14 May

Farm to Table: The Big Island

Posted By: Carlin

It was a scene from a Fellini film.  We drove down a dirt road unmarked by signs with only a hand drawn map and me as navigator.  Our burnt orange Jeep bumped along the terrain as we kept our eyes open for signs of a field dinner.

We finally found it and arrived promptly at 4pm allowing for the opportunity to walk along the amazing piece of land, a bluff that reached out over the northern part of the island, surrounded by light blue crashing waves on all sides, that would soon be the backdrop for the evening's festivities.

As the sun lowered in the sky, we sipped prosecco and had pupus (Hawaiian hors d'oeuvres).  A brick oven had been built on the property and Private Chef Rio Miceli and Lighthouse Deli Executive Chef, Chris Scelza were fast and furious in pulling piping hot pizzas (with smoked shredded Whale Watch Farm chicken, pioppini mushrooms and arugula pesto) onto the wood slab bar. A big hand carved bowl of freshly made taro and sweet potato chips sat alongside glass pitchers of lemon verbena tea and locally brewed lemongrass beer.

The rest of the meal was served family style:

-Wild Kohala pork wontons with Blue Dragon Farm kimchee

-Kiawe spit roasted lamb with ali'i mushroom gremolata, farmers chopped salad and pureed pumpkin and taro

-Guava and cassava cake with homemade ricotta and Risley Farm strawberries

The dinner went on past sunset and into the evening, with everyone sharing their BYOB while passing bountiful platters of each course up and down the long table.  The laughter from the group was heard well beyond the North Kohala County lines.

 

 

17 Apr

Pico de Gallo in Oaxaca

Posted By: Carlin

We arrived in Mexico a few weeks ago.  I had eagerly been anticipating the culinary adventures of Oaxaca and I will say that it defied my expectations!  Oaxaca is a food lovers’ dream.  It has been on my hit list ever since I read an article in the late 90’s explaining that Oaxaca and it’s surrounding valleys have some of the most amazing food in all of Mexico.  Acquiring the incredible cookbooks by both Rick Bayless and Diana Kennedy had only whet my appetite further to explore the land earthy flavors, deep spices and the ever complex mole.

We had been sampling the range of what Oaxaca had to offer from the tacos in the street stalls to the tlayudas in the open air markets to the meals in upscale restaurants.  We visited the El Pochote organic market one Saturday and decided to prepare a meal in our little casita.  We had purchased some stunning heirloom tomatoes that screamed for a simple, raw preparation.   We decided on some pico de gallo as it complimented the rest of the meal beautifully. My husband claimed it was the best pico he had ever had but I cannot take credit, it was all about the ingredients!

 

Pico de Gallo

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 small white onion, chopped finely

1 garlic clove, minced

1 serrano chile, deseeded and deveined, minced

2 limes, juiced

small handful of cilantro, chopped

sea salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients and allow to sit to allow the flavors to mingle, adjust salt as necessary.

14 Mar

A Tropical Smoothie

Posted By: Carlin

 

We have officially departed from Italy, the land of dark leafy green vegetables. Since arriving to Panama last week, ‘Queen Kale’ (my husband’s nickname for me) has been going through a sort of vegetable withdrawal.

The good news? The landscape is hot and dry here which lends itself to the sweetest, most succulent fruits I have had in a long time.  Juicy tropical fruits abound and while they didn’t instantly replace my beloved cavolo nero, broccoli rabe or cicoria, I am renewing my love for papayas, bananas, pineapple and melons.

This has been our daily post-surf breakfast:

 

Tropical Green Smoothie

½ cup pineapple

½ banana, frozen

1 cup ice

1 cup cold water

1 tablespoon green powder (I like Sun Warrior SuperGreens)

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Place everything in a blender and whirl until blended.  Adjust to desired texture.

Serves 2.

