Piperade
Piperade with Grilled TriTip Roast I don’t remember where I first came across it, but I’ve always been intrigued by the word Piperade. I’ve been aware of the word for quite a while, but it was brought to my attention again, when I recently began browsing through a collection of Spanish recipes. Just what is Piperade, you might be asking. Piperade or Piperada, depending on whether you are on the French or Spanish side of the Basque region, is a typical Basque dish prepared with sautéed multi-colored bell peppers and onions, with added tomatoes and Piment D’Espelette, a pepper unique to the region. Multi-colored peppers, onions and tomatoes – well, that’s right up my alley! So into the kitchen I went – after seeking out the special key ingredient- the Espelette pepper, which is, fortunately, available on Amazon or at specialty spice companies like Penzey’s. Wow! How can I say this? When I popped a first taste into my mouth, my immediate thought was, it tastes of the very essence of summer. I served it alongside a grilled TriTip roast. I also think it would be great served alongside a grilled fish like sea bass or swordfish – even grilled shrimp, (btw, the Piperade and TriTip leftovers made a great sandwich along with some Aioli smeared on a baguette). It may be served as a condiment, as well – say on a charcuterie board, and it is often used as an omelet filling, but as I found out when I popped spoonfuls of it into my mouth, it’s delicious all on its own, with only a few slices of toasted baguette, alongside. Happy summer and Buen Provecho! Piperade 1/2 each large red, yellow and orange bell pepper* 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil1 medium onion, thinly slice, about 1 cup3-4 large garlic clove, @ 1 heaping tablespoon3 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon coarse salt1/2 teaspoon oregano and thyme1 1/2 teaspoon Piment d’EspeletteA bit of sea salt, to taste *And green if you like, which is traditional because of the colors of the Spanish flag. I just generally prefer the red and yellow ones over green peppers . Add the olive oil to a large sauté* pan and heat over medium heat. Add the peppers and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften, then add the onions, stirring them in. Cook until the onions begin to caramelize.Add the tomatoes. Then add the sugar, thyme, oregano, Piment d’Espelette and garlic, stirring them in, and adding a little oil if necessary.Continue to cook the mixture until it it is quite soft. Stir in the salt to taste If the pan is not large enough, do this in two steps so that everything caramelizes just a bit. Buon...
read more“Bronzed” Salmon Tacos
“Bronzed” Salmon Tacos I left behind a very large dining room in my New Orleans house – a room that was part of a large open great room area. While there are great features to my new house, the dining room is, well – cramped, in my opinion, although a friend I was walking through the house, recently, corrected me. “It’s intimate”, she said. The consolation prize is that I have a huge wrap around outdoor deck, which serves as my space for entertaining, now. Fortunately, California has a sunny, temperate climate – at least for most of the year. Late spring, however, is when my entertaining gets ramped up. I began my entertaining season a couple or so weeks ago, inviting a few friends for lunch. I wanted to serve something that seemed a bit special, but was still very easy for me. After all, I’m not that young anymore, and the more I travel along in life, the simpler I want something like entertaining to be. Giving it a good bit of deliberation, I settled on “Bronzed” Salmon Tacos. “Bronzed” – a word I heard coined many years back by Susan Spicer of Bayona Restaurant fame – a lighter take on Paul Prudhomme’s iconic “Blackened” fish, and a technique that won’t set off your home’s smoke alarm. When Prudhomme introduced the concept, he suggested “blackening” your fish outdoors, as the process produced so much smoke. I served them with Black Beans, a Mexican Rice Pilaf with Corn and Rajas and an Arugula Caesar Salad, with a Mixed Berry Cobbler, for dessert. I think everyone felt it quite special, indeed. Tacos Bronzed Salmon Tacos @ 1 pound salmon filet cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces2 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedPaul Prudhomme’s Shrimp Seasoning 12 – 3 inch Corn Tortillas Cilantro Lime Dressing * Melt the butter in the microwave in a glass baking dish.Toss the salmon squares in the butter and sprinkle liberally with the Shrimp Seasoning. Then sauté them in a hot pan until the spices darken on the outside, but leaving the salmon just barely cooked at the center, about 1 minute.Meanwhile place the tortillas wrapped in a dampened paper towel in the microwave to warm and soften them – about 20-30 seconds. I find every microwave’s power level is different, so check them to make sure they don’t get completely nuked.Place a tortilla, or two, if they’re very thin, for each taco on a platter. Place a teaspoon or so of the Cilantro Lime Dressing on the tortillas, then top with a piece or two of the salmon. Let the guests pick up and garnish their own tacos, to taste. To Garnish: @ 1 cup Shredded Cabbage (I shred it on a Japanese Mandoline, a very handy little tool)Pico de GalloGuacamole *One of my guests commented on how well the piquancy of the Cilantro Lime Dressing complimented the rich salmon. I...
