Turnip the Heat Cooking Summer Camp!

Turnip the Heat Cooking School is proud to be partnering with Whole Foods Market to offer a series of summer camps! We will be cooking up a storm! Classes for preschoolers - 17 years old. Classes start June 23rd.

Check out all the information at http://turniptheheatcooking.com
Camp Schedule Here 

Roasted Stawberry Muffins (The Hoods are Here!!!) (Sorta)

This recipe is majorly inspired by from White On Rice's recipe for Roasted Strawberry Whole Wheat muffins. I just wanted to get that out of the way. Although I am a bit obsessive about roasting vegetables it had never occurred to me to roast strawberries.

Also, they have much prettier pictures on their blog! Stunning, actually. I tend to take pictures while balancing a toddler in one arm who is reaching for the Iphone yelling "BIG TRUCK MOVIE!!!" while I try to take a photo.  I feel this may affect the quality of my photos. :) Perhaps.

The Hood Strawberries are FINALLY ripening around here. The season for these sweet little gems is very short so you have to get while the getting is good. We were lucky enough to be gifted a large bowl this week! But sadly, they weren't as sweet and perfumey as we had anticipated. Then I remembered the roasted strawberry recipe (again here, I want anyone to think I am stealing recipes!). Twenty minutes in the oven and the house smelled like jam and the berries were browned and a bit sweeter. And the flavor was just more strawberri-er. (That is a word now.)

I tossed the berries with a bit of olive oil and then folded them into a vanilla muffin batter. They are not too sweet - I think next time I would double the sugar in the muffins. I also wish vanilla bean paste was in my budget, because I think that would have taken these to the next level.

Makes about 12 muffins
Roasted Strawberry Muffins
1 pint of not so fabulous strawberries
1-2 teaspoons oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup yogurt ( I used nonfat Greek)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour ( I did half whole wheat flour, and half all purpose flour)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder

Heat oven to 400 degrees
1. Rinse and hull strawberries, cut in half if large. Lay in a single layer on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and roll with your hands to coat the berries.
2. Roast for about 15-20 minutes or until the berries look a little browned and shriveled. Cool while making the muffin batter.
3. In a small bowl combine eggs, melted butter, yogurt and vanilla. Mix with a fork until smooth.
4. In a larger bowl add flour, sugar and baking soda. Stir to combine.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture. Combine using as few spoon strokes as you can.
6. Put paper liners in muffin tins. Spoon about a tablespoon of batter into a cup. Lay 3-4 berries on top of the batter. Cover with another tablespoon of batter. Top the muffin with 1-2 more roasted berries.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Portland, Oregon

Silver Creek Falls

Summer is coming and it is always good to have a check list of activities to keep you busy.
Posie Gets Cozy posted a fabulous list of tourist sites, things to eat, drink, shop and places to hike.

We are going to work our way through (at the very least) the eating and hiking side of this list!

Have any other family friendly hikes to suggest? We would love to hear about them!

Green Pea Gougeres

Have you been to Bob's Red Mill? It is an actual place, not just a business which packages every sort of flour, bean, grain, or mix you could imagine. Levi and I love to go to the Mill for an afternoon field-trip - lunch (delicious deli!) and a bit of shopping. Anything that Bob's Red Mill sells packaged is available in bulk at the store. I have brought home 5, 6, 7, and 12 grain cereals, pancakes and waffle mixes, beans, all sorts of flours. If it exists and is edible, Bob's Red Mill has it!

I wasn't too surprised when I spied a bin full of pale green flour. I had no idea what it was, but was up to give it a try!  I knew I needed to take some home. Green pea flour is a beautiful shade of green with a soft texture. I brought home a scoop and then started pondering what to do with it.

Part of the fun of having a kiddo is introducing them to all sorts of new flavors and textures. Levi loves anything bread or cheese so cheese puffs, or gougeres, popped into my head. I was imagining gooey cheese and pale green puffs being nibbled on by my little guy.

I started with this Ina Garten's Cheese Puff recipe. I subbed 1/2 cup of flour for a 1/2 cup of the green pea flour. I also made it more kid friendly by using melty mozzerella cheese instead of gruyere and parmesan. I also used less salt because it was going to be for Levi. This was a mistake, next time I would use the whole amount to help the flavor pop.

