Never underestimate the power of suggestion.

My sous-chef and I were leisurely walking through the Saturday morning farmer’s market at the San Francisco Ferry Building, peach juices sticking to our cheeks, when a stem of dark green leaves caught my eye. Or, to be more accurate, the sign above it, which read, “Mojito Mint.”

Since the sous has been migrating his after-dinner sipping from whiskey to rum lately, I knew he had a bottle of the good stuff at home. And I promptly declared that we should pick up some limes from the grocery store and spend our afternoon making mojitos.

Because it’s perfectly acceptable to enjoy two mojitos before 3 pm, right? In a jar, because they’re just so much cuter than tumbler glasses?

Glad it’s not just me.

PS: I never meant for this post to become an advertisement for Appleton Estate… but the sous does insist on this brand.

Mojito

Ingredients (Makes 2 smallish mojitos):

Juice of 3 limes

3 tbsp. turbinado sugar, plus more for glass rims

1/3 cup packed mint leaves

1 shot rum

1 shot water

Rub juiced limes around the edges of 2 glasses, then dip the tops of the glasses in turbinado sugar (optional).

Combine lime juice, sugar and mint leaves in a bowl and muddle, muddle, muddle. Feel free to wander off and let all the flavors mesh together for a while. Fill the bottoms glasses with lime mixture, then add rum and water. Mint sprigs make lovely garnishes and practical stirrers, but a lime sliver will also add some class.

I love wine. And I especially love drinking wine accompanied by a multi-course dinner prepared with love. I know what I like and what I don’t — but my understanding of the objective aspect of pairings is admittedly limited. And I never drink white wine with fish, choosing instead to believe that a dry Pinot works just as well (just let me have this one).

Enter Burke Owens, a Master Sommelier who came into class to educate us on the art of food and wine pairing. First, we were given a plate of a variety of food flavors.

Starting at the top and moving right: lemon, fennel, asiago cheese, soft Brie-like cheese, salt, chocolate, tarragon, mint, deli turkey and salami. On the inside, carrot slices and a little pile of ketchup (which was met with disdain by my classmates, but I still love it).

On the wine side, we sipped Prosecco, Riesling, Chardonnay, Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a white dessert wine.

Although our instructor emphasized along the way how subjective tasting and pairing really is, I found that the majority of us agreed on what worked and what didn’t. We tried each wine with a taste of each food flavor, focusing on how they interacted with one another. Sometimes the food enhanced the wine but the wine completely overpowered the food, and sometimes they brought out the best qualities in each other. It’s amazing what you can pick up on when you’re really paying attention; I had a few “wow” moments after some of the most effective pairings that I’ve never experienced before.

The Chardonnay brought out the beautifully herbal quality of the tarragon. The salami benefited from the sweetness of the Riesling. The turkey was a perfect match with the Beaujolais, and — no surprises here — Cabernet tastes really good with all cheeses. And chocolate.

The best pairing came at the very end, when we brought out some foie gras to taste with the dessert wine. The sweetness of the wine cuts the oiliness of the meat, and I had a true “aha!” moment that may have even caused me to close my eyes. Please try this heavenly combination at your earliest convenience.

Some interesting takeaways:

• Sometimes it’s better to skip the wine pairings you see added to prix fixe menus. According to Owens, restaurants generally stick with mid-level wines that don’t challenge the courses much, because they really want the food to stand out.
• On that note, pairings can be complementary or contrasting, meaning the wines can either be similar in flavor/texture/complexity to the foods, or they can be opposites that attract. In general, we found that highly processed food like salami or aged cheese generally tasted better with a highly processed wine, or one that was aged in oak.
• Alcohol has no aroma or flavor, but it does enhance or suffuse other flavors. That’s why the presence of the alcohol in wine can change the effect of the grapes and the food you’re pairing it with.

