ta name="google-site-verification" content="LnUtT_d1nKFEi6qCVRa2VtURKXcUowdpcm2UMwFTZUk" /> hummus recipes: October 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Pirates and Beer



Happy Halloween, Scallywags!

I won the wrappers and skull & crossbones decorations at the Iron Cupcake Challenge on Monday, so yesterday I made my Pumpkin Latte cupcakes and brought them to share with my Craft friends. Everyone was too full to swab the decks or walk the plank!

Iron Cupcake Challenge is an event that I started attending in August, when two friends sent me an article from Daily Candy, and suggested that I compete. Every month, there is a new ingredient that you have to incorporate, and August was Pepper. With over 25 entries, I was shocked to get third place for my Ginger Lemon Cupcakes with White Pepper Frosting. That encouraged me to compete again, and in September (Squash) I made Apple Butternut Squash Cupcakes with Curry Frosting. That time I did not place, but Chelsea, the founder of the contest and business owner of Kingdom Cake, asked four of us if we would consider running the future contests. We agreed and this month it was our turn to host.

Since it was the 1-year anniversary of the monthly contest, we decided to do something celebratory and seasonally appropriate: BEER/Oktoberfest. It was a lot of fun, and we had about 21 bakers show up, as well as a slew of tasters (Bakers get in for free, Tasters pay $5 and get a free tea from our hosts, Leland Tea Company). Since everyone tries every cupcake and is required to rate every cupcake, it's fair game as to who wins.


Jude gave me her recipe for Guinness Gingerbread, which everyone loves. I used it to make 48 mini cupcakes, which I topped with Cream Cheese Guinness Frosting.


I came in 4th place, but since the 2nd place winner didn't stick around for the results, I ended up getting 3rd. It was nice to get the recognition, but we decided that going forward no committee member would be able to win anything but "Most Creative", which is just a certificate, not a prize. It is amazing what stuff people come up with, and very inspirational.


It was nice to have some friends show up, too - my friend Lisa's neighbor Lisa won 2nd Place AND Most Creative with her delicious Root Beer Float cupcakes.


Anyway, it was great fun and I am looking forward to next month, in which the theme will be "Thanksgiving".

Until next time, I'll catch ye landlubbers later - I am off to celebrate this day in proper pirate fashion! Aaaaaargh!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Pearl's Girl



On Tuesday night, I had to go down to Union Square to read some of my work at the SF Writers Workshop, so I dragged my friend Jay along for support. Being that both of us were strapped for cash that night, we stopped in for a cheap dinner at a place that has been on my list for ages: Pearl's Diner. The menu includes Beef burgers (made with Niman Ranch beef - I see this so often, that I have almost become immune to it, how sad!), Buffalo burgers, Turkey burgers, Veggie burgers, and of course the top of the line Kobe.


Now, I love Kobe beef - cooked, raw - it is really special. But ground up into a hamburger? Feh. I am not paying those extra dollars. Give me good old American ground beef with melted American cheese, onions, lettuce, ketchup, and a good bun.


Mmmm, that's what I'm talking about. The meat was so juicy that we had to use napkins to mop up the drips, and my hands smelled like hamburger and onion rings all night long. It was so good. I get what all of the fuss about this place is - and you really can't beat the satisfaction you get from a good burger.

Mr. Green Beans


I don't know if all of you watched the Captain Kangaroo show as kids - I did, and there was this character called Mr. Green Jeans, who I used to call Mr. Green Beans.

Anyway, I had a bunch of fresh green beans left over from Sunday's market raid, and I made a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Jamie Oliver's Jamie's Dinners. I love this book because it focuses on simple, inexpensive dishes that use easy-to-find ingredients, and the recipes are friendly for people of most ages and palates. I had everything that I needed right in my pantry, and in no time I had a delicious side dish that was perfect for everyday or having guests. I didn't have white wine vinegar, so I used white balsamic which worked fine. I love garlic, so I used a whole clove, which helped keep the flavor through to the 2nd day.

Green Bean Salad
  • 4 handfuls of fresh green beans
  • 2 -3 heaped t. of good French mustard
  • 2 T. white wine vinegar
  • 7 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 med. shallot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 T. capers
  • 1/2 clove garlic, finely grated
  • optional: a small handful of fresh chervil
Bring a pan of water to a fast boil, add your beans, put a lid on the pan, and cook for about 4-5 min.
Put the mustard and vinegar into a jam jar or bowl, and while stirring, add the olive oil to make a good hot French dressing.
Season carefully with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the finely chopped shallot, capers, and the garlic.
Test the beans - when one holds it shape, but is soft, it's perfect. Drain in a colander.
Dress the beans while they are steaming hot.
Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with chervil if you like.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Pumpkin Bars


Lately the "phantom" has been leaving treats in our neighborhood. One night he left some pumpkin bars. Since people really liked them, he left me the recipe, which he got from a friend (Neisha), who got it from allrecipes.com.

