Also, it’s a great dish for entertaining and feeding a crowd. Plate it for a fancier preso or serve rustic and family style. If you are looking for a Spring holiday dish, this would be lovely.

Okay, I’m just going to say it because you know I’m 49 going on 13 – it’s really, really hard for me to write a recipe about meatballs without thinking of a certain SNL skit. I sort of feel like an adolescent here trying not to laugh at every turn. But regardless of my truly prepubescent sense of humor, I still feel that this is an elegant dish, I just wish we could rename it? Any suggestions!?!

The most important tip to making meatballs is to mix the ingredients just until incorporated evenly. Overworked meatballs tend to be tough. I also think it’s a great idea to sauté a spoonful size portion of the meat mixture and taste the seasoning before forming into balls.

If you can’t find fava beans fresh or frozen, you can sub edamame which I often find vacuum sealed and fresh in the produce area. If you can find fava beans fresh, remember they need to be shelled and then individually popped out of their tough skins – blanch favas in salted boiling water for one minute and cool down immediately in an ice bath. Then pop each bean out of its skin before moving on with the recipe. (Also, little kids are really great at shelling and popping favas out of skin.)

Use a nice ricotta. It’s easy enough to make at home but if buying I prefer Bellwether Farms sheep’s milk ricotta. It has a lovely light consistency without being too watery and it does not have any weird thickeners in it. Many store-bought ricotta products have some sort of gelatin, so read the label!

I served the leftovers with a tricolore bitter greens salad with blue cheese crumble and a white balsamic vinaigrette the following day and is was still delicious!

The post Ricotta Pork Meatballs first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

I worked with a Sous Chef at a 3-Michelin star restaurant (that will go unnamed) who used to jokingly look over my shoulder during prep time and whisper things like: “If you mess that up you’re an a**hole and you’re fired” Normally it was a really simple dish like this, one that no one would ever mess up. And yes if you did, you probably would be fired. But still, it’s seemed funny at the time. Ah, kitchen humor….

When I was making this recipe for my Fourth of July Party, I had to laugh because I swear that Chef was standing behind me peering over my shoulder trying to trigger my adrenaline. Yes, messing up this dish is hard. You really have to work at making pulled pork terrible.

But it can be done. Yup. Not gonna to lie. It can be done. And there is a big difference between ‘downright delicious’ and just ‘meh’. First off, you can’t rush the braise. If you do, the fat and the connective tissue in Pork Butt (which comes from the shoulder of the pig, but is higher on the foreleg – not anywhere close to the butt at all!) will not melt in the mouth. Your guests will feel like they are chewing on slimy rubber bands and that is not a great way to entertain.

Some recipes will tell you it doesn’t matter if you hard sear the Pork Butt first or not. Hogwash. Hard searing is very important. Yes, that nice crust is going to soften in the braising liquid but the caramelization from the crust is going to add so much flavor and color back into your braise which is eventually going to reduce into a sauce that you can mix into your succulent pulled pork. So don’t skip that step or I’ll be the one whispering over your shoulder!

As far as cuts go, Pork Butt (also called Boston Butt) is my first choice for pulled pork. You can use Pork Picnic too, but this cut is lower down on the shoulder blade and does not have the same shape and the fat content is much denser – I like to smoke this cut. Try to find a Pork Butt that is at least 6-7lbs deboned. This will yield about 14-16 sandwiches depending on how much meat you pile on plus a little extra. No one has ever stopped at just one sandwich at my table, so figure 2 per person. In other words: 8 people, 2 sandwiches per person, 7lbs pork butt deboned.

I start this recipe off with a lot of braising liquid and by the end of the cooking time it is normally reduced to about one cup and the pork butt has a nice bark to it. It is important to check in on your braising liquid from time to time. Even if you are cooking this in a Dutch Oven with a heavy lid the liquid will still cook off and no one wants a burnt butt! If the braising liquid starts to gets too low, you can always add a can of beer in a pinch. I do! Also, perhaps this is obvious, but don’t pour cold braising liquid into this dish to get it started, make sure it’s simmering.

To build a truly delicious Pulled Pork Sandwhch there are must-have-garnishes that can be customized to your personal style. I make a mean Guajillo BBQ sauce that is smoky-tangy-sweet and I slather it all over the bun. I prefer not to mix BBQ sauce into my pulled pork but many people do. I like my meat just to taste like it’s succulent self with the reduced braising liquid poured back in after the pork has been pulled.

I pile my sando high with pickled red onions and crunchy coleslaw that has the perfect balance between sweet and sour with a touch of creamy and a little kick-in-the-pants from Tabasco. And while I doubt it’s authentic in any Southern State, I believe a good mound of cilantro on top makes for the perfect bite.

A soft roll is a must. Potato is my first choice but brioche is nice too. This is definitely one of those sandwiches that you want to squish between your fingers as you bring it up for a bite.

Break out the picnic salads to serve alongside or just garnish with a few pickles. The sandwich is going to be the star of the show here, honestly, nothing else really matters once these hit the plates!

Enjoy!!!

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I saw these awesome short ribs at my local butcher and I knew instantly what I wanted to make — a super sexy, somewhat sloppy, hard-to-stop-eating shareable braised short rib dish with Madeira black truffle sauce and silky smooth pommes purée. Red wine braised Short ribs rolled on the bone are one of my signature dishes, but I’ve subbed Madeira and added black truffle jus for a change. Yes Portugal, you are on my mind…

I also opted for a free form look here since the ribs were already cut — rolling them on the bone makes for a neat presentation too, but it’s a lot more knife work. This dish is forgiving. Use whatever short ribs you want. If they’re boneless – great, same recipe. If they’re chunky cut across the bone flanken style – great, same recipe. If you want to roll them back on the bone steamer style (as in my other short rib recipes) – great, SAME recipe. And that my friends is why braising is just so awesome, you can play with your food without worry!

My one piece of advice around short ribs: buy the meatiest center cut strips available. Otherwise you’re just braising fat with not a lot else to show for it. Even with the center cut ribs, I still cut off a lot of the fat before hard searing. There’s just so much of it, you don’t need it in the braise and you will not be diluting the flavor, trust me, there is a lot of marbling throughout the meat. Butchers leave it on because it looks more compact and of course, it ups the price but the outer fat is rubbery and although it dissolves and soften in the braise, it’s not always a great bite if there’s too much of it. (Personal opinion of course, I know my Dad is rolling his eyes right now).

I’m not including a mashed potato recipe here but just a little tip if you choose this for your starch: the secret to smooth pommes purées is a ricer. Yes, a pound of butter helps too (riiiiiight?!?) but for that silky texture you need to rice the spuds after they are cooked, then mix in the butter and milk. That’s how we did it at Guy Savoy and Le Bernardin. I hope those two restaurants know what they’re doing. Add a little black truffle jus and/or a splash of truffle oil to the potatoes too! 𝘔𝘶𝘢𝘩! ♡ Perfection!

Oh, and about black truffles: buy from a reputable seller. Sometimes people add chemical perfumes to them so this is important. Also, black truffle juice can be bought (and quality truffles too) from D’Artagnan. This specialty store has premium ingredients. When I cooked for Le Bernardin in NYC, this is where we got most of our high end ingredients including foie gras.

Happy Valentine’s Day friends! Wishing you a super sumptuous dinner with room for dessert… xoxoxo

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Just the idea of truffles and beets together sends my pulse sky rocketing. And not because the combo is super sexy (which it is) but because there is a certain off-menu salad at Guy Savoy that is insanely difficult to construct.

Monsieur Savoy’s Truffled Mâche and Beet Salad is a well-loved and simple (though expensive) French combination of ingredients: truffled vinaigrette, caramelized deep ruby red beets, bouncy mâche and the blackest truffle slices you’ve ever seen.

However, The putting-it-together part is pretty much like Jenga — if you’ve ever played that impossible stacking game before, you’ll understand exactly what I mean. The mâche and beets are carefully layered into a mile high tower and then completely covered in a delicate dome of black truffle concentric circles, each truffle slice placed over the one before until the entire salad is wrapped in beautiful blackness. Sounds easy. IT’S NOT! It’s quite often the leaning tower of truffled Pisa.

But, it is delicious. There’s no denying that the creamy truffle vinaigrette is drinkable just on it’s own and paired with the sweet & earthy beets and the minerality of mâche – it is one hundred percent satisfying. It goes nicely with a coupe de Champagne for a light lunch too (just sayin’!)

Monsieur Savoy pairs his famous truffled vinaigrette with a few other cold appetizers as well. My personal favorite is his signature dish: ballontine of chicken breast, artichoke heart and foie gras terrine sliced thick and served with truffled vinaigrette and a little mâche. If you happen to pop into Guy Savoy for lunch and want something different than the 4-hour tasting menu (just a quick bite peut être?) I highly recommend this dish, it is delicious. I loved making it and I loved eating the smaller slices of the ballottine that weren’t big enough for a proper serving.

I’ve put together my favorite truffled vinaigrette combos from Monsieur Savoy’s menu in a simple starter. But I’ve added my own touches too. My focus these days is on relocating to Portugal so of course the beets are lacquered with the sweet wine. And although Monsieur Savoy would most certainly use Poilaîne crostini, I have opted for rye, my personal fav.

The ingredients can be put together as a finger appetizer on a crostini or plated as a starter or enlarged to make a platter for a crowd. Foie gras is exceptionally difficult to get ahold of in California these days and companies like D’Artagnan (in NYC) will ship it along with high quality truffles (and lots of other insanely delicious ingredients). But for the sake of making this dish accessible for all, there are some excellent packaged foie de canard mousse in the markets these days too and you can use that here as well.

If you’re up for making foie gras torchon, making it at home is not hard just time consuming. I open up the lobes and devein, sometimes using my fingers or the back of a spoon to find the web like strands. (buy premium foie gras and it will be easier to devein). Then I sprinkle with a little rose salt and kosher salt, roll back up and create a cylinder with several layers of saran wrap tying each end tight and cook sous-vide. Curing salt needs to be measured and if you are having trouble finding it, ask your butcher, you don’t need a lot! I personally do not add other spices to my torchon but some people do.

I think Serious Eats has an excellent post on making foie gras torchon with clear instructions and since I made mine last year and froze it and I don’t have pictures, this is a great resource. By the way, if you do freeze yours for later use, make sure to take the cheesecloth off, rewrap and cryovac.

Nice fresh black truffles are also difficult to find right now as is mâche for some odd reason but I was able to find some canned truffles – not my preference but will do in a pinch – and some beautiful frisée too!

Bon Appétit!

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About okra: it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. And after eating it everyday, all day when I worked in Southern India I got to the point where I never wanted to EVER see it again. Sort of in the same way that if I ate a hamburger everyday for a year I wouldn’t be able to stomach it again. Most people dislike okra for it’s texture as it can be a little slimy when cooked. But, seared hard before simmering, there is no slime. Also, I try to buy small and tender okras (is that the plural form of okra? – “okras” – sounds odd, no?!? Should it be okrai?!?).

Any slime (sorry, for lack of a better word – mucus perhaps?) that’s left in the okra makes its way into the tomato turmeric sauce and adds flavor and body. So if it’s a texture thing that scares you and not a flavor issue, fear not, I’ve got you covered. And yes, you can leave it out, but I think it really adds to this dish. Trust me!

All Persian stews have a sour flavor profile which I love. Sometimes the sour profile comes from sun-dried limes (like Ghormeh Sabzi, the famous khoresht made of beef hunks braised with herbs and sundried lime) but in this stew unripe grapes are used. You can buy sour grapes in Middle Eastern stores; you’ll find them packaged in the refrigerator or freezer section. Or you can pick them off your own vines in the Summer and freeze until ready to use! That’s why I grow grapes friends – nobody’s making wine here! Seedless green sweet varieties work best. Yup, Thompson’s for example. I am not a fan of the sour grapes that are brined and jarred but, in a pinch they’re okay, just make sure to rinse them well before using.

Turmeric, the beautiful yellow spice derived from the small orange tuber, is used a lot in Persian cooking. I want to talk a little about turmeric (dried, not fresh) because used incorrectly it can ruin your dish. Used correctly it adds an interesting musty peppery flavor and a bright and beautiful yellow color. It is extremely bitter in large quantities. And it does not taste good burnt (does anything? Okay, maybe toast, or is that a fad finally out of fashion?) so I recommend paying close attention when searing the onions and eggplants with the turmeric so it browns and doesn’t burn and measure the amount added to the sauce – one teaspoon is more than enough for a whole stew. You can always add more – but you can’t take it away! In many Iranian dishes veggies and herbs are lightly fried with turmeric before the wet ingredients are added.

My Mom-In-Law, Shahla, who is the best Persian cook of all time, makes this dish with chicken and I prefer it this way. I have had it with beef and lamb before and it’s good too, but with the summery sidekicks of sour grapes, okra, eggplant and cherry tomatoes, chicken is the better choice. Also, chicken has a shorter cooking time and I think that’s important in this recipe. I don’t like okra stewed for hours nor do I like over cooked eggplant. I know that this take on Koresht bamieh bademjan has my usual Californian perspective. I prefer veggies to retain at least some of their taste, texture and shape.

About the chicken: you could use chicken breasts and that would be fine but chicken thighs are the best option because they have a higher fat content and thus more flavor which is a nice counter balance to the veggies and the acidity of the grapes & tomatoes. In the pictures here I used bone-in, skin-on thighs. The skin-on was an experiment and it worked but required extra effort. It’s hard to keep it crisp when cooking in a juicy steamy stew, so if you don’t mind the hassle of re-crisping the skin then yay! Or if you like rubbery chicken skin then double yay! But the usual choice is bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. And in some ways this is better because you can you let your stew simmer away and get all saucy and delicious without worrying about re-crisping.

I’m going to repeat myself here because you might be wondering how these flavors work together: this is my FAVORITE Persian Koresht of all times. Serve with saffron rice! It’s easy to make and can be expanded for a crowd if need be. In fact, most Persian stews can be easily expanded to feed a crowd – I guess thousands of years of hospitality and generosity have helped to shape every traditional dish that comes from this wonderful country.

Nooshe jân!

The post Khoresht Bamieh Bademjan Ba Morgh: Persian Eggplant and Okra Stew with Chicken first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Short ribs rolled on the bone and braised bourguignon style; this is my signature short rib recipe that I have used now at several different restaurants and it is ALWAYS a hit. It is also my favorite dish to entertain with because it’s absolutely delicious and all the hard work is done beforehand, so I can enjoy my guests.

Creating short ribs rolled on the bone takes a little knife work. However, the extra attention to detail makes a beautiful presentation and a more succulent finished product.

Ask your butcher for a four bone rack of beef short ribs. I have used racks of three bones before but four is longer and easier to roll. Sweetly ask (beg) the butcher to cut the ribs across the rack in 2 1/2 to 3-inch strips. Or take the ribs home, whip out your band saw and do it yourself! Kidding, kidding, let the butcher do it, I don’t want to get in trouble for bone fragments flying all over the place. This meat cut is similar to what is called “flanken” (often used in Korean BBQ) but larger in size.

Figure on three servings per rack. One strip is going to be leaner because ribs tend to be fattier at one end. If possible take the center cut strips only. Pre-cleaned short rib steaks are often available these days, which will also work, just ask your butcher for some bones to roll the steaks around. They do tend to be shorter in length which makes it much trickier to tie but they are always center cut and meaty which is a bonus. Length does matter here because they need to wrap around a bone.

If you’re doing your own knife work: remove the bones from each strip, by cutting under and around each bone. Clean the best looking bone by trimming excess fat from the strip and any silver skin, then roll strip back around bone and tie with butcher string. Sounds easy, but it will take a little practice to get the hang of it. Luckily short ribs are forgiving.

When tying the kitchen string around the roll start at the bottom, then tie the top, last secure the middle. And don’t tie too tight or your short rib roll will have muffin top!

Generously season the short ribs before searing with Kosher salt and black pepper. Once browned, add mirepoix and sauté until lightly caramelized. Add a bottle of dry red wine, herbs and beef stock and bring to a rolling simmer. Braise, braise, braise…

This time around I served these succulent short ribs with celeriac purée, romanesco broccoli, chanterelles, heirloom baby carrots and a cipollini onion – it was magical if I do say so myself!

I love entertaining with this dish because it can be made a day (or two!) ahead and I don’t have to hover over it before serving which allows me more time to be a hostess. And YES! we will have dinner parties again in the future! It WILL happen! Oh, my kingdom for a good swanky dinner party!

Serve with your favorite sides – buttered pappardelle noodles, celeriac purée (pictured) or mashed potatoes and enjoy!

Here is an old Rolled Short Stroganoff Recipe of mine. There are morel mushrooms in the sauce and also mustard and crème fraîche but, otherwise the technique is the same. But just to show you that this basic recipe can be a great starting place for your braised dishes!

http://www.amyglaze.com/beef-shortrib-stroganoff-braised/

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Last week the tree was loaded with bushels of apples, this week they are practically all gone except for a few from the top. I look forward to my apple harvest every Fall – such a bummer!

And then there’s these other cheeky squirrels that also like to steal my apples…

This is a one skillet dinner that hits all the right notes. It’s earthy. It’s Fall. It’s caramelized leeks, onions, shallots and fennel with roasted apple wedges and juicy roasted double cut pork chops.

And, most importantly, it’s easy. I need ‘easy’ in my life right now. With two very small kiddos, I appreciate dinners that are delicious and fast with minimal clean-up.

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted – last Fall to be exact – I’ve been busy with my two daughters and working on a million projects professionally and personally. My poor old blog has played second fiddle long enough! I started a online magazine called Michelin Mom too, but more on that in weeks to come… Happy Fall!

