CONSERVING LOCAL BERRY TREASURES - the blog

(crunchy romaine with preserved strawberries, paby beets, Spring carrots, and super sweet tomatoes)

Strawberries and rhubarb are two hot items at the local farmer’s market right now. Greens such as kale, spring onions, baby beets and tiny radishes are looking good too, and are mild in flavor.  Often, seeing the bounty and beauty of these fruits and vegetables encourages me to buy way too much because I want to enjoy it all. This combined with an occasional basketful of goods from the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) literally has our home refrigerator overflowing. My spouse and I are cool with a busy home cooking schedule but we tend to go on short weekend trips a few hours away from the city so all that beautiful goodness is not at the peak of its freshness when we get home. Needless to say, it’s paradoxical to buy local veggies to have them wilt away in the refrigerator. So in order to limit waste I was considering bringing it along but I don’t want to haul so much stuff and bother the fellow next to us on the train or bus.  So I considered making fresh juices, or frozen fruits in Zip-loc style bags for a daily morning smoothie, or perhaps pickle some of it or make some seasonal jellies.  The latter seemed to me the most appealing at the moment.

(juicy, ripe farmers market strawberries) 

When you make jelly you can preserve fruits at their peak of ripeness, and lock in their sweet flavor, berries in particular!  Jelly can be stored neatly in jars in the refrigerator.   I love to pop open such goodies late at night for a snack with yoghurt on a cracker or rice cake and they’re certainly a treat when eaten for breakfast with wholesome toast. They can be made sweet or savory. Think of strawberries with a touch of balsamic, or with a touch of natural sweetener such as maple syrup and if you want to be adventures add a few leaves of fresh basil. Rhubarb (which has a short growing season) makes a great jelly.  Add a touch of honey with some freshly chopped ginger for some heat -- makes a good combo and is a terrific way of making the tart stalks enjoyable.  I can’t wait for local cherries, which I like to poach in a bit of agave syrup with a small amount of lemon-thyme - unreal for the taste buds. And of course blueberries with fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon and any of the mentioned sweeteners will make your palate tingle.

(fresh blueberries with a touch maple butter)

Recipes?
Recipes are pointless really.  The most important thing is buying berries at their peak of ripeness – so taste them first. Most of the farmers at the market happily let you do that.  Make sure you rinse the berries with water. De-stem and/or remove leaves and pits before adding a sweetener, which is one teaspoon per cup of fruit usually. In case you get your hands on some rhubarb cut it into ½-inch long pieces. Put the fruits individually into a saucepot and add the sweetener and condiments except the herbs. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and simmer it on a low heat setting for 20 minutes. The idea is to heat the fruits gently not to boil them. Add any fresh herbs the last five minutes of the cooking process to preserve their subtle flavor. Fill into clean jars if you don’t have jelly jars a cereal bowl or large cup will do. Cool the stewed fruit on the kitchen counter for 20 minutes then transfer them into the refrigerator and cover with a lid. Berries cooked this way have a refrigerated shelf life of a week. Jarred jelly has been making a nice travel companion for the weekend away as it fits snuggly into our tote bag and does not bother my neighbor on the train. Hmm I think that may have been a recipe after all?


(strawberries with a touch of balsamic, black cracked pepper and honey)

(breakfast spreads, rhubarb & ginger, strawberries & basil, blueberries & mint)

 

Chef’s note: the home stewed jellies make a nice gift.

 

EARLY ZUCCHINI - the blog

We’ve had a pretty cool April and May in the North East. A few days ago at a farmer’s market I was surprised to see zucchini flowers attached to the smallest zucchini I had seen yet. It’s too early in the season for Zucchini flowers, they usually start appearing in June. When I tried one of those pretty fellows I tasted a faint vegetal sweetness, which is rather unusual since zucchini naturally have a light bitterness to them. Inspired by the mild flavor I brought some home to prepare for Mother’s Day but first let’s talk a bit about flowering zucchini.


Vegetable or fruit?
Being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flowers and containing seeds, zucchini are fruit botanically, though most of us see it and treat it as a vegetable.

The zucchini flower part is beautiful with its sun like intensive yellow-orange hued leaves. Dipped into a light batter and deep-fried they make a delicious airy tempura appetizer. Fried zucchini flowers make a short appearance on many restaurants menus especially Italian themed restaurants when they’re available.  Heinz Beck is a master in preparing zucchini flowers – he is a chef who cooks in Rome in a restaurant called La Pergola which is a magnificent must visit address if you’re visiting this ancient city. I think he must have similar memories from when we cooked in Europe side-by-side in a restaurant named Residenz Heinz Winkler, which had these flowers on the menu whenever they were available.

I have written about my dislike of zucchini before because of its somewhat mushy-seedy texture when cooked too long. The simple solution for my taste is not even cooking them at all especially when they’re adorned with a beautiful, pretty zucchini flower.

The following recipe includes raw zucchini. Zucchini carry a lot of water naturally so they need an assertive dressing with a good amount of lime juice.

Zucchini Salad
(recipe yields four entrée sized portions)

1 pound zucchini
10 ounces of naturally peppery salad such as watercress and/or arugula
3 limes, juiced
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper mill grindings, to taste
1 teaspoon natural sweetener such as honey or agave2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1.     Rinse zucchini with water and cut ends off
2.     Cut zucchini with a vegetable slicer such as a Mandolin into matchstick like strips. Cut the strips across into small cubes. If you don’t have a Mandolin cut zucchini into small pieces.


3.     Rinse the salad with water and dry in a salad spinner or kitchen paper towel.
4.     In a small mixing bowl combine lime juice, salt, fresh pepper and sweetener and whisk vigorously with a wire whisk then add oil.
5.     Toss salad and zucchini.

Chef’s Tip: Rub the salad bowl with a garlic clove cut in half for a garlicky scent in the salad.

(raw zucchini & fennel salad with citrus vinaigrette)

Are zucchini good for you?
Zucchini have antioxidant benefits and are an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C and also contain a fair amount of vitamin A. For a ½ gram fat per cup of zucchini they add a lot of bulk and volume in a dish especially if prepared raw. Zucchini are a relative to cucumbers and have similar hygroscopic properties meaning it replenishes the water level in your body. 

 

MILLET - the blog

Millet
Most millet is grown in India and Africa as it is draught resistant and grows with much better yields than other grains. Millet is a grass plant -- it grows a spike on top that carries the small seeded edible pearls. It is the fifth most important cereal crop grown in the world and millions of people in Asia and Africa depend on millet as their most important source of calories and proteins. Here in the states millet has not really come “in fashion” yet though you’re most likely familiar with it in breads or if you’re a bird pet owner since it is a popular ingredient in bird feed. 

 
(millet salad with romain, arugula, tomatoes and citrus vinaigrette) 

Ancient Grain
Millet is an ancient grain. Geological remains of cereal bowls with millet and drawings have been found in China dating back BC showing its presence.
You might have heard of sorghum, which is a kind of millet and is popular in India. The seeds can be ground into flour and used in baking bread, cereals, cakes etc. For the gluten free folks, millet is a welcome choice since it is a wheat free grain.

Millet cooking
If you’re bored of eating too much oatmeal at breakfast millet is an excellent alternative. I often enjoy millet porridge with a touch of honey, fresh fruit and nuts for breakfast. I like the versatility of millet and have used it in bread baking for its great texture. Steamed millet tossed in salads with chopped farmer’s market vegetables makes a nice summer salad. Cooking millet like a corn pudding can be a delicious treat.  I remember my mother’s cast-iron cooked millet cakes that were crusty on the outside and had a rice pudding like texture inside.

(different cooking methots for cooking miller steamed, blanched, cooked stiring frequently) 

Crunchy Millet Cakes
(recipe for four cakes) 
2 cups mixed berries such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup millet
2 cups water1 egg yolk
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil such as canola or grape seed
honey to taste 

1.     Rinse berries with water. Cut large berries into mouth-sized pieces. In a bowl combine honey and berries. Store berry mixture until further use in a refrigerator.
2.     Combine millet, water and salt in a 2-quart sized pot and bring to boil on high heat setting.
3.     Switch heat setting to low and cover the pot with a lid and cook for 25 minutes.


4.     Move the cooked millet to the side of the stove and let it sit for 10 minutes.  
5.     Add the egg yolk to the cooked millet and mix with a plastic spatula.
6.     Spread millet mixture ½-inch thick onto a greased sheet pan and cool for 25 minutes.
7.     With a knife cut cooled millet into four equal sized pieces.
8.     Heat a skillet on medium heat setting and heat the vegetable oil.
9.     With a spatula transfer the millet cakes into the skillet and brown for 3-4 minutes on each side.
10. Add butter to the millet cakes and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. At this point the cakes should be golden-brown in color and have a crusty outside.
11. Serve cakes in small bowls and spoon the marinated berries over it. Serve right away.

Chef’s Note: No worries if you break the millet cakes partially during the cooking process they’re still delicious.

Nutrients
Millet is comparable to wheat and maize in protein content. It is high in minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, and magnesium and particularly high in calcium.  It is also rich in B vitamins especially niacin, B6 and folic acid.

 

PISTACHIOS ARE HERE - the blog

(peeled pistachios) 

Pistachio nuts have been on my mind for a while now. I have been munching away on roasted, salted pistachios right out of the shell, and they’re equally good with a sip of beer or a glass of wine – I have sampled with both!  Using pistachios in my cooking for many years now I think they’re worthy of a comeback.

(Spring salad with fiddlehead ferns, baby kale, pistachios and pretzel croutons)
 

Pistachio nuts in recipes
I discovered pistachios when I was little. My mother made unforgettable Mortadella sandwiches, which are Italian cold cut spiked with pistachios. Later on, bedazzling dishes such as a roasted beet & goat cheese salad showered with shelled and quickly toasted pistachios were menu winners in my restaurant.  A sophisticated version of cod encrusted with crushed pistachios received much fanfare at a recent dinner party. The richness and flavor of the nut complimented the rather plane tasting fish perfectly.  Don’t forget their significant place on the dessert menu – you can be certain to see glistening green pistachios on top of chocolate dessert and a classy pastel shaded pistachio ice cream makes a refined flavor and color match next to strawberry and vanilla ice cream.  Lately, I am a sucker for a house-made pistachio milk available in a store in my neighborhood – it acts like a magnet on me.  The other day they ran out of that green awesomeness and I became testy with the guy behind the counter – I know it’s just food but I can’t help it I love that pistachio milk – sorry man!

I don’t think I’m the only one liking the little green devils that much, anyway the marketing board that took on pomegranate juice aka Pomi took on pistachios to get them fashionable again so it’s more than likely a matter of time before they land in front of you.
I love the following recipe because it shows how pistachios can add a sophisticated touch to a dish.

Sweet Potato Soup with Pistachios
(recipe yields four portions)
1.5 pounds sweet potatoes (same sized)
32 ounces chicken broth
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 small jalapeno pepper
3 ounces pistachios, toasted in skillet
1 tablespoon, flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

1.      Rinse sweet potatoes with water and place on an ovenproof dish.  Bake sweet potatoes in oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1.5 hours or until soft when pierced with a knife.
2.      Peel sweet potatoes.
3.      In a pot combine chicken broth, sea salt, cayenne and sweet potatoes then bring to boil.
4.      Blend mixture in a kitchen processor.
5.      Cut jalapeno into small rings and remove seeds and white inner jalapeno walls.
6.      Poor soup into bowls and sprinkle with parsley, jalapeno rings and pistachio nuts.

(sweet potato soup with pistachios)  

Nutrients 
Besides the good looks pistachios are a good source of vitamin B6 and Beta-carotene and fiber. Like many other nuts pistachios may affect cardiac health adversely so muncher beware.

 

HEAT'S ON - the blog

Heat’s on
I used to shy-away from spicy foods because they distracted my taste buds or I guess my brain from the actual flavor.  As I get older I’m developing more and more of a palate for the sensation of hot, spicy foods. I love when the heat seems to travel from my mouth up through the nose and the side of my nose starts to perspire. It almost feels like I’m getting ready to blow steam or fire out of my nostrils s like a dragon.

Lately I’ve been trying different hot sauces since I’m in the process of developing my own version. Discussing the subject with friends and colleagues I realized that a good hot sauce is a fiery discussion.  Plenty of my friends had their favorite hot sauce and were pretty passionate about it. It almost seems like a competitive subject “my hot sauce is hotter.”  Sure there are the Tabascos and Srirachas of the world you might be familiar with but my peeps were talking about brands that I never heard of so now I am steadily collecting.

Where does the heat come from?
A hot sauce gets its heat from capsaicin found in peppers such as jalapeno, scotch bonnet, habanera, birds-eye chili (aka piri piri) and many others. Spicy peppers have a delayed heat sensation meaning you get flavor on the palate first and then it follows with the heat experience, which can be volcanic. The burning sensation is a chemical interaction with our neurological system – meaning the pain of a hot sauce is not real in the sense of skin tissue damage compared to an actual burn. The perceived hotness is measured in the Scoville heat scale (SHU). It’s measured by how many times it must be diluted with water until no heat sensation can be perceived.  For example, one of the hottest sauces on the market, made by Blair’s, has 16,000,000 Scoville units compared with Tabasco, which has up top 5,000 Scoville units.  If you think Tabasco is spicy well beware Blair’s!

(a nice hot sauce variation)
 
Styles of hot sauce
Mexican hot sauce most likely won’t have any vinegar as a listed ingredient                                     versus American hot sauce where it is added. Caribbean hot sauce often has tropical fruits such as papaya and/or mango to balance the spice. The ingredient list in Chinese hot sauce has almost certainly soy bean paste and sometimes fish heads for flavoring. Ginger and lemongrass can be found in Malaysian and Thai hot sauce. Harissa is an African hot sauce, which is spiced with cumin and coriander.

Helping to stop the heat
A good remedy for calming the spicy pain on the palate is drinking milk or a few spoons of yogurt since capsaicinoids are fat-soluble which is why water will have no effect to counter the burn.

(after testing the hot sauces we needed some yogurt to calm the heat on the palate)

My Favorite Hot Sauce
(recipe yields 1 ½ cups)

1 cup tomato puree (canned)
1 teaspoon Adobe sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon clover honey

1. Put all ingredients in a kitchen blender and process until the mixture has a smooth puree consistency.

Chef’s Tip: when handling chopped spicy raw peppers make sure you rinse your hands thoroughly with soap and water and remember not to touch your eyes. 

(if you like to feel the heat but not on your palate try the cayenne capsules - it keeps you cool in summer and hot in winter) 

 

REFRESHING SALADS

What do we really crave for lunch on a day when the temperature is up in the 80 – 90s?  I just don't want hot food (unless it comes off a grill).  Stews or braised type of dishes such as cassoulet (a French traditional dish with stewed white beans, braised pork, duck and sausage type of dish) is perfect to warm the soul on a winter blizzardy day.  But in summer time or even spring time, well it’s just time to give the oven a little rest because we are overheating.  Naturally we gravitate towards salads but the challenge is making them a main dish and keeping them interesting.  In order for the salad to take center stage it must tantalize the palate and should have bright flavor notes such as freshly squeezed
citrus juice, complementing herbs and awakening acidity from good quality vinegar. 

(colorfull fish salad)

Classics
Egg salad, grilled, chilled vegetable antipasto such as zucchini, asparagus, broccoli rabe etc. are particularly refreshing and tasty when they’re drizzled with good extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. For more opulence I vote for poached-chilled salmon, with diced tomatoes and freshly chopped basil and a simple vinaigrette. Growing up I enjoyed my mother’s chilled dishes. Often such dishes were recycled left-over meats from the day before. One of mother’s signature dishes was chilled boiled beef shoulder chopped into small cubes which she tossed with red peppers and raw onions and apple cider vinegar. It might not sound that delicious but it was totally satisfying and hit the spot. When I worked in France I remember eating an artisan charcuterie in vinaigrette on a country visit in a small mom and pop bistro. The plate was prepared similar to my mother’s chilled beef dish in addition to tiny pickled vegetables sprinkled into the mixture. In Italy I enjoyed vitello tomato consisting of thinly sliced, fanned out, boiled beef that was covered with a creamy sauce of zingy capers, cooked eggs and olive oil. The whole dish was sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley that finished the dish with a potent bright-herbaceous note.

Tuna salad nicoise style is probably one of the better known chilled fish salad dishes with black olives, hard boiled eggs and skinny French beans. Cooking many years in fine fish restaurants such fish salad combinations were often the star dish particularly on the lunch menu. For my recipe, below, I used naturally silky textured tuna or salmon bellies poached in olive oil and gently tossed with red peppers, with purple-black Kalamata olives and then seasoned with a squeeze of lemon, sea salt and fresh pepper.

(ingredients for Summer salad)

Chilled Fish Salad
(recipe yields four portions)

1 pound tuna belly, skin and bones removed – if your fishmonger does not have tuna belly you can substitute with salmon belly or canned tuna or salmon.
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red pepper
½ cup black olives, preferably Kalamata
1 tablespoon oregano, chopped
1 lemon, juiced¼ teaspoon sea salt, to taste
black pepper grindings, to taste

1.     In a shallow skillet combine fish and olive oil. On low heat setting cook tuna for 45 minutes. The doneness can be tested with a fork – simply break a piece off, if this is done easily the tuna is done.
2.     Remove the tuna from oil with a slotted spoon and dry on a kitchen paper lined plate. Transfer
tuna into a refrigerator.
3.     Core red pepper, remove seeds and cut into 1/8-inch cubes.
4.     Chop olives in pieces of similar size to the peppers.
5.     In a bowl combine tuna, peppers, olives, oregano, lemon juice and salt. Combine the ingredients with a fork, by breaking the tuna with the fork apart.

Chef’s Tip: The recipe works well with canned tuna – just skip the oil cooking part in the recipe.

 

 

EGGS AND BUNNIES ALL YEAR ROUND

(natural color dyed egg)
I grew up in a tradition of egg hunting at Easter time. I still have great memories of being super excited collecting colorful eggs. I want to have my toddler daughter Arabella, who is now 2.3 years old, to have similar memories from childhood to reflect on later in life. She is super excited when it comes to long eared bunnies already, which she finds hilarious. 
A recent visit to the farmers marked with the kid in toe was a highlight.  Big eyed she chuckled at brown and white chicken eggs, speckled quail eggs, aquamarine colored emu eggs and an ostrich egg the size of her own head. Later on it occurred to me how she might feel about those eggs being colored just for the fun of it not necessary for Easter time. That’s one reason why I think it does not have to be only once a year to dye eggs.  It was a big time disappointment when I was told by my brother that the whole egg hunting and Easter bunny story is staged and happens by a bunch of adults a few minutes before the kids run into the garden to hunt for them. Well what can you do I guess it would be kind of weird being an adult and still believing in the Easter bunny.

(not your usual chicken eggs)

Egg Dying the Michael Pollan Way
I have been reading the fourth book by Michael Pollan, the food writer who takes food sourcing and natural food supply to his heart. You might have heard of his books “The Omnivores Dilemma,”  “In Defense of Food,” “Food Rules”, etc. By now I understand what has been happening in the US, he explains it in a relatively clear way to the average Joe such as me. Anyway it seems he has little or no refined or toxic food items in his cupboard, which is totally up my alley. So I was wondering if there is a way to dye eggs in a natural way with vegetable derived colors. I found several recipes and got to work in my home kitchen late at night. My goal was to have some eggs ready to hide them for my little toddler girl at our Easter brunch party.

(I carefully broke the cooked egg shells and soaked them in the natural dye - this makes a marbled pattern - perhaps interesting to bring a fashinoable flair to deviled eggs?)

Fashionable Eggs
Working with different vegetable dyes set off a whole spark of ideas for restaurant dishes.  For the longest I have had egg dishes on my menus so this could be a very interesting way to present a new egg dish in a cool colorful yet healthy way.  

