Saturday, July 14 -- DINNER

Dinner at Laura and Paul's!

-- Jalapeno-basil infused tequila, blood orange margarita
-- Tomato-mango salad on a bed of arugala with red onions and cilantro
-- Sweet potato-coconut-corn chowder with red peppers and spicy pepitas
-- Baja corn tacos with ancho-chili lime tofu, watercress, radish, Laura's guacamole, Kate's salsa, rice and beans
-- Peanut butter/Mexican chocolate mousse pie
-- Paul's home-brew beer :)

7 pm -- $20-$40 -- Click here to rsvp

Sunday, July 8 -- DINNER

-- Rosemary infused gin and grapefruit spritzer
-- Orange-rose-ginger marinated beets, baby spinach, toasted pistachios, nasturtiums
-- Soup au pistou-- white bean and pesto puree with zucchini and harissa
-- Pattypans stuffed with smoky tempeh and green olives, Moroccan quinoa with golden raisons and almonds
-- chocolate-cardamom brownies with dulce de leche soy icecream

7 pm -- $20-$40 -- Click here to rsvp

Friday, June 29 -- DINNER

This dinner will be extra-special, because my marvelous friend Phensy will be cooking in the kitchen with me! MAGIC GUARANTEED.

Here is the forecasted menu, but as always the veggies may shift slightly depending on what's coming from the farm.

-- Lychee-starfruit mai tai's
-- Tom kha gai-- lemongrass coconut soup with shitakes, kale, and carrots
-- Summer rolls with marinated portabellos, turnip, red onion, mint, bell peppers, vermicelli, sugar snap peas and peanut sauce
-- Thai basil eggplant and zucchini with tofu-cashew ricotta, roasted red pepper chili sauce over fat rice noodles
-- Mango tart with lime curd and nut crust

7 pm -- $20-$40 -- Click here to rsvp

Smoky Mung and Spinach Dal

Dal is a staple for me, I make a pot at least once a week. Dal is basically any lentil or bean, and mung dal is this:

Dear Bill,
We are NOT eating Hmongs!!!
Your friend,
Kate

This is a good one that I've customized with garlic and smoked paprika, and what I'm serving Sunday. It's a great way to use early-summer spinach.

2/3 cup split mung/moong dal, without skins
6 cups water
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced into thin rounds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
a squirt of siracha, about a tablespoon, or more if you're like me
about 10-12 large spinach leaves, soaked, washed, de-stemmed and slivered
small bunch of cilantro, chopped
SALT-- this needs salt! At least a teaspoon, but I put in a little more. See what you think, but please-- don't be one of those no-salt people. You will be unhappy.

Rinse the dal in the pot you're going to cook it in. Swish the water around, let the dal sink, pour off the starch bubbles and as much water as you can. Repeat about 4-5 times. Once drained for the last time, add your 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil with a sprinkle of salt and a dribble of oil. This stuff is bubbly! It will make a mess on your stovetop! But don't worry, it will be OK. Crack the lid, turn the heat down to medium, and you can try the stick-a-wooden-spoon-in-there trick, which kinda works.

Heat the oil in a skillet, I always use the cast iron one. Once it's hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds which will slowly turn grey and more brown, respectively. The mustard will probably start popping around like Mexican jumping beans,  which means the skillet is now ready for the onions, then garlic. I sautee on med-high heat untill everything is translucent and slightly browned. This is called the "chaunk", and it will get added to the dal at the very end. Set aside as you wash and chop your spinach.

The dal will eventually soften and semi-dissolve as it's cooking, and when its fully cooked you can sort of whisk it into a purree with the salt, turmeric, smoked paprika, and siracha. On med-low heat, add the chopped spinach. Stir and let it wilt down. Add the chaunk (sauteed onion mix), turn off the heat, and let it sit for a little while. Stir in the cilantro and enjoy! I eat this either as a soup or over brown rice. See, beans aren't so bad! Personally, I believe that by eating them, we can save the world :)

Sunday, June 24-- DINNER

-- cucumber-mint-lime mojitos with brown sugar rim
-- smoky mung and spinach dal with spring onion chaunk
-- THALI: Tomato and fennel chana, punjabi radishes, cilantro-peanut chutney, red/brown rice, papad
-- coconut pancakes with spiced pineapple compote and tamarind-hibiscus syrup

This meal will start at 7 with cocktails, and end at 9 with a bonfire. Any other beverages you'd like to share, please BYOB. This meal is on a $20-$40 sliding scale, so also bring cash. Wear your imaginary or real party hat and your sociable self! Vegetables may vary slightly depending on what is coming from the farm that week.

Please click here if you'd like to RSVP! I will email you back with the location and other details.

June 29 menu coming shortly, but you're welcome to sign  up for any date that works for you now to reserve your spot.

KRAK is BACK!

Wow, doing some serious cyberworld dusting today-- the last post was 4 years ago on this thing! Lawd have mahcy!

So yes, the KRAK den is gearing up for some summer dinners here in my native Bayview. Ten summers ago I learned how to make my first lentil soup and started experimenting with vegetarian Asian cuisine, and there has not been a week since when I haven't been cooking. So this summer marks a special anniversary, and I hope you can come join me for one of the things I enjoy most in life--cooking up grub at a common table!

Since a good amount of the produce is coming from a LotFotL Farm crop share, the menus are slightly TBA. This means that the vegetables may vary slightly. Check this blog to see the menu postings. Then, go to the website's RSVP page and click on "dear kate" to submit your reservation. The official dinner dates so far are June 24 and 29, then July 8, 14, and 19. Once you have submitted your reservation, I will get back to shortly with more details. All dinners will be on a $20-$40 sliding scale per person.

Hope to see you soon!
Kate