italian style fried rice

i always feel good when i have leftover rice from my rice cooker and am able to use it all up without wasting any of it. lately my main interests with my cooking are health and economy. i hate to waste food and i want to be as healthy as possible.

on this thread i have sometimes been making fried rice in the morning with seasonal vegetables like asparagus and spring onions along with chilis, ginger, garlic, tamari and sometimes toasted sesame oil.

this afternoon i was inspired and decided to use the same method to achieve a very different and delicious result. this was all made with food i had on hand at home.

italian style fried rice
serves one

part of a cauliflower
half a bulb of fennel
3 green onions
a few sprigs of basil
olive oil
salt
leftover rice
one egg
a few gratings of parmesan
fennel fronds

1. in a medium sized pan saute sliced vegetables, onions and basil with olive oil and salt until golden.

2. add about half a cup of cold rice, breaking up a little bit on top of the vegetables. heat for a few minutes and stir together.

3. in a medium sized bowl combine the egg with parmesan, a tiny splash of cold water and a big pinch of sea salt and whisk with a fork for one minute.

4. lower heat to medium low and pour egg mixture over the rice and vegetable mixture. allow to cook briefly and fold over using a spatula a few times until the egg is set.

5. garnish with chopped fennel frond.

pork of my heart

i recently had the pleasure of preparing a special birthday dinner for a friend. when she asked me i was a little bit hesitant, but i am so glad that i said yes.

being in the event business herself, pilar was a dream client. she swung by my work with a little list that included a few foods that she wasn't interested in and finished with this, "i love pork and pork products." here's what i came up with:

the menu

* candied bacon, two goat cheeses; one creamy, one crumbly, rosemary seasalt walnuts, pomegranate seeds, crackers and assorted acme breads 

* pumpkin soup with sage-parsley-miso & pine nut pesto

* baby spinach & mixed green salad with endive and apples with apple cider vinaigrette and maple candied pepitas

* spice roasted pork shoulder with mashed sweet potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts

sounds good right? well, despite all of my experience in the kitchen i did not have confidence cooking a roast, so i called my longtime friend matthew in seattle to ask for help. i consider him to be something of a pork expert. he walked me through the candied bacon and pork roast. here's how you do the roast:

spice rub for pork 

3/4 c. sucanat
3 T smoked paprika
3 T chipotle powder
3 T kosher salt
2 T ancho chili powder
2 T cinnamon
1 T cumin

12 cloves garlic, sliced
one pork butt aka pork shoulder

method

1. using a whisk combine all ingredients for the spice rub.

2. being mindful to never double dip, rub pork butt all over with a generous amount of spice rub. using a small sharp knife make little cuts into the meat and press garlic slices in. ideally do this step at least an hour ahead of time. put roast into a deep pan tightly covered with foil. 

2. heat oven to 450 and bake at that high heat for 30 minutes. then lower the heat to 300 and cook for up to 6 more hours. 

after cooking gently this way the meat will shred into tender, succulent ribbons. 

this thursday is valentines day. you might want to make something special. 

there is nothing that says "i love you" like slow roasted meat. maybe pick up some flowers on your way home from work.

food trends 2013

last week me and my donutman went to the fancy food show in san francisco with a lot of anticipation. 

i've been several times before and was excited to go together, but the day before i woke up in somewhat of a panic thinking, "it's just gonna be a lot of candy and cheese."

and indeed we went and there wasn't a kale chip in sight. the fancy food show is essentially the packaged food show, and going made me realize how much my relationship with food is changing.

last year i noticed what i thought were some very distinct trends: coconut products, figs, truffle infusions, popcorn, nut butters and heavily seeded crackers. this year there were definitely a few more companies doing fine cured meats and one company in particular called field trip that caught my eye with a great booth doing some decent beef jerky. but overall the fancy food show is the packaged food show and there is a lot of candy and cheese. 

food trends 2013: what's up for me and the people i eat with:

identifying with broader dietary terms like plant-based and health-supportive

wide-spread nation-wide rejection and outrage over GMO foods

celebration of old school superfoods like plain whole milk yogurt, raw honey and gelatin

brick & mortar restaurants based on street food

rockstar baristas

herbalist-chefs

chipotle powder

mocktails

salt cured pickles

long-fermented whole grain breads

seaweed

interpreting whole foods in a more bone-in, skin on, full-fat paradigm

gluten free indicators on menus

health care for the food industry

 

chinese breakfast

as a kid i never wanted to eat eggs... ever!

this has changed.

and for the past two christmases and a few lucky mornings before school and work i have made this dish.

chinese breakfast is inspired by the prawn scrambled eggs on the menu at yuet lee on the corner of broadway and stockton in san francisco, and the culinary cross-pollination that i have cooking with my jewish-chinese-donutman-boyfriend josh.

this would be perfect on new years day.

chinese breakfast

1 jalapeno
organic tamari

1/2 a yellow onion, cut into very fine dice
olive oil
seasalt

about 1/2 # raw, shelled prawns

3 organic eggs
splash water, about a tablespoon
big pinch salt

1/4 bunch cilantro
sri racha, aka rooster sauce or cock sauce

1. slice the jalapeno straight across into fine circles and add just enough soy sauce to cover.

2. using a wok or a cast iron skillet gently cook the onion in a generous amount of oil and some salt over medium heat until soft and just starting to brown.

3. combine eggs, water and salt in a bowl and beat hard with a fork for a full minute.

4. add the prawns and cook, turning once or twice until almost done, but not quite uniformly pink.

5. pour eggs into the pan and stir and turn until set.

6. garnish with chopped cilantro, sri racha and spicy soy sauce.

super easy apricot chutney

my mom is in france. my dad is too. for a whole month.

before they left my mom gave me a bag of perfectly ripe apricots that she didn't quite have time to make into jam on her way out of the country. i couldn't let these beauties go to waste, but decide to make chutney instead of jam.

here is my super easy recipe:

1 1/2 # fresh, ripe apricots
2 serrano chilis, cut into fine rings
1" fresh ginger, very fine dice
1 c. organic sugar
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

1. combine all in medium sized, heavy bottomed pot.

2. bring up to a simmer and cook until thickened and syrupy.

3. take chutney off the heat while it is still loose, as mixture will thicken even more as it cools.

breakfast for dinner

when i was a kid we sometimes had breakfast for dinner. it may have been for fun, but every now and again it might have been a way to get through a leaner time.

this is something i made for my spirit-kid nate on a night when my cupboards were bare. it was a surprisingly delicious and satisfying meal.


cornmeal pancakes

1 1/2 c. organic cornmeal

1 1/2 c. boiling water
1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 buttermilk

1/2 c. pine nuts
2 tsp. organic cane sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

big pinch baking powder

bacon grease
maple syrup

1. combine cornmeal, boiling water and salt and let sit to plump up the grains.

2. make a well in the center of the cornmeal mixture and add the buttermilk, pine nuts, sugar, vanilla, and baking powder. fold together gently until just mixed.

3. heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high and add bacon grease.

4. spoon the batter into the pan and cook carefully, allowing the cakes to cook for a while undisturbed and flipping only once.

4. serve with maple syrup.

spring alphabet

artichokes
asparagus
avocados
basil
beets
carrots
cauliflower
dill
eggs
endive
fava beans
fennel
green garlic
kale
leeks
mushrooms
mustard greens
nettles
onions
peas
rhubarb
strawberries
thyme