Earthy Delights

Back to something simple

2011-09-14T22:29:00.000-04:00

Summer season winding down, time to get back to some of our haunts
Art's

Wed. is ... chicken jalapeno soup day
Presentation is unpretentious

flavor is great, esp. when you can get a bowl late in the day, when the jalapeno's have infused the broth

Burger on the side (they grind their own) topped with bacon and bleu cheese sauce, chased with Bell's Oberon.

Nova Scotia

2011-08-29T10:20:00.003-04:00

It's been a while, sorry, pretty busy
May go back and "fill in the blanks"
For now, wrapping up trip to Nova Scotia and a post on ... Lobster

As a committed (sorta) Locavore, we try to go for what is local on the menu.

We'll start with the Press Gang with family
Went for the Lobster Duo (iPhone photo)
Started with
Nova Scotia Mussels
Dragons Breath cheese and leek (no photo)

Champagne butter poached claws with caper and garlic basted tail, parsnip and creamed leek puree, dried cherry couscous

Good food, great service, ancient house (stables I believe)
On the list

Next up : The Bicycle Thief

Charcuterie plate (no photo) worth consideration, then

Handmade Ravioloni stuffed with Fresh Lobster, mascarpone, chives, shelled Lobster garnish, Parmigiano fonduta, dusted with crispy crumbs - YES

A tavola non si invecchia

At the table with good friends and family you do not become old.

How to maintain the lobster a day?

Why with Lobster Mac&Cheese at Salt Shaker Deli in Lunenberg (SWest Coast)

Then there's always Chow-da

and

or just start the day with Eggs Benedict - Nova Scotia Style

and lest we forget ... Seafood Fettuccine

Yum

2011-05-21T17:16:00.001-04:00

Long week, so we went to one of our local favorites
La Be'casse
Chef Guillaume Hazaek Massieux cooks "country french", sometimes with a Caribbean twist

On last night's special's list for appetizers was this Foie Gras - Creme Brule'e ... decadent

Photo is with a couple bites taken.

It's time - Asparagus

2011-05-15T11:33:00.002-04:00

Mark Bittman’s Asparagus Recipe Flow-Chart - NYTimes.com: "It takes effort to maintain a sense of seasonality with asparagus, given that it has become a year-round product. But right now even the stuff in supermarkets may come from a local source — so that the stalks snap rather than bend when you apply pressure and the aroma and flavor are fresh rather than simply strong."

I will admit to using asparagus year round, but now is the time for fresh and local product.

Asparagus Festival next week in Empire (MI), and we're moving fresh local product from Cherry Capital Foods

Mark catalogs many ways to prepare it.

The Tates

2011-05-03T19:48:00.030-04:00

Last day of our visit, we took in "The Tate's"
Tate Britain in the morning, the the river ferry to the Tate Modern with lunch at the Modern's Restaurant

Very nice for this sort of venue
We had to sample the pork belly

slow roasted, with pea shoots and a black pepper honey vinaigrette

the girls both chose the potato-leek and wild garlic soup

For the main, and because we had not had a chance to try yet - Fish & Chips

All washed down with a nice ale - London Pride - quite fitting

Next day we were up and out early, catching our plane home

Breakies

2011-05-02T09:48:00.000-04:00

Brief post from London
Breakfast : Italian Prosciutto Crudo, bit of mild cheese Organic "Wholemeal Seeded Bloomer" (toast) and Orange Juice ...

Sunday Roast

2011-05-01T12:53:00.018-04:00

We survived the wedding and were off to Sunday "Roast" a british tradition at the local pub.

The Havelock

Opened in 1996 the Havelock Tavern is one of London's original gastro pubs. Unlike many others that have come and gone since, we have changed very little over that time. Rather than become a restaurant in an old pub building, we focus on being a pub that serves really good food. The atmosphere is lively and informal so that anyone can eat, drink and feel at home. We don't take bookings and orders are placed at the bar. We are not trying to be sophisticated, but aim to provide you with a good, relaxing time.

Menu changes daily, but I suspect that they always have a roast beef ...

I started with smoked salmon on some beets - nice

and the Roast

good dollop of horseradish ... of course

all chased with a couple pints - sorry, no notes taken on the ale

London recap

2011-04-29T11:35:00.003-04:00

Back from visit with our daughter and her husband who now live in London.

They have access to a nice variety of cuisines within short walks.

Arriving early AM (about 8) after a red-eye flight, we settled in and went for breakfast
Cafe Rouge which had the look and feel of a neighborhood bistro, until I started this post, I didn't know that it was a national chain. Very nice.

The next day ...
Light lunch while doing some grocery shopping with our daughter - Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's Italian"
I was looking forward to the "English wild boar salami - From the Cotswolds" ... alas, they were out,
settled for the "seasonal cured meat plank"

Main was bucatini Carbonara "Tubular spaghetti with crispy fried smoked pancetta and ribbons of leek, tossed with eggs, thyme and Parmesan cheese" while the women picked other pastas (sorry, I forget which).

We had to try the Posh Chips (we consider them french fries) with "Insanely good truffle oil and parmesan" ... had to send those back for the truffle oil - sorry.
Our daughter chose MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO 2009 GRAN SASSO for our wine - nice.

more ... BACON

2011-04-26T18:15:00.004-04:00

Bacon - Maple syrup sunday

In season

2011-04-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

When Digging for Ramps Goes Too Deep - NYTimes.com:

Long revered as a spring tonic — a nutritious green treat after months of dusty potatoes from the root cellar — ramps grow wild in the woods from Georgia to Quebec. In the South, ramp festivals have been held for generations.

But since the early 1990s, the garlicky allium, with a slender white bulb, dark red stem and succulent green leaves, has gone from a Southern belle to a big-city starlet, with breathless articles in glossy magazines, top billing on restaurant menus and a paparazzi-like reception when the first crates arrive at farmers’ markets in April. And while many people have never understood what the fuss was about, the local-food movement and a growing interest in wild and foraged plants have fueled demand and pushed prices as high as $12 a pound.

New place

2011-04-24T18:29:00.001-04:00

Thanks to good friends, I got a chance to try a new place this past week

Enso - East Lansing, MI

Although I only had a salad (wedge blt :Crispy Wedge of Romaine, Smoked Bacon, Tomatoes, Gorgonzola Bleu Cheese Dressing) we'll be back ... when time allows.

Good to find someplace new here.

Some foodie "Apps"

2011-04-10T11:57:00.001-04:00

We caught part of The Splendid Table yesterday

April 9, 2011 : The Splendid Table with Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Always an enjoyable listen

The following caught our ear: iPhone apps

Ratio Smart Phone App: Video Demo | Michael Ruhlman:

"This application will be of special value to anyone who works in a kitchen and to any and all culinary students. And you chefs, authors, and bloggers who develop your own recipes, this application provides the trunk from which a thousand variations branch off. I hope you’ll have a look!"

and

Fooducate: "We’ve recently launched an iPhone app, simply called Fooducate. The app lets shoppers make better, healthier choices at the supermarket. It empowers you with all the tips and tricks we’ve been writing about on this blog."

With the Fooducate iPhone app, you can
- Automatically scan a product barcode
- See product highlights (both good & bad)
- Compare products
- Select better alternatives!!

We’ve got over 160,000 products in our food database, and growing daily. When you scan a product, our software analyzes the information found in the nutrition panel and ingredient list, and comes up with a rating and a tidbit or two explaining the product.

You get to see the stuff manufacturers don’t want you to notice, such as excessive sugar, tricky trans fats, various additives and preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, controversial food colorings, and more…

Just for fun (and flavor !!!)

2011-03-20T21:23:00.002-04:00

One can never have too much

Money

Sex

Horsepower or

BACON

Bacon All Day : Men’s Journal

Sanibel Florida, culinary highs and "not so highs"

2011-02-24T10:28:00.000-05:00

We've been coming to Sanibel for a couple of decades.

Notes on a few meals this year, omitting such culinary "experiences" like Cheeseburger Cheeseburger (with grandkids of course)

We try to make an annual stop at Lazy Flamingo mesquite grilled grouper sandwich and a beer. Their slogan "if our seafood was any fresher, we'd be serving it underwater" ... not great, but a tradition.

Another tradition, we've managed most every year is The Mad Hatter
Always good, though after some other meals over the last decade or two, we've become a bit broader in our expectations.
Shirley went with
Goat Cheese Pillows "Crispy goat cheese pillows wrapped in phyllo with roasted green onion & spinach finished with a strawberry & port wine reduction" while I tried the garlic roasted oysters
We both went for the Mad House Salad
"Mixed organic baby greens, sliced pear & candied walnuts tossed with our house shallot & red wine vinaigrette, garnished with raspberry coulis & crowned with tempura Gorgonzola"
For the Main, Shirley chose

Grilled Filet Mignon "Grilled Buckhead filet mignon with fresh Béarnaise sauce served with yukon mashed potatoes & grilled asparagus" and I went with Black Truffle Sea Scallops
"Pan seared panko & black truffle encrusted dayboat sea scallops finished with a caramelized shallot beurre blanc served atop whipped Yukon potatoes & julienned zucchini & squash"

All with a nice bottle of Sonoma Coast Vineyards Chardonnay
Very satisfying.
No photos - have not been toting my camera, and iPhone doesn't really do justice.

Another on our list is IL Tesoro
Cozy (small) where we joined others at the "Chef's Table" next to the kitchen
For Shirley it was Contadina di Pollo: "sautéed chicken with grilled eggplant, mushrooms, a touch of cream and roasted peppers in a Cognac sauce topped with mozzarella" she felt it could use a bit more seasoning.

