food411 blog

We recently sampled this homemade granola from Amy’s Nuts. It is very lightly sweeten with pure maple syrup only and contains organic oats, and loads of nuts (pecans, walnuts & almonds) and a wonderful variety of seed ( pumpkin, sunflower sesame & flax) oat bran and 2 types of raisins. This is by far the best granola we have ever tasted. Almost every granola is just too sweet - and they just don’t contain enough nuts and seed. Granola is thought of as a health food but rarely does it live up to that. Most are just high calorie mixes with not much value. Amy’s granola really stands out. Our favorite was the Cinnamon Coffee Bean - a great way to start your day.

Cooking classes are fun, they remind us just how easy it is to make a quick and healthy dinner. Of course, the best part is eating the food after it’s prepared! Recently, we attended a class by Chef Phil Kane (Chef Phil is the Chef de Cuisine, at a private dining club). Since we know our readers are always looking for new recipes, we are sharing what we learned with all of you.

Fancy soups always seem like they must be so difficult to make……check out Phil’s Potato and Leek Soup

Fancy, yes, Difficult, NO:

4 peeled russet potatoes
2 washed large leeks
2 cups chicken stock (LOW SALT)
2 cups heavy cream
4 peeled cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Chop leeks and potatoes and put in a pot with the garlic and chicken stock, bring to a boil then turn to a simmer. When potatoes are fully cooked puree them with every thing else. Add the cream and salt and pepper to taste serve chilled or warm.

We asked about the heavy cream, and if you want a lighter version you can sub a lower fat product. BUT the chef won’t make it that way!

Next up was Roasted Pepper Risotto

1 diced roasted red pepper (peeled)
2 cups of Arborio rice
4 cloves garlic chopped
Approx… 10 cups chicken stock
Half a cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 diced onion
1 cup parmesan cheese
Half a stick of butter
2 cups white wine

Procedure
Preheat sauce pan with olive oil and put in the onion and garlic and sweat until translucent. Add rice and toast in the oil, then add white wine and stir until liquid is absorbed, repeat this step until rice fully cooked (STIR CONSTANYLY). When rice is fully cooked add the butter and cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

He then solved the crab cake mystery. How do you cook the crab cake throughout with frying it to death!
Phil’s Crab Cakes

1 lb Jumbo lump crab meat
juice of 2 Key limes
1 tablespoon of celery seed
2 table spoons of chopped chives
1cup of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon old bay
1 egg
3 cups of Japanese bread crumb (PANKO)*Food411’s note look for a variety without transfat!
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients into a bowl except the crab and bread crumbs, and mix until smooth. Then add crab and stir with your hands only
(BE GENTLE) . When crab and dressing are fully incorporated add half of the bread crumbs to thicken. Let the mixture stand for 2 to 4 min, until the mixture stiffens slightly. Mold crab cakes no bigger than the size of a hockey puck, then roll cake in the excess breading and place on a flat surface and repeat. You should get 6-8 cakes from a pound.

To cook them preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then put a pan on the burner at a medium heat and add oil ( about 1mm high) and let it heat till it becomes a consistency slightly thicker than water. Place crab cakes in the pan and sear till golden brown on both sides,

then place in oven for 6-8 min

and serve.

Last was a light, refreshing and easy dessert. This is great for summertime.

Berries & Cream

1/2 C sugar
1/2 C water
2 oz Grand Marnier
1 pint of mixed berries
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons powered sugar

Put sugar and water in a small pan and cook until a rapid boil then add Grand Marnier and cool. Once cooled pore over berries and gently mix. Put cream in a bowl and beat until thick and add sugar to taste, and pour over berries.
Serve cold

