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Minggu, 30 Juni 2013

It's like, a heat wave.


My word. June strutted out with a lasting impression. We've got a full-on heatwave out West. It's that kind of heat, that muggy, oppressive heat that crosses over into kind of sexy. I mean, you just can't help it if it's so hot that you must walk, or rather, sashay, around in nothing but a slip and and something cool to drink in a glass beaded with sweat. You may even have to put said glass up to your forehead or the side of your neck to further assist in cooling off. I'm just saying...

Or you could grab your bathing suit, an exceptionally cute looking, breezy throw over, and call your friends with a pool. Then you are able to do all of the above, but while sporting a bikini under an exceptionally cute looking, breezy throw over in lieu of the slip, and actually be cool – while acting sultry.

And so, yesterday, that is exactly what Fred and I did. The only thing is, unlike Fred - and most people - I don't really care much for pools. Unless they are about as hot as a bath would be. And I also realized that it had actually been a couple of years (three) since I had put on a bikini. But, I figured, it was that hot and I would be spending the afternoon with good friends - very good, old friends. So I threw the bikini and my impossibly perfect and exceptionally cute looking, breezy throw over into a canvas bag, grabbed my just-so worn-in, flouncy straw hat, and my fancy sunglasses and hopped in the car with Fred to head over to Kisma and Jonathan's place for a beat-the-heat poolside, backyard picnic.

The backyard picnic is great, as it can be as ornate or pared down as you want it to be. Why? Because a kitchen is right there. You don't have to pack cleverly or concisely. Fitting everything into a basket or back pack is a non-issue. And another fun possibility with a backyard picnic: games! Backgammon, chess, croquet, volleyball, Yahtzee, water polo... if you have the game, you can play the game. But all the fun picnicy parts are all in place: blanket, lots of snackies and noshables, any number of drinks (even the adult variety) and, of course, the flies. It seems no picnic would feel like much of a picnic without flies, ants or mosquitos, so just man up and deal with it.


After a quick dip in the pool, some laughter while recalling the debacle that was the end of my birthday last week over a glass of wine, and oogling and googling with their baby, Jones, we all got into our various places in the kitchen and grill to begin cooking, slicing and assembling everything for our picnic. We had a cheese and charcuterie plate with rosemary crisps, some homemade pickles, roasted almonds, cornichons, an orzo salad with fresh veggies and herbs from the gardenblanched and chilled haricot verts with minced garlic, lemon and purple basil flowers, grilled bratwurst with lavender and thyme sauerkraut and brown mustard, grilled haloumi, celery stalks and homemade bleu cheese dressing for dipping, fresh strawberries and blueberries with candied ginger, a couple of watermelon and lime water cocktails and some chilled wine. But what ended up being the star of this glorious spread was actually all Fred's. He has made this dish a handful of times, now with much success: grilled then marinated Summer vegetables over grilled rustic bread topped with burrata. It can be a snack, it can be an appetizer or it can be lunch. It's fresh, seasonal, robust, bright, and has a medley of shapes, colors, flavors and textures. You can use whatever veggies you happen to have at a given time, making it versatile, fairly easy and extraordinarily delicious.


After our massive festival of grazing food and sipping drinks, we all jumped back in the pool for another cool down before some more lounging in the grass, a little more grazing and another glass of so and so. Next thing we knew it it was seven o'clock. You have to love these long, Summer days.

And so, with the end of June comes the end of our picnic posts (for this year, anyway). And I can think of nothing more perfect with which to close out a month of picnic ideas that this recipe for Fred's grilled, marinated veggies. And, likewise, I can think of no recipe more perfect which which to usher in July.  



P.S. Thanks to Kisma and Jonathan for hosting this picnic and Kisma for styling the shoot!


Grilled, Marinated Summer Vegetables over Rustic Toast with Burrata

Serves 6

3 summer squash or zucchini (about 1 lb.), sliced on a diagonal 1/2" thick
3 red, orange or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1" strips
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons Sherry or red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
4 sprigs oregano

1 loaf of rustic bread, sliced into large chunks and brushed with oilve oil, lightly grilled or toasted.

1 lb. burrata

Place squash, pepper and asparagus in a large bowl with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, salt & pepper and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on grill, turning peppers skin side up.

Roast until tender, turning squash once, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly; remove skins from peppers.

