Eat...Think...Blog...Woman

Super Bowl Party ideas

2012-02-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

Years ago when I worked in an office, the Super Bowl partywas a major annual event. I never knew who was playing but always knew the halftime star. A TV could be found in every room of the host’s home, including thekitchen. Coolers of beer were on the back porch and stuffed under tables. Kidshung out in the bedrooms and played with other kids they only met once a year. Myhusband found the room with the least amount of people so he could actuallywatch the game. Everyone brought a dish. I ate things at this annual fest thatI would not eat (or see) at any other time of year – little smokies in BBQsauce, Rotel Velveeta cheese dip, one or two kinds of chicken wings, potatochips and dip, wilted celery and carrot sticks with dip, 3 kinds of boxed brownies,a bowl of Chex mix and a few things in plastic containers you had to pry thelid off to get to. These dishes seem appropriate and necessary when you aredrinking a beer and watching, in my case, the commercials and the half timeshow of the Big Game. None are gourmet and some a little embarassing but hey - it's part of the Game.

Our party this year will be pretty small. Butthat doesn’t mean we have to skimp on the delicously nasty Super Bowl food. So I have beentrolling my recipes and the Internet for this year’s dishes. Some are a little healthy,some are not but all are worthy of The Game.

I have a guilty secret – I love Buffalos wings– especially when they are crisp and fresh out of the fryer. And I only likethe wing part and not the drummete. When I saw this recipe I thought this is awinner. They take a little time to prepare (some of it spent in the fridge) soplan in advance

Alton Brown’s BakedBuffalo Wings
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/alton-browns-buffalo-wings-recipe/index.html

Who doesn’t love tosee the trapeze wire of cheese stretching from mouth to hand from that firstbite of a fried mozzarella stick? SkinnyTaste freezes them so they don’t melt in the oven. I would use yourfavorite jar of Marinara sauce to save time for other recipes.

Skinny Taste’sMozzarella Sticks
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/02/skinny-baked-mozzarella-sticks.html

Guilty secret #2 –Velveeta cheese dip. This could not be easier. You can bring all theingredients to the party and make it there. I usually use the microwave and putit in a removable crockpot bowl to zap it. Is Velveeta a cheese? I don’t thinkso but it makes a Super Bowl worthy dip. Perfect with Tortilla Scoops.

Famous Ro-Tel CheeseDip
http://www.texmex.net/Rotel/cheesdip.htm

Some other possibilities:

I made this atThanksgiving – it is really good. I left the topping off. It was really good.Bacon Horseradish is one of my favorite sour cream dips so wouldn’t a warm dipbe even better?

Baked Bacon Horseradishdip
http://www.snackpicks.com/en_US/recipes/details/warm-bacon-horseradish-dip.html

Another easy peasy butalways popular Game Day food. I made this over the holidays and people go nuts for it!

Crab Cream CheesePizza
http://www.thecookingmom.com/mimis-crab-dip/

Let me know what’s on your list. Enjoy the game!

The Perfect Pair

2012-01-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

I was given a box of Harry and David pears for Christmas.I wanted to make a dessert that would do them justice but that didn’t require alot of time spent in the kitchen and no trips to the grocery store. I stumbledupon a recipe for gingerbread that had pears mixed in. I really liked thatidea. I love the spiciness of gingerbread with that great dark color and oldfashioned flavor. And I had somemolasses in the pantry. But just adding my lovely pears seemed like a waste of a beautiful pear so Idecided to showcase them by turning the gingerbread into an upside down cake.

I have a wellseasoned cast iron skillet and it was perfect for this recipe. This pan hasbeen used so often and for so long it acts like a non stick skillet. If you don’thave a cast iron skillet, you should get one. Look for a well loved one at a garage sale or thriftstore. It was probably already broken in for you. If you need to buy one new,just make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions on seasoning it. Makesure you dry it on a low burner on the stove, never with towel. Perfect for upsidedown cakes, the cast iron skillet is also great for getting a really nice searon a steak. You can get the pan really hot and not worry about warping. And itis great for anything that needs to go from stove to oven. But I digress.

I added a lot more spice to the recipe I found. Feel free toincrease or reduce to your taste. Bosc pears would work nice for this and anyother firm pear that is almost ripe but not too soft. You don’t want the pearsto disappear when cooking.

Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses

3 large eggs
2 pears

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk togetherflour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.

In a microwave safe container melt 1 stick of butter then add ¼ cup water.Set aside.

Beat together brown sugar and molasses with an electric mixer untilcombined. Add, beating well. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until justcombined. Add butter mixture and crystallized ginger, beating just untilsmooth.

In a cast iron skillet, add 2 tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup brown sugar.Cook until the butter is melted.

Peel the pears and cut each pear into 6-8 wedges. Place in cast iron pan ontop of brown sugar and butter. Pour cake batter over the pears. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into centercomes out clean, about 28-32 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and carefully invert onto a platter. I used a pizza pan covered in foil to flip it on and then the cake was cooled I picked it up by the foil put it on a cake plate and tore the foil away.

If you don’t have a cast iron skilled this will work finein a round cake pan. Make sure you butter and flour the sides. You could meltthe butter and sugar in a separate pan and pour into the cake pan.

School Morning Muffin

2011-09-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

Always on the look out for an easy, delicious breakfast on school mornings, I resurrected this recipe for Raisin Bran Muffins. The recipe is a classic. I didn't develop it but I wanted to remind everyone of a great school morning breakfast idea.

Make the batter the night before and stick in the fridge (after making a test batch of 3-4 muffins just to make sure the batter is good.) The batter can sit in the fridge for a week. Wake up in the morning. Turn on the oven before you get in the shower. Before you start your makeup or making kids lunches scoop some batter into a muffin pan. Twenty minutes later the kids have warm muffins for breakfast, using whole grains and dried fruit!

Your kids will walk out the door with a smile after eating these warm, tender muffins, hot from the oven with butter melting into the nooks ad crannies. Don't underestimate the power of a warm muffin to jump start the day.

I used Joy The Baker's recipe, except I used no name Bran flakes http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2010/04/raisin-bran-muffins/

Kellogg's version (does not mention batter will keep http://www2.kelloggs.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?id=329

No Assembly Required - Summer Bread Salad

2011-08-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have been assembling a lot of Ikea furniture for the new apartment. There is only the “right” way to do this. If you have any pieces left at the end you are in trouble. Bread salad has no right or wrong way and no real recipe necessary. It goes together easily, uses up stale bread and bursts with the great tastes of August tomatoes and basil. Home grown tomatoes are key to this salad but if you want to make it in the winter plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes will do.
Cut a loaf of day old good bread into bite sized cubes. Toss into a bowl. Cut up homegrown tomatoes or the best ones from the farmer’s market into similar sized cubes. Toss in. Cut one ball of fresh mozzarella into cubes. Toss in bowl. Chop or chiffonade some fresh basil. (here is how to chiffonade) Toss in.

At this point you declare it ready or add some cucumber, red onion, or any fresh ingredients you love in a salad. To dress just splash with red wine vinegar, drizzle with a little good quality olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve immediately if you like your bread a little chewy or wait an hour for it to soak up all the tomato juices. I like it both ways. I have also used fresh bread but I make sure it is a chewy dense bread like a ciabatta, a bread too pillowy and soft will dissolve.

No worries with this salad. The only real requirements are good tomatoes and good bread and basil. No serious instructions required. But whatever you do don't do this:

The Beet Goes On

2011-08-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

I bought a couple of bunches of beets at the farmer’s market last weekend. I love the vibrant red color, the earthy taste and the smoothness of the beet texture. I usually slice them in a salad of field greens and walnuts or drizzle with balsamic but I wanted to do a recipe using the whole beet, including the greens. I decided on beet risotto.

I cooked the beets in the pressure cooker after slicing off the tops and setting them aside. I put a cup of water and the beets into the pressure cooker, slicing the larger ones in half and cooked for 15 minutes at pressure then released immediately. They came out perfect. I normally roast them drizzled in olive oil and wrapped in foil but I did not want to heat up the kitchen. I peeled them under running water and sliced into small cubes and set them aside.

While the beets were cooking I soaked the greens in several changes of water in the sink to get rid of all the dirt and grit. I then shook them dry and sliced the stem off each leaf, putting the stems in their own pile. When I had all the stems separated from the beets I chopped the stems into small pieces and then sliced the leaves into narrow slices, still keeping the piles separate.

After I finished working on the greens, I heated a large non-stick pan spraying it with olive oil spray and added the stems only. I sautéed the stems for a few minutes until they were tender. I then added the sliced leaves and some raw garlic and just cooked until the leaves were wilted, stirring occasionally. I finished off with a splash of balsamic and let the balsamic cook off till no longer visible. I set the pan aside.

Cooking the beets and the greens can be done earlier in the day. If you refrigerated them let them come to room temp so they aren’t too cold when added to the risotto.

To make the risotto I set a pan of 4-6 cups of chicken broth to simmer on a back burner. I heated up my medium stockpot on the front burner and dropped in a tablespoon or so of butter and a little olive oil to keep the butter from burning. I cooked half a chopped yellow onion in the stockpot until it was tender, stirring occasionally.

I poured in one cup of Arborio rice and stirring watched until the rice kernels became translucent with a bright white inner core and a toasty aroma arose from the pan. I splashed in some white wine, enough to get every grain a little wet and cooked that off, stirring the whole time, until no liquid remained.

Now is was time for continually adding broth. I add a ½ cup or so of broth to the rice from the back burner, stirring continually, scraping the bottom. There should be enough liquid after each addition so that the rice look a little soupy but not drowning in liquid. I kept stirring until the broth was absorbed. I repeated this adding broth and stirring for about 20 minutes. Every now and then I would stop to rinse some lettuce for a salad or slice a carrot, keeping a vigilant eye on the risotto. You don’t really have to stir it non-stop. Just don’t take a bathroom break or walk out to the mailbox.

I continued adding broth until the kernels of rice just start to get tender but still have a little chew in them. I added the beet greens and beets then removed the pot from the heat so the residual heat would warm them. I stirred in a heaping tablespoon of mascarpone and a generous handful of parmesan. Normally I would add a ton of butter and cheese but I was trying to make a healthier version. I heaped it in my risotto bowIs and sprinkled with toasted walnuts before serving. It added a great crunch to the creamy risotto. The beautiful color did not disappoint and I felt like I was eating something pretty healthy and pretty tasty!

The Queen of Beans

2011-07-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

On my last visit to the San Francisco farmer’s market at the Ferry Building I made sure to buy one thing. Okay I actually made sure to buy several things – Recchuiti Chocolates, McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil and hand lotion, whatever fruit pastry is in season at Frog Hollow and finally, beans. I don’t mean the amazing collection of heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo (although I guess they are on my must have list too) but the big white gigante beans from Iacopi farms. These beans are sold dried in ziplock bags. The beans are huge to begin with but when cooked they balloon into these enormous, creamy pockets of delight unlike any other bean I have eaten. I would love to serve a bowl to all my friends who are bean haters (this means you Melinda!) I can’t help myself from eating these right out of the pot when they are done. These are the queen of beans.

So I have been eyeing my bag of beans I purchased in May. What dish would be worthy? I pulled out a recipe I have been saving from Food and Wine "Fragrant Gigante Beans with Garlic Confit and Mussels" and finally decided to make it. Not only does it call for gigante or giant limas but it also calls for garlic confit, which is another of my favorite things, and mussels, an unusual combination. I made it last night to rave reviews.

I cooked the beans in the pressure cooker so that eliminated soaking. Pressure cookers are great for all sorts of things but wonderful for cooking beans. Since these were big and unsoaked I cooked them for 50 minutes. I have an electric pressure cooker so I can just set it and walk away. You can also soak them overnight and cook on the stove covered with fresh water until tender.

Garlic confit is easily made. Find every spare clove you have and throw it in a small pan and cover with your cheapest olive oil. I usually leave on the final skin of the clove and just trim off the root end. Simmer for 20 minutes or so until the cloves are so tender they yield like butter when pierced with a fork or knife tip. You want just the essence of a simmer when you cook these – an occasional bubble leaks out from under a clove. Feel free to only partially place the pan on the burner if you can’t get the heat low enough. The recipe makes as many or as few as you like but I always want to make extra to spread on bread or add to a cheese or antipasti plate. After cooking store the oil and garlic separately or throw out the oil if you are not going to use it in a couple days.

I followed the recipe for the most part. I substituted fresh parsley for the dill and chives called for at the end because that is what I had on hand. I served the feta table side and I was the only one who added it. The dish worked well both ways I thought so if you don’t have or like feta leave it out. Crusty bread is a must to accompany this dish, both for sopping up juices and eating the extra garlic confit.

The dish went together quickly once the beans were cooked. It could be served as a first course or an appetizer.

Springtime Supper

2011-05-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

8 ounces angel hair pasta

1 pound asparagus

4 ounces pancetta

8 eggs

a chunk of good Parmesan cheese

Zest of half a lemon

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Also, put a skillet of water on to boil. Set out 4 plates.

Cut a pound of asparagus into 1/2 inch sections. Cube or buy prepared 4 ounces of pancetta. Throw the pancetta in a pan and cook briefly till crisp. If it starts to stick add a little olive oil. Drain on a paper towel.

Shred some parmesan on the box grater or use a vegetable peeler for large shards.

When the large pot of water boils, add the asparagus and cook for about 3 minutes or until the desired tenderness. I like mine a little crunchy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Run cold water over the asparagus or shock it with some ice to stop the cooking. Drain and put in a large bowl.

Add 8 ounces of angel hair pasta to the pot the asparagus was cooked in (see - saves a little time and a pot.) Follow package directions being careful not to overcook the pasta. Drain and toss with the asparagus, drizzling with a little olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking.

Poach 1-2 eggs per person in the skillet of boiling water.

While the eggs are cooking prepare the plates. Put a pile of asparagus and pasta on each plate.

Remove the eggs when they are cooked the way you like them. Pile on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with the pancetta. Sprinkle with the parmesan. If you have a lemon lying around, zest a little lemon over the top.

Eat and enjoy!

Waiter, there's a beer in my pudding!

