The Perfect Bite

Gluten Free Milestone UPDATED

December 22nd was a milestone in our home:  1 year since Darlene was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, hence 1 year since living gluten free.  Happy Anniversary to us!  Here’s what we’ve learned in a year:

 

1 out of every 133 Americans has Celiac Disease but 97% don’t yet know it.  If you experience chronic stomach problems ask your doctor to give you the genetic marker test.  A positive result means continue testing. (The antibody test can yield false negatives which was the case with Darlene.)  The gold standard for diagnosis is a deep endoscopy that goes into the duodenum.  

 

Celiac is an autoimmune disease.  Basically your body becomes malnourished because it's not able to get the vitamins it needs.  So, you would expect most Celiac sufferers to be rail thin...yeah, right!  According to Scott Adams at www.Celiac.com, 39% of Celiacs are overweight and 30% are obese.  Do the math - that leaves only 31% to be "normal" weight or underweight.  Not what one would expect.

When we made the announcement at home that we would begin eating GF our kids were quite unhappy.  What they didn't know is that most foods are inherently gluten free.  Meat, poultry, fish, dairy, fruits & vegetables are all foods we eat on a daily basis and they are all gluten free.  Good starches for Celiacs are potatoes, rice, corn & quinoa (well, we don't do quinoa in our house - we equate it with being vegetarian and Eric and is a staunch "meat & potatoes" guy!).  

So imagine our surprise when our son began stealing Darlene's food out of the fridge. He didn't know it was GF he just knew that he loved it, especially the P. F. Chang's Spicy Chicken off their GF menu.  Our 2 go-to takeout places are Chang's & Outback.  They both have great GF menus and are close by.  But Darlene doesn't trust most of the franchise restaurants because they only have line cooks who haven't been to culinary school and usually don't know what gluten is.  This works in our favor as we both love foodie restaurants anyway!

 

Living gluten free forces us to make more homemade whole foods.  A good example is BBQ sauce.  We had never bothered to make one from scratch before; now we find we can control all the ingredients for health, fat and caloric content.  Yes, your pantry will go  through a few changes but we’ve found those changes are for the better.  You'll get rid of the processed foods and use good quality foods that you can control.

 

Substituting gluten in savory recipes is simple.   If you are flouring meats or sauces just substitute rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, nut flour or one of the specialty gluten free all-purpose flour mixtures on the market today.  We take plain GF crackers and pulse them in the food processor to make panko - it's a cinch!

 

The texture and mouth feel/chew quality are different without the gluten. We personally have found that the best desserts are those containing the least amount of flour.  A GFcupcake often seems to have the texture of stale carrot cake – that doesn’t seem to be worth the calories!  But to be fair, we haven’t spent much time perfecting the technique of GF baking; we do, however, have every confidence that our daughter will perfect it for us as a culinary student.  So we tend to make desserts that require little flour like Darlene’s No Gluten Zone Brownies, which she created for Super Bowl 2009 (recipe below).  Now, brownies are not difficult to make gluten free - it's similar to a flourless chocolate cake which any chocoholic will tell you is rich in chocolate and increases your serotonin level by leap and bounds!

 
 No Gluten Zone Brownies

 

The same goes for pizza.  The crust will not have that same chewy mouth feel so we don’t try to emulate a typical pizza (tomato sauce, pepperoni, etc.)  Instead we opt for rich, savory ingredients.  Our fave so far is fig jam, caramelized onions, prosciutto & blue cheese. 

 

 

We never eat fried foods out.  The 2 times Darlene tried (even though she was assured everything was gluten free and fried in clean vats of oil) she was violently ill.  Taking the chance is just not worth it.

 

Become friendly with your neighborhood restaurants.  They are always willing to accommodate.  Our sushi restaurant, Katana, special orders jumbo lump crab to make special rolls for Darlene.  We bring in our own wheat free soy sauce (wheat free tamari) and mayonnaise and they add the appropriate spices so she can enjoy the special spicy mayo for sushi.  At Iron Bridge Wine Company Darlene pretty much makes her own meal by choosing the items on the menu she can have and they are always happy to accommodate.  And, at the revered Top Chef restaurant Volt, Bryan Voltaggio has substituted several items on his Tasting Menu to accommodate Darlene.

