photo by Dave Koch
In our latest CSA box from Eatwell Farms we received a bundle of Lemon Verbena. I'm completely unfamiliar with the herb. What do I do with it? Fish? Steak? Tofu?
It smells like the essence of lemon, almost more lemony than lemons. There is also a woodsy note, not as up-front as the lemon but definitely there. Earthy, herbal, almost cedar-ish. I'm intrigued.
Lemon Verbena
So, I read a little...
The plant is native to South America and grows to a height of about a foot or so. It is often used in herbal teas, commonly with mint and lavender. It is also found in perfumes, potpourri, and sachets.
The leaves dry up quickly; within hours of being picked. The leaves are tough though, and are often removed from the drink or dish once they have added their flavor, much like bay leaves.
With each box from Eatwell comes some recipes and enclosed this week was one called Fruit in Lemon Verbena Syrup. So I figure since I'm a neophyte of the herb, let's start there... this is a variation of theirs, ad libitum.
I began by making the syrup which was "simply" water, sugar, and Lemon Verbena. I eye-balled all three but close to 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup dried Lemon Verbena.
I brought it to a boil, then killed the heat, and allowed it to cool.
Then I sliced up some fruit. I used Cantaloupe, Oranges, and Strawberries.
Cantaloupe
Oranges
Strawberries
By the way, Eatwell's Strawberries are some of the most delicious I've ever had, and I grew up in California, which produces more than 85% of the US' strawberries.
What I noticed at a glance was how much smaller and darker they are than what you normally find.
Also, when I bit into them, their seeds were more pronounced than what I'm used to. Not unpleasant, but you notice them more.
I put the Lemon Verbena Syrup in a squirt bottle and hosed down the fruit salad with what may have been 2 tablesoons of it. I finished it by topping it with Goji Berries.
The extra syrup I think will make some fun cocktails, specifically, I think it would go well with gin. Both have that herbal/woodsy flavor; gin deriving its dominant character from juniper. I'll let you know.
photo by Dave Koch
My friend Terence, god bless him, makes oatmeal like clockwork every morning. He not only does it the old fashioned way (with steel-cut oats) but he does it with such panache, that he makes oatmeal something worth writing about.
Here is a short interview with him about his morning ritual.
Me: So what's the recipe?
Terence: Four to one: water to organic steel cut oats. Boil, then lower heat and simmer for 5-15 mins, depending on how watery you like your oatmeal. I do 5 mins, then leave covered for another 10 mins (I use water that is filtered 3 times with reverse osmosis then stored in a glass dispenser, I don't like the taste of plastic in my food).
Then I add raw almond butter (it tastes much better than roasted), dried tart Morello cherries (they help reduce inflammation especially for people with arthritis - take a handful a day for 2 weeks and you'll notice a difference, they sell them at Trader Joe's), banana, (I also use papaya, strawberry, boysenberry, peaches, or nectarines), and a little Grade B maple syrup (again, Trader Joe's, buy the one in the glass container its easier to pour the correct amount, and doesn't taste like plastic), and always... cinnamon.
Me: Why steel cut oats? Why not the oatmeal with the guy with the funny hat we all know and grew up with ?
Terence: Steel cut oatmeal leaves the oat closer to its original form. By leaving the grain intact it makes it a more complex carbohydrate so it passes through your body slower and doesnt turn to sugar as quickly as the flat 5 min stuff (garbage).
Me: Why organic, does it really matter with grains?
Terence: Since only hippies buy steel cut, most that are sold are already organic. The organic oats sold in the bins at most health food store are not that expensive, so its worth it to not eat pesticides.
Me: Do steel cut oats have oat bran? Remember oat bran from the 1980's? They were putting that stuff in everything! I think I even had some cotton candy with it at the county fair!
Terence: The more intact the grain is the more fiber it will have, and in general the less processed the grain is the more complex the carbohydrate.
Me: Oatmeal takes so long to make. What's the deal? Any tips to make it faster?
Terence: The grain takes longer to absorb water because it hasn't been mashed to pieces. There is nothing wrong with boiling it at night and leave it on the stove top, covered. Just reheat it in the morning.
