Lainie's Last Stand

The Last Stand's Last Stand

2013-02-05T19:54:00.002-08:00

If anyone out there is still following me, thank you.

I've migrated to paying gigs and as much as I've enjoyed doing this, I never seem to make time for it anymore (my last post was in September, so you can see what I mean). I'll leave it up in case anyone wanted to copy some recipes (I know I do!!), tips or techniques, but I won't be maintaining it.

I want to thank everyone who read this blog and made my analytics look good enough to make me think someone might actually pay me to write - and lo and behold, they have. It's been a fantastic 18 months; I've gotten to go to great events, eat awesome food at lovely restaurants, and most of all, meet a lot of really kind, generous people who put the "hospitality" into the industry.

If I do decide to take it down, I'll give a few weeks' notice. I want to leave you for now with the words that best describe this journey. I feel as if I'm at a bend in the road; I'm so glad you've all been there to share this with me. And again, from my heart, thank you.

"Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game.
Too late for second chances; too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap!"
--from "Defying Gravity" from the musical, "Wicked".

2012-09-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Why I Don't Yelp.

A lot of my friends love, love, love Yelp. I can see the attraction - in only a few minutes you can get a restaurant or service review from someone just like you - an average person. That's what I see as the big problem, however. And here's Yelp's dark side: If, as a business owner, you want to respond to a post, you have to register (i.e., give up some personal info) and add your picture. That's right. A picture of yourself, not the business, not your cat - you.

My business involves being a somewhat public person (today at the Farmers' Market a very nice gentleman asked me if I'd be interested in writing his biography), so I really wouldn't care about having my mug out there. But not every business owner wants to go through that, which is why IMHO you don't see a lot of responses to negative posts. That means that pretty much anyone who signs up for a Yelp account has carte blanche to libel a business with no consequences. They don't have to put their pictures up to do it.

That being said, I believe that most of the reviews on Yelp are honest and that the things that happened really happened, at least from the Yelpers' points of view. Unfortunately, they are far from objective critics and often uneducated about the businesses they're describing. I'll give an example: I've seen comments as fundamentally flawed as complaints about having anchovies in a Caesar salad. Although there is some controversy about whether the original salad (which is Mexican and not Italian in origin, btw) had anchovies, it's pretty accepted that the version in most American restaurants has them. And usually a raw or coddled egg, if they're trying to be authentic.

I was reading about some of my favorite restaurants in Monterey County. One diner commented that she enjoyed watching "the elephant seals" out the window. We don't have elephant seals in Monterey. Made me wonder what else she got wrong. Another diner commented that a particular eatery, people of a particular race were not welcomed and treated as well as others. Following this comment, others of that race went in and mentioned they suspected the same thing. It's possible, of course, but it made me ask this question: Did you, because you read the first post, go in looking for that treatment?

It's easy to pick something apart and find the flaws. Nothing is easier to pick on than food - tastes and palates vary so widely that one man's feast can literally be another's awful dinner. It's easy to perceive someone who's simply rushed as being intentionally rude - I know I've come off that way more than once when frustrated. And it's very, very easy to forget that your server is a human being with wants and needs like your own and a life that starts when the dinner shift ends. That's why I don't like Yelp. It's too easy to bash from behind a fortress of anonymity.

2012-05-25T16:10:00.002-07:00

So, as some of you know and some don't, my writing has taken off quite a bit. I've decided to make this blog something a little different - instead of recipes (please go to my weekly column - "Simply Local" at http://www.thecalifornian.com/ for more of those), I want to write about my adventures in food writing. I've met so many amazing people doing so many amazing things with food over the last year; I want to have the opportunity to introduce you to them, to share some opinions on the whole "food as rock-and-roll" wave, and to let you get occasionally breathless with me as I continue this amazing journey. Thanks for being interested.

