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.

Day Trip: Sloughhouse - Strawberries & Corn

Davis Ranch L.L.C.
13501 Jackson Road, Sloughhouse, CA 95683
(916) 682-2658

The weather started to cool down a wee bit this weekend so I asked my friend Rose if she'd like to go with me out to Sloughhouse on Friday. I hadn't been out there in ages and was craving some of their sweet, fresh corn. We headed out on Jackson Highway and made the quiet, relaxing drive out to Davis Ranch where I stocked up on a big bag of white corn and some red potatoes. There was also a colorful array of squash, zucchini, gourds, beans, peppers and nuts out at the produce stand as well.

We then ambled out back to clip some juicy, red strawberries. Davis Ranch has a big lot where they have hanging strawberry baskets and you can pick your own ripe strawberries straight from the source.  You check in at the stand and they give you a pair of tiny scissors, a basket and instructions to, "wash your hands and clip the strawberries, not yank them." It's a fun summer activity especially if you have little ones with you. For us "older ones," it's great because there's no stooping involved. ☺ Note: The berries were on the smaller side but quite delicious.

Sweet, Fresh Summertime Strawberry and Farro Salad

My poor blog has been a bit neglected lately and I apologize. Things have been pretty busy here around my cottage and at Mr. S.'s casa. We now have the kidlets full-time so a lot of our time is spent hanging out with them. Lately they've been into bike riding, racing radio controlled (nitro and electric/lipo) cars as well as watching The Office and the X-Games. The full-time thing has been a bit of an adjustment  and definitely exhausting but it was nice when for Mother's Day I received this gorgeous lily plant from Mr.S., the kidlets and Pepper pup.

Kidlet#1 also made this cool card for me (on the right) at school. I'm still not quite sure what a rooster has to do with Mother's Day but I love it and it's on the fridge at my cottage. He's such a sweet kid. I can't believe he's starting high school in the fall!

 

Now this past weekend was a bit insane and I felt like I didn't get much sleep...but it was insane in a good way. My weekend started with an early wake-up, as Saturday morning I was volunteering at the the Mid-Century Modern Home Tour. I was stationed from 10am to 1pm in the game room (aka "The Big Lebowski Room") of my friend Gretchen's phenomenal Eichler home in South Land Park. I had such a fantastic time chatting with the folks that came through and learned all kinds of interesting bits of historical information about the area architecture and furnishings. One sweet gentleman even swapped me one of the Atomic Fireballs in my candy dish for a recipe on how to make a drink that tastes just like an Atomic Fireball (Fireball Whiskey, lemon juice and maple syrup).  The entire morning went by in a flash. After my volunteer shift, my friend Amanda and I went to check out a few of the other homes on the tour. I instantly fell in love with the backyard garden at the Skelly Duplex on Gilgunn Way. Such a great use of space! With it's lush greenery, bubbling water fountain and outdoor firepit, it's the perfect hideaway to curl up in and read a book during the week and soak in some tranquility. Then on weekends, you could switch it up and throw a fun, outdoor dinner party with friends under the stars. *Sigh* Now if only I could convince Mr. S. to build me a gazebo, a little garden studio getaway and an outdoor shower in his backyard like the ones I saw!

Hands down though, my favorite home on the tour is still Gretchen's Eichler. The vintage Ray-Gun collection, whimsical retro lunchbox display and sparkly Sputnik light- all  intermingled with the bright colors, clean lines and big windows- it just makes it such a fun house to be in; it's no surprise that it's been featured in Atomic Ranch magazine. Here's a few random pics I snapped of things that caught my eye:

For more info, check out: SacMCMhometour.blogspot.com or Facebook.com/SacMod

Now if all that hub-bub wasn't enough to wear me out, I had plans to go to Napa with my friend Michelle to see Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew at the Uptown Theatre that night. It turned out to be quite hilarious... even the fart jokes (ok, maybe I have been hanging out with the kidlets a leeee-tle too much).

Anyhow, amid all this running around, I found the time to make a new recipe...and it's oooh so good! It's made with fresh juicy strawberries, creamy goat cheese and some wonderfully nutty-tasting farro. I also threw in a handful of toasted slivered almonds for crunch and drizzled on some homemade vinaigrette to give it a nice subtle lemon-kissed taste.  You'll love it! It's the perfect quintessential summer recipe. Pack it to take on a romantic weekend picnic, whip up a batch to take to a BBQ with friends or you can even make some to have as part of your weeknight family dinner. (Which is what we did. I served it alongside some seared scallops mixed with morels and topped with a brown butter sauce. Ohhhh yeaaah!) By the way, if you haven't tried farro (pronounced FAHR-oh), it's good stuff! It's a grain that looks a lot like brown rice but has a lighter, chewier texture and a nutty taste. It's also rich in fiber and low in gluten. Farro's also quite easy to cook. You can use it as a replacement for rice in salads, risottos and soups.

