World On A Plate

Crabby Cakes

Dungeness crabs are unique to the west coast of North America, and reportedly take their name from a small fishing community on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington state.

The coast of Northern California and on up into Washington State has been home to commercially fished Dungeness crabs since the 1800s, with the present fishing season from December through April.  This year the season opened early and coincided with the release of the new Beaujolais.  After checking to see if I could eat without guilt over at the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch  (seriously eating here in the Bay Area can get challenging) I decided it was time for crab cakes. 

One thing to understand here is that I'm a New England gal.  I can do many things with lobsters that non-New Englanders wouldn't even consider.  I've been known to crack other people's lobster with the skill of a chiropractor (payment excepted in lobster meat!).  So fresh crabmeat is somewhat of a new culinary endeavor.

After an early morning (read as 'pre-tourist crawl') down at San Francisco's Pier 49 I returned home with a 'culinary compromise'--a just-steamed crab.  I set about cracking the crab.  This was a lot of work.  I prefer tangoing with a lobster.  I was in a nasty mood after the effort.  But I was determined to make the following recipe -- Calypso Crab Cakes.  The recipe is from America's Most Amazing Brunch Host, Camilla Saulsbury.  Given that she lives in Indiana I'm pretty sure she wasn't cracking no fresh steamed crab before guests arrived. 

Photo: Waterfront Crab Crawl, by J. Brophy (c'est moi)

French Women Do Eat

Mireille Guiliano's day job is President and CEO of Clicquot Inc.  Born and raised in France and today a Manhattanite she is doing her part to mediate the current state of US-France relations with the release of French Women Don't Get Fat:  The Secret of Eating for Pleasure.  Un peu cookbook, un peu memoir the 263-page book reveals differences in attitudes that French and American women have about food.  In the book she states, "French women typically think of good things to eat.  American women typically worry about bad things to eat."  Hmm, would that be bad things that are good to eat or good things that are bad to eat (donuts vs. steamed broccoli).

Secrets of French women include not depriving yourself but allowing yourself small amounts of indulgences; being mindful of what you are eating--don't eat while watching TV, driving or talking on the phone or reading the paper.  Sensible and seasonal eating for joie de vivre. 

San Francisco Book Launch La Grande Dame Dinner at Aqua Restaurant

2/6/05: NY Times Book Review of the book

Cocoa Loco

What I'm about to share will come as a big surprise to some.  So here it is--I've been coffee-free for 11 days.  My health practitioner suggested I go caffeine-free due to an overly stressed work lifestyle.  But let's have a sanity check.  Giving up coffee, caffeine (he also suggested wine) is in my book the life of a monk. Fuhgetaboutit. One step at a time.  So coffee was the first attempt of the new year to get healthy--for now all else will be in moderation.

The first day was rough.  I don't know how hard-core drug addicts get clean.  I was a monster.  By day four I was with out the symptoms that were aggravating my heath--chest pains, shortness of breath--i.e. stress/anxiety attacks.

During this same period it has been raining  cats and dogs in San Francisco.  This induces a desire to read and to drink my new found (but occasionally!) replacement--hot chocolate.

It seems warm drinkable chocolate is the trendy drink of choice. It could be due to the nostalgia and childhood memories it evokes but if you haven't had an 'adult hot chocolate' it's time to grow up.

Many cultures say that consuming chocolate can build strength, health, faith and passionate bouts.  Montezuma drank 50 cups a day of Aztec hot chocolate laced with chiles and cinnamon.  It must be all those antioxidants.

Hot chocolate is a creamy blend of melted solid chocolate and milk or half-and-half as David Lebowitz suggests in his new book, "The Great Book of Chocolate."  Naturally the higher the milk fat content the creamier it will be. However, if a stronger chocolate taste is what you are after replacing the milk with hot water yields a strong mug of chocolate. Many Mexicans and Europeans drink their chocolate in this manner and use a bittersweet chocolate.  This is my preferred cup as it is rich and complex.  But again this is from someone who think milk just dilutes the chocolate.

Hot cocoa is derived from cocoa powder, sugar, milk or water. Cocoa powder is a substance that has had most of its cocoa butter removed. 

Recently, taste authority, David Rosengarten shared his Hot Chocolate Picks.  On his list is also one of my new favorites, MarieBelle Aztec Hot Chocolate, which was a holiday gift from my friend C.   This spicy, medium dark chocolate (63% cacao) is made from Venezuelan beans.  Cinnamon, nutmeg and chipotle make up the spice blend.

Even Starbucks is celebrating the Aztec origins of drinking hot chocolate with "Chantico" drinking chocolate.  Names for the goddess of hearth and fire who provided homes with comfort and heat for cooking.