*Food411 fun note - use a variety of beautiful glasses to serve this dessert

Ok, we realize that Farmers’ Markets have been a topic for us before, but we can’t stop talking about just how great they are. Whenever we go on our “food finding” field trips, they always include hitting the local farmer’s market ( remember our Pike’s Place visit). Buying local foods is so important: you get in touch with the people that are creating your food, you help reduce the amount of gas used to transport food, you support local family farms and artisanal producers, you get really really delicious foods - usually organic, all natural, etc. and they are fun! It is a wonderful way to teach our children about real foods, not the processed stuff that American’s have become much to familiar with. This past Friday, the town that we operate from (Ridgefield, CT), held its very first farmer’s market. For 3 years, 3 woman have been fighting the “red tape” necessary to bring this to our town. Well, we believe they must feel it was well worth all their efforts. The market was jammed, we’re told many vendors sold out completely. The assortment and high quality of the vendors was exceptional. Two artisanal organic bread bakers, 3 organic farmers with wonderful produce, free range eggs ( just plucked that day!),quality pasture-fed all natural beef, pork, chicken, local wildflower honey, potted herbs & plants, goat’s milk soaps and handmade farmstead cheeses! Heaven….this is the way to eat. These markets are a wonderful way to just enjoy a beautiful day, the whole town seemed to be in high spirits. Most people carried their own canvas bags, or wicker baskets to haul their purchases. In Europe these market are a way of life, let’s take a cue. Support your local farmer’s markets: buying fresh, local foods is a wonderful way to live. Not sure where your farmer’s markets are located? Check out Local Harvest to find the Farmers’ markets in your area.

In response to our recent June email, “Go HOG wild” - we received a wonderful note from our friend, food writer, Jacqueline Church. On a recent trip to the west coast she visted with one of the resources that we mentioned in our email - Salumi Cured Meats. Her article, “Salumi in Seattle” is a very interesting read. Jacqueline offers so many interesting food articles on her site Suite101, Gourmet Foods, be sure to check them out.

name: Van R.
email: XXXXX
state: Alabama
question: I have yet to find a good recipe(both in taste and texture) to grill vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, or yellow squash. Any suggestions?

Answer from Chef Silvia:

Hi Van,

It’s not so much a recipe you need but a technique. Let me explain…During the ten years I had a restaurant, we grilled vegetables every day. We would first cut each vegetable a specific way (how you cut them matters a great deal): zucchini (yellow) was cut about 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal, eggplant 1/4 inch rounds, fennel in 1/4 inch vertical slices (kept together by the core), red bell pepper peppers were quartered or in thirds (depending on the size) and onions were sliced as 1 inch thick rounds (or they fell apart on the grill). Then onions, fennel and peppers were tossed in a bit of olive oil because they are firm skinned and non-porous so they needed a little coating before being placed on the grill, The other vegetables are porous and have a high water content so they didn’t need anything. All the vegetable were cooked slowly on a med-hot grill to assure that they were cooked thoroughly without burning. And since all the vegetables have various cooking times, one must be patient and stand by the grill, removing each piece into a big bowl as they become done. 

Now here’s the secret…it’s all about what you toss them in now.  So, here’s a recipe for that…but don’t be afraid to try other dressings…experiment. 

Aiolo Recipe (my favorite flavored oil)

I served this as a dipping oil for fresh baked bread, placed on each table at my restaurant for many years. It was so good that we had to warn our customers not to eat too much and spoil their appetite. The staff on the other hand soon became happily addicted.

1 cup extra virgin
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
1 tablespoon chopped kalamata olives (pits removed)
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil or parsley
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and let it sit for at least 15 minutes allowing the flavors to mingle. Toss or brush over the warm veggies. Arrange on a beautiful platter and serve with crusty bread.   

Chef Silvia shares her thoughts and recipes for biscotti.

Mini Biscotti Cookies

“I like to make my biscotti small. Why? Because then I can eat one without feeling guilty or breaking up the usually huge ones, whereby filling my clear glass cookie jar with crumbs and broken pieces-unsightly. In fact you can easily make biscotti any size you want depending on how big you make the long rod for the first round of baking. Oh…did I mention that what distinguishes a biscotti from other cookies is the fact that they are baked twice…and they’re… Italian?

