Foodgasms

Make it a Great Day

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:21:53 -0700

A few years ago, when I was first starting along my path to fitness, I would take a walk every morning along the Thompson Creek trail. I wouldn't even call this a hike, especially these days. The grade is negligible, and the whole thing is paved. Given my fitness level at the time, though, it was a pretty good daily workout, sufficient to work up a light sweat and get my heart rate up for an hour or so. Nice scenery, fresh air, friendly folks out taking strolls.

Almost every morning, I would cross paths with this older gentleman, out walking his golden retriever. I never did catch the gentleman's name, but I believe the dog went by the name of Buddy. Both Buddy and his human always had an air of contentment about them. Comfortable in their own skin, and pleased as punch to be out walking. Buddy greeted everyone with a tail wag, and his human always had a smile and a few kind words.

His words to me were the same, every morning, but they have stuck with me to this day:

"Good morning, young man. Make it a great day."

Not "have a great day." MAKE it a great day. I only saw him for a few fleeting moments most mornings, but I had the sense that he practiced what he preached.

I have since moved onward and upward from that easy morning walk. I haven't stepped foot on the Thompson Creek Trail in years. My morning hikes have become much longer and more strenuous, and my fitness level is beyond what I ever dreamed it could be when I started on this journey. But I think of that old man and his simple morning greeting often, especially on days that threaten to suck, and I can often summon the force of will to make the day great.

One of these mornings, I'm going to go walk that trail again. I don't know if he and Buddy are still regulars. I don't know if he'd recognize me, 100+ pounds thinner, or if he'd even remember me if he did. But if I do see him, I will try my damnedest to let him know how much he has inspired me.

Roasted Beet and Orange Salad, with Goat Cheese and Pistachios

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:28:55 -0700

The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious. --Tom Robbins

I’ll say it again: take just a handful the best, freshest, local, seasonal ingredients you can find, and don’t screw them up. That’s the whole secret of creating a Foodgasm. With great ingredients, the flavors are there. Your job is to reveal, and never conceal, them. Eschew culinary obfuscation.

This one couldn’t be simpler. Beets (both golden and red) from my CSA box, wrapped in foil (skin on) and roasted in a 475˚ oven until they have just a bit of give. Leave them in the foil until they are cool enough to handle, at which point the skins will obligingly slide off, with just a bit of manipulation. Let them chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours (overnight is great), then slice. Peel fresh oranges (also CSA) with a sharp paring knife, cut in half lengthwise, then slice. Toss sliced beets and oranges together with a squeeze or three of fresh lemon juice (yes, CSA) then top with a bit of crumbled goat cheese and very roughly chopped roasted pistachios. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh black pepper.

A feast for the eyes and the taste buds. The tang of the oranges and lemon juice, the earthiness of the beets, the sharp creaminess of the fresh goat cheese, the crunchy pistachiosity of the pistachios... perfection.

CSA

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:06:56 -0700

Earlier this year, I read Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It would perhaps be hyperbole to say that it changed my life, but it certainly opened my eyes to many problems and concerns about our food supply (in addition to it being just a fascinating and entertaining read). As you can tell from this blog, I have long been a proponent of fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, primarily because they taste better and are better for you. Those remain the main factors behind my championing of such ingredients, but after reading Pollan and several other authors on the subject, I realized that eating local might just help change the world, one bite at a time.

I could go on at length about the broad environmental and societal benefits of breaking free of the supermarket (Type II diabetes, anyone?), but I’ll save that for another time (and encourage you to read Pollan, both TOD and In Defense of Food). Right now, I want to stress one particular aspect of eating local that has become very important to me: it puts me in touch with my food, and the people who grow it. For years, our entire food system has been engineered to commodify our food. Supermarket food is produced as cheaply as possible in huge food factories, which are, on average, 1,500 miles away from your shopping cart. I’ve been shopping at farmer’s markets for a while now, and I still think it’s a fantastic way to break free of the supermarket, but it was Pollan who introduced me to the concept of CSA, or Community Supported agriculture. CSA is a synergistic commitment between local farms and a community of supporters, which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food. CSA members help cover a farm’s costs by pledging to purchase a portion of the harvest. In so doing, members help to assume some of the costs, the risks, and the bountiful rewards of growing food. In essence, it creates a responsible relationship between people, the food, the land, and the farmers who work that land.

