Taste of Israel

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

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

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

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

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

Roasted Radishes with Vanilla Salt and Basil

Donuts are red, donuts are blue.  I like donuts.  How about you.  These were the lines uttered over and over and over and over again by my sister on the way home from the city one day.  For 2 1/2 hours.  My mom did indeed get us some donuts to placate her.  I have no idea why I thought about that right now, perhaps beause radishes are so vibrantly red, and that red color is such an important part of it.  Radishes are red, the basil is, well, I hope it's not blue...  I like radishes, how about you?  And while I adore radishes...  I now really want a donut.

And on that note, here we have another dish this week where radishes pop up.  I guess in this case it is more than "popping up," it is the raison d'etre.  And vanilla salt as well!  I sometimes fear that the radish is a lonely vegetable.  Oftentimes, it is just sliced and then relegated to a platter of crudites to be half-heartedly and mindlessly dunked in ranch dressing or some ranch look-alike.  Also, my gram had come into an abundance of radishes (I say it as though it is an inheritance), and was wondering what she could do with them.  I have a serious soft spot for this vegetable, but radishes can only take so much exclusion from other ingredients, so much rawness, and so much ranch.  Only so much boredom and ennui and unappreciation from the people who munch on it.  Though this veggie is known for its bitterness, it has a vulnerable and sensitive soul.  Once you char it in the oven, of course.

Ingredients
2 bunches radishes, halved
1/2 teaspoon vanilla salt*
1-2 tablespoons walnut oil

1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon walnut oil

*Vanilla Salt
1 cup kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half

Instructions
*For the Vanilla Salt:  Place in an airtight container, and leave to mingle for a couple days before using.

For the basil orange mixture: Pulse in a food processor until blended.

Coat the radishes in walnut oil and vanilla salt.  Roast at 425 for about 30 minutes, until they have some caramelization and have softened.

Coat the cooked radishes with the basil and orange mixture, then serve.

Araxi Long Table Dinner July 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More posts on the dinner:

Follow Me Foodie

Eats, Shoots and Maple Leaves

Vitamin Daily

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

Martha Stewart Collection Cast Iron Enamel Cookware

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

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

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

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

What I like about the Martha Stewart Collection:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amy's Southwestern Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Thanks to Nate Pollack for the photo

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

So what's in the sandwich? 

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

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

American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

1 South Park

San Francisco

415.243.0107

Open 7 days a week: 

Mon-Fri 8am- 3 pm

Sat-Sun 10am - 4 pm

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

Avocado and Salmon Crostini with Vanilla Salt

I feel as though I have disappointed these crostini.  They look all gussied up and festive with their creamy green spread, vibrant red and purple radish slices and that pink salmon.  They totally thought they were going to some swanky coctail party, to be nibbled on between sips of wine and cheerful cocktail chatter.  But instead we made these on a Sunday afternoon, greedily keeping them all to ourselves and in an atmosphere of pure comfort.  They were disappointed.  But not us.  

Ingredients
1 baguette, sliced
olive oil
vanilla salt*
freshly ground black pepper

1 ripe avocado, pitted
3 tablespoons grapefruit juice
1/2 teaspoon grapefruit zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla salt
dash black pepper

handful of radishes, sliced thinly
6 ounces smoked salmon
1/4 cup chopped chives

*Vanilla Salt:
1 vanilla bean, split in half
1 cup kosher salt

Instructions
For the vanilla salt: Place salt and vanilla bean in airtight container for at least a week.

Heat oven to 375.  Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet (I used a Silpat to line mine).  Pour olive oil in a bowl, and brush the oil on each slice.  Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on each.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden-brown.

Mash the avocado, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, salt, and pepper together in a bowl.  Spread on each toasted baguette slice.  Then top with one or two slices of radish, smoked salmon, then a sprinkling of chives.

