Fresh Approach Cooking

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Potato delight!

Growing up, my parents (much to their credit) didn’t have a lot of pre-made foods in the house. No frozen dinners, or packets of instant anything. And there just weren’t any unhealthy snacks. (Again, to their credit.) Maybe there would be pretzels, and once in awhile a few dozen packets of airline peanuts would show up, but that was about it. Certainly no chips...

Now, one day, when my brother and I were 9 (me) and 11 (him) we decided we really needed those potato chips…and since there were none to be found, we naturally just got it in our heads to make them ourselves.

(This is where us seeking adult supervision would have been helpful. But we were really independent children, and not exactly prone to telling anyone what we were up to most of the time. Or, ever really.)

If I recall correctly, without consulting any one or any books, we surmised that chips are made by dropping thin slices of potato in to hot oil. Super easy! So, we got out a large pot, a giant jug of olive oil, some knives, some tongs and paper towels. We set the pot on the stove, filled it with oil (I’d say just around a gallon) and sat to wait for it to boil.

Yes. We sat waiting for the oil, to boil.

Now some of you may not realize what is wrong with that statement, so please let me clarify. Oil, does not actually boil. I mean it gets good and hot, yes, but it does not visually indicate it is hot with bubbles breaking the surface. No, really hot oil just starts smoking. At first. Then it bursts in to a huge flash fire.

Good times, good times. And by that I mean, near fiasco. (And alas, this is not even the first or last story of us nearly burning the house down. Oops!)

I do know we somehow got the fire out, (we are nothing if not level-headed people) poured the screaming hot oil off of the balcony (Believe it or not, this was the action that got us in the most trouble. The stain from the oil never came out of the pavement below. ) and fanned the extremely thick black smoke out of the kitchen as best we could. When my parents found us we were sitting nonchalantly on the couch watching cartoons and eating apples.

The lesson there kids, is that oil doesn’t boil…and when we are adults and armed with a little know how, chips actually are easy to make at home.

I still don’t have pre-made food in my house though…so recently, much like that day…when I wanted something fried and salty, I did what I have always done. Made them myself. And they were good. And the house is still standing. A triumph indeed.

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

3 large fingerling potatoes
2 cups canola oil
Salt
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves garlic, rough chop
1 quart buttermilk

Peel all of the potatoes. Slice one in to thin rounds, and the other 2 just into a rough chop. Soak the slices in cold water while you prepare the soup.

In a medium soup pot, sauté the potato pieces, onion and garlic until soft. Add buttermilk and salt and reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Remove from the heat and puree in batches. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Taste and add salt and white pepper as needed.

In a medium pot, pour oil to a depth of ½ inch. Heat until a thermometer reads 310F. Remove sliced potatoes from cold water and pat dry. Fry until golden, remove, sprinkle with salt and let cool.

Use the chips as a garnish on the soup.

Serves four.

I used Weiser Family Farms potatoes and sweet onions, that I got at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. The buttermilk was left over from making butter. Yes, I'm that big a geek.

© 2009 Fresh Approach Cooking
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Labels: Luncheon, Soup, Vegetarian

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For you, my peaches, we have a photo and recipe for a summery sorrel soup that has always been much maligned due to it’s fantastically unsavory color.

(So sad!)

It is a dish with a color that exists somewhere between not-so-plucky army green and decidedly cringe-worthy, cement grey.

Something one associates with World War 2 era British school dinners and/or prison food. (Or, as Sam called it, "Sludge taken from Shrek's swamp.") So…in other words…it lacks a certain visual appeal.

But that color, what-ever-it-is, is a deceptive little shade of…um…not-so-pretty, because the soup itself is really extra terrific. It packs a bit of pow in that drab dress coat. It is bright and sour and creamy and cold and unexpectedly divine.

And not only is it a wee bit hard on the eyes, and oh so very easy on the palate, but it is also a very humble Russian peasant soup (when called schav) and at the same time, a very upscale French delicacy known as soupe a l’oseille. Go figure. One soup, two ends of the culinary spectrum.

But names and looks aside, it really is one of the best things you can eat on a hot day. Simple to make, and simple to eat. You will thank me for this recipe and I promise, after the first sip, you will have a whole new opinion of that old maxim that we eat with our eyes.

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

2 T olive oil
3 pounds sorrel leaves (I used a mix of French sorrel and red sorrel from my garden)
2 quarts water
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
1 T lemon juice
3 eggs , beaten
1 cucumber, sliced (for garnish)
Dill sprigs (also for garnish)

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot, over medium heat. Add the potato and cook (stirring often) 5 minutes. Add sorrel and water and bring to a boil. Let cook about 30 minutes.

Whisk together three egg yolks, temper with the hot soup, and whisk it all into soup. Return to the stove and cook for 3 more minutes. (Do not boil, or the eggs will scramble.)

Working in batches, carefully puree the soup in a blender.

Taste, adjust seasoning and add lemon juice as needed. Chill. Garnish with cucumber slices and dill sprigs and serve.

(Some people like this with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, too.)

© 2009 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2009 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com If you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

Story and recipe for schav from The Jew and the Carrot

What is it about the Tamra Davis Cooking Show that has me coming back for more?

The common sorrel, or spinach dock, is a perennial herb, which grows abundantly in meadows in most parts of Europe and is cultivated as a leaf vegetable. Because of the mildly acidic taste, it quenches thirst, and may be helpful in boosting the appetite. Wiki

Labels: Appetizer, Gluten Free, Luncheon, Soup, Vegetarian

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When the phone rang at 8pm (well, did it’s little tune/jingle thing. Can you program a phone to actually just, ring anymore?) I glanced down at the number so artfully displayed and did a double take.

Knowing there is an eight-hour time difference I had to wonder, who on earth was calling me from England at that hour?

I figured it must be a drunk dial, let it go to voicemail and forgot about it. Drunk dialers are only fun for about a second after all.

What a bummer mistake.

It was a British friend and they were calling with a bit of a rambling message, but alas, she was in Los Angeles on a layover to Hawaii and had been trying to reach me all day.

Sigh.

She had called in the morning asking if I wanted to meet for a pumpkin scone.

At noon, she called to see if I wanted to meet for pumpkin curry.

At three, for a pumpkin latte, and at dinner time for a slice of…you guessed it…pumpkin pie.

Turns out the radiant lass loves her some pumpkin and apparently had spent her entire 9 hour layover alone except for one very happy cab driver, hunting it down all over this fair city and consuming with abandon.

Had I only picked up that call. I could have invited her over for a feast.

Happily, she will be in town again on her return and I will be able to offer her this delight.

I emailed and confirmed.

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.


1/2 shallot, minced
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
1 small Kabocha squash
2 large Asian Pears
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 small heads frisee, rinsed and torn
1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

Preheat grill to medium.

