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I have not “re-blogged” before so I’m not sure what this post will look like on my blog–I’m testing it out with this one.
I think I will try the recipe myself over the weekend. Seems like a great idea to me!
Twitter – A Bountiful Community For Foodies
25 FebDecided to give Twitter a try. Follow me @FoodOutsdTheBox
Enjoying it so far! Read that Daniel Boulud ate dinner at Zuni Cafe earlier, and Ruth Reichl tweeted about her breakfast of soft scrambled eggs.
Crab Louie Salad and Spud Point Marina
20 Feb
There is nothing like freshly cooked Dungeness Crab, dipped in garlic butter! I also like to make a second dipping sauce from Mayonnaise, Lemon Juice and some Curry Powder. The flavors pair very well with the Crab and a simple shaved Fennel & Apple salad (tossed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Salt & Pepper), along with some crusty bread, can’t be beat. By the way, family members, please note for my “Last Supper”!
We wanted to cook up some live Dungeness Crab for dinner a few weekends ago, so took a drive out to Spud Point Marina in Bodega Bay in Northern California. It’s just a few minutes north of Lucas Wharf. Lucky for us, Seafood Watch considers this type of crab sustainable and Paisano Brothers Fisheries had a holding tank full of them–being well into the season, we were surprised by the large size of 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. It’s a good idea to take an ice chest since they only have plastic garbage bags, which are easily punctured by their claws, making your trunk wet and possibly having them escape!
If you’re not up for cooking them yourself, Spud Point Crab Company is across from the Marina and serves Crab sandwiches and Clam Chowder, among other things.
We had plenty of leftover Crab, so I made a salad with a “Louie” style dressing (including Mayo, Sweet Pickle Relish, Ketchup, Lemon Juice, Chopped Capers).
Hopefully, we’ll do this again at least one more time this year! The season begins in Mid-November (perfect for a pre-Thanksgiving meal) and runs to June, but it’s best to get them in the winter months. Do you have a favorite Crab recipe to share?
Valentine’s Day Cocktails
12 Feb
I love idea of serving a cocktail with a Pink blush on Valentine’s Day. Here are a few ideas…plus one (not Pink) with Chocolate–yum!
“Posmo” (a spin-off of the classic Cosmopolitan):
- 1.5 Oz. Vodka
- 1/2 Oz Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
- Juice of 1/2 Lime (before cutting, slice some off a piece of zest for garnish)
- 1.5 Oz. Pomegranate Juice
(Optional: rim the glass by rubbing the cut Lime on the edge and dip into sugar)
Cherry Lemon Drop:
- 1.5 Oz. Vodka
- 1/2 Oz. simple syrup (I like to make mine from Agave Nectar — I make it in a shot glass by filling it with water and about 1 teaspoon of Agave)
- Juice of 1 Meyer Lemon (use 1 1/2 if you like your drinks tart, like I do)
- 1.5 Oz. Cherry Juice
(Optional: rim the glass by rubbing the cut Lemon on the edge and dip into sugar)
Raspberry Lemon Drop:
- 1.5 Oz. Vodka
- 1/2 Oz. simple syrup (I like to make mine from Agave Nectar — I make it in a shot glass by filling it with water and about 1 teaspoon of Agave)
- Juice of 1 Meyer Lemon (use 1 1/2 if you like your drinks tart, like I do)
- Muddle about 5 raspberries (fresh or frozen) in the shaker before pouring in the ice and liquids
(Optional: rim the glass by rubbing the cut Lemon on the edge and dip into sugar)
Chocolate Martini:
1 oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz. Vodka
(Optional: add a splash of Creme de Cacao or Half and Half, and rim the glass with cocoa powder and sugar)
For all of these Martinis, pour ingredients into a shaker with ice, shake and strain into a Martini glass. Of course, you could serve them over ice, if you prefer.
Blood Orange Margarita:
- 1 Oz. Tequila (preferably Silver)
- 1/2 Oz. Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
- Juice of 1 Blood Orange
- Juice of 1/2 Lime
Pink Grapefruit Margarita (adapted from Sunset Magazine):
3 parts freshly squeezed Ruby Grapefruit Juice, 2 parts Tequila, 1 part Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
If you use 1 Oz. of Tequila per serving, it’s easy to adapt it for as many servings as you need. This is one of my favorites!
For the Margaritas, pour ingredients into a shaker, blend and serve on the rocks. Salt or Sugar Rim optional. You could also mix some spice into the salt by mixing it into a mortar with pestle. I have tried Aleppo Pepper, which is quite mild (and delicious on eggs too!), and Aji Amarillo , a bit hotter (from Crescent Moon Farm via the Sebastopol, CA farmer’s market).
The photo is a Purple Basil Lemon Drop. In lieu of adding Cherry Juice to the Lemon Drop recipe above, muddle about 10 small leaves of Purple Basil into your mixing glass. Shake up your drink and strain it into your glasses. It will be a lovely Lavender color (although in this photo, it appears more Pink). Not quite as appropriate for Valentine’s Day, but equally refreshing!