The post Pork Chops & Pink Apples, Fennel, Shallot & Thyme first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

I am loving boneless short rib steaks right now, which is a relatively new butcher cut in the markets. They are big (about the length of a New York Strip), thick, satisfying, trimmed of extra fat and easier to prepare than chunks of stew meat – it’s less time consuming to sear/brown large flat surfaces of three large pieces of meat than twenty small chunks. But yes, you can substitute stew meat if you can’t find this novelty cut in the chaos.

This braised short rib stew is basically the same as as a classic beef bourguignon, I’ve just subbed the red wine for Guinness instead.

Wishing you and yours a happy St. Patrick’s Day. Hunker down, social distance, flatten out the curve and be well! Slaínte! We will get through this! And Guinness will help!

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Look, you need to have a talk with the farmers in your area (if you don’t have the space to grow a Pink Pearl apple tree) and tell them that this apple needs to be grown commercially and that it will sell out! It is BY FAR the best apple to bake with and eat fresh. It has the perfect sweet-tart combo and it is firm–– great for pies and tarts. And they are also beautiful with bright pink flesh and thin greenish yellow skin that is often blushed in red. Layla loves to eat them right off the tree, they are that good. (She’s three years old and very, very picky).

This recipe, like most of mine these days, is simple. It’s a 30 minute recipe and that includes cooking and prep time. With all recipes that are simple, the quality of ingredients is the most important and here that starts with the pork chop. These are double cut bone-in pork chops and they are humanely raised. It’s extremely hard to find organic pork products, but these are about as close as can be. I really like the way the butcher left some of the rind on too. I prefer chops that are center cut.

I have a specific method for cooking pork chops so they come out tender because on one hand the meat of the pork chops cooks quickly (quicker than beef, I think) but the fat takes much longer to render, and that’s where all the flavor is. I begin the chops on their sides in a cast iron skillet, browning slowly on all outer edges, allowing the fat to get nice and gooey golden. Then I put the chops face down and pop them in a medium-hot oven to finish.

I remove the pan from the oven, decant the chops to a plate to keep warm and deglaze the pan with a little rosé wine or white wine, stock (or water), a splash of apple juice and allow all to reduce scraping up the pan drippings along the way. When I’ve got a 1/4 cup of jus in the pan, I shake in 3 tablespoons of butter and add my apple slices – I barely cook the apples – I just warm them through. Season with salt, add some lemon thyme and voilà, c’est fini!

Oh wait, there’s the celeriac too! Celeriac (celery root) is a celebrated thing in our house because some one always ends up with the “magic celery root” gag gift at our White Elephant Christmas Party. We do like to eat it too and not just stuff it in garishly decorated boxes. It is not related to celery but it does taste similar.

How to prepare this weird root? Cut the thick dirty edges off with a knife (don’t peel ) and chop quickly and cook in a ‘blanc’ or a mixture of water and cream that just barely covers all. The lactic acid will keep the celeriac from discoloring –and it does discolor quickly, so don’t wait to toss it in the pot. Simmer the celery root until soft, and then purée in a Vitaprep with some of the cooking liquid and a few tablespoons (or more, who am I to judge?) of butter.

The post Pink Peppercorn Pork Chops, with Pink Pearl Apples, Lemon Thyme, Pan Jus and Creamy Celery Root Purée first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

I didn’t want to leave you hanging with that last saffron cherry rice dish (albaloo polo). I know you were like: What do we serve with it lady?!?

Our fav is saffron chicken kabobs. As Layla’s Mama Bozorg (Grandma) always says, “you can never have enough saffron!” Whether cooking thigh meat or breast over a charcoal barbecue (preferably), jujeh kabobs are a staple in Persian cooking.

What makes jujeh kabobs so special and so incredibly delicious? The magical vibrant look and taste of saffron for one, but also the simple onion marinade and the onion juice that is brushed over towards the end of cooking. And there’s just something extra macho-feeling about cooking two-foot long kabobs!

Persians like variety. In our family, we rarely serve just one type of kabob. Normally we’ll serve koubideh alongside our jujeh kabobs. And there’s a reason for this. Koubideh kabob is made of ground beef, sometimes mixed with lamb too, and grated onion that has been wrung out in cheesecloth to remove the juice. The juice from the onion can be used for the chicken kabobs and the pulp for the beef kabobs. Making koubideh is an art form in itself and I’ll tackle that mountain soon – it’s not easy to get the meat onto the actual stakes correctly.

There are two types of jujeh kabob recipes. One is with yogurt (which is the way my Mother-in-Law makes them) or without yogurt which is how we make them at Faz’s restaurants. In the yogurt version the saffron is mixed in with the yogurt marinade, in the Faz version, saffron-onion juice is brushed over the kabob while cooking and not added to the marinade. I will put both versions down below for you to choose from. They are both delicious, I really don’t have a preference. The yogurt marinade does make the chicken a little more tender.

Saffron. Yeah, that little plastic jar that contains 3 threads is cute. That’s not going to cut it Persian cooking. Do not buy your saffron from a normal super market. It’s a rip off. Go online or go to a Persian or Middle Eastern market for saffron. They will sell it in a big package so you can use it properly. The best way to make use of it, is to grind it all up in a burr grinder and keep it in an air tight container.

Here’s a funny little trick on how to “bloom” saffron before mixing it into marinades or adding it to rice that my Mother-in-Law uses: sprinkle the saffron over ice cubes and let it melt to room temperature. Don’t use hot water. The reason? You don’t want to dilute the flavor or aroma or “cook” it twice. It also preserves the beautiful orange-yellow color.

What to serve with Saffron Chicken Kabobs? Saffron rice of course! Or Saffron Sour Cherry rice. We normally pair them with grilled Tomatoes, Shirazi salad and I could never eat kabobs without mast-o-khiar which is a lebneh cucumber dip.

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With a prosciutto this delicious, I recommend serving as-is with something complimentary that accentuates it’s natural nuanced nutty flavors without overpowering. I’ve opted for a refreshing summer salad of juicy pluots & plums with mildly bitter frisée & wild arugula, a few ethereal curls of shaved sweet fennel lightly dressed in a puckery red wine vinaigrette. Throw in a little torn mint and some chives plus a handful of toasted hazelnuts and some crumbled blue cheese, and you’ve got a beautiful complimentary summer salad.

What elevates this dish from just another ho-hum light dinner (besides the Prosciutto) is the dukkah spiced flatbread. Whaaat!?!?!? You’ve never heard of dukkah??!!!! Oh my GAWD! Okay, so you need to add this little nutty spice mix to your repertoire because it is great on so many dishes including chicken and fish. And yes, you can buy it in stores (Trader Joe’s carries it) although I think homemade is the best. Dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend of nuts (including hazelnut which really picks up the nuanced acorn flavor of the prosciutto) plus a bunch of toasted spices, a pinch of red chili flake for heat and dry mint which is like a subtle cool breeze to the tastebuds.

This prosciutto find came my way when my Canadian bestie and foodie/chef friend, Ivan Shaw, treated me to a prosciutto tasting when visiting for Layla’s birthday. He of course had heard of La Quercia and I had not. But we were both surprised to see how it stood out against French and Italian products. The subtle acorn and delicate fennel really came through, especially in the fat, while the others were mostly one note.

Get out there and try some American prosciutto!

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It has been eye opening to see what a toddler can do in the kitchen without preconceived notions as to what may or may not be challenging. It has definitely been a wake up call for me as a parent to not pre-judge my child’s intellectual capabilities or interests.

For example, Layla takes pâte brisée and rolls it out and flips it about like a pro and for this pasta recipe, I thought for sure it would be too difficult, but she got right up on her chair and helped make the dough by hand and then guide our finished product out from the pasta roller . And she had no problem helping me stuff our little half moons – or “pockets” as she calls them – pressing gently around the filling to release air bubbles. She punched the pasta out and then dusted it with a little flour to prevent sticking and neatly placed her pockets with no overlap on a plate. Honestly, I don’t know where she channeled this from. I’ve never made homemade pasta for her.

The only caveat to making great ravioli is that you do need a pasta roller of some sort. Thanks to my dear foodie friends Ivan and Nadine, I have a professional KitchenAid with every attachment known to mankind (best house warming gift ever!). I also have an old-school counter mounted hand crank type pasta roller, and this one is not easy to use because it doesn’t stay attached to the counter. My only warning to parents making this recipe with kids is: young children should not be allowed to work an electric pasta roller on their own because their little fingers could potentially get caught and crushed – ‘yes’ on catching the pasta from the bottom and ‘no’ on feeding it into the roller.

This recipe came about because I’m working on how to get orange foods past Layla’s pursed lips. Orange foods (sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, squash, etc) are disgusting in her mind and they get shoved far across the plate and sometimes just thrown to our pup – who doesn’t like them either.

I am a true believer that it becomes easier to eat things you hate if you spend time cooking and preparing them in the kitchen. For me, my time cooking on the Meat Station at Guy Savoy in Paris helped me to get over my disdain for thymus glands, liver, and brains. I still won’t go out of my way to eat those things, but I’m not as grossed out as I used to be by offal. For Layla, that’s just orange veggies.

In order to face her orange fears, we roasted a whole butternut and then puréed it in the VitaPrep. We made nutty smelling brown butter and added it to our butternut purée base. She did try it. Twice. It didn’t totally pass muster but at least she tried it. We added half of our purée to a cupcake recipe topped with a salted caramel whipped cream frosting and she decided that maybe – just maybe – butternut was okay.

To the other half of the purée we added parmesan and ricotta and she tasted it and her response was: “Layla doesn’t like it” (she refers to herself in the third person still). But then she tried it again and there was no response so I could tell she was thinking about it. I was hopeful that her silence meant: “hmmm, maybe I like this”.

But no, the finished product was a no-go. Even with the seriously yummy maple Parmesan cream. She did eat the pasta around the ravioli. My husband and I wolfed the ravioli down and we ate her portion up too! This is a delicious recipe perfect for the cold weather and if you’re making it for some one special on Valentine’s Day, then they are going to love you forever (unless it’s for a two-year-old named Layla).

What’s the moral of the story you might ask? Well, here’s my Mommy take away: if you want your toddler to just eat something they aren’t sure about, sugar coat it in a cupcake. But if you want your Little One to gain appreciation and understanding of something they dislike, show them up close that their fears are unfounded by introducing them personally to the source – they will eventually come around. Oh, and making ravioli is easy, even a two year old can do it.

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After 16 years of writing about food, you’d think I could at least get some recipes out before the actual event, but no, I just get too busy! I did do things different this Christmas and I want to share my revelation even though it’s after the fact.

I finally created a feast I could make the day before the event so I could spend more time with family and friends instead of running around like a headless chicken cooking everything à la minute. This year I just pulled platters out of my fridge, plopped them on the buffet table and reheated the foods that needed to be hot. It was wonderful! Glorious in fact! Long live the buffet table! 

Normally for the holidays, I do these crazy elaborate meals with hot and cold appetizers, a multiple coursed dinner and elaborate desserts for a crowd – anywhere from 15 to 30 people. I tent my backyard and decorate to the max and honestly, it’s just exhausting to prepare. The end result is always beautiful but it takes a physical and emotional toll on the whole family. By the time the actual celebration arrives, we can’t enjoy it because we’re tired. Maybe when we’re out of the toddler era and sleeping normally we’ll enjoy setting up that kind of party again.

Since I’m very pregnant and very uncomfortable and I also have a toddler running around, I decided to simplify things this year. And you know what? I think this was one of my best holiday menus yet! I did zero actual cooking on Christmas day which left a lot more time to enjoy our yearly White Elephant party and lounge around. And I thought the food looked and tasted beautiful.

The Holiday menu:

Deluxe Bloody Mary Bar

Roasted Whole Salmon with Niçoise Salad garnish

Pistachio Cardamom Poundcake with Winter Citrus Orange Blossom Salad

4-inch Quiche Lorraine

Clam Chowder Cups with Dill & Thyme

Rosemary and Garlic Roast Beef French Dip Sandwiches with Au Jus

Bedazzled Pistachio frangipane & Chocolate Tart with Soft Whipped Cream.

I hope to follow up with the recipes over the next few weeks. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2019 full of LOVE!

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The magazine pairs the flank steak with grilled baby artichokes, roasted potatoes and for dessert a grilled balsamic glazed nectarine topped with marscapone. I’m sure there was a soup or salad to start but I don’t have the full issue. I used my Mom’s signature grilled artichoke recipe instead of the one suggested. And of course, I’ve altered the steak recipe and adjusted it to what’s growing in my Chef’s garden at present. 

And about my garden – what is going on California?!?! – my heirloom tomatoes are going nuts! It’s October!!! I know this is a Summer recipe of sorts, but my tomatoes are just hitting their stride and I think we might be headed towards another Indian Summer here on the West Coast. I’ve got Green Zebras, Early Girls, Slicers, Marzano, Sungold cherry tomatoes, yellow pear cherry tomatoes and one other type of cherry that I have no name for. None of my plants are ‘determinate’ and they have hit about seven feet in height so far with no signs of slowing down.

Layla does not like tomatoes. However, she did pop a Sungold in her mouth after I told her it tasted like a strawberry. It came back out shortly after she felt the tomato jelly ooze. I think it was more of a texture freak-out than a flavor issue. She does like to hunt for the ripe ones though. My old family pup Annie (short for Anniversary), used to love to pop cherry tomatoes in her mouth. She would never swallow them but I think she thought it was fun!

Flank steak is a quick meal. It takes me about 3 minutes per side on the BBQ for medium rare meat. The real key to this recipe is making the cherry tomato relish about an hour before and letting it sit at room temperature. The sherry vinegar and salt draw out the tomato juice to make a delicious vinaigrette that melds perfectly with the steak’s juices. If you are not an olive fan, they can be subbed for capers – anything salty and meaty tasting works in this relish. Add a side of mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, polenta or even wild rice to make a hearty meal.

Credit, where credit is due, here is the original recipe that I adapated from Bon Appetit: Herb Crusted Flank Steak with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

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Yes, it helps if you have a rotisserie at home but if not, you can simply roast a leg of lamb in the oven with minimal effort. I make my own flatbread, but toasted/grilled lavash or even naan can be substituted. And french fries are definitely a must. Don’t ask me why. I just need french fries with this sandwich. In Paris they roll the french fries into the shawarma for a really delicious hearty bite. Yum.

I like to add Persian Mast o’ Khiar and I’ll post the full recipe in the next post. It’s a super tasty yogurt-dill-cucumber dip that goes great with meat but, it can also be scooped up with flat bread and eaten all on it’s own.

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Neither my Husband or my daughter, Layla, like chicken. My husband might be tempted if it’s slowly stewed in a thick sauce of pomegranate and ground walnuts or marinated in saffron and onion juice and cooked on long skewers over a charcoal fire, but neither daughter or hubby get excited about a roasted chicken or a baked breast. I can’t really blame them actually, once you’ve tasted Fesenjoon or Jujeh kabob, it’s hard to go back. But fried chicken, on the other hand,  disappears quickly.

I originally created this spice rub for Faz Restaurasnt for our Persian popcorn chicken appetizer. It flew out the door to say the least. The spices are a mixture of Persian sun dried lime, toasted cumin, tumeric, smoked paprika and salt. Sun dried limes (dried whole Persian Bearss limes) give an awesome sour kick. These limes are mostly used in stews like Gormeh Sabzi (meat stew with sun dried limes and braised green fresh herbs) where they are added whole and simmered slowly with other ingredients. But here, for this spice blend, I just toss them into the Vitamix along with the other spices and whirr away.

Sumac is another interesting spice that adds a pleasing sour pucker. My husband likes to spoon sumac over his saffron rice and on top of meat too. I find here, that it gives ripe, sweet peaches a little extra zing. Sumac is not a spice-y spice in terms of heat. It’s quite mild and, like sundried lime, is on the tart side.

Sabzi means ‘greens’ in farsi and refers to green herbs in recipes. No Persian meal is truly complete without a sabzi platter consisting of lemon basil, tarragon (the kind with fat leaves), mint and scallions. It’s a healthy antioxidant mixture often served alongside peeled walnuts and feta. The sabzi mixture gets rolled up in barbari bread or lavash with feta and eaten as an appetizer or added alongside the other various dishes being served for the meal.

Oh and Persians love raw onions! My husband would eat them like apples if I let him – which I don’t – for the obvious reasons! He shoves whole scallions in sandwiches along with all the other sabzi herbs and munches happily away. Me, not so much. My daughter, she likes onions too. Must be in the genes!

I just can’t seem to plate a protein without some sort of swoop these days. This one is an easy saffron aioli! You can cheat and add ground saffron to your mayo if you’re in a hurry. I won’t tell anyone. And, if I wasn’t mostly-gluten-free this whole meal would really be great as a sandwich on a brioche bun.

Salamati!

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Chorizo & Feta Stuffed Calamari with Marinated bean salad

Or just give me a table somewhere in the Mediterranean on the beach with a bottle of rosé and let me pick through the seasonal menu at my leisure while basking in the sun and salty sea air… that could work too…

A few tricks of the trade when it comes to calamari: if buying frozen tubes (which is fine, I’m not judging, they’re cheap!) make sure to thaw carefully in the refrigerator or under running cold water. Tubes pulled apart while frozen will rip and be unstuffable. If they do break just grill them anyway and slice into rings – they make a great addition to the marinated bean salad.

