Chocolate Banana Malt Smoothie

Reasons you have gone from peacefully asleep to being jolted awake an hour earlier than actually necessary, depriving you of the ability of going back to sleep before the actual appointed time of waking up:

1. You have to pee the equivalent of three pees.
2. The dark shadowy blob on the ceiling is, without a doubt, a ghost.
3. The lovable but psychotic cat is tearing apart cardboard with his teeth.  This is not a quiet sound
4. Your mom is arriving today, and while you are introverted, anxious, and socially reclusive, you absolutely cannot feel anything but excitement about seeing your mom and having her spend a week with you.
5. Your husband is leaving for a week, and you will miss having him around.

On those days, those days where you are anxious and nervous and excited and yet oh so tired, one must indulge.  Reward oneself for getting through the day.  Like with a banana chocolate malt shake.  Or is it a smoothie?  I'm not really sure.

Banana, chocolate, and peanut butter are well acquainted with each other.  It is the barley malt syrup that makes it irresistible, the reason the taste buds keep going back for just one more sip. The reason you are gathering what little remains in the bowl with a colorful, well-worn spatula and then shoveling into your mouth. The reason you are actually licking the bowl, to get just one more taste, one more moment of bliss amidst the mix of emotions churning inside your head.

Ingredients
3 frozen bananas
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
3 tablespoons barley malt syrup
1/2 cup-3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
pinch of salt

Instructions
Place all ingredients in blender (or use an immersion blender).  Blend together.  Pour in glass(es) and enjoy.

Chef Marc Forgione & Chef Michelle Bernstein Cooking Demo

The America's Cup has come to town, and that doesn't just mean sailing, but also parties. And chefs. And plenty of food and drink. Nespesso is one of the sponsors and they have been hosting some very exclusive events. I've not been invited to anything by Nespresso, but I did get a chance to catch a demo with two chefs who were flown into town for a Nespresso event. 

I've been a big fan of Michelle Bernstein ever since I dined at her restaurant Michy's in Miami. Marc Forgione is also on my radar, though I have yet to make it to any of his restaurants, they are definitely on my list to try. Both chefs are also part of Macy's Culinary Council so naturally they did a demo at Macy's using Nespresso coffee, of course. 

Forgione, inspired by the classic Reuben sandwich, created a dish of swordfish, fennel kraut/slaw, grain mustard, coffee and wild juniper smoke. He used Nespresso Rosabaya coffee in his spice rub with cumin, black pepper, chili and kosher salt. For the demo Forgione skipped the smoking but cured the fish then seared it. 

Here are some tips from Forgione:

1. Use fresh juniper in a smoker to add flavor

2. Chill dry rubbed fish in the fridge, but keep it uncovered to allow the surface to dry

3. Can't or don't want to use swordfish? Use sushi grade tuna or any other sushi grade firm fish for smoking or curing and searing. 

4. "Cook YOUR food" says Forgione, take recipes and add what you want, make it your own. Don't let a chef or a recipe boss you around. 

Chef Bernstein admitted to being a bit out of her element when it came to the dish she prepared, because it was dessert. Not being a pastry chef, she did manage to put her own spin on the chocolate dish by adding chorizo. Bernstein loves chorizo, and chorizo fat in particular. Her dish was inspired by a sandwich too, a toasted bread, chocolate and chorizo sandwich she had in the Basque region of Spain. 

How else does Bernstein recommend using chorizo fat?

1. For cooking spanish tortillas 

2. For cooking potatoes

3. For cooking fish

4. In cremeux, a vey rich chocolate mousse

If I can find the recipes online, I will share them! In the meantime, here is a link to recipes from the Macy's Culinary Council chefs. 

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this or any other post on this blog. 

Savory Roasted Pears Recipe

I am an impatient person. I hate to wait. While some of the pears my mother gave me from her trees are ripe, others are not. Is there something you can do with not quite ripe pears? Yes! I discovered you can roast them. 

Pears are sometimes added to savory dishes to add juice and moisture, or to make a sauce. My idea with this recipe was to make a side dish, something that could be served with pork chops, roast chicken, pork tenderloin, sausages, tossed with salad greens, on top of a pizza or maybe even used in a sandwich. Most recipes for roast pears call for pear halves or quarters, but dicing them just means they cook faster. You could also include pears with potatoes, parsnips, onions, beets or other similar vegetables that are good for roasting. 

I really love the silky texture of cooked pears. The flavor intensifies too, which is why pears are so good in cakes and tarts. But you can get the same texture and flavor by roasting pears without baking them in a batter or crust. Necessity is the mother of invention and my mother's prolific pear trees accounts for the plethora of pear recipes I've created. Currently I'm really enjoying maple roasted pears with oatmeal or yogurt, but as the season progresses I'm sure I'll find even more ways to use them. 

Savory Roasted Pears

Ingredients

4 firm pears, about 2 pounds 

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel, core and dice the pears. Toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Place pears in a foil or parchment-lined baking dish and roast for 30 minutes or until tender. Time will vary depending upon the type of pears and their level of ripeness. 