read moreNew Orleans Style White Beans and Rice
New Orleans Style White Beans and Rice While many are enjoying barbecue this first holiday of the summer season, I took a different tack. I have nothing against barbecue (believe me!), but having just returned home mid-weekend from a short road trip, I’m spending the day home, alone, enjoying the quiet and catching up on things like laundry and paying bills. Because of that – and being inspired by the spiraling high prices at the grocery store – I decided to cook from my very full freezer (even though I now cook mostly for one, and not a large group, keeping a full larder and freezer is a habit I just can’t seem to break). I turned to a New Orleans favorite – beans and rice. I had purchased a combo multi-pack of Camellia Rose Red and White Beans online earlier this year – and yes, I keep them in the freezer – a trick I learned from a long time family friend. Camellia Rose beans are very high quality, a local to Louisiana specialty product. They arrive very fresh and even though they are dried, freezing them helps to maintain that freshness. I’ve kept them in the cabinet for long periods, and trust me – they really do lose something. Now I know some of you may be asking: New Orleans White Beans and Rice? Yes! While Red Beans and Rice have become so closely associated in the collective consciousness of the city (perhaps because they were Louis Armstrong’s favorite and he regularly signed off all his correspondence with “Red Beans and Ricely Yours”), traditionally we have eaten several types of beans and rice. In fact, my favorite weather gal in the city, would, as each French Quarter Fest season rolled around, wax poetic about the Butter Beans sold the the Fest by K-Paul’s, Paul Prudhomme’s iconic, erstwhile restaurant. And my Uncle Reiss has always favored white beans. He waxes poetic about the white beans his mother – my grandmother – used to cook. I was introduced to them by a take out joint near my house in the Algiers section of New Orleans. Chubbies sold the best damn Fried Chicken Sandwich – there was often a long line of people waiting for their order – and my favorite side to the sandwich was their White Beans and Rice. So today, I sit – doing my tasks, and taking in the smoky, onion-y goodness that fills the air as they simmer on the stove, awaiting the moment when the Camellia Rose beans give up their creaminess (they really are creamy), and are ready to eat. Eating from my freezer, saving myself a few bucks and revisiting a New Orleans favorite this holiday weekend. What could be better than that? New Orleans Style White Beans and Rice 1 pound white navy beans1/2 large onion, diced1 1/2 stalks celery, sliced3 cloves of garlic4 ounces smoked ham hock, diced4 ounces smoked sausage, sliced (I like Hillshire Farms – it’s closest to the traditional smoked sausage that’s used)1 teaspoon dried thyme2-3 large bay leaves1 teaspoon freshly ground combined white and black pepper1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely dicedA healthy pinch of cayenne4 -5 cups chicken broth or combination broth and waterSliced scallions for garnish Add all the ingredients to a large pot, and...
