From the Journals: #1

08 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by Stacey Bender in From the journals, the kitchen

Tags

Anniversary dinners, eggplant, grilled lamb, legumes

Grilled Lamb Chop with Three Bean Ratatouille
Volume 4, Page 146
January 29, 2004
_________________________________________________________________

I made this 22 years ago on my first date with my (then future) husband. It was a very simple dish that I developed for serving with lamb chops (my absolute go-to for a special occasion, or had the night off from working at the restaurant, or wanting meat); this prep, was by far, my favorite at the time. What I didn’t know, that night, was Tom did not care for lamb, detested eggplant, and was no fan of beans, in addition to having an aversion to anything in the squash family. Did I mention, he married me anyway? Plus, he came back for dinner the next night, and the night after that…?

Must have been true love, because I hadn’t made it since that first date (until the 11th anniversary of said date) but now (and even then at year 11), his tastes have developed and become more accepting, so I decided to re-create it – never having written it down. In this present day and time however, I would most likely cook my own beans, and I have been known to use my basic, homemade tomato sauce, but back then, I only used canned. Not that there is anything to apologize for about that.

Three Bean Ratatouille

This can be made in advance or eaten right away. The leftovers are wonderful for lunch the next day and perfect for making soup. I often use my leftovers to make ratatouille and hummus soup with lamb sausage.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cooked, drained chick peas*
1/2 cup cooked, drained kidney beans*
1/2 cup cooked, drained white beans*
3-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 Japanese eggplants** cut into 1/2” dice (3-4 cups)
2-3 zucchini** cut into 1/2” dice (3-4 cups)
2 TB chopped fresh rosemary
1 can (16 oz) Mur Glen fire-roasted tomatoes
Balsamic vinegar to taste

* If using canned beans (as I did then and do often) you will have leftover beans that can be used in salads or put to good use in soup).

** You should have equal zucchini to eggplant, but exact proportions are not critical to the end result of this dish, so relax. I slice them in half and then into quarters (depending on the circumference).

PREPARE

In a skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom. It is ready when it moves freely about the pan.

Add the eggplant first, sautéing a few minutes before adding the garlic along with a little seasoning of salt and pepper.

Next add the zucchini along with the rosemary and another little sprinkle of salt and pepper.

A few minutes later, add the tomatoes, stir.

Now add in the beans and allow to come to a bit of a simmer.

Cover with a lid and let cook for 20-30 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if needed (it will likely be needed), more pepper for sure and more rosemary if it is not an obvious flavor.

Now check the consistency; the eggplant wants to be soft and the zucchini slightly crisp yet tender. The sauce should thicken slightly. Check to see that the seasonings are balanced; not too salty, not too bland; adjust as you see helpful.

Add 1 – 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar to help brighten the flavor. If you are one to like garlic (as we do), it is nice to add a little extra raw, chopped garlic at this point to help elevate the loveliness of flavor. Continue to cook, covered, for another 10-20 minutes. It is done when you feel it is done (how cool is that?). Go by taste and texture with a little instinct mixed in. Do know this however, it will always be more flavorful the next day. Heinz nailed their campaign when they introduce the song which highlighted the word…a n t i c i p a t i o n…

Grilled Lamb Chops

Ask your butcher for a rack of lamb with 5-6 ribs (for two) or 10-12 ribs if making for four. Have him/her cut the chops apart and trim away the excess fat toward the stem of the bone. I like to use the skinnier boned chops for this.

Sprinkle the chops with “seasoning”. I make my own seasoning by roasting peppercorns, sea salt and coriander seeds, then grinding them down in my Magic Bullet. You could also just season with good sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Don’t overwhelm the chops, just a light seasoning.

In a mortar with a pestle, smash 3 cloves garlic, add in a handful of fresh rosemary (minus the stem, approximately 1 TB, chopped), a little sea salt, pound, pound, pound. Now add approximately 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Massage this mixture well, and evenly over each chop.

Cover and refrigerate until an hour before you are ready to grill them. They will want to sit at room temperature for an hour before cooking so that the meat can cook to the perfect temperature inside without burning the outside.

On a hot, oiled grill, cook the chops approximately 3-minutes per side. You can tell they are done by touching the center. It will harden and have less give the more done they are. Cook them to your liking; I like mine rare and Tom prefers his medium-well (silly, silly boy). Tent them with foil while you plate the ratatouille.

TO SERVE
(goat cheese and truffle oil are optional garnishes)

Place a good-sized spoonful of ratatouille in the center of each plate (or pasta bowl). Put 2-3 chops, crisscrossed, on top. Crumble over a little goat cheese (chèvre) and serve with a nice hunk of good bread.

I like to drizzle my plate with truffle oil because I love truffle oil; Tom does not.

I noted that we served that particular meal with 2000 Dynamite Cabernet.

I also noted that on 6/9/2004 (AKA our wedding anniversary), I made this dish and had two leftover lamb chops, so I served it as an appetizer the next night (1 chop over a small dollop of ratatouille). This made me realize that it would be a good thing to serve for a multi-course dinner party. The ratatouille could be made a day in advance and heats easily. The lamb chop would only require one chop per guest; so it would be budget friendly + easy to cook – brilliant!

Ciao Bella!

The Big Shake: by ginger

16 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in From the journals, Ginger + Buddy, the kitchen

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

canine stretches and sighs, canine zen, frozen dessert, this dog's life, tiramisu, tiramisu gelato

Release. I love to release. Unless it is food. If it is food and it has made it to my (not so) delicate mouth, you had better back off! Or keep at it, tugging and prying relentlessly, until you save me from myself (some food is bad for me but I never learn).

I love to shake. Shaking is a great form of release, just like a big sigh. Deep, bottom of the soul kind of sigh. I love to sigh. I love to shake. I love to release. My brother Buddy (yes, I been known to refer to him as my brother now) has a really unique shaking technique; he always has had. When he first came to live with us, his shake was a little weak but the technique was fun to watch. I think it was then that I knew he was one I could love someday. He needed work though, and by work, I mean what he really needed was love and care. I didn’t give him obvious love, but I was teaching him (with love) nonetheless. Mom didn’t think so though; she thought I was jealous of and mean to him. But I saw it as tough love. His first lesson of course, was to learn who was boss. After he learned that, there was a large agenda to fill.

I taught him to stretch. He came to us crotchety and stiff.

I taught him to sit on the couch, waiting for the snacks to come to us, rather than jumping down and chasing Mom each time she goes into the kitchen. This has taken some time, but he still does it often enough. There is a whole syllabus that could be built around etiquette and maximizing the efforts in the kitchen. It took a while for him to get a passing grade in this class and sometimes I wonder if he could use a refresher course.

I taught him to scratch, fervently behind the ears to get Mom to rub them, or sometimes just for attention. If that doesn’t work, proceed to chewing your crotch. That always works for gaining attention.

I taught him to move from room to room, following the sunbeams and switching up which bed to nap in. Now that he is my brother, I let him take his pick. And sometimes, I even let him choose first after Mommy and Daddy leave for work.

I taught him to snarf. Snarfing must come from the nose, and the head needs to tilt with a quick flick of the neck. It should sound wet but not dripping (although Daddy disagrees with my assessment and continues to declare, “snarf-free zones”, like the front seat of the car; silly Daddy). It should start softly and get louder until the intended action is taken. Snarfing is a gentle way of asking for something that you want. Don’t ask me why it works but I have found that it does. It is also a good method of release. Just look at the dashboard.