If buying fresh calamari that are not cleaned either keep the purple outer coat on with the floppy side rudders or peel it all off. I prefer to peel it off. I think they grill and sear better without that flimsy purple coat. However, I sometimes leave it on for braised calamari.

Stuffed Calamari!

Make sure to finger inspect the inside of each tube, that goes for the frozen ones too, and pull out the inner clear plastic-looking cartilage. This innertube cartilage is inedible and it’s easy to choke on because it’s practically invisible. Always check for freshness and keep refrigerated until ready to cook. They go bad quickly. If they smell ammoniated throw them out.

How to Stuff Calamari – do NOT overfill!

When it comes to stuffing calamari be creative! Sometimes I use ricotta & herbs, or mushrooms & crab, or sausage & tomato, or feta & sausage. Just keep in mind that the stuffing can’t be too wet. That doesn’t mean breadcrumbs are necessary (I rarely use them), but the stuffing will ooze out during the cooking process if it’s too juicy and this will cause flare-ups on your grill or it will give you a messy pan sear.

Chorizo, Feta, and Mint Stuffing for Calamari

Do NOT overstuff the calamari tubes. They will either break while filling or burst while cooking. Once the calamari hits the frying pan or the grill, it puffs up and changes from a slippery floppy plastic-y thing into a taught turbo tube. Only fill to 1/2-inch of the mouth of the tube and secure it with a toothpick. (pictured above – see how they are just gently filled and they don’t look they are going to pop?)

I prefer to use a pastry bag to fill or just a regular ziploc with the corner cut off – this makes the process much easier. I lie both the stuffing bag and the tube flat and squeeze instead of holding them in my hand. If you’re doing 100 of these little guys, I guarantee my method will make it go faster.

Marinated white beans salad with: cherry tomato, oregano, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley

And one last tip: LUBE your TUBE before grilling or pan searing with cooking oil! This will help to minimize breakage.

Sear stuffed calamari on a hot grill (or hot pan) and remove to a less hot spot to cook through.  They only take a few minutes to cook , overcooked they’re tough and rubbery. The calamari will be opaque white when done. If there’s concern about the stuffing temperature, then by all means stick your finger in there and see if it’s hot! Or insert a testing rod and check it against your bottom lip.

This chorizo and feta stuffing is salty (in a good way) but needs the vinaigrette of the Tuscan salad to cut through it so liberally serve up the tomatoes and beans. Hope this hits the spot!

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Roast Pork Loin with Prickly Pear Guajillo Glaze

I slathered this pork roast with my go-to rub made up of toasted & ground: cumin, coriander, guajillo chili, and pasilla chili. Mid way through the cooking process I glazed it with a prickly pear gastrique (fruit purée reduced with vinegar & sugar) infused with fresh bay leaf. I strongly prefer fresh bay leaf if you happen to have a tree somewhere close – it is much stronger and more herbaceous than the dry version. To kick it up a notch I threw in a Thai red chili. But of course, that could be left out.

Prickly pear gastrique infused with fresh bay leaf

I like to provide options to my guests and on the side I served up my favorite Guajillo BBQ sauce along with pan jus which was oh so dunkable from the caramelized glaze and spices melding with the natural juices. This pork was raised on Pie Ranch and had wonderful flavor and texture from the incredible “slop” it was fed consisting of homegrown organic vegetables and extra cow & goat milk. I think some acorns were thrown into the mix too which pigs absolutely adore.

Spice rubbed pork loin roast

Pie Ranch Pork Loin

Just a reminder: prickly pears are actually VERY prickly (I found out the hard way).

They have tiny little hairs that will stick into your skin and they do not come out easily. Mostly because they are invisible so you can’t see them find them. Make sure to handle this fruit with gloves or a kitchen towel!

Prickly Pear syrup

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Beef Empanadas made by Edible After School

We have tried out many recipes over the year some gluten -ree and some a combination of flour and masa. The masa recipes are harder to work with for turnovers (we do like to make tacos with it though) and not as flaky even when we use lard instead of butter. But they are much more flavorful and more traditional. A mixture of flour and masa can be used as well. The best mixed masa-flour empanada dough recipe we tested is Martha Stewart’s:  flour-masa dough. However, my students prefer the flour recipe (printed below) for its ease and super flakiness.

Game Day Beef Empanadas with Avocado Crema

We have yet to experiment with some of the new non-gluten all-purpose flour mixtures that are now on the market but I’ve heard lots of praise from King Arthur’s new mixture as well as Cup4Cup developed by Lena Kwok for Thomas Keller at the French Laundry.

Empanada dough is made using the same as technique as a shortcrust except there is vinegar and egg added to the wet ingredients.

First, cut in the fat with the flour, then add the wet ingredients (vinegar, water, egg) until the dough comes together, and lastly knead dough a few times until it is pliable. It’s important to beat the egg with the wet ingredients and mix them thoroughly together (don’t add the egg separately) before adding to dry ingredients or the dough doesn’t combine well and it changes the elasticity. You will find your dough streaked with tough dried out yolk if you don’t head my words!

If making to consume for a later date: freeze empanadas on parchment on a baking sheet making sure they’re not touching. Once completely frozen they can be stacked and stored in ziplock bags without the risk of the the meat pies crushing, touching, or smooshing each other.

Don’t worry about defrosting them, just place the frozen disks on a baking sheet and bake away!

Puente’s Edible After School has been written up in Edible Magazine and other local publications including theHalfmoon Bay Review. Our program has existed for two years through sponsors like the Packard Foundation and private donors but we are ever growing and expanding and looking for help to buy ingredients, pay for kitchen rental, and buy computers so that we can add technology to our class and create an online teen-run cooking program and manage an online store selling our jams, pickles, and grab n’ go market items. Would you consider a donation to our program to help us continue teaching practical Math & English, Nutrition, basic & intermediate cooking, food safety & handling, teamwork and leadership?

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Puente’s Edible After School cooks Pork Spare Ribs for the Farmer Appreciation Dinner

And regardless of which football team you are rooting for (I’m assuming that you are going for Denver because we all know how Seattle robbed SF in that last game and those flippant remarks to Crabtree were totally un-sportsman like. And the fact they blocked Californians from buying tickets from their should-be-illegal-stadium was and is ABSURD!)

A cook expertly seasons the ribs – how to season like a pro!

These ribs were prepared by my culinary students for a Pescadero Farmer Appreciation dinner but we unanimously agree they would be great for the Super Bowl. We cooked and served a 4 -course meal consisting of all local ingredients: celeriac soup with seared scallops & bacon, bitter greens with winter citrus & fennel, spareribs with guajillo BBQ sauce, smashed rutabega, buttermilk biscuits and sautéed swiss chard.

The swiss chard being my addition of course, none of my students would voluntarily vote for this vegetable although several admitted it didn’t taste that bad. We finished the meal with homemade apple empanadas with vanilla ice cream and cajeta sauce.

A cook prepares the BBQ sauce with local fire roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, and dried ancho and guajillo chilis

I am exceptionally proud of their hard work and continual joy &  laughter they bring to each and every class which makes me feel young and reminds me of why I first came to this profession. And I am always super impressed with their professionalism and ability to focus under pressure whether we are serving our community at the farmer’s market or catering small and large parties in the county.

We plated everything pretty for our guests but for ourselves we served up spareribs in craft paper trays which would be easy to do for a Super Bowl party (even if you are a Seattle Seahawk fan) and would require little clean-up.

There were plenty of smiles to go around, and a lot of nodding while eating – a silent but expressive admission of pure delicious success.  The students think the BBQ sauce is killer and yes, we do sell it at the market so look for it this Spring at the Pescadero Farmer’s Market and maybe online if we ever get computers (hint, hint) donated to our class.

Pork Spare Ribs with Guajillo BBQ sauce

We hope to see you at our stall at the Pescadero Farmer’s Market coming up this Farm season! Or perhaps for one of our Farm to Table dinners showcasing our local organic farms. Dates to be announced and, as always, dependent on when the growing season starts this year. Looks like it’s going to be an early one….

Puente’s Edible After School has been written up in Edible Magazine and other local publications including the Halfmoon Bay Review. Our program has existed for two years through sponsors like the Packard Foundation and private donors but we are ever growing and expanding and looking for help to buy ingredients, pay for kitchen rental, and buy computers so that we can add technology to our class and create an online teen-run cooking program where we post recipes and also manage an online store selling our jams, pickles, and grab n’ go market items. Would you consider a donation to our program to help us continue teaching practical Math & English, Nutrition, basic & intermediate cooking, food safety & handling, teamwork and leadership?

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Cowboy and Pitmaster Jeremiah with Me at Potrero Nuevo Farm.

Every hour or two you both stand around and talk about the game plan as the pig turns one rotation per minute and you let Jeremiah take the meat temperature from different parts – because his arms are much longer than yours – while trying not to die of smoke inhalation because the direction of the light breeze is following you both around the pit.

As the Pig turns…. one full rotation every minute

Next you stand around the pig and take pictures with the farmer’s that raised the heritage pig: Suzie & Jay Trexler co-farm managers of Potrero Nuevo Farm and founders of Tunitas Creek Kitchen.

When the hog is cooked to 160˚F (figure 1 hour for every 10 lbs. at 225˚F) you push the indirect fire away and just let it slowly continue to turn on the spit so the juices reabsorb. This way the pig rests and you can actually carve it without burning your fingertips off – well sort of – it’s still going to be pretty darned hot even if it rests for thirty minutes.

We went through about two pallets of firewood over 8 hours and used whatever applewood we could find from neighboring farms mixed in with oak and eucalyptus. Jeremiah did a great job with the fire and created indirect piles next to the 4 honches with some coals alongside the belly (as you can see from the pics below) and then replenished them as needed.

His spit held the pig sturdy – better than any I have ever seen – and this took a few people to secure because the main rod is going to go from nose to tail (ouch!!!) Jeremiah’s spit securely bolted the pig to the spit.

Jeremiah’s spit with braces that bolt on to the pig

No need to brine or inject the pig with marinade unless you want to. I prefer the pig to taste like pig and the sauces can be added on top afterward. And we didn’t coat it with oil before roasting because we didn’t want the skin to turn black. Once that skin turns to crackle no salt or seasoning rub is going to stick to it, so again, it’s best to season after wards.

Jeremiah’s amazing motorized spit can take up to 200lbs. Jay Jackson Photography

Lastly, you enlist Jeremiah and another cowboy (my husband in this case) to carry the 170lbs. pig to your make-shift carving station (2 saw horses with a piece of really thick ply wood over the top). Stick an apple in the mouth for your guests to see and go for it.

Taking the pig off the spit….

Spit Roasted Pit ready to carve up

Why the obligatory apple? I’m not sure but it is necessary…

Beautifully cooked spit roasted pig with perfect crackle and totally cooked juicy meat

Note: this is the second pig roast I’ve done and no matter how amazing your butchering skills are, spit roasted pork is going to look pretty much the same color which is a greyish-white. I take the legs off and carve them, then go for the loin and slice it up, then cut in between the ribs and serve those too, and cut the pork belly into chunks.

I put large pieces of crackle over the top of the platters (boy oh boy does crackle from a pig that’s been perfectly spit-roasted taste amazing) and serve with a bunch of sauces on the table – in this case guajillo BBQ sauce, tomatillo salsa, and blue cheese dressing.

Spit Roasted Pig. Photography Jay Jackson

But lets not forget the sides and I will follow up with recipes in another post. Because a pig roast has got to come with a plethora of accoutrements. I started the meal with cornmeal crusted fried green tomatoes and long zucchini sticks, then served a Fire and Ice salad with watermelon, tomatillo, pickled jalapeno and smoked chili d’arbol vinaigrette. For the mains I served a smoked potato salad, an heirloom tomato-corn-dragon lingerie been succotash with hot bacon vinaigrette & smoked padron peppers, and ranchero cattle beans with pickled vegetables. And cheddar scallion cornbread to soak up all the juices and corn tortillas.

Dragon Lingerie Succotash: corn, dry farmed tomatoes, padrons, basil & bacon vinaigrette.

Finger lickin’ good!

Smoked Potato Salad with Chopped Hard Cooked Farm Egg, Tarragon, and Mustard Sauce. Jay Jackson Photography

Cowboy Up Cattle Beans. Jay Jackson Photography

If you are seriously interested in renting Jeremiah’s spit or having the Jay & Suzie Trexler (pictured below) raise a pig for your event please contact me and I will put you in touch with the powers that be. Only serious inquisitions will be tolerated. The rest will be thrown out with the slop!

Tunitas Creek Kitchen! Farmer’s Suzie &Jay Trexler who raised the pig and all the produce at Potrero Nuevo Farm

For more pictures from our pig roast please check out http://found-images.smugmug.com/Tanitas-Creek-Half-Moon-Bay We were blessed with a professional photographer, Jay Jackson, as one of our guests who captured our day, our guests, and our food in beautiful ways. Thank you Jay! Still blown away by your pictures….

Pig Roast Sides:

Smoked Potato Salad with Tarragon and Hard Cooked Egg

Dragon Lingerie Succotash & Hot Bacon Vinaigrette

Cowboy Up Cattle Beans

Sautéed Greens with Pine Nuts and Red Spring Onion

The post How to Roast a Whole Hog On a Spit first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Farm Fresh Eggs from Tunitas Creek Organic Eggs at Potrero Nuevo Farm

Once you have mastered the art of gently cracking the shell top with one of the devices pictured below without shattering the entire shell, then you can move on to the easy part which is the custard filling. A word of advice on using this instrument: crack gently then use the butt of a pairing knife to crack/puncture the top of the shell and peel down to the crack line. Then discard the white & yellow into a container to reserve for the custard.

Rösler, a German company, makes this device for cutting the top off of soft poached eggs but it works well for raw eggs too

Your egg shells should look like the photo below when you are done. You will break a lot when you are just beginning – don’t beat yourself up about it – just keep your eyes on the prize. Everyone comes up with their own technique for perfection. Place the egg shells back in the carton when they are cleaned. They will cook in the cartons so don’t jette them!

Tunitas Creek Organic Egg Shell Cups

Before making the custard it’s a good idea to sauté your shallot and bacon. You should see the size of the shallots growing here at Potrero Nuevo Farm. Holy Moly, I don’t know what they put in the soil (yes, it is an organic farm) but I have never in my life – not even in France – seen or tasted shallots quite like these. First off, they’re about as big as my whole entire hand. Secondly, they’re juicy when you cut into them. I don’t know if I’m crying tears of joy half the time or tears of onion fume inhalation. Either way, they are magnificent.

The bacon is also special. Suzie & Jay, co-farm manager’s, just processed the Berkshire pigs they’ve been raising for our events and for customers that bought shares, and we have some pretty serious bacon – O.M.G. do we have bacon! It’s not even funny how delicious it is. I can’t even cook it for events without eating half. It’s amazing there was even enough bacon for this recipe after I demolished most of it.

Fill your nicely cleaned eggs shells (remove that little lining inside if possible and give them a rinse in cold water) with bacon and shallot and Gruyère cheese. I know Gruyère is expensive but you only need a little bit and quiche Lorraine is not quiche Lorraine without it.

Quiche Lorraine in Egg Shell Cups

After the garnishes have been gently administered. The custard can be poured in over top. This part is really easy. Which is a good thing because – I’m not going to lie to you here– making the actual egg cups is a total nightmare (there’s another word for “nightmare” but I think my students are on to my blog so….)

Gently place the cartons into a large baking pan and fill it with boiling hot water just below the edge of the carton so the water comes up about 1/3rd the side of the egg shell. Cover tightly with tin foil and bake at 350˚F for about 15-20 minutes. When they are just set and have stopped jiggling all over, then they are done.

Garnish with caviar, micro greens, herbs – you name it – make ’em look pretty.

Quiche Lorraine Appetizer in Egg Shell Cups

Here’s another picture of this very same appetizer made with pancetta instead of bacon and topped with caviar:

Caviar topped Egg Custard Baked in Eggs Shells

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Fresh Ham packed in Herbs, Lemon & Orange Peel, & Fennel Seed and Larded in Bacon

It was hard to tell whether this cut was the lower shank, which is preferable, or the whole ham because it was already boned out and de-fatted before I got to it. However, if you have the option go for the lower shank part and I would not bone it out (tastes better and way more dramatic to present table side) and I would leave the fat and the skin on because it adds so much flavor while roasting. Yes, it makes it harder to cut – you need to score the skin down through fat layer otherwise it’s impossible to cut through without a jigsaw – but I think the flavor is far superior.

Pork fat is just one of the best things on earth!

I did not brine this ham, although that would have worked well, but instead made an herbed salt pack with orange & lemon peel, fennel seed, rosemary, garlic, and thyme and left it on for 15 hours and I did not wash it off before roasting. Because there was very little fat the citrus oils, herbs, and salinity permeated thoroughly.

Fresh ham from a Pie Ranch Berkshire Pig

Had there been fat I would have scored it all over vertically and horizontally to the size I wanted to slice it and then rubbed the herbed salt pack in between the crevices. I larded the ham with strips of bacon because I needed fat to help baste this beast. The bacon wasn’t for serving – it just gets too crispy during the long cooking time. For a smaller more tender cut like pork loin roasts, larding with bacon works well because it cooks faster.

Cooking in a wood fire oven is a little tricky but I love and prefer it because I can fit so many dishes in one space and the flavor is incredible! I roasted this ham for two and half hours. When I put the roast in, the temp was around to 425˚F and then it fell to around 325˚F by the time it was done. This temperature drop works in favor of roasting a tougher piece of meat like this. Love that smokey flavor – yum, yum!

