confessions of the conscious cook

2011-11-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

2011-11-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

Let it Roll, Baby, Roll

Thanksgiving is a spectacular holiday! Any holiday that encourages the eating of mashed potatoes and pie is ok with me. Never mind tucking into all the other luscious dishes, a beautifully bronzed turkey, brilliant scarlet cranberries, sweet potatoes and a fine glass of wine or two. The Thanksgiving feast is an ecstatic occasion.
This year I was a guest for Thanksgiving, not the cook. A delightful change of pace, being a guest.
Jay and Susannah graciously opened their home to a big crowd of friends and neighbors, each of whom contributed something special to the Thanksgiving table.
A brilliant, sunshine filled day, Jay took advantage of mild temperatures to grill the turkey. While it happily cooked under its Weber helmet, guests began arriving, bearing gifts of food, much as the Pilgrims did at the very first Thanksgiving.
One couple arrived with scrumptious shrimp, clams were steamed and served with bracing garlic butter. A neighbor brought his marvelous mashed potatoes, made even more decadent with the addition of certain secret ingredients..cream cheese may have been involved. I must have that recipe, but it was not forthcoming that day, not even another Chardonnay was loosening those lips.
Susannah prepared a brimming pot of fresh cranberry sauce and sauteed baby carrots.
As for me, I was asked to bring a pumpkin roll....??!

Now pumpkin roll was never part of my previous Thanksgiving celebrations.
I grew up with pie for dessert. Devastatingly delicious pie and lots of it. Pumpkin pie, apple pie, cranberry raisin pie and pecan pie. Always pie. With a crust that would shatter at the mere prod of
a fork, flaky beyond compare, and tasting of the tenderness that only my grandmother and mother who have made hundreds of pies could impart. They are the pie masters, those two. As the magician of pie making, they conjured up that apple pie, richly scented with cinnamon and bulging with perfectly cooked slices of Cortland apples and pecan pie, so sweet it would make your teeth twang, melding with crisp pecans wrapped in that perfect piecrust. Absolute heaven.

Well, turns out Jay is a pumpkin roll fanatic. So my mission would be to make the best pumpkin roll I could. Now mind you, I can't roll anything. Not a sleeping bag, not my yoga mat, without it veering sharply off to one side. I had visions of my pumpkin roll, not as a perfect cyclinder of celebration, but a leaking, lopsided mess.
Something so seemingly simple should not have unsettled me so, but I was charting through
unfamiliar territory and was putting enormous performance pressure on myself. I was assured by those
who were NOT preparing pumpkin roll for their Thanksgiving that I should settle down. No sympathetic offerings of technique advice arose from any of my angst filled exchanges with other cooks.
Only my mother, God Bless Her, a constructor of many Christmastime Buche de Noels, had any understanding of the rigors of rolling. “But”, she explained merrily, “ I could always cover up any cracks with decoration!” Yes, there would be no opportunity to cover pumpkin roll cracks with miniature meringue mushrooms like it's Christmastime cousin.
You need a pristinely clean kitchen towel to roll the pumpkin roll in. No old kitchen towel that has been used repeatedly to clean cruddy kitchen counters will be acceptable. I purchased my new kitchen towel at the Christmas Tree Shop, not exactly an oasis of calm during the holiday season. Manoeuvreing my way past gigantic turkey lawn ornaments and flameless Christmas candles, I made a mad dash to the housewares aisle, snagged the kitchen towel, paid in cash and fled. Total time elapsed: ten minutes. I headed back to the kitchen to continue my quest.
I used the Libby's Pumpkin Roll recipe I found online. It's super simple and the only deviation I used, was to include an additional teaspoon of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie spice. It has cardamom and lemon peel, as well as the usual cinnamon, cloves, etc. and adds a little extra layer of flavor.
You bake the cake in a jelly roll pan, which if you're unfamiliar with, is a pan measuring 15 ½ “ x
10 ½ “ , with 1 “ high sides. It works as a cookie sheet and roasting pan too. While the cake bakes, the pristinely clean kitchen towel is laid out on the kitchen counter and liberally dusted with powdered sugar.
Now the fun begins...when you remove the cake from the oven, you need to flip it onto the towel. Then peel off the parchment paper that you lined the pan with, slowly, slowly. Then you roll up the cake and the towel together, starting with the more narrow end. Breathe, breathe, easy..oh no, crackage. Stop. Breathe. Continue rolling. Now walk away. Just walk away and let the cake cool on a wire rack.
While the cake cools and the flush of anxiety on my face cooled, I prepared the cream cheese filling. Again, super simple. When the cake is cool, you get to unroll it. That part is easy. I spread the filling on the cake, spreading edge to edge.
The final roll comes next. The all important roll. I gently laid my hands upon it and gave it a go.
Obliging me, the cake actually looked normal, the previous crack did not deepen and fracture like a glacial gap, it simply rolled into submission. Sublime, glorious submission.
Wrapping it in plastic wrap, I placed the roll in the refrigerator. And when presented to Jay, the look on his face was pure pleasure. I have to admit, it's good stuff. Spicy, moist, creamy and sweet, it was devoured, not even a bird size crumb remained.
Move over a little, pie, looks like there's a new tradition to add to the table.

2011-08-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Every Cheese Has A Story

