Food Archives - Page 33 of 56

Grilled Pork #2 Belly up to the Table for Some Delicious Pork and Conversation

By threejamigos | June 11, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

The kids were all home for a couple of days, which is a miracle in itself, so we threw a party! Really, it was to celebrate the twins’ graduation from college (boy that went fast) and the end of tuition days. I polled the kids to see what they wanted for eats, after all, that’s the Asian mom way of saying I love you…” what would you like to eat?” and the response was “anything, Mom”. Ugh, no help.
Maybe I needed a theme? Comfort foods? Where they have been and where they are going? Hmm, that had potential. So I went with it.

Where they have been: Where they are going

Houston, Texas for Jamie….Queso!!! You need munchies at a party so Queso and tortilla chips would be perfect. Besides, she is moving to Minneapolis and cheese is HUGE there too right? Anyone care for some cheese curds?
Nashville, Tennessee for Jordan, hmmm…bbq! To combine it with where Jordan is going, Korea, I decided on Grilled Pork Belly and Khal Bi (marinated Beef cross-cut ribs). I just killed two birds with one stone! I’m a genius, lol.

Black Rice and Marinated Pork Belly waiting for the grill to fire up.

The food was casual, friendly, and easy, mostly family favorites. I pulled out my Somen Salad recipe, perfect for a crowd and the warm weather. We fired up the grill for the Khal bi (marinated beef ribs) and Spicy Grilled Pork Belly. Jorge put out the tortilla chips with the Queso Dip, salsa, and Wes’s famous tuna dip. Bowls of fresh berries from the Farmer’s Market rounded out the menu. For the grand finale, Jamie made a DELICIOUS banana cake (nooo, forgot to take a photo of it) filled with a chocolate ganache and covered with Cream Cheese Frosting.

We all gathered around the table to eat, gab, laugh and enjoy each other’s company. Isn’t that what it is all about?

The Spicy Grilled Pork Belly was a hit. The pork is cut into thick slices similar to thick-cut bacon and marinated in chili sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce. I adapted the recipe from the blog Barefoot in the Kitchen and it is SUPER SIMPLE and delicious! We served it with purple rice, Gochuchang (Korean chili paste) and lettuce to be wrapped like a taco.

Purple Rice, Purple Rice

The purple rice is novel and fun and requires nothing extra except for 2 tablespoons of black rice mixed with your regular rice. As it cooks the rice turns a really cool shade of purple. Your friends will think exotic and fancy, take the credit with a smile. Regular short grain rice would work and for carb haters, cauliflower rice is a great sub. The pork would also make a screamin’ slider. Top sliders with Siracha mayo and an Asian slaw of cabbage, onions, and pickled ginger. YUM.

Spicy Grilled Pork Belly

Grilled Pork belly, sweet, salty, spicy and delicious!

Course Main Course, Meat, pork

Cuisine Asian, Fusion

Keyword bbq, gochujang, Pork Belly

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 pound pork belly thick sliced (you can find it at most Asian markets)

Marinade

2 tablespoons soy sauce pref Sempio 707
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons chili paste use either Siracha with garlic or Gochuchang chili pepper paste
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 -1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

The Finish

1 head of red lettuce or butter lettuce
Chili pepper paste Gochuchang
Toasted Sesame seeds
Green onions
Rice

Instructions

Remove the skin from the pork belly and slice the meat into 1/8" - 1/4" wide strips. If you don't have access to already cut pork belly.
Stir together the soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, chili paste, sugar, sesame oil, pepper and salt in a mixing bowl.
Place the meat in the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat thoroughly. Marinate for 1 hour.
Preheat the grill to HIGH. Grill the strips of pork belly for 2 minutes, flip and grill another 2-3 minutes.
When the pork has cooked through, remove from the grill and place it on a paper towel lined tray.
Sprinkle green onions and sesame seeds to garnish
Serve with rice, lettuce and pepper paste for wraps or in a roll as a sandwich or tortilla as a taco with an Asian slaw and siracha mayo.

