If you’ve read or heard me wax poetic on basil leaves, you know that I can find indulgence in seemingly ordinary places and things, so I’ve decided to share my favorite everyday ones with you. Let’s face it: We could all use a little pick-me-up. Some indulgences will be food, some non-food, but all will relate to engaging the senses without adding the stress of a big expense. I’ll be posting all of them over at Food Philosophy, and I’ve created a special feed just for these little tidbits (link down below).

I hope you’ll share yours, too, because I might run out of ideas and will need to pilfer. Oh, stop, I’ll give you credit for it.

As you might imagine, for me, self-indulgence begins with scents, and I like nothing more than smelling deliciously edible. I’ve given up on synthetic-smelling perfumes and instead turned to essential oils to soothe my soul. It’s no secret that aromatherapy can have a profound effect on one’s state of being, and I can think of no better atomizer than the neck. Hair also smells gorgeous with a little drop combed through the ends. Yum.

I discovered the joy of citrus oils after a massage in Los Angeles (back when massages were actually part of my decadent life), so I knew the scent of oranges would send me to my happy place. I found a combination that took it to a whole new level, however.

So if you’re wondering what I smell like, here’s your chance to be a voyeur (sniffeur?). For the past few months I’ve slathered myself with Vanilla Orange Oil from Sun’s Eye. I love that there are tiny slivers of orange peel soaking right in the oil, so you get the full power of both scents. The only drawback is that it needs to be reapplied several times a day, but at $6.75 a bottle, how could I possibly complain about that?

I have other scents that I use for other moods and occasions, but I’ll share those as we go. Did I mention that vanilla is reputed to have an aphrodisiacal effect on the senses? Try it and let me know what happens.

NOTE: You can subscribe to the special feed I’ve created for my Everyday Indulgences, which will include blog posts, audio, some video, and photos. (Note that it says “Everyday” and not “every day.” Have mercy.)

Posted via web from foodphilosophy’s posterous

a test kitchen dossier

A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be a lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands.
— Lord Byron (1778-1824)

Foodstuff: Lobster

Proper Name: Homarus Americanus, belonging to the Homaridae family

Etymology: From the old English word loppestre, which is a corruption of the Latinate word locusta by the old English word for spider, loppe.

Area of Origin: Oceans from around the world, but most famously the Atlantic

Description
Lobsters, the red, cheery, iconic symbols of New England, are actually rather international in nature. There are several varieties of lobster, including a smaller European incarnation and a Japanese one; however, all types of lobsters have the same basic body, which consists of two symmetrical, powerful claws (where many times the best meat is found), an abdomen, head and thorax, both of which are covered by the carapace (shell). A lobster’s vision is generally quite poor, thus it uses its antennas as sensors. Besides these sensors, the entire interior of a lobster is edible, including the stomach for the intrepid for the gastronomic connoisseur.

History
In previous centuries, lobsters were the sustenance of the poor. We may find this hard to believe now, in our luxurious $26-lobster-eating contemporary times, but until the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries, lobsters were deemed a nuisance and used as fertilizer and bait for fish. They were so abundant in New England that they covered New England beaches at low tide. In Europe however, lobsters were always thought of as a delicacy and were routinely immortalized in Seventeenth Century Dutch still-lifes.

By the middle of the Nineteenth Century, New England started to capitalize on the abundance of lobster in the area by canning the excess and selling it. By the Twentieth Century, with the advent of more sophisticated transportation techniques, there started to be a demand for live lobster, which was shipped to Europe at astronomical costs, thus making lobster a luxury food staple. Unfortunately as the demand for lobster increased, it became over-fished and exploited; it was only with the advent of recent conservation efforts that lobsters became more populous.

Varieties of Lobster
By far the most popular and desired variety of lobster is the Maine lobster, which features sweet succulent meat and a subtle flavor. These lobsters are becoming rather rare and expensive as the area becomes rapidly over-fished, and due to this scarcity, restaurants often mislead customers by listing Maine lobster on the menu when they are actually serving lobster fished from off the coast of Canada (be sure to ask!). In response to this growing problem, Maine fishermen are starting to tag their lobsters as a certification of their authenticity.

There are certainly other species of lobsters, most notably the European variety, which is very similar to the American version. The European lobster is found in the Atlantic from Norway to Morocco, as well as in the Mediterranean. Though on average these are slightly smaller than their American counterparts, they are thought by experts to have a finer and more delicate flavor and texture.

Another variety is the Norway lobster, which is a pinkish-orange color and rather attractive. The tail of the Norway lobster is popular due to its tender muscular flesh; it is sometimes served with chips in the upscale pubs of the UK, but is highly esteemed as a delicacy in many parts of Europe and is often called “scampi.”

Storing and Cooking Lobster
Storing lobsters is not very difficult when they are frozen, but as one could imagine, they are much more complicated to accommodate when they are alive. Live lobsters should be stored in open containers in the refrigerator (claws clamped with thick rubber bands), provided they are kept moist with seaweed, or seawater dampened towels or newspaper. Do not immerse lobsters in water or place on ice in an airtight container, as they will suffocate and die. Live lobsters can live up to 48 hours after you’ve purchased them provided they are kept cold and their gills are kept moist, as described above. (Source: Maine Lobster Promotional Council)

Though it is still unclear whether lobsters feel pain when they are boiled (Norwegians say yes, Scots say no), boiling remains the tried and true method of eating and savoring lobster. However lobster is very versatile and can actually used as a base for casseroles, soups and pretty much anything one can think of. See our Test Kitchen Note, How to Cook a Lobster, for detailed instructions.

Best Matches
Lobsters are particularly excellent when served boiled with drawn butter, which is the traditional New England method and a fail-safe one. One can also serve a lobster stuffed and baked with other seafood, such as crabmeat, which is often a nice match. Lobster can also be shown to its best advantage with the addition of cream, which dishes like Lobster Newburg and lobster bisque showcase well. Of course, a classic French pairing is that of vanilla, our Indulgence for this month.

Our Approach
Though we admire lobster’s unique ability to be show-stopping all by itself, here at the Gilded Fork we like to mix things up a bit. This month we are featuring an international approach to lobster consumption, from lobster arepas to lobster bisque shooters — dishes bound to showcase the versatility of this excellent and sophisticated crustacean.

Recipes

Lobster Stock
Lobster Bisque Shooters
Lobster Arepas
Asparagus Risotto with Truffled Lobster
Lobster Ravioli in Vanilla Butter Sauce
Lobster, Mango and Jicama Summer Rolls
Mixed Seafood in Ginger Broth with Confetti Vegetables
Rosemary Lobster Fricassé with Baby Vegetables

Dossier by Rebecca Harrington

I then visited with Mott Green from the Grenada Chocolate Company, is a co-operative owned by its 10 workers. Mott says Grenada Chocolate is the only “tree to bar” chocolate company which grows, ferments, roasts and produces chocolate bars. They’re making a 99% chocolate that I got to taste, and which blew me away with its rich chocolaty taste without the bitterness of most “baking chocolate”.

Manuel Conti from Conti - I Sapori Della Toscana in Florence, shared with me some of the new products Conti is releasing in the US under the Tuscany Flavors line. I love cinghiale sausage, which is made from wild boar, and Manuel gives me a taste of his wild boar ragu, with 55% meat! I then discover his latest product, which I’d never heard of before (and that’s not very common!). Manuel gives me a taste of Pascolini, tiny dwarf peaches which have been cured with vinegar, oilve oil and sliced black truffles, which gives them an amazing flavor. They can be used as an appetizer like olives, but with a different flavor, one that’s less briny and more sweet, with the hint of truffle.

