Saturday, July 31, 2010

A Feast and a Fantasy

Long before Hoppe’s Restaurant in Morro Bay turned into Windows on the Water it was a great place to go for Sunday Brunch. I went one morning, two decades ago, with several girlfriends when we are all either new moms or about-to-be moms. It was a rare unfettered moment and we were giddy with our fleeting freedom.

The waiter recited that morning’s menu specials and the last entrée he described was accompanied by gratin dauphinois. I should mention that said waiter was especially handsome and especially charming and he pronounced gratin dauphinois with a perfect French accent. Without missing a beat, one of my friends, Muffy, leaned over to him, pointed to a spot on her neck just under her left ear and whispered in a husky voice, “can you say that again….right here?”

It was a classically funny moment and expressed perfectly what the rest of us were thinking.

These days, it’s fantasies of Javier Bardem whispering “carne asada” against a sweet spot in that lovely Spanish accent. But what makes it sexy is that it’s cheap, quick and easy. The carne asada. Not Javier.

When you need a cheap, easy dinner party idea that will feed a ton of people and won’t require lots of last minute prep it’s time to break out the secret weapon: Café Pasqual’s Carne Asada recipe. On a recent weekend, Kathy and I both coincidentally made a batch for respective dinner parties.

Last Halloween, I pre-prepared most of this meal for Juan’s boys night dinner at the house while the girls and I went out carousing. All Juan had to do was slap the meat on the grill and slice it up.



After dinner, our friend Carlos, who we suspect knows a thing or two about great Mexican food, told Juan it was the best carne asada he’d ever had. Of course it could have been the red wine talking but we’ll take a compliment when we can get it.

Seriously it’s a fantasy come true—5 minutes of prep and happy dinner guests.

This is our go-to meal for company. It’s dirt cheap and super simple. And all you need to do when it’s time to eat is grill the skirt steak for 5 minutes and heat up some tortillas.



It’s also one of the reasons we love Costco. They always have 3-4 pound packages of skirt steak (otherwise known as Loin Flap) for about $5.60 a pound. The cut is great for quick grilling and has enough fat for meaty flavor.


We recommend brushing corn tortillas with olive oil and grilling them quickly on the Weber. Serve the tacos with whole pinto beans and a green salad. The tacos themselves are best accompanied with a fresh tomatillo and avocado salsa or any other taco toppings you like.

Carne Asada
Adapted From Café Pasqual’s Cookbook





The chile powders called for in this recipe can be procured at the Santa Fe Farmers Market or through mail order sources such as The Chile Shop in Santa Fe 505-983-6080 or the Santa Fe School of Cooking (santafeschoolofcooking.com). If you cannot locate, you can substitute other pure chile powders such as Ancho, Pasilla or a pure New Mexico Chile Powder. Don’t use the grocery store concoction labeled simply chile powder as it is actually a blend of different spices.

Serves 6-8

1 ¼ c olive oil
2 T plus 2 tsp jalapeno chile powder
2 T Chimayo chile powder
3 T chopped garlic
1 T kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T fresh lime juice

3 red onions, cut into quarters and separated into pieces (optional)

3 pounds beef Loin Flap (skirt steak) cut into large sections (. Flank steak can be substituted but the results won’t be quite as good

A dozen or so corn tortillas

Guacamole or homemade salsa as an accompaniment

In a glass bowl stir together first 8 ingredients. Place meat and onions if using in zip lock bags and pour marinade over dividing between bags as necessary. Seal bags and massage the meat so it’s evenly covered with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, remove meat from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill and when coals are ready, grill meat and onions over direct heat. The meat will only take a couple of minutes per side for medium rare. The onions may take a bit longer so remove the meat and tent with foil while the onions finish cooking.

Warm the tortillas on the grill or in a hot cast iron pan. Slice the meat thinly across the grain at a slight diagonal. Chop the onions slightly.

