  |
|
|
|
Jacqueline Church's BlogPosted by Jacqueline Church Who can blame me? With a cup of Vialone Nano left and most of one carton of broth, some shallots and a new bunch of broccoli, it was clear what dinner was going to be. Did you know the story behind Risotto Milanese? In the 16C it seems, a young glass worker was teased for using saffron to color his stained glass that was going into the local cathedral. To get back at those taunting him, he threw saffron in their risotto. Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for us, the results were delicious. It occured to me that many people never try risotto at home laboring under the mistaken notion that it's very hard, full of cream or very time-consuming. Actually none of this is true. While risotto is creamy, there is no cream in it. It couldn't be easier to make and it only takes 15-18 minutes to make. So tuck in and raise a glass to that 16c glass maker. Grazie! Posted by Jacqueline Church When I wrote We Gain. We Lose. We Question Why. I wasn’t thinking about rice. I was reflecting on the denial of the right to marry for gay citizens in California. Thinking about how it must feel to be overjoyed at the election of President-elect Obama, simultaneously feeling shock about the civil rights setback. Writing about Koda Farms True Varietal heirloom rice, it occurred to me (and how could it not) that their family history is both unique and emblematic of other families. Especially Japanese families in this country, my own included. In my post-election essay I asked what my fellow Japanese citizens in the great state of California had done to ensure that no citizens were denied civil rights as they once were. Keisaburo Koda the patriarch of the Koda clan, like so many Japanese citizens continued to believe in his adopted country as a country of liberty. He stayed loyal to it even after being betrayed by it. He was instrumental in the founding of one of the first civil rights organizations in the country, the Japanese American Citizens League. He did all this after having his successful farm stripped of him, dismantled and sold, per Executive Order 9066. He ensured banking and insurance was available to other Japanese Americans. He became a citizen in 1954. And Koda's story and the story of the family farm tells us that we are a resilient nation of immigrants. Hard-working and willing to stay and fight for the rights that are theirs, to contribute to the welfare of others and to succeed on their own merit. Hopefully this history tells us that civil rights, rights of full citizenship are inevitable for our gay brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, children and parents. In a simple bowl of rice so much history, pain, comfort and joy. Posted by Jacqueline Church Chocolate - hot chocolate at LA Burdick is legendary for a reason. It's that good. Then there's the new upstart Taza which is fair trade, hand roasted etc. try the Mexican for your mole pleasure. Cannele are unique French pastry that are made in special molds and coated with edible beeswax. Amazing nutty flavor. Richart is the maker of our wedding favors and also the producer of some of the finest chocolates. Artisanal little hand painted cubes in architectural boxes. Flavors that include roasted, balsamic, fruity, and floral. They even do a made to order burlwood chocolate vault. It was on my luxe gift list last year. Ooh, gift lists. Better get cracking! Posted by Jacqueline Church Teach a Man to Fish - 2008 HighlightsIn this our second year, TAMTF has gathered:
Posted by Jacqueline Church Amuse Cochon Five Chefs, Five Pigs, Five Winemankers You love heritage pigs, you love wine, you love great chefs and food artisans. You are near or can get to Napa Valley. Have I got the overnight getaway for you! This event is called Amuse Cochon a play on the phrase Amuse Bouche, but heck I’ll take a pig (cochon) for an amuse bouche (French, literally translated to "mouth amuser"). Unable to attend or fulfill a role as a guest judge, I send along my best wishes for a rockin’ good pig party. I know it will be fun with Allan Benton, Peter Pahk, Chris Cosentino. What a fantastic line up! Now a little closer to home, Boston is slowly developing its own porcine head to tail culture. If you care about (check all that apply):
Then you owe it to yourself to check out these fine chefs and what they’re doing. Coast to coast pig. Who’s a happy girl? Taking a break from my sustainable seafood wrap up editing, I thought this is a good time to post on pigs. I recently had the opportunity to watch a suckling pig butchering demonstration by one of Boston’s finest butchers: Ron Savenor. Not only did this class benefit me but it made a donation to the Boston Public Market group’s efforts to secure a permanent public market. Caleb made a substantial donation to the efforts in the silent auction in order to procure this prize for me at their fundraiser during Morton’s Seaport opening party. Here’s a link to my post on the Hello Greenway event and the subsequent efforts to find out just what the heck is going on with the securing of the public market which was supposed to be agreed to as part of the greenway negotiations. Doncha love Boston politics? We got Wilkerson padding her bra in that disgusting violation of public trust and resources directed at her sting operation but something that would serve ALL the citizens of Boston, draw tourists to our city, support local farmers...it’s still “being studied.” Posted by Jacqueline Church You may have heard about the 1,500 miles a tomato travels to your