the petite pig

sun-dried tomato pesto-paste with parsley and mint

rack of lamb used to be one of my signature dishes when i was first learning to cook.  it's so simple to make but has this super decadent, fancy factor.  unfortunately, it's not the cheapest cut of meat so it's fallen out of my repertoire during this last year+ of recessionista cooking.  however, recently i got a request from a client to make a rack of lamb for her and her husband, and it reminded me how much i missed biting into a perfectly tender medium-rare piece of rack of lamb.  the subtle gaminess of the meat, nibbling every last remnant off the bone and of course the many possible accompaniments - i missed all of it.  while rack of lamb can be served perfectly naked with just some s&p, i love it even more when it's served with the right accompaniment: a pan sauce, a spice rub, an herb crust, a side of polenta.

for these new clients, i wanted to come up with a new accompaniment.  the wife had just had a child and was looking to shed some of her baby weight, so i knew i wanted something light but full of flavor.  sun-dried tomatoes came to mind as it has just the right level of acidity balanced with an earthy savoriness.  it would make the perfect base for a rough chopped pesto-paste.  combined with parsley, mint, garlic and some olive oil and salt, i found myself spooning this into my mouth long after i cleaned off all the meat from the bone. 

rack of lamb
serves 2

one rack of lamb (french cut)
1 tbs salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tbs olive oil

preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

a rack of lamb should contain 8 bones.  slice into four pieces, so between the 2nd and 3rd bone, 4th and 5th and 6th and 7th.  sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. 

heat a large stainless steel oven safe pan over high heat.  add olive oil and distribute around the pan.  carefully place each piece of lamb onto one of their exposed cut sides.  sear for 3 minutes and turn over to the other side and sear for another 2 minutes.  cover with a piece of aluminum foil and place inside oven.  cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees for medium rare.  let rest for 10 minutes before slicing through each piece of lamb again so that one side of the meat is seared and the other tender and moist.  eat with sun-dried tomato pesto-paste below!

sun-dried tomato pesto-paste with parsley & mint
makes 1/2 cup, can be served with any protein

6 sundried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1/4 bunch of parsley
6-8 mint leaves
3 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt

rough chop first four ingredients together, so flavors start to meld.  pour olive oil over and add salt to ingredients.  run knife through a few more times through mixture so that it almost forms a paste.  spoon over proteins - great with lamb, chicken or fish.

becker lane organic farm, now that's good pig

last night i attended an event hosted by 18 reasons, a fabulous non-profit community space started by the bi-rite family with the mission of getting us back in touch with the people who feed us.  what a lovely idea, eh?  last night it brought us a bit closer to one of my favorite proteins pork (probably not a surprise from the title of this blog) and a local winemaker.  jude becker of becker lane organic farm flew in all the way from iowa to share with us a rich and flavorful assortment of his pork products and to educate us on his mission to change the decisions we make as consumers of food in america.  luckily for him and us, he's had some great supporters, including oprah winfrey to help him spread his message.   

becker's family has been farming in the midwest since 1850.  even though he's a sixth-generation farmer, i wouldn't be surprised if his current farming methods are quite similar to the original becker farmers.  all the feed for the pigs is raised organically on the 400 acre farm.  one of the interesting points that becker brought up was that while it is important to eat locally, just because a pig was raised in iowa doesn't mean that its carbon footprint is greater than one that's locally raised in california.  it takes four pounds of feed to produce one pound of pork.  since most california pig farmers would be shipping in their feed from the midwest anyway, they'd be shipping in four times the weight of the finished product.  so to truly eat locally, we'd have to know the source of a farm's entire supply-chain and weigh that into our decision.  just something to chew on as you decide between that iowa vs. california raised piece of hog.  

aside from enriching our social conscience, there was also a lot of enriching of our palates too.  carl sutton of sutton winemakers was also in attendance pouring four of his wines.  chef morgan maki of bi-rite showcased the natural taste of becker's pork in many different forms: pancetta, bacon, ciccioli, rilletes, roasted pork loin and "omg!  this is the best thing i've ever eaten" crepinette (essentially an enhanced fat sausage).  i was in pig heaven.

