What Eye 8

For the Love of Pho: Beef Noodle Soup to Free Your Soul

2012-02-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

There are a few truly great soups in the world: Japanese miso shiru, Thai tom yam or tom ka, French onion soup, American New England clam chowder, Spanish gazpacho, Chinese hot and sour soup, and lastly, Vietnamese pho soup. Pho, pronounced fuh, is a beef broth soup made from cooking bony, fatty pieces of beef--the undesirable bits--in water with roasted ginger, onions, and star anise. The broth becomes aromatic and rich, while the odd slices of beef the soup may be served with are more of an afterthought than the main event.

Part of the fun of eating pho is that you get a plate of garnishes, so that you can add to your soup bowl as your taste dictates, composing your own soup experience. I'm a sucker for the make-your-own at the table art of cuisine. Somehow food tastes better because you chose the combo.

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Making the Broth

1 large yellow or white onion
3 inch piece unpeeled ginger root
2 to 3 pounds beef soup bones (leg, knuckle bones, oxtails--any bony, soup cuts of beef)
1/2 pound flank steak or sirloin (optional)
5 star anise
3 whole cloves
1-inch cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 gallon water

Peel and cut the onion in half. Place it in a nonstick frying pan, along with the ginger root, unpeeled and sliced in half lengthwise. Char these for a few minutes to soften. Add these as is to the pot of water, along with the beef. Heat to boiling, and when impurities float to the top, skin them off repeatedly and discard.

Add in the star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, salt, fish sauce, steak (if you used it), and sugar. Simmer about one and a half hours.

When cooking is complete, strain the broth through a cheesecloth in a colander to remove any impurities. Discard bones (here's where your family dog gets lucky). If you used steak, set it aside for slicing. Then, either skim off the layer of fat on top of the broth, or refrigerate and then scoop off the fat. You want a clear, delicate—not heavy—broth.

Garnishes a Go-Go

Assemble the following on a large plate, feeling free to substitute, as needed:

· Chopped cilantro

· Green onions, sliced into small rings (optional--we don't like raw onions in my family)

· 1 cup fresh bean mung bean sprouts

· 2 Limes cut into wedges

· 1 bunch mint leaves

· 1 bunch Thai basil or Italian basil

· 2 chili peppers, thinly sliced (although Thai hot peppers are preferred, we use jalapenos, as they are less intense, but still pack some heat), with seeds removed

· Watercress or other greens, if you have them (saw-tooth herb is authentic, but not easily found)

· Sriracha hot chili sauce and hoisin sauce

Noodle-icious

Prepare 12 ounces of rice noodles as directed on the package, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

Creating the Pho Bowls

If you used steak, slice it against the grain in very thin slices. Heat the broth to boiling over medium heat Prepare the rice noodles as directed. Blanch the bean sprouts until wilted but still crisp. Fill each bowl approximately 1/4 full with noodles, place slices of steak (if used) on top of the noodles. Garnish this with sliced green onions (if used). Ladle the hot broth into each bowl. Serve the garnishes plate along with the pho soup.

Chocolate: Even the Word Sounds Delicious

2012-02-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

Looking for a chocolate fix this side of Chocolate Day? Yes, I'd love for Valentine's Day to be rededicated as Chocolate Day. Not everyone has romantic love in their life at any given time. And frankly, being expected and forced to deal with those who do can be either annoying or downright intimidating for this one holiday every year. But chocolate? Everyone can appreciate and enjoy chocolate, right?

Here's a list of some of my chocolate posts. Happy Chocolate Day to you!

The World's Best Hot Chocolate

Chocolate Truffles

The World's Best Peppermint Bark

Pistachio Bark

Chocolate Martini

Chocolate Ice Cream

Faux Chocolate (Carob Brownies)

I need to write up my mole how-to one of these days and add it to this list. Certainly mole is a food of love--savory chocolate, how great is that?

What is YOUR favorite chocolate recipe?

Sweet & Sour Asian Stew

2012-01-30T11:16:00.000-08:00

Sweet & Sour Stew with Chicken & Veggies

Easy Recipes You Must Know to Eat Well and Impress Your Friends, Part 2

Here’s a so-easy, so-scrumptious, always impressive Asian stew that can become a staple quickie meal for you and your lucky loved ones. The secret to this recipe is that you need to keep a few items on hand all the time—items you might not always have in your pantry. (I do because I am a confessed foodie--I buy toasted sesame oil and mirin by the gallon!). Make sure you have ginger root and rice vinegar, for instance.

1/3 cup Soy Sauce (shoyu) Do NOT use that pathetic watered down stuff that's advertised as "low sodium" soy sauce. What a crock! It's just soy sauce with water added—and for the same price. Buy regular soy sauce and add your own water, or simply use less soy sauce.

2/3 cup Water—more if needed

2/3 cup Mirin (if you don’t have mirin sweet rice cooking wine, you can substitute an equal amount of Sake plus two tablespoons of sugar)

3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar (Do not substitute another kind of vinegar—this must be rice vinegar! Rice vinegar is great to have around—it turns regular short-grained rice into sushi rice. It makes a lovely, light salad dressing all by itself—especially good with tomatoes and/or cucumbers. Rice vinegar RULES!)

6 slices Ginger Root (roughly peeled, but don't fuss too much over it)

6 cloves Garlic, crushed

4 pounds of Chicken Thighs or Legs, or Pork Chops, Bone-in. Be sure to choose meat WITH bones—meat is always more tender and juicy if cooked with bones. Boneless meat cooked in stews can become dry and stringy. Bones RULE! You could also make this dish vegetarian by using 1” cubes of Tempeh or Firm Tofu. If you opt for tempeh or tofu, add a tablespoon of sesame oil or vegetable oil to add umami, meat mouth-feel.

2 or 3 cups Vegetables of your choice, cut in bite-sized pieces: Carrots, Mushrooms, Green Beans, Potatoes, Rutabagas, Celery, Parsnips, Soybeans (edamame, shelled), Celery, etc.

Throw everything in a sturdy pot. Let simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking.
Pick out the ginger pieces and any bones, and then serve over white rice. Ladle the delightful saucy sauce onto the rice too. Accept praise and admiration for your gourmet cooking efforts graciously, without divulging the secret that this recipe was obscenely easy to concoct.

Anti-Cancer Turmeric Yummy Foods

2012-01-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend was diagnosed with cancer. Her physician told her to eat more turmeric. Turmeric, also sometimes spelled tumeric. The bright, yellow-orange powder you find in the spice section of your grocery store. Or better yet, in bulk at Indian grocers. Also known as curcumin and now used in many beauty and health food products. She asked me how to use turmeric--what foods to put it in. As a confessed lover or turmeric--I even go by the penname, Tumerica, based on the spice--that was an easy one. I rattled off three or four recipes.

More recently, my husband was "prescribed" by his dermatologist (Dr. Madelene Heng, who is also a genius inventor) to use a skin product called Psoria-Gold, which contains--you guessed it--turmeric (curcumin).

All of this got me thinking. It turns out the reputed health benefits of turmeric are astounding. Here are just a few:

Antibacterial
Prevention of cancers
Liver detoxification
Slowing of Alzheimer's disease
Anti-inflammatory
Slowing of multiple sclerosis (MS)
Increased fat metabolism
Anti-arthritic
Increased wound healing

Turmeric sounds so healthy, you'd think someone was making it up--as close to a panacea as the Earth has ever known. But don't take my word on it--do a little research. If even part of what turmeric is reported to do is true, then it's worth it.

As to the flavor of turmeric, it is similar to mustard--slightly bitter, warming and bright in the nose. Turmeric comes most often ground, unlike coriander, cumin, and ginger, the other common curry spices. It's hard to find whole turmeric, which is a root that looks a lot like ginger and is in the ginger family. Turmeric tastes better cooked in with savory flavors than it does by itself.

If you don't have turmeric in your spice cabinet, I recommend you add it to your shopping list right away and start working it into soups and stews and pilafs as soon as you can.

Here are a few dishes you can toss turmeric into, enjoy eating, and do your body a flavor, er, favor.

Pimp My Pilaf OR Turmeric Rice Pilaf (Add 2 tablespoons each butter and ground turmeric to one and a half cups jasmine rice, 1 teaspoon chicken stock concentrate, and 2 cups water. Cook until absorbed, around 20 minutes.)

Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Curry Stew (Turkey or other Meats)

Cauliflower Curry Soup (Cold or Hot)

Lentil Stew (Coconut Lentil Curry)

Curried Shish kebabs (Lamb or Other Meats)

Curried Meatballs

Curried Deviled Eggs (Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, and mayonnaise to the cooked, mashed yolks and pipe back into the sliced hard-boiled whites.)

If you have suggestions for incorporating turmeric into foods, please let me know and I will post them!

Seaweed Demystified

2012-01-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

Kelp, kombu, wakame, nori, laver, hijiki, dulse--what are all these sea greens? How do you tell them apart, and most importantly, what do you do with them? I lived in Japan for five years, so got a lot of exposure to nori, kelp, and hijiki, but dulse, for instance is more of a Canadian/European food, so is less familiar. Here's a seaweed primer—for you and for me.

NORI

The seaweed you are probably most familiar with is the one that goes in some sushi dishes: nori, or toasted laver. Highest in protein, nori makes a tasty and crispy snack. You can easily purchase packs of nori at almost any grocery store, but be careful of the Enjoy By date--nori goes stale quickly and isn't as fun to eat when not crispy

KELP
There many kinds of edible kelp, and among those, the three biggies are wakame, kombu, and arame.

Wakame

Wakame is also fairly familiar as it is often served in miso soup. Tender, delicate, and delightful, wakame is the spinach of sea vegetables. It's also easy to work with. Throw a small amount of dried wakame into a hot beverage and poof!--in a minute or two, your wakame is ready to eat. Kids like wakame because it's fun to grab--slightly squirmy. Wakame has the most calcium of sea veggies, so it's a good one for anyone who is lactose intolerant or who restricts or does not consume dairy products.

Kombu

Kombu is thick and comes in flat sheets. ALL kombu arrives with a light white dusty substance--just part of the gig. Usually in making kombu for Japanese soup stock base, the cooked kombu is thrown out before serving. But my family likes the mild taste and slight chewiness of kombu, so I slice it into thin slivers and put the kombu back in the soup after cooking it. Definitely a healthy food, kombu is a power house of minerals and vitamins. One only needs to use a little--a four-inch piece in a six-person serving of soup is plenty, so the package takes a while to use (and lasts seemingly forever).

Arame

Even for seaweed fans, arame is not a huge favorite. It's brownish rather than green and has a slight sliminess. If you know of good ways of incorporating arame into your diet, do let me know. I have lots to learn about it.

HIJIKI

Hijiki is almost black and is firm strands with a stongish, oceany flavor. I'm not sure what to do with hijiki, other than to serve it in seaweed salads. My family turns their nose up at this healthy vegetable, so I don't get to eat it often.

DULSE
Although not yet popular in the US, dulse has been around as a staple health/snack/fiber supplement in Canada, Ireland, and Iceland. Dulse has every trace element we humans need in order to thrive. Have a sluggish thyroid? Dulse will help you out.

Cucumber & Wakame Salad

1 medium cucumber (or 1/2 English cucumber), sliced into thin rounds
A handful or 2 long pieces (if whole) rehydrated and softened wakame seaweed, cut into about 1" lengths
3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
A few shakes of Shiso Fumi furikake

Put wakame in a bowl and add enough water to cover the seaweed. Microwave for one or two minutes to heat the wakame and reconstitute it. Let sit for a few minutes and pour off any excess water. Add the other ingredients. Toss well and serve. Also good with a few shakes of irigoma (toasted sesame seeds).

Notes:

This is a fat-free salad, but you could always sprinkle on a few drops of toasted sesame oil, if you like
This salad can also be made without furikake, but it's incredibly delicious with it.

For the Love of Parsnips

2012-01-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

Parsnips. One of those odd, under-loved, and let's admit it, humble vegetables. If we even know what they are, we might mutter something like, "Oh, those--aren't they white carrots?" At least this is true in the States. In the UK and other European countries, parsnips have much more of a culinary impact. In fact, for hundreds of years, parsnips were more popular--and better known--than the more common potato. Humans have been eating parsnips for more than 2,000 years. Rich in nutrients (vitamin C and folate among them) and said to help lower blood pressure as well as aid in recovery from colds, you could certainly eat parsnips as a health food.

But why eat them other than because of their availability and healthiness? Well, If all you've experienced of Patinaca sativa is the rubbery, ancient roots sold by most American grocers and tasting nothing incrementally different from soggy cardboard, then it's small wonder. Ah, but a freshly pulled parsnip is another thing altogether--honestly, like a completely different vegetable. I found this out when my husband, the garden and landscape genius, handed some parsnips to me, earth still clinging to them. I mustered little enthusiasm, until I actually bit into a tender morsel of licorice-butter parsnip. A potato, a carrot, fennel--all of those flavors are in a fresh parsnip. Mildly sweet (think, jicama sweetness level) and with a definite anise undertone, fresh parsnips are simply DIVINE.

What to do with parsnips:

Peel, cut into chunks, cut out any woody or dark areas, and toss them into . . .

—any soup or stew. Unlike carrots, parsnips maintain their flavor longer under the duress of liquid cooking.

—a roasting pan, dotted with butter, and then bake at 400 for 30 minutes--stirring occasionally--for a full-on savory treat (you can also drizzle on a bit of honey or maple syrup for added fun).

—a steamer with a bit of water (can also be sliced). Dress as you like and serve as a hearty side dish.

Homemade for the Holidays, Part 4: Best. Peppermint Bark. Ever.

2011-12-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

If you go to your local membership warehouse this time of year, you will surely see tins of peppermint bark, festively wrapped, with ginormous pricetags. Sure, who can resist peppermint bark? Even those of us who don't care for hard candies. Peppermint bark says Happy Holidays in every way—that minty smell, the bonus chocolate, the odd little red and white trapezoids. But once you have made peppermint bark yourself—or tasted homemade peppermint bark—you will scoff as you walk by those displays. For if there is ever anything worth making at home, it is surely peppermint bark. Easy, fast, fun for kids to help with, and much less expensive than store-bought. Did I mention that homemade peppermint bark will knock your hideous Christmas socks right off your feet? It's crazy-good—with a couple of easy tricks, that is.

You will most certainly hear, "This is the best peppermint bark I've ever tasted." The lavish quantities of chocolate make this bark thicker. And the peppermint extract makes it refreshingly slightly sassy.

Peppermint Bark for Gift-Giving

2 12 oz. packages white chocolate chips
8 oz. peppermint candy (stick, candy cane, or puffy)
1 pound artisinal milk chocolate (great sources for bulk chocolate are Fresh & Easy and Trader Joe's)
1 pound artisinal dark chocolate
2 to 4 teaspoons peppermint extract

Just as in the preparation for Pistachio Bark (Homemade for the Holidays, Part 1), line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unlike for pistachio bark, you will make peppermint bark upside-down. That is, white chocolate first, and then dark chocolate on top. The reason why is those crushed peppermint candy bits will tumble all over the place if not squished into the white chocolate. Melt the white chocolate chips in the top of a double-boiler (or use a stainless steel bowl on top of a pot with some boiling water in it). Stir to mix.
While the white chocolate is melting, crush the peppermint candies. Either the candy cane style, the stick style, or my favorite, the puffy style. (Put candies in a plastic resealable bag and whack with a rolling pin or gently with a hammer). The crushed candies do not need to be tiny—rough and varied is perfect.
Pour the crushed peppermint candies onto the parchment paper and drizzle on the melted white chocolate. Now, this is a bit tricky—use a chopstick to swirl the white chocolate out to the edges of the baking sheet and try to mix the peppermints evenly without mixing them all in. That's the hardest part. It's smooth sailing from there.
Allow to cool in the refrigerator or freezer while you melt the dark chocolate and milk chocolate together, using a double-boiler or the "bowl on top of pot of boiling water" trick again.
While the chocolate is melting, pour in two teaspoons peppermint extract. This kicks it up a notch. If you want to go all crazy on peppermint, you could always increase the amount of peppermint extract up to four teaspoons —but go easy—taste test as you go. Too much might make the chocolate bitter. Start with two and go from there. Mix to disperse the mintiness (is that a word?).
When the white chocolate layer is firm, drizzle on the darker chocolate later. Smooth as evenly as you can, and let firm.
Break into smaller pieces, wrap, and distribute, while chuckling smugly to yourself about your cleverness.