plate. This article, my notes and research for it, have traveled more than most tomatoes. Heck this article has traveled even more than most people in the past two months. Oy. Hopefully, the news it brings you will help us cut our collective emissions enabling some sort of atmospheric and karmic offsets. Creating a Brontosaurus-sized carbon footprint, I recently flew to San Francisco to attend the Slow Food Nation's inaugural Come to the Table event. At Slow Food, I met local farmers, listened to experts in food policy. Spoke with activists and artisans passionately described their food values, choices about what to farm or produce and how. One of the ironies of my trip struck me when I was discussing the Low Carbon Diet with Katherine Kwon of Bon Appétit Management Company (BAMCo). Bon Appétit Management Company (or BAMCO) runs restaurants, cafes and catering in over 400 spots in 28 states. BAMCO has been at the forefront of sustainability issues for years. Recognizing that how food is produced, farmed, packaged, and shipped all add up. Bamco’s been recognized for its leadership on many campuses and its other venues. Numerous awards have been marked their success at improving food service practices, educating students and other consumers about the impact of our food choices. Read their blog here. I met Katherine, Communications Project Manager, in Monterey at the Sustainability Institute. It was there that I first learned of the Low Carbon Diet (LCD) program and tools. The Low Carbon Diet helps us leverage our buying power, guiding our food choices toward items that are healthy for the planet, as well as for bodies. It's interactive fun and good for us. Check out why here: Moove over South Beach Diet. Thanks Katherine, Helene and BAMCo! Posted by Jacqueline Church Okay, so convenience is there. No one has to touch garlic or wash sand out of parsley if they don't care to, but isn't that what cooking is about? I made swordfish using Rick Moonen's Fish Without a Doubt recipe (p. 166) and it calls for garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme. I could not have brought myself to squeeze garlic from a tube rather than mash it in the mortar and pestle. I took fresh garlic, mashed it anchovies, and thyme forming a nice paste. To this, red pepper flakes and oil were added, and the swordfish was marinated in the paste. Strong, fresh flavors. No preservatives, no sugars, no starches, no emulsifiers. I was making the emulsion with the mortar and pestle. The anchovy provided umami, salt. The herbs added great flavor, and the swordfish was delicious. Here's a technique for drying fresh herbs from Michael Vyskocil. Here's another method for keeping herbs: make a compound butter, roll it in waxed paper and place in the freezer. Newer ovens on the higher end (such as Bosch) have extremely low settings such for dehydrating herbs and proofing bread. Last year's end-of -summer garden herbs, dehydrated that way were spectacular! Read about Gourmet Garden herbs here in my product review. Does convenience rule over all else? Posted by Jacqueline Church Ouch -- my tongue looks awful and feels worse. I just got so caught up in the excitement of sharing a good meal with new friend David, old friend Joe, some XLB (soup dumplings), when aiyaaa....chomp. Now my tongue resembles ground beef. My penance was to write all night about really good food (with no ability to eat). Drinking cold iced tea. Hot liquid just opens up the wound. Trust me. So - remember what your Mom told you and please, don't talk with your mouth full. No matter how hungry or excited you are, how animated the conversation gets. Read here about this wonderful Miso Marinated Sablefish. And I also thought I should share my sustainable seafood finds and faux pas here: Tautog, Wolf Fish, Sablefish. It's getting close to back-to-school time. My 'most wonderful time of the year' and I'll be going back to school myself. Newman Farm University, where Berkshire pork is raised. They are Certified Humane and I'm eager to learn more about the abattoir (slaughter) practices, too. It will be tough but good to get an honest view of how a cute little pig gets turned into that delicious bacon, ham or salumi. See The Snail Issue 6 Summer 2008 for Marissa Guggiana's excellent article on The Art of Killing. Remember Berkshire? Kurobuta is its other name. Or how about Salumi in Seattle? They use Newman Farms' pork. Yes, I will be rounding out my porcine education this month. Stay tuned for more good swine. The schedule looks like it includes plenty of eating too, so I'll be rounding out more than just my knowledge. Let's just hope I can remember to not speak with my mouth full! Posted by Jacqueline Church The Familiar and the Unexepected Jose Andres is a fantastic chef and ambassador. With the black eye Spanish Olympians are giving the country, someone there should get out in front of the media and do some positive PR for the country with their culinary leaders. One of the things you see watching Chef Andres in a clip from ABC news. He speaks to how our knowledge of the world expands but our experience of it flattens out. We become unable to experience things the way a child does. Our capacity for joy is not gone, it's just dulled. Andres is el jefe when it comes to enthusiasm. This comes through in his PBS show. He is focused on reintroducing us to the child-like wonder in the world through food. It's what Chef Gabriel Bremer also does here in Cambridge at Salts, using new techniques to re-introduce us to famliar foods. My introduction to Ferrán Adrià was quite