I have moved my blog

First, I want to thank you for following me. It means a lot to me that my hard work and efforts are followed by someone.

I wanted to let everyone know that I have moved the Eat... Think... Blog... Woman blog to my personal chef website Have Whisk Will Travel and it is no longer called Eat... Think... Blog... Woman. It is now a part of Have Whisk Will Travel.

Please subscribe to the new blog. By filling in the email form on the bottom left hand side of the main page and following the instructions you will be assured of not missing a post. I plan to start adding kitchen tips as well as recipes and I am working hard at improving my photography.

Thanks for following me! Let me know if you have any requests or concerns. Please share my blog with your friends and ask that they follow me too!

Pork Pate with Dried Cherries and Pistachios

Rustic Pork Pate with Dried Cherries and Pistachios

Pâté? What’s a pâté? A pâté is simply ground meat mixed with herbs cooked slowly in the oven, chilled, sliced and served. The traditional French accompaniment is cornichon, like tiny dill pickles and rustic mustard. I don’t think have ever been served it in someone’s house but it is often a starter in restaurants and cafes where they make their own. This recipe is based on a pâté from one of my favorite Sonoma restaurants, The Girl and The Fig.

When my friend Shireen invited us over for a cold plated supper I thought this would be the perfect course to prepare. I could do all the work in advance. The only tricky thing I did was grind the meat myself. I bought a meat grinder on Craigslist so plan on hearing of more meat centric adventures.

This pâté screams "Eat me!" The bright green toasted pistachios are poking the dried tart cherries out of the way to take center stage. The contrast of sweet soft cherry to toasted pistachio is complimented by the Asian spice flavors molded into the pork.

Pork Pâté with dried cherries, pistachios and five spice powder

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons red chili flakes
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon 5-spice powder
1 clove
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 garlic clove

2 ½ pounds ground pork butt (medium grind)
1/4 pound pork fat (medium grind)
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup sugar

1 cup dried cherries
1 cup pistachios, toasted (raw pistachios, on a sheet in a 350 oven for 8-10 min.)

One or two days before:
Toast the coriander seeds in a small pan on the stove until they start to pop a little. Remove from the heat and add the 5-spice powder and let the heat of the pan warm it up. Add these spices to the spice grinder, along with the rest of the spices – the chili flakes, bay, clove and thyme. Grind them to a fine powder.
In a large bowl combine the ground pork, pork fat, all the ground spices, and the salt, pepper and sugar. Mix well being careful not to overwork but ensuring the spices get evenly mixed throughout. Place in a smaller container and cover. Put in the fridge for 24 hours or more.

Summertime Grilled Kale Salad with Plums and Ricotta

Okay before you say “ohh that sounds horrible,” hear me out. This is my new favorite salad. When the grill is already hot and the meat has been pulled off and is resting, you can prepare this salad in a matter of minutes and it is wonderful. I based it on a recipe from Bon Appetit http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2012/07/grilled-kale-salad-with-ricotta-and-plums that caught my eye. The only extra touch I added for this salad is I made fresh ricotta.

If you have never had fresh ricotta before, it is a totally different beast from the container you buy next to the sour cream once a year when you make lasagna. It tastes like…it has the texture of… Hmm, it’s tiny white clumps. You actually make it by adding lemon juice to whole milk and then you have ricotta. It is that easy. You scoop out the little white bits that normally would scare you if you peered into a container of milk. You would hand the container to your spouse and say “taste this and let me know if it’s okay.” And they would give you that “I wasn’t born yesterday” look and you would toss it. But in this instance it is okay. You want these little white grains of dairy lusciousness.  You scoop them out and put them in some paper towels to drain in a strainer and you are done. Fresh Ricotta. You could go ahead and layer it between noodles and make some lasagna but it’s worth so much more than that.

I first tasted fresh ricotta at Zuni Café in San Francisco. My husband is a gnocchi lover; if it is on the menu he always goes for it. At Zuni their gnocchi, normally made with flour in our experience, is made from ricotta. A few tablespoon sized pillows comes floating to your table. The waitress has to keep the dish from floating away they are so light. They come sauced with just butter and sage. Kill me now. I know what heaven tastes like.

Which of course led me to search out fresh ricotta at Cowgirl Creamery in the Ferry Building in SF and make my own ricotta gnocchi. Became my latest new best thing for awhile and introduced me to fresh ricotta.

I moved away. No longer easy access to fresh ricotta, but when I saw this recipe I knew it would not be the same without it. Don’t do it with store bought tubs. By it fresh, make it fresh or just don’t do it.

