Eating Well in Gig Harbor

Mmmm...mussels...

2012-01-24T22:27:00.003-08:00

If you, like me, are a huge fan of Northwest seafood, you should definitely try this recipe. Even if you're just a fan of seafood in general, and don't live in the Northwest, you should give it a shot! It is from the Momofuku cookbook- a book that I have tried a few recipes from, and each has been perfect in every way.

The pork buns, which no-one should eat on a regular basis, are especially delicious in a sweet-salty-umami-porky way. In spite of knowing that the buns are made with lard, I eat at least three whenever the occasion arises. As you all know, I live near Seattle; far, far away from any Momofuku outpost, so the only occasion I get is when I make them myself!

But that, my children, is a different story for a different day: today we eat mussels. Like oysters, they seem to be in their prime when the water is coldest. I bought some gorgeous ones from Metropolitan Market this afternoon out of Penn Cove. Luscious! The shells were perfect, and though some of the meats were a bit on the small side, they were absolutely worth every penny. Minterbrook Oyster Company also carries fabulous mussels if you happen to be out that way.

Pan-Roasted Mussels with Denjang and Sake
yield: 4 servings

1/3 cup denjang, or shiro (white) miso
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 Tbs. minced peeled fresh ginger
2 Tbs. sliced scallions (greens and whites)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3-4 lbs. mussels
1/4 c. grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 c. dry sake

Clean the mussels: Put them in a large bowl of cold water and let them sit for a few minutes to purge any grit, then scrub their shells clean of debris, and pull off the ‘beards’ using a motion that drags the beard down towards the hinge, not up towards the opening. This keeps the creature alive longer- pulling upwards dislodges their stomach and they die instantly. Mix together the denjang/miso, sherry vinegar, ginger, sliced scallions, and garlic cloves in a small bowl. Set aside.

Pour the oil into a deep wide pot with a lid that will later comfortable accommodate all the mussels, and set over high heat. After a minute or so, when the oil is hot but not smoking, add the mussels. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the sake. Cover the pot and steam the mussels until they’ve all opened, about 4 minutes.

Remove the lid from the pot, scoot all the mussels to one side, and add the denjang mixture to the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Stir to incorporate it, which should happen rather quickly, then toss the mussels to coat them with the sauce and pan juices.

Using a large spoon, transfer the mussels to four deep bowls. Discard any mussels that did not open. Pour the broth-sauce from the pot over the mussels, and garnish each portion with a heavy dose of black pepper and some of the julienned scallions. Serve at once- alone or with steamed rice.

This Weekend's Dinner Party

2012-01-23T11:27:00.000-08:00

For a wonderful client:

Ham and Swiss "Sandwiches"

Warm Blini with Eggplant "Caviar" and Roasted Peppers

Golden Beet Salad with Dill and Frisee

Seared Wild American Prawns with Braised Fennel, Endive, and Orange

Painted Hills Beef Tenderloin with Potato Pave, Local Chard, and Red Wine "Tar"

Dessert Duo:
Lemon Cream, Torched Meringue, and Lemon Shortbread
Chocolate Ganache Tart, Caramel, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Roasted Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

2012-01-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

I have a long-standing relationship with eggplant. Until I was well into my 20's, I wouldn't get near the stuff. All I could associate with it was overcooked slimy-ness and breaded slices from my grandmother's freezer that were always bitter. As I started cooking more and tried new applications for it, I discovered that I really enjoy eggplant. That being said, I am still picky about the preparation, and am rather sensitive to the bitterness that can sometimes be overwhelming to the other flavors. Fortunately for all of us, most of the bitterness has been bred out of eggplant, and good technique partnered with flavorful sauces takes care of the rest. We've even come across a couple of varieties of Japanese eggplant that produce an incredible amount of fruit, even in the northwest. I can't wait to try this recipe with eggplant straight from the garden! Right, the eight inches of snow and the sheet of ice covering the entire Puget Sound region will have to melt first...

The following recipe is a new favorite of mine. It is simultaneously luxurious and lean, rich and tangy, earthy and bright. Oh, and fruity from the pomegranate. Sounds kind of weird now that I think about it... This is from the book Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. I'm sure I've posted recipes from it in the past, the author is a contributor to British and US newspapers, and his book was a huge hit last year, so you've probably heard of him!

Roasted Eggplant With Buttermilk Sauce

yield: four servings

2 large and long eggplants
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon thyme leaves (regular thyme is ok), plus a few whole sprigs to garnish
Maldon sea salt and black pepper
1 pomegranate
1 teaspoon za'atar

Sauce:

9 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle to finish
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look; don't eat it). Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shaped pattern.
Place the eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil and keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed by the flesh. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful, and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
While the eggplants are in the oven, cut the pomegranate into two horizontally. Hold one half over a bowl, with the cut side against your palm, and use the back of a wooden spoon or a rolling pin to gently knock on the pomegranate skin. Continue beating with increasing power until the seeds start coming out naturally and falling through your fingers into the bowl. Once all are there, sift through the seeds and remove any bits of white skin or membrane.
To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning, then keep cold until needed.
To serve, spoon plenty of buttermilk sauce over the eggplant halves without covering the stalks. Sprinkle za'atar and plenty of pomegranate seeds on top and garnish with lemon thyme. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Bibimbap: Korean Deliciousness

2012-01-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

The thing I love most about bibimbap is that there are only two constants: steamed rice and gochujang. The name translates as "mixed meal" or "mixed rice" (depending on who you ask), and that's exactly what it is. Essentially, the dish is a bowl of rice topped with a variety of separately cooked vegetables seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil, whatever protein suits you - often bulgogi or grilled chicken, a fried egg with a runny yolk or just a raw yolk, and some rich tangy sauce to tie everything together. Recipes always include the rice and sauce, but the rest is left up to interpretation.

First, let's address the rice: it's super important so we might as well get it out of the way now. Make sure to use a medium grain rice or rice mixture. You can use brown or white rice, though white is the most traditional. The reason for using medium grain rice is the texture; it's a bit tacky after cooking and holds up to all of the garnishes you place on top. Allow about 1/3 cup of dry rice per person.

Next, the garnishes! You can use any vegetables you have laying around; raw shredded carrots, raw or sauteed bean sprouts, some sauteed or steamed greens (spinach and bok choy are good options), steamed broccoli, and sauteed zucchini are all common and tasty. After steaming or sauteing, I like to drizzle a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce over the veggies to give them a bit of flavor. As far as protein goes, beef and chicken are the most typical. They are usually marinated, thinly sliced, in a sesame-soy-garlic-ginger mixture and then grilled over hot coals. You could also apply this treatment to firm tofu or seafood if you were so inclined. A sunny side up fried egg, or a raw yolk, is a necessity- the runny yolk makes a fabulous sauce when mixed with the gochujang condiment

Gochujang Condimentmakes about 1/4 cup

1 tablespoon Korean red pepper paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Once you have all of the components cooked and ready, it's time to plate. You have three options here- you can serve it chilled, you can serve it hot, or you can serve it hot in a pre-heated stone bowl, which will crisp the rice wherever it touches the stone. The last is called dolsot bibimbap, and is my favorite. So far I've only had it in restaurants; I ought to invest in some stone bowls...

To assemble, place a mound of rice in each bowl, arranging the meat and each type of vegetable like the spokes of a wheel. Choose one or two vegetables to sprinkle decoratively with sesame seeds. Top with a fried egg/yolk and about a tablespoon of the condiment. After arranging everything so beautifully, serve each person and allow them to mix everything together before digging in!

**this meal can be adapted to just about any dietary restriction, so it's great for dinner parties where you have guests with preferences

Regarding Gnocchi

2012-01-08T19:58:00.001-08:00

I just want to say three things:
1. When made correctly, gnocchi are awesome
2. When made poorly, gnocchi are ghastly
3. Gnocchi are generally not photogenic

So, I am going to share with you my favorite gnocchi recipe and provide a stock photo, because it's much better than the photos we took. The recipe is adapted from Daniel Boulud and Alex Lee. It's delicious, easy, and good with just about any sauce.
Most recently, I used this recipe to make plain gnocchi, and then after boiling, I transferred them to a baking dish with cubes of roasted caramelized butternut squash, shallots, parsnips and carrots, and about 1 cup of left-over cooked farro berries. I drizzled cream mixed with a bit of dijon mustard over, and then topped with some grated Gruyere. After baking until browned and bubbly, it was a delicious meal, perfect for the darkest days of winter. Lots of textures and flavors, lots of veggies, and lots of comfort.

Gnocchi
yield: 4 servings

1 1-pound russet potato

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 450°F. Pierce potato in several places with fork. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let stand until just cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Peel potato. Press potato through ricer or food mill or mash in large bowl. Add flour, egg, lemon peel, and salt, and stir just until blended. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; divide into 4 pieces. Roll 1 dough piece between hands and surface to 15-inch-long rope. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Place gnocchi on lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add gnocchi and cook until rising to surface, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking 1 minute longer. Drain.
***To yield tender gnocchi, you must resist the urge to knead the dough; it will be a little tacky, just use a well-floured surface to roll the dough out and keep it from sticking. If you overwork the dough, you will develop too much gluten and the gnocchi will be tough.

***You can find the original recipe on Epicurious with an accompanying sauce of chicken livers, pancetta, and porcini mushrooms

Aroma Bread with Coriander and Fennel

2011-12-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Recently, I purchased a new cookbook: Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck. Had it not been on a top-ten of 2011 cookbook list, I don't know that I ever would have picked it up. I had just come across another top-ten list: the worst things to eat for good health. I have to admit that none of them was surprising, but of that list, I only eat one on a regular basis. That item is white flour. I really rather like products made with it, and I am the antitheses of gluten free. I love rice for sure, as you've seen in previous blog posts, but a good rustic loaf right from the oven brings childhood memories that are only brought on by the scent of warm wheat and butter. I decided I ought to find a way to satisfy my periodic fresh-bread cravings while alleviating the need for so highly-refined a product. That, and whole grains are super trendy right now, so I decided to order the book.

This is the first recipe I am trying out of Ancient Grains, and I am pretty pleased. Below is the recipe, as it is written in the book and on epicurious.com. Instead of sunflower seeds I used millet that was soaked for about two hours, and I did not include any whole grains (all I could find in the cupboard was some expensive heirloom farro...). My last change was that I did the final proof in a very well floured banneton, then turned the loaf onto parchment and baked it on a well heated stone at 400F until the interior was 200F.
It is indeed a very dense, aromatic loaf that would be epic toasted slightly with fresh butter and orange marmalade slathered on (the spices used to scent the bread all have distinct citrus notes and affinity for those fruits).

Aroma Bread with Coriander and Fennel

yield: 1 2-pound loaf

3 cups whole grain spelt flour (12 ounces)
1 cup whole grain rye flour (3 3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup coarse or medium stone-ground whole grain cornmeal (2 ounces)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax or sesame seeds
1 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoon fennel seed
1/2 tablespoon caraway
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon rapid-rise or instant yeast
1/2 cup whole wheat, rye, Kamut, or spelt berries, soaked overnight and drained (optional)
2 cups cold water
Cornmeal, for sprinkling

To prepare the dough, start at least 12 hours ahead. Whisk together all the ingredients except the whole grain berries and the water in a large bowl. Scatter the grain berries on top and add almost all the water. Stir with a dough whisk or a wooden spoon until the flour is incorporated. The dough should be wet and sticky to the touch, like firm oatmeal; otherwise, add a bit more water. But don't worry too much about the liquid-to-flour ratio, as this is a forgiving dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature to ferment for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.

The next day, finish the bread. Sprinkle a linen or cotton kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with cornmeal and generously flour your work surface. Using a bench scraper or a rubber spatula, scrape the stringy, bubbly dough onto the work surface. Using floured hands, fold it exactly 4 times, always toward the center — from the right and from the left, as well as from the top and the bottom. Turn the loaf upside down so the fold is at the bottom, and set it on the kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the loaf to cover, and let sit for about 1 hour.

3 After about 30 minutes, position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 475°F. Place a 4 1/2- to 5 1/2-quart cast-iron pot or Dutch oven with its lid in the center of the rack. After about 1 hour, your loaf should have nicely risen. (When you press it with your finger about 1/4 inch deep, the dimple should remain; if not, wait 15 more minutes.) But again, don't worry too much — I have sometimes been less than precise and still succeeded.

Using thick pot holders, carefully remove the cast-iron pot from the oven and place it on a couple of folded kitchen towels (to avoid cracking); uncover. Unwrap the dough, sprinkle with a bit more cornmeal, and invert directly from the kitchen towel into the pot, seam side up (it might look a bit wiggly; that's normal). If the dough doesn't drop into the center, shake the pot once or twice (use caution, it is hot!).

Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the loaf is nicely browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 200°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Using thick pot holders, remove the loaf from the cast-iron pot and transfer to a wire rack. If you can resist, allow to cool completely, about 3 hours, before cutting the loaf with a sharp serrated knife. And a sharp knife it must be — this is a German-style bread, after all.

in case you haven't heard...

2011-12-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

...kale is the "it" ingredient right now...

This green is incredibly nutrient dense, it tastes good, and it grows like a weed in our mild northwest climate. We have it in our garden for at least nine months out of the year, so believe me when I say that I'm always looking for new things to do with it (over the summer, it was kale smoothies)! It's great braised, sauteed, used in soups, and much to my surprise, raw.

Right now, we have tender leaves about six inches long hanging out in the greenhouse, so I just had to do something that highlighted their delicate flavor. Kale, like many plants in the cabbage family, develops a wonderful sweetness as the weather turns chilly, becoming especially delectable after the first frost. This recipe was inspired by one I saw originally in a Tasting Table newsletter, but I have adapted it to suit my tastes using my favorite caesar dressing. I served this recipe tonight to rave reviews, accompanied by eggs from our chickens poached in tomato sauce (eggs in purgatory).

Raw Kale Caesar

yield: 4-5 servings

For the kale:

1 # cavolo nero (tuscan) kale, washed and dried

For the dressing:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

6 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained

1 t dijon mustard

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 T plain yogurt

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

To garnish:

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

4-5 slices rustic bread, brushed with olive oil and toasted under the broiler

To prepare the kale: holding the thick stem in your non-dominant hand (your left if you are right handed), slide the blade of a knife down then stem to shed the leaves from the fibrous, tough interior ribs. Once you have removed the main rib, roll the leaves up like a cigar (maybe five or six at a time), and cut very finely to create 1/8"-1/4" wide strips that are the width of the leaf. Continue until all of the leaves are shredded, and transfer them to a mixing bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the dressing, combine everything in a blender and run until smooth and creamy.

Just before serving, dress the kale to your taste (I kind of like it juicy), arrange on chilled plates, and garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a toast.