 
Specialty appetizer at Volt – only 1 item was substituted to make the dish gluten free.  Clockwise from bottom left: Beef Tartare, Tuna Tartare, Beet Macaroon filled with foie gras mousse, Sweet & Sour Macaroon filled with guacamole, Romaine Lettuce Macaroon filled with Caesar dressing.

 

When traveling be sure to bring snacks to keep you going until you can get real food: craisins, apples, bananas & nuts are all standard snacks that Darlene can easily slip in her handbag on the way to the airport or train station.  We also keep a box of GF crackers in the car so if we're at a restaurant that serves a "mean" cheese plate, Darlene has some crackers to complement it (life can sometimes be boring when "the cheese stands alone").

 

And, finally, we learned how to read food labels for hidden gluten, preventing cross-contamination of GF foods, and many more tidbits at www.celiac.com and www.celiac.org.

 

 

No Gluten Zone Brownies

6 oz. 70% cocoa chocolate bar

1 tbl vanilla

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup + 1 tbl gluten free flour blend (use your own favorite - I used Pamela's)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 300°.  Grease an 8"x 8" baking pan.

 

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook chocolate - if you are down to a few small chunks remove from heat immediately and stir until all chunks are melted and mixture is smooth.  Add vanilla and stir to incorporate.

 

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light yellow - 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer.  Add sugar and beat on low until thoroughly combined.

 

Add chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat on low until smooth.  Add ½ cup GF flour and mix thoroughly.

 

Mix chocolate chips with 1 tbl GF flour and fold into batter.

 

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool to room temperature before cutting into 2-inch squares.

 

Servings: 16

 

Snowmageddon

If you don’t live in the Mid-Atlantic region and haven’t been watching the news, then you are probably quite unaware that Snowmageddon is upon us…and isn’t done yet!  Where we are, between DC & Baltimore, we have over 3 feet of snow with another 10-20 inches forecasted for tomorrow night.  The snowbanks in our neighborhood are already over 5 feet tall…we don’t have anyplace left to put the stuff!  We can’t possibly get more!

 

 

 But more than Mother Nature’s plan for an area that is really unequipped to deal with such storms as they are few and far between, we are perplexed by the residents of the area.  This storm had been forecasted for a week – everyone knew it was coming and emptied out the grocery stores.  Yet, on Sunday, the 1^st day people could safely leave their homes, they ran to the grocery stores.  Our friends Becky and Kerry (who, incidentally are leaving for the Atlantis tomorrow and will miss the next onslaught of Mother Nature) ventured out on Sunday and reported that there was a major traffic jam at our grocery store.  What?  The shelves were empty on Friday, people, did you only buy enough food for 3 days? 

 

We were prepared.  We had done a complete week’s worth of shopping on Thursday, but did go back to the grocery store on Friday when we were informed that our teenage son was having a few buddies over for the weekend.  We knew one week’s worth of food wouldn’t be enough for even 1 night when growing teenage boys were involved.  On Friday morning the vegetable bins were bare, the store was a mess and out of many items. 

 

So here’s the real question:  Why did shoppers think the grocery store shelves were suddenly stocked when the highways were closed and there was no way for the food to actually get here?  He-llo!!!!

 

As we said, we were fine.  We shoveled, we cooked, we ate, we drank.  We enjoyed lots of wine especially our beloved Black Chicken and Le Bijou!  Plus, we enjoyed lots and lots of hot chocolate.  We love it spicy!  Our friend Terri was recently in the Big Apple and ventured to the 35^th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.  She enjoyed the house specialty – spicy white hot chocolate – while enjoying an aerial view of Central Park.  She raved about this sweet, piquant concoction and was ready to order another, but alas, she was kicked out because the Black-Eyed Peas were coming in and the bar would be closed to the public.  Fergie, hope your spicy white hot chocolate was Fergalicious!

