Yearly Archives: 2010

Tandoori Asparagus

Tandoor asparagus on a white plate

Here’s something easy to do with asparagus that makes them a little different.

You’ll need some dry tandoori spice blend.  You can make your own, but there are some good ones on the market.  Having it on hand is great when you can’t figure out what kind of side to make with din-din and you’re sick and tired of bland veggies.  While I might put together my own spice blend for a main dish, I usually use packaged stuff for everything else.

I suggest going to an Indian or Pakistani grocery for your spice blends.  I wrote a post about this last year, which you can check out.  These stores carry imported products, which are much less expensive than their American-made counterparts.  For example, MDH puts out a good Tandoori blend, and you’ll pay about $1.50 for 100 grams at Vik’s Market in Berkeley.  This is a steal.

Give this a try and then alter the recipe to your taste.  It works well with green beans and potatoes, but you’ll need more oil for the latter.

Tandoori-style Asparagus
   Makes enough for dinner sides for 4 and leftovers

2 pounds fresh asparagus
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons tandoori spice blend
2 teaspoons sea salt

1).  Wash, dry and trim the asparagus, and then peel the bottom quarter or so of the stems to get rid of the woody, stringy part.
2).  Toss oil, spice blend and salt on a sheet pan and mix with your hands.
3).  Place asparagus on sheet pan and coat spears well with seasoned oil.  Hands are your best tool for this.
4).  Arrange in single layer (or you can put on a rack, if you like).
5).  Blast in preheated 425 deg. F. oven (convection, if you have it) and take out when they are to your liking.  If you use thin asparagus and leave them in longer than you really should, they will be very soft at the ends but the tips will be crunchy and salty/spicy, which I like.
6).  Remove with tongs to serving plate and present with lemon wedges.

These are good as leftovers on a sandwich.  I know I say that about everything, and it’s usually true.  This time it’s really true.

OysterFest 2010 at Waterbar in San Francisco

drakes bay oyster with open shellMy friend, GraceAnn Walden, asked if I wanted to join her at OysterFest 2010 this past weekend, an annual event held at Waterbar in San Francisco.  She was to serve as a celebrity judge for various competitions at this “celebration of the sustainable oyster,” benefiting the San Mateo Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, an organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of “oceans, waves and beaches.”

Being part of an event that includes me and thousands of oysters on the half shell is the stuff of dreams, so, yeah, I’m there.

So many things in life disappoint.  So many things sound good on paper.  I told my husband and son, “If I don’t get to eat a ton of oysters I’ll be seriously pissed.”  Let’s face it, there are few things worse than being teased by a small qualtity of something you really, really love.

OysterFest at Waterbar in San Francisco on 8/31/10 with view of hills brothers coffee company sign This celebration delivered – and how.  The sponsors were clearly generous with money, time and product.  Event-goers were tagged with a pink wristband, armed with a stem glass, and turned loose on the oysters and wine.

Before I made my way to the oyster stalls, I took in the whole gestalt.

First off, the weather cooperated.  It was breezy, sunny, and not too hot.  Second, we were right on the bay with the mightly Bay Bridge almost on top of us.

Under the bay bridge at oysterfest 2010 held at waterbar in SFThe setting was ridiculously post card, and made me think how wonderful it is to live here.

They decked out the party space nicely.  If you’ve never been to Waterbar, it’s one of two Rincon Park restaurants Pat Kuleto opened a couple years back – near that Oldenburg and van Bruggen monstrosity, Cupid’s Span.

Waterbar and Epic Roasthouse, sister restaurants, one surf and the other turf, sit adjacent to each other with an attractive outdoor space between them that blends into Rincon Park and the walking path behind them.

Maison Beausoleil stall at OysterFest 2010 in San FranciscoPlenty of chairs and tables were set out.  Even when the crowd swelled at about the midpoint, competition for seating was not particularly fierce.

We got there right at the start, so food and drink flowed freely and there were no lines.  I was very happy that the food was all oysters, all the time.

Drakes Bay stall at OysterFest in San Francisco 8/28/10Oysters were shucked on the fly at stalls representing farmers sponsoring the event.  Drakes Bay Family Farms and Maison Beausoleil – the former right here in Marin County and the latter from New Brunswick, Canada – served up God knows how many oysters.  Those guys were quick, too.

Nice that both Atlantic and Pacific bivalves were offered – all sustainably farmed.

You could eat as many as you wanted.  The smaller Beausoleil oysters are clean, briny and a little smokey-sweet, so I had a goodly amount of those.  Drakes Bay are larger and stronger in flavor – also very good – so I didn’t hold back at that stall either.

The idea was also to take five ‘sters over to the sauce station, try all five sauces, and then vote for your favorite.  I have no idea which sauce won because I didn’t hear the announcement.  I liked sauce 2, but usually don’t want much of anything on a good oyster.