2011-08-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Cheese. Cheeeeese. Ah yes, cheese is the golden grail of this foodie's world. I confess to being a cheese fanatic. My idea of a perfect day is spent in New York City at the Union Square Farmer's market, where amongst all the glorious and gorgeous fruits and vegetables of the earth, are delectable cheeses from all corners of New England and beyond. There is even an Amish cheesemaker who travels into the wilds of New York to ply his wares, and it is delicious, delicious.
The mighty mecca of Murray's Cheese is nearby on Bleecker Street. Inside these hallowed halls Murray's has perfected the art of telling the cheese story. Each wedge sold at Murray's is affixed with a special label spilling the details of the cheese. I recommend going early in the day so you can ogle the cheese case and the board above, and take your time tasting, before the rest of the cheese lovers of the world intrude.
When Villa Gourmet opened it's doors in Milford, CT it was a glorious day for cheese champs like myself. The case is well stocked with both the unusual and the familiar and samples are given out with big smiles. It's wonderful to have such a delightful resource, run by a delightful owner.
When Caseus opened in New Haven, I put it on my list of must investigate. It took me months and months to get there, but finally on a long overdue girls day with my darling friend Liz, Caseus and I became one. Well actually it was a threesome, but I digress.
Caseus, for the uninitiated, is a fromagerie-bistro on Whitney Avenue in New Haven. As we approached the outdoor patio area and I saw the sign; Caseus-Every Cheese Has A Story, I knew I had come home.
According to the Latin dictionary caseus means cheese, a pressed curd and a comic form of endearment. By the end of my meal at Caseus I would be whispering sweet words of endearment to a ravaged cheese board with nothing left but a lone marcona almond and a tiny smear of sour cherry preserves.
Caseus has a lovely menu of salads, sandwiches, soups and larger plates that involve half chickens, steak frites and a luscious sounding burger, but I was riveted by the cheese board. “Selected by our mongers for a seasonality and peak ripeness accompanied by our best preserves, nuts and local breads”, so stated the menu and so we stated that “we will have that please.”
Now, Lizze is just as much a cheese conoisseur as I. We have shared many runny bries and triple crème tremors through the years and we know what we like about cheese. It's a flavor and texture thing for us and we were eagerly anticipating the surprise that would shortly be set before us.
Something else had caught our eye on the specials board...Caseus does a daily House Butter. What's this? Something else creamy, salty, spreadable and sensuous? Bring it on my good man, bring it on.
On this spectacularly sunny day, the house butter was a sweet and crunchy concoction prepared with honey and pistachios. I've made flavored butters, mixing finely chopped strawberries and a bit of powdered sugar, or blending butter with plenty of minced herbs. But never had I heard of honey pistachio butter. Liz wholehearterdly embraced this selection as well.
Suddenly a tall and tender faced young man appeared, bearing our bounty. The House Butter and Bread was placed between us and we both started to grin like foolish schoolgirls who had just spotted our favorite movie hearthrob. (An Edward Norton moment for Lizzie.) 4 beautiful rolls in a row awaited annointing with what appeared to be nearly a cup of beautiful butter!
And as he placed the plank of plenty between us, we restrained our squeals of delight at the sight of our cheese board. He began to speak, and we dreamily listened to the story of the cheeses, told with both reverence and fervor, until our appetites were completely aroused.
He told a tale of Rocchetta, an Italian beauty made from cow, goat and sheep's milk that would deliver a dense and smooth texture with an earthy and mushroomy flavor. Midnight Moon, a goat's milk Gouda from Holland, is aged for 6 months and has a firm, smooth texture with a nutty flavor with hints of floral and caramel. Number three, a Comte Marcel Petite, a cave aged cheese both herbaceous and fruity, with aromas of hazelnuts, fried onions and spring berries. And finally, St. Agur, a pasteurized cows milk blue from the Auvergne region of France. A rich, creamy texture with a slightly spicy flavor. We were regaled with details of the accompaniments as well, a small pile of salty Marcona almonds, crisp crackers and a half spoonful of sour cherry preserves.
Stimulated as we were by his sweet cheese words, it was the butter that received our full frontal attention first. Lizzie broke open a roll studded with dried cranberries, releasing a pleasing puff of steam. “Ooh, it's warm,” she said breathily. “Oh yes, yes, yes,” I exclaimed and liberally lathered up my half with butter. As the butter melted into the warm embrace of the bun, and I took my first bite, my mouth filled with the most fantastic flavor. The butter was a perfect balance of honey laced sweetness and nutty crunchiness. The bread was extraordinary, chewy yet crisp, the dried fruit adding yet another layer of loveliness.
Turning our focus to the cheeses, we nibbled away, reveling, then rating. We agreed that the Rocchetta was delightful, the triple play of milks was immensely appetizing and the texture just delightful on the tongue. Midnight Moon was quite pleasant and a compelling contrast to the Rocchetta. I did not find the Comte to be my favorite, a bit chalky, but still tasty. The St. Agur stood out as a cheese extraordinaire, all creamy and carnal, very much the attention grabber.
Good cheese should be eaten at a lesiurely pace, allowing time for the flavors to slowly melt in the mouth and we completely relaxed into this pursuit. In fact, by meal's end I felt rather tranquilized, with a full body buzz brought on by such high quality flavors.
Butter and cheese and a dear friend, please, these are the ingredients for a meal of sweet pleasure and a confession of complete contentment.

Caseus Fromagerie Bistro
93 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06510
203-6CHEESE
caseusnewhaven.com

Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker Street
New York, NY
ww.murrayscheese.com

Villa Gourmet
11 River Street
Milford, CT
thevillagourmet.com

2011-05-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

The Mediterranean Way

Ask me to choose my favorite food region and I will instantly confess to a certain fondness for the Mediterranean. To travel and eat my way through countries like Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Croatia and Greece would be the fulfillment of some highly intense food fantasies. Just thinking about the vivid colors and glorious beauty of the Mediterranean spurs my creative spirit and appetite.
Certain films have fueled my desire to explore all things Mediterranean. Films like “Shirley Valentine,” “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and a quirky John Cassavetes film called “Tempest”, which all glorified the gorgeousness of Greece, while “The Talented Mr. Ripley” transported me straight to San Remo and forever cemented my opinion that the Mediterranean is among the most stunning areas in the world.
In the book “1,000 Places To See Before You Die” there is a paragraph that reads; “After visiting the Amalfi Coast, a giddy Andre Gide wrote in “The Immoralist” that “nothing more beautiful can be seen on this earth.” It continues on by saying “Vertical cliffs plunge into an impossibly blue Mediterranean, as a coastline of seaside towns unfolds among terraced olive and lemon groves, oaks and umbrella pines.”
But here is the clincher for me...the author goes on to describe a bit of the area's food by writing; “This is the region that gives the world fresh mozzarella di bufala; imagine how heavenly it tastes when it is grilled on a fragrant lemon leaf and served under the warm Neapolitan sun. Things only get better with the exquisite simplicity of spaghetti made with a sauce of plump baby clams and mussels.”
The food of the Mediterranean is fresh, natural, unprocessed...of the earth, and the sea. And that impresses and inspires me, as I feel that the greatest of dishes are the simplest ones, made with the best ingredients.Turns out that eating as the Mediterranean people do, by focusing on an abundance of fresh vegetables, and fruits, along with grains, and incorporating a bit of fish, poultry, lean meats and dairy is not only soul satisfying, but immensely healthy for the body.
Rachel Greenstein, Communications Manager for Oldways wrote to me several weeks ago to inform me that Oldways has declared May “National Mediterranean Diet Month”. Oldways is an
internationally respected non-profit organization devoted to positively changing the way people eat and live. As a global educator, Oldways creates materials, educational programs, activities and recipes to promote healthy eating, drinking, and a lifestyle that celebrates the many pleasures of sharing natural, nutritious and delicious foods.
Rachel directed me to the Oldways website and I have been having a wonderful time learning more
about Oldways' vision for teaching Americans the goodness of the Mediterranean way. Oldways worked closely with the Harvard School of Public Health, along with an international coalition of nutrition scientists and numerous culinary experts to create the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, which is a richly illustrated and easy to comprehend graphic that details the components of this supremely healthy way of eating. Oldways has launched a campaign to deliver a million Mediterranean Diet pyramids to American households and you can download yours at www.oldwayspt.org.
The traditional dietary habits of the Mediterranean people have been widely studied and are believed to be among the healthiest ways to eat in the world. Research on this primarily plant based diet shows that there may be significant health benefits including greater longevity, improved heart health and an enhanced quality of life.
But let's get back to the food! The foods of the Mediterranean Diet are luscious, nutrient rich, natural choices that are full of tantalizing flavor and exciting eye appeal. Sun drenched, color soaked vegetables and fruits such as scarlet and neon yellow sweet peppers, bright green, baby spinach, garden fresh sugar snap peas and cucumbers, pale yellow and green summer squashes, rich, red tomatoes, fat mushroom, fragrant strawberries, crunchy apples, sweet grapes, luxurious figs and a host of other fruits and vegetables form the mainstay of the pyramid.
A range of grains from rice to pasta, couscous and polenta as well as whole grain breads are included on the pyramid. Grains, fruits and vegetables offer important vitamins, minerals, energy, antioxidants and fiber. Eating these nutrient dense and fibrous foods helps the body feel full longer and can lead to successfully sustaining weight loss.
But for me, here comes the best part. I love my veggies and greens and grains and fruit, but I love my dairy even more. The Mediterranean Diet encourages a moderate consumption of yogurt and cheese. I have always found that artisinal cheeses and organic dairy products have exceptional taste and when I eat well made dairy, a little goes a long way.
The Pyramid also suggest that consuming healthy fats such as olive oil, avacado and nuts can be a beneficial part of life, along with the aformentioned lean meats, poultry, and fish. The Mediterranean diet opens up a vast array of cooking opportunities that are not only tremendously tasty, but can
enhance our health. I love that the Mediterranean Diet also focuses on whole body wellness, by encouraging daily exercise and sharing quality time with the people you love.
So for these remaining days of May, I am continuing to collect and experiment with Mediterranean inspired recipes. I'm thinking grilled octopus, brushed with olive oil and finely chopped herbs. I imagine it will turn out slightly smoky, yet sweet, fabulous with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I adore that fresh herbs play an important role in Mediterranean cooking. Herbs are such an amazing way to add incredible layers of flavor to food, from pungent rosemary with grilled meats, thyme and parsley
embellishing a roast chicken, chopped dill and cilantro adding spark to a green salad, or a mix of herbs
layered between roasted eggplant, onions, peppers, tomatoes and squash, with just a bit of French feta cheese. (Find french feta at Liuzzi's in North Haven, CT!)
On this particular day in May, the spring rains are coming down hard, but the my kitchen is lit with love and the wonderful warmth of the Mediterranean way!

