Now for something completely different!

No salad talk today!  Today I just want to gush about one of the best meals I've had in a very long time.  I went to dinner at Pican last night.  I learned about the restaurant while watching Eye on the Bay a couple months ago, and before the segment was over I was emailing my two friends Sue & Stephanie telling them to get their calendars out; I had found our next "eating excursion."

When we opened the menu, we immediately knew it was one of those places that we would have to come back to again, because there was too much that we wanted to order.  I love struggling with a menu, not knowing which delicious dish to get.  Pican definitely left me struggling.... in the best possible way.

OK this is another one of the 80/20 moments.....heavily engulfed in the 20% realm!  Nothing particuarly healthy about it, but dang was it ever gooooood!

Sue and Stephanie started with Fried Green Tomatoes.  A beautiful stack with radishes, buttermilk-pimento cheese curds, pickled onions and avocado.  I was in love with a fried green tomato sandwich years ago when I lived in Annapolis, but this was hands-down a better use of those green beauties.

I started with  Sea Island She Crab Soup.  I was married to a Southern boy a thousand years ago, and he made me my first bowl of she crab soup (it's the one thing I miss about that guy).  You just never find that soup here on the left coast, so I knew that was going into my belly as soon as possible!  It's a velvety gem with Blue crab, cream sherry, and crab roe.  I could've stopped there and been one happy girl.  And perhaps I should have, because my entree pushed me into the "I have to loosen my belt" phase.

My entree was one of their signature dishes: Pan Roasted Grit-Crusted Gulf Snapper.  It's served with a pork belly and Aleppo pepper carbonara sauce over the most delicate squash "noodles", finely julienned zucchini and yellow squash.  The crust was a litle heavy (so I only ate most of it!), but the flavors and textures were unbelievably yummy.

Sue and Stephanie are dessert girls, while I'm more of an appetizer girl.  They plan their menu choices with dessert in mind. I plan on a starter and then I'm perfectly happy to be done at the entree.  And boy was I last night!  I told them that if I have even one bite of dessert, I will be over the edge and into that bad place where you have to drive home unbuttoning your pants and counting the minutes until you can be prone.

But then they ordered this...

Banana Pudding, with house-made vailla wafers and whipped cream. Stephanie practically got whiplash when she saw it delivered to the table behind us, so I knew that was coming our way. I maintained control for about 3 minutes, watching them ooooh and aaaah over it.  Then I thought I would regret it if I didn't give it a try.  I had the smallest bite and it was like a little piece of heaven on my tongue.  But I did say at the valet stand as we were waiting for our cars, "I need to be prone immediately!"  I made it home quickly and fell into bed.  I was asleep within five minutes! 

And then in the morning I had a bad-ass workout and went for an hour long hike in the hills.  All worth it!!

If you're local, I highly recommend checking out Pican in Oakland.  You won't be disappointed!  And tomorrow I might try to figure out how to make some of the awesome dishes I tasted a little bit healthier!



Watermelon and Mint Salad

I promise I'm not turning this into a salad blog!  It's just that at this time of year when the weather warms up, I eat a lot more salads. I love playing around with different ingredients and flavor pairings.  This is why many of my friends call me "The Salad Queen."

When I went to Earl's Organic a couple weeks ago, I spied some beauties... watermelon!  That is my all-time favorite summer snack.  Then local foodie and blogger, Karen Pavone, booked a private cooking party with me to celebrate her birthday.  Karen and I share the same passion for local, fresh, in-season produce, so I set to planning a dinner that would meet her Farm to Table philosophy.  And those litttle watermelon starting speaking to me.

My first thought was a watermelon and mint kebab appetizer with a honey & creme fraiche drizzle, but as we played around with the menu, it turned into a salad idea instead.  Karen's only request, "Can we still have that creme fraiche drizzle?"  Well, I aim to please, so sure thing!

