Pork Patty Bánh Mì

A product of French colonialism in Vietnam, this sandwich is one the classic testaments to the benefits of cross-cultural cuisine.  With the wide variety of fusion delights we have available these days from gourmet food trucks and restaurants, and the exploding popularity of Bahn Mi sandwiches in particular, I think it's only natural we pay our homage to not only what is one of our favorite sandwiches but one of our favorite philosophies about food in general.  Simply put, break the rules, don't stick to tradition, and flavors always come first.  This is one of our favorite versions of the sandwich, packed with colors, flavors, and cultural influences.

Ingredients

1 baguette - (It is best to use a baguette that has not been all the way cooked yet, our grocery store calls them take and bake.)

half of a cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, shredded

1 jalapeno, sliced and seeds removed
half of red onion, sliced
handful of cilantro sprigs
1 scallion, chopped

1/8 lb deli meat (we like to use slices of turkey breast, but feel free to experiment)

20 ounces ground pork

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, minced
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tablespoon butter

fresh lime juice
mayonnaise
Sriracha hot sauce

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix ground pork, garlic, onion, oyster sauce, and salt and pepper and form into long thin patties to fit the baguette.  Melt the butter on a griddle or skillet over medium high heat and grill patties on both sides until they are cooked all the way through.

Cook “take and bake” baguette in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees, just until the outside starts to crisp.  Remove from oven, and using a bread knife, cut into desired length, then cut in half lengthwise leaving enough connected on one side to “hinge” it together.  Then, scoop out as much of the inside of the bread as you can with your fingers.  It’s usually best to just do the bottom, as the ridges on the top of the baguette can cause problems when scooping.

On the inside, spread mayonnaise and drizzle on Sriracha.  Place pork patties down first, then the deli meat, and then the cucumber slices, carrot, red onion, cilantro, scallion, and jalapeno to taste.  Drizzle with lime juice.

California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil

California is producing some very good extra virgin olive oil, some using old European varieties of olives, harvested the old fashioned way, and--some high quality extra virgin olive oil harvested in a very modern way, for a fraction of the price. So how is possible to get high quality extra virgin olive oil at a low price? Last week I visited California Olive Ranch, the largest California olive oil producer, and learned just how they do it.


It all comes down to freshness and quantity. California Olive Ranch plants three varieties, arbequina, arbosana from Spain and koroneiki from Greece. Their olive orchards look nothing like what you may have seen in Europe. The olive trees are pruned into a hedge shape that is harvested mechanically, using a harvester specially developed for shaking the trees to get the olives off without damaging them. Less damage means better quality oil.

Here are some numbers for California Olive Ranch:

Their olive trees grow 6-8 feet high

Trees are planted 5 feet apart

There is 13 feet between each row

There are about 675 trees planted per acre

Each tree yields 7-12 pounds of olives

Only 20% of the olive is oil, 55% is water

12 harvesters run 24 hours a day during harvest season

5,000 acres are owned by the company

5,000 acres are managed by 67 farmers who have long term leases

Each truck holds 66,000 pounds of olives

Each truck is unloaded in 35 minutes


Some more facts:

The tree trimmings are mulched

The ground pits and olives, called pomace, is fed to cattle

California Olive Ranch is using bird boxes and buffer zones to minimize the use of pesticides and tests each batch of olives, and has test plots for organic olives


If you ever get a chance to ride a harvester and see the olives jiggle off the trees I highly recommend it! That I got to share the experience with blogging friends Chef John from Food Wishes, Chrystal Baker from The Duo Dishes, Aleta Watson from The Skillet Chronicles, and Jane Bonacci from The Heritage Cook made it all the more sweet!


Speaking of sweet, all exra virgin olive oil should be a balance of fruity, bitter and pungent. The best way to find your favorite, is to taste them...however...California Olive Ranch uses descriptors like intense and bold and mild to help you find one to your taste.


* If you want the freshest olive oil, known as "olio nuovo in Italy, sign up to buy California Olive Ranch's Limited Reserve.

* If you like a buttery mild oil without too much bite, look for their basic extra virgin olive oil

* If you like a fruitier variety, try the Arbequina

* The Arbosana is most complex

* The Miller's blend is bold and balanced (and a favorite of some bloggers, food writers and chefs too.)

My thanks to California Olive Ranch for inviting me up to visit during harvest and letting me sample their fresh oils!