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 2/3 c. sugar
1-15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. salt

Frosting
1-3 oz. pkg. cream cheese-softened
1/2 c. butter-softened
1 t. vanilla
2 c. sifted powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowlmix the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin with mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 jelly roll pan. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, beating until smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares. You can garnish the top any way you like, or if you are a purist, like me, just leave them plain.

Rice salad - Easy Rice Salad Recipe

Easy Rice Salad Recipe - Learn how to make the best rice salad.

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 ear of corn
1/4 cup (60ml) Olive Oil
1 cup (200g) long-grain rice
6 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbs lime juice

Method
1. Remove husk and silk from corn and brush with some of the oil. Season with salt and pepper, wrap in foil, then cook on barbecue for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Carefully remove foil, place corn directly on grill plate and cook for a further 5 minutes, turning, just until lightly charred. Remove, allow to cool, then run a knife lengthways down cob to remove kernels. Place the kernels in a bowl and discard cob.

2. Cook rice in boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain, refresh, then drain again. Place in a bowl with kernels. Stir through spring onions and parsley, add lime juice and remaining olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Serve with chicken.

Source
delicious. - December 2003, Page 95
Recipe by Valli Little

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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Kirsten's Sweet Potato Salad



On Sunday I found this funny sweet potato at the Farmers Market and had to buy it - doesn't it look just like a pig's trotter? How perfect for today when I decided to try my friend Kirsten's Sweet Potato Salad recipe, which has a savory warm bacon dressing.

I love roasting the sweet potatoes this way - I actually did not stir them at all and let them caramelize and get a little sticky - so wonderful, it's hard to keep from eating them right off of the pan. The dressing is a gorgeous and colorful combination of vegetables, bacon fat, fresh ginger and cumin.


You only use a little of the bacon fat and the rest is olive oil, so it's not as unhealthy as it might sound. The citrus from the orange is a nice combination, and even though it said four portions, I was able to eat two at one sitting with no problem.

The only change that I made was to add orange zest to the dressing before squeezing the juice, and I added some salt and pepper after tossing the salad. Delicious!


Kirsten's Sweet Potato Salad
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 thick slices of bacon
  • 1 bell pepper, cored and chopped
  • 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Juice from 1 orange
  • 1 pound fresh spinach

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with two tablespoons of the oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast, turning occasionally, until crisp and brown outside and tender inside, about 30 minutes. Remove and keep on the pan until ready to use. While potatoes cook, put bacon in a stainless steel or other nonreactive skillet and turn heat to medium. Cook, turning once or twice, until crisp. Drain on paper towels and pour off fat, leaving darkened bits in the pan. Put back on medium heat; add remaining oil to the pan. When hot, add bell pepper, onion, and ginger to the pan. Cook, stirring once or twice until just softened, about five minutes; stir in cumin and bacon (broken into pieces). Stir in orange juiceand turn off heat. (The recipe can be made up to an hour or so ahead to this point. Gently warm dressing again before proceeding.) Put spinach in a bowl large enough to comfortably toss the salad. Add the potatoes and warm dressing. Toss to combine. Serves four.

10/29/09 Update:
I made it the next day for lunch, and added some garbanzo beans. Delicious - this is going to be on my regular lunch rotation for sure.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Jujubes



Part of living in a place with a large Chinese community is that you often get to see produce that may be unfamiliar to you. We noticed jujubes, or red Chinese dates, at the Stonestown Farmers Market last week and didn't buy them - this time, my curiosity got the best of me and I bought a bag.

I got them home and had no idea what to do with them. There were no recipes online for fresh jujubes, only ones using dried ones. Finally I found an article that told me how to eat them - like an apple, skin and all.


They are about the size of a kumquat, and have a beautiful green/brown skin. The taste is similar to an apple, but not quite as sweet and more dry.


What a cool, portable little snack! And so pretty to display, too. I'll no longer attribute this name just to stick-to-your-teeth gummy candies - I will instead think of this lovely and rare fruit that I was so fortunate to come upon.

Yorkshire Puddings and Rare Beef


Last night my husband cooked Prime Rib, which is probably my favorite preparation of beef. So tender, and so easy to make - you just season it, cook at 450 for 15 minutes, and then at 325 for an hour or two, depending on how many ribs you are cooking. One important thing is that it is best served rare, so the high temperature at the beginning creates a nice sear, and the middle is left rare and tender.