Summertime Strawberry and Farro Salad

Ingredients

3 oz. slivered almonds

1 cup semi-pearled or pearled farro

1 basket (pint) of whole strawberries

3 green onions (white and lighter green portion)

1 cup baby spinach leaves

3.5 oz. crumbled goat cheese


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Take a baking sheet and spread the slivered almonds out in a single layer. Place in oven for 5-8 minutes. Flip and stir them about every 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they can go from toasted to burnt very quickly. Remove them from the oven before they brown (remember they'll continue to cook somewhat once they're removed from the oven.)  Allow to cool. Set aside.

3. Rinse the farro. Next, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the farro, cover and return to a boil. Then bring the heat down to medium-low and allow the farro to cook for 30-35 minutes. When it's done most of the water should be absorbed. If you have a little bit of water left, go ahead and drain it off.

4. Place the cooked farro in a bowl and place it in the fridge to cool.

5. While your farro cools- hull and quarter your strawberries, roughly chop your baby spinach leaves, and finely slice the green onion. (If the strawberries are on the smaller side, just cut them in half instead of quarters.)

6. Mix up your vinaigrette (see recipe below).

7. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the farro, strawberries, spinach, green onions and goat cheese. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and mix well.
8. Serve cold.


Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together thoroughly.

2. Chill in refrigerator.

Pan-fried Halibut Cheeks with Asparagus-Mushroom Israeli Couscous

Last week was a great week for two reasons- I made Mr.S. and I the most wonderful dinner on Thursday night (yep, I'm tootin' my own horn) and then on Friday night we saw a fantastic play at the Sacramento Theatre Company. I'm going to take a moment to gush here a bit...if you haven't seen STC's production of Athol Fugard's "Master Harold...and the boys," get your butt off the sofa and go buy your tickets now! This is the second time I've seen this play (I saw it the first time when I was in college) and I have to say this version was amazing. Michael J. Asberry's performance as Sam was so moving that at times I forgot we were watching a play and felt transported to the St. George's Park Tea Room in South Africa. The play takes place in 1950 (during the apartheid era) and tells the story of a 17-year old white boy (Hally) and two black waiters (Sam and Willie) during a rainy afternoon. This timely story of Fugard's does a phenomenal job of discussing oppression and compassion on a large scale (universally) and also on a smaller scale (in our own lives). The content is quite poignant and thought-provoking and the ending will haunt your mind for days afterward (especially when you find out that the play is based on a personal account of Fugard's).

There's a great review in the Bee, if you're interested in finding out more : Master Harold...and the boys. (Btw, this production is not suitable for young children.)

Photo Source: Sacramento Theatre Company

Ok, now back to our regular programming...the awesome dinner I made Thursday night was: pan-fried halibut cheeks accompanied by Israeli couscous mixed with fresh asparagus and mushrooms. Mmm! Simple but super delicious. If you've never had halibut cheeks before, you should definitely try it. It's the sweetest most tender part of the halibut. The cheeks kind of remind me of scallops but flakier.

Now I had never cooked halibut cheeks at home before so I asked one of the friendly fishmongers at Sunh Fish for some direction, his call- just gently pan-fry them. I'm so glad I followed his suggestion  because this is seafood that definitely does not need any futzing. I also made some Israeli couscous to go with it but these cheeks would have been just as good on a bed of sautéed greens.

(If you're unfamiliar with Israeli couscous, it's a wheat-based pasta that's rolled into tiny balls that resemble Nerf pellets. It has a nice nutty taste when toasted.)

Pan-Fried Halibut Cheeks

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh halibut cheeks
2 tablespoons AP flour
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Gently pat your halibut cheeks dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

2. Spread the 2 tablespoons of flour on a plate then very, very LIGHTLY dredge the cheeks through the flour. Set aside.

3. Place the skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Place your halibut cheeks on the skillet. Space them out a bit so that they do not touch each other. Let them cook for 2 minutes.  Then using a spatula flip them over. Allow to cook for another minute to a minute and a half.  (Be careful not to overcook the cheeks.)

4. Repeat with remaining butter and fish.

3. Plate. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley (optional).



Israeli Couscous with Fresh Asparagus and Mushrooms

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup Israeli couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus (woody stems removed, sliced into 1-inch pieces)
1 8-oz. package of crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 small sweet onion, diced
3-4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium sized pan , heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add couscous. Over medium heat, toast the couscous until it's lightly browned.