Kale, Walnut, Plum Salad with Plum-Walnut Dressing

So I thought I was going to be all smug and self righteous this summer and not post a salad.  Since salads weren't really floating my boat these past few weeks...  For some reason, I apparently thought this made me rebellious.  I am unable to account for how I got this notion.   I picked up some kale at the farmers market recently, and thought to myself, I'm going to make some fresh pasta and then toss it with the kale and some other things.  That sounds yummy!  Then it got hot.  And stayed hot.  Like, oh my god, I wish I had an air conditioner hot.  We live near the ocean; we're not supposed to get hot like this!  Come back ocean breeze!  My tolerance for heat must have plummeted since moving here...  But anyway, I realized that rolling out some homemade pasta would be like a mild form of midieval torture, which cooking really shouldn't be.  So I made a salad to use up the kale, and surprisingly (or not surprisingly), I really liked it!

Ingredients
For the salad:
1 bunch curly kale, stem removed and chopped
2 pieces of bacon
1 scallion, chopped
1 plum, pitted and sliced
bit of shaved Parmesan cheese
bit of shaved carrots
handful of toasted walnuts

For the dressing:
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
2 plums, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup canola
1 tablespoon walnut oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions
For the salad: Fry up bacon slices on a griddle over medium heat.  Once both sides have crisped, remove from griddle and place on a paper towel. Place kale, scallions, plums, Parmesan cheese, carrots, and walnuts in a medium-sized bowl.  Chop the bacon pieces, and those into the bowl as well.  Toss everything together.

For the dressing: Place everything in a food processor and pulse a few times until it all comes together.  Then drizzle over the salad and mix together.

Make a Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Would you like to know the secrets to great grilled cheese sandwiches? Heidi Gibson, the Commander-in-Cheese of The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen is a serious grilled cheese champ. She has won more grilled cheese sandwich contests than anyone. Last night I learned from Gibson how to make breakfast and brunch versions of grilled cheese sandwiches and picked up some amazing tips. I also got the news that The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen just won a $250,000 grant that will help them to open their second location in the Cafe Gratitude space on Harrison Street. No joke. Gibson, manager and co-owner Nate Pollack and all their customers are truly grateful.

So let's get started! 

What's best to slather on your bread? 

On the outside Gibson goes with butter, she recommends European style and she likes salted, not unsalted butter so that the sandwich has a bit of "salty crunch" when you bite into it. 

What kind of bread should you use? 

Almost any kind! With the exception of potato bread which does not lend itself well to grilled cheese sandwiches. Bread with holes can be used, but find a cheese that will melt though, giving you crusty "plugs." Some types of bread to consider--levain, sourdough and artisan whole wheat. 

What about seasoning your ingredients? 

Here Gibson breaks with tradition and says, if you have salty ingredients like bacon or ham, don't season each ingredient as you go. Cheese also adds salt, and salted butter will add flavor to your bread. 

What seasonal ingredients are good to use? 

The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen has offered up sandwiches with brussels sprouts, preserved Meyer lemons, asparagus and even butternut squash. While the sandwiches were delicious, they did not become best sellers with customers looking for more familiar fare. 

What about fruit?

Sure! Gibson particularly likes peaches and strawberries. 

What's the best technique for grilling a sandwich?

It's not using a panini press, which creates a pressed sandwich something different from a traditional grilled cheese according to Gibson. Her technique is to use a hot convection oven. Place your sandwich on a sheet pan or a hot cast iron pan, and cook each side separately before assembling. This technique allows for more fillings and height to a grilled cheese sandwich. 

What pairs best with grilled cheese sandwiches?

Beer! Gibson likes porter with an aged gouda and bacon sandwich and a hoppy IPA with spicier sandwiches. 

More top tips: 

Control your moisture. You want to prevent the bread from getting soggy, so if you are using a wetter ingredient like tomatoes or a wetter cheese like fresh mozzarella, layer in between drier ingredients between the bread.

Always put the smaller side of the bread on the outside, so you have more surface area inside. 

Avoid triple cream cheeses and brie which are too delicate for most grilling techniques or use in the middle rather than next to the bread. 

More is not better, be sparing with fillings. The balance of bread and cheese and other fillings is key.

