30AEATS

 Wonderfully versatile piquillo peppers come exclusively from the small northern Spanish region of Navarra. Nestled between the borders of southern France and Basque territory, the town of Lodosa thrives on a busy trade in piquillo peppers. The peppers take their name from their distinctive, narrow, triangular shape: Piquillo means “beak” in Spanish.

At first glance, piquillos look like a variant of sweet bell pepper, but just one bite will tell a different story, as the familiar sweetness gives way to a sneaky heat. Navarra’s piquillo peppers are traditionally roasted over a beechwood fire, which adds a delectable smokiness to their bouquet. The final product is then packed whole in its delicious juices, ready to be sliced, stuffed and puréed into a variety of delicious dishes.

I’ve also included a recipe here for making leafy herb oils. This is a great way to use fresh herbs, and the oil can add a new dimension of flavor to grilled meats, fish, and vegetables. Let me know what creative uses YOU find for using fresh herb oil.

GOAT CHEESE STUFFED PIQUILLO PEPPERS

Serves 12 as a Tapa

Seek out a good herbed fresh goat cheese or alternately, mix in your own favorite fresh herbs. Piquillo peppers are available canned or jarred. Save any of the leftover garlic scented olive oil for other uses such as frying potatoes.

10 ounces fresh herbed goat cheese
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
12 whole piquillo peppers
1/3 cup fragrant extra virgin olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
12 Caper berries, drained
Fresh Basil Oil (recipe follows)

Mash the goat cheese in a bowl with the zest. Stuff the whole piquillos three-quarters full with the mixture and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and fry the garlic until lightly golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Drizzle the peppers with some of the oil and briefly broil in a preheated oven. If cheese oozes out just push it back in.

To serve: Use a spatula to transfer to a platter or individual plates and top with the fried garlic and a grinding or two of pepper. Serve with a caper berry or two, if desired.

For leafy herb oils
I suggest using basil, mint, chives, cilantro, parsley, shiso

3 cups packed herbs, large stems removed
1 – 2 cups olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Blanch the herbs in lightly salted, boiling water for 2 – 3 seconds. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. This blanching step inactivates the enzymes that cause the herbs to turn brown and develop an oxidized flavor.
Squeeze the herbs very dry with your hands. Chop and add to a blender along with enough oil to cover by 2 inches. Blend to make a paste. Let sit for an hour or two and then strain thru a fine mesh strainer or a coffee filter. This might take an hour or two depending on what you are using to strain the mixture. Season with a little salt and pepper if you want, and store covered and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. Return to room temperature before using.

Photo from adactio

ZUCCHINI SOUP WITH CINNAMON, CUMIN AND BUTTERMILK

Serves 4

This is a quick, and simple soup. It’s a wonderful base to which you can add all manner of things including cooked shrimp, sautéed mushrooms, spring peas, etc. I often will drizzle on a little fragrant nut oil as a garnish. Serve the soup chilled or at room temperature. We don’t always think about room temperature soups but it’s a nice variation on a warm day.

1 pound trimmed zucchini
2-1/2 cups rich chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon seeded and minced serrano chile, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 cups good quality buttermilk
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro or mint and lime or lemon wedges

Chop zucchini in large chunks. Add broth to a soup pot, bring to a boil and add zucchini. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until zucchini is barely tender but still bright green. Off heat and cool.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small, non-stick frying pan. Add onion, chile, fennel, cinnamon and cumin, and sauté until onion is soft but not brown and spices are fragrant.

Put both mixtures into a food processor and pulse until well chopped but still with some texture. Pour into a bowl and stir in buttermilk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve garnished with a sprinkling of cilantro and added drops of lemon or lime juice to taste.

Recommended Wine: The tart buttermilk, fresh herbs and spices would go best with a crisp, clean chilled white wine with similar flavors such as a Sauvignon Blanc. Italian whites such as Pinot Grigio and Spanish whites such as Albarino would also work fine.

