First BLT (and second and third...)

This week I had the first BLT of the season. It was magnificent. In fact, it was so magnificent, that I had to make it again the next day. I have started to do something that I highly recommend (besides using dry-farmed tomatoes, which you really should try if you get the chance. Amazing things), which is to toast the bread by lightly frying it in the bacon grease. WOW! It takes the BLT to a whole new level.

But remember, if you eat one today, you need to do an alternative penance!

Hungry?

I hate the things alive, but I would try it.

Radishes...

Alicia is looking for uses for radishes. This is a good questions. I generally eat them just straight (they make a great accompaniment to chilled Austrian Gruner Veltliner wine), or slice them into thin rounds to go in salad. Also, finely diced, they make a good addition to a taco.

I have had them, again, thinly sliced, as an interesting and pleasing pizza topping. They are good as a garnish to shrimp cocktail. The thin slices might also be fried in a tempura and served with similarly prepared fried slices of lemon (paper thin rounds, zest, pith and pulp) and deep fried anchovy stuffed green olives. At that point, you might as well add some deep fried calamari. Yum!

You could do a pasta with radish slices and thin strips of rare beefsteak and fresh tomatoes. Garnish with California Dried Jack cheese.

If anyone else has any radish ideas, please post them in the comments!

That's some cinghiale!

A 1,050 lb wild boar?

The sad thing is that all they are doing is making sausage, if the story is correct. Now, I love wild boar sausage, but you would have two amazing prosciutti and loins that would feed a whole parish.

Nueva Italia is in Mexico

Well, I ended up cooking Italian food tonight, or sort of Italian food, as it is really my own creation, and since it has Monterrey Jack, it should probably count as California cuisine.

But...Nueva Italia is in Mexico (Michoacan). I have never been there, but as far as I know it is the only such named place in the New World, so perhaps this counts.

It is too late for me to post the recipe, because I might forget what was in it, and I have to teach in the morning, but basically it was a grilled chicken, sauteed mushroom/Marsala, balsamic vinegar deal with a finish of jack, parmiggiano and chopped parsley. Very tasty. Holler if you want details.

And on the subject of things that grow underground...

Well, we weren't really talking about things that grow underground at all, but we were talking about the Englisch, and there is an Underground in London, so perhaps we are there.

Beets. Or beetroot as the Englisch say. Clean 'em, trim 'em, wrap them in foil with a splash of water, roast them at 400 for about an hour or so, or until you forget about them and get hit by this roasty, earthy smell. Let them cool a little. Peel them. Cut them into chunks. Toss them in a little white wine vinegar and EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (freshly cracked, natch). Put them in the icebox for whenever you are making a salad. They have an affinity for goat cheese. Bon appetit!

Sweet, sweet stone fruit

Cherries. Apricots. Nectarines. Apriums?

Yes, apriums are the latest apricot-plum hybrid we have tasted. Flesh and skin like an apricot, with a plummy flavor with hints of apricot on the palate. Very good.

Anyway, the aforementioned stone fruit and large, red, delicious strawberries herald the beginning of the really fun cooking season, which will last until the end of October.

Ah yes. Food talk. When was the last time I posted a recipe? It is probably about time.

Italian Food and Garlic

There is this notion out there that Italian food is loaded with garlic. Now, I am not going to talk about Southern Italian food, because that is really something different, rather I will be talking about True Italian food, made by True Italians (Tuscans, Umbrians, Piemontese. Oh, I suppose Bolognese as well).

We cook with a lot of garlic, but we don't eat a lot of garlic. I was taught to generally use whole cloves of garlic, peeled, perhaps lightly cracked, but kept in large enough chunks for easy extraction. The garlic delicately perfumes a dish, but does not cause massive digestive havoc.

In the old days, Italian immigrants were called "garlic snappers" because of the jealousy felt by the Anglirish islanders who ate food that was half a step above chewing the cud. Then, after a few decades of slopping at the trough of mass production, the Anglirish suddenly got a taste for the "real authentic" Italian taste of lots of garlic.

Along come garlic fries. An abomination.

Fortunately most garlic fries are nearly inedible, for instance the Gordon Biersch ones that they serve at PacBell Park. They smell bad, they look bad, they taste worse. The garlic is oxidized, raw, and eye-stingingly potent. The fries are coated with grease that tastes slightly industrial. Blech. People love 'em, though, so it is hard to escape the stench.