(natural egg dye made out of vegetables)

Basic Natural Egg-dye Recipe
8 cups water
4 tablespoons vinegar such as apple cider, white vinegar
4 tablespoons salt (Kosher or sea salt)
Choose your color & add: 
a pale yellow egg – 4 tablespoons turmeric
a brownish very dark red colored egg – 4 cups chopped red onions (including skin)
a dark blue shaded egg – ½ lb sliced red cabbage
a pale pinkish looking (my favorite) egg  - 4 cups chopped red beets with skin on

24 white X-large eggs, cooked 

1.     Combine water, vinegar, salt and the particular vegetable or spice in a pot (1-gallon sized).
2.     On high heat setting bring water to boil then cook mixture for 15 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve and discard remains. Chill liquid.
3.    Pour dyed cooking liquid over cooked eggs and store in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
4.     Take eggs from colored liquid and dry on kitchen paper towel. 

Chef's Tip: If you like a marbled egg design on peeled eggs break the shells of the cooked eggs with the back of a spoon all around before soaking them in the dyed vegetable liquid. 

Chef’s Note:  This recipe is not really for kinds, but if you want your kids to participate in the egg coloring process arrange the pretty multi-colored eggs in bowls, break out stickers and non toxic markers and have some fun.  

 

EARLY GREEN

Usually about two weeks after the last frost farmers are out on the field putting seeds into the moist soil.  The mild temperature already has some farmers planting seeds for Spring lettuces. It’s a bit of a gamble to seed that early since April might bring too much rain and the occasional frost, which might destroy the first harvest.  It makes these early greens all the more precious.

How baby greens come about
The seeds germinate after a week and depending on the kind of greens they grow into harvestable salad plants within the next three weeks. You might see some small leafed local lettuce at the market right now, most likely these come from the hot house and the ones on the supermarket shelf have traveled from afar.

(different organic lettuces)

What’s the big deal
I love Spring lettuce because the leaves are tender, expressive in flavor and have a nice mouthful size.  I’m sure you can relate to the situation when you’ve had to wrestle a large salad leaf into your mouth - not too photogenic of a situation. I can hardly wait for the first tender leafed sucrene lettuce to hit the farmer’s market – it’s a butter lettuce variety or wild watercress that has a natural mustardy flavor. Baby kale, sharp tasting arugula, velvety baby spinach are all terrific and manageable in a Spring salad bowl – later in the season once these lettuces are grown to their adult size and stronger flavor might clash with tender lettuces.  A few add-ons such as radishes and pea shoots can offer a textural contrast and sometimes –if you are lucky – the farmers bring purple flowering chive buds to the market.  These colorful buds have an oniony taste that adds a pop to your gentle salad.  Nasturtium flowers, from the watercress family, add a visual beauty in their red and orange tones with a delightful peppery flavor profile.  They are a great addition to a Spring salad bouquet pleasing to both the visual and taste palate.
 
(greens, avocado, olives, flower) 

Dressing your Spring lettuce
Depending on the mixture of lettuce a Spring salad can be a hodgepodge of flavors so the vinaigrette or dressing becomes a key element to be the liaison. I can’t decide which one of the following dressings is better – I guess it depends on your mood.

Chili Lime Vinaigrette 
(recipe for four salads)

1 small can adobe (smoked jalapeno peppers) or 1 tablespoon
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
5 grindings black pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a kitchen blender and process for two minutes.

(slicing radishes with a mandolin) 

Lemon-tahini Dressing
(recipe for four salads)

1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons hot water
2 limes, juiced
5 grindings black pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a kitchen blender and process for two minutes.

Chef’s Note: Serve hearty rye bread with greens -- it compliments the natural bitterness of salads and is terrific for moping up extra sauce in the salad bowl.

 

 

 

WHAT DID DINOSAURS EAT - the blog

Do you know that feeling the more you study something the more complex it becomes. I often feel this way when I read about diets. I don't mean weight loss diets diets such as South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers and such. I’m referring to diet philosophies such as paleo, ayurveda, Mediterranean diet, macrobiotic, vegan, vegetarian and such – wait, another one worth mentioning is the breathtarian “diet”, these are the folks who don’t eat at all! Dieting is often connected to religion or what’s in right now, what comes to mind is kosher practices, Hindu and yoga-based vegetarianism and raw juice cleansing to supplement a diet seem to be hot right now.  A few stars like Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ann Hathaway and even Britney Spears swear by raw juices.  In order for a diet to work it’s best to believe in the food and practices otherwise it will be mentally and physically unsatisfying.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the more natural diets. I used to believe that eating is like filling up a car with gas - just fill’ her up and you’re good to go. It’s not that simple actually. People feel and act very differently depending on the food they consume. For instance food such as refined sugars can bring along sugar highs and then energy crashes can occur. Whatever you believe about nutrition it’s a given that lots of raw food in your diet adds tremendous value and I speak from recent experience.

Spring Cleaning
I went through a three-day juicing diet. I wanted to know how it affects me when I drink raw fruit and vegetable juices without any refined additives -  it was quite a revelation. I was flying up the four flights of stairs from the subway station on the way to work everyday. Something else worth mentioning is that I experienced mental clarity like an early morning jog on a beautiful beach. I was able to focus and concentrate in a very clear way which is sometimes difficult in our multitasking professional lives. I’m sure I would consume juices only on a continuous basis but supplementing my regular diet with such beverages is definitely a bonus.

Here is a closer look at some of those healthy diets I mentioned earlier:

Paleo diet
Lots of people in my circle have been talking about the paleo diet lately.  It consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit, roots and nuts.  It excludes legumes, grains, and products of any kind and excludes salt, and any refined sugars and processed oils. It is rooted in the pre-agricultural hunter-gatherer time – meaning it takes its basics from about 1.8 million years ago. In essence the paleo diet includes food that used to be hunted, fished or gathered and not cultivated including eggs, insects, fruits, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, herbs and spices, game meats and/or pasture raised animals. Free grazing animals are higher in omega-3 fats compared to grain feed animals so they’ll promote better health. Most importantly the Paleolithic diet consists of unrefined food and takes a traditional approach. The ratio between carbs, protein and fats is not that important when compared to other diets. Raw consumption is preferred but not necessary in the paleo diet. People who follow this diet don’t seem to have high cholesterol problems.  A recent European health study conducted over a 30-day period shows an average waist circumference loss of ½-inch on all 20 volunteers and a reduction in blood pressure, which may translate into a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. 

(organic vegetables)

Ayurvedic diet
The Ayurvedic diet has been around about 5000 years and is rooted in South Asian culture. The philosophy is that food is medicine and it focuses on the energy in the body. Ayurveda takes a person’s age, gender, constitution and the season into account. You can fill out a test or visit an ayurvedic consultant to find out your “dosha”. Dosha is translated to a physical/mental type. There are three different types of doshas:  Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The idea is to re-establish balance in the body through diet, lifestyle and body cleansing, which is supposed to heal the individual. Yoga, foods prepared with grains, ginger and spice, oil rubs, warm water with a squeeze of lemon can be “treatments” to a particular dosha type.

Macrobiotic diet
Macrobiotic food goes back to the late 1700s. The diet leans towards locally grown whole grain cereals, wild plants and greens, seaweeds, and fermented products with a certain “yingness” or “yangness” meaning food must be balanced. Dietary guidelines help in developing sensitivity and an intuitive sense for the body’s well being. Nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, spinach, avocados etc., are not recommended as they may be bitter and toxic and can cause inflammation in the body (solanine). 

Another focus in the macrobiotic diet is chewing foods well which helps to mentally and physically absorb vitamins and nutrient rich foods. 

Depending on the season, fish, naturally fermented vegetables, nut butters, fresh raw and lightly cooked vegetables, rice, beans and quinoa are the main source of protein.  Many standard seasonings in Asian cuisine such as soy and miso are commonly used in macrobiotic cooking.  Macrobiotics are comparable to vegetarians although many macrobiotics are not opposed to eating naturally raised lean meat, fish and poultry on occasion. A macrobiotic diet is believed to have many essential nutrients without excess fat.

I count myself among the “flexitarians” meaning my diet is mainly plant-based and I occasionally get great satisfaction from sinking my teeth into a big hunk of steak and can be mesmerized by a beautiful fish fillet.

(farms pledge) 


(macrobiotic salad local and seasonal) 

The following recipe encompasses something for several diets including raw foodists, paleos (grass-feed meat), macrobiotics (naturally fermented kimchee), French people (cheese  - also an ancient preserving method), as well as herbs, spices and the healthiest of all vinegars – brown rice based vinegar. 

 Beef Carpaccio a la Flexitarian
(recipe yields four portions)

1 lb grass feed beef fillet
Small jar of naturally fermented kimchee
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar apple cider vinegar may be substituted
Himalayan sea salt 

1.     Slice the beef filet into four equally sized pieces. The meat should be cut against the grain.
2.     Cover the kitchen counter with a 12”x12” square of plastic wrap. Place one piece of beef filet in the middle of the plastic and cover with a second layer of plastic wrap. With an heavy object such as a meat hammer or a small sauce-pot flatten the meat gently by pounding it to 1/8” thickness approximately 8” in diameter.  Remove the first layer of plastic wrap and flip the flattened meat onto a large plate.
3.     Drizzle oil, vinegar over the meat and season with salt and fresh pepper. Sprinkle the cheese over the meat and serve.

Chef’s Note: Serve sprouted whole grain bread with the carpaccio.  

 

Got Milk
Milk crossed my mind when I saw a new ad with Salma Hayek with her kid in toe wearing a milk moustache. Obviously the whole point of the ad is getting moms to have their little ones drink more milk – and now daddy’s too – yep I did a double take on this ad. That said milk, as wholesome as it appears, needs some explaining. I was curious to know what the differences between organic, rBGH free (recombinant bovine growth hormone) and conventional milk were so I did some exploring.

Organic milk
Organic milk comes from cows fed on an organic diet with grain and grass.  In most cases this means the cows have space to move around and graze on open pasture and the animals are not given hormones, antibiotics and other medications to treat sickness (with some exceptions for illness).

(local organic milk) 
 

rBGH milk
Monsanto, a large corporation, was the first company to develop and market a growth hormone under the name Posilac (Otherwise known as RBGH?  You do not make the connection to Posilac and rBGH). The hormone was banned in 2000 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the EU countries and Japan. RBGH-free Milk means the cows are not injected with growth hormones known as recombinant Bovine Growth Hormones -- rBGH. Cows which are injected with rBGH can increase milk production of up to 10% which calculates to about two gallons extra milk per day per cow, and we know what that translates to ... more money for the commercial dairy industry. Cows injected with rBGH experience common side-effects such as mastitis, which is an infection in the mammary glands and is extremely painful for the animals, and the cure is antibiotics.  The antibiotics eventually end up in the milk we drink.  As any nursing mother if she pays attention to what she puts in her body and you will see it is commonly accepted that most ingested product passes into the milk.  It is scary to know large beef producers such as CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) use the artificial hormone to accelerate the growth of their beef to end up on our plates quicker, seasoned with that extra dose of hormones.

(check out the hormone label) 

Labeling
The FDA does not require labeling for rBGH-added dairy product and deems it “safe” for consumption. Dairy producers that give milk a rBGH-free label are often hunted by Monsanto’s legal team. They claim all milk contains hormones which is true but there is a difference between natural and synthetic hormones – their powerful attorneys pledge such labels mislead people. RBGH-free milk labels read often as follows:

The food and drug administration has determined there is no significant difference between milk from rBGH treated cows and non-rBGH treated cows”.

That said some cancer research organization don’t agree : www.preventcancer .com,
I’m starting to wonder if we’re like rats in laboratories consuming the artificial hormone added milk while the FDA and Monsanto “wait and see.”
Lately I have been looking at dairy products in a different way and gravitate towards goat’s and sheep’s dairy products since these animals don’t get injected with growth hormones.

(goats milk - no hormones) 

Banana/Peanut Butter Shake
(recipe yields one shake about 16 oz)
1 cup milk, organic, rBGH-free  (cow, goat or sheep may be used)
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon agave nectar or one teaspoon of honey may be substituted
1 tablespoon peanuts or use organic peanut butter instead
1 pinch sea salt
1 ½ cups ice, crushed 

1.     Put all ingredients in a kitchen blender and process for 1-2 minutes.

Chef’s Note: I use a Vita-prep blender, which does a terrific job and gives it an ideal shake texture. Perfect texture is when straw stays upright in the middle without falling over.   

 

IS ALL CHEDDAR CREATED EQUAL? - the blog

(a line-up of different cheddars)

Is all cheddar created equal?
It does not surprise me that cheddar is the second most consumed cheese in the US after Mozzarella. Cheddar originated in South West England in a town named “Cheddar.”  It has a medium hard texture, meaning it is sliceable and is firm to the bite. Aged cheddar can have a golden hue and will have a sharp flavor nuance to it. Often you’ll encounter orange colored cheddar which comes from annatto seeds. The only reason it is added in the cheese making process is customer appeal.
What makes cheddar distinctive in terms of cheese-making is “cheddaring”,  which is an additional step where the curds are kneaded with salt, cut into cubes and then pressed off the whey (excess liquid in cheese making).

(Vermont cheddar)

(New York State cheddar) 

Finding good cheddar shouldn’t be much of a problem. Cheese counters in stores and supermarket alike generally have a variety of cheddars to offer. You’ll notice a wide price range when it comes to this popular cheese – so which one to pick?
Frankly the waxy mass produced cheddars can be hideous compared to an artisanal made cheddar. Indeed commercialized cheddar is far from the cheddar our British forefathers intend to create.  But even in the artisanal range there are so many cheddars so here are some tips . . 

Most Important  ingredient - Milk
In the US dairy industry the great majority of cows are injected with growth hormones to accelerate milk production. These poor cows don’t eat much grass in their lives. Instead their diet consists of monotonous GMOs (genetically modified organism) like corn, soy “product” and they’re regularly injected with antibiotics to prevent disease. Indeed we have to be highly skeptical of such milk since many cancers such as breast and prostate are linked to ultra high hormone intake which comes mainly from dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese.  Such hormones are immediately transferred into the bodies’ bloodstream since it is not broken down/digested in our stomach. Look at how much bigger children are these days – many scientists link this with the dairy industry excess hormone dosages and kids are particularly heavy dairy consumers in the US.  If you want to avoid this hormone intake look for  “rBGH" free on the dairy label (on your supermarket cheese and other dairy products). It indicates that the cheese was produced with cow’s milk that was NOT injected with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone. In the artisan cheese production you’ll more than likely encounter hormone-free milk, but it’s good to check with the cheese monger since this is a basic in the high quality cheese circle.

Cheese aging
Aging cheddar – or babying the cheese is how I like to think of it -- makes a big difference in flavor, texture and the look of the cheese. Aging is often done in caves, which gives cheese character besides being in the ideal humidity,and temperature conditions. Sounds old fashioned but it works perfectly fine. In the aging process cheddar (like other cheeses) sits out naked on wooden shelves. The cheese is turned every so often to expose it to the surroundings and inhibit bad bacteria growth, which would spoil the cheese.  Long aged cheddar (up to 15 months) can have a sublime texture and flavor since tiny salt crystals have formed with the milk protein, which can evoke a close-your-eyes-and-dream experience. It will melt in your mouth easily with a creamy texture with nuances of salted hazelnuts. A commercialized version of cheddar does not get the aging treatment but often has additives to fake a similar flavor experience. This is how a particular cheese can get rather pricey versus not at all.

(Cabot cheddar from Vermont) 

Cheddar and heat 
Let’s say you decide to do some cooking with cheddar e.g. combining that farmer’s market cheddar with a burger, sounds good.  But don’t completely melt the cheese instead just wilt it so that the cheese tjust begins to take on the shape of the burger. The hotter the cheese gets the fat starts dripping out of its structure and great character and flavor are lost. It becomes a very average product.

 

FACING YOUR FOOD - the blog

Putting together a menu for a restaurant these days is very different compared to what it used to be 10 years ago.  Many people are well educated when it comes to their food intake.  When facing food in front of you on a plate, blindly trusting it is not the recommended option anymore. We’re critical -- it has to be delicious and locally sourced, harvested in a humane way and so forth.

In the majority of high-end restaurant it is normal to serve a small farm’s animal product or vegetables from a local farm. Even in large chain restaurants proximity and traceability are significant marketing buzzwords. In fact Mc Donald’s claims that it will serve 100% “fresh beef “ – sounds great but it makes me wonder what have they been serving if now they are bragging that it will be “fresh”?  

(nicely roasted sweet potato "airy fries" without the frying - addictive)  

A trained palate
In cooking school we were taught to cook with recipes and to use our palate for seasoning which is obviously very random. Following is an excerpt out of Fernand Point’s cook book Ma Gastromonie – the classic French Cuisine:

… although the proportions may be important, it is the last minute intuition that often dominates. Point believed strongly that great cuisine is intuitive.  A solid base in the fundamentals is vital, but ultimately it is the senses – smell, taste, sight, feel that tell the cuisiner when a dish is great and not merely adequate.

Sounds great but how many cooks have this intuitivite’ naturel or have put endless hours off training under their belt. Many American cooks can show six months culinary school on their resume, seems far from being trained and ready to create the lunch which we may consume on a daily basis.  The truth is many of us consume food which is prepared by someone not having the slightest idea about how you get to terrific flavor in a nutritious way. Most of the time flavor means using excessive amounts of salt, fat, and sugar versus freshness and the smart application of such mediums. These ingredients should enhance the flavor of our food not make it.

 Smart Cooking
I suggest using an acidic medium such as apple cider vinegar or brown rice vinegar to elevate the perception of saltiness since they’re very similarly perceived on our palate. Olive oil or safflower oil can fill-in for richness instead of that excess of butter.  Consider cooking with a high heat safflower oil and non extra virgin olive oil for high temperature cooking otherwise the oils may burn and create toxicity.

If you’re pro butter you get the most mileage out of it by adding it just before serving. The butter will retain it’s dominant flavor and vitamins.  In other words try to finish with butter rather than cook with it. 

Cooking in Transparency 
Too many chefs simply don’t take enough time to figure out to get to the flavor we perceive as delicious. Usually too much salt, fat and/or sugar is added. I believe flavor is the most important but I feel responsible for the healthfulness of the food I cook as well – it must be nutritionally sound too.

I can say with certainty if you don’t cook for yourself you’re eating too much fat, sodium and sugar since it is usually hidden.

So when you’re cooking at home the next time, consider my recipe for air “fries”.

Air “Fries”
(four servings)
2 lb sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt + 1 teaspoon for the boiling water 
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
4 tablespoons high heat safflower oil

1.     Fill a 1-gallon sized pot with water and bring to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
2.     Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
3.     Slice 1/8-inch of the sweet potato ends and rinse with warm
water. Cut potatoes with a kitchen knife into ¼” strips.
4.     In a small bowl combine sea salt, paprika powder, cumin powder and rosemary, constantly mixing with a wire whisk. Mix oil into the spice mixture.
5.     Cook potatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute then transfer onto a kitchen paper lined plate.
6.     In a bowl toss potatoes with the spice/oil mixture. Make sure potatoes are completely covered with the spices.
7.     Put potatoes on an ovenproof sheet pan then bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Chef’s Tip: sprinkle the fries before serving, still hot with sea salt. 

 

Tagging your food - demystifying food labeling! - the blog

Tagging your food – demystifying food labeling 
You’ve probably noticed that the labels “natural” and  “organic” on food has become a huge trend pointing towards a more conscious and balanced diet.

You might have noticed this in your local supermarket and even my local bodeg carries organic snacks! Many healthy looking snacks seem to be good for you next to our beloved junk food e.g. M&M’s, Snicker’s, potato chips etc. at least that’s what is advertised on their packages. So if you’re into healthy snacking the following will help shed some light on food labeling, hopefully.

(for the record organically grown does not mean it's certified organic))

(see the USDA ORGANIC symbol - this is the real stuff - not bad chemicals)) 

Let’s see how a food label can help you to buy good-for-you-food
It has been a mild winter and farmers are getting ready to put the first seeds into the soil, some of them have already started in their greenhouses. If the warm weather continues like it has been we’ll have a heck of a spring. I can’t wait to embrace pea shoots, baby lettuce, radishes and so forth.