Phyllo with Leeks, Chanterelles, and Fontina

2011-12-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest joys and challenges with holiday entertaining is coming up with something a little different for cocktail hour. It's not like summer where you can pick something fresh out of the garden or farmer's market, do something minimal to it, and have a perfect representation of the season. Winter demands more time, attention, and heat.

In this case, I decided to raid the freezer in which we preserved the bounty of our gardens and the items we foraged and caught. We've got however many cubic feet of smoked salmon, leeks, green beans, and chanterelles put up for the winter (not to mention the obscene number of quarts of zucchini pickles, apple butter, and currant jelly, carrots, beets, potatoes, and butternuts in the back pantry).

I took two of these items: leeks and chanterelles. From there, I decided to marry them together with a bit of fontina cheese and hold them with phyllo dough. To start, since I had the leeks and mushrooms already cooked and frozen, I thawed them out together in a small saute pan and cooked them over low heat until they were fairly dry. When you're working with phyllo, you don't want too much moisture in the filling or the dough will become soggy and may rupture during baking. I added salt to taste, but it seemed a little flat. Both leeks and chanterelles have some natural sweetness to them, so I decided to go with nutmeg to liven up the flavor profile a bit. It rounded everything out nicely. The flavors here are subtle yet satisfying in a delicate way.

Phyllo with Leeks, Chanterelles, and Fontina
yield: 18-20 pieces

2 T butter, plus 4T melted and reserved
3 leeks, dark parts and root trimmed
2-2 1/2 cups chopped chanterelles
1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 scant cup grated fontina
8 sheets phyllo dough

To clean the leeks, have a bowl of ice water ready to the side. Cut the leeks lengthwise, and then crosswise into 1/4" half-moons. Immerse the pieces in the water and agitate every few minutes to help dislodge the sand particles tucked in between the layers. The leeks will float, and the sand will sink, so when you feel the leeks are clean, just lift them off the top of the water into a new vessel.

In a medium saute pan, melt the 2 T of butter and saute the mushrooms until all of the moisture has been released. Add the leeks and cook over low heat until tender. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then allow to cool slightly. You should end up with about 1 1/2 cups cooked filling.

On a clean board, lay out two sheets of phyllo, keeping the rest under a tea towel to prevent them from drying out. Brush generously with butter, then add two more sheets, and brush those as well (you don't have to brush in between each layer unless you really feel like it). Brush a baking sheet with a bit of butter so you have somewhere to land. Along one of the longer edges, make a log out of about 3/4 cup of the leek mixture, and top with half of the fontina. Roll snugly and place on the baking sheet with the seam side down. Brush with butter, then score the phyllo to create nine or ten pieces. You don't have to cut all the way through- cutting about half way reduces breakage and flaking after you've baked them and are ready to separate the pieces. Repeat with the second half of the ingredients.

At this point, you can either cover and refrigerate the rolls for up to 24 hours, or you can bake them off immediately in a 400F oven. It should take 15-20 minutes to get the phyllo nice and browned, and the filling nice and hot. After removing from the oven, cool slightly, then transfer to a cutting board and cut the rest of the way through. Serve warm with something dry and sparkling.

Spicy Lemongrass Tofu : dau hu xa ot

2011-11-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

This recipe goes out to all those who think tofu dishes are boring...!

Personally, I love tofu. I enjoy the texture, the mild flavor, the versatility, and during the down years, the great economy of it. At East Asia market in Tacoma, I think it's about $1.30 for enough tofu to feed 3-4 people as part of a meal with rice.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite Vietnamese chefs- Mai Pham. I had the pleasure to work with her a few times during my time at the CIA and learned many tips about the Vietnamese kitchen. The following recipe is a quick, satisfying dish that will delight the taste buds and bring the aroma of the Vietnamese kitchen to your home.

Spicy Lemongrass Tofu
yield: 4 servings

2 lemongrass stalks, outer layers peeled, bottom white part thinly sliced and finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons chopped Thai bird chilies or another fresh chili
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/8-inch slices
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
10 la lot, or pepper leaves, shredded, or 2/3 cup loosely packed Asian basil leaves

Combine the lemongrass, soy sauce, chilies, chili flakes, turmeric, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the tofu cubes and turn to coat them evenly. Marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat half of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat. Add the onion, shallot and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Wipe the pan clean and heat the remaining oil over moderate heat. Add the tofu mixture and, using chopstick or wooden spoons, turn so it cooks evenly, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture and cook, uncovered, for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add half the peanuts and all the pepper leaves. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with the remaining peanuts and serve immediately.

**I have served this over plain steamed rice or blanched fresh rice noodles tossed with saw-tooth herb, cilantro, red perilla, Thai basil, and a bit of lime juice and fish sauce.

**If you have the opportunity, pressing tofu that has been packed in water is a good habit to get in to. Place the tofu between two plates and weight it with a can of tomatoes (or similar) for about an hour. You'll be surprised by how much liquid comes out!! At the very least, be sure to pat the tofu dry before marinating it.

**East Asia Market
602 S 38th St
Tacoma, WA 98418

**Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham on Amazon

mango-kale-matcha smoothie

2011-10-24T17:16:00.001-07:00

Green smoothies have been popular for quite some time, but I am just now starting to experiment and enjoy them. So far, I think this is the most healthful (and caffeinated!!) combination I have come up with. I like the addition of mango to the mix because it gives a hint of floral/tropical fruitiness and contributes a super creamy texture that banana alone somehow cannot achieve.

Nutrition-wise, this is packed with antioxidants from the green tea, fiber and vitamins A, K, and C from the kale, mango and almonds, and there is also a good amount of calcium, iron, manganese and protein.

One glass in the morning another mid-day will get me through to dinner time.

For two servings:

-3 large leaves of Russian or Tuscan kale, ribs discarded and leaves roughly torn

-1/2 ripe mango, peeled and diced

-1/2 ripe banana

-3 T raw almonds, preferably soaked in water overnight

-1 heaping teaspoon matcha powder

-1/4 cup low fat yogurt

-enough almond, soy, or cow's milk or orange juice to get everything moving in the blender

Put everything in the blender and process on high speed until the almonds are completely pulverized and everything is smooth.

In Pursuit of English Muffin Perfection

2011-10-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I think I've finally got it. Not that I was ever a huge fan of english muffins, but after so many mediocre breakfasts based on these often hockey-puck-like dough balls, I think I understand why they really should be popular... I mean, if they always were as they are now, why would anyone choose a muffin over a piece of nice whole grain toast?

So I went on a little odyssey and after a few tries, a few revisions, and a few really gooey results, I have achieved a good muffin, worthy of eggs benedict or the best butter and currant jelly you can find. With this recipe I ended up with a good tasting product with a respectable amount of the ubiquitous "nooks and crannies." This is a combination of a few different recipes collected from a few different books and blogs.

English Muffins
yield: 13 3" muffins

2 oz unsalted butter
1/2 T sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 t active dry yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound bread flour (approximately four cups)
1/2 t kosher salt
2 t baking powder dissolved in 1 T of water
cornmeal & butter or pan spray for the rings

Special equipment: 3" english muffin rings (tuna cans with the top and bottom cut out work too...if you happen to have that many tuna cans laying around)

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sugar and milk and warm over the flame until 110F and the sugar is dissolved. Add the yeast, stir to dissolve, then allow to sit for five minutes.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and salt. Pour in the liquid ingredients and add the egg. Using a dough hook, mix until homogenous, but you don't have to worry about too much gluten development. The dough will be very gloppy, like an extremely thick pancake batter. Cover the bowl and place in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about an hour and a half. If you are making these for a special breakfast, you can mix the ingredients and allow them to proof overnight in the refrigerator, letting the dough warm for about 45 minutes at room temperature before using.

Preheat a large skillet or griddle (stainless steel or cast iron is best here) over medium heat. Grease the muffin rings and place as many as you can fit comfortably on the surface and allow those to preheat too. Remember not to crowd them too much as you are going to have to flip these guys over. Sprinkle about 1/2 T of cornmeal into each ring to prevent the dough from sticking to the pan.

While the pan is heating, mix the baking powder with the water and immediately mix it into the dough. Do not worry about deflating the dough as it will recover over the heat. Scoop a shy 1/3 cup of dough into each ring, then, with wet fingers, pat the dough out to fill the circle (BE CAREFUL- the rings will be hot by this point!).

Allow to cook over medium-low heat for about seven minutes, then, using a towel or hot pad to protect your hands, try to pull the rings off the muffins. If the rings don't come off, don't worry, just leave them there. Carefully turn each muffin over and allow to cook for another seven to ten minutes. Remove to a cooling rack, remove any stubborn rings, and allow to cool completely before splitting with a fork, toasting lightly, and enjoying...

Harvest Time

2011-09-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

No matter where I've lived, fall has always been my favorite time of year. In Napa, it meant the crush, the entire valley perfumed with ripe grapes... In Tahoe it was the beginning of crisp days with the aspen leaves starting to turn and the excitement of the first fat snowflakes... Here in the Northwest, it is mushroom season. With our lush forests and mild climate, we experience an autumn bounty, ripe for the taking by anyone who doesn't mind getting their hands dirty. It's a touch bittersweet, hailing the end of beautiful weather and perfect produce, soon we will be back to cooler temperatures, kale, cabbages and winter squash...

twenty pounds of chanterelles in about an hour...not bad!!

One of the most common questions I get from guests at dinner parties is how to coax more flavor out of mushrooms. People complain that their mushroom dishes turn out watery and tasteless, but they know that if treated right, mushrooms have an intense umami flavor and a meatiness that rivals many beef dishes.

The trick for mushrooms is this:

In a heavy skillet (cast iron is best), heat a copious amount of butter or olive oil until very hot. You will be walking a fine line here between creating a good sear and burning the butter/oil solids. While your pan is heating, cut up your mushrooms into bite-sized chunks: halves or quarters for button mushrooms and random geometric shapes for larger varieties. Add just enough mushrooms to cover the bottom of the pan- do not crowd them, and then do not touch them for at least three minutes. After they have had time to brown on one side, turn them and repeat the same act of patience. If your mushrooms are very watery, this will take a bit longer as all of the liquid will have to cook out before the pieces can begin to brown. When the mushrooms are brown on all sides, remove them to a bowl, wipe out the pan, add more fat, and continue until you have as much as you need. If you want to incorporate garlic or fresh herbs, add them towards the end of the last batch. The high heat needed to sear the mushrooms will burn the garlic and kill the flavor of the herbs long before the mushrooms are cooked if added too early, and salt towards then end of the cooking time. Salting early on draws out too much moisture and slows things down.

Once you have the mushrooms seared, you can fold them into or use them to top just about anything...pasta with a bit of cream and tarragon, an omelet, mac'n'cheese, or, as I did last night, on top of soft polenta enrobed in taleggio cheese with thyme, rosemary, tarragon and parsley. Oh, and a dash of truffle oil for good measure!

The Chicken Chronicles III: Our First Eggs

2011-09-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

Since I last wrote about our little chickies, all sorts of progress has been made towards the reason we raised them up.

Unfortunately, we did end up loosing one to an unknown issue. The odd thing about the loss of this particular chicken is that she was the dominant one from the beginning, she was the only one that was a different color than her sisters, she was the friendliest, and she was the prettiest of them all... She had the most lovely silver and black feathers that were purple and green edged in the sunlight. One day she seemed depressed, and then her tail feathers fell out, and then one day she "went to the farm upstate." Oh well. I bet she would have laid a tasty egg...

Aside from loosing the one hen, everything else is going very well. After a few initial hiccups (laying outside the nest, laying eggs without shells, laying eggs while sitting on the roost so they drop more than a foot), things seem to be going smoothly. It appears that the first couple of eggs a chicken lays have a few issues, either logistically or with their development, but by the time egg number four or five comes out, the girls seem to get the hang of it. I have to say though, it is very amusing how after they lay their first egg, they seem startled, and then strut around all special-like.

Today was our most productive egg day so far, with five of the nine chickens coming on line. Some of the eggs weren't keepers, but it's a sign that we will be flush with eggs very soon. The first eggs that some of them are laying are just the sweetest little things ever...about half the size of a regular large AA egg, they're just darling. And Stumpy, the hen that we had to quarantine with leg problems, lays the cutest eggs of all. She's a bit smaller than the other chickens and lays proportionally petite eggs.

My Best Lemon Cake

2011-08-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

Aside from chocolate, this is my most often requested flavor for a celebration cake. I like to make a citrus pound cake, soak it with lemon syrup, and layer it with lemon cream and white chocolate mousse, then top it off with fluffy torched meringue! Depending on the season and the preferences of the client, I'll often infuse the mousse with a touch of herbal flavor- both rosemary and lavender provide a wonderful counterpart to the sweetness of the meringue and the tangy lemon cream.

Citrus Pound Cake
yield: 1 8" cake

4 eggs
1 3/4 c sugar
3/4 c plus 1 T vegetable oil
3/4 c thick plain yogurt
zest of 2 lemons
2 T orange liquor
1 t vanilla
2 3/4 c all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8"x3" round pan with parchment on the bottom. Do not grease the sides.

In a stand mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, and oil and whisk until thick ribbons fall from the whip. Add the yogurt, zest, liquor and vanilla and mix to combine. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients then fold into the egg mixture. Pour the batter into the ready pan and bake until a tester comes out clean. It will take about an hour, but I would start testing at 45 minutes and probably cover with foil to prevent excessive browning. Once fully cooked, remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes before unmolding. Cool completely at room temperature. Wash and dry the cake pan- you will need it to assemble the cake. Wrapped well this cake will keep for a few days at room temperature.

Lemon Cream (adapted from Tartine)
yield: enough for filling one layer of one 8" cake

3 1/2 oz lemon juice
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3 2/3 oz sugar
5 oz butter, cut into 10 pieces

Set up a double boiler. In a medium metal bowl (not aluminum) or the top of the double boiler, combine the eggs, sugar and them lemon juice until well combined. Continue whisking over boiling water until the mixture reaches 180F and is thick. Immediately remove from heat, transfer to a blender, and allow to cool, stirring frequently, until 140F. Once the cream has reached the proper temperature, turn on the blender and begin to add the butter, one piece at a time, allowing each piece to become completely incorporated before adding the next. This will create a thick, opaque cream that is rich and light at the same time. Once all of the butter has been incorporated, transfer to a non-reactive container and refrigerate until ready to use.

