Ingredient Spotlight: Maxixe

Lately all this Farm to Fork marketing hubbub seems to be steadily driving up the pricing at my homebase farmers' market (the Sunday one at W and 8th). $5 for a small handful of blueberries? $6 for a basket of figs? Are you kidding me?! Your killin' me Smalls! In fact, a friend just told me this week that she can't afford to shop at the Oak Park farmers' market anymore- it's gotten too rich for her pocketbook! So to keep my wallet from feeling the sting but to still eat healthy, I've been driving out to the farmers' market on Thursday mornings on Florin Road were I can still get the reasonable prices on my fresh, local produce that I've grown accustom to over the years. Many of the vendors at Florin are the same ones that are there on Sunday at W Street with the same stock, just lower prices.

On a recent visit, I was intrigued by these spiky grenade-looking veggies with a rat tail. The vendor described them as being a cucumber and gave me a taste. He used a knife to carve off the outer skin of the "grenade" and told me the flesh was edible- seeds and all. He was right, the taste had some similarity to a cucumber, maybe a little less watery and it had a very slight citrus undertone. I bought a dozen for $1. I figured if I couldn't find a recipe to use it in, the kidlets could use them as weapons, Battle Royale-style.

When I got home, I researched my purchase and it turned out, my new spiny veggie buddy is actually called a maxixe. Maxixes originated in Africa and were brought to Brazil during the slave trade.  These days, they're quite popular in Northeastern Brazil and in the Caribbean. (In the Caribbean they're called the Burr Gherkin.) Most of my research turned up that the maxixe was best enjoyed cooked- mainly in stews or sautéed. Neither sounded very appetizing to me. So I decided to use it in making some Japanese style cucumber salad. It came out pretty good. Kind of a pain in the butt to peel but quite tasty and refreshing.

Maxixe Salad

Ingredients

8-9 maxixes washed, peeled and sliced paper thin

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

 

Instructions

 

1. Using a knife, remove the spiky outer skin layer of your maxixe. Then slice each maxixe into in half lengthwise; scrape the seeds out. Using a sharp knife, cut into very thin slices.

 

2. Gently press the maxixe slices in between 2 pieces of paper towel to get excess water out.

 

3. In a bowl, combine  together rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Mix together well and make sure everything dissolves. Add maxixe. Toss. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. Serve.

Shady Lady Tomato Sauce

Shady Lady tomatoes...they're like the sexy, busty sirens of the farmers' market. With their deep lipstick red color and voluptuous shape, how can you resist them? You can eat them sliced on a plate with some buffalo mozzarella with a good balsamic drizzle or stacked with a thick cut of smoky applewood bacon and some creamy avocado on a fresh, hearty slice of sourdough. There's so many delicious ways to enjoy this heavenly fruit. One of my favorite ways to consume Shady Lady tomatoes is to oven-roast them and then make them into a sauce. The sauce is rich in flavor and smooth like butta', much too good to plop on a bowl of ordinary pasta. I like to use it to dress up appetizers like crostini or mini meatballs. With this batch, I used it to sauce some eggplant parmesan bites I made for some patio dining. We grew some wonderful Japanese eggplants in our garden this summer at Mr. S.'s which I sliced up into rounds. I dipped the round in egg yolk, then tossed them in a mixture of Parmesan cheese and dried breadcrumbs and fried them in some olive oil until they were nice and crisp. (I then placed them on some paper to absorb the excess oil.) Next, I spooned a tablespoon of my Shady Lady tomato sauce on the round and sprinkled some Parmesan on top and served the eggplant bite hot. They were a hit! Next year we'll have to grow more eggplants.

Our Japanese eggplants in the garden when they were about 1/4 of the way grown- don't they look like X-mas ornaments?

Shady Lady Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

5-6 big Shady Lady Tomatoes ( peeled*, cored, seeded, halved)

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

2 small yellow onions, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

glug of dry, red wine

2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 bay leaf

handful of fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon good-quality balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place tomato, garlic and onion in a glass baking dish. Spread out in a single layer, don't crowd. You want them to roast, not steam. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20-30 minutes until they start to caramelize (slightly browned and shriveled).

3. Place roasted tomatoes, garlic, onions in a food processor and give it a few good pulses. Place in a medium-size pot over medium heat. Add wine, sugar, sea salt, bay leaf, and fresh basil. Add a splash of good quality balsamic vinegar. Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

4. Taste. Season with fresh ground pepper. Adjust seasonings if needed.

Marcella Hazan writes in The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: "No other preparation is more successful in delivering the prodigious satisfactions of Italian cooking than a competently executed sauce with tomatoes."

 

* The easiest way to peel a tomato is to :

1) Slice a shallow "X" on the bottom of the tomato. Then submerge the tomato in boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Remove and plunge in an ice bath for 30-45 seconds. Remove from the ice bath. The skin should peel off.