Whisk garlic, shallot, vinegar and remaining olive oil in a large bowl; season with salt & pepper. Add vegetables and oregano; toss to coat. Cover and let sit at least an hour.

Portion burrata evenly onto slabs of grilled bread and top with marinated vegetables.




White Chocolate Mud Cake with White Chocolate Glaze


MUD CAKE !!!

WHITE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE...

RED WHITE AND BLUE...MUD CAKE


looking for a good "party cake"? 
this one does the trick
feeds a crowd
make the day before so no game-day worries
slices beautifully with no mess and crumbles
throw on some berries and offer ice cream...done deal for at least 16 people.


the cake is only a 9 inch-er, but it seems like a HUGE cake.  the cake alone weighed in at 3 lbs 14 oz!  i know you can get 16 very nice servings...maybe even 18-20 after a big dinner if you stretched it with a load of beautiful fresh berries, extra glaze or a fun sauce and some ice cream.


the flavor?... it's like the best buttery soft sugar cookie ever.

it's rich and dense like a mud cake should be, but yet it doesn't seem too too heavy.  the white chocolate base is an open canvas for other flavors.  i thought it would be nice to offer a raspberry coulis, dark chocolate sauce, caramel?...lemon curd would be delicious.

forget the glaze and throw a few slices on a hot skillet for a sear and serve it for brunch.  i wonder if it would be good on the grill?...



WHITE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE
with WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE
180g white chocolate, chopped...i used Guittard discs
350g unsalted butter
2 2/3 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cups self rising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, slightly beaten

preheat oven...original suggests 160C or 140C "fan-forced".  i chose to go with 300F convection.
grease a deep 22 cm round cake pan.  line the base and sides and lightly grease the parchment

combine the chocolate, butter, sugar and milk in a large sauce pan.  stir over medium heat until smooth. note...chop your chocolate fine so you won't have any lumps and it will take less time.  pour mixture into large bowl and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.  (mine took over 1/2 hour to cool enough to handle the addition of eggs)
sift the flours together in a bowl.  mix the eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl.  whisk into the chocolate mixture the sifted flours and egg/vanilla in three batches...alternating.  i used a stand mixer for the job.  do not over whisk, but combine well so there are no lumps.

pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 45 minutes...mine took 1 hour 55 minutes
let cool completely in the pan.  turn the pan out and then top side up.
cut the top off to even the cake out and flip it over to serve bottom side up.  this creates a nice uniform looking cake with a flat top.

NOTE...the part that you cut off IS DELICIOUS !!!.  do not throw this aside.  you will find yourself nibbling on this all day while dipping into the white chocolate glaze that drips from the cake.


WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE...

8 oz white chocolate.  use good white chocolate...something you would eat plain.
2/3 cups heavy cream

chop white chocolate and set aside in a heat proof glass bowl.  heat cream to just boiling.  pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit for a minute...then start GENTLY stir from the middle.  the mixture should come together.  you do not want ANY lumps and you do not want any bubbles.  mine took a while to fully melt.
set cake over a cooling rack with something to catch the glaze over flow underneath.
NOTE...i intended this to be a more solid "ganache" smooth covering as i have done with dark chocolate.  white chocolate is a tricky bugger.  this ratio did not set up firm, BUT it works well because it is not too thick, therefore does not make the cake cloyingly sweet.  the cake remains tacky, but this is fine when serving for a party.  it's just a little harder to store.  you will have left over glaze so you can serve this in a mini pitcher for guests to pour over their slice. OR dunk those nibbles you saved from slicing off the crunchy top...he he


Not the Same Old 4th of July Side Dishes

We'll assume you have all the main courses figured out for your 4th of July cookout (if not, we can help), but just in case you're still looking for some side dishes, here are a few out of the ordinary ideas that should work beautifully. Just click the caption link to see the post and video. Enjoy!

Cold Broccoli Salad


Peach and Escarole Salad


Apple Jicama Coleslaw


Boston Baked Beans


Succotash Salad


Pickled Grilled Vegetables


Sabtu, 29 Juni 2013

Green summer sauce

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Ok, this is a lousy name, but trust me - the original "arugula-capers sauce" wasn't very descriptive either. Anyway. Make the sauce, it's great! I based it off a recipe in the Swedish food mag "Allt om Mat" but decided to eyeball a few things, use a little less of some, and add some other ingredients to make it my own. We ate it with baked cod, and a medley of roasted potatoes, beets and carrots. The remaining sauce - this recipe makes a lot - was awesome to dress a salad with roasted new potatoes the next day.

