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Good and Lovely Christmas Ice Cream

Last night I had the great fortune of not only seeing The Good Lovelies in concert during their Christmas tour , but making dessert for the band. I wanted to make something holiday-ish to fit with the theme of the night and came up with this. The word is that the band loved the ice cream, hence the name. The method for the ice cream is from Homemade Vegan Pantry , and the method for sugaring the chestnuts comes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World . The recipe works best with a high powered blender like a Vitamix. If you don't have one, just make sure your cashews are nice and soft before blending INGREDENTS Ice Cream - 1 cup whole raw cashews - boiling water - 1.5 cups non-dairy milk of your choosing - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar - 1 tsp cinnamon - large pinch of salt - 1 can coconut milk (light, or regular) - 2 tsp vanilla Sugared Roasted Chestnuts - 1 cup chopped roasted chestnuts (about 3/4 lb whole chestnuts) - 1/3 cup sugar - 3 tbsp maple syrup - pinch of salt METHOD Ice C
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Bison Rib Roast

For a big celebratory meal, a rib roast is very impressive, especially with the bones in. While beef might be a common choice, bison is also available in a rib roast. I’ve shared my experience cooking several different cuts of bison and how much I enjoy it. I like the texture and flavor but also really appreciate how environmentally sustainable and how healthy it is, particularly when compared to beef. It's lighter and less fatty so I find I'm able to enjoy it more. When Durham Ranch offered me the opportunity to try one of their products I decided to go with a rib roast. Durham Bison Ranch is one of largest bison operations in the US, with a 55,000 acre ranch in Eastern Wyoming with around 3,000 bison. Unlike some producers, the bison from Durham is not completely 100% pasture raised. It’s finished on a feed lot where it is fed mostly grass based silage and very little grain, since it is not part of their natural diet. Why are their animals finished this way? Drought condition
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Moringa Chia Pudding with Raspberry Recipe

A current food trend is the emergence of exotic superfood ingredients such as elderberry, aronia, haskap and moringa. Moringa is a plant native to South Asia and grown throughout the tropics. It's considered a superfood because the powdered leaves provide protein, calcium, iron, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Peace Corps volunteer Lisa Curtis discovered it when she was living in West Africa and suffering from malnutrition. Now back in the US, she is the founder of  Kuli Kuli Foods , a company that sells moringa based product in the US and helps to improve the lives of women like the ones she worked with, in Africa. When I met Lisa I was inspired by her story and also curious to try experimenting with moringa, which comes in a powdered form, looking a bit like matcha but tasting more herbal with a slight bitter but not unpleasant edge. Aside from adding it to smoothies or using it bars, I thought it might be good in a chia pudding.  Lots of chia pudding recipes use coconut or almond milk
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2012 Food & Dining Trends

In no particular order, here are my predictions with a tiny sprinkling of wishful thinking... Yes, please! More transparency and labeling in the food system Have you been to a supermarket lately? All the seafood is now labeled so you know where it comes from and whether or not it is farmed and if color is added. That is amazing considering that not long ago seafood had barely any labeling at all, but it's just the beginning. I believe consumers will demand labels on produce and meat too. Food contamination and security issues are only a few of the issues driving this trend. Foraging, hunting and wild food Wild and foraged ingredients are showing up on more and more menus and there are classes and books to help you learn about this return to a more primal way of eating. The poster boy for this trend is Hank Shaw. The poster Girl? Georgia Pellegrini! Local culture on the plate Rene Redzepi the chef at NOMA , (the world's number one restaurant according to one survey) has inspir
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Unusual Cookbooks of 2015

Looking for something different? These are some of the more unusual cookbooks I came across this year.  The Food of Oman  is one of the most exciting cookbooks I saw this year, because I am so unfamiliar with the cuisine and the influences are so varied. The book includes Bedouin meat and rice dishes, South Asian curries, East African vegetable dishes and Indian style tandoori seafood as well. There are recipes for quickly made flatbreads, Sweet Vermicelli with Salty Egg, Yemeni Style Roasted Chicken and Saffron Rice, Swahili Coconut Shrimp Curry, some hot tea-like beverages, and plenty of snack foods like Chile-Lime Chickpeas and Chili Spiced Potato Chips. For the cook who seems jaded and world weary this is the perfect book to inspire.  Who’s it for? Anyone looking to cook something different, but expecially fans for Southeast Asian and African food. Do you need a book about what to serve on toast? No. But  Better on Toast  is a really fun book loaded with cool ideas for snacks, ap
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NOMA: My Perfect Storm movie review

Even after reading the NOMA:Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine cookbook and going to see chef Rene Redzepi speak , I am still curious about the restaurant and the chef. Short of flying off to Copenhagen and dining at the restaurant (it’s on my bucket list!) I really enjoy reading anything I can about this restaurant that has been chosen “ #1 in the world ” four times. The latest attempt to dig deeper into the Noma phenomenon and psyche of chef Rene Redzepi is the feature length documentary, Noma: My Perfect Storm. Towards the beginning it’s easy to fall under the spell of the chef and his concept for the restaurant. It’s a concept which has had and will continue to have a ripple effect. Because really, this is more than just about one chef or one restaurant, it’s about a philosophy that is changing food, cooking and how we approach it everywhere. It's about creating a cuisine that reflects time and place in the most authentic way possible. Not surprisingly, it’s also about the proc
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New Dessert Cookbooks Winter 2015

