Cooking without Borders

Small Gardens & Valentines Day

2012-02-08T11:56:00.002-08:00

Cooking without borders!

“fresh is best!”

February 2012 Issue#31

Sorry for the delay in publishing, things have been a bitcrazy and I think it will get worse before it gets better, but I will be moreprompt moving forward.

Cucumbers and peppers

Strawberries, grapes, blackberries, thyme

Oregano and Rosemary

What is left of the tomatoes

One of my favorite romantic meals to make is our shrimpdiablo. Yes this is a reprint but it hasbeen so long and we have new members and since it is a favorite I figured youwouldn’t mind.

You have heard me talkabout the way to utilize your space, large or small, to create a garden. I have in the past had to do the best with whatI had, a balcony, patio what every, but I don’t have pictures to support myclaims. Recently I came in touch withsome people that did just what I have been talking about.

Home Depot, Lowes, Ace and OSH all sell one pot wondersin many varieties, we purchased artichokes and Japanese eggplant in singleslast year alone. We planted 6 cornstocks that way in 2011. Just enough forthe two of us for a year. If you look atour pictures from the last two years we had our tomatoes growing up stuff, My peas were 5+ feet tall and planted 2 weeksapart lasted(in the sun) until July! Andjust the other day I picked squash from the 2011 garden in 2012.

Whatare the advantages of doing your own garden – organic as best as anyone elsecan offer and if quantities you can consume and if you don’t OR you want todonate them grow more. It gets theyoungsters involved, and as the garden grows so do they and then bring it intothe kitchen, for the rest it is healthy, sustainable, great flavors and on andon. Does it take a lot? You do have to weed but once a week workswater during the hot time could be 3x per day but manufacturers have allowed usto purchase drip line and timer systems so that this becomes a no brainer andyou can water early in the am mid-day and after 7 at night or later.

Now is the time to get it in gear and plant!

This Month’s Tip…learn to compost – there arebiodegradable bags out there for your pails, we just burry it anywhere in thegarden.

DID YOU KNOW… there are over 300 grapes in a bottleof wine?

Monthly Recipe(s)

Shrimp Diablo

8 - 10 large shrimp, deveined, tail on

½ cup red onion, large dice

½ cup yellow onion, large dice

1 garlic clove, large dice

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 Jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped

2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

½ cup white wine

3 Tbsp. Butter

1 tsp. Hometown Spice

Parmesan cheese freshly grated

1/4 lb. linguine cooked

1. In a large sauté pan, melt butter over mediumheat. Sauté onions and jalapeño, untiltender and the onions are translucent. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and shrimp cook until shrimp are opaque,about 2 minutes per side. Add tomatoes,lemon juice, and white wine; reduce until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Divide cooked linguine into two bowls andspoon sauce over. Grate cheese overdish. Serve immediately.

Servings: 2

Wine paring for the above mentioned recipe A chilled Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Sparlking wine, Valdigue, or a Cline Cashmere not chilled.

January Newsletter

2012-01-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome everyone to the New Year! 2012 is setting out to be a good year for us and we hope that it will be for you as well.

We are a little late with the newsletter for the beginning of the year as December was a VERY crazy month. Moving into the New Year saw David with a new job title and associated responsibilities at one job and a few more homes sold and activity at the other. We are researching opportunities and creating several new items. Caitlin was at it again with her creative juices adding The BBQ Fairy’s Dust to our already long list of low sodium custom blends and we should have two more Quick meals ready this week or next.

Last night David and I were watching Food Network, as usual, a show called “The Big Waste”. It was astonishing to see and hear just how much food goes to waste every year from farms, stores, and restaurants. There were several reasons for the loss, one reason was customers at u-pick places picking something and discarding it in the field because they found another, didn't like the one they picked, or just changed their minds and tossed the product into the field! They interviewed an educated gent, with current employment who they found dumpster diving at restaurants in his neighborhood, in New York. There were probably 20 garbage bags of food that the restaurants had tossed and inside the bags were perfectly usable vegetable. The chefs, Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli, were teamed up girls against the guys for 2 days to find and salvage foods and then create dinner for 100 guests and being judged on the meals. They went to chicken farms and found 3 coolers full of slightly imperfect chickens, chickens with torn skin or broken limb but perfectly eatable birds, just not birds that the general public would purchase. They hit many locations in search of food for the dinner, vegetables galore, seafood, chicken, prosciutto and much, much more. All the products they found were examined by a neutral judge verifying that the products they found to use were actually safe. They even included checking the temperature. While at a fishmonger he told a story of a banquet that was cancelled and the fish, 100 pounds, was returned and they were going to have to discard of it, the chefs used the fish.

It was amazing and appalling to us as we watched in horror the literally tons of perfectly eatable food that are going to waist, and this was only in the New York area. I know that there are issues here as well. I am aware of issues with out of the area individuals using the u-pick and discarding fruit they think is un useable (of course there are those that eat WAY more than what the pay for and then they argue about it).

Tip....

Don’t have time for a dessert or not a successful at baking, find a packaged desert mix that you can convert into personal cups, most deserts are way more food than we need, serving personal sized (4oz) servings go over well and will feed twice the number on the box!

Fancy Feasts

Ahi Tuna Poke

It was a rather last minute decision to do anything for New Year’s Eve this year and we choose to stay home and entertain a few selected guests. I had scheduled enough time Friday morning to be at Costco when it opened as I was looking for a few daily items and found that they had the fishmonger there. As I started to walk around I made a few changes but ended up with, 2 lobster tails, a piece of Ahi tuna, 4 pieces of filet mignon, a salmon and a rack of lamb. You would think I was feeding an army with this amount of food, but I was only feeding 6 and I only purchased small pieces of everything I purchased.

The idea behind my madness was lots of appetizers with the salmon being the main course along with a salad and rice and I knew that we would be eating for a long time being that we were starting at 6 pm. So I would imagine you are saying what did I do with this food, well I started with the Ahi and made poke out of that and served with scoop type chips (they stay crisper), a recipe I shared I an earlier issue, the filet, I wanted to purchase a section of the whole filet but all they had was a monster piece that priced out around $100.00, not what I needed, I froze the pieces I had for 2 hours wrapped in cellophane so I could slice it thinly to pound out for Carpaccio. I diced up red sweet onions and tossed them with cappers to sprinkle over the top just before serving. The lobster I par baked, removed the meat from shell, wrapped in prosciutto with horseradish and diced into medallions, under the broiler and done. David purchase some sausage links and those we grilled and put into the oven to crisp up a bit and sliced, the lamb pops were wonderful (even if I do Say so myself), just a simple marinade and a quick trip on the grill (recipe below) then I did our Hometown Lemon Salmon on a cedar plank on the grill and finally for a light dessert, I made lava cakes in personal ramekins yum! (If there is ever a recipe you would like and cannot find it, please do not hesitate to contact me, I’ll be more than happy to send it to you and I am still working on our cookbook)

Hometown Lemon Salmon on Cedar Plank

Carpaccio

Lamb Pops

1 tablespoon Lemon olive oil

Zest and juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons of fresh oregano chopped

2 table spoons minced garlic

Couple grinds on the salt grinder

Couple grinds of Royal Pepper

1 small single side of lamb

Trim the fat and silver skin off the lamb, once you feel you have removed all that you can, slice between each bone. In a 4 cup glass bowl combine the remaining ingredients and stir, then coat each pop, both sides place back into the bowl when all are done cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Grill, grill pan, or broil 3 to 4 minutes per side and serve.

Roasted Winter Veggie Salad

2011-12-15T14:11:00.000-08:00

As you can imagine, we belong to a food group! We challenge ourselves to new recipes and foods (not too many foods we have not tried but...) But as part of our December celebration we were asked to bring a winter vegetable salad. Yippie!!! I have root veggies in the garden still so all I had to do was find some beets. After a bit of research, I came up with the following salad. Sorry, no color this time we were a bit shy on taking pictures this meal, but boy did this get the reviews.

Roasted Winter Veggie Salad
1 butternut squash
4 beets
4 to 6 carrots
Extra virgin olive oil
Aged balsamic
1 teaspoon Hometown Blend
Feta or Gorgonzola
For the Fancy plating (optional):
1/4 cup Mascaropone
1 ½ teaspoons Horseradish

Preheat the oven to 350, scrub the beets and carrots leaving them whole. Peel the squash and cut into 3/4 inch pieces. Line 2 or 3 pans with aluminum foil. Separately toss the beets, Roasted Winter Veggie Salad
1 butternut squash
4 beets
4 to 6 carrots
Extra virgin olive oil
Aged balsamic
Hometown Blend
Feta or Gorgonzola
For the Fancy plating (optional):
1/4 cup Mascaropone
1 ½ teaspoons Horseradish

Preheat the oven to 350, scrub the beets and carrots leaving them whole. Peel the squash and cut into 3/4 inch pieces. Line 2 or 3 pans with aluminum foil. Separately toss the beets, carrots and butternut squash in 2 tablespoons each of the olive oil. The beets take the longest at the 60 minute mark, the carrots and squash 30, all until fork tender.

Remove and let them cool. Peal the skin off the beets and cut into 8 or 10 wedges for a pretty plate or into ½ in pieces for a large bowl presentation. Cut the carrots into bit sizes. For the plating, mix the Mascaropone and horseradish and place a tablespoon full on the plate and drag thru, lay 6 pieces of beet in a clockwise fashion then top with the squash and carrot pieces. Top with a generous amount of Feta or Gorgonzola and drizzle with an aged balsamic. For a large bowl skip the horseradish and Mascaropone and layer beets, squash and then carrots. Top with the Feta cheese and drizzle with the aged balsamic to taste. carrots and butternut squash in 2 tablespoons each of the olive oil. The beets take the longest at the 60 minute mark, the carrots and squash 30, all until fork tender.

Remove and let them cool. Peal the skin off the beets and cut into 8 or 10 wedges for a pretty plate or into ½ in pieces for a large bowl presentation. Cut the carrots into bit sizes. For the plating, mix the Mascaropone and horseradish and place a tablespoon full on the plate and drag thru, lay 6 pieces of beet in a clockwise fashion then top with the squash and carrot pieces. Top with a generous amount of Feta or Gorgonzola and drizzle with an aged balsamic. For a large bowl skip the horseradish and Mascaropone and layer beets, squash and then carrots. Top with the Feta cheese and drizzle with the aged balsamic to taste.

2011-12-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Now that we have had our fill of Thanksgiving food we can proudly look forward to the wonders of Christmas (food) but as we all know, we have leftovers to deal with between now and then. SO I started to look for recipes that help utilize some of those – wonderful – leftovers. Included in this issue is a recipe for turkey ravioli, I also searched the web for the top 10 leftover recipes this is what I found (I wasn’t too excited): Turkey Fingers with cranberry, Turkey cranberry puffed pastry bites, Turkey fried rice, Turkey Mornay, Turkey Pesto casserole, the usual Turkey cranberry sandwiches, - we make Paninis – Turkey and stuffing sandwiches, and tetrazzini. All sound like great ideas, I’m still working on testing some of them but have a few other ideas of my own. We figure that we could take our Tikka Massala and use the turkey instead for the chicken, the ravioli I mentioned is an absolute wonderful recipe and I am looking forward to having a few minutes to make them this year.