White Chocolate Mousse
yield: enough to fill one 8" cake layer with a bit left over (about 2 3/4 c)

**note: this must be done as you are assembling the cake- get everything ready so you can spread the mousse before the gelatin sets**

3.5 grams gelatin
6 oz white chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 c heavy cream, chilled

Bloom the gelatin in 2 T cold water for 10 minutes. Bring 1/2 c cream to a boil, remove from heat, then add the gelatin to dissolve. Pour over the chopped white chocolate and allow to sit, untouched, for five minutes. Stir gently to melt all the chocolate and allow to cool until thick ribbons fall from a spoon when lifted. Meanwhile, whip the remaining cream to soft peaks. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, whip into the cream. If your chocolate is too warm, it will deflate the cream a bit, but don't worry too much- put the bowl in the cooler for a while until the mixture is cool to the touch (but not set), then whip until it's light and fluffy. Use immediately.

Lemon Syrup
yield: for 1 8" cake

1 c sugar
3/4 c water
juice of 1 lemon

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature, then add the lemon juice.

Italian Meringue (adapted from Tartine)
yield: for 1 8" cake

**have the cake assembled and chilled before making the meringue**

7 oz egg whites
306 grams sugar
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Over a pan of boiling water, whisk the mixture until it is hot to the touch (120F) and frothy. Remove from the heat, return to the stand, and begin mixing on medium-high speed until you have a rich, glossy mass that holds stiff peaks.

To assemble:
Line the cake pan with enough plastic wrap to have 3" hanging over each side. Cut the domed top off the cake and then cut into three even layers. Place the bottom layer, bottom side down, in the cake pan, then soak with about 1/3 of the lemon syrup. Pour in the mousse and smooth with an offset spatula. Add the next cake layer and soak with more syrup, then top with the lemon cream. To finish add the last layer and soak with some lemon syrup. Wrap very well and allow to set up in the refrigerator for at least four hours or over night. At this point, you can frost the cake with the meringue, torch it gently with a propane torch, and serve immediately or keep for up to one week in the refrigerator.

When time allows, I like to let the cake temper on the counter for about 20 minutes before frosting and serving. There's a delicate balance between pound cake and cream fillings- the pound cake is best when not completely cold, but the fillings will melt if allowed to get too warm...so use your best judgement.

Fresh Chickpea Falafel

2011-08-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Freshly made falafel is, in my opinion, one of the simple pleasures in life (kind of like a California super burrito). I have made it a few times using a few different recipes and so far this is my favorite. This particular recipe employs both fresh (green) chickpeas and dried, though if you don't have access to green chickpeas you can substitute in more dried ones, you just don't get the same bright color. As an alternative, I have seen frozen chickpeas periodically at Costco and almost always at Whole Foods.

Fresh Chickpea Falafel
yield: 4 servings
1 1/4 c fresh chickpeas
2 c dried chickpeas, cooked and drained
6 T bulgur wheat
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T ground cumin
1 T baking soda
1/4 c mixed mint, cilantro and parsley, chopped
salt to taste

In a food processor, pulse the onion, garlic and bulgur until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture comes together into a medium-smooth paste, scraping down the sides frequently. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the paste into patties about 2" in diameter and 1/2" thick. Press the mixture firmly together so it will hold it's shape when you fry them. To cook, heat a heavy skillet and add about 1/4" of oil (canola or other neutral oil). When the oil begins to shimmer, add in the patties and cook until well browned on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with pita, tzatziki, tomatoes and your favorite accompaniments.

Gig Harbor Wine & Food Festival 2011

2011-08-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

Good times! If you missed the Gig Harbor Wine & Food Festival this year, make sure to attend in 2012. This year was the second time around for this event, and I think I can safely say that all of the attendees enjoyed themselves. With thirty-something wineries, a couple of breweries, and at least fifteen different local food businesses to get tasty samples from, how could you go wrong?

On top of all of the food and (very generous) wine pours, there were all sorts of demonstrations and classes going on- culminating with an Iron Chef-style cook off between Chefs Kevin Gillespie (from Top Chef) and Thad Lyman (from our own Brix 25)! I haven't heard yet which man won...

Bookmark the festival's website here and keep an eye out for next year's date!

Plenty

2011-07-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I rarely plug or review cookbooks on this blog. However, this book, new to my collection, is worth mention for a few key reasons. Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi has great recipes with lots of creativity, heavily relying on spice blends and flavors that are still uncommon in most American homes. I would say that this book has been my best buy over the last few years. Usually, when I purchase a cookbook, I'm happy if there are five items I want to try. In this book, I want to cook and eat every recipe. And it doesn't hurt that the photography is beautiful!

This is a vegetable book- it's not about being vegetarian, it's just vegetable based; and most dishes can stand on their own or go great next to a nice cut of meat. So far every recipe I've tried has turned out beautifully, with (sometimes unexpected) synergistic flavors and nice balance between different components and textures.

If you don't have a well stocked spice cabinet, it would be hard to get started with this book. Most recipes have a few different spices as well as fresh herbs. Once you have all the components on hand, you'll find the flavor combinations addictive. I chose to share the recipe below since the ingredient list is pretty accessible.

Chickpea sauté with Greek yogurt

3/4 # swiss chard
5 T olive oil
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 1/2 c cooked chickpeas
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ lemon, juiced
1 T fresh mint, chopped
1 T fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1 T olive oil

Wash the chard, separate the stalks from the leaves, blanch the stalks for five minutes and the leaves for two, then chop both into ½cm dice.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan, add the carrots and caraway seeds, and sauté for five minutes. Add the chard and chickpeas, sauté for six minutes, then stir in the garlic, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper, remove from the heat and set aside to cool a little. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

To serve, mix the yogurt, tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt. When the vegetables are warmish or even room temperature, pile them on plates and top with a tablespoon of the yogurt mix. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and some more oil.

Zucchini Pickle Recipe

2011-07-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand...!
Here is the zucchini pickle recipe I used- alter the sugar to your taste, I always cut it back a little bit.

Pickled Zucchini
this should make enough for four quarts

2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
3 c sugar
1/4 c salt
1/2 t turmeric powder

Prepare your quart canning jars as usual (clean, sterilize and hold hot), meanwhile, bring the above ingredients to a boil.

Into each jar, place:
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1/2 t each black peppercorns and coriander
a pinch of red pepper
2 allspice berries

Pack in zucchini slices until the jar is almost full to the threads. Have ready a boiling water bath, then fill each with the boiling vinegar mixture, leaving 1/3-1/2" of headspace. If you're paranoid like me, use a pH strip to test the acid content of the liquid- it should be below 4.6. Top with your hot, sterile lids and rings, and process for 12-15 minutes.

The Chicken Chronicles II: Officially Teenagers

2011-07-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

When we started out on this little poultry adventure, I was sure it would be super exciting, drama filled, and labor intensive. Not so much! Since raising chickens has turned out to be really easy (just feed them and make sure to lock them up at night), I haven't had much to write about.

We did end up with one black rooster (we started out with for black australorps and four easter-egger/ameracaunas). Initially, we weren't sure how we were going to determine which of the chicks were male, but it turned out to be really rather easy. For a few weeks during their development, we were sure that we had at least three roosters. But at about six weeks of age, this one just looked like a boy. We put an ad on Craigslist, and a farmer came to collect him a few days later with a pickup truck full of goats, dogs, and full grown roosters... He went to a good home. The farmer was looking for a boy to keep her girls company.

So then we were down to seven chicks. That wasn't good enough for my husband. He had built this crazy chicken palace and seven is too weird a number anyway, so he went and procured three rhode island red ladies. Ten is a much better number than seven. You can see our chicken variety pack in the photo above.

If you look closely, you'll see in the photo that one of the redheads is missing... We had one hen who developed some sort of issue with her legs. For about a week she couldn't/wouldn't bear weight on at least one of her legs. We didn't know if she had some crazy disease or something, so we quarantined her for a few days and once she recovered, we reintroduced her back to the flock. Aside from that, the only issue we've had is a bit of a protein deficiency due to too many treats (akin to feeding your kids nothing but candy and then wondering why they don't behave quite right...). A few of the chickens started eating the feathers of the other birds- this was a bit disturbing since one would chase another pulling feathers out of it's back. We fixed this by giving them lots of salmon trim (they love salmon) for a few days. Now, everything is fine again.

Next time I write about chickens, hopefully it is because we have our first organic homegrown egg... They are in their mid-teens now (in chicken years of course), and should start laying in the early fall.

Smokin' Hot (or cold) !

2011-06-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

No, not the weather you silly goose! While out for an afternoon stroll my husband and I came across a Little Chief Smoker for an awesome-just-couldn't-refuse price; we've been looking at getting a smoker for a while but just didn't want to shell out the $150 for the one I really wanted. In the meantime, this one will certainly do! It's an electric model with four racks and an insulating jacket, I think the only thing this model is missing is a thermostat, but I found an external monitor left over from some beer making, so I think I'm in business!

My first project is to smoke some salmon. On our way home we found some exceptionally fresh whole Copper River sockeye for $5.99/#. Crazy- it was cheaper than the regular sockeye...and I figured with the higher fat content, I simply couldn't go wrong. Below you will find the standard CIA salmon cure with basic instructions on how to get started with smoking fish. This cure is a little sweeter than I usually care for, but it is a great starting point.

Smoked Salmon Cure- for 3# salmon fillet, skin on

Combine:
8 oz salt
4 oz sugar
4 g onion powder
1.5 g ground cloves
1.5 g crushed bay leaves
1.5 g ground mace
1.5 g ground allspice

Remove the pin bones and place the salmon skin side down in a pan with high sides. Pack the cure ingredients onto the flesh of the salmon, putting a bit less as the fillet gets thin near the tail end. Wrap loosely and cure the salmon under refrigeration for 12-24 hours. Rinse off the cure with cool water and blot dry with paper towels.

Lay flat on a rack and allow to air dry overnight in the refrigerator (I cheat by placing the fillet in a cool place and running a fan onto it). This is an incredibly important step as it forms the pellicle- a tacky dry skin that develops on top of the cured item that not only protects as the item is being smoked, but helps to capture the smokey flavor.

After you have a sufficient pellicle formed (the fish should feel almost dry), for a tender lox-like texture, cold smoke the fish for 4-6 hours at 100F or less. Smoked salmon, wrapped well, will keep for one week in the refrigerator.

Or, you can eat it right away, on a freshly baked bialy with capers, red onion, lemon, cream cheese and some leaves of parsley. Yum! The recipe for bialys will be another story for another day...

A Warm Welcome to Summer

2011-06-21T21:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you who also live in the Northwest, I think you can agree, it's about time! After trudging through the coldest spring ever (well, not really, but you know what I mean) this sunny day was more than appreciated, and it was fitting that it's the solstice. As an ode to the coming season and the ripe pineapple I had on the counter, this is what I fixed for dinner:

I topped some white rice and black beans with prawns that had been tossed lightly with some olive oil, aleppo pepper, and curry powder, then grilled. To give the meal a Caribbean twist, I made a simple salsa of diced pineapple, brunoise of sweet pepper, lime juice and cilantro. Tasty!

Sometimes, I forget how much I love pie...

2011-05-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

..and then a little bit of rhubarb and a few strawberries make their way into my hands, and before I know it, this glory has happened...!

I was inspired by a recent Wall Street Journal post. I liked the addition of allspice, bitters, and orange zest to the filling.

Spicy Eggplant

2011-05-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite recipes, and it's good even if you don't make it spicy. It's originally from the book "The Food of India: A Journey for Food Lovers." I think the book is a good introduction for Indian food beginners, it was my first Indian cookbook, and I have had good luck with most of the recipes. This one is super and makes the whole book worth while.

Spicy Eggplant
yield: six servings

Puree:
14 ounces ripe diced tomatoes (peeled and seeded if fresh)
1" of ginger, peeled and minced
6 cloves garlic, crushed

Fry to brown in oil then reserve:
1 3/4 # Japanese or Indian eggplants, cut into 2" section

Have ready:
1 t fennel seeds
1/2 t kalonji (nigella) seeds
1 T ground coriander
1/4 t turmeric
1/2 t cayenne

In a deep frying pan, heat a light film of oil until it begins to shimmer. Add the fennel and kalonji, allowing them to pop for a few seconds. Add the tomato mixture and the remaining spices. Be careful, it will spatter! Cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently then add the eggplant. Cover and simmer for about ten minutes, until the eggplant is fully cooked. Season with salt as desired. At this point, it is ready to serve, or can be held in the refrigerator for two days. It does get better with time!

Shucking for Dummies

2011-05-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

I came across some lovely oysters this afternoon at Metropolitan Market and decided to splurge since it's the end of prime oyster season. Even though the rule about only eating raw oysters during months with an "R" in them (i.e. absolutely in September but not in June), doesn't always hold true, the texture of the oysters is generally superior during the cooler months. Some varieties like Kumamoto are lovely in the summertime as well, but unless I'm cooking them, I tend to enjoy these bivalves during the cooler months.

No matter where I am, I like to seek out local varieties and producers. Being a West coast girl, I am very fortunate to have many fantastic options. In Washington, I look for Hama Hamas, Kumamotos, and Olympia oysters. In California, anything from Hog Island Oyster Company is great (but especially the sweetwaters when toted to the beach and eaten while watching the sunset...). The above mentioned kinds are perfect for eating raw. If you're going to cook them, go for a medium sized Pacific oyster of good quality- you don't have to be too specific since you won't be able to taste the subtle nuances through all the bacon you're going to put on top...

Now, on to the technical part:

Fold a towel as shown above, creating a bolster to hold the oyster at a perfect shucking angle while leaving enough towel for you to protect your hand with while holding the shell.

Place the oyster in the towel with the flatter shell on top. You want the hinge exposed and the more curved half to hold all of the liquor inside the shell.

Next, work the very tip of your oyster knife into the hinge, trying not to flake any bits of the shell (these will inevitably end up in the part you want to eat...). Make sure to use an oyster knife. Really. Not a screwdriver. Not a butter knife. And certainly not a regular kitchen knife.

Once you've got the knife into the hinge, twist gently until the shell pops open. You will hear when the seal gives way, kind of like a champagne bottle (any coincidence that champagne goes perfectly with oysters??). As you lift the top shell, you will need to run your knife along the side to cut the adductor muscle, and then the shell will open.

Remove the top shell and enjoy the view.

You then need to very gently slide the knife under the other side of the adductor (it looks like a little scallop inside the oyster...by the way, the part you eat of the scallop is actually an oversized adductor muscle). Now the oyster is free of it's shell and you can eat it as is or carry on with a topping and some heat.

You know which path I chose.

The TKO

2011-04-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

For any of you who live near a Bouchon Bakery, you are probably familiar with this cookie. The acronym TKO stands for Thomas Keller Oreo. Put TK's name on any food item, and it gets glitzy, right? Use really good ingredients (like Scharffen Berger cocoa and Callebaut chocolate...) and you do get a remarkably tasty cookie.

TKOs
yield: will depend on your cutter size, I usually get 20-24 sandwiches

8 oz white chocolate, chopped fine
1/2 c heavy cream

11/2 c + 3 T all purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c + 1 T cocoa
1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
15 T butter, at room temperature, cut into 15 pieces

The night before making the cookies, bring the cream to a simmer and pour over the white chocolate. Let rest for five minutes, then whisk until smooth. Cover and chill completely.