On the other hand many farmers are not that excited about these mild temperatures since many bugs have a party too. Apparently harmful bacteria and organisms are very present on vegetable fields this season which will require serious pest management. Many farmers have an IPM, which stands for integrated Pest Management. It includes spraying their fields to fight the bad organisms. This is my  first question before I buy in commercial quantities - what kind of IPM do you practice? If you’d like to find out more about it click on the following link www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/ipm.htm#what. By the way raw fruit and vegetables are excluded from the requirement to be labeled by the government – it’s voluntary.

(no we're talking - this is the real deal the truth is it took me some
time to figure all this labels out, researching it on the internet) 

I prefer a non-synthetic, biological IPM since many sicknesses such as cancer and who knows what are linked to what we consume on a daily basis. I must state that this is my opinion and there is no quantitative research or proof yet connecting the effects of pesticides to illnesses but I do believe there is a serious correlation.  

Big brother is watching!
Thanks to the FDA we have some help in making purchasing decisions with product labeling.  Usually ingredient lists are right in front or at eyesight on the packaging. There are respectable Government programs identifying what what it means to be “organic” or “non-GMO” (genetically modified organism). There are non-governmental programs such as CNG which stands for certified natural grown. Big companies such as Whole Foods have developed their own standards and do their own inspections with their suppliers.  All these standards are super helpful to stuff your food shopping bag or in other words will give us at least somewhat of an assurance that that particular food is controlled grown and without synthetic pesticides.  

Package labeling
The front side labeling of a package is voluntary, but when it comes to the back side the FDA constructs requirements for mos prepared food such as breads, cereals, canned and frozen foods, desserts, drinks etc.

(this package of pasta caught my attention since so much 
seemed to be good with it, the organic symbol actually made me buy it)  

Get the facts straight
Most ingredients on the label are measured in grams (g) or milligrams (mg), which is the 1000^th part of 1 gram (tiny, tiny amounts). Additional info is given as percentages, which is based on the national, average 2000 calorie adult diet.

By researching the web for the label subject I came across some mind blowing data. It looks like not do many people read the nutrient label right if it should prevent us from getting to a point of obesity. All that average adult diet won’t help you much if you’re not average e.g. under weight, overweight or obese - and who likes to be average anyway. A recent study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) shows that 1/3 of adults in the US are obese and then add 17% of children (2 - 19 years old).Obesity is defined by the US average height of 5’9”:

Weight Range
124 lbs or less = Underweight
125 lbs to 168 lbs = Healthy Weight
169 lbs to 202 lbs = Overweight
203 lbs or more = Obese

So if you really need to know what is the right food in terms of the nutritional value you need to hit the computer keyboard and work with a system which spits out how much of fat, sodium, carbs, protein, vitamins, minerals you should consume on a daily basis. Finding someones exact amount nutrient value on packaged food seems to me more or less impossible. It looks like the goverment has much updating to do!

 

 

SHOW WINDOW-SHOPPING - the blog

One pleasure living in a large city such as New York is the great variety of stores catering to fancy needs. But in truth we certainly don’t need much to get by and that's where window-shopping comes in.

Harps and other chef’s tools
As a chef I feel like a child must in a Toys R Us store when I’m in a Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table type of store. These beautiful stores cater to most of the needs a serious home cook may have. Sous vide supreme (a newish slow cooking device) blenders and mixers of different sizes and brands nicely showcased on handsome looking butcher-block tables. Fancy knives, shiny polished stainless steel and copper pots, utensils such as well-crafted measuring spoons, ladles, electronic kitchen equipment such as well-designed scales, too good-looking to be used thermometer, the newest line of recommended skillets for the perfect steak and on and on. Many professional cooks dream of tools like this actually. Beautiful and decorative china in all sizes and shapes – want an elongated dish to line up olives like soldiers, need a bee house look-alike honey jar, dreamed of that pretty looking butter dish from breakfast at Tiffany’s, no problem you can get it all right here. Strolling in-between all this fanciness I came across a traditional egg slicer, which is a bit of an anachronistic gadget. One of those harp look-alike tools, which cut an egg in perfectly thin slices, sparked my interest in egg salad…again.



(colorful egg salad) 

Old-fashioned egg salad
Many people have mastered egg salad simply because of its recipe. In its sparest form it’s simply some boiled eggs sliced (with that egg slicer) in two ways making a perfect small cube shape and a dollop of store bought mayo and off you go – it’s a dish. Most likely the mayo comes out of a store bought jar not realizing what the ingredients are since it has been having a place in the average household refrigerator next to the ketchup for so long. Think about it - when is the last time you made mayo? In fact it’s not that easy to make your own mayo at home without the additives that you’ll find in the store bought version. Some of you might actually have learned to make mayonnaise in a cooking class or some online tutorial.  If not you may not know how to emulsify the ingredients since correct temperature and acidy level is required to whisk up a homogenous creamy mayonnaise. Don’t feel bad though since a good amount of cooks I have hired throughout my career have been failing on the house-made mayo task.

All that motivated me to make a version of egg salad without mayonnaise with all ingredients freshly cooked.

Egg Salad – hold the mayo!
(recipe yields four servings)

 8 hard-boiled eggs
1 avocado
1/2 cup nuts such as pecans or walnuts
1 apple such as Granny Smith
½ teaspoon salt
10 black pepper grindings from a mill

1. Peel eggs and separate yolks from egg white. Chop egg whites with a knife. 
2. Cut avocado in half remove seed. With a tablespoon remove avocado out of skin.
3. Put avocado and cooked egg yolks in a bowl strainer. Press mixture with a rubber spatula through the strainer collecting the puree in a bow.
    
   Put nuts into a paper towel and crush with a heavy object such as a small pot or thick bottomed glass. In a skillet toast crushed nuts on medium heat setting until browned.
4. Cut apple off its core. Cut apple pieces into 1/8-inch cubes.
5. In a bowl combine chopped egg white, pureed avocado/cooked yolk mixture, toasted nuts, cubed apple salt and fresh pepper.
    
   Chef’s Tip: Serve the egg salad with toasted sprouted whole grain bread.

 

 

WHAT TO COOK FOR YOUR VALENTINE - the blog

Sure you can make the infamous chocolate covered strawberries or if you go the risky route you can do a chocolate soufflé or any other aphrodisiac such as truffles with their mesmerizing scent of spices like vanilla and cardamom.  Or try something lusciously rich such as pork belly or butter poached lobster or you can default to anything similar looking to a sexual organ like oysters or bananas – all right let’s stay focused here. Generally many of the fancy items are pretty much out of reach for the home cook unless you pull them together by mail order from different places. Put let’s face it takes a good amount of time and coordination besides a good amount of bucks to get your New England lobster, truffles from Oregon and some caviar possibly from a West coast supplier. For sure we are put under pressure and get reminded constantly by the daily advertisements and commercials to get that special something for the love of our lives starting several weeks before Valentine’s Day. The anticipation is build up more than a national holiday.

(a little red love in the arugula salad) 

Cooking?!
So you're one of those who doesn’t want to bother cooking at home. You certainly have the option to eat out in a restaurant as long as you were clever enough to book the table well in advance in a fancy restaurant.  Yes Valentine’s Day is a rather busy day in a restaurant unless you choose a fast food joint. In a sit-down establishment you’ll likely encounter some sort of a chef’s menu.  I admit I enjoyed cooking on Valentine’s Day.  From a business perspective it’s pretty much a home run you’ll hear the cash register cha-ching-cha ching. Couples or two tops, this is what we call them in the restaurant - have their plus or minus 1h45 minute time slot to eat before the next couple gets the table and this happens ideally up to 4 times between the hours of 4 pm – midnight - definitely worthwhile from a business perspective.

(simple but delicious - Greek yogurt sauce)
More importantly, the exciting fact is that the kitchen crew gets to cook an interesting menu. I remember some past years’ menus designed around different themes such as flowers where paper thin fish strips were folded into a tulip shape, or flower essences such as rose petal water was used in a dressing and a salad was sprinkled with violets and a silky orange blossom cream for dessert made you close your eyes and dream and was a sure star of the evening. Another year the theme was togetherness, obviously.  Small seductive lobster rolls were served as a duet for a palate teaser or a salsa dish (meaning dancing together) was served in a sweet and sour flavor balance and a crispy and soft textured composition made your tongue tingle. At dessert time a chocolate variation for two sure made plenty of fans and set the mood for more.

Hold the schmalz
This all sounds romantic which it should be but if you find yourself in a bind and didn’t get around to plan this whole Valentine’s thing and you can’t get a reservation in that special restaurant or a part of your new year’s resolution was to finally pay down that credit card debt. … then why not take charge of the evening!  Set the table, light a candle and let I-tunes hit a soft note and get behind the stove.

Here are my menu suggestions, which include many common household items so your grocery list should be relatively short and not bank-breaking.

Valentine’s Day Menu

Baby Arugula & Strawberry Salad

xo

Tea brined Chicken Tenders on a bed of Wilted Spinach with Creamy Yogurt Sauce

xo

Cheese & Crackers with Honey

(cheese with a drizzle of honey) 
 

Grocery List (for the two of you)
Baby Arugula                                 one clamshell/5oz
Strawberries                                  ¼ lb
Extra virgin olive oil                       2 tablespoons
Balsamic vinegar                            1 tablespoon
Plain yogurt                                   3 tablespoons
Salt such as sea salt                       to taste 
Pepper grindings                            to taste
Your favorite tea                            2 tea bags
Chicken tenders                            12 ounces
Baby Spinach                                 one clamshell
Roquefort or Brie cheese                6 ounces
Toast                                            3 slices 

Chef’s Tip: Consider trying a few half bottles of wine instead of a full bottle.

Salad
Rinse and dry salad and toss with quartered strawberries drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar/fresh lemon juice.  Season the salad with a sprinkle of salt and grindings of fresh pepper. Serve salad in large pasta bowls.

Bonus add-ins: toasted nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and cashews 

Entrée - Chicken
1. Brew tea: choose your favorite tea such as black, green, herbal and brew 5 cups of water then steep 2 tea bags in it for 5 minutes. Throw out tea bags and put the liquid into the freezer to cool. Measure 2 cups of cold tea and mix with 1 teaspoon of sea salt then stir to dissolve.
2. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes in the brine – this is called brining. Throw brine out.
3. In a pot (2-quart sized) heat 2 cups of tea and cook marinated chicken for ten minutes on low flame setting

Chef’s Note: substitute ½-thick sliced beef filet or skinless, deboned fish fillet for chicken tenders

Yogurt Sauce: In a coffee cup combine 3 tablespoons plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil with 2 pinches of salt and fresh pepper and mix with a coffee spoon.

Bed of Spinach: Put 4 cups of baby spinach into a large ceramic bowl and cover with a plate. Microwave the spinach for one minute.

Cheese
1. Place 6 ounces of room temperature soft cheese such as Roquefort or brie on a plate then drizzle with 1 teaspoon honey.
2.Toast 3 slices of bread and cut into wedges

(ok - this can be a suprise - no need to make just pick up at the store) 

 

 

 

TRUE GRITS

We all know grits are that corn-like version of oatmeal associated with the South but how far have you explored them?  And what are they?  Yellow grits come from hominy, which is the large white corn kernel treated with lye solution removing the hull and germ.  Polenta on the other hand is not treated with lye and its hull and germ are intact.  This is a common question since they are all versions of corn usually served as a porridge, meal or cake.

(grits close-up)

Grits have their origin in American Indian corn preparation. Yep, my Italian friends the Indians gave you polenta. Back in the day corn for grits was ground by stone mills similar to oats. The next step was sifting the ground corn, which separates coarse grits from the fine corn and polenta was born in this process.
Texans and folks from Virginia and Georgia love their grits and the area is even called the grits belt. The way pasta is part of Italian culture is like grits in the South.
Grits and its siblings are certainly ubiquitous as breakfast food but not too uncommon served as a side dish next to meat and fish. It stands up to rice, potato or pasta. Grits are usually boiled with water and/or milk, which make a smoother consistency. There are quick cooking grits available on the store shelves which are pre-steamed making them a quick-cook option but many people swear on the long cooked, old-fashioned stone-ground kind.

A gritty preparation
I cooked a Neapolitan soup in an Italian restaurant, which was called “aqua pazza” which means “crazy water. “  One part of the dish is small grit cakes. These cakes soak up the juice wonderfully and have a welcome gritty texture. It was cool how they held up their shape and identity in the tasty herb/tomato broth without getting soggy.  A safe bet is to serve grits with some sort of gravy or a dominant flavor such as sausage.

My mother was on a budget feeding our family of four, so grits were regularly on hermenu. I know you don’t readily associate Austria with grits but in Tirol in our house they were popular.  Here is savory and sweet recipe that you can cook two ways – how about a smart recipe!

(grits cooking needs stirring)

Grit Cake Basic Recipe
(recipe makes 4 portions)
6 cups water
1 cup milk
2 ½ cups stone ground grits
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 cups bread crumbs, ground finely with kitchen processor
2 cups canola oil1 tablespoon butter

1.     In a pot (2-quart sized) combine water, milk, and salt then bring to boil. On medium heat setting cook mixture for 30 – 40 minutes or until grits are soft. Stir grits every five minutes to prevent scorching.
2.     Dip a kitchen paper towel into the vegetable oil then grease a loaf pan (8”x4”x3”deep).
3.     Pour the cooked grits mixture into the mold and cool on the kitchen counter for 20 minutes. Cool the grits in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.
4.     Prepare three shallow soup bowls first filled with flour, second mixed eggs and third with breadcrumbs.
5.     Invert the chilled grit loaf onto a cutting board and cut 1/2-inch thick slices.
6.     Dip grit slices first into the flour, second into the mixed eggs and third into the breadcrumbs – shake off excess coating in between the coating process.
7.     In a skillet heat the vegetable oil to 325 degrees Fahrenheit then cook coated grit slices for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Add butter the last minute of the cooking process for flavor. Transfer cooked grit slices on to a kitchen paper lined plate to absorb excess oil.
8.     Serve immediately in the savory or sweet version below – it’s up to you.

(cooked grits in a small cake loaf pan)

Sweet or Savory Grits Variations
Savory:
2 cups heated tomato sauce
3 tablespoon cheese such as freshly ground Parmesan sprinkled over the top of the cooked grits slices.

Sweet:
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 cups mixed fruits such as sliced bananas, strawberries, blueberries sprinkled over the cooked grits slices

Chef Note: Don’t crowd the skillet when cooking grit slices - work in batches.

(slicing the cakes before they're cooked in a skillet) 

Are Grits good for you?
As long you don’t pull a Paula Deen and enrich your grits with too much butter and a significant amount of salt you’ll be “aw’right”.  Grits have a good carbohydrates value but not significant protein. They’re also high in iron content and are low in fat but let’s be realistic grits must be enriched in order to be tasty.  Keep it simple, add a bit of grated  cheese and a teaspoon of butter per person as a rule of thumb. 

 

SUPER BOWL

The Super Bowl seems like a lot of fun. Yes I have to admit I’m a late starter noticing it but it might have to do with being surrounded by an all American team of colleagues. In the past I was around various other ethnicities in the kitchen since I worked in Italian, French, or Austrian restaurants.  Frankly football was never on my radar – pretty ignorant many will say but since New York is this extreme melting pot of cultures I had a good excuse – but no longer.  Now you wonder what does that have to do with food. Well for me it’s not that simple see every thing has to be connected to food.

(like these oat bran pretzels for a snack) 

Am I a Jets fan or a NY Giant fan or do I favor the New England Patriots since I love lobster rolls, or does a Jambalaya type of dish steer me to the New Orleans Saints. I love myself a hunk of steak so are the Texas Cowboys my favorite or do I lean towards the Pittsburgh Steelers - gimme my Philly steak, the list goes on and indeed I have my pick of 32 teams spread across the US and 32 regional football foods to accompany. The seventeen-week schedule during which each team plays sixteen games gives enough opportunities to snack while watching.

NFL
The Super Bowl is the most highly attended domestic event with approximately 67,000 screaming fans and it’s the most watched annual sporting event in the US. Worldwide it comes in second behind the UEFA Champions League (European Champion Clubs’ Cup - soccer).

So naturally I wonder what do those hundreds of thousands of football fans eat while they watch? I don’t know but I have my suspicions. Wings, chips, pop corn, dips, nachos and of course pizza and the usual Bud (to wash it down (Budweiser has been the exclusive sponsor for over a decade). In fact it’s estimated that only three out of five people who watch the Super Bowl are actual football fans. That means the other two are there for the food and the party – I believe it.  This means it’s the second largest day of food consumption behind Thanksgiving!  So let’s make something and I promise you  I’m not going to give you another recipe for guacamole.

 

Can you say Tzatziki, and crunch your teeth
(4 cups yogurt spread)

1 cucumber
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
3 cups Greek yoghurt
¼ teaspoon sea salt
10 grindings black pepper
1 lemon, juiced

1.     Peel cucumber then cut in half and scrape seeds out of the middle with a teaspoon.
2.     Chop cilantro leaves finely.

3.     In a bowl combine yoghurt, salt, pepper and lemon juice with a wire whisk. Add chopped cucumber, cilantro and stir with the whisk.

Spicyyy Pizza Pop Corn
(snack for 4 people)

1 pack microwavable popcorn
4 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
10 large leaves basil
2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons chopped mozzarella  

1.     Combine oil and chili flakes in a small saucepot and heat on medium heat setting for five minutes.
2.     Combine basil leaves and sundried tomatoes with hot oil and steep mixture on the side of the stove for 5 minutes.
3.     Cook popcorn in the microwave.
4.     In a bowl combine hot popcorn with oil/chili mixture and add salt and mozzarella. Toss mixture with a kitchen spoon. Serve immediately.

It’s crispy bacon
(snacks for 4 people) 

12 slices of cured, smoked bacon, organic if you can get it
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Canola oil for wetting a kitchen paper towel

1.     Cover a cookie sheet pan with parchment paper and spread bacon slices next to each other over it.

2.     Sprinkle sugar over the bacon strips.

3.     Cook bacon strips in a 350 degree Fahrenheit hot oven for 25 minutes.

4.     Wet a kitchen paper towel with oil and wipe onto a plate.

5.     With a rubber spatula transfer the bacon strips onto the greased plate and leave on kitchen counter to cool.
6.     Cut bacon strips into 3-inch long pieces.

Chef’s Tip: Cut whole-wheat tortilla wrappers similar to a pizza into wedges and bake them in the 300 degrees hot oven for 15 minutes or until crispy. 

(cheddar rice crispy - I love'em) 

Enjoy the commercials – and of course the game too. 

WINTERY LEEKS

Leeks, like onions and scallions, are part of the allium family and are considered root vegetables. Compared with onions and garlic they are expensive and less popular.  It seems many people don’t know exactly what to do with them.  One simple rule is to replace them with onions if you prefer a milder flavored onion, similar to shallots.  The gentle leek becomes even sweeter when cooked and its oniony-ness becomes subtler when cooked on a low heat setting.

(gorgeous long stemmed leeks) 

In early spring I can’t wait to have the garlicky-sweet smell of wild leeks (also known as ramps) tickling my nostrils – one of the sure signs that Spring is coming.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves …  winter is here for a while!

Snowy Preservation
Leeks can be found all year round but they’re best from fall to early spring.  My onion farmer Alex told me that during winter, when it snows, they dig out long stemmed leeks from under the snow layer to preserve them nicely so that the low temperatures do not overly expose these pretty sturdy vegetables.  (I always get the image of the wild bison in Yellowstone rooting through 8 feet of snow with their powerful necks for tiny grass shoots, but Alex might not like that comparison!)

(beautiful leek slices, the next step is to cook them slowly) 

Classic Leek Cooking
Many leek recipes can be found in old cookbooks.  When I trained as a young cook in Austria creating that famous soup “vichyssoise” was a big deal.  With a thick and rich consistency, this delicious soup is made with leeks, onions, potatoes and a touch of cream and is served cold or hot depending on the season. And certainly everyone has heard of Quiche Lorraine.  This dish was among the items on one of my first menus I designed for a restaurant.  The traditional quiche Lorraine is a savory piecrust filled with bacon bits, melted leeks set in an egg custard.  Still sounds pretty mouth-watering even if not so novel anymore.