When it comes to making cookies on a whim or an urge, it’s all about being well stocked in certain basics: flour, eggs, sugar ( preferably light brown), baking powder and certain extras: wlanuts or almonds or even pistachios and the extracts: anise, lemon, vanilla…..

And then you can fill your cookie jar with these precious gems…anytime you feel like it.”

Dry Ingredients
3 cups unbleached white flour + 1/4 cup (reserved for dusting on yourboard)
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
4 eggs
6 oz canola or vegetable. oil (or you can use butter if you prefer)
2 teaspoons extract

Additions
Nuts: 1/2 cup of any of the following or any other nut you may happen to like: almonds, pine nuts (omit salt if using these) pistachios or walnuts

Seeds: 2-4 tablespoons of anise seeds, sesame, poppy or any other seed you may think of

And then there’s: raisins or cranberries or even chocolate chips

You can even make this recipe a savory one by cutting back the sugar to about 1/4 cup and adding crushed red pepper or course black pepper–play around with your favorite ingredients. Making biscotti looks kindly on individual expression…

Mix dry ingredients together in one bowl and wet ingredients in another -
Fold dry into wet ingredients, add nuts or other ingredient and knead into a smooth dough.

Divide dough into 4 parts and roll each part into a log that’s approximately 1.5 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick (the wider and thicker the log, the larger the individual biscotti.

Dust your surface with reserved flour to prevent from sticking (if dough is too sticky, just add a bit more flour)

Place on greased cookie sheet or parchment paper and bake in a pre- heated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until firm and golden.

Remove and let cool for 10-15 minutes.

With a sharp knife, cut each log on the diagonal, every 1/2 inch or so to form individual cookies. It helps a great deal if you have a large chef knife and make each cut in one push–don’t go back and forth with your knife and “saw” or the log will break.

Place cookies back on the cookie sheet, upright, with both cut sides facing out and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

We were contacted by Jaap Linssen, who “Out of love & respect” for truly authentic Farmers Cheese, has started an online shop to bring authentic Dutch farmer cheese to our doorsteps in the US. This is his effort to move away from mass production & offer you cheese that taste differently because of the different daily variables on the farm. The pasture where the cows grazes or the season all contribute to the flavor of the cheese. Farmers produce their cheese daily meaning you’ll taste what happened the day the milk was produced! We tasted the “mature” variety of his farmers cheese and it was creamy but yet still offered a great taste. The “old” variety must be loaded with flavor. There is such a difference when you taste real farmstead cheese.(see our cheese email)

The cheese is handmade on the Van Leeuwens farm in Holland. They make their cheese 4 times a week. The cows graze the banks of the river Lek which is an arm of the river Rhine. Below are the varieties.

Young, Van Leeuwen
Young cheese has aged about 4 weeks. It’s texture is very soft and the taste is the mildest in the range. Young cheese is kid’s favorite (as it’s mild). It goes well on a sandwich. However, don’t use other ingredients with strong flavor as this cheese’s taste will quickly be over powered. Young Cheese is great for snacking in cubes, with a beer, or a glass of white wine.

Young Mature, Van Leeuwen
This Cheese has aged for 8 to 10 weeks. It’s texture is smooth and it’s mild. Children will like this cheese. This cheese is great on sandwiches. Very suitable to serve as a snack with beer or light wines.

Mature, Van Leeuwen
Mature cheese has matured for about 4 months. It is a smooth cheese with a pronounced taste. This is middle of the road and will be enjoyed by everyone. Great on a sandwich or pizza. Combine with green olives, pickles, or nuts. You can snack mature cheese with all red wine or a beer. Try dipping the cheese in some mustard.

Extra Mature, Van Leeuwen
This is very tasteful cheese but still smooth. This cheese has aged for at least 7 months. Great on a sandwich. Cut in small blocks it’s a great addition to salads. As snacks you can serve blocks on sticks with black olives, sun dried tomatoes, figs, grapes, or walnuts. It combines with a full bodied wine or a special strong beer.