For the cookie dough, combine and sift all of the dry ingredients. In a stand mixer on low speed, incorporate the butter pieces one by one, continuing to mix until the butter is evenly distributed. The dough will be granular and may not come into a ball. Transfer half of the dough to a clean counter and knead lightly to help the dough come together.

Roll out to about 1/8" thick and cut with your favorite sized circle cutter. Arrange the dough on a Silpat or parchment lined sheet, leaving 1/2" in between each cookie. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Repeat with the second half.

Once the cookies are fully cooled, sandwich a bit of the chocolate between two cookies and enjoy!

*note: the thickness of the ganache will vary depending on the brand of white chocolate you use

Shrimp Alhinho

2011-04-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

This recipe is an awesome riff on the traditional combination of shrimp and garlic that you find all over the Iberian peninsula. It's from George Mendes, the chef/owner of Aldea in New York. The menu there is Portuguese inspired, but definitely not traditional...

If you're pinched for time, the shrimp are awfully good just on their own.

For the sauce base:
2 pounds shrimp heads
canola oil, as needed
½ onion, sliced thinly
5 shallots, sliced thinly
½ bulb fennel, sliced thinly
2 ribs celery, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. fennel seed
1 pod star anise
1 tbsp. saffron
½ cup brandy
½ cup Pernod
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 sprigs tarragon, roughly chopped
2 sprigs parsley, roughly chopped
.2% xantham gum (by weight of finished, strained sauce)

For the shrimp:
32 shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ tbsp. paprika
1 sprig parsley, minced
1 sprig cilantro, minced
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper as needed

Make the sauce base:

Toast the shrimp heads in canola oil. Add the onion, shallots, garlic, fennel, celery, saffron, fennel seeds and star anise. Sweat until the vegetables start to soften. Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute. Deglaze first with the brandy, then with the Pernod. Cover with water and simmer 30 minutes. Take off the stove, add the herbs, and infuse 15 minutes. Strain through a chinois. Reduce over high heat if the flavor is not concentrated enough.

Add .2% xantham gum by total weight of the sauce and mix with an immersion blender.

Make the shrimp:

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and sear in 1 tbsp. olive oil for 30 seconds on each side.

Lower the heat and add the remaining olive oil and minced garlic. Cook the garlic slowly until golden. Add the paprika and mix well. Add the chopped parsley, cilantro, and lemon juice.

Heat the shrimp base and divide between eight warm shallow bowls. Place 4 shrimp in center of each dish. Spoon a small amount the garlic-olive oil mixture over the shrimp and then top with the minced herbs.

Curry Powder & Spice Sourcing

2011-04-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

This is for those of you that took my vegetarian class last night!

Jasmine's Curry Powder
yield: 3 cups (that's a lot!)

50 g turmeric
44 g brown mustard seeds
40 g fenugreek
40 g fennel seeds
40 g coriander seeds
32 g cumin seeds
28 g powdered ginger
24 g black peppercorns
16 g cinnamon
12 g paprika
8 g cardamom
8 g mace
8 g star anise
8 g crushed red pepper
4 g allspice, whole
4 g cloves, whole
4 g nutmeg
2 g asafoetida
2 g dry bay leaf

To make the curry, toast each whole spice separately in a dry skillet over medium heat until aromatic, then set aside to cool. Be very careful not to scorch the spices as this will cause a strong bitter flavor to invade your finished product. After all are toasted and cooled, transfer everything to a spice grinder and grind until very fine. You can sift the mixture if you like to get a very even texture but it's not absolutely necessary. At this point you can use the powder or store in an airtight container.

*This is my adaptation, feel free to adjust to suit your family's palates. You can increase different ingredients or leave some out depending on your personal taste. And, if there are one or two small items that you do not have handy, don't worry.

*If you don't already have a good source for bulk spices, check out Big John's PFI in SODO. It's the best I've found- good turnover so the spices are usually fresh and a huge selection at very reasonable prices. Besides, they carry an awesome array of cheeses and imported European stuff. It's also the best place to buy good quality bulk chocolate.

Good Morning, Sunshine

2011-03-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Spring is officially here, and every once in a while the sun actually comes out! I don't think today is going to be an epic sunny one, but it was encouraging to see a partly clear sky and few rain drops. Even though I'm typically a no-breakfast person (cappuccino please!) sometimes I get a hankering for some baked goods, and let's face it, in Gig Harbor, there's not much to choose from that's fresh and good... This morning I made some low-fat citrus blueberry muffins. They're one of my favorites, and even though they have nothing to do with springtime, the fresh, bright flavors remind me of this time of year anyway.

Lower-Fat Citrus Blueberry Muffins
yield: 12 regular sized muffins

Whisk together in a medium bowl:
2 c all purpose flour (or a combination with white whole-wheat)
1/2 c sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
a pinch of cinnamon

Combine in another bowl:
1 large egg
3 T canola oil, olive oil, or melted butter
1 c fat free yogurt (thinned with milk if needed)
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Set aside:
1 1/2 c blueberries, frozen or fresh

Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin (either grease well or line with papers). Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then fold in the blueberries. Portion into the muffin cups, and bake for 15 minutes and check for progress. If you've used fresh berries, the muffins should be done. Frozen berries will add at least an extra five minutes, but monitor carefully, you don't want to overbake them.

A Lasting Influence

2011-03-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

For dinner tonight, my husband wanted roast chicken. Even though a whole bird looks grand coming right out of the oven with crackling brown skin and beautiful aromas, I wanted to do something a little different. Let's face it, chicken is the base line that everyone compares neutral flavors to. Regardless of what the meat really is, when confronted with a new bland item, the response is often "dunno, tastes like chicken." Now, this doesn't mean that a perfectly roasted chicken doesn't make for a fantastic meal...

So, in my quest for something new (and more complicated?), I went old-school. Old school French, and old school CIA. I mean, really, who makes a chicken galantine on a Sunday afternoon? And thus the title of this post. No matter what I do, the CIA Pro-Chef still resides on my bookshelf, and my culinary education, my foundation, will always have an impact on who I am as a cook.

The dish I ended up with is a classic preparation of bird - think the original Turducken. You take your fowl, and put it breast side down on the cutting board. You then score down the spine and gently cut and pull the skin away from the entire bird in one piece. You cut around the ankle and wing to free the skin and voila, you have a chicken wrapper. Next, carve the breasts off, remove the tenders, and pound the breasts to an even 3/8". Roughly dice the tenders. Remove the remaining meat from the legs, back and wings, and dice as well. Save the carcass for some tasty stock.

In a food processor or meat grinder, bring down the meat into a rough paste. You'll want to add a binder (breadcrumbs, cream, eggs, cooked rice...) and some flavorings. I used rice, rosemary, and some sauteed mushrooms with Madeira to give flavor and hold everything together. The filling is much prettier if you use colorful things like pistachios or dried cherries. Fold in your garnishes and binder, and get ready to roll. Make sure you're seasoning with salt at each step.

Lay out your skin, insides side up. The skin should be trimmed of any excess fat or ickyness. Place the two breasts so they are close to the most raggedy edge of the skin. Put a log of filling on top of the breasts, then roll snugly until the filling is encased in breast meat, and the meat is encased in skin. Now, you'll want to do a running truss to hold the shape, and refrigerate until ready to use. I roasted mine at 375F in a convection oven for about 40 minutes, until the internal temperature was 165F. I basted with olive oil throughout, then let it rest for a few, and topped it with some beech mushrooms cooked down with shallots and more Madeira. You could also poach this item and serve cold.

The Chicken Chronicles I: We're Going to be Farmers!

2011-03-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

If you read back in this blog about a year, you'll find a post about my super-enthusiastic husband and his garden. In short, he covered the entire yard with raised beds and succeeded in growing all of the produce we could eat during the summer and fall last year. With the weather here in the winter, it's difficult to grow stuff year-round, and spring comes a little late, so we've been purchasing produce for the last five months. Let me tell you, the difference is astounding and I can't wait for our little seedlings to take off. We have leeks, arugula, and things of that sort started already on the windowsill.

Having exhausted all the flat, sunny land in our yard, the next logical step is to find something to do with the shady parts. And what better than to build a chicken coop! Our supply of fresh eggs recently ran out (due to raccoons...) and we figured it was our turn. We went down to the feed store just to find out some information about chicks- when they'd be in, what breeds work well up here, etc, and much to our surprise, we were informed the types we wanted would be in the next day... So, we went to Home Depot and bought a big plastic tub for them to live in while the coop gets started and finished. We've been hearing all of these horror stories of eagles snatching, raccoons strangling, and some unnamed blood-sucking vampire weasel draining the life out of local chickens. With Tomek's penchant for over-engineering things, I hope that won't happen to us.

We're starting out with eight chicks- four each of Black Australorp and Ameraucana. In this photo, the Ameraucana are about a week old and the Black's a bit younger. Even at this point, they're developing their own little chicken personalities and odd little chicken habits. Hopefully they'll all survive, and all be girls. There's a 10% failure rate in sexing the chickens when they hatch, so there's a good chance that we'll have a rooster in the bunch. I hope it's not the super fluffy one that looks like a chipmunk. (S)he's the friendliest...

Roasted Parsnip and Carrot Salad

2011-03-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but by this time of winter in the North West, I'm ready for some sunshine and summer produce. However, we have at least two more months of root vegetables and kale to contend with- it's time for new flavors!

Recently, in an endless quest to find new things to do with parsnips, I came across this recipe. The dish is originally by Maria Helm Sinskey, a chef and winery owner in the Napa Valley. I genuinely like her food; she respects seasonality and takes advantage of what every time of year has to offer. Granted, that's a lot easier in California than many other places in the country! I love this salad for the inherent sweetness of the vegetables; and the beautiful synergy between the curry, pine nuts and currants.

Here is the recipe, which can also be found on the Food & Wine website:

3 pounds slender carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 pounds slender parsnips, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons Banyuls vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
1/4 cup dried currants
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large roasting pan, toss the carrots and parsnips with 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring a few times, until tender and lightly caramelized in spots.

Remove from the oven. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and toast for 5 minutes, or until golden.

In a bowl, whisk the vinegar and curry powder; whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Add the roasted vegetables, pine nuts, currants and parsley; season with salt and pepper and toss well. Serve warm.

March cooking classes with Chef Jasmine

2011-03-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

The following cooking classes are still available for March:

Fri, March 11th - 6PM: Friday Night Tapas Party
Sun, March 13th - 5PM: Luxe Comfort Food
Sun, March 20th - 5PM: Learn how to make fresh pasta
Fri, March 25th - 6PM: Introduction to French Cuisine

For more information and reservation please visit Bella Kitchen Online Reservations
Hope we see you there!

Midori no Yaki Yasai Salada

2011-03-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, since I just published this for the world to see, I hope the translation in this cookbook is correct and the title actually means "Grilled Green Salad!"

This recipe intrigued me because it's a cool salad, with a standard vinaigrette, but all the vegetables are cooked- some grilled, some blanched. It's adapted from Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook. I'm trying to get a grasp on more aspects of Japanese cuisine- I'm not sure how traditional this salad is, but it seems authentic to the restaurant it's from. My only changes to this recipe were regarding a few varieties of the vegetables.

Grilled Green Salad
serves 4

Component 1:
8 oz spinach, gai lan, or other green
8 oz mizuna leaves

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, and blanch each green vegetable separately. Shock immediately to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain, then squeeze gently to remove the excess water. Cut into 2" sections.

Component 2:
1 cucumber, peeled if needed and sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2" wedges
4 oz green beans (or chinese long beans)
8 stalks asparagus, ends trimmed
4 shiitake mushrooms

Heat a grill or cast iron grill pan until moderately hot. Grill each vegetable variety individually, until lightly charred and tender. Set aside.

Component 3:
2 T champagne vinegar
2 t shallot
6 T neutral oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 T chopped toasted pistachios

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and shallots. Slowly whisk in the oil to emulsify, then season with salt and pepper.

To serve, arrange all the vegetables on a nice serving plate, dress with the vinaigrette, then top with the toasted pistachios.

Momofuku in My House: Pan Roasted Asparagus, Poached Egg, Miso Butter

2011-02-25T19:30:00.000-08:00

Sweet mystery of life, at last I've found thee. Ah! I know at last the secret of it all! Ok, so maybe not quite...but at least I had an awesome dinner.

Having come to terms with the fact that I may never make it to New York, last month I finally broke down and bought a copy of Momofuku by David Chang and Peter Meehan (of the NY Times). David Chang is a rockin' New York chef of Korean heritage that has helped bring new flavors to the forefront of American food trends for the last couple of years. He's earned all sorts of accolades, and is well known for his potty mouth and bad-boy attitude.

This is the first item I've made completely from the book- I've used it for reference a couple of times but this dish is 100%. It's really rather straight forward- a take on the classic Italian asparagus with a fried egg over the top.

For the miso butter:
Combine 5T unsalted butter with 1/2 cup white miso. Mix it until it's completely homogeneous: nobody likes lumpy sauce... Directly before serving, heat a splash (about 2 t) of sherry vinegar in a small sauce pan, reduce slightly, then add in the miso butter just to loosen, and set aside in a warm place. (this proportion is supposed to make four servings)

For the eggs:
Poach in the shell for 45 minutes, completely immersed in water between 140 and 145F. This is really easy if you have an immersion circulator, if you don't, keep them on low heat in a large pot, adjusting the temperature as needed with hot water and ice cubes. Also, you will want to keep the eggs off the bottom of the pan- I use a steamer basket. After 45 minutes, crack onto a plate and let the thin white fall away, then transfer to your serving plate. Top with a generous grind of black pepper.

For the asparagus:
Wash, trim and peel the asparagus as desired. In a large skillet over medium high heat, roast asparagus with some butter until nicely browned and perfectly cooked. Season as desired, but remember that miso is a little salty.

Tasting Notes from Las Vegas: Jaleo

2011-02-24T15:22:00.000-08:00

A few nights ago I had the pleasure of eating at Jaleo, one of the restaurants by well-known Spanish chef Jose Andres. Most of his career has been here in the US, he's got at least six restaurants, a bunch of cookbooks, and a PBS series called "Made in Spain." If you're not familiar with him, I'd highly recommend you check out his show and particularly his book Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America. I've enjoyed this book as a good introduction to tapas - nothing too intimidating and most of the ingredients are easily accessible.

Now, on to the good part...I wish I had a camera so I could show you exactly what we ate instead of just telling you about it. Here's the menu if you want to see all of the offerings.

