Stuffed Squash with Quinoa Pilaf

Well I'm no Tartine Gourmande, but Bea's recent post inspired me to try out this recipe, and oh, it was delicious. (Note - the recipe I linked to above is actually from 2006, but she referenced it in a posting from last week that included several recipes for stuffed squash.) I made a few modifications, and the recipe lends itself very nicely to using whatever you have on hand. The original recipe called for prosciutto, but I omitted that and added breadcrumbs. I also used a quinoa pilaf instead of the rice that the original recipe called for. I think toasted walnuts or pine nuts would be a good addition to this as well. As always, I say use your imagination and creativity, and use what you have on hand.

Pre-heat the oven to 350.

For the quinoa pilaf, first, dice half an onion and slowly saute it over medium heat in a small bit of butter. If you like, add a teeny sprinkling of brown sugar to help the caramelization process along. When the onions are golden brown, add about 3/4 cup of quinoa and stir it all together for a few minutes. Add a little salt, a little dried thyme, and then add enough stock or water to cover it by about an inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, put a lid on it and let the quinoa cook for about 15-20 minutes until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Now, stir in about 1/4 to 1/3 cup chic peas.

For the squash: Scoop out the flesh, set it aside and dice it. Cut the kernels off one ear of corn and set aside. Dice one big fat clove of garlic. Heat a splash of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the garlic and along with it, a small pinch of dried coriander and dried cumin (I like to toast the spices whole and then grind them). Now add the squash and cook for about 5 minutes, and then add the corn and cook for another 3 minutes, and finally, stir in about 1/2 cup sungold cherry tomatoes, cut in half. Remove from heat, stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs (I used Panko in this case), a light sprinkling of parmesan and a smattering of chopped fresh parsley. Now, combine this mixture with the pilaf, and wow, it's good enough to eat just like this, but trust me, it gets better!

Spoon this delicious stuffing into the squash, place them into a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Pour about a half an inch of broth or water into the bottom of the pan. If you find you have extra stuffing left over, place it in a separate baking dish. Top everything with salt and pepper and a little more breadcrumbs and parmesan, and bake for about an hour.

This dish would be especially satisfying in the winter, but here in the Bay area, sometimes summer feels like winter, so this dish was perfect for a day like today, when the sun barely managed to squeeze through the clouds.

My Week in Pictures...

... and a few words. It's been non-stop action for about the last ten days or so. I saw, heard and played tons of music, from improv to country, and I ate a lot too. Oh, did I eat. I even cooked a little.  Too much to write about in great detail, but here are a few highlights:

Finally got to dine at Pizzaiola, courtesy of my fabulous employer.  Oh, that pizza.   Maybe you oughta try it for yourself since words seem to be failing me tonight.

This pasta was so good I had to enjoy it twice.  My friend Adam  made it for me one night, inspiring me to make it later in the week for my sweetie and the lovely Sabine, who adorned our table with this beautiful flower arrangement.

The pasta recipe came from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, a book that I've had for awhile but not used nearly enough yet.  The pasta was a very flavorful, earthy combination featuring summer squash, walnuts, buttered cabbage and fresh parsley. 

Adam added toasted breadcrumbs to his version so of course I had to do the same, and fortunately I made a huge batch of it so I get to enjoy it again for lunch tomorrow, which will be here too soon... which is why I can't even stop to tell you about my recording session with Edith Frost... or the amazing set that Joe Rut played tonight at the Bazaar Cafe.... there is more, more, more, but my brain is too tired for many more words tonight, and the land of dreams is beckoning, so off I go until next time. 

A Few Good Blogs

I love reading food blogs as much as I love writing my own (sometimes even more!). Here are a couple that have inspired me recently, and if you're obsessed with food like I am, I bet you'll enjoy them:

First, there's the Gluten Free Girl - you don't have to be gluten free to love this blog. Shauna James Ahern has a way with food and a way with words that flows as beautifully as the photographs she takes. With each posting, you get the feeling you're being invited into her kitchen to share a little slice of her life, and what an inspiring life it is.

Cafe Fernando is a blog I've discovered only recently, and I'm especially fond of the current posting featuring David Lebovitz's recipe for Vietnamese coffee ice cream. Cenk Sonmezsoy resides in, and is a native of Turkey, and his blog features recipes highlighting the cuisine of his homeland, and much, much more. Many lovely photographs and great recipes for delectable baked goods.

Fresh Approach Cooking always features tasty recipes that seem to be simple enough to allow the flavor of the food to shine brightly. And Rachel's writing is funny and unpretentious. I'd love to meet that woman and share a meal knock back a few cocktails.

La Tartine Gourmande is just pure joy. Here again, the recipes are simple enough to highlight the star of the show - the food! But wow, what creative approaches Béa Peltre takes in seemingly all that she does. I love her writing, and good lord, the photographs! The photographs are so stunning. How can you not be in love with food when you look at those gorgeous photographs?

So my friends, next time you find yourself aimlessly surfing the internet or looking for some culinary inspiration, do visit these blogs. I think you'll be glad you did!

Armenian Cucumbers

Armenian cucumbers are in season, and, like so many simple things in life, this makes me very happy.   I'm not even going to post a recipe because my favorite way to enjoy them is to simply eat them whole, one perfect bite at a time.   They are so crisp and refreshing and cool in the heat of summer, and they don't need peeling.   Perfect for those long, hot, lazy summer days...