To connect with Oldways:
www.oldwayspt.org
http://oldwaystable.org
http://www.facebook.com/OldwaysPT
http://twitter.com/#!/OldwaysPT

Robin Glowa is a healthy cooking teacher, passionate food professional and writer. She is a
a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teacher's College.
www.theconsciouscook.net

February Cooking Adventure 2011

2011-02-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

Love In the Air at the Clarke Culinary Center

Wine, women and song..well, it was actually wine, women and food. And since I can't sing, and it's all about food for me, I was thrilled to find myself at the incomparable Clarke Culinary Center on February 10th for a special “ladies only” Valentine's cooking class.
Any cooking class at the Clarke Culinary Center is an amazing experience, but this promised to be a match made in heaven, as in a petite bit of French heaven.
Oh yes, a spectacular menu created by chef extraordinaire, Jean Louis Gerin, owner of Restaurant Jean-Louis in Greenwich, that we ladies would be able to recreate for a special Valentine celebration at home. To top it all off, there would be a champagne tasting as well.
Now, I must confess I love champagne, and I love pairing it with food. And a high school trip
to Paris and Lyon left me with a certain misty and wistful life long fondness for all things French. What could be more romantic than sipping champagne and watching a renowned French chef prepare a love feast before my very eyes? C'est magnifique, non?
As we women gathered round the gleaming cooktop, Chef Jean-Lous bustled about, smiling
and gathering ingredients. As class began he introduced us to champagne expert Geraldine de Kersaint de Gilly. Of course, she would have an impossibly charming name to go along with her perfectly petite self. I wondered briefly if I could become Robin de Confession de Conscious.
Geraldine delved right into our champagne education. She handily demonstrated the proper way to open a bottle by first removing the foil, relieving the cork of it's wire cage (also known as the museliere, or muzzle) and firmly grasping and turning the cork in one direction while rotating the bottle in the opposite direction.
56a3“Do not point the bottle at anyone while you are opening it!”, she noted. A perfect little popping sigh and the Demoiselle Rose` was ready to pour.
As Geraldine instructed us to pour only about 2 inches into a glass, she added, “Do not leave champagne for months in the refrigerator as it should not be too cold. A three hour chill down before dinner is perfect.”
As I inspected my glass, watching the upward dance of minuscule, merry pink bubbles, I listened to Geraldine explain how rose` champagne is full of body, with a good bite of acidity and quite food friendly. “You could have it with meat even”, she insisted,”Rose` never gets overwhelmed by the food! In fact, all champagnes are an excellent accompaniment to food, try it with sushi or oysters,” she said with a big smile.
“Rose` became quite fashionable again over the past 20-30 years”, she continued. “Taste, taste,” Geraldine insisted and so we did. Bright and effervescent, with a light layer of lush strawberry sweetness, the Demoiselle was lovely.
As we sipped our champagne and became suffused with a bit of a blush ourselves, Chef
Jean-Louis was busily beginning the evening's dessert, a Passion Fruit Charlotte with maron glace
(candied chestnuts)...”It's nothing crazy”, grinned our Chef,”fruit-caramel-gelatin..you will love it!”
But first, Chef Jean-Louis prepared a simple Chocolat Feuillantine, much like a crunchy candy bar. As he chopped chocolate and mixed it with praline and butter, he emphatically pronounced that “we
should never forget to lick our fingers after preparing chocolate!”
Chef Jean-Louis also mentioned that chocolate does not like refrigeration, “eat chocolate quickly”, he said, “and if you do put it in the refrigerator, be sure it is well covered. It will absorb the odor of all your other foods otherwise.”
Chef Jean-Louis then moved on to making caramel. “Caramel”, he says “is sugar and a dash of water...just a few drops. You must prepare it over high heat, so it goes quickly and doesn't have time to crystallize.” He then admonished, “Caramel doesn't need you, so don't play with it!” He instructed us
to stop the caramel cooking process by putting the pan in the sink and running water around the pan.
After years of avoiding recipes that included caramel..something about brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush seemed a bit tedious to me and I worried about overcooking it... turns out caramel is really quite simple. And it took a Frenchman to teach me that.
The sweet perfume of passion fruit soon filled the kitchen as our Chef dipped gelatin sheets in iced water and then melted them in warm cognac. A mountain of whipped cream appeared and the passion fruit, gelatin, whipped cream and and sugar were folded together. Assembled in individual cups, a bit of the chocolate feuillantine anchored the bottom while a cloud of passion fruit cream was pillowed on top. Off to the freezer to chill and it was on to the rest of the menu.
While Chef Jean-Louis began on his appetizer of Leek and Oyster Pain Perdu, Geraldine invited
one of the ladies to open the next bottle of champagne, a Champagne Couche. Tentative at first, she firmly disposed of the museliere and the cork went sailing straight across the kitchen! So
a reminder, keep the hand on top of the cork while twisting! No injuries, and after much laughter, Geraldine regaled us with more champagne trivia.
“Champagne is produced in a designated area protected by law, anything produced outside this
area cannot be called champagne”, she stated. “ Champagne can be much lighter or darker, that's the influence of the grapes, and you should be aware that the smaller the bubble, the better the quality. If the bubbles vanish too quickly, this is not good, you want consistency in the glass.”
“You know”, said Geraldine happily, “ Champagne is very special and many famous women have been quoted saying amazing things about champagne. Coco Chanel, for example, said “A woman drinks champagne when she is in love and when she is not”, Brigitte Bardot claimed it was the only thng she would drink when she was tired and Marilyn Monroe once bathed in 350 bottles of bubbly!” As we sampled the freshly opened bubbly, I was beginning to feel like I was bathing in it!
But the food was coming, anticipating the oyster appetizer was making me salivate. Chef Jean-
Louis cleaned leeks and began chopping them. He mentioned that onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, all need to have the inner stem removed, as the stem will make you burp. He also encouraged us to save all scraps and scrapings from vegetable preparation to go in a freezer bag to make stock or soup.
The mildly pungent aroma of leeks wafted through the kitchen as they cooked in a generous
plop of butter. When they were wilted , salt, white pepper (“I only use white pepper in the kitchen,”
Chef Jean-Louis insisted, “ black pepper doesn't look good, it's bitter,black pepper is for barbecue!”) and cayenne pepper were added with heavy cream. Chef Jean-Louis quipped that “French cooking is not just butter and cream, it's just not true,” then he giggled a bit.
A lightly beaten egg and oysters were added to the creamy leak mixture and divided atop
baguette slices and popped in the oven. We were served a sensuous taste experience, the crisp crunch of the bread, the silky, rich, buttery biote of leek and oyster, caressed by sips of sparkly champagne.
Very, very romantic.
With the main course of Drunken Red Snapper and warm fingerling potato in Champagne Beurre Blanc, we tasted Chef Gerin's own private champagne-Cuvee Jean-Louis. Geraldine informed us this was produced from 100% chardonnay grapes and is known as a blanc de blanc. “This is made by my
wife's family”, interjected Chef Jean-Louis,”we go through a tremendous amount at my restaurant...I had to stop drinking it in the morning”, he laughed.
For his simple yet sumptuous dinner entree, Chef Jean-Louis cooked potatoes in boiling, salted water until just tender and then sliced them into ¼ inch thick pieces. He seasoned the flesh side of red snapper filets with salt and white pepper. Champagne was poured into a large saute pan and boiled for 30 seconds to remove the alcohol. Chopped onion and the red snapper were slipped into the pan and simmered for about five minutes until the fish was cooked. The fish was removed from the pan and set aside while he reduced the liquid and then tranferred the liquid to a blender with butter and 4 slices of
potato. “You thicken sauce by reducing it, there is no need to add flour, flour is for pastry”. The sauce was finished by boiling more champagne, adding the remaining potato slices, the blended liquid and
a touch of heavy cream.
The dish was plated with two romaine lettuce leaves, the potatoes were laid on the lettuce leaves and then topped with the fish. The rosy red skin side was offset by the brilliant white flesh, a perfect color for Valentine's Day. Drizzled with sauce,the dish was absolutely delicious, full of mouth filling flavor.
Simple, fresh ingredients cooked with love, this was a perfect menu for romance. Chef Jean-Louis said “You must have absolutely the best, freshest fish and don't have too many ingredients-it's too confusing!” Good advice for cooking and for romance!
Then it was time for dessert and the last remaining bottles of bubbly. Geraldine opened a
Lucien Albrecht, a cremant, made in the style of champagne, but produced outside of the region. I
immediately noticed larger bubbles, and a marvelous warm blush pink color. I didn't find it to be as delicious as the Demoiselle, but by now I was too focused on dessert.
The passion fruit charlotte was superb, the uniquely sweet, slightly sour taste of the passion fruit, the cool creaminess combined with the chocolate crunch and the plump candied chestnut...insanely good. A dish to fall head over heels in love with.
Just when I thought I my senses couldn't be any more stimulated, Chef Jean-Louis, with his marvelous French accent announces “if you have a little champagne left, cook it with some bitter chocolate. It will make a wonderful body paint.”