In other grilled cheese news, my sandwich won the impromptu contest sponsored by Tillamook cheese and will be offered at The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen soon with 20% of the profits going to the charity of my choice, La Cocina.  It's the Southwestern and features Tillamook Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar, fresh jalapeños, corn, tomato and black beans on sourdough. 

My sandwich won't be on the menu tomorrow, but there will be a Happy Hour at The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen featuring Tillamook Cheese. This is a fun opportunity since the shop is normally not open in the evening (with the exception of Giants game nights). 

Wednesday, August 22 from 5–8 pm

·         $3 Tillamook Grilled Cheese - ‘Tillamook Classic Grilled Cheese’ (regularly $6) made with award-winning Tillamook Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack

·         Drink specials - Local craft beers ($5, Pitchers $19), California wine ($8), Sangria ($4, Pitchers $15)

·         Toppings (at an additional charge) - Fresh jalapenos, applewood-smoked bacon, seasoned roasted tomatoes, cured ham, housemade pickles, smoked turkey

American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

1 South Park

San Francisco

415.243.0107

Open 7 days a week:

Mon-Fri 8am-3pm

Sat & Sun 10am-4pm

*Extended hours during events/ball-games at AT&T park

Chocolate Strawberry Cake Cookies with Orange Zest

I am so completely open to the power of suggestion when it comes to food.  I either read, see, or hear about food, and then suddenly, I want it that instant.  At the end of 'One Hungry Monster', the little boy takes out an apple muffin, and I think to myself, why yes, yes, an apple muffin, that does sound perfect!  When we watch a Seinfeld DVD, we generally end up wanting Chinese takeout. Even if we're stuffed.  There is always room for Chinese food...  Then there is the book, 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie', that Max loves.  Of course, by the end of it, I'm always thinking, wow, yes, a cookie, that is most definitely what I need in my life right now!  Why won't someone give me a cookie?  So, after reading that book one too many times the other day, I finally said, cookies need to be made.  

What kind of cookies?  Well... we all know what I have been addicted to lately.  Stawberries!  I promise from now on to rein in the strawberryness.  Or at least I will try.  It really doesn't help that the Saturday farmers market right down the street sells big boxes of strawberries for like six dollars.  So it is just right there begging to be bought and used up.  I blame them for my addiction.

Ingredients 
1 1/8 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 pint strawberries, chopped
1 tablespoon flour

Instructions 
Heat oven to 350.  Whisk 1 1/8 cup flour, baking soda, salt, and orange zest, and set aside.  Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a mixer until they are well combined.  Then add in the egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined.  In a small bowl, toss the chopped strawberries with a tablespoon of flour.  Then using a wooden stir, stir in the chocolate chips and strawberries into the dough.  Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough onto greased baking sheets.  Makes about 24 cookies.  Bake 8-10 minutes, until the edges have turned golden brown.

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking "Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe

Brown Cow Cream on Top Greek yogurt review & Giveaway

When is yogurt more than just a culinary staple used in cooking and with cereal and in smoothies? When it's Brown Cow's new Cream on Top Greek yogurt. Brown Cow has been my husband's favorite brand for a long time. It's the cream on top that makes it so decadent. It's not organic, but it's American Humane Certified which means you an be assured that the cows are treated humanely and are never given artificial growth hormones (rBST or rBGH). 

Like all of the Brown Cow yogurt I've tried, it's particularly mild and creamy. Some Greek yogurts can be very tangy, this will not make your mouth pucker. It's also very rich at 240 calories for an 8 ounce serving of plain and about 200 calories or so for the 6 ounce flavored varieties. Personally, this is not what I would necessarily use everyday, but rather as a dessert or as a dessert topping. It's very thick and by no means low fat. But it is yummy! 

Brown Cow Cream Top Greek yogurt is available in 6 ounce cups in blueberry, honey, maple and vanilla. I liked all the flavors, but blueberry was my least favorite because it contains no actual fruit, just a little blueberry juice. The honey and maple flavors were very fresh tasting, and lightly sweetened. I think the maple variety was the first I've ever tried that didn't have any artificial flavoring. Nice. 