Summer Fruit Tart

It had been so long since I'd done anything inspiring in the kitchen, that I needed to make up for lost time.   So why not spend half a day and a little too much money making this incredible fruit tart?

I'm not much of a baker, and not all that into things like pies and cakes, but when a co-worker brought this tart into work, I was blown away by the fact that it somehow managed to taste and feel light, which is a perfect thing in the heat of summer.  And of course, I had a new tart pan waiting to be used, so this tart seemed like the perfect thing for a 4th of July barbeque. 

You'll definitely need some patience and some fine, fine music to keep you company in the kitchen when you make this.  My soundtrack of the day was James Brown, and it was a perfect way to pass several hours in my kitchen.  Not to mention that the tart was a huge hit at the barbeque!  Even my highly skeptical french friend, an experienced pastry baker, gave it a thumbs up.

This recipe came from my co-worker's partner, and I think she got it from a magazine called Cuisine at Home.  She suggested using much more lemon juice than the original recipe called for, and I heartily concur.

For the crust, process in your food processor with the pastry attachment:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used a combo of white and whole wheat)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 t. salt

Minced zest of 1 lemon

Then, add and pulse:

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg yolk (but be sure to save the white, because you'll use it later)

Pulse until the mixture resembles crumbs.  Don't worry about it holding together, because you're now going to press it into your tart pan.   Make sure to lightly butter the pan, and have the oven pre-heated to 400.   Bake the crust until golden, and cool completely.

Now for the filling, combine:

1 egg white

1/2 cup lemon curd (I used this brand - no preservatives and totally delicious!)

3 whole eggs

In a separate bowl, combine:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 T. cornstarch

pinch of salt

Now mix the flour mixture into the lemon curd mixture and set aside.

Over medium heat, combine:

2 cups milk

1/3 cup honey

Bring the mixture to a simmer, and then slowly mix it into the lemon curd mixture.  Now pour the whole mixture back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until it's thick and bubbly.  This should take less than 5 minutes.

Remove the pot from the stove and:

2 T. butter, cubed

Juice of 1 to 2 lemons, or to taste (original recipe called for juice of 1/2 lemon)

Stir it all up until it's smooth, and pour it into the cooled crust.

Cover gently, making sure not to touch the custard with whatever you use to cover it, and refrigerate and let set for 4 hours. 

Now it's time to make the glaze.  Melt about 1/4 cup apricot jam and whisk in the juice of half a lemon.  Gently glaze the tart and then it will be time to gently scatter the berries over the top of the tart:

1/2 pint fresh blueberries

1/2 pint fresh raspberries

1/2 pint fresh blackberries

Dab the top of the berries with a little more glaze, garnish with sprigs of mint, and it's time to serve!  Do your best not to dig into the tart before it's time to go to the party.  This may be harder than you think!

Kitchen, Sweet Kitchen...

... I have missed you so!

It feels like I've been gone for days and weeks on end, so yesterday it was good to spend the whole afternoon and evening cooking and stuffing myself. I swear, life doesn't feel right if I'm not creating things in my kitchen. Fortunately, life is right again!

After years of carrying around a ragged folder bulging with recipes on scraps of paper of all shapes and sizes, I decided it was time to organize the recipes so that I wouldn't have to sort through several hundred pages in order to find the one damn thing I was looking for. Now, everything is neatly categorized. The "quiche and tarts" section only contains a select few recipes, but upon sorting through them, I remembered that I've always wanted to make this fresh tomato and mozzarella tart with a puff pastry crust. Long ago, I had a tiny sliver of this at my dear friend Ari's house, and the mere thought of it has had me salivating ever since.




You can read about the recipe here, but be forewarned that Cooks Illustrated will ask you to sign up for a free trial membership in order to view the entire recipe. 

And also, be forewarned that this tart is NOT a low-calorie item! So of course, I had to make vegan ice cream for dessert.  Pics and recipe coming soon.

The Taste of Tea

In my last post I mentioned Phil Gelb, a local chef whom I recently spent the day assisting.  While we were chopping and slicing and dicing the day away, Phil made some of the most incredible green tea.  It was soooo smooth, not bitter, just perfectly robust.  I drank cup after cup, which is not something I usually do.  The name of the company that sells it is Cha-no-Aji - The Taste of Tea.

As far as I know, this tea isn't available in stores, so I had to order my own batch immediately!  Well truth be told, I bought it for my sweetie but he's been kind enough to share.  We've been enjoying both the Genmaicha (green tea with brown rice), and the Night Blooming Jasmine.  This is seriously the most fragrant and exquisite jasmine tea I've ever tasted.  I think this tea might transform me from a person who  likes tea into a total tea junkie.

In other news, for the first time in months, I find myself with nothing on the calendar for the next five days except work, and that feels luxurious.  I will finally find myself with time to get back in the kitchen, and hopefully will have delicious things to report about as the week goes on.  For now, I've gotta get back to my tea.

