Buck Jumping & Having Fun.

Seven years ago at this time Katrina had just hit New Orleans and forever changed a lot of things for a lot of people. It was one of those landmark events in history that will always remind us of where we were and what we were doing when the hurricane roared through with its devastation. Not entirely unlike 9/11 in that sense. During Katrina, I was living in a different house with a different person. We were glued to the television all night in awe and shock stricken silence. I was, even then, up here in my canyon. Beso was there and so was Milo. I’m pretty sure around that time I was cooking things like braised short ribs, sausage and cheese grits, meatloaf, barbecued tri-tip, various types of fish with various types of salsas on top of them and mushroom risotto and stuff like that.

Kitchen-wise, I guess things were not so terribly different than they are now. Though the music has decidedly shifted in the tune of my world, and the orchestra of my kitchen, and, I’ve certainly advanced a great deal. I still appreciate, and crave, my foundation dishes and my staples, as well. Heck, I make the fish/salsa thing all the time. Lately I’ve been fiddling a lot more with sauces and accents - chimichurris, preserved lemons, hot sauce, mignionettes, reductions, jus, roux and the Five Mother Sauces. I’ve also been deliriously happy playing with all the wild stuff growing in my garden - some of which I have never cooked with, or heard of.

As a result of a vintage cookbook sale last Sunday at the farmers’ market, and the eve of Isaac hitting New Orleans on the almost-to-the-day anniversary of Katrina, I  read through my two new/old Louisiana cookbooks and decided to try my hand at shrimp étouffée. That dish, of course, involves a roux. I think it turned out pretty well. Fred nearly ate his body weight in the stuff. I wasn’t the greatest judge as I’ve A) never made shrimp étouffée, or any Louisiana cuisine in my life and B) I’m, admittedly, not a huge fan of said cuisine. However, I enjoyed it. But something was missing. Some layer. Some complexity. I’m not sure what it was, but I look forward to playing a lot more with my new/old Louisiana cookbooks to figure it all out.

So no, I will not be sharing with you my shrimp étouffée recipe. Seems almost blasphemous for me to do, really. But I will get back to you on it.

Back to my garden. I have a small bush growing there, with little, lantern-like things dangling from the small branches. My mom planted this green baby a while back, and I remember she was really excited but wasn't really familiar with the plant. We thought, maybe, tomatillos? No. Well after some research on the interwebs I came to the conclusion that I have a Cape Gooseberry bush. You know the berries are ripe when they fall off the bush. When you peel back the little lantern a smooth, yellow berry is revealed. It is about the size of a marble, and resembles a miniature spherical tomato, about one or two centimeters in diameter. Like a tomato, it contains numerous small seeds. It’s sweet when ripe, with a mildly tart flavor - kind of like a raisin married to a tomato.

I didn’t have enough to make a jam (nor would I ever want to), but that seemed to be the only application I could find. I did see a cape gooseberry and apple crumble. No thanks. And then I realized the gooseberries would probably make a beautiful reduction for duck or pork... or foie gras... sigh. And I just so happened to have a pork tenderloin in my fridge. Done and done.

I make pork tenderloin all the time. I was making it seven years ago and even long before that. I sometimes stuff the tenderloin with garlic, spinach and goat cheese and serve it over purple mashed potatoes. Or sometimes I smother the pork in herbs de provence, sear the outside and then slow roast it. Recently I’ve been barbecuing it on the grill. I always serve pork tenderloin in medallions. This time I marinated it in sweet tea for twenty-four hours - let’s just call that a brine - grilled and served it over rice, smothered in a cape gooseberry reduction with a wonderful broccoli preparation on the side. Fred, who historically, is not a fan of pork, upon eating this dish exclaimed that pork tenderloin may now just be his favorite meat.

