for the love of food

Spring Strawberries

always a fan of boggy creek farm - i love to hit the saturday market and see what they have to offer and purchase my weekly produce. i chat it up with carol ann - get some local gossip from larry - and say hello to the avid chef shoppers.

knowing i couldn’t go saturday - i hit the wednesday market. it was bustling ! i wasn’t wasting anytime getting the last of the spinach. eric from wink snagged the last of the carrots. deagan from jeffrey’s was focused on grabbing what he could. there were spring onions & garlic - sweet potatoes & swiss chard -best-ever-arugula & rhubarb !  larry was milling about drinking coffee and carol ann was replenishing as fast as she could.  as i was checking out - they loaded me up with some additional strawberries for the restaurant.

back at ASTI - we concocted a starter / dessert that highlighted this fragrant luscious berry. it is a special treat - given that they are available for about 2-3 weeks only.

fresh mozarella burrata with cracked black pepper - chopped mint & drizzled with balsamic reduction.

cheers to spring stawberries ! Thankyou BCF !

best ever Granola

FINO  has a most delicious granola on the sunday brunch menu. when i am in the kitchen there i like to sneak a jar of the stuff to have at home. it is far more delicious than anything store bought.  finally i  just asked the pastry chef for the recipe. so courtesy of erin - here it is.  it is so simple - you can custom make it any way you like - and with far less sugar than the boxed / bulk stuff.

4 c. ( organic ) rolled oats

1 c. ( raw ) nuts

1 c. raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 c. sesame seeds

bring to a boil:

3/4 c. light brown sugar

1/2 c. maple syrup

2/3 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

pour over dry ingredients and toss til well coated. spread onto a sheet pan ( or two). bake 350 degrees for 10-15 min until lightly golden brown and smelling delicious.

let cool completely before breaking up into chunks of granola. keep in a ziplock or jar with tight fitting lid.

when serving add fresh or dried fruit.  our blend this week is with flame raisins - goji berries - mulberries ( delicious fig tasting berries from turkey )  - and chia seeds ( the ‘new’ flax seed ). 

plain yogurt + granola = tasty breakfast.  thanks erin !

Easy as Apple Pie

i love a good kitchen gadget. a practical one that is efficient and enhances the task at hand. i do not typically like gadgets that replace a job one should really relish doing by hand. like an apple peeler. i would not consider such a thing……..until my mom’s VSO ( very significant other) used one to practice making his “award winning apple pie” ( seriously - he won first place in a pillsbury pie bake-off ).

i must admit i was taken by the ease and precision of this old fashioned gadget ! it peels and/or cores and/or spiral slices….in a second ! i thought it was brilliant.

and then mom and bill sent me one as a gift.  i had to put it to good use - and what fun it was.

i’m thinking easy prep for gratins too - potatoes & beets!

it may not be award winning- but is was tasty !  and definitely quick & easy !  

i’ll make room in my pantry for this gadget !

Brunch Special

brunch in our house is usually one of a few ‘go-to’ favorites. iron skillet pancake souffle with fruit & honey……omelettes ( * with strawberry jam )…….or this moroccan diddy. it’s a classic recipe that we took from saveur magazine years ago. so last sunday - as we were settling in with the NYTimes with nowhere to go - i decided to make moroccan brunch special.

1.  thick garlic yogurt.  whole milk yogurt - strained for at least an hour ( strainer lined with coffee filter).  into it press a couple of cloves of garlic. leave out at room temp.

2.  crispy fried sage leaves.

3.  flour tortillas. 

       with all that prepped - this part needs to be done quickly.

3.  fried eggs - over easy or sunny side up. flip onto yogurt.

4.  in a fry pan - heat EVO oil ( 1/4 c. ) and a bit of butter ( 2 T ) . when foaming  - add 1/2 tsp each of hot paprika & smoked paprika. swirl pan to incorporate and immediately pour over eggs. add sea salt and garnish with fried sage. serve up warm tortillas.

      this dish is always a treat ! ( next brunch special is on emmett…………pancake souffle please ).