And finally, I spoke with Brian Han from the Black Garlic Company, which produces one of the most interesting products I’ve come across in a long time. I was lucky enough to get to play with black garlic, which is fermented using a special process, a few months ago at our last “Food Blogger Playdate“, which me made a video of. Brian explains the different forms they sell the black garlic in, and introduces me to a new drink they unveiled at the show.

This week I include for cabbage soup, sauteed peas, zucchini feta pie, and more ideas for what to do with all those Japanese Turnips.

Download the PDF here or click the images below: June 25th Newsletter

Show 202 is an audio recap of some of the people I met at the 55th Annual Summer Fancy Food Show in NY. I’ve been releasing my Quick Picks videos throughout the show, so be sure to look for them on the website at www.culinarymedianetwork.com, but this gave me a chance to speak with some people in depth. I learn about new European yogurt from Conrad Lowell, Portuguese influenced Indian food from Sharon Fernandez of Stonehouse 27 Spice Company, and dried mushrooms & chiles from Angie Padgett of Earthy Delights.

www.lowelldairy.com
www.stonehouse27.com
www.earthy.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

These luscious ravioli combine the delicate flavors of lobster and shiitake mushrooms with the decadence of vanilla and white wine. Made with wonton wrappers instead of fresh pasta dough, they are as easy as they are delicious. And although they may seem like they are only meant for special occasions, you’ll want to enjoy them any day of the year.

Makes about 5 servings

Ingredients

For the lobster shitake filling:
3 small cooked lobsters, meat removed
3/4 lb shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
4 teaspoons butter
2 shallots, chopped
½ cup crème fraîche
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped chives
1 package round wonton wrappers

For the vanilla butter sauce:
2 tablespoons butter plus 1 cup diced chilled butter
3 shallots, diced
1 cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Salt and pepper to taste
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Preparation

Prepare the filling:
Dice the lobster meat rather finely. Melt 4 teaspoons butter in a large saucepan. Sweat the shallots over medium heat until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Mix in the crème fraiche, salt and pepper to taste, and allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes or until slightly reduced. Stir in the cooked lobster meat and set aside.

Prepare the sauce:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and cook on medium-high heat until the shallots are translucent. Add the white wine and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the sauce and whisk until evenly distributed. Allow to simmer until the mixture reduces to about 3 tablespoons. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the vanilla extract and the remaining chilled butter, whisking until it is melted and the sauce thickens. Strain the sauce into a clean container, applying pressure to it so that the vanilla and shallots go through. Keep warm until service.

Prepare the ravioli:
Lay one wonton wrapper down flat. Place one tablespoon of the lobster and mushroom filling in the center, and brush the edges with water. Place another wrapper on top to cover, and seal with your fingers. Press down on all of the edges, being sure to get any air out from inside the ravioli.

[Chef’s Note: You may be tempted to overfill these ravioli, but when working with filled pasta or wonton wrappers (or even empanadas or turnovers, for that matter), it is best to use less filing than you think necessary, to avoid them splitting open when cooked. The key here is to squeeze any extra air out of the ravioli before sealing the edges.]

Bring a stockpot of salted water to a boil. When the water reaches a rolling boil, drop in the lobster ravioli and cook until they begin to float, about 4 minutes. Remove the cooked ravioli from the surface with a slotted spoon, carefully draining away any water pooled on the surface.

Service

Place 3 ravioli on each plate, spoon a few teaspoons of the vanilla butter sauce over the ravioli, and garnish with finely chopped chives. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Sandra Di Capua
Photo by Mark Tafoya

As you know, we’ve been having a love affair with the Flavors of Chile here at Culinary Media Network. We couldn’t resist visiting our Chilean friends at their pavilion to see what was cooking. Chef Pilar Rodriguez spent the day whipping up a variety of dishes for the eager crowds who gathered, and she used all of the products from the various exhibitors. I then visited with Paulina Peñaloza of Chilean Gourmet, who showed me their new Quinoa Pop product, an air-puffed quinoa that’s ready to eat, which can be used in a breakfast cereal, mixed with yogurt, or as a creative topping on a number of dishes.

My last stop in my Latin American journey today was Peru. I spoke with Betsy Power of the Culinary Collective, who are debuting a bunch of products from Peru this year. The one that most caught my eye is the Kañiwa flour, a high protein flour made form a native Peruvian plant.

As always I’ll have more videos to share as well as audio for my ReMARKable Palate Podcast, with more in depth interviews of some of the people and food stories that I find fascinating.

Watch for more videos from the Fancy Food Show throughout the week!

Since I’ve been bringing you my “Quick Bites” lately, short videos shot with my handheld Creative Vado camera, I figured I would do a post each day of the show to share with you my “Quick Picks”, those products or people that I find interesting. This is by no means exhaustive, nor representative of the thousands of exhibitors at the show, just a few of the standouts that caught my eye and my camera, and those that are short enough to include in a quick show.

This the 5th year that I’ve been coming to the show, and while there are many faces, products, and countries that are familiar by now, there are always surprises, and discoveries to be found, even from the old standbys.

As always I’ll have more videos to share as well as audio for my ReMARKable Palate Podcast, with more in depth interviews of some of the people and food stories that I find fascinating.

Imagine buttered pan-seared pineapple, warm as a garnish, and chilled as juice in a sensuous champagne coupe. Then let us look back at some of the legacies of the American cocktail — rum and bitters — which are further expressed through the addition of star ruby grapefruits and maraschino liqueur (which was, incidentally, Ernest Hemingway’s preference for his daiquiri).

1 serving

Ingredients

1 ounce of cachaca (agricultural rum)
1/2 tablespoon of maraschino liqueur
1 1/2 ounces of juice from pan-seared pineapple brushed with butter
2/3 ounces of grapefruit juice (recommended cultivar: Florida Star Ruby)
dash of angostura bitters

For the pan-seared pineapple with butter:
2 tablespoons of butter (recommended: grade AA & First Quality butter)
1/4 of whole pineapple or 8-10 quarter-slices (recommended: high sugar cultivars like Kona Sugarloaf)

Total: about 3 1/2 ounces per serving (guide for glassware)

Small triangular wedge of pan-seared pineapple for garnish

Equipment

Pan
Utility knife and chopping board
2-piece Boston shaker
Hawthorne strainer
Muddler
Funnel
Sieve
Glass bottle (perhaps reused from finished spirits, at least 7 ounces in capacity)
Champagne saucer glass (5 ounces), for service

Preparation

Chill the glassware and spirits until ready for use. Wash fruits thoroughly.

Prepare pan-seared pineapple with butter:
Skin the fresh pineapple, retaining the quarter-slices nearest to the base — the sweetest part. Melt butter in pan and then sear the pineapple slices over low to medium heat until lightly caramelized. Put aside to cool and remove excess butter.

Once cooled, place pineapple slices, one at a time, into the glass half of the Boston shaker. With the flat side of the muddler placed into the base, apply downward pressure using the insides of your palm. Muddle until most solid ingredients are well broken up. Using a funnel and sieve, strain the mixture into the glass bottle. Repeat and then refrigerate till ready for use.

Prepare the garnish:
Reheat a pan-seared slice of pineapple right before use. Cut to a proportionate size and triangular shape. Place along the rim of the glassware while still warm, right before use.

