Why do YOU cook, Vanessa Barrington?

There are lots of books out right now about canning and preserving and making all kinds of things from scratch. So how is D.I.Y. Delicious. different? It's written by Vanessa Barrington, a talented cook and writer, who figured out how to make stuff on her own, in a real home kitchen. It's filled with recipes for everyday things you will get excited to make yourself when you see how easy most of the recipes are. Soon you'll be making mustard, yogurt, pickles, horchata, crackers and more.

The book also features recipes for using many of the things you'll learn to make. So after you learn to make Creme Fraiche (pg. 116) you can make Artichoke Soup with Creme Fraiche (pg.119). It also includes lots of cool ideas you probably haven't considered before like Savory Porridge with an egg and cheddar cheese or Pulled Pork Canapes with fig rosemary jam.

Vanessa Barrington is creative, socially conscious and just plain fun. She's a talented writer, recipe developer, and coincidentally a terrific conference roommate. So, why does she cook?

"The simplest answer is that I don’t know how NOT to. I feel more like myself in the kitchen than I do anywhere else. Sometimes it’s the only thing that makes any sense to me, especially during times of emotional upheaval, national strife, (elections/terrorist attacks/the televised aftermath of hurricanes) or on ordinary bad days. Even on a good day spent in front of my computer answering emails and writing all day, nothing feels so good as pulling out a cutting board and knife, and beginning the soothing work of chopping.

It wasn’t always like that. In fact, there have been periods in my life when I didn’t really like food. As a kid, I was a picky eater. I’d sit at the dinner table for hours, after everyone else went out to play, rather than eat the gray, overcooked pork chop and the canned peas on my plate.

When I started working in the restaurant business in my 20s, a whole new world opened up to me and I realized that I wasn’t really picky, just discerning. I started out by trying to recreate the dishes I served to customers. I had no idea of technique, but usually the results were somewhat ok. I was good at figuring things out. Eventually I taught myself how to cook.

These days, I’m not so much into restaurant food. Of course I go out and I do enjoy it. Occasionally I even have a meal that bowls me over. But what I like best is just poking around in the refrigerator, the garden, and the farmers’ market, figuring out what I want to eat, and then perhaps calling a friend to share it with me. I cook because I really like my own cooking and feel healthiest when I cook for myself. At the end of even the most delicious vacations, I can’t wait to get home and cook something simple to eat."

Keys To Good Cooking by Harold McGee: Book Review

I love Harold McGee's classic tome, On Food and Cooking. I turn to it often when doing research for posts or articles I'm writing. But it's not the best book when I'm looking for practical advice. McGee's latest book, The Keys to Good Cooking is a bit like On Food and Cooking, only for dummies. Keys To Good Cooking is nothing BUT practical advice. And there is no book that I know of that answers quite as many questions about selecting ingredients, cooking and food storage.

The book is a reference guide, not a cookbook. While it might be good to read the whole book the truth is, you are going to turn to various sections when you are cooking and the book is organized to make that easy. For example turn to the Sauces, Stocks and Soups to learn why you may not want to make mayonnaise with all olive oil or go to the Fruit section to learn why European plums are best for baking. My only quibble is that from time to time I would like a little more information, for example McGee says to rinse poultry thoroughly before cooking, but doesn't answer the question why? I've read rinsing is more likely to lead to cross-contamination and that any bacteria will be destroyed by heat during cooking. Though I suppose you have to draw the line somewhere, if McGee is a proponent of rinsing, I want to know why.

Some of the most helpful sections I've come across so far are the ones on cooking temperatures and which are most desirable for different cuts of meat, the explanation of differences between Asian, European and American pine nuts and guidelines that address how long you can store certain ingredients. I also learned which types of bread will keep for a few days--levain and sourdough because of their acidity. Did you know you can store miso indefinitely in the refrigerator? Good to know! As is almost everything in this new indispensable cooking reference guide.

Whoa - Look what I dug up whilst cleaning out the woodshed! I know you wanna know...

How cool is this? While cleaning out "my" corner of the woodshed today I found a beautiful old manual food grinder I'd forgotten about.

I bought it for $2.00 at my local Senior Center yard sale about 3 years ago, tucked it away and that was the end of it until now. I distinctly remember it catching my eye on a table full of knick-knacks, candle sticks and crocheted pot holders.
 