I also taught him to sigh!

He used to make little sighs that you couldn’t hear, but I’m talking deep down, from the belly to the nose and back through to the toes kinds of sigh. People pay good money to learn this technique I’m told.

He too likes to sigh big now and we both like to shake. When Buddy shakes, he looks like a propeller starting to take-off. It begins at his head and echos down to the small of his back where it effortlessly builds momentum, lifting his little butt upwards and back legs off of the ground ending in his little stubby tail. This happens very quickly, yet it still seems like it is happening in slow-motion because he is a blur. I think he used to be a cowboy. I can almost see him on a bull-ride, hanging onto the reins as it whips him too and fro. He’s a little scrappy guy but I bet he would hang on, back hunched forward and bottom flying up and down in the air. His (rather large) nose would be pointing up to the sky, eyes squinted and tongue tucked at the corner of his lip where his missing tooth used to be.

When I shake, it is much more graceful. It is proceeded by a languished stretch; front paws fully extended, pushing into the ground. Chest forward, it dips down and my arms buckle, my back arches and my short nose skims the floor. I sit like this for a bit, letting the stretch work it’s way through my belly from my pelvis to my lungs, then my head guides my chest back up and I shake it out. A whole body at once, a side-to-side kind of shake. Legs firmly planted, posture intact and a deliberate motion shake. I was a dancer before and take movement very seriously. Even when it appears to be a crazy move; the move is always intentional. This goes for the moves I make with my eyes, intentional and all-knowing. I see everything. I plot out each move. I work hard each day and then I need to release – sleep, sigh, stretch, then shake!

Time to eat!!!

The logical thing, I realize, would be to make a shake. I am a dog now though (yes, it’s true) and this is not the thing I think of eating when I say, “it’s time to eat”. So Buddy and I are off to eat our duck. It isn’t just duck; there are veggies too, but it is raw. I don’t think you want to hear about raw duck and I doubt Darwin’s will give up their recipe (or else I might just let Mom make it for me instead), so I think it is best to describe a good little “pick me up” that Mom is making from her “big mistake”. It happens to be a shake (or at least that icy thing you use to make a shake).

Bonefide Tiramisu Gelato
By Stacey

This recipe came about from a bad batch of birthday “cake”, a spark of an idea from my niece, Julia and the leftover batter from said birthday cake. I should also mention that the cake had not been traditional cake but actually tiramisu. You can read about that story [here]. When I made it for my Mom’s birthday, it was a bit of a mistake because the eggs did not have enough yolk. Long story short(ish), at dinner, my niece spoke of a tiramisu gelato being a favorite when she heard that tiramisu was for dessert. This got me thinking, with all of the leftover cream, I could make gelato (or just ice cream).

I could not find my ice cream maker (since it was not in the freezer, it wouldn’t have done me any good anyways). Remembering that my Blendtec claimed to make ice-cream, I decided to give it a try. I whipped out the booklet which showed a recipe using batter frozen into ice cubes. I proceeded to put some of my cream “batter” into the only ice tray I could find, a bone-shaped one for Ginger and Buddy’s Summer frozen yogurt. Problem…this is a rigid tray and I couldn’t pry them out once frozen so I had to let them sit on the counter and melt enough to release. By this point, I decided to skip the bother of any device and just put the whole lot into the freezer in a glass container. Several hours later, it had frozen into a soft, supple, delicious pile of tiramisu gelato. Julia, this one’s for you. Ciao Bella!

INGREDIENTS

1 batch of cream batter from My tiramisu (click here for recipe)
1 (additional) 8oz tub of mascarpone
Cocoa powder or carob powder for dusting
Ladyfingers for optional garnish

PREPARE

When you make the tiramisu cream batter, add the extra tub of mascarpone to the called-for-in-the-recipe quantity.

Regardless of whether you end up with a thin or a creamy batter, transfer it to a freezer safe dish with tight-fitting lid. Put it in the freezer for several hours.

It should be a soft velvety consistency when it is ready to serve. The longer it stays in the freezer, the harder it will be. If it is quite firm and too hard to scoop, simply let it rest on the counter until it comes to the desired consistency. If you are serving at a dinner party or just know you will be having a little scoop for dessert, plan ahead and set it out about 10-20 minutes in advance.

Sprinkle the scoop with a dusting of cocoa and serve with a ladyfinger.

I’m still teaching him…
…it’s about the zen.

+ when life is good, open wide and let it in!

Even the best laid plans…

08 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in family gatherings, From the journals, the kitchen

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

cooking, dessert, tiramisu

Cook what you know.

A good motto to live by when entertaining; one I try to uphold. This is especially true for me when it comes to dessert. A course often overlooked as I scramble to prepare all of the others. Simple is good! Something in my repertoire and something that requires little to no baking is even better. For me, that could mean tiramisu. My recipe for tiramisu dates back to 1998 from my first journal, yet I was making it before I started documenting my kitchen, uh-ventures. It was my thing. I could always woo people with my tiramisu; my rendition was golden (and it was the 90’s after all, where it even stole a few lines in “Sleepless in Seattle”). Journal #1

Okay, so my rendition of Buongusto’s tiramisu was golden. I came to acquire their rendition specifically from watching (on many occasions) the pastry chef at the long-time defunct, Buongusto Ristorante on Queen Anne, make this dessert for dinner service. It was often late at night, after hours (because it needed to be prepared a day in advance). I would watch him work his magic while he told me about the ghosts that haunted the kitchen of the old house in which the restaurant resided… I watched, I learned, I repeated (on a scale more compatible to our small Queen Anne Hill duplex kitchen). It became my go-to birthday (or special occasion) cake. I hadn’t made it in years. The entry

Facing the quickly approaching birthday affair we were hosting at our house for my Mother, it seemed appropriate to make this as a birthday cake. After all, spaghetti and meatballs had been her dinner request and tiramisu seemed like the right thing to make.

I made a very bad birthday cake.

I don’t know that I should apologize about it, because I was not actually making a cake. As I said, I was making tiramisu. For my Mom’s birthday (she just turned…well, we were forewarned not to say which birthday it was).

Bad birthday cake nonetheless.

I am blaming it on the eggs. I cracked open the 7 perfectly large, brown eggs slated for this effort, but was rewarded with a meager bit of yolk in each of them. I had virtually 1/2 the amount of yolk that I should have had. However, this did not stop me from proceeding, diligently following each bit of scribble in my dog-eared and tattered journal.

Rather than a thickened, creamy cloud that should have spread loosely over the top of each layer of ladyfingers, I had what “spread” with the consistency of buttermilk. I added another 8oz of mascarpone, along with two more egg yolks, (happily for them, the whites were cooked for Buddy and Ginger) and I took my hand blender to it again. Ironically, it was even thinner than what I had before, but it was midnight and I had to move on.

Next, I slopped down a layer of this wet cream, topped it with the first layer of fingers, and poured, as evenly as I could, more of the cream over top. It disappeared into the pores of the fingers but I topped it with the next layer of fingers nonetheless. Now it was time for a little, big chill, overnight, in the fridge. I learned to always make this a day ahead. Perhaps the new day would show a fluffier reward?

