History has seen its fair share of queens. The Elizabeth’s never intrigued me; even with the recent flood of repetitive, cinematic tributes to them, I remain uninterested. The “Elizabeth’s” seem cold, brutal and rough. I like my queens strong yet soulful and soft.

Growing up there was a couple of queens that I was mesmerized by. The first was Farah Diba, the wife of the Shah of Iran, who truly epitomized all that is fabulous in a queen. The second went by the name Latifah, who spit rhymes in a flow that truly epitomized my love for Hip Hop. Time has brought with it new queens whose style and contribution to the world continue to intrigue me. The beautifully modern Queen Rania of Jordan is my new Farah Diba. She’s elegant, sharp and effective, so much so that I follow her on twitter.

The other new queen that has captured my attention for the past 12 years is the one and only Ms. Erykah Badu. How and where do I begin to express how much this woman has fed my soul? I can’t think of any other singer of my generation except for Sade who moves me as deeply as she does.  Sometimes while I’m listening to her it hits me that if I could be any singer, without a doubt I would be Badu.

With her honey colored eyes, raspy voice and a head wrapped with skills, the woman is more than a singer. Ms. Badu is the definition of a true artist and poet. Between the jazz notes, her talking about her cipher and that Southern charm, her songs have been spinning on rotation for a long, long time.

These photos of Ms. Badu were taken by my friend Shanon Mc Collum. Shannon is a tall, sweet and talented Atlanta based Photo Journalist and is often referred to as the “Gordon Parks” of Hip Hop. If you don’t know who Gordon Parks is, Google him.

Sometimes when I’m in the kitchen working away and daydreaming, I imagine that if I had a choice of a famous dinner guest, who would it be and what would I cook? I’ve given quite a bit of thought to this and many people have made the list. For my fist guest I decided to start with a woman who has become the queen of my soul.  It only seems appropriate that I pair this queen with a king. The king of my palate is Indian cuisine. There is no food that I’ve experienced yet that plays with my senses the way Indian food does. There is no food that I enjoy eating as much as Indian food. I truly feel changes in my body and its chemistry when I eat it. I get high with each bite and fall into a sensory overload. The crunchy and soft textures paired with sweet and spicy flavors sing and dance endlessly on my tongue. As my imagination runs wild, I can see myself sitting across her on the grass in my front yard. Dividing us would be my wooden table adorned with flowers, candles and a cornucopia of vegetarian Indian dishes. What would I ask her, where would I begin? The music, the poetry, our love for Dilla, home birth, astronomy, or the future of Hip Hop a.k.a. Jay Electronica? The food would have to compliment her personality and showcase my own, quirky, spicy and full of soul. In an ideal setting the stars would be perfectly aligned in a harmonious meshing of our two worlds through food and song. Knowing me, I would probably feed her into a food coma in an attempt to thank her for blessing the universe with her voice.

Badu is who she is because of her uncanny swagger. Talent is not enough to get me. She got me because her words weave a blanket for my soul. She sings the way I feel.  Methodically metaphorical, she doesn’t just write about love or life, she leaves you content with it. They say it’s not what you say but how you say it. Her flow is ethereal, free and dangerous and she can sing the hell out of a Chaka Khan and Roy Ayers song. I’ve spent countless evenings throughout the years by myself or with friends cooking, drinking wine and blasting Badu through the walls. To feed my hunger, I make sure to see her live every couple of years. However this evening, and in my imagination, she’s coming over for dinner.

So what will the dinner table look like? For starters, we will have vegetarian Samosa’s with a South Indian cilantro, lime Chutney, followed by a spiced Sweet potato and coconut Soup. The main course will be Basmati rice with a spicy eggplant and lentil Curry served with Garam Masala laced Cornbread.  For dessert, I hope to sweeten her soul with Cardomom tea and a Saffron-Rosewater, almond Tapioca.

In my crazy head the evening will be nothing short of an ethereal experience. Most importantly Ms. Badu will love, love, love my Indian feast and will take the leftovers home for her kids. If I’m really lucky, she’ll play the guitar and sing a song as wisdom bounces off those pillow lips and into the sky. So with this story dear reader, please try not to question my sanity as I have on many occasions. I only ask that you simply entertain my imagination. Send me some positive energy so that maybe one day this queen might actually get a chance to read this little piece. In doing so, I hope she will find a little bit of inspiration in my silly Samosa’s as I have in her soulful songs.

This recipe is for the Vegetarian Samosa’s and the South Indian cilantro, lime Chutney. The dough recipe is a simple one, but you can also use wonton wrappers as a substitute. The chutney can be spicy so those with sensitive tongues, deseed the jalapeños. When using spices like coriander, cumin, curry etc. I always prefer to use the seeds or leaves rather than the powder. When you toast the seeds, this incredible aroma takes over the house, imagine what it does to the food? Links are provided for the seeds in case Indian stores are not readily available.