2011-03-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a dessert to go with the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner on St. Pat's and stumbled upon this recipe for Chocolate Guinness Goodness. I happened to have some Great Lakes Brewery Edmund Fitzgerald Porter in the fridge and it sounded simple and delicious.

It didn't even dawn on me until recently that there was such a thing as homemade pudding until I saw a post on my friend Megan's blog A Sweet Spoonful on Butterscotch Pudding. I was reminded of this blog when I was looking for ideas for a personal chef client that loved old fashioned desserts. So I made some scratch chocolate pudding and my eyes were opened to how easy and delicious homemade pudding can be.

This recipe is a grown up pudding, perfect for a dinner party dessert when the menu focus is beer or just for a rich treat. The porter did not scream out from the recipe but gave an added richness. Guinness might leave a more obvious taste. I did not reduce the porter and add to the whipped cream, like the recipe said. I had some non-drinkers to serve and thought that might be offputting so I just sweetened the whipped cream. For adults I would take this extra step. I used Ghardelli Bittersweet chocolate chips for the chocolae. If you have pint glasses, the final dessert comes off looking like a glass of Guinness.

Should you finish off the extra beer even though it is 11 in the morning. You can't waste beer right? Just be careful it doesn't distract you and the cream boils over. Not saying this happened but it could, right?

Box of California

2011-03-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

Opening shot: Woman bundled in warm clothes opens front door of house. Snow is piled up everywhere. She picks up a package left on the doorstep and carries it inside. Using a pairing knife, she slits the tape. She carefully folds back the flaps of the box. A golden glow eminates from the inside, bathing her in a mystical, warm, yellow light. (Think Pulp Fiction here.) She reaches in and pulls out a ...
Meyer lemon. This is California. Memories rush by. Our first rental house on the Bay had a Meyer Lemon tree laden with fruit year round, the sweet citrus scent so different than a regular lemon. And the life so short once picked.

So here I was with my box of California gold. The clock is ticking. What do I make? I have a whole file of Meyer Lemon recipes. Which one would do these beauties justice? Meyer Lemon marmalade with vanilla bean,? Mm that would be good but you have to do that whole sterilized jar thing. Meyer Lemon curd? Yes, delicious, a worthy option. I googled for a few more ideas and found it. The Shaker lemon pie. The pie uses the whole lemon, not a thing wasted but the pips. What better winter dessert to make than a sunny lemon pie!
I found a version I like (there are plenty) on my friend Megan's website Shaker Lemon Pie. I trust Megan who is also Marge, a classic American bakery and forged ahead.
I sliced the lemons by hand with a very sharp knife. I should have used my mandoline but I didn't want to dig it out from the back of the cabinet. Then I poured sugar over them and let the lemon and sugar mixture sit on the counter for 24 hours. I would wander by every now and then and gaze longingly at them and give them a stir. And sigh.
The next day I tackled the pie crust. I am not a baker. Pet Ritz makes a fine pie crust. But again I trusted Megan and followed her recipe. I made it in the food processor and pulled it out when it was just starting to come together. I had my doubts. This would never stay together to roll out. I chilled it. Later I took it out of the fridge and began the scary task of rolling it out. Somebody share with me how you get that perfect circle when you roll it out! I get a raggedy edge misshapen thing. I kept rolling, swearing that it would never be large enough for my pie dish. My family steered clear of me while I muttered things about Megan and pies and making angry phone calls.

I added some eggs, flour and butter to the filling and poured it into the shell. To my suprise I was able to crimp the edges and hide a few things and make a pretty darn good looking pie.

It was delicious. We ate while it was still warm. I closed my eyes and imagined myself on my deck in California, with the breeze carrying the scent of salt water and Meyer lemon blossoms. Thanks Dan and Liz for the box of California!

Melt - I apologize

2011-03-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

I blame myself. I went in thinking Melt was a place that excelled in grilled cheese. Maybe it was all the postings on Facebook that showed patrons get 20% off for life for having a grilled cheese tattoo. Or the name. Or the menu heading "gourmet grilled cheese." I was so excited too. I had tried to get in previously and was told there was a 45 minute wait for a table and then a 45 minute wait for your food. All this for a grilled cheese? Okay if it is a really good grilled cheese it might be worth it. I have had some really good grilled cheese (Hog Island grilled cheese in SF.) So I persevered and went on a Sunday morning to insure a table.

I will say that is the time to go. The place was empty and we had a great waitress and a big disappointment. She made some recommendations and we ordered the February special which was Meatballs, cheese sticks, marinara sauce and mozzarella, the Big Popper - fresh jalapeno peppers, cheddar & herbed cream cheese, beer battered, mixed berry preserves and a BBQ chicken with grilled onions, sharp cheddar and a sweet BBQ sauce. Wait a minute - those aren't grilled cheese! Yes, they were grilled (except for the Big Popper which was fried) and yes, they had cheese on them. But that is where the relationship ends! I could have forgiven them the artistic license of calling all their sandwiches grilled cheeses if they had been any good.. Sad to say, all three of us came away disappointed. The thick bread overwhelmed the filling. There was none of that ooey gooey grilled cheese - no strings of cheese after each bite. And the fries were so dark brown I thought they were sweet potato fries. They came piping hot and soggy. No crispness.

So I apologize to Melt. I should have ordered the Kindergarten - the only straight up grilled cheese on the menu. Then I could judge their grilled cheese.

Duck Fat

2011-02-25T06:29:00.000-08:00

Yep - that is a big old blob of duck fat. A friend offered it to me. I think I thought I was getting a nice little carton of duck fat like I used to buy at the San Rafael Farmer's market. Nope just a 5 pound bag of fat. A little daunting. Thanks to a recommendation of a friend I rendered it by putting it in a slow cooker on low, melted it slowly and strained it twice and ended up with 2 quarts of the most beautiful, pristine duck fat.

One of my favorites things to do with duck fat. Fingerling potatoes boiled until tender, cut in half then cooked in duck fat until they are a beautiful brown. Mmmmm.

Complete the meal with baby lamb chops rubbed with fresh rosemary, thyme, olive oil, garlic and salt; roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled with walnut oil and roasted walnuts and of course fingerling potatoes cooked in duck fat.

I keep thinking about confit. But I don't want to waste the rest on one dish. Duck fat french fries? duck fat chicken wings? fried eggs in duck fat? I am open to suggestions...

Here's Looking at You, Pig!

2010-11-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Roasted Pig Head is not on many menus. So when we went to dine at The Greenhouse Tavern I encouraged my husband to try it. Notice how I didn’t order it. I only wanted to see it and then have a nibble. I wanted to order the Duck N’ Pumpkin Pasta. My husband likes to order things he can’t get at other places or at home. And pig’s head is not on the menu at home any time soon, so after a little encouragement he ordered it.

Sure enough, glazed with a shrimp paste BBQ sauce, a half of a pig’s head, along with a pile of lettuce cups and a pile of slaw arrived at the table. We were in pig shock. It is rare that any meat in the U.S. comes to the table blatantly reminding us what it looked like before the dinner bell rang. And as a cook and a follower of food trends I knew that staring your dinner in the face, literally, is a current trend. Go see the turkeys running around the pen that will grace your Thanksgiving table. Oogle the cute piglets. But when the time comes to prepare it the head has been removed by and the face is gone.

John gamely picked up his fork and ate away. It was a little unsettling when he removed the jaw bone (with teeth) to get to another juicy bite. I have to say it was a pretty tasty. It would have been even better eaten the way it was supposed to be eaten. We forgot and ignored the lettuce cups and slaw. Apparently the diner was supposed to make little lettuce cup tacos, piled with pig meat and julienne raw veggies in light vinagrette. We came close to just tearing at it with our hands and biting it right off the bone. Me eat meat not little lettuce cups. I guess we forgot. I would love to go back and give it another try the way the chef intended. And if I got the chance to meet Porky, trotting around, before dinner and would bravely do so and thank him for the upcoming meal.

(Side note: If you ever go - order the Confit Chicken Wings and the Foie Gras Steamed Clams. Both would make a great entrée and were amazingly good.)

Babler Chili

2010-10-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

My husband's extended family holds a picnic at Babler State Park in St. Louis every October. Aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, grandmas and great-grandmas everywhere, hugging hello then claiming a picnic table for their branch of the Waldschmidt family tree. Each family brings a pot of chili. There’s no contest or judging. That’s just always been the main food. After twenty years plus of attending I can just peek into the pots, stir, and tell which family brought which chili. The recipes don’t change much over the years.

Except ours. One year John decided to make chili. But he wanted it to stand out from all the other chili. So he made a Chicken White Bean Chili. You would have thought it was Thanksgiving and we had brought Osterich. Everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed. It created quite a stir. So henceforth John would spend one day a year making a non-traditional chili for the Babler gathering. (Oh my God! Such a production – but that’s another story.)

This year we drove nine hours to St. Louis to attend Babler. I did not want to relinquish my kitchen and my sanity so for the first time ever I made the chili. Cooked and froze it in Ohio and threw it in the car. I was inspired by the flavors of fall that just itch to be used.

Fall Harvest Chili
Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you. It's mostly spices. This goes together in a few minutes and then simmers on the stove. Perfect for a day of watching football or the World Series.1 pound of round steak, trimmed and cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bottle of pumpkin ale
4 cups of Butternut Squash, cubed and cooked
½ can pumpkin
1 14 ounce can of zesty tomatoes
1 can of Rotel
1 14 oz. tomato sauce

Spices:
(I kept these separate because you would be afraid to make this chili when you saw how long the list of ingredients is. Feel free to eliminate, substitute, and add.)

1 T. ground Aleppo pepper
2 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
1 T. salt
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups of cooked beans

Season the round steak with salt and pepper and brown in a little oil in a large pot. Remove from the pot and add the onions. Cook until translucent and starting to brown. Add the beef back to the pot and add all the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for as long as you have time for. You could simmer it for a half hour or three hours. The flavors will meld and change the longer you cook it. If you don’t want to eat it right away, cool and store in the fridge.

You could top it with sour cream, cheddar cheese and pepitas if you want to jazz it up. A perfect dish for a cold fall day.

Baking Tips - Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-08-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

When I was dating my husband, one million years ago, every single time we went to his mother’s house there were homemade chocolate chip cookies. I don’t recall anyone ever making homemade cookies at my house (okay - maybe it happened once but I must have been outside at the time.) So a fresh batch seemed like a miraculous thing. And to have them just lying around like it was no big thing! Homemade cookies!
I have known my mother-in-law 32 plus years. She has never failed to have Toll House in the house. We would walk in for a family dinner or dropping off our daughters for an evening out and even though we were heading out for dinner my husband and I would begin scouring the pantry and freezer for the cookies. She never failed us. We would munch them on our way out the door to dinner. And when we recently visited St. Louis we left with two large bags of cookies. Most never made it to Ohio, it is a long drive after all.
It seems like a silly thing to blog about – homemade chocolate chip cookies. I am sure everyone has made a batch but since I have had chocolate chip cookies made by an expert and I have to make 60 extra large cookies for a catering event I thought it might be a good way to share some baking tips I have picked up along the way. These tips are not for the accomplished bakers who I am sre know more but for the occassional cookie maker.

Tip #1 - Lay out the ingredients before starting. 4 batches ready to go

Since I was making 4 batches of cookies I decided to get my ducks in a row and lay out all the ingredients by the batch. Baking is precise and not really my strong point. I tend to get distracted by bright shiny objects and then realize I was baking and wonder if the baking soda made it in. Which then requires starring closely at the flour to see if you can see the slight shift in color and texture of baking soda somewhere in the mound…you get my drift. Getting everything ready before you bake helps.
Tip #1 - I tore off 8 sheets of foil and laid out 4 batches of cookie ingredients, putting the eggs and butter with each batch, keeping the baking soda and salt in their own distinct little piles with flour, putting the sugars on their own piece of foil, so I could stand back and see that I had all the ingredients laid out before I began.
Tip #2 - before I measure out the flour, I stick my whisk in the canister and give the flour a good stir. This does the work of a sifter with a lot less time, breaking up all the lumps and settling that happens to flour in a canister.

Crack the egg on a flat surface then break into a ramekin to check for shells before adding to the batter

Tip 3 & 4 - I crack the egg on a flat surface instead of a sharp corner. The egg breaks into larger pieces. I crack it open into a ramekin. I can check for shell fragments before I add the egg to the batter. Chasing that one piece of shell around a mixing bowl is like trying to grab a toddler you just put sun screen on. I cream the sugars, vanilla and eggs in my stand mixer, scraping down the sides at least once. Tip #5 since the flour, baking soda and salt were already laid out on their own piece of foil it is easy to add them to a stand mixer by folding the foil and making it a chute for the ingredients to slide down. There is nothing more obnoxious than trying to add flour from a bowl into a stand bowl. Everything seems to get in the way – the mixer, the bowl, your hands. The foil chute makes it easy and one less bowl to wash. I add it in three batches and mix until the color comes back to the batter before adding the next batch of dry ingredients. Finally I add the chips, in this case Ghirardeli Double Chocolate Chips. They are larger than Toll House and have the great taste of bittersweet which I prefer to semi-sweet.

Tip #6 - Dump the dough onto a clean countertop or cookie sheet to make scooping more effecient

So now the batter is mixed and ready to go. I love Silpat mats and have used them for baking for years. Sheets of parchment paper work great too. Since I had a large batch of batter Tip #6 - I mounded it onto a empty baking sheet. Using a large ice cream scoop, I scooped out the dough, scraping it on the baking sheet so the scoops were consistent in size. I was making large cookies so I only put 8 on a sheet but then put two sheets in the oven at a time.

Tip #7 When baking more than one batch, rotate the trays halfway through to promote even cooking.

Tip #7 - After 7 minutes, I rotated top shelf to bottom shelf, giving each sheet a 180 turn as well. It keeps the cookies away from hot spots and they bake a little more evenly. If I only had one sheet pan at a time, I might still rotate 180 half way through, depending on the oven and the consistency of the heat.
Tip # 8 cool two minutes on the cookie sheet before you put them on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Thanks Ann for all the cookies through the years. They always taste better when you make them.
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Blueberry Chicken

2010-07-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

I am a very discriminating berry picker. Not any berry will do. The color has to be dark purple, almost black and dusty looking. No pea sized blueberries for me. Dime sized if possible and the few elusive ones as big as a nickel go straight into my mouth.