Nutella Ice Cream

One of our favorite kitchen appliances is the ice cream maker.  We are totally hooked on making ice cream.  We hadn’t, however, been having too much luck with the American, or Philadelphia, style ice cream.  This type of ice cream is made without eggs.  Most of the time, we liked the taste, but the ice cream basically turned into a brick when placed in the freezer.  After seeing Melissa Clark’s article in the New York Times about this style of ice cream and tips to get around the freezing issue, we had renewed interest in playing around with the custard-free method.  Here is a yummy Nutella ice cream recipe based on some of the principles we learned from her article.

Ingredients

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup skim milk

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/8 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp vanilla

½ cup nutella, plus rest of container for swirling

1 tablespoon whiskey

Instructions

Heat the cream, milk, sugar, salt, and cocoa over medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Be sure to whisk the cocoa into the milk mixture.  Take the pan off heat and add the vanilla, ½ cup Nutella, and the alcohol.  Stir until the Nutella is dissolved.  Chill for a few hours and then churn in the ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.  About 10 minutes before the ice cream is finished in the machine, swirl in the remainder of the Nutella.  It may help to heat the Nutella up a bit in the microwave to soften it.

Go West! Wai‘anae, Oahu

No matter how many times you have been to Oahu, it's quite likely you have never been very far West of Honolulu, to Wai‘anae. It's not the easiest part of the island to farm because it's hot and dry, but it is where you will find some very inspiring people working hard to achieve sustainability for the land, for the food system, and for the benefit of everyone.

Eighty five percent of food in Hawaii is imported and Monsanto is now using some of the old plantations to produce genetically modified seeds. If anyone can turn the tide and bring back a more sustainable way of life, a way of life the people of Hawaii once enjoyed, it's the farmers and ranchers of Ma'o Farms, Kahumana Farms and Naked Cow Dairy. Seeing their work will give you hope for the future. They are all cultivating a deep love and respect for the land that nourishes, called 'aina in the Hawaiian language.


Ma'o Farms is a certified organic farm and education center. Ma'o produces salad greens, row crops, cooking greens, fruits and herbs. It also produces farmers! In a region plagued by homelessness, crime, obesity, drug use and unemployment they are training local young men and women to work on a farm. They are also helping to pay for their college tuition. They are farmers but see themselves as co-producers.

I walked through the fields and nibbled on the greens plucked from the ground, citrus and herbs. Everything tasted tender, sweet and vibrant. Their produce is available at farmers markets and virtually all of the best restaurants in Honolulu.


Like Ma'o Farms, Kahumana Farms also serves multiple purposes. In addition to a biodynamic farm there is a cafe, a retreat and transitional housing for families in need. They are growing all kinds of things including taro and are experimenting with herbs and plants with healing powers.

The food at the cafe is fresh from the farm, reasonably priced and delicious, served with aloha. I had some pasta with wonderful macadamia nut and basil pesto served with a piece of simply prepared fish and a green salad.


Naked Cow Dairy is run by two sisters, Sabrina and Monique, who never intended to be "cow girls" let alone cheese makers. There used to thirty dairies on the West side of the island, but when the last dairy on the island closed, they saw a need and chose to fill it. Traditionally 95% of all feed was imported, but they are working with local farmers to create silage for the cows. They have twenty Jersey, Holstein and half breeds and have been producing butter for two years, three batches per day. Whole Foods sells their butter, their cheese and yogurt goes to chefs and farmers markets.

The butter is 45-52% butterfat and very similar to European butter. It is some of the sweetest butter I ever tasted, amazingly fresh and clean tasting. Sabrina has a culinary background and has made some uniquely flavored butters including an outstanding toasted coconut version. The sisters are hoping to make feta, cream cheese, havarti maybe cheddar. But mainly, like their farmer neighbors, they are hoping to make a difference.

My thanks to the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau for hosting me on this visit

Day 168! Sri Lanka - Beef Curry with Pol Sambol (Coconut), Up Next, Sudan

The inspiration and recipe for tonight's meal comes directly from my Maldivian friend who goes by the moniker  Simply Me. She was kind enough to take the time to send me a few of her favorite recipes, which just so happen to be Sri Lankan. And, while I cannot promise that mine come close to replicating anything she would make, I did feel I had the most excellent consultant guiding me through the process! Over the past few weeks, we have been corresponding via email, talking about our families, life and of course, food. Every time I make a new friend and connection through this blog, I am amazed anew, and so grateful to connect with those I'd likely never otherwise meet. Thank you for your generosity and friendship, Simply Me. And please, check out her beautiful blog!