I joined a CSA last week (Inland Empire CSA), and I received my first box last Sunday, packed with deliciousness. I’m incredibly excited, and eagerly looking forward to my next box. Each week’s bounty will be different, containing food at the peak of freshness and flavor, and I love the surprise aspect of it (especially since there is virtually no produce that I do not love). Highlights of my first box include Sieltz tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, peaches, zucchini, basil, garlic, wildflower honey, fresh strawberry jam, and a medley of potatoes and bunching onions (see above), which (surprise, surprise) I promptly roasted:

I don’t know if I’ll break completely free of supermarket food any time soon, if ever. But I consider every bite of locally grown food to be a small victory for my taste buds, my body, and the world in which I live. I’ll take small, delicious victories any day.

For more information on CSA, or to find one in your area, check out LocalHarvest.

Bacon Pine Nut Brittle

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:11:12 -0700

This past Christmas, I made at least twenty pounds of pine nut brittle as gifts for friends and family, to universal acclaim. I even made a few batches of my Garlic Pine Nut Brittle, and while the acclaim was less than universal for that, it did make quite a few converts.

I gave away almost all of the brittle I made, but I did keep one batch for myself. As I crunched into the very last piece of this batch, it struck me that the brittle had a savory, almost bacony quality for it. The seeds of Bacon Pine Nut Brittle were planted in that moment, and the idea has been germinating in the back of mind in the ensuing months.

So, finally, I gave it a try. And the crowd went wild. The bacon flavor enhances the pine nuttiness perfectly, just as my brain buds had predicted, all those months ago. I used maple bacon, but I couldn’t really taste any maple in the final product, so it’s not essential.

And, as is the case with the earlier brittle recipe, it’s almost criminally easy to make, with a literal handful of ingredients.

Bacon Pine Nut Brittle

• 2 cups raw pinenuts
• 6 thin slices bacon, chopped
• 1 C sugar
• generous pinch of kosher salt (heh, kosher)
• ½ C light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. baking soda

(Note: As is always the case, microwave times may vary. Adjust accordingly.)
Starting with a cool frying pan, render the bacon pieces over low heat until almost (but not quite) crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon the a paper-towel lined plate to drain well. Reserve ½ teaspoon of the rendered bacon fat.
In a 2 qt. microwave-safe bowl (preferably glass, with a handle), stir together nuts, sugar, salt, and corn syrup. Microwave, uncovered, at high until mixture is light brown (approx. 6 min.). Stir halfway through.
Meanwhile, grease a cookie sheet with butter. If you have any nonstick foil, you can line a cookie sheet with that, instead.
Using oven mitts, remove mixture and add the bacon pieces and the ½ teaspoon of reserved fat, stirring well to combine. Microwave again for 1 minute. The mixture should become caramel colored (see picture).
Remove from microwave, add baking soda. Stir quickly until light & foamy and soda is mixed in. Pour mixture onto cookie sheet and use the back of a spoon to spread out as quickly as possible. (Brittle will be fairly thick.)
Let stand for 30 min. Break into pieces and serve. Can store in an airtight tin up to 2 weeks.

Grilled Butterflied leg of Lamb with Lemon

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:03:09 -0700

I’ve tried many preparations for leg of lamb, but this one is by far the biggest crowd pleaser. The lemon acts as a perfect foil for the rich sweetness of the lamb, balancing it beautifully. It also pairs deliciously with the cumin. The only other “secret” is to trim as much of the external fat as you can. Oh, and use the best quality lamb you can find, of course.

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Lemon

• 1 boneless leg of lamb, butterflied and trimmed of excess fat
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
• 2 teaspoons whole cumin, pan-toasted and fresh ground
• extra virgin olive oil
• 3 generous pinches of kosher salt
• plenty of fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup honey
• juice of 2 fresh lemons

At least three hours before grilling, trim all of the external fat from the leg of lamb, then butterfly carefully with a sharp knife. Or, if you prefer, you can have your butcher trim and butterfly it for you. I like to butterfly it so it’s reasonably even in thickness, but I’m not anal about it, because some variation in thickness is good, as you will end up with a range of doneness. Mash all of the ingredients except for the lemon juice in a mortar and pestle, then pour over the butterflied leg of lamb in a large ziplock bag. Be sure to coat all sides, and it let marinate at room temperature.   Grill to desired doneness, then remove to a platter to rest. Immediately squeeze the juice of 2 lemons over the hot lamb, and let it rest at least 15 minutes before slicing across the grain.

Roasted Veggie & Steamed Haricots Verts Salad

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:21:09 -0800

This one came to me while lounging in my hammock. I had already roasted up the parsnips and fennel, without any idea how I was going to use them. I thought of coating them lightly with dijon mustard, and this immediately made my brainbuds perk up. I’ve done a potato salad for years using dijon on roasted potatoes, and the idea of combining it with the sweetness of the caramelized parsnip and fennel really intrigued me. I wanted to brighten up the flavors and textures even more, though, which is where the idea of adding fresh, crisp steamed haricots verts came in. Finally, to top it off, I added the smokiness of roasted red peppers and the bright zing of lemon zest.