COLD CUCUMBER AND HONEYDEW MELON SOUP WITH CRAB

Photo from Robert Verzo

Serves 6 – 8

The combination of the cucumber and honeydew is an intriguing flavor combination and also visually interesting. Being a west coast boy, I think Dungeness crab is the best, but use whatever you like. I’ve used cream here to add richness to the soup. You could also leave it out or substitute buttermilk if desired. All are good. I recommend serving this in wide shallow bowls for best dramatic effect!

2 quarts roughly chopped peeled and seeded English (burp less!) cucumbers
1 quart roughly chopped and seeded ripe honeydew melon
3 tablespoons or so fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt
Drops of hot sauce
10 ounces fresh picked crab meat (1 cup or so)
3/4 cup seeded and diced yellow and/or red tomatoes
1/2 cup diced firm ripe avocado
2 teaspoons each chopped fresh chives and tarragon (or basil)

Garnish: Fresh herb sprigs and/or chopped nasturtium flowers and leaves, if available.

Add cucumbers, melon, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and sugar to a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain through a medium strainer pushing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in cream and season to taste with salt and hot sauce. You should end up with about 1 quart of soup. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Gently combine the crab, tomatoes, avocado and herbs. Season to taste with salt, hot sauce and lemon juice. To serve: Gently press crab mixture into a 1/4 cup or so measuring cup and unmold in the center of a large, flat soup plate. Ladle chilled cucumber mixture around and garnish with herbs and/or nasturtiums.

Recommended Wine: There is a bit of sweetness in this soup and you’d want to try to find a nice chilled white with a similar level. Look for a Chenin Blanc, Riesling or Gewürztraminer that has a bit of residual sugar in it.

Seared Foie Gras with Mango Peach Chutney

On July 1, 2012 producing, selling and buying foie gras is going to be illegal in California.

Foie gras, or “fat liver,” is a specially fattened and rich liver created by a process called gavage: overfeeding ducks with corn so that their liver grows to four times its normal size. This technique was developed by the ancient Egyptians who observed that fattening of the liver in wild ducks who were gorging themselves before beginning their yearly migration.

The result is richer, more buttery and delicate than a “normal” liver. Historically, this practice was done with geese, but the far more gentle ducks are used today. Geese can be very aggressive and cantankerous. Foie gras along with truffles and saffron are expensive delicacies and what we might call “luxury” foods. Foie gras traditionally is served barely seared or made into a pâté (terrine) or mousse.

Animal rights activists deplore gavage as animal brutality, due to the force feeding procedure and possible health

A chef at Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa plates Foie Gras

consequences to the duck or goose of an enlarged liver. To others, this argument seems moot, as the bird is raised for slaughter and not longevity; and ducks and geese have a long, collagen lined esophagus that can accept a feeding tube without pain or damage (think of a pelican swallowing a fish). In fact, visits to a duck farm that produces foie gras will show the ducks, which are free-range, patiently waiting for their human feeder each day.

There have been bans of production and serving of foie gras, most notably in Chicago in 2006 (the ban was repealed in 2008), and the quickly approaching ban in California. I personally love foie gras and see it as an artisanal product. Of course each of us will have to make up our own minds about its consumption and our ethical position. I just wish the same kind of energy were put toward banning the much more corrosive conventional farming practices for animals like chicken and pork that are much more important in the American diet.

What are your thoughts?

Photo from lburiedpaul

A simple way of taming garlic’s sometimes dominating flavor is to roast, poach, or toast it first.  When you cut into raw garlic you break the cell walls and it immediately begins to oxidize.  A product of that oxidation is the development of hot, often funky flavors that can overpower a dish. By applying heat, the enzymes that account for those flavors are neutralized, and the garlic will remain sweet and delicate.  This is especially important for things like pesto which often is made in big batches and stored refrigerated or frozen for later use.  You definitely don’t want the garlic to take over down the road.  With all of these methods, garlic can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for at least a week.