Last But Not Least, Leeks Are Healthy …
Often overlooked in leeks is their important concentration of folate, a significant B vitamin that supports the cardiovascular system. Leeks also have a great deal of potassium important for maintaining the body’s fluid balance, nerve transmission and muscle contraction and for overall proper functioning of cells throughout the body.  Maybe consider a leek instead of a banana for your next workout?!

Not So Classic Potato-Leek Tart

Pie Crust
(makes one 9-inch pie dish)

1 stick butter (8 ounces)
1 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cold water

1.     Cut butter into ½-inch cubes and put into the freezer for 10 minutes – ice cold butter will make a flaky crust.
2.     Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse for 30 seconds – it should have a coarse texture at this point if not pulse for another 30 seconds. Add cold water and pulse for 30 seconds or until the mixture clumps up. If you don’t have a food processor you can incorporate the ingredients in a bowl with a fork or hands.
3.     Put the crumbly mixture into a bowl and knead with bare hands into dough working quickly. Don’t over-knead the dough it’s OK to still see small butter pieces in the dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4.     Dust a flat surface with flour, press dough to a flat disk and rollout to 1/8-inch thickness. Dust flour over the dough to prevent sticking.
5.     Line pie dish with rolled-out dough. Press pie dough with fingers into the pie dish. Freeze pie mold for 15 minutes.
6.     Line piecrust with aluminum foil and weight-down with pie weights or hold-down pie with a heavy object such as a pot.
7.     Bake pie for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove aluminum foil and bake 10 minutes longer.  

(golden prettiness)

Pie Filling
(filling for one 9-inch pie dish)

1 pound leeks, green tops cut-off
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
10 grindings black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup milk
3 eggs
½ cup grated cheese such as Gruyere
1 teaspoon oregano leaves

1.     Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.     Cut leeks into ¼-inch thick slices then put into a bowl filled with water. Swish leeks with hands in water – this will release gritty soil particles.
3.     In a 1-gallon sized pot heat vegetable oil and add leeks. Season leek with ½-teaspoon salt pepper and nutmeg then cook for 30 minutes.
4.     Fill cooked leeks into the pre-cooked piecrust.
5.     In a bowl combine milk, eggs and ½-teaspoon salt with a wire whisk and pour over the leeks.
6.     Put pie into the hot oven and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over the pie top and continue to bake for five minutes longer.
7.     Check doneness by gently jiggling the pie, it should wiggle a bit in the middle.
8.     Cool for 30 minutes then cut into wedges. Sprinkle pie with oregano before serving.

(the tart yielded +-12 portions my spouse and I managed to have four portions for the next day left over! Needless to say it tasted awesome)

Chef’s Tip: Serve tender baby greens such as baby spinach and/or arugula with the pie.

 

 

DAILY BREAD “FANCIFICATION”

Many everyday foods such as cereals, milk products, oils/fats, baby food and beverages are fortified with vitamins. What’s up with that – is it good or just a marketing plot? Let’s see…
A one-sided diet of too much corn, sugar and refined starches like white flour caused a spike in neural-tube birth defects already in the early 19 hundreds. In 1998 the government made it mandatory to add folic acid to bread. A study sponsored by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that the addition of folic acid was at least partially responsible for a 25% drop in neural tube defect. That’s why many mommies-to-be consume rather high doses of folic acid during pregnancy nowadays or you can get your daily dose on lentils, broccoli or leafy greens such as kale.

(not re-fined Swiss chard bunches from a farmer's market) 


Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is often added to vegetable oils, cereals and dairy products. It is developed in our bodies by sun exposure and is often hard to come by – think of winter or someone who doesn’t do much outdoor activity! Luckily these days bone deformations due to vitamin D deficiency are a rather rare occurrence due to fortification.

(vitamins added A,D,B12 & calcium) 

(iodine in common sea salt) 

Iodine is a salt enrichment and is the most effective way of preventing mental deficiencies and aids in learning abilities. Find a better way to say learning abilities” it sounds awkward. A huge number of people worldwide still suffer from iodine deficiency and a tragically high number of babies are born with brain damage because of that. Deficiencies are clearly not the only reason why all those vitamin buzz words are highlighted on every foods - lots of sales language is involved here. All that enhanced food is not as impressive as the label might suggest and little research supports the health claims particularly when compared to wholesome, fresh cooked foods consumed in a balanced way.

Pick from the fortified menu…
Below find a few examples of how to build your daily menu fortified or natural.

A 2-tablespoon portion of peanut butter fortified with 100 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. Or what’s the point if you can get your dose by eating a 6-ounce portion of fresh salmon for dinner (~ 3000 mg omega-3 fatty acid) unless of course you are a vegetarian then you can eat vegetables such as cauliflower with mustard seeds and/or cabbage with a touch of cloves prepared with canola oil, sprinkle some oregano and pecans over that then you are in omega-3 heaven (all these veggies, spices, nuts and oils are particularly high in omega-3).




Kids are clearly happy with their ultra-pasteurized chocolate milk which is often vitamin D fortified and thickened with a touch of refined starch to make the texture more velvety. But don't overlook the sugar content, which is much higher than the vitamin content and hence not great for health. Instead consider organic milk thickened with carrageenan (a seaweed which thickens liquids/foods) and find your vitamin D from the sun or a natural product that is fortified like Rice or Soy Milk, with far less sugar.

We’ve all been there after a tough workout….you can chug a well known orange colored energy drink with the daily suggested dose of vitamin C (citrus flavor) and a long list of minerals added, sweetened with sugar (3-5 grams/fluid ounce) or saccharine. Or you can have orange juice, freshly pressed ideally or even a banana, which is loaded with potassium, so essential after or before exercise.

Ain’t nothing like the real thing
The refining and processing steps in food production destroys valuable vitamins and nutrients. Fortifying foods in some synthesized form is mostly a marketing tool and a quick fix to get your nutrients when you don’t have a choice, you’re in a rush or you’re in the middle of a marathon and they are offering that orange laboratory juice on the spot. It is not a way to build a healthy, sustainable diet and as the song goes “Ain’t nothing like the real thing.” Marvin Gaye said it before the soda company fortified the slogan.

...EATING WHEN IT'S THAT COLD - the blog

We have had some biting cold days in January so far here in the northeast. Most people I know tend to eat differently at these frigid temperatures compared to when the thermometer is in the warm zone. Stews or braised dishes are definitely popular in cold weather because it’s simply more warming and at the same time it’s heartier.

(cranberry bean salad with cilantro, sweet peppers with citrus vinaigrette)

Salads become more robust too since that tender petaled lettuce is nowhere to be found until sun rays give us the pleasure again when spring cracks open.
 
(wheat berries and mint and sun-dried tomatoes)

It doesn't always have to be lettuce
I like to incorporate grains and beans into salads which give your salads that stew-like satisfaction.  Millet, cranberry beans, wheat berries, buckwheat are some great grains and can even server a main course if necessary. Variations are endless when you take advantage of the winter pantry - think of adding spices such as black sesame, Hungarian paprika or spicy chili peppers. Nuts are a great addition in grain salads as they add texture and richness so the oil content in the dressing can be minimal.  And speaking of dressing citrus fruits such as Meyer lemons or Cara Cara oranges give a bright note to your mixtures. If the salad seems a little too robust add chopped mustard greens, winter salad to it or even your orange slices to it. I love adding plenty of herbs – your taste buds will appreciate it and they are visually satisfying too. 

The following is my basic grain salad recip.  I switch out grains depending upon what’s available at my local market.

(borlotti beans chilling for the salad)

Grain Salad

(recipe yields four servings)

3 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper, to taste
1 cup millet
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 green apple such as Granny Smith, cored and diced into 1/8-inch cubes (skin-on)
1 bunch or two cups chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup hazelnuts (with skin), toasted then crushe
2 lemons such as Meyer lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil (melted) or extra virgin olive oil may be substituted 

1.     In a 1-gallon sized pot combine water, ½-teaspoon salt, 5 grindings pepper then bring to boil on high heat setting.
2.     Add millet and thyme and switch heat setting to low. Cook millet covered with a tight fitting lid for 25 minutes. Try millet for doneness -- it should be soft, if it’s not continue to cook for 10 more minutes.
3.     Spread millet onto a cookie-like sheet pan and leave on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes then transfer into the refrigerator to cool completely.
4.     In a bowl combine apple cubes, chopped parsley, crushed hazelnuts, lemon juice and oil. Incorporate all ingredients with a table fork and season with black pepper to taste.

 

OATMEAL FOR BREAKFAST, DESSERT & STAYING POWDER - the blog

When it comes to oatmeal people have their preferences and there are certainly differences between steel-cut, rolled, instant and quick cooking oats.

(steel-cut oatmeal) 

(choose organic for an unadultered taste) 

Steel-cut oats are whole grains; they are the inner portions of the oat kernel. These kernels look similar to long corn rice and are processed into two or three pieces. Rolled oats start with the same kernel then get rolled and steamed between heavy wheels and this flattening and steaming makes it quick cooking. Steel-cut oats take about 30 minutes of cooking time versus 5 minutes with rolled oats. There is an even quicker oat-cooking product known as oat flakes and here all you need to do is bring water to boil and pour in the oat flakes and the meal is done.

Compared with other hearty breakfast options like bacon & eggs, ham, pancakes, French toast etc., oatmeal is the best  go-to option since it stuffs the belly and has a lasting effect until lunch hours and the best part is it keeps you slender and guilt free.

Usually I’m in the camp of give me what I want as quickly as possible - but in the case of oatmeal patience actually pays of totally. I recommend cooking the steel-cut version. Steel cut oats take longer to cook than the other more broken down kind. In my opinion steel-cut oats score better on many levels because they’re wholesome, rich and nutty with a slight chewy texture.  The only down side is the longer cooking time but there are ways to get around it.  Let’s face it not too many of us want to get up half an hour earlier to cook oatmeal.  So I suggest cooking oatmeal sometime during the day, whenever it suits your schedule in larger quantities and you can portion it into smaller containers for the next days to come. It can be re-heated simply with a few tablespoons of liquid of choice such as milk, nut milk, soymilk etc. The re-heating can be done either in a pot or in the microwave.

(plenty of stee-cut oatmeal for the next couple of days) 

Oatmeal Variations
I have become bored with diner style oatmeal because usually it’s tasteless and seems like grown up baby food.  I have been testing many oatmeal recipes for restaurant breakfast menus and want to share a few favorites:

(certainley not dull...oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches with hot chocolate) 

Basic Oatmeal
(recipe serves four)

5 cups water
1 cup steel cut oats
2 pinches of salt
1 pinch cinnamon powder

1. In a 2-quart sized pot bring water to boil and add the oats, salt and cinnamon.
2. Cook mixture on low heat setting for 30 minutes.

I actually love oatmeal for a dessert course, it reminds me of rice pudding and I give it a similar treatment. Warm oatmeal with cocoa powder and a dash of heavy cream, garnished with ice-cold butter flakes. If you have leftovers pop them into the refrigerator and eat it cold the next day which catapults the dish to a pudding like experience.

An unusual version creating different layers of temperature won many fans in my past.  Sweeten basic oatmeal with honey and add one tablespoon of milk per person and fresh plump blueberries just before serving. I recommend ladling this oatmeal mixture over a spoonful of rich Greek-style yogurt in a bowl. The eating experience of scalding hot blueberry flecked oatmeal with chilled yogurt beneath is interesting and refreshingly good.

Soak nuts like pistachios, cashews or almonds in water for two hours and add this with a heaping tablespoon of raisins to the basic oatmeal recipe.

(power breakfast; oatmeal with wheat grass, sprouted cashews and rich Greek yoghurt) 

For the health nut in you I have some special tricks for you to experiment with -- add dehydrated wheat grass, sprouted chia seeds or powder, and extra virgin coconut oil for an all day boost. These ingredients are interchangeable and the amounts can vary but add it at the end to the basic recipe so the nutritious value can shine.

 
(...and for the New Years Eve menu; oatmeal broth with chantarelle mushrooms and black truffles)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOING IT LIKE THE FRENCH - the blog

Pearl onions are not particularly in season right now put it’s on the top of my list for winter vegetables.  This time of the year is not much else going on since the soil on local fields is starting to freeze. You might know them pickled resurfacing in your dirty martini. I remember them from younger years as a young cook in France you could encounter them just about on every menu seeming like a default vegetable a few ones in a classic beef bourgiginone dish, stacked up artfully next to a roasted loup de mer fish dish , nestled into a vegetable casserole and so forth.   

How to gratin
Since I have been in the Francophile mood for the last few days I created an onion gratin dish. Tiny pearl shaped onions which were naturally sweet like candy were the right fit. Well, the peeling step was painstakingly longwinded and defiantly needed patience but was balanced with a few simple recipe steps afterwards. * For starters a few pinches of cayenne and grape-seed oil with fresh bay leaf was all what was needed. I browned the onions on the stove top on low heat setting in a heavy skillet and shook it once every five minutes in this way the pearl onions did not burn and caramelized evenly - the natural sweetness of the onion was enhanced by doing so. A few dashes of aggressively acidic Champagne vinegar balanced that sweetness and gave the little balls a shiny glaze. I transferred the onions into an ovenproof dish and sprinkled with a special reserve Comte cheese over it. I had pre-heated my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit were I melted the cheese over the onions – voila

(pearl onions from raw to done)

Chef’s note:
Comte cheese is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk. It is produced in the Franche-Comte region in France.  I love the velvety nature of the cheese when melted and the sharp, nutty scent. 

(pearl onions with cheese just before they're put in the oven) 

Gratin & Co
I served the pearl onion gratin next to tender leafed, buttery, pale-green bibb lettuce dressed with a classic vinaigrette and croutons – doesn’t sound much of a meal but was a perfect fit for a light Sunday evening dinner with a lovely glass of red Bordeaux.

 *There is a quick no-pain way of peeling the little suckers; bring water to boil and drop the unpeeled onions into it. Transfer the onions after 30 seconds with a slotted spoon to an ice water bath. Cut root-top from onions and squeeze on other end – this will pop the onion right out.

 

 

 

 

 

HOLIDAY AMUSES - the blog

The fancy term is “hors d’oeuvres” and holiday parties are all about snacking on little bites of this and that. Don’t you love when the trays of food arrive butler-style in front of you, you feel a little like a kid in a toy store and you always find your favorite one or two hoping that server will make his way back to you with a tray freshly refilled.

(delicat smoked salmon makes a fine horse d'oeuvres)

I think the quality of a caterer or chef really shines when it comes to these little amuse gueueles or amuses bouche (“little mouthfuls” translated from French). Amuses are traditionally served as a welcome from the chef before dinner is served and they’re perfect for the cocktail hour. These little foods don’t differ much from appetizers as long as they’re treated with the same care in preparation. The  preparation tools might change a bit like small cutters for little toasts points and tweezers come-in handy to garnish tiny-bite sized pieces with herbs, pickles and such. Platters or trays are the preferred moving palettes to transport the tiny works of art from guest to guest.
Some of my simple favorites are cubed smoked salmon on crusty baguette rounds, beef tartar with capers perhaps with a dab of Tabasco with a pungent herb like cilantro. Jumbo sized shrimp “cocktail” are a certain favorite (the sauce consists of mayonnaise, ketchup, cognac and get a little heat with horseradish).

(a tab of caviar can make a bite-sized taste shine) 

Tricks to make some fans 
These one-bite wonders should be seasoned a bit more compared with an appetizer so remember a sprinkle of sea salt, a dab of cayenne, that extra spritz of lemon juice is needed to make that memorable first impression. I’m a big believer that the first impression must be ideal. Caviar, paper thin truffle slices, pungent herbs rich pâtés can be a good way to impress your in-laws and get that wow effect. Another French invention for holiday amuses are vol-au-vents literally meaning “blown by the wind”, these provide a delicious serving vessel. made with buttery puffed pastry and beg to be stuffed with an array of heavenly creamy mousses or crumbly,  loose natured food.
Finger foods are the best case scenario for the host as clean-up is minimal but if you have plenty of helpers on your hand you have more options for fun serving utensils.

(proschuitto di parma, selected sausages for canapes - awesome) 

Fun with Utensils
I love to use small Chinese soup spoons, shot glasses in which soup can be served, elaborately twisted bent spoons, pipettes where a shoot of some concentrated velvety creation can be served, pipettes which can serve as a skewer and contains some flavor explosive elixir at the same time. Old fashioned wooden skewers are perfectly fine to serve skewered flash seared filet mignon cubes, tuna belly dominos or savory lollipops. 

Rummage through your cabinets and you may find under utilized egg holders or rustic looking earth wear sake cups, these make nice liquid holders for fragrant teas, soups or purees.
From my experience as a guest or participant at events or cocktail receptions a large amount of passed foods come out of a “fryalator.” In my opinion a lot of flavor identity of little food morsels get lost and it makes food taste very similar to each other and sits rather heavy in the belly.
Then again it’s not a bad idea if there is a lot of heavy drinking going on at the party - it makes a great sponge for those strong holiday cocktails!

Cheers, Prost and Happy Holidays.

 

 

LITTLE JEWELS - the blog

Capers are little culinary jewels like tiny buds picked before they fully blossom into shrubby plants.  These bushes grow in the most difficult conditions surviving  inconsistent climate and rocky, gravely soil. They thrive in hot Mediterranean climates such as Cypress and Malta where they grow abundantly.

(brined capers) 

Capers are most commonly preserved in brine or simply doused in sea salt. In our circle (what circle do you mean?  NY or food world?  Need to clarify) the edible bud and fruit (caper berry) is available all year round on the supermarket shelves and offers a great way to add lots of that particular juicy, briny caper flavor which comes from natural mustard oil released by the little buds.

When local fresh herbs and vegetables become sparse or non-existent capers are especially handy. I love them in Italian  “evergreen” dishes such as  piccata, vitello tonnato and spaghetti putanesca. The French came up with their caper contributions with terrific sauce creations -- just think of the staple tartar sauce and remoulade. I remember working in France at Joel Robouchon’s restaurant where we deglazed a brown butter sauce  with ketchup in it – yes, the chef of the century cooks with ketchup - and then the sauce was deglazed with the brine liquid of capers – awesome. It was served with langoustines coated in spaghetti pasta.   The sauce tasted briny,  and salty at once and was the perfect compliment to the snow-white, orange hued, tender seafood.

I visited the Island of Rhodes in Greek after culinary school and the use of pickled caper leaves was abundant, which was positive since they make an excellent seasoning component in fish dishes. More everyday food such as lox , cream cheese with capers strewn over the whole spiel is definitely one of my brunch favorites. Interestingly, in cheese making I have come across different rennet substitutions even including caper leaves in high-end cheeses.

Snow white, caper dotted…..
Cauliflower was always too cabbagey for me and I didn’t like it very much until I came across a combination of cauliflower with capers.  Following here is a neat play on flavors which incorporates capers and raisins – a little sweet, a little sour…

(cauliflower on ice) 

Cauliflower with Capers and Raisins

(recipe yields four side-sized portions)

1 cauliflower (about 30 ounces)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil such as canola or grape-seed oil
¼ cup capers
¼ cup raisins
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 pinch cayenne1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Cut leaves of cauliflower. Cut 1-inch sized pieces (rosettes) of cauliflower head. Discard fibrous hard core stem.
2. In a 1-gallon sized pot heat oil on medium heat setting and cook/brown cauliflower pieces for 20 minutes stirring every five minutes.
3. Strain capers into a sieve, reserve the brine liquid.
4. Chop capers and raisins finely.
5. Combine capers, raisins, ground nutmeg, salt, cayenne with browned cauliflower.
6. Add the reserved caper brine liquid to the cauliflower/spice mixture and move the pot on the side of the stove.
7. Serve cauliflower in individual bowls or a large platter and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

(roasted cauliflower with capers and raisins) 

Chef’s Tip: Sprinkle the cooked, hot cauliflower with finely grated cheddar cheese from an artisanal maker.

