Photo from tvol

•    Aluminum:  Remember a few years ago when people were throwing out their aluminum pots and pans because of the “Aluminum causes Alzheimer’s” scare??  According to the National Institutes of Health there is absolutely no evidence that cooking in aluminum pans causes Alzheimer’s
•    Iron: Cooking in an iron pot can add beneficial iron to your diet.  This is especially important for pre-menopausal women, children and teenagers who need extra iron.  Acidic foods like tomatoes or apples that cook for a long time in an iron pot absorb the most iron.  Interestingly though you can also get a little bit of iron from stainless steel cookware.
•    Non-Stick:  The Teflon coatings are basically inert.  Teflon is used as part of heart implants mechanisms.  And, although they can lose their non-stick qualities with hard use, there is no reason to throw a nicked or scratched pan away.  Even if you consumed a little piece of the resin in your food, it would pass unchanged through your body.
•    Copper:  Don’t use unlined copper cookware.  Enough copper can dissolve into your food to cause illness.  Copper cookware, which is lined with stainless steel or tin, is fine and often desirable because copper on the bottom of the pan is a great heat conductor.

The gorgeous courtyard of the Rancho La Puerta cooking school

This week I have had the good fortune to teach cooking classes at Rancho La Puerta, a gorgeous getaway located just over the California border in Tecate in Mexico.  This health resort is focused on helping guests develop a lifetime of healthy habits while vacationing in a beautiful part of the world with picture-perfect weather.  It has been voted the “World’s Best Destination Spa” for two years in a row by the readers of Travel & Leisure magazine.

Below I’ve included one of the recipes we are making in our classes here.  With all of the ripe melons and figs at this time of year, it is an easy and nutritious recipe for everyone to try in their own kitchen.

A note on chili heat:  There is a way to measure the heat level in chilies.  It’s called the Scoville Scale and was developed back at the turn of the last century by W.L. Scoville.  His method involved extraction of the heat elements in Chiles known as capsaicinoids, which were then diluted to a point where they were barely detectable.  For example, if a gram of Chile extract had to be diluted in 40,000ml of water and alcohol to be barely perceptible then that chili was rated at 40,000 Scoville heat units.  Although this is not a precise test, since each of us has some differences in sensitivity to Chiles, it does give a good basic estimate.

Here are some Scoville heat ratings for various Chiles:

Students learn to cook flavorful, healthy meals using the spa’s organic produce grown right on the property

• Bell Peppers  0
• Anaheims  800-1200
• Poblanos 800-1200
• Jalapenos 8000-10,000
• Serranos 10,000-18,000
• Japanese (Hontaka) 25,000-40,000
• Thai types 40,000-60,000
• Pure Capsaicin* 1million

* Capsaicin is one of the compounds in the capsaicinoid family and is thought to be the most potent of the heat elements in Chiles.

FIRE AND ICE” MELON SALAD

Serves 8

This is a perfect summertime dish to start a lunch or dinner.  The heat of the serrano Chiles contrasts with the cool, refreshing melon and the mint and lime to add interesting counterpoints.

1/3 cup sugar or honey

1/4 cup white wine or water

1 teaspoon seeded and minced serrano Chiles or to taste

1 tablespoon each finely diced red and yellow bell peppers

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint

2 large honeydew, cantaloupe, crane or other ripe melon

8 fresh ripe figs, fanned

Garnish:  Edible flower petals such as nasturtium, borage and or day lily, if desired

Students learn to cook flavorful, healthy meals using the spa’s organic produce grown right on the property

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and wine and over moderate heat stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the Chiles and peppers and cool.  Stir in the lime juice and mint.  Syrup can be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

To serve:  Cut melons in half and remove seeds.  Cut into decorative shapes and arrange attractively on chilled plates.  Spoon Chile syrup over melon and arrange figs attractively around.  Sprinkle with edible flower petals.

Many people believe bottled water is safer than tap water.  I’ve bought into this too, but it often isn’t true.  Municipal water supplies are tested every day for disease-causing microbes and chemicals.  Bottled water, which is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration rather than the Environmental Protection Agency, may or may not be tested, ever.  Besides, many bottled waters are tap water.  According to the American Dietetic Association, 85 % of bottled water is municipal water, which has been filtered to take out local taste and odor and a big up charge slapped on it, which we pay.

At the definitive bottled water site, you will find extensive information on bottled water, including regulations, definitions, and resources.

Also, water bottled from municipal water supplies must be clearly labeled as such. The requirement is dropped if municipal water was used but was processed and treated so that it could be labeled as “distilled” or “purified” water.

