Vegetarian Italian

As eclectic as I like to roll, I always appreciate a request to stick to a specific cuisine.  In this case, Italian…well, Italian vegetarian.  Cooking vegetarian is always a pleasure; most of my normal creativity is based around earth bound procurement. It also relieves me of the pressure to present meat as a necessary perception of value.

As per usual, favorites of the night morphed and changed as the dinner meandered along. It was a great group of Italian travel enthusiasts that were fired up about good wine and everything Italy has to offer. I presented a multi-course dinner of Italian swerve that highlighted farmers market produce.

Apps:
Seared figs and homemade ricotta on crostini
Lamb stuffed and grilled sweet peppers
Taleggio, walnut and pecan stuffed grilled zucchini

Dinner:
-Italian farmers salad- artichoke, gold Chioggia beets, Cerignola olives, pickled red onion and cucumber, roasted eggplant, herbs, shaved fennel and artichoke vinaigrette
-Pear and chestnut soup with tallegio stuffed baby pear
-Cannellini and kale salad with whole pesto ( torn basil, minced garlic, roasted pistachios, shaved reggiano and extra virgin olive oil
-Butter roasted Cipollini onions and brussels with butternut “ravioli” with mushrooms and porcini sauce
-Fresh made spaghetti with chunky/fresh arrabiata
-Tiramisu (requested)

*As usual, there was an absence of pictures but I assure you, everything was just lovely.  To assure the meat eaters out there that I actually do get fired up with meat, here is a picture of my favorite meat dish this year.  

Surf ‘n Turf- Roasted salmon with steak tartare, corn riddled mashed potatoes and dijon bearnaise.  Flavor was off the charts.

Chicken of The Woods

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Beautiful isn’t it?  A farmers market find that I picked up as an interesting new toy for a party.  I was really excited for this mushroom but it was still a known unknown.  I quickly sauteed a little up just to taste test before it was committed to a dish.  Oh man, so bad; tasted and felt like wet like wood  :-|  No worries; a little broth and browning should help…it’ll find its way.  Alas, it did not find its way.  Tried it again a few days later; same thing.  Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever…buy this mushroom.  Apparently, Chicken of the Woods is nothing like Hen of the Woods.  Hen of the woods is friggin’ fantastic and one of my favorite mushrooms.  Side note:  Hen of the Woods are the only mushroom of any real nutritive value, so eat up.  Ohm!

Night Out In North County

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I’ve always enjoyed talking to people at my cooking classes. Last year someone recommended Bellamy’s in Escondido. She also wanted me to try a strawberry cream cake that I have yet to do. Which reminds me of a poke cake I needed to try as well :-/ Aaaaanyway; she happened to write it down and it made its way under a fridge magnet. My wife ended up getting a gift certificate there for Christmas and we just now used it :-)
Lovely restaurant.  Offers all the standards I’d expect to keep the locals coming in with a smattering of interest and ingredient change out to keep it chic. Highlights were the beet ice cream, cod skin and oysters, (not one dish). I personally enjoyed the escargot (pictured), because I hadn’t had it in years; also, the “soil” was playful and appropriate.
Definitely worth a try and absolutely somewhere to go if you live in the area.

Big Parties, Small Parties…Whatever.

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Did a few cool parties around July 4th.  I had the pleasure of cooking for a proposal dinner…she said yes :-)  I also did two totally different parties for the same client.  They were in east county, which is great…cause so am I.  This busy couple decided for their much needed week off, to forgo travel rigmarole and relax at home for a staycation.  Friends, family, food and drinks in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere; sounds lovely doesn’t it?

I had the pleasure of cooking an intimate dinner for them and their family (5 total).  I did my usual thing; 8+ courses of farm to table awesomeness.  The picture above was what I was working with.  The wild strawberries pictured below made an appearance as well and were a personal freak out moment for me.  As referenced in my last post, I had just returned from Youdapimp after experiencing my first wild strawberry.  Then, what do I find upon my arrival home?  A clam shell of wild strawberries at Specialty Produce’s farmers market cooler.  A whole friggin’ clam shell!  Got me gigitty for the party and it felt like finding gold.

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The night after that dinner, I cooked for his birthday bash.  40 people enjoying an abundance of fresh, locally farmed produce, served as a casual buffet.  Here was the menu for the big party.

