california organic foodie

chocolate almond torte

2012-01-29T21:25:00.000-08:00

GAPS Diet. Day 44.

Yes, really. That is all.

Oh wait. Thanks to Elana for inspiring this one!

chocolate almond torte
serves 8

2 cups almonds
5 eggs, separated
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp celtic mineral sea salt
1.5 bars 100% dark chocolate
ghee, coconut oil or heat stable fat for greasing baking dish

Roughly chop the almonds by hand or in a food processor/blender until they are fairly small pieces. A few larger chunks here and there are okay.

Roughly chop the chocolate in the same way until it is in small, coarse pieces.

Beat the egg yolks and honey together. Mix the nuts and chocolate with the egg and honey mixture.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the rest of the batter until just combined.

Transfer to a well-greased pie or baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow to hang out in the over for an additional 5-10 minutes until set.

Enjoy the heck out of it - you deserve it!

almond flour pancakes

2012-01-29T20:47:00.000-08:00

GAPS Diet. Day 44.

Yeah, baby yeah. Fluffy, moist, savory and sweet. MmMm so glad there are leftover pancakes for breakfast tomorrow!

almond flour pancakes
serves 4-6 [makes 10-12 pancakes]

4 cups almond flour*
2 tsp powdered vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp celtic mineral sea salt
8 eggs
8 tbsp [plus more for the skillet] coconut oil, ghee or heat stable fat, melted
2 tbsp raw honey
1/4-1/3 cup sparkling water**
3-4 bananas, mashed [for topping]

Mix together almond flour, powdered vanilla and sea salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, honey and fat. Add vanilla extract to this mix if applicable.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined. Add sparkling water a little bit at a time until you get a slightly runny batter. You don't want the batter to be too runny nor too dry.

Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. I used a cast iron skillet, which tends to hold heat, so you may need to turn it down once heated up to keep it from becoming too hot. Put a generous spoonful of fat in the pan. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup [or similar sized spoon], scoop batter into pan. You can make more than one pancake at a time, but I found it easier to flip them one at a time. Allow the pancake to cook about 30 seconds on one side before flipping [quickly!]. It may take one or two practice pancakes to get the perfect timing/heat.

Top with mashed banana and enjoy - thoroughly.

*Make your own almond flour from raw almonds. Simply grind them up in your food processor or blender until they turn into a coarse meal. Don't blend for too long or you'll have nut butter! I use soaked, sprouted and dehydrated almonds for optimal digestion and absorption.
**I used sparkling water to make the pancakes a bit lighter. You could also sub spring water if you like.

barbecue sauce

2012-01-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

GAPS Diet. Day 43.

I have been wanting to make fermented barbecue sauce for some time now. The GAPS Diet is the best excuse to give it a go. Too bad Mike and I have no will power. None. Nilch.

Better luck next time.

Slather your next slow cooked short ribs in this stuff and you will think you've died and gone to heaven. This is what real barbecue sauce should taste like.

barbecue sauce
makes 1 pint

12 oz high quality reduced tomato sauce or homemade sugo*
3 tbsp roasted and pureed garlic paste
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp raw honey
2 tsp ground mustard
1/3 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1 tsp celtic mineral sea salt

Mix all ingredients in a pan over medium heat. Allow to lightly simmer for 5-10 minutes. Eat. Or ferment if you have the will power.

*I purchased some really high quality tomato sauce from Metro Deli here in Santa Barbara. You could also make your own sugo by cooking tomatoes long and slow until they are reduced to a thickened sauce, somewhere between ketchup and tomato paste.

bison meatballs w/ pesto spaghetti squash

2012-01-11T23:09:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 26. Stage 5.

O-M-G. These are so freakin' good. Totally wasn't expecting these babies to be so flavorful. I had to hold Mike back from eating all twenty meatballs in one sitting. Seriously. And the next day? Even better!

And pesto and spaghetti squash - yeah, somehow goes fabulously together. Go figure.

bison meatballs w/ pesto spaghetti squash
serves 4

for the meatballs:
2 lbs ground bison
1/2 head garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
1/4 cup almond meal/flour
1 tbsp herbs de provence [or mixture of freshly dried herbs]
couple pinches of celtic mineral sea salt

for the "spaghetti":
1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
1 large bunch brocolli rabe [rappini] or kale, stems removed
1/2 head garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup almonds or almond meal [optional]
ghee
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil [or more]
celtic mineral sea salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes [or more depending on the size] until easily pierced with a knife. Remove from oven to allow to cool. Leave oven on.

In a saute pan, cook onion and garlic in a few tablespoons of ghee until onion is translucent. Allow to cool for a few minutes. In a large bowl, mix together this and the other meatball ingredients until well combined. I used an avocado masher [these things are great for mashing and mixing all kinds of stuff]. Form golf-ball sized meatballs and space out in a parchment-lined baking dish with a lip [there will be juice]. You may need more than one baking dish. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through but still juicy.

While meatballs are roasting, prepare the pesto. In the same pan that you sauteed the onions and garlic, add the greens and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Transfer garlicky greens to a food processor and add olive oil. Process until smooth. Add more olive oil if needed to reach the consistency you would like [not too thick or it won't mix with the squash very well]. Season with sea salt as needed.

Scrape the spaghetti squash out of it's shell and into a bowl. Mix with the pesto or serve with a dollop of pesto. Serve with meatballs on top.

GAPS diet journal two - an almond in the rough

2012-01-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

GAPS diet journal two. Day 25.

Trials and tribulations. That is what I should have called this post. But "an almond in the rough" sounds so much more fun - doesn't it?

While the past 25 days have been a literal non-stop high for my body and my mind, I have had some struggles. If you are or have been on the GAPS diet, you can relate. If not, listen up.

The first week or two is hard. Darn hard. You feel great, but chicken soup gets old. Like real old. Yeah, my parents warned me I'd get sick of it, but I was all "no way, I love chicken soup - I could eat it every single day if I wanted!" Man was I wrong [and yes, conveniently this made them 'right'].

But that's not the worst of it.

When you take all fiber and most carbohydrates out of your diet, your digestion improves tremendously. You feel light as a feather. However, other things don't tend to work so well. Like the part of your body responsible for making sure what goes in, comes out. Without getting into too much detail [I think you all know what I am getting at], I will say that there is a solution to this very very common dilemma.

Carrot juice.

Four ounces in the morning. Four ounces in the evening. You know that saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Yeah, well, you get the idea. Make sure you use organic carrots and drink the juice right away, so all enzymes and beneficial bacteria are still intact.

Carrot juice is my friend. And it would like to be yours too.

Now that you've become acquainted with carrot, meet my friend raw, organic, soaked, sprouted, and dehydrated almond. I tried hanging out with his cousin raw, organic almond, but things didn't work out. He was mean. To my gut.

Marzipan muffins and cookies are one of the only and most cherished treats on this diet and I was determined to be able to eat them [dammit!]. And I succeeded via experimentation [Thank you!]. At this point, I have to accept that my body is just not ready to deal with digesting nuts that haven't been 'pre-digested'. Oh well. I guess there are worse things in life.

So I celebrate marzipan treats via Fat Uncle Farms' raw, organic, soaked, sprouted, and dehydrated almonds [that I grind in my Cuisinart to make flour]. Thanks Nate and Becki Siemens - you guys are saviors.

Now if only I could eat those apple peels - wouldn't life be grand?

No, but seriously. This diet rocks [the gut]! I tell everyone and anyone who has digestive and/or brain issues to check it out - and you should too. The book is a great gift for a friend struggling with digestive issues - or a sister battling painful PMS - or a colleague with memory issues.

Until next time...

beef borscht

2012-01-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 24. Stage 2 [5].

Borscht. Not something I ever thought I would make. Sounds kinda funny rolling off the tongue. Borscht. Actually, I have said it over and over so many times in the last five minutes that Mike has [politely] asked me to stop. One last time, promise. Borscht. Ahahaha.

Anywho, this is a creative take on my beef stew recipe. The beet adds an undeniably sweet and savory flavor that is unmatched - and I need all the unique tasting creativity I can get of late.

Enjoy!

PS - the only reason for the [5] is because we had apples sauteed in ghee, cinnamon, honey and sea salt for dessert - first fruit of the diet! Apples never tasted so good!

beef borscht
serves 4-6

2 lbs stew meat
2 quarts beef stock or bone broth
1 large onion, chopped
6 large garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
3 large carrots, diced
8-10 chioggia beets, peeled and diced
large bunch of spinach, stems trimmed and discarded
fresh herbs such as marjoram or thyme [optional]
ghee or coconut oil
celtic mineral sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a heavy pot over medium-high heat, brown the stew meat in two to three batches in a generous couple of spoonfuls of ghee or coconut oil. Remove and set aside.

Add chopped onion and saute in remaining fat until translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add back in stew meat and stock or broth. Cover and bake in the oven for one hour.

Remove and add carrots and beets. Continue to bake for 30-45 minutes or until beets and carrots are just tender. Remove from oven and stir in spinach and fresh herbs.

Serve in shallow bowls. Season with sea salt as needed.

marzipan muffins

2012-01-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 23. Stage 4.

Get excited people! Marzipan muffins are where it's at! That is if you can digest them. Can't say I have had too much success in that area of late, but I still make them for Mike [out of l-o-v-e of course]. More on my struggles with almonds in my next journal entry.

Until then, enjoy these - with your eyes at least!

marzipan muffins
makes 8-10 muffins

3 eggs
1/8 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp vanilla [I use Divine Organics pure vanilla powder]
1 tbsp ghee

2.5 cups almond flour*
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
zest of 1 lemon or orange
1/2 tsp celtic mineral sea salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

In one bowl, combine and beat the wet ingredients. In another, mix the dry ingredients. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing just until combined. Do not over mix.

Spoon into muffin cups [I love my silicone cups]. Put on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until just set. These babies should be moist, so don't over bake'm.

Enjoy for breakfast or as a mid morning snack - they're the perfect GAPS legal snack.

*I started by using blanched almond flour, but was having difficulty digesting it. I changed to making my own flour from raw, sprouted, dehydrated almonds and this served to be easily digested [score!]. Try either and depending on your reaction, adjust. Everyone is different....

chard and fennel soup

2012-01-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 22. Stage 1.

Soups become a mainstay when you're going GAPS. You come up with all kinds of interesting combinations - out of necessity mostly. When those combinations become a bit boring, try blending your soups. An immersion blender, regular blender or food processor can take your recipes to a whole new level.

chard and fennel soup
serves 2

1 large bunch chard, leaves torn, stalks discarded
1 large bulb fennel, chopped
1-2 leeks, white parts chopped
2-3 carrots, diced
1 quart chicken stock, beef stock or bone broth
ghee
celtic mineral sea salt

Add a few spoonfuls of ghee to a heavy pot over medium heat. Saute the leeks and fennel for 5-10 minutes or until translucent. Add the carrots and stir for a few minutes more.

Add the stock or broth and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for 5-10 minutes or until carrots are just tender. Add the chard and cook until the greens are wilted.

Season with sea salt as desired, blend and serve.

GAPS diet journal one - the magic word

2012-01-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

GAPS diet journal one. Day 17.

So I am sure many of you are wondering - how do you feel when you're on the GAPS Diet? Well, I'm sure it's different for everyone. We all have different ailments, unique symptoms and individual reactions to healing.

I had to think long and hard about just how I feel on this diet. The words fantastic, great, amazing and even fan-frickin-tastic just don't do it justice. It wasn't until yesterday when my mom said the magic word that I knew it was perfect. It sums up everything that is going on inside - and outside - of me. It describes my instant hyper-activity when I start to tell someone about the diet and how it works. It explains the way I feel when I get up in the morning, refreshed and light, after merely seven hours of sleep. It is the epitome of how I feel after I've just eaten my second helping of dinner. It is sublimely reminisce of how I feel about my future health.

Empowered

Sure, I've felt this way before. When I was a child, I felt empowered when my parents let me pick what our family would enjoy for dessert when out to dinner together. When I turned sixteen, I felt empowered when my dad taught me how to drive a stick shift so I could drive to school a few days per week. In college, I felt empowered when I spoke out about the war and what was "really" going on over "there". When I entered the workforce, I felt empowered by my passion for what I was doing and my determination to succeed. All of these times [and many, many more], I have felt empowered and in [somewhat] control of my life, my future.

But I have never felt empowered when it comes to my health. Sure, I have felt hopeful many times - upon discovering the raw food diet, Body Ecology Diet, Nourishing Traditions and the Weston A. Price Foundation, and learning how to ferment, soak, sprout, and dehydrate my food for improved digestion. I was even hopeful each of the numerous times we found a new MD, ND, DDS, OMD, LAc, PT, chiropractor or [insert initials here] who was going to help me "fix" my ailments. Yes, they all helped me. They were all part of my journey. But they never made me feel this way. This empowered.

As I have told many of my friends [and randoms I don't know at all], starting this diet was not easy. I could have taken the leap years ago, when my family first came across it. But we didn't. It was labeled too hard and we quickly moved on to easier regimens. Today, I think about those years that I spent taking other routes, and try not to feel regret. Besides, it was those routes that ultimately led me to here. Better late than never.

You may think that I am pretty confident in GAPS. Yeah, I am. Hopefully not overly so. Read the book and you will understand. It's like taking all of the jumbled information and knowledge about health that I have acquired over the past few years and putting it together to form clear, concise sentences. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride makes sense. Answers my questions. Breaks it down. Explains exactly why A or B happens and how we can change that. Not change by bandaging it up with a drug - but change by providing the body with what it needs to heal.

Heal. Not a word you hear too often anymore. Well, add it back into your vocabulary folks. Stat.

I can feel the healing going on inside of me.

For the past two weeks, I have felt light. For the first time since I don't even remember when, I have normal digestion. Or at least what I suppose is normal - for most people. I eat and feel full, but not bloated. I could actually run a mile after enjoying a full meal [go figure]. I awake to my head feeling like its glued to the pillow no more. I feel refreshed, energized, alive. Ready to take on the day. Watch out. Here I come.

I can't wait for what tomorrow may bring.

squash pancakes

2012-01-01T20:08:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 16. Stage 3.

These little babies are the best breakfast treat that we've had in seventeen days [trust me, you'd worship them too if you were us]. Sweet and savory with a slightly crispy exterior, Mike and I made three batches of these pancakes before getting them right.

Word to the wise: use a dense squash that has little water or that has been drained for a firmer, easier-to-flip pancake.

Drizzle with raw honey or sprinkle with celtic mineral sea salt - if you must.

squash pancakes
serves 2

2 eggs
1 cup squash
ghee

Crack the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. In one bowl, blend the squash, egg yolks and a tbsp of ghee until smooth and light, about three minutes.

In a cold stainless steel or glass bowl, whip egg whites with beaters until you have stiff peaks.

Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter, gently combining the ingredients.

Heat a generous spoonful of ghee in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, gently dollop small amounts of batter into the pan. Cook two to three minutes on each side.

Enjoy plain, sprinkled with sea salt or drizzled with raw honey.

bone broth

2012-01-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 16. Stage 2.

I'm sold. It was just 36 hours ago that I happened across Jenny's post on perpetual bone broth.

Idea: cook your bone broth in a slow cooker continuously, 24 hours per day, adding equal parts water for every cup of broth you take. You always have it, you never need to start over. And no, it won't cost you a fortune. $5/week sound reasonable? Hopefully your health is worth it.

The bone broth is so good, you won't want to stop at a single glass. Enjoy this amazingly nutrient rich potion three times per day alone or add it to your soups, stews and other recipes in place of water or commercial stock.

Bone broth is rich in minerals that heal the gut and reduce inflammation. It is simple to make and delicious on its own or added to your regular meals.

Simply add a whole chicken or leftover chicken bones, skin and inedible parts to a crock pot alone or with fresh herbs, carrot or onion. Cover with water and set your slow cooker to low for the max allowable hours. Reset each time it turns off, keeping the crock pot cooking "perpetually". When you take broth from the pot, replace whatever you took with fresh spring water.

You can begin taking broth after 24 hours.

If you add a whole chicken, it can be removed and de-boned so that you can use the meat in your favorite recipe after about 4-6 hours. Put the bones back in and keep cooking. Replace the bones or add a new chicken at the end of the week. Strain off any cooked herbs or vegetables as needed.

stewed chicken w/ meyer lemon and fresh herbs

2011-12-29T17:12:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 13. Stage 2.

This is an extremely easy chicken stew that you can make for two or six with little prep and a reasonable cook time. The fresh meyer lemon adds depth to an otherwise turn key recipe.

We recently had a few friends from Vegas visit, and although they are not on the diet, they were enamored with this dish and couldn't stop raving about it. GAPS and guest friendly!

stewed chicken w/ meyer lemon and fresh herbs
serves 6-8

2 whole pastured chickens, rinsed and drained*
2 quarts chicken stock
1 large onion, chopped
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
4 meyer lemons, halved and juiced, seeds removed
large bunch greens such as spinach, kale or chard, washed, de-ribbed and torn [if necessary]
fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary and oregano
celtic mineral sea salt
ghee [pork, beef, or chicken fat would also do]

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a sharp knife, separate the wings and legs from the body of each chicken. Leave the breasts attached to the mid-section.
In a large, heavy pot, heat a generous amount of ghee over medium-high heat. One or two pieces at a time, add the chicken and brown on all sides. After each piece has been browned, move to a clean bowl.
Once all of the chicken has been browned, add a bit more ghee to the pot and add the onions, sauteing until translucent. Add the garlic and saute a few minutes more until fragrant.
Add the lemon juice and allow to cook down, stirring into the onions and garlic.
Add half of the fresh herbs, a generous dash of sea salt and the lemon halves.
On top of that, place the chicken pieces carefully so that they all fit nicely into the pot. Cover with chicken stock. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and more fresh herbs.
Cover the pot with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1-2 hours or until meat falls easily off the bone. De-bone the chicken before serving. Save the bones and any extra skin, etc for your next batch of homemade chicken stock.
Saute greens and serve under the stew or on the side - or stir in during the last few minutes of baking.
Serve in deep bowls with a side of cultured vegetables. Season liberally with celtic mineral sea salt.

*Make sure you have a pot large enough to hold two chickens. Pastured chickens are smaller, so two fit in my 7-qt Le Creuset just fine. Downsize to 1 chicken and cut other ingredients in half if needed.

beef, mushroom and butternut squash stew

2011-12-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 12. Stage 2.

This hearty beef stew is ten times better than your run of the mill recipe. Made with homemade beef stock and lots of savory winter vegetables, it will comfort any belly.