read moreRhubarb Strawberry Crumble
I remember many years ago, walking past a neighborhood produce stand in New York City, when I saw a young boy’s eyes light up as he exclaimed to his mother – “Look, Mom. Cherries!” They were the first of the season, and I will never forget his clearly visible excitement at seeing them. We live in a time when we can get most fruits and vegetables any time of year – especially true for those of us who live in California. But we’ve traded in this easy availability for the wonderful anticipation and joy at seeing the first signs of a truly seasonal fruit. I’ve been on a search of my own for one of our last, it seems, truly seasonable fruits – or actually, a vegetable masquerading as a fruit, in this case – rhubarb, a true harbinger of spring. I began looking, on every trip to the produce store, almost a month ago – in late February or early March, only to be disappointed. But finally, last week – there they were, in all their jewel-like garnet red glory. For those of you who love tart flavors, rhubarb absolutely belongs on your menu. They are most often paired with strawberries for a sweet/tart marriage in pies, but more appealingly to me, crumbles. Dipping a spoon into these warm crumbles with a nutty cinnamon and ginger topping offered up a noticeably delicate and fragrant bouquet. They are irresistible! But hurry out and pick your rhubarb, now. It really is a springtime treat, and it’ll be gone before you know it. Rhubarb Strawberry Crumble I baked these in my beautiful Le Creuset gratin dishes, which I don’t break out of the cabinet very often. I finished mine (!), but noticed a couple of the guests took half of theirs home. Baking the crumbles in these dishes does makes for a substantially sized dessert serving. The portion can be almost be cut in half by baking them in 4 ounce ramekins. For the filling: 8 ounces rhubarb, cleaned, trimmed of any leaves and cut into 1/2 inch slices8 ounces strawberries1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice3 tablespoons sugarZest of a small orange For the crumble topping: 1 cup flour1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed1/2 cup old fashioned oats1 cup lightly toasted walnuts3/4 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground ginger4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Cut rhubarb into 1/2 inch slices and place in a large mixing bowl.Cut the strawberries in half, or quarters if they are large, and place them in the mixing bowl.Pour the sugar, juice and orange zest over the rhubarb and berries, mixing lightly. Divide the rhubarb-strawberry mixture evenly amongst the gratin dishes or ramekins.Place the flour, brown sugar, oats, walnuts, cinnamon and ginger in another large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the butter cubes over them, then with your fingers, break up the butter pieces, then work and mix them into the other ingredients with your fingertips, forming large crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the fruit mixture. Place the baking dish/es on a parchment lined sheet.Bake for 25 -30 minutes until the crumb topping is brown and the fruit mixture is bubbly and thick. Yield: Four servings in a gratin dish...
read moreLeaving New Orleans – Moving On
A full year and a full season have passed since I left New Orleans. I began a journey – a longer one than I thought it would be – of resettling in a new house, in California. For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, I have ended up in the East Bay Area, where I went to both college and to culinary school, and where I have a community of long-time friends. New Orleans, at this moment, is in the height of Carnival season, which will culminate on Mardi Gras, next week. The celebrations and parades have resumed, in full force, after being cancelled last year, and I am feeling nostalgic for the city. I had so many what I can only describe as magical moments there – sitting in the Jazz Tent at Jazz Fest, thrilling to the sound of beating drums of marching bands as they approached along St. Charles Avenue and feeling the excitement as the first neon lit float approach. I’ve eaten meals that were a revelation, and marveled at giant bowing limbs of ancient oaks. I’ve walked past colorful, abundant gardens and landscapes that enchanted and awed me. I loved my charming 140 year old house – a house that delighted me as I entered the front door and was embraced by the vibrantly warm colors – the rusty orange, taupe and salmon. I loved – thanks to its shotgun layout – the view of each room, framed and topped with a lintel, unfolding into the next. But sadly, I came to learn that one can enjoy, appreciate, love spending time with, and even, truly love something, somewhere or someone, but sometimes still cannot spend the rest of our life living with them. So – it was time to move on. My new house looks through large picture windows and sliding glass doors onto a tranquil, almost forested, scene. I can sit on my wrap-around deck and listen to the creek that runs just below the the property. In the summer, I sometimes had a little doe who visited near the creek, and I love watching the hawks fly overhead. It is a lovely sanctuary, so I really have to be grateful for each new adventure that life brings, right? Who knows what’s coming up next in life? But whatever it is, this last year plus’s experience has taught me I must be open to...
read moreStaying in Baja
Circumstances (which I won’t bother to go into here) find me in Baja, Mexico for an as yet undetermined period of time. Although I’m not ready to pack up and move south of the border, I have to say it’s pretty pleasant. There are the truly awesome ocean views and sunsets, great seafood (dining on the great seafood and the beautiful sunsets are often combined) and truly friendly people … A few days ago, at nearby Splash Restaurant, where I’ve been spending a lot of time, I was gazing, mesmerized, out at the barely perceptible swells burnished by the sunlight, grow into big waves and crash on to the shore. I wondered out loud to the manager who had come over to chat with me, whether the people who are native to the area truly appreciate this, or have come to take it for granted. We get caught up in our busy lives, he told me, and sometimes we forget how lucky we are – and it’s all there for free for us, he added. Indeed. I’m staying about halfway between Rosarito and Ensenada. Ensenada has a beautiful marina, a great local seafood market – and some pretty outstanding restaurants, too. There are cute coffee shops, in lovely “mini-mall” courtyards, even a Starbucks or two for Americans “jonesing” for such. More about there in the next post. As luck would have it, I happened to be here at the time of the Day of the Dead celebration. While COVID is, obviously, as much a threat here as it is across the border, everyone’s taking precautions. I don’t hear any bickering about wearing masks. Every business I enter I’m given a mandatory temperature check, there is obligatory hand sanitizer at the door, and everyone – everyone is wearing masks. And fortunately for me, all of the restaurants have large outdoor patios. Yep, life can be very good, even when it’s uncertain. Even when a storm is coming, sunsets can be pretty awesome The seafood can even find its way into an omelette for a special brunch...
read moreDriving Through the Hill Country of Texas – and Visiting the LBJ Ranch
It’s so beautiful, I think, as I drive through in the Hill Country of Texas. It’s not the dramatic vast ocean and mountain beauty of California, or the lush oak trees draped with moss, verdant beauty of Louisiana, but still, an awe inspiring beauty. There are vast blue skies with huge fluffy clouds hovering over and nestling themselves on the green rolling hills. It’s good to get out, drive the highways – especially the back roads – and see the great diversity of this country. There aren’t a whole lot of tourist attractions in the Hill Country. The main attraction for me was visiting the LBJ Ranch, part of our nation’s historic park system. Some of us children of the 1960’s, who came of age during the Vietnam War debacle, may have a difficult time seeing past LBJ’s role in that when scrutinizing his legacy. But God knows, Presidents are human, and humans are flawed, in spite of greatness in other areas. Sometimes it seems the greater the leader, the deeper the flaws can be. That time was a time, not unlike today, so fraught with discord, unrest and tension. LBJ’s legacy is so pertinent today – the shepherd and signer of the Voting Rights Act, now under assault; the visioneer of the Great Society and the War on Poverty. The work remains unfinished. I felt something wild, sacred and compelling about his deep connection to this land, a land he believed molded the character of the people who lived on it – land inhabited by native tribes, Mexican ranchers, Africans – some free men who entered from Mexico, some enslaved, and some who, post-Civil War, roamed it as the famed Buffalo soldiers – sturdy German immigrants, all who made up the great diversity that is America, something that seems almost lost to us today, only a few generations later. And something powerfully moving as I considered how the policies so important to him were informed by that land and the various peoples who’d lived on it – and often worked cooperatively alongside each other – over time. As I left the site, the park ranger asked me how I enjoyed the visit. I replied, it’s so good to look back on a time where there was great leadership in this country. Her eyes widened behind the plastic shield covering her face, and she silently and enthusiastically nodded in...
read moreRoasted Corn Grits
Roasted Corn Grits My father, being born and raised in New Orleans, continued to enjoy grits all his life. Even after many years of living in Los Angeles, he would often come home from his office at midday and make himself a bowl of grits for lunch. In my early New Orleans childhood years, I ate tons of grits – grits with scrambled eggs, grits with Vienna sausages, grits with Velveeta cheese, grits with sliced wieners, grits with chili. By the time I was an adolescent, I’d had my fill of grits! But now, grits has grown up. They’re cooked with lots of cream, with all kinds of fancy cheeses – like Mascarpone – and herbs added. They’re sometimes served with downright sophisticated items – shrimp, crawfish etoufée – one of my favorite brunch spots here even serves aged Cheddar cheesy sage-herbed grits with shredded short ribs topped by a fried egg. Crawfish Etoufée with Roasted Corn Grits Another of my favorite lunch spots, Zea’s Rotisserie offers Roasted Corn Grits as a side dish on their meat focused menu. I like to have them with my baby back barbecued ribs. Fortunately for us, Zea’s has shared their simple, but decadent, recipe. Roasted Corn Grits 2 cups chicken broth 2 cups heavy cream ¼ stick butter 1 cup golden corn 1 cup yellow grits (not instant) Green onions for garnish Lightly butter or oil a corn cob and grill over charcoal or open fire until slightly blackened, or sauté in olive oil quickly in a hot pan. Cool corn and cut kernels from cob with sharp knife. Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add heavy cream and return to boil. Slowly whisk in the grits and then the corn. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 5 to 6 minutes. Then whisk in the butter, and add more chicken broth and/or cream if you’d like to loosen the grits up a bit more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions. Yield: 4...
read moreCoping with This Stay at Home Order – Home Fries at Home
These home fries are the old fashioned variety I ate so many of in the corner Greek coffee shops in New York City, made with russet potatoes – and sautéed onions, cooked in butter – lots of butter. Serious comfort food.
read moreRediscovering My Neighborhood – Algiers Point, New Orleans – and Transforming Myself
We are now in our 4th month of a stay at home, or what’s been now re-dubbed here in New Orleans, a “safer at home” mandate. In the first month or so of the order, I viewed it as an adventure, of sorts, even as a personal moment of transformation that we were all going through together. I appreciated the quiet. I noticed the cardinals landing in my backyard, as they traveled along their springtime migratory path, even capturing a rare picture of one (they are notoriously skittish). I cooked something interesting for myself every day (more about that in the next few posts). I watched a lot of great shows on Netflix. And I walked in the evenings, using the time to rediscover my lovely neighborhood – Algiers Point – noticing that we were, ironically, in the midst of a particularly beautiful spring, in what would have been the height of New Orleans’ festival season. I am lucky – it’s a neighborhood full of 100 year old+ homes and lush beautiful gardens. I shoot pics of colorful plants, which my Facebook community has schooled me in when it came to their names. We have a couple of lovely small parks tucked amidst the tree lined streets. In those cooler days of spring, people sat out on their front porches – more than I seen since I was a child – sharing a drink, waving at passersby. Sometimes musicians in the neighborhood would grace us with a porch concert as we stood in front of our houses. Park at the Center of Algiers Point Calladiums Hibiscus Variegated Ginger Trumpet Plant There’s a lovely view of the French Quarter, and its heart, St. Louis Cathedral from a walking/bike path atop the levee, just two blocks from the house. St. Louis Cathedral And near the entrance to the ferry terminal, there’s a rare statue, in this city, that no one wants to tear down. Nearby, there’s also, sadly, a reminder of the area’s darker, shameful past – a plaque marking the spot where captured Africans were off loaded from ships and held, waiting to be ferried across the river and sold into slavery. Satchmo’ Louis Armstrong That reminder, in a circle of history, brings us back to this moment – a transformational moment, a shifting paradigm, if you will, for our country. I marvel that, in my 60’s now, I am witnessing now another time of societal upheaval. I find myself saying to friends that our generation’s lives are bookended by this time, as I reminisce about the era of the late 1960’s, comparing the unfinished work of that time to the work taken up by a younger generation today. I find myself chafing a bit, anxious to get back to my life. I use the time to transform myself, as best I can. And I wonder how I can best care for myself, and my...
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