 

 

MEATLOAF ISN'T ONLY AMERICAN - the blog

Certainly a staple in the American kitchen and on the most-wanted food list next to mac’n cheese, Hamburger, chili con carne and fried chicken  … good ole meatloaf is a cross cultural favorite.
Meatloaf seems to have German/Austrian roots which makes me secretly proud. In fact growing up in Austria meatloaf was one of my mother’s specialties that she called  “Hackbraten” which means “chopped roast.” That particular recipe calls for cooked, peeled eggs in the middle. I believe the name comes from the growth rings of tree stumps visible when chopped or hacked. In Italy I enjoyed polpettone, their version of meatloaf, with the addition of sliced ham and cheese incorporated into the meatloaf mixture garnished with tomato sauce instead of ketchup which is common here in the US.

A mover & shaker dish
Meatloaf is fairly simple to make since its ingredients are plenty available -- ground meat plus a few spices with some sort of a binder. Meatloaf is the cook’s blank canvas with limitless possibilities in terms of flavor combinations.
Next to traditional meatloaf I have created many culinary combinations such as rabbit meatloaf, duck meatloaf, and even fish “meatloaf” from a snow-white pike with pink lobster tails embedded in the center – certainly a gourmet treat and technically a little far from the traditional meatloaf.  Meatloaf conveys hominess and reminds us of sharing a meal with family.  The different renditions certainly were movers and shakers on my menus, especially the fish version.

(pretty in a baking pan) 

Constructing a Meatloaf
To me meatloaf resembles a sausage with a different texture. Whatever goes into a sausage could possibly be applied to a meatloaf recipe with the addition of some sort of binder such as bread crumbs, matzo, or wheat free options such as rolled oats, crushed rice crackers and so on.

(nicley holding up it's shape) 

Meatloaf Recipe
1.25 lb ground beef*
1.25 ground chicken
3 celery stalks
1 carrot, about 5-inch long
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil such as canola or grape-seed oil
2 teaspoons salt
10 black pepper grindings
2 tablespoon tomato paste
½ oz fresh oregano
½ cup rolled oats

(all meatloaf ingredients ready to be mixed)

1. Peel onions, carrot and garlic. Rinse celery with water. Chop all vegetables into 1/8-inch pieces or chop using the pulse button on a food processor.
2. In a 1-gallon sized pot heat vegetable oil on medium heat setting and cook the vegetables for 20 minutes stirring every once in a while.
3. Add salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste to the cooked vegetables. Cook mixture five minutes longer. Spread the mixture onto a plate and let cool on the kitchen counter. Transfer vegetables into the refrigerator to chill.
4. Rinse oregano with water then chop finely.
5. Fill a large bowl with ice. Set a second bowl over the ice and combine ground beef, ground chicken, chilled vegetables, chopped oregano and oats. Mix ingredients together using a table fork. It is important not to over-mix the ingredients for a light meatloaf texture once baked.
   
   (close-up of my lighly mixed meatloaf)
6. Bake mixture in a cake loaf pan (approximately measuring 9x5x5-inch) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes or cook meatloaf until a kitchen thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit measured in the middle of the loaf.

*Chef’s Tip: When shopping for ground meats and poultry, select shoulder or shank animal parts if available, when pre-ground the expiration date should be not older than two days.

…and then there is – Bat out of Hell
I’m wondering whether a love of the dish was the inspiration for  the eponymous rock star Meat Loaf?  Both are quite popular. Still remembering the days of the Rocky Horror Picture Show…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SWEETIE, HONEY - the blog

We have strong emotional connections to sweets to the point where they are the most common pet names for our beloved. The fact is that we’re programmed from youth not only to use “sweet” language but also to consume a lot of it – on average 40 teaspoons daily, about 4x times more that the FDA’s recommends.  Refined or unrefined the intake is too much.  Thank you hidden sugars in soft drinks, candy, cereals, and baked goods with dressed up names for sugar like cane sugar, fruit sugar, fruit juice sweetened, fruit concentrate, caramel, carob syrup, glucose, maltose, maltodextrin, dextrose, sorbitol, natural cane sugar etc.  Indeed the FDA has no particular definition of “natural” which means anyone may add it before the word sugar in an attempt to make it sound healthier.  The problem is over time our body loses the ability to make enough sugar-digesting enzymes to meet the excess and sugar sensitivity develops which can result in daily headaches, aggression, insomnia, panic attacks, irritability, depression, mood swings, cardiovascular disease, tooth decay, obesity, diabetes and so on.

(Maurizio Cattalan's pieces of art in the Guggenheim museum expresses what the sugar industrie does with us pretty good - without using any words)

No Problem “suga”
Some people might say no problem let’s switch to a sugar substitute so we can have our sweets without the high caloric count. The following sugar substitutes are synthetic, which are “designed” in a laboratory:

(sugar always plentiful on the table)

• Aspartame (Equal in blue packets) which is about 180 times as sweet as sugar. It has a bitter aftertaste and loses is sweetness in cooked or baked goods.
• Neotame similar to apsartame, it’s “8000” times sweeter than sugar and only tiny amounts are needed for sweetening
• Sucralose (Splenda in yellow packets, SucraPlus) is about 600 times as sweet as sugar. It probably has the closest taste to conventional sugar and is heat stable. The texture in baked items is different though.
• Saccahrine (Sweet’n Low in pink packets) is somewhat heat stable but only in combination with conventional sugar. 

A few more sugary names for you Sweetie Pie

• sucrose comes from beets or sugar cane
• sugar from sweet fruits and honey is called glucose
• cane sugar and grape sugar is called dextrose
• fruit sugar is called fructose
• milk sugar is called lactose
• malt sugar is called maltose

All chemical sugar substitute cocktails allow a consumer to cut calories while enjoying treats that may be not acceptable due to diet restrictions. Artificial sweeteners are chemicals, not food! They have no calories because they don’t nourish the body. They’re toxins your body has to get rid of. Research and experience with these types of sweeteners is limited and not sufficient. In a way we’re the laboratory rats – time will tell.

(stevia has it's place in my pantry at home) 

The Future might be brighter
Stevia or sugar leaf is a plant sugar substitute available either fresh, dried or in liquid form.  This one is actually from nature no strings attached totally “au natural” and it’s about 250 times sweeter than sugar but also has a licorice-like aftertaste.  Sufficient research has not been done yet - or there might be a conspiracy going on from the artificial sweetener industry. Stevia has been popular in Japan since the 1970s and is widely used as an alternative to artificial sweeteners. It may be useful as a natural sweetener for diabetics.

(a bitter green salad with pears and pomegranate vinaigrette needed a few drops of stevia to balance the natural bitterness) 

 

 

 

WHAT TO DO WITH NOVEMBER'S JACK-O'-LANTERNS? - the blog

What to Do With November’s Jack-o-Lanterns?
Two weeks ago we went to a pumpkin festival and had a blast with our toddler daughter on the hayrides. Perhaps it was the spiked cider or the little donuts but it was a particularly fun day. We ended up dragging large pumpkins home where we carved scary faces into it.  Halloween went by with the usual noise and craziness on the streets and we took our little baby witch trick or treating. Now a week later all the pumpkins sprinkled around the apartment seem to be in the way. So I decided to do some pumpkin cooking …

(my little which daughter carves pumpkins)

A quick brain storming session about pumpkin dishes brought about a bounty of recipes: satisfying velvety soup, smooth puree enriched with cheese, baked gratin speckled with pistachios, pickled pumpkin with jalapenos that leaves you wanting another, pumpkin strips softened with a sprinkle of sea salt tossed into salad, and of course last but not least, salivating pumpkin pie with whipped mascarpone cream with a touch of vanilla.

(pumpkins start getting in the way after Halloween) 

The multitude of pumpkins has made me produce dish after dish. Cooking with one main ingredient is actually convenient since a simple baked pumpkin can be the base of a whole bunch of recipes.

How to make a magic menu out of Jack o’-lanterns
Following is a pumpkin base recipe, which is the biggest hurdle of my pumpkin menu.


 (yep - the menu shall start with a brew)

Pumpkin Base Recipe
8 pounds pumpkin (seriously, jack o’-lanterns are perfectly acceptable as long as they’re cooked)
1-tablespoon flavor-neutral oil such as canola or grape-seed
Depending on the size of pumpkin you’re using. Cut small pumpkins up to 10 inches in half and larger pumpkins in fourths or sixths etc.  If there are seeds in the pumpkin scrape them out with a kitchen spoon.

1. Brush a baking sheet pan with the neutral oil.
2. Distribute pumpkin pieces over the baking sheet pan.
3. In a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven bake pumpkin pieces for 60 minutes. Pumpkin pieces should be soft when pierced with a small knife – if they’re still hard continue to bake for 20 minutes longer.
4. Cool the pumpkin pieces for 20 minutes on the kitchen counter.
5. With a kitchen spoon scoop/scrape the soft pumpkin from the skin and combine the “flesh” in a pot.
6. Over low heat setting cook the pumpkin stirring constantly with a kitchen wire whisk or a fork for five minutes or until all chunks are completely mashed-up.

Now you have the pumpkin base. Whipping up dishes should be become rather easy. The following recipes yield four servings.

(pumpkin soup w. chicken and Napa cabbage)

Pumpkin Velvet Soup
1 part (2 cups) pumpkin puree

3 parts (6 cups) broth such as chicken or vegetable

4 tablespoons orange juice

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper grindings, to taste

A pinch of the following ground spices will give your soup its character: cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg

• Simmer ingredients on low heat setting for 30 minutes.

Optional garnishes added just before serving: snipped chive, croutons, toasted pumpkin seeds, unsweetened coconut milk in a spiral pattern scooped on the surface of the soup.

(pumpkin puree with cheese and purple oregano) 

Baked Pumpkin Gratin

4 cups pumpkin base
½ cup nuts such as pistachios, pecans, cashews, walnuts 
Sea salt, to taste
Seasoning suggestions:  pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper flakes
2 ounces sharp flavored hard cheese such as Spanish sheep’s milk Idiazabal or Manchego
1 tablespoon Oregano leaves

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Toast nuts in a skillet over medium heat setting until browned.
3. Combine pumpkin base, toasted nuts and spices in pot and heat throughout.
4. Transfer hot pumpkin mixture into a heat proof serving dish. 
5. Bake pumpkin mixture for 20 minutes in the hot oven.
6. With a vegetable peeler shave thin shreds from the cheese and sprinkle them over the baked pumpkin mixture just before serving. 

Chef’s Note: I recommend serving baked pumpkin gratin with braised beef dishes. 

(pumpkin pie with whipped cream and honey glazed pecans) 

Pumpkin Pie

(8-inch tart shell)
2-½ cups pumpkin base
3 eggs¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey
8-inch wide baked tart shell (purchased from store or see recipe below)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix pumpkin base, eggs, cinnamon, honey in a mixing bowl with a wire whisk.
3. Pour pumpkin mixture into the baked tart shell.
4. Bake pumpkin mixture for 30 minutes in the hot oven.

Chef’s Note: If you like to make your own tart shell in a kitchen processor pulse together (equipped with blade attachment) 2 cups all purpose flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 stick of butter (4 oz) and one pinch of salt – this will form a ball. Rest the dough ball for 20 minutes in the refrigerator then rollout dough on a flowered kitchen counter. Line aluminum pie mold and press dough into the tin. With a table fork puncture tiny holes into the dough then bake in a 325 degrees oven for 20 minutes. Pour pumpkin mixture as above. 

Bye, bye jack-o’-lantern

(if all that cooking becomes to difficult you'll always can use a good pumpkin puree product with no additives) 

 

 

 

BRINING...A NO BRAINER - the blog

Brining simply means soaking your meat, fish or poultry for a specific time in salted water.   Often recipes include spices, herbs, juices and sometimes vegetables to introduce more flavors into the product.

When gaining weight is actually great
Brining promotes a change in the structure of proteins in the muscle by osmosis, which is the flow of water across a barrier from a place with a higher water concentration. The whole point of brining is to add moisture to meat, poultry and fish. If you weigh the product before and after brining you’ll happily realize a weight gain, in some scenarios even 10%. When the brined product is cooked it will be juicier because there is additional moisture. If you weigh the brined product again after cooking you’ll realize a weight loss of 15-20% whereas non-brined foods lose + or - 30% of their weight, nearly twice as much as brined foods!  So you see there is no reason not to brine.

(turkey in brine)

So what happens during brining?
Flavor
Salt in the brine plays a crucial role by helping with the retention of water. It locks the brine into the meat structure and hence makes the water less likely to evaporate during the cooking process. The result is more moist and flavorful meat, poultry and fish.

Texture
The salt modifies and softens the texture also. The salty liquid reacts with the muscle proteins and hence the brined food softens. It actually dissolves some proteins in the muscle fiber and the saline water gets trapped between these proteins when the meat cooks, as long as you don’t overcook the meat, which would cause this structure to tighten and squeeze out the trapped liquid.

The Whole Turkey or the Juicy Brined One?
For many years my whole turkey cooking experience - brined or not brined – was less than ideal.  The problem is that the parts require different temperatures and times to cook:  legs are just about done at around 160 – 165 degrees Fahrenheit and a turkey breast is perfectly moist at a temperature of 150 -155 degrees Fahrenheit. It means just about any turkey cooked whole is more or less under or over cooked resulting in dry “matter”. Unless your secret gravy recipe comes to help and smothers the whole spiel with homemade goodness it’s going to be a dry turkey, again.

(perfectly moist turkey)

Is the turkey hurting?
So last year in my restaurant I experimented with my Thanksgiving turnkey with a rather wacky technique. I put a heat resistant ice pack wrapper right on the turkey breast at a certain point during the cooking time which stopped the breast from cooking until the legs were done. To finish the turkey I gave it a few more minutes without the ice pack in the hot oven to get everything to a servable temperature and voila – this actually worked quite well - but not with 15 birds. So these days I cook brined turkey breast and legs separately.  This method is simple to execute and brought back the same satisfied faces year after year. That said I’m a briner.

Brining Tips

• Always brine foods in the refrigerator in cool liquid (+-40 degrees Fahrenheit). If temperature is too high add ice cubes.
• Some brining recipes include sugar - this balances the saltiness but technically has no effect on the brined food.
• Soft textured foods such as shrimp or fish filets need only a short brining time - 30 minutes is plentiful. Apply the rule of thumb one hour per pound of meat and poultry for brining times.  
• Kosher-style salt is a reliable brining ingredient. You can brine with sea salt, which is a lot more expensive though.
• Food should be totally immersed in the brine – this way the cooked food will taste equally flavorful.
• Adding spices, herbs or vegetables to brines seems wasteful to me and I would rather add them later on in the cooking process where they can better shine.

It takes only two minutes of your time to dissolve some salt in water for the following brine recipe.

(brined, shredded turkey in carrots juice)

Basic brine for fish, meat and poultry
1 cup Kosher-style salt
1-gallon water

• In a bowl combine salt and water then mix with a wire whisk until the salt has dissolved.

Chef’s Note: Depending on the mood or occasion, I add either apple juice, orange juice, vanilla extract, beer or something seasonal and fun to the above recipe. 

 

 

 

 

ESCAROLE - the blog

A leafy green-yellowish lettuce with a somewhat sturdy texture, bitter to the taste, escarole doesn’t sound like a pleasant vegetable but in combination with other foods it shines - I’ll add a little later to that. Escarole is in the same plant family as radicchio, and Belgian endive. Sometimes it is called broad-leafed friseé because of its curly resemblance.
I remember escarole from my mother’s cooking where she tossed it with farm-fresh potato salad with a light mustardy dressing. It’s an ideal salad to be combined with fall flavors such as pears, apples, nuts, blue cheese etc.
I’m intrigued by escarole and I romanticize it with visions of rustic Italian cooking like hearty stews, sausagey rosemary inflected dishes, tomato based Tuscan country cucina perhaps with basil aromas all accompanied with crusty Italian bread.  This is the fantasy portrayed in an advertisement for a commercial tomato sauce and it’s the feeling that escarole evokes in me.

(freshly dug escarole)

Some Nutritious Info 
Escarole is loaded with vitamin C the beloved antioxidant that helps to fight off cell damage and in fact repairs it. Other noteworthy vitamins in escarole are A and K.  Also it’s high in fiber and will move things perfectly along in the digestive system.  

Cooking with Escarole
This bean stew recipe is forgiving as not too much can go wrong with it and it is easy on the budget. The sausage adds a deep flavor character and spice.  Combine the stew with just about any sausage, which is suitable for steaming - my favorite is an Italian style sausage with deep pork flavor and faint garlic aroma. I buy my sausage from an Austrian sausage master maker per mail order. The escarole with it’s faint bitterness creates the perfect flavor balance besides adding a welcoming vegetable crunchy texture.

(fresh Italian sausage from the local butcher)

Borlotti Bean Stew with Escarole
(recipe yields four portions)
2 cups Borlotti beans (a.k.a kidney beans)
1 small branch rosemary
1 head escarole
4 links Italian sausages

1. Soak beans overnight or for six hours in water at room temperature.
2. Pour beans into a colander then rinse with water for two minutes.
3. In a gallon-sized pot combine beans, rosemary and four cups of water.
4. Cook beans on medium heat setting covered with a tight fitting lid for 60 minutes.
5. During the time the beans are cooking: Cut 1-inch of the bottom from escarole and cut leafs in 1-inch long pieces across. Fill a large bowl with water. Clean cut escarole leafs in the water then dry leaves in a salad spinner or on a kitchen paper towel.
6. With a pointy knife puncture each sausage three times – this will release the natural sausage juices during cooking.
7. Once the beans have cooked 60 minutes add the punctured sausage and cut escarole.
8. Mixture for 20 minutes at this point beans are soft, the sausage is cooked throughout and escarole is soft. 

(bean & escarole stew with Italian sausage)

Chef’s Note: The bean stew is best when it is allowed to sit for 20 minutes on the side of the stove and then served. Any leftover bean stew can be reheated the next day, which benefits the flavor wonderfully.  

 

 

 

 

 

UNDERCOVER STAR VEGETABLES - the blog

It seems parsnips never attract much attention. My fellow South American cooks often tell me when I drag a new root vegetables such as parsnips, rutabaga, turnips etc. into the kitchen  “In my country this is what the cows eat”. All I can say is those cows are well fed.

(naked parsnips)


A close cousin to carrots, parsnips are very similar in shape but much sweeter, ivory colored have an even better nutritional value.  So what’s up with their minor role in our culinary lives? Perhaps the simple fact that they are a bit more expensive and not as available all year around put them on a back burner for many. They have a deliciously vegetal and sweet flavor unlike any other vegetable so let’s explore.

(Meatloaf crusted in bulgur crust with parsnip chips at a recent dinner party)

Selecting
Avoid overgrown parsnips as they tend to be quite woodsy in the center and an unpleasant texture that you don’t want in your prepared dish. Naturally starchy they’ll remind you of potatoes in texture and palatability but they are much sweeter. Alex, one of my farmers I consult at the market, leaves parsnips in the soil over the winter months which makes them sweet like candy since the starches in the parsley root convert to natural sugars.  In the Fall, this is achieved by cooling parsnips to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. for about 10 – 14 days which makes them sweet and hence more expensive.
(slicing and soaking in water- drying on paper towel

(slicing and soaking in water)

(drying the water of parsnip slices)

(happily frying)

(drying off excessive grease)

It doesn’t always have to be a spud
I thought parsnip chips were the most novel thing when we had to painstakingly fry chips in olive oil slice by slice in a very fancy 3 Michelin stared restaurant in Europe.  These days you can buy them in the supermarket readily available perfectly crisped!

The texture of fried parsnip chips is simple amazing with a meaty soft center and a crispy outside – this you get when you cook’em yourself.  Be aware this stuff is addictive so you should keep a few people around to share this recipe otherwise you’ll be the one who finishes them.