On Being a Food Writer

2011-12-11T18:06:00.001-08:00

This past Friday night, I had the privilege of visiting a local, high-end eatery as a media guest for a special event. Being a restaurant's guest is a decision that is hotly debated among freelance writers and web sites. Some feel that the writer's opinion is necessarily compromised - which I understand - as a result of comp'ed meals. Others feel that freelance writers make little enough as it is that the occasional free meal is a great bennie. I get that, too.

I am food writer, not a "critic" or reviewer. My philosophy, to date, and going forward is, "If I can't say anything nice, I won't say anything at all." A few people have questioned that, because they believe food writers have a duty to report bad food/service to the public. My response is that if you give me a FREE meal don't write about, something's gone horribly wrong.

Here's where I stand: If I wanted to be a restaurant reviewer/critic (I hate that word), I would follow the Ruth Reichl model. Go in disguise, pay my own way and visit at least 3 times before writing. The amateur "critics" on yelp.com and other such sites who pan a restaurant after one visit are being incredibly irresponsible. Restaurants are discretionary spending and incredibly vulnerable to the whims of economic flux. If a respected writer says, "this place sucks, don't go," it can be the beginnings of a death knell that puts the livelihood of dozens of people - servers, bussers, sous chefs, etc. - into a tailspin. To do that based on one visit to a place - especially if one has not worked in the industry - borders on libel.

In any given restaurant, on any given night, things can go horribly wrong for one table or for one whole service -- and it might not even be the restaurant's fault. A supplier doesn't fulfilll his promises. An oven breaks down mid-service. Three servers call in sick. Or the customer walks in 10 minutes before closing and wonders why she gets surly looks over the course of her 90-minute meal, when all the servers want to cash out, clean up and go home - but can't, because she's holding them all hostage.

I've worked in food service. I've been a server, a busser, a volunteer cook, a manager, a finisher in a pastry shop, a wholesaler, and a delivery driver/wedding cake consultant. I've also worked catering. My sister's been a server; my mom owned a restaurant. I know what can go wrong and how easily. I know from razor-thin profit margins, good and bad ingredients, sanitary practices that would make you queasy, yelling in the kitchen and what it takes to put out a good, hot meal in volume.

On Friday night, the people at the restaurant knew me and knew I was there to write about them. I became the 800-pound gorilla. The manager, the hostess, the waitress, the sommelier - I got to see them all, and all at their nicest, most professional behavior. To top things off, I requested a table at the counter in front of the open kitchen. If I'd have given it any thought, I wouldn't have. Here I am, "The Food Writer", pad and pen in hand, staring right into the chef's eyes. Fortunately, this particular chef was confident with good reason. He runs an immaculately clean and organized kitchen where people enjoy what they do. There was yelling, yes, as the tickets churned out a la Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential, but there was also laughing and smiling and real joy.

A low - and high - point came right after I was seated. Two women at the same counter where I was seated had clearly been waiting more than a few minutes to place their order. I almost immediately got bottled water and bread with dipping sauce. I felt horribly guilty, because I knew why I got served first. I turned to them and offered my bread and sauce, "Would you ladies care for some bread?" They declined, but my server overheard and immediately she swooped in and made it right. I emerged from the evening sated and, quite honestly thrilled by the attention -- but with a sobering understanding of my responsibility both as a journalist and to the community of businesses I serve. I need to be honest, but also as undemanding as possible (my poor server had probably a half-dozen other tables, but I never saw her sweat as she patiently answered my questions - I did see her scurry off quickly to care for her other charges, though).

I thought I'd give you a glimpse into my (new) world, as I'm learning to understand it. It's quite something. It's quite a ride, and I am loving it like crazy.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T18:55:00.001-08:00

Remember Thanksgiving?

It's that holiday between Hallowe'en and Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice that's become little more than a turkey speed bump between costumes and presents. More's the pity, because it's one of the holidays that has the fewest expectations laid on it. You don't have to dress to impress (except maybe the turkey), buy just that right gift, or hide eggs from small children. It used to be a lovely, relaxed day off, with another lovely, relaxed day off following right behind it, and then - joy of joys - there was still a weekend left!! And all you're supposed to do is find something for which to be grateful.