I made some roasted herbed potatoes, and thought I would break in my new popover pan by making some Yorkshire puddings. I love Yorkshire pudding, but rarely have it in this country - it is the fare of a traditional Sunday pub meal in the UK, and makes the perfect accompaniment to juicy roast beef. Traditionally, the fat used in the pan would be the drippings from the meat, but I used salted butter and they came out just fine. If you have a small oven like I do, you can start them when the beef comes out and is resting, and they will be done by the time it is carved.

The batter is similar to pancake batter, and couldn't be easier - the ratio is 1:1:1, so you can halve it or double it as needed. I used the same method as for popovers - make the batter a couple of hours ahead of time and refrigerate. They came out big and beautiful, and the recipe made about 12 total. The outside is crisp, and the inside is like custard, and if you have leftovers, they are great for breakfast the next day.


Yorkshire Pudding
  • 1 C. plain flour
  • 1 C. egg (about 4-5 eggs)
  • 1 C. milk
  • salt
  • salted butter
Preheat the oven to 425.
Combine the ingredients and beat with a mixer or by hand until the batter is smooth. Put in the refrigerator for an hour or two.
Put a generous pat of butter on the bottom of a muffin tin or popover pan, or use pan drippings.
Put the pan in the oven until the fat is melted and bubbling.
Take out the pan and quickly fill each cup about halfway with batter. Return the pan to the oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes until they have risen up and are brown and crispy on the outside.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The BEST Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad


This is seriously one of the best salads that I have ever had, and it's so simple you will want to make it all of the time. I made it a lot this summer when corn was in rich supply at the Farmers Markets, but if you can find fresh corn on the cob at your grocery store, go for it. The reason that the corn has to be fresh is that you use it raw, so you want the best quality possible.

It's fantastic for a picnic or potluck, because all of the lime juice in the dressing keeps everything fresh and crisp. It actually gets better as it sits, so make it 4 hours or so before you actually want to eat it. That doesn't mean you can't sneak in a bowl or two right when it's done - I always do.

Make the dressing a little saltier than you think - the flavors will blend nicely once the salad is tossed together.

The original recipe calls for diced mozzarella - I just use the small mozzarella balls callled bocconcini or ovolini, which saves some time cutting up time and looks nice next to the tomatoes.

Removing kernels from corn is really easy - just stand up the cob in a wide-ish bowl, and run a sharp knife in a straight line along the edge, going top to bottom, to loosen the kernels. Don't worry if they come off in clumps - those are easy to separate with your hands or with a spoon when mixing.

From the Food Network.

Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Dressing:
  • 1 1/2 C. packed fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 t. finely grated lime zest (from 1-2 limes)
  • 2 T. fresh lime juices (about 3 limes)
  • 2 t. Kosher Salt
  • pepper, to taste
Salad:
  • 4 ears corn, kernels removed
  • 1 1/2 lb. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 lb. mozzarella diced or mozzarella balls
  • 2 medium avocados, diced
Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender, process until smooth
Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing
Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Black Rice Curried Meatloaf

Meatloaf need not be boring or dry. This version is moist with cooked rice and plenty of vegetables. Curry powder gives extra flavor to the meatloaf and mango chutney spread on top stands in for the traditional ketchup topping.

8 servings
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients
1/2 cup Black Japonica rice blend, or long-grain brown rice (see Note)
1 cup water
1 medium zucchini, shredded using the large holes of a box grater
1 tablespoon walnut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds 93%-lean ground beef
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup mango chutney, plus more for serving, if desired

Preparation
1. Bring rice and water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer at the lowest bubble until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 30 to 50 minutes (see Test Kitchen Note). Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, squeeze any excess moisture from zucchini. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add onion, celery and the zucchini; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder; cook 1 minute. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and salt until combined. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan with cooking spray.

4. Spoon the cooked rice onto a clean cutting board and chop the grains into small bits with a large knife. Transfer to the bowl with the vegetables, add ground beef and egg and gently mix until just combined. Place the mixture on the prepared pan and shape into a loaf, about 10 inches by 5 inches. Spread chutney evenly over the top.

5. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf registers 165°F, 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with additional mango chutney, if desired.

Tips & Notes
Note: Grown exclusively at Lundberg Family Farms, Black Japonica was developed from Japanese seed and is a blend of medium-grain black and short-grain mahogany rices that are produced on the same plant. Moist and slightly sticky with a flavor reminiscent of nuts and mushrooms. Use in stuffing, meatloaf or burgers and even rice pudding. Use black rice as a substitute; adjust cooking time accordingly.