The new day did not reward me with fluff. Instead, the big chill looked like a big shake. I should clarify this; it was like the aftermath of a BIG shake, like the kind from a big dog that was left to do their business out in the rain. There was a puddle of cream slopping out the edges causing a very unsightly mess, and a completely exposed, un-topped layer of cake. I mopped it up from the sides with a paper towel. Cake sitting on the counter, I stood over it, deliberating on what would be my next move. Mom was hanging about the kitchen now and I tried to hide the misery under a wrap of foil until I could formulate a good plan. Family would be arriving shortly and I was still up to my elbows in mess. Messy kitchen, messy clothes, messy hair. Luckily, in my frustration at the state of the cream the previous night, I did not use it all, deciding to wait on topping the last layer until the next day. Instead, I held it in it’s glass container overnight to see if it would thicken. It did not.

I had one more 8oz tub of mascarpone and a fresh batch of eggs (because I anticipated making a fix and asked Tom to pick some up at the store). What I did not have was time, to start over. Into the Blendtec my extra batter went, along with two more egg yolks. Yup, you guessed it, the result was thinner yet again. I thought that surely, the egg yolks plus high Blendtec velocity would produce the equivalent texture of heavy whipped cream. I was wrong.

So in desperation, I took that (newly purchased) last tub of mascarpone and emptied all but a few spoonfuls into the Blendtec container after transferring the batter back to it’s glass dish. I then added a modest amount of cream batter back in with the mascarpone, say 3/4 cup. Whiz, whiz, whiz…but not enough in the container to blend it well so I dug in with a rubber spatula and beat it around a little until it was finally, a lovely, little thick bit of mascarpone cream. Yes, key word here is little (as in just enough to do the trick, but modest enough to leave exposed ladyfingers). I spread it over top anyways and then dusted it with carob power to cover the inadequate amount of cream. Not too shabby. Not sexy, but not shabby indeed. A few clever birthday candles, a dimly lit room, a festive table filled with balloons, flowers and dinner aftermath…we had a birthday-worthy cake. It didn’t hurt that my sister-in-law had also donned the table with a double-tiered plate of Italian dolce (cannoli, amaretto cookies and biscotti). Added a few perfectly-frothed cups of espresso and we were in business.

Sometimes, you can cook what you know, but you find you need to get reacquainted once more. Sometimes even the best-laid plans require a change of plan and often times, they work out just fine, nonetheless.

A little rough but…still festive (and tasty).

Tiramisu

I have eaten many versions of tiramisu, some dense and thick, others light and fluffy. There can be espresso or not, booze or not, but there really should be both. It is important to use high-quality ingredients (as it always is), but with this dish even more-so due to the minimal flavors that are brought together to sing. A good, thick espresso will provide a deep flavor and a gentle “pick me up”. For the booze, a nice brandy is what I prefer, mixed with a small amount of Kahlúa and Meyer rum. Some people use only rum or (gasp), no booze at all. The booze is not meant to overwhelm the flavor but to add a nice sweetness and rich complexity that without would be apparent if missing. I prefer the fluffy over the dense, indicating to me, that it has been delicately constructed with fresh eggs, whites whipped separate from the yolk and not replaced by a commercially convenient concoction. The ladyfingers should be dipped quickly, not soaked, in the espresso and booze mixture so as to keep them from becoming soggy. Most importantly, as mentioned earlier, it needs time to chill, preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to connect and the cream to firm. The result should be a perfectly balanced flavor of coffee and cream with chocolate and spice. The texture should be soft and fluffy, leaving your palette cleansed and your stomach less than over-indulged.

INGREDIENTS

5 egg yolks
1/2 cup Turbino sugar
8 oz Mascarpone
7 egg whites

1 cup espresso
1/8 cup Brandy, plus a drizzle for the cream mixture
2 TB Kahlúa
1/4 cup Meyer rum
Several grates of fresh nutmeg (or about 1/8 tsp grated)
Cocoa or carob powder

2 packages of ladyfingers

PREPARE

In a large bowl, whip together the yolks and sugar with a mixer until they are pale yellow. Pour in a few drips of brandy and add the mascarpone. Mix until blended.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Pour the egg whites mixture into the cream and stir to blend. It should be stiff enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon.

In another bowl, combine the espresso and the booze. Set out a large platter with shallow sides or a sheet pan. Quickly dunk the ladyfingers into the espresso mix, one side at a time. Lay each one down on the platter or pan, forming rows until you have a single layer.

Top with half of the cream, spreading it evenly over the first layer. Sprinkle with carob or cocoa powder then repeat the process again with another layer.

Carefully cover, trying not to let the cover touch the surface of the cream (rigid aluminum foil works well). Chill for at least 8 hours. It is best to make 12-24 hours in advance.

If it is an occasion cake, I make it directly on the platter since it will not transfer well other than to individual plates when serving. Candles look festive and espresso served with is a must (at least for me).

Godere!

The traveling birthday hat!

When I turned 40, I had a small outdoor party and my brother, Scott, gave me this hat. Under (slight) protest, I wore it that night and then passed the torch to the next family member up on the birthday docket. It became a tradition, passing the hat from one to the next for their birthdays. I even took it on the plane to Hawai‘i one year and made Tom wear it for most of the flight on his birthday (he wasn’t under protest, the photos show him with a glass of Champagne and guava in his hand). There is a little pocket on the inside of the hat and I had grandiose plans of each person leaving a picture of themselves wearing the hat, and tucking it into the pocket before sending it down the line. Now that it is x years (I’m not talking either) later, I wish that we had done that; it would have been lovely to see them all now. My Mom, under more than slight protest, did wear the hat too. She looked marvelous. “No pictures, please“.

(I am) Saucy

03 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in beach mode, From the journals, the kitchen

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Dipping Sauce, nectarine sauce, sauce for fish, sauces, savory fruit sauce

We start out as kids with nicknames that suit us. Sometimes those names stick for life (sorry Patty Patoot-Patoot) and sometimes we are able to shake free from their implications and mockery. I was fortunate enough to wiggle away from my nickname of Q-tip (as long as the incriminating photographs from the 80’s are avoided).

On a trip to Hawaii (over 10 years-ago this past September), I became known as Saucy. I like this name much better than Q-tip, but the name is not because I am spicy, sexy or hot. It is because I am one to make sauce, but moreover because I brought sauce… to Hawaii. In a freezer bag. Well, actually three freezer bags, three sauces – nectarine sauce, strawberry sauce and romesco, all savory, all great for fish.

The previous Summer, we had dined out every night in Maui, but realized that there were a few really good reasons not to dine out as much the following year. First of all, it is expensive.

Secondly, my Grandfather owns a condo in a really nice complex that has a community kitchen. On the beach. Well, adjacent to the beach, and with a grill big enough to roast a pig on, literally. Okay, not literally (unless it is a potbelly pig).

But most importantly (thirdly?), we could take our time on the beach at sunset, drinking our gin & tonic leisurely rather than worrying about racing back up the slope to get changed in time to eat out before sundown (which apparently indicates bedtime around there). After the sun goes completely away (as in no more light from the sun in the sky) the moon glows brightly, romantically tickling light onto the water and the stars sprinkle sparkles from the sky. This is when we open up our nap sack, uncork a bottle of wine and lay out the appetizers I prepared earlier in the day. Then (after eating of course) and only then, do we head up to the beachside kitchen where our bags of groceries have been left waiting in one of the refrigerators, turn on some music and cook out, under soft light and the sound of crashing waves.

This is just a quarter of the grill.

