Holiday Gift Fairs 2011

Having gone to one good and one particularly lousy fair last weekend, I'd like to steer you in the right direction. Here are three holiday gift fairs I highly recommend you check out!


Sorry for the late notice, La Cocina's Annual Gift Fair is TONIGHT, December 9th from 5-9 pm at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. This is one of my favorite non-profit organizations in the City. They help women and minorities get into legitimate food businesses. You'll find awesomely delicious goodies from folks like Happy Girl Kitchen - Preserves, Back to the Roots – Mushrooms, Estrellita’s Snacks - Yucca, Plantain Chips, and Tamales, Love and Hummus Co - Organic Hummus, Sweets Collection - Mexican Gellatins, Neo Cocoa - Truffles, Wise Sons – Jewish Delicatessen, McEvoy – Olive Oil, Mattarello Pasta – Artisanal Handmade Pasta and more…

Go and get goodies for yourself or to give away. There will also be a silent auction, a tamale alley and more....








The Renegade Craft Fair
If you've been to this craft fair you know how much fun it is! It's heavily juried so the quality is extremely high. In the past I've found gorgeous porcelain bowls, cutting boards, jewelry, kitchen towels, toys, kids clothes, etc.

On December 17 + 18, 2011, from 11am – 6pm, the 3rd Annual Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market in San Francisco will return to the Concourse Exhibition Center! Always free-to-attend, holiday shopping has never been more fun than with the work of over 250 of today’s finest makers of handmade goods to peruse and several hands-on crafting activities to get involved with! Food, beverages and libations will also be available! Check out the artist lineup.


Koutáli’s Union Square Pop-Up Christmas Party "Debonnaire" at the Kensington Park Hotel on Sunday December 18th (2-6PM).

This is the first year for this event, a lodge-like lounge party includes a full bar, pool table, and football on several flat screens. You will have the chance to check out curated mini-boutiques by some of SF’s coolest shops and artisans while sipping holiday cocktails and sampling amazing artisan faire.

Boutiques at the event will include Mira Mira, Revolver, Omnivore Books, Alphyn Industries, Foodzie, and several others. In addition Koutali will be hosting a special holiday kitchen gifts store with brands including Wusthof, Bodum, Reidel, and Cuisinart. Hearty holiday food and refined delicacies will be provided by: Do S’more, McEvoy Olive Ranch, Cibo Per Strada, Jablow’s Meats, Bavarian Pretzel works, Rockwall Wines, The Mustard, and Jarred.

To keep the event merry there will be a full bar with holiday Sunday drink specials like $5 Bourbon Cider, Mulled Wine, and Bacon Bloody Mary’s, and free gift-wrapping!

Standard tickets are $10 and include discounts and samples from the participating artisans and boutiques and free gift-wrapping. VIP tickets include two specialty cocktails, an artisan sandwich, and the rest of the perks above.

Use the code DAPPERELF on checkout to receive 30% off their VIP tickets.

Smoked Paprika Dip

This hummus-like dip is filled with the earthy, smoky, redolent spices of smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. The smoked paprika gives the dip a beautiful rusty red color, making it festive addition to a holiday spread.  Not only is this complex and flavorful, but it comes together in just a few minutes.

Ingredients

1 15 ounce can cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

In small bowl, mix smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Place beans, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and mayonnaise in food processor and puree.  Stir in the seasoning mixture.  Serve with pita wedges or crackers, or whatever else floats your boat.

Blackberry Mini Tarts Recipe

Last week Driscoll's held a wonderful event for bloggers that I got to have a hand in planning. Bloggers brought dishes made with fresh blackberries, got insider cooking tips from cookbook author and cooking teacher Rick Rodgers and an inspiring food photography tutorial and demo from food photographer Caren Alpert.

