The other night, I had a few girlfriends over to see the new house, hang out, and catch up. It was so nice to be able to bring my kitchen table outside to the backyard, use candles when it got dark, drink wine, and talk! I love how people can really take you out of your head space–in a refreshing way. What I mean by this is sometimes I find myself so wrapped up in what I am doing, a project, or task, that I forget about everything else. I can get serious tunnel vision when it comes to zeroing in on completing something! But even so, that tunnel vision can creep up on me when it’s not totally necessary–and I find myself using it as a fallback during daily routine stuff which I am not so into. This is when getting together with a bunch of close friends can be really great–they get you out of your head and thinking about completely different things! After this dinner, I felt as if I had exhaled–and definitely laughed a lot.
It’s been a bit hot here in Portland this past week and the tomatoes here are STUNNING. Absolutely gorgeous and in their prime. My favorite are the little green baskets of the heirloom cherry tomatoes you can get at farmer’s markets and the grocery store–little yellow, orange, and red ones. The colors are bright and beautiful and the flavors are even better! So I thought I would showcase these flavors in a simple tomato salad. It was a good idea 
. I then served a dish of fresh creamy feta and kalamata olives on the side in case anyone wanted to turn it into a Greek salad. I also made hummus and some pitas. I love to make hummus, it is super easy and I know exactly what’s in it–plus it is fresher and more flavorful. I like to use a lot of lemon in mine . For dessert, I made brownies. I had been seeing brownies around lately–in reading (novels, blogs, and magazines–I guess that says a lot about what I read!) and generally just around. It’s kind of like when you start to notice, say, the color red. You just see it everywhere all of a sudden! That’s how it felt like with brownies. So I had to make them. These brownies were delicious and chewy. The cinnamon and coffee give them a Mexcali kick and next time I might nix the cinnamon to have an even deeper chocolate experience. These were especially good with red wine–I highly recommend having a glass with one of these brownies if you make them!
Tomato Salad
Put into a huge bowl: half a pint of colorful cherry tomatoes, cut up one or two more large heirlooms too, a thinly sliced cucumber with most of the skin removed, cut up one or two Italian peppers or “Jimmy Nardello’s” as they are also known, finely chop about 1/4 red onion. Then pour a generous helping of nice olive oil on top (about 4-5 tablespoons), sprinkle some nice coarse sea salt on top, some oregano, and some pepper. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the whole thing on top. Toss and serve.
Hummus
Put into a food processor:
1-2 large garlic cloves
a good handful of Italian parsley–pulse together
Then add:
2 cans garbanzo beans
about a tablespoon of tahini sauce (you may want more or less depending on how you like it to taste, more if you want a more bitter flavor, less if not)
a good run of olive oil–about a 1/2 cup (I usually just turn the bottle over and count to 
cut a lemon in half and squeeze that whole thing in there–sometimes I even add a little zest too
and some salt.
Pulse it all together until creamy adding a little of this or that until the flavor is right for you. (Usually I need more lemon or olive oil.)
Brownies, recipe via Culinate
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (around 60% cacao)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon coco powder (any kind)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons ground instant coffee
3/4 kosher salt (don’t use regular table salt!)
1 cup all purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish, or line it with a piece of aluminum foil. (The foil is wasteful, but it allows you to remove all the brownies easily from the pan.) In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate and butter and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat. When the chocolate and butter are evenly melted, remove from the heat and let cool while you mix the rest of the ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, coffee, and salt. Stir in the butter-chocolate mixture, then stir in the flour. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until a tester inserted in the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean with only a few crumbs attached, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool at least half an hour before cutting. Cut the brownies in the pan or, if you used aluminum foil, use the edges of the foil to lift the sheet of uncut brownies out of the pan before cutting into squares or rectangles.
Bon Apetit!
The other day, we went to check out the newest addition to the Portland Farmers Market community in NE. It is August–they’ve been there since May–it was time! While there, we gave ourselves a mission: find two vegetables and two fruits each. Then, using whatever we find, we will incorporate it into a meal this week. We ended up with five vegetables and four fruits–everything was at its peak and looking exceptional. I felt like a kid in a candy store, really. (Oh, and the best crepes I’ve ever had are made by a vendor there–fantastic!).
Using our wears last night, I made a simple carrot salad with lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper, grilled up some apricots and nectarines (which we splashed with cold heavy cream–delish!), ate some nice goat cheese that was rolled in herbs, and also made olive oil and sea salt dark chocolate baguettes.