Me: Remember when we were at the farmer's market and you got that huge box of bruised peaches for like $5? What other fruits are prone to having "blems" that the farmers are willing to part with, on the cheap?
Terence: Ask for the ripe bin at any farmer's market stand who sells fruit that bruises, you get the best, ripest tasting fruit for a quarter the price.
Me: What is the oddest thing you've put in there? Flax seed endosperm? Bee pollen? Fried grasshoppers? (Do insects count as vegetables?)
Terence: I also have put organic plain soy yogurt (I don't like the sugar infused one).
Terence's Oatmeal
(serves 2)
Bring 4 cups of water a boil, add 1 cup of organic steel cut oats. Cover, and simmer for 5-15 minutes (to your desired consistancy).
Meanwhile, slice a banana, a papaya, and an apple. You can use any fruit you have on hand but these three in particular go increadibly well together.
When the oatmeal is done, scoop it into a bowl and add the fruit. Next add 2 tablespoons of raw almond butter and sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon on top. Lastly, drizzle a tablespoon of Grabe B maple syrup.
Enjoy!
photo by Waldo Jaquith
From an unattributed joke email my father recently sent me:
Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride"
AND.....
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
photo by Antoinne von Rimes
Summer is almost here and that means that the pushers will be back on the streets en force. You can hear them clanging their little bells in their motorcars from hell, offering innocent little kiddies a fix of their favorite treat in a variety of addictive flavors. While uptown their parents dart into chic gelaterias and get a fix for themselves.
Yes, I am talking about ice cream, that subversive cohesion of cream, sugar, and (if you are a purest) eggs. The devil’s ambrosia designed to get you on the slippery slope to cane sugar servitude.
Ice cream seems so innocent, but it is the one addictive substance that no law has been enacted against. It is the one mood altering drug that everyone refuses to admit is illicit. And, it all began at childhood. What is the one (I’ll bet the first) treat your parents used as a tool to solicit your good behavior?
It was not cookies. Those were teething biscuits: machine stamped, sugarless, starch slabs designed to alleviate incoming tooth itch. No. The first true treat you got your little mouth around was a dose of the frozen demon dairy treat.
It was soft enough for you to gum, and a familiar taste. Familiar because they primed us with
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Stephen's Fancy Feast | ||||
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Stephen Colbert did again last night, making me laugh out loud in the dark, way past my bedtime. He told America about a recent study done by the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) titled, "Can People Distinguish Pâté from Dog Food?" I think this would be perfect for an Ig Nobel Prize...
This is pure science at its finest. Taken from the Abstract:
"Considering the similarity of its ingredients, canned dog food could be a suitable and inexpensive substitute for pâté or processed blended meat products such as Spam or liverwurst. However, the social stigma associated with the human consumption of pet food makes an unbiased comparison challenging.
To prevent bias, Newman's Own dog food was prepared with a food processor to have the texture and appearance of a liver mousse. In a double-blind test, subjects were presented with five unlabeled blended meat products, one of which was the prepared dog food...
The samples included:
- Canned Turkey & Chicken Formula for Puppies/Active Dogs (Newman's Own®
» good morning!! Bites + Bowls
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Storing coffee
GrillinFools.com: Smokin some Fatties, again, not those kind of fatties, and some grilled beans
photo by Antoinne von Rimes
I am the king of procrastination and delaying the inevitable. I am constantly doing things in half measures knowing that it would be best to do things the proper way the first time. And the sad truth for me is that this weak will to do the smart thing the first time leads me to accumulate a mountain of second rate things in my life. The biggest pile of junk I have is ineffectual culinary gadgets.
And, I love gadgets, but I always tend to gravitate to the less expensive option rather than just plopping down the cash for the better quality option first. I guess, I do this because I don’t have a lot of money to plop down in the first place and I am always skeptical of how much better the expensive option can be over the cheaper alternative.
This is why I have a battalion of useless to ineffectual knife sharpeners at my house. I do not mean steels. I am referring to implements designed to sharpen your knives, but in actuality leave you with a slightly less dull version of the previously very dull knife you had. I guess in the world of cause and effect, and advertising a less dull knife fulfills the contract of a knife “sharpener”. It does not, however, produce a knife which I consider sharp.