Which brings us back to the grill; it is large and requires coals, but has amazing airflow to get hot, and fast. Our friend Tim, whom we met that trip, literally throws the whole bag directly onto the grill and lights it on fire. The first time we met them, we had been sitting on the beach at sunset, drinking our G&T. Suddenly there was a blaze of fire up the way and to our right out of sight, in the vicinity of the grill. We thought they were sending out a smoke signal to be rescued from the island. But then later, they thought our tuna looked like fish-bait (size-wise, but it was block-cut and just caught hours earlier).

Okay, this is a piece of tuna and does look like fish-bait. It was used to make an amouse though, not dinner!

And by the end of the night, we had all become fast friends, plus they were sharing our (dinner) fish with strawberry sauce + kula corn (and there were six of them and two of us). Each night after that, we met at the “big pool” (home of the beachside kitchen), we cooked, we drank, and we ate a family meal, talking and drinking well into the night. And of course, there was always a sauce, or three. To them, my name went from Stacey to Saucy and for Tom, the “big pool” became (un-officially) known as, “Chez Stacey’s Beachfront Cafe” and he always managed to find the perfect ti leaf for an appetizer “plate”.

This one is named “Tuna” and is NOT FISH BAIT!! Cute little beach bug, huh?

Nectarines on ice.

Nectarine Sauce

This sauce came to me one night when I had an excessive amount of nectarines (is that even possible?), a craving for roast duck and the desire to make a sauce. It has been made every year since that first year, recorded in my journal (volume 2, page 72) in July, 2001. I always freeze it in half-cup portions to use throughout the winter. It is excellent with duck, lamb and fish but works well as a dipping sauce for wontons, potstickers, or shrimp rolls too. It can also be added to a little Dijon mustard, sea salt (of course), lime (or lemon) juice and olive oil for a great vinaigrette. In other words, it is versatile (and travels fine on a 5 hour flight).

You will likely have a little sludge (nectarine solids) left in the pointed part of the chinois; I like to save this in a small bowl with a tight-fitting lid to use as a spread on toast with a little soft cheese or as a condiment on a sandwich (perhaps on ciabatta with sliced leg of lamb, or on rye with turkey, havarti and avocado). Think of it as a bonus: spicy nectarine conserve. I even use it on tacos. It is the rugged cousin to the nectarine sauce, chunky and good for spreading, whereas the sauce is smooth, pretty to look at and perfect to dip in.

You can adjust the heat of the sauce to your liking by adding more lime juice and/or honey if too spicy, or adding another pepper if too tame. It should be a nice color of butterscotch and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This sauce is spicy, sexy and hot.

INGREDIENTS

4 large-sized nectarines, pit removed
1 yellow wax pepper
1 jalapeño
1 Hatch chilli or 2 red Fresno chilies
1 smallish onion (sweet onion or red onion preferred), skin removed and ends trimmed
A drizzle of olive oil

1 good sized clove of garlic, chopped
1 cup sake
Juice from 1/2 fresh lime (and potentially from the other half)
1 TB Demi-glacé
1-2 TB simple syrup or honey (if needed)

PREPARE

Put the nectarines, peppers and onion on a baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Shake to coat.

Pre-heat the broiler and broil them on the middle rack, turning frequently, until the peppers are nicely browned on all sides. The nectarines and onion will not be as cooked as the peppers.

Remove the pan from the oven. Trim the stem from the peppers then scrape out and discard out the seeds. Cut the peppers into large pieces.

Cut the onion into chunks.

Remove the pit from the nectarines and cut into large chunks.

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat some olive oil (approximately 1 tsp) and sauté the garlic. Add the peppers, nectarines and onion. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften and meld together.

Add the sake and juice of half a lime. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for another 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor and purée (this recent time I used my Blendtech on the sauce setting).

Pass the purée through a chinois. It is okay (and preferred) to have 1/4 to 1/2 cup solids left that don’t pass through the mesh; reserve this to use as mentioned above.

Put the sauce back to the pan and add the Demi-glacé. Simmer for a few minutes then taste. If it is too spicy, add the simple syrup or honey, and possibly the juice from the other half of the lime.

This will store in the refrigerator for several days. I usually use this sauce once or twice when freshly made and then divide it into small Ziploc freezer bags to keep frozen for use through the winter months.

Grilled opah is a lovely choice for eating on a beach.

Since I’m not on the beach this year, I’ll take this over to Fiesta Friday for the Novice Gardener with a party hat on my head! This party hat is in celebration of my Dad’s birthday (happy birthday!!!!). I heard the party at his house this evening is drinking margaritas and eating some pretty good grub. So, since I can’t be there, I thought I would join my friends at the notoriously glorious fiesta that is being co-hosted this week by Selma and Elaine, and I will try not to break into song (as I did earlier on his annual birthday wish).

I am lighting the candles on his virtual banana cream pie! Blow out the candles Dad and hope your wishes come true!

One!

28 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in family gatherings, From the journals, the kitchen

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

cantaloupe sauce, Corn broth, Fall dinner, food, fresh shrimp spring rolls, IFBC 2014, IFBC 2015, massaged kale, pork belly, recipes, true cod

The number of times I have gone to Europe.
The number of meals I have eaten which included beef tongue.
The number of times I have truly fallen in love.
ONE.
The number of years I have attended the International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC 2014).
The number of years I have written this Blog.
One!
One special, overwhelming, fulfilling, challenging, and inspirational year!
One year ago today, Pete was sitting in our dining room, asking me what I wanted this to look like. One day before, I had no idea what I was about to get into let alone know what it should look like (other than the header, which Pete designed for me earlier). I would not have ever gotten past the thought of a space to write down my ideas about food without first, the journals that my husband Tom bought me, ritually, each time I filled one up, or second, without Pete saying, “Hey, do you want me to come over and just help you do this thing?”. I can’t thank them enough!

And big thanks to all of you that actually read what I write. A bigger thanks to those that actually leave comments and/or follow my blog (Simon, you were my first follower, thanks!). Most of all I am just happy to have a place that I can escape to and write for a few minutes, or an hour, or a day. One! Without that time, I feel lost. Without that writing, I would not have connected to all of the people that I have met through this blog. I am so glad to have “met” each of you. I wish I could meet you all in person, have you to dinner, or share a glass of wine over a leisurely lunch. But we can pretend (unless you actually come over, then we can do some serious eating!).

I leave you with this, a dinner that we shared last night with my Mom and her opposite-sex-partner, John (very much part of the family too), before their departure back to Alaska (after fixing numerous household things in need of repair). One trip, one meal, one year, is never enough (but they will be back for a special birthday in a month, I will keep writing for another year and I will attend, for my second time, the International Food Bloggers Conference, September 18-20, 2015, you too can register here).

One Summer down, Fall is back in the air, and this is the meal that we shared… and for Mom, my recipe for the pork belly + canteloupe sauce. One course is never enough. We had five. A good number too, but too much to write. This is about, One (recipe).

A Fall Dinner for Mom and John 9/27/14

To start – Nibbles with cocktails
Fresh shrimp spring rolls with dipping sauces (nuac chom + nectarine sauce)
+
Fried shoyu tofu sticks + golden cow’s milk cheese & everything crackers (for the nibbler (ironically not me, my Mom))
1st
Roast beet + raw zucchini and mint stack with miso sauce and pickled ginger
2nd
True cod with corn, wild mushrooms, baby bok choy and shoyu corn broth
3rd
*Pork belly + scallop, massaged kale, cantaloupe sauce
To finish
Fig, apple and ricotta galette with carmel cashew-milk ice cream
+
Berry galette with Elleno’s lemon curd yogurt

Fresh shrimp spring rolls with dipping sauces.