 

 

 Perfect Sip – Quick Spiced Hot Chocolate

Make an 8-oz. cup of hot chocolate however you choose, homemade or instant

Add 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg and 1/8 tsp chili powder.

Add a large marshmallow and you’re set to enjoy!

 

One Branzino, Two Branzini, Three Branzini, Yum!

This post may be a little long today as we have much to tell you!

Branzino (a European sea bass) is one of Darlene’s most favorite fish.  We first had it in Italy back in ’88.  After that we were on a quest to find it in the States.  We searched high and low and finally found it at a Greek fish restaurant in the Fell’s Point section of Baltimore at a little place called The Black Olive.  It’s small, warm, inviting and the owners are just adorable!  Actually, they come from a long line of Greek restaurateurs.  One cousin is the brains behind the famed Estiatorio Milos  in NY, Montréal & Athens.  (If you go, be sure to get the Milos special appetizer, the tomato salad, and any fish you desire – you won’t be disappointed!).

 

Fast forward to our purchase of Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc At Home. 

 

 

For those of you who don’t know who Thomas Keller is – he is considered to be the true Top American Chef.  His restaurant The French Laundry in Napa Valley is widely thought to be the #1 restaurant in the country.  The kitchen sounds in the movie Ratatouille are authentic sounds made in the kitchen of The French Laundry.  We have eaten there once and, yes, it was an incredibly decadent meal in addition to being the most expensive meal we have ever had – but worth every cent!

 

 

Ad Hoc is Keller’s family-style restaurant, also in Napa Valley.  The corresponding cookbook features meals prepared at the restaurant and meals Keller prepares at home and boasts a section on How to Become a Better Cook.  It’s a great read, the pictures make you want to grab the food right off the book and eat, and the recipes are straightforward, though some can be time-consuming.  After our first perusal of the book, we immediately decided we’d be making the salt-crusted striped bass. This method of cooking fish is common in Italy and produces a really moist fish that’s perfectly seasoned (and it doesn’t stink up the house!).

 

So we headed over to Whole Foods where they only had small Branzini that day.  We bought 3 one-pounders, had the fishmonger clean them up for us and headed home to become Keller’s Mini-me’s. 

 

 

Aren’t they beautiful?  Don’t they look succulent and tasty?  Don’t you wish you could have some right now?  The fish was every bit as delicious as in any restaurant and the recipe was straightforward and simple even if we did have to adjust it a bit since we had 3 one-pound fish rather than 1 four-pound fish.

 

 

In any event, we hope you garner enough courage to try this recipe.  We served it alongside his broccolini salad with burrata cheese.  Add a crisp white wine like Santa Maria La Palma’s Aragosta Vermentino di Sardegna - light-bodied white, aromas of lemon and lime, goes perfectly with seafood; or Chahalem’s Inox Chardonnay (stainless steel tank fermented) – rich & full of light fruits, with a crisp, zesty finish.  We enjoy this wine all year long. Cheers!

 

 

 

Salt-Crusted Striped Bass

Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

 3 one-pound branzini – gutted, scaled, fins cut off

4 cups kosher salt

8 large egg whites

½ bunch flat-least parsley

fronds from 1 fennel bulb

1 lemon, sliced thin

1 small orange, sliced thin

evoo

 

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Stir together the salt & egg whites in a large bowl.  Make a layer of the salt mixture just over ¼ inch thick on a baking sheet.

 

Stuff the fish cavity with parsley, fennel fronds, and fruit slices.  Lay the fish on top of the salt mixture on the baking sheet.  Take the remaining salt mixture and cover the top of the fish entirely, making sure the fish are completely covered in salt.  Use a paper towel to pat the crust to remove excess moisture.

 

Roast fish for 30-40 minutes (turn the pan 180° halfway through cooking).  Insert instant read thermometer into thickest part of middle fish – when it reads 125°F remove the fish from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

 

To serve:  Using either 2 large spoons or a fish fork and large spoon crack the crust breaking it into large pieces and remove from the top and sides of the fish.  Remove the skin by gently rolling it off the meat.  The top fillet is now exposed and can be lifted right off the bone.  Next, lift the tail of the fish pulling toward the head to remove the skeleton. Lift the bottom fillet off the baking sheet.  A pastry brush can be used to gently brush away any salt that remains.  Drizzle with some evoo and enjoy.