 Green summer sauce
2 garlic cloves
200 ml creme fraiche
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp greek yogurt
4 anchovy fillets (those tiny ones, sardeller in Swedish. NOT Swedish ansjovis!)
zest of one lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp capers
big bunch of basil
40 g arugula
1/2 tbsp runny honey
1/2 tsp black pepper

This is just a matter of adding all the ingredients to your food processor, and mixing into a smooth sauce. Taste, and season as you see fit.

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Roasted potatoes, tossed in the leftover sauce, with finely sliced red onions.


Agua de Jamaica


A COOL DRINK FOR A HOT SUMMER PARTY

crisp, TART, refreshing
and HEALTHY !

a few quarts for less than .50 cents
whip up a batch of this for your next BBQ throw-down instead of spending all that $$$ on sugary store bought "contains 10% fruit juice" cranberry drink.

HEALTH BENEFITS?!...known to lower cholesterol, regulate high blood pressure, contains vitamin C and A, aids water retention...blah blah blah...
IT'S DELICIOUS !
it's pretty...
IT'S A LITTLE OUT OF THE ORDINARY...

you can find bags of the Jamaica (dried Hibiscus flowers) for about 3 dollars or buy it out of the bins at any Mexican super market.  i always keep an apothecary jar filled on the counter...it looks pretty and it's an easy beverage to whip up.  i boil some water before bed and throw in a handful of blossoms with a cinnamon stick and a bag of ginger tea or a few cardamom pods, let steep over night, strain through cheesecloth and chill the next day.

SIDE NOTE...if you don't sweeten it too much and leave out the cinnamon, this could possibly be a good alternative to red wine for the non-drinker/designated driver.


AGUA de JAMAICA

8 cups filtered water
 1 to 1 1/2 oz dried hibiscus flowers (a big handful)
1 cinnamon stick (optional, see side note above)
a few slices of ginger (optional)
or...a bag of Yogi Ginger Tea
sugar or sweetener to taste 
no need to use exact measurements. this is the way i throw it together.  after the first batch you will make it to suit your taste.

bring water to a boil, remove from heat and add hibiscus and cinnamon stick.  let steep for 20 minutes or let come to room temp.  strain and squeeze blossoms through a few layers of cheesecloth or a paper towel and sweeten to taste.  stir until sugar is dissolved.  i prefer this drink a little tart.
refrigerate and serve chilled as is...
if it is too strong add water or serve over ice.
blend with some sparkling water, fresh juice...pineapple, orange, apple or Trader Joe's Pomegranate Blueberry Ice Tea?...
i like to add a splash to Sobe Lifewater with a squeeze of lime.

or...MY NEW FAVORITE MIXER...Homemade Probiotic Fermented Lemonade

Jumat, 28 Juni 2013

No-Bake Cheesecake Flag Cake – Let Your Fruit Flag Fly!

I’ve been avoiding doing a no-bake cheesecake recipe, despite the many food wishes for it, simply because I love the dense, rich texture of the traditional baked version so much that it seems almost a crime to do something like this instead.

That’s a silly attitude, as these are two entirely different desserts, and since I needed a white canvas on which to demo the fruity, 4th of July flag design seen herein, I decided to go for it. The fact that we just had our first real heat wave of the summer didn’t hurt either.

That you can make this lovely, sweet treat without turning on the oven is probably enough of a reason to give this serious consideration. Besides the taste and texture, I think your guests will enjoy the iconic stars and stripes design provided by the fresh blueberries and strawberries.