In the Mood for Food

Forgive the meager postings as of late. Besides a couple more attempts at making gnocchi (with some pretty good results, I might add!), I haven't been too creative in the kitchen lately. Since I've recently gone on the debt diet, I've been eating a lot more steamed vegetables, beans & rice. It's not so bad, in fact I'm still eating very, very well. But between being strapped for cash and short on time, there hasn't been a lot of room for fabulous dinner parties in recent months.

That being said, I did get to partake in someone else's fabulous dinner party recently. There was a memorial celebration dinner honoring the aforementioned Matthew Sperry, and I was fortunate to be able to assist the chef, Phil Gelb. Phil's personal chef business is called In the Mood for Food, and he makes the most delicious and beautifully presented vegetarian and vegan food, and it was my pleasure to spend the day with him chopping and slicing and dicing, helping to create a scrumptious, gorgeous meal for a small group of Matthew's family and friends.



The menu featured homemade fettuccine, and would you believe that I've never really made fresh pasta before (I can just hear my Dad scolding me from afar!!!)?

Well I didn't actually make it; I merely did my part to help it dry, but it sure was fun.

Some day, I'll get back to my Italian roots and get obsessed with making fresh pasta.  For now, I'm content to be the one who sprinkles the flour.

       

There was so much good food that night, including a salad of arugula and radicchio with roasted apricots, with a dressing of roasted apricot, basil and miso.
  

I could go on and on, but I have to head straight for dessert: a totally decadent, smooth as silk, dreamy chocolate ice cream - all vegan! I make a lot of ice cream myself and so far have had very limited success with the vegan varieties, but clearly I just hadn't met the right ice cream maker yet, and now I have. I'm still dreaming of this chocolate cupcake with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce, made with nary a dairy product in sight.

See, I told you I was still eating well!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Phil's business name is inspired by the movie In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar Wai, which incidentally, I just saw over the weekend.  What a beautiful film - every set, every scene, just so perfectly perfectly presented and lovely to behold.  Definitely worth checking out.

Thanks for tuning in, folks.   More to come before too long.  I've been working on revising my Second Best Chili You Will Ever Taste to be both vegetarian and made in the pressure cooker, so I hope to be posting about that in the next month or so.   Until next time, cheers!

"The Mouse Went Squeak...

... and pooped in the potty. Poop poop, poopity poop!"

Oh, they just don't write lyrics like that anymore. Or wait, yes they do! Those particular lyrics were written by my friend Lily, who is just shy of three years old. They were written as part of the Treasure Mouth Children's Karaoke event on Saturday, in memory of Matthew Sperry. There was a live band improvising the music, and the kids improvised the lyrics, and I, along with my singing pals in Loretta Lynch, got to sing whatever the kids wrote. Some personal favorite lines, in addition to the brilliant musings on mouse poop, were:

"A: You're beautiful.
B: You're adorable.
C: You're a cup full of charm."

And sometimes, two words are all you need to make a song. In this case, the two words were "HOT BURP".

Also quite compelling was the line "I was born in this hole and I'll die in this hole".

Kids, gotta love 'em!

I never had the good fortune to meet Matthew Sperry personally, but he was and still is loved and dear to many people I know, and I'm sorry I never crossed paths with him. It was truly an honor to be a part of the memorial event honoring his life.

The Nicest Compliment I Ever Got...

So I was gone out of town and away from work for 3 days. Upon my return, my co-worker and friend said "I'm so glad you're back... when you're gone, this place goes to culinary hell!". Aw, thanks Berge!

I DO love that part of my job where I get to go to the grocery store every week and buy all manner of snacks and fresh fruit and beer and wine and strawberry shortcake and fancy cheese... for all of us to enjoy! And it's nice to know that my culinary obsessions do not go unappreciated :)

One of the Many reasons I Love living in California...

... yes, the real estate (even now as prices are dropping) is astronomical, gas is up to $4.25 a gallon, and we could fall into the ocean at any moment. But with beautiful organic heirloom tomatoes like these, I can hardly complain.

You Can't Buy Happiness, but...

... you can drink it!

Ok ok I know that's bad, but honestly, that's on a billboard that I pass every day on my way to work. It shows the Nestle's Quick bunny swilling back the chocolate milk. Drunk with happiness.

Well I was a little drunk with happiness when I recently found myself in Arizona at the Barrio Cafe, sipping the best damn margaritas ever, in the company of my sweetie and one of my oldest, dearest friends, Anita. I mean, the food was quite incredible on its own, but those margaritas were something else. Strong, made with good tequila, and not too sickly sweet. Good stuff.

So much more to report - this is just the tip of the iceberg but alas, the rest will have to wait. I can hardly wait till Sunday, for I have three new gnocchi recipes to try out, so stay tuned for an update about that, and wish me luck!

When You Can't Make it to the Ocean...

... the next best thing is seaweed salad!

Well, some would argue this but it's my blog and I love seaweed salad. So I'm gonna tell you the quick and dirty way to make this beautiful, delicious, super cool and refreshing salad that is not only tasty, but high in nutritional value.

The quick and dirty way is to head over to your local natural foods store and get a package of Soken Sea Vegetable Salad. Open the bag, pour boiling water over it, let it sit for 15 minutes and then drain it.

While the seaweed is sitting there soaking up the water, open a bag of frozen edamame. Cook it in salted boiling water for a couple minutes, and then drain it (make sure you get the kind that's already out of its pod so you don't have to do that part!).