However one of the strongest food memories I have is of the "frrrozen hot chocolate" at New York's Serendipity3. A complex blend of over six types of chocolate, which they have been serving up for 50 years to celebrities from Andy Warhol to Jennifer Love Hewitt.  I've included a link below to the recipe or you can order pre-mixed packets.   

Also Tasting Menu has a write up on chocolatier Jacque Torres's hot chocolate and it includes pictures.

Image Credit:  Sweet Serendipity (anniversary cookbook)

Burger Birthday

There’s nothing more American than a burger.  While many can’t agree on it’s origins most food historians agree that the hamburger made its official debut at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Concessionaire Fletcher Davis of Athens, TX, served the hamburger with a mixture of ground mustard and mayonnaise on slices of thick bread and topped the burger with cucumber pickles and a slice of Bermuda onion.

And we Americans love our burgers.  According to the research organization NPD who tracks trends for marketers and the generally curious, 73% of all burgers consumed in the U.S. are prepared and purchased; French fries are the most popular side item and burgers are more popular than pizza plus seven of every 10 commercially ordered burgers are cheeseburgers most often with American cheese followed by cheddar and Swiss. According to a Hardee’s survey, 48% of Americans say ketchup is their favorite hamburger condiment, followed by mayonnaise and then mustard. What's more, 83% of those surveyed say lettuce is their favorite topping, followed closely by tomato, and then pickle, onion, bacon, chili and salsa.

Recently Hardee’s in a complete act of decadence, and perhaps to fill a market void announced the Monster Thickburger— two 1/3-pound slabs of Angus beef, four strips of bacon, three slices of cheese and mayonnaise on a buttered sesame seed bun.  This 1,420 calorie meal sells for $5.49, or with fries and a soda for just over $7.  In an interview on CNBC, Hardee's chief executive Andrew Puzder was unapologetic, saying the company's latest sandwich is "not a burger for tree-huggers."  Apparently the marketing strategy is to be the real burger choice for real men and real men aren't environmentalists? 

What you eat is ultimately your responsibility regardless of party affiliation.  I don’t eat a lot of burgers but when I do it must be worth the indulgence.  The 2004 winner of Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger competition is an example.

History & Legends of Hamburgers

Photo: Image by Hardees of the Monster Thickburger

Baseball, Aji & Budin

The beating, nay the massacre that took place last night at Fenway, once again beaten by the Yankees, in an incredibly undignified and embarrassing fashion is sad, depressing, frustrating and anger inducing. Frankly, it's pretty much over for us. No team has ever come back in post-season from a 3-0 position. The pitching staff was ravished last night. Sure I believe in miracles and hope. I must. I am a Red Sox fan after all. I am a mixed bag of emotions. As a Bostonian would say, I'm wicked pissed off. Angry because the better team should have been the Sox. Angry because the members of Red Sox Nation have been mislead again. Our team has once again disappointed. The better, and richer team is most likely going to the World Series, again. I can't believe this has happened again.

Last night a table of friends celebrated C's birthday with dinner at the newly re-opened Limon restaurant. Executive chef and owner Martin Castillo, opened Limon with his family about two years ago to great success. It was small with about 40 seats. What he calls Peruvian-Nuevo Latino caught on big and he's opened a larger more contemporary place just around the corner seating a guestimate of 100. The kitchen is open, and loud. The place is filled with hip and stylish San Franciscans. It's a great to do.

We sat upstairs as we were a large party of 20. Please remember your 7th grade science principle of heat rising and dress accordingly. Also the searing of dried peppers and the less than palate-inducing odor that is emitted wafts upward in the heat. All of this aside it was a great celebration.

Peruvian dishes nearly always are some combination of rice, potatoes, chicken, pork, lamb, and fish. Most of these meals include one of the different kinds of "aji", or Peruvian hot pepper, which mainly are yellow aji pepper, red aji pepper, red rocoto pepper. There are many hybrid characteristics in Peruvian due to the countries immigrant history. An Italian influence can be seen with the use of pasta and Asian-style rice is almost ubiquitous.

We started with papa a la huancaina, potatoes served on a bed of lettuce with an aji amarillo cheese sauce and olives; calamares fritos, deep-fried calamari with chipotle aioli and sesame seeds; ceviche Limon, ceviche Limón, a mix of seafood marinated in lime juice, served with yam, Peruvian corn and mussels and finally, chicharon de pollo which consisted of bits of chicken marinated in garlic and deep fried, served with salsa criolla and lemon vinaigrette.

As a main course I had lomo saltado, a traditional Peruvian dish of top sirloin slices sautéed with onions, tomatoes and sweet potato fries, served with a side of rice which JC, my dining neighbor generously doused with Peruvian adresso cream sauce. She was enjoying picante de mariscos and was raving about the adresso cream sauce. "You must find a recipe and make this for us!" she gushed. What are friends for if not to share!

