i might have to try this

I stumbled across this recipe for baked feta -- such a simple concept but it looks absolutely delicious.  Read the full post and recipe here.

Photo and Recipe: Lottie + Doof

pizzazz

This is a pretty simple and light do-it-yourself pizza (no need to order in).

Whole wheat pizza crust (Whole Foods sells nice prepared frozen dough) brushed with melted butter (or olive oil if you prefer) and sauteed garlic -- topped with caramelized onions, Chanterelle mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. To finish I topped with peppery baby arugula (tossed in a bit of olive oil, s+p).

Served with herbs de provence roasted sweet potatoes and butternut squash. 

bi-rite

Bi-Rite Creamery = one of my absolute favorite spots in SF.   L-O-V-E.  

lazy sundays

I had an awesomely relaxing, do-nothing-at-all weekend -- definitely what I've been needing.  Feeling too lazy (and too cheap) to grab brunch on Sunday, so I threw together a quick and easy breakfast with what we had on hand. 

Soft scrambled eggs with herb goat cheese and roasted red pepper relish, arugula salad and whole wheat sourdough toast.  These flavors came together perfectly and really hit the spot!

Recipe --

Roasted Red Pepper Relish (makes about 2 cups)

3 tbl olive oil

2 14 oz jars roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained, chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

3 tsp finely chopped garlic

4 tbl cider vinegar

3 tbl sugar

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat oil in a large saute pan over med-high heat.  Add peppers and saute 2-3 minutes.  Next add onions and garlic and cook until onions are tender, stirring frequently (about 5 min).

Mix vinegar, sugar, mustard and cayenne pepper in a small bowl until sugar dissolves .  Add vinegar mixture to the saute pan with peppers and season with salt + pepper.  Continue cooking relish until all the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently.  Cool at room temp.  And for a "smoother" consistency, pulse in a food processor.

This relish is also great as a sandwich spread and could even work as a bruschetta topping!

Recipe: Bon Appetit

dinner recreated

My take on the delicious "lasagna verde" I enjoyed at Chez Panisse on New Year's Eve.  I prepared a classical French Mornay (a.k.a cheese) sauce with gruyere and parmesan cheeses and layered it with whole wheat pasta and a chanterelle + spinach filling.  I decided to go with dry pasta rather than making my own -- much more doable for a weeknight meal -- but still really tasty!

produce a plenty

What to look for in the market this month: grapefruit, root vegetables, chicories, kumquats, fennel, sunchokes, pea sprouts, green garlic, blood oranges, collard greens, winter squash, Meyer lemons, radishes.

Photo: via CUESA

colorful combination

I love the way the colors and flavors came together in this refreshing winter salad of green leaf lettuce, shaved fennel, zucchini, cranberries, orange sections, fennel fronds and toasted pumpkin seed.

I made the dressing with a bit of fresh squeezed orange juice, rice wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, dijon mustard, agave nectar, shallots and chive.

Really delicious combination.

flavor bible

Wanted to share one of my personal  favorite culinary tools -- the Flavor Bible.  It's an incredible resourse for anyone who loves to cook -- especially if you've been wanting to branch out and experimenting more (or even if you're just not sure how to utilize leftovers in a more creative way).  It reinforces cooking as a sensory experience -- learning to let your nose, tastebuds (and spirit) guide you in the kitchen.  Plus it offers recommendations for flavor profiles and combinations -- all cataloged by ingredient in an easy-to-use, encycolpedia fashion. I highly recommend it!

NYE twenty-ten

I was lucky enough to ring in the new year with wonderful company and INCREDIBLE food -- the only two things I really require in life.



Dinner at the cafe of Chez Pannisse.  Speachless.  This is only the second time I've eaten here and I felt like I was glowing when we left dinner -- really just a magical evening.
 



Sheep's milk ricotta with blood oranges, and green olive vinaigrette -- light, simple, fresh.  So good.


Carpaccio of grass-fed beef with mustard sauce, shallots and radishes!



Lasagna verde with chanterelles, spinach and thyme. This dish was earthy and rich, but somehow light and delicate at the same time.  My goal is to recreate it at home -- will let you know how it goes.


Grilled Lagier Ranches goose with chestnuts, potatoes and chicories salad.



Dinner was followed by a record-setting game of Timber (aka Jenga), too much wine and cheese.  All in all, a successful evening.

 

sweet and savory

This butternut squash and pomegranate galette featured on Sunday Suppers looks incredible! Would make the perfect snack/appetizer for those of you who are entertaining tonight. Check it out.

Wishing everyone a great start to 2010!! 

Photos: Karen Mordechai via Sunday Suppers

hungry for change

I recently watched Robert Kenner’s Food Inc. for the first time -- and then had to watch it a second. Wow.

This environmental documentary really reinforced for me things that I already believed, but never truly realized the full extent of -- showing that "cheap" food comes at an enormously high price.  

All I can say is this is a film that everyone MUST see...and share.  Check out the website to learn more and find out how you can get involved.

Photo: The REEL Addict

curry retake

Not sure if you recall, I made a way-too-spicy vegetable curry a while back...

Well it's taken some time for the taste buds to recover -- but I finally reworked some of the recipe proportions.  Let me tell you -- this version turned out SO MUCH better!  I ended up making a chicken pumpkin curry (the result of an impulse pumpkin purchase and some leftover chicken in my fridge), but the general concept is the same.