The results were beautiful! The pale green puffs were not as light as traditional cheese puffs, but were very good, especially warm.

It was a fun way to use an unusual flour.

Here is a picture of Levi eating at the park. Rice cakes are like cheese puffs? Right?

(This is a link-tastic post! Sorry!)

Have you tried any unusual flours? Any successes?

PS. I have a great give away coming up from OXO. Stay tuned! 

Making Kefir

A few months ago, I attempted to transition my baby to cow's milk.
This did not well.
Levi really wants nothing to do with  "moo milk".  Luckily, he loves plain yogurt, so he was getting plenty of goodness from that, but I wanted Levi to try something new, kefir.  Kefir is another cultured dairy product full of probiotics. It is like a drinkable yogurt, tangy and a little sweet. I loved it while pregnant and figured little man would too. Since we are hooked on other Nancy's dairy products I went to Nancy's for kefir. Blueberry kefir!
Levi gobbled it up. Sadly, I realized that spending nearly $5 a quart was gonna make us broke, but I didn't want to give up on our new found culinary treasure. So, I read up on making kefir and learned it is a pretty simple process - all I needed was the kefir grains. Again I turned to a local shop, Mr. Green Beans, for the grains. (This shop has everything you would need for yogurt, cheese, soaps and especially coffee roasting. Love the place!)

Turns out kefir is really, really easy to make. And delicious! And the best part, you can make it with skim or whole milk. Levi drinks the whole milk and I use to skim (which is thick and rich) for smoothies, drinking or in cooking.

This isn't really a recipe, just some pics to show what I do. I make about 3 - 4 pints a week. Each batch takes MAYBE 5 minutes of hands-on time. I am saving money, even buying organic milks.

Have you ever had kefir? Have you ever made it?

These are the grains right out of the package. It took about 2 weeks before they really kicked it into kefir making gear. 

I add milk, stir, and then cover with a coffee filter and a canning ring. I leave it on the counter overnight and then keep in the fridge for another 12-24 hours. 

I strain it through a tea strainer. You have to catch the kefir grains to add to the next batch. Rumor has it they will multiply over time and I will have some to share! 

Thick, tangy, yummy kefir! I add about a teaspoon of jam to each pint to give it a fruit flavor.

Then add the kefir grains to a clean pint jar, add fresh milk, cover and the process begins again.

Shrimp Endive Salad with Lemon Cream Dressing

Justin and I were lucky enough to have a date night a few weeks ago. We went to Grain and Gristle, a cute little pub with amazing food and tons of pickles. I love any place with loads of pickled things! (Even though I think the restaurant name is a bit unfortunate, the place is stellar and I would recommend it!)

While there I had an endive salad with shrimp. The combination of crunchy bitter endive and the sweet shrimp was made even tastier by the creamy, lemon dressing. I had to replicate it. It took a few tries to get the dressing right, and needed real cream, not a low-fat alternative. Also, using a meyer lemon made the dressing much more delicate and fragrant, but using a regular lemon and adding a spoon of white sugar worked just as well.

This makes plenty of dressing, enough for a few salads. Save it in the fridge for about a week. 

Shrimp Endive Salad with Lemon Cream Dressing
1 shallot, very finely chopped
Juice from 2 meyer or regular lemons (2 teaspoons white sugar if using regular lemons)
1/3 cup olive oil
large pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 heads of endive, separated and laid on a serving platter or individual plate
1/2 - 1 lb shrimp, cooked and peeled.

1. In a jar, add shallot and lemon juice. Let rest 10 - 15 minutes. This will soften the shallots.
2. Add olive oil, (sugar), and salt to jar. Put on the lid and shake until it starts to emulsify (get a bit thick). Add cream and gently stir to combine. Don't shake the cream too much.

3. Separate endive leaves and lay them on a serving platter or individual plate. Divide shrimp onto the plate or platter.
4. Drizzle with dressing.

Enjoy! 

Drinking Vinegar Taste Test, Part 2

To get caught up on our drinking vinegar tasting, be sure to read Part One.

The friends who volunteered to taste the vinegars had never had a drinking vinegar before. They were all a bit apprehensive but up for an adventure. My friend, John Waller,  mentioned that his mom used to make him drink apple cider vinegar when he was getting a cold. Most were expecting the sharp, sour tang of vinegar. I can't say that people were all that excited to taste the vinegars... what good friends I have!