Couldn't be simpler, and soooo refreshing! Toss arugula with white balsamic and olive oil, then top with goat cheese, mint and watermelon cubes. Watermelon and balsamic love each other, but the regular balsamic will change the color of the watermelon, so be sure to use white.  This process is how I make all my salads, I always toss just the greens with dressing and then add the other ingredients on top.  If you toss all the salad ingredents together, the good stuff drops to the bottom and it doesn't look as appealing.  As long as your greens are dressed, you're good.  And everyone will get all the little additions sitting up on top.  And of course, there's a little creme fraich & honey drizzle on this one.  A perfect blend: peppery arugula, tangy vinegar, crisp melon, creamy chevre, and sweet honey.

I bought a small five pound watermelon, and we used about half for the salad (6-8 servings).  I put the other half of the cubes on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer overnight.  They are now tasty little fruit "ice cubes" that I pop into my water pitcher.  They also make a nice little refreshing snack when the mercury rises.  I appreciate this, cuz I already feel like I'm running about 106 degrees!

Watermelon & Mint Salad

serves 4-6                                                                                                                   

4 cups cubed watermelon

5 ounces arugula

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

5 ounces chevre, crumbled

¼ cup fresh mint, chiffonade, plus extra sprigs for garnish

¼  cup crème fraiche

1 tablespoons honey

Salt & pepper to taste, optional

·         Cut the flesh from the watermelon into bite-sized cubes and set aside.

·         In a small bowl, mix crème fraiche and honey, set aside.

·         In a large bowl toss arugula with oil and vinegar.

·         Add watermelon, chevre and mint and drizzle with honey-crème fraiche.

·         Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and garnish with mint sprigs.

Come on, Tomatoes!

I've waited all year for tomatoes to come back in season.  I don't buy them until I see them at the farmers' market or on the vine in my backyard . Oh sure, if you invite me over for dinner in the winter and make me a Caprese salad,  I'll eat it.  I'm not a jerk; if you cooking for me, I'll eat whatever you serve (except Spam or chicken livers, sorry). But I just don't buy tomatoes for myself until summer.  I know the way they taste when they are fresh and just-ripe picked, and there's nothing like it!

The first time I had tomatoes from someone's yard, I was in college.  The woman I worked for invited me over for dinner.  On the table was a plate of sliced tomatoes, simply dressed with a little sea salt. Snarky Suzanne thought, "What the hell? A plate of tomatoes???!"  But I don't remember one other thing she cooked for me that night bacause those tomatoes, fresh, ripe and deep in color and flavor were the tastiest things I had ever eaten, and everything else that night was lost by comparison.

I've thought back on that memory over the years as I've moved into a world of eating in season.  The lesson learned is that if you eat what the earth gives you when it gives it to you, it is a perfect food that needs very little to enhance the flavor... just a little sea salt.

Truth be told, it's still a little early for tomatoes.  Mine are still little green nuggets on the vine.  But they started popping up at the farmers' market, so even though I knew they wouldn't be just right yet, I had to get a teaser.  And what is my first love when it comes to tomatoes?  A Panzanella Bread Salad.

There are lots of different versions of Panzanella out ther on the web, but I take the simple approach: Cut a baguette into bite sized pieces (I love Grace Baking's ciabatta loaf.... try not to eat half of it before you can make the salad!) and saute it in olive oil with a little minced shallot and garlic.  When they are lightly browned and toasty, toss in a bowl with roughly chopped tomatoes (heirlooms are my fave), cubes of fresh mozzerella, some torn basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  I had an avocado that was in "use or lose" mode, so I tossed that in, too. Heaven!

Give it a try....you can thank me later!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I know it's not really sweet potato season, but I had a class the other night and we got to talking about my teaching a gnocchi class.  Potato gnocchi is yummy, but sweet potato gnocchi will have you breaking up with that old spud in favor of this delicious substitute.

The other change is that I don't like to boil my gnocchi; I pan fry it in a little olive oil or coconut oil.  It creates a lovely,crispy brown shell around the pillowy sweet potato.  As long as I'm breaking the rules, I also like serving it with a light coconut curry sauce.  I'm not really a big fan of tomato-based sauces, though I make a mean marinara and an even meaner pizza sauce.  I gravitate toward cream sauces, but since they can be a "middle killer", I try to find ways to lighten them up.  "Don't trust a skinny chef" only works with restaurant dining, when you want to splurge and don't care about the consequences of one night out.  If you're trying to be healthy, then you should probably go for a chef with a little less meat on her bones!

