I might be a little late to the party here, but I stumbled across Turntable Kitchen in my Google Reader the other day, and thought: what a fucking brilliant idea. Mixing two of my favorite things (cooking and music), and topping it off with some pretty slick web design, these guys really know what they’re doing.  Looking for a new recipe to try out; and some new jams of the indie rock persuasion to listen to while cooking? This is your one-stop-shop for both. Music by the National, Bon Iver and The Weeknd? Yes. Miso salmon with sesame salt recipe? Yes.  Monthly mixtapes? Double yes!

What makes Turntable Kitchen even more awesome is their Parings Box.  For the low price of $25 a month, you get: “hand-assembled box of goodies to create a unique food and music pairing of your own,” which includes vinyl, seasonal recipes, a digital mix tape, 2 – 4 dried ingredients and a ton more.  Sounds like the perfect gift idea to me (by the way, my birthday’s in June).  Head over to their site for more details and how to order.

And, in case you’re skeptical, these guys are legit.  They’ve been covered in the LA Times, The Kitchn and a ton of other places. Google it.

If there’s anything that I’ve learned so far this year, it’s that making soup is really, really easy.  And, with the right ingredients – it’s super healthy, and tasty. As part of my healthy eating new year’s resolution, I’m making concerted effort to eat as many leafy greens as possible during the week, and limit my meat intake.  I’m calling it a weekday cleanse – though, it’s really pretty far from that. I’m not going vegetarian. Yes, I still load up on cheap Chinese takeout if I’ve had a long day. And, I eat whatever I want over the weekend. This includes, ice cream for breakfast, if I so desire.  I’ve found that by subbing out empty carbs (oh, white bread – I’ll miss you) for whole grains, lots of green vegetables for, well, grease – has given me more energy during the day. Gone are the days of wanting to take a disco nap under my desk after a too filling lunch…I’m saving that for the weekends, where my bed is generally much more accessible.

The potatoes give the soup enough substance to make it a nice, light meal. If you have left over roasted chicken, adding it into this soup is a nice alternative to the standard (and summery) chicken salad, or chicken noodle soup.

Country Greens and Potato Soup with Pine Nuts
Skill Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
12 oz mixed greens (collard, mustard, turnip greens and kale), cut into roughly 2 inch by 2 inch squares
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb small red or fingerling potatoes, rinsed and cut bit-sized quarters
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 c vegetable stock (or, chicken stock)
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Optional
leftover roasted chicken or cooked chicken breasts, shredded or cut into small cubes
a pinch of toasted pine nuts for garnish
spicy chili oil, also for garnish

1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onions – season with salt and freshly ground pepper (about 1/2 tbsp of each)  and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and reduce heat to low (about a 2 on my ceramic stove) until fragrant.  About 2 minutes.
2. Add vegetable stock and scrape off any brown bits of onion or garlic from the bottom of the pan. These little bits of residue will really flavor your soup. Bring mixture to a boil.
3. Add potatoes and greens.  Simmer over low heat, uncovered until the potatoes are tender.  About 12 minutes.
4. Season soup with salt, pepper and lemon juice when potatoes are tender.
5. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and/or chili oil and/or Parmesan cheese.
6. Serve immediately.  Will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Man. Do I love a steak sandwich.  There’s really not much more to say than that…

I went the cheap route and used Top Round Steak (aka London Broil and really not the ideal meat for this dish), which turned out fine, but was a little tough.  Next time, I’ll splurge and use flank steak or tri-tip instead.   The marinade is my go-to recipe for steak marinades (that also works great on chicken), that I’ve gently perfected over the years  – though, if you talk to anyone who likes to cook, or more specifically grill, you’ll probably find a lot of the same ingredients in their super secret marinade as well.

The suggested marinating time for this is overnight, but if you’re in a rush – you could get away with just a few hours, though you’d definitely be sacrificing some flavor.  The caramelized onions are a must-have for this sandwich.  Caramelizing onions at home is super simple, albeit a touch labor intensive.  For a step-by-step guide – check out this post by Simply Recipes.

I served these with a very healthy slathering of homemade Tiger Sauce.  Did I mention that the steak is also delicious cold?

