chicken piccata

May 10, 2011 //
4


serves 4

ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless + skinless, sliced horizontally and pounded out thin
  • 2 large lemons, one halved pole to pole and sliced, remaining 1 1/2 juiced for about 1/4 cup
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine

place a large heat proof pan on the middle rack and heat oven to 200°.

generously sprinkle s+p on the chicken cutlets. put the flour in a shallow dish or plate. coat cutlets with flour and shake to remove excess.

heat heavy bottomed 12 inch skillet (not non-stick) on medium-high until hot for about 2 minutes. add 2 tbsp of the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. put half the cutlets in the pan, and without moving them, cook until lightly browned on the first side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. turn them over and cook the second side for another 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. remove the pan from the heat and place the cutlets in the warming dish in the oven. add remaining 2 tbsp of oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. repeat the process with the remaining chicken.

add the shallot to the empty pan and return the skillet to medium heat. sauté for about 30 seconds. add stock and lemon slices. increase the heat to high and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. add lemon juice and capers. simmer again until it reduces to 1/3 cup. turn off the heat and swirl in butter until it melts and the sauce thickens. swirl in parsley.

spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

i enjoyed mine with green beans sautéed in butter and lemon, and artichoke with balsamic mayo.

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today at the farmers market

May 8, 2011 //
5

spring has come and summer is close. i could tell just by seeing all the new colors this morning at the hollywood farmers market. cherries were everywhere! there is something about that bright red color that just pops surrounded by all the green. they haven’t quite reached their peak, but i don’t give them long. i may go back later this week and get a bunch more. since they’re still a bit on the tart side, i find them good for a pie, and who doesn’t like homemade cherry pie?

it was nice to see fava beans and fresh peas still around, and the first of the summer sweet corn was being shucked. i can’t wait to make grilled mexican corn!

here is some of the loot i brought home today:

also, an update to a post i wrote this past week about the south central farmers who were displaced from their original home at 41st and alameda. some of the families moved to bakersfield to continue the cooperative, and as it turns out i got artichokes and squash blossoms from them this morning:

the other really exciting thing to see was tomatoes. i think they are the produce i look forward to the most in the summer. i’m not sure what is my favorite way to eat fresh tomatoes: caprese salad, gazpacho soup, or perhaps just a simple blt?

in sad news, i actually overheard someone say in passing, “i think i am going to get my tomatoes at trader joe’s,” and i thought to myself (wtf!) ‘clearly she did not pass the stand with the rainbow of heirloom tomatoes that i just saw!’

on my way out, i ran into my friend the farmers market fairy, which reminded me that not everyone has the time, energy, or even the knowledge of how to shop for what is good at the market. lucky for those of you who live in the los angeles area, here is a shameless plug: you can have her do it for you (for a fee of course). she really knows her stuff, and will also go to other specialty shops as well if needed, such as mccall’s meat + fish, the cheesestore of silverlake and the like.

so that was my morning at the market. i will be doing occasional updates from time to time, and if you didn’t pick up on it, there were a few hints to what is to come here on wild, fresh + tasty this summer.

cheers!

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mucho mas: a cinco de mayo review

May 6, 2011 //
3

my friends don and john have an annual cinco de mayo celebration that they like to call ‘cinco de drinko’ at a restaurant in burbank called mucho mas. it was the first time that i was able to make the festivities, because in years past i have always been working. the inaugural meeting occurred on may 5th, 2005 starting at 5:55p with 5 friends, and don said he had 5 margaritas. well the gathering has grown extensively ever since, including the amount of margaritas, and there are hopes of a webcast next year.

being that the event started at an hour that no one in their right mind wants to get on the freeways in the los angeles area, coupled with the fact that i would indeed be imbibing myself, i decided to hop on my trusty steed, head to the subway, and skip the headache of friday traffic, a dui, or encountering someone not responsible with their drinking. when i got out of the (un-airconditioned) subway at the north hollywood station (quite a climb of stairs with not such a light bike), i had a lovely 10 minute ride down the chandler bikeway. needless to say when i arrived to my destination, i was fairly parched. within moments john poured me a refreshing margarita on the rocks with salt, and even though i am not a huge margarita connoisseur (i personally like them a bit more tart and not so sweet) it was the perfect way to start really nice evening with friends old and new.

after a couple of those, i decided i should eat something, especially if i wanted to able to bike back to the subway upright later that night. i ordered the carnitas tacos, which is regular go-to for me at a mexican restaurant. my feeling is that it is really hard to screw up carnitas, and if they do, it’s a deal breaker.