Then somewhere in the throes of exposing historic reality (Native American invasion and exploitation, starvation, and all kinds of unappealing realities) and the rise of consumerism, the whole thing got thrown out. Now it's a carbo load before we go shopping at midnight. Do we pause and express gratitude for all we have as a nation? No, quite the opposite - we express a felt need for more, more, and more.

And by the way, those clerks at midnight madness tomorrow night? They're human beings. The ones who keep your drugstore open or are in your grocery store so you can pick up the nutmeg you forgot - they're people who maybe wanted the day off, too. But do they get treated like people? No. It's just a matter of time until one of them is seriously injured as shoppers stampede to get a $199 flat-screen TV. Just the one. That's all there is. And right now, on Thanksgiving Eve, there are tents pitched outside the store. Never mind Occupy Wall Street - this is an Occupation that supports the very greedy retail corporate CEO's and shareholders. Just because they're not banks doesn't make them nice.

The big-box stores are setting up a disaster waiting to happen. You have (1) people on a sugar (or alcohol) high who have been up all day, eating too much and probably indulging in watching competitive football, getting all hyped up. And now they're tired and a little cranky. You have (2) a single TV for sale for an outrageously low price. You have (3) a lot of retail clerks who are under 25, who maybe lack the judgment of seasoned adult employees - that's why they're there, after all. The seasoned adult employees got the day off because they have seniority. The kids are working because they were threatened with termination - after all, there are 20 more out there waiting to take their place in this economy. They're going to stay up all night and work.

At midnight, the stores are going to open. If no one gets trampled or hurt in a fistfight over a gadget that will not matter 5 years from now, the kids get to work all night, sometimes more than 8-9 hours, and then drive home. On Black Friday. In ridiculous traffic.

Right now there's a blimp with an electronic sign. . .yes, I said blimp,over our shopping mall.

That's why this year I'm not going anywhere near those stores. (Full disclosure - I pour wine tastings at a California chain liquor store, BevMo, which will NOT open at midnight tomorrow night.) They're abusing their employees because they can. They're turning what used to be a beautiful, slow-paced holiday with loved ones into a stampede of greed. And they're not getting one thin dime of my money this holiday season. I'm shopping local and buying local. I'd like if you'd think about doing the same.

And take a moment to be grateful for all you have - whether it's a roof over your head, a meal on the table, loved ones nearby, or just a great song on your iPod. Have a happy, real Thanksgiving.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Chard!

2011-10-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I know, I know. . .it's been over 3 weeks. I was away for one of those weeks, and sans farmers' market. I had to eat out on someone else's dime. Sounds great until somewhere around day 5-6 when you say to yourself, "Geez, I coulda cooked this, and better, and not have given myself 3x the right sized portion."

So Saturday night I had steak with a baked potato and a side of chard. Yes, chard. Next time you're near the veggie counter or at the market, pick up a bunch. To cook, first grab it by the fat end of the stem and strip the leaf off toward the top of the stalk. Then slice what's left into strips and rinse it in a few changes of water. Dry it in a salad spinner, if you have one. If not, blot it with paper towels or kitchen towels.

Heat some olive oil in a pan and add a little chopped garlic (1-2 cloves for a bunch of chard). As soon as you can smell the garlic, throw in the chard and start stirring. Once the chard's wilted and tender to the bite, take it off the heat. It should have about the same "bite" as cooked cabbage. Add a little red pepper flake and some lemon juice, and you have a lovely side dish.

Hey, I'm going to try to better about posting again. 'Til next time, I'll see you at the market!!

Stewed Tomatoes

2011-10-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I made mac and cheese both ways today - from scratch and from a box. And guess what? From scratch is cheaper and only takes 4 minutes longer than from the box. When I was a kid, we always had canned stewed tomatoes with the mac and cheese, probably to offset the rich cheesy flavors and creaminess.

I decided to update them with some fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and red onions and red sweet peppers (I used anaheims and bell). I diced the onion and pepper finely (and removed the seeds from the peppers) and then sauteed them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 4 minutes, until they softened and the onions were transluscent. I added sliced zucchini and stirred until it started to brown, then tossed in the tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar for the sweetness. I drained off a lot of the liquid and seasoned with salt before serving. Yum!

You can serve this side dish warm or at room temp, but if stewed tomatoes are a childhood memory of yours, I know you'll enjoy this updated dish. Til next time, I'll see you at the market!

And Cheese! To go with Aforementioned Apples!!

2011-09-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Stopped in Star Market to get some flour and Michael let me taste one of his two new cheeses from Vermont - delish!!! Get over there right now and pick some up!

And yes, I know, I know. . .big carbon footprint. But it's cheese.

'Til next time - I'll see you at the market!

Apples!

2011-09-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I stopped at the Redman House Farm Stand, p/o Higher Ground Organics outside Watsonville. They had what I thought were some of the ugliest apples I'd ever seen - they were a dark gold color with somewhat bumpy skin. The guy at the stand gave me a sample and they were delicious! Very sweet and very crispy and juicy. They're an heirloom variety called "Hudson's Golden Gem", originally from New York. As it turns out, Higher Ground has an orchard with several different heirloom varieties that come in at different times of the year.

If you get a chance to try some different varieties of apples, please do - they're amazingly different, and especially different from the ones you get at the mega mart. 'Til next time - I'll see you at the market!

2011-09-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just got back from sultry Carmel Valley (ok, it's stinking hot) and tasting wine at Dan Karlsen's new venture, Chock Block wines. His wife, Kathleen, was doing the pouring and I tasted two syrahs - one from Arroyo Seco, and one from Chalone - both under $20. The one from Arroyo Seco was good, but the one from Chalone knocked my socks clean off. It had the beautiful minerality for which Chalone Vineyards used to be known (and no wonder - Dan used to make their wine), lots of layers of flavor and spice - and just was all-around yummy. If you happen to be in Carmel Valley, it's next door to Toast, right behind the Shell Station on Carmel Valley Road in the Village.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Sweet and Sour Bacon Dressing for Dandelion Greens

2011-09-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

OK, so here it is:

For one bunch of dandelion:

4 slices bacon, cooked and diced
2 T. flour
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. water

Stir the flour into the bacon fat until the raw flour taste is cooked out, to make a roux (3-5 minutes, stirring constantly). Add the vinegar and water, stirring constantly. When they start to simmer, add the sugar and keep stirring until the whole thing reduces into a thick, bubbling sauce. Pour over the dandelions and top with chopped bacon and hard-boiled eggs.

This dish is full of strong flavors -- sweet, sour, bitter, salty . . . and it's DELICIOUS!!! Give it a try - and remember - bacon even makes weeds taste good!! See you at the market!

Long time no see!

2011-09-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

So sorry all!

I just looked and it's been ten days since I posted last! We had a school start this week, but last week I should have taken some time to put up a few things.

Right now I'm working on my Dad's dandelion dressing. If you've never eaten dandelion, it doesn't quite taste the same as it did when he and I went out and picked it ourselves. You eat the leaves, not the flowers. They're best in the spring, but now you can buy them at your supermarket. I hardly ever see them wild here; where I do see them, I'm highly suspicious of what's in and around the soil where they grow.

It's a slightly bitter green (somewhere between, say, kale and broccoli rabe) that's fairly high in Vitamin A and is said to have cleansing powers. The lower portions of the stems can be kind of tough, and should be trimmed off. We never actually cooked them, but we wilted them with a warm, sweet and sour dressing and then topped them with crumbled bacon and hard-boiled egg.

I'll get back tomorrow with the results of the dressing recipe test-drive. Until then, I'll see you at the market!

The 90's called. They want their spaghetti squash back.

2011-09-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I can remember the first time I saw someone make spaghetti squash. If you've never tried it, let's start here: It's not just like eating pasta, but it's a lot of fun. You cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and either steam it or roast it cut side down (with a little water in the pan) at about 350 degrees in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Then (and this was the really cool thing to watch), you drag a fork across the surface and the squash shreds into spaghetti-like strands that are just a little crunchy and have a mild squash taste. Flora's Farms had one just about my size - small - on Saturday, so I bought it. It seems as if it's fallen out of vogue now - it was sort of "in" when people were cutting back on carbs and flour consumption. It's still very tasty, especially with garlic, olive oil and chopped fresh tomatoes. Because of the autumnal taste, it would also be good with a little butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and some walnuts as well.

If you've never tried it, get some. If it's been awhile, come back to visit it. Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Tromboncini Squash

2011-08-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I know I promised this site would be G-rated, but can I just tell you the Tromboncini I bought from Flora last Saturday is perhaps the most phallic vegetable I've ever had in the kitchen. Seriously, check it out on Google Images. It cooks just like a zucchini, though, with a mild artichoke-heart flavor to it. I tried it sauteed in olive oil with a little garlic, and tossed with pasta - delicious!

Check it out - and 'til next time, I'll see you at the market!!

Sesame Eggplant

2011-08-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

I had a beautiful green zucchini and a bright purple Japanese eggplant, so this is what I did:

Slice both of them into 1/4" rounds, brush with canola oil and sprinkle with garam masala (or Chinese 5 spice), and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned.

Cook some whole wheat pasta or asian noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Beat together: 1/4 c. tamari (soy) sauce, 1/2 c. water, 1 T. honey, 1 T. cornstarch, and a few drops of fish sauce, until smooth. Place immediately into a small pan or pot and heat until it starts to thicken. Add the noodles, eggplant and zucchini and toss together.

Add a drizzle of sesame oil and a couple tablespoons of sesame seeds (toasted, white, brown or black) and serve immediately. You can also add some scallions for garnish and flavor.

Tomorrow I have to choose between the laundromat and the really fancy farmers' market at MPC...you guess which I pick. Until then, I'll see you --- well, you guess where!

Coming tomorrow: Sesame eggplant

2011-08-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

I'm on an Asian/Indian kick this week. I love that sweet-and-salty, soft eggplant over rice. . .and I'll be here with the scoop tomorrow night! Til then, I'll see you at the market!

Herb Salad

2011-08-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

So last night I found myself with a surplus of fresh herbs - thyme, basil, Italian flat-leaf parsley, and oregano. I also had a good-sized portion of arugula, thanks to my boss' garden. I tore up just the leaves of the herbs and tossed them with the arugula. Then I sliced a fresh, ripe tomato onto the plate and just before serving, tossed all the greens with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar. I placed them on top of the tomato with a little salt and pepper and voila - a very tasty salad.

I also had some wonderful sand dabs, thanks to Frank's Fish Market on Market Street - delicious and great for someone on a budget. He did all the hard work of cleaning them - and then I sauteed them and served them on top of the salad and tomato. Delicious!!

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Julia Didn't Tell Me. . .

2011-08-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I'm making boeuf bourguignon according to Julia Child's recipe and guess what? She has you saute a sliced carrot and sliced onion, and then never says when to put them back in. It's right there on pp. 316 - 317. This is sort of a signature recipe from the movie "Julie and Julia" and is anecdotally, at least, one of the reasons Mastering the Art of French Cooking got published in the first place, so you think they'd want to get that right. . .

Operating on the theory that the reason you cook the pearl onions and mushrooms separately and add them at the last minute is so the wine doesn't turn them purple, I decided to hold the sliced regular onions and carrots until the end, too.

It's strange, both my sister and I have made this recipe a half-dozen times between us - and neither of us ever noticed it before. (I called her to confirm that I was not losing my mind and that the instruction really was missing.) Here's hoping! Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Stack up the eggplant!

2011-08-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I can't believe the bounty at the farmers' market these days! Beautiful heirloom tomatoes, eggplant in every shape and size, melons, peaches, sweet nectarines...what's a girl to do??? Fortunately, not much. The flavor that's packed into the produce means you have to do very little to it -- if anything at all!

May I suggest some eggplant and tomato stacks? If you like eggplant parmigiana, you'll like this very fresh version of it as well. Slice the eggplant horizontally into pieces about 1/4 - 1/2" thick. Lay them in a colander, salt them fairly heavily (you'll wash most of it off) and put a bowl on top of them. Fill the bowl either with canned goods or water and let the whole thing sit in the sink to drain for 30 minutes or so.

Take the eggplant slices out and rinse thoroughly, then pat dry. At this point you can either brush or toss them with olive oil and grill them on both sides until they're soft, or you can sautee them in some olive oil until lightly browned on both sides.

Slice a ball of fresh mozarella cheese (preferably at room temperature) into thin rounds. Slice a tomato (or 2 or 3, depending on how big your eggplant is) into rounds horizontally as well. Get some fresh basil and just stack the ingredients up on a plate - a layer of eggplant, then tomato, then cheese and so on, until you have anywhere from 6-9 layers per person. Tear the basil up and sprinkle it over the stack, along with some very good quality olive oil and a few drops of red wine or balsamic vinegar - and dig in! This dish not only tastes good, it looks very pretty on the plate. It's a great appetizer or side salad.

Mangia! Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Purslane

2011-08-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

One of this blog's original purposes was to help people figure out what those "weird" farmers' market ingredients were, and what to do with them. Today I'm featuring purslane - which is somewhere between a green and an herb. I bought some at the MPC Farmers' Market last week from Four Sisters Farm, in Aromas, CA.

It's got small, round leaves on a fairly crispy stem that gets tougher as it gets thicker. The little leaves are very lemony and tart when it's very fresh. I've noticed after a few days in the fridge, the flavor is less pronounced. I would be most likely to chop it up very finely and put it into a vinaigrette or a salad, or to use it as a garnish with seafood. It is definitely tasty and something you'll want to add to your culinary repertoire when it's available.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

It's been one of those weeks. . .

2011-08-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

If I could tell you about some of the stuff I had to deal with this week . . . well, it's probably no worse than anything you had to deal with! But on Friday I got to go to the MPC Farmers' Market and buy some Corralitos Sausage (one package of ostrich and one of venison) and Tassajara steak.

And on Thursday I stopped by Frank's in Salinas and bought some clams and fresh shrimp. I started some black japonica rice in the cooker. Then I diced up some really pretty peppers and zucchini (red, green and yellow), and when the rice was just about finished, I tossed them into a pan with hot olive oil and let them cook until they were soft. I added the shrimp and clams along with about 1/2 cup of vermouth. After letting the alcohol bubble off for a couple of minutes, I lowered the heat and covered the pan.

Within 5 minutes the shrimp were cooked perfectly and the clams were all open. Of course they all opened - they came from Frank's! I finished the dish by putting the peppers and seafood on top of the black rice with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Delicious! And the shrimp brought enough salt to the dish that no additional seasoning was necessary.

If you're unfamiliar with shellfish cookery, a clam, oyster or any other shellfish that won't close its shell when you tap on it lightly (this is before cooking, of course) is dead and should not be added to the pot. Once they are cooked, their shells should be open. Anything that doesn't open should also be discarded. I have read recipe-writers who disagree with the latter notion, saying that those are the healthiest shellfish because they're the strongest, but having had food poisoning, I'm sticking with what I know.

As far as shrimp go, please devein them before you cook them, or else buy them deveined. Running down a shrimp's back is something euphemistically referred to as a "vein". It's not. It's the digestive tract, and what's in it is exactly what you'd think. Gross. Shrimp are cooked when they form the shape of the letter "C" and are no longer gray and transluscent, but white and pink.

What is black japonica rice? Here's the description (from the Lundberg Family Farms website): A Gourmet Field Blend of Black & Mahogany Rice

Lundberg Family Farms proudly presents Black Japonica, a unique field blend of medium grain black and short grain mahogany rice. This delicious, healthful, whole grain rice is grown in California's fertile Sacramento Valley.

I hope you'll give seafood a try soon. If you're in an area where you can get fresh seafood, you owe it to those who can't to eat some for them! Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Compound Interest

2011-08-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Last night I had some terrifically fresh corn on the cob with real, honest-to-goodness butter. (Please don't call the health police; it's not something I do often.) Actually, I made a compound butter, which is nothing more than butter mixed with chopped herbs.

The only problem with compound butter is that whenever you look up a recipe for it, the darned recipe starts with a whole stick of butter. It assumes you're making steak for 8 and want to put a nice, thick disk of butter on top of each portion. Not a bad thing, as eating steak goes. . .but what if there are just one or two of you dining this evening?

Simple. You chop off as much butter as you want (1 T. per person's a good start) and let it soften at room temp. Chop up some herbs - as much or as little as you want. I used cilantro and ground chipotle pepper, but if you were making salmon, for example, you could use dill, minced shallots and lemon zest. Mash the herbs into the butter with a fork, put it into an appropriately-sized container or wrap it in cellophane and chill until hard. When your dinner's ready, take it out and put it onto the food. It's pretty, it melts, it's delicious, and it's a little something special you can do for yourself and your honey - or just for yourself!. I hope you try it soon, and until next time, I'll see you at the market.

Panzanella!

2011-07-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

. . .is not Godzilla's Italian cousin. It's a salad born of the need or desire to use up every scrap of leftover bread, and it's only really delicious during the summer, when you can use fresh tomatoes, sweet red onions, and fresh basil.

Take some day-old bread, like a ciabatta or a baguette, and tear it into bite-sized pieces. I had leftover ciabatta from my BLT project. If it's really dried out or hard to chew, you can soak the pieces for a couple of minutes in water to soften them and then squeeze out the excess liquid.

Add an amount of diced tomato equal to the amount of torn up bread and mix it with the basil, torn into pieces. Add the onion, finely diced. You can also add some garlic - but remember, it's going to be raw, so go easy. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with the best olive oil you have - about 2-3 turns of the bowl's worth. Then cover it, walk away and leave it on the counter (refrigerating tomatoes really messes them up!) for 30 minutes - 12 hours, stirring occasionally to mix the juices and olive oil.

You could also stir in some chopped anchovies, or fresh mozarella -- or serve with some good Italian sausage for a complete meal.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Tasting, Tasting, Tasting

2011-07-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

I'm working on my column 2 weeks hence. . . and I find myself with a conundrum. I am making an avocado and citrus salad, with cucumbers, red onions, and fennel. The dressing, however, is not something I can just say, "Mix up some of this and some of that and you're good." It depends on how sour the citrus is -- how much smoked paprika can it take? How much honey does it need? So my advice for tonight is taste, taste, taste, as you cook...and adjust along the way. Until tomorrow - which is bread salad -- I'll see you at the market!

Potato Wedges in Bacon Fat

2011-07-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well of course. Carbs and bacon. . .

I made a very fancy BLT for my column in the Salinas Californian newspaper next Tuesday. I cooked the bacon on a cookie sheet (with rims, please) in the oven, so I had this tray of hot bacon fat and well. . .

That sounds more spontaneous than it actually was. I was doing an experiment. The estimable Shirley Corriher, in Cookwise, contends that if you refrigerate a russet potato for a couple of days and then oven-fry it, it will be fluffier on the inside. I knew I was making the BLT; I knew there would be hot bacon fat -- so I bought a russet and stuck it in the fridge. To be honest, I didn't notice a lot of difference, but like I said, carbs and bacon. What could be bad about that?

I cut the potato into wedges, skin on, and tossed them onto the cookie sheet. I turned them after 15 minutes and stuck them back in for another 10. Pulled them out, salted and peppered them, and split them with Conner Jay, the photog from the Californian, along with the sandwich. You could make this much healthier by tossing the potato wedges in olive oil, salt and pepper and omitting the bacon fat. But why on earth would you? Until next time, I'll see you at the market!