Pen & Fork

Mandarin Orange Dust

chefgwen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:38:14 +0000

I am a sucker for anything gourmet. Unusual ingredients are a particular weakness (see bamboo rice.)

It all started with a tweet from a Seattle chef I admire and follow on Twitter, @ChefReinvented (Becky Selengut). She was catering a party for 60 and tweeted her menu, including this little gem:

Seared wild U.S. prawns with tangerine dust, New Mexico chiles and smoked paprika aioli.

Tangerine dust? All of a sudden, I’m fixated on getting my hands on some tangerine dust.

A quick glance around the kitchen and I spot a 5-pound box of Cuties®. So they’re not tangerines, but I thought, why not?

For the record, tangerine is much sexier sounding than cutie.

The Cutie is a type of mandarin orange — a Californian clementine — as is the tangerine, the satsuma and the Dancy.

Cutie Dust just doesn’t have the same ring as Clementine Dust. Or Tangerine Dust for that matter.

The clementines need to be sliced whisper-thin, but after a few, painfully slow slices with my knife, I quickly figured out I had better things to do with my Sunday. I dug out the mandolin.

Technically it’s a Japanese Benriner, the only one I’ve found (sorry France and Germany) that slices food so thin you can see through it.

Adjusting the mandolin to cut as thin as possible, each clementine produced 10 or 12 slices, not counting the first couple of slices or the last little bit, as I stopped before I sliced my finger tips off.

Funny thing, this particular mandolin has the words “watch your fingers” printed in English and Japanese.

I’m guessing that the Japanese words say the same thing. They could say something entirely different, like “we only printed the English words ‘watch your fingers’ for the careless English-speaking people, but we know you, our slice-savvy Japanese customers, know when to stop.”

Or something like that.

I laid the slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and stuck them in a 200ºF. oven for about 3 hours.

If you don’t slice them as thin as I did, it might take a little longer. They should be brittle when they come out of the oven, but don’t let them get too brown or they’ll taste burnt.

At this point, they make a nice little potpourri garnish. Throw in a couple cinnamon sticks and call it a day.

But I was after the culinary profit of dust, so I crushed a handful and put them in a spice blender with a big pinch of sugar and small pinch of kosher salt.

Chef Becky had warned me that they might be bitter without cutting with a little something. This is especially true if using thicker skinned tangerines instead of thin-skinned clementines.

Several grinds later, a pretty powder: clementine dust.

It looks like ground ginger, only brighter. The taste? Intense. Like an orange to the 10th degree. Exquisite.

Four clementines yielded 1/4 cup of powder, er, dust.

I’m thinking about making some more, stashing them into little spice tins to give to friends for Christmas and Hanukkah.

Dusting scallops with this angelic powder just before searing sounds like a fabulous idea. So does mixing it into a dry rub for ribs or maybe adding a teaspoon to a vinaigrette to punch up the flavor.

What do you think about adding a teaspoon or two to a pound cake or muffin batter? Or maybe sprinkling on top of ice cream, or folding a teaspoon into whipped cream?

The possibilities are endless…and flavorful and fragrant.

Cranberry Orange Compote

chefgwen — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:55:26 +0000

My cranberry sauce doesn’t come out of a can. (although it did for a number of years).

Now it comes with a little booze (shhh!) Just a little port and a splash of the most syrupy, orangey liqueur, Grand Marnier.

And some brown sugar. (or white sugar, really, it doesn’t matter).

Bring the berries, port and sugar to a boil. (Save the Grand Marnier for later.)

While the berries are coming to a boil, chop a quarter of an orange, peel and all. Really fine.

Really, really fine.

The orange makes the compote thicken. I’ve see recipes calling for even more orange but a quarter seems to be the right balance. Well, that and the Grand Marnier.

After the compote thickens, take it off the heat and add dried cherries. Or dried cranberries. Or dried chopped figs. Or dried fill-in-the-blank fruit.

And throw in some toasted walnuts. But don’t add them until you’re ready to serve it so they stay crunchy.

You can just sprinkle them on top if you like. Or mix them in. Your call.

Serve it in a pretty bowl. Or an ugly one, if that’s what your mother-in-law gave you and she’s coming to dinner.

Cranberry Orange Compote

Makes 3 cups

1 (12-ounce) package of fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup dark brown sugar (or light brown, or white, we don’t discriminate)
1/2 cup ruby Port wine
1/4 large navel orange, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried cherries, or cranberries or other dried fruit
1 generous tablespoon Grand Marnier
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans

Stir cranberries, sugar and Port together in a heavy saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir in chopped orange, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and reduce heat to a simmer.