But I digress. Back to the salad. Cut some plums into slices, working around the pit. They usually don’t come out nice like a peach. Throw them in a bowl. Spray some really dry, curly kale with canola oil or olive oil or rub it all over with oil, but it is easier with spray. Sprinkle it with salt, put it on the grill and watch it. As soon as the leaves start to blacken on the edge flip it over. Cook another minute, pull it off, throw it in a bowl and continue until all the leaves are cooked. Make a dressing of olive oil and balsamic with a drizzle of honey. BA has you add fresh thyme but not using it is not a deal killer. Grab the cooked kale and cut out the big rib in the middle. I just used my hands and pulled the leaves off the rib. Grilling them makes them crispy and softer at the same time. Kale can be tough but just these few minutes of heat on the grill softens the leaves and crisps the edges like a kale chip. Toss the plums and kale with the dressing. Pile on a plate, taking some of the plums that sunk to the bottom of the bowl and arrange on top of the greens. Add a little dollop of ricotta, a few grinds of pepper and some kosher salt. That is it. You are done.

You have the perfect summer salad. The juicy plums and the slightly sweet dressing pair with the crispy yet tender kale. The creamy ricotta pulls it all together and you have a moment of awakening. You find out you like kale. You find out making ricotta is easier than you think. Your teenage daughter could make it with little instruction (thanks Grace). You haven’t spent hours chopping and dicing. And you have the perfect summer salad. Takes no time but wows the taste buds and surprises your dinner guests!

If you need more instruction than I just gave you click here http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2012/07/grilled-kale-salad-with-ricotta-and-plums

And I found these instructions helpful and took a little of the fear out of making ricotta. But skip the first part and jump to the recipe at the bottom. All that trial and error and science can scare you. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/02/how-to-make-fresh-ricotta-fast-easy-homemade-cheese-the-food-lab-recipe.html

Chicago Foodies Run Amok!

foodie (ˈfuːdɪ) : A person having an enthusiastic interest in the preparation and consumption of good food.
I am not sure that is an apt description for the person so enthusiastic about food and its preparation that while they eat, while they cook, while they sleep, they think about the next meal, talk about the next meal, talk about their greatest meal. There needs to be another name to describe the super foodie like mega-lo-mein-iac, giga-gourmet, foodophiliac, a phrase to describe the person who while driving 40 minutes to check out a Japanese market discusses where the next food road trip will be and what to make for the next dinner party will be. A person who belongs to cookbook clubs, not book clubs.

And when you throw a dinner party and let them bring whatever they want things get a little out of hand.

(Shireen) Savory Cannele was the starter served with a glass of chilled white wine. Canneles are the next big thing in food. Move over macarons and pork belly. I had never heard of them 3 months ago. Now I have had them twice in my home and eaten them in two different restaurants in Chicago. I expect to see them showing up at Panera soon! The batter is made a day or two ahead and these little treats are baked for almost an hour until they are carmelized and crusty on the outside and inside hides a custardy silky interior. I have had sweet and savory. I like them all. You just wait. Coming soon to a plate near you.

(Lisa) Cold Pea Soup with crème fraîche - This second course was inspired by a dish I had at Tru, one of the top resturants in Chicago. It amazed me with its simplicity and depth of flavor with simple ingredients. Tru's menu item was "english pea soup, below 0° lavender crème fraîche." My version was a simple pea soup made with frozen peas, vidalia onions and some chicken stock. Pureed in the food processor and strained through a fine strainer, the pea soup became silky and bursting with spring flavors. I wanted a contrast in textures so I bought a handful of fresh peas from the farmer's market, shelled them, and blanched them. To recreate the 0 degree creme fraiche, I made crème fraîche (think french sour cream) from scratch (really easy and much cheaper) and made a crème fraîche sorbet the night before. Earleir in the day of the dinner I scooped out small spoonfulls and froze them individually on a cookie sheet so they would be as icy cold as my freezer could get them. I served the dish by pouring the chilled pea soup into chilled little terrines, sprinkling with the fresh peas and then dropping the dollop of cold crème fraîche sorbet in the middle. The sweetness of the pea soup contrasted with the tart iciness of the sorbet. The crunchy fresh peas were a nice contrast to the unctious creaminess of the sorbet and soup. A total success!





 (Shireen) Vegetable Terine - The third course was a vegetable terrine made with eggs and studded with fresh vegetables, served at room temp. Topped with a room temp garlicky tomato sauce. It should have been a beautiful slice but I manhandled it a little too much, thwacking on it to get it out. Sorry Shireen!