moving for me. I wrote about it here, catching the attention of Epicurious.com editor, Tanya Steel. Unexpected Paella is one of the dishes most commonly identified with Spain. One of the best parts of the dish is "socorat" the crusty rice on the bottom of the paella pan. People covet it. To my surprise, a recent paella in Boston had no socorat! Guests had complained of "burnt" paella so the kitchen stopped serving it done properly. The lesson: ask. Next time I'll give the kitchen the joy of cooking an authentic paella and I'll enjoy my crunchy bits. To read about my experience at a Spanish newcomer here, Estragon is Serious about Cachondeo. Posted by Jacqueline Church First our Noodles Rin: like angel hair. Seiro, smooth but heavier. Inaka, roughest, deliberately chewiest. This according to Frank Bruni reviewing Matsugen - the new soba shop in TriBeCa. "Shop" may be the wrong word, it sounds like more of a temple of worship. This spot is the lovechild of Jean-Georges Vongeritchen and Taka, Yoshi and Masa Matsushita. The Matsushita brothers run the kitchen. It was a conscious delegation of responsibilities Jean-Georges wanting to ensure a purely, Japanese soba experience, not simply a Japanese aesthetic experience. Natto in the dish? That's the real deal. This is one aspect of Bruni's review that strikes me as authentically Japanese: an unbending honoring of tradition. No California rolls. No dumbing down for the American customers. Matsugen: 241 Church Street (Leonard Street), TriBeCa; (212) 925-0202. Ribs for Republicans or Dems While PETA urges the Republicans to honor their elephant mascot's vegetarian ways and serve ribs of celery versus ribs of beef at their convention (as if!)...Virgil's Real Barbecue(152 West 44th) celebrates Woodstock's 39th anniversary with "Ribstock". Did I miss something? Were a lot of hippies BBQ lovers? I'd have guessed they were the celery rib types, if they ate at all...Go figure. Real ribs...Bison Ribs My first Bison ribs from Wild Idea Buffalo were fantastic. Further evidence that this heritage meat, humanely raised and slaughtered, grass-fed is a terrific alternative to beef. Try some bison y'all. Write me for a killer recipe for BBQ sauce and techinque! (Secret: father-in-law's sundried tomatoes replace ketchup as the base.) Posted by Jacqueline Church I've been really lucky to connect with some great blogs lately. Burnt Lumpia brings us Chicken Inasal which uses both Annatto oil and Lemongrass. 101 Cookbooks ran this Grilled Lemon-Achiote Tofu recipe, just when I was researching a reader's question about Chadon Beni. So it got me thinking, how many herbs, spices do we share with a diverse array of cultures? For example, culantro which is the chief ingredient in the Chadon Beni sauce I was locating for my reader, is also used in Puerto Rican Sofrito, as well as Vietnamese and Cambodian foods. Annatto seeds, which color Filipino Chicken Inasal, also lends color to Red Leicester cheese and Spanish yellow rice. Allspice is used in Jamaican jerk seasonings, is a key ingredient in chili and in my poaching and soup recipes. Some of the most beloved cuisines and food cultures are those that combine influences from so many traditions. Like Floribbean cuisine, New Orleans cuisine and Jamaican all share that in common. Coming together around the table, does it get any better than that? Posted by Jacqueline Church Even as recently as last week I told you about new frozen treats discovered at the cross-roads of science and gourmet food. One of my favorite scientists, Harold McGee the Curious Cook, often reveals the science behind our experience in the kitchen. He does so in a way that even a girl who skipped science after the 9th grade, for ever more, can understand it. Harold says cold is the new hot. Now we know that many people claim to taste differences in bottled waters. There's even a newsletter and blog about fine waters and their different flavor profiles and sources. I guess there can be terroir in wines, merroir in oysters, why not terroir in mineral water? Okay, even the Four Seasons hotel in Sydney is promoting a water bar. Now, it's ice. That's right, ice. Can you imagine your invited guests coming over for cocktails and bringing their own ice because they don't like yours? Apparently, this is the new frontier: Ice. We're not talking (just) about ensuring your ice has no "off flavors" picked up from the foods in the fridge or freezer. People actually are talking about boiling water to make ice without bubbles. And others are unhappy with crescent shaped ice, blaming it for shifting in the glass when they sip their beverage. Read this article, I like my ice just so and see why your guests may be showing up with their own ice. Mine is reverse-osmosis filtered so don't bring me ice from a lesser source please! Posted by Jacqueline Church Whether it's fresh heirloom vegetables from his own Salts Farm, or the memory of baking beside his Grandmother, or going to the market with her and grabbing piping hot bread from the Italian bakers; Chef Gabriel Bremer draws inspiration from many sources. He's one of an increasingly well-known cadre of chefs to come out of Cleveland. Michael Symon, Michael Ruhlman, Regan Reik, Dominic Cerino. Bremer's a big fan of new techniques pioneered by Ferrán Adrià, and now known as "molecular gastronomy" though Chef Adrià himself does not use that term. So how did this Food & Wine annointed "Best Chef" go from Cleveland's West Side Market, to cooking for the award winning Fore Street restaurant in Portland ME, to running the beautiful boîte