 

Broccolini Salad with Burrata cheese

Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

 2 lb. broccolini, thick part of stalks removed

2 large Portobello mushroom caps, sliced thin

1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings

1 cup black Cerignola olives (or other cured olives) sliced

½ cup vinaigrette (your own choice, Keller used Sherry vinegar)

salt & pepper to taste

2 large rounds of burrata cheese (like fresh mozzarella, but loose & creamy inside)

evoo

sea salt (we used Sicilian)

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Prepare an ice bath (large bowl of water and ice).

 

Blanch the broccolini in the bling water until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking.  Drain on paper towels.

 

Gently toss the broccolini with 2/3 of the vinaigrette then place on a platter all lined up.  Gently toss the mushrooms with the remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle over the broccolini.  Sprinkle the onion and olives on top.

 

Place the burrata in a shallow bowl.  Cut away the top nub of the burrata and using a pair scissors cut an X into the top until you reach the creamy center.  Open the top slightly and drizzle evoo inside.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and serve alongside the broccolini.

 

Goin’ to Tuscany in my Mind

 
 

The snow has been coming and going for 2 months now.  Every time we think it’s gone Mother Nature tricks us and adds another pile on the ground.  If we can’t beat it we may as well just accept it and do what the cold weather people do: read by the fire, drink spicy, delicious, full-bodied red wine to help take the chill out of our bones, and put on the crock pot filled to brimming with a rib-sticking, hearty recipe to offer pure comfort.

 

Our choice of winter comfort food often leans toward Italian – namely ragu - a wonderful meat sauce typically paired with short pasta like penne or rigatoni. We did have penne in the pantry for the boys, but the only gluten free pasta we had on hand for Darlene was fusilli (not a good pasta shape for Ragu, but works in a pinch). 

 

We first learned to make this recipe 20 years ago when Darlene’s college roommate married an authentic Italian.  And, like all Italians, Pino could cook!  Through the years he’s taught us many dishes, but the ragu is still our fave! 

 
 

We usually make it in a large stockpot and cook it down for several hours on the stove.  Sometimes we take the lazy way out and put our crock pot to good use.  It doesn’t matter how you make it, it just matters that you do make it.  Ragu is a family favorite in our house – Grandpa can eat it every day.   So get your stove going, add a bottle of Barbera D’Alba (we recommend Elio Altare: fruit forward, soft tannins, long finish), freshly grated Reggiano Parmigiano, a vibrant salad with a crisp, clean vinaigrette and you’ve got all the makings for your next perfect bite.  Cheers!

 
 

 

Ragu

½ cup olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

4 large cloves garlic

2 lb. chuck roast

4 good size country style pork spare ribs

2 small cans tomato paste

6  28-oz cans San Marzano tomatoes, crush whole tomatoes with your hands

2 large bay leaves

2 tbl Italian seasoning (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano &  basil)

salt & pepper to taste

 

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat.  Sauté onion, celery & carrots with salt & pepper until lightly browned (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more.  Do not let garlic get too dark or it will impart a bitter taste.  Using slotted spoon remove vegetable mixture from pan and put in blender or food processor.  Pulse until mixture becomes a paste.

 

Add chuck roast and spare ribs to pan and brown on all sides…don’t be shy.  Once browned, remove meat and set aside.

 

Add the tomato paste and stir into the hot oil, in essence you are sautéing the tomato paste.  (At this point, all ingredients can go into crock pot.  If you are cooking over the stovetop, continue with the next step.)

 

Add the San Marzano tomatoes, bay leaves and Italian seasoning, stir, and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

 

Once simmering, add the vegetable paste and meat back to the pan.  Reduce heat to low and cover with lid slightly askew.  Cook for 2 – 4 hours until the liquid is reduced by half (or to your own desired consistency).  Be sure to stir about every 15 minutes…you don’t want it to stick otherwise it will be bitter.