Roast beet + raw zucchini and mint stack with miso sauce and pickled ginger.

True cod with corn, wild mushrooms, baby bok choy and shoyu corn broth.

Pork belly + scallop, massaged kale, cantaloupe sauce.

Berry galette with Elleno’s lemon curd yogurt (in the making).

*Pork belly + scallop, massaged kale, cantaloupe sauce
Serves 4-6 people

It is best to get the pork belly with the skin on if you can; this time I did not but I prefer it that way (it keeps the fat from turning very black). I learned the method of cooking pork belly from Tom Collicio’s book, “Think Like a Chef” and have experimented with many different cooking flavors, modifications ever since. The pork belly is braised in a broth that then becomes the base of the sauce for the true cod (above) which I also used to flavor the beets, zucchini and fried tofu sticks.

The cantaloupe sauce helps cut the richness of the pork and the saltiness of the shoyu braise. It smells of pumpkin as it cooks, and looks like butterscotch when done. I make this sauce every Fall. It is wonderful served with a meal of cranberry beans, pork loin and prosciutto, plus could easily be used to sauce everything from fish to fois gras. Because I was pairing this with a shoyu-based braise, I changed out the typical Chardonnay in the sauce for sake, but either would work fine. You can freeze leftovers in a Ziploc freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Both the pork and the sauce can be made a day or two in advance, which makes it great for entertaining.

The kale was an afterthought because I felt we needed something green, I had some in the fridge, plus I felt it would lend a perfect balance of texture and flavor to the rest of the dish. My favorite way to eat kale is a simple massage of olive oil, sea salt and lemon juice. No cooking required; the heat from the pork and the sauce are all the heat that is needed.

INGREDIENTS (for the pork belly)

2 lbs pork belly, skin on if you can
Salt and pepper
1 celery stick, diced
3/4 cup onion, chopped
2 TB chopped garlic
3/4 cup corn broth
1/2 cup shoyu (I used Ohsawa organic Nama Shoyu. Quality does make a difference but feel free to substitute for a soy sauce instead. Please note that it might be saltier so do adjust according to taste.
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water

INGREDIENTS (for the cantaloupe sauce)

1 cup chopped onion (or shallot)
1/4 cup chopped fennel bulb (or a few fennel stems and fronds from the garden, chopped as I did this time; I had no fennel bulb)
1 TB butter for sauteing (or use olive oil)
3 TB L’Estornell Grenache varietal red wine vinegar (or another good quality red wine vinegar) (more as needed to season)
1 cup sake (or chardonnay)
2 to 2 1/2 cups large diced, peeled cantaloupe
A handful of fresh basil (optional)
1 TB red currant jelly (I forgot it last night but it does help to thicken the sauce)
1 TB demi-glace
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 cup heavy cream
Sea salt to taste

INGREDIENTS (to finish and serve)

Kale (approximately 1 leaf per person), rinsed, dried and stem removed
Olive oil, sea salt and lemon juice to taste

Fresh, dry-packed sea scallops (1 per person)
Olive oil, a knob of butter, sea salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice

Fennel fronds and flower for garnish (optional)

PREP & COOK (the pork)

Season the pork with sea salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350-degrees

In a hot pan, brown the pork, skin (or fat) side down (this might take 10-15 minutes over medium heat). No oil is needed as there is plenty of fat that will come out of the pork. Drain it off periodically if it splatters too much. You will want to reserve about 1-2 TB for cooking the vegetables. Transfer the pork to a plate.

In 1-2 TB pork fat, cook the celery, onion and garlic until soft. This will take about 10 minutes more. Keep the heat low so as not to brown the vegetables.

Transfer the vegetables to a baking dish. Top with the pork belly, skin (or fat) side up.

Combine the shoyu, rice wine vinegar and water in a small bowl (or measuring glass). Pour enough of this mixture into the baking dish to come 1/2 to 3/4 the way up, but not cover the pork. You will likely still have some liquid left which will be added later.

Cook, uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Check on the liquid and add more if needed.

Cook an additional hour, checking occasionally to be sure it is not burning or running out of liquid. If it browns too much, you can cover it loosely with foil. Add the rest of the liquid (if any). You could use sake or water if needed.

3 hours is usually how long I leave my pork to cook. It should be quite tender (the degree of tenderness will depend on the thickness of the pork and the ratio of fat to meat). It will go back in the oven to finish later (if eating that night), or the next day (if doing in advance).

If you are doing this in advance, store the pork, in the baking pan with the liquid (and solids), covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

When you are ready to use (up to 8 hours in advance), transfer the pork to a plate. Pick off obvious pieces of fat that have solidified in the liquid. Strain the contents of the pan through a fine mesh strainer (or chinois) into a bowl and discard the solids. Separate the oil from the liquid as best you can. The liquid will likely be quite salty; this is okay. You should have about one cup of liquid. Dilute with more corn broth (approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup). Taste for flavor and adjust accordingly. It should be balanced in flavor now, not too salty, not too sweet.

Remove the skin from the pork (skip this step, obviously, if there was no skin to start). Cut the pork into 4-6 equal sized pieces. Score the fat. Put it back into a baking pan with the liquid. At this point, I went ahead and added a few tablespoons of that liquid to my sliced beets, zucchini and tofu. I “borrowed” more of the liquid when I went to cook my true cod.

In a 350-degree oven, cook (or re-warm) the pork until it is very tender and the fat is browned (but not burnt). If you did not have skin on the pork, the skin will burn easier so you should keep checking in on it’s progress. Allow 1/2 hour for this process but you can keep it in the oven for longer if you are serving other courses; just be sure to cover it or turn down the heat so as not to dry the pork out.

PREP & COOK (the cantaloupe sauce)

Heat a saute pan and melt a knob of butter. Add the onion and fennel. Cook until the onion is translucent, approximately 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the sake (or wine) and cantaloupe; continue simmering for approximately 20 minutes more or until the cantaloupe has softened and blended into the pan (another 20 minutes or so).

Strain the sauce through a chinois. The liquid should be thin and bright. You will likely have 1 1/2 cups.

The bowl in the front is my strained pork braising liquid.

Put the liquid back to the sauce pan (wiped clean). Add the basil (if using) and let steep for 1/2 an hour, no need to turn on the burner. Remove and squeeze liquid from basil, discard basil.

Add the jelly, cayenne, demi-glace and cream. Bring to a simmer and reduce until it is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 20 minutes (it will reduce by about 1/3). Set aside and re-heat when ready to use.

FINISH & SERVE

While the pork is warming in the oven, prepare the kale. Slice the leaves into pieces, drizzle over some olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and squeeze over a wedge of lemon. Gently massage the leaves to soften and distribute the flavors. I think I might have even spooned over a bit of the shoyu corn broth (optional). Set aside.

Rinse and pat dry the scallops (remove the muscle if it is still attached). Score the top side with a small cross-hatch cut. Season with salt and pepper. Be sure the scallop is completely dry before putting them in the pan to produce a nice seared top.

Re-heat the cantaloupe sauce. Check to be sure the pork is warmed through.

On individual plates, divide the kale. If using fennel fronds and flowers, put them artfully on the plates too.

Heat a saute pan until hot. Add just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is heated (enough to easily move about the pan), add the scallops, scored side down. Do not touch them for at least 2 minutes.