The end result is one of my favorite creations in years. I really love the balance of flavors and textures. Sweet, bright, smoky, crisp, creamy. Delicious.

Roasted Veggie & Steamed Haricots Verts Salad

• 1/2 pound haricots verts, steamed, refreshed in cold water, and roughly chopped
• 3 large fennel bulbs, roughly chopped
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped
• olive oil
• coarse salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard
• handful of roasted red pepper (jarred or fresh), diced
• zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 450˚. Coat the fennel and parsnip with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread evenly over a large shallow roasting pan lined with nonstick foil. Roast until caramelized, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. While still warm, coat the roasted veggies well with the dijon mustard. Fold in the chopped haricots verts, diced red pepper, and lemon zest, making sure everything is coated well with the dijon.
Can be served while still slightly warm or chilled, whichever you prefer.

Roasted Parsnip & Fennel Risotto Cakes

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 09:46:21 -0800

Last year, Christie sent me a recipe for a torta di riso (risotto cake) which has subsequently become a dinner party staple of mine. It has become the number one requested item for every party I throw, now. It is dazzlingly beautiful and mouthwateringly delicious.

One of the most brilliant aspects of the torta is that it can be made with virtually any sort of risotto. So, after making the original many times, I wanted to try a new creation. I had also planned on including roasted parsnip and fennel as a side, but when I was purchasing the veggies for that, it occurred to me that those flavors would meld beautifully with a risotto. I decided to puree most of the veggies until smooth, to add to the creaminess of the risotto and to fully incorporate the flavors into each grain of rice. I also wanted to try making several small cakes in muffin tins, rather than the original recipe’s one large cake in a springform pan.

The resulting dish exceeded my own expectations, and was a resounding success with everyone who tried it.

Roasted Parsnip and Fennel Risotto Cakes

• 1 pound parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 large fennel bulbs, roughly chopped
• olive oil
• coarse salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• ½ C. bread crumbs (I use Italian)
• 10 C. chicken stock
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmiggiano reggiano, plus more for garnish
• 1 bunch fresh Italian flatleaf parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 450˚. Butter each cup of a standard muffin pan, then coat each with bread crumbs, shaking out excess. Set aside. Coat the diced parsnip and fennel lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then spread in one layer on a large shallow baking pan covered with nonstick aluminum foil. Roast until golden brown and delicious, giving it a good toss every 15 minutes or so. Transfer all but a handful of the roasted veggies to a blender and puree, adding just enough chicken broth to facilitate pureeing. Set mixture aside.
In a 4 quart saucepan, bring the remainder of the chicken broth to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over low heat, and saute the shallots until slightly brown. Add rice and raise heat to medium high, stirring well to coat each grain with butter. Saute the rice until it starts to give off a light toasty aroma, then add the wine. Stir constantly until the wine is mostly absorbed/evaporated. Add a ladle or two of the stock, stirring constantly, then add the pureed vegetable mixture. Add the remainder of the stock one or two ladlefuls at a time, stirring constantly, letting each addition absorb almost completely before adding the next. Continue until rice is creamy and firm but not hard in the center. At the end of the cooking time, add the remaining butter, parmiggiano, fresh parsley, and the remainder of the roasted veggies, stirring well to incorporate.
Using a ladle or a large spoon, fill each muffin cup to the top. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight.
On the day of the party, preheat oven to 400˚. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. The breadcrumbs should form a nice golden brown crust. Carefully invert muffin pan to remove, then arrange on a platter. Grate fresh parmiggiano over the hot cakes, serve, and enjoy!

Roasted Haricots Verts and Fennel

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:04:40 -0700

I have a fondness for roasted veggies. You may have picked up subtle hints to that effect throughout this blog. In fact, if there is someone out there who loves roasted veggies more than I do, then they clearly are a freak and should be shunned accordingly.

However, it was only recently that I discovered the joys of roasting haricots verts. I have always simply steamed them, a preparation which I still do enjoy, in a pinch. However, as is almost always the case, roasting kicks steaming’s ass. It is more than a little odd that I hadn’t thought of roasting them before, because I probably eat more haricots verts than anyone on the planet, and I roast many similar vegetables all the time, such as asparagus.

Anyway, the roasting process imparts its usual array of miraculous transformations upon the humble skinny green bean, first and foremost among them being Caramelization. Can you hear the reverent tones in my voice as I utter the word? Caramelization. The greatest chemical process known to mankind. Taking the natural sugars hidden in the veggies and transforming them into Concentrated Golden Brown Deliciousness. Changing lead to gold would be dullsville, in comparison.