Whisk shallots, rice vinegar and Dijon mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with curry powder (if using) and salt and pepper.

Slice the squash in half. Remove seeds and slice in to 1/4 inch thick slices.

Core and slice the pear into ½ inch slices also.

Toss the squash and pears together with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper.

Grill or pan sear the squash slices until just cooked through about 6 minutes. Set aside and repeat with the pears, which will take one or two minutes.

Toss the frisee and walnuts in the dressing and serve with the squash and pears.

(The vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper were not local. Everything else was.)


© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.comIf you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

Frisée - French, from feminine past participle of friser, to curl. The pale, yellow salad green is a member of the chicory family.

In the last few years plantings of Asian pears were made in New Zealand, Australia, Chile, France, and the eastern and southeastern United States. Since 1984 about 500 acres of Asian pears have been planted every year in California. - Perdue.edu

LONDON, England (AP) -- The British pint has become the latest victim of the global credit crunch, with total beer sales dropping around 7 percent in the third quarter of this year. The British Beer and Pub Association said that 161 million fewer pints were sold between July and September compared with the same period last year -- a fall of 1.8 million pints a day.

Labels: Gluten Free, Luncheon, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Last weekend took a bite out of me.

It all started innocently enough.

An invitation to a birthday party, a few beers, (my commitment to eating local ends at beverages you must understand) a couple of shots of who-knows-what, a scandalously short skirt and one reckless piggy-back ride, all conspired to land the Ombudsman in the hospital getting stitches at 3 am.

Poor, sweet man. Bled like a stuck pig he did. (Sorry, icky, right?) And after the doctor had his way, he looked remarkably like Frankenstein’s Monster. (With a nicer smile.)

Bless his heart. And his noggin.

Oh. Sweet love. (Thank GOODNESS he never reads this. I swear he would kill me for gettin all gushy. But I’m a girl. And a friend. So there you go.) Needless to say, my guilt is paramount and my heart is heavy and the poor boy is a bit shamed and ego-battered (but enviously well insured! The pay as a city worker may be sputtery but heavens does that insurance rock!) well...all that called for soup.

But what kind at this crux of the seasons?

Looking around the farmers market the next day, I found myself in a bit of a conundrum. There were tomatoes and pumpkins. Corn and persimmons. Basil and beets. End of summer, beginning o fall. Which to choose? The last of the warm summer harvest or the new and exciting autumn delights?

I opted for both by making a nourishing tomato soup to offer a bruised and battered man. Summery tomatoes in a warm bowl. The orange and fennel and tomato melding in to a perfect meal.

Fresh and spry, simple and delicious. Very quick (quicker than most of my recipes!) Perfect for what ails you or just the right thing for a lovely luncheon…So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

(As you can see from the photo I did not include the croutons. I mean, I did, but we ate them before the shot was taken...)

1 small baguette, sliced on the bias (yeilding 12 slices. save the rest for something else)
olive oil
1/4 stick butter
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 small fennel bulb, coarse chop
1 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon orange zest
4 small tomatoes, cored and rough chopped
1 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree
3 cups vegetable broth
Optional garnish (lower calorie if you skip it)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 more teaspoons orange zest

Preheat oven to 350F.

Brush olive oil on both sides of the bread. Season with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until crisp, to make croutons.

In a food processor, chop the onion, fennel, carrot and garlic.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and next 5 ingredients. Cover and simmer vegetables 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk cream, rosemary and 1 teaspoon orange zest in bowl until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir remaining 1 teaspoon orange zest into soup. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle cream mixture over and serve with a few croutons.

(For those of you following my eat-local-ism...the bread was local artisan made, but obviously not with local ingredients. Everything else came from the Hollywood Farmers market or my own garden.)

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com

A 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans contains about 1 1/2 cups beans, after draining and rinsing. One cup dried beans yields about 3 cups cooked beans.

Order your Montery Bay Aquarium Sushi Pocket Guide now! So "you’ll be able to make seafood choices that please the palate and protect the world’s ocean wildlife."

Restaurants in Los Angeles that I have a hard time Googling: Eat. Local. 8 oz. Food. 15. Milk. (Couldn't find links for some. Because their names are dumb! You try searching for "Food restaurant in West LA" or "Local restaurant on Sunset blvd.") Any to add?

Labels: Low-Carb, Luncheon, Soup, Vegetarian

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While reading the book The United States of Arugula (Lovely book, but my, what a cheese-ball title) by David Kamp, a brief passage stuck with me enough so that I am about to look it up and share with you. Yes, my dears...for you.

Ah. Here it is.

I am copying from page 154 of the soft-cover edition, where Mr. Kamp is speaking about the ever-so (devilishly) outspoken Jeremiah Tower (who I just can't help but adore.) and his tenure at the acclaimed (and indisputably influential) Berkeley, California restaurant, Chez Panisse, in the early 1970’s. The italics are Mr. Kamps.

What was most extraordinary about their partnership, Bishop says, is that Tower wrote out these elaborate, themed menus, a different one for each night of the week, and sent them off to Goines to be rendered in calligraphy, printed up, and posted for public viewing a few days before they’d be served…without ever having cooked any of the dishes described.

*Gasp!*

The scandal!

Oh. Wait. Really?

Who doesn’t do that?

I certainly do. Every darned time. Conceptualize first. Cook later. It seems only natural. Is that not natural?

And if not, I guess I am just doing things the JT way, because I never have a recipe first. Or, mostly never.

I just think of best and most intriguing ingredients, string their names together into a pretty title and start cooking. Seems like the right way to go.

Makes cooking that much more of an adventure I say. And lends itself more to my very own artistic expression...

This tartlette, for instance, was conceived as such:





Right there you have whole recipe so far as I can tell. Hardly needs much explanation. I would argue that anyone with a basic knowledge of cooking could take that title, and the ingredients and pretty much come up with a sensational recipe. Perhaps it would be a free-form tart. Or maybe the tart would rest on a bed of the greens. Maybe the pickled onions would appear minced up in the dressing. The possibilities are endless and endlessly delightful. It's what I love about cooking. The interpretivnessocity of it all.

But not everyone has a basic knowledge of cooking now do they. And some people just happen to like a good old fashioned recipe. Nothing wrong there! So for them (and you!) I present my interpretation (read: recipe) of that string of pretty words. Its a good launching point and hopefully one that will inspire.

The Rocket and Torpedoes business is just me thinking I'm a cut above sassy, when it really just means arugula (called Rocket in the UK) and Torpedo onions, which are elongated red onions. You can use whatever you have on hand. I also incorporated Indonesian Long Pepper which was grated on a microplane. Chic and warm, it’s a nice variation from regular black pepper. All together this makes for a sensational starter or light luncheon.

