Sweet Fennel, Tart Apple

A simple and wonderful accompaniment to a lunch - Fennel and Apple Salad. 

Thinly sliced fennel and thinly sliced apple.  About 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, juice of half a lemon, half a teaspoon of salt, a heavy grind of pepper and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Toss together and let it sit 20 minutes. Enjoy on a hot day or any day. 

A Salad Revolution

Something hit me today. I love love love salad but I dislike very much going to the grocery store and spending $20 to buy fruits and vegetables so that I can cut off a quarter of it to make my salad for lunch. Sure if I were home more I could utilize the fruits and veggies for dinners and what-not but that is not my reality. I work nights, in a restaurant, that feeds me. 

Today I got a late start to my day. I wondered what I should eat for lunch. I was kind of craving these little smoked salmon nuggets that Whole Foods makes. Since there is a Whole Foods on my way home from the gym, I made the stop. I decided I wanted salad. A huge bowl of salad to go with my little salmon nuggets. I spent almost 10 minutes just trying to decide what package of lettuce to get. I ventured over to get my salmon. Then I thought - well shoot, what am I going to top my salad with? 

I looked at the vegetables and they all looked amazing. heirloom cherry tomatoes, tight and bright fennel, colorful radishes. Of course its all sold by weight and I can't very well cut off the fennel fronds or strip away the radish greens - and then a new idea hit me. The salad bar. 

Sure I am buying a package of greens. I plan on using a special vinegar I have at home for the dressing. But why not save the prep time and worry about waste when I can visit the salad bar and get exactly the topping I need. I grabbed a container and put in mushrooms, onion, corn, peas, radish and bell pepper. There were also carrots, olives, beans, chickpeas, nuts, hot peppers, and a few other veggies. I was pretty happy with my stash of veg. Knowing the secret to profit in a salad bar is the weight I was nervous as I watched the check out gal ring in my lunch cheat. $3.51. Not bad. There will be no waste, its all fresh, and that is less than I would have paid for a single red bell pepper. I'm going to call this one a win. 

How to dress a Salad: 

Place greens in a large bowl. Drizzle on about 6-8 shakes of a good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Now drizzle about 9-10 shakes of a special Vinegar (I am using Apero brand Passion Fruit Vinegar). Toss the salad lightly. Taste for correct seasoning. Add on your salad bar veg and get a big ole fork!!! 

January - newsletter

January – hitting the restart button. I don’t do resolutions. I came across a quote (at the gym of all places) that read “A goal without a plan is only a wish”.

Well my January wish is to start working on a plan to reach my goals instead of believing they are for down the road. Here is to 2015 – surely the best yet.

My holidays were spent away from family but with close friends. There were a few holiday shin digs that happened where I was able to make some tasty treats. 

<---Holiday party Chocolate Cream Puffs

New Year’s White Cheddar Gourges---> 

Given there were only 6 of us on New Year’s and we got a late start on the 7 bottles of champagne, there were left over bubbles. I came across an easy way to make my own Champagne Vinegar. I figured I should probably try it out since I do not regularly have an unfinished bottle of champagne.

Champagne Vinegar

This is pretty simple. Put flat champagne in a canning jar with cheesecloth spread across the top. Allow to sit for 5-6 weeks. 

Winter months bring out some of the best of one of my favorite citrus fruits – Meyer Lemons!!

Feeling inspired by a recipe I caught on television I made some sweet treats that were a huge hit.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Glaze

To go with them probably the best ice cream recipe I’ve got up my sleeve.

Meyer Lemon Ice Cream

Russian Tea Cakes

Christmas cookies were always a big deal in my family. My mom would take extra time off of work every year in December to make batches and batches of Spritz, Vanilla Crescents, Chocolate Oatmeal No Bakes, Fantasy Fudge, and Russian Tea Cakes. It was my job to run them to the neighbors houses or ride shot gun with my dad to deliver them to friends all over town. They became a firm favorite of my friend Natalie, so when I made a plan to head north to Seattle to visit her I knew I had to make a batch for her.

SEATTLE
On my visit up to Seattle I stayed with my friend Natalie. One of my favorite Seattle spots is The Walrus and the Carpenter but having been there a few times already, I thought it was time to visit a new Renee Erickson restaurant. Natalie and I had happy hour at The Whale Wins were we shared the Sardine Toast. Next we moseyed over to the Ballard Annex for Oysters and bubbles and were joined by our friend Emily. Next stop was a couple of drinks and the Kickin’ Boot. Having indulged in too many an array of beverages the first night there was an equally slow start to the next day. Once out and about I made it over to a relatively new restaurant with an inspiring concept called The London Plane. This restaurant is part of a larger restaurant group which includes the well known Sitka and Spruce, Bar Sajor, and Bar Ferd'nand.