(next course - no pic - oops! forgot - too excited to eat! - picture a small nest of wide hand cut pappardalle with a mound of shredded rabbit ragu on top studded with small bits of carrot, pancetta, celery and onion) (Doris - I am out of pancetta - we need to make more!)

(Lisa) Lemon Sorbet with Rose Consumme. Another Tru inspired dish that came out just the way I wanted it to. I made a simple syrup that I infused with rosebuds and added some rhubarb too (thanks Doris) to get the beautiful color. The sorbet is lemon juice, lime juice, sugar and two kinds of basil. The floral fruity notes of the rose and the tart sweet consomee with hints of rhubarb  contrasted perfect with to the oh so refreshing lemon lime sorbet! a perfect palate cleanser.

(Doris) Smoked Chicken Thighs with Lemon Ginger BBQ Sauce. The recipe called for quarters which in a moment of sanity we decided might be too much after the previous courses so thighs were the substitute. The chicken thighs were rubbed with spices, then smoked on the grill, then mopped with a sauce and grilled directly then basted with a finishing sauce. The result was smoky, sweet, and tanby with citrus and spicy hits of ginger.
(Pam) Arugula Salad with Roasted Grapes and Shaved Parmesan. Nice peppery bite to accompany the chicken.

Did we cry uncle? No more food please! Stop! - Nope - we went for a walk and came back for dessert.

(Doris) Fresh Plum tart - buttery crust with tart plums poking out, glazed with a little jam and sprinkled sugar. Pretty as a piece of jewelry. (For the record, I skipped this but woke up thinkging about it so walked straight into the kitchen and had a piece - perfect breakfast!)

(Doris) Grand Finale - a beautiful Charlotte Russe -  Light and airy, jewel like berries bedded in cream and nestled in a lady fingers coat drizzled with creme anglaise to gilt the lily!

We vowed next time to not make so many courses but don't believe us. We will set the menu and then someone will say "I have been wanting to make ...(insert here some exotic, crazy, super deilicious and scary for a mere foodie to make dish.)" 

But I wouldn't expect any less from a gourmandeer...a hedonistaterian...a gastro-  You get the idea.

Farmer's Market Lunch

We went to the Evanston Farmer's market on Saturday. After a winter of hot house veggies and dark grocery store produce departments it's was like waking up from a winter's nap in a dark room to find yourself in the Garden of Eden! I wanted to buy everything I saw - the potted fig trees, the first cherries of the season, armfuls of greens and herbs, artisanal breads, bouquets and more. I restrained myself.

Okay, so maybe not totally restrained myself. I bought Grace the chilled young coconut that the guy lopped the top off and stuck a straw into. It was a amazing and brought quite a bit of attention from the other market goers - "hey where did you get that?" I bought a chicken mole tamale - tasty! I bought a huge bouquet of cheap dark purple gladiolas that are still making me happy. I bought a 6 inch strawberry rhubarb pie. And I actually bought some edible things to take home to make a killer lunch!

I made an open faced sandwich from a ten grain bread from an artisanal baker. I then spread a good covering of soft chevre from Wisconsin. A layer of thin slices of hoop house tomatoes, not quite summer tomates but pretty darn tasty, went on top of the goat cheese. A green layer of locally grown organic English cucumber thinly sliced added a nice crunch to the sandwich. Crisp red radishes added a little sharp bite. To top it off a sprinkling of garlic salt and a shower of baby arugula greens and radish greens to crown it. It made me happy to make it and to eat it!

I promise I will try next time to behave except they have this great...

Around My French Table

Spring dinner with "The Friendly Women"

Cookbook Supper Club with the Friendly Women of Evanston

Around My French Table
by Dorie Greenspan

Nicoise Olive Fougasse

First course
Cheesy creme brulee
Goat Cheese and Strawberry Tartine

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Fougasse

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Second Course
Grate Carrot Salad
White salad

Entrees
Short ribs in Port Wine
Celery Root Puree
Garlicky Broccoli

Slow roasted apples with a scoop of olive oil ice cream and a piece of salted butter break-ups.

Dessert
Long Slow Apples with Olive Oil ice cream
Salted Butter Breakups
Croquant cookies

Croquants with Hazelnuts

 Best of show:

Parmesan Creme brulee (not pictured)
Fougasse with the roasted tomatoes
Short Ribs over Celery Root puree (not pictured)
Olive Oil Ice Cream with Salted butter breakups

St. Paddy's favorites!