Located off the southern coast of the Indian Subcontinent, Sri Lanka's rich history dates back some 3,000 years. Known as Ceylon until 1972, Sri Lanka is a South Asian island nation that is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Straight. Nearby are India and Maldives. An important country in the silk road economy, Sri Lanka traded (and continues to export) tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber and cinnamon.  Known for it's lush tropical climate and bio-diversity, the country boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Historically, Sri Lanka is at the center of Buddhist religion and culture, having some of the oldest remaining Buddhist relics and temples. The country's ethnic majority are Sinhalese, with Tamils being the largest minority population. Moors, Burghers, Kattirs, Malays and aboriginal Vedda make up the remaining peoples.

Owing to the Sri Lanka's lush tropical climate, fruits such mangoes, papaya, bannanas, jack fruit and durian are plentiful along with a variety of vegetables. Curried boiled rice and curried vegetables are considered the staple, and are generally hot and sprinkled with spices. Small dishes with vegetables, meat, fish, chicken, beef and mutton are typical. Red lentil dahl (parripu), stir fried mullung leaves, sambol (grated coconut, chilli and spices) are also staples dishes in the Sri Lankan diet which accompany many meals.

Basic ingredients for beef curry

Grind garlic and ginger

Season meet and let marinate for about 20 minutes

Cook til browned, then add tomato sauce - add coconut milk at the end, but do not boil

Sambol ingredients

Grind everything except coconut, which gets added at the end

This stuff is so good, I ate it straight up with a spoon!

A little side dish of sambol for the beef curry - indescribable awesomeness

Beef Curry - (Recipe adapted from - Asian Spicy Recipes)

3 lbs. stewing beef, cut into pieces
3-4 Tbsp. vinegar
1 inch ginger root
6 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
1/2 Tbsp. roasted curry powder
4 dried red chilis
2 cardamom pods
8 cloves
4 pieces curry leaves
2 pieces lemon grass, chopped
1 inch rampe
1 stick cinnamon
3 Tbsp. onion, sliced to medium thickness
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup tomato paste or sauce
2 tsp. thick coconut mil
Salt to taste

1. Crush together ginger root and garlic.
2. Cut beef into pieces.
3. Add vinegar, crushed ginger and garlic, salt, black pepper curry powder and red chilli.
4. Coat the beef pieces well with the spices and set aside for about 1/2 hour.
5. Heat the oil in a saucepan.
6. Fry curry leaves and rampe.
7. Add onions and fry until soft.
8. Add the beef and stir until combined.
9. Add cinnamon, lemon grass, cardamom, cloves and stir until well mixed
10. Add tomato paste (or sauce) and stir until all pieces are well coated
11. If the curry is too dry and sticks to the saucepan, add 1-2 cups water & stir
12. Close with a lid and allow the beef to cook on slow heat
13. Add the thick coconut milk (or fresh milk) and bring to a boil without covering
14. Add salt

Pol Sambol (Coconut Sambol) (recipe courtesy of Sri Lankan Value)

2 cups grated fresh coconut
2 small pearl onions or shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 small green chili, sliced.
1-2 tsp. hot red chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 medium lime

1. Grind or chop all ingredients in a grinder or chopper (except coconut) 
2. Add the coconut once all ingredients are crushed and mixed thoroughly
3. Now grin all ingredients until the coconut turns evenly red and all ingredients are well mixed. Squeeze in half a lime. Mix well.
4. Taste and adjust salt and lime according to your preference.
5. Serve with rice and curried beef or bread.

Final Assessment: First of all, my kitchen smells heavenly - garlic, chili peppers, lime, ginger, coconut - need I go on? Secondly, the final dish is not only easy to make, but delicious. It's full of flavor - and heat, that's offset by the addition of tomatoes, coconut and lime. I served the beef with basmati rice, the sambol and nan bread, as I didn't have roti. This meal was gone in 60 seconds :)


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Chef Alan Wong on Hawaii Cuisine

On my recent trip to Hawaii I got a chance to interview Chef Alan Wong. I just wanted to get a few quotes but I was so impressed by what he had to say I thought I'd share a bit more of the interview. His list of things to do when you visit Hawaii is really wonderful and makes me want to go back...

You were one of the founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine now in its twentieth year. What's happening with Hawaii cuisine today?Twenty years later we have so much more product, more vegetables, more fish. It's a different ball game ingredient wise. On the Big Island there is red veal being produced, we have aquaculture--farm raised moi and kampachi even sturgeon. Local asparagus wasn't available 20 years ago there was only one cheese maker. Now, every island has at least one cheese maker.