When the scallops easily come away from the pan with a spatula without sticking, and they are nicely browned on the one side, throw in the knob of butter. It should melt quickly. Turn the scallops over. In the 30 seconds after you turn the scallops, place one piece of pork on each plate. Immediately squeeze in a lemon wedge and turn off the heat. The scallops should be soft to the touch still (not rubbery), seared on the exterior and soft in the middle.

Quickly spoon the cantaloupe sauce onto each plate and immediately remove the scallops from the pan and place one on each plate.

One bite!

Two pups!

10 legs!

Down on the Farm and back to the City

16 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in cooking basics, family gatherings, From the journals, the kitchen

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Corn broth, corn butter, cows, family reunion, Hager City WI, St. James Hotel MN

I used to tease my brother, Scott, that he was the Country Mouse and I was the City Mouse. As the years go on though, I start yearning more for the tranquility of Nature’s melodies than for the sounds of the energy bursting from the bustling city. I don’t think I would ever completely trade the skyline for clear sky but I can appreciate more now, what a sweet life country living would be.

Last month, Tom and I went to Minnesota for a family reunion. My Grandpa, on my Mother’s side, grew up in Hager City (“City”, current population 338), Wisconsin, which is just a stone’s throw across the mighty Mississippi from Red Wing, MN. It had been over thirty years since I last visited; my Great Grandmother had still been alive. One of my cousins, Sabrina, ended up marrying a gentleman there and now lives on a large farm that houses some of Wisconsin’s premiere dairy cows, supplying milk to the creameries that produce those famous Wisconsin cheeses.

Grandpa Brown stepp’in out and me…ssshhhh, I adopted (temporarily) a dog; don’t tell Ginger and Buddy.

I had the opportunity to accompany Sabrina’s husband, “Farmer John”, while he made his rounds at milking time (PM that is, I’d have only been in bed mere hours before AM milking). I had never milked a cow before and didn’t realize what an interesting operation the whole thing was. He let us (me and a half dozen bright eyed wee ones) milk a cow, although I wouldn’t say It was of any help to him, or the cow. In fact, I felt like an intruder, knowing that the cow was being burdened by my/our inexperienced technique. It was not as I expected either. It looked so easy when he showed us.

When I went to place my hand on the cow’s teat, I expected it to be soft and squishy but it was so much larger than I thought and was taut beneath my skin, requiring a swift pull that I did not deliver well. The warm liquid shot out sideways as I did not control my grip.

“Farmer John”

Right before we went into the barn, my sister-in-law, Irma, told me how they used to milk the cow’s milk right into a glass, pour in a shot of tequila and drink it fresh on the spot; (her family has a ranch back in Oaxaca, Mexico). When I saw the liquid squirt out toward me sideways, I couldn’t imagine having an aim good enough to hit a small opening on a glass, let alone wanting to drink it. Watching it hit a pail though (as someone more experienced did) it was cloudy white with frothy bubbles as if it had been warmed to place in a shot of espresso, so the image of their drink seemed like an intriguing ritual.

In addition to milk, one of their main crops is corn.

This is at the Farmer’s Market, not my cousin, but a big heap of corn to unload.

Looking around the property, corn stalks surrounded us for as far as you could see. They were bigger than I would have imagined, perhaps twelve or fourteen feet tall. Other than the corn, the only tall structures where the barns and the silos. At night you could hear the whisper that the stalks made as they blew easily in the nights breeze. The only light came from the moon as it lit up the sky, and the flicker of the fire pit around which came good conversation accompanied by wine, until the rain came in and cleansed the earth for the next day.

Tom and I (being ones to elevate every travel experience) stayed at the historic St. James Hotel in Red Wing. My Mom fondly remembers my Grandmother taking her there for lunch as a young child. Then, she wore her white gloves, was taught the proper placement of silverware and to say please and thank you. Our room looked out over the River and the train tracks were nearby (well, across the street). The startling and frequent blowing of the whistle both excited and lullabied us as the trains raced past. Tom didn’t even use ear plugs after the first night (shocking!).

There was deep-rooted history there, but apparently, no food served after 10:00 pm. Our first night got us in past this hour and we dined on Chex mix, pretzels and Manhattans (classy, right?).

We later asked that the cherries (we forgot that was “traditional”) be replaced with lemon twists (although they might have gone nicely with Chex).

The bartenders there were really good though, Chris, in particular, is one I would expect to find behind a serious hipster bar in Portland.

With no coffee pots in the room (gasp!), Tom went down for cappuccinos in the mornings while I showered. We would meet on the veranda where he sat, waiting in a rocking chair with the newspaper, his coffee and a wonderful view of the river, boats and folks.

Later, the scratch Bloody Mary’s would come, served refreshingly good, with a chaser of light beer. A (not so) light breakfast set us up for a day of family and fun.

So, this trip brought us from city to farm and back again.

And back at our “homestead”…

Milky Corn Broth with shrimp meat, sweet tomato and avocado

Needless to say, we were sent home with many ears of fresh corn so when we got back I made a long-time summer favorite, corn broth; it is a broth that eats like a soup. It is refreshing and pure, tasting deeply of corn which mingles happily with it’s favorite comrade, shrimp. The sweetness of the corn is offset nicely by the subtle, sweet saltiness of the shrimp and further enhanced by the creamy avocado and textural nuances of tomato.

As I was straining this through my chinois, the liquid resembled the milk from a cow, slightly warm and bubbling as it pooled out and into the bowl. The final liquid is milky, sweet and gold. I can’t imagine a more fitting recipe (of mine) than this, to illustrate the influence and coupling of these two commodities; even though there is not actually dairy in this soup (unless you count the butter), it tastes of fresh cream kissed with corn.

The amount of salt and lemon juice will depend on the sweetness of the corn. If overly sweet, the salt and lemon juice help to balance it out.

INGREDIENTS

5 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed
1 large (or 2 medium) sweet onions, chopped
2 TB butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups dry white wine or vermouth
4 cups water
1-2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
Lemon juice to taste (perhaps 1-2 TB)

Garnish: Per person, approximately 2 oz shrimp meat (Oregon or Canadian if you can), 1 wedge avocado (diced), 3 sweet baby cherry tomatoes (cut in half or quarters).

PREPARE

Remove the corn from the cobs and reserve the cobs.

In a large pot, sauté the onion, garlic and corn in the butter until soft, approximately 5 minutes. You don’t want it to brown though so keep the temperature slightly low.

Add the white wine, water, reserved cobs to the pot and bring to a simmer. Put the lid on and turn the heat down. Let it simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. The lid should help the liquid to keep from evaporating. I like to participate in the process so I check in pretty often to see how the flavor is coming along. I might remove the lid if I feel if it seems too watery and as long as the liquid is not going away altogether, I let it simmer as long as 1 1/2 hours to allow the aromatics to really permeate the liquid. There is not an exactness to the amount of time or liquid quantity, just taste and instinct.

Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly. I like to leave it sit until the cobs are cool enough to handle but that is not necessary. Remove the cobs from the pot with tongs and set in a bowl. Pour the rest of the contents into a chinois placed over a bowl and push on the solids to extract all the liquid and flavor. When the cobs are cool enough to handle, use a knife to squeeze whatever liquid you can from them and add it to the bowl.

Return the liquid to the pot season with salt and lemon juice. Simmer a little more to thicken it slightly. It will be broth but should thicken enough to look like cream.

Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

SERVE

Place the shrimp meat in the bottom of individual bowls. Ladle the corn broth over the shrimp meat. top with the avocado and tomato.

If you had a bit of crispy bacon (say left over from breakfast), that might taste good as well (says Tom).

BONUS: Corn Butter

I recently got a Blendtec. It competes with Vitamix and as far as I know, works every bit as good, if not better. Plus, it fits under my cabinet and is easy to clean. I usually throw out the mash of solids after pressing them through my chinois but, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to add them to my Blendtec and put the switch on soup mode. I ended up with a lovely bowl of corn butter. It is delicious on toast and I imagine many other things I have yet to discover.

And lastly, while we were in MN, we went to a park that had a special place just for monarch butterflies. This shot is for Sheri at Unfettered Fox, I thought of her as I followed this fellow (and it’s friends) from spot to spot.

Have wings, will fly.

And when a late Summer storm passes through when the special guests need to be escorted to their vehicles, creative pop-up valet service ensues…

Man on a mission.

Just Peachy (1 sweet + 2 savory)

23 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in From the journals, the kitchen

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

cooking, food, peach barbecue sauce, peaches, Spicy peach gallette, tangy peach sauce

I’ve always wanted a fruit tree; one that actually produces fruit, unlike our cherry trees, which do not. Apple trees grow well in our neck of the woods, as do plum trees, cherry and fig. I don’t know how to do it but I think I need to plant a fig tree soon.

For now though, I am currently without fruit (on tree). Luckily, when our next door neighbors Kam and Amy moved in, they had a peach tree that they didn’t want so they gave it to their friends, Neil and Stacy, who moved in across the street from us shortly after they moved in next door. Neil and Stacy re-planted that tree in their front yard and then several years later, sold the house to Piotr (AKA “P”). It has been a decade now since that tree was relocated, but it has just in the last couple of years, began to produce fruit.

The fruit from this peach tree feeds many squirrels, birds, bugs, and the bunny in the neighborhood, in addition to providing a juicy accompaniment to my morning yogurt, plus an endless amount of cooking inspiration. The branches fell heavy and full several weeks ago, so in an attempt to salvage a branch in distress, Tom and I picked the fuzzy, round balls which slipped easily from their stems, out of their clothing and into a basket, a bag, or a bath.

Parboiling them loosens their skin, allowing it to peel away easily for freezing, baking or saucing. Otherwise, keep them in the basket if they are ripe, in a paper bag if they are not; eat raw with yogurt and freshly made granola (or the best that you can buy).

If you are like me (lucky enough to have a neighbor/friend willing to let you take copious amounts of them, and still kind enough to bring you a bag of them picked from the tree’s top), you will need other ideas; so, here are a few ways I like to use peaches (with corresponding recipes of course):

Spicy Peach Galette
Peach Barbecue Sauce (use for baby back ribs or on a lamb + feta burger)
Tangy Peach Sauce (use to braise beef or sauce fish)

_____________________________________________________________________

Spicy Peach Galette
Makes 2 galettes

I have always admired the imperfect and irregular shape of the galette. Galette is filled more sparingly than pie and with the thin profile and lovely drape, it crisps nicely, making it a welcome addition to your morning coffee, or with a light dollop of crème fraîche it has all the nuances of an elegant dessert. Galette is portable if you want to tuck it in your picnic basket or it sets nicely atop a fancy plate waiting to hold court. Galette is easy and forgiving if baking isn’t really your thing, but can be made to look quite pretty if you are patient enough to spend time arranging the fruit just so. This galette is filled with sweet peaches and then spiced a bit with cayenne-spiked honey. I was inspired by all the galettes that have been popping up as of late, and with a healthy basket of peaches on hand, it seemed as good of time as any to give the galette a try. Plus, I had half a recipe of pie dough still hanging out in my freezer from my Red, White and Blueberry pie.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound peaches, peeled and pitted (4-5 small)
A good sprinkle of cornstarch
1/2 recipe pie dough
1 lime wedge

2 TB honey
1/4 tsp cardamon
1/4 heaping tsp dried oregano
Several shots cayenne pepper powder

Cayenne spiked honey for glazing (this is how mine looked, this was enough for one of the galettes so I made another of the same, reflected in the amounts of ingredients listed above)

PREPARE

Thaw the dough in the refrigerator (if frozen). Be sure it is still chilled, but soft enough to roll. Divide the dough in half and roll, one half at a time on a floured surface. As soon as it is rolled, transfer to a non-stick baking sheet before the dough becomes too soft to move. Sprinkle approximately 1 tsp of cornstarch over each dough round.

Squeeze lime juice over the peaches and arrange them in the center of the rounds, leaving a few inches at the sides. Fold the sides over to cover just the edge of the peaches.

Mix the honey, cardamon, oregano and cayenne in a small bowl and heat in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds (just long enough to make the honey soften).

Brush the honey over the tops of the peaches, and bake in a pre-heated, 400-degree oven for approximately 12 minutes. If the peaches have too much liquid, stirring in a little cornstarch will help. When finished, let cool slightly on the pan and enjoy right away or cover and refrigerate or freeze.

_____________________________________________________________________

Peach Barbecue Sauce
makes approximately 4 cups

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil to sauté
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 poblano chili, large dice
2 tomatoes, cored and large dice
4 peaches, skinned, cored and large dice
1 bottle of ale (I used Red Hook IPA, but any good ale will do)
3 TB organic ketchup
1 TB Grenache (or other red wine) vinegar
1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly torn

PREPARE

Sweat the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft (5 minutes or so). Turn up the heat to medium and add the remaining ingredients.

Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to low and continue cooking until things become nicely combined and slightly thickened (about 30 more minutes). Purée with a hand blender or in a food processor. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Peach barbecue sauce in & on lamb burger with feta, grilled onion and peach

_____________________________________________________________________

Tangy Peach Sauce

Coconut oil for sauté
1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
1 TB coriander seeds, toasted and freshly ground

2 lbs peaches, peeled and pits removed (approximately 4 cups peach meat)
1 cup water
1/2 cup coffee
Juice of 4 limes (approximately 5 TB)
3 TB fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp siriacha sauce

PREPARE

In a small amount of coconut oil, sauté the garlic and jalapeño for a few minutes over relatively low heat. Add the ground coriander and stir.

Add the peaches, followed by the fish sauce, siriacha, water, coffee and lime juice.

Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and let simmer until it has reduced and thickened, approximately 30 minutes.

Put the mixture through a food mill and then purée with a hand held blender or in a food processor. You should have about 3 cups. Check for flavor. If you like it spicier, add more siriacha, too spicy, add more lime and perhaps some honey.

This freezes well or you can bottle it following this process.

Not bottled and not frozen, Ginger & Buddy are peachy too + they eat peach!

Flowers + peaches courtesy of our friend Piotr, thanks “P”.

Ten Shades of re(a)d

03 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in From the journals

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

blog index, food, Journals

Journals #1 – 10 from 1998 – 2014

I have an affinity for red. This is quizzical since I most always wear black. I don’t usually wear lipstick, but if I did, the colors of my journals seem like they might be a good fit. These are my journals.

Ten journals. Eight handwritten and two high-tech. Tom brought me into the age of computer journaling the Christmas of 2012, when he gifted me my own iPad Mini, inscribed lovingly on the back “For Saucy – Love Guinea & the Pigs”.