These foods we tasted are so common that there’s no reason you couldn’t try a similar experiment in your own home with whatever wines you have lying around. However, things can get a little rowdy after two-and-a-half hours of said investigations. Consider yourself warned.

]]> http://livbites.com/2011/02/25/perfect-pairings/feed/ 0 http://livbites.com/2011/02/23/fantasy-restaurant/ http://livbites.com/2011/02/23/fantasy-restaurant/#comments Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:00:41 +0000 Liv http://livbites.com/?p=1010

I mentioned in my last post that my classmates and I each had to come up with our own full restaurant menu for a recent assignment. Now you know all about the Rabbit and Wild Mushroom Ragout, but I thought it might be fun to post the rest of my fantasy restaurant items. Think of it like fantasy football for the athletically challenged.

Starters

Roasted Carrot Soup

Ginger Crème Fraiche, Chives, Olive Oil

Chanterelle Mushroom Flatbread

Caramelized Onions, Sage, Parmigiano Reggiano

Blood Orange and Shaved Fennel Salad

Goat Cheese, Pistachios, Blood Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Dungeness Crab Claws

Celery Stalks, Anchovy Butter

Mains

Rabbit and Wild Mushroom Ragout

Grilled Polenta Cake, Broccolini

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Mustard Cream Sauce, Wilted Mustard Greens, Fontina Risotto

Roasted Stuffed Acorn Squash

Wild Rice, Toasted Walnuts, Swiss Chard, Pomegranate-Red Wine Reduction

Pan-Seared Halibut

Black Olive Tapenade, Israeli Couscous, Green Beans

Fennel Braised Lamb Shank

Shiitake Mushrooms, Baby Carrots, Pearl Onions, Toasted Farro

House-Made Tagliatelle

Duck Confit, Sautéed Kale

Desserts

Lemon Mousse Napoleon

Pomegranate Seeds, Pomegranate-Blackberry Sauce

Dark Chocolate Tart

Hazelnut Crust, Caramel Sauce, Sea Salt

Goat’s Milk Panna Cotta

Blood Orange Sorbet, Cookie Streusel

Espresso Walnut Cake

Crème Fraiche Gelato, Kahlua Reduction

Some of the things you can most definitely look forward to me trying in my own kitchen are the Roasted Carrot Soup (inspired by a similar one at Coco 500) and the Pan-Seared Halibut with Tapenade. My assistant and I actually took our first stab at the Lamb Shank last night, and though it was delicious, I’m holding off for now — there are exciting improvements to be made next time around.

In other good news, I made the Dark Chocolate Tart in class as well. Recipe coming soon!

The only glaringly obvious thing missing from my menu is a restaurant name. Ideas?

Luckily for me, part of being a food expert is developing a keen sense of taste. That means my culinary education has included several tasting sessions so far, including but not limited to: wine, caviar, champagne, smoked fish and coffee. Life is hard, no?

Most recent was perhaps the most exciting spread of all: cheese! We tasted semi-soft, semi-hard and hard cheeses, dry and stinky ones, cow, goat and sheep. The structured layout of this plate was no accident.

Starting at six o’clock and moving right, the first three are bloomy rind cheeses — single cream, double cream and triple cream, indicating the fat content of each. They are generally mild with a smooth rind and tend to be a bit sweet.

The next couple are natural rind and washed rind cheeses (the outside looks kind of like a wrinkly brain). They are earthier and smellier — the word “barnyard” was actually brought up in conversation to describe them. No thanks.

The next four, the semi-hard cheeses, are denser and more aged, with a nutty taste and oily consistency. The third one of those (around eleven o’clock) was actually a genuine cheddar — apparently it’s one of those things like Champagne, which should only be called cheddar if it comes from the Cheddar Gorge region. Who knew? I can confirm that it tastes nothing like the waxy blocks you pick up at the grocery store.

Finally, the last two were the hard cheeses, which don’t melt at all and are added to dishes for the umami effect. We also tasted a couple of blue cheeses.