I never thought of sharp as a subjective term, but I guess it is because to me sharp means having an implement with an edge capable (at a minimum) of slicing through meat, and vegetables. I have quality knives (Wusthuff Trident) and have tried several gadgets to sharpen them, but they all produced a slightly less dull version of my already dull knives. That is, until, I bought a Diamond whetstone ($40.00) knife sharpener from my local hardware store, and sharpened my knives with it.
Now my knives are sharp, really sharp. I’m talking Tarzan, Crocodile Dundy, throw a strand of hair into the air and slice it sharp. I do not know why I waited so long to buy a whetstone. It’s like when you make an embarrassing mistake and you are too afraid to live up to it.
Like, say, if you got really drunk one night with your wife’s kid sister, and you make-out with her in some dark bar because her mouth makes that same funny smile her sister’s used to before it started yelling at you all the time about helping around the house with dishes and laundry and stuff. And you know you should tell your wife about the whole stupid thing, but you feel that would be even worse…for you. So you don’t say anything and walk around waiting for the day that she will find out and you will be forced to confess.
Well that’s the feeling of having a drawer full of useless knife sharpeners and knowing you should buy a whetstone, but you don’t and you continue to deal, live and operate with slightly sharp knives. It’s an awful feeling. But, once you have bought the whetstone and sharpened all your knives, scissors, flatware, and anything with an edge you can get your hands on, you feel so much happier and relieved.
Kind of like how you feel right after your sister-in-law goes through her Twelve Step Program and tells your wife about that night in April of ’07, and your wife slaps you, hard, and kicks you out of the house. For that one moment as you stand looking at the neighbor’s lights go on at 2 am, and seeing them all staring at you while you stand frozen on your front lawn in your underwear, hearing a police siren in the background, one octave lower than your wife’s never ending screeching at you: you are blissfully relieved that you do not have that “feeling” anymore. Only, this new “ feeling” last only until your wife’s lawyer informs you that your underwear is the only thing she intends to leave you with.
photo by Antoinne von Rimes
Eat more duck? I don’t know why we (Americans) don’t eat more duck. I just had a pan roasted duck breast with coca sauce, served on a bed of lentils with cipollini onions the other day at Citizen Cake here in San Francisco, and throughout the meal I could not stop asking myself why I don’t eat more duck. I love duck.
Duck has so much more flavor than chicken, and roasted duck fat and crispy skin surpasses that king of fatty delicacies bacon any day. And, I really love bacon. But, duck is another realm of sensuous eating pleasure. Duck is like an affair with an exotic beauty who barely speaks your language. Bacon is a fling with the hot bartender around the way.
Duck is never mentioned in those poultry scares. I cannot remember any duck recalls, bans, poisonings, or governmental white papers against it. The only thing we hear about is the whole foie gras flap. Is it cruel, or is it not cruel? If I were a duck I think I would say it is cruel to force me to eat when I do not want to eat, but if I were a duck I would also feel the evolutionary need to stuff myself silly for the long flight South and would feel it even more cruel if my keeper did not feed me all I crave to eat. Other than that duck is free from controversy (to my limited culinary focused knowledge).
So why do we not eat more duck? Expense? Hell yeah, that’s one reason. Duck is expensive here in the States. You may give the old chicken purchase the once around the brain and compare it to the cost of hamburger, but duck…that’s a stop and ponder this for awhile purchase.
Availability? Yeah, that is also a problem in most areas. You can’t just pop down to the market and pick up a fresh duck or duck breast. Well, I live in San Francisco, and I can go to Chinatown and have them slaughter the duck of my choice for me. If I was inclined to do that, and if my Cantonese was up to snuff to get it done. I assure you, I have not and it is not… so relax. But availability is a problem because the only duck you are going to find is more than likely whole and frozen, and then you have to plan, thaw and wait. Ok, duck seems really impractical now.
Treatment? This is the last obstacle I see with duck. Not the ethical treatment of them; although, that crosses my mind too. I mean how should you cook it? Should you butcher it and pan roast or grill the breast, and make confit out of the legs and thighs? Or, should you break out the bike pump and fan and Peking that sucker? That’s the dilemma.
