Hot Potatoes

I love discovering produce I've neither tasted, nor cooked with. Especially when it begins by looking as intriguing as this:

And then presented as beautifully as this:

These Argentinian fingerling potatoes are quite colorful and delicious. I just love the pink stripes and the bright greens and oranges. At our cooking class at Federal restaurant, we soaked them in cold water for 45 minutes; drained them, dried them and sliced them in half to serve raw. Drizzle a bit of corn oil (the oil of choice in Argentina) and sprinkle with salt and you won't be disappointed. Now to figure out how to order these suessian-striped little guys in the states...

The Pink Spoon TRAVELS!

Here I am in Mendoza, Argentina, in the middle of a malbec vineyard. I am officially a world eater! But that's getting ahead of myself.

There is so much to say about my last 10 days in Argentina eating, drinking, cooking, eating and drinking that I must start at the beginning and leave nothing out. Allow this post to be the introduction, as I won't be able to download any photos to accompany my posts until this coming Wednesday when my travel companion returns with our shared camera.

However, I did manage to capture a few shots of the first dinner we had at Resto, a little restaurant just north of our hotel we stayed, in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It's considered the French quarter of the city, and is just as charming as anything.

We began the B.A. dining scene after unintentionally filling ourselves on cheese and meats as an evening appetizer along with a glass of wine. So we walked about 20 blocks to Resto, where we had a 9pm reservation. As in Europe, dinner is eaten late, and we were still the early birds.

The menu offers three set dinners, each including a salad, main course, and a dessert. You are able to mix and match to your liking however. Each item looked fantastic, and my two lovely travel companions (Beth and Ginna) and I all agreed to order different plates and switch. Because we had eaten (unfortunately) too much prior, we weren't all able to eat a full three courses.

We enjoyed:

The Ensalada de Ranas -grilled frog legs served on watercress in a light vinaigrette and drizzled with a hazelnut pesto. They were as delicious as they sound, and perfectly cooked. There was a nice, subtle "grill" flavor that gave the meat a char characteristic I have not had on anything grilled before. Perhaps it's the Argentine grill pan/BBQ...who knows. Either way, it's delicious.

The Roasted Chicken Terrine-Beautifully served over watercress with Dijon mustard, roasted tomatoes and a light balsamic vinaigrette. Great flavor, especially the roasted tomatoes.

Pan Roasted White Salmon with olive tapenade, olive oil and lemon pesto, served over french green beans and peas. This was unbelievable. Every bite was balanced and the olive oil lemon pesto was perfect with the white fish, which isn't as fishy tasting as pink salmon.

Dessert was: Basil Mango & Lemon sorbet- Amazing texture and the fruit was excellent; the basil was not overpowering.

Earl Grey Ice Cream topped with fresh blueberries. Very different, not too sweet, but refreshing.






Truly, everything was delicious, and the presentations were lovely. The service was very attentive and friendly given our hacked spanish and many questions about what EVERYTHING was and how the chef did EVERYTHING. (We liked to write down notes so we could make things back in the states, after all...)

The highlight of the meal, however, was the bottle of Rose that was recommended by the sommelier. All three of us admitted to liking a good rose, but that good rose was hard to find or buy on a guess. So you can imagine our absolute delight at the Brumales Classico 2005 Malbec Rose, available at www.adagiowines.ar

It was balanced, dry, crisp with an outstanding finish. A wonderful start to a very delicious two weeks.


RESTO
Sociedad Central de Arquitectos
Montevideo 938
Tel: 4816-6771

Tomato Challenge 2007

One ingredient. Three courses.

Gazpacho Gazpacho!

Garden fresh tomatoes
A hint of vinegar
Zest of lemon
Perfectly diced red onion
A smattering of pepper
Clove of garlic, minced
Handful of cubed bell pepper, celery, zucchini, corn
One basil leaf garnish

Blanche tomatoes, peel, seed, chop, and process until desired consistency.
Add in all other ingredients except the basil. Top with the basil as garnish.

BLT of Champions:
(With basil mayo, of course)



And Gelato di Tomato:

Vintage Kitchen: Style Watch

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but as the summer draws to an end, I've been inspired by this years delectable fall fashions to dedicate my first post in awhile to some amazing kitchen style I discovered: Vintage -inspired aprons!!!
The designers behind the line Jesse Steele is a mother daughter duo, and their current collection, which I discovered via a web surfing session while VERY bored at work, is delicious! They are available at Jesse Steele

...I want this one: Very chic domestic goddess-y:

Pinch Me, seriously, I'm Dreaming

The Nancy Drew COOKBOOK!!!!!!!!!