La-La Means I Love You LA

By threejamigos | June 9, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I recently made a quick trip to Los Angeles to celebrate my Aunt’s birthday. I spent ten years in LA, going to school and then working before heading back to the Bay Area. Auntie Ada was my SoCal Mom and a big reason I lived in the Los Feliz-Silverlake area. Being a stone’s throw away from a warm smile and a delicious home-cooked meal was huge for a kid living away from home for the first time. I loved living in Silverlake, it reminded me a lot of San Francisco and the East Bay. Bordered by Echo Park, Griffith Park, Downtown-Chinatown, and Glendale the vibe is definitely urban, reminiscent of the funky, edgy mixed neighborhoods of Oakland present day.

With a couple of hours to kill before dinner, I decided to visit my old haunts. My first stop was Hillhurst Avenue, a little shopping area I use to frequent. My favorite shop on Hillhurst was a tiny bakery called La Conversacion. I would stop by in the morning for one of their delicious croissants, flaky buttery fresh out of the oven. Delicious. I Googled it and found they had moved to West Hollywood where they can still be found. Ahh, next trip. I stopped at Yuca’s, a tiny taco shack, one of the few places I recognized. A cute little shop on Hillhurst, Mise-En Place, was ground zero for my cookware and kitchen gadget addiction. Sadly for me but happily for the pocketbook, the store is now gone.

I headed Downtown to check out Grand Central Market. Back in my student days, the market was a place to get produce, meats and food reasonably priced. Fast forward a whole lotta years, and it has been transformed into a trendy, neon, foodie mecca. From cheap eats like Villa Moreliana, Mixed Carnitas Tacos (all things porkalicious) to Clark Street Bakery (ah-mazing avocado toast and heavenly breads) there is something to nosh on for everyone.

My favorites…

Yep, an entire avocado in each order of toast…

Do not miss the Buko Pie at Sari Sari Store a coconut pie I’m still dreaming about, fresh young coconut pieces, creamy custard, and flaky pie crust. If you haven’t tried Filipino food yet- GO, try one of their rice bowls or noodle dishes BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR THE PIE.

And the tacos at Villa Moreliana, a heaping mound of mixed carnitas (every conceivable part of a pig), steaming hot corn tortillas, salsa-your choice along with pickled onions and cilantro. FOR A MERE BUCK SEVENTY-FIVE A TACO. Go NOW to the Grand Central Market.

Head across the street from the market and climb the stairs of the historic Angel’s Flight or take the tram itself to a great view of the City of Angels.

Did I mention dinner? South Pasadena Oak Tree Inn, yep a delicious 9-course Chinese meal to finish the day.

So many places, so little time…LA I’ll be back…soon.

Strawberry & Cream Cookies Forever

By threejamigos | June 2, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I ventured to Omnivore Cookbooks in San Francisco a while ago to see Stella Parks, author of the fabulous Bravetart, (a fabulous baking book) that remakes iconic American treats like Oreos and Mother’s Oatmeal Cookies. Moderating her talk was local cookbook author and blogger Irvin Lin, who coincidentally, also has a book out, Marbled, Swirled and Layered. I couldn’t resist so I picked up an autographed copy of his book also. I am such a cookbook groupie.

The Yin and Yang of Desserts

Think of Irvin Lin as a food artist. He layers flavors, colors, and textures in his desserts. Gorgeous cakes, cookies, and flavors I would never think of putting together. We are talking big WOW factor. But the flip side is this also makes his recipes a little daunting. Every recipe calls for 2 different doughs or batters and multiple steps in the process. Luckily, if these cookies are any indication, it is well worth the trouble. The book languished on my shelf until Jamie came home, got in one of her baking moods, cracked open the book, and found this recipe for Strawberries and Cream cookies. They are DELICIOUS.

Chewy with a crispy edge and great fruit flavor, the fam gave them the BIG thumbs up.

Use good quality white chocolate. Jamie used white chocolate chips that in hindsight may have caused the dough to be a bit dry and a little difficult to work with. I had inadvertently picked up dried raspberries instead of strawberries which worked out great. The raspberry’s purple tinge and tartness worked well in the cookie’s taste and color. Both freeze-dried berries are available at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

The doughs are made separately and then squished together to create the yin and yang effect. Pretty nifty eh? The dough for the cream cookie was a bit dry so we added a tablespoon of water which I don’t think will be necessary if you use white chocolate. (I love El Rey white chocolate, use your favorite).

When baking WATCH the cookies like a hawk. They turn brown very quickly. Jamie’s cookies were slightly smaller so her baking time was closer to 12-15 minutes. Check the cookies early to determine how long they need to bake.