And on that note, dear reader, I will leave you to your own romantic pursuits.

Restaurant Jean-Louis
61 Lewis Street
Greenwich, CT
203-622-8450
www.restuarantJeanLouis.com

Clarke Culinary Center
64 South Main Street
So. Norwalk, CT 06854
203-838-9385
www.clarkecorp.com

2011-01-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

2011-01-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

Winter's Unlikely Superhero

Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane...no, it's a grossly enlarged girl, suffering the pangs of post holiday carb consumption. Able to consume copious quantities of Christmas cookies, pasta carbonara
and oh yes, one more glass of Chardonnay, the Carbed Crusader spent the entire holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, demonstrating the stupendous eating abilities of a true superhero.
Ever the social butterfly, the Carbed Crusader politely accepted whatever was proferred at all the parties, all the potlucks. A truckload of Triscuits and hot artichoke dip, seductive salt and black pepper potato chips, an oozing pastry wrapped brie partnered with a tart cherry compote, all delicious, all delightful, fueling our gargantuan girl wonder with all the glories of the season.
Seemingly there is no end in sight to the catastrophic caloric clogging. Now deep in the dregs of January, with yet another massive snow storm on the way, the Carbed Crusader is contemplating constructing a succulent Chicken Pot Pie crowned with a flaky, cheese laced crust. Then she will fill a
sturdy dutch oven full of elegant, richly flavored Beef Daube, accompanied by a large loaf of crusty olive bread. Once that's done, the Carbed Crusader will commence to concoct a volatile vat of chili.
After all, Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner and provisions must be made! Plus, that steaming bowl of spiciness is just the vehicle for beefing up the body of this one woman eating machine.
While the chili is cheerily bubbling away, there exists the perfect excuse for whipping up a batch of tender cornbread laced with sharp cheddar and bracing bits of jalapeno. A bright yellow crumble of cornbread, slathered with creamy butter and drizzled with wildflower honey brings a definite touch of sunshine to dark winter days. Never mind the crunchy, salty tortilla chips, luscious chunks of avocado and giant plop of sour cream that make that bowl of chili just about the most heroic of winter meals.
Of course, the Carbed Crusader does realize that all wild indulgences must eventually be curtailed. One cannot retain superior crime crushing skills, glowing skin and bright eyes when one keeps feeding the insatiable demons of desire. C.C. knows that moderation in all things is the superior way to be ready for all of life's adventures. Slumping, slack flesh and that tight, uncomfortable pinching, along with an ever plummeting energy level will at some point become an unbearable encumbrance.
But before the Carbed Crusader can return to a rigorous routine of responsible eating and regular exercise, there is one last moment of gustatory glory to be savored. An indulgement so divine and delicious it will carry this carb craver to a place of complete contentment. The need to exceed will be quietly quelled by a magnificent pan full of mighty macaroni and cheese.
The Carbed Crusader considers macaroni and cheese a sacred dish, one to be created with reverance and really good ingredients. Seldom using less than 5 selections of cheeses in her macaroni and cheese, the Carbed Crusader favors a flavorful blend of sharp cheddar, smooth, unassuming Swiss, a bit of mozzarella, a bit of bleu or gorgonzola to add a bright, salty bite and a heavy handful of Parmesan.
Meze rigatoni is the only macaroni she will use, the stubby tubes a perfect vehicle for harboring perfect mouthfuls of ooey gooey cheesiness.
The sauce is a classic roux, blended with warm skim milk and some half and half, whisked until perfectly silky. Nearly all the cheese is stirred in, then the rigatoni. Poured into a buttered baking dish, the remainder of the cheeses are scattered atop the pasta and the whole creation is capped off with hand torn shards of french bread tossed with salted butter. Into a 375 degree oven, and thirty minutes later sheer heaven will emerge. It is advisable to check the oven halfway through for burning breadcrumbs. If they are overbronzing, protect with a layer of aluminum foil.
A super feast for any eating hero, the crisp, golden crumbs mingling with melted cheese is worth every calorie. Besides there is 2 feet of snow out there for the Carbed Crusader to shovel her way through. Super carbs for super strength!! Up, up and away!

