full of anticipation for the upcoming feast and opportunity to spend some time with her son. It was mom calling about Thanksgiving, our favorite food-based holiday. Since I can remember, and in fact for many years prior, the Gérard Thanksgiving table had been richly appointed with traditional dishes such as oyster stuffing, roast turkey, and turkey gravy, all prepared from time-honored recipes written only in memory and handed down from my grandmother to her daughter. This particular day belonged to my small family, and consisted of nothing more than enjoying each other’s company while consuming obscene amounts of food (3 plates of oyster stuffing for me alone) in a warm house redolent with the comforting aromas of roasting fowl and mollusks. All of that was about to change.

After 25 years of living as a vegetarian, I’m still convinced that the transition to meatlessness is considerably more difficult for one’s family and friends than for one’s self, especially around the holidays. In fact all the major holiday meals are built around some type of deceased animal or other, and whether its lamb, turkey, duck, hot dogs, or matzo ball soup, blood has been spilled. I left the carnivorous world in stages, first read meat (adios beef tacos) then fowl (sayonara Teriyaki Chicken) and finally, kicking and screaming, seafood (au revior mussels in saffron broth). By the time I received mom’s phone call, the die had been cast, and I plunged into some very dangerous territory. She was expecting to make baked fish with lemon as she had last year, along with mounds of oyster stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, Mom’s a good sport you see, and had been very accommodating to my gradually shifting eating patterns. “Well, I have some news for you”, I said as the pit in my stomach grew to enormous proportion. “I don’t eat fish anymore!” Silence. Dead silence. Uh oh….

“Robby, what the hell am I supposed to make?” I could tell she was a little annoyed at me, but I had made my decision and intended to stick to it. I then had a flash of genius…”I’ll cook.” I could literally hear mom’s jaw drop from70 miles away. “What exactly do you intend on making?” “Oh, I’ll figure it out, don’t worry. Everything’s under control.” Sure it was.

As I feverishly rifled through my collection of recipes written on 3×5 note cards, one thing I knew was certain; this had better be spectacular. Then suddenly, another flash of brilliance. I remembered that I had a recipe for a Moroccan dish called a tagine, a slow-cooked mélange that might consist of vegetables, dried fruit, legumes, simmered in stock and spices, versions of which I’d eaten several times at Denver’s only Moroccan restaurant, Mataam Fez. Yes, that’s it! I set about gathering all the ingredients, packed them up, and left for mom’s place. The heat was on.

From the moment the onions and garlic hit the olive oil, I knew this was going to be a success. The aroma from that alone was heavenly, and with the addition of each successive ingredient, its heavenliness increased. Into the translucent onions went a blend of thyme, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and turmeric. Then stock, tomatoes, vegetables, beans, and olives. As the pot simmered I could sense mom becoming exponentially more hungry as the heady and exotic scents of Moroccan food filled her apartment. “Rob, that smells gooooood”, she always draws out the “oo” in good, and that was a good sign! I breathed a sigh of relief. We sat down to a 5-course North African feast (I’d prepared a lot of dishes in addition to the tagine) and ate like we always had, albeit slightly out of tradition. Mom didn’t even miss the oyster stuffing, and neither did I.

My 90 year old mother has asked for tagine, which she calls “Moroccan Stew”, for Thanksgiving every year since then, which makes 19 tagines. Over the years I’ve refined the preparation, but have held onto the original flavors. I even got a tagine, the dish you serve tagine in. You’ll see it in the photo.

Tagine

4 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 Lg. Onion, Diced

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

¾ tsp.Ground Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

 ¼ tsp. Ground Ginger

½ tsp. Turmeric

1 tsp. Dried Thyme

4 C. Vegetable Stock

5 Stalks Cilantro, Tied Together with String

3 C. Peeled, Cubed Red Potatoes

1 Med. Carrot,Peeled, in Chunks

1 14 oz. Can Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes, with Juice

1 14 oz. Can Artichoke Bottoms, Quartered

1 14 oz. Can Garbanzo Beans, Drained, Rinsed

1 20 oz. Can Fava Beans, Drained, Rinsed

1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Skinned, Seeded, in ¼ “ Strips

½  C. Pitted Kalmata Olives, Rinsed

1 Tbs. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼ C. Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley

1.       In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are limp and the garlic is fragrant.

2.       Add all the spices and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

3.       Add the stock, cilantro, potatoes, carrot, and the tomatoes with their juice. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

4.       Add the artichokes, beans, red pepper, and olives, and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until thickened.

5.       Add the lemon juice and mix well.

6.       Garnish with the parsley and serve

Serves 6