If I was Chef Gary Danko I could turn it into duck breast prosciutto, but there is only one Danko and I am not he. If I was uber Chef Thomas Keller, I could create some dish out of duck that could revive the dead, but I am not Thomas Keller either. I am just an ordinary cook who loves duck and cannot get past the Expense, Availability, and Treatment of duck in order to EAT duck.
If I lived in France, I don’t think I would have this problem. I could buy fresh duck breasts, pay a bit more for it than chicken, go home and pan roast them, and use the rendered duck fat to fry some potatoes. I could eat duck at will, and then ponder why I don’t eat more pheasant. I’m still going to try and eat more duck.
How about you?
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photo by Chris Lightner
My wife Ari and I worked a little later than usual on Friday and both of us had a long week, so we were pretty set on dinner-in. Went to Whole Foods without knowing what we were going to eat. Scoping out the seafood section, we spotted some scallops, then checked out the meat department and couldn't resist the Aged Rib Eyes that were staring us down.
Our favorite cut is a Rib Eye - but what was difficult was whether to go with the scallops, or the meat. Why not Surf & Turf? We went with both. We actually bought 2 rib eyes to begin with, but when we got home and saw how much food we had, we quickly realized that 4 scallops (weighing over half a pound) and a single rib eye (almost a pound) was going to be PLENTY of food.
The other Rib Eye is now sitting uncovered on a plate in the fridge and will be turned daily until about Wednesday. This is a trick I learned from my buddy Sage, but have yet to try. It is supposed to be awesome.
Browsing the produce section for a bit, we decided to go with a couple large artichokes. We needed to make a decision quick because Ari's eagle eye had spotted the cheese samples from about 40 yds away...
For the wine, we went with a Pinot Noir since we had both red meat and shellfish on the menu. Pinots are my "go to" when I'm not sure what to pair with. You really can't go wrong in my experience. Of course I'm still learning, so all wine tips are welcomed!
Give the 'chokes' a 20 minute head start in the steamer. For the scallops, wrap them around with bacon and skewer them with a rosemary sprig. Set them aside. Start with heating a heavy cast iron pan (our "go-to" pan) by putting your stove on a medium-high heat. Once it is hot, sear the first side of the Rib Eye well, about two minutes. Give it a flip then turn the heat down a notch.
By now the pan should have plenty of juices and the scallops are ready to throw in. Give the scallops 2-3 minutes on each of the 4 sides to thoroughly cook the bacon. About 10 minutes total. When everything is done, flip the steak once more and butter the top to add a little more deliciousness as well as tie in something that you'd usually have with seafood (butter).
When you serve it, put a little extra dab of butter on the other side of the steak as well; that makes for more sauce to dip the scallops in. Ari whipped up some creamy balsamic to dip the chokes (mayo and balsamic). The wine had been poured and given time to breath, and we were ready to chow down. Awesome meal, and about half the price of going out - which we usually do on Fridays.
photo by Chris Lightner
We took an AMAZING trip to Italy last year and through the mastery of Animoto I was able to pull this video out of my pizza oven... One million "thank you's" to Russ and Avalon Hill for sharing their tuscan villa, Casa Helena, with us - we count the day until we can return...
I hope you enjoy it.
16 Ingredients: water, concentrated crushed tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, distilled vinegar, green bell peppers, salt, high fructose corn syrup, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate as preservatives, citric acid, chili powder, natural flavor, garlic, spice.
I'll have to say, there ARE 5 vegetables in here; however, there are also 3 chemicals that are both mysterious and difficult to pronounce. Let's review some of these chemicals (content is from wikipedia):
Xanthan gum - is a polysaccharide used as a food additive and rheology modifier. It is produced by fermentationof glucose or sucrose by the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium.
Sodium benzoate - also called benzoate of soda, has thechemical formulaNaC6H5CO2. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists in this form when dissolved inwater. It can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid.
Potassium sorbate - the potassium salt of sorbic acid. Its primary use is as a food preservative. Potassium sorbate is effective in a variety of applications including food, wine, and personal care.
In case you were wondering, no, the stuff doesn't taste very good.
