World On A Plate

The Baker's Passport - Scotland

                  

Christmas is here. Or so every commercial entity would have you believe. On November 1st I saw the first Christmas tree in the lobby of a movie theater in the City. Really could we at least let the Halloween candy digest? But what it does make me think about is buttery, crisp and crumbly shortbread. To me it is a purely seasonal cookie.

My go-to is the popular export from Scotland, Walkers. While the bars and circle shaped biscuits are popular the long-standing petticoat tails has long been been a curiosity.  While Mary Queen of Scots was fond of these and there's a long history between the Scotland and France  one version says the name comes from the French petit gatelles meaning little cakes; it is generally thought that the name has its origin in the shape, which is similiar to that of the bell-hoop petticoats worn by women in the nineteenth century courts.

Originating from the oatmeal bannock that was served at pagan Yule time celebrations,  the round bannock was often scored in the center with a circle surrounded by wedges symbolizing the sun and its rays. This practice most likely originating from the Scottish New Year’s event called, Hogmanay. This shortbread varies in that it is often larger and a little thicker and decorated with candied citron peel and some almond comfits. In the Shetland and Orkney Islands it is found as Bride's Bonn and has caraway seeds. Another bit of folklore and the superstitious share that shortbread was not cut into portions but rather broken into pieces by hand. Today we’re less bound by these traditions and find them in many shapes and sizes.

Needless to say many of us eat shortbread year round as it’s a perfect pairing with tea, coffee or hot cocoa. While many recipes are handed down within families the secret to many a baker’s prized recipe is simplicity. By seeking out simple, high quality ingredients and a very short ingredient list at that the cookie essentials shine. Recipes vary with an increase of the ratio of flour to powdered sugar and in some the the addition of corn starch or vanilla. The texture of shortbread in the following recipe can be altered by replacing 1/4 cup of the flour with rice flour giving them a more crunchy texture. Or, if you prefer a more delicate tasting shortbread that melts-in-your-mouth, replace 1/2 cup of the flour with cornstarch.

Once you have this recipe in your repertoire you can move on to Millionaire’s Shortbread which is like an uptown Twix Bar.

Simple Shortbread

Traditional shortbread recipes don't usually add salt but do use salted butter it enhances the overall taste.

1 cup softened butter

½ cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour

Pinch of Salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl.

Stir in flour and salt. Mix with hands until smooth.

Spray a 9-inch fluted tart pan or a 9" square pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Press dough into pan. Using the tines of a fork, score dough from the edge of the circle in the center towards the edge of the pan into 12 equal wedges or squares (depending on type of pan you are using.

Bake the shortbread in the middle of the oven 25 minutes or until slightly brown around edges.

Remove from oven. Immediately cut into squares/wedges with a sharp knife

Cool on tea towel and store between waxed paper in a cookie jar.

Variations:

• For a brown sugar version substitute the powdered sugar in equal portion for brown sugar
• For chocolate shortbread add 1/3 cup cocoa to the flour step.
• Along with 1 tsp vanilla extract add one of the following options:
• Grated zest of citrus: either 2 limes or 2 lemons or 2 oranges
• Mix in- 1/2 cup mini chocolate

Perfect Party Cake

                

I am surrounded by Scorpios. I, too, am a Scorpio and celebrated my birthday in the first few days of this astrological sign. We are a passionate (ok, some say stubborn) and loyal group.  This past weekend I celebrated the birthdays of two friends. When the invite went out she mentioned that they would be buying a cake and further what flavors do we all like. She's well-mannered isn't she?  Frankly, this type of gesture goes against my birthday cake philosophy.  Said reasoning is that it' s your birthday and you won't be buying that cake and the type of cake and flavor is at your call. I would have none of that.

So I found myself making a birthday cake prior to the bowling party.  Another friend, as we were driving over, cake carrier on her lap said ,"You are setting a dangerous precedent. Now everyone will want a baked from scratch cake for their birthday.