To Roast Garlic:  Slice off the top quarter or so of each garlic head to expose the cloves.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Loosely but completely wrap each head in a piece of foil and roast in a preheated 400-degree oven or until garlic is very soft and lightly browned, about 45 minutes or so.  To use simply squeeze the buttery soft garlic out of the head just like you’d do toothpaste.

To Poach garlic: Separate cloves but don’t peel.  Place in a small saucepan and cover with at least ½ inch of cold water.  Place on stove over high heat and bring to a boil.  As soon as water boils, drain and repeat process one more time.  Rinse to cool off cloves and now easily remove husk.

To Toast garlic:  Separate the cloves and place them unpeeled in a dry sauté pan over moderate heat.  Shake and turn them occasionally until the cloves develop toasty brown spots on the skin.  Remove, cool and the skin will easily slip off.  The additional benefit of this method is that you’ve added a lovely toasty flavor to the garlic.

My Grandmother and I would pick the wild asparagus and eat much of it raw, right on the spot.  If you’ve never had just picked asparagus, it has any amazing sweet/green flavor, something that you don’t get with cultivated asparagus.  Raw is still one my favorite ways of eating asparagus but it must be just picked to take advantage of its natural sweetness.  Of course there are all kinds of ways to prepare asparagus beyond just steaming the spears whole. We’d have it every day until its short season was over.  The following recipe, and all of the recipes in this series have their genesis in dishes my Grandmother created with asparagus, so this is really an homage to her!

SHAVED RAW ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH PECORINO AND HAZELNUTS
Serves 6 – 8 as a side salad
You could use this same approach with artichokes or Brussels sprouts.  Once dressed, the shaved asparagus shouldn’t marinate for more than 15 minutes or so because it loses it crisp texture.  If your asparagus has a tough skin then you’ll want to peel it completely before shaving.  If not then follow instructions below and just shave off and discard 2 sides of it.

3/4 pound fresh asparagus (preferably larger rather than smaller), woody ends discarded                                                                                                                                 Honey lemon vinaigrette (recipe follows)
3 cups young arugula and/or upland cress (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup peeled, toasted and chopped hazelnuts
2 – 3 ounces thinly shaved pecorino (use a vegetable peeler)

Cut off tips of asparagus and set aside in a large bowl.  Lay asparagus flat on cutting board and shave one side of it with a vegetable peeler and discard this first shaving.  Turn to other side and repeat.  Now shave remaining thinly and place in the bowl.  Dress generously with some of the vinaigrette and let it sit for 10 – 15 minutes for flavors to marry and asparagus to soften just a little.
Add arugula and hazelnuts along with a little more dressing and toss with asparagus.  Arrange attractively on plates and top with the shaved pecorino.  Serve immediately.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
Makes 1 generous cup
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fragrant honey
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.  Store covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.

Photo from Liz West

If ever there was a harbinger of spring, it’s asparagus.  As the days grow longer and the soil warms, asparagus suddenly springs into life, sending up shoots that can grow 6 to 10 inches a day.  At its peak asparagus can grow almost faster than it can be harvested. This vitality has, over the ages, put it high on the list of foods which have special powers to increase potency and sexual vigor!  Whether this is true or not, asparagus leads nearly all produce in the wide array of nutrients it supplies in significant amounts. A leading supplier of folic acid, which is essential for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease, a 5 ounce serving provides nearly 60% of the recommended daily allowance. With less than 20 calories per 5 ounce serving, asparagus is also a good source for thiamine and vitamins C and B6.

BUYERS GUIDE
Types of Asparagus
Though there are many species of asparagus we eat just one, “asparagus officinalis”.  The basic difference in what we see in the market is color.

•    Green:  This is what most of us buy.  It comes thick or thin and now is available much of the year in supermarkets since it is grown widely around the world and shipped to us.  Nice that it’s more available but time from harvest affects both its flavor and texture.  Asparagus purists sound the same mantra as those who love corn:  For best flavor get it from the “plot to the pot” (or grill or oven) as quickly after harvest as you can.

