Serve It Forth

Uncle Jon and Aunt Wilma’s Tuna Pasta

2011-06-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

When my parents brought me a jar of the tuna that my Uncle Jon caught off the coast of Washington State and my Aunt Wilma canned (yes, the Aunt Wilma of pie baking fame, for those of you who have read Communion), I knew I had to do something better with it than just swish it around with some mayonnaise and make sandwiches. I felt duty-bound to make a meal worthy of their efforts—for as Aunt Wilma wrote to me, “It’s hard work catching the tuna, messy and time-consuming to can it, BUT very rewarding.”

So off I went, flipping through cookbooks and scouring the Internet. Usually, Epicurious.com comes to the rescue, but this time around the most enticing recipe turned up on the Fine Cooking website: Fettuccine with Tuna, Lemon & Fried Capers. Aside from just sounding delicious, this recipe also appealed because it would give me the chance to use some other ingredients begging for my attention:

1) The lemons from the tree in my driveway (their season was coming to an end, and I was dying to use as many as possible).

2) Fettuccine from Pappardelle’s, the new pasta shop at the Third & Fairfax Farmer’s Market.

I’d already tried the garden herb fettuccine: TO DIE FOR, tossed with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, fresh basil, olive oil and grated parmesan!! For the tuna recipe, the lemon basil pasta seemed like a good choice. Because I was going to make a big batch for my parents and Julie’s clan, and because the freshness of Pappardelle’s pasta gives it lots of flavor, I mixed one eight-ounce package of the lemon herb with two packages of plain fettuccine. The result: divine! Every ingredient—especially the fried capers (I went heavy on this)—made the flavor of the tuna stand out. Even though I’ll have to use store bought tuna next time around (sigh), this is definitely a dish I’ll make again.

Fettuccine with Tuna, Lemon & Fried Capers

adapted from Fine Cooking (recipe by Tony Rosenfeld)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- Kosher salt
- 1 lemon, scrubbed
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more for drizzling
- 1/4 cup small capers, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 12-oz. can or 2 6-oz. cans solid white tuna in water, drained well
- 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 lb. dried fettuccine
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil

2. Using a zester tool (called a channel knife), zest the lemon into thin strips, or, using a vegetable peeler, shave off the zest, then slice into very thin strips. Juice the lemon to get 2 Tbs. juice.

3. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a 10-inch or larger straight-sided sauté/frying pan over medium heat. Add the capers and cook until they start to brown and get crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and cook until it starts to crisp and curl up, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the capers and lemon zest to a plate lined with a paper towel—it’s fine if a few capers remain in the pan.

4. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the garlic to the remaining oil in the pan and cook, stirring, until it browns lightly but doesn’t burn, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add the tuna and red pepper flakes and cook until the tuna just heats through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

6. Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in the boiling salted water, stirring often, until it’s just tender to the tooth (see the package for cooking time). Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.

7. Return the sauté pan with the tuna in it to medium heat. Add the drained pasta, 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, 2 Tbs. of the lemon juice, and the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Cook, tossing and stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes to blend the flavors. If needed for moisture, add the remaining pasta water.

8. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.

9. Serve immediately, drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with the capers, lemon strips, parsley, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Cooking note: I'm a lazy cook, and after preparing all of the ingredients, I just tossed them together with the pasta in a big bowl. Not as pretty to look at on the plate, but equally tasty!

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Honey-Roasted Onion Tart

2011-04-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

So many good recipes … so little time to put them on this blog! But I’m making a belated New Year’s resolution to post at least every two weeks. Preview of recipes to come: quinoa, black bean and corn tacos; mushroom and Swiss chard lasagna; beef jerky; braised leeks; and black bean and spinach enchiladas—all made recently, and all worth sharing, along with this recipe for honey-roasted onion tart.

I made this dish last Sunday for Easter brunch at Julie’s house, and so far, of the onion tarts I’ve tested over the years, this is my favorite. The onions are tossed in honey and white wine and roasted to a caramelized, almost crispy perfection. The bacon (I made two tarts, one with turkey bacon and one with prosciutto) provides richness, while the fresh ground nutmeg and fresh thyme lighten the flavors. Best of all, this is an easy recipe. I prepared the ingredients at my house, and then put the tarts together and baked them at Julie’s. One tart serves 6-8 as an appetizer.

Honey-Roasted Onion Tart
modified from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
• 3 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 large sweet yellow onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-rounds
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 3/4 cup crème fraîche
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

1. Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 375°F.

2. Using lightly floured rolling pin, roll out puff pastry on lightly floured surface to 14x10-inch rectangle. Transfer pastry to large rimmed baking sheet. Fold 1/2 inch of pastry edges in toward center on all sides, forming 13x9-inch rectangle. Press firmly on pastry edges with fork to form rim. Chill crust.

3. Cook bacon in small skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings from skillet.

4. Whisk honey, wine, and reserved 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in large bowl. Add onions; toss to coat.

5. Coat another large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread onion mixture in even layer on sheet. Roast 30 minutes. Turn onions over, allowing rings to separate. Roast until onions are caramelized, turning often for even browning, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven; cool onions slightly.

6. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.

7. Mix crème fraîche, sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and nutmeg in small bowl.

8. Using offset spatula, spread crème fraîche over crust to folded edge.

9. Arrange onions atop crème fraîche.

10. Sprinkle with bacon.

11. Bake tart until crust is light golden brown and topping is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

12. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.

Note on bacon: I prefer turkey bacon, since it's not so heavy. Also, if you use prosciutto, don’t cook it beforehand.

(Photo by Julie Fay Ashborn)

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Do-It-Yourself Power Bars

2011-04-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ever since my wonderful agent (Alexandra Machinist) sold my novel in January, I’ve felt like I’ve been running in quicksand. On top of working and volunteering, I have a crazy editing deadline. At first my approach to feeding myself during this time was: minimal effort. I bought loads of prepared foods at Trader Joe's and heated things up as the days went on. But after a week or so, my body begged for some culinary TLC. So I pulled Super Natural Cooking from my cookbook shelf (unopened after three years) and marked recipes I could make on Sunday night to tide me over through each week.

I promise to post the Otsu recipe soon (perfect for lunch), but right now I want to sing the praises of the Do-It-Yourself Power Bars. They are like healthy Rice Krispie Treats, and oh so satisfying despite being wheat and sugar free. (Actually, they call for a fourth cup of sugar, but I have no idea why, since it seems to me that sugar would ruin them.) I’ve made three batches so far, and I’m still not tired of them. Better yet, I’ve shared them with sweet-tooth kids, and they haven’t even realized they’re eating something healthy!

Do-It-Yourself Power Bars
modified from Super Natural Cooking

Ingredients:

- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/4 cups chopped toasted walnuts
- 1/2 cup oat bran
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened crisp brown rice cereal (not puffed)
- 1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt

Directions:

1) Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with the vegetable oil.

2) Mix the oats, walnuts, oat bran, rice cereal, cranberries and ginger together in a large bowl and set aside.

3) Combine the rice syrup, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly as it comes to a boil and thickens just a bit, about 4 minutes.

4) Pour over the oat mixture and stir until the syrup is evenly incorporated.

5) Spread into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature before cutting into whatever size bars you desire.

6) Store using wax paper, since the bars are sticky.

Note on ingredients – the best deals

Whole Foods:
- Brown rice cereal: Arrowhead Mills brand (the recipe calls for crisp rice, “not puffed,” but I could only find puffed, and it works just fine)
- Brown rice syrup: Lundberg brand (not cheap, but Whole Foods definitely has it)

Trader Joe's:
- Oat bran: store brand
- Rolled oats: Country Choice brand

World Market/Cost Plus
- Crystallized ginger: store brand

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Bac Gai’s Vegetarian Spring Rolls (Bi Cuon Chay)

2011-01-30T18:40:00.000-08:00

I first tasted these vegetarian spring rolls when I moved to Vietnam in 1995 and was invited for lunch by one of the students in the English class I taught. Over the following years, that student became like a sister to me, her sisters became my sisters, and her mother called me con thu—daughter number four.

Years later, when I traveled back to Vietnam to write Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam, the dish I wanted to learn to make most of all was my Vietnamese mother’s vegetarian spring rolls. She had learned them from her mother-in-law, so that she could make them for her husband on Buddhist holidays.

I’ve made these spring rolls a few times for family and friends, and the last time I made them, I served them at a reading at Skylight Books in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. The crowd loved them, with the highest praise coming from a Vietnamese foodie group that had driven up from Little Saigon in Orange County.

With Tet (Lunar New Year) just around the corner, it’s a perfect time to post this recipe—these fresh spring rolls, laced with roasted rice powder and tasting like no spring roll you’ve had before, would be terrific for part of a New Year’s feast.

I’ll admit, the recipe is time-consuming, but it’s definitely worth it—I like to double it, since increasing the amount does not increase the effort, and the spring rolls are still good a few days later if kept in the fridge.

Preparation note: I use a mandoline to julienne the manioc and sweet potato. Don’t worry if you don’t come out with perfect little matchsticks. You’re going to blend everything together for the spring roll filling, and no matter how the ingredients look at the start, they taste terrific in the end.

Rolling the spring rolls

Bac Gai’s Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Serving: 10–15 spring rolls, depending on how big you roll them.

Ingredients for filling, Part One:
- 2 cups carrot, peeled and julienned (about 2 medium carrot
- 2 cups manioc (also called yucca), peeled and julienned (about 1 small manioc)
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, julienned
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. vegetable bouillon powder or concentrated liquid
- 3 tbsp. vegetable oil

Ingredients for filling, Part Two:
- 3 cups sweet potato (white flesh), julienned, mixed with 2 tbsp. white vinegar and 1 tbsp. sugar and set aside (about 1 medium sweet potato)
- 8 ounces baked tofu, unflavored, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp. vegetable oil

Ingredients for final mixture of filling:
- 2 ounces green (mung) bean vermicelli (about 2 cups), prepared per package directions and cooled
- 4 sheets dried bean curd skin (tau hu ky), crushed into small pieces (about 3/4 cup)
- 3/4 cup toasted peanuts, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted rice powder

Rice paper: 1 packet 10- or 12-inch rice paper, made with just rice and water (12-inch pieces are easiest to work with for this recipe)

Herbs: Fresh mint, Thai basil, rau dap ca, rau tia to, and other Asian herbs (if you can find only mint and basil, these rolls will still be terrific)

Directions for filling, Part One:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan.

2. Fry carrots, manioc, and cabbage. Do not let the mixture get too soft. Test the manioc to make sure it remains al dente by the end of the following process.

3. Add mushrooms, and fry a bit longer.

4. Add sugar and vegetable bouillon to taste, and fry just a bit longer still.

5. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. Drain any liquid.

Directions for filling, Part Two:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Flash-fry the sweet potato until it is yellow-brown and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

2. In same pan, flash-fry the baked tofu until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. (This step is optional. You don’t need to fry the tofu.)

Directions for final mixture:

Once all the cooked ingredients have cooled, mix them together in a large bowl with the rice vermicelli, peanuts, roasted rice powder, and crushed bean curd skin.

Directions for making spring rolls:

1. Using a hard surface, such as a wooden cutting board, lay out a piece of dampened rice paper. Dampen (soften) the rice paper in a wide bowl of warm water. (I like to put 5-6 pieces at a time in warm water in a skillet for efficiency.) Remove as much excess water as possible (let it drip off) before making the spring roll.

2. Line the lower center of the paper with herbs.

3. Lay 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the mixture into a cylinder shape on the herbs. The amount can vary depending on how large you want your spring rolls.

4. Fold the bottom fourth of the rice paper up over the mixture.

5. Fold the right edge of the rice paper in a fourth of the width of the paper, as if you are making an envelope.

6. Fold the left edge of the rice paper in a fourth of the width of the paper, as if you are making an envelope.

7. From the bottom, roll as fast as you can.

Ingredients and directions for dipping sauce:

1. Mix 1/4 cup carrot, peeled and shredded; 1/4 cup cucumber, peeled and shredded; and 1 tbsp. sweet white vinegar. Set aside to marinate. (Do this at the beginning, as you are preparing the spring roll ingredients.)

2. In a bowl mix the following:

- Simple syrup of 1/2 cup water and 1/8–1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sweet white vinegar
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 red Thai chilies, seeded and minced
- 2 tbsp. toasted peanuts, finely chopped

3. Cut the carrots and cucumber into small pieces.

4. Mix carrot and cucumber blend with remaining ingredients. Top with peanuts.

NOTE ON SAUCE: This sauce is to keep the recipe strictly vegetarian. I also like to use a basic nuoc cham sauce. A good recipe can be found at VietWorldKitchen.com.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

2010-12-20T17:51:00.000-08:00

Exciting news! Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam has won Best Asian Cuisine Book (USA Division) in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2010. This puts it in the running for Best Asian Cuisine Book in the World.

Along with this honor, Communion has received numerous reviews since its publication in May, and I am grateful for the many words of praise. This is such a special book to me, and I hope to see it flourish in 2011 thanks to the support of family, friends and reviewers around the world.

Happy Holidays!

Betty Crocker's Thumbprint Cookies (AKA Dad's Bird Nest Cookies)

2010-12-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

When my grammy passed away a few years ago, Christmas changed. For decades my dad, mom, sister and I spent Christmas Eve at her house --- and then a rented hall when we ran out of space in her living room --- with aunts, uncles and nearly a hundred cousins (not counting husbands & wives, step-kids, etc.), but after Gram was gone, each family drifted toward its own traditions. Then my sister married a man from London, and now they spend Christmas there. So last Christmas I was with my dad and mom for a quiet holiday at their house in Tucson.

Thumbprint cookies at the very back

My dad has always been sentimental about his mom’s cooking, and he decided he was going to make not just one of his favorite cookies from childhood, but all of them! He had found a pristine 1956 edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook his mom used, and with the thoroughness and precision of the engineer that he is, he gathered the ingredients and got to work.

Most challenging were the ginger creams that required numerous emails to my cousin Lisa. As you will see in the photo, the trick is to make them as thin as possible. At first it didn’t seem that it was going to happen (the dough was too elastic; then it was too crumbly), but my dad is persistent, and after trial and error and trial and error and trial and error, those crispy, paper thin cookies came into existence. Also on the cookie menu: Russian teacakes and a chocolate log roll. And finally, thumbprint cookies, or as my dad wrote to me, “I call these bird nest cookies, but you cannot argue with Betty.”

I love that this recipe is listed under,

"Sprightly teacakes for family and friends."

I’d love to post the recipe for the ginger creams, but I think those need a few more test runs before we can explain exactly how my dad got them right, so we’ll start with thumbprint cookies, directly from my dad and Betty Crocker (word for word, with the exception of a few tweaks for formatting, which I could not figure out how to do on this page).

THUMBPRINT COOKIES: Nut-rich…the thumb dents filled with sparkling jelly.

We are as delighted with this quaint addition to our cooky collection, from Ken MacKenzie, as is the collector of old glass when a friend presents her with some early thumbprint goblets.

Mix thoroughly………………….
- ½ cup soft shortening (half butter)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp vanilla

Sift together and stir in………….

- 1 cup sifted GOLD MEDAL flour
- ¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

Roll in 1” balls. Dip in slightly beaten egg whites. Roll in finely chopped nuts (3/4 cup).

Place about 1” apart on an un-greased baking sheet and press thumb into center of each.

Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes until set. Cool.

Place in thumbprints a bit of chopped candied fruit, sparkling jelly, or tinted confectioners’ sugar icing.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Creating new traditions from old

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Skylight Books Reading & Slide Show

2010-12-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

What a terrific way to wind up the year for Communion—more than 50 people came to our reading and slide show at Skylight Books two Sundays ago. Family, friends, book lovers, Vietnam lovers, and a local food group, Foodie Connection, filled the house, as I read from the book (one of my favorite passages about the Julia Child of Vietnam), and Jules showed slides and discussed photographing the people and food of the country.

Jules & me in front of one of the many
displays for Communion around the store

Afterward, we served Julie’s banana flower salad, my Vietnamese mom’s spring rolls (recipe to come), and wine—both dishes were a huge hit (the wine, too!). As well, the Mandoline Grill food truck parked outside, and most guests ordered at least one dish, perching wherever they found a space in the store to eat Vietnamese "tacos" and banh mi sandwiches. I took home eight leftover sandwiches and ate six during the next two days—so good!

Jules talks about photographing Vietnam

We can’t thank everyone enough for buying Communion and supporting us and Skylight (a great independent bookstore). We also want to thank Skylight for being such an incredible host. The event coordinator, Mary, went out of her way to accommodate my endless email chain of requests; our coordinator for the night, Liz, was a gem, helping us with our many needs; and the staff was terrific about everyone eating, drinking, and lingering throughout the store.

A few members of the Food Connection group

Jules and I were floating on air afterward, from the festive mood of the night and pleasure of being able to share our book and its food with so many people.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone who has supported Communion since its publication in May!!

Instructional Video for Clay Pot Fish

2010-11-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

For her blog, Chopstick Cinema, my friend and colleague Celeste Heiter made this terrific instructional video for cooking my clay pot fish recipe from Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam. The recipe and further information can be found at the bottom of this post here at Serve It Forth---or in Communion!

To read more about the book (including a description, reviews and another recipes), click here go to my website.

Instructional Video for Clay Pot Fish

2010-11-29T10:35:00.000-08:00

I was so thrilled when my friend and colleague, Celeste Heiter (editor of To Japan With Love and author of The Sushi Book and more) told me that she had made an instructional video for my clay pot fish recipe from Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam.

(photograph by Julie Fay Ashborn)

While traveling and learning to cook for the book, my sister and I made this dish three times: in Nha Trang, in Dalat, and in Saigon. Based on all three experiences, I came up with this recipe, which we have served in intimate dinner party settings as well as at a party for twenty-five foodies and winemakers. Every time it was a hit!

Celeste’s video is clear and simple, and makes this recipe for clay pot fish accessible for American kitchens. If you don’t have a clay pot, use a heavy-bottom saucepan. Celeste also includes a link to the recipe in her blog post. Check it out here, and give it a try.

The recipe is also given at this Serve It Forth blog post:

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Cambodia and North India Join the To Asia With Love Guidebook Series

2010-11-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

I just learned that To Cambodia With Love and To North India With Love have hit American shores. Very exciting! This brings the To Asia With Love guidebook series up to five volumes---Vietnam, Myanmar, Japan, Cambodia, and North India.

I've posted excerpts from the Cambodia and North India books at ThingsAsian.com. For foodies, every volume in the To Asia With Love series has a chapter on unique culinary experiences, and each set of excerpts on ThingsAsian.com includes a few tantalizing essays to give you a taste of the recommendations each book contains. Great for armchair reading! Great for holiday giving!

Banana Flower Salad with the BrookeWorms Book Club

2010-11-14T17:49:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the privilege of attending my first book club discussion for Communion. My mom’s book club, The SaddleBrooke BrookeWorms, gathered at my parents' home in the SaddleBrooke community in Tucson, to talk about Communion, make fresh spring rolls, and nibble on a few Vietnamese dishes.

In writing Communion, my hope was to start a conversation not only about Vietnam, but about how we eat reflects who we are as individuals and as communities. Being able to have that conversation with a group of smart, interesting women was the best part of the night. It was so much fun to hear the comments and answer questions about everything from Communism to font size. I was most struck by how much everyone enjoyed reading about my relationship with my sister, who took the book’s culinary journey with me, as well as all the photos. While Communion is about Vietnam, it cannot help but be personal, because of my love for the country and because of the meaning food has for me—I associate eating with the best times spent with my parents, sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

The BrookeWorms

After the talk, we got down to business in the kitchen. It was clear that most of these women are cooking pros, since there were a lot of perfect first-time spring rolls. (After years of practice, mine are still inconsistent and often floppy!) Ingredients for the night were purchased at Lee Lee Market in Tucson, an incredible supermarket that even had banana flowers. Except for Thai basil, which the store was out of, I found everything needed for lemongrass chicken, spring rolls, and banana flower salad.