Test Kitchen Note: Perfectly cooked rice is not simple. In fact, it's something that we struggle with occasionally in the Test Kitchen. To have the most success cooking whole-grain rice, we recommend using a pan with a tight-fitting lid, cooking on your coolest (or simmer) burner and making sure the rice is simmering at the “lowest bubble.” While testing the recipes that use less than 1 cup of dry rice, we found that the cooking time varied greatly depending on what stove we used. Although whole-grain rice usually requires 50 minutes of cooking, we found smaller volumes of rice were sometimes done in as little as 30 minutes (and burned at 50 minutes). So, when cooking a small batch of rice, start checking it after 30 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn.

Nutrition
Per serving: 340 calories; 14 g fat (5 g sat, 1 g mono); 113 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 2 g fiber; 587 mg sodium; 148 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (45% daily value), Iron (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 carbohydrate (other), 4 lean meat

From EatingWell: March/April 2008

Try
Grilled Corn Salad With Black Beans & Rice

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Grilled Corn Salad with Black Beans & Rice


Ingredients

2/3 cup short-grain brown rice
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
3 large ears corn, husked
2 medium red onions, cut into 3/8-inch-thick slices
1 green bell pepper, cored and quartered lengthwise
1 small ripe avocado
1/2 cup hot tomato salsa, preferably chipotle
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Baked tortilla chips, (optional)

Preparation
1. Cook rice in a large pot of boiling salted water, until al dente, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Place in a large bowl, toss with beans and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, preheat grill.

3. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill corn, onions and bell pepper, turning frequently, until tender and charred, 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Cut kernels from cobs (see Tip) and add to reserved rice and beans. Dice the bell pepper and half the onions; add to the rice mixture. Place the remaining onions in a mixing bowl. Peel and dice avocado; add half to rice mixture and half to the bowl with sliced onions.

5. Whisk salsa, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, oil and cumin in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss 3 tablespoons of the salsa mixture with sliced onions and avocado. Toss the rest with rice mixture.

6. Spoon rice mixture onto a serving dish and top with onion-avocado mixture. Serve with chips, if desired.

Tips & Notes
To oil the grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to spray the food with cooking spray.

To remove corn kernels from the cob: Stand an uncooked ear of corn on its stem end in a shallow bowl and slice the kernels off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. This technique produces whole kernels that are good for adding to salads and salsas. If you want to use the corn kernels for soups, fritters or puddings, you can add another step to the process. After cutting the kernels off, reverse the knife and, using the dull side, press it down the length of the ear to push out the rest of the corn and its milk.

Nutrition
Per serving: 421 calories; 11 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 72 g carbohydrates; 13 g protein; 12 g fiber; 275 mg sodium; 779 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (103% daily value), Potassium (22% dv), Folate (16% dv).

4 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 4 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 very lean meat, 2 fat

From EatingWell: July/August 1997

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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Sweet Potato Supersalad


This lovely salad is so delicious and nutritious, I want to call it a Supersalad. It includes rich orange sweet potatoes, which are powerhouses in themselves - a great source of dietary fiber (with the skins on), complex carbohydrates, protein - not to mention twice the recommended allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene. This, from a food so naturally sweet and flavorful? What a treasure.

And then we have quinoa - another powerhouse. It acts like a starch, giving a similar texture to rice or couscous, but it is actually a complete protein. It includes the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue repair, as well as magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. All of this in a humble looking little "grain" - why go back to rice?

I got this recipe online from Mark Bittman, who among other things is great at balancing flavors and creating simple but interesting dishes. It makes a lovely fall lunch or side dish, and would be excellent for a pot luck. I did it in stages, making the sweet potatoes and quinoa the night before, refrigerating them, and assembling the salad the next day, so it felt like it really took no time at all.

And economical - I don't think you can beat it. The sweet potatoes came from the Farmers Market, so that was about $1.50, the quinoa is from Trader Joe's, and I had the rest of the ingredients on hand already. Probably about $6 or less for a huge bowl of 4-6 servings.

Sweet Potoato and Quinoa Salad
  • 2 1/2 C. cooked quinoa (can also use millet)
  • 1 large or 2 med sweet potatoes
  • Salt, Pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
  • 1/4 C. minced red onion or shallot
  • 1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 T. balsamic, sherry, or red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 minced fresh chives or parsley leaves (I used Italian Parsley)
Cook quinoa or other grain. Drain in a strainer and rinse.
Peel the sweet potato and dice into 1/2 in. or smaller pieces. Cook in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 min. Drain well.
Toss together the potato, quinoa, red bell pepper, and onion - sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss the salad with about half of this mixture. (I added my chopped parsley at this point). Add all or some of the rest to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with chives and serve.