Bless my lucky charms - St. Paddy's day is this weekend! I wanted to share some perfect recipes for St. Patrick's day with enough time for you to make them!


Irish Soda Bread
I love the mix of sharp caraway seeds with all their herbaceous goodness, blended with soft golden raisins in a vehicle for good butter! This bread has been a tradition in our house since I was a little girl. As a child, irish soda bread wwas often formed into a snake shape with raisin eyes, sometimes tinted green. I make the loaves now but if you had little ones they might enjoy the snake shape. FYI St. Patrick chased the snakes out of Ireland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick


http://eatthinkblogwoman.blogspot.com/2010/03/irish-soda-bread.html

Guiness Stout Pudding
This pudding is creamy and smooth - everything you want in a pudding with a hint of earthy goodness of Guiness. A layer of whipped cream on top makes it look like a pint glass of stout! Perfect served in a traditional pint glass - if you can eat a  pint of pudding! I just put it into a pretty glass.
http://eatthinkblogwoman.blogspot.com/2011/03/waiter-theres-beer-in-my-pudding.html

Best Corned Beef Ever!
If you never cared for corned beef before this may change you mind - my mother-in-law's corned beef glaze. My family loves this so much that I double this every year. It transforms boiled meat into something magical. I can't wait to make mine this weekend. I don't have a picture because I haven't made it yet this year but I wanted you to have the recipe in advance. 

Here's what I do:. I boil my corned beef the day before St. Pat's. I do mine in a pressure cooker but you could just follow the package directions. On the day I want to serve I take the beef out of the fridge. I trim any nasty bits off the corned beef, place it in an oven safe pan and bath it in the sauce. I place the dish in a 350 oven for about 40 minutes until the meat is hot. Halfway through if I notice some of the glaze is coming off I slather some more on. When hot, I remove the beef from the oven and place on a cutting board. I slice it in thin slices and platter it. I serve the remaining sauce on the side. And for some reason there is never any left over for sandwiches no matter how big a corned beef I do!


Ann's Corned beef with Glaze

Glaze:
10 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons butter

5 pounds corned beef brisket
2 pounds potatoes
1 cabbage head

Melt butter. Add other glaze ingredients. Cook for 5 minutes on stove. 

Place 4 cups water and corned beef in pressure cooker. Add seasoning packet. Cook on high pressure for 65 minutes. Remove corn beef. Reserve liquid. Cook cabbage and potatoes in liquid on high for 6-7 minutes.

Let corned beef come to room temp. Pour glaze on cooked corn beef. Reserve some for table side. Bake for 40 minutes. Slice and serve.
NOTE: I am not a big fan of the cabbage and potatoes but my husband makes me do this. I think it is part of the Irish tradition to serve something boiled beyond recognition.

Super Bowl Party ideas

Years ago when I worked in an office, the Super Bowl party was a major annual event. I never knew who was playing but always knew the half time star. A TV could be found in every room of the host’s home, including the kitchen. Coolers of beer were on the back porch and stuffed under tables. Kids hung out in the bedrooms and played with other kids they only met once a year. My husband found the room with the least amount of people so he could actually watch the game. Everyone brought a dish. I ate things at this annual fest that I would not eat (or see) at any other time of year – little smokies in BBQ sauce, Rotel Velveeta cheese dip, one or two kinds of chicken wings, potato chips and dip, wilted celery and carrot sticks with dip, 3 kinds of boxed brownies, a bowl of Chex mix and a few things in plastic containers you had to pry the lid off to get to. These dishes seem appropriate and necessary when you are drinking a beer and watching, in my case, the commercials and the half time show of the Big Game. None are gourmet and some a little embarassing but hey - it's part of the Game.

Our party this year will be pretty small. But that doesn’t mean we have to skimp on the delicously nasty Super Bowl food. So I have been trolling my recipes and the Internet for this year’s dishes. Some are a little healthy, some are not but all are worthy of The Game.

 I have a guilty secret – I love Buffalos wings – especially when they are crisp and fresh out of the fryer. And I only like the wing part and not the drummete. When I saw this recipe I thought this is a winner. They take a little time to prepare (some of it spent in the fridge) so plan in advance

Alton Brown’s Baked Buffalo Wings
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/alton-browns-buffalo-wings-recipe/index.html

Who doesn’t love to see the trapeze wire of cheese stretching from mouth to hand from that first bite of a fried mozzarella stick? Skinny Taste freezes them so they don’t melt in the oven. I would use your favorite jar of Marinara sauce to save time for other recipes.