For the strawberry version, Irvin adds 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and a couple of drops of red food coloring. Since we used raspberries we decided to forego the vinegar since raspberries have a bit of natural tartness.

This is a showstopper, so pull it out when you want to impress or score big cookie points. Irvin also includes a Corn and Lime version of this cookie that I can’t wait to try.

And now…Here’s Jamie!

Hey guys, it’s Jamie! My mom wrote this blog post for me because I took too long to write my post. I was busy being a couch potato watching TV (shoutout to The Americans) and playing with Sammy all day. Whenever I come home from school, I always get the baking bug. Who wouldn’t, though? My mom has 2 of every kitchen gadget you could ever possibly want, AND she has all the ingredients (major game-changer right there ppl). Seriously, she has 2 ice cream makers and is currently shopping for a third she just has to have.

I will say that these cookies cured the baking bug. THEY ARE SO MUCH WORK. You have to make two different cookie doughs, roll them into balls (a lot harder than it looks because the dough kept crumbling), mush them together, and roll them in sugar. Finally, flatten them out onto 4 cookie sheets. LABOR INTENSIVE. I worked harder making these cookies than I did all of last semester (shout out to being a part-time student due to AP credits, lol).

They’re pretty worth it, though. Everyone loved them! WATCH them while they’re baking because you REALLY don’t want to overbake these bad boys. The recipe also made like 100 dozen cookies, so I would half it or freeze some of the dough before baking off so they don’t get stale.

This concludes the blog post. Next time y’all hear from me, I’ll be blogging about how cold it is in Minneapolis!!!!

Enjoy!

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Strawberry Cookies Forever

Ingredients

Cream Cookie Dough

1-1/4 cups of butter unsalted
1-1/4 cup 250gm granulated sugar
2 t vanilla extract
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t kosher salt
1 large egg
1-3/4 cup 245gm all purpose flour
2/3 cup 4 ounces or 115gm white chocolate, melted
3/4 cup 90gm powdered milk

Strawberry Cookie Dough

1 cup 34 gm freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries crushed into a powder (food processor or rolling pin-the old fashioned way
10 T unsalted butter at room temp
1-1/4 cup 250gm granulated sugar
1 large egg
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t kosher salt
1-3/4 cup 245gm all purpose flour
Additional granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. LIne baking sheets with parchment or Silpats
Melt white chocolate in double boiler or carefully in microwave and set aside to cool.

Cream Dough

Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces and place in bowl of mixer with paddle attachment.
Add sugar and vanilla extract and beat at medium speed until mixture is lighter in color approximately 1 minute.
Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat for another 30 seconds.
Add the egg, beat until incorporated and then add white chocolate. Beat until incorporated.
Add flour and milk powder and mix on low until dough forms. Do not overbeat.
Transfer to a clean bowl.

Strawberry Dough

Break egg into a small bowl and add crushed strawberry powder to bowl. Blend mixture, set aside.
Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces and place in bowl of mixer with paddle attachment.
Add sugar and beat at medium speed until mixture is lighter in color approximately 1 minute.
Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat for another 30 seconds.
Add the egg and strawberry mixture and beat until incorporated about 30 seconds.
Add flour and mix on low until dough forms. Do not overbeat.

To form cookies:

Pinch off a chunk of each dough roughly the size of a walnut of each (35gm) and roll each into a ball. Press the two doughs together and roll into a single ball
Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart and flatten each ball, with the palm of your hand, into a disk approximately 2 inches in diameter. Leave room a they will spread when baked.
Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 15-18 minutes.
Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

HeY cLaIrE aNd MrS. wEdDlE!!!!

Stop the Madness with Lemon Syrup

By threejamigos | May 25, 2018 | Comments 2 comments

If you have a lemon tree in your backyard you will know what I am going through. Our one lemon tree produces enough lemons for my entire neighborhood. Too bad EVERY house in my neighborhood has a lemon tree.

So, if you have any suggestions on what to do with all my lemons, PLEASE forward them to me. I am always looking for ways to use them because man (or woman) cannot live on Lemon Bars alone…

Well, I probably could but that wouldn’t be wise.

Fortunately, I do have a suggestion for an abundance of lemons.