 

Remove meat and shred with forks, removing any large chunks of fat.

 

This meal can be served 2 ways:

We add the meat back to the sauce and serve over pasta as a main dish.

True Italian style is to serve the sauce over the pasta as a small first course, then serve the meat as a second course alongside a vegetable like a sautéed rapini with garlic, then serve salad as the third course.

 

The recipe yields a lot, but we always freeze the remainder for another 1 or 2 meals.

For the Love of Farms

We love farmers’ markets.  If you’ve never been to one we highly recommend it.  It’s so much fun walking down the aisles looking at the gorgeous bounty of produce and home-baked goodies – even farm-fresh eggs. 

 

So when we learned about the Public Market Complex in St. John’s, Antigua, we just had to go.  We were curious to see how it would differ from those we’ve been to at home.  The Public Market is located at the intersection of Market St., Valley Rd., & All Saints Rd.  Across the street are the Antigua Fisheries and the Public Meat Market.

 

 

Located just outside is a massive bronze bust of V.C. Bird the former Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda.

 

The lively market is filled with noise and excitement; it’s open weekdays, but the best time to visit is Saturday morning when vendors from all over the island appear with local produce.  The colors, shapes & sizes are truly tropical!  The open-air market is bustling with activity as local residents come to do their shopping.

 

The streets around the actual building are lined with tables and carts overflowing with a variety of fresh and colorful Antiguan fruits and vegetables, specialty imported canned goods, clothing & crafts as far as the eye can see.  Everyone is friendly unless you have a camera, then they are suspect. 

 

The most beautiful display we found was a table filled with sorrel.  Our taxi driver Hillie told us sorrel is a dried hibiscus flower used to make a popular Caribbean drink during the holidays.  According to Hillie, sorrel tea has medicinal qualities and is loved by adults and children alike.  During the holidays, the adults add rum (what else?) to the tea. 

 
Gorgeous, colorful sorrel

 

She was gracious enough to give us her recipe though the measurements aren’t exact.  We look forward to trying it.  Cheers!

 

Hillie’s Caribbean Sorrel Tea

1 cup sorrel

1 tsp cloves

1 tbl minced ginger

1 cup simple syrup (1 cup water boiled with 1 sup sugar)

1 tsp orange zest (optional)

dark rum (optional)

 

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil.  Add sorrel, cloves and ginger (and optional zest).

Boil for 30 minutes then remove from heat.

Cover and steep overnight (or up to 24 hours – it will thicken as it steeps).

Strain the tea and add the simple syrup.  The consistency will be thick and syrupy.

Chill.

To serve:  for children add club soda

                 for adults add club soda and rum

 

McLaren Vale South Australia “Where the vines meet the Sea”

By Sharon Kneebone

 

In 1999 we returned to South Australia to visit my husband’s family and ring in the new Millennium.   For those fans of big, bold Australian red wines you most likely know that South Australia is home to the Barossa Valley and the McLaren Vale.  My in-laws live about 20 minutes from the beautiful Barossa and about 40 minutes north of the McLaren Vale.   We had been to the Barossa a couple of times and wanted to visit a different wine region.  We left the kids with Nana and Papa and headed south for a couple days away. 

  Sharon & Scott Kneebone

 

We stayed at the Inn at the McLarens, just down the street from the McLaren Vale Visitor Center. The Inn was the quintessential Aussie motel complete with inexpensive spacious rooms and a tin roof.  It was a great staging area to visit the vale’s cellar doors.  We spent the day sampling wines of the vale with a stop at Chapel Hill Cellar Door, a lovely sampling room set in a converted Australian chapel.

 

The Inn at the McLarens

 

One of our favorite wineries is Tintara, part of the Hardys family.  We purchased the Hardys world class Whiskers Blake Port there and have shared it judiciously with our close friends.  One of our favorite Shiraz wines is Tintara.  It is a full-bodied bold Aussie wine that is characteristic of the McLaren Vale region.  By far, our favorite wine maker from the McLaren Vale is Molly Dooker.  It is now widely available in the States and we’ve introduced it to all of our friends.