menu for becker lane pork party (the best kind of party i've now realized)
ciccioli and apples on brioche trotter
rillettes with pickled shallots, whole grain mustard and cornichon on brioche
pancetta crisp and bacon lardons with a salad of frisee, apples, fennel and radishes in a lemon vinaigrette
cold smoked pork loin with brown butter-sage pumpkin puree
crepinette (juiciest, most delicious sausage ever)

sutton cellar wines

dry vermouth
2005 merlot, sonoma county
2004 "el tecolate" syrah
2004 syrah, remonda vineyard

spruce + black box wines + foodbuzz = delicious evening

wednesday night i finally got to dine at spruce, which many consider to be one of the best restaurants sf has to offer.  but even better, i got to dine for free thanks to foodbuzz and black box wines.  the evening started with a delicious selection of charcuterie paired with black box's riesling and merlot.  over a dozen food bloggers mingled with foodbuzzers and friends from black box wines, doing what food bloggers do best - talk incessantly about food.  for dinner, we luckily were quarantined from the non-food blogging world.  we whipped out our cameras without fear of being judged by neighboring diners.  the introduction of each dish was followed by a flood of flashes and the beeps of digital slr's.  in between bites and sips of our unending pours of black box wines, the chatter skipped from raving about one restaurant after another.  i was in heaven, free to indulge my obsession with a group of people just as food-obsessed as myself. 

spruce knew that the expectations were on with such a tough crowd to feed and served up a delicious four-course dinner.  but what surprised me the most was how great it all tasted paired with boxed wine!  this is by no means a knock on spruce but a compliment to black box wines  black box wines is definitely on a mission to prove that boxed wines does not have to mean cheap wine.  instead i've decided it's more economical wine.  the quality is all there and you have no need to worry about spoiling or corking - who could ask for more from their wine?  as one of the converted, i'm sipping a glass of their merlot as we speak (they were nice enough to send us all home with a box).  please excuse any typo's that may occur as a result of drinking and writing.

spruce & black box menu

beet & pear salad with aged goat's milk cheese, walnut vinaigrette
2008 new zealand sauvignon blanc

roasted halibut with fennel, chanterelles, fennel fumet
2008 monterey county chardonnay
2008 napa valley reserve chardonnay

grilled bavette steak with duck fat potatoes, bordelaise
2007 california cabernet sauvignon

farmstead cheese
2007 central cost shiraz

mark sullivan, executive chef (also of woodside's village pub) comes out to greet us at the end of the evening.  food bloggers cameras all start flashing at this rare celebrity-chef siting.  yes, we are a funny bunch that really should always be quarantined. 

mediterranean israeli couscous salad

recently, i'm all about cute little grains.  last week i set y'all up with farro and this week, it's israeli couscous (don't worry, there's more than enough room in the pantry for both).  i'm sure most of you have made couscous a few times in your life but may not be as familiar with the israeli variety, which is a pearl shaped pasta made of hard wheat (while traditional couscous is much finer and made of semolina).  and unlike traditional couscous, israeli couscous is cooked more like orzo, in a broth using about a 1:1 ratio of pasta to liquid.  it's got a tender bite and makes the cutest little pasta salads your backyard garden parties will ever see.  toss with a couple of vegetables and perhaps a protein, and you've got yourself another new hit.

mediterranean israeli couscous salad
serves 4

1 chicken breast, butterflied
salt & pepper
2.5 cups israeli couscous
3 cups chicken broth
1 tbs. olive oil
1 can of artichoke hearts, sliced into bite sized pieces
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
small handful of parsley

for dressing:
1 tsp. finely chopped shallot
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbs. white wine vinegar
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

sprinkle salt and pepper over butterflied chicken breast, and set aside.

bring 3 cups of chicken broth to boil.  add israeli couscou and cover, lowering heat to produce a steady simmer (low heat).  while couscous is cooking, heat a grill pan to medium-high heat.  drizzle olive oil over the pan to provide a good cooking surface for the chicken.  after the pan and oil are heated up, add chicken breast, cooking on high for about 3 minutes each.  then lower heat to medium and cover chicken and pan with a piece of aluminum foil and cook for another 2 minutes.  remove from pan and leave chicken covered in foil and let cool before slicing.  once chicken has cooled (about 10 minutes), slice it up and toss with the rest of the ingredients. 

for the vinaigrette, mix together shallots and acid.  slowly drizzle in olive oil and toss all the ingredients together with the dressing.  salt and pepper to taste.  enjoy!