I started with Smoked Salmon Carpaccio: "lemon caper vinaigrette, red onion, creme fraiche, wild arugla and roasted red pepper." which met expectations.
Then on to Veal Chop Piedmontese: "porcini, black truffles, a touch of cream & white truffle oil over parpadelle pasta" Excellent ... grilled to perfection, med-rare, I sliced it thin and savored with the pasta and sauce ...found the last piece of bread to polish the plate.
I chose to pair it with Ripasso Valpolicella

Saved room for desert.
Shirley had the "fruit cake" while I went with the orange sorbet
The sorbet : a whole orange was hollowed out, filled with orange sorbet, then frozen - at first I couldn't get my spoon into the rind - then spotted that there was a "cap" and could scoop out the delicious treat.

They got my vote.

We'll skip family meals like carry out sandwiches and pizza - nothing to write about there

Finally for consideration is Thistle Lodge
Shirley was pleased with Beefsteak Tomato & Mozzarella Salad "Basil Puree, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Syrup" but a bit disappointed with her bone in pork chop, while I was pleased with the
Truffled Beef Bresaola Carpaccio "Cured Shaved Beef Tenderloin, White Truffle Oil, Olive & Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade" delighted with the Seafood Trio: "Seabass, Scallop, Prawns, Forbidden Rice, Brown Butter, Smoked Clam Buerre Blanc, Saffron Nage"

Respective house red and white with our dinners, skipped desert.

Springtime dreaming

2011-01-30T12:23:00.000-05:00

Mushroom dreams

While we wait, shameless plug for Earthy.com

Mushrooms Fill in the Blanks for the Meat-Free - Temporary Vegetarian - NYTimes.com:

"“The morels smell like fresh moss in the spring,” said Mr. Vongerichten, an owner of 28 restaurants in New York and around the world. “The chanterelles, for me, are like the field, like fresh grass, and slightly sweet. The shiitake, I would say, the bark of the woods. That’s where they grow.”

“Mushrooms have memories for me,” he said.

For vegetarians, mushrooms provide something much more substantial, a meaty succulence and satisfying texture that can be missing from a meat-free diet. They have a remarkable variety of forms and tastes, and take on deeper, richer flavors when saut�ed, steamed, roasted or grilled."

Yum

2011-01-16T12:41:00.000-05:00

I try not to tout Earthy Products too much, but this one is great

Our standard sunday breakfast - bacon&eggs shredded potatoes, but this time a drizzle of

BLiS Tahitian Vanilla Maple Syrup on the potatoes

So nice

Trattoria Stella, Myles and pigs

2011-01-12T09:05:00.002-05:00

Myles Anton: I'd like to do a shout out. Basically, I had this idea that I wanted to do this whole animal thing this winter. And then Cherry Capitol Foods-which supplies local produce to restaurants-they had a class called "Pigstock" to teach local chefs about butchering. I was like, "Wow! This is perfect. That's what I want to do at the restaurant this winter." It was a three-day seminar this November. We went to a farm in Marion, which is where I got my first pig. We actually slaughtered the pig ourselves and cleaned them and processed them and learned how to do all these things with them. That kind of got me going. It was perfect timing. My first pig was a Mangalitsa heritage pig from that farm in Marion. The pig I got this past week: it was a different pig, a cross breed of Duroc and Yorkshire from Land of Goshen farms in Kaleva, near Arcadia in Benzie County.

Charcuterie

2011-01-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

Brian was one of the presenters last Nov at PigStockTC

High on the Hog - Hour Detroit - January 2011 - Detroit, MI:

"In France, charcutiers have plied their trade since the 1400s, and salumi is a cornerstone of Italian cuisine. Only recently has it become a trend among American chefs. Offal offerings are now de rigueur for some of metro Detroit’s creative menus, with such spots as Detroit’s Angelina Italian Bistro and Novi’s Toasted Oak Grill & Market offering diners daily selections of in-house cured meats. At Forest Grill in Birmingham, chef-owner Brian Polcyn’s charcuterie expertise is evident in the offering of a Charcuterie Assortment Du Jour. Polcyn, who co-wrote Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing, teaches charcuterie at Schoolcraft College."

How Not to Wreck a Nonstick Pan - NYTimes.com

2010-12-27T21:48:00.000-05:00

Posted so that I have a reference

How Not to Wreck a Nonstick Pan - NYTimes.com

Good stuff in any case - on care and use of non-stick pans with a few things for yours truly to learn

Michael Ruhlman on cooking

2010-10-28T04:17:00.000-04:00

Just watch it

Had Something to Say - Cooking on Vimeo

On cooking

2010-10-09T20:50:00.000-04:00

Excellent piece by our friend Eric Patterson (Cook's House)

from behind the stove: Advice to young line cooks:

"the stove doesn't care who you are"

Good Stuff

2010-10-09T11:35:00.000-04:00

Chefs Name Top Food & Restaurant Trends Of 2010

A National Restaurant Association's survey of more than 1,800 chefs at the end of 2009 found that (according to the 1,800 chefs), restaurants with gardens ("e.g. rooftop, back-yard, communal") would be the hottest restaurant trend of 2010. The gardens were followed in restaurant hotness by cooking classes/demonstrations and street food and mobile food trucks.

The chefs were also surveyed on what would be the hottest food trends overall in 2010, with locally grown produce, locally sourced meats and seafood, sustainability, bite-size/mini desserts and locally produced wine and beer rounding out the top 5.

Mission Table - The Team

2010-08-16T21:56:00.005-04:00

It's been a while, but it's been a busy summer

We're spoiled with 3 James Beard House nominees for Chef of the Year Great Lakes, two within a couple miles of us.

When we need to get out, or to entertain, we have La Becasse and blu nearby.

We're spoiled

But last Wed, we had a treat.

After a day with co-owers of Earthy and Cherry Capital Foods (started with breakfast at Foothills Cafe then off to staff meeting at CCF) ... we had reservations, joined by spouses at Mission Table

Well, turns out that not only do we all supply chef Paul, but have gotten to know him over the last few months.

Shall I say we were treated well - no, better than well.

A great evening, great friends, great food, great atmosphere.

I doubt that I can cover all the dishes, we ended up turning the dinner into an extended tasting meal.

I only got a few shots ... iPhone

Starting with :

A Diver Scallop on pork belly with chanterelle's (Earthy of course) and some fresh corn, asparagus puree ... every bite was wonderful.

Next ... into the "appetizers"

I only caught one on camera ... we got too much into the conversation and food.

Fresh tomato bisque' with goat cheese - a bit spicy and wonderful

Other tastings - all shared

A lamb chop, Chapman Farms Beek Cheek Taco (wow), pickled beets, Risotto with corn and truffle butter, asparagus with quail egg and ... BLT (Tempura fried applewood bacon, zenner farms tomatoes, Mike Werp greens, green apples)

We then shared a Baker's Chicken, Walleye, Short Ribs, and a few I lost track of.

Desert : well this was indeed special

Star Thistel Honey from Santucci Farms, for Honey Ice Cream, on a biscuit made with Mangalitsa Lard (light and flakey) with apricot preserves...

Solstice dinner

2010-06-22T08:42:00.000-04:00

We had a late supper at blu

blu | Inspired Cuisine

Amuse buche : tiny blintz with a dab of sour cream and freshwater american caviar

Amuse buche 2 : comped some fresh made sausage served warm on bed of pea shoots

I went for the Pork Belly (of course) while Shirley tried the asparagus soup (end of season) :

Pork Belly, slow braised for six hours before skillet seared, mango-ginger glace, arborio patty and chive

Asparagus Soup, vegetable stock veloute', asparagus puree, lavender sea salt and pea shoots

Followed with: Local Arugula, Bardenhagen Farm strawberries, blue cheese, toasted walnuts and Balsamic vinaigrette

We both chose the salmon

Alaskan King Salmon, pan-seared, smoked bacon braised beet greens, roasted beets and turnips and polenta

Randy shared technique with the salmon

While I cover the pan and add a splash of white wine to poach while searing, Randy goes with salt & pepper then only cook one side (light olive oil) : result a nice crisp salmon, that is soft and rare on the bottom (flipped to crisp side up when served).

Dessert was: Fromage Plate, P'Tit Basque, Cambozola and Laura Chenel Chevre with honeycomb, nuts and lingonberries

Dinner was accompanied by the excellent as usual Paul Hobbs Napa Chard.

Our namesake gets ink

2010-05-17T02:47:00.000-04:00

Good coverage for our namesake company:

Coveted morel mushrooms grow only in the wild ... and now they're in season! Lansing State Journal

Note that Earthy supplies "backup" morels to the National Morel Festival in Boyne - to the tune of hundreds of pounds.

Special Dinner

2010-05-12T08:33:00.001-04:00

It was a birthday dinner

No photos

Trattoria Stella,

Along with our locals, Guillaume at La Becasse, and Randy at blu, Chef Myles was a 2010 James Beard Award semi-finalist.