Recipe --

1 chicken breast, around 1/2 lb, thinly sliced on the bias (optional)

2 cups cubed pumpkin

1 13 oz can coconut milk

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 tbl minced ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

8 oz water

5 tbl thai red curry paste (such as Thai Taste)

3 tbl palm sugar

1 tsp fish sauce

1 lime, juiced

fresh basil, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

Start by sweating onion, garlic and ginger in about 1 tsp veg oil until tender.  Add chicken and cook briefly, just long enough to start the cooking process (around 2 min).  Add pumpkin and bell pepper and cook 1 minute more.  Season the mixture.

Add curry paste to the chicken and vegetables and cook for a few minutes (careful not to burn the curry).  Add coconut milk and water and bring to a simmer.  Continue to simmer gently until pumpkin is cooked through and tender.  Finish with fish sauce, lime juice, and additional seasoning to taste.  Garnish with fresh basil. 

Ladle over steamed rice and enjoy!

christmas shopping + quesadillas

We swung buy a few shops last night -- trying to finish up our Christmas shopping (heading home to O-hi-O in just over a week).  This inevitably brought up our usual conversation, "what should we eat for dinner tonight?"  I was in the mood for Indian, "How about Pakwan?"  To which he responded, "YES!"...errr....if only we could find parking.   After tirelessly driving around the Mission with no luck, we ended up back home and disappointed. Darn.

Fortunately, I'd stocked the fridge with all the fixings for quesadillas (thinking ahead) -- and even had stuff to make my guacamole (which is really good...or so I've been told)!  So it all worked out in the end.  Sigh.

Guacamole recipe --

3 ripe avocado (I like hass)

1/2 small red onion, finely diced

1 med garlic clove, minced

1/2 large jalapeno, minced

3 limes, juiced

2 tbl minced cilantro

salt + pepper, to taste

Halve all avocados and remove pits.  Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, juice from 1 lime and half of the avocado (or 1 1/2 avocados) to to a med bowl.  Mash avocado with a fork and work in other ingredients until well incorporated.  Use a knife to "dice" the remaining avacados halves.  To do this hold the half in your palm and gently run the tip of our knife lengthwise (creating strips) then crosswise -- careful not to go through the skin.  Then scoop out chunks with a spoon and add to the rest of the mixture.  Gently stir to incorporate, leaving the chunks in tackt.  Finish with the remaining lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. 

stone fence

This is a really nice and festive fall/winter cocktail.  We've served it two Thanksgivings in a row -- and is sure to be a crowd favorite!

Recipe -- "The Stone Fence"

3  cups  apple cider

3/4  cup  Calvados (apple brandy)

1/8  teaspoon Angostura bitters
1  (26 oz.) bottle sparkling apple juice ice
8  slices unpeeled apple
8  cinnamon sticks

 

This drink is incredibly simple to prepare.  Just combine apple cider, brandy and bitters in a pitcher and poor over ice.  To finish it off, garnish with an apple slice and cinnamon stick!  But be careful, this thing will sneak up on you...

chowda

I recently made this butternut squash and chicken chowder -- sort of a take on the classic New England version -- using ingredients I had leftover in the fridge.  And I actually really love how it turned out!

Recipe --

2 strips thick-cut bacon, diced

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 small leek, white + light green parts, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

1 cup butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes

1/2 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed

1/2 cup cream

1-2 tbl cornstarch, plus equal parts water, whisked together

salt and pepper, to taste

dash tabasco sauce
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Start by cooking the bacon in a pot with oil, until it begins to brown and fat is rendered.  Add onion, celery and leeks to pot and sweat for a few minutes until softened. Next incorporate seasoning (thyme, bay leaf and old bay seasoning) and cook a couple minutes more.

Add chicken stock, water and cream to the bacon and vegetable mixture and bring to a simmer.  Then add squash and cook until tender -- 10 to 15 min.  The squash will naturally thicken the chowder slightly, but it will still be a bit too runny.  To thicken, I prepared a "slurry" -- which is the combination of water and cornstarch (in equal parts).  Add a small amount of the slurry and allow the mixture to come to a boil.  Continue to do this until you achieve the desired thickness.  If you accidentally over-do it, just add a bit more water.  Simmer for 5 more minutes, then add a dash of tabasco and adjust seasoning.  Top with cheese and serve.  Pretty easy! Love it!!

food coma

 

Just wanted to share a few photos from this year's festivities!

chick'n dinner

This is a whole roasted chicken I made for dinner the other night. I used this really nice rosemary salt a friend had given me a while back to season the bird --  which added really nice flavor.  I like to season it two days in advance and just wrap it loosely in the refrigerator.  This works a lot like a brine and gives you super juicy, tender meat.

To roast the bird -- I used a procedure from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook (a restaurant famous for its Zuni Roast Chicken, if you're not familiar), which I've found works great.  It recommends working with a small fryer (around 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lbs.) and simply tucking a sprig of herb under the skin on each breast and thigh.  The recipe doesn't call for any extra fat because the fat from the skin naturally renders leaving you with beautifully crisp skin!  

To cook -- heat a small roasting dish (just slightly larger than the chicken) over medium-high heat, then add chicken, breast side up -- it should sizzle.  Place in a preheated 450 degree oven and roast for around 30 min.  The chicken will begin to brown and you should hear the juices sizzling.  If the pan begins to smoke, reduce the heat by 25 degrees.  Then, turn the bird over, so it's breast side down and cook another 10 min.  Return the chicken to breast-side up and finish cooking (another 15 - 20 min).  Internal temp should be 165 degrees and skin should be nice and crisp.  This is really all it takes -- and you will be amazed how declicious this simple dish can be.  I paired mine with the butternut squash gratin --- so good!