Skinny Taste’s Mozzarella Sticks
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/02/skinny-baked-mozzarella-sticks.html

Guilty secret #2 – Velveeta cheese dip. This could not be easier. You can bring all the ingredients to the party and make it there. I usually use the microwave and put it in a removable crockpot bowl to zap it. Is Velveeta a cheese? I don’t think so but it makes a Super Bowl worthy dip. Perfect with Tortilla Scoops.

Famous Ro-Tel Cheese Dip
http://www.texmex.net/Rotel/cheesdip.htm

Some other possibilities:

I made this at Thanksgiving – it is really good. I left the topping off. It was really good. Bacon Horseradish is one of my favorite sour cream dips so wouldn’t a warm dip be even better?

Baked Bacon Horseradish dip
http://www.snackpicks.com/en_US/recipes/details/warm-bacon-horseradish-dip.html

Another easy peasy but always popular Game Day food. I made this over the holidays and people go nuts for it!

Crab Cream Cheese Pizza
http://www.thecookingmom.com/mimis-crab-dip/

Let me know what’s on your list. Enjoy the game!

The Perfect Pair

I was given a box of Harry and David pears for Christmas. I wanted to make a dessert that would do them justice but that didn’t require a lot of time spent in the kitchen and no trips to the grocery store. I stumbled upon a recipe for gingerbread that had pears mixed in. I really liked that idea. I love the spiciness of gingerbread with that great dark color and old fashioned flavor.  And I had some molasses in the pantry. But just adding my lovely pears seemed like a waste of a beautiful pear so I decided to showcase them by turning the gingerbread into an upside down cake.

I have a well seasoned cast iron skillet and it was perfect for this recipe. This pan has been used so often and for so long it acts like a non stick skillet. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you should get one. Look for a well loved one at a garage sale or thrift store. It was probably already broken in for you. If you need to buy one new, just make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions on seasoning it. Make sure you dry it on a low burner on the stove, never with towel. Perfect for upside down cakes, the cast iron skillet is also great for getting a really nice sear on a steak. You can get the pan really hot and not worry about warping. And it is great for anything that needs to go from stove to oven. But I digress.

I added a lot more spice to the recipe I found. Feel free to increase or reduce to your taste. Bosc pears would work nice for this and any other firm pear that is almost ripe but not too soft. You don’t want the pears to disappear when cooking.

Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses

3 large eggs
2 pears

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.

In a microwave safe container melt 1 stick of butter then add ¼ cup water. Set aside.

Beat together brown sugar and molasses with an electric mixer until combined. Add, beating well. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined. Add butter mixture and crystallized ginger, beating just until smooth.

In a cast iron skillet, add 2 tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup brown sugar. Cook until the butter is melted.

Peel the pears and cut each pear into 6-8 wedges. Place in cast iron pan on top of brown sugar and butter. Pour cake batter over the pears.  Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 28-32 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and carefully invert onto a platter. I used a pizza pan covered in foil to flip it on and then the cake was cooled I picked it up by the foil put it on a cake plate and tore the foil away.

If you don’t have a cast iron skilled this will work fine in a round cake pan. Make sure you butter and flour the sides. You could melt the butter and sugar in a separate pan and pour into the cake pan.

School Morning Muffin

Always on the look out for an easy, delicious breakfast on school mornings, I resurrected this recipe for Raisin Bran Muffins. The recipe is a classic. I didn't develop it but I wanted to remind everyone of a great school morning breakfast idea.

Make the batter the night before and stick in the fridge (after making a test batch of 3-4 muffins just to make sure the batter is good.) The batter can sit in the fridge for a week. Wake up in the morning. Turn on the oven before you get in the shower. Before you start your makeup or making kids lunches scoop some batter into a muffin pan. Twenty minutes later the kids have warm muffins for breakfast, using  whole grains and dried fruit! 

Your kids will walk out the door with a smile after eating these warm, tender muffins, hot from the oven with butter melting into the nooks ad crannies. Don't underestimate the power of a warm muffin to jump start the day.