Everything on the menu looked so tempting, but we managed to hold back and share a few dishes

Caldi :

Asparagus season just starting, so of course we went for this

It was choice between two preparations:

Cornmeal battered & fried, sweet pea puree, sour crema, lemon zest & juice

Char-grilled, poached egg, truffle oil, on toasted sourdough with lemon "zabaglione"

We went for the char-grilled

Freddi :

Burrata Pugliese (Burrata Puglia)- House made. Ricotta wrapped in Mozzarella, served with a generous lump of prosciutto di Parma, red amaranth micro greens, grilled Roma tomatoes, tomato broth, crostini

We ended up taking half of it home

Skipped Insalate & Zuppe and went straight for Pietanze :

Shirley had the Wagyu Short Ribs, slow cooked, mushroom "guarnizione", seared white potatoes, fava beans, sweet peas, pea shoots and braising sauce, while I had the off the menu Wagyu top steak, some crisp porcine strips, broccoli and cheesy risotto.

We took portions of both home

Dinner accompanied by Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico 2005

A nice find - going on my "pay attention to" list

BigEye Tuna

2010-05-06T20:31:00.000-04:00

OK, so I try to eat local, but sometimes we stray

Burritts Fresh Market (no website) for some goodies

Big Eye Tuna

Hot pan, grape-seed oil (again, not local, but we should be able to source in a couple years) sear for about 2min a side

Plate up with steamed spinach, brown rice (not local either - the Uncle Ben's retort is just too easy), with some saute'd 'shrooms and pine-nuts

Looks a bit "done" but here's the "inside story

Served up with Gerard Bertrand Viognier '07

Nice

Morels

2010-05-02T07:26:00.001-04:00

That time of year again, some more rain coming today, guess it's time to head to the woods

Setting : a morel hunt after a forest fire “burn” in California

Michael Pollan

Omnivore’s Dilemma / a natural history of four meals

pp389

excerpt :

Along Beaver Creek that afternoon the morels were totally on, as Ben would say; almost everywhere I looked the honeycombed dunce caps appeared, and I filled a bag in less than an hour. My hands by now were black with soot and stunk of smoke, but I could still smell the meaty perfume of the morels, these fleshy buttons of protein popping out of the dead earth, this seemingly spontaneous combustion of food. I was talking to them, cheering on their every appearance, and they we talking to me, or so it seemed. I exulted at their sudden ubiquity, which I took, weirdly, as evidence of some new connection between us. It sounds crazy, but there is something reciprocal about the transaction, the looking and the appearing, as if we each doing our part, throwing a line of affiliation across the gulf of wilderness. I’ve no idea how deep into the woods I’d wandered, but I was more outside than I can remember ever being, and more than a little lost, but not to the morels, who weren’t hiding from me any longer. Maybe I’d gotten good at this, had my eyes on; or maybe it was them, revealing themselves at last because I had found a way out of my world and into theirs.

NMC Culinary School "Final Exam" dinner

2010-04-29T13:15:00.014-04:00

"Sister" company, Cherry Capital Foods, provided a whole Mangalitsa Pig to Northern Michigan College's Culinary School for the "final exam" dinner

It was billed as Nose to Tail

Entryway : an Iced Pig - nicely done

With Mangalitsa Riellette:

Note the "icing" ... yup it's

Lard

De-licous !!!

eyes were rolling all around the room and big smiles

First course "Nose"

Mangalitsa country pork pate, house-made brioche, guanciale,

pickled onion, cornichon, ramps, micro-kohrabi and "kreamy" mustard

(note that I used ambient light - not the best shots)

very nice

This was served with Shorts Brewing Magician Red

First time I can recall beer in a Champagne flute !

Next was Shoulder

Bellaire Brown ale braised pork shoulder and jowl ravioli, braises

turnip greens, chives...

with house made bacon and roasted pork consomme'

Good enough to demand use of bread to swab up the consomme'

Then "Trout" (not a normal cut of the pig)

Pan roasted Glacier Springs trout, flageolet bean ragout, morels,

fennel herb pistou, "craklins" (the pork) and spring onion veloute

Hard to deny anything with Morels (G)

Then a break while they re-set the tables

Pause to mingle and digest

Next was "Ears"

Werp Farms frisee, mache, crispy pig's ear (like bacon), glazed

baby turnips, one hour poached egg, Zingermann's chevre and

bacon-sherry vinaigrette.

Note : we wondered about the one hour poached egg

Must have been warm water, the egg was neither runny nor hard

Very nice dish

Then the dish we all waited for : Belly !

Confit of Mangalitsa pork belly, celeriac puree, barley risotto,

glazed baby carrots, asparagus, carrot fronds and eau de vie jus

Bada Bing

Delicious

Finally ... Tail End

Brioche pain perdu, creme fraiche ice cream, bacon brittle,

Marcona almonds, carmalized rhubarb, lime zest and rhubarb syrup

A very nice ending to the dinner

On my way out, the "iced pig" was melting down

On keeping it simple

2010-04-26T22:41:00.000-04:00

from behind the stove: Primary Principles

Eric writes on his philosophy of simple foods

"A happy life comes from simple expectations.

Now, in my food, which I think of as the culinary equivalent of that primary principle of Epicurus, I try to walk the same path. I take what I have or is brought to me and make something of it. As most of you know, we have chosen to limit ourselves to what can be grown or produced in this great state of Michigan and by limiting ourselves to a certain geographical location we also limit ourselves to what is available. I don't spend my days wishing for ingredients I cannot obtain. And in keeping in line with Epicurus I aim for simple flavors, relying entirely on the quality of the ingredients I work with to provide the goodness of a dish. "

I agree

basics

2010-04-19T22:26:00.003-04:00

This one may be from the other side of the globe - Aus, but some nice stuff

A mineral worth its salt

But don't forget that you can source at Earthy

Salts of the World @ Earthy.com

Murray River is one of the best

Check it out

Update :

F.D.A. Plans to Force a Salt Cutback - Diner's Journal Blog - NYTimes.com:

"The Food and Drug Administration is planning a 10-year initiative to bring down sodium levels in processed foods, The Washington Post reports. Scheduled to begin later this year, the program “would eventually lead to the first legal limits on the amount of salt allowed in food products,” Lindsey Layton writes."

Suggestion : low sodium foods, salt to suit on your own.

That's what I do, cook for ourselves as much as possible, finish with a dash of salt at serving

The Atlantic

2010-04-17T13:00:00.000-04:00

I'll let it speak for itself

On the Rampage: Cooking with Wild Leeks - Food - The Atlantic

And I guess I have another food blog to follow

WWF Chef Smackdown

2010-04-16T11:33:00.003-04:00

Trattora Stella 2nd Annual Chef Challange

Two of Northern Michigan’s favorite chefs will once again go dish for dish in their respective traditions. In one corner representing France: Chef Guillaume Hazaël-Massieux of La Bécasse in Burdickville. In the other corner representing Italy: Chef Myles Anton of Trattoria Stella. Six courses, a base ingredient for each, and two dishes served side-by-side six times each paired with a French wine and an Italian wine.

We started with flutes of Larry Mawby's Blanc de Blancs : Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan

Menu
French: with the wine pairings

Bay Scallops Provencal : Seared bay scallops served atop a bed of ratatouille served on a blini
Albert Bichot Clos de l'Eglise 2008 Chardonnay, Macon-Villages, Bourgogne

Quenelle de Sandre a la Lyonnaise : Baked pike-walleye dumpling in seafood sauce
Les Rouesses 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Quincy, Vallee de la Loire

Galantine de Volaille avec Sauce Poulet : Chicken stuffed with white meat, and pistachio forcemeat, poached, then baked and served warm with a lemon, tarragon and chicken liver sauce.
Albert Bichot Domaine Adelie 2007, Premier Cru - Champs Martin, Pinot Noir, Mercurey, Bourgogne

Saute de Veau avec Sauce Marengo : Sauted veal with carrots and pearl onions
Les Hauts de Lynch-Moussas 2005, Cabernet-based Blend, Haut-edoc, Bordeaux

Tournedos avec Sauce aux Truffles : Tenderloin with truffle demi-glace, wrapped with bacon and leek leaf
Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin 2005, Pinot Noir Vosne-Romanee, Bourgogne

Italian:

Atlantic scallops, Montasio polenta, saffron brodetto, sumac
Perusini 2007, Ribolla Gialla, Collli Orientali del Friuli

Walleye, "potato insalata", dandelion greens, spinach
Lo Triolet 2008, Pinot Grigio, Vallee d'Aoste

Chicken "Finanziera", tajarin, shiitake mushrooms, cream
Bisson Marea 2007, Bosco - Vermentino - Albarola, Cinque Terre, Liguria

Veal Short Rb, veal agnolotti, peas, pea shoots, mint
Cigliuti Briccoserra 2006, Nebbiolo - Barbera, Langhe, Piemonte

Beef Costoletti, roasted tomato risotto
Ciacci Piccolomini Pianrossa 2004, Brunello di Montalcino, Toscana

Joint dessert : Walnut & Fig Crostata & Baked Goat Cheese, with chocolate truffles with essence of Herbs de Provence

Geoges Vernay Maison Rouge 2004, Syrah, Cote-Rotie, Vallee du Rhone
Ciacci Piccolomini Fabivs 2005, Syrah, Sant' Antimo, Toscana

Our table scored it as follows

Myles on the Scallops, Guillaume with the walleye
But ties on the Chicken, Veal and Beef

This calls for a re-match

All in all, served about a 100 people

Green & White

2010-04-03T19:32:00.007-04:00

OK, disclosure ... I'm a fan of Michigan State basketball, so I'll call this a green and white dinner

Ingredients
1/2 lb Diver Scallops
1/2 bag baby spinach
1/2 box Vita-Spelt angel hair pasta
Yuzu juice and some Wasabi sauce

This takes only about 10-15 min
The angel hair only takes 4 in once the water is boiling

Sear the scallops

then cover to steam them

Angel hair, top with steamed spinach
Lay on the scallops, a splash of Yuzu over the mix and "dots" of Wasabi creme

Served up with Paul Hobbs Chard - '07

The real deal

2010-03-12T21:15:00.000-05:00

Please visit

Caramelized Wild Leeks (Ramps) | Earthy Delights

Crew there know so much more than I do.