Fresh Ham with Citrus Peel Fennel Seed Herb Crust

I have to warn you, when you slice into Fresh Ham it is not going to be pink like a cured ham. It’s going to be white-ish grey. That’s how it is. And if you try to cook it medium rare it looks wrong because the flesh is dark pink and it stands out against the cooked meat. Go for just below medium on this cut called  “demi anglais” or “rosé à plus“.  If you take the roast out at around 145˚F it should rise to 152-155˚F which is below the American Medium temperature of 160˚F.

Just don’t “carbonisé” it!

I served it with wheat berries and large roasted white spring onions and fennel that I let cook away in the pan juices of the ham. The jus was incredible with all that flavor from the caramelized onions and fennel and herb citrus drippings and a little white wine – just awesome!

Wheat Berries and Roasted Onions and Fennel

I love Pie Ranch! Fun! Come join us for our next French Cooking Class dates to be announced….

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I’m eager to see what Farm Manager Maggi has in store for me in the walk-in fridge…

There is nothing casual about lunch at Pie Ranch. The effort starts with the planting & harvesting and continues through the preparation and clean up. Pie staff might pitch it in a similar way if you happen to be booking a team-building event or you are a corporate donor like Google or the Packard Foundation – but there is nothing casual about a 4 course lunch at least from my viewpoint. Don’t let the country-chic table setting fool ya!

Casual Chic table Setting at Pie Ranch

Jered, farmer/owner of Pie Ranch is a master fire builder and he has started the fire and the perimeter burn of the oven for me. I have requested the oven to be around 600˚F by 12PM for the 10 chickens that will get roasted and the plethora of side dishes and pies that will follow ensuite.

Building a fire in wood burning stove is an art. It takes hours. Jared starts a fire in the middle of the oven, then pushes the coals back around the edges (perimeter burn) while continuing to build a bigger fire covering more of the floor. This process is repeated until finally the oven is at temperature and is retaining the heat. At this point we normally either opt to scrape out all the coals or push them to the outskirts depending on what we are cooking.

I absolutely love cooking in woodfire ovens – the flavor cannot be beat– but they present some challenges and each woodfire oven is a little different so it’s important to do a test run if you are unsure and cooking for a crowd. For today’s menu and multiple courses it’s really important that I have heat for an extended period of time so I’ve opted to not scrape the coals and I want some of that redidual smokiness in my food.

However, when I cook bread and pies, I do usually scrape out all the ash so I can bake right on the floor of the oven. And even though I am making foccacia today and I will be finishing with pies, I still need to get 10 chickens and two side dishes cooked inbetween. I love this kind of challenge!

Woodfire Roast Chicken after 10 minutes.

I’m particular about how to cook chicken in a woodfire oven. And you may or may not agree with my methodology but they come out perfectly crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside and I always receive tons of unsolicited compliments. If you use a different method I hope you comment because I’m very interested!

First of all I choose smaller birds around 3.50 to 3.85 pounds (just keep it under 4) because they cook more evenly throughout. Size is really important here and bigger is not better because I am not slow roasting. I want these birds to cook in 35 minutes. Secondly I do not truss the chicken. That’s right, I said I DO NOT truss the chicken. I picked this tip up from Judy Rogers whose signature dish is a woodfire roasted chicken. Her reasoning is that hot air can circulate more freely in and around the birdy and the dark meat will cook a little faster which you want or you will end up with dry breasts – quelle horreur– dry breasts!

Now here’s the part that’s debatable: I do not believe in brining the bird. Chef Rogers does, I do not. I have tried it both ways and I have not found brining to make it any juicier and I do find that it can steam things up more than I like. I prefer to season generously with salt right before roasting.

I do brine many things. And I like milk brined birds when cooked in conventional ovens. But if you are starting out with a truly magnificent chicken that is organic and fresh then you will not need to brine.  The heat should seal in the juice on its own. If you don’t have the luxury of fresh organic chickens then by all means brine away or if you are fire roasting a bird larger than 4 pounds you should brine. Note that many industrial chicken farms pump their birds with a saline solution so brining will be a double whammy and it’s always a good idea to read the package.

Nothing like sticking your arms into a VERY HOT oven!!!

Okay, now that the truth is out and you now know that I’m a brine hater and a no-trusser, here’s a few more particulars: due to the fact that butter burns and I plan on roasting at a very high temperature, I slather olive oil on my generously seasoned birds. In a conventional oven you will find me roasting chicken with up to a whole stick  (or more) of softened butter shaping the breasts and upper drum sticks, but in a woodfire oven the butter would burn too fast and taint my jus. Don’t taint my jus, okay? That’s my favorite part!

I do not want the bottom of the chickens to burn on the floor of the oven so I cut just cured yellow onions around-the-world in 2-inch slices. I place two under each chicken. Maggi has supplied me with  juciest meyer lemons ever plus a plethora of fresh herbs. I stuff the cavity of the chicken with two lemon halves and sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Yes, this is a very basic recipe. And I think that if the chicken is great to begin with then simple is the way to go.

The Chicken shuffle in the woodfire oven

I use shallow roasting pans loading three room temperature birds to a tray with enough room around each so that there is room for hot air to circulate. By cooking three at a time there will be a lot of jus in the bottom of the pan and it will steam the chickens quite a bit which is another reason I don’t want to add extra moisture to the birds. This dual steam-roast technique also helps keep the moisture. By placing the birds on seriously thick slabs on onion it also ensures that the birds won’t be sitting in the their own juices and boiling.

The reason I want the temperature so high in the oven is because I’m roasting 10 chickens and I know the temperature is going to drop fast when I load them all in. You probably already guesssed that, but I thought I should clarify just in case. The temperature in this oven will drop from 600˚F to 500˚F in the first ten minutes  just from loading the chickens in and rotating them and basting them and then it will continue to drop to 425˚F and hold there for a few hours. Again, you gotta know your oven and experiment a little bit! If I was only cooking one or two birds I would want the temperature to start around 50o˚F knowing it would sink to 450˚ pretty darn fast.

Woodfire Roast Chicken Parted with sprigs of thyme

The next part is easy: baste and rotate, baste and rotate, baste and rotate. Woodfire ovens have hot spots and if you have the coals in there you will need to rotate the birds around so they cook evenly. It’s definitely a dance between basting and bricking up the oven opening so as not to let all the heat out. Take a look at that chicken meat though! That is a juicy bird!

I opt to throw in some tokyo turnips mid way through cooking because I need them roasted for one of the side dishes consisting of wilted kale, roasted tokyo turnips and hot bacon vinaigrette.  They will add a nice earthy complexity to the jus.

I check one chicken after 3o minutes for doneness by holding my knife sharpening rod in its cavity and allowing the juices to run out into the baking pan. The juices are still a little reddish brown so I know it’s not quite done. The juices in the cavity will run clear when the chicken is finished. (I wouldn’t suggest trying this trick with a turkey).

Another five minutes and we’re good to go.Which is a relief because I can see the Good Eggs crew making their way down from the “Upper Slice” and their farm tour. Time to plate our Farmhand salads and get the sides organized and as soon as those chickens come out the bread is going in and I still need to get all those birds carved – they better eat slow! The heat is on!

The chickens come out perfect and everyone says so. I strain the jus and add a touch of sherry vinegar to give it a little acidity. The wheat berry with roasted aritchokes and nettle pesto is a hit, the rosemary foccacia made from wheat milled on site is a wonderful vehicle for mopping up jus, and the wilted kale & roasted tokyo turnips with hot bacon vinaigrette disappears. Now there’s just pie remaning and then a whole lot of dishes.

That’s the one thing Pie Ranch doesn’t have… a dishwasher… but that woodfire oven makes it all worth it!

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“Oaxacan Mole Negro.” I respond, avoiding confrontational eye contact awaiting the inevitable  judgement that middle school students are so quick to give.

“Yessssssss….. I’m from Oaxaca!” My student responds totally elated.

My Edible After School class in Pescadero is finishing a unit on the regional cuisine of Mexico. And considering that all my students have Mexican heritage we’ve had tons of fun exploring the different regions. And I have had tons of fun exploring the world of dried chiles. As a French trained Chef, I can tell you that bold earthy flavor is a welcome reprise. And frankly these flavors just seem to make sense in the town of Pescadero.

Oaxacan Mole Negro (Black Mole) with Pork

I am fascinated with the food of Oaxaca because the Spaniards did not totally stamp out regional cuisine. There are seven traditional moles in Oaxaca ranging in flavors and colors. Mole negro (black mole) is a rich sauce with hints of chocolate (a Oaxaca export), peanut, black raisin, and fruity/mildly spicy dried chiles. The sauce is fried in lard to finish, which deepens the flavors even further.

I do have a tiny disclaimer here: Mole Negro is darker in color than my pictures. Unfortunately we could only toast our chilis and seeds a little bit because we do not have adequate ventilation in the classroom I use to teach this class. Inhaling chili smoke is an unpleasant experience – unless you enjoy hacking your guts out.  If you can toast them outside I highly encourage it!

Mole Negro with Pork Roast

Cooking with chilis might be outside the comfort zone, but once you see how easy it is to use them you’ll want explore. And once you get the hang of toasting and rehydrating the rest is simple – just blend everything up and refry – easy! Most markets carry dried chilis although Mexican markets will carry them in bulk for a LOT LESS.

This my second year teaching Edible After School, a course I created with Puente for Middle School Students. Over the last two years we have begun our own food business selling grab-n-go food at the farmer’s market in the Summer and jams (hibiscus-strawberry and Tomatillo-ginger-lime) and various salsas too. During the school year we study: baking & cooking techniques, food safety, and regional world cuisine. We are ALWAYS looking for funding and have been running on a generous grant from the Packard Foundation which will be depleted soon. Will you consider making a donation to PUENTE so that we can continue? THANK YOU!

My current students want to continue this class next year and I want to as well, please pass on the word would you? We need some buzzzzz!

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BBQ Pork Chop, Plum Sauce, Braised White Turnip

The white turnips are from Whole Foods and they are in season. Are you raising one eyebrow questioning my garnish? You can steam turnip slices or braise them in a ginger-shallot-garlic broth. Either way they add an earthy turnipy complexity.

My time at Le Bernardin kindled my respect for the turnip. And fish too – but that goes without saying. We used this undervalued veggie in some unique ways. My favorite being: turnip foam with fresh ginger. Although daikon is technically a white radish, it has a similar flavor, and daikon could certainly be used here – it’s also coming into season although I haven’t seen the fat ones yet.

BBQ Pork Chop & Plum Sauce, Garnish with Jalapeno and Cilantro

For a change, let me tell you what is positively revolting with this dish – I was looking for some greens to pair and grabbed a bunch of dandelion greens because they’re a Spring crop and I normally like them with pork. Wow, do NOT put dandelion greens with this. Something about the bitter greens with the turnipy turnips does not go well. Uh-uh. Oh heck no. If you must put greens with this I’d opt for a less challenging juxtaposition. Braised or stirfried chard perhaps? Kale? Bok Choy? Young turnip greens?

The plum sauce is fresh. Blend (in a Vita Prep) sweet-sour plums with honey. Add a little sherry vinegar. Cook down until thick and glossy. Yes, it’s technically a gastrique, but I didn’t strain out the pulp. I finished the sauce with a dash of Sriracha, squeeze of lime, white shoyu, and freshly grated young ginger.

It’s best to cook pork chops medium-rare unless you want to eat a BBQ’d hockey puck. And unlike America’s Test Kitchen, I prefer to give them a nice sear and then cook at a lower temperature to finish. If you like your pork medium-well to well, brining will help to keep them juicy. I pre-salted and seasoned my pork chops a few hours before grilling. This gives the meat time to re-absorb the juices that the salt draws out and the spices too. No need to re-season before grilling.  I slathered on the plum sauce towards the end of cooking to create a shiny laquer and caramelized crust.

If your chop has a nice thick rind of fat, start the chop on its fat side over low heat on the grill. I do this first before searing the faces. Otherwise the fat burns but it doesn’t really get a chance to get all nice and chewy-gooey – I lovvvvve that stuff!

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Leftcoast Grassfed Italian Beef Sausage, Piquillo Peppers, Molina Tomatoes

Leftcoast Grassfed has an ecological animal husbandry program that provides a sustsainable environment to raise cattle and also a committment to preserving the coastal farm lands. They give back to the community in countless ways including the creation and support of a hands-on healthy school meals program in Pescadero and La Honda. Please check out their website, I super like these cowboys & gals, at Leftcoast Grassfed.

I used Leftcoast’s mild Italian beef sausage for a recent event at Pie Ranch. Let’s just say the round of applause I received at the end of the dinner was really for the sausages. I roasted the links in Pie Ranch’s wood fire oven and served them over a piquillo pepper and Molina tomato sauce with a dash of smoked paprika (yes, I know, this is my go-to spice, I probably use is waaaay to much). The garnish is fried oregano and parsley from Del Sur Farm. They do have the best herbs…

Oregano from Del Sur Farm in Pescadero

The secret ingredient in the sausage is cherry powder which adds a burst of fruity acidity along with the traditional Italian herbs and spices. Seriously good. I can’t wait for cherry season.  I’d love to do these sausages with a cherry-zinfandel inspired sauce.

What was I saying about Molina tomatoes? Oh yes, you forgot to can them didn’t you? Couldn’t stop eating them raw, huh? And now – now you’re staring at that flavorless can of tomato sauce in the cupboard wishing you had just been a little less greedy? What? You don’t feel sorry one little bit? Shameless!

Last year’s Molina tomatoes – the little red ones

Molina tomatoes grow well on the coastal farms of Pescadero and Santa Cruz. They are small in size but pack intense flavor. I bite into them like apples. Especially when I get the chance to pick them right off the vine still warm from the afternoon sun – with a sprinkle of crunchy sea salt – Oh God, total juicy heaven.

However, if you didn’t can any, then you can sub regular old boring tomato sauce that tastes like metal. This year I will remind you to reserve a few for later. Our private event dinner of sausage heaven ended with the public barn dance at Pie Ranch. These dances are offered once a month and they are a lot of fun. Hope to see you there…

Pie Ranch Barn Dance Yeeeehaw!

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Nettle & Green Garlic Soup with Olive Oil Poached Farm Egg on Grilled Bread & Bacon

Green garlic is one of my favorite ingredients and it is only available for a short time in the beginning of Spring. I’ve only seen it sold at farmer’s markets and it should be hitting the stalls in the next few weeks. Green garlic looks like a thick green onion and it adds subtle garlic flavor & depth without overpowering. They are fabulous for soups and purées.

Nettles grow abundantly in the forests and along riverbeds. Heck, nettles grow just about everywhere! I’ve even seen them growing out of planters in San Francisco. But there’s a reason they’re called stinging nettles so pick with gloves on and use tongs while cooking. If you can get past the sting, they have a nice spinachy-hay flavor and they are packed with antioxidants. I like to blanch them first to remove the sting but also to preserve as much nutrition as possible.

Here’s an old post on why it’s necessary to be careful! with nettles (OUCHY OUCHERSON!)

Green Garlic & Nettles

The farm egg is poached in extra virgin olive oil. This tasty technique was recently introduced to me by my friend Kat, who also happens to be an extraordinary events planner and in her spare time (ha!) the General Manager of a well known restaurant in SF. She thought it was so delicious that she actually bought me a bottle of really expensive olive oil so I could test out the method for myself. And you know what? It is soooooo good – THANKS KAT!

If you’re a poached egg lover, you gotta try this. Use a good extra virgin olive oil because it ads to the flavor. The eggs poach a little more flat than if dropped in water (see picture?) but the the heavy consistency of olive oil keeps the white tender and shapely. And the flavor – Woweee! – much better than water.

Nettle & Green Garlic Soup

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Duck Tamarind

Having a few years of experience cleaning hunted duck of shot and preparing it in multiple different ways for extremely demanding French chefs & clientele, I have hit upon one way of preparation that I truly love when it comes to duck breast; so that the end result is a moist breast with extra crispy skin and nicely rendered duck fat.

Duck Tamarind Sliced

The technique is easy: heat a sauté pan until it’s smoking hot (no oil) and place duck breast skin side down. As soon as you hear the sizzle of fat hit the pan turn the heat down to low and cook slow, without moving it, until you can begin to see the sides of duck breast start to turn grey-ish brown (just after the fat layer) about 4 to 5 minutes. If there is a lot of fat under the skin then this step might take longer.

From here you can remove the remove the breast and finish the cooking later. Or, to serve it up immediately, turn the heat back up to medium-high and “kiss” the breast on the other side for two minutes – just until the sides no longer look raw and the meat has a little spring to it when pressed on. Let rest and then slice.

Watercress, sunchokes, morro blood oranges, persian limes, hon-shemeji mushrooms, mitake mushrooms, red spring onion

I like the idea of keeping this dish light and fresh for Valentine’s Day but still satisfying and earthy. The salad is a combination of peppery watercress with shaved sunchoke (they taste a little like jicama raw), marinated red spring onion, roasted mitake and hon-shemeji mushrooms, and winter citrus – in this case blood orange and persian lime segments.

Watercress, sunchoke, roasted mushroom, & persian lime salad

Persian limes are very sweet, so don’t be fooled by their yellow color. The vinaigrette is a mixture of persian lime juice and the marinated spring onion vinegar. Sunchokes are best shaved last minute as they tend to discolor like apples. I peel them before shaving.

Wishing you a romantic Valentine’s Day…

xoxoxo

The post Duck Tamarind with Watercress, Citrus, Sunchoke, & Mushroom Salad first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Ramin Hedayatpour Photography

I first came across this idea of using the egg shell as a container at Le Bernardin. Michael Laiskonis, the former Executive Pastry Chef, was at the helm during my tenure and one of his signature dishes was a milk chocolate pot de crème cooked in an egg shell with a caramel foam and hints of maple syrup and crunchy maldon salt.