After a truly last minute decision to open the shop we have finally done it! We are located at 629 First Street, in downtown Brentwood. There is still some unpacking going on, but some of that is we are still looking for the Holiday items and arranging things in a reasonable fashion. Hope to see your smiling faces sometime thru the season.

Are you doing the cooking at Christmas this year? We have a marinade for that beautiful beef roast, come check it out!

As most of you know the picking season for olives is November thru December. Due to the torrential down pours we had all over the state in early June most of the pollen and blossoms of the trees were washed away. As a result is there expected to be a shortage of olives and oil moving forward thru to our next picking season. We can only hope for rain around the bloom for next year and not during.

This Month’s Tip…Try to accumulate (or keep) a range of pans. It is best to keep good matches for the type of cooking you do. For boiling and steaming – keep a tall pot, for concentrating liquid you need a broad pot, straight sided skillets are best for braising (this can be the same pan you use for concentrating liquids if there are few in your house) and sloped sided pans for sautéing, and a wok for stir frying.

DID YOU KNOW…that Warring introduced the blender in 1936.

Monthly Recipe(s)

Cranberry Turkey Ravioli (with gravy)

½ pound Turkey leftovers dark and light meat

4 Tablespoons of cranberries

4 Tablespoons Romano Cheese, grated

2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs with 1 teaspoon Hometown or Tuscan blends

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

1 egg

½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper (or 1 teaspoon Hometown)

1 package store bought wonton wrappers

GRAVY: We double the following – we REALLY like the extra gravy.

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 shallots diced

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup low sodium/organic chicken broth

4 Tablespoons heavy cream

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

½ teaspoon flake sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or 1 teaspoon Hometown) to taste

For Ravioli: Stir together the turkey, cranberry, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley and salt and pepper. Working in batches of 10, place the wontons on a work surface, fill each with 1 teaspoon of mixture. Brush lightly with water around the edge then fold over diagonally to seal. Press out any air bubbles and press edge to seal. MAKE ONLY WHAT YOU WILL EAT at one sitting as the wontons stick together.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for ravioli.

For Gravy: In a heavy skillet melt the butter over a medium heat, add the shallots a d cook until tender. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute. Gradually add the chicken stock constantly stirring to prevent clumping, add the cream, parsley, and salt and pepper (or Hometown) to taste and cook over low heat until warmed thru – DO NOT BOIL.

Drop the ravioli into the boiling water carefully and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until warmed thru and a bit al dente. Remove the ravioli with a spider if you have one and add into the gravy, stir to coat. Serve immediately and pour any remaining gravy over the dish. And Enjoy!!Now that we have had our fill of Thanksgiving food we can proudly look forward to the wonders of Christmas (food) but as we all know, we have leftovers to deal with between now and then. SO I started to look for recipes that help utilize some of those – wonderful – leftovers. Included in this issue is a recipe for turkey ravioli, I also searched the web for the top 10 leftover recipes this is what I found (I wasn’t too excited): Turkey Fingers with cranberry, Turkey cranberry puffed pastry bites, Turkey fried rice, Turkey Mornay, Turkey Pesto casserole, the usual Turkey cranberry sandwiches, - we make Paninis – Turkey and stuffing sandwiches, and tetrazzini. All sound like great ideas, I’m still working on testing some of them but have a few other ideas of my own. We figure that we could take our Tikka Massala and use the turkey instead for the chicken, the ravioli I mentioned is an absolute wonderful recipe and I am looking forward to having a few minutes to make them this year.

Are you doing the cooking at Christmas this year? We have a marinade for that beautiful beef roast, come check it out!

DID YOU KNOW…that Warring introduced the blender in 1936.

Monthly Recipe(s)

Cranberry Turkey Ravioli (with gravy)

½ pound Turkey leftovers dark and light meat

4 Tablespoons of cranberry relish

4 Tablespoons Romano Cheese, grated

2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs with 1 teaspoon Hometown or Tuscan blends

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

1 egg

½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper (or 1 teaspoon Hometown)

1 package store bought wonton wrappers

GRAVY: We double the following – we REALLY like the extra gravy.

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 shallots diced

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup low sodium/organic chicken broth

4 Tablespoons heavy cream

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

½ teaspoon flake sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or 1 teaspoon Hometown) to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for ravioli.

November Newsletter

2011-10-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

Cooking without borders!

“fresh is best!”

November 2011 Issue #28

all is most definitely here. The winds are picking up, the the evening temps are REALLY cool, and as usual we have been more inclined to turn on the oven, braise some more meat, and create a few soups and stew, and we are only beginning!!! This year I am challenging myself to find a few cream based soups that are not too fattening and not to where they taste like cooked flour. I love, love, love lobster bisque, but I have shared that recipe previously, and I’m feeling like making a New England clam chowder or seafood chowder. As you can imagine I get tons of email s regarding recipes, try this and try that or have you …. And I look, but not always do I find, so that is when I have to create my own version OR this is good, but I like this would make it better.

Thanksgiving is the celebration of the harvest, giving thanks for the harvest and to giving thanks in general. The word “celebrate” means Observance of a holidayor Participation in a dinner party. Some Religious beliefs don’t observe holidays, but we all celebrate our friends and family, enjoying dinners and our company’s presence in our own ways. At this time of the year, we are reminded of these relationships and appreciate them by setting time aside to spend with these special people. So during this time of thankfulness, remember those you love, past and present, and enjoy!

I often get the questions of what drives you to cook, when did you first start cooking, etcetera. Well, and I’m sure I have made this statement before, I don’t know where I learned to cook or when. My love for GOOD flavor has driven me to perfect recipes to our tastes (and everyone’s tastes are different so I don’t expect to please everyone) and I always cook with love or from my heart and am always willing to share.

I recently read an article in Sunset Magazine, one of the few I actually get to read, that reminded me of some things I forgot that drove me to perfecting recipes. In my youth, I spent my summers traveling around the nation officiating events. I spent a minimum of 14 weeks a summer on the road lending to many meals out. And learning different tastes and developing my culinary prowess. As most of you know I am A Wisconsin girl that has found her way to the wonderful west coast and with good reason. There are areas of this nation that are known for one thing or another, but this great state of ours is a true melting pot and the city of San Francisco has become known as a “food town”. “Never in the history of the world have so many people elevated cooking to an extra-curricular passion” says Anna Nordberg, and I couldn’t agree more! We have a myriad of fresh markets to choose from, some which are even year round, a season of growing twice that of any other area. Our group of friends consists of gardeners, makers of handcrafted aperitifs and cordials, bakers, and home chefs creating dishes far beyond that of restaurateurs in other parts of the nation (from my personal experience).

And not ony do we have the love of food but we have the discovery of amazing vegetables in all colors of the rainbow, organic or not, commercially and best of all homegrown! We have become a nation that has been forced to “watch our money” to the point, in some cases, the way our grandparents had to during the great depression, I know, a very debatable subject . We have grown our gardens to help put monies into other parts of our lives and perfected more of the recipes to enjoy foods out of our own kitchens. We have gone back in times to bartering for goods and trading our goods with others. What has this created? In my eyes we are becoming better cooks and bakers and we are enjoying foods that even 5 years ago we didn’t know existed.

All this to bring your attention to the fact that you too are improving your cooking skills! Unbenounced to you, you are becoming a wonderful cook, becoming more comfortable and cooking with love! Live, Love and Eat!

This Month’s Tip …carve out the center of white mini-pumpkins and place orange tea lights in the center for simple table decorations and remember to use odd numbers to enhance your tablescape.

DID YOU KNOW…-there is a greater number of reports showing that the inclusion of different spices and herbs in our daily diets decrease cancers and diseases. So what is bothering you? Arthritis, a nasty cold…check for healing remedies online and keep an eye on our monthly finds. This month we are featuring cloves. Clove contains a significant amount of “eugenol” which has been reported to show benefits for the prevention of toxicity from the environment, prevention of digestive tract cancers and treatment of joint inflammation. It is also used in dentistry associated with root canals and other gum pains.

Monthly Recipe(s)

Spaghetti and Meatballs

The Sauce, I fill a 5 quart pot half or better with tomatoes and start the cooking process. As it is cooking I add 1 medium onion and a few cloves of garlic diced. We like garlic so I add a few and taste and add a few more and taste until I get where I want it to be. But this is just a base, I do add more when I need it in the recipes so although we like the garlic, I don’t overdo it here either. I put in a few bay leaves and all my spices, Hometown and if I am planning this on the Italian side, squished garlic or our Tuscany blend.

The pasta is something I will leave up to you, but there is nothing like fresh pasta. 2 ¼ cup flour, 3 eggs, and 1 yolk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon each oil and water for a dry lasagna pasta and 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 each oil and water and 4 eggs for spaghetti or any other - not too different. Make a well and mix by hand, 1 egg at a time, or in the food processor. Roll out very thin and use a pizza cutter and a straight edge to make all widths of pasta. Bring to boil a large pot of water and cook 3 to 5 minutes until just short of al dente, drain and add to the sauce to finish cooking, why add to the sauce, to gather some of the goodness there.

The meatballs are usually a combination of low fat beef and turkey, chicken or sometimes pork. I mix in a medium onion, Hometown, bread crumbs and an egg. Unless I have a few hours and sauce on the stove I usually bake my meatballs, 30 minutes at 350⁰ F, and I make them about an inch in diameter. After the 30 minutes they are slightly browned and moist, ready to eat. If I make them larger, about 2” in diameter, I cook them in the simmering sauce for a few hours and add a little more bread crumb to hold them together. These I sever 1 per person perched atop the pasta and lots of cheese grated over. Our pasta meals always include garlic bread. We make it from any bread we have in the house, usually a sour dough bun, butter and Squished Garlic seasoning. I keep parmesan and Parmesano Reggiano in the freezer.

Spice of the Month – Squished Garlic

This seasoning came about because one of our wonderful clients brought us a bottle with just a few pieces in the bottom and asked if we could recreate it as they could no longer find it. The bottle contents were older and a bit stale and we have found that most store bought items are old by the time they hit the shelf so we had to try to adjust for that but what we have come up with is really a nice Italian style spice you can use in everything from a bread dipper to meatballs and garlic bread.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2011-10-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

The pasta is something I will leave up to you but there is nothing like fresh pasta. 2 ¼ cup flour, 3 eggs, and 1 yolk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon each oil and water for a dry lasagna pasta and 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 each oil and water and 4 eggs for spaghetti or any other - not too different. Make a well and mix by hand or in the food processor.

The meatballs are usually a combination of beef and turkey, chicken or sometimes pork. I mix in a medium onion, Hometown, bread crumbs and an egg. Unless I have a few hours and sauce on the stove I usually bake my meatballs, 30 minutes at 350⁰ F, and I make them about an inch in diameter. After the 30 minutes they are slightly browned and moist, ready to eat. If I make them larger, about 2” in diameter, I cook them in the simmering sauce for a few hours and add a little more bread crumb to hold them together. These I sever 1 per person perched atop the pasta and lots of cheese grated over. And you can always fry up the meat and add it to the sauce. Our pasta meals always include garlic bread. We make it from any bread we have in the house, usually a sour dough bun, butter and Squished Garlic seasoning.

Using up the garden

2011-10-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

The one thing I REALLY miss from Wisconsin is having a basement! Once things were harvested they could easily be stored there. Here I have to try to use my harvest quickly in order not to lose them. I have been able to braid the shallots, onions, and garlic and hang them in the back garage that has shade from morning to night, so I will get some additional time to use them.