So, here’s what my plate looked like after the tasting:

I nibbled on everything, but there were some clear winners!

At twelve o’clock, the aged Berkswell cheese was the nuttiest one of all. Apparently that dry, slightly sweet and toasty flavor is right up my alley.

Then at ten o’clock, the Ewephoria gouda barely stood a chance against my taste buds. It’s cooked after the curds are extracted, which gives it a deep caramel flavor. The name does not mislead.

And lastly, over at seven o’clock, there’s the memory of plain old Parmigiano Regiano. We use this one almost every day in class, but it still hasn’t gotten old.

Fortunately, we brought the remains of the cheese tasting along on a picnic the following day. I’d be surprised if any of my classmates had a chance to revisit the Ewephoria after my planned attack.

When it comes to food, my assistant and I agree on most things. He’s turned me on to his loves like olives and peppers, and I introduced him to the wonderful world of Greek yogurt. But there is nothing he loves more than meat — especially sausage. It constantly impresses me how he can sneak sausage into almost any meal I’m making (on his plate, not mine). And when we’re eating meals separately, I can safely assume grilled sausages were on his plate.

Needless to say, he was beyond excited when I came over to his apartment last week with a bag of school-made Garlic Sausages.

I had no idea what to expect from our workshop in sausage-making, but here were the major takeaways:

• Sausage-making is very messy. I don’t know if I’ll ever look at raw pork — or yes, raw pork back fat — the same way.
• It’s an ordeal. If you’re going to go for it, go ahead and make pounds upon pounds of sausage, because you can always freeze them.
• You will smell like pork all day. Two showers are better than one.
• It’s really, really fun!

My father very generously surprised me with a KitchenAid stand mixer as a Christmas gift (thank you!), so imagine my shock to see that we were using the very same machines in class, with a special attachment, to make our sausages. In other words, for the nominal price of around $50, I could be making my own sausage at home.

Visions of a sausage-making party — not for the faint of heart — have begun floating around in my mind.

I was saddened to see that I didn’t snap any pictures of the raw sausages, but you’ve seen them all before. We used them to make a couple of different dishes, including:

Sausage Bruschetta with Roasted Peppers and Herbs

And a Warm Sausage Potato Salad with Wilted Arugula

In cooking school we always take the long way when making everything, and I’ve come to realize that not everything is worth it. Making your own sausages definitely is. Not only do you not have to worry about additives and nitrates and such, you also control the quality of the meat that goes in, as well as the seasonings. So take my advice and throw in another clove of garlic.

Summer is officially wrapping up, even in San Francisco. Since summer generally feels more like fall here, we usually get a couple of months of glorious sunny weather in September and October, but the sun seems to have overlooked the whole city this year. I can’t complain, really: It’s been a breezy 65 degrees for the past… well, forever.

The season is on its way out, and I can see the changes at the farmer’s market. Vendors are selling the last of their summer berries, which means those tiny, organic strawberries are practically fuschia right now, and they’re as sweet as they’ll ever be.

With strawberries like these, it would be such a shame to douse them in sugar and butter for dessert. Their taste cannot be improved upon. So I decided they’d be best used in a Late Summer Strawberry Tart, sliced and untarnished, topping off a mini custard-filled pie.

It’s not too late for strawberries, nor is it too late to vote for me in Foodbuzz’s Project Food Blog contest! Today is the last day of voting, so click here to cast one. I am truly grateful for everyone’s support!

Late Summer Strawberry Tarts

Ingredients (Makes 4 tarts):

For the crust:

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. milk

1/2 stick butter (not too cold)

For the custard:

1/3 cup sugar

1 and 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

Pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup milk

Juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp. butter

1 and 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

For the crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Roughly chop butter into several small pieces and mix in with the rest of the dough. Use fingers to work the butter into the other ingredients until the dough is firm and stays in one ball.

