1. inspired your love of food:

   That’s a hard one because I love food so much. There isn’t one dish but there is one cuisine, and that is Goan food. Goan was a constant at home twice a week. So the oxtail curry, the potroast my mom would make, the Goan shrimp and fish curry, the eating of crab curry, xacutti (made with older male chicken or goat with toasted spices). Xacutti is one of my favorite Goan dishes.

2. is your signature:

   I have so many dishes that have become “us”, but sweet, sour, spicy and bitter with various textures is my signature. So my food is very textural.

3. you cook on your night off:

   My night off normally is dictated by what the kids want to eat. Saturdays is wine night at home, so depending on what bottle we want to open, that is what we cook. But it tends to be steak.

Can we have an extra helping?

• What would be your last supper?

  My last supper would be mutton xacutti with steamed basmati rice.

• What is the best meal you have ever had?

  At Pierre Gagnaire in Paris.

• What is your idea of comfort food?

  Braised oxtails that we do at Tabla.

• Fill in the blanks: If I go to [blank], I must have the [blank].

  Singapore, hainanese chicken rice.

• What is your favorite restaurant that people should know about?

  Chengdu 23. It is owned by a family and they make the best Szechuanese food. It is in Cedar Grove, New Jersey on Route 23. It is really really good.

• What one new ingredient should I add to my pantry and how should I use it?

  Coriander seeds. You can make a great curry, marinade out of it, toast it and use it on salads.

• What are you making tomorrow night for dinner?

  Tomorrow night I will be working so it depends on what my wife wants to make.

Chef, can you share a recipe for one of these dishes?

Sweet Spiced Oxtails From One Spice, Two Spice

Serves 6

Sweet Spiced Oxtails

Our family used to buy oxtails from a street vendor called “Liver Andrew”. They were absolutely fresh-and absolutely delicious. We loved this inexpensive cut with rich flavor and meltingly tender texture when braised for a couple of hours. Like any braised meat dish, the sauce is as important as the meat itself. Here I like to strain the sauce, reduce it, then recombine it with the braised oxtails and finish them off in the oven, basting them frequently with the reduced sauce. The sweet beefiness deepens, and the sauce given the oxtails a beautiful sheen. Like most braises, this one is best if made ahead of time.

For The Spice Blend
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 ½ tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1 small dried red chile
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne

For The Oxtails
4 pounds oxtails
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup canola oil
4 cups coarsely chopped white onion
10 unpeeled garlic cloves, cut in half crosswise
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrot
¼ cup sliced peeled ginger
1 cup dry red wine
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Six 4-inch thyme sprigs
Two 5-inch rosemary sprigs
2 bay leaves

Finely grind the cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and chile together in an electric coffee/spice grinder. Combine the ground spices with the turmeric and cayenne in a small bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Season the oxtails generously with salt and pepper and then let them sit for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof 6-to-8 quart pot over moderately high heat until it shimmers and sear the oxtails on all sides until browned, about 18 minutes. (Don’t rush through this step even though it’s a bit fussy, as oxtails are oddly shaped. The carmelization is the secret to a deeply flavored braise.) If the bottom of the pot looks like it’s getting too dark, reduce the heat to moderate. Transfer the oxtails to a platter.

Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and ginger to the (uncleaned) pot and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened and the onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir the ¼ cup of the wine into the spice blend and stir that into the vegetables. Stir in the tomato paste, and then cook the vegetables for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the rest of the wine and the brown sugar.

Return the oxtails and their juices from the platter to the pot and add 6 cups water. Add 1 tablespoon salt along with the vinegar, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.

Bring the braised liquid to a boil, then tightly cover the pot with a lid or foil. Put the oxtails in the middle of the oven and braise them for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until fork-tender.

Transfer the oxtails to a large bowl. Strain the braising liquid through a sieve into the bowl, pressing hard on the solids with the back of a ladle, and discard the solids. Skim the fat from the strained liquid. You should have 1 ½ to 2 cups sauce left; if you have more, bring it to a boil in a 2-quart pan and reduce until you have 1 ½ to 2 cups left. Pour the sauce over the oxtails and then let them cool, uncovered. Refrigerate the cooled oxtails, covered, for 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Remove and discard any congealed fat from the braising liquid. Return the oxtails and sauce to the same (cleaned) 6-to-8 quart pot and bring to a boil. Transfer the pot to the middle of the oven. Cook the oxtails, basting them with the sauce every 5 minutes, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the oxtails are hot and the sauce is the consistency of syrup.