White Bean Chicken Chili

I found this recipe on allrecipes. When it comes to soups and stews, I have found that they are really just a guideline. Throw in what you like. If it's not good - don't do that next time. Maybe it's just the time of year, but when I'm making soup, sometimes I feel like a witch as I throw ingredients into my bubbling cauldron.

This chili is wonderful. I usually make it for gatherings, because it's not the type of soup my family will eat. So I'd rather enjoy it with my friends instead of fighting with the kids about eating it. It's also not that spicy and that's how I like it. If you want more heat, add some.
Below is how I made it last time, for our playgroup.


INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons oil
1/4 C dried onions
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 pound chicken
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped
2 (1 4 .5 once) cans diced tomatoes
2 (4 ounce) can of whole green chilis, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans cannellini/white kidney beans, rinsed
1 can kernel corn with liquid
1 can sweet corn with liquidcd
salt and pepper to taste


IDEAS FOR GARNISH:
limes, cilantro, cheese, avocados, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil, and sauté the chicken with the onions and garlic, until nice and browned. This may need to be done in batches (see note). Add the broth to the chicken and then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 15 minutes. More simmering = better flavor in my book. Make sure that you bring the soup back down to a simmer after it boils, or else your chicken will become tough if it sits in a rolling boil for too long.


Lots of Notes (Sorry, it's a control issue)!

I usually cut up raw chicken into bite size pieces and then cook them. You could easily just throw in whole pieces, but then you should take them out after they are cooked and cut them up. To get a nice browning, your pan should be quite hot and not overfilled with chicken or else it will just steam - which isn't bad - the most important thing is that the chicken is cooked through.

If you have already cooked chicken, just throw it in with the broth after you heat up the onions and the garlic in the oil. You can add more or less chicken depending on how much you have. My friend Heather posted this on her blog and wondered if she might just make it chickenless one day.

I use dried onions, because I have a giant can of them, but feel free to use a fresh onion if you want to. Same with the garlic - mine comes from a jar in the fridge - but if you have fresh cloves, use them.

What are Tomatillos? Well, you can get them fresh also, but I get mine from a can in the Spanish isle at Smiths (not sure if Days even carries them). They seem like green tomatoes to me, and are quite interesting in my opinion, they kind of explode when you chop them up.

I'm sure you could use a variety of different types of tomatoes - fresh, stewed, bottled, diced - I wouldn't recommend paste or sauce, but who knows it might be the best soup you've ever had. Same with beans, there are many varieties - but if you don't use white ones, then you have to change the title.

And finally, corn: really, use what ya got, fresh, frozen, canned, I throw in the juice, but you don't have to - it's all good. I mean isn't that what making soup is all about - using up what's in your pantry/freezer. This is a great food storage recipe - hey, if you're up for it, you can even use canned chicken!


P.S. I just went to look in the fridge to see what kind of "garlic from a jar" I have, and I can only find the lid. Now I'm really worried about where I might find the bottle. Wonder who was watching Henry?

Monday, October 19, 2009

The Search for Dim Sum



On Columbus Day, we were celebrating the end of an epic weekend and were in dire need of some comfort food. Chinatown and dim sum seemed like just the thing. I had read reviews about the Good Mong Kok Bakery, which was supposed to have delicious and cheap dim sum. Well, if you look at the website, it's a little hard to tell what their business hours are. However, I do believe it was established in 1978.

Needless to say, it was closed. Which left us walking around Chinatown looking for a reasonable dim sum place (at 1:30pm on a holiday which was both late and on a questionable day of the week). Chinatown in San Francisco is a very weird place - at times, it seems like you have teleported straight to Hong Kong, and at times it seems like you are at Epcot Center, which puts you in danger of ending up at a bad, Westernized version of a Chinese restaurant while the locals happily slurp steaming delicious bowls of ramen somewhere else. But what an adventure to feel like a tourist in your own city, so we gave it a go and ended up at a dingy but ok-looking dim sum joint.


We loaded up on dumplings, which is just about all that they had anyway - pork, shrimp, vegetable, soup dumplings, and shark. Yes, shark!


They also had the soft and sticky filled noodles that I love, filled with shrimp. We passed on the beef. It was a little sad to only have soy sauce as a condiment, because these noodles are even better when swimming in a savory sauce.


Just in case we didn't have enough starch already, we got an order of fried noodles.