Notes:

This recipe makes a hefty quantity—4 pounds. Granted, that's a bucket load of candy--but, you will be giving this away, won't you? Don't eat the whole thing yourself—seriously!
Michael's craft stores are a great source for candy wrapping accessories. I recommend the food-safe cellophane bags, but you could get fancy and use special boxes or tins. However you choose to package your delectables, be sure to use food-safe tissue (also available at Michael's) or wax paper. If you have to use plastic food wrap directly, eventually, your candy will taste like plastic. At least first wrap in food-safe tissue or wax paper and then wrap in plastic food wrap.
Peppermint bark made this way will not go stale or bad because there is no ganache, e.g., we didn't add cream or butter. You start with solid chocolate and you end with solid chocolate. Just wrap enough to keep other food flavors away and to seal in the good minty flavor. Also freezes beautifully.

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Homemade for the Holidays, Part 2: You CAN Make Your Own Curry Powder—and Authentic Curry

2011-12-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

What's the best curry powder? Why, it's the one you can make from scratch at home! Don't settle for some store-bought version that's been sitting on a shelf for lord-knows-how-many years. And many of those are too salty or too spicy or both. Real curry powder is neither.

To completely clarify, what Indians use when making curry is not actually curry powder (which is apparently a British adaptation), it's garam masala. Garam masala is a mixture of ground, dried spices that can be added to other dishes--a spice blend that gives a short-cut to curry. Most Indian families, I believe, make their own garam masala or at least add their own equivalent spices when making curries. But you can, by buying whole bulk spices and using a coffee grinder, make your own garam masala—and your own curry—easily. Remember--feel free to create your own variations. Enjoy!

The spice blend garam masala is such a beautifully fragrant and amazing thing to create—and so easy—that I have listed it here as one of the perfect "Homemade for the Holidays" gifts that you can create.

Preparation
Gather your spices (you can buy bulk spices online cheaply, or, if you are lucky enough to live near an Indian grocery store, that's even better) and assemble them in a large bowl. Toast them in a non-stick or heavy iron pan (such as Le Creuset) by stirring them lightly over medium heat (with NO oil). Toast just until your kitchen becomes fragrant and the spices turn a slightly darker shade—not until everything is crisped! Let cool and grind in small batches. (See Storage below.)

Garam Masala Powder

1/4 cup black peppercorns
2 tablespoons cardamom pods
1/2 cup coriander seeds
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1 stick of cinnamon
A few cloves
2 tablespoons of fennel seeds
Turmeric to taste (usually turmeric comes in pre-ground format. It's rare to find it fresh and even more rare to find it dried whole. So for this one ingredient, you'll probably be using it ground. Turmeric is an known anti-cancer agent, so I try to add turmeric as often as I can to many dishes!)

There are dozens of other spices you can add: fenugreek, curry leaves (I use this for fish curry only), asafetida, etc. But if you start with the most important ones: black pepper, cumin, and coriander--you won't go wrong.

Storage
Grind into a powder and store in glass jars or some other container that will not impart a flavor to your powder (better to avoid plastic if you can, as your spice blend will eventually taste like plastic). I like those glass jars with the rubber seals and the flip-top lids--you can get at Cost Plus World Markets, Michael's, or a gourmet store such as Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table. Also, SKS Bottle & Packaging has the best selection of anywhere I have seen. Then, simply label and decorate your little jar of spices and present as a lovely homemade gift.

How to Turn Garam Masala into Curry
When making your actual curry, always start with the roux. Use butter or ghee, large quantities of grated ginger root and garlic and pureed onion (blend these in a blender with a small amount of water, if desired). Cook and stir until the mixture turns light caramel color, and then add your other ingredients (meat, veggies, garam masala that you made, etc.). Use several tablespoons of your garam masala in your curry roux mixture and ENJOY! Don't be stingy with your powder—it takes a lot of spices to make a good curry! Cook only until the mixture tastes melded (e.g., you don't detect raw onion flavor and the meat is cooked through). You cannot make an authentic curry without starting from a roux. Just throwing in garam masala does not a curry make (oh, how few Western chefs understand this point).

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Homemade for the Holidays—Part 3, Chocolate Truffles

2011-12-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

Sure, there are chocolate bon-bons—those chocolate candies with mystery ingredients inside. But hard-core chocolate aficionados prefer truffles. Chocolate inside, chocolate outside—all the more chocolate to enjoy. But don't settle for the standard-issue truffles—go for the gusto by making your own—and then wrapping your delectable creations in food-safe tissue paper, placing in and an elegant box, and tying all with a festive ribbon. You have a perfect and elegant hostess gift or gift for a loved one that says, "Enjoy and be happy" with both heart and pleasure in the mix.

Homemade Truffles
Homemade truffles will not look as glamorous as ones you might find at a chocolatier, but they will be made with love—by you, and are therefore far more wonderful. Again, dress your creations up in elegant wrapping (Try Nashville Wraps online and Cost Plus World Market [to check store locations], and Michael's for wrappings for homemade food gifts) and deliver with pride.

Here's a quick and simple recipe—the results will astound both you and the object of your affections. Plus, there will be plenty left over to take to work and amaze everyone there. Enjoy! Recipe makes about five dozen 1" truffles.

1 pound bar of artisanal bittersweet baking chocolate. (Do not use chocolate chips—your truffles will not taste authentic. Search for gourmet bulk baking chocolate, like Ghirardelli or Callebout or Scharffenberger or Valrhona. Trader Joe’s and Fresh & Easy both have wonderful Belgian 72% cacao content bulk chocolate for $4 a pound--can't beat that!)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons vanilla (You can also substitute liqueurs, such as Chambord, Limoncello, or my all-time favorite, Grand Marnier, but rest assured, your truffles will not taste alcoholy—the liquor blends in perfectly and acts just like vanilla, only with a twist. Your truffles will be safe for children to consume. Vanilla has as high an alcohol content as the equivalent amount of liqueurs, so your call. If using liqueur and you DO want to taste the alcohol, you can UP the content of liqueur to as much as 4 tablespoons--but no more than that or it will make your ganache flabby.)

Shredded unsweetened coconut or chopped, unsalted nuts to roll truffles in. I recommend pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts. Our family favorite is unsweetened coconut, which you can find at Indian stores or in gourmet or health food stores such as Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. If you can find only sweetened coconut, well, it will still be delicious, but unsweetened is more sophisticated. If you use nuts, make sure to get unsalted.)

Half-fill a pot with water. Place a bowl (or another pot) over the boiling water (thus creating a double-boiler, if you don't have one). Melt the chocolates in the upper bowl, stirring to mix the chocolate (taste, if desired). When the chocolate is melted, add in the butter, vanilla (or liqueur) and mix thoroughly. Add in a dollop of heavy cream, stirring it in well before adding another dollop. When the cream is well–mixed, remove the chocolate, cover the bowl, and refrigerate it for several hours or until the mixture is firm enough to hold its shape (you may need to refrigerate overnight).

Spread out a sheet of parchment paper on the counter (or plastic wrap). Scoop up about a tablespoon of the chocolate and roll into a 1" ball, rolling between your hands to make a nice rounded shape (like making meatballs). Roll the truffle in a plate with the coconut or chopped nuts to coat the outside evenly. Place the coated truffle on the parchment paper. Continue in this way until all the chocolate is gone (be sure to sneak a few for taste-testing and quality assurance).

Ganache in makeshift double boiler

These simple truffles get such rave reviews, I’ve actually been offered money for them (one dollar each!). Have also made $43 selling them at our school's bake sale using around $10 worth of ingredients. The secrets are using the high-cacao content artisinal chocolate. That and the subtle coconut and the fancy liqueur make these truffles a to-die-for gift.

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Homemade for the Holidays: Part 1—Pistachio Bark

2011-12-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

Pistachio Bark—Easy Homemade Gift

Remember when we were little and many families used to make homemade Christmas and holiday gifts to exchange? Rum cake, the dreaded fruit cake, truffles, fudge, homemade jellies, potpourri? Ever want to thumb your nose at big box stores and, well, go all old school on 'em and make your own holiday gifts? Well, you can. And some of the make-your-own holiday gifts I'll be telling you about are so simple, any kid with a bit of supervision can make (others will take a few more steps and be trickier). I'll be featuring homemade gifts over the next few weeks--ones that have worked for us in the past.