I vividly remember walking by the pastry kitchen, which was always quiet and serene compared to my pot clanging savory side of the world, and seeing pastry cooks hunched over brown farm eggs, delicately attempting to remove the tops without cracking the shell, and muttering to themselves.

And now I understand those inaudible mutterings. I thought that making 12 was totally frustrating – try making 200! However, I did find after completely wasting a few dozen eggs, that there are a few tricks to the trade…

First of all, it is better to use extra large size eggs. The tool that cuts the top off works better on this size. Secondly, using super fresh eggs, like ones you’ve just gathered from your chicken, do not work well. (This goes for making deviled eggs too – the fresher the more difficult to remove the shell). Thirdly, during Winter eggshells tend to be more delicate due to the weather and natural cycle of the chickens.

Ramin Hedayatpour Photography

One brand of store-bought eggs shattered when I tried to remove the caps and another one did not. After consulting with two farmers I found out that adding ground up oyster shells (calcium) into the chicken feed will result in stronger shells and some egg farms do this and some do not.

There is a tool called a Eirköpfer made by Rösle that is designed for removing the tops of eggs. It’s really for cutting the top off of a soft boiled egg but it can be used here. Place the topper on the pointy end of the egg and then pull up on the handle and let it snap down on the egg cutting it in a perfect circle. Or, at least, that’s what it’s supposed to do. I gently tap around the egg after it’s been ‘snapped’ and then pierce it with the tip of a knife and carefully chip away at removing the shell down to the cut line. Once the cap is removed, I pour the egg out and reserve, then carefully peel out the film on the inside of the shell.

Egg container cartons are perfect for keeping eggs upright while cooking the flan-filled shells in a bain marie (water bath) and they are also useful for cooling the eggs in. I used tapioca pearls to keep the eggs upright for serving guests, but kosher salt could be used too.

The recipe below is a basic flan recipe. I gave it a quiche lorraine twist with gruyère and pancetta because both are tasty with caviar. The greens are micro broccoli that also go well with the flan. I made parmesan crisps and added them as a useful way to scoop out the filling, but spoons work too!

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Ramin Hedayatpour Photography

I love stroganoff but, I do not love that greyish beef gravy it is often served with. As good as it tastes, the look is not appealing. If you add the crème fraîche or sour cream while reducing the sauce it will not change color but it will have that characteristic tang that makes stroganoff, stroganoff.

I serve homemade thick cut egg pasta with this dish called Pappardelle. Sometimes I toss the noodles in butter and add a twist of cracked blacked pepper. Or, in this case, I poured my favorite parmesan cream sauce with caraway seeds over top. Either way is delicious, it just depends how decadent you want to go.

Ramin Hedayatpour Photography

Creating shortribs rolled on the bone takes a little knife work. However, the extra attention to detail creates a beautiful presentation and a more succulent finished product.

Ask your butcher for a rack of beef shortribs of 3 to 4 bones. I have used racks of 3 bones before but 4 is easier to roll. Ask the butcher to cut the ribs across the rack of bones in 2-inch strips. This cut is similar to what is called “flanken” (often used in Korean BBQ) but larger.

Ramin Hedayaptour Photography

Figure on 3 to 4 servings per shortrib rack. One strip is going to be smaller because ribs tend to be fattier at one end. Even though shortribs are still considered a butcher cut, they are very expensive today even at wholesale prices which makes this dish, rolled on the bone, a special one. Each roll is about 1-pound before braising.

Remove the bones from each strip, clean the best looking one, trim excess fat from the strip and any silver skin, roll strip back around bone and tie with string. Sounds easy, but it will take a little practice to get the hang of it.

When tying the kitchen string around the roll start at the bottom, then tie the top, last secure the middle. And don’t tie too tight or your shortrib roll will have muffin top.

Ramin Hedayatpour Photography

Generously season the shortribs before searing with Kosher salt and black pepper. Add mirepoix and sauté until lightly caramelized. Add dry red wine, herbs, then beef stock bring to a boil and braise, braise, braise…

This is a great dish to entertain with because it can be made the day ahead – and it is much, much better if made the day before. I have yet to serve this dish at a restaurant or at home and not have all the dishes come back squeaky clean!

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Really Bear? Can’t you see we’re talking bout ham here? Jeesh!

Ramin Hedayatpour Photography

We have scheduled a date for our harvest dinner. We have spread the word via Good Eggs. We have sold tickets (all of them!) which has got our adrenaline going. What if it rains? What if we don’t have enough beer? What if we don’t have enough food? What if people decide they don’t want to trek all the way out here?

We tackle the “what ifs” and now we must solidify a menu that pairs with Cypress Beer but also represents seasonal produce available on the farm. Suzie and Jay Trexler, co-farm managers of Potrero Nuevo Farm and leading force behind Tunitas Creek Kitchen, want to showcase Berkshire Tamsworth ham from pigs raised on site. I would like this too, but I just don’t know if there will be enough meat for 50 people.

They are sure it will be enough. I remind the farmers that people really eat at events like this and if people are drinking and the weather is cold they will pig out! And we want them to – it’s a harvest celebration!

30 pounds of ham for 50 people just doesn’t sound like enough. Of course the menu does start with delicata squash flammekueche, cauliflower du Barry truffle soup shots, and a colorful array of homemade pickles. The sit down part of the evening commences with a napa cabbage and honey crisp apple slaw and warm pretzel sticks.  The side dishes range from cippolinis in caraway cream sauce, to roasted kuri squash with pancetta & sage, to braised cattle beans with kale & thyme. It’s doubtful anyone will starve.

But, I know from experience that people (myself) really like to eat pork. With beef I ration 1/4 – 1/2 pound per person depending on the cut. But with pork, especially the juicier tastier butcher cuts, I normally figure on around 3/4 – to 1 pound per person.

Suzie and Jay want to use their own meat – this is a farm to table dinner afterall – so we pull the hams out of the deep freezer and take a closer look. I can’t tell if they’ve been cured and smoked because the fat and skin layer is still in tact and I’ve never seen this on a ham. It’s not like we cook ham everyday in the restaurant world. I mean when was the last time you saw ham as an entrée on a menu?

Ramin Hedayatpour Photography

This causes me to panic. As much as I would love the opportunity to do this part of the process myself there just isn’t time before the event and I don’t want to experiment on 50 people or waste the only hams Suzie and Jay have left. Curing ham can take up to a whole week depending on size. And then they should be smoked and our smoker is super small and wood burning (not electric) which imparts great flavor but requires lots of attention.

It’s not that fresh ham is bad. But, it won’t be pink (yes, the nitrates keep the color – and the nitrates also stop any chance of botulism which when curing a large pieces of meat can be useful. but to get the curing process right and do it safe is tricky) and it will be a little rubbery and chewy in texture. Who wants to naw on a rubber band during a nice dinner?

Jay finds the form from the Meat Locker where the pigs have been processed. We run down the list of cuts. It clearly says that the hams have been cured and smoked. Well all-righty then! Let’s ham it up!

I rip open the vacuum seal on the smallest of the three hams and sure enough a heavenly smokey aroma comes through. Bear, who is sure there must be something for him in this clandestine meeting over the deep freezer, attempts to push his way through our barricade but no such luck.

We sample frozen slices and it is ridiculously delicious – like no ham I have ever tasted before. It is nicely salty and smokey but the nutty flavor of the meat is still full front. We are all nodding our heads and smiling at each other while savoring our samples because we know this is going to be even better cooked and people are going to go crazy over it.

A deep sense of relief washes over me. I cook on 4 different farms, and each one is fabulous and each one presents its own logistical hurdles to jump over in terms of cooking space and distance between kitchen and table. A ham can be pre-cooked, carried over to the table and presented, then sliced and served warm. It’s not like a piece of fish which goes from perfect to overcooked and freezing cold in seconds. This makes my job of serving 50 people a little easier.

Ramin Hedayatpour Photography

Two days before the event I thaw out the hams in the refrigerator. I make a an easy ham glaze by combining fresh pressed apple cider (from the farm) with three bottles of Cypress brew ale, brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, star anise, dried whole chile peppers, coriander seed, cardamon pods, black peppercorns, cloves, and orange peel. I reduce this to a light syrup that has the consistency of olive oil. Yum.

Heck, if no one shows up to this party I’m going to sit down and drink the ham glaze all by myself.

The day of the event I set the oven to 250˚F and place the three 10-pound hams on large onions cut around-the-world. The onions will serve as my roasting rack.

To prepare the ham I cut through the skin and fat layer down to the flesh in a 1/4-inch graph design. This is important. It is virtually impossible to cut through the skin once it is cooked. You will need one of those gawd awful electric knives if you want to go that route. The ham must be cooked low and slow to render all the fat layer under the skin. And once this is achieved (crispy crackle and ooey gooey rendered fat) then you have reached ham heaven.

Because our dinner is centered around beer, I choose to make a poultice of mustard and rosemary which I think will go nicely as it drips down the roast and melds with the vinegar-y apple cider & ale spiced glaze. I smear it in between all the fat crevices.

Todd Parsons Photography

The ham cooks for two and half hours and I generously baste every ten to fifteen minutes with glaze and pan juices. The smell of the farm kitchen is like something out of an old cartoon – the animated wafting scent of the delicious roast tickles under the nose, hypnotizes, and beckons us to follow completely mesmerized. Bear, who has been given a “time out” in the farm office for being totally annoying is howling for a taste – and he’s not the only one!

When ready to serve dinner to our lively guests, I remove the ham from the onion rack which has imparted savory flavor and pour off the all the pan juices and glaze. I separate the fat from the jus and reserve. Suzie and I present the ham to the guests who surprisingly keep us posing as they snap photos (Wow! So this is what it feels like to be limelight?)

Todd Parsons Photography

We rush it back to the kitchen and slice it up. Slicing ham off the bone is not so easy and I suggest (unless you just happen to have a spiral slicer) to carve through the outer pieces until you hit the bone. With a sharp boning knife carve around the bone and remove it, then continue to slice to the thickness desired. I think 1/4 to 1/2–inch is just about right.

The plates come back clean. It turns out there is enough ham to offer seconds but guests are rubbing their bellies truly fed up.

“That was the best ham I have ever had in my life” one guest tells me. And as much as I’d like to take the credit, all the applause really goes to Suzie and Jay. With meat – it is, what it is. Ham glaze is just lipstick on a pig. The farmers have done a superb job raising their heritage pigs.

Todd Parsons photography

Our Guests finish dessert in the barn kicking up their heels on hay bails and watching movies we project, kegs are tapped, and people are happy and socializing. My cooking team is exhausted and we ditch the last of our energy in a final clean-up attempt. It has been a gorgeous farm to table evening under a beautiful starry sky, on a stunning farm, with impeccable produce, and delicious locally brewed fresh cold beer.

Bear is finally allowed to join the crowd and I sneak him a few tastes of the ham that he’s been crying for all afternoon. He rewards me with a deep “woof!” and a few kisses.

Ramin Hedayatpour Photography

I would like to boldly advertise for the Trexlers and Tunitas Creek Kitchen as they will be raising Berkshire Tamsworth pigs next year and you can buy shares in a pig which will provide a nice selection of fresh and cured cuts. It seems like such a rare opportunity to have this direct connection with a farm, but shouldn’t it just be the norm?

Todd Parsons Photography

Details to be announced when they come back from their Mexican holiday in the sunshine but you can check out the farm here. And in the meantime here’s the ham glaze recipe and mustard rub….

The post Ale & Apple Cider Glazed Ham with Rosemary Mustard Crackle first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

but you don’t want to freak out over whether or not the spit can handle 160 pounds. Or worry about the pig cooking over coals you’ve placed in a pit you’ve dug (or how you are going to get the pig out of the pit you’ve dug). And you don’t think your pig will fit in one of those really expensive metal boxes that sell for a few thousand dollars – and you don’t have a few thousand dollars.

Do it the Pescadero way! Get a bedframe!

This method has been passed down and around these parts by the Uruguay farmer, Guillermo, from Del Sur Organic Farm. Luckily for me I ran into him at a gas station while we were both pumping petrol and he explained his pig roasting method on the hood of my dusty jeep. Pictograms work wonders…

“Guillermo! OMG! I’m so glad I ran into you! I need your help – I’m roasting a pig. What do I do???”

“Amy, you’ll be fine. Get a bed frame. You have one? Don’t worry you can borrow mine. You want to prop the frame on a T-stake like this….” Guillermo draws a fire cirlce on my jeep hood and then the bedframe and t-stake. This is how all good cooking techniques are passed down – at the gas station – who knew?

So readers, here’s what to do: get a bed frame. Yes. A bedframe. A sturdy one. No rust. Clear a fire circle around it and make sure to have water buckets and fire safety gear nearby. If it is a dry area make sure the surrounding ground is super soaked. Prop bed frame up. You can use T-stakes and do this at a 45˚ angle or you can do what I did, which is to use bricks and lie the frame out flat. But be careful with bricks because they can get too hot and explode (use the special fire retardant ones to be safe).

Let’s backtrack a little, first you have to get the pig.

The pig I roasted was lovingly raised at one of the farms I work with for a “Dirty Thirty” birthday party. He was a pal of mine and this was not an easy thing for any of the farmers or myself to see through. I’m going to say that right up front before World War III breaks out. Because I know people are comfortable not knowing where their meat is coming from and prefer it to be wrapped up in saranwrap wthout head attatched. I get that, but I’m not sympathetic.

This post is bound to cause some uncomfortable feelings. But this is the way it should go. And after this whole experience I realize how important it is to know where you are getting your meat and how it is processed. Out of respect I will leave many pictures out but if you want to see the whole butchering process you can go to my FB page (there’s a button on the top of the site next to my pic.)

The day before the Dirty Thirty party goes like this…

It is a beautiful morning on the farm: humming birds are zooming around, the farm dogs are out tossing field mice up in the air for fun, the cow is mooing her silly head off because no one is giving her extra oats, and the goats are bleating to be milked. I grab a strong cup of coffee from the main house and walk through the raspberry and ollieberry fields picking my breakfast off piece by juicy piece down the thorny rows.

One by one the farmers come out of their cabins coffee cups in hand and meet in the strawberry patch – not that this is a normal gathering place, it’s just positioned equadistant from everyone. It’s 8A.M. time to get a move on. I’ll be taking the pig to be processed at Bar None just up the coast along with one of the farmers, but first the pig has to be loaded into the trailer and this is not going to be easy – or so I’m told.

If you’ve never raised a pig then let me say they are some of the cutest animals ever. They do stink up a storm, but they are great at eating up compost which is awesome on a farm and they are smart. I wish they weren’t so smart. And, as I found out, they are also very protective. A few months ago I was attacked by a neighbor’s dog and the pigs came running snorting their heads off to protect me. They scared the dog who lost his grip on my thigh.

They like belly rubs. They like Mexican pastries. They like artichoke leaves and acorns and extra goat milk and apples and just about everything. And they like to be sprayed with the hose – this the farmers call ‘pig party’ because they love to roll around in the mud and get real sloppy.

The pigs are given a super delicious breakfast of all things mentioned above. They are snortin’ it up and havin a good ol’ time. We give them belly rubs and head scratchies and lots of love. We drive the trailer over and open the back end into the pig pen. The farmers place down boards for “Little Pig” to walk up and drop acorns like bread crumbs attempting to coax the pig in without a fuss.

Ha! Of course the two pigs we don’t want to entice saunter into the trailer eating all the goodies. And the one we do want has a sixth sense that something is up. I told you pigs are smart. We continue to coax “Little Pig” (who is not little at all weighing in at 160 pounds) into the trailer, but no such luck. We back off for an hour and hope that that he will naturally walk himself up.

Nope.

None of the farmer’s want to use force: everyone wants it to be as peaceful as possible. But we’ve got to get going or the pig isn’t going to get butchered. Finally three of the farmers grab the pig and force him up the ramp. He pushes everyone over quite a few times, bites many a calf,  and squeals up a storm. A pig squealing is not like a mild whimper for help –  it’s a f’ing scary-ass deafening shrill war cry. Sadly, he is out numbered.

We drive Little Pig to Bar None along the beautiful Highway 1. I watch the waves crash against the cliffs, the white caps frothy and fierce, the fog creeping closer dipping lightly into the sea and floating it’s way up to land. I smell the cleansing chapparel of the coast mixed with sea spray and brace myself for what’s coming. It’s one thing to kill a chicken. It’s quite another thing to do in a four legged creature.

Is this the right thing to do? And why do I feel I need to be part of this process? At this point there’s no turning back. I said I would cook this pig and I can’t back out of it now with 100 people showing up for the shin-dig in 24 hours.

Bar None is a strange place. Very professional, but just a little odd. It reminds me, oddly enough, of fire watch services in Deerfield Beach — not in their day-to-day activities, but in their unflinching dedication and somewhat unusual, yet crucial role they play. In the same way that Bar None is committed to the care of its animals, these services meticulously tend to the safety of our community, especially during the relentless summer heat that heightens the threat of fires. They stand watch, ready to act, akin to how one might stand witness to the cycle of life at the farm. It’s about being present and responsible, whether it’s confronting the realities of where our food comes from or facing the elemental dangers posed by nature. And just as one must have the fortitude to watch over the life that sustains us, fire watch professionals in Deerfield Beach possess the courage to protect and serve, ensuring our homes and businesses are shielded from the flames.

