Garlic Harvest 2013

"The Garlic Braider" c. 2012

Just a few weeks ago the estate gardener, aka the Daddy, brought in the 2013 garlic harvest, our third in as many years. Space for cultivation being at a minimum on our suburban property, and suffering the vagaries of hardpan-esque soil, he chooses to sow his garlic cloves in containers, assuring us a small but successful crop. Amid much admiration for his talents in the field, the manor house cook tries to utilize as many cloves as possible on a daily basis, in that inevitable race with spoilage. You may laugh, but the first year's harvest went off before it was used, mainly because the cook was convinced that the homegrown garlic should only be used for "special" recipes. Go figure.

If you are interested in planting your own garlic at home, our gardener recommends these instructions for growing garlic from Love Apple Farms, produce supplier to David Kinch's famed Los Gatos restaurant Manresa.

It has always been a perplexing mystery to the Picky Eater's parents how she, who long eschewed anything besmirched with strong flavors, has always adored garlic. From late childhood and beyond one of her favorite go-to dinners was her dad's abbreviated version of America's Test Kitchen's  "Pasta with Garlic & Oil." Take the original recipe (below), remove the red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese, and you've got the Picky Eater's minimalist version.

Garlic and "goujons" - what a tasty combination!

Pasta with Garlic & Oil (adapted from America's Test Kitchen: The Best Recipe)
Serves 4 to 6

6 TB olive oil
12 garlic cloves, minced (about 1/4 cup)
Salt
1 pound spaghetti or pasta of choice
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 TB chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup), optional

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.

Combine 3 Tb of the oil, 3 Tb of the garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt in a non-stick 10" skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring almost constantly until the garlic foams and is sticky and straw colored, 10-12 minutes.

Fill a large serving bowl with hot tap water, and let it sit to warm up. Add 1 Tb salt to the boiling water and cook your pasta of choice until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup of pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.

Off the heat, add the remaining raw garlic to the skillet, along with the red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon juice and 2 Tb of the reserved pasta water. Stir well or the garlic will clump.

Dump the water from the serving bowl and dry it. Transfer the drained pasta to the bowl; add the remaining 3 Tb of olive oil and pasta water. Toss pasta to coat. Add the garlic mixture and 3/4 tsp salt. Toss pasta again. Serve immediately, sprinkling with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

The Garlic Gala

Desiring to optimize our homegrown garlic utilization beyond pasta, we embarked on a weekend garlic gala, our domestic version of the famed Gilroy Garlic Festival without the beer consumption. With some festering chicken breasts from the freezer, an old favorite "Supremes de volaille en goujons, persillade" (Chicken breast strips sauted with parsley & garlic) was exhumed From Julia Child's Kitchen to accompany the garlic pasta, along with a "Southwestern Succotash" side dish from Gourmet (July 2005). Some amusement was derived from applying a blow torch to the chiles to remove the skins.

Don't try this unless you are a trained professional.

We decided to forgo a garlic tainted dessert and opted instead for a light and lovely variation of Deborah Madison's "Polenta Pound Cake" from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. If you don't have your own garlic harvest, pick up some cloves from the new crop at your local farmers market or reputable grocery store. (Chances are that outside of California they may even be trucked in from Gilroy.)

Supremes de Volaille en Goujons, Persillade
Serves 4
So many superlatives needed to describe these delectable morsels- buttery, crispy, moist, tender. Like fried chicken without the guilty grease factor.

Floured goujons about to hit the saute pan.

4-6 chicken breast halves, boned & skinned
2 Tb butter
2 Tb olive oil
Salt & pepper
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Cut the meat into slices about 2 inches long and 3/8 inch wide.  Lay them in one layer on a large piece of parchment paper or flat tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour to coat, turning to make sure that all sides are covered. In a small bowl stir together the chopped parsley and garlic cloves.

Melt the butter and olive oil together in a largish saute pan over medium high heat until foamy. Shake the excess flour off the goujons and put them in the saute pan. (Try not to crowd too many in, as they will start to steam rather than saute.) Toss and turn them frequently for 2-3 minutes until the meat feels springy instead of squashy and the flour exterior is golden brown. Toss in the parsley-garlic mixture and serve immediately.