I'll continue with my own wanderings and musings, but I'm a very small frog in a large pond.

James Beard Awards

2010-02-27T20:16:00.000-05:00

Trattoria Stella:

From their newsletter:
Now, drum roll please...

We had some pretty amazing news on Thursday, when our dear friend Guillaume (chef/owner of La Becasse in Burdickville) told us at a birthday party for a mutual friend that he, our other friend Randy Chamberlain (Blu in Glen Arbor), and our own Chef Myles are three of twenty semi-finalists for the 2010 James Beard Foundation awards in the category of Best Chef: Great Lakes. Deemed "the Oscars of the food world," by Time magazine, The James Beard Foundation Awards are the country's most coveted honor for chefs; food and beverage professionals; broadcast media, journalists, and authors working on food; and restaurant architects and designers. Over 21,000 nominees from all over the country were whittled down to a mere 200 semi-finalists (20 in each of 10 regions). On March 22, the five finalists from our region will be announced followed by the official award ceremony on May 2 announcing the overall winner. Guillaume, Randy and Myles are three of twenty in a region that includes Chicago and the rest of Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. That is something to be proud of.

Now consider some numbers
Chicago got 7 nominees, but with a population of over 2.5 million, while the Traverse City Metro area has less than 200,000 and 3 nominees.
Matter of fact, two are neighbors near Glen Lake, in Leelanau County with a total county population of less than 25,000.

And I have to brag that all are clients of both Earthy Delights and Cherry Capital Foods.

Change of pace

2010-02-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

While I don't post about "road food" we did try Smok'n Pig
in Valdosta GA.

No, I'm not a connoisseur of BBQ, but decided to give it a try.
Glad we did. Touted as voted Top 10 in the country, but I haven't seen a source for this.

New and shiny, not a "ribs shack" but the "pecan wood" smoked meats were great.

While Shirley went with a rack of ribs, I had to try the combo, several ribs and some brisket, sides of slaw and ... mac & cheese.

There are several sauces, but I liked the house one best - suspect it's got a good bit of mustard in it.

Quantity, well, we both got "take home" clamshells, as well as containers for the sides, and it satisfied for the next night.

Location : Exit 22 off I-75 and a bit east.

More Seafood

2010-02-12T08:02:00.002-05:00

After a few more days, local fare ... a good meal at
Jacaranda on Sanibel Island

Ian and Whitney went for the stuffed grouper - a long time "house special" which was declared "fantastic"
I had off menu baked seafood (scallops, lobster and shrimp), while Shirley had a delicious banana dressed snapper

Back to topic of "local fare" : we took daughters/grandkinder to Cheeburger Cheeburger
Retro
Fun
downside was that they were out of horseradish sauce for the onion rings ...
We only do this one every few years

In between we've been sticking to local seafood, mostly grouper, some shellfish
When in Rome ...
Another link: Florida's Fresh Fish Specialists: Prawnbroker Restaurant Group

Sort of a Tradition

2010-02-06T14:38:00.000-05:00

The Mad Hatter

We try to take at least one meal here when we stay for more than a few days.
It had been a rainy day, mostly overcast by sunset so we missed out on that feature.

While our son-in-law tried the evening special : bouillabaisse, daughter went for the duck (Pan seared Maple Leaf duck breast, sliced and topped with a mixed berry sauce, Yukon mashed potatoes & grilled asparagus), and Shirley ordered up the Filet (Grilled Buckhead filet mignon with fresh Béarnaise sauce served with yukon mashed potatoes & grilled asparagus), I stuck to seafood : Black Truffle Sea Scallops (Pan seared panko & black truffle encrusted dayboat sea scallops finished with a caramelized shallot beurre blanc served atop whipped Yukon potatoes & julienned zucchini & squash)

All were appreciated
I barely noticed the black truffle, but the scallops were just right, tender, just barely cooked.

We all shared the Chocolate Truffle Terrine (Flourless chocolate pate with bittersweet chocolate & casis, garnished with crème anglaise, melba sauce, fresh whipped cream & berries)

New ownership a couple of years ago, same tradition of great food.
We'll visit it again before we leave, try some different dishes.

Road Food ... and seafood

2010-02-04T17:57:00.005-05:00

Shirley and I packed up and hit the road
I-75 Michigan to Florida
Time constraints and weather pretty much kept us to close to the road
One side excursion in search of BBQ was a wild goose chase.
Choices along the Interstate - damn slim
As a rule, I stay away from McBurgerKingKFC .. which narrows the choices

The "Contential Breakfast" at LaQuinta (budget chain that allows pets) is very very thin, but gets us on the road.
Tried an Olive Garden for the first time in decades.
It was busy, so we took a couple seats at the bar.
We were frankly pleasantly surprised.
Shirley went for the Braised Beef & Tortelloni

"Tender sliced short ribs and portobello mushrooms tossed with asiago-filled tortelloni in a basil-marsala sauce."

While I tried the Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo*

"Grilled beef medallions drizzled with balsamic glaze, served over fettuccine tossed with spinach and gorgonzola-alfredo sauce."

We also found Chianti Classico Riserva Rocca delle Macie ... one of my favorite Chianti's Good wine at fair price if you can find it retail (upcharged of course at a restaurant)

Portions were large enough we were able to box and made supper a second night .. corked the wine as well for later.

So, due to some prodding from others, we tried Bob Evans for breakfast on the last day

Tried the sausage gravy and biscuits ... buttermilk biscuit split and topped with one egg cooked-to-order, crumbled Bob Evans^® Sausage, creamy country gravy and shredded cheddar cheese. Served with home fries

For less that $6 it does work ... won me over.

Switch to island dining (we are on Sanibel for about 3 weeks)

Thistle Lodge last night - seafood of course: Thistle Lodge Restaurant: Sanibel Island

Shirley had one of the evening specials :

Grilled Grouper over asparagus risotto, while I chose

Pan Flashed Sardine Filet : (appetiser)
Angel Hair Pasta Galette, Tomato Fennel Relish, Garlic & Lemon Oil

Then:

Mojito Glazed Black Grouper Filet
Papaya & Mango Risotto with Baby Bok Choy & Carrot

Both groupers also got boxed up for tonight's supper.

Farro with 'shrooms

2010-01-24T21:29:00.000-05:00

We're traveling so I won't have time to try this until we get home, but I know it's gotta be good.

Recipes for Health - Farro With Mushrooms - NYTimes.com:

"This hearty dish has a rich, earthy flavor. Although it takes about twice as long as a risotto to cook, it doesn’t require tending."

Posted as a public service

2010-01-24T21:16:00.000-05:00

This is from last summer, but worth remembering
So I'm posting it up

The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

From Beets to Blueberries and a few more

Salmon Eve

2010-01-01T10:46:00.009-05:00

Quiet New Year's Eve at home
Decided to do up some salmon

Took about a pound of Atlantic Salmon (likely farm raised, but it's what I could get)
Skinned (the eagles and other raptors like the skins, tossed out for them)
Took a few slices of the belly for "crisps"
no end photo of the crisps - I toss them into the hot oil as I'm pulling out the rest
They may be a bit "fishy" but I like them

Use a high temp oil, I choose grape seed oil
you want to see the oil shimmer, or get dimples
before you put the fish in

Add the salmon, and a splash of whit wine
I use a local Chard
This poaches in addition to the frying

Quickly cover to poach

Meanwhile, we saute' the 'shrooms, steam baby spinach
'shrooms sauteed with good butter and splash of Marsala wine
Toast up some pine nuts, bit of olive oil on aluminum foil in the toaster oven

Salmon nice and "bronzed" ready to serve

I cheat and use Uncle Ben's "ready rice"
Brown 90 second microwave
Serve up, rice, topped with steamed spinach, then the salmon
Top with the toasted pine nuts

Some steamed broccoli on the side
Serve up with a nice Chardonnay

Happy New Year

Culinary Tourism

2009-12-15T12:16:00.000-05:00

Now for a bit of local boosterism.
Note that we do have some great foods and chefs here in Michigan, esp. in NW Michigan.

New Michigan alliance touts state's restaurants, specialty crops, wine makers | West Michigan Business - - MLive.com:

"'It's a growing trend, that people are actively pursuing dishes that are locally produced, even wine and beer,' said Andy Deloney, vice president of public affairs for the Lansing-based Michigan Restaurant Association.

The culinary tourism project is one of 25 in Michigan winning a share of a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture this fall. It will help launch a three-way promotion, bringing together restaurant owners, growers of specialty crops, and in-state vintners.

The grant was written and matched by the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council to create the Michigan Culinary Tourism Alliance.

Similar efforts have already been successful in New York state, with its NY Wines and Dines, while California pulls its culinary tourism attractions together on a Web site."

The Changing Restaurant Scene

2009-12-11T22:44:00.000-05:00

Maybe, maybe not

How the Bazaar by Jose Andres Is Changing Restaurants - WSJ.com

A local harvest celebration

2009-12-05T16:47:00.000-05:00

No lengthy post, just link to another post on an experiment that seems to have gone well

Cherry Capital Foods: Harvest @ blu

Considertation to a local chef

2009-12-05T16:43:00.000-05:00

Ted Cizma, Executive Chef at Grand Traverse Resort is in the running for Chef of the Year by Chef's Magazine

His thoughts here:
Good deeds

Congrats Ted!