Now, some fiends make garlic fries the right way: they use fresh garlic, cook it just through, and mix it with parmiggiano. Then they put that on properly cooked fries, and the result is heavenly. In fact, the stuff is so good, that as you linger over them, and the fries are gone, you end up eating the garlicky, cheesy good bits that remain in the basket.

And you pay.

You remind yourself: no, don't eat garlic, flavor things with garlic.

There are "health food" addicts (I use scare quotes, because have you ever seen a "health food" nut who looked remotely healthy?) who claim all sorts of health benefits to garlic. But they don't like to have the stuff oozing from their pores, their breath reeking, their digestion merrily cavorting in spasms of good health. So they take de-odorized garlic pills.

If there are health benefits to garlic, then I am convinced that they must go along with the rather drastic effects of the bulb. If it does anything, it does it as it burns your nasal passages, as it oozes from your pores, as it makes your stomach flip for joy.

Also, what are these health nuts doing taking a product in a refined state? Isn't that of more concern thatn any ailment the garlic is supposed to cure?

I don't understand these people, and, frankly, I no longer care to.

On an unrelated note: is there anything that Wolfowitz is not incompetent at? Good Lord! How has this man ever been employed at anything with more responsibility than street sweeper? I don't get it.

When to say "no"...

The proper time to say "no" is after you have eaten one dessert. I don't care how good the proferred second dessert is. I don't care if it is a strawberry tiramisu made by your friend who is visiting from Italy. I don't care if the slice is "just a little one."

You must say "no."

Or, if you don't, fine with me, just don't expect me to be sympathetic when you complain of being over-stuffed. I know you are not sympathetic to me right now.

New Cookbook

This sounds promising. I will have to check it out and review it.

Meanwhile on the food front, I had a challenge tonight: to make gourmet mini-weenies. Yes, the type of thing usually associated with Stupor Bowl parties, but made the Chez Panisse way. I was fairly pleased with the basic sausage I made tonight (a beef/pork/pork fat skinless wurst seasoned with garlic, onion, coriander, pimenton, lovage, bay, basil, thyme, pepper, salt, clove, and allspice). I have four sauces in mind, so the next step will be to make the sausages and simmer them in the four sauces (tamarind sweet and sour, mole, mustard, and barbecue).

I took pictures of the sausage making, but I left my camera at our friends' house, where I made the sausages, so it will have to wait.

Speaking of pictures of food, I realize that I have about three or four recipes in the hopper, complete with photos, and that if I don't post a recipe soon, I will have to change the name of the blog. I know this, yet getting my new studio in order takes first priority. Sorry.

Wolfgang Puck and Foie Gras

First, anyone who has read this space for any period of time knows that I utterly detest that charlatan Wolfgang Puck. There is nothing Californian, nothing "gourmet", nothing genuine about any aspect of his approach to food. Just about the only other person I can think of who has had a worse impact on food has been Jeremiah Towers.

So, it came as no surprise that Puck has jumped on the anti-foie gras bandwagon. My first response was, "gee, I didn't realize that he was using the stuff on his frozen pizzas or canned soups."

Then, I had one of those "ah-hah!" moments.

I have been wanting to make a point of using the word "faggot" at least once a week, just in solidarity with those who are facing blacklisting for using it. The problem is, I could never really think of who to use it on. As an epithet for homosexuals, it is pointless. After all, we must be careful to distinguish between the person who suffers from same-sex attraction disorder and someone who acts on it. And even the person who acts on it, we must remember their humanity and that they, too, were created in the image of Christ.

But there is a good use of "faggot," as I have mentioned before, and it has nothing to do with homosexualism, but rather goes back to the good old playground insult for someone who is not a Mensch. And when I think of a poster boy for this sort of faggot, Wolfgang Puck comes immediately to mind: the sort of person who publicly pats himself on the back for taking a moral position that is so far off his table anyway as to be irrelevant. Surely the Southern Californians who make up the bulk of his restaurant audience don't eat foie gras (or much of anything good: honestly, El Ay is a dining wasteland, especially considering its wealth and diverse population). He has never put the stuff on a frozen item, nor in a canned item. This is silly posturing and nothing more. Faggot.

