Last Crumb

Here, dear reader, a little game while the next post brews — can you guess what all of these dishes have in common?

• crab apple blossom drops with meyer’s lemon sour mix
• warmed olives with fava beans and rosemary
• nasturtium pesto
• watercress, nasturtium, and miners’ lettuce salad with pine nuts and fresh flowers
• and braised dandelion and nettle with wild mushrooms

Posted by: Rose on May 8th, 2008 © Filed under: Cocktails & Spirits, Condiments, Food for Thought, Menus, Seasonal-Spring | 2 Comments »

Oh, dear reader, I know the signs. A blog in its last death-throes. The “sorry”s and “back soon”s and promises of reform, the ever decreasing posts. I recognize the symptoms, and I’ll admit it’s not easy to keep alive these little homes we carve out of thin air. But this one’s not going away. Just give its authors time to crawl out from under the mounds of school work and work work, of books and papers and dishes and (yes) a few DVDs; they’ll be back around any day to visit their favorite spots and share their favorite adventures. Until then, I’ll leave you with this recipe for homemade chocolate, Oaxaca style.

I began thinking about chocolate a few weeks ago. Really, I was thinking about pleasure. We were eating at NOPA, which surprises us by how good it is every time we go there and, since we were with a good friend who we rarely see, we were more extravagant than usual. We started with cocktails, then shared a variety of small plates and main dishes, a good bottle of wine, a couple of desserts (their desserts are fabulous), and more drinks. It was a good meal, and it started me thinking about a New York Times Op-Ed from back in February 2006 (Go With Your Gut, by Harriet Brown), which suggests that the more we enjoy what we eat, the more nutrition we derive from it.

It’s a tempting thought, not least because, well, don’t we all wish our every indulgence might yield some hidden benefit? But it makes sense, too. Our bodies, if we can remember how to follow their lead, know what to hunger for.

So here is chocolate:

This recipe comes from Susanna Trilling, by way of her Seasons of My Heart cookbook. I modified it to include less cinnamon and sugar, and prepared it using a food processor, rather than the traditional grinding stone or mill methods. You can find raw cacao at natural foods stores (we got ours at Rainbow Grocery) or online. This chocolate is unrefined and a bit granular. Though it is delicious straight, it is at its best prepared as hot chocolate, the traditional use in Oaxaca. Melt one stick in 12 ounces of hot milk or water, crushing and stirring gently with a spoon. It is also excellent for baking, though the cinnamon gives it a slightly different taste.

Homemade Chocolate, Oaxaca Style

Ingredients
1/2 ounce Mexican cinnamon sticks, broken (or about 2 tablespoons ground)
1 pound first-class fermented cacao beans
10 ounces - 1 1/4 pound finely granulated sugar

Method
In a cast iron pan, toast the cinnamon until fragrant, stirring constantly, then set aside to cool. If using cinnamon sticks, grind in a spice mill or coffee grinder until fine. Add the cacao to the pan and toast, stirring constantly until the beans begin to crack and brown. Allow to cool, then remove and discard shells.

In a food processor, combine cinnamon and cacao beans and mix until finely ground. Add about 8 ounces of sugar and mix again until sugar is fully incorporated. Taste for sweetness and continue adding slowly until desired sweetness is achieved. Do not add more than the chocolate can absorb. The original recipe called for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lbs sugar. I used about 10 ounces. Grind the mixture until it is shiny and very smooth.

Turn onto a large wooding cutting board and pat into a square 1/4 inch thick until it is shiny. Slide a chef’s knife under the chocolate to release it from the board, flip it, and pat the other side until shiny as well (you may need to transfer it to a second chopping board to turn it over). Cut into pieces 1 inch by 4 inches and place on wax paper to solidify, up to two hours depending on temperature and humidity. Store chocolate in a sealed plastic bag or glass container.

Eat and savor.

Posted by: Rose on March 15th, 2008 © Filed under: Food for Thought, Sweets | 8 Comments »

We returned to San Francisco from Oaxaca, Mexico late Monday night expecting that my brother would have posted at least once, but it seems this poor site has gone unloved for the whole of our vacation. Well, here is the remedy: my favorite pozole recipe.

There is a little pozole restaurant in Oaxaca that used to sit right off the main zocalo, and when I first started making pozole, it was their recipe I tried to emulate. I’m pleased to say that we tried them again (now in a different location), and found mine to be superior. It’s not quite traditional, not least because it contains no meat, but it’s perfectly spicy and tangy and robust. The recipe is very flexible, and really, there’s not much you can do wrong, but I prefer to keep the soup simple so that I can load up on the garnishes. Chop the cheddar cheese and avocados in squares and drop them right into the soup — they’re wonderful when gently warmed.

In Mexico, pozole is traditionally served on Christmas Eve, when everyone waits up until midnight and greets the next day with fireworks and celebration, much like New Years Even in the United States. There are three common types; white, green, and red, and sometimes the different kinds are said to come from different regions. My version is probably closest to a white, but the broth actually comes out a bit red.

