Apricot Tarragon Vanilla Sundae

Over the past few weeks Max has
- repeated the word "ghost" over and over and over and over while on a ghost tour of the    Queen Mary
- pointed at a supposed "ghost" while scrolling through photos taken on said tour
- told me that the plumber is a ghost
- pointed at the water in the toilet bowl and said "ghost"
- found a ghost in a documentary about elephants
- pointed out a window, no less than three times, and said "ghost"

So, I guess there is a chance that Max is indeed connected to a spirit world.  But it seems more likely he just extremely obsessed with the idea of finding one of these elusive entities.  I should probably point out that he isn't frightened of the idea - I don't think he has the framework in place to have such feelings... Yet.  He is just zealously smitten.

And this makes me so ridiculously and extremely proud of myself. I have passed on the torch of obsession.

When we were younger, my friend and I were ardent enthusiasts of ghosts.  Like super obsessed.  We created ghost stories out of every day life, even insisting that a sibling's swimming instructor was really a ghost.  We supposedly had evidence of this fact.  Even though, you know, she was right there and visible to everyone and conducting class on a weekly basis.  This is what you do to stave off boredom.  Create elaborate stories of ghost worlds.

I've basically gotten over this.  Maybe? I still think it is fun, but, you know, I no longer believe that the swimming instructor was actually a ghost.

To celebrate my life's triumph, I made a sundae.  A sundae of vanilla ice cream, apricot compote, tarragon leaves sprinkled with a a smidgen of crisped cubes of pancetta.  A slightly unusual but nonetheless delicious accompaniment to our mom and tot conversations about ghosts.

Ingredients
scoops of very vanilla ice cream (or use your favorite recipe/store-bought version)
tarragon leaves
handful of fried pancetta cubes

For the compote:
13 apricots, pitted and halved
2 teaspoons juice from a Meyer lemon
3-4 tablespoons sugar

Instructions
To make the compote: Put everything into a pot.  Cook on low for about 8-10 minutes, until warm and the apricots start to break down.

To make the sundaes: Place scoops of vanilla ice cream in dish.  Top with the apricot compote.  Sprinkle handful of torn tarragon leaves on top.  Finish with the pancetta.

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child Book Giveaway

If you’re a fan of Julia Child, it’s really worth reading Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child, the biography written by Bob Spitz. It covers a lot of territory, starting with her family history and fills in gaps, sharing much more than you'll find in previously written books about her. Because Child was an avid letter writer, there’s a lot of source material. But there are also wonderful anecdotes from those who knew her best--from her editor Judith Jones to her TV director Russ Morash and many other colleagues, relatives and friends. It’s an entertaining book, and has the kind of “playful romp” feel to it that typified Julia Child as well. 

An average student, with a funny voice and not much of a career track, Julia Child found her calling later in life, first in cooking school and later on television. Her story is tremendously romantic, because it was her husband who not only supported her but encouraged her in everything she did. You may be surprised to learn about the causes she supported or the prejudices she held, but it’s hard not to admire her and feel even more affection for “Our lady of the ladle” as Time magazine called her. 

I’ve got 3 copies of this massive tome to give away. It clocks in at over 500 pages and over 2 pounds; it’s a great read to take to the pool or the beach. I fully expect her risqué humor will have you giggling and her can do attitude will inspire you in your career or perhaps in the kitchen. 

Let me know your favorite Julia Child recipe in the comments or a story you have about her for a chance to win. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on May 27, 2013. One entry per person, please. I will draw a winner at random on May 28. Open to US residents only. You must leave a comment and register your email to win. Please note that when you register your comment with your email, only I will see your email.

Disclaimer: I was provided the book by the publisher to giveaway. I bought a digital copy of this book myself. This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. 

Grilled Artichoke Quarters with Anchovy Garlic Drizzle - a Picnic Potluck

I am a ruiner.  As in, I ruin things.  Usually with just a few well-placed complaints.  It can be seen as a talent.  Or a buzzkill.  All depends on your perspective.

I'm starting to think I might need to keep this tendency in check.  Just a bit.  Okay, maybe a lot a bit.

For instance, we got some Chinese takeout recently.  And ate it on a table outdoors at sunset at this super scenic area.  It was gorgeous and romantic.

Until Seth asked me how I liked the food.  My response was ehhhh.

I mean, yes, I guess I was being truthful (the food wasn't bad, and some dishes were pretty interesting, but it could have been better), but the truth isn't always the most beautiful.  It won't always bring the most happiness.  Instead I was the person bringing the party down.  My complaining really served no purpose but to sap all the romance from the scene.  Would it have killed me to just say that I love it?