If you've never tried gnocchi before, don't be intimidated.  It's easy, albeit a little messy.  I haven't taught a gnocchi class in nearly a year, because after the last one, I was finding little reminders of the class for months (gnocchi dough is a sticky little bugger).  But if you aren't making it with 8 other people, you should be fine!

First bake the potatoes and when cool enough to handle, mash the flesh in a bowl with ricotta, garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Slowly add flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Create the little dough balls (see the recipe below) and press the tines of a fork into one side.  When all are ready, place them in a single layer in a hot skillet coated with olive oil (coconut oil is yummy, too, if you have it).  Only takes about 5 minutes.  The perfect amount of time to make your sauce (recipe below).  Oh yeah, and it's a no-cook sauce.  Got to love that on a hot night!

When gnocchi are perfectly browned, plate and top with sauce (go ahead and use marinara, but you'll be missing out on this tasty combo with my coconut sauce....trust me, remember?). Garnish with sliced scallions.....so pretty. So yummy.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Serves 6-8

2 pounds sweet potatoes

2/3 cup whole milk ricotta

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus 1/3 cup for the work surface

·         Preheat the oven to 425°

·         Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Bake until tender and fully cooked, 40- 55 minutes.

·          Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes.

·         Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes back to the large bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic and pepper, blending until well mixed.

·         Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.

·         Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope.

·         Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi. 

• Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.   When oil is hot, add gnocchi in a single layer, working in batches, turning to crisp each side, approximately 5 minutes total.

Coconut Curry Sauce

½  cup coconut milk

½  teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½  teaspoon turmeric

pinch cayenne

3 tablespoon lime juice

3 scallions, greens only, thinly sliced or ¼ cup chopped chives

Whisk all ingredients, except scallions, in a bowl.  When gnocchi is ready to serve, toss with coconut curry sauce and top with scallions.

Breakfast Pizza

So let's talk again about my 80/20 rule.  80% of the time I'm a healthy eater, so I don't beat myself up if 20% of the time I stray from the path .  Well, this one is pretty much in the 20% club.  And I love it!

A few months ago I went on pizza-making binge. I learned how to make a great dough and perfected my own tomato-based pizza sauce.  Then I played around with a host of toppings.  I had A LOT of pizzas for lunch and dinner for about a month, and haven't been able to eat a slice since.  My hands-down favorite was Potato, Leek and Rosemary with Pt Reyes Bleu Cheese.  But that all changed Sunday morning.... breakfast pizza, anyone?

Start by rolling out the dough ( I used Mario Batali's recipe) on a lightly floured surface to the thickness you like.  (I like mine thin and crispy). Then sprinkle some cornmeal on a peel and place your dough on top.  The cornmeal will act like little ball bearings and allow your pizza to slide off the peel and onto the oven grate (thanks for the tip, Tom!)

Next saute some sweet or spicy sausage.  When brown and crispy, add a couple tablespoons of flour, stirring into the rendered fat to create a roux.  Then add some half and half (I'm partial to Straus Family Creamery) and continue stirring until thickened.  While that's going on, simply scramble a few eggs until softly set.  Don't cook them all the way through, because they will continue to cook in the oven.

Pour the sausage and gravy mixture onto the dough, top with the eggs, and sprinkle with chopped scallions.

Fortunately it bakes in about 10 minutes, because that's about all the time I could possibly wait to get this fabulous pie in my belly!  Burned the roof of my mouth on this one.....just couldn't wait.  You shouldn't wait either; try it tomorrow morning. You can thank me later...

A Healthier Risotto, Part II

A while back I posted a recipe for a yummy risotto using whole grain farro instead of arborio rice.  I thought it was perfect.  Then I was asked to do a cooking demo at the Union Street Festival and I consulted with Tom of TomFoolCookery.com about what I should fix.  He knew I was pretty pleased with my new "farrotto" recipe, and suggested I do that.  I fixed it for him and he made a couple suggestions that transformed it from what I thought was perfect to.....perfecter (oh, let's just make that a word!).