Steak & Caramelized Onion Sandwiches
Skill Level: Intermediate
Yield: 6 – 8 servings, depending on the size of the cut of meat

3 – 4 lbs of flank steak, ribeye, tri-tip or if you’re really on a budget, top round steak
1/3 c canola oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar or honey
2/3 c soy sauce
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
1 red or Vidalia onion, cut into thin slices
submarine rolls
several slices of sharp cheddar cheese
arugula or mixed greens (optional)
sliced tomatoes (optional)
olive oil
salt + pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, whisk together canola oil, garlic, black pepper, sugar/honey, soy sauce, brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce and lime juice.
2. Rise meat and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.  Place in a resealable Ziploc bag.  Pour marinate prepared in step 1 into the bag and over the meat.  Jostle the meat around so the marinade completely covers it. Seal the plastic bag, careful to remove all of the air and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
3. After your meat is marinated, preheat a grill over medium-high heat.
4. Next, time to caramelize the onions.  In a large saute pan, heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  When oil begins to shimmer, add onions.  Decrease heat to medium-low and cook until onions are a soft brown, about 30 minutes.  When onions are caramelized, remove from pan and place into a heat-resistant bowl.  Cover and set aside.
5. Remove steak from the refrigerator.  With a pair of tongs, extract steak from Ziploc bag, shaking off excess marinade and grill until the appropriate doneness is reached.  For our top round steak, we cooked each side for approximately 7 minutes for medium.
6. Let meat stand off the heat for at least 10 minutes before cutting into thin slices.
7. Assemble sandwiches by toasting submarine rolls on the grill (optional), and layering steak, cheese and caramelized onion.  Add tiger sauce, greens and tomato if desired.

Expected or otherwise, with a new year comes new resolutions.  But, here’s the thing with resolutions – I’ve been making them for more than twenty years and I can only think of two that I managed to keep (Lose 10 lbs – which I did by joining a gym and working out obsessively; instead of having to subsist on an exclusive diet of celery and water. Travel more – which I do regularly these days, but has made a guest appearance on my list of 2012 resolutions).  I’m optimistic that 2012 will be different, and 11 days in, I’m already much closer to fulfilling them than this time last year.

And so, without further ado:

1. Eat healthier. This might be de facto New Year’s resolution for just about everyone these days. In my case, I have no intention of fully cutting out booze, cheeseburgers, cooking with rendered duck fat, red meat or anything absurd like that.  I am, however, trying to eat like a vegetarian until dinner, and trying to be sure to at least try to eat a real breakfast – not a few cups of coffee and a half pack of cigarettes. That’s not breakfast.  Oh, and try to cut back on the refined sugar and gluten.  I suppose this is less of a measurable resolution, and more of a guideline, but still…
2. Post More Often.  Yes, life gets busy.  But, it’s not like I’ve stopped cooking.  I’ve just gotten lazier about taking photos, noting new recipes, and writing. Not okay.
3. Travel More. I only left the country once last year.  This is a problem.  Though, I did take trips to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle, so the year wasn’t a complete failure.
4. Keep It Simple.  The more that I explore past base recipes, the more I realize that using the freshest ingredients and keeping things simple is the way to go.  My first couple of base-recipe-free attempts failed because they were cluttered with a ton of unnecessary ingredients.
5. Focus on Technique. Last year, I learned how to make scrambled eggs (big fucking deal, right?) – this year, I want to learn how to make a perfect souffle every. single. time.  I want to learn how to make duck confit.  I want to experiment with smoking.  I want to make Hollandaise sauce without it breaking.
6. Learn What Part of the Cow My Meat Comes From.  Seriously. I couldn’t tell you if the roast that I just made came from the shoulder, leg or mid-section.  This is also a problem.

Wow – six resolutions.  That’s a lot.  And, those are just the food and cooking related ones.  We won’t get into the self-improvement focused ones (quit smoking, build healthier relationships, stop swearing so much, etc).

Out with the old, and in with the new…

Pavé.  If you’ve ever read any French cook books, you’ve probably seen this term come up a couple of times.  Long story short, and unnecessary accents aside, to pavé something, simply means to cut it into a square or rectangular preparation.  Easy enough, right?

Most commonly, this technique is prepared on fish, and gives your dish a really nice polish.  If you’ve ever ordered fish at a nice restaurant in the past 5 years, chances are that it was pavéd.

Provided that you have a nice, sharp fillet knife, this preparation should only take a few minutes. I don’t have a ton of my own photos, as I was too focused on not cutting myself, but here are the step-by-step instructions.  Note: that this is a preparation fit for a nice, meaty fish (like swordfish, halibut and salmon) and not thinner, white fish (like tilapia and trout).