Once you've drained both the edamame and the seaweed, combine them in a bowl, and toss with a little tamari, a little sesame oil, a couple splashes of seasoned rice vinegar, and a few squeezes of lemon. For best results on a blazing hot day, chill the salad completely and serve on cold plates. Serving with cold sake might make it even better!

One Word that is Not Really a Word...

....... Mmmmmmmmmmm!!!


That's my zucchini ricotta tart made with homemade ricotta and a potato crust.  I think I'm gaining another couple of pounds just looking at the photo.  Decadent, yeah.  Delicious indeed.  I think you should just go on out and get Mark Bittman's cookbook and make it yourself. I'm feeling a little lazy and over-fed today, and I do believe this insane burst of hot weather here in Northern California has fried a few of my brain cells. Till next time, I'll just be laying around spritzing myself with cold water, and possibly knocking back a few margaritas to quench the thirst...

Homemade Ricotta

Homemade fresh cheese is so easy... who knew? Not me, but now I do! Thanks, Mark Bittman. Yes, Mr. Bittman is the author of the latest cookbook to cross the threshold of my kitchen: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. He claims that making fresh cheese is not much harder than boiling milk, and I'm here to tell you, he's right. And I've got the tub of fresh ricotta to prove it.

All you need is some cheesecloth, a strainer, milk, buttermilk and salt. That and some inspiring music cranked on the stereo, wine optional!

First, you bring the milk to a boil in a big, sturdy pot. A half a gallon of organic whole milk is what I used.

Once the milk comes to a boil, add 2 cups of buttermilk and stir constantly. It will separate into curds & whey pretty rapidly (see how it's kind of lumpy looking?) and when it does, remove it from the heat and stir in a generous pinch of salt. Don't be shy with the salt - I was, and consequently although my finished product is delicious, it's not quite as salty as I would like. Next time, I'll up the salt for sure.

Now, place a medium sized strainer in the sink and line it with 3 layers of cheesecloth...

....and pour the milk mixture into the strainer. The liquid will strain out and you'll be left with the solids, and this, my friends, is your very own ricotta! Just leave it there in the sink for about 30 minutes or so, and then it will be done.

How easy is that?  And how good does that look?  Almost as good as it tastes!

Once the ricotta is done, spoon it into a container for safe keeping, but don't put the lid on yet because it will most likely still be warm. Wait to refrigerate until it's completely cool, because you don't want condensation.

And now, just think of all the ways to use your homemade ricotta. Tomorrow, I'm going to make a recipe from the aforementioned cookbook for a zucchini & ricotta tart made with a potato crust. I can hardly wait! With any luck, I'll be reporting back about that very soon.   For now, I think it's about time to collapse into the comfort of my bed.

World Beat Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Never mind that it's the wrong season for this sort of thing. I just cleaned out my pantry last weekend and was thrilled to be able to make something this delicious, almost entirely from canned goods! It has the unlikely combination of coconut milk and chipotle, but somehow the combination of hot/smoky and sweet/spicy really works.

Ever since I got my handy pressure cooker, I've been making all of my beans from scratch - but I had several cans of black beans in the pantry that I wanted to use up, plus some coconut milk, fire roasted tomatoes and canned pumpkin. I'd been meaning to make pumpkin biscuits ever since last fall but it never did happen, and I'm glad because this soup really was quite exquisite. Here's how to do it:

1 onion - diced
1 shallot - diced
2 jalapenos - diced

Sautee the above in:

2 T. butter and
2 T. coconut oil (or if you don't have coconut oil, you can use olive oil instead)

When the onions start to turn golden, add:

4 cloves garlic - minced
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 t. sweet/smoky chipotle paste* OR 1 t. chipotle in adobo sauce

Combine 3 cans black beans and 1 can fire roasted tomatoes and coarsely puree in a food processor or blender. Add this to the onions/garlic/peppers.

Also add 1 can pumpkin puree and 1 can coconut milk, and 3 cups vegetable stock or water.

Stir it well till you get a nice, thick but still soupy consistency. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

Garnish with sour cream.

*Sweet & smoky chipotle paste is a recipe I got from the Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen cookbook - it involves frying a massive amount of chipotles and then soaking them in sugar water, and pureeing it all with roasted garlic. It's very intense, spicy, smoky, sweet, and lends a depth of flavor like no other!

A Gardener is Born

I'm doing my best to change my plant killing ways.  My one houseplant has been alive for a good six months now, and the orchid that my sweetheart gave me is still blooming beautifully more than two months later.

For most of my life, I've never had much of an inclination towards gardening, but in recent months that has been changing.   Suddenly I'm obsessed with the idea of creating things in my kitchen that I grew in my yard.  Although really, we're growing them in the sweetheart's yard, but nonetheless, I am helping make it happen, and this is a first for me.  A very exciting first. There will be tomatoes and squash and arugula and herbs -  nothing terribly ambitious, but to me it's a veritable cornucopia.

Today my small contribution amounted to a little weeding and clearing away of the old stuff,  plus some turning over the soil with the shovel.  I know it just looks like dirt in the photo, but damnit, it's dirt that I lovingly  shoveled myself!  And it's way more gardening than I've ever done in the past.

And I can't take credit for this part, but when the day was done, this is what it looked like:

I can't wait to watch it grow and to learn all I can along the way!