This holiday season there are several new dessert cookbooks, here are some of my top picks. Home Baked isn't strictly a dessert book, it also contains savory baked goods, but the vast majority of the recipes are for sweets with just one section dedicated to breads (and a few recipes for dog biscuits). This book is mammoth! It has over 150 recipes for everything from Viennoiserie to cakes, cookies, pies and patisserie.  What sets the book apart is that the instructions are incredibly clear and well written and for the most part feel very easy to accomplish. The photographs are appealing as are the creative flavor combinations like Zaatar, Carrot Banana Cake, Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Grapefruit, Peach and Berry Tarts with Buttermilk Custard and Fig, Apricot, Stilton and Goat Cheese Tart. Who's it for? Any baking enthusiast or as the author says, "domestic adventurer."  Marie Asselin the author of  Sweet Spot : Modern Better-for-You Dessert Recipes, with Clever Tips
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Jewish Cookbooks 2015

Are you suffering from an overload of everything Christmas? Shabbat Shalom! Here are a few books worth taking a look at, whether you are Jewish or not. The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen   is the book that could make anyone fall in love with Jewish food. Amelia Saltsman  has Iraqi and Romanian heritage and manages to take the best from both of those cuisines along with her own wonderfully creative ideas and California sensibility to craft a cookbook full of “keeper” recipes. The photography is fresh and modern.  The crazy good recipes in this book make me think I could actually give up my beloved pork and go kosher! I mean we’re talking about things like Lamb Kebabs with Parsley, Mint and Tahini Sauce, Yemenite Pumpkin and Carrot Soup, Curried Roasted Cauliflower, Freekeh with Kale, Butternut Squash and Smoked Salt. Recipes like Tunisian Lemon Rind Salad condiment and the Blood Orange and Olive Oil Polenta Upside Down Cake are reason enough to treasure this book.  Food, Family and Tradition
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French 75 Cocktail Recipe

Whether you are saying goodbye to the previous year or hello to the new one, Champagne or anything bubbly is traditional for New Year’s Eve. It’s light, refreshing and pairs well with many kinds of festive meals from briny oysters and caviar to rich and creamy cheeses and just about anything fried. Should you happen to have a splash of Champagne leftover or better yet, a bottle, consider a Champagne cocktail for brunch the following day. While the classic mimosa is fine, I am a big fan of the French 75. The French 75 dates back to World War I and is named for the French 75mm field gun, the “Soixante Quinze” thanks to it’s kick from gin. It’s as simple as can be, just gin, lemon juice, sugar or simple syrup and Champagne or another sparkling brut wiine. There are some other versions of the drink and some prefer cognac or brandy, but I think gin is really the way to go. The gin you use is important. I am particulary fond of London dry gin, and Plymouth in particular although you are wel
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Artisanal Italian Pasta

If you go to most grocery stores or supermarkets you can find dried pasta for as little as about $1 per package. At the same time there is “artisanal” dried pasta which costs at least twice as much, and often much more. Is it worth it? Yes, it is and here’s why. Recently I was at an event where there was an in depth discussion about pasta. Big producers like Barilla make in 2 days what a smaller artisanal company like Rustichella d’Abruzzo produces in an entire year. But it’s not just about volume, it’s also about how the pasta is made. One big difference is how the pasta is extruded. Artisanal producers use bronze dies, these create a rougher surface texture which allows the pasta to better absorb sauces or condiments. While sauces are important, so are the noodles! They should really taste good. Extruding the pasta through these dies is a slower process than using the teflon dies that industrial producers use. Bronze dies don’t last as long and are much more expensive. The drying ti
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Chef Alan Wong on Hawaii Cuisine

Alan Wong
On my recent trip to Hawaii I got a chance to interview Chef Alan Wong. I just wanted to get a few quotes but I was so impressed by what he had to say I thought I'd share a bit more of the interview. His list of things to do when you visit Hawaii is really wonderful and makes me want to go back...

You were one of the founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine now in its twentieth year. What's happening with Hawaii cuisine today?Twenty years later we have so much more product, more vegetables, more fish. It's a different ball game ingredient wise. On the Big Island there is red veal being produced, we have aquaculture--farm raised moi and kampachi even sturgeon. Local asparagus wasn't available 20 years ago there was only one cheese maker. Now, every island has at least one cheese maker.

Is eating local catching on?Yes. Everyone is getting on board. Everyone wants to support buying local. We need to support farmers. I predict even more local products and more sensitivity to buying local and a challenge to the younger chefs to take risks with cuisine.