Dessert was an assorted mix--chocolate bandido, warm chocolate cake served with dulce de leche ice cream; arroz con leche, rice pudding, served with raisins and cinnamon and budin de durazno
peach bread pudding, served with caramel sauce. This last selection was not overly sweet and a great complement to the heat and textures of the meal.

In between delighting in the dishes we discussed last week's debate, the future of the two-party system, Boston sports, the Olsen Twins. We decided the depth of each party is summed up in the musicians supporting each party. On the left REM, Bruce Springsteen, to name a few. On the right, Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears, who was quoted on CNN saying "I think we should just trust our president in every decision he makes and should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens," Spears told CNN in September.

A fun celebration of food, friends and talk. I think it was best that I was out with friends and checking the score via web phone rather than suffering at home alone. It's time to let it go and move on. After all, we have the New England Patriots who have rewarded us greatly of the past few years as Super Bowl champs and have a consecutive win record that is impressive.

RIP Red Sox. It's wicked ov-a. Sigh.

photo: www.bostondirtdogs.com

Harissa

Harissa is a red chili paste originating with the Berber people in Tunisia. The harissa sauce (pronounced huh-REE-suh) is made from hot chiles, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway and olive oil. Harissa is served with cous cous and is also used in soups and stews. Commercially-produced harissa in tubesand jars can be easily purchased in Middle Eastern grocery stores.

It can be served as a dip for cooked meat or stirred into casseroles and soups to give a fiery kick. Stir a little harissa into natural yogurt to make a tasty marinade for chicken and pork dishes. Harissa can also be added to couscous to give a spicy flavor. Mix a little harissa with some mayonnaise or stock and serve it as an accompaniment to thick vegetable or fish soup.

Tunisians mix it liberally with almost every dish, while Algerians and Moroccans prefer to serve it on the side, adding it according to individual taste. The kick of your harissa will depend upon the variety of dried chile peppers used to make the harissa. If you are ambitious and want to make it yourself for a mild harissa choose a New Mexico red or guajillo; for medium, pasilla or a chipotle; and use cayenne or habanero for a fiery flavored harissa.

Clifford Wright the writer and scholar of Mediterranean food writes about "harisa" in A Mediterranean Feast:

Harisa comes from the Arabic word for "to break into pieces," which is done by pounding hot peppers in a mortar, although today a food processor can be used. This famous hot chili paste is also found in the cooking of Algeria, Libya, and even in western Sicily, where cuscusu is made. In Tunisia it would be prepared fresh in a spice shop.

Harissa is worth having in the kitchen as it elevates the ordinary to something special and unique. At about $3.00 a tube it's money well spent.

Indonesian Coffee Shake

When it's hot nothing picks me up more than an iced coffee. The combination of caffeine and cold is revitalizing. And it was warm this weekend in the City by the bay. Several days of over 90 degree temps. So what you say? Well, there is not a lot of relief to be found here as air conditioning is not prevalent. It's never been needed until recent years as we've had significantly longer and warmer spells. It might be a worthwhile study to document ice coffee sales for same period for the last 7 years and correlate it to global warming numbers.

In anticipation of a possible winter trip I've been reading about Indonesian and Southeast Asian cooking. I came across this most unique combination of ingredients for a milkshake. Surprisingly tasty. The color was vastly different than the one in the cookbook. While mine was pea green the other was a nice latte color. I don't think I would have made a pea green drink.

Cajeta

I was never of the caramel sort. Most likely due to my preference for all things pure chocolate. But once I started exploring Mexican cooking, well one thing led to another and now I’ve taken to getting a firm sticky handle on caramel. Discovering cajeta and dulce de leche will do that to a girl.

Webster’s defines caramel, as, a color; caramel, the flavor, mellow and complex. It’s also a close color of my hair. Carmel can be found in many candy bars and desserts. It seems to one of the most versatile in that you can stir toasted nuts into liquefied caramel and it becomes praline or cook it with butter and spread across a smooth marble slab for toffee. According to Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat’s History of Food it was an Arab invention used as a depilatory for harem ladies. (Sweet mother!)

Distinguishing between cajeta, dulce de leche, and for that matter fangullo, manjar blanco, and arequipe can be become strained. Goat’s milk is the primary ingredient in cajeta while cow’s milk is used in the creation of dulce de leche.

Dulce de leche has gained in popularity here in the U.S. enormously through the introduction of Haagen-Dazs' dulce de leche ice cream in Miami it outsells vanilla 3 to 1. According to company press releases it’s the second best selling flavor after vanilla.

Although cajeta hasn’t yet caught on with the public on the scale of dulce de leche I find it to be a lot sexier. Traditionally the sauce is produced by the dulceros (sweet-makers) of Celaya in Central Mexico. The name cajeta comes from the name of the small balsa-wood box or case “cajita” especially made to store the product before refrigeration was widespread.