This process has me thinking about exactly how not to lose to many of my fruits of the harvest. I know that the weather has been a bit warm so the thought of soups, stews and braised meals doesn't go over very well but once the smells are in the air - oh la la.

I have taken the time in the past week or so to make braised beef shanks, spaghetti and meatballs, tortilla soup, and paella using ONLY the fruits and veggies from the garden. All of these are EASY but a couple of them take a little bit of time.

So what have I been working with? Onions, garlic, tomatoes, shallots, carrots, leeks, Fresno, and jalapeno chilies. The purchased items were chicken and beef stock, the meats (with the exception of the sausage, but I'll get to that in a minute) and some spices and custom blends and of course those were all from our store.

So I'll dissect them one by one and provide the recipes as well. I make a sauce first and then over a few days use it in several dishes but when I make this I find that we have a few more mouths to feed because it is so good. When you make the sauce before all of these you can use the sauce in with the shanks, spaghetti, the tortilla soup and the paella!

I fill a 5 quart pot half or better with tomatoes and start the cooking process. As it is cooking I add 1 medium onion and a few cloves of garlic diced. We like garlic so I add a few and taste and add a few more and taste until I get where I want it to be. But this is just a base, I add more when I need it in the recipes so although we like the garlic, I don’t over do it here either.

So first was the braised beef shanks, this one was very easy, but takes a few hours on the stove top OR once put together you can let it go in the oven at 350⁰F for the same length of time.

2 beef shanks

1 medium onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped leeks

1 cup tomatoes seeded

1 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons "For the Red" seasoning

1 cup good red wine

in food processor chop all the veggies. Season the meat with half the seasoning. In a pan large enough for the meat to sit in nicely, over medium high heat add 2 tablespoons oil and all the veggies and sauté to 2 to 3 minutes, set aside. Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and add in the meat, seasoned side down, cook for 2 minutes until nicely brown season the uncooked side and then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Once that time is up, add in the veggies and the wine (carefully), cover and cook over low or simmer for 2 or 3 more hours until the meat falls apart.

Over the next few days I will post the other recipes, just to keep the suspense up. Happy eating

October Newsletter

2011-09-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

“fresh is best!”

October 2011 Issue #27

am starting early with the newsletter this month due to the fact that we have a wedding to attend on the first and want to be sure to get my latest adventures out. In Septembers issue I talked about all the fun stuff I was “cooking “up from grapes. This is from a conversation that I had with friends about how in days past our ancestors used everything, nothing went to waste. And I have for some time (years) tried to use everything. I learned from my dad how to butcher meat and to this day take advantage of chickens on sale and cut them up into the pieces I need and save the bits for chicken soups and stocks. I have passed this talent on to my now 20 year old daughter. And I feel in this economy AND environmentally, we need to get back to just that, nothing goes to waste.

Zinfandel grapes for Verjuice

Ok, I’ll get off my high horse now and move along. Recently there has been an addition to the Contra Costa Winegreower’s Association, Wedl Vineyards, welcome. They are just around the corner from us, literally; part of the grape growing process requires the “dropping” of fruit. This is fruit that is too young or too far mature, basically, fruit that will not be at the right stage when the brix are high enough for picking. That is not to say that this fruit is not good, it is for table consumption. This is the fruit that I use for the zinfandel pies and the vin cotta (next on the list to be made). The gre

The finished product.
After a day in the frig the color is
a bright pink!

en grapes are turned into “Verjuice”. Verjuice or Verjus comes from the French and means literally green juice. It is made from the un-ripened grapes by removing the stems and dropping the rest in a blender, pulsing and then filtering the juice. Why would one do this, because the enhancement from the juice is amazing!

Error, I managed to do last month’s newsletter with a major migraine, one the likes I cannot remember having in a very long time. During this wonderful time frame, I missed a few instructions on the Zinfandel pie.

3. Bring meat or pulp to a boil over medium low heat and cook for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400⁰F.

4. Put meal thru food mill to remove the seeds, discarding any seeds. Add in the skins and flour/sugar mixture and blend well.

5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the crust is brown.

I can always feel the changes in the seasons, and when it comes to fall, it makes me very happy. Fall to me brings out pots of goodies, braised beef shanks or short ribs, big pots of soups and stews, wonderful things you put into the oven or on the stove top for long periods of time.

This Month’s Tip …don’t carve your pumpkin this year, wrap it in themed paper with simple glue. These are both pretty and elegant and can be used well into November for Thanksgiving decorations.

DID YOU KNOW…There are seven key principles for the optimal health; eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables; reduce your exposure to pesticides; eat to regulate your blood sugar levels; do not over consume meat and other animal products; eat the right types of fats; keep your salt intake low; and your potassium intake high; and finally, drink sufficient amounts of water each day.

Monthly Recipe(s)

Braised Beef Shanks

2 beef shanks

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 or 3 bay leaves

2 carrots

2 ribs celery

1 large onion

4 Tbsp For the Red seasoning

1 ½ cups zinfandel wine

In a food processor add the carrots, celery, and onions, process until a fine dice. In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, add the olive oil, season the shanks on both sides with the For the Red, then add the shanks to the pan cook on both sides 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the shanks and set aside. Add the vegetables, bay leaves, and wine into the pot and cook for 7 minutes or until soft. Return the shanks to the pot and cook for 4 to 5 hours on simmer. Serve with wild rice and green beans. Perfect with a nice, fruity, zinfandel, maybe even the one used in the recipe.

Spice of the Month – For the Red

We developed this seasoning for use with red meats hence For the Red meat. During the months when recipes call for rosemary, thyme, sage and the like, we cannot always get them fresh out of our gardens. It is about this time of the year when I cut back to the base for the new growth to come in.

Sausage Making at Home.

2011-09-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

I have a difficult time eating food when they are grease or oily to taste. So it was easy for me to take the plunge into making my own sausage. Knowing what I do and don’t like has guided me to an easy starting point for creating or cooking up a storm!

I have an old fashion meat grinder that I have just in case, but the best tool is my Kitchaid mixer and all the wonderful attachments it has. The attachments for this chore are the meat grinder and the sausage stuffer, both items are readily available and at Amazon.com, usually at a discount.

Now there has been a bit of information gathering before I took the plunge and the aid of another set of hands to make the job go more smoothly. In addition I purchased 2 books on making sausage and in the future will make a cold smoker to create the illusive summer sausage I grew up with. But for now fresh sausage is the target.

A couple of things that helped organize the process; get a good recipe book for a base line, make sure you have all the tools, figure out how much the recipe will make/you want and put a good shopping list together.

I thought that this would be a disastrous undertaking and an extreme mess. But here is the process for the day. At noon we headed off to the market to acquire fresh meat to work with. We got a picnic shoulder and 90% pre ground beef for our first round (now that we have a good time reference and what we need to create low fat sausage we will get a good cut of beef and grind it ourselves to know exactly what we want). Once home we removed the skin, fat and silver skin from the pork. Cut the pork into pieces small enough to fit into the feeder tube of the attachments. Before we went too much further we got the spices and garlic ready for use, put all the equipment together and or ready to use, and put the casings in water. This made it quick for us to move thru the rest of the process. We used 32mm casings which are nice but just a tad bit big for regular sausage; the 21mm would have been a better choice. We then moved on to cutting and weighing as we had decided to make two different sausages one a Greek orange and the other a traditional Cuban sausage. The Greek was a beef and pork combination and as the name states it had a whole large orange in it. We blended all the spices together with the wine and combined with both of the meats. Once well mixed by hand we took a large spoonful and tossed it into a suite pan to test our concoction. Voila! It is an awesome sausage, at this point we have already decided to add more orange the next time and make it for our Thanksgiving dinner party. (We couldn’t find a large orange so we used two medium sized, needed one more) So on to the next step – STUFFING. Since neither of us had any experience at any of this we used books as a reference. We soaked the casings in water before using; this is a very good thing just not too long as the casings get delicate the longer they are in the water. We attempted our hands at long sausage, 6” sausages – long ones twisted every 6”, and one we could coil up.

Next we did a Traditional Cuban sausage with annatto seed and Mexican oregano; this is a 100% pork sausage ground to a large size grind. As we did with the last, we blended everything together and then took a really big spoonful and tossed it into a pan for testing. Once again – SUCCESS, the recipe gave us the option of using paprika or annatto and we choose the annatto as the spice was a Latin spice and we wanted to stay true to ethnicity. Here we decided for next time is to do half and half the annatto and paprika. This time when stuffing we made 4” links and a couple of long ones, this is when we found out that we had left the casings in the water too long and as a result we had to make a few patties out of is.

At this point it is about 4 pm and we have opened a bottle of sparkling wine in honor of our success. Our next venture will be before the holidays and Italian sausage will be on the list to accomplish. Know it takes the two of us, have all the mis en plas done, and two bowls, one for ice water and the other to put the meat into as we do the grinding. We are excited and looking forward to another day of sausage making and the enjoyment of the sausage for dinner that night.

Verjuice

2011-09-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

Recently there has been an addition to the Contra Costa Winegreower’s Association, Wedl Vineyards. They are just around the corner from us and they currently bottle an EXCELLENT Zinfandel wine. Fortunate for us we have been able to participate in the winemaking process at the ground level.

Part of the grape growing process requires the “dropping” of fruit. This is fruit that is too young or too far mature, basically fruit that will not be at the right stage when the brix are high enough for picking. This is also done to concentrate the flavors in the remaining bunches to boost the flavors for the end product. That is not to say that this fruit is not good, it is and useable for table consumption. This is the fruit that I use for the zinfandel pies and the vin cotta (next on the list to be made this year). The green grapes can be turned into “Verjuice”. Verjuice or Verjus comes from the French and translated means literally green juice. It is made from the un-ripened grapes by removing the stems and dropping the rest in a blender, pulsing and then filtering the juice. Why would one do this, because the enhancement from the juice is amazing!

Verjuice is generally used as a substitute for lemon juice or vinegar, but it is really much much more than that. Verjuice is a natural flavor enhancer, adding amazing flavor and richness. The grapes used here are generally high in acid and low in sugars. It is zesty, delicate, and elegant used only as creative as the chef’s imagination. Verjuice has the same acid base as wine, imagine that, since it comes from the same grapes, and in dishes with wine, it will not distort the essence of the wine as lemon juice or vinegar will. It then becomes the perfect condiment to use when you are cooking with a good quality wine in a dish, which you should do anytime you cook with wine.

After blending

Verjuice is extremely versatile and can be used in any dish sweet or savory, meat, veggie, or fruit. You can use it in dressings and vinaigrettes instead of vinegar, sauces, gravies, and reductions adding complexity were ever you use it.

Verjuice is available online if you are not as fortunate as I am to have a vineyard around the corner, and it will keep refrigerated up to 3 months once opened.

Verjuice has been around for ages some stating 4000BC. But in 1980 it made a dynamic comeback. This unique ingredient has been the target of revival by Australian restaurateurs and wine farmers and is currently produced in Australia, as the largest producer, followed by South Africa. This unique product is ever still the elusive one being found only in high-end supermarkets and specialty food stores in South Africa.