As I said, this dish is one I would have been preparing all those years ago, but the reduction is entirely me in 2012. As they say, accessories make the outfit. I’d even say that accessories turn an outfit into a look. And, in regards to the look, the sound, the music of my kitchen, to quote Farnand Point,  "In the orchestra of a great kitchen, the sauce chef is a soloist."

And with this meal, as we were finally able to confidently switch from watching the news to resuming our marathon of season two of Treme, we breathed a sigh of relief for New Orleans. They may have gotten bruised, but they ain’t broken. The second line buck jumps onward.

I'll keep you posted on my shrimp étouffée plight...

Cape Gooseberry Port Reduction Sauce

1 cup ruby port
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 shallot sliced thin
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon
1/2 cup cape gooseberries
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

To prepare the sauce, combine the port, balsamic vinegar, thyme, shallot and lemon zest in a medium sized saucepan.

Set the pan over medium heat bring to a boil then reduce to low heat and simmer.

Simmer until reduced by half. Strain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer. Save the shallots.

Add butter and the berries to the hot liquid and stir to release juices in the sauce without killing the tender berries.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, add shallots back in and reserve sauce for later.


Printable recipe.


One year ago: LQ@SK
Three years ago: Cheesy Creamed Corn with Cilantro

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

I don't have many words for you today.

(One week left, one week left, one week left...)

But I do have a FANTASTIC recipe I tried out that you MUST make.

Perfect for a lazy, Labor Day weekend brunch.

Especially because you prep it the night before and throw it in the oven when you wake up.

It's somewhere between french toast, bread pudding and heaven.

The recipe is HERE.

Bye!  

**WAIT!  The winner of the Madhava Gift Basket is RossAnne - 

please email me at siri (dot) siriouslydelicious (dot) com**

Average Betty and Above Average Estonia

Estonia Photo (c) Average Betty

Remember that time you won a Taste Award for Best Web Food Program, which included a fabulous trip to Estonia, but you were too afraid to fly over an ocean, so you asked your dear friend and fellow food blogger, Average Betty, to go on the trip for you, and she had an amazing time, and when your friends and family saw the pictures they couldn’t believe what an idiot you were for not going?

That’s right, I didn’t go on what could’ve been the trip of a lifetime because I’m afraid to fly. Actually, I’m not that scared of flying – it’s the crashing that I’m really not into. Anyway, as you’ll see on her blog, Sara went and represented like a boss.

Below you’ll find a wonderful video recipe she did for Karask, a very traditional Estonian barley bread. The bread looks fantastic, and I'm looking forward to trying it. I insist you head over to Average Betty to get the full recipe, as well as see and read more about the trip. 

By the way, the painfully cute spoon pictured here is a souvenir that Sara brought back for me. I've heard nothing but great things about Estonia, but that they have freakishly small wooden spoons there tells me all I need to know.

Even though I didn’t make it over there myself, I want to thank the Taste Awards for the honor, and the fine people of Estonia for making the trip possible. Enjoy!

Taste of Israel

What is the cuisine of Israel? I will soon find out! I've been invited by a group of students from Taste of Israel to experience the food of Israel. I will be visiting wineries, restaurants, a dairy, markets and more. Food is always a lens through which I see the world and learn about people and culture. I know very little about Israel so I'm looking forward to an eye opening experience.

I will be in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Nazareth, Tiberias, Dead Sea and Caesarea. I'm especially excited to stay with a friend Anne Kleinberg, author of the cookbook, Pomegranates at Casa Caesarea, her B&B. It's through my blog that I met Anne and eight years later I am finally meeting her in person.

My trip is the second in recent months that will bring food bloggers to Israel. My fellow bloggers Pille of Nami Nami and David Lebovitz have shared wonderful posts about their trip (albeit with a different organizer). My thanks to them for their recommendations and advice.

David's Israel Posts (lots of posts and great photos as usual)
Pille's Post (Pille tells me there are more coming)

If you have any recommendations of things I shouldn't miss, or suggestions of what I should bring back, or travel tips, feel free to leave me a comment.