Once you’re familiar with the recipe, it’s easy to get creative: replace the dried chipotles with roasted pasillas or jalapeños; add canned stewed tomatoes or chipotle in adobo; add some roasted tomatillos pureed with a little of the stock; stir in a red or coloradito mole; and/or add shredded chicken or pork, or cubed smoked tofu — the possibilities are endless, and delicious!

Homemade Pozole

for the soup
1 1/2 cups dried hominy, soaked overnight
1 yellow onion, finely diced
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbs olive oil
2-3 dried chipotle peppers
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water

for the garnish
1 large avocado, quartered and chopped
1 lime, sliced into wedges
1 cup sharp cheddar, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup queso fresco, cut into cubes, or Oaxaca quesillo, shredded
cabbage, shredded
chopped cilantro, optional
toasted tortillas or tortilla chips

In a large pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add the chipotle peppers and spices and cook until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Add the soaked hominy and 1 cup of the water or stock. When the mixture has reached a boil, add 5 cups of the water or stock and cook, partially covered, until the corn begins to split and there is no hint of chalkiness, 2-3 hours. Add the remaining water or stock, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with the garnishes. Squeeze the lime liberally over everything. If there are leftovers, poach an egg or two in the reheating broth for a hearty breakfast.

Serves 4

Posted by: Rose on February 2nd, 2008 © Filed under: Holiday Themed, Soups, Vegetable Dishes | 1 Comment »

Here it finally is - a write up, complete with links, photos, and recipes from the dinner party, nearly two weeks ago.  I’m hoping this will mark the beginning of a marvelously dedicated regime of regular posts!

It occurred to me, after I began shopping for the menu, that the dishes I’d selected for our recent dinner party might have some metaphoric resonance. Here I was, about to celebrate my 30th birthday, and somehow I found myself running around town at the end of November looking for tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, grapes. Attempting, it seemed, to hold on to the last of summer’s bounty.

I was lucky to find almost everything I needed down at the Ferry Building. The tomatoes weren’t the best of the season, but they were firm and fragrant, as was the rest of the produce. Will went down again when he got into town and grabbed me a lovely Himalayan truffle, which we shaved over the risotto.

Part of the reason for the Mediterranean focus was because I wanted to make the meal almost completely vegetarian. It’s the way we mostly eat at home, and rather than worrying about various dietary restrictions, I decided to keep things simple, plant based, and as local as possible.  I dare say, the meat eating folks didn’t miss a thing.

Autumn Menu for 15

• White gazpacho soup shots garnished with tomatillo and smoked paprika

• Baked stuffed tomatos with goat cheese fondue and breadcrumbs

• Lemon risotto with grilled prawns and shaved truffle

• Citrus salad with pomegranate, shaved fennel bulb, and frisee

• Eggplant torte with cannelloni beans, ratatouille, and Romesco sauce from the Millennium Cookbook

• Michele’s Famous Chocolate Cheesecake with candied orange peel

This is obviously an ambitions menu, but much of it can be made ahead. Disorganized as I am, I ended up preparing almost everything the day of, but I had plenty of help in the kitchen - don’t try such a feat alone! A few items, namely the gazpacho and the cheesecake, actually benefit from a little extra time in the fridge.

Lemon Risotto with Prawns

Lemon risotto is simple and classic. I borrowed the idea of garnishing it with prawns from Alfred Portale’s Twelve Seasons Cookbook (now out of print, I think). Truffles, though not strictly necessary, contrast nicely with the creamy tang of the rice.

Ingredients

• 2 quarts vegetable stock (chicken is also fine)
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 lb arborio rice
• 3 tsp minced lemon zest
• 3 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or rosemary (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs (chives and/or parsley)
• 15 large prawns or jumbo shrimp, in the shell
• Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
• One fresh truffle (we used the less expensive, Himilayan truffle)

Method

For the risotto: Heat broth in a large saucepan and put aside, keeping warm over low heat. In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice and stir 5-10 minutes with a wooden spoon until it begins to look milky white and opaque. Add the white wine, lemon zest, and thyme or rosemary if using and stir until the wine is nearly absorbed. Add about 1 cup of the warm stock and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add stock a cup at a time, making sure broth is nearly absorbed before adding more. Continue this process, stirring frequently, until rices is creamy and tender, but still firm, about 20-30 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with two prawn halves and a sprinkling of fresh truffle.

For the prawns: Preheat the broiler. With a sharp chef’s knife, slice the prawns lengthwise through the shell and clean. Arrange them, cut side up, on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil for 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned.

Citrus Salad with Pomegranate, Shaved Fennel Bulb, and Frisee

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs seedless clementine or manderine oranges
• 1 ruby grapfruit
• 1 pomegranate, skin and white parts removed
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 2 heads frisee
• Olive oil
• Seasoned rice vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Orange juice
• Salt and pepper

Method

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and dress with 2 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar and 1 part orange juice. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of soy sauce.

Posted by: Rose on December 14th, 2007 © Filed under: Main Dishes, Menus, Vegetable Dishes | 2 Comments »