Reflections in Food 2010

My Husband Troy is constantly giving me feedback about my food, and it is his that means the most to me, as I know that he truly wants the best for me personally and for my career. Often times he tells me I should write things down that work particularly well. I don't. I almost always do it different, which, although fun, may not be the best strategy when it come to ideas that really work. It would be nice to truly reproduce something. So perhaps in 2011, my vow should be to write down recipes that work. We will see how that goes.

Occasionally, when you cook as fervently as I do, and are constantly trying new things, a recipe doesn't turn out the way that you expect. Especially when like me, you tend to deviate.

During the time that I have had off over the holiday with my daughter Lucia, I have been going through our pantry, organizing and accessing ingredients. In 2009, I was a canning dervish. I canned my favorite Oven Roasted Tomatoes from our garden, raspberry jam, fig jam, peach jam and even deviated into sugarless jams (Troy is diabetic). Based on the favorable out come of the previous preserves, the last thing that I "put up" in 2009 was a Strawberry Balsamic Jam. My own idea using good Italian balsamico and strawberries from Lucero Farms. Right out of the pot, the jam was a viscous, delicious spoonful. I opened the last jar today and found that since canning this luscious flavor combination, it had morphed into a really really firm gel resembling more fruit leather and less something to spread onto your morning toast. Hmmmm.

What to do? I couldn't just toss it out....not this lovely combination. Could I roll it out between a couple of sheets of plastic wrap and add homemade fruit snacks to Lucia's lunch? Not really....we get ants too easily in Berkeley. So I decided to try making a cracker with a bit of the emulsion in the middle. Like a savory thumbprint cookie.

The results were terrific first time out of the gate! In he heat of the oven the jam melted and the results were beautiful. Lucia, my side kick and always willing tester, said that they were delicious and came back for seconds and thirds. I hope that you will like them too.

Happy New Year to all my friends and family. May the year 2011 bring us all closer to our dreams in the ardent comfort of each other's love and support.

Blue Cheese and Jam Biscuits

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 cube of salted butter at room temperature

4 oz blue cheese

ground black pepper

your favorite preserves

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the flour, butter, blue cheese and black pepper into the bowl of a sturdy stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or you can use a

food processor, but I don't like them too much). Mix slowly until all the ingredients are just incorporated. Do not over mix.

Scape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a flat log. Roll the log out into a sheet of about 1/8 inch with a lightly floured rolling pin. I turned the dough a couple of times while rolling, to insure that it did not stick.

Cut 1 inch rounds with a biscuit cutter, and place onto the parchment lined baking sheet.I fit six down and four across on a

regular 1/2 sheet pan. Gently gather and re-roll bits and pieces until all your dough is cut into lovely little rounds.

Using a teaspoon, place a tiny dollop of jam into the center of each round. Be careful not to use too much, since you are not

making indentations to hold the jam. I would imagine that jelly would be too loose to use in this application, so to insure

the success of your biscuits, use a firm, fruit-filled jam or even a finely chopped chutney would work. Repeat

until all the little rounds are adorned.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the bottoms of the biscuits are golden brown and the jam is bubbly and melted.

Let cool on the parchment for 10 minutes, then remove each biscuit to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen biscuits.

Organic Tomato Tart

Tomatoes are finally in season again and paired with a shallot, garlic, some good olive oil, a little sea salt, basil and whatever cheese you have laying around that needs to be used and some puff pastry purchased from Whole Foods.....well you have a completely delicious dinner at hand within 30 minutes.

There are a couple of tricks to this amazing tart however. If you follow them, it will yield a tart with a crisp and buttery "crust" and perfectly chewy, intensely flavored tomatoes. The recipe, and the tips follow. Please, even though it is warm, please don't run out to some fast food joint right now! Take my word for it....this is an easy recipe. It is worth the 30 minutes.

