Eat. Drink. Better.

Having spent a number of years working in and enjoying Atlanta, Georgia, I developed an affinity for southern hospitality. After moving away, I would call directory assistance for the 404 area code occasionally just hear that distinctive and luring southern twang again. I really fell in love with the South when a girl I was dating at the time took me to her family’s home for a New Year’s Day meal. I could taste the customs and flavors that have been passed down for generations.

Though the foods may vary, New Years day has a number of good luck food traditions throughout the world. Some foods are said to bring luck or money; others safety and a good life. And some are just tasty.

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Many years ago I had the honor and privilege to both attend and actually “sous chef” for several master classes with the late, great Barbara Tropp. For those who don’t know, Barbara Tropp was the chef/owner of China Moon Cafe in San Francisco, a culinary teacher and the author of the best cookbook on Chinese cooking, The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking: Techniques and Recipes. However she was much, much more.

She passed in October 2001 from ovarian cancer far too soon at age 53. She was not only one of the most influential chefs in general and Chinese chef’s specifically, but she was also an inspiration, a role model to male and female cooks, and a teacher of life to anyone who every crossed her path. After her death, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck said,

Barbara was so petite, but her influence, dedication and knowledge of food made her a giant.

What is the most important thing I learned for this legend? The simplest, tastiest and most used trick in my Chinese repertoire - Fried Rice.

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Twas the night before Christmas,
when what was to be seen,
Not a fossil fuel stirring, as Santa went green.
He’s already horse-powered, no petrol on his list,
But this year he’s adding a new sustainability twist,
In our crazy-busy world, we needed someone to share,
A way to live with joy and appreciation, a reason to care.
Too many messages today of fear, emptiness and dread,
Santa wanted transformation to dance in our head.
So as young and old nestled all snug for the night,
Santa’s sleigh took off in a different light.
Sure he packed toys for good kids but there was more,
Something that comes from a garden, not just store.
Santa dug in his root cellar and brought out his . . .
Yukon Gold . . .

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Okay. This recipe may not be the healthiest most sustainable, seasonal, vegan dessert or even what most people would consider traditional holiday fare. However, it has become a regular christmas staple in our household and like most traditions, it has a story attached to it.

Nothing dramatic really, but about 15 years ago, I was experiencing one of those ‘blue’ christmases that Elvis sang about - all lonely and weepy and not much fun. My friends took turns trying to keep me from total despair and I found myself slumped on a stool in my dear friend Roberta’s kitchen a couple of days before christmas. I was a bit like a dry sack of flour so she put me to work as she was busily preparing her family’s favorite holiday dessert, strawberry squares.

Keep reading to get this delicious recipe . . .

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When I was growing up, the silky sounds of Nat King Cole crooning, ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire…’ was the hallmark of the holidays for me.  Every time I would hear it, I’d get that rush of childlike exuberance that encapsulates the magic of the season, and makes you feel like anything is possible.  

Yet, despite the fact that inordinate amounts of food were also synonymous with the holidays in my family (6 courses and 3 hours worth of dishes to be exact, by hand), we never had one dish with a chestnut in it.  Not a one.  For shame.

So, as I got older, and began to nurture my inner chef, I decided to remedy that travesty by starting a new tradition of savory chestnut soup to begin the descent into our annual colossal feast, much to my Grandmother’s chagrin who quite religiously served Italian Escarole soup.  (And by religiously, I mean had served Escarole for 30+ years prior to my first course usurping; or usouping, as it were. OK, bad joke.)

But my soup was a big hit, and each year I’d add or change the ingredients, perfecting my chestnut prowess with new and interesting pairings.  Needless to say, some years were better than others.  The addition of raisins, for example.  Disaster.  Cranberries, however.  Surprisingly delicious.  And those tart little buggers are still the perfect complement to the soup.  The cranberries, that is — not my family!

And now for the first time ever outside the hallowed halls of the Snowfield residence, I am sharing my coveted recipe for you to share, which now includes honey glazed grilled salmon, making it a hearty first — or even second — course for your own foray into holiday gorging and merriment.

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Once a year, Food Bloggers from all over the world band together for a fundraising campaign called ‘Menu for Hope’.  Last year, they raised over $90K for the UN World Food Programme, the United Nations international food aid organization.This year the charity raffle goes until the 24th of December. They explain:

“Menu for Hope again raises funds for the WFP’s school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa.  This is the second year we are supporting this program, which assist the WFP’s efforts to supply the program by buying directly from local farmers who practice conservation farming methods.  With this program, we help feed the kids (which keep them in school) and support their parents and community farming. This sustainable approach to aid is something we believe in and strongly support.”