Is eating local catching on?Yes. Everyone is getting on board. Everyone wants to support buying local. We need to support farmers. I predict even more local products and more sensitivity to buying local and a challenge to the younger chefs to take risks with cuisine.

What are your thoughts on the farmers markets, pop ups and gourmet food trucks?It's great and brings something new to people who love to eat. It's funny because the lunch wagons have been around for a long time. This idea of Korean food on a taco is not new to us! The movement has revived an idea and some people are now doing new things, gourmet things. But we grew up on plate lunch mentality.

What should visitors not miss when they come to Hawaii?They ought to hit at least one farmer's market, especially the KCC market.

To understand Hawaii, visit the Hawaii Plantation Village, go on the guided tour and you will see houses from the plantation era. To undertand local culture and food you need to understand our history, from the Polynesians, to the tall ships, the missionaries, the Portuguese whalers, sugar cane workers, then Asian immigrants. We send all our restaurant staff to the Plantation Village. We use it as a training tool.

Our soul food lies in the past. Go to a Chinese restaurant, a Korean restaurant, and a Hawaiian restaurant like Ono Hawaiian.

Take a trip to the fish auction. It's one of the last in the US and see the variety of fish we have in Hawaii.

Tamashiro fresh fish market has a wide variety of poke.

And go visit one farm!

Alan Wong will be visiting the Bay Area. Meet him in person at a book signing, cooking demo or other special event, and learn more about Hawaiian cuisine and culture. Visit www.thebluetomato.net/tastehawaiitour for more information about any of the events listed below and to purchase tickets (though most events are free).

Thursday, October 27, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – BOOK SIGNING
Omnivore Books on Food, 3885 Cesar Chavez Street
Hawaii celebrates the 20th anniversary of Hawaii Regional Cuisine this year. James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura bring the taste of the islands to Bay Area residents in a series of events. Join the fun at Omnivore Books on Food where you can talk story with Chef Alan Wong and Arnold Hiura and learn about Chef’s newest cookbook, The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong, and Arnold’s book, Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands. Experience a tasting exercise with Chef Alan, featuring ingredients brought fresh from Hawaii.

Saturday, October 29, 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – COOKING DEMONSTRATION
Ferry Building Marketplace – N. Arcade Outdoor Teaching Kitchen, 1 Ferry Building
James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura are in the Bay Area this month to share Hawaii’s unique food culture and scene with residents. See how Chef Alan transforms locally-sourced farmers market ingredients into white tablecloth fare, influenced by the flavors of simple Hawaii favorites. This event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, October 29, 12:30-1:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – BOOK SIGNING
Ferry Building Marketplace – Shop #42, 1 Ferry Building
Talk story with James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura and check out their books focusing on the unique culinary landscape of the islands – The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong and Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands. Chef and Arnold are in the Bay Area this month to share the cuisine and food culture of Hawaii. Both books are back-to-back recipients of the Hawaii Book Publishers Association’s Ka Palapala Pookela Award of Excellence in Cookbooks in 2009 and 2010, respectively. This event is free and open to the public.

Sunday, October 30, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – FOOD TASTING
Japanese Cultural Center, 1840 Sutter Street, Suite 201
Hawaii celebrates the 20th anniversary of Hawaii Regional Cuisine this year and the celebration is spreading to the Bay Area this month! Learn about the evolution of Hawaii’s culinary landscape from James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura and have the opportunity to taste Chef’s recipes in this special evening affair benefiting the Japanese Cultural Center of Northern California. Each ticket includes your choice of a copy of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong or Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands, and open access to food and buffet stations. Menu will incorporate dishes from Chef’s book and Hukilau Restaurant. Tickets are $75.

Monday, October 31, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – PAU HANA MIXER
La Mar cebichería peruana, Pier 1.5 Embarcadero
Kick start your Halloween night with the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce of Northern California (HCCNC), James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura in a pau hana mixer at La Mar cebichería peruana. Enjoy pupu, drinks, and special Hawaii raffle prizes, including one for the best Halloween costume! This event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, November 2, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – FOOD TASTING
Akiyama Wellness Center, 110 Jackson Street
Enjoy a very special and insightful lunch with James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura as they share the unique culinary landscape of the Hawaiian Islands. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, and Chef and Arnold are celebrating with several events in the Bay Area. Talk story with the two and enjoy a buffet by Hukilau Restaurant and food by Chef Alan. Each ticket includes your choice of a copy of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong or Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands, beverage service, and open access to food stations. Tickets are $60.

