French word for ‘cake’ but its exact meaning depends on who you are talking to… In America, the gateau is any cake type dessert. In France, the gateau refers to various pastry items made with puff pastry, éclair paste, etc. AND cake. Have your cake, um, gateau, and eat it, too!
Month: October 2010 (Page 2 of 6)
The lovely and amazing Chef Lisa Dahl, of Dahl & Di Luca in Sedona, graciously provided this recipe. Zuppa Minestra Di Fagioli, from her new book The Elixir of Life. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds dried cannellini beans
- 14 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ham hock
- Approximately 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups carrot, cut in quarters lengthwise and diced in approximately 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups celery, cut in half lengthwise and diced in approximately 1/2-inch pieces.
- 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
- Half of one medium-sized cabbage, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup Marvelous Marinara or a good quality marinara (scroll down farther for recipe)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 rosemary sprig
Cover washed beans in water, enough to cover by at least 2 to 3 inches and cover the ham hock, if used. Add the bay leaves and bring to a high boil. Lower to light boil and continuously skim the bean foam until it no longer rises to the top. Cover the pot with a lid cocked at a slight angle to allow steam to escape, and cook, checking from time to time to make sure there is enough water. Have extra water on hand to keep a cover of 2 inches.
Meanwhile, cover the bottom of a skillet with sufficient extra virgin olive oil (approximately half cup) to begin sautéing the carrots. Sauté over a low flame for a few minutes until the carrots begin to soften slightly, and then add celery and onions, making a colorful mirepoix.
When the vegetables begin to turn golden, add the minced garlic and sauté a few moments more, being careful not to let the vegetables burn. Take the vegetables out of pan with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a bowl, leaving the residual oil in the pan. To that oil add the chopped cabbage and braise it slowly until golden adding more oil as needed, being careful not to burn. When the cabbage is soft and golden, turn off the heat and add the sautéed carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to the cabbage. Save for later use.
When the beans are beginning to become really soft and tender but still perfectly intact, remove and discard bay leaves and ham hocks. If you want the ham hock meat back in the soup, tear it from the bones and return it to the pot. It is delizioso!
Now, scoop out approximately half the beans and place them in a colander (over a bowl so you do not waste the broth). Pour the beans into the bowl of a food processor or hand-mash them to a puree. Add the bean puree and any escaped broth back into the simmering beans. Add the marinara sauce and sautéed vegetables. Add all the spices except the rosemary sprig. Cook the soup slowly, checking for flavor and color, as it comes into its own. Add more seasoning as desired. Drop the rosemary sprig into the soup for one minute and remove. Drizzle the remaining extra virgin olive oil- whatever was not used for sautéing, into the soup. Cook slowly until flavor is perfect, rustic, rich and fragrant.
Marvelous Marinara – The Mother Sauce
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped red bell peppers
- 1 cup chopped Bermuda onions
- 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil coarsely chopped
- One 28-ounce can top quality Italian or Cal-Ital tomatoes with sauce (I use San Marzano brand)
- 2 1/2 cups water
Place the red peppers in a food processor and pulse to achieve a coarse chunky dice. Remove (no need to clean the bowl) and add onion and pulse to the same consistency. It is important to stop the dice before vegetables become watery. Scrape the onions into the bowl with the peppers. Texture of both should be consistent in size so they will cook at the same rate.
Pour the olive oil into a stockpot and heat it until it is smoking. One way to test whether it’s hot enough is to drop a bit of the vegetables into oil. They should really sizzle. Be careful not to let oil splatter on your face or eyes (it happens to me more times than I want to admit!) Allow the sauté process enough time to caramelize the peppers and onions before adding the garlic. As the golden rustic color of the vegetables stains the oil, the garlic can be stirred in and the flame lowered to prevent burning the garlic. As it takes on a caramel color, stir in the salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and fresh basil and allow the mixture to bubble gently, watching for the color of oil to become a rusty color.