1. Rise fish fillet with cold tap water and pat dry with a clean kitchen or paper towel.
2. With a very sharp fillet knife (or chef’s knife, if you don’t have one), starting at the thickest part of the fillet, remove the skin of the fish by pulling the flesh away from the skin to create an opening, and then using your knife to tear through the tissue connecting the flesh from the skin.  This part of the process took me quite a bit of time, but I learned that by pulling the skin away from the fish while I was cutting through the connective tissue did the trick. When you get to thinner parts of the fish, lay it flat on a cutting board, flesh side up, with your knife in-between the flesh and skin.  Using sharp, diagonal motions (away from you, not towards you), cut through the remaining skin until all of the skin is removed.
3. Depending upon how big your fillet is and how many people you’re feeding, cut the flesh into square or rectangular shapes.  I hate wasting food unnecessarily, so mine weren’t perfectly pavéd, as there was a cut or two that weren’t perfectly rectangular.
4. Pop open the champagne and celebrate!  You’re done!

There are a number of substitutions that you can make here to keep this recipe fresh and interesting:

• Substitute just about any root vegetables for the new potatoes, just make sure that they’re chopped small enough to be able to cook well in the oven.  Brussel sprouts also work really well here, too.
• Any sort of herb can also be added in addition to (or in the place of) the rosemary.  In the past, I’ve done garlic and parsley russet potatoes, herbs de provenance purple potatoes (without the garlic), among other variations.
• If you’re using sweet potatoes or yams, substitute the olive oil for melted butter.

Garlic & Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Skill Level: Super Easy
Yield: About 4 servings

Ingredients
8 small potatoes (red potatoes or new potatoes go great here)
About 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 spring of rosemary, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Rinse potatoes well under cold water.  Be sure to scrub off any dirt with your fingers.
3. Chop potatoes in half with a sharp knife and set aside in a large bowl.
4. In a smaller bowl, combine olive oil, rosemary, garlic, some salt (about 1 tsp) and pepper (to taste)
5. Pour oil mixture over potatoes and stir to be sure that the potatoes are well coated in the oil.
6. Transfer potatoes into a baking dish.  Be sure that a thin layer of oil coats the bottom of the dish. If it does not, add a little bit more.  This will prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom.
7. Place potatoes in the oven and cook for about 20 – 25 minutes in total.  Midway through cooking, be sure to give the potatoes a light stir, scraping off any that look like they’re sticking to the bottom of the pan with a spatula.

Oh man, I’m so into stone fruit this season.  With October just a few days away, I’m not yet sick of apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines and plumcots.  I could eat them for years.  Okay, maybe not years – but at least the next few weeks until we officially move into fall.   And now with E gone, though it’s absolutely bittersweet, I have plenty of time to tinker around in my kitchen – make a mess and not clean it up until the next day – burn things - try new stuff that no one but me needs to eat (sous vide anyone?) – cook, drink too much wine and watch a romantic comedy all at the some time.  Despite the sadness associated with getting to know my apartment again as a single girl – there’s something quite liberating about cooking for one.

Wanting to savor the flavors of late-summer to the majority of you and early summer for us here in Northern California – I was excited to concoct a new jam using a fresh batch of white peaches that I had purchased at the farmer’s market.  And, it had to adhere to my three simple rules about jam, jelly and preserve making:

1. It can’t be so sweet that it hurts my teeth (I’m talking to you Smuckers).
2. It should have a new, complex and interesting flavor.  I realize that this is 100% subjective – but the goal here isn’t to make the same old strawberry jam that I’ve been eating since I was five (again, I’m talking to you Smuckers).
3. It’s got to use fruit that’s in season.  Because, you know – that’s at least kind of the point of jam making, right?

With these rules in mind and a handful of successful jam making experiments earlier this summer  – I labored for about an hour and a half one Sunday afternoon to create one of the tastiest jams that I’ve ever had.  Provided that you’re liberal with the Chinese Five Spice (which I was), there’s nothing dull or subtle about this jam.  White peaches, which offer a meatier texture and slightly sweeter flesh than generic peaches, were actually a great canvas for this.  Because of the natural pectin content, I didn’t need to add pectin, which makes me one happy girl.

The fresh vanilla adds a nice, velvety softness that reminds me of pillows or bunnies or cotton balls or maybe all three.  Mixed with the Chinese Five Spice, it’s the perfect mix of sugar and spice (and everything nice??).  By keeping the skin on the peaches, the finished product has a beautiful amberish, purpleish color, which, ironically, reminds me of fall.