Parsnip Chips
Recipe yields a snack for four

3 medium sized parsnips (about 10-inch long)
3 cups vegetable oil such as canola
sea salt to taste 

1. Peel parsnips.
2. Slice parsnips with a slicer such as a Mandolin. Cut the parsnips as thin as possible but obtaining still perfectly round slices.
3. Plunge the parsnips into a bowl filled with luke-warm water – this will “wash-out” the natural starch from the vegetable. Leave parsnips for 15 minutes in the water.
4. Heat oil in a 1-gallon sized pot.
5. Transfer the parsnip slices to a kitchen paper towel lined plate then dry them completely. Change the paper towel with new one if necessary to dry them.
6. The oil is hot enough when you drop a drop of water in it and it sizzles - if you have a kitchen thermometer it should show 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Carefully lower the dried parsnip chips into the hot oil - be careful the oil will bubble wildly. I suggest frying the parsnip slices in two to three batches – this will not crowd the frying pot.
8. Stir the frying parsnip slices with a slotted spoon – this will prevent the parsnip slices from sticking together and it will brown them evenly.
9. The parsnip chips are ready when they have a golden brown color.
10. Transfer the chips to a kitchen paper lined plate and sprinkle them right away with sea salt – this will make sure the salt sticks to the chips.
11. Fry the rest of the raw parsnip slices.

Chef’s Note: Potato chips need a condiment such as ketchup – parsnips don’t – they're perfect with a crispy outside and soft center.

 

 

SQUASH ADDICTION - the blog

(it's the season squash, squash...) 

If you want to experience the bounty of seasonal squash you must visit a farmer’s market now. Different hues of orange, shades of brown, green, yellow, striped, dotted and more variations are abundant. Some have warty growths on their shells and range from tiny to huge. This is seasonal squash right now. I’m overwhelmed every year and find myself snapping pictures until I’ve had my fill visually and in my stomach. Am I addicted to it?

(seasonal gourds galor)

Baked Squash Preparation
It’s hard to choose among the variety but let’s highlight spaghetti squash because it differs not only in flavor but really in texture. Yellow or ivory colored it sits heavy, weighty on the kitchen counter. Certainly a strong chef’s knife comes in handy to cut off top and bottom – I have seen people take squash on with a cleaver!

(ends cut off)                     (apple cider spiced)

(squash spaghetti) 

This will give you more stability to be able to cut this hunk of a vegetable all the way through. Leave the seeds in place and they can be easily removed after cooking.  

For seasoning l like to keep it simple, I love to add flavors of autumn such as apple cider spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, just a touch of clove - which are a terrific fit - and the usual sea salt and fresh pepper. I’m a big fan of roasting squash on a cookie sheet pan with the cut-side facing up. I have realized cooking squash this way yields tastier results since it’s natural juice gets concentrated during the cooking process.

Depending on the size it takes 1 ½ - 2 hours in a 345 degree hot oven to get to the point where it’s soft enough to get that stringy texture and similar look to cooked spaghetti pasta. You know it’s done when the blade of a small knife can be inserted into the squash without getting any uncooked vegetable resistance. Remove the seeds with a kitchen spoon and discard, then remove the yellow spaghetti squash “meat” and now you’ll realize its stringy consistency where its names from. A sprinkle of good extra virgin olive oil and a touch of sea salt will do wonders for the mild flavored spaghetti squash.

(pretty pumpkins) 

Tasty and Nutritious
Spaghetti squash is abundant in vitamin A, C and beta carotene and also has a good amount of potassium. It is low in calories yet leaves that satisfying taste and feel in your mouth seeming starchy in a good way without being too filling.

Over the years to my guests I have come to realize that it is actually the texture that makes people excited about this squash – it’s the stand-out among the many squash varieties.

Chef’s Note: Uncooked squash does not have to be refrigerated it can stay at room temperature for up to three months. 

 

"SWEET" KIDS CEREAL

As my toddler daughter grows up I get to stroll through different aisles in the supermarket and witness Arabella’s amazement with the cartoon characters she finds on a wall of cereal boxes.

(corn flakes, peaches and grapes with yogurt) 

A few mascots might have contributed to the success of cereal makers such as Kellog’s with Cornelius the green rooster in the early years and Tony the Tiger still hot to this day.  Everyone know Lucky Charms’ leprechaun telling us “they’re magically delicious” brought to us by General Mills another giant in cereal making. Quaker is a well known leader in cereal making and owns popular brands like Cap’n Crunch.

It probably comes as no surprise that the ingredient list of these popular “kids” cereals read like a candy bar and taste like candy which is probably why they do several billion dollars in business each year. If you calculate the added sugar content from an average cereal box it results to three teaspoons per serving.

(no Tony the tiger, no Cap'n Crunch...)

If you are like our family and try to cut down or even eliminate sugar and artificial ingredients from the staple foods like cereal then you probably turn your kids’ eyes and your own to “healthier” brands.  But here’s the disappointing news – nearly every one of the cereals in health food mega stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s contain sugar.  True the amount of sugar is less than the big commercial brands and true they have fancier names like “organically milled cane sugar” or “cane juice” but a rose by any other name …. Shouldn’t sugar be a treat and not snuck into your kids bran flakes and foods dressed up to look healthy?  I think so and therefore have taken cereal making into my own hands. 

What is a cereal?
It’s the family of grains (rice, wheat, millet, maize, barley, rye, quinoa, buckwheat) composed of bran (the out side layer of grain), which is nutritious and high in fiber, the germ and endosperm which is rich in vitamins, minerals, carbs, good fats and protein.

It didn’t start that sweet
Corn flakes is certainly one of the more popular breakfast items worldwide and it was actually developed accidentally.  Dr John Harvey Kellogg was in charge of a food program for a sanatorium where bland food was served. He believed that spicy or sweet foods increase passion which he did not welcome in the sanatorium.  He developed a flavorless wheat mixture which in his believe had an anaphrodisac effect and lowered the sex drive. As the story goes some cooked wheat was left to sit out for a long period of time unintentionally and became stale and was then processed through a dough sheeter in the hope of obtaining long sheets of that wheat mixture.  But what came out instead were little flakes which they toasted and served to the sanatorium patients and they loved it. A patent was filed shortly thereafter and issued in 1896. Different recipes were developed out of that process one was corn flakes with a good amount of sugar added for palatability and the rest is history.

A few responsible cereal options

Granola
Our friend Reuben came by the other day and brought us a home-made batch of delicious granola and inspired our cereal crusade and sparked my appreciation for these toasted oats. Granola usually consists of rolled oats and nuts, sweetened with honey. It gets its addictive crispy-crunchy texture from baking, often dried fruits such as grapes, blueberries, dates, etc. are added to boost sweetness and flavor. In our family we love to snack throughout the day on granola straight out of the box without adding anything. For breakfast I like to add sliced banana for it’s soft texture and some sort of fresh fruit such as raspberries or strawberries for their bright color and natural tartness which makes the eating more interesting especially for my toddler daughter who loved Reuben’s recipe. She’s currently going through her crazy twos  and granola has become our reward snack of choice. 

(Bells eating her morning cereal)

Müsli
Growing up I remember eating Bircher Müsli back in Austriae, which is similar to granola. Müsli is made with uncooked rolled oats, which is soaked in water overnight to soften.  It is meant to be consumed with fresh fruits such as thinly sliced apples and berries in addition to hazelnuts, yoghurt, milk and sweetened with honey. These days Müsli can be found conveniently in instant versions on the supermarket shelves (but be sure to read the ingredients!).

To get you started following is a granola recipe – it’s really simple and everybody will love it.

(home-made granola) 

Granola Recipe
(recipe yields four portions for snaking or to be consumed with milk or yoghurt)

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds and/or a mix out of chopped cashews, hazelnuts, pecans
            sunflower seeds, pistachios, walnuts
½ cup maple syrup
2 pinch sea salt
¼ cup dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, blueberries
1 teaspoon vegetable oil such as canola

1. In a bowl mix oats, nuts, maple syrup, salt and dried fruits with a kitchen fork.
2. Brush a cookie sheet pan with vegetable oil. If you don’t have a brush dip a kitchen paper towel into vegetable oil then coat the sheet with it.
3. Bake in a 280 degree Fahrenheit hot oven for 45 minutes.
4. Cool granola then transfer into an airtight container.

Chef’s Note:  experiment with spice powders such as cinnamon, star anis, coriander, ginger, cayenne and such they add an interesting note to the granola recipe.

 

 

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES - the blog

On my last trip to the farmer’s market I noticed that carrots got smaller which is a sure sign of the season changing and the next bundle of vegetables to come.

On the east coast we’ve already had a few cool days. Cruciferous cabbage vegetables will soon appear on the vegetable stand – start to look for white cabbage, red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, kale, mustard greens, bok choy, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli and so on. These vegetables will be plentiful seeming like seasonal flowers with their many leafy layers. The first batch of local Brussels sprouts will hit the market in about 10 days – can’t wait for it. 

(Napa cabbage "loaves")
There is one cabbage that has particularly caught my attention  – Napa cabbage. The first impression will remind you of a big bushy head of romaine but once picked up the weightiness will most likely surprise you. Napa cabbage is a handsome looking vegetable with thick white veins that end in thin branches running through the leaves. The lightly curled edged leaves are tender and have an addictive crunchy texture.  Eaten simply raw one gets that sweet cabbage flavor which pairs very nicely with a spicy tomato-based sauce.  Ideally your tomato sauce should have a thick consistency so that it coats the chopped leaves well. Following is one of my favorite raw Napa cabbage preparations.

(open-face lasagne with napa cabbage, bok choy and a spicy tomato sauce) 

 (fall vegetable casserole)

Spicy Tomato Dressing
(recipe yields four portions)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon hot sauce such as Sriracha
1 cup canned plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
sea salt, to taste

1.     Chop oregano and bay leaf finely.
2.     In a mixing bowl crush tomatoes with a table fork.
3.     Add other ingredients to the crushed tomatoes

Napa Cabbage
1 Napa cabbage
Spicy Tomato Dressing (above recipe)

1.     Cut  ½-inch of  Napa cabbage bottom then peel off outer leaves and discard.
2.     Cut Napa cabbage lengthwise into six wedges then cut across into mouth- sized squares.
3.     Rinse Napa cabbage with water then dry in a salad spinner or on a kitchen paper towel.
4.     In a bowl toss Napa cabbage and spicy tomato dressing.

Nutrition
Napa cabbage has a few healthy surprises

- A generous quantity of vitamin K and C
- a cholesterol lowering effect
- cancer preventing properties

Plus Napa cabbage is low in calories and makes your stomach feel satiated.

(bok choy)                     (Brussels sprouts) 

…more delicious serving suggestions to make Napa cabbage shine
Steamed
Napa cabbage steamed for a few minutes works well with solid flavors such as braised pork for or grilled salmon.
Sautee
Stir-frying in a bit vegetable oil such as grape seed or canola works well for a sautéed version of Napa cabbage. I recommend adding some crushed peanuts, for crunch in addition to flavor and a touch of unsweetened coconut milk for richness and roughly chopped cilantro will make the flavors jump.
Grilled
Cut Napa cabbage into large wedges and sprinkle with olive oil. Grill the leaves on all sides. Serve on a large platter sprinkled with some thinly shaved hard cheese such as sharp Manchego from Spain.  Chopped sun-dried tomatoes add tasty colorful speckles to the dish.
Mac & Cheese
I have been working on a cheese book project for a while now and developed a recipe with chopped Napa cabbage and cherry tomatoes – to be revealed in the book!

 

PUMPKIN SEEDS -the blog

I relate to pumpkin seed and its oil like an Italian to his olives. When pumpkin season starts it moves to the top of my ingredient list.  I’m accustomed to the taste from growing up in Austria where pumpkin seed oil dressings would leave dark green residue on white salad plates, the shiny hue seemed like a greenish-golden color.

(golden-greenish hue left on the plate - pumpkin seed oil)

Nutrients
Pumpkin seed oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and is a rich source of zinc and magnesium. It is said that pumpkin seed products may contribute to male prostate health as well as contributing to good bone density for all. 

Pumpkin seed oil
Hulled pumpkin seeds get lightly roasted in the production of oil similar to coffee bean roasting. In addition to the heritage of the seeds, the toasting process is one of the key stages in the making.

At it’s very best pumpkin seed oil is pressed in the “extra virgin” manner where it does not create nor require any heat leaving all the nutrient value and exceptional flavor intact.

(toasted pumpkin seeds and squash) 


(rigatoni with kale, pumpkin seed and pumpkin seed oil) 

A “Light” Oil with no let down
Pumpkin seed oil should be used in room temperature or cold prepared recipes - meaning you should not cook with it since it would destroy its qualities.  I recommend substituting it for extra virgin olive oil in some dishes.  However, its flavor is intense and a little goes a long way so I suggest using only 1/4 – 1/3 of the amount of olive oil that you would use.  This flavor concentration makes it comparatively light. 

 (roasted quinoa with late harvest carrots and paprika sprinkled with pumpkin seeds) 

The versatility of the dark gold makes this oil a staple in my refrigerator. I use it frequently in dressings, a drizzle on soups such as potato or as a finishing oil. The exquisite taste of the toasty oil is amazing paired with lentils – a favorite of mine. It even has a place in desserts, just try a few drops on vanilla ice cream – a secret delicious combo. The viscosity of pumpkin seed oil is velvety and silky and next to other oils is like cream compared with milk.
Chef ‘s Note: Interestingly the oil appears green in thin and red layers giving it a shine like a rainbow would when poured out.

Preparing Pumpkin Seeds:

1. remove seeds from the pumpkin’s inner cavity
2. remove excess pulp and spread seeds out over a cookie sheet pan covered with parchment paper
3. dry seeds overnight
4. the next day toast them in a 180 degree hot oven for 30 minutes.

Chef’s Preparation & Serving Suggestions:

• in a skillet heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil then roast pumpkin seeds continuously shaking pan back and forth – sprinkle with sea salt
• toss pumpkin seeds into sautéed seasonal vegetables such as carrots, kale, Swiss chard
• grind pumpkin seeds in a blender with lemon juice, olive oil and fresh Italian parsley to make a pumpkin seed/parsley pesto – toss this before serving into pasta

Oil Quality
I have tried a few different brands from different whereabouts that were not all impressive. Some oils suffered from smeary texture and burned flavor from over-roasting probably made in big batches the best to my means come from Austria. A good pumpkin seed oil has subtly sweet and nutty taste with a smell like an unripe almond. The texture of the oil when applied to the back of your hand feels silky like good skin oil. The opposite is often true sometimes it resembles almost something like motor oil – this might sound extreme but what’s the point. I think an Austrian pumpkin seed oil is a safe buy – I might be biased growing up there thought.  

 

 

RICE COOKER - THE GREAT MULTI-TASKER - the blog

Other than for cooking rice what’s the use of a rice cooker?  I have been wondering about this lately.  Sometimes you don't’ have the option of dragging in a commercial cooking range to do the cooking at catering event or for out of home cooking, so rice cookers have done wonders for me. It worked perfectly where open flames were not an option (e.g. museum, consulate). Also if you have a tiny apartment and need an extra hot spot there is your friend the rice cooker. Another factor is that rice cookers hold the heat within compared to a cooking vessel on the stovetop, which radiates a lot of heat and energy, particularly disturbing on a hot summer day. Let’s face it, it is simple to fill a rice cooker vessel and push one button - the hardest part is to wait until the food is cooked!

What To Cook
Beside the obvious rice I find it easy to cook plenty else with great success.  Grains such as quinoa, wheat berries, faro, beans, steel cut oats, polenta and even risotto shine when cooked in the rice cooker. Vegetables by themselves such as cabbage, carrots, Swiss chard etc. have great results, so flavorful. I call these braising vegetables, which are different than quick cooking vegetables such as peas, and asparagus. One pot food wonders like hot pot soups, stews, and sauces are the most ideal meals to be cooked in that rice cooker vessel with its electrical no-brain supervision.

Once you have figured out the time to cook a few recipes in a rice cooker you realize the options are limitless and you’re free to hit the button and leave instead of watching the stove.

Warm Holding
A warm holding option after the food has been cooked is a tremendous asset as you are able to keep food hot for a long period of time at a safe temperature where bacteria growth is unlikely to happen (above 150 degrees).  This comes in handy if you need to step away during the cooking process like my spouse does often when she is negotiating our toddler daughter’s busy play schedule.

Entertaining at home becomes easy without looking like a total mess in the kitchen since the holding capabilities give you plenty of time to get things organized and cleaned up before your guests arrive.

Hopeful Future
What you can’t do is grill in a rice cooker, for now, but that is just another invention away.  I’ve heard of stories where people made bread, cakes, egg dishes and more in a rice cooker!  This tells me there is still plenty to be discovered for us.
 
(millet in the rice cooker before and after cooking)


Braised Napa Cabbage w. Spices
(recipe yields four portions) 
1 head Napa Cabbage
1-tablespoon vegetable oil          
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon cardamom

1.     Halve cabbage with knife then cut hard core out of bottom. Pick deep-green outer leaves from         cabbage and discard.
2.     Cut cabbage halves into ½-inch wide strips.
3.     Put oil and garlic into the rice cooker, close lid then push “cook” button.
4.     After two minutes add cabbage and spices then close and push “cook“ button.
5.     Cook cabbage for 35 minutes.
6.     Serve immediately or put on the “hold setting” to keep the cabbage warm for an extended time         period.
 
(Nappa cabbage & spices before and after cooking) 

Chef’s Note: Be careful when you open the lid – scalding hot steam escapes!
Some rice cookers have settings for a range of foods but all of them have a cook and hold button, which is totally sufficient.
 
The theme of that day was vegetarian friendly dishes cooked in the rice cooker.
(left picture tofu, bok choy, buckwheat cabbage) 
(right barley risotto, baby spinach, string beans, Shisisto peppers with a sprinkle of Gruyere) 

In case you always wanted to know why rice washing is important?
Rice is washed before cooking with clear water to rinse off impurities, bran and starch which will result in light fluffy rice.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE - the blog

A comforting dish like sweet potato casserole has been on my mind since I saw gorgeous sweet potatoes at the local market recently. I never saw sweet potatoes until I came to the US where they are a staple on many holiday tables – not that you don’t know that!  Thanksgiving pops into my mind immediately when I think of them like a mental bridge to a beautiful, festive table setting with abundant food and somewhere in the middle you’ll find sweet potato dish. Just thinking about Thanksgiving puts a smile on my face.

(Sweet potatoes or yams?)

Sweet Potato Farming
I learned from my farmers that sweet potatoes are a bit tricky to grow: they’re not resistant to frost or draught and are not tolerant to water logging and also require good aeration in terms of storage since they develop tuber rot rather quickly. On the other side sweet potatoes grow in poor soils with little or no fertilizers. The fast growing vine inhibits weed growth since it covers the soil - it shades out weeds – so it barely needs weeding. 

How Sweet Those Nutrients!
Besides being fleshy and having a pretty orange color sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene which is a key antioxidant, vitamin A, C, B6 and various minerals such as iron and calcium. Let’s face it sweet potatoes are rated excellent among the world’s healthiest foods since they’re plentiful available in many different parts of the world.
 
(cooking, steaming, mashing)
 
(toasted nuts, spices - all mixed together) 

Cooking
Sweet potatoes are simple to cook and are naturally delicious, ready-to serve. Just a pinch of this and a sprinkle of that and they are ready to be devoured.

Baked Sweet Potato Casserole with Mozzarella
(recipe yields four side-sized portions)

1 cup walnuts
1 branch rosemary, about 5-inches long
3 lb sweet potatoes
½ cup Kosher-style salt
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh black pepper grindings, to taste
2 pinch cinnamon powder
½ nutmeg, freshly grated
4 ounces or 6 thin slices of locally produced Mozzarella

1.     Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.     Sprinkle walnuts into a baking pan then toast in oven for 8 minutes or until browned.
3.     Strip leaves of rosemary stem then cut finely.
4.     Sprinkle 1/2 cup of salt over bottom of a baking pan then put sweet potatoes on top. Cover pan with aluminum foil tightly then cook in hot oven for 1 h 30 minutes or until soft when pierced with a small knife.
5.     Cool potatoes for ten minutes then peel and put into a large bowl and add walnuts, sea salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and rosemary then mash and stir with a fork.
6.     Transfer sweet potato mixture into an ovenproof baking dish then put cheese on top. Bake casserole for five minutes and serve immediately.