Green Smoothies To Revitalize Your Body
11 Feb
Looks can be deceiving! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how delicious this tastes and you will feel so healthy after drinking it. The flavors go together really well and it’s definitely a great way to start the day, cleanse your body, and increase the amount of antioxidants and vegetables in your diet. By using a blender instead of a juicer, you will benefit by getting more fiber too.
In a blender, add the following in order:
- 1 Apple, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (not peeled) — I like Gala Apples
- 3/4 of 1 English Cucumber (not peeled — I recommend English Cucumbers since the skin is thinner and they are seedless so easily digestible
- Fresh Spinach Leaves, 2 big handfuls
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon (optional: include some of the zest, but avoid the white pith)
- Ginger, a small 1/4 inch slice, peeled and finely grated (Optional)
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups of water
Start with low-speed and move up to the highest speed. Makes 2 servings.
If you like it, try these Mix and Match Green Smoothie recipes from the VitaMix company.
By the way, here is link if you’d like to get more information or purchase one of my favorite kitchen gadgets, the VitaMix Blender.
“Let food be thy medicine …” – Hippocrates
Easy Greek Layer Dip for a Healthy Superbowl Appetizer
4 FebLayer all ingredients below, starting with the Hummus, in a clear glass dish and serve with Toasted Pita Chips
- Hummus, homemade preferably
- Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
- Cucumbers, chopped (or Tzatziki)
- Kalamata Olives, halved
Hummus Recipe:
In a small Cuisinart food processor, chop 1-2 cloves of Garlic (Roasted Garlic mellows the flavor so you could add up to head if you like). Garlic Powder will do if you don’t have cloves.
Add a can of drained Organic Chick Peas, the juice of 1 Lemon, 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, thin with a little water until you get the consistency you desire, salt & pepper to taste, optional: Smoked Paprika
Tzatziki Recipe:
In a medium bowl, combine a Cucumber, seeded, then coarsely grated, with 2 cups of Greek Yoghurt, preferably Whole Milk, juice of 1/2 Lemon, 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil, 1 finely chopped Shallot, 1 finely chopped clove of Garlic, a couple sprigs of fresh Dill, chopped (or about 1/2 – 1 Teaspoon of dried Dill) and Salt & White Pepper.
Seven Hills – San Francisco
22 Jan
Our good friends Katie and Michael recommended Seven Hills (named after the 7 hills of San Francisco: Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Rincon Hill, Mount Sutro, Twin Peaks and Mount Davidson). We had an early reservation and after several minutes, the Chef came out to say hello to our table. As we were introduced by Katie and Michael, I had no doubt we were about to have a really special dinner.
It was such a pleasure to meet Alex Alioto and Alex Solomou, the partners of this fantastic restaurant, located on Nob Hill at 1550 Hyde St. Alex Alioto, the Chef, shared with us that he worked in restaurants in Italy and Germany, as well as The Ritz Carlton in San Francisco, working with Ron Siegal (who used to be the chef at Masa’s) and The French Laundry.
We shared Appetizers consisting of Salt Seared Monterey Bay Calamari with a delicious Eggplant Caponata, Roasted Niman Ranch Bone Marrow with a Parsley and thinly shaved Black Radish Salad (along side some Crostini and Hawaiian Red Sea Salt to garnish), and Grilled Mackerel with an Olive Tapenade. All outstanding!
The fresh pastas were light and delicious. I don’t order pasta often these days, but I had feeling their Carbonara would be worth the calories. It was amazing and I especially loved the generous, savory pieces of Fra’ Mani Pancetta.
One of the other stand out pastas of the night was a Tallegio Cheese Agnolotti with Squash Puree and Vegetable Broth. The Squash Puree was delicate and the infused green oil floating on top of the broth was a lovely sight. Thanks for sharing a bite, Jenny, and Victor for ordering some great wine!
For dessert, we shared some House Made Fresh Ricotta Cheese “Doughnuts” with an Orange Creme Anglaise. The Ricotta was mixed into the dough and they were lightly dusted with sugar. If you’ve ever had Ricotta Pancakes, they were similar, but even better since they were crispy all around. I especially loved the orange zest. Can’t wait to go back!
Hmmm…I think I need to make some Lemon Ricotta Pancakes soon!
How To Prevent A Cut Apple From Browning In Your Lunch
21 Jan
Sometimes it’s the simple ideas that bring me happiness. This one did! To prevent a cut apple from browning in your kid’s lunch box, secure a rubber band around it. I wish I had thought of this, but I found it after stumbling upon the Bragg Blog (Bragg Live Food Products include a delicious Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar). I actually like the idea for myself too, since I prefer to cut up an apple rather than biting into a whole one, especially at my desk at the office.
You surely know the trite expression “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, and it’s a good reminder that most of us are not eating enough fruit and vegetables each day.
