wild boar + lentil stew with kale + fennel

February 6, 2012 //
1

this could be another episode of ‘cleanin’ out my fridge.’ i found myself with a bunch of winter veggies, and because i will soon be leaving town i needed to use them up. this time i made a stew.

what i had in my fridge:

  • 2 wild boar italian sausage, about 6 oz each, casings removed
  • 3 small carrots
  • 5 stalks celery
  • 3 small fennel bulbs
  • 2 leeks
  • 1 bunch kale
  • a little garlic + shallot mix, minced (less than a tbsp)
  • 4 cups homemade turkey stock (which is likely more concentrated, flavorful and healthier than store bought, so take that into consideration when you add additional water, and seasoning.)

plus a few things from the pantry:

heat about a tbsp of oil to a large pot, and add sausage breaking apart with wooden spoon while cooking.

add carrots, celery, fennel, leeks, kale, garlic and shallot, with additional oil if needed. add a sprinkle of salt. let cook down until a bit soft, about 5-10 minutes. add several cranks from a peppermill.

add lentils and stock, plus 4 cups of water. bring to a boil. add kale and reduce to a simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 20-30 minutes depending on how tender you like your lentils.

s+p to taste. add a good splash of dry sherry, and mix in for a few minutes.

note: honestly before i added the sherry, i felt it needed some sort of acid, tang or just another level, and the sherry did it. i was thinking of even a citrus like lemon juice, or a vinegar, or maybe even brandy, but i think sherry was the right choice.

makes about 8-10 cups.

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delicious devilish deviled eggs

February 6, 2012 //
0

ingredients:

  • 8 hardboiled eggs, halved lengthwise, yolks removed and set aside
  • 3-4 tbsp mayo
  • 1 tsp sweet relish
  • 1 tsp whole grain dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp horseradish
  • 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • dash of cayenne
  • s+p
  • paprika for dusting on eggs
  • 1 cornichon, sliced thin, for garnish
  • dill or fennel sprigs for garnish

use a fork and mash the yolks in a medium bowl. add mayo, relish, mustard, horseradish, vinegar, cayenne, salt + pepper and whisk together until combined well. dust egg whites with a little paprika. i just used my fingers with pinches dusting high over the eggs to make it uniform, and i still didn’t get it how i wanted. note: my first go around at this was a disaster, which i did so after i had put the filling in the whites. there was paprika everywhere! i ended up scooping out the filling, washing the whites with cold water and starting a new. 

i used a pastry bag with a flower type tip to distribute the filling, but i’m sure using a small spoon works just as well, it’s just not as pretty. i topped mine with a cornichon slice and a sprig of fennel top.

transporting them in my vehicle turned into disaster number two. note: just putting them in a pie dish and covering them with tinfoil just doesn’t work, plain and simple. i wish i would have taken the advice in cook’s illustrated’s the new best recipe cookbook:

“cut a clean piece of rubberized shelf or drawer liner to the size of the dish…with relatively high sides- a square plastic storage container with a lid is perfect. place the fitted liner on the bottom…the liner keeps the eggs from sliding.”

or i might need to invest in something like this:

this was my first attempt at making deviled eggs, and though i had major paprika and transport snafus, they still turned out delicious. regardless how devilish my eggs act next time, i will be prepared.

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Categories how to, recipes

shared custody of ‘craft of cooking’

January 29, 2012 //
3

recently i went to las vegas to visit my friend (and guest blogger) elia, who was in town to run the half marathon. you would think the night before her big run we would hit the best italian place for pasta, but thankfully we didn’t. we ate at tom colicchio’s restaurant craftsteak at the mgm casino. it was one of the best meals i have ever had. we let our server marvin run the show with the three course tasting menu and wine pairing. boy oh boy did he hook us up. it was an insane amount of delicious food, and the wines were perfect. after the meal i sought out marvin, because i was interested in the artist who painted the cow art on the walls. he came back with the artist’s card, and a bag with a complimentary copy of ‘craft of cooking.’ we were floored. not only did we just have a perfect meal, but our waiter gave us a gift? wtf?!

as we were packing to leave the next day we weren’t sure what to do about the cookbook. elia said ‘you should take it. i don’t want to lug it on the plane back to mexico city,’ where she lives, but i knew it’s because she’s incredibly generous and selfless. it dawned on me that we could share it. we decided once i made one of the recipes, i’d make notes and/or alterations in the book, and send it on to her. then in turn, she would do the same.

the first time around i was ambitious, and made four different recipes:

  • grilled hanger steak with bordelaise sauce
  • puréed parsnips
  • pan-roasted hen of the woods mushrooms
  • poached pears

the hanger steak came from mccall’s meat + fish. it was such a nice cut of meat it really just needed a little salt and pepper, and was put on the grill for less than 5 minutes a side.