of restaurant in Cambridge MA called Salts? Like many in the business, working in a restaurant was first a way to earn money for school. Soon he realized the restaurant, not the Conservatory, was where his heart was. Full scholarship or not! Some might raise an eyebrow at foam on the plate, but Bremer brings familiar flavors to his contemporary comfort food. He artfully uses new techniques to bring just enough surprise to the table that diners are able to find new pleasure in known dishes. Exactly as Adrià would do, without missing a beat. Read my Q & A with Chef Bremer for a fascinating take on new food, musical inspiration and what tastes like it came out of your grandmother's kitchen, foam and all. Posted by Jacqueline Church I met Chef Rick Moonen in Monterey. He's going to join Teach a Man to Fish this year and I can't wait! Chef Moonen's book, Fish Without a Doubt, embodies the same energy as he does: straight shooting, smart, fun, informed. You have the sense from Chef Moonen, and from his book, that this is a trusted friend you can come as you are, ask any question, and have a great time cooking a terrific meal. Allaying cooks' fears about fish in a natural way, he doesn't avoid any tough issues, just lays out the facts and moves forward. Fish whose stocks are depleted simply don't appear in the book. He also tells us which fish that are included, should be eaten judiciously. An early leader in sustainability - long before it was fashionable - Chef Moonen is an inspiration. Recipes, photos, resources, and tips are all here to make your intro to fish smooth and stress-free. If you need a little help convincing the family to try a new dish, Catfish Sloppy Joes is a sure bet. Clams and Chorizo (p. 283) is a great example of his style. Six ingredients, six steps, 20 minutes and you've got dinner for two or appetizers for four. See his website for more information. Join in the fray by telling me about your cookbook favorites and pet peeves, here: Cookbooks read, reviewed, reviled, recommended. Posted by Jacqueline Church The International Culinary Center introduces a new Recreational Division that will offer fun, hands-on courses for people of all ages and culinary skills at a fraction of the time and cost of a professional culinary school. For the first time, world class chef instructors will be offering classes for the public. You'll be taught in the same hands-on, immersion technique that they use to teach students enrollled at The French Culinary Institute. The introductory Recreational Division courses range from The Perfect Baguette to The Ultimate Thanksgiving Dinner to a special Cooking 101 series taught by chef, radio host and author, Michael Colameco. The courses-which cost between $150 and $395-- are single-session, classes that run three or four hours. For more information about course descriptions or enrollment, please visit see their website here. Hungry for More? Don't forget the up-coming, inaugural New York Culinary Experience, where you'll have even more in-depth, hands-on training from top chefs for a whole weekend of master classes. Read about it here. Posted by Jacqueline Church Cobalt Blue and Fabulous Imagine a very, very chic woman, dressed to the nines, jet black and cobalt blue hair. Like a cross between Coco Chanel and Chryssie Hynde - high heels, tailored pants, crisp white blouse. Oh my god. I wanted to follow her and just be in her presence. She’s more chic, turned more heads on her morning bagel run than I do on my very best date night. At half her age. Her stories, you can only imagine. I’m sure there are some amazing tales in that life. And stories are plentiful when you go to a Jewish Deli or Appetizing store. Even when you take an intro class on the world of lox. There are many reasons to go but just as many to visit their website. See Russ & Daughters. Buy, listen, watch, eat. The only thing you'll be hungry for is more stories. Took my niece and her boyfriend Paul with us to the Astor Center for a class with another recovering attorney, Mark Russ Federman (third generation). Little did I know when we invited Paul to take a break from studying for the bar, that we'd hear jokes about "the rule of perpetuities" in our lox tasting. Oy! Sorry Paul! Good Luck! Posted by Jacqueline Church Greenwashing is now in the OED Oxford English Dictionary. It describes the whitewashing of regular old PR and marketing with the theme du jour "going green". I've brought you news of the popularity of culinary travel and invited you to explore the paradox of being an "environmentally conscience traveler". Seems this paradox is still making headlines. Here's the latest news from Canada. Traveling to eat locally.Think about that for a minute. Eco - foodie- tours that teach you about the food cycle are climbing in popularity. Up close and personal with your food. Care to examine a big steamy pile of droppings on a hiking trail to see what the local big game are eating? Then later at dinner, see if you can discern their diet by the flavor of the meat? This may be extreme, but there are a couple of interesting facts tied to that experience...here's an interesting fact:
On Burgers, Sliders and "Hamburglers" I wonder if the OED includes the McD's term "hamburgler" in its recent lexicon updates. Seems the recent editors and writers cannot resist it. See the New York Mag here and the Improper Bostonian, too. If the Los Angeles Times is correct, and Americans are eating less fish*, maybe we're in for more burgled beef words. Wonder what the greenwashing will be on the carbon footprint of beef?