OR

2) Freeze the tomato. Remove the tomato from the freezer and let it thaw. Once thawed the skin should slip right off the tomato.

Asari No Sakamushi

One of my favorite childhood foods was clams- pretty much in any form but fried. When we were living at Yokota Air Force Base outside of Tokyo, my parents would take me to this small Japanese restaurant where I would eat bowl after bowl of miso soup laden with teeny-tiny clams the size of a nickel called shijimi. I see miso soup with clams on menus here in California but never with the wee clams that I had in Japan, instead a bigger, slightly briny clam called an asari (Manila clam) is used. On a trip back to Japan a few years back, my friend Mayumi, took me to the Tsukiji market at the crack of dawn and lo and behold they had my clams...the tiny ones! We bought a big bag...the fishmonger even gave us the "bijin discount" (the pretty girl discount) and Mayumi's grandma was kind enough to cook the clams for us for dinner. It's crazy how little things like that can bring you such happiness.

Even though, I can't get my hands on the itty-bitty shijimi clams here I do get some pretty small clams at Sunh Fish and at Oto's from time to time to make asari miso soup with. If I'm feeling particular grown up, I'll make asari no sakamushi (Manila clams steamed in sake). You usually can find this dish served in izakayas (Japanese pubs). The dish requires very few ingredients and minimal work. Mr.S. isn't too crazy about it...he tends to like his mollusks immersed in butter and garlic but the simplicity of the dish suits me just fine especially on nights when I don't want to spend too much time fussing in the kitchen. A bowl of asari no sakamushi, a glass of white wine and I'm set.

Asari No Sakamushi

Ingredients

2 lbs. asari (Manila clams), scrubbed well
sea salt
1 cup sake ( I used Sho Chiku Bai)
4 tablespoons mirin
1 cup water
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts)

Instructions

1. Place clams in a colander or a wire sieve. In a large bowl, add one tablespoon of sea salt and fill with cold water. Submerge the colander of clams into the salty water. (Make sure all the clams are covered with the salty water.) Leave in a cool place at least two hours (or up to overnight). The clams will spit out the sand and the sand should fall to the bottom of the bowl. Sometimes if there seems to be a lot of sand, halfway through I'll change out the salted water.

2. Drain the clams and rinse them well. Sometimes if they look a little bit janky, I'll use my scrub brush on them at this point. Throw away any clams that don't close.

3. In a large, deep pan- combine the sake, mirin, and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the clams. Cover the pan.

4. Give the pan a good shake every so often. Cook, roughly 4-5 minutes, until shells open.

5. Discard any clams that refuse to open. You do not want to eat those.

6. Garnish with scallions.

* If you want to add a little more kick, sprinkle some togarashi on the finished product.

Seckel Pear-Walnut Bread

Did you know the California Pear Advisory Board is the first California commodity board to sponsor Sacramento's Farm-to-Fork program? To celebrate, many area restaurants like Hawks, Broderick and Michelangelo's will be featuring an appetizer or a drink highlighting the pear during the months of September and October. For more info check out: Farm to Fork-Cal Pear

In my own household and at Mr.S's, we've been eating a lot of pears as well (like in that delicious Blue Heaven Pear Tart I posted about recently). Pears are quite nutritious- they're low in calories, high in fiber and contain no fat or sodium. Most recently, I purchased a bunch of Seckel pears grown by Stillwater Orchards in Courtland. Seckel pears are little itty-bitty pears that are so cute that you almost don't want to eat them. These petite, chubby pears are an olive green color with a maroonish blush. They don't change color when they become ripe, they just get soft around the stem. They also have a delicate sweetness which makes them perfect for pairing with cheese.

 

Currently, I've been enamored with Nancie McDermott's cookbook, "Southern Cakes," which I checked out from my local library. The book is filled with all kinds of irresistible sounding sweets and delectable treats. One recipe in particular caught my eye- Cornelia Walker Bailey's Pear Bread.

I used my Seckels in this recipe and it came out perfect. Since the recipe makes two loaves I shared with friends and I received several compliments on the end product. The pear bread is moist, sweet and nutty- the trinity of perfection for a quick bread. According to my buddy Dave, this bread also tastes quite good when you're drunk. ;-)

Cornelia Walker Bailey's Pear Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups AP flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups peeled and finely grated ripe but firm pears (Seckels, if you can find them)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

 

 

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease and flour two 9″x 5″loaf pans.
• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of this mixture and combine it with nuts to coat. Stir the coated nuts back into the flour mixture.
• In a separate bowl, combine butter, eggs, sugar, grated pears, and vanilla. Mix it well then add the this mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until the flour disappears and the batter is evenly moistened.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the bread is browned and firm on top. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
• Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, remove from pan and place top side up on a plate or wire rack to cool completely.

