Coffee as Art II

Kona Peaberry from Hawaii, French Press. Rich, smooth and beautiful.


































Photos by Yuki.

Sugar Plum Fairy Tale

About a year and a half ago, I was about to go to Prague, and I wondered what kind of treats I could expect to be eating. Plum dumplings moved to the top of my list of things to seek out, but they were nowhere to be found. Fried cheese was a suitable substitute, but I've been dreaming of those sugared, cinnamon-dusted plums-in-dough ever since. Well, I finally got around to making them, quick and dirty like, and they were a dream come true.

I say quick and dirty because I used wonton and gyoza wrappers, but they're just dough circles, so the taste should be pretty similar if you make your own pasta dough. I struggled for a long time trying to jam whole pitted Italian plums with sugar cubes in the middle into a square of wonton wrapper. It was frustrating and they almost never sealed. The ones that did were absolutely delicious, so I would wholeheartedly recommend making some pasta dough and tucking them in properly. To get around the size issue, I chopped the plums up and spooned the filling in, and the result was nearly as intoxicating. Try them, you'll like them.

Plum Dumplings

2 lb Italian plums (also called prune plums)
cinnamon
(sugar cubes)
brown sugar
wonton (square) or gyoza (round) wrappers, or rolled out pasta dough
butter

To make these traditionally, to really get the effect, to really achieve heaven on earth in the form of a bite-sized juicy plum cake, carefully pit the plums. Toss them with some melted butter and cinnamon, and tuck a sugar cube into the center of each one where the pit used to be. Take a 5"-6" round of dough and wrap the plum in it. Boil them up for about 5 minutes, then fry in butter to golden brown. Sprinkle with a little bit of brown sugar and cinnamon and eat'em up.

To cheat, chop up the plums and toss with some melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Tuck about a teaspoon into the center of a wonton wrapper, wet half of the border with water and fold to seal. It doesn't take a lot of pressure to seal, you just need to make sure you don't overfill.

You can skip the boiling part and do them like you would pot stickers. In a skillet, heat up a tablespoon or so of butter, and brown the dumplings on one side. Pour in about 1/3 c water, cover tightly and continue cooking over medium heat until the water is absorbed. Sprinkle on some sugar and cinnamon and chow down.

Hot Dates

Yesterday I had a sudden craving for something sweet, spicy and savory. I knew it would involve the dried dates I already had in the cupboard, and from there things took a turn towards Morocco. Lo and behold, the lamb and date quiche was born.

Lamb and Date Quiche

2 pie crusts, prebaked in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes
1 lb ground lamb
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp thyme
3/4 tsp salt
couple dashes cayenne and black pepper
1 T honey
2 handfuls dried dates, chopped
1 c cream
1/2 c milk
3 eggs
2 or 3 good handfuls pistachios, chopped

Prepare the pie crusts, then turn the oven down to 375. Brown the ground lamb in a skillet over medium heat, making sure to break it up nicely. Drain most of the fat and then add the onion and spices. Cook until the onion is softened, then add the honey and cook a minute more. Taste for seasoning. It should be sweet and spicy with enough salt to enhance the flavors. Toss the lamb mixture with the chopped dates and divide into the two pie pans. Beat the eggs into the cream and milk, and divide into the two pans. Sprinkle the pistachios on top of the quiches and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until set and a toothpick comes out clean. Eat!