The new USDA Guidelines suggest you fill half your plate with fruit and vegetables–here is a link with some guidelines and nutrition data: www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov. I’d try going lighter on the fruit and eat more vegetables, since some fruits are quite high in sugar…mangoes, bananas, oranges, for example. On a side note, I read recently that the average American eats 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. Just imagine what a pile of that looks like!
Do you remember the Seinfeld TV show episode with Elaine who wants a “BIG” salad? That’s the kind of salad I like, that really satisfies my cravings for raw vegetables, and makes me feel super healthy with no remorse after eating a meal. You’ve probably heard of the “Meatless Mondays” campaign. What do think about “Salad Saturdays” or “Salad Sundays” where you fix a BIG salad for dinner instead of a eating heavy meal? Uh oh, I’m off on a tangent but I’d love to hear your ideas of what you’re doing to eat more fruits or vegetables!
Calamari Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
14 Jan
It’s the New Year and eating healthier is definitely on my mind. Have you tried Calamari? It is sustainable, delicious and tender when cooked properly.
One of my favorite ways, other than grilling it, is to gently steam it for several minutes, in a vegetable steamer, over simmering water infused with a few strips of Lemon Zest and 1-2 Bay Leaves. It cooks very quickly over steam so don’t walk away from it. It won’t take long to become firm and will continue to cook even after you have it off the heat. Then, throw it into the Vinaigrette, which will help stop the cooking process.
Salad for 2 people:
- 4-6 Calamari, depending on the size (steamed and sliced into rings)
- 1 Carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- Romaine Lettuce (I suggest using the heart and keeping the leaves whole, or Butter Lettuce would be nice too)
- Arugula, 1 handful
- 1/2 Bulb Fennel, shaved thinly
- Olives, about a handful, cut in half (I had green ones on hand, but Kalamata would also work well)
For the Vinaigrette:
- 3 Parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
- 1 Part Lemon Juice*
- Juice of 1/2 an Orange*
- 1/2 Shallot, finely chopped (or thinly sliced Red Onion)
- Parsley, a few sprigs, finely chopped
- Red Pepper Flakes (1-2 pinches or to taste)
- Salt, to taste
*Note: if you prefer a sharp dressing like I do, use 2 parts Oil and 1 part Juice . You could also use the leftover 1/2 orange, cut it into segments, and add them to the salad.
- Combine the ingredients of the Vinaigrette in a Salad bowl
- Toss in the steamed Calamari and let it marinade for about 10 minutes
- Combine the rest of the salad ingredients with the Vinaigrette and Calamari and enjoy!
I first heard about the technique of steaming Calamari while watching one of Lidia Bastianich’s cooking shows, Lidia’s Italy, on PBS. You can view her recipe here and for instructions on how to clean them, here is a link from Monterey Fish Market.
Carne Crudo with Enoki Mushrooms & Black Truffle Bruschetta
7 Jan
This dish is from Manzo at Eataly in New York. It was one of the memorable dishes from my recent vacation and I feel it is worth blogging about for several reasons…it was beautifully plated, had an excellent combination of flavors, and for using Grass-fed Beef.
I had not previously heard of Piemontese Beef. It comes from a breed of cattle originally from the North-West region of Piemont in Italy, and considered among the best in the world for being especially tender and lower in fat.
I am a big proponent of Grass-fed Beef, especially after watching the video Food, Inc. (which I highly recommend), and it’s my preference for the limited occasions when I eat Beef. As you probably know, Grass-fed Beef farms provide a more humane livestock system, a healthier human diet, less deadly E. coli, and elimination of feedlots that are filthy, require tons of antibiotics, and cruel to the animals. Manzo’s Razza Piemontese Beef is American-sourced, coming from Brewer Ranch in Miles City, Montana.
As usual, our preference was taking a seat at the counter rather than at a table, so we could watch the food being prepared and hopefully, get better service, which we did…the bartender was prompt, friendly and guided us in the right direction with his top recommendations.
I was quite surprised to see the meat for this Crudo being freshly ground up, right before our eyes, in the smallest, individual-size grinder that I’ve ever seen. I’m going to search for it and will put up a link in My Tasty Store when I find it (remember to check out My Tasty Store on the side bar of the blog when you’re viewing on a computer–unfortunately, it’s still not working well on mobile devices…it’s a project for the New Year!). The earthy flavors of Mushrooms and Black Truffles, together with the delicate Quail Egg Yolk, were divine.
We also enjoyed a Roasted Cauliflower and Romaine Salad with an Anchovy Caper Vinaigrette. I will definitely be duplicating this salad at home!
Chef Michael Toscano, the former Sous-Chef of Mario Batali’s Babbo, definitely impressed me and I look forward to going back.
If you’d like to see some of the other dishes, here is a link to the Fall menu. Be prepared to get hungry!
What restaurant dish has given you inspiration to try at home?
Food Outside The Box 