I learned about pastry tampers, (the secret to quickly forming small tart shells in mini muffin pans) improvising with FedEx boxes and tin foil to get more light in food photos, ate a fabulous of dinner made from Rick's recipes, and tasted some divine desserts from some of my fellow bloggers. I particularly loved Irvin's tangy lemon and blackberry pie. I hope he posts the recipe soon! Rick made a cream cheese crust pastry with a savory filling and a blackberry topping. It was surprisingly similar to my dessert recipe.

I got the original recipe from the Land 'O Lakes website. I adapted it for Thanksgiving using cranberries and no nuts or glaze, then tweaked both the ingredients and the techniques to make it work with blackberries. Driscoll's blackberries are so good right now that I wanted to use them raw. I like desserts with at least some tangy flavor and blackberries have such a great balance of sweet and sour, thanks to a good ratio of natural sugars and organic acids. You could top the custard filled tarts with any kind of fresh berry you like. What makes this recipe so easy is that you mix the dough and the filling in a food processor. You could probably do it using a stand mixer if you prefer.



Blackberry Mini TartsMakes 36

Crust;
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

2 6-oz packages blackberries, each berry cut into two or three pieces

Heat oven to 325°F. Combine flour, butter, cream cheese and salt in food processor. Blend until dough forms a ball.

Divide dough into 36 equal pieces. Place 1 piece of dough into each ungreased mini muffin pan cup. Press dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of cup or use a pastry tamper! Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a bowl or food processor, cream together the sugar and butter then mix in egg, vanilla and salt. Spoon about a teaspoon into each tart crust then bake another 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and the top of the custard begins to brown. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes then remove from pans using a knife if necessary. Place about 3 pieces of berry in each tart shell.

Enjoy!

The Three Must Buy Cookbooks of 2011

I always write a series of "best of" cookbook posts around this time of year. I've recommended a lot of cookbooks in 2011*, but there are three, you simply must add to your collection. They are written by three amazing women who I admire tremendously and feel honored to have gotten to interview or at least meet. They are not just wonderful cooks and writers but cultural anthropologists who dig deep into how people cook, preserving traditions and making food from other places accessible. These books would make great gifts, but really, I recommend buying them for your own collections, that's how good they are.


There are lots of books about Spanish food. I know, because I have plenty of them, but The Food of Spain
is truly the mother of all Spanish cookbooks with over 600 pages. It has stories, history--it's a true treasury that took years of work to complete. I know this because Claudia Roden told me about the work that went into the book when I interviewed her last year (Claudia Roden interview part 1 and 2)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Claudia Roden's recipes work. They make sense and give just the right level of detail. In this massive tome she uncovers so many more recipes than what you will find in run of the mill restaurants. In The Food of Spain you will discover many fascinating cultures that have influenced Spanish cuisine and recipes both familiar and rare. It's as much a book about food as it is a cookbook.

Dishes you will want to try include Eggplant with Bechamel and Cheese, Fish Stew with Peppers and Tomatoes, Migas with Bacon, Onion Coca.






What can I say about Paula Wolfert that hasn't already been said? She is the most well-known authority on Moroccan food and The Food of Morocco is one of her most important books. Having lived in Morocco for years, she has a depth of knowledge that is just unparalleled. But if you have spent any time with her, you will be struck by her genuine enthusiasm for capturing the details of the cuisine and her drive for perfection. Her recipes are meticulous. Like Claudia Roden, she goes well beyond the surface to discover the history and varied influences that make for such a rich cuisine. Her latest book is over 500 pages. You can read my interview with her from 2009 here.

The book also has plenty of tips and advice to help you get it right, from the different types of couscous to explanations as to why steaming is better than boiling. There are lots of shopping resources too.

Dishes you will want to try include Lamb with Onions, Riffian Split Pea Soup with Paprika Oil, Almonds and Hard Cooked Eggs, Double Cooked Red Chicken Marrakech Style, Barley Grits Couscous with Fresh Fava Beans





It might seem surprising that I put Lisa Fain in the same category as Claudia Roden and Paula Wolfert, but if you spend some time at her blog or reading her wonderful cookbook, The Homesick Texan
, you will see why I do. Lisa Fain's passion and connection to her Texas heritage and food shines through in everything she writes. She treats the cuisine of Texas with such respect and warmth that you can't help but appreciate it too, even if you are not "homesick" for it.