Making spring rolls

As requested, the name of the sauce everyone enjoyed is “Mae Ploy sweet chilli sauce.” The ingredients that went into our spring rolls were rice paper, rice sticks (vermicelli), red bell peppers, shitake mushrooms, shrimp, mint, a Vietnamese cinnamon-flavored herb whose name I can’t remember, and baked tofu. Since I left the cookbook with the lemongrass chicken recipe at my mom’s house, I can’t share that yet (but will soon, I promise). In the meantime, I’m posting the recipe for banana flower salad.

But before I do … a thousand thanks to my mom for shopping, prepping, hosting, and bragging. To Ann, Dee, Dot, Judy D., Judy H., Marilyn, Marsha, Nancy, Pat, and Sue for not only supporting Communion, but for reading it so thoughtfully. To special guests Marilyn, Sharla, Paula, and Gail for adding to the discussion. And to Bette, the editor of the SaddleBag Notes, who will be writing about the night and Communion for the newspaper. Lastly, to illustrate what a lovely group this is, book club member Elizabeth, who was out of town, called the next day to tell me how much she enjoyed the book. This is exactly the kind of readership I hoped Communion would find.

Julie’s Banana Flower Salad

Serving: 4 as a side or 2 as a main dish for lunch.

Salad ingredients:- 2 banana flowers, thinly sliced (see directions)
- 2 tbsp. peanut oil
- Scant 1/4 cup shallot, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil, coarsely chopped
- 3 tbsp. lime juice + 1 lime for the bowl of water
- Large bowl of room temperature water

Dressing ingredients:

- 3 tbsp. lime juice
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
- 1 red Thai chili, chopped
- 2 tsp. fish sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet. Sauté the shallots until golden brown. Leave them in the oil, and set aside to cool.

2. Squeeze fresh lime juice into the bowl of water. This will be used to prevent the banana flower slices from turning brown.

3. Peel back the dark purple layers of the banana flower until you reach layers with just a hint of purple. Using a mandoline, slice the banana flower into thin rings, beginning at the point and slicing about three-quarters of the way down. The rings will look similar to onion rings. Immediately soak the rings in the lime water until ready to use. Set aside.

4. Once the oil is cool, mix in half of the mint leaves and half of the Thai basil with the sautéed shallots.

5. Mix the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl. Heat lovers will want to add more chili.

6. When you slice the banana flower, you will end up with small bits from the center of the flower. Strain these out using a spoon. Don’t worry if you don’t get all of them. Remove the banana flower from the water, and combine with the shallot/mint/basil mixture, chopped peanuts, and remainder of the fresh mint and basil.

7. Toss in the dressing, and serve.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Honey Oat Muffins

2010-11-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

Finishing my novel. Getting into the swing of my new (old) job as the hotel editor at Gayot.com. With the hours of each day being consumed at the speed of light, there’s not much in the way of creative cooking going on around here. Instead I’m relying on old favorites: turkey soup, chicken artichoke soup, the black bean enchiladas that became a staple in my culinary repertoire more than twenty years ago (recipe to come soon), and pork chops with red onion marmalade. (I’ve also been relaxing at night by making applesauce for my mom and dad). But I did decide to start making muffins every Sunday, so that I can have an easy breakfast food to nibble on throughout the week.

My first attempt was honey oat muffins. They’re good as is, (the first batch I made at my sister's house quickly disappeared), but I want to play around next time I make them. I will 1) add more cinnamon, 2) use only whole wheat flour instead of white, 3) exchange some of that whole wheat flour for bran, and 4) trade out a little more of that whole wheat flour for more oatmeal—I like my muffins with grit to them.

(Photo: Julie Fay Ashborn)

White House Honey Oat Muffins
from Food & Wine

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup wheat or oat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.

2. In a large bowl, mix the oats with the whole-wheat flour, bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, coriander and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk the honey with the buttermilk, canola oil and eggs. Pour the honey mixture into the dry ingredients; mix just until combined.

4. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for about 18 minutes, until they're golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

5. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Communion’s Pacific Northwest Book Tour

2010-09-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

You’re wrong, Mr. Thomas Wolfe. You can go home again. And it feels good. Terrific, in fact. Last week Jules and I traveled to the Pacific Northwest for three readings: Elliott Bay Book Company (Seattle, WA), Village Books (Bellingham, WA), and Broadway Books (Portland, OR).

Our tour kicked off unofficially the night before the Elliott Bay reading at the house of my cousin Shelly and her husband Nick. Aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered to help us celebrate, and I even did a small reading—my cousin’s Kathy and Lisa selected a passage about the importance of pies in our family (yes, Pacific Northwest pies are related to Vietnamese food—just read Chapter One in Communion to find out how!) It was amazing to sit before these people who mean the most to me and read, because it is with them that I first discovered the value and beauty of communing around a table.

Cousins and Aunt Norma ... always an appreciative audience.

The next day, Sunday afternoon, more than seventy people filled the audience at the Elliott Bay Book Company. A healthy portion was made up of family members, but there were also former colleagues from my days of working at Elliott Bay, high school friends, and college pals. Our lovely version of This Is Your Life. A pretty terrific life, I might add, given those who came … some of our favorite people in the whole world. As well, Rick Simonson, the store’s buyer and driving force behind the store's acclaimed reading series, joined the crowd, which really made me feel like I’d arrived. (When I worked at the bookstore, Rick was the reason so many exceptional authors came to read, and I was in awe of him.) As with all three readings, I read passages from the book that illustrate how the people of Vietnam led me to a love of the food, and Jules shared slides while explaining why it’s such a pleasure to photograph the people and food of Vietnam.

A full house at Elliott Bay.

Signing books for friends and family.

In Bellingham, the crowd of more than thirty included just a handful of friends and family members. The rest were all curious strangers, who asked lots of interesting questions (we could tell we were in a college town). Afterward, everyone hung around to enjoy fresh spring rolls that we’d brought from Saigon Boat in Seattle (2632 Alki Avenue SW). If you’re ever down on Alki, stop in for a bowl of pho or grilled pork with fresh rice noodles. The banh mi sandwiches are excellent too (we stocked up on those for our road trip to Portland).

Serving spring rolls to the audience.

Our third and last reading was at Broadway Books in Portland. What a fantastic bookstore. Although the crowd was much smaller, it was made up of people close to our hearts, from my high school best friend and college roommate to my high school boyfriend’s parents and our old youth pastor and his wife. As Jules and I read and spoke, it felt as if we were at a reunion in the living room of a close friend. Afterward there was lots of catching up and more spring rolls from Saigon Boat.

It was satisfying to have such enthusiastic crowds (and of course sell lots of books), but most satisfying was to have so many people we love come out and help us celebrate. It felt good to share the Vietnam part of our lives with the important people from our past.

Many thanks to everyone who came, listened, and bought books. For those who would still like a book, Elliott Bay, Village Books, and Broadway Books all have signed copies. Please order from them and support local independent bookstores. Each of these stores was such a generous host, as well as a reminder of what important community gathering places a local bookshop can be.

More photos from the tour can be found on the Communion Facebook page, I’ve been told these links are public and you do not have to sign in to view them. Drop me a note if you can’t see them, and I’ll send photos another way.

Photos from the Elliott Bay Book Company reading

Photos from the Village Books reading

Photos from the Broadway Books reading

Lastly, a thousand thanks to Kurtis Lowe who went above and beyond to set up the readings, drive us around, run the slide shows and, bottom line, make this wonderful week possible.

Communion: Pacific Northwest Book Tour

2010-09-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

The time has come! Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam is hitting the road. Please join Julie and me throughout the following week for readings in Seattle, Bellingham, and Portland. We'll be serving Vietnamese nibbles in Bellingham and Portland, and wine in Portland (sorry, Washington, you have such strict liquor laws!).

Elliott Bay Book Company
1521 Tenth Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Sunday, September 19, 2010, at 4 p.m.

Village Books
1200 11th Street
Bellingham, Washington
Monday, September 20, 2010, at 7 p.m.

Broadway Books
1714 NE Broadway
Portland, Oregon
Wednesday, September 22, 2010, at 7 p.m.

More information on Communion is available at my website and the Communion Facebook page. We're looking forward to seeing friends, family, and lots of new faces.

Kitchen Sink Chili-Stew-Soup

2010-08-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

This dish all started because I made a vow to myself that I will not waste any more fruit or vegetables. I’m an overzealous shopper, so I always buy enough lettuce or plums for an army. Most recently, my wilting produce included half a red bell pepper, half a yellow bell pepper, and green onions. I also had an accidentally purchased can of S&W chili-seasoning kidney beans. Thinking I could make some sort of chili type soup, I chopped the vegetables and mixed them and the beans (not drained) with a box of chicken broth, garlic powder, and World Market mesquite spice.

The result was fine, but unsatisfying. This veggie soup was in desperate need of meat. I walked over to the Farmer’s Market and asked my butcher for a pound of stew meat. Back home I coated the cubed beef in flour, salt, pepper, and mesquite, and I browned it. I tossed it into the pot. Better, but something was still missing.

I gazed at the frying pan with its leftover layer of beef fat and thought … onions. Out I went again, this time to the little produce shop on the corner of Fairfax and Rosewood. One yellow onion later I was back in my kitchen coarsely chopping the onion and caramelizing it in the fat. Into the pot that went, with even more garlic powder and more mesquite. I let it all simmer for two hours, and OMG! Perhaps the tastiest kitchen sink dish I’ve made so far.

While at the market I’d also bought a bottle of Pinot Noir and a French baguette for dipping in the broth. But now plain bread seemed lackluster in light of the hearty stew soup I’d concocted. I opened the fridge, and there like a small miracle before me was half a carton of buttermilk, left behind from my parents’ recent visit. I also had a chunk of cheddar cheese. I hopped online, Googled recipes for cheddar buttermilk biscuits, and came up with one that called for cayenne pepper too—it seemed perfect. And it was!

Add to this sharing the meal with someone I adore, hours of good conversation, John Coltrane and Art Blakey playing in the background, and that bottle of red wine, and this turned out to be the recipe for a perfect evening.

Kitchen Sink Chili-Stew-Soup

Ingredients:

Half red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
Half yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
6 green onions, green and white parts, coarsely chopped
1 lb. chuck/shoulder (stew meat), cubed into half to one-inch pieces and browned in flour, salt, pepper, and mesquite spice
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped, caramelized in the beef fat
1 32-ounce box chicken broth
Garlic powder
World Market mesquite seasoning blend

Directions:

See the description above the photo. Note that I went heavy on the mesquite to give this soup a real kick.

Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used almost a teaspoon)
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1) In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne.

2) Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3) Add the cheese and toss.

4) Stir in buttermilk. The dough will be sticky.

5) Divide dough into eight parts to make drop biscuits. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.

6) Bake at 425 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Countdown to a book launch party …

2010-07-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

The book launch party for Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam, took place on Wednesday, July 14, at Traveler's Bookcase in Los Angeles. Surrounded by family, friends, and many of the store's regular customers, my sister Julie and I celebrated the publication of this book that means so much to both of us—as a collaboration between two sisters and as a tribute to a country we love. Following is a small diary of the days leading up the big night and the night itself (with plenty of photos). Bon appetit!

Jules and me at Traveler's Bookcase

Three days until the launch:

The invitations have been sent. Announcements have gone out in the LA Times and the LA Weekly’s Squid Ink food blog. Traveler’s Bookcase has taken charge of the wine, and I’m pretty sure I know what I’m going to wear: the bamboo dress that I bought from Loehmann’s on super sale + 75% off. I spend the evening watching a movie (Shopgirl, yes again, if you must know), unwinding and gearing up for the next three days of running around the city shopping for ingredients and cooking.

Two days until the launch:

9 a.m.
I pick up my friend Jenny, who will be my trusty sidekick/sous chef for the preparations, and we drive to the Bangkok Market (4757 Melrose Ave.) to buy ingredients for the three dishes that will be served at the party: clay pot chicken, grilled lemongrass chicken and pork, and banana flower salad (the latter two recipes soon to come). I’m not happy with the fish sauce selection, and there are only five banana flowers (Jules needs ten—sadly, she can't be with us because she's working), but otherwise, I find everything on my list. Then I get to the cash register, the clerk rings the items through, and I see the tiny sign that says the debit card machine isn’t working. Jenny guards our purchases while I drive down the block to take cash out of an ATM. Rather than be annoyed, I just pretend I’m back in Asia, where inconvenience is a part of daily life!

11 a.m.
Jenny and I swing by to get my mom for a trip to Chinatown, where we hunt for a clay pot worthy of crowd-sized servings. I bought one here years ago, for a party in Paso Robles—where I also gave it away. The guy I gave it to deserved it (he let Jules and me stay at his house instead of an expensive hotel for the weekend). Still, I regret giving it to him, since I can't find another one. It was only $7, and it was perfect for feeding a couple dozen people. Lesson learned: make sure to keep a clay pot for yourself before handing them out at parties.

After exploring all the shops (and buying a few fun trinkets), we go to Pho 97 (727 N. Broadway, #120) for lunch, to whet our appetites for the book launch. Jenny has the chicken pho and my mom and I have the grilled pork with rice noodles and spring rolls (#21 on the menu). My mom hasn’t had much Vietnamese food, and she loves this dish. The broth in Jenny’s soup is complex, the way the broth in a traditional, well-made pho should be. I haven’t been to Pho 97 in years and had forgotten how much I like it. I plan to recommend it to everyone who asks me where to eat good Vietnamese food in L.A. (It also seems cleaner than it used to be.)

3 p.m.
On the way home, Jenny and I swing into the Bangluk Market (5170 Hollywood Boulevard), where I find a fish sauce I’m somewhat satisfied with. It still has sugar in it, but only 1%, as opposed to most others with more + fructose and/or MSG. I keep hoping one day that I’ll stumble across a fish sauce made in Vietnam, but for now, all I can find are brands with Vietnamese words on the labels but made in Thailand.

One day until the launch:

10 a.m.
To Costco with my mom and dad to buy pork shoulder, chicken breasts, and all of the serving supplies (paper plates, cups, spoons and forks, etc.) Many thanks to my parents for helping fund the party!

6 p.m.
Because I’m short five banana flowers, I pick up Jenny, who is ready with her trusty box cutter and step ladder, and we head out to plunder the city’s banana trees. We start on her corner: Blackburn and La Jolla, where we not so surreptitiously cut two banana flowers from a tree in front of an apartment building. Feeling triumphant, we drive around her neighborhood for half an hour, but our happiness is soon dampened. The only banana tree we see belongs to a house and is behind a high adobe fence.

Earlier in the day, I saw some banana flowers at a house on Beverly Boulevard near Van Ness, so we take off across the city. But when we get to the house, the banana flowers are higher than I remembered. We prop the step-ladder on the sidewalk, and Jenny does her best to bend the tree down so the flower (big and tempting) is reachable. There we are as the automatic sprinklers soak us, cars race by, and the flower hangs just out of reach. Unbelievably, given all the noise we make, no one comes out of the house to ask what in the heck we’re doing beneath the windows with a ladder and box cutter!

We have one more idea—a banana flower Jenny saw near her mechanic’s just up the road. We score. Two trees with a flower each right in front of an apartment building. We raid the first tree easily—a small flower, but we’ll take what we can get. Then we go for the second tree. Perhaps we’re being punished for our greediness. As we pull the trunk down, Jenny says, “These trees are really flexible.” Snap! Turns out it’s possible to break a banana tree. I quickly cut the flower, and we prop the broken tree behind another against a second floor balcony and take off running. Thrilled with our four contraband banana flowers, and covered in scratches and banana flower sap, Jenny and I spend the rest of the evening drinking wine and prepping ingredients.

Contraband banana flowers from

the banana trees around Los Angeles

Day of the book launch:

5:30 a.m.

I get up early so I won’t be rushed and spend a leisurely few hours making clay pot chicken—which I totally botch. I go against my own instructions and use coconut milk instead of coconut juice/water. It’s too sweet. I try to balance things out by using less sugar in the carmelization process and more fish sauce and chili, but ultimately have to dilute the liquid with water, so what I end up with tastes more like tom kha gai, which will be noted more than once at the party.

9 a.m.
I cut a hundred or so strips of pork and chicken, stab them with skewers, and leave them to soak in the marinade.

11 a.m.
I finish prepping the banana flower salad, so everything will be ready for Jules when she gets off work early—if she gets off work early. We’re still not sure if it’s going to happen, but we have high hopes, since banana flower salad is her dish.

Noon:
I think I’m going to die from the heat. I finish printing the brochures for the party, then spend half an hour passed out waiting for the next phase of preparations to begin.

1 p.m.
My parents arrive, final ingredients are chopped, and the real cooking starts. By three thirty my dad is standing over a grill finessing the pork and chicken, and Jules has arrived—YAY!—and is fast at work on her banana flower salad.

Dad valiantly grilling pork and chicken (while

reading the paper!) in insane summer heat

6 p.m.
Dad drops Jules and me off at Traveler’s Bookcase to help Greg and Natalie, the owners, set up, which doesn't take as long as expected. But our chance to relax is short-lived. Friends, family, and customers are beginning to arrive—along with the Mandoline Grill food truck, which parks right outside the store.

Me, Jules, Natalie (owner, Traveler's Bookcase),

Mong (owner, Mandoline Grill food truck)

7:30 p.m.
The store is PACKED with about fifty people: family, friends, regular store customers, people who read about the event in one of the papers, and Nick Ut, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who took the iconic Vietnam War photo of the girl running from the napalm attack. What an honor to have him at our launch! Jules and I are in awe as we have our picture taken with him!

Jules and me with Nick Ut

My mom and Jeanne serve the food, and once everyone has a plate and some wine, Jules and I get started. I speak briefly about the origins of Communion, I read briefly from the introduction, Jules speaks briefly about photographing Communion, we banter like the good sisters we are, and then we answer a few questions, briefly—because the heat is crazy (the store’s air conditioner broke four hours ago), and it does, as Jules says, feel just like Vietnam tonight. Then …

My cousin Jeanne and Mom serving food.

Jules and me reading, talking,

and having fun with the audience.

8:30 p.m.
The fun begins. I get to sign books (like a real author!!) and listen to want-to-be-writers ask for advice (like a real author!!), while everyone mingles, drinks, and eats inside and out. The sidewalk is crowded with people enjoying dishes from the food truck, and once again Jules and I feel like we’re in Vietnam, sweating like crazy while everyone eats sitting on plastic chairs and the ground. Most people stay until around ten, and the consensus is: success!

Sidewalk dining at the Mandoline Grill

food truck outside Traveler's Bookcase

MANY, MANY THANKS TO:
Natalie and Greg of Traveler’s Bookcase, not only for hosting the party, but for being such enthusiastic supporters of my books; Jules whose photos make Communion the kind of book that people are drawn to from across a room; Mong for hauling her food truck across town and serving such terrific dishes; my dad for being the best dad ever and grilling for two and a half hours in miserable heat; my mom for being the best mom ever and serving food; Jim for really “getting it”; Jenny for being the best banana flower hunting partner ever; Hilary for taking photos all night; Jeanne for serving food with my mom; Connie for being the best writing friend/partner a girl could ever have; and for coming to the party, buying books, and being so proud of Jules and me (that is what touched me the most!): Clive, Colette, Jen B/writing + Ed, Ann, Michelle C., Melissa, Kelly, Jen B/NCJW, Michelle K., Emily, Macie, Anita, Carlos, Kyle, Michael, Marta, Mickey, Josh, Barbara, and the many others I met who had such nice things to say about Communion. Additional thanks to my publisher Albert, my colleague Janet B., and the book's designer Janet M., without whom Communion would not exist.

I had SO much fun—for my first book launch party, I could not have asked for a better night!!

For more pictures from the night, you can go to the Communion Facebook page, where I have posted a full photo album.

For more about the book, please visit my website.