 

Have You Checked These Out? : Witch Finger Grapes

I was at Raley's today and spotted these-- they're grapes! I've never seen anything like it, have you? According to the produce guy, they're called Witch Finger Grapes. Theses dark, elongated hybrid grapes are grown in the San Joaquin Valley. He gave me one of the freaky, little pointy "fingers" to taste and they turned out to be a tad too sweet for me but I could definitely see kids really liking them. Might be a fun way to add some pizzazz to the fruit in your kidlet's lunchbox.

Pink Pearl Apple Salad with Fresh Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Last night, Mr.S. and I introduced Kidlet #1 to the iconic 80's flick, "The Breakfast Club." Although some scenes and references needed explaining (the movie was made in 1985 after all), Kidlet #1 seemed to really enjoy it. That's one of the things I just adore about that kid. He's so open to new ideas, activities and people. I wish more adults were like that. Another amazing thing about him is that he's open to trying new foods. He's always a joy to take out or cook for. Sure, he likes the teen staples of burgers, tacos and pizza but he's just as willing to delve into some sushi, Thai or Greek food.

Recently I brought over a few Pink Pearl apples for the kidlets to try. Kidlet #2 looked at the fruit with the utmost suspicion whereas Kidlet #1 snaked a taste as soon as I sliced it up. If you've never seen a Pink Pearl apple before, pop by the Co-op and pick one up. They currently have a huge display of the heirloom apples from Rider and Sons out of Watsonville. The peel is smooth and cream colored, oftentimes with a blush but the wow factor is that the flesh is a striking rose-pink. The only drawback with these beauties? The season is short, usually just a few weeks.

*An interesting tidbit- Pink Pearl apples were developed right here in Northern California in 1944, by a gentleman named Albert Etter, from a variety called Surprise.

To showcase these pomaceous lovelies, I decided to keep the recipe uncomplicated. I offered them up on a bed of simple mixed greens, sprinkled with honey almond slices and a few drizzles of homemade apple cider vinaigrette. The salad was a hit, Kidlet #2 had two HUGE servings.

Fresh Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 teaspoons honey

1.5 teaspoons Dijon mustard

a good sized pinch of Kosher salt

a good sized pinch of fresh ground back pepper

1 tablespoon minced shallots

2/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid


Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to your jar, close the lid.

2. Shake well. You want the oil to incorporate and the mixture to emulsify.

3. Slowly pour on salad.

*vinaigrette will keep for a day or two, refrigerated. Just bring to room temperature to use.

Ask Jeeves: The Big Red Bus Has Arrived!

Are you ready for the 3-day weekend? There's so many fun things going on around town- Chalk It Up!, the Sacramento Greek Festival and of course- the Norm Lopez Pub Crawl. I love that Sacramento is always poppin' with fantastic community activities. Last Sunday, I was able to check out Music in the Park at Curtis Park. What a wonderful event! There was free music and a pretty big turn out. Lots of Sacramentans, kids and dogs came out to enjoy the festivities.

For those who had the munchies, there was easy accessibility to the food trucks. The first shift was done by Wicked 'Wich and the second by The Big Red Bus. What? You haven't heard of the Big Red Bus? It's the latest addition to the Sac food truck scene. The brainchild of the folks over at The Street of London, TBRB has already been seen at several popular venues around town. At the helm of the rowdy group of rapscallions is the executive chef of SOL- Martin Hutton.

According to the chef, the TBRB will be serving a global fusion of nibbles. During my visit to Music in the Park, I had the opportunity to taste the curry fries (crispy French fries with the perfect amount of curry flavoring) and the Carnasian. The Carnasian is a large wrap packed full of spiced shredded beef, fresh Asian slaw, cheese, a slightly spicy sauce and fries. The fries are actually inside the wrap giving each bite a nice crunchy texture factor, kind of like fried wontons. The Carnasian was quite delectable, although I wish the wrap part was slightly softer (mine was a bit dry and hard)...a lavash might make a good substitute. I would order it again though, I loved the mélange of flavors.

The other menu item that caught my eye was the Fat Elvis. If you are jonesing for a juicy burger made with Track 7's Delta King Saison ketchup, cheese, produce and some lip smackin' peanut butter glaze--- then this burger is for you, it's fit for a king! For those who have their heart set on some UK fare, TBRB offers up the Moby- Icelandic cod in a Newcastle beer infused batter with a serving of fries.

Sound good? To get your grub on, all you have to do is look for Jeeves, the big red "bus".
Today, you can find Jeeves at New Helvetia on Broadway until 4pm. Cheers!

FB page: The Big Red Bus
(916) 233-9267

Broderick



319 6th Street, West Sacramento, CA 95605. (916) 372-2436

http://www.broderick1893.com/

 

 

 

If you watch, "How I Met Your Mother," you might remember the episode where the gang goes running around NYC frantically looking for "THE" burger. Upon finding it, the following conversation takes place:

Lily: This burger is so good, its like Christmas in my mouth. Meat Christmas.
Ted: Its like an angel from heaven landed in the kitchen of McClaren's... where the chef killed it and ran it through the meat grinder.
Barney: I love this burger so much I want to sew my ass shut.