2. Add 1 3/4 cup of boiling water to the saucepan and couscous. Stir well to combine. Bring the whole lot to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed). Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a separate pan, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, add garlic and onions. Cook until onions begin to slightly soften, then add asparagus and mushrooms. Cook 6-8 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your asparagus). Stir occasionally.

4. Remove from heat. Add veggie mixture to cooked couscous. Add grated Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss. Serve.

Ingredient Spotlight: Nanami Togarashi

I recently came back into touch with a friend whom I had not seen or spoken with in several years. One of the first questions she asked me when we hung out last week was, "What new condiments can you recommend?" Now readers, I have to be honest with you...I have a severe condiment problem. I'm a condiment hoarder. I love them, my fridge is full of them and I use them all. It ranges the whole gamut: umeboshi paste to truffle salt to yuzu hot sauce and furikake; it's all in there mixed together with the Sriracha, Korean Gochujang, Maggi Seasoning, and good ol' Heinz Ketchup. It's nice, it's wonderful...it's also taking over my fridge! Anyhow..............I thought long and hard and emailed her back about "Nanami Togarashi." I totally have a spice crush on Nanami Togarashi right now.

Nanami Togarashi typically contains coarsely ground red pepper, ground sansho peppercorns, roasted mandarin peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger and nori. It's spicy (but not crazy-spicy) and has a lovely citrus-centric flavor to it. I love dashing some Nanami Togarashi on my udons, ramens, sneaking it into my dark chocolate desserts and even sprinkling some on pork products (ribs, mmmm!) ; but most of all, I enjoy pairing it with fresh avocado. One of my favorite afternoon snacks is- sliced avocado topped with lime juice, a bit of sea salt and a few shakes of Nanami Togarashi. Mmmmm!  I love how the simple seasonings enhance the natural flavor of the avocado. It's delicious and quite addictive.

If you're interested in trying it, you can purchase Nanami Togarashi at most Asian stores (Oto's carries it here in Sacramento) or you can get it on Amazon. A bottle should run you about $5, but a little goes a long way.

Be Still My (Beet)ing Heart: Crisp Chioggia Beet & Fuji Apple Salad

Lately all the talk shows, magazines and public relations companies are all atwitter about local foods this and farm-to-table that, repeating those buzzwords over and over and over, until you just want to say, "Enough!". Especially for most of us Sacramentans who have been eating seasonal, local foods for ages...way before the bandwagon rolled up. It's nothing new. I know most of my friends have been hitting the farmers' markets in town way before it became cool to do so. Regardless whether you became a locavore years ago or are just now coming around to it, it's still exciting when you're presented with beautiful veggies and sweet just-picked fruits. Recently during one of my shopping trips, I picked up some Chioggia beets. I love, love, love Chioggia beets! Not only are these heirloom veggies tasty but they're gorgeous and a bit milder then their purple counterparts.  Their vibrant, fuschia, candy-cane striped interiors are absolutely adorable; which makes it hard for me to just roast them up like I normally do with my regular ol' beets. (Note: Roasting Chioggias diminishes their lovely color and stunning concentric pattern.)  Yes, I'm quite smitten with them! So this time around, I decided to make a refreshing raw beet salad. I julienned my beets but you could also use a mandolin to create thinly sliced rounds with swirling bulls-eyes, if you wish. Quite hypnotizing and trés cute in my opinion!

Now let me warn you- raw beets are not for everyone. They have a crisp texture and sweet, earthy taste that you either love or hate. Now I'm in the love camp but I know lots of people who place raw beets in the "ick, yuck, phooey" category even though they like roasted beets.

By the way, beets are super nutritious. They have lots of potassium, fiber and iron and this salad is a great way to showcase beets in all their raw glory. Pairing the beets with Fuji apples gives the salad a bit of ying and yang  (earthy and sweet) and the Greek yogurt dressing rounds out the flavor profile by gives the dish a kick of tang. The salad is easy to prepare ahead of time (in fact I like to let it sit for awhile in the fridge, so that the flavors have a chance to meld together before I eat it).

Tip: When shopping for beets look for firm-skinned ones that are relatively blemish-free and on the smaller side with perky greens. Smaller tends to be sweeter in the beet world.

Crisp Chioggia Beet and Fuji Apple Salad

Ingredients

2 medium sized Chioggia beets (or 3 small)

2 medium sized Fuji apples

1/3 cup Greek yogurt (plain flavored)

3 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

1.5 teaspoons honey


Instructions


1. Wash beets thoroughly. I have a little scrub brush I use to get all the tiny bits of dirt off. Remove the tops and tails. Dry thoroughly.

2. Peel the beets and julienne. Do the same with the apples. Set aside.

3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, orange juice, zest and honey. Whisk it up.

4. Pour the yogurt dressing over the beets and apples. Toss until well coated. Place in refrigerator for 45 minutes to an hour so the flavors have a chance to intermingle. Serve cold.