Laurie Colwin's Tomato Pie

2010-06-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

Some days I just need a Laurie Colwin fix. There is no other way to describe it. Depending on the kind of day I’m having, I might need to stop everything I’m doing and read Happy All the Time—I don’t know why, but I never tire of Guido, Holly, Vincent, and Misty. Other days simply an essay out of one of her food books will do. Although a “quick fix” can often lead to a binge of a dozen or more essays in a row, or as in the case of last week, everything being dropped so that I could sit on my kitchen floor and read Home Cooking from cover to cover, appreciating “Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant” just as much on the twenty-somethingth reading as I did on the first. And of course, reading Laurie is inevitably followed by the need to make one of her recipes. This time: Tomato Pie. It was one of the first dishes I taught myself to make as an adult living on my own, and yet I still got a thrill last week (more than twenty years after I first made it) to think that I—yes me!—actually baked that thin, flaky buttermilk crust filled with tomatoes. I know that first loves are often romanticized over the years, but this is one that honestly stands the test of time.

Tomato Pie

adapted from More Home Cooking, by Laurie Colwin

Making the crust:

• 2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 1 stick butter
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup buttermilk

Rub the butter into the flour and baking powder with your fingers. When the butter is well blended, add milk until you have a not-too-sticky dough. Roll out half the dough on a floured surface and line a 9-inch pie plate with it.

Making the filling:

• Two 28 oz. cans chopped tomatoes, drained
• Chopped basil, chives and/or scallions (I sometimes use all three)
• 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise (I use crème fraiche), thinned with 2 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Lay tomatos over crust. Scatter with basil, chives and scallions. Scatter half the cheddar. Drizzle yogurt/lemon mixture. Top with the rest of the cheddar.

2. Roll out the remaining dough, fit it over the filling, and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal them. Cut several steam vents in the top crust and bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

(This dish is very good reheated at 350 degrees until hot the next day.)

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Communion: Now Available!

2010-05-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam is finally out in the world! You can purchase a copy of your very own at your favorite bookstore or one of the following places:

- Traveler’s Bookcase
- Elliott Bay Book Company
- Skylight Books
- Powells.com
- Your local, independent bookstore
- Amazon

*** Review copies are available. If you're a food writer interested in reviewing Communion, please contact me at tawl@thingsasian.com.

About Communion:

Living in Vietnam for four years in the 1990s, Seattle native Kim Fay fell in love with the romantic landscapes, the rich culture, and the uninhibited warmth of the people. A decade later, she grew hungry for more. Inspired by the dream of learning to make a Vietnamese meal for her friends and family in America, Kim returned to Vietnam and embarked on an unforgettable five-week culinary journey from Hanoi to Saigon.

Joined by her sister and best Vietnamese girlfriend, Kim set off to taste as much as possible while exploring rituals and traditions, street cafés and haute cuisine, famine and feast, and Communism and the legacy of war. Together, the three women discovered a society shaped by its ever-changing relationship with food. Every encounter serves up an enticing morsel, from uncovering the secret world of ragu in the French hill town of Dalat to bonding with the Julia Child of Vietnam in Saigon. Epicures and culture buffs will delight in markets, restaurants, farms, fisheries, and cooking classes as Kim assembles her dream meal and shares recipes such as banana flower salad and clay pot fish. Examining how we eat reflects who we are as individuals and as communities, Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam offers a feast for armchair gourmets, as well as a colorful guide for travelers hungering for their next adventure.

You can also read more about Communion, including reviews, at my website

Food for Giving

2010-05-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

When it comes to gift giving, I often run around like a chicken with its head cut off, looking for the perfect present. Then, after wasting many hours, I decide to make it. A fruit jam, an onion marmalade, a sweet treat—or maybe some combination of these three. The most recent gift I needed was for Jim’s mother (whom I hadn’t yet met) for her eightieth birthday. Clearly it had to be special. Since strawberries are in season, strawberry jam seemed ideal. And since the scones I baked could have been used as hockey pucks, I whipped up a batch of my famous (at least in my family) shortbread. Tucked prettily into tea towels in a bamboo bowl from Vietnam, they made a fetching package.

I don’t know why I ever go to stores looking for “just the right thing.” Any time I give a gift of homemade food, the entire experience is satisfying—the making, the presentation, the giving, and often the sharing. And I always make sure there are leftovers. In this case three extra jars of jam and eight stray pieces of shortbread, which I gave to my dad—who ate all of the shortbread (except half a piece he gave to my mom) and most of a jar of jam in one sitting!

Rather than posting a new recipe (and I do have a couple good ones I’ll soon share), I’m including links below to my favorite recipes for giving as gifts, just in case you need something for a wedding shower, birthday, or simply “I’m glad you’re my friend” present.

Jam
The strawberry jam mentioned above is based on the raspberry pear jam recipe that this links to. Just substitute strawberries for the raspberries and pears. I also suggest cutting back on the sugar, depending on how sweet the strawberries are.

Shortbread
This recipe comes from Laurie Colwin’s Home Cooking. It’s one of the first foods I learned how to make for myself as an adult after college out in the “real world.” I’m re-reading the book again, and all I have to say is … buy it, read it, remind yourself how easy it can be to be to create happiness in your life. As for the shortbread recipe: this time around I made it in an 8x8 pan and scored it in squares, rather than the wedges suggested in the blog post.

Red Onion Marmalade
For friends who like savory foods, this is a never-fail gift. Served with a sharp, hard cheese, it’s the best appetizer ever!

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Sweet Potato Salad

2010-04-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

Some nights are perfect. Just the right combination of family/friends, food, conversation, and—last Saturday night—song. Because my cousin Jeanne’s birthday was so much fun last year, we decided to do a repeat performance this year. Her brother Bill and his wife Jody hosted once again. A menu was carefully chosen—all recipes from Claudia Roden’s Arabesque. And those who know how to play were asked to bring their guitars.

I’d already fallen in love with Arabesque when I made a meal from it last year. The recipes are some of the most straightforward I’ve used, while the flavors are complex. A good example: the Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives, which Jody took charge of this time around. It has an exotic combination of ingredients (saffron, preserved lemon, cinnamon), and at the same time can serve as an anchor for nearly every appetizer, salad, and side in the cookbook.

Among the numerous items Jeanne made, the Eggplant Slices with Pomegranate, Yogurt, and Tahini (page 261) was my favorite. I made the crowd-pleasing Orange, Olive, and Onion Salad (too easy/too good), a forgettable fava bean and artichoke salad (I was forced to rely on canned fava beans and frozen artichoke hearts), and Sweet Potato Salad. The latter was a happy discovery because as a side it completes my go-to Arabesque meal—I’d been looking for something to unite with the tagine of chicken and orange salad for a simple summer menu.

Along with dinner, we had beautiful wines—Jeanne’s friend Steve is a wine distributor. And Jules, who was working mad hours all week, valiantly squeezed in a trip to the store so we could finish our meal with some sticky, yummy baklava. After that we headed into the living room for more wine and two hours of Bill, Jim, and Steve on the guitars, with Jeanne, Jody, Jules and Clive, Julie and Eric, and me singing along. As we drove home the music was still in my head … there’s a kind of hush, all over the world tonight … Every night should be so memorable.

Sweet Potato Salad
adapted from Arabesque, by Claudia Roden

Ingredients:

- 1 large onion, chopped coarsely
- 5 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. tsp. paprika
- salt
- 6 or 7 green olives
- peel of 1/2 preserved lemon, chopped
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leafed parsley

Directions:

1. Fry the onion in 2 tablespoons of oil until golden.

2. Cut the sweet potatoes into pieces (about 1-inch cubes), add to the pan, and barely cover with water. Add the ginger, cumin, paprika, a little salt, and 2 more tablespoons of oil. Cook until the potato pieces are tender, and the liquid has reduced to a sauce, turning the potatoes over once, and keeping watch so that they do not suddenly fall apart.

3. Serve at room temperature, mixed with the olives and preserved lemon peel, and sprinkles with lemon juice, the remaining olive oil, and the chopped parsley. (I just mixed all of these last ingredients in, with the exception of the olive oil, which I omitted).

Photo by Julie Fay Ashborn

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Whiskey Smoked Salmon Chowder

2010-03-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

I’m from the Pacific Northwest. I love salmon—especially wild salmon caught by my Uncle Jim and made with his “secret recipe” marinade. I love chowder—especially with a side of clam strips and chips from Ivar’s down on the waterfront in Seattle. Naturally this recipe for Whiskey Smoked Salmon Chowder called out to me when I saw it. I made it one autumn night at my sister’s when my parents were in town. Then, about a week ago, with the weather perfectly pre-spring chilly, I started to crave it again. But March decided to antagonize me. The temperature turned, and all of a sudden it was July-hot—hot enough for tank tops, shorts, irritation with other drivers on the road, and salads for dinner. Definitely too hot for chowder. But I’m going to post the recipe anyway and have faith that the fog will roll in and the cold will return before the true heat wave of summer in LA begins.

Whiskey Smoked Salmon Chowder
adapted from Gourmet or Food & Wine (I shouldn’t have cut this recipe out without noting the source!)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 6 celery stalks, finely chopped
• Pinch saffron threads, optional
• 8 small red or white potatoes peeled and diced (2-3 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh fennel bulb
• 2 cups milk
• 2 8-oz. bottles clam juice
• 2-1/2 cups corn kernels
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2-4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon lobster base, optional
• 1 pound smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
• Juice and zest of 1 small lemon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 oz. Jack Daniel's whiskey
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot and sauté the onions, celery, and saffron over medium heat until softened.

2. Add the potatoes and fennel and sauté briefly before pouring in the milk and clam juice. Cover, and let the mixture simmer on medium heat until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

3. Add the corn, cream, tomato paste, and lobster base.

4. Cook 5 minutes more, add the salmon, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, and whiskey. Season with salt and pepper

Notes on ingredients:

Saffron: To me this is not optional. Saffron gives chowder a wonderfully buttery flavor. It can be purchased inexpensively at Cost Plus/World Market.

Lobster paste: I was too lazy to go out and hunt this down, and the chowder tasted just fine without it.

Tomato paste: I don’t like the taste of tomato paste. It reminds me of cheap pizza from my childhood, so I didn’t use it. Again, the chowder was great without it.

Salmon: I was on a budget when I made this so I used only half a pound. I think this kept the chowder from being too rich. I plan to try a full pound next time just to see the difference.

Photo by Julie Fay Ashborn

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

And the Oscar goes to: Caramelized Onion Tarts With Apples

2010-03-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

Another annual tradition: the Oscar party. For more than a decade my sister and I have been hosting an Oscar get-together where everyone throws cash into a kitty and bets on the winners, and—best of all—makes a movie and/or actor-themed dish. This year (and last) because neither Julie or I have TV, our dear friend Sarah enthusiastically took over hostessing duties and opened her home to everyone and their creative dishes, including The Fantastic Mr. Slaw, Coralime Pie, The Brine Side, and my oh-so-popular George Clooney Is Hot And So Are These Meatballs—what am going to do one year if George isn’t nominated for something?

I also tried a new dish: Caramelized Onion Tarts With Apples. Aka, Crazy Tart! This recipe is incredibly easy and makes two attractive tarts. I played with it a bit, adding thyme to give the flavor some texture. The only problem I had with this recipe is that it’s hard to get good apples these days. Even if I go to the Farmer’s Market, chances are they’ll be mushy. I think I’d like to try this with pears next time. It’s definitely one of those recipes that begs for experimentation, depending on what’s in season.

Caramelized Onion Tarts With Apples
adapted from Real Simple

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 2 red apples (such as Braeburn or Gala), cut into small pieces
- Sprig of fresh thyme
- Fresh ground salt and black pepper
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 400º F.

2) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. (For some reason I find that I always have to cook onions longer than a recipe calls for. In this case 20-25 minutes covered to get them to a caramelized state.) Put the sprig of thyme in with the onions and let it simmer.

3) Remove thyme. Stir in the apples, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until just tender, 2 minutes.

4) Place each sheet of pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork.

5) Spread with the crème fraîche, leaving a ½-inch border.

6) Top with the onion mixture and bake until the pastry is crisp and browned, 30 to 35 minutes.

7) Cut into pieces before serving.

**Photos by Julie Fay Ashborn

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Rolled Fillets of Breast of Chicken with Pork and Rosemary Filling

2010-03-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

I love trying new recipes, but doing this always has two opposing effects on me. 1) I get excited, hoping the dish might turn out to be terrific. 2) I’m terrified I’ll blow it. This recipe leaned heavily on the latter because I was making it to impress, and because one part of the instructions didn’t seem quite right to me.

After the pork was cooked and rolled in the raw chicken fillets, I was supposed to cook the rolls briefly in a skillet. To be specific: for only one minute! Granted, I am notorious for overcooking chicken, but “one minute altogether” planted fears of food poisoning in my head. A mutual decision during the cooking process turned that one minute into ten (explained below).

I had prepared the rolls a few hours ahead of time (preparing them was easy), and I think this gave the flavors time to steep before cooking in the skillet. Fresh pork from the butcher and fresh rosemary also made a difference. I added a side dish of fingerling potatoes roasted with olive oil and thyme, and the meal was almost perfect. A fresh green salad would have rounded it out nicely.

Rolled Fillets of Breast of Chicken with Pork and Rosemary Filling

adapted from the Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
by Marcella Hazan

Ingredients:

- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/2 lb. ground pork
- Salt
- Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
- 2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- 2 whole boneless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- Kitchen string
- 1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:

1) Lightly mash the garlic with a heavy knife handle, just hard enough to split the skin, which you will remove and discard. Put the garlic in a skillet together with the oil, turn on the heat to medium, and cook the garlic until it has become colored a pale gold. Add the ground pork, salt, pepper, and the rosemary leaves. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and crumbling the meat with a fork. Discard the garlic and, using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the meat to a plate.

2) Lay the chicken fillets flat on a work surface and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Spread the pork filling over the fillets, and roll up each fillet tightly. Tie each roll as if wrapping ribbon around gift (see photo).

The rolls can be prepared up to this point several hours in advance.

3) Spoon off most of the fat from the pan in which you cooked the pork. (If you made the chicken rolls some time in advance, degrease the pan at that time, and reserve the juices in the pan for when you are ready to resume cooking.) Add the butter, turn the heat on to medium high, and when the butter foam begins to subside, slip in the chicken rolls. Turn down the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook the chicken for about ten minutes, checking regularly to make sure the rolls don’t overcook and turning regularly to make sure they brown on all sides. Transfer to a warm serving platter, using a slotted spoon or spatula.

4) Add the wine to the skillet, and while it simmers briskly for about half a minute, use a wooden spoon to scrape loose cooking residues from the bottom and sides of the pan. Pour the cooking juices over the chicken rolls and serve at once.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Beef and Onions Braised in Beer

2010-02-24T11:03:00.000-08:00

As each New Year rolls around, it’s time for one thing for the Fay ladies in L.A.: our annual Southern Blues potluck party. But after three years of grits and bourbon (and the food/drink hangover that goes with so much hard alcohol and fried food), my cousin Jeanne sent out a new theme: recipes from Julia Child. Instead of collard greens, green beans in butter. Instead of pulled pork, beef bourguignon.

As usual, it was a feast. More than thirty guests (including my brother-in-law dressed as Julia Child and my sister Julie dressed as Paul), and at least twenty dishes, from scalloped potatoes to an amazing chocolate mousse from my cousin Jody. As for my contribution, I chose Julia’s Beef and Onions Braised in Beer. This was my pick for a couple reasons. It looked unique, and more importantly, it looked easy to make. I confess that although I’ve had my Julia Child cookbookfor a couple years, this is the first dish I’ve made from it. I’m too intimidated by it—plus I’m still easing my way through Elizabeth David’s French Provincial Cooking.

My main comment on this recipe: Don’t scrimp on the beef. The recipe calls for lean beef from the chuck roast or rump, but my butcher (oh how I love saying that!) at Marconda’s Meats at the Third & Fairfax Farmers Market read through the recipe and recommended chuck filet boneless short ribs instead. This meat was gorgeous as I was slicing it, and when the dish was done … sigh. So tender. I didn’t want to take it to the party. I wanted to keep it for myself, to devour on the spot and eat the leftovers in sandwiches the rest of the week. Subtle, hearty, and simple, this is the dish for your next winter dinner party—just add some roasted baby potatoes and maybe a green salad and you’re set.

*** I don’t know how to format the recipe to match the style Julia uses in her book, so I will wing it and hope the staggering of ingredients and directions here works.

Beef and Onions Braised in Beer (Carbonnades a la Flamande)
adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child

From Julia: Beer is typical for the Belgian braise, and gives a quite different character to beef than the red wine of the bourguignon. A bit of brown sugar masks the beer’s slightly bitter quality, and a little vinegar at the end gives character.

For 6 people

Step One:

- 3-lb. piece of chuck filet boneless short ribs
- 2 to 3 Tbsp good cooking oil
- A heavy skillet

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut the beef into slices about 2 by 4 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. Dry on paper towels. Put a 1/16-inch layer of fat or oil in the skillet and heat until almost smoking. Brown the beef slices quickly, a few at a time, and set them aside.

Step Two:

- 1 1/2 lbs. or 6 cups sliced onions
- Salt and pepper
- 4 cloves mashed garlic

Reduce heat to moderate. Stir the onions into the fat in the skillet, adding more fat if necessary, and brown the onions lightly for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the garlic.

Step Three:

- a 9- to 10- inch fireproof casserole about 3 1/2 inches deep (my Le Creuset 3-quart oval French Oven was perfect for this)
- Salt and pepper

Arrange half the browned beef in the casserole and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread half the onions over the beef. Repeat with the rest of the beef and onions.

Step Four:

- 1 cup strong beef bouillon
- 2 to 3 cups light Pilsner beer
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 large herb bouquet: parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, and thyme tied in cheesecloth

Heat the bouillon in the browning skillet, scraping up coagulated cooking juices. Pour it over the meat. Mix the beer and brown sugar and add so the meat is barely covered. Bury the herb bouquet among the meat slices. Bring casserole to the simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and place in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid remains at a very slow simmer for 2 1/2 hours at the end of which time the meat should be fork-tender.

Step Five:

- 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Blend the cornstarch and vinegar. Remove the herb bouquet. Drain the cooking liquid out of the casserole into a saucepan and skim off fat. Beat the starch/vinegar mixture into the cooking liquid and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. You should have about 2 cups of sauce. Pour the sauce back over the meat.

*** The recipe may be prepared in advance to this point. If you prepare it in advance, when you are ready to serve, cover the casserole and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes until the meat is thoroughly heated through.

Twitter and Facebook

2009-12-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

The time has come … to join the modern world, otherwise known as Twitter and Facebook fan pages. The reason: my new food book, Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam, is due out in April, and my To Asia With Love guidebook series just added the fourth volume, Japan, to the already available To Asia With Love, To Vietnam With Love, and To Myanmar With Love. I will only be posting information about the books, ThingsAsian.com, ThingsAsian Press, Vietnamese food, and Asian travel … I promise, no personal blah blah blah. I just want to get the word out about these books and a part of the world that means so much to me.

Communion has been my most special project so far—a culinary love song to Vietnam. You can read a little about it on the home page of my website, as well as find one of the recipes and some photos from the book. As for the guidebook series, it is just as much for armchair travelers as it is for those of you visiting the countries the volumes cover. Their stories are unique (a Wild West dude ranch in Japan) and personal (playing air guitar with monks in Myanmar), and at the same time practical—while not comprehensive (you’ll still need a Lonely Planet or Frommer’s), the books include thoughtful tips on planning your trip.

So … follow me, become a fan, and even better, order one of the books:

Click here to follow me on Twitter
Click here to become a fan of Communion on Facebook
Click here to become a fan of To Asia With Love on Facebook

You can pre-order Communion at Amazon or one of my favorite independent bookstores:

Powells.com
Elliott Bay Book Company
Skylight Books
Traveler’s Bookcase

Click here for information about To Vietnam With Love

Click here for information about To Myanmar With Love

Click here for information about To Japan With Love

Thanks!!

Cheesy Chicken and Mushroom Lasagna

2009-11-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

L.A. can’t seem to make up its mind—iced tea season or soup and lasagna season, hotcoldhotcold often on the same day—but a few weeks ago we had perfect lasagna weather. An authentic October chill in the air. A reason (finally!) to wear a sweater. So I did the only thing to be done: try a new lasagna recipe. It’s becoming an annual autumn tradition, with my favorite so far being Roasted Portobello Mushroom and Prosciutto Lasagna. Last year’s Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagna comes in third (although it gets extra points for originality), and this year’s yummy offering, with its rich wine-and-cheese sauce, takes second place.