Gin

I have been asked in my comments box what kind of gin I like.

The answer is: good gin. Although with enough vermouth or tonic, even bad gin can be made tolerable.

The main distinction between gin is between sweet and dry gin, with the original Dutch stuff being sweet and the English (London) gin being dry. However, even the Dutch stuff has gotten drier.

My normal standby is a London Dry Gin: Bombay Sapphire. It is loaded with botanicals, all subtly added to create a delicate complexity. The juniper is ever-present, but it is not allowed to take over completely. Regular Bombay is fine, too, even though it is not as complex, layered or nuanced. It is, however, a finely balanced gin and makes for a good martini.

Now, if I can splurge, there are some gins that top my list:

First and foremost is Van Gogh Gin (not to be confused with Van Gogh Vodka, which is easy to find - the gin is not as common), a flaovorful, super complex Holland gin which is really a treat. After that, I am quite fond of Plymouth gin, another very complex and fun way to spend the cocktail hour.

Now, on the other end of my list, the cheap-o, let's-save-money gin, is Trader Joe's Admiral Joseph's Gin. I don't know who makes it, although I suspect Beefeater. It is not as well-balanced as Bombay, certainly not as complex, but with a generous amount of vermouth, it does fine in a martini. In fact I prefer it over Tanqueray, which, while being interesting, is too citrus-dominated for my tastes.

Don't get me wrong, I won't turn down a martini made with Tanqueray, but I don't buy the stuff unless there are no other choices. And Tanqueray 10 or whatver it is called, is really not worth the money, although I have yet to try it in a gin fizz. Maybe that is where it comes into its own.

Of course this leaves the question of what should go into a martini and in what proportions?

In the shaker goes:

1. 2 shots of Gin. Not vodka.
2. Vermouth. Generally people make a martini with dry vermouth, but sweet vermouth adds an interesting twist, although you will want to also add a dash of bitters if you do that.
3. A splash of ice water. Gin is bottled too strong.
4. Ice. Gin is best chilled very cold.

Now, if I am using Van Gogh, then the vermouth will always be dry, and will only be added by the drop, about three drops or so. If I am using Bombay Sapphire, I will add a quarter to a half a shot, depending on my mood. If a lower gin, then a half shot. If it is a terrible gin, a whole shot. If I am doing a sweet martini, I will add a half shot of red vermouth and a dash of bitters.

Shake? Stir? I like to shake mine, because it creates those floating ice crystals and makes it cloudy. If you like yours clear and want to minimize dilution (although dilution releases a lot of the subtle flavors of the gin), stir.

And strain into a glass that has had the following treatment:

1. While you are mixing the drink, fill the glass with ice and ice water. Let sit.
2. Use some of that water in the martini.
3. Shake (or stir), and let the shaker rest.
4. Pour out ice and water.
5. If you like your martini burned, add a couple of drops of malty (not peaty) single malt Scotch and swirl around.
6. The glass is ready.

Remember:

Garnish with an olive or a twist for a martini, with a pickled onion for a gibson. If you are using Tanqueray you might want to garnish with a twist. I highly recommend using anchovy-stuffed olives from Spain. They are great in a martini.

Ahhh. Easter is coming.

Two Good Whaling Posts Deserve a Third!

I may have to start a whaling category in the blog.

Anyway, here is an excellent Q and A from Japan on whaling.

Perhaps later, I will hunt down some good whaling-related sea chanties on YouTube.

Thar She Blows!

I am all in favor of preserving over-taxed fisheries by establishing moratoria until the population recovers. A two year moratorium on Atlantic cod, with ample payouts to fishermen (here is your year's take. Spend the season fixing your boat, spending time with your family, etc.) would be a relatively inexpensive way to preserve a vital resource. Sure, some of us would grump about going a year without baccala, or would have to learn to salt ling cod or something, but we would survive.

For that reason, I am entirely in favor of the measures that have been incredibly successful in bringing back whale populations. However, now that the populations are back up, let's resume whaling. Now any objections are nothing more than crypto-pagan pap along the lines of "oh, these magnificent creatures." Bovines are magnificent creatures, and we should eat them (and torear them) with gusto.

Scrimshaw. Oil. Meat. These are useful animals. And I would eat whale in a second.