So I need to work on this whole complaining thing.  Just a little.

This month's Creative Cooking Challenge comes at the perfect time.  The topic is, "potluck picnic."  And picnics, being all outdoors and stuff, can be a bit of a bugaboo.  Wonderful in theory, but a goldmine for complaints about bugs, food that shouldn't be cold, food that shouldn't be warm, etc.

That said, we are preparing grilled artichoke quarters with an anchovy garlic drizzle. It may seem like a strange choice for a picnic, but if one does the prepping and boiling of the artichoke before arriving, as well as the mixing of the drizzle, one only needs to grill the quarters on site, and finish them with the drizzle, Parmesan and parsley.  Freshly grilled, they should be hot enough to melt the cheese and make up for the long trip.  And who doesn't like grilling at the park?  Plus the drizzle has a crazy amount of flavor.  Hopefully, they'll keep my whiny side in check...

Click here to check out the entire Picnic Potluck Roundup hosted by Joan of Foodalogue!

Ingredients
2 artichokes (will make 8 quarters)
2 ounces anchovies packed in olive oil, be sure to reserve the olive oil from the package
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground hazelnuts
Parmesan cheese wedge and microplane, for serving
parsley leaves, for serving

Instructions
For the anchovy drizzle (at home):
Pour the olive oil from the anchovies into a small pot.  Mince the anchovies and add those in.  Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil, the minced garlic, and the vinegar.  Over low heat, let the mixture come together for 5-10 minutes, until the anchovies have begun to melt into the mixture a bit.  Take off heat and stir in the hazelnuts.

For the artichokes (at home):
Prep we will do at home.  To start, set a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil. Using kitchen shears, trim off pointy tips of artichoke leaves. Using a large, sharp knife, cut off the top ½-inch of the artichokes and the end of each stem. Carefully remove any small leaves attached directly to the stem. Wash artichokes thoroughly under cold water to clean them off, and dry with paper towel.

For this part, you will want to do one artichoke at a time. Take your big sharp knife, coat it with lemon juice from one of your lemon wedges, turn an artichoke upside down, so the stem is sticking up and slice it straight down in half, and then in half again to make quarters. Immediately rub down all cut surfaces with lemon wedges to prevent discoloration. Take a serrated spoon, or regular spoon, and coat it with lemon juice. Scoop out the fuzzy choke in the center, as well as the inner, purple leaves. Make sure you get all of the fuzzy part out, and liberally rub down the top of the heart with lemon to prevent discoloration. I also try to cut any remaining prickly points off of the inner curled leaves to prevent poking the eater. Repeat for other quarters.

Once water is boiling, place artichokes in, cut side down, and cover with a clean cheese cloth, dish cloth, or cloth napkin. This will soak up water and ensure the artichokes stay wet while cooking. Cover pot with lid and cook about 9 minutes. When they are ready, they should be just soft enough to push a fork into the inside of the stem, but no softer. The outside of the stem should still be a bit firm.  Carefully remove artichokes and place in a bowl of ice water to halt their cooking.  Once they have cooled, thoroughly drain the water out and place in a Tupperware container to bring to the grill site.

For the artichokes (at grill site):
If using a charcoal grill, stack and light charcoal according to your favorite method. We like using a large chimney starter. The charcoal will be flaming and smoking for around 20-45 minutes.  Once 90 percent of the charcoal is ashed over, spread evenly onto charcoal rack, and place grates.  After grates have warmed up (5 minutes), scrape them clean using a grill brush.

Once your grill is ready to use, brush the artichokes with olive oil and black pepper. Adjust heat to high (350-400°). If grill grates are cast iron, rub them down briefly using a few paper towels or a cheese cloth dipped in canola oil. Place artichokes on grates, cut side down. To help them stay oriented correctly, squeeze the quarters up next to each other for added support. Close top and wait 3-5 minutes. Once the side making contact is adequately charred, brush the remaining cut side with olive oil and turn over onto the un-charred side.  Remove from heat once both cut sides have a light char.

Drizzle the artichokes with anchovy mixture, then sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Blueberry and Chocolate Dessert Sliders with Vanilla Ice Cream

I'm not really into making bread. I feel like I should be weaving poetic yarns about the wonder that is yeast, the therapeutic effects of kneading dough and the satisfaction that comes from baking your very own loaf of bread.

But I just can't.