the pork was flavorful and juicy, and not too fatty, which is all i ask for in carnitas really. i could have used a little bit more of the browned crispy outside of the meat, but i think that is more luck of what the tongs put in your tortilla than anything. it was served with a side of beans and cheese, guacamole, salsa fresca, and a spicy salsa. the salsa fresca was mostly tomato, and not enough onion, cilantro and jalapeño, but the spicy salsa had a good kick to make up for it. i was just thankful that john’s adorable 3 year old daughter april was there to help me eat it, because it was a lot of food.

ultimately it did it’s job and filled my belly, so the constant refills of margaritas had something to land on over then next few hours. i met some new peeps, and caught up with some i haven’t seen in years, which is always a really nice way to spend a night. i could have stayed much longer, but knowing i still had to get myself back downtown at a decent hour, i took off on my bike and headed toward the subway. i was happy knowing i’d be back next year: saturday, may 5th, 2012 at 5:55pm, with at least 5 friends, number of margaritas tbd.

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urban gardening: south central farm

May 3, 2011 //
3

a few years back i worked on a documentary about some trees that were being transported from a south central dirt lot in los angeles to huntington botanical gardens in san marino thanks to the annenberg foundation. it was june of 2007, and i had just moved to downtown los angeles the previous fall, so i was pretty stoked that i had such a short drive to work, but when i showed up to 41st and alameda, less than a 10 minute drive south, i really had no idea what had inhabited this plot of land not so long ago. sadly i didn’t know much about the back story. i am sure at the time i was told what the project was about, but in the midst of a 14 hour day in the dirt, heat, and running my ass off loading film, it really came down to a paycheck and not the cause.

i do remember thinking what a cool thing that they were saving these trees and transporting them to the huntington gardens. i also remember absolutely loving the lunch. it was some of the most authentic and delicious mexican food i have ever had.

(even back then i was taking pictures of my food.)

i remember the passion of the filmmakers, and after a very long day, the director made a point to come up to each of the crew personally and thank us. that just doesn’t happen all that often.

cut to present day, when i have developed an interest in making my own garden while living in an urban setting. i hear about a documentary called the garden, which is about the south central farm. i vaguely remember my friend rafiel (who also worked on on the tree documentary) telling me that it was somehow connected to the one we worked on. it was nominated for an oscar and i like documentaries, so i biked up to old bank dvd and rented it. tears welled up in my eyes within 5 minutes. this was the precursor to the tree documentary that i had worked on a few years back.

after watching the garden, i was pretty frustrated and pissed off. i was amazed that jan perry, my city council woman, and ralph horowitz, the owner, had full control over whether or not they were going to let these farmers continue and stay, and that they let their egos and greed direct them.

this was one of the biggest urban gardens in the country covering 14 acres. members of rage against the machine helped to raise money at a benefit concert, and celebrities such as daryl hannah, joan biaz, and danny glover tried to make a difference, by locking themselves to trees and making calls to the mayor. when the annenberg foundation offered to purchase the land for the 16.3 million dollars mr. horowitz was asking for it, he said in an interview with nbc4,

“even if they raised $100 million, this group could not buy this property. it’s not about money. it’s about i don’t like their cause and i don’t like their conduct. so there’s no price i would sell it to them for.”

what a prick.

some of the farmers have moved on.

ultimately, what an amazing venture, to have an urban garden of such substance in los angeles, and really, in one of the more industrial areas. it’s really too bad it had to go. it has been almost 5 years since the farmers were evicted. this what the lot looks like today:

clearly mr. horowitz has put his land to good use.

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cornell chicken

May 3, 2011 //
0

the creator of the original recipe for cornell chicken was robert c. baker, a professor and inventor at cornell university, hence the name. oddly enough, he also invented the chicken nugget and numerous other poultry related innovations, which happen to be in the processed food world, so not my favorite innovations. america’s test kitchen’s off shoot cook’s country made some adaptions to the original recipe for the backyard grill:

serves 4 to 6

note: i cut this recipe in half and only used one chicken. it would easily serve 2-4 depending on hunger, and dark meat eaters.

chicken-

  • 2 quarts water
  • 3 1/2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 2 (3 1/2 to 4 lb) whole chickens, butterflied and halved

seasoning and sauce-

  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
  • 2 tsp + 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp  + 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

1. for the chicken: whisk water, vinegar, and salt in large bowl until salt dissolves. add chicken and refrigerate, covered, for 1 to 2 hours. do not brine the chicken longer than 2 hours or the vinegar will make the meat mushy.