Optional: Garnish with fresh microgreens or chopped flat-leaf parsley right before serving.

The Office : Bear, Beets & Battlestar Galactica

Photo Source

Pickled Easter Egg Radishes

 

Look at these colorful, little, roly-poly radishes! Cute, no? Well, they're called "Easter Egg Radishes"-- Seriously! That's their real name. These root veggies come in an array of brilliant colors (hot pink, crimson, creamy white and deep purple), are nice and crisp and have a very mild taste. They were just too adorable to pass up at the Co-Op, so I purchased a few and pickled them in a simple vinegar and sugar mixture. They just had to sit overnight and then were ready to be consumed. I've been throwing a few on my crudité platters, pairing them as a side with my sandwiches and even just snacking on them by themselves. They're so good (and much more waistline friendly then a chocolate Easter bunny). By the way, did you know radishes have their own holiday in Oaxaca, Mexico? It's called La Noche de Los Rabanos and is celebrated every year on December 23rd. How cool is that?

Pickled "Easter Egg" Radishes

Ingredients

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar (champagne vinegar can be substituted)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 bunch of Easter Egg Radishes
4-5 spring red onions, greens removed and ends trimmed - (optional)

* Be sure to keep the greens from the radishes and the spring red onions, they're edible and delicious!


Instructions

1. Wash and dry radishes. Snip off tops and tails. Quarter or halve them (your choice).

2. In a medium sized saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar and water. Bring it to a nice boil. Stir the mixture frequently until all the sugar dissolves.

3. Remove saucepan from heat and let the mixture cool.

4. Place the cut radishes in a clean jar. I threw in a few spring red onions that I had laying around as well.

5. Pour the mixture over the radishes and onions. Cover with lid and ring.

6. Place in the fridge.

7. You can start eating them the next day. The pickled radishes will keep for 3-4 weeks.

Note: As the radishes sit in the vinegar-sugar mixture, the liquid will turn a vibrant pink/red. That's normal, don't worry.

Tip: If your radishes aren't as crisp as you'd like, drop them in some ice water and pop them in the fridge for about 15 minutes- they'll revive.

Les Radis Petit Déjeuner : French Breakfast Radishes

Recently, I've noticed I've been pulling out my "fat" jeans more and more from the closet. Upon some self-reflection, I realized that I've put on some weight from the winter holidays, stress eating and Girl Scout cookie season. The dreaded trifecta. Ugh! Anyhow, rather than ignoring the problem and opting to stock my wardrobe with more comfy yoga pants with expandable waists, I decided I'm going to lose a few pounds. Now you can imagine there's no dirtier four-letter word to a food lover like myself than "diet." I hate limiting myself as to what I can and can't eat. This time, however, I decided to be a bit realistic- so I'm cutting out soda, junk food and my incessant snacking but I'm going to allow myself some small indulgences. Like these French Breakfast radishes I made for lunch yesterday. I used a wee bit of butter but on the whole they're pretty healthy. Radishes are one of the most nutritious root vegetables. They're low in calories, rich in Vitamin C and they are also a good source of anti-oxidants, electrolytes, minerals, sulphoraphane and dietary fiber. Now French Breakfast radishes are much less spicy/peppery than other varieties so they're great for eating raw or sautéing...to be honest, I'm not sure why they're called "breakfast radishes" as they're not specifically known for being eaten at breakfast in France or anywhere else. They're easy to spot though. They're on the smaller side, shaped a bit like a slender finger; the tops of these dainty radishes are usually a pretty fuchsia-pink color which eventually fades into white towards the tips. Anyhow, sautéed in a tiny bit of butter, olive oil and garlic- these delicate radishes along with their leafy greens are delicious! A perfect afternoon lunch or dinner side dish.

By the way, a word of advice- never, ever tell your significant other you're dieting. This is what will inevitably happen:

Sautéed French Breakfast Radishes

Ingredients

1 bunch French Breakfast radishes, with greens attached

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Wash and dry your radishes. Remove the greens. Quarter the radishes. You can tear the greens into bite-sized pieces if you wish.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the radishes and sauté until they become crisp-tender and slightly translucent. Add the garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add the greens. Cook until they become soft.

3. Remove from heat. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve warm.

Keepin' It Simple: Radish Tartines

Mmm, spring is in the air! Everything's blooming (I'm sure Allegra sales have sky-rocketed this week), the birds are out chirping and Sacramentans are dusting off their gardening tools and getting to work on their spring gardens. Look at these beauties that have opened their sleepy little heads around my cottage....

What better way to welcome the first day of spring (which comes early this year- March 20), then to put together a crisp, vibrant lunch of radish tartines? One of the reasons I love radishes so much is that they're so easy to work with, you don't have to dress them up much to make them into a fab meal. Check out these cute, peppery gems I found this weekend. They're almost too pretty to eat...almost. Now the trick with this dish is to pick a mild type of radish and don't skimp on the quality of the butter.

Side note: Don't throw away your radish greens, people! They're edible- save them for dinner and sauté them up with some onions, garlic and olive oil or throw them into a soup, the same way you would chard or spinach.

Radish Tartines

Ingredients

French baguette, sliced

Fresh radishes, washed, dried and ends removed

European-style butter (like Plugrá), unsalted, room-temperature

Fleur de sel or a good-quality sea salt

Instructions

Now I know you all know how to make an open-faced sandwich, but just for kicks:

1. First start with your bread, you can go toasted or untoasted- it's up to you. I prefer lightly toasted.

2. Lavishly slather the softened butter onto your baguette slice. Forget about that bikini you're hoping to fit into in June, treat yourself and get a nice big decadent swipe o' butter on there.

3. Sprinkle on a bit of fleur de sel.

4. Then gently lay a few slices of radish on top.

5. Find a sunny spot to eat. Plop down and relish those fresh radishes. You can even greet passing neighbors in French, if you're feeling sassy and really want to get into it.

Tip: These also make great appetizers for a party. For some variety you can sub goat cheese for the butter and garnish the radishes with minced chives.

Spicy Thai Soup

If you've been over to my cottage lately, you'll notice my coffee table, dining table and nightstand are piled high with books. Books, books, books everywhere. I love books. I always have, even as a kid I would get ecstatic when the school sent us home with those book order sheets from Scholastic (remember those?). I'm sure my parents used to cringe when they saw those- I was a quick reader and I always wanted a ton of books. Even now as an adult, I love to order books online, peruse the stacks at the library and most of all linger in bookstores. There's something about print media that engages me, that digital media just lacks. I'm not sure if it's the tactile sensation of holding the book or the musty smell of the pages but there's a biblio-euphoria that comes with reading books for me. And currently, I'm a bit inundated. I've got books I need to read for book club, books I've been needing to read for a few months now on specific subjects (like "Slaying Excel Dragons"- Ugh!) and my favorite category- food books. The majority of the books in my home right now are cookbooks, culinary essays and food memoirs. Are you surprised? ;)

The five food books on my nightstand right now that I'm steadily making my way through are:

1. Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival by June Feiss Hersh - if you read this one, keep a box of tissues close by!

2. My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss

3. My Year of Meats by Ruth I. Ozeki

4. The Saucier's Apprentice by Bob Spitz

5. Encore Provence by Peter Mayle

Photo Source: ParisForBreakfast

What's on your reading list? Any good food stories or cookbooks you'd recommend? I'd love to hear your suggestions.

My top three favorite food books of all time that I'd recommend are:

1. Kitchen Confidential  by Anthony Bourdain. Although Bourdain has watered himself down over the years this memoir is still one of my favorites, a pre-commercialized Bourdain if you will. It also reminds me of the days when I worked in the restaurant industry- being in the weeds and all stressed out, putting up with insane customers and of course coming to work hungover after partying with coworker all night.

2. Any of Ruth Reichl's first three books (Tender to the Bone, Comfort Me With Apples or Garlic and Sapphires). All brilliantly written. Reichl has a writing style that just reaches you out and brings you into her warm kitchen and eclectic world.

3. The Sharper the Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn. A great story about starting over. Could you just pack up and move to Paris and pursue a diploma from the world famous Le Cordon Bleu? Flinn did and shares her frustrations, joys and tribulations. She also does a fantastic job of painting images of the French farmers' markets and storekeepers she encounters. I found this a much better read then the popular "Julie and Julia," which had me snoozing in some chapters.

Now you didn't think I'd leave you hanging without a recipe, did you? How about a recipe for a nice bowl of hot soup? I made this spicy Thai soup the other night and it hit the spot. It's richly flavored without being overly heavy and it's simple to throw together (giving you more time to snuggle down and read a book). And if you want to make the dish a bit heartier, you can throw in some boneless cubed chicken meat or serve it over rice.

Spicy Thai Soup

Ingredients

2 (14 oz) cans lite coconut milk
1 (14 oz) can chicken stock
4 stalks fresh lemongrass (bottom 2/3rds only, remove tough outer leaves)
9 slices of peeled ginger (cut in 1/4 inch thick round)
4 kaffir leaves, hand torn
3 birds-eye chilies, lightly pounded and sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sliced cilantro
2 teaspoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts (drained and rinsed)
1 (14 oz) can baby corn (drained and rinsed), sliced in half
3.5 ounces fresh shimeji mushrooms
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned

Instructions

1. Cut off the hard, dry bottom portion of the lemongrass and the top leaves. Bruise the stem by thwacking it with a heavy knife or meat mallet. Peel off the tough outer leaves. Cut into 1-inch long pieces.