London Plane was very busy even for late lunch. Upon walking in I attempted to take in the atmosphere and decide what my motive was. The restaurant, I believed to be more bakery but  it became evident that lunch and dinner are the main attractions. London Plane also sells flowers, home goods, and specialty food ingredients. I took a seat at the bar and decided on a bowl of Ham and Bean Soup and a cup of coffee. On my way out, I gave a quick peak at the pastry counter and picked up a couple tiny cookie treats.

A week earlier I met a man named Eric while having dinner in Portland. He happened to be having dinner at the bar and talking about some cider product to the bartender and me being me, butted in to get the spiel as well. Turns out Eric is one of the owners of Two Beer Brewing, as well as, Seattle Cider Company. Eric invited me to come in and see the digs and take some tastes while I was in Seattle.  Eric gave me a fabulous tour of the current facility as well as the expansion and some great history on the two companies. I had asked what the name 2 Beers meant to them, he explained that Life is a little more honest after 2 beers. While sitting in the tap room I was able to taste a couple great limited edition ciders; Gin Botanical and Three Pepper and also was able to enjoy some tasty beers; Wit, Dark Pale, and two different IPAs, and a great Stout. All around great products and a wonderful story that surely will keep my attention in their direction.

Souper Saturday: Celeriac Soup

Sure you see this thing, looking bulbous and maybe dirty, with teeny roots coming out and it’s easy to pass. Celeriac is a rarely known gem. Being the bulb of the celery plant it has a sweet mild and lightly starchy taste. I like it boiled with potatoes for mash, roasted with other veggies in the oven, or simply pureed into soup.

I garnished mine with some crisped Apple wood Smoked Bacon. This soup is gluten and dairy free and smartly satisfying when the temperatures drop. 





Recipes to follow soon. 

A Winter's Salad

Winter Salad

I’ve worked in the same restaurant for three years now. I have had everything on the menu, a time or two. It gets boring. Sure we have specials and I am able to customize my own food but still – I like food so I need flavor and change quite frequently. 

I work at a pizza restaurant. While I am not pizzas biggest fan ever I do recognize it as a Friday classic, family quick meal, and overall great vehicle for getting in all food groups (if you build it right) into your mouth without requiring a plate or fork. 

Due to a season special finding a permanent spot on our menu we had to find ways to utilize a couple of the ingredients throughout the menu to make it food cost friendly. Thus was born a kale salad on our menu. 

I will admit, when it first was mentioned I thought – kale really? I prefer mine cooked, sautéed with bacon and onion, dropped into vegetable soup, or baked crispy in the oven.

This is MY take on our kale salad, which I find perfect for a winter lunch.

In a large bowl, tear equal parts Kale and Red Leaf Lettuce into 1 inch pieces. Toss the greens with a sherry vinaigrette. Sprinkle on shredded carrot, sliced pepperoncini, diced bacon, 2 tablespoons of sweet dried cranberries, 2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and 2 tablespoons crumbled chevre cheese. 

I’m not at liberty to share my companies recipe for Sherry Vinaigrette but if I were to make it at home I would take a small jar and put in it 2 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon, a pinch of salt and pepper, and about 6 tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil. Bonus if you have a couple cloves of Roasted Garlic you can smash and add in. Then put the cap on the jar and shake, shake, shake. 

Mussels

I grew up with hamburger helper meals and Americanized Austrian cuisine. When I thought about “comfort foods” growing up and even through college I conjured up the smells of Goulash and Schnitzels and Beef Stroganoff. Today when I think of comfort food it is a dutch oven pot full of vegetable soup or a large bowl of steaming mussels. 

Mussels take only minutes to cook and I wish more than a few minutes to eat! I prefer my mussels cooked in a beer broth instead of a sometimes more popular white wine broth. I have a little ritual where I use my fingers to take one of the mussels from the shell and eat it right up and then use that shell as my ‘tongs’ to pull out each and every mussel after that, even using the mussel shell as a small spoon for the broth. Using a shell actually slows down the scrumptious mussel eating process and allows me to savor them just a little bit more. The best part of the whole meal though is the freshly cut levain bread with charred grill marks that can be dipped and dredged in the warm tangy rich broth.