Have sauce can open and ready to pour into stock pot. You want to hear a sizzle when adding thickened sauce. You will need to adjust heat and stir constantly while sauce and vegetable mixture marry together. Reduce heat and simmer long enough to allow drops of oil to resurface and the bright red color of the sauce to deepen.
Add the water a little at a time leaving 1/2 cup (of the 2 1/2 cups) left behind for possible thinning. Let simmer as long as time allows- a minimum of two hours. Check seasoning for salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. I always like to add a little additional olive oil towards the end to impart a deep rich flavor. Whether you thin with the balance of water (or just a splash more) or not will depend on the intended use for the sauce. One might desire a little thicker sauce for an eggplant Parmigiano –Reggiano than a Bolognese sauce, for example. Buon Appetito!
About Savory Choice Broths
The Soup of the Week is brought to you by Savory Creations and their Savory Choice products. When you don’t have time to make your own stock, Into the Soup recommends Savory Choice. It’s our broth of choice. Find it in your local grocery store or buy online by CLICKING HERE
While Heidi is hard at work in the studio this Sunday (and by “hard at work” we mean schmoozing and boozing with cool chefs and guests), this writer is heading to the pumpkin patch.
This is going to be the year that I actually utilize the whole pumpkin; you know–toast the seeds for a yummy snack, neatly scrape out the guts to use in a recipe, and carve an elaborate design that would take Martha Stewart’s breath away. Unfortunately, the only recipe I found that really interests me is this cocktail, and after one or two of these, my black lab will probably be scarfing down the gooey pumpkin seeds as I admire yet another lop-sided and snaggle-toothed jack-o-lantern. Oh well. We all have our dreams.
Pumpkin French 75
The original French 75 was created during World War I, and named for the 75-millimeter artillery gun. This version still packs a wallop, while adding a hint of fall flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 oz Plymouth Gin
- 1 oz pumpkin puree
- 1½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 1½ oz simple syrup
- Champagne
Shake all ingredients except champagne in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne and serve.
You can find this recipe and many others at CocktailTimes.com
As the weather begins to cool down, we can finally begin to enjoy heartier snacks. There’s nothing quite like uncorking a nice bottle of wine, opening the windows and doors, and enjoying a few nice cheeses before or after dinner. Chef Lee Hilson of T. Cook’s at the Royal Palms Resort, was kind enough to share his cheeseboard selections with us. Of course, you can find these cheeses (or some that are closely related ) at specialty shops, but if you’re anything like us, you’ll just make it easy on yourself and go to T. Cooks.
Capricho Cabra with Pimenton – Spain / Goat’s Milk
This creamy, flavorful cheese is made from the milk of Murciana Goats, which produce fat and protein-rich milk. This gives the cheese its amazing creaminess. The cheese-makers finish the cheese by rolling it in Spanish smoked paprika, creating a distinctive, bold, smoky flavor. We will be serving this cheese stuffed inside a roasted mini sweet pepper. This ‘popper’ will be warmed in the oven before serving.
La Peral – Spain / Cow’s Milk / Blue
This is a blue cheese from the remote area of Asturias, located in the north of Spain. Nestled between the oceans and the mountains, this is a lightly-traveled area of Spain where the traditions of yesterday remain largely intact. Leon Alvarez is the sole producer of La Peral which derives its name from the village in which it is made. Made from cow’s milk, this small format blue has a full bodied taste–a testament to the high quality of milk he uses in production. The flavor is unique, creamy and subtle…sweet with a tanginess all its own. It is a bit lighter on the palate than some of the other well-known Spanish Blues, i.e. Cabrales, Valdeon, etc. La Peral is aged at least 60 to 80 days, and sometimes, for more than 4 months. This cheese will be served just under room temperature to release the flavors and make it easy to spread for optimal enjoyment. We will serve this cheese with a grilled piece of Como Batard bread which will be topped with a thin slice of heirloom tomato garnished with Fleur de Sel.
Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar – Wales / Cow’s Milk / Cheddar
This cheese is made in the beautiful mountains of Denbighshire where milk is gathered from the local farms and taken to the creamery. It undergoes rigorous quality checks before being transferred to vats so that the cheese-making process can begin. The process is closely monitored by just two expert graders to ensure that the texture and taste remain consistent. The ancient Celtic country of Wales, famous for its beauty and musical heritage, has produced high-quality cheese for hundreds of years. We will be serving this cheese with a toasted crostini and a spoonful of house-made Branston-type pickle. Branston is a company in England which is famous for its sweet & spicy pickled vegetable blend. Although many variations are made throughout the world, the result is always known as a Branston pickle. Our version is made with carrots, turnips, dried apricots, prunes, raisins, cauliflower, yellow onion, granny smith apple, zucchini and gherkins. These veggies are pickled in a mixture of brown sugar, salt, apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar, Worcestershire, black pepper, mustard and allspice.
Haystack Snowdrop – Colorado, USA / Goat’s Milk
The center of this small, white 7 oz wheel is firm, yet has a creamy texture with a surprisingly mild flavor. There is a thin layer between the firm cheese center and the outside rind that becomes liquid ‘heaven’ when it is served at the right temperature. Finally, the thin, snowy-white edible rind finishes this cheese’s unique flavor. Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy began in 1989, when the founder, Jim Schott, left teaching to begin raising goats on his farm in Nowat, Colorado. Today, Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy is recognized as a producer of premium goat milk cheeses and boasts several distinguished awards from the American Cheese Society. We will serve a wedge of this cheese–rind and all–slightly under room temperature so that the guest will get to experience the three distinct textures and tastes that this cheese has to offer. A sweet whole-meal biscuit serves as the perfect backdrop for the cheese. We will then top the lovely morsel off with a drizzle of local farm honey, Marcona almonds & Fleur de Sel.
Pecorino Mullegano – Italy / Sheep & Cow’s Milk / Pecorino
This pecorino is actually made from a blend of cow and sheep’s milk, unlike traditional pecorinos created from sheep’s milk alone. The cheese is aged only 20 days during which time the paste becomes soft and homogenous with a straw color. This cheese exudes an intense perfume and a delicate, sweet taste resulting from the addition of the cow’s milk. The distinct character of the sheep’s milk remains noticeable on the finish. We will be serving this cheese very simply with a thin slice of Prosciutto and a rosemary grissini. A grissini is a crispy, talian-style breadstick. Ours is made with water, yeast, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, local olive oil, sugar, finely chopped rosemary and is finished with Fleur de Sel just before baking.
Sorry, gang I was just too damned beat to hit the town on Thursday night, but don’t despair my foodie friends–I’ve still got lots of gastronomical and other glories of the gut to share. Shall we begin with Best of Phoenix? Let’s!
Saturday: The Phoenix New Times Best of Phoenix Party was in my date-book, and since I had never been, I was at a loss for wardrobe! Naturally, I Facebooked my query and ended up with some sensational suggestions; sequins, go-go boots, a mini-skirt, and even chaps. Okay, you caught me–most of those ideas were mine, but after considering the fact that I’d probably be on my feet meeting and greeting all night, those hot get-ups didn’t sound so great. I settled on lots of boob with a classy top, 3 inch heels and my daughter’s jeans from Justice. It was a cool event and very hip. There was plenty of good food, tasty cocktails, and groovy tunes. Oh, I forgot to mention a few boas, some outstanding Mohawks, major minis, and lots and lots of boob.
Tuesday: We filmed!
Chef Charlie Kassels (really neat guy) from El Chorro Lodge presented his classic Trout Amandine. He was so quick and deft that we had to shoot it twice to get just a little TV time for the guy! The second-take was actually a blessing since I chowed that first plate. The crew gets feisty if they don’t get fed.
Then Chef Francine Marz, Culinary Instructor and Coach at the Art Institute of Phoenix livened up the room just as I was starting to crash (I had been awake since 4 AM!). You may not have heard of her, but you’ll want to see more once you watch her continuously crack me up in her 8-minute segment. She put together a Mixed Berry Flambé with Blueberry Loaf and Vanilla Ice Cream that was so good, it had us grabbing the counter for balance. She’s a good friend and a great teacher.