Historians set out on a quest on 1999 to reinstate the tradition of the making of the juice and are doing so in small quantities commercially. A visit to Burgundy in ’01 revealed that there was no presence of the product in either food stores or vinoteques or despite the copious amounts used in Dijon in the making of the mustard of the same name.

Although verjuice can be made from almost any green fruit, current day processing equipment makes grapes the obvious choice. And in my book the flavor spike that it provides is wonderful and truly does compliment the good wines used in the makings of a great dish. So cleans your palette and prepare your mouth for the deliciousness that Verjuice adds to you food and meal! Live, Love, and Eat!

2011-09-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

“fresh is best!”

September 2011 Issue #26

I hope everyone is having a great summer; we have only until the 20^th of this month before we ring in fall and the harvest. This season has been very weird, cold, rainy, and slow. I’m not complaining…the nights have been great and the days, although some warm have been reasonable.

I want everyone to understand that we are not going out of business. We are re-grouping in hopes of finding the right fit. Please feel free to call or go online to get your orders to me; we will gladly bring them to the Saturday Farmer’s Market. We are having difficulty getting glass once again; currently there is none of our type of bottles in the United States.

never thought that I would be packing up the shop, far from it, but it is what it is and we just have to make the best. IF you have been following my blog or Facebook, you will know that I have been taking advantage of the fruits of the season. As of this writing I am working on a zinfandel grape pie recipe, verjuice (green grape juice that is somewhere between citrus and vinegar), and vin cotta (cooked wine but with 2 distinct variations). The grape pie has a base from concord grape pie the verjuice is not readily found and the vin cotta – not at all. I will post the results on our Facebook page.

Upcoming Events…Join us for Oktoberfest, October 15^th, at Shadowlike. A beer paring dinner Featuring Sierra Nevada beer. This will be a 4 course sit down meal for more information contact Shadowlakes at 516-2837 extension 216 for reservations seating is limited to call soon to reserve you space.

Top Hometown Salmon,
Bottom Super Quesadilla

Press Release…We are proud to announce 6 Quick Meal packets. For $1.50, each packet contains the recipe with a shopping list, and seasonings to make a great meal in short order. (MOSTLY 30 MINUTES) The current packets are: Ginger Salmon, Grilled Steak Caribbean Steak, Tikka Masala Chicken, Super Quesadilla, Cacciatore, and Lime Steak Fajitas. We are working on several more to add to this list so keep your eyes peeled for the next release coming soon. We also have our Hometown Lemon Salmon and Mushroom risotto available. These include Bags and rice to complete the meal. Compared to the big name brands, ours are bursting with flavor!

This Month’s Tip ….since we are in some of the harvests, you don’t have to have all the tools for canning. FREEZE IT. Canning requires large pieces of equipment and is only worth it if you can do large batches. If there are only two to four of you , put it in a freezer bag, or food storage system. Most everything will keep 6months or more in the freezer and if doubled up will not get freezer burn.

DID YOU KNOW… There are 3 types of couscous. Couscous is traditionally a steamed semolina grains. There is Moroccan, Israeli, and Lebanese, and they range in size from small grains to the size of peas respectively. They are an 8 to 12 minute cook and are fun to use instead of rice or other pastas.

Monthly Recipe(s)

Zinfandel Pie

1or 2 pie crusts (you choose fresh is best but there is lots to do in this recipe).

You can also use a grahm cracker crust.

5 cups zin grapes washed and drained

½ cup sugar

¼ cup flour

¾ teaspoon lemon or lime juice

Pinch of salt

1. Make crust if not using store bought.

2. Separate skins from meat saving both.

3. In a large pan over medium low heat bring meat to boil. In a separate bowl combine salt, sugar, and flour.

4. Just before serving add whipping cream.

Spice of the Month – Couscous blend

We brought this in to help you with an Eastern style of cooking. The mix is used to flavor the couscous discussed above. And if you don’t care for that style of cooking or flavor, cook it without additional seasoning, and have fun.

2011-08-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

Himalayan Sea Salt

August 29^th is National “More Herbs, Less Salt Day”. Yes believed it of not is it a real holiday. And not to be surprised something we here at BSO² (Brentwood Spice & Olive Oil) promote daily. It is true humans need a bit of salt and that too low a sodium level in your system is not a good thing. But think about what you cook with. Even low sodium items can carry a bit more salt than what you might use when cooking with fresh and salting to YOUR taste. Here a a few bits to help you relinquish your hold on salt. 1/2 teaspoon of salt can be replaced with 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or granules

Use Dulse, seaweed or other natural salty items to enhance your foods.

Add lemon or cayenne to replace the salt.

AND if you are the cook, taste as you go, salt brightens flavors but so does citrus. If you must use salt use sea salt.

The Olive Oil Truth - a quick overview, don't be fooled about the facts

2011-08-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

There is a bit of a myth surrounding the wonderful fruit the olive. So here is a quick bit to help understand the process. Olives originated in the Mediterranean, there are many different varieties of olives, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Kalamata, Arbequina, Mission, Luca, and the list goes on…and on. These all have different characteristics and are used because of the different flavors they impart. There is also interest in the fact that the Mission olive, for example, can produce 15 gallons of oil per ton (2000 pounds) to the other end of the scale the Arbequina can produce about 40 gallons per ton. The Mission olive is a larger olive and is generally used to stuff, more than for its oil, a Sevillano is a medium size and often used as a table olive, the Arbequina is rather small, about the size of a women’s pinky finger nail, used for its buttery flavor and high oil production. Some individuals purchases 100% Arbequina oil to flavor their popcorn!

1 Day Old

As you drive around California, you will see more and more olive trees popping up. Some of what you see is the invention of a clone of the arbequina varietal. Olives are a handpicked crop that can be harvested any time from Halloween to Valentine ’s Day. There are olives picked at the early end of the season; these are a combination of green and purple or black. A black olive is not always a ripe olive. If the olive skin is broken and air is allowed in, the olive will begin to oxidize. The best way to test if the olive is ripe is by crushing it and feeling the oil that comes out.

The early picks are the olives used to provide the extra virgin oils we enjoy. True extra virgin oils are produced from olives that were picked and crushed within 24 hours of being picked. Other characteristics of extra virgin olive oil are that the oil is obtained from the fruit of the olive tree without the use of heat or chemicals. The olives are pressed by mechanical means at room temperature i.e. 'cold pressing", a trained tasting panel has found no odor or taste defects in the oil. The acidity level, a measurement of how ripe the olives were when pressed, also has been checked to make sure it's below a specified level.

1 week old

Olives picked in the later part of the season are riper and are the olives used in flavored oils. In October of 2010 the California Olive Oil Council put into effect that any olive oil that has anything added to it can no longer be call “extra virgin” so any favored oil may start out that way but can no longer be call extra virgin. When it comes to flavors there are two ways to flavor, one is to add an alcohol base flavor and the other, the way we choose, is by adding the actual oil of the flavor, lemon oil, basil oil, etc. When the alcohol base is used, there is an after taste similar to that of Nyquil. After the crushing of the olive, there two by products, one is the water which some use to irrigate with; the other is the mush of pit, skin and meat. Within this mush is a scant amount of oil. They process of removing the oil from the mush is similar to the way that cocaine is made, simply said they add chemicals and then burn it off leaving behind a flavorless, heat processed olive oil. This oil is also used in flavored oils and basic olive oil.

Minutes after crush

One more thing to beware of, as we have been able to get more than 33 gallons of oil per ton, our costs per gallon are approximately $35.00 per gallon. This cost does not take into consideration irrigation or pruning costs. So if someone is attempting to tell you or sell you a gallon of oil for $20.00, there is truly something not quite right about the product.

In the USA, we are just acquiring the taste for olive oil so know what you are purchasing and the questions to ask. But when all is said and done, let the taste show you the way to a true olive oil.

August 2011 Issue #25

2011-08-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

“fresh is best!”

This Month’s Tip Need to roast some bell peppers…when you have your charcoal chimney lit place a wire rack on top and cook your peppers before you spread the coals for the rest of your meal.

DID YOU KNOW…

By Elizabeth Kahn, dietitian and author of A Nutrition Revolution: Uncover the Mysteries of Nutrition.

Foods, including herbs like cardamom, are used in many alternative and eastern medicine practices. Cardamom is a powerful healing herb. Cardamom improves digestion, relieves stomach cramps, gas, is a good stimulant, cleanser and detoxifier. This amazing spice improves blood flow to the lungs and so can be helpful in treating asthma and bronchitis. Cardamom enhances appetite, provides relief from excess stomach acid, nausea, urinary tract infections and can improve halitosis, or bad breath.

Read more from Elizabeth online at www.anutritionrevolution.com.

Source:

Health Benefits of Cardamom. August Ayurveda. Retrieved July 21, 2011, from

http://www.augustayurveda.com/showarticles1.asp?id=468.

Monthly Recipe(s)

Penne and Chicken Alfredo

2 chicken breasts, pounded until the same thickness

4 Crimini mushrooms diced

2 garlic clove, chopped

1 medium shallot diced

7 oz whipping cream

3 oz Parmesan cheese freshly grated

1 Tsp Oregano

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp Hometown Spice

2 Tbsp oil or butter

1 box Penne pasta

1. Sauté in oil/butter garlic, shallots, with oregano, Italian herbs and Hometown over medium to medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes on both sides.

2. Start pasta, cook just before the al dente stage.

3. Add Crimini to chicken and sauté about 2 minutes. Drain pasta and add to the chicken

4. Just before serving add whipping cream and cheese mix and serve.

Spice of the Month – Cajun Taco

Caitlin was “developing” spices one afternoon trying to come up with a combination. When a client came in and she asked them to test what she came up with. The response was it tastes like taco seasoning. And since we already have a taco seasoning this combination was named Cajun Taco, as she was attempting to get the Cajun spice done. Enjoy.

Japanese Eggplant Dip

2011-07-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

As the garden abundance continues here in the Navarrette garden, I had to find another way to prepare the Japanese eggplant we have growing. I like the taste when I roast or grill it but I don't want to tire of it either so after a little research I decided to use my mini Cusinart to the following:

1 pound of Japanese Eggplant (~4)
1 medium size head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, wash eggplant and pierce. Place garlic in the center of a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with oil and wrap with ends on top. Place the eggplant in baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Add the garlic and bake for 30 minutes longer. Remove and let cool until you can handle it. Cut off the bottom of the garlic and squeeze the garlic out into a Cusinart, then slice open the eggplant and strip off the inside meat and add it to the food processor. Blend until smooth and serve with veggies, chips, or toasted bread.

2011-07-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

“fresh is best!”

July 2011 Issue #24

E are well into the grilling season. Grilling season is a time when we take everything from our indoor kitchen and take it outside, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. It’s a time when the rains have finally disappeared and the weather gets nice; although there are those of us that grill all year round. Be creative – if you can cook it inside you can figure a way to cook it outside. Outdoor grilling only takes a few items, long tongs, long handled spatula, a pot and a pan and aluminum foil. The rest is up to you!