Jamie is home. Which means marathon kitchen sessions of baking, cooking, and CLEANING. We picked a bunch of lemons and made a stupid easy lemon syrup that we keep in the fridge for lemonade, drinks, lemon tea, just about anything that needs some sweet lemon goodness. It keeps for at least a month and is a fabulous way to make use of all those lemons. I have had a cold for the past week (feels like forever) and my go-to comfort drink has been a steaming cup of tea and a couple of tablespoons of lemon syrup.

Counting down: Top Five List of Ways to Use Your Homemade Lemon Syrup

5. As mentioned, a couple of tablespoons in a steaming hot cup of tea, so good.

4. Drizzled on berries and yogurt for a morning kickstart

3. Drizzled on pound cake for that extra zip

2. LEMONADE, nothing better on a hot summer day but a tall ice cold glass of lemonade-oh yeah. This is a mandatory summer fridge item.

Tall glass, Ice,1 part lemon syrup to 3-4 parts water, to taste… ahhhhhhhh, garnish with a sprig of mint or basil, life is good, drink lemonade

1. LEMON DROPS for Happy Hour (or any hour)

2 ounces lemon syrup, 1/2 ounce triple sec, 2-ounce vodka. Take a martini glass, dip rim in lemon juice then into granulated sugar. If you are cool enough to already own a cocktail shaker ( I want one), pour vodka, triples sec, lemon syrup into the shaker with ice. Shake, shake, shake. Strain into martini glass. ENJOY.

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Stop the Madness with Lemon Syrup

Ingredients

Adapted from Taste of Home.

3 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water
3 cups lemon juice about 16 lemons
2 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Instructions

In a 1-1/2-qt. heat-proof container, dissolve sugar in boiling water. If necessary heat on stove to dissolve sugar. Cool.
Add lemon juice and zest; mix well.
Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Although I have a jar in my fridge that has been there for a month, still delish!
Yield: 5-1/2 cups syrup (number of batches varies depending on concentration of lemonade).
When using the syrup, pour through a strainer to remove the pulp or zest. I'm a pulp girl so I generally don't bother staining the syrup.
To prepare lemonade: For 1 serving, combine 1/4 to 1/3 cup syrup and 3/4 cup cold water in a glass; stir well. For 8 servings, combine 2-2/3 cups syrup and 5 cups cold water in a 2-qt. pitcher; stir well. Yield: 1 serving.

Variations on a theme. You could use Meyer Lemons cutting back the sugar a tad. You also use limes or a combination of lemons and limes. Its up to you! Enjoy!

“The Triple P” Pulled Pork Pasta (Rigatoni with Pork Ragu)

By threejamigos | May 16, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

If you are like me, an empty nester still transitioning from cooking for a family of 5 to cooking for 2, you probably still have some (ok, alot) of that luscious roast pork left. As much as I love tacos, I can eat only so many. Back to Sam Kass’s book, Eat A Little Better, to try one of the many recipes that makes use of that delicious roasted pork.

BINGO. Found another winner. Rigatoni with Pork Ragu.

The ragu’ comes together in minutes. Chopped onion, garlic, are sautéed before adding the tomatoes and roasted pork. Simmer until it is reduced to a lovely thick, rich sauce. Voila’, a comforting, warm and homey lunch or dinner on the table. I added a pinch of chili pepper flakes, as suggested, for a little kick. Make a big batch, this sauce is better a day or two later after the flavors really come together.

Better yet, it freezes beautifully. Luckily, I threw the remaining sauce in the freezer on the way out of town. We arrived home a week later, travel weary and hungry but happy with one of two new college graduates in tow. I pulled out the sauce, boiled some pasta and minutes later we were all standing around the kitchen island enjoying our bowls of pasta. Yummy eats and no more tuition. Life is good. Hmmm, Jordan comes home tomorrow, hope I have enough sauce left until then.

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“The Triple P” Pulled Pork Pasta (Rigatoni with Pork Ragu)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons EVOO
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves smashed
Kosher salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
3 pounds ripe tomatoes cored and chopped or one 28 ounce can tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 cups coarsely shredded cooked pork shoulder I used 2 cups, its a lot of meat
1 pound rigatoni or pasta of your choice should be a thick pasta thats holds up well to the sauce
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium high heat until it shimmers. Add onion, garlic, chili pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the onion turns a nice golden brown ~6-8 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and pork. Let the mixture come to a simmer, while stirring, break up tomatoes. Continue to simmer over low heat until sauce has thickened. This will take approximately 25 minutes with fresh tomatoes and 15 minutes with canned tomatoes.
Season to taste with salt.
Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain well, toss with sauce and sprinkle with parmesan.
Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. Have additional parmesan on table.