Wednesday, November 2, 6:30-9:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – CHEF ALAN’S BIRTHDAY BASH
Hukilau Restaurant, 230 Jackson Street
It’s James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong’s birthday and you are invited to join the party! Celebrate with him, Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura and more at Hukilau Restaurant for fun and of course, food! This event will feature action stations by Chef Alan and a buffet of Hawaii favorites by Hukilau Restaurant. Guests to this event will also have the chance to win a trip for two to the Hawaiian Islands to dine at an Alan Wong’s Restaurant. Each ticket includes your choice of a copy of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong or Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands, hosted bar, and open access to food and buffet stations. Tickets are $75.

Party Tips from the Jordan Halloween Bash

Photo credit: Damon Mattson
Jordan Winery has a philosophy of hospitality that shines in everything they do. Their wines are elegant and balanced and are amazingly food friendly. You have likely seen their chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon on restaurant menus since both are very popular with sommeliers.

At the winery are two secret weapons to creating incredible experiences, Todd and Nitsa Knoll. Todd was a chef at the Ritz-Carlton before coming to the winery where each season he creates new recipes that go up on the winery website. I got a chance to spend some time with him in his kitchen and see the way he literally sketches out his ideas before cooking. He sources the finest ingredients and can tell you things such as why the white asparagus in the US isn't as good as the white asparagus in France (because it's imported from Latin America). His wife Nitsa was also a cook at the Ritz Carlton and has a real knack for hosting events and making guests feel welcome.

The halloween parties at Jordan are legendary and I was lucky enough to attend this year. You don't have to have professionals on staff to throw a great party (though it certainly helps!). Here is what I learned are some of the keys to success:



Photo credit: Damon Mattson
1. Theme. A theme creates excitement. In this case the theme was True Grit and the invitation which was inside a cigar box containing a bandana, movie DVD and horseshoe created such enthusiasm that hardly a soul didn't dress up in costume. The theme was evident in the decorations, the music and even the cocktails.



Photo credit: Damon Mattson 2. Entertainment. The atmosphere of the party was set by the entertainers greeting the guests and the live music inside. Entertainment gets everyone in the party mood right away.



Photo credit: Damon Mattson 3. Variety. There were quite a number of cheeses, there was an oyster bar, there were passed bites with ahi, ribs, beef and even alligator. There was wine and there were cocktails. Later in the evening there were sodas, whisky and beer. There was literally something for everybody when it came to food and drink.



Photo credit: Damon Mattson
4. Activities. The party had a "shooting gallery" a casino and a lounge for dancing. If that wasn't enough you could head outside to mingle with guests and enjoy the starry night.

5. Details. Because the winery is in Healdsburg there were going to be plenty of people coming from out of town. In addition to booking blocks of rooms, the winery also arranged for shuttles to take guests to and from the hotels so parking (not to mention drinking and driving) would not be a problem.

What are your tips for throwing a great party? Share them in the comments.

Banana-Raspberry Belgian Waffles

Breakfasts in our house can be a bit boring – toast, hardboiled egg, slices of apples. Every now and then, though, we need something to break up the monotony.  Banana-raspberry Belgian Waffles bring some serious decadence to the morning.  A heaping pile of Belgian waffles slathered in maple syrup and homemade whipped cream is like eating dessert for breakfast, and what could be more fun than that?

Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ - 1 cup banana puree
6 ounces raspberries, halved

Instructions
In a medium sized bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a large bowl, mix buttermilk, eggs, butter, almond extract, and banana puree.  Slowly stir the flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture, being sure to get rid of all the lumps.  Carefully stir in raspberries.  Pour batter into preheated waffle iron and cook until waffles are crisp and golden.  Serve with maple syrup, raspberries, and some home-made whipped cream.