Chef Beau MacMillan of Elements at Sanctuary also joined me. As big (and by that I mean famous) as this dude may be, he greets everyone like a long-lost hedge fund manager. We both play well with others so we had a great time in our little “culinary sandbox.” He made me a fancy tuna salad (little piece of heaven), but the crew devoured this one before I could sneak a second bite.
Chef Barb Fenzl was next on the roster. She is THE dessert queen. Sounds kind of like an ABBA song doesn’t it? A woman after my own heart, she showed up right on time, prepped and camera-ready. She made mesquite crepes with sauteed apples and caramel sauce—and guess what? It was the debut of this particular recipe! In addition to making a mean crepe, she is a beautiful, gracious lady and I feel so lucky to know her. Thanks for the crepe-lesson, Barb!
Friday: I like to try to unwind a bit on Fridays so my mother-in-law and I hit-up Petit Maison for lunch. I had a bowl of extraordinary Onion Soup a la’ France while my mother-in-law had the Salad Nicoise. Taking a bite of the salmon in that salad was like eating a piece of fish-flavored butter. I don’t know where they caught that bad boy, but I wish someone would point me toward the river. James Porter happened to be hanging around and stopped by to chat. He’s cool, funny and oddly attractive with those tinted shades he wears.
All in all, it was a good “Eat, Play, Work” (new book) week for yours truly. I’ll be bouncing around some more – including my 16th anniversary dinner tonight at Marcellino’s – remind me NOT to wear that miniskirt or the chaps.
by Chris Owen
Even if you’ve never been on a cruise, chances are, you have heard stories about never-ending buffets, complimentary, 24-hour room-service and all kinds of gaudy bells and whistles. The common misconception among “non-cruisers” is that the culinary experience is reminiscent of an 80’s Vegas-buffet. The problem with this visual is that unless you happen to really love Elvis impersonators and scrambled eggs that are rapidly drying-out under heat-lamps, it doesn’t make onboard dining seem all that appealing. (Cue super-hero music) But that’s where I come in!
In this series, I will give you frank, up-to-date information about what you will and won’t find on modern cruise vacations. I’ll start by addressing some general misconceptions about cruising, and of course, move on to discuss the “all-important” dining situation, which indeed has a significant influence on your level of satisfaction with your vacation.
The Rocking and Rolling of the Ship
One of the biggest worries I had before my first cruise had to do with the motion of the ship on the water. I thought it would be rocking and rolling like the Mayflower, causing hoards of people to lose their lunch…and dinner…and breakfast…
Not so.
Cruise ships are like moving islands with giant stabilizer arms that are designed to minimize the “motion in the ocean” you are bound to feel. These arms extend from the hull of the ship, much like wings on an airplane. If Christopher Columbus had a set of these babies, he’d have touched base in America and swung right on down to the Caribbean for sure.
Will I get sick?
Not likely.
If you occasionally got car-sick as a child, the rocking and rolling of the ship will probably not have a serious effect on you. However, if you find that your sensitivity to motion is such that you have to close your eyes during some movie scenes because the action depicted makes you ill, this can be a deal-breaker. Fortunately, there are some precautions you can take.
The fact is, you will feel some movement—you are on a boat after all. This feeling should pass as you become accustomed to it and get your “sea legs”. On the flip-side, don’t panic if your sea legs don’t disappear right away. The condition usually lasts for a short time after you return to dry-land as your body adjusts to its stagnant surroundings once more. I personally think it might be a dirty trick the cruise lines play to get you to think about booking your next cruise as soon as you get home…
If you are prone to motion sickness, the best advice I can give you is to avoid it in the first place. Once “sea-sickness” sets in, it’s too late. You’ll have to take a trip to the ship’s medical center, get a shot, and spend the next 24 to 48 hours in misery getting over it. An over-the-counter medication called “Bonine” does the trick for just about everyone. If you have questions about it, give your doctor or pharmacist a call! I have heard that if you begin taking it the day before sailing and then once a day throughout the course of your trip, it is highly successful in eliminating potential problems.