The cake that the birthday boy and girl were seeking fit the description of The Perfect Party Cake from Dorie Greenspan's new baking cookbook, Baking: From my home to yours.  It's a four-layer round velvety white cake moist, tight-crumbed, and flavored with lemon extra and plenty of zest. layered with raspberry preserves and a silky, not-too-rich buttercream, topped with coconut.  Quite simply it's the cake that makers of birthday cards feature.  And also the one that the group in lanes 12 were drooling over.

Perfect Party Cake

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

12 to 14 servings

Cake

Sift together

2 ¼ cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

4 large egg whites

1 ½ cups sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Buttercream

1 cup sugar

4 large egg whites

3 sticks/12 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling & Topping

2/3 cup seedless strawberry preserves

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or butter two 9" x 2" round cake pans. Line the bottom of each cake pan with a buttered parchment circle.

Whisk the buttermilk and egg whites together in a separate bowl.

Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a stand mixer bowl and rub together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and smells like the lemon.

Add the butter to the mixer bowl and beat together with the sugar for 3 minutes on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy and light.

Add in the vanilla extract.

Add in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour mixtures. Be sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.

When everything is added beat the batter for an additional 2 minutes.

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 30 minutes in the oven or until the tops are set and springy, and a cake tester inserted into the centers come out clean.

Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for a few minutes, then flip and unmold the cakes (run a knife around the sides of the cakes if necessary). Peel the parchment off and flip the cakes back over right side up on the wire racks to finish cooling.

At this point, the fully cooled cake layers can be wrapped in plastic and kept overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.

For the buttercream:

Combine the sugar and egg whites in a medium heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water.

Whisk the sugar mixture constantly over heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and shiny, about 3 minutes.

Remove mixture from heat and pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture has cooled.

Switch to the paddle attachment and with the speed on low, add the butter a few pieces at a time, beating until smooth.

When all the butter has been added, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed for about 6-10 minutes until it is very thick and smooth.

Add in the lemon juice and beat until combined. Add in the vanilla.

The buttercream is ready to be used. Place a piece of plastic wrap against the surface until you are ready to use it to prevent it from drying out.

To assemble the cake:

Using a sharp serrated knife, slice each cake layer horizontally in half.

Stir the raspberry preserves until it is loose and spreadable.

Place a layer on a cardboard cake round, cut side up. Spread about a third of the raspberry preserves on the cake layer.

Spread a layer of buttercream on top of the preserves. Top with a second cake layer.

Spread preserves and buttercream on the second cake layer as you did with the first. Top with a third cake layer.

Spread preserves and buttercream on the third cake layer as you did with the second. Top with the last cake layer, cut side down.

Use the rest of the buttercream to frost the sides and top of the cake.

Press the coconut over the sides and top of the cake.

The cake is best served a couple of hours after it is assembled to let the flavors develop. You can refrigerate it for up to 2 days, but be sure it is well covered or the cake will dry out. You should also let the cake come to room temperature before you serve it.

Fall into Salads

               

It's curious to me  how and when we notice changes in ourselves. These type of events tend to sneak up on us.  Maybe the contrast is so start, the moment right, the attitude dropped.  Who knows.  But, I never thought I'd become one of those Californians who returns after being gone for a spell, craving greens. Bowls of heaping salad. Seriously, I grew up in a non-salad New England household.  So maybe the moment was realized given all my recent business travels and the highs and lows of eating on the road. You do start to miss the creature comforts of home.

This preference was more notable while having lunch in a large banquet hall at our annual national conference in Southern Florida.  My dining companions, from the Pacific Northwest and I kept pushing what looked like a spring mix (yes in October) around our plates.  "It's sad looking isn't it?" We politely grimaced. "It's lost its vitality.  Please, could you pass the bread?"  Aren't we on this coast fussy?

Upon my return from Florida and another side business trip to Sacramento I headed straight for my favorite greens provider, Heirloom at the SFFP farmers market.  A big mixed greens bag--fava, red lettuce, and arugula. The question to me was what to compose the salad with.  I wanted the taste of fall, my favorite season--and not because it heralds my birthday but for the apple picking, the crisp air and the sweaters.  So this vinaigrette is a tribute to the tastes of autumn. 

Easy Maple Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

pinch of black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 cups salad greens

1 pear or apple, unpeeled, cut into pieces

1/2 cup (3 ounces) blue cheese, crumbled

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil; set aside.