Coming up: The Low Carbon Diet. * this year's consumption is on the decline as against last year. Still, with our love of meat, we're just third in fish consumption behind China and Japan. Posted by Jacqueline Church Tonight it was purslane. It's more likely to be referred to as a weed, by many. This little green succulent superfood is going to be the next big thing. Tell everyone you heard it here first. Why the bold prediction?
So find a market that sells it, or ask your grocer to carry it. Better yet, find a gardener (an organic one please!) and offer to take some off their hands. Put purslane on your next sandwich. Toss it into potato salad. Steam it as you would spinach. Just promise you'll try it. You won't be disappointed. Hey, if Thomas Keller is serving it in his restaurants, what does that tell you? Posted by Jacqueline Church Of tools, tales and cucurbits. I've written about gadgets, tools, trucs tips. One tool I have not had all these years is an inexpensive one that gives great pleasure with very little effort. It can help wake you up, or keep a good night going. Guessed it yet? Bialetti Espresso maker. I never knew how easy it is to make a great cup of espresso. OMG life as we know it has changed. Well after an espresso, anything seems possible. How about a new cocktail? How about some Tzatziki? Lettuce wraps? Watermelon salad? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Take a look around and you'll find not one but three cucurbit related recipes lurking here. Cool as a cucumber, and rarin' to go! Posted by Jacqueline Church Not only did I get to tour a salmon cannery, talk to fishermen, conservationists and see a glacier calving, I was a guest judge in the Taste of Cordova. I dined on dishes offered by local cooks and chefs and we spent as many of our meals as we could sampling local fare. From sourdough to reindeer sausage. And then there was the salmon. And the moose. Home with a belly, head, and heart full. Good people, hard-working characters, fun-loving hosts to us city kids, they were patient as could be with our endless (many of mine foolish) questions. Where else would I be able to discuss how one shoots a 900 lb moose, butchers it, gets it into the boat and home to the freezer. With a woman, popping popcorn under a sign that says "honor system: 50 cents." After seeing her sign in the window of her shop, "Sue's Knives", "I got my moose!" I had to ask her about it. When would I ever get such a chance? So, what kind of gun do you use to shoot a moose? "A pretty big one," laughed Sue. Then she showed me her pictures. Unbelieveable, amazing. I have dined on moose sliders now, and have terrific homemade moose sausage in my fridge. A gift from the brother of our host. And salmon? Wait until you hear about the salmon. For now, read about how burgers are enjoying glory everywhere and peruse that gorgeous salmon menu. Posted by Jacqueline Church The Back Forty Boils Crab Let others debate the “sustainable versus local” issues. Anyone graduating past Philosophy 101 knows that “versus” is a nice construct for debate, but a lousy rule for real life. To quote Violet, in the Pulitzer winning August: Osage County, “The world is round, get over it.” To quote me, go see August. Now. Back to The Back Forty. Chef Peter Hoffman once redefining casual dining at Savoy takes the concept in a new direction here. He takes it to the farm. And he takes the farm to Alphabet City. Right in the Lower East Side Manhattanites can dine on farm-to-table meals and shop a small farm market in-house. He’s also bringing seasonality to the menu. From summer beef and corn to Maryland Crab Boil, diners can discuss with author Betty Fussell the issues of corn and beef. To a Maryland girl, nothing says summer like a pot of steamed crabs, a bottle of beer (okay, several) and a table covered in newspaper. Marisa, Paul and everyone else in NYC this summer, get over there now. The beloved blue crabs have been diminishing for a while now and the news is grim for their future. Get ‘em while you can, even if it’s in a Manhattan restaurant. 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 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 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 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 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 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: Posted by Jacqueline Church Hotel Casa Munras - renovated old Mission style property with award winning tapas style restaurant, Esteban. Last night's late check-in nosh: local baby squid, chorizo, potatoes, cherry tomatoes and arugula and three perfect oysters, one glass of albarinho. Walk through the town today to wharf. Forgot how loud seals can be! In maritime visitors center near hundreds of years old lighthouse with working mechanism old guy in sun shades telling less older guy about the "kid" who used to live across the street. Kid's