1. inspired your love of food:

   For me, anything that my mother cooked was always a great inspiration.

2. is your signature:

   A tomato and coconut fish curry.

3. you cook on your night off:

   On my nights off, it is a Chinese take out menu that decides dinner!

Can we have an extra helping?

• Tell me your foolproof recipe for seduction.

  Definitely rice pudding. It is how I won my hubby’s heart. Rice cooked in milk and sugar and seasoned with crushed cardamom.

Monica, can you share a recipe for one of these dishes?

Monica’s Fish Curry From “Modern Spice” (Simon & Schuster)

Everyone has a signature dish, something that they are really proud of and this one is mine. I have been cooking it for as long as I can remember. It is a favorite with adults and kids alike. My dad once told me it was his favorite. I cannot tell you how happy I was since he has such discerning tastes. He made it for me once, and it was quite interesting. “I won’t add the mustard seeds, since I don’t like mustard. I don’t have any curry leaves so they won’t go in either. I will sauté some onions first, and then add tomatoes and I prefer ground coriander, so I will add that. But you know, I do add the coconut milk, so it is just like yours!”

Serves 4

Cook Time: 40 minutes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
10 fresh curry leaves
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 hot green chile, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 pound catfish pieces
Salt to taste
1/2 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk (such as Taste of Thai brand)

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the mustard seeds; as soon as they crackle add the curry leaves, ginger, garlic, and green chiles. Sauté for a few seconds and then add the tomato.
3. Sauté gently for 10-12 minutes or until the tomato is soft and the oil begins to leave the side of the mixture. You can add some water if the tomato begins to stick. (I sometimes add a quarter cup of water and cover the pan for 5-6 minutes. This helps cook the tomatoes faster. Then I uncover it and continue to cook until all the water evaporates.)
4. Add the chili powder, turmeric, and salt; cook for 1 minute.
5. Stir in the fish and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add the coconut milk. Let the mixture come to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the fish is tender. Serve immediately.

1. inspired your love of food:

   When I was a wee little thing my nanny (who was an extraordinary cook) made this one dish that blew me away every time: Pomegranate Soup. It was a most magical and fragrant concoction that seemed to take forever to make and when it was ready I couldn’t eat enough of it. Some of the intoxicating ingredients were: lentils, pomegranate past, garlic, parsley, coriander, mint , beets, chives, scallions and the spices were saffron, turmeric and angelica powder.

2. is your signature:

   I think anything that has something to do with the following combination: a stew (slow-cooking braise) and rice with saffron and this includes the burnt rice (Tadigh in Persian- this alone has been the cause of many a food war at the family table to see who could grab the last crunchy piece…). There is no end to the combination of vegetarian and meat slow cooked braises and stews I’ve concocted throughout the years and paired with saffron white rice with the burnt bottom. However no 2 meals have been identical and this is the most magical thing about it- the possiblilites are endless and the human imagination and fresh ingredients available are the only limits.

3. you cook on your night off:

   I don’t know that I ever have ” a night off” as I feel like cooking is for me like drinking a glass of water or better yet — breathing. But ok to simplify things I would say an “effortless” meal for me would be to find a seasonal vegetable and saute it with garlic and toss it with some al dente pasta or left over kous kous, add a few flakes of cayenne, a dribble of virgin olive oil and voila! Dinner is served (ok maybe toss in a little freshly grated parmesan too). Easy perfection. A delicious no fuss meal ready under 20 minutes.

Can we have an extra helping?

• Fill in the blanks: If I go to [blank], I must have the [blank]?

  If I go to an island I will take my stash of Persian Saffron (highest quality in the world!) with me to put in every thing I cook and bake.

1. inspired your love of food:

   I hate this question because the answer is you have to eat and if you don’t love food then what’s the point? I never understand people who don’t love eating and drinking. Because you’ve got to do it or you die so you need to love it or you’re just doing chores. If I had to pick the moment when I first noticed food it was when my family would go on vacation and the day would consist of “Go to the museum, where do we eat?” We went to Paris in the early Eighties when a lot of chefs who are Michelin-starred now were just starting to be recognized and they were pushing the boundaries of classical French cuisine in smaller restaurants and I just remember having one amazing meal after another.