We talk with the butcher and choose for Little Pig to be electrocuted because it’s a swift process. And I very much like the butcher of Bar None. He is professional and the processing area is spotless and odorless. He works cleanly and quickly. And I believe that it’s not so easy for him – even though he makes it look that way.

We unload Little Pig into a holding pen with the aid of the butcher. And Little Pig is having a great time much to our relief. He is a hog amongst little pink pigs and obviously receiving mucho attention. I notice his ears perk up and his sense his spirit. And yes, this makes everything much harder.

His turn is upon us. The butcher leads him into the processing room and he is electrocuted. I sense no pain. It’s over in seconds. And then quickly the pig is hoisted up and bled. The blood runs into the gutters and is hosed down fast. Next, the pig is put in a scalding water dip that removes all the hair. From here it is hoisted into a an odd metal machine that spins the pig around and taking off all the outer skin leaving the carcass bright pink and smooth.

We ask for our pig to be butterflied. The butcher hangs the pig and in 5 minutes removes innards (reserving heart and liver for us). We pack our pig into an ice chest and leave. And we are not feeling exuberant. We are feeling heavy hearted.

But there is a strange transition that happens from the point of death on. The pig does stop being a friend and turns into “it” – into meat.

I cannot lift 160 pound pig and this is a problem. I bring the pig early in the morning to the place of the party on a beautiful grassy knoll in Boony Doon close to Santa Cruz.

I build a fire ring with the aid of the birthday girl, Debbie, pictured above. And we are very careful about this because starting a wild fire in Santa Cruz is not on our to-do list.

How better than to test the strength of this well worn frame then climb on top? It seems to take my weight just fine. But with another 60 pounds I’m not so sure. This frame has seen better days for sure and some of the side hooks are starting to wear thin. Hmmmm….

It is a scortching hot morning, and there is not a shade tree in sight. It’s at least 90˚F today and even hotter next to the fire. This truly sucks for me. The ocean is a half mile away, close enough to jump right in. Ah, forget it, it’s too much to risk to leave the fire unattended.

I have not taken Guillermo’s advice on raising the bed frame at a 45˚ angle attatched to a T-Stake because it doesn’t quite make sense to me and the pig is sooooo heavy. I understand that it might be easier to push the fire around and tend to it and control the direction of the fire if there is wind. But I ration that if the pig is sprawled out I can really control all parts to the fire and what body parts I want the most heat on.

I can’t say that I’m right or wrong, because I’ve never tried this other way, but my way works for sure.

Here is the game plan: build fire in a separate fire pit, then move coals (wood not charcoal) along the outside flanks of the pig and keep the heat indirect everywhere – especially the tenderloin. As coals die down they are moved inward and then pushed out in one sweep. The problem with cooking any animal whole, whether it is a chicken or a pig, is that some parts are going to take more time than others. Because the pig is covered with so much fat I’m not really worried about it drying out, especially with low indirect heat. But I am worried about the tougher cuts not getting enough cooking time.

The plan so far, is working. However the heat from the two fires (one under the pig, and the separate one I keep to feed it) along with the blaring sunshine is making me sick. I had heat stroke in India when I lived there a long time ago and I’ve never been the same in heat since that life threatening experience. My hubby takes over tending to the fire while I lie down for an hour and try to cool off with ice packed around my head and neck.

Debbie (the birthday girl) and Ramin (my husband) come wake me up. It’s time to do the pig flip. Oh brother, this wasn’t part of the plan! I mean, I knew it would come to this point but I kinda blocked it out of my mind and I don’t have a game plan for this part of the process. Or maybe the heat exhaustion is scrambling my brains. “Jeez, aren’t there anymore men around that want to show off their bravado?” I ask holding an ice bag on top of my head.

Debbie laughs beer in hand, “We got this. Time to rise and shine!”

Debbie is a farmer. She works at Pie Ranch. Her face is as bright as sunshine but her fingers tell a different tale. Where my hands are covered in cooking wounds, hers look like they’ve been planted and potted. Debbie’s roommate who is hosting the party, Alison, is the original owner of Dirty Girl produce and also a professional surfer. So I am in strong company.

How to flip the pig: we build an identical set of brick posts next to the fire pit. With everyone grabbing a side to the bed frame we lift the whole thing (including pig, of course) to our new set of posts away from the fire. From here the two strongest of us (My husband and Alison) grab an arm and a leg and hoist the pig up, while Debbie and Yours Truly grab the remaining arm and leg and swing the pig to flip. No problem. Easy. We carry the pig back over the coals on the frame.

Up until this point I have cooked the pig skin side up. We will flip it one more time before the cooking is over and I will add spices and my mop solution that is a mixture of spices, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar. There is still five more hours to go….or more… I’m not really sure…but I’m figuring around eight to nine hours altogether.

I do follow Farmer Guillermo’s instruction on seasoning. I insert cloves of garlic all over, making tiny incisions through the skin. And throughout the cooking process I switch the pig with brine using a rosemary branch.

It’s finally party time.

People are showing up with all sorts of the goodies and the bands are loading in their musical equipment into the barn. This is going to be a fun evening. The executive Chef from Oliveto’s arrives and whips up all the side dishes from produce that has been donated from all the surrounding organic farms. The last of the padron peppers, late summer corn, early girl and molina tomatoes, winter cabbage, kale, and carrots are miraculously transformed into a stunning array of veggie nirvana.

The Chef gives me a big bear hug, “Great job! Normally I’m the pig roast person, but now I thankfully get to enjoy it without the 9 hour headache.” I know what he means. By this time I’m exhausted. Even though there’s not much to roasting a pig, it does take constant attention.

I carve the pig right over the fire with the help from my husband, because there’s really no place to set a whole pig. With the aid of friends we get plates of pig out to the buffet line. The meat disappears before we can even set the plates down. In fact, the meat practically disappears right off the bedframe. Everyone is begging for the crackled skin, a favorite around here.

The big orange evening sun has finally sunk behind the hills sizzling straight into the ocean I’m sure. The buffet line is now just a few stragglers poking around in the darkness for some last pieces of pig skin and cornbread and the crowd is mostly filling up the barn. The music is picking up energy. People are well fed and bopping around to ska music.

I’m totally wiped. The beer I’ve just downed has gone straight to my head and I’m ready to crash despite the invitation to dance with my husband who seems to have boundless energy, I just can’t quite get into it. Dehydration has taken its toll.

Debbie gets the sleeping bags out. It’s going to be a night under the stars for sure. I can’t wait to hit the hay… great experience overall. Life changing in many ways. Although the processing of the pig wasn’t an experience I’d like to repeat, I needed to be there for it. And having never partaken in a pig roast before, I was totally blown away by the celebration and excitement that drew people from all over the California coast.

What a feast!

The post How to Roast a Whole Pig first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Cave man diet here I come….. ahahah-ahahaha….. (beating chest with fists and swinging through jungle on rope vines.) Okay, that was my pep talk/comedy routine. Hope it helped? Now, let’s get down to the business…

Pork picnic is often called pocket ham and it comes from the shoulder or a cross-section of the upper arm (pork arm picnic). It is a super tasty cut that is perfect for smoking or braising. Either way, it should be cooked with moist heat low and slow for a very very long time. If it’s not cooked this way it will be tougher than leather.

Go to my Amazon button and buy a smoker for $75. Or if you need to see and touch it first, go to Lowes. They are not that expensive – or at least they don’t have to be – and many are actually quite slender without taking over your whole backyard. There are expensive types like the Green Egg or electric versions that keep the heat temperature consistent but, if you don’t have the extra means, you can still do great smoked stuff.

Here’s how a traditional smoker works: in a metal cylinder there is a bbq pit tray on the bottom and then a bowl for liquid above the pit tray that keeps the container moist with the heat from below it. Above the liquid tray are the smoking racks. The fuel (wood or charcoal) is fed to the bottom tray and the liquid and the meat are added once the heat of the fire has come down to around 250˚F. A lid is kept on throughout the whole cooking time so the moist heat circulates continuously. The idea is to keep the fuel fed little by little to maintain that ideal temperature.

I use natural wood charcoal for building the fire or hardwood and add specialty chips (applewood, hickory, etc) towards the end. Why? Because they tend to burn very fast and can dry out meat fast, so it’s best at the end. We have a lot of applewood stored up at the farm from our last orchard trimming, and sometimes I just use that to feed the charcoal after it has reached the right temperature.

You can smoke just about anything. Even potatoes. Which, by the way, are so amazingly delicious they are almost criminal. Back to pork picnic: start with a great product. No cooking technique turns silver into gold. Luckily the shoulder cuts are cheaper, so go the extra mile and buy from a reputable farm.

I used Markegard FamilyRanch pork for this recipe and they are raising Berkshires right now.

I get most of my beef, lamb, and pork from them. I actually go to their Ranch and pick it up but they also have a CSA and sell at many of the coastal farmer’s markets too. For those in the SF Bay Area, this ranch is just 15 minutes South of Half Moon Bay right off Cabrillo Highway before San Gregorio.

Having a relationship with your butcher is great, but having a relationship with the people who raise your meat and butcher it, is awesome. The more I learn about industrial farming practices, the more I want relationships with local organic farmers doing the right thing. And it is a beautiful farm right on the ocean and they are such a beautiful family. Gosh, just really neat people…

The whole process of cooking pork picnic takes about 2 to 3 days. I brine the pork overnight. Then I marinate it in a spice rub for one whole day. Then smear more spices on it and some mustard too and smoke it for at least 8 hours. Yes, this sounds like a long process, but none of these steps require my full-blown attention. Even the smoking part, I just check in on every so often.

That’s why smoking is stupid easy. It’s not like cooking fish in a hot skillet where the difference between perfect and overcooked is 5 seconds. That’s hard. Trust me. That’s really hard. Especially when you’re cooking for 200 people.

And that’s the other great thing about smoking pork picnic, it will feed a lot of people. Word of caution here: over-estimate the amount you are going to need per person. Normally in a restaurant I figure on 1/4 – 1/2# per person depending on the type of meat and cut and so on. But with pork, fuggeddaboutit, figure 1# per person or there abouts. People go crazy over this stuff.

I bought 10 pounds of pork picnic for a 12 person sit down corporate dinner and it disappeared. There were left overs and I turned my back and they were gone. People get real sneaky about smoked pork.

Let’s talk about ratios. Because ratios allow you to take a recipe and just throw it in the trash. Really. Do your own thing! Be creative. You cannot mess this up. Michael Rhulman has an excellent post that I’ve linked to on chicken brine and I use the same for pork because I don’t like it any saltier.

It’s a good idea to brine tougher cuts before cooking for long periods of time, about 8 to 12 hours. I agree with Michael, I like brine around 5%, which means that there is 25 grams of kosher salt in 1/2 liter of water or 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt for every 2.5 cups of water. KOSHER SALT, I DID NOT SAY REGULAR TABLE SALT. (Very. Very. Important.) Kosher salt is not iodized and won’t change the flavor or color of your meat and, as far as salts go, regular table salt actually has MORE salt in it per serving so you cannot switch the two around here.

Put. The. Table. Salt. Down.

You can add to this brine whatever you want: orange peel, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seed, black pepper, bay leaf, star anise, mustard seed, rosemary, thyme, coriander, beer (sub some of the water for beer), all of the above, or none of the above. Make sure that the salt water brine is brought to a boil to mix ingredients and then thoroughly cooled before adding meat.

Now that you have the brine ration. Here’s your spice rub ratio: 8:3:1:1. Make sense? 8 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons Kosher salt, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 tablespoon coriander, 1/2 tablespoon ground red chili pepper. You can break the smaller parts of the ratio in half or smaller, but try to stay within the boundaries.

Sugar is the first ingredient in the rub to give that awesome caramelized skin (do not use this ratio for grilled meat, the sugar will burn). I use a dark sugar like brown sugar or turbinado. The second ingredient is Kosher salt. The rest is up for grabs and you can add-on more than two. I suggest that whatever spices you choose that you grind yourself for maximum flavor.

Okay, so now the smoker is at idea temp, the pork picnic has been brined and rubbed full of spices, now comes the moment of truth. Put the meat on the grill in the smoker and add liquid of choice in the liquid bowl and put the lid on. The smoking liquid could be: water, some vinegar, a little whiskey, a few beers, a bottle of white wine, or a combo (whew – that sounds like a bad frat party concoction!). It’s your choice. Just make sure to keep it full. Pork picnic is probably going to take 6-8 hours, and you will probably go through two 10-pound bags of charcoal. Your meat is done when it has reached an internal temperature of 145˚-160˚F and it’s easy to cut. Like butter.

If you have never smoked anything before and just love the flavor of real BBQ you are going to be amazed at how easy this process is. I also like to brush the meat with a distilled white vinegar-brown sugar mop every so often, but that’s up to you too.

Enjoy! Let me know how it turns out!

The post How To Smoke Pork Picnic! first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

One of the guests who I overheard saying with a distrustful tone: “Well, I’ve never tried chicken liver before…” was happily surprised with the combination and I didn’t see any go to waste. And no, I was NOT standing next to guests, glaring at them, with my extra large sharp chef’s knife in hand….

Add this with the pickled beet tartine previously posted and you have some nice easy farmhand casual starters that go with both red & white wine or even rosé! Or why not break the bank and bust out the Champagne? There’s got to be something to celebrate!

Although I love to can jams and make terrines, both of these were made for immediate consumption. This ‘terrine’ will last up to a week refrigerated and the jam will stay good for at least 2 weeks but they are not pasteurized.

Chicken livers are one of the last remaining butcher cuts that are still cheap. Remember 20 years when no one had heard of flank steak and it was around $3/pound? Ha! Not anymore! I guess people still are little squirmish about chicken liver since it is considered offal.

What to look for when buying liver: check that they are dark red to pale reddish-brown in color, firm but floppy in texture, and have a fresh smell. If you smell amonia then walk away quickly – that’s a bad thing. Also, if there is any greenish or yellowish liquid on them, this is normally a sign that the gall bladder has popped in the butchering process and comprimised the offal and potentially the meat too.

Cooked right liver is fantastic – all liver. Cooked wrong, they taste livery and disgusting. Luckily they are easy to cook right. Here’s how no matter what the type of animal: heat a non stick or seasoned cast iron pan with a tablespoon of canola oil (you can use olive oil too but it has a lower smoke point), when it begins to shimmer and smoke sear liver hard on both sides, then deglaze pan with the alchohol you are using (port, brandy, cognac, raspberry vinegar (my fav for veal liver), a combo, white wine, whatever).

If creating a cream sauce – as in this recipe – add cream straight to the pan right after the alchohol has burned off and let it reduce quickly. This should all happen in about 1 minute so keep that flame on high! The goal is not to boil the liver after searing it, but to infuse the sauce with some extra flavor before decanting.

Because this is a faux terrine and it is not cooked in a water bath or sealed with duck or chicken fat on top, as is the tradition in France; I sear my livers, make the cream-brandy pan sauce and, in a vita-prep blender, mix all until smooth with some extra chunks of cold butter. Then spoon it in a pretty jar and refrigerate.

Making quick jam takes about 10 minutes if that! I use 1 pint of strawberries to a 1/2 cup of sugar and let them cook down on the stove top on low. When the strawberry juice starts to run I crank up the heat to high and boil until desired consistency. A splash of sherry vinegar at the end adds acidity and works well with the chicken liver terrine.

If you have never had liver before. This is a good starter recipe. They are a great source of protein (one chicken liver containing around 25 grams) and also high in Iron. I don’t know if that makes them any more edible, but I find chicken liver to be mild in flavor and great with wine – a good appetizer!

The post Chicken Liver Tartine with Strawberry-Sherry Vinegar Jam first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Some of the ingredients might illicit skeptical reactions although I’ve yet to find one single traditional mole recipe. There are numerous variations on the theme. A woman I chatted with in the supermarket told me I could not use tamarind paste in mole – but I think she might have a change of heart upon tasting this combo. She did give great chili advice and some neat tips for making tamarind paste from pods – even though this ingredient didn’t meet mole approval.

(Love chatting with people about food while shopping – I always learn something new!)

Three different dried chilies make the base of my mole: mulato (smokey & chocolate-y), acho (sweet & mild), and pasilla (smokey with medium heat). The chilies are toasted, seeded, rehydratred, blended into a paste and cooked in lard (from the farm). To the cooked chilies I add a blended mixture of: sesame seeds, peanuts, tamarind paste, mexican chocolate, garlic, fresh pumpkin purée, brown chicken stock, sea salt, cinnamon, cloves, mexican oregano, and a little agave nectar.

Next time I think I’ll add some tequila too. Well, why not?!?!

I created the mole for a luncheon we hosted for a workshop on fruit tree planting, pruning, and grooming taught by Northern California’s leading fruit tree arborist. It was a fascinating lesson – even if you don’t have an orchard in your backyard. Farmer’s came from all around to learn how to whack and lop correctly and where and when to plant.

I wanted to use our sugar pie pumpkins in an unconventional way. I’m pretty sure everyone who works on the farm is sick of yet another version of my pumpkin pie no matter what “secret” ingredient I try to wow them with. The menu included a palate cleansing salad of kale, fennel, & blood oranges with a honey-apple cider vinaigrette, plantain wheat germ banana bread (not overly sweet), and farmer Kate’s effervescient lemon-ginger elixer to wash everything down.

Look for our Echo Valley Farm Pumpkin Mole starting at the farmer’s market in May! Or make it yourself…

The post Chicken Pumpkin Mole first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

“Um, no, how’s the new dish?” I ask with arms folded and one eyebrow raised.