farro salad with roasted red peppers and beans

i’d like to introduce your pantry to a cute, little grain called farro.  i know what you’re thinking. i hate set-ups too, but trust me, this one will end in an everlasting happy union.  i first became intimate with farro about two years ago.  we met over dinner at one market.   it was all dressed up in butternut squash and had tried to disguise itself as arborio rice, appearing in a risotto.  from the very first bite of chewy grainy goodness, i was ready to walk down the aisle and commit.  unfortunately, it could sense my eagerness and decided to play a bit of hard-to-get.  after a strong pursuit though, i found it hiding in the fancy grain section at the gourmet grocery store.  it was no cheap date but sometimes you have to give some to get some.  since then, farro has always had its own little place in my pantry, and i hope after this set-up, it also finds a permanent place in your pantry as well.

it’s easy to describe why i’m so in love with this grain.  one, it originates from the great culinary land of italy.  two, it’s actually good for you, packed full of protein and fiber.  and three, there is something just so incredibly satisfying about taking a bite of farro.  it’s chewy al-dente consistency makes you feel like you’re really taking a bite of something hearty and substantive.  for that reason, i love making it for picnics and serving it alongside fish.  it holds up well during transport on its own, and it’s firmness is a perfect compliment to the tender, flaky flesh of fish. 

although farro may be a new exotic grain to you, the preparation of it is incredibly simple.  below i share a farro recipe for my new favorite salad that i make almost every other week.  i love having it on hand to throw into some tupperware for lunch or always having a quick, delicious side dish for whatever i’m preparing.  i typically buy semi-pearled farro, which cuts the cooking time by at least half.  you simply give it a few rinses (if you’ve got whole farro, i’d soak it in water overnight, just like dried beans), and boil it like pasta.  bring a pot of water to boil (about 3 cups per 1 cup of farro), salt lightly and throw the farro in and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes.  one of the best parts about cooking farro is that it’s an incredibly forgiving grain.  it won’t get all mushy on you but always remains chewy and al-dente, so if you walk away for a few extra minutes, it’ll somehow still be the perfect consistency when you come back.

so, what are you waiting for?  it’s time to pencil that first date into your calendar. 

farro salad with roasted red peppers and kidney beans
serves 4 for lunch or as a side

1.5 cups of semi-pearled farro (prepared with instructions above)
2 red peppers
2 tbs. of extra virgin olive oil
paper grocery bag
1 cup of cooked navy beans

1/2 tbs. dijon mustard
1/2 tbs. honey
1/2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

a handful of basil leaves, torn or chopped into ribbons
salt and pepper to taste

we’re going to start by roasting our red peppers.  i love the taste of fresh roasted red peppers.  yes, you can buy them jarred, but they’re simple enough to make that it’s worth just the little bit of extra effort.  start by using a paring knife and cut around the stem of the pepper and then pulling it out.  give it a quick rinse and drizzle some olive oil inside the pepper and also coat the outside with a generous amount of olive oil.   sprinkle some salt on the inside and on the outside.  place the peppers on an oven safe baking tray and broil on high in either your toaster oven if you’ve got one or your normal oven.   broil on high for 10 minutes or until the skin is black and charred and turn and do the same to the other side.   place into a paper bag and close tightly, creating a steaming effect inside the bag that will take the skins off.  remove the skins when the peppers have cooled down and then chop into bite sized slices.

combine the chopped roasted red peppers with the farro and the beans.  then make the vinaigrette by combining the mustard, honey and vinegar and slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking simultaneously.  garnish with some basil leaves and then salt and pepper to taste.  pack up in your next picnic, serve with salmon or chicken or tupperware for a healthy, hearty lunch. 

celebrating "mastering the art of french cooking"

our finished coq au vin

julia child inspired me to cook; julie powell inspired me to blog; and meryl streep just makes me want to watch movies.  so i don’t think it surprises anyone that i was pretty friggin’ excited for last weekend’s opening of “julie and julia.”  since this was no ordinary movie to me, i couldn’t make it just any ordinary movie outing.  it had to be an event that celebrated the real star of the movie, julia child’s gift to the culinary world, her book “mastering the art of french cooking.”  my own 684 page voluminous copy sits on a shelf in my living room as a testament to my love of jc (not to be confused with the jc of “what would jesus do?”).  i couldn’t think of a better way to honor her than cooking a few of the french recipes she shared with us in her first publication. 