 

After a full day of touring the vale we had a wonderful dinner at the Barn Bistro.  One of the specials that evening was Kangaroo Steak cooked to perfection.  The Barn is a historic building housing a fine Australian Restaurant in the McLaren Vale. Far and away, my favorite site was cresting a hill with sloping vines to my left, a kangaroo bounding between the rows, and the sight of the ocean in the distance.

 

My favorite view – the ocean is off to the right.

 

The trek to the McLaren Vale is well worth the time, expense and effort.  Some of the world’s greatest Shiraz wines come from the area with an abundance of fresh Australian food.

 

"It is an ideal spot, and the ideal liquid inspiration, to try to figure out a way to live near this tiny piece of paradise between the voluptuous hills of wine
and the aquamarine sea."                                --The Wine Roads of Australia by Susan Gough Henly

Sharon and Scott Kneebone live in Baltimore, Maryland with their 2 children.  Besides Shiraz, they like lacrosse, musical theatre, and entertaining friends.

Soul Satisfying Seafood Stew

Can you say “blizzard”?  The Mid-Atlantic was crushed by a storm yesterday.  Now, for you folks living in very snowy sections of the world, our storm was probably pretty tame and laughable to you.  But for Maryland, this much snow makes everything come to a standstill.

 

 

Eric was out shoveling and snowblowing for several hours with our son while Darlene stayed inside and cooked with our daughter.  Yes, we know our roles were sexist yesterday, but that’s not always how it works out.  We are trying to teach our son to be more responsible and our daughter is in culinary school so the jobs just worked out that way.

 

We opted for a soul-warming bowl of seafood stew that was quite simple to prepare.  We used our handy-dandy crockpot - Darlene’s most fave kitchen electronic.  Last Christmas she got this one:

 

This is the “Gucci” of crockpots.  We do all of our sautéing, searing, etc. in the insert which is safe for the stovetop unlike the typical ceramic insert.  It really is one pot cooking!

 

Whipping up a stew in a crockpot requires a couple of quick steps.  Then put the lid on and go watch a movie, read a book, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate by the fire, check your email…you get the idea.

 

 

 

Soul Satisfying Seafood Stew

 

1 lg onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup evoo

½ cup dry white wine

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 cup fish fumet

3 cups vegetable stock

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped + 1 tbl minced for garnish

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)

1 lb. dry packed scallops

1 lb shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 lb. firm-fleshed white fish (such as halibut, mahi mahi, monkfish), cut into 2-inch chunks

1 quart oysters & their juice

salt & pepper to taste

 

Heat the evoo in a pan and sauté the onions about 5 minutes, until translucent.  Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. 

 

Add the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Put all items into crockpot and add tomatoes, fish fumet, vegetable stock & crushed red pepper.  Stir to combine.  Cover and cook on high for 2.5 hours or low for 5 hours.

 

Turn crockpot to high and add seafood and season with salt & pepper.  Cook for another 30-45 minutes, until the seafood is cooked. 

 

Sup on this elegant soup while sipping on the wine of your choice.  Ours - Ramblin' Red Cuvee One Second Ascent - a Merlot, Petit Syrah, Zin blend that's fruity, spicy and a little earthy.  The second glass is enjoyed by the fire...cheers!

December’s 1st Snow

In big broadcast markets like Baltimore and Washington, DC the TV weather personalities typically make 6 figures.  Who wouldn’t love that job!  When it comes to forecasting bad weather they are wrong somewhere between 50-65% of the time yet still make that money. 

 

The reason we are even discussing this is because yesterday’s forecast in the Baltimore-DC area initially called for light snow showers late in the day and during the evening with no accumulation.  Instead, the snow began around 9:30 am and didn’t end for most of the day – a veritable winter wonderland with a 3-4 inch accumulation.

 
Our deck railing last night

 

Our favorite thing to do during a snowstorm is hunker down at home with the fireplace roaring and a gorgeous smelling dinner permeating the house.  Yesterday’s choice:  3-bean chili and mâche salad with a creamy red wine vinaigrette and 2007 Altovinum Evodia Garnacha from Calatayud,Spain – just the way we like it…berries and spice and very little tannin and at a very inexpensive price.  We recommend you check it out.

