The Stinking Rose

Lovers of the fragrant, tangy, and just downright delicious bulb of earthly delights known as the stinking rose converged on Gilroy, California last weekend for the 30th annual Gilroy Garlic Festival. Up top there is a picture of a giant flaming garlic bulb standing in the midst of all of the garlic-loving mayhem. Before we get going here, let me just mention that it was hot there in the small town of Gilroy. And not like a "oh, it sure is nice to be outdoors" kind of hot, but a sweating in unfamiliar places kind of hot. Now, I am originally from the Valley, so heat like this I should be used to. But I have acclimated as a city boy, and my tolerance for the dusty valley heat has pretty well bottomed out.



In case you had any doubts, people will line up for anything if it's free. Make it a hot day with very little shade and offer people free ice cream, expect just a little bit of a line. And this, by the way, is no ordinary free ice cream, but free garlic ice cream.



Just steps away, you can walk right up and buy the stuff and in larger portions. But then it's not free there.



We opted for the less adventurous of the flavors and got the vanilla garlic ice cream. For the uninitiated, I realize that garlic and ice cream do not initially sound compatible. But have some faith, dear friends, in the mystic power of garlic. The garlic flavor infused into the sweet vanilla contrasts well but does not overwhelm. It is, certainly, not your typical flavor of ice cream, and honestly not one you would eat on any sort of regular basis. But if you never have, it is a must try, and on the rare occasion you come across it not a bad way to fight off the heat.

After perusing the arts and craft stalls and seeking occasional shelter in prime shady real estate, we sat in on a cooking demonstration by Devon Boisen, executive chef of Berkeley's Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto. Chef Boisen, a master of all things sea food, demonstrated the proper techniques for cleaning, boning, and skinning a salmon. Once he had quickly and deftly cut several perfectly sized salmon steaks, he walked the audience through a pretty simple recipe for poached salmon.



With a pan about half full of extra virgin olive oil, he warmed several cloves of garlic over a medium heat to infuse the oil with the garlic. Once the oil was infused, he submerged the salmon steaks in the oil, and let them cook over low heat. In the meantime, chef Boisen discussed how to make a simple gelatin-based infused sauce for the salmon, and the finer points of preparing fresh fish. This salmon recipe I might even try one day. Maybe.

But my biggest complaint about this here Garlic Festival? It seemed lacking in garlic stuff. I mean, apart from the main food vendors who sell a wide variety of garlicky foodstuff, it was more like a carnival than a food festival. I was just expecting, I dunno, more GARLIC. Christopher Ranch, the source of the garlic for the festival, was relegated to a small box at the edge of the grounds where they were selling a few of their fine wares. What's up with that? I guess I was expecting an all out free for all of people hurling cloves of garlic at each other like at the tomato festival in Spain. On second thought, that might not be such a great idea.

So, after a long day in the hot sun and valley dust, it was time to get moving along. But not before we stopped for the highlight of the Garlic Festival tour, the legendary garlic fries. Yes, you have had garlic fries before. But no, they were not this good. Gordon Biersch's got nothing on this.



It was a fun, albeit exhausting day. For those thinking about making next year your first visit, try to keep a few things in mind: First, you will wait in line, a lot. You will wait in line on the highway coming in to Gilroy. You will wait in line as you approach the parking lot, you will wait in line for the shuttle to take you to the main gate, and you will wait in line to get your tickets. You will even wait in line to get back onto the shuttle that will take you back to your car. You will wait in line for an ungodly amount of time. Advice? Buy your tickets online. If you're feeling frisky, get a hotel in Gilroy the night before, so you can wake up and go. Wear sunscreen and drink lots of water, and bring your appetite.

Enjoy!

Veggie Goodness

In the spirit of cooking with good, fresh local produce this summer, I picked up one of my favorite summer vegetables, okra, at the Rainbow Grocery Co-op in San Francisco. Rainbow has become my new favorite place to go grocery shopping. You will find an amazing produce section, an unparalleled selection of bulk goods including oils and nut butters, and all things fresh, healthy, and sustainable. What you will not find there, however, is meat. No bother; the plethora of goodies found at Rainbow easily make up for not having a meat counter. Really, Rainbow is probably the next best thing to a farmers market.

Anyway, back to the veggies. I don't cook with okra very often, although I'm not sure why. Okra is a strange vegetable, a cross somewhere between a pepper and a zucchini, with a tacky exterior and sticky paste that oozes out when cut open. One of these days I am going to have to find out what that goo is all about.

That sticky interior makes it perfect for clinging to other things, like breading, which is probably why it is so often found coated in corn meal and sizzling in several inches of oil. For this dish, I was going for something slightly less fattening than the southern classic fried okra. I think these veggies might just make it on our list of regular favorites in the Tiny Kitchen, and it reminded me of just how much I love okra. And tomatoes. Oh, and garlic and corn.

The recipe below is pretty adaptable; add, subtract or change for your tastes, or for what's in season. Remember, they're just vegetables.

Broiled Okra with Tomatoes, Corn and Garlic

Ingredients:
12 - 18 grape tomatoes
6 - 8 okra stalks, cleaned and cut into rounds
8 - 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
Kernels from 1 ear of corn
6 basil leaves, roughly chopped (for garnish)
Olive oil

Slice tomatoes in half and place halves and garlic cloves on a jelly roll pan. Drizzle in olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Broil about 5" from heat for 5 minutes. Toss corn and okra with about 1/2 tbs of oil, season with salt and pepper. Add to jelly roll pan, and return to oven. Broil for another 5 minutes, or until veggies start to brown. Sprinkle with basil, and serve.

Note: If grape tomatoes aren't your thing, use a regular tomato, halved, and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Or whole cherry tomatoes. Or add some red onion. Or whatever. What am I, your mother?



The pork chops were really just so we would have a meat to go with these yummy veggies. The greenish sauce on top is my feeble attempt at a light tomatillo salsa, and it could use some tweaking. But the chops, for what it's worth, went a little something like this:

Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
Pan sear the chops for a few minutes on either side, until both sides are browned. Put chops in a 375 deg oven with some olive oil and garlic cloves for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

My Rough Tomatillo Salsa:

12 tomatillos, halved
6 - 8 cloves of garlic
1 poblano pepper, chopped
A handful of cherry or grape tomatoes
The juice of one lime
A handful of basil leaves
1 tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Throw all ingredients into a food processor, pulse until it becomes a sauce.

So the sauce was good, very fresh tasting and light. But it was just a wee bit too spicy. Maybe not so much pepper next time. Maybe an onion. This is what makes cooking fun, right? But the veggies were the real point of the dinner, and they were perfect. The bright, fresh flavors really mixed well together, and the only real problem was that I didn't make enough for leftovers.

Enjoy!

Travels to the Pacific Northwest, Part 2: Portland

After a brilliant couple of days in the Emerald City, Mrs. Rosewater and I caught a choo-choo train (barely) to the outpost of fugitives and refugees, Portland. Portland is truly one of my favorite cities, if for no other reason than it is home to the The Temple: The greatest book store in the entire world, a site of holy pilgrimage for bibliophiles the world over, Powell's Books. The main location in downtown Portland houses four stories of books covering an entire city block of literature-worshiping goodness, with specialized satellite locations spread throughout the city. One of these locations, nestled in the hip Hawthorn District, specializes in Home and Garden and Cooking books. It is here that I stumbled upon a used first-edition copy of Jaques Pepin's "La Technique". (I know, you were starting to wonder what exactly this babble about me geeking out over a bookstore has to do with food. Maybe you thought you were