After a quick drinking vinegar history and letting everyone examine the bottles, I whipped up our tastings.

I diluted the vinegars 4 to 1, about 1/2 cup of the drinking vinegar to 2 cups water. Being very fancy and trying to keep things a little bit "blind", I used measuring cups and had Justin bring each one out. We called them sample A, B, and C. The guests didn't know which was which. I recorded comments while everyone tasted the samples.


Each person was given a small sample, one at a time. Below are the notes on each tasting. Overall I think everyone was really pleased with how the drinking vinegars tasted.

A (Apple Good Health Vinegar)

Observations: 

Darkest in color

Thicker vinegar (straight from the bottle)

Strongest apple scent

Comments:

"Really good and refreshing, strong apple presence"

"Better than expected, not sour, no bitterness"

"Hint of apple, but no bitterness"

"Sweeter than expected"

"Very light and refreshing"

"Tangy with a touch of honey"

and my favorite: 

"Hey, it is good!?"

B (Pok Pok's Apple Som Vinegar)

Observations: 

light in color

clear

very strong vinegar smell

Comments:

"not as strong as I expected"

"lighter flavor and sweetness"

"delicate"

"not as juicy"

"spicy, sweet and a little nutty"

"flatter flavor than the first tasting"

"more refined"

C: My homemade drinking vinegar

Observations:

Hardly any or no smell - apple or vinegar

Cloudy

Dull color

Comments:

"least overall flavor, the apple doesn't shine through"

"almost like a neutral water with a little tartness"

"less complex, but delicate"

"more summery because it is more refreshing"

"dry, with a tanin, and a vinegar after taste"

"in between the other two in terms of sweetness"

After the tasting we tallied up our votes - which did they think they would buy and drink again, A,B, or C?

AND THE WINNER???

Pok Pok's Som was the winner!!!
But.....when I showed the price differences between Som and the Good Health, the two store bought bottles became tied. 

This was a fun evening and I am really grateful that my friends were good sports about being taste testers. And, I clearly need to rework my recipe :) I think I will try it again with some honey :) 

So, tell me, have you tasted either of these brands? Or another one I should track down? What is your thoughts on store bought drinking vinegars?

Raw Zucchini Salad with Black Pepper Vinaigrette

We went out to dinner for my birthday and I decided to be brave and try a raw zucchini salad. I have never eaten raw zucchini or had interest in trying it. I had a feeling it would be bitter or odd textured. Well, I was in for a surprise!

I had no idea just how delicious and delicate it would be.

I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave it a try. The next night I pulled out my mandoline and sliced a medium sized zucchini as finely as I could - into long ribbons. I tossed it with a simple vinaigrette and added a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

With gardens booming with zucchini and farmer's markets hocking them for cheap you have nothing to lose. Give this salad a try. What did you think? Please report back. Am I crazy to think this tastes great?

Raw Zucchini Salad with Black Pepper Vinaigrette
1 medium zucchini
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 or more grated parmesan cheese

1. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the zucchini into long ribbons. Down the length of the vegetable.
2. In a small bowl or glass whisk the lemon juice, salt, pepper, sugar and olive oil.
3. Using your hands toss the ribbons in the dressing. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with the cheese. Eat immediately. The zucchini will soften up and release water if it rests too long. It is still good, just a little different texture.

WOW!

Look at this!

An editor at Chow.com, one of the best foodie sites on the web, is reading MY, MY little blog. :) I am over the moon.

This comes just days after the lovely Oh Joy linked to my drinking vinegar page. That link was then picked up by TheWednesdayChef.

I am feeling a little star struck. These are blogs which I love, read often, with authors I admire, and here they have stumbled across my tiny corner of the internet. I love that drinking vinegars are becoming so popular. Now I don't feel quite so crazy for pushing the tart, delicious syrup on all my friends.

I hope my new visitors continue to come back.

The Baby Eats and Lemon, Mint, Vanilla Soda Syrup

Zucchini pancakes are yummy!

 Don't worry, I won't go all baby food blog here. There are a million great baby food resource blogs out there. (If you want some of them, just email me.) My little dude has started eating real food and it is a hoot! I knew I was going to love cooking up food for my son, but I had no idea just how fun it would be to watch him eat it!