Arrange the mixed greens on individual plates and top with the pear and cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette.

4 servings 

NOTE:   If you don't want to get all bothered with salad for four this vinaigrette keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge.  So shake it up in mason jar and a generous handful of greens and about a teaspoon of dressing will be just what the greens need.

            

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams--

         

It's that time of the season for sweet potato pie, biscuits and more...so I've dug this out from the archives and warm it up a bit to answer the ongoing question.  Enjoy!

Every Thanksgiving it's guaranteed that someone will ask, 'What's the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?" It seems most don't know and assume 'well, it's two different names so it must be different, right?'  This has been my answer for many years.  Well, this year I've decided to be the smarty pants. 

The short answer is, this--yams and sweet potatoes are similar in that they grow underground and have orange flesh however  each is botanically different from the other.  The longer explanation is that yams are tropical vines of the genus Dioscorea and have a more reddish flesh. Large, starchy, and edible the tuberous roots can grow up to two even three feet long and weigh as much as 80 pounds.  Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family and are native to the tropical areas of the Americas. There are two basic types of sweet potatoes: moist (orange-fleshed) and dry (yellow-fleshed).  It's the orange-flesh version that is mistakenly called yams.

You see it was really a marketing angle adopted in the 1930s by some Louisiana farmers looking to distinguish their sweet tuber which they called a “yam” from the dry, pale sweet version grown in the North. So today in American supermarkets, “yams” are sweet potatoes with vivid orange color, and, when cooked, are sweet and moist. The most popular "yam" is the Beauregard, which is uniform in size and shape with smooth skin and deep orange flesh. 

So what we are seeing in the markets, at least here in the States and Canada labeled as yams are actually sweet potatoes with a relatively moist texture and orange flesh. 

Over at Straight Dope the following is offered:

"Contrary to what even some grocery store produce guys think, yams and sweet potatoes are unrelated vegetables, though in both cases you're eating the root of a tropical vine. Sweet potatoes, Ipomoea batatas ("batata" is the original Taino name, whence potato), are an American plant of the morning glory family, whereas yams are of the genus Dioscorea. Yams, which are rarely seen in the U.S. and Canada but are a staple in tropical regions, can grow up to seven feet in length. The name is thought to derive from the West African word nyami, "to eat," which is heard in Jamaican patois expressions such as, Oonu wan fi nyam banana dem?, 'Do you guys want to eat those bananas?'"

A scientific side-by-side comparison

The Bread Bible

by Beth Hensperger

Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 large sweet potato, baked and peeled (about 10oz.)

1 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tblspn light brown sugar

2 1/2 tspns baking powder

1/2 tspn salt

6 tblspns cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup cold milk or heavy cream

Mash or puree the sweet potato pulp by hand, in a blender, or in a food processor until smooth for a total of 3/4 cup.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Grease or parchment-line a baking sheet.  In a bowl using a whisk or electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients.  The mixture will resemble coarse crumbs, with no large chunks of butter.  If the butter gets very soft at this point, refrigerate the mixture to chill the butter.  Add the sweet potato pulp and milk or cream, stirring just to moisten all the ingredients.  The dough will be moist, then stiffen while stirring.  It should be slightly shaggy, but not sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently about 6 times, or just until the dough holds together.  Roll out the dough into a rectangle no more than 3/4' thick.  Take care not to add too much flour at this point or the biscuits will be tough.  Cut with a floured 2" biscuit cutter, pushing straight down without twisting.  Re roll the scraps to cut out additional biscuits.

Place the biscuits 1/2" apart on the baking sheet.  Place the baking sheet on a rack in the center of the oven and bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Let rest a few minutes and serve hot.

Breakfast Mexican Style: Huevos Motuleños

                

Over the last year I have become more than a little obsessive with huevos rancheros, the fried eggs on tortilla splashed with a spicy sauce breakfast dish.  The results of my journey has been both confusion but also an education in variations on a theme. You must know that before living on the West Coast I had never known the egg at breakfast outside of a frying pan, benedict or a quiche.  Eggs a la mexicano is a spectacularly terrific start to a lazy Sunday. This post is focused on a few of the egg specialty dishes that I've come across.