Vanilla, Chinese Five Spice & White Peach Jam
Skill Level: Intermediate
Yield: About 6 pints of jam

Ingredients
6 large, fully-ripened white peaches
1 vanilla bean, cut into 3 equal pieces
2 c granulated sugar
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 tsp Chinese five spice
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp allspice

1. Dice peaches by cutting them in half and extracting the pit by pulling the halves away from each other.  Then, cut into very small pieces, no more than 1/2 by 1/2 inches.  I made the mistake of not cutting the peaches small enough, which made for some challenges when I got to Step 5.
2. In a large, heavy bottomed pot (I actually used my enamel-coated, cast iron dutch oven), add peaches and remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine.
   
3. Although the mixture looks completely dry and wont – bring to boil by heating over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  It took about 15 minutes before this even began to show signs of boiling.
4. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce heat slightly and keep at a rapid simmer for about 15 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally.
5. When the peaches are soft (this is where cutting the peaches into very small pieces comes in handy), smash with a potato masher, whisk or immersion blender.  I used a whisk and actually had to mash in batches.  Stop mashing when you no longer see large bits of peaches in the mixture.
6. Boil for an additional 7 – 12 minutes, or until desired consistency is met.  If you’ve never made jam before, there’s a great texture test that tells you whether your jam is thick enough or not:  put a small plate in the freezer for at least 10 minutes (I usually do this as soon as I start making jam).  Remove plate form freezer and add 1/4 tsp of jam to the plate.  Place back in the freezer for 1 minute.  Remove plate again and tilt vertically.  If jam does not run, it’s nice and thick.
7. Remove jam from heat and allow it to set for a few minutes.
8. Process jam by placing it in pre-cleaned, hot jars and adding to a water bath for at least 7 minutes.
9. Allow jams to cool and lids to set.
10. Jam keeps well in the refrigerator, unprocessed for a few weeks; processed in your pantry for at least a year.

Chicken Chesapeake is a staple at family-owned, waterfront restaurants all around the Annapolis area.  A simple preparation of chicken breast stuffed with crab meat and then baked, I have yet to find a single restaurant outside of Maryland state lines that offers this dish – which is probably why,  it will always remind me of home:  simple, comforting and delicious.  Like my roots, there’s nothing especially fancy about this dish, but something about it makes you feel warm and fulfilled.

In retrospect, it’s a little ironic that I prepared this very traditionally Maryland dish for E’s last night in San Francisco.  But, he was headed across the country to Baltimore to pursue a doctorate degree – so, I figured that getting him excited about all of the new sights, sounds and flavor that await him in my birth state probably wasn’t such a bad thing.

Mainly because I had some on-hand, I used Dungeness crab meat instead of the preferred Maryland blue crab meat.  It still turned out wonderfully, but definitely lacked some of the sweetness that makes the Maryland blue crab superior to it’s Pacific cousin.  Regardless of what kind of crab you select, make sure you’re using jumbo lump, backfin or a mix of both.  Soggy claw meat just won’t stand up to this preparation.

I kept the rest of the meal pretty simple, with fresh steamed broccoli and a potato puree.

Chicken Chesapeake
Skill Level: Intermediate
Yield: 2 servings, but recipe can easily be doubled

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 lb. lump crab meat (Chesapeake Bay blue crab meat is preferred)
5-7 butter crackers (like Ritz)
3 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
1 egg
1/4 c. mayonnaise
3/4 tsp spicy brown mustard
1/2 tsp lime (or lemon) juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp + 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
flour
butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Crush crackers by placing them in a large ziplock bag and smashing the crackers with a heavy-bottomed pot or (in my case) an empty wine bottle.  Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk egg thoroughly.  Then, add mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice and 1 tsp Old Bay.  Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
4. In a small bowl, combine crushed crackers and chopped parsley.  Then, add crab meat. Using a large, wooden spoon, lightly mix, careful to keep the lumps of crab in tact.   Pour wet mixture on top of crab mixture, and mix lightly, to combine.
5. Create a pocket in each chicken breast by using a sharp knife to create a half moon slit that spans from the top to midway through the chicken breast.  With a teaspoon, stuff each chicken breast with a generous amount of the crab filling.  Place in a baking dish.
6. In another bowl, combine approximately 4 tbsp flour with 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning until well combined.  Sprinkle each stuffed chicken breast (while in the baking dish) with the flour and Old Bay mixture, and then pour melted butter over each breast.
7. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes.  Baste chicken breasts either with a spoon or silicon brush with the pan drippings and uncover.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until chicken breasts.
8. Serve immediately.