The Name is Pork, Slow Roasted Pork (Sam Kass)

By threejamigos | May 15, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

One of my favorite recipes from Sam Kass’s book: Eat A Little Better is his Roasted Pork Shoulder. Don’t let the time commitment scare you. Prep is as easy as rubbing salt all over the roast, letting it sit for 2 hours then popping it in the oven for…

5 hours

So, yes, you will need to plan in advance and start early. By dinner time you’ll be ready to dazzle. You can serve the roast as is or transform it into delicious dishes like carnitas tacos, pulled pork sammies with your favorite barbecue sauce, or a yummy pasta ragu. Sam’s book includes ways to use this roast as the base for a variety of tasty options. All lip smacking delicious.

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The Name is Pork, Slow Roasted Pork (Sam Kass)

Ingredients

1 5-6 pound bone-in pork shoulder Boston Butt
Kosher Salt
1 cup low sodium chicken broth or dry white wine

Instructions

Rub the pork all over with 1 tablespoon salt. Let it sit for 2 hours at room temperature
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Put the pork fat-side up in a heavy roasting pan lined with parchment or foil. Place roast in oven and roast for approximately 5 hours until the meat is deep golden brown and fall off the bone tender. Start checking at about 4 hours.
To finish you may broil the top for a darker crisper top.
Teansfer roast to a plate. Deglaze pan with stock or wine stirring up bits on the pan.
Serve with pork or drizzle on top.
You can jazz up the rub with garlic or rosemary, minced and mixed into salt.

Let’s “Taco Bout” It (Carnitas Tacos)

By threejamigos | May 15, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I have been working my way through Sam Kass’s Cookbook Eat a Little Better and have to say it is pretty darn good! A family favorite has been his Roasted Pork recipe. Start with a nice 5-6 pound pork shoulder and slow roast it in the oven for 5 hours. You are rewarded with a beautiful mahogany colored, crispy on the outside, meltingly tender on the inside, hunk of deliciousness. Yum.

But as delicious as it is, IT IS STILL A WHOLE LOTTA PORK.

And as much as I enjoyed standing at my kitchen counter and pulling shreds of warm, succulent, salty pork off the roast and popping them in my mouth, I hardly made a dent.

Variations on a Pork Roast to the Rescue.

First on the list…TACOS

THE HISTORY OF TACOS by 3Jamigos

1960s: Taco shells out of a box-the equivalent of Chinese chow mein noodles out of a can (I can’t even), ground beef with tomato sauce, Lawry’s Taco Seasonings packet, iceberg lettuce, shredded yellow cheese, and tomatoes. They were good when I was a kid, now-not so much. The perils of growing up.

1970s: Tex-Mex Tacos: Visited San Antonio and had a Puffy Taco Moment. OMG! How can a taco shell be crispy and soft at the same time? Another, please.

1980s: Tacos in Mexico City: Tacos come on a plate with soft corn tortillas and toppings piled on top. A sprinkle of onions and cilantro, splash of salsa. #SoDamnDelicious. Mom and I sneak off the tour bus to eat tacos…..#RealTacos

1980s: I’ll take 2 1980s and skip the 1990s. Roadtrip to San Felipe and Ensenada. First stop: Buy a six-pack of Coronas and head for the nearest taco stand then head to beach. Freshly caught fish or shrimp, batter-fried, tossed in a soft tortilla with cabbage, salsa and crema…3 for a dollar. I have died and gone to seafood taco heaven.

2000s: Live and Eat in LA: Just about to order Lengua and Carne Asada tacos from fav Taco truck (cheap and open “All Night Long”, props to Lionel Ritchie)when… Wait, there’s a crazy ass long line at that truck over there called Kogi Truck, let’s check it out. Korean BBQ Tacos?! Mind blown.

2010: Kids work health fair at local church. After service, Carne Asada Tacos served fresh off the grill for 1.00 a piece. Kids (3 of them) eat 26 tacos. The next year the tacos go up to 1.50! La Vic’s Orange Sauce, say no more.

2018: Villa Moreliana in LA Grand Central Market 1.75 per taco. My favorite, Mixed Carnitas Taco. Comes with shredded pork, tongue, snout, trotter, and chicharrones. Go. Now. Eat.