Sauce station at oysterfest 2010 in san franciscoRestaurant sponsors (all Kuleto-ville, save one, Nettie’s Crab Shack [closed], unless I missed something) provided small plates starring one or more oysters – with little filler, for the most part.

Epic Roasthouse put out my favorite dish of the day:  a killer fried Drakes Bay oyster on a skewer with fried green tomato.  This “brochette” apparently had “homemade pork belly.”  Not sure how you make pork belly at home, and, if there was some on any one of the four I ate, I couldn’t detect it.  I loved the remoulade-like sauce, though, and the oysters were big and fat and perfectly done.  The tomato chunks were sweet and plump and coated in crisped-up cornmeal, as were the oysters.  GraceAnn picked two up for me when I was holding our table, and I went back later for another two.  When I was on BART riding home, I kicked myself for not getting a last one for the road.  Sheer bliss.

Waterbar cranked out humongous grilled oysters with pickled cabbage in a light, buttery cream sauce.  I think.  If there was a card on the table I didn’t see it so I can’t swear to the sauce.  I didn’t know what to make of this.  It was interesting, but pickled cabbage – sauerkraut, more or less – does not play well with others.  The oyster’s flavor was lost in confusion.

BBQ oyster from Waterbar at oysterfest 2010 in SFI was happy the water station was across from the Waterbar booth – and water is mainly what I drank.  While there were numerous wine tasting stations, I decided to stop with the wine after my slug of Twomey 2009 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.  It was a drag to deal with the one wine glass I was issued while trying to eat oysters by hand as I walked around.

Waterbar stall at oysterfest 2010 in SF and grill full of hot stones and oystersFarallon doled out Vichyssoise oyster shooters, which I believe contained both potato and leek and were finished with celery.  The chef rattled the contents off to me but I was already in some sort of coma from the sun, the sea air and many oysters, so I’m not sure I grasped it all.  This was a tasty little viand and a good idea for the setting.  Rich, though, so I had a total of one.

Farallon stall at oysterfest 2010 in san franciscoNettie’s Crab Shack made little fried oyster po’boys with all the trimmings.  The oyster on mine was not as good the one on the Epic Roasthouse brochette, but nothing to kick out of bed.  I went back to try another to see if I perhaps wound up with a nonrepresentative oyster on my first sammie, but, sadly, this stall closed up shop early in the game.

In between grazing and hanging out in the sun drinking beer, GraceAnn served as a celebrity judge for the oyster eating and shucking contests.

GraceAnn Walden at oysterfest 2010 in San Francisco judging eating contestEating contests are always a wonder to me.  I don’t really get them, but I must be in the minority.  Here there were five people who ate oysters as fast as they could for three minutes.  Each of the five celebrity judges tracked one participant.  GraceAnn wound up tracking a young woman who entered the contest at the last minute, egged on by the crowd when an empty space at the table was offered up at high volume by the MC.  The winner ate over 80 oysters, with the middle ground being in the 40-something range.  Most memorable to me was GraceAnn encouraging her contestant by shouting, “Don’t chew, just swallow!”  Indeed.

One of the platters made during the oyster shucking contest at oysterfest 2010 in SFThe oyster shucking contest included shucking and arranging said oysters on a platter with other seafood under duress.  The platters, judged not only by aesthetic appeal but also practical concerns – like ease of getting at crabmeat and shrimp – were sold to the highest bidders at the end of the competition.  There were four contestants:  three chefs from sponsoring restaurants and one amateur.  The amateur won.

The winner of the oyster shucking contest at OysterFest 2010 in San Francisco with celebrity judges

The winner of the oyster shucking contest, Greg Babinecz, at OysterFest 2010 in San Francisco with celebrity judges

Judges Roland Passot, Narsai David, two Alice DJs, Matty and Icky, and GraceAnn conferred for quite some time before making a decision, and the winner was thrilled.

Celebrity judges conferring at OysterFest 2010 at San Francisco's Waterbar

Celebrity judges conferring at OysterFest 2010

The supportive and cheering crowd gathered close around the long tables used for the contest, so it was a blast.

Shucking contest in action at OysterFest 2010 in San Francisco

Shucking contest in action at OysterFest 2010 in San Francisco

I could have done without the surf music.  The band, Drifting Sand, was good, but I experience even good surf music like a mild toothache:  I just want it to stop.

ChicoBag’s “Bag Monster” wandered around the event.  He’s a guy wearing a suit of 500 supermarket plastic bags, reminding us how many of these blasted single-use things the average American uses in a year, and that they wind up everywhere they shouldn’t – like shorelines.