First up, I'll start with the easiest, tastiest, most-satisfying gift that anyone can make. I guarantee this gift will be well-received. Even if you don't prefer sweets, this gift is gorgeous and it's a sure-thing for bringing to the office and sharing or for hostess gifts for those numerous holiday parties that spring up. Looks like you spent a fortune or a long time crafting. Shhh. Your secret is safe with us.

Super-easy Pistachio Bark

1/2 pound artisinal dark chocolate (Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy both sell wonderful bulk Belgian chocolate bars for about $4 a pound)
1/2 pound artisinal milk chocolate
1 12-ounce bag white chocolate chips (if you can find artisinal white chocolate, get that instead--I have a hard time finding good bulk white chocolate)
1 1/2 cups shelled salted roasted pistachio nuts (again, Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy have great ready-to-eat pistachios)

Melt the dark and milk chocolate together on the top of a double-boiler. If you don't have one, fake it with a stainless steel or other heat-proof bowl atop a pot of boiling water (the bowl must be larger than the pot rim in order to work--you don't want a wobbly bowl).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as the wax will melt and you'll be eating it. Get parchment paper in the baking section of any supermarket.
Add 3/4 cup (half) of the pistachios to the melted chocolate and stir them in lightly.
Pour the chocolate-nut mixture on the parchment paper, spreading it out until it's no more than 1/4" thick (it will be irregularly shaped—no worries).
Put in the freezer or the refrigerator to firm slightly.
Melt the white chocolate on the top of the double-boiler or using the pot of boiling water and bowl trick, noted above.
Remove the baking sheet and drizzle the white chocolate lightly across the surface of the dark chocolate. Do not mix it in.
Here is another trick: to make the white layer look beautiful, get a chopstick and lightly slide it across and back and forth over the surface of the white chocolate to make delicate swirl patterns. Try to cover as much of the dark chocolate to the edge as possible--but DO NOT work the white chocolate in. Use a light touch.
Sprinkle on the last 3/4 cup (the remainder) of the pistachios and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Break the pistachio bark into irregular pieces. Wrap in cellophane food gift bags and package decoratively, as preferred.

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Miso Soup Demystified

2011-12-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

Quick—how do you make miso soup (miso shiru)? Do you think it involves adding miso paste to water? That's what I thought too, back when I first moved to Japan. And I could not figure out why my miso soup didn't taste like the miso soup I was served in restaurants and homes. It was missing that savory something . . . When I finally got my hands on an English-language cookbook (one I still rely on today, 20 years later: Keiko Hayashi's, Try It, You'll Love It, available used on Amazon.com), I found out the secret missing ingredient. Not tofu, not wakame seaweed, although those are essential too. No, what was missing was dashi. Dashi is a soup stock based on fish and the heavy seaweed called kombu. Dashi is to Japanese cuisine what chicken stock is to western cuisines. It goes in too many dishes to count. If you can make dashi, you can make not only authentic miso soup, but also many more Japanese dishes, ramen broth, and other soups and stews (nimono). Dashi is home base and all it takes, to play ball is having the ingredients on hand.

First, go to an Asian grocery store or look in the Asian foods section of your supermarket. Buy a packet of kombu (or konbu) seaweed. It's thick, flat strands of very salty, unappealing-looking seaweed. The flavor is mild, though, and it adds a bit of thickness (kombu must be rinsed and cut to fit before use). Kombu is also super-healthy and will not spoil.

Also, buy a pack of bonito flakes. Bonito is a tasty, savory fish with a big flavor. It's shaved or flaked and packaged in miso soup individual packets--or in larger packets. Known as katsuo in Japanese, and katsuobushi for the flaked bonito. Why use bonito specifically? Well, you need a fish base and bonito flakes are an easy, no fuss way to get it.

Another well-know method to get fish base is to use dried sardines, known as niboshi (warning: niboshi have eyeballs and bones and a strong smell--this may freak you out a bit) and soak them in water and then strain.

I prefer bonito flakes. They smell good and taste great--plus you can use katsuobushi in other dishes (it's great on cold tofu, for instance).

With the secret dashi ingredients in your cabinet, along with miso, tofu, shiitake mushrooms and green onions (optional), and wakame seaweed, you are ready to roll with authentic miso soup. If you buy dried shiitake and bulk miso paste, you'll have all the miso soup ingredients except for fresh tofu on hand and ready--they don't go bad years.

Authentic Miso Soup

6 cups water

1 four-inch piece kombu, rinsed

6 tablespoons miso, white or red

1 10-ounce package silken tofu, cut into half-inch cubes

1 tablespoon wakame seaweed

1/2 cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi, shaved roasted skipjack tuna)

Optional Ingredients

3 to 5 shiitake black mushrooms, stems discarded and sliced thinly, optional
Thinly sliced green onion tops, optional (can cut with scissors)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

Boil the water and add the kombu to the pot to soak. Pour the katsuobushi into the pot and let everything boil for a few minutes. Remove the kombu and strain out the katsuobushi, so that all you have left in the pot is a clear broth. Add in the cubed tofu and shiitake, and then boil for a few minutes. Turn off the burner, and get a soup ladle and a spoon handy. Put half of the miso into the soup ladle. Add in some of the soup and use the spoon to mush it and stir it until all the miso lumps are dissolved and you have a thick slush. Add this to the soup and do the same for the last half (making sure there are no lumps in the soup--miso lumps are salty!). Lastly, add in the wakame and serve (the wakame expands before your eyes--cool!).

If you need to reheat miso soup, do so slowly--you do not want to cook the miso, as it will lose flavor. Miso soup is great for breakfast the next day--add in a beaten egg and stir just to cook. Hearty and yummy!

Notes:

You can vary the size of this recipe as you like--the rule of thumb is one tablespoon of miso per one cup of water (8 oz.)
Also, most miso soup is served with thin slices of raw green onion floating on top. I don't usually bother with the green onions because I prefer onions cooked better than raw, but feel free to experiment with it, keeping the quantity small until you see what works for you. The onions should be a minor side flavor and not domineering.
If you to want to add other ingredients--clams, muscles, carrots, daikon, potatoes, etc., be sure to cook the ingredients, set aside, and then add them to the finished miso soup. Sounds crazy, but again, once you "cook" miso, some of the beneficial bacteria and the flavor is lost.
We love kombu in our house, so I often remove the cooked kombu. slice it into thin strips, and add that back into the soup for extra body.

Don't Throw out That Turkey Carcass! Transform It Instead! (Turkey Curry)

2011-11-25T07:33:00.000-08:00

Got a half-gnawed turkey carcass squatting in your refrigerator? Had your fill of plain old turkey meat by now? Running out of inspirational recipes for how to disguise those Thanksgiving leftovers? Well, here's a delicious innovation, and no one you serve it to will notice it's recycled turkey meat: Turkey Curry. If you are thinking curry is too much trouble, you've got a good point, although I've got a solution for you. And if you think curry consists of merely tossing in some curry powder, you are missing out on the ecstasy of real homemade curry.

To make turkey curry, I've included some shortcuts—good shortcuts that won't compromise the delightful fragrance and savoriness of curry. Shortcuts that will make your curry come to life sooner but will still allow you to create an authentic curry.

Curry that is meat-based consists of three basic steps: Rousing the Roux; Spicing It Up; and Picking the Bones. Usually with homemade, authentic curry you will sauté the roux until it turns golden brown before adding it to your curry. My biggest cheat is this: pour the roux ingredients into the pot and let the stew itself cook the roux. (This cheat saves about 15 minutes.)

Here is how you transform your sorry turkey carcass into a gourmet treat—with ease:

Rousing the Roux
Peel two medium onions and cut into large chunks (no need to cut onions pretty or small—these are going in the blender). Peel 10~12 cloves of garlic (if you are using crushed bottled garlic, use about 2 tablespoons). Peel about 2 inches of fresh ginger root (do not substitute ginger powder—it is NOT a good cheat). Chop coarsely. Add the onion, garlic and ginger root to the blender and pour in about a half cup of water—enough to help puree the veggies. If you like a hot-spicy curry, add seeded hot peppers to the roux--jalapenos work beautifully. If this is to be served to a family, skip the peppers, though—black pepper (which you will add later on) is enough to give your curry a little bite. (You can also serve finely chopped peppers on the table, so guests can add in as they like.) Blend on high until the roux is a nice slushy consistency—like that of a snow cone (this is cheat #1—pureeing the roux in the blender saves time over chopping small and grating the ingredients). Pour the roux into a large sturdy stew pot (a four- or five-quart pot).