Photo from Thoth, God of Knowledge

The most important reason to marinate is to add flavors.  Here’s how a marinade works:  A good marinade is a blend of something acid (wine, citrus juices or vinegar), salty (soy sauce or fish sauce) and sweet (sugar, honey, maple syrup or jams) plus a variety of other seasonings such as garlic, herbs and chiles.  The acid softens the tissues so the meat fibers can separate and allow the marinade to penetrate, salt transports the liquid into the tissues and sugar helps hold it there.  The result is meat with lots more flavor, that is juicier and a just a bit more tender than nature made it.  Remember though – - – marination is done for flavor NOT to tenderize.

In a study done a few years ago at Michigan State University scientists set out to determine the shelf life of fresh basil picked at various times and stored at various temperatures.  They put fresh harvested basil in perforated plastic bags and then observed how many days it took for it to obviously deteriorate.

Their findings:
-    Basil stored at 59 degrees F lasted an average of 12. 5 days compared to just 3.2 days at 41 degrees, the temperature of most home refrigerators.  They also found that basil harvested at 6 p.m. lasted nearly twice as long as that picked at 6 a.m.

If you’re not a gardener, then you may not have a choice of when the basil was harvested.  You do have a choice of the temperature it’s stored at.  Remember basil stores best and longest at around 59 degrees.

A gorgeous night for learning to cook with Chef John Ash at the Dry Creek Peach & Produce Company

One of my favorite events each year is a class and dinner that I do with Dry Creek Peach Company in the middle of their orchard in the beautiful Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg, California.  I do this in partnership with Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg, a very fun cooking school that offers a wide range of classes throughout the year.

One of the recipes we made at this event: Grilled Coconut Chicken, Peach Chutney and Sesame Spinach

Historically, the Dry Creek Valley was a place in which all manner of fruits and vegetables were grown.  Dry Creek Valley, an official AVA, is now planted almost entirely with wine grapes and Dry Creek Peach is the last outpost for some of the most delicious peaches, nectarines and plums that I’ve ever had in my life.

Photo courtesy Donna Del Rey, Relish Culinary Adventures

I try to work peaches into every course and it’s always fun to see what the favorites are.  This year the “winner” was a very simple salad course, the recipe for which I’ve included below.  If you make it, let me know what you think of it!

ARUGULA SALAD WITH GRILLED PEACHES, MORTADELLA AND ROBIOLA
Serves 6

Robiola is considered by many to be Italy’s best cheese.  It comes from the Piedmont in the north and is a blend of cow, goat and sheep’s milk.  True Mortadella is sublime.  It hails from Bologna.  Seek out the real versions of both the meat and the cheese for this recipe.  It will make all the difference in the world!

12 thin slices of mortadella
12 ounces fresh robiola
12 basil leaves
3 ripe peaches; halved, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons or so fruity extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups packed baby arugula leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

On a work surface, lay out the slices of the mortadella. Divide the robiola in the center of each one and top it with a basil leaf. Fold the mortadella over the cheese and then fold in the sides to form a neat packet.  Secure with toothpicks.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Lightly coat the peaches with olive oil and grill until nicely marked.  Slice each half attractively and set aside.

Grill the packets over high heat for about 1 minute per side, until they are lightly marked and the cheese has softened. Discard the toothpicks.

In a bowl, toss the arugula with olive oil and vinegar and season to your taste with salt and pepper. Arrange peaches and dressed arugula attractively on 6 plates.  Top with warm packets and serve right away.

Photo from Norwichnuts

Grunts are one of those great “Grandma” desserts that trace their history back to colonial times.  They are in the large family of cooked fruit desserts that include crisps, cobblers, betty’s, pandowdy’s, and slumps that are distinguished by cooking fruit in combination with some sort of crust (on top, on the bottom or both) or dumpling.

Although there is a great debate on what makes a “grunt”, the consensus seems to be that both grunts and slumps are simmered on top of the stove rather than baked in the oven like crisps, cobblers.  The most famous “slump” no doubt is the recipe for Apple Slump which Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, prepared in her home in Concord Massachusetts.  The fruit was cooked and then pieces of yeasted dough were placed on top. It was then covered and cooked until the dough was done.  The name Slump came from the fact that when spooned out onto the plate it “slumped” and had no recognizable shape. Grunts are very similar.  They usually are made with berries and topped with a baking powder dumpling.  The name supposedly comes from the sound the berries make as they simmer in the pot!

My favorite Grunt is one my Grandmother made using blackberries.  She would make it in the summer when the wild berries were plentiful.  However you can make and enjoy this year round since most markets carry frozen IQF (individually quick frozen without sugar) berries.  These are often better than fresh in most markets because they are picked and frozen when they are fully ripe and at the peak of flavor.  The price is usually very good too.  Too often the fresh berries we see have been picked under-ripe so that they’ll travel better.  Blueberries make a nice alternative here.