Simmer until cranberries burst and mixture thickens, about 12 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in dried fruit. Cool to room temperature. Stir in nuts just before serving.

Christmas Kale Chopped Salad

chefgwen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:21:29 +0000

It’s not even Thanksgiving and here I am wrapping up a Christmas present for you. It’s called Christmas because it’s red and green, and bejeweled with seasonal treats like oranges, walnuts and pomegranates.

The fact that’s it’s healthy is purely by accident, I swear. I just thought about the flavors of the season. That’s why there’s port-soaked cranberries, juicy orange bits, crunchy jicama and bright kale. OK, jicama might not be the first holiday ingredient you think of, but it’s a wonderful addition, trust me.

I wanted another crunchy element, so I toasted some walnuts, another a holiday treat — or am I the only one who got oranges and walnuts in her Christmas stocking? (Neither were as treasured as the book of LifeSavers.)

A traditional chopped salad is sometimes presented in rows of ingredients, with the dressing served on the side.

But, being the control freak that I am, I like to reign over how much dressing goes on the salad (do you really want to leave this crucial detail up to your guests? What if they don’t have a clue about how much is enough? Or they’re too polite to use as much as they should, thinking less is more?)

To avoid all that pressure, I toss it myself. And I sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds on top to make it extra holiday-ish. I love this salad. Even if it is good for me.

Christmas Kale Chopped Salad

How to describe the fresh, vibrant taste of this salad? Fantastic! The fresh ground cardamom is a pleasant, exotic surprise. I love the crunchy textures, the tart-but-sweet cranberries and pomegranate seeds. In a word? Christmasy.

Serves 6

1/2 dried cranberries
1/4 cup ruby port (or apple juice)

Dressing:

Zest from 2 medium navel oranges
Juice from those 2 oranges after the sections have been removed
1-1/2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salad:

1 bunch Tuscan kale, washed, trimmed and chopped
Orange sections left over from dressing
1 cup of 1/2-inch cubed jicama
1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

Stir the cranberries and port together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil and turn off the heat. Steep the cranberries while you make the dressing.

After zesting and removing the sections from the oranges, squeeze the juice from the pulp into a small bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, mint, agave nectar (or honey), cardamom, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Set aside while you prepare the salad.

Place the chopped kale in a large salad bowl. Cut the orange sections into bite size pieces and add to the kale. Add the jicama and walnuts. Drain the steeped cranberries and add them to the salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss. Divide salad between six salad plates. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and serve.

Tuscan Kale

chefgwen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:51:28 +0000

Tuscan… Cavolo Nero… Dinosaur… Laciniato. These all are names I’ve seen — in grocery stores, farmers markets and cookbooks — for the blackish-green, rough, wrinkly kale.

It’s easy to see why it’s called Dinosaur, since the leaves are roughly textured, but this kale defies it’s rugged appearance. It is actually quite tender. Not as tender as Swiss chard or spinach, but it is more tender than say, mustard greens. And, it doesn’t have the grassy taste of some greens.

Because it’s tender — and doesn’t taste like grass — it’s a great green to eat raw, even though you can cook with it. In the past year, I’ve seen chopped kale salads appear on several restaurant menus, including Phoenix’s Gallo Blanco, as ensalada cortada. Gallo Blanco mixes chopped kale with other shredded cabbages, Manchego cheese, avocado and crunchy corn nuts and dehydrated peas.

Like all greens, Tuscan kale should be thoroughly washed and dried. Cut the tough stems out. Roll the leaves into a long cigar shape and slice crosswise into ribbons (you might remember this is the chiffonade technique). Now your kale is ready for whatever you chose to make.

For chopped salads, cut the ribbons into smaller pieces. For adding to stews or pastas, you can just use the ribbons without further cutting.

Tuscan kale is a blank canvas. You can put any flavor spin on it you want: Mexican, Asian or Italian. Traditionally, since it is an Italian green, it’s paired with Italian flavors, like white beans, pancetta, pine nuts and balsamic vinegar.

Later this week, I’ll have a recipe for you: a Christmas Kale Chopped Salad, using some of the season’s best ingredients.