And of course, no dim sum meal would be complete without a sesame ball for dessert. If you have never had one of these, they are as decadent and addicting as a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Bean paste inside, dough outside, fried and coated with sesame seeds. They can be kind of greasy, but they never claimed to be a health food.

It was an ok place, but after having travelled to Hong Kong every year for 10+ years during my career, I got awfully spoiled by being taken to the best dim sum restaurants, and it didn't quite hit the spot. Of course, we kind of went the fast food route, whereas I would rather have dim sum in a sit down place, with some other dishes (like green vegetables) to balance out all of the decadence. After hoovering a fair amount of this food, you can't help but feel a little dirty afterwards, like after polishing off a bucket of chicken by yourself.


Afterwards, we stopped by the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie factory, and had some warm cookies just off of the machines. It's a funny little place in an alley that you would never find unless you knew about it. They're a little cranky and do a little bit of the hard sell (50 cents for a photo!), but the cookies are good and they also make almond cookies which are outstanding and sell for about $4.00 for a big bag.

So, while we had a good time, I am still in search of that authentic dim sum experience that won't break the bank. To be continued, recommendations welcome!

Fondant Follies

Our friends at Walzwerk, a wonderful East German restaurant, recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary, and I was asked to make 100 cupcakes to commemorate the occasion. An exciting challenge!


I wanted to make something very special with the "W" logo, which as you can see from the awning is a very industrial, straight-sided logo that also looks like smokestacks. I went to the store and bought a tub of fondant (also known as gum paste), and had fun playing with it. It's so easy - you just roll it out like cookie dough, cut it, and stick it on. It has the consistency of play dough, so it's easy to use but will dry out if you leave it out too long.

I bought a set of mini cookie cutters in the alphabet, so that all of the letters would look uniform. The "W" didn't look right though, but I found that when I used the "M" upside down, it had more of that straight-sided look.


To emulate the look of the smoke stacks, I used a toothpick dipped in vanilla bean paste and made pinpricks and lines at the top of each one (hopefully this helped them not look so much like upside down M's as well). It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed figuring out the process. The cupcakes were dark chocolate, with chocolate fudge frosting - next time I might not use the star tip, but something that would give them a little bit less height - that frosting is so thick it will not lay down for anything. Nevertheless, I was pleased with them.

It's great to be able to participate in your friends' milestone events, and contribute to the celebration in a personal way.

Pumpkin Cakes Two Ways



'Tis the season for all things pumpkin. I have been at work in my kitchen baking all kinds of things, and I thought I would share a great pumpkin cake recipe with you.

First of all, I saw a recipe in the More From Magnolia cookbook (from the legendary Magnolia Bakery in NYC) for Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese icing. I thought that this sounded like a perfect kickoff to the fall season, so I made them - see photo above. Delicious, super-moist, easy to make - although more of a cake than a bar. It gave me the idea to make Pumpkin Cupcakes using this recipe and modifying it slightly, and then tweaking the frosting. They came out great and are my new favorite Pumpkin Cupcake recipe.

If you want to make the bars exactly as is, eliminate the chocolate chips and add 1/2 C. toasted pecans to the batter. Bake in a greased and floured 13" X 9" baking pan for 25-30 minutes. Use a basic cream cheese frosting recipe, and sprinkle another 1/2 C. of toasted pecans on top.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting
  • 1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 t. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1 1/4 C. canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 1 1/4 C. sugar
  • 3/4 C. vegetable oil (preferably canola)
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 C. mini chocolate chips
  • 1/4 C. regular chocolate chips, for decorating (or you can use a few minis)
Preheat oven to 350.
Line mini muffin pans with paper liners (makes about 48).
In a small bowl, sift the dry ingredients and set aside.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
Fill paper liners about 1/2 way and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
Cool on wire racks.

Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 stick (1/2 C.) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 box confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 C. Chocolate Mocha Hot Cocoa Mix (I used Ghirardelli)
Cream together cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer fitted with the panel attachment.
Slowly add confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.
Slowly add Chocolate Mocha Mix until the color is a very light tan (to taste)
Frost cupcakes, topping with a chocolate chip.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Cinderella's Coach



At the Stonestown Farmers Market this morning, my friend Jude & I met a really nice vendor who sold nuts, produce, and a slew of pumpkins. He has some really unique varieties such as the ones pictured here (click on the photo to enlarge it and see the amazing texture), and on the back of his truck he had the most perfect Cinderella pumpkin for sale.