Spicing It Up
In the stew pot, place the turkey carcass and any stray pieces of sliced turkey meat you have. If the turkey is too large for the pot, crack it around the ribs and break it into two large pieces. You MUST use the bones to make this work. Why is it essential to use the bones? Because bones, my dear, are the crucial part of any truly wonderful meat-based soup or stew. Bones lend a depth and irresistibility to your savory dish that cannot be achieved otherwise. Plus, meat that clings to the bones is the most tender and succulent. Make friends with stew bones—they are a blessing for any savvy cook. Add a few cups of water—enough to provide a base for the curry (about 1 inch in the pot) but not too much—you don't want your curry to be watery. Pour in the slushy roux you just made. Add three or so tablespoons of butter (butter is essential too—there's not much fat in turkey).

Lastly, add in your curry spices: 2~3 tablespoons of ground cumin; 2~3 tablespoons of ground coriander; 1 tablespoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon of ground turmeric; 1 tablespoon of cardamom (if you have it); a teaspoon of ground fennel (if you have it). Out of all the curry spices you can use, the two essential ones are Cumin and Coriander—these are necessary to make your stew taste like curry. Others are simply good to add (like turmeric and fennel and cardamom) but not crucial. If you are using curry powder, add about 6 tablespoons or more. Newbies to curry-making are always surprised at how much spice goes into a curry. Release your inhibitions—curry takes LOTS AND LOTS OF SPICE. Be bold. It'll be okay—you will not over-spice it. Herein lies cheat #2: you are adding in pre-ground spices, rather than toasting and grinding your own spices. (Sometime when you have enough time and are feeling adventurous, see How to Make Your Own Curry Powder for the most wholesome and flavorful curry powder that you create yourself—it makes wonderful gifts, too.)

Simmer (a low boil—not a roiling boil) the turkey, spices, roux, and butter with the top off the pot—so you can watch the curry and make sure it doesn't stick; so you can stir it occasionally to mix the bones around; and so you can add water if necessary. Let simmer for about one hour. Sure, your turkey meat has already been cooked. You won't be cooking the meat, you will be cooking the roux (cheat #3), and you are simmering to maximize the flavor from the bones. When the turkey is ready, the meat will be falling off the bones. Taste the sauce and add enough salt to make it ecstatically scrumptious—expect to use about a tablespoon or so. (I recommend Vege-sal vegetable salt. Kosher salt is also yummy.)

Picking the Bones
This is the hardest and most time-consuming of the steps. But you can do this too. Just pour yourself a glass of wine, turn on some loud music, and hum along. You are magically transforming an unwanted turkey carcass into a pot of love, so be joyful. Turn off the curry. Scoop out the large pieces of turkey carcass and transfer them to a large cutting board. Let cool until you can safely touch them. Pick off any desirable pieces of meat that still cling to the bones and add that meat back to the pot. Discard the rest. Continue scooping, cooling and then picking until all the bones and stray inedibles are removed, discarding the flotsam and adding back the good stuff as you go along. While working, chop up the large pieces of meat so they will be easy to eat—nothing should be larger than an inch or so.

When you are finished picking out the undesirables, you will have a pot of delightful, savory, stewy, fragrant curry. The consistency of the sauce is a light slush—not too thick, not too thin. There should be plenty of bite-sized turkey bits. And you will be a turkey-transformation hero.

Don't You Dare Buy Ready-made Stuffing for Thanksgiving!

2011-11-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

Homemade Dressing
for the Holidays
If You Can Sing "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme," You Can Make Stuffing (dressing) from Scratch. Stuffing. Ahhhh. Maybe my favorite part of my favorite holiday. Growing up with four siblings, stuffing disappeared the fastest and was the most worth fighting over when it came to leftovers (if there were any). Who doesn't love stuffing? When I lived in Japan, where no one had a big enough oven to roast a turkey, even if they knew what one was or could afford to procure one—what I missed the most about American food was, not surprisingly, turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce. Simple, yes, if you live in the states. Exotic and impossible if you life overseas. Now that I am back home, I serve my family a turkey-stuffing-cranberry meal about once a month—I cannot get enough of it.

Growing up in a large household, my parents wisely took some shortcuts when it came to cooking. And stuffing was one of them. I never had honest-to-goodness homemade stuffing until I was all grown up and discovered how to make it myself. What a thrill to realize how easy it is. And the rewards are GREAT—when you serve it, be sure to mention you made it from scratch. You will hear oohs and ahhs. No store-bought stuffing mix can compare in any dimension. You too can do this—have confidence. Stuffing is so simple to prepare, you will wonder why you never thought of doing it yourself before now.

One last note: I dined at a friend's house for a holiday party recently. He was so excited to have made stuffing from scratch, but it was the most gosh-awful stuff you ever tasted. He had just tossed in the celery and tossed in the other ingredients--with NO sautéing, no herbs, no butter, and no chicken stock. The stuff he called stuffing was dreadful, pasty bread bits with hard chunks of celery. Don't let this happen to you.

Basically, stuffing is comprised of two steps: “Creating the Croutons” and “Sautéing the Savories.” And you hardly need a recipe. Once you know how to do it, you can whip stuffing up easily with no props. Are you ready? YOU CAN DO THIS!

Creating the Croutons


The croutons you just made

Take a loaf of bread that you find delicious—ones loaded with nuts and whole grains are wonderful for stuffing. Sourdough works great too. Anything but white bread (too fluffy—needs to be a bit sturdier). I'm a fanatic—I make loaves of "stuffing" bread to use (chock full of fresh herbs). But pick a bread you already like. Day-old bread is fine too. You will need about eight cups worth of croutons. If the loaf of bread is large, you may not need the whole loaf.

Cut sliced bread into strips and then again crosswise into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes. Place the croutons on a baking sheet without overlapping, if possible. Toast lightly in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Scoop all the croutons into a large bowl.

Sautéing the Savories

Celery, onions, butter, and chicken stock


The savories, sauteed and ready to roll

Chop up one large onion (sweet ones like Walla-walla or Vidalia are especially yummy for this) and about 6~8 stalks of celery (slice each stalk lengthwise first and then crosswise to make smaller pieces). Sauté the onions and celery in 6~8 tablespoons butter (use butter unabashedly, but start with the lesser amount and see if it needs more later, depending on the quantity of croutons you have), along with the following herbs (fresh if you can get them, and chopped coarsely): Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. Does that sound familiar? It's part of the refrain from a Simon and Garfunkle song, Scarborough Fair. Yup. It's the herbal code for stuffing (and poultry seasoning). If you have a choice of parsley, use Italian flat leaf instead of the curly kind—but fresh is always preferable to dried. How much of each herb to use? Fresh, maybe 3 tablespoons each. Dried, maybe 1 tablespoon each. It's important to sauté the herbs so that the fragrance and flavor get infused. Add in about 1/2 cup of dried cranberries if you have them (makes it irresistible—sautéing plumps them). Once the onions are slightly translucent and no longer crunchy, remove from the stove.

Stir this sautéed herb mixture into the croutons. Add about 1 cup of chicken broth—slowly—so that you can gauge when to stop adding. (Keep jars of all-natural chicken stock concentrate in the fridge for uses such as these. I recommend “Better Than Bouillon” brand, by Superior Touch. You can get it at Trader Joe’s or other high-end grocers. Cubed bouillon is too salty and has too much artificial stuff, along with MSG. Chicken stock that comes in cans and cartons is good but too pricey.) This is the trickiest part—if you add too much broth, the stuffing becomes mushy. Too little and it's chokingly dry. Just right is slightly moist, with mouth “give.” Just right is not too crumbly and holds up on the plate. Add salt to taste (I especially recommend Vege-sal vegetable salt). And more melted butter, if needed. Toss lightly and serve as is or use about half to stuff bird. Keeps well for several days.