The meal was eaten in complete silence, I think I traveled to a different dimension and back. When my plate was clean, I (woke up and) looked up surprised that it was over. I don’t know why I revel every time I make or eat something so simple but tasted fantastic–but it was so simple! Yes, exactly, which is the point I guess I must make over and over to myself. Don’t over complicate, use fresh things, and your food will give you a spiritual experience–at least it does for me .
This meal is going down in my personal food history book–it, and variations of it, will be made again. Oh yes!
Bistro Carrot Salad
A bunch of fresh carrots, either regular orange or heirloom variety (no mini or bite sized ones from the bag, it won’t taste as good, I promise)
5-6 fresh radishes (also a fresh bunch)
one large lemon
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
Some fresh parsley
Wash and dry your carrots and radishes. Julienne your carrots, slicing them lengthwise. Cut up your radishes into thin slices. Chop about an 1/8 cup parsley into small pieces. Toss carrots, radishes, and parsley into a bowl. Cut your lemon in half, and squeeze over the vegetables–if you want to catch the seeds, hold your hand under the stream of lemon juice and loosely cup your hand, letting the juice run through your fingers, but catching the seeds. Add the olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve!
Grilled Apricots/Peaches/Nectarines Glaze
1-2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
a pinch of cardamom, to taste
Whisk together with a spoon, and gently spoon onto each of the pitted stone fruits, letting the glaze pool in their centers. Let sit for at least 10-20 minutes before you put on the grill. Grill on a medium to low heat for a while until the fruit is thoroughly soft and there are grill marks on the bottoms. Splash a little cold heavy cream on top and serve immediately.
Olive Oil, Sea Salt, and Chocolate Baguette
Get a fresh baguette and slice into eighths–slice the eights in half length wise so you have sandwich halves. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom half, about a 1 teaspoon, then sprinkle a little sea salt on the olive oil. Place a good piece of dark chocolate (I use Dagoba either the 59% or the 74%) on top and make a sandwich with your other piece of bread. Enjoy!
This weekend we made a trip up to explore Seattle and it’s surroundings. One of the first things we did was take the ferry out to Vashon Island. This one-stoplight wonder of a place charmed the socks off of me. Our first stop was the Vashon Island Growers Market (held every Saturday). There we found delicious treats like this fresh frittata with chard and lotus blossoms. We found it at the Sun Island Farm booth, run by a lovely family with the dad making frittatas and the mom and kids running the “front”.
Another booth I stopped at was Barbara’s Chocolates. I was lured over because, well, there were baked goods there. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find these delectable little chocolates that were divine. Barbara told me she makes them fresh in her production kitchen and decorates them right on Vashon!
We then wandered over to the islands Tea House. The owner told me that when she serves people tea in a proper teacup, they act differently, as opposed to a mug or a little Japanese cup. She said they become a bit calmer and definitely quieter as they sip their tea out of a dainty teacup. How interesting! I’ve wondered about that myself…
Vashon surprised me! I honestly didn’t know what to expect when we went there (initially to check out some of Andrew’s old haunts and the abandoned K2 complex) but am so happy we did. I love impromptu connections, stories, and exchanges that happen; the warm and grounded people on Vashon were truly fantastic.
(From the Vashon Growers Market, we wandered into town where the islands one stoplight resides. I noticed some great signage that happened to belong to one of the islands art galleries, Valise. I chatted with one of the owners who was extremely warm and helpful and gave us tips about some other great places to see.)
(A great malt shop I was told! but this is the sign is the only thing left of it!)
I have some exciting news. I’ve become a contributing writer for Chef’s Blade, a social network for culinary professionals! My first piece was posted last night, you can see it here.
Below is a blurb about Chef’s Blade from their site:
Chef’s Blade is the career and social network of choice for the creative, passionate, and innovative people who work in the cutthroat culinary industry. Whether you are a seasoned executive chef, an aspiring pastry chef, a caterer, a sommelier, a restaurant manager or owner, Chef’s Blade culls together the career resources and networking tools you need to advance your career. We feature a robust social networking platform for those in the industry to discuss career advancement and everything that’s behind the ultimate culinary experience. Check out our behind-the-scenes employer and food reviews, news and columns on the latest and greatest in food culture and trends, job listings, career tips, how-to guides, and more. No matter where you are in your culinary career, Chef’s Blade promises to sharpen your skills.
They will be using one of my posts every other week from Eating is Art, and posting it on their forum. Thank you Jacky!
