Bittersweet blood orange marmalade

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:44:03 -0800

If it’s true that bitter is the last of your taste buds to develop, I must have highly educated mouth, - I love bitter. I relish hoppy beers, enjoy rapini and, I am a total marmalade fanatic.

I harvested my blood oranges yesterday and made jam. (See previous post for a recipe.) I hope that the many jars I yielded will last the year, but if not, I really like Dundee Marmalade-- it’s got the right amount of bitter. It used to come in beautiful white jars, but alas no more. We keep our Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce in a saved white Dundee jar. It looks pretty and is easy to spot in the refrigerator.

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounce chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons cream

Bring water, sugar and salt to simmer in heavy small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts and sauce is smooth. Whisk in cream. Store in a white glass jar.

I will neglect my blog for the next couple of weeks. I’m going on an adventure. I’d post from afar, but I’m afraid there won’t be any internet where I’m headed. I’ll fill you in when I get back.

Peanut butter- chocolate puddle cookies

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 14:44:59 -0800

I’m still striving for cheeriness. What could be more cheery than a salty-sweet, crunchy peanut butter cookie with a not-too-soft, not-too-hard, dark chocolate puddle in the middle? I created this confection (‘cause that’s just what I do) the other day while rain and mud puddles were being created outside (and while rain and mud were sliding down the near-by hills). I made the cookies using half unbleached flour and half white whole-wheat flour to make them healthier. (Oh, how I delude myself..) It’s cold, grey and pouring outside right now. I think I’ll have a cookie.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Puddle Cookies
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup salted organic crunchy (natural style) peanut butter

Chocolate Puddles
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
8 ounces dark chocolate (54 to 61% cacao)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Stir flour, soda and salt in a small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Mix in the peanut butter, just until combined. Stir in the flour mixture. (Don’t over beat or the oil will separate from the dough.)

Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with silicone baking liners or parchment. Form the dough into golf ball-sized balls and arrange on baking sheets, spacing evenly. Using your thump or fingertip make an indentation into the center of each ball of dough. (they will look like donuts.) Bake until golden brown on the bottoms, about 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.
For the Chocolate Puddles: Bring the milk and sugar to a simmer. Add the chocolate and stir over very low heat until chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

Spoon the chocolate into the dimples on the cookies. Let the cookies stand until the chocolate puddles set. (Cookies will keep in a tin for about 4 days.)

Don’t be blue be red

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:11:44 -0800

I’ve been feeling a bit uninspired lately. A bit blue. (You may have noticed that I haven’t posted since I got pine mouth.) But today was a glorious, sunny day--a perfect day to spend in the garden.

“Oh! Look at these perfect beets that my handsome husband planted so quaintly in the old wheel barrow. My! How my blood orange tree is laden with ripe fruit! And all this perfect, baby oak red oak leaf lettuce!”

A Red Leaf Lettuce, Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette made me so happy. It was crisp, earthy, sweet, tart--inspired!

Pine Mouth Anyone?

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:47:19 -0800

The Brussels sprouts pictured are awesome. The recipe is from some cookbook called Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes. This is not the only good recipe in the book. It is also not the only recipe using pine nuts, but a vibrant basil pesto is just so wrong for the season.

I recently made these Brussels sprouts, and at sometime, either before of after making these amazing sprouts (I’m really not kidding, people who don’t like Brussels sprouts like this dish) I chomped on a medium-sized handful of pine nuts. It was only about an eighth of a cup of these sweet, resinous kernels--not a big handful. But, something strange occurred in my mouth the next day. First, my morning oatmeal tasted so BITTER. Was there something wrong with the oatmeal? Was there some sort of cream on my face that I was inadvertently licking (?!!?). Later on that same day, I ate a few Marcona almonds, and I couldn’t believe how horrible they tasted--and they’re so expensive. At dinner, food tasted fine while I initially chewed it, but after swallowing, the aftertaste was strangely metallic. My condition (that lasted only 2 days) subsided, and I forgot about it. UNTIL, I worked at the BON APPETIT magazine offices last friday, and learned that three people there had all recently suffered from the same bizarre ailment! Apparently, the condition is called PINE MOUTH, and it comes from eating certain pine nuts. NOT all pine nuts. We think maybe the ones imported by Trader Joe’s were the culprit. Also, everyone afflicted had eaten at least two tablespoons of said pine nuts.

My family, who enjoyed these wonderful Brussels Sprouts sprinkled with pine nuts (and not an entire handful, as did I), did not contract PINE MOUTH. BUT, if you want to try this fab recipe, you may want to consider buying domestic pine nuts-- just in case. I’d hate to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

Brussels Sprouts with Marjoram and Pine Nuts
There is something about the richness of the pine nuts and cream, and the slightly mentholated herb flavor of the marjoram that tempers the strong cabbagey flavor of the sprouts.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

3 tablespoons butter, divided
2/3 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 pounds fresh brussels sprouts, halved
2 large shallots, minced
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1/3 cup whipping cream

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and stir until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and shallots and stir until coated, about 1 minute. Add the water and sprinkle with salt. Cover and simmer until the sprouts are almost tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the water evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon marjoram, then the cream. Simmer until the sprouts are coated with cream, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Stir over medium heat to rewarm.)
Gently stir in half of the pine nuts. Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts and marjoram and serve.

