#LKBBQS
It is HOT here in NYC, which means we’re about to go on #lkcooking class hiatus until the Fall (sign up now!). We leave you for now with some heat-free inspiration to turn up your summer yum while keeping your kitchens cool. Rotate out some of your summer BBQ staples for some of ours to keep your grill game strong and your guests impressed.
Many kinds of pickles are found on the Japanese table as a palate cleanser and balancing, bright note. Why should your BBQ table deserve any less? Japanese instructor Aiko makes her own koji, the magical mold made from rice that is essential for pickling, fermenting, and making sake. It has a rich umami flavor. You can buy koji to make your own cucumber pickle — just cut your cucumbers, squish and squeeze them with koji in a ziptop bag, squeeze out the air and keep at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Add salt, squeeze to distribute, let sit at room temp for another 20 minutes before refrigerating. A little Japanese simplicity will go a long way at your finger-licking (cucumber-pickling) good BBQ.
Greek instructor Despina’s Xoriatiki Salata (Greek salad) is a simple standby that shines in late summer when its stars, tomatoes and cucumbers, are at their finest. Add them to thinly sliced onion, feta, olives, and oregano, dress with Greek olive oil and red wine vinegar, and serve. To remove some of the onion’s sharpness, Despina salts the slices and lets them sit for a few minutes, just as her father instructed. Simple, BBQ salad-y goodness.
Uzbek instructor Damira’s bodring salat (cucumber salad) is a borderline-addictive salad that’s healthy enough to assuage some of the endless-summer-feasting guilt at your BBQ table. We’re cheating on the whole no-heat thang with this one, but its unusual combination of cooked potato and raw cucumber pairs so awesomely it’ll be worth the lil bit of stovetop action. Just add oil, garlic, salt, dill and black pepper to the boiled potatoes and raw cukes for a healthy party you’ll never want to leave.
Once you make Lebanese instructor Jeanette’s hummus, you’ll never go back to store bought again. Jeanette makes a smooth spread with a lemon/garlic punch, which she finishes with top quality olive oil and Aleppo pepper. Just soake some chickpeas in a generous amount of water overnight, rinse, and boil with salt until tender while skimming the foam that rises to the top. Add cooking water, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt, pulse til smooth, transfer to a bowl, make an olive oil moat, decorate, and serve. According to Jeanette, pretty dishes make happy (BBQ) guests.
This summer, turn up the heat (without turning on the heat) with Trinidadian instructor Dolly’s green apple chow. Mix thinly sliced granny smiths with lemon juice, pureed habanero chiles in water, salt, and Dolly’s green seasoning (you’ll have to ask the cook herself for that recipe). Eat right away, or let the apples sit for up to 2 hours; the longer they sit, the spicier they’ll get. Chow down and behold hot climate body logic in action — really spicy foods make you sweat and thus cool off. Brilliant stuff, biology!
Speaking of spicy summer food, Indian instructor Yamini’s red chutney is an unexpected BBQ hit. (That said, it’s always chutney season in our kitchens.) Blend Yamini’s sambar masala powder (take her class for the legendary recipe), red chile powder, garlic, tamarind paste, and water to form a wet paste. Add corn oil if the chutney is too thick or pasty. Taste for salt, and season as needed. This chutney, a little sour and a little spicy, was Yamini’s husband’s favorite. It’s often spread on the inside of a dosa before potato filling is added, but can also be used on the side for dipping. So, dip away, all you heat-free home-cook warriors of summer!
To avoid hot kitchens and allow fresh produce to shine, simplicity is key in the summer. Afghan instructor Nawida’s yogurt sauce is as simple as it is undeniably delicious. Nawida likes to serve the sauce with her dumplings, but we like to put it on pretty much everything. Just combine a half a cup of whole milk yogurt, one or two pressed cloves of garlic, a pinch of fine salt and a couple of tablespoons of water. You can further thin the sauce with water to your liking. It’s particularly delicious on salads, veggies, and grilled meats, but, like we said, anything goes with this BBQ winner.
Ok so your next BBQ menu is all set. Congratulations! But also, reconsider…because there’s one more sauce-y delight you should probably bring to the table: Argentinian instructor Mirta’s Chimichurri, the perfect companion to LITERALLY ANY PIECE OF MEAT. Simply mince parsley and garlic in a food processor, transfer to a jar, add oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt, and pepper, pour in vinegar and oil, screw on the lid, and shake, baby, shake. As the herbs soak in the oil the sauce will get more flavorful — chimichurri keeps in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks, or 6 months in the freezer. Many Argentinians keep a jar in the refrigerator, and as it ages, the vibrant color mellows; it doesn’t have to be made fresh at each serving. Perfect for spontaneous summer hangs!
Ok so we’re entirely cheating with this one, but it wouldn’t be a summer series without moving a favorite recipe like Bengali instructor Afsari’s begun pora (roasted eggplant with mustard oil) out of the kitchen and onto the grill. Quarter an eggplant and grill away, 7 minutes skin down and another 5 or so flipped until the flesh is tender and browned. Remove from heat, keep covered for 10 minutes, and discard any liquid that pools. Scrape the flesh out of the eggplant and mash up until all the fibers are broken and it looks puréed. Combine with mustard oil, red onion, green chilies, cilantro and salt for a beautifully simple, vegan BBQ feat. Mustard oil is technically banned in the US because of its toxicity, but it’s often sold at South Asian markets labeled as massage oil. It’s safe in small quantities, so grab some now and school your BBQ guests on authentic South Asian flavor.