Your chance to try this yogurt is tomorrow, August 18, 2012. From what I've been told, there will be free sampling events at every Whole Foods Market in the country. Try a sample of Cream Top Greek for free and get a $1 off coupon! 

Thanks to Brown Cow 4 lucky winners will get a week’s worth of Brown Cow Cream Top Greek yogurt (seven coupons for free 6oz cups). 

To win:

 1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite way to enjoy Greek yogurt. 

 2. The contest will end at 10 pm PST on Sunday, August 19th, 2012. 

 3. A winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on Tuesday, August 21st, 2012.

 4. Giveaway is open to US residents or anyone with a US mailing address.

 5. One comment per person, please, and you must include your email address to win (in the registration is fine, you don't need to leave it in the body of the comment).

The winners are Taryn, BTH, Trish and Janet! Thanks for participating.

Disclosure: I received samples of Brown Cow Greek Cream top yogurt and Brown Cow is providing the prize coupons. 

San Francisco Street Food Festival

I hope you have blocked off a good chunk of the next few days to attend some of the fantastic events being put on by La Cocina, namely the San Francisco Street Food Festival. This tremendous event just gets better and better every year. This year there will be a Night Market at Alemany Farmer's Market taking place on Friday evening, plus the festival all day Saturday and on Sunday and Monday, the Food and Entrepreneurship Conference. I'll be volunteering at the festival all afternoon and will get there early so I don't miss a minute!

At a preview event I got to see some of the bright shiny faces of the vendors who will be at the festival this year and taste some of their dishes.

Here are some of my favorites:

Kika of Kika's Treats is serving her Brazilian cheese bread, which is like a chewy version of a gougere. Served warm they are gooey with a little crunch. 

Eji's Ethiopian served a spicy lentil misir wat that seriously woke up my tastebuds. I think she'll be serving something else at the Festival but I'm sure it will be good. 

The lomitas sandwiches from Sabores del Sur were absolutely delicious. Like the best pork sandwich ever with a hint of creamy avocado and spicy aji chiles.

Azalina of Azalina's is at it again with another crazy Malaysian curry bomb. Seriously, these things are the bomb. This time around she added fresh raspberries to shredded chicken on oniony flatbread. Don't miss it.

The girls from To Hyang served a very tasty version of spicy rice noodle cakes

If you haven't had Donna's Love & Hummus, you are in for a treat. Her organic hummus is subtly flavored but ridiculously creamy. Try the roasted lemon and thyme flavor, my favorite.

Constanza of Maite Catering served the best arepas I have ever eaten, hand's down. Crisp on the outside, tender and packed with luscious fillings.

The Main Event! The San Francisco Street Food Festival takes place this Saturday, August 18th, 11am to 7pm
 on Folsom St., between 20th St. & 26th St.
 Admission is free but to make the most of your time and money, purchase a passport before you go. Nothing is more than $8 and many small bites will cost less than $3. Bring extra cash because you'll want to buy a t shirt, right?

The Night Market is a special fundraiser for La Cocina an incubator that helps low-income food entrepreneurs to formalize and grow their businesses. At the event there will be food available from many La Cocina supported businesses, but also nibbles from Fifth Floor, Jaridinere, Locanda and Ken Ken Ramen. Get a sneak peek at the vendors and their dishes.

The conference is mostly sold out, but a few sessions are still available. I'll be on a panel speaking about food writing on Monday, please do say hello if you attend.

Baked Flour Tortilla Chips, Crisp and Flaky

Remember those chips in the background of this post?  We loved them so much, we thought we'd give them their very own shiny post.  These chips are all about simplicity.  Wedges of flour tortillas are coated in canola oil and sprinkled with salt, then tossed on a pan to get all crisped up in the oven.  That is all it takes to get some crispy, flaky baked chips.  It's a great, healthy alternative to fried tortilla chips, and we honestly think they taste better too, with the right tortillas.  You just don't get that flakiness with deep frying.  Oh, and a word to the wise... do not use gluten free spinach tortillas you find at Whole Foods just because they sound cool.  They do not taste good.  At all.  Just use Mission flour tortillas...