Those of us that spend our days creating food combinations in our heads and on our plates would like to take credit for the creation of that recipes; sad news is that somewhere along the way someone has probably already done it; good news is is that for those that feel or think they are unable to create – you can. We eat a dish some place that we really love and go home to make it more to our tastes; low sodium, low fat, pinch by pinch, or more BACON. Even the top chefs in today’s world can’t take credit for too many of the recipes they claim. Somewhere, over the last hundred years, it has been made before, we have all learned along the way principals that have influenced us, principals that have been used for generations. We are always influenced by something good; just wanting to make it for us or someone we love. Grilling is one of the principals that have been around since man discovered fire. SURPRISE! But there is a gift to good grilling. Producing meats and vegetables that are moist and flavorful are paramount, if not your family will revolt and confine you back to the kitchen, cooking over a hot stove in a hot house!

This Month’s Tip Don’t want splatter when you turn on your stand mixer? Take a tea towel and hold one end in each hand and wrap from side to side of the mixer and then turn it on. Keeping an eye on the towel – so as not to get it caught in the turning pieces.

DID YOU KNOW… turmeric reduces fat, purifies blood, and aids in circulation.

About our clients: Edward Marcel, a man of few words, has been in and out of the shop and has been a faithful Facebook follower for some time now. Recently he has been sharing his amazing garden harvests. Edward has found the rewards of having your own garden. When I asked him if I could share the pictures of his garden he did not hesitate. In his messages to me he shared a few words that are true for most individuals I talk to…“Not only is it fun to grow your own produce, but everything tastes incredible! It's a great stress reliever too, especially after commuting Brentwood to San Jose daily.” It is truly not difficult to plant a few things, even in the smallest places; along fences, in pots were ever you have room. Edward has done a great job in the landscaping of his garden. However one does not have to create much to plant, just some good soil, water, and tlc and you will be AMAZED at what you can produce. Good Job Edward thanks for sharing and enjoy. Remember folks “Fresh IS Best”.

Monthly Recipe(s)

With the arrival of the Farmer’s Market I have been making my trips thru before I open the shop. I went one day with the intention of purchasing shrimp from the fish monger; however once I got there my eyes saw a few additional items. Oh, I did get my shrimp but I also came away with a nice salmon steak and a beautiful piece of Ahi Tuna. Once I arrived at the shop I thought -I want to have the tuna for lunch! Then next was, how do I want to prepare this beautiful piece. Well I did purchase some onions that morning but the rest was from what I had in the shop! Now I know that not all of you have this in your pantries, but don’t be afraid to substitute. If you know what something tastes like go for it…just taste as you go. Here is the recipe I made up (ha ha) to curb my appetite.

Ahi Poke Appetizer

No soy

1 lb. Ahi tuna

2 oz garlic olive oil

2 oz light balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons red onion

¼ teaspoon chili flakes

3 tablespoons Toasted sesame seed

1 teaspoon ginger powder

¼ teaspoon red Hawaiian salt

Cut the tuna into ½” pieces and put into refrigerator. Mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix the tuna and the mixture just before serving.

Serves 4

Pre time 10 minutes

Quick Shrimp

3 Tablespoons butter

1 pound shrimp

1 tablespoon garlic

In a medium pan over medium heat, bring the butter to a brown color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Once the butter has reached the light brown color, add the shrimp and garlic. Cook until the shrimp are cook thru about 4 minutes on each side. Serve over pasta, rice or alone.

Spice of the Month – Cinnamon… There are several types of cinnamon available; we carry three in the store a standard blend, a cinnamon blend that is 5% Saigon and the Ceylon cinnamon. Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of tropical evergreen trees in the genus Cinnamomum, native to Sri Lanka, southwest India and Asia. Of the over two hundred different varieties of cinnamon only a handful are readily available in global markets. These are often divided into two categories – “true” cinnamon and cassia.

What is True Cinnamon?

Often referred to as “real cinnamon” or “true cinnamon”, Ceylon cinnamon (C. zeylanicum or C. verum) is native to Sri Lanka. This cinnamon is lighter brown in color, papery and brittle and the bark coils into a single spiraled quill.

Ceylon cinnamon is rarely found in United States and has significantly less of the phenolic compound cinnamaldehyde, which imparts the spicy cinnamon flavor and aroma desired by American palates. Instead, this cinnamon has a more delicate and complex flavor, with citrus, floral and clove notes. Add a pinch of cinnamon to any dish for a spark of interest.

Garden Harvest

2011-06-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Then

We are well under way in the Navarrette house to a bountiful 2011 harvest. We didn't learn from last years crop, so once again we have billions of tomatoes, 34 plants to be exact, 11 varieties! Yikes what are we doing? Along with the over abundance of tomatoes, we planted 3 types of garlic, something missed from last year, a silver and a rose variety, onions, walla walla, red and white, peas, 2 types of egg plant, beans, fennel, leeks, dill, corn, 3 types of carrots, tomatillos, watermelon, cantaloupe, 6 or 7 varieties of pepper plants, raspberries and blackberries from last year (some of which we moved to a new location but the spread from last years are still coming up in the old location), patty pan squash, artichokes and volunteers from the butternut squash we cooked last November and tossed the seeds into the compost - they are coming up all over at least a dozen, most of which we have shared or put into the weed pile, else we'd have a billion of those too. We pulled the swiss chard out from last year although it was growing strong, the aphid population was overwhelming, homemade spray (Dawn soap and water) along with the addition of ladybugs could not keep them at bay. Our Citrus grove (ha ha) has gone from lemon and blood orange trees to include, a bearrs lime, a kieffer lime, an Australian Finger Lime, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and unknown lime and Tangerine (gifts). Along side those we have a mango and avocado, and for fragrance an allspice tree.

Two years ago David started ~10 pomegranate trees from cutting of our old tree, this year they all will all be bearing fruit! And our first round of grapes went in - 35 zinfandel!

and now

We have seen AMAZING growth and in short periods of time. We chose to plant limited amounts of certain items, just enough to feed the two of us, even with Caitlin taking some things, planting in rotations so that not everything would come to fruition at the same time. The peas were great, some to the height of 5' tall and PACKED to the gills. The beans have been just enough to eat while we were out watering and weeding, something was eating at the young growth; so our strategic planting wasn't quite good enough, and it wasn't the dogs this time, although they did get at the peas! Along with the abundance of growth we have seen and abundance of critters. As I stated earlier, the aphids were awful and the earwigs, well they are there too. There have been articles written that favor the natural/organic way of gardening that claim that everything has a place in one's garden and I do know that's true, but there have to be ways to keep them off the food and to focus on the critters that they are to eliminate in the garden.

I have found the link below to be very helpful with respect to the earwigs whose harvest will only get bigger as the tomatoes come in. Take a quick read - hope this helps others to. Happy Harvest all!

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74102.html

2011-06-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

Cooking without borders!

“fresh is best!”

June 2011 Issue #23

une is for Dads and Grads. This month’s issue is a tribute to food I had enjoyed growing up and things my Mom made for my Dad. Tickets are now on sale for June 12, we will be roasting and hosting the Contra Costa Winegrowers Association (CCWA) Summer Celebration at the shop. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, available on line at ccwa.eventbrite.com and at Winegrower tasting rooms. Food (we will be roasting a pig) and wine, talk to the wine makers and have a great time. Join us and add to the fun. Keep an eye on our blog at www.spiceandoils.blogspot.com for tips , fun and news!

DeJay Mullins

Join us June 17^th for the sounds of DeJay Mullins, Saxophonist playing the soft sounds of jazz to a few of today’s top artists. Don’t be afraid to kick up your heels. 5 to 8 pm, $6.00 glass of wine $2.00 beer.

This Month’s Tip They say that by rubbing your hands on stainless steel you can remove the pungent order left behind from raw garlic, I wash my hands and as I rinse them, run my hands across my faucet – it works!

DID YOU KNOW… One of the primary medicinal uses of basil comes from BCP, or (E)-beta-caryophyllene, a natural anti-inflammatory compound also found in oregano and medicinal cannabis. The BCP found in basil may offer an alternative to medical marijuana, because it offers the same anti-inflammatory effects without the mental and neurological side-effects of illicit drugs. BCP in basil is believed to combat bowel inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis.
Shrimp verses Prawns – it is a myth that Prawns are larger, they are both crustaceans but from different sub groups. You can only tell them apart if they are whole. The gill structure and the legs will give them away. Prawns are farmed in Asia, so support your locals. Check out the seafood at Brentwood Farmer’s market. You’ll pay a bit more but the food is VERY fresh. Prawns and Shrimp are interchangeable, you don’t have to find prawns – shrimp will do.

About our clients: Andrea and Jeremy have an amazing culinary appetite. Every time they come in there is another recipe or challenge being shared. Recently, Jeremy participated in a “Guys night in”. This epic production was a myriad of aperitifs concocted from rum, brandy, and vodka and an array of fresh fruits and spices. (Some of the best aperitifs and liqueurs I have had have been homemade from consist of fruit and as you all know we are just entering the season for the wonderful bounty this area has to offer.) Cheers to the two of you!

Monthly Recipe(s)

Growing up my Mom made poppy seed torte, which my Dad loves, and poppy seed bread. I just love anything poppy seed and the creamy custard of the torte (yum). So one afternoon when an email came thru my inbox brandishing a recipe for poppy seed crepes I just had to give them a try. Being that I am diligently (and successfully) slowly losing weight, I could not bring myself to making this recipe without making a few changes to assist in my weight(less) endeavor.

Sweet version Poppy Seed Crepes

Poppy Seed Crepes

4 eggs

¹/₈ cup Splenda or other sugar substitute

1 cup skim milk

½ teaspoon vanilla (for sweet)

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon poppy seed

Place eggs in a bowl and beat in the Splenda, milk, flour, 2 tablespoons of the butter, vanilla, and poppy seeds. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Heat a crepe pan or small size frying pan, over medium to medium low heat. Brush with some of the remaining butter or olive oil, pour 3 tablespoons of mixture into pan and tilt so mixture covers the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes and flip cooking for another minute. If the pan is too hot, the mixture will cook too fast and you will have a difficult time coating the pan. (I used an 8” pan and the 3 tablespoons was perfect, but if you have a larger pan you will need more that the 3 tablespoons.) There is an old saying that said that the first crepe never turns out so try again if the first one fails….

Crepes can be either savory or sweet. I topped these with cherries and a little homemade whipping cream, but could just as easily been wrapped around a couple spears of asparagus.

Poppy Seed Torte

½ pound graham crackers

½ cup melted butter

¼ cup sugar

2 cups milk

½ cup sugar

4 eggs separated

4 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup poppy seeds

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons sugar

Mix together the poppy seeds and sweetened condensed milk and let stand at room temperature over night. Mix together the crackers, butter, and sugar and line a spring form pan reserving ¼ cup for the top. Cut up butter and set aside. In a double boiler, mix milk, ½ cup sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch along with the poppy seed mixture. Cook over medium heat add butter 2 pieces at a time, cook until thick and bubbly, (this will not get thicker once it is cool) stirring constantly remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, poor into crust. Beat egg whites until stiff and a 3 tablespoons sugar. Spread over filling and sprinkle with crumbs. Bake at 350⁰ for ½ hour. Cool and serve.