Cilantro-Lime Chutney

Yield 2 cups

½ tsp. cumin seeds or cumin powder

1 tsp. Chaat Masala

1 jalapeño chopped

4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 bunch green onions, green parts only

3 cups firmly packed fresh cilantro, including soft stems

½ cup fresh mint leaves

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. kosher salt

1. Toast the cumin seeds.
2. In a food processor, blend together jalapeños, ginger, green onions and bell pepper until minced. Add the cilantro, mint process and scrape the sides with a spatula.
3. Add the lime juice and olive oil through the feeder tube then add the cumin seeds or powder, Chaat masala, honey and salt and process.
4. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Vegetarian Samosa’s

Yield 6 servings

Pastry Dough

1 cup flour

3 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil

6-8 tbsp ice water

Kosher salt to taste

Stuffing

3 large potatoes, cubed, small dice

1 cup shelled green peas or frozen (thawed)

1 cup corn, fresh or canned

¼ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp cumin seeds or ground

½ tsp coriander seeds or ground

½ tsp brown mustard seeds

½ tsp spicy Garam masala

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped

2 green chillies deseeded, chopped fine

kosher salt to taste

3 tbsp oil and oil for deep frying

1. For the dough, sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Mix in the ghee / oil. Add water little by little while mixing with fingers to make a stiff dough. Set the dough aside and keep it covered with a damp cloth for 15-20 minutes.

2. Cook the peas in boiling salted water for about 10 minute(s) or till soft. Drain refresh in cold water and drain well.

3. In a large skillet heat 3 tbsp of oil. Toss in the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add the green chillies and ginger. Fry briefly.

4. Add the potato cubes, salt and Garam masala powder. Sprinkle with some water, cover and cook on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Mix in the cooked green peas and corn and let cool. down for 5-7 minutes. Mix in the coriander leaves.

5. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. Apply a little dry flour to each ball and on a flat, lightly floured surface roll each ball into a 5” circle diameter. Cut each circle into two and lightly dampen the edges of each semicircle with water. Place a spoonful of the potato-pea filling into the cone and seal the edges well (apply some water on the edges if they do not seal well).

6. Deep fry samosa’s in medium-hot oil until crisp and golden brown. Remove onto a paper towel. Serve immediately with the Cilantro Lime Chutney.

“Honey you so sweet,

Sugar got a long way to get you…”     Erykah Badu

According to Greek mythology Zeus was born in a cave and raised by bees, where each day a nymph by the name of Makris fed him honey, making it a “food of the Gods.” The word Honey has many applications, it’s a term of endearment, a way to describe something sweet, and has given a whole new meaning to the existence of bees. Honey has graced the earth longer than we have and simply put, it is something that gives me an ecstatic sensory experience.

Somehow bees have this mystical power and knowledge of the earth, resulting in their laborious creation of such an incredibly useful and raw substance. A few years ago I went through a phase where I gulped down a tablespoon of honey every morning and ate a bowl of yogurt every night. This lasted for almost two years, I wasn’t disciplined enough to do it everyday, but this little ritual took place at least 5 days a week.

The yogurt idea came from a T.V. interview I had seen years ago with my friend Damon’s great grandfather Setrak. Setrak Boyajian, a.k.a. the “Yogurt Man,” was born in 1884 and immigrated to the U.S. from Hajen, Turkey in 1906 and lived to be 107 years old. One of the local news channels interviewed him a couple of years prior to his death during which Mr. Boyajian attributed his long and healthy life to his commitment to a daily bowl of yogurt, and specifically the particular culture that he used to make the yogurt. He swore that yogurt prolonged his life and helped keep his brain intact. After seeing this interview and talking about it with Damon, I took this piece of wisdom from this Armenian elder and began to believe in the power of yogurt and eventually made it a part of my regular diet.

The inclusion of a tablespoon of honey came from the voice of my childhood, Julie Andrews. Life sometimes can create a sour taste in your mouth so the silly girl in me thought “if I have a spoon full of sugar every morning, it will make my day just a little sweeter.” I tried the sugar and it was way too much. I didn’t like it, so honey came to mind. After a practice run I decided that a tablespoon of honey was much better than a teaspoon of sugar.  Even though the honey was much sweeter, its appeal also had a lot to do with acknowledging the hard work of many, many busy bees. One twelfth of a teaspoon of honey equals the entire life’s work of a single bee.

Everything about honey excites me, its history and cultivation, the distinct smell, varietals, its sticky texture, and those beautiful light and dark shades of glistening gold. For those couple of years, its sweet nectar coated my throat and heart almost every morning, and in my mind it truly brought an extra sense of sweetness to my life. The yogurt ritual continues nightly but the honey has adopted new ways to make its way to my stomach. Nowadays when I’m cooking, I use honey more often as a substitute for sugar, and sometimes when I need a substitute for honey I use Agave Syrup.