When I went to buy it, we discovered that it had a big puncture wound on the bottom. We were sad, and the vendor was visibly upset. Think about what it took to grow a gorgeous pumpkin, harvest it, load it in the truck, drive it all of the way to San Francisco, and create an appealing display. Only to have its side stabbed by some unknown culprit - and have it destined to be a cheap sale item only to be used for cooking that day or be thrown away. All of that effort, and probably not a cent earned. And this is a business in which every dollar counts, so those kinds of mistakes are not to be taken lightly.

I found another, nearly as nice pumpkin right away and he felt so bad that he cut me a deal - I think I paid about $6.00 which is nothing. I was feeling slightly disappointed driving home, but when I took a good look at the pumpkin that I got, I realized just how pretty it was, and having bought it from someone who we made a connection with made it that much better. Without that punctured pumpkin, I probably wouldn't have thought as much about what it took to get it there, and now I have a real appreciation of where it came from. Look at how lovely it is - can't you just envision Cinderella dressed up for the ball with her mice-turned-horses and rats-turned-coachmen?

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Breakaway Salmon

A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet Eric Gower, author of The Breakaway Cook. Not only is he a super nice guy, he cooks with a style that I love - non-fussy, simple, healthy, and with a lot of flavor. While some of his dishes have a Japanese influence from his years of living there, his style is focused not on any one culture, but what we can draw on from those cultures to turn the everyday into the extraordinary. We did a cooking class with him at one of my friends' homes a few years ago, and I will never forget the amazing fish that we made there - sushi-grade hamachi, roasted at a very high temperature, with excellent seasoning. So when it was time for me to make lunch for my friend Andrea a few weeks ago, I turned to his book.


I wanted to make something elegant, cost effective, easy, and special. So I settled on the Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon. It calls for pomegranate molasses, which is available online or at Middle Eastern stores, and sells for about $4.50 for a big bottle.

For the salmon fillets, I picked up some wild salmon (skin on) from Trader Joe's. I'm not always a huge fan of their meats, but the fish was great quality and not terribly expensive (about $11 for 2 large filets).


What a wonderful dish! It took no time at all, and was incredibly flavorful. I put it on a bed of Inca red quinoa from Ancient Harvest (available at Mollie Stone's), and it was filling but not heavy at all, and the color was gorgeous. We both had seconds, and there was even some left over. This is one that I will make over and over, and it lends itself to variations. I halved the recipe for 2 people, so the instructions below would easily serve 4. Don't worry about exact measurements - Breakaway style is not about numbers. Just look at the ratios and use your own judgement and taste.


Pomogranate-Glazed Salmon
  • 4 4 oz. wild salmon fillets
  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 T. pomegranate molasses
  • Pinch of Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon, preferably Meyer
  • 1 T. maple syrup
  • 1 T. fresh chives
Preheat the oven to 500.
Rinse and thoroughly dry the fish, then place on an oiled broiling pan.
Spoon the oil evenly over the fillets, then do the same with the pomegranate molasses.
Dust liberally with salt and pepper.
Place the fish in the oven, and roast for about 10 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and crispy and the inside is barely done.
Meanwhile, put the lemon juice in a small cup, add the maple syrup, and mix. Spoon over the cooked fish, sprinkle on the chives and zest, and serve hot.

Eric is in the process of writing a vegetarian cookbook - I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Fast-fix fried rice


A great way to use leftovers, this is a super speedy summer one-pot to fix fried rice.

Preparation time 5 mins
Cook time 7 mins
Ready in 12 minutes
Low-fat

Ingredients - Serves 2
2 tsp oil
1 egg , beaten
2 rashers bacon , chopped
175g mushrooms , sliced
200g frozen peas
1 garlic clove , crushed
small knob of fresh root ginger , grated
2 tsp dark soy sauce , plus extra to serve
1 tsp sugar
250g cooked basmati rice

Method
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then tip in the egg. Leave to set for 30 secs-1 min, swirling every now and again, then tip it out and finely slice. Add bacon and mushrooms to pan, then fry until golden, about 3 mins. Add peas, garlic and ginger, then cook for 1 min.

2. Mix the soy sauce and sugar together. Turn up the heat, add the cooked rice to the pan, heat through, then splash in the sweet soy sauce. Stir through the egg and serve straight away, with more soy sauce if you like.

Nutrition Per serving
355 kcalories, protein 18g, carbohydrate 48g, fat 11 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 6g, salt 1.81 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2008.