Well, quite frankly, that's how I feel about the lamb burger at Broderick. If the calorie and cholesterol count wouldn't kill me, I'd be there every other day wolfing one down. Yea, it's that good!

How did I come by this burger? Purely by chance. I heard all the chatter and read all the press last fall when Broderick opened. I kept meaning to go and check out what all the hub-bub was about but I couldn't find the time. Then I got a post on my blog's Facebook page from a Kristina Becerra telling me that I really need to check out Broderick and that they serve "some of the best pub grub ever." Well, who doesn't love pub grub? So about two months ago, a friend and I stopped into Broderick after a jaunt through the West Sacramento evening farmers' market. We used the GPS to find our way over there and I'm glad we did, it's tucked in a little nook off of 6th Street and if you're not looking closely, it's easy to zoom by it. As we were walking into the building, two guys pulled up and asked us if it was a church. Pretty funny, but I could see how they could make that mistake. The building's exterior has a bit of an old mission look to it. The interior lends itself more towards a roadhouse-like vibe though. To the right is a large bar and high-top tables and to the left is a small dining room with TV. The predominant theme to the décor was black, dark wood and more black and dark wood. ☺ For this visit, we sat on the dining room side. Surprisingly there were a lot of families with small children at Broderick. My friend and I both ended up ordering the lamb burger that was shown on the table tents and a pint of refreshing grapefruit-sage kombucha. The lamb burger was amazing! The meat was cooked perfectly (nice and juicy) and the flavoring was spot on. The menu said the lamb was spiced Lebanese-style, I'm not exactly sure what that entails but my tastebuds loved it. I'm pretty sure I tasted some cumin and coriander somewhere in there...and maybe some mint? The burger came outfitted with goat cheese, roasted tomato, arugula & balsamic vinaigrette-- all on a super soft bun. The accompanying hand-cut fries were wonderful. I skipped the upgrades and just went naked on my fries. They had just the right amount of crispiness and salt/seasoning.

On my second visit to Broderick, I ventured out and tried their duck burger for lunch. It was described as, "smoke pepper crusted, slathered in fig jam & garlic aioli; served with fried onion crisps and arugula." Oh hell yea! The duck burger was awesome- like a sweet and savory flavor bomb. One diner at my table thought it was a tad too spicy but I only noticed a slight bit of heat in the aftertaste. Again, the fries were cooked perfectly. (Whoever their fry guy is, he or she consistently knocks them out of the park.) I wanted to order their tasty kombucha again but was told that they had discontinued it due to lagging sales. What a bummer. Hopefully they bring it back. It was the perfect (non-alcoholic) refreshment for a hot day.

On my most recent visit, I dragged Mr.S. there. Yes, dragged is the correct word. We had just finished seeing "The King and I," at the Wells Fargo Pavillion and were absolutely ravenous. The only problem was that it was 11:30pm on a Friday night and there's not much open in Sactown. So I called Broderick and was advised that they do serve food until midnight on weekends. Score! I could tell Mr.S. was leery but he begrudgingly agreed that we could go there. Later he told me about his concerns- that Broderick was in a bit of a rough neighborhood, we walked into what appeared to be a dive bar and that he was pretty sure he would probably end up with some freezer-burned burger concoction and soggy fries. Well Mr.Skeptical was 0-3. No one stole his car, the staff was super nice and he ended up loving his lamb burger and couldn't stop raving about it for several days. I ordered the same along with a nice, cold pint of Ruhstaller. Again, the burger exceeded my expectations. I hate to mess with a good thing but one of these days I may need to deviate from their lamb burger and try their famous banh mi fries (fries topped with slow roasted pulled pork, pickled vegetables, jalapeños & house made citrus caramel sauce). They also carry several other delicious burgers (I've heard raves for the True Bleu and the Johnny Cash), sandwiches (these are the same guys who run Wicked 'Wich), a mean mac 'n cheese and several vegetarian selections...and of course there's a full bar.

The service I received on all three visits was attentive, helpful and friendly. The staff members I encountered were eager to make suggestions, happy to answer questions and willing to make accommodations/modifications for dietary needs. My only gripe with the place (and it's a very small gripe) is that it always seems to be hot and slightly stuffy in there...I wish management would crank up the AC a bit to make it more comfortable.

So if your looking to pacify a burger-craving or just want some solid pub grub, make the trek out to West Sacramento and try out Broderick's. Oh and definitely order the lamb burger! As for me, I loved Broderick's unpretentious bar food and the old school atmosphere and have a feeling those won't be the last lamb burgers I get under my belt.