Enjoy! 

Turkey Sliders with Kale and Roasted Broccoli Spread

I'm generally okay with getting older.  Some people desire the ability to time travel back to high school, longing to be 16 again and rejoining cheerleading squads and all that jazz.  I'm not one of those sorts.  I have the "older is wiser" philosophy of life. However, while I don't wish to relive the past, I do wish I possessed the ability to stop myself from doing certain things.  But I digress.

One of the things I'm not okay with is my waning lack of enthusiasm for thrill rides.  And more specifically, roller coasters.  There was a time when I absolutely could not wait to be tall enough to go on a roller coaster, and as soon as I became tall enough, gleefully and joyfully rode those roller coasters.  I considered my love of roller coasters as an integral part of my identity, akin to being a reader or a person with brunette hair.

But now?  My love has has been frittered away.  I find them painful.  Painful.  Both physically, and now emotionally, as being tossed around in a tiny car appears to not be a kind thing to do to this almost 30 year-old body.  And emotionally, as this thing that I would look forward to doing each summer, this thing that I was always proud of doing, is no longer mine to claim.

One thing that will not wane, or I absolutely refuse to let it - is an enthusiasm for miniature foods.  I have fond memories of mini hamburgers (i don't remember calling them sliders at the time) being served by my mom. And absolutely loving their adorable size, a trait that never ceases to thrill me to this day.  Here we made little turkey burgers, and punched up their umami flavor with some tomato paste, Parmesan cheese, ground dried porcini mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce.  The patties were moist (we may have had a casualty) but it is worth the trade off.  Topping them with a slice of Parmesan and a roasted broccoli spread punches up the flavor, while raw kale adds a bit of crunch. A food for the ages.

And if you are obsessed with the idea of miniature burgers and need more recipe ideas, Cooking Light has you covered! This slideshow here features all sorts of these mini sandwiches - from Bacon and Cheddar to Beet and Brown Rice! Endless possibilities!

Ingredients
For the turkey patties:
20 ounces ground turkey
1 teaspoon ground dried porcini mushrooms (run the dried mushrooms through a spice grinder)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the roasted broccoli spread:
3-4 cups broccoli florets
4 garlic cloves
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
drizzle of lemon juice
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of mango flesh
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground pasilla
2 tablespoons chives
1 scallion
cayenne, to taste
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the burgers:
12-14 miniature burger (slider) buns
slices of Parmesan cheese (I like using my y-shaped vegetable peeler for this)
kale leaves (tough stems removed)
cooked turkey patties
roasted broccoli spread

Instructions
To make the turkey patties: In a large bowl, mix together the turkey, ground mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, Greek yogurt, garlic powder, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.  Form the mixture into small patties.  I get 12-14 patties from it.

To make the roasted broccoli spread:  Heat oven to 425.  Spread the florets and garlic on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, until browned.

Remove the broccoli/garlic from pan and place in bowl.  Add the Greek yogurt, olive oil, mango, lemon juice, pasilla, chives, and scallion.  Blend with an immersion blender (or put everything in a food processor to make the spread).  Adjust cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste.

To make the burgers:  Heat canola oil over high heat in a cast iron skillet.  Add the patties.  Brown one side (about 3 minutes or so).  Flip the burgers over and add a Parmesan cheese slice to each.  Keep the heat on high to brown the bottoms.  Cover skillet with a baking sheet or lid and turn the heat to low to finish cooking the turkey and to melt the cheese.  Once the burgers are fully cooked and the cheese has melted, remove from pan.

To assemble the sliders:  Place a piece of kale and a cooked burger patty on each bun.  Spread the roasted broccoli sauce on each before closing.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Free Italian Cooking Classes & Dinner in San Francisco

Next week there are a number of spaces still open at the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco for free pasta classes with the "pasta sommelier" of Delverde pasta. Check the schedule, choose a class and register. The dishes being served are: 

- pasta salad with eggplant, rocket, crispy bread and Pecorino cheese

- vegetarian pasta with egg

- mushrooms and leeks pasta stirred with a Ricotta cheese and thyme sauce

- salad pasta with pesto, zucchini and crispy ham

- sausage pasta with sun dried tomatoes, black olives, capers and onions

- cheese and pepper pasta sauce with a mint aroma

Tickets are FREE! 

On Wednesday September 11th I'll be one of the judges along with my friend and colleague Viola Buitoni of Italy’s famed Buitoni pasta making family, at the IMAF Chef's Cup. It's the grand finale of a competition between Michelin starred Italian chefs Rosanna Marziale and Stefano Cerveni of Le due Colombe a Corte Franca. The two chefs will present dishes they created inspired by films. 

Chef Rosanna Marziale will present Spaghetti Gragnano, served with San Marzano tomatoes dripped in Mozzarella di Bufala.  The dish was inspired by the famous Italian film, “Poverty and Nobility.”   Chef Stefano Cerveni will showcase his Bread Soup with diced, crispy free-range Chicken and Black Truffles inspired by the Academy Award-winning movie "Babette's Feast". Tickets are $100 / person for the wine paired dinner and include gratuity.  Reservations online or with Il Fornaio by calling (415) 986-0100.