Fresh Ham

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:21:39 -0800

Or the Never-Ending Pork Roast.

My Pop lovingly referred to my sister’s daughters as “the locusts.” The three beautiful, fit, young ladies have impressive appetites. They used to descend on my parents’ home and eat all the cookies, toast, cereal, cheese, fruit and leftovers—hence the charming nickname. I had the pleasure of hosting my nieces for a New Year’s visit, along with their lovely Brazilian exchange student.

Faced yet again with feeding a crowd, (not only the locusts, but lots of family and friends) I opted to roast up a pork shoulder. It’s tender and juicy and the leftovers make great sandwiches and tacos. At the market, there was only one little 3-pound butt—a mere snack for the likes of the locusts. Luckily, the butcher had a whole pig leg in the back. He offered to cut it down to any size I’d like. But, it was so beautiful! I couldn’t bear to have him carve it to smaller pieces. The ham weighed in at 22 pounds, about twice as much as I had intended to purchase—but what the hell! I’d been hosting nightly dinners for 14 or so since Christmas, why stop now. Besides, I couldn’t resist the whole hog (okay, just the whole ham—a fresh ham).

At the checkout, my big leg was quite the conversation piece—a total dude magnet (pay attention single ladies!). It rang-up at 60 bucks, about the price of 2 racks of lamb.

At home (after lugging up three flights of stairs to the kitchen), I minced 2 heads of garlic and rubbed them into the roast. Then I coated the ham with ¼ cup of kosher salt, ¼ cup of freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes and ½ cup of ground toasted fennel seeds and refrigerated it overnight. I roasted the fresh ham at 300ºF for about 10 hours—until it was fork-tender and registered 190ºF on the instant-read.

Night one: I served the succulent pork thinly sliced with a pan dripping-reduction made with white wine and a touch of Riccard, crusty rolls and a winter greens salad from my garden.

On the subsequent nights: I shredded and reheated the meat. I mixed the pan reduction sauce with barbecue sauce and made tangy coleslaw. We made pulled-pork sandwiches on whole-wheat buns—awesome!

All tallied, I figure the fresh ham made over 20 sandwiches, 14 dinners and a dozen tacos. The locusts are sated….

the cure for 2009

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 17:55:50 -0800

With New Year’s eve falling on a Thursday this last year, it seems like last week was one non-stop party. I mean, New Year’s day fell on a Friday (football and beer?). Then we had regular Saturday night reveling, and on Sunday (January- day three), we sipped wine for hours at a-day-into-night memorial party for our dear friend Marka Hibbs. It’s Tuesday (January day five) and I still am recovering.

Now while I don’t endorse over-indulging (my children read this…..) sometimes I wake up feeling a little worse-for-the-wear. But, I have a sure cure: Mexican Coke and Huevos Rancheros. (Okay. Another thing I don’t endorse: soft drinks. That stated, there IS a time and place for a Mexican Coke. Mexican Coke is made with sugar, not corn syrup, and it comes in glass bottles. When well-chilled, it tastes like nectar—nothing like the wan stuff you find in giant plastic bottles here.)

Because I prefer to enjoy this “health-meal” at home, I keep all of the ingredients on hand—most of the items are pantry ingredients. I can find the goods, including the imported Cokes, at the Cali-Mex Market, just down the street on Figueroa. (They are so nice, and they are always open—even New Year’s morning!). This version of Huevos Rancheros has a layer of refried beans—it great.

May you feel wonderful everyday in 2010.

Huevos Rancheros with Refried Beans
4 servings
4 corn tortillas (5 to 6-inch diameter)
Olive oil
1 14-ounce can refried beans
2 cups loosely packed Grated Mozzarella cheese, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 eggs
1 cup purchased mild Salsa Verde (Herdez)
1/4 cup Chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, sliced (optional)
Salsa Picante (such as Valentina brand)

Preheat tbe oven to 400ºF. Brush both sides of the tortillas with olive oil and arrange on baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove the tortillas from the oven and preheat broiler.

Spread refried beans evenly over tortillas, dividing evenly. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese and 1/4 teaspoon cumin. Broil tortillas until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and fry, just until the whites are set, about 2 minutes. Top beans on each tortilla with one egg; sprinkle eggs with salt. Sprinkle the eggs with cheese and broil just until the cheese melts (egg yolks should still be soft), about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the salsa to the same skillet and bring to a simmer. Transfer the egg-topped tortillas to plates. Pour the salsa over the eggs; sprinkle with cilantro and garnish with avocado slices if desired. Drizzle a small amount of salsa picante if desired and serve.

Happy christmas baking!