Summer is just around the bend, and the smell of early evening BBQs (or as some of you say ‘cook-outs’), in the air is already abound. Good people, good food, good beverages, good times. While there always must be a meat, or a variety thereof to make a great BBQ, I love the sides, and one of my favorites is chili accompanied by cornbread.
It most recently reminds me of a 4thof July BBQ at my old greasy spoon house—no offense guys—on Bay Street in San Francisco, a fun day indeed!
Chili and cornbread for a BBQ you say? Yes, and here is why. It’s the perfect side for all of your favorite meats OR vegetables. Slathering chili on your burger or hotdog immediately adds a tremendous amount of texture and flavor, and if you stock up on some small bowls, it also makes a great starter.
A pot of chili can easily stay warm if you have a burner on your grill, or even in a closed container outside. Some of you might eat cornbread with the chili, but it can also serve as a desert, which is what I prefer. Nothing better than hot cornbread slathered in butter and honey. “More please!”
My favorite recipe for chili comes from my mother Pam "Pamcake" Wilkinson, who still makes chili every once-in-awhile when I come home and visit—especially for me. And for all of you folks like me who sometimes take the easy route in cooking, Mrs. Wilkinson’s specially-kept-unrevealed-until- today secret makes it a painless process—Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Brand Chili Kit.
And just like the saying goes, good things come in small packages, the only thing I’d add to that is, sometimes in small brown packages (as shown below). Carroll Shelby’s is usually available at your local grocery store, or you can order it online.
Carroll Shelby's Original Texas Style Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 package Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit (contains all of the essentials below):
- -1 chili packet for seasoning
- -1 packet of cayenne pepper
- -1 packet of salt
- -1 packet of masa flour for thickness
Option to add beans (I always do, and prefer white beans, although a can of kidney would work as well)
For chunkier chili, feel free to add canned tomatoes to taste
Instructions
Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain fat. Add tomato sauce and water. Add Large Spice Packet and salt to taste. For spicier chili, add cayenne pepper (small red packet*). Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve piping hot. Makes 5 servings.
*I like spice, so I always heat it up with the cayenne pepper
Hey history buffs, there actually is a Carol Shelby, and he’s a former race car driver that had a chili recipe named after him. If only we could all be so lucky.
And for all of you that are counting your calories, which I sure as heck should be, you can find calories and nutritional information here.
Other useful links:
Chili Appreciation Society International
Several years ago, Papawow founder and foodtellectual extraordinaire Dave Koch loaned me a copy of Tampopo, the 1985 Japanese Western/comedy about, well, noodles. I’m sure he meant well, but Tampopo ruined noodles.
I must admit that I haven’t seen Tampopo for many years now, so the details are a bit hazy. The essence of the movie is the woman Tampopo’s search for the perfect bowl of noodles. Various scenes describe the essence of a good bowl of noodles. It all starts with the broth. Having made broths, stocks, and soups before, I am fully aware of the time consuming process required to make a deliciously savory, but not-too-salty broth.
The noodles themselves are another critical component – be they udon, ramen, soba (generally reserved for cold soups) or another lesser variety, the noodles cannot be overly mushy or hard. They need to withstand the heat of the broth and the prodding of the eating implements (never a fork) without giving in, and at the same time cede to the tooth with a tiny bit of elastic resistance.
And then there’s the meat. I have had too many udons containing an overly fatty, thick piece of ham. I’ve had tempura prawns with instantly-dissolving panko, revealing naked crustaceans in a slurry of fry. Unacceptable.
The problem with Tampopo is that it leaves the viewer craving the perfect bowl of noodles. I have not, in the years since my viewing of Tampopo, achieved satisfaction. Unfortunately, my noodle experiences since that defining moment have left much to be desired.
Five minutes prior to writing these words, I consumed a bowl of noodles with dumplings – purveyor to remain anonymous – that left me craving something more substantial. The dumplings tasted like poultry seasoning without the poultry. The broth was empty, want of seasoning and excitement. And the noodles were flat, lacking personality.
One peculiarity of this vendor, which I have visited previously, is the over-abundance of vegetables in the soup. Rather than meat or fish broth, I end up tasting only carrots and sprouts. Today’s noodle dish was merely a ghost of something that could have been.