Sub potatoes with celery root and carrots with butternut squash for a new and nourishing spin on this old favorite.

beef, mushroom and butternut squash stew
serves 4-6

2 lbs pastured/grass-fed stew meat, cut into 1-2" chunks
2-3 quarts beef stock
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1" cubes
1 large celery root, peeled and diced into 1" cubes
1 lb mushrooms, tops trimmed and sliced
3 leeks, white parts chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 head garlic, roughly chopped
fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme and bay leaf
ghee [or pork or beef drippings]
celtic mineral sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large, heavy pot, heat a generous amount of ghee over medium-high heat. In batches, brown the stew meat on all sides. Transfer to a bowl.
When all meat has been browned, add a bit more ghee to the pot [if needed] and add in onions and leeks, sauteing until translucent. Add in the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.
Add the beef stock and herbs. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, add in squash, celery root and mushrooms and stir to combine. Continue to bake for 1 hour more or until vegetables are tender. Season liberally with celtic mineral sea salt.
Serve with a side of cultured vegetables.

homemade ghee [clarified butter]

2011-12-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 10.

If you've never had homemade ghee, now is the time.

I ask myself every day [for the last 9 days] why I had never thought to make it myself before. Scratch that. I had thought of it. But it seemed hard. It seemed so much easier to just buy it from the store. Well let me tell you.

If you have 30-45 minutes [yes, you can watch your favorite episode of Numbers simultaneously] and want to save 50% or more on the end product, listen close.

Take two pounds pastured [real] butter and place in a pot. Melt over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. You will notice a distinct crackling noise. Continue to simmer until the noise stops [kinda like waiting for popcorn to be ready]. Be careful not to turn the heat up too high or the ghee will burn.

You will notice that the white milk solids, or proteins, will rise to the top and create a foam as well as sink to the bottom of the pot. If you carefully move the white scum on the top, you will notice that the ghee is clear all the way to the bottom of the pot. This means it's ready.

Turn off the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a measuring cup or other glass container that has a pour spout [ghee is no fun to clean up from your counter]. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined funnel into a glass jar to separate the ghee from the white solids. Allow to cool at room temperature. Store on your counter. Close to your stove. Use liberally. All. the. time.

homemade beef stock

2011-12-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 9. Stage 1, preparing for Stage 2.

When you're on the GAPS Diet, you have to prepare. You can't just whip together a beef stew. A rich, nutrient-dense and flavorful beef stock must be slow-cooked over low heat for a few hours. Luckily, this recipe allows you to "sleep on it."

homemade beef stock
makes 4-5 quarts

2 large soup bones [with a bit of meat attached]
2-4 bones with marrow [cut so that marrow is exposed]
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, cut into chunks
spring water

Combine all ingredients in a large crock pot or pot with lid. Cover with water.
If using a crock pot, cook on low for six hours or until meat falls easily off the bone.
If using a pot on the stove top, bring water to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 4-6 hours or until meat falls easily off the bone.
When done, strain and discard vegetables. Remove meat from soup bones and set aside for another meal. Scoop marrow out of bones and stir into broth. Discard bones.
Pour stock into glass mason jars and store in your fridge or freezer. Stock will last in the fridge for 3-5 days. If you store it in the freezer, make sure to leave an inch or two of space in the top of the jar.
Use in soups and stews or heat up a cup for a nourishing drink.

garlic-coriander chicken

2011-12-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

GAPS Intro Diet. Day 6. Stage 1.

After about five days of chicken soup fifteen different ways, you've about had it. You yearn for something different, something unique. Could there be such a thing? Alas, with little creativity and a helping hand from my loving and sympathetic mother, I will survive the chicken stage!

Mike went crazy for this dish. Made with homemade chicken stock, it is savory and full of flavor. The garlic and coriander are so simple, yet so tasty. Serve with steamed or sauteed bitter greens, such as broccoli rabe.

garlic-coriander chicken
serves 4

1 whole pastured chicken
2 quarts chicken stock
1 large onion, chopped
1 head garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
coriander [use clean spices with no additives/irradiation]
ghee
celtic mineral sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a sharp knife, separate the wings and legs from the body of each chicken. Leave the breasts attached to the mid-section.
In a large, heavy pot, heat a generous amount of ghee over medium-high heat. One or two pieces at a time, add the chicken and brown on all sides. After each piece has been browned, move to a clean bowl.
Once all of the chicken has been browned, add a bit more ghee to the pot and add the onions, sauteing until translucent. Add the garlic and saute a few minutes more until fragrant.
Add a few generous spoons full of coriander and stir until combined and fragrant.
Add chicken stock and sprinkle generously with celtic mineral sea salt. Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 1-2 hours or until meat falls easily from the bone.
De-bone the chicken, but leave all skin and edible parts in the pot. Using kitchen scissors, chop the skin and meat into bite size chunks and stir. Season again with sea salt if needed.
Serve w/ bitter greens.

homemade chicken stock + soup

2011-12-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

GAPS diet. Day 2. Intro Diet. Stage 1.

Things in our house are going pretty well so far. No real signs of "die off" [detox] save for Mike's caffeine headaches. And we have accomplished a lot in the past 48 hours. Here's how much:

made chicken stock
washed pots and pans
made chicken soup for breakfast
washed pots and pans
made chicken soup for lunch
washed pots and pans
made chicken soup for dinner
washed pots and pans
made chicken stock
washed pots and pans
made chicken soup for breakfast
washed pots and pans
made chicken soup for lunch
washed pots and pans
made chicken soup for dinner

...I'll let you figure out what our next move might be. I think we need to invest in some kitchen gloves. And a dishwasher. The upside is that by the end of the week, we'll be able to show off our forearms of steel. Ha.

Why chicken soup? Well, it's more about the chicken stock, which is the basis of the intro to the GAPS diet, a starting point for those of us who are newbies until we are ready to be full-fledged GAPS dieters.

The goal is to slowly ease your body into detox mode, allowing yourself to eat only those foods that are super easy to digest and full of nourishment. Chicken soup is the epitome of the intro.

So here we are, getting super creative with chicken stock soup. You can use many different types of vegetables, as long as they are low in fiber and starch. Fibrous and starchy veg such as cabbage and potatoes are not only hard to digest, but they also feed the bad bugs in the gut that we are trying to get rid of.

After six meals, I have made chicken + soup six different ways. Here is one:

chicken stock soup w/ carnival squash, carrots and baby kale
serves 4

6 cups homemade chicken stock
2-3 carrots, diced
1 small carnival squash [or any type], peeled and diced
1 large handful baby kale [if fibrous stems/veins exist, remove]
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp ghee [clarified butter]
celtic mineral sea salt

Saute the onion in ghee over medium heat in a heavy pot with a lid until onion is translucent
Add the carrots and squash, sprinkle with sea salt and saute for a few minutes more.
Add the chicken stock and bring soup to a boil. Lower to a simmer.
Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until carrots and squash are very tender.
Add kale and continue to simmer until kale is very well cooked.
Season with sea salt if needed. Serve alone or over cooked chicken used to make the stock.

homemade chicken stock
makes 8-10 cups

1 pasture-raised chicken
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, cut into large chunks
1 bulb fennel, quartered [optional]
spring water

Place whole chicken and vegetables in a large crock pot or pot with lid. Cover with water.
If using a crock pot, cook on low for six hours or until meat falls easily off the bone.
If using a pot on the stove top, bring water to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 4-6 hours or until meat falls easily off the bone.
When done, remove chicken from the stock and allow to cool before pulling all meat off the bone. Use the meat in your favorite chicken recipe or add back in when you make your soup. You can discard the skin, bones, and other parts of the chicken if you like, but I would recommend putting these into a freezer bag and storing in your freezer for bone broth.
Strain out carrot, fennel and onion and discard.
Pour stock into glass mason jars and store in your fridge or freezer. Stock will last in the fridge for 3-5 days. If you store it in the freezer, make sure to leave an inch or two of space in the top of the jar.

shaved leek, fennel and brussels sprouts pasta

2011-12-07T20:07:00.001-08:00

This is my last hurrah. Before the Pots and Pans Diet.

I know what you’re thinking. And no. I am not embarking on a diet full of lasagna, scrambled eggs and fruit crumble. I am making a commitment to my gut. And to my kitchen sink.

For the next three [or six] months, I will commit to the Gut and Psychology Syndrome [GAPS] diet. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Well it’s not - just the opposite actually.

I don’t know what the results will be for me, as they tend to be different for each person, but I hear that the effects of GAPS can include the following: vastly improved digestion and absorption of nutrients, food allergy elimination, hormone regulation, improved memory, concentration and mental health, weight [bloat] loss, and beautiful skin, nails and hair. Just to name a few.

How you ask? The GAPS diet aims to do three things: to heal the gut by avoiding foods that irritate it and focusing on foods that will nourish it, to repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria, and to rid the body of toxins. By doing this, you are not only strengthening your immune system [a.k.a. your gut], but you are also sharpening your body’s response to illness, bad bacteria and auto-immune disorders.

So why is this diet known to many [a.k.a. my dad] as the “pots and pans diet”? In a nut shell, you are preparing from scratch all of the nourishing foods you will feed your gut while on the diet: meat, poultry and fish stocks and stews, bone broth, clarified butter, and plenty of cultured vegetables. And all those dishes need washing.

Over the next few months, I will share my experiences [and recipes] with you. But until then, I suggest you enjoy my last “hurrah”.

shaved leek, fennel and brussels sprouts pasta
serves 4

1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
2 cups brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
2-3 leeks, white parts removed and thinly sliced
1 small bulb fennel, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp real butter or clarified butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts
shredded grana padano or parmesan cheese
celtic mineral sea salt

Sauté the leeks and fennel in the butter over medium heat until translucent. Add the brussels sprouts and continue to saute for a few minutes until just tender. Season with sea salt to taste.
Cook the pasta as the package indicates. When the pasta is done, drain it well and toss with the vegetable mixture.
Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and cheese.

cocoa peppermint brownies

2011-12-04T22:34:00.001-08:00

I love my cast iron skillet. Almost as much as my Le Creuset. Almost.

Thus, I am constantly looking for new ways to use it for my favorite foods and recipes. Tonight, I made a new version of my favorite skillet cornbread. I had just wiped it clean [talk about low maintenance], when I thought - what about dessert?

Sure, I could bake the mint tainted brownies I had been dying to try in any one of my half dozen baking dishes. But what would happen if I baked outside the box tonight. In iron.

Oh my oh my. The result? Sizzling crispy on the outside, fudgey and moist on the inside. And no clean up! It just slid right out, ready to be cut and enjoyed.

As you'll notice, I mixed up the flours a bit for fun and nutrition's sake. Feel free to follow my lead or replace with your favorite flours. It should turn out just as heavenly no matter what you substitute.

Be careful not to overcook these babies. Remove from the oven promptly and slide out of the skillet as soon as your knife comes out clean. They will continue to cook if you leave it in the skillet - and will quickly loose their fudgeyness.

Enjoy!

cocoa peppermint brownies
serves 6-8

1 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup coconut sugar [palm sugar] or cane sugar
8oz real butter or ghee [clarified butter]
4 eggs
2 tsp powdered vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp celtic mineral sea salt
1 tbsp peppermint extract

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix together dry ingredients.

Beat the eggs. Melt the butter. Mix all wet ingredients.

Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients to combine.

Pour into a greased cast iron skillet.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until set.

slow-cooked beef [short ribs]

2011-11-29T20:43:00.001-08:00

I know Thanksgiving has already come and gone, but I can't help myself.

Are you one of those people who always knows what to say when it’s your turn to voice what you’re thankful for at the Thanksgiving table? Well, I’m not. I’m usually unprepared and end up saying something predictable, like “my family” or “this meal.” Granted, I am very thankful for both of those things, but aren’t they a given?

This Thanksgiving is [was] going to be different. This year, I am [was] prepared. And I have a list.

I’m thankful for meat. But not just any meat. Grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, pork, lamb and goat. All locally and humanely raised in Santa Barbara County. Thank you Marcie. Thank you Elizabeth. Thank you John.

I’m thankful for raw milk, cream and butter. Unpasteurized and untainted with hormones or antibiotics. 100% pure digestible and nutrient dense dairy from grass-fed cows. Thank you Mark.

I’m thankful for eggs from pastured chickens. Bright orange yolked power foods fueled by sun, grass, bugs and worms. Thank you [can't give my source!].

I’m thankful for tender, leafy greens available year round in all shapes and sizes. Baby kale, red leaf lettuce, broccoli rabe, chard, spinach, mustard, arugula, chidori kale, frisee, radicchio. Thank you Jacob, Shu, B.D., and Shawn.

Lastly, and most importantly, I’m thankful for the ranchers and farmers who work hard to provide these foods. Without them, my Thanksgiving table would not be nearly as bountiful.

Okay, enough with the mushy stuff - bring on the BEEF.
Read more »

farmers' soup

2011-10-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

My weekly farmers market trips are no formal affair. Casual and lackadaisical is how I would describe the two plus hours I spend perusing the aisles, mingling with friends and dishing with farmers. It’s my social hour[s]. Sure, I spend most of it picking out the highest quality, in season and deliciously tasting foods I can, but it’s all about the people. The connection. To my food and the folks who grow it.

Being a farmer is hard work. Long hours. No vacation days. No calling in sick. It’s hard enough to drag myself out of bed to get to the market in time to hear the bell ring. I can’t imagine what it must be like to wake up at four in the morning to pack the truck, drive to market, setup the stand, sell for a few hours, tear it down and drive home so that you can get back to, you guessed it, farming.

I am thankful. Immensely. Without the local farmers that I have a relationship with, I would be lost. Besides, I can’t even navigate a grocery store anymore. Who can figure out what to buy when there’s so many options and no one to talk about them with? When was this picked? What heirloom variety do you have today? Have you prepared these on the grill or do you prefer slow roasting?

I am dependent on these friends of mine one hundred percent. Without Tom, Barbara, Shu, Marcie, Shawn, Jacob, John, Nate, Elizabeth, and B.D., I would not eat as well as I do, nor be as healthful as I am. And I certainly would not have this absolutely amazing bowl of soup.

Farmers‘ Soup
serves 4-6

1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and chopped
3 leeks, trimmed and chopped
3-4 carrots, diced
1/2 butternut squash, diced
1 cup dry shelling beans*
4-5 tomatoes, pureed
1 bunch escarole, coarsely chopped
8 cups water
1 tbsp real butter, clarified butter [ghee] or high heat oil
1 tbsp herbs de provence
celtic sea salt

In a large, heavy pot with a lid, heat the fat over medium heat. Add the onion, leek and fennel and saute until translucent and slightly caramelized.
Add the carrots, butternut squash, beans and herbs de provence. Stir to combine.
Add the water and shelling beans. Cover, raise to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook covered for 20-30 minutes or until beans are done. You may have to cook the beans longer if you did not soak them.
When the beans are almost done, stir in the escarole and tomato puree. Season with sea salt as needed.
Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy alone, with crusty buttered bread or homemade grilled cheese.

*If you are able, soak your beans overnight or for at least four hours with 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. This makes the beans easier to digest and their nutrients better absorbed.

whole wheat pasta w/ sweet corn, cherry tomatoes and ricotta salata

2011-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

My summer fall back.

Summer is for spending time outdoors. Not behind the stove.

This is the perfect recipe for maximizing your outdoor pleasure.

Rule of thumb: less pasta, more vegetables.

If you don't have ricotta salata, feta or goat cheese will also do the trick quite nicely.

I have been purchasing my whole wheat pasta [in all forms] from Solvang Pie Company at the Santa Barbara Farmers' Market - they grow their wheat with care and make their own bread, pasta, and pastries.

whole wheat pasta w/ sweet corn, cherry tomatoes and ricotta salata

serves 4

1/2 lb whole wheat pasta

3 leeks, white part removed and thinly sliced

4-6 small zucchini, diced small

2 ears corn, kernels removed

1 bunch arugula

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 lb ricotta salata, grated

olive oil or clarified butter [ghee]

celtic sea salt

Put the pasta water on to boil. Cook the pasta while you saute the vegetables.
In a heavy saute pan, over medium high heat, saute the leeks in olive oil until they are translucent. Add the zucchini and continue to saute over medium heat until squash is almost fully cooked. Add a touch more of olive oil if needed.
Add the corn and saute for another minute or two. Add the arugula and stir until just wilted. Remove from the heat.
Add the cherry tomatoes and incorporate.
After you have strained the pasta, add it back into the sauted vegetables and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss once more.
Serve into bowls and top with ricotta salata.

skirt steak tacos w/ feta and radicchio

2011-07-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have picked a better recipe for tonight.

When we got home from work, we were both feeling pretty lazy. Thursdays are always kind of sluggish. So close but so far away. To the weekend. The beach.

Who wants to make a big fuss over dinner?

Usually me.

But not tonight.

Luckily I had thought to marinate the grass-fed skirt steak we had purchased from Rancho San Julian the night before.

Fire up the grill. Five minutes and it's done. Add the tortillas right after for about 30 seconds on each side. Chop the radicchio. Crumble the feta. Scoop the salsa.

Done.

And talk about melt in your mouth.

Why can't I come up with 30 minute meals every night?

skirt steak marinade

enough for 1-2 lbs meat

10 mint leaves, torn

2 tbsp olive oil

juice of 2 limes

4-5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp celtic sea salt

skirt steak

Mix all ingredients together. Massage into steak. Store in seal tight container in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Remove. Grill over high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Chop and add to tacos.

wild sourdough starter

2011-05-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Meet BeBe [pronounced bay-bay - like "this is out little baybay"]

I was unsure about taking on a wild sourdough starter.

I wasn't sure I could handle the responsibility. It sounded like a lot of work.

What if I killed it? I don't think I could have handled the loss.

After adopting BeBe, I quickly realized something: it is really flipping hard to kill a starter.

And they are fun to take care of. More fun than taking care of a chia pet even.

I love BeBe. He's easy to please. He doesn't cry for his mother. Only eats a few tablespoons of flour and water once a week. And he produces results. See exhibit A.

And when I need a break from caring for him? I just put him in the fridge and he goes to sleep. Like a little baby - our little BeBe.