I don’t stand at a single bush and glean every last berry. I squint and peer and search and then reach into the back of the bush for that big, fat one that everyone else missed. Needless to say when everyone else had full buckets the bottom of my bucket was barely covered. But by the end of the day, between Grace and I, we had enough to keep a large bowl in the fridge and freeze a few bags.

When everyone else is thinking buckles, crisps, cobblers and coffee cake I am thinking chicken. Meat with a fruit sauce is one of my favorite dinners. For company, I like to do a duck breast with cherries. Another favorite is pork chops with a port and blackberry sauce. Why not chicken with blueberries?
I want to share with you how do it without giving you step by step directions. It is nice to have those “goto” dishes in your head where you can stand at the stove and toss in and mix and taste and tweak without being tied to a recipe.

Chicken with Blueberry Sauce

I started with 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts. I am cutting back on fat so no skin for me. If you like, this would be great with a boneless skin-on breast.

Drizzle a little oil in a skillet over medium high heat and place 4 seasoned chicken breasts in it. I sprinkled the breasts liberally with a chicken rub I had on hand but just salt and pepper will do. Place in a skillet and cook without disturbing for a few minutes until the bottom is a lovely golden brown. Turn the breasts over and cook for a few more minutes on the other side, then place in a 425 degree oven and cook for about 12-15 minutes or until firm when prodded. Searing and roasting is the best way to get a juicy chicken breast with the caramel outside that adds so much flavor and a juicy interior.

While the chicken is cooking, start the sauce. Throw 2 cups of berries into a small saucepan with about a cup of red wine (you could use chicken broth if you had no wine). Cook for about ten minutes until the liquid is a little reduced and the berries are all mushy. Add a little dijon mustard, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a couple tablespoons of jam. Any jam will do, use blueberry jam if you have. The jam will help thicken and sweeten the sauce. The vinegar and the mustard can be added to taste. They will help balance the sauce – a little sweet, a little tangy and a little tart. Start with a small spoonful and taste and keep tasting and tweaking. If you like it sweeter you can add a little brown sugar or some more jam, adding more mustard or vinegar for a savory sauce.

When the chicken is done remove it from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes while you finish the sauce.
Just before serving, if you have any berries left, throw a few into the sauce to just warm. I love the combination of the cooked berries with the fresh whole ones.
Slice the chicken on the diagonal and pour a nice heaping of sauce on each one and serve the leftover sauce tableside. Everything comes together pretty easily. The dish is perfect for company but easy enough for any night.

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One of my favorite things...

2010-07-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Although it won't fit in my toolbox I love my little waffle maker.

A few years ago during the Christmas season I was working at Williams Sonoma. I had a great discount and a small paycheck. Most of that paycheck went to tools. This mini waffle maker is one of them. It makes three mini waffles at a time. Three of you can start eating your own waffle while the next batch is being made, instead of dividing up one big one. A chirp lets you know when to peek. A teflon surface makes for easy clean-up. Cook up the extra batter and freeze. Who doesn't like a bag of little waffles in their freezer? Ready for ice cream or a quick breakfast.

Corn Pancakes with Black Beans for Maggie

2010-06-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

I just came back from a long weekend in Oregon with my four sisters. We went on long hikes and long car rides together. Discussions ran the gamut of topics. Somehow it came up that my niece Maggie is cooking. My sister bemoaned that my niece was spending too much on groceries to make complicated dishes.

We cooks know that to make interesting and delicious food sometimes you need some ingredients that may not reside in the pantry. The dish that follows is by no means exotic. You can find everything in a normal grocery store. In fact I created this a million years ago when the kids were little and I wanted something that was both kid and parent friendly. The kids ate the pancakes with syrup and we ate them with the beans, sour cream and cilantro. This recipe is easy but still pretty tasty. Don't let the pancakes made with Jiffy corn muffin mix fool you. They have a gritty corn meal texture that compliments the smoothness of the beans and the heat from the salsa. And if you want to you can finish off supper with a pancake slathered in butter and syrup!

Corn Pancakes with Black Bean Salsa for Maggie

Salsa:

Oil
1 red pepper, cut into 1" squares
1/2 vidalia onion, cut into 1" squares
2 cans black beans, canned, rinsed
1 jar Pace Picantre Sauce, medium

Pancakes:
2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix
2 egg
4 tablespoons shortening, melted
2/3 cups milk
Chopped cilantro
Sour cream

To make the warm salsa:
Drizzle some oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add onion and saute the onion starts to soften. Add the peppers and cook until the peppers start to soften. Add the black beans and Picante sauce. Cook for a few minutes, stirring. When the beans and salsa are hot, reduce the heat to low. Make the pankcakes.

Pancakes:
Blend all the pancake ingredients in a medium bowl with a fork. Batter will be lumpy. Let batter sit a few minutes. Using a quarter cup measure or an ice cream scoop drop batter onto a lightly oiled non stick pan or griddle. Keep them fairly fair apart because the thick batter will spread as the pancakes start to cook. Flip when the edges appear dry, peeking every now and then at the bottom so they don't burn. Also these pancakes are pretty thick so don't cook on too high of a heat or they will be raw inside.

Put two pancakes on a plate. Pile with the warm salsa. Add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle liberally with salsa.

Let me know if you make it Maggie. And don't let your mom gives you grief about the leftover cilantro!
Serve with Cilantro and sour cream
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Food trucks the Ohio way.

2010-06-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

It is a little strange that after 4 months of living here with nary a food truck in site, I would stumble upon two in one week and eat at both of them.

Taco Truck

I am sad to say I never got to experience a taco truck in San Francisco. John ate at one frequently in the ad ghetto. I always wanted to go and get a tongue taco but it never happened.

Back in Ohio, We were dropping off Grace somewhere and saw this truck in the parking lot near a Popeye's Fried Chicken. It was a rainy grim day but we braved the elements (okay John braved the elements, I sat in the car) to go order at the window, hurry back to the car in the rain, run back out and get our styrofoam containers and then eat pork tacos in the car. We found out we were lucky to catch them because they keep short hours. Was it a taste of California? Not exactly but we were glad we tried it.

Dimanddemsum truck

Dim and dem sum truck
I heard about this truck from a friend. We were going to Facebook track it down and go for lunch one day but there was no sign of them anywhere. Turns out they were waiting for a piece of equipment and unable to cook. Why do I know? They magically showed up at a Slow Food/Humane treatment for animals event that I attended, along with a couple of goats and Grace, my daughter, (different story, another blog.) Grace was excited because she thought there might be actual dim sum. She was disappointed in that respect but not in the tater tots and cheese curds she had (boy does that scream Midwest!) They had a house made hot sauce and a house made ketchup to jazz them up. Apparently they were going to serve goat tacos but when they heard that Carolina and Odie were coming (aforementioned goats) they wisely chose beef (no cows were present). Was it crazy good? No but there was thought and creativity and a little passion thrown in. I will definitely track them down again. Also kudos for the "live strong" style bracelet business card.

Odie and Carolina

I think a lot about the Porchetta and fresh herb sandwich at the Roti truck at the Ferry Building. I just like to think about that sandwich sometimes. The pork roast fresh off the rotisserie, all juicy and tender, piping hot, piled on a bun with a pile of fresh herbs. Hot, juicy, drippy, melting pork with crunchy herbs…Stop. Don’t go there. Step away from the porchetta day dream.
So there might be hope for the food truck scene here after all. Maybe I could get a Roti franchise to come?
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Deconstructed Eggs Benedict Salad

2010-06-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

I had a great dish recently in San Francisco. Two perfectly poached eggs on a raft of polenta, accompanied by a field green salad with asparagus and fava beans and a vinaigrette. The creamy, rich egg yolk and grainy polenta were a perfect foil for the bitter greens and sharp vinaigrette. The fresh fava beans and skinny, spring asparagus spears added just enough texture and flavor variety to complete it. I enjoyed it so much I was sorry I was sharing it with my friend LeAnn. I was tempted to point at a passing sailboat (we were in Sausalito at Cibo) but hung resolutely to the agreement to eat only half. It got me thinking about eggs which led me to think of my favorite egg dish, Eggs Benedict. Next thing I knew I was creating a supper salad of Deconstructed Eggs Benedict. The lemony hollandaise is now a tart lemon vinaigrette with a poached egg on top. The english muffin is now an English muffin French Toast crouton and salty pancetta replaces the canadian bacon. Make sure you make enough. You won't want to share.

Deconstructed Eggs Benedict Supper Salad

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of Tabasco

½ pound Pancetta

8 eggs for poaching

2 eggs for English muffin croutons

1 T. Dijon mustard

½ cup milk

4 english muffins, split

8 cups spring lettuce mix

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and a dash of Tabasco in a small bowl and set aside. Rinse and spin dry the lettuce. Put it in the fridge covered with a damp paper towel so it stays nice and crisp.

Dice the pancetta and cook until crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Poach the 8 eggs in boiling water until desired doneness. Place them immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Leave them there for now. You can do this a couple of hours ahead of time if you need to. Keep the egg water warm on low heat if you are eating right away. You can use it to re-warm the eggs when you are ready to serve..

Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs, mustard and milk. Dip the English muffin halves into the eggs and milk, like you were making French toast, coating both sides and place in the hot skillet drizzled with olive oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the other three English muffins. Remove from pan and cube.

Place the poached eggs back in the hot water for a few minutes to re-warm the eggs. Put the lettuce in a large bowl and drizzle with some of the vinaigrette. Taste and add more vinaigrette if you like. Divide the lettuce onto 4 large plates. Sprinkle with cubed pancetta and the english muffin cubes. Top with the warm poached eggs. Season with salt and freshly black pepper. Serve.

This recipe can be done in stages throughout the day. The pancetta can be made ahead and warmed for 10 seconds in the microwave. The vinaigrette can be made ahead and refrigerated. The eggs can be poached in advance.

Oatmeal Almond Blueberry Bars

2010-05-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day I was given a container of left over blueberries and blackberries as we said our goodbyes. A recent post I had seen on a rhubarb bar inspired me. What about a blueberry blackberry bar? I wanted more than a crumb topping though. I wanted something more like the granola bars I have been making. I wanted that flavor of toasted oats and slivered almonds to pair with the juicy berries. And I recently made a toasted coconut truffle and really enjoyed the toasted coconut flavor. Hmm - that wouldn't hurt either!

Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 cups flour in a food processor and pulse briefly. Cut a stick of butter into thirds lengthwise , turn and cut again and then cut into slices to form pea sized squares of cold butter.

Add the butter and one egg to the food proceesor. Pulse in the food processor until the mixture is like bread crumbs. Pour into a prepared 8 inch square pan. Cover with a piece of was paper and press with your fingers or a small rolling pan to form a flat bottom.

Take 3 cups of fruit and toss in a bowl with 2 tablespoons flour and a 1/4 cup sugar. Pour onto the crust.

Put 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal, 1/2 cup coconut and 1/2 cup slivered almonds on a foil lined pan in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until slightly brown. Toss in a bowl with a 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 brown sugar and a 1/2 stick of melted butter. Stir to combine and pour on top of the fruit.

Cook for 35- 40 minutes in a 375 degree oven. If you serve it warm the berries will burst warm and liquid in your mouth but it won't cut itno nice slices until it is cooled.

Life Actualliy Is a Box Of Chocolates

2010-05-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Top: Fleur de Sel Caramel in dark chocolate, Left: Chai Infused Ganache, Right: dark chcolate, coconut, lemongrass ganache, dipped in white chocolate and rolled in toasted coconut

Lately my life is a box of chocolate. I am reading about chocolate, I am searching out chocolatiers at home and when I travel and I am making chocolate. If I need a reason it is because I am taking an online professional chocolatier course at Ecole Chocolat. If you know me at all, you know I have been making toffee and caramels for years. A few years back I took it up a notch by buying my own chocolate temperer (I’ll explain what that is later.) As part of the course, I spend a lot of time reading about chocolate, the origin of chocolate, how it can be grown only near the equator, how the beans have to be fermented, like wine, to develop that flavor we all love, and much more.

An important assignment in the class is to learn how to temper chocolate by hand. Most people don’t know it but chocolate is a fickle substance. There is a science and an art to getting chocolate to have that deep shine and snap when you bite it. Done incorrectly, chocolate never quite hardens or it develops clouds of gray “bloom” or can have a grainy texture when you bite it, not crisp with a clean audible break. The science in a nutshell has to do with melting the chocolate to a high temperature and then bringing it back to cool to a specific temperature. The key is to bring the temp to the two degree range it needs to stay at and keep it at that range while you work with it.
I have a hair dryer and a heating pad that are now covered in chocolate trying to keep that 2 degree perfect temperature. Tricky stuff. I don’t quite have it perfected yet but I got some really good batches of chocolate made this weekend using that and some other techniques I had never used before. Most took a couple days to complete and there is chocolate on the wall (hair dryer – don’t ask) but the home team agrees that they were all worth it.

The first is a Chai Tea dark chocolate ganache square. I infused heavy cream with an organic Marsala Chai Tea, made a dark chocolate ganache (fancy work for mixing chocolate and cream and a little butter) and then cut it into squares and dipped it by hand in more Vahlrona 63% dark chocolate.

The second kind I made is a real first for me – a molded chocolate. I filled my new triangle shaped molds with dark chocolate, emptied it to leave behind a chocolate shell and let it set, then filled the mold with a soft, white chocolate based sea salt caramel. It sat for a day to firm up and then I topped it with chocolate. A miracle occurred. They actually came out of the mold! All of them! Very exciting and fulfilling. The caramel stayed liquid and salty inside it little shell.

The last was a dark chocolate ganache infused with coconut, lemongrass and coconut rum, dipped in white chocolate and then rolled in freshly toasted coconut. I don’t think the lemongrass was fresh enough so I probably could have added more to infuse it. You don’t notice it.

The next assignment is to create some of my own flavors. So my life is a box of chocolate at least for the next few months. And if you are in the neighborhood stop by. We can only eat so many!

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Shaved Asparagus Salad

2010-05-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect spring time recipe when the first asparagus appears at the farmer's market. For those of us that live in colder climates that time is now. My California friends have probably been eating home grown asparagus for months!