Chef’s Tip: Try different nuts in the sweet potato recipe such as hazelnuts or for a special treat pecans.

Did You Know
The true yam is an entirely separate species of vegetables that grows only in the tropics  - so NO a sweet potato is not a yam. Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family and true yams belong to the Dioscoreaceae family – whatever that means.  

 

MOTHER OF GRAIN - QUINOA - the blog

The Incas grew this grain and revered it. Traditionally the emperor would sow the first seeds with a golden shovel.  Don’t you think we should appreciate it more?Interestingly, quinoa is actually not a grain (since it’s not a grass plant) but is actually related to beets and leafy greens such as spinach and Swiss chard. Early colonists forbade the Incas from growing their “grain”  and had them plant wheat instead and so wheat took over.

 
(quinoa on a bed of baby spinach) 

(look for pre-washed quinoa, sometimes you can find red and/or black quinoa it will cook the same way)  

Hearty Quinoa
Quinoa is undemanding in terms of growing and even withstands high altitudes like the Chilean Andes among other places.  It and can even withstand low chilling temperatures through the night and high heat during the day.  Early frostbites do not harm hearty quinoa.  And yet its taste and texture is light and gentle.

Eating Quinoa
Quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse with terrific protein content plus a whole palate of minerals and vitamins.  Vegetarians love quinoa because it is a complete protein in fact. 
After harvest bitter tasting Saponins on the outer layer of the seeds have to be removed which is usually done commercially before it hits the market shelves. Saponins are used in laundry detergent and to clean skin as an antiseptic.  So because it is mildly toxic, it is not a bad idea to re-rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve until it has no more bitterness when tasted – just to be on the safe side.
Quinoa’s fluffiness reminds me of cous cous. I had great success substituting quinoa in many rice recipes and had great success more or less reducing the cooking time which is a welcome time saver.

(LEFT; carrots, celery onion and spices cooked then add quinoa and cook covered) 

Vegetable Quinoa
(recipe yields four side portions)

1 onion
2 clove garlic
3 carrots
3 stalks of green celery
2 tablespoons vegetable oil such as canola
1 teaspoon thyme
2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt such as Baline

1. Peel onion, garlic and carrots. Slice vegetables and celery thinly (1/8-inch thick).
2. In a pot (1-gallon sized) heat vegetable oil on medium heat setting then cook vegetables. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and continue to cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Add quinoa and water then cook for 30 minutes.

Chef’s Tip: Quinoa is cooked once the seeds are “al dente” – meaning it still has texture to the tooth. Another indicator quinoa is cooked is when the germ divides from the seeds.

(click to enlarge - in this way you'll see the little germ divides from the seed) 

Early Bird
Try some freshly cooked quinoa for breakfast with some nuts and fruits such as berries – you’ll love it. If you have a bird feed him some raw quinoa seeds he’ll love it too.

 

 

 

 

 

SUSTAINABILITY IS BUZZING - the blog

 
(our daughter Arabella inspecting the salad crop at a local farm)

I’ve come across many buzzwords for growing vegetables since I’ve been visiting local farms. Though conversations with the insiders – the farmers-- I’m finally starting to figure out what all of’em mean. My eyes opened wide with astonishment when I understood what it meant that a farm is organic or better certified organic or what other farmers proudly boast as 100% not certified. This means a farm has its own sustainable standards. This eco-food-jargon really spiked my interest to dig further.

(to be or not do be - that remains the question!)

Being in Lala Land
A romantic mental picture of a farmer hunting in his fields for the daily crop is all what we need to imagine to pick up that bunch of deep juicy, saturated Swiss chard from the vegetable aisle. It puts us right in a farmer’s “Alice in Wonderland.”  But let’s face it there is a lot more to it than merely growing au natural, laissez-faire. We don’t think about farming techniques like crop rotation that keep the nutrients in the soil balanced, or field flooding which keep pests and drought at bay. Others try to achieve excellent farming results via vertical farming which is a year-round production method in a technical facility where a crop is in isolation protecting it from pest and disease. Pest management is not that easy like having your daughter’s lady bug collection moves out to the farmer’s field to eat the bad bug guys. I saw farmers killing the bad bugs one by one in an “organic” way by hand – is this what pest management looks like - who knows. I spoke with farmers who use IPM (integrated pest management), which is an acceptable pesticide control program it monitors, identifies and prevents outbreaks or in other words controls them. Trapping of the crop and weeding are some measures.  Other methods utilize appropriate custom measured partially natural spraying mixtures of vinegar, salt and such very similar compared to used in organic field.  
 
(organic beets) 
 
 The Business of Organics
I was surprised by polls taken in 2006 - 2008 that people actually don’t trust “organic” produce that much anymore. Many consumers seem to shift to “natural” produce. What I noticed is that “organic” farms are rather small, usually not much over 5 -10 hectares, which mean it is not much of a business in the American sense. That said a balanced ecological field actually yields slightly more than a chemically sprayed field.  But the challenge to be truly “organic” with governmental approval or not is that it takes time and patience to cultivate this nutritionally balanced soil bed.

“CNG” stands for “certified naturally grown” and is a non-profit alternate farm assurance that thrives on high organic standards without being “certified organic” and it caters to local customers. A grower must keep detailed records of planting, cultivation, fertilization, etc. and only certified seeds may be used. All in all the CNG label or procedure keeps the paperwork at bay for the farmer and puts them back to work in the field. It’s worth mentioning that there is an enormous volunteer effort to run this organization. 

(Who needs perfectly straightened carrots?)

No cosmetic surgery
I appreciate the cool down-with-it looking naturally grown fruits and vegetables. Hey, it does not have to be perfectly round, shiny or uniformly colored.  Just let’s compare it to art. Last week I bought an unshapely $5 tomato – yes one weird looking heirloom tomato. I tell you it was treated more like a jewel than a vegetable. I touched and rinsed that fruit like I was putting my little daughter to sleep – with soft touch and care.
Food sold at a remote location, whether at a farmer’s market or the local supermarket, incurs a different set of energy costs for materials and transport.

Supporting small farms and locally sourced products will have the big growing companies start rethinking, eventually. The already destroyed eco system has to be taken care of and subjects like crop rotation, chemical pesticide management and many more aggressive farming steps that force commercial growth and unnaturally high yields must be changed. It’s been making us sick – it’s like putting a sign up which reads cancer for sale nicely disguised in a vegetable wrap!

(Do I need to say more?)

Something worth mentioning - back to the future
I remember seeing a sci-fi movie where plants were grown up high into the sky and harvested by dragon like birds Avatar style. It happens to some degree already in NYC where vegetables are planted and harvested on rooftops now we just need the big birds then we’re set.

 

 

 

ODDS & ENDS the blog

I get excited buying vegetables and fruits at the Green Market with its beautiful abundance of natural colors and shapes – just think of the diverse shapes and colors of Heirloom tomatoes! This often leads me to over-buy. It’s not necessarily the quantity but the variety of vegetables that tend to crowd the refrigerator crisper.  When Sunday comes all that remains in the weekend house refrigerator are odds and ends and snips and slices of various items.  Taking a look right now I find one piece of corn, one yellow tomato, some leftover pretzels from movie night, a few slices of pumpernickel bread, one perfectly ripe apricot and a doughnut peach and a few miscellaneous pantry items. Finding a recipe for this palette of culinary treats is like winning the lottery – it’s probably not going to happen.

This is the time for an all-in-one cooking utensil like  a skillet for a casserole or a big salad bowl for a “kitchen-sink” type of salad simply chopped and tossed. A home cook’s skill and the artistic touch come into play or my chef’s tricks might come in handy for you. Certainly it begins with how you shop throughout the week that determines how great this Sunday clearing-out-the-fridge dinner can be.
 


 
(The above dish is an example of odd and ends & this-and-that ingredient. I called it corn-nut milk mac with pumpernickel-mozzarella crust)

When we make pasta dishes there is usually cooked pasta left over -- I simply do not cook only a half box of pasta. I bet you have thrown out partially opened pasta boxes or made yourself feel bad with a disastrously cooked pasta dish made out of 3-4 different kinds of pasta. It’s a good idea to cook pasta and sauce separately so that the pasta can be used up in different dishes such as salad or baked casserole.  

We always seem to have fresh avocado in the fridge since our daughter loves it. I keep the pit in the partially cut avocado and make sure it is stored in an airtight container such as Tupperware to prevent oxidation and darkening.

(Chopped & tossed greens, peach, avocado, tomato, greens with tortilla crisps/”croutons” with yogurt/basil dressing)

Yogurt is among my favorite foods and we purchase large containers in our household.  Often there are several containers of different flavors and brands in the refrigerator.  These miscellaneous bottom of the barrel yogurts plus the almost bottomed out fruit bowl makes a terrific light dinner dessert. Another use for a little amount of yogurt is a summery tart dressing concoction with THE addition of a spritz of refreshing lemon juice, also a great use for a few leaves of that favorite herb previously picked up at the farmer’s market. Doesn't basil always seem to come in too large of a bunch unless you’re into making pesto where you need tons.  A few grindings of fresh pepper and a sprinkle of salt seal the dressing deal. 

(pretzels and nuts make great crunchy additions to salads, olives peps up the flavor) 

(this and that plenty for an exciting tossed salad bowl)

Salad Croutons – no need to make or buy these, just use the leftover pita chips from the prior night’s snacking party simply broken into pieces and then strewn over a salad. Do the same with tortilla chips, pretzels, old-baked bread and even salted nuts. In combination with cheese, crunchy snacks like that make a great crust in baked casserole dishes.

We made it a rule to dress our salads at the dinner table so that if we can’t finish the portion – which happens often -- I put the rest in a zip-loc style bag which keeps it crisp for a few more days. You can also store leafy greens refrigerated in the salad spinner or simply a plastic bag will do the trick.

Chef’s note on refrigerator organization
A crisper – the two to three drawer sections usually located on the bottom of your refrigerator is destined for vegetables. Bulby veggies such as onions and garlic should be stored separately unless you prefer a garlicky perfumed note to your peaches and berries.

 

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LEAFY GREEN ECONOMICS -the blog

(rainbow Swiss chard stems)

Over the years I have noticed leafy greens are one of the most frequently asked for vegetables.  With spinach ranking number one on the list it becomes not only boring for us cooks but also a challenge - the current weather conditions of high humidity and a very wet Spring, heat levels out of whack has taken its toll on these favorite greens and the supply is relatively sparse.
Spinach is certainly pretty to look at with its deep green color tones, curly tips, or the more civilized smooth edged baby spinach with silky texture. Baby spinach cooking is a breeze as it only needs a breath of hot air then it’s wilted and ready to eat.

(baby spinach at Satur farm on Long Island)

The Other Leafy Greens
Other greens came to my attention as I was looking for some diversity like bright green mustard greens which are tender and naturally spicy flavored, close to Dijon-style mustard.  I like them tossed into salad - no cooking needed.

(Swiss chard bunches from Garden of Eve farm on Long Island)

Beet Greens are nice to look at with their beautiful crimson red veins reaching through the leaves with the beetroots still attached.  It surprises me when at the Farmer’s market I witness that the greens usually get cut off at customers’ requests and put in the trash pile. This is a super tasty green that I put to great use in my kitchen.   

Kale, naturally beautiful, often has a purple-green hue in its color coordination and a festive twisty-ridged shape. These leaves are a bit sturdier and stand up to robust taste cousins such as bacon, ham hocks and it requires a longer cooking time in order to get it palatable.  

Collard greens are a cousin of cabbage and are loose leafed with a distinctively strong flavor. It’s comparable to kale in terms of cooking time and flavoring additions. It’s a definite staple in the southern US served year round usually with any type of smoked food addition.  

And then there is Swiss chard…
Swiss chard is grown in different colors from golden, deep red and white reminiscent of rainbow colors. It’s at it’s peak from late spring to early fall and it’s hot right now. It’s cultivated from the beetroot and spinach plant family and is grown for it’s thick, juicy stems and gigantic fan-like leaves. I have been obsessively cooking Swiss chard for the last two weeks. From steaming, to roasting and grilling it’s held up terrifically. Chard is exceptionally impressive in its nutrient content, packed with vitamin A and naturally high in potassium and sodium similar to celery. It’s also high in calcium, iron, and magnesium and it tastes so good.

(sauteing Swiss chard)

Swiss Chard Recipe
(recipe yields four side portions)
2 bunches Swiss chard red, white, golden or a mix of all
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1-teaspoon vegetable oil
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh black pepper grindings

1.     In a pot (2-quart sized) bring salted water to boil.
2.     Rinse Swiss chard with water.
3.     Cut stems from Swiss chard. Cut stems into 2-inch long pieces.
4.     Boil Swiss chard leaves for 1 minute in water then transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice water         bath.
5.     Drain water from cooked stems and squeeze excess water from leaves.
6.     In a pot heat vegetable oil on high heat setting then add garlic, after 20 seconds add Swiss chard         stems and leaves.
7.     Season Swiss chard with pepper, soy sauce and heat throughout.

(roasted green Swiss chard) 

Chef’s Note: add ½ cup of cream for a creamed Swiss chard version of this recipe.  

Chef’s Note: If you decide to use red Swiss chard for this recipe it will tint your dish red. 

 

VEGETABLE CAVIAR - the blog

Vegetable Caviar
One of the many things I like about lentils is their colorful array: red green, yellow, brown and black, all differing slightly in size. In addition to their colorful looks they are collectively delicious, adding unique earthy flavors.  Sometimes lentils still have their skin attached and often they are split versus whole, so it makes sense that they have different cooking times which range anywhere from 10-40 minutes. My favorite is the French De Puy lentil with its caviar-like appearance, brownish-black with green speckles. In India and Egypt they are one of the most common foods and even comprise some of their national dishes. They are abundant in vegetarian dishes and in many stews like chicken and lamb.


(lentils with golden beets and raisins)


(French green lentils - my favorite) 


A tremendously healthy and robust food, lentils are a close competitor with soybeans and hemp seeds in their protein content.  They have plenty of fiber, folate (a/k/a Vitamin B9) which is particularly good for pregnant women, and loads of minerals and vitamin B1. Since they soak up water in your belly, they provide a satisfying feeling of fullness so you won’t be hungry anytime soon after consuming them.  All the way around lentils are a great tasting part of a healthy diet.

(brown lentils)

Lentils grow on bushes which are resistant to draughts. About one-third of the worldwide production comes from India and most of it is consumed in their domestic market.

(summery lentil dip with lime and corn chips)

Not Just Soup
In India it’s called Dahl (a brothy lentil-based soup) and in the states just simply lentil soup.  But what about the summer … lentils still have their place in salads (despite soup season being months away).  Too bad that often those dishes are not that deliciously prepared – yes I have been listening to the lamentations from my vegetarian spouse about various ready-to-eat store preparations.  So I’ve created a recipe which balances the harshness of the earthy lentil with dried fruits and a refreshing bright summer look with golden beets.

Lentil Salad

(recipe yields four portions)
2 cups lentils
1 bunch golden baby beets (4-5 pieces) other colored beets may be substituted
½ cup scallions or four stalks chopped
1 cup dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, blueberries, apricots
1 orange
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper grindings, to taste

1. Combine lentils and 5 cups of water then add 1 teaspoon of salt. On medium heat setting cook lentils until soft (20-30 minutes). If there is still water in the pot strain the lentils it off.
2. Cook beets in salted water on medium heat setting until soft (20-30 minutes). Cool beets with cold water then peel.  Cut beets into bite sized wedges.
3. In a mixing bowl combine beets, scallions, dried fruits, lentils, orange juice, olive oil, rice vinegar, salt and pepper. Use a plastic spatula to combine all ingredients.

Chef’s Tip: Do not use a metal spoon to combine the ingredients it tends to make a mush of the mixture because of the hard-edged spoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SWISS CHEESE? - the blog

The first time I ordered a hero in NYC over a decade ago the guy behind the deli counter asked me if I wanted “Swiss cheese.”  I’m thinking at this point wow this is terrific I’m traveling many thousands of miles away and I get something offered which I’m totally familiar with - Swiss cheese. To my surprise the so-called “Swiss cheese” in my sandwich had nothing to do with the cheese I grew up with except for the holes in it (very much like the stereotypical Swiss were a mouse houses in the Tom & Jerry cartoon).

(really good Emmenthaler "Swiss" cheese) 

It took me a while – actually a couple of years -- to realize that Swiss cheese had nothing to do with cheese from Switzerland.  Growing up in Austria cheese from Switzerland such as Gruyere, Emmenthaler, Appenzeler was a staple on our cheese board. Many cheeses from Switzerland are raw milk cheese meaning the milk does not get pasteurized and only gently heated in the cheese making process.  This helps to retain the excellent milk flavor of the healthy cow, which absolutely shines in the cheese.

RICOLA
When I think of Swiss cheese I think of the Ricola candy commercial where a guy plays the alp horn with a beautiful mountainous alpine panorama in the background.  I can tell you from my own experience working in Switzerland for a brief stint it’s absolutely true. The “Schwyzer Braunvieh” or Swiss brown cows roamed and grazed on herb inflected saturated grass with their sonorous bells ringing gently.

Terroir of cheese
Small production cheese making is an art and needs relatively simple equipment - I have even made some at home myself.  The quality of the grass on which the cows feed infuses the flavor of the milk and this makes or break the flavor of the cheese. Another important factor is the cheese maker who may follow tradition and local customs and allows the surrounding air do the trick and age naturally in the caves.

In our restaurant Little Cheese Pub we often have people eyeing the Swiss cheeses selections, one of which is Gourmino Emmenthaler which is the original “Swiss” cheese aged at least 6 months allowing the flavors to peak.  This Gourmino Emmenthaler has a natural nuttiness with a spicy flavor and pleasant medium texture,  easy to cut.

(a serious layer of cheese made in Switzerland in this hero) 


It really is a hero
One of the counterparts produced here in the US is Sur Choix Gruyere which is similarly aged and made from raw cow’s milk cheese in a truthful artisan way.  I have been featuring these cheeses as daily specials in a hero between layers of freshly baked poppy seed buns which add a little texture and simply lettuce and tomatoes.  With these cheeses you can hold the salt, oil, pepper and mayo because the cheese is awesome and needs no additions. 

So come to Little Cheese Pub to get a real hero with Cheese from Switzerland. 

TIS THE SEASON TO GET UNDRESSED … LIKE YOUR SALAD - the blog

It’s a fact, once the conversation starts about going to the beach, showing off the season’s newest swimwear and getting ready for summer vacations, many folks start to watch the daily fat intake. It’s evident with people frequently ordering ‘SOS’ (dishes with sauce on the side). The rest of us, or people like me, just pig out and dig into the every day fat filled foods. Either way eating a little lighter is welcome this time of year because of the heat alone!
The biggest culprit this time of year seems to be salad dressings perhaps because as we eat these delicious summer salads in the hopes of eating lighter folks realize the fat and calories are sneaking in when we ladle dressings over the greens. So we need to dress lighter and indulge in these beautiful tender greens that are hard to overlook at the local farmer’s market right now so abundant and at their peak. I wrapped my brains around this subject and came up with some tasty dressings with the beach figure in mind. And even if eating lighter is not your goal “Summer Dressing” is a perfect understated match for these perfect summer greens whose flavors need no heavy make-up.
 
(testing different kinds of fat less yogurt - Fage was my favorite) 

Summer Dressing
Fat is one of the key ingredients in dressings and I have yet to try a good fatless one yet so this fatless thing went right out the door.  Fat carries most flavor and we’re happily very accustomed to it – think of bacon for breakfast or foie gras -- so flavorful because of their fat content, which is upwards of 50%. 
I wanted to create a light dressing but without sacrificing flavor as I took apart a simple yoghurt dressing recipe from an old cookbook that was made with whole milk yoghurt. I decided to fat free yoghurt instead and added extra virgin olive oil for richness, which also boosted the flavor.  You may think “but you added the fat right back in.”  Not exactly, I replaced the milk fat with a vegetable oil which your body generally breaks down quicker.  I added fresh cucumber pieces and juice and a decent heap of fresh minced parsley to inject a fresh, cool summery feel to the dressing and I think it’s delicious.