Me eating blueberry muffins? No, why do you ask?

Just the other day he was enjoying zucchini feta pancakes and an apricot. Other self feeding favorites have been roasted sweet potatoes dusted with cinnamon, whole wheat bread with hummus, and corn meal blue berry muffins. He recently discovered ice cream when I was enjoying a cone of vanilla. You can't eat in front of him without sharing, so he figured out how to lick the cone pretty fast. :)

Eating lamb in front of the lambs. So wrong, but so funny.

 The best though, was when we took him to Sundan Farms for their open farm day. They were grilling up all sorts of delicious lamb. Justin and I were enjoying the lamb chops when we hear a small but demanding voice asking for a taste. Next thing we know we have a baby squealing with joy as he tastes his first meat. He is his father's son. He spent the rest of the visit sucking on the bones. 

One of the best things about being home for the summer is all the family time we are getting. We are trying to all get out for a long walk each day. The other day, while wandering through the ally behind our house I came across a HUGE patch of lemon balm. Lemon balm is basically a mint like weed around here, popping up through our fence, giving us an almost daily chore of ripping it out. But, on this day I decided to take an arm full of fragrant stems home with me. I stopped at my neighbor's garden for a large handful of mint. Once home I simmered them in just enough water to cover the leaves, with some sugar until a dark sweet tea was made.

After tasting it I added a tiny drip of vanilla to round the lemon, mint flavor. Now we have a great syrup to make lemon mint soda with our handy Soda Steam. I also really like it mixed with my strawberry drinking vinegar.

Funny thing, the next day I was reading the Oregonian FoodDay and found a recipe for Lemon Verbena Soda. Great Minds!  :) 

Lemon, Mint, Vanilla Soda Syrup
2 large handfuls of lemon verbena, washed and stems broken into smaller pieces
1 large handful of mint, washed and stems broken into smaller pieces
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
3 drips of vanilla

1. In a large sauce pan add verbena, mint, water and sugar. Simmer 10 minutes or until the water takes on a dark tea like appearance.
2. Strain leaves from tea. Add vanilla.

3. Pour into a pretty bottle. Add a tablespoon or more to a large glass of bubbly water for a refreshing soda.

PS. I want to welcome all my new visitors! I hope you like my little blog and come back again. Please become a follower. :)

Musubi - or the perfect pocket food

The other morning while we were wandering through the Hollywood Farmer's Market we sampled a teriyaki chicken and egg musubi from the Hawaiian restaurant Ate Oh Ate. It was a delicious block of rice, egg, and flavorful chicken all rolled up in seaweed. Traditionally, it usually has Spam too, but I was happy to sample the roll without it. Spam just doesn't appeal to me, no matter how many people tell me it is really good.

This isn't raw, but looks this way in the picture!

(Side story: One of my Korean students spent a week convincing me to make Spam and kim chi stew, he even hand wrote a recipe, translated from his Korean grandma. I just couldn't do it. I used a pork chop instead, and brought him a little to try. I was informed it wasn't as good as it could be, but not bad for a teacher. High praise from a 5th grader!)
 
The next day Justin and I decided we needed more musubi. We have trying to take more hikes and get out of the house with the baby. These little rolls, packed with protein and rice, were a perfect lunch we could throw in our bag. We made a bunch Sunday evening and they were delicious through Wednesday. After reading up on musubi, turns out they are Hawaii's perfect snack food. Surfers and swimmers could tuck this in their bag and head out to a day of fun.

The hardest part of these is making the block of egg. I scrambled up 4 eggs, heated a small frying pan over low and sorta scrambled, sorta swirled the eggs until 1/2 way set. Then I put a lid over the pan and let it cook until solid. This made a nice block of egg that was easy to slice.

We used leftover boneless, skinless chicken thighs which we tossed with a little teriyaki sauce. Next time you are grilling throw a few extra thighs on and roll these up after dinner. You will have snack food for your summer adventures ready to go. (I am thinking of YOU, Mrs. Larson and your mountain biking boys.)

This is the seaweed I found at Fred Meyers

 The Japanese short grain sushi rice (which sticks together) and seaweed can be found at most grocery stores, so no need to hunt down a specialty store.