NopalitoSF Carnitas tacos in a hipster setting near Divisadero Street, $14.50, Really? Afraid so. But damn, they are good.

Making my own with Sam Kass’s Roasted Pork Shoulder and homemade salsa. #SoDamnDelicious #EatAtHome #AsManyTacosAsIWant

Make your own tortillas too! Easy flour tortillas or corn tortillas from King Arthur Baking.

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Let’s “Taco Bout” It Carnitas Tacos

Ingredients

Slow Roasted Pork
Corn Tortillas Trader Joes makes a nice corn tortilla or La Tortilla Factory has a nice corn & Wheat handmade tortilla

Toppings: Put them all out or keep it real with onions, cilantro and lime wedges

shredded cabbage
chopped white onions or red onions Soak in cold water to mellow onion
Cilantro
Avocado slices
Pico de gallo
Your favorite salsa or try the easy homemade salsa on my blog

Instructions

Shred 1-2 cups of roasted pork. To crisp the edges and reheat pork, place shredded meat in a saute' pan with 1-2 tablespoon of oil until heated thru and crispy on the edges. Transfer to warm plate.
Heat tortillas. Put different toppings out and let people go crazy.
Allow everyone to make their own tacos.
#TacoTime

Eat a Little Better with Sam Kass

By threejamigos | May 9, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I received Sam Kass’s book, Eat a Little Better: Great Flavor, Good Health, Better World to review QUITE a while ago. I wasn’t too busy and it wasn’t because I didn’t feel like looking at it. On the contrary, I really liked the book and kept finding recipes I wanted to try before posting. For those of you not familiar with Sam, he was the personal chef to President Obama’s family and worked with FLOTUS on her healthy eating initiative. Yes, I am biased and really wanted to like this book (plus he is easy on the eyes-I didn’t just write that, did I?). Luckily I can, in good conscience say, its a winner.

Eat A little better My fridge — Work in progress. Yep, all those fruits and vegetables were hidden in the bins below.

I love the stories about the White House, the first family and Sam’s tips on healthy eating and cooking. The first change I implemented was rearranging my fridge. I moved my fruits and vegetables to bowls and see-through containers. Now, when I open the door my weekend farmer’s market bounty is staring me in the face instead of hidden in the “the crisper”. No longer out of sight, out of mind. Be honest, who hasn’t pulled out an unidentifiable fuzzy green object that might have once been an apple or orange, or worse a forgotten cucumber that morphed into a slimy swamp creature…ewwwww.

Those ignored apples stashed in the crisper? Placed front and center, a visible “I’m here” reminder, turned into a couple of delicious apple crisps.

The recipes are straightforward, uncomplicated, some healthy, some homey, some both. Right up my alley. I LOVE sweet potatoes so a recipe for a trio of dips/toppings for baked sweet potatoes caught my eye. It reminded me of an absolutely scrumptious charred sweet potato with a bone marrow Salsa Negra appetizer I had at Cala in San Francisco. The potatoes were tender, smoky and sweet. Borrowing from Smitten Kitchen, I slow roasted the potatoes in the oven and finished them under the broiler for that nice char. The toppings, an herbalicious sour cream, and a brown butter orange juice were a snap to prepare. I nixed the bacon dip and made the topping for Kaddo, an Afghani dish of braised pumpkin topped with two sauces, a tomato meat sauce, and a garlic-mint yogurt sauce. The sweet potato stood in for the pumpkin, pretty yummy. It deserves its own post which is coming soon.

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Sweet Potato In-skin Mash-ups

Ingredients

4-6 Whole Roasted Sweet Potatoes I used Smitten Kitchen recipe see link

Brown Butter-Orange Juice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
Kosher salt

Herbed Sour Cream

3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives or green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Kosher salt

Instructions

While sweet potatoes are roasting you will have plenty of time to throw these sauces together.

Brown butter-orange juice

Place butter chunks in saucepan, preferably a light color one so you can see the butter turn color. Place over medium heat and let the butter melt and bubble, swirl the pot occasionally. The butter will foam and then start to color. Watch carefully, the milk particles will turn a nice toasty brown, remove from the heat and pour butter into a heatproof bowl.
Stir in orange juice and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Make a slit lengthwise in each potato, season with more salt. Smoosh it with a fork and drizzle the sauce on the sweet potato.
Serve immediately.