Fortunately there are other countries that agree with me. The United States has boycotted this meeting, which is a shame, because we have a noble tradition of whaling (just about the only noble thing to ever come from New England, for instance).

Eat Shamu Now!

Bread Crusts

This week my project is to use a bag of bread crusts (from Italian bread that was used to make crustless croutons). Obviously, they will be crumbed, but they will have a much different character than standard breadcrumbs.

Actually I wanted to just throw them away, but I got a shocked look when I proposed that. And, since they are from ACME bread, I kind of agree.

So, I am thinking of doing a baker's pasta (breadcrumbs, walnuts, olive oil, garlic, reggiano parmiggiana, parsley). That will be the food experimentation theme for the week. I hope I can keep it interestitng, since there are a lot of crusts here.

Also, I have gallons of lamb stock, which is second only to pork stock for being of less general usefulness than veal/beef/chicken/duck stock. However, this was made with already braised lamb shank bones, so it is not too lamby, rather it has a more general meaty taste, so it is not quite as difficult to handle.

Last night I took some leftover liquid and veggies from pot roast (with turnips, potatoes, and tomatoes), added ceci, a can of mixed beans, pepper, cayenne, pimenton ahumado, some of this lamb stock, and a reggiano parmiggiana rind and made a very pleasant minestrone (Melanie would have used less pepper, but she is like that. A minestrone should bite a little at the back of the throat). So that used up, well, a quart at the most.

So, any lamb stock ideas would be appreciated.

I will report on my experiments there, too, if they are worth further investigation.

Fishies

I mentioned that the fishing is great in Medicine Lake, no?

These trout are from that lake. I caught all but one of them:

Copyright 2006 by Melanie Keilholtz

I like fish. I like to fish. I like to cook fish. I like to eat fish.

Part of the fun thing about fish is where they live, especially when the places look like this:

Copyright 2006 by Erik Keilholtz

Or this:

Copyright 2006 by Erik Keilholtz

Both of those are pictures of the Sacramento River at the Anderson River Park in Anderson, near Redding.

Now, I like ocean fish, too, and have this problem of going to the aquarium. I see things like this:

Copyright 2006 by Erik Keilholtz

And I get hungry. Mmmmmm. Pack those babies in salt!

Of course you cannot have a peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich. I suppose perhaps some variety of jellyfish would be edible (I believe), but with peanut butter on toast? No. They sure are pretty, though:

Copyright 2006 by Erik Keilholtz

And that is your photo tour for today.

And what goes with f-f-f-fish, K-K-K-Ken?

Mormon Aspic

Google reliably delivered someone to the Rants and Recipes at the request of "mormon aspic." Now, I have my beefs with the strange theology and culture of the Deseret set, but nowhere have I ever advocated cooking them and setting them in aspic. Nowhere.

Forced exile, sure.

Now, for a recipe of aspic a la Brigham, I am guessing that Jell-O would suffice. They are a Jell-O-eatin' people, them Mormons. Once we were in the Salt Lake City Airport and found a Mormon Cookbook. Totally without irony. It was trying to show the healthful and wholesome ways of the Mormons, so it basically was a book of the worst manifestations of Anglo cooking, coupled to a love of the mass produced.

"My God," I thought, "we ought to build a wall around this state and just shoot anyone who tries to get out." It sounds harsh, but realize that they won't even give you a shot of Bourbon or an espresso to chase the nasty taste away with. That's worse than what they did at Mountain Meadows.

But still, setting them up in aspic is a bit much.

But, Wednesday is Traditionally Food Day in the Papers

Since Wednesday is the traditional day for newspapers to run their food sections, perhaps we will run food photos on Wednesdays.

First, Two Capons, Some Stuffing, and a Bottle of Wine!

Copyright 2007 by Erik Keilholtz

And, speaking of root vegetables:

Copyright 2007 by Erik Keilholtz

Now, let's spice it up a bit!

Copyright 2007 by Erik Keilholtz

Paella on the Grill

I went to the studio to take art pictures, and the camera's battery needed recharging. So, that will happen this afternoon, no big deal. I went to the pictures folder to see if I had any art photos, and didn't, but I did find this picture of a paella I made on a barbecue while camping last spring:

Image copyright 2006 by Erik Keilholtz

I always like paella, but there is something extra good about it when it is made outdoors over a fire. This one was with rabbit, sausages, clams, and mussels.