Everyone knows that if you eat enough fresh fruit with a dessert, it cancels out the negative effects from the sugar and the fat, or at least that’s what I’ve always assumed. Anyway, there is no greater tribute an American cook can pay to this great democracy of ours, than to make a shortcut dessert that looks like our flag. USA! USA! USA! I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 12 portions:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
For the filling:
2 cups (1 pound) cream cheese (I used half regular and half mascarpone)
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups cold heavy whipping cream (36% fat)
1/3 cup white sugar

View the complete recipe

Perfect Rhubarb Compote Recipe

There are rhubarb haters and rhubarb lovers. I'm a lover! I love the color of rhubarb and the gorgeous pink syrup you get when you cook it. Rhubarb, which we consider a fruit is actually a vegetable. It's high in vitamin C, potassium, fiber and the phytochemical lindleyin. While green rhubarb isn't as pretty as red rhubarb, it's just as delicious. Juicy, sweet and sour rhubarb compote is quick and easy to make and perfect for breakfast or dessert.

The challenge with rhubarb is cooking it. It goes from crunchy and hard to mushy goo in no time. I've tried cooking it many different ways--steaming it, boiling it, and roasting it and finally settled on this recipe which manages to cook it through and yet allows it to maintain it's shape and texture. I rarely use the word "perfect" in recipes, but this one really is. I got the basic recipe from my parents who got it from a friend, who got it from her mother.  I put my own spin on it by adding a slivered vanilla bean. You don't need to scrape the seeds out of the bean, but you can if you want. 

Once you've made rhubarb compote, you can serve it any way you like. I like it with fresh berries. I know there are lots of recipes for strawberry and rhubarb compote, but I think strawberries and raspberries taste better raw, both combine beautifully with cooked rhubarb. Serve it over Greek yogurt or ice cream for a scrumptious dessert. 


Perfect Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients

1 pound rhubarb
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Fresh strawberries and raspberries, optional

Instructions

Wash and trim the ends of the rhubarb then cut it into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise into 4 slivers and cut each in half to make 8 pieces.  Place the vanilla bean, sugar and water in a large saucepan and add the rhubarb. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 -3 minutes, gently stirring to make sure all pieces are bathed in syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to come to room temperature then serve or refrigerate. Serve with berries or as desired, removing any vanilla bean slivers.  

Enjoy! 

Rabu, 26 Juni 2013

Cold White Bean & Herb Salad – Mmm, Good Stems!

I’m showing this quick and easy white bean and herb salad for several reasons, not the least of which is to give you a perfectly delicious way to use up the end of that already used once bunch of parsley or cilantro. 

You told yourself you were going to add them to your next stock, forgetting you don’t make stock, and the sheared remains end up in the back of the vegetable crisper where they die a slow, slimy death. Well, this may be the answer.

Both cilantro and Italian parsley have tender stems that pretty much taste exactly like the leaves. By slicing the last half of the bunch thinly, across the stems, you have a perfect addition to any simple, cold bean salad. Besides herb stem recover and utilization, this recipe deserves to be in the rotation for two other very good reasons. It only takes like five minutes to makes, and goes beautifully with any and all of the traditional grilled or barbecued summer meats.

This video also reminds me that you wannabe food snobs need to stop making fun of people that don’t like cilantro. For about 10% of the population, due to certain receptors on the tongue, cilantro tastes nasty, which explains why so many people detest the stuff. The good news is that parsley works even better, so everybody wins.

On a spice note, I used Aleppo pepper here instead of cayenne or pepper flakes, and I hope you do the same. I only discovered this pepper recently, and just love it. It’s hot, but not too hot, and has a bright, fruity flavor I think you’ll really enjoy. Please note: In the video I said it was my new favorite pepper, but I only did that to make cayenne jealous. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 4 portions:
1/2 bunch (the stem end) Italian parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 can (15-oz) white beans, rinsed and drained
3 cloves minced garlic
1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard
salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Aleppo pepper to taste
2 tbsp white wine or champagne vinegar (or rice vinegar if you want it a little sweeter)
3 tbsp olive oil