Divide dough into four equal balls, and work each portion into the bottom and sides of a miniature tart pan 4 inches in diameter (*See note below). Use fingers to spread the dough evenly to form a crust. Poke a fork in the bottom of each crust. Bake crusts for 10 to 15 minutes or until they begin to brown.

For the custard: Combine first 3 ingredients (sugar through salt) in a large saucepan. In a separate bowl, beat egg and milk together. Add the egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once mixture thickens into a custard consistency, stir in the lemon juice and butter.

Distribute custard evenly into pie crusts and top with strawberries.

*Note: If you don’t have mini tart pans, you can use a standard 9-inch diameter pan and cut the tart into slices, like a pie.

My assistant’s mother came to town this week, just days after celebrating her xxth birthday (a lady never tells). The son let it slip that she loved citrus desserts, so I knew we had to prepare with a sweet surprise.

This is a woman from Miami, so I wasn’t about to try to trump all the legendary Key Lime Pie she’s had down there. Thus, the cake path was chosen. I found a recipe in my cookbook Tables of Content for a Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake (it’s from the Birmingham, Alabama Junior League — how perfect), and I made only a few tweaks to fit my tastes/pantry contents.

The cake was a hit, but the real star is the camera we used to photograph it. My assistant got a new Panasonic DMC LX5 for his birthday, and we were so impressed with the cake pictures that I put one of them in my blog header! Any feedback on the design changes?

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

Recipe adapted from the Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake in Tables of Content

Ingredients (Makes 1 bundt cake):

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

1/4 cup milk

Juice of 3 lemons

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

For the glaze:

1 and 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix flour and baking powder in one bowl.

In a second bowl, beat the butter and shortening with an electric mixer until the mixture is fluffy. Add sugar to the butter mixture, one cup at a time, beating with the mixer. Add eggs, and beat until well-combined. Stir in sour cream and milk. Slowly add flour mixture to the second bowl, beating until blended. Stir in lemon juice, vanilla and zest.

Grease and flour a bundt pan, and pour in batter. Bake for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the cake is just beginning to brown on top. Stick a wooden toothpick in if you’re not sure if it’s finished — if it comes out clean, you’re good. Cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze, mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl, and drizzle over the cake. (Note: I made my glaze with 1/4 cup water instead of 3 tbsp., and it basically made a huge mess. I’d recommend starting with the glaze a little thicker so it’s easier to control. Pour it on the top of the cake instead of the sides, because it will drip down on its own.)

]]> http://livbites.com/2010/09/18/when-life-hands-you-lemons/feed/ 2 http://livbites.com/2010/08/26/give-it-a-whirl/ http://livbites.com/2010/08/26/give-it-a-whirl/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:18:45 +0000 Liv http://livbites.com/?p=563

Remember when I described my lunches comprised of quinoa and veggies and bragged that I never get tired of them? Well, I finally did, so I made some hummus.

I rarely eat hummus anymore because my assistant is allergic to legumes, but making it myself reminded me how much I adore it. In fact, before I started cooking adult meals, I was definitely not above munching on Wheat Thins and Sabra while watching Seinfeld re-runs and calling it “dinner.” And I may or may not still do that when no one’s around.

Considering I’ve had my favorite secret weapon, my food processor, for over a year now, it’s amazing this was my first venture into hummus making. It’s simple — just throw everything in and let the machine do the work! But I assure you it will not be my last — especially since I bought a 12-pack of garbanzo beans during my last Costco run. A sundried tomato variety is already next on my agenda.

Lemon and Thyme Hummus

Ingredients (Makes about 1.5 to 2 cups):

2 small cloves garlic

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 tbsp. tahini

3 tbsp. olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Water

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

Salt and pepper

Peel garlic cloves and chop in food processor for about 10 seconds, or until minced. Add beans, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice, and process until well-combined and smooth. Add between 2 and 4 tbsp. of water until you achieve your desired consistency; I like it chunky but others prefer it creamier.