Shaved Asparagus Salad

Comforts Shaved Asparagus Salad has received cheers from its customers. It uses raw, thin sliced asparagus and if you’ve never tried raw asparagus, it can transform asparagus haters in a minute.

Serves four

12 large asparagus, with the tough ends snapped off
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled
½ cup dried tomatoes, julienned
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted lightly in a dry sauté pan
4 slices bacon, cut into ½ pieces and cooked crisp (optional)
8 cups loosely packed mixed Salad Greens, washed and dried
Champagne vinaigrette:
5 Tbsp. mild olive oil
2 ½ Tbsp. Champagne vinegar (or lemon juice)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. ea. salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tsp. honey

Make the dressing: Place all the dressing ingredients in a small covered jar and shake until combined or blend with a stick blender.

Lay three stalks of asparagus on a cutting board and slice as thinly as possible on the diagonal. Repeat with the remaining asparagus. Place the torn salad greens in a bowl and dress lightly with the vinaigrette, reserving some of the dressing for the asparagus. Divide the lettuce among four salad plates and top equally with the nuts, dried tomatoes, and bacon. Using the largest holes on a box grater, grate the hard boiled eggs over the salads, about a half egg per plate. Now add the asparagus to the bowl you tossed the greens in and dress lightly. Divide the asparagus on top of the four salads equally.

Have fun with this salad by adding your favorite chevre or feta cheese. Use a regular Spring Mix salad blend, all frisee or no lettuce at all. Replace the pine nuts with toasted pecans or even candied walnuts. Serve over a bed of thinly sliced tomatoes when they come into season instead of dried tomatoes. Instead of a hard boiled egg, serve a poached egg on top. The possibilities are endless!

This recipe is courtesy of Glenn Miwa. It is one of the many I am testing for a Comforts cook book.
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Pack up a little love - Granola Bars

2010-04-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter still lives 2,505 miles away in California. I see things that remind me of her all the time. I pick little things up for her when I am out and put them in a pile on the hall table. When I have enough gathered I scribble a note and send them to her in a package. My 80 plus mother still does the same thing for me. I will get an envelope from her with clippings and prayer cards and a “thinking of you” note. I imagine her setting a little pile aside for each of my sisters and me.

In today’s world of instant messaging and instant gratification I think something coming via “snail” mail is all the more exciting. So I started baking these granola bars to include in the occasional package to loved ones. You can wrap them individually. They are sturdy and travel well and they have a good shelf life. I have doubled the recipe because I can’t bake them without making sure after I shoot some off in the mail I have some around the house for the “walking out the door” breakfast or “throw in your purse” snack.

Granola Bars

4 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup toasted flax or wheat germ
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup chopped dried cherries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a half sheet pan with Pam, line with parchment paper and spray again, making sure you get the sides covered as well.

On another sheet pan lined with foil, toss the oatmeal, almonds, sunflowers seeds and flax together and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

While the oats are toasting, place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then remove from heat.

When the oat mixture is done, use the foil to help you transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl by lifting up the edges to form a funnel to guide it into the bowl. Add the honey from the saucepan and mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Lay another sheet of parchment on top and using a small roller or your hands press the mixture evenly into the pan. I have a little 4-inch wooden roller that I love for jobs like these.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool and cut into bars. I cut them 3 across and 7 or 8 down. You can wrap them individually in plastic wrap or buy cellophane bags at the craft store.

Any combination of nuts or fruit will work with this recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Granola Bar recipe. Sometimes I just chop up whatever is in the cabinet. I have used Splenda Brown sugar and it worked well too. I have added peanut butter. If you like a crunchier bar, cook the honey mixture longer on the stove and cook in the oven a few minutes longer. My family likes the softer chewier kind so I make sure I don't overcook the honey mixture and remove the bars from the oven when they get a nice golden color.

Send some to a friend! They will be so pleased you were thinking of them!

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Sweey & Spicy Pork Belly with Cheddar Waffles

2010-04-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Pork Belly on a cheddar waffle? Doesn’t that make you want to get out the waffle maker and grab a fork? I was watching an episode on Martha Stewart. I am usually doing the dishes or starting dinner and I will play one of the reserved episodes on my DVR. It immediately resonated with me and I thought “I have to make that”? Living in a new town, the opportunities to entertain are a little slim and serving pork belly for a weeknight dinner to the husband and daughter seemed a little indulgent. So I used the excuse of a chocolate tasting to lure my Ohio foodie friend, Tami, over for some pork belly. It is true I did need to do a formal chocolate tasting with as many participants as possible for an online Chocolate School I am attending. And in retrospective perhaps I should have served dry toast and water before sampling 12 chocolates but like I said I had to find a reason to make this dish.

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pork Belly recipe on Martha Stewart Living

I had the butcher cut a 4 lb. piece of pork belly into 4 squares. I rubbed the pork belly with the spice rub on Sunday and let it sit overnight in the fridge. On the day I was serving, I made the glaze first and let it sit and cool. I rinsed the rub off the belly and patted it dry with paper towels and nestled it in a small roasting pan fat side up. I added orange juice and stock following Martha’s directions. If you watch the video link on the recipe page be careful. She screws up the recipe a couple of times.

I cooked it for two hours. It was very tender when poked with a fork. I let it cool and threw it in the fridge covered until closer to dinner. There is no reason not to make it up to this point ahead of time, even the day before, so it is perfect for entertaining.

Forty minutes before serving, I baked the pork belly fat side up again. Martha’s direction did not say what to do with the liquid that was remaining in the pan from the braising. I thought about it and drained it off. I wanted the belly to get crispy. I basted it with round one of the reserved glaze and cooked it the requisite amount of time, basting with additional glaze every ten minutes. Meanwhile I made the waffle batter. This recipe annoyed me. The pork belly recipe serves 4. The waffle recipe serves a thousand. I used a small Belgian waffle maker that makes three at a time. After dinner I was still making waffles just to use up at least half of the batter. (If anyone wants a frozen cheddar waffle - come on over.)

Both these recipes stand alone great. But combined they are sweet, spicy, crispy, smooth and everything in between. I followed the directions and against my better judgment served them with maple syrup, sour cream and cilantro. It was not overkill. It was a perfect pairing and what exciting food is all about. The pork meat /fat and the spicy glaze were a great counterpoint. The small waffle was perfect for a small square of belly. The waffles could have had a little more heat in them. I didn’t taste the Serrano chile. 3 small chilies in a vat of batter the size of a wash tub don’t have much impact but the cheddar waffles were crispy and smelled like a grilled cheese.

I have 2 llbs. of cooked pork belly in my freezer that will make another day a little brighter and a thousand cheddar waffles. This dish is a keeper!

NYC trip: Let's talk about the food Part 1

2010-04-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Now that I have the "Oh isn't NYC pretty in Spring time" blog out of the way let's get to the real reason to go to New York City - the food. Our first stop was Chinatown. We had a hankering for some Dim Sum. I learned to love it in San Francisco. The very concept of Dim Sum is a foodie dream. You sit at a table and get this - the servers roll up to you with little carts of hot, steaming, tiny food. What a concept. No reading a menu and scratching your head about what to order. They roll right up to the table and remove the covers and rattle off in unintelligible English what they have to offer. It doesn't really matter that you can't understand the waitress you can look at it and make your decision! You say "yes please" a few times and before you know it the table is covered with bamboo steamers and sauces and small plates full of little two bite surprises. Is Ping's the best Dim Sum ever? No but it wasn't half bad and it fit the bill for our first stop in New York after driving 8 hours.

No blow by blow for each meal. Some were caught on the fly as we headed to a broadway show (Promises Promises and A Behanding in Spokane) or began our next trek to the next chcocolate shop (that's an upcoming blog). So some "fast" food from the weekend is not worth mentioning. Except for the hot dog in Central Park. Kind of like a restaurant with an ocean view. Not really about the dog - more about the experience and the view- by the Carousel, near the ball field and Sheep Meadow. Spring in full bloom. Oh and did I mention we bought dessert at Bouchon in Columbus circle and carried it with us? Nobody makes a giant Oreo like Thomas Keller. Let's just leave it at that.

The highlight of the trip was at Bar Boulod Saturday night. I left the camera behind. Kind of felt like taking pictures at church! And I wanted to savor every minute. Bar Boulod is right across the street from Lincoln Center. It is a small shotgun of a place. The ceiling is curved like a wine cellar and the walls are lined with famous red wines stained on linen with the names etched on the glass so that the shadow is more readable than the etching. I like a good wine stain. I have created a few myself. We settled ourselves into a comfy booth.

We started with the charcuterie plate. This is what Bar Boulod is all about. Besides its extensive wine list, it is famous for its signature terrines and pates. The terrines and pates are served in tiny triangles on a small square platter. One particularly beautiful one was a rabbit and vegetable terrine. The elements were suspended in the aspic in a jewel like configuration - cubes of vivid carrot and zucchini, and chunks of rabbit all stood out clearly in the suspension. Along with the pates there was house made ham, sausages, a few cornichons, frissee and mustard. My favorite kind of starter, lots of little things to taste and combine and "ohhh" over.

The highlight of the entrees was my fish cooked with an extra crispy skin and an onion and artichoke topping with notes of lemon and olive oil. Finesse is what a resturaunt like this is all about. Everything cooked perfectly, arriving at the table piping hot and each mouthful a moment to stop and savor. No salt and pepper on the table and none needed. Perfectly seasoned and executed.

The real highlight for me was my dessert - the thing I am still trying to taste in my head a week later. I ordered the "grapefruit mousse, cinnamon lady finger chartreuse, macerated golden raisin, cinnamon-ruby red ice cream" for dessert. Wish I had brought my camera to help me keep the memory - a great combination of tart, sweet, cold, pillowy, cakey, and citrus. John's Rhubarb Tart for two was not really enough for two. He finished it quite handily. The lychee rose sorbet was wonderful. Grace had a chocolate caramel tart with espresso foam.

Dinner was topped off with a walk around Lincoln Center on an unusually warm spring night. The Met was performing "La Traviata." The fountain was on. A perfect end to a perfect day in New York.

New York State of Mind

2010-04-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

It’s not fair. Why can’t I be a New Yorker? Why do they get to shop at the Whole Foods at Columbus Circle? Eat at Bar Boulud before hanging at the Met? Perch on a stoop waiting for a table at Clinton Street Baking Company? Nosh a hotdog by the Carousel in Central Park? Oh wait – that was me. For three days I made my way like a ping-pong ball bouncing around New York City. And the city was all dressed up in a flowery spring time shift. That was me with my mouth hung open at the Bradford pears and cherry blossoms, bumping into people while I gaped at the crowds of tulips in the tiny pocket parks in SoHo, ducking at the crack of the bat in Central Park, and bouncing along with a spring in my step like all the other New Yorkers.

Grumpy's Meatloaf Patty Melt

2010-04-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

Grumpy's Meatloaf Patty Melt

Meatloaf sandwiches are the whole reason for making meatloaf. I have nothing against a warm slice of fresh baked meatloaf, sitting next to a creamy pile of mashed potatoes but every time I make meatloaf I am thinking about the next day. Even staring at the ground beef at the market I think “do I want 2 pounds of ground beef or 3?” Now I have a real problem. I went to Grumpy’s in Tremont. They serve a meatloaf patty melt. A traditional meatloaf is sliced really thick, at least an inch and a half and served patty melt style on grilled rye with swiss cheese. Really, really good. I had to recreate it at home. I made the sauce extra tasty by using some homemade horseradish bread and butter pickles I purchased at the West Side Market from Rita’s along with Rita's fresh rustic Easter Mustard. You could add a little horseradish to your sauce if you can't make it to Rita's.

Lisa's Meatloaf Patty Melt

Meatloaf Patty Melt

4 slices leftover meatloaf
8 slices rye bread
Butter
Secret sauce
8 slices swiss cheese
Secret Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 T. ketchup
2 T. chopped sweet pickles
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
Salt and pepper
Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stack the rye bread with swiss cheese, sliced meatloaf, more swiss cheese. Spread the sauce on the inside and butter the outside. Grill till toasty brown and the cheese is ooey gooey. I like the sauce so I double that along with the swiss cheese. Thanks for the idea Grumpy’s!

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Easter at Fire 2010

2010-04-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Easter Breakfast at Fire on Shaker Square. Interesting food, served hot in a timely manner.

Cream Cheese and butter ready for the brunch crowd.

Halibut Crab cakes served over grits with asparagus. The crab cakes were crispy on the outside with large tender chunks of halibut, served on a bed of creamy grits that contrasted nicely with perfectly cooked asparagus in a light vinaigrette

Lemon souffle pancakes with blueberry compote. The pancakes reminded me of a lemon cupcake, very light, no syrup supplied or neccesary

Crispy chicken livers frisee and watercress salad, poached
egg, house made bacon and dried fruit compote. a great combination of flavors especially when you get a little of everything in one bite.

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Halibut in Broth

2010-03-31T16:08:00.000-07:00

Halibut is one of my favorite fish. When cooked correctly its flesh is a creamy, porcelain white. Flakes tumble off when prodded with a fork. It whispers to me - help me...jazz me up…bring on the flavor! I wanted to do just that using but using mostly things I already had in my pantry. I wanted to keep it healthy too. Why waste all the benefits of eating fish by fattening it up?

I put about 5 cups of chicken stock into a stockpot along with 2 grated carrots, a stalk of celery sliced thin on the diagonal and 5 quarter sized slices of ginger, skin and all. I shared my glass of wine with the pot by splashing in about 1/2 cup. I added a tablespoon of soy sauce and let the broth simmer over medium high heat until it reduced and intensified for about 15 minutes. The broth should taste good. Don’t be afraid to slurp some while you reduce to see what it tastes like. If you are using a canned stock or an off brand you might want to add more veggies to help the flavor come along, or some sautéed onions.

When the broth was reduced a little and tasty I put a little olive oil into a sauté pan big enough to hold a pound of halibut cut into 4 portions without touching. I let it get hot and then added my pieces of halibut that I had sprinkled with salt and pepper and let them cook for a few minutes without peeking so they would get a nice golden color on top. Once I turned them all over I add the reduced broth to the pot and let the broth finish cooking the fish. It only took about 5 minutes. I put each portion of fish into a bowl and ladled some of the broth in and sprinkled with some fresh parsley. Okay so maybe the cheese straws I ate along with it negated the whole healthy aspect of the dish but it was quick, warm, comforting and pretty darn tasty. Maybe next time I hold off on the cheese straws!