Notes:
— You can add variations for fun: toasted chopped nuts (pine nuts are fabulous, macadamias are decadent, chestnuts if you can get them, almonds if they are slivered thinly), chopped dried fruit such as apricots (go easy on the fruit and cut it small), other herbs such as marjoram or tarragon, etc.
— Some folks love cornbread stuffing. To make it, add chopped pork sausage to the sauté and use crumbled homemade cornbread (not that sweet kind like they serve at Boston Market—eyuck!) instead of wheat bread.
— Be sure NOT to use Pyrex when toasting your croutons in the oven (a baking sheet is perfect). Like a doofus, I used a Pyrex pan as an overflow and voila! It exploded. I'm not the first person to have this experience, lest you laugh at me. I did a quick search and found an entire page on ConsumerAffairs.com dedicated to people who've had exploding Pyrex experiences. Just use a standard baking pan and you will be fine.

2011-11-19T08:10:00.001-08:00

WhatEye8 food blog caters assorted dishes at a Thanksgiving Feast on Friday, Nov. 18. All cooking (15 hours worth!) and food donated to help support Open Classroom Elementary School.

Here's what was in the mini-feast:

Almond flaxseed rolls
Corn arugula tomato salad
Mashed Yukon Gold potatoes
French green beans with ham-garlic sauce
Homemade stuffing made from homemade bread
Wild rice & brown rice pilaf
Open Classroom Garden acorn squash with quinoa-feta stuffing

Almond Flaxseed Rolls for Your Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-16T16:56:00.001-08:00

Lovely little girl checking out a basket of my Almond Flaxseed Rolls

While not especially sexy, flaxseed is good for us humans—all that DHA in the flaxseed oil does our brains and nerves good. And any excuse to substitute a little plain flour for almond meal is good, too—higher protein and less gluten. That's why I put these ingredients together. After literally making hundreds of loaves of boring white bread, I realized that with these two tweaks, I could make healthier—and still yummy—bread. Perfect for Thanksgiving feasts. Enjoy!

3 1/4 cups unbleached wheat flour
1 cup almond meal (can get at Trader Joe's or Bob's Red Mill brand)
1/2 cup flaxseed (Bob's Red Mill brand is easy to find)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup raw sugar (or any sugar, really--raw just tastes great!)
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons buttermilk powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast

The dough balls on a pizza stone sprinkled with semolina

Warm up the water gently in a microwave--only until it is about body temperature. Add the yeast. Stir and set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a microwave and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir in the yeast-water and mix and knead the dough. Let rise an hour (the first rise).
Knead the dough again. Let rise an hour (the second rise).
Drizzle olive oil on the dough (to make it easy to handle) and divide the dough into 24 golf-ball sized rolls. Roll each dough bit until it is fairly uniform (don't obsess). If you have a pizza stone or baker's stone, sprinkle it with corn meal or semolina flour. Let rise one hour (the third and final rise).
Bake at 375 for 18 to 20 minutes.

The finished rolls

Notes:

This is a great recipe to throw everything in a bread machine on the Dough cycle and push the Start button. The proportions are for a large-sized loaf or 24 rolls.
If you prefer loaves to rolls, this recipe will make two smallish loaves.
If you don't have a baker's stone or pizza stone, use a baking sheet—the crust won't be as chewy, but that's okay too.

Who WIll You Be for Halloween?

2011-10-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

Me as “Tiger Mom” at our local Halloween block party, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. Happy Halloweeeeeeeeen!

Cioppino: Chopping up Veggies, Tossing in Fish, and Serving up Hearty Food-Joy

2011-10-17T10:37:00.000-07:00


Last night's supper: cioppino made with fresh, local crab legs.

Cioppino (choh-pee-no). I had my first bowl of this tomato-seafood chowder in Santa Barbara (delicious at Brophy Brothers) as a grown-up. I'm a sucker for any soup served as a main course. But even more so for tomato-based soups. You know the great ones: bouillabaise, gazpacho, posole, Manhattan clam chowder, tomato bisque. Cioppino, with its odd assortment of vegetables and fresh fish and shellfish was most definitely love at first slurp, and naturally I thought, "Cioppino, where have you been all my life?"

Cioppino has an Italian name. But it didn't originate in Europe. No, cioppino is an American contribution to the culinary world (there are some, darn it--pumpkin pie, cranberry relish, Boston baked beans, turkey, succotash, cornbread--sounds like Thanksgiving, huh?). An Italian-American contribution, it turns out, from San Francisco, circa mid-19th century.

Cioppino either came from an Italianized pronunciation of chip in (as in, add to the communal soup pot) or chop in (lots of chopping of fresh fish and veggies)--or it came from ciuppin, the Ligurian fish stew. The origin is unclear. But San Franciscan fishermen developed it and you can enjoy it at restaurants all over the west coast--or in your own home. Here are the secrets, spelled out for you, if you'd like to do it yourself. The soup is simple to make, but it calls for a zillion ingredients. Do not be intimidated--many of these you will have on hand. A good time to make cioppino is when you are blessed with a bounty of fresh seafood--but don't hesitate to use frozen. All will be well in the end.

Soup Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoons anchovies, minced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup chopped onion or shallots (sweet onion is excellent)
1 fresh bay leaf (if you have it--if not, two dried)
6 stalks celery, chopped
1 zucchini (optional, but excellent)
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped (optional, but excellent)
2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (or marinara sauce, if you don't have fresh)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (if using fresh tomatoes--if using maranara, skip this)
1 quart (4 cups) clam broth (I recommend Better than Bouillion brand concentrated soup stocks, by Superior Touch--they are all MSG-free)
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh, chopped basil or 3 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon ground fennel seed (or 1/2 cup fresh fennel)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or dried)
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: red pepper flakes to taste
Chopped Italian parsley or cilantro to garnish

Seafood Add-ins

Generally, almost anything goes when deciding what seafood to add to cioppino. Salmon, rockfish, grouper, cod, whiting, halibut, orange roughy—any firm-fleshed fish (avoid delicate fish, such as sole and catfish because they are more likely to disintegrate, or any fish with too strong a flavor, such as tuna). Chop fresh fish into largish chunks before adding. If frozen, add whole and separate into bite-sized pieces before serving.

For shellfish, crab legs, langostino, shrimp, clams, and mussels are good options, as are calamari and scallops (stay away from oysters—again, too much flavor will overpower cioppino). Rinse thoroughly and add in with shells—the shells provide flavor and are part of the hands-on fun of eating cioppino. As always, toss any unopened clams or mussels.

You can also buy an excellent "cioppino-ready" mixture of frozen seafood—which includes scallops and calamari--at Trader Joe's.

Whatever you add in, use only 2 or 3 cups total and add in only during the last 5 to 7 minutes of cooking time to keep the fish tender but cooked through.

Orchestrating Cioppino

Start with a heavy soup pot—one that you can fry in. Saute the onions, garlic, and anchovies until tender (about 10 minutes).
Add in all other ingredients except lemon juice and boil lightly for 15 to 20 minutes—long enough to make the vegetables tender and to cook in the wine.
Add in 2 or 3 cups seafood and shellfish of your choice. You do not have to have a huge variety—last night I made this with just crab legs, since my husband and daughter had caught some fresh).
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the seafood is cooked through but still tender.
Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste, pour in the lemon juice, garnish if desired, and serve in large bowls, placing some shellfish in each bowl. Provide a discard bowl at the table for the shells. Also serve sourdough bread or cheese bread alongside the soup.

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With thanks to my foodie friend, Philip Jenkins, who pointed out that cioppino came from San Francisco.

Ultimate Cornbread: Make It Perfectly Every Time with This Secret Ingredient

2011-10-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

I love cornbread. Can't resist it. Forget that I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina where every kitchen cabinet has corn meal in it somewhere and where I ate cornbread a couple of times a week for my entire childhood. Nope, loving cornbread is even deeper. It's loving corn. Grain for grain, corn is more delicious than wheat, don't you think? Sure, wheat is fabulous--unless you have gluten digestion issues--but corn is fattier and has that, I don't know, irresistible corniness to it. Homemade corn tortillas, which you can get anywhere in Mexico? Well, that is just heaven for me. Grits? Can't get enough. Corn on the cob? You guessed it. And popcorn? What sane human can resist popcorn?

