Posts filed under 'Flavorista Icon'
The Taste of Mexico by Patricia Quintana was given to me many years ago and it quickly became dog earred. I used it in my catering business and the results were always fantastic.
Patricia Quintana is an amzing researcher and this book teaches the origins of each Mexican dish. Organized by regions, this book makes you want to jump on a plane and travel with her. (She does lead tours.) Her life’s work has been to elevate and educate the world about the Mayan origins of Mexican food.
Tortilla Soup a la Mexicana
Quintana’s tortilla soup is in my estimation is the culinary gold standard!
12 cups chicken broth (homemade preferred)
1 chile Pasillas and 1 Ancho chile, seeded and sauteed in a little oil
1 large can chopped tomatoes
1 white onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 sprigs of cilantro
2 Tbsp. corn oil
Heat the chicken stock in a large pot. In a blender place the chiles with the tomatoes, onion, garlic and cilantro. Using a hand blender puree until smooth. Heat oil in a large pot and add the tomato/chile mixture. Heat until it boils. Place a large sieve over the stock pot and pour the tomato mixture into the hot stock. Simmer for 25 minutes. The soup may be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Reheat over medium heat.
Garnishes
Torilla strips fried in oil to make thin crisps
2 large avocados, diced
2 cups fresh cheese like panela or feta, crumbled
1 cup sour cream
Place the garnishes on the table. Spoon the broth into bowls. Place the garnishes on top of your soup and enjoy!
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December 1st, 2008
I had the great pleasure of hearing Ann Cooper, author of Lunch Lessons and Bitter Harvest speak this week at the 5th Annual Naturally Boulder Days Conference. She is the self proclaimed "renegade lunch lady" and indeed she is. Her mission is to change children’s relationship with food in the hopes that she can reverse some of the horrible statistics facing American youth.
Chef Ann has been working diligently with the Chez Panisse Foundation to help restructure and revitalize school lunch. She is not only inspiring but also gives a great presentation, making you wonder how we have allowed the USDA and commodity foods to get so deeply imbedded into our kid’s lives. When you realize that only 50¢ of the $1.50 that goes to school lunch at your local public school goes to the actual purchase of food, it’s no wonder that fast food chains are becoming the only option as the supplier of the food.
One of the best ideas she has (and she has quite a few) is to have lunch AFTER recess. I know my kids inhale their lunch so that they can rush out to recess. I’d like to think that they could take some time to chew but apparently lunch cannot compete with four square. Cooper also mentioned a recent study (which is on her blog) that links Gatorade consumption to an increase in kidney stones among children as young as five (scary stuff). Flavorista sends thanks to Chef Ann Cooper, a food visionary, looking out for our children!
November 6th, 2008
As one of the founding chefs of the venerable Greens restaurant in San Francisco, Deborah Madison along with Edward Epse Brown and Annie Somerville, elevated vegetarian food to cuisine. With eight cookbooks under her belt, it’s hard to pick a favorite but Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is truly an inspired work.
Faced with an abundance of eggplant, I tried a very simple recipe: Baked Eggplant with Feta Cheese and Tomatoes. It was a total winner. Another of my all-time favorite recipes from this book is the Butternut Squash Gratin with Caramelized Onions and Sage, and I have to mention her Giant Souffle. You can’t go wrong with any of her books, even if you are not vegetarian. There are some unbelievable recipes in this book that will elevate your vegetables to center stage. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone won cookbook awards from both the James Beard Foundation and IACP. Whether your are a seasoned or a novice vegetarian, this book is for you.
Recipe Excerpt: Lentil Minestrone
This is one of my all-time favorite soups. It’s better when cooked ahead of time, but add the cooked pasta and greens just before serving so that they retain their color and texture.
Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra virgin to finish
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 carrots, diced
1 cup diced celery or celery root
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 cup dried green lentils, sorted and rinsed
Aromatics: 2 bay leaves, 8 parsley branches, 6 thyme sprigs
9 cups water or stock
Mushroom soy sauce to taste
1 bunch greens–mustard, broccoli rabe, chard, or spinach
2 cups cooked small pasta–shells, orecchiette, or other favorite shape – or gluten free alternative
Thin shavings of Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
Heat the oil in a wide soup pot with the onion. Saute over high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, parsley, garlic, vegetables, and 2 teaspoons salt and cook 3 minutes more. Add the lentils, aromatics, and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. If it needs more depth, add mushroom soy sauce to taste, starting with 1 tablespoon. (The soup may seem bland at this point, but the flavors will come together when the soup is finished.) Remove the aromatics.
Boil the greens in salted water until they’re tender and bright green, then chop them coarsely. Just before serving, add the greens and the pasta to the soup and heat through. Serve with extra virgin olive oil drizzled into each bowl, a generous grind of pepper, and the Parmesan, thin shards or grated.
October 7th, 2008
Molly O’Neill is a Flavorista Icon because she is fervently working to document our melting pot culinary heritage. She is a great storyteller, food writer, critic and chef. Back in 1992, she started on her quest with the New York Cookbook which is still in print sixteen years later! This is such an amazing tome of recipes that capture New York and the eclectic home cooks, firehouse cooks, and restaurant chefs that live there. Most recently, she edited a wonderful compilation called American Food Writing that lives at my bedside. There are fantastic writing tidbits and recipes from some of the best American writers about my favorite topic – food! Currently, she is a contributer to Saveur magazine. O’Neill is continuing on the compelling quest to chronicle American food so stay tuned for more from this tireless and committed flavorista.
September 21st, 2008
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The original Fanny Farmer, born Mary Watson Merritt, is best known for having standardized American cooking measurements . Instead of "1 teacup full" and "a pat of butter the size of an egg" she designed our current system of cups, teaspoons, tablespoons. She was a reluctant student of the Boston School of Cooking and later became its principal. She published The Boston Cooking School Cookbook in 1896 which quickly became "the" cookbook in America.
Mary Watson Merritt is Flavorista Icon not only because of her well known achievements in improving the way Americans cooked, but because her true passion was to make the food served to people suffering from illness nutritious, comforting and delicious. Eventually, she left her position as principal to focus on her passion and ended up at Harvard medical school teaching doctors and nurses the importance of nutrition and healing. She later wrote another cookbook: Food and Cooking for the Sick and Convalescent.
Fast forward to 1979 when Marion Cunnigham (another Flavorista Icon – please stay tuned) updated the classic to reflect the melting pot of American cooking and finally named it the Fannie Farmer Cook Book which is the ad hoc name women in the early 1900′s gave it. She updated it again in 1990.
This book is a must have classic! Marion Cunningham’s chocolate chip cookies are absolutely perfect. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook aptly demonstrates the diversity of American cooking. This book has it all and it’s a great reference because it covers all the basics.
I love her Buttermilk Chocolate Cake. The recipe below is one that I adapted for high altitude baking. For sea level dwellers, omit the eggs. I add the flax and wheat germ to sneak in some extra nutrition for my kids. You can easily just use 1 ½ cups flour. This is the perfect summertime cake, it is easily adorned with berries and cream or just a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar.
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
For one 9 x 13 inch cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 cup flour, sifted
¼ cup ground flax seed meal
¼ cup wheat germ
1 cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup safflower oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1. Sift the flour, flax, wheat germ, cocoa, baking soda and salt together
2. Pour the buttermilk, safflower oil, vanilla and eggs together and mix well with a whisk
3. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.
4. Fold in chocolate chips
5. Pour into buttered 9 x 13 inch square cake pan
6. Bake for 35 minutes
August 20th, 2008
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