Day 167! Spain - Artichokes with Clams (Alcachofas con Almejas) Up Next, Sri Lanka

Many years ago, so many I don't remember, except that it was b.c. marriage and children, my Mom spontaneously decided to take my sister, Anna, and me to Spain. My adventurous Mom is a world class traveler who speaks fluent French, Haitian Creole and near fluent Spanish, as does my sister. I speak French, but Spanish? Sólo un poco, thank you, Google Translate. So off we went. We landed in Madrid on a rainy afternoon, rented a tiny tin Fiat and hit the highway, where we immediately learned that one does NOT drive the speed limit if one wants to stay alive on Spanish roadways. After a slight detour into a way sketchy road-side bar due to engine trouble, we were on our way. We drove up the southern coast of this beautiful country, stopping at little family-owned restaurants, b&b's and small hotels where we were warmly greeted and fed like queens, and visited Granada, Barcelona and Valencia (the best oranges I've ever had). We spent the night at an ancient paradores (an old monastery), in central Spain, the land of Don Quixote, where we immediately went to a local bar for tapas and wine. Later, we checked into our our room which was said to be haunted. It was in that paradores that we had the most delicious roasted chicken, platter of grilled artichoke hearts and crispy fries I'd ever had then or since. Oh, and several bottles of earthy Spanish.

Officially the Kingdom of Spain, Spain is situated in south west Europe on the Iberian Penninsula. Bordered by the Mediteranean Sea, a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, as well as France, Andorra, the Bay of Biscay, Atlantic Ocean, Portugal and a number of smaller islands. Said to date back to 12,000 BC based on human remains found in caves, the earliest humans to arrive in Spain came from Africa. Numerous Stone Age hunters also included Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and other Europeans. Berber tribes from Morocco and Phoenicians, Jews and Arabs from the Middle East also inhabited Spain. Spain became a unified country in the 15 century, and has grown to be a global empire with over 500 million Spanish speakers. The country is ademocracy that operates under a constitutional monarchy. Smaller than France and slightly bigger than California, Spain claims the 3rd largest Volcanic peak in the world, The Teide.

Cuisine in Spain varies depending on region and climate. In the Mediterranean section of the country, seafood, gazpacho, paella and arroz negro are common. Inner Spain leans toward hot, thick soups and stews, salted, cured hams and heavenly olive oil. On the Atlantic side of the country, vegetables, fish, stews, lightly cured hams, cod, albacore, anchovy and octopus based dishes are common. I can't say enough great things about food in this beautiful, warm country.

Scrubbed little neck clams

Roasted and plain artichoke hearts

White wine, vegetable stock, garlic and basis (for garnish)

Cook until clams open - discard any that remain closed

Serve up as an appetizer, or as a meal along side a salad and bread to mop up the sauce!

Artichokes with Clams - Recipe adapted from spain.recipes.com

20 preserved artichokes hearts (I used a combination of roasted and plain)
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup vegetable or fish stock (I used vegetable)
1 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. dry, white wine
24 clean clams (I used little necks)

Drain the artichoke hearts. Brown the garlic cloves in the hot oil in a deep frying pan or earthenware dish. Add the flour then mix in the white wine and stock. Add the clams and cook until they are open, discarding any that remain closed. Then add the artichoke hearts and cook for a few minutes before serving.

Final Assessment: This dish could hardly be easier. If I'd been able to find baby artichoke hearts, I would have used them, instead I used a combination of roasted and plain, because that's what was in my pantry. This makes a wonderful appetizer, served with chilled white wine. To enjoy as a meal, serve along side a green salad and good crusty bread to mop up the sauce, which is just slightly thickened with flour. A+

© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Ferran Adrià & The Family Meal

Ferran Adrià, his translator & props. Photo credit: Sabrina Modelle
Ferran Adrià is considered one of the best chefs in the world. His food at elBulli was wildly creative and influential. For better, and in some camps, for worse, he is best known as a leading proponent of the cutting edge cuisine associated with the much reviled term "molecular gastronomy." Operating like a mad scientist, he closed his restaurant for a good part of the year so he could create 150 new recipes each season. But while diners at the esteemed elBulli marveled at food made into foam and paper, the staff ate relatively simple meals.

At a sold-out lecture earlier this month, Adrià a man inextricably tied to creativity said the very word "creativity" was pretentious. Cuisine he said, can be a social tool, an instrument for peace and can change the world. In introducing his book The Family Meal about the staff meals at the restaurant, he said what he has done with this book is as avant-garde as anything in the restaurant. In person Ferran Adrià is funny, charismatic, fascinating, and frankly a bundle of contradictions. He seems to make a point of being down to earth but at times says things that are fairly outrageous.

He claimed elBulli was not just about eating but about creating "an experience" for diners. But after coming to the conclusion that "if you eat well you will cook well" Adrià focused on the meals that the staff ate at the restaurant. The goal was to serve 3 courses for a budget of 3-4 euros that were as varied as possible. His new cookbook, The Family Meal, is uniquely formatted to show you how family meals were created at elBulli. It is a guidebook for restaurants but also for home cooks. The pictorial layout of the book is brilliant and better than a lot of other books that attempt to simplify menu planning and cooking but end up complicating such as Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes.