Apps:
Roasted tomato, chevre and oregano baguette
Pickled turnip mini taco with avocado “salad”
Mango gorgonzola nachos

Dinner:
Grilled tri-tip
Carnitas
Basmati rice with toasted vermicelli and zaatar
Roasted cauliflower
Chile/garlic broccoli
Bacon and onion collard greens with almonds and hari cot vert
Big summer salad- romaine, water cress, herbs, cucumber, celery, carrot and red wine vinaigrette
Cherry cobbler with milk chocolate mousse

Antelope…at Sprouts

My go to local grocery mart tends to be Sprouts. Recently I noticed they had stepped up their game meat game. Antelope, bison, lamb and wild boar, all ground and frozen. I’m loving that they give an option to the standards, antelopeespecially the boar…boar is friggin’ delicious.

I’ve been toying with game meats quite a bit the past few years.  Kangaroo is great and so are frog legs, (both found at Iowa Meats/Siesels).  Windmill Farms had some options as well.  With people looking to deviate from the mechanized meat industry, all these choices are great for the Tuesday switch up.   Although it’s great to switch it up, these meats run leaner then the normal ground round, so make sure your recipes have fat and or moisture.  That means meat loafs and balls.  Although fine when cooked in a pan like tacos, I’d rather use them for something like sloppy joes or ragout.  We had broccoli, mushroom and antelope stir-fry.  It was good, but not because, of the antelope. ;-)antelope 2

Tomatoes…The Ugly Truth

Found some gigantic, gnarly Travelers tomatoes from the farmers market.  I took pics of them to blog about, and made a delicious panzanella salad.  Then my phone got stolen and the pics that told the story 10,000 words never could.  Regardless of the thievery, I still had something to say.
 

Confession time

The ugly truth is…I don’t enjoy fresh tomatoes.  Yes, I’m “one of those people.” Like Dr. Seus;  I do not like them in a plane, or on a boat, I do not like them with a goat. Ketchup, gravy and salsa are cool, but not if the salsa tastes all tomatoey.   I am not special, there are many like me.  We lurk in the shadows, making small piles of unwanted fruit/vegetable on the side of the plate.  Our blood runs cold when we forget to hold the tomatoes on a burger or sandwich; as we know the taste will spread like wildfire to engulf everything it comes in contact with.
 

Finding my way

Let me be clear; I can somewhat enjoy a tomato if  two things happen.  The tomato needs to be grown well with all needed nutirients, (or in Greece). Or, I have to brainwash myself.  Telling myself before, during and after mastication that, “I have never tasted this exotic fruit/vegetable before, this is a new adventure, and it WILL be delicious.”  I developed this routine in Greece on my honeymoon. Knowing that if I was to enjoy a tomato, Greece (with it’s volcanic soil) would probably be the place.  So I sacked up, stopped being a wuss and started acting like I enjoyed them. It worked :-)  
 
I thought I had read the science behind this but apparently not, as my interwebz research came up empty. What was surprising during the research was the lack of the question.  All matters of science were discussing the nutritional change a tomato goes through when heated but nothing about the taste difference.  What is there or not there after they are cooked? 
Lycopene and glutamate levels are higher in cooked tomatoes and lycopenes molecular shape changes to something more absorbable.  Maybe that changes the taste as well?  I tend to think glutamate as well because of the vast difference between a salted and unsalted bite of tomato.  The salt I think adds a missing link to the glutamate which then gives the taster a savory full bodied flavor.  Like msg.

Kale

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I realize this piece is 10 years late but…meh, better late then never sometimes. Making kale awesome, is easy.  

Here are three ideas that always win.

One: Throw it into soup; (any type of kale). Cook it until the pretty color goes away. Most green veggies are great when not cooked to death, but not kale and collards. Cooking them fully allows them to relax and absorb the soup. So remember to cook out the stubborn bitterness and it’ll be great

Two:  Kale chips; (Lacianto/Dinosaur).  Brush lightly with good olive oil,  season with salt and spice.  Bake at 350 for 17ish minutes rotating halfway through.

Three: Kale salad. (Curly or Red Russian) To me…a maligned dish done improperly 90% of the time.  I always see it treated like lettuce and it’s sad because you only need one extra step to make it totally awesome.  Some of you have no idea about this step and think kale salads are fine as is.  Come with me child…into the light.

Beat it up right

Kale needs to be tenderized and broken down, which also helps it absorb/hold onto the dressing.  Tear kale from the ribs into a bowl, add a little vinaigrette; work it into the kale using a squeezing motion like you’re working cold butter into flour, or playing in mud. You remember; squeezing it as it gushed through your fingers. You don’t need delicacy in this step. I usually squeeze for a couple minutes, let sit for 10 minutes and massage again. At that point I add more vinaigrette and the remaining ingredients.  If you wanna get crazy or you have thicker kale, squeeze out as much liquid as possible before giving it the extra dressing and ingredients. 