Butter Chicken Tikka Masala

There's a small restaurant near my gym. They have various Indian dishes, but by no means a full menu - and some sushi. I've always had the same thing - Butter Chicken Tikka Masala. It's just tender chicken in a smooth, mild, red sauce, with rice and maybe some toasted cashews on top. Tasty, simple.

And not that hard to make at home. I used a recipe from "50 great curries of India", and while I'm not entirely happy with it, it's good enough to blog about. A word of warning though - this is a very mild dish. If you want more spice, by all means, add it.

Also note that my measurements differ a little from the original - as usual, I can't help tinker a little with the recipes I use. (The original had even less spice, by the way. )  I also left out fenugreek - didn't have it.

Please note that you have to start well in advance, to drain the yogurt.

Butter Chicken Tikka Masala
serves 3
500 g chicken, boneless (I used one breast and two thighs)
400 ml yogurt
5 garlic cloves
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander, ground
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lime, juiced
2 tbsp neutral cooking oil

For the sauce:
700 g fresh tomatoes
70 g butter, cold
2 tbsp cream
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt

On the night before you plan to cook this, drain the yogurt. I simply put it in a coffee filter and let it drip off any excess liquid (lots!) overnight.

In the morning, mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Mix this into the yogurt along with chili, coriander, cumin, garam masala, salt and lime juice.

Cut the chicken into large pieces and toss with the yogurt marinade. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate for at least a few hours.

Also, prepare the tomatoes in advance - you want to blanch them and peel them. Easiest way is to cut a small cross into each, and drop them into boiling water. After about a minute, move them to a bowl of cold water, and when they're cold enough to handle, simply slip off the skins. Mash the tomatoes with a  potato ricer, or a fork. (Or just use a blender, I'm sure that's easier.)

When ready to cook, cook the chicken in the oil, on medium heat. Meanwhile, cook some rice, and bake some Naan if you feel ambitious. (I did!)

For the sauce, cook the tomatoes on medium heat for about five minutes. Add the butter and the spices. When the butter has melted, add the cream, and season with salt and more spices if you'd like. Immediately pour over the chicken and serve.

The book warns you not to make the sauce in advance - it's meant to be served right away. Otherwise, I suspect the butter might cause it to split.

Simple Turkey Sliders

I think I've made it clear that I haven't been in the mood to cook dinner lately.  I'll whip up a batch of cookies, no problem, but real food?  Healthy, balanced dinners?  No.  You do it for me.  

Alas, you can't do it for me, and last night Carson had to work late so I found myself slowly moving around the kitchen, trying to figure out something for the three (and a half) of us to eat.  My son suggested mini cheeseburgers, and that sounded like something I could handle.  Here's a really simple and healthy way to do that, any night of the year:

Mix some ground turkey with a little worscestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder and salt and pepper.  Form them into very mini patties (maybe 2 T worth of meat).  Heat some olive oil in a skillet.  Brown them for 4-5 minutes per side.  Add cheese (we like 2% American), let it melt.  Take whole wheat bread and cut to match size of patties.  I like to top ours with ketchup, a little mayo, a sliced pickle and some sautéed white onions.  

Simple, healthy, and Carson and I each ate 5.  What.  

Goat Cheese Pound Cake

yesss...another pound cake

but not your typical pound cake.

this one is heavy, smooth and dense...

with a 1/2 pound of goat cheese.

the recipe comes from Westfield Farms.  they know their goat cheese.  that's all they do.  they make award winning goat cheese.  check out their list of cheeses.  boy, would i like to get a hold of one of those Classic Blue Logs?!  maybe i'll have to visit their farm sometime...

in my opinion...this one might be on the brink of a perfection as far as texture goes.  mind you it's a bit heavy, but i side on heavy dense smooth tight crumb.

this is definitely dense.  all that creaminess from the goat cheese holds this together with a wonderful smooth texture.