(yogurt-cucumber dressing)

Summery Cucumber Dressing
(recipe dresses four salads)
1 cucumber
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped fine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups fat free yoghurt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
sea salt, to taste
fresh black pepper grindings

1.    Peel cucumber then cut in half . With a kitchen spoon scrape seeds out of cucumber middle. Put cucumber seeds in a fine mesh sieve then press juice with back of spoon through sieve - catching juices into a bowl. Chop seeded cucumber small (approximately 1/8-inch pieces).
2.    Peel garlic then chop roughly. Combine chopped garlic and olive oil in a small pot then cook on low heat setting for 3-4 minutes or until garlic is cooked throughout.
3.    Rinse parsley with water then chop fine (discard thick parsley stems if they’re too rough for you).
4.    With a kitchen spoon combine cucumber juice with garlic/oil mixture, parsley, yoghurt,  red wine vinegar salt and pepper then add cut cucumbers.
5.    Refrigerate dressing

Chef’s Tip: add fresh chopped dill to above recipe which is a terrific flavor companion to cucumbers.

(striped bass - a big boy getting ready on the grill - a match for the yogurt sauce)

Serving Suggestions
My favorite salad for this yoghurt dressing is iceberg  cut into large wedges which stands up strong to the somewhat weighty dressing and delivers a welcoming crunch.  Serve this salad next to a charred steak or fish from the grill which doesn’t even need a sauce on its own since the yoghurt dressing is substantial and delivers flavor balance.

DOES A CARROT COME WITH MILEAGE? the blog

Local carrots are becoming larger by the week -- now baby carrot sized, bunch carrots in a week or two, and much later in the season they’ll be gigantic! Last week I was still working with not-so-local carrots in a big bag left by my restaurant’s vegetable guy. I had a head scratching moment when I read where the carrots came from -- on the very bottom of the 50 lb bag it read “product of Israel.”  The flavor -- or what was left in these elephant carrots that had been shipped ages ago from across an ocean – was like a freshly sharpened pencil. Comparing these big boys to the locally harvested little carrots dug a few hours or days ago from fertile close-by Hudson Valley soil … well they are not even relatives.  In a recent conversation with some farmers I learned that the Hudson Valley has amazing terroir because of prehistoric lava eruptions creating an ideal environment for growing root vegetables.

(carrot tops)

Have you ever traveled to Hawaii and eaten a pineapple from South America?  Or look in local grocery stores here in NY – the apple state – and you’ll often find Washington apples.  In the food world things are not always what they appear to be – carrots apparently often come from far away and I’m eager to find out why they have to travel all those miles to come to a consumer like me.   In the meantime let’s cook them.

(fresh bunch carrots)

Spiced Carrots
(recipe yields four portions)

10 bunch carrots
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 pinches of cayenne
2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper grindings, to taste
2 tablespoons parsley, thinly sliced  

1.     Preheat the oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit
2.     Peel carrots then cut green tops off
3.     Combine carrots and spices in a deep heat-proof dish then add 1 cup of water. Cover dish with aluminum foil tightly
4.     Cook carrots in hot oven for two hours or until carrots are soft then add parsley.

Chef’s note: serve carrots whole or cut in mouth-sized pieces

Serving Suggestions: serve the above carrots with saucy dishes such as braised beef

SUMMER VEGETABLE STEW

I’m enamored with this summer Farmer’s market. I don’t think much can compete with local fruits and vegetables at this moment. A few days ago on my visit to the market the vegetables and fruits were so beautiful and abundant. Amazing flavors and colors took over reason and my palate overtook my mind and I bought way too many greens – I got excited. I feel fortunate to live in a city with where I can pick-up fruits and vegetables a few minutes away that are terrific quality, almost daily. Even growing up in a small village in Austria it was not that easy to get so much of your food from one spot.  At the Union Square market in NY leather skin farmers, dairy workers, cheese philosophers, shepherds, micro green hobbyists, tomato fanatics and writers with pickle and pretzel passions meet and offer their goods to us city people.

(cod crusted with millet served with Summer vegetable stew)

I can’t stress the importance of a freshly dug salad!  Bibb lettuce is amazing right now and has a rose scent which I can’t explain myself, the lettuce is plump and heavy in weight with gorgeous pale green leaves and just perfect right now. Other vegetables I came across are sweet candy-like peppers which made it into a jalapeno/pepper sorbet, and the least bitter eggplants which did wonders in my mother-in-law’s favorite eggplant parmigiana.
In the restaurant we showcased a summery vegetable stew. Simple and quick cooking methods are the most ideal right now – it’s about making these vegetables palatable  not cooking them to a mush.

The following Summer vegetable stew recipe shows off the current local offerings and reminds me of Italian minestrone.

(market vegetables for the stew)
 
Summer Vegetable Stew
(recipe yields four portions)

2 zucchini, yellow, green
1 eggplant
1 red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon tomato paste
sea salt, to taste
fresh black pepper, to taste
1 bunch/cup scallions, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon parsley leaves, sliced thinly

1.     rinse all vegetables with warm water then cut in mouth-sized pieces, discard pepper seeds
2.     in a pot (1-gallon sized) heat olive oil on medium heat setting then add cut vegetables, tomato paste salt and pepper – cook for 20 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon every once in a while
3.     add herbs to vegetable mixture continue to cook five more minutes then add 4 cups water – bring mixture to boil then steep on low heat setting for 20 minutes.

Chef’s Tip: add rosemary for extra fragrance and/or lovage an herb known for it’s intense parsley like flavor 

The day after
I loved this soup when I had leftovers the next day after it was chilled in the refrigerator. I did not even heat it up – just enjoyed it chilled which made the vegetables in the soup more intense.

 

A RECIPE FOR BOILED EGGS - SERIOUSLY

Recently eggs have been on my radar, possibly because my  toddler daughter’s obsession with them, especially hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. Of course she makes a big mess  of the egg breakfast holding it in her tiny hands but she is happy and gets good nutrition at the start of the day. My spouse and I jumped on the bandwagon – it’s delicious and seems easy enough to do at home early in the morning.  So it seems one of us is always carrying a boiled egg around.  The other day a few questions came up on how to boil an egg perfectly since I commented to my spouse about the dark green shaded ring around the egg yolk, which indicates to me that the egg was cooked too long.  Another issue is that eggs often brake during the cooking process simply because they bump into each other and roughly hit the wall of the cooking vessel once the water boils violently, even when you delicately lower them into the pot on a tablespoon. Not that Arabella cares about broken or overcooked eggs but I owe it to my daughter as a professional chef  to make her the perfect boiled egg.

I took over the egg cooking process in our house - for now at least.   So we started experimenting with cooking time, temperature fluctuations and even changing the cooking vessel to perfect the ever popular but sometimes overlooked glorious hardboiled egg.

Eggcellence
My spouse buys organic large brown eggs for us at home which is an excellent source of vitamin E. and as you probably know eggs are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The chickens that lay our eggs are fed an all-organic and vegetarian diet.

I utilize the egg carton  in the cooking process – yes, I cook the eggs in that cardboard box actually - a large enough pot is needed to fit the boxed eggs though.  Cooking them in the carton solves the problem of egg breakage since they can’t roll around wildly anymore in the boiling water.
Note: the eggs in this recipe come out of the refrigerator – this influences the cooking time

 

My ideal recipe for a hard-boiled egg:

• bring water to boil and immerse the card-boxed egg(s) into it .  Wait until the water boils again then switch the heat setting to the lowest level on the gas burner. Then steep for 12 minutes. So that the eggs cook gently to the point of moist doneness without running into problems of having a dark green shaded ring around the egg yolk. If you prefer the egg yolk to be drier, steep the eggs three minutes longer.
• Cool eggs under running cold water for 1 minute then peel.  The shell should come off easily and
  the center of the egg will be warm which adds to the pleasure of the eating experience.
  
  (boil water)
  
  (lower egg carton with eggs into the water
  
  
  
  
  (egg peeling) 
  
  
  (deviled eggs with golden beets)
  Note: sprinkle sea salt over halved breakfast eggs

If you want to be an “eggspert” keep reading
I realized that egg cookery has many variables:
Salting the egg cooking water (1 teaspoon/4 cups water) will make the cooked eggs shell come off more easily - the protein firms up better in the egg white.
Fresh eggs are often more difficult to peel like the ones I get from the Farmer’s market. Eggs that have been in our refrigerator for 3 days are easy to peel. 
If you have a hard time peeling a boiled egg: put the already cracked egg in the center of your microwave and zap for 20 seconds - this will solve the problem.
A trick to know if an egg is cooked sufficiently:  with a slotted spoon remove a cooked egg from the cooking water then spin it on the kitchen counter - an uncooked egg will spin out of alignment versus the cooked one which stays centered because the cooked egg yolk does not move around anymore.

 

 

BOK CHOY - BINGO - the blog

(charred bok choy with croutons, fermented pickles and radishes)

I was introduced to bok choy when I created a restaurant back in the late nineties. We were three partners one of whom was Chinese and loved bok choy, the other French and myself Austrian. Of course I wanted to reflect all of our interests and likes in our menu but being committed to locally sourced ingredients bok choy didn’t seem to be an option – I thought it was an imported vegetable. I was proved wrong when I met a family from Asia on my frequent farmer’s market trips. The family operates a local farm not far away from New York City and grows the most amazing bok choy and they sell it at the farmer’s market – Bingo. I created a chicken dish which I spiced with freshly ground licorice and then pan roasted it simply. The licorice underlined the natural roasting flavor quality. The chicken was served on a local three apple puree and bok choy which was quickly sautéed.

(saute bok choy with sausage and poached egg)

Thanks Bok Choy
Over the years I came to realize when creating menus that vegetables are actually triggering the sale of a protein such as beef, chicken, lamb etc – meaning that a guest generally knows what these taste like and actually chooses by the accompaniment.  So thank you bok choy for making my dish a top seller - the chicken and bok choy combo outsold the other menu items by far. 
Bok Choy is known to me in three versions shoots, baby sized and large. Younger bok choy is tender compared to the large one which has more texture. I love the crunchiness and simplicity of cooking it -- a quick steam makes the three versions palatable but when  kissed by a skillet quickly it becomes one of my favorite refreshing vegetables in Summer time.

Sautéed Bock Choy Salad
(recipe yields four bok choy side portions)

1 large bok choy or 2 lbs baby bok choy
3 scallions
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon canola oil

Dressing
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon agave syrup or honey may be substituted
1 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch pepper flakes

1. rinse bok choy with water then cut into 1-inch pieces
2. rinse scallions with water then cut into 1-inch pieces
3. toast sunflower seeds in a skillet on medium heat setting until browned
4. for the dressing combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, agave, sesame oil, and pepper flakes then mix with a wire whisk
5. In a large (11-inch diameter) skillet heat canola oil on high heat setting then add bok choy and cook/brown for 4-5 minutes then add dressing. Serve immediately (at this point bok choy still has a nice crunch but lost it’s rawness)

(bok choy salad with carrots, ping pong radishes and Sriracha dressing)

Note: bok choy contains a high amount of vitamin A and vitamin C 

Chef’s Tip: bok choy is terrific next to bbq pork or beef and perfect under a filet of grilled fish

MY OMA IN AUSTRIA - the blog

(my mother's Liptauer cheese spread)

As a young boy I was fortunate to have a mother who cooked traditional Austrian meals on a daily basis. It was natural for her to bring to the table what she had learned from her mother and the food and traditions on which she was raised. Needless to say all foods were locally sourced, some of it a stoneks throw from where I was raised. I remember walking to my grandmother’s farm-house quite often - it was a large estate, two stories high. My grandmother wasn’t herself into farming and agriculture she just owned the house and the surrounding land. The first floor of the farm and stable of the house was rented out to an operating farmer who raised oinking piggies, brown flecked cows, proud chickens and a whole family of dogs and cats. My oma (grandmother in Austrian) always had an abundance of edible goodies from the farm ready to be enjoyed. As I grew older I realized that this plentifulness of food from the farm was no coincidence, it was actually a part of the lease terms to have an unlimited supply of milk from the cows downstairs which was sweet as vanilla cream. The orchard supplied fragrant apples, aromatic pears, fleshy plums, soft skinned apricots and we relished a variety of tender lettuces and crunchy radishes from the farm’s garden. The agreement even included schnapps which was distilled on premises from the various gifts of the orchard - a hobby of the farmer. 

(Heurige cheese & apples  "everything from this years harvest") 


This season's wine and food
Lease agreements where certainly different back in the day compared to these days. Recently I have been involved in a few of them in my own life. I guess it triggered old memories so much that we want to revitalize some of those traditions in our restaurant. In Austria there is one word which describes a restaurant which sources its ingredients from the immediate area and often produces everything themselves in a fashion similar to a farm. It's called a “Heurige” which essentially means everything edible and drinkable comes from the most recent harvest such as wines, beers summer sausages, cured hams, pickled vegetable. I remember eating saibling which is from the rainbow trout family, and smoked carp looking over the picturesque Danube river in one of those Heurigen on our most recent visit to Vienna. It was accompanied by a green and zingy, fresh Grüner Veltliner wine (an Austrian grape) from the most recent harvest which was a perfect match.
The following recipe is my mother’s it did not need any revisions and will go right on the menu.

(house-pickled market fresh vegetables - perfect for snacking in the wine tavern) 

Liptauer Cheese Spread
(enough cheese dip for a party of four person)

4 ounces butter    
4 ounces farmers cheese    
4 ounces cream cheese  
1 glove garlic
1 shallot
1 large pickle
1 tablespoon capers,
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoons sea salt such as Baline
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons Hungarian-style paprika powder

1. Soften butter at room temperature (let butter sit for 15 minutes at room temperature).
2. In a electric kitchen blender whip butter (4-5 minutes) with paddle attachment then add topfen, cream cheese and cooked garlic continue to whip mixture (4-5 minutes).
3. Peel and cut shallot, garlic (1/8-inch dice), dice pickles (1/8-inch dice), chop capers finely and cut parley (1/8-inch wide). Bring a pot filled with water (2 cups)  to boil then cook onions and pickles for one minute then poor into a strainer and let cool.
4. Combine spices, cooked/cooled vegetables and parsley with butter mixture and mix to combine (1-2 minutes)

Chef’s note: the farmer’s cheese used in this recipe is called topfen - I get it from the farmer’s market. In Austria a cheese dip is eaten with thin slices of dark fragrant  rye bread.

 

 

PEAS IN A POD

This time of year evenings are still cool and the day temperatures are quite high already. This seems to be a good climate for peas since they have a natural sweetness unlike any other vegetable - the mild candy quality of the peas makes me think I should create a dessert with them where very little added sugar is needed. Yes, I’m enamored with peas - so much that I chose it as a part of the cookbook title I have been working on …Sugar From Peas. 

(peas in a pod)

On the menu
At my guests' request each spring season our chilled pea soup makes a comeback in my restaurant. I remember a dish which I loved as a young cook when I was a culinary trainee in Italy. We had to prepare risi pisi which is peas and rice with some cubed carrots in the mix for color - it was simple and delicious because of the excellent green peas. I feature something similar on my current menu which I combine with luscious bbq Berkshire pork belly, and it’s a real treat, just a terrific combination of flavors. 

(peas & carrot salad)

Peas & Co
Unlike the rounded pods of garden or English peas, the pods of snow peas are flat. When selecting them choose smaller pods as they tend to be sweeter. The peas I have from the Farmer’s market this week Iare so crunchy, sweet and satisfying I don’t even cook them as their flavor and texture are such a nice component in salads. I simply cut them in mouth-sized pieces and toss them with sliced radishes - another of the moment's vegetables. Last week we combined peas with chopped asparagus and green celery and I'm already looking forward to tomatoes and corn in a few weeks which will make terrific companions for peas. I suggest staying raw with these vegetables - simply chop’n dress and stay cool in the heat wave. 

(peas & radish salad)
 
Snap Peas & Radish Salad
(recipe yields four appetizer portions)
 
Lime & Honey Dressing
1 lime
1 teaspoon sea salt such as Baline
1 teaspoon honey such as clover honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 pinches cayenne
5 gratings black pepper corn
 
1. Cut lime in half then juice into a small bowl.
2. Combine lime juice with salt, honey, vinegar, cayenne and pepper then mix with a wire whisk.
3. Poor olive oil slowly into lime/honey mixture constantly mixing with the whisk.

Snap Pea Salad
Sea salt (to taste)
4 cups sugar snap peas 
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley 
4 radishes (1/2-diameter) such as red garden radish

1. Cut off ends from snap peas then cut in ½-inch long pieces
2. Cut radishes with a vegetable slicer such as a mandolin (1/8-inch thick slices) or a knife.
3. In a bowl toss snap peas with radish slices and parsley then serve.
 
(a mountain of peas)
(peas and funny name radishes)

Chef’s Note:
I read up on the nutrient value of peas it turns out they are a good source of vitamin K, C, A and B, they support blood sugar regulation and are beneficial in preventing stomach cancer since peas are a good source of antioxidants!  

 

PICNIC

We live close-by an amazing green walk-way which is located on and old railroad track two stories above street level it’s called the Highline – this week is the highly anticipated opening of the second renovated section  of it with the main entrance on 23rd street.  If you visit New York City I recommend you take a stroll along the beautifully designed pathway during your stay. If you live in Manhattan and you haven’t been yet – it’s a must check-out. It gives a voyeuristic glimpse into the surrounding scenery -- buildings, human pedestrian traffic, and backyards -- all interesting to look at. The other day we had friends visiting from out of town and were showing off our new pathway-park – they enjoyed it very much.

(Farmstead cheddar from England, 5-spoke Creamery cheddar from Pennsylvania, Emmentahler from Switzerland)

En plein air snacking
We realized it’d be nice to nibble on something during chatting, sitting on the funky benches and absorbing the bustling walk-way – a picnic came to mind.
Our new restaurant Little Cheese Pub happens to be a stone’s throw from the Highline so I phoned in an order of a cheese plate and my favorite large pretzel with cheese dip, and a few more dips next to house-pickled vegetables. Within 20 minutes we were happy to see Roberto our delivery man with the goodies. It was delicious and straight forward -- we ate with our hands, no bother with cutlery, and enjoyed little wedges of cheese and loaded up on house-baked poppy seed crisps with green olive hummus and dipped the giant pretzel in the piquant cheese dip seasoned with Hungarian paprika and minced pickles. Al fresco snacking on a beautiful sunny day certainly has its appeal. Really not much can compete which is why everything tastes so good on vacations! The following cheese dip is fairly simple to make and I suggest bringing this potluck along to your next picnic party. It will be much appreciated.

(green olive hummus with poppy seed crisps)

Cheese Dip
(enough for a snack for four people – accompanied by crackers, bread crisps or pretzels)

8 ounces cream cheese  
¼-tablespoon roasted garlic puree
1 shallot, diced
¼-cups pickles, chopped
¼-cup capers, chopped
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
Kosher-style salt, to taste
2 pinches cayenne
1 tablespoon Hungarian-style paprika powder

1. In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix with a wire whisk.

A few picnic tips:
- I recommend firm cheese for picnics which can withstand hotter temperatures (parmesan, cheddar chunks, pecorino, etc.)
- nuts, olives or such finger foods are ideal and easy to maneuver on a blanket
- utensils are not worth bringing so look out for pre-portioned edibles (grapes, sandwiches, mouth sized pieces of fruits etc.)
- some controlled outdoor places let you bring wine and beer if that is the case I recommend screw caps on bottles (I forgot several times either corkscrew or bottle opener
– which is a bummer at the moment)
- whipped cream, chocolates – keep’em for the romantic picnic in the cooler evenings - who needs the melting mess during the hot day

(my little family having a picnic) 

Picnics are a terrific way to connect again: We planned my mother-in-law’s birthday around a walk along the Highline with a picnic snack and I’m planning about a quiet, romantic Sunday evening with my spouse – I’ll arrange a babysitter for Arabella our daughter and perhaps bring strawberries and cream.