Together they’ve whipped up a delectable list of amazing food related prizes for this raffle:  Click here to view the list of all the prizes. Every US$10 donation will buy you one virtual raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice.  Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not the healthiest recipe in the world, but Icelandic Leaf Bread is a tradition dating back centuries, and with some modern adjustments, can make a wonderful addition to Christmas celebrations.
Laufabraud or Leaf Bread is so called because it has an intricate pattern incised to it: the pattern is a metal cutter, usually leaf shaped, and often owned by a family as an heirloom. It originated in North Iceland, but has spread across the country and is so famous it has its own stamp!

Recipe

• 1 kilogram wheat flour
• 30 grams sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 500-600 ml milk (preferably low fat)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• Fat for frying (sunflower oil is good) and a tall cooking pot for frying the bread.

Method

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Heat the milk just to boiling and melt the butter in it.

Pour the hot milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until cool enough to handle then knead into a ball. It will not be as elastic as normal dough.

Roll the dough into around four sausage shapes and put under a damp cloth while you work on it. Cut off about a double walnut size and roll it out into a circle – you should be able to see the writing on a poster through each bread! Now take a tea plate, lay it on each circle and cut round so they are evenly sized.

You can store Leaf Bread uncooked by layering it with baking paper and storing it in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Now have fun cutting out patterns using diamonds and bead shapes while you heat the cooking oil until it’s just below smoking. Prick each bread lightly with a fork to stop it bubbling and drop one into the fat, it will sink and then rise, when it reaches the top, turn it using a barbecue fork and when it is golden on both sides lift it out and put on kitchen paper to drain. You can set a plate on each bread as it cooks, to keep it flat. When the breads are cold, store them in a tin, they will keep for several weeks.

Serve with winter salads and strong cheeses as a tasty age-old accompaniment to winter feasts.

The San Francisco Chronicle today reports that President-elect Barack Obama received a letter from Alice Waters of Chez Panisse;

volunteering her services - and those of Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl and New York Union Square restaurateur Danny Meyer - to be the first couple’s informal “kitchen cabinet” on all things culinary, from recommendations for a new White House chef to overseeing the creation of a sustainable, organic kitchen garden on the White House lawn.

In the letter, sent the day after the election, Waters wrote passionately:

At this moment you have a unique opportunity to set the tone for the changes we need to make in the way our country feeds itself. The purity and wholesomeness of your campaign can find a parallel in the purity and wholesomeness of the food at America’s most visible and symbolic address: the White House.

If the President-elect wants “real” change, he needs to take it slow - the Slow Food Movement that is.

image credit: cfishy, YesWeCanTwo, under an Attribution License

As the hurried frenzy of the holidays descends upon us, even the most mindful diners can get caught up in the seasonal time crunch, losing touch with our dining experiences. Take a break and linger over the stories and messages behind a new cookbook by Iowa chef Kurt Michael Friese for a hearty serving of appreciation for our food sources: A Cook’s Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland.

As a Wisconsin farmer myself, it tickles me to see the spotlight on the Midwest’s rich culinary scene once again. Too often we get stereotyped by dominating images of corn and other tasteless monocrops. Sadly, this burgeoning, vibrant local, sustainable food scene goes unnoticed.

But as Friese so aptly summarizes of his passion for our nation’s heartland, historically many great centers of the world’s diverse culinary heritage have centered on the core of a nation’s grain belt, such as France, German, India or China. This inspired Friese to deeply explore thirteen Midwest states – from Ohio to Oklahoma to North Dakota - to discover some of the most innovative, sustainable and creative culinary practices around today. Read the rest of this entry »

Fuyu Persimmon and Duck Salad with Hazelnut-Sherry Vinaigrette

What in the world is a Fuyu persimmon? The Fuyu (pictured at the right) is a non-astringent persimmon variety. It is sweet and delicious when it becomes orange to orange-red in color and is still firm. The Native American persimmon grown in the southern U.S. and the more common pointed Hachiya persimmon are astringent varieties that do not lose their bitterness until the fruit becomes soft.

Why do we care? Ripe Hachiya persimmons are great for making cooked dishes such as chutneys, relishes, steamed puddings or even pies. The Fuyu persimmon is perfect for this salad because its sweetness will cut through and balance the richness of the duck while maintaining its crisp texture.

Take a look at my post The Persimmon - More Than Pudding for additional persimmon information and recipes.

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