2. is your signature:

   I’d say it’s the portobello mousse. People are always surprised by how rich and decadent it is, even people who don’t like mushrooms. I’ve seen people come to the restaurant against their will, dragged there by their date, and they really don’t want to be eating vegetables, and then they eat the mousse and realize that vegetables aren’t punishment and you can see them relax and start enjoying their meal. It’s the gateway drug.

3. you cook on your night off:

   I order take-out. The last thing I want to see on my night off is a
   kitchen.

Can we have an extra helping? (Or two, or three?)

1. What is the best meal you have ever had?

   I was in Beijing a long time ago and I wound up in a Chinese vegetarian restaurant whose name I can’t remember. It was a big bare room with bright lights and it was ugly as sin. I’m not even sure how I ordered but I had a ton of dishes, mostly mock meat, and each one was more amazing than the last. I had to eat them all by myself, and I just remember thinking that I was finally finished and then another plate would show up and it would be something I’d never heard of, or only seen in some anemic, watered-down form, and it would be cooked perfectly and taste even more amazing than what I’d been eating right before. It’s probably been bulldozed by now.

2. What is your idea of comfort food?

   French fries with as many condiments as possible: mayonnaise, hot sauce,
   barbecue sauce, vinegar, curry.

3. Fill in the blanks: If I go to [blank], I must have the [blank].

   If I go to Grand Sichuan, I must have the dried tofu and the vinegar
   potatoes.

1. inspired your love of food:

   Stuffed blue fish with root vegetables and red rice

2. is your signature:

   Lamb shank with millet couscous, dates and white beans

3. you cook on your night off:

   Hamburger

Can we have an extra helping? (Or two, or three?)

1. What would be your last supper?

   My aunt’s duck casserole

2. What is the best meal you have ever had?

   Rice and smoked oysters from Casamance

3. What is your idea of comfort food?

   Seafood gumbo with lots of crabmeat and okra

4. What is your favorite restaurant that people should know about?

   Le Grand-Dakar

5. What one new ingredient should I add to my pantry and how should I use it?

   Asian fish sauce to use in very little doses in stews, sauces or marinades.

6. What are you making tomorrow night for dinner?

   Cornish hen farci au fonio

Chef, can you share a recipe for one of these dishes?

Cornish Hen Farci au Fonio

2 cups fonio
1 tablespoon salt dissolved in ¼ cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt, to taste
1 carrot, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 cup shelled green peas
1 cup corn kernels
4 Cornish hens, about 1 to 2 pounds each
2 tablespoons rof (recipe below)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups peanut oil
1 onion, julienned
2 green bell peppers, julienned
2 cups water

Serves 4

1. To prepare the fonio, wash the grains with running cold water and drain well. Place the fonio in the top of a steamer lined with cheesecloth. Set over simmering water, cover, and steam, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Drizzle with salted water and return the fonio to the steamer basket and steam again until the grains are tender. (Alternatively, fonio can be prepared in a microwave by adding enough water to cover in a bowl and cooking until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.) Add the butter and fold into the cooked fonio.

2. Meanwhile, place a pot of water over high heat. When it comes to a boil, add salt. Cook the vegetables separately just until tender—the carrots of 15 minutes, the peas for 5 minutes, and the corn for 5 minutes. Drain well and combine the cooked vegetables with the steamed fonio. Set aside.

3. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut a few incisions in the Cornish hens and stuff with some rof. Mix together with the remaining rof, mustard, and vinegar. Season the birds with this mixture. Stuff the cavity of each hen with the fonio, reserving the remaining fonio for serving. Secure with toothpicks or sew with kitchen thread.

4. In a pot large enough to hold the Cornish hens in a single layer, heat the oil and brown the hens for 15 minutes to a nice golden color. Remove the birds from the pot into a bowl. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons oil from the pot.

5. Reheat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and green pepper, stirring until softened but not browned. Return the hens and accumulated juice to the pot along with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and reduce. Season with salt. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Serve with the reduced fonio and vegetables, along with the sauce from the cooking pot.

Rof

Rof, pronounced “rawf,” is a popular condiment in Senegal, commonly used to stuff fish.

1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped
1 habanero pepper, stemmed and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 onion, chopped, or a small bunch of scallions, white parts only, chopped
1 bay leaf, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Makes about 1 cup

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process coarsely, or pound by hand in a mortar and pestle.