Old, Van Leeuwen
Old Cheese has the richest flavor. The older the cheese becomes, the harder and darker the cheese gets. Very old cheese even crumbles when one cuts it. Old cheese has matured for at least 10 months. Flakes of old cheese are great to go with green salads. Blocks of old cheese are a fantastic snack to go with a full bodied wine. Or, just treat yourself to an old cheese sandwich! Combine with Rucola, figs, or Parma ham.

The cheese is shipped as a “wheel”. The cheese is protected by its salty crust and is laminated. As long as the skin of the wheel is not penetrated you can keep the cheese in a cool place and let it mature. If you want to mature it, do not keep it in the fridge and certainly never freeze a cheese. It is best not to wrap the cheese. It needs to be able to “breath”. To improve the maturing process it is best to flip the cheese every now and then. You may also want to wipe the cheese with a damp cloth now and then to keep it clean.

As soon as you cut the cheese you need to keep it in the fridge (again do not let it freeze). As the protective lamination and salty crust are breached you should wrap the cheese in plastic to keep it from drying out. Before you eat the cheese be sure to remove the lamination. Even though cheese doesn’t spoil easily, once opened, you should aim to consume the cheese within 3 weeks.

Dutch Farmers Cheese contains no preservatives. If you wrap the “wheel” in plastic outside the refrigerator or do not consume the cut cheese quickly enough, it is possible some mold forms on the cheese. This does not spoil the cheese. Just cut off the piece that has formed the mold and the rest of the cheese is fine to consume.

Making the Cheese:
It takes roughly 10 liters of cow milk to produce 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) of cheese. On farms the milk from the evening and morning are collected and heated to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Starter culture and Rennet are added and in about 30 minutes the milk starts to solidify.

The solid mass is then cut into small pieces and stirred. This produces whey, a yellowish fluid. The little pieces are put into a cheese barrel and the barrels are pressed for the remaining of the day and the following night.

From the presses the cheese is placed in a salt basin. The salt forms a crust that makes the cheese more solid, protects it from outside influences, and adds taste.

After the salt basin the cheese is dried and laminated. The lamination will prevent it from dehydrating and protects it from outside influences.
The cheese is then laid to mature on wooden shelves.

During the maturing the fat and protein slowly transform into flavors and aromas. As the cheese matures it becomes harder and gains flavor.

We wish Jaap all the best with this venture, being able to receive this type of cheese to our doorstep is a wonderful thing! If you have been following our blog you will remember that we have been searching for this since our field trip to Holland (see our Gouda blog post). Hopefully, he will add the gouda with nettles soon!

Question:
name: Sue
email: XXXXXXX
state: Missouri
question: I am looking for a great tasting, no fail recipe for meatloaf. I used to make it all the time but mine lately falls apart. Thanks

Answer:
From: Chef Silvia

Hi Sue, 

I have two great recipes for meatloaf. One is my version for one of the tastiest meatloaf I’ve ever had. It is made with grilled eggplant which adds wonderful flavor and moisture. No need to add bread or eggs. The other key ingredient is combining pork sausage meat for intense flavor with ground turkey for leanness. All together this is an unbeatable combination that I served in my restaurant thousands of times for ten years. It was a customer favorite as well as a personal one. 

The second recipe is more traditional yet easy and also wonderful. Enjoy and let me know what you think. 