Comfort Food

2009-11-29T15:41:00.000-05:00

From last Sunday
$98 Mac & Cheese ?
Well, with white truffles ...

All Hail Mac and Cheese! - CBS Sunday Morning - CBS News

Several other good segments on this show

Uptown Saturday Night

2009-11-21T17:29:00.001-05:00

Gotta try this one
Going to get a chicken from Cherry Capital Foods, Baker's pasture raised

Recipes - Bobby Short’s Carlyle Chicken Hash - NYTimes.com

Just a year before he passed away, I had taken Shirley to the Cafe' Carlyle to see Bobby.
He had performed Cole Porter for at least 35years
Fancy fancy ... but gotta give it a try at home.

Atmosphere here

Stella Dinner

2009-11-06T22:41:00.001-05:00

Slipped into town tonight for dinner ... Stella

Some delicious scallops seared with a bit of fennel, then
Beets
Char-grilled & chilled, house made mozzarella cheese, red onion,
kalamata olives, extra virgin olive oil

Shirley went with the Fregola Sardo,
Slow-cooked pork shoulder, caramelized onions,
diced tomato, brown sugar & coriander

For me it was Wagyu Beef Top Sirloin,
Char-grilled, linguine with white potatoes, leeks,
sage & cream, braised red cabbage, veal stock

Accompanied by a refreshingly good Bowers Harbor Vineyards “Erica Vineyard”
Cabernet Franc
Local reds are starting to come into their own

Trattoria Stella

They were just invited to James Beard House :

Trattoria Stella has scored a little coup in the culinary world. Next May, the TC restaurant’s owners and executive chef will head to New York City and take over the kitchen at the famed Beard House (as in James Beard, the oft-described “dean of American cookery”).

“Since I’ve been in culinary school, I’ve thought of cooking at the Beard House,” says chef Myles Anton. “Basically, I’m blown away by the whole opportunity.”

Stella proprietor Amanda Danielson says a member of the board of the James Beard Foundation dined at the restaurant over the summer and told her the restaurant belonged “on the radar” of the foundation. One thing led to another and a night was booked for Chef Anton to cook.

Anton will be responsible for a 70-person wine dinner, to include four bite-sized hors d’oeuvres and a five-course meal. His menu is under wraps for the moment other than plans to bring some local produce and meat with him. Danielson, also the restaurant’s sommelier, will be doing the wine pairings and expects to include a couple northern Michigan vintages.

The May 13 dinner is open to the public and Anton says he’s hoping a few of the restaurant’s TC fans make the trip, too.

Cook's House

2009-10-31T23:57:00.000-04:00

Dinner with friends

First off, Eric Patterson has a cozy place, only seats about 20, and it's bring your own bottle (wich is good, and saves a few $$$)

Eric and partner Jennifer are coming out with a cookbook for the Holidays
"Cooks’ House is more than just a collection of recipes. It’s a book that approaches cooking as an act that can only be truly done in the context of life and living. Cooking is more than putting a list of ingredients in a bowl and mixing. True cooking comes when we follow the seasons, when we learn to listen in on their rhythms. Cooking, at its foundation, is what makes it possible to live life fully, and in the process we can find truth and meaning."

We all went for the 5 course Tasting Menu
From memory:

Silver pumpkin soup
Roasted Chestnuts - Marc had brought them in
Risotto with some fresh sprouts (sorry, but I forget what the base was)
Pork Belly - yum, with some brazed greens, touch of star anise baked over potatoes, onions
Simple salad of fresh greens some soft cheese - did not record the "dressing" (very light, likely vinaigrette)
Eric comped us a cheese sampler, hard to soft, goat and cow's, including Aged Gouda, Manchego, a goat with green peppercorns, along with some shaved Leelanau Raclette, helping of local honey.
All followed by various desserts, chocolates, pumpkin creme brule'

Pasture Raised

2009-10-31T12:16:00.000-04:00

A thoughtful piece on being an Omnivore
Animal proteins are OK, but best if they are pasture raised.

The Carnivore’s Dilemma - NYTimes.com:

"It’s true that food production is an important contributor to climate change. And the claim that meat (especially beef) is closely linked to global warming has received some credible backing, including by the United Nations and University of Chicago. Both institutions have issued reports that have been widely summarized as condemning meat-eating.

But that’s an overly simplistic conclusion to draw from the research."

Real quick meal

2009-10-27T18:26:00.003-04:00

We couldn't decide tonight, eat in or out.
So I took quick look in the freezer, pulled some frozen "popcorn" shrimp - in hot water they were thawed in about 90 seconds.
Meanwhile water was setting to boil on the stove, ready for White Vita-Spelt Angel Hair pasta.

Angel Hair only takes about 4min when water is ready

Shrimp went into pan, with pat of butter, chopped garlic to suit (cheated with the jarred minced garlic - kept for situations like this), splash of Redoro olive oil.
Pinch (or two) of Tarragon

Less than 5min and pasta was drained, bowled, add the shrimp, tossed with a dash more of the oil then ...Yuzu Juice (Earthy.com of course)

The citrus of the Yuzu brightens up the dish!

Total prep, from figuring out what I had to plating up was well under 10min.
Quick and delicious.

Blackbird

2009-10-24T21:22:00.002-04:00

Up Front... Custom House beat Blackbird in our book

Blackbird - Menus - Dinner Menu

But we are now getting into the rarefied atmosphere of truly great restaurants, so coming in second is no big deal. Expectations are high, and it's the little things tha make the difference... some was which night was which place.
Even seating makes a difference... Blackbird we were near entrance, Custom House, we had window to the kitchen.

We shared a Charcuterie plate while we decided on dinner
Then the women went with soups, son-in-law the duck tartar,
I went with Hudson Valley Foie Gras with apple crisp - yum

Dinners - Pork Collar, Short Ribs, Lamb and Sturgeon - all excellent
All chased with some Evening Landing, Seven Springs Chard, wrapped up with some Tawny Port and single malts (of course)

Feeding Frenzy

2009-10-24T19:50:00.004-04:00

Back from Chicago, foodie capital

Some recap
Visiting daughter and son-in-law, who made most of the arrangements
Started with Chicago Firehouse menu's here

Not on menu was night's specials
I went with a "sausage sampler" for an appeitzer - would have been a meal in itself
3 different sausages, all delicious.
Lucky for me I had Shirley, daughter and son-in-law to share with.
Daughter tried the Lobster Bisque, son-in-law the Escargot, and Shirley a Pear salad

For the main course, I went with a "flight of filet" 3 3oz filets, each with different finish. Black Peppercorn, Horseradish and Maytag Blue Cheese Crust. Daughter tried the Pot Roast, son-in-law the Lamb Chop, while Shirley tried the Short Rib Ravoili.
Sides of creamed spinach and bacon mashed potatoes
All were great

We enjoyed a bottle of Justin Cabernet (did not record the year)

Tried to keep meals during the day light, save room for the evenings.

Next up was Roy's Hawaiian fusion
Roy’s Restaurant - Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine - Roy’s Classics
son-in-law and I split a "canoe" appetizer sampler, Shirley went for the Lobster Dim Sum, daughter tried the night's special - Chicken Soup

Fire Grilled Szechuan Spiced Baby Back Pork Ribs were a big thumbs up

Then for main course, son-in-law and I went with sampler again:
Hibachi Grilled Salmon, Blackened Ahi tuna and Misoyaki Butterfish
Butterfish was standout, modest portion on black rice with butter and yuzu juice
Shirley and daughter tried the Macadamia Mahi and Opakapaka
Couple bottles of Duckhorn Sav Blanc matched well and we broke down and went for the Bread Pudding - yum

Light the next night as we went to Blue Man Group - much laughter and fun.
Went for something "lighter" with Red Light
Red Light - Menus

All shared
Shrimp, pork dumplings, lobster rolls, and spiced ribs (good but Roy's were better)
Mee Gha Ti and Biryanis worked well for all, there was plenty for take home.
Washed down with some Tsing Tao and Tiger beers

Then on to Custom House - best of the visit
custom house restaurant • chicago

Well, this was just plain awesome
Started with a couple orders of Wagu Beef Tartare - just W-O-W
Daughter took the mushroom soup - great, and I added the Werp Farm beet salad
Since Cherry Capital Foods works with Mike Werp - had to go for it - very very nice
That opened the door to drop an Earthy business card and more conversations - positive feedback shortly

The rest of the dinner was sharing of
Short ribs, chicken, skirt steak, apple streudle, potato gratin, pommes anna, raviolo, and glased carrots.
Sue (owner) came by to visit, talked 'shrooms
We were comped a foie gras dessert and the apple streudle ... awesome

All was chased with some Seven Hills Cab, various single malts, and some port

more to post

Breakfast

2009-10-20T14:34:00.000-04:00

If only two are going, you need to decide on what to share - portions are huge

Menu

I went for the "Zamboni Crepes" while Shirley tried the "West Coast"
Zamboni:
Scrambled eggs, ham, and spinach folded into two sweet crepes and topped with hollandaise sauce. Served with red diced potatoes or fresh fruit and toast, pancakes, or english muffin.

One was more than enough ... and hey, it was $9.99 for the pair

West Coast :
"Fresh sliced avocado and mushrooms blended with scrambledeggs and melted cheddar & jack cheeses... then folded into twosweet crepes. Served with red diced potatoes or fresh fruit andtoast, pancakes, or english muffin."

also $9.99

Good thing we scheduled a late dinner ...