Organic Tomato Tart with Cheese

1 purchased sheet of puff pastry, defrosted and pricked top to bottom

2 pints of organic cherry tomatoes, washed and halved

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, smashed and finely chopped

3 TBSP good olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Black Pepper, freshly ground

Fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Parmegiano Reggiano, grated coarsely

Basil, torn or julienned

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put all the tomato halves, shallot, garlic and olive oil together on a cookie sheet. Toss to coat, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until slightly shriveled and fragrant. Notice if most of the liquid is gone from the tomatoes. This is the perfect time to remove from the oven and cool. About 15 minutes time total.

Top the defrosted and pricked puff pastry sheet with the thinly sliced mozzarella, placed along the tart being careful not to put too much, as too much filling with make the tart soggy. Layer the seasoned, oven roasted tomatoes atop the cheese, spreading around evenly. Top with grated reggiano.

Bake at 45o degress until edges are puffed and really brown. About 10-15 minutes, depending upon your oven. If the tart puffs too much, stick the tip of a knife into the puffed part to release the steam.

Remove from the oven. Cut into 8 slices and top with the julienne of basil and a sprinkling or coarse sea salt.

Serve hot or cold.....great picnic food!

Happy Birthday Alice!!

It is no surprise to anyone who knows me even casually that I am president of Alice Waters and the Edible Schoolyard's fan club.

Alice has been so fundamental in my culinary sense and development. As I have become a Mother and grown in my own career as a Chef, I have seen first hand the magic in her philosophy and the work that has been the passion of her life.

I work with kids for whom it has been a big deal to get to go to Mc Donalds. I cook for these kids and their families, who's lives have been filled with nothing but processed foods. These families come to Seneca for help and counsel and I am the lucky one who has the privilege of introducing them to the freshest, local fruits and vegetables. Foods that they never have seen let alone tasted from organic farms grown locally in season. The looks on their faces when they first see an heirloom tomato with its tiger stripes and funky irregular shape! Then, finally, when they screw up the courage to try the thing......a sweet smile of amazement fills their faces as drips of tomato juice drip down their eager chins and I am filled forever and reminded why I do what I do!!

Both my parents, food mavericks in their own ways, and Alice are responsible for this. My career, my joy in the farmers at the markets hawking their home grown wares with the excitement of a new parent, my amazement in sharing my world with my own precious daughter Lucia, my deep appreciation for my sweet husband Troy who's motto since meeting and wooing me has become "shut up and eat it, it will be wonderful", and my devotion to sourcing the best for "my kids" at Seneca.....all of this, I give up to Alice.

Alice.......with all of my heart, thank you for your determination. Thank you for your commitment to all of our children and putting the future of food squarely in their eager hands. And lastly, thank you for your patience, for 30 years, waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.

Happy Birthday Alice!!

Mmmmmm.....What is that Delicious Smell?

The power of good baked products is like magic. People come together following the heady scent of butter and flour coming together in the oven to make something delicious to eat. My Dad was a baker for the Merchant Marines, baking bread and pies for over 5000 captive sailors...and as you can imagine, providing these swarthy guys with the sweet smell of home for months at a time at sea, my Dad was a pretty popular guy on the ship. So I guess my appreciation for a well made baked product is in my blood.

Lately I have been obsessed with a local place that hands down, turns out some of the best bread and pastry that the Bay currently has to offer on it's already full menu of culinary marvels. Tartine Bakery is on the corner of 18th Street and Guerrero in the Mission District of San Francisco. Elisabeth Prueitt, turns out flaky buttery tarts, cookies, croissants and beautifully simple but decadent cakes and pastry using local and seasonal ingredients. Her partner in crime and husband (lucky man) is Chad Robertson is the reigning king of the dark crusty loaves (available by calling and reserving one by 3pm Weds- Sun) and the smell of the fresh bread wafts down the Mission like a beacon.

Tartine is not hard to find. Just follow the line outside of the black store front always adorned with a huge lovely bouquet of flowers and of course, follow your nose. This is where Troy and I were first introduced to Four Barrel Coffee and I must admit, I like it just a teeny bit better than the much more popular Blue Bottle Coffee. It seems, after waiting in the queue of grungy posh and hungry folk from all over the neighborhood, everything in the case looks good and it is very easy to over do it here at Tartine.