Literally "ranch eggs" huevos rancheros (ranch eggs) are prepared so many ways that legions of lovers of this dish adamantly state that traditionally speaking, the eggs should be fried (no poaching!). This may be so, but the confusion may come in that restaurants need to create a sense of special-ness with breakfast-- poaching does that. I would also add that the tortilla should be corn and it needs to be lightly toasted to stand up to the essential runny egg yolk.  The best, I've had are from Primavera, at the Saturday SF Farmers' Market. In my book they do very little wrong in their cocina.

I've also enjoyed Huevos al Albañil or bricklayer's eggs that are popular in Central Mexico. The central ingredient is a green tomatillo and serrano chile sauce  that is added to the pan with the cooked scrambled eggs.  Rather pretty and really a bit of harmony on the plate is huevos divorciados (divorced eggs)where two sunny-side up eggs are "separated" by a red and green sauce over a fried corn tortilla.

And then there's Huevos Motuleños: two sunny-side up eggs served over a fried corn tortilla and beans covered with red sauce, fried ham, green peas and cheese. Originating in the Yucatán town of Motul, there are variations that are made with black beans, plantains, and salsa picante. This dish is an uptown sophisticated type of breakfast. I first had it a few years ago at Casa Carter during our Oaxacan reunion weekend.  Homemade eggy, spicy goodness. I have thought often about that dish for the past two years.

While in Chicago in late August I brunched at Salpicón! where the Mexico City-born chef Priscilla Satkoff offers amazingly tasty and traditional dishes (pictured above this recipe).  In September while in Boulder visiting the Carters once again, I put my plea out for this breakfast.  The variation served here is from Chef Rick Bayless.  The Carters prepare an American variation on pork in the form of bacon instead of ham ---no complaints here!

               

And then there's migas and chilaquiles....but that's for another day!

Cazuela de Huevos Rancheros (good for a brunch of 4)

Cooking Light's Huevos Rancheros with Queso Fresco

Motul-Style Eggs

Adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

This dish is time consuming, but you can shortcut with store-bought tostadas, and by using canned and doctored black beans.  You should not shortcut the sauce--it's an essential component to this dish.  Also the plantains can be done ahead, refrigerated over night and warmed before serving.

Tomato Habenero Sauce

2 1/4 pounds ripe tomatoes

1/4 to 1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 fresh habanero chiles, halved

Salt, a generous 3/4 tspn

2 very ripe plantains

1 1/2 to 2 cups coarsely mashed, seasoned black beans

6 oz. good ham cut into matchstick sized pieces

1 1/3 cups frozen peas, defrosted

1/2 cup/2 oz crumbled Mexican queso fresco (or a French feta)

6 eggs

6 crisp store-bought tostadas

Instructions for Tomato-Habanero Sauce:

Make a day ahead: Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet 4" below a very hot broiler until blistered and blackened on one side, about 6 minutes. Flip and roast on the other side.  Cool then peel  the tomatoes while catching all the juices over a bowl. In a food processor coarsely puree the tomatoes and juices.

In a 2-3 qt. saucepan heat 1 tblspn of the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, fry, stirring regularly, until golden, about 8 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and Chile halves and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or so, stirring often, until the sauce is beginning to thicken but is still juicy looking. Season with salt; remove the chile halves. Store in fridge.

The next day:

Peel the plantains, cut into diagonal slices about 1/2" thick.  Heat 2-3 tblspns of the vegetable oil in a 10-12" well-seasoned or non-stick skillet that has a lid, over medium heat.  Lay the  plantain slices in a single layer for 3-4 minutes per side until richly browned.  Drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and hold in a warm oven.

In a small pan warm the beans over low heat.  Mix together the ham strips and the peas in another small pan or dish, and warm over low heat.  Crumble the cheese into a small bowl and set aside. Set the pan of tomato sauce over low heat.