2. for the seasoning and sauce: combine poultry seasoning, 2 tsp salt, and 2 tsp pepper in a small bowl; set aside. process vinegar, mustard, sage, rosemary, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. with blender running, slowly add oil until incorporated. transfer vinegar sauce to a small bowl and reserve for basting chicken in step 4.

3. heat all grill burners on high for 15 minutes, then turn all burners to medium-low. (for charcoal grill, light 75 coals; when covered with fine gray ash, spread evenly over bottom of grill. set cooking grate in plate and heat covered, with lid vents open completely, for 5 minutes.) scrape and oil cooking grate.

4. remove chicken from brine. pat dry with paper towels and rub all over with poultry seasoning mixture.

arrange chicken skin side up on grill and baste with vinegar sauce.

grill, covered, until chicken is well browned on bottom and meat registers 120 degrees, 25-30 minutes, basting with sauce halfway through cooking. baste the chicken carefully, as any excess will drip onto the fire and flare up. also, depending on your grill, times will vary. mine is fairly hot even on low, and reached optimum temperatures quicker. flip chicken skin side down and baste with sauce. continue to grill, covered, until skin is golden brown and crisp and thigh meat registers 170 to 175 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes longer. transfer chicken to platter (do not cover) and let rest 5 minutes. cut into pieces and serve.

honestly the picture doesn’t do the final product justice. it is simply a really easy way to make grilled chicken that results in crispy skin, with tangy, flavorful, and extremely moist meat.

enjoy!

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fava bean salad

May 1, 2011 //
0

fava beans are all over farmers markets these days. my earliest memory of them is hannibal lecter’s famous quote in silence of the lambs, which may, or may not, have led to my reluctance of ever trying them. fortunately, i must have mis-read a sign, and picked some up a couple of days ago. once i had shelled a couple, i realized they were not what i thought they were. so, i asked my friend the farmers market fairy what she thought they might be. fava beans? huh. ok, well i guess i’ll google them and see what comes up. npr actually did an article about them a month or so ago with a recipe i thought i’d try.

i had to adjust it a little, because i only had chèvre goat cheese and some pre-grated pecorino on hand. it turned out pretty good, but i think with the chunks of cheese they suggest it would have turned out a little less pasty. to compensate i put it on a bed of greens which seemed to help. i might also try substituting some of the parsley with mint or basil.

i’m not sure how it would pair with liver and a nice chianti though. i would recommend a grilled swordfish or chicken breast with a sauvignon blanc.

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homemade chicken stock

April 30, 2011 //
7

when i first made homemade chicken stock i could not believe how easy it was. although the process is long, the actual ‘work’ time is short, it makes your home smell incredible for the entire day, and the health benefits are great.

ingredients:

  • 3 lbs of chicken parts, roughly the bones/carcass of (2) 3-4lb chickens
  • gizzards and livers (optional)
  • 2-4 chicken feet (optional)
  • 1 onion, quartered with skin and roots
  • 3-4 carrots, unpeeled with tops
  • 1 garlic bulb, cut in half through the center of the cloves
  • ½ of a bunch of celery, leaves and butt included
  • fresh herbs, several stems of each such as thyme, rosemary, sage
  • 1 tbsp of black peppercorns
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • fresh parsley, several whole stems with leaves

place all the ingredients, except the parsley, in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour. this allows the vinegar to start extracting calcium and brings the water to room temperature. it is thought that gradual heating brings out flavor.

bring it to a boil.

skim off any scum that rises to the top. reduce to a simmer and cover for 6-8 hours. add the parsley about 10 minutes before you take it off the heat. strain the broth through a mesh colander. press down on the veggies, meat, bones, etc to extract any remaining juices. let it cool before letting it chill in the fridge overnight.

skim any fat that has come to the surface.

pour into different sized containers and freeze. this is helpful in the future when recipes require different amounts of stock.

the benefits:

i have based my recipe off “broth is beautiful” by sally fallon, which is a very informative article that tells of the many benefits of making your own stock. among them it says homemade stock has minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur in a form that can be easily absorbed by the body. it also contains chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine which are known to help arthritis and joint pain, as well as, gelatin that has been shown to treat many different kinds of ailments including diabetes, cancer, and at the very least aids in digestion. back in the day when meat was a luxury item, or even scarce, every part of the animal was used in some way or other. fur and feathers were used for warmth, the meat for nourishment, and the bones were made into stock, but…

“when homemade stocks were pushed out by cheap substitutes, an important source of minerals disappeared…thickening effects of gelatin could be mimicked with emulsifiers but the health benefits were lost.”

i am not sure what the process is for the producers who make boxed and canned stock, but i wouldn’t be surprised if they took short cuts, and that the nutritional value of theirs not matching making your own.