Since the blog is called Honey, I felt a little pressured to have to drum up some spectacular Honey recipe for you. Instead, I decided to use honey in the simplest form by pairing it with cheese. I’m always being asked by friends “so what do you think I should serve with this and that?” Food pairing is such an imperative part of what I do daily that I have become a sponge, learning all that I can about flavor profiles. I’m lucky that I lived in the Bay Area and had easy access to wander between Napa and Sonoma and soak in all the fresh produce, wine and cheese that I could.

This non -recipe is a simple cheese plate that’s a great starter for a dinner party or just an excuse to taste the wonderful things that happen in your mouth when cheese, wine and honey come together. I chose a few cheeses that lean on the French side, my favorite, Goat cheese being among them. Just a drizzle of honey on top, paired with a chilled glass of wine smoothly brings out the flavor of each of these fromages. Both red and white wines are easily paired with cheese but when adding honey to the mix, white somehow works better. Chardonnay, Chenin, Pinot and Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier are what I usually like to pair with cheese and honey. You can also include reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.  There are no finite rules when it comes to pairing, for me it is all about the chemistry. I also love pairing honey and cheese with a good Belgian Ale, the ale acts as a great medium for honey.

The power of Honey has been immortalized by history, mythology and human consumption. The famous Armenian writer Hovhannes Tumanyan wrote the story “A Drop of Honey,” as a reaction to the troubling issues of the 20^th Century. The fable is based on an Armenian tale from the Middle Ages about how one spilled drop of honey caused bloodshed between two people who lived in neighboring villages, and then between those two villages, and then between states. I remember reading that story as a child and learning that life can become very complicated even by the smallest of things. I’m happy to say though, as an adult, honey has become a reminder and an inspiration for the simple and sweeter things that life has to offer.

Cheese

Blue (Stilton or Castello)                             Goat (Humbolt Fog, herbed)

Brie                                                                  Gruyere

Camembert                                                    Parmegiano- Reggiano

Comte

I buy most of my cheeses from Nicole’s Gourmet in South Pasadena. She has an incredible array of amazing cheeses and products. If you live in L.A. head over to Nicole’s, she’s very sweet and informative. Serve the cheeses with Black Mission figs (if they out of season, Trader Joe’s carries dry figs), a French baguette or crackers, honey and your favorite wine. It’s an exercise in simplicity that is a weekly ritual I gladly partake in and as the Armenian fable goes, a little drop of honey goes a long way.

Fung and I have been friends for a long time, I can’t remember exactly the first time I met her, but I think my mom might have introduced us. Ever since we met, it has been good times all the time. She never fails to amaze me with her earthy undertones and her constant reminder of how generous the gods can be.

What I love most about her is her diversity and ability to go into any situation and truly bring the best out of herself, but most importantly, Fung knows better than anyone how to be a team player. Most of the time she’s been cast in the supporting role rather than the lead. It’s her adaptability and lack of being an attention whore that makes her so balanced, her talent speaks for itself, it is not forced.

The truth is Fung has a lot to of offer, and I’ve come across many people in my life who don’t like her, I always give them the side eye when they talk about how much they hate her earthiness. What they fail to realize is that the earthiness she so strongly encompasses is exactly why I can’t stay away from her. The only downside to it is that she does tend to get a little dirty, and due to her dainty nature she often has to be delicately brushed. So whenever she comes over we always hang out in the kitchen and I take my wooden brush and gently brush the dirt off her shoulders and then she’s ready to shine.

Fung and I have played around a lot throughout the years, she’s become somewhat of a muse; the narcissist in me believes she’s been put on this earth solely for my pleasure.  It is for this reason that I decided to dedicate this story to my love for Fung, and how much I appreciate our years of adventure, experiments and absolute harmony. According to hieroglyphics, the Egyptians use to see her as a symbol of immortality; the Pharaohs were so fascinated by her that no commoner was allowed to mingle with her. She’s so special that her mere presence is vital to the rehabilitation of forests, even though she could be very toxic at times.

Ok, so by now you can see my slight obsession with mushrooms has gotten to the point where I’m humanizing a fungus and pretending like she’s my friend, but I just can’t help it. Every time I eat mushrooms I feel like I’m eating the earth and getting one step closer to nature. One type in particular, Truffles, are inexplicably my favorite fungi put on this earth. If I were given one last meal it would be a big plate of fatty bone marrow with white and black truffles shaved on top. Affording them is another story, so as an alternative I always keep a stash of really good white truffle oil in the kitchen. I find different excuses for putting it on top of everything from grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, popcorn and especially eggs, Truffles and eggs have an incredible marriage of flavors.