BLACKBERRY GRUNT
Serves 6 – 8

For the berries:
8 cups fresh or IQF (individually quick frozen) blackberries
3/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup red wine or water
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

For the dumpling dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup buttermilk (or a mixture of plain yogurt and skim milk or water), plus more to make a soft dough
2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or sweetened yogurt

Method:

Place the berry mixture in a heavy, deep casserole and bring to a simmer over moderate heat.

While berries are cooking make the dumpling dough by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.  Stir in the melted butter.  Add enough of the buttermilk to form a soft dough. For reference it should be wetter than a biscuit dough.

Using a soup spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the dumpling dough on top the fruit.  Make sure you have at least one per person.  Sprinkle the dumplings with the cinnamon sugar.  Tightly cover with a lid or a sheet of foil and cook the mixture over medium-low heat so that the fruit just barely simmers. Keep covered until the dumplings are puffed and set and the surface is firm when touched with a fingertip.  This will take about 12 minutes or so.

To serve:  Spoon the warm grunt into serving bowls and spoon on whipped cream, ice cream or sweetened yogurt.

Wine Recommendation:  Although I usually think desserts are best served without wine because of the problem of balancing the sugars in the wine and the dessert.  If the dessert is sweeter than the wine then the wine will taste thin and acidic.  However, the not-too-sweet ripe berry flavor here could be a nice match with a ruby style port.  In California a number of producers are making nice port-like wines (true Port comes from Portugal) from grapes like Black Muscat, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah that I’d love with this dessert.

At the retreat, my assignment was to create a couple of simple dishes that attendees could make at home and that matched to the earthiness and complexity of Kosta Browne’s amazing Pinot Noirs.  Below are the recipes.  I hope you’ll enjoy!

WILD MUSHROOM PATE

Makes enough to fill a 3-cup mold or dish

The simplicity of this recipe belies its great taste.  Serve with crisp little croutes, toasts or crackers of your choice and, as the French do, with some little cornichons and grainy mustard on the side.

1 ounce dried wild mushrooms such as porcini
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots or green onions (white part only)
1-1/4 pounds thickly sliced fresh wild or exotic cultivated mushrooms*
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons curry powder or to your taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup toasted, preferably unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons toasted nut oil such as walnut or olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs such as parsley, chives and/or basil
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Rinse the dried mushrooms quickly and let soak in warm water to cover for 15 minutes.  Drain, squeeze dry and chop.

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat.  Add the shallots, all mushrooms, garlic, curry and cumin and sauté and stir until mixture is just beginning to brown and all liquid has evaporated.

While mushrooms are cooking add the cashews to a food processor and process till finely chopped.  Add oil and continue to process to make a paste or butter.  Add the mushroom mixture and process till almost smooth.  Stir in the herbs and zest and season with salt and pepper to your taste and place in a 3-cup pate mold or other ceramic dish.  Can be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.  Allow to return to room temperature to serve.

*A caution here – - only use wild mushrooms that you are certain are edible.  If you are not a hunter you can certainly substitute wild or cultivated mushrooms found in the market such as chanterelle, shiitake, cremini, portabella, oyster, etc.

COUS COUS RISOTTO WITH OLIVES, ARUGULA AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Serves 4 – 6 as a main course

This recipe uses a kind of cous cous known as moughrabiye or Israeli cous cous.  It is made from the same toasted semolina as the regular granular Moroccan cous cous with which we are most familiar.  Israeli cous cous is larger in size and round- about the size of whole peppercorns.  There are even larger ones made known as Lebanese cous cous which can also be used in this dish.  They are about the size of petite peas and take longer to cook.  This also makes a nice side dish or base for simply cooked meats, fish and poultry.  The great thing about cous cous is that you can make a risotto in half the time of a rice-based version.  Additionally, cous cous is a little more “forgiving” in that it doesn’t completely mush out as it sits!

1/2 cup chopped shallots or green onions (white part only)
1 tablespoon slivered garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups large Israeli type cous cous
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups rich chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted olives such as Cerignola
2 cups or so baby wild arugula
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Garnish: Fried basil sprigs and drops of truffle or smoked olive oil, if desired.

Sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil until lightly colored.  Add the cous cous and sauté for a minute or two longer.  Add the wine and 1/2 cup of the stock and stir occasionally until liquid is nearly absorbed.  Add remaining stock in half-cup increments and continue to cook and stir until stock is nearly absorbed.   Continue in this manner until the cous cous is tender but still has some texture (about 10 minutes total).  Stir the olives, arugula, tomatoes, zest, chives and cheese into the risotto. Serve immediately in warm bowls topped with the basil sprigs and the truffle oil.

Oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Co., photo from Tyffani Peters

In the current issue of Eating Well Magazine you will find this great article on shellfish written by Rowan Jacobsen with recipes from me.  Nicely photographed, it talks about such things as shellfish farming (very sustainable) along with facts you should know about buying, storing and cooking oysters, mussels and clams.

One of my favorite simple recipes using clams is included:  Miso Soup with Clams and Spinach.  Here it is for you to try!

MISO SOUP WITH CLAMS AND SPINACH

Serves 4

The clams are steamed in a dashi broth, removed from the shell and then added back to the soup.  Dash is the fundamental, basic cooking stock of Japanese cuisine and is made from kelp and a specially dried and smoked fish, usually bonito tuna.  You can make it from scratch (refer to a good Japanese cookbook) but the easiest is to use instant dashi granules (called hon dashi) in hot water.  They are very good and available where Japanese ingredients are sold.  You could also use mussels for this soup.

16 littleneck or 24 smaller clams such as manila
3 cups dashi made from instant granules
2 tablespoons white miso (known as Shiro miso)
2 cups or so gently packed young spinach leaves
Toasted or hot pepper sesame oil
3 tablespoons thinly sliced (on the bias) green onions

Wash clams thoroughly to remove any grit.  In a deep sauce pan bring the dashi to a boil.  Add the clams, cover and cook until clams open.  Discard any that don’t.  Remove clams from broth, cool and remove and reserve clam meat discarding the shells.

Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth to catch any errant grit.  Return to pan and bring to a simmer.  In a small bowl combine the miso with 3 tablespoons or so of the broth and stir into a smooth paste.  Whisk into broth.  Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.

Divide clams among 4 warm bowls along with a couple of drops of sesame oil.  Ladle hot broth and spinach over and top with green onions.  Serve immediately.

Most people are aware of wine and food pairing, but beer and food hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves since craft brews can be much more complex than most wines.  We did a pretty good job with all the dishes and

Brother Thelonious Belgian Abbey Ale, made by North Coast Brewing Co.

brews, but the following match and recipe seemed to get the most attention.  We served the Roast Duck Breasts with Grapefruit with North Coast’s Brother Theolonius.  It’s made in honor of great jazz piano player, Theolonius Monk, and a portion of its sales supports the Monk Institute of Jazz.

Try this pairing and let me know what you think!  I’d also love hear about some of your favorite beer and food pairings.

ROAST DUCK BREASTS WITH GRAPEFRUIT
Serves 4

This recipe could also be done with chicken breasts and pork loin or tenderloin.  You could also prepare the meat on the grill rather than roasting.  My favorite grapefruit are the Texas pinks or reds that come to the market in the October thru June.

1 tablespoon honey
4 grapefruits, 2 squeezed for juice to make marinade and sauce below and 2 sectioned
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or juniper berry
4 duck breast halves (6 – 7 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large bunch watercress, preferably Upland Cress with big stems discarded
Grapefruit sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Whisk the honey 3 tablespoons of grapefruit juice and the allspice together in a small bowl.  Trim the breasts of excess far and score the skin in a crosshatch pattern cutting almost but not quite thru to the meat.  Brush the breasts with the honey mixture, season with salt and pepper and set aside for at least 15 minutes.

Heat an ovenproof sauté pan over moderately high heat.  Add the duck breasts skin side down and sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes.  Turn the breast over and place in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes more or until meat is medium rare.  Be careful not to overcook.  Remove pan from oven, then remove breast from pan to a cutting board and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes.  Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

To serve:  Arrange grapefruit sections and watercress on plates.  Thinly slice the duck breasts and arrange on top, spoon warm sauce around and serve immediately.

Note:  For texture I’ll often add some crisp fried parsnips or julienned leeks for garnish.

Grapefruit Sauce
Makes about 3/4 cup

This tart-sweet sauce is delicious with all kind of grilled and roasted meat.  Note the addition of the bit of fresh grapefruit juice at the end.  This “brightens” the rich sauce and adds aromatics of the fruit to the finished sauce.

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups rich chicken or duck stock
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar to a saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar is melted and the mixture is reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 2 minutes.  Add the stock and 1 cup of the grape fruit juice and reduce over high heat to 3/4 cup or so, about 10 minutes.  Whisk in the cream and continue to reduce until sauce is nicely thickened, about 5 minutes.  Off heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice, season to your taste with salt and pepper and keep warm.  Can be made ahead and gently reheated.