Adopt your own BeBe from a friend or start your own. It will be sure to return the love you give it in loaves.

wild sourdough starter

organic, stone ground flour

spring water

large mason jar w/ lid

towel

Using a wooden spoon, stir 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water in your mason jar until completely combined. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to set for 24 hours.
Add 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water to the jar and stir again until well combined. Cover and allow to sit for 24 hours more.
After two days, your starter should have bubbles forming on the top and should smell fermented, like alcohol. Stir in any yellowish liquid that may have formed on the top and add another 1/2 cup of flour and water. Stir well, cover and let sit 24 hours more.
After three days, your starter should be much more bubbly and ready to use. If you notice that it smells weird or mold or dark gray liquid forms on the top, toss it and start over. Fermentation is a delicate process and sometimes goes awry.
If you don't use your starter right away, you can cover it and store it in the fridge. Make sure to feed it equal parts flour and water once per week.
When you are ready to use it, take it out of the fridge, remove 1 cup of the starter and either put it up for adoption [share with a friend] or discard. Feed your remaining starter equal parts flour and water and let it sit overnight to fully awaken before adding it to your favorite sourdough recipe.

wild whole wheat sourdough bread

2011-05-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

I am at a loss for words.

As I look at the picture above, searching for how to start this post, all I can think of is how crazy I still think it is [4 days later] that I made that bread. I made it. Little old me. Pretty sweet.

Part of me wants to tell you all how hard it was. That I labored over it for hours. That the crusty exquisiteness was due to my molding, kneading, magical hands. That the crack was planned.

But it was easier than cake. than pie even.

And I'm making another loaf - tomorrow.

Let me start by saying that I have never baked a loaf of bread in my life. I am no baker. I am lazy when it comes to baking and I don't like recipes that are intricate, detailed, labor intensive or time consuming.

This is why I rely on bakeries like D'Angelo's.

Then I discovered the "no-knead method". Jay, Mike and I were sitting in Sullivan Street Bakery, waiting for our panini cubanos when I saw it. Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street founder, was selling his cookbook, "my bread" on the shelf above where we were sitting. Like I said, I am no baker. I rather buy the ridiculously fabulous goods talented bakers sell than try to replicate them myself. What caught my eye was the picture on the front cover: a perfectly round loaf of bread nestled inside a dutch oven, much like the one I have at home. Hmm... I thought. Interesting. Bread in a dutch oven.

Next thing I know I am flipping through the pages, amazed at the beautifully delicious loaves of bread - all prepared using this "no-knead method" - which creates a manageable, flawless and down right simple bread making process. There had to be a catch.

I purchased the book for my Mom as a gift and thought she might make some bread that I could conveniently share with her. Clever, right? She loved the gift, said she'd try to make some soon, and immediately got busy with other things. My patience waned. I had to know. Was it really that easy?

Since I have been on a bit of a fermentation kick, I was set on using a wild sourdough starter. You can make your own fairly easily, but I was lucky to have a donor - good farmer friends of mine who generously shared their "mother" with me. Thanks Bill and Barbara - you are life savers - or starters.

Once I had my starter, I watched a no-knead method how-to video by Eric from Breadtopia to make sure I had the right technique. I know what you're thinking. No, I didn't use Jim Lahey's cookbook. But Eric used Jim Lahey's technique, so I figured that was just the same.

I would recommend watching the video if you have never baked bread before - it helped me anticipate and envision the steps I would take.

And then I did it. I made bread. And it was beautiful. And we ate it. And it was rustic and delicious.

So delicious that I plan to bake bread once a week if I can keep it up. As I master this technique, I will keep you posted and be sure to share variations. I am already thinking about studding my next loaf with roasted garlic and artichokes - or kalamata olives. Yum.

If you frequent the Santa Barbara Farmers Market, stop by Solvang Pie Company and purchase their freshly milled whole wheat flour. Or get their whole wheat berries and mill it yourself.

wild whole wheat sourdough bread

makes one 9" loaf

2.5 cups unbleached, organic, stone ground flour

1 cup unbleached, organic, stone ground whole wheat flour

2 tsp celtic sea salt

1.5 cups spring water

1/4-1/2 cup wild sourdough starter

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large, non-reactive/non-metal bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined and forms a dough ball. Cover with plastic or a damp towel and let rise for 12-18 hours. You can let it rise for longer if you like [up to 36 hours] - the longer you let it rise, the more it will ferment and the sourer your sourdough bread will taste.
With a wooden spoon, turn the dough out onto a well-floured cutting board/surface. Flour your hands. Spread the dough gently with your fingers into a rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds and then in half. Cover with plastic or a damp towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Slide your floured hands under the dough, pick it up and invert it [turn it over]. Using your hands, form it into a round "loaf". Set it in a large toweled bowl. Cover the dough with the towel and allow to rise for 1.5-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
Place your dutch oven into a cold oven and preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. When the dough is ready, take the dutch oven out of the oven and invert the dough into the dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid, and bake 15 minutes more until crust is browned. You know the loaf is ready when you tap it on the bottom and it sounds hollow.
Remove from dutch oven and allow to cool on a rack for a few hours or overnight.
Slice and enjoy. Try not to eat the whole loaf. Or don't.

kefir cheese

2011-05-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe it.

I made cheese.

Maybe it's just the nature of my generation, but it's pretty darn cool to say you made cheese - and really mean that you actually made cheese. Like from scratch.

I still can't believe it. So cool.

I've been interested in fermented foods since my family first began incorporating them into our diet almost ten years ago. My Mom had convinced us that fermented foods were good to have in our diet because they help us to digest our food and provide our bodies with beneficial bacteria that are essential to a healthy digestive tract.

This sounded great to me, especially since I had suffered from food allergies and a slew of digestive-related symptoms that I could never seem to put behind me.

So I began incorporating these foods into my diet. I started with store bought raw sauerkraut, probiotics, kefir, and kombucha. It didn't take long to notice a difference in how I felt. Like that brick I was always carrying around in my stomach had finally disintegrated.

A few years later, I took a Body Ecology class with Donna Gates, and learned how to make homemade fermented [cultured] vegetables. I was amazed that the process was rather easy, yielded more than enough to last you six months or more, and tasted ten times better than the store bought stuff.

More recently, I discovered the ease of making homemade kefir with kefir grains that I purchased from my local farmers market. I honestly thought it was going to taste terrible. And yeah, the first taste was a little putrid. But I kind of thought the same thing the first time I tasted kombucha. After the second sip, and the third, and the fourth, I thought "wow" this stuff is good - and refreshing. Like milk soda - or what you might imagine milk soda to taste like without the creaminess. Okay maybe that wasn't the best description.

This past week I took my fermentation to a whole new level. I made kefir cheese. This is where you act surprised and impressed - again. And it was good. Really good. Like a fresh feta or goat cheese - creamy and sharp.

How did I make this amazing cheese, you ask?

I'd love to say that my primal instincts took over and I just knew, but I didn't. And I won't.

Wardeh from GNOWFGLINS [God’s Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally, In Season] taught me how via her easy to follow video. And yes, you can imagine my excitement when my cheese looked just like hers! [how often does that happen?]

I altered my recipe slightly, so watch the video first to get a feel for how she does it - and then follow my instructions below.

I purchased kefir grains and raw milk from Organic Pastures at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market. As Nathan, OP's trusty market guru suggested, I opted for the super leche over the plain raw milk. The super leche has 35% colostrum and ferments more quickly and provides more nutritional punch.

Kitchen gadgets you'll need:

two layers of cheese cloth
stainless steel pot
stainless steel mesh colander [small holes]
large and small non-metal/reactive bowls
large mason jars with lids

kefir cheese

makes 2 cups

1/2 gallon raw milk [super leche]

2 tbsp kefir grains

cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

celtic sea salt

fresh or dried herbs

Pour the raw milk into one large or two medium size mason jars. Do not fill them to the top - leave about 3 inches.
Divide up the kefir grains equally between the jars. Stir well and loosely screw on the lids.
Allow to set on the counter at room temperature [70-78* is preferable] for 24-48 hours or until the curds separate from the whey. At 24 hours, this had happened to my batch, but I allowed it to ferment one day more, which produced about twice as much curd.
Place your colander over the bowl and empty the jars into it, allowing most of the curds and whey to pass through. What will be left are your kefir grains and larger bits of curd. Pick out the kefir grains and set aside. Scoop the curds out of the colander and place into the pot.
Place the colander in the pot. Layer the cheesecloth over the colander and empty the bowl on top of it, allowing the whey to flow through the cheesecloth and the curds to stay behind.
Tie the ends of the cheesecloth together, forming a single knot. Hang the cheesecloth over the pot and allow to drain for 24-48 hours or until the cheese is the consistency you prefer. I wanted mine to be extra dry, so I left it to drain for a full two days.
Take your kefir grains and rinse them with filtered or spring water. Place them in a jar and cover with water. Store in your fridge and use again and again for many months.
Once it is ready, remove the cheese from the cloth, form the cheese into small balls and place them in a bowl. Season with sea salt, herbs and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Carefully pour the balls from one bowl into another, transfering them back and forth until they are covered in herbs. Transfer to a mason jar, submerse in olive oil and lid.
The cheese can be stored in the pantry this way for many months. Enjoy as a condiment or spread on bread.
Store the whey in a mason jar in the fridge and enjoy it as a refreshing beverage, add it to soaking beans, grains and flours or use it as a sourdough starter.

arroz con pollo [rice w/ chicken]

2011-04-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

In a hurry? Try this quick and easy one-pot satisfying-to-the-core recipe.

There are many variations to the traditional arroz con pollo. This one is ready in one hour [15 mins prep + 45 mins cooking] so you can come home from work at 6pm, put it in the oven by 6:15pm, get ready to go to that movie you've been wanting to see, take it out of the oven at 7pm, eat, and get out the door by 7:15pm for the 7:30pm showing.

Yes, we tried it. And we didn't even miss the previews like we normally do because I grossly underestimate how long dinner will take to prepare.

Cook your short-grain brown rice while the chicken is in the oven and all will be done at the same time. I used a sizable half chicken, but you could easily change up this recipe with a variety of chicken pieces or even a whole chicken. Up the cooking time to one hour if you go for the whole bird.

There is just something about chicken and rice and broth that makes me feel warm inside. So simple. So good. So nutrient-dense.

arroz con pollo

serves 4

1/2 chicken, skin on/bone in

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

4-5 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

3-4 cups tomatoes, diced

1-2 cups water

ghee [clarified butter] or heat stable oil

celtic sea salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat a tablespoon or so of ghee in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Brown the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and lower the heat to medium.
Add the onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add in the tomatoes and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Place chicken in pot and nestle it down into the sauce. Add enough water so that the liquid covers half of the chicken. Season with sea salt.
Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. When done, remove chicken from the bone in bite size pieces. Mix together with thickened sauce.
Serve over brown rice.

4 perfect days of eating in nyc

2011-04-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

In the days leading up to our trip to NYC, I kept thinking: "Why aren't we going somewhere warm, some place tropical? - it's spring break for crying out loud. We should be basking in the sun, on the beach."

Then we arrived.

To forty degree weather. To one of the coolest cities I have ever been to. That I wouldn't live in if you paid me a million dollars.

If you're a foodie like me, don't waste time. Make a trip to NYC. A short one. In four or five days, you can see a whole lot. Believe me.

We were lucky enough to be hosted by my college roommate, Jay, who is the hostess with the mostest. And I ain't just sayin' that. She made sure we had an amazing time. And she's a foodie just like me. We couldn't have been luckier.

Note: This is a foodie trip. Sightseeing took a backseat. If you go, fill in your own sights of interest between meals.

Yes, my mouth is full in every picture

Day 1 - Saturday

Breakfast: Union Square Green Market - piping hot apple cider and the infamous apple cider doughnuts rolled in sugar.

A meander through the market teased me with dozens of prepared foods - pickled root veggies, lingonberry jam, homemade pretzels, locally made goat yogurt with fresh blackberries, Amish cheeses, maple syrup, apricot chutney, wood-fired breads, heirloom grains - none of which would make it back through JKF security. Thanks 9/11.

We picked up a rental car and headed two hours upstate to Poughkeepsie.

Lunch: Sprout Creek Farm Market - an array of goat and cow cheeses, meyer lemon marmalade, tomato chutney, Barolo salami made with Italian red wine, and NYC-made crackers. All spread out on a picnic table in the middle of the farm.

Self-guided farm tour. Calves, baby goats, chickens, lamb.

Back in the car and off to the Vanderbilt Mansion. Beautiful, sweeping grounds along the Hudson River. The mansion was lavish, but old and musty. My favorite part? The wood burning stove in the basement.

Check into the hotel, take a nap [jetlag] and head out for dinner.

Dinner: Downtown Poughkeepsie has quite a few restaurants, thanks to the local Culinary Institute of America campus, but not many offer great food. We dined at the Artist's Palate, which sounded good on paper, but was just okay. What reeled us in was their mission to source primarily local foods and their intriguing dinner menu. If we did this trip again, I would have had dinner at Cafe Bocca [see below] and driven back earlier the next day to have lunch in Brooklyn.

So what if Mike's eyes are half-closed and my mouth is full - we look happy, right?

Day 2 - Sunday

After Saturday night's disappointment, I was determined to find good grub. After driving around town and finding many restaurants closed [Sundays are hit or miss on the East Coast], we drove past this place a second time [we had thought it was closed the first time around] and decided to stop. I was unsure as I walked in the door, but once I spotted the high quality Italian foods the owner had for sale on a small shelf behind the counter, I knew we'd happened across something special.

Brunch: Cafe Bocca - no menu, no specials, only ingredients. The chef/owner listed off a bunch of ingredients [literally] and offered up a panini, pasta or pizza featuring whichever ones struck our fancy. Mike and I were craving pizza, so we ordered a pizza with mushrooms, grana padano, and roasted garlic. Twenty minutes later, we were still waiting for our food and I was getting a little worried. But then he emerged from the kitchen with our food. And OMG. The pizza was huge, Sicilian style. Thin, crispy crust, perfectly melted cheese, homemade tomato sauce, drizzled with olive oil. We ate it all. Every last CRUMB. And the best part? It was so light, I barely felt full. Jackpot! If we'd known about this place the night before, we would have had dinner here and enjoyed live music and good wine all night long.

Roll out the door and into the car. Off to Brooklyn.

Jay monopolizing on the chocolate samples

Afternoon snacks:

Mast Brothers Chocolate - two brothers with scruffy beards and the best small-batch chocolate. Eleven types of bars - almonds and sea salt was my fave - cocoa nibs and dark chocolate chips.

Bedford Cheese Shop - goodies for the fam, sampling of Australian feta. If I lived here, I would shop here every Saturday, as I do now at C'est Cheese.

Blue Bottle Coffee - Mast Brothers hot chocolate, latte, cheddar biscuit w/ house-cured bacon and roasted blood orange marmalade.

Drop the rental off and head back into Manhattan. Stop by the apartment, relax, refresh, and off to dinner.

Drinks: A Casa Fox - housemade sangria, homemade plantain chips w/ bean dip, guacamole, and salsa, garlic shrimp.

Dinner: The Meatball Shop - lamb meatballs w/ feta, kalamata olives and mint over spaghetti. or seasonal greens and roasted veggies. or on a brioche bun. Take your pick. Lavender lemonade. Ice cream sandwich w/ homemade vanilla bean ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate chip.

Day 3: Monday

Brunch: Eataly - wood-fired focaccia, Prosecco, winter salad of shaved fennel, celery root, cauliflower, and Asian pear, oxtail bolognese over housemade pasta, pistachio, hazelnut, and chocolate gelato, latte.

Walk to the Empire State Building. Don't go in unless you're willing to sacrifice a meal [$21/pp]. Stop in Times Square to get tickets to a show and check out the sights.

Midday Snack: Katz's Delicatessen - I couldn't do it, but Mike could. Get a side of pickled veggies - green tomatoes, cukes, peppers. Walk by il laboratorio del gelato and sample a few of their exotic flavors - thai chili chocolate, ginger, guinness, nutmeg.

Check out a comedy show at Laugh Lounge. Stop by early to get a ticket and drop in on Spitzer's Corner for a drink and a snack while you wait for the show to start. Local beers on tap. Sea salt fries, heritage pulled pork sliders, truffle mac and cheese.

Dinner: Artichoke - pizza with artichokes, garlic cream sauce and parmigiana. Artichoke beer.

Dessert: Momofuku's Milk Bar - crack [pot] pie, candy bar pie, cake bites, compost cookies. Not the cleanest "real food", but worth a cheat pass.

Yes, that's Kiefer Sutherland

Day 4: Tuesday

Brunch: Crepes du Nord - prosciutto di parma, ricotta, arugula, cracked pepper, and lemon. Best savory crepe I have ever had. For real.

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. Take the train back into the city to Central Park. Stroll around the pond. Head back downtown.

Midday Snack: Ruby Et Violette - cookies off the beaten path: lavender w/ white chocolate, classic chocolate chip, "the break-up, his story" [oatmeal, peanut butter, caramel, dark chocolate and smoked salt]. Then two blocks over to Sullivan Street Bakery for the cubano [mustard, garlic aioli, gruyere, prosciutto, roast pork, pickle] and the caprese [tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil].

Enjoy a Broadway show.

Dinner: Gottino - the holy grail. No real website, but according to the waitstaff, they don't want to be found. They wouldn't even let me take a menu. This secret is bottled up tight. But not tight enough. Ms. Ruth [Prosecco w/ fresh berries] and a course of crostini: fresh cheese and sun-dried tomatoes drenched in olive oil, walnut pesto, artichoke puree. Another Ms. Ruth and a round of veggies: radicchio and goat cheese salad, roasted fennel and carrots with balsamic reduction, shaved Brussels sprouts salad w/ toasted walnuts and pecorino, roasted beets and roasted hazelnuts with creme fraiche. A couple of glasses of water and a round of entrees: roasted oxtail stew over stone ground polenta, duck confit w/ cranberry beans. All tapas style. All absurdly delicious.

Set three alarms for your next-day flight. Slip into a food coma.

classic caesar

2011-04-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

It's all about the egg. That's why I have never made classic caesar dressing before.

And that's exactly why I do now.

I discovered recently an egg that puts all others to shame. They are so good that I wake up fifteen minutes earlier every Saturday just so I can make sure I get a dozen [or two].

The yolks are perfect. Perfectly robust. Perfectly tall. Perfectly orange. Perfectly over easy.

If you shop at the Saturday Santa Barbara Farmers' Market, you know what I'm talkin' about. If you don't, I apologize. I just can't spill the beans for the sake of those of us who rely on the secret.

Before these eggs, my caesar was not really caesar at all. More like a lemony anchovy dressing. But now? But now! Creamy, yolky, buttery. Divine.