Every now and then I'll get it in my head that bread needs to be baked. So I'll do it.  Half-heartedly.  Despite this exertion of effort, it never strikes the same chord as a well-chosen purchased loaf.

My response after baking such bread is more, "well look at that, I made some bread, I'm now totally Martha Stewart" (okay, maybe I don't really think that last part, but we can all dream our dreams) and less, "oh my god, this is so good, definitely worth the time and energy."  To be honest, I'm not quite sure why I continue to have at it.  I'm pretty sure this is sheer insanity at play.

The one exception, the one that I can enthusiastically undertake, is challah.  It is the one bread that makes me think, "yes, yes this is indeed worth it".  All rich and subtly sweet, it is difficult to not love.  Yet, when I make it, I never feel like I'm letting it reach its fullest potential.  I just serve it with some breakfast or dinner with a bit of butter and call it a day.

Rather then letting the challah rolls sulk with their their accompanying condiment of generic unsalted butter, I decided to throw them a bone and turn them into miniature dessert sandwiches with a lavender blueberry sauce and salted chocolate.  Served with vanilla ice cream.  Blueberries and chocolate are such a fun and under-appreciated combination (I still need to make that tart, it sounds ridiculously amazing).  I originally envisioned the two of them mingling in an ice cream sandwich.  But structural issues were encountered so I just spooned some vanilla ice cream on top of each bite. This time, the challah became everything it could be - and more.

Ingredients
challah rolls (I like this recipe from Food 52, and just formed them into small rolls instead of a loaf)
unsalted butter to spread on toasted roll
1 square sea salt chocolate (I like Lindt's sea salt chocolate bar)
fleur de sel, optional
serve with vanilla ice cream

For the blueberry sauce:
2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons red wine
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground lavender

Instructions
Place all the ingredients for the blueberry sauce in a medium pot over medium-low heat and gently boil, stirring often. Let it cook together for about 5-10 minutes.  Let cool.

To make the sliders, slice the roll of challah in half, and toast.  Spread the toasted roll with unsalted butter.  Place a square of sea salt chocolate, sprinkle more fleur de sel if wanted, and then spread some blueberry sauce on top.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

ProCook Enameled Cast Iron Cookware

I love my enameled cast iron cookware. Nothing can really beat enameled cast iron for stews and braises. It holds the heat well, and is easy to clean. It is compatible with every type of range (gas, electric and induction) and is ovenproof up to 500 degrees. It's heavy, so I leave some pieces on the stove all the time. I mostly have Le Creuset, because that's what I registered for when I got married and I have bought some for friends too. But Le Creuset is terribly expensive so I have a hard time recommending it. 

Late last year I wrote about the Martha Stewart line of enameled cast iron. It was much less expensive than Le Creuset and definitely performed as well. The colors and shapes were a bit different from Le Creuset, but the price made up for any differences. Now I've got an even better recommendation, the ProCook line of enameled cast iron. 

Take a look at how the ProCook in aubergine compares to my Le Creuset in white (and ignore the crumbs on the stove). The ProCook casserole is a bit larger at 4.2 quarts versus the Le Creuset 3.5 quarts.  

The lid on the ProCook actually is a bit better in my opinion, because it has those braising ridges that help baste.

I cooked onions in both and they performed equally well. 

But when it comes to price, there is no comparison. The Le Creuset is $235 and the ProCook, only $52! On sale the Martha Stewart 5 quart oval is $99, almost twice the price of the ProCook piece. I have no idea how they can produce these pieces so inexpensively. Even better, they offer free shipping for any online purchase over $50. The range of colors includes black, red, cream and aubergine. The colors, shape of the pieces and the handles are all very attractive. 

ProCook is a family owned company from England, though I imagine the pieces are manufactured in China. I had never heard of them, but found they get very good customer reviews online. They have only two retail shops in the US in New Hampshire and Maine, but sell everything online. They also have great prices on other types of casseroles and cookware, an "Atlas" style pasta maker for only $27, box graters for $5. Whether your are setting up your own kitchen or buying a gift, ProCook is well worth a closer look. 

Disclaimer: ProCook provided me with a piece of cookware for review purposes. I was not paid for this or any other post. 

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Turns 20

The Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture, aka CUESA is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Ferry Plaza farmers market. It's one of the best farmers market in America, and for good reason. In addition to being a showcase for some of the finest local produce, it's also been a model for building community and reestablishing the urban connection to farms. 

Thanks to CUESA and the Ferry Plaza farmers market, the farmers market movement as whole has grown, with somewhere around 20 markets in San Francisco alone. Beyond helping to grow the farmer's market movement CUESA has supported chefs, created educational programs, and regularly holds events that engage the public in a variety of ways.