My Fifteen Minutes...

I never had my name on a marquis prior to last week when I played at Ashkenaz in Berkeley (hence the peace sign because it's Berkeley!).   So naturally I had to take a photo for my grandchildren's great grandchildren to remember their  ancestor...

... see, my band-mates are still VERY, VERY exclusive.  So exclusive that only 17 people were hip enough to seek us out on a Thursday night.  But hey!  We got our name on the marquis!

The Gift I Bought for Myself

I just can't seem to move on from this theme - I'll take that as a sign of my wonderful good fortune and gladly give thanks!

Several months ago, I read (and wrote about) a very compelling article published in the New York Times by Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.  That article had a strong and positive impact on my eating choices, but until recently, I didn't have my own copy of the cookbook.  I had bought the cookbook as a birthday gift for my dear friend Alison, who, like me, had recently cut meat out of her diet.  I had kept meaning to buy a copy for myself, and it took awhile, but that day has finally come.

I enjoy reading cookbooks just as much as I enjoy cooking from them, and so it was with great pleasure today that I sat down and began to read the introduction to this book.   I love Bittman's no-nonsense writing style; I love the fact that he is not dogmatic, and that he is not a professionally trained chef but a home cook with nearly 40 years of experience.  But most of all, I know I am going to love trying out his recipes!  And let me tell you, this book covers everything from salads to sauces to desserts, with everything in between.   I can't imagine how long it must have taken to compile a definitive body of recipes such as these.  And I can't wait to start enjoying them!

Now if only my time spent in the kitchen could grow as rapidly as my cookbook collection...couldn't someone just pay me to throw fabulous dinner parties without me having to be a caterer?  I'm gonna have to ponder that one....

And Speaking of Gifts that Keep on Giving

Hey Mom & Dad!  This one's for you.  Cause you got me a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma for my birthday, and I was like a kid in a kitchen store. 

I thought you might like to see what I bought.  See that timer in the middle?  No more burning things!  I mean really, how silly is it to have to use my cell phone to time things like pies and quiche?  Well no more.  Look at that sleek and beautiful timer.

And speaking of quiche and pie, I finally got a utensil with which to serve them.  And the first thing I did was make a quiche, of course!

Would you believe I've never bought a good bottle of balsamic vinegar in my life?  Until now, that is.  Thanks, parents!  This bottle is aged 25 years and it's so thick and sweet and luscious.  I can hardly wait till later in the summer when I can drizzle some of this nectar over fat, ruby red slices of organic tomatoes.

I also got some yummy sauces and spreads - I've mentioned the tomato-vodka sauce here previously - it's definitely worthy of your favorite pasta.  And the artichoke-spinach-parmesan dip is addictive, pretty much right out of the jar.  And I couldn't pass up a condiment that contains two of my favorite things - hot peppers and preserved lemons!  I can't wait to make a spicy chic pea stew using this Moroccan Harissa dip as a flavoring.

So thanks, Mom & Dad!   The only thing that would make these gifts better would be if you could come over for dinner and enjoy every last bit of it with me.

The Gifts That Keep on Giving

Boy do I ever love a good cookbook.  I probably have more than I need, but I can't seem to stop accumulating them, in part because every year people buy me more cookbooks for my birthday. Lucky me!  There are so many great ones, and a few that I keep going back to again and again. I continue to enjoy the Dona Thomas cookbook, a wonderful gift I was given on my 38th birthday. I've been LOVING their chilaquiles recipe, which features this beautiful, robust, spicy guajillo sauce...

... which begins by toasting, soaking and grinding guajillo chiles.

When I made this recently,  there was plenty of sauce left over and we couldn't possibly waste one drop of it, so later we sauteed shrimp in it, and that made for one delicious taco feast.

             

And what taco feast would be complete without icy cold margaritas?  Let me tell you, you 

never appreciate a margarita so much as when you have to painstakingly squeeze each individual lime for what seems like hours, until you have enough juice to actually make a drink.

Of course, since it was my birthday, I didn't have to squeeze the limes!  I was too busy making tortillas and roasting peppers and barking orders for assistance in making the chocolate peanut butter ice cream, because naturally this was the most important part of the meal! 

 

So thanks to all my loved ones for great birthday celebrations year after year, and for all the really cool gifts.  I'm not done talking about the gifts yet, because I got some fantastic aprons this year too, but more details about that later.  Ciao for now!

The Further Adventures of Life Without Coffee

It's been about two months since I stopped drinking coffee, and recently I haven't given it much thought, or missed it very much. And in fact I've been very pleased with the fact that all of my stomach and digestive issues have completely disappeared, and I can't help but attribute it, at least in part, to the fact that I'm not drinking coffee anymore. That's a pretty strong motivator to keep me from missing it very much!

Last night I had a revelation. For several years now, I've had this problem with my voice, wherein basically I become hoarse after singing for a half an hour, or even from just talking too much. It's been disturbing to me, seeing as I am a singer and also just a person with a big mouth who loves to talk! I kept thinking that it must be my technique, something I have been doing wrong in the way I use my voice. Acoustic gigs especially would be a nightmare, because although I could always get through the set, my voice would be mostly gone afterwards.