So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

Your favorite whole-wheat tart dough recipe – enough for two large tarts
12 large tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
½ cup pickled torpedo/red onions
Parmesan cheese
2 cups arugula (Rocket) greens
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 scant teaspoon lemon juice
6 each, organic Indonesian long pepper, grated as needed
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
Pepper as needed

For individual tarts you will need six individual removable bottom fluted tart pans. Otherwise, just make one large tart.

Core your tomatoes and slice lengthwise. Coat the skin lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Place cut side down on a sheet pan and roast at 500F until the skin blisters – about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Make your crust and blind bake. When slightly browned, remove from the oven and immediately grate some Parmesan cheese into each shell. Let cool then top with tomatoes.

For your vinaigrette. Whisk together the mustard, long pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Toss the greens with a scant amount of the dressing.

Top each tartlette with the greens, some of the pickled onion and another light grating of Parmesan and long pepper.

Serves six



© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com/

Coffee is one of the world's most chemically treated food commodities. DDT, malathion, BHT, and petroleum-based chemical fertilizers are commonly used in it's production. - Los Angeles Magazine

Japanese Black Trifele are ttractive tomatoes that are the shape and size of a Bartlett pear with a beautiful purplish-brick color; the fruit are perfect and smooth with no cracks. The flavor is absolutely sublime, having all the richness of fine chocolate. -Baker Creek Seeds

Labels: Luncheon, Salad, Side-Dish, Vegetarian

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Oh hai! I'm Rachael. I write this blog that I call Fresh Approach (because I'm fresh n' cheeky of course!) and I have been at it for four years.

The Ombudsman (who wants me to call him Sparkplug from now on. I mean, really. Sparkplug? Ha ha ha. Not gonna happen.) is my good friend. (The kind who takes me to the Dodger game even though it is the hottest day of the year, or the kind who helps me dig in the garden even though I am so obsessed with getting the soil perfect that I actually may never plant anything.) He is that for lots n' lots of reasons, but that he is endlessly tolerant of my antics and indulgent of my whims makes him one of my all time favorite people. (Tied with my mother who is the true saint in that category.)

Do you ever test your friends tolerance? Like say, when you wake up super-duper early and you are in a kinda sorta bouncy mood (is that just me?). So you put on your pink hat, fill up your pink water bottle, slip in to your pink clogs and hop on your fantastical pink beach cruiser. Then, you show up on your friends doorstep. And despite the fact it is 7 am on a Saturday, he opens the (three locks, security gate and) door with a smile.

That my readers, is a friend.

But I didn't show up empty handed! No, no, I did not. I showed up with this fantasmagorical calorie laden delight. It is rich and nutty and kind of tangy (the artichokes do that), it is dense and cheesy (but not too cheesy). It had just been so good the night before (with pecan crusted fish and garlic-green beans. So awesome.) I had to share (and be earth friendly by riding my bike too.) asap. So, I showed up at first light to share. Because I am a sharing, caring kind of girl.

And in that spirit, I am here to share with you too. Because really my darlings, is that not the point of this site? It's not to ramble on in pithy couplets about my life, or promote anything...it's simply my way of sharing the tasty treats.

So try this my peaches, (with the best ingredients you can get your hands on) and taste the joy.


1 cup marinated artichoke heart quarters, drained
1 cup cooked brown rice, chilled
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper


Preheat your oven to 350F.

Whisk together the eggs, milk and mustard. Add salt stir again. Stir in the artichoke hearts, rice and cheeses.

Pour into a well-buttered eight-inch square baking dish.

Sprinkle the top with paprika, and additional salt and pepper.

Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered. When done, cut in to squares.

Serves nine, hot, warm or cold.


© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.

Please help support disaster relief in Myanmar (Burma)

California's wild rice industry began in 1972 when white rice farmer Vince Vanderford decided to plant Minnesota wild rice seeds at his Yuba City farm in Northern California. Commercial production of California wild rice began around 1977.

The amount of food Britons throw away unnecessarily is at record levels, costing the economy 10 billion pounds a year. More than half of the 6.7 million tons of food that households throw away annually is still edible, the study from the Waste and Resources Action Programme revealed. About one billion pounds worth of wasted food is still "in date", the report concluded, while about 6 billion pounds of food was bought but left untouched. An average household discards about 420 pounds worth of unused food a year, the study said, while for families with more children that rises to over 600 pounds. - Reuters

Labels: Gluten Free, Luncheon, Side-Dish, Vegetarian

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I tell you kids, there are stars dancing in my hazel-colored eyes.

On Saturday night, after a delish dinner of fish tacos (natch), The Ombudsman and I moseyed on up to the spectacularly awesome Griffith Observatory to check out the rings of Saturn and craters of the moon at their monthly star-gazing lawn party.

What can I say…it was celestial. The evening was balmy, the city lights were a-twinkle (oh yea. A-twinkling.) and the mood was just right.

Makes a girl want her own telescope, (and a space walk!) I tells ya…but I would probably use mine to spy on the neighbors as often as I would spy on the heavens.

(Oh admit it, so would you.)

Actually, I think I’d like it to zoom in through a restaurant window and just take a little look-see at what people are eating. How fun would that be?

The first place I would zoom in on (with my magic telescope) would fer sher be the Zuni Café up there in San Francisco. (What? It’s an imaginary magical telescope! I can look anyplace I want!)

They are legendary and just a tiny peek at their world-famous roast chicken would be worth the effort (of calibrating my magic telescope to do such a thing.)

I think I would also have to patiently wait, watching every order to check out how they plate this salad. Since it is also from their cookbook (renowned, beloved and beyond delightful) and I am curious what their version would look like.

Mine was a riot of colors. Reds and greens, creamy white and burnished gold. Come to think of it, much like the rings of Saturn itself. The only difference between my version and theirs is that their recipe (I found) was a bit fussy, so I’ve paired it down a scoatch.

The main thing here is that cherries are oh-so-very not in season here in North America land, so unless you have some frozen and are in a defrosting kinda mood (which I actually was. These beauties were picked in Washington last summer, expressly for me. Awww…) I would suggest giving this another month or so before trying (cruel, aren’t I!)

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.


1 cup whole cherries (with the pits)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 ounce Kirsh
2 Tablespoons Raspberry balsamic vinegar
8 ounces mixed greens (I used something called California mix from Bristol Farms, I quite liked it, since there were lots of fuschia colored greens tossed in)
6 ounces Saint-Marcellin cheese,
8 slices toasted baguette (crostini)
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Rub the cherries with a few drops of olive oil, season with kirsch and a pinch of salt.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add a few drops of the kirsch, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Slice the cheese into six equal portions.

Place each portion of the cheese on top of a crostini on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the cherries on another sheet pan. Roast until the fruit is near bursting and the cheese is beginning to slouch, about 6 minutes,watching the cheese carefully.