2. In a stock pot over medium heat, add coconut milk, stock, sliced ginger, torn kaffir leaves, sliced chilies and lemongrass. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Stirring occasionally.

3. Reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Add fish sauce, lime juice, sliced cilantro, red curry paste, brown sugar, garlic and soy sauce. Again bring to a boil for 1 minute then return to a simmer.

5. Add rinsed artichoke hearts, baby corn, fresh shimeji mushrooms and julienned carrots. Simmer for about 15 minutes. The vegetables will become tender.

6. Remove kaffir leaves, ginger rounds and lemongrass stalks.

7. Ladle into warm bowls. You can garnish the top with roughly chopped fresh basil or cilantro leaves (optional).

Seared Scallops with Tangy Carrot Puree

This year unfortunately I'm 1800 miles away (literally) from Mr.S. for Valentine's Day. I have to admit I'm a wee bit bummed but to be honest everyday is Valentine's Day when you're with someone you're head over heels in love with so in the long run it's no big deal. I love that we do romantic things year round instead of only on a day that Hallmark dictates that we should. One of my favorite things to do with Mr.S. is cook dinner for him. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking with him too but sometimes it's nice to spoil your partner with a fabulous meal. In fact, Julia Child once said, "I think careful cooking is love, don't you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who's close to you is about as nice a Valentine as you can give,"...that Julia, she's a wise one-- and I think she was spot on.

Anyhow, before I left for my trip I made Mr.S. this recipe for scallops with carrot puree. The puree didn't come out quite as smooth as I would have liked (I was at Mr. S's so I was using a blender to puree the carrots and it kept crapping out every 10 seconds) but it didn't matter because he looked so happy when I placed the plate of  caramelized scallops before him. It sounds crazy but--- I'll take a romantic dinner on an average old Wednesday night any day over a box of chocolates or an expensive meal on February 14th.

So readers, please excuse the awful photo (I was more concerned about starting the meal then getting the perfect pic) and take the time to look over the recipe below. Then pick a night, any ol' normal night and surprise whomever you love by cooking this recipe. Light some candles, open a bottle of good wine and celebrate each other. You'll be glad you did.

Seared Scallops with Tangy Carrot Puree

Ingredients

1 lb. dry, large sea scallops
3 tablespoons clarified butter
sea salt and freshly ground pepper


1 large shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots- peeled & cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt (you can sub in sea salt)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup room temperature water
1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
3-4 Tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter


Instructions for Puree

1. Place a large steel or cast-iron skillet, over medium heat. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil across the pan. Once the oil starts to shimmer, throw in the chopped shallots. Cook your shallots for about 3-4 minutes, until they get soft.

2. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add carrots, salt, cayenne and water.

3. Raise heat to high and bring it all to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes.

4. Once the carrots are tender, take the skillet off the heat and allow ingredients to cool for 5 minutes.

5. Move your mixture to a blender. Add your Meyer lemon juice and blend. Then add your Greek yogurt and butter and blend. Puree until smooth but thick.

Handy Tip: When using a blender to process hot foods/liquids- slightly release one corner of the blender's lid. This will prevent the vacuum effect that results in heat explosions. To safeguard against splatter, place a towel over the top of the machine, give it a few pulses after which you can process on high speed until smooth.

6. Season to taste with salt. Set aside and keep warm.


Instructions for Scallops

1. Place scallops on a large plate. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper on both sides.

2. Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Place a tablespoon and a half of butter on the skillet.

3. Place half of the scallops on the skillet, you want them spread apart so they have room to sear. Now here's the most important thing- don't touch them for 2 minutes. Don't nudge, peek or poke...you want to get that nice think layer of crunchy caramelization on them. At the end of 2 minutes, gently flip each scallop over and cook for another 1.5-2 minutes. Remove and place on a warmed plate.

4. Repeat with remaining butter and scallops.

5. Spoon carrot puree onto plate. Arrange the scallops on top of the puree. Pair with mixed greens salad or your favorite roasted veggies.

Oven Roasted Broccoli That'll Knock Your Kidlets' Socks Off

Here's an old joke, you may or may not have heard before:

Question: What's the difference between broccoli and snot?
Answer: Kids don't eat broccoli.