While this chicken lasagna was so good that my niece had three helpings (no leftovers this time around) and my mom immediately asked for the recipe, I include it here with great heaviness in my heart, as it is from Gourmet, which is shutting down this month. I still have the last two issues set aside. I haven’t read them yet and won’t until I’m in dire need of a Gourmet fix. In the meantime, I’ll cook from the stash of recipes I’ve been cutting out over the years and hope that I have complied enough to see me into old age.

Cheesy Chicken and Mushroom Lasagna
Gourmet, March 2009

Ingredients:

- 1 (10-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 roast chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded (about 2 1/4 cups)
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
- 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 12 no-boil egg lasagne noodles (less than a 9-ounce package)
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère (3 ounces)

Equipment: an 8-inch square baking pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425° with rack in middle.

Cook mushrooms, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened, about 3 minutes.

Add wine and simmer briskly 2 minutes.

Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl and stir in chicken. (Set aside saucepan.)

Bring milk to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat.

Add flour and cook roux, whisking constantly, 3 minutes.

Add hot milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly.

Add thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove from heat and reserve 1 cup sauce.

Stir parmesan into sauce remaining in pan, then stir into mushroom filling.

Pour half of reserved plain sauce into baking pan, spreading evenly to coat bottom.

Add 3 lasagne sheets, overlapping slightly, and one third of mushroom filling, spreading evenly, then sprinkle one fourth of Gruyère over top.

Repeat 2 times.

Top with remaining 3 lasagne sheets and remaining plain sauce, spreading evenly.

Sprinkle with remaining Gruyère.

To Cook:
Cover with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top of lasagne but sealing all around edge, and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is golden, about 15 minutes more. Let lasagne stand 10 minutes before serving.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

2009-10-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Summer came late to L.A. this year. After a gloomy August, which ended with the fires that sat on the edge of the city like the end of the world, September was unseasonably hot. It was the kind of weather that called for cool dishes. In the original recipe, these tacos are fried, but I skipped this step, making them one of the easiest, most refreshing dishes in my small collection. I like it, too, because I just put all the ingredients in the fridge, and I could whip up a taco in less than sixty seconds any time I liked. This is also a good dish for vegetarian friends.

Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw
adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2009

Ingredients:

- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 cups coleslaw mix
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Corn tortillas
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Bottled chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce

Directions:

1) Place beans and cumin in small bowl; partially mash.

2) Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.

3) Scoop bean mixture, slaw mixture, and feta into a tortilla and drizzle with hot sauce.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Mediterranean Salad with Prosciutto and Pomegranate

2009-07-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

It’s not that I haven’t been cooking much this summer. It’s just that I haven’t been cooking anything creative. It’s hot, I’m busy, and I’ve been relying on chicken and grilled vegetables, my handy Trader Joe’s canned food for all sorts of cold pasta salads, and lots of fresh fruit—plums for 49¢ a pound just make me happy. But the other Sunday I was invited to a barbecue by my friends Vickie and Carlos, and I realized that I missed playing around in the kitchen.

I pulled out the salad recipes that had been piling up in my kitchen notebook, and I chose two. Of them, the “wow” recipe of the pair seems as if it would have been the watermelon and arugula salad with caramelized macadamia nuts, gorgonzola, and a raspberry vinaigrette. Instead, it was the underdog (chosen because I love prosciutto and had just seen pomegranate seeds at the grocery store), which turned out to be one of the best salads I’ve ever had. I snuck the leftovers home with me and ate them every day for three days until there was nothing but a few dribbles of dressing left in the Tupperware container.

Mediterranean Salad with Prosciutto and Pomegranate
from Bon Appetit, November 2008

Serves 4-6 (perfect for a light lunch or dinner with soup or bread)

Ingredients

- 2 cups very thinly sliced fennel bulb
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 6 cups arugula (about 4 ounces)
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 3-ounce packages thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into strips
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Directions

1) Toss fennel and 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

2) Combine arugula, green onions, mint, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl; toss. Season with salt and pepper.

3) Divide greens among plates. Top with fennel, then drape with prosciutto. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top.

Note on amounts and mixing:

- I was pretty loose on measuring ingredients, and it just didn’t matter, as long as you don’t go overboard on anything.

- I just mixed everything all together in a big bowl. No need to take the time to divide ingredients on separate plates unless you feel like being arty.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Fun with Peas

2009-05-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

So here I am at 11 at night, jet-lagged after nearly a month in Asia, and sleepless because my sis is going into the hospital at 5 am tomorrow so her doctor can induce labor. By this time tomorrow night, I will be an aunt!! As for now, I'm wide awake, and don't have the concentration to work or even watch the second half of Mildred Pearce. So I'll post a recipe that has been my staple ever since I discovered it a few months ago. Officially, it's a pea dip, but the name just doesn't quite sound right, so I'm calling it Fun with Peas ... as opposed to Peacamole, the name given to it by its creator on her blog, "Chocolate & Zucchini."

"Chocolate & Zucchini" is one of my favorite blogs, and I hadn't visited it for awhile. Then one day while doing a cleanse, when all I could think about was food, I decided to take a peek and see what I was missing. But the first recipe I encountered turned out to be ideal for my two weeks of no wheat, no dairy, no sugar. It was also the tastiest dip I'd had in ages. With brown rice crackers, it has become my daily go-to snack, along with carrots and hummus. It has also attended two parties with me, with great social success.

The following recipe is modified from the original on "Chocolate & Zucchini."

Fun with Peas

Ingredients:

- 1 bag frozen peas (1 lb.)
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp. whole almond butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 dash Tabasco sauce or pinch of cayenne pepper (I use a lot more to give it a kick)
- Salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Steam the peas until tender. Let them cool.

2) In a food processor, combine peas, almond butter, cilantro, garlic, Tobasco or cayenne, and salt and pepper. Process until smooth.

3) Spread on brown rice crackers.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Moroccan Feast for Eight

2009-03-18T17:40:00.001-07:00

It started so innocently. My sis, Jules, is on bedrest until her due date at the end of May, so her house has become the social hub for family and friends. Last week, we realized that we were going to have a full house on Sunday, so I decided to make dinner. Something easy. Chicken is easy. We started thumbing through Jules' cookbooks, but didn't find anything we liked by Jamie Oliver or Donna Hay. Then Jules found a recipe in a Moroccan cookbook for classic Moroccan chicken. "This one sounds good," she said. It sounded so-so to me, but I didn't say so. When a pregnant lady on bedrest finds something appetizing, you make it for her!

Back at my apartment, I got out my copy of Claudia Roden's Arabesque to see if I could find any good side dishes. First thing I found was that same chicken recipe. This seemed like a good sign. Then I stuck Post-it notes on more than a dozen delicious sounding recipes and narrowed it down to two: Orange, Olive and Onion Salad and Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad. I was starting to get excited. It had been a while since I'd made a big meal, and ages since I'd tried anything new and really different.

Sunday morning came around, and I hit the city for ingredients. The most unusual on my list was preserved lemon---lemon that has been preserved in salt. First I went to Jon's, a low-budget chain that I'd heard had a good ethnic section. Indeed, they had an entire aisle labeled "international." There I found pomegranate syrup and orange blossom water, but no preserved lemons. I bought the syrup and water because they had both showed up in recipes I wanted to try at a later date, and then headed for the Farmer's Market at Third and Fairfax, where I bought my veggies, popped into Cost Plus for some spices, and tried the little French specialty shop for the elusive lemon. There I found a jar of preserved lemon in olive oil. It just looked too oily, but the nice clerk suggested I try Whole Foods across the street. Lo and behold, there in the olive bar was a little bin of preserved whole lemons, not to mention the olives. It was one of those lucky days where I found every single ingredient that I needed.

A few hours later my friend Jenny picked me up and we headed over to Jules and Clive's, where we spent a pleasant afternoon cooking. Jenny took on the Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad, as well as a phyllo dessert she found on good ole reliable Epicurious. Because Jules can't even sit up at the table right now, we ate around the living room, plates propped on knees, along with our friend Sarah, my cousin Jeanne, and her son Connor.

The meal was gasp-worthy. My brother-in-law even mentioned it in an email to me ... Sunday's meal was the best you have ever done and is the best meal I can remember. I take that as high praise (though I am well aware that kudos also go to Claudia Roden, as well as my partner-in-cooking crime, Jenny). The chicken was tender and vibrant with the lemon, olives, and spices. The orange salad was astounding. I have never tasted anything like it, and plan to make it over and over all summer long. And the peppers with apple (such a subtle combination) were the perfect straight man for the other two more flavorful dishes. As for dessert, it was stickily sweet and cool and refreshing all at the same time.

Another great thing about this meal is that I made it right in the middle of doing a cleanse: no sugar, no wheat, no dairy, no alcohol, no nothing! And other than the dessert, I could eat all three dishes. In fact, altogether they have only 9 tablespoons of olive oil, and the rest is all chicken, veggies, herbs, and spices.

To keep this post from being overly long, I have put each recipe in its own post, with the link below.

Moroccan Feast for 8:

Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives

Orange, Olive and Onion Salad

Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad

Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Greek Yogurt and Honey

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives

2009-03-18T15:15:00.006-07:00

Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives
adapted from Arabesque, by Claudia Roden

Ingredients:

- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp. crushed saffron threads or saffron powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 8 boneless chicken breasts
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
- 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cinnamon stick
- peel of 1 large or 2 small preserved lemons, peel only, cut into slices
- 12-16 green or violet olives, without pits

Directions:

1) In a wide casserole or heavy-bottomed pan that will fit the chicken pieces in one layer, heat the oil and add the onions. Sauté, stirring over a low heat, until softened, then stir in the garlic, saffron, cinnamon stick, and ginger.

2) Add the chicken pieces and pour in 1-1/4 cup water. Simmer, covered, turning the pieces over a few times and adding a little more water if it becomes too dry.

3) After 15 minutes, add lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, preserved lemon peel, olives

4) Continue cooking for 10-15 more minutes. Chicken. When it is almost done, remove from the pan and let the sauce continue to simmer until it thickens.

5) Once the sauce has thickened, return the chicken to pan and finish cooking. My chicken was perfectly done at 35 minutes.

6) Serve with the olives and lemon peel on top of the meat.

Note on salt:
Because the lemon and olives are salty, I do not add any extra salt.

For recipes for a full Moroccan meal, click here.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Orange, Olive and Onion Salad

2009-03-18T15:15:00.005-07:00

Orange, Olive and Onion Salad
from Arabesque, by Claudia Roden

Ingredients:

- 4 oranges
- 16 black olives
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- pinch of ground chile pepper (cayenne is okay)
- 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1) Peel the oranges, removing the pith. Cut them into thick slices and then into quarters. Put in a bowl.

2) Mix in chopped onion and olives.

3) Make a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, paprika, chili pepper and chopped parsley, and mix into the salad.

Serve at room temperature.

For recipes for a full Moroccan meal, click here.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad

2009-03-18T15:15:00.003-07:00

Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad
from Arabesque, by Claudia Roden

Ingredients:

- 3 fleshy red bell peppers
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 3-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 or 2 chili peppers, left whole
- salt and pepper
- 2 sweet apples (such as Golden Delicious)

Directions:

1) Place the peppers on a sheet of foil on an oven tray under a preheated broiler, 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches from the broiler. Turn them until their skins are black and blistered all over. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them and remove and discard the stems and seeds. Now cut the peppers lengthwise into ribbons.

2) In a wide pan, fry the onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat, stirring until they are lightly colored. Add the garlic and stir until it just begins to color, then add the tomatoes and chili peppers. Season with salt and pepper and cook gently for about 15-20 minutes.

3) Leaving the peel on, quarter and core the apples. (Our apples were big, so we cut them into eighths.) Stir the red pepper ribbons into the onion mixture. Then put in the apple quarters, cut side down. Cook gently until the apples are tender, adding a little water if the pan becomes too dry. Turn the apples skin side down toward the end.

Serve cold, drizzled with the remaining olive oil.

For recipes for a full Moroccan meal, click here.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Greek Yogurt and Honey

2009-03-18T15:15:00.001-07:00

(My camera battery died before Jenny finished making dessert,
so here is Jenny working on our Moroccan meal, instead)

Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Greek Yogurt and Honey
from Bon Appetit (Epicurious)

Ingredients:

- 14 ounces Medjool dates (about 1 1/2 cups), pitted
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
- 3 Tbsp. plus 1/4 cup Greek honey or other honey
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 8 17 1/2x12 1/2-inch or sixteen 13 1/2x8 1/2-inch sheets fresh phyllo pastry or frozen, thawed
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup Greek whole-milk yogurt

Directions:

1) Combine dates, walnuts, 3 tablespoons honey, orange peel, and cardamom in food processor. Blend until paste forms.

2) Preheat oven to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. If using 17 1/2x12 1/2-inch phyllo sheets, place stack of 8 phyllo sheets on work surface. Halve stack crosswise, forming 16 sheets, each 12 1/2x8 3/4 inches; arrange in 1 stack. Or if using 13 1/2x8 1/2-inch phyllo sheets, stack 16 sheets on work surface. Cover phyllo stack with plastic wrap, then damp kitchen towel.

3) Remove 1 phyllo sheet from stack and place on work surface; brush with melted butter. Top with second sheet; brush with butter.

4) Starting 1 inch from edge at short end of phyllo, spoon 3 tablespoons date mixture in dollops in row parallel to edge. Mold date mixture into log, leaving 1/2-inch border at edges of phyllo.

5) Roll up date log in phyllo, enclosing filling and forming roll (filling will be exposed at ends). Transfer to baking sheet; brush with butter.

6) Repeat with remaining phyllo, butter, and date mixture.

7) Bake until golden, about 23 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

8) Spoon yogurt into small bowl (or 8 individual bowls); drizzle remaining 1/4 cup honey over yogurt. Place 1 phyllo roll on each of 8 plates. Serve with honey-yogurt for dipping.

Note on rolling:
Basically, you roll the date mixture into a log shape and then roll the phyllo around it like a cigar. Makes 8.

For recipes for a full Moroccan meal, click here.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Rainy Nights & Turkey Soup

2009-03-03T15:43:00.001-08:00

I always keep a couple packages of ground turkey in my freezer. It’s one of my go-to foods. But there are times when I just can’t take another meatloaf or crock pot full of meatballs. So there I was the other night staring at some just-thawed turkey when my sweet little Le Creuset French oven beckoned me … yet again!

It was raining. I needed a break from too much work. I needed sustenance. So I foraged through my cupboards and discovered that mustard and balsamic vinegar are keys to an ambrosial broth. I savored the smell of soup simmering for a few hours, then ate a bowl while watching “Elevator to the Gallows,” which I had rented because its improv Miles Davis soundtrack is my favorite CD of all times ... and who doesn't love a brooding Louis Malle film on a brooding stormy night?

Turkey Soup with Mustard and Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients

- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 yellow pepper, diced
- 6 shitake mushrooms, diced
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 32 oz. vegetable broth
- 1 soup spoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- A few splashes of sherry
- A few big splashes of balsamic vinegar
- 1 can S&W white beans
- Garlic powder
- Herbs de Provence

Directions:

1) In the French oven (soup pot), heat vegetable broth, mustard, sherry, and vinegar

2) Saute celery, pepper, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add to broth.

3) Saute ground turkey in olive oil, keeping it in big chunks. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Add to broth.

4) Add white beans to broth.

5) Add Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper to taste.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

2008 Holiday Recipes

2009-01-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Smoked Cheddar

From Thanksgiving until Christmas, any evening that wasn’t spent out at a holiday party was spent cooking for a holiday party, the holidays themselves, or gifts. I made a few old favorites: Red Onion Marmalade and Pear with Jasmine Mandarin Tea Jam. I also tried a lot of new recipes this year, and only one was a disappointment---the most unsavory smelling asparagus tapenade. Otherwise, every recipe was a winner … I consider something a winner when more than one person asks for the recipe. Because there were so many, I don’t want to clutter up a single blog post, so I’ve given each one its own post, and included a link to the posts below. Enjoy some of these while the weather is still chilly. Save others for gift baskets next year.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Smoked Cheddar

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Zucchini Latkes & Rosemary and Brown Butter Applesauce

White Onion Marmalade

Smoked Paprika, Chive and Walnut Cheesy Dip

Pear and Raspberry Jam

Brown Butter Applesauce

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Top photo by Julie Fay Ashborn

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Smoked Cheddar

2009-01-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

This soup was perfect for a light, Christmas day lunch. It’s beautiful with its combination of apples and smoked cheddar. I made the base soup (excluding the sautéed apples, cheddar, and chives) a couple days ahead of time, giving the flavor a chance to develop. This recipe made four good-sized servings. I was also quite generous with the smoked cheddar, doubling the amount in the recipe.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Smoked Cheddar
adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients:

- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- A 1 3/4-pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice (5 cups)
- 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 McIntosh apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/3 cup coarsely shredded smoked cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
- Chopped chives or thinly sliced sage leaves, for garnish

Directions:

1) In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes.

2) Add the apple cider and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes.

3) Add 1 of the chopped apples, the butternut squash, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 40 minutes.

4) In a blender, puree the soup in batches. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm. (At this point, you can put the soup in the fridge for a couple days).

5) Heat a medium skillet. Add the butter and 1 diced apple and cook over high heat until the apple is tender and golden around the edges, about 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper, for taste (I didn’t).

6) Ladle the soup into warmed bowls.

7) Garnish with the smoked cheddar, sautéed apples and chives.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Photo by Julie Fay Ashborn

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

2009-01-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

The first time I tried this recipe, I overcooked it. It was dry and didn’t have the flavor I was hoping for. But there was just something about it that made me try it again. I bumped up the spices, cut way back on the sugar, and made sure there were plenty of walnuts. The second loaf had the perfect spicy, not-too-sweet holiday flavor I was hoping for. I’ve doubled the recipe, so I don’t have to waste half a can of pumpkin puree. This recipe makes two loaves. Eat one now. Freeze one for later.

Pumpkin Walnut Bread
adapted from Bon Appetit (which got the recipe from Cindy Mushet’s The Art and Soul of Baking)

Ingredients:

- 4 cups unbleached flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temp
- 2/3 cup water
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 can (16 oz) canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup neutral flavored vegetable oil (canola)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 generous cups chopped toasted walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position oven rack in the center.

2. Lightly coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with melted butter or high heat canola oil spray and line it with a piece of parchment paper that extends 1 inch beyond the edge of both sides of the pan (I didn’t do the parchment paper, but I’ll throw it out there for anyone who wants to).

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, and salt until thoroughly blended.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and water. Add the sugar and blend well. Add the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well.

5. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.

6. Add the walnuts and stir until they are evenly distributed.

7. Use a spatula to scrape the batter into prepared loaf pan and level the top.

8. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the bread is firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Zucchini Latkes & Rosemary and Brown Butter Applesauce

2009-01-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

When I was invited to my friend Ann Le’s Hanukkah/holiday party, I decided to make zucchini latkes. Having never made any kind of latke before, this wasn’t the brightest thing to do. I couldn’t keep a little zucchini patty together if my life depended on it. My kitchen looked as if a zucchini had thrown up in it by the time I was through, and I’d invented three new swear words, none of them pretty. But … from the few blobby, unattractive zucchini latkes that came out of the venture, I can definitely say that they taste good. So I’m putting this recipe up, for anyone who’d like to try it and give me some advice.

Along with it I’m including the Rosemary and Brown Butter Applesauce I made for the party, as well. Even though the zucchini latkes should be served with sour cream (my sis spiked ours with dill), this applesauce recipe deserves exposure. The rosemary gives it a distinctive freshness, and the brown butter pushes it over the edge into the decadent category. I took one bowl to the party and canned the rest for my parents’ Christmas basket. I plan to can a great deal more before this winter is through. The original Bon Appetit recipe was a little complicated, involving a food mill. I dumbed it down, and it came out just fine.

Rosemary and Brown Butter Applesauce
adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

- 3 cups unsweetened apple juice
- 3 4-inch fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 1/2 pounds (7 to 8 medium) Braeburn apples, peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 12 cups)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

1) Combine apple juice, rosemary, and cinnamon, plus a large pinch of salt, it a large pot. (Hmm, I forgot to add the salt).