Selasa, 25 Juni 2013

Next Up: Those Beans


The Egg Man


Eggs. They are the new black. Or at least the new bacon. Eggs can be used in every type of meal in countless ways: sunny side up, scrambled, frittata'd or used to coat bread for French toast for breakfast, on top of a burger at lunch, deviled eggs for a snack, over roasted asparagus, in an avgolemono soup or used to make a pasta for dinner and even baked into cakes, cookies, whipped into meringues for dessert. You can have them soft, medium or hard boiled, or go for the sixty-two degree version. The options are endless.
And the types of eggs with which to play are also numerous: chicken eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs, ostrich eggs, fish eggs (roe and caviar). Think of the infinite creations and myriad of recipes using all manner of eggs. And, in every single type of regional cuisine, from Japanese to Italian to Israeli to every place.
I've got it: eggs are the little black dress of food. Dressed up or dressed down, accessorized or kept simple. A classic. A staple. And much like always wanting to have that little, black dress in your closet, one always wants eggs on hand in the refrigerator.
One iteration of the egg I haven't seen much of in recent memory (save for untouched in deli cases), but I grew up with, is egg salad. I know a lot of people get a little ooged out by proteins followed by the word salad: tuna salad, ham salad, chicken salad, shrimp salad, egg salad, and the grossest of all, Jell-o salad. Usually these salads involve mayonnaise as a binder, and there is a pretty substantial anti-mayo cult out there. This particular family of salads is also considered straight old school. It can be grouped into things like casserole, Betty Crocker and the like which dates back to the 1950s and 1960s.
Even though, theoretically, these salads should fall into the category of not suitable for packed lunches or picnics, what with the mayonnaise and the tuna fish and the eggs and all, that is exactly where they do fall. How many of you had one of these fill-in-the-blank salad sandwiches, wrapped tidily in wax paper in your lunch box or brown paper lunch bag? How many of you have had one of these fill-in-the-blank salads on sandwiches, crackers, on top of lettuce or just straight out of their container on a picnic? I am willing to bet quite a few.

My dad had to learn how to make shrimp salad in a home economics class in high school in the mid 1960s. He food poisoned himself. So I don't recall much of that around growing up. But, between Mom and Dad, there was a lot of tuna salad, chicken salad, and a weird-but-totally-delicious sandwich my mom packed for school lunch involving cream cheese and sliced green olives between two slices of bread. But, though I'm not sure why, my dad's egg salad always stood out to me. Whenever he made it, which was usually for a late-afternoon, dog days of Summer snack, I was thrilled.
Egg salad is one of those things I have never given mountains of thought. I could probably count on one hand the times I've ordered it out. But I order chicken and tuna salads often. And make them. And even more often, I order, and prepare at home, deviled eggs. And really, a deviled egg is pretty much the same thing as egg salad, but constructed differently.
As we have deemed June picnic month here at F for Food, andJune is when his birthday falls and, of course, Father's Day, I called my dad to find out his egg salad recipe to take on our next picnic. He made a couple of batches so he could recall his recipe-non-recipe and sent it forth.He wanted to let you know that either white or wheat bread is acceptable but the bread you choose MUST be a soft bread and it is certainly not to be toasted. And if you must add lettuce, tomato or bacon, feel free. But he won't be having any of that.


I left the recipe in his words since they are so extremely cute. Googier?! I love it.

Steve's Egg Salad
Makes enough egg salad for 3 or 4 sandwiches.
6 hard boiled eggs:
(Foolproof hard boiled eggs can be made as follows: Start the eggs in cold water, bring the water to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat, cover and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes.)
The cool or room temperature eggs are peeled and chopped up in a mixing bowl.  I use a fork and do a mixture of slicing and pressing to get my desired base. A mixer makes it too creamy.
Add and mix:
1/3 cup Duke's mayo. You can add a little more if you want it googier.
1 tablespoon brown spicy mustard
1/2 kosher dill pickle, finely chopped
1/4  teaspoon ground pepper, kosher salt & (secret ingredient) vinegar.
Bon appetite, y all.


Two years ago: Artichoke-Potato Hash

Tune in!

Remember this?


They invited me back!!

Watch TODAY on Friday during the 9am hour - I can't reveal too much but there will be food, drinks, music and me hopefully not embarrassing myself! 

Sabtu, 22 Juni 2013

So You Can Use Real Food to Lose Weight Without Dieting? – I Knew It!

I’ll probably never write a book on healthy eating (I know, you’re shocked), but if I did, I’d like to think it would be similar to “Foodist,” the new book by my friend, and favorite neuroscientist, Darya Pino Rose. I’ve never been able to articulate it as well as Ms. Summer Tomato, but have always believed that delicious food is the solution, not the problem; and that relying solely on willpower to change behavior never works, for anything.

Genetically predisposed appearances to the contrary, I live a relatively healthy lifestyle (or “healthstyle” as it’s referred to in the book). I’m quite active, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and generally stay away from processed foods. At this advanced age, I know what makes my body and mind feel good, and I try to eat as many of those foods as possible.