Well about a year ago I would have believed it, but currently one of my favorite dishes to make Mr.S.'s kidlets is roasted broccoli. Yep, you heard me right--- BROCCOLI! Really! It's easy to cook, it's incredibly nutritious (low-cal, rich in phyto-nutrients and a great source of Vitamins A & C) and it doesn't hit the ol' wallet too hard either. Initially the kidlets pooh-poohed the roasted broccoli at dinner time, but with a few tweaks we got them on board and begging for more. The main game changer was letting the broccoli cook longer so it softened and the florets got a slight caramelized crust going. (They love those crunchy, brown, charred pieces.) That extra cooking time really makes a difference in texture and taste. The kidlets seem to like the roasted broccoli sprinkled with grated Parmesan so we eat it like that most of the time but sometimes we add some soy sauce and sesame seeds to jazz it up.

Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients

2 lbs. fresh broccoli, cut into florets

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 lemon

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Instructions

1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F.

2. Rinse broccoli and dry thoroughly. Cut into bite-sized florets.

3. Place aluminum foil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the florets out evenly on the foil in a single layer.

4. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic. Swish it all around with your hands. Make sure everything is lightly (and evenly) coated. Space the florets out as much as you can. They cook better if they're not crowded.

5. Pop the baking sheet in the oven and roast for approximately 18-22 minutes. At the 10 minute mark, take a spatula and flip the suckers over so they cook nicely all the way around. (Note: Keep an eye on the broccoli the first time you make this, every oven is different and some run really hot. You want the broccoli to start to get a nice brown color but not burn.)

6. When done, remove sheet from oven and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over it. You can either sprinkle some grated Parmesan on the broccoli at this point or just leave it on the table and people can put it on themselves.

7. Toss. Serve immediately.

Holiday Corn Casserole

Whenever the new year rolls around, I (like most of the world) am hasty to make a multitude of resolutions. Honestly- I always have the best of intentions but the majority of the time, my lofty resolutions (which usually have to do with exercise and eating healthier...big surprise!) end up being cast aside with that first giant bite of double chocolate cheesecake (gosh darn it!). Anyhow, I still like the idea of starting anew each year and this year in particular I'm ready for 2012 to wrap itself up. December has been a particularly rough month and I can't wait to dispose of it and start fresh. I've been feeling emotionally drained and conflicted for weeks on end and my stress eating has become reflected in some holiday pudge. I did get a tiny respite this weekend, when Mr.S. and I took a spontaneous weekend trip to SF. His kidlets were out of town and we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to have a romantic weekend getaway and just de-com-press!

 
We stayed at an adorable boutique hotel just steps from Union Square called The Orchard Hotel (super cute room and friendly staff), indulged in a delicious seafood dinner at Anchor & Hope with Mr.S.'s brother and did some fun touristy things like eating clam chowder at Pier 39 (I hadn't been in years), shopping in Japantown and taking a moonlit stroll to Union Square to see the ice skaters and holiday lights. It was a lovely trip and just what I needed.

Anyhow, my heart and soul haven't been into cooking for weeks but I was able to somehow muster myself into the cooking spirit for the big Christmas Day dinner. I made some spicy chorizo-lentil empanadas for appetizers and also a scrumptious corn casserole as my side dish. My friend Minzi had suggested a recipe by Paula Deen which gave me the idea to do a corn casserole. I liked the basics of Deen's recipe so I used that as my starting point and built from there. The dish turned out to be a big hit and almost all of it was eaten; considering how much food was out on the table, I was pretty impressed. Even the pickier eaters gave me compliments!

The recipe is listed below, give it a try in the new year and let me know what you think.

Holiday Corn Casserole

Ingredients

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (*do not substitute frozen corn, use canned)

1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 (8-ounce) package Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 small sweet yellow onion, diced

4 ounce can diced mild green chiles, drained

1 egg

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

5 slices bacon

salt and pepper


Instructions

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

2. In a skillet, fry up your bacon. Place cooked bacon slices on a plate lined with a papertowel. Allow to cool. Then dice bacon slices. Next, in the same pan- fry up your diced onion. Then set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine: corn kernels, creamed corn, Jiffy corn muffin mix, onion, diced green chiles, 1 egg, sour cream, melted butter and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix throughly.

4. Take a greased 8x8 glass casserole dish and pour corn mixture from bowl into dish. Spread so it's even.

5. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Then remove from oven. Sprinkle bacon pieces and 2 tablespoons of cheddar across the top. Place dish back in oven and cook for another 10-15.

6. Serve warm.

Happy Holidays!

Crab-Stuffed Baked Avocado

Eric Ripert. That silver-haired French fox is turning up everywhere these days. He's popped up on "Top Chef," "Treme" and "No Reservations." Not to mention, he's good buddies with Bourdain, hosts his own PBS TV series “Avec Eric," and his restaurant Le Bernardin has garnered three Michelin stars and has upheld a four-star review from The New York Times for over two decades. Holy cow! Is there anything this culinary wizard can't do? Well in addition to making amazing seafood dishes, it turns out he knows his way around an avocado too. I recently came across this tweet of his and decided to give it a go.