thickening the coq au vin with a beurre manie

this past sunday, six of my favorite female foodies joined me in my kitchen to remake julia’s ratatouille, coq au vin and crepes fines sucrees (filled with strawberries and nutella) to get us in the mood for our afternoon matinee.  with three dutch ovens on the stove, you knew we weren’t messing around (and yes, i own three – ergh, actually 4 – dutch ovens).  under her trusted direction, we fearlessly poured cognac over the chicken for our coq au vin and lit it on fire (though she does warn us to avert our faces).  with great conviction, we shook the casserole back and forth until the flames subsided, just like she told us.  the sauce of our coq au vin came out silky and rich enough to get drunk off of.  the chicken cooked to perfect tenderness filled with flavors of the wine it basted in.  our ratatouille reminded us how decadent vegetables can be, and our crepes brought us to back to the crepes stands in paris.  snacking on cheese, pate and bread, we diced, chopped and seared, all the while channeling the voice of julia, just as julie powell did for a year while she cooked all 524 recipes from the original jc bible. 

if you haven’t heard of julie powell, she is a secretary turned blogger turned published author turned subject of a movie.  powell’s unexpected rise to fame started when she took on a unique personal mission – to cook every recipe from “mastering the art of french cooking” in 365 days and blog about it.  eventually the blog was turned into the book, “julie and julia,” which is now a movie playing under the same name at your local movie theatre starring the glorious meryl streep as jc.  competing with julia’s romantic and inspiring life journey and paris in the 1950’s is no small challenge, but i’d consider powell a bit of a modern day hero.  to twenty-and-thirty-something’s still wandering aimlessly in life, her story reminds us that fame is just 524 recipes and 365 blog entries away.  ok, maybe that’s not the real lesson, but her story does provide all of us that want more than our office day jobs some hope, right?  maybe all it takes is that one recipe (or 524) to help us find our way in life.  in the meantime, i'm happy to just find my way in the kitchen. 

thank you julia child for helping all of us to find our way in the kitchen; thank you julie powell for doing what you love; and thank you meryl streep for bringing julia child back to life for us. 

bon appetit!

some lovely french tunes that i imagine jc would love to cook to, as well as a playlist for your julie / julia party:

french tunes julia child could cook to

for more photos of our "mastering the art of french cooking" celebration:

arugula salad with peaches, prosciutto & pecorino (an apartment warming dinner)

photos by colin campbell

recently tim and i entered into a new and very important stage of our relationship: the living in sin stage.  some might discount how important it is to live in sin before taking on the big "m", but seriously, we all know that you're doing all sorts of sinful things whether you're cohabitating or not.  you might as well save some rent money and get a preview into the blissful life you will definitely lead with your partner - the fresh cut flowers that are brought home every day, the after-a-long-day-at-work foot massages, the chocolates that are left on your pillow every night, the "let me do the dishes" and "scrub the toilet" offers.  c'mon ladies, you know what i'm talking about, right?  isn't this the description of the twenty-something male you're shacking up with?  ok, maybe not completely (hopefully partially???) but moving in together is a great excuse to throw a little celebratory dinner party to declare to the world your living-in-sinness.  you can even call it, "we're not engaged (yet but any day now!)" party.  that definitely won't scare him into moving back into his ol' bachelor pad. 

ok, so i wasn't really allowed to call it the "we're not engaged (yet but any day now!)" party (at least not publicly) but he did let me call it an "apartment warming" party.  we took advantage of the delicious summer produce at the farmers markets to prepare a little feasting of the senses for some of our close friends complete with fresh hydrangeas and homemade strawberry ice cream that churned while we dined (thanks gracie).  we started with one of my favorite summer salads (recipe below).  the dressing is the perfect sweetness and marries well with the pepperiness of the arugula while enhancing the natural flavors of the peaches, my favorite summer stone fruit.  choose peaches that are semi-ripe as if they're too ripe, they'll just fall apart.  finally, adding the prosciutto and pecorino layers in some unexpected saltiness.  also, who can say no to cured meats and a delicious sheep's milk cheese? 

because this was an extra special dinner and i wanted to practice my future role as a-stay-at-home domestic goddess / hostess, i even assembled "name cards" with scrabble tiles - just make sure to not invite too many people with the letter "j" in their names or you'll have to think of a creative nickname you can make for them with all the leftover e's, n's, i's, and a's you'll have.  and then after you're all stuffed, you can all engage in a friendly game of speed scrabble.  too bad "sin" only gets you three points.

 

apartment warming dinner menu:

fresh figs with honey & basil

heirloom tomato bruschetta with grilled ciabatta

arugula salad with peaches, prosciutto & pecorino (recipe below)

roasted salmon with summer corn salsa and mediterranean farro pilaf

fresh strawberry ice cream

arugula salad with peaches, prosciutto and pecorino

serves 6

6 handfuls of arugula (or other mixed green), washed and dried
2 semi-ripe peaches, sliced
8-10 basil leaves, cut into ribbons
8 oz. of prosciutto
2 oz. of pecorino cheese, shaved
fresh ground pepper

dressing:
1/2 tbs. shallot, diced
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tbs. white wine vinegar
1/2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 tbs. sugar
4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

combine first three ingredients for salad.  combine all ingredients for salad dressing except for the olive oil and let sit for about 15 minutes.  slowly whisk in the olive oil to form a vinaigrette.  toss with salad.  divide equally onto 6 salad plates and top with prosciutto and pecorino.  serve with fresh ground pepper.

still playing with dirt: volunteering at the alemany farm

i was the kind of kid that enjoyed playing with dirt.  i spent my time after school digging up worms and slugs, slicing them in half and watching them regenerate into more worms and more slugs.  although my squeemishness threshold is not at the same level as my five year old self, i definitely can while away a few hours in a pile of dirt.  while more and more americans are getting closer to their food by shopping at farmers markets and subscribing to community supported agriculture (csa) programs, there's nothing like working in the field, whether it's your own little garden or a farm that nourishes many. 

this weekend, tim and i rolled up our sleeves and got to know our food a little better at the alemany farm.  between 9 lanes of the 280 highway and the projects lies a quaint 4 acres of agricultural oasis just on the outskirts of san francisco.  our farm tour guide gave us an incredibly informative tour about the farm and its philosophy.  jason our guide was probably a better speaker than anyone i've come across in business and definitely knew his food and farm facts.  not surprisingly, the highlight of the tour was when we got to the composting bins and got to search for worms - the childhood memories just came rushing back.  the next best highlight was finding out that my backyard just might the perfect environment for growing some mushroom spores.  before you know it, i'll be jess dang, the mushroom forest nymph.  but before i got to indulge my mushroom fantasy, we had some work to do.  unfortunately, i didn't get to layer in the fresh horse manure to form a compost lasagna (perhaps i'll be luckier next time) but spent the day wiping out the native plant garden of all non-native invaders - dang pest control to the rescue!

if you want to learn to be your own forest nymph or take a turn at being a trusty farm hand, alemany farm has volunteer days the first and third sunday of each month and all the saturdays in between.  maybe i'll see you there.  i'll be by the dirt looking for worms.

eating in europa

in three weeks, i'll be departing for a 15 day vacation in europe.  my itinerary is 6 days in paris; then off to milan to shop & see duomo number 1; then cinque terre where we'll be staying in vernazza; then to a little farmhouse outside of bologna called corte d'aibo to enjoy the italian countryside; and finally to florence, where i plan on gaining multiple pounds from all the wonderful gelato. 

the last time i was in paris, i was stuck in tourist-trapped alleys with 15 euro pre-fixes that catered to the american palate so i'm looking for some recommendations.  where shall i dine in paris?  in florence? 

smoked veggie chili for a chilly san francisco summer

while most of the country is breaking out the sundresses, skimpy bikinis and flip flops, us san franciscans are still gripping our down comforters for warmth as we enter the season known as cold-ass summer around here.  although it's false that mark twain ever said, "the coldest winter i ever spent was a summer in san francisco," the statement definitely has some truth to it.  so what does any warm-blooded american crave during the cold weather?  well, i don't know about you, but i sure love a hot cup o' chili.  in preparation for summer hibernation and the vegetarian boyfriend moving in with me (!), i've been testing out several meatless alternatives that are just as satisfying as the original.  the secret is adding a healthy tablespoon of smoked paprika that offers that smokiness that meat usually provides.  make a huge pot in your favorite dutch oven and you'll have days worth of warmth to enjoy. 

smoked veggie chili
serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white / yellow onion
2 zuchhini / yellow squash, diced into 1/2 inch squares
1 red pepper, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of red wine
1 cup of vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon italian seasonings
1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 cup of cooked garbanzo beans
1 cup of cooked kidney beans
1 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
salt to taste
suggested toppings: cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, sliced green onion

place a 5 quart dutch oven (or heavy bottomed pot if you don't have a dutch oven) over medium-high heat.  once warmed (usually a minute), add olive oil.  allow olive oil to heat (about 30 seconds) and then add diced onions.  cook onions for about 4 minutes or until softened.  add zucchini and red pepper.  cook for another 4 to 5 minutes.  add all ingredients up until garbanzo beans.  cover and bring to a boil and then uncover and let simmer for 30 minutes.  add beans and corn kernels and cook for another 5 minutes.  season with salt to taste and top with your favorite chili accoutrements.     

best eaten in flannel pajamas with a piping hot piece of cornbread.