if you're one of those that like a lighter more delicate cake...?   this is not for you.

i do, however, hope you give it a try.  friends and family were pleasantly surprised.  some were a little sceptical when i said "goat cheese" and "pound cake" in the same sentence, but presented as a little sandwich with some homemade jam for a tester ?...

they loved it...

the goat cheese is faint...just a whisper, but it's there...personally, i was hoping for more of a shout because i love goat cheese.  i love goat yogurt.  i love goat as in Moroccan Goat Stew...as a matter of fact i have some homemade goat cheese hanging in the fridge right now.  i wish i would have been able to use it for this cake...maybe next time.

maybe "next time" the  goat cheese will be from my own goat in the back yard...

so many ways to serve a pound cake, but this one is perfect with

fresh fig, a drizzle of honey and maybe a dollop of fresh whipped cream which i didn't have on hand...deeelish. 

i actually made this cake with a new jam in mind...sweet and savory fig shallot was my goal, but i just couldn't find enough good figs to save my life.  i'll try the farmer's market next weekend, but time is running short on fig season.

GOAT CHEESE POUND CAKE

from Westfield Farms

8 oz. goat cheese

3/4 lb. butter

2 cups sugar

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 lemon juice, about 1 1/2 Tbsp.

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

6 eggs

3 cups flour

put the cheese, butter and eggs out to get to room temperature.

preheat oven to 325 F degrees.

butter and flour  your choice of cooking vessel

i used 2 medium loaf tins plus 3 silicone cupcakes.  the recipe calls for a 10 inch tube pan

cream the goat cheese and butter in a stand mixer.  add the sugar, salt, lemon juice, zest and vanilla.  beat until the mixture is very light.  add the eggs, one at a time and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.   reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add flour, beat until just mixed.  spoon batter into a 10 inch tube pan...or i used 2 medium loaf pans.

bake for 1 1/4 hour...mine took 55-60 minutes in the loaf pans and 20-25 minutes in the silicon cupcake molds.  remove cake from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  remove from pans and let cake cool completely.  as i like to suggest...let the cake rest for 1 day, but if you've got TWO...then dig into one while it's a bit warm...maybe you'll enjoy the whole thing, but you'll have a spare for another day.

made 2 medium loaf pans and 3 silicon cupcake molds...not shown

Araxi Long Table Dinner July 2012

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Whistler was the Araxi Long Table Dinner. For a resort town, Whistler has some very impressive restaurants and Araxi is one of them. Whether you want modern cuisine, something playful, a spectacular view or are dining in style you can find it all in Whistler. Although, to be honest, things don't get terribly formal in Whistler and that is certainly part of it's appeal. Araxi is on the high end of the spectrum and has received all kinds of accolades in the press. 

The location for the dinner was Rainbow Park in Whistler Valley. With a name like that you just know it's going to be drop dead gorgeous, right? And it was. A meandering path led to an open space with views of Whistler and Blackcombe mountains set on Alta Lake.

The Long Table Dinners are a bit similar to Outstanding in the Field. A multi course dinner is held outdoors in a picturesque location showcasing local ingredients and a percentage of ticket sales go to The Chef’s Table Society of BC, supporting regional chefs, producers and the local food industry. Logistically I can only imagine it must be a nightmare but Araxi really pulled it off wonderfully.

The crowd was a stylish bunch, hip I'd say. I have no idea how many folks were from out of town, but several I spoke to were locals or from Vancouver.

Tofino Dungeness Crab in North Arm Farm Squash Blossoms with Root Down Farm organic greens basil and cherry tomato vinaigrette was the first course and it was so good you I think many would have been happy having it as a main dish. How they managed to fry these enormous blossoms and serve them while still hot in the great outdoors I will never know. But I can tell you they were light and greaseless and had a unique panko crust. The light greens, basil and tomato vinaigrette added notes of freshness to the dish.