Considering vegetarianism

2009-10-12T09:09:00.000-04:00

The author wanders back and forth into and out of vegetarianism.

The Food Issue - Why Jonathan Safran Foer Chose to Give Up Meat - NYTimes.com

Note that I'm an omnivore, and all things in moderation.

Sauce

2009-10-03T19:48:00.001-04:00

Local grocer had some filet's on sale (they'd had a power outage earlier this week.
Well, a beef fillet, buy itself needs some help (flavor), so I pulled up :
Morel Sauce I @ Earthy.com

But, as I like to experiment, I made some changes
First off, I only used the proportions as suggestions - I add stock and cream by eye. Also, I used up the last of my dried 'shrooms (morels reconstituted with warm water).

The to give this sauce some "kick" I added several tablespoons of Boursin Cheese (garlic of course) ... yum.

Fillet was only about 10 oz, prepared by searing both sides, then finishing in oven at 450 for about 10 min. Then rested, sliced thin and fanned on the plate.

Par boiled a package of baby 'taters, purple, redskins and yukon golds, then quartered and saute'd with teaspoon of olive oil and teaspoon of bacon fat.
Served up with the 'shroom sauce, side of steamed broccoli.

Don't forget - the reconstituting water get's saved.
I've reduced it about 50% and it will be starter for the next sauce.

Say Cheese

2009-09-02T04:55:00.000-04:00

Interesting piece, either read transcript or listen to it.
I podcasted it...

'Chronicling' The Craft Of Cheesemaking : NPR

Gotta make some plans to try

2009-08-30T08:59:00.000-04:00

Besides my two or three times a week breakfast (PB on rye)

The Minimalist - Exploring Peanut Butter’s Potential - NYTimes.com

"Adored in the United States, ignored or mocked almost everywhere else, peanut butter is among the most flavorful and reliable single-ingredient processed foods."

Menu's

2009-08-28T18:41:00.000-04:00

Frank Bruni's farewell message from NYTimes

Restaurants - A Critic’s Opinions - You Ask, He Answers - Review - NYTimes.com:

"IS THERE ANY BEST, SAFEST WAY TO NAVIGATE A MENU?

Scratch off the appetizers and entrees that are most like dishes you’ve seen in many other restaurants, because they represent this one at its most dutiful, conservative and profit-minded. The chef’s heart isn’t in them.

Scratch off the dishes that look the most aggressively fanciful. The chef’s vanity — possibly too much of it — spawned these.

Then scratch off anything that mentions truffle oil.

Choose among the remaining dishes."

Piece on Food TV

2009-08-10T10:15:00.000-04:00

Times Sunday Magazine
Uses the Julia Child movie to discuss changes in cooking habits (or loss of cooking) over the last 50 years or so.
TV Dinners to the Food Network, and how FN is about food, not cooking.

Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch - NYTimes.com

Quick post on local favorite

2009-08-06T09:26:00.000-04:00

Well deserved

Glen Arbor restaurant gets national attention:

"Blu restaurant has been given the Award of Excellent by Wine Spectator magazine.

Blu also was praised in the July 2009 issue of Travel Leisure Magazine."

Anniversary Dinner

2009-07-10T13:15:00.005-04:00

Shirley and I visited another of the superb local restaurants
blu | Inspired Cuisine

Randy did his usual spectacular job.
The sunset was a bonus, but we knew it would likely be great

Manitou Passage, Lake Michigan, about 9:30 sunset

I did not take notes on the menu, but Randy, on request, emailed to me:

---
My Charcuterie plate last night had the following,,,, chicken and duck terrine made with pork side belly [all local meats], duck liver mousse, pork and duck rillettes and char grilled house cured maple bacon....yes, the maple is local too, from the tree in my front yard.

(my note : the Charcuterie would have been a meal in itself, Shirley went for the Tuna tartar, with some spectacular marinated onions on the side)

The salad consisted of bibb lettuce from TLC in Suttons Bay, strawberries from CCF, vinegar and oil from Fustini's in TC, spiced walnuts and pecans and domestic cows milk feta cheese.

Salmon, Copper River Sockeye Salmon, the meanest SOB in the copper river during the summer, they eat everything moving in site, including their own.., this adds to the beautiful deep color and flavor. Pan-seared and served atop some red & black kale from Sun-Ra farm in TC which I marinated 48 hours in lemon and olive oil. Topped with sauteed lobster meat and lobster sauce.
---

All with bottle of Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Napa)

Wonderful Anniversary

LaBecasse

2009-06-30T10:59:00.002-04:00

Fundraiser for the Glen Arbor Arts Assc

La Becasse

Guillaume served up another great meal, this time for about 65.

Menu:
Sunday, June 28, 2009

Amuse Bouche (cream cheese on toast)

Cold Plate
Home Cured Prosciutto, French Gravlox, Duck Pate’

Boston Bibb Lettuce
Sesame Celery Seed Dressing, Red Onion, Toasted Seeds

Tasmanian King Salmon Crisp w
Balsamic Vinegar Reduction, Saffron Rice & Red Bell Pepper Sauce
or
Spring Colorado Rack of Lamb w
Spring Vegetable Cassoulet & Rosemary Demi-Glace

Chocolate Marquise w
Marinated Strawberries & Mint Anglaise

---
I went with the Salmon, Shirley the Lamb
I'll have to say it was the best salmon I can ever recall
Moist, and tender with thin pressed bread crust

This Little Piggy went to market

2009-06-19T08:12:00.000-04:00

Earthy is excited to offer
Mangalitsa pigs
(MON-go-leet-sa)

Check them out here: Introducing Mangalitsa

and here: Super-succulent imports are everything U.S. pork isn't

Call for your orders there are only a few available this season

BarCoding 2.0

2009-06-07T11:47:00.000-04:00

We are looking into this at CCF
Serious conversation with a vendor/system integrator

Building a Smarter Bar Code - NYTimes.com

The importance of cooking

2009-06-06T21:56:00.000-04:00

Not just for the joy of it, but how cooking has affected human evolution.

Richard Wrangham's Catching Fire. - By Christine Kenneally - Slate Magazine:

"the more cooked food we ate, the less industrial-strength digestion we had to do, and the smaller our guts became. In the same way that our bodies evolved to better walk on two legs, our bellies changed to better handle well-done over rare. This had two enormous payoffs. First, as our guts got smaller, this freed up energy for our brains to operate on a larger and larger scale. .. Second, as we spent less time eating, we had more time to do other things with those rapidly expanding brains."

Oh Lard ...

2009-06-06T21:41:00.000-04:00

The word is out ... Lard is good for you, at least as far as cooking.

Lard: After decades of trying, its moment is finally here. - By Regina Schrambling - Slate Magazine

"Wait long enough and everything bad for you is good again. Sugar? Naturally better than high-fructose corn syrup. Chocolate? A bar a day keeps the doctor away. Caffeine? Bring it on."

Plan B

2009-06-02T11:55:00.000-04:00

Similar choices to those made by Mark and Jill Baker
One of our protein suppliers:

Field Report - American Pastoral - Trading the Corporate World for a 21st Century Farm - NYTimes.com

Forbes gone wild

2009-05-20T07:34:00.000-04:00

Interesting little piece on wild foods...

How To Forage For Springtime Food - Forbes.com:

"Two scavengers head to the Catskills Mountains in search of a first-class meal. Plus, ten cross-country spots boasting the finest wild food."

More at Grub Grab - Forbes.com with links onward to other resources...

Potato Wild Leek Soup

2009-05-19T22:22:00.002-04:00

Ramps (Wild Leeks) finally getting plump
Went "Into the Woods" to gather some up for supper (and more)

Dug about 1/2 dozen bunches, give them a good shake
About enough to fill a grocery bag without packing

Rinse under the hose and toss into a cooler
Then, I choose to trim them outside
Wonderful fragrance, but very strong

Another rinse for the bulbs once inside
(Save the tops/leaves for pesto ... later, and I save in cold water)

About the only changes I make to the following recipe is to hit the mix a couple of brief times with a hand blender, but not too much, keep some chunks. I also added about a cup of Pino-Gris.
Garnish with a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped bacon.

Straight from "My North" (Traverse Magazine)
Stalking the Wild Leek - My North - April 2008 - Northern Michigan:

Potato and Wild Leek Soup

* 4-6 slices bacon (optional)
* 4 cups chopped wild leeks, including greens
* 4-5 diced red potatoes
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup heavy cream
* Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, fry bacon until crispy. Set bacon aside. Add leeks and potatoes to the skillet; fry on medium-low heat until leeks are tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until flour is absorbed. Stir in chicken broth and simmer until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream and heat thoroughly. Add crumbled bacon and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped leek leaves if desired. Serves 4-6.

A photo-set:

Potato Wild Leek Soup - a set on Flickr

Wild Leeks Dos and Don'ts

* Do preserve leeks by pickling, drying or freezing. Just blanch first for 2-3 minutes.
* Do use both the bulb and milder leaves
* Do use a tool like a long knife or dandelion digger to help loosen the root hairs that grow from the tip of the bulb
* Do store, unwashed, in refrigerator for up to one week.
* Don't leave piles of leeks on the kitchen counter too long or your kitchen will smell like a bus in Rome on a midsummer day"

Empire Asparagus Festival

2009-05-16T17:55:00.000-04:00

You have to scroll down for info
Empire Asparagus Festival-6th Annual Empire Asparagus Fest!