Last night I made a really fresh salad with Russian kale, mustard greens, red cabbage, avocado, and roasted shallots and garlics. Sometimes I like to go to my local fruit and vegetable market, pick out what looks really fresh, and then come home and experiment with those flavors, textures, and colors. I also bought some of my favorite feta cheese, a small hunk of Dutch blue cheese, and some good Italian table wine. It was a nice little feast, very flavorful, crunchy, and colorful. Here’s what I did:
Place chopped shallots and whole garlic cloves on a baking sheet, drizzle a little olive oil over them and put them into a preheated oven of about 400 degrees F. Bake until they smell amazing, about 15 mins (I like to let mine stay in a little longer, the edges get a nice crispyness to them). Chop up the kale, greens, and cabbage, toss. In a single serving bowl, place the salad, some roasted shallots and garlics on top, slice half an avacado on the side, drizzle some olive oil (about a tablespoon) over it, sprinkle a little salt, and squeeze some lemon juice from a fresh lemon on top. You can put the feta or blue cheese right on top, or you can savor little hunks of it on the side to eat with a nice loaf of bread. Sit down with a glass of wine and enjoy!
I always feel better when I cook something good for myself. It is like I am reminding myself “you are worth it,” which is so empowering and lovely to do for/say to oneself. I have similar feelings when I do yoga or read a novel, being nice to yourself is…well nice! And essential.
After eating way too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (not that there is anything wrong with pb & j, but it has gotten a little out of hand lately!) I decided I needed to make myself a really nice lunch. There is something wonderful about lunch, it does not hold a lot of the pretension that dinner does, it is not the end of the day so I am not too tired, and as I cook I simultaneously think about projects or things happening that day spurring me on to get them done. It is definitely one of my favorite meals.
I first ate this at my friends Chelsea and Matt’s. Matt had made Mediterranean Eggplant over Israeli Couscous the night before. Me being me, I was scoping out their fridge the next afternoon looking for a small snack. It was incredible and I have not stopped thinking about it since, and this was at least three months back!
I have also been fascinated with the vanilla bean and all its versatile uses both savory and sweet. (A friend told me of a soup he made with cherry tomatoes and vanilla bean which I have been dying to make.) So I also made a Vanilla Spelt Bread. It is not sweet, but extremely aromatic, the vanilla permeating the house as it bakes along with that great smell of fresh baked bread. It was really one of the best olfactory experiences I’ve had in a while! It can be paired with a good curry or this Mediterranean eggplant dish because it is not sweet and the vanilla is a great compliment to the spices used in either of these (and many others!) dishes. However, it can be made sweet by spreading a little butter and honey on top while still warm; that is what I did and it was incredible!
Bon Appetit!
Mediterranean Eggplant
2 medium eggplants, approx. 4 cups cut into quarters
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, or 4 cups fresh tomatoes seeded and peeled
6-7 garlic cloves
3 tblspns olive oil
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano
1 lemon squeezed
1/2 – 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 bunch Italian parsley
Saute the garlic and olive oil. Add the eggplant and tomatoes. Stir until combined. Add the spices, lemon, and parsley, simmer for about 30-40 mins until eggplant is tender and juicy. Serve on top of Israeli couscous (something about the Israeli couscous makes it even better! I love the shape of it).
(if you look closely, you can see the tiny flecks of vanilla bean in the bread, yum!)
Vanilla Spelt bread
makes 1 loaf
2 teaspoons fresh yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1.5 cups lukewarm water
4 cups white spelt flour
1 heaped teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean
Dissolve the yeast and honey in half a cup of water and leave until it begins to froth. Add 3 and a half cups of flour, the rest of the water, the salt, split open the vanilla bean and extract the tiny black specs from its inside with your thumb and knead to a dough. Leave to rest for 10 minutes then continue kneading, adding more flour or water as required to make a soft silky dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to double in size, approximately 1 hour. Punch down, form into a loaf and cover again with a damp tea towel and leave for half an hour. Preheat the oven with a baking stone to 445°F.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes.
This was a really good lunch. Cabbage salad? I thought. I gave it a try and will definitely do it again. Yes… indeed.
Cabbage Salad (from here)
1 1/2 pound purple cabbage
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large garlic clove, pressed or cut into tiny bits
salt and pepper to taste
shaved parmagiano reggiano cheese
Slice up the cabbage, throw ingredients together in a bowl, serve with a fresh baguette.
