for the love of food

A Cabbage and a Chicken

i grabbed the last cabbage off the table at boggy creek farm. the beautiful leaves demanded to be stuffed!  i remembered this version from a restaurant where i once worked. leaves stuffed with chicken mousse & wild rice - served en brodo.

carve up a chicken and make a chicken stock. reserve the breast meat. poach up the leg and thigh and save for a salad (or a snack for your dog - lucky roxy) !

pull the outer cabbage leaves and blanch.

cube up chicken breast (1#) and in a food processor puree the meat with 2 egg whites and 1 c. of heavy cream. chill. cook up wild rice ( i’m loving the lundberg farms wild mix ) with some small dice veggies and chopped remaining cabbage head. fold into the chicken mousse and season with salt-pepper & nutmeg. poach a tablespoon in boiling water to taste test the seasoning. adjust as needed.

to stuff the leaves- place the leaf in a ladle and fill with mousse mix and wrap to cover completely. chill.

poach the stuffed bundles in chicken stock. serve up and enjoy !

Eat your Greens !

i can’t get enough of the fall/winter greens - swiss chard & kale & beet greens & even broccoli greens. i purchase them at the farmers market and boggy creek farm - while i patiently wait til my garden is ready to pick ….another week or two.

this is a favorite salad  -  a meal in itself. the lundberg farms rice mix i purchase at wheatsville co-op. it is a mix of brown and red and wild - super nutty tasting & chewy. pomegranate and organic dried cranberries.  pecans from natural grocer on guadalupe st.  ( where they store their nuts in the refrigerator - where they’re supposed to be ! ) they are the best i have tasted this year. add raw chopped kale ( cavolo nero here) and toss with olive oil and S & P. even better if it sits  overnight.

delicious & healthy ! enjoy.

Best ever Oatmeal !

i am a big fan of steel cut oatmeal. but i am finicky & do question the freshness of canned and bulk products…. am i just imagining a rancid undertone ? now i can  enjoy an organically grown - heirloom grain - stone ground to order ! bowl of oatmeal. what a treat ! 

check out anson mills - for their product list ( polenta - rice - grits & more) and read about their passion & mission. they do it up right.  ( we are pleased to offer the polenta at ASTI and now offer the oatmeal at FINO sunday brunch).

this slightly toasted steel cut oat is more refined - and certainly tastier -than your usual.  it takes about 20 minutes to cook with the usual 4 parts water/ 1 part oats.

i like to eat oatmeal in the usual ways… cooked with chopped apples & cinnamon…..topped with sliced bananas and brown sugar……..

but my new favorite……..

bacon ( or preferred guanciale with it’s salt & pepper crust) - rendered & mixed with maple syrup ! meaty-fatty-salty-spicy & sweet !

now that’s breakfast of champions !  thank-you anson mills !

So Long…and Good Luck Brian Stubbs !

B o B

Beard on Bread. a classic cookbook - one i’ve had in my collection since 1986 (  it cost 12.95 ! ).

i like many recipes in this book - but one i have been making for these 25 years - (yikes !) - is his banana bread. it is perfectly dense ( not too ) - moist - big on banana flavor & not too sweet. ( i add chunks of chocolate ).

i wanted to say thanks to a friend & this seemed just right for the occasion. (of course i made one for myself).

i make them in my vintage cake pans.

beards banana bread

in kitchen-aide with paddle - cream together:

1/2 c. butter - room temp

add:

1 c. sugar

add one at a time:

2 eggs

add:

1 c. mashed banana ( 2 ea. / * very ripe )

sift together:

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

mix together:

1/3 c.ry mix alternately with milk to the kitchen-aide on slow speed.

3/4 c. nuts ( toasted walnuts or pecans)

3/4 c. chocolate chunks / chips

pour into greased 9 x 5 x 3 pan ( or other ) bake 350  / 45 -55 min.

 ’thank-you’ tastes good !