Easy Riser

you’ve heard all about it…..the no-knead bread.  the recipe that rocked the world of home bread bakers across the country.  the NKB recipe created by jim lahey - of sullivan street bakery fame - in NYC.   certainly you have heard of it - but have you tried it ?

we finally did - sometime last year - and were addicted to the ease of having a truly artisan quality loaf of bread with no real effort- just time.  it is based on a small amount of yeast working a lot of magic over a long period of time - 18 hours long. add a couple of sloppy ‘folds’ of the dough - a couple of more hours - and the extreme baking in a 450 degree-covered-cast iron (ceramic or glass) -dutch oven.

with emmett stuck at home recuperating - with nothing but time ! - he has revived the ( almost ) daily ritual of bread baking.

dry ingredients * we like to sub 1/4 c. whole wheat flour in recipe.

add water & stir. let sit 18 hours.

wet & bubbly mix after 18 hours.

with added flour to fold the dough.

4 ingredients + time = a lovely ball of dough. transformed in a dutch oven to a picture perfect loaf with a crispy rustic looking crust - developed yeast flavor & chewy crumb texture.  it’s hard to believe the simplicity of technique behind this gorgeous loaf of bread.

of course there are lots of on-line opinions and tweaks to this recipe which you may find helpful before trying this recipe. read all about it.  in the end you’ll have your own. here are a few of ours.

 * for the final rise - place the dough on a piece of parchment paper. this will then allow you to gently lower the dough - on the parchment paper - into the dutch oven. the paper will brown but will not burn. this prevents the hassle of trying to flip the dough from a towel into the dutch oven - most always deflating it.

* preheat to 500 degrees. add dough and drop to 425 for remaining covered and uncovered time.

* be patient. it is worth letting the bread cool - at least an hour - to retain the crisp crust and to finish cooking the interior.

if you love (or even just like) bread - and you haven’t succumbed to trying this recipe - just do it !  get on the easy riser bandwagon !

Cheers ! to Tamales

when the idea of having a tamale making party came up - i immediately offered up my kitchen. i would love to learn to make an authentic tamale. then new years day became the date - what was i thinking !

well - you start by serving up a big batch of ‘recovery’ tequila punch.  silver + gold tequila - orange+grapefruit+lime juices - lots of fruit - topped off with champagne. thankyou rose !

rose brought corn husks ( hojas ) and set them to soaking. she brought the beautiful freshly ground masa from el milagro. moist grainy & essence of corn. she also brought a generation of “tamale making wisdom” to share with us. along with fresh lard and a bit of stock+spice+salt - rose set to mixing……and mixing….and mixing.  more tequila punch please !

when the masa was ready (” when a piece stuck to the wrist easily falls off “) - we gathered around the kitchen island for a tamale assembly line - spreading the masa ( ‘not too thick - not too thin’ ) - and filling with a rich venison mixture or a vegetarian mix of poblano+corn+queso.  beautiful !  then off to the steamer.

also to be had was black bean soup - tortillas -freshly made - pressed & cooked on the comal - carnitas with a most delish avocado+tomatillo verde sauce - salad of jicama+radish+orange - mexican beer and of course- more tequila punch !

dessert - a while later -was simply a plate of mexican wedding cookies - a rompope ( eggnog) mold ( yes - with gelatin. could have gone either way but consensus was favorable) - and cajeta lollipops !  yum.

the lovely evening continued with guitar playing & singing outside by the fire pit. what a treat ! wrapped in (mexican) blankets & stars hovering above - a good time was had by all.  

cheers ! to tamales !   and to good friends !    happy new year !

Oeufs!?

when asked to bring a dessert to christmas dinner - i thought back to my repetoire of desserts from my catering days. and one of my favorites to make - and a real crowd pleaser - was a french delight called ‘oeufs a la neige’  ( eggs in snow ) - better known to us as floating islands.

so i got out my favorite book from my catering years - yes ! ‘entertaining’ by martha stewart ! ( and i admit that of the hundreds of cookbooks i have- i still like to refer to martha for certain recipes ).

and with 4 simple ingredients i made a fantastic dessert - and all within 1 1/2 hours.

whip egg whites with sugar = glossy meringue.

poach spoonfuls in simmering milk - 2-3 minutes on each side.

to make the creme anglaise ( custard sauce ) use the egg yolks - more milk - sugar and vanilla bean. ( not pictured).

easily assembled at the party-caramelize sugar & swirl to cover the meringues- i’m a bit heavy handed on the caramel because it is so good. it’s a lovely concoction of rich custard - airy meringue and hard crack caramel.

you can guess which was the first to go !  so if you are interested in creating a floating island - you know where to go - just ask martha !    it’s a good thing !