Dress the lettuces and hazelnuts very lightly in the vinaigrette and arrange on six plates, leaving the nuts behind for the moment. Garnish with the warm cherries and their juice and nest the warm cheese crostini next to each salad. Sprinkle hazelnuts over the top of the salads. Season with salt and pepper and serve with additional slices of toasted peasant-style bread.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. This means you choice cooking recipes. Stop stealing my content.

Kirsch, also known as Kirschwasser, is a fiery clear cherry brandy made of black cherries and their pits.

Zuni Cafe is located at1658 Market St.(bet. Franklin & Gough Sts.) in San Francisco, CA.

Broadway in New York City shifts west at East 10th Street because a cherry tree once stood there.

Labels: Luncheon, Salad, Vegetarian

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That poor, sweet darling of a man, The Ombudsman, has had a very up and down two weeks.

The boy got himself a bit sick, then moved on to much sicker, then was in agony, and then went to a meeting in at his office (his office that is an excellent example of stylish 1960's post modern architecture, I must add) and then passed out and then drove himself home and then the next day decided maybe it was time to go to the emergency room.

Aww. Poor puddin'. Broke my heart. He was trying to be so brave...(and yet he makes a good argument for "so smart, yet so dumb," don't you think?)

And then, while still a bit ill, he surprised me with two very much lauded and supremely desired tickets to see the extremely awesome spectacle that is Grizzly Bear play on a bill with our very own Los Angeles Philharmonic. (Harmonic indeed.)

The man is a peach I tell you, a peach.

I was a bit worried for him as we set out, (what with the temporary deafness, insane cough and heavy dosage of assorted prescriptions) but he assured me all was well, and he was excited to be out and about after all that he had gone through.

Well, he made it through and I am happy to say the concert was beyond awesome, and bless his heart, he is fine now, (phew). But I was compelled (and pleased) to make him his favorite, elaborate salad/finger food the next day, as thanks for a perfect, lovley evening which he really, really shouldn't have done. But I'm glad he did.

And now you dolls, I am sharing with you.

Try it and taste the joy.


1 large head romaine lettuce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
½ cup fresh Thai basil
1 fresh lemongrass stalk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 rice paper rounds
2 mini red bell peppers, sliced into rounds

In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, vinegar and lime juice together to dissolve the sugar.

Peel off the hard outer layer of the lemon grass and mince the soft core.
Reserve 8-12 leaves of the basil and mince the rest. Add the lemon grass, basil and mayo to the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Cut the lettuce leaves into 3 inch strips and divide into four portions.

Quickly dip one rice paper wrapper in warm water until softened. It will feel rubbery.
Then, cut it in half.

Lay out a half round on the work surface, with the straight edge away from you. Arrange one of the portions of romaine and a few basil leaves in a little pile about 3 inches from the right edge of the paper, letting the tips of the leaves extend over the straight edge. Fold the bottom up over the greens, then fold the right side up over the greens and roll the lettuce up in the wrapper. Continue with the remaining rice paper and romaine.

Drizzle the dressing on a plate and top with two salad rolls, garnish with pepper rounds and serve.

Serves four as a first course.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.

Well, I'm pouty! We drove by last night only to find out The Coronet Pub closed down. Darn it!

Basil is sacred to both the Sub-Asian deities, Krishna and Vishnu. You can buy Sacred Holy Krishna Basil seeds here.

This recipe is an extremely altered version of the Romaine on Romaine recipe in Michel Richard's stunning and brilliant book, Happy in the Kitchen. Make sure to check it out sometime!

Labels: Gluten Free, Luncheon, Salad, Vegetarian

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My, my isn't life a joyful experience!

Every day brings new and exciting things. And, according to the voices on NPR, today is going to be "downright hot." Was it a weather report or just a view into the immediate future?

Either which way, it made me giggle hearing them say that. Downright hot indeed. But was it prophetic?

Let's hope!

Me, I'm headed to the museum, then going for a swim, getting a mani/pedi (because the sun is finally out, and therefore, this girl needs to be primed and ready!) and meeting my girls for a sunset appertif. (In case you were interested in my itinerary for the day...)

But first, I am conjuring this exquisite tapas recipe for you, my darling peaches. So you, too, can have a "downright hot" day.

It's a festive dish, but certainly does need a bit of your time. That said, once it's made, it tastes just as spectacular at room temperature, and will last (if you don't eat it all at once) for at least three days.

The Spanish would serve this with a bit of mayo as a condiment. I'll leave that up to you...

Now try it my darlings, and taste the joy!

3 large baking potatoes
2 roasted red peppers, diced
1 cup parsley, minced
½ lb Spanish (not Mexican) hot chorizo sausage
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
6 large eggs
Mayonnaise for serving

Preheat your oven to 350F

Peel the potatoes and slice into medium-thin rounds.

In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, saute the potatoes a single layer, in a small amount of olive oil. As they just start to brown, carefully layer in the peppers, parsley and sausage.

Whisk together the paprika and eggs in a bowl while the potatoes cook.

Reduce the heat to low, then pour the eggs over the potatoes. Cover and cook for three minutes. Uncover and transfer to the oven. Cook until set, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let cool, and serve with mayo or plain.

Makes 8-10 servings.

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This goes perfectly with Salt Cod Stuffed Peppers

Americans are downing close to 200 pounds of meat, poultry and fish per capita per year (dairy and eggs are separate, and hardly insignificant), an increase of 50 pounds per person from 50 years ago. - NY Times

Want another version of this dish? Check out Serious Eats' adaptation.

Labels: Luncheon, Tapas

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There is much about our dear boy the Ombudsman that puts me to shame.

For instance, there is his unwavering commitment to civic life, his energy efficient car, and of course, the fact he doesn't own a television.

Okay, that last bit just confuses me really. But only because he will comment on current shows, or funny commercials, all without having a set to call his own...

But recently, like a primitive life form emerging from the primordial mists of bass-ackwards...it hit me how he pulls of this parlor trick...he watches programs on his laptop.
And in the same brilliant flash, I registered that so could I.

And that my friends...is...pathetically...where I have been.

No, not watching reruns of Mr. Bean (that honor goes to the boy...) no, I just spent approx. 44 hours of my life over the last few days watching shows I never knew existed. Eyes like saucers in the dark...mindlessly absorbing videos for songs I had almost forgotten existed, reveling in the beauty of Mr. Belvedere, circa 1987. (I have terrible taste in tv, what can I say...) Feasting on all sorts of wonderments produced by our friends at the BBC. And catching up on Heroes. Episode after episode of Heroes.

I'm a changed woman I tell you. Changed.

And while my mind was going grey...alas...so did the vast majority of the contents of my fridge.

But I am a resourceful gal. Oh yes, indeedeeeeeeee. I am. I pushed aside the jars of mustard, and that bag of green slime, that may or may not have started out as basil, and I made me a meal. An astonishing meal.