 The amount you will end up with varies on how full you pack your rolls.
Chicken and Egg Musubi
2 cups sushi rice, cooked (to make about 4 cups), slightly cooled
10 sheets of seaweed, cut in half
4-5 chicken thighs, sliced
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
4 eggs
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
cooking spray

1. Start with the eggs. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk in a pinch of salt and sugar. Heat a small frying pan over low heat. Spray pan with the cooking spray and pour in the eggs. Using a spatula slowly swirl the eggs for about a minute, or until they begin to set. Put a lid on the pan. Cook 3 minutes. Swirl the eggs again if still loose. Repeat until the eggs are set.
2. In a bowl, toss sliced chicken with teriyaki sauce.
3. When eggs are set, slide onto a cutting board (or scrape them out, which often happens to me) and slice into 1/2 inch thick strips.
4. Lay a piece of seaweed on a cutting board.
5. With wet hands grab a handful of rice and smooch it gently onto the seaweed. Leave about an inch without rice at one end.
6. Lay a few pieces of chicken and one or two slices of egg length wise across the rice.
7. Roll seaweed around the filling toward the end with no rice. It should seal itself. If it doesn't, dip your finger into a little water and run it over the open end.

These store really well in a tupperware or individually wrapped in plastic if they are going in your pocket.

Whole Grain Spring Risotto

I am still recovering from my sugar coma from eating all those s'mores I won from Enjou Chocolat! (AND the when Blogger went down I lost this post - and apparently a follower! Come back!)

Closer to home, while at the foodie event, Bob's Red Mill gave me a bag of mixed whole grains, called Grandé Whole Grains Cereal/Pilaf.  It is a mix of hard red white wheat, long grain brown rice, whole oats, whole rye, whole triticale, whole barley, white buckwheat, and sesame seeds.  I have been trying to incorporate more whole grains and beans into my diet so I was excited to try these.

The package had a risotto recipe printed on the back. I was skeptical because I think of risotto as labor intensive due to having to stir it constantly. This recipe called for cooking the grains in broth and aromatics then stirring it up. That was a recipe I could do with a new baby!

After making it I don't think I will ever go back to traditional risotto. This cooks up so easily and the flavor is outstanding! Nutty, rich, and flavorful. I have modified it from the package's directions. I have made it repeatedly with different vegetables - peas, arugula, spinach, and my favorite, leftover asparagus.

Spring Risotto
Modified from Bob's Red Mill's recipe
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
one onion, chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups Grande Grain mix
4 1/2 cups veggie or chicken broth
2 cups cooked veggies cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 - 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a lidded sauce pan over medium-high heat, heat oil or butter. Add onion. Saute until transparent. Add garlic and grains. Cook 2-3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
2. Add broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low and cover. Cook 40 minutes or until grain is tender.
3. Stir in cheese, it will begin to look creamy. Add in veggies. Adjust seasoning. Enjoy

This is extra delicious with a poached egg on it. But then again, almost everything is better with an egg on it!


In other news, my baby had his first taste of real food this weekend :) Time is flying!

Summer Camp for Culinary Kids

I am finally going to get to teach my cooking summer camp! I am thrilled! It will be held at Happy Valley Middle School and is open to kids entering 4th grade - 8th grade.

Check out my Summer Camp page for the cooking menu. We will be cooking up everything from sushi to kid comfort foods.

Know any kids in the area looking to expand their culinary repertoire? Contact me!

Price of Convenience - Grocery Delivery

In an effort to save some time on the weekends we tried grocery delivery.

I had seen advertisements for Safeway.com delivery - free with a $150 bill. I generally avoid Safeway around here, although the prices are low I feel like the quality is pretty low as well. But, Justin and I were worn out and needed a break. While sitting in my PJs I placed a large order, including stocking up on some canned goods and noodles (less to drag into the house.) The delivery guy came within the time window I requested, so that was a positive.

That is pretty much the end of the positives. Unloading the groceries, I was disappointed. Each and every produce item was in a grocery bag. For example I bought 3 cloves of garlic. They came in 2 plastic bags. Really!?! Also, I was less than impressed with the quality of the produce the chooser chose. The green beans were half rotten, the mangoes bruises, and the brocolli had icky ends. And, some of the eggs were broken. I had requested an alternative product in "note" form on the order, and it appeared to have been ignored.

I tried to call and talk to a person, but was unable to get through easily, so I gave up.