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Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

If you grew up eating Irish Soda Bread on St. Pat's day apparently your version may be nothing like mine. My Irish Soda Bread has to have golden raisins and caraway seeds in it. I don't make it in the shape of snake with raisin eyes like I had when I was little and I never saw the need to dye everything green like in my childhood. But that doesn't mean I don't get a childish pleasure out of making a loaf and serving it on St. Pat's.

You can still make some to celebrate St. Pat's in a more family friendly way today than serving your kids a green beer. One of those really easy breads - no yeast. You should have most of the ingredients at home and you can cheat on the buttermilk if you don't want to stop at the store.

Irish Soda Bread

2 cups flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 T. sugar
1/2 stick cold butter cut into pieces
1 cup golden raisins (or regular raisins)
2 T. caraway seeds (optional but one of my favorite parts)
2/3 cup buttermilk (no buttermilk? look below)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In food processor, pulse together flour, baking powder, baking soda, caraway seeds, salt and sugar. Put butter pieces on top of flour mixture.

Whenever I make something where the butter needs to be "cut in" I usually slice the cold stick of butter (or half a stick in this case) into 3 long slices then turn the stick a quarter and cut into 3 slices. You should now have 9 long bars of butter still in a stick shape. Slice on the short end of the stick to produce pea sized squares of cold butter. If you do this before you are ready to use - throw the cubes back in the fridge to stay cold while you gather up everything else.

Add the butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Measure 2/3 cup buttermilk into a one cup container or bowl. Add the egg to the buttermilk; beat together. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Pulse till it comes together.

Place a small amount of flour on the counter. Turn dough out onto the counter and work in the raisins until incorporated. Don’t overwork the dough though or it will be tough.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a parchment lined pan to form a large disk of dough. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross over the top of the bread. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden on top. Slice and serve with Irish butter.

To make a substitute for buttermilk add a tablespoon of lemon juice to one cup of whole milk. The milk will curdle. Measure out the amount you need.

If you want to go authentic Andrew McCarthy wrote a story on it in March, Bon Appetit.

What's in the box?

2010-03-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

My "Family Box" arrived from Chef's Garden today. I had almost forgot I ordered it. My friend Tami at Dine In Diva told me about Chef's Garden so I just had to check them out.

Chef's Garden says on it's website "Bring "Sustainable" and "Green" into your kitchen today." Sometimes, in Ohio, it is a little hard to "bring sustainable and green" into your home. My apartment doesn't not even have recycling. Whaaat? Coming from California that is like saying there is no trash pick up. So I drive out of my way to some hidden dumpsters in my town of Cuyahoga Falls and toss in my recycling hoping that it really is going to be recycled.

I digress. So I am trying to be a better human in Ohio. I thought I would give Chef's Garden a try.

I opened the box and audibly gasped. It was so beautiful. Nestled amongst dark green baby spinach with roots attached was a plastic clam shell of microgreens and edible flowers. Ohhhh! Under the clamshell was a smaller clamshell of micro basil and herbs. Awww - so cute. Under that was a colorful heap of root vegetables that seemed to be bottomless. I cleared my counter and sorted out the whole box. I was so excited - orange carrots; red skinned carrots; pale yellow carrots; short, squat
thumbelina carrots, red beets, red thumb fingerling potatoes with red squiggles inside, yellow fingerlings and a few other things I didn't recognize. All the root veggies looked like they had been pulled out of the ground that morning with just a cursory rinse. Everything was gritty and dirty and wonderful.

Once sorted, I set about scrubbing, then peeling and chopping a large colorful pile. Drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme I roasted two trays. That night before dinner I cut one of the radish. Long and wide like a daikon turning to green close to the top, it was a bright spring green inside. We got out the butter dish and kosher salt and Grace and I proceeded to munch away. All sorts of ideas came to mind for root veggie adventures not the least was the radish sandwich Grace took to school the next day. Butter and fleur de sel on wheat bread and the radish slices kept with an ice pack to stay cold and crunchy for lunch time assembly.

A bunny for my honey

2010-03-09T07:25:00.001-08:00

Walking through the West Side market, a naked rabbit caught my eye. Of course the sign saying "a bunny for your honey" may have really been what got my attention. This rabbit looked so fresh and inviting. I had only cooked rabbit once before - I decided it was time to try again. I brought it home not really knowing what I might do with it. I pulled a couple of cookbooks of the shelf that I thought might have a rabbit recipe and sat down to peruse. Some of them called for boned rabbit. I did not get this bunny boned and I was not about to attempt it. I think my first stab at it would have produced about a half cup of meat. If you have ever seen a skinned rabbit you know that there are no big fatty breasts or meaty thighs. So I stuck to recipes that used a whole rabbit cut into pieces. I did a little internet research as well.

One of the most intriguing recipes was from Michael Chiarello's Tra Vigne cookbook. Chiarello says when he owned Tra Vigne he served more rabbit that any other restaurant in America. Sounds like he must know what he is talking about when it came to rabbit so I looked over his Braised Rabbit with Winter Vegetables. It sounded wonderful. It also sounded like I might spend 4 hours at the stove. I am not shy about spending that much time on a recipe but this particular day I did not have the time. So I ended up with a blend of recipes, a little Chiarello and a little Emeril and a Rabbit Ragu over Extra Wide Noodles.

I started with a Michael Chiarello tip and threw the bunny, which I had cut into 6 pieces, into a zip bag with a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and let it sit for about 15 minutes while I cut up vegetables. I then browned it in some olive oil letting it get good color on both sides. I set it aside in a bowl while I worked on some diced veggies in the same pan. I sautéed a cup each of onions, carrots and celery until well caramelized. I added 3 cloves of minced garlic and a pound of sliced baby portabella mushrooms and sautéed everything a little longer until the mushrooms had released some moisture and were changing color. I added a cup of red wine and when it had almost evaporated I added a 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and a cup or so of canned San Marzano diced tomatoes.

I threw everything into the pressure cooker, along with 2 fresh bay leaves and 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, and cooked for 20 minutes under high pressure. I released the pressure and removed the rabbit pieces, bay leaves and thyme stems. While the rabbit was cooling slightly, I turned the heat on under the sauce to reduce further. When the rabbit was cool enough to handle I removed the meat from the bones and added it to the simmering sauce. I threw some locally made extra wide pappardelle style egg noodles into some boiling water. To finish it off I add 2 tablespoons of butter to the sauce that now had reduced somewhat and been reunited with the rabbit meat. Plates were piled with drained pappardelle noodles and then a ladle of the thick ragu. My honey loved it. And my daughter couldn’t wait to take leftovers for school lunch to amaze and gross out her friends.

Warm Lentil Salad with Beets

2010-02-19T05:58:00.000-08:00

We recently moved to Ohio. We are still in a bit of a culture shock but we are ready to embrace our new home and enjoy what is seasonal and local and explore the Ohio food scene. Most of the boxes are unpacked and put away, the kitchen ones, anyway. So I am ready to get the home fires burning again!

I did not move much from the old house pantry. It seemed silly to pay the freight on things I could get elsewhere. I also had a fear of things freezing and bursting en route so I only packed one small box of staples. My friends in CA were happy to rummage through the boxes of what I was leaving behind. (Why did I have three jars of capers?) Two items I brought that peeked my interest when I peered into my naked pantry were farro and organic green lentils. The lentils won when I did a little research and found Bobby Flay's Warm Lentil Salad with Roasted Beets & Goat Cheese. I had some mixed baby greens and baby arugula for the salad. I roasted some large red beets and crumbled the goat cheese over the top instead of the recomended slices. Each component stood on its own. The lentils cooked with bacon (I left out the carrots) were earthy with hints of bay and thyme. The field greens with the sherry vinaigrette repeated the thyme flavor but had a nice tangy contrast to the homey lentils. The roasted beets added a sweetness and a great firm texture, and are always great paired with goat cheese. Each little bite was its own taste adventure - "ahh! Here's a beet and goat cheese bite! Here's a lentil and arugula bite! Here's a bite with everything!" Would I make it again? You bet! It got thumbs up from every one at the table.

Crabby Birthday

2009-04-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

I love crab. And every time John is out of town, and the Dungeness is in season, Grace and I have our own little crab fest. See, he doesn't like the hacking and poking for little morsels of crab flesh. He'd eat it if you put a big pile in front of him but he doesn't like the work. Me and Grace - we relish getting all buttery and slippery, poking into knuckles and breaking open claws, moaning aloud and proudly showing each other an exceptional find before making it disappear. Which brings me to the birthday crab fest. John out of town, Kate not available (doesn't eat anything that swims or walks sideways.) So I went on Epicurious to see if I could crank up the crabfest by a notch and oh boy was I successful.

I bought the crab at Safeway. It is already cooked. The guy behind the counter will then clean it and crack it a little for you. This time the guy at Safeway was pretty heavy with the cracking. He didn't look upset when I gave him the order but he must of been venting at someone because our crabs were in small pieces, with not much left whole. I took them home and turned the oven to 500. I melted a stick of butter, yes a stick, get over it, this is a birthday splurge, along with some olive oil in an oven proof pan. When this was melted, I threw in two cloves of chopped garlic and let that cook just a little. I didn't want it to burn, just flavor the oil. I added all the crab and a tablespoon of flat leaf parsley and some fresh thyme from the garden, toss the whole mess to coat it and mix it and threw it in the hot oven and set the timer for 12 minutes. Tick. Tick. I couldn't wait twelve minutes, besides it is no fun to have crab that is too hot to eat! So I pulled it out after about 6 minutes. Removed it from the pan. Now this is the part of the recipe I had my doubts about. So far we had butter and herbs - wasn't that enough? This was going on perfectly good crab that would have been fine with just a fork and a lobster bib! But I decided to follow through with the recipe. I squeezed the juice of a whole navel orange into the pan along with a teaspoon full of orange zest. I let it reduce a little, stirring. I had to watch it. I didn't want all the buttery, herby, orangey goodness to reduce to nothing and disappear. I pulled it from the heat and poured it over my crab on the platter. I added some more fresh parsley. Now for the sad part. I did not take a picture of the beautiful mess and a few minutes later I was too buttery to handle a camera.

The orange in the navel added a sweetness to the butter that matched the crab. The garlic was not heavy, the herbs were a side note. We fought for every morsel, occasionally sopping the platter with bread. Soon there was a empty platter, wiped clean with bread and a bowl of crab shards. We decided we could have gone for 3 crabs with no problem. I am still smiling thinking about it this morning! This recipe gets added to Mastercook.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Oven-Roasted-Dungeness-Crab-231591

McEvoy Olive Oil

2009-04-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

Nan McEvoy bought 500 acres so her grand kids would have someplace to play. She bought olive trees because everyone else was planting grapes. Now 18,000 trees later they produce a high end olive oil, they call a fruit juice. The ranch is in a beautiful valley west of Petaluma. The scenery is outstanding. I think more beautiful than most wineries - not a road in site from the main house and factory and nothing but beautiful rolling hills planted with silvery olive trees, broken up by the occasional pond. The tour was pricey - $35. Someone else paid for me, thank God. But it was a lot fun and very interesting. Ask me a question about olive growing - the fruit only occurs on last year's new growth.

They trim the trees so there is no center branch. The four remaining branches aim outwards for easy picking. Easy picking by the 100 pickers who come to pick the 18,000 trees at harvest time in November. The fancy mill reminded me of an Italian sports car, maybe because it's the Italian Ferrari of pressing equipment. I was impressed by how shiny, clean and pleasant the building was where the pressing occurs, white tiles walls, big sunny windows and immaculate machinery, including the stone wheels were some of the pressing is done. The clean room where all the oil is bottled was not on the tour. But the guide said because of the square bottle which Nan insists on because she likes it, each bottle must be filled and labeled by hand. The tour ended with a tasting in the tasting room. first a sip from a cup with a noisy slurp at the same time to appreciate the fresh green and bitter notes. Then we tried it drizzled over some toasts spread with goat cheese, then greens from their garden. This is not a glug glug into the pan olive oil. It is a finishing oil, one where you want the taste of the oil to be a component of the final dish. A drizzle over a grilled steak or field green salad, like a quality vinegar. After the tour you can see why it is not a cheap olive oil - all those hands pruning, picking and labeling in place of machinery and because like a fine wine it is grown and produced for its distinctive flavor, specific to McEvoy. The smallest bottle goes for about $22. You can taste it for free at the Ferry Building at the McEvoy store and maybe buy some produce from their huge gardens. Would I do the tour again? Sure if someone else paid. Will I buy another bottle when the one I have is gone? Most definately.

Dynamo Donuts

2009-04-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

2760 24th Street (at Hampshire)
San Francisco, CA

I have been away from my blog for quite some time. I am making a commitment to keep track of my culinary travels. So here are my latest food adventures:

I am always on the lookout for some new and interesting food in the Bay area and every now and then I will do an Internet search on a food to see what the SF area has to offer. I had heard about Voodoo Donuts in Portland and the outlandish flavors they had to offer so I looked into what was available here. At the time I did the search I heard the rumor that Dynamo Donuts was in the works with some crazy flavors but not yet open. I tucked it away to a little food corner of my mind and forgot about it. Well recently I needed a food adventure and someone brought up Portland which reminded me about Dynamo. I googled it, found it and the adventure began. It is in a part of the Mission I don't often get too. You turn on a quiet, small street with trees, kind of shady, not much to speak of going on. A counter juts out on the street, the menu consists of Polaroids with the beverages and beverage pricing and then glass domes with a variety of doughnuts on display.

