Chef Gaynol

ClearlyFresh Bags

2011-11-08T15:05:06-08:00

The romaine lettuce in the photo above is 15 days old. Before we went on vacation, I threw a whole head of romaine into a ClearlyFresh bag and left it to fend for itself. When I returned, I washed and chopped the lettuce so it would be ready to go for sandwiches and salads. I'm amazed that this romaine is over two weeks old and it still tastes as good as the day I bought it.

I've been testing ClearlyFresh bags for a couple of months now and they absolutely extend the life of fruits and vegetables. The good folks over at ClearlyFresh sent me a sample pack and I've been impressed with how much longer produce lasts when it's stored in these bags.

As produce ripens it releases carbon dioxide gas. The key to successful produce storage involves letting out the carbon dioxide but not letting in too much oxygen. You want your produce to breathe, but it doesn't need to have enough oxygen to run a marathon (that would only accelerate the journey to slimy and unusable.) The ClearlyFresh bags use a BreatheWay membrane that regulates this gas exchange and allows just enough oxygen in so your produce can stay fresh.

These bags come ten to a package and run about $4. You can order them here. I think these bags will come in really handy during the holiday season. You can pick up your fresh produce the week before and stay out of the grocery store the week of Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice. Cheers!

Royal Rose Radicchio

2011-08-18T16:39:31-07:00

The nice folks at Royal Rose Radicchio sent me a ton of radicchio to try out. Radicchio is actually one of my favorite lettuces in salads and this gave me the chance to try it in some summer recipes. The radicchio pictured above is Radicchio di Chioggia. It's the most widely available variety and is especially prized for it's vibrant maroon color and sharp, intense flavor.

The first thing I did was try radicchio on the grill. This is super simple to do. I simply chopped up the heads, added salt and pepper and tossed the radicchio in a little olive oil. A word to the wise, radicchio doesn't really need a lot of salt so use a light hand. Then it was into the grill basket and on to the fire.

This took about four minutes and we had this beautiful grilled side dish to accompany our steaks.

Next up I tried the Radicchio di Treviso. This comes from the Italian region of Veneto. It reminds me of romaine lettuce or a huge Belgian endive. Treviso has a milder taste but still imparts the bitter flavor radicchio is known for.

It was one of those nights when I was running around the house like a crazy person. I wasn't expecting my designated eater home in time for dinner so my big plan was a bagel on the couch while I watched Dr. Who. That all came to a screeching halt when he walked in. What to fix, what to fix?? I went rummaging through the pantry and came up with some dried spaghetti and found some bacon in the freezer. Okay, we were in business, I had some parmesan cheese hanging out in the frig but what could I use for a vegetable?? Ah ha! Radicchio to the rescue! I shredded up my two remaining heads and started the pasta boiling. I sauted the bacon and added the cut up radicchio to the pan.

Less than 15 minutes latter we had this gourgeous pasta. I'm sorry about the picture, next time I decide to shoot pasta in an orange bowl, someone shoot me. Uggh....icky color combination. Regardless of how the picture is, the pasta was delicious. the radicchio added just the right amount of bitter to cut through the richness of the bacon and the cheese.

So the next time you're in the store pick up a head or two of Royal Rose Radicchio and be sure to check their website for recipes and tips. Enjoy!

Lamb Jam 2011

2011-07-11T13:36:33-07:00

Most Americans usually think about serving lamb in the spring and then sadly, forget about lamb for the rest of the year. The American Lamb Board (ALB) is on a campaign to change that mindset. They're sponsoring The American Lamb Jam Tour, so look for demonstrations, recipes and giveaways coming to a town near you.

Part of this promotion included a grilling challenge for bloggers. The ALB generously provided a five pound boneless leg of lamb and asked bloggers to come up with recipes for lamb on the grill. I originally wanted to do this recipe as a kabob, but the recipe I came up with wouldn't hold together on the skewers. So, my take on this challenge is the fabulous Skewerless Mediterranean Burger.

Skewerless Mediterranean Burgers

5 garlic cloves, peeled

1 1/2 cups red onion, diced large

1/2 cup parsley

1/2 cup cilantro

1 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, diced into cubes and chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbs salt

1/4 olive oil for brushing on patties

Optional (but recommended)

Pita bread or buns

Cucumbers

Red onion

Feta cheese

Tzatziki (recipe follows)

In the bowl of a food processor combine the garlic, red onion, parsley and cilantro. Pulse until finely mined, remove and set aside.

Using the food processor, pulse the lamb cubes until they are finely ground.

In a large bowl combine the parsley mixture and lamb. Sprinkle with the cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne and salt. Combine with your hands until just mixed. Form mixture into six patties and return to the refrigerator for 1/2 hour.

Brush patties with olive oil on both sides and grill over a medium hot fire for approximately 4-5 minutes per side. The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 160 degrees for ground lamb so use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature if you have any doubts.

Remove the patties and serve with pita bread, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese and tzatziki.

Tzatziki

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

2 tbs olive oil

2 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients until well mixed, cover and chill in the refrierator for an hour.

We fear no garlic in my house, but if you'd like to make your tzatziki a little milder you can reduce the garlic to one clove in this recipe.

I hope this recipe inspires you to get some American lamb on your grill this summer! Enjoy and don't forget to head over to Fans of Lamb for more recipes and tips.

***I received a five pound leg of lamb and some nice swag from the American Lamb Board***

DonQ Mojito Rum Infused With Mint

2011-07-03T16:15:30-07:00

If you're looking for a low alcohol rum (20% vs. the usual 35% ) to use in your summer drinks, you can't go wrong with this Mojito Rum by DonQ. The beauty of this spirit is the infusion of natural mint into the rum. No weird artificial taste and just a touch of sweetness. Here at Cucina Flora, we've been adding it to ice tea and sipping it on the back deck.

Top Ten Tips for Food Truck Customers

2010-10-01T04:00:00-07:00

Unless you've been living under house arrest it's been hard to miss the latest craze in the food world. You'd better buckle up because food trucks are taking the country by storm and serving up some creative and delicious food.

Pictured above, Skillet Street Food's "french dip" panini style roasted beef, gruyere, horseradish crema, caramelized onions, roasted beef jus.

It used to be that the best you could expect from a food truck was a bag of funyuns and a warm diet coke. Today, food trucks are serving up everything from korean short rib tacos to wagyu beef burgers with bacon jam.

Here are my top ten tips for getting the most out of your food truck experience.

1) Plan your attack

Most food trucks will send out their locations and schedule on a weekly basis via email or Twitter. Sign up for their emails and have their tweets sent directly to your phone so you'll know of any last minute schedule changes. Go here for a list of street food vendors using Twitter by region.

2) Arrive Early

If a food truck tweets they will be at a location between 11-2, then get to that location as close to opening time as you can. Most of these trucks are small operations and when they are out of food, they're out of food and you're out of luck and hungry.

3) Pay Cash

Some food trucks take credit cards but many do not. Come armed with cash. (remember cash? It's that green stuff that comes out of the ATM, you can exchange it for goods and services.)

4) Tip

Most places have a tip jar, don't be afraid to use it. These folks work hard for not a lot of money to bring you fabulous food. Show them some love and part with a couple bucks.

4) Be Flexible

Be the river and not the rock when pursuing your favorite food truck. Flow around obstacles such as location and schedule changes, and be prepared to try something new. Menus are always evolving.

5) Smile you're on camera

I've yet to visit a food truck where there wasn't at least one person taking pictures. So if you're in the witness protection program, lying to your boss about being home sick or cheating on your diet, prepare to be photographed in the act.

6) Strike up a conversation

I'm not asking you to engage in a spirited debate over geopolitical issues (though I've seen it happen) but a friendly hello and a smile will go a long way with your fellow food truckers. These are also the people to ask about what's new on wheels and where they've eaten lately. Food truck followers are an obsessive (and well fed) bunch.

7) BYOB

Trucks are often serving a limited number of items and drinks are not always on the menu. So pick up a drink before you leave the office.

8) Garbage

Some trucks have places for garbage but many don't. Again, the theory is that you will take the food away and eat it in your car or office. Keep a plastic grocery bag in the car for disposing of trash.

9) Respect the neighbors/parking

One of the biggest obstacles that food trucks have to overcome is opposition from neighbors and businesses. Be a great customer and help them out by taking your garbage with you (only trolls litter.) Park only in designated areas and don't block driveways.

10) Have A Food Truck Kit

Since food trucks are designed for you to take your food and go, you're going to need a couple of things in your car or office to maximize your dining enjoyment. My current car kit has salt, napkins, plastic utensils, wet wipes and a couple of plastic grocery bags. You might want to consider adding some of those fresh breath strips to your kit, if you like your office mates. Also, keeping some chewable pepto-bismol on hand is never a bad idea, because you probably shouldn't have eaten that last spicy pork slider.

So hit the road and let me know about your favorite place on wheels!

The famous truck from Maximus/Minimus. Quite possibly the cutest and I'm pretty sure the only pig shaped truck operating.

Buns on Wheels, classic grass fed beef burgers and fries.

Kaosamai, Thai food anyone?

If you're in the Seattle area today be sure to check out Mobile Chowdown. Loads of your favorite food trucks in one place at Qwest Field. Gates open at 5:00pm and tickets are a mere $5.