Of course, I’ve based most of my personal eating theories on intuition and anecdotal evidence, so it was nice having someone who actually understands all this stuff explain the science behind it. Besides learning why all those diets you tried didn’t work (spoiler alert: it wasn’t your fault), the smartly organized book is chock full of great tips and techniques, presented in an entertaining, often irreverent style.

I really did enjoy the book, and despite my complete lack of objectivity, I would enthusiastically recommend it to others. For more information, you can follow this link to Amazon, where the book is getting rave reviews (by people who actually paid for it).  Enjoy!

Lemon Jelly Roll

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Happy midsummer! I know it's mostly Sweden celebrating this odd holiday, but here, almost everyone does indeed celebrate. We, as most years, spent it with our friends, eating great food and a yummy strawberry-decorated cake. So, today, we had some other friends over for coffee and we wanted to do something fun and simple for "fika", which is what we Swedes call an afternoon snack to go with said coffee.

I am no master of jelly rolls, but I thought I'd give it a go. And success! It turned out really good. The above photo shows the plain cake, but we also served it with whipped cream, and of course, strawberries. Delicious!

(By all means make your own lemon curd if you feel like it. But I think it's fine to use a few short-cuts every now and then. Or hey, all the time, if you're so inclined.)

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Lemon Jelly Roll
serves 6-8

3 eggs
140 g sugar
120 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla sugar
3 tbsp boiling water

Filling:
about 200 ml lemon curd

Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar. Fold this into the eggs. Finish by carefully adding the hot water and mixing lightly.

Spread into a jelly roll pan, lined with baking paper. Bake for five minutes at 225°C. Take it out, sprinkle with sugar and then invert the cake onto a second piece of baking paper. Remove the first one - it might stick a little so be gentle - and cover the still-warm cake with the jelly-roll pan while it cools off. This prevents the cake from drying out.

When it's cool, trim the edges. Spread the cake with lemon curd, and roll tightly, starting at a long edge.  Wrap in plastic, if you're not serving right away.

Serve with strawberries and whipped cream

Jumat, 21 Juni 2013

Krug Collection 1989 Champagne--Wine on Friday


"You've never had good Champagne." That was response I gave to someone who told me they didn't like Champagne. Because there's a big difference between low end sparkling wine and decent sparkling wine and Champagne. Sure enough, once he had a glass of lovely Nicholas Feuillatte bubbly he changed his mind. Typically I can find good Champagne and sparkling wines in the $30 - 50 range, retail. But this is not about good sparkling wines or Champagne, this is about outstanding Champagne, namely Krug

At a recent tasting and lunch hosted by Krug, I got a chance to try various offerings including their non-vintage Grand Cuvee and their lovely Rosé, but there was one Champagne that really stood apart from the rest and that was the Krug Collection 1989. It has haunted me ever since. If you read reviews of this Champagne here are some of the flavors that are used to describe it:

cardamom, tea rose, freshly ground coffee, honeycomb, kumquat, oyster shell, dried apricot, chalk, truffle, brioche, spice, tropical fruit, honey, white fruits, slightly browned apples, high-toned flowers, yeast, nuttiness, pear, green apple, citrus fruit marmalade, fresh figs, mineral 

I would say yes, it's all in there and somehow even more. It's extremely rich and yet still bright and vibrant and has a finish that lasts and lasts and then lingers for weeks in your mind. Like a great film, it's easy to get lost in this Champagne, each flavor like each scene, leading to the next and taking you somewhere else. 

I tend to favor smaller grower producers over the big houses because the big Champagne houses strive for consistency which can eventually be a bit boring. Krug may be an important Champagne house, but it's still fairly small and it seeks to create excellent Champagne every time, not just consistently good Champagne. Much care and consideration goes into tasting from every single plot. 

Personally speaking, I want a Champagne to thrill me, with the unexpected as well as the familiar. I want technicolor and 3D and surround sound, and believe me, Krug Collection 1989 delivers. At $549 a bottle, the experience was bittersweet, because I have no idea when I shall be able to experience this epic adventure in a glass again…

Disclaimer: I was a guest at a tasting and lunch hosted by Krug, I was not paid to write this or any other post. 