There were no measurements listed so I played around with the ingredients in my kitchen. The resulting product- a decadent dish of fresh crab and warm, creamy avocado that only takes a few minutes and a few dollars to throw together. Deee-lish! 



Crab-Stuffed Avocado


Ingredients

6 oz. shredded fresh lump crabmeat

1 fresh avocado, halved and pitted

2 tablespoons Best Foods's mayo

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

fresh ground pepper

2.5 Tablespoons breadcrumbs

lime or lemon wedges (optional)


Instructions

1. Set oven for broil. Slice and pit avocado.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil and place pitted avocado halves on sheet.

3. In a small bowl, combine crabmeat, mayo, mustard, Old Bay seasoning and lemon juice together. Mix well.

4. Divide the crabmeat mixture evenly into two servings. Using a spoon, fill each avocado cavity with a serving of the mixture. Top with some fresh ground pepper (to taste).

5. Sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs.

 6. Place in oven and broil for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on it if your oven's temperamental like mine).

7. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Lime or lemon wedges (optional).

Super Stuffed Acorn Squash -- Perfect for Thanksgiving!

Hope you all had a great weekend and were able to stay dry. Something about dreary weather just makes me want to sloth out on the couch in comfy pajamas, with a big ol' mug of hot bourbon cider and a good book (I'm currently making my way through Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend This Never Happened, which is seriously pee-your-pants funny).

It was raining cats and dogs Friday, so I brought Pepper pup over to my cottage for some cuddling. He sure hates riding in the car to get here but loves napping on the couch! We had a lazy afternoon listening to the rain pelt against the roof until it was time to go meet up with Mr.S.

This weekend I also saw Ovation Stage's production of Kitchen Witches with my friend Michelle. Have you seen it? It was pretty good. The acting was smooth and they had quite the funny script. I absolutely loved Deborah Shalhoub's character, Dolly Biddle.

Photo Source: Ovation Stage

I also found a little time to dabble in the kitchen. I've recently turned Mr.S. onto squash so we've been taste testing several varieties to see which ones we like the best. So far we've made our way through delicata, sweet dumpling, kabocha and acorn. The last one I prepared was the acorn squash. It had a mild, sweet, nutty flavor that both of us liked. To fancy up the squash a bit, I made a batch of my winter quinoa which we stuffed the squash with and then topped with a sprinkling of goat cheese. Fantastic! It was so good that Mr.S. asked me to make more squash the next night. Isn't it awesome when you find something that tastes great and is nutritious? Can't go wrong there!

Super Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

2 medium sized acorn squash, each cut in half

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup quinoa ( I used Trader Joe's Organic Tri-Color Quinoa)

2 cups vegetable broth

8 oz. of your favorite breakfast sausage, chopped/crumbled  (I used Farmer John's Old-Fashioned Maple Sausage Links)

3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1/2 a small yellow onion, chopped

1 small Fuji apple, cored and chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 bunch of chard, ribs removed and torn into bite sized pieces

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

3 tablespoons of crumbled goat cheese (or 3-4 tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan)

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut each squash in half crosswise; scoop out and discard seeds. Coat squash with olive oil.

3. Place squash cut-side down on a lightly oiled, rimmed baking sheet.

4. Place in oven and roast for 45 minutes.

5. While that's cooking, rinse your quinoa. Place the rinsed quinoa in a pot with the broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and continue to cook for however long the product's instructions say, usually 15-30 minutes.

6. In a large skillet, cook your sausage. Drain and set aside on a paper-towel covered plate.

7. In the now empty skillet, heat up some olive oil over med-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add your chopped onions. Cook until semi-translucent.

8. Add garlic, apple and chard. Cook until the chard becomes wilted.

9. Check your quinoa. If it's done (you can tell when it's done cooking because there be a little white ring that curls around it, this is called the germ), add it to your skillet.

10. Toss in your teaspoon of thyme, cooked sausage and dried cranberries. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Cook the whole shebang for about 3 minutes and then set aside.

 

 

11. Now take your roasted acorn squash and flip them over. The flesh should be tender and the exposed side should be a bit caramelized. Fill the holes with several scoops of your quinoa mixture and sprinkle some lovely goat cheese (or Parmesan) on it.

12. Pop the stuffed squash back in the oven (same temp) for another 5-6 minutes.

13. Remove from oven and serve immediately with a spoon.

(Note: The flesh of the acorn squash will be nice and soft and quite yummy- almost like a warm veggie ice cream. The skin on this particular squash is edible too but a bit tougher than say the skin on a delicata. I'm not a big fan of it but if you like it, knock yourself out.)