In the meantime, here are a couple of recipes for cooking with Tuscan Kale:

Mediterranean expert Paula Wolfert’s Sautéed Tuscan Kale with Garlicky White Beans

The Foodinista Blog: Tuscan Kale Chips

Got a Tuscan kale recipe, too? Leave a link in the comments.

Fresh Ground Cardamom

chefgwen — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:54:27 +0000

Two reasons why you shouldn’t buy pre-ground cardamom:

1) It’s expensive

2) It has a shelf life shorter than Bruce Willis’s singing career

Granted, it’s a pain to grind your own, but the payoff is in the taste — and the aroma.

Grind only as much as you need for your recipe. A tablespoon of pods should yield two teaspoons of ground cardamom, give or take.

I know what you’re thinking, and no, you can’t just grind the whole pod. Unless, of course, you’re the type that doesn’t peel ginger before grating either.

But really, who am I to judge? I grew up eating Frito Pie.

Toast the cardamom pods in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, if you really want to intensify the flavor.

Place the cardamom pods in a mortar (or just put them on a cutting board) and smash with a pestle to crack open the pods.

Spread the cracked pods out, so you can pick out the shells and discard. Don’t drive yourself to drinking by trying to get every last little shard of shell. This is good enough.

The seeds are rock hard, so instead of putting them back into the mortar, I put them in my spice grinder (just an old Krups coffee grinder I retired from coffee grinding and use only to grind spices now).

Whirl the seeds in the grinder for 30 seconds or so, just until you have a fine powder.

Remove the lid of the grinder and watch everyone within 20 feet swoon with ecstasy. Fresh ground cardamom is the most fragrant spice ever, and it has been known to make me weep with joy.

Please don’t skip over recipes that call for cardamom, thinking it’s too expensive. I bought a 3-1/2 ounce bag of green cardamom pods at an Indian grocery for $2.29. The pods will last for at least a year, maybe longer.

As tempting as it might be to grind a bunch at once — don’t. That defeats the purpose.

Besides, don’t you want to watch everyone fall to the floor when you lift the lid off the spice grinder? That only happens when you grind your cardamon seeds fresh from the pod.

More information about Cardamom:

cardamomspice.com

Some recipes sites that feature Cardamom:

cdkitchen

simplyrecipes

savorysweetlife

If you have a recipe that calls for cardamom, please share — just leave a link in the comments.

How to Seed a Pomegranate

chefgwen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:43:47 +0000

Pomegranates are much tougher to spell than to peel and seed.

How do you get from this gorgeous, tough skinned orb with a trumpet shaped stem to a plate of sparkling rubies that burst sweet tart juice in the most meager of drops?

First slice off a 1/4 inch from the top and bottom.

(This sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It’s not too different from supreming an orange, up to this point, which is why I wrote that post first. Or that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

Next, score the pomegranate five or six times, from the top to the bottom. I score in between the seed clusters. To score, you slice just through the skin — no further, from top to bottom.

Peel back the skin, and break the pomegranate into sections.

It’s not a bad idea to have a couple paper towels handy to wipe up the magenta juice that splatters here and there.

Drop the sections into a large bowl of cold water, and gently start massaging them between your fingers. The seeds will fall to the bottom of the bowl, while the pithy membranes float to the top.

Scoop off the floating pith. Might want to swish your hands around a few times in the seeds, just to coax a few more clinging pith skins to give it up and float to the surface.

Finally, strain the seeds in a colander. Now they’re ready to use anyway you see fit — and they will keep in the refrigerator for a week or two.

Garnish salads, desserts (lovely on bread pudding or pumpkin cheesecake) or even on guacamole.

Pomegranates are in season between late October and early February, but peak season is now.

I picked one up for $2 at a local grocery store, and saw a package of fresh peeled seeds for — gulp — $6, which is one reason why I seed them myself.

The other reason is purely nonsensical. I just like the way they feel in my hands.

How to Supreme an Orange

chefgwen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:58 +0000

Those silly Frenchmen. They come up with the fanciest names for the some of the most pedestrian techniques. A “supreme” is nothing more than a section. Here’s how you do it.

Cut off the top so that the orange flesh is visible. It might be 1/2 an inch, or slightly more if the pith is especially thick.

Now cut off the same amount from the bottom so that the orange sits flat.

Now cut from top to bottom curving the knife to the shape of the orange. Repeat all the way around until all you have left is a bright orange, fleshy ball.

Next, cut in between the white sections, placing your knife as close to the white membrane as possible, and slicing to the core. If you follow the membrane, you’ll see that you’re cutting out wedges.