Add in paprika, cumin and thyme (you may either mix it in the food processor or stir by hand). Add salt and pepper to taste.

My assistant and I just shelled out some cash to join Costco. It seems a little ridiculous since I live within a one-block walking distance of no less than three grocery stores (truly), but when I heard that I could buy a whole quart of Fage yogurt for $5, I was sold. I eat a lot of yogurt, and that stuff isn’t cheap.

However, I am cheap, which is why I decided to grab an enormous jar of kalamata olives while we were inching our way down the canned food aisle. I love stocking up on veggies like olives and sundried tomatoes because I know they won’t go bad before I have time to eat them.

With all of these olives in my possession, my mission became clear: tapenade.

As a dip, sandwich spread, sauce or topping, tapenade is impressively versatile. When I moved into my first post-college apartment in San Francisco and lived on pizza bagels, my sister taught me that I could use tapenade like pesto — toss it in some pasta and call it an easy weeknight meal. That’s what I did this week, topped with some leftover roasted cherry tomatoes and a little goat cheese for extra flavor.

And I still have about a hundred olives left to go.

Kalamata Olive Tapenade

Ingredients (Makes 1 cup):

2 cloves garlic

1 cup pitted kalamata olives

2 tbsp. capers

1 anchovy filet

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil

Chop garlic in a food processor until chunks are very small. Add remaining ingredients except olive oil, and pulse until combined. Slowly add olive oil while food processor is on, and keep puréeing until you get your desired consistency.

I like some chunks, so I went easy on the olive oil and didn’t process for too long. If you want more of a paste texture, keep going.

While considering an easy, Sunday night dinner for two, I settled on lettuce wraps. My assistant and I made them a while back with success, which turned out to be just the confidence I needed to take the basic recipe to the next level — but this time, I was cooking for a girlfriend instead of for him. 

While we were eating, she joked that she could never make lettuce wraps for the man in her life, because he’d be like, “This isn’t dinner!?” It’s true that the wraps probably make a better appetizer and party food than main course. My dad has set up a DIY lettuce wrap station at some dinner parties he’s hosted, and they’re perfect for a buffet-style setting. But I like to think of them as a variation on an Asian chicken salad of sorts, except you get to eat it with your hands. 

Since salad should never be all of a weekend dinner, I made some green beans to serve on the side. The sesame touches weren’t something I was super familiar with, but I’ll definitely be preparing this five-minute dish again. 

Not pictured: Brownies for dessert. I can’t take credit for those, but they were the perfect end to my weekend. 

Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients (Serves 4 as a main course, 6 to 8 as an appetizer):

1 clove garlic, minced

2 pounds ground chicken

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup chopped cashews

About 1.5 heads iceberg lettuce

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large frying pan and add garlic. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, then add chicken. Cook chicken until brown and crumbly, about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add soy sauce and mix to distribute evenly. Add carrots, onions, sprouts and cashews to pan and stir to combine. 

Place chicken mixture in 4 individual bowls. Carefully tear off lettuce leaves from head, trying not to break the “cups.” Spoon chicken into lettuce cups to serve, and top with Peanut Sauce (recipe below). 

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients (Makes 

5 tbsp. milk (I used skim, but any would work)

4 tbsp. creamy peanut butter

1 and 1/4 tsp. rice wine vinegar

1 and 1/4 tsp. honey

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 and 1/4 tsp. red curry paste

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Spoon onto lettuce wraps to serve. 

Sesame Green Beans with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1.5 pounds green beans

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Salt

Soy sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and roast in oven for 16 minutes, or until slightly brown. 

Steam green beans for 3 minutes. Heat sesame oil in large frying pan and add green beans. Sauté for five minutes, then add sesame seeds.

Toss green beans with roasted tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. (You could also toss in soy sauce as well, but I stuck to just a sprinkle of salt because of all the soy sauce in the lettuce wraps.)