So, loving corn like I do, I admit to spending a lot if time searching for the perfect cornbread recipe. It's gotta be rich and moist. It's gotta be crumbly but not crumby. It's gotta be lightly sweetened, not sweet. After years, no, decades, I think I have found the perfect cornbread--and it involves, of all the weird things to add to cornbread--yogurt. And not just any yogurt, but Greek yogurt (I use FAGE brand). Why? Maybe because Greek yogurt is so protein-rich it locks in the moisture. Definitely, Greek yogurt makes anything you bake with it more substantial food. Remember, as I wrote in my article, Lose Weight & Feel great: What a High-Protein Diet Can Do for You--protein is the good guy. Eat a good portion and you'll feel better--and less hungry--longer.

But forget all that--Greek yogurt cornbread is delicious. Simply the best. Here's how to make it happen:

The Wet
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

The Dry
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup raw/turbinado sugar
1 cup corn (roasted corn is especially good)

Mix the Wet ingredients together in one container, being sure to blend the eggs well. Mix the Dry ingredients together in another container. Combine the two and stir only until blended.

To make muffins, fill buttered muffin cups 3/4 full of the batter and bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes.

To make cornbread, fill a buttered 9" square baking dish with the batter and bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes (until center has risen and is cooked through--a wood toothpick inserted should come out clean).

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As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway"

Halloweenarrific! Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-10-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Looking for something easy and wholesome (don't tell the kids I said that) to feed the little ghouls this time of year? Sick of the sickeningly sweet treats folks eat under the guise of Halloween goodies? Yeah, me too. Here's an easy and quick, semi-healthy recipe you can whip together, make your whole house smell like Autumnal celebrations, and have youngsters following you around, grinning ever after. Simple pumpkin cupcakes. Simple cream cheese frosting. No fuss. Great rewards.

Make them fancy, if you wish, with Halloween cupcake liners and black licorice candies to decorate the tops.

Recipe makes two dozen cupcakes.

Note: This recipe is adapted from one used by Open Classroom for their Harvest Moon Festival Pumpkin Bread. I tweaked several ingredients, converted it to cupcake use, and improved by experimentation. (If you live in Ventura county, come on out to the Harvest Moon Festival, Sat., Oct. 8, 10AM to 6PM, Sun., Oct. 9, 11AM to 4PM, Great Pacific Pumpkin, 5100 Olivas Park Drive.)

The Wet

2 cups canned pumpkin (I've used fresh pumpkin before and believe it or not, you cannot tell the difference—not to mention that canned takes way, way less time)
1 cup (two sticks) unsweetened butter
3 eggs

The Dry

3 cups raw sugar (can substitute white sugar)
3 1/2 cups unbleached wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Whisk together the wet ingredients in a bowl until well-mixed. In a larger bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until uniform looking. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir only until moistened. Do not over-mix.

Fill cupcake papers 3/4 full (most recipes call for 2/3 full, but this one looks better fuller), and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into one comes out clean. Let cool or chill before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup butter (two sticks), softened to room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (8 oz.) cream cheese (whipped cream cheese works well too)
4 cups confectioners sugar (1 1 lb. box)

With a large fork, mash the butter, vanilla, and cream cheese until blended. With a mixer, beat in the confectioners sugar, one cup at a time. When well-mixed, turn the blender up and beat until smooth and fluffy (it will only take a couple of minutes). Chill and then frost.

A note about cream cheese frosting: in warm weather, you will want to keep this chilled--otherwise, it can sag. Keep refrigerated and you will have some of the simplest, most delicious frosting ever.

Lemon-Caper-Garlic Sauce:Stealing the Sauce from Piccata

2011-10-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ever eat chicken—or veal or turkey—piccata in an Italian restaurant and find the sauce so deliriously yummy you wish you could lick the plate? Something about the tangy lemon, those little pickled capers, the garlicky savoriness--something makes piccata sauce fabulous. Well, have you ever thought about making that sauce yourself? And better yet, making the lemon-caper-garlic sauce and using it on other foods? Say, grilled salmon, steamed broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus? How about tofu? Why not? Steal a great sauce and make it your bitch. It's easy to make and oh-so-gratifying.

Lemon-Caper-Garlic Piccata Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
5 or 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon capers, drained
Juice of one lemon
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon flour to thicken
2 tablespoons butter
Lemon slices to garnish

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and saute lightly. Stir in the wine and heat to reduce by half. Stir in the capers, lemon juice and chicken broth. Mix the flour with enough water to make a thin paste and mix it into the sauce, stirring constantly while it thickens. Add the butter and remove from heat. Drizzle the sauce over your food of choice and garnish with the lemon slice (you can also sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley or cilantro, for a green effect).

Note: To make real piccata, as served in restaurants, dredge your thin meat/fish/tofu in salt-and-peppered flour, saute lightly on each side, and then set aside. In the same frying pan, deglaze with the wine, etc. and prepare the sauce as directed. Once it's thickened, add back in the meat/tofu and saute once more, lightly on each side. Serve with the lemon slices. (The only difference is that Italian restaurant-style doesn't add flour to thicken.)

Ratatoulle Soup: Comfort Food on a Dreary Day

2011-09-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

What to do with a harvest load of tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and sweet peppers? Something warm and comforting? Ratatouille soup is one scrumptious and easy way to go. Basically, roast the dickens out of those veggies, then boil and later puree the bejesus out of them—a rich, irresistible soup will fill your bowls with Mediterranean sunshine and cheer. Serve with toasted cheese bread, or heck, any hearty bread at all. No need for a salad--you're eating it already.

1/2 eggplant
3 pounds tomatoes, plum, roma, paste, or whatever you have on hand
1 small zucchini
1 pound sweet peppers
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced onions
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 quart chicken broth
Handfuls of fresh basil and oregano, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Cut eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, and sweet peppers in 1-inch chunks, removing ends and trimming seeds, as needed. Spread on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring halfway through, to cook evenly.

While the veggies are roasting, dice the onions. Add to a heavy soup pot and saute the onions with butter and garlic until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add soup stock, herbs, and the roasted veggies (as well as the yummy veggie liquid on the baking sheet!). Boil uncovered for 40 minutes. Puree in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender. Soup will be thick and imperfectly textured but perfectly delicious (if you prefer a smoother soup, push through a wire strainer before serving). Add salt and pepper to taste. Any leftovers after two days can be frozen easily. Reuse as pasta sauce, if desired.

Sargento Cheese Tasting & Review: Just Because It's Sliced Does Not Mean It's Processed

2011-09-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to taste and compare Sargento brand natural cheese with processed American cheese. Until I said yes to this job--with some reservations, I might add, I thought all pre-sliced cheeses were processed cheese. Well, nut-uh, is all I can say now. No way. There is the plastic-stuff-somehow-mysteriously-known-as-cheese and then there is Sargento.

Why buy pre-sliced cheese? Well, in complete honesty, I do not. What gourmet does (who does not have teenagers trawling ravenously through her refrigerator for instant cheese gratification)? I simply have accepted my fate and sliced from the blocks myself. Except--wait a second--I do buy pre-sliced when I am at the deli counter. Why? Because it's a breeze to slap the pre-sliced cheese onto a yummy deli sandwich and mostly because I KNOW the deli department cheese will be fine quality cheese. No cheesy cheese need apply.

If cheesy cheese is your desire, head to the dairy department of your supermarket and get the extended shelf-life processed cheese (sometimes known as "American cheese") made from questionable ingredients like molten protein gel and food colorings as well as tasty emulsifiers like citrate and potassium phosphate. Gets your taste buds all worked up, doesn't it?

Otherwise, if you'd like to know more about the good stuff--the deli department cheese that just happens to not be in the deli department, read on.

Sargento, if you are unfamiliar, is the company that makes those cheerful red packages of cheese that come conveniently in shredded or sliced or string cheese configurations and are found in hundreds of variations (Mexican, Italian, American--and that's just the Bistro Blends). Sargento invented the selling style of hanging the packages of cheese on hooks within the diary department. According to Sargento, "Our natural cheeses meet the highest standards of our expert cheese graders. Just what you'd expect from a family as passionate as ours."