According to Rick Bayless, in, Mexico One Plate at a Time, the goat's milk flavor brings a more intricate flavor as it is allowed to reduce in volume through slow simmering giving it a more depth in taste and color. It takes a lot of patience and time. Homemade Cajeta is infinitely superior to store bought, as according to Diana Kennedy, the Mexican cooking maven is often degraded with the addition of cane syrup.

Editor's note: Photosource: www.mexicodesconocido.com; continues with recipe.

Baklava

I was less nervous than when I had my wisdom teeth out. But the only way to overcome it all was to face my fear of filo. Although it was a tense and focused effort I am well on my way to demystifying the effort.

Filo (phyllo or fillo) dough is named after the Greek word for "leaf". The thickness (or for that matter, the thinness) of Filo gives baklava its delicious crispy taste. So, when some people eat a piece of baklava, they may want to think of Greece. However, the history of baklava reveals it came from farther East.

According to The Kitchen Project, around 8th century B.C., it was recorded that Assyrians baked thin layers of dough with nuts, poured honey over it. However, Greek voyagers and sea merchants brought this treat back and improved on it. By creating a technique that made the dough as thin as a leaf, compared to the rough, bread-like texture of the Assyrian dough.

Various countries offer tasty variations using this pastry made from only flour and water it is used in the making of many Middle Eastern savories and sweets. The Armenians, as their lands were along the Spice and Silk Routes, added cinnamon and cloves to the recipe; the Arabs introduced rose water and cardamom. Strudel is also another pastry direction using filo.

Baklava is layers of nuts blended with cinnamon and spices layered between light, flaky filo dough bathed in honey.

Although tradition suggests you lay a sheet down and then paint the sheet with butter I saw a local cooking show this weekend that used a butter-flavored cooking spray, such as PAM. But since this is pastry making a bit of real butter maybe on every other sheet could be the happy compromise.

Having read a good deal about baklava and dozens of recipes I settled on the version that appears in The Professional Pastry Chef, 3rd edition, by Bo Friberg. This was probably my first judgment mistake was made. Mid way through I was moving from this pastry school textbook to the back of the Athens filo box. By choosing the pastry school recipe I overcomplicated what is a simple and elegant creation.

Due to my novice approach and the overstated instructions I inadvertently swapped the sugars using the white sugar to process the nuts instead of the brown causing a less than desirable texture I'd say that baklava is easier than I anticipated. And seeing a tray of golden brown flaky treats cut into uniform triangles was rewarding. Maybe I'll try spanakopita. I'm encouraged.

Tips:

1-pound packages of filo dough come packaged approximately 20 to 25 sheets per box. However if the filo sheets are larger than the size of your sheet pan, cut through the stack of unrolled sheets with scissors so that they fit properly.

Allow filo dough to thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before using about 30 minutes.

Use a damp towel to keep the filo from drying out as you create the layers.

Don't worry about tears on the sheets, particularly on the inside layers. After buttering and baking they will disappear.

Brush the final layer with butter.

Glykismata-Greek Desserts

As I look back on my marathon of Greek culinary exploration I realize that there are no sweets present. Every culture has something sweet to indulge or celebrate the holidays or special occasions.

When I think of Greek desserts I think of that flaky treat baklava. I'll be writing more about that in the next few days. I'm determined to take on the first time challenge of homemade Greek pastry using this baking component.

Clarified butter is frequently used in Greek baking as this imparts a rich, nutty flavor. Olive oil is often used with savory pastries or used as it is here in the following recipe where it is featured in this delicious olive cookie. This baked treat originates from the island of Lefkada, where they are known as ladokoulouro.

Often a lemon-honey syrup is used to dress many Greek desserts after baking. In classical mythology, the golden syrup was said to be food for the gods; adding lemon juice to the honey prevents it from crystallizing.

Fruit, such as oranges or figs, sometimes served with yogurt is often served at the end of a Greek meal. More elaborate desserts are an afternoon treat or a gesture of hospitality.

The most illuminating tidbit I learned was that Greek havlas, a semolina and almond cake, differs from that in Middle Eastern countries where it is a confection from sesame seeds and honey.

The Complete Book of Greek Cooking has been a great discovery during this Greek culinary odyssey here at World on a Plate. This book assembled by the members of the Recipe Club of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New York is charming and full of explanations on culinary and cultural traditions. Favorites such as creamy rizogalo (rice pudding), karithopita (Kefalonian walnut cake), galaktoboureko(custard in a crispy phyllo pastry shell) are featured.

If you want immediate virtual gratification there's a number of recipes provided over at Greek Boston , the Boston Greek online community forum.

Photo credit of Dionysus: http://www.kirtland.edu

Recipe for OLIVE OIL COOKIES WITH ANISE AND SESAME SEEDS