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Thursday, September 26, 2002
We've been thumbing our way through Mario Batali's latest cookbook, The Babbo Cookbook.
Makes us want to break out the pasta machine that has been aging, in a
box, in the garage, for, uhm, years. But there is one recipe in Mario's
book that we've been reincarnating in various guises. The goat cheese
truffle (pg 35), which too us, seems like it should have a California
provenance, after all, we (Mr. Puck) did invent goat cheese pizza...
These
things are so cool! So simple and so obvious. Take a pinch of goat
cheese, and roll it around in your palm until it is marble-shaped. Then
roll it in your favorite seasoning, making sure to cover it completely.
We've been using pimenton de la vera, the smoked paprika from Spain,
fennel pollen, and black pepper to make ours. They look great, on a
plate with cherry tomatoes, blending in like little hidden flavor
bombs. We even put them on a pizza at our good friend Ethel Brennan's
pizza party last weekend. They melted into nice gooey blobs of seasoned
cheese. Try slicing the truffles in half and spread them on a piece of
chewy ciabatta with some Palacios chorizo and a thick slice of still-warm-from-the-garden tomato. Beats a crummy deli sandwich any day.
The Babbo Cookbook is beautifully photographed, and the pasta dishes are especially mouthwatering. Goat Cheese Tortelloni with Dried Orange and Fennel Pollen (pg 121) - yum. Yes please! Duck Liver Ravioli (pg 118)?
There's a nice chewy bottle of St. Supery Meritage in the garage just
waiting for the opportunity. We do have a quibble or two.
Unfortunately, this book is not much different than most cookbooks
written by chefs. A basic recitation of restaurant recipes modified
somewhat for the home cook. What's missing, to compare it (somewhat
unfairly, because her writing talents are obvious) to Judy Rodgers Zuni
Cafe Cookbook, is some inspiration and insight into the food. Take
Mario's recipe for "Joe's Veal Chop with Chanterelles, Roasted Garlic and Campari (pg
238). Campari? Hmm. Sounds delicious. Campari? Hmm. Why? We've never
cooked with Campari, and it's not that common of an ingredient - is it?
(Give us a Negroni and we're perfectly happy to let someone else do the
cooking.) Here is the perfect opportunity for Mario to display the
inspiration and enthusiasm that is so endearing on his cooking shows.
Maybe something along the lines of: Throw a little Campari in the
pan, the red color is just drop-dead gorgeous, and smell that...mmmm...
the bitterness of the Campari... Instead, we get "I had never
had any use for them (veal chops) at my first restaurant because they
seemed so expensive. Now that I charge more than fifteen dollars for a
main course, they are a staple of the summer menu..." A little too
much braggadocio and not enough info. Guess the only way to find out
what this recipe tastes like, and why the Campari makes sense as an
ingredient, is to cook it ourselves. Good thing our kids just love
these little things!
Google Mario
Posted by Bruce Cole @ 09:06 PM PST [LINK]
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Friday, September 20, 2002
Yes, we endured more snide comments today, purchasing the latest issue of Vogue Magazine at the bookstore. We really must
get a subscription. "Sure, you are just buying it for the food
article...harrumph!" Yeah yeah. Whatever. Hey! That's Christy
Turlington on the cover, doing the "licorice" yoga pose! Kids, don't
try this at home!
When you have as much clout as Jeffrey
Steingarten, you get to write about whatever you damn-well-please. So
why not write about licorice? You know, chugga chugga choo
choo...good-n-plenty, good-n-plenty... It's a stretch, not the
licorice, but Cult Candy, which is the title of this month's article, about all things - licorice.
We
recently saw Kevin Costner's "Dances With Wolves". It was on cable,
something like five nights in a row. It's one of those movies we've
never seen end to end, only bits and pieces, here and there. Well, like
the Costner character in the movie, who acquires an Indian name after
prancing around with a wolf, we give the article Cult Candy, the Indian name of Lands With a Thud! Because, this article does just that. Thud!
We
are obviously a fan of Mr. Steingarten, but his latest little tome to
twists (sorry), just isn't the most interesting article on food we've
ever read. Now we happen to like licorice, or anything anise tasting
for that matter. Good & Plentys are always safe in the glove
compartment of the car. The kids hate them, no plundering here. They'll
gobble up the mints or gum, but those little pink and white ditties are
safe from their voracious vehicle foraging. And if we really want to
chase the kids away from the dinner table, for a brief moment of peace
and quiet, just a whiff of Sambuca will do the trick.
Apparently, "Good & Plenty is the oldest brand of candy in America, introduced in 1893." Thud!
We're struggling here. Stick it out though, we promise no more licorice literary twists...
And
guess what? Those red ropes and red twists aren't really licorice.
Nope. "It is a repulsive, red-dyed, gummy candy - usually mixed with
the weakest and most artificial form of raspberry, strawberry, or
cherry flavoring and shaped into one of the famous licorice shapes,
most often twists and whips." Good thing. Licorice purist that we are,
and we share Mr. Steingartens disgust, we would never grace our lips
with such garbage. Of all the nerve. Those candy manufacturers really
think they have us fooled, calling that stuff licorice! "I have yet to
figure out why the government allows manufacturers to apply the word licorice
to things that contain either no licorice at all...but I'm hot on the
trail." Mr. Steingarten, the licorice loving world sleeps soundly
tonite. Thud!
"Even in these days of crooked CEOs and
secret arrests, the one thing that most weakens my faith in my fellow
men and women is the lack of high-quality American licorice. Thud!