Beat the Heat ! Vancouver & Salt Spring Island

60 days of 100+ degree weather. it’s enough to make a girl go crazy ! august in austin is rough - and even more so this year.  a 10 day - cool weather - escape was in order. destination vancouver - then a jump over to salt spring island. here i share a few favorites from our trip.

it’s been 10 years since we were last in vancouver. besides cool weather we had fond memories of the mountain & ocean landscape - cosmopolitan city vibe - ethnic neighborhoods & great seafood. 

we rented a downtown condo (on homeaway ) in yaletown neighborhood. a walk to many parks-restaurants-coffee shops-markets and to the ferry - for a 5 minute ride over to granville island.

granville island is a mecca of art & culture & food. farmers market - food stalls - bakeries - a butchery and of course lots of fish. restaurants of all sizes - arts & crafts studios - high end galleries - a theatre company………and more. this is liam - he turned us on to some beautiful teas.

vancouver has a lot of public art - which i love to see in a city. the MOV  is surprisingly a very small museum ( 3 exhibits). but i guess one could say the art & culture is in the streets.

our first night we met up with friends from austin ( they have the right idea - 3 months in vancouver ! ) for dinner at Vij’s. anyone who knows vancouver will recommend this indian restaurant.  there is always a wait - but it’s part of the experience. we ordered a signature indian mojito and sat outside while servers circled with delicious snacks. unfortunately the restaurant was dark and my photography not a priority while we caught up with our friends - but we enjoyed dungesse crab ‘spoons’…samosas…goat curry…lamb ‘popsicles’….and spot prawns in coconut. yum.

waterfront lunch at C.  modern & on the mark. fried mussels & chorizo salad … onion & almond bisque with seafood-poached egg & black truffle…scallops with grilled corn & corn/foie gras puree…..pacific oysters on the halfshell …   washed down with BC rose bubbly ! we opted for the local wines from british columbia with most meals and were not disappointed.

hapa izakaya.  there are three locations and they are happening little joints - bar mostly with great food. we loved the hot stone bowl. filled with rice- minced pork - spicy miso & an egg yolk. it was stirred up tableside and left to rest a few minutes  while the hot stone crisps up the rice. makes for a creamy & crispy bowl of deliciousness. the pacific calamari is a real treat - very meaty & tender. also enjoyed some sashimi & rolls.

last stop on our way out of town was at meat & bread. with a name like that we had to stop and investigate. meat & bread offers 4 sandwiches - 1 soup - 1 salad & 1 dessert. beer - wine & cider. 1 long communal table & 1 long bar.  everyone eats off a cutting board lined with parchment. what a concept. what a sandwich ! we enjoyed these porchetta sandwiches on the ferry ride over to salt spring island   ( a  1 1/2 hour cruise ).

our first meal on salt spring island. fish & chips & beer !

bounty at the farmers market ! it was a treat to shop here knowing that most of our meals would be cooked at home. we were visiting our friend kim ( another smart austinite who owns a home here ). she is an avid salmon & halibut ‘fisherwoman’ so her freezer was stocked. we supplemented with the markets dungeness crab - sweet spot prawns & cockles. seafood never tasted so good ! seriously !

salt spring demands one to slow down & enjoy the natural beauty. this island offers many trails to hike - either along the coast or thru the pine & cedar forests. on our hikes we spotted a huge grey owl & sea lions & large fleshy purple starfish ! we also just relaxed with the views from the porch & inhaled the fresh air. salt spring is also a haven for artists. artist studio tours/open house can be spotted all over the island.

last views as we take a float plane back to vancouver ( a quick 30 minutes ) then back to austin. i carry a piece of this paradise with me back to the heat of austin !