What are your thoughts on the farmers markets, pop ups and gourmet food trucks?It's great and brings something new to people who love to eat. It's funny because the lunch wagons have been around for a long time. This idea of Korean food on a taco is not new to us! The movement has revived an idea and some people are now doing new things, gourmet things. But we grew up on plate lunch mentality.

What should visitors not miss when they come to Hawaii?They ought to hit at least one farmer's market, especially the KCC market.

To understand Hawaii, visit the Hawaii Plantation Village, go on the guided tour and you will see houses from the plantation era. To undertand local culture and food you need to understand our history, from the Polynesians, to the tall ships, the missionaries, the Portuguese whalers, sugar cane workers, then Asian immigrants. We send all our restaurant staff to the Plantation Village. We use it as a training tool.

Our soul food lies in the past. Go to a Chinese restaurant, a Korean restaurant, and a Hawaiian restaurant like Ono Hawaiian.

Take a trip to the fish auction. It's one of the last in the US and see the variety of fish we have in Hawaii.

Tamashiro fresh fish market has a wide variety of poke.

And go visit one farm!

Alan Wong will be visiting the Bay Area. Meet him in person at a book signing, cooking demo or other special event, and learn more about Hawaiian cuisine and culture. Visit www.thebluetomato.net/tastehawaiitour for more information about any of the events listed below and to purchase tickets (though most events are free).

Thursday, October 27, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – BOOK SIGNING
Omnivore Books on Food, 3885 Cesar Chavez Street
Hawaii celebrates the 20th anniversary of Hawaii Regional Cuisine this year. James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura bring the taste of the islands to Bay Area residents in a series of events. Join the fun at Omnivore Books on Food where you can talk story with Chef Alan Wong and Arnold Hiura and learn about Chef’s newest cookbook, The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong, and Arnold’s book, Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands. Experience a tasting exercise with Chef Alan, featuring ingredients brought fresh from Hawaii.

Saturday, October 29, 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – COOKING DEMONSTRATION
Ferry Building Marketplace – N. Arcade Outdoor Teaching Kitchen, 1 Ferry Building
James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura are in the Bay Area this month to share Hawaii’s unique food culture and scene with residents. See how Chef Alan transforms locally-sourced farmers market ingredients into white tablecloth fare, influenced by the flavors of simple Hawaii favorites. This event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, October 29, 12:30-1:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – BOOK SIGNING
Ferry Building Marketplace – Shop #42, 1 Ferry Building
Talk story with James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura and check out their books focusing on the unique culinary landscape of the islands – The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong and Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands. Chef and Arnold are in the Bay Area this month to share the cuisine and food culture of Hawaii. Both books are back-to-back recipients of the Hawaii Book Publishers Association’s Ka Palapala Pookela Award of Excellence in Cookbooks in 2009 and 2010, respectively. This event is free and open to the public.

Sunday, October 30, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – FOOD TASTING
Japanese Cultural Center, 1840 Sutter Street, Suite 201
Hawaii celebrates the 20th anniversary of Hawaii Regional Cuisine this year and the celebration is spreading to the Bay Area this month! Learn about the evolution of Hawaii’s culinary landscape from James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura and have the opportunity to taste Chef’s recipes in this special evening affair benefiting the Japanese Cultural Center of Northern California. Each ticket includes your choice of a copy of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong or Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands, and open access to food and buffet stations. Menu will incorporate dishes from Chef’s book and Hukilau Restaurant. Tickets are $75.

Monday, October 31, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – PAU HANA MIXER
La Mar cebichería peruana, Pier 1.5 Embarcadero
Kick start your Halloween night with the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce of Northern California (HCCNC), James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura in a pau hana mixer at La Mar cebichería peruana. Enjoy pupu, drinks, and special Hawaii raffle prizes, including one for the best Halloween costume! This event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, November 2, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – FOOD TASTING
Akiyama Wellness Center, 110 Jackson Street
Enjoy a very special and insightful lunch with James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura as they share the unique culinary landscape of the Hawaiian Islands. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, and Chef and Arnold are celebrating with several events in the Bay Area. Talk story with the two and enjoy a buffet by Hukilau Restaurant and food by Chef Alan. Each ticket includes your choice of a copy of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong or Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands, beverage service, and open access to food stations. Tickets are $60.

Wednesday, November 2, 6:30-9:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – CHEF ALAN’S BIRTHDAY BASH
Hukilau Restaurant, 230 Jackson Street
It’s James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong’s birthday and you are invited to join the party! Celebrate with him, Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura and more at Hukilau Restaurant for fun and of course, food! This event will feature action stations by Chef Alan and a buffet of Hawaii favorites by Hukilau Restaurant. Guests to this event will also have the chance to win a trip for two to the Hawaiian Islands to dine at an Alan Wong’s Restaurant. Each ticket includes your choice of a copy of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong or Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands, hosted bar, and open access to food and buffet stations. Tickets are $75.
shamila
writer and blogger, founder of The kitchen table .

جديد قسم : Hawaii

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