2) Boil until juice is reduced by half, about 8 minutes.

3) Mix in apples. Cover; cook over medium heat until apples are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Uncover and, if necessary, cook until liquid evaporates. Discard rosemary and cinnamon. (Basically, I cooked this until it turned into applesauce!)

4) Melt butter in small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until butter browns, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.

5) Mix brown butter into applesauce.

6) Can immediately (use proper canning methods) or cool and put in the fridge.

7) Bring to room temperature or re-warm before serving.

Zucchini Latkes
from Gourmet

Ingredients:

- 3 pounds zucchini
- 1 1/3 cups plain fine dry bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram (I used thyme)
- About 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Grate zucchini using medium shredding disk of a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons salt. Let stand 30 minutes.

2. Squeeze zucchini in batches in a kitchen towel to remove as much liquid as possible.

3. Transfer zucchini to a large bowl and stir in bread crumbs, eggs, marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 200°F.

5. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.

6. Scoop 2 tablespoon mixture per latke into skillet (6 to 8 per batch).

7. Flatten with a fork to form 2 1/2-to 3-inch pancakes.

8. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side (adding more oil as necessary).

9. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in oven.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

White Onion Marmalade

2009-01-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

This marmalade is wonderful with an aged Gouda or sharp cheddar on crackers. It is sweeter than my red onion marmalade, which has some kick to it because of the pepper flakes and ginger. The marmalades make a great pairing on an appetizer table, or in a basket of Christmas presents.

White Onion Marmalade
adapted from Gourmet, Food & Wine, or Bon Appetit (I cut the recipe out years ago and can’t remember the source)

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice or quarter slivers (about 8 cups)
- 6 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 heaping Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2) Add onions, shallots, sugar and bay leaves; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

3) Add remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low.

4) Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is dark golden and syrupy, about 20 minutes.

5) Immediately transfer to jars using proper canning methods; or cool and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Smoked Paprika, Chive and Walnut Cheesy Dip

2009-01-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

This recipe began as a Vegetarian Times recipes for “cheese” bites, meaning it was made with tofu and rolled into little balls for appetizer nibbles. I used cream cheese, instead, and when I served it, I found that people just smashed the balls onto crackers, so it seemed much easier to simply make it as a dip/spread. The smoked paprika really makes this appetizer, so don’t substitute plain paprika. And also make sure to toast the walnuts, as that’s key, too. Make it a couple days ahead of time; serve with crackers, and it’s the perfect low maintenance party dish.

Smoked Paprika, Chive and Walnut Cheesy Dip
adapted from Vegetarian Times

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups walnuts
- 16 oz. cream cheese
- 1 cup finely chopped chives
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika (I added more, to taste)

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350.

2) Spread walnuts on a baking sheet, and bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool, and grind finely in a food processor.

3) Mix walnuts and remaining ingredients until smooth.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Pear and Raspberry Jam

2009-01-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

When I came across raspberries at the Third & Fairfax Farmer’s Market just before Christmas, I was overcome with a craving for raspberry jam. Don’t know why, but I decided to add pears to the jam. The result is everything I love about raspberries—that tangy-sweet taste of summer—with the comforting winter flavor of pears. Use it on your morning toast, a PBJ, pancakes, waffles … whatever you’re in the mood for.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup pears. Approximately 2 pears. I used Bartlett.
- 1 cup raspberries
- ½ cup sugar
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tsp calcium water (see note below)
- 1 tsp pectin (see note below)

Directions:

Day One:

1. Peel the pears, remove their stems, cut them in two, core them, and cut them into small dice.

2. In a preserving pan (I used a regular saucepan), combine the pears, raspberries, sugar, calcium water, and lemon juice.

3. Bring to a simmer and then pour into a bowl.

4. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.

Day Two:

1. Bring the mixture to a boil in a preserving pan. Skim, if necessary.

2. Add pectin and continue cooking on high heat for about ten minutes, stirring gently. Skim carefully, if necessary.

3. Check the set. I did this by putting a plate in the fridge. I dribbled a little of the mixture on the cold plate. When it quickly gelled, it was ready.

4. Put jam into jars immediately and seal.

This recipe yielded 2 (and a bit) 8 oz. jars.

Note on Pectin & Calcium Water:

I used Pomona’s Universal Pectin, which allows you to use less sugar—I don’t have a sweet tooth, and I try to avoid sugar when possible. I made the calcium water according to the directions that come with the packet. Pomona’s Universal Pectin can be bought at Whole Foods.

Note on Canning:

For complete canning & safety information, go to Home Canning or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Butternut Squash & Hazelnut Lasagna

2008-12-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

I love lasagna. I think it’s because it was the first dish that I made on my own. The first dish I can claim as mine. As a kid I was an expert at all the family cookie recipes: Snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies from a cake mix, and ginger cookies. I also did a mighty fine job with those box pizza mixes from Chef Boyardee. But when I was in high school, living in Vancouver, Washington, I found a recipe for lasagna in The Columbian newspaper. It was a basic red meat sauce version. Nothing special about it. But it was mine.

Even though I haven’t made that recipe in years, I still love making lasagna. Especially since cooks get so creative with it nowadays. I’m always cutting out interesting varieties from Gourmet or Food & Wine. Last fall (or lasagna season, as I call it) I fell in love with Roasted Portobello Mushroom and Prosciutto Lasagna. Last week I discovered a new favorite: Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagna.

My folks were in town for our family’s first Thanksgiving dinner at my sister and her husband’s new house on Mount Washington, and I wanted something to serve before the big day. That’s the great thing about lasagna. Add a salad, and it’s a great meal for groups. And if you’re cooking just for yourself, you can cut it into quarters, freeze each quarter separately, and then take one out whenever you don’t feel like cooking. I’ve never met a lasagna that didn’t reheat beautifully.

Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagne
from Gourmet (with slight modifications), December 2001

Ingredients for the squash filling
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 good sized squash)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 cup hazelnuts (about 4 oz.), toasted, loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel, and coarsely chopped

Ingredients for the sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 cups milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Ingredients for assembling the lasagna
- 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (2 cups)
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 oz)
- 12 (7- by 3 1/2-inch) sheets no-boil lasagne (1/2 lb)

Directions for making the filling
This can be done a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge.

1) Cook onion in butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes.

2) Add squash, garlic, salt, and white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is just tender, about 15 minutes.

3) Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and nuts.

4) Cool filling.

Directions for making the sauce
This can be done while the squash cooks, and can also be made a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge.

1) Cook garlic in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute.

2) Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes.

3) Add milk in a stream, whisking.

4) Add bay leaf and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes.

5) Whisk in salt and white pepper and remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. (Cover surface of sauce with wax paper if not using immediately.)

Directions for assembling the lasagna

1) Preheat oven to 425°.

2) Toss cheeses together.

3) Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish and cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving spaces between sheets.

4) Spread with 2/3 cup sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 cup cheese.

5) Repeat layering 2 more times, beginning with pasta sheets and ending with cheese.

6) Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.

7) Tightly cover baking dish with buttered foil and bake lasagne in middle of oven 30 minutes.

8) Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more.

9) Let lasagne stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Note on the sauce:
I could not get this sauce to thicken. I cooked it for nearly 30 minutes, added an extra Tablespoon of flour, and finally gave up. Though it was runny when I turned the heat off, it thickened up while it sat there, and in the end, it worked perfectly. My point being, don’t get frustrated if the sauce doesn’t seem to be thickening. It will!

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

(photos by Julie Fay)

Chicken & Artichoke Soup

2008-11-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

Every time I look at my little blue Le Creuset French oven, I feel that I must use it. Usually, the recipe is of the kitchen sink variety. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not so much. Recently, though, it worked. I dug through my cupboards with all their emergency kit cans of things I can’t live without in the case of an earthquake or nuclear war (sardines, turkey chile, you know, the essentials) and foraged up a beautiful soup for autumn. Because I didn’t measure, I’m going to wing it here … just add whatever ingredients I’ve listed to suit your own taste.

Chicken & Artichoke Soup

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cubed (large)
- 1 can artichoke hearts, unseasoned, chopped large (preferably from Trader Joe’s)
- 6 stalks of celery
- 1 can white beans (preferably S&W)
- 2 yellow onions, sliced (thick half rounds)
- 6 shitake mushrooms, sliced
- Handful of pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 box vegetable broth (again, I like Trader Joe’s)
- Bundle of thyme, tied in string
- Sherry
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil

Directions:

1) In your little Le Creuset, sauté the onions and celery in olive oil

2) In a frying pan, brown in the chicken in olive oil; when done add to Le Creuset

3) In same frying pan in chicken flavoring, sauté mushrooms; when done add to Le Creuset

4) Add vegetable broth, beans, artichoke, and olives

5) Bury thyme at bottom of the soup

6) Splash in sherry and vinegar (up to ¼ cup each)

7) Bring to a boil, then simmer for however long you want … the soup was done in about an hour, but really good and flavorful after three.

8) Remove thyme and serve.

NOTE ON LEFTOVERS:
I like to make a big batch of this, then put half in small batches in the freezer, so I can heat some up whenever I like.

NOTE ON VARIATIONS:
I made a variation on this about a month ago, which was really terrific. Instead of yellow onions, I used one large red onion. Instead of white beans, I used two cans of Trader Joe’s Tuscan bean medley. And I also added 2 chicken/cilantro sausages (fried and sliced), a ½ cup of Trader Joe’s red wine and olive oil vinaigrette, and about ¼-½ cup balsamic vinegar.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Egg Casserole with Leeks and Feta Cheese

2008-09-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

This recipe was assigned to me recently by my sister Julie who got it from my mom, who got it from one of her friends in Tucson’s Saddlebrooke Community where she and my dad live. It was originally labeled as a frittata, but I’ve looked up frittata recipes and most seem to call for first cooking in a skillet and then a quick final step under the broiler. This recipe is more like a casserole, so I’m going to call it that.

The flavor combination of note in this dish is the feta cheese, dill, and mint. It has proven especially popular as a staple at Julie’s yard sales. She hosts about three a year. Yes, hosts, as if throwing a party. And in a way, she is. She blasts an email out to all our friends and they show up with their old stuff for a morning of selling to the same people who come to every yard sale (the lady on the bike, the guy who only buys jewelry, the character actor best known for his roles on Seinfeld), sipping coffee and then mimosas, and nibbling on whatever dish she’s whipped up. It used to be her Seven Layer Mexican Dip; now it’s this one, which I’ve been told is much more South Beach friendly. Sometimes there are donuts, too.

Egg Casserole with Leeks and Feta Cheese

Ingredients:

- ¼ cup long-grain brown rice
- ¾ cup water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil
- 3 leeks, white and 2 inches of the green, chopped and washed (spring onions can be substituted)
- 3 zucchini unpeeled and coarsely grated
- 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill (dried dill works fine)
- 8 eggs, lightly beaten
- 8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1) Bring the rice, water and a large pinch of salt to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the water is absorbed.

2) Preheat oven to 325F.

3) Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the leeks, covered, until soft, 10-15 minutes.

4) Remove from the pan and over medium heat, sauté the zucchini, uncovered, until the zucchini softens, 5-7 minutes. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper.

5) Combine the rice, leeks, zucchini, mint, dill, feta, salt and pepper and eggs. Mix well.

6) Oil a 9x9 baking dish with the remaining 2 tsp. of oil. (A 9x13 will work too, but the casserole will be thinner.) Pour the eggs and vegetables into the dish.

7) Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden and set. Cut into squares and serve warm.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Mexican Clam Dip

2008-09-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

(photo by Julie Fay Ashborn)

The time has come to add something new to this blog, which has been neglected for months because of work. Good news, To Vietnam With Love is finally out in the world. Bad news, Communion is still in the editing stage. Good news, Ingram Publishing Services is now distributing all ThingsAsian Press titles to bookstores around the country. Bad news, it’s a lot of work having a distributor! (For some reason, Blogger won't let me add links today, so head to Amazon for the book and www.thingsasianpress.com to check out our other new titles.)

Last weekend was my spectacular friend Vickie’s spectacular 35th birthday, and I made a few contributions to the party: an incredibly yummy Peach White Wine Sangria and this delicious (super easy) clam dip. With most of the ingredients out of cans, plus a handful of cilantro for the fresh factor, it’s exactly what is called for when you need a last minute party dish. Just add tortilla chips, and you’re set.

Mexican Clam Dip
from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (about 6 ounces) purchased green chili salsa (salsa verde), medium
- 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies, mild
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 6.5-ounce cans chopped clams, drained well
- Tortilla chips

Directions:

1) Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth.

2) Mix in salsa, chilies and cilantro.

3) Add clams and blend well.

4) Season dip to taste with salt and pepper.

5) Transfer to ovenproof dish. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

6) Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake dip uncovered until heated through and bubbling around edges, about 35 minutes.

7) Place bowl of dip on platter. Surround with chips and serve.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Pictures by Julie Fay. Check out more at Julie’s website.

Red Onion Marmalade

2008-05-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in the kitchen these past few months, making loquat jam from the tree across the street, experimenting with Romanesco from the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, and trying different flavored waters (dried lemongrass and fresh lemon verbena are my favorites so far). But every time I sit down to write, it has to be for work—To Vietnam With Love is coming out in June, and To Myanmar With Love isn’t far behind. So I haven’t had a chance to write any new recipes down. But tonight I made something so incredible that I just had to record it.

Ever since buying a jar of red onion marmalade at the Borough Market in London last September, I have been craving the stuff. When I went back in December for more, the stall was closed for a week, as it turns out it always in between Christmas and New Year. I couldn’t remember the name of the company, so I couldn’t order any. Finally, I decided to make my own. This version was cobbled from recipes I found online, and although it’s not the Borough Market marmalade, it’s really good. It’s always recommended with pork, but that seems too autumnal. I advise heading to your local cheese shop. When I told one of the experts at the Silverlake Cheese Shop I had a red onion marmalade and asked for a suggestion, I ended up with a perfect pairing. (Of course, I’ve forgotten the name of the cheese—it’s been a hectic year!)

Red Onion Marmalade

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 cups thinly sliced red onions (about 4-5 medium onions)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes ground in a mortar and pestle
- 1 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup dry Sherry
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large, heavy saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and dried red pepper. Cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes.

2. Add brown sugar, vinegar, balsamic vinegar, Sherry, and ginger. Cook on medium uncovered until onions are very tender and mixture is thick, stirring frequently, 30-40 minutes. The result should be caramelized.

This marmalade is terrific served cold, at room temperature, or heated. Makes two 8-ounce jars and then some.

PS: Loquat Jam ...

Loquats are in season right now in L.A., and there are three laden trees across from my apartment. No one eats the fruit, and it just falls on the ground and rots, which is such a shame. Loquats are fabulous, the closest I’ve found to a mangosteen, which is my favorite fruit in the whole world. They’re a pain to peel and de-seed (the seeds, apparently, are poisonous), but it was worth it for making jam. Out of curiosity, I used the exact same recipe that I used for my pear jam, excluding the jasmine tea. And it worked. Even though I know different amounts of sugar are usually required for different jams, I use this recipe as a template, and so far, it hasn’t failed me.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

And the Oscar goes to … Beer & Barbecue Sauce Crock Pot Turkey Meatballs

2008-02-25T17:31:00.001-08:00

Every year for the past seven or eight years, my sister and I (but mostly my sister) have been hosting an Oscar party for our friends … complete with food themed to the movies and actors up for awards. Among this year’s dishes: Away from Herb Dip and Julie Crispies, No Caprese for Old Men, Johnny Dipp with Helena Bonham Crackers, Prosciutto of the Caribbean, La Vie En Fromage, The Bourbon Ultimatum Bars, Elizabeth the Golden Aged Cheddar and English Pickle, There will be Blood Oranges, Into the Wild Mushroom Fricasee ... and yes, I know great liberties were taken with these titles. Even more fun are the movie posters my sis makes to go with them!

All around, the food was terrific, thanks to Jules, Trae and Robin up from Orange County, Sarah, Jenny, and Bette in from Seattle just in time to enjoy a rainy weekend, with Clive providing the token male presence. For my dish, I was assigned Michael Claypot ...

I found a few crock pot meatball recipes online (my clay pot is too small for feeding a group), started experimenting, and concocted this winner.

Beer & Barbecue Sauce Crock Pot Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

- 2 lbs turkey
- 2 eggs
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 4 good dashes garlic salt
- 4 big dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 bottle trader Joe’s All Natural Barbecue Sauce (18 oz)
- 1 cup Fat Tire beer

Directions:

1) Toast the pine nuts in a pan and set aside.

2) Brown onions in olive oil.

3) Mix turkey, eggs, onions, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce, and pine nuts.

4) Shape meatballs, approximately 1 inch round.

5) Brown meatballs in olive oil, but don’t cook completely.

6) Arrange meatballs in crockpot.

7) Pour barbecue sauce over meatballs.

8) Pour beer over meatballs.

9) Cook in your crock pot on low for 4-8 hours.

Serving size:
I wish I could tell you how many meatballs this made, but I didn’t count. I’m guessing about 50.

Ingredient note:
The turkey mixture seemed a little mushy when I browned the meatballs, though they held together in the end. Perhaps try 1 less egg, or add some breadcrumbs—not soft dusty crumbs, but crispy panko breadcrumbs.

More crock pot recipes:

- Crock Pot Beef Burgundy
- Pulled Pork

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Limoncello Season: My Favorite Time of Year

2008-02-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Here in L.A., it’s that time of year again … the tree out back in my driveway is bursting with lemons. That means one thing in this household: limoncello. I know that I first posted my limoncello recipe almost two years ago, but it’s among the top two items that bring people to this blog (the other being cha ca, or clay pot fish), and I wanted to make it easier on readers by publishing the recipe without all the blah, blah, blah back story and fussing around that went with making my first batch. So, here it is, nice and easy …

Limoncello, Phase One

- Choose 24 medium size lemons or 12 large lemons. When I say large, I mean huge. The ones from my tree are the size of grapefruit. Use organic lemons, since the alcohol is going to suck out every bit of oil (and pesticide, if it’s there) from the zest.

- Peel the zest from the lemons. Make sure not to get any pith, since it will make the liqueur bitter. I’ve heard that a microplane works well, but since I don’t have one, I used a serrated vegetable peeler.

- Put the skins in a jar and dump in two 750 ml bottles of 150 proof Everclear (see photo below). Leave in the jar in a cool, dark place for approximately three weeks. You’re ready to move on when the zest has turned white and the alcohol is yellow.

Limoncello, Phase Two

- Strain the zest from the alcohol. Squeeze any oil, if possible, from the zest and add to the alcohol.

- Mix the lemony alcohol with a simple syrup of 12 cups water and 5 cups sugar for a mix that won’t kill you, and 9 cups water and 4 ½ cups sugar for a mix that will merely burn your eyelashes off. Liquid should turn slightly cloudy.

- Put the jar back in its cool, dark place for three more weeks.

Limoncello, Phase Three

- Pour into bottles.

- Make labels.Tie a recipe for limoncello biscotti around the neck of the bottle, and you have the perfect spring gift for friends.

A note on alcohol:
You will find recipes that call for vodka instead of grain alcohol. Don't do it, unless you want to make a glorified lemondrop martini. I've tested this recipe various ways, and my friends have taste-tested those various batches, and the recipe that I have come up with here is considered the best, especially by all those who had their first sips while traveling in Italy.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

(top photo by Julie Fay)

Super Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-01-20T16:39:00.000-08:00

Last week we had my cousin Jeanne, her beau Steve, and her son Connor over for Sunday dinner. I say “we,” but that’s just to take credit for the delish Bubble & Squeak my sis and her hubby Clive made. B&S is an English favorite that’s made its way into our apartment due to this transatlantic marriage business … B&S is traditionally a mash made with leftover veggies, but Jules and Clive make up a big pot of it with whatever root vegetables are in season, plus beets (for a weird pink color), and a few other things … once I get the recipe figured out, I’ll post it. In the meantime, I want to write about something that I’ve actually written about before but think falls naturally into my January-Is-The-Month-For-Easy-Recipes theme: Peanut Butter Cookies.