Sprout !

i used to sprout- many years ago - and doing it again just reminds me how much i like them. my initial motivation for sprouting was the nutritional value of them - but they are also a great visual & textural addition to salads & sandwiches and as a garnish for lots of dishes.

my favorite website is sproutpeople.org. owned by a couple who started at the farmers market in madison wisconson in 1993 and still going strong. their site is personal and very informative - offering advice & instruction. they sell lots of sprouting supplies and (mostly organic) seed & seed mixes.

easy ways to sprout. glass jars / flat trays / ‘soil free blanket’

sunflower seeds sprouted on a fabric ‘blanket’

tiny radish seeds sprouted in flat trays

*beyond the leafy sprouts - there are the nut - grain & legume sprouts.  what you may not realize is that the soaking and/or sprouting of these removes enzyme inhibitors and makes the amino acids & enzymes readily available for digestion & absorption. it transforms a dormant seed into a living seed. knowing this -why bother eating them without an easy soak or sprout. ?  it’s a huge nutritional jump.

a favorite is the ‘madison market mix’ which includes sunflower, peanut, almond & pumpkin seeds.

everything tastes ( and looks ) better with a few sprouts !

real deal Waffles

i haven’t eaten a waffle in 20 years. why waste the calories on a tasteless flour bomb ?  but….. after sampling the one served at brunch at FINO ( yeah ! i’m biased ) - i  had to indulge in a double stack of my own !

chef jason’s mom shared her recipe with FINO !  thanks june ! the belgian-style waffle batter includes yeast - and is proofed overnight. the result is an incredibly light & airy interior - rich flavor & crispy crust. it comes smothered with whipped orange butter - topped with marcona almonds & served with maple syrup. well worth every calorie !

…or skip the butter & syrup and top with a side order of yogurt-fresh fruit-pistachio & honey

of course these waffles taste great sitting on the patio at FINO - sipping a pomegranate mimosa. but if brunching at home is your thing…….we happily pass on the recipe:

Goodnight Waffles 

The night before:

Combine and let stand 10 minutes…

½ cup warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 packet active dry yeast 

Stir in…

2 cups warm whole milk

½ cup melted butter

1 teaspoon salt 

Beat in~~ until smooth…

2 cups flour 

Wrap bowl tightly with plastic wrap, let stand out on the counter overnight. 

~Smiling happily the next morning~

Turn on waffle iron and stir into mixture…

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

¼ teaspoon baking soda 

Cook until golden brown and delicious. 

~Enjoy~

check out full brunch menu at finoaustin.com.    see you at FINO !

LobsterFest 2011

11th Annual LobsterFest at ASTI Trattoria !     dinner july 7th 8th & 9th !

lobster fra diavolo with spaghetti - spicy lobster-tomato sauce & garlic fried breadcrumbs (my favorite) and lobster risotto with sweet summer corn - chives & lobster oil (of course this is delicious too).

ASTI offers a 3-course ‘family-style dinner for 2’ which starts with a local tomato caprese with housemade mozzarella / choice of spag or rizzo / strawberry-watermelon granita.

350 lbs. of maine lobster shipping out tonight. the lively crustaceans will be picked up at the airport tomorrow - then steamed & picked & ready for LobsterFest starting thursday july 7th and while supply lasts !

check out astiaustin.com for pricing & reservations or call  4 5 1 . 1 2 1 8         and say “lobster please” ! 

summer cherries

there are lots of ways to enjoy cherries. it is my favorite summer fruit - so when i bought this book last winter i bookmarked this recipe for pickled cherries.        have you ever had a pickled cherry?

i am a fan of this cookbook author.  skye gyngell is a chef in london.  her book formats are very personal ( she has 3 ) -recipes are ingredient focused (reminders of classic dishes- nothing cutting edge ) and food presentation is attractive.  a book i would easily cook my way thru.

anyway !  it’s a classic pickling mixture ( red wine vinegar - sugar - bay leaf - peppercorns & clove )  boiled & poured over cherries.

i’m thinking pickled cherries with……..soft fresh goat cheese…….grilled quail or pork chops …….perhaps even in a cocktail ?    for now i am happy just eating them out of the jar !