I cannot vouch for the coffee. I don't drink coffee. they had a nice shiny coffee machine. It looked like it could make good coffee. But I am here to talk about the donuts. We ended up buying 7 donuts for $19 a little step for donuts so i expected great things. I don't actually know the price of the donuts because I wasn't paying attention to that. I was too busy staring at the donuts in their pretty glass domes. We bought one of everything they had to offer. He began gathering them up. The young guy asked if I wanted some donut bread pudding as well but I declined, saving that for another adventure. He put a Saffron with Chocolate Glaze in the box, then a Lemon Glazed Ginger, a Caramel Banana (against my better judgement) a vanilla glazed, a Pistachio encrusted something and then said "Oh we have some Maple Glazed with Bacon - do you want one of those?" OMG - The sign said they were only available on Fridays and Saturdays. This was Thursday. You are damn right I want one of those - I want TWO of those! John would never forgive me if I was at a place that had Maple Bacon Donuts and did not bring one home to share! The food gods were smiling on me. Grace and I got two glasses of water from a pitcher (no coffee for me remember?) and settled down in the Scion to eat our donuts. No tables, no chairs at Dynamo and we were headed on a two hour drive to Santa Cruz so what could we do but sit in the car and eat. Unfortunately, we started with the Banana donut. I do not like fresh banana. I like banana taffy, banana bread, banana Popsicle but not real banana. Well this donut had to be filled with real banana. It was the only filled donut that day. I handed it to Grace to finish. You will have to ask her opinion. I hated it. I don't like banana. I was hoping it might be banana flavored cake -no such luck. We moved on to the Chocolate Saffron. It was a saffron yellow donut with a nice semisweet chocolate ganache glaze.

The saffron did not do anything for me but the glaze was enough to erase the banana donut from memory. The lemon/ginger donut was great - a little too much zest in the glaze so it left a little bit of a zesty bitterness but in general quite tasty. We had been stalling up till now. It was the moment of truth. Time for the Maple Glazed donut with bacon. Okay - a nice fried donut with a maple glaze, sprinkled with real bacon. I broke it in half and gave Grace her half. I paused. I bit into Sunday morning. The syrup taste of the glaze, the fried donut, like a giant pancake, and the bacon drenched in mapley goodness. It did not disappoint. It was worth the trip. I will go back to Dynamo Donuts. I will go back to see what new and fun flavors I haven't tried and I will always ask for a Maple Bacon.

The Stinking Rose, North Beach

2006-12-26T22:45:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Eve dinner, we ended up at the Stinking Rose. A lot of places weren't open and it seemed like the kind of resturaunt all four of us would enjoy. We arrived a little after our reservation time and were seated a few minutes later. The Stinking Rose is one of those places that have hidden rooms everywhere. We walked pass the kitchen and up the stairs to a crowded room and our table.

The first thing we ordered was the famous Bagna Cauda (or garlic soaking in a hot tub) along with Garlic Swiss Chard Fontina Fondue. A little warmer sits on the table waiting for the garlic when it arrives in it's little skillet. 20-30 garlic cloves float in olive oil and butter. A couple of anchovies that have lost their anchoviness and now tast of garlic swim along with the cloves. Garlic has to be one of the few flavors that could overwhelm anchovies. The skillet is served with some soft garlic rolls. I found the rolls a little too soft, I prefer something a little more rustic and hearty. The garlic was fine though and we ate most of it. The fondue was very good although a small portion. We scraped the pan clean. It was served with a few very thin crostini. A few more would have been nice.

For our entrees, John got the steak, highly recomended by the waiter. I had a bite of it and I have to say it was pretty tasty. Grace had the Gnocchi in a garlic cream sauce. She was supposed to trade with Kate who got the meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes. I am not sure either dish was very well recieved or maybe they were both to full of bread and garlic but a lot remained on both plates when they were cleared. I had the garlic roasted whole dungeness crab. I have been dying for dungeness since the season started and here was my chance. It was dry and not very flavorful. It did not cure my urge for dungeness crab but increased it because it was so lacking.

Although the food was not exceptional, we did have a nice time. It was fun to be in the city for our first California Christmas Eve and the four of use enjoyed the adventure and each others company more that anything else.

Sol Food, San Rafael

2006-12-23T11:28:00.000-08:00

Last night John and I had dinner at Sol Food, the new eat-in version of the take out stand on 4th. We had enjoyed a meal a few months ago at the take-out stand and wanted to visit the new eat-in restuarant. The building is painted bright green and easy to spot. The interior is very clean and nice. Communal tables along with individual tables share the space with window counters and a long counter along the food prep area. One wall is cleverly created with old doors. Drums sit high along a shelf high up on the walls and a plantain holds the napkins down on each table next to some very flavorful hot sauce.

I ordered the evening special of pork chops. 2 thinly sliced pork chops were nicely seasoned, served along side a pile of white rice covered in red beans and green olives. I had my choice of plantains - sweet or garlic and got both. My only complaint would have been that I could have eaten a few more of the pork chops - they were that thin!

John got the Bisteca Encebollado, which was thinly sliced grilled steak with onions. I am not sure he would order it again. The steak was very thin with not much flavor. He got the same side dishes as I did. He licked his plate clean, I might add and wouldn't let them clear it until he had eaten his last two bites of plantain.

My friend Bishlan has recommended the fish but they were out last night. Apparently it is not on the menu and you have to ask for it. We asked the host about it. One dish was a whole tilapia and the other was cod. I would like to try that next time.

We shared our table with some strangers who pretty much kept to themselves. The man had the shrimp in tomato sauce that looked pretty tasty but he didn't offer me any!

Everyone from the underage busboy to the hostess and bussers were very friendly. The place had a good crowd with almost every table filled. I will definately go back and try some other dishes, just not the beef!

www.solfoodrestaurant.com

Mother's Day Brunch

2006-05-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

I love a good brunch and if I had my druthers I would spend Mother's Day at the fanciest brunch in town, repeatedly filling my plate with small tastes, sipping champagne mimosa's, pondering an afternoon nap and debating whether to save room for dessert or go back for another waffle.

I have never had a Mother's Day like that. Since being a daughter trumps being a mother, I usually end up cooking for my mother and mother-in-law and family. My parents would never pay that kind of money for brunch! Sometimes my girls help in the kitchen and usually I am excused from dishes. I am sure there are other mother's that find themselves in a similar situation. In the past, I usually make Eggs Benedict. I love Eggs Benedict and since I never get out for brunch the only way I am going to get it is to make it. It is somewhat time consuming, although sometimes I poach the eggs ahead of time, place them in ice water and heat them in simmering water just before serving. I also have a blender hollandaise recipe which is no fail and delicious. This year I want something easy. I haven't decided yet but here are a couple of ideas if I’ve had. Overnight French Toast casserole - get a loaf of bakery brioche or a soft french loaf and slice it in thicker than usual slices. Stack it in a 9 x 13 pan standing up and overlapping a little side ti side - you want the crust on top. You soak it overnight in an eggy mixture, add a pecan brown sugar top (the best part) and throw it in the oven. Serve with real maple syrup, heated in the microwave with a pat or two of butter thrown in and some more pecans. Serve in a gravy boat. A grapefruit half broiled with some brown sugar on top makes a nice partner.

>Another easy brunch that requires very little work and is for those crowds that are picky and don't want "strange" stuff for breakfast is Baked Eggs in Ham Crisps. Pick up some good Black Forest Ham. Butter or grease 2 holes in a muffin pan, per person. Tuck the ham in each cup, like a little bowl, kind of creasing a little if necessary to make enough room for an egg. For a little “oomph”, you could brush the ham with some maple syrup before adding the egg. Preheat the oven to 400. Crack an egg into each ham cup. Bake these for 15-18 minutes, depending on how done you like your eggs. Voila! Use a tablespoon to remove the ham cup intact. Buy some cantaloupe halves from the grocery store and use them as fruit bowls. Cut off a little flat slice on the bottom, if needed, to stand up and then fill with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Add a store bought croissant (Bread Co. is worth the stop.) Then make a “fancy” butter by mixing your favorite jam with softened butter along side.

I still wish I was going out to brunch but at least I won’t be a slave to the stove! And I do get to skip the dishes!

Quatro De Mayo

2006-05-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

I had an early Cinco De Mayo party last night. Mexican is not one of my favorites cuisines. Some of my guests were big fans of those flavors and some weren't so I had to tame the menu to fit all tastes. My main entree was Chicken Enchiladas in a sour cream and monterey jack sauce, with chilies and celery and onions in the filling. I cooked some chicken breasts in my pressure cooker -my favorite way to cook chicken when I need just the meat for chicken salad or a filling. It always comes out moist and perfect. To compliment the enchiladas, I made a Spanish style rice in the rice cooker by sauteing some onions and then the rice and substituting some diced tomatoes with chilies for some of the water. My final side was a cool black bean and corn salad, using frozen corn (uncooked and still frozen), chopped red pepper and black beans and flavoring it with cumin and lime juice and a little olive oil. It was very fresh tasting and a nice compliment to the creamy enchiladas and rice.

For dessert, I knew I had to make flan. Ihave neveer made flan. I am not a big flan fan so I looked for a recipe that I thought I might enjoy as well as my guests and ended up combining two. I made a vanilla bean lime flan in individual ramekins the night before and chilled them. At serving time, I sprinkled some fresh pineapple slices with brown sugar and a little lime juice. I broiled the fruit until the brown sugar was melted and light brown. I served it alongside the flan. The lime peel and vanilla seeds had settled into a pool on the bottom of the flan which was now the top for an interesting effect. The combination of the creamy lime flan and the pineapple worked out great. Plates were licked clean and I lost my fear of flan!

Appetizer Party for 20

2006-04-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Appetizers are my favorite food and nothing excites me more than planning an exciting appetizer buffet. Especially if I can sneak in a few new things among the requested standards. I was particularly pleased with the shot glass desserts. Everyone loves miniatures. The Key Lime Pie in a sho glass was a favorite. The Dark Roast Gelee scared people a little.

MENU

Key Lime Parfait served in shot glasses
Expresso Gelee & whipped cream served in a shot glass
2 Cheeses and Grapes
Roast Beef Crostini with Caper Mayo
Chicken Satay with a peanut dipping sauce

Pasta Shells Stuffed with Chopped Salad
Crab Rangoon Cups
Thai Crab Tartlets

Sugar Rush Part 2

2006-04-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

I gave homemade marshmallows another try. I used a highly rated recipe from Epicurious.com. I read through all the reviews and chose which alterations I would make. Everything went great. It wasn't as messy as some of the reviewers said. I flipped over the pan after letting them sit and they popped out nicely. They cut easily and did not stick to the knife as I expected. I could even use a cookie cutter to make heart shaped ones. The marshmallows turned out perfect. They were big and fluffy and square. I was able to hand coat them in bittersweet chocolate which was my goal all along. My only problem was - they tasted just like marshmallows! I think I expected a loftier, grander, oh-my-God version of marshmallows when really all I got was a really fresh, nicely large marshmallow. The marshamllows dipped coated in really good bittersweet chocolate were pretty good. And the experience was fun, don't get me wrong, patting a large pan of soft white fluff and sprinkling with powdered sugar was very satisfying, especially after the earlier debacle (entitled Sugar Rush.)

Will I make them again? I will probably make them next December - they would make a nice gift packaged with some hot chocolate and people certainly ohh and ahh when you say they are homemade. Part of me i toying with the idea of making a batch of caramel and pouring it in a large pan then making a batch of marshmallow and pouring it over that, then cutting and coating with bittersweet. Sugar Rush Part 3?

Prosperity Sandwich

2006-04-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

I got a craving for a Prosperity Sandwich. They used to serve one at the Sheraton WestPort when I worked there as a waitress one million years ago. As I remember, it involved toast layered with ham and turkey, smothered with a mellow, creamy cheese sauce, topped with 2 slices of bacon and then heated. I looked online, and even though I went several pages into the search, I found only fond reminisces. It must be a St. Louis sandwich because the only references I found to it where about restuarants here. My daughter Grace has been on an "out of the ordinary" sandwich kick lately (she has been taking a fluffer nutter in her lunch) so she encouraged me to make it. I took two oven proof dishes and lined them with toasted bread. I used a whole grain wheat because that is what I had. I then layered Honey Roasted turkey from the Deli and some leftover Easter ham. I made a cheese sauce by cooking some flour and butter. I then added about a cup of evaporated milk. I let that cook and thicken a few minutes. I tossed in some cheese from the cheese drawer - some shredded cheddar and then a handful of mozzarella. I ladled the cheese sauce over the meats and toasts and sprinkled it with a couple strips of bacon I had chopped and thrown in the microwave to cook. I heated it in a 350 degree over for 15 minutes. It turned out very tasty. It was not the creamy smooth sauce that I remember but my guess is the original version may have been made with Velveeta or American. It was very smooth, not stringy and clingy like the cheddar suace.

April 2006 Wine Club

2006-04-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we had the first meeting of the Wine Club. We chose Cabernet Sauvignon for our first gathering. The weather cooperated for most of the meeting. We sat at one long table and spread out the wines and the delicious food everyone one brought through out the evening.

We had seven wines ranging from $10 to $30 dollars. They definitely all improved by uncorking and decanting. We uncorked the next in the line and decanted it while we drank the previous wine. Next time, we will probably open all the reds at the beginning of the evening. I can't imagine we would have enough pitchers to decant all.

Here is a list of the wines followed by the foods with links to the recipes as they come in:

WINES

Wellington Vineyards 2001 Cabernet Savignion

1998 Hess Collection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Albertina Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Waddington Ranch Vineyards Medocino

Rutherford Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2002

2002 Franciscan Oakville Estate Napa Valley Cavernet Sauvignon

Robert Mondavi Winery 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Stonegate Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 Napa Valley

Field Stone 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

FOOD

Eggplant and Artichoke Pasta - Jen
Cheese Platter - Don
Baked Mushroom and Emmenthaler Crostini – Lisa and Shane
Lamb chops with Maytag and Walnuts – Lisa W.
Carpaccio of Beef – Marilyn
Blue Cheese Tarts– Kathie and Bill
Chocolate Truffles and Rasberries – Catherine and Pete
Field Greens with warm goat cheese – Sharon

Everything was delicious. I think all the wines were enjoyed by everyone. The Hess and the Franciscan were two favorites. I liked the Albertina.

Can't wait for the May Wine club!

SF - Photos

2006-04-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

Lunch at Scharfenberger's Cafe Cacoa

Crab sauteed in ginger and scallions from Bow HunA steaming bowl of Claypot with Fish Dumplings

A bowl of Mocha as big as your head

Boudin Bakery on Fisherman's Wharf

A bakery showing off his wares.