Off I go to the supermarket to buy Sargento cheeses and the least possible amount of the so-called-cheese that competes with it as I can get by with for the purposes of experimentation. I have no idea if Sargento will live up to its lore--but I hope so, because being able to loosen up my gourmet ideals and occasionally pop a package of easy and delicious and wholesome cheese into my shopping cart would be a big benefit. I am not snooty about cheese, I just love good cheese. Is that so unreasonable? My eight-year-old loves string cheese, so that will be easy to go along with. The shredded Italian cheeses would work right in with a pizza supper I can put together. We'll see what I come home with.

[Two days later . . .]

I have to disclose, I almost never shop in supermarkets. Instead, I buy from Trader Joe's, Smart & Final (a discount warehouse), Costco (another, bigger, discount warehouse), and our local farmers' market. Also, we grow many of the vegetables we eat in our back yard (thanks, Hubs, you are amazing!). So it felt weird going to our local grocery store chain, but off I marched. Turns out picking up a few packages of Sargento cheese (Sargento provided me a $25 gift card to pay it--thanks, Sargento!) is no breezy thing. I saw at least 20 varieties of cheeses. Finally, I opted for four:

Sargento Artisan Blends Authentic Mexican five-cheese blend, shredded
Sargento Colby-Pepper Jack cheese with habanero and jalapeno peppers, sliced
Sargento Classic Mozzarella, ChefStyle, shredded
Sargento Natural Muenster, Deli Style, sliced

Another confession—oops! I didn't buy American processed cheese to do the comparison. Why? I just couldn't. It's like buying a tacky romance novel if you are a literature professor. Just embarrassing. You know what I mean. Also, I promise--I know what the fake stuff tastes like--fatty nothing. Got it.

Being a pepper-head, naturally, I dived straight into the spicy Sargento cheese. Piquant, but not too hot, it was delicious enough to make me think of how I'd use it--Mexican appetizers? Jazz up a sandwich? Next I had the Mexican cheese blend--just a pinch tells you, this is real cheese with an autentico pizzazz. Queso fresco, the cheese most commonly served in real Mexican restaurants is simple, if not bland, but this was different. More fun, more texture.

Next, my eight-year-old dove into the muenster. She's all, "What's muenster, Mama? Is that like 'Monster'?" I told her muenster was my favorite cheese when I was a college girl. Now, it's my little girl's favorite, too. Creamy, smooth, with that lovely orange border--exactly deli cheese.

I kept thinking, while tasting, that it's a shame Sargento sells their fine-quality cheeses in the you'd-miss-them-if-you're-a-food-snob plastic pouches, all shredded or sliced or otherwise prepped to make them easy to use. I'm thinking easy-to-use doesn't have to be a detriment. It can be a boost. Tonight's menu? Homemade pizzas, topped with our--I'm proud to say it now--gourmet pre-shredded Sargento mozzarella. There. I can so to learn something new.

See Sargento.com for a slew of great recipes.

The White House Garden Cookbook: Healthy Ideas from the First Family to Your Family

2011-08-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

“The White House Garden Cookbook: Healthy Ideas from the First Family to Your Family,” by Clara Silverstein, features two recipes from What Eye 8 food blogger, Carolyn Blount Brodersen, me. You even get to see a photo of my adorable daughter, Jaclyn. Just in case you missed it, here is what those pages look like.

You can still get copies of the paperback cookbook directly from Amazon.com-- for $16.49, or from me through Amazon, for $9.99 (look for seller, Tumerica). Get your copy today!

Egg Fu Yong: Make This Easy, Quick Chinese Dish for Your Loved Ones and You Will Be a ROCK STAR!

2011-08-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

Quick! What are your favorite Chinese restaurant dishes? Can you make any of them from scratch? I didn't think so. Well, now you can—and win accolades and glory—without going through a lot of trouble (or slavishly following a recipe—once you get this down). I'm talking about the much-loved Egg Fu Yong. (Also spelled Egg Fu Young, Egg Foo Yong, or any of many permutations. In Japan, it's known as Kanitama.) You know what I am talking about—savory, light eggs with that indescribable something luscious and that to-die-for light sauce. You won't believe how simple this is to do—even a fledgling cook can make it easily!

It's an Egg. It's an Omelet. It's Egg Fu Yong!
Egg fu yong is basically an omelet, only it doesn't have to be as pretty. My favorite way to eat it is with crab as the meat of choice, but you can use whatever meat or tofu you have on hand. The sauce is a breeze—it's your basic gravy recipe. As with most of the foods I write about, the creation is simple—what's hard is making sure you have the ingredients on hand, like dried shiitake mushrooms (a great staple item that lasts forever), and crab (which isn't easy to have on hand fresh, but you can get decent crab meat in cans, or better yet, fabulous crab meat in jars in the fish department at your local grocer, although it's costs much more).

Stir-fry and Conquer
Heat one tablespoon vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet (you do NOT need a wok). Stir-fry a couple of stalks of sliced celery and a half a cup of peas until tender in the skillet. You can use other veggies, or course. Traditionally, Egg fu yong calls for bamboo shoots, which are yucky in their most available form—canned. My thought is that it's the crunchy texture that counts, and better to have a fresh alternative veggie (celery) than a canned traditional one (as a matter of fact, that's more or less my philosophy of life). Now, if you are lucky enough to have access to fresh bamboo shoots (Yude-takenoko, in Japanese), then your Egg fu yong will be the most perfect of all—just lightly steam and shred 1 small fresh bamboo shoot.

In a microwave-proof cup or bowl, put a handful of dried shiitake (black) mushrooms in a couple of tablespoons of water. Heat on high for one minute, until the mushrooms are softened.

It's About the Omelet
Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet. Stir in six lightly beaten eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt (I prefer Vege-sal vegetable salt, but it's all good), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 cup chicken stock, and one can or jar of crab meat (about 6 ounces), making sure to pick out any cartilage. (Again, you can substitute a cup of cooked meat or cubed tofu for the crab.) Add in the shiitake mushrooms, and cook over medium-low heat as the crab omelet sets (it takes a while for the egg to set because of the extra liquid of the chicken stock, but it's worth it). Roll the pan to one side and gently lift the omelet to encourage the loose egg to flow to the pan so it can get cooked. When there is enough egg cooked to give the omelet a foundation, gently lift half of the omelet and fold it on top of itself.

Don't Stress about How It Looks
Because this is a huge, six-egg omelet, it's not going to be picture-perfect. Do not worry—Egg fu yong is never pristine like a French omelet might be. When the omelet is firm enough (be sure it's not browning on the bottom—if so, turn the heat down), flip it gently. If it tears, that's OK—just make sure it's cooked though without being stiff.

Yummy Egg Fu Yong Sauce
While the omelet is cooking, heat a cup of chicken stock in a small sauce- or gravy-pan. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. In a small bowl, stir a couple of tablespoons of water into 2 teaspoons of corn starch until smooth. Pour this into the chicken stock mixture, stirring constantly to avoid the dreaded "gravy lumping" effect. Keep stirring for a minute until the sauce thickens, and then remove it from heat.

Ready to Rock, Crab-lovers!
Divide the omelet among the hungry guests (serves two or three), preferable served half on and half off of steaming hot white rice (we love Jasmine rice). Drizzle the sauce on top and serve immediately with steamed veggies (especially broccoli). You can also pour the sauce over the veggies, and thus not have to season them at all. Voila! A beautiful, simple, and elegant meal, ready in a flash.

Lazy Suppers

2011-08-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

What do you make for supper when you are feeling lazy? No, not take-out, but when you actually cook something but don't feel like a Hurculean effort. Here are some of my go-to lazy suppers. What are yours?

Gyoza Soup

8 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 cups greens you have on hand, such as bok choy, cabbage, basil, spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce, etc., or a combo of these
1 pound package of frozen gyoza (vegetable, chicken, pork, or shrimp)

Boil the ginger and chicken stock. Add thinly sliced greens and let cook a minute or two. Add the frozen gyoza and let cook for two minutes (gyoza is precooked--it just needs heating up), and serve over steamed white rice.

Tarted-up Sliders

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 cloves crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Minced cilantro or oregano or mint or any green herb you have on hand

Add all ingredients and kneed to distribute the seasonings. Form into small patties (around 2 inches diameter) and grill. Serve with a salad and rice or bread.