I still have, in my ownership, every hardcover original Nancy Drew book ever written. Obsessed with these novels would be a gross understatement of about four years of my childhood. In my mind, I was her. She was me. We were one.


The complete convergence of two worlds couldn't get any sweeter.

Note to Krissy Wall and Joanna Calo, this does not offer any consolation to the fact that Veronica Mars (the modern day TV version of Nancy Drew and the best show on television) was recently cancelled.

Slightly Obsessed: Bleu Cheese & Tarragon, Take I

So, I’m sort of a tarragon junkie. And the source of this bad good habit is pretty embarrassing: Starbucks. I spent last summer doing a graduate program at NYU in the Barclay building downtown in Manhattan; Starbucks was the drug provider of choice right next door. So it happened that one lunch break, on a whim, I bought the Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich. It was one of the best days of my life. It was so surprisingly delicious I didn’t know what to do with myself. So I bought another on my way home as an appetizer for dinner. I sort of hated myself for buying not one, but two sandwiches at, of all places, Starbucks, in one day. But I was way too smitten with my discovery to care. My love affair with tarragon had begun; the challenge to integrate this sweet little herb into as many different dishes was officially on. When I moved back to L.A., I began working a second job at the Edendale Grill. They had, to my sheer delight, Blue Cheese Tarragon French Fries on the bar menu. After working there nearly a year, and munching on these delicious bits during each shift without fail, I’m still not sick of the combo. So, as I’m now living with my parents, 500 miles from the Edendale, I’ve had to take matters into my own hands. I’ve decided to see how many different variations on the Blue Cheese/Tarragon/Potato theme I can manage before my parents refuse to allow me to cook for them anymore. What else is a stir-crazy girl gonna do on a Friday night when she moves back to the oh-so-quiet-suburbia that is Los Altos? First up was the Twice Baked Potato version. F-ing Fantastic.

Twice Baked Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Tarragon

6 Russett Potatoes, scrubbed
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
¼ C. Half & Half
¼ C. Low-Fat Milk
6 oz blue cheese, crumbled
2 oz blue cheese, reserved
4 Tablespoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Give the potatoes a fairly generous coat of olive oil. Using a fork, gently poke holes in the uncooked potatoes. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. You can also place them directly on the rack. Bake until tender, about 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Cover hand with a dishtowel to handle the potatoes, and, using a serrated knife, slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the baked potato into a large mixing bowl, being careful not to tear the skins. Repeat for remaining potatoes. Mash potatoes well, until smooth. With the exception of the reserved blue cheese, add in remaining ingredients, and mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste. Scoop mixture back into skins, and top with a bit of the crumbled bleu cheese. Pop back into the oven at 375 until warmed through. I like to put them under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is gooey and browning, before serving.

Re-Introducing: The Artichoke

Circa 1961: Julia Child breaks down the boiled artichoke for the American cooking public "Hot or cold boiled artichokes are served as a separate course, either at the beginning of the meal or in place of a salad."

But really, when was the last time you ate a cold boiled artichoke in place of a salad?

Circa 2007: My mom craves the now-retro dish as the salad for a small dinner gathering the other night. And she commissioned my help for the "stuffing." Which was cold little shrimp tossed in a simple herbed vinagraitte. At this point, I couldn't help but wonder: "Does anyone ever serve cold boiled artichokes anymore?" As I stuffed the chokes with the marinated mini cocktail shrimp, I couldn't help but imagine this was more the type of dish a downtrodden smiling housewife circa 1965 would whip up when her hubby's boss came to dinner. For a second, I wondered if we should be serving a nice pot roast instead of organic roasted chicken breasts stuffed with goat cheese, but as I finished up with the chokes, I became more intrigued with the concept. I arranged them on a platter, and they actually looked great. As we sat down, with the chicken, a light, Mediterranean-style pasta and the artichoke salad, it actually fit quite nicely. And I have to say, they were delicious. Strange, but delicious.