Just a bunch of old-timers?
In a word—NO.
That may very well have been the case in the early 1970s, but Carnival, always at the top of its game, recognized the deterioration of the industry and responded with a fleet of “Fun Ships” that forever changed the nature of cruise vacations. They turned a sleepy crawl across the Atlantic or around the Caribbean into an action-packed getaway that allowed travelers to leave all their cares behind and truly unwind. Other cruise lines got on board with Carnival’s new concept of cruising and revamped their own offerings.
Older people often do enjoy the variety of amenities that a cruise offers, but so do families, couples, singles, and groups. The point is, cruises offer such an impressive assortment of activities, that people of all ages, ethnicities, and lifestyles can spend their vacations doing (or not doing) whatever they please.
“A cruise is all-inclusive”
Nothing is “all-inclusive” these days. While your onboard activities, entertainment, and even standard-fare meals are generally covered on a cruise, there are plenty of opportunities to spend more. Soft-drinks, and cocktails add-up quickly! Throw a spa treatment, shore excursion, some casino action, and a souvenir or five, into the mix and you can be well on your way to paying as much for the extras as you did for the whole cruise package. Consider yourself forewarned.
Nevertheless, it’s still a great value if you restrict your little splurges. I recently compared an average cruise with an average stay in Vegas and the ship came out way ahead financially. I might be a tad biased though.
How big is the pool?
You will NOT be swimming laps here.
Though there are usually several pools and whirlpools onboard—maybe even a huge water slide or attraction, they are not “swimming” pools. They are more like “gathering and games” pools. They also tend to be centrally located so they get crowded. Another interesting quirk is that many of them contain filtered sea-water. This is good to know before you take a plunge with your mouth open. In short, I suggest that you save the real swimming for home or one of your excursions to the shore.
So what about the food then?
For those of you who were really looking forward to that 80s Vegas-style buffet, the likelihood of you being able to fulfill your “all-you-can-eat” dreams is very high. Most ships have at least one buffet. Depending on the cruise line though, you may find that your dining choices are much more extensive.
Most recently, I was on the Norwegian Epic, a new ship that features “Freestyle Dining.” In addition to a main dining room and buffet that are available during certain hours, Epic hosts a variety of trendy dining venues. Cirque Dreams and Dinner is a night-time dining experience with a prix-fixe menu that revolves around a Cirque du Soleil-style show. As I recall, a tapas bar, a steak house, and a home-style restaurant were just a few of the other restaurants present on the Epic.
Celebrity Cruises adds flavor to an already robust onboard experience with special interest cruises. Some of these cruises are geared to those with an appreciation for fine food and wine. Celebrity Cruises arranges for a renowned chef or wine-maker to design menus and lead participants through wonderful eating and drinking experiences. Can you think of a better way to unwind after a busy day of ship activities or excursions than with a truly great meal? Neither can I.
We have only just scratched the surface of the cruise-experience, but I can assure you that by the end of this series, you will have all the information you need to decide whether or not a cruise is in your future vacation plans. Along the way when you have questions, please don’t hesitate to write me. As a travel writer, blogger and agent, answering questions is what I do. See my blog at ChrisCruises.net for more and email me with your specific questions about cruise vacations
About Chris Owen
Chris Owen is a travel writer, blogger and agent from Orlando Florida charged with sharing frank, inside information on cruise vacations with travelers. A graduate of Washburn University in Topeka Kansas, Chris moved to Florida after successful careers in the restaurant and newspaper business to focus singly on travel with a concentration on cruise vacations. Certified a Master Cruise Counselor by the Cruise Lines International Association, Chris can be found via his popular cruise vacations column on Examiner.com, through his blog, ChrisCruises.net and on his long-running cruise information website, YourCruiseDream.com.
Email Chris: Chris@YourCruiseDream.com
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