Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Since having our little nugget boy, I have become fixated on cookie cutters.  Like, the universe might implode if we don't have the appropriate cookie cutter to correspond to holidays, outings, activities, lessons, etc.  I have amassed a bit of a collection, which isn't too hard when you can buy gigantic containers of 100 for like 10 dollars.  But it isn't even the little guy who likes having fun-shaped treats.  He has made it quite clear that he is completely and utterly unimpressed to receive a sandwich cut out into the shape of a truck.  I, on the other hand, am very impressed by our ability as a society to provide the tools to make sandwiches into truck shapes.   I'm apparently the real toddler in this parent-child relationship.  That is why the gingersnap cookies are in little heart shapes.  I was feeling "heartsy."  I also made an owl! But I ate him before he could end up in the photo.  I guess I could have given that one to Max, but lets face it, he would not have appreciated it as much as I did.  

I really wanted to make a pumpkin pie now that we have moved into September.  And I like to pretend that there really is Autumn here in Southern California.  However, making this pumpkin pie would have caused distress for Seth for two reasons.  Number 1 - He doesn't like pumpkin.  Okay, fair enough.  We all have foods we don't like.  But Number 2 - HE DOESN'T LIKE PIE!  How can someone not like pie?  I have no idea how that happened in life.  So since I love baking pumpkin pie in a gingersnap crust, I decided to eliminate the second of these issues.  Because I'm nice like that.  I, however, am not getting rid of the pumpkin.  I feel I compromised enough.  So here is a pumpkin pie ice cream into which I dipped gingersnap cookies.  The ice cream is best fresh, so remove it about 15 minutes before serving if storing in the freezer.  

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon clove
dash pepper
pinch of kosher salt

Instructions 
Place all ingredients in a bowl.  Once again, I am doing an egg-free ice cream, as I am very impatient and hate waiting for the custard to cool.  I like to whisk until a layer of bubbles forms on the surface and the sugar is dissolved.  Pour the mixture into the canister of the ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.  Serve with gingersnap cookies (either store-bought or use your favorite recipe and roll out some fun shapes!)

Mushroom Puffs

"Puff" is one of those splendid words in the English language.  It can be used in multiple situations, as it is a word that is somehow both vague and precise at the same time.  Puffs of smoke, cheese puffs, puffy shirts.  It is also really fun to say.  Puff.   It sounds so fluffy and billowy, like a gust of wind is going to swoop down and whisk it  away.  

Puff is also the term we use for Jiji's paws.  Jiji is our short cat with short legs and tiny white  little paws (mostly - hello toe spot!) that are basically rendered useless by their tinyness.  And we just adore them.  Don't they look like tiny cottonballs?

Then we have these puffs.  Puff pastry stuffed with a savory herb and mushroom mixture.  Maybe not as adorable as the previous puff you've seen, but thats okay.  Instead of being prized for their cuteness, they tend to be devoured quickly and immediately.  Also a good quality.  Try adding some creme fraiche as a cool, refreshing dip.

Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms (will need to be hydrated)
2/3 cup boiling water
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons mushroom liquid
2 tablespoons port
1 tablespoon soy sauce
pinch lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
splash of milk
creme fraiche and additional herbs, optional, for serving

Instructions
To hydrate the porcini mushrooms: Pour the boiling water over the porcini mushrooms and allow it to sit for at least 2 hours to soften the mushrooms.  Once the mushrooms have softened, chop and set aside.  Reserve the mushroom liquid.

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Once the butter has melted and the bubbles in the mixture have started to subside, add the chopped mushrooms. Stir continuously, allowing the mushrooms to absorb the butter and oil mixture. After a few minutes, the mushrooms will brown.  Once that happens, reduce the heat to low and stir in the garlic.  Let that cook for 30 seconds to a minute, then add in the chives, parsley, and thyme.  Stir in the mushroom liquid, port, and soy sauce.  Add a pinch of lemon zest and some lemon juice for a bit of freshness, and adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Take off heat and let the mixture cool.

Heat oven to 400 (or whatever temperture is recommended on your puff pastry dough).  Cut the puff pastry into four squares by slicing horizontally and vertically with a pizza cutter.  Then cut each square into two triangles by slicing on a diagonal.  You will have a total of 8 triangles.  Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling on each triangle, bring the opposing edges over and seal the puff into a triangle shape.  You may want to use just a bit of water to help seal.  Whisk the egg and milk and brush the mixture on each triangle.  Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown and puffy.  serve with creme fraiche and herbs, if desired.

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.