the bordelaise sauce took quite some time cooking down, but was so flavorful it was worth it. i didn’t even use veal stock like the recipe called for, but just regular store bought beef stock from trader joe’s. i wonder how amazing it would be to use real veal stock?

the puréed parsnips were so simple it was ridiculous.

hen of the woods mushrooms are incredibly expensive, so i did a medley and added some oyster, yellowfoot chanterelles, and hedghog as well.

i also made a root vegetable and bok choy gratin from tamarind brought to me via the tasting table, which complimented this meal wonderfully.

i couldn’t find bartlett pears at the market, but there were bosc and red d’anjou, so i used them instead.

for now i just put my notes on post-its, but who knows how long this book will be passed back and forth, so i’m thinking i’ll just make the commitment and pen them in the book itself.

the whole meal was a huge success, and the only thing missing was my friend elia.

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the pie hole

January 23, 2012 //
1

today is national pie day, and in honor of such an important holiday, i bring you a tempting look into my favorite little pie shop located in downtown los angeles: the pie hole.

as you may know by now, i have a love of pie that exceeds the average person, and i can be highly critical of such tasty delights, including my own. since opening only a few months ago, i have been to the pie hole several times, tried a range of their pies both savory and sweet, and other than them running out of pie (often before the closing time of 9p) it has yet to disappoint. on that note, it’s a good idea to call ahead, check their twitter feed, or facebook page before heading down in the early evening hours just to make sure they haven’t sold out. there are plans to expand the kitchen in order to accommodate a clearly successful pie-loving niche.

they rotate the pie selections seasonally. every 2-3 weeks new one’s are added to the menu to test out, others go away and/or come back, and depending on what ingredients are fresh, local, organic, and frankly…just plain quality, there is always something tantalizing to taste. other than your typical slice of pie, they also have pie bars, pot pies, whoopie pies, pocket pies and other play-on-pie creations.

any of these are paired very nicely with a top notch coffee with beans from groundwork, a selection of teas, other cold beverages like juices, and even mexican coke.

the decor is simple but inviting, and spacious for such a small place. most things wood, including the tables and counter, were made by matthew, one of the founders, and are complemented nicely by the metal chairs and stools. located across the street from wurstküche in the arts district, it seems to fit snuggly in this cool street art laden neighborhood just perfectly.

pie is definitely the new cupcake.

the pie hole • 714 traction avenue, los angeles, ca 90013 • 213-537-0115 • open tuesday-sunday 11a-9p or until sold out (closed monday)

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pershing square farmers market: priceless

January 11, 2012 //
0

this morning not only did i find myself without coffee in my cupboard (oh the horror!), but also not much was in my fridge either. thankfully, made, the cafe and gift shop next door at the downtown women’s center has delicious coffee from groundwork, and helped me out with my daily caffeine fix. now i could think about food. i am working the next couple of days and only need a few things to tide me over until i am able to make it to one of the bigger markets this weekend. i just wasn’t going to make the trip all the way to the wednesday market in santa monica. while perusing twitter, sipping on my dirty chai latte, the downtown news tweeted that the pershing square market would be open today between 1130-2p. having never been, i thought this might hold me over for a couple of days, or at the very least, get me out on my trusty steed for a quick ride.

albeit small, it had a decent variety of produce stands, and the gama farms stand even had eggs. often these smaller markets have zero options as far as meat, dairy and eggs, so i was thrilled. in addition to a half dozen eggs, i picked up an onion and garlic. they also had potatoes, citrus, and honey.

the stand next to them had many different greens and herbs, potatoes, daikon radish, some squash, green beans, and even sugar cane.

i was also happy to see arnett farms, which i often hit at the hollywood farmers market, and has some of my favorite citrus fruit. i chose a couple satsuma mandarins, a blood orange and a cara cara orange. why not? it is cold and flu season.

total cost $12.50:

  • 1 head of garlic, 1 red onion, 6 eggs: $3
  • 1 bag of green beans, 1 bag of mixed salad greens: $4
  • 1 bunch of carrots: $2
  • 4 pieces of citrus fruit: $3.50
  • 1 gallon of gas saved by biking: – $4
  • total price for my bounty: $8.50
  • getting out for some much needed fresh air and exercise: priceless.

in a pinch, your smaller local farmers market can be just what you need…get your vittles and save on fossil fuels to boot.

if you live in los angeles county, here is a list of california certified farmers markets in the area. in the greater united states, the usda has this farmers market search available.

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lobster stock: what to do with it?