Southwestern Succotash
(Adapted, skipped the cream and lime juice & added a few herbs, from Gourmet magazine, July 2005)
Makes 8 side dish servings


3 fresh poblano chiles (3/4 lb total)
2 Tb olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano (regular is OK)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups fresh corn (from 3 to 4 ears)
1 lb tomatoes, seeded & cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb zucchini squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tb slivered fresh basil
1 cup labne (thickened yogurt) or sour cream

Lay the chiles on their sides on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil, and broil in the oven, about 2 inches from the heat, turning so that all will sides char, for about 8 to 10 minutes. (Or, have a little pyromaniac fun and use a blowtorch.) Remove the pan from the oven and wrap the foil tightly around the chiles. Let them steam 10 minutes, then peel or rub off the skins and discard stems, seeds, and ribs. Cut the chiles into 1/2-inch pieces.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté the onion and red bell pepper, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, black pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the corn, tomatoes, squash, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook over moderately high heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender and have exuded liquid, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Just before serving stir in the basil and serve with labne or sour cream for dolloping on the side.

Lucky for these cakes that I had some random blanched almonds in the freezer!

Polenta Pound Cake
(Slightly adjusted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
Makes one loaf, serving 8-10 (or less at our house)

1/4 lb butter, softened, plus 2 Tb more for the pan
1 cup sugar
Zest from one lemon
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt (eat the rest with the succotash)
1/2 cup + 2 Tb cornmeal
1 cup flour, plus extra for the pan
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup blanched or not almonds, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 4x10" or 5x8" loaf pan with butter and dust it with flour.

Stir the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

Use an electric mixer to cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each, then add the flavorings and sour cream. Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until just combined. (I might consider doing that by hand.)

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and give the pan a sharp rap to remove any air pockets. Scatter the chopped almonds over the top and gently press them into the batter.

Bake the cake in the center of the oven until the top is firm to the touch and golden brown or a cake tester comes out clean, about one hour. Let the cake cool  for 10 minutes and then turn out on a rack to cool completely.
Delicious for dessert and breakfast the next day.

Mutant Produce

Being a big fan of of that epic tome How Are You Peeling? by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers, I am always on the lookout for fruits and vegetables that look like something more than what they are. While I don't spend hours scouring the produce bins at the local markets or have produce guys on my payroll to bring me likely subjects from Korean markets (a la the authors of Play With Your Food), I do take the time to purchase any mutants that cross my path and make sure that they are photographed before being consumed. I must say that it is undeniably painful to cut into a bell pepper with a profile not unlike that of the late great Bob Hope.

So, here for your viewing amusement and pleasure, is my menagerie of anthropomorphic veggies-

Two views of the "Bob Hope" bell pepper
June 2007 

Cactus caterpillar
Zion National Park, 2005

Siamese cukes
Found California Ave Farmers' Market, July 2013

Little Persimmon Face
Portrait by The Picky Eater

Mr. Potato Nose
Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, 2009

Two & three legged carrots
Procured California Ave. Farmers' Market, June 2013

A Carnivore's Delight: Grill-Braised Short Ribs

For your reading (and eating) pleasure, a guest post from my partner-in-cookery....

Looking good enough to eat!

As The Picky Eater's Daddy, it is my place to encourage the carnivore in us, even if vegetables do occasionally pass my lips.  As such, I am particularly keen on short ribs, which have risen from relative obscurity as restaurants have discovered that they can take what used to be trash meat and present it as a $28 entrée in many of the restaurants around here.  This same thing happened to Osso Bucco in the 1990’s and flank steak in the 1960’s.

I do enjoy beef short ribs, however, and the restaurant versions are usually very good.  This is due, I think, to their initially roasting the ribs (and perhaps the veggies) in a hot convection oven to really get them very well browned, then using very rich red wine with many added spices, with significant reduction of the braising liquid for service.  At home I have never been too happy with the usual oven versions.

The usual short rib recipe is to brown the ribs in a casserole (I use cast iron) on the stove top, brown some onions, carrots and the like on the stove top, then pour in the red wine and stock and braise in the oven.  This process does take ~3 hrs total, and, in the summer tends to heat up the house (no air conditioning in the homestead) and makes the place smell like braised beef for a couple of days (not such a bad thing, perhaps).

I have converted a roast pork recipe (a variation on Mark Bittman’s Pernil) and a roast turkey breast for the grill to be able to reasonably cook these during the summer.  I took it on myself to try the same thing with short ribs.  The impetus for this was a recent America’s Test Kitchen (Cook’s Country) recipe for grill-braised pork, where pork shoulder “steaks” were grilled first, then braised on the grill in a BBQ sauce concoction, then grilled briefly at the end of the cooking to put on a bit of glaze.  It occurred to me that the same treatment could be used for short ribs.  There is little about this on the web, a couple of recipes using stout or beer, but no traditional red-wine based braise that I could find quickly, but there are some precedents, see for example sausage maker Bruce Aidel's Fine Cooking Magazine article on Barbeque-Braising.

The key to these recipes is that the grill does a much better (and less messy) job of browning the meat than frying in oil on the stove top.  This is probably due to the moisture in the meat being quickly evaporated on the grill, allowing higher surface temperatures on the meat, resulting in better browning.  Additionally, some added flavor is likely imparted to the meat during this grilling.

As browned vegetables are usually used in the braising, I also grilled these after the meat, again generating better flavor in the vegetables (onions, carrots, chili, and celery) than is easily accomplished on the stove.

To get more flavor in the meat, it is marinated in a mixture of red wine and spices, in fact in the same braising liquid that is to be used later.  This helps flavor the meat and also combines with the meat juices during the browning on the grill.  I don’t think the exact measures of the following ingredients are very important, in fact, none of this was measured at the time, so use your best judgment.  Be a bit careful with the salt, however, as eventually the reduced braising liquid will be used for the sauce, and much of the salt will remain in this concentrated liquid.

I balked at the initial price of $6/lb for the short ribs at one mid-range market, but found them in a local Chinese grocery for $4/lb.  God knows what Whole Foods charges.
Thus we have:

Grill-Braised Short Ribs

5-8 lbs beef short ribs as desired
1 disposable aluminum roasting pan, to fit ribs and veggies snugly in a single layer
1 bottle red wine, something robust, I used a cheap (but drinkable) zin-cab-syrah blend out of a box (Target Vintner’s Blend, 2011 as if it really matters)
1 large onion, sliced or quartered
2 large carrots, cut in half the long way
2 large celery stalks, cut in 6” lengths
1 mild chili pepper, such as poblano, seeded and cut in two lengthwise
2+ cloves garlic
2+ tsp black pepper
1 Tb salt
1+ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder or cayenne or both, as desired

Put the ribs and all of the spices in either a large heavy plastic bag or container, and add enough red wine to just cover the meat and massage briefly to mix.  Let sit in the refrigerator as convenient, say 3-6 hrs.

I use a large covered charcoal grill, so light up a chimney of charcoal, or run a propane grill relatively high until ready for action.   Place the coals on one side of the grill to leave room for the braising off direct heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and start to grill, letting each side (or, well, most of the sides) brown very well, a few minutes per side depending on the heat level.  No reason to hurry here.  Occasional fat flare-ups seem to enhance the flavor. While doing this, transfer all of the marinade to the disposable pan and start to heat it on the grill towards boiling.

When finished grilling the meat, transfer the meat to the pan in a single layer, and grill the vegetables over the coals until also quite browned, a few minutes per side.  Add the vegetables to the pan and make sure the liquid comes up at least 2/3 of the way over the meat, as the liquid will cook down some during the braising.  If more liquid is needed, add more red wine or chicken stock (never water).