I am also giving away a pair of tickets to the grand finale! Simply leave a comment with your favorite Italian dish and be sure to include your email in the proper field (only I will see it). Please only enter if you are available to attend this coming Wednesday September 11th at Il Fornaio in San Francisco from 6:30-9:30 pm. Winner will be chosen the morning of September 10th. 

Buon Appetito!

Strawberry Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins

There are many experiences in life to which I have absolutely no inclination to become a participant.  Like running a marathon.  Or bungee jumping. Or learning computer programming. Or Living in a snowy/icy location.  I just have no interest in these.

And I'm thinking that eating muffins without chocolate chips has to be added to that list.  Non-chocolate-chip muffins can sound so wonderful and so delicious.  And I'm taken in by their charms, their warmth, their smell (I'm looking at you apple muffins). And I will bake some.  And after I eat one, and the remaining 11 or so muffins are waiting to be eaten, my mind starts to regret this muffin path that I have chosen, and I fervently wish that a chocolate chip muffin, of some kind, of any kind, was in front of me instead.

I now put chocolate chips in banana muffins, zucchini muffins, muffins without fruit - ALL the muffins. Including these ones. I imagine that someone will assume that all the muffins taste the same. But that is just complete and utter nonsense.

Do I want that sweet banana taste with my chocolate chips or do I want some sweet berries? What kind of texture should the muffin have today? These are important questions. And lead to very (okay maybe not very) but still, they are all different muffins. All very different vehicles for delivering chocolate chips into my mouth.

Instead of leaving things well enough alone, I took out the lemon from this recipe and added vanilla extract and a bit of almond extract and some cinnamon and nutmeg for some fragrance. And, most importantly, chocolate chips were added to the mix. It is a muffin path with no regrets.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups chopped strawberries + 2 tablespoons flour
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Instructions 
Heat oven to 350. In a small bowl, gently coat the strawberries with the 2 tablespoons flour together and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 2 ½ cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, mix together extracts, sugar, egg, buttermilk, and oil. Mix the dry ingredients into wet, stirring until just combined. Gently mix in the strawberries that have been tossed with flour, as well as the chocolate chips. Line a muffin pan with liners then divide batter among the prepared cups. Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. 

Baked Fish Sticks with Avocado Lemon Ginger Dip

I must confess to one of my "quirks."  I do not wear jeans.  I am not trying to cultivate an eccentricity.  I just absolutely do not find them comfortable.  That stiff denim fabric.  That waist band that rubs against the skin. I hate it with the entirety of my heart.  They have been phased out of my life completely.

My aversion to jeans started at an early age.  I'm pretty sure my mom capitalized on this fact, and would make me wear jeans as punishment when I was little.  I say "pretty sure" because I sometimes lose track of what is reality and what are the personal myths and lies we tell ourselves (luckily, this beloved parent of mine is coming for a visit, so I can find out for sure - I'm extremely excited about this). But I do remember that the thought of wearing jeans was an effective deterrent against wrongdoing.

Eventually, I gave in to lure of conformity, wearing denim like all the normal people.  But I never loved them, and relished the thought of returning to a state of pajamahood at the end of each and every day.

One day, it occurred to me that I did not need to continue my denim distress.  Alternatives exist.  And thus I left behind my jail of jeans.

So instead of being fashionable, I choose comfort. Which generally leaves me with two choices.  Dresses, with or without leggings. And yoga/sweat pants and tees.  Which, depending on my mood, leaves me under or over dressed for just about every occasion.  And I am okay with this.

Sometimes, however, comfortable clothes just don't give the proper amount of comfort.  And that is where food comes in.  A few days ago, my friend Jess informed that you can cut fish into stick shapes.  And then turn those into fish sticks. This was the most genius of all the ideas.  How did I not think of that before?  So I went ahead and made one of those most basics of comfort foods - fish sticks.  And a wonderfully zesty avocado lemon ginger dip to go along with it.  Comfort food that goes supremely well with anything you choose to wear.

Ingredients
For the fish sticks:
3/4 pound white fish (I used rockfish), cut into strips or nuggets (whatever shape strikes your fancy!)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1 cup panko
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons dried dill weed

For the avocado lemon ginger dip:
1 tablespoon grated ginger (use a microplane)
flesh from 1 small avocado
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 chopped scallions
1 tablespoon chives
pinch Saigon cinnamon

Instructions
To make the fish sticks:  Heat oven to 375.

Place egg in a shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, mix together flour, panko, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and dill.

Take each strip or nugget and dredge in the beaten egg and then the panko mixture.  Place on baking sheet.  Repeat until all the fish has been dredged in both the egg and the panko mixture.  Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown on the outside and cooked through.

To make the dip:  Place ginger, avocado, Greek yogurt, and lemon zest/juice in bowl.  Use a fork to mash together.  Add scallions, chives, and pinch of cinnamon and continue to blend together.  Serve with fish sticks.