Finally, fry the eggs in 1-2 tblspns of vegetable oil.  You will want the egg yolks to be runny.  Spread some of the beans over each tostada, slide an egg on top, drizzle the tomato sauce over and around the eggs letting it run off the tostada and on to the plate. Sprinkle each plate with the ham, peas and cheese, decorate with plantain slices.

On the Road: Chicago

               

No not another tribute to the "man", Jack Kerouac whose 50th anniversary of On the Road has been sufficiently covered elsewhere.  I'm in the middle of a two week run of business travel, Seattle, Chicago and Greensboro, North Carolina. (Fret not there's BBQ to be had!). I also have a bit of down time planned with the Carters in Denver at the end of all of this shuttling around; we'll be dining well, that's a guarantee--even if it is the Denver/Boulder area.

As many of you know by day I am a marketing professional.  I've worked in many industries.  For the past couple of years my time has been spent within the travel industry.  Believe me when I say that this line of work is not one big consideration of which vacation to take next.  However the product is a lot more interesting than semi-conductor chips or anti-virus software where I've previously put my attentions. The business of travel is a curiosity for me: big ships, big tours, and big  or small wanderings. 

This is all a way of saying that I just returned from Chicago.  The city was the location for our annual national marketing conference.  This is the time when we sit with many of our partners and talk marketing and sales.  After numbers and plans we also talked about the next travel destinations that we'll be held sway over: Italy and Spain (even if you've been there many times!). We also talk about trends such as volunteering vacations or staying on a working farm.  And we also consider the new edge of travel, Dubai and the fascination many, including myself, are having with South America.

So before you think 'gee whiz doesn't sound too bad', understand that this business is as competitive as the next.  Isn't it all, eh? The longest day began with a 7am breakfast meeting in the Renaissance Hotel's Great Street restaurant and ended over stone crab at 10pm.  The night before was a long one with the time zone shift and well, the effects of more than a few glasses of wine at a reception and dinner were very present. So it felt right to indulge with a proper breakfast for the long day ahead.  The pancakes offered were from the hotel's sister, The San Francisco Renaissance Stanford Court.  I've re-created my interpretation of the breakfast as it would make a great brunch menu item.

And if your curious about who the breakfast was with and what the banter was and you are a Harry Potter fan mark your calendars to be in Florida in late 2009!  This opening promises to be full of all kinds of wizardry.

Lemon Souffle Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons lemon zest (or more for those "tart" lovers)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup milk

3 egg whites

Raspberry Sauce (recipe below)

Pine Nuts (optional)

Butter (optional)

Fresh raspberries (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg yolk slightly. Stir in melted butter and milk. Add egg yolk mixture to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). In another medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer at medium speed until stiff peaks form (peaks stand straight). Gently fold egg whites into flour mixture, leaving a few fluffs of egg white. Do not over mix.

For pancakes, pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes per side or until pancakes are golden brown. Turn to second side when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with raspberry syrup, pine nuts, butter, and fresh raspberries, if desired.

Raspberry syrup:

2 cups frozen or fresh red raspberries

1 cup maple syrup

If using frozen berries, thaw but do not drain. Place the berries in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until berries are smooth. Press berries through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Discard seeds in sieve. Cook and stir juice over medium heat until just heated through. Stir in maple syrup; set aside.

The Baker's Passport - India

I had absolutely no idea.  None. Naive, unschooled, and having limited exposure to India food until the last few years I have become a little overwhelmed with the flavors and range available from this country. 

Desserts are different between the north and the south.  Roughly divided into two groups: milk based such as rasbari, peda, and burfi; the other having a central component of flour, typically rice flour such as lal mohan, malpuwa, halwa and ladoo.   This dessert is a Punjabi creamy dessert. Traditionally, it is made from homemade fresh cheese called chenna or paneer.  Also it is common to see the rasmalai in yellow and pink.

This recipe is the decidedly upscale version.  Pichet Ong, named one of the top ten pastry chefs in America by Pastry Arts & Design he has worked at Chez Panisse, Jean Georges, La Folie and Spice Market.  His collection of Asian-inspired desserts, The Sweet Spot, is an elegant but accessible book of over 100 recipes that include unique riffs such as chocolate fortune cookies, an indulgent Chocolate and Vietnamese Coffee Tart and a Spiced Caramel Popcorn that gets it's lift from mukwa, Candied fennel seeds from India.  So much to learn, enjoy this in the meanwhile.