A meal for the ages.

All that and I was able to use some fresh tarragon. My herb-du-jour, and the only green thing still discernible in the crisper drawer.

It was Waldorf Salad, and lo, it was a delight. Easy-breezy to make, and all the ingredients were on hand.

What more could a telly-addict ask for...


1 cup red grapes, halved
2 stalks celery, large dice
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

Combine the mayo, tarragon and lemon juice. Add salt and sugar as needed.

Toss the rest of the ingredients in a bowl along with the mayo dressing. Taste, adjust seasonings as needed, and serve.

Serves two
____________________________________

Created at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 1896 by maître d'hôtel, Oscar Tschirky, the Waldorf salad was an instant success. The original version of this salad contained only apples, celery and mayonnaise. Chopped walnuts later became an integral part of the dish.

"You're the top, you're a Waldorf salad". - Anything Goes/Cole Porter

Labels: Gluten Free, Luncheon, Salad, Vegetarian

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My day started out so nice. And now that I have eaten, I am in a lovely mood once again.

But an hour ago? Ooh baby...I was steaming.

Here is the scoop...

Earlier in July, I went to get a car wash. A pretty standard event I think. Only trouble was, that a few days later I noticed the headlight windshield wiper thingy had broken off, and my guess was the car wash was to blame.

It was so sad, I got a bit pouty. It made my car look all lopsided. Like an eyebrow was missing.

Then today, I went to get it cleaned once again, since its been so dusty and whatall, not thinking another disaster would strike.

I was all clever too, and chose a "touchless" wash. So what do you think happened now? A part of my car FLEW off. I don't even really know how to explain my shock.

It was so bizarre! A huge strip of car came at the poor guys head at warp speed. Nearly severed his arm.

Terrifying!

I was so flustered, I hopped in the still wet car and went right to my dealership to beg their assistance in righting this wrong.

Why to the dealership you ask? Why not just to a regular mechanic? Why drive from one end of town to another just to have a bit glued backo on and a wiper replaced?

Why? Because, I swear, the people who sell my brand of car have bullied every independent auto mechanic in the greater Los Angeles area into insisting that owners can ONLY get work done by that dealer. No one else in this town will touch my car. Its a conspiracy I tell ya! A conspiracy.

And when you get there? They are so suave. And kind. And helpful. (Except its all a facade.) Makes me - almost - feel bad that I normally think they are criminals with an agenda...

Then they dropped the info I was hoping not to hear... it would be six hours before they could fix it. Four hours before they could glue the bit back on! They offered me a ride home, and then a ride back when it was done.

I had no choice. I was at their mercy. The bandits.

After the total freak out over the pending cost of this debacle, I took them up on their offer and was ushered right on home. My head swimming, my blood sugar low. I thought I needed to lay down from the trauma, but on further reflection, I realized I just needed to eat.

Trapped a few miles from the nearest market, I made lunch with what was on hand.

Not bad really, not bad at all. Actually insanely tasty! And I got to use my favorite Mexican cheese, Cotija. The best.

A perfect, complete meal, ready in a snap.

Unlike my car...

Try it, and enjoy!



4 large poblano chiles (mild)
1 cup whitea rice, cooked in salted chicken broth
Vegetable oil
1/2 cup chorizo
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup black beans1 medium tomato, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 jalapeno chile, minced
2 T. tequila
1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled


Preheat your oven to 350F.

Slice a portion of the chile off, to create an opening you can stuff (see picture). Remove any ribs and seeds and lightly oil the exterior. Place each chile on a separate piece of aluminum foil that will be large enough to wrap around it.

Saute the chorizo, garlic, beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, chile and tequila rice together in a large pan over medium heat until the veg are soft. Drain if needed (Chorizo is quite fatty) and add the rice to heat through.

Carefully spoon the rice/chorizo into the peppers. Wrap tightly and place on a baking sheet or in an oven proof casserole. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, carefully unwrap, top with cheese and serve with salsa fresca.

Makes four servings.

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Native foods that are eaten around the world, but originated in the Americas include: Tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, chile peppers and corn, among many others. From Australia? Macadamia nuts.

"This donut has purple in the middle, purple is a fruit." - Homer J. Simpson

Fears of a supermarket strike this summer in Southern and Central California evaporated Tuesday when the region's largest grocery chains and the union representing 65,000 store employees reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract - LA Times.com

Labels: Entree, Luncheon, Pork

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Australia is just the best.

Not that I've ever been there (I have an aversion to flights that long. Anything that lasts more than 12 hours - and I am out.) but they have such a cool vibe, and a good thing going. Sun, surf, food.

They are so rockin' a country/continent in fact, that they had a party just to introduce some of their fancy-foodstuffs to our shores and wadda ya know...I was invited.

G'Day indeed!

We ate lamb, (natch) and kiwi jam. We had fois gras (take THAT Chicago.) and lots of other things that I forget because of the copious amounts of wine. Lovely Down Under wine.

And as part of their brilliant marketing strategy, these culinary goodwill ambassadors gave out goody-bags. So we could continue the gluttony in the privacy of our own homes. (It's as if they some how knew their product would end up getting reviewed on line...)

Oh yea baby.

Good-ies!

My favorite item, by far, was this adorable can of tuna. G'Day Gourmet (TM) Tuna.

I know what you are thinking, I do...can of tuna? What gives?

But seriously kids, this is more than just a can-o-tuna. Its sustainable, low/no mercury, TASTY tuna. Seasoned tuna. Mild Indian Curry seasoned tuna. Lip smackin' goodness right out of a can.

This stuff is my idea of pre-made food heaven. It is just what I look for in a quick-bite-delight. Really flavorful and earth friendly.

Can I get a "hallelujah!"

(The packaging is way cute too...seriously adorable.)

And I didn't just slap this stuff between two slices of bread and call it luncheon...no I did NOT! I made it into Empanadas (omg, SO perfect with that recipe) and into this tuna salad extraordinaire.

This light, wiz-bang-pow flavor packed, nutrient dense, high protein, low-carb (ack, sorry, had to say it) wonderment. It may seem like a funky combo, but the sweetness of the pickles, and the crunch of the water chestnuts perfectly match the richness of the fish and the fire of the (0optional) chile.

So good.

SO good.

So if you find some of this on your grocers shelves (Whole Foods has it.) this is the perfect way to indulge in its savory sinfulness (actually, not sinful at all, I was just going for alliteration.) and if you don't have access to it...well, for one, ask your grocer to add it, or try adding some curry powder to your regular tuna. Not as good, but still a plan.

Okay, and now the recipe! Enjoy!