From the savory Croque Monsier done with spicy turkey or ham, to the Banana Creme Cream Pie with Caramel and Chocolate or seasonal fresh fruit Bread Pudding, literally everything screams fresh and delicious.

What has caught my eye lately is the tiny crisp Chocolate-Oatmeal-Walnut Cookies and the Buttermilk Scones. This amazing crisp and buttery cookie also comes in a huge size, but I prefer the small ones. This way I am able to have one and not break the calorie bank......but of course, you should leave such thoughts on 18th Street and come back to them after your pastry party.

At home, I have been methodically working through Elisabeth and Chad's book called of course, Tartine (Chronicle Books, 2006). The pictures, recipes are all impeccable and amazingly, they seem to be the exact recipes from the bakery. I still cannot seem to get my favorite cookies just crisp enough, but that may be because I don't have convection oven at home. For me, what is most agreeable about their cookbook is the addition of kitchen notes. For each recipe, Elisabeth give a paragraph of ideas that will bring each recipe to her exacting professional standard....an addition that as a professional myself, I am extremely grateful for.

This Sunday morning, focusing on an impending visit to Troy's grandma Nelba in the South Bay, I decided to make the scones from the book. Amazingly easy and delicious with a substitute of Callebut chocolate chips instead of currents and lemon zest. The recipe below does not include the weight measurements, as I used the standard American volume measurements that most home cooks will use, and it also omits the directions for using an electric mixer, as I made the dough by hand.

Tartine Bakery Buttermilk Scones

Yield 12 scones

Zante currants (or as I used today, chocolate chips).... 3/4 cup

All purpose flour........................................................... 4 3/4 cups

Baking powder.................................................................... 1 TBSP

Baking soda..........................................................................3/4 tsp

Granulated sugar................................................................1/2 cup

Salt.......................................................................................1 1/4 tsp

Unsalted butter, very cold.................................1 cup and 1 TBSP

Buttermilk.......................................................................1 1/2 cups

Lemon zest, grated..................................................................1 tsp

Unsalted butter, melted......................................................3TBSP

Sugar, for sprinkling......................................................as needed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a baking sheet.

Combine the currants with warm water to cover in a small bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes until currants are plumped. Drain well.

Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and scatter the cubes over the dry ingredients. Using a pasty blender or two table knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You want to end up with a coarse mixture with pea size lumps of butter visible.

Add the buttermilk all at once and the drained currents and lemon zest (chocolate chips) and mix gently with the spoon or by hand. Continue to mix just until you have a dough that just holds together. If the mixture seems dry, a little more buttermilk. You still want to see some of the butter pieces at this point, which will add to the flakiness of the scones once they are baked.

Dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Using your hands, pat the dough into a rectangle about 18 inches long, 5 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches thick. Brush the top with the melted butter and then sprinkle with sugar. Using a chef's knife, cut the dough into 12 (I cut 14) triangles. Transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the scones until the tops are lightly browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Top Chef Should do School Lunch!

This is from Marc R. has over at Ethicurean, challenging Top Chef to take up the ultimate challenge: school lunch.

With school lunch being debated on Capitol Hill, "Top Chef" should get in on the action and focus some kitchen challenges on school meals. One challenge could have each contestant try to cook a collection of delicious and healthy meals (breakfast and lunch) that spend less than $1 on food per meal. Another might be to cook in a real school, perhaps H.D. Cooke Elementary School, the setting of The Slow Cook’s excellent multi-part series on school meals, or use the actual school kitchen staff as assistants, though this one might be getting a bit close to the upcoming Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution on ABC. The contestants could also integrate ingredients from local farms with USDA-provided material.

Washington and the school lunch community also offers plenty of interesting possibilities for guest judges: First Lady Michele Obama, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Chef Ann Cooper (the "renegade lunch lady"), or a room full of cute and opinionated schoolchildren.

I think this idea is genius.......what do you think?