Rasmalai with Rose Water & Pistachios

Sweetened fresh ricotta with Rose Milk Syrup

Adapted from The Sweet Spot, by Pichet Ong & Genevieve Ko

Ras

3 quarts milk

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tblspn sugar

3 tblspns AP flour

1/4 tspn salt

Put the milk in a largesaugepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it boils, remove from heat, sir in lemon juice. It will curdle within a few seconds.  If it doesn't set the pan over low heat and stir slowly until most of the milk has curdled, removing from heat.

Set a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth over a large mixing bowl, with at least 2 inches between the bottom of the sieve and the bottom of the bowl. Strain the milk mixture through the sieve.  Let sit for at least 20 minutes.  If you want to let this sit for longer than 30 minutes, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

After the liquid has been drained, transfer the cheese remaining in the cheesecloth to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add sugar, flour, and salt and mix on medium speed until well incorporated, about 5 minutes.

Using your hands, scoop the cheese into 1 1/2" balls,  gently pressing into little patties about 2" in diameter and about 1 " thick; set on plate while you prepare the malai.

Rose-Scented Malai

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tblspns plus 1 tspn sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 tspn dried rose metals, plus more for garnish

4 cardamom pods

1/8 tspn salt

3/4 tspn rose water (can substitute with vanilla extract)

1/4 cup (about 31 grams/1 1/8 oz shelled pistachios, toasted, salted

Put all of the ingredients into a large saucepan, stir well, and set over medium heat. Bring to a steady simmer and cook, stirring, until reduced by half and thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the cheese dumplings to the malai and cook, stirring gently, for 2 minutes, then turn the dumplings over and cook for 2 minutes more. Divide the cheese dumplings and sauce among eight serving bowls, discarding the Cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Garnish with the pistachios and rose petals and serve warm.

Variation note:  In researching the many variations of this recipe out there most suggest serving this at room temperature. To do this finish as directed.  Let it cool. When at room temperature, put the pan in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Street Food - Tom Kime

"The best way to experience the real food that fuels and drives a community, however, is to sample the street food." 

       --Chef, Writer, Globe Trotter: Tom Kime

Street food, at its best, wherever you may find it or yourself represents an opportunity to experience an authentic, dynamic cultural reflection.  The social context, the flavors, the exchange between you and the local vendor.  And really it's also pretty tasty. Often when I travel I seek out these carts, markets and nibbles to learn what's best about the everyday food of the locals. Replicating them back at home though has often been less than the same experience.

Street Food-Exploring the World's Most Authentic Tastes is a journey for the eyes and mouth.  Written by the globe-trekking and Malta-based, at the Fortina Spa Resort, Tom Kime, I am now no less smitten with what is his second cookbook than I am the man behind the effort. And why isn't he better know here in the States?  He's not short on the connections or on abilities.  He has worked at the River Café in London and trained with such celebrated chefs as Rick Stein in England and David Thompson and Peter Doyle in Australia.   And if you catered the Thai-inspired wedding feast of Jamie Oliver, cooked for Mick Jagger, Sam Neill and Kirstin Dunst well. Also it appears from recent news reports that he is now based in Sydney.  Lucky them. 

The book is a compact size and filled with personal accounts from visiting 14 countries in Asia, South and Central America, Northern Africa and the Middle East.   With nearly 90 recipes ranging from Picarones from Peru (sweet potato and pumpkin doughnuts); cipolle d'invero e pancetta alla griglia from Sicily (grilled scallions wrapped in pancetta). I'm particularly keen on the recipe for the Afghani flat bread, Bolani as the technique and recipe are from Billal Sidiq of East West Gourmet who sells at the San Rafael nad Oakland Farmer's Market .  There's plenty of photos, and the recipes are simply-stated but use ingredients that are authentically of the place. If you have traveled this is a good one to relive the tastes of the trip in your home.