•    Purple:  Purple asparagus originated from the region around Albenga, Italy. This “cultivar” is known as Violetto di Albenga and you’ll see it in specialty food markets primarily.  It’s almost always more expensive than green since purple hybrids produce fewer stalks per plant. Many say that purple is sweeter and more tender than green so it’s great used raw in salads.  Unfortunately its beautiful purple color fades to green when it is cooked unless just very briefly stir fried.

•    White:  The most expensive of the three because it requires much more work to produce. Earth has to be constantly heaped up over the spears as they grow, to prevent exposure to sunlight which would develop their chlorophyll and turn them green. Fresh white asparagus is hard to find in America unless you are in a large, sophisticated urban market. In Europe it’s widely available fresh during the spring and highly prized.  It’s also readily available canned there and in America as well.  Canned white asparagus is used mostly in composed salads. White asparagus has a flavor all of its own – - it tends to be milder than the other two and often will have just a touch of pleasant bitterness.

What to Look For
Whether you prefer the thick or thin spears of whatever color, be certain they are fresh. The sugar in the plant quickly converts to starch after harvesting, causing a loss in flavor and development of a woody texture.
Select firm, straight, smooth, rich green stalks with tightly-closed tips. Open tips, ridges in the stems and a dull green color are an indication of old age. The stalks should not be limp or dry at the cut. Choose stalks of uniform thickness for more control in the cooking process.

How to Store

With all types of asparagus, do not wash before storing and never soak it. Trim the ends of fresh asparagus and stand them upright in a jar with about an inch of water in the bottom. Cover with a plastic bag and store spears in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Size Really Doesn’t Tell You Much

The conventional wisdom is that the thin, pencil size asparagus are more tender than those that are fatter.  Truth is that diameter of the stalk isn’t necessarily a good guide to its tenderness.  Actually the fatter the spear usually the more tender.  Reason:  No matter what its size, each spear has a set number of tough fibers that run its length.  In a small spear they are crammed together and there is less juicy white flesh between them.  With fatter spears the fibers are further apart separated by more tender, sweet flesh.

And now for a recipe, to get you cooking with the delicious asparagus you’ve chosen!

GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON OLIVE OIL, PECORINO AND PROSCUITTO
Serves 4
Lemon infused olive oil is available in Italian markets and good gourmet and stores.  Agrumato brand from Italy and “O” from California both make great citrus infused oils.
1 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends discarded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt such as Maldon’s
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons or so Italian or California lemon infused extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese shaved thinly with a vegetable peeler
8 very thin slices prosciutto
3 tablespoons capers, drained, patted dry and fried till crisp in olive oil   Lemon wedges

Brush the asparagus with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Over hot coals or a gas grill preheated to medium high grill the asparagus till it takes on a bit of color.  Roll and turn so that it’s marked on all sides but still green and crisp.  Place on a plate and drizzle with lemon olive oil. Scatter cheese over, arrange prosciutto attractively on top and sprinkle capers around. Serve lemon wedges on the side.  Add more salt and pepper if desired.

Photo from Wikipedia

I’m already looking ahead to spring of the New Year and one of my favorite events I participate in each year, the Cooking for Solutions gathering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  I am one of the founding chefs of this event and I fully believe in its mission to educate people about why and how to inspire conservation in our oceans.  This year’s event takes place May 18-20, 2012 and I’ve been assigned Sablefish as my star ingredient for a dish to serve at the Friday night Gala Tasting.

Sablefish, also known as Black Cod or Butterfish is one of my favorite fishes, and of course, it is sustainably managed in the wild. It has a delicious flavor and one of its best attributes is that even if you overcook it a bit, the fish is still moist and firm. I’m working on the recipe right now and will share it with you soon!

In the meantime, I hope you’ll put this year’s Cooking for Solutions event on your calendar and consider making a spring trip to Monterey with me!  In addition to the Friday night Gala Tasting, there are several
Food & Wine Adventures you can sign up for.  Here are details for the one I’m participating in.  It’s really going to be a great time!