2010-10-26T05:11:00.000-07:00

2010-10-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

Doughnuts..The Hole Story

I've been contemplating doughnuts lately. Which is really odd, because I don't eat doughnuts, period. Never. Seriously, I never touch them. When I was a child, my grandparents would bring Dunkin' Donuts whenever they came to visit us for the weekend. The adults were really into it, everyone had their particular favorite. My mother was a cruller fan, my grandmother always chose Buttercrunch. Buttercrunch was a great name for this doughnut. Big, round and glistening with a glaze full of crunchy little nibs, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. The first time I bit it into one of those sugary orbs, I tasted sweet, tender, doughy delightfulness. But not five minutes, later I was gripped by a hideous bout of heartburn. Sugary treats were not a common occurrence in our house and to give up such a rare pleasure was heartbreaking, nonetheless I quickly gave up on doughnuts.
So I grew up in a mostly doughnutless world, or donut less world..I do not do the donut. With one glaring exception. I would eat Mrs. Wing's doughnut holes. Mrs. Wing, who lived down the road from my family's house, made apple cider doughnut holes every year for Halloween. Maybe it was the cuteness of their petite size, or the tangy taste of the cider mingling with cinnamon sugar, the crumbly yet somehow compact cakiness. This was a most marvelous trick or treat for little mischief makers.
However she made them, there was no pang of pain deep in my chest cavity. Just the wonderful flavor of cake and apple and frangrant spices. I don't know if I would actually prepare them, but I wish I had her recipe. I'm sure she would have written it down on one of those wonderful old fashioned recipe cards, with the blue lines in the center and the script type at the top that would say “Recipe from the kitchen of__________”. I wonder if she would have written Mrs. Wing or if she would have written her first name too, in that spidery cursive type so typical of little old ladies.
I hadn't thought much about doughnuts for years, until I recently interviewed John Plasko, Sr. who owns Plasko's Farm in Trumbull. CT. For 93 years the Plasko family has been farming, and they continue to be the oldest working farm in Trumbull.
John is a charmer who really knows how to work a crowd. And in October, their busiest month,there is always a crowd. Moms, dads, and teachers chaperone busloads of kids who flock to the farm to go through the corn maze,buy pumpkins, race around on the lawn and prop themselves up on the fence to make friends with the four miniature Sicilian donkeys.
It just so happens that Plasko's Farm has a general store filled with all kinds of goodies you'd expect to find in an old fashioned general store, including their famous apple cider doughnuts. John thinks they are the best he's ever had, and Ct Magazine has voted them among the 5 best in the state.
John treated me to 2 boxes of his famous doughnuts. Wouldn't you know that when I ripped open the first box and tried a bite, memories of Mrs. Wing and many, many Halloweens ago came flooding back.
That intoxicating rich scent of cinnamon mixed with sugar, the fabulous texture, it was all there.
So now it seems that doughnuts are everywhere I am. The New Haven Advocate featured an article on the best local doughnuts in their recent “Autumntimes Issue”. I was merely looking for restaurant and live music info. At work my boss brought in a bulging box of doughnuts from Neils in Wallingford, CT. It's almost disturbing the way I can't get doughnuts off my mind. Something I never eat. Ever. Period. Seriously.
But there they are in the supermarket, neatly packaged, a display of eight perfectly lovely doughnuts glowing with glaze. I'm not only noticing, I'm craving.......god forbid..DOUGHNUTS!!
I know doughnuts are a pretty serious treat. They average a couple of hundred calories each, depending on flavor. According to livestrong.com, one cider doughnut has 201 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 of those being saturated, 31 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium....etc.etc., you get the picture. Or rather, I'm getting the picture. I never had to think this way about doughnuts before, because I was never tempted. Now I want to sample every type, yeast, raised, cake style, cream filled, jelly stuffed.
A food professional must be constantly doing research, yes? Please say yes.
I am a huge advocate of enjoying life and occasional treats make us happy, contentented, and fulfilled. If we didn't indulge from time to time, I think we could quite possibly go mad with desire and subject ourselves to the public humiliation of being caught red handed in the candy or chip aisle, ripping open plastic with our teeth and cramming an entire bag of cheez doodles in our mouths. Moderation is the key to mindfulfulness.
I started researching doughnuts and reading about their history. Some say the Dutch are responsible for bringing them to America. I discovered that fried dough is eaten everywhere in the world and foreign doughnuts have exotic, lovely names such as Beignets in France, Bismark in Germany, Churro in Spain and Mexico, Poori in India, Baursaki in Kazakhstan, and Zeppole in Italy. That's just to name a very few.
I wondered if there were any slightly more healthful ways of preparing doughnuts and found a recipe in the October 2010 issue of Health magazine for Baked Buttermilk Doughnuts. It requires buying a special pan, a Wilton Doughnut Pan, to be exact. Prep time is 8 minutes, bake time is 8 minutes. A simple cake like batter looks easy enough and several appealing variations are shown including lemon glazed, chocolate hazelnut and, best of all, cinnamon sugar. The recipe offers decent reductions in calories, fat and sodium, insignificant cholesterol differences.
I may decide to give it a try....then again, I think a once a year Halloween visit to any famous apple cider donut maker is a worthwhile and delicious tradition, and will quell the wild cravings of any conscious cook.

2010-09-13T17:57:00.001-07:00

Salad Daze

2010-09-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

I confess...I really do love salad. It's not just a component of being a healthy food advocate. Or a constant attempt at weight control. Or a way of cleansing my body of indulgences like rich foods and clever cocktails.
I really love fresh, delectable greens, with all their different textures and marvelous array of flavors. I adore the fact that there are so many varieties of greens available at both farmer's markets and supermarkets, providing endless opportunities to create exciting new salads.
Greens are much more than bland, limp, pale green leaves of nothingness. Whether it be peppery arugula, soft butter lettuce, crisp, firm leaves of romaine, or robust raddichio, its creamy white leaves streaked a bright shade of cranberry red, I love greens, and I love that eating something so delicious can also be so incredibly healthy.
When I prepare a beautiful salad using a variety of greens, I am preparing a lively, colorful dish that is low in fat, and high in nutrients. Greens supply the body with calcium and iron, folic acid and fiber, as well as vitamins A, C and E. Everything that I read about the health benefits of greens tells me that they are a powerhouse source of antioxidants, which can have a positive effect on our immune systems. Keeping the immune system in top notch condition helps our bodies ward off nasty diseases.
When good health and good flavor mingle, it creates the most harmonious of relationships. As a
devout foodie and advocate of healthy living, I am always seeking out new and exciting food items and products. I am interested in “going organic” as often as possible, not for any particular political reasons, but because I have found that the taste of organic foods truly is superior. When I discover a new product that is organic, delicious and socially conscious, then I feel I have hit the jackpot.
That's why I was particularly excited when I received an e-mail from the good people at Olivia's Organics, asking if I would like to sample their products. Olivia's Organics is based in Chelsea, Massachusetts and has a long history of selling fresh produce.
According to their website, Olivia's great grandfather, Giovanni, started the tradition by selling fresh celery hearts out of a produce stall in Faneuil Hall, over seventy years ago. Today the company focuses primarily on selling packaged organic salad mixes. Not only does Olivia's sell terrific tasting salad mixes, a portion of the proceeds goes to supporting community based children's organizations through Olivia's Organics Charitable Foundation.
Groups such as the Make A Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girl's Club, Toys for Tots, Produce for Kids, Children's Hospital Boston, and The Food Project have all been supported by Olivia's Organics commitment to eating healthy, having fun and giving back.
I am a huge proponent of teaching children about healthy food. I have taught healthy cooking classes for kids using healthy ingredients and have found it to be the greatest experience. They have
a blast and are amazingly open to trying new foods, when they themselves are preparing it.
I like Olivia's philosophy and I like their products....a lot. The packaging is 100% recyclable and is produced using wind and hydroelectric power. They focus on organic authenticity by adhering to strict regulations set forth by the National Organic Program. You can go their website and read all the ways they have committed to being a responsible and caring company.
I want to tell you that the salad mixes were excellent. The flavors were clean, light and utterly luscious. I'm a big fan of adding fresh herbs to my salad and Olivia's Herb Salad hit just the right note.
Containing a marvelous mixture of Tango, Lolla Rosa, Red and Green Romaine, Chard and Oak, Spinach, Mizuna, Raddichio, Frisee, Beet Greens, Arugula, Tat Soi, Red Mustard lettuces,as well as dill and parsley, this mixture is like a big salad party in a box. You scarcely need anything more than a simple, classic vinaigrette and a fork to savor this mixture.
The Asian Salad was a less involved mixture, containing Spinach, Red Chard, Mizuna, Frisee, Tango and Arugula. I tossed this about with some plump, grilled sea scallops and a warm ginger dressing. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Olivia's Spring Mix was much the same as the Herb Salad minus the herbs. I do prefer the added piquancy of the fresh herbs, but the Spring Mix proved a worthy bed for a shower of julienned red and yellow peppers, sweet cherry tomatoes from the garden and a creamy avocado dressing. A little bit of crumbled bacon would have been a fabulous addition.
Thank you Olivia's Organics for sharing some of your deliciousness and joy for life with me.