Sugar Rush

2006-04-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

Chocolate and candy making has been my latest passion. I have been obsessed with cookbooks about chocolate and candy. I have bought a tempering machine. I have taken a class on truffles by a reknowned pastry chef who worked at Le Cirque with Jacque Torres. And still I am making candy. Unlike most of the food I cook, candy does not always turn out. And it is hard to rescue a screwed up batch of candy, especially if it cooked. I recently made my first batch of homemade marshmallows. It was out of a really old candy cookbook. The woman on the cover looked like she knew her stuff, in a friendly, Betty Crocker sort of way. So I made her no cook marshamallow recipe, which she recomended was good for dipping. My eyes lit up! Homemade marshmallows dipped in a quality bittersweet chocolate! Yum! Perfect for Easter too! I followed the directions and let the finished product sit over night. The next afternoon I cut it into slices and rolled my nice cubes in corn starch and sugar. They looked great. It said to let them dry on a rack. So I got out a rack and placed them on it to dry out even more. I went about setting up my chocolate to temper. When I checked back on my marshmallows, they had all gently settled through the rack onto the wax paper beneath, neatly sliced by the rack and then reformed into pools of marshmallow fluff. I suppose at that point I should have scooped them into a jar and saved it for ice cream sundaes but I had chocolate tempered and I needed to dip something in it. Luckily I had some raspberry truffle ganache left from a class I took. The instructor said it had to much raspberry filling so we had cut the mixture in half and added more chocolate to one half to make trufles and I took home the over rasberried other half. I had put it into a ziplock bag and flattened it out and put it in the fridge. I had this pound of perfectly tempered chocolate, so I took it out of the fridge and slided it and cut and trimmed the slices into squares and dipped the squares in the cholocate. They came out great! And they filling is really smoth and creamy. It is tricky though because you have to let it warm up enough from the fridge so that is doesn't break the temper of the chocolate you are dipping it in.

I ran out of ganache so made a quick batch of Honeycomb (know as molasses puffs at my house even though there is no molasses in it.) I dipped a few chunks of that but Icould tell the chocolate and had lost its temper.

So tonight is round 2 on making Marshmallows, a highly rated recipe from Epicurious, and I will dip the rest of the puffs.

Recipe: Flank Steak with Cherry Tomatos and Olives

2006-04-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite recipes for Flank Steak. Every now and then I get a hankering for it. I made it the other night and it was just as good as I remembered it. And I got beef with broccoli out of it for the next night! So don;t be afraid to cook more than you can eat.

Get a flank steak from your butcher. Have him score it for you or when you get it home make a criss cross pattern on both sides of shallow cuts to keep it from curling and to let the marinade really soak in. Rub both sides with olive oil. Make a paste in a bowl of 4-5 tablespoons of fresh herbs, 2 finely minced or pressed cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt a teaspoon of pepper. I usually have thyme and rosemary on hand so I use those. Spread the paste on both sides of the flank steak and place in a gallon zip and throw it in the fridge for awhile. An hour is good, overnight works, if you only have 15 minutes then leave it at room temp till you are ready to go.

Meanwhile, cut in half a carton of grape tomatoes and a cup of chopped flat leaf parsley and place in a bowl. Add some pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarsely, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar. Toss it all loosely. I think the sherry vinegar is an important part of the blend of these flavors so I recomend buying a bottle for this recipe. If you don't have it use another vinegar that is fairly mild in flavor. White distilled vinegar should be used for washing windows and dying easter eggs!

Toss the flank steak on the grill or grill pan until cooked to the way you like it. Let it rest 5 minutes on the cutting board. Then slice into thin slices starting at either short end.

If you have any leftover, and I do now that I am cooking for 2, save it for the next night for a stir fry. In a bowl, mix together some oyster sauce or hoisin suace, some soy sauce, sugar and a little sesame oil. Through in some Mirin if you have it. This is not rocket science. Just use what you have. Taste it and adjust accordingly. Add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch and stir to mix.

Slice your leftover flank steak slices into 2 inch pieces and put it next to the pan.

Cut broccoli into small flowerets. I also had some pea pods so I put that with the broccoli. Heat oil in a pan or wok and add 2 teaspons of fresh ginger and then the veggies. Stir over high heat until crisp/tender. If still not tender and starting to brown, add a couple of tablespoons of water and steam it a little to get it tender enough to your liking. When the broccoli is ready, through in the meat and sauce. Let it cook for a few minutes, stirring. The sauce will go from cloudy to clear and start coating the meat and veggies. Serve with with rice.

SF Day 6 & 7: Scharfenberger, Moroccan Feast & Monterey

2006-03-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

Berkely

Wednesday, thanks to John's sister, we had a car to use to go adventuring. We jumped in and headed to Berkeley with an afternoon goal of a 2:30 tour of Scharfenberger Chocolates. We started at the factory even though it was long before our tour just to make sure we could find it and then convinced ourselves to have lunch there at Cafe Cacoa. John went for the all chocolate lunch while Grace and I had quiche and a ham and gruyere pannini. He started with a bowl of Scharfenberger Mocha as big as your head. Then he proceeded on to a grilled pannini filled with chocolate, pulled from one of the factory vats. He finished off his all chocolate lunch with a triple chocolate cake that we shared. They must warm the top before it comes to the table because the smooth ganache frosting shone like patent leather. We fit in a visit to the Berkeley Bowl, which is a large, amazing produce and grocery store. I have to say I have never seen so many varieties of one thing. They must carry 20 kinds of oranges, from tiny honey tangerines and fresh mandarins, to blood oranges and red navels. We bought some citrus and some muscat grapes that taste great. I have never seen Muscat grapes in the Midwest. One of the culinary, legends of the restuarant world is in Berkely - Chez Panisse. I wish I could say I ate there but I have to save that for another day. I did a drive by though. It looks very inviting and it is across from a really great cheese store and bakery called The Cheese Board that we did venture into. The cheese case there is full of hundreds of kinds of cheese. As we stared at the cheeses, a baker came by with a hot tray of cheese baguettes, followed by some fresh from the griddle english muffins. We knew we couldn't keep any cheese cold so we settled on english muffins for the next day's breakfast and some great scones.

The factory tour was more chocolate lecture than tour. It started with an entertaining lecture on the production of chocolate, including tasting different percentages of dark chocolate and including passing around cacoa beans before and after roasting and tasting of the nibs from inside the bean. You'll have to go on the tour to get the rest of the story. We ended with a walk through the factory, and then with some chocolate tasting back in the retail store.

I really enjoyed Berkely and would like to go back and check out more of it.

AZIZA

We ended the day with a fabulous meal at a Moroccan restuarant called Aziza http://www.aziza-sf.com/. Everything we had was delicious. We met my friend Tom there. The setting is just what you would want in a Moroccan restuarant - dark walls, secluded booths. We started with beef and grape skewers, a trio of mediteranean spreads and a salad of cardoons. Cardoons are kind of like really large celery stalks, with a taste that is a cross between celery and artichokes. All the appetizers were great. For our entrees, we shared Couccous with Seasonal Vegetables and raisins and nuts, Prawn Tangine with house-made Preserved Meyer Lemons, Devils Gulch Ranch Rabbit over a parsnip puree with dried cherries. All three were excellent. The dessert menu was as tasty and intriguing as the rest. We shared 3 desserts starting with Ruby Red 3 Ways - a sorbet of grapefruit juice, brûléed house made zest jam with fresh fruit segments. It was not an inexpensive evening but it was worth every penny!

Day 7: ROAD TO MONTEREY

We took a road trip toMonterey to see the aquarium. The food was uneventful - lunch in the aquaium cafe, except for the garlic fries, which were a big, hot, freshly cooked pile of fries, smothered in raw garlic and chopped parsley. The aquarium was huge and fabulous. We spent many hours wandering back and forth. Just whenwe thought we had seen it all we would stumble on another exhibit.

The drive to Monterey was one of the big reasons to go and I was rewarded by seeing the artichoke crop at it's peak in fields close to Monterey. I made the mistake at not stopping at any road side stands on the way there. They were all closed on the way back. But it was quite a site to see, with the misty mountains off in the distance out one window and the ocean and dunes out the other.

SF Day 5: Gnocchi and North Beach Pizza

2006-03-29T10:09:00.000-08:00

Another rainy day in San Francisco did not dampen our adventurous spirit at lunchtime. On an earlier jaunt through North Beach, we had passed a restuarant that had the phrase "house of gnocchi" over the door. No one could remember the exact name though so we picked another italian place we knew the name of and met John there, luckily Figaro's, "house of gnocchi" was right across the street. We settled in to a fairly empty restuarant staffed by italians, the beautiful kind. We shared a Insalata Caprese and then our entree came. In a frozenmoment, that will now be mentioned every time we order gnocchi, John's Gnocchi Basilico came to the table, literally. The pretty italian waitress upended the entire bowl onto the table in front of him. When the replacment dish came we tucked in to some excellent gnocchi, all made fresh. One was a basil gnocchi in a creamy mushroom sauce, the other was a spinach gnocchi in a tomato sauce. We also shared a steaming bowls of mussels in a wine and cream sauce that had us asking for more bread to sop up the sauce.

We sent John back to work and wandered North Beach, stopping in at Stella's bakery for some almondina and almond with pine nuts. We wandered a little farther up Columbus to XOX Truffles. The only place I know of where you can get 20 chocolate truffles for $7! We got an assortment and since they all look alot alike, each one is a mystery bite sure to please those chocolate cravings.

We finished the evening off with watching Harry Potter and ordering in from North Beach Pizza while John had an evening out with some friends.

SF Day 4: Quick Tropical Salmon Dinner - To Go!

2006-03-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

I was munching on my bacon wrapped prawn salad at Scott's Seafood in Walnut Creek with Gra ce and my friend Peggy, when I found out what that I was preparing dinner for friends that evening out of my husband's malfunctioning corporate apartment kitchen. I had to decide here and now what to make so that Peggy could take us to Andronico's (think fancy schmancy grocery store) and we would take it back with us to the city via BART and trolley and 4 block walk, prepare it in that kitchen and convey over a 30 minute car trip to San Rafeal. The request for something light and low fat added to the challenge. After throwing ideas back and forth with Peggy (it doesn't hurt to have another personal chef with you!) I decided on Salmon on greens with a lime ginger dressing and tropical fruit.

The schlep back to the city was a lot longer than anticipated due to BART malfunctions so I was really glad that the butcher at Andronico's had given me a frozen gel pack to keep the food cool. Back at the apartment I chopped the mango, papaya and bagged them. I had also bought Muscat grapes and mandarin oranges in a light juice. Two bags of spring mix field greens completed the salad portion. A simple dressing of fresh lime, ginger and honey completed the dressing. We packed up and went. I broiled the salmon at the Marx's house drizzling with dressing, started on the skin side and turning over and basting again. The greens were piled on the plate, drizzled with dressing. The warm salmon were placed on top and surrounded with the tropical fruit - viola! no cooking in the apartment - and a low fat delicious dinner on the table in minutes. A Trader Joe's Key Lime pie with fresh whipped cream was an easy finish and kept with the tropical theme.

SF Day 2 & 3: Ferry Building, Gourmet Club, Golden Gate Park

2006-03-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

SATURDAY

Saturday morning, we did my favorite San Francisco activity. My goal was to buy the ingredients for a salad for dinner for Sunday night at John's sister. It was like being in salad heaven! And to make matters worse, my PC friend Tom involved in the decision. Every stall brought on a new idea - "look at these field greens - we could get dried fruit from that other stand and sugar some pecans and make a fig balsamic vinegrette! look over there - what about there!" The decision was clinched when we went to Tom's friend's farm stand and she let us taste some peppery arugula blossoms with a hint of flowery sweetness. It looked like a wildflower bouquet, with long stems with small forsythia like blossoms of pale yellow and brown. We ended up buying arugula blossoms and field greens planning on tossing in large pieces of crisp bacon, shards of parmesan and a meyer lemon vinaigrette. We served melted herbed chevre croutons alongside.

Grace and John and I spent quite a few minutes tasting honey at the honey stand. Each kind had its own unique flavors and characteristics. We ended up choosing the CIA honey - the hives are in the herb garden at the culinary institute - it had a very strong flavor with lots of different notes. We plan on drizzling it over fresh riccotta, along with some lime oil. This was Tom's idea. We brought it to Joan's sunday night. He piled it in the middle of a large plate, drizzled the honey and lime oil over it and then surrounded it with crackers. We also brought a Cowgirl Creamert Triple Cream Cheese caller Mt Tam and some Humboldt Fog - a creamy cheese with a ribbon of blue. The outer edge gets runny like a Brie the longer it sits out.

Saturday night was Southern Gourmet Club at the Marx's house. Southern? Doesn't sound so appealing or gourmet but oh my goodness - what a feast! Perfectly fried chicken, seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder, paaprika and cayenne then drizzled with honey! Chicken Fried Steak sandwiches on tender, buttery biscuits served with gravy alongside. Pulled pork in a sweet but mustardy sauce was especially tasty. A huge pot of Farmer's Market greens - chard, dandelion and more were served cooked up with pork fat in a big pot of "likker". A fabulous salad of frisee, beets and pears with candied walnuts may not have been too southern but no one complained. A black eyed pea salad, blue cheese mashed potoatos, cornbread speckled with bacon, served with freshly made butter and honey, and corn pudding spiked with more bacon and japepenos rounded out the menu. To top off the evening, sweet potato souffle came to the table fresh from the oven, served along with pecan pie and a lovely light coconut cream cake, layered with fruit and a whipped cream icing. Several wines were served throughout the evening and explained by Nick who had the chore of pairing wines with almost every dish containing bacon! It was a food lover's feast and Ihope to be in town for the next theme of Persian!

SUNDAY

Sunday was a glorius sunny day. We ran through several ideas of how to spend our day but cancelled several because they ended up indoors. Finally we just hopped a cab to Golden Gate park. We were dropped off in front of the De Young and even though the stark rusty exterior was really tempting us to go in, the rare sunshine insisted we stay out. First stop was the japanese garder. The minute we walked in the gates we were attracted by the peaceful wooden builind serving japanese tea. We beat the crowds and sat at a table in the sunshine. We were served oolong and jasmine pots of tea by a lovely woman in a pink kimona, alongside a plate of japanese sesame and alond cookies and various japanese snack bits. The setting was so peaceful and sunny and beautiful, it was hard to leave but the rest of the japanese garden beckoned us. A lot is compacted in a small space but every where you look is beautifully manicured and tended as only a japanese garden can be.