“Clean. Crispy. Sauce is tasty. Great starter with champagne – is there champagne?”

(Hmmm…maybe he’s okay after all…)

What is a pomelo? It’s like a grapefruit on steroids but sweeter without the bitter aftertaste. Be forewarned the pith is about an inch thick. Veal sweetbreads are the thymus gland.They have a mild flavor with a slightly spongy interior. Cooked correctly they should melt in your mouth.

I found out how delicious sweetbreads were only after I started cooking them professionally.

During a promotional photo shoot for Guy Savoy’s website inbetween my cooking shifts, Guy himself sent me his ris de veau dish as a present (from my meat station, nonetheless). I couldn’t very well send them back – they were covered in truffles! Total life changing experience. There is something to be said for tasting your food.

I am picky about how they should be cooked and prepared. I like ’em extra crispy on the outside and tender inside. I do not like them roasted – too mushy for my taste.

Here’s the technique: soak the glands in ice water for at least three hours to draw out any impurities, changing the water twice. Blanch sweetbreads in a pot of simmering salted water for 45 seconds then shock in ice water to stop the cooking. Peel off the thin membrane that surrounds the gland. Cut into nice bite size pieces about 65g each. Store morsels wrapped in a slightly damp kitchen towel in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Season morsels with sea salt and sear in a cast iron pan with salted butter continuously basting. Add more salted butter to the pan when remaining butter begins to brown. Baste, baste, baste. The sweetbreads are done when they are brown on all sides.

For extra crispiness: drain sweetbreads on a paper towel when golden brown then cook one more time before serving in the same way.

The sauce is simply a reduction of veal stock and pomelo juice squeezed from the pith after segmenting. I finished the sauce with a little butter for a gloss. Easy! Place pomelo segments around sweetbread morsels and garnish with micro herbs and chives.

The post Crispy Sweetbreads, Pomelo, Citrus Veal Jus first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

When multiple side dishes are served at the same time (ahem – Thanksgiving?) some need to be easier than others. Some need to be assembled the day before and baked off the day of – ah shoot – why not plan the whole menu that way?

This is an easy side that’s pretty on the plate. Pancetta wrapped anything is pretty on a plate. Slice the kuri in wedges, wrap in pancetta, stick in your favorite fresh herbs (sage? thyme?), drizzle with honey and roast. Red kuri skin is edible too.

Echo Valley Farm had a bumper crop this year. But if you don’t have a farmer’s market or local farmer in your vincinity check out Whole Foods Market, they carry kuri squash this season.

Roasted Red Kuri Squash (Potimarron), Pancetta & Honey

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When it comes to choosing turkeys bigger does not mean better and heritage brands are often smaller and tastier. In Pescadero, Early Bird Ranch is taking pre-orders for fresh and they have frozen birds too that are not injected with saline. I really like Early Bird Ranch, please check them out.

Most people are hip as to why a bird 18 pounds or more is not desirable: the breasts cook before the legs and taste like sawdust. How to avoid the sawdust syndrome? Brine the bird, spatchcock it, cook legs and breasts speparate (confit legs and roast breasts for example), or choose smaller birds – you can cook two instead of one if space allows.

Figure about 1 to 1-1/2 pounds of meat per person. That range is generous to extremly generous and accounts for leftovers. 10 people? 10 pounds. Most restaurants serve meat portions around 6 to 8 ounces, or a half pound – discluding every single restaurant in Texas.

But how impressive is that big ol’ bird settin’ in the middle of the table? Yes, I know. Trust me, I know.

If you gotta go big and a bird in one piece is desired, then brine. It’s easy and shops like Williams-Sonoma carry large brining bags and intersting brining spice blends. You will need a 5 gallon container or bag. For an 18 pound bird brine overnight with: 7 quarts ice water, 1-1/2 cups coarse salt (dissolve 1 quart water with salt first to dissolve, then mix with the remaining 6 quarts of water).

For a traditional brine use: 5-6 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons of juniper berries, 1 tablespoon peppercorn, 2 lemons halved, and 6 twigs of thyme. You can get creative with the spice blends depending on your theme: Indian, South Western, Asian, etc. Some people like to add sugar to the brine water. I do not.

When ready to cook, take bird out of brine, rinse off, pat dry, and  allow to come up to room temperature before roasting.

Take it from one who has cooked large birds for the director of the Michelin Guide in Paris and do not cook the turkey at a high temperature. 325˚F is good. A trick I learned at Guy Savoy is to start the temperature low (around 200˚F) and raise it 15 degrees every 10 minutes until the desired temperature is reached. Why? Because the bird adjusts to the heat and there is less chance that the skin will break. The color comes out uniform. And the bird stays juicier.

Figure 15 minutes cooking time per pound for an unstuffed turkey  until the thigh meat registers 165˚F on a meat thermometer. The temperature will rise another 5 degrees while resting.

Let the bird rest in a warm place so it can reabsorb the juices into the muscle. Always, always, always rest the meat – even when you think you’ve overcooked it.

Whew! That about does it. Most important is the quality of the bird. It’s the one thing there really is no adjustment for.

The post Thanksgiving Turkey Tips first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

This is one of those recipes that is more feel than precise measurement and unfortunately I don’t know how doable it is for home cooks. Although many Asian supermarkets and butcheries carry various pig parts including bones.

The pork broth starts with raising pigs humanely and it ends with processing them humanely. Here at Echo Valley Farm that is important. And, for a change, I’m not going to elaborate except to say these pigs had a great life.

I roast the bones until nicely caramelized. Unlike some animal fat, pork fat has this incredibly rich scent that gets the senses going – makes me hungry! – hard to walk through the kitchen with pork bones in the oven.

After the fat left on the bone is caramelized, but not burnt, and the bones roasted I put them in an enormous stock pot (almost the size of me) along with the pig’s head and cover all with cold water. This I simmer slowly all day, all night, and all morning.

Here’s a basic recipe for stock: put bones, roasted or not, in a stock pot and cover with water by 4-inches (too much water will make it taste watery). Bring to a boil and skim off impurities that rise to the top including white-ish foam. Turn down heat and simmer, add mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion, herbs) and cook for a length of time depending on bone density and intensity of flavor desired. One hour for chicken to all day & night for pig or beef stock.

If brown stock is desired, brown the bones. If normal stock is called for, don’t. If a perfectly clear broth (consommé) is on order with no cloudiness, then clarify the finished stock with egg whites. And, do not add salt because it will reduce.

After a day and a half of making pork stock, I strain the liquid from the bones, and infuse with homegrown lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and onion. I strain this out again and add sliced fingerling potatoes, napa cabbage, carrots, tokyo turnips, chives, and a splash of rice wine vinegar.

I finish ladled soup with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, a splash of white shoyu, a sprinkle of white sesame seed, and cilantro leaves to float. This soup couldn’t be lighter and heartier at the same time. Healing and whole hearted-ly fulfilling.

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Language barrier be damned! This smoky-sweet-vinegary Mexican marinade that my cooking team has nicknamed “Out-of Body” for “Adobada” is serious. Get out the grill. This is gonna put your neighbor’s tri-tip to shame. Gaujillo and pasilla chiles (dried) are what give this sauce it’s fruity, mildly spicy kick.

I use this marinade more like a barbecue sauce and slather it over steaks after the first quick sear on the grill. Maybe that’s unorthadox. I don’t know. I do know that I served this at an event for two hundred people and there were no complaints. Nada.

It’s definitely a leap from my usual French cooking and comfort zone, but I discovered these dried chiles on one of my many adventures to 24th Street in San Francisco and then had to figure out what to do with them. Why not try them out at a huge party and see how it goes?

This recipe is adapted from Roberto Santibañez, who is Chef/Owner of a great Mexican restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn called Fonda. For those West Coasters living in NYC, I suggest you stop whimpering about the lack of good Mexican food and make the trip… or make this at home if you can find the peppers ;-P

(Very easy to poke fun from my apartment in the Mission!)

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Turnip and ginger are magical together and I make a foam at work to go alongside monk fish that has this combonation. I find myself tasting the foam over and over throughout the day. And finally the idea hit: why not just make it into a soup at home and slurp it up at leisure?

This soup has lots of enticing layers; it’s earthy, sweet, spicy, smokey, and a little bitter with the greens.

The recipe is simple and can be made the day before. Just add the garnishes before serving. If turnip greens happen to come along with the turnips (they didn’t for me) use those in place of the bitter greens or add them in.

The post Turnip Ginger Soup with Greens & Ham first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Pomegranate juice is reduced almost to a syrup and added to chicken jus, that has been cooked separate from the whole bird, and infused with the aromatics: ginger, onions, and shallots. The result is a rich and tangy complex sauce.

Who would have thought that parsnips and pomegranate go so well together?!?!

The sauce is very more-ish. I devoured half a baguette just mopping up the leftovers. Tiny leaves of marjoram add a piquant garnish.

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It does melt in your mouth sort of like dumplings do, and I suppose the small size makes it rather cute like a dumpling…

Name aside, here’s why this squash should be on your grocery list: it’s nutty-sweet and the skin is edible. That means you don’t have to worry about chopping off fingers while attempting to get to the flesh (I’m thinking butternut squash here – such a pain).

And it makes a delicious first course roasted with a drizzle of maple syrup and paired with a bitter/ salty frisée salad tossed with bacon bits, caramelized squash seeds, and warm bacon sherry vinaigrette.

Recipe: set oven to 450˚F. Slice dumpling squash into 2″–inch slices. Scrape out seeds, clean them, and set aside. Place squash slices in a roasting pan and season with S & P, then drizzle olive oil and maple syrup over to coat. Cook for 10 minutes and flip slices in pan. Add seeds to roasting pan. Cook until squash is tender about 10 minutes longer.

Meanwhile chop 3 slices of bacon and heat in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat until crispy. Drain over paper towel reserving 1 T of the hot bacon fat. Whisk bacon fat with 2T olive oil and 2T sherry vinegar plus S & P. Toss dressing with frisée and bacon bits and serve squash slices on top with seeds to garnish.

The post Roasted Sweet Dumpling Squash with Frisée & Warm Bacon Vinaigrette first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

During my employment at Guy Savoy we used proteins that I had never previously seen before in the United States let alone cooked: wild hare, baby boar, grouse, wild pigeon, pheasant, starlings, kidneys, sweet breads, brains, duck tongue, cow tongue, pig knuckles, and tripe just to name a few of the more unusual.

Yes, we really did cook duck tongue once.

 The flavors of this dish border on Italian with the rich red wine tomato beef sauce and creamy rosemary polenta. But considering we served it at Guy Savoy, a restaurant very proud of it's French heritage, I'll have to guess that maybe some where in history the Italians donated this recipe.

Catherine de Medicci peut-être? Hmmmmm….. maybe not.

 Most of us don't need to feed a family of 6 or I'd suggest shocking your butcher with a request for a whole shank. Two 3" shank cross sections will easily feed two people although the result is a dish resembling osso bucco. Which, in my opinion, is not necessarily a bad thing. Beef shank or shin is a cut taken from the front lower leg of a steer.

The connective tissue is very tough so it is commonly braised or slow cooked to tenderize the meat. This is a picture of a more manageable cross section for the home cook…

Here's the best part of beef shin or shank (call it what you will) it only costs $4.99 a pound! No here's the best thing about beef shank: you can put it in the oven and pretty much forget about it for an hour! Then you can check it and forget about it for another hour! Okay, here's the best, best thing: you can scoop out the marrow as it cooks and eat it all by yourself. Justification? You slaved over it for 2 hours why should you have to share! Enough said, recession cooking couldn't get tastier. 

Braised Beef Shank with Rosemary Polenta

 Serves 2

Ingredients

1 3/4's – 2 lbs beef shank (2 slices across the bone, approximately 3"'s thick)

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium carrot peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 cup dry red wine (with extra to add if desired)

3 cups beef stock

1 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Kitchen string (optional, depends how picky you are about shape)

Olive oil

Salt and freshly groung pepper

1 cup polenta

2 cups chicken stock or water

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated

1 Tablepoon minced rosemary

Instructions Preheat oven to 325˚F. Make incisions into the thick connective tissue that surrounds the leg meat. This tissue will tighten during cooking and push the meat out of it's circular form. In order to keep the shape tie 2 pieces of kitchen string around the shank. Season beef shanks generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 T olive oil in a large oven proof pot. Sear the shank on all sides. Add the onions, shallots, carrots and continue to sauté until onions are softened.

Add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the beef stock until it just covers the meat. Add all the sauce from the can of the peeled tomatoes and 4 of the tomatoes. Break apart the tomatoes with a spoon. Add the herbs. When the braising liquid is simmering, place in the oven uncovered. Check every half hour and turn the shanks over after 1 hour (scooping out the marrow and eating it yourself!).

If the braising liquid is reducing to quickly you can either add more stock and red wine or place a lid on it. The meat should be covered on the sides at all times. After approximately 2 hours the meat should be tender. Remove shanks and keep warm. Strain the braising liquid in a chinois pressing hard against all the vegetables with a ladle or wooden spoon. Scrape the bottom of the chinois and make sure to add all those puréed vegetables – that's half the flavor! Return braising liquid to the pot and reduce until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the shanks back to the pot and keep on low heat while making rosemary polenta.

Polenta: Heat water to a boil in a medium sauce pot. Add polenta, turn down heat to medium-low, and whisk. After the polenta has absorbed the water, add milk cup by cup. Continue to gently whisk. Add minced rosemary. Cook for 10 minutes, whisking, or until polenta no longer has a crunchy texture. Add in parmesan and season with salt and pepper. If necessary add more milk to keep it creamy.

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Yes, I am from California. We don't do weather like this. Nonetheless it's an excellent time to practice recession recipes. What recession?!?! The one that's making hundreds of restaurants go out of business and cut back on overtime and staff. And forcing more people to cook at home and choose less expensive cuts of meat.

That kind of recession.

If you're like me and feeling the cold inside and out, then this recipe is sure to bring some comfort back in your life. It was one of those experiments that I would happily serve at my own restaurant and to friends and family. Beef short ribs are cooked best when braised at a low temperature over a long time. They are fatty and tough, so the slow cooking aids in turning blubbery sinews into mouth watering morsels.

At the supermarket there are normally two types of beef short ribs: 'flanken' cut which are short ribs cut across the bone into more manageable pieces or 'short ribs" which look like long logs of beef muscle on the bone.

I chose the normal short ribs for this recipe and cut them off the bone so I could keep the rib meat in one piece for half of the cooking time. My goal was not to have a mushy stringy pile of meat but actual pieces. After cooking the rib meat for an hour, I sliced it thick and returned it to the braising liquid for another hour. To finish the dish the braising liquid is de-fatted and a splash of balsamic vinegar and some fresh cherry halve are added to give a little sweetness and acidity to the rich red-wine beef sauce.

The buttermilk biscuits are from my thoroughly destroyed (torn with gooey fingerprints everywhere) 1975 copy of the Joy Of Cooking and I have yet to find a better a recipe. They are quick to whip up in a Cuisinart and simple to roll out.

And frankly, nothing compares to warm soft biscuits fresh from the oven – with or without the short ribs and sauce. This recipe was supposed to provide left overs. But it didn't. Everything was demolished – the best compliment of all! Serve with horseradish cream.

Beef Short Rib Shortcakes with Cherry Balsamic Sauce

serves 4-5

3 beef short ribs, bone-in

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 cups dry red wine

4 cups veal stock (can substitute beef stock)

2 sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Bing cherries halved and pitted (as many as you want to plate)

Buttermilk Biscuits from The Joy Of Cooking

1 3/4's cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar (optional) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup lard or 5 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Cut the bone away from the rib meat in one straight shot. Keep both. Trim any outer fat on the rib meat if it is thick and white. On the stove top heat a large oven-proof pan with olive oil on high heat. Generously Salt and pepper the rib meat. Sear the rib meat hard on all sides to brown. Remove the rib meat to a plate and if there is a lot of fat in the pan throw away all of it but three tablespoons.

Add in 2 of the bones and the carrots and onions. Sauté until soft then add the rib meat back to the pot. Pour in the wine and reduce by 1/3rd. Add in the beef stock, thyme, and bay leaf and place in the oven to braise for one hour. Check in to make sure things are happily braising and bubbling. After 1 hour remove the rib meat and cut into 1 1/2-inch slices. Place slices back into the braising liquid. If necessary add a little more red wine and veal stock to cover slices. Place a lid on the pot and continue cooking for another hour until the fat in the rib meat has rendered and the meat is tender.

When rib meat is done remove slices to a plate and keep warm. Throw away the bones, strain the braising liquid, and return it to the pot. Carefully spoon out as much of the fat as possible. If the braising liquid is thin – not yet thick enough to coat the back of a spoon – reduce on the stove top. Add the balsamic vinegar little by little until the sauce has a nice rich slightly acidic taste. Toss in the cherries halves to warm right before serving.

The meat can be reheated in the sauce right before serving too.

For the bisuits: Preheat oven to 450˚F. Put all the dry ingredients in a Cuisinart and blend for 2 seconds to evenly distribute. Add the butter or lard in cubes and blend with on and off pulses until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the buttermilk and blend with on and off pulses until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently for 30 second.

Roll the dough gently to a thickness of 1/2-inch and cut with a biscuit cutter (I often use a water glass). Brush the tops (not the sides or they won't rise) with a little milk if you want glaze the tops. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes until they are golden delicious.