Our 3-bean chili

 

Mâche salad with cucumber, tomato & feta cheese with our Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette

We love to vary our chili – sometimes we use 6 beans, sometimes we use turkey, or pork, or even the famous meatloaf combo (1/3 beef, 1/3 veal, 1/3 pork).  Sometimes we top it with sour cream, sometimes grated cheddar.  It all depends on our mood.  Eric and the kids are experts at cooking chili in a big cast iron dutch oven in the fire while camping.  It’s a cold weather fave in our house.

Sunday’s choice:  Cornish hens with gluten free cornbread stuffing, Becky's potatoes au gratin (recipe from our friend) and garlicky green beans & tomatoes accompanied by 2007 Villa Sparina Gavi from Piedmonte, Italy (we were in the mood for white).  It’s a fruit forward crisp, clean wine with a hint of honey.  Another affordable wine you should check out.

 

Cornish hen with cornbread stuffing on a bed of onions

 

 

Becky’s Potatoes Au Gratin are scrumptiously cheesy

 

Dinner’s eaten, kitchen’s cleaned up, time for that 2^nd glass of wine while we sit in front of the fire and plan out our upcoming week.  Cheers!

 
 
  

Viva La Señora

  

We entered Miami’s trendy Design District with oohs and aahs, glimpsing the high-end stores and high design window fronts.  We pulled up to a small building with umbrella-covered tables out front.  As we exited the car the aroma hit us full in the nose!  It was an aroma filled with promise that made us salivate.

 

Welcome to Sra. Martinez, the tapas restaurant owned by Chef Michelle Bernstein and her husband David Martinez.  Walking inside the 1920’s building (it was originally a post office) we felt like we had left Miami and had entered a small neighborhood restaurant in Spain.   Original wood floors, gigantic black plantation shutters, funky tile walls, marble bartops, cozy booths – all designed by Michelle’s sister.

We were seated at the charcuterie bar where Michelle was busily doing her thing.  As we sat down she hit us with a smile that lit up the entire room.  Let us just say that in person Michelle Bernstein is a stunningly gorgeous woman – TV and photos don’t do her true justice.

 

Okay…onto the food.  Like the ambiance, the food is hip and unpretentious.  Spanish wines comprise 95% of the wine list so we enlisted the Sommelier to help us choose.  She recommended Luna Beberide 2007 Finca La Cuestra (ruby red color, spice & tons of fruit) and we weren’t disappointed.  It was a great recommendation for the dishes we would try.

 

Quesos, Embutidos y Bocas (clockwise from top left) Cana de Cabre – semi-soft goat cheese; Valdeon Blue – combo cow, sheep & goat; Chorizo Cantimpalo; Marcona Almonds; Manchego – Spain’s version of Reggiano Parmigiano.

Of course we had to begin with a charcuterie and cheese platter.  We moved on to mussels and seared scallops.  As our culinary student daughter was eating the scallops she said, “I like how my knife just glides through the scallops.  It makes me so happy.”  From there we moved on to Korean-style short ribs and Butifarra – gigante white beans with foie gras duck sausage.  Darlene said, “I could eat Michelle’s version of franks and beans everyday.”  Dessert was a plate of homemade churros with chocolate sauce.  What’s not to like?

 
Mussels Al Ajillo  

Seared Scallops

Galbi Pinchos (Korean-style short ribs)

Butifarra (gigante beans with foie gras duck sausage)

 
Churros 

  

We cannot begin to tell you have much we enjoyed our meal.  We recommend you put Sra. Martinez on your foodie dance card.  We’ll be back!

 

Rock Star-Worthy Thanksgiving Sides

We’re continuing to try to get you to think outside the box and switch up some of your traditional Thanksgiving recipes.  Today, we’re focusing on side dishes. 

 

Typical sides include potatoes (white and sweet), a vegetable or two, and the quintessential cranberry sauce (Oceanspray makes it great…why mess with perfection?). 