Cold Artichoke Salad with Shrimp Stuffing:

4 large artichokes
1 lb cooked, chilled baby cocktail shrimp

Herbed Dressing:
1 C. Olive Oil
1/3 C. champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped Thyme
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the artichokes until tender. Strain and let cool. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Reserving 3 Tablespoons, generously coat the shrimp with the dressing, and allow to marinate while the artichokes cool. When the chokes are cool, slice them in half lengthwise, and scoop out the hearts, creating a small hollow in the center of the choke. Firmly stuff about 2 Tablespoons of shrimp into the hollow. Drizzle the resrved dressing over the chokes, and serve. These can also be prepared ahead, and chilled until ready to serve.

Rooms out of Shrooms

And in other green news, one more reason to love fungi:
" 'Growable' Homes Made With Mushrooms"
Spores as the latest means for fire-proof insulation? Sweet.
[Discovery Channel News]

I dedicate this post to the delicious sautéed morels that my dear friends and April roomies Adam and Julia made the other week...
I'll have to follow up with the recipe when I can pin it down.

Bits & Bites: Organic Muses

So far, today's favorite reads are all green.
The official announcement of Slow Food Nation '08 in none other than the glorious S.F. [SFGate.com]

Barbara Kingsolver's non-fiction debut, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
[Bon Appétit Editor's Blog]

I'm inspired to plant a midsummer garden and harvest my own veggies...I bet my new roommates won't care. Mom, Dad, objections?

Summer Sipping: Still Life with Rooster

I don't normally look for wine advice in Details Magazine, however, I was enjoying a delicious rosé with my dear friend Xan the other evening, and, while casually flipping through the men's 'zine, was surprised to see a feature on the pinkest of all wines...And they aptly celebrate it for it's invigorating versatility: "Any wine that pairs as well with a bacon cheesburger as it does with butter poached lobster is a poor candidate for overanalysis." Concur.

The two of us were, however, thrown off by the fact that the picture accompanying the article was of rosé served in an old-fashioned glass. Which got Xan and I to discussing the most ideal container to serve rosé in: A champagne flute seemed to hifalutin for the modest refreshment...the red wine glass would only warm it up when you really just want to retain it's cool crispness...leaving the white wine glass as the obvious answer...So an old-fashioned glass? I understand the liquid is pink and a picture of a bunch of dudes sitting around drinking Rosé in wine glasses may not resonate with readers, but it's not a cocktail, it's wine. So if you're gonna go pink, fellas, go all the way.

Xan & I's budget fave (I credit her 100% with this discovery!)
2005 La Ferme Julien Rose, Cotes Du Ventoux ($4.99 at Trader Joe's)

We'll be drinking this dry, fruity blend of Cinsualt, Grenache and Syrah through Labor Day. It's summer picnic-ing perfect in a screw-top bottle—strawberry first, cherry second and a teeny little spice in third that will keep you sipping well into the evening.

Back to Basics: A Must Read

From the NYT Dining & Wine section today "A No-Frills Kitchen Still Cooks" was one of the most resourceful and down-to-earth articles I've read in quite some time. An absolute must-read for any of us who can be, at times, daunted by the flood of specialty cookware that high-end companies push as the secret to gourmet food. The whole article was absolutely spot-on, and a must read—a gentle reminder to every earnest, intrepid cook to keep the following close to heart: "Lavish tools and state-of-the art equipment does not necessarily a good meal make."

I will NOT be purchasing an electric vacuum marinator anytime soon.

Bits & Bites: Retail Therapy + Sprinkles

I cannot believe how fast Sprinkles jumped on the retail bandwagon! New at Williams-Sonoma! And you even get the B.H. bakery "visual signature" cupcake decoration...I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. I cannot wait to test this out and compare against the real deal from the bakery. And if it lives up to standard, I will be very happy to know where to get a sprinkles fix given my upcoming departure from L.A. :(

Je Déteste

The great news is that Rachael Ray recently launched a non-profit organization, the mission of which I think is fantastic. I love her three-tiered (Cook. Feed. Fund.) focus and I want to support it. I do.

BUT, the bad news is that she had to go and destroy the credence of the organization by naming it after one of her Rachael-isms—Yum-o!

How can you possibly take this seriously?

Direct from the website:
[ "Yum-o!" is the sound you make when you eat something really delicious. It is kind of a combination of "Yummy!" and "Oh wow!" You can't help but smile when you say it because it's such a fun word to say."]

I have nothing against slang, acronyms, even well thought out "isms"...But this is sad. It's a brainless substitution for the many ways to articulate the experience of tasting something delicious.