Anything you would put in a normal salad will work, but crunch is always nice addition since the kale doesn’t give it to you like lettuce does.  Kale is a wonderful flavor foil but I’m from California, so I always add fruits and nuts. Giggity.

Cock-A-Doodle-Delicious

As last year wrapped up, I had the chance (with help and guidance from a friend,) to slaughter and butcher my own chickens.  Well almost, they weren’t chickens, they were roosters.  Rooster is a soup/stew bird that is a bit of a challenge to work with. Everything about it, from the bones to the feathers was strong and tough.  Preparations for our rooster dinner(s) were long and involved but highly rewarding, and economical.  2 roosters made over two nights dinners fed 20+ people.  We went with coq au vin the first night and soup and dumplings the second.  The second night was moan inducing as the meat could tenderize a bit more.

I plan on not using factory farmed meat for home and work this year.  We’ll set up a freezer to fill with locally raised meat in an effort to continue our own  protest of our countries food structure.  Without the time or inclination to spend my mental and physical energy toward protests and politics.  Putting my money where my mouth is is all I can do. Getting us back to basics in terms of food production is empirical for our happiness as a people and planet.  Until Organic is the norm and not the exception, there is work to be done.

Observations:
Found out what a craw is and does.
Poultry have a scent gland on the end of the tail that is always removed.
Rooster testicles are located up in the middle of the body; and taste delicious…just kidding.
Poultry skin lets go of the feathers in specifically 150 degree water.
Roosters are built tough.
Hanging upside down settles the bird.
Chicken feet are scaly, like a reptile.

Vegetarian Loveliness

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The Menu

Truffle herb “popcorn”
Pickled baby turnip with avocado “salad”
Beet stuffed with tangerine scented macadamia and topped with Korean chile p
Blue cheese and chive bread pudding stuffed mushroom
 
Flowering kale salad with apple, turnip, citrus, nuts and parsnip soubise
Sugar bear pumpkin soup with smokey collard greens, sumac and dill
Balls- Tiny Brussels sprouts, tiny potatoes and capers
Chile garlic broccolini with miso pearled barley risotto
Blackberry cobbler with guava crust, vanilla cream and fuyu coulis
 
 

Cooked for a vegetarian family the week after christmas at a big ol’ rental up in the Escondido hills. This beautiful family was celebrating the patriarchs 70th birthday and they brought me in to get crazy for a night. The party was lively, the food brought the moans, and I even got the approval of the mom.

Not that moms usually dislike me. But, when she’s hard to please because she is the resident badass chef. It feels good making her smile.  As per usual, the menu is based on what is found at the market that day.  In this case, it was the Hillcrest Farmers market.  Happy New Year!

A New Holiday Libation

Ever sang the Peanut Butter and Jelly song with a group of kids a your local library’s toddler story time?  It’s adorable.  You know what’s more fun then going to toddler storytime? Drinking beer.  Seriously…try it for yourself and compare.

I did a party before Thanksgiving;  before the party the host and I were chatting about this and that when the conversation turned to beer.  He mentioned a concoction that I had never heard of, but for the life of me, I don’t see how that was possible.  It’s such a stupid easy idea, that it made me realize I have a long way to go as far as human development and the usage of my obviously feeble brain.  For two years or so, I’ve known about Peanut Butter Stout.  A popular and wonderfully balanced stout from San Diego’s own, Belching Beaver Brewery in Vista; with a tasting room in North Park.

The Drink

The host of the party asked me if I had ever had a PB&J beer.  An eyebrow raising “noooooooo?” was my reply.  I figured I knew the peanut butter side of it and was right.  Out comes a bottle of peanut butter stout, (the peanut butter).  Then for the jelly, he used a Belgium Kriek Lambic (cherry beer), from Brouwerij Lindemans.  I’m sure there are other beers for the jelly, like raspberry or whatever, but this one seemed like the best of what was available.  Somewhere around a 60-40/70-30 ratio of stout to lambic seems like the money spot.  

Although not a beer you can drink all night long, this combination is all things delicious, interesting and fun.  It brought a smile to my face and it was sweet without being overly sugary. Just a wonderful and different holiday libation.  When it was served at Thanksgiving, everyone was underwhelmed, but that was my fault. Serving them right outta the fridge was an error that masked the flavors.  This drink should be room temp on a cool day.  When cold, the flavors are muted and it just tastes sweet, fizzy and confusing.

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