After we finished eating our Bubble & Squeak, we realized we didn’t have any dessert. But I had all the makings for my mom’s classic PB Cookies, leftover from a cooking project with my after school program. Ten minutes later, the cookies were baking away … and they were a huge hit, or at least the ones I didn’t drop on the floor were—we had a wee bit of red wine with our dinner. The secret quickie ingredient? Yellow cake mix. Just add peanut butter, eggs, oil, and water, and you have the best PB cookies ever. Whatever you do, though, don’t read the ingredients on the cake mix box. I have never seen such an unhealthy and possibly toxic ingredient listing in a single place, with the exception of a Twinkie box. That said, consider these a special treat, to counteract all that green tea you drink with your blueberries and cranberries and organic quinoa!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
- 1 package yellow cake mix (extra moist)
- 1 cup chunky peanut butter (see note below)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp water
- 2 eggs

Directions:
Combine ingredients. Drop round 1-inch balls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet, 1-2 inches apart. Press cookies flat, making a criss-cross pattern with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Peanut Butter Note:
I usually use Skippy. Not because I want to, but because it tastes best. But the last time I was in a rush and picked up a Whole Foods brand peanut butter: the kind that has sugar in it … this is very important. It worked---sorry, Skippy.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Turkey Meatloaf

2008-01-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

It’s January. It’s cold and dreary (even here in L.A.). December was exhausting---juggling jury duty, working, gift shopping, and getting myself over to London took it out of me, not to mention watching my sister prepare a Christmas feast in her flat for her new family, my parents, and me. Now that I’m back, I just want to ease into the flow of all my New Year’s resolutions. I don’t want to hassle in the kitchen, but I do want some comfort when I eat.

This turkey meatloaf is a standard for me, though I often substitute ingredients for whatever I have in the cupboard. A makeshift version I once made with Ritz Crackers was unbelievably good, and the fancy version I tried with thyme and a little white wine was nice, too, though in general meatloaf lends itself to less refined ingredients. I also consider this my Trader Joe’s dish, since I get everything I need for it, except the Worcestershire sauce, at my favorite one-stop shop. Freeze the turkey, keep the ingredients on hand, (pair it with soup in the winter and a salad in the summer) and you always have something healthy and satisfying for dinner. Though I’ve included measurements below, they are guesstimates, as this is really a “pinch of this, dash of that” dish.

Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

- 1 package ground turkey (about 1 lb.)
- 1 egg
- A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- A few Tbsp barbecue sauce
- 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into a loaf pan.

2) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or up to an hour, depending on your oven.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Butterscotch-Oatmeal-Coconut Cookies

2007-12-20T13:48:00.001-08:00

So easy. So decadent. If you need a last minute cookie for holiday gift giving or dessert, this is it. Just mix, drop onto the cookie sheet, and bake.

Butterscotch Chip, Oatmeal, & Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

· 2 eggs, well beaten
· ¾ cup brown sugar
· ¾ cup white sugar
· 1 cup vegetable oil
· 1 cup flour sifted with 1 tsp salt
· 2 cups oatmeal
· 1 cup coconut
· 6 oz. butterscotch chips (sometimes I use the whole bag)

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients, then add up to 2 more cups oatmeal

2) Drop on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Take out of oven. The cookies will not look done.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Bourbon-Walnut Sweet Potato Mash

2007-12-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

Although my focus is on holiday cookie making this month, I want to give a nod to a dish I made twice recently, once for Sunday dinner at my cousin Jeanne’s house and once for Thanksgiving. This recipe is a winner because it takes advantage of all the yams in the markets these days (they seem to be particularly sweet right now), and because it’s super easy. It’s perfect for a multi-course meal that includes other more time-consuming dishes. You can make it a day ahead; just heat it up in the microwave and sprinkle the nuts on top before serving. Because of the bourbon, maple syrup, and allspice, this dish has a wonderfully distinctive flavor that sets it apart as a cold weather side dish.

Bourbon-Walnut Sweet Potato Mash
from Bon Appetit, November 2007

Ingredients:

- 4 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 6 Tbsp (3/4 cup) butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

2) Roast potatoes on rimmed baking sheet until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

3) Cool slightly. Scoop flesh into large bowl; discard skins.

4) Mash hot potatoes until coarse puree forms.

5) Heat cream and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally.

6) Gradually stir hot cream mixture into hot potatoes.

7) Stir in syrup, bourbon, and all spices. Season with salt and pepper.

8) Before serving, sprinkle nuts over and serve.

Serves 8-10.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Tis the Season: Holiday Gifts

2007-12-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

Some years, I find Christmas shopping more difficult than usual. This is one of those years. There are a couple people on my list (my new fifteen-year-old niece and my mom) who have me stymied—if you have any recommendations for a hip London teen and a mother who has everything, please feel free to let me know. And just in case anyone who comes across this blog is looking for suggestions, I have a couple I’d like to offer … plus, this gives me a chance to promote some people and projects very close to my heart.

A Dose of Our Minds

For the last two and a half years, I have been leading a teen writing workshop at the Alexandria House neighborhood program in Los Angeles. Last year, we published a book of the teens’ poetry, essays, and artwork. I admit, I’m partial, because these are such amazing kids (I’ve known most of them for years), but outsiders have told me that their work really is moving. It gets to the heart of being an inner city teen. And if you buy a copy, profits go back into the program for writing supplies, new books, photography field trips, and a new volume of their writing next year. A great gift for creative teens.

Click here to purchase A Dose of Our Minds

The Sushi Book

Published by Things Asian Press, (the same publisher behind my To Asia With Love guidebook series), The Sushi Book is for hardcore sushi lovers. This primer by Celeste Heiter covers everything: sushi history, sushi etiquette, sushi lingo, etc. There’s even a chapter of basic recipes for making a sushi dinner at home. Photos are full color and add to the book’s gift appeal.

Click here to purchase The Sushi Book

Click here to purchase To Asia With Love

Click here to go to Celeste’s food blog: Chopstick Cinema

The Unprejudiced Palate

Slow, locally grown food. Are foodies talking about anything else these days? With “locavore” named as the Oxford English Dictionary’s 2007 Word of the Year, and Alice Waters’ recently published treatise/cookbook endorsing her “delicious revolution,” it’s clear that this trend is here to stay. But long before Chez Panisse, back in 1948, Angelo Pellegrini was arguing for the slo-lo way in The Unprejudiced Palate. Having immigrated to the US from Italy, Pellegrini was appalled by the way Americans approached food, and his book is a rebuttal, as well as a primer on how to eat—and therefore live—well. Since he grew as much of his food as he could, and even made his own wine, he knows of what he speaks.

Click here to purchase The Unprejudiced Palate

The Little Saigon Cookbook

Ah, I just can’t help myself. Written by my pal Ann Le, photographed by my sis Julie Fay Ashborn, and featuring my favorite food: Vietnamese … it’s always a winner.

Click here to purchase The Little Saigon Cookbook

Click here to purchase Julie’s Southeast Asia note cards

Spices from Didier Corlou

If you just happen to be in Hanoi this holiday season, pop into La Verticale, Didier Corlou’s new restaurant, which also features a spice shop. I had the good fortune of spending time with Didier a few years ago, when I was in Vietnam researching Communion (coming soon, I promise). Then, he headed up the kitchen at the Metropole. His food was exquisite. Though I haven’t been to La Verticale yet, I just know it’s amazing. But I can vouch for the spices he sells, as my publisher kindly sent me a box of the best, including pepper, cinnamon, a pho blend, a nuoc mam salt, and more.

La Verticale
19 Ngo Van So St.
Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi
(84-04) 944-6317

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Crock Pot Beef Burgundy

2007-11-26T22:17:00.000-08:00

Crock Pot Beef Burgundy
from The Gourmet Slow Cooker, by Lynn Alley

I was given my crock pot for Christmas last year, and I’ve used it twice, both times for this recipe. Once last summer (a bad idea considering the heat) and once a week ago … perfect for the chill that’s finally in the air at night. I know that the point of crock pot cooking is simplicity: just throw a bunch of stuff in the pot and leave it until a miraculously fantastic dish occurs. This recipe, while easy, does require some sautéing, though you could probably go without if you’re feeling lazy. It’s satisfying on day one, and even better on days two and three, squished between two slabs of buttered bread.

Ingredients:

- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ½ lbs beef stew meat, trimmed of fat, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups full-bodied red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Beaujolais
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 20 baby white onions
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 lb small button mushrooms, halved
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme, for garnish

Directions:

Prepare meat:

1) Combine the flour and salt in a resealable plastic bag. Add the meat to the bag, several pieces at a time, and shake to coat completely.

2) Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp of the oil. In batches if necessary, add the beef and cook, turning, for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned on all sides. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain, then arrange in the slow cooker.

3) Add the wine to the pan and stir over medium-high heat to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in salt to taste. Add the garlic, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Pour over the beef in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until the meat is very tender.

Prepare onions (to add one hour before beef is done):

4) While the stew is cooking, peel and trim the onions. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. One hour before serving, add the onions to the stew and continue cooking until the onions are tender.

Prepare mushrooms (to add half an hour before beef is done):

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms to the stew 30 minutes before serving. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Transfer the stew to a soup tureen. Garnish with the chopped thyme and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Next up from this book: Apricot Chicken. There is also a curry I'd like to try.

Crock pot note:
I know that there are some wonderful gourmet crock pots out there … I think it was some fancy All-Clad Slow Cooker that all the food magazines were raving about earlier this year … but mine does an admirable job and can be found at Target for $20 or less.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Roasted Portobello Mushroom and Prosciutto Lasagna

2007-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

Every month I browse through my food magazines and clip recipes. It gets a bit obsessive at times, as I’ll pull recipes from up to a dozen magazines a month, far more than I have time to make, especially given my on-again-off-again stints in the kitchen. Sometimes, I’ll go through my clipped recipes and toss a few away. But there are some that remain, month after month, year after year, tempting me. This is one. This recipe has been sitting around since October 2004 when I cut it out of Bon Appetit. Why I didn’t make it last year or the year before that, I can’t tell you. I only know that when I came across it again a few weeks ago, I knew its time had come. I was right.

Recently, my friend Janet asked me for some quick, comforting suggestions for autumn meals. While this recipe is comforting, it’s also time-consuming. (Sorry, Janet.) But the time invested is worth it. Each bite offers a unique blend of mushrooms, prosciutto, rosemary, thyme, and/or nutmeg, and the sauce is both light and rich. I would serve it at a dinner party when you want something familiar and gourmet in a single dish.

Roasted Portobello Mushroom and Prosciutto Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

- 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 1/2 pounds (about 10) portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed
- 1 cup chopped prosciutto (about 6 ounces)
- 2/3 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Sauce:

- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 14-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Lasagna:

- 1 pound lasagna noodles
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

DIRECTIONS:

For filling:

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.
2) Brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
3) Toss mushrooms with 2 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl to coat. Arrange mushrooms, gill side up, in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4) Roast until tender, about 45 minutes.
5) Cool. Cut mushrooms into 1/3-inch-thick slices.
6) Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
7) Add prosciutto; sauté until browned, about 3 minutes.
8) Add shallots, rosemary, and thyme. Cook until shallots are tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

(Mushrooms and prosciutto-shallot mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill).

For sauce:

1) Bring milk, broth, and bay leaf to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes; discard bay leaf.
2) Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
3) Whisk in flour; stir 2 minutes.
4) Whisk in hot milk mixture; bring to boil, whisking frequently.
5) Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
6) Remove from heat; stir in Gruyère, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For lasagna:

1) Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender but slightly undercooked (noodles will finish cooking in oven). Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again; pat dry.
2) Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
3) Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of prepared dish.
4) Arrange 1/3 of noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit.
5) Spread about 1 2/3 cups sauce over noodles.
6) Arrange 1/2 of mushrooms over sauce. Scatter 1/2 of prosciutto mixture over mushrooms.
7) Arrange 1/2 of remaining noodles over mushrooms, overlapping to fit.
8) Spread 1 2/3 cups sauce over noodles.
9) Arrange remaining mushrooms over sauce, sprinkle with remaining prosciutto, and top with remaining noodles.
10) Spread remaining sauce over noodles, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over, and dot with butter.
11) Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake lasagna until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes (about 1 hour if refrigerated). Let stand 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Preparation note:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Mushroom notes:
Keep an eye on the mushrooms so they don’t burn. I used a few shitake mushrooms, as well.

Nutmeg note:
Fresh nutmeg ground in a mortar and pestle makes a noticeable difference.

Broth note:
I used vegetable broth, as I don’t like the meaty flavor of chicken broth.

Noodle note:
I accidentally bought no-cook lasagna noodles. I cooked them for just a couple minutes, and this worked fine.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Bridal Shower Shortbread

2007-10-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

Weddings are exhausting. Especially when they are planned and carried out in little over six months. Since The Pirate proposed to my sister Julie this spring, there have been three (count 'em, three) ceremonies/celebrations (the wedding at my cousin’s house in Seattle and two parties in Los Angeles and London), a bachelorette party, a bachelor party, three bridal showers, a rehearsal dinner …

Finally, the festivities are over. I returned from London two days ago, leaving my sister behind to enjoy domestic bliss in her new flat in Brixton. After sleeping for 12+ hours without moving a twitch, I woke to find that it’s time for life to get back to normal, which means writing, editing, working with the kids’ programs, doing a little shopping at Trader Joe’s, figuring out what to choose next on Netflix, and posting a blog entry.

The following shortbread recipe is one of my favorites, inspired by Laurie Colwin, whose two food books, Home Cooking and More Home Cooking, gave me the courage to take risks in my kitchen, back when I was in my twenties and working at Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle. It is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make, tastes far better than any store bought shortbread you can buy, and always impresses the people you give it to. The two sticks of butter help, of course, but so does the whole wheat, which gives each bite a grainy texture that is addictive. This was my contribution to the Los Angeles Bridal Shower #1. Our friend Trae added the blueberries to give some color to the plate. Raspberries or a drizzle of chocolate would also perk things up nicely.

Kim’s Classic Shortbread

Ingredients:

- 2 sticks salted butter
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup wheat flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Cream butter with sugar. (I use a beater; you can also use your food processor).

2. Sift flours, baking powder, and salt. Work this into the above mixture. (I’m usually too lazy to sift, and the shortbread has always come out fine.)

3. Pat the dough down into an 8-inch shortbread mold. If you don’t have a mold, use a round cake pan, ungreased. The dough will be crumbly, but once you pat it down it takes its shape. Score the dough, making 6 wedges. (I have also scored the dough to make pieces approximate 1 inch by 1 ½ inches, as in the photo above).

4. Bake shortbread in a preheated 375-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the edge is golden brown.

5. Let it cool for 20 minutes and then remove from mold. Cut it into wedges or slices before completely cooled.

Pan note:
The last time I made this, I used my springform pan, which made for easy cutting.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Almond & Cinnamon Shrimp with Avocado Mousse

2007-06-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of May, a pirate named Clive came from London to visit my sister. While he was here, we threw a California cuisine-themed party to celebrate—for the party I made Almond and Cinnamon Shrimp with Avocado Mousse. This appetizer vanished within minutes of being placed on the table. The shrimp is both spicy and sweet (but not too sweet) at the same time, and the mousse, while it looks like guacamole, is creamier, providing balance for the cayenne in the shrimp.

A few days after the party, there was further reason to celebrate. Clive proposed, and he and Julie are getting married in August.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Almond and Cinnamon Shrimp with Avocado Mousse
From the Almond Board of California/Chef Tammy Hunyh, Tamarine Restaurant, Palo Alto, California

Ingredients for shrimp:

- 1 lb large shrimp (13 to 16 per pound), peeled and deveined
- 1/2 tsp Saigon cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 cup sliced almonds, chopped
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Combine shrimp, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper and toss to mix.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium pan.

3) Add half of the shrimp to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat until cooked, about 1 minute on each side.

4) Immediately dip shrimp into almonds to coat.

5) Repeat with remaining butter and shrimp.

6) Serve warm with avocado mousse.

Ingredients for avacado mousse:

- 1 ripe Haas avocado, pitted and peeled
- 1 Tbsp crème fraiche
- 1 tsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend well.

Note on cinnamon:
Vietnamese (Saigon) cinnamon is not essential, but if you can get your hands on it, I recommend it. It has a softness that adds a silken quality to this dish.

Note on amount:
I doubled this recipe, and next time I think I'll triple it!

Clive & Julie

(Clive is actually an actor who played one of Davy Jones’ pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean. But it’s just so much fun to say that my brother-in-law-to-be is a pirate!)

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Pictures by Julie Fay. Check out more at Julie’s website.

A Gift of Honey

2007-04-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

At the end of last year, Chez Pim organized the second annual Menu for Hope, a global raffle to raise money for the United Nations World Food Program. Food bloggers and generous foodies around the planet offered up mouthwatering prizes, and I was the lucky winner of three gorgeous jars of honey and a gooey honeycomb from Malfroy's Gold in Australia. This honey is made from eucalyptus and has a distinctive caramel flavor. In one word: addictive.

Not only did I have the pleasure of striking up an e-friendship with the owner, Tim, as we figured out how to get that honey from New South Wales to L.A., but I found many new uses for honey. Among my favorites:

- Drizzle thin slices of tart apple with honey and sea salt.

- Drizzle honey and sea salt on vanilla ice cream.

- Slice a baguette and drizzle the slices with Pasolivo orange olive oil and honey. This is incredible in and of itself, but you can also top it with a sliver of Manchego like my sis did at our last dinner party, to give it another layer of flavor.

- I also recommend trying this Butternut Squash Bruschetta, which owes its unique flavor to honey, chili flakes and walnut oil.

Malfroy's Gold Website

Pasolivo Website

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Pictures by Julie Fay. Check out more at Julie’s website

Tom Kha Gai & The Bangkok Market

2007-04-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

This is my confession: I lived in Southeast Asia for four years and didn’t learn how to cook a single dish. It was not until I returned to America, leaving behind corner stalls and their 25¢ meals, that I took on the cuisine in my own kitchen. Feeling the need to start with something simple, I announced to my friends that I was going to make tom kha gai, and everyone should drop by on Sunday night to marvel at my epicurean skills. I looked up a recipe for the popular Thai chicken-coconut soup online; gathered the garlic, ginger, and turmeric; and chopped and simmered according to the directions. Not only was it bad tom kha gai, it was bad soup. Some of the worst soup my not-so-diplomatic friends had eaten.

I was sad. I spent years in the tropics nurturing a love for the region’s complex fusion of salty, sour, hot, and sweet. The grit of ground rice powder, and the tang of lime. How could I have failed? As if I had been challenged, I started Googling, downloading recipe after recipe for tom kha gai, laying them out side by side on my kitchen counter, studying them in search of my Rosetta Stone.

Why did none of these new recipes mention turmeric? Why did some call for ginger and others for galangal? Maybe my failure was due to the kaffir lime leaves I wasn’t able to find. But could a leaf really make that much difference?

Armed with a recipe I cobbled together from my research, I accepted that my local Ralphs and Gelson’s grocery stores weren’t up to this project, and started investigating alternative markets. In a copy of Los Angeles Marketplace, I happened upon a recommendation for the Bangkok Supermarket on Melrose Avenue. Just past Western, it is a smog-stained white building topped by a nondescript sign that blends into the L.A. haze. It has an unimpressive, miniscule, door-ding parking lot, but the moment I stepped inside, I knew I’d found the pungent keeper of the secrets to tom kha gai.

Along with banana leaves, clay cooking pots for less than ten dollars, and the fleshy sweetsop fruit I thought I’d never taste outside Asia, I found kaffir lime leaves. A whole bundle for $1.19. And on the floor beneath them: a cardboard box filled with lemongrass at 39¢ a pound. Aisle B yielded half a dozen brands of nam prik pao. Who knew there were so many options when it came to chili paste?

I gathered excess amounts of everything I needed and headed back home. During the next month, fortified by visits to the Bangkok Market, I experimented. I discovered the necessity of the individual ingredients, their complements and contrasts, and why ginger is not galangal. Its spiciness lacks nerve. Ginger nips, but galangal bites. Those who think the fire in tom kha gai comes solely from its chilies are mistaken. It is chili combined with the slices of galangal that bring out the soup’s distinctive heat.

The kaffir lime leaves also work with their accompanying ingredients, providing a sherbet blend of citrus and cream. Tom kha gai may seem to derive its creaminess from coconut milk, but it is in fact the union of this milk with the leaves that give it its buttery undertone. The third essential fusion is lime and lemongrass. Both lend the soup a refreshing quality. But while lime provides tang, lemongrass counters with a soothing balm. Its fragrance reminds me of the subtle relief that nightfall eases through Southeast Asian cities.

The soup’s citrus, spice, cream, and heat require a final ingredient for balance: salt. But tom kha gai does not call for even a dash. Instead, it wants fish sauce, and when it comes to this stinky component, less is more. If you ever wonder if just one tablespoon is stingy, keep this in mind: It isn’t, and it never will be. One reeking pot of soup I made, which included a quarter cup, can attest to this. The Bangkok Market offers many kinds of fish sauce, and I recommend the Three Crabs brand.

It took me a few months to produce a tom kha gai that satisfied me like the soup I’d often had in Thailand. This is a long time to master just one dish, but I believed that it was worth it. So I returned to the Bangkok Market with my second recipe, for Laotian laap, and I calculated that at the rate I was going, I’d be ready in a year or two to throw a Southeast Asian dinner party.

Tom Kha Gai

Ingredients:

- 8 kaffir lime leaves
- 3 cans unsweetened coconut milk (Chaokoh brand)
- 1 can chicken broth
- 6 fresh galangal slices, about 1 inch in diameter
- 4 lemongrass stalks, lower third only, cut into 2-inch lengths and crushed (see following note)
- 4 fresh small green chili peppers, halved
- 1 Tbsp. Thai roasted chili paste (nam prik pao)
- 1 whole boneless chicken breast, cut into small slices or cubes
- 1 can drained, canned whole straw mushrooms
- ½ cup drained, canned sliced bamboo shoots
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla)

Directions:

1) Place 4 of the kaffir leaves in a large saucepan. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, galangal, lemongrass and chilies. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

2) Strain out and discard all pieces. Bring the strained liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium to that it boils gently.

3) Add remaining 4 kaffir leaves, roasted chili paste, chicken, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and fish sauce.

4) Boil gently until the chicken is cooked throughout, about three minutes.

5) Stir in lime juice and cilantro leaves.

Working with lemongrass:

Cut off the root tip, and then cut a two-inch piece (approximately one-third of the stalk) from this end. Peel off the outer layer. The inner piece is what you’ll work with. It can be sliced thin and tossed in marinades, or crushed with the flat of your knife to bring out the oil. You can also drop the crushed pieces with 2 sprigs of mint into a glass of iced tea, or alone into a cup of hot water to help you sleep.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Pictures by Julie Fay. Check out more at Julie’s website.

Bangkok Supermarket
4757 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, California

This essay was originally written for a food writing class and published on La Lunchbox.

Doggone Good: Homemade Dog Biscuits

2007-03-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for dog biscuits for ages. I first made it a couple years ago with the kids at the Alexandria House After School program. Once a month we try out a new recipe, and this (along with salsa and fried rice) is still a favorite. I’m sure its popularity was boosted by the fact that after we made the biscuits, the kids packaged them in colorful boxes and gave them to a trainer who trains assistance dogs in a women’s prison, and she brought her German Shepherd for the kids to meet.

Because this recipe is so easy, it’s a great one for children. And as for all the dogs I’ve made these biscuits for, they love them. Birdie is particularly fond of a variation with grated carrots in it.

Dog Biscuits
from the Peninsula Humane Society in San Mateo

Ingredients:

· ½ cup cornmeal
· 6 Tbsp olive oil
· 2 cups whole wheat flour
· 2/3 cup water or broth
· Cookie cutters

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Mix all ingredients together well.

3) Roll out to ½ inch thick.

4) Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter.

5) Bake 25 minutes.

Note on cookie cutters:
The smaller the better for small dogs.

Note on ingredients:
Because Birdie loves carrots, I sometimes cook some up and mash them into the batter, or grate some raw and mix those in before cooking.

Birdie after too many biscuits!

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Pictures of Birdie by Julie Fay. Check out more at Julie’s website.

Alexandria House is a true grass roots success story. I’m proud to have been involved for more than 5 years. If you live in L.A. and are interested in volunteering your time, please check it out.

Blue Cheese & Wild Mushroom Crackers

2007-03-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Although the holidays are well over, the gifts I received just keep on giving. My mom went crazy picking out kitchen goodies: a sharp and shiny mandoline, a crock pot (which I have already made pulled pork in), canning tools (more pear & jasmine tea jam + new varieties on the way), countless ceramic baking dishes and even a cheese making kit: about two years from now, I will post the results of my cheddar cheese making efforts. And with the little bit of Christmas moolah I got, I bought a beautiful, cobalt, 3-1/2 quart, Le Crueset wide French oven that I found at less than half price at Marshalls—it definitely goes down as the deal of 2006.

As well, many of the recipes I made for holiday parties have lingered on, sneaking into my pre-spring repertoire. I’m over the cookies for a while, but the crackers continue to be perfect for parties and gifts. The cracker recipe I like most came from Martha Stewart Living. I can't say that I'm a regular Martha reader. No matter how beautiful all of her projects are, they usually seem unrealistic to me: no one has that much time to stencil and make candles. But I have to give Martha credit. Every time I read a copy, I always find at least one great recipe that becomes a staple. Blue Cheese & Wild Mushroom Crackers are the latest.

Blue Cheese & Wild Mushroom Crackers
adapted from Martha Stewart Living, December 2006

Ingredients:

- ¼ oz (about ½ cup) dried wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle or porcini
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1-¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup whole milk
- coarse salt

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Finely grind dried mushrooms in a spice grinder.

3) Toss butter and cheese into the food processor and mix until smooth.

4) Add flour, mushroom powder, and pepper, and mix until just combined.

5) Add milk, and mix just until mixture comes together. The dough will be stiff.

6) Divide dough into 3 discs. Make 3 rolls, 1 to 1-½ inches wide, wrap in parchment paper, and put in fridge for 1-2 hours.

7) Take from fridge. Cut thin, 1/16 inch crackers. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently pierce with a fork 2 times. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

8) Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

A note on dried mushrooms:
I picked up a nice, inexpensive blend from Cost Plus/World Market. Trader Joes is another good place to stock up on little packets of dried mushrooms.

A note on grinding mushrooms:
Speaking from experience: do not use your flour sifter. It worked (kinda) but it is now my mushroom sifter, not my flour sifter anymore.

A note on cutting the dough:
After taking the dough from the fridge, cut as soon as possible and cut as quickly as possible.

Check out my friend Ann Le’s fabulous new website: L.A. Lunchbox.

And don’t forget that it’s time to make your limoncello if you’re going to have it ready for summer sipping!

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Butternut Squash Bruschetta

2007-02-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

Yikes! I can’t believe that February is nearly over and I haven’t put up a single recipe. This is partly because I’ve been working like crazy and living off easy favorites like broccoli and tofu, drizzled with a mixture of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and sesame seeds, and baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. It is also because I don’t have a great picture for this bruschetta recipe. And this is a recipe that deserves a great shot: it looks so beautiful arranged on a wooden cutting board.

But comfort food season is almost over, and I want to share this before the weather gets too hot for spicy squash dishes, so here it is, sans accompanying story, avec mediocre photo. For those of you who have never considered using squash in a bruschetta, (I know I hadn’t, until I found this recipe), this is one of the best appetizers I’ve made in ages. It was also the talk of the party I took it to.

Butternut Squash Bruschetta
adapted from “‘ino’s Butternut Squash Bruschetta,” published in New York magazine

Ingredients:

- 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and seeded
- 2 Tbsp honey
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1 baguette, cut on a bias into ½ to 1-inch slices
- 6 tsp walnut oil
- 4 tsp asiago cheese, grated

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Toast the walnuts.

3) Cut squash into ½-inch cubes.

4) Gently fold the ﬁrst 7 ingredients together in a medium bowl.

5) Spread mixture evenly on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, then gently stir ingredients, and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.

6) Remove from oven, and let cool to room temperature.

7) Meanwhile, toast the baguette slices in the oven until they are slightly crisp.

8) Scoop a generous tablespoon of the squash mixture onto each piece of baguette. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and garnish with a drizzle of walnut oil and grated asiago.

Note on bread:
Make sure the baguette isn’t too narrow. The topping is chunky, and if the bread is too small, the topping easily falls off.

Note on walnut oil:
I have made this a couple times, and once I forgot to drizzle the walnut oil. It still tasted great. For good, reasonably priced walnut oil, go to Cost Plus or Trader Joe’s.

Note on making this as a side dish:
This is an excellent side dish. If using it as a side dish, you should cut the squash into 1-inch chunks.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Song of the South

2007-01-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

Oops! I was going to spend the weeks leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrating Vietnamese food, but since we had our annual Southern Blues Party on Saturday night, I feel that I must digress. For more than three years, my sister Julie, my cousin Jeanne, and I have been throwing themed dinner parties at Jeanne’s house—Jeanne is truly a hostess extraordinaire. We throw two to three a year, and themes have included: Greek, Latin, Italian No Pasta, French, and 60s Kitsch (I made Twinkie Tiramisu). But Southern Blues was so much fun the first time that it’s now a tradition.

This year we had about 30 people, old friends and new—as is always the case. Julie is STILL in London, so she missed out, and we missed her. We also had ridiculous amounts of food. Everyone is encouraged to bring a dish and some people brought up to three. We had fried chicken, spicy coleslaw, glazed ham, biscuits, corn bread, three different kinds of mac ‘n cheese, Natalie’s famous spinach Madeleine … I know there was more, but I’m still kind of dazed from all the eating and can’t think clearly. The one thing we missed out on was grits; when my friend Ann went to the grocery store to buy some, she was told there was a recall. Who knew grits could be recalled! Oh yes, there was also plenty of bourbon, including a marvelous apple spiced infusion courtesy of Jeanne.

I made two dishes: Pulled Pork & Pecan-Coated Catfish. Both were ridiculously easy. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork
(adapted from About.com)

This recipe was my excuse to try the new crockpot my parents bought me for Christmas. Works like a charm!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Tabasco
- 3-4 lbs pork shoulder roast (it’s okay if it’s on the bone)
- 5-6 dashes liquid smoke
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp ketchup

Directions:

1) In a large non-metallic bowl, combine cider vinegar, chopped onion, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Add the pork roast, cover, and marinate in refrigerator for up to 6 hours and as long as overnight. Turn occasionally to keep roast coated with marinade.

2) Remove the pork from the marinade, scraping the onion back into the marinade. Lightly pat the roast dry with paper towels. Pour the marinade into a slow cooker and add the Liquid Smoke. Place a slow cooker meat rack or ring of foil in the slow cooker.

3) Combine the sugar, salt, paprika, and pepper in a cup. Rub the pork roast with the seasoning mixture and place on the rack in crockpot.

4) Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or until very tender. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; cover with foil to keep warm.

5) Skim the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Stir in the ketchup.

6) Using 2 forks, pull the pork apart into shreds. Return the pork to the crockpot and stir liquid through it. You may want to first drain out some of the liquid, if it looks like there’s too much. You can always add more later.

7) For potlucks, set the dish beside a place of biscuits or hamburger buns and let everybody go for it.

Serves up to 8.

Pecan Coated Catfish
(adapted from Teri’s Kitchen: teriskitchen.com)

Ingredients:

- 4 catfish fillets, about 6 ounces each (I couldn’t get catfish and so used sole, which was excellent. You can also use halibut.)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup pecans
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill weed
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley
- Olive oil
- Lemon wedges

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375° F. Butter or spray a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

2) Place fish in dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3) Grind the pecans in a food processor until finely chopped. Throw in the breadcrumbs and grind some more. Throw in the dill, parsley, and cheese, and grind even more. (Don’t even bother chopping the dill and parsley beforehand). Stir in the butter and mustard and mix until well combined.

4) Pat the crumbs onto the top of each fillet. Drizzle with olive oil (I didn’t, and it turned out nice and flaky).

5)Bake until fish is done, about 15 minutes. (I needed to bake a little longer than 15 minutes for fillets ¾ inch thick).

6) If desired, place under broiler for additional browning of crust. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Southern California's Little Saigon

2007-01-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, my friend Tiffany, who is the editor of Preferred Destinations, asked me to write an article about Little Saigon, a Vietnamese community located in Santa Ana, Westminster, and Garden Grove in Southern California. I'm not very good at article writing (as a failed attempt at a food article writing class with an editor at Bon Appetit can attest), but I wanted to share my Little Saigon with others, so I took the assignment. As part of my tribute to Tet, which will be on February 18 this year, I'm reprinting the article here, in a slightly edited form. If not a journalistic gem, it is a good introduction to some of the area's great restaurants and shops. Enjoy, and make sure to pick up a copy of Ann Le's The Little Saigon Cookbook to learn even more about the community.

Little Saigon
Having lived in Vietnam for four years, there are times when I am homesick for it in a way that nearly breaks my heart. I miss the communion of the people, the intimacy of the neighborhoods, the flavors of mint and chili in a bowl of steaming noodle soup shared with a friend. It is a country where neighbors look out for one another, shopkeepers know your stories, and restaurants serve as public living rooms.

Fortunately, I have Little Saigon.

Less than an hour's drive south of Los Angeles, this community of more than 200,000 Vietnamese was founded by refugees who settled here after the end of the war in 1975. “Restaurants and businesses here originally functioned as points of survival,” says Ann Le, author of The Little Saigon Cookbook. “They were born from a struggling immigrant community’s needs rather than a Chamber of Commerce P.R. campaign.”

What this means—and what makes Little Saigon one of the most exciting, if under-appreciated, destinations in Southern California—is authenticity. From the outside this may be just another unremarkable expanse of strip mall urban sprawl. But the moment I enter a candy store, herbalist shop, and pho café, I am back in Vietnam. Each time I eat Banh Cuon Dac Biet Tay Ho (steamed rice paper crepes filled with minced pork and served with shrimp tempera and pressed pork) at Tay Ho, I am transported back to the little street stall where I once ate this dish for breakfast at least three times a week. Every time I drop into Bao Hien Rong Vang for banh com (sweet rice cake made with coconut, vanilla, and mung beans), I feel as if I am back in Ho Chi Minh City, where a friend’s mother once bought these treats for me at a shop of the same name.

EAT:
The best way to begin your explorations of Little Saigon is with the food, and as you sample various dishes, you are in essence sampling the diversity of Vietnam, which is made up of distinct culinary regions. Most visitors begin in Hanoi, with pho, the now ubiquitous noodle soup that originated in the north. Citing its freshness, Ann favors the beef pho at the whimsically named Pho Kimmy. Pho 79, which has a branch in the Asian Garden Mall, is also a popular choice with locals. Another northern favorite, and a dish I would eat every day if I could, is bun cha (delicately grilled pork served with rice vermicelli, lettuce, and herbs). Song Long offers a commendable version, Bun Cha Song Long, in an appealing Viet-Franco setting.

In central Vietnam, in the 1800s, the royal chefs of the former imperial city of Hue distilled the country’s already refined cuisine. At the charmingly accessible Quan Hy, you may sample some of the most popular results, including banh beo (steamed rice cakes with shredded shrimp) and bun bo (imperial noodle soup with beef and pork). For a more homespun take on these dishes, head to Huong Giang, but be forewarned that the staff speaks limited English, and as with many restaurants and shops in Little Saigon, credit cards are not accepted.

Both zealous carnivores and diehard herbivores will appreciate Vietnam’s diplomatic approach to food. At Anh Hong, which originated in Saigon in the 1950s, a traditional seven-course beef meal is served with a side of local color, as the predominantly male crowd gathers to talk, drink, and devour dishes such as beef tartare marinated in lemon juice, beef sausage wrapped in la lot leaves, and thin strips of beef simmered at the table in vinegar fondue. On the flip side, Vietnamese gastronomy, with its strong Buddhist influences, takes an equally visionary approach to vegetarian food. The array of soy-based “chicken,” “lobster,” “duck,” and even “kidney” at Au Lac is impressive. If you are feeling adventuresome on a Sunday, drop by the Chua Hue Quang pagoda around lunchtime. Take a peek at the spiritual side of life in Little Saigon, and then wander next door. Nosy but polite trespassers are often invited to share in one of the best vegetarian lunches in town. English is at a minimum, but the experience is one-of-a-kind.

Don’t want to be limited to a single dish, approach, or region? Variety is the spice of life at the Westerner-friendly Saigon Bistro, a favorite of Crystal Wadsworth, Executive Director of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce, or homey My Nguyen, serving the kind of inexpensive family-style dining Ann and so many of her peers were raised on. The swanky, French-influenced Favori is also a top choice, with a good wine list, a wide selection of approachable dishes, and notable specialties such as ca nuong mo banh (baked whole catfish, whiskered grimace and all!), which you transform into fresh spring rolls right at the table.

SHOP:

While food is inarguably Little Saigon’s starring attraction, the shopping scene, though small, is one of Southern California’s best-kept secrets. The Asian Garden Mall houses the largest jewelry market in Orange County. I had ventured through this impressive bazaar numerous times, but it is not until I explore the mosaic of glittering boutiques with the effervescent Kathy Buchoz, the mall’s property manager, do I understand that en masse they serve as a microcosm for the community’s story of struggling refugees making good on the American Dream. Available to lead group tours, (she can be reached through the Westminster Chamber of Commerce), Kathy is more than a manager. She is the reverential keeper of the histories of every person who has a store in the mall. No one is introduced without an accompanying background, which generally ends with a tale of good fortune: the success of his or her shop.

Our first stop is Tick Tock, one of the mall’s original tenants. Started by immigrant Tan Hong, it is now run by Tan’s son Viet, who studied the art of watch making in Switzerland before returning to Little Saigon to transform the mom and pop joint into a showroom worthy of South Coast Plaza. In many ways, Tick Tock and the other shops in the mall recall an old-fashioned, all-American ethos that has been usurped by the chain store mentality. Viet is visibly enthusiastic when he declares, “I am so proud to carry on my family’s business.” He explains that the lab is maintained right in the store, and all work is done by his father or himself. Of particular note for visitors are the terrific prices, especially since Tick Tock is an authorized dealer for every brand it carries, including Baume & Mercier, Tag Heuer, Ebel, Omega, Gucci, and Versace. Also of great value in the mall are handbags, gold, diamonds, and other precious gems. With five shops, the family-run Ngoc Quang Jewelry offers the widest high-end jewelry selection.

Asian Garden Mall is also fun to explore solely for the experience, beginning with its exterior walls, which display molded concrete artwork by an artist from Beijing. Marble statues of the gods of happiness, longevity, and prosperity welcome you at the front entrance, which brings you directly into the food court, where you can fortify yourself with wonton soup and a refreshing glass of sugar cane juice at Hoa Binh Fast Food. As you wander, highlights include orchids, lucky bamboo, jade, ginseng at the traditional Phuoc Loc Tho Herb & Tea, and even ao dais, the tunic and trouser combination worn by Vietnamese women on special occasions, which are sold at Thanh Trang Bridal Shop. Unfortunately, most regular clothes are too small for Western bodies.

TAKE AWAY:

Once I have eaten and shopped and usually eaten again, leaving Little Saigon takes me nearly an hour, because of the ritual that has developed over the course of my many visits. From the mall, I walk to Dong Phuong Tofu, bypassing the snacks in the front case for the fresh tofu and soymilk processed in the onsite factory. The shop meets the soy-based needs of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and I still get a thrill every time I purchase a block of still-warm tofu for a dollar, to take home and incorporate into that night’s dinner.

Next, I cross the street to Lee’s Sandwich Shop for the house specialty, a ca phe sua da (AKA: Lee’s Coffee). Starbuck’s Frappuccino has nothing on this condensed milk-based iced coffee when it comes to the jolt factor. Lee’s, which began in San Jose and now has more than thirty franchises, also specializes in banh mi, the Vietnamese version of a deli sandwich on a fresh baguette. Banh mi makes a terrific snack or light meal; you can also try it at Banh Mi Che Cali, a café favored by Ann for its homemade bread, mayonnaise and pâté.

From Lee’s I hop in my car and drive a few blocks to my final stop, the Vua Kho Bo candy shop in the T&K Supermarket Plaza. Since I don’t have a sweet tooth, I usually skip the candies for a few scoops of dried jackfruit for my sister and a bag of dried tamarind for myself. So far, I’m still avoiding the dried squid and crab. Armed with treats and my iced coffee, and growing ever more caffeinated by the minute, I head for home, comforted by the knowledge that whenever I long for the sights, sounds, and flavors of Vietnam, they can be found just a short drive away.

Getting Your Bearings:

The core of Little Saigon is located in a section bordered by Bolsa, Westminster, Magnolia, and Brookhurst Avenues. Most of the restaurants and shops listed in this article are located within these boundaries. A few exceptions lie just beyond on the main streets.

Addresses:

- Anh Hong: 10195 Westminster Ave., Garden Grove, 714-537-5230
- Asian Garden Mall: 9200 Bolsa Ave., Westminster
- Au Lac: 16563 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley, 714-418-0658
- Banh Mi Che Cali: 8948 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, 714-897-3927
- Bao Hien Rong Vang: 14092 Magnolia, Ste. 115, Westminster, 714-892-2205
- Chua Hue Quang Pagoda: 4918 W. Westminster Ave., Santa Ana, 714-530-9249
- Duong Phuong Tofu: 15022 Moran St., Westminster, 714-893-2022, ext. 206
- Favori: 3502 W. First St., Santa Ana, 714-531-6838
- Huong Giang: 14564 Brookhurst St, Garden Grove, 714-531-2464
- Lee’s Sandwich Shop: 9261 Bolsa Ave., Westminster, 714-901-5788
- My Nguyen: 14282 Brookhurst Ave., Garden Grove, 714-839-5541
- Pho Kimmy: 14932 Bushard St., Westminster, 714-775-1699
- Quan Hy: 9727 Bolsa Ave., Westminster, 714-775-7179
- Saigon Bistro: 15470 Magnolia St, Westminster, 714-895-2120
- Song Long: 9361 Bolsa Ave., Ste. 108, Westminster, 714-775-3724
- Tay Ho: 9629 Bolsa Ave., Westminster, 714-839-1389
- Vua Kho Bo: 9717 Bolsa Ave., Westminster, 714-775-7166
- Westminster Chamber of Commerce: 14491 Beach Blvd., Westminster, 714-898-9648

If you want to try cooking a Vietnamese dish at home, I recommend Clay Pot Fish. Yet another friend of mine just used my recipe and loved it.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

photos by Julie Fay

Chuc Mung Nam Moi: Celebrating Vietnamese Flavors

2007-01-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

With the Year of the Pig due to arrive on February 18, I would like to spend the next month focusing on Vietnam, beginning with a recipe from The Little Saigon Cookbook, by Ann Le.

About two years ago, Ann came serendipitously into my life. I was hunkered down in Cook’s Library researching Communion, and she happened to be there buying a gift for a friend. Casual conversation over the merit of a few Vietnamese cookbooks led to a wonderful, constantly evolving, enriching friendship ... as well as partnership with my sister on Ann's book—Julie took the photographs.

Ann wrote The Little Saigon Cookbook out of respect for the Southern California immigrant community in which she was raised and a desire to preserve its culinary traditions for future generations. For this post, I asked her to choose a favorite recipe from the book. Despite this being a porcine new year, she selected the following chicken dish, which I enjoyed many times when I lived in Vietnam.

Traditional Shredded Chicken and Cabbage Salad (Goi Ga)

Goi ga, regarded as the coleslaw of South Vietnam, is a refreshingly sweet and tangy salad. The chopping and slicing steps to make it may seem laborious, but they’re necessary to let all the ingredients be more evenly coated by the dressing. Note that each part of the salad is dressed separately before the final tossing. There are a number of ways this salad can be expanded, such as by adding boiled shrimp and pork, more cucumber slices, shallots, or other cabbages (except red cabbage). Just make sure you have the dressing perfected—a balance of tangy, sweet, and salty flavors—as it is the clincher to creating the invigorating taste of goi ga. The fish sauce should not be overwhelming. Serve this salad at room temperature.

Ingredients:

- 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 dried Thai bird chile, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 5 Tbsp fish sauce
- ½ cup paper-thin slices yellow onion
- 1 head green cabbage (Savoy or Napa recommended)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 2 chicken breasts (approximately 1 lb. total)
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and julienned
- 3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh Vietnamese coriander leaves
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup crushed lightly salted peanuts

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, chopped garlic, sliced chile, sugar, and fish sauce. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the sliced onions and set aside.

2. Shred the cabbage and carrots with a mandoline into a large bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the vegetables and let them marinate for at least 15 minutes.

3. Boil the chicken breasts in salted water until fully cooked. Let cool, then shred into thin pieces by hand.

4. Add the chicken, cucumber, cilantro, and mint to the marinated cabbage and carrots. Add the rest of the dressing and toss. Let the salad sit for about 10 minutes before serving to allow the cabbage to wilt a bit.

5. In a skillet over high heat, toast the crushed peanuts. Add them to the top of the salad as a garnish just before serving.

(Serves 6)

Make sure to check out Ann’s new foodie website, LA Lunchbox (www.lalunchbox.com), debuting in March 2007.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

photos by Julie Fay

Ginger and Spice, and Everything Nice

2006-12-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

Last week was all about cooking. My sister was in London, which meant I was able to work on the Dalat Pork Ragu recipe for Communion. (Julie doesn't eat pork or beef.) And because I was invited to Ann Le's holiday party—cookies required for entry—I took the excuse and baked not only two batches of cookies, but two batches of crackers (cracker recipes to come in the next post), as well.

For the cookies, I went for an old favorite, Ginger Cookies from my mom’s hand-me-down Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, and tried a new recipe: Tea and Honey Crisps from this month’s Gourmet. I love the Ginger Cookie recipe. It calls for shortening, like all traditional Betty Crocker recipes do, and when you mix it, the texture is satisfyingly creamy, resulting in a finished product that is just the right degree of chewy. As for the Tea and Honey Crisps, I wouldn’t make them every day (they’re very sweet and their flavor is strong), but they are definitely a good choice for a special occasion, such as a Sunday brunch or afternoon tea.

Ginger Cookies
from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook

Ingredients:

- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¾ cup shortening
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp salt (I use sea salt, because I like the contrast of salt with the sweet of the molasses)
- 2 ¼ cups flour (if self-rising, decrease baking soda to 1 tsp)
- 2 tsp soda
- Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Mix brown sugar, egg, and molasses in a large mixing bowl.

2. Blend in the shortening and stir until mixture is creamy.

3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except granulated sugar.

4. Cover and chill for one hour.

5. Spoon into rounded balls about one inch in diameter. Dip balls in sugar.

6. Bake at 375 degrees on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes. Beware of overcooking. You don’t want little ginger rocks.

Note: I use parchment paper so I don’t have to grease the cookie sheet.

Makes approximately 40 cookies.

**********

Tea-and-Honey Crisps
adapted from Gourmet, December 2006

Ingredients:

- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tsp decaffeinated Earl Grey tea leaves (2 tea bags)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Beat together butter, powdered sugar, honey, and tea leaves in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until combined well.

2. Add egg whites 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour until just combined.

4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread dough in a 1 ½-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick. Keep at least half an inch between cookies.

5. Bake until edges are deep golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. (Start checking on the cookies after 10 minutes.)

6. Let cookies cool on the sheet, then transfer with spatula to a rack to cool completely.

Tea note: I used regular Earl Grey, and it seemed to work fine. Also, if you’re using loose tea, make sure to crush it fine.

Stencil note: The Gourmet recipe calls for making your own stencils out of Styrofoam plates. I just spread the dough on the parchment paper in rounds as described above. This worked fine.

Baking time note: The Gourmet recipe also calls for a cooking time of 6-9 minutes. I had to cook mine for about 15 minutes. Otherwise, they were mushy.

Makes about 80 cookies.

Guess what time of year it is? I just peeled 30 lemons, and the rinds are soaking in Everclear. If you have access to ripening lemons, it’s time to get started on your limoncello for spring gift giving. Friends are already asking when mine is going to be ready … they wiped out last year’s batch, and are rapidly making their way through my winter store of nocino.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

A Year in Cookbooks: 2006

2006-12-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

I like reading cookbooks as if they are novels. Even as a kid, I found drama in my mother’s Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, a 1972 edition compliments of Sears. It featured a pie chart of photographs on the cover: a pot of fondue, a space age-looking cheese ball with green olives and pimentos pressed into it, that sort of thing. The book's goal, or so the introduction claimed, was to make such exotic dishes as Quiche Lorraine de rigueur on the American table.

Despite this longstanding passion, I don’t have a zillion cookbooks, but I have my fair share. When I worked at the Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, back in the independent bookshop heyday before the arrival of the chains, the big publishers would let all of us peon booksellers order three books per season (twice a year) from their catalogs. Occasionally, I’d choose a novel, if one of my favorite authors such as Penelope Lively or Anita Brookner was coming out with something new, but mostly I picked cookbooks. Now, more than ten years after leaving the store, I get my fix at Cook’s Library on Third Street in Los Angeles. The staff is terrifically knowledgeable, beginning with the manager, Tim, who I got to know when I worked next door at the Traveler’s Bookcase—we both worked Saturdays, and he always brought in treats from the latest book he was testing. A pine nut and rosemary tart still stands out.

Because I now have to pay for my cookbooks, I don’t accumulate them as rapidly as I used to … with the exception of this year. Perhaps it’s because I’m currently writing my own food book, or because I’ve been reading all these food blogs, which have gotten me even more excited than usual about cooking. Whatever the reason, I acquired some great books over the course of the past twelve months. A few were published this year, a few have been around for ages, but they’re all new and exciting to me. If you’re looking for a gift idea, I would suggest any one of these books.

San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market Cookbook
by Christopher Hirsheimer

This is my favorite for 2006. It isn’t hefty and sleek, like so many cookbooks coming out these days. Rather, it’s tasteful and elegant, the Audrey Hepburn of cookbooks, with recipes you want to make and writing you want to read, even if you don’t plan on going into the kitchen for a while. In fact, I think this is one of the best-written cookbooks I’ve read in a while. Love the Peach Bruschetta and Blue Cheese.

Aperitif: Recipes for Simple Pleasures in the French Style
by Georgeanne Brennan and Kathryn Kleinman

This book was given to me by a friend in Paso Robles when I told him about my interest in making nocino. The recipe for Vin de Noix II (In the Style of Mme Marcelle Fine of Sisteron in Haute-Provence) is similar, and I used it to influence my nocino. The book is also a lovely reminder of how civilized sipping an aperitif with a few close friends can be. Next on my Aperitif to do list: Simple Vin De Peche.

Mes Confitures
by Christine Ferber

I came to this book by way of Chocolate & Zucchini. It’s not as instructional as a jam novice would like, but it is inspirational. And the first recipe I tried, Pear with Jasmine Mandarin Tea, turned out fabulously. Once the holidays settle down, I can’t wait to try another recipe. The lemons on my tree are just beginning to ripen, and by January they will be perfect for Lemon Jam with Mountain Honey and Cinnamon.

Fig Heaven
by Marie Simmons

I just got this book for my birthday, so I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet. Also, figs have gone out of season in my corner of the world. But once the tree in the back yard of my friend Ann Le is laden with fruit again, I’m going to work my way through this book page by page. Fresh Fig Galette, Chicken Braised with Fennel and Dried Figs, Apricots and Dried Figs in Vanilla Wine Syrup … I can’t wait.

The Cheese Course
by Janet Fletcher

Really, any book with cheese in the title has to be good. This one is excellent, because it focuses on all the wonderful foods besides crackers that you can pair with cheese. Stilton with Port-Glazed Pears. Farmhouse Cheddar with Glazed Cipolline Onions. Cabecou with Honey and Walnuts. I’ve asked for a cheese making kit for Christmas, so this book will come in double handy a couple years from now when my first wheel is done!

On Food & Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
by Harold McGee

This is the first of what I consider my three reference book acquisitions this year. I have wanted this book for ages, and then was reminded how much when Bill Bryson talked it up on NPR. Fortunately, my friend Natalie heard the same broadcast, thought of me, and bought this for my birthday. I use it nearly every time I make something, to find out just exactly how pectin and sugar work in jam, how yeast works in bread dough, and so on. This is a kitchen must.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking
by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck

Whenever a recipe calls for a technique I’m unsure of, I reach for this book, look up recipes that might use that technique, and read. I have yet to make an actual recipe from it, but it has walked me through many shaky moments with recipes from other sources. Recently, I’ve been working with a very tricky recipe for Vietnamese ragu (a variation on French ragout), and this book has been invaluable.

Essentials of Classic Italian Cook
by Marcella Hazen

This is my Italian cooking resource. Sometimes, when I have a few minutes to spare, I pick it up and just browse through it, reading about ingredients, techniques, etc. The fundamentals section is particularly helpful, providing an excellent foundation for the recipes in the book, as well as providing nice cultural tidbits, such as the history of sage and the Italian attitude toward truffles.

Jamie’s Italy
Jamie Oliver

I love Jamie Oliver. I’ve only seen him on TV, once, for about five minutes, so this isn’t a case of a schoolgirl crush. I love him because he taught me how to make pizza dough, bread, and pasta. He’s not exaggerating when he says his recipes are simple, and he gives you the confidence to literally just throw a bit of this and that into a bowl and see what happens. Plus, his cheeky tone feels natural rather than pretentious.

Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon
by Claudia Roden

I have yet to try this one, but Tim at Cook’s Library insists I’m going to love it. I have already stuck Post-It notes on half a dozen recipes, and I plan on suggesting Lebanon or the Middle East in general for the next big theme dinner party that my cousin Jeanne, my sister Julie, and I host about three times a years. What better excuse to try Samak Bil Tarator Bi Senobar—Fish with Pine Nut Sauce?

The Little Saigon Cookbook
by Ann Le

Yes, Ann Le is my friend. And yes, Julie Fay, the photographer, is my sister. But that’s not why I’m recommending this book. Ann has done a great job of weaving the history and culture of Little Saigon (the largest Vietnamese population outside Vietnam, located an hour south of L.A.) with a comprehensive selection of recipes. Ann is a terrific cook; I know from personal experience. BUY THIS BOOK!

Where to Shop:

Whenever you can, support your local independent bookstore. For a list of shops in your area, go to BookSense and search by zip code. If you must shop at Amazon, I understand, but when you can, try to remember the little guy first.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Warm Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricassee

2006-11-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

In my family, dishes belong to individuals. There are my Aunt Norma’s melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls, and my Grandpa Clarence’s buttermilk pancakes, which became my dad’s when my grandpa passed away. No one makes pinoche like my Aunt Janice, and my Grammy guarded her “secret” pickle recipe long after my grandpa, with even greater secrecy, leaked it to my Aunt Wilma and half a dozen other relatives when Grammy was sick and had to let him do that season's canning for her.

As for my sister and me, we definitely have dishes we feel territorial about. When it comes to everyday eating, Julie always makes the tacos, and I always make the turkey meatloaf. In the party food category, timbales belong to her, and prosciutto involtini is mine. Even working on the cookbook, we have each staked our claims. She is perfecting banana flower salad, while I’m refining clay pot fish and Miss Vy’s Eggplant.

Naturally, a few weeks ago when we were deciding what to make for our friend, Michelle’s, birthday party, I was reluctant to hand over a recipe I’d been hoarding from Food & Wine: Warm Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricassee. Making a recipe in our home is like planting a flag in a foreign land. If you plant the flag first, the land is yours. My reluctance was justified. The dish was such a hit at Michelle’s party that Julie made it for Thanksgiving, and with that, the dish belonged to her.

Warm, earthy, and gooey, this is a perfect cold weather appetizer. If you want to take it to a party, you can make the fricassee in advance and just heat it up once you arrive.

Warm Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricassee, adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients:

- ½ cup walnut pieces
- 1 8-ounce wheel of ripe Camembert in its wooden box, at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp walnut oil
- ¾ pound wild mushrooms, trimmed, caps thinly sliced (crimini, shitake & Portobello)
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 large sage leaves, minced
- crackers or bread, for serving

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Spread the walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast in the over for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned.

3) Lower the oven temperature to 300.

4) Remove the Camembert from the box and unwrap it. Put the cheese back in the bottom half of the box and set it on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until soft. Keep an eye on it, to make sure it doesn’t get too runny.

5) Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the walnut oil.

6) Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

7) Uncover and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes longer.

8) Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

9) Stir in the sage; season with salt and pepper.

10) Invert the Camembert onto a platter.

11) Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon over the cheese.

12) Serve with bread or crackers.

Note on Making Walnut Nibbles:

When making this recipe for Thanksgiving, Julie mixed in the some extra minced sage with some extra toasted walnuts and left them in a container for a few days. The result was a divine cocktail nibble.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

(photo by Julie Fay)

Not So Still Life With Pears

2006-11-10T17:28:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for pears. I’ve been eating them au naturel. I’ve been cooking with them Sandra-Lee-Semi-Homemade-Cooking-Cheater-Style—I chopped a few up and simmered them with a bag of frozen raspberries, lemon juice, and a tablespoon of brown sugar, and plopped the mix into a quartered frozen Pillsbury pie crust, to make cute mini pies. I even made a Pear Ambrosia Facial, combining the pulp from one pear with a tablespoon each of cream and of honey, recipe courtesy of Janice Cox’s Natural Beauty for All Seasons. But the achievement I’m happiest about is … jam.

The desire to make jam was inspired by Chocolate & Zucchini. On her recommendation, I bought Mes Confitures and instantly started drooling over all the unique artisanal jam recipes in it. I’d never made jam before and was intimidated. But I figured if I started with a small batch, I couldn’t do that much damage. So for my first attempt, I made the Pear with Jasmine Mandarin Tea.

Pear With Jasmine Mandarin Tea
modified from Mes Confitures, by Christine Ferber

Ingredients:

- Two cups pears. Approximately 3 pears. I used Bosch.
- ½ cup sugar
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tsp calcium water (see note below)
- 1 tsp pectin (see note below)
- ½ cup jasmine tea. I used the ridiculously expensive but worth it Grand Jasmin Mao Feng from my favorite tea shop, Le Palais des Thés.

Directions:

Day One:

- Peel the pears, remove their stems, cut them in two, core them, and cut them into small dice.

- In a preserving pan (I used a regular saucepan), combine the pears, sugar, calcium water and lemon juice.

- Bring to a simmer and then pour into a bowl.

- Cover with a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.

Day Two:

- Bring the mixture to a boil in a preserving pan. Skim, if necessary.

- Add pectin and continue cooking on high heat for about ten minutes, stirring gently. Skim carefully, if necessary.

- While mixture is cooking, make an infusion by pouring hot water over the tea and letting it steep for about three minutes.

- When ten minutes is up, add steeped tea to the jam and return to a boil.

- Check the set. I did this by putting a plate in the fridge. I dribbled a little of the mixture on the cold plate. When it quickly gelled, it was ready.

- Put jam into jars immediately and seal.

My jam has the texture of chutney. The jasmine flavor is subtle, and gives a nice aftertaste. To serve, I smeared cracked pepper water crackers with stinky Camembert and topped it with jam. My friend Michelle also came up with the superb idea of pairing the jam with Trader Joe's pot stickers.

Note on Pectin & Calcium Water:

I used Pomona’s Universal Pectin, which allows you to use less sugar—I don’t have a sweet tooth, and I try to avoid sugar when possible. I made the calcium water according to the directions that come with the packet. Pomona’s Universal Pectin can be bought at Whole Foods.

Note on Canning:

I did not use proper canning methods. My goal with this first attempt was to simply see if I could make jam. My recipe yielded 2 small jars, which I plan on eating faster than any fatal bacteria can grow. For complete canning & safety information, go to Home Canning or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

(photos by Julie Fay)