Ingredients
4 flour tortillas (I like using Mission brand tortillas)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
Heat oven to 350.  Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges, like a pie.  Place in large bowl.  Drizzle with oil and salt.  Using tongs, coat each wedge with the oil and salt.  Place the wedges carefully on two baking sheets (you don't want them stacked on top of each other), and place them in the over for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

On Julia Child's 100 Birthday

Today marks what would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday. She's a bit like America's culinary mother, the woman who encouraged and cajoled us into the kitchen to be become better cooks, with her humor and her can do attitude. I wish I had a great personal Julia Child story, but alas, I don't.  I can only share that like so many others, I have collected her cookbooks, cooked many of her recipes and thoroughly enjoyed watching her on TV.

Right now I am in the midst of reading Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child, the most comprehensive biography of Julia Child, written by Bob Spitz, someone who not only knew her, but admits to having had a crush on her. It's over 500 pages long and includes lots of anecdotes but it's really her character that shines through in the book and makes it such a good read. You can read an excerpt online.  

Also on my nightstand is a children's book that features Julia Child. Minette's Feast has illustrations that are somewhat reminiscent of Maurice Sendak. The book is short, perfect for bedtime reading. It incorporates tidbits and quotes from Julia Child, but it's really just the backdrop for a fictional story about her cat. It's light and fluffy (kind of like the cat!), and it will definitely please very young children more than adults, unlike Bon Appetit: The Delicious Life of Julia Child, a children's book for slightly older kids, that I believe all Julia Child fans will relish. 


Julia Child has been the focus of many of my blog posts over the years, both before her death and afterwards. Feel free to peruse them: 

Julia Child's Ratatouille recipe  and a review of Bon Appetit: The Delicious Life of Julia Child Julia 

Child Panel Discussion with great personal stories from those who knew her 

Julie & Julia, the movie an inside look at the making of the movie and the food scenes

Happy Birthday Julia!  includes her crepe recipe

Julia Child's Clafouti recipe

Thank you, Julia Child my personal tribute to Julia Child, a day after she passed away

and don't miss Jacques Pepin's charming recollection of Julia Child, it was published in the New York Times, yesterday.

Smoky Strawberry and Corn Salsa

Jerry Seinfeld once argued that cinnamon should have a rightful spot in the pantheon of tabletop spices, standing right next to salt and pepper.  Yes, once again, I am referencing an episode of Seinfeld.  I am that topical with my pop culture references - Seinfeld, MASH, Alanis Morissette.  This, among other things, I take as evidence that we are old at heart.  

But I am in complete agreement with Jerry about cinnamon.  It definitely deserves to stand proudly next to the salt and pepper on tables everywhere.  Lately, however, I feel like I would add something else to that mix, and it may be a bit surprising... strawberries.  Apparently I've become quite smitten with them, adding them to everything from pate to breakfast sandwiches to black bean wraps to muffins - and now salsa.  This salsa omits tomatoes entirely in favor of strawberries, and when I say salsa, yes, I mean for chip dipping.  Sweet, spicy, smoky, and sour, it's a surprisingly great match, and the fact that it looks a bit like regular salsa is a fun play on the senses.  Just one more example to convince me that strawberries can be used almost anywhere to make something better.

Ingredients  
1 cup corn kernels, either thawed if frozen or fresh
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese

Instructions  
This is super easy.  Just toss the corn, strawberries, and jalapeno in a bowl.  In a small bowl, stir together the liquid smoke, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Toss with the corn and berries, then stir in the cotija cheese.  Serve with chips.