Olivia's Organics
www.oliviasorganics.org

Robin Glowa, “The Conscious Cook”, is a healthy cooking teacher who specializes in teaching both
children and adults the joy of eating well with local, natural or organic ingredients. For more
details or to schedule a cooking class, please go to www.theconsciouscook.net.

Salad Daze

2010-09-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

I confess...I really do love salad. It's not just a component of being a healthy food advocate. Or a constant attempt at weight control. Or a way of cleansing my body of indulgences like rich foods and clever cocktails.
I really love fresh, delectable greens, with all their different textures and marvelous array of flavors. I adore the fact that there are so many varieties of greens available at both farmer's markets and supermarkets, providing endless opportunities to create exciting new salads.
Greens are much more than bland, limp, pale green leaves of nothingness. Whether it be peppery arugula, soft butter lettuce, crisp, firm leaves of romaine, or robust raddichio, its creamy white leaves streaked a bright shade of cranberry red, I love greens, and I love that eating something so delicious can also be so incredibly healthy.
When I prepare a beautiful salad using a variety of greens, I am preparing a lively, colorful dish that is low in fat, and high in nutrients. Greens supply the body with calcium and iron, folic acid and fiber, as well as vitamins A, C and E. Everything that I read about the health benefits of greens tells me that they are a powerhouse source of antioxidants, which can have a positive effect on our immune systems. Keeping the immune system in top notch condition helps our bodies ward off nasty diseases.
When good health and good flavor mingle, it creates the most harmonious of relationships. As a
devout foodie and advocate of healthy living, I am always seeking out new and exciting food items and products. I am interested in “going organic” as often as possible, not for any particular political reasons, but because I have found that the taste of organic foods truly is superior. When I discover a new product that is organic, delicious and socially conscious, then I feel I have hit the jackpot.
That's why I was particularly excited when I received an e-mail from the good people at Olivia's Organics, asking if I would like to sample their products. Olivia's Organics is based in Chelsea, Massachusetts and has a long history of selling fresh produce.
According to their website, Olivia's great grandfather, Giovanni, started the tradition by selling fresh celery hearts out of a produce stall in Faneuil Hall, over seventy years ago. Today the company focuses primarily on selling packaged organic salad mixes. Not only does Olivia's sell terrific tasting salad mixes, a portion of the proceeds goes to supporting community based children's organizations through Olivia's Organics Charitable Foundation.
Groups such as the Make A Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girl's Club, Toys for Tots, Produce for Kids, Children's Hospital Boston, and The Food Project have all been supported by Olivia's Organics commitment to eating healthy, having fun and giving back.
I am a huge proponent of teaching children about healthy food. I have taught healthy cooking classes for kids using healthy ingredients and have found it to be the greatest experience. They have
a blast and are amazingly open to trying new foods, when they themselves are preparing it.
I like Olivia's philosophy and I like their products....a lot. The packaging is 100% recyclable and is produced using wind and hydroelectric power. They focus on organic authenticity by adhering to strict regulations set forth by the National Organic Program. You can go their website and read all the ways they have committed to being a responsible and caring company.
I want to tell you that the salad mixes were excellent. The flavors were clean, light and utterly luscious. I'm a big fan of adding fresh herbs to my salad and Olivia's Herb Salad hit just the right note.
Containing a marvelous mixture of Tango, Lolla Rosa, Red and Green Romaine, Chard and Oak, Spinach, Mizuna, Raddichio, Frisee, Beet Greens, Arugula, Tat Soi, Red Mustard lettuces,as well as dill and parsley, this mixture is like a big salad party in a box. You scarcely need anything more than a simple, classic vinaigrette and a fork to savor this mixture.
The Asian Salad was a less involved mixture, containing Spinach, Red Chard, Mizuna, Frisee, Tango and Arugula. I tossed this about with some plump, grilled sea scallops and a warm ginger dressing. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Olivia's Spring Mix was much the same as the Herb Salad minus the herbs. I do prefer the added piquancy of the fresh herbs, but the Spring Mix proved a worthy bed for a shower of julienned red and yellow peppers, sweet cherry tomatoes from the garden and a creamy avocado dressing. A little bit of crumbled bacon would have been a fabulous addition.
Thank you Olivia's Organics for sharing some of your deliciousness and joy for life with me.

Olivia's Organics
www.oliviasorganics.org

Robin Glowa, "The Conscious Cook", is a healthy cooking teacher who specializes in teaching both
children and adults the joy of eating well with local, natural or organic ingredients. For more
details or to schedule a cooking class, please go to www.theconsciouscook.net.

The Sins of Summer

2010-08-19T05:04:00.000-07:00

Are you considered a glutton if you are doggedly determined to enjoy every last bite of fresh summer produce that you can possibly fit into your stomach? Is it sinful to constantly covet the taste of red, ripe tomatoes hanging heavy on the vine, just begging to be plucked? St. Thomas Aquinas, in all his wisdom, stated that gluttony is expressed in 6 ways:
1.PRAEPROPERE-Eating Too Soon
2.LAUTE -Eating Too Expensively
3.NIMIS -Eating Too Much
4.ARDENTER -Eating Too Eagerly
5.STUDIOSE -Eating Too Daintily
6.FORENTE -Eating Wildly

So I understand all the references, with the exception of #5, eating too daintily? Well, as that technique doesn't match up to any of my dining expressions,I shall discard it as being irrelevant. Perhaps I eat summer produce far too wildly and with far too much pleasure. There is no evidence to support eating too expensively, as eating fresh summer produce is the optimal time to enjoy economical nutrition. Eating too soon-I am fairly befuddled by that thought also,
and have decided that it has no relevance to this essay either.
But wise,old St.Thomas hit the nail on the head with #3 and #4. Too Much and Too Eagerly..based on the Aquinas scale, I may just qualify as a glutton and am giving serious thought to formally changing my name to Nimis Ardenter. It has a perfectly peculiar, yet fine ring to it. Ah yes, Nimis Ardenter, eager and excessive ingester of fresh tomatoes..that's me!!
Look, I just can't help myself! There are so many varieties of these succulent fruits to tempt the tastebuds. Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes are one perfectly pleasureable specimen, that explosively pop in the mouth and dissolve in the tongue like little sugar bombs. I really love Sweet 100's. Several years ago, when I had a plot in the Milford, CT community gardens, my plot neighbor, Ed Bensen, turned me on to these treasures. He insisted they were THE tomato to grow, and by God, every crop of them I've ever raised, has been filled with sweetness, just like Ed.
I'm finding that most of the local farm stands this summer are offering Sun Golds, another winning, winsome variety of cherry tomato. A gilded, glowing shade of yellowy orange, the candy like flavor of Sun Golds makes them the perfect tomato to turn on non-believers.
I've also noticed a proliferation of heirloom tomatoes surging in popularity. They have become more widely available in supermarkets, as well as farm stands and many home gardeners are embracing the unique flavors, colors and characteristics of these hearty throwbacks to earlier times.
I am rather fond of Brandywine, an heirloom variety that grows, not perfectly spherical like other tomatoes, but to a pillowy plumpness with a soft, pinkish red color. I have also tasted a bright yellow variety, but prefer the red myself. Brandywines are nice and meaty and are my tomato of choice for a perfect BLT. Their sweet juices marry well with slabs of good quality bacon (splurge on Nodine's, you will never regret it. Go to Google and check them out.)
Oh yes, I eat bacon. Particularly when it's sandwiched between luscious artisinal bread with thick slices of Brandywine and heaven forgive me, homemade mayonnaise. You can substitute Hellman's, it's a perfectly acceptable stand-in. But you have to make it yourself, just once. It's so simple and decadently delicious. You take 2 eggs, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, put these in the work bowl of a food processor. Combine 1 cup of light olive oil and 1 cup of canola or vegetable oil. Turn on the food processor and add the oil, drop by drop, until you have a thick mixture. Then add the remaining oil in a steady stream until it's all used up. Put your mayonnaise in a bowl, cover it and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare all sorts of gorgeous, gluttonous summer dishes with it.
I'm of the opinion that moderation in all things makes for a happy, well balanced life and a happy well balanced belly. The word moderation being the key. It would appear that moderation is not my strong suit when it comes to summer tomatoes.
It's not just the tomatoes, it's all the lovely bread, panfried in good olive oil and sprinkled with pink Himalayan sea salt, the golden, crispy slices serving as a perfectly tanned and toasty base for garlicky, basil strewn tomato topping. A most magnificent bruschetta! It's all the incredible pizza, thinly rolled dough, rubbed with olive oil and capped with fresh buffalo mozzarella, big slices of Big Boy tomatoes and baked to a bubbling state of beauty. Pulled out of the oven, and scattered with shards of basil atop each slice.. this is a taste of tomatoey heaven.
As Nimis Ardenter, glorious defender of gluttony, my quest for tomato titillation shall continue until the summer sun sets on the last remaining vine and the final fruits of summer tumble onto my table.