Based on this experience (we ordered twice... we were that busy and desperate and had similar experiences with the second order, ) I would not recommend Safeway.com to anyone.


New Seasons Market, a Portland local chain, on the other hand, has a great delivery or pick up service. I have turned to their delivery ($10, or sometimes free with $150) or pick up service ($5) in emergencies, post baby and holidays. Although overall New Season's produce and products are a bit more expensive the quality is tops.

The customer service from New Season's is amazing. When you call an actual human picks up immediately and solves any problems (like when you forget to add your turkey to your Thanksgiving delivery.) The produce is perfect, notes added to the order are followed through on, and if you request no plastic bagging of the produce, they actually listen.

I would highly recommend New Season's delivery.

Edited to Add - I just went to New Season's website and they are discontinuing their service as of April 24th! Whaaaa???!??
They did offer a list of alternative delivery services for the Portland area, including Safeway.com
http://www.storetodooroforegon.org/
http://www.Portlandpedalpower.com
http://www.organicstoyou.org/
www.grocerybags.com

Lincoln's Kale Bagna Cauda

I meant to write about a fabulous event I went to at the Heathman about 2 months ago, called Foodportunity. It was for food folks around Portland to network and show off their culinary creations. I had an amazing time! I got to talk to the chefs and taste delicious bites from St. Jack's, Beaker and Flask, and Koi Fusion (mmm, Korean tacos), and many others.  I did pretty well, chatting up folks, pretending I was some big time food blogger...until I saw my chef hero.

There was Jenn Louis, of Lincoln behind the table serving up a delicious salad with crab and fennel and blood oranges. I have talked about her restaurant here and her baked eggs here.

I went red, then speechless. I am in awe of her talent. Helpfully, my friend managed to carry on a conversation with Jenn and her husband while I gobbled my salad, unable to make eye contact. Then, as we were walking away I made some vain attempt at conversation.

"I love the food, I mean, when I was really pregnant, I was at Lincoln, and the food, kale, yum..." I tried.

The ever gracious Jenn smiled and said, "Oh, email me and I will send you the recipe. It is easy!"

So I finally did.

Oh, and in my celebrity shocked state I didn't even notice her T-shirt with the words Sunshine Tavern printed on them. It wasn't until later that it occurred to me to ask what it meant. Turns out they have a new casual dining place which just opened. I am headed there next Thursday to check it out. I can't wait to try the homemade honey softserve!  I am sure it will be another home run for Jenn Louis and her husband. I will report back!

Here is the delicious kale recipe that I had while very pregnant :) I am so glad she shared it. Dining out is a very rare treat now, so I am glad to be able to make this at home.

Recipe from Jenn Louis at Lincoln Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. 
Kale Bagna Cauda
1 lb of kale, tough stems removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter  
1 1/2 teaspoons chile flakes
3 small cloves of garlic, sliced very thinly 
8 anchovies, packed in olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice  (or half a lemon to squeeze) 
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Blanch kale in salted boiling water until wilted and chalky flavor disappears. Shock kale in ice water until very cold.
2. Remove kale from ice water and squeeze to remove all excess water.
3. Slice into thick ribbons and set aside.
4.   In medium pan warm olive oil, butter, chiles, garlic and anchovies over medium heat.  Use the back of a fork to break up the anchovies. Flavors will meld and anchovies with dissolve.
5. Add kale and warm though.
6. Squeeze lemon over kale, season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  Serve.

The Meadow: Salt Block Cooking

Photo by Amy Wing (Apples and Mozzerella)

Portland (and now New York City) is so lucky to have an amazing little salt shop, called The Meadow.  Although they are known for their amazingly diverse salt selection, the shop walls are lined with salts, chocolates, wines, bitters, pepper-mills and flowers. But the most unique offering is the Himalayan salt blocks. These 600 million year old rosy blocks of salt are a little known culinary curiosity. You can cook, serve, or cure foods on them. I was lucky enough to be given a block as a birthday present a few years ago. I have only served cheese and desserts on it, but was curious to see what else I could do.

Photo by Amy Wing (tuna sashimi curing)

Cue The Meadow's cooking class.