Serve warmed short ribs over biscuits. Spoon over balsamic sauce and place cherries around. Serve with horseradish cream

The post Beef Short rib Shortcakes with Cherry Balsamic Sauce first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

I'm catering a private appetizer party this weekend and while looking for inspiration came across this recipe by François Payard, a renowned French chef, who lives in New York and owns the Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro. Sliders are popular at appetizer parties these days and they are so adorable. But, as I've been finding out, making mini bites taste adorable can be challenging.

Small bites have a tendency to dry out faster and often lack the flavor that bigger bites do. However Lamb, if not overcooked, stays juicy. And the yogurt sauce with harissa spice adds heat. Harissa is often used in Morocccan and Meditarrean cuisine. It's a chili paste made with a blend of spices. Be forewarned: a little goes a long way. The buns are a simplified brioche dough with toasted cumin and compliment the lamb and spicy yogurt sauce.

For more fun appetizers by François Payard, check out his cookbook: Bite Size

Mini Lamb Sliders with Harissa Sauce & Toasted Cumin Buns Adapted from Small Bites by François Payard

Makes 20

  Cumin Buns

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3 tablespoons warm water (110˚ to 115˚F)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons ground cumin

4 large eggs

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Harissa Dressing

1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt

1/2 teaspoon harissa

Burgers

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

10 ounces ground lamb

sea salt & freshly ground white pepper Olive oil  

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let stand for ten minutes until the yeast starts to foam. In a bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and 3 of the eggs. Mix on low speed for about 2 minutes. Add yeast and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, until a soft dough forms. Add the softened butter and beat for 5 more minutes until the dough is elastic and slightly sticky. Remove dough and allow to rest on a floured surface, covered with a damp towel for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickeness. Cut out 20 rounds with a 1-inch cookie cutter. Cover the cut rounds with a damp towel and let rest again for another 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With the remaining egg beat with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the tops of the buns (only the tops or the buns won't rise). Sprinkle a little ground cumin over all buns. Bake buns for 15– 20 minutes until golden brown.

Mix yogurt with harissa paste. This can be made a few hours ahead. Mix ground lamb with chopped onion and salt and pepper to taste. Form mini patties. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Sear patties, about 45 seconds to 1 minute each side for medium-rare. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.  Slice buns in half. Put a tiny dollop of the dressing on the bottom bun and the hamburger on the top.

The post Mini Lamb Sliders with Harissa Sauce first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

My Poule au Pot is a homemade whole chicken soup with asian herbs and spices thrown in to elevate it from sick-people soup to let’s-invite-people-over soup. Or better yet: let’s eat-it-all-ourselves soup.

Whatever, it’s Chicken In a Pot and it’s good.

The great thing about this Chicken in a Pot is that it’s: easy, nourishing, colorful, and it makes tasty leftovers. Nothing is canned or pre-fab. All you need is a chicken, some water, some vegetables, some herbs – et voilà! – you have Chicken in a Pot. Or rather, Poule au Pot.

Now, I’m lucky because I live right next to a Vietnamese grocery store that sells cool things like: won ton wrappers, kaffir limes, lemon grass, thai basil, thai chives, galanga, steamed pork buns, and a bunch of other long leaf herbs I haven’t gotten around to exploring yet. I just buy stuff and toss stuff it into my poule au pot and see what happens.

Galanga (pictured left), you might be familiar with now that Whole Foods carries it regularly, is a wonderful form of ginger. To me and my overactive tastebuds, it tastes of eucalyptus, ginger, and cedar. I like to slice it and toss it in the broth to simmer. I wouldn’t try eating it whole. Very woody.

Kaffir lime (picutred right) looks like a small bumpy hand grenade and its zest is even more explosive – sort of lime tasting with a strong furniture polish overtone. Lemon Pledge to be exact. The fruit is also powerful, but I normally stick to the zest. Just a sprinkle over top the before serving.

Thai chives (pictured center) are fatter and stronger in flavor than their normal counter part and I use them in place of green onion. Be careful when storing these in the refrigerator because everything will take on their flavor; butter and eggs included. This is not necessarily a bad thing unless you were hoping for buttered toast and jam in the morning sans onions.

I simmer my Chicken in a Pot and then when I’m minutes away from serving toss in bok choy, baby corns, mushrooms, or whatever else makes my soup pretty and nutritious.

There’s another more personal reason why I’m really in love with this recipe and it’s not just because I don’t have an oven at home…

I eat two staff meals at the restaurant I cook at and sometimes I go for weeks without eating lean protein or green vegetables. Sounds crazy right? I mean, I cook at a world renowned restaurant. I bet you thought I munch on caviar and truffles all day.

Well, not exactly.

The other day, I turned to a cook I work with and I asked him when was the last time he ate something green. He couldn’t remember. Neither could I. We vowed to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables over the weekend.

Staff meals consist of the 4 “other” French food groups: starch, protein, fat, and salt.

I’ll give you some examples: mashed potatoes (with a pound of butter) and Toulouse sausage. Or buttered pasta with tripe stew. Or cerveaux (brains) with creamy potatoes au gratin. Or canned cabbage (is this a vegetable?) with poitrine de porc.

Here’s what my California body prefers: lean protein, herbs with anti-oxidants, steamed greens, fresh vegetables, NO FAT.

So while your enjoying the most amazing 3-star meal on earth in the dining room, I’m eating farm hand food in the kitchen. Ah well, that’s the breaks. I’ll tell you, the young French cooks eat it up like it was going out of style.

Cailfornia dreamin’, my French/Asian Poule au Pot really hits the spot. TRY IT!

Technorati Tags: chicken, galanga, kaffir lime, lemon grass, pot au poule, poule au pot, soup

Poule au Pot Façon ‘Asiatique’

Serves 4 people

Ingredients
1 whole organic chicken parted (drumstick, breast, thigh, wing), plus carcass chopped
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 large carrot thickly sliced on diagnonal
Water to cover chicken by 1inch (expensive, huh?)
10 pepper corns
1/2 bunch parsley stalks
1/2 bunch basil stalks
2 stalks lemon grass, split
Galanga sliced (about 2 inches)
1 box baby yellow corns
3 baby bok choy sliced in half
Salt and pepper to taste

For garnish:
1/2 bunch Thai chives minced
Zest of 1/2 kaffir lime
1 Red thai piment, for hella spice if desired
Basil and parsley leaves

Instructions
1. Part chicken (breasts, drumsticks, thighs, and wings) and set aside. With chicken cavity remove any inner organs and rinse out any blood (it will turn soup cloudy), chop into three large sections and set aside with chicken parts.
2. In a large pot put all the chicken parts and cover with cold water by 1 inch. The broth will only have as much flavor as the quantity of chicken so don’t over do it here with water. Cover by 1INCH!!!
3. Add sliced carrots, chopped onion, parsley stalks, basil stalks, pepper corns, sliced galanga, and lemon grass to pot. Turn pot on to high heat and boil.
4. Once soup boils skim the foam off the top. This is all the impurities that rise to the top and it must be removed. Don’t worry about the glistening fat, that will add flavor, but get off all that weird looking whitish-brownish stuff. That’s bad.
5. Turn down heat to low and simmer slowly until chicken is cooked.
6. If you have the time, turn the heat all the way off and cool in the fridge. The soup always tastes better a few hours later – or even the next day. When you reheat it, you can skim off any fat that you don’t want.
7. Re-heat and add in any quick cooking vegetables like bok choy, baby corns, or quartered mushrooms. Simmer until ready to serve. Garnish with kaffir lime zest and Thai chives and spicy red piments.

Note: I add the chicken parts with the skin. You can remove it easily before serving because it will come right off, or serve it with and let your guests remove it if desired. It’s part of the look, so don’t be too worried about it.

The post Poule au Pot Façon ‘Asiatique’ first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

Flipping through old cookbooks to find something different to serve for Easter dinner I came upon a recipe I made at Le Cordon Bleu during my Superior Cuisine course: Lamb Rib Roast Baked in a Bread Crust served with Jus and an Artichoke Hazlenut Oil infused Purée.

The lamb is baked in yeast bread crust with a vegetable stuffing surrounding it and served with a purée of artichoke blended with hazlenut oil and a teensy bit of cream. Globe artichokes are in season now, and of course, Spring lamb is always symbolic of Easter. The addition of hazlenut oil adds extra warmth and comfort to the purée.

The tricky part of this recipe is getting the cooking time right. Since there is no way to check for done-ness of the lamb through the bread. I find that by the time the bread is browned the lamb is cooked perfectly. Be careful not to over sear the lamb in the pre-cooking steps. It needs to be rare.

The fun part of this recicpe is decorating the top of the lamb loaf. Why not make an Easter basket or give it some bunny ears?

Happy Easter!

Recipe from Le Cordon Bleu Superior Cuisine

Filet D’Agneau Du Boulanger, Purée D’Artichauts a L’Huile de Noisette

(Lamb Rib Roast in Bread Crust, Artichoke Purée with Hazelnut Oil)
serves 4

Ingredients

Artichoke purée:
5 large artichokes
50ml cream
30 ml hazlenut oil
salt, pepper
1 lemon
2 tablespoons flour

Lamb and Jus:
1 lamb rib roast (best end neck – 8 ribs), fillet removed from bones and trimmed. Bones chopped.
1 chopped seeded tomato
Trimmings from vegetable stuffing
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup lamb stock (can substitute chicken, vegetable, or beef stock –without salt)

Vegetable Stuffing:
1 shallot
1 carrot
1/2 leek
1 celery stalk
100 g mushrooms
20 g butter (1 Tablespoon)
1 T chopped parsley

Bread Dough:
500g country style bread flour (pain de campagne)
20g fresh compressed yeast (can substitute active dry yeast)
330ml water at 9˚c or 18˚F
10g salt
kneading: 15 minutes at slow speed, form into ball, cover, keep warm

Decoration on Bread Loaf:
125g flour
30f butter
5g salt
50 ml water
15g glucose

Instructions

For Artichoke Purée:
1. Cut leaves off of artichokes with a serrated knife down to the bottom, including the tough outer part around the artichoke bottom. Scoop out the thistle in the center with a spoon (takes some work here). Rub with lemon.
2. Cook artichoke hearts in a “blanc” or simmering water with two heaping tablespoons of flour and the lemon used to rub the artichoke bottoms with. This will keep the artichoke hearts from turning black in color. Once the hearts are cooked, drain, and rinse in warm water to remove any flour.
3. Purée in a blender until smooth then add in hazlenut oil, cream, and salt in pepper
4. Place in a bain marie (pot in a water bath of warm water) and keep warm until ready to serve. Or refrigerate and reheat in a bain marie.

For vegetable stuffing:
1. Brunoise all ingredients (chop into a small perfect dice) and sauté in butter until just cooked. Stir in the chopped parsley and let cool. Use vegetable tirmmings for lamb jus.

For Meat and Jus:
1. Trim fat off of rib roast and trip filet off of bones. Then trim off the silvery tendons on fillet. (Or have butcher do this for you, but reserve all meat trimmings and the bones for jus.) Chop bones with a cleaver for jus.
2. Season lamb filet with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat a medium skillet on high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is hot, sear lamb rare on all sides. This is around one minute for each side. Remove lamb to rest for five minutes and re-season with a sprinkle of salt. Refrigerate after it has rested.
3. Re-use the same skillet for the jus. Turn down heat to medium and add the lamb bones and any meat trimmings (not the fat). Do not stir too often, but let bones and meat get nice and brown. Once all is browned, deglaze pan with white wine and scrape up any carmelized bits. Add meat stock and any vegetable trimmings available including a chopped and seeded tomato (mushroom trimmings, parsley stalks). Let jus simmer on low heat until reduced by half. Reserve.

For Decorations and Bread:
1. Add the yeast to warm water and let dissolve and get foamy. Then add to flour. Put dough in a professional mixer with a dough hook and need for 1-2 minutes, then add salt and continue to knead for another fifteen minutes on low speed. The temperature of the bread should be around 24 – 26˚C by the time it’s done (48-52˚F).
2. Form into a ball and place in a bowl, cover with a towel and let rest in a warm place.
3. While bread is rising make decoration dough. Add water to glucose and heat in a small pot and stir until mixed. Melt butter. Make a well in the flour and add water/glucose mixture and melted butter. Knead on a flour surface. Roll out dough into strips and create decorations. For wheat roll into 1/2″ strips and then snip the top with scissors. Place on a floured baking sheet and refrigerate for 2-3 minutes.
4. Once the dough has risen punch down and knead by hand for 3 minutes, form into a ball and let it rise again.
5. Oil a baking sheet with olive oil.
6. Flour a large surface and roll out dough – not too thin – in a rectangle to almost fit the size of the baking sheet.. Place in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes.
7. Take dough out of fridge and cut dough on the baking sheet to a size that will wrap around the fillet.
8. Place one quarter of vegetable stuffing down the middle of dough, the length of the fillet. Place fillet on top and pack the rest of the vegetable stuffing on top and around the sides. Seal edges of dough around the fillet with water and press to form a seam. Fold the ends of dough like a package and seal with water too. All seams should be on the top of the lamb loaf. Gently turn the loaf over so the seams are on the bottom of the baking sheet.
9. Brush top with water and place on decorations.
10. Leave to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to expand a little.
11. Cook for 15 minutes on the baking sheet at 142˚C or 380˚F. Watch carefully to make sure decorations don’t burn. Cover them with tin foil if necessary.
12. Take out of oven and let cool a little on a rack. Then serve and cut into slices at table with a serrated bread knife.

The post Easter Dinner: Filet d’Agneau Du Boulanger first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.

And I refuse to make excuses for enjoying brussels sprouts. If they’re not overcooked, they are delicious. Too often people boil the hell out of ’em and then they get that funny smell – you know the one I’m talking about? But, if they are steamed briefly (4-5 min.) and then quickly sautéed in a tiny bit of good ole’ fashioned bacon grease, they are absolutely edible!

So what’s the difference between a popover and yorkshire pudding? Not a lot. Except the later is cooked in the pan drippings from the standing rib roast which makes them extra flavorful. These little puffed beauties have to be cooked à la minute, but that’s okay because the rib roast has to rest for a good 15-20 minutes anyway. As soon as the roast is being carved, the popovers should be coming out of the oven so it all times out perfectly.

Happy New Years!!!

Vichyssoise with Crab, garnished with Crème Fraîche and Chives

Oyster and Heirloom Carrot salad with Warm Oyster Vinaigrette

Herb Crusted Prime Rib, Yorkshire Pudding, Brussels Sprouts

Gâteau Chocolate

Technorati Tags: brussels sprouts, New Year’s Eve menu, New Years, prime rib, New Years Eve menu, standing rib roast, yorkshire pudding

Herb Crusted Standing Rib Roast
serves 6 people

Ingredients
For thick slabs of prime rib I always figure 1pound per person of standing rib roast (weight is calculated with bone in). This is generous. Most recipe books will tell you to figure on 1/2 pound per person. We don’t eat prime rib a lot in my family, so when we do, we don’t skimp. Have butcher carve roast off the bone and tie it back on.
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 bunch rosemary minced
1/2 bunch thyme minced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup beef stock or broth and dry red wine

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400˚F
1. Generously season the roast on all sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. I mean GENEROUS!
2. Mix minced herbs and garlic together with olive oil. Pat herb mixture down to form a crust on the top of the roast.
3. Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan and put the huge hunk of meat in the oven. Drop the heat down to 350˚F once the roast is in the oven.
4. Cook until meat thermometer reads 140˚F. That’s medium rare. Sometimes I take it out a little before because it will rise at least 5˚ outside the oven. Figure about 15 minutes per pound.
5. Rest the meat tinted lightly with tinfoil for at least fifteen minutes.
6. To make jus separate the grease from the pan drippings (reserve grease for the yorkshire pudding). Pour broth, wine, and pan drippings back into roasting pan and place over medium-high heat. Cook scrapping up any extra drippings and brown bits until it’s reduced to 1/2 cup. Season with salt and pepper and pour into a serving dish. Remember jus is NOT gravy. It is only the juices from the roast with no added thickeners.

Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients
1/4 cup hot standing rib roast grease and drippings.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs at room temperature

Instructions
Turn oven up to 450˚F and make sure it’s HOT before putting in the popovers!
1. In a small 6-muffin pan divide grease and pour directly into the muffin pan. Place in oven to keep warm.
2. In a bowl mix salt and flour to evenly distribute ingredients. Add milk and eggs and beat with a hand mixer until very smooth. Beat for about 3 minutes! Don’t skimp on the mixing part here, it’s very important.
3. Pour batter into muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes until puffed and lightly browned. Serve alongside prime rib

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
I served the brussel sprouts on a bed of potato purée because it compliments the flavor, but the mashed potatoes are not necessary

Ingredients
1 bag brussels sprouts
3 slices of thick cut bacon
salt & pepper
Olive oil

Instructions
1. Trim brussel sprouts: peel of the first outer layer of leaves. Trim the bottoms and cut an ‘X’ about 1/4″ up the base. This helps them cook a little faster. Also, a lot of the smell that people don’t like is contained in the base of the sprout.
2. Steam for 4-5 minutes until sprouts are bright green and cooked but slightly crunchy, about 4-5 minutes. Stop the cooking of the sprouts in an ice bath and reserve until ready to serve.
3. Dice bacon small and sauté in a pan to render fat. When bacon is crispy drain on a paper towel reserving 1-2 Tablespoons bacon grease for cooking.
4. When ready to serve sprouts heat up bacon grease. If you need to, you can add a little olive oil. Toss brussel sprouts in fat to reheat along with the bacon bits. Serve up!

The post Herb Crusted Standing Rib Roast, Yorkshire Pudding, Brussels Sprouts first appeared on Amy Glaze's Pommes d'Amour.