Prepare the cocktail:
For the grapefruit, keep at room temperature and cut perpendicularly across the segments for optimum juice. Juicing should be done right before use, while pulp should be strained out. Measure the required ingredients into the glass half of the Boston shaker.

Top up the metal half of the Boston shaker (about 3/4 full) with ice cubes. Place the glass half over the metal portion while pouring in the ingredients. Give a firm knock on the base of the glass half with your palm, ensuring it forms a tight fit with the metal portion. Shake and chill cocktail shaker with firm, concise and vigorous strokes until your hands can’t take the cold.

Holding the metal half at the bottom, knock it firmly around the rim to loosen and remove the glass half. Strain the contents of the metal half into the glassware using the Hawthorne strainer.

Serve immediately, very chilled, in contrast with the warm garnish.

[Flavor Impressionist's Notes: 1 ounce is equivalent to 30 milliliter (ml), 1/2 ounce is equivalent to 15 milliliter (ml), 2/3 ounce is equivalent to 20 milliliter (ml), 1/2 tablespoon is equivalent to 7.5 milliliter (ml), 1 dash is equivalent to 1.875 milliliter (ml) or 1/8 teaspoon.]

Variation

If Fee Brothers orange bitter is available, replace the angostura with it.

Recipe and photo by Damian Sim

INSPIRATION FOR SUMMER IN THE WOODS
BY DAMIAN SIM

[Note: This recipe was originally published in July 2007, when we were off on a fun tangent pairing "Main Ingredients" and "Indulgences." Damian was always up to the challenge -- though sometimes we made it a difficult one!]

July’s theme of fish and summer squash did not present any obvious inspirations at first. Furthermore, summer squash, or even squash as a whole, was not something too familiar to the Asian palate. Rather than shy away from it, however, I found summer squash to actually be quite a compelling challenge.

In Native American lore, squash is one of the “Three Sisters” planted by their forefathers, the other two being corn and beans. Summer squash (also known as vegetable marrows) are harvested immature during their growing seasons, and include courgettes and zucchini, to name a few. Known as askoot asquash in Algonquin tongue, it literally translates to ‘eaten green’. Some of these could be described as having a mild nutty taste akin to fresh corn.

This brought to mind the wonderful marriage of freshly steamed corn with lightly salted butter…delicious. It somewhat reminded me of the grilled pineapple I recently had in a Brazilian Churrascaria restaurant, which had a subtle buttery caramel sensation to the flavor. Why not just buttered pineapples? Hmm…not a bad idea!

For the convenience of those who may have trouble grilling at home, another preparation was to pan-sear the pineapple in butter. The sweetest portions of a pineapple are selected, though not an over-ripe fruit as the light acidity offers a nice balance. We then extract the voluptuous juice through muddling once it has cooled down.

With its major influence in the history of spirits and cocktails in America, rum was selected as the base of this recipe design. The Brazilian cachaça style was chosen in recognition of one of the main inspirations behind this cocktail. Star Ruby grapefruits added further zest to cut through the buttered pineapple, with the ‘bright’ cherry of maraschino liqueur contributing to a certain lift and complexity in the high notes. This combination was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s preference for his daiquiri cocktail. A literary legend, he once won a bet in which he wrote a complete story in six words. (”For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.”)

The nostalgia continued with the use of bitters, an essential ingredient in the 19th Century definition of cocktails, and the use of the sensuous champagne coupe/saucer to present the libation. Chilled swiftly and with vigor, the floating ice chips contrast sharply with a wedge of warm buttered pineapple garnish.

Have you ever heard of music to soothe the savage breast? Well, I’m just coming off a very long semester at school. I need music to soothe me. I hope these few tunes from the internet help to soothe you too. these are all from the podsafe music network. Check it out at Mevio.com. Have fun and thanks for listening.

Chef Mark and Jennifer attend a luncheon at Chef Aaron Sanchez’s Centrico Restaurant made with products from Chile: Merken spice, carica, myrtle berries, avocado oil, pisco, and more.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

This week I include more recipes for garlic scapes, red beets, snap peas, and rainbow chard.

Download the PDF here or click the images below: June 25th Newsletter

I sit down with Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya at Hiroshi, one of his many restaurants in Honolulu, to talk about his love of wine, and of Hawaii, and how to approach pairing wines with the Asian and Pacific-Rim influenced foods of the Aloha state. Chuck also shares some great stories and his no-nonsense approach to wine, which you know we share here at CMN! We just let the recorder run as we had a hell of a conversation!

DKRestaurants.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

As we hope you’ve noticed, we take a great deal of care in creating our work (understatement). We didn’t want to publish the book with any errors (the horror!), so we sent back the proof for another round of corrections.  Once we approve the final version, our first big order will be placed, so we expect to have books in inventory and ready to ship in early July. We are currently doing an elaborate ritual dance to keep the printing gremlins away.

If you have already ordered a book, you received a love letter from us today, and we thank you so much for being first in line. We’re sorry we can’t kiss you in person, because we love that sort of thing.

Now, for you squillions and trillions of people who will be ordering books between now and July 31st, we’d like to extend some of that love. If you purchase our cookbook before July 31st, we’ll send a free download link to the full-color digital version of the book as soon as it’s available. That way you can print out those pages and get them all messy instead of your pretty book. You can also see the recipe photos in their full glory.

In addition, we’ve created a Friends & Family discount for you “early adopters,” so after purchase you’ll receive a special code to forward to your favorite fellow food fanatics. Say that five times fast. To learn more about the book, see our full list of annoucements, including a video of the unveiling of our galley copy. Or, you can just:

Buy the book!

We’ve been working on making puff pastry and related doughs this week in class. I explain how to make them, what products they’re used for and how to store them. It’s pretty easy to make the dough and you can make some great desserts and dinners using the dough. Think of beef wellington and napoleon. Yum!

This is one of the most unique experiences I had in Hawaii, while on the “So Much More Hawaii” tour sponsored by the Hawaii HTA. Most people know that you can enjoy beaches, luaus and mai tais in Hawaii, but they may not know about this aspect of Honolulu which makes alot of the rest of the party possible.

This is where the boats come into port and unload their catch every day, and starting a 5:30 AM, the buyers for all the restaurants in the city as well as wholesalers and reps from restaurants on the mainland and Asian countries put in their bids. Some days there are as many as 100 boats coming to port. On this morning, we had fish from just one boat, so it was clear that the prices would be dear for what fish they brought in.

In this first Quick Bite, Fish Auction Manager Brooks Takenaka gives us an exclusive sneak peek behind the scenes before they let in the buyers. Brooks explains how the process has gone from a simple one to a highly technical and computerized one. That said, the basic process works the same as it always has. His staff unloads the boat and lays out all the fish according to species. For the Tuna, they cut a few core samples and lay them out so the buyers can see the color, fattiness, and general quality of each fish before bidding:

After we get an exclusive sneak peek, the bell rings and they let in the buyers to do their work. We’re lucky to be there, and get to watch the action.

Special thanks to Melissa Chang, our local Honolulu friend, who was the brave soul who got up even earlier than us to drive us out to the Pier for the auction! She’s an amazing person, and writes a great food blog about the many cuisines of Honolulu, The Urban Mix Plate, and she led us on an amazing eating tour all around the city, which I’ll be posting soon!

This week I include more recipes for green peas, roasted kale, and this week we get the yummy yummy garlic scapes!!