job was tying down the lashes on the dirigible. One day, a huge gust caught the dirigible and all the guys got thrust off into the wind. He was the last one hanging on. Fell 800' to his death. Phew. Happy story, Pops, thanks. Today's infused water: orange and lemon slices, star anise, cinnamon stick and mint. Yummy. Posted by Jacqueline Church Don't forget to check my Technorati Profile newly linked here...doh! You can see what else I'm tracking and writing about there. On my way to Cooking for Solutions. Looking forward to what I'll be learning, rubbing elbows with chefs, stars, SlowFood mavens, conservations scientists, and more. Stay tuned ... Posted by Jacqueline Church It happens like that sometimes. You find yourself in the midst of coincidence after coincidence. Soon you're feeling almost as if you're in a house of mirrors. So it was with my recent trip to Seattle. Coming on the heels of a family wedding in Vancouver (congratulations Sharon and Dave!), my husband wanted to re-discover Seattle for the first time, together. Prior to leaving, we had just gorged ourselves on fine stone crab. Then, in Seattle, we saw terrific specimens everywhere. From Alaskan King Crab (careful) to Dungeness, to beautiful oysters. Pike's Place Market is a riot of fresh seafood and we couldn't resist going there every day. One morning when hunger was starting to fray our nerves, we stopped at Pure Foods and asked the friendly fishmonger, where he would go for lunch if he were not working. He thought about and told us to go to the restaurant 94 Stewart Street. He said "She's in here every morning and she's one of our toughest customers. You'll definitely get a good meal there." How right he was. Right across from the original Sur la Table, where I scored the perfect tongs, is 94 Stewart. Just take a look at their cheese menu alone. Of course we had crab there, too. Then the May Saveur Magazine features guess what: crab. See various types of North American Crabs here. On my way to Monterey for the Cooking for Solutions Event and it's seafood, seafood everywhere. Can't wait to share everything I'll be learning there.Top conservation scientists, award winning chefs, authors and foodies. And me. Wow. It's an amazing opportunity. Tomorrow, before I leave, I think I'll have a big, fat steak. Posted by Jacqueline Church Finding Japanese food in Chinatown Adventures, disappointments (aiyaa!), and sometimes - bliss. In our Chinatown most of the restaurants, even the Japanese ones, are owned and run by Chinese. There are relatively few Japanese in Boston, so if you're looking for real Japanese food, it can be a challenge. Discover our gem of a Chinatown. And speaking of real Japanese food, how many types of Japanese food can you name besides sushi? Have you dipped your chopsticks into Shabu Shabu yet? Boston is blessed with two Shabu Shabu restaurants: Shabu Zen and Kaze. Both are terrific. Both are run by Chinese. So what, you may ask? Well for one thing, I miss the traditional Japanese greeting "Irashaimase!" Joyfully greeting diners entering Japanese restaurants is traditional. It's a warm welcome that is delightful. Other things I miss: oshiburi - hot towels to clean your hands before the meal. Good, hot tea. There are a million little things that can get lost in translation. But let's focus on what works: the food! There is nothing more pleasurable than sharing a wonderful meal with good friends. Make the food superlative, add liberal amounts of sake/and or beer and you can begin to see what I'm getting at. Years ago I toasted my Mother not with the usual "Kampai!" but with my new Über-cool "Cin Cin!" picked up from South American friends. Mom blanched. Who knew cin cin is Japanese slang for penis? Imagine how much fun my brother had when I took him to a favorite watering hole and he toasted me, with "Penis!" In front of my regular bartender, to whom I'd just introduced him as my brother. Okay, so you've got the proper toast down. Now pick up the chopsticks or your little strainer basket and away we go... Posted by Jacqueline Church Truc: I never could find the word or an explanation for it in the cookbook in which I discovered it. Seem an odd editorial oversight to me, using a culinary term unknown to most and not defining it first. I checked with Merriam-Webster, Foodreference.com, a few other tried and true sources, and then gave up. In the recipes, the word "truc" preceded helpful notes on technique or timing. Nothing so dazzling that the origin of the mysterious term held my attention for too long. Then, I came upon an article on cooking schools and culinary vacations. We know culinary travel is here to stay. The article that caught my eye: A Cook's Tour in Provence. Linda Danneberg describes a six day tour of the French countryside, dicing and braising along the way. "Carole is a good-humored and accessible teacher, her recipe instructions punctuated with a wealth of helpful chef's