Only had time or room for a few tastings

Guillame's risotto with morels and asparagus was good
Deering's asparagus brats with Food for Thought salsa and mustard's were good as always.

Right Brain's asparagus was ... weird, but I'm sure it was healthy

Shirley went with the soup from Joe's

Different take on Spring Mix

2009-05-16T14:32:00.000-04:00

Of course I would go for the pasta, and would lean towards the olive oil vs cream...

Recipe Redux - Le Cirque’s Spaghetti Primavera - NYTimes.com:

"Meant to be an expression of spring, the mad jumble of vegetables over pasta was mostly an expression of the death match between French and Italian cuisine (cream versus olive oil, sauce versus pasta)."

Spring

2009-05-09T21:26:00.001-04:00

I intend to try this one soon as we get home

The Minimalist - The Flavor of Spring - NYTimes.com:

"In an ideal world, here’s what a spring dish might look like: you take morels from your foraging trip, cream and butter from your cow, and asparagus, shallots and herbs from your garden. You combine them in any way that makes sense to you, and then you thank the forest, the cow and your backyard for providing you with such amazing bounty."

and

"Combining dried and fresh mushrooms is a reliable way to transfer the exotic flavor of truly wild mushrooms to tamer domesticated ones. Using the soaking liquid for the morels makes it certain that none of their essence goes to waste.

The procedure itself is straightforward, with one exception: half-cook the asparagus first, so that it finishes in the cream, therefore absorbing a bit of it and becoming tender yet not mushy."

Recipe - Asparagus With Morels and Tarragon - NYTimes.com:

Morel Safety

2009-05-08T15:59:00.001-04:00

From the Detroit News
IF you are going to forage, follow some rules
If not ... buy from Earthy.com

Morel mania: Now's the season for Michigan's prize mushrooms | detnews.com | The Detroit News:

"Morel-hunting tips

# Don't hunt on private property without permission.
# Carry a mesh bag to release and spread spores along the way; leave plastic bags and buckets home.
# Pinch or cut the morels you find -- don't pull them from the ground.
# Clean morels by shaking them or brushing with a soft mushroom brush. Some suggest soaking briefly in lightly salted water and then cooking immediately.
# Store morels (and other mushrooms) in paper in the refrigerator for better air circulation; avoid plastic -- it makes them moldy."

SAFETY ISSUES:

Real vs. false morels

The only sure way to distinguish between morels and false morels, which can be poisonous, is to have years of experience or be accompanied by an expert. MushroomExpert.Com offers this advice from Michael Kuo:

Rule No. 1
When in doubt, throw it out! If you're not 100 percent sure your mushroom is a morel, don't even consider eating it.

Rule No. 2
If it ain't hollow, don't swallow! Morels are hollow. Slice open a black or yellow morel, and you will find only air (and bugs, if you haven't cleaned it), from top to bottom. Slice open a false morel and you'll find mushroom flesh. Sometimes the flesh of a false morel is interspersed with air pockets, creating a "chambered" effect -- but there is flesh present. Consequently, false morels weigh more than morels.

Rule No. 3
If it's wavy, don't make it gravy! The caps of false morels are often wavy rather than pitted. The pits on morels are not, on very close inspection, symmetrical, but they are very regular when compared to the lobed, wavy, brain-like structure of the false morel cap.

Rule No 4
If it's reddish, you could be dead-ish! False morels frequently (though not always!) have reddish-brown shades. Some yellow morels develop red stains, especially as they age (the stain usually begins as a stripe on the stem and then spreads), and when morels are growing under pine. So, this rule might eliminate some good-eating morels. But it is more likely to eliminate false morels.

Spring!

2009-05-08T06:49:00.000-04:00

Piece on ramps, with some receipes

Found Food|Ramps - WSJ Magazine:

"Can’t you smell that smell? The real scent of spring isn’t the tulip or the cherry blossom but the stench of fresh ramps"

some things I never knew about asparagus

2009-05-07T23:07:00.000-04:00

Like that it keeps growing after it's picked !

The Curious Cook - The Curious Cook - Asparagus’ Breaking Point - NYTimes.com

"Green asparagus spears, cut down just hours after they’ve hit daylight and turned color, are the most lively of all our vegetables, furiously turning the sugars absorbed from their roots into energy and new tissues.

The harvest doesn’t stop them. Even cut off from their roots, the asparagus spears keep growing at the tip. If they’re stored lying down, the tips rise away from the pull of gravity, and can bend 60 degrees or more from the stalk before they run out of energy."

Read the Lable

2009-05-07T07:06:00.001-04:00

Last week, we picked up a fresh chicken at Cherry Capital Foods, Shirley roasted it up - delicious.
Far too much for the two of us, so it's now in soup.

Full disclosure : I'm an owner of CCF

Anyway - fresh is so much better than packaged.

What's Really in Many 'Healthy' Foods - WSJ.com:

"A lot of Americans think they're eating a healthy diet these days. But it's easy to be fooled by our assumptions and the ways that food manufacturers play on them.

Take chicken. The average American eats about 90 pounds of it a year, more than twice as much as in the 1970s, part of the switch to lower-fat, lower-cholesterol meat proteins. But roughly one-third of the fresh chicken sold in the U.S. is 'plumped' with water, salt and sometimes a seaweed extract called carrageenan that helps it retain the added water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says chicken processed this way can still be labeled 'all natural' or '100% natural' because those are all natural ingredients, even though they aren't naturally found in chicken."

Life Extension

2009-05-06T07:24:00.000-04:00

No, not a health thing, just bookmarking Bitten on being sensible about saving extra foods ...freeze them

With comments on various foods.

The Minimalist - Freezer Helps Make Cooking Cheaper and Easier - NYTimes.com

Rampin up

2009-05-03T09:48:00.000-04:00

An Earthy Breakfast

Collected a few ramps (wild leeks) yesterday - for regular Sunday breakfast
Becoming a "rite of spring for us"

Ramps are rather sparse on our acres, not sure why, I guess it's soils/sun
Ramps are among the first growth in the spring, and by far the biggest.

A bit early, Trillium not out yet, and the bulbs were a bit small
Give them another week or two.

Some shots I took a few years ago
Ramps Morels Fiddleheads Recipe - Wild Harvest

I use a version of this recipe : Ramps Recipe

As with most, this is just a start, I rarely measure, just eyeball

No shots of final plating ... it gets a bit busy with timing

Especially as I was making "bacon fried" potatoes (juillene potatoes, onions and apple grilled in bacon drippings), easy over eggs (farm fresh Bakers Green Acres), toast (I never manage to get the toast timing right).
Serve up with OJ and fresh (fair trade) coffee.

A little Japanese inspired

2009-04-28T19:38:00.003-04:00

Tonight, with memories of some fine meals in Nihon (Japan) I tried some variations.

Started with "save stalks" idea : soup
Cream Of Broccoli Soup Recipe at Epicurious.com

In general, stuck to the recipe, but, I always improvise, or just plain "drift" from the specifics.
In the future, I'd do touch of truffle oil, maybe a bit of balsamic on presentation
Good basic soup, open to experiments.

Biggest change was decision to go "cold"
When done, I loaded up a couple of modest ramekins, then set them in pots with ice to chill while I proceeded with the rest :
Steamed broccoli tops, some basic sauteed 'shrooms (generic "baby bella") with splash of Cabernet (Markham)

Went with an even smaller NY Strip than usual:

Packaged, it was only 4.95 lbs, just under 8oz ... Shirley and I split so we each had about 4oz

Cooked only 2 min a side, just (sea) salt & pepper with small slice of unsalted butter on a hot skillet.
Each slice is only about 1.5 inches long
Spreading out the slices, covers the plate but not overpowering quantity.

After resting only a few min, sliced fine (I would like to keep going finer, keep the taste, texture, but also keep portion small)
Note that a good blade (currently using Wusthof Classic Hollow Edge Santoku) helps a bunch for getting the thin slices...

Demitasse spoon to put a spot of creamed horseradish and dot of wasabi creme on each piece.

Soup in the middle, 3 small garlic croutons, some broccoli tops for expression
Side of little slices of Leelanau Cheese Raclette (votes best cheese in America a couple of year ago) ... a delicious following to a piece of the steak with toppings.
Savor slow.

Served up with Markham '05 Napa Cab ...

A more "Japanese" presentation would have been multiple small plates/bowls

Andy's flicker on cheese here:
Leelanau Cheese ... best in North America on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Brade

2009-04-26T21:29:00.001-04:00

Didn't do too much shopping while in Japan
My old saying that "women shop, men buy"
But in Kyoto, on Teramachi St (a covered street, sorta converted to a "mall") which had many many food stalls, I found a cutlery shop : Aritsugu - the place in Nashiki-Koji market to look for your kitchenwares. The business has been in existence for 400 years and specialized in cutlery ...

Haven't brought myself to use it yet.

Great meal

2009-04-21T19:35:00.003-04:00

So I've posted up about some "rather expensive meals" but one of our favorites was really quite simple and modest:

Cold noodles, with warm "dipping soup" topped with a bit of pork, bamboo shoots for about $7, side of chicken dumplings.

Little noodle shop near Asakusa in Tokyo.