Poppy Seed Bread

Poppy Seed Bread

4 oz poppy seeds

4 eggs

1 ½ cup cooking oil (lemon olive oil to make with lemon flavor)

3 cups sifted flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

²/₃ cup evaporated milk

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt (yes salt)

Day before, mix poppy seed and milk and let stand at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350⁰ and grease 2- 8 ½” bread pans. Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Stir in oil, vanilla, and poppy seed mixture. Sift together dry ingredients and fold into the poppy seed mixture. Turn batter into pans and bake for 45 minutes. Center should be a tiny bit gooey.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1 cup lemon olive oil

¾ cup light balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard

2 ½ tablespoons Splenda or other sweetener

1 teaspoon grated onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients except the poppy seed in a blender or food processor. Blend well, pour into storage type container and and the poppy seeds and shake well, serve.

Spice of the Month – Poppy Seeds: Poppy seeds do have some redeeming qualities. They contain valuable minerals; manganese, iodine, magnesium, zinc and copper, Thiamine, riboflavin, lecithin, oxalic acid, pentosans, and amorophous alkaloid. They enhance certain enzymes in the human body and are a good source of fatty acids, especially nomega-3s. They are a source of good carbohydrates and aid in the digestive process again in the human body.

2011-05-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

Five Ways to get Great Flavor on the Grill with Low Sodium

By Dawn Fischer, Co-owner Brentwood Spice & Olive Oil

It’s BBQ season again and if you are like us, we BBQ as often as we can and everything that we can. We BBQ for several reasons, but there are two that stand out; one to keep the heat out of the house, the other main reason is because we love it. Chicken, steak, hamburgers, brats, and every kind of veggie we can. This year we decided to make grilled pizza one of our favorites.

Barbequing is not as difficult as some think. Open flame, bad experience previously and the like scare some away and keep them in the kitchen, done be afraid! Think of it as a gas stove, use your old or specifically designated pots and pans for the grill, or look for mesh or wire baskets to aid in grilling.

One thing that comes out with the grilling is marinades. Marinades add great flavor to whatever you put into them, but they can weight heavy in SALT. Yes, I said it salt that nasty four letter word! Studies show that most adult Americans consume 3,436 milligrams of salt daily - that is about 140% of the recommended allowance. The recommendation for salt per day is 1,500 to 2,400 milligrams or the equivalent of 1 teaspoon. So we look for other ways to get flavor into our foods.

Number 1 - Marinades

A marinade is a liquid that veggies and meats rest in before they are cooked. No matter how long you soak beef the marinade only goes so far, chicken a little more, seafood soak it up and most veggies, are impervious to them sans mushrooms. Marinade recipes often call for soy sauce. Soy sauce (1/2 cup) can be replaced with 4 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. There are many other ingredients that can be used in marinades and you don’t have to be am accomplished chef to make a great one.

Marinades have three basic ingredients, an acid, oil, and seasonings. Acids are wine, citrus or pineapple, or vinegars, olive oil is best, and seasoning, onions, garlic, herbs, and spices. For example Worcestershire sauce, lime and olive oil make a quick marinade for taco and fajitas. Worcestershire, pineapple, garlic, and brown sugar make a great base to marinade, believe it or not, prime rib – the best, lemon, orange, lime, and garlic, a marinade for shrimp. As we use in many dishes, our Hometown Spice Blend adds a great flavor to everything we put it in or on. One of our new blends, Squished Garlic, is as well and it makes great garlic bread. Wrap the bread in foil and place on top in your gas grill or out of direct heat on a charcoal grill. Both of these, and many of our other custom blends, are low sodium and when we do use salt we use sea salt which is better for you. And as you can see there is no salt mentioned in the marinade combinations l just listed.

Number 2 – Spices

There are so many spices out there that can add flavor to whatever it is that you are hitting the grill with, potatoes, veggies, bread, seafood, and meats. For an example, we have 60+ custom blended spices, blends that we have put together most of which are low or no sodium that can be used as rub, seasonings to enhance flavor, add to butter for a compound butter, or sour cream for a veggie or chip dip, but mostly as a tool to use when going to the grill. Since we are all different when it comes to our taste buds, use what you like, and don’t be afraid to flavor anything. Chicken is a plain taste so add your favorite flavors to bring it to life. Beef is a bit more challenging, but still can tolerate a little citrus to brighten the flavor.

Number 3 – Brine (Meats only)

A brine is a salty, flavored liquid that your meats sit in completely covered, for longer periods of time that allows the meat to absorb the liquid well into the depth of the meat while the salty flavorings only reach a shallow depth into the meats. Brining your meats sets a barrier on the outside keeping the good juice in. Now most brines use copious amounts of salt, and I suggest that sea salt be used, but the recipient does not get very salty. Usually brines are 16 parts of water to 1 part salt; diluted fruit juice, allspice, cloves, juniper berries, cinnamon, onions, apples, and much more can add great flavors to poultry, seafood and pork. Since most of these are normally a bit dryer they can stand up to the brining process, beef on the other hand, don’t do as well and can benefit more from a good marinade. And yes I know we are looking for ways to eliminate salt and if done correctly, more citrus, the use of salt goes down and the flavor goes up, see flavor options above.

Number 4 – Salt vs Sodium

Sea salt and table salt virtually are the same. Both consist of sodium and chloride, sea salt has more beneficial minerals and elements, tastes better and has a different texture, table salt is way more processed and is small granules and you get more table salt in a tablespoon than sea salt, with sea salt there is more air as the granules are generally larger than the table salt. Why use sea salt? Sea Salt is produced via evaporation of seawater and usually not processed beyond that. This process leaves behind other trace elements and minerals. Depending on the source of the sea salt, these minerals and elements create color and the slight differences in the taste of sea salts. Table salt is processed and the process eliminates minerals and contains additives. Many table salts have iodine added to them; sea salt contains only minute amounts. It has been said that Himalayan Sea Salt is the most beneficial, it is stated that it has more than 84 minerals.

Number 5 – do nothing

Yes that’s right, do nothing. Chef’s talk about “the depth of flavor” but sometimes I like to just grill it and add the flavor later, top with a compound butter (butter that has seasoning added, rolled into a ball and left to rest in the frig.), a nice sauce of one kind or another and when I do this after flavor and I know what that flavor is and what to expect, I don’t want to clutter up my palate with intruders!

Regardless of what you do flavor wise there are a few things to keep in mind. When dealing with beef, bring it out 30 minutes before you cook it and let it warm up, just not too long, with beef and the rest pat them dry, and once they are done cooking, let them rest 5 to 15 minutes depending on varieties and size as they will continue to cook after they are removed. DON’T overcook the meat, it is easier to put something back on the grill, or wherever you are cooking, you cannot take overcooked away. And since everything continues to cook once removed from the heat source you can rest assured that if it was perfect when you removed it from the heat source it will be over done by the time you sit down to eat. And if you cover it with tin foil, it will cook even longer.

2011-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

As most of you already know, our garden overflows with swiss chard. We planted “Neon Lights” swiss chard in 2010 and to this date have not had to replant or reseed. Swiss chard is a perennial plant, meaning that it comes up every year on its own or in this case, never stopped producing brilliantly colored stems and leaves with the same beautiful color running thru the veins.

And as we continue to cook and share our swiss chard, we have been asked how and what. It seems that there are many of you that have never tried it before, not because you are afraid to but that you don’t know how to prepare it or know what part is edible. Well, every bit of it is edible, fresh and cooked; even the larger stalks, they just need to be peeled to remove the tough stringy part. Swiss chard by itself has a salty, sweet taste to it. It doesn’t taste like anything else that I can recall.

We are on a constant expedition looking for more ways to cook this wonderful vegetable. In a recent blog I shared our recipe for creamed swiss chard, this is a GREAT recipe, we fell in love with this recipe and have made it several times since we first prepared it this way. A very easy way is to sauté it with some butter or flavored olive oil, we like lemon or blood orange. The stalks are a bit tougher and need to cook low and slow if you want them not crunchy, and the leaves only need a quick turn in the heat so save them for the last few minutes. We, as a whole, don’t care to “cook” our veggies; we prefer them just warmed so we get the best value nutrition wise and there are lots of nutrients in swiss chard. Blanching this beautiful vegetable keeps the colors nice and bright and keeps the loss of nutrients to a low level. Another way to serve them is to sauté some onions and garlic with the stems. Eating it raw is fun too. You can add the leaves alone or with stems chopped into a salad. And you can add the leaves to your sandwich instead or with lettuce.

As a whole, swiss chard is a not too bitter not too sweet vegetable with loads of nutrition, flavor and color. So have fun, get creative and keep your eye peeled as we discover new recipes.

2011-05-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

Cooking without borders!

ay is for Mom. Cook Mom her favorites on Mother’s Day but kick it up a notch! See recipes below for

that added kick.

Upcoming events: May 26, 2011 2nd annual #Chardonnay Day we will be featuring several wonderful chardonnays that day for all to enjoy, $6.00 per glass. Come and ”post” your pics and rate the wines to reach across the world! May 27 we will be closing at 5 pm. May 27-29, 2011 Brentwood PAL presents "Blues, Brews & BBQ's" at THE STREETS of Brentwood Kansas City Barbeque Society is sanctioning this great event. Check out the event site for more details www.palbbq.net (there will also be non-professional categories for our favorite BBQ friends). Categories include Chili, Salsa, Desserts, and more, so pull out the stops and join the fun! Any of you that enter the event qualify for a discount on items purchased at BSO²for that contest. Please contact me for more information and check to see, we might be your competition too! Also check out our blog at www.spiceandoils.blogspot.com. June 12, we will be roasting hosting the Contra Costa Winegrowers Association (CCWA) Summer Celebration at the shop. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, available on line at www.eventbrite.com and at Winegrower tasting rooms. Food (we will be roasting a pig) and wine, talk to the wine makers and have a great time. Join us and add to the fun. We will be having a contest, bring your Mexican or Latin, side dish, appetizer or salsa. Call for details, top prize in each category. Entry into the event for participants will be free. We are hoping for 200 attendees for this event so please plan to share your dishes. September 24, 2nd Annual Vintage Faire at BSO²; October 23 Co Co Wine Company will be hosting the CCWA Fall Celebration, keep your eye open for more info. Keep an eye on our blog at www.spiceandoils.blogspot.com for tips and fun and news! We will also start an events mailing to separate the events at least for the summer due to the number of things going on.

This Month’s Tip Low fat cooking? Use non-stick cookware and measure the amount of oil you use instead of just pouring, every little bit helps.

DID YOU KNOW…Turmeric is helpful with indigestion, circulation, diabetes, arthritis, and all immune system.

About our clients: Usually I feature a client that stands out among the many we encounter. This month I’m going to fill you in about me. I get lots of questions about how and when did I get interested in cooking so here’s my story (and I am sticking to it). I have been cooking since grade school from my memory. I cannot tell you exactly when I started cooking but I have always loved it and have challenged myself in my cooking. I know I have been a half way decent cook since at least high school. Shortly after my younger brother graduated, he came home, woke me up and asked me to teach him how to make spaghetti and meatballs, we both to this day share that story with many of our friends. I met David because the olive oil was a natural addition to my cooking, after we started dating in ’08, he had to figure out why I kept ordering my spices. After a few meals and a short conversation we decided to add the spice department to our little oil and wine shop. We are now 2 times the size we were in our old location and although we have no more space physically, we are still growing.

Monthly Recipe(s)

If any of you have seen our Facebook Page you know that we have an abundance of swiss chard. We are always looking for new ways to cook from our vegetables, this is one we found and love.