A few girlfriends (including Amy Wing, who took all of these photos!) and I signed up for an evening of wine and salt block cooking. The shops owner, Mark Bitterman (author of Salted: A Manifesto), demonstrated the diversity of the salt block. He started us with green apples and fresh mozzarella. It was wonderful. After a few minutes the tartness of the apples was gently salted while the sweet mozzarella just seemed richer after resting on the cold salt block. The next bite was sushi grade ahi tuna which began to cure when rested on the block. It was phenomenal! Apparently, if the raw tuna gets left on the block for too long it turns into jerky. It is easy to forget just how powerful salt really is!

Photo by Amy Wing (flank steak on a white hot salt block)

For the next demonstration Mark slowly heated a large block over a flame until it changed from the rosy glow to an opaque white. He quickly seared flank steak while explaining that a heated block can be (carefully) brought to the table and cooking done at the table top. The meat was done in a minute and was delicious, while delicately salted.

 Photo by Amy Wing (beginning to make fondue in a hot salt bowl)

Dessert was a surprising treat. A salt bowl was heated and chocolate, cream and cardamom bitters was stirred into a fondue. We dipped bananas and graham crackers into the delicious mix.

 Photo by Amy Wing (Adding bitters to fondue)

The interesting part of salt block cooking was that it imparts very little salt to the dish, but the impact of the cooking surface makes everything more fun (and probably that makes it more delicious). My girl friends and I left imagining an evening of salt block ceviche and seared steaks done at the table.

My only critic of the class was that it was really more of a demonstration then a class. We watched and listened to Mark while enjoying glasses of delicious wine and bites of the finished products. Well, and a few chairs would have been handy. I was worn out after a few hours of standing. That said, I highly recommend seeking out this class, and the shop if you are in Portland or New York City.

 Photo by Amy Wing (salt blocks, aren't they beautiful!)

(Soon I would like to spend a little more time exploring their huge selections of salts, chocolates and bitters)

You can sign up for a Meadow's cooking class here.

Coffee Beans

My neighborhood is getting more and more great shops! Yesterday, while walking with Levi, I wandered into Mr. Greenbeans. What a find of a shop! Not only do they have a large selection of green coffee beans for the home roaster (and all sorts of roasting paraphanalia), they also have tons of home preserving supplies. I saw kefir, kombucha, yogurt, and exotic sour dough starters. I am now pondering trying the different yogurt starters to discover the flavor differences. There was also soap making supplies, canning jars, and cheese making kits!

The owners were so friendly. They mentioned that they will soon be having cheese making classes and selling their own roasted coffee. I can't wait to try it. Ever since Blue Gardenia closed Justin and I have been on the hunt for small batch roasted coffee. (Why yes, I am a coffee snob! :) )

Currently, we are really liking Clive Coffee.We met the owners at a fundraising event while I was pregnant.  They generously gave me a pound of the decaf. I think decent decaf coffee is difficult to find and Clive's was spot on. Rich and delicious. You wouldn't know you were drinking decaf if someone didn't tell you.

We are now enjoying their regular coffee - we are partial to the Ethiopian Yurgicheffe bean right now. The beans are very reasonably priced for the quality. Stumptown will always be a favorite, but it has been fun trying small roasters around town.

Any other coffee recommendations? Have you ever roasted your own coffee? How did it turn out?

Lincoln's Baked Eggs - Homemade! Update

I was thrilled to see Lincoln's baked egg recipe posted in an interview with the owner/chef Jenn Louis. I couldn't wait to make it at home and see if it the recipe would be as delicious as it is in the resturant. I had nothing to fear, it turned out wonderfully!

I baked 5 eggs instead of 2 (in my friend M's baking dish... don't tell her). I did have to extend the baking time to 17 minutes - but that was the only change to the recipe.

I toasted up about a cup of crushed, dried baguette (from our Bahn Mi sandwiches) in a tablespoon of butter until it was fragrant and golden. I used about 1/4 of a cup on top of the eggs - and froze the leftovers for future dinners.

We rounded out our perfect summer meal with a cherry tomato salad and thick slices of good, chewy bread. This would make a great brunch, lunch or dinner!

I wished for a glass of wine - but that will have to wait until after November! I give this recipe 2 thumbs up!

Homemade Drinking Vinegar

Anyone who has visited my house knows my obsession with drinking vinegars. I offer a bubbly fruit/tart drink up to anyone who sits at my table. It can take some convincing of first timers that this vinegar does really taste wonderfully refreshing. They are growing in popularity, especially here in Portland. Pok Pok, a terrific authentic Thai restaurant, has made drinking vinegars practically mainstream.