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Spicy chicken fried rice


A clever mix of basmati and wild rice gives this superhealthy chicken dish a wonderfully nutty bite

Preparation time Prep 5 mins
Cook time 25 mins

Ingredients - Serves 4
300g mixed basmati and wild rice
1 chicken stock cube
4 skinless chicken breasts , thinly sliced
3 tsp ground cumin
good pinch chilli flakes
handful coriander , roughly chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 red peppers , deseeded and thinly sliced
400g can kidney beans , rinsed and drained
bunch green onions , thinly sliced

Method
1. Put the rice into a saucepan, cover with water, crumble in the stock cube, then bring to the boil. Stir the rice once, then simmer for about 20 mins until tender. Drain well.

2. Meanwhile, toss the chicken in the spices and coriander. Heat a pan, add the oil, tip in the peppers, then stir-fry for 3 mins until starting to soften. Add the chicken, then fry until golden, about 5 mins. Add the rice, beans and spring onions, then warm through.

Tip
Mixed basmati and wild rice is available in most supermarkets. We used Tilda Basmati & Wild Rice.

Nutrition Per serving
538 kcalories, protein 48g, carbohydrate 77g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 6g, salt 1.91 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2007.

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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and ...


Last month, I participated in the Slow Food Eat-In event on Labor Day, to support the Time for Lunch Campaign with a huge potluck lunch at the Civic Center.

On each table were some fresh potted herbs, to be taken home afterwards by the participants. I took home French Thyme, which is one of my favorites.

One day I noticed that the plant was getting very full, so I decided use some of the leaves to make cookies. This recipe is from Martha Stewart's book called Cookies, which always delights and never disappoints. These are the right combination of chewy/crunchy with great texture from the cornmeal and a savory/sweet, unusual flavor combination of thyme and currants.

I always have cellophane bags and ribbon handy to pack up cookies for friends - after all, the best part about making them (besides eating them), is sharing them.

Cornmeal Thyme Cookies
  • 1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
  • 1 C. yellow cornmeal
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1/2 t. coarse salt
  • 1 C. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 C. sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 C. dried currants
  • 1 T. plus 1/2 t. finely chopped fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 350.
Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Mix in the eggs one at a time.
Reduce speed to low, mix in flour mixture until just combined
Mix in currants and thyme.
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer cookies on parchment to wire racks, let cool.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Get in my Starbelly



So I have been absent for awhile, and I wasn't quite sure where to start - how do I chronicle all of the meals, trips, and recipes that have occurred over the past 2 months? I mean, when you love food as much as I do, you know this can add up to a lot.

Well, first I offered cheesecake, and now I am inviting you to lunch. Later, we'll go back into the kitchen and get cooking again. For now, I bring you Starbelly, a new-ish restaurant in the Castro, by people behind Beretta. Let's eat!


I believe that a great meal begins with something simple. In this case, just look at these beautiful roasted padron peppers with sea salt and olive oil. They are mostly mild, but every now and then one gives you a little bite - as if to say, well, what do you expect, we are peppers, after all. Apparently, they are common in Spain as tapas, but I had never had them there. What a treat - they are absolutely wonderful.


Next, a house-made chicken liver paté. (ooh look at me using the alt key to add the accent - fancy!!) Despite how humble it sounds to use chicken livers, this pate is flavorful, elegant, velvety, and satisfying. Again, simple ingredients, beautifully presented.


Next is the oyster poorboy (is it "poorboy" or "po-boy"? I have always thought the latter but "poorboy" is how it was listed on the menu - perhaps more PC, I don't know). I think that this is a hard sandwich to pull off if you do not have Cajun roots somewhere in your kitchen - a little spice is key, and this one, while well-prepared, is begging for some.


This sandwich, on the other hand, is very well seasoned. The meat is a house-made porchetta, which is a traditional Italian boneless pork which has been seasoned with herbs and spices and slow-cooked over a wood fire. It is tender and delicious, with thin white strips of fat appearing now and again for extra flavor. On top is a salsa verde and a salsa calabria, arugula and pork jus...a flavorful, lovely sandwich for a fall day.


And finally, dessert. Pot de creme, herbed cookies. Smooth with a side of crunchy.

One thing that Starbelly does absolutely right is that they have a huge beer list. Beer is the perfect pairing with this kind of food, and can be as varied as wine, so you can match it to the season or to your palate.

Often, we get asked by servers if we are in the food industry. I always laugh and say no, we are just really enthusiatic consumers. I suppose it is because we ask a lot of questions, treat the wait staff like equals rather than servants, and show a genuine curiosity about everything on our plates. We are fortunate to have friends in the restaurant business, so I think we have a pretty good appreciation for the behind the scenes stuff...and a distaste for when things are uninspired or pre-prepared.

All right, then. This was a good catch-up lunch - I feel reconnected and back on track. More to come.