We ate the bread with goat cheese and for dessert with little hunks of dark chocolate. I was feeling quite Parisian it seems! Bon Appetit!
Last night I did The Favorite meal #3 with Lalena Dolby. She chose her favorite to be the artist and personality extraordinaire Florence Broadhurst. Florence was Australian by birth. In her early twenties, she was known as Miss Bobby Broadhurst, traveling from Asia to India to Western Europe. In 1926, she opened the Broadhurst Academy, a finishing school for girls in Shanghi. In 1933, she moved to London under the name Madame Pellier, a fashionista who opened a dress shop on the infamous New Bond Street. She had married London aristocracy, but by 1949 she was divorced, re-attached, had a child, and moved back to Australia under the guise as British aristocracy.
(Lalena found this dress for this meal, how perfect!)
In 1959, she opened her wallpaper company. It wasn’t until later in life (she was at this point in her early 60’s) that she went the path of design.” There is debate as to whether she actually drew any of the patterns herself, but clearly she had an eye for talented people—hired many, paid them very little, took full credit.” (Vanity Fair 04.2007) She was a shrewd business woman, however it was said that her factory was incredibly hip for it’s day. Artists, designers, and craftsmen working side by side, a radio always blaring, parties springing up intermittently in the evenings, and celebrities popping in to see the infamous warehouse space. She was a force, energetic and magnetic that despite her low wages and hard-nosed work ethic, people gravitated towards her because she exuded her energy all around and somehow made it fun. (I could go on and on about this woman, she was absolutely fascinating! You can find more articles on her here, here, and here if you’d like to read on. I know I did! She also has a book written on her, beautifully done, here. )
(wall texture detail)
(Horse Details)
Naturally, in order to truly evoke Florence at this meal, I had to recreate one of her beautiful patterns (and there are over 500 of them, it was amazing going through and just looking at many of them!). It dawned on me that I needed to recreate a pattern out of food, on a wall, big, bright, and beautiful, just like Miss Broadhurst (her hair was really that orange color for the last 25 years of her life). I decided on the horse pattern. Actually, I felt the horse pattern. It just stuck and when I came to the end of looking through and studying all her patterns, I puttered around with a few other ideas, but the horses were what called me. It’s that power, that force, and the way the horses morph into one another that resonated with me and I think, with Florence.
I also made quite an array of foods. Portland, it seems, is over run with one big cold. Everyone has one or is getting one! Lalena has been getting over one, so my inital idea of making amazing cocktails and smoking cigaretts (althgouh neither of us smoke, but the idea was funny and resonated somehow with Florence!) I decided to go a subtler and more nourishing route. So, I made Tom Yum lemongrass soup (to evoke all the asian inspired living and traveling Miss Broadhurst did, as well as help cure a cold) and Hot Toddy’s with thick slices of ginger, lemon, a heaping spoonful of local honey and a shot or two of St. Remy’s brandy in a slightly steeped Earl Grey tea. Then, for dessert I made Fairy Bread. Fairy Bread is an austrailian treat they serve to children on birthdays and special occasions. All it is is white bread, buttered, and sprinkles thrown on top. That’s it. I thought it was PERFECT for Florence. I could see her on the morning of her son’s birthday, forgetting it was his birthday, and whipping up a plate of this bread because it is so quick and easy. It’s also a really fake ‘food’.
(Hot Toddy)
(Tom Yum Lemongrass Soup)
(Fairy Bread)
While sipping our Hot Toddy’s and Lemongrass Soup, Lalena and I chatted about the whirwind life Florence had. And how her life did not end with her tragic murder in her wallpaper warehouse. In fact, her life has spurred on people to really embrace what they want from life and do it with passion. Her prints and patterns are being re-constructed and re-produced by a New Zeland designer and pattern company but also being used by fashion houses around the world. We both agreed that we were inspired by her ability to just do it, getting it done with absolute grace and style.
(Hot Toddy)
Tom Yum Soup (Goong, Talay, Pla-Meuk)
* 1/2 pound medium sized shrimp, peeled and de-veined
* 1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
* 4 cups water
* 2 stalks of lemon grass (~10″ long)
* 4-6 kaffir lime leaves
* 3 small red onions cut into quarters
* 1 medium to large tomato
* 4 small pieces galangal
* 18 straw mushrooms, whole
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
* 1 1/2 limes, squeezed
* 1 teaspoon of white sugar
* 2-8 red and/or green chili peppers
* 1 tablespoon tom yum soup paste
1. Cut the lemongrass stalks into 2″ pieces.
2. If you are using Tom Yum paste you can use 2 tablespoons instead of making your own stock with tshis step. It will cut down on time necessary… Stock: Add the shrimp heads and shells to water, then cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Soak heads and shells for 20 more minutes before removing from broth.