Well last night I was rehearsing with El Mirage in my living room, with three guitars, bass and a full drum kit, and my voice didn't even get tired. And the night before, I had sang two sets acoustically without a problem. That losing my voice thing seems to be a thing of the past now. The only thing I've done differently is to stop the coffee. Amazing! I've been battling this problem for a long, long time now and it's incredible to me that this one little change has made such a dramatic difference.

Am I the same person who once wrote in this blog "I'M NEVER GIVING UP COFFEE AGAIN!!!"? Never say never, I guess.

Janice Ian Knows

I've been meaning to write about this video ever since I first saw it. This performance of Janice Ian singing "At 17" absolutely takes my breath away. Actually I first saw her perform it on the pilot episode of Saturday Night Live (which I watched recently, that is, not back in 1976!). I can't seem to listen to this song without having my hair stand on end. I don't know if it's because she's singing about a topic that so many women can relate to, or if it's the cool, confident manner in which she delivers the message. She is stunningly beautiful and powerful and magnetic. That voice! Those guitar playing chops! That depth of wisdom at such a young age! All I can say is, those dummies in high school didn't have a clue. Watch it and enjoy. I'll be back with some more food porn before too long!

You can only be young Once....

... but you can be immature forever!

Oh, there is so much to report. So far I'm really enjoying being 39, and the fun just goes on and on. I am so very grateful to my wonderful friends and family for being so good to me. And boy do I ever have food pictures to post and report about!! But hell, I'm old now, and tired, so the best I can offer tonight is this picture of me enjoying the ice cream I made (or rather, what was left of it!) as part of the FIRST of my birthday dinner celebrations over the weekend! Yep, here's to being immature FOREVER!

Almost time for Limoncello

I don't know if I've mentioned Food Groupies in any previous posts, and that is a major oversight! We're a small group of friends who are obsessed with food. We meet once a month, each time at a different person's house, and that person leads the whole group in making something delicious and completely from scratch.

One time, John and Scott and I showed the group what we know about wild fermentation, and we made our own sauerkraut and pickles, and I swear the stuff we made is some of the best I've ever tasted!

Other sessions have found us making biscotti (of course!), Brazillian cheese biscuits and Brazillian fish stew, and last month, Kathleen taught us all how to make meyer lemon and orange marmalade, and Limoncello - a truly intoxicating Italian liqueur.

First, you peel the citrus very carefully, making sure not to include any of the white pith, which would make the final product bitter. We made one batch with oranges, and one batch with lemons.

Then, you soak the peels in grain alcohol for 13 days, shaking the jar every day. Later you remove the peels and add simple syrup to the alcohol, and set it aside for another 2 weeks or so, again, shaking it every day.




Next, you bottle it and put it in the freezer, where its color transforms into a very creamy, but still very bright orange or yellow. And then, it's ready to drink!

You serve it in very small, chilled glasses. And believe me, you want the glasses to be small because this stuff packs a punch! And it's easy to drink too much because it goes down soooooooooo smooth.

Our Limoncello won't be ready for another week or so.... not QUITE in time for my birthday! But since I plan to enjoy a week-long celebration (at the very least!), I will certainly get to make a few birthday toasts with it.

And speaking of birthdays, the celebration begins today. I'm headed back to Gualala to enjoy a bit of gluttony in the company of a few friends and a few dogs. Of course I've packed the essentials - cookbooks, knives, tortilla press, ice cream maker, and ... tequila. No doubt I'll have many fine food pics to post next week! So stay tuned...

Fish in Parchment, 11 Years with Spider the Dog

Oh, it's not fair.  I should've taken my dog Spider out for a steak tonight to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the day I brought her home from the pound.  But since they don't let dogs into steak houses as far as I know, and since I had some frozen cod and a few other essentials on hand, I made fish in parchment paper instead.

And Spider sat under the table looking at me with hungry eyes, as if to say "I'm hungry... no one ever feeds me...I'm as starving as I was the day you adopted me 11 years ago...PLEASE feed me some fish scraps...and really I deserve STEAK DAMNIT...".  And I felt really bad because this meal that I threw together was SO INCREDIBLY GOOD.  And I didn't share, not with dogs anyway. 

The fish was so good in fact, that I have to tell you how I made it, and of course, I made it by bastardizing a recipe I once saw by Rachel Ray.  Yeah, love her or hate her, she has some good ideas.   Here's what I did.  May Spider forgive me.

First, take 2 sheets of parchment paper, about a foot long, and set them down on a baking sheet.   Pre-heat the oven to 400.

Next, take a handful of aspargus (well, 2 actually) and place each on a sheet sheet of parchment.

Next, chop this stuff up coarsely: green olives, garlic, a bit of anchovy, a smattering of roasted red pepper.  You don't need proportions.  Just use your instincts and add just enough.  That's right - sprinkle it all on top of the asparagus and season w/ salt & pepper.

   

Now, add your fish.  In this case, I used cod.   Lay it on top of the asparagus, drizzle w/ olive oil, top with a sprinkling of lemon zest, toss a few sprigs of basil onto the fish, and squeeze lemon juice over it all.  And then, just for good measure, toss a few capers and some chopped shallot over it all.

Next up: wrap the fish up into a tidy little parchment package. I used kitchen twine to tie it all up. And then, you bake it at 400 for about 20 minutes or so.