And there you have it: Orange Supremes.

Why would you want orange supremes? Because they’re purdy. Oh, I guess I should say joli.

San Francisco’s Chinatown

chefgwen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:12:46 +0000

San Francisco holds a plethora of wonders for food lovers, from some of the finest restaurants to the Ferry Plaza farmers market.

A trip through Chinatown, though, is pure sensory overload. It is the largest and oldest Chinatown outside of China.

A city within a city, enter through the southern gate on the corner of Bush and Grant streets and explore a vast, colorful array of Chinese culture.

On weekends, the streets are packed with families, mostly the area’s Asian residents, but tourists stumble through, too, usually with a camera in hand and eyes wide open.

Food shops and restaurants (more than 200 of them) are tucked between trinket shops and colorful apartment buildings.

One must stop is the famous WOK SHOP, which carries a treasure trove of Asian cookware, knives, utensils and dishes. Seriously, check out their website if you have any interest in Asian cooking at all.

Narrow sidewalks become even more narrow as grocers stack up their produce, piled high in a rainbow of colors.

Few things are labeled in English, so traveling through Chinatown with a guide is helpful if you’re touring, and essential if you’re buying.

Peer through glass windows and behold visions of seafood not commonly found in your local grocery store.

Tiger shark, eels, whole prawns and various types of carp — oh, and fish heads, which make for richly flavored fish stocks, not to mention succulent cheek meat.

Some shops specialize in only meat and poultry, proudly hanging shellacked Peking ducks from hooks in the front window.

Pastry shops abound, too, and who doesn’t want a big sheet cake with Godzilla poking out of the top? (Hello, Cake Wrecks?)

Even though a guided tour can be helpful, you can explore the area (approximately 1 mile long and 1.34 miles wide) on your own.

Wear comfortable shoes, bring cash for noshing, and if you do want to take pictures, be respectful. Some shopkeepers don’t allow photographs. If they wave you off, just keep walking. You’ll find a friendlier soul a few doors down.

Joyce Jue, a cookbook author and cooking teacher offers food tours through Chinatown. Joyce was born and raised in Chinatown, so she presents a unique “native’s” point of view.

She can even tell you how to cook with taro root (above). If you’re interested in a food tour with Joyce, send her an email at joycejue at comcast dot net. Her website is joycejue.com. How do I say this without offending her? Ms. Jue is an Asian food expert, but she is not a technology expert, so you won’t find lots of information about her tours on her site.

That said, I can’t think of anyone more qualified to guide you through the wonders of Chinatown than Joyce Jue.

Post Script: Just heard from Amy Sherman of the popular Cooking With Amy blog, that Shirley Fong-Torres of Wok Wiz also offers food tours through Chinatown. I checked out the Wok Wiz website. There are two tours. The daily walking tour ($45) includes a dim sum lunch but isn’t necessarily focused only on food. The “I Can’t Believe I Ate My Way Through China Town” tour ($90) is a full three hours and food is the focus. (Thanks for the tip, Amy!)

Fresh or Canned? Pumpkin Pie

chefgwen — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:37:12 +0000

The 64-dollar question is…does pumpkin pie taste better made with fresh roasted pumpkin or canned pumpkin?

The answer is…it depends on what your definition of “tastes better” is.

We are no “America’s Test Kitchen” — who’s got time for that — but we did do a little experiment. (And when I say “we” you know I mean “me.”)

I roasted a pumpkin and made a pie. Then I made the exact same pie with canned pumpkin. Lots of spices were involved.

You should know, roasting a pumpkin takes a bit more work than opening a can. Driving to Costco to pick up one of their monster 12-inch pies might be the easiest thing of all.

(By the way, if you want the recipe for the Costco pumpkin pie, get a pen, ready? … Take 1 ton of pumpkin pie filling…)

Oh, I’m kidding about the Costco pie.

Back to the fresh vs. canned smack down.

My original hypothesis was that it doesn’t matter whether you start with fresh or canned pumpkin — because all the spices would drown out any taste differences.

And I was right…sort of. In the end, there was a difference between the two pies.

But it has less to do with taste, and more to do with texture.

The canned pumpkin pie was creamier than the pie made with fresh roasted pumpkin.

If I had to choose one, I would choose the fresh roasted pumpkin pie.

I liked the firm texture, although the canned version reminded me of all the pies from Thanksgiving pasts.