When you find that perfect egg, give it a try.

classic caesar

1 pastured egg yolk

2 anchovy fillets

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, peeled

2 tbsp stone-ground dijon mustard

juice from 1/2 a lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

pinch of celtic sea salt

In a food processor, blend the egg yolk, anchovy and garlic until smooth. Add the mustard, lemon juice and olive oil and repeat until smooth. Taste and mix in sea salt if necessary.
Toss with fresh greens, such as frisee, radicchio, and butter lettuce. Or good old romaine.

pork belly and white bean stew

2011-03-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Glorified baked beans.

That's how Mike described this dish - and he's dead on. The best baked beans I've ever had. Period.

Not that there's much competition out there.

If this is what you got in every can of Heinz Baked Beans, I would buy them by the truck load. They claim to be baked "in a deliciously rich tomato sauce" - so why in tarnation do they taste like ketchup and beans mixed together with pieces of that cheap breakfast ham thrown in? Heinz does make ketchup, people.

I'm just sayin'.

The secret to this stew tasting so darn tootin' good? [no pun intended]

Pork belly. And smoked sun-dried tomatoes. And pork belly. Oh yeah, and probably the beer I added on a whim.

The morning after I made this, I told a colleague, who is a HUGE fan of bacon, that I had just made the most fantastic pot of pork belly and bean stew last night. What'd he do? Shriveled up his nose like I had just described some kind of satanic stew. Not the reaction I was aiming for.

No silly, pork belly is not actually stomach. Pork belly is BACON, you know, the BELLY. Before it's cut to look like what you recognize as bacon.

I could not believe that a man of the sacred bacon was not familiar with thy pork belly.

He is now.

pork belly and white bean stew

serves 4

1.5lbs pork belly, cut into 2" cubes

beef fat, butter, ghee [clarified butter] or other heat stable oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

3 tbsp garlic, finely chopped [I used green garlic, but dried works too]

1.5 cups dried or 3 cups cooked white beans

6-8 smoked [or not] sun-dried tomatoes

1 large or 2 small cans tomatoes, diced

1 bottle beer [yes, beer]

1 cup water [if using dry beans]

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp corriander

2 tbsp raw cane or coconut [palm] sugar

celtic sea salt

If using dry beans, cover liberally with water and allow to soak at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
Preheat the oven to 375* Fahrenheit.
In a large cast iron or heavy pot, heat about 1 tbsp fat over medium-high heat. Add half the pork belly and fry on all sides until browned. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pork belly.
Add a bit more fat to the pot, reduce the heat to medium and saute the onions and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the pork belly back to the pot along with the beans [if using dry], tomatoes, beer, water [if using dry beans], spices and sugar. Stir to combine. Cover and bake in the oven for 2 hours. If using cooked beans, add those in during the last hour. Check liquid levels half and 3/4 of the way through and add a bit of water if needed. Stew should be thick, but not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Remove from the oven, taste and season with sea salt as needed. Allow to set for a few minutes and serve.

kale, cauliflower and quinoa salad

2011-03-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need to whip something together - quick and easy - in the urgency that hunger can create. I had just spent three hours riding my bike around this beautiful Santa Barbara day - first solo, then with my co-pilot, Taylor.

We raced along the beach, weaving in and out of Spring Break cruisers, neck and neck the whole way. How cool it would be to spend every day - even working days - like this. I have been working nights this week and have had a taste of what others who work the night shift must be keeping from the rest of us. The warmth of the sun. Deserted beaches. Quiet streets. To live against the grain doesn't seem too shabby.

If I worked nights all the time, I'd spend all day outside while the sun is up. Read a book at the beach. Run errands midday. Sleep 'til noon. Oh the life.

Too bad the grass is always greener on the other side....

kale, cauliflower and quinoa salad

serves 2

1-1.5 cups cooked quinoa

2 small heads cauliflower, separated and lightly steamed

4-5 kale leaves, leaves removed and coarsely chopped

1 tbsp currants

1/4 cup toasted or soaked/dehydrated almonds

juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

celtic sea salt

Toss first five ingredients together in a medium-size bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. Toss again.

fried artichoke and blood orange frisee salad

2011-03-06T20:02:00.001-08:00

Even a week away from home-cooked meals made from farm fresh produce can send me into massive withdraws.

Chicago is a bit of a food desert.

I found Quartino, thanks to my Dad, who frequents Chicago often via his job, but that was about it. If I had had more time to explore and discover, I am sure the list would have been longer. But I didn't. And it wasn't.

After being in the brisk Midwest for a week, I was overjoyed to visit the Farmers' Market on Saturday. I received a warm homecoming from Tutti Frutti's baby artichokes, Jacob's frisee, and B.D.'s radicchio. I picked up a rack of goat from Jimenez Family Farm and some fresh oregano from Roots.

I gravitated towards whatever was vibrant, fresh, at it's peak. What would I make from all of these prime ingredients? Who knows. Per usual, I would work out those details later.

After rediscovering it in Chi-town, I really wanted to try something different with the frisee. And the artichokes - when they show up at the market, I get all excited and buy them up by the cart load.

So there I was, somewhere between crispy fried artichokes and citrus splashed frisee salad. Mike was firing up the grill for the rack of goat and I was in the kitchen, planning the rest of our meal. I was about to start prepping the 'chokes, when the idea hit me. Why not combine the two?

fried artichoke and blood orange frisee salad

serves 2

6 small artichokes

1 tbsp real butter or clarified butter [ghee]

1 medium head frisee

1 small head radicchio

3 blood oranges, 2 segmented, 1 juiced

shaved dry jack or pecorino cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

celtic sea salt

Wash the frisee and radicchio. Dry well. Cut the radicchio in half and slice thinly. Tear frisee into bite-size pieces. Toss together in a large bowl and set aside.
Tear the outer leaves off of the artichokes until you reach the light green inner leaves. Cut off the top inch and discard. All that should be left is the stem and tender inner leaves. Trim the stem and peel it. Slice the artichokes lengthwise.
Place artichokes face down in a pan and cover with 1/2 inch water. Steam over high heat for 3-5 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife. Drain excess water and leave over heat until all moisture has evaporated. Add butter to the pan, lower heat to medium-high, and fry until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Toss together the frisee and radicchio with orange segments, juice and olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Top with artichokes and shaved dry jack.

party popcorn

2011-02-25T20:11:00.000-08:00

You know those people who sneak food and drinks into the movie theatre via large purses and bulky sweatshirts? You know the ones I'm talking about.

Those folks who sit right in front of you and unload their booty within eye's reach. Always something better than the $6 box of stale popcorn drizzled with fake butter that rests on your own lap. Always something clever you wish you'd thought of smuggling in past the usher.

Cat's outta the bag: I'm one of those people.

My top seven favorite smuggled goods?

1. Stove top popped popcorn drizzled with real butter or ghee [clarified butter] and Celtic sea salt

2. Coconut water

3. Homemade almond butter cups

4. Kombucha

5. Chocolate chip cookies and real milk

6. Homemade ice cream

7. Real soda pop and a bag of real potato chips

Why seven? I got to seven and couldn't think of anymore.

Do I feel guilty for smuggling real food into the movie theater? Heck no. And I won't, until the day they sell something I can actually eat! [no, I am not being dramatic - I literally cannot eat any of that garbage without serious digestive repercussions]

So do tell me.

What are your favorite movie snacks? [and smuggling tips?]

I am dying to know.

party popcorn

...coming soon to a theater near you [in Santa Barbara]

fresh popped popcorn

melted caramel sauce

melted dark chocolate

melted butter

Celtic sea salt

chopped almonds and/or walnuts

Spread the popcorn out on a parchment-lined baking tray or flat, clean surface. Drizzle with melted caramel, dark chocolate and butter. Sprinkle with sea salt and chopped nuts.
Eat.
Repeat.

grilled kielbasa sandwiches

2011-02-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

Kielbasa sandwiches. Pap's favorite. Smeared with mayonnaise and butter. Yum.

Okay, maybe not the mayonnaise.

Kielbasa was easy to find in McKees Rocks. And pierogies - a favorite polish dumpling that I always was sure to get my fill of during visits to see the grandparents. Stuffed with potato and cheese, sauerkraut and potato, or ground meat, these babies were sure to humble any tummy's grumble. Fried with onions, please. Yum.

Back to kielbasa. A delicacy I not too often spot outside of the Eastern European enclave of McKees Rocks. Until now.

I recently discovered that Dey Dey's Best Beef Ever makes a fabulous kielbasa - perfect for grilling or frying. It was upon this discovery that I decided to introduce Mike to my childhood favorite - hoping it would come out just like Gram used to make.

It wasn't exactly like Gram used to make - but delicious in it's own unique rite - sans mayonnaise. I guess nothing really ever is as good as Gram used to make. And maybe that's the point.

One major difference between this recipe and the one of my childhood: all parts of the sandwich were prepared via charcoal grill, which not only made it easier [with less clean-up], but gave the kielbasa a crisp outside and juicy inside without added grease [who likes a soggy sandwich?].

Try this nostalgic sandwich at your next barbecue party and let people build their own. I know I will.

grilled kielbasa sandwiches

serves 2

2 kielbasa sausages

1 small sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 small head of purple and green cabbage, shredded

raw apple cider vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

Celtic sea salt

ciabatta bread

pastured butter

Dijon mustard

Prepare the grill.
Lay out a small sheet of aluminum foil and spread the sliced onion evenly across it. It's okay if there are a few layers. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Make another sheet of foil the same size and lay it over top of the first. Crinkle and roll up the edges to make a sealed packet.
Repeat the above steps with the cabbage. Sprinkle the cabbage with both olive oil and apple cider vinegar - no sea salt.
Place the sausages and packets on the grill, making sure that none are directly over flames to avoid burning. Cook the sausages for about 10 minutes, or until a pierced knife exudes clear juices. Remove the sausages and packets - leave the packets sealed until the bread is toasted.
Slice the bread into sandwich portions and toast on the grill for 3-5 minutes until charred to preference.
Assemble the sandwiches. Spread butter on one side of the bread and mustard on the other. Add onions first. Slice the sausages lengthwise and place on top of the onions. Then top with cabbage.
Enjoy without letting too many kielbasa juices run down your chin.

tuscan bean and sausage soup

2011-02-21T17:48:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara is bipolar.

There, I said it. Sorry American Riviera, but you need to hear it. We who love you and live here over all other places do so because you are reliable. 75 degrees and mostly sunny year round. Light ocean breezes. Little rain.

So what the heck happened to you in the last 72 hours?! Three days ago you hit us with a monsoon and flash flooding. Day after that it blizzards [yes, that is the term the local news used]. We have a tornado warning. It's frickin' COLD and WET. And then yesterday it's all sunshine and clear blue skies like nothing ever happened.

WTF?! [for lack of a better acronym] You must be bipolar. That is the only explanation. That and global warming. I'm going with bipolar.

None the less, thank you for making it so miserable and cold outside that I was prompted to cook up a warm and nourishing soup to chase the cold from our not-so-well insulated apartment.

Sounds awful doesn't it?

Well it wasn't. It was absolutely wonderful. One of my best soups yet.

tuscan bean and sausage soup

serves 4

1 cup dry white beans, soaked overnight

3 mild Italian sausage links, removed from casings

1 large or 2 small bunches tender kale

2 leeks, white parts trimmed and finely chopped

1 medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped

3 carrots, diced

6 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped

6 cups spring water

2-3 bay leaves

Celtic sea salt

beef fat, clarified butter [ghee] or heat stable oil

In a large cast iron or heavy pot over medium-high heat, fry up the sausage in a bit of beef fat or heat stable oil until cooked. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon, leaving behind fat.
If needed, add more fat to the pot and fry the onions and leeks until translucent, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat if needed to avoid burning. Add the carrots and garlic and cook for a few minutes.
Add the beans, bay leaves, and water. Season with a generous pinch of sea salt, cover and raise the heat until soup begins to boil. Reduce immediately to a simmer and continue to cook, covered, for 30-40 minutes or until beans are tender.
When the beans are tender, remove from heat, stir in the kale and cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
Serve hot alone or with crusty bread smeared with pasture butter.

blood orange braised beef short ribs w/ fennel and kalamata olives

2011-02-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

Spring garlic is back - and so am I!

Sorry for the hiatus, but sometimes life [and work] get in the way of dedicating time to cooking, snapping photos, and writing - more so the writing part, but no matter. Time is back on my side.

I am again taking leisurely strolls through the Saturday Santa Barbara Farmers' Market, stopping to talk with friends and taking the time to pick out the best that the season has to offer. I have nights and weekends to cook up whatever is on my mind - not just work-related worries [they are gone by the way]. And I finally have time again to sit down and enjoy the meal I prepare. To taste and savor each bite as it's meant to be tasted and savored. What a pleasure - not to be taken for granted.

This past weekend, I was at the market, reacquainting myself with what I love most about this time of year - the last fennel bulbs, the first green garlic shoots, and the lovely leek. This triage is the basis of so many of my recipes because they go so wonderfully together. Whether for a braising base like this one, a soup or stew base, or even the first stages of a pasta sauce, these three fail to disappoint.

Start this dish the night before or the day of. Either way, you'll be wishing there was more. Solve this easily by doubling the recipe for easy-to-heat-up leftovers melded with flavor. The short ribs are always from Rancho San Julian, the leeks always from Garden Of, the green garlic always from Windrose Farms. Sure, there are others out there [in Santa Barbara]. But they pale in comparison.

Served over creamy feta polenta, this dish stands well on it's own, or can be paired with sauteed greens or Brussels sprouts fried in garlic and butter.

blood orange braised beef short ribs w/ fennel and kalamata olives

serves 2

2 meaty beef short ribs

1-1.5 cups blood orange juice

1/2 cup finely chopped leeks, white part only
1 small sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped dried garlic or fresh/green garlic, bulbs and shoots
1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, quartered
6-12 kalamata olives
2 tbsp beef fat, clarified butter [ghee] or heat stable oil
generous pinch of Celtic sea salt
generous pinch of dried herbs [optional]

Place the short ribs and blood orange juice in a seal tight container. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least six hours or overnight. Flip half-way through to ensure even marinating.
Remove the short ribs and pat dry. Retain the blood orange juice.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Sear the ribs on all sides. Remove the ribs and reduce the heat to medium. Add leek, onion, and garlic and saute in the remaining oil until caramelized. Reduce the heat if needed to keep from burning.
Add blood orange juice to the pot and continue to simmer for about five minutes. Remove from heat.
Add short ribs back to the pot, making sure the meat side is submerged. Arrange the fennel bulb quarters around the meat. Sprinkle with sea salt and herbs. Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 1.5-2 hours or until meat falls off the bone.
Before removing from the oven, add the kalamata olives and bake for ten minutes longer.
Serve over creamy feta polenta.

creamy feta polenta

serves 2

1 cup polenta or corn grits
3 cups water
1/2 cup or 4oz feta cheese

Bring water to a boil in a heavy pot.
With whisk in hand, add polenta and immediately begin stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue whisking for ten to fifteen minutes or until polenta starts to get thick. Switch to a wooden spoon if necessary, but keep stirring to keep polenta from sticking to the pot. If it bubbles too much, reduce the heat.
Once the polenta is thick yet still creamy, add feta and mix to combine. Remove from heat and allow to rest for a few minutes. Scoop onto places or in shallow bowls and top with braised short ribs, vegetables and pot juices.

cider-braised pulled pork

2011-01-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

This cider-braised pulled pork can be served with sauteed cabbage and apples, but I prefer mine on sprouted whole wheat rolls topped with cultured vegetables, which, much like sauerkraut, add a tangy kick and aid digestion.

As always, Jimenez Family Farms has the best pastured pork around [Santa Barbara].

Cider-braised pulled pork
serves 4-6

2 tbsp whole or ground coriander seed
1 tbsp fennel seed
1 tsp sea salt

3 lbs pork shoulder
1 tbsp high heat stable oil, such as coconut oil or clarified butter (ghee)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
12 oz IPA beer [gluten-free if necessary]
1 cup unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
5 whole garlic cloves, skins removed

In a dry pan, toast coriander, fennel and sea salt for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and crush with a mortar and pestle or grind in a small food processor.
Rub the ground spices into the pork shoulder, covering all sides. Place in a sealed container and allow to set in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over high heat. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides, allowing it to cook until a slight crust forms, which will seal in all the juices. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent and slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.
If you are going to roast the pork in the same pot, add the pork shoulder back into the pot along with the apple cider vinegar and beer. Cover and roast for 4-6 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are going to roast the pork in a slow cooker, transfer the onions, garlic and any remaining juices into the slow cooker, along with the apple cider vinegar and beer. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.
When the pork is done, remove and shred as needed. The remaining liquid can be cooked down over medium-high heat and used as a sauce for the pulled pork.

wine country foodie week

2010-12-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

I'd like to tip my hat to those die-hard bloggers out there who made time for holiday blogging. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. For this I apologize. But I assure you, I had [and am still having] a fantabulous holiday. Yes. Fantabulous.

I won't bore you with the details, but Mike and I had the pleasure of spending a week in our hometown of Sonoma and the surrounding areas. A few highlights from our foodie adventure:

Still the absolute best margarita you will ever have: Maya's margarita, served up, with salt.

599 Thai Cafe in Sonoma. Sunny makes the best summer rolls we have been able to track down. Dipped in her homemade peanut sauce, they are a must eat every time we are in town. And the green papaya salad - impossible to share.

Fremont Diner. I would literally sell my soul for their housemade fennel sausage gravy and cream biscuits or their homemade salted caramel milkshake. Not to mention the fried chicken and waffles studded with house-cured bacon, Bellwether Farms ricotta pancakes, or Della Fattoria and Vella Daisy Cheddar grilled cheese with Rancho Gordo bean soup. Lacto-fermented sodas. Lard by the quart.

Greystone at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena is still to die for. Perfectly crispy and tender artichoke salad. Hanger steak with Point Reyes blue. Yum.

Cheese. Cowgirl Creamery at Point Reyes Station. Vella Cheese Company in downtown Sonoma. Oakville Grocery in Oakville.

C Casa at Oxbow Public Market in Napa. Bar-b-qued pulled pork taco with shredded cabbage and fresh cheese. Roasted duck and caramelized onion taco. Chopped salad. Mango-pineapple agua fresca. Local, farm-raised, gluten-free.

Three Twins Ice Cream at Oxbow Public Market. Organically homemade peppermint stick. eggnog. vanilla bean. maple walnut.

The Fatted Calf at Oxbow Public Market. Grass-fed house-dried beef jerky. Housemade charcuterie. Chicharones. Mouthwatering sammies.

Every darn thing at Oxbow Public Market.