Cream Neon Lights

1 good handful of Neon Lights Swiss chard, sliced and cut into bit sizes

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons Basil Olive Oil

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon Marsala

½ cup + 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Royal pepper mix to taste

Pinch of nutmeg

In a large pot with a strainer, bring 2 quart of water to boil. Add the chopped swiss chard and blanch for 2 minutes. Pull out strainer and put immediately into a container of ice cold water. Once cold, spin or pat dry. In a heavy sauce pan, over medium heat, sauté the garlic in 2 tablespoons of basil olive oil, add the cream, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, taste and add royal pepper. Cook over medium low heat and reduce by half. Add the 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and swiss chard and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to warm up. Add the remaining cheese and serve. Serves 4

Kick it up for Mom; Green Eggs and Ham Frittata

1 ripe avocado diced

6 eggs

¼ cup half and half or (1/8 cup milk 1/8 cup heavy cream)

2 tablespoons butter separated

2 tablespoons basil olive oil separated

¼ cup diced onions

¼ cup Canadian bacon

¼ cup colored bell peppers (I used mini peppers here)

½ cup Swiss or emmental cheese grated

Sundried tomatoes for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375⁰ F. Sauté the onions, ham, and peppers in butter and oil over medium heat until tender. Crake eggs in medium bowl add avocado and cream and blend well. Add mix to pan and allow to cook 7 to 8 minutes. Check sides for doneness around edges. Place the pan in the oven for 7 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top. OR if you have 2 pans the same size you may continue as follows:

In a second pan over medium heat add the remaining oil and butter. Coat the pan when hot and pour the mix over the egg mix evenly. Place the second pan over the egg pan and carefully flip. Allow to cook for 5 minutes more and slide onto plate, garnish, and serve. Serves 6 - 8

Mimosas

Change it up by using ruby red grapefruit or blood orange juice and a better sparkling wine, such as Gocci de Luna or Vivid Bliss (both are available in our wine section)

Shrimp Diablo

8-10 large shrimp deveined tail on

½ cup red onion diced

½ cup yellow onion

1 clove garlic

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 jalapeno seeded and diced

2 roma tomatoes seeded and diced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup white wine (sauvignon blanc preferred)

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon Hometown Spice

¼ pound linguini

Parmesan cheese

In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onions and jalapeño, until tender and the onions are translucent. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and shrimp, cook until shrimp are opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, and white wine, reduce until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Divide cooked linguine into two bowls and spoon sauce over. Grate cheese over dish. Serve immediately.

Spice of the Month – Vadouvan:

Spice up your macaroni and cheese with 2 or 3 tablespoons of Vadouvan and sprinkle the top with Panko bread crumbs with a quick visit under the broiler to toast them up, serve warm J

2011-04-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Creamed Swiss Chard

When our garden looks like this with swiss chard and there just two of us eating it, we are on the lookout for ways to prepare this wonderful vegetable other than to sauté it. So begins the challenge. The first in our hunt is a wonderful recipe:

1 good handful of Neon Lights Swiss chard, sliced and cut into bit sizes

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons Basil Olive Oil

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon Marsala

½ cup + 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Royal pepper mix to taste, pinch of nutmeg.

The finished dish – was soooo good. Serves 4

2011-04-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Spring is here!

With the opening of the Farmer’s Market and the rain gone away, we can finally start to enjoy the fruits of our great agriculture here in Contra Costa County. A quick trip thru the market provided sweet peas, leeks, beets, sweet red onions, and a nice head of cauliflower. Fresh is Best; can’t wait to get home and see what I can conjure up for dinner!

2011-04-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

Take a step back in time.

On my way home last night I wanted artichokes for dinner and was determined to accomplish this come hell or high water, but I did NOT want to wait the 30 to 40 (or longer)minutes for the artichokes to cook. IDEA, use my pressure cooker! So I pulled it out and dusted it off, and believe it or not, 10 minutes later I had the perfect artichokes! I was so comfortable that we will be looking forward to MANY dishes using our new find.

I remember going to my grandmother’s helping her with dinner and her using her pressure cooker. In the last few years, pressure cookers have made a comeback. With families having to have both parents working or the single parent family, we have had to find ways to eat healthy and still have time for homework, the yard or fun. Pressure cookers make quick work of many thing and they are way safer than they used to be. Currently there are lots of ideas out there for using pressure cookers to aid in dinner quick. Food.com (http://www.food.com/recipes/pressure-cooker )has 365 different recipes to test, There is a great site on pressure cookers only. http://www.pressurecookerrecipes.net is all about cookers from soup to nuts, well maybe not nuts but definitely seafood!

2011-04-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Green Eggs and Ham Frittata

1 ripe avocado diced

6 eggs

¼ cup half and half or (1/8 cup milk 1/8 cup heavy cream)

2 tablespoons butter separated

2 tablespoons basil olive oil separated

¼ cup diced onions

¼ cup Canadian bacon

¼ cup colored bell peppers (I used mini peppers here)

½ cup Swiss or emmental cheese grated

Sundried tomatoes for garnish

(save the salt there's plenty in the cheese and ham) Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375⁰ F. Sauté the onions, ham and peppers in butter and oil over medium heat until tender. Crake eggs in medium bowl add avocado and cream and blend well. Add mix to pan and allow to cook 7 to 8 minutes. Check sides for done around edges. Place the pan in the oven for 7 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top. OR if you have 2 pans the same size you may continue as follows:

Server 6 - 8

April Newsletter

2011-04-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

Upcoming events: May 27-29, 2011 Brentwood PAL presents "Blues, Brews & BBQ's" at THE STREETS of Brentwood Kansas City Barbeque Society is sanctioning this great event. Check out the event site for more details www.palbbq.net (there will also be non-professional categories for our favorite BBQ friends). Categories include Chili, Salsa, Desserts, and more, so pull out the stops and join the fun! Any of you that enter the event qualify for a discount on items purchased at BSO²for that contest. Please contact me for more information and check to see, we might be your competition too! Also check out our blog at www.spiceandoils.blogspot.com. June 12, we will be hosting the Contra Costa Winegrowers Association(CCWA) Summer Celebration here at the shop, food (we will be roasting a pig) and wine, talk to the wine makers and have a great time. Join us and add to the fun. We will be having a contest, bring your Mexican or Latin, side dish, appetizer or salsa. Call for details, top prize in each category. Entry into the event for participants will be free. We are hoping for200 attendees for this event so please plan to share your dishes. September 24, @nd Annual VintageFaire at BSO²; October 23 Co Co Wine Store will be hosting the CCWA Fall Celebration, keep your eye open for more info. Entry to the event will be $5 less in advance than at the door, more info next month. Tickets will be available at most all CCWA member locations and will be available at eventbright.com very soon.

Strawberries cherry and corn are just around the corner. Place your orders now for cherry pitters, corn strippers and strawberry hullers. I’m not much of a “gadget” person any more but I love these.

This Month’s Tip …Need a pastry bag and don’t have one? Take a plastic storage bag and cut the tip off to the size you need and squeeze away.

DID YOU KNOW…Saffron one of the most expensive spices, is a useful for those with irregular menstruation and menstrual pains. Take 1 cup a day unsweetened. Saffron is also prized for its aphrodisiac qualities.

De-mystifying the Dungeness Crab; We are ever so fortunate to have access to fresh seafood anytime we want. As part of this good fortune is the Dungeness crab, available most of the year the season is from November 15 thru May every year. The best crab I have ever had is live crab cooked just before we are ready to eat. No magic in this just a little garlic and lemon in the water and 15 minutes of cooking. If you are of the faint of heart, the next portion may not be for you, however if you are willing to get your hands dirty, follow along…

Before you set off on this tasteful episode, you have to learn what to look for when shopping for the perfect crustacean. As with other seafood, it should be lively, and smell like to ocean, not stinky, most fish mongers will allow you to choose the one that you want. Crab weight 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, anything on the small side is left at the time of catch, as are all females to continue to reproduce, to grow to an acceptable size. Each 2.5 pound crab should produce about a cup of meat. Though the standard rule of thumb is .25 pound of boneless meat per person, crab is a delicacy for many; no one can eat just one. In our house when we have crab we try to have a salad, bread, and steamer clams and we STILL can each eat a whole shelled crab.

Once you get your catch home, you want to keep the crab in the refrigerator until ready to cook – no tap water; they could suffocate in the tap water. Keeping them cold slows them down until you are ready to submerge them in the boiling water. Crab must be cooked the same day they are purchased and within a few hours.

The most important organ in the crustacean is what we usually call the "liver." This is the source of enzymes that flow into the digestive tube and break down ingested foods. It's thus one of the richest, most flavorful parts of the body, and is especially prized in lobster and crab. But it's also what makes crustaceans spoil so readily. The gland is made up of tiny fragile tubes; and when the animal is killed, the tubules are readily attacked and damaged by their own enzymes, which then spread into the muscle tissue and break it down into mush. There are several ways to avoid this spoilage. Lobster and crab are sold either live, their digestive system intact, or fully cooked, their enzymes inactivated by the cooking.

Cooking… find a pot large enough to hold the crab, fill with enough water to cover the crab completely when inserted. Bring the eater to a boil; add some garlic and lemon juice to brighten the flavors. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat. When time is up remove the crab and allow to cool to a point where you can handle them. The outside of the crab will change color after about 5 minutes, don’t be fooled by the color change, it needs to go a little longer.

The next step…now we get to cleaning them

The first step is to turn the crab upside down. Then pull the tab back, next, pull the hard shell off the back by putting your thumb in the opening left by pulling the tab back. The tab will break off.

Insert your thumb and pull the body away from the “Box”. This should separate very easily.

Remove the lungs (left) and clean the inside of the crab. There is a green creamy substance, some find this something to treasure, and I just rinse it away.

The next part is to separate the two halves of the body, I hold the hollow body up and the connected back down and smack it on the side of the sink.

How to serve the wondrous crab.
Many options exist, our favorites at this point are drizzle generously with our lemon olive oil and to melt butter and dip the sweet meat into the butter. Homemade cocktail sauce from ketchup and fresh horse radish, marinade in garlic, red wine vinegar and horseradish are several options. Don’t’ be afraid to make a couple of extra crab, left over crab meat makes the best crab cakes and served or breakfast in a crab cake eggs benedict is to die for. (for pictures of this process check out our Facebook site for copies of our newsletter for April and print for your perusal).

Monthly Recipe(s)

Crab Cakes (for Eggs Benedict)

Spray

2 tsp lemon olive oil

2 scallions

1 bell pepper

1 jalapeno

1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

2 cloves garlic

1 egg beaten

8 eggs poached

1 pound cooked crab meat, picked thru

1 tsp grated lime zest

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

¼ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup Panko or unseasoned bread crumbs,

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

½ cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Thinly slice the scallions, finely dice the peppers and garlic, and grate the ginger and lime. In a non-stick pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the peppers and scallions and cook until 3 mins. or until tender. Add the ginger and garlic and toss for about a minute. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the mix, crab, and the remaining ingredients and Hometown for flavor. Place ¹/₃ to ½ cup of breadcrumbs of your choosing on a plate. Form 8 cakes and roll each on the breadcrumbs and place on prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the cakes lightly coating. (Check out the refillable misters we have at the shop to fill with the olive oil of your choice). Bake at 425⁰ for 10 minutes and the turn. Cakes should be golden brown and cook times may vary from oven to oven.