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crunchy breaded oven baked fish

April 29, 2011 //
1

this has been adapted slightly from an america’s test kitchen recipe, and is one of my favorite ways to cook fish. i love to use halibut, but i find since it is breaded, cod works just as well. since the halibut was out of my price range, and the fish guy at the farmers market didn’t have cod, i thought i would try out rock fish. it worked well, but i prefer a fillet that is a bit thicker and flakier.

crunchy breaded oven baked fish

4 (1-1 1/2 inch thick) white fish filets such as halibut, cod, or in this case rock fish, 1/4 to 1/2 lb each

pre-heat oven to 350°.

bread crumbs:

  • 4 slices white sandwich bread, torn up
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 tbsp parsley, minced

process bread, butter and s+p for 8 one second pulses for coarse crumbs. spread on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until brown. toss in shallot and parsley and let cool.

increase oven temp to 425°.

batter:

  • 2 whole eggs
  • 3 tbsp mayo
  • 2 tsp horseradish
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 5 tbsp flour

whisk together all ingredients, except flour. add and whisk in flour separately to make batter.

pat fish dry, and sprinkle with s+p on both sides, then:

  1. dredge in flour, and pat off excess
  2. coat completely in batter
  3. pack on bread crumbs

place on a grated baking sheet.


bake for about 18-22 minutes or it registers 140° with a quick read thermometer. serve with tartar sauce recipe below.

tartar sauce:

  • 3/4 cup mayo
  • 2 tbsp capers, minced
  • 2 tbsp sweet pickled relish
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
enjoy!
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linguine and clams in a red sauce

April 26, 2011 //
4

this was my first foray into making clams this way, and it turned out so well i will surely do it again. fyi, most clams you get at grocery stores and fine fish markets have already been purged of the sand, but it is always a good idea to ask. also, i have gotten clams from 2 different vendors at different farmers markets and one purges them and one did not. again, it is a good idea to ask. sandy clams are a really good way to ruin a delicious meal.

2 servings:

  • 2 lbs of clams, such as littlenecks, scrubbed and purged
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, 1/2 inch dice
  • 1 cup basic tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
  • s+p
  • 4 oz of cooked linguine (roughly 1/4 of a package of dried pasta), boil the water while prepping the other ingredients and the timing turns out pretty well
  • parmesan, grated

in a large sauté pan (with a lid) heat the oil, toss in the garlic, red pepper flakes, bell pepper and cook until soft and golden, about 5 mins. add the tomato sauce and wine and bring to a boil. add the clams, stir around a bit so they are not on top of each other, and put the lid on.

wait for the clams to open. they should open within about 5-8 minutes, and if not throw out the ones that don’t.

use a fork to take the clams out of their shells, toss in the fresh parsley and cooked linguine . add s+p to taste. serve with grated parmesan.

enjoy!

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father’s office burger: a review

April 22, 2011 //
2

when i get together with my friend john i know at the very least we will talk about food, more than likely we will be eating food, and without a doubt, we will be critiquing food. today we met at father’s office in culver city.

now, i have had the burger once before, and enjoyed it, but i didn’t put much thought into the details. knowing john and i have enjoyed a few burgers together, and discussed good and bad points of all, i figured he would be the perfect person to help bring my thoughts into a concise review. right off the bat, we are both not a fan of the basket presentation, but that did not weigh in on our feelings about the burger itself.

the bun: i thought the french bread roll was a good compliment to the burger. since there wasn’t any sort of crisp toppings like raw onion, lettuce or tomato, i liked the slight crunchiness of the roll. john favors an actual bun.

the toppings: caramelized onions, bacon, gruyére, maytag blue, and arugula. the bacon was somewhat non-existent, there was just a bit too much arugula piled on, and i liked the combination of the two cheeses, but the star of this burger was the caramelized onions. they were reduced down into a compote with a sweetness that almost reminded me of a bbq sauce.

the meat: i ordered mine medium and it came medium. it had good flavor and a good balance of browned on the outside, as well as, pink and juicy on the inside.

the price tag at $12 seems a bit steep, especially since you have to order fries separately. all in all, it was a good burger, and i would order it again, but i might try other things on the menu next time.

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