 

We’ve compiled a few ideas for you to try.  If you’re a guest for Thanksgiving dinner this year choosing one of these recipes to bring will make you a rock star.

 

Our first recommendation is a must.  We had this at Farallon in San Francisco and have been serving it ever since.  Get frozen rolls unbaked.  Following the instructions, bake the rolls Thanksgiving morning so they are fresh.  Get several ramekin dishes and fill with softened butter.  Top the butter with Hawaiian Red Sea Salt.  Every time we serve this our friends go nuts…it’s addictive!  (You can find this Hawaiian Red Sea Salt at many places, but our favorite is from Napastyle.)

 

 

If you’re looking for a different potato idea we love, love, LOVE roasted red skin potatoes.

 

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

 

3 lbs. red skin potatoes, cut into quarters or halves depending on size

½ lb. bacon or pancetta (this is a special time to splurge on Nueske’s thick cut bacon)

2 lg. onions, cut into eighths (or use baby onions)

2 bulbs of garlic, separated into individual cloves (removing the skin is optional)

2 tbl evoo

salt & pepper to taste

another spice that complements your turkey’s flavor profile is optional

 

Combine all the ingredients together on a large baking sheet and toss well to make sure the potatoes and onions are coated by the oil.

 

Roast at 400º for 1 hour.

 

Roasted fingerling potatoes ready for the oven

 

 

 

Here’s a twist:

In the recipe above you could also substitute the red potatoes with fingerling potatoes or a mixture of diced Yukon gold and sweet potatoes. 

 

 

If you’re making mashed potatoes try kicking it up a notch by adding additional flavors:

 

Roasted mashed garlic

Buttermilk & chive

Roasted mashed turnips

Roasted mashed butternut squash

Roasted mashed celeriac (celery root)

Roasted mashed fennel

Caramelized shallots

Truffle oil

 

Here’s a great mashed potato tip:

According to Executive Chef Robert Carney of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in Michigan, you can cook and mash the potatoes ahead of time and keep them in perfect condition on the low setting of your crockpot for 3-4 hours.  But there’s a catch…the chef says “mashed red skin potatoes will not hold, use Idaho russets.”

 

 

For a truly southern twist try Grandma Duffy’s recipe below.

 

Grandma Duffy’s Famous Southern Sweet Potato Balls

 

3 cups cooked yams or sweet potatoes

¼ cup butter, softened

¾ cups light brown sugar

2 tbl milk

¼ tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

8 regular size marshmallows

2 cups cornflakes, crushed

 

Mash the yams or sweet potatoes.  Add the butter, sugar, salt & cinnamon. 

 

Scoop up ¼ cup of the potato mixture and wrap around a marshmallow (use more if needed to cover). 

 

Roll each ball in the crushed cornflakes. 

 

Put in a buttered baking dish and bake at 350º for 20 minutes until golden and crunchy.

 

 

We just love roasted veggies.  So when it comes to a big meal like this, we try to choose a tasty, simple veggie dish.

 

 

Roasted Veggies

It’s very simple.  Just take your veggie(s) of choice and toss with evoo & salt and pepper to taste.  You can always include an additional herb or spice to complement your turkey flavor profile.  Roast on 400º until the particular veggie reaches your preferred texture…anywhere from 10 – 30 minutes.

 

Asparagus

Brussels sprouts (this dish can make a Brussels sprouts hater into a convert!)

Butternut squash

Eggplant

Green beans

Bell peppers

Cherry tomatoes

Succotash – corn, green & red peppers & lima beans (frankly, even if you buy them frozen, roasting them gives the dish a whole new life.)

Zucchini

 

Some great tips:

The Garlic Roasted Potato recipe above will also work for many of the aforementioned veggies.

 

Drizzle a little 25-year aged balsamic vinegar over the roasted veggies.

 

Shave Reggiano-Parmigiano over the top of the cooked veggies.

 

Drizzle a little truffle oil over the roasted veggies.

 

 

As you can see the possibilities are endless.  Try something new this year and elevate your status to Foodie Rock Star.