Download the PDF here or click the images below: June 18th Newsletter

If you can believe it, this is my 200th Show! No special programming, just more great talk with amazing people who make food. This week, I speak with Hiroshi Arai, CEO of the Big Island Abalone Corporation on the Big Island of Hawaii, a sustainable farm that cultivates the prized abalone, which has a huge market in Japan, China and Korea, and which is starting to enjoy increased popularity in the US. I posted 2 videos about the process, and here Hiroshi explains a little more about the abalone itself and how they grow it sustainably using deep ocean water.

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Twitter always brings such great surprises and wonderful connections with cool people. My friend Jaden from www.steamykitchen.com tweeted about a new challenge created by her friend Heather, AKA @flourgrrrl, the “Cooking Away My CSA” challenge. she thought it would be good to share the idea with other food bloggers, to see what we all come up with each week. The idea is that lots of folks who get CSA deliveries scratch their heads wondering what to make each week with their prodigious bounty, sometimes of veggies they’ve never cooked before.

I immediately perked up, since as my readers know, I write the newsletter for my Inwood CSA (powered by Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent, NY), and despite being a chef and having a recipe website, I find myself struggling each week to come up with new recipes. It gets especially difficult when we’re in the 5th week straight of rainbow chard and kale!

So each week, those people participating will post what they did with their CSA share and @flourgrrrl will do a roundup of everyone’s posts, thus providing us all with new ideas each week. That said, we got our first delivery of the season this week (yeah, we’re late bloomers here in New York, and our growing season is a little bit shorter than everyone else’s, but our produce is great!) Right off the bat, we’re getting the rainbow chard that seems to be the mainstay of our CSA, so I pulled out one of my favorite ways to cook it:

This is my interpretation of an amazingly simple yet ingenious dish I had at El Portal de Echaurren in Rioja a few years ago. Chef Francis Paniego told me that his mother taught him to always use every bit of the food that comes into his kitchen, so he came up with this. When I got a batch of rainbow chard from the CSA this past week, I thought I would pull it out again, since it never fails to please!

It’s pretty simple, just make a standard tempura batter and fry the ribs, which you would normally throw out! In this case, I served them with a simple arugula pesto, also made with produce from the CSA.

And you know me, I’m never content to simply type up a blog post, with me it’s always about doing an audio podcast or a video, so since I started Chef Mark’s Daily Cooking Tip Podcast a couple months ago, I figured that I’ll try to include as many tips for the CSA as possible. It just so happens I recorded this daily tip last week:

Subscribe to Chef Mark’s Daily Cooking Tips Podcast in iTunes

My friend, Craig Goldwyn and I took a trip to see Chef Rich Naglich at Allen Bros. Meats down on the South side of Chicago. Chef Rich gave us a great tour and we had some time to talk about meat and where he sees it going in the future. Its a fun discussion and tour of the best meat in the country.

I spent the afternoon at the farm accompanied by Al Salomon, Facility Manager, who gave us a tour around their unique facility. In this video, Al explains the system and gives us insight in the sustainability of the process, which has added benefits in the form of an employee vegetable garden.

I also got to go behind the scenes into the state-of-the-art sorting area where the adult abalone which are large enough for harvesting are sorted by size and weight. This system uses non-toxic CO2 to lull the abalone to sleep long enough to transport them through the sorting process and back into the cold water tanks so that they don’t react negatively and toughen up. The abalone are kept alive throughout this process and even in transport.

I interviewed Hiroshi Arai, CEO of Big Island Abalone, about the project, the process and the tremendous market demand for abalone in Japan and other parts of Asia. I’ll have that audio interview on an upcoming episode of the ReMARKable Palate Podcast, as well as a more in depth “Main Course” video. For now, these are just “Quick Bites”.

Now, we’ve looked it over, and found a few teeny tiny things we’d like to fix, so in order to get you all a better product, we’re going to go through one more round of small edits and fixes before we approve it for printing, so it’ll be another week for those of you who’ve already pre-ordered the book, but the wait will be worth it!

If you haven’t yet pre-ordered, now’s your chance! If you pre-order now, your book will be shipped in the first batch we order, so you’ll have it before the end of June!

This is the first week of the season for us up here in the Northeast (we get going later than other parts of the country) with some fun recipes for green peas, arugula and Japanese Hakurei turnips.

Download the PDF here or click the images below: June 11th Newsletter

The team of was headed by chef Jan Horký of the restaurant Golden Prague in the Hotel InterContinental Prague, along with fellow chefs Martin Svatek, chef of the Hotel Dvořák in the town of Tabor, Adéla Pitrová, chef in the SAS Radisson Alcron hotel in Prague, and Lukáš Skála, chef in the Hotel InterContinental Prague.

When one thinks of Czech cuisine, one often envisions comfort foods rich in flour and butter — the kind of food that keeps out winter’s chill. However, Czech chefs have fully embraced the philosophy of local, sustainable ingredients, and wanted to show us that such heavy-food notions were somewhat off the mark. Certainly, such traditional foods will always remain on the menu, so to speak, but for this luncheon we were treated to a modern interpretation of ingredients like cabbage, pork and dumplings. And fried dough — let us not forget the fried dough.

We started the meal with a sip of Becherovka, a famous herb liqueur from the historic spa town of Karlsbad. Becherovka can be enjoyed either as an aperitif or a digestif, and frankly, I’d be happy to sip it for both. Smooth and herbaceous, this has become a new favorite of mine, so I’m hording the little sample bottles we received in our goodie bags. I was told it could also be mixed with tonic water for a popular Czech cocktail, so I’m happy to experiment with that and get back to you. Hey, I’m all about the research.

When I read the description for our first course, “Smoked duck breast terrine with nut puree and baked chou pastry with honey,” I expected to need a serious nap after lunch, as my thoughts leaned toward a heavy, country-style terrine. Imagine my surprise. The duck was sliced thin as paper and accented by the delicate honey flavor in the pastry. Light and delicate, this course immediately set the tone for the rest of the meal, which alternated lighter and heavier dishes for contrast.

A green asparagus risotto with parmesan cream followed the terrine (my notes refer to it as “gorgeously creamy”), capturing the flavors of spring with delicate slivers of the asparagus.

The pork belly for the main course was served with a garlic confit — heavenly sweet, I might add — and a dumpling that brought back memories of my first love’s family, who would often make these dumplings with pork roast. Mmm. I loved that all of the flavors we sampled were reminiscent of expected comforts, but did not leave us with heavy stomachs.

Our luncheon was capped with a dessert partially composed of fried dough. And fried dough can never, ever be bad. This happy little doughnut was served along with an apple sabayon, apple jelly and chocolate ice cream. Sounds heavy, doesn’t it? Think again.

This entire meal changed my perspective on the composition of seemingly heavy ingredients, as I’m now thinking of them in a new way. Pork, cabbage and dumplings, per the photo above, can be elevated to a level that is quite unexpected. Many thanks to the chefs and Czech Tourism for enlightening us.

We shot a quick video during the event so you can step into the kitchen with us, and you can see more photos on my Facebook profile.

Czech Tourism: www.czechtourism.com

I speak with Michael Richmond, winemaker for Bouchaine Vineyards in the Napa Carneros appelation. He led me through a barrel tasting of several of his Pinot Noir samples from the 2008 vintage, and we learned what different oaks and ages of oak barrels can do to the wine, and what drawing from different lots give him to work with. We also talk about Chardonnay, and Michael even manages to get me to give up my membership in the ABC club!

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Gustavo explained how the farm is overhauling their composting operation to be able to take on green waste from other areas of West Maui and turn it into organic fertilizer to feed their operation.