The Sins of Summer

2010-08-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

Are you considered a glutton if you are doggedly determined to enjoy every last bite of fresh, summer produce that you can possibly fit into your stomach? Is it sinful to constantly covet the taste of ripe, red tomatoes hanging heavy on the vine, just waiting to be plucked?
St. Thomas Aquinas, in all his wisdom, stated that gluttony is expressed in 6 ways:
1. PRAEPROPERE-Eating Too Soon
2. LAUTE -Eating Too Expensively
3. NIMIS -Eating Too Much
4. ARDENTER -Eating Too Eagerly
5. STUDIOSE -Eating Too Daintily
6. FORENTE -Eating Wildly

So I understand all the references, with the exception of #5, eating too daintily? Well, as that technique
doesn't match up with any of my dining expressions, I shall discard it as being irrelevant. Perhaps I eat summer
produce too wildly and with far too much pleasure. There is no evidence to support eating too expensively, as
eating fresh summer produce is the optimal time to enjoy economical nutrition. Eating too soon-I am fairly befuddled by that thought also, and have decided that it has no relevance to this essay either.
But wise, old St. Thomas hit the nail on the head with #3 AND #4. Too much and too eagerly. Based on the Aquinas scale, I may just qualify as a glutton and am giving serious thought to formally changing my name to Nimis Ardenter. It has a perfectly peculiar, yet fine ring to it. Ah yes, Nimis Ardenter, eager and excessive ingester of tomatoes..that's me!!
Look, I just can't help myself! There are so many varieties of these succulent fruits to tempt the tastebuds. Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes are one perfectly pleasureable specimen, that explosively pop in the mouth and dissolve on the tongue like little sugar bombs. I really love Sweet 100's. Several years ago, when I had a plot in the Milford, CT community gardens, my plot neighbor, Ed Bensen turned me onto these treasures. He insisted they were the tomato to grow, and by God, every crop of them I've ever raised has been filled with sweetness, just like Ed.
I'm finding that most of the local farm stands this summer are offering Sun Golds, another winning, winsome variety of cherry tomato. A gilded, glowing shade of yellowy, orange, the candy like flavor of Sun Golds make them the perfect tomato to turn on non-believers.
I've also noticed a proliferation of heirloom tomatoes surging in popularity. They have become more widely available in supermarkets, as well as farm stands and many home gardeners are embracing the unique flavors, colors and characteristics of these hearty throwbacks to earlier times. I am rather fond of Brandywines, an heirloom variety that grows, not perfectly spherical like other tomatoes, but to a pillowy plumpness with a soft, pinkish red color. I have also tasted a bright yellow variety, but prefer the red myself.
Brandywines are nice and meaty and are my tomato of choiced for a perfect BLT. Their sweet juices marry well with slabs of good quality bacon, (splurge on Nodine's, you will never regret it.) Oh yes, I eat bacon. Particularly when it's sandwiched up with thick slices of Brandywine, and heaven forgive me, homemade mayonnaise. You can substitute Hellman's, it's a perfectly acceptable stand-in. But you must make it yourself, just once. It's so simple and decadently delicious. You take 2 eggs, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, put these in the work bowl of a food processor. Combine 1 cup of light olive oil and 1 cup of canola or vegetable oil. Turn on the food processor and add the oils drop by drop, until you have a thick mixture. Then add the remaining oil
in a steady stream until it's all used up. Put your mayonnaise in bowl, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to make all sorts of gorgeous, gluttonous summer dishes with it.
I'm of the opinion that moderation in all things makes for a happy, well balanced life and a happy, well balanced belly. The word moderation being the key. It would appear that moderation is not my strong suit when it comes to summer tomatoes.
It's not the tomatoes themselves, it's all the lovely bread, panfried in good olive oil and sprinkled with pink Himalayan sea salt, the golden, crispy slices serving as a perfectly tanned and toasty base for garlicky, basil strwen tomato topping. A most magnificent bruschetta! It's all the incredible pizza, thinly rolled dough, rubbed with olive oil and capped with fresh buffalo mozzarella, big slices of Big Boy tomatoes and baked to a bubbling state of beauty. Pull the pizza out of the oven, scatter shards of basil atop each slice and prepare for a taste of tomatoey heaven.
As Nimis Ardenter, glorious defender of gluttony, my quest for tomato titillation shall continue until the summer sun sets on the last remaining vine and the final fruits of summer tumble onto my table.