Photos via Wahaka Mezcal

A few nights ago, I had the pleasure of unexpectedly attending a Mezcal tasting – hosted by a friend of a friend at the Latin American Club, one of my neighboring watering holes.  The tasting was sponsored by Wahaka Mezcal, a still very new, but also very promising Oaxaca-based Mezcal distillery. I’ve seen mezcal appear, sporadically, on the cocktail menus of, well, very cocktail-focused restaurants and bars. My previous experiences with agave-based liquors have been limited and dramatic.  I’d sworn off tequila years ago after not being able to stomach the hangovers and blackouts; and I’d had mezcal a handful of times, many years ago in Spain, of all places, where I had a friend, originally from Mexico who was crazy about the stuff.  Young and stupid then, I have very little recollection of it’s taste – only that I was very drunk after just two shots.  I guess, I had a lot to learn.

At some point during our tasting, I got the chance to speak with one of the founders of Wahaka Mezcal, who was in town looking for distribution in Northern California (among other places).  During our chat I not only ‘tasted’ enough mezcal to give myself quite a lovely, Friday evening buzz, but also learned more in 45 minutes than I had in the whole year.

Long story short, mezcal is made from the agave plant – the same plant responsible for getting college students drunk on spring break every year:  tequila.  In addition to having a different distilling process, mezcal is also different varieties of agave than tequila, which give it quite a different flavor.  Just as the South is to bourbon, the Oaxaca region of Mexico is to tequila and mezcal.  And, just like tequila – there are a number of different varietals of mezcal, and I had the opportunity to sample the five in Wahaka Mezcal’s arsenal.  These smooth, smokey and slightly sweet shots of knock you on your ass if you’re not careful 80 proof bliss were such a pleasure to sample. While the shots definitely started to blend together after a couple of shots, there were two that really stood out to me:

Wahaka Tobala, the scotch of mezcals.  While I’m not sure that mezcaleros would agree with the analogy, this mezcal had all of the qualities of a really good scotch – a velvety texture, a sweet smokiness that reminds you of a forest fire and a distinct desire to wrap yourself in a smoking jacket and seek out the closest fireplace.  This is the thinking man’s mezcal, the type of mezcal that you sip while debating Socrates and politics.  I loved every moment of it.  The real interesting part about this particular mezcal is that it’s distilled from a very specific species of agave, that is found only in an even more specific region in Mexico and cannot be farmed.  As the spiritual leader on our journey through new, exciting territories said – you can really taste the Mexican wilderness in this one.  The air that the cultivates the plants; and the water that they take in to survive.  Closing my eyes and taking in a deep, thoughtful sip – I could almost swear that I was transported to the Mexican highlands, if only for a brief moment in time.

Wahaka Reposado con Gusano, the chardonnay of mezcals.  Made with the Espadin agave varietal and distilled very similarly to a classic tequila reposado, this has an smooth, buttery, clean yet lingering flavor.  Aged in oak barrels and using a worm as part of the distilling process, this mezcal was delicious and easily palatable all by itself.  Though it’s flavors weren’t as punch you in the face as the Tobala variety, it certainly didn’t lack complexity.  Upon your first sip, the flavors change rapidly from ‘holy shit this has a lot of booze in it’ to buttery to slightly smokey with a bit of perfume and then a sweet, clean finish.  If the Tobala is the thinking-man’s mezcal, then the Reposado is a chatting with your girlfriends on your patio during a hot-summer’s day type of mezcal.  And, you know – cracking open a bottle of liquor, which is widely unknown in the States, featuring a worm is bound to be a crowdpleaser.

Learn more about agave, distilling and Wahaka Mezcal by visiting them online: http://www.wahakamezcal.com/

This is a condiment that goes especially well with beef.  We like ours pretty spicy, so feel free to decrease the amount of horseradish called for here if you have more sensitive taste buds.  You can use any kind of rendered animal fat in this recipe – though, I assume that bacon would be the most popular.  Don’t skip this ingredient, however – it adds some much needed savoriness.

I have yet to prepare a vegetarian version of this that’s as good…is there a vegetarian substitution for rendered animal fat?

Ingredients
3 tbsp prepared horseradish
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp rendered bacon fat
salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Whisk thoroughly.
3. Serve immediately.

Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.