3. Add stock, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chili padi, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste to a pot and bring to a boil. After boiling for 5 minutes, add tomato and onion. In 5 more minutes add shrimp and mushrooms. Cook another 10 minutes. For presentation you can garnish with coriander.
Hot Toddy
Sizeable piece of ginger, cut up into big chunks
1 lemon, sliced
1 heaping tablespoon honey
1-2 shots nice brandy
1 teabag (English Breakfast, Earl Gray)
Steep hot water, lemon, ginger, honey together for five minutes, add the shot(s) of brandy and serve.
Fairy Bread (google this, it is pretty interesting!)
Slices of white bread
Butter
Sprinkles
Butter the bread, sprinkle on the sprinkles, slice off the crusts, cut into triangles and serve.
I was invited to make a meal for a dinner where the conversation topic was going to be wearable computing devices, which happened last night. What is a wearable computing device? It is something that looks like a piece of jewelry or an accessory that is actually a cell phone, pager, heart monitor, etc… It was all about beautifying technology, which is something I am all for.
I decided to make the meal about the opposite of what technology can be associated as (cold, disassociated) and go for a really tactile and personal experience with the food. I made a variety of dishes based on what I had found at my local market the day before. This included a sweet potato curry; a couscous, cilantro, green onion and lemon salad; sauteed kale with garlic, tamari, and sesame seeds over brown rice; coconut rice; fried plantains; roasted peppers; a carrot-ginger dressing, a citrus vinaigrette, a yogurt-curry dressing; fresh bread; vanilla-ginger pears; and a chocolate cake. The point was to make dishes where all six tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, astringent) would be present, bringing the tasting experience to a well rounded and full place. When all of our tastes are stimulated, we are more satisfied with what we eat. (One of the reasons Thai food is so good is they focus on bringing in many of the tastes into one dish). This is something that I think about when I am making a meal, even for myself. I then labeled all the tastes that were present in that particular dish with little flags, the dressings and vinaigrette’s there to help round out what was missing, completing the taste palate. Each person at the table could then discern the flavors for themselves, thinking about what they liked, didn’t like, or how to combine flavors they had not thought of. The food turned out great and the dinner was a hit. Here are the dressing recipes, all from the lovely Debora Madison!
Curry-Yogurt Dressing
This dressing would be good on a variety of dishes including simple vegetable sides roasted or curried, fish, beef, chicken, a cold mixed salad or a side of sauteed greens. It is an incredibly versitle dressing that will add a lovely kick to any meal!
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 whole allspice berry
1 1/2 cups low-fat plain yogurt
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, onion, and garlic, and cook, stirring often until softened and beginning to turn translucent, about 9 minutes.
Meanwhile, process the cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and allspice in a spice grinder until finely ground. Place in a food processor, and add onion mixture, turmeric, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, and sugar; process until smooth. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Citrus Vinegarett
This is great on any variety of green salad, but would also compliment many Asian dishes.
1/4 teaspoon finely grated grapefruit zest
1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar (not seasoned)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together in a nonreactive medium bowl until combined. use immediately, or refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.
Carrot-Ginger Dressing
This is a really bright and fresh dressing. Good on any and all mixed green salads and raw or cooked (roasted, sauteed, steamed) veggies.
1/2 pound carrots, juiced (1/2 cup juice)
1/2 cup reduced fat silken tofu
2 ounces ginger, minced (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
Puree all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Icing and White Chocolate Ganache center
Seriously, one of the best chocolate cake recipe’s I’ve found is right on the side of the Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa box, go figure!
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
Chocolate Ganache Icing
1 bag (12 oz) of Giradeli semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Simmer the heavy whipping cream in a pan, until steam is rising off the surface of the cream. Add the chocolate chips, turn the heat to low and stir/whisk until the chocolate is melted. Transfer to a bowl to let cool completely, stirring every once in a while with a fork or wisk.
White Chocolate Ganache Filling
3 cubes white chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
(follow instructions for chocolate ganache, see above)
Cheers!
Friday I had the amazing opportunity to make dinner for 30 with Agathe Snow and her sister Anne Apparu. They have been doing food events for the past several years under the name Chop Shop Delancey in Manhattan.