Place the pan over the hottest part of the grill and heat until boiling, then either turn down the grill or move the pan off direct heat.  Cover the pan with heavy aluminum foil to reasonably seal the pan.  The heat should be regulated to have the liquid bubbling slowly, for about 2-2.5 hrs.  You can peek after an hour or so to make sure the liquid has not evaporated.  If so, turn down the heat some or add some additional wine or stock.  Once you think it is going well, leave it alone with the cover closed.  With a charcoal grill, the heat will naturally reduce over time, which is not really a problem with this sort of recipe.  The picture shows the ribs at the end of the 2.5 hr braising.  This is what you are looking for.

When done, transfer the ribs to another covered pan and strain and de-fat the braising liquid into a sauce pan.  Reduce the liquid by around half, tasting for salt, which can be added at this point if necessary.  This liquid should be strong and very flavorful.   Serve the ribs with some reduced sauce, perhaps over garlic mashed potatoes or polenta.  A young syrah is a good match for this sort of thing, but pretty much any good, rich red wine will do.  You went to all this trouble to cook the meat; have something worth drinking.  I had a 2009 Provenance Cabernet Franc, which was very nice, thank you.

I simultaneously cooked a ~2” thick boneless chuck the same way, which turned out pretty well, but without the maximum flavor of the short ribs.

Summer's Bounty: Fruit (& Vegetable) Desserts

We were gifted last week with the bounty from a friend's garden. Happily, it sent me into a frenzy of recipe experimentation, with some nods & some nays (mostly nods). As the intelligent individual that I am, it only makes sense to me to start with dessert. Here's what we've got to work with- strawberries, rhubarb, peaches and zucchini. And here's what we got-
Strawberry Cake
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
A Martha Stewart recipe via Smitten Kitchen which I "improved" with the addition of some almond extract and ground toasted almonds that I had laying around (festering as the Daddy would say.) They added a pleasing texture and taste complexity to the cake. I found the strawberries on top to be visually unappealing, but the baking melted them into a jammy consistency which was a quite nice finale for the top of the cake. I am tempted to try it with blueberries, which might look a little more attractive after baking.This is one of those desserts that is good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner- if you have any left.

6 Tb butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pie plate

1 1/2 c  all-purpose flour 

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp table salt

1 c plus 2 Tb granulated sugar

1/2 t almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 c milk

1 c ground toasted almonds

1 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour a  9- or 10-inch springform or cake pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. (The butter & sugar may get stuck repeatedly on the sides of your bowl. If this occurs- it's very annoying! - move on to adding the egg mixture, and beat until fluffy then.) Mix in the egg, almond extract, and vanilla, beat well. Add the dry mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until just smooth. Fold in the ground almonds.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Arrange the strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the berries.

Bake the cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake the cake until it is golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given.) If the cake hasn't browned much on top but is baked through, brown it under the broiler, watching like a hawk to make sure that it doesn't burn!

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a rack. Unlatch the sides of the springform pan and unmold the cake. Cool completely on the rack, then use a cake spatula to loosen it from the pan bottom and slide onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges to serve. Serves 6-8.

Stewed Rhubarb & Berries

Trust me, for better or worse,
I don't look like her!

(adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten- she uses a combination of strawberries & raspberries; I went for 100% strawberries and skipped the addition of Grand Marnier.)

This is an Ina Garten recipe.  I have scrupulously ignored her cookbooks, which I realize are idolized by millions of fans, for two silly reasons- one, when I was in the hospital after surgery in 2006 the old lady who was my roommate told me that I looked like her; and two, because her recipes always looked too simple! But, as a novice rhubarb cooker, in this case simplicity was a good idea. I love the contrast between the citrus and berry flavors, but I'm not quite sure what happened to the rhubarb. I enjoyed this for breakfast topped with a spoonful of labneh, thickened yogurt cheese.

2 lbs fresh rhubarb, cut into 3/4" pieces
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2/3 c water
2 pints strawberries, hulled and cut in thick slices
1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 c freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)

Put the rhubarb in a 2 quart saucepan, along with the salt, sugar, and the 2/3 cup water. bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender and starts to fall apart. Remove from the heat and stir in the strawberries and citrus juices. Serve warm or cold with some sort of white dairy accompaniment (yogurt, whipped cream, ice cream, etc.)