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:58:03 -0800

Christmas has come and gone. So have so many cookies and sweets. My Gingerbread House didn’t quite make it this year despite the awesome decorating skills of my nephew, niece and little-girl friend. I got sort of impatient with the final construction and deep-sixed it. The wee-ones didn’t seem to mind. We’ll do one again next year.
We did successfully bake dozens of biscotti (pictured after one baking), a double chocolate Buche de Noel, Chocolate Slice Cookies and a Pear-Marsala Trifle.

A Very good oatmeal cookie

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 12:59:04 -0800

So the Holidays are just around the corner, and along with them come all the parties and feasting and cocktails and treats that make us all forget our “healthy eating habits.” Honestly, despite copious amounts of Champagne and Foie Gras, (not really) I actually lose a little weight during the Christmas season--(Really. But why can’t I drop these pounds in summer when I pack myself into a bikini?) You see, Christmas for me is all about full-speed, amped up STRESS! Like Martha Stewart, I strive for a handsome holiday, with stylish decor, delicious repasts and fabulous home baked gifts. Unlike Martha Stewart I have no staff to help me accomplish such tasks. And, December is a very busy work time for me. I’m often too busy on set, running around shopping or in the middle of my kitchen in the midst a fit to eat.

In order to keep myself from passing out in line at the Target and to keep myself from withering away (if only....) I make these hearty oatmeal cookies to snack on throughout the day. Lots of organic oats, whole wheat flour, walnuts and dried plums (these home dried from brother Brad’s Oregon orchard) make these good as well as good for you (if you just ignore the brown sugar and butter).

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Plums and Walnuts
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
2 cups Whole Wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups firmly packed golden brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups finely sliced dried plums
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two heavy large baking sheets with silicone, parchment or grease lightly. Stir first five ingredients to blend in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter until very well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture, then oats and raisins.
Using a cookie scoop, arrange (2 tablespoons) mounds on prepared cookies sheets, spacing evenly. Bake, alternating position in the oven, halfway though baking, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. Store in airtight cookie tin.

A Tale of two turkeys

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:01:42 -0800

For 15 of the past 17 years, I have roasted a turkey Thanksgiving morning and taken it to Pasadena’s Union Station’s Thanksgiving Dinner in the Park. So, this is basically every year, except when I’ve been out of town for the holiday. Now when I say early, I mean early. Depending on the size of the bird, I have awakened as wee as five a.m. in order to get the turkey roasted, set and carved by the 11 a.m. “drop off” time. I’ve been so busy with work lately that I almost felt like skipping out on my “good deed” this year. But, then I realized that there is probably more need this year for a good free meal than ever. Isn’t it convenient that I can go to Vons and choose a turkey among hundreds, and purchase it for SEVEN dollars?

But then is it too convenient?

This past year, my husband, neighbor and I raised two heirloom turkeys from chicks. Raising turkeys was definitely an education for this city girl. I mean, I’ve had chickens for years, but I don’t slaughter them. With the turkeys, which we raised as meat, I was left conflicted. On the one hand, they eat so much and are going to taste so good, that you can’t wait to give them the axe. On the other, they are gorgeous—the Toms gobble and strut. If we’re dining outdoors and burst out in laughter, the turkey echoes with a loud laugh-like gobble—they like our jokes! It’s also quite a lot of work to kill, gut and feather the big birds.

I can turn out a lovely, juicy, browned roast bird from the freezer section of my supermarket. Is it as wonderful as the backyard turkey? No. And I don’t know how the frozen turkey was raised, what it ate and with what it might have been injected. I don’t know if the turkey and the workers who raise them are treated humanely. I don’t know what impact the turkey farm has on the surrounding ecosystem.

Yet, I am thankful for both these birds. I’m appreciative of inexpensive and convenient food. I was moved by the farm-to-table experience of raising, dressing and eating my own “organic, ethically raised” backyard bird. I will be even more thankful when a healthy balance between these two turkeys is achieved.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your Turkey.

garden salad at Last!

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:02:15 -0800

Was it the weather? A busy August? A pesky late-summer tiny beetle infestation? Many factors combined to leave me without lettuce greens for a couple of months. I love to eat simple, fresh salads, so not being able pluck a few leaves from my raised-bed was such a bummer. I tried to fill the void with bunches of farmers’ market arugula (so peppery). I also stooped so low as to buy some “bags-o-salad” at Trader Joe’s, but that stuff is sour and grassy. Crisp Romaine sometimes did the trick, but I would alway want to add LOTS of Parmesan shavings or blue cheese crumbles to those salads. But now, my little seeds have grown into pert, flavorful greens. Just looking at these greens makes me feel healthy. If you live in Southern California, I urge you to plant some Mesclun Mix now.

Did you notice how beautiful my lettuce looks on the plate? That’s because it’s composed on a fine pottery plate made by Heath Ceramics. Everything looks gorgeous on Heath! I will be at the Heath Los Angeles Store this sunday, participating in their Open Studio Weekend. Please come by and enjoy some great ideas to make your Thanksgiving sweet. I will be there with my books, apple pie, Brussels sprouts, Fuyu Persimmon- goat cheese appetizers and Turkey “Cubano” panini.