Empanadillas with Brandade and Honey
These were slightly different than most of the empanadas I've had in the past- they used a wonton like wrapper instead of a short dough... I can't say that I loved this alteration, but the filling made up for it! I've never had brandade so smooth, so creamy, and so rich before. It was the texture of warm, ripe, brie. And it was spectacular with the honey drizzled over it. (Brandade is typically a puree of salt cod, potato, garlic, and olive oil.)

White Asparagus with Idziabal, Lemon, and ThymeThe most interesting thing about this dish was the presentation. The combination of flavors was good as well, and I love Idziabal cheese. It was served in an oval sardine can sort of thing, with the lid set off to the side. Very nifty.

Gazpacho
I was hesitant about ordering this, considering it's February, but when a bowl arrived at the table next to us, I just couldn't resist. I could smell it from where I was, and they obviously enjoyed it entirely. It was intense cucumber, pepper, and tomato. It was ridiculous how smooth the soup was, and the amount of sherry vinegar was very bold- on the border of being too much, but in the end, just right.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Apricots, Apple and Serrano Ham
Out of all the dishes, this was the least interesting. It was all nicely prepared, but wasn't as exciting as many of the other things we ate.

Veal Cheeks with Morels and Olive Oil Potato Puree
Yum! Even in my mostly-vegetarian state, those veal cheeks hit the spot! They were perfectly cooked (I'm guessing sous-vide), and over the super silky potato puree they were sublime. A handful of baby morels topped off the dish in a lovely manner.

Mussel Fritters
Though a little heavy, these were awesome... The mussels seemed to be minced, then folded into a breadcrumb mixture and deep fried. After they came out of the fryer, a perfect little mussel shell was stuck into each one as a garnish/handle. Super cute.

Rabbit Confit with Apricot Puree
This dish was good, though it could have used a touch of acid. The rabbit was cooked with a ton of rosemary, which I just loved, and I really enjoyed the combination of the herby-resiny rosemary with the intense sweetness of the apricot.

Papas Arrugas
Something so simple- new potatoes boiled in salt water until wrinkled like prunes, perfectly tender, with a dusting of salt crystals on the outside. They really were good, especially with the accompanying sauces- a chimichurri type herb puree, and a sauce of smoked paprika and garlic.

And lastly...possibly my favorite dish of the night...

Olive Oil Ice Cream with Grapefruit
Really good, creamy, intensely flavored olive oil ice cream over grapefruit granita that was amazingly devoid of bitterness, on a bed of fresh grapefruit supremes. Topped with a little bit of honey and honestly, I could have eaten three portions...

Apple Cider Cream Sauce

2011-02-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

We had some guests over the other night, and I wanted to revisit this recipe...kind of a blast from the past... I made it with chanterelles frozen from this fall. It was super yummy.

This is a great sauce for pork, but is also really good on chicken, potatoes, or a spoon.

Apple Cider Cream Sauce
yield: 2 cups

4 T unsalted butter
3 shallots, minced
½ # mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 cups dry hard apple cider
6 T crème fraiche
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the shallots and sauté until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for five minutes. Add the cider, reduce, then add the crème fraiche and simmer until a good sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Note: you can strain out the mushrooms and shallots with a fine sieve before serving for a more refined result.

Kasu-zuke : My Latest Foray Into Japanese Cuisine

2011-01-31T18:59:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that out of the popular Asian cuisines, I know the least about Japanese. I've got the basics ok, but there is so much intricacy and nuance to the finer dishes that I think I need more exposure.

The following is a basic dish that I've seen time and time again and I'm rather intrigued by it. It's fish marinated in sake lees with a bit of sugar, salt, and sake at least overnight, and up to a week. Typically, a fatty fish such as black cod (butterfish) or salmon is used. I was reading that due to the alcohol, salt and sugar, it's technically a pickle... After marinating for ever, you wipe off the excess paste and either grill or broil to perfection.

I tried it first with a steelhead fillet, and I have a steak of black cod marinating right now. After trying the finished product, I really like the texture that the fish develops after a light cure.

Kasu-zuke Marinade

Combine the following:
1# sake lees (kasu)
1.25 c sugar
0.5 c sake
1 T salt + extra for salting the fish

Salt your fish lightly and let rest for one hour. Blot the fish dry and rub heavily with the kasu-zuke. Allow to marinate for at least one day in the refrigerator, the wipe off the excess and broil or grill to your liking.

One pound of lees will make a lot of marinade. It will keep for a long time in the cooler.

And, thanks to Mark for sharing his recipe!

The Best Breakfast Ever

2011-01-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, so what defines the best breakfast food is completely subjective. Some people like savory, some sweet. Some go for things like pancakes or waffles covered in syrup or a lumberjack special. In some parts of the country, an egg and sausage burrito the size of my head is the standard way to get going in the morning. Other parts of the world start with soup, rice, or simply a croissant and cup of coffee. This is my pick for the ideal way to start the day.

To most people, this dish is most recognizable as congee, the Chinese staple consisting of leftover rice simmered for hours on end to make a creamy porridge. Versions exist in every rice based country in Asia; they all have their own names, but are variations on the same thing: simmered rice. In Thailand, this is what we ate each morning before hitting the beach, and it's still what we choose at home before a busy day.

Jook (also johk or chuk)

yield 3-4 servings

1/2 c jasmine rice, leftover or raw
5 c water or stock of your choice
fish sauce
1/2 T sugar

Garnishes (pick your favorites):
cilantro
sliced green onion
fried, raw, or poached egg
fried garlic
fried shallots
sliced thai chilies
dried shrimp
finely shredded ginger
ground chicken or pork
fish sauce
fresh lime wedges

In a medium saucepan, place the rice and cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer, and add the sugar and some fish sauce. Stir in the meat, if using. Cook over low heat until the mixture is thick and creamy, adding more liquid as needed to keep the consistency fluid. This takes a minimum of 40 minutes, just keep cooking until the texture you want is achieved. I like mine to be creamy and soft, but still with discernible grains of rice.

Dish out the porridge into warmed bowls, and let everyone dress up the congee the way they want. Just make sure not to skimp on the fish sauce and lime juice. The combination is completely seductive.

Leftover jook can be stored in the refrigerator and revived with a bit of boiling water for future breakfasts.

Leek Bread Pudding

2011-01-17T18:47:00.000-08:00

This is my adaptation of Thomas Keller's Leek Bread Pudding from Ad Hoc at Home. As crazy as it was working for him, one has to admit, that man can cook! I recently made this recipe for one of my favorite clients, she heated it the morning after the party for their breakfast.

Leek Bread Pudding
yield: 1 9x13" pan

3 large leeks, cleaned and sliced 1/2" wide (white and light green parts only)
2 T unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
12 cups foccacia, cubed
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/4 t herbs d'provance
3 large eggs
3 cups whole milk
3 cups heavy cream
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Emmentaler

Preheat the oven to 350F and butter a 9x13 baking dish.

In a medium saute pan, melt the butter. Add the leeks, thyme, herbs d'provance, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Saute gently until very tender, about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, toast the bread cubes for about 20 minutes until dry and golden, then let cool. For the custard: in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk and nutmeg.

Lay half of the bread down in the baking dish, top with half of the leeks, and half of the cheese. Top with the remaining bread and leeks, followed by the custard mixture. Press lightly to make sure all of the bread gets some moisture, and then top with the rest of the cheese. Let the pudding stand for 15 minutes then bake for an hour and a half. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Perfection in Eight Ingredients

2011-01-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

Every quarter I eagerly await my issue of Art Culinaire. It's a hardbound publication focusing on fine dining and trendy food all around the world, and as they say on the cover, it's "the international magazine in good taste." It's about $50 per year and worth every penny if you're into food porn.

This quarter, one of the spotlight chefs is Charles Phan, of Slanted Door fame. I've heard great things about his restaurants, but haven't had the chance to go to them. After trying this recipe, I might have to make a pilgrimage.

Dungeness Crab with Cellophane Noodles
yield: 4 servings

2 T canola oil
8 oz Dungeness crab meat, picked (if you live in the PNW, you have no excuse for this not to be fresh!!)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 oz cellophane noodles (also called mung bean noodles or bean threads), soaked in hot water until tender, then drained
2 T oyster sauce
1.5 T fish sauce (I like "Squid" brand the best)
4 green onions, green parts thinly sliced
.5 T sesame oil

Heat your wok with the canola oil until screaming hot. Add the crab and garlic, tossing constantly for 30 seconds. Add the drained noodles and stir together, then add the fish and oyster sauces. Toss until everything is evenly coated, then add the green onions and sesame oil. Mix well, remove from the heat, and serve immediately.

Making Yogurt At Home

2011-01-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

I've made yogurt at home quite a few times, with varying equipment and varying results. I hope that someday soon I will have an electric yogurt maker to help ease the process. But, in the meantime, I'll share my method with you, just in case you're in a similar situation...

A friend of mine recently came into a ridiculous amount of raw milk. She gets more every week than she can use, so I am the lucky recipient of the overflow... I mean, it's real milk, from a real cow. Not from a factory, from a cow and it's only a few hours old by the time it makes it's way into my kitchen. How awesome is that? Not that I grew up on a farm or anything, but it tastes the way milk used to taste (you know, that one time we took a field trip and I got to milk a cow). It's not homogenized, which means I can skim the cream off the top, and it's not pasteurized, which means I can make some awesome cheese with it.

For those unfamiliar with the pasteurization and homogenization of milk, the homogenization alters the state of the milk so that the fat particles cannot separate from the rest of the product so you always have an even percentage of fat, from the first glass to the last. Pasteurization sterilizes the milk at a very low temperature, to make it "safe" to use, but wonder of wonders, both of these processes just happen to increase the shelf life of milk to disturbing lengths. Out-of-the-cow milk tastes funny and gets chunky after about a week. Yum!

So, anyway, back to the topic at hand...

Yogurt
yield: 1 quart

4 c milk of your choice
1 T honey (optional)
1/3 c yogurt (either left over from your last homemade batch, or from plain store bought)
1-2 T powdered milk

Heat the milk and honey, if using, over medium heat to180F, and keep at this temperature for about five minutes. This helps the proteins set later in the process and also kills any errant bacteria. Cool in an ice bath to 115F. Add the yogurt and the powdered milk. The powdered milk helps the yogurt set to a firmer texture. Pour this mixture into a sterile container; I use a mason jar, but if you have a nice crock that would be even better.

Create a water bath in a large stockpot on your stove. Bring the water to 115F. Place a towel or potholder in the bottom of the pot, turn off the heat, and place your yogurt in the bath, being careful that the water comes at most 3/4 of the way up the vessel. You don't want any water getting in the yogurt. Cover the stockpot - if the container holding the yogurt is too tall, invert a large bowl over the pot. Using boiling water, adjust the water temperature to keep it at 115F for 6-8 hours (could take as long as 12 hours, so start in the morning). Try not to disturb the container for the full time. And that's all there is to it.

Tort Man Pla - Thai Style Fish Cakes

2011-01-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

I like fish cakes. After a trip to Thailand a couple of years ago, I'm actually a bit obsessed.

Following is my favorite recipe. I started out with the one in David Thompson's Thai Food and changed it until they tasted like what I had in Bangkok. I highly recommend the book if you're interested in the food of Thailand beyond pad thai. Some of the ingredients are a little obscure but most of the recipes you can build at one of the local asian markets.

Tort Man Pla

12 oz white fish fillets (rockfish, catfish, cod, etc...), coarsely diced
1 T red or green curry paste
1 egg
1 shy T fish sauce
1 t sugar
3 kaffir lime leaves, center ribs removed and finely sliced
3/4 c yard-long beans, cut into 1/4" rounds
2 thai chilies, sliced thinly into rounds
oil for frying

In the bowl of a food processor, place the fish, curry, egg, fish sauce, and sugar. Pulse until you achieve a rough paste. Transfer to a bowl and mix vigorously until the paste becomes sticky. Trust me, this is important! You're agitating the proteins to help them bind, and adding air so the cakes are puffy after frying. Fold in the lime leaves, chilies and beans. Form into 2" round cakes, about 1/3" thick, and fry immediately. As soon as you take them out of the oil, blot dry and eat right away. They get tough if allowed to cool. I like to serve them with lime wedges and fish sauce laced with chilies.

My Best Ginger Cookies

2010-12-22T17:50:00.000-08:00

I hesitate to share this recipe because I love it so much (and am therefore very protective), but I simply have to, because you'll love it so much. It doesn't really need any further introduction, but I must give credit to The Joy of Cooking, which is the starting point for the quantities.

Ginger Cookies
yield: 5-6 dozen, depending on size

12 T unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs
1/4 c dark molasses
1/4 c dark brown sugar
2 t lemon juice
1 t orange zest
1/2 t vanilla

3 3/4 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
4 t ground ginger
1 t cinnamon

1/2 c chopped crystallized ginger
1 T grated fresh ginger
granulated sugar, in a shallow bowl for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment, or grease well.

In a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the granulated sugar with the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, then add the molasses, brown sugar, zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix thoroughly. Add into the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the two gingers.

With a #40 scoop, or your favorite tablespoon measure, portion out the dough and drop it into the sugar. Roll each piece until completely coated and rounded. Flatten just a bit, then place on the cookie sheets about 1 1/2" apart. At this point, the cookies can be frozen for up to one month. Otherwise, slide into the oven and bake for 11 minutes (or longer if you like them crisp).

Quail Egg Canapes

2010-12-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

If only I had some caviar!

I made these darling little amuse bouche for a cooking class that I taught at Bella Kitchen Essentials tonight. The theme was a simple, elegant cocktail party- this was a little more complicated but I wanted to surprise the students with a little bite to start off the evening! The method is straight from the CIA, but the addition of horseradish in the yolk mixture is my own twist.

Deviled Quail Eggs

yield: 18 finished canapes

10 quail eggs

1 T mayonnaise (approximate)

2 t prepared (not creamed) horseradish

Salt and white pepper to taste

2 lush sprigs dill

9 pumpernickel or rye cocktail toasts

1 T butter

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Lower the quail eggs in and simmer for six and a half minutes. Immediately plunge into an ice bath. Once they have cooled a bit, peel carefully (note: quail egg shells and inner membranes are much tougher than those of chicken eggs, so be firm but delicate).

Halve the eggs, then gently scoop out the yolks. Mix the yolks with the horseradish, salt and pepper and enough mayonnaise to create a very smooth paste. Wipe the whites clean of any stray bits of yolk.

Take a circle cutter and stamp circles just slightly larger than the base of an egg half- you should be able to get two out of each toast. Heat a small saute pan and melt the butter in it. Fry the toast rounds until lightly crisped on both sides. Remove from the pan, season with salt, and allow to cool completely.

With a piping bag fitted with a small star tip, pipe the filling into eighteen of the twenty egg halves. With the remaining filling, create a base on the toasts to adhere the egg halves with. You'll want a small mound to nestle the egg in to.