My rhubarb was a little green- but it tastes better than it looks.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake (adapted from the King Arthur's Flour.com recipe)
Our number one zucchini cake is the Zucchini Orange Cake with a fresh oj glaze, but I was in the mood for chocolate...... Using cocoa instead of bar chocolate means that the chocolate flavor here is not as intense as in my brownies, chocolate chunk cookies, etc, so I recommend a higher proportion of nuts and chocolate chips to guarantee lots of melted chocolate and crunchy nut goodness in every bite!

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, plus more to grease your pans
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt (I used nonfat Greek yogurt)
2 1/2 cups flour, plus a little more for dusitng the pans
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional but it deepens the chocolate flavor (you can use finely ground coffee beans)
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 to 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously butter and flour either a 9" x 13" pan, two 9" round cake pans or three 8"x4" loaf pans.

Cocoa can be lumpy,
so it's a good idea to take the time to sift the dry ingredients.

In a medium size bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat the butter, oil, and sugar, until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, ground coffee, and the eggs (one at a time).

Stir in the sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt alternately with the flour mixture. (I did this part by hand.)
Fold in the zucchini, nuts, and chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s). if using more than one pan, fill them about 2/3 - 3/4 full.

Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, for a rectangular pan, 45-50 minutes (at least) for loaf pans; until the top springs back lightly when touched, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out coated with crumbs, not gooey batter. Because of the varying dampness of the zucchini, be patient and bake the cakes until they are absolutely done (but not overbaked.) Mine took 75 minutes(!) in loaf pans.

Let the cakes cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, and then turn out of the pans onto the rack to  cool completely.

Roasted Peaches with Amaretti Crumble 

(adapted from a recipe by Cindy Mushet in Bon Appetit, August 2009) I have wanted to try a recipe like this for decades. I seemed to recall seeing it in one of the Marcella Hazan tomes, but a cursory search was unsuccessful, so I resorted to you-know-where.

These got mixed reviews. While quick and easy to throw together, they seemed a little blah, striking too few flavor notes and had a low crumble to fruit ratio for my in-house unbiased taste tester. (Not the Picky Eater, but sometimes just as picky.) I liked them with my new favorite dairy product, (again) full-fat labneh, but decided that they really did need a third contrasting dairy flavor, albeit nothing too sweet. In my researches, I discovered that David Lebovitz has a recipe for Peach & Amaretti Crisp both on Epicurious.com and in his cookbook Ready for Dessert, which I will try as soon as some dessert storage opens up and we each lose five pounds.

 

6 amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons)
3 Tb whole almonds
2 Tb unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tb sugar
4 Tb chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus more to butter the baking dish
3 firm but ripe large peaches, rinsed, wiped clean of fuzz, halved, pitted (make sure they are a freestone variety- no one tells you that!)
Vanilla ice cream or another white dairy accompaniment (see Rhubarb above)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Combine the cookies, almonds, flour, and sugar in a food processor. Using on/off turns, process until the cookies and almonds are coarsely chopped. Add  the chilled butter to processor. Using on/off turns, process the topping mixture until moist clumps form.

You could just stop here and snack on the topping.

My grandmother's (vintage) melon baller.

Use a melon baller to gently deepen and enlarge the pit cavity in each peach half. Place them, cut side up, in the prepared dish. Push a generous amount of the topping into the pit cavity of each peach half. Spread more over the surface (about 2 generous tablespoons for each), mounding the topping and pressing lightly to adhere it to the surface of the peach, leaving a 1/4-inch plain border.

Bake the peaches until tender when pierced with knife and the topping is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve with scoop of vanilla ice cream or dairy accompaniment of choice alongside.

The Picky Eater’s Picks: Favorite Cookbooks (In no particular order)

Blogger's note: Recommended recipes will be added as they are approved in our test kitchen.