So, yeah. I have become a late-blooming roasted haricots verts devotee. And I love them in their simplest form, with just olive oil, salt, and pepper. But then I started thinking about possible flavor additions. I tried adding both lemon juice and parmiggiano at the end. Yum. And I was content with that, for a while. Until today, when I was struck by the idea of adding fennel to the mix. Fennel is probably my favorite veggie to roast, in a dead heat with parsnips, and I thought the flavor would marry well with the haricots.

Boy, did it ever. Much yumminess ensued.

Roasted Haricots Verts and Fennel

• 2 pounds haricots verts
• 2 small or 1 large fennel
• olive oil
• coarse salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• fresh grated parmiggiano reggiano
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 450˚. Give the fennel a fairly small dice, as the skinny green beans don’t take all that long to roast, and you want everything to achieve doneness at the same time. Coat the fennel and haricots verts with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread evenly over a large shallow roasting pan lined with parchment paper. Roast until the veggies achieve desired doneness. I like my green beans slightly al dente, but that’s up to you. Remove from the oven, then immediately squeeze half a lemon over them, along with a liberal sprinkling of fresh grated parmiggiano.
Toss, and enjoy!

Shrimp & Roasted Parsnip Crepes

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:22:48 -0700

This one has been marinating in my mind for weeks now, if not months. The original concept was to combine the crispy shaved parsnips with a roasted parsnip puree inside a crepe. My brainbuds were very intrigued the flavor and texture combinations. Since I wanted this to be a main dish, though, I wanted to add a protein. Shrimp seemed a perfect choice, both for flavor and because of its bite-sized nature. My mind’s eye loved the visual of heaping the shaved parsnips atop the crepes, but I also wanted them hidden inside, as a surprise, so I ended up doing both.

My crepes were made using Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb Baking Mix, a product that I have absolutely fallen in love with. It makes mouthwatering crepes, and the nutritional stats are jawdropping: 100 calories, 14 grams(!) of protein, and 5 grams of fiber, pitted against only 11 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fat.

Shrimp and Roasted Parsnip Filling

• 2 pounds parsnips
• 2 medium fennel
• half head of kale
• chicken broth
• 1 pound shrimp, raw, peeled, deveined, tail off (71-90 count)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Follow these instructions to prepare the crispy shaved parsnips, saving the inner cores. Set shaved parsnips aside. Raise oven temp to 450˚. Dice the parsnip cores and fennel bulbs into roughly equal sized pieces, coat lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then spread evenly on a large shallow roasting sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil. Roast in the oven until golden brown and delicious. Remove from oven and dump into a large stockpot. Cut the kale into ribbons and add it to the pot, then cover the whole concoction (just barely) with chicken stock. Simmer until the diced veggies and kale are tender, then puree with an immersion blender, adding more chicken broth if necessary to achieve the right consistency. Add shrimp to the puree and cook until the shrimp is just pink.
Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb Crepes

• 1 Cup Low-Carb Baking Mix
• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/4 Cup Milk
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Heat griddle to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat griddle with spray oil (or use a good non-stick griddle or pan). In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (Low Carb Baking Mix, baking powder). Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs and milk. Mix with a fork or whisk until blended, approximately one minute.   Pour batter onto heated seasoned griddle. Cook until bubbles form on the raw side. Flip and continue to cook until steam stops rising from crepe, approximately one minute per side.

Assembly

Lay a crepe out flat and spoon a generous dollop of the filling in the center. Cover with a handful of the crispy shaved parsnips, then roll up tight. Repeat with remaining crepes (though you will likely run out of filling before crepes; luckily, they are excellent left over, and work brilliantly with either savory or sweet preparations), arranging the filled crepes on individual plates or a serving platter. Top with more of the crispy shaved parsnips. Enjoy!

Couscous Salad

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:37:39 -0700

This is one of my all-time favorite salads for a summer barbecue or picnic. The combination of flavor, textures, and aromas is bright and refreshing. Even making it is a sensory joy, as the air fills with the fresh scent of cucumbers, lime, carrots, and cilantro.

Couscous Salad

•1 10 oz box couscous
•1 large English cucumber, diced
•2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
•1 medium red onion, diced
•1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
•1 bunch cilantro, chopped
•1 small red onion, or 1/2 a large one
•fresh lime juice to taste
•salt to taste

Prepare couscous according to directions on box, then remove to a large bowl to cool. Put the diced cucumber in a strainer with a few pinches of salt, let sit for half an hour or so to drain off excess water, thus keeping the salad from getting too wet (and giving the couscous time to fully cool). Combine all of the dry ingredients well, then add lime juice and salt to taste (you want enough lime juice to moisten the couscous completely, but not "soak" it). Enjoy!