It's cheap and easy to make; and you can do it!
Portland's premier Persian Chef shares her family's recipe
in our photo lesson below.

Let me guess; you’re trying to avoid over-processed factory foods as much as possible. And your battered family budget makes it nearly impossible to regularly go out to eat anyplace where a fork, knife and spoon are actually a necessity.

So you’ve been dragging out your old pots, pans, kitchen utensils, etc. and dusting off the cobwebs of dormant, sketchy memories of old family recipes Mom or Grandma doggedly tried to get you to pay attention to.

Problem is, long ago your loved ones tired of the handful of same-old-same-old meals you continue to trot out, and likewise you’re bored with the same tired routine too.

Chef simmers her red beans slow and long...a delicious stage for the subtle flavors of turmeric, black pepper, cumin, tomato paste and fresh lemon juice.

Now don’t go acting all “I-just-dropped-a-spider-down-your-shirt.” Your fear is unfounded. Most ethnic dishes likely seem exotic to you simply because you don’t have an historical context with some of the ingredients; or, more likely, the different ways familiar ingredients are combined. In reality, many of your favorite ethnic dishes you’ve gobbled down in local restaurants stem from old family recipes. These are often the dishes the restaurant owners grew up with. And, like family recipes in our country, many are quite basic and simple.

Lest you think that’s crazy-talk, Chef Mina Najamabadi has got my back on this. Mina is the premier Persian chef in Portland Metro; She was one of the first to introduce this ancient cuisine to the region’s diners, so she has first hand experience with the arduous task of chipping down the walls folks erect around the unfamiliar. And one of her tools is to share a simple recipe for a dish she grew up with: Her Mother’s Persian red beans and rice.

Just how simple and basic is it? To find out, we sent Catering Beyond Borders’ own Esther Dickey-- a woman who describes her culinary skills as barren at best-- to visit Chef Mina in her home kitchen. The goal: to show that even she can learn how make this dish. The point: That you can too.

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Sunomono? No, it's not a ninja battle cry; although it would make a damn good ferocious-sounding one.

Nothing quite so action packed, though. "Suno" is merely a Japanese word for vinegar. And the entire word, sunomono, roughly translates to ingredients that are vinegared. Most commonly, that ingredient so "suno-ed" that you're likely to have run across are cucumber slices.

I'm offering a simple sunomono cucumber salad recipe here, not because it's a little known process, nor because it's hard to find such recipes online. It's more to make you aware of how easy it is to prepare, and how well its crisp, fresh, tangy flavor complements so many dishes from a wide variety of different cuisines.

There's a bonus. Remember that sunomono translation? It doesn't specifically refer to cucumbers, does it? Fact is, this simple rice vinegar-based dressing supercharges a variety of vegetables, seafood, and even fruits. Try using it to marinade shredded cabbage, or almond slices, or bits of octopus, or raisins, peach slices, onions, or sprinkle it over steamed rice; and that's just a beginning.

Sunomono? No, it's not a ninja battle cry; although it would make a damn good ferocious-sounding one.

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Hey. What's up?

Ok, ok. I get it. You're a bit standoffish. And I do get it. It's been ages, I haven't written-- not even a short note to let you know what I'm up to; that everything's cool with me, and that I still think of you.

But listen, I am going to make it up to you, big time, before the end of this post. And I do have a good reason for why I haven't been blogging you. Wait, don't click away. I said a reason, NOT an excuse.

I've been very, very busy. We're talking 12 to 15 hour days, seven days a week. Yes, I do realize that I've fed you this same line before. And that you found out later that my "busyness" chiefly involved what you considered to be an unreasonable amount of time and energy spent with my then newly acquired Venture Bros. DVDs, Seasons 1, 2 and 3.

This goes nicely with field greens, spinach, arugula, Or add a bit of sesame oil, toss in broccoli slaw and jam inside a hot crispy Banh Mi.

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Snap Judgment Restaurant Reviews

I'm not a vegetarian. Give up my bacon? You'd have to pry it from my cold dead hands!

Which is exactly why I limit the amount of animal protein I consume, and the number of meals I eat that contain meat; visions of my loved ones desperately trying to break my coronary-induced death grip on crumbling slices of smoky, crispy heavenly joy!

I'm also not at all comfortable with the level of cruelty and filth involved in the mass-scale factory "ranching" and slaughterhouse industry. It's degrading to animals, it's degrading to people, and it's an insult to those of us us dedicated to the joy of cooking.

I'm hardly alone in this. Many share my reasons for cutting down on meat consumption. Yet, despite this trend by a sizable demographic group, it's pretty damn hard to find decent meatless dishes in the restaurants of most cities-- even towns, like Portland, OR., that boast of being vegan and vegetarian-friendly. Apparently "friendly," in this case, generally means bland, uninspired, an after-thought; like non-alcoholic beer.

Now, I'm well aware that there are exceptional exceptions out there. Look hard enough, and you can find the odd meatless menu item that knocks your socks off, or the vegetarian restaurant manned by a talented taste bud jockey who shines. Bay Leaf is one of those places.
(story continues-- follow the jump below)

Stolen Bay Leaf Exterior Pic 1

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My mind was ruminating on the loss of friend and colleague, " Scotland Barr " Moritz, while my stomach was contemplating-- rather aggressively-- how delicious a batch of Ethiopian-style berbere beef would be.

Not that concepts like death and the loss of a fallen comrade make me hungry. Well, actually, it kind of does. Try not to think about that too much. You'll likely just find it a bit disturbing.

The important thing here is that it prompted me to dig out a recipe for berbere sauce that Scott shared with me, and I proceeded to whip up a big enough batch for my wife and I, as well as the family of four who live next door... and enough ravenous lumberjacks to fill a small logging town... and their families.

Don't worry; the recipe below has since been adjusted to make a reasonable quantity for two to four servings.

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