Bag Monster and GraceAnn Walden at OysterFest 2010 in San Francisco

Bag Monster and GraceAnn Walden at OysterFest 2010 in San Francisco

GraceAnn and I left shortly before the event ended and were both in need of a nap.  We wondered if there was something about oysters that makes a person sleepy.

Like lemon juice in a wound, I had to stand all the way to the East Bay on BART, and then flung myself on the bed when I got home.  Steve, my husband, channeling his Mother, said it was “the salt air and the sun.”  Matthew, my son, not even looking up from whatever video game he was playing, told me he had “no intention of feeling sorry for someone who just got to eat alot of oysters for free at a fancy restaurant on the water.”

The final word:  If you are an oyster-on-the-half-shell kind of person, you should run to this event in 2011.  Not only will you satisfy a yen to an unprecedented degree, you’ll help a worthy organization.  Just arrive early to avoid the lines, and drink more wine and beer than I did!

Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches Rock

Heirloom tomato sandwich open face with crushed pistachios on top

I wait all year for that brief, shining portion of late summer that brings me luscious, flavorful heirloom tomatoes for about $2 a pound.  Big, red, Beefsteak types, like the Beefmaster you see in the photo, which weighed in at 19 ounces.

That time has come, and I was able to savor my first really spectacular tomato of the year – courtesy of Berkeley Bowl West, which is now full-up with heirlooms at a great price.

I think most of the tomatoes sold in the US are, well, crappy.  The only places to get good ones – and I mean with actual flavor – are the farmers’ markets and stores like Berkeley Bowl and Whole Foods.  Even those quality tomatoes can’t compare to these heirlooms, though, but the price is usually so high for the latter that I go for the former until this time of year.

One little hitch is my tomato allergy.  Since my problem is mostly with seeds, I’m able to eat fresh tomatoes in limited quantity, and I scout out less seedy types.  I’m glad it’s not one of those life-threatening allergies or I’d never make it through the next few weeks!

A great tomato needs very little.

When I was a kid, we’d buy huge Beefsteaks at roadside stands in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and eat them like apples – by hand.  We always carried a little salt shaker in the car so we’d be ready, and would bring some back home to Queens, where we lived.  This is one of my strongest food memories, and eating a big red heirloom puts me right back in my parents’ car in a 1969 Sunday afternoon traffic jam on the Cross Bronx Expressway inching toward the George Washington Bridge in 90 degree heat – with the smells of melting tar and a basket of roadside tomatoes next to me on the back seat.

You need to go get a huge red heirloom and make a tomato sandwich with one big slice, like I do.

Tomato Sandwich

1 humongous red heirloom tomato with deep, sweet flavor
1 slice really good bread, like Vital Vittles Real Bread, toasted
1 nice tablespoon good mayonnaise
Sea salt
10 pistachios (I use Everybody’s Nuts Salt & Pepper version), crushed (put under plastic and rap with rolling pin)

1).  Cut a 3/4 inch (at least) center slice out of the tomato and store the rest for later.
2).  Spread mayo on toast and lay tomato slice on top.
3).  Grind a little sea salt on top of ‘mater.
4).  Sprinkle crushed nuts on top.
5).  Eat.

Here are other ideas for sammies with heirlooms:  chicken salad, a few curls of Emmentaler plus said ground nuts makes a good combo.  Fried fish, mayo and a little parmesan works, too.  Check this out:

Chicken salad and heirloom tomato sandwich

Fried fish and heirloom tomato sandwich

Brown Rice in Indonesian Yellow Rice Style

Indonesian yellow rice on a blue plate with lime wedges

Nasi kuning is an Indonesian yellow rice dish often served at parties or special occasions.  The yellow color, from turmeric, symbolizes gold, and the dish is meant to bring good things.  You know, prosperity, health – like that.

I’ve always loved flavored rice, especially when it’s on the dry side – more stained by seasonings than swimming in them.  Yellow rice is a perfect example of this.  Attaining that fluffy yet savory texture can be tricky.  It’s much easier, though, when you use brown rice, which brings me to the other point of this post:  getting more brown rice into husband, Steve, and son, Matthew.

Brown rice has been manna from heaven for me when it comes to creating rice dishes that don’t clump up or get sticky.  Yes, you have to deal with a sturdier texture, but you’ll get used to that.  Also, that firmer tooth works very well in pilafs – better than white rice, if you ask me – because it allows the rice to stand up to the nuts and raisins and whatever else you throw at it.

If you use Jasmine brown rice, you’ll find it eats closer to white than many others, though right now I’m trying to work through a 20 pound bag of plain old Cali brown I got on sale.

For me this all boils down to being able to disguise brown rice in various ways.  Myself, I like the texture, but I grew up in a European household where we ate things that required teeth.