I had always made my risotto with wine and broth, per the traditional recipes that I learned from (yes, that's a dangling preposition from a former English teacher, but you'll have to get used to that).  I had started adding the wine at the end of the process rather than at the beginning, and Tom thought that it left a bitter taste.  He suggested that I try using white wine vinegar instead.  I'm always game to try something new, and I love what vinegar adds to lots of other dishes I make, so I gave it a go.  What an unbelieveable flavor enhancer!  Wine was now out for me.

Next was the onion.  Classic risotto recipes start with sauteeing onions, and that didn't change in my farrotto.  But after cooking for 30-45 minutes, the onions are obviously very soft, and almost unrecognizable.  They've done their job of flavoring the dish, but they no longer add any texture.  The only thing I prize more than "pretty" in my cooking is texture.  So he suggested that I add another 1/2 cup of diced onion toward the end of cooking.  Again, I have to give him props on that suggestion.

The response that our farrotto received today (lots of "Oh my!", "YUM!" and "This is soooo good!") has caused me to rewrite that original recipe.  If you liked the first one, which I've heard many of you have, give this one a try.  You won't be sorry.....

Farrotto

Serves 4-6

8 cups vegetable broth* (Trader Joe's low sodium is still my fave)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups diced onions, divided

2 teaspoons chopped garlic (more if you'd like)

2 cups farro

1 bunch asparagus, cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves (use lemon thyme if you can find it; BTW,  it's easy to grow)

1 lb shelled English peas

1/4 cup half & half (highly recommend local, organic Straus Family)

1/2 cup goat gouda

Sea salt & pepperr to taste

• Bring broth to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer. (A boil is a belly laugh; a simmer is a giggle.)
• Bring a separate pot of water to boil.
• In a large, deep-sided skillet heat butter and oilve oil.
• Add onions and saute for 3-5 minutes until translucent and beginning to soften.
• Add garlic and saute an additional minute, stirring constantly.
• Add farro and stir to coat all grains.  Continue toasting grains for 1-2 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of broth and stir, stir stir.
• Once liquid has evaporated, add another cup of broth and continue stirring constantly.
• Repeat process until farro is soft, about 30-45 minutes.  (Taste the texture after 30 minutes; farro should be softened, like al dente pasta.)
• While farro is cooking place asparagus in boiling water and cook 2 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. 
• When farroto is near done, add white wine vinegar.  Taste and add more if necessary.
• Add remaining 1/2 cup diced onoin, lemon zest, thyme, asparagus and peas stirring to combine.
• Add half & half and cheese, stirring to combine.
• Season to taste with salt & pepper. 

You'll thank me even more now!  And go ahead, thank Tom, too.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia

When I started in the Natural Chef program at Bauman College a couple years ago, I was confused by all the chia talk in the first couple weeks.  "Why are they so interested in eating a plant shaped like a hippo?"  I was convinced that this place and the people in it were weird.  I discovered that they were talking about chia seeds, not pets, and that the seeds were powerfully nutritious.

They're full of antioxidants, fiber, and Omega-3's. They contain more iron than a bowl of spinach and more calcium than a glass of milk.....so bring it on!  Additionally they absorb nine times their weight in liquid and create a gelatinous goodness when soaked.  It's believed that ancient Aztec warriors filled their pockets with chia seeds when they travelled long distances into battle, and the seeds could sustain them for up to 24 hours. Because they absorb so much liquid, the seeds would keep them hydrated.  I don't know any aztec warriors, but I know plenty of people who just throw a tablespoon into a glass of water and drink it down.  Yuck!  I say let's make some pudding!!

Orange-Infused Chocolate Chia Pudding
Makes 4 half-cup servings

1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 1 hour
1/4 cup cacao powder (I love Navitas Naturals brand for the cacao and the chia seeds)
1 cup Straus Family organic half & half
5 dates, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon chia seeds, soaked in 1/2 cup water for 20 minutes

• Drain cashews and place in blender.
• Add cacao powder, half & half, dates, juice concentrate, and vanilla and process until smooth.
• Add chia seeds and their soaking liquid and process again until smooth.

You're gonna love a dessert that's this tasty AND good for you!!
Trust me....and get blending!