I used Joy The Baker's recipe, except I used no name Bran flakes http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2010/04/raisin-bran-muffins/

Kellogg's version (does not mention batter will keep http://www2.kelloggs.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?id=329

No Assembly Required - Summer Bread Salad

I have been assembling a lot of Ikea furniture for the new apartment. There is only the “right” way to do this. If you have any pieces left at the end you are in trouble. Bread salad has no right or wrong way and no real recipe necessary. It goes together easily, uses up stale bread and bursts with the great tastes of August tomatoes and basil. Home grown tomatoes are key to this salad but if you want to make it in the winter plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes will do.
Cut a loaf of day old good bread into bite sized cubes. Toss into a bowl. Cut up homegrown tomatoes or the best ones from the farmer’s market into similar sized cubes. Toss in. Cut one ball of fresh mozzarella into cubes. Toss in bowl. Chop or chiffonade some fresh basil. (here is how to chiffonade) Toss in.

At this point you declare it ready or add some cucumber, red onion, or any fresh ingredients you love in a salad. To dress just splash with red wine vinegar, drizzle with a little good quality olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve immediately if you like your bread a little chewy or wait an hour for it to soak up all the tomato juices. I like it both ways. I have also used fresh bread but I make sure it is a chewy dense bread like a ciabatta, a bread too pillowy and soft will dissolve.

No worries with this salad. The only real requirements are good tomatoes and good bread and basil. No serious instructions required. But whatever you do don't do this:

 

The Beet Goes On

I bought a couple of bunches of beets at the farmer’s market last weekend. I love the vibrant red color, the earthy taste and the smoothness of the beet texture.  I usually slice them in a salad of field greens and walnuts or drizzle with balsamic but I wanted to do a recipe using the whole beet, including the greens. I decided on beet risotto.

I cooked the beets in the pressure cooker after slicing off the tops and setting them aside. I put a cup of water and the beets into the pressure cooker, slicing the larger ones in half and cooked for 15 minutes at pressure then released immediately. They came out perfect. I normally roast them drizzled in olive oil and wrapped in foil but I did not want to heat up the kitchen.  I peeled them under running water and sliced into small cubes and set them aside.

While the beets were cooking I soaked the greens in several changes of water in the sink to get rid of all the dirt and grit. I then shook them dry and sliced the stem off each leaf, putting the stems in their own pile. When I had all the stems separated from the beets I chopped the stems into small pieces and then sliced the leaves into narrow slices, still keeping the piles separate.

After I finished working on the greens, I heated a large non-stick pan spraying it with olive oil spray and added the stems only. I sautéed the stems for a few minutes until they were tender. I then added the sliced leaves and some raw garlic and just cooked until the leaves were wilted, stirring occasionally. I finished off with a splash of balsamic and let the balsamic cook off till no longer visible. I set the pan aside.


Cooking the beets and the greens can be done earlier in the day. If you refrigerated them let them come to room temp so they aren’t too cold when added to the risotto.


To make the risotto I set a pan of 4-6 cups of chicken broth to simmer on a back burner. I heated up my medium stockpot on the front burner and dropped in a tablespoon or so of butter and a little olive oil to keep the butter from burning. I cooked half a chopped yellow onion in the stockpot until it was tender, stirring occasionally.


I poured in one cup of Arborio rice and stirring watched until the rice kernels became translucent with a bright white inner core and a toasty aroma arose from the pan. I splashed in some white wine, enough to get every grain a little wet and cooked that off, stirring the whole time, until no liquid remained.


Now is was time for continually adding broth. I add a ½ cup or so of broth to the rice from the back burner, stirring continually, scraping the bottom. There should be enough liquid after each addition so that the rice look a little soupy but not drowning in liquid. I kept stirring until the  broth was absorbed. I repeated this adding broth and stirring for about 20 minutes. Every now and then I would stop to rinse some lettuce for a salad or slice a carrot, keeping a vigilant eye on the risotto. You don’t really have to stir it non-stop. Just don’t take a bathroom break or walk out to the mailbox.


I continued adding broth until the kernels of rice just start to get tender but still have a little chew in them. I  added the beet greens and beets then removed the pot from the heat so the residual heat would warm them. I stirred in a heaping tablespoon of mascarpone and a generous handful of parmesan. Normally I would add a ton of butter and cheese but I was trying to make a healthier version. I heaped it in my risotto bowIs and sprinkled with toasted walnuts before serving. It added a great crunch to the creamy risotto. The beautiful color did not disappoint and I felt like I was eating something pretty healthy and pretty tasty!