Nature by Alain Ducasse

Why?  Beautiful, fresh, Mediterranean recipes, mostly vegetable based.  Slightly more intricate and fancy French than most of my other favorites.  Also a fan of the interspersed ingredient format—the colors are beautiful, and the ingredient list in the recipe saves you from constantly having to look up the amounts of things.

The Picky Eater’s Picks: Summer Vegetable Gratin with Basil, Pan-Fried Chanterelles with Almonds and Lemon, Socca with Nicoise Style Vegetables

Japanese Farm Food, by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Why? “Naneth (the Picky Eater's obscure term of affection for her mother), this book is awesome!  I want to eat the whole vegetable section”
There’s also a chart that explains what Japanese cooking methods can use for what vegetables, so if you have something lying around and don’t know what to do with it—look there.

The Picky Eater’s Picks: Salt-massaged Cucumber with Miso and Sesame, Spinach with Walnuts and Miso, Simmered Kabocha and Kombu, Sake-braised Shimeji Mushrooms (and the rest of the vegetable section).  White Peach Ice Cream brings back memories of Rome.

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, AKA The Bible, AKA Awesome

Why?  Do I really need to explain this one?  It has everything.  Everything works, and is wonderful, unlike another “Everyone/thing” book I could name……

The Picky Eater’s Picks: Provencal Winter Squash Gratin, Sauteed Mushrooms with Spinach and Pepper, Chard Stems with Saffron and Tomato, Winter Greens with Fennel and Mushrooms

The Art of Simple Food  by Alice Waters

Why?  The ULTIMATE first cookbook.  Beautiful, simple, classic, everything I miss about cooking at home when stuck in the produce black hole that is Pittsburgh.  Read this cookbook, don’t just flip through it.  You can learn so much.

The Picky Eater’s Picks: Ratatouille of Grilled Vegetables, Wilted Chard with Onion, Green Pea and Asparagus Ragout, Angel Food Cake

The Picky Eater's Restaurant Picks: An Occasional Feature

The Happy Eater lifts a celebratory grapefruit spritzer.

No doubt about it, the Picky Eater has a penchant for Michelin starred restaurants. But, of course, only those which meet her personal specifications- vegetarian, preferably locally sourced ingredients, with food so good that it's worth starving all day to save calories for dessert. Her latest find, her mother must admit, is a gem- Sons & Daughters, located in San Francisco just a few blocks toward Nob Hill from Union Square.

You are served a set seven course tasting menu with thoughtful vegetarian alternatives for non-carnivores. Wine pairings are suggested for each course, and the Daddy & I shared one. He was so enamored of the Easton 2010 'Monarch Mine Vineyard' Cabernet Franc that we were served with our lamb that he has a friend who is heading to the Sierra foothills picking up a case for us.

The restaurant's produce comes from their Los Gatos garden which, in addition to fruits, herbs, and vegetables, includes an orchard, snail farm (?), chicken coop and beehive. The back side of the menu lists ingredients from the garden that you might be eating that night.

Menu annotated by Ellin

Here's what the Picky Eater has to say about Sons & Daughters herself:

The food: Dishes are works of art.  Interesting, unusual combinations, but everything tastes pure and just divine. Not as "out there" as Manresa but good use of acid, dairy, farm produce.
The decor: I love the space-- small, but uncluttered, and it feels comfortable.  The last time we went there it was abosolutely beautiful with the May evening sun coming in the windows.
The wait staff: Staff is helpful but not... impersonal, the way they kind of were at Manresa.

I find her assessment pretty much right on. I love the aesthetics- from the gray (my new favorite color) tablecloths to the mismatched handcrafted serving vessels to the series of homemade mini-breads- buckwheat toast, pretzel rolls, sourdough- that are brought between courses. Every dish is like a little (and truth be told they are little, this is not a restaurant for hearty eaters) surprise; a combination of tastes, textures, and visuals that I never would have come up with in a million years. I have eaten in quite a few restaurants that aspire (and fall short) of accomplishing this, but Sons & Daughters hits the mark with ease. But, don't take my word for it. Feast your eyes on these glorious Picky Eater photos and click over to Open Table to make a reservation!