Avatar's Punjabi Burritos in Petaluma. This place was new to us, but had amazing Indian burritos. Mine was wrapped in whole wheat paratha and stuffed with ground lamb, pickled carrots, homemade yogurt, chutney, garbanzo beans and rice.

Sol Food in San Rafael. Not a trip goes by without a stop at this old favorite. Still a line out the door. Still the most amazing, fresh, local and organic Puerto Rican food I have ever had. Word to the wise: if you can't decide between tostones or maduros, order one of each!

When you can't get into Chez Panisse in Berkeley, simply walk across the street to The Cheeseboard Collective and have yourself a slice of the best pity pizza life has to offer. Daily by-the-slice pie and salad. Artisan drinks and local wines to go.

You may think we ate from sun up to sun down. We did. But we also explored the far corners of Sonoma, Napa and Marin Counties. Why we never did this when we lived there beats me. Better late than never.

We continue to wonder why we ever left. Not to worry. We will figure out a way to return.

arame and pinquito bean soup w/ millet

2010-11-30T20:37:00.000-08:00

I have a bit of a soup fetish. If you haven't noticed.

Soup is how I stretch my dollar at the end of the month. It is so versatile. Think everything but the kitchen sink. And it can easily be nutrient dense if you add the right ingredients. Complete protein even.

This recipe is truly everything but the kitchen sink. I had almost a cup of beans [mostly pinquito, but a few red and one or two black beans as well]. I had some arame I have been meaning to crack open. Some cooked millet from last night's coconut pumpkin curry. Three leeks and half of a bulb of fennel. That's all it takes. Truly.

So nutritious. Dried beans from the farmers market, soaked overnight to rid them of phytic acid, which would otherwise hinder you from absorbing their high mineral content. Gluten free and high in manganese, tryptophan, magnesium and phosphorus, millet adds whole grain nutrition and makes this dish a complete protein.* Arame, a wild seaweed, adds calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium and vitamin A.

Random? Yes. A winner? Definitely. Will I be making this one again? Heck yeah!

arame and pinquito bean soup w/ millet

serves 4-6

about 1 cup dried beans, soaked overnight

1 cup cooked millet

1/2 cup lightly packed arame, soaked in cool water 5 mins and drained

1/2 fennel bulb, finely chopped

3 leeks, white parts removed and finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2-3 carrots, thinly sliced at an angle

3 bay leaves

1 generous pinch herbs de provence

4 garlic cloves, crushed and coarsely chopped

2-3 tsp celtic sea salt

olive oil

8-9 cups water

Drain and rinse your soaked beans. Rest in a colander.
In a large, heavy pot, heat a bit of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and leeks and saute until translucent. Add garlic and fennel. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add carrots, beans, bay leaves, herbs, and sea salt. Stir to combine and until fragrant.
Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 35-45 minutes or until beans are tender. Add arame and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes. Stir in millet and remove from heat.

*When you combine 2 of the following, you are providing your body with enough of all nine essential amino acids, and therefore, a complete protein. A complete protein is equivalent to that which you obtain from animal protein and is necessary for many body functions including the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs.

legumes
whole grains
nuts and seeds

skillet cornbread

2010-11-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

An easy go-to cornbread recipe that pairs perfectly with my corn chowder or three bean beef chili.

Slap some raw butter or honey on a slice and serve alongside your favorite soup or stew. Or better yet, crumble it on top.

skillet cornbread

serves 6-8

1 cup coarse ground cornmeal (polenta)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour

1/2 tsp celtic mineral sea salt
1 tbsp baking powder

1 egg

1 cup water
1/3 cup melted real butter, ghee [clarified butter] or coconut oil

2 tbsp bacon fat, ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cast iron skillet with 2 tbsp fat in oven.

Mix dry ingredients.

Mix wet ingredients.

Combine. Pour into cast iron skillet - stir fat into batter if needed so it does not pool in one spot.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set.

Remove from oven and cast iron skillet promptly.

Serve hot with raw butter, ghee, and/or raw honey as you please.

three bean beef chili

2010-11-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to make chili for awhile now. It's the perfect compliment to a good football game. Especially when the Steelers are playing. And dangit they just lost. To the Patriots. C'mon now guys.

Good thing I am not ashamed to say that I am a fair weather fan [I'm from Pittsburgh, so it's okay]. I don't pay much attention until play-offs, which means that I have a few weeks yet until I start making bets and talking up a team I know mostly nothing about. Could have fooled a lot of people - hope they aren't reading this.

So chili. Yes. Rich, bold, decadent chili. What makes any soup worth eating are the ingredients. Hands down. You just try to tell me that a chili made with grass-fed ground beef and locally harvested and dried heirloom beans is as good as the stuff with grocery variety chuck and canned legumes. It ain't.

Right now is the perfect time to try your hand. Beans are abound at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market and Rancho San Julian just replenished their supply of grass-fed ground beef [look for the green label].

For this recipe, I picked up some black beans from Roots, small pinquitos from Tom Shepherd, and threw in some red beans I had at home from last season. Honestly, any black, white and pink beans would do, but don't hesitate to ask your farmer which would be best. There are so many different varieties out there. If you're buying canned beans, pick black, white navy and kidney. But think twice. Or thrice if necessary.

The shredded Spring Hill raw milk cheddar adds a nice touch, but you could also pair this hearty chili with skillet cornbread if you so desire.

Whatever you do, enjoy it. Savor it. And share. Food is only truly enjoyed when shared with others.

three bean beef chili

serves 8-10

2 lbs ground beef

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

5 large cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup chili powder

1/3 cup ground cumin

1/4 cup paprika

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder

3 lbs tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 cup dry or 2 cups cooked black beans

1 cup dry or 2 cups cooked white beans

1 cup dry or 2 cups cooked pink beans

2-3 cups water

1 large bell pepper, finely chopped

2 tbsp ghee [clarified butter] or olive oil

5 tsp celtic sea salt

In a large, heavy pot [I used my 7-quart cast iron Le Crueset], heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant.
Add ground beef and break up with a slotted spoon. Saute until meat is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add spices and stir for a minute or two.
If using uncooked beans, add now with tomatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook covered for 45 minutes.
If using cooked beans, add now with bell pepper and season with sea salt to taste. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Chili should be very rich - if not, add a bit more of each type of spice.
Serve topped with shredded raw milk cheddar or real sour cream.

cultured vegetables

2010-11-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

Here I am. Last day of the fast. Ready to break. Literally.

It's not easy fasting for three days given the role food plays in my life. It was hard enough avoiding the kitchen in which I spend a minimum of two hours per day. Sitting down on the couch was hard too since my coffee table is covered with the latest issues of Edible Santa Barbara, Jamie magazine, and Saveur. I couldn't even look at my blog. It was challenging to say the least.

But alas, the fast is over.

Bring on the food. Cultured food, that is.

Last Saturday, before I began my cleanse, I decided to break out my cultured vegetable recipe so that I would have extra nourishment via friendly flora post-fast. I learned how to make cultured vegetables from Carly Balsz of Healing Movement at a Body Ecology workshop a few years back. I remember thinking how easy it seemed, considering that you could make enough cultured veg to last you six months in only two short hours. I had to try it myself. I did. And I am.

Cultured or lacto-fermented vegetables provide the body's inner eco-system with beneficial, friendly bacteria that promote a healthy digestive tract and a strong immune system. When eaten alone or with your favorite cooked foods, these raw, fermented vegetables offer a power-house of nutrition while easing digestion.

Traditional diets the world over rely on cultured foods as a staple. These foods existed for many reasons: to preserve items not available year round, to keep people healthy, and to aid digestion. The Japanese have miso; the Koreans kimchi; Indians enjoy raita and lassi; Germans make sauerkraut; the Polynesians fermented poi; the Italians salami and proscuitto; the list is endless.

Think of cultured vegetables as glorified sauerkraut. Besides, this is how sauerkraut was made back in the day, before we could buy it on the shelf of our local grocery. Like my gram used to make.

Shredded. A bit tangy. The perfect condiment to any meal; with your breakfast omelet, alongside burgers and roasted potatoes, mixed in with sauteed quinoa with vegetables, or sprinkled atop your favorite bowl of chili. I enjoy mine sprinkled lightly with celtic sea salt before a meal or when I have a sugar craving.

If you don't have the time to make this recipe, try these from your local natural foods grocery. They are expensive and do not taste nearly as good as homemade, but they'll do the body just as good.

If you do embark on this recipe, please use only organic vegetables. It is extremely important that you use the highest quality, untouched ingredients.

cultured vegetables #1

makes 6 pints

1 head organic green cabbage or 1/2 red and 1/2 green
3-4 large organic carrots
4 small organic cucumbers, peeled

1 bunch organic cilantro
1 head organic celery
spring water
1 packet veggie culture starter

Set out 6 clean pint-size mason jars. Make sure you have new lids for each.
Using your food processor, attach the grate blade and shred the cabbage, carrots and cucumber. Transfer to a large bowl. Finely chop the cilantro and mix all ingredients until well combined.
Using the standard blade in your food processor, blend the celery with just enough water until you have a well blended slushy. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the culture starter.
Pour the celery slush over the shredded vegetables and mix well until all have been drenched in the slush.
A few scoops at a time, tightly pack each jar with the vegetables using the back of a spoon, food masher, or smaller mason jar to press out as many air bubbles as possible. Leave 2 inches at the top of each jar.
Seal each jar with medium tightness and allow jars to ferment at room temperature for 7 days. You can leave them out for up to ten days, but they will continue to ferment and increase in sourness. If it is especially cold in your house at night, wrap the jars in a large towel or blanket to assist the fermentation process.
When you first open each jar, there may be a bit of mold on the very top. This is normal - just scrape off the top layer.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

cultured vegetables #2

makes 6 pints

1/2 head organic red cabbage
1 large organic fennel bulb
1 large organic celery root
2 large organic chioga beets
1 bunch organic dill
1 head organic celery
spring water
1 packet veggie culture starter

Set out 6 clean pint-size mason jars. Make sure you have new lids for each.
Using your food processor, attach the grate blade and shred the cabbage, fennel, celery root and beets. Transfer to a large bowl. Finely chop the dill and mix all ingredients until well combined.
Using the standard blade in your food processor, blend the celery with just enough water until you have a well blended slushy. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the culture starter.
Pour the celery slush over the shredded vegetables and mix well until all have been drenched in the slush.
A few scoops at a time, tightly pack each jar with the vegetables using the back of a spoon, food masher, or smaller mason jar to press out as many air bubbles as possible. Leave 2 inches at the top of each jar.
Seal each jar with medium tightness and allow jars to ferment at room temperature for 7 days. You can leave them out for up to ten days, but they will continue to ferment and increase in sourness. If it is especially cold in your house at night, wrap the jars in a large towel or blanket to assist the fermentation process.
When you first open each jar, there may be a bit of mold on the very top. This is normal - just scrape off the top layer.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

chopped salad w/ fennel, strawberries and fresh dill

2010-11-07T15:57:00.000-08:00

I'll admit, I wasn't feeling like myself on Friday. Not fluish, but not well either. Tired. Exhausted even. Fatigued. My body was sending me a message, loud and clear, and I needed to listen.

Most of you who know me know that I eat the way I do not just because I love high-quality, real, organic, local food, but because I care about my health. I not only want to feel healthy and strong today, but also tomorrow, and for years to come. So I listen to my body. When it's had a lot of stress [emotional, physical or mental], too many greasy or high-carb foods, too little exercise or not enough sleep, it gives me a little nudge and says "Hey, give me a break!." And so I do. Literally.

How do I give my body a break? I cleanse.

Today is day one. Morning liver flush and cleansing tea. All raw fruits and vegetables. Stretching. Deep breathing. My mind is clear. My body is light. My liver and gall bladder have checked in and are already out by the pool. This is Katie's body on vacation.

Day one is the hardest. Did I mention I had pot roast for dinner last night? Hard to go from pot roast to salad. But day two is glorious. And it's all down hill [in a good way] from there. My body knows the drill; it has been let off the hook to relax and regain its balance; its oomph.

When I am on this cleanse, I always make sure to stock up on tons of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market. It is so much easier to stay committed when you are prepared. This salad came out of a creative moment when I wondered how strawberries would taste paired with dill. Quite nicely actually. I added sprouts for a punch of nutrition and just a bit of orange to the dressing to sweeten it up.

If you are thinking of doing a cleanse, I would definitely recommend doing so before Thanksgiving and the Holidays. You will feel better, more energized and ready to take on the laundry list of things that tend to come up this time of year. This one I do 3-4 times per year and it works, for me. Give it a go, but baby steps are best when embarking on a cleanse for the first time. Drop me a line if you have questions or would like to share your cleanse stories with me.

chopped salad w/ fennel, strawberries and fresh dill

serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side

1 small head raddhichio, chopped

1 small head butter leaf lettuce, chopped

1 small or 1/2 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1.5 cups strawberries, quartered

couple sprigs fresh dill, coarsely chopped

small bunch of sprouts [optional]

1/2 orange, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

2 tbsp extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil

celtic sea salt

Toss lettuces, fennel, strawberries, dill, and sprouts in a large bowl. Dress with juices and olive oil. Toss to combine. Season with sea salt.

almond butter cup ice cream

2010-11-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

ohhh yeah is right.

Confession. My favorite kind of bad-for-me, guilt-laden, hope-no-one-sees-me-at-the-ice-cream-shop flavor is... peanut butter cup. You know it. The kind with the peanut butter cup in every bite. A little bit of chocolate. A little bit of peanut butter. Or whatever that stuff is. The ice cream takes on a orangey brownish tint from the peanut butter stuff. Yah, that's my favorite.

Or it used to be anyway.

Until I rediscovered my ice cream maker. I bought one long ago to experiment with coconut and almond milk-based ice creams since the quality ones in the store are expensive. I tried a few recipes - and sadly, it is worth every penny that Tomberlie's and Coconut Bliss charge. So the ice cream maker sat on the shelf, lonely, save for a sorbet fling here and there.

And then came along the new and improved raw-milk-digesting Katie (that's me) and hello ice cream maker. You won't see me at the ice cream parlor or the frozen food section of Lazy Acres anymore. Oh no you will not!

This is hands down the best flippin' nut butter cup ice cream ever. And not just because I am eating it as I type.

The way I see it, you have two choices. Stare at this picture for a few minutes and imagine how flippin' good it is. Or make it yourself. Hopefully you have an ice cream maker. If not, good luck with your bag full of ice.

For lack of time, I made impromptu almond butter balls dipped in melted dark chocolate, but you could also make a bunch of my almond butter cups instead.

Raw milk and cream not only make this ice cream easier to digest, but also so much more creamy and rich. Milk straight from the udder - the way grandma and grandpa used to do. If you can't get raw milk where you live, high quality [organic] whole milk will do.

Don't forget to share.

almond butter cup ice cream

serves 4-6

2 cups raw organic cream

1 cup raw organic whole milk

3/4 cup coconut [palm] sugar or raw sugar cane

1 tsp real vanilla

1 tsp celtic sea salt

3 eggs

2 bars 80% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup raw organic almond butter

If you do not already store your almond butter in the fridge, chill enough for this recipe a few hours in advance of making this recipe. Or put in the freezer until it firms up.
In a medium sauce pan, heat the cream and milk over low heat. Whisk in the sugar and continue to stir until combined. Add the vanilla, sea salt and eggs. Whisk until eggs are completely incorporated. Remove from heat.
Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and chill for 3-6 hours or overnight.
Turn on your ice cream maker and pour in, following the manufacturer's directions.
While the ice cream is churning, melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Make sure it doesn't get too hot. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Roll the almond butter into small 1/2" balls. Dip them quickly in the chocolate, covering on all sides and place on a plate. When you have made all of the balls, place the plate in the freezer until the ice cream is ready. There will be leftover chocolate.
When the ice cream is ready, pour in the leftover melted chocolate and allow this to churn into the finished product. Turn off the ice cream maker and transfer the ice cream to a large food storage container. Mix in the peanut butter balls, seal and place in the freezer for thirty to sixty minutes or until ice cream is desired consistency.

autumn vegetable stew

2010-10-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

Mike is always saying that we should make more soup. I agree. But honestly, when I am hungry, soup is not what I think of. I think of something with more girth, more substance. But I forget. Soup can be hearty and bold. Less broth, more "meat". This recipe helped me remember that.

Good timing too. Because it is that time of year. The weather is changing and people are sick. Sniffly, throaty, coughy, tired. Sick sick sick. Ick. My prevention? Food.

Nutrient rich broth, or soup, is a great way to hydrate and provide your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy. Your body is at war in a battlefield of sicklies. Give it some ammo.

Making vegetable soup is easy. Start with some good quality olive oil or clarified butter [ghee] in a deep, heavy stock pot. Saute some onion, shallot and/or leek. Add other vegetables that are in season, such as carrots, celery, fennel, potato, squash, corn, or peppers. If you have some fresh beans that have been soaked or pre-cooked ones from a can, add those in too. Saute a bit and add sea salt and fresh or dry herbs. Cover with water and simmer for about an hour. Add in your leafy greens, such as kale, chard, broccoli rabe, mustard greens, or spinach. Stir into the soup, turn off the heat and cover for 5 minutes.

It's that simple. No lyin'. Now you try.

autumn vegetable soup

serves 4 for dinner

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or clarified butter [ghee]

1 large onion, finely chopped

4-6 leeks, white parts finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 large carrots, thinly sliced

1 medium fennel bulb, sliced and coarsely chopped

3 medium waxy potatoes, cut into 1" cubes

1 large bunch kale, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp herbs de provence or mix of dried herbs

2 tsp celtic sea salt

8 cups water

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and leeks and saute for 5-10 minutes or until translucent.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more.
Add the carrots, fennel, and potato and stir to combine.
Season with herbs and sea salt. Add water and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
Add the kale and stir to combine. Turn off the heat, recover and let set for 5 minutes before serving. Taste and season with more sea salt if needed.

roasted pumpkin, apple and fennel salad

2010-10-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

I wasn't lying when I said there would be a lot of pumpkin recipes. This is what happens when you think that a fairly small pumpkin will be perfect for a batch of cookies, a couple of bowls of curry, a pumpkin pie, or a dinner salad for two. Try all four recipes. All four. So here we go. Recipe number tres.

Sure the picture isn't my prettiest, but this salad was phenomenal. Crisp apples, crunchy almonds, sweet pumpkin and bitter radicchio. And it was perfectly filling for two hungry peoples who had just put in a full day. Easy to prepare and completely satisfying.

Can I talk this recipe up any more? Probably, but I won't bother. Try it for yourself.