3 cans G'Day Gourmet Mild Curry Tuna
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup peas
1 small Thai chile, minced (optional)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, diced and cooked
Some parsley, minced
1 heaping teaspoon sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup water chestnuts, slivered

Combine all, season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit to meld, about 15 minutes.

Makes enough for four servings. Can be reduced or increased as you like.

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62-year-old Jennifer Brown was thrilled to be awarded second place for her Victoria Sponge in a baking contest at her her village carnival in Wimblington, Cambs England... and she was intrigued to find out which cake had beaten her tasty treat to the top spot. Then judges revealed her cake had been the ONLY entry. Organisers had spotted her sponge had rack mark indentations from where it had been in the oven - and decided it just wasn't up to the high standards demanded of coveted top place. "I must admit I have never heard of coming second in a one horse race before. "But I haven't taken it personally - I had a good laugh about it." - The Mirror, UK

The term curry was invented by the English, East Indian Trading Co.

G'day Gourmet offers seasoned tuna and salmon. Other choices include:Chili, Lemon Pepper, Mild Indian Curry, Tomato Basil, Tomato Onion, and Tomato Salsa. I tried them all, and loved them all.

Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Luncheon, Salad, Seafood

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I was down in San Diego recently, trying my level best to zen out.

Why? It is just a nice place to focus on emptying ones mind. (Well, if you don't have a place in Palm Springs that is. But if you do have a place in Palm Springs, well, Hi! My name is Rachael and I want to be your new best friend.)

I was there for a few days to relax, enjoy and focus on finding my own personal Bodhi tree, as it were. But try as I might to focus on getting my mind to release, what I just kept finding myself wondering was if the real key to happiness is being a former member of (late 90's boy band) N'Sync.

I mean, of the two former members of said band that I can actually name/think of/picture, they both seem to be living quite large (in the parlance of our times) these days, right? Right. And the one that I somehow ended up having dinner with, well, bless his heart, he seems like a real swell kid, and living large only begins to describe this young gentlemans liifestyle.

We were a large group, and I certainly was the only person there who was a friend of a friend of a friend of the bartenders next door neighbors best friends hairdresser, but none the less, there I was, basking in the oddly B-list glory of it all. (And yes, I am throwing out this story because I jokingly mentioned another "celebrity" in my last post. Just keeping up with the theme you see. The theme.)

But the best part of meeting a boy who I really had no clue about, (minus distracting me from my Buddhist-ish mission) was hearing some strange tales of his fan encounters. Stories involving things like ladies undergarments, large stuffed animals and food. Lots and lots of food. Eating it, being given it, shopping for it, and most importantly (to this rambling post), having it thrown at you.

Now, I am not one to take another persons story and make it my own (and let's face it, I could hardly pass off a 26 year old boys encounter with a tweenaged girl in a supermarket somewhere in central Florida as my own, try as I might) but I will say that should you ever find yourself face to face with your teenaged dream boy, lobbing produce at him is not the way to go. Nope. Under no circumstances should you find a root veg and toss it his way.

On the other hand, you can invite him over for luncheon and offer up said root veg in a delicious and media-body-conscious medley such as this. It will knock his socks off. Much as the beets in his story did...but that is for him to tell some other time.

For now, try this and enjoy!

2 avocados, sliced thin
2 large tuna steaks, diced
2 large beets, roasted, cooled and diced
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, minced fine
2 Tablespoons highest quality olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 anchovy, mashed (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine the onion, olive oil, vinegar, mustard and anchovy. Season to taste. Divide into two bowls. In the first bowl, toss in the beets and let marinate while you compose the dish. In the second bowl, do the same with the tuna and cucumbers.

Lay down a layer of the avocado on four chilled salad plates. Top with some of the tuna and then the beets. The beets are going to stain everything red, so don't stir them around too much. Drizzle with any remaining dressing, season with pepper and serve.

Serves four.

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Buttery Goodness Now America's Top Domestic Product. New data from the U.S. Commerce Department show that rich, buttery goodness beat out automobiles, timber, and crispety-crunchitiness as the country's most valuable commodity in fiscal year 2006. "Soaring demand among consumers for the melt- in-your-mouth sensation of buttery goodness, combined with increasing production efficiency, meant that more then 32 million tons were manufactured and consumed last year," said Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who noted that sales of chewy, double-stuffed deliciousness stagnated in this same period due to inflation and regional shortages of cream filling. Domestic orders for farm machinery, icy-cool mint, and computer components also fell last year. - The Onion.com

N'Sync did a commercial for McDonalds in 1999.

And yes, name dropping is tacky, bad form, and all that. But in this case, I plead guilty for the sake of comedy. Thank you.

Labels: Gluten Free, Luncheon, Salad, Seafood

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Labels: Entree, Low-Carb, Luncheon, Pasta, Vegan

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Do you ever want to run away from home?

I guess that is another way of saying...go on vacation.

So my question really is, do you ever want to go on vacation? (My, what a silly question! I liked it better the other way!)

I know I feel that way sometimes.

Happily, my daily life is like a vacation, minus room service, so I don't have too much to complain about.

Then again, I do long to escape here and again.

And my solution?

Make something to eat that I would only eat on a tropical island. Far from prying eyes. Something I can pick at with my fingers. Or slurp with abandon.


Something lush and opulent. Jewel-like in its precious beauty. (Wow Rachael, feeling over the top today? Why yes, yes, I am.)

Something like this.

Shrimp salad.

Salty, succulent, crunchy, rich (and riche), cooling and finger-lickin' good. And if you really want, you can eat it with your fingers (though, wrapped in a lettuce leaf is nice too)

Try it, and enjoy!

1 pound cold small shrimp, cooked and peeled
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup sliced cornichons (gerkhins)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs: oregano, parsley and dill or tarragon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Whisk together the mayonnaise, herbs, mustard, and lemon juice in medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serves four as a light entree.

______________________________

The California freshwater shrimp is a federally listed endangered species

97% of American homes keep ketchup in their kitchen and we consume approx. 3 bottles worth a year. 4 tablespoons of ketchup have the nutritional value of an entire ripe, medium tomato

The flavor of zucchini is best when it is less than six inches long

Labels: Entree, Luncheon, Seafood

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I was supposed to bring food to a Post LA-Marathon Party on Sunday afternoon.

Something indulgent, but light, high in protein, but balanced. A tricky combo indeed.

Now, as an aside, I really shouldn’t go into my thoughts on this act known as a marathon because I find it doesn’t win me any friends…but then again, it's my blog, so here it is…don’t these people know that at the end of the original run, the guy DIED? I’m just saying. Food for thought, if you will.

And forget about the traffic jam it causes in a town that really doesn’t need that sort of headache. Insanity.

I say take the whole nutty shin-dig out to the desert and let me be…but then again, if they did that, I wouldn’t have gone to the party of the year. So there you go.

And don’t you want to know what I brought? (Of course you do, or else why would you have read this far?)