The Ferry Plaza farmers market is a showcase for gorgeous produce, but in some ways the very success of the market has chased me away. While I have friends who still shop there religiously, I've grown tired of the hustle and bustle of tourists and chefs, and when the bus stop was removed from in front of the market, I pretty much stopped shopping there on Saturdays.

Thankfully the market is much less crazy during the week. If I'm downtown, I will swing by on a Tuesday or Thursday to pick up a few items. like these amazing strawberries from Dirty Girl Produce. They taste better than just about any other strawberries I've ever had. 

Whether you shop there frequently or not, I hope you'll consider supporting CUESA and attending one or more of the upcoming celebratory events. 

• Birthday Party: Cocktails of the Farmers Market, this is the signature seasonal cocktail events featuring top mixologists and chefs. Inspired by the seasonal bounty of the market they create tasty bites and top-notch cocktails. Wednesday May, 15, 5:30 pm – 8 pm

• Birthday Bash! Extravagant Shortcakes and Outrageous Mimosa & Juice Bar, Farmers Market Treasure Hunt, Presentation with Local Luminaries (11 am).  Saturday, May 18, 2013 – 9 am to 1 pm

• Summer Celebration a lavish walk-around tasting reception in the Ferry Building Marketplace. Sunday, July 14, 6 pm - 9 pm

• Sunday Supper a whole-beast, four course feast prepared by San Francisco’s best chefs in the elegant Ferry Building Grand Hall. Sunday, October 20, 6 pm-10 pm

Read more about the history of the market: 

Ferry Plaza Market cultivates revolution by Tara Duggan

Starting a farmers' market by Patricia Unterman

Peach, Pine Nut, and Mixed Greens Pizza with Ricotta Sauce and Fried Egg - aka Breakfast for Dinner

I tend to chafe under rules.  I might even follow them intuitively, but once they have attained the official status of rule or obligation, I feel the shackles being placed on my body and my rebellious nature starts bubbling through my veins.  

I mean, of course there are limits to this. I'm not advocating complete and utter food anarchy.

Rules here include, but are not limited to:
-hot dogs = never (I'm still traumatized by a toddlerhood incident)
-never mix pumpkin into macaroni and cheese

-chocolate chips, like flour, are a necessary component to a muffin

-dried fruit is the devil

-warm oatmeal cereal is also the devil

-breakfast needs to include some sort of produce item
-apples = Granny Smith, others need not apply (this came from Seth)
-raw tomatoes are the devil (also a Seth contribution)
-ketchup needs to mixed with some truffle oil, otherwise it is inedible


That said, having strict and unwavering ideas about what constitutes a breakfast, a lunch, and dinner makes me cringe.  To put it mildly.  And I feel an accompanying bit of sadness that the person with these sort of rules never experienced the joy and delight of a slice of cold take-out pizza for breakfast.  

Life, to be appreciated to its fullest, needs a bit of chaos and whimsy and improvisation - leftover Chinese food for the morning meal, an ice cream sandwich and some carrot sticks for lunch, and one of the perennial favorites - breakfast for dinner.  Here we have pizza with cheesy ricotta sauce and topped with a mixed greens, peach, and pine nut salad...and fried eggs.  Because eggs = breakfast.  And that is a rule I can get behind.

Need more breakfast pizza ideas?  I Can't Believe It's Not Butter has you covered with their California Pizza Party webisode!

Ingredients
4 cups mixed baby greens
3 tablespoons chives
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
2 white peaches, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tube refrigerated pizza dough, or use your favorite pizza dough recipe
4-6 eggs, fried
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter olive oil spray, for cooking

Instructions
For the mixed greens and peach salad:
In a large bowl, mix together the greens, chives, basil, peaches, pine nuts, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Drizzle the olive oil, and lemon juice over the mixed green salad.  Sprinkle the lemon zest, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For the ricotta and parmesan sauce:
In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and the garlic clove.  Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Heat oven to 450.  Roll out the pizza dough on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and spread the ricotta and parmesan mixture over the crust.  Bake for another 3-5 minutes, until crust has turned golden brown.  Remove from oven.

Sprinkle the mixed greens salad on top of the pizza.

Spray a pan or skillet (I use my trusty cast-iron skillet) with the olive oil spray.  Crack desired amount of eggs into skillet over medium-high heat and fry until whites have cooked and the yolks are still runny.  Once they are cooked, place on the pizza.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.