The Queen of Beans

On my last visit to the San Francisco farmer’s market at the Ferry Building I made sure to buy one thing. Okay I actually made sure to buy several things – Recchuiti Chocolates, McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil and hand lotion, whatever fruit pastry is in season at Frog Hollow and finally, beans. I don’t mean the amazing collection of heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo (although I guess they are on my must have list too) but the big white gigante beans from Iacopi farms. These beans are sold dried in ziplock bags. The beans are huge to begin with but when cooked they balloon into these enormous, creamy pockets of delight unlike any other bean I have eaten. I would love to serve a bowl to all my friends who are bean haters (this means you Melinda!) I can’t help myself from eating these right out of the pot when they are done. These are the queen of beans.

So I have been eyeing my bag of beans I purchased in May. What dish would be worthy? I pulled out a recipe I have been saving from Food and Wine "Fragrant Gigante Beans with Garlic Confit and Mussels" and finally decided to make it. Not only does it call for gigante or giant limas but it also calls for garlic confit, which is another of my favorite things, and mussels, an unusual combination. I made it last night to rave reviews.

I cooked the beans in the pressure cooker so that eliminated soaking. Pressure cookers are great for all sorts of things but wonderful for cooking beans. Since these were big and unsoaked I cooked them for 50 minutes. I have an electric pressure cooker so I can just set it and walk away. You can also soak them overnight and cook on the stove covered with fresh water until tender.

Garlic confit is easily made. Find every spare clove you have and throw it in a small pan and cover with your cheapest olive oil. I usually leave on the final skin of the clove and just trim off the root end. Simmer for 20 minutes or so until the cloves are so tender they yield like butter when pierced with a fork or knife tip. You want just the essence of a simmer when you cook these – an occasional bubble leaks out from under a clove. Feel free to only partially place the pan on the burner if you can’t get the heat low enough. The recipe makes as many or as few as you like but I always want to make extra to spread on bread or add to a cheese or antipasti plate. After cooking store the oil and garlic separately or throw out the oil if you are not going to use it in a couple days.

I followed the recipe for the most part. I substituted fresh parsley for the dill and chives called for at the end because that is what I had on hand. I served the feta table side and I was the only one who added it. The dish worked well both ways I thought so if you don’t have or like feta leave it out. Crusty bread is a must to accompany this dish, both for sopping up juices and eating the extra garlic confit.

The dish went together quickly once the beans were cooked. It could be served as a first course or an appetizer.

Springtime Supper

8 ounces angel hair pasta

1 pound asparagus

4 ounces pancetta

8 eggs

a chunk of good Parmesan cheese

Zest of half a lemon

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Also, put a skillet of water on to boil. Set out 4 plates.

Cut a pound of asparagus into 1/2 inch sections. Cube or buy prepared 4 ounces of pancetta. Throw the pancetta in a pan and cook briefly till crisp. If it starts to stick add a little olive oil. Drain on a paper towel.

Shred some parmesan on the box grater or use a vegetable peeler for large shards.

When the large pot of water boils, add the asparagus and cook for about 3 minutes or until the desired tenderness. I like mine a little crunchy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Run cold water over the asparagus or shock it with some ice to stop the cooking. Drain and put in a large bowl.

Add 8 ounces of angel hair pasta to the pot the asparagus was cooked in (see - saves a little time and a pot.) Follow package directions being careful not to overcook the pasta. Drain and toss with the asparagus, drizzling with a little olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking.

Poach 1-2 eggs per person in the skillet of boiling water.

While the eggs are cooking prepare the plates. Put a pile of asparagus and pasta on each plate.

Remove the eggs when they are cooked the way you like them. Pile on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with the pancetta. Sprinkle with the parmesan. If you have a lemon lying around, zest a little lemon over the top.

Eat and enjoy!

Waiter, there's a beer in my pudding!

 I was looking for a dessert to go with the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner on St. Pat's and stumbled upon this recipe for Chocolate Guinness Goodness. I happened to have some Great Lakes Brewery Edmund Fitzgerald Porter in the fridge and it sounded simple and delicious.

It didn't even dawn on me until recently that there was such a thing as homemade pudding until I saw a post on my friend Megan's blog A Sweet Spoonful on Butterscotch Pudding. I was reminded of this blog when I was looking for ideas for a personal chef client that loved old fashioned desserts. So I made some scratch chocolate pudding and my eyes were opened to how easy and delicious homemade pudding can be.

This recipe is a grown up pudding, perfect for a dinner party dessert when the menu focus is beer or just for a rich treat. The porter did not scream out from the recipe but gave an added richness. Guinness might leave a more obvious taste. I did not reduce the porter and add to the whipped cream, like the recipe said. I had some non-drinkers to serve and thought that might be offputting so I just sweetened the whipped cream. For adults I would take this extra step. I used Ghardelli Bittersweet chocolate chips for the chocolae. If you have pint glasses, the final dessert comes off looking like a glass of Guinness.