Unlike Roden or Wolfert, Lisa Fain is not an outsider, but a native who shares her own personal stories. And if she can make Texas recipes work in a New York apartment kitchen you have to know they will work for you too. Her book is a little over 350 pages.

Dishes you will want to try include Calabacitas (Squash and Pork Stew), Poblano Macaroni and Cheese, Coffee Chipotle Oven Brisket and Watermelon Salsa.


*Other cookbooks I reviewed and recommended in 2011:
Cooking My Way Back Home, Kokkari, Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food, The Family Meal:Home Cooking with Ferran Adria, 100 Perfect Pairings, Basic to Brilliant, Y'all


The Homesick Texan and The Food of Spain were review copies, I purchased The Food of Morocco

Dan Dan Noodles

Sometimes you just want that taste of spicy.  You crave something to get your adrenaline going, to perk up your taste buds, and to give you a bolt of energy.  We’ve been seeing and enjoying these noodles in local Chinese restaurants over the last couple years for their unique, and highly addictive, taste, and we just couldn’t resist the urge to try and perfect our own recipe.  These noodles represent the surprisingly harmonious combination of aromatic, creamy, umami, and spicy flavors.

Ingredients

2 leaves bok choy, julienned

1 celery rib, julienned

1 carrot, julienned

2 scallions, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground chicken

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine

dash white pepper

 2 teaspoons peanut oil

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 teaspoons chile paste

1 teaspoon honey

1½ teaspoons oyster sauce

¾ cup chicken broth

12 ounces cooked spaghetti

additional sauce:

2 teaspoons chile paste

2 teaspoons tahini

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

Using a fork, mix chicken with soy sauce, rice wine and a bit of white pepper.  Heat oil over medium high heat in wok and brown chicken, sprinkling the cinnamon as it cooks.  In a bowl, whisk tahini, vinegar, broth, chile paste, honey and oyster sauce.  Once chicken is cooked, turn heat to low and add garlic.  Cook for about a minute, or until it becomes fragrant.  Add the tahini mixture and chicken broth, simmering until the sauce thickens.  Add the bok choy, carrot, celery and scallions.  Add the cooked spaghetti to the meat mixture.  Whisk the additional sauce ingredients in a bowl and coat the spaghetti and vegetables.

Orange Honey Madeleines

Proust’s famous remembrance of the madeleine misses something profoundly important about these cookies.  Madeleines are about savoring – but not just the end result.  Madeleines also require savoring the process of making them.  Madeleines require just a bit of patience, of enjoying the process of browning the butter, of beating the eggs, of buttering and flouring the pan oh so carefully to make sure you get all the ridges in each scallop.  They are about savoring the image of the batter sitting in the madeleine tins before they make their way into the oven, and of waiting for them to cool once they have come out of the oven.  Madeleines are about making that pot of tea and sitting down with the plate of madeleines that have just been dusted with powdered sugar and the perfectly brewed cup of tea and then finally, savoring each cake-like morsel.

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the pan

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 tablespoon honey, plus more for drizzling

½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for greasing the pan

½ cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

3 eggs

pinch sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the madeleine pan and dust with flour, removing excess flour. Melt the butter unsalted butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Throw in the whole cloves.  Cook until brown specks form on the bottom of the pan, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set browned butter aside and remove cloves. 

Using electric mixer, beat eggs and salt.  Then add ½ cup powdered sugar and ½ cup flour and beat.  Place honey in small microwave-safe bowl and warm for 5 to 10 seconds. Add the orange juice and orange zest and then beat the mixture into batter. Add browned butter and beat to blend. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared madeleine mold. 

Bake madeleines until golden brown tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in mold then gently tap madeleines out of molds. Place on rack to cool.  Dust madeleines with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey, if desired. 