To serve allow guests to make tacos with meat, onions, guacamole and salsa.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

From Mac 'n Cheese to Haute Cuisine



As a young child, my daughter Hayley was like most kids, a picky eater. Her repertoire consisted of macaroni and cheese (preferably the cartoon shaped pasta out of a box), broccoli (thank god!), pasta with butter (no parmesan!), scrambled eggs and pizza – no sauce. I was a very accommodating cook who had suffered through the "eat what's put in front of you" strong arm feeding style of my parents. Hayley's pediatrician assured me that she was getting plenty of protein and with the help of Gummi vitamins she was a well nourished and thriving child. So I went on boiling pasta and making countless pb & j sandwiches for lunch.


To my delight, during a month long road trip when she was about 12 years old, the Children's Menu finally got old. To my horror she now wanted to order filet mignon and other premium menu items. Not wanting to curb her enthusiasm we indulged her menu choices and encouraged her to try new things. The more she tried, the braver she became about unfamiliar ingredients-- to the point that she would give almost everything a fair chance—even foods most of us would immediately shun. Chocolate covered cuttlefish is one example of just how far she'll go.


On a recent Spring Break trip to Northern California Devon, Hayley and I had reserved a table at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in Berkeley. The entire meal was heavenly. It was clear from the moment we sat down that my daughter had become a foodie right before my very eyes. She was just as excited as we were to read the menu and ponder what to order. When the waiter presented Hayley a simple salad of spring greens dressed with a light vinaigrette her eyes lit up. One taste and I thought she might cry until I saw her satisfied smile appear and she exclaimed "this is the best salad ever!"


Anthony Bourdain lists vinaigrette as something everyone should know how to prepare. Now you too can check that one off your list.


Chez Panisse Vinaigrette - Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food


1 tablespoon red wine vinegar


Salt


Fresh-ground black pepper


3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


Pour red wine vinegar into a small bowl.


Add the salt and pepper


Stir to dissolve the salt, taste, and adjust if needed. Use a fork or small whisk to beat in the extra-virgin olive oil, a little at a time.


Taste as you go and stope when it tastes right.


Variations:


Add a little pureed garlic or diced shallot, or both to the vinegar.


White wine vinegar, sherry vinegar or lemon juice can replace some or all of the red wine vinegar.


Beat in a little mustard before you start adding the oil.


For part of the olive oil, substitute a very fresh nut oil, such as walnut or hazelnut.


Heavy cream or creme fraiche can replace some or all of the olive oil.


Chop some fresh herbs and stir them into the finished vinaigrette.
















Monday, July 5, 2010

Pizza and Parenting

In his new book Medium Raw, Anthony Bourdain argues that basic cooking skills are a virtue and that learning to feed oneself, and others, with proficiency is a moral imperative--“as vital to growing up as learning to wipe one’s own ass, cross the street by oneself or be trusted with money.”

He goes on to suggest a few things that every man, woman and teenager should know how to do:

  • Chop an onion. Basic knife skills are a must
  • Roast a chicken (well)
  • Cook an omelet
  • Grill a steak, and rest it properly
  • Make a great vinaigrette (subject of a future blog post)
  • Shop for fresh, seasonal produce

And so on...


We’d add one thing to the list. Our kids should learn how to barbecue a great pizza.

Between us we have two in college and one about to venture out on her own. They don’t quite believe us when we advise them,that the quickest way to win friends and influence people is with a great meal, artfully prepared. When the meal can be done on a budget, all the better.

The math alone should point our starving college kids toward learning this art as they compare a soggy, limp and greasy $25.00 pepperoni pizza from the local Domino’s to what $8.00 wisely spent at the Farmers Market and a couple cups of flour will net you.


Pizza Night is tradition at Trinity, usually falling toward the end of the second week. We dig out the carefully wrapped sage leaves from the bottom of the produce drawer, give the basil plant we’ve brought with us from Trader Joe’s a haircut, and drag out the leftover grilled veggies from previous meals. Kathy whips up the dough by hand in the morning and at cocktail hour we fire up the grill and roll out the dough on the laminated dinette table.









The barbecue technique is courtesy of Bobby Flay who gave us the original dose of courage needed to throw raw dough on a hot grill.