Before placing the egg halves, select small fronds of dill and garnish each egg with one piece. Set each egg half on one piece of toast. The extra filling on the base should hold the egg in place. Serve immediately!

Easy Dinner Rolls

2010-12-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

I know, it would have been nice had I made this post prior to you all preparing your Thanksgiving dinners. I am very sorry and will continue to beg your forgiveness...

My go-to recipe for basic dinner rolls can be found here. It's the base recipe for yeasted rolls on the King Arthur Flour website. You could follow the recipe exactly, but here are the alterations that I routinely make:

1. I use olive or canola oil instead of butter in the rolls
2. Since I always have potatoes around but never potato flakes, I mash enough boiled potato to equal the volume and adjust the water a bit to compensate for the additional moisture
3. I make eight giant rolls, and cram them all into one 9" pan

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

2010-11-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

based on The Joy of Cooking

1.5 c all purpose or white whole wheat flour
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
.5 t freshly ground nutmeg
1 t baking soda
.25 t baking powder
1 t salt

.33 c milk

6 T butter
1 c sugar
.33 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c pumpkin puree
1 t vanilla extract

2 c fresh cranberries
.5 c toasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan.
Combine and sift your dry ingredients. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy and well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Once mixed, alternately add the dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with dry. Fold in the cranberries and pecans, and transfer to your baking dish. Bake until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean - about one hour.

Braised Duck Legs : Master Recipe

2010-11-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving dinner my main course was braised duck legs over kale, parsnip puree, and curry beurre blanc with a brunoise of honeycrisp apple. I want to share this duck leg recipe with you because it never fails and it always a crowd-pleaser (unless your crowd doesn't like duck, and then there's nothing I can do for you!).

Braised Duck Legs

Plan on one duck leg per person.

The night before you plan to serve the duck, trim and rub the legs. Cut off any extra skin and fat (save these bits and render them out; duck fat is precious), then cut a clean line just below the ankle. This is purely cosmetic; it allows the muscle and skin to retract in a tidy fashion. If you're feeling very particular, you can then clean the end of the bone completely of skin.

Next, rub each leg with a bit of salt and whatever flavorings you'd like. This time I used some freshly ground curry powder, perhaps 1/2 t per leg. Other good options are ras al hanout or herbs de provence. It all depends on the flavor profile you're looking for.

Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake, then preheat your oven to 400F.

In a roasting pan or baking dish, lay roughly chopped vegetables (onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip, celery, etc) about 1" thick. You won't be eating these vegetables, they are purely to perfume the meat so they should mirror the other flavors on the plate.

Pour in chicken stock until the vegetables are almost submerged, then lay the duck legs, skin side up, in a single layer. Cover loosely, and place in the oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 325F. Allow to braise until fall off the bone tender - about three hours.

Directly before serving, remove warm legs to a broiler pan, and broil just until the skin is crisp.

The Beginning of Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-11-25T11:00:00.000-08:00


Freshly roasted curry spices for braised duck legs over parsnip puree!

I just thought they were pretty : ) They'll be ground down and used to season duck legs and make a curry emulsion. The parsnip puree will be the base, with some sauteed kale and brunoise of honeycrisp apple.

Oh, Rice

2010-11-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

I think, volume-wise, I eat more white rice than any other food. I love basmati, arborio, glutinous, calasparra, jasmine, vialone nano, and so on and so forth. I enjoy brown rice as well, but would probably loose my cool if I could no longer have each and every variety of white rice.

If you follow the rice train of thought, it would make sense that I really enjoy Asian food as well. Europe uses a fair amount of rice, but not like many of the Asian cultures. I realize that saying "I like Asian food" is kind of a big blanket, but I really don't discriminate. I have a special place in my heart for every cuisine from Vietnamese to Burmese to Japanese.

Recently, I learned from a colleague how to make onigiri.

Not that it's super complicated, but in spite of my love of rice I hadn't come across them before. Onigiri are simple hand made rice balls with various fillings inside or with garnishes folded into the rice.

To start, cook off some Japanese style medium grain white or brown rice (a good introductory rice for this would be Niko Niko Calrose). While the rice is still warm, dip your hands in lightly salted water (or cheat like me and buy a $4 mold from the Japanese market, which you would brush with the saltwater). Form the rice into balls or triangles, placing a dab of some pungent flavoring in the center.

Some typical fillings are umeboshi, kombu relish, bonito flakes or salted salmon. Really, you could use anything intensely salty or sour to provide a counterpart to the rice. And alternatively, you could fold in something like cooked salmon, green onions, or sesame seeds into the rice before shaping.

You can serve these immediately after shaping, or chill them for a bit. At any rate, partially wrap each onigiri with a piece of nori right before serving. It provides some extra flavor and a nifty handle. You can put out some soy sauce, pickled ginger, or wasabi to accompany the onigiri if you must have something, but I like them plain.

Quite Possibly the Best Cake Ever

2010-11-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of raw apple cakes. My mother made a very tasty one when I was growing up and it was my favorite dessert. It was even relatively healthy and could easily be made vegan. It's definitely the best vegan cake I've ever had, and I still use her recipe when I simply need cake but have no eggs.

This, boys and girls, is not her recipe... While hers is just as good, this one is loaded with butter and simply irresistible. It is not vegan, and it is not healthy; I figure this is the uptown version of the down-home cake of my childhood.

The following recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan. For those of you who don't know, she's a food writer and cookbook author who splits her time between the States and France. Her recipes are reliable, approachable, and a great way to expand your baking prowess without having to break the bank on specialty ingredients. The only changes I make are to cut the apples smaller and use brandy instead of rum. Enjoy!

Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.

Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.

Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it’s fully opened, make sure there aren’t any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack.

Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish. Serve with lightly whipped cream if desired.

It Feels Like Cheating

2010-10-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

This spring, my husband very enthusiastically covered every available inch of our property in raised garden beds. Everyone said he was crazy. And "geez, there's just two of you, how are you going to eat all that?" Now, they're all jealous. Really jealous.

It's now October, and we are so sick of eating zucchini, green beans, tomatoes and basil that we want to cry. There are still perhaps twenty japanese eggplants on the vine and a full bed of potatoes that we're working our way through. I haven't bought produce in months, and honestly, it feels like cheating. It's a lot of work in bursts, but much less than we thought.

Tonight I just couldn't resist taking a photo of our dinner. With the fall sunlight coming it, it really was picturesque. We are having peruvian and yellow potatoes roasted with thyme and shallots, beet salad with walnut oil and sherry vinegar, and braised organic chicken thighs with tarragon, lemon, and honey. Aside from the chicken and the dry goods, all of it came from the garden.


Before roasting...

Before eating...

Reminders of Spring

2010-09-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

I always thought of strawberries and rhubarb as quintessential spring flavors- peaking in June and a faded memory by the time summer ends. Not so for me this year! Here it is, approaching mid-September, and my strawberry patch has produced a goodly amount of fruit, and my friend's rhubarb plant needs thinning...

To bring these two ingredients together with a seasonally appropriate flavor profile, I decided to make a crisp (you know, crisp like a fall day etc). I made the streusel with brown sugar, flour, blanched almonds (ground coursely), and some powdered ginger to give a little zing.

I'm going to refrain from posting a proper recipe because, to be honest, I estimated everything. But, I will suggest a few ideas that will help keep your next crisp, well, crisp:

- choose your thickener wisely; flour takes longer to thicken and loose it's starchy flavor than refined starches (such as corn or potato) do, and the faster you can secure your liquid, the less soggy your topping will be.
- if you're using a high moisture item (like rhubarb), think about macerating it with some of the sugar for about an hour, then draining off some of the excess liquid.
- consider baking your fruit mixture for about twenty minutes before adding the topping; this will reduce the overall moisture content in the filling.
- make sure to use enough topping to make a rather thick layer; there will always be a soggy bit right next to the fruit, so if you want any crunchy bits, you have to put quite a bit

Urchin On My Hands

2010-09-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

My hands are irreversibly stained. The kitchen smells of the sea. And everyone is full to the brim with luscious sea urchin. Following are some photos of how to clean an urchin, and then my recipe for Sea Urchin En Cocotte.

First, you cut the shell. At the top of the globe, there is a soft spot you can use to start the process. Make sure to use sturdy kitchen shears- not a knife! The shell of the urchin will dull a knife blade faster than you'd think possible.

You can either cut a round out of the top (the proper way), or cut down the side and split the urchin open (the faster way- especially if you're going to puree some of the roe). This is what a peek at the roe is like:

Next, scoop out the roe with a spoon, then rinse in cold salt water to clean:

Now, you're ready for the recipe.

Sea Urchin En Cocotte
(all quantities are approximate)

two large sea urchins (about 2.5# total), cleaned

1/2 T shallot, finely minced

2 T heavy cream

1 T dry sherry

1 T butter

salt to taste

1 T chives, finely chopped

1 lemon

crostini to serve

1. Preheat your oven to 500F. Place two heavy ramekins in the oven to heat thoroughly.

2. Divide the urchin evenly in half- the pretty stuff and the less pretty stuff. Keep the pretty stuff aside, and force the ugly bits through a medium sieve into a small saucepan. Add the shallot, sherry and cream, and over low heat, bring just to the point where bubbles are starting to form around the edges. Stir frequently and season to taste with salt.

3. When your sauce is ready and the ramekins are hot, add half of the butter to each ramekin (it should sizzle and melt very quickly). Lay the remaining pieces of urchin in the hot butter.

4. Spoon some of the hot sauce over each portion and return to the oven until just warmed. Think of this as poaching, not baking. It should only take about two minutes.

5. As soon as they come out of the oven, drizzle with a bit of lemon and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately with crostini.

Honey Almond Frozen Yogurt

2010-08-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

Alright boys and girls, what do you do when you went to Costco and bought two gallons of yogurt, and then just wasn't in the mood to eat it?

My solution, and I think it's a good one, is to make frozen yogurt. Usually I make a fruit flavor, like strawberry or peach but this time I broke from tradition. I had some wonderful raw, local, vanilla-bean infused honey from Sweet As Can Be honey farms. It's tasty, and even if you never get as far as the frozen yogurt, this honey is worth the purchase (try it on french toast, seriously).

I paired this honey with Disaronno amaretto, some toasted almonds, and thinly sliced peaches. The yogurt serves as the base, the honey is a sweetener and emulsifier, the amaretto adds flavor and keeps the mixture from freezing too hard, and the almonds and peaches garnish the finished dessert.

Flavor wise, the vanilla in the honey enhances the essence of the peaches, and the peaches in turn bring out the flavor of the almonds. Almonds and peaches are closely related so they're always a sure bet.

Honey Almond Frozen Yogurt
(all measurements are approximate)

2 c yogurt
1/4 c honey
3 T almond (or other) liquor
peach slices and toasted sliced almonds to garnish

Whisk the honey and yogurt together, adjusting the sweetness to your taste- remember to make the mixture a bit sweeter than you want it because once it's frozen, the flavor will be dulled slightly. Mix in the liquor and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

As a side note, if you wanted a more substantial dessert, put this over plain pound cake.

Salmon, Leeks, and Butter

2010-08-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Baby Fennel and Leeks Braised with Vermouth and Cream

Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon with Minced Shallots and Garlic

Beurre Rouge with Tarragon and Fennel Seeds

For the leeks and fennel:

Thinly slice one leek and one small fennel bulb per serving. Heat a small sauce pan and add a bit of butter. Sweat the leeks and fennel for a few minutes, then add a hearty splash of white vermouth (and, heck, make yourself a martini while you're at it). Add one sprig each of marjoram and thyme, then cover the pan and let the vegetables melt. Once the liquid is mostly evaporated, remove the herbs, add in heavy cream just to cover and let reduce, uncovered until thick. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.

For the beurre rouge:
Take one cup of red wine, one thinly sliced shallot, a few peppercorns, two sprigs of tarragon and perhaps a teaspoon of fennel seeds and bring to a simmer. Reduce until the wine is syrupy and infused with flavor. Strain your reduction and set aside. Directly before serving, warm the reduction and whisk in some room temperature butter, one teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is thick and you have at least two tablespoons of sauce per person. Season with salt.

For the salmon:

Take one four to six ounce fillet per person and remove the skin and bones if needed. Rub the fish with olive oil, minced shallot, minced garlic and salt. Place on an oiled sheet pan and roast at 400F until cooked to your desired temperature. I usually cook mine for six to eight minutes.

Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

2010-07-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

I serve it with yogurt mousse. It's good with tea. And that's all I have to say since there's one piece left calling my name.

6th Avenue: Round Four - Squash Blossom Quesadillas

2010-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Super simple, tasty, quick, great for kids, kids could even make them themselves... All common ways to describe a quesadilla, right? Well, we stepped it up a notch at the Tacoma Farmers Market demo this week. I think this goes to show that quesadillas can be elevated to the adult level.

Last night I used an awesome semi-soft goat cheese from Blue Rose Dairy called Grande Rosa. It has the texture and properties of mozzarella with a distinct goaty tone and it just melts beautifully. This is the second cheese I've sampled from this dairy, and overall I'm very happy with their products. I paired this cheese with some early corn, spring onions, and squash blossoms.

To start, I thinly sliced and then sauteed the onion in olive oil. Once it was translucent, I added in the corn kernels, then the squash blossoms, coarsely chopped, right at the end. I seasoned this mix with a little salt, and realized that I should have brought some ground cumin as well...

In another pan, I heated a bit of oil and started some corn tortillas toasting. Once the tortillas were warmed through, I covered each one with slices of the goat cheese then perhaps a quarter cup of the corn mixture, and then a second tortilla. As the bottom tortilla became crisp and lightly browned, I turned it just to finish cooking the second tortilla.

Sorry to say, I don't have a photo since the samples were devoured faster than I could imagine.

Spaghettini with Basil, Clams, and Squash Blossoms

2010-07-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Squash blossoms and basil signal summer for me. We have perfect delicate basil leaves and every indication of a huge zucchini harvest to come. With so many squash in our future, I have no regrets sacrificing a few blossoms for this dish:

I started out with about a cup of fresh basil chiffonade, eight coarsely shredded squash blossoms, two cloves of garlic, two thirds of a cup of grated parmesan, and some cream. Once I had my mise en place ready, I steamed one pound of manila clams in some sauvignon blanc, picked them out of their shells, and reserved the cooking liquid. While they were steaming, I cooked about half a pound of spaghettini no. 11 (De Cecco is a good brand). After draining the pasta, I added the garlic, reserved clam liquor, and cream to the saucepot and let it reduce to a nice thick consistency. I added the pasta back in with the basil, blossoms, clam meat and parmesan. With a quick toss and a sprinkle of sea salt, this quick pasta made four great first course servings. Is your mouth watering? Mine certainly is.