trucs (technical tricks and tips.) We are juicing lemons..." Then she goes on to share the instructor's truc for juicing a lemon: slice at about 3/4 inch down, slice the flesh of the lemon into a tic-tac-toe grid, squeeze, juice, no seeds. Mystery solved: truc is a fancy-pants cheffie word for a trick or tip. Though I have noted the worrisome trend of cookbooks being "dumbed down" in 75th Anniversary of Joy of Cooking, it still seems we could hope for a balance. Enough guidance to understand the terms used, without having to explain that greasing a pan means only the inside. To learn about a unique cooking school in Ireland and a terrific book about a family adventure in food self-sufficiency read Culinary Travel Meets Slow Food. Both provide a host of trucs for traveling or homebound cooks. Posted by Jacqueline Church You think sustainable food choices and environmental stewardship have nothing to do with baseball? Nothing to do with food? If you serve over:
and other things like crab rolls, lobster rolls, fruit cups...on opening day alone... ...wouldn't it make a difference if your paper products were made of recycled material? What about the sustainability of the seafood? How local is the fruit? The potatoes used for 3,000 pounds of fries? How far do things have to be trucked to Fenway Park? What's the environmental impact now? Read about how the Sox are going green, and how sourcing and other practices make ARAMARK a leader, here. The Red Sox owners are making fans, community members and partners proud. Tip o' the cap to you, Sox! Posted by Jacqueline Church Okay - first things first: you know I loved, loved, loved the food at Momofuku. But the Big Brother complacency "surveillance is okay if it's only because our insurance company asks us to do it" bothers me. I cannot see anything good coming out of rolling over for insurance companies. Ever. And then there's the civil liberties erosion...you can read about the issue and the restaurant's response here. But let me get back to David Chang's food. It's pretty remarkable that any critic on one visit would issue a four star rating but this is exactly what Adam Platt of New York Magazine did. Whether it's Momofuku or Momofuku-ko...I say, go, go, go...just know someone's watching. Posted by Jacqueline Church Umami is the so-called "Fifth Taste" - discovered by a Japanese scientist some decades ago. Many chefs and home cooks alike know it, we've just never been vindicated until recently. Interesting how knowledge accumulates in culture... Anyway, the cool thing is that you can enhance the flavor of nearly everything you cook with a natural umami-rich salt. I wrote about it here and shared links to the favored cookbook by David and Anna Kasabian, The Fifth Taste. The Kasabian's recommend keeping these Umami-rich ingredients in your pantry, along with Eric's Umami Salt:
I'd add Marmite to the list. Swirl a bit into a soup for an instant additional depth of flavor. Eric Gower is a blogger, chef and writer to know. His Breakaway Cook blog has new posts regularly that include familiar dishes with new twists that add flavor in healthful ways. Try this Umami Salt as a way to add savory depth to your dinner. Similar to other finishing salts, this one adds a lot of oomph to your food. Posted by Jacqueline Church Momofuku-Ko or child of Momofuku, as we might translate it....lovingly and rapturously described here by the Wandering Eater. This is the latest love child of David Chang, head chef at the happy temple of pork. If my review singing its praises, or your perusal of Eater's dinner, don't have you drooling, then I can't help you. Just listen to the descriptions of the tastes, textures and the ingredients combining thrills with comfort. You can't beat it with a stick, or a rice paddle...leaves me wanting Mo-Mo-Mo... Posted by Jacqueline Church I couldn't help but point out that porn star turned author, Nina Hartley Sex Guide Author named Incanto as one of her favorite restaurants. I bring you this interesting little bit because I think it's good for her and good for Chris Cosentino. Also because, honestly, the Head to Tail eating trend is right in the cross-hairs of the ethical eating and fine dining dialog today. Chef Cosentino makes a very compelling case for offal as an ethical choice if not obligation and he shares my disdain for the pseudo-ethics of PETA activists. What about the strip club that caters to vegans, you ask? Hm...using naked women to sell veganism? Using tofu to sell sex? Vaginas and Vegans - let's just call it like we see it, hm? Even the New York Times is picking up this story. Well, let's just say I'm not going there any time soon. But I WILL get to Incanto next time I'm in the Bay Area and you should too. Posted by Jacqueline Church A new look at PGTips. I've written about the afternoon ritual of High Tea. PG Tips is a British favorite tea and tourists all over the world (even on the beach!). I've never