Perhaps my disappointment in noodles is a regional problem. I have not had a decent opportunity to sample noodles in Asia since my search began. The exception was a disappointing ramen bowl in the Singapore Airlines lounge of the Hong Kong airport.
Incidentally, the best noodles I had since Tampopo were from a Japanese restaurant in the San Francisco International Airport. I have spent many hung-over Sundays burning my tongue in a bowl of udon before departing to another place. The broth there is particularly invigorating, and it magically warms my body and alleviates my ailments.
The tempura shrimp often end up naked, but with the appropriate level of care one can negotiate panko and crustacean in the same bite. Despite the positive aspects of this airport miracle, it is still miles away from satiating my craving.
Tampopo initiated my search for the perfect bowl of noodles, and coupled with my search lays ceaseless disappointment. One day, I optimistically muse, my search will prove fruitful. Until then, noodles are ruined.
Tampopo in London
I stopped in my tracks one day when, walking down Fulham Road in London, I came upon a restaurant called Tampopo (www.tampopo.co.uk). What a clever name for an Asian restaurant, I thought, but Tampopo herself would not have been pleased; this is not a noodle shack focused on the perfect bowl of noodles.
Instead it is a multi-location Asian restaurant, serving “steaming noodles to soothe, slow-cooked curries and sizzling stir-fries full of goodness and flavour.” Sounds like goodness to me, but it does not sound like the end to Tampopo’s – or my – quest.
photo by Antoinne von Rimes
Halibut, I love Halibut so much that I eat it three to four days a week when it’s in season, and thank God it is back in season now. Halibut season runs from March until the middle of November. The span in-between I call hell because I am deprived of the luscious white, sweet, meaty treat called halibut.
I live in San Francisco and people here go on and on about salmon and Dungeness crab, ad infinitum…ho-freaking-hum. There is no salmon dish baked, roasted, steamed or raw that can come close to a basket of properly beer battered, deep fried, halibut.
The crisp, crunchy, golden brown exterior and the steaming hot tender fish inside is food porn to me. I want to close the blinds, conceal myself from prying eyes while I give myself over to this unmatched sin.
A drop of lemon or lime juice with the first bite, and then a dollop of my homemade tartar sauce with the second, and I’m half way to being spent. My deep fried Halibut is crisp and golden brown on the outside with white, nearly, luminescent flesh, shrouded in a mist of escaping steam on the inside.
My mouth knows it will be tender and sweet. It seduces me to take a bite. I bite, munch, and gorge. Before I know it, I end the evening sprawled on my couch, flakes of fried batter clinging to my face. A sudden rush of guilt washes over me…shame not too far behind. I pick myself up and tell myself I will have more self control next time…tomorrow
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photo by Dave Koch
We had dinner over at a friends house the other day and I noticed they use an $80 magnum (1.5L) bottle of "J" Winery's Brut as their doorstop. Granted, it was hot inside with all the cooking - but I thought this was so funny, I had to take a picture.
photo by Amy Koch
A fresh, simple, yet impressive dish for you and your loved one, or for entertaining guests. The beauty is in its simplicity; you only need 8 ingredients. This also takes less than a half hour to complete so you'll have more time to spend with the people you are with.
I made this to submit to SippitySup's Tomatomania contest. Oh! Be sure to use a white a wine that you will drink with it because you only need a little bit for the sauce.
Ingredients:
· ½ pound of medium shrimp, 12-15 shelled and deveined
· 3 large slicer tomatoes concasséd (peeled, seeded, and chopped)
· 2 cloves garlic minced
· ¼ cup basil, chiffonade
· 6 ounces linguine
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· Juice of half a lemon
· 2 tablespoons of dry white wine
· Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in sauté pan, add minced garlic, sauté for 30 seconds. Add concassé of tomatoes. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until tomatoes begin break down, then add 2 tablespoons of the white wine plus 1 teaspoon of salt and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta and cook according to the box’s instructions. In another pan, heat additional 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season shrimp with salt and pepper, and sear for 1 minute each side, squeeze lemon juice over shrimp, then add them to the tomato sauce. Let simmer in sauce for an additional 2 minutes to finish cooking.
Toss noodles with sauce and basil. Enjoy!
Serves 2.