Should you finish off the extra beer even though it is 11 in the morning. You can't waste beer right? Just be careful it doesn't distract you and the cream boils over. Not saying this happened but it could, right?

Box of California

Opening shot: Woman bundled in warm clothes opens front door of house. Snow is piled up everywhere. She picks up a package left on the doorstep and carries it inside. Using a pairing knife, she slits the tape. She carefully folds back the flaps of the box. A golden glow eminates from the inside, bathing her in a mystical, warm, yellow light. (Think Pulp Fiction here.) She reaches in and pulls out a ...
Meyer lemon. This is California. Memories rush by. Our first rental house on the Bay had a Meyer Lemon tree laden with fruit year round, the sweet citrus scent so different than a regular lemon. And the life so short once picked.

So here I was with my box of California gold. The clock is ticking. What do I make? I have a whole file of Meyer Lemon recipes. Which one would do these beauties justice? Meyer Lemon marmalade with vanilla bean,? Mm that would be good but you have to do that whole sterilized jar thing. Meyer Lemon curd? Yes, delicious, a worthy option. I googled for a few more ideas and found it. The Shaker lemon pie. The pie uses the whole lemon, not a thing wasted but the pips. What better winter dessert to make than a sunny lemon pie!
 I found a version I like (there are plenty) on my friend Megan's website Shaker Lemon Pie. I trust Megan who is also Marge, a classic American bakery and forged ahead.
I sliced the lemons by hand with a very sharp knife. I should have used my mandoline but I didn't want to dig it out from the back of the cabinet. Then I poured sugar over them and let the lemon and sugar mixture sit on the counter for 24 hours. I would wander by every now and then and gaze longingly at them and give them a stir. And sigh.
The next day I tackled the pie crust. I am not a baker. Pet Ritz makes a fine pie crust. But again I trusted Megan and followed her recipe. I made it in the food processor and pulled it out when it was just starting to come together. I had my doubts. This would never stay together to roll out. I chilled it. Later I took it out of the fridge and began the scary task of rolling it out. Somebody share with me how you get that perfect circle when you roll it out! I get a raggedy edge misshapen thing. I kept rolling, swearing that it would never be large enough for my pie dish. My family steered clear of me while I muttered things about Megan and pies and making angry phone calls.

 I added some eggs, flour and butter to the filling and poured it into the shell. To my suprise I was able to crimp the edges and hide a few things and make a pretty darn good looking pie.

It was delicious. We ate while it was still warm. I closed my eyes and imagined myself on my deck in California, with the breeze carrying the scent of salt water and Meyer lemon blossoms. Thanks Dan and Liz for the box of California!

Melt - I apologize

I blame myself. I went in thinking Melt was a place that excelled in grilled cheese. Maybe it was all the postings on Facebook that showed patrons get 20% off for life for having a grilled cheese tattoo. Or the name. Or the menu heading "gourmet grilled cheese." I was so excited too. I had tried to get in previously and was told there was a 45 minute wait for a table and then a 45 minute wait for your food. All this for a grilled cheese? Okay if it is a really good grilled cheese it might be worth it. I have had some really good grilled cheese (Hog Island grilled cheese in SF.) So I persevered and went on a Sunday morning to insure a table.

I will say that is the time to go. The place was empty and we had a great waitress and a big disappointment. She made some recommendations and we ordered the February special which was Meatballs, cheese sticks, marinara sauce and mozzarella, the Big Popper - fresh jalapeno peppers, cheddar & herbed cream cheese, beer battered, mixed berry preserves and a BBQ chicken with grilled onions, sharp cheddar and a sweet BBQ sauce. Wait a minute - those aren't grilled cheese! Yes, they were grilled (except for the Big Popper which was fried) and yes, they had cheese on them. But that is where the relationship ends! I could have forgiven them the artistic license of calling all their sandwiches grilled cheeses if they had been any good.. Sad to say, all three of us came away disappointed. The thick bread overwhelmed the filling. There was none of that ooey gooey grilled cheese  - no strings of cheese after each bite. And the fries were so dark brown I thought they were sweet potato fries. They came piping hot and soggy. No crispness.

So I apologize to Melt. I should have ordered the Kindergarten - the only straight up grilled cheese on the menu. Then I could judge their grilled cheese.