(Agathe (left) and Anne)
The dinner was based on the concepts of Yin and Yang. Yin foods are darker and cooler in color and temperature. They are the greens, blues, purples, and whites including cabbage, bok choy, white eggs, and popcorn. The Yin attributes are: expansion, upward and outward, vertical, darker, night, more mental, feminine, vegetal, winter, colder, lighter, wetter, Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, and moon.
(yin foods)Yang foods are brigher and warmer such as sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and apples. Yang attributes are: contraction, downward and inward, horizontal, lighter, day, more physical, masculine, summer, hotter, rougher, heavier, drier yellow, orange, red, and sun.
(yang foods)After going to a local produce market here in Portland, The Cherry Sprout, and gathering the an array of fresh foods, we separated the foods according to color. We then looked at the different piles and made up recipes by thinking of the combinations of flavors and textures, keeping the yin foods together and the yang foods together.
(Your Face Never Lies, the yin and yang of facial structure and how diet corresponds)
The guests were divided according to their facial structure as being more yin or yang and sat on corresponding sides of the table. There were placemats with our faces on them to mark our seats with the attributes that make each of us more yin or more yang. The Yin side of the table was set with only yin foods, bok choy and peanut sauce salad, sauteed greens in garlic, caramel popcorn, beer, purple potato salad, and kombucha. Since yin is darker, they had no candles or extra lighting and their plates were darker/cooler in color. They also were served ice in their glasses.
The Yang side of the table had a cajun pumpkin mash, stuffed delicata with apples, garlic, and the stalk of chard, lamb stew, polenta and corn, sweet potato fritters, wine, and hibiscus tea. There were candles as yang is bright and warm and the dishes were brighter/warmer in color. These foods were also all cooked, where the yin foods were mainly raw.
It was so much fun to collaborate with these amazing women, invent recipes, and rely on nothing but our senses for this cooking experience!
The book and print edition, titled Recommendations: Winter, is finally complete! Here is the blurb about the print series:
Imagination can make any situation better.
This is the theme behind the fifteen prints recently made by the artist collective Creative Force for Efficiency and Morale based in Portland, OR. In a limited, hand silk-screened edition, Recommendations: Winter takes the viewer through the average day in one person’s life, highlighting resourceful habits and creative gestures that help maintain morale and keep the fun in otherwise mundane tasks. Recommendations: Winter embraces frugality as a way of life and pays homage to the power of imagination to transform everyday experience.
The new Etsy shop, called Plain Made Design, is open and ready for business. There, you will find all fourteen hand-made silkscreen prints for sale.
Below are images of Recommendations: Winter’s printed edition and recipes. Cheers!
LEFT OVER BROWN RICE CEREAL
1/2 – 1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 – 1/2 cup milk, soy milk, or almond milk
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of cloves, nutmeg, and/or cardamom
1. Place the cooked brown rice in a small saucepan or microwaveable bowl.
2. Stir in milk, honey, and spices and heat until the milk and rice take on a creamy consistency, stirring frequently.
3. Sprinkle some of your favorite granola on top and serve.
You can use these next two recipes to “stack” your oven (as the book says!) to conserve time and energy!
PERFECT BREAD LOAVES
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
4-5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, beaten & mixed with a tablespoon of cold water
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl dissolve yeast in a 1/2 cup warm water. Stir with a fork. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups water. Mix the dough until it is sticky enough to knead. On a lightly floured surface, knead for 6-10 minutes; the dough should be sticky and smooth. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about one hour.
3. Punch down the dough and divide into 4 pieces. Roll each into a ball and shape into a baguette. Transfer the loaves to a lightly greased baking sheet or use a baking stone, let rise until nearly doubled.
4. Brush the loaves with the egg water mixture. Score the loaves diagonally across the top with a sharp knife.
5. Pour 2 cups of hot water into a pan and place in the preheated oven next to the baguettes to provide moisture. Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes, and them lower the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 5-10 minutes more, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack before slicing.
WARM UP THE WINTER STEW
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 red or green bell peppers
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon canned chipotle peppers
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 15 oz. can butter or black beans
Tortillas
Plain yogurt or sour cream
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 in cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1 in pieces. Peel the onion and cut it stem end to root and end into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables wit the garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes,. until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy.
3. While the vegetables roast, puree the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them into a 2 to 3 quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
4. A few minutes before taking the dish out (3-5 minutes), place the tortillas in the oven to warm. Serve the stew in bowls topped with yogurt or sour cream and the warm tortillas on the side.