Day 174! Switzerland - Cheese Fondue - Up Next, Syria

Once again I find myself going fifties-retro as I venture into the beautiful country of Switzerland. There are virtually thousands of wonderful dishes, desserts and pastries to choose from, but as with Sweden, I have an emotional attachment to one particular famous Swiss dish: fondue. Not only did my Mom used to make it for us on a fairly regular basis -just for fun, and not just for parties - but she passed her beautiful copper fondue set on to me. I have to admit, that it's been in my attic for about 18 years - seriously. Last night I climbed over a perilously mountainous pile of boxes of books, Christmas ornaments, old chairs and a doll house to get to it. A little - okay, a lot of elbow grease and copper polish later, and my Mom's fondue set was gleaming and ready to go. The recipe below comes from Simply Recipes, a wonderful website with loads of very good recipes and useful information. Check it out!

A landlocked country in Western Europe, Switzerland is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. Beginning in the 13th century, small villages began to form around Lake Lucerne. By 1798, conquest by Napoleon put an end to the Old Confederation, and by 1848, a democratic Federal state with 26 sovereign cantons, democratically elected authorities, a two chamber system, and equality of the four languages (German, French, Italian and Romansh, plus many dialects) of the country and cultures was established. This beautiful, peaceful country is home numerous symphonies, orchestras, operas and theaters. Music festivals abound, and museums, castles, mansion, churches and monasteries make for a rich cultural climate. Most notable, is Switzerland's history of neutrality. In fact, it has not been to war since 1815, and today, is a leader in peace-building initiatives around the world. If they can do it, why can't we, I wonder?

Food in Switzerland varies from canton to canton, but the country is known for it's wide variety of bread, dairy and of course, Swiss cheeses. Beans, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and numerous other vegetables are grown or imported. Sausage, veal, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, potatoes, rice and pasta are also abundant. Fruits, berries and an impressive array of sweets and chocolates round out the country's cuisine.

It's all about the cheese: Gruyere and Jarlsberg....

 Shred it up and forget about the calories and cholesterol 

 Put it in a Ziploc back with the flour or cornstarch (I used flour), shake to coat and set aside

Dry white wine, kirsch (cherry brandy) and lemon juice

 Dry mustard and a clove of garlic, split in half to rub the pot with before cooking

 Flour to thicken the sauce and pinch of grated nutmeg for seasoning

Use day-old French bread - you can toast it if you want it crispy

Cheese Fondue (Recipe Courtesy of  Simply Recipes)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound Swiss-style cheese such as Jarlsberg or Emmenthaler, shredded
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch (use cornstarch if cooking gluten-free)
1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
1 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon kirsch (cherry brandy)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Assorted dipping foods such as cubed day-old French bread (skip for gluten-free version), cubed ham (skip for vegetarian option), blanched broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, chopped green bell peppers, peeled and chopped apples or pears
Special equipment recommended
A fondue pot

METHOD
1 Place the shredded cheese and cornstarch in a plastic freezer bag. Seal, shake to coat the cheese with flour or cornstarch. Set aside.
2 Rub the inside of a 4-quart pot with the cut garlic, then discard. Add the wine and lemon juice to the pot, and bring to a low simmer on medium heat. Bit by bit, slowly stir the cheese into the wine. Stir constantly in a zig-zag pattern to prevent the cheese from seizing and balling up. Cook just until the cheese is melted and creamy. Do not let boil. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in kirsch, mustard and nutmeg.
3 Transfer the cheese to a fondue serving pot, set over a low flame to keep warm. If your pot is thin-bottomed, a lit candle will probably do. If thick-bottomed, you can use a small Sterno.
4 Arrange various dipping foods around the fondue pot. (A lazy Suzan works great for this.)
To eat, spear dipping foods with fondue forks or small forks. Dip to coat with the cheese, and eat.
Serves 4.

Final Assessment: What fun! This isn't the type of dish you'd serve up on a typical weekend, but for a special occasion, it's spectacular and a real treat.

P.S. When my husband had enough with all the dipping, he made himself a cheeseyman sandwich 

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