Cool Comfort

another chilly day……..another quick soup. this time of year - there are always winter greens in the fridge ( soon to be in the garden ).

favorites are swiss chard - kale & escarole. along with a good stock from the freezer and parmesan cheese = winter greens & dumpling soup.

to make the dumplings:  2 c grated parmesan  / 1 c breadcrumbs / 1/2 tsp salt  / a few( or more ) grates of nutmeg / 4 eggs ( beaten ).  stir together with a fork.  roll into small 1/2” balls.  chill 15 minutes. poach in simmering water or stock for 5-7 minutes. remove and let rest.

saute chopped stems with garlic. add stock and chopped greens. after simmering for 5 minutes - add the dumplings and cook for another 5.  done !

quick comfort for cool weather.  enjoy !

Just Desserts

it was a small gathering of 10. dad was in town for his annual visit from florida…. and a few good friends with their children. there was turkey on the table ( with emmett’s most delicious gravy ) and all the usual fixin’s.  this year i decided to farm out the appetizers instead of desserts. 

this year i was inspired to make dessert after hearing that dai due was offering up mincemeat. who makes mincemeat any more ?  well  jesse & tamara & co. started 6 months ago. first with fresh/dried apricots - plums & figs. next adding spice - fresh pears & apples. then layering in flavors of citrus with candied & juiced grapefruits & oranges - and adding new crop pecans and a bit of beef suet for authenticity. they then booze it up with ‘copious amounts of brandy’  =  a labor of love packed in a jar !

making pastry with dai due’s fresh lard ( yes ! lard is better than butter ) - i made tartlets with the flakiest crust ever.  a real traditional treat !

and for something pumpkin…… a ‘hand-me-down’ recipe of pumpkin roulade with pumpkin cream cheese filling topped with caramel & pecans. this cake is very moist & rich in flavor. it’s easy to make and a real crowd pleaser…. so i am handing it down the line.  Enjoy !

Pumpkin Roulade

4 eggs

1 1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 c pumpkin puree ( 3/4 can  )

1 c + 2 T flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp soda

1/4 tsp cinnamon

filling:

12 oz cream cheese

1/2 c pumpkin puree ( remaining in can )

1 T cognac or brandy

1 c powdered sugar

beat eggs in kitchen aide with whisk for 1 minute. add sugar and beat for 2 minutes.  add pumpkin puree.

sift dry ingredients together.  slowly add dry ingredients until just mixed thoroughly.

cut parchment to fit a 10 X 14 sheet pan. butter on both sides. pour batter onto sheet pan.  bake 350 for a 15 -20 minutes.

let rest 5 minutes. run knife along sides of pan and invert cake onto a large linen towel dusted with powdered sugar.  peel the parchment off cake.  lightly dust cake with powdered sugar. while warm - gently roll up - allowing the towel to roll up with the cake. refrigerate.

to make filling - use paddle and whip cream cheese til smooth. add remaining pumpkin puree and cognac.  add powdered sugar.

when roll is cooled - slowly unroll. spread filling evenly over cake - and roll up again. cover with linen cloth and refirigerate.

to make caramel sauce - slowly caramelize 1 1/2 c sugar in a flat bottom pan. stirring when sugar starts to brown around edges. it will look lumpy and messy until all sugar melts and is a lovely brown color. remove from heat and carefully & slowly pour in heavy cream - stirring all the while. add til desired consistency -1 - 1 1/2 c.

when ready to serve - pour caramel over the roll & top with pecans.

( even better the next day - for breakfast ! )

Smokin’

one of my favorite ways to cook salmon - is in one of my favorite pieces of cookware - a camerons stove top smoker. tonight we pulled our last piece of king salmon from the freezer - ( portions cryovac’ed  from a whole salmon earlier this year when in season).

alder wood chips give the best balance of smoke for fish & seafood.

10 -12 minutes cooking time ( +5 minute rest) = the most delicately smoked and perfectly cooked piece of salmon.

along with produce from boggy creek farm ( radishes / beets / arugula & sweet potato ) - we enjoyed a quick & smokin’ monday night dinner !