24 Feb

Winter Pick-Me-Up: Carrot & Cilantro Soup

Posted By: Annie

carrot soup

One thing I've learned over the last couple of months is just how bleak winters in Idaho can be. While the summers are bursting with amazing fruits and veggies from every garden and spare nook or cranny, the winters are cold and desolate on the food front. So I've been doing my best to integrate the few remaining root veggies that are still surviving in my parent's basement into something relatively refreshing. The other day, I made a Carrot and Cilantro soup that was both hearty enough to kill the winter chill and light enough to remind me that there is life after winter.

Here's the recipe I used, slightly modified from Chez Panisse Vegetables:

1 white onion
3 tbl butter
2 lb carrots
1/2 lb potatoes
salt & pepper
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 bunch cilantro
1 small red onion

Peel and slice the onion and put it on to stew in the butter over low heat, covered. Peel the carrots and potatoes and cut them in large chunks. Once the onions are fairly soft, add the carrots and potatoes, salt generously, and continue to stewe, covered, for about 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are entirely cooked. Take the pot off the heat.

Reserve a handful of cilantro leaves for garnish and throw the rest into the soup pot. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor and strain through a medium sieve. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary, and garnish with chopped cilantro and red onion.

19 Feb

Luna Rossa

Posted By: Carlin

lunarossa-2

lunarossa-1

Driving throughout Puglia, we decided to explore the lesser known region of Basilicata. After talking with locals, we learned that the chef of Luna Rossa in the village of Terranova di Polino is THE CHEF of Basilicata, in fact he is the culinary representative for the region.

We had been told that the mountain village was snowed in and to take caution in our hilly drive there.  We paid the additional 20 Euro and brought along chains for the tires just in case (Italian law).  The scenery was incredible and as we climbed to the top of our last hill we saw Terranova di Polino poking her head from the peak.  We had arrived.

We found the restaurant after walking over snow banks as high as my knees.  This was the first sunny day after the snowstorm and the villagers were shoveling our their walkways and their cars.  We walked up the stairs to the restaurant, opened the door to the dining room and Chef Federico Valicenti greeted warmly.  There was a fire going and a table for two was set directly in front of it.  We were his only diners for the day.  My husband apologized and he told us it was his pleasure to cook for us.  It was the slow season and he was happy to be working.

The meal that followed was one of our most favorites yet.  He offered us a tasting menu of his choosing and we happily agreed. It was all very home-style, dishes all inspired from the region with ingredients sourced locally.   The three hour lunch that followed was a sensory trip through Basilicata and Federico happily cooked and served us every single dish with a deep sense of pride. He charmed us with bits of culinary history and anthropology and we felt (and tasted) his commitment to food beyond the confines of his kitchen.

20 Jan

Mt Etna Biscotti

Posted By: Carlin
biscotti

I may never be able to look at another cookie again.

Along our road trip around Mt Etna we did a few nice hikes in the lava fields and sampled too many of the local sweets in each town. This area is known for the nut trees that grow around the periphery of the volcano. The Southern region for the almond trees, the Eastern for their hazelnuts and the Northwestern for their pistachios. Each town makes their own style of biscotti made exclusively from the locally sourced nuts.

There are too many to list, but this was the unanimous favorite: a hazelnut biscotti from the village of Sant'Alfio.

31 Dec

A Slow Food Festival

Posted By: Carlin

carlinimage

My husband and I are in Sicily and last weekend we drove to Polizzi Generosa for a bean festival.  It wasn’t just a bean festival, it was The Sagra del Fagiole Badda celebrating a legume that grows only in this one tiny village.  We had read that it was a Slow Food event so we were prepared for crowds despite its semi-isolated location within the walls of a mountain town in Sicily’s interior.

We arrived at 12:10, a little anxious since the tasting began at noon.  Once he managed to maneuver though the winding alleyways streets (we actually pull in our side mirrors for these often) we found a small parking area and heading into the centro in search of the festival.  We no sooner arrived to the main square, where a small tent was set up with ladies stirring big pots of soup.  We noticed that there were mostly men in their late 70’s and 80’s gathered in small groups chatting away while waiting for tasting. We were clearly the only people that had traveled for this festival.  Everyone else in town was most certainly local.