December 27, 2011 //
5

ever have a huge lobster dinner party with so many leftover shells it seems silly to just throw them away? probably not…or at least not very often. i was fortunate enough to be invited to such a party at my friend’s house this past fall. her husband caught the crustaceans himself, along with more uni (sea urchin) than i’d ever seen at any sushi bar. after gorging ourselves on so many of these california spinys we were bursting at the seams, there were a few leftover, and piles of shells. they sent me home with a bag of shells and a whole lobster! i had bisque on the brain…but first, the stock:

i had never made a lobster stock before, so i started with the fish stock recipe from the weston a. price foundation article ‘broth is beautiful’ and added in a few things of my own.

ingredients-

  • 4-6 lobster shells
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 onions
  • 4 carrots
  • 7 celery stalks
  • 1 cup fennel tops, chopped rough
  • 4 plum tomatoes
  • 7 shiitake mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp thyme, several sprigs
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sherry
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 2 tbsp coarse hannapepe salt
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

note: if your lobsters were grilled, clean the shells of any excessively charred parts.

melt the butter in a large stock pot with the onions, carrots, celery, and fennel. cook until softened a bit. add the tomatoes, mushrooms, parsley, thyme, bay, garlic and lobster shells. toss with softened veggies. add sherry and wine and let cook for about 5 minutes.

cover with cold filtered water, add salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer for 2-3 hours.

using a slotted spoon discard the largest pieces of shell.

then pour the rest through some cheese cloth lining a colander or mesh strainer. press down on the bits to exude any remaining juices.

chill overnight in the fridge. skim any fat off the top.

divide broth into different sized plastic containers in order to freeze and use in the future.

some ideas on how to use your hearty and flavorful lobster stock:

i did end up making lobster bisque, and it turned out fine…

…but since then i had the pleasure of having tom colicchio‘s version at craftsteak in las vegas, and i am now on a mission to recreate his. so, until then i’m not going to waste your time with my recipe when i know there is a better one out there…and by better, i mean absolute perfection and fantastic. i would be ashamed and embarrassed to post my meager recipe.

i did make a thai-style soup recently, inspired by my fellow food blogging friend spencer h. gray’s post on his blog omnivorous, using lobster stock, baby bok choy and shrimp, plus many of the ingredients he has listed.

considering i have never made a risotto, why not try a bivalve risotto made with lobster stock? i’m thinking mussels and clams from the oyster boys at the hollywood farmers market are in my near future.

note: since posting this i did make a wild mushroom risotto with lobster stock and it was lovely.

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gift idea: a recipe book

December 24, 2011 //
0

although ’tis the season, this idea works well really for other occasions during the year such as birthdays and showers. for a bridal or wedding shower, it’s fun to contact some friends and family of the couple and ask them to send you their favorite recipes to add to the book.

you will need:

  • 3 ring binder
  • tab dividers
  • clear sheet protectors (i prefer side loading)
  • labels
  • recipes

most office supply stores have nicer versions of the above supplies, so you can personalize it a bit.

collect some of your favorite recipes and print them out on 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper. if you are able to print in color, it’s always nice to have a pretty picture along with the recipe. slide them in the clear sheet protectors. put a two-page recipe in front to back, so it is easy to click out of the book as needed.

you can also arrange them on opposite pages so when the book lies open it is spread out or able to be put in a cookbook holder. the plastic has the added benefit of easy clean up to those chefs that tend to splatter about when cooking.

label the tab dividers with categories such as main courses, sides, desserts, or beef, poultry, fish…however you want to separate the divisions.

make sure to leave some of the sheet protectors empty so the receiver can add some of their own favorites.

label the front, or if the binder has a slot to add a sheet of paper on the front, perhaps print out a pretty picture of food or get creative with a personal design.

wishing you a very merry christmas, happy hanukkah, fantastic festivus, kickass kwanza, sunny solstice, and most of all a wild, fresh + tasty 2012!

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kale + almonds sautéed in wine

November 19, 2011 //
0

this is the kind of recipe that amounts really vary and ultimately are to your own taste, but put them all together and it’s a winner, winner great with a chicken dinner…or fish…or steak…or…

ingredients:

  • slivered almonds, toasted
  • olive oil
  • kale, chopped
  • green onion, white and green parts, sliced thin
  • wine, red or white
  • wine vinegar, red or white
  • s+p

toast the slivered almonds until golden brown, and set aside. heat some olive oil in a pan that has a cover. add the kale and onion and sauté until just coated with the oil, and sprinkle with some salt. add a decent splash of wine (just use whatever is open and/or have on hand) and toss. let it steam for a few minutes covered, stirring occasionally until the liquid is evaporated and the kale has softened a bit. toss in the almonds and add fresh cracked pepper to taste. finish with a light splash of wine vinegar, type dependent on what type of wine used to steam the kale and onions. serve immediately.