Neatly organized overall I appreciated the glossary, and the menus sections will get anyone headed in the right direction for a picnic, bbq or cozy meal in. The Recipe Navigator section is brilliant.  Organized into sections such as "finger food", "hot wok and smoking grill" (which sounds like Guy Ritchie film!) and "best in a bowl."   

Click to recipe for spiced roast almonds.

This little cookbook is perfect for the wandering heart in the world kitchen.

Link:  How to Eat Street Food without Runining Your Trip ITravelport/India)

Ice Cream: The Whole Scoop

               

I've been a little obsessive over ice cream lately. It is, after all, National Ice Cream Month. And I don't mean frozen yogurt or low fat knockoffs. No. Full-flavor butterfat-rich frozen diary with a cone please, the real cream experience.  It may be because for a number of reasons I've been either fasting for medical reasons or eating super lean and freshly for mind-body efforts that I crave just one treat that is full on flavor.  But quite frankly for me, there's just something about a cone in summertime that takes me back to family outings to Crescent Ridge Dairy.

As you see in the photo I've been exploring all kinds of flavors (clockwise, starting from the top left): my Homemade Swanton's Strawberry Mint Chip; Swenson's Chocolate Chip & Mint Chip; Double Rainbow It's A Goody and Swenson's Mocha Fudge.  There's many others but one must maintain some semblance of control. I've also re-discovered Dr. Bob's Scharffen Berger Works.  At $7.00 a pint this is not for the casual ice cream indulgence.  Warning, this chocolate ice cream is nirvana: containing bittersweet and semisweet chocolate bits and ground cocoa beans in a dark chocolate base, it is like no other.  The secret is in the amount of butterfat at least 16%.

So why the fuss over the butterfat?  Well, federal law, it seems, sets the standard. Ice cream must have at least 10 percent milk fat. This seems to me to be a small amount, that results in a very airy ice cream. In the churning process the amount of air affects the density and quality of the ice cream.  The more air there is the poorer the quality.  Super-premium ice creams typically has at least 12 percent and sometimes as much as 16 percent butterfat.  You get what you pay for, eh?

According to the International Ice Cream Association,  about 8% of the milk produced in the U.S. in 2005 was used to make frozen dairy products.  The top flavors are vanilla (by a very large share), chocolate (a distant and paltry showing), Neapolitan, strawberry and cookies 'n' cream.   The numbers work out to be about 52% of us walking the straight and narrow.  The rest of us, if we look to Ben & Jerry, have freezers full of Cherry Garcia, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream, Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream and Chunky Monkey Ice Cream. The complete list can be found here.

There are all kinds of tales as long as the summer about where it all started. It all started back in the fifth century BC, ancient Greeks sold snow cones mixed with honey and fruit in the markets of Athens.  Later Roman Emperor Nero is said to have eaten fruit chilled with snow brought by slaves down from the mountains. However, elsewhere, Mongolian horseman are said t o have taken cream in containers that were formed from animal innards as provisions across the Gobi desert in winter. Galloping along the cream was shaken and frozen all at the same time.  As the empire spread through China, Marco Polo picked up on the idea and brought it to Italy in the late 13th century.  In turn Catherine de Medici who at 14 years young was married off in 1533 to the future French King Henri II she brought with her an entourage of Italian chefs and the ice cream fixings. All good stories but the true history probably has more to do with the invention of the ice cream maker in the mid-19th century and the rise of refrigeration.

Today there are essentially two methods of making ice cream:  Philadelphia-style, made from with a base that is a blend of milk and cream, flavorings and sugar or the custard-style often referred to as French made from a pre-cooked custard base that includes egg yolks, sugar, milk and less cream; they are also whipped before they are frozen.

Around the world ice cream is popular. In Japan these days they have a rather unique flavor set, sweet potato and a saltwater fish flavor that is combined with large amounts of brandy. One of the more popular flavors rice ice cream.  This is made with Japan's favorite rice, koshihikari, which is also used to create some of the country's finest sake. In Italy, granita, the savvy Sicilian cousin to gelato, is a semi-frozen sugar-water flavored grainy ice treat. In a recent NPR story I learned that a summertime breakfast in Sicily is often coffee granita served with brioche.  And if you live in or around San Francisco you can taste ice cream India-style at Bombay Ice Creamery. this eight-year-old looks-like-nothing-much location showcases flavors that are homemade and reflect that tastes of the Indian subcontinent including saffron-pistachio, cardamom and mango, and chicku.