In the meantime, give all the dogs lots of rubs and pets and drink wine. Guaranteed to make the stress of the week just wash away. Especially if you have the music of Breech cranked loudly on the stereo, which of course, I did.

After 20 minutes, take the fish packages out of the oven, carefully transfer to your plates, and enjoy.




Give thanks that the week is behind you, especially if it was a slightly stressful and highly emotional week, which it surely was for me.  Give thanks for the company - a wonderful sweetheart and two wonderful dogs, and don't forget to give an extra fish scrap to the old lady dog.

Seeking Gnocchi Nirvana

My latest food obsession is gnocchi, and wow, is it ever hard to get just right. If you've ever tried to make it, then you probably know this to be true. There are so many factors that can go wrong. The dough can turn out to be too heavy or too sticky, or the gnocchi can fall apart when you cook them. And even if you avoid all this, the end result can still be heavy instead of fluffy and light as air.

I wish I could tell you what to do to achieve perfect results, but I'm still learning. I want the process to be scientific: measure out this much of this and that, do this to it, then do this to it, and gnocchi nirvana shall be yours. But I fear it's not going to be quite that simple.

Yesterday my lovely pal Sabine and I tested out a recipe we found in Food & Wine Magazine. And in fact, the gnocchi were quite good. Don't they look tasty in the picture? We followed the recipe to the letter, and the dough wasn't too sticky or heavy, and the gnocchi cooked up very nicely. But all three of us who enjoyed the meal agreed that while these gnocchi were good, we wanted them to be lighter and fluffier and a little more delicate. Gnocchi nirvana had not been achieved, but we were not exactly complaining as we enjoyed our feast. Sabine and I agreed to remain obsessed until we found the perfect recipe.

So today, I began looking (everywhere from The Silver Spoon to The Joy of Cooking and many random web sites and food blogs), and discovered that so many recipes offer different takes on the matter, with so much conflicting information. Some recipes say to use an egg in the dough, others don't. Some swear you must bake the potatoes while others say you must boil them. One recipe said you must work with the potatoes when they're hot, while other recipes said to cool completely first. Some say to always use a ricer and never mash the potatoes. And then, others say mash the potatoes! It's a little exasperating for someone like me who just wants to follow step-by-step instructions. And who's got the time to test out every single recipe out there?

For the record, I think the Food & Wine recipe has some very good techniques, such as baking the potatoes on a bed of coarse salt to draw out the moisture, and using yukon gold potatoes instead of russet. If this was the only recipe you had to work with, you would not be in bad shape.

But, I'm dearly hoping that someone out there reading this may be able to point me to a recipe that takes me one step closer to nirvana - the perfect recipe for light, fluffy, delicate gnocchi. Does it exist? Sabine and I sure hope so!

Life without Coffee, Part 2

Didn't I say I was never ever ever going to give up coffee again? Never say never. I should know this by now, but it's a lesson I keep learning.

See, it all started when I was crazily ill with some kind of wretched virus. It was bad enough just having the virus, but then my doctor had me taking first anti-viral medication, and then, when it was disclosed that really, they didn't know what was wrong with me and that perhaps it was pneumonia, I began taking antibiotics. All of this medication wreaked complete and utter havoc upon my already delicate digestive system. I'll spare you the sickly details but let's just say that for the better part of a week, I couldn't keep ANYTHING in my system. Now there's a diet I won't soon be repeating!

I didn't really stop drinking coffee by choice, but rather by necessity, and I was honestly too sick to care.  I figured I'd reunite w/ my caffeine just as soon as I felt well again.  But then, when I finally did get well, a funny thing happened.  All of the stomach irritation that I had been experiencing previous to the illness was just GONE.   I had tried so many approaches in the previous months in an effort to make the stomach pain go away, including giving up alcohol (temporarily at least!), eliminating meat from my diet,  and getting acupuncture treatment.   All of these things no doubt contributed to my feeling better, but none of them was quite enough.

Of course, on more than one occasion I had read that sometimes giving up coffee is all that is needed to make stomach problems go away.  But NO WAY was I going to try this approach!  I couldn't live without my coffee!  Or at least, I couldn't get out of bed without it.  But feeling completely well is a powerful motivator.  That's what I tell myself every morning as I'm boiling the water for my green tea.

Perhaps one day I'll reunite w/ coffee after all, but I figured for now I'd give my body a 6 month break.  And who knows...  maybe once 6 months has passed, I won't even want it any more.  But never say never...

Pickled Red Onions and Geetar Pickin'

Mmmm.... it's bbq season again! Serve these pickled red onions at your next bbq, and your friends will surely devour them. Not only are they good on burgers of any kind, but they're a lovely addition to salads, and one of the nice things about these onions is that you can whip them up in no time at all.

I adapted this recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone - a book that I love and find myself referring to again and again. The original recipe called for red wine vinegar, plus sugar and salt, but I used seasoned rice vinegar instead, and omitted the sugar and adapted the spices, and the results were mighty tasty.