Ingredient Spotlight: Kewpie (Creamy Shrimp and Avocado Salad)

I'm not much of a mayo girl. Usually if a recipe calls for a hefty dose of mayo, I'll sub in Greek yogurt. I never, ever go the Miracle Whip route- that stuff tastes vile. Anyhow, once in awhile I'll get a hankering for seafood salad- you know the goopy, white stuff with chunks of veggies, shrimp and crab? When I do, I opt to make it with Kewpie. Kewpie mayonnaise is a Japanese mayo that's been around since the mid 1920's. It comes in this weird squishy bottle (that kind of reminds me of a colostomy bag) with a creepy, open-armed, naked baby as its logo. Despite the odd packaging, I've been eating the stuff for years. My mom used to make Japanese potato salad with it when I was a kid (in fact I nowadays I still prefer my potato salad with Kewpie over the standard mayo). To me Kewpie has a much smoother, creamier texture than Best Foods or Kraft and tastes less eggy (they use twice the amount of egg yolks). Also it's made from rice vinegar as opposed to distilled vinegar, so it imparts a slightly sweeter taste. Kewpie also has a bit of umami to it, making it great for incorporating it into a variety of dishes. I've used it in deviled eggs, in oyster motoyaki and drizzled on okonomiyaki.   If you like mayo with your artichoke, asparagus or French fries, try switching it out for Kewpie. You won't go back. Additionally, if you mix it with sriracha, it makes a fantastic spicy dipping sauce.

 

 

 

Creamy Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of cooked, medium-sized shrimp

5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (optional. I skip this sometimes as Mr. S. is not a raw tomato fan)

1 firm but ripe avocado, chopped into small cubes

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup Kewpie mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon sriracha

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 teaspoon of shio-koji (or sub in a pinch of salt)

fresh ground pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Slice cooked shrimp into small bite-sized pieces. Place in a medium-sized bowl. Combine with cherry tomatoes, avocado and red onion.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together Kewpie, lime juice, sriracha, garlic, shio-koji and pepper.

3. Pour dressing over shrimp mixture. Gently toss together.

4. Give the flavors a chance to meld together (I throw it in the fridge for a half hour).

5. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Makes 2 servings

* If you're in Sacramento, Oto's sells Kewpie.

Small Batch Honey-Fig Jam

If you're one of the lucky ones who has ready access to a flourishing fig tree, I'm sure you're up to your eyeballs in sweet, ripe figs right about now. One easy way to use up some of your bounty is to make some fig jam. This is a super easy recipe that utilizes honey instead of sugar. I just made a batch this week with a bag of plump Mission figs my friend Dawn gave me and some local honey I buy from another friend, Neal. Since it was a small batch I skipped water bathing the jam and just popped it in the fridge. It'll keep there for about a month, but I'm sure it'll get eaten up much sooner than that. Plopped on some Greek yogurt, spread on some fresh-baked bread or accompanying a simple cheese platter...mmm...I'm getting hungry just thinking about the uses!

Small Batch Honey-Fig Jam

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh figs, cut into quarters

1.5 cups good quality honey (go for the lighter color honey, so that it won't overwhelm the flavor of the figs)

6 tablespoons of water

lemon zest of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons of lemon juice


Instructions

1. Sterilize your half-pint jars in boiling water. Place your lids in a pan of VERY hot (but not boiling) water for at least 5 minutes.

2.  Wash figs and remove stems. (I don't peel them as the skins get quite soft during the cooking process and I like the texture.) Slice figs into quarters.

3. In a large saucepan, combine the figs, honey and water. Let sit (unheated) for about 25-30 minutes.

4. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat immediately to a simmer and cook for about 30-40 minutes. Stirring frequently (you don't want the honey to burn). You'll notice that the figs will start to break down and the mixture will thicken. (Optional: If you want smaller bits, you can mash them up a bit with a potato masher at this point.)

5. Add lemon zest and juice. Stir. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

6. Remove from heat. Ladle into hot-sterilized jars. Place lid on. Allow to cool, place in fridge.

7. Will keep for about a month, refrigerated.

Real Pie Company Is Making a Comeback!

Received the email below today and for those of you who used to order Kira's pies and picked them up at Corti's back in the day, you know how delicious her pies, galettes and quiches are.


Dear Valued Customers and Friends:
 
It is with immense happiness that I announce the rebirth of the Real Pie Company.
On Friday, August 30th, I will begin offering a limited menu of Real Pies two afternoons a week to my customers. The pies will be available on the 30th at East Sac Mercantile (http://eastsacmercantile.com) from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. The pies will then (after the 30th) be available every Thursday and Friday afternoon from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. The Mercantile is located at 3257 Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento, and has ample street parking. I plan to expand my baking days in October to include Saturdays.
 
(*Note: I will NOT be baking Thurs/Fri, September 19/20).
 
(* Note: I cannot take credit cards until the first week of September! Cash or checks only on the 30th. Sorry about that).

As always, our menu will change weekly depending on the produce we are able to source from our region's wonderful small family farms. Each week, I will send out the menu of available pies to subscribers of my email list. (Important: If you would like to be removed from our email list, please unsubscribe below).
 