The bean soup was delicious, laced with wild fennel and garlic and generously topped with fresh linguine and we sipped local red wine in plastic cups.  We left town with full bellies and two kilos of freshly picked beans to take home and experiment with.

12 Dec

A Winter Vegetable Salad

Posted By: Carlin

wintersalad

As the last week of my work in Rome was approaching, I began to plan what my final meal presentation would be. Each of the culinary interns were given free reign on a menu of their choosing and I  wanted a menu that would feel very much my style, with plenty of fresh and bright flavors. The only restrictions we were given was that we source our ingredients from the pantry of the kitchen and what the farmer had brought that week.  For me, this was a treat since the bounty of what had been arriving from our farms had been a diverse medley of gorgeous produce.

The weather had been chilly with some rain so I had a menu that was a bit heavier for the late autumn weather.  The one thing I was stumped on was the salad so I visited one of my favorite sites for inspiration, Food 52, and found the salad of my dreams.  This is my adapted version.

Winter Vegetable Salad

1 red beet, peeled

1 small butternut squash, peeled

1 bunch of radishes

1 bulb of fennel

4 carrots (multicolored if avail), peeled

1 handful of picked flat leaf parsley leaves

Using a mandolin, slice each vegetable so that they are paper thin shavings. Place the vegetables in their own individual bowls and place fennel and radishes in an ice bath.  Set aside and make the dressing.

Bagna Cauda Dressing

8 flat anchovy fillets, chopped (1 1/2 tablespoons)

1 small garlic clove, chopped

sea salt & pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Mash anchovies and garlic to a paste with salt and pepper using a mortar and pestle. Whisk in vinegar and lemon juice then add oil in a slow stream, whisking to emulsify.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Toss the shaved vegetables (except the beets) on the dressing.  Platter the salad, tucking the beets in and garnish with picked parsley leaves.

29 Nov

Shoko’s Pumpkin Pie

Posted By: Annie

shokospie2

My friend Shoko is one of the most amazing cooks I know. In the past, she has hosted the most incredible multi-course Japanese meal and a rainbow-themed crepe extravaganza. This year's Thanksgiving dinner did not disappoint, however there was one standout dish. Everyone there, though stuffed from the delicious meal, agreed that the pumpkin pie was beyond words. I've begged for the recipe so that I can attempt to replicate it at Christmas, and with her permission, I'm sharing her mother's soon to be famous pumpkin pie recipe below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Crust (for a 9" pie)
1 1/2 C flour
5 Tbl shortening
2 1/2 Tbl butter (cut into small pieces)
3 3/4 Tbl cold water

Mix flour, shortening, butter, and salt in a bowl with hands. Add water and mix and to make it into a ball. Add a bit of flour to the outside of the ball and wrap it with wax paper. Chill in fridge for at least 30min. Grease a pie pan with butter. Roll the chilled pie dough into a 13" round.  Place the dough in the dish, folding the extra dough around the edges to add thickness to the crust using  a fork to press.

Pie Filling
2/3 C. heavy cream
2/3 C. milk
1 C. brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/6 tsp cloves
2/3 tsp ginger
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 Tbl applejack
1 3/4 C. pumpkin puree (Cut a pie pumpkin in half, remove seeds, and place the halves on a baking sheet and roast at 400F until tender. Scoop the flesh from the outer skin and blend or process it in a food processor until smooth. For the best results, strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve until all strings and lumps are removed.)

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Mix heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, ginger in a large bowl, then add eggs, applejack, and pumpkin puree. Pour it into the pie shell. Bake for 40–50min, checking to insure the crust doesn't burn. Serve hot or cold, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

23 Nov

Thanksgiving Inspiration

Posted By: Carlin

While Annie and I are busy getting ready for Thanksgiving in different parts of the world, I wanted to pass along a fabulous piece by someone who consistently inspires how I think about food, Mark Bittman.  His column, The Opinionator, has a article called, No Turkeys Here, that celebrates what he was thankful for in the food world this year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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