"Peasant populations dig up the roots..."Thud!
Ok. Sorry. We don't mean to be mean. We're not that twisted.
Thud!
Google licorice
Posted by Bruce Cole @ 02:39 PM PST [LINK]
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Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Cheap shots and bon mots (what ever those are), with apologies to Scott Ostler.
She's back!
Writing for what is arguably the best food section in United States, Nigella Lawson returns to the New York Times.
She
writes: "When good food writers die Ôø‡ to misquote Oscar Wilde Ôø‡ they go
to Italy. I, however, am taking no chances with what will be coming to
me in the afterlife and so have decided to spend as much time as
possible there while alive."
What starts out as a nice little travelogue on her vacation in Tuscany,
turns quickly sour upon digesting the accompanying recipes.
Spaghetti with clams?
Nigella spends the summer in Italy and we get a recipe for this? If we
want a recipe for a dish that has become as ubiquitous as pepperoni
pizza, we'll call the Olive Garden. Sheesh. It gets worse. Oven baked polenta. Lets see, cook polenta, pour in pan, bake, serve.
Personally, we're insulted.
Now
we are sure that a dish as simple as pasta with clams can be divine.
You've got your Tuscan villa, your local Italian pasta, a bag of fresh
briny clams, and some throaty Tuscan olive oil to top it all off. Life
is good. Have another glass of Chianti... But back here in the good ol'
USA, recreating that dish, no matter how simple it may be, is just
plain boring. Isn't it? No matter how loud you blast the soundtrack
from Big Night.
How about a little creativity, a bit of
insight, some imagination? Who's driving this bus anyways? Aren't
editors supposed to inspire, plead, and cudgel a bit of genius from
their writers? Nigella Lawson has a compelling voice and is a
fascinating personality. Unfortunately, that's all that is on display
here.
If you've been to Tuscany, and most likely to Florence,
you've probably bought one of those David (Michaelagelo's) postcards to
send to the folks back home. Guess that's what Nigella did. She
obviously just mailed this article in - literally...
Google Nigella Lawson
Posted by Bruce Cole @ 09:56 PM PST [LINK]
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Thursday, September 12, 2002
Not exactly our favorite place to dine, due to the attitude factor, but
never the less, Judy Rodgers of Zuni Cafe in San Francisco knows how to
cook. And, she makes a great cooking teacher. Watch any of her videos
currently on the NY Times web-site, and you'll find that they are
filled with techniques, and tips, the hows and whys of what she is
doing in the kitchen. No fluff here. Just serious, unpretentious, and
intelligent cooking.
Her new cookbook, The Zuni Cafe Cookbook has
just arrived in stores as well - how's that for timing? "A stroke of
good fortune brought Judy Rodgers to the doorstep of the Troisgros
Brothers' three-star restaurant in Roanne, France, when she was only a
high school student [couldn't we all be so lucky]...What had begun as a
high school exchange student sojourn veered swiftly away from academics
and toward la cuisine...Taste this. Do you like it? It is a
truffle. First of the year. But they'll get better...Jean had just
popped a whole truffle steamed over Sauternes in my mouth..."
We haven't cooked from it yet, but we are enjoying reading it. With a chapter titled: What to Think About Before You Start, & While You are Cooking, you know you are in for a good read.
Here are links to her recent columns for the NY Times:
07.31.02 Cosseted Lettuces and Pampered Greens
Recipe: Arugula With Tomatoes and Corn
Recipe: MÔø‡che Salad With Lemon Oil and Coriander
Recipe: Shell Bean and Chicory Salad
Video: Summery Salads
08.07.02 A Beef Gem in the Rough
Recipe: Roasted Fillet of Beef With Black Pepper
Video: Preparing a Beef Fillet
08.14.02 Every Blessed Crumb
Recipe: Warm Bread Salad
Video: Stale Bread for Recipes
08.28.02 A Kitchen Maverick Rethinks Soup
Recipe: Onion Soup With Tomato and Poached Eggs
Recipe: Shell Bean Soup With Sage Pesto
Video: Spinach Soup
09.04.02 Surprise Roles for Figs
Recipe: Braised Chicken With Figs
Video: Chicken With Figs
Google Judy Rodgers
Posted by Bruce Cole @ 09:02 PM PST [LINK]
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Friday, September 6, 2002
You heard it here first. Well, second, no, actually, third. First detailed by the Florence based food writer Faith Willinger back in June, and recently described in the LA Times, the latest craze sweeping the espresso world is the Shakerato. Meaning shaken
in Italian, it is a simple, unpretentious, and thirst-quenching drink,
complete with an everlasting head of foam. Ask your favorite barrista
for it by name, and they will probably look at you with the puzzlement
(and disgust) they reserve for customers who order drinks using
Starbucks lingo. Ok, so it is not exactly a craze yet. But when the
drink shows up while you are watching the the next episode of Sex in the City, you can turn to your spouse and smile, saying "I love those things...!" Obviously, we are referring to the drink here.
Pull
a nice long shot of espresso. Have a cocktail shaker at the ready, with
4 or 5 ice cubes inside. Dump the espresso into the shaker, cap, and
vigorously give it a whirl for about 15 seconds. Pour, preferably into
a martini glass. Purists drink them neat. Sugar for those who like them
sweet. For god's sake, no soy milk. Really...what were you thinking?
Google Shakerato
Posted by Bruce Cole @ 02:55 PM PST [LINK]
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