been inclined to seek it out. One Monkey changed my mind. The company is seeking sustainability certification from the Rainforest Alliance. There's a cute little monkey in a heroic movie clip here. It's good news, put the kettle on and read about high tea, and what PG Tips is doing to make sustainability a reality. Posted by Jacqueline Church Sara Roahen approaches the world through food and drink, learning about a place and its people over a shared meal. In my experience, this is one of the truest ways to connect with people and learn about a place. I'm always very grateful when I'm able to share a meal with a new friend or a total stranger, as other people call them. Roahen's book, Gumbo Tales, is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with a city that is perhaps more important than any other to understanding the US, our people, and our culture. Jazz was born in New Orleans and the food rocked before "bam!" was invented. Emeril is just one of the many chefs who have donated generously and worked tirelessly to keep their beloved, if adopted, city's food on the map. There are culinary and hospitality training programs, an edible school yard and even a library branch in development to celebrate New Orleans food and food culture. To learn more about Southern Food check out the Southern Foodways Alliance and it's wonderful oral history project, as well as the rebuilding of a New Orleans icon, Willie Mae's Scotch House. Posted by Jacqueline Church I was tickled to note the observations of the New York Times critic were so similar to mine. From the music selection to the strength of the husband and wife team, he a chef, she a sake sommelier. Bruni used a set of criteria that included overall enjoyment, the experience, and of course, the food. Today's unveiling of Bruni's top two picks reminded me to revise my image of vegetarian. It's hard to do. Ubuntu, the restaurant coming in second to O Ya is about as glamourous as you could imagine and is vegetarian. Of course, the chef is not and neither is he averse to ingredients like butter and cream. As nutritionists will tell you, it's not about deprivation, but moderation. Choosing when and where in your diet you will have the tasty things that are really good for you and the ones that are just tasty. Take a look at the write up here where Bruni does his New Yorker's view of the world thing and explains his adventure. The standard by which all other places are compared, of course. Perhaps only Tokyo can argue the point (they have more stars). At least if you're counting Michelin stars. But that's a story for another day. It seems clear that fine food is not solely the provence of New York City, which must now acknowledge that Paris and Tokyo both are on the same map. To learn more about O Ya and omakase meals check my earlier posts. Here, And, learn about Omakase,here. Interesting to note that Tim Cushman trained under top Japanese chefs. Posted by Jacqueline Church Just in case anyone missed it, I wanted to humbly point out two hot spots getting much deserved recognition. If you haven't yet sent it to your foodie friends, send it now, show them you're in the know. Remember O ya and Cochon? O ya is our Boston new comer serves incredible sushi is in the running for the number one or two spot on Frank Bruni's current series on the top ten restaurants outside of NYC that serious foodies must try. I've been so lucky to have eaten so well recently, I'm practically still in a food coma. Head is full of ideas, desk is stacked with notes, clippings, books, more notes. I promise to start getting this out of my head, off my desk and to you. Til then, you can peruse a quick slide show I posted on my other blog here. And if you get a chance to see Bourdain's show on New Orleans, it's worth a viewing. Very interesting to see this episode before my last trip to Nola, then after. I'm glad he got some points just right. Other points, I'm defensive about the chosen portrayal of the city. Who knows how choices got made, by whom and what was left on the cutting room floor. Know this: the city is ready to show you a great meal or several great meals, each day for as long as you visit. There's still a lot left to do to help the city rebuild, but there are also lots of good people doing work that doesn't make the news. I'll do my best to bring you some of these stories here and on my own blog. For now, here's an article in a travel website that might whet your appetite. Posted by Jacqueline Church Vegetarian Cajun - didn't think there was such a thing. If I still have any readers left who are vegetarian or just not so enamored of pork as I, I want to (ahem) throw you a bone. On good recommendation from new friends (well, old friend and new wife) and adopted New Orleanians, Stacey & Dan. They introduced me to a local place called Coop's and shared their insights and reflections on their beloved city. I purchased this book at New Orleans |