I came with this simple, vibrant, perfectly balanced delight. So easy to make you will wonder why you haven’t done it before. Took three minutes to make, dicing the salmon being the most involved task.

So my dears, try it, and enjoy!

2 medium filets sushi-grade salmon, skin removed
1/2 cup fava beans
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
Light olive oil
Zest of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything together in a bowl. Let sit for five minutes to meld. Serve.

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Tarragon was used by the Greeks as early as 500 BC. The Arabs named it “turkhum” which means dragon. The tradition has been continued by the French who call it “estragon.” - Food Reference.com

Chinook salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon, with some individuals growing to more than 100 pounds.

Why did the cookie go to the doctor? Because it was feeling crummy.

Labels: Entree, Gluten Free, Luncheon, Salad, Seafood

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Mmm. Chicken salad.

Sonoma style.

What makes it Sonoma style? Well, other than the name, I think it’s gotta be the grapes. I really can’t think of any other reason it’s called that. Sonoma is grape growing country after all. The addition of walnuts and tarragon, well, you got me on that one…

Of course, this being my blog - purportedly a venue for recipes I have devised - I should be a touch more in control of said recipes…and yet…well, I’ve been feeling a bit out of control lately, so it's no big shock its poured over into my cooking.

And really, what better way to regain control than to eat something that comforts. That brings happy memories with every bite, something that soothes the soul and tummy all in one.

Which, my dears, is how I managed to stir up a bowl full of memories. Sonoma chicken salad.

This is a recipe I kinda-sorta vaguely recall from a brief but glorious stint, way back in the day, as counter girl at an adorable deli in San Francisco (which, btw, I suspect is under new ownership. Anyone been there in the last few yaers? Any good?)

I'm not entirely sure what it was about that salad that I glammed on to it so tightly way back then, but I have been making my version of it for years, and it never fails to cheer/ground/entice me. Not my cooking mind you, the somewhat unexpected combination of perfect flavors. Smoky chicken, strong sharp tarragon, the crunch of walnuts and just a tiny amount of mayo to bind it all together in lunch-time salad bliss. Try it, and tell me you don’t agree. Enjoy.

½ pound chicken meat (Deboned. I use thighs and breasts.)
¼ teaspoon olive oil
3 drops liquid smoke
1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt and pepper
1 heaping tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
1 cup red grapes, halved
3 tablespoons toasted walnut pieces

In a medium (non-stick) saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken and brown. Turn and continue to cook until, uh, cooked. Add the liquid smoke and cook for another few seconds. Remove from the pan and allow to cool thoroughly.

Shred or dice the chicken.

In a large bowl, stir together the mustard, mayo, salt and pepper and tarragon. Add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serves two.


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There are 350 Certified Farmers' Markets throughout the state of California.

Yum Brands Inc; the parent of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC fast-food chains, said Monday it expects to post a two per cent decline in third-quarter U.S. same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year. – AP

There are approximately 4,400 wine-grape growers in California and 3000 commercial wineries in the U.S., 1,300 of which are in California. More than half of the California wineries sell fewer than 5,000 cases annually. There are 191 wineries in Sonoma county California alone. All 50 states have certified wineries.

Labels: Chicken, Luncheon

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When I was a small girl, I asked my mother where her family was from, as most children are apt to do at some point. Her very specific answer was that she grew up in the Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Being quite young at the time, (though precocious, I’m sure) and not really clear on what that meant, I figured we were Dutch. (For clarification, the Pennsylvania Dutch are Germans. Apparently back in the day, Americans couldn't figure out why Germans called themselves Deutsch, which is German for German, so the Americans assumed they meant they were from the Netherlands...get it?) A fact I held on to despite all indications otherwise until I was roughly 21 years old, when it dawned on me one day that there was just no way we could be Dutch.

How come? Well, for one, there were no Dutch foodstuffs or traditions in our house, there is no visual indication we hail from there, we own no wooden clogs and the biggest give-away? My mothers maiden name is German.

On the other hand, the signs pointing to the fact she is of German ancestry is glaring. Mommy loves Klosterkaese cheese and liverwurst, has been known to indulge in pickled pigs feet and makes vats of sauerkraut every year. She lingers over strudel and sauerbraten and cannot resist a thin slice of German Chocolate Cake. That old Dutch favorite, Kabeljauw met kaaskorst on the other hand, never once appeared on our table.

The upshot here is that I’m not Dutch. But hey, that’s okay by me. You can’t be everything, right? And it does make for a telling story, doesnt it? Giggle. (Telling that I am a space cadet perhaps?)

That all being said, it is no surprise that when I first heard of Sauerkraut Strudel I knew I had to try it. It simply called out to my mostly neglected inner German, begging to be made.

Yes, it's more calories, fat and salt than one person should consume in a day, let alone a sitting, but it sure as heck tastes amazing.

While it may not be the most glamorous looking dish, it sure makes up for it in fantasticness. Cabbagey (in a good way! And I do love my cabbage!) with the sharp bite of the caraway seeds, and the salty meatiness of bacon, balanced with the potato and the sweet onion, it is a delight. Of course, I don’t recommend having it too often unless you are a marathon runner , but every here and again, it is a sheer delight and will make you silly with happiness. I didnt have the patience to try strudel dough, so I made it with phyllo, but of course either works. Try it, and enjoy.


2 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
6 thick cut slices of bacon, diced into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, large dice
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon whole caraway seeds
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
4 sheets phyllo dough
3 teaspoons butter, melted
Sour cream for serving

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and mash lightly with a fork, leaving some large pieces.

In a large pan, saute the bacon, onion and bay leaf until just browned, about 6 minutes (drain the pan of fat half way through if it is pooling deeply)

Remove the bay leaf from the bacon mixture. Add the bacon mixture to the potatoes, along with the pepper caraway and sauerkraut. Stir to combine. You can keep this in the fridge for up to 24 hours if you want to stop at this point.

Lay out one sheet of your phyllo and brush with the melted butter. Continue to do that with all four sheets. Do not butter the top sheet.

Pile the bacon-sauerkraut mixture onto the phyllo and roll it up like a log and seal, making sure the seam is on the bottom. If you need to, use a bit of extra phyllo to cover the ends so the insides are not exposed.

Bake on a baking sheet for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool 10 minutes before serving. It will be a bit soggy, but never fear, its supposed to be. I am not sure how it would be with real strudel dough, but my guess is, less soggy.

Serve with sour cream.

Makes 8 servings


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Klosterkaese is a surface-ripened, German cow's milk cheese with a velvet-like texture and a mild taste.

Sauerkraut is German for "Acid Cabbage." Americans consume 387 million lbs (one billion servings or approx. 1.5 lbs per person) each year, with a quarter of all households purchasing it.