We ended our tour in the upper pineapple fields, where Kapalua Farms grows the famous “Maui Gold” organic pineapples. Gustavo explains the process, and how it’s a little more involved and labor intensive than so-called “conventionally” grown pineapple.

Chef Eric Lee from Onyx Restaurant in Halifax, Nova Scotia shows us how he prepares Salmon Potato Canapes for the Savour Food & Wine Festival.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Our “little bloggers tour that could” has attracted some mainstream press as well! I was quoted as the lead in a story for the June 7th edition of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:

“Chef Mark Tafoya, a celebrated foodie blogger, had to suffer the discomfort of a 4 a.m. wake-up call to catch a Honolulu sunrise and witness Honolulu’s fish auction.

But his followers could have the pleasure of a near-firsthand experience without the discomfort. They could watch Tafoya peruse fresh catch on his Web site, culinarymedianetwork.com, or at the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s new blog site, www.somuchmorehawaii.com, or follow it in real time on Twitter (a free social media site that lets users post and follow short, 140-word updates). They also could access content on video-sharing networks like YouTube, Revver, Vimeo, Viddler and Facebook.

“It’s hard to say how many people were tuned into my trip to Hawaii because they all share,” said Tafoya, who was one of eight bloggers who were invited to participate in the state’s first all social-media travel tour, which visited major islands from May 27 to Thursday.

While Tafoya has 1,000 followers on Facebook, 4,500 tweeple (Twitter people) and about 100,000 hits a month on his Web site, content sharing gets the message out to many more, he said.

“That’s what makes social media so powerful,” said Christine Lu, who organized the tour for the Hawaii Tourism Authority and is the founder of Cilantro Media, a social-media boutique firm.”

Christine Lu, is the force of nature whose ambition helped to make the tour possible, and who graciously thought to include me! She worked with her contacts at the Hawaii Tourism Authority to pitch the tour and convince the powers that be that the power of new media would be useful to help the HawaiiHTA promote the islands.

We were featured on the front page of the June 5th edition of the Pacific Business News, which quoted Christine and credited her for her work on the tour:

“Along for the ride with Lu were seven full-time bloggers from the Mainland (assisted by local blogger L. P. “Neenz” Faleafine) whose trips to Hawaii were paid for by the Hawaii Tourism Authority and its marketing partners.

The bloggers’ junket was the most ambitious experiment by the HTA to exploit social media. Desperate to drum up new business, Hawaii tourism executives are finding that TV commercials, ads in newspapers and magazines and morning talk show chatter — i.e., old media — are no longer enough.

The HTA sees new media and online social networking as cheap, effective ways to reach a highly desirable market of young, smart, adventurous, and relatively well-off vacationers.”

David Uchiyama, from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, was interviewed on KHON2 News in Honolulu about the tour, as well. The TV station’s website doesn’t offer it’s video player as an embeddable player, but you can see the video HERE, or click the image below.

You can read more coverage of what we did during the week, as well as blog posts from the other participants, at www.somuchmorehawaii.com. My links are all accesible in our HAWAII section in the “Travel & Places” drop down menu at the top of every CMN page.

Here’s all the other folks:

@aricqueen
Aric S. Queen
A new-media producer focused on China who writes about value.
http://current.com/users/aricsqueen.htm

@leahlamb
Leah Lamb
A San Francisco writer and producer at Current.
http://current.com/topics/77529011_leah-lamb

@SheilaS
Sheila Scarborough
Travel writer from Austin, Texas, who specializes in the family market.
http://www.familytravellogue.com

@christinelu
Christine Lu
Founder of Cilantro Media and self-proclaimed “Geek Girl.”
http://blog.christine.lu/about

@blogworld
Rick Calvert, a conference/CEO specialist from Las Vegas, who founded Blog World Expo.
www.blogworldexpo.com

@shiralazar
Shira Lazar, from Los Angeles, pop media star of jaunted.com, who is known for being a “getaway girl.”
www.jaunted.com

@Genuine
Jim Turner, an adventure seeker from Firestone, Colo., who is the social media director of Blog World Expo.
www.onebyonemedia.com

@Neenz
L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine, a local blogger serving as a host and organizer and contributor of Hawaiian culture.
www.ponomedia.com

This cocktail embraces a respect for the simple harmony between lemon and raw salmon, rediscovered through a cocktail canvas, with the richly marbled salmon as a garnish. The gentle yellow potion hides what depth thyme has given, though only from the eyes. A sweet balance of lychee and banana flashes across the palate. Not unlike a citrus herbal seasoning for fish, perhaps this fruity gin-based version might actually be used as one?!

1 serving

Ingredients

1 1/3 ounces of fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 ounces of lychee brine (from canned lychee fruits)
2/3 ounce of fresh banana (recommended cultivar: gros michel)
4/5 teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme (recommended cultivar: garden thyme)
1 ounce of Plymouth gin (a unique gin recipe that uses sweet orange peels instead of bitter ones)
2/3 ounce of lychee liqueur
Slice of salmon sashimi for garnish (recommended: wild salmon, which has a less fatty mouth-feel)

See Mixologist’s notes regarding the measurements above.

Total: about 5 ounces per serving (guide for glassware)

Equipment

Glass half of the Boston shaker
3-piece Cobbler/cocktail shaker
Citrus juicer and cup
Muddler
Utility knife and chopping board for herbs (preferably a mezzaluna hachoir set)
Small bowl and fork for banana (preferably garlic press or potato ricer)
Fine strainer
Strainer (hawthorn)
Cocktail pick
Champagne saucer glassware (6-7 ounces), for service

Preparation

Chill the glassware, garnish (except lemon) and alcoholic ingredients until ready for use.

Prepare the fruits and herbs:
Squeeze a small lemon, ideally room temperature, into a cup. Finely chop a small handful of fresh thyme leaves. Using a garlic press, mash small portions of the banana flesh into a small bowl.

Make the cocktail:
Measure the required amounts of the above items into the glass half of the Boston shaker. With the flat side of the muddler placed into the base, apply downward pressure using the insides of your palm. Muddle until the most solid ingredients are well broken up, and filter through the fine strainer into the 3-piece cobbler shaker.

Add the rest of the ingredients into the cobbler shaker, and top up (about ¾ full) with ice cubes, preferably with the largest possible ice cubes. Attach the top half with the built-in strainer, followed by the cap/lid (this sequence prevents too much air from being trapped inside). Shake and chill the cocktail shaker with firm and vigorous strokes until your hands can’t take the cold.

Strain into glassware and garnish with the freshest possible slice of salmon sashimi (rolled around a cocktail pick).

[Mixologist’s notes: 1 teaspoon is equivalent to 5 milliliter (ml), 4/5 teaspoon is equivalent to approximately 4 milliliter (ml); 1 ounce is equivalent to 30 milliliter (ml), 1/3 ounce is equivalent to 10 milliliter (ml), 2/3 ounce is equivalent to 20 milliliter (ml). A mezzaluna hachoir is a half moon-shaped herb chopper blade usually used with a concave chopping board.]

Serve immediately.

Recipe and photo by Damian Sim

INSPIRATION FOR EPIPHANY
BY DAMIAN SIM

Taking the cue from a salmon theme, the first thing that came to mind was salmon sashimi (quality Japanese sliced raw salmon), which sometimes comes with lemon between the salmon slices that leaves a most delectable crisp tinge in the palate.

Inspired to recreate this experience through a cocktail, lemon served as the culinary canvas for this new recipe. As for the melt-in-your-mouth (when the quality is really good) salmon sashimi, it took the role of the garnish beautifully with its marbling against a rich flamingo-orange hue.

Maintaining the light flavors, lychee and banana were used to balance the lemon, with the latter also adding a little more body to the recipe. Almost like a lemon & herb seasoning used for fish, the lemony thyme was added to give a certain depth to the recipe. Plymouth gin, with its sweet herbal aromatics and smoothness was the natural choice as the spirit base.

A classic Champagne saucer presents the cocktail interpretation of the salmon and lemon experience in a moment of clarity - a harmony of simple elements. Perhaps the recipe might even be used as an actual seasoning for fish?!

Article originally published in January 2007.

Chef Wook Kang and I talk about our recent visit to a Korean bbq joint. There’s hundreds of them on the upper west side of Chicago. You should check one out. We went to Hae Woon Dae on California Avenue. The food was great and the service even better.

4 servings

Ingredients

4 large artichokes
2 lemons, 1 zested
1 tablespoon fresh herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon, or chervil), minced
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Equipment

Sharp knife, kitchen scissors, spoon, pot with steamer insert

Preparation

Fill a pot with a steamer insert with about 1-2 inches of water and set it to boil, covered. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with very cold water and the juice of one of the lemons. Have this ready before prepping the artichokes so you can immediately plunge them into the acidulated water to prevent discoloration. Reserve the squeezed lemon halves and put them in with the hot water.

Prepare the artichokes:
Working with one artichoke at a time, and using a very sharp knife, trim the bottom of the stem of each artichoke, and trim the outer skin of the stalk. Leave as much of the stalk as possible, since the tender inner part is edible and quite good. Next, cut the top ½”-1” off each artichoke, being sure to remove the spiny tips. Remove the outermost leaves, and then with kitchen scissors snip the spiny tips from the remaining leaves.

Gently loosen the tightly packed inner leaves to get at the inner leaves and the choke. Using a spoon, gently dig into the center and scrape inward, pulling out the choke. Be sure to scrape away all the hairy fibers, as they are inedible and irritating.

[Chef’s Note: An alternative way to clean the artichokes, depending on the needs of your recipe, is to first snip off the spiny tips, then to quarter them while still whole and scrape out the choke from each quarter.]

Rinse the artichoke to remove any last fibers from the choke and immediately plunge into the acidulated water. Repeat the process with the remaining artichokes.

Place the artichokes in the steamer basket stem-side up so they fit snugly. Cover and steam for 25-30 minutes, until an outer leaf pulls away easily and the stalk is knife tender.

Prepare the herbed mayonnaise:
While the artichokes steam, prepare the mayonnaise by adding the minced herbs, lemon zest and juice to the mayonnaise and mixing thoroughly to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Service

To serve hot, drain the artichokes upside down for a minute or two, then plate with a small bowl of herbed mayonnaise on the side for dipping. The outer leaves can be pulled off and dipped into the mayo, then the fleshy bit at the bottom of each leaf eaten by scraping with the teeth. Once the outer leaves have been removed, the heart and bottom can be eaten with a knife and fork.

The artichokes can also be served chilled or at room temperature. To store, place cut-side down in an airtight plastic container.

Recipe by Mark Tafoya

This week, I’m in Hawaii on the first ever Social media tour of the Aloha state, along with a group of bloggers and media makers in different subject areas. We’re discovering all that lies beyond the typical tourist cliches in Hawaii. My first audio show from Hawaii takes me to the island of Kauai, where I go to a supermarket to discover poke with local foodie Jenny Fujita. I also speak with Marty Amaro of the Kauai Coffee Company, the largest coffee producer in the United States.

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Warren then takes us on a tour of the Thurston Lava Tube, a formation that leaves a tunnel with lava on the sides. Some stretch for miles, and the natives found many uses for them.

After visiting the Lava Tubes, we epxlored another caldera, then had a great picnic lunch provided by Warren, including my new favorite dish, POKE!

More videos from The Big Island coming soon!

a test kitchen dossier

Huge lemons, cut in slices, would sink like setting suns into the dusky sea, softly illuminating it with their radiating membranes, and its clear, smooth surface aquiver from the rising bitter essence.
- Rainer Maria Rilke

Foodstuff: Lemons

Area of Origin: Asia or Southeast Asia, possibly India or Malaysia

Etymology: From the French limon

Description
Hot summer days. Lemonade stands. A succulent lemon tart. Summer pastas, grilled fish, a citrus vinaigrette. From childhood to adulthood the lemon is there, ironically enough, to make life a little sweeter. Lemons are one of those foods — like sugar, chocolate, and this month’s main ingredient, shrimp — that human beings seem to have instinctively known were meant to be eaten. Though a thick peel hides the fruit from the eye, it is easy to see how people might have discovered the lemon’s bounty: Good lemons have a pervasive aroma. When something smells that heavenly, who could resist taking a bite? While many of today’s lemons are so sour that eating the fruit sounds like a form of self-flagellation, lemons can actually be sour or sweet (though sweet is a relative term). Relatively few varieties of lemons are available to us today, and we can only hope that someday lemons will go the way of tomatoes, where we will be inundated with exciting heirloom varieties.

The lemon’s ubiquity in cooking stems from its dominant quality – its sourness – as acidity improves the taste of a wide variety of foods. Lemon juice is also a natural anti-oxidant, which is why adding it to sliced apples keeps them white; similarly, lemon juice helps food retain a fresh, bright, vibrant taste when cooked. The high acidity also explains why lemons are so wine friendly: Citric acid (that’s what makes you pucker up, sweetheart) also occurs naturally in grapes and is preserved in wine. Lemony foods pair well with still and sparkling whites, as well as rosés.

History
The lemon’s geographical origin is a bit difficult to pin down. The cultivated lemon is believed to be a hybrid of the wild lime and citron, but the lemon’s tendency to hybridize (get a little too friendly with other plants) makes it extremely difficult to track its movements. It probably originated somewhere in southeast Asia, or possibly India.

In the 7th Century the Saracens (the Islamic people that Richard the Lionhearted would later fight in the Crusades) brought citrus fruits including lemons to Sicily; lemons then spread throughout Spain, North Africa and Italy. Several hundred years later, the English Crusaders may not have won the war, but they did bring lemons back to England. In 1943, the lemon traveled to Haiti with Columbus, and today lemons are cultivated worldwide in tropical and temperate climates. Most American lemons grow in California, and most European lemons grow on the coasts and islands of the Mediterranean.

And that summer drink beloved by American children and aspiring entrepreneurs? Lemonade may actually have been invented in medieval Egypt: According to historical documents and trade records, qatarmizat were bottles of lemon juice with lots of sugar. A popular drink in Egypt, qatarmizat was also exported.

Lemons still grow in a variety of forms, and one of these forms is making a major comeback, at least in the United States. Meyer lemons are probably a cross between a lemon and a navel or mandarin orange. They are named after Frank N. Meyer, who in 1908 brought them to the United States from China, where they had been growing for centuries. Until quite recently, Meyer lemons were available almost exclusively in California, where they were typically grown in people’s backyards. Á la Alice Waters, many restaurants bought Meyer lemons from area residents during their growing seasons – signs were (and still are) commonly displayed in restaurants inviting people to bring in their Meyer lemons. Their popularity has led to some commercial production, and Meyer lemons are now available in season from some grocery stores.

Varieties

Eureka, Lisbon
Almost all lemons grown in California are one of these almost identical varieties. Considered the American standard, Eureka and Lisbon lemons are very juicy with extremely high acidity.

Meyer
Thin and soft-skinned, less acidic, with an intoxicating aroma. They are fairly expensive and fragile, but they are exceptionally delicious in desserts, with fish or even cut up and mixed with roasted winter vegetables such as cauliflower. Look for them November through May.

Ponderosa
A cross between a lemon and a citron, Ponderosa lemons are larger and rounder with a strong citrus taste. The fruit are great for juicing because of their size, and Ponderosa plants are becoming popular because they can be grown indoors. Their blossoms have a beautiful scent, and in the right climate these trees are said to grow very easily. So if you have a green thumb, you can buy a Ponderosa plant and live in a citrus grove! Unfortunately, Ponderosas are not readily available in stores, so unless you know someone with a tree, you’re probably out of luck for now.

Forms of Lemons for Cooking

Juice
Great for lemonade, mixed drinks, salad dressing, deglazing pans, brightening up soups, sauces, stews or casseroles – really there’s not much a dash or more of lemon juice can’t improve. Let’s not forget it can also be used as a cooking liquid, as with this month’s Shrimp Ceviche. Keeping fresh lemons on stock is a great way to enhance your cooking without investing a lot of money or time; unfortunately, bottled lemon juice is an extremely poor substitute – so stay with the fresh!

Fruit
An essential pairing for any fried food, sweeter lemons can also be eaten in slices. While dentists everywhere will probably cringe in horror, if you haven’t eaten a lemon slice dipped in sugar, you haven’t lived.

Rind or zest
One of those chefs secrets, lemon zest has a stronger, more perfumed aroma and taste than lemon juice, as it contains essential oils. For strings of zest or shavings, you can use a special tool such as a zester or micro-plane (a flat grater with extremely small holes). For larger strips simply use a paring knife or sharp vegetable peeler – but be careful: You don’t want to leave any of the pith (white part of the skin) attached because it tastes very bitter.

Candied lemon peel:
If you are feeling ambitious, try candying some lemon peel, then let your imagination go wild. Take strips of lemon peel and combine with two cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain the water. Repeat two more times. Add two cups of sugar to one cup of water, bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon peels and simmer for about fifteen minutes. Drain and let cool. Finally, toss the peels in some additional sugar. Candied lemon peel (or candied orange peel) is fantastic sprinkled on everything from fruit salad to chicken salad (you’ll believe it when you try it).

Recipes

Diver Scallops with Cauliflower Purée, Lemon Confit and Golden Osetra Caviar
Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Chickpeas and Honeyed Sauce
Moroccan Preserved Lemons
Shrimp Ceviche
White Chocolate Lemon Napoleon
Lavender Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
Epiphany Cocktail
Lemon Upside-Down Cake
Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Herb Mayonnaise
Lemon-Zested Granny Smith Apple & Fennel Salad

Sources
History of Lemonade by Clifford A. Wright
Lemon Facts
Lemon by Julia F. Morton
The New Food Lover’s Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst
The Food of Italy by Waverly Root

Dossier by China Millman

Kitchen Elves are wonderful, but they tend to burn things.

Yes, they are very handy for washing dishes, peeling potatoes, etc., but they are costing us a fortune in melted spatulas, burned pots, and scorched aprons. They also can’t type to save their lives, so we’re looking for some human help:

Editorial Assistants

Will assist with the management of our editorial calendar (scheduling & some editing), as well as communication with media, food and wine professionals. Some light office duties may also be included.

Our editorial internships require a typo-sensitive eye (we are mental about typos) and an excellent grasp of the English language. We have pretty strict editing standards, so the more conscientious you are (nice word for anal-retentive) the better.

You will also be communicating with food and wine pros of all calibers, so we are looking for someone who is polished and professional. Pleasant also helps, as does knowledge of WordPress and general HTML code.

Please send a resume and cover letter to editor AT culinarymedianetwork.com.

***************
Video Editing Assistants

Will assist with production and distribution of our numerous food, wine and travel videos. Knowledge of FinalCut Pro and familiarity with online video outlets essential.

Please send a resume and cover letter to chefmark AT culinarymedianetwork.com.

***************

Our internships are unpaid at this time, but if you are eager to work with a passionate group of gourmands who are blazing a new trail in the world of cuisine, and where you won’t have to get coffee for anyone (or spend the day in front of the copier), this could very well be the place for you.

As we are a virtual company, you can be located just about anywhere. Having said that, we would prefer someone based in NYC for hands-on help one or two days a week at “HQ.”

Note: We are also seeking cookbook and food book reviewers. If you read either with the kind of passion normally reserved for seedy romance novels, please send your credentials and a writing sample to editor AT culinarymedianetwork DOT com.

We are looking for dedicated, professional, energetic people for whom the pursuit of excellence is standard operating procedure. A sense of humor bordering on salacious is also required.

We then visited with Rocky and Paulette Chenelle of Makawao Mushrooms, the ONLY sustainable mushroom farm on Maui.

At the end of the day, we ate at Chef DK Kodama’s Sansei Restaurant in Maui, where his chefs Lainie, Ivan and Royden treat us to an omikaze style feast of local fish and seafood.

I found myself by chance at the Holy Ghost Portuguese Church for their annual festival, which just happened to be taking place this weekend. I had to sample a homemade malasada, a Portuguese donut dusted with sugar, hot out of the fryer!

Watch this space for more Quick Bites videos from Maui!

When one thinks of Spain, one immediately thinks of red wine and paella; however, Rias Baixas is most well-known for its signature grape, Albariño (al-ba-REEN-yo). A protected varietal, Albariño is the only DO (Denomination of Origin) white wine in Spain, and wines labeled as such must be made with 100% Albariño grapes. Known for flavor profiles of honeysuckle, citrus, pear, melon, and even bright green apple, these wines have grown on me over the years, and I now find them to be a refreshing summer favorite.

Galicia is situated on the Atlantic coast of Spain, just above Portugal. The region was settled by Celts in the 11th Century BC, so it is not unusual to hear bagpipes in a ceremony or two, as one can see a very strong Irish influence in the local culture. (Last year at NYC’s Rias Baixas celebration, the wines were, in fact, piped into the room.) The cathedral at Santiago del Compostela in Galicia’s capital is well-known to Catholics, as it is the final destination of a pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago, which begins in Germany and winds its way through Italy and France, ending in Compostela. I do hope said pilgrims take the time to savor a glass or two at the end of such a long journey.

Given the region’s coastal location, Albariño wines are perfectly paired with seafood, so I’m looking forward to exploring the freshest of the ocean’s offerings, particularly given the time of year. We’ll be visiting a number of sub-zones, including Val do Salnés, O Rosal and Condado do Tea, with visits to the vineyards and fish markets, so this trip should provide much fodder for summer cooking creativity. Best of all, we’ll be staying in paradors, which are castles and other ancient buildings that have been converted to hotels. The first, Parador Hostal Reyes Católicos, is considered to be the world’s oldest hotel, and the second, Parador de Pontevedra – Casa del Baron, is the former residence of the Counts of Maceda. (This is my kind of traveling, ladies and gentlemen.)

Along with our hosts from Wines from Spain and Wines of Rias Baixas, two of my travel mates for this journey include wine expert (and sassy gent) Anthony Giglio and Amy Zavatto, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Bartending. Based on brief meetings I’ve had with both in the past couple of weeks, I’m counting on them to keep me entertained throughout the trip. Otherwise I can refrain from spitting and keep myself entertained. What inspires me is that Anthony is known for being one of the funniest, most approachable wine experts out there, so all hail those who see wine as a fun source of exploration.

I will do my best to send updates from the road, including photos, tweets and quick videos when possible, but I never know how good internet access will be when I’m abroad. If I can manage to conjure up access, you can find updates here on CMN, where I’ve also added a Twitter widget to the sidebar, as well as on my Facebook page.

Wines of Rias Baixas: http://www.riasbaixaswines.com
Wines from Spain: http://www.winesfromspain.com

Chef Mark and I recently attended a luncheon in NY to preview some of the Albarino wines, so here’s a quick little video including an informative conversation I had with Paul Grieco, co-owner of Hearth Restaurant:

And here’s video of our Catamaran/snorkeling adventure with Captain Rick & the crew of “The Lucky Lady” of Kauai Sea Tours.

We were treated to a tour of what the locals eat here on Kauai by Jenny Fujita, and sampled a WHOLE bunch of great dishes, from Spam Musubi at the Lawa’i Store (like a maki roll with fried spam in the middle, and what I would dream about eating for breakfast every morning!), to 10 different kinds of poke at the Ishihara Market, and JoJo’s famous Shave Ice!

WATCH THIS SPACE for more videos soon!

This is a crowd favorite! It’s featured with updated, luscious photos in our upcoming Gilded Fork Cookbook!

Sometimes the most pleasurable things in life are also the simplest.  Sorbet may seem like a daunting dessert for the home cook, but after tasting this alluring sorbet, we guarantee you will be making many more homemade ice creams and sorbets in the comfort of your own kitchen.  Lavender and honey add a delectable, earthy sweetness to this smooth and aromatic sorbet.  A perfect transition from Spring to Summer, this is a light and refreshing indulgence for those of us who crave a creamy alternative to fat-laden ice creams.

4-5 servings

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 cup honey
¼ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
1 tablespoon dried lavender buds, slightly crushed
A pinch of salt

Optional Garnish:
Candied lavender (available at your local baking supply store)
Fresh mint leaves

Equipment

Fine mesh sieve or a chinois
Ice cream machine

Preparation

Combine the milk, water, honey, vanilla pod and seeds in a medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the honey. Once it comes to a boil, whisk in the lavender and salt then remove the pan from heat and cool to room temperature. Infuse the mixture for 30 minutes at room temperature. Strain through a fine sieve and chill in the refrigerator until it is very cold, at least 3 hours. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.

[Chef’s Note: Bringing the mixture to a boil will ensure that all of the honey granules are dissolved into the liquid, resulting in a smoother and creamier sorbet.

Another option for those without an ice cream machine is to turn this sorbet into an icy granita. To make a granita, transfer the chilled mixture to a large, shallow pan and place in the freezer, rather than processing in the ice cream machine. When you see ice crystals beginning to form around the edges of the pan, stir the granita using a fork, scraping it off the bottom and sides of the pan to ensure an even consistency when freezing; continue to stir and scrape, breaking up the ice crystals, every thirty minutes until it is completely frozen, about 3 hours. Stirring is a crucial step in making granita, as the goal with granita is to create coarse granular crystals of ice to achieve the perfect grainy texture. When ready to serve, spoon the granita into chilled glasses and garnish as you would the sorbet.]

Service

To serve, scoop the sorbet into chilled dessert bowls and garnish with 3 or 4 Candied lavender and/or a sprig of mint.

Recipe by Monica Glass
Photo by Andrea Meyers

I attend the Rioja Grand Tasting at City Winery in SoHo, and run into some old friends! At this first ever tasting in New York exclusively of Rioja wines, I speak with Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia, a winemaker whose great-grandfather founded the house steeped in tradition which she runs today. I get another taste of her fine aged white wines. I also speak with Adrian Murcia, who led my tour to Rioja nearly 3 years ago, and who writes about the region on his blog, www.blameitonrioja.com.

Lopez de Heredia: www.lopezdeheredia.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Some weeks are just jam-packed with fun stuff to do and taste. This is one of those weeks. On Sunday, I went to the NRA show and saw many interesting things. The show was still very large but there was not much growth since the last time I attended. I also talk about what’s coming up in the next few weeks on the CHIC podcast.

Jennifer and Chef Mark have fun with fondue and raclette at the world famous Adler Swiss Chuchi Restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland. We learn about the traditions, and what NOT to drink with fondue with our friends from international publications while on a recent trip to Switzerland. Careful not to drop your bread in the cheese!

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

The tour is sponsored by HawaiiHTA (www.GoHawaii.com), the tourism agency for the state, and will bring together a group of bloggers in different subject areas to learn about all the state has to offer. We’ll each have specialized itineraries to explore in depth the areas of our interest, while on a whirlwind tour of 4 of the islands!

The entire trip will be well documented, as there are a number of great bloggers attending, and we will be live tweeting, twitpic’ing, and posting videoblogs as the trip progresses, and whenever we can get to a good strong wi-fi connection! The other participants are:

Rick Calvert Founder, Blog World Expo www.blogworldexpo.com @blogworld

Jim Turner, Blog World Expo, www.onebyonemedia.com @genuine

Aric S. Queen, Value/Budget Blogger www.Uptake.com @aricsqueen

Leah Lamb, Eco Blogger, Current Green www.currentmedia.com @leahlamb

Shira Lazar, Solo Vacation/R&R Blogger www.shiralazar.com @shiralazar

Sheila Scarborough, Family Travel Blogger www.sheilascarborough.com @sheilas

And yours truly. I’m the FOOD guy!

I’ll be guided around the islands by local Hawaii Food bloggers:

Melissa Chang from the Urban Mix Plate Blog @Melissa808

and Melanie Kosaka from Share Your Table @shareyourtable

The Twitter hashtag will be #HawaiiHTA

I think it’s such a great way for Hawaii to promote what’s available beyond the cliche’d leis, luaus, and mai tais. I hear that they’ll even be creating a micro-site to bring together all the diverse media that will be produced.

I speak with Peter Smith, owner and operator of Avalon Wine Tours, which offers tours of most of the world’s leading wine regions. He talks about his evolution from Yacht captain to enophile, and how he crafted a business he loves sharing his love of wine with enthusiasts.

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Description

Chef Mark’s cooking class series kicks off with 4 ways to cook fish!

In this class, we’ll explore 4 different ways to cook fish: en papillote (cooked in a paper packet), broiled with a persillade crust, steamed, and poached in olive oil. These foundational techniques will open your cooking up to many wonderful and easy preparations for fish which are virtually foolproof, resulting in moist succulent fish every time.

Schedule

May 26, 2009

• Tue 6-9 PM

Pricing Details

$50 for a 3-4 hour class, covering 4 different cooking techniques for fish. The cost of ingredients is included in the fee. This is a participatory class. Students will get to do some hands-on cooking, and sample the finished products!

Location

• ReMARKable Palate
• 117 W 17th St , 3 C
  New York, NY 10011 | Manhattan/Chelsea
• Please call 917-405-0088 to reserve your spot, or to request future cooking class topics.

See this listing on TeachStreet.com

This week Wook Kang and I are getting ready for the National Restaurant Association show here in Chicago. We talk about what we’re looking forward to at the show, farmer’s markets and our current classes.

Chef Trevor Simms of the 44 North Restaurant at the Marriott Harbourfront Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia shows us his signature 44 North Shellfish Bowl, which showcases the local lobster and Digby Scallops.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com