Food & Wine Adventures
Sat., May 19
9:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
$225 general public / $175 Aquarium members
(Tax-deductible portion: $140 general public / $90 Aquarium members)
Explore, savor and learn at one of six small-group events led by our celebrity chefs. Each takes you on a different exploration of sustainable foods: on the farm, in the water or in the kitchen. Whether you want to hone your culinary skills with a master chef, learn salty stories from a “seafoodie” or explore scenic vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands, our Food & Wine Adventures give you the opportunity to spend time with culinary leaders and gain firsthand knowledge from their expertise.  Depending on the adventure, you’ll join John Ash and Clayton Chapman, Sean Baker, Ben Sargent, Kevin Gillespie, Jesse Ziff Cool or Cindy Pawlcyn for a fascinating culinary exploration.

Tour 1: The Art of Food
Event begins and ends at the Aquarium. Transportation will be provided.
Join celebrity chefs John Ash (culinary educator and cookbook author, Santa Rosa, California), Clayton Chapman (The Grey Plume, Omaha, Nebraska) and Wendy Brodie (Art of Food, Carmel, California) at Wendy’s Carmel Highlands home. Guests will enhance their culinary skills and get a glimpse into the creative minds of each chef as the group prepares a gourmet lunch in a demonstration kitchen that affords sweeping views of forest and ocean. It’s a true opportunity to cook with the masters. You’ll enjoy the fruits of your labors together, along with premium wines by Estancia.

Photo from Mot the Barber

Most of us have heard about deep frying turkey, which originated in the south and is often called “Cajun Fried Turkey”.  When I finally tried it, the results were outstanding, I have to admit.  The turkey was crisp, moist, not greasy and took a whole lot less time to cook.  However I must say that having a big pot of hot bubbling fat over an open flame can be risky.  Underwriters Laboratory notes that an overheated turkey fryer can explode. And, if the oil ignites, it can become what they describe as “a vertical flame thrower”. A number of homes and other buildings (such as garages) are destroyed each year due to the unsafe use of a turkey fryer. UL has refused to list turkey fryers as safe.  They have a very graphic video on YouTube which shows the dangers.  There is another option, however I want to be completely transparent and say that I have no connection with this product or company.  The safer alternative is one made by Char-Broil and it’s  called “The Big Easy”.  It is a propane powered infrared roaster oven that gives you foods that look and taste like they were fried. Anything you can lower into the cooking chamber can be cooked quickly (turkey at about 10 minutes a pound).  It’s also great with chicken and other larger birds.

If you try The Big Easy, or if you have some tips for safely deep frying a turkey, I’d love to hear from you.  However you choose to cook your turkey this Thanksgiving, I hope you have a safe holiday!

I host a Saturday morning radio show in Sonoma County called “The Good Food Hour” on KSRO  in Santa Rosa, CA.  We are hosting our 25th Annual Good Food Hour Cooking Contest this month for listeners, and we’ve decided chicken is the perfect ingredient for a fall cooking competition.  I’m inviting anyone who can be in Santa Rosa for the finals on Saturday, November 12th to participate!

We will choose four finalists to come to G&G Supermarket in Santa Rosa on that date to cook their dishes, and a panel of celebrity judges will determine the winner.  The event will be broadcast live with me and my co-host, Steve Garner.  For those outside of the area who would like to listen to the show- there are podcasts available.

First prize is $250 cash for the first place winner, courtesy of Petaluma Poultry.  Other prizes include gift certificates, cookbooks, wine, and cooking classes.  Also, one of the winning recipes will be included in my upcoming Culinary Birds cookbook.

If you’d like to enter, and you can be in Santa Rosa on November 12th for the finals, you may email  your original recipe to my Good Food Hour co-host, Steve Garner.

Deadline for entry is Wednesday, November 9th,  2011 at 5pm.

Good luck!

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.