I don't think you can have a signature British Columbia dinner without serving salmon. It's such a delicacy and so abundant this time of year. The second course was Hot Smoked BC Sockeye Salmon with Root Down Organic Ruby Streak (a green herb)  with Lemon Verbena Dressing local baby golden beets and shaved radish. This was just a stunning dish. Perhaps my favorite, because the salmon was smoky and yet retained that lovely custardy creamy texture. Overcooked salmon is a pet peeve of mine. The colors remind me of some swank wedding--all pink, and yellow and red and well, salmon with touches of green here and there.

Whistler sits next to Pemberton a very agriculturally rich area. There are scenic farms, ranches and even a distillery using local potatoes, all well worth a visit by the way. So it should be no surprise that beef from Pemberton was the next course. Pemberton Meadows Natural Beef, Rosemary roasted loin and agnolotti of beef cheeks and short rib with Pemberton baby carrots and red wine jus. My partner in British Columbia eating adventures, food blogger Mijune of Follow Me Foodie and I loved this dish, but agreed, as fabulous as the beef was, the stuffed pasta was our happy place. I could have passed up the loin in favor of more pasta please! The agnolotti were super large and the fresh homemade pasta was al dente, plump with tender shreds of beef cheek and short rib. Oh I'm sure you can imagine how good it was! 

For dessert fresh strawberries in many forms. Pemeberton Strawberries with Honey lavender meringue and Okanagan goat cheese mousse, Mini strawberry tarts with Lillooet Honey Pastry Cream, Strawberry Basil Consommé.  If the salmon dish reminded me of a wedding the dessert was like a sweet sixteen birthday party. Again, so pretty but bursting with the bright acidity and sweetness that only comes in Summer. Strawberry consommé is something I must remember to make in the future...

And to gild the lilly, Petit Fours - pâté de fruits, mini madeleines and French macarons.

I definitely recommend coming up to Whistler in the Summer and if you can get to one of these annual outdoor affairs, by all means, do it. If not, check out the restaurant or the James Beard Nominated Araxi Seasonal Recipes from the Celebrated Whistler Restaurant.

More posts on the dinner:

Follow Me Foodie

Eats, Shoots and Maple Leaves

Vitamin Daily

My thanks to Tourism Whistler for sponsoring this trip and inviting me to be their guest. I was not compensated to write this post. 

Israeli Couscous & Cheese – It Takes a Lot of Balls to Make this Recipe

I’ve always been fascinated with Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous, and have received several food wishes recently for a recipe showing it off. I’ve had it most often in cold salads, but for whatever reason I decided to turn it into a hot side dish.

Since it’s nothing more than tiny balls of lightly toasted pasta dough, I thought it would work well in some type of macaroni-n-cheese application. I decided to skip the traditional béchamel and instead use more of a risotto technique. Short story short, it worked great!

I’ve always been a fan of the southern delicacy “pimento cheese,” so I decided to hedge my bets and toss in some of the bittersweet jewels. All in all, I really liked the dish, and how well it held up. The shot you see at the end, when I dig the fork in for a taste, was actually filmed three days after this was made, and had been reheated in the microwave. Despite sitting in the fridge, and the less then gentle reheating, it was still creamy and delicious.

By the way, the chives may seem like a simple, optional garnish, but they’re not. Put them in. They really finished this recipe off right, adding a fresh counterpoint to the semi-rich mixture. I hope you give this “ballsy” recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 small, side dish sized servings:

2 tsp melted butter

1 cup Israeli couscous

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup diced pimentos

3 oz sharp cheddar cheese

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

1 tbsp freshly sliced chives

View the complete recipe

American-style sandwiches at New York Minute

A "New York minute" was explained to me as the time it takes for a New York cabbie to start honking his horn after the light turns green - as in, a millisecond!

New York Minute is a new cafe in Moonee Ponds doing cafe fare as well as three American-style sangers - pulled pork, brisket and Philly cheesesteak.