"Sweetie, do you like the chicken?"
"It's Yum-o!"
Not cool Rach.

House of God PIES: Sunday Confessional

After three years of living on the East side, I managed to fulfill a long-standing foodie fantasy of mine last night: A late night slice of pie and a cup of joe at House of Pies in Los Feliz. I've always had a soft spot for coffee shops, at any hour, and I couldn't wait to try some pie. And HOP meets all expectations. It's a pleasant little diner that envelops you in a safe blanket of coziness the minute you walk in. It's 24-hour coffee-shop familiarity at it's finest. You know the menu by memory, you've eaten breakfast there a hundred times—as a 5-year old with the family, as a 15-year old with your friends after a football game, as a 22-year old, hungover with your college pals. And you'll probably dine there a hundred times more. So perhaps it's that relaxing sense of security the HOP conjures—when you can stretch out, two to a big, plasticy booth—that nudges one to spill personal secrets, but Sunday night with pie was a delightful confessional.

And whether there's a real link between sinfully-sweet slices of pie (Southern Pecan for me, Blueberry for my partner in crime) and the urge to swap guilty confessions, I'll never know. But bite after bite, as stomachs grew heavier, hearts felt lighter, and the moment of food and friendship set in, I realized that sometimes there is no better cure-all (for the guilty or innocent) than a 24-hour coffee-shop confessional good conversation.

The House of Pies, 1869 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027; (323) 666-9961

MNMC: Children of Men and a Cooking Dervish

MNMC member Sean Freisen was culinary king last night,
and what a feast he created! We convened around 7:30 for a delicious meal of Chicken Piccata, Roasted Asparagus and Rosemary Ciabatta. The chicken cutlets were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was brilliant. It was the perfect consistency, silky and layered from the reduction of lemony-tartness, capery-saltiness and the browned-meaty richness. ( I think I made all those words up). The asparagus were an excellent side dish, holding their own against the pronounced flavor of the sauce, and all of us could not stop eating. But our lively chef of the hour didn't stop there. As we finished up glasses of wine and got ready to start the movie for the evening, Children of Men, Sean whipped up dessert: Rice pudding with raspberries. But the name doesn't do justice to the most amazing rice pudding I've had. One taste, and I detected the slightest hind of citrus (orange zest, I was told). A second taste uncovered sweet basil. A lovely combination with the raspberries and pudding. Yum.

I'd also like to share a very important fact that the youngest member of the MNMC, Jett, taught me last night: Babies make great knife-sharpening audiences. Who would have thought? Maybe it was the metallic notes of knife striking sharpener, but he was fixated as he sat on Annie's lap watching my every move. And very supportive—breaking out in a huge grin if I sharpened with speed, and shrieking a little cry of encouragement to keep going if I started slacking off. What a kid!

Bits & Bites: The real Martini? In.

I generally don't like cocktail snobbery (who cares if someone "orders" incorrectly? To each her own), but a few sage words written by a "Martini Classicist" in the NYT (click here) today gave me reason to pause and re-consider my blatant irreverence for the original, unadulterated martini.

Definition a la Merriam Webster: mar•ti•ni• n : a cocktail made of gin and dry vermouth

And so, as an eager-to-reform member of the “generation lobotomized by vodka,” I'd like to re-visit my penchant for a martini after an official gin tasting extravaganza. Will I be able to detect hints of cardamom, cinnamon, lemon peel in these gins? Who knows. In fact, I may not end up liking any of them, but I'll try it before I knock it...
I prefer ordering my beloved dirty martini Ketel with a splash of olive juice on the rocks anyways!

Any one else game for some gin tasting?

Spring Fever = Monday Escape

I blame my late spring restlessness on our school system. It's classical conditioning at it's harshest: the arrival of May means summer vacation and zero responsibility just around the corner, right? Well, until you grow up. And no matter how many years go by sans summer vacay, I still find myself, like today, hit with a case of near-summer wanderlust, wanting to play outside, adventure to new places, and snack on treats all day long. Which is why I love the NYT Travel section. It allows me to be an escape artist at her finest, reinventing that notion of 2 weeks paid vacation we all know never really works. Today's destination: the French Alps. Snack of the day: Tartiflette. Travel time: 15 minutes. (article here)

Anyone have a good recipe for Tartiflette?
I want to re-create this melt-in-your mouth Mac & Cheese-meets-Scalloped Potatoes casserole asap.