So there you have it. Fresh roasted is the way to go…unless I’m pinched for time. Then I’ll pop open a can without a smidgen of guilt.

What will it be for you? Roasted or canned…or Costco?

Spiced Pumpkin Tart

Pie or tart, it really doesn’t matter what you call it. I named it a tart because I used a tart pan, but it technically is a pie dough, rolled into a tart pan. I did add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the easy buttery pie dough recipe (adding it with the flour in step 1).

The combination of spices — including white pepper — and peppery, fresh ginger makes this a hyper-spiced pie. I love the flavor but really love the tiny bit of heat — a pie that bites back.

Makes 1 deep dish 9-inch tart

1 recipe for easy, buttery pie dough
2 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup dark brown sugar*
1-3/4 cup fresh roasted pumpkin puree OR 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon each of: ground cloves, white pepper, allspice
1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1. Heat the oven to 375° F. Roll the pie dough out large enough to fill a 9-inch deep dish pie or tart pan (about 13-14 inches). Press gently into pan. If using a pie pan, crimp edges. If using a tart pan, roll the rolling pin over the top to cut the excess dough off. Chill the dough-filled pan in the fridge.

2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until blended. Whisk in the evaporated milk and brown sugar.

3. Whisk in the pumpkin puree until blended. Whisk in the remaining ingredients: brandy (if using), fresh ginger, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, white pepper, allspice and nutmeg, until smooth.

4. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Pour the filling into the pan. Place in the oven and bake until the center of the pie barely jiggles when moved and the crust is light golden brown (the crust will shrink and the filling will rise.)

5. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Place the tart pan on a large can, and slip the ring down.

6. Slide the pie off the metal bottom onto a rimless serving platter. (This is a little tricky. I use a thin, large metal pizza spiel, but you could use any wide, thin spatula, working slowly and carefully because a) the pie is hot, and b) it will break if you’re not careful.)

7. Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour and then refrigerate until chilled.

8. Slice the pie, when chilled, into 8 or 10 pieces. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream if you like.

*If using light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar, add 1 teaspoon of molasses.

[NOTE: This pie will keep for 3 or 4 days, but I think it tastes best the 2nd day, which comes in handy, since it needs a while to chill to firm up.]

Modern Steak – Sneak Peek

chefgwen — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:45:11 +0000

Modern Steak, the 12th restaurant concept from local, iconic restaurateur Sam Fox opens for dinner next Monday, October 26. Soon after, the restaurant will also begin serving lunch.

Today, I was invited to attend one of the many “friends & family” lunches.

It certainly was a good deal for me (it was free) and good for the restaurant because they get to “practice” on friendly, sympathetic folks before opening the doors to paying customers.

The interior is decidedly feminine, with palette colors of baby blue, soft gray and violet, and a lattice white ceiling. It’s too modern to be called “frilly” but it has a strong womanly feel — which none of the men in the room seemed to mind, as far as I could tell.

Even the sparkly chandeliers have a modern, bubble twist.

The women’s bathroom takes the lady-like theme a step further, with fuchia wall paper and lots of mirrors.

The patio introduces even more shades of blue and bright orange chairs.

But the most interesting feature is the shade covering, a curved metal shield that looks like a sheet of decoratively cut paper.

Modern Steak is located at Scottsdale Fashion Square in the new Barney’s wing. And because it’s in a mall, it cleverly has a walk up window serving sliders, french fries and ice cream sandwiches.

The house bread is herbed Parmesan rolls. The texture is a cross between a soft, chewy dinner roll and focaccia, and the sour cream, butter and chive spread seems befitting a “steakhouse.”

But steak isn’t the only thing on the menu.

In fact, at lunch there are only two steaks and a couple burgers. The dinner menu has a much more extensive steak selection, and a fairly deep seafood offering as well.

The lunch maple-brined Scottish salmon ($15) is a petite portion of seared salmon served with sweet potato disks, buttery Brussels sprout leaves and a sweet, tangy barbecue glaze with bacon bits.

The Modern club sandwich ($11) is four hearty triangles of oven-roasted turkey, very smoky bacon, Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato and mashed avocado, served with garlicky fries.

I thought I was too full to order dessert until I saw the menu, and spotted the Valhrona chocolate and peanut butter pudding with peanut butter bar cookies.

And, apparently, I wasn’t too full after all.

Seriously, dangerously, lick-the-spoon delicious.

Modern Steak
7014 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale
480-423-7000