In addition to our ever-changing seasonal pies, tarts and galettes, “staple” items that will (usually) be on the menu include our Jumbleberry pie (packed with blackberries, blueberries, cherries and raspberries) and some version of our rustic apple galette (or pie), simply because there’s always such a high demand for these items.
 
Unfortunately, I cannot take pie reservations at this time due to my limited production. Sorry about that.
 
I look forward – with much joy – to be baking for you again. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at kira@realpiecompany.com.
 
Warmest regards,
Kira O’Donnell
Real Pie Company
East Sac Mercantile
3257 Folsom Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95816

www.realpiecompany.com (website under construction at the moment!)

Ingredient Spotlight: Sugar Plums (Sugar Plum Torte)

Ahhh, sugar plums. I always look forward to those tiny plums coming into season but at the same time lament that they signal the end of summer. You start spotting them around the end of July/beginning of August and their availability is short-lived (usually around 3 weeks). This year I decided to purchase some (I got mine at the Co-op, they're from Full Belly Farms I believe) and make Marian Burros' famous Plum Torte. Marian Burros is a cookbook author and a food columnist for The New York Times. Her plum torte recipe has been the most often requested and the most republished recipe in the NYT for twenty years. Crazy, huh? You know it's got to be a pretty good recipe with a track record like that. I think most of you will really like this torte- it's quick to prepare, requires few ingredients and it makes your house smell phenomenal. The cake portion is crusty and airy, the plums sweet and there's a whisper of cinnamon and sugar. You could make this recipe with any old plum; but trust me, if you want to bump up the flavor profile of the torte and truly make it shine, use sugar plums. These bite size plums have a wonderful honey taste that can't be beat. The whole shebang is absolutely delectable but it tastes even more fantastic served warm with a side of vanilla ice cream or topped with some sweetened whipped cream. Best of all (gasp!), this torte freezes well so you can enjoy these juicy, sweet plums in the dead of winter.

Sugar Plum Torte  (New York Times)

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
24 halves pitted sugar plums
Sugar and cinnamon for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream sugar and butter in a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, salt and eggs, and beat well.

3. Spoon the batter into a spring form of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter (I didn't, it doesn't really matter). Sprinkle lightly with sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, or to taste. (I mixed some sugar and cinnamon together and then sprinkled that across the cake.)

4. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired (but first, double-wrap the tortes in foil, place in a plastic bag, and seal). Or cool to lukewarm, and serve.

5. To serve a torte that has been frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.

Yield: 8 servings.

Midtown Cocktail Week : Welcome to the Show

The 6th Annual Midtown Cocktail Week has started. Unless you've been living under a rock in Sacramento, you're probably familiar with the event. This year though the Midtown Business Association and the local bars and restaurants are going big with several days of tastings, events, classes and merriment. The festivities started off today with a Educational Vendor Expo at the Citizen Hotel. I tagged along with two of my favorite people from Berryessa Brewing, Clint and Jenni, to sneak a peek (and a few tastes) of some lovely libations. We taste tested some tequila from Don Julio, bourbon from Buffalo Trace and Kahlua Midnight (a rum and black coffee mix) amongst several other spirits. Hey, no judging...sometimes I girl needs to get her drink on...at 1pm...on a weekday....

Out of all the vendors, my favorite liqueur ended up being from a company I had never heard of before- Pavan. The gorgeous art nouveau bottles initially drew me to the table, but the drink itself proved to be superb. We tried it straight and then in a simple cocktail. Pavan (18% ABV, distributed by Suntory) has an intoxicating floral scent and tastes like a wonderful mixture of sweet fruit and delicate flora. According to the rep, Pavan is crafted from a base of white muscat grapes from the south of France and a subtle touch of orange blossom. You can drink it straight, on the rocks as an aperitif or use it in your favorite cocktails. The rep suggested mixing it with sparkling wine, using it to make sangria ( just add some Perrier and fruit) or just mixing it with some vodka. Currently in Sacramento, you can only buy it online through K and L, but according to the rep some of the local bars like Shady Lady will soon be offering cocktails made with Pavan. Can't wait!

My second favorite, was the Kahlua Midnight (35% ABV). Being a coffee-junkie, I was excited to check this one out. Although it smelled a bit like acetone as I was raising it to my lips, the Kahlua Midnight tasted great. It had a deep, robust dark roast flavor with a smooth rum undertone...and a hint of something...maybe almonds(?) in the aftertaste. The Midnight is much darker and less sweet than the original Kahlua, which appeals to me. It tastes a bit more polished. I could definitely see turning to this liqueur in the winter months, maybe mixed with some Peppermint Schnapps (or Irish whiskey) and my favorite coffee.

To cleanse our palates, we stopped by the only table offering a non-alcoholic drink. The folks at Tea of a Kind were offering tastes of their Citrus Mint Green Tea, Pomegranate Acai White Tea and their Peach Ginger Black Tea. Jenni and I tried the pomegranate tea and I really liked it. It was light, natural and best of all only 20 calories a bottle. Also, their patented nitrogen bottle cap keeps the drink fresh so that they don't have to add any chemical preservatives. You just twist the cap and it infuses the tea. It goes from white to brown before your eyes. It's pretty cool. You can buy Tea of a Kind at Bevo currently but it will also be carried at Raley's grocery stores this fall.

Midtown Cocktail Week : http://www.midtowncocktailweek.org/

Summer Events: Berryessa Brewing, The Pour House & Good Night Market

Mark Your Calendars

 

www.berryessabrewingco.com

 

 

www.pourhousesacramento.com

 

www.gooddesignmarket.com

 

Day Trip: Lake Anza (Honey-Mint Melon Salad)

Tilden Park website: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden.htm#about

Have you ever gotten sidetracked from a destination and ended up in an even better situation? That happened to us a few weeks ago. During a particularly hot weekend, we decided to take the kidlets to the ocean for the day. We left the house on time but from there the day went askew. We got stuck in traffic (it took us over an hour just to get from Sacramento to past Davis), the kidlets were bickering non-stop in the backseat and Mr.S. was in Defcon 1 grumpy mode. At some point just outside of Berkeley, Mr.S. flipped his lid and threatened to just turn the car around and go home. Everyone was pissy, hungry and sick of being in the car. Not wanting to sit in the car for another hour, I poked some information into the search engine on my phone and pointed out to Mr.S. that we were about ten minutes from a lake in Berkeley. So we went searching for Lake Anza. Honestly, none of us knew what to expect but our derailment turned out to be a nice surprise. After meandering through a billion residential streets and going up a hill, we reached a small lake in what appeared to be a giant park. We later learned that Lake Anza is situated in the heart of Tilden Park, a regional park that that houses an 18 hole championship golf course, a merry-go-round, a miniature steam passenger railway, a tiny farm animal zoo and a gorgeous botanical garden. There's also tons of hiking trails, a picnic area and a campground. All in Berkeley, who knew?! We decided to park our butts down by the lake, eat our lunch and soak up some sunshine. As we ate our sandwiches, we watched a few brave souls jump into the lake (swimming is allowed and there are lifeguards on duty), a team of ducks paddling about and several happy dogs playing fetch (most areas of the park are dog friendly).

Afterwards, we ambled over to the Regional Parks Botanic Garden. We were pretty impressed with how well kept it was and that it was so incredibly peaceful. Even the kidlets quit quarreling and enjoyed the serenity of the nature surrounding them.

I'm thinking, Mr.S. and I might have to make a trip back out to this urban oasis soon, just the two of us for a day trip date. Next time, I'll pack a real picnic lunch- some crusty homemade bread, creamy cheese, fresh fruit preserves and a simple, refreshing melon salad like this one:

Honey-Mint Melon Salad

Ingredients

Melon
Raspberries
Mint (torn into small pieces)
Lime juice
Honey

Instructions

1. Cut up your favorite melon into bite sized chunks.
I used this fantastic melon I purchased at Vierra Farms in West Sac. I think it's called a hami melon? Anyhow, it's an oval, yellow-skinned cantaloupe with green speckles and white veins. The melon itself is crisp and tastes sweet like a honeydew

2. Place the melon pieces in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add in fresh raspberries and mint. I used some apple mint.

3. Give it a squirt or two of lime juice. (If you want to get fancy, you can sprinkle in some finger lime pearls instead.)

4. Drizzle with honey. Toss. Serve. Voilà! Simple as that.

Pan-Seared Scallops & Morels in Beurre Blanc

It's that wonderful time of the year...the day most parents count down to (like a kid counts down to Christmas) - THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. Although Mr.S.'s kidlets are great, by the end of summer both our nerves are pretty frayed. This year the kidlets will be attending different schools so they each had a different start date. Kidlet #1's first day of high school was last Monday and Kidlet #2 starts back up this Tuesday at his elementary school. The consensus after the first week from Kidlet #1 was that high school was "pretty cool," especially since he's already made new friends and due to a scheduling glitch he ended up with TWO lunch periods on the first day.

Anyhow, Mr.S. and I thought we'd celebrate this "holiday" by cooking up a tasty treat for ourselves. A celebration of surviving a summer of teen and preteen hormones, sibling rivalry and incessant "I'm bored's" and "He's looking at me's". I picked up some fresh, plump (or as I like to call them- fat ass) scallops at my favorite seafood store, Sunh Fish, along with some morels at the Co-op. I figured these ingredients paired with a simple beurre blanc (a velvety white butter sauce) would make a mind-blowing meal. And guess what? I was right! [I also made a side of sautéed balsamic carrots and beets greens so that we got our veggies in. ☺] The recipe didn't take too long to make, especially since I did my Back-to-School happy dance while whistling to The Final Countdown as I prepared the meal.

By the way, just a heads up-- beurre blanc is not for the faint of heart, it involves a INSANE amount of butter. Don't say I didn't warn you....

Pan-Seared Scallops and Morels in Beurre Blanc

Ingredients

1 dozen fresh, large scallops  (season on both sides with salt and pepper)
6 morels, cleaned of all grit and sliced in half length-wise
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4  cup champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2  tablespoon finely minced shallots
Kosher salt and ground white pepper, to taste
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter (cut into tablespoon-size pieces)
1 tablespoon of clarified butter
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4-5 finger limes (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the wine, champagne vinegar and shallots to a boil.

2. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is reduced to a thick sauce-like consistency.

3. Reduce heat to low and add in the cream. Stir.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of COLD butter at a time. Whisk each piece in thoroughly, making sure it incorporates into the sauce. Keep whisking constantly throughout the whole butter adding process. The sauce should be rich and creamy looking when you're done.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

6.  On a large plate, arrange your tomato halves.

7. In a large cast-iron pan, heat up the clarified butter and vegetable oil over high heat. (You want it smokin' hot.)

8. Place the scallops in the pan. Don't crowd them. Then don't touch them for about 2 minutes. Let them cook undisturbed, you want to get that nice golden-brown crust. At two minutes, flip them over and cook them for another minute or two depending on the thickness of the scallops. (Be sure that you don't overcook them, overcooked scallops taste rubbery and gross.)

9. Remove scallops from heat and place on plate.

10. In the same pan, you just removed the scallops, give your morels a quick sauté. Add another pat of butter if you wish.

11. Place the sautéed morels on the plate. Scoop the beurre blanc over the scallops, morels and tomatoes. Garnish the scallops with finger lime caviar if you wish. Enjoy!

* Note: Beurre blanc does not keep well, so you want to make it right before you use it.

Ingredient Spotlight: Finger Limes (and Grilled Oyster Recipe)

I've been enamored with finger limes ever since I had them on some fresh oysters and in some phenomenal cocktails last year. I love how the little tiny spherical bubbles feel on my tongue and when you bite into them you get this effervescent burst of lemon-lime flavor with a slight floral undertone. They're kind of like a citrus pop rock.

Now I'll admit at first glance, finger limes are a bit fugly. They look like dried out gherkins (especially the ones with brown or purple peel) or a pudgy ogre finger, but the pulp inside this microcitrus is amazing. When you cut into the finger lime (which by the way isn't even a lime, it's a cousin to the lime), you'll see a bunch of translucent pearls. They can range in color from clear, green or pink. If you give the outside layer a squeeze, the pearl-like pulp will come tumbling out.

Finger limes are quite versatile. You can use them in drinks, marmalades, salads....You can also use the zest. The zest of finger limes is a bit unusual. It's thin and contains isomenthone, which is common in mint but unusual in citrus. My favorite way to use finger limes is to squeeze them onto fresh oysters (raw or grilled). Used as a garnish, the finger lime pearls add a nice kick of tanginess. One of the many cool things about finger limes is that you can freeze them (for 3-6 months). If you do this, you want to place them whole (uncut) on a baking sheet and once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. When defrosting, defrost in the fridge.

Finger limes are a native bush to Australia so they're a bit hard to find but some farms (like Shanley Farms) in California have started growing them recently in small quantities. I was able to buy a container of them from the kind folks at Produce Express, which caterers to restaurants. So if you're in the restaurant biz you can order directly from them. Otherwise, I've seen finger limes at Whole Foods on occasion.  Or you can grow your own! Four Winds Growers in Winters, CA sells them in 5 gallon size tree form to area retailers.

Grilled Oysters With Butter, Sriracha and Finger Lime "Caviar"

Ingredients

1 dozen fresh oysters (I prefer the large ones for grilling), scrubbed

1/2 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon of Sriracha

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano (optional)

5-6 finger limes, cut in half



Instructions

1. Heat up your grill so it's VERY hot.

2. In a small bowl, mix up your butter, sriracha and sea salt. Place the bowl in the fridge for a bit to let it firm up.

3. Use an oyster shucker to open up your oysters. Be careful when popping the hinge, the shells are brittle and oftentimes sharp. Please don't slice open your hand.

* If you do not own a shucker or just don't want to shuck, you can place the closed oysters on your hot grill (cupped side on the bottom), with the top closed for 1-2 minutes. The oysters will open up on their own from the heat. Remove them as soon as the open.

4. Place a dollop of the butter-Sriracha mixture on each of your oyster. You can lightly sprinkle some Parmesan on the top too, if you wish. Place the oysters on the grill for 4-5 minutes (3-4 minutes if you popped them on the grill to open them). Use tongs to remove oysters from grate. The shell will be extremely hot.

5. Top with a squeeze of finger lime "caviar." Serve immediately.