Grilled Lamb Chops

2010-07-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

Summer has finally started in the northwest! I'm kicking off the season with a great recipe that appeared in the spring issue of Art Culinaire. It's a plate composed of rosemary grilled lamb chops and mint-almond pesto over a sort of ragout of chickpeas with chard and roasted grape tomatoes. I've been waiting for a sunny day to give this recipe a try. Here's how it turned out:

6th Avenue: Round 3 - Crostini with Fava Beans, Chevre, Mint, and Lemon

2010-07-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

After I finished the farmers market demo today, I did a mock up of the entire process for all of you that couldn't make it tonight. The audience was very interested in many of the little steps so I thought I'd share them with you.

For this recipe you will need:

Fava beans
Fresh goat cheese
One lemon
A few leaves of mint
A baguette
One clove of garlic
Olive oil
salt and pepper
a pot of boiling water and an ice bath

Step 1:
Remove the beans from their pods:

Blanch the beans in rapidly boiling salted water for two or three minutes, until they are tender and their jackets split. Immediately drain and shock in ice water. They should look like this:

Step 2:
Make some crostini by slicing the baguette on a slight bias, then fry them in olive oil over a medium flame until they look like this:

Sprinkle with some salt, and rub with the garlic clove, then set aside to cool.

Step 3:
Take the beans out of their jackets and place on the cutting board. Add a little bit of salt and pepper, a bit of lemon zest, and some thinly sliced mint.

Now, mince it up:

Step 4:
Assemble the crostini by spreading a bit of the chevre on each crostini (add a little bit of milk or cream to the cheese if it is too dry to spread easily), then spoon on some fava mixture. Press lightly to help the topping stick to the crostini.

And you're done! Serve with a crisp white wine, such as sauvignon blanc or sancerre, or a dry sparkling wine.

Last Minute Birthday Cake

2010-06-28T18:02:00.000-07:00

At 2:00 on Sunday I received a phone call. It was kind of a kitchen-style 911.

Caller: "Help! I'm on my way to the outdoor store with my husband, it's his birthday, and I don't have time to make a cake!"
Me: "Never fear! I can make it happen in time for dinner if you'll let me raid your chocolate cupboard!"

(disclaimer: the caller is a very close friend of mine, who happens to live next door and keeps a ridiculous stash of Guittard chocolate)

The birthday boy loves him some chocolate- the last birthday cake I made for him was a plain sponge layered with a variety of chocolate mousses and I needed to do something different... I didn't want to do chocolate on chocolate with a chocolate frosting, and I know that they enjoy coffee with dessert. I decided on dark chocolate layers with a coffee-caramel mousse and a bittersweet chocolate glaze.

Not bad for such short notice.
Oh, and check out the manly floral arrangement...

Kale and Escarole

2010-06-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to make with kale is the Portuguese soup caldo verde. It's very popular in both Portugal and Brazil, and it should be popular here too! I adapted this recipe for ingredients available in our area and to my taste from Leite's Culinaria:
~
Caldo Verde
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces linguica or Spanish chorizo
6 waxy potatoes, scrubbed
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 pound kale, washed well, center ribs removed, sliced very thinly
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the oil. Once shimmering, add the garlic and onions, stirring frequently. Add in the meat and once it is browned, add the potatoes, and then the stock. Simmer gently until the potatoes are just tender. At this point, you can remove some of the potatoes, puree, and then return to the pot for a thicker soup. Stir in the kale, cook just to wilt, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
This will produce about six hearty first course servings.
~
A couple of other things to try with kale (start all of these by washing, removing the rib, and finely slicing)-
saute and add to a fritatta with diced red peppers and cooked diced potatoes
finely shred and add to your favorite stir fry
saute with garlic and red pepper flakes, then add a splash of balsamic vinegar right at the end

Now, on to escarole... This slightly bitter green can be used cooked or raw depending on the maturity of the leaves. If the leaves are tender and pale, the best thing to do is gently wash the leaves, the tear them into bite sized pieces and use them as a base for salads. Escarole goes beautifully with fennel, citrus fruits, and many cheeses (fresh goat or a nicely aged parmesan for example). It will be important to dress the salad simply- perhaps just lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and chunky salt. The flavor of young escarole can be easily lost in the fray.

If the escarole is more mature, sauteing in olive oil with garlic and finishing with some lemon juice and salt is my favorite way. This preparation goes well with mild main courses such as roast chicken or pork tenderloin. The larger leaves can also hold their own in soups- chicken, lentil, and white bean soups all compliment the subtlety of the greens.

6th Avenue : Round Two - English Pea Risotto

2010-06-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

So here I am, in the middle of June, dodging rain drops to teach Tacoma Farmers Market-goers how to make yummy risotto. Fortunately the sun came out for my demonstration this week so we had about fifty people watch at least part of the demonstration! A few people stayed for the entire show - that always makes ya feel good!

I chose to make a traditional risotto garnished with english (shelling) peas; partially because peas are one of the first things to hit the market and partially because english peas rock my world. We had gorgeous peas and spring Walla Walla onions donated by Bautista Farms out of Mabton, WA. The guys at the booth were super sweet and besides, their produce kicked some serious behind when it came to quality and flavor. Please support people like them- using their produce makes all the difference in the world.

English Pea Risotto

1 small leek

½ small onion, finely diced

3 T butter

1 c arborio rice

½ c white wine (optional)

4-5 c chicken or vegetable stock, held at a low simmer

1 c shelled English peas

1 c freshly grated parmesan

salt to taste

In a pot of boiling lightly salted water, blanch the peas until tender. Drain and shock in an ice bath.

Halve the leek, finely slice into ½ moons, then immerse completely in cool water, agitating to separate the pieces and allowing the grit to fall away. Gently lift the leeks out of the water and onto a towel to dry. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and leek, then sweat until very tender but not browning. Add the rice and stir for about one minute to coat each grain with the fat (this is called “parching”). Add the white wine at this point (optional), and stirring frequently, allow the wine to be absorbed. Then, add just enough stock to cover the rice grains, and stir frequently until most of the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock in this manner until the rice is tender to the bite (think like al dente pasta) but certainly not mushy! Fold in the the peas and parmesan, and adjust the consistency with the remaining stock if necessary- the mixture should be very loose and should not hold it's shape when spooned out. Season as desired.

yield: four servings

Bits From the Garden

2010-06-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

My husband has always expressed an interest in gardening. The progression/obsession started shortly after we met with a few tomato plants and some peas. Now, almost ten years later he's gone completely nuts with it and has somewhere around fourteen 4'x10' raised beds covering our yard. And that doesn't count the greenhouse full of tomatoes and peppers. Oh, or the mounds out past the deck full of zucchini plants.

Since our summer has gotten off to a rather slow start, we are still stuck in the salad-and-greens phase of things. I'm not complaining, mind you! We've got four different kinds of head lettuce (it hasn't been warm enough to make it bolt and go bitter...), a very pungent variety of wild arugula, two varieties of kale, and "bright lights" swiss chard in colors that ought not appear in nature. And don't forget the radishes. We're on our fourth harvest of french breakfast radishes. Give me a few more days and I'll never want to see a radish again...

A few nights ago I set out to make a salad for dinner but didn't have much to gussy up the plain lettuces, so I decided to take bits and pieces from most of the plants... We had red and green leaf lettuce, wild arugula, and baby kale and chard leaves as the base. To bring some excitement, I added marjoram, thyme, fronds from carrot tops, pea tendrils, blossoms from rapini that was far too young to be flowering, and radish roots and leaves. I topped it off with some Bulgarian sheep's milk feta, sherry vinegar, Spanish olive oil, and brined olives. Somehow, it's more satisfying when you grow it yourself.

June 1st - Opening Night at the 6th Ave Market

2010-06-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday was the first night of the 6th Avenue Farmers Market in Tacoma...

We selected a dish highlighting the produce that this season has to offer: greens. I prepared a salad of local baby greens from Terry's Berries; a wonderful mixture of colors, textures and flavors including everything from lettuces to baby kale and chard. To that, I added the first of the season strawberries (also from Terry's), Willapa Hills Big Boy Blue (a cow's milk cheese, aged at least 90 days with the influence of Roquefort cultures), and then dressed the whole lot with a honey-balsamic vinaigrette. The honey, by the way, came from Sweet As Can Bee Honey Farm.

Next week, I will be demonstrating risotto but in the meantime, make yourself some salad.

Salad of Baby Greens, Strawberries, Blue Cheese, Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

6 oz baby greens (arugula, mixed greens, baby lettuces)

1 pint strawberries

½ c blue cheese, crumbled

2 T balsamic vinegar

¼ c extra virgin olive oil

1 T honey

salt and pepper to taste

Wash and gently dry your greens and berries. Remove the stems, then slice or quarter your berries. Divide the greens, then the berries and blue cheese onto six salad plates. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and balsamic vinegar with a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly to form an emulsion. Dress each salad lightly and serve immediately.

Great additions to this salad would be toasted pine nuts or candied citron.

The Tacoma Farmer's Market

2010-03-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

This year, during the busiest season of the catering business, I am taking on an extra project. Crazy, I know! I am going to be the demonstration chef for the 6th Ave Market this year- on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, beginning June 1st and running through Sept 28th. The demos are going to start at 5:30p and run for a maximum of half an hour, with tastings at the end of each little show. It's going to be loads of fun! Also, I am going to do my best to post the recipe and information about the seasonal ingredient after each session.

There are many reasons that I am excited about taking on this volunteer position, the main ones are that I get the opportunity to work with absolutely the best and freshest ingredients, and I get to share my knowledge with the attendees of the market! One of our goals is to educate people on how to utilize some of the less popular produce, and bring new ideas for the commons items. Another thing that excites me greatly is the involvement of the farmer's market in the lower-income sector of the population. This is the first market I've come across that takes food stamps, has a proactive approach towards gleaning for the food bank, and has a nutrition program.

Here is the link to the TFM website:
http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com/Default.aspx

The Macaron

2010-03-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

It's the new rage. It's delicious. And unless you live next to a fantastic patisserie, you probably can't find a good one. There are recipes all over the blogs, and I am here to provide you with yet another method to help you figure out this little bit of cookie madness! The ingredients are pretty much always the same, in similar proportions, with similar methods...but it seems that everyone has their own little twist...

A macaron is a traditional French cookie made popular by Pierre Herme, a seriously famous pastry chef in Paris that deserves every bit of his acclaim. The outer shell is essentially a meringue enriched with almond flour. It is often colored to give a hint of what the filling is. Fillings range in every flavor from fruit preserves to flavored ganache. My most successful fillings so far are Meyer lemon curd and white chocolate-lavender.

Macarons (yield 36 sandwiches)

Before you start, make sure that you have ready four regular sized cookie sheets lined with parchment or (preferably) Silpat baking mats, an accurate candy thermometer, and a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Also, this recipe is a prime example of the need to have your mise en place organized and ready to go prior to embarking on your macaron journey.

Step 1:

150 g almond flour (you can grind blanched slivered almonds in a coffee grinder and sift through a very fine sieve)
150 g confectioners sugar (sifted, unless you are grinding your own almonds, in which case you should grind some of the sugar with the nuts to keep them from caking)

Sift these two ingredients well, and set aside combined.

Step 2:
100 g egg whites (aged at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours at room temperature- they won't spoil)
35 g granulated sugar

In a very clean mixing bowl, start beating the whites on low speed until frothy, then slowly add the sugar and whip until soft peaks form.

Step 3:
150 g granulated sugar
50 g water

While your meringue is whipping, heat the sugar and water to 110C/230F. This will be just a few moments after the mixture turns completely clear. It is very important to have the whites at soft peaks when the mixture reaches temperature because if you heat the sugar too long, it will create too firm of a meringue. With the mixer running on low speed, gently drizzle in the hot syrup, then bring the speed up to medium and whip until cooled a bit and the meringue holds a good shape, at least thirty seconds. For those of you new to meringues, this is considered an Italian meringue.

Step 4:

Fold the almond flour and confectioners sugar into the meringue. If you wish to add any colorings, now would be the time to do it. Continue to fold until the mixture is homogeneous and the texture is such that any distinct shapes melt into the batter in 30 seconds. If the meringue is too firm, the cookies will come out more button shaped, and if the meringue is too thin, well, just make sure you don't over mix it or you will end up with sweet crackers. Many recipes describe this as the consistency of "magma," if this helps you, great, but I didn't have any magma around to compare with.

Step 5:
Immediately, put batter into piping bag and pipe quarter sized disks onto the baking sheets, leaving about 1/2" between each one. They don't expand much, but they do need room for the air to circulate around. After piping, set them in a safe place for at least one half but up to two hours so they can form a kind of shell. When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 310F for convection, 330F without. This is where your intimate relationship with your oven gauge comes in handy, because every oven is just a little different, and it may take a few tries to get the baking bit just right. Once in the oven, bake for five minutes, then rotate and bake for perhaps two minutes more. Remove from the oven, let cool for a couple of minute on the Silpats/parchment, and then gently place them on cooling racks to finish. Once they're cool, fill with whatever suits your fancy- buttercream, ganache, jam, nut pastes.

Zaletti

2010-02-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

Zaletti are one of the many traditional Italian dishes based on corn; the word "traditional" in this case always makes me smile since corn wasn't present in Europe until after the introduction of food sources from the Americas. Once corn came to northern Italy in the mid 1500's, all sorts of wonderful dishes arose- soft savory polenta, olive oil and polenta cakes, and, my dear, zaletti.

Originally developed in the region around Venice, the combination of corn and lemon pays tribute to the trading history of the area while staying true to the textures and flavors expected from European baked goods. This cookie is lightly sweet with a distinct toothsome texture unique to cornmeal products. They are equally fantastic with tea, espresso, and sweet wine.

The dough is made of a combination of fine polenta (American cornmeal works just fine) and all purpose wheat flour, with a bit of sugar and leavening. It is then enhanced by the combination of plumped dried currants and lemon zest. Depending on your liquor cabinet and personal taste, the currants can be plumped with water, brandy, grappa or any other liquid you have on hand. Each option will give a slightly different flavor- today I moistened my currants with Cointreau to play off of the citrus notes in the lemon zest. Here is the link to my favorite zaletti recipe : http://www.babbonyc.com/dolci-zaletti.html

My Secret Obsession

2010-01-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

I don't admit this very often, but I am completely and utterly mad about bread and butter. If some law ever came into effect that I could only eat one thing, that would probably be it. Sushi is a worthy contender, but in the long run, I would probably have to go with the bread. I'm not talking about Wonderbread here. Not sliced bread, and not even the stuff "baked" fresh daily at Costco. I mean that real, honest artisan loaf with that toothsome yet tender crumb, really well defined crust, and the complex aromas from sourdough or a good long preferment. And butter; that's a whole separate topic for discussion. Salted or not? Goat or cow? Oh, I could go on for pages...