The sunshine was still tempting us to stay outdoors so our next stop was the free botanical garden. Needless to say we weren't the only ones out on a beautiful sunday in San Francisco. We wander down concrete trails then veered off onto mulch paths winding through the gardens. Colorful bushes and flowers, none to be seen in the Midwest, were there to be explored, smelled and enjoyed.

We ducked into the De Young cafe for a quick lunch with promises to come back soon to check out the museum.

The evening was spent at John's sister's Joan for a fabulous family dinner. Tom and I served up the ricotta appetizer and the cheeses. Dinner was a fabulous butterflied leg of lamb, marinated and tehn grilled. The other meat was a spooky blackc tri tip. At first glance it looked like Mitch had left it on the grill for about 24 hours - the whole thing was an uninterupted solid black. Turns out it comes this way from a special marinade at the butchers. I think the only way anyone would every buy it would be on a strong recomendation because it did not look particulary appetizing. But when cut super thin, the black became just a thing edge. The meat was very tender and flavorful and with a little horseradish sauce - truly amazing! Our salad made it to the buffet with a vinaigrette of meyer lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard and a smidge of honey. The flowers sprinkled over the top looked really lovely and added a nice arugula bite. Joan made rosemary potatoes, lemon orzo, bread and butter and oven rosted asparagus. Dessert was a dense creamy bread pudding served with a toffee sauce and orange scented whipped cream served with dense chocolate brownies speckled with cranberries. I was temporarily distracted from dessert by cuddling my new great niece and rocking her to sleep, but I eventually gave her up and had my share. It was a fun evening with family and friends and delicious food - what more could you ask for!

SF Day 1: Bow Hun

2006-03-24T22:25:00.000-08:00

Another great day in San Francisco. Grace and I played tourist today and walked to Fisherman's Wharf. We pondered our options for breakfast and ended up having scrambled eggs and home fries in a sourdough bowl at Boudin Bakery. The building that houses the bakery is less than a year old. The first floor has a gourmet food store and bakery and a Peet's coffee stand. You can order food there and then find an empty table inside or out to sit down and enjoy your purchase. We sat at a little table inside because of the rain (that continued all day.) Watching the overhead baskets of bread circle through the whole bakery intrigued us enough to go upstairs and take the tour. It was $3 and children were free. It starts with a typical museum display on the history of the family bakery, mirroring San Francisco's. We went through that pretty briskly, more attracted by the the bakery through the second story window. We were particularly intrigued by a baker that was measuring out flour and other ingredients into large stainless steel vats on rollers. They could roll up to a flour machine that measured an exact amount of flour into the vat, then the vat could be rolled to a kneading machine. We watched as he unhooked one vat and removed it from the kneader. He rolled it over to a railing that looked over the first floor. Using a large knife he cut off huge chunks of dough and dropped them over the railing. I assume there were gentlemen there catching the dough but we couldn't see. He then rolled the rest of the dough to a chute that shot it down to the first floor where it went into a machine that formed the dough into perfect balls. We continued our tour ending in the Tasting Room that had wonderful fresh bread, with a variety of condiments to try. We certainly got our three dollars worth. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing touristy Fisherman's Wharf activities - Ripley's Museum, Hot Fudge Sundae at Ghirardelli (get the dark chocolate hot fudge sauce!) and ended with a hot tea at Barnes & Noble and then a trip to Trader Joe's.

Friday evening we were in search of Chinese in Chinatown. With the help of Chowhound PC Tom and the Gourmet Guide to SF we ended up at a small restaurant called Bow Hun, known for it's Claypots. We ordered pot stickers and eggrolls for appetizers. Both were very tasty and fresh. They came piping hot to the table. Our entrees came next. John ordered the Bow Hun Special Clay Pot. It came to the table in a clay pot and the liquid was actually boiling. Chuncks of tender BBQ pork were floating in a bubbling brown gravy. Floating on top were delicious dumplings. Under the dumplings were cabbage and large black mushrooms, quite a flavorful dish. Grace's order came next - Prawns in lobster sauce. This was the least appetizing looking entree we got but Grace seemed to enjoy it. My entree was a seasonal special of fresh dungeness (John saw her fish the live crab out of a fish tank.) It was cooked in a scallion and ginger sauce. The whole crab came chopped up on a platter, slathered with sauce. I have to say I have never had a fresher crab. Grace and I polished off every bit. It cost around $18 and was worth every penny.

After dinner we walked to Yoogo Gelato, an asian gelato and bubble tea shop. A very patient young girl let us taste as many as we wanted. I was very proud of myself for tasting the Durian Gelato - especially after smelling it! Yikes! It had the smell of putrid eggs. It tasted very sweet and floral, with rotting egg overtones. I also tasted Black Sesame (good), Taro (very nice) and ended up with a small combo cup of Passion Fruit and Lychee. Grace got Lychee and Rose - we thought of our friend Arbi who is from Tunisia where rosewater is a common flavoring - he would have loved it. Grace really like it too.

And one of the nicest things about John's place is we could walk home. Chinatown runs into North Beach which is the Italian section. It reminded me of the transisiton between New York Chinatown and Little Italy, one minute chinese restaurants and then pasta house and cafes with outside seating. We took a very steep climb up Montgomery Street then down a really neat neighborhood street and then finally down the Filbert steps, so actually we were climbing up Telegraph Hill and then down the other side. The Filbert steps go past some really neat homes all nestled in a rain forest-like garden. I guess I thought of the rain forest because it was STILL raining! There are another set up steps, the Greenwich steps, we plan to take another day in daylight and search for the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill!

Boulevard Dinner

2006-03-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

Boulevard Dinner

Tonight, I am preparing a dinner from the cookbook for Boulevard resturaunt in San Francisco. It has taken 2 days of prep and a trip back to the butcher to get the pork chop that I wanted.

Here is the menu:

Fried Calamari in a light basil infused batter, served with a fresh marinara sauce
bought fresh calamari from Whole foods

Warm Medjool Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese Served over Field Greens with a Blood Orange Vinaigrette
Tweaked the vinaigrette, tasted too bitter - too much skin in the dressing. I added some of the juice from the oranges and a little sugar. Dates are from the bulk section of Whole Foods.

Cider Brined Pork Loin Chop with Cider Jus and a Braised Bacon Pomegranate Relish
Went back to Straubs because the first round of chops were to skimpy. Now, some of them are actually two bone chops with one bone cut off. They are at least 1 1/2 inches thick, if not more. I frenched them for presentation. The Pomegranate and bacon relish will really help make this special. The trick will be not onvercooking the pork.

Brussels Sprouts
shaved on the mandoline and cooked briefly with shallots and butter

Carrot Cake Triangles with Carrot Sherbert and Candied Carrots and a Warm Walnut Caramel Sauce
I don't do many desserts. This dessert was tricky. You cut the cake in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 3 layers of less than 1/4 inch. Very diffisult and not each layer perfect but it assemble allright and I think it will slice and present nicely. I thought I ruined the sauce. I added 3/4 cup more cream than the recipe called for. So I carmalized another cup of sugar and added the thin caramel mixture to that hot mixture and it worked and I saved myself a trip to the store! 9Which does not happen often.)

Warm Medjool Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette Recipe

Serves six

9 blood oranges
4 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups grape seed oil
3/4 cup pistachios
1 1/2 small head radicchio
3 cups loosely packed cleaned mizuna
3 cups loosely packed cleaned arugula
3 cups loosely packed torn cleaned frisee
18 Medjool dates
6 ounces fresh goat cheese
Pomegranate seeds
Pistachio oil

FOR THE BLOOD ORANGE VI N A I G R E T T E : With a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler remove the zest from the oranges, then peel away and discard all the white pith. Pull oranges apart into segments and put segments from 2 of the oranges into a blender w/ zest. (Note: I would not use all the zest - maybe from 1 orange? I also added a tablespoon of sugar and a couple tablespoons of juice from the bowl the segments were in.) Reserve the remaining segments for garnish. Add the corn syrup, rice vinegar, salt and puree. With the machine running slowly, gradually add the oil and blend until thickened. Set aside at room temperature for up to 6 hours or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

FOR THE PISTACHIOS: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the pistachios in a small pan and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they take on color, stirring once or twice. Remove from the oven and put the nuts on a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the nuts, rub the nuts together and roll them around to remove some of the skins. Set the nuts on a plate to cool.

FOR THE SALAD: Cut the radicchio in half and cut out the core. Cut the radicchio into 1/2-inch pieces and put into a large bowl. Add the rest of the greens and refrigerate loosely covered with a damp towel for up to 8 hours.

FOR THE DATES: Make a lengthwise slit in each date and pull out the pit. Roughly divide the goat cheese into 12 pieces, stuff into the dates, and press them closed. Place, seam side down, on a small sheet pan or baking pan. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, heat the dates in a 350°F oven for 1 to 2 minutes (if the dates have been refrigerated, they will take longer to reheat), or until warm.

TO SERVE
Toss the greens with some of the vinaigrette until lightly coated. Place a mound of greens on each of 4 plates and arange 3 warm dates around the salad with alternating piles of the reserved orange segments. Sprinkle with pistachios and pomegranite seeds aorund the plate and drizzle pistachio oil all over.

Boulevard -The Cookbook by Nancy Oakes and Pamela Mazzola

We will see how it goes. Thanks to Judy for all her help.

Ham, Beans and Cornbread

2006-03-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

I have Ham and Beans in the Pressure Cooker now and cornbread in the oven. I am making it for a friend with an ill father per his request. I looked for a new cornbread recipe since the friend said her dad did not like sweet cornbread, which I usully make. I think I failed in that regard. It looks like it is turning out to be a good recipe but maybe too sweet for his tastes. I usually make a batch of honey butter to go with. And like most of my recipes, I found it on the internet.

Susan's Cornbread
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Big Chief sugar
8 ounces sour cream
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 8-ounce can cream style corn

Mix oil and eggs well. Blend in remainder of ingredients, mixing well.
Bake in 8" × 8" glass baking dish for 35 minutes at 375º.

This turned out to be a very dense, moist cornbread. It was not my favorite but my neighbor Wally said it was the best cornbread he had ever had and that he had eaten a lot of corn bread in his day. So there.

I Left My Husband in San Francisco

2006-03-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

I left my husband in San Francisco last weekend. He will be spending the next six months there. Lucky for me - it is a great place for food.

I don't think I could make a trip to SF without visiting the Ferry Building, a renovated ferry building now housing a wonderful farmer's market outside on weekends and year round shops inside. Recchiuti Chocolates (flavors like Tarragon Grapefruit, Star Anise and Pink Peppercorn, Ginger Heart), Tsar Nicoulai Caviar (truffled scrambled egg back in the shell, topped with caviar), and Far West Fungi (glass bell jars of exotic mushrooms, fresh procini, truffles) are just a few. I am slowly trying to make my way to all the food booths and resturants. I have had no disappointments.

Sunday was a miserable rainy day and after spending the morning at SFMOMA we headed to the Ferry Building for lunch and a steamy bowl of soup. We got 2 sets at the counter right in front of the schucker at Hog Island Oyster Company. Hog Island Oyster Company is the retail outlet for the Tomales Bay oyster farm of the same name.

They shuck the oysters as you watch. And the Oyster Stew is perfection. It is nothing but fresh oysters, cream, butter and chives. They serve it with a chunk of butter and a great Epi loaf. Really fresh oysters taste so different than the ones that have been sitting around on ice for days, sweet yet briny. To keep the stew company we got the Oysters Casino and the Oysters with ginger and lemon. If we hadn't been so cold and wet from running around in the rain we probably would have gotten a few raw oysters to slurp down. They serve 6 varieties and there was a lot of bubbly been served at nearby tables with fresh oysters piled high on stainless steel trays of rock salt. We also got the the Cowgirl Creamery Grilled Cheese (Cowgirl Creamery is the subject for another day!) It paled in comparison to the oysters but still it was a mighty fine grilled cheese.

I will go back at the end of March and hope to eat somewhere else but I may have to stop for a quick bowl of the Clam Chowder - Manila clams with bacon, cream, aromatic vegetables and thyme or maybe another bowl of Oyster Stew? Mmmmmm....

Fleur De Sel Caramels

2006-03-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

I have been on a candy making binge lately. I recently bought Truffles, Candies and Confections by Carole Bloom and got from the library, Chocolate Obsession by Michael Recchuiti. I suppose you could say Recchuiti inspired the whole thing. I had his amazing chocolates in the Ferry building in San Francsico. Candies infused with jasmine, pink peppercorns, star anice, burnt caramel, fleur de sel. They were all amazing. For years I have been making candy at Christmas time but they were easy recipes, not necessarily using quality ingredients. I decided to kick my candymaking up a notch.

I started my quest for great chocolates with several different caramel recipes that have turned out great and some of the best English Toffee I have ever made. But I really wanted to take the next step and temper chocolate and dip something. So I thought I would start with the Fleur de Del caramels since I love caramel and I have successful made caramel. Easy enough. Right?

Well, I have read about a thousand articles on tempering chocolate. But apparently not enough. The caramel turned out fantastic. Sweet and golden with a salty Fleur de Sel kick. I followed the instruction on tempering. I carefully dipped them all with the help of my daughter Grace. I left them out to cool. They were looking pretty great. I put them on the green counter where the dog can't get to them. Well, I must have left enough foil hanging over the edge. Because I heard a thud from upstairs and sure enough she had pulled one sheet to the floor and was hiding in a corner having a little caramel bliss!

And the real end to the story is, I did not temper them correctly. By the end of the day the dreaded freckles appeared. I will try to let this not discourage me from tempering and dipping. Now I really - really want one of those tempering machines that cost $350. But I hope to conquer this. I am sure it is like making fresh pasta. If you do it often enough you will get a feel for it. I am sure all friends and family will encourage me to try. Afterall they love all of them whether they have bloom on them or not!