As someone married to an American, I am loving Melbourne's awakening in regard to American food.  Instead of lazy jokes about American cuisine being McDonald's, Melburnians are now increasingly savvy to and appreciative of American regional fare in all its full-flavoured, all-beef glory.

Pulled pork sandwich, $8

Pulled pork is a whole pork piece (often shoulder) slow cooked, perhaps in a very slow oven or 'Q, before being shredded, tossed with BBQ sauce and slapped on a cheap white bun with loads of creamy 'slaw.  I wasn't prepared for how delish New York Minute's version was.  True, the BBQ sauce was a bit one dimensional, being very sweet, and there wasn't nearly enough coleslaw, but gosh golly gee I enjoyed every bite.

Pulled pork is not hard to make at home.  It's not uncommon for people passionate about BBQ to make their own sauce, layering ketchup with brown sugar, vinegar and plenty of spice - there is a myriad of recipes online.  My favourite sauce for pulled pork, though, is a regional variation from North Carolina that's just apple cider vinegar, chilli flakes and black pepper.  With the rich meat and luscious, mayo-slicked slaw, it's a taste sensation.

Philly cheesesteak, $8

I have had a Philly cheesesteak - once.  I ate it in Philadelphia, and it was a gut-wrangling combo of sliced steak and craploads of melted orange cheese on a long white roll.  This cheesesteak didn't resemble that hometown version, and I have to say it was a huge improvement.  Tender, hot sliced steak, richly flavoured, with just a little melted cheese was delicious.

Brisket, $8 plus chips

Kenny was less enamoured by of his brisket sandwich.  It was served cold with a kind of relish.  Brisket is one form of American BBQ I'm not familiar with - it's big in Texas, which I've yet to visit.

Large chips, $5.50

Loved these chunky steak fries so much we had to order another bowl.  Perfectly crisp with seasoned salt.

Who would have thought this cafe in such a fly-over strip would yield such yumminess?  Western Melbourne, until our councils let the food trucks in and until the food trucks deign to come here, you can get your 'Q fix at New York Minute.

Thank you Kenny of Consider the Sauce for the tip, and lovely to meet Nat Stockley of Urbanspoon!



New York Minute
491 Mount Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds
Phone:  9043 1838
NB CASH ONLY


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Spanakopita Couscous

I still can't wrap my brain around Pinterest.  It's too much for me - image overload, too many ideas, too many GOOD ideas.  I was perfectly content before realizing the Internet is more creative than I am.  That said, I do "pin things" from time to time and I do come across some ideas I can't pass up - like this Quinoa Spanakopita I saw the other day.  However, the recipe seemed a little complex for the pea-sized brain I'm sporting these days.  So I came up with my own, simpler version using ready-in-5-minutes couscous instead.  And it was delicious.  Take that Creative Internet People!    

Saute about 1/4 cup chopped white onion and 1 clove of minced garlic in a little olive oil until slightly caramelized...   

Toast about 1/4 cup of pine nuts until golden brown...

Add 1 pkg. of thawed, chopped, frozen spinach to onions.  Sprinkle with paprika, dried oregano, salt and pepper.  Saute until spinach is warmed through...

Make couscous from a box.  Add spinach mixture, pine nuts and crumbled feta.  
Flake with fork and serve...

For my traditional Spanakopita, click here.

Martha Stewart Collection Cast Iron Enamel Cookware

An opportunity to try out an 8 quart enameled cast iron casserole of cookware from  Martha Stewart Collection was an offer I couldn't turn down. I'd seen the line at Macy's, the only place where it is available, and it's very handsome and I wondered how it would compare to my other enameled cast iron from Le Creuset..

I have three pieces of Le Creuset enameled cookware. I have smaller and larger "French ovens" as Le Creuset refers to them in round and oval shapes. I use them all the time and in recipes I refer to them as Dutch ovens or heavy casseroles.

