Spicy Hungarian Goulash with Sriracha

Bison Goulash with Nokedli and Roasted Cabbage

As one of Hungary's national dishes and a symbol of the country itself, goulash (Hungarian spelling: gulyás) is a pretty big deal to my Uncle Gyula.  No, not because his name looks like someone with dyslexia tried to spell goulash the Hungarian way, but because he's originally from Budapest.

After spending some time as a political prisoner in 1959, shortly after the Soviet tanks rolled into Hero's Square and Janos Kadar became a household name, Gyula managed to escape to America with some luck, a couple stolen bicycles, and possibly some divine intervention-- I mean, the man had to crawl his way through minefields with a spoon, for Pete's sake!

Gulyás simmering on stovetop

While America was a bit of an adjustment for my uncle (he was once kicked off of a public beach because he had a DIY swimsuit; skimpy by American standards), Gyula settled into life Stateside and is now enjoying retirement.  Unfortunately, he has not been back to his country of birth despite the fall of communism, so food and the occasional Magyar newspaper are the only remaining links to his own culture.

Gyula's stories about his escape and life under communist rule have always intrigued and inspired me.  For this reason, I decided I needed to feed the man some down-home Hungarian cooking.  Currently, Uncle Gyula enjoys his position as my official judge for anything Hungarian, barring cabbage.  As a child during WWII and an adolescent/young adult during communism, he says he ate enough cabbage in 19 years to last multiple lifetimes.

In regards to this particular recipe, it is worth noting that as some of the top consumers of capsicums in the world, Hungarians aren't afraid of a little fire in their food.  Therefore, I wanted to see how my homemade sriracha got along with an authentic gulyás.  The result: the Gyula approved recipe shared below. 

Super Simple Miso Soup

Red Miso Soup - Ready in Minutes

Sometimes the simple things in life are the best.  This is no secret to the Japanese, whose food is more often than not stupid simple, with an incredible depth of flavor.

These deep flavors mostly come from the use of umami, or savory flavors*.  Things like miso, soy sauce, mushrooms, and dashi-- staples in the Japanese pantry-- are all high in amino acids such as L-glutamate and 5'-ribonucleotides, which constitute the umami sensation.  Other foods high in umami include ripe tomatoes, beef, chicken, and fermented products such as fish sauce and certain cheeses.

Today, I'll be showing you how simple it is to create great flavor in only a matter of minutes with a favorite of mine: red miso soup.

Chinese Five-Spice in Under 5 Minutes

Making your own Chinese five-spice powder is not only simple, it's super fast.   Whether you're looking to make char siu or just liven up some vegetables, you can have this aromatic blend of Asian spices ready to go in mere minutes. 

Cock Sauce (AKA Homemade Sriracha)

You might have heard of the Sriracha shortage--heck, you might have even been affected by it-- but that's no reason for you to miss out on what very well may be America's favorite hot sauce.

Levantine Salad with Meyer Lemon & Tahini Citronette

I promised you a salad dressing recipe using my super simple tahini, and not only have I delivered, I threw in a salad to go right along with it because I'm a nice person who cares.

Make Your Very Own Mustard

Mustard is an ancient and versatile condiment.  Originally meaning hot or burning must from the Latin mustum ardens, the seeds of the Sinapis hirta (white or yellow mustard plant) were likely first used as a condiment by the ancient Romans.  Nowadays, most of us just pick the stuff up in the grocery store, but the process of making mustard is rather simple, and when you make it yourself, you have a lot of options.

Practically any variety of liquids can be used to make an acidic bath for Indian (Brassica juncea), black (B. nigra), or white/yellow seeds to soak in.  Once they're hydrated and soft, all that's left to do is grind the mustard to your desired consistency.  Think you can do this?  You're right.

A Middle Eastern Staple: Tahini

If you're a fan of Middle Eastern food, then you've probably heard of tahini.  Maybe you've even gone out and bought a can of the stuff with Jasmine's dad from Aladdin on the front.  Because halva, baba ghanoush, and hummus all rely on this paste made from sesame seeds, maybe you thought you couldn't make your favorite Middle Eastern dishes without shelling out 9 or 10 bucks for the Sultan's brand, but the truth is, tahini is something that takes very little effort and ability to concoct at home. 

Honey Harissa Brussels Sprouts

"Oh, no!  Not another harissa recipe," said no one ever.

This time I've combined my homemade harissa  with some honey in order to get some sweet and spicy action on roasted Brussels sprouts.

If you've seen my video and read the post on how to roast Brussels sprouts, this is still worth checking out, as the technique here is a little different.

Here the Brussels sprouts only take about 15 minutes to cook and we're going to get some really nice color on them by browning on the stovetop before they take a trip to the oven.

As always, use this technique to branch out and be creative.  The concept here is to make a sauce with a little sweetness, spiciness, and some acidity to make our mini cabbages really pop.  Try sambal, a little fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime for some Southeast Asian flavors.  Want something Mexican?  Honey, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime, anyone?

Eat Your Veggies - Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Spanish Chorizo

Even though Brussels sprouts are the runt of the cruciferous vegetable family, these miniature cabbage pack a potent dose of vitamins C and K, as well as cancer fighting properties such as sinigrin, much like the rest of their relatives (broccoli, kale, collards, etc).

Some people despise Brussels sprouts because they've only ever eaten them boiled, which renders the beautifully nutty veggie into a dark and mushy, organic sulfur bomb.  If you fall into that category, consider this a sprout rehabilitation, as you have not really tried a Brussels sprout, but some dastardly perversion.  Not only will we keep a lot more of the nutrients and beneficial compounds of the plant by roasting, you'll  be equipped with a foolproof way of preparing delicious, sweet Brussels sprouts appropriate for casual family dinners, as well as the most formal of dining occasions.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

This short video post isn't just about giving you a delicious recipe for cauliflower, but a foolproof model on how to roast cauliflower, no matter what the seasoning.

Mango Salsa: You Couldn't Eff This Up If You Tried

By far the most simple thing I've posted, this mango salsa recipe is barely even a recipe.  There's no cooking, and there's no real need to measure anything.  In essence, there's no way you could mess this up.  Just make sure your ingredients are fresh and the flavors will be there. 

Pollo Tomatillo (Chicken in Tomatillo Sauce)

Summer is here and in about a month or so a lot of you are going to be so bored of chicken on the grill, you won't know what to do with yourselves.

The good news is that I'm here to prematurely ward off fatigue from America's favorite bird, and keep this mundane ingredient interesting with some pollo tomatillo, or chicken in a tomatillo sauce. 

(Non-fried) Gator: Ain't Nothin' Wrong with a Little Bit of Bump and Brine

If you've eaten gator before, chances are it was probably fried.  While frying pretty much anything results in deliciousness, I was curious to try alligator in a simpler preparation where the flavor of the meat could shine through, rather than be obscured by heavy breading and a ton of seasoning.

The thing is though, alligator can be even leaner than chicken, and if you think that overcooks quickly, you've never worked with alligator!  Not surprisingly, gator meat does not appeal to everyone, and it'll appeal to even less people if it's dry and chewy.

So, with moistness on the mind, how did I decide to hedge my bets and prepare the gator?  I brined that sucker, and I'm pleased to say it worked!