And in case you are the extra-curious sort the average person eats about 22 quarts of ice cream a year about 3-ish small cones a week! And it takes, on average about 50 licks to finish a scoop of ice cream. So really I think I may need to pick up the pace in the efforts of keeping with the stats!

My Recipe for Strawberry Mint Ice Cream

Wacky World of Japanese Ice Cream

NPR: Ice Cream A Perennial Favorite

Blackberries at Night- Part II

                

Food memories have been sneaking up on me lately.  I don't know if it's melancholy, home sickness or most likely the coming together of a myriad of food memories but blackberries are on my mind. It could be that I am now able to sit in my itty bitty backyard in my new deck chair enjoying the summer air.  All those summertime childhood memories of blackberries, bats and fireflies. I grew up on a bumpy back road that followed a few of the bends of the Charles River outside of Boston.   During those long summer nights we would pass the time my sister, brother and the other neighborhood kids could be found picking and in quick form, eating blackberries by day; catching the lightening bugs in the early evening and then chasing bats by night.  Now I sit in my backyard with a martini glass in my hand.  Those summers were different, full, luxurious and relished.  I needed to get closer to that time.

So on this one Marin night feeling food nostalgic I started the evening with a cocktail concoction featuring blackberries and then moved on to a dinner of lobster ravioli which was in need of a sauce.  After some rummaging in the IBK* which produced some butter, a generous pinch of brown sugar, vinegar and a handful of blackberries all in a saucepan for a few minutes producing a reduction sauce, and a topping of a few toasted crushed hazelnuts.  To those of you who may think this odd try it first.

Blackberries are also called a bramble referring the thorny plant from which they are picked.  According to my botanical guide the name of the bush is derived from brambel, or brymbyl, signifying prickly. And that is the truth, all that sweetness is yours if you have patience and a good pair of garden gloves.

A few years ago on a road trip that took me and C. through Oregon we stumbled upon a few brambles of Marionberries that were the essence of that warm summer day. What I didn't know then is that there are many, many varieties of blackberries--at last count about 250: boysenberry, thorn less evergreen and the marionberry.  These varieties constitute about 95% of all cultivated blackberries which in North America are primarily found in Oregon, California and Washington. In fact in Oregon farmers grow more than 30 million pounds of this most widely planted blackberry cultivar; it is available in season for only a few weeks beginning in mid-July and ending in early-August.

In California, we have our own special variation on theme. We have olallieberries. A berry of complicated lineage, olallieberries, were an unknown berry to me before living on the West Coast.  It's a cross between the loganberry (which is a hybrid of the "marion" blackberry and raspberry) and the youngberry (which is a marriage between the "marion" blackberry and dewberry).  Given the strong predominance of blackberry it appears very similar to the blackberry.  Years ago some folks in Oregon were experimenting and came up with olallieberries but they didn't take to the soil but the plant did like the California coast.

And in particular Swanton's in Davenport. This weekend I found myself on a day trip south toward Santa Cruz and ended up at the annual Swanton's strawberry u-pick which happily coincided with the 3-week olallieberry picking window. How lucky can a girl get?   Picking is gentle and hard work.  And now I am bursting with berries, 8#.  There were a few lucky recipients late Sunday afternoon when the blackberry truck pulled up to their door.

There are a number of recipes that are now in my queue which are link below.  In the meanwhile enjoy my post-work backyard cocktail, Blackberry Noir. It may not be fireflies, bats and the river road but it's my own form of sublime relishment today.

To store: Keep blackberries in the fridge, without washing them, but they are delicate and need to be eaten as soon as possible. Blackberries can be frozen and included in pie or crumble fillings.

Blackberry Pudding with a Cinnamon-Dusted Crust

Smoked Turkey, Blackberry & Mozzarella Sandwiches

Blackberry Smoothie

*IBK = Itty Bitty Kitchen                                                        *Illustration by Paula Becker