Cotuit On My Mind

2010-06-08T05:46:00.000-07:00

LOBSTER...not such an elegant word for a dish considered by millions of food enthusiasts to be luxurious, upscale and decadently delicious. Perhaps its Latin handle Homarus Americanus would more aptly lend the proper cachet. Imagine if we were to start ordering 2 pound homarus at lobster pounds or requesting twin americanus in restaurants?!
I learned to love lobster from my mother's side of my family. When I was a yound child, we spent summer weekends in a great little cottage in Rye Beach, New Hampshire. The hard packed sands of Rye Beach were a seven minute walk from the cottage, which sometimes seemed like miles to me, laden down as we were, with books and towels, chairs, picnic baskets and bags. This was playtime, a bit of Coppertone number 8 and you were set to stay out in the glorious sunshine all day. I would read book after book, my brother would read his comic books, we would run into the ocean, paddling about in the frigid water, hunt for shells and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Isn't that why they call them sandwiches?
Often my grandparents would come and stay for the whole weekend. These were the times I loved the best. They would pull up in Grandpa's truck, bringing big hugs, smiles and boxes of Dunkin Donuts. I've never been a donut fan, they incite instant and intense heartburn in my chest cavity, but everyone else was happy and happy was good.
When dinner plans were made, lobster was often on the menu. The minute the decision was announced, I could feel a sense of excitement in the air, like a very special party was being planned. Off we would go to the lobster pound. I can still remember that the briny ocean air by the docks smelled so intoxicating. The scent of Maine and New Hampshire ocean water is so potently fragrant. No where else can you smell that particular blend of frothy saltiness blended with a top note of seaweed. It spurs the appetite and soothes the soul.
We would point to the lobsters we wanted and the burly, weather beaten lobsterman would scoop them out of the tank with his big net. He would deposit them in a white bag which would twitch the whole way back to the cottage. Soon afterward the center of the dining room table would be full of steaming, scarlet, now still, bodies waiting to be decimated.
Not one single inch of those lobsters went unexplored. We were leg suckers, body pickers, tomalley takers...my grandfather could pick a lobster body cleaner than a crow feasting on carrion. When the rest of us were sated, he would take the carnage and somehow find even more meat. He picked and prodded and would eventually fill a bowl with fluffy shards of the most tiny, tender pieces that my grandmother would fold with a bit of mayonnaise and lemon for sandwich filling the next day. Lobster salad sandwiches on the beach...pretty elegant.
It's been many years since we all gathered in that pine walled cottage. My grandparents are gone,the cottage was sold long ago.
But I have found a new haven amongst new friends, a place where the sand is soft and sugar white, the clear water is emerald green and the lobster tastes even more succulent. My new world is Cotuit, Cape Cod, the "Caribbean of New England!"
This new house is also filled with love of family and lobster. But the lobster is prepared quite differently. I was taught to steam those writhing sea bugs, in a big, black, enamel pot, on the stove. This method yielded plenty of pleasureable flavor, but there was always the matter of the salt scum encrusted pot to clean afterwards, a fearsome feat of acrobatics, as the pot never fit in the sink.
Ed, the owner of and host at the Cotuit house, GRILLS his lobsters over charcoal. No, he doesn't place them directly on the grill rack, he arranges them in an aluminum pan, ($12 for 6 at BJ's)adds several inches of hot water to the bottom of the pan, secures the corners with a bit of folding and crimping and places the lobster laden bathtub on the grill. Lid on and 40 minutes later Ed releases the lobsters from their torrid tomb. Donning heavy duty, bright yellow latex gloves, he cracks the bright red lobsters apart for serving, draining each portion as he goes. Not a drop of steam or stink permeates the Cotuit kitchen. This is a method for the masses!
The taste? The meat is lush, sweet and perfectly cooked with a subtle smokiness from the grill that has me swooning. Quite frankly, family, it's the best damn lobster I've ever eaten.
Oh yes, I confess to dipping my lobster liberally in hot butter AND indulging in a cold glass of Russian River Sauvignon Blanc. These are the good times. Love and lobster, what a wonderful celebration of life.

Teaching An Old Cook New Tricks

2010-05-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

< One of the things I love so much about cooking is the ongoing education. There is always a new ingredient to investigate, a new technique to explore, a new publication to absorb and new flavors to savor.
So when I was recently invited to attend a cooking class at the Clarke Culinary Center in South Norwalk, CT, I jumped at the chance. Clarke is the exclusive New England wholesale distributor of Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances. Their Culinary Center is a glorious gallery where you can view stunning examples of luxury kitchens, test drive the appliances and take cooking classes with really talented chefs.
Wandering through the showroom is an absolute droolfest, it takes your breath away as you look at all the incredible examples of epicurean elegance.
Does cooking in a gorgeous, luxurious kitchen make you gorgeous and luxurious? Absolutely!!
One spectacular kitchen features icy white, almost glittery countertops composed of quartz embedded in resin, looking like something straight out of a winter palace. Duel refrigerators encased in handtooled Douglas Fir, inlaid with leather and copper details...Luscious.
The classroom kitchen is awesome. The hood over the cooktop really impressed me. Even on it's most powerful setting, sucking up the smoke from searing New Zealand loin lambchops, there was never a noise problem. Oh, the bliss of silence. Fire up my hood and you will experience the noise factor of an XF-84H Thunderjet.
The celebrity chef for the evening was Matt Storch, who reigns over the kitchen at a sexy spot in SoNo known as MATCH. Matt is engaging, lively, joyful and a passionate chef whose talents have garnered him a throng of loyal fans.
Not only does he prepare food to perfection, he cares about where the food originates and honors it's integrity by using high quality, organic ingredients.
Spring produce was the focus for this class, featuring ingredients such as fresh asparagus, peas, fava beans, beets, ramps (spring onions) and fiddleheads.
I like a guy who can coax a crowd into eating fiddleheads. I must confess, I've never been much of a fan. Matt melded them into a bright Spring hash along with potatoes, ramps, mushrooms, asparagus, pea tendrils, thyme and mint and presented fiddleheads that were crisp, super light and very tasty. I'd definitely eat them again...if Matt were cooking them.
I've never been much of a mushroom enthusiast either. In fact, I have had a life long aversion to them. Matt served a variety known as "hen of the woods" that actually blew my tastebuds away. No frilly gills tormenting my tongue, just a lovely, slightly meaty texture with a mild, woodsy flavor. Saute them in a hot pan with just a little fat, DON'T CROWD THE PAN, drain them on a paper towel when browned and voila, fungi fabulousness.
Matt prepared a raw asparagus salad by simply shaving the fat stalks with a vegetable peeler and tossing them right before serving with lemon, olive oil, parmesan cheese and truffle oil.
I am really turned on by truffle oil. Such a sensual flavor, like a kiss that lingers long after the lips have parted. Mmmmmm.
Matt served his asparagus salad with a warm truffle polenta ( again with the truffle oil...oh God!) which has a soft, custard like texture, the perfect pillow for the lightly crunchy asparagus. A bit of saltiness from the parmesan, a spark of lemon and that lavish layer of truffle oil...this was GOOD, GOOD, GOOD!
In fact, a woman sitting next to me had the widest grin on her face, her smile spreading from cheek to cheek, despite having her mouth full. She paused chewing long enough to dreamily say, "I can't talk-it's that good!"
There are more details about this extraordinary evening and you shall have them soon.
Right now I have made myself quite hungry with all this reminiscing.
I'm heading out to the garden to pick some fresh asparagus.
I've just purchased truffle oil and I need some kitchen time.

Clarke Culinary Center 64 South Main Street, South Norwalk, CT 203-838-9385 www.clarkecorp.com
MATCH 98 Washington Street, South Norwalk, CT 203-852-1088 http://www.matchsono.com/

A Blog Is Born

2010-04-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

As a writer, self proclaimed food and wellness enthusiast and healthy cooking teacher, I spend a great deal of my time talking about, cooking and writing about the glories of healthy food. Blogging was never really part of my plan, but I've been told I'm not a real writer without one, so let the confessions begin!

I believe that good food is the catalyst for a good life. Eat well-be well, that kind of stuff. My business " The Conscious Cook" revolves around teaching people how to cook with the best local, native, natural and organic ingredients.

But I'm also just a girl, trying to navigate the perils and pleasures of life, like anyone else.
Somedays I find eating and thinking healthy to be extremely challenging. Downright difficult, in fact.

Take Easter, for example. Never mind the excessive abundance of chocolate, that can always be written off as a healthy indulgence...all that mood enhancing magic and blood pressure lowering power. Just whose idea was it to start a company named Jelly Belly and manufacture what I think are the best damn tasting jelly beans ever?

During the four days prior to Easter Sunday, no less than five bags of assorted Jelly Bellys made their way into my darling white porcelain Easter candy dish. (The one with the cute little bunnies perched on the rim.) What wasn't so darling was the absolute determination I demonstrated in my quest to discover the best tasting Jelly Belly.

I have no idea how many hundreds of those miniature sugar bombs made their way into my slightly swollen belly by the time the experiment was over, but I did crown a queen of jelly beans. No cherry, berry, bubble gum, citrus sour or cappucino was annointed the ruler, the hands down victor and reigning supreme flavor - "Buttered Popcorn". Seriously sweet, butter tinged perfection.

Does it make me a jelly bean junkie? I think I'm still detoxing from the sugar shock so I'll have to let you know. Sources have already filled me in on the GIANT size Jelly Belly jar available at Costco...

In the meantime, as I continue to hone my blogging skills, I'll be sharing my thoughts on recipes, cookware, articles, research, the latest and greatest ingredients, restaurants and the people and places that make life so delicious.