Gourmet Food

Posted by Jacqueline Church

What's for dinner? Something quick, lean and tasty? How about buffalo?

In this week's post I share my intro to this native species that was nearly extinct. Why eat it then? Because by supporting the farmers who raise this buffalo, we are creating a market for its continued stewardship.

The folks at Wild Idea Buffalo keep grass-fed, free-roaming, hormone-free buffalo. They even harvest it sustainably. Read more about it here.

To learn about the Sustainable Harvest Alliance, see the website, here.

Posted by Jacqueline Church

First it was square watermelon, now aphrodisiac watermelon. I guess there's nothing left for the remarkable melon to do.

Posted by Jacqueline Church

I'm off to Alaska next week, judging the Taste of Cordova and touring the Copper River area, Prince William Sound and learning about the wild salmon fisheries. Copper River Wild is the annual festival and I can't wait to bring back what I'll learn while there.

Until then, here is a terrific new twist on this favorite technique. Shiitake Salmon en Papillote* created by Chef Jim Nuetzi of The Capital Grille incorporates interesting Asian flavors for a killer dish. Shiitake mushrooms, fresh ginger and star anise all come into play.

With all the debate, we can still make delicious and healthy, responsible choices. More soon on how.

For the recipe, email me here and I'll send it along!

* see my blog for the recipe. For more ideas, see this article.

Posted by Jacqueline Church

When I saw these popsicles in NYMag.I thought hey, they stole my idea...! Remember the Granita? It just goes to show you that when an idea has arrived, it has arrived.

Here's another idea; A culinary calendar. There are some fantastic classes and events, some of them once in a lifetime opportunities...really not to be missed if possible. How about cooking classes with master chefs, top restauranteurs and sommeliers?

The first Slow Food Nation event in San Francisco? Got it.

Or, if a wedding is on your calendar (and your friends are really special AND you're really rich) why not stock their newlywed pantry? This is Dean and Deluca (whose catalog is fondly referred to as food porn in many households...) going over the top, once again. Follow the link to fully stocked luxurious pantry. Everything here for the lucky couple setting up house. Artisanal oils and vinegars, Italian sauces and pastas, herbs, arborio rice, finishing salts, pure maple syrup and pancake mix...it even includes a canvas and leather tote for that time in the distant future when a shopping trip will be needed.

Posted by Jacqueline Church

This website for specialty foods by mail order also has an eco-friendly line of palm dinnerware. Besides the salmon recipe contest (ends June 20) there's a mushroom recipe contest that has closed, but TONS of recipes are posted on their blog.

Check out the recipes and let me know if you find a good one, besides mine of course...

Posted by Jacqueline Church

This Top Ten list from Reuters caught my eye. But maybe that's because I don't have much of a view right now. Top Ten Restaurants with a view, includes two in Dubai and one in Beirut, one in Tel Aviv, one in Turkey. Looking at the recent world events, I'm thinking that adds up to about 50% of the list being located in countries that carry US State Dept Traveler's Advisories.

Besides, my rule-of-thumb, based on my highly scientfic two-week sprint across the US with a soon-to-be-ex boyfriend in a VW in the early 80's. Actually, I gained more than one life lesson from that trip, And at least one food rule. The food related lesson has to do with the restaurants that advertise their view. Avoid them. 9 times out of 10 they're hawking the view because the food stinks.

What the US State Dept doesn't tell you in those Traveler's Advisories is that 11 days in a Jetta with a soon-to-be-ex boyfriend is much more hazardous to your health and his than a trip to the Middle East. But, if you happen to be visiting Dubai or Beirut anytime soon, please let me know how you found the view and the food of the restaurants recommended by Reuters. Maybe the rule needs amending.

The other life lesson involved the hubris of two young New Yorkers learning what it means when Colorado State Troopers tell you NOT to attempt a mountain passage in a certain amount of snow without chains or an emergency requiring passage AND chains.

The corrollary is that if the diner waitress tells you her dog threw up from looking out the car window down the cliffs on that pass, it probably IS pretty steep....

Posted by Jacqueline Church

After my travels recently, I'm ready for the armchair style. Comfort of my own home, my own kitchen, my own bathroom, my own bed. Yes, I know, I am the one mooning on and on about waking up in a new place and the thrill of the unknown sights, smells and sounds that await me. It's still true. I'm just spent. From Vancouver. to Seattle, to Monterey to New Orleans to Nantucket - jeez - this is sounding rather ridiculous to whine about....did I mention the last six days were with parents? Did I mention we live in a loft...okay, enough said.

If you're researching your next trip, or just in a dreaming about traveling mood, I highly recommend Everett Potter's newsletter and this edition has a delightful interview with the author of the hot new book "The Saucier's Apprentice" Bob Spitz.

If you really want to do the culinary travel thing, which I wrote about here, then why not read Everett's interview and pick up Bob's book for the plane ride. At least then you'll arrive armed with some knowledge of the non-culinary type that can help you sail through the cooking school experience.

Bon voyage!

Posted by Jacqueline Church

Some great new resources for going green, going blue and getting healthy.

You know I've just returned from Cooking for Solutions and I'm bursting with info to share. Here's a couple of quick hits:

Did you know that Weather.com has a new website with terrific science-based and myth-busting info on going green and learning about sustainable choices? Check out Forecast Earth.

Here's a great nutrition site - Kate Geazgan's ITNutrition.com Stay tuned for my upcoming interview with Kate and get ready for her book coming out in January.

Posted by Jacqueline Church

While watching Alton Brown dive in the Kelp tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I was reminded of Kombu. Kombu is a type of kelp the best of which comes from Hokkaido. It's use in making dashi or soup stock is becoming more widely known. It adds natural umami to dashi (or stock) and can be used to enhance the flavor of shrimp stock and more.

While listening to John Ash of Fetzer Vineyards in Hopland CA demonstrate how easy a delicious spring pea soup is to make, I was reminded of my stock tips. Not investment type but cooking type. Trust me, you don't want to be taking financial advice from me!

I always try to save shrimp shells for stock and to save stock in cubes in the freezer. Today's article offers trucs or tips and tricks from ways to freeze stock to two excellent techniquues for adding flavor depth with umami-rich ingredients.

Alton Brown often says "no unitaskers" and I agree. I share some of my favorite multi-use kitchen tips here. I wonder if he was harvesting a little umami-rich kelp while he was diving and doing his Darth Vader impression while teaching the aquarium guests around the tank about the importance of making sustainable seafood choices.

Posted by Jacqueline Church

Don't know what it says that I actually get and agree with the ex-hippies now leading major corporate entities applying some of my favorite corporate consulting principles to the issues of sustainable food...

I try to remind people to forget about New Year's Resolutions. Waste of time. Goals as vague as "eat better" have zero chance of being met. SMART goals are the way to go:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable, Agreed upon

Realistic, Reasonable

Time-based, TangibleSo, I watch and listen as Gene Kagn of General Mills talks about his hippie off the grid organic farmer days and his current role shaping the Global Sustainability policies of General Mills. What I like about what he has to say is this:He talks realistically not idealistically but sets Targets, Timelines, Goals and Measures. He talks about what his mistakes and mistaken assumptions and is willing to entertain a certain amount of criticism, while still sticking to his current beliefs about the good he is able to achieve from his current vantage point.Panelists including Gene talked about creating a true dialog and stewardship and understanding that "green" or "sustainable" is not an end-state but a dynamic state of continuous improvement. And many reminded us, that ultimately, food produced this way and eaten seasonally and locally JUST TASTES BETTER!I'm going to go have an organic or biodynamic glass of wine and think about tomorrow's agenda.