This Mushroom Ménage à trois consists of  three recipes that allow Fung to shine. All three help bring her flavor out as much as possible.  The first one is a Truffled Wild Mushroom  Cream soup followed by the Goat Cheese, Phyllo, Mushroom Cups and lastly the Pomegranate Shitake Mushrooms. I hope that I do her justice with these recipes, I felt compelled to pay homage to her and give her back some of that love she’s bestowed upon me for so long.

Notes: Mushrooms should never be washed because their spongy texture retains water easily and when cooked it greatly affects the texture, so they should be brushed gently with very little water on the brush. I also like my mushrooms al dente like pasta to help avoid a mushy texture, Pomegranate Molasses can be found in most Middle Eastern stores or here.

Wild Mushroom Cream Soup

Yield 4 servings

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large shallot, finely diced

3 small garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 ½ – 2  lb. mushrooms such as shitake, cremini, portabella, oyster and white button, cleaned, stems removed and sliced 1/8 inch thick

4 -6 c. low sodium chicken stock

4 fresh sage leaves, 3 whole, 2 chopped

1 tbsp thyme, chopped

1 ½ tsp chives, chopped

1 c. heavy cream

1/3 c. dry vermouth or white wine

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp cold water

2 tbsp truffle oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium (3-5 quart) saucepan heat butter and olive oil, add shallots and sauté until opaque, add vinegar and let shallots caramelize for 1 minute and add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and sauté for 8-10 minutes, then add chopped sage and thyme.
3. Add vermouth, cook for 1 minute and add chicken stock, cover pot reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (can be made one day ahead)
4. Lower temperature to a simmer and with an immersion blender, blend soup mixture in pulses to completely chop up mushrooms (this will also thicken the soup). (note – if you are using regular blender instead be EXTRA careful! Only add a couple of cups of soup mixture to blender at a time because the high heat of the mixture will form steam and make the blender “explode” with hot soup).
5. Once blended well, add heavy cream and two whole sage leaves, stir to combine well and bring back up to temperature slowly
6. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl and stir to make a slurry. Add to soup and stir to combine completely add salt and pepper to taste, cook for 5-7 minutes on low and serve immediately.

To serve garnish each soup with chopped chives and add 1 tsp of truffle oil to each serving.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Phyllo Cups

Yield 6 servings

1 box Phyllo dough

1 Muffin pan

2 lbs mushrooms such as shitake, cremini, portabella, white button, brushed, stems removed chopped to a medium to small dice.

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves minced

2 ½ tbsp Marscapone cheese (chilled)

2 ½ tbsp Goat cheese (chilled)

1 ½  tbsp fresh thyme, chopped or whole leaves

1 ½ tbsp parsley chopped

Filo:

Preheat oven to 420 degrees.

1. Thaw Phyllo dough for 45 minutes to an hour, roll out slowly making sure not to break the sheets. Phyllo can dry quickly so cover remaining sheets with a damp towel while cutting strips.

2. Line sheets on a flat surface and taking 5 sheets (stuck) together cut 4 inch wide strips.

3. Depending on the size of your muffin pan, cut strips 4 inches in length, making sheets 4 x 4.

4. Melt 1-2 tbsp butter, lightly brush the insides of muffin pan and place Phyllo sheets in each pan hole gently pressing down and turning you hand counterclockwise at the same time, to shape sheets into each mold.

5. Lightly brush the inside of each Phyllo cup (the butter helps bind the sheets together). Place in the oven on the third rack and bake to a light golden brown for 3-4 minutes, watch carefully as Phyllo tends to burn very quickly. Set aside and cool.

Mushroom Filling:

1. In a medium sauté pan melt 2 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp of olive oil, add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 1 minute, add the marscapone and goat cheese, mix until filling becomes creamy.
3. Spoon filling into each Phyllo cup, sprinkle with parsley and thyme and serve.

Pomegranate Shitake Mushrooms

Yield 4 servings

2 lbs Shitake mushrooms, brushed, stems taken off and chopped into 1/3 inch.

2 stalks leek, washed, green stems removed, cut lengthwise and chopped thin.

1 ½ tbsp butter

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp white wine vinegar

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp Pomegranate molasses

2 tbsp Pomegranate seeds

salt to taste

1. In a medium sauté pan melt ½ tsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil, add leeks and sauté on medium heat until opaque, add vinegar and cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Lower heat, add the brown sugar and mix well allowing leeks to caramelize, remove from heat and transfer leeks to a bowl.
3. In the same sauté pan, melt 1 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp of olive oil and sauté mushrooms al dente about 2-4 minutes add salt and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add leeks and pomegranate  molasses to the mushrooms and stir well. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve.