A little over a month ago, I took my first trip to San Francisco.  I can't believe it took me so long.  One of my traveling traditions is to visit the local farmers' market.  To me, the farmers' market is the life of a city I want to see.  Shoppers drooling over locally produced goods, enjoying the morning and what the community can provide.  There isn’t a better way to start a day.  Case in point, refer to the picture below, which was my delicious breakfast.

 

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market was a lifelike garden in the middle of winter bleakness, or the black sludge that is currently lining the streets.

 

 

 

 

 

Beets.  Carrots.  Bread.  Pastries.  Food Euphoria.  I tasted, sampled, slurped, and nibbled my way around, yearning for something like this year round in my town.  It was difficult not to pack a suitcase full of loot, but with current baggage restrictions and costs, I limited myself to only a few. These items caught my affection right away. 

• Pear Raspberry Champagne Vinegar by Hare Hollow: A mixture of sweet and tart.  Makes a great salad dressing.

• Rosemary Salt by Allstar Organics: The sellers suggested using it to flavor meat.  I think it would also be great on homemade potato wedges.

• Rancho Gordo Beans: I didn’t taste any prepared beans, but first read about this company on the blog 101Cookbooks.  They grow a variety of heirloom beans.  The website features some tasty looking recipes.

• Vanilla Bean Toffee Almond Dessert Bar by Ginger Elizabeth: This chocolate bar was found at Fog City News, just a couple of blocks from the Ferry Building.  Dark chocolate with crispy toffee almond cures the midafternoon sweet tooth.

 

I’ve been trying to write this entry all day, but I’m at a loss for words.  So, there is no witty story that will take you to a different time and place.  For that, I am sorry.  But, this masterpiece doesn’t need much introduction.  This cake is the purest of chocolate desserts.  Whenever I make it, people rave about the richness of each bite.  The making and baking process couldn’t be much easier as it only contains four ingredients: chocolate, eggs, sugar and butter.  And, it only bakes for 20 minutes.  If I want another texture for the finished product, I sometimes add a graham cracker crust.  Serve with a dollop of whip cream and it is pure bliss.

Chocolate Truffle Cake
Author Unknown
Serves:  16 big servings or 30 slivers

3 sticks of unsalted butter
24 oz. of semisweet chocolate chips
8 whole eggs at room temperature
½ c. sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter the sides of a 10-inch springform pan.

In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until airy and a pale yellow color, about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt butter and chips together in double boiler over a simmer.

Fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs 1/3 at a time.  Pour the chocolate mixture into the springform pan.  Bake for 20 minutes.  The cake will not look done after 20 minutes.  Take it out of the oven!

Cool the cake on a cooling rack.  Refrigerate until hardened.  Remove from the pan and serve with whip cream.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
Sprinkle of cinnamon

Chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 15 minutes.  Whisk the cream, sugar and cinnamon until the cream forms a soft peak.

PSST:

Use a good quality chocolate like Guittard or Callebaut.

Today begins part one of Chocolate Days.  Now through Valentine’s Day, I will be giving you a few different ways to cook and eat chocolate. 

In my opinion, everyone should have a chocolate sauce recipe up their sleeve.  It’s so simple and so much better than the dark filled jars we can get at the store.  All it contains is cream, chocolate and your choice of flavorings.  

To get started, I went to one of my favorite books, The Flavor Bible, and looked for chocolate pairings.  My first thought was a wine and chocolate sauce, but I decided to make a ginger orange chocolate sauce.  I’ve been craving something with spice.  Then, I checked my second favorite book, Ratio, to determine the amount of cream and chocolate needed for a sauce: one part chocolate and one part cream.  After skimming through the book, I realized that Michael Ruhlman listed a recipe for ginger orange chocolate truffles.  Since I think this book rocks, I knew I was onto something good.

Not to sound corny, but my first thought, after the first of many licks, was harmony.  The orange zest came through first, then the ginger lingered in my mouth daring me to take another spoonful.  So, I complied.  Again.  And again.  The ingredients created a perfect friendship.  I paired it with Haagen Dazs Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream.  A delightful hump day treat!

 

Ginger Orange Chocolate Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

8 oz. heaving whipping cream
1-1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into 5 chunks
1 Tbsp. of orange zest
6 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 oz. white chocolate

Combine the cream, ginger, and orange zest in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil over medium to high heat.   Once the cream starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat and cover.  Let the ginger and orange zest steep in the cream for 30 minutes.

Reheat the cream to a boil.  When it begins to boil, remove from heat, and strain the cream into the bowl of chocolate.  Let the chocolate and cream sit for 2 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt.  Mix the chocolate and cream until smooth.

Serve with ice cream or eat with a spoon.

PSST:

Use good quality chocolate.  I recommend Guittard or Callebaut, which can be found in most grocery stores.  Also, there are some great small artisan chocolate companies located in the United States.  I like Askinosie, Taza, Patric, and Amano.

I love fried rice the way I love a vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting.  I must have it!  This past summer, I experimented with fried rice recipes in my search to eat more whole grains and vegetables. The recipe I originally used was from Penzey’s Spices, a fragrant store conveniently located about five blocks from my apartment.  They send out a catalog every few months chock full of recipes from readers, and the summer issue included a vegetarian fried rice spiced with ginger, red pepper flakes and black pepper.  I was intrigued.

Taking the original recipe, I tweaked the ingredients by exchanging brown rice for white rice and adding some more vegetables, but felt I made more of a stir-fry rather than fried rice.  The final dish was too saucy and the vegetables didn’t have much taste.  So, I googled and found a great blog entry by Jaden of the Steamy Kitchen.  She gives readers 4 key secrets of making fried rice.  First, use cold rice because warm rice will create too much moisture.  Second, use high heat to quickly fry each ingredient.  Third, cook each ingredient separately to give each its own taste.  Lastly, don’t touch the rice while frying.  Resist the temptation to pick up the wooden spoon! 

Applying these secrets made the difference.  The rice had a crispy layer, the vegetables were flavorful and distinct, and the ginger and red pepper added a spicy depth.  My serving didn't even make it to the plate.

 

Ginger Fried Rice

Serves 4

4 cups cold brown rice
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
2 cups chopped broccoli
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 green onions, sliced at an angle
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. powdered ginger
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ cup chopped pineapples
1/3 cup cashew pieces

Whip the egg in a small bowl.  Add 2 tsp. oil to a small nonstick pan.  Heat over medium heat until the oil is hot.  Pour eggs into pan to make a thin layer, reduce heat to medium low and cook without stirring or flipping for about 3 minutes.  Slide out of pan and roll up.  Let cool a bit and then thinly slice.  Set aside.

Heat the wok pan over high heat with the 1 tsp. oil.   When hot, add the broccoli and fry 3 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Return pan to high heat and add 1 tsp. oil.  When hot, add mushrooms and fry 2 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Return pan to high heat and 2 tsp. oil.  When hot, add green onions and fry 1 minute.  Then, add rice, mix with the onions, spread the mixture out using the entire cooking surface and let fry, untouched for 3 minutes.  Add soy sauce, ginger, red pepper and pineapples.  Mix with rice, spread the mixture out using the entire cooking surface and let fry, untouched for 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with cashews.  Enjoy hot.

The New Year is full of many resolutions, most focused around our physical health.  Aerobic classes are packed with good intentions.  Magazine covers tell us how to lose 10 pounds in 10 days.  Then, there’s the no salt, no fat, no flavor food that we are supposed to eat morning, noon and night.  We all know that works real well!  Whatever your reason for healthy eating, we know that in order to do it, our food needs some spice.  This month, we hope to provide you with simple, savory, healthy recipes. 

My sister discovered the Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie recipe last spring, and it has become one of my favored evening treats.  The cocoa powder and peanut butter create a harmonious balance.  The frozen banana helps thicken the shake, and the dates give you extra fiber and potassium.  The Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie is the liquid version of a popular ice cream blizzard.  Trust me.  Your sweet tooth will be conquered!

It’s strange that I’m starting a healthy eating month with something I classify as a dessert, but we all know that trying to skip sweets just doesn’t work.     

HAPPY NEW YEAR!   

  

Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup milk (whatever you prefer)
1 tsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
4 pitted prunes, chopped
½ cup sliced banana, frozen
¼ cup crushed ice

Place all ingredients in the blender.  Blend until smooth.

Yields: 2 servings

PSST:

Don’t use a fresh banana.  It doesn’t work as well.  I buy a bunch of bananas, peel them, cut them in half, wrap them in saran wrap, and store them in the freezer for my smoothies.