4-0 Cake!


Someone in our house is turning 40 this week, and it's not me, and it's not my kids... so I'll let you figure that out.  As you know, I go a little coo koo roo over birthday cakes, and this was no exception.  I thought about baking 40 cakes, and then I thought about checking myself into a mental institution instead.  AND THEN, I found this alphabet/number pan, and my sanity was saved.  How cool is it??  You rearrange these 2-inch squares to form any number or letter you fancy!  And as long as you spray the pan, they pop right out leaving a perfectly formed cake.  I'm obsessed.

Have some happy weekends, ok?  And stay tuned next week for an exciting announcement : )  





Kamis, 20 Juni 2013

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa – A Simple Green Sauce for Summer

This spectacularly simple green sauce may be the perfect summer condiment. It requires no cooking, only takes minutes, looks gorgeous, and tastes amazing with anything grilled, and most things not. 

It’s also great for treating a bad sunburn. That’s right, just serve this and chips along with three or four margaritas, and the victim will feel significantly better in no time.

I will admit this is a sauce I take for granted. I’m lucky enough to live near San Francisco’s Mission District, and there are hundreds of taquerias and restaurants, all of which feature some type of fresh, green salsa. Each place uses a slightly unique combination of ingredients, but I’ve never had one I didn’t enjoy. 

Not all contain avocado, but I really like the addition since it adds a wonderful richness, and the extra fat helps carry the other flavors around. As you’ll see next week, this was delicious on some pork tacos, but there are so many other amazing options. Try it on scrambled eggs, use it as a relish for sausage, or as a dip for fried-anything.  I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for about 1 1/4 cups:
1 generous cup sliced tomatillos (about 6 oz by weight)
*Note: if you can’t find fresh, you can use canned tomatillos in a pinch
1 tbsp minced Serrano pepper, or to taste
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced

Mom's Banana Cream Pie


OLD SCHOOL EASY BANANA CREAM PIE

homemade crust...always,

BUT the filling comes in a BOX
and the whipped topping comes in a CAN

no need to slave over "made-from-scratch" filling and fresh whipped cream..the pie will be gone before anyone is stupid enough to question your recipe,
BUT IF THE CRUST IS HOMEMADE YOU WILL GET EXTRA KUDOS FOR SURE.

simple, understated, always a favorite and it's pure comfort food.


MOM's BANANA CREAM PIE

one 9" inch pie crust...pre baked
homemade is best, but store bought will do in a pinch. i say...in a pinch!
1 large box vanilla pudding mix (8 serv. box).  NOT the instant mix
1 3/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas...more or less for decoration
whipped cream for topping

mom is the pie crust chef around here.  she has never written down the actual recipe, but she uses a blend of unsalted butter with a little butter flavored Crisco as opposed to one OR the other or lard.  she uses the food processor to make the dough, wraps it in saran and stores it in the freezer for an impromptu pie bake.
to pre bake the shell we used Alton Brown's method...(click on the link for his full pie crust recipe.)      

when your dough is ready...form the dough in the pie plate and crimp the edges as you would for an apple pie.  cut a piece of parchment a bit bigger than the pie and place that on the uncooked shell.  fill with beans.  put the whole thing in the freezer for about 10 minutes just before you are going to bake.  then bake at 400F convection (425F regular oven) for 10 minutes.  remove the parchment and beans and cook 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown.  let cool completely.

make pudding according to box, BUT only use 1 3/4 cups whole milk and add a 1 tsp of vanilla.  let this cool just a little bit.
cut banana circles and place them to cover the bottom of cooled pie shell.  pour pudding  evenly over bananas.  give it a "shimmy shimmy" to even it out.  cover with saran wrap touching the pudding and put in fridge to set.
you might choose to decorate the top with more bananas, but it is harder to get a "clean cut"...maybe just around the edge is best.  it is best to put extra bananas on just before serving or they will turn brown.  serve with whipped cream.
go ahead...buy a can and keep it in the back of the fridge.


they say...it's all about the crust.  that's why store bought doesn't cut it in this house.  luckily i have an expert to call on when a good pie is necessary.  take the time to make a few "dough-discs" and throw them in the freezer.  pull one out the night before and thaw in the fridge overnight...it should be ready to roll the next day.


sometimes imperfections are the best sign of "homemade"