Za Recipes

Showing posts with label squash. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Red Curry Butternut Squash – When it Comes to Side Dishes the Food Gods Hate a Coward

As you decide on what to include in your fabulous array of vegetable side dishes for the upcoming holiday feasts, keep one thing in mind. No guts, no glory. For some reason, normally adventurous cooks when faced with a house full of hungry relatives, play scared.

Its probably driven by the desire to want everyone to enjoy everything (you know thats impossible, right?). Serving something too exotic just doesnt seem prudent. I take a different approach. Since these holiday meals are one of the rare times we get to serve multiple side dishes, I think its the perfect occasion for springing a surprise or two.

This lovely red curry butternut squash certainly fits the bill. Sweet, spicy, and mysterious – this turkey-friendly side dish wont be everyones cup of tea, but for those at the table that let it work its magic, it promises to be one of their favorite parts of the meal.

Like I said, there are plenty of other side dishes on hand, so even if the worse case scenario happens and everyone from little Billy to Grandma Jean agrees this is the worst squash dish ever, so what? There are seven more sides to pick up the slack. Besides, after the third bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau whos really going to care?

If youve never worked with red curry before, be careful. Its really spicy, and you can always add more as it cooks. To be safe, you can even cut my measurements in half for the spices and then adjust. I hope you give this interesting butternut squash side dish a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3-4 pounds butternut squash, peeled cut in 1-inch cubes
1 bunch green onions
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp red curry powder (I used McCormick)
1 tsp red curry paste (I used Taste of Thai)
2 tbsps tomato paste
1 can coconut milk
1 rounded tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce (or sub to-taste with soy sauce or salt)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
*adjust for salt and heat before serving

Thursday, February 13, 2014

“Passport to Dry Creek Valley” and the Legend of the Squash Bird

My wife and I are in the middle of planning and prepping a huge catering event this next weekend in Sonoma. It’s called “Passport to Dry Creek Valley,” which is an annual event showcasing the wines, and vineyards of the amazingly beautiful Dry Creek Valley (photo from visitwineroad.com). We will be doing the food and wine pairing for our dear friend Bill Frick, at the Frick Winery for the 11th year, and despite all the hard work we always look forward to it.

There are over 58 wineries involved in this event, and over 4,000 wine enthusiasts will be eating and sipping their way through the valley. By the way, if you have a chance, check out the Frick Winery website. Bill produces some of the most delicious wine in the entire state!

Due to the limited time available to film new clips and write articles, you may see me using this next week and a half as an excuse to finish adding the last of the old clips from Youtube and my previous blog to the site. I will have a few new clips to add, but don’t be surprised if you see a clip that you saw on the old blog (especially if you’ve been with me from the start).

Today’s clip is a perfect example. It’s the (mostly) true story about how a young Chef (me!) got his big break and was sent to San Francisco to make squash into birds. Enjoy!