As soon as I picked it up, I immediately loved the weight of the solid heavy metal (the thing must weigh 7 pounds) - "Sargent" and "Made in USA" embossed on the steel. And, as an unexpected bonus, there were 4 disk attachments taped to the worn wooden handle of the grinder.

Lastly, it's a beautiful "simple machine" - wooden handle, gears, and a blade. It takes a little more work than my Cuisinart, but you get a much better texture from the hand crank and disks than the very fine mince you get from pulsing the blade of food processor. I'm going to use this for the first time to mince conch for Honduran Conch Soup I'm planning for later on this week. YAY!

Potluck Posts 10/17

If things have seemed a little quiet around here, it's because I've been busy traveling, writing and developing recipes. Since many of you have asked, each week I will be sharing links to recipes and posts I have written. Thanks for your interest and enjoy the Potluck Posts!

Last month I was in Switzerland and this month I had a quick trip to Wisconsin to visit cheesemakers and dairies and to eat cheese; my thanks to the trip sponsor, Wisconsin Cheese. You'll be hearing more about the trip and my discoveries soon. For now, let me just say, it was wonderful. Those kohlrabi are from the Dane County Farmers Market in Madison, Wisconsin, and the picture is in honor of one of my new friends, Greg of Sippity Sup, who I met on the trip.

In between my trips, I had the pleasure of hearing the very inspiring chef Rene Redzepi of restaurant Noma speak. My post on Rene Redzepi and Noma, is on EpiLog. Also on EpiLog are my posts on Savoring Sichuan Peppercorns, Hot Fresh Cookie Cookbooks, Preserving Heirloom Tomatoes and Wine Tasting Snacks.

Meanwhile on Between Bites at Frommers.com, you'll find my post on Half Moon Bay for the Day.

Recent recipes I developed for MyWinesDirect are a super easy and delicious Pork Tenderloin Crostini with Camembert and Cranberry Sauce that pairs with an elegant Crianza Spanish Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon and a Three Cheese Manicotti.

UPCOMING
Look for my post on Harold McGee's latest book, The Keys to Good Cooking here, on Tuesday, October 19th.

Day 70! Haiti - Conch Fritters with Watercress Dip - Subbbbblime - Up Next, Honduras

It took me four stores, but I finally got the watercress. Yet try as I might, I could not find conch in canned, frozen or fresh form. So, although I do my best to stay true to authentic ingredients, I had to opt for fresh chopped clams as a conch substitute for tonight's wonderful Haitian meal of conch fritters with watercress dip.

Located on the Western half the Islands of Hispaniola which it shares with the Dominican Republic, Haiti was the first nation in Latin America to claim independent governance during a slave rebellion in 1804. Haiti is also one of the poorest countries in the Americas and has been besieged by relentless political violence, corruption, poverty, the AIDS epidemic and most recently a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in which 230,000 people died. Today, the country continues to struggle to rebuild.

Although Haitian food has many similarities to Caribbean cooking, it is unique in it's Creole and French influences, favoring hot peppers as a seasoning. Starches such as rice, corn millet, yams, beans, plantains and tropical fruits are all enjoyed by Haitians.

This meal is dedicated to Mirlande - artist, singer and activist whom I am privileged to call my friend. Check our her life's work, the Eritaj Foundation  as well as her beautiful music - www.sonicbids.com/mirlande

 Peppers for tonight's meal, generously given to me by my awesome friend and neighbor, Mayor Blair

 A lovelier site than fresh watercress I have rarely seen - I may have to write an ode to watercress...

 The dip couldn't be easier - everything goes into the blender -salt is optional, but I am forever a salt girl

 Voila - la couleur est incroiable!

 I love all the fresh vegetables and colors that go into the fritters - tasty and beautiful

 Freshly chopped clams (I bought 'em that way - I did not have time for shucking and such)

All fried up - drain and cool on paper towels

There we are - a wonderful meal of conch (clam) fritters with watercress dip!

Conch Fritters (Recipe adapted from the Caribbean Choice)

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 -1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 small white onion, diced finely
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded, minced
1/4-1/2 cup milk
3/4 pound chopped conch (I used clams)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Dip

1/2 bunch watercress
1 small bunch parsley
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. wine or balsamic vinegar (I used balsamic)
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped

To Make Dip:

Combine all ingredients in blender; process until smooth. Refrigerate dip until ready to serve.