Buttermilk chip amuse-guele with trout roe

Roasted baby beets (loved the accompanying
fried onions & pickled mustard seeds)

Sea urchin, Delta asparagus  & smoked bread (veggie version sans sea urchin)

Gnocchi & morels with pea tendrils

Lamb shoulder, seared artichoke & fava beans

Dessert #2- Geranium ice cream with huckleberries & white chocolate mousse.

The Picky Eater's dad says that I must mention what all this sensory delight will set you back- $98. per person, and $68. per wine pairing. Don't gasp! The way we look at it, we would rather eat one meal at Sons & Daughters than five at (y)our local chain restaurant., and that is how we do business- cooking and eating at home and springing for fabulous meals when we travel or for special occasions. It was big foodie news recently, when Sons & Daughters has chosen to reduce their tariff from $114 in line with their reduced food costs.

Sons & Daughters

708 Bush St  San Francisco, CA 94108

(415) 391-8311
http://www.sonsanddaughterssf.com/

Ta-Da!! The Perfect Hard-boiled Egg

Undeniably perfect!!

While my immediate family members may scoff, managing to consistently boil the perfect egg, pristine in its bright white & yellow purity counts as quite an achievement in my book, especially after decades of trials and tribulations in the hard boiled egg department. Any egg boiler, experienced professional or neophyte knows the signs of a badly boiled egg- the bumpy exterior from challenges while peeling and the dull lemon colored yolk with a dark grey-green shadow rim, both of which make an egg unacceptable for stuffing and beg to be chopped for egg salad with a smidgen of curry as a color brightener.

May I speak of egg boiling disasters? The worst in my personal experience took place in my early catering days, three dozen of the ugliest stuffed eggs I've ever seen, two frantic cooks, and one very dissatisfied customer. A bomb all around that put me off hard-boiled eggs for years. (And my husband, less than enamored of stuffed eggs, wishes that the attitude had been permanent!) Then there are the Passover seders with bowls of peeled eggs in salted water, naked and looking like they had been birthed through barbed wire. Double yuck.

And do what or whom do I owe my new found success? None other than the goddess of compulsive cooks everywhere, Mme. Julia Child, whose instructions I had passed over for many a year because they included suggestions like pricking each egg before boiling (sure to crack open for me), boiling them a 2nd time for precisely 10 seconds, and chilling them in ice twice- first for 2 minutes and then again for 20 minutes. Sounds like way too much work for me! But, I finally caught on to her basic cooking method, and that, plus another truc, are the secrets to my success-

Brown eggs! they always speak to me of Old MacDonald and all things fresh and wholesome,
no matter how long they have been in the refrigerator.

#1- Sorry to say it, but you cannot in my experience successfully boil fresh eggs. According to internet experts(?) they must be at least two weeks old to avoid peeling problems. Another reason to always have a dozen extra eggs stashed in the back of the refrigerator!

#2- My official recipe
Place your eggs in a saucepan and cover them with 1" of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water is at a rolling boil, cover the pan and pull it off the heat. Let the eggs sit covered for exactly 17 minutes (better set your timer!) After the 17 minutes is up, immediately drain off the hot water and run cold water over the eggs for several minutes. You can even drop a few ice cubes into the pan as well. While the cold water is running, crack the eggs in several places, which allows the water to somewhat permeate the infamous "inner membrane," source of many an egg peeling woe. After about 10 minutes in ice water, peel and use your eggs. If you need to store them for later use, cover them in cold water and refrigerate, peeled or unpeeled.

Now that you have these perfectly delightful hard-boiled eggs, it's time to do something with them. My choice is always a creamy salad with crunchy veggies, some mayo and yogurt, and a bit of tang. Tang? Where do you get the tang? How about a batch of Smitten kitchen's pickled celery (no cooking required) and some pickled carrots, courtesy of David Lebovitz.