Mussels used to intimidate me because they need “cleaning”. I quickly learned this is as simple as grabbing the fuzzy ‘beard’ of the mussel and ripping it down towards the hinge of the mussel. A light rinse under cool water before going in the pot and the job is done. 

Mussels in Beer with Italian Sausage

¼ Lb. mild Italian Sausage

2 Tbs. Butter

1 Shallot sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic sliced thinly

1 bottle Beer* ( I used a German Pils)

1.5 Lbs. cleaned Mussels

2 Tbs chopped Parsley

Grilled and Sliced crusty bread

In a deep sided pan over medium high heat, drop Italian Sausage in small pieces. Brown completely and then remove to a plate and set aside. Melt butter in the pan and add shallots and garlic. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes without obtaining too much color. Pour in beer and then drop in mussels top with the pans lid. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until all the mussels have popped open. If any mussels do not open toss them because they may not have been alive when placed in the beer. Sprinkle with parsley.  

  I usually toast my bread over a grated grill plate until grill marks appear.

* A note on beer: I would recommend any beer except for porters and stouts. I used a German Pils and have used hefeweizen and even a pumpkin ale in the past. IPAs would be great as well if you like the bitter taste.

Molly and her Banana Bread

A lot of books are coming out with compellations of the authors recipes. When I first started reading on my kindle I found myself frequently downloading a book and realizing that it was a “recipes included” story and I would give up reading it on my kindle because I wanted to find it in hardback. This has happened with David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris, My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss, and A Homemade Life from Molly Wizenberg among many others. When I was reading A Homemade Life, I remembered really loving the recipes, as in each one I came to I said to myself “I want to make that! Tonight!” But I quickly gave the book up hoping to catch it again in hardback for my collection. 

One of my closest friends lives in the Ballard area of Seattle and I like to go up whenever I can sneak away to visit her. She is a self-described foodie. When I come up to visit she usually sends me 3 or 4 restaurant ideas and then lets me chose the winner.  On one occasion I was coming up to attend her bridal shower the next morning. Her mom was in town for the shower as well and had been reading a book by an author from Seattle who happened to have a restaurant and that is where mom wanted to eat dinner. My friend approached this delicately with me because this restaurant was a pizza restaurant and given that I currently work in a pizza restaurant I have publically vowed to not eat pizza while I work at a pizza joint because life is too short to eat that much pizza…. I thought this place sounded special though. Let’s check it out!? My friend continued to tell me that the restaurant also boasts a book of its same name and that I should check it out. Delancey. 

This same day that I was talking with my friend I ran into a neighbor and while we were talking I mentioned that I would be headed up to Seattle for the weekend. My neighbor said to me with much enthusiasm – “You must go to this restaurant I heard about, it’s called … oh shoot I forget… Oh man, the lady also has a blog, which reminds me of you… let’s see the blog is called… Orangette! Oh yes, Delancey.“ Well that’s funny, I say, because that is where we are going! 

When it rains it pours. It was funny to me how this chosen restaurant choice would lead to me reading her books and blogs and how such close influential people both brought Molly up to me and they just knew I would relate and love and cherish what she has done.

This post isn’t about my Delancey visit though because that occasion deserves its own post. But while we were at this restaurant my friend brought up that the lady who wrote Delancey is the one who wrote A Homemade Life. Why does that sound so familiar? Oh wait! I own it. I should probably read it again.

Sure enough as I started reading I came across recipe after recipe thinking to myself “I want to make this! Tonight!” So I did. Molly and I agree on the dislike for eating a banana but baking with bananas is glorious. So I purchased bananas to purposefully leave on my counter and let brown. And then I made her fabulous banana bread with chocolate and crystallized ginger. It was suggested to me to make this cake in a round instead of the traditional loaf and this made me so happy. I used a spring form pan for easy removal. 
This just might be my favorite way to make quick breads now!!

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger
Makes 1 loaf or 1 8-inch round cake

Molly Wizenberg

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 large eggs
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup well-stirred whole-milk plain yogurt (not low or nonfat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350F. Grease a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch round spring form pan with butter.
2. Melt the butter on the stove or in a microwave and set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate chips and crystallized ginger and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla and stir to mix well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir gently with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides as needed, until just combined. Do not over mix. The batter with be thick and somewhat lumpy, just make sure all the flour has been incorporated. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
5. Bake into the loaf is a deep shade of golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 minutes to an hour. If the loaf seems to be browning too quickly, tent with foil.
6. Cool the bread  in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then take bread from the spring form pan and let it cool completely before slicing. The bread freezes well wrapped in plastic wrap and again in foil to protect from freezer burn