There are some differences between the two lines of cookware. The Martha Stewart Collection cookware is made in China, and the Le Creuset cookware is made in France. The colors and styling of the cookware is slightly different as is the sizing. Le Creuset makes a 7 /14 quart round and a 9 quart round, but not an 8 quart round piece. The interior of the Le Creuset is white, whereas the Martha Stewart is a pale cream color.

I used the 8 quart enameled cast iron casserole to soak black beans and cook them to make black bean soup. I chose black beans because while enameled cast iron is stain resistant, I have found my Le Creuset pieces have stained, and I blame black beans. While the black beans created a tough to remove scale on the Martha Stewart piece, I was able to remove it completely with a gentle cleaner. The 8 quart piece is very heavy, I'd say the same weight as the 7 1/4 quart piece from Le Creuset.

What I like about the Martha Stewart Collection:

• The performance. I found the Martha Stewart piece to work just as well as the Le Creuset. It's great for low and slow simmered dishes like black bean soup or braised beef. 

• On the interior of the lid there are "condensation rings" that help to redistribute moisture. Do they make a big difference? Probably not. But it's a nice feature and certainly makes the lid less drippy when you go to remove it. 

• The price! Wow! The 8 quart piece is $184.99 and $109.99 on sale. By comparison, the Le Creuset 7 1/4 quart piece is more than twice the price. The list price is $400 and you can get it online for about $294.99. Granted both manufacturers offer a limited lifetime warranty and their products are built to last, but that's a big price difference. 

What I don't like about the Martha Stewart Collection:

• My biggest issue is with the handle. It's handsome, but it gets hot. I prefer the Le Creuset black phenolic lid knobs, which stay cool.

• The colors are bright and appealing but the Le Creuset pieces have a gradation of color that is particularly attractive.  

As it is for all cookware, the true test of these pieces is over time, only after several years can you really know how well they hold up. But for the price, I'd say the Martha Stewart pieces are a very good value. I will keep you posted...

This Martha Stewart Collection casserole was provided to me by GigaSavvy for review purposes. I was not paid for this review and the opinions expressed are my own. 

IFBC and Be Seen

Photo courtesy of Robin Ove, from
the blog, What About the Food

Michele and I just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Portland, where we attended the 2012 International Food Bloggers Conference. It was our first visit to “Stumptown,” and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay (although, I never did see even one stump).

People were very friendly, and the local food scene was as vibrant and interesting as I’d heard it would be, but the highlight was the photography workshop I got to participate in with my friend, and celebrated NY Times food photographer/writer, Andrew Scrivani.

Despite a few minor glitches, we somehow managed to fool the large audience into thinking we’d put on an informative and highly entertaining show. My theory is that they were so hung over from the night before that they weren’t fully aware what was going on, but nevertheless, the reviews on Twitter were embarrassingly positive.

In case you missed it, here’s a video that my friends at Jenn-Airshot, showing some highlights from the session. I’d like to thank them for sponsoring the event, along with Anolon, Wüsthof, OXO, and Ninja. Also, a huge thank you to Sheri, Barnaby, and the rest of the Foodista/Zephyr Adventures’ team for inviting me to participate, and for putting on such a fun event. See you next year in Seattle!

For additional coverage of the event, I invite you to check out Andrew’s IFBC post, as well as my new friend Paola Thomas’ entertaining recap here. Enjoy!

A Few Random Post-IFBC Thoughts:

Saying Goodbye to Social Media

It’s over. The social media bubble is just about to burst, and anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing underneath it when it does is going to get soaked with scalding hot irony. That’s right, the very food bloggers whose unbridled enthusiasm for social self-promotion helped build this cheesy soufflé, are now tiring of the pungent scent, and openly rooting for its collapse. Shame on us. I’d do a Facebook poll to see what you think, but by the time I figure out how to set it up, the site will probably be down.