I like the book. A lot. Perhaps surprisingly, there are plenty of good ideas for a creative cook without a thermal immersion circulator or liquid nitrogen. But if there is a weakness it is that the recipes were photographed for larger yields. Sometimes the photographs may be confusing for a home cook who does not use things like hotel pans. And while siphons and chargers may be standard equipment at elBulli, they are not likely to be found in most American households. Not yet anyway.

So what recipes inspired me? I love the simple fruit desserts, oranges with honey, olive oil and salt, pineapple with molasses and lime, strawberries in vinegar. The bread and garlic soup and the grilled lettuce hearts with mint and whole grain mustard vinaigrette both look divine. I have already made my own variation on the chicken wings with mushrooms and the barbecue spareribs. Is any of it reminiscent of what you'd eat at elBulli? No. But it's infinitely more practical (and if you really want to cook like they did at elBulli you can plunk down $49.95 for A Day at elBulli).

Chocolate Orange Muffins

It is always a pleasant surprise when you encounter unexpected, harmonious flavor combinations.  I remember the first time I had chocolate-coated candied orange peel – it was a revelation! Chocolate’s silky, creamy taste meets the sweet and sour citrus notes of orange to create a culinary symphony.  These muffins capture that chocolaty orange combination. 

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces dark chocolate chunks
2 eggs
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
¾ cup fresh orange juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
orange zest from 2 oranges

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Grease muffin tin.  Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, beat sugar and butter.  Add eggs and combine.  Add orange juice and orange zest, yogurt, and vanilla until combined.  Slowly mix flour mixture into the wet ingredients.  Pour batter into muffin cups.  Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

To change these up a bit, I will sometimes coat them with a chocolate ganache.  When I do that, I heat three tablespoons of milk or cream in the microwave and then mix in 1/3 cup of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips.  Just dip the muffins in the ganache and enjoy.

Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle recipe

Dining out is one of the best favorite forms of culinary inspiration. Last weekend I went out for brunch at "Eats" on Clement Street and ordered the Waffle Bacon which was described as bacon pressed in a waffle, cheddar, Hungarian peppers and a sunny up egg. It was a wonderful combination of gooey, chewy and crisp and had many classic flavors associated with breakfast. It was definitely the sauteed peppers that tied the bacon, egg, cheese and waffle together and took the dish to the next level. I knew this was something I had to order again or better yet, try to duplicate at home.

Instead of using Hungarian peppers I took the easy route and used diced green chiles from a can. The result? Oh my. It was delicious! The truth is, a bacon waffle topped with chiles and cheese is actually quite good without the egg as well, though you can imagine how the yolk forms a lovely sauce for the bacon waffle. Sometimes more is better, and it's the excess of this recipe that makes it so satisfying. Who doesn't love bacon, cheddar or green chiles? They are my go to ingredients for making everything from eggs to soups or stews taste better.

I'm not a huge proponent of packaged foods like pancake and waffle mix, but in this case it's a good shortcut. While I often make pancakes or waffles from scratch, having a mix on hand is worthwhile. You can even make your own mix if you like. What restaurant dish will inspire my next recipe? I can't wait to find out...

Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle
Makes one serving (multiply to serve as many as you like)

Ingredients

Waffle batter, homemade or from a mix
2 strips bacon, cooked and cut into 4 pieces
2 Tablespoons cheddar, shredded
2 Tablespoons fire roasted green chiles (such as Ortega brand)

Optional:
1 teaspoon butter or oil
1 egg

Instructions

Heat waffle iron and grease as directed. Pour in the batter and lay a piece of bacon in each quadrant. Close cover and cook until done. Meanwhile heat a small nonstick pan. Add the butter or oil and fry the egg. Meanwhile place the chiles in a microwave safe container and gently heat in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Place the waffle on a plate, top with the chiles, cheese and egg, if desired.

Enjoy!

Brown Butter and Sage Ravioli

Brown butter is a handy tool to have at your disposal.  Within just a few minutes, a simple, yet versatile, sauce is born.   You can use brown butter to coat everything from vegetables to veal, and it adds unexpected notes of flavor to baked goods such as brownies and cookies.  Infusing a nutty brown butter with broken leaves of sage and a bit of nutmeg makes a lovely meal when tossed with some cheese ravioli.

Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter
12 sage leaves, torn
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice from half a lemon
¾ cup parmesan
9 ounces fresh cheese ravioli

Instructions
Cook ravioli according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in large sauté pan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add sage leaves and let the butter brown, about two minutes.  You will see brown specks that have formed on the bottom of the pan.  Be careful to not burn the butter, otherwise the taste will be altered.  Add ground pepper, salt and nutmeg.  Take off heat and add lemon juice.  Once ravioli is cooked, add pasta to the brown butter mixture and toss with cheese.

Day 166! Somalia Maraq Bilaash (Cherry Tomato Sauce) and Muufo Baraawe (Somali Bread) - Up Next, Spain

Tonight's meal comes from a Somali cookbook, Somali Cuisine.  All of the recipes in the book are authentic and have been passed orally through generations of women. Some of the cooking methods have been modified for today's modern kitchens, but the dishes remain representative of traditional Somali cuisine. And, while it seems a little ironic to be cooking in my well stocked kitchen given that Somalia is currently experiencing a drought and cholera epidemic so extreme that 4 million people, roughly 1/2 the population, are starving or sick, this simple meal reflects the country's diverse warm culture, culinary influences and customs.

Officially the Somali Republic, Somalia lies in the eastern most part of Africa. Bordered by Djibouti, Kenya, the Gulf of Alden, Yemen, the Indian Ocean and Ethiopia. With the longest coast-line on the continent, the country's terrain is primarily one of plateaus, plains and highlands. The climate is hot all year long except for a distinctive monsoon season. Once the center of commerce, powerful Somali empires dominated trade. In the 19th century, British and Italians took over control of parts of Somalia's coast, while other parts of the country were controlled by various powers. In 1991, Somalia's government collapsed, and civil war erupted.  In 2006, an insurgency led by the Al Ahabaad Islamist group took control of the southern part of the country, while the Transitional Federal Government maintained control of parts of the capital and some territories. It is hoped that the elections in 2012 will restore peace and stability to the country.

Somalia's culinary influences vary greatly by region, blending indigenous, Ethiopian, Yemini, Persian, Turkish, Indian and Italian traditions. Rice, beef, chicken, fish, beans, bananas, okra, tomatoes, pasta and bread are all commonly eaten, with cumin, garlic, hot peppers and cardamom flavoring many dishes. Canjeero, a spongy bread, is a staple and accompanies many dishes. During Ramadan, dinner is generally eaten late after Tarawith prayers have been said.

Local cherry tomatoes...the last of the season. And, one very hot jalapeno!

Frozen okra - I couldn't find fresh in the grocery store today

Onions and garlic for the sauce

Cherry tomatoes and okra make the sauce sweet, and jalapeno gives it heat

Semolina flour for the Muufo bread

Salt, sugar, yeast and minced onion flavor the bread

Maraq Bilassh (Cherry Tomato Sauce) - Recipe Courtesy of somalitreats.com

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium size onion, chopped
4 cups cherry tomatoes, whole
1 jalapeno, cut into medium size
3-4 small okra, cut or whole
Salt to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. lemon juice
5 basil leaves

Heat the oil; add the onions and saute. Add the cherry tomatoes (whole), jalapeno and okra, and cook over medium heat. When the tomatoes being to wrinkle, stir delicately and cook 10-20 minutes more. When the tomato skins start to crack, add the salt, garlic and lemon juice, then mash the contents with a wood spoon. Add the basil leaves and cover for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve with bread, muufo, anjeero, crackers or bagels.

Muufo Baraawe (Somali Bread) - Recipe Courtesy of somalitreats.com

2 cups of white semolina or farina flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1-1/4 cup lukewarm water
Salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients (except water) together and mix them well in a bowl. Add the water and knead to make to dough. Cover the bowl tightly, put in a warm place (such as the kitchen) for several hours or until the dough doubles in bulk; then work the dough gently with your hands. Cover and let it rise again. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. When the dough has risen a second time, pick about half a handful with wet fingers and drop them on an oiled baking pan,, spacing them 2-3 inches apart. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and put it in the lower rack of the oven for about 15 minutes or until the bottom side of the muufo is golden color. When done, the top of the muufo will stay white. If you want the top side to be golden, flip the muffo over and bake for 3-4 minutes more. Serve with Maraq Bilaash.

Final Assessment: Delicious! I love a simple tomato sauce, and the addition of okra and jalapeno gave the sauce such great texture and zip. We dipped the chewy muufo bread in the sauce and lapped it up. This is a lovely vegetarian meal!

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