One of this year’s favorite topping combos was inspired by Thomas Hill Organics, a great restaurant in downtown Paso Robles that features a wood burning stove in their outdoor patio. The other crowd favorite put good use to the hunk of pancetta that came in the “salty tasty pig parts” variety pack from Boccolone Salumeria that we had FedExed to the cabin (see, it’s really not camping).

We didn’t make the kids take notes while they watched but we are hoping for a phone call someday when they have a crowd of college friends coming over for dinner and need a fun, cheap meal idea. Then, we’ll point them to our blog and say, “See? I told you so!”

Basic Pizza Dough Recipe
2+ cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm water
1 pkg yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar or a squirt of honey
1tablespoon olive oil
Mix together flour and salt, sprinkle yeast on top of warm water sweetened with either the sugar or honey. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes. Mix together wet and dry ingredients, add olive oil and knead for a 3 minutes. Add additional flour if necessary. At this point you can either let the dough rest for a few minutes, then divide it into 3 or 4 balls, depending on your pizza size preference and roll it out or place it in a covered bowl or ziplock baggie and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Set out and allow the dough to get to room temperature, gently knead then divide and roll out.

Brush one side of the pizza round with olive oil and toss on a hot grill. The dough will firm rapidly and you'll want to pull it off the grill in 2 to 3 minutes when the bottom of the round is crisp and slightly charred. Top the grilled side with desired toppings and place back on the grill until toppings are as desired being careful to not burn the bottom of the pizza.

Pizza with grilled Meyer Lemons, Ricotta, Carmelized Onions, Sage and Honey

Inspired by Thomas Hill Organics

Makes one pizza roughly

2 Meyer Lemons

1 cup fresh Ricotta Cheese (use whole milk store bought if that’s all you can find)

A dozen fresh sage leaves

One large onion

High quality honey (we used wildflower honey)

Olive Oil

Fleur de sel.

One round of grilled pizza dough, partially prepared as directed above.

Slice onion thinly. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat until soft and carmelized (about 30 minutes). Can be done well ahead and set aside.

Slice Meyer lemons thinly (1/8-1/4 inch). Pick out seeds. Brush each side of the lemon slice lightly with olive oil. Grill slices on barbecue, turning as needed until lemons are lightly carmelized in appearance.

When ready to grill the pizza, brush the cooked side of a pizza round with a light coating of olive oil. Scatter carmelized onions evenly over the pizza. Arrange grilled Meyer Lemon slices on top. Dot spoonfuls of the Ricotta cheese over. Add the sage leaves. Finish with a sprinking of Fleur de Sel.

Place dough round back on the Weber and cook with the lid on until pizza is warmed and cheese is softened (about 3-5 minutes depending on how hot the grill is).

Remove pizza to board and drizzle with honey. Slice and enjoy. This one went well paired with Evolution 9 from Sokol Blosser, a fruity white blend.


Pizza with grilled Radicchio, Pancetta and Goat Cheese.

Makes one pizza roughly.

One head of Radicchio

3-4 ounces good quality pancetta such as from Boccolone

Fresh Goat Cheese, about 3-4 ounces

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Note: try to search out pancetta that isn’t already sliced. The beauty of this pizza is in the nice big lardoons of pancetta.

One round of grilled pizza dough, partially prepared as directed above.

Cut the radicchio into eighths through the core so that the leaves remain attached. Brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Grill wedges on barbecue until leaves are soft and blackened in spots. Set aside. Can be done an hour or so ahead of time.

Cut the pancetta into ½ inch chunks. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the pancetta slowly over medium to medium low heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Can be done an hour or so ahead of time,

When ready to grill pizza, brush the cooked side of a pizza round with a light coating of olive oil. Place leaves of the radicchio evenly and generously over the pizza. Scatter the pancetta on top and dot the surface with spoonfuls of goat cheese.

Place dough round back on the Weber and cook with the lid on until pizza is warmed and cheese is softened (about 3-5 minutes depending on how hot the grill is).

Remove pizza to board and drizzle with the aged balsamic vinegar. Slice and eat.