Instagram, FTW

One app immune to this social media fatigue is Instagram. It seems as though food bloggers love it just as much as the food in their pictures. It’s no wonder. Thanks to Instagram’s filters, those forgettable cell phone shots we used to post are now brilliant works of art…every one of them…brilliant. What used to be a blurry eggplant is now transformed into a scene so poignant, Joseph Pulitzer would weep. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to set up a shot of my cat sipping on a cappuccino.

Portland Has Great Food

Michele and I had one great meal after another during our stay. We enjoyed the uniquely delicious cuisine of Le Pigeon, got our smoke on at Ox, and dined al fresco at Departure, where we experienced a view as spectacular as Chef Gregory Gourdet’s food. And, don’t even get me started on the amazing local beer and cocktails. I look forward to a return trip soon, so we can check out all the places we missed. Thanks again to everyone to chimed in with recommendations!

Amy's Southwestern Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Thanks to Nate Pollack for the photo

Sharing original recipes here on the blog led to writing a cookbook and doing recipe development for corporate clients. But this is the first time (that I know of) that I've ever had an item on a menu. It's my Southwestern Grilled Cheese Sandwich and it's available at The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. I don't know how long it will stay on the menu, but for this week, 20% of the proceeds of the sandwich go to support one of my favorite non-profits in San Francisco, La Cocina. 

So what's in the sandwich? 

• Artisan Bakers sourdough
• Chipotle butter
• Tillamook Jack
• Tillamook Sharp Cheddar
• Fresh Jalapeños and Hatch chilis (from New Mexico)
• Roasted tomatoes
• Sweet white corn
• Black beans seasoned with garlic, cumin and bay leaves

Do give it a try and let me know what you think! 

American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

1 South Park

San Francisco

415.243.0107

Open 7 days a week: 

Mon-Fri 8am- 3 pm

Sat-Sun 10am - 4 pm

My thanks to Tillamook for sponsoring the contest using their cheese.

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Sugar + Giveaway!

Hello!  Happy Tuesday!  I'm still here!  With child!  Faking enthusiasm!  Baking cookies!

Baking very, very tasty cookies, I might add.  Recently, I was sent some wonderful products from Madhava Natural Sweeteners - products that provide alternatives to highly processed sugars and artificial sweeteners.  Pure Honey, Agave Nectar in all sorts of flavors (including vanilla and maple) and Organic Coconut Sugar.  I was particularly interested in trying out the sugar, which is described as mild and sweet in flavor, gluten free, vegan and the perfect all-natural one-to-one replacement for refined sugars.  Baking time!  More exclamation marks!

I tried it out in a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, adding some flaked sea salt on top because that makes everything better.  I substituted granulated sugar with coconut sugar but still added some organic brown sugar resulting in THE softest cookie I've ever tasted.  And because the coconut sugar is milder, it's not overly sweet.  Of course I added buckets of chocolate chips - but it's all about balance, right?  

*Update: the coconut sugar does not = coconut flavor, FYI*

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Sugar

(Makes 2 dozen)
Printable Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup Madhava Organic Coconut Sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups bread flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Sea salt for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 375.  In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until smooth.  Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until combined.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda and salt.  Add to wet ingredients and beat until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded spoonful (or I like to use an ice cream scooper) onto parchment-lined baking sheets.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until just golden around the edges.

Now for the Giveaway!
Madhava is giving away a basket, $50 in value, that will include Organic Light, Amber and Raw Agave, Organic Coconut Sugar Shaker, Organic Raspberry, Maple and Vanilla Agave, Ambrosia Honey, Limited Edition Glass Honey Bear and Single Serve Packets of Coconut Sugar and Honey.
That's a lot of products, my friends...

Comment below to win and good luck!

Giveaway Rules:

1. You must be an official follower of this blog to win (click follow icon on the right).

2. Follow me on Twitter for an extra entry (comment below twice if you do).

3. Only open to residents of U.S. and Canada.

4. Winner will be chosen at random on Friday, August 31st, at 8am PST.