To make Fritters:

In large bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add the bell peppers, onions, garlic, parsley, thyme and Scotch bonnet pepper. Stir in milk; beat batter well. Stir in chopped conch or clams, salt and black pepper.(Ideally, batter should rest in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight to achieve the right non-sticky consistency). In a deep skillet or electric fryer, heat oil to 375F. Using a slotted spoon, remove fritters; transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve with dip on separate bowl.

Final Assessment:  This was a great dish. Served with a salad it's a meal, served alone, it's an awesome appetizer. If I could have found conch, it might have been even better....but the clams were pretty damn good! Oh, and the flavor of the watercress dip, combined with the hot peppers was hot and cool at the same time - lovely!

Cake is Not a Country...But it Should be - Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake

Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake

I could never say ‘no’ to you, fat – Homer Simpson

Cake is not a country, but it should be.  And, any cake that incorporates fall’s jewel-colored cranberries, toasted pecans, Vietnamese cinnamon,  freshly grated nutmeg and Madagascar vanilla should be – well, I don’t know what it should be, other than an ethereal and heavenly thing.

Cream cheese and plenty of sweet unsalted butter, plus four eggs make the batter sublimely rich and the crumb ridiculously moist and velvety.

So there you have it – Homer Simpson got it right-(as if you didn’t already know). And,  if you have to do a couple extra minutes in the pool or on the treadmill, trust me, it’s all good and way, way worth it.

Cranberry Coffee Cake

·         8 oz. cream cheese

·         1 ½ cups sugar

·         1 cup sweet unsalted butter (2 sticks)

·         1 ½ tsp. Madagascar vanilla extract

·         4 eggs

·         2 ¼ cups flour, divided

·         1 tsp. baking powder

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         ½ tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon (traditional is fine)

·         ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

·         2 ½ cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

·         ½ cup pecan, coarsely chopped

·         ¼  - ½ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10-inch tube or large fluted tube pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla until well mixed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. In a small bowl, sift together 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the batter, one third at a time, mixing well after each addition. In another small bowl, toss the cranberries and pecans with the remaining flour until well coated. Stir gently into the batter. Pour into the pan and bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes, until the cake is lightly browned. Do not over-bake. Let stand for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Sift powdered sugar lightly over the warm cake.

(Adapted from Dena Martin –Penzey’s Spices Recipe Card)

What I brought home from Switzerland

I'm back from Switzerland and I thought I'd share with you some of my most prized purchases.


Not surprisingly my first purchase was cheese. But no ordinary cheese. In fact, it's a cheese I am hard pressed to find at home. It's called sbrinz and if you can find it here, it will cost more than Parmigiano Reggiano, then again, you might find it even more delicious. It's a full fat, hard, dry grating cheese that is used much like Parmigiano. But it's sweeter, creamier and oh so yummy!


In Appenzell I discovered this amazing dry, raw, smoked beef called Mostbröckli. I know, I know, it's not technically legal to bring meat into the US, but I couldn't help myself. It is shelf-stable and vacuum packed and it tastes like nothing I've ever tried before. It's leaner than prosciutto and less salty. It's smoky, sweet and beefy. It's also irresistible and literally forced me to break the law.


Also from Appenzell I got a little tiny airplane size bottle of Appenzeller Alpenbitter. The bitters are made from 42 herbs that grow in the alps. It's quite nice over ice. I might be able to find it in the US, but a tiny bottle was an impulse buy.


I fell in love with Lausanne. It's such a pretty city set in the hills overlooking a lake. Think of a slightly less expensive version of Geneva. Just below the cathedral, at the tiny cafe, Le Barbare, they make and sell Chocolat Marta. It might very well be the best hot chocolate I've ever had. It's super rich and made with very high quality chocolate and vanilla. I was thrilled to be able to buy a bag to take home and enjoy this Winter.


Right before I left the Zurich airport, I purchased a box of these delightful mini macarons called "Luxemburgerli" from the Sprungli shop. They came highly recommended. Filled with liquor spiked cream fillings they are bite sized and a sweet reminder of Switzerland. They are not available outside of Switzerland, so far as I know, and must be eaten within three days of purchase.

So, what delicious things have you brought home from Switzerland?