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mf gourmet @ grand central market: eggs benedict + fresh bread

November 16, 2011 //
2

ever since working at al’s breakfast in dinkytown during my college and post-college years at the university of minnesota, i have been highly critical whenever ordering eggs benedict. don’t get me even started on the one at bottega louie which i sent back twice. nick’s cafe has a pretty good version, but i have yet to find one that equals the one at al’s, especially the hollandaise sauce. the one at mf gourmet in grand central market comes close. they make their’s with applewood smoked bacon (which i prefer to canadian style), kendor farms eggs, on top of fresh baked baguette. i was skeptical because the hollandaise looked a bit thin, but the flavor was all there, and even though it didn’t quite have the lemony taste of al’s, it was combined so well with the quality ingredients i didn’t even miss it.

grand central market is filled with meat and fish vendors, produce stands and restaurants, but mf gourmet is unique because their

“offerings are prepared from scratch, executed by skilled artisan craftsmen…[they are] committed to sustainability, through locally sourced ingredients when available…with health and nutrition always in mind.” (from their website)

they only have a small counter covered in brown craft paper with maybe 8 stools (reminiscent of al’s too), so i assume during busy lunches there could be a bit of a wait.

the menu is on a chalkboard, sugar comes in a lidless canning jar, s+p is in tiny metal cups, and tea is served in pretty floral cups on saucers. cute touches all around, not to mention, the coffee is good as well. also, in order to promote cake pops la, we were given complimentary desserts!

they only have two items for brunch right now: the eggs benny, and french toast with potatoes and bacon. they do have a more extensive lunch menu including a burger, fresh pasta, and a fish of the day.

besides being able to purchase a few basic items at the counter to take home, such as apples, select cheeses, potatoes and garlic, they also have several different fresh baked breads and pastries to choose from.

i chose sourdough. the loaf was so big i wondered if i would be able to eat it all. no problem…three days later it was gone!

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street art + making dreams come true at pizzanista!

November 4, 2011 //
1

a couple months ago while on a bike tour on my 5 year anniversary of living downtown, i was tooling around checking out places i hadn’t been before such as the bradbury building, angels flight, and the central library, but also taking in a lot of the street art that has become a prevalent movement here in los angeles. i stopped into angel city brewery for a beer and read an article in the downtown news about a new pizza place called pizzanista. since i was famished from biking around all day and it is located on the south end of the arts district near to where i was, i thought i’d check it out. on my short trip there, it took me past some of the most impressive murals i had seen yet, by the artist roa i recognized from the show ‘art in the streets’ that was just at the geffen contemporary at moca this past spring and summer.

also fitting is that the owner of pizzanista, salman agah, is an ex-pro skateboarder, which is often a scene linked to street art. the music playing is always a wide mix. the last time i was in it went from the yeah, yeah, yeahs ‘heads will roll’ to musical youth ‘pass the dutchie’ in one fell swoop. the interior is small, has only a few tables, and a handful of stools that you can belly up to at the front window. the menu is on a large chalkboard on a brick wall and the red padded chairs and the wood panelling reminds me of an old-timey pizza parlour.

i have been back a few times, and salman is always there. he’s always super friendly, saying hello like he remembers me, and even if he doesn’t, he genuinely makes me feel like he does. it’s my new favorite pizza place…hands down the best downtown, and dare i say in all of los angeles? there are a couple places that i like, such as two boots and damiano’s, that get that crispy yet chewy crust, but pizzanista takes it one step further and combines fresh (and as much as possible organic), delicious, and quality ingredients into some incredible tastes. for example, their latest special: pumpkin pizza with sage, shallots, ricotta and fresh arugula. i, for one, don’t think pizza is pizza unless it has two ingredients: cheese and tomatoes. i don’t get ‘white pizza’…never have, never will, so i was a bit hesitant to try the pumpkin pizza, but it sounded so wonderful i just had to.

the pumpkin sauce was a great substitute for tomato, and the rest of the flavors complimented everything so well, i forgot about the tomatoes…well almost.

this morning i was dreaming about ordering a pepperoni pizza from pizzanista just before i woke up. no lie. thankfully i slept in so it wasn’t too long before i could take off on my trusty steed and head over to my new local pizza joint for lunch, and make my dreams come true.

a slice of pepperoni and a slice of mushroom, onion and ground beef. oh and they have mexican coke!

pizzanista!  • 2019 e. 7th street  los angeles, ca  90021 • 213-627-1430 • closed mondays

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