Brown Butter Macaroni and Cheese

I'm such a sucker for fall. Pumpkins, maple syrup, nuts, pumpkins, vanilla, nutmeg, apples, pears, cinnamon...did i mention the pumpkins?  Then there are the changing colors of the leaves and those crisp sunny days with a slight chill filling the air.  I totally pine for all those romantic fall activities - pumpkin patches and apple orchards, hay rides and corn mazes.  So, it is ironic.  Hmm, I don't think ironic is right, unless we are talking about the Alanis Morissette definition of ironic.  But it is a wonderful cosmic life coincidence that I now live in Southern California... where there is no autumn.  Don't get me wrong, I really do love and appreciate the weather here, but every now and then, I long for fall, especially on hot, humid, summer days like today.  So I bring fall home to me, imagining that there are deciduous trees outside my window - with leaves changing color and full of those brilliant shades of gold and red and orange instead of palm trees, and i surround myself with pumpkins and squashes and scents of cinnamon.  I eat food that makes me think of fall.  I recently had one of those days.  My very own fall day created inside my head... and I ate this mac and cheese.  It has an earthy, nutty taste with flecks of crisp orange carrots that just says fall to me.

Ingredients 
10 ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni, just slightly undercooked
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and ground
1/2 cup panko
2 tablespoons flax seeds, ground
1 stick of butter, chopped into small, even-size pieces
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 pound good quality cheddar (I actually used Beecher’s Flagship cheese), grated
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Instructions 
In a bowl, mix together the carrots and cauliflower and set aside.  In another bowl, mix together the panko, flax seeds, and walnuts, and set aside.  In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Keep and eye on the butter, it will become foamy and brown specks will be at the bottom of the pan, and it will have a wonderful nutty fragrance. Be sure not to blacken the butter.  Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the flour.  Return the pan to medium heat.  Once a roux has formed, stir in the milk, stirring frequently.  Once that has thickened (about 8 minutes), stir in salt, mustard, and cheeses.  Add in the macaroni and the vegetables.  Heat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 pan. Pour in the macaroni mixture.  Top with the panko mixture.  Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the inside is bubbly.  Serve with fresh parsley sprinkled on top.

Duck and Mango Soba Salad

Duck and Mango Soba Salad is a big bowl of deliciousness--slithery noodles, succulent roast duck, juicy mango slices and vibrant green herbs. The dressing relies on just a few pantry staples. Asian pantry staples that is. I recommend you keep on hand six basic items--Chinese chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, miso and coconut milk. You can expand that list as you see fit. I always have various types of soy sauce and Chinese vinegars, oyster sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, Mirin, Chinese sesame paste, shelf stable packages of tofu, Asian noodles and some Thai curry pastes. A few pantry staples, a stop to pick up a duck at a Chinese deli and a swing through a produce market and you're on your way to making Duck and Mango Soba Salad!

I shop on Clement Street frequently because there are lots of produce markets with a variety of fruit and vegetables I can't find elsewhere (such as Chinese greens and fresh lychees) shops where I can find dim sum to-go and Chinese delis. I know some people like rotisserie chickens, but I prefer Chinese roast duck. Where I live in San Francisco they cost about $12 for a whole and $7 for a half duck. Roast duck is about as versatile as rotisserie chicken but so much tastier and not expensive.

This week I bought some firm green mangoes for a dollar a piece. You don't have to wait until a mango is soft to use it. In fact, some dishes are better if you use a firmer, less ripe mango. This is one of those recipes. If your mango gets very soft, scoop the flesh from the skin and pit, and freeze the pulp. It's great in smoothies, ice cream and baked goods.

Note: Test the noodles before the package instructions indicate they are done.

Duck and Mango Soba Salad 
Serves 4 as a main dish

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese chili garlic sauce (please tell me you have this, if not, you need it)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 7 - 8 oz package buckwheat or cha green tea soba noodles
1 cup Chinese roast duck sliced
1 large firm mango, sliced into matchsticks
4 green onions, slivered
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped or more to taste

Instructions

Whisk the first five ingredients together until sugar is dissolved.

Cook the soba noodles al dente according to package directions. Do not overcook! Once cooked, drain, rinse, and place in a large mixing or serving bowl.

To the soba noodles add the duck, mango, green onions, and cilantro. Add dressing and toss again before serving.

Enjoy!

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Coffee is a social drink, whether you are ordering an expresso from a crowded bar in Naples or sipping coffee from a saucer in Sweden, as Marcus Samuelsson's grandfather did. But the coffee ceremony from Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee is something very moving. I got to experience it over the weekend, at an event hosted by Ethiopian born Chef Marcus Samuelsson and illy that was held at Espressamente, the illy cafe in San Francisco.

The coffee ritual occurs when you entertain guests at home in Ethiopia. Marcus Samuelsson explained it's a way of getting together, of celebrating. What I experienced was a form of hospitality that truly envelops all your senses. The coffee is prepared by a woman, sitting on the ground, but fresh flowers and greenery are used to beautify the space. Green coffee beans are roasted, and at first there is only the scent of incense used to begin the ceremony but slowly as the beans toast in a pan over the course of 40 minutes to an hour, the aroma becomes stronger and stronger. The scent is intoxicating!  It fills the space and if coffee is invigorating, the aroma is somehow relaxing and soothing. 

After just 8 minutes the beans begin to pop. When roasted, the beans are transferred to a basket and allowed to cool. Deciding when the beans are ready to grind is crucial. The basket is ingenious, it folds up and forms a funnel to slip the beans into a mortar and pestle where the beans are ground by hand. The grinds are boiled with water in a a jebena, a type of burnished clay pot. The coffee is served in small cups and we drink it black, in some parts of Ethiopia they might add salt or butter. The coffee is fragrant with floral and citrus notes and Samuelsson tells me later that Ethiopian coffee such as illly's MonoArabica blend from Ethiopia is best served this way without anything to detract from it's delicacy. The hints of jasmine and lavender are heady. Served with the coffee is a mixture of toasted grains and seeds, in this case crunchy barley and sunflower seeds that accent the toasty, nutty flavors of the coffee. It's an ancient ritual but everyone in the room is enchanted by it and the gracious East Bay based Ethiopian women who guide us through it. 

To experience some Ethiopian hospitality, please visit Brundo for coffee and spices and Cafe Colucci for a wide variety of Ethiopian food.

 Another post on the Ethiopian coffee ceremony:

Bay Area Bites

My thanks to illy for inviting me to experience the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Please note, while I worked with illy during SF Chefs, this is not a sponsored post. 

Crispy Buttermilk Sage Chicken Drumsticks

This is the chicken you imagine bringing on a picnic.  You know the picnic... the one where you gather all the appropriate utensils and and a blanket (preferably a red plaid one), and you place them ever so lovingly in an oversize wicker basket.  Then you gather a couple other food items, maybe a crisp green salad, a rustic looking stone fruit tart, and a bottle of wine, a chilled rosé if possible.  You head to a ridiculously scenic location with an ocean view and wildflower blossoms surrounding you, of course.

But... you never actually go on that picnic.  It isn't because you don't like picnics in theory.  You just don't like picnics in practice.  You realize that the chicken will probably be cold and the salad wilted.  That scenic location is actually a public park, so you can't bring that bottle of wine.  I mean, i guess you could bring a flask, but that is a bit less romantic.  And you remember the ants and other assorted bugs creeping around the food and blanket.  So instead, you eat the chicken in the comfort of your own home, warm and crispy, fresh out of the oven, on clean plates with your glass of rosé, and imagine the original, umblemished version of that picnic at the beach.

Ingredients
6 chicken drumsticks
1-2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup chopped sage leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
pie pan or 8x8 baking dish

Instructions
Place the chicken in a ziplock bag and pour enough buttermilk over the pieces so that they are coated.  Let the chicken marinate in the buttermilk overnight.  Heat oven to 450.  Pour melted butter in the baking dish.  In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and sage leaves.  Take each chicken drumstick and coat generously in the flour mixture.  Place in the baking dish and repeat for each drumstick.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until the bottom side is nice and crispy.  Flip and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes, until the other side is browned as well.

Interview with Marcus Samuelsson

Chef Marcus Samuelsson is one of the guests coming from out of town for SF Chefs. He'll be here with illy cafe. And I'll be one of the illy cafe social media correspondents, sharing details of SF Chefs on Saturday night and all day Sunday. Follow me on Twitter and check out my posts on Instagram (@cookingwithamy)

Coffee and coffee culture is so important in both Ethiopia and Sweden, where you were born and where you were raised, respectively. Can you share what significance it has for you personally?  
Coffee culture in Ethiopia and Sweden couldn’t be farther apart in the actual rituals but for me I always associate it with family memories and the bringing together of friends and loved ones. Obviously as coffee is grown in Ethiopia it so much part of everyone’s life and diet. How you drink your coffee can vary depending on which tribe you’re from some have it with butter, or with salt or with barley they all celebrate it differently.

What memories do you have drinking coffee in Sweden?  
I always remember my Grandmother getting out her finest coffee cups for afternoon coffee and serving coffee with 7 different types of cookies which is a big Scandinavian tradition. My Grandfather was old school and loved drinking it from a saucer which used to annoy my grandmother so much but brings back very happy, vivid memories for me!

I'm excited to attend the sold out Ethiopian coffee ceremony at SF Chefs this Sunday. When did you first experience it? What was it like?  
I remember them preparing it in the pots and roasting the green beans and that wonderful aroma

How did the relationship between you and illy begin?

I am a coffee lover and a longstanding fan of illy. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and mine too. The creation of illy’s first ever single origin coffee presented the deal opportunity to partner with illy. The unparalleled commitment to sustainability and quality shown by illy is something I look forward to becoming a part of over the upcoming year.

What are you looking forward to the most about coming to San Francisco? Will you have any time to hang out with favorite chefs or at restaurants?
I love the farmer’s markets especially the Ferry Building and in general SF always inspires or teaches me something new – I know people always say there’s a rivalry between SF and NY chefs but I am so excited to go there – the palette of the SF people is very high so its a very inspiring place to be and eat

I'm sorry to be missing your illy Explorigins MonoArabica cooking demo with Chris Cosentino on Saturday at SF Chefs. Can you tell us what you will be cooking as the main course?
I will be cooking a coffee-cured duck salad with peach vinaigrette using illy’s Ethiopian MonoArabica Single Origin*.

Any tips for cooking with coffee? Using it as an ingredient? 
I love to add a little espresso with the sauce to accompany Gravlax – its very big in Sweden. Also freshly ground beans can be incorporated into a rub especially great with steak like a good rib eye. Obviously its great with the Tiramisu and Pana Cotta. I love making a white coffee drink which is a little coffee mixed with Coconut milk and cinnamon – delicious

*Ethiopian MonoArabica Single Origin is part of illy's introduction of the first single origin coffees, representing the best of their original famous illy blend. MonoArabica features the highest-quality examples of 100% sustainably grown Arabica coffee from three countries – Brazil (intense and full bodied), Guatemala (complex and medium bodied) and Ethiopia (delicate and aromatic)  You can sample MonoArabica at espressamente illy, 123 Battery Street. San Francisco.

You can see Marcus Samuelsson at SF Chefs this weekend

Saturday August 4
 - Tickets are still available for illy Explorigins: MonoArabica Coffee Cooking with Chefs Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster Harlem) and Chris Cosentino (Incanto)  10:00–11:30 am at the Westin St. Francis

Sunday August 5 (in the Tasting Tent)

 - Chef interviews by Marcus Samuelsson from 12:30-1:30 pm in the illy Lounge

 - Giorgio Milos, illy's Master Barista and Marcus Samuelsson will do a cooking demo at 2:10 at the Dacor demo stage

 - Marcus Samuelsson will be signing copies of his new book, Yes, Chef and offering tastes of MonoArabica with illy's Master Barista Giorgio Milos from 3-4 pm in the illy Lounge.

Please note: This is not a sponsored post!  I am being compensated in my role as social media correspondent, but I am NOT compensated to post about illy or any other brand. If I do so, it is only because I sincerely find it interesting and of value. I hope you do too.