Herbed Sour Cream

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, chives, thyme and lemon juice. Mix until well blended. Season with a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Split potato, season with salt and place a generous dollop of the sour cream in the potato.
Serve immediately.

Next, Butternut Squash and Kale Fried Rice. The sweetness of the squash meshed well with the saltiness of the bacon and the slight bite of the kale. Surprisingly good and easy to make. Feel free to use any kind of rice, use a mix of green onions and yellow onions and season to taste with soy sauce. DON’T SKIP THE EGG.

Leftover roast chicken? Sam’s tasty recipe for Chicken Salad was the perfect answer. Red onion, crispy green beans, fresh thyme, and mayo to bind. A breeze to put together. For a touch of sweetness, grapes or diced apples would be a nice addition.

How could I not try the dish featured on his cover? Braised Chicken with Olives and Oranges. Bold, bright flavors, sweet from the oranges and tangy from the olives, like tennis a love match. Even better the second day when the flavors mellowed and melded together.

You can see why it took me so long to review!

His Slow Roasted Pork served as the base for a couple of quick and delicious meals. I still had plenty left despite continually pulling shreds of pork off the bone and popping it into my mouth.

Eat A Little Better Slow Roasted Pork — Slow Roasted Pork out of the oven

First meal-CARNITAS. Topped with a cabbage slaw, homemade salsa, cilantro, and onions on warm corn tortillas, darn fine tacos.

Eat A Little Better Carnitas Tacos — Carnitas Tacos

Second meal-Rigatoni with Pork Ragu. Onions, tomatoes, slow roasted pork and a handful of grated Parmesan, so simple and satisfying.

So, verdict? Wonderful, simple, straightforward cookbook with some sage advice. I plan to use this book a lot. Hope you will too.

A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

By threejamigos | May 5, 2018 | Comments 3 comments

Our weekend ritual of going to the Farmer’s Market is a two-pronged mission. After stocking up on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables we turn our attention to the artisanal products that are peppered throughout the market. Smoked salts, leaf lard from the meat guy, olive oils from family orchards, bread, and fresh tofu. I invariably stop at the Manresa bread stall. I have a weak spot for their Kouign Aman and their Bostock.

Bostock? Yep, glorified TOAST, 4-5 bucks a slice. Call it a guilty pleasure. A slice of buttery brioche with a layer of orange marmalade or strawberry rhubarb jam, topped with an almond frangipane and a generous sprinkle of sliced almonds. Baked, finished with a blanket of powdered sugar. So good.

I probably won’t attempt to make Kouign Aman but Bostock, that’s a different story. It’s toast on steroids when you think about it. A recipe for Bostock from the blog The Little Epicurean looked delicious and sounded very doable. Time to stop the 5 dollar toast madness and make my own. I love her photo and as they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Making Bostock pictogram starts with brioche, slather with preserves, coat with almond frangipane and top with sliced almonds. Pop it in the oven. Badabing, badaboom, done.

Ok, I did cheat a little, store-bought brioche (Trader Joe’s Brioche-thumbs up) makes this a quick and easy recipe. I used a homemade strawberry-blueberry jam but feel free to use any jam you like. The almond frangipane is made of butter, almonds, sugar and an egg whirled to a smooth creamy paste in a food processor. As I pulled the slices out of the oven the aroma of butter, sugar and almond filled the kitchen. Life is good, especially if you have fresh baked Bostock.

A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

Glorified toast which you should definitley make!

Course Breads, Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword Bostock

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

6 thick slices of brioche challah, or enriched milk bread
6 Tablespoons orange marmalade or your choice of jam
Almond frangipane spread recipe follows
Sliced almonds as needed
Confectioners' sugar to dust

Almond Frangipane Spread:

1 cup almonds sliced or whole
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature, softened
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick silicone mat. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade over bread. Top with 3 tablespoons of almond frangipane spread. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until almonds are golden and bread is toasted.
Transfer bread to cool rack to prevent bottom from getting soggy. Dust warm bostock with sifted confections' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Almond Frangipane Spread:

In a food processor, pulse together almonds and half of sugar until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl.
In same food processor, process together butter, remaining sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, egg, and cream until smooth.
Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add ground nut mixture and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Use almond frangipane spread immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Allow to soften to room temperature before use.