Eggplant Meatloaf

1 lb. ground turkey

1 lb. pork sausage (casings removed)

2 fresh eggplants, sliced thin,  grilled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

black pepper to taste

Mix all indredients together and form into a loaf

Bake at 350 degrees (covered) for about 1 hour or until meat reaches 160 degrees on a meat thermometer

Gravy

Collect pan drippings and place them in a small pan

Add 5-6 tablespoons of flour and stir

Place pan on low heat & slowly add about a cup chicken broth, stirring continuously until gravy thickens

 
Traditional Meatloaf

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. pork sausage (casings removed

1 egg (beaten)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2-3 tablespoons fresh flat leaf italian parsley (chopped)

2 slices rustic bread (crumbled)
1 large vidalia or other sweet onion (medium diced)

1 large jalapeno pepper (small diced)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Saute the onions and the pepper in the olive oil over medium heat until softened. In the meantime, add all of the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and combine with your hands. Add the contents from the saute pan and mix. Form the meat into a loaf and cook at 350 degrees, covered, for about one hour or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. 

Question:
name: Laurie
email: XXXXXX
state: Ontario, Canada
question: I make a lot of pickled eggs for my husband but when I put cloves of garlic in with them the garlic turns green. Am I doing something wrong and are they safe to eat?

Answer
From: Chef Silvia

Hi laurie, 

This is a good question and an important one. I use chopped garlic in many pickled recipes but I also refrigerate the contents. I know that it isn’t necessary to refrigerate what has been pickled however I do know that according to the health department during the years of my restaurant, I was not allowed to keep garlic in olive oil at room temp for extended periods of time since it would attract harmful bacteria so I would keep it in an open, refrigerated unit. So, in answer to your question–-No, it is not safe to eat.

What you can do is to make the pickled eggs without the garlic and simply add the garlic as needed to the portion you will be consuming. Thank you so much for asking this important question.  To find out more, go to:  
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/garlic-ail_e.html

Silvia

We discovered the terrific spice/rub blends from “Just Simply Good Stuff ” a while back. Robin’s homemade spice blends make cooking so much easier ( and delicious). Here are a few of her favorites just in time for grilling season:

Roasted Corn
Brush fresh corn with butter or olive oil. Sprinkle on Mediterranean Medley and Lemon/Lime Salt. Wrap in foil and grill or roast in 350 degree oven about 20 minutes or till done. This recipe is especially handy when you’re feeding a crowd. Just unwrap the corn and you’re good to go! (No need to pass around all of the butter and salt & pepper… it’s already done!)

Beyond the Border Fiesta Medley (Incredibly easy!)
1-15oz can Mexi- Corn w/juice (May substitute with whole kernel corn)
1-14oz can petite diced tomatoes w/green chiles
1- 4oz can diced green chiles (mild)
2 - Celery stalks diced
½ - Red Onion diced small (or 2-green)
½ fresh lime
1-2 tsp cilantro chopped (optional)
1- clove fresh garlic (chopped small)
1-2 Tbsp Beyond the Border spice
½ - tsp Lemon/Lime salt

Directions
Pour first 3 ingredients in bowl (one w/lid is best) add chopped celery, onion, garlic & cilantro, squeeze lime on top, sprinkle Beyond the Border & Lemon/Lime salt over mixture, stir well, cover, refrigerate 1-2 hrs or overnight. Serve as a side dish or use as a bed for our grilled chicken or pork recipes.

Medley Chicken
Squeeze fresh lemon or lime on boneless chicken breast shake on Mediterranean Medley and Lemon Lime Salt, rub in, put in re-closable plastic bag, marinate1-3 hrs, then grill, squeeze fresh lime on the chicken as you turn it. Serve with Rice Pilaf or Medley Potatoes! (Note: This can also be done on the stove, just dredge lightly in flour and fry in 1 tablespoon Butter or Olive Oil till done.)

Our chef Silvia gives cooking classes that are fun & action packed because she has the students do the cooking. Take a few minutes and enjoy a video of one of her classes. The menu she shares is:
*Grilled Portobello Mushrooms served over Field Green with Goat Cheese
*Bake Chicken with White Wine sauce ( one of her signaure sauces) with artichokes & capers
*Homemade Porfiteroles filled with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce

So sit back and enjoy…Chef Silvia creates unique classes, warm & inviting.

click here to view her cooking class