Operation Leftovers: Carbonara Ravioli

The pickings were depressingly slim in the refrigerator when I got home this evening. The roomies were out of town, and I wasn't feeling inspired. After working a 7-hour brunch shift and a hike with my dog, however, I was in need of comfort carbs, fast. A quick inventory (tossing out the moldy cheeses and leftovers from last week), uncovered a package of mushroom & chicken ravioli from T.J.'s, eggs, parmesean and a handful of spinach and half a package of Toll House cookie dough. Not even a can of diced tomatoes to make a little sauce. I checked the freezer and the thought of turning the TJ frozen mini pizzas into dinner actually crossed my mind. Sigh. We were out of any other pasta, and I just couldn't bring myself to make another egg sandwich, so carbonara it was...but with ravioli. I was crossing my fingers. I was too hungry to fail at an edible meal tonight, too exhausted to get in my car and go anywhere, and too attached to my tip money to order in. Once I tossed the ravioli with the sauce, I added some dried herbs, garlic salt and tons of freshly ground pepper. I put the ravioli over a bed of spinach, and it was delicious. The spinach sort of takes the heaviness factor away from the rich carbonara sauce, too. Yum. Dessert: freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. And I had just enough for lunch tomorrow. Total cost: $0. Sometimes being broke can be a delicious thing.

Carbonara Ravioli:
1 Package ravioli (any pasta will do, really)
2 Eggs
1/8 C. milk (water will do if you're desperate!)
1/4 C. parmesean cheese
Fresh or dried herbs, to taste
Garlic Salt
Salt & Pepper
Spinach

In a small jar or measuring glass, beat the eggs, and mix in the cheese and milk. Add fresh garlic if you have it. If not, garlic salt at the end is delicious as well. Once the pasta is cooked, drain well, and return to pot. Quickly coat the pasta with the sauce, and toss well to coat and cook the egg. The sauce should thicken, as you toss the pasta. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes. If it's not thickening, turn on the heat to medium-low while coating the pasta. Serve over a bed of spinach, or whatever you have in the fridge, with lots of parm and freshly ground pepper on top.

Prince Charmed

Ahhh! From the NYT Food Section (article here): I love that Prince Charles has his very own line of organic products—Duchy Originals—,
is the Royal Patron of the Soil Association, and has charmed the "Slow Food principle" pants off of Ms. Alice Waters herself. I totally want to go find some of these yummy looking ginger biscuits at Whole Foods.

Cocktail of the Hour: The Green Tini

Last Wednesday a bunch of friends got together for a little mid-week dinner party. It was a good old-fashioned potluck and the food was fantastic. Grill master Xan served up perfectly-cooked herbed chicken, Julia and Adam made excellent use of the cast-iron pan with a delectable dish of stuffed tomatoes over polenta, and I whipped up a cold orzo salad with feta, olives and a lemony-vinaigrette. Throw in toasted pita, hummus and tzatziki courtesy of Krissy Wall, and it was a serious Mediterranean spread.

But I think I have to hand the Luckiest Pot-of-the-Evening award to the biggest green tea enthusiast in Silver Lake: Grant Saltarelli. We all know how much he loves his green tea (some one get this kid sponsored!), but he really proved himself a mixologist-in-the-making with this brilliant signature cocktail: the Grant Green Tini. And the boy's got heart. He hand-measured, shook, and poured each one for each guest, and—after one sip—wanted to make sure it was just right. I know talent when I see it. Or something like that. So I sat him down for the full recipe and a few insider tips:

1 batch of brewed green tea (white tea also works well)
Honey
Stoli Citron Vodka
Cointreau
Ice
Martini Shaker

Brew the batch of green tea in advance. Brew it stronger than you would if you were just drinking it by itself, but not too long. You want the flavor to stand up against the citrus vodka, which can be overwhelming. Sweeten the tea with a little honey; let cool. In a martini shaker, mix 2 parts Citron Vodka with 1 part Cointreau. Add 60 mL of tea, and shake over ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Serve immediately. If it's too strong, add some tea.

Advice for future Green Tini Makers:
"Follow these guidelines, but suit yourself," says the Boy. "Make a batch, and see where you want to take it; adjust the ingredient amounts accordingly. And—most importantly—when shaking the shaker, shake it really hard and pour quickly!" As far as the type of Vodka goes...
"Stoli is great, but if you want some T & A to impress the ladies, go with Grey Goose Citron." G.S.

Cheers!