Feeling like a broken record, I will repeat that I used a Winter Luxury pumpkin from Yankee Farms and it was a perfect match. However, any good quality baking or cooking pumpkin would do the trick. Heck, if you have something against pumpkin [you've probably stopped reading my blog by now if you do], I am sure butternut squash would also be fabulous.

roasted pumpkin, apple and fennel salad

serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

1.5 cup 1”-cubed fresh pumpkin

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large fennel bulb, chopped

1 green apple, thinly sliced into half moons

1/3 cup raw almonds

1 small head radicchio

1 medium head romaine or butter lettuce

3 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

1 pinch herbs de provence (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toss cubed pumpkin with olive oil and spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Spread the almonds out on another baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
Roughly chop the lettuces and place in a large bowl. Add the roasted pumpkin, fennel, apple, and almonds. Toss to combine.
Mix the vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and herbs (optional) and toss into the salad.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

2010-10-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

Usually I don't like to stray from the traditional chocolate chip cookie. I also usually make my cookies thin and crispy as I am not a huge fan of of the thick and moist.

But this is different.

There is just something about a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie that sways me to throw out all the rules. The pureed pumpkin makes these bad boys moist and fluffy. The melted dark chocolate chunks somehow perfectly pair with the savory pumpkin. If you decide to try them, you'll be hooked. All season long.

As with my pumpkin curry, I used a Winter Luxury from Yankee Farms. But any baking or cooking variety would do. The Santa Barbara Farmers Market is overflowing with many different varieties. Ask your farmer which of the varieties that they grow would be best.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp celtic mineral salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of ground ginger

1/2 cup butter or ghee [clarified butter], room temperature

1 cup brown sugar or coconut [palm] sugar

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 egg

1.5 cups chopped pumpkin or 15 oz can of pure, unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 bars extra dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

If you are using raw pumpkin, place chopped pieces in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until pumpkin is easily pierced with a knife. Drain and cool completely.
In a medium size bowl, mix the flours, sea salt, baking soda, and spices.
In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar until completely combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all ingredients.
Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the chopped or pureed pumpkin and repeat until well combined.
Add the chopped chocolate and stir in by hand. Put the dough in the fridge to chill.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Once the oven is preheated, prepare a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and place 1/3 cup balls 2 inches apart. You should be able to fit 4-6 cookies per sheet.
Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the cookies slightly give when you touch their tops. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack or cool counter top.
Makes 12-15 cookies.

thai coconut pumpkin curry

2010-10-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sure I love pumpkin pie, but there are dozens of other recipes just waiting to get their hands on the creamy, savory flesh of that pumpkin sitting on my stoop. Or should I say that was sitting on my stoop?

Either way, pie is just the beginning. The beginning of an endless list of pumpkin possibilities. Soup, stuffing, curry, cookies, salad, bread pudding. Don't be surprised if you see more than a few pumpkin recipes over the next few days. If you didn't know already, one medium-size pumpkin is more than enough for three or four recipes.

Word of advice: pace yourself. Or you'll have pumpkin coming out of your ears. For real.

I chose Winter Luxury for the recipe below, but other cooking and/or baking varieties would also do the trick: Cinderella, Sugar Pie, Red Kuri, Carnival, and Sweet Meat to name a few.

If you stop by the Santa Barbara Farmers Market, check-in with Yankee Farms for an heirloom Winter Luxury that has been grown from seeds passed down from the late 1800's.

thai coconut pumpkin curry

serves 4

2.5 cups 1”-cubed fresh pumpkin

1.5 cups or 1 can cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp curry powder

2 tbsp lemon zest

6 cardamom pods

1.5 cups or 1 can whole coconut milk

1/2 cup water

celtic sea salt

olive oil or ghee

a handful of fresh mint, coarsely chopped or torn

In a deep heavy skillet or pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent.
Add curry powder and stir until fragrant. Add lemon zest, cardamom pods and chickpeas. Stir. Add pumpkin and stir once more.
Pour in coconut milk and water/stock. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat if necessary to keep curry cooking at a low simmer. Keep covered and cook for 15-20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
Uncover, taste, and season with sea salt as needed.
Remove from heat and let set for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Garnish with fresh mint and serve alone, with naan or over brown rice. Pairs nicely with a side of braised kale, broccoli rabe, or other dark leafy green.

kale saute w/ candy onions and cherry tomatoes

2010-10-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

Some of you local Santa Barbarans out there may have had the pleasure of attending the recent Sol Food Festival, a first annual event to celebrate sustainable, organic and local foods. Those of you who didn't, missed out.

The event was phenomenal. Farmers, CSAs, businesses, restaurants, breweries, bakeries, wineries, chefs, educational organizations, non-profits, and even animals converged at Playa de Vera Cruz park in downtown Santa Barbara to provide a hub for everything SOL.

Conveniently located across from the SB Farmers Market, I hopped over with my Mom after we did our weekly shopping. And then again with my friend Maria for lunch. I left for about an hour and returned yet again with Mike later that afternoon. I guess you could say I was there all day. Hope you are not surprised.

Sol Food Festival encompasses everything that I love about living in Santa Barbara. Being at the festival was like being at a party with all of my closest friends. Elizabeth from Rancho San Julian Beef, who works her tail off so that I can enjoy the highest quality, healthiest and most ecologically sound hamburgers, steaks, pot roasts, and shanks. Nancy and Hannah from Simply Pies, who bake the most amazing organic fruit pies [gluten-free too!]. Tom from Shepherd Farms CSA, providing fresh produce and farm education to our local schools. Jesse from Fairview Gardens and Orfalea Foundation's S'Cool Food Initiative, representing the farm to school movement. And Eric Stenberg, my surfin' chef friend from Out of the Box Collective, who competed [and won!] in the Iron Chef Competition.

Toward the end of the day, we headed to the beer garden and ran into a dozen or more friendly faces from our favorite farmers market stands. Sitting cross-legged in the grass, we shared stories, recipes and farmers market drama while sipping Carr wines and Telegraph and Hollister brews.

After such a fun day full of sol, I count down the days until next year's festival.

The recipe below is adapted from a dish that my friend Eric cooked up in the Iron Chef Competition at the Sol Food Festival. Why I never thought to put sweet heirloom tomatoes in my sauteed kale is a mystery to me. Thank you Eric!

kale saute w/ candy onions and cherry tomatoes

1 large bunch kale, chopped

1 medium candy or yellow onion, chopped

large handful cherry tomatoes, halved

olive oil or clarified butter

celtic sea salt

cold water

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until translucent.
Add kale, stir, and turn up the heat to high. Wait 20 seconds. Add 1/4 cup cold water and immediately cover to flash steam. Leave covered for 2 minutes.
Remove lid and stir until water evaporates.
Season with sea salt, stir, and remove from heat. Add tomatoes and toss while still hot.
Serve warm.
Serves 4 as a side.

roasted tomatillo salsa

2010-10-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

A perfect topping for my pot roast tacos, this easy homemade tomatillo salsa will blow your mind. You will never buy the store-bought stuff again. Sometimes you have to make something like this yourself to be reminded of how easy and inexpensive it can be to whip up items we usually buy for convenience, especially if the ingredients are in season.

Tomatillos will be around for awhile, so pick yourself up some at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market [or your own local one] and make yourself some salsa - or try my friend Aaron's pork chile verde that I indulged in last year - you won't be disappointed.

roasted tomatillo salsa

1 pint green or purple tomatillos

1 small red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, peeled

juice of 1 lemon

1 bunch cilantro

celtic sea salt

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and wash tomatillos. Spread tomatillos and garlic evenly across parchment paper. Place under the broiler for 6-8 minutes or until the tomatillos turn golden and start to spit or pop. Remove from oven promptly and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
In a food processor, process tomatillos, garlic, onion and cilantro until roughly pureed. Pulse if needed to achieve a chunky consistency.
Season with sea salt as needed.
Makes 1+ pint.

pot roast tacos

2010-10-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Although we are still enjoying seventy-five degree days and endless sunshine, one can definitely feel fall in the air. Nights are more crisp and when windows are left open, I find it harder to get out of my warm nest of a bed in the morning.

My kitchen is feeling just as fickle. All of the squash, root veg and pumpkins are calling my name through the cool air of the morning farmers market, but when I get home and feel how warm the day has become, I can't help but crave something light for dinner.

Pot roast tacos. A prime example of my kitchen in limbo. As I look forward to indulging in my favorite comfort foods over the next few months, I still long to hold onto the light and refreshing foods of summer. And so it is.

I put a little Mexican twist on my standard braised pot roast recipe and Mike and I were both quite pleasantly surprised with the outcome: tender, spicy meat with cool crisp cabbage, roasted tomatillo salsa and guacamole. Two of these tacos are more than enough to satiate any appetite. Just be careful not to dribble sauce down your chin - or if you must, have a napkin handy.

I love Food for Life's organic sprouted whole kernel flourless corn tortillas [wow, that's a mouthful]. They are whole grain, gluten free, and super easy to digest. And they are yum - full of flavor and a perfect match for any taco filling. If you haven't tried them yet, I suggest you give them a shot.

As always, my beef is raised at Rancho San Julian, and it is the best beef you will ever taste - grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic free, local and reared with love.

pot roast tacos

2-3 lb chuck roast

1 tbsp clarified butter or high heat oil

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moons

5 large garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped

3 cups tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 cinnamon stick

celtic sea salt

corn tortillas

optional toppings

guacamole

crumbled cotija cheese

roasted tomatillo salsa

shredded cabbage

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Season the chuck roast liberally with sea salt. Sear the chuck roast for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and spices and stir until fragrant. Add tomatoes and stir to combine.
Add chuck roast back to pot and cover with tomatoes, onions and spices. Cover and roast in the oven for 2 to 3 hours or until meat becomes fall apart tender.
The tomatoes I used were very juicy, but if the sauce seems really thick, add 1/2 to 1 cup water during the last hour of cooking.
Remove pot from oven, shred roast and mix well with sauce. Season with more sea salt if needed.
Lay out a corn tortilla, top with a bit of meat, sauce and whatever else you like.
Makes 10-12 tacos.

mamma agata's eggplant parmigiana

2010-10-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Mamma Agata's eggplant parmigiana is a dish that my mom learned how to make from Mamma Agata herself in Ravello, Italy. It is a recipe that takes a full day to make, but is worth every bite. Mom served this unforgettable experience at the Eat. Pray. Love. Party that we hosted a short time ago.

And yes, this dish is twice as good the following day.

For more Eat. Pray. Love. recipes, read about our day-long foodie adventure through Bali, India, and Italy.

mamma agata's eggplant parmigiana

6 small Japanese eggplant

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced*

20 fresh basil leaves

1.5 cups Parmigiana Reggiano, grated

1/2 lb smoked provolone, thinly sliced

1 quart high heat frying oil such as safflower oil

1 cup Mamma Agata's tomato sauce [recipe below]

celtic sea salt

"00" flour [double zero flour]

Prepare Mamma Agata's tomato sauce and set aside. [recipe below]
Prepare the eggplant. Wash the eggplant and remove the top and bottom of each. Peel the eggplant lengthwise in strips, leaving some of the skin intact. Slice the eggplant lengthwise, but not too thin, as it will reduce in size once cooked.
Layer the slices of eggplant in a colander and sprinkle each layer with a pinch of salt. Let set for 15-20 minutes. This will allow the eggplant to release excess water and its bitter taste. Holding 3-4 slices at one time, gently squeeze from top to bottom to get out any excess water. Do not rinse.
Sprinkle a bit of flour onto a plate and individually dip each slice of eggplant into the flour. Do this quickly to ensure that the eggplant does not absorb too much flour.
Set out a few paper towels. Using a cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan, heat the oil over medium high heat to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry each slice of eggplant until it is lightly golden brown. Drain and transfer to paper towels to allow excess oil to be absorbed.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a shallow baking dish, generously layer the ingredients in the following order: tomato sauce, eggplant, Parmigiana Reggiano, fresh mozzarella, smoked provolone, fresh basil leaves. Repeat. Repeat a third time, but leave out the mozzarella and provolone so that the dish cooks evenly without burning. Top it off with the remaining tomato sauce.
Place a baking sheet or aluminum foil in the bottom of the oven. Bake the eggplant parmigiana for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, increase the temperature to 400 degrees and bake the parmigiana for another 10 minutes.
Turn off the oven and leave the parmigiana in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to set for at least 40 minutes before serving.
Serves 6.

*Buy the fresh mozzarella one or two days prior to making the eggplant parmigiana. Remove the mozzarella from its water and put in the fridge to dry out.

mamma agata's tomato sauce

1 quart vine ripened tomato puree

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

fresh basil

In a heavy sauce pan, heat the olive oil, garlic and basil over high heat.
Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Add the sauce to any tomato-based recipe.

For more information on Mamma Agata's famous cooking school on the Amalfi Coast, visit her website: www.mammaagata.com

maria's vegetable pakoras

2010-10-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

Pakoras are traditional Indian deep-fried fritters that can be enjoyed as a snack or as part of any larger Indian meal. They are especially delicious dipped in chutney or drizzled with raita. My good friend Maria created this savory recipe that was served at an Eat. Pray. Love. Party that my Mom and I hosted a short time ago.

For more Eat. Pray. Love. recipes, read about our day-long foodie adventure through Bali, India, and Italy.

maria's vegetable pakoras

2 packed cup spinach leaves

1 large onion, thinly sliced into half moons

2 medium sweet potatoes, thinly sliced into discs

2 small potatoes, diced

1 cup garbanzo bean flour

1 tsp celtic sea salt

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup water

coconut oil

Prepare the vegetables and place all in a large bowl.
Add spices and toss to coat vegetables. Add flour and repeat.
Add water, 1/4 cup at a time, and toss, until the water and the flour create a paste that coats the vegetables. You should be able to grab a small handful of vegetables and clump them together without them falling apart. You may need more water. You may need more flour. Add a bit of each until you have the right consistency.
In a large wok over medium high, heat enough coconut oil to deep fry the pakoras.
Lay out a few paper towels that you can transfer the pakoras onto when they are done frying. This will help soak up excess oil.
Clump a small handful of vegetables together and add it to the fryer. You may need to do a tester to see how long they will take and to ensure that you have the appropriate water/flour ratio. Once you have perfected the tester, repeat until there are 4-6 pakoras in the wok. Be careful not to overcrowd them. Fry for 5-7 minutes or until done. Transfer to paper towels and allow to set for about 1 minute.
Serve in a shallow bowl or on a large tray.
Makes 10-12 pakoras. Serves 5 for dinner, 8 for snacks.

chutneys: cilantro, tamarind and tomato-date

2010-10-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

Chutney is a traditional Indian pasty sauce that is served as an accompaniment to any main dish. My good friend and chef, Maria Diaz, made this amazing trio for the Eat. Pray. Love. Party that my Mom and I hosted a short time ago.

For more Eat. Pray. Love. recipes, read about our day-long foodie adventure through Bali, India, and Italy.

cilantro chutney

3 packed cups fresh cilantro leaves

1 packed cup fresh mint leaves

4-6 small Thai chiles

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 inch cube fresh ginger, roughly chopped

1 lime, juiced

water

celtic sea salt

Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add a bit of water if too thick. Salt to taste.
Makes 1+ pint.

Chef Maria's Tip: Add a few slices of green apple for a tart and mildly sweet chutney

tamarind chutney

2 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 tsp whole fennel seeds

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garam masala

4 cups water

2 cups brown sugar

6 tbsp tamarind paste

Toast whole cumin and fennel seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant. Set aside.
In a small pot, heat water over medium heat. Add tamarind paste, sugar and ground/whole spices. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes until mixture coats the back of a spoon.
Allow to cool completely before serving. Chutney will thicken as it cools.
Makes 1+ pint.

tomato-date chutney

1 lb dates, pitted and chopped

2 lbs tomatoes, peeled and diced

2 onions, chopped

3 in cube of ginger, finely chopped

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp celtic sea salt

3/4 cup white vinegar

Put all ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Makes 1+ pint.

dry cauliflower

2010-10-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Dry cauliflower, or sookhi gobi, is a traditional curried cauliflower dish from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. This simple yet flavorful dish can be served as an appetizer or to compliment various other Indian dishes to make a meal. We enjoyed these tender florets as part of an Eat. Pray. Love. Party that my Mom and I hosted a short time ago.

For more Eat. Pray. Love. recipes, read about our day-long foodie adventure through Bali, India, and Italy.

dry cauliflower

2 in cube ginger, peeled

6 tbsp coconut oil

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground tumeric

2 lb cauliflower, cut into 1 in florets

4 tbsp water

1.5 tsp celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp lemon juice

Cut the ginger crosswise into very thin slices. Stack the slices and cut into very thin strips. Cut the strips into a very small dice
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add the ginger and cumin. Stir for a few moments.
Add the cayenne, coriander and tumeric. Stir once and add the cauliflower florets, continuing to stir around and coat for 1 minute. Add the water and cover immediately.
Turn the heat to low and cook for 5-10 minutes until the cauliflower is just done. Stir once or twice during this period, adding 1 tbsp water if needed.
Remove the lid and allow excess water to evaporate. Sprinkle garam masala and lemon juice and stir to combine.
Serve hot or room temperature.
Serves 6 as a side, 8 for appetizers.

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's A Taste of India

cucumber mint raita

2010-09-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Cucumber mint raita, or kheere ka raita, is a traditional Indian yogurt dish that can be served with any Indian meal: over or alongside lamb koftas, stuffed okra, or drizzled on naan. We enjoyed this cooling condiment as part of an Eat. Pray. Love. Party that my Mom and I hosted a short time ago.

For more Eat. Pray. Love. recipes, read about our day-long foodie adventure through Bali, India, and Italy.

cucumber mint raita

1 pint plain yogurt

5 inches cucumber, peeled and coarsely grated

2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

Put the yogurt in a bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy.
Add other ingredients and mix to combine.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 1+ pint.

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking

stuffed okra

2010-09-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Stuffed okra, or bhari hui bhindi, is a traditional Indian dish from Delhi that can be served as an appetizer or part of a main course. We enjoyed these tender and spicy okra as part of an Eat. Pray. Love. Party that my Mom and I hosted a short time ago.

For more Eat. Pray. Love. recipes, read about our day-long foodie adventure through Bali, India, and Italy.

stuffed okra

3/4 lb fresh okra

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

1 small onion, finely sliced into half rings
6 tbsp coconut oil

Trim the okra by cutting off the bottom tip and the top cone.
In a bowl, mix together the coriander, cumin, cayenne and sea salt.
With a small knife, make a slit in each okra pod, leaving 1/4" on either side so that the slit does not go all the way through. Be careful not to puncture through the other side of the okra with the tip of the knife.
Stick a thumb into the slit to open the pod. With the other hand, grab a generous pinch of spice and stuff it into the pod. If some falls out, simply rub it on the outside of the pod.
Over a medium-high flame, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and saute until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Place the okra in the pan in a single layer and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes, gently turning the okra pods so that all sides are browned.
After 15 minutes have passed, add the lemon juice, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve hot or room temperature.
Serves 10 for appetizers, 6 as a side dish.

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's A Taste of India

lamb koftas [meatballs]

2010-09-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Lamb koftas, or chhote kofte, are traditional Indian meatballs, and can be served as an appetizer or part of a main course. We enjoyed these intensely flavorful bites of lamb as part of an Eat. Pray. Love. Party that my Mom and I hosted a short time ago.

For more Eat. Pray. Love. recipes, read about our day-long foodie adventure through Bali, India, and Italy.

lamb koftas

for the meatballs
1 lb ground lamb

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

3 tbsp plain yogurt

for the sauce

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1 in cube fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 tbsp + 10oz water

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

5 tbsp coconut oil

1 in cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods

6 cloves

1/2 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 cup tomatoes, peeled and diced

4 tbsp plain yogurt

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

Make the meatballs. Prepare a clean surface with parchment paper. Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and incorporate with hands. Form 30 1" round meat balls and set each on the parchment paper.
Make the sauce. Place ginger, garlic and 4 tbsp water in a food processor. Process into a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cumin, coriander, paprika and cayenne. Set aside.
In a large 9-10" wide pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Stir for 5 seconds. Add onion and saute until caramelized, about 5 minutes.
Turn the heat to medium and add paste and tomatoes. Stir for 1-2 minutes. One tbsp at a time, add the yogurt, incorporating each tbsp before adding the next. Once all of the yogurt has been incorporated, add the water, stir, and bring to a simmer.
Place the meatballs in the pan, spreading them out to make one layer. Cover with a lid, leaving it slightly ajar, and turn the heat to low. Cook for 25 minutes, gently stirring every 5 minutes or so. If the sauce begins to stick, add a tbsp of water.
When the 25 minutes are up, turn the heat to medium-high and brown the meatballs on all sides.
Transfer meatballs and sauce to a platter or wide bowl and serve immediately. If not serving immediately, reheat gently just before serving. These can also be kept warm for a party in a crockpot on the "warm" setting.
Makes 30 meatballs, serves 6 for appetizers, 4 for dinner.

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking

indian fried cashews

2010-09-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

Indian fried cashews, or tale buay caju, are a traditional Indian snack, best served before dinner with a cocktail. We enjoyed these morsels of goodness as part of an Eat. Pray. Love. Party that my Mom and I hosted a short time ago.

For more Eat. Pray. Love. recipes, read about our day-long foodie adventure through Bali, India, and Italy.

indian fried cashews

coconut oil for deep frying

8 oz raw cashew nuts

1/4 tsp celtic sea salt

freshly ground black pepper [optional]

Lay out 4 paper towels near the stove to set the nuts on once they are done frying.
Put 1" coconut oil in a wide stainless steel or ceramic frying pan. Make sure the frying pan is a few inches deep - or you can use a large pot.
When the oil is hot, add the cashews and arrange them in a single layer. Stir frequently until they begin to turn golden brown. Transfer to the paper towels.
Take a few extra paper towels and pat the nuts, removing as much of the oil as possible. Toss with sea salt and black pepper. Serve hot or room temperature.
Serves 4-6

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking

Eat. Pray. Love. Party

2010-09-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

My mother is a genius.

Granted, when she first shared her idea with me, I was a bit skeptical. How would we pull off three very different cuisines in one day? Wouldn't the flavors clash? Who would want to hang out all day just to eat? [I thought only we would do something so "absurd"] And who would want to stop in the middle to go see a movie?

Like I said, my mother is a genius.

Twenty guests arrived at 11:30am to embark on a culinary journey through Bali, India and Italy [rearranged for the sake of our tastebuds].

Bali. As each guest arrived, they were greeted with Balinese passion-fruit and mango cocktails. Fresh-juiced, locally grown passion-fruit and homemade coconut sugar simple syrup. A shot of vodka, a sprig of mint. Served over crushed coconut water ice. Lime spiked mango puree and sparkling wine.

India. Fried cashews dusted with sea salt. Sweet potato, onion, and spinach pakoras. Lamb koftas with tomato gravy. Spice stuffed okra w/ caramelized onion. Curried cauliflower. Cucumber and mint raita. Cilantro, tomato-date, and tamarind chutney. Garlic and cilantro naan. IPA.

At 1:30pm, we moseyed downtown to see the film. Those of us who had read the book agreed that the film was much better, especially since it left out Elizabeth Gilbert's obsessive self-ranting. However, we all felt that the movie was sub par [where was the food?!] given its cast of talented actors. Luckily, we had an Italian feast awaiting our return.

Italy. Antipasti of roasted garlic, prosciutto, salami, and grilled eggplant, asparagus, onions, peppers and zucchini. A selection of Italian cheeses. Ciabatta with olive oil. Baby green salad. Forever roasted tomato pasta topped with fresh goat cheese. Mamma Agata's eggplant parmigiana. Chianti.

And for dessert: homemade tiramisu and pistachio, mint chip, chocolate and cherry gelato.

By 7:30pm, it was getting dark. We had been celebrating food for eight hours straight. Our Eat. Pray. Love. Party was a success. So successful in fact, that we are already planning the next movie-based foodie experience. Will it be wine tasting [and eating] our way through Sideways? Or baking croissants and other French indulgences alongside Meryl Streep in It's Complicated? Guess you'll just have to stay tuned.

Recipes
To be posted over the next few days....
indian fried cashews
lamb koftas [meatballs]
stuffed okra
cucumber mint raita
dry cauliflower
chutneys: cilantro, tamarind and tomato-date
maria's vegetable pakoras
mamma agata's eggplant parmigiana

dry-rub beef ribs

2010-09-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

We don't cook much red meat at home. I would say maybe twice a month at most. It's not really something I crave and I still believe it's better to limit your body's exposure to something that is quite difficult to digest. Mike may very well disagree with me on that last thought, but he doesn't complain. Because when we do eat red meat, we eat it well.

Of all the cuts of beef to choose from, ribs are probably my least favorite. I have never cooked them at home and I cannot remember the last time I had beef ribs at a restaurant that didn't take a good gnawing at to get any meat worth eating off the bone [and a run to the restroom afterward to floss the strings of dry meat that always seem to get shoved in between your teeth]. Now this may very well be due to the lack of good quality beef ribs on the Central Coast [go figure], but that is my experience.

When we do have a hankering for bar-b-que, I always order brisket or pulled pork - or, if the ribs have a good reputation, I will try a few baby backs. But never beef.

Well, these beef ribs may just have changed my mind forever. At least in my own kitchen. Full of meat, low on fat and gristle, these ribs are so tender you barely need to chew. Of course, it's not just the recipe, but the source of the meat itself. Rancho San Julian beef has yet to let me down. Grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic free, their cattle is happy, well-fed and tasty. Find them at the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I am sure you will find that almost any grass-fed cattle in your area will provide the same result - if you don't have access to this Central Coast specialty.

The secret to this fall-of-the-bone, finger-lickin' good recipe is slowly cooking the meat at a low temperature. If you can get your hands on some meaty ribs, you will have enough to feed 6 people on one rack. I was amazed that one rib each was plenty.

Serve these succulent ribs with tomato and bread salad, sauteed greens, and corn on the cob. Or roast up some potatoes, squash and onions.

Whatever you do, don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. And lick those fingers clean.

dry-rub beef ribs

1 rack of 8-10 beef ribs

1/2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp celtic sea salt

1/2 tbsp onion powder

3/4 tbsp cayenne

1 tbsp herbs de provence or rosemary, thyme and oregano

1 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp coconut [palm] sugar or brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix together all of the spices and herbs.
Lay the ribs on a foil covered baking sheet. Rub the spice and herb mixture into the meat, being sure to completely cover all areas.
Bake for 2 to 2.5 hours or until meat is super tender and begins to fall off the bone. Allow to rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 4-6.

whole wheat chocolate chip cookies

2010-09-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

Don't know what it is, but baking cookies reminds me of childhood summers spent at gram and pap's house in Pennsylvania. My gram is one of those cook-from-scratch people and half the reason I turned into the cook I am today. The other half I owe to my mother. Surprise, surprise.

When you are young, life is simple. Summers are simple. You wake up, get dressed, and get outside to play with your friends as early as you can. Tromping through wooded back yards. Running through the sprinklers in the driveway. Playing capture the flag with no mind as to which neighborhood yard you claimed as your territory. Riding bikes down to the Tastee Freeze after dinner for a hand dipped cone.

This was how my childhood summers were spent. Our biggest concern was how late we thought we could convince the adults to let us stay out so that we could catch lightning bugs and make glow-in-the-dark warrior paint for our after dark games of hide and seek.

For lunch, a bunch of us would gather on the back porch and gram would bring out a platter of homemade deli sandwiches and lemonade or chocolate milk. We'd eat and sit for awhile, playing bingo or planning our next adventure. If we were lucky, she would reappear with a plate of warm cookies that she just happened to whip together. Man were we spoiled.

Oftentimes we would help with the cookie making. My memories of this are vivid. No recipe, no box. Just flour, sugar, egg, and butter. A dash of salt, a splash of vanilla, and a bit of baking soda. And the chocolate - don't forget the chocolate.

This recipe, although not THE recipe, plays tribute to fond memories of summer's passed. I hope you rekindle some of your own memories as you lick the beaters - and the bowl.

whole wheat chocolate chip cookies

3 cups whole wheat flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp celtic sea salt

1 cup cold, un-salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cups coconut [palm] sugar or 1 cup sugar and 1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp real vanilla extract

8 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 2 baking sheets by covering them with a sheet of parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
In another large bowl, beat the sugar and butter with a hand mixer until well blended. Use a spatula to scrape down anything left on the side of the bowl.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low until completely incorporated. Repeat with the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, incorporating each cup before adding the next. You may need to increase the speed as the dough thickens. In between cups, use a spatula to scrape down the sides to ensure that all ingredients are incorporated.
Add the chocolate and mix until evenly distributed.
Scoop golf ball size mounds of dough onto the parchment paper, being careful to space them 2-3 inches apart. Six cookies should fit on one sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cookies give slightly when touched in the center. Careful not to overcook as they will continue to cook for a minute or so once removed from the oven.
Makes 12-16 cookies [depending on how much dough you eat].

variation: slap some vanilla or coffee ice cream [or both] in between two cookies for an indulgent ice cream cookie sandwich.

heirloom tomato salad

2010-09-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Every time I make this salad, I ask myself how something so simple can be so absolutely amazing. And stunning.

Sometimes I can't help but stare at my food. Just look at how vibrant each tomato wedge, each onion slice, each cucumber chunk screams out at you. Almost every color of the rainbow is represented. Gleaming, entertaining the eyes. No photoshop here [or there].

I can't help but feel guilty eating something so beautiful. But only for a moment or two.

Lately I have been enjoying a variety of heirloom tomatoes - Caltrans, Zebra, Black Brandywine, Lemon Boy, Cherokee - cut into wedges, tossed with red onion and cucumber, and drizzled with lemon-anchovy dressing. When I am feeling extra indulgent, I add a bit of fresh buffalo mozzarella or burrata on top.

Serve as a side, toss with spicy greens for a traditional salad, or add cheese and serve as an appetizer with crostini. You absolutely cannot go wrong with ripe tomatoes. They fail to disappoint.

heirloom tomato salad

2 lbs ripe heirloom tomatoes

1/2 small red onion

1 small cucumber

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

1 anchovy fillet [optional]

2 cloves garlic

Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Slice the red onion. Chop the cucumber. Toss together in a bowl.
In a small food processor, chop the anchovy fillet and the garlic until minced. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and process until smooth.
Drizzle dressing over salad and serve.
Serves 4 as a side salad.

pesto smothered vegetables

2010-09-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Labor Day Weekend is off to a fantastic start. The sun must know it's the last weekend of the year because it is out in force. It is one of those perfect Santa Barbara days - hot sun, cool breeze, clear blue skies.

What better time to fire up the grill. Or oven.

Grilled or roasted, these pesto smothered vegetables will blow your taste buds away. And don't let summer steal all the flavor. Use what's in season: summer squash, bell pepper, leek, fennel, and onion pair just as nicely as winter squash, pumpkin, potato, artichoke, carrot, asparagus, and parsnip.

I felt like basil pesto today, but kale pesto would be a nice touch in the cooler months.

The trick to this recipe is to smother the vegetables with the fresh pesto right when they come off the grill or out of the oven. This will tale the edge off the uncooked pesto without sacrificing raw nutrition. Especially true if you are using kale - what better way to slip in calcium and essential vitamins K, B2, B6, E, Niacin, and Folic Acid.

Serve these veggies alongside grilled fish, meat, or poultry, or over quinoa for a balanced main course.

pesto smothered vegetables

3lbs. seasonal vegetables

olive oil

1 large bunch of basil
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3-4 garlic cloves
sea salt

If you are grilling your vegetables, you may want to make the pesto ahead. Otherwise, it came be made while the vegetables are roasting. In a small food processor, chop garlic and pine nuts. Add olive oil and basil and process until well-blended. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
Slice the vegetables so that they are relatively the same size. This will ensure even cooking. If using denser vegetables, begin grilling or roasting those vegetables first and add the less dense vegetables later so that they are all ready at the same time.
Place vegetables in a large bowl and toss with olive oil to lightly coat.
Cook vegetables on the grill or roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
When the vegetables are done cooking, dollop the pesto over them while still hot. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main course.

cassoulet

2010-09-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

According to Wikipedia, a cassoulet is defined as a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole containing meat, pork skin and white haricot beans. The reason I thought to call this recipe a cassoulet is not because I am an expert on french cuisine. Or fancy names for food. My Mom actually used the word, in reference to our favorite summertime go to dish. Ah, I thought. So that's what it's called.

Not exactly. Our cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew containing meat. But no pork skin (unless pork sausage casing counts). And the beans aren't always white haricots. Close enough I suppose.

This recipe combines one of our favorite summer fruits, the heirloom tomato, with whatever fresh or semi-dried beans we can find at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market. Sometimes we add meat, like I did here, but not always.

When I do add meat, it is most often of the pork variety: sweet Italian sausage with fennel and caraway or ground pork, both from Jimenez Family Farms' happy and healthy pigs. Hormone and antibiotic free. Well fed. No preservatives.

Sometimes I serve it solo with a simple salad and toasted country bread from D'Angelo Bread. Drizzled with olive oil and celtic mineral sea salt. Other times, I mix it in with pasta or serve it over polenta. The decision is mine.

And now it is yours.

cassoulet

1/2 lb. ground pork or pork sausage, casing removed [optional]
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound fresh or dry shelling beans
6-8 medium size heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped
5 sun-dried tomatoes, fresh or jarred, rinsed and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil or ghee
celtic mineral sea salt

If using dry shelling beans, soak in a large bowl of water overnight. Drain and rinse the next morning and continue to soak until ready to cook. Drain and rinse again before cooking.
Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil or ghee and onion. Saute for 5-10 minutes or until onion is translucent.
Add pork and saute, breaking it up as you stir. Cook only a few minutes, until meat is no longer pink.
Add fresh and sun-dried tomatoes and allow to cook down for a few minutes. Add beans and stir to incorporate. There should be enough juice from the tomatoes to cover the beans. If not, add a splash of white wine or water.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until beans are tender. Season with salt as needed.
Serve alone with a green salad and toasted artisan bread drizzled with olive oil. Or mix into your favorite pasta for a more substantial meal. Brown rice spirals, 100% buckwheat spaghetti, and pappardelle pair nicely.

garlic-herb crusted beef short ribs

2010-08-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

I feel like the school year is already in full swing and it's not even September yet. Yikes. I need a vacation.

Mike started school last week and has reverted back to being a math and science nerd, which = no more fun on weeknights. I have tried to see the bright side to his returning to school. More time to cook. More time to blog. More time to work on things I have been putting off, like updating my resume, catching up with friends I have lost touch with over the summer, and my personal favorite: revising my budget.

How many more weeks until winter break? Too many.

Thankfully he has off Labor Day Weekend, so we can have our last hurrah before I finally accept the inevitable: life. I admit, I wish I were still in school just so I could legitimize taking the summer off, getting a job serving lattes or scooping ice cream. Making enough to fund my daily adventures. No bills, no projects, no complication. Instead, I continue to live vicariously through the students I work with at the University, counting down the weeks until winter, and then spring, and finally summer break, when I can pretend that my job is not real and my weekends do not end. The only difference is that they go and I stay.

The consolation prize?

Paid national holidays. And a week at Christmas. Working for a school rocks.

And so I celebrate with short ribs. Not bad, eh?

These short ribs aren't just any old short ribs. They are fresh off the Rancho San Julian cow, grass and alfalfa fed. No hormones. No antibiotics. And these babies cook fast. So, if you use regular old beef short ribs [not that you would ever do such a thing], you may want to cook them a bit longer than I call for.

For the marinade, I used herbs de provence [my go-to herbs that I get from Tom Shepherd's Farm], but you can switch it up by mixing a few of your favorites instead. I'd also recommend serving these with a side of leafy greens flash-steamed and drizzled with a bit of olive oil or ghee and celtic mineral sea salt. If you have leftover marinade, toss it with some vegetables as I did.

Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy every bite of these garlicky-herbalicious crusted ribs.

garlic-herb crusted beef short ribs

2 beef short ribs

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 heaping tsp dry herbs de provence

1 tsp celtic mineral sea salt
2 medium potatoes, halved

4 shallots, peeled and separated

Place the ribs in a large ziplock bag. Mix the next four ingredients to make a marinade. Reserve 1 tbsp marinade and add the rest to the bag. Seal it and move the ribs around inside the bag to ensure they are completely covered. Let set at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place ribs on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
While the ribs bake, place the vegetables in a small ziplock bag with the remaining marinade and seal. Make sure the vegetables are completely covered in marinade.
After 30 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and arrange the vegetables around the ribs. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place sheet back in the oven for 30 more minutes.
Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 2.

baked salmon parchment pouches

2010-08-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Normally I would grill salmon during the summer, but those of you in Santa Barbara, or anywhere along the California coast, would know that we have had more than our fair share of summer fog. I am amazed how chilly it has been this year. You know it's bad when you forget that it's summer because you have been wearing clothes that are usually tucked away until at least January.

Brrr.

So, if you are feeling a little chilly and don't feel like bravin' it out by the grill any night over the next few months, try baking your salmon in these nifty homemade parchment pouches. This recipe is easy to throw together in under thirty minutes and is attractive enough to present to guests [so that they think you spent all day preparing it].

I used cavolo nero black leaf kale as a bed for the fish, but you could easily sub chard, spinach, or any braising green you find at your local market.

I mixed my butter with herbs de provence from Tom Shepherd's CSA, but you could also try caper butter, pesto butter, or your own unique creation.

The salmon and greens are a meal in themselves, chock full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin K and calcium, but I chose to serve them with a few roasted heirloom new potatoes. You could also serve the pouch contents over fluffed quinoa if you prefer.

However you decide to indulge, be careful not to overcook the fish. Don't be afraid to pull it out, check it and put it back in if it needs a few more minutes, but also don't shy from serving it slightly al dente. Overcooked fish is a tragedy I wish upon no one.

baked salmon parchment pouches

2-4 wild caught salmon fillets

1 large bunch greens, such as kale, chard or spinach

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1/2 cup real butter

2 tbsp herbs de provence

1/2 tsp celtic mineral sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix the butter with the herbs and sea salt. Set aside.
Cut a 12" long piece of parchment for each salmon fillet. Fold each in half and lay open on a flat work surface.
Prepare the pouches:

Lay a small bunch of greens in the middle of one side of each piece of parchment. Place 2-3 slices of lemon on each bed of greens, followed by a tbsp of butter.

Lay a salmon fillet on top of the butter, lemon and greens. Top the fish with one more tbsp of butter.

One at a time, fold the parchment paper over and fold on a diagonal, making small, overlapping pleats all the way around until you have a half moon shaped parchment pouch.

Place each pouch in a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the oven until pouches puff up, about 10-12 minutes.
Serves 2-4

grilled potato packets

2010-08-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

Looking for an easy easy, make ahead, no fuss side dish to throw on the grill? Look no further.

Even though it seems as it if just started, summer is quickly coming to an end. Time to take advantage of those last few weeks of perfect grilling weather. Although, I must admit, we grill year round here in Santa Barbara. Shine or shine. Okay, so it does rain a few days each year. Just don't grill on those days. Or wear a rain coat. Or don't. These potatoes are worth it.

Potato packets are a great addition to any bar-b-que spread. Impress your meat and potato lovin' friends with perfectly tender, garlicky and sweet spuds that pair perfectly with any grilled entree. And they are super easy to put together. Ahead of time even. Too good to be true? Heck no!

grilled potato packets

6 medium potatoes

1 large red onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

celtic mineral sea salt

Prepare the grill.
Slice potatoes thinly by hand or with a food processor using the slicing blade. The latter is super easy and quick. Set aside. Do the same with the red onion.
On a large sheet of foil, layer potato slices so that they slightly overlap, leaving a 2 inch border. Spread sliced onions over top. Sprinkl garlic evenly. Do the same with the olive oil. Season with sea salt as you like.
Cut a second sheet of foil of the same size, lay overtop of the potatoes and scrunch along the edges to seal the potatoes in a packet. Make sure it is well sealed so no oil leaks out while on the grill.
Grill over indirect heat for 15 minutes on each side. Leave in closed packed until ready to serve.

*If you do not have a grill, these potatoes can also be baked in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25-30 minutes.

wine country foodie weekend

2010-08-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

Not a single picture. I know. Hard to believe. But utterly true.

Excuse? I took the weekend off.

Don't get me wrong. I thought about it a few times. Even took the camera along. Planned with every intention to document each bite. I failed. Blissfully.

We had one goal this past weekend. To celebrate my birthday and our ten year anniversary. At home.

Even though we moved to Santa Barbara almost five years ago, Sonoma still feels like home. It's where Mike was born and raised. Where I spent my formative years. Ten years ago this month, we met as juniors, preparing to finish our last year of high school. A year that brings back many, many good memories.

We look around this town and not much has changed. Half the population still drives around in 50-70s era sports cars and pick-up trucks. Teenagers still congregate downtown on Friday nights at the same lone telephone booth to meet and discuss the evenings parties. You can't go to the grocery store, the bank, or the post office without running into at least five people you know. The major roads in and out of town are still one lane and there are more stop signs than stop lights. People still say hello to you when you pass them on the street. And you still can't get a bad meal.

What has changed? Nothing. Except for the addition of a few more out-of-this-world restaurants. Slow food in Slownoma.

Sounds great doesn't it?

From the time we left on Wednesday until the time we returned home on Saturday, we had incredibly amazing meals. One after another.

On our way out of town, we decided to stop in Buellton to try The Hitching Post's "special burger" that is only available Monday through Wednesday evenings - at the bar. It was the best burger either of us have ever EVER had. Homemade dutch crunch bun. Leftover cuts of steak ground into chuck. House cured bacon. Ripe avocado. Hand cut fries. The one thing that would make this burger perfect? Locally raised grass fed beef. I guess you can't have it all.

Or can you?

The next evening we celebrated my birthday at Central Market, which holds a special place in my heart. Owner/Chef Tony Najiola catered my 18th birthday at Ravenswood Winery and I have celebrated five more at his top notch Petaluma restaurant. His motto, slow food, good served, says it all. Heirloom tomato and fresh mozzarella salad with lemon anchovy dressing. Warm spicy lamb cabbage rolls. Red wine braised Black Angus short ribs with blue cheese potato gratin. Duck leg confit dredged in cornmeal and honey mustard, served with baby fingerling potatoes and red cabbage. Chocolate torte. Butterscotch pot of cream. Hand selected wines I can't even remember.

On Friday afternoon, we checked out El Molino Central, a new Mexican street food cafe that opened a few months ago on Sonoma's west side. Taco trucks beware - this place is authentic. Rumor has it that they grind organic corn each morning for their homemade tamales and tortillas - and they use local produce in many of their dishes. As we stood in line, we had a great view of the kitchen: fresh made tortillas being stacked on the counter, baja style battered fish in the fryer, mole simmering on the burner. The fragrant scents wafting through this quaint establishment were enough to make you wish you could order the entire menu, just to be able to taste and savor each flavor, each scent. After much deliberation, we decided. Fish tacos. Chile rellenos stuffed with braised pork. Chicken mole tamale. Bottled Mexican coke. Housemade agua de jamaica.

We needed a little drive to digest our meal, so we headed to Santa Rosa, snaked through Petaluma, and looped back around past Sonoma in order to get to Napa. These places all used to seem so far away from each other, but we had visited all four in less than four hours. In Napa, we made a beeline for the Oxbow Public Market. Ferry Building, Napa style. Fatted Calf grassfed local beef jerky. Three Twins' roasted peach and peanut butter chocolate ice cream. Separately, of course. Kara's salted caramel mini cupcake. Not exactly a balanced meal. Ha.

That evening, we were still so full that we opted to walk downtown for a drink and a light bite. We headed straight for Maya, my all time favorite destination for margaritas. Served up, with salt, these puppies will make your mouth water. Mike enjoyed his downtown brown, but I still say he was missing out. Homemade tortilla chips and guacamole rounded out our "dinner" before we headed to The Girl + the Fig for dessert [you can't deny a woman her dessert - at least not this woman]. Ricotta cheesecake. Graham cracker crust, almond praline, raspberry coulis. I let Mike have a bite. Just one.

On our way out of town on Saturday morning, we hit up the golden gem we had been saving for last. Fremont Diner. As Sonomans, we had always known this spot as Babe's, reveled for its amazingly good burgers and shakes. Although we miss Babe's, we were pretty darn excited to check out the new digs. And o my. Buttermilk biscuits and gravy. Buttermilk brown sugar bacon biscuit. Smoked brisket and caramelized onion hash. Pulled pork sandwich with Big River BBQ sauce and pickled fennel. House ground cheesy grits. 2 crispy chocolate chip cookies. Good thing we had a long car ride ahead of us.

Or did we.

Due to a musical transaction pit stop in the city, we decided to grab some grub before leaving San Francisco. Turns out that we were in luck as Mike's musician contact happened to be a foodie too. And he knew just the place. Little Star Pizza. Mixed green salad. Chicago style deep dish pizza. 1/2 Little Star [spinach blended with ricotta and feta, mushrooms, onions and garlic]. 1/2 vegetarian [mushrooms, onions, black olives, red bells, garlic, roasted zucchini].

The next five hours were spent in a food coma, much of which I don't recall.

I love vacation.

tostada salad

2010-08-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the picture above, my tostada salad is more salad, less tostada. If you look close enough, you can spy the teeniest glimpse of a sprouted corn tortilla. I spy with my little eye...

I live for quick and easy dinners. I get home at six and sometimes I am just too hungry and too tired to spend my usual hour or two in the kitchen. And besides, who would make any of these recipes if they all took that long? I wouldn't.

As someone impressionable once said, KISS. Keep it simple [stupid].

Start with a tortilla. I prefer sprouted corn tortillas. They digest easy and taste amazing. Sprinkle a little cheese, some toppings. Put under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts and the tortilla toasts a bit. Top with chopped lettuce and fresh tomatoes. Avocado. Yum.

Now you try.

tortillas

shredded cheese

fresh corn

red onion

zucchini

zucchini blossoms

garlic

avocado/guacamole

salsa

bell peppers

black beans

chicken/fish/steak

sliced tomatoes

chopped lettuce

What I did.

Sprouted corn tortilla. Shredded Lily's chicken. Grated Spring Hill garlic jack cheese. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts.

Sauteed zucchini, zucchini blossoms, red onion, garlic, and corn. Fresh lettuce and tomatoes. All from the Santa Barbara Farmers Market.

grilled watermelon salad w/ cotija

2010-08-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

I give props to our friend Lacrissa for introducing me to this interesting take on watermelon salad. We don't get to see her and her husband John often enough, but when we do find the time to share dinner together, the menu is nothing less than outstanding. It's tough to find couples that are as into food as we are and we always enjoy discovering new culinary territory with these two.

This recipe is simply prepared, but it is essential to grill the watermelon. Gas or charcoal.

Begin by slicing the watermelon into one inch thick slabs. We made the mistake of making our pieces a bit too chunky and they cooked unevenly. Think thin, uniform. Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and toss on the grill. Flip once after two or three minutes.

The aroma will surprise your senses. Make your mouth water.

Remove from the grill, arrange on small plates, and drizzle once more with e.v.o.o. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper, torn basil leaves, and cotija cheese. Feta would double nicely.

Enjoy. Serves 4-6.

grilled watermelon salad w/ cotija

4-6 1" slabs seeded watermelon

extra virgin olive oil

generous bunch basil leaves, torn

cotija cheese

fresh ground black pepper

rhubarb walnut cake

2010-07-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

You know the weather has been odd when you can still find rhubarb at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market in mid-July. I think most would agree that June gloom has outstayed its welcome. But I can't say I am not enjoying a little extra time with my favorite [dessert] vegetable.

Rhubarb is a secret gem. Some may mistaken it for red celery, but don't be fooled. This stalk has one up on its look alike.

Showcase it in your favorite crumble, crisp, cake, muffin or bread recipe for a creamy, tart surprise. Or caramelize it on the stove top for a decadent topping for ice cream, pancakes, and the like.

rhubarb walnut cake

8-10 stalks rhubarb, tops/bottoms removed, sliced on a slant
1.25 cups walnuts

3/4 cup all-purpose [gluten free] flour

1/3 cup raw sugar cane or coconut [palm] sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup organic butter or ghee, cut into pieces

1 tsp [gluten free] vanilla

1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
In a food processor, chop the nuts into a fine meal.
Add the sugar and butter and process until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and repeat. Add the flour, baking powder and sea salt and repeat. Batter should be smooth.
In a prepared 9"x9" cake pan, glass or ceramic baking dish, spread rhubarb evenly. Pour batter over top and spread evenly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
Serve warm either alone or topped with your favorite vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.
Serves 6-8.

bitter greens w/ fig anchovy vinaigrette

2010-07-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

If you live in or near Los Angeles and have not yet tried Osteria Mozza, shame on you.

According to some [my parents], it is the closest to Italy that you will get without actually going. Since I didn't have enough vacation to go [shame on me], I figured Mozza was a darn good alternate.

And it was.

On my first and only visit [thus far], we enjoyed an amazing meal. Homemade La Brea breads [which could not have been related to the sub par variety found at your local grocery] were abruptly brought out to whet the appetite. And whet they did. This was some of the best bread I have ever had. I don't know why Nancy Silverton and her bakery would make anything less.

We had a fabulous meal that evening. Little did I know that the salad course would make the lasting impression.

Red endive, fennel and Parmigiano Reggiano with date anchovy dressing. It was incredible. Tangy sweet meets bitter salt.

I had to try to replicate it. And I did. Sort of.

Using what I had on hand, I tossed some chopped radicchio and baby arugula. In a food processor, I combined a few dried figs, an anchovy fillet, and a garlic clove. Added a little orange juice and olive oil to the mix. Same tangy sweet bitter salt. Shaved some grana padano over top and voila.

I call it fig anchovy vinaigrette. Darn close enough.

bitter greens w/ fig anchovy vinaigrette

1 large head radicchio

2 generous handfuls [baby] arugula

4 dried mission figs

1 white anchovy fillet

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

grana padano, thinly shaved

Toss the lettuces together in a large salad bowl.
In a food processor, chop the figs, anchovy and garlic until minced. Add olive oil and orange juice and repeat. Taste and adjust if needed.
Toss dressing into salad a little at a time (so as not to overdress).
Garnish with grana padano and serve.
Serves 4.

apricot chicken

2010-07-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

I told you I was obsessed with Blenheims.

Poor Mike. He isn't even really a fan of apricots. At least not like I am. Wait. What am I talking about? Maybe this is just the thing to do the trick. If I ate apricots for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, I would certainly learn to love them. Eureka!

No one tell him. Shh.

My Mom makes a fabulous chicken dish with dried apricots, which was my inspiration for this recipe. I should have consulted her first, but my impatience [and hunger] took over. This is the simplified version. Hope you enjoy.

P.S. If you have never tasted a fresh chicken, get yourself down to the Santa Barbara Farmers Market and find Lily's Eggs for the best tasting chicken you will ever have. I make one a week. No joke.

If you make this recipe when 'cots aren't in season, sub dried for fresh. It won't be nearly as good, but it'll do.

apricot chicken

1 whole organic chicken

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

10-12 small fresh apricots, halved

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp ghee or olive oil

Cut the chicken into pieces.
In a heavy pot, heat oil or ghee over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides, remove and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and saute onions in remaining oil until translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.
Add chicken back to the pot with apricots and water. Sprinkle cumin and coriander over chicken.
Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes. I allowed mine to cook for an hour, which made the chicken more and more tender and the sauce thicker and richer. Cook as long as you like.
Serve over brown rice, couscous, or quinoa. Goes great with dark leafy greens.
Serves 4.

pistachio apricot upside down cake

2010-07-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

Blenheim apricots have arrived. That is all.

Since I have been out of town and thus MIA from the Santa Barbara Farmers Market the last two weeks, I could barely contain myself when faced with the creme de la creme of summer fruit this past Saturday. Yes, it is true. Royal Blenheim apricots are here for the taking. And take take take I did.

And gone gone gone they are.

Three pounds of apricots and two recipes later, I was contemplating stopping by tomorrow's Tuesday market just to stock up and revisit my obsession. I think I just might. Besides, they won't be here for long. Another few weeks. If that.

Although there is talk of the Blenheim's eventual disappearance, I refuse to believe. Like the article says, once you taste a Blenheim, you won't want to eat anything else.

So get out there and enjoy this season's Blenheims. Just don't forget to leave a few [pounds] for me.

pistachio apricot upside down cake

1 cup raw, organic pistachios

2/3 cup raw sugar or coconut [palm] sugar

1/2 cup butter or ghee

4 organic eggs

1 tsp [GF] vanilla

3/4 cup all-purpose [GF] flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

12-15 small apricots

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toast the pistachios on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
In a food processor, process the pistachios and sugar until finely ground. Add butter and process until combined. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend until well combined.
In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and sea salt. Add to food processor and blend until smooth. Use a spatula to incorporate any that sticks to the sides.
Wash and slice apricots into small pieces. Arrange evenly on the bottom of a greased 9"x9" glass or ceramic baking pan. Pour cake batter over apricots and spread evenly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Makes 8 squares.

jay's indian chicken

2010-07-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

I admit, I was a lucky college kid. Somehow, I avoided sharing a 10x10 box with a roommate from hell. Instead, I shared these cramped quarters with the most awesomest [yes, that's a word] roommate anyone could ever ask for.

Jayshri, I honestly don't know how I would have survived that first [or the following 3] years without you. I take that back. I still can't survive without you.

We were so different, yet so alike. Most importantly, we both loved food. It was friendship at first bite.

Since going home for her was a short drive away, Jay would often bring back food to save us from the repulsive dorm grub. The traditional Indian dishes that her Mom made for us were not only delicious, but helped supplement the diet of bean salad I had grown accustomed to. Yes, the dorm food was so bad that I oftentimes resorted to a salad of chickpeas and kidney beans, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. That was a long, food deprived year.

Although I ditched the bean diet long ago, I still look forward to meals that Jay and her Mom whip up. When I went down to visit her family a few weekends back, I skipped breakfast just so I would have plenty of room for the lunch they had prepared. Yes, they spoil me. And I love it!

Khadi over rice. Eggplant and papli sak. Channa and moong sak. Roti. Each dish was so much more flavorful and delicious than any I have experienced in the many Indian restaurants I have frequented. I shouldn't be surprised. Nothing beats homemade.

On my last day in L.A., Jay prepared an amazing chicken dish. Lucky for you, she was willing to share the recipe.

jay's indian chicken

5-6 whole peppercorns

1-2 bay leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

4 organic chicken thighs with bone and skin

1 cup organic grape tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garam masala

In a large pot, heat olive oil and ghee. Once hot, add bay leaves and peppercorns. Let sizzle for one minute.
Add diced onions and cook until translucent. Add finely chopped garlic and let cook for one minute more. Add tomatoes and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in cilantro.
Add turmeric, coriander powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt.
Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and place them in the pot. Cook on high heat until chicken is almost done, about 15 minutes. Let simmer for a minimum of 10 minutes - 30 minutes will allow the chicken to fall off the bone.
Stir in garam masala right before you turn of the burner. Remove the peppercorns before serving.
Enjoy with brown rice or naan.