Last Dinner in Japan

2009-04-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

After some back and forth on where to try, and at the end of a longish day we decided on

Keyaki Teppan Grill : Hotel New Otani Osaka

No photos this time

While Shirley went for the Taikou dinner, I took the Spring Dinner

Taikou:
Beef Tataki
soup
1/2 lobster (lengthwise) Kabosu butter sauce
Filet of Kobe Beef
Seasonal veggies
Green salad
Garlic rice
Miso soup and pickles

Spring Dinner:
Fresh Fish Tataki with Spring Veggies
Prawn & Scallops soup
Seasonal Salad
Filet of Kobe Beef
Seasonal Veggies
Steamed Uonuma Rice
Miso Soup and Pickles
Ice Cream (vanilla)

Chef prepared all on hot skillet in front of us (think very high scale Beni-Hana) and spoke a bit of English

"Japanese Garlic ... very good, Chinese garlic - cheap"

Wonderful meal, great view

Okonomiyaki

2009-04-21T07:58:00.001-04:00

On our own for lunch in Osaka we tried

Okonomiyaki Restaurant Chibo : OSAKA-INFO - Osaka Visitor's Guide:

Wikipedia:
"Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked"

We each ordered one; not knowing that one likely would have been enough to share.
Reminds me of how I use to make omelets.

Video : YouTube - Chibo Okonomiyaki here

To cook is to be human

2009-04-20T22:48:00.000-04:00

A Conversation With Richard Wrangham - From Studying Chimps, a Theory on Cooking - Interview - NYTimes.com:

"Our ancestors were able to evolve because cooked foods were richer, healthier and required less eating time."

Kyoto shopping

2009-04-20T22:11:00.009-04:00

Teramachi St. Kyoto
Food stalls, only a small sampling of the offerings

11 Course meal

2009-04-20T20:51:00.012-04:00

Last week, on tour through Japan, evening in Kyoto, which ended up as our favorite city.
We're already talking about a return, more leisurely visit.
The city is host to dozens of temples and shrines

Located in the same building as Minamiza Theater, Kyoto

We were treated to an 11 course meal
Traditionally this should have taken over 2 to 3 hours, but as we were on a tour, it was shortened to about hour and a half as we had a theater performance schedule

First: umaina sesame blend - the relish, white miso sour and takenoki (sprout) rice

Next was "okinawa" pumpkin jelly with prawn in broccoli soup, steamed duck, soba nori roll and fried bean curd stuffed with sushi-rice

Third was abalone dumpling, turuna and kinome in a "special soup"

Fourth was sashimi of flatfish (halibut?), manguro (tuna) and cuttlefish ... yum

Fifth was grilled roast beef, and fresh veggies

Sixth was our "fry dish" (tempura) of prawn, "mangangi" green pepper, small onion, young corn and orkura

Seventh was "takenoki" (sprouts) with boiled dried bonito, "ainame" and "oranda"

Next was a piping hot "Boil Bowl" which was literally bubbling hot
Beef in miso stew, with fresh "koimo" and "konnyaku" (sorts of potatoes) and leek

Number Nine was grilled eel on rice with yuto and "roasted rice"

Tenth was Japanese radish, cucumber, sibazuke and siokonbu

Wrapping up was strawberry mousse/bean paste topped with sliced strawberry and melon

An "Up North" Institution will not re-open this season

2009-03-25T15:09:00.000-04:00

Nice review on likely the best of the best in Northern Michigan

A Loving So Long to Tapawingo - MyNorth

Several years ago, I arranged dinner at Tapawingo for my wife's birthday (early May), we live an hour and a half or so away.

It appears that there is another John Hoagland, top morel forager over by Boyne, and that he had dropped off morels just a little while before I called.

This caused some initial confusion at the desk.

Well, we made our reservations, made it to dinner, I dropped a business card and the chef comped us the most beautiful LARGE white morel, stuffed with small morels drenched in a morel sauce.

I can't even recall the rest of the dinner - we were just blown away.

We've dined at some of the best restaurants in Paris, New York, Chicago and elsewhere, but Tapawingo was one of the best.

Links for Spring and beyond

2009-03-22T17:30:00.002-04:00

Slew of links
It's spring, we think of growing our food, and of course enjoying it.

First, on getting away from HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup
Sugar Is Back on Food Labels, This Time as a Selling Point - NYTimes.com

Then we come to “Food Revolution” is it happening or will it run into the standard Washington machine?
Is a Food Revolution Now in Season? - NYTimes.com

Mark Bittman on local food :Eating Food That’s Better for You, Organic or Not - NYTimes.com

Some videos – all recommended
Mark Bittman on what's wrong with what we eat | Video on TED.com

Peter Reinhart on bread | Video on TED.com

Michael Pollan gives a plant's-eye view | Video on TED.com

Ann Cooper talks school lunches | Video on TED.com

Paul Stamets on 6 ways mushrooms can save the world | Video on TED.com

Sunday Breakfast

2009-02-28T22:53:00.003-05:00

So it's about time to post a bit on one of my habits

Sunday Breakfast

I may vary it, and mostly I do try to vary it, but here are a few themes

Bacon, Eggs, Potatoes
Sometimes and "Omelet" (which often fails), sometimes just over easy
Often with spinach
Almost always with a cheese of some sort (Leelanau Cheese Raclette is tops)

Cook up the bacon, mix of thick cut and maple cured
julienne the potatoes (handy mandoline) while the bacon is cooking - do it over a bowl of cold water, keeping the potatoes fresh
thin slice a nice sweet onion - about 1/2 onion - depends on how many we are serving
sometimes a red pepper, for color
trick - get a good apple (honeycrisp is great) and julienne it too

Now - potatoes, onions, apples (pepper if we sliced one - same shape as the potatoes) go into the hot bacon grease and fry up
turn frequently to brown well
Some sliced garlic ( or cheat with chopped ) to suit

Often steam up a batch of baby spinach at the same time

Bed of "taters & stuff" for our eggs, spinach if it was done

Trick on the eggs if you want "sunny side up", splash a shot glass of water in the pan after the eggs start to cook, cover with glass/pyrex top - this will slightly poach the top surface, only for a min or two.

If we do an omelet, it gets some variety, from cheese, to spinach, pine-nuts, maybe sliced dried tomato... 'shrooms, steamed asparagus tips

Serve with some good rye toast, and large, pulpy OJ

Have fun with it, see what you have to work with

California Dreaming ?

2009-02-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

What were they smoking?

OK, OK, we know
But also consider that this was the home to CountryWide, IndyMac (failed mortgage bucket shops), and seems that some believed that 20% annual home appreciation wasn't a bubble.

Understanding California's Crisis | Newsweek Business | Newsweek.com:

"For a time the whole California economy seemed to revolve around real-estate speculation, with upwards of 50 percent of all new jobs coming from growth in fields like real estate, construction and mortgage brokering."

The Curious Cook - Do You Need All That Water to Boil Pasta? - NYTimes.com

2009-02-27T16:02:00.000-05:00

Turns out you can use a lot less water
But I may still stick with the big old pot

The Curious Cook - Do You Need All That Water to Boil Pasta? - NYTimes.com:

"Why boil so much more water than pasta actually absorbs, only to pour it down the drain? Couldn’t we cook pasta just as well with much less water and energy? Another question quickly followed: if we could, what would the defenders of Italian tradition say?

Enlarge This Image
Thomas Fuchs

Related
Recipe: One-Pan Pasta With Garlic and Oil (February 25, 2009)

After some experiments, I’ve found that we can indeed make pasta in just a few cups of water and save a good deal of energy"

To cook is to be human

2009-02-26T22:31:00.001-05:00

Cooking is a unique human activity, unique to homo sapiens sapiens ... modern man.

So, be human, fire up the burners and cook away

Why do people cook? | What's cooking? | The Economist:

"Cooking is a human universal. No society is without it. No one other than a few faddists tries to survive on raw food alone. And the consumption of a cooked meal in the evening, usually in the company of family and friends, is normal in every known society. Moreover, without cooking, the human brain (which consumes 20-25% of the body’s energy) could not keep running. Dr Wrangham thus believes that cooking and humanity are coeval."

Pass (on) the salt

2009-02-05T08:45:00.000-05:00

Smoking, calories, trans-fats
Now salt

Since the target is processed and fast foods, I can support the idea.
It's not aimed at individual cooking and servings.

In part because of the salt content in packaged foods, I season very sparingly.
When I do, I go for the high end, Fleur de Sel and the like.

New York Health Chief’s New Foe - Salt in Packaged Foods -

“Diet is an incredibly complicated business,”

Confusing title

2008-11-24T08:47:00.000-05:00

Mushroom and Dried Porcini

Recipes for Health - Mushroom and Dried Porcini Soup - NYTimes.com

But it does state fresh "white" ( as in buttons ) along with dried porcini's

Haven't cooked it up yet, but it is soup season ...

Haven't tried this ... yet

2008-10-03T20:38:00.000-04:00

Making Meals in a Rice Cooker - NYTimes.com:

"Cooking foods other than rice in a rice cooker is like baking a layer cake in an Easy-Bake oven: best approached with patience, curiosity and something to snack on in the meantime."

Watch what you eat

2008-07-03T09:19:00.003-04:00

June 30, 2008, 8:50 am ... NYTimes
The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.

Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.

Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.

Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.

Cinnamon: Helps control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.

Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.

Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.

Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.

Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.'’ They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.

Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,'’ it has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.

Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.

Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

You can find more details and recipes on the Men’s Health Web site, which published the original version of the list last year.

In my own house, I only have two of these items — pumpkin seeds, which I often roast and put on salads, and frozen blueberries, which I mix with milk, yogurt and other fruits for morning smoothies. How about you? Have any of these foods found their way into your shopping cart?