2 large red onions
1 1/2 c. seasoned rice vinegar
2 bay leaves
a pinch of herbs de provence
3 dried red chiles
1 t. crushed black peppercorns
pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. cold water

Thinly slice the onions, place them in a colander, and pour boiling water over them to soften the onions a bit. Then rinse the onions in cold water and place them in a bowl. Now add the vinegar, bay leaves, herbs, chiles, peppercorns, salt and water to the bowl. If you don't have enough liquid to cover the onions, add more vinegar and water in equal parts. Place a heavy plate or bowl on top of the onions to press them down so they are fully immersed in the liquid. Let marinate for 15 minutes or more, and at this point, the onions should be tangy, sweet and zesty, and ready to serve. Refrigerate what you don't eat that day in an airtight container, liquid and all. It will keep for a long time in the refrigerator.

And about that matter of geetar pickin'... I have a REALLY BIG SHOW coming up this Saturday! When I was a mere twenty year old whippersnapper oh so many years ago and had first moved to California and begun playing music, I DREAMED of performing at the Great American Music Hall. I LUSTED after that place. I seriously could not have even imagined that I would get to enjoy playing there on more than one occasion in my life. But here I am, practically 40, and I'm lucky to be singing on that stage for the 4th time, come this Saturday, along with my cohorts in Loretta Lynch. Not bad for an ol' lady. I do hope that if you're local, that you'll be there to enjoy the show with us, cause it's gonna be a blast.

Organize those spices

I thought I'd share this little tip that has helped me organize my spices. I originally found the tip in Cook's Illustrated magazine in the reader suggestions section, and this is my adaptation.

Usually I like to buy my spices whole and toast and grind them myself. Consequently, I end up with lots of little bags which used to end up in a messy pile in my cupboard. Well no more, thanks to this little tip!

Just place each spice in its own little ziplock bag, and tape a bit of card stock on the top. The original suggestion was to use filing tabs, which is a great idea also but I just used what I had on hand.

Then, you alphabetize the spices, and place them in a shallow box (a shoe box works beautifully) and keep it in your cabinet or in a drawer. Now you can always find the spice you need (assuming you know the alphabet, that is!).

It's looking like Spring has sprung, and I'm very happy to report that I feel fully recovered and strong again. Hence, I've spent many an hour in the kitchen recently, so stay tuned for reports on homemade pickled onions, orange and lemon marmalade, limoncello, and more!

Eggplant-Zucchini Parmesan

It's alive! Well, I'm alive. And what a feeling it is, after feeling so cruddy for so long. And hey, I lost that annoying five pounds that had been bugging me! So naturally, the first thing I did once I started feeling better was to start cooking again! Friday it was Vietnamese spring rolls, and Sunday it was salmon burgers, with a trip to Mangia Mangia in between. Man, have I eaten well. The perfect antidote to a solid week of not being able to keep anything down.



Tonight, I made the most delicious eggplant-zucchini Parmesan, and would you believe I made it with..... ALMOND CHEESE?! That's right folks, it was made with fake mozzarella, and supplemented w/ real Parmesan, and WOW, was it good. See, I'm still hacking up bits of my lungs, and if I'd slathered this dish entirely in REAL dairy cheese, it would just mean more hacking. So I tried something that my lovely sweetheart recently turned me on to: almond cheese! Would you believe I laughed at him when he first told me about it? Well, I'm eating that laughter now because tonight's dinner was unbelievably good, so good that I have to share the recipe. This recipe was adapted from several different sources that I found on the web, the main one being Simply Recipes.

- Approximately 1 lb. eggplant and 1 lb. zucchini
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (I made my own w/ sprouted wheat bread)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 or 4 eggs
- Around 3 cups of the tomato sauce of your choice - I used Williams-Sonoma Vodka Tomato sauce - yum!
- 1 package almond cheese, mozzarella style - cut into 1/2 inch squares
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Around 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- Oil for frying the eggplant and zucchini

First, cut the eggplant into rounds and salt it generously. Layer the slices in a colander and weight it down with a heavy plate. Let it drain like this for around 2 hours. Yes, this will require some advance planning but it's totally worth it because it will make the eggplant so tender and delectable!

Meanwhile, cut the zucchini into slices on the diagonal and try to get them to be close to the size of the eggplant slices.

Next, place 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs and the flour into a shallow bowl and mix it up, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Beat the eggs into a separate dish.

Once the eggplant has finished draining, press the slices onto paper towels to extract any remaining moisture.

Now you'll want to heat a generous amount of olive oil in a skillet, and dip the eggplant slices first into the egg, and then coat both sides with the flour-breadcrumb mixture. Drop the slices into the pan when the oil is shimmering, and fry on each side until golden brown. This should take a couple minutes on each side. Place the slices onto a plate with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Do the same thing with the zucchini slices. You will need to add fresh oil to the pan along the way, to make sure the vegetables don't burn.

Once you've fried all the vegetables, you're ready to assemble the dish. Coat the bottom of your casserole dish with a generous amount of sauce, and while you're at it, pre-heat your oven to 350.

Now place your slices of eggplant and zucchini, alternating them side by side until you've completed one layer. Top each slice with a square of mozzarella, sprinkle Parmesan all over it, and top each slice with a basil leaf. Now repeat with another layer. Pour more sauce over the top layer, and top with more Parmesan and the remaining half cup of breadcrumbs.

Bake it at 350 for around 25-30 minutes or until the top is bubbly and golden brown. Then take it out and let it sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Inhale it, and watch the pounds slowly creep back...