I written about them before, and even made a cocktail using apple drinking vinegar in my Food Network application video. I have been purchasing bottles of fruit flavored vinegars at the Asian market. Apple, lemon, and strawberry vinegars have been my favorite.

Strawberry and peach drinking vinegars. The raspberry was drank very fast!

Drinking vinegars, from what I can tell, have a history in both the American South and all over Southeast Asia. It is a syrup created with fruit, fruit juices, a base vinegar and sweetened with sugar. When mixed with bubbly water it makes a sweet tart soda. Add a splash of gin or vodka and you have a fabulous cocktail.

I have been thinking about attempting homemade drinking vinegar for a while. Being pregnant, and off the cocktails, encouraged me to come up with interesting nonalcoholic drinks. A kitchen counter filled with u-pick strawberries, raspberries and peaches was all I needed to push me into experimentation.

The whole process took a week, but really only about an hour of hands-on time. I am very pleased with the results - sweet, tart, and fruity. Any juicy fruit would work. I can't wait until fall to try an apple and pear flavored vinegar. This is a pretty loosey-goosey recipe, but just adjust sugar to match your tastes.

Homemade Drinking Vinegars - makes about one quart
1 pint fruit, or 2 cups chopped stone fruit
3-4 cups white vinegar (I think a rice vinegar would work well too)
1 1/2 - 2 cups white sugar

1. In a clean quart jar add fruit and smoosh with a spoon until juice is released. Top off the jars with vinegar. Push fruit under the vinegar if it floats.
2. Cover the top with a clean cloth napkin and secure with a rubber band. Leave in a cool place for one week. (At this point you have a fruit vinegar for salad dressings)
3. Strain vinegar to remove fruit solids into a sauce pan. You should have about 3 1/2 cups of liquid.
4. Add sugar and bring mix to a boil for 5 minutes. It should thicken a bit.
5. At this point I would do a taste test. Mix 3 tablespoons with a large glass of seltzer. Is it sweet enough? If not, add more sugar and boil until the sugar melts.
6. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge. Use as needed.

PS. A yummy cocktail recipe: In a large glass mix 3 tablespoons of strawberry drinking vinegar, shot of vodka, squeeze of lime and top with seltzer.

Bahn Mi Birthday Party

Have you eaten a Bahn Mi sandwich?
It is an amazing flavor Vietnamese sandwich that combines grilled meat, crunchy baguette, cucumber slices, pickled veggies, jalapenos, herbs and sauce. Sometimes you can also get pate added to the mix as well. They are absolutely delicious. We usually pick up a few at Best Baguette, but have been wanting to try and make our own.

Yesterday, I celebrated my birthday with a homemade bahn mi fest with my family. Although there are many parts to the sandwiches, it only takes about an hour to get everything ready for assembly. It is a great party food because everyone can make up their own sandwich (or sandwiches, as is the case with my family!) Throw in a salad and you are done!

We bought the pickled daikon and carrots at the local Asian market, but here is a recipe to make your own.

We found the recipe for the pork marinade recipe from Battle of the Bahn Mi, a website that will answer ALL of your bahn mi questions. I hope you try this recipe out for your next get together. This makes enough for about a dozen sandwiches.  

Bahn Mi Pork Sandwich 
For The Pork:

3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, thinly sliced
8 cloves crushed garlic
8 table spoons of fish sauce
8 teaspoons sugar
6-8 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper. If you like the spice and flavor, add more!
3 minced shallots, or 1/2 of a small onion minced

1 cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoon of sesame seed oil 

To Make the Pork:
1. Marinate meat in all the ingredients for at least an hour.
2. Heat up a large skillet and pan-fry 2-3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
3. Slice into thin strips and load up onto a baguette!


For Sandwich Sauce: Mix together
1/2 cup low-fat mayo
1 tablespoon fish sauce

For Sandwich Assembly
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
2-3 jalapenos, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro
4-6 cups pickled daikon and carrots
12 6 inch baguettes or a larger baguette cut into pieces

To make up the sandwich slice the baguette length-wise, pile on all the ingredients and slather on a bit of the sauce. Enjoy!