According to a new study, 31 states showed an increase in obesity this year. Mississippi continued to lead the way. An estimated 29.5 percent of adults there are considered obese. That's an increase of 1.1 percentage points when compared with last year's report. Colorado remains the leanest state. About 16.9 percent of its adults are considered obese. That mark was also up from last year's report, but not enough to be considered statistically significant. Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut and Montana also recorded adult obesity rates of less than 20 percent. The only state that experienced a decrease in the percentage of obese adults was Nevada. The five states with the highest obesity rates -- Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana and Kentucky – also exhibit much higher rates of poverty than the national norm. CBS.com

Labels: Entree, Luncheon, Pork

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I have spent quite a bit of time over the last three years posting recipes on this site because I want to share something that I am passionate about: sensational food, from simple recipes, made with fresh ingredients and exploding with flavor.

I sincerely love trying new things - things that are unexpected and a little bit off the beaten path, and it's my intention that my recipes reflect that. Of course, by putting my own version of things out to the world, I do hope I can inspire a few of you to try something new too, based on what I have ventured forth and made, loved and written about. Or, you know, at the bare minimum, lure you in to admire my mind-blowing photography and witty banter. (Ha Ha)

This delectable pasta salad, which is a flawless dish for a warm afternoon, is a combination of all of the things I just mentioned. It is simple, flavorful and totally different from the norm.

It started for me with a visit to the market in Koreatown, which is like visiting a candy store. I just can't resist buying a huge pile of goodies. The shop I go to (and no, I don’t know the name, is that shameful? Super-fantastic Leiha knows. She introduced me to it) is pristinely clean and has such an abundance of interesting and (new to me) foods it makes every trip a taste-bud enticing adventure. The kimchi section alone is enough to make your eyes bug out in wonder. The seemingly endless array, in containers as small as a half pint and as large as two gallons line the refrigerated section just waiting to be dipped in to. Oh baby, is that ever a good thing.

Kimchi, for those of you unfamiliar, is Napa cabbage (and radish, and more, depending on the cook) pickled/fermented with red pepper, garlic, ginger and a small amount of fish sauce. It is a relish that is about as ubiquitous in Korean homes as salt and pepper is in ours. Lately, it has also been proven to be an a fantastic health food. "Cabbage is packed with vitamins that may boost the immune system, and fermented cabbage contains lactic acid, which helps with digestion and may weaken infections" CBS NEWS.

I personally buy Cosmo brand, because the price is right (the container pictured cost $5.00 in the Korean supermarket and is sold for $8.00 at Ralphs) it is made locally and you know how I love my MADE IN L.A. products, but any brand (or your own version) will do in this recipe. But even with my serious obsession with kimchi, I can only eat so much of it mixed with rice and cold fried tofu (my normal treatment) so I came up with this as an alternative.

The dish is perfectly crunchy, spicy, sweet and salty. It has a zip to it you won’t believe. Low-fat but high in flavor, it is different, but familiar. A fusion dish with a lot of pow, that comes together in a snap. One warning: sample the kimchi before you add it, to see how spicy it is. They can vary widely. So my petit chou, try this very non-traditional use for kimchi, and enjoy.

1 cup kimchi, diced, liquid reserved
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 small cucumber, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 carrot, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 minced chile pepper (use to taste)
1 pound farfalla pasta, cooked in salted water, drained and cooled
Minced peanuts and parsley or cilantro for garnish

Combine the first six ingredients, toss, then season to taste. Let the pasta absorb the flavors for at least 20 minutes. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro or parsley and serve.

Additional vegetables such as bean sprouts, radish and jicama would also be tasty. Soy sauce or fish sauce would also be nice additions.

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Researchers wanted to know why Polish women have low rates of breast cancer. They discovered that women who ate four or more servings of raw or barely cooked cabbage per week during adolescence were 74 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than the women who ate 1.5 or fewer servings per week.

Traditional kimchi is stored in sealed jars and either buried or stored in underground cellars for up to a month.

Here is a list of Korean Markets in the U.S.

Labels: Entree, Luncheon, Pasta

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The sight of microgreens peeking out from their spot amongst the lettuce on the grocers shelf is a pretty exciting thing to a girl who loves her food. A feathery pile in shades of emerald and light green, royal purples and soft whites, they just beg to land in your basket and come home with you to become something wonderful.

Seems to me, that it isn’t often they are made available to the mass market, and then they are usually expensive. Not so if you are shopping at good old Trader Joe’s this week though! (Hey, as an aside, did you know TJ’s only sells booze in their California stores, everywhere else, its just wine and beer…tragic!) There they were, a small package for $3.00 and in with my purchases they went. I know a good thing when I see it!

I didn’t even have to give thought on how to showcase their delicateness. See, a few weeks ago I had a terrific dinner (because they are all terrific, aren’t they?) at one of L.A.’s premier dining stops, Lucques. The starter I ordered was the inspiration for this salad and it had me swooning in my seat. A perfect balance of bitter, sweet and acid, salty, buttery and rich. (That would be bitter from the greens, sweet from the cucumber, acid from lime, salty - well, that’s self explanatory I hope, buttery from the oil and rich from the avocado. See? I don’t just arbitrarily add descriptions!)

Using Persian cucumbers (small, thin skinned cucumbers with seeds you don’t have to remove) and some avocados that were still firm enough to hold their shape, I made this delight in less than 5 minutes (the photo shoot was harried too, since Boston Boy was hovering, waiting to get a fork in…bless him) just tossing it all together and then enjoying it whole-heartedly.

And for those of you with an abundance of basil this time of year, it is a perfect way to use a few leaves! The only thing I have to say in warning (other than this is addictive) is that the greens being so small, will wilt within five minutes of dressing, so don’t go tossing them in the oil too far in advance of serving, okay? Good.

There are lots of substitutions you can use too, regular greens of course, and hothouse cucumbers to start. It would also be great with a bit of shrimp or some cold smoked mussels. Mmm. So try this my dears, and enjoy!

1 small bunch basil, some leaves reserved for garnish
½ small shallot, minced
¼ cup highest quality olive oil
Juice of two limes
Salt and pepper to taste
6 small Persian cucumbers, sliced
2 medium avocados, diced


In a small processor or by hand in a bowl, combine the basil (if you are going at this all by hand, mince it first) with the shallot, oil, lime juice and blend until it is emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss with the rest of the ingredients. Serve with basil leaves as garnish.

Makes enough for four starter salads.

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The greens I used were a combination of tatsoi, amaranth, red mustard, kale, beet greens and arugula.

Cucumbers are believed to have originated in India

Ice-cream-maker Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. said yesterday that it will drop Michael Foods Egg Farm, an egg supplier accused of mistreating chickens, responding to pressure from the Humane Society of the United States. - JournalNow.com

Labels: Luncheon, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian