Fresh Pea Risotto

I know its far from Spring when peas are normally grown but with these last warm days of Summer I planted some and they are producing huge amounts of tender sweet peas. One of the most classic Italian recipes using peas is Risi Pisi which translates to rice and peas and the idea for tonight's meal. I blanched the peas and shelled them, I saved the pods which were then blended. I made a normal plain risotto to which I added the shelled peas and the pod puree at the very end, this kept the color and flavors bright and fresh. Shaved Parmesan at the end and its all done. Amazing sweet pea flavors with the nutty flavor from the Parmesan cheese.

Korean Style Short Ribs

I grilled these Korean-style short ribs over the weekend and they turned out great. This thin cut of beef short rib is common in Korean cuisine and works well because the thin meat will absorb the marinade faster, and the cooking time will be only minutes compared to the long slow braise normally associated with short ribs. The marinade is soy sauce based with the addition of garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Other ingredients can be lime juice, rice wine, and sesame oil. In Korean restaurants these ribs are often cooked at the table on built in charcoal grills. I used a hot mesquite charcoal fire to quickly sear and cook them, only a few minutes on each side. I served the ribs with steamed rice and Korea's most famous condiment, Kim Chee. This spicy fermented cabbage is a whole story by itself, but I will say for now that I like it a lot. Look for a Kim Chee post soon.

Potato Frittata

I came across these really cool potatoes called Red Thumb Fingerlings; they get that funny name because they are about the size of a average thumb with a pink skin, the surprise is when you cut it in half to reveal the same purple-pink color. I had a idea of making a frittata with them in the style of a Spanish tortilla. A frittata is a lot like a quiche, but without the pastry crust and more rustic with a filling of just about anything you want. A Spanish tortilla is a basic Frittata with layers of precooked potato and chopped herbs. Frittatas are great because they can be made ahead of time and served cold or hot, and since they are hold so well it can be packed as a lunch to take to work or a picnic.

Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

5 eggs, organic

1/2 pound fingerlings or other potato

Pinch of mild fresh herbs (parsley. thyme, sage)

A dash of olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Slice and blanch the potatoes in salted water till just tender.

3. Whisk eggs with salt, pepper and herbs.

4. Add potatoes to egg mixture.

5. Heat a nonstick 6 inch pan with the olive oil.

6. Pour egg mixture into hot pan and place in oven to cook.

7. Remove when golden brown and eggs are just set, about 8 minutes.

8. Allow to cool and remove from pan, cut in four slices.

Yield=4

Note: I served a roasted cherry tomato relish with the frittata

Chorizo and Eggs

A quick and easy weekend breakfast favorite of mine is soft tacos, filled with scrambled eggs and spicy chorizo sausage. This popular sausage has origins from the Iberian Peninsula in Spain, but can be found in the Americas and Europe and Southeast Asia as well. It's made from coarsely chopped pork and there are fresh and cured varieties. The sausage has a distinctive deep red color and smoky flavor due to the smoked Spanish paprika seasoning. There are a few different varieties such as Spanish, Portuguese and Mexican.
I like using the Spanish chorizo best in my Paellas because of its firmer texture and it can be diced into bite size pieces. I like using the Mexican variety for the popular Mexican breakfast Chorizo con huevos.  This chorizo is ground fine and packed in plastic tubes resembling sausage links, and it is fried in a pan with eggs scrambled in it. I serve this mixture in a hot flour tortilla with sliced avocado and hot sauce. Beans are often served along side.

Passion Fruit

I recently discovered fresh Passion fruit at one of the specialty food markets I shop at. These fruits are a new discovery for me here in the Bay Area; I have never seen them here before. When I lived in Australia many years ago, it was common to have people growing them because of the warm tropical weather. These fruits are native to South America but can now be found in the warmer regions around the world. They are about the size and shape of chicken eggs with a fairly hard purple skin. The pulp and the seeds are what's eaten and used in drinks and desserts. They are sweet with a pronounced tartness and a very fragrant aroma.

Bay Area Latin Market

Most people are used to shopping at big chain markets around the country which is fine for everyday staples, but if you need something special or unique it can be hard to find. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area we are lucky to have neighborhood markets selling just about everything available in this world. Latin food is at the top of the list for me and when a large Latin super market opened in my area, I was very excited. The name is "Mi Pueblo" and there are 15 locations in Northern California. Some of the features include house-made tortillas and a bakery, large cheese display, fresh fish and meat departments and a taqueria. The produce section is amazing with fruits and vegetables that I have never seen in this country before, very cool.

Salt Encrusted Sea Bass

Here is a very simple technique for roasting whole fish or even poultry. The whole fish is enclosed in a salt crust then roasted; it produces incredibal flavor and moisture. For the fish I used a Mediterranean variety of sea bass called Branzini, which is an ocean-going bass about the size of a large river trout. It's scaled and gutted with parsley and lemon slices placed in the cavity. I wanted to experiment with using different salts to see if it would produce different results, so for one fish I used kosher salt and the other fish I used rock salt. The salt was moisted with egg whites and placed under and over the whole fishes to form a thick crust. Into a hot oven for about ten minutes and it's done with a beautiful golden crust. Allowed to cool slightly, the crust is cracked and removed. The fish will be very moist with a amazing citrus scent. There was not any difference in the use of one salt or the other and if you think it would be too salty? It wasn't. I served the fillet with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Gregoire Restaurant, Berkeley, CA

Many years ago in San Francisco I worked at the now closed Amelio's restaurant in North Beach. It was then what is now known as "old school French" and we cooked all the classics. During this time I met and developed a friendship with a young guy from Paris, France (we were all much younger then) who came to our restaurant to work.
His name was Gregoire Jacquet and we worked together for a fun and crazy year or two before I quit and put everything I owned into storage before setting off to Explore Australia and Asia. I have since kept in touch and I try to make it to one of his popular restaurants whenever I get the chance. He has two restaurants now with the original tiny location in Berkeley, and a second and bigger location opened a few years later in Oakland. The Berkeley location is very small and serves all of its food in nice to-go containers. There is limited seating with a few tables in front. The food is amazing and it's all made from scratch on site using the best natural and organic ingredients. Quality sandwiches and entrees such as "Orecchiette pasta with WillieBird smoked Chicken and Artichokes" or "Sauteed Dutch Valley Veal Scaloppini with Porcini Sauce" with a average price of $14.50! What ever you get, make sure a order of potato puffs is part of it, they are getting a cult status now and the kids really love the crunchy fried crust with the soft cheesy filling. Check out either location for great meal and be sure to say "hi" to Gregoire for me.

Gregoire Restaurant

Berkeley 510-883-1893

Oakland 510-547-3444

Photo note: Potato puffs with garlic Aioli, Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella with Crostini

Plums, Plums and More Plums

I took a recent trip across the bay to the city of Berkeley with the promise of some of the best fruit and vegetables on this Western Coast. The store I went to is the famous Berkeley Bowl which is simply amazing with its huge selection of all foods. The one item that really caught my eye this trip, was more plum varieties then I have ever seen in my life. I really needed to buy and try one of each variety, and I also wrote down all the names so I could remember what each one looked and tasted like. The crazy names included King Midas, Flavor King, Elephant Heart, Mariposa, etc. I ate most of the Plums plain and raw but had the idea to grill some to go with a mixed green salad. The plums were pitted, quartered and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and placed onto a hot grill for about a quick minute to still retain some firmness. The grilled plums developed a somewhat smoky flavor and a sweetness from all the natural sugars caramelizing. Simple and delicious.

BLT Sandwich with Salmon and Avocado

At this time a few years ago I was working at Glacier Bay Alaska and the memories of that experience reminded me of a sandwich I made then using the local king salmon. It was a variation of the classic bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich with the decadent addition of the salmon and creamy sliced avocado. Today I recreated that same sandwich but using another salmon then the absolutely fresh king salmon that was in abundance there. Lots of color, textures and very good flavors.





Alaskan BLT Sandwich
Ingredients:
3 ounces thin sliced salmon fillet, King if possible
3 strips smoked bacon, crispy cooked
3-4 slices heirloom tomatoes
1-2 leaves lettuce
1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
2 slices good quality sliced bread, toasted
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Method:
1. Saute the salmon fillet, allow to cool
2. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on both bread slices.
3. Layer all ingredients between the bread slices.
4. Slice in half and enjoy!

Pan Seared Halibut with Harissa Sauce

On a recent week night without much energy to cook a elaborate meal, I did a very simple pan seared fillet of local Halibut with the fiery chili sauce Harissa, the origin of the sauce is from Tunisia and made with dry chili peppers, coriander and caraway seeds blended to a thin paste. I served baby Yukon gold potatoes with the fish, but maybe next time for a more authentic flavor I will use steamed cous cous instead of the roasted potatoes?It still was still very good and the best part, easy.

Note: Pre made Harissa can be found in Middle Eastern or well stocked markets.

Spanish Style Stuffed Squid

Spicy Tomato Braised Stuffed Squid

One of the perks in living in the San Francisco bay area is its close proximity to the vast Monterey bay which is where most of the Squid sold in the U.S. comes from, for us here that means fresh and cheap! About $1.99 a pound (0.453592kg) I normally go to one of the many Asian markets in San Francisco's Richmond district to buy my squid, the turn over is high which insures fresh squid. I had the idea to cook the squid in a Tapas style using Spanish flavors. To start after I cleaned the squid, I took the cleaned squid tubes and stuffed them with the chopped tentacles and uncooked rice, I did not put to much rice in because it expands when cooked and will break open the tubes. Toothpicks are used to secure the ends. The squid then goes into a small pot with pre sauteed sliced onions, tomato, garlic, Spanish smoked paprika in olive oil. Then the tubes are covered with water or stock, brought to a simmer and then cooked for about 30 minutes. The Squid then come out of the liquid and the toothpicks are removed, the liquid is then reduced down to a sauce consistency and finished with chopped parsley and pitted green olives. The stuffed squid turn out tender and take on the flavors of the aromatic cooking liquid. I haven't made the trip to Spain yet but this is really putting me in the mood.

Clams My Way

Chinatown Shellfish

Grilled Bread & Little Neck Clams

I cooked a batch of little neck clams today using the common flavors of smoky bacon, sliced onions, garlic and tomatoes in local Anchor Steam beer, served along side plenty of grilled bread to get all that great cooking liquid. I was able to get these fresh little clams at one of the well stocked seafood shops in San Francisco's Chinatown district.

Summer Squash & Goat Cheese Roulade

Basil Infused Goat Cheese Wrapped in Grilled Zucchini

A perfect Summer food idea in a small bite size bundle, with only a few ingredients, its the best way to showcase amazing Summer flavors. The herb goat cheese filling provides a creamy yet tangy flavor which contrasts with the sweet acidic cherry tomato sauce. This is very good as a small first course or maybe it can be served skewered and passed at a Cocktail party.

Ingredients:

6 oz. Goat Cheese

1/4 bun Sweet basil, sliced

1 Green Zucchini, sliced long & thin

1/2 basket Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

Extra Virgin Olive Oil as needed

1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped

Kosher salt/Pepper

Method:

1. Mix the Goat cheese with basil and stir into a smooth paste, add a touch of water if necessary .

2. Slice the Zucchini into long thin strips using a mandolin or chefs knife.

3. Season and grill the zucchini till tender but not too soft, drizzle with olive oil.

4. Make a chunky sauce with the olive oil, garlic and cherry tomatoes, season to taste.

5. Place a small mound of the goat cheese mixture on one end of the squash and roll up.

6. Serve the roulades with a spoonful of rustic tomato sauce.

Yield = 12 bite size rolls

Caveman Cut Rib Eye Steak

"Caveman Cut" Rib Eye Steaks

High Heat Grilling

Rib Eye Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Potato Gratin

It is not often that I will eat steak, but I just had this craving for it and my new grill helped with that decision. When I was looking for a proper cut of meat to grill such as a Porterhouse, a huge rib eye steak in the meat case jumped out at me, it was a locally raised cut of beef with really nice fat marbling and with the bone still attached, this monster weighed in at 24 ounces (683.28G) because of its large primal size it has been often called a "Caveman Steak". The secret to keeping the flavor is to simply season it with lots of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper and then placing the room temperature steak on a very hot grill to seal in the juices and produce a flavorful charred crust. To do this I used a good quality mesquite charcoal which burns very hot. After about five minutes on each side for medium rare it was done and then needed to rest for about 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving. I made a compound butter with balsamic caramelized red onions and rosemary to spread on the still warm meat, it melted into a Delicious sauce. With the steaks a served sauteed shaved Brussels sprouts with bacon and a crispy Yukon gold potato gratin.