Pickled Celery
This is my new secret weapon to perk up any and all of the various kitchen sink salads I concoct for the odd lunch or dinner from whatever is festering in the fridge.

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons Kosher salt (you can go up to 1 tablespoon if using the lighter weight Diamond brand; here’s why)
1 Tb teaspoons granulated sugar
4 stalks celery, trimmed, diced tiny

Combine the vinegar, water, Kosher salt and sugar in a jar and shake it until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the diced celery to the jar, cover it and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, ideally one hour and up to one week.
Makes about one cup.

Pickled Carrots 
Makes one pint

1 pound (450 g) carrots, peeled
1 1/4 cups (310 ml) water
1 cup (280 ml) cider vinegar
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
2 garlic cloves, lightly-crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel, dill, or anise seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 bay leaves

Cut the carrots into sticks approximately the size of your fourth finger. Bring a medium-sized pot of lightly-salted water to a boil. (Use a non-reactive pot.)

When the water boils, drop the carrots in and simmer for one minute. Pour into a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain thoroughly.

In the same pot, heat the remaining ingredients. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes.

Remove from heat and add the carrot sticks. Cool until room temperature, then put into jars and chill.

Carrot sticks should be made at least one day in advance, and will keep for up to four weeks in the refrigerator.

Delicious Egg Salad

Egg salad on toast with pickled carrots. What a lunch!

4 large eggs
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon
2 teaspoons minced shallot, scallion or red onion
2 Tb pickled celery (or more, to taste)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise or  plain yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional additions: Chopped parsley, minced olives, 1/2 tsp. curry powder, fresh chopped celery

Peel the eggs, chop them, and place in a medium bowl. Add the pickled celery, Dijon mustard, shallot, mayo or yogurt, salt and pepper, and any of the optional additions. Mix gently.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on toasted whole grain bread, if you have it.

Pickled celery and eggs also make excellent additions to potato salad, whether of the American or French variety. Here are two of my favorite recipes-

Family Potato Salad
This recipe is from my Great Aunt Margaret, graduate of UCSF Medical School Class of 1924. My mother lived Aunt Margaret and Uncle Maurice Zeff, while she went to school at UC Berkeley during WWII. Aunt Margaret taught her to marinate the potatoes while they were still warm. (That’s the secret to the recipe!)

5 lbs. boiling potatoes
olive oil to taste
wine vinegar to taste
1 red onion, minced (or 1 bunch scallions)
4 stalks celery, diced
8 eggs, hardboiled, peeled & diced
1/4 c. parsley, minced
2 Tb Dijon mustard
1 c. mayonnaise (Best Foods)
salt & pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes until tender. Let cool slightly and peel, if desired. Roughly slice or cube into a large bowl. Sprinkle generously with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to distribute seasonings. Cool completely

Add the remaining ingredients and toss to mix. Correct the seasoning and add more mayonnaise if desired.
Refrigerate before serving.  Serves 12-16.

A Salade Nicoise with sugar snap peas. I know, you're asking
"Where did she get those tomatoes so early in the season?" Oh, the joys of living in California!

French Potato Salad
5 lbs. boiling potatoes
olive oil to taste
wine vinegar to taste
salt & pepper
1 bunch scallions, minced
1/2 c. chopped parsley

Mustard Vinaigrette
2 Tb Dijon mustard
1 t. salt
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. olive oil

Boil the potatoes until tender. Let cool slightly and peel, if desired. Roughly slice or cube into a large bowl. Sprinkle generously with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Toss gently to distribute seasonings. Cool completely

Make the vinaigrette: Whisk mustard, salt, and lemon juice together; then gradually whisk in the olive oil, until thoroughly combined.

Gently mix the parsley and chopped scallions with the potatoes, then drizzle on the vinaigrette and gently mix again with a spatula. Correct the seasoning.

Use this potato salad as the base for Salade Niçoise: arrange it on a lettuce-lined platter with steamed green beans, tomatoes, hardboiled eggs, olives, tuna, and, if you like, capers and anchovies.
From The Way to Cook by Julia Child