This fascination really started during childhood, with my mother baking the majority of our bread. It wasn't particularly complex, but it was fresh, smelled incredible, and instilled a lifelong appreciation for fresh loaves. Perhaps six years ago, I bought the book Artisan Baking Across America, by Maggie Glezer (which I would highly recommend to anyone). This book has had a huge impact on the quality of my bread. Both my husband and I have always baked, but the recipes we used were always pretty rudimentary. Since this book came into our home, we have been teaching ourselves how to bake and have consistently produced beautiful loaves worthy of the best bakeries in the area. So, this gorgeous loaf was the product of yesterday's labors:

The method for this loaf isn't particularly complicated; it has a preferment (a small percentage of flour and water combined with yeast and allowed to ferment for many hours to develop flavor and build up the yeast) which is then added to the standard flour/water/salt combination, but this is where the recipe diverges from standard lean doughs. This loaf has just a touch of honey and about three ounces of mashed potato. Also, the preferment is the only source of leavening; generally when using a preferment, more yeast is added when putting together the final dough. So the low yeast content (effectively 1/3 of 1/4 teaspoon for this one loaf), a high percentage of water, and some added sugars resulted in a fairly sloppy dough and a very long proof time. I have to tell you though, the result was worth it. I ended up with a thick, well developed crust, beautiful pale golden crumb, and an aroma to die for. And yeah. I ate it with butter.

A Memorial

2010-01-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

Perhaps a six weeks ago a good friend of mine called me up to see if I'd be interesting in volunteering for a Martin Luther King Jr memorial service in Tacoma. I thought, sure, why not, it'll be a fun experience, right? I was going to be in charge of setting a menu for and executing a sort of cocktail hour-minus-the-cocktails reception after the two-hour performance.

There were a few restrictions on the menu which made the development process a good challenge. First off, the group organizing the event wanted everything vegetarian (I can't tell you how many people asked me "where's the fried chicken?"). Next, this was the first year providing food after the service, so it was kind of sketchy how many people would hang around after for a snack (anywhere from zero to three hundred fifty). Recruited to help me were five (even though it turned out closer to ten) high school students looking for some community service hours. Last but not least, kitchen space and storage logistics turned out to be rather difficult. We had limited access to the kitchen at the event site so we had to scrounge a bit...

So, the menu had to be vegetarian, very inexpensive, easy to execute so my enthusiastic but untrained assistants could actually have something to do, and all of the food had to be able to be made the day ahead, stored, and then all served at room temperature with minimal assembly. This is what I came up with:

Fig, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Crostini

Goat Cheese and Tapenade Crostini

Vegetarian Antipasti

(agrodolce pearl onions, roasted red bell peppers with sun dried tomatoes,

marinated wild mushrooms, olives with fresh herbs)

Spiced Grilled Eggplant and Cucumber Salad

Tunisian Carrot Salad with Toasted Cumin and Parsley

Cannellini Bean and Rosemary Spread

Labneh with Sumac, Olive Oil and Fresh Herbs

Not exactly what one might think of considering the occasion, but it worked within the constraints of budget/skill levels/kitchen coordination. In the end though, everything worked out very well. We ended up feeding perhaps one hundred fifty people with just a bit of leftovers. All of the guests enjoyed the food, even if I was accused of "making them eat this healthy stuff." The biggest seller was the fig crostini, I think people really enjoyed the sweet versus savory in every bite. It was definitely new food for the highschoolers (a long way from top ramen, they pointed out) and it was for many of the diners as well. It was a great opportunity to introduce a group of people to new flavors and textures in a very gentle manner.

A Little Bit of Tuscany

2010-01-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

After a couple of gloriously sunny days, we're back to winter weather in the Puget Sound. It's gray, misty, and pouring rain. To counteract this dreariness I wanted something for lunch that was bright and the complete opposite of what's going on outside. After digging around in the cupboard, this is what I came up with:

When we were in Italy last year we stayed in Lucca for a few days, unaware upon arrival that the area is know in particular for it's olive oil and farro. We ate farro in many forms- in soups and chilled salads mainly. This farro salad is my take on what we ate almost every day there.

Grilled Squid and Farro Salad
three to four first-course servings

1 c. farro
6-7 squid, cleaned
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil, unfiltered if possible
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer the farro in salted water until tender (usually about 15 minutes, but check frequently). Drain well and then dress immediately with the lemon, garlic, and olive oil. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan (or other grill) and lightly oil and salt the squid. Once the pan is very hot, throw the squid on and cook for about 30 seconds. Turn each piece and cook for about 10 seconds longer. Remember that squid is best cooked either very quickly or very slowly; in between and it will be like eating fishy bubble gum. Remove the squid from the grill and add in to the farro. Add the parsley and season to taste with the salt and pepper, and feel free to add more oil and lemon to suit your palate. As a side note, I think next time I will serve this on a bed of wild arugula.

The Buche

2009-12-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

This buche de noel was my contribution to the Christmas dinner we attended. It was loads of fun to make and I learned a lot about working with genoise sponge cake. My husband helped mightily by sculpting all sorts of forest creatures out of marzipan to decorate the darn thing!

Instead of filling it with the traditional buttercream, I went with a bittersweet chocolate mousse to compliment the chocolate genoise. I think you end up with a better flavor and a better mouthfeel with less work to boot. After the drama of rolling the cake, we coated it with semisweet Callebaut chocolate ganache, chilled it, and then began decorating.

We did the traditional meringue mushrooms (filled with chocolate of course) along with sugared fir boughs, but the highlight was really the little critters. We had a snail (this is the northwest, it should have been a slug...), a rabbit, some earthworms, and a beaver that, depending on the angle, looked more than a little rabid.

Why Consider Private Chef, Jasmine Biernacki.

2009-12-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

Going out for a nice dinner has become very popular in the recent years. Many people make it an evening out of it. It’s typically a fun experience where ambiance and food come together to create a memorable evening. Some like to go out simply because there are no dishes to wash afterwards or there is no time or motivation to cook. With today’s busy schedules and hectic lifestyles, have you ever considered a private chef for the evening? Here are 6 reasons why you should consider Gig Harbor’s Chef Jasmine Biernacki:

1. Custom and fresh menu, just for you
Restaurant menus are typically designed to cater to the masses. If you’re like me, you frequent a handful of your favorite restaurants. If you like to visit one restaurant, it can get boring quickly as you find yourself ordering the same thing more then once. Restaurant menus tend to be locked-in due to cost of ingredients, profit margins, abilities of the kitchen staff, etc. Hiring a personal chef is like having a restaurant in your own home kitchen. A personal chef considers your likes and dislikes; they work closely with you to come up with a custom menu for the specific event. The food is seasonal because the chef shops specifically for quality and freshness. Chef Jasmine loves this part of the business. Local, organic, high quality, in season foods is the basis of stellar cuisine. She takes a very personal approach to make sure your meal is the best it can be. Many restaurants simply do not have this flexibility.

2. No wine corkage fee
At a restaurant, if you like to enjoy a bottle of wine with your dinner, it could cost a pretty penny. Restaurants typically make their profit on the wine that they sell. In most cases, a good restaurant keeps a nice wine list that complements their menu. In many ways you can have the same experience at home. A good private chef can recommend wine to go with the dinner that they are preparing for you. If you keep a cellar in your home, the chef can recommend specific wines. No corkage fee and not driving home after the dinner are some very obvious benefits to hiring a private chef. Chef Jasmine has a great understanding of wine and how it should be paired with food.

3. It does not cost any more than going out
Contrary to popular belief, the cost of having a private chef produce a culinary experience in your own home kitchen is almost always lower than going out to a good restaurant. If you consider the overhead associated with running a restaurant, you will see that the cost is much lower by having Chef Jasmine come to your kitchen. No matter if the chef is preparing fried chicken for your Super Bowl party, or a 5 course culinary extravaganza for your business partners, the cost will always be within range or less expensive than what the food at a comparable restaurant would cost you.

4. Cleanliness
I think most of us can agree that washing dishes is not a fun chore. After a great meal with your family or friends, one person usually gets stuck in the kitchen cleaning up, while everyone else mingles and has fun. A good private chef will leave the kitchen spotless. So you, as the host, can enjoy your friends and not worry about cleanup. One other thing to consider, restaurant kitchens are not as clean as you may think. Have you ever asked to see the kitchen before you get seated in a restaurant? How about see the walk-in freezer? I’m not saying that all restaurants are dirty, but I believe you would be shocked more often then not how dirty some restaurants are. In addition, if you go out to a restaurant, you don’t meet the chef who cooks your meal. Having your own chef allows for you to know exactly what is being cooked, and then washed and cleaned. Chef Jasmine’s training comes from kitchens that declare cleanliness king. One kitchen she worked in did a full cleaning (including the ceiling) 2 times a day! She carries this attribute to all the private or personal chef work that she does.

5. Food is Hip and Cool
With the introduction of channels that focus strictly on food, and with the emergence of celebrity chefs in the last decade, food, in a way, has itself become a celebrity. A good private chef is humble and tries not to interrupt a meal service, but at the same time a chef needs to be a crafty performer. I find that people love to interact with the chef, ask questions, and observe. This often adds a nice coolness factor to any event. Imagine having your own chef in the kitchen while you enjoy your time being a guest in your own home. Although Chef Jasmine is by no means a celebrity chef, she does enjoy the interaction with guests and is willing to share pointers on cooking or a funny kitchen story.

6. Nutrition
Many restaurants pay very little attention to the nutritional value of their food. The food comes from food service companies and is usually not seasonal. It’s often frozen and stored for too long. The cooking techniques used to cook this frozen or over processed food wipe out most of the nutrients. Menus contain more fat and sodium than they really need because it tends to make the food taste better. Simply put, if you like to go out a lot, many restaurants are bad for your health. Chef Jasmine takes a more wholesome approach to cooking. She is very careful with the quality and cooking techniques so you get a healthy meal that tastes great. She will also consider your specific nutritional needs and will work with you on your preferences. Having Chef Jasmine in your kitchen instead of going out means that you are feeding your friends and family high quality and healthy food.

I hope this post answers some questions that you may have about Chef Jasmine Biernacki. Gig Harbor is definitely in need of quality culinary establishments. This may be due to the fact that Gig Harbor is not a major metropolitan area such as Seattle or San Francisco, in which the local population is much more interested in culinary arts. I have had many discussions with friends who complain that the food choices in Gig Harbor seem to fall short of what could be. To make up for this fact, I feel that having a world class private chef that has worked in a 3 star Michelin restaurant and who has been formally educated at one of the best culinary schools in the world as your own private chef solves that lack of quality culinary establishments in Gig Harbor.

Festive and Tasty

2009-12-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

I accidentally made a super cute appetizer for a party on Sunday.

I've had a recipe for a blue cheese tart floating around for ever and I wanted to give it a shot. I found some great Valdeon cheese (from Spain, usually made from a mixture of cow, goat, and sheep's milk) and went from there. The recipe is basically a savory cheesecake; a cream cheese/blue cheese custard brightened up with some minced shallot, thyme, and parsley. I chose to set this over a standard tart dough, but next time I think I would do a nut crumb crust, perhaps with a little prosciutto ground into the crumbs.

While the tart was in the oven, I made a quick red onion jam with red wine, balsamic vinegar and black pepper. I also picked up some baby arugula (was hoping for watercress) and searched through for a few perfect leaf tips.

The super cute part came when I went to assemble the appetizers... I stamped out little circles, placed an arugula leaf, and the moment I set a dab of jam on top it just looked like Christmas! Holly leaves and berries totally by chance!

A Fantastic Challenge

2009-12-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

So, everyone always asks me "What was it like at The French Laundry?? Was it fun? Did you learn a lot?"

The only word I can use to describe my experience there is: intense. It didn't matter if you were preparing salad for staff meal, picking parsley, or scrubbing $40k worth of Perigord truffles, it was intense. It made the experience stressful, but it was worth it for all of the things I was exposed to there that I otherwise never would have experienced. I do have to admit it was a bit of a culture shock coming out of the classroom environment of the CIA. No matter hardcore the teacher, nothing can compare to the real pressure of a three star Michelin restaurant.

I started off on the morning shift, which begins at 5am every day. We would prepare basic sauces, make pasta, prepare all of the fresh herbs and other greens that would be used as garnishes among other things. We would also make stock and the staff lunch for all of the employees. Some fine knife skills were required, but most of the tasks required more perseverance than anything. I think my least favorite task was chopping duck carcasses for stock. I was perpetually worried that the gnarly cleaver I borrowed from the butcher would slip out of my hand (because of all the duck goo) and go flying- denting something shiny and probably someone's head.

After a bit, I switched to the night shift. This provided a completely different experience than the mornings. You were actually involved in service! Not that you were working the line or anything, but you were running backup for all of the chefs de partie, and sometimes they needed something very urgently (like two cups of apple in fine brunoise- 1/16" square, cut fast enough to not oxidize, then stored in a citric acid solution). If you weren't too busy helping the chefs, there were plenty of tasks to do. I had to take care of stocks, empty and clean at least two flats of eggshells per night, and maintain a par stock of blanched brunoise made of carrot, leek and turnip. The eggshells were the most challenging part- not that they were difficult, but they took a particular amount of precision and care. That, and I managed to rub off the ends of my fingers cleaning them (why are my hands bleeding??)! It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.

One of the best experiences I had in the TFL kitchen was working in the pastry department. Since my focus has mostly been on the savory side, extra time spent with pastry was very highly appreciated. Even though I was doing the same mundane caliber of tasks, many of them were new to me and I was glad for the practice. I learned a lot about the fundamentals like making proper sabayons, caramels, sorbet bases, and creme anglaise.

The most valuable things I learned there were the parts that didn't involve cooking. I learned that it really is worth it to take the time to clean the entire kitchen, ceilings included, twice every day. An impeccable workspace is such a joy, and most kitchens don't take the time to encourage that. I learned that you have to be ~~a special kind of crazy~~ incredibly dedicated to survive in a restaurant like that. And I learned that an extreme level concentration and precision results in some of the most amazing food in the world. It all seems obvious, but when you see this super-controlled philosophy in action it makes more than common sense.

Amadeus Cookies

2009-12-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

This year I decided to learn more about baking with nut pastes...pistachio, almonds and hazelnuts mostly. This cookie is my first foray into the world of pistachio.

I came across this recipe from the Demel pastry shop in Vienna and varied it just a bit to fit what I had in the pantry. The cookie is a simple shortbread that is rolled about 1/8" thick and then baked until slightly golden around the edges. For the filling, the traditional combination is of almond paste seasoned with ground pistachios. Well, I had no pistachios and no almond paste, but I did have pistachio paste, so I forwent the almonds altogether and used the paste for the entire base. The paste is then flavored with kirsch and vanilla.