I was still teetering on beginning a new handwritten journal and moving into the current Century. I inherited (or shall I say, took-over) Tom’s iPad (yes, the first version) when I finished handwritten journal number 8. The things written on Tom’s iPad are what I refer to now as, “the lost chapters” because the Pages app got corrupted and lost everything at some point; until the “genius” mentioned a software program that was able to recoup some of those entries (but I’m sure not all).

This original iPad to which I am referring, has a cover that is Black. My journals are Red!

Ironic I know. Such is my life. Ironic, but good.

From here-forward, this 3rd day of August, 2014, I begin journal number 10 (so this is a changing of the “guard”, if you will). My current Mini in it’s second leather cover. In honor of this new chapter (journal), I have set up a new page that indexes all of the posts from this blog, by month, year, title and recipe.

You can check it out here and I hope it inspires you to revisit, or visit for the first time, the stories of 10 Legs in the Kitchen. A kitchen always in motion, always in flux and always with love.

Lead and Follow

03 Saturday May 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in cooking basics, From the journals

≈ 31 Comments

Tags

fiesta Friday, Mustard, roasted pepper mustard, roasting peppers

There must be as many recipes for roasted red peppers as there are cooks but that’s okay because this is not about the red pepper, roasted, charred or otherwise. This is about the mustard (certainly not about the tuna). Okay, kind of silly I know, but typically mustard is the dance partner, not the lead. In this humble sauce though, mustard can both lead and follow. It can be assertive, or gentle but is rhythmic, if not tame. The red pepper will follow mustard’s lead or give up a twirl of its’ own without stealing the show. They can do the tango if you like it caliente, or the waltz if you prefer a little more cream. Bottom line is, this sauce is a workhorse that can do the job better than many. Since a sauce, by nature, always has a leading lady, I wanted to pair it with a real star, ahi tuna (unadorned) to show that, as in life, there is always room for more than one star in the show.

Charred red pepper mustard (sauce)

I’ve written about this here before, but didn’t give it a proper bit of space. As I often pull it out to use for a party, I felt it worthy of sharing with everyone for Fiesta Friday (to disguise the fact that the real star on the plate might actually be the red fish…ssshhh, don’t tell Angie).

There are as many uses for this mustard (sauce) as there are ideas. I like it best with fresh tuna, grilled sausage or to dress white beans. It is good with each of these separately, but all actors combined and you have a real show. It goes well with crab cakes, roast pork and grilled prawns. I’m also thinking fennel, chicken, or a seasoning for soup. Sky’s the limit – so think big and give it a whirl.

INGREDIENTS (loosely)

1 large red bell pepper
1 small paper bag
2 TB Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
2 (+/-) shakes cayenne pepper
2 TB (+/-) tap water
1 – 3 TB crème fraîche or olive oil

You can roast the red pepper with any method by which you are accustomed. I like to char mine over an open flame until very black and slightly peeling. You should have a good fan so as not to disturb the occupants of the house. When the weather is agreeable, outside on the grill works too. When the pepper resembles a charred shell, put it into a paper bag and let sweat for a good 10 minutes or for as long as you might need. Before using, remove from the bag, peel away the burnt skin and tear it into half. Remove the seeds and stem, tossing away for compost. I sometimes cut off a few slivers of the meat to put in a salad or omelette before giving the rest up for sauce (I did go to the trouble of charring this and upsetting the nose of my dogs and husband you know?).

In the bowl of a food processor, place the meat of the red pepper along with the mustard, a few shakes cayenne and 1 TB water. Process until smooth adding more water if needed. Add the crème fraîche or olive oil, starting small and adding more to your taste. If you feel spicy, add more cayenne; to mellow, add more crème. That’s it; pretty simple yet the taste is complex.

The Dirty Dozen

19 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in cooking basics, From the journals, holidays, the kitchen

≈ 33 Comments

Tags

deviled eggs, Easter, Eggs, fiesta Friday, recipes, truffle

Why is it that we call a sandwich, when filled with mashed-up egg and drowned in mayonnaise, a little seasoning and perhaps a hint of “vegetable” (celery?) an egg “salad” sandwich? I’m okay with this, but just asking?

I also used to question the “devil” in deviled eggs. This is just something I do, question things. But some of you probably already know that, or would really rather not (know).

I am not an easy one to crack. As a child, I wasn’t one for breakfast, especially involving eggs, yet an egg salad sandwich, as well as a deviled egg was, in fact, amongst my favorites. Perhaps, to do with the mayonnaise, which by the way, I am quite fond of too. So, how is it a brother of mine, an actual sibling of the blood relation, does not eat salad dressing? Ever? As in, nope, never. I glop it on, or at least used to, before I understood the amount of effort it took to glop it back off my body. I loved the creaminess of a salad dressing which often involved mayonnaise. These days, it is the acidity in the dressing that takes priority over the cream, for me. There is an art to the perfect balance of savory to sweet, and tangy to tart. We aren’t here to talk salad though. We are here to eat eggs! Deviled eggs, for Easter (something ironic about that perhaps)?!

Into making a good quality mayonnaise, goes an egg (or two). So, why is it that to this mayonnaise we actually insert more egg, the hard cooked yolk part, to make it deviled? What is it to be deviled, again? Is it to do with the cayenne or the mayonnaise? I believe it is to do with the cayenne, but the devil is in the mayonnaise (at least devilish for our health). So now you know, this is the type of random bits of information I so often ponder.

Yet, it will not stop me from making a batch of deviled eggs for Fiesta Friday (because it makes good party food) and another batch for Easter (because it makes good Easter food). Plus, Tom will insist on coloring eggs and what else am I going to do with a dozen hard cooked eggs (rhetorical question)? The first batch will be clean (I am sure you are relieved). The second batch will be dirty; from the stain of the dye soaking through (kind of festive though).

I like a good old fashioned deviled egg as much as the next person, but if we decorate the outside of an Easter egg, I think it only fair to decorate the deviled egg too, so I usually dress them up a little. I also like to crank up the flavor without getting too wild; (truffle oil will sneak into the ones going to the party; not Tom’s favorite). Tulip petals are their Easter dress.

Deviled eggs, Chez Stacey style

I’ve shed my need for so much mayonnaise, so to lighten things up, I now use plain yogurt (the local kind) to make it creamy. I love the addition of truffle oil which is a natural partner to an egg. Tom continues to proclaim himself a non-truffle eater so I fill his eggs first then add the truffle oil to the mix (for me and any other guests that might be joining). Truffle oil is strong, so adjust the quantity to your taste by adding it a few drops at a time. If you have fresh truffles, truffle shavings would be delicious to mix in. If you don’t like truffle, simply omit it altogether.

INGREDIENTS

6 eggs, hard boiled, cooled and peeled
1 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne
4 TB plain yogurt
1 tsp chopped fresh chives
1 TB chopped Spring onion or shallot
1/2 tsp white truffle oil (+/- to taste), optional

For garnish: fresh chives cut into 2 inch lengths. Good quality ham cut into 2 inch x 1/8″ strips, smoked paprika, tulip petals

PREPARE

Cut the cooked, peeled eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop the yolk, out from the white and place in a bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredient and mash well with a fork.

Chop one of the cooked egg whites and add to the bowl mixing well.

Fill the center of each cooked egg white with spoonfuls of the yolk mixture.

Sprinkle with smoked paprika and top each with 2 chive strips and 1-2 ham strips.

To serve, put each deviled egg on a tulip petal placed on a platter or individual plates. Admire momentarily and watch them disappear.

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