Blend mayonnaise and lemon juice mixing well, some cilantro chopped is a nice add for this dish, season as you like. This will become your sauce for the top of your eggs.

Poach the eggs, a good way to make great looking eggs is to place ramekins in the bottom of a pot, fill so the water is just over the top of the ramekins (ramekins being full). Bring to a gentle boil add 3 tablespoons of white vinegar. Break the eggs one at a time into a small dish and slowly pour the egg into the water into the ramekin. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes (for soft to firm yolks). Remove early if they are to be reheated but cook at least for the 2 minutes to start. Remove with slotted spoon draining all water before placing on cakes.

Place 2 crab cakes per plate, place one egg on each cake, top with cilantro mayonnaise and a leaf or two of cilantro to garnish.

Bar Tool cheating...

Whether we are young or old, at some point in our lives we have to “limit” the number of gadgets we own or just don’t have something and would like to for that special event or party. Starting at the 12 o’clock position list the tools, the answer lies below, no cheating guess than check your answers J

When you are is a pinch and want a special tool to replace the everyday kitchen tools, here are a few ideas: need an ice scoop for the day? Get the largest slotted spoon from your service ware and use that, you can only fit so many cubes in a glass; you can use this same tool to strain your drink too. Need a muddles, grab the nearest wooden spoon and use the handle end, many muddlers are wooden. Skip the stirrer and grab your long handled tea spoon. Bar knife – any paring knife will do. Jiggers? Really, if you don’t have a shot glass, 1/8 cut = an ounce an 1/4 cup = 2 or impress your friends, bartenders count 1 count 1/4 ounce (you might want to practice first). Juicer, in the kitchen or in the bar, roll it, slice it, and squeeeeze with all your might, flesh up to keep the seeds in the flesh. Zesters come in all sizes and types, I still prefer my Microplane to anything else and if I need a strip – I go back to my trusty pairing knife.

All About Salmon

2011-03-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

March 2011 Issue 20 (looking for back issues? Send me and email, I’ll be happy to send them to you.)

Upcoming events: March 9, 4 pm to 7 pm, Stella and Dot Jewelry Show,

March 24, 4 to 7 pm Lady’s Night sparkling wine 2 for 1; May 27-29, 2011 Brentwood PAL presents "Blues, Brews & BBQ's" at THE STREETS Kansas City Barbeque Society is sanctioning this great event. Check out our Facebook page and soon you can see the event site for more details (there will be non-professional categories for our favorite BBQ friends). Categories include Chili, Salsa, Desserts, and more, so pull out the stops and join the fun! Any of you that enter the event qualify for a discount on items purchased at BSO²for that contest. Please contact me for more information and check to see, we might be your competition too! Also check out our blog at www.spiceandoils.blogspot.com. June 12, we will be hosting the CCWA Summer Celebration here at the shop, food (we will be orasting a pig) and wine, talk to the wine makers and have a great time. October 23 Co Co Wine Store will be hosting the CCWA Fall Celebration, keep your eye open for more info. Entry is $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets will be available all CCWA member locations and will be available at eventbright.com very soon.

Mardi Gras and St Patrick’s Day are just around the corner. If you are planning to prepare your own corned beef, we have the salt peter you need for that. And we have a variety of spices to make the rice and beans, and creoles that will make your Mardi Gras party the best ever. If you are perplexed as to what to make we will help you build your menu!

This Month’s Tip …A roast with the bone in will cook faster than a boneless roast - the bone carries the heat to the inside of the roast quicker. It also imparts a nice flavor to the meat.

DID YOU KNOW…coriander is beneficial for respiratory problems, it helps ease allergies and hay fever, purifies the blood, and fever in the body. Coriander also benefits arthritis. Take as a spice or tea infusion, compress and others.

Salmon, for me salmon was a fish that was hard to eat. The fatty feeling that was left in my mouth made me gag! Then I learned why that feeling was there and how I could utilize the fat and make my salmon a great meal. Finding wild salmon helps reduce the fat content. Although still good for you, farm raised salmon tends to have a greater fat content. Grilling the salmon will also cut down on the fat.

Grilling and baking salmon on a cedar plank keeps the fish out of the fat and it imparts an ever so slight flavor. I have stated before, seafood tolerates brining, so does salmon. A basic brine is all that is necessary, salt, water, and sugar; that being said you can include lemon, orange, lime, and/or shallots into the mix to up the flavor. We have added cedar planks and bags to fit a whole salmon and/or cedar planks to our inventory. The bags make the soaking of the cedar planks much easier.

I am including several different salmon recipes this month for those of you that feel the same way I did about this wonderful fish. If there are any flavors that I have missed, please let me know; I will gladly include them in my blog and or future newsletters.

Monthly Recipe(s)

Salmon Brine

½ gallon water

1 ¼ cups sea salt

¾ cups sugar

Bring the water to a boil add the salt and sugar and let cool to room temperature and put into the refrigerator. This is best if done a day in advance or early in the day. Place the salmon in the bag with the brine for a minimum of 6 hours but no more than 24 and keep it in the refrigerator.

The morning of cooking place your cedar plank into a bag with water or cider and close the bag removing all air. If you close the bag well, you should not have to worry about leakage. The cedar plank need to be completed immersed in the liquid and thoroughly soaked for best results and limited burn.

BBQ Sauce for Salmon

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ¼ cup tomato paste

½ cup dark rum

¹/₃ cup Worcestershire Sauce

¼ cup cider vinegar

2 tbsp smoked sweet paprika

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp cayenne 40 powder

¼ tsp flake sea salt

¼ tsp ground tellicherry pepper

Heat the oil over medium heat in a saucepan and add the onions and garlic and sauté until tender, 3 minutes or so. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to boil, reduce to simmer for ~ 3 to 5 minutes, allow to cool to room temperature. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more rum and a little more cider by the tablespoon each to achieve a smooth mixture.

For a more Asian flavor

No MSG Asian BBQ Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp garlic minced

1 tbsp minced green onion (optional)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

½ cup fresh orange juice, ~2 oranges

½ cup hoisin sauce

6 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 ½ tbsp water

3 tbsp honey

2 tsp sesame seed oil

Mix the Worcestershire Sauce and the water and set aside. Whisk the oil, hoisin, honey, and sesame together. Over medium heat sauté the garlic, ginger and green onions until tender 3 to 5 minutes. (Add the red pepper flakes if using.) Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and bring to simmer and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Lemon Grass Beurre Blanc

2 bay leaves

Zest from ½ lime

2tbsp lemon grass

½ tsp ginger, chopped

1 tsp shallots, chopped

4 oz white wine

2 oz heavy cream

1 tsp parsley, chopped

1 tsp cooking oil

4 oz butter, cut into pieces

¼ tsp white pepper corns

In a sauce pan, add oil, heat on medium flame. When the pan comes to temp, add the shallots, lemon grass, bay and lime zest.

Then add the white wine and heavy cream. Let it reduce until ½ of the liquid is gone and starts to thicken.

Slowly add the butter 1 piece at a time, at the same time keep whipping with a wire whisk. When butter is gone add chopped cilantro for decoration

Poblano Beurre Blanc:

1 shallot sliced
2 parsley stems
2 black pepper corns
4 ounces white wine
4 ounces butter, diced
1 poblano pepper roasted, skinned, seeded, and mashed to a puree paste

First toss the potatoes with shallots, garlic, thyme, red pepper flake, oil, salt and pepper.

Roast the potatoes at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.

While the potatoes are cooking start your beurre blanc, in a small pot add in the shallot, parsley stems, black pepper, and white wine.

On a medium high heat reduce the wine mixture until there is only 1 tablespoon of liquid.

Using a whisk off the heat add in your butter slowly until all has been incorporated.

All the poblano puree and whisk in. Strain and reserve in a warm but not hot place.

My Citrus Cream Sauce

Zest of 1 each lime, lemon, orange or tangerine

Juice from half each lime, lemon, orange or tangerine

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 shallots minced

1 clove garlic minced

1 pint heavy or whipping cream

½ cup chicken stock

(If you choose to us half and half, you will need to mix it with 1 tsp cornstarch to thicken it)

Melt the butter in the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until tender, careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chicken stock and bring to gentle boil, then add the juice and zest. Reduce to about half. Once the mixture has reduced turn to low and add the cream and bring up to temp.

Once this is at temp you can pour into a gravy boat to serve over any fish you like. This is also a great sauce for pasta alone or with calamari and/or shrimp. Once you taste the sauce, let your imagination run wild.

Hometown Lemon Salmon

1 salmon filet, pinbones removed

1 – 2 lemons, very thinly sliced

BSO²Lemon OliveOil

¼ to ¹/₃ cup Hometown Spice

Cedar plank and bag, use water for soaking, lemon juice can be added.

Remove the cedar plank from the bag, discard the liquid. Remove the pinbones from your salmon by running your finger along the flesh to locate and use kitchen tweezers to remove; that is if you cannot remove with your fingernails. Slice one lemon at a time as you may not need both; coat with the lemon olive oil, cover with the lemon slices, and sprinkle to taste with the Hometown Spice. For a bit more bite, use a heavy hand sprinkling the Hometown. Place plank and grill until flaky. Serve with grilled veggies and rice. See the video at www.youtube.com and search on Brentwood Spice AND Olive Oil for this and more videos on food, wine, and oils.

Macadamia Nut Crusted Baked Salmon

1 fresh salmon filet, pinbones removed,

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 ½ cups coarsely ground, roasted macadamia nuts

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp flour

Hometown to season

Preheat oven to 375⁰ F. In a medium bowl sift together the nuts, panko, and flour. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, brush with olive oil. Place the salmon on the foil. Cover the salmon with nut mixture, pack it down. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Orange Glazed Salmon (contributed by Mark & Terry)

4 boneless, skinless salmon filets

3 tbsp Cajun seasoning (salt-free)

1 tsp brown sugar

¼ tsp good sea salt

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup orange marmalade

1 tbsp lime juice

Lime wedges

In a small sauce pan, bend marmalade and lime juice until melted and set aside. Combine Cajun seasoning, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Rub over all areas of filets.

Sauté filets in oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes turn and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add marmalade to salmon being very careful and turn salmon to coat all sides continue to cook until salmon is flakey,

Grilled Salmon (from my brother Doug)

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper
garlic powder
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt (optional). In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and olive oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large re-sealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Aphrodisiac is it for real or is it a fallacy?

2011-02-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

As a general rule they are all just a mind thing. There are a few foods that contain minerals and vitamins that benefit the body and its sexual functions. An example of one of those wonder foods is the oyster. Oysters provide us with vitamins and minerals along with high amounts of protein, low-fat, low cholesterol all in a bite. They contain amino acids and the amino acids have been shown to increase the sex hormones in laboratory animals. Oysters also include zinc, a mineral required for the production of testosterone. Due to the challenges of shucking oysters, they are usually associated with special occasions. Another food regularly thought of as an aphrodisiac is chocolate. As a whole this to is again just a rumor although consuming large quantities may provide a boost in energy as would any food that is energy rich.

Instead of focusing on the category the food falls into, consider cooking your loved ones special meal. The action of cooking for someone weighs heavily on the love side of any relationship. Create a romantic setting for two in a quiet place inside or out, lots of candles to create the atmosphere and a perfect bottle of vino. Happy Valentine’s day to everyone.