One day I thought I would try to make a form of Indonesian yellow rice with some of that 20 pound bag – that it would be a big hit with the boys.  For my first go I figured I’d just develop an easy wok recipe – which is what I’m presenting here.

Indonesian-style Yellow Rice (Nasi Kuning)
   Makes a big batch for dinner or lots of sides

3 tablespoons Canola oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 batch nasi kuning paste (below)
3 cups Jasmine brown rice
1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
Up to 1 quart stock
Salt, if needed
Lime wedges, to serve

1).  In a wok or other heavy-gauge, slope-sided cooking vessel, heat oil over medium heat.
2).  Add onion and stir-fry/sweat for 1 minute.
3).  Add nasi kuning paste and stir-fry for 1 minute.
4).  Add rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
5).  Add coconut milk and gently stir fry over medium-low flame until it is almost all absorbed by the rice.
6).  Add 3 cups of the stock and a little salt, if need be, stir, cover and allow to simmer for 30 – 40 minutes, checking often, adding more stock as needed.  Alternate covering and uncovering rice during the cooking process, as needed, depending upon progress and quantity of liquid.
7).  Allow to sit – uncovered – for 5 minutes before serving.
8).  Serve with lime wedges.

Nasi Kuning Paste*
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
The bottom 1/3 or so of 1 cleaned (tough outer leaves removed) stalk of lemongrass, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1).  Grind everything together.  A bullet blender or prep food processor work well for this.

*May use a lesser quantity of jarred paste, but it’s not as good and tends to be salty and oddly strong

Chicken Primitivo

chicken primitivo in dutch oven

Here’s a really easy braise to toss together for a group – or for two meals for a family of 4 or 5.  Although it works well with pasta, I often serve it with crusty Italian bread, which you can dip into the sauce.

I get tired of plain old roasted chicken breasts, and a braise with wine provides richness and complexity.

Braising is often my cooking method of choice.  As long as you have a protein that lends itself to braising, like a tougher cut of beef or stewing chicken, you can put it together and let it go until the meat is fork-tender – usually a couple of hours or more.  If you use split chicken breasts (with the bones and back meat included) from a fryer or roaster, they don’t have to cook as long, but they are sufficiently large so they’ll usually need an hour or more and will develop nice flavor.

Along with your protein you’ll need some braising liquid, like stock; an acid, such as wine or tomatoes; and aromatics, like carrots and onions.  With nothing but these things and a little oil, salt and pepper, you can produce a decent braise.  The trick is to barely cover the protein and to let it just simmer in the oven or on a stove top, and to adjust the cover, which, for me, is usually some foil, so you wind up with a complex sauce at the end that is sufficiently concentrated but not devoid of liquid.

Chicken breasts give off liquid, so if you cover them the whole time, your braise will really be a boil, and the chicken will be swimming in liquid.  Conversely, if you braise some short ribs and don’t cover them at all, you may wind up frying them in rendered fat when all the liquid evaporates.

So, with split chix breasts, I keep them uncovered, and then cover them about 30 mins in – or when the top has some color and the liquid has reduced a bit.

Now, if you want to use fresh spices, feel free, but this is a great dish for dried versions, because they open up nicely.  For God’s sake, though, use fresh ground spices!

Chicken Primitivo
   Serves 9
9 large, split chicken breasts, on the bone/with back meat
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
3/4 teaspoon ground thyme
3/4  teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 bay leaves
20 ounces sliced brown or baby portabello mushrooms
1 large (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/3 bottle primitivo or zinfandel (or another decent red wine with acidity and spice)
Chicken stock, as needed (should need about 2 cups)

1).  In a heavy-gauge, oven-safe, dutch oven, heat the olive oil and add the onion.  Saute for about 5 minutes.
2).  Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
3).  Add the spices and salt and pepper and saute for 30 seconds.
4).  Toss in ‘shrooms and saute for a couple of minutes.
5).  Add canned tomatoes, stir, and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
6).  Add wine, stir, and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
7).  Add chicken by standing pieces on their sides, larger side down.  I use a huge dutch oven and have to do this so they all fit.  They will displace liquid, which is what you want.  They should be about 3/4 or more covered.
8).  Add enough chicken stock so chicken is barely covered.
9).  Stir in the stock a bit, using a spatula, getting between the pieces so the sauce surrounds each one.
10).  Bring to a simmer.
11).  Transfer to preheated 350 deg. F. oven, uncovered.
12).  When liquid has evaporated such that chicken is jutting out slightly, baste top of chicken with sauce and cover loosely (with foil or with lid slightly ajar).  Should be about 30 mins.
13).  Place back in oven until chicken is cooked through -but not overcooked.  Check now and again and add a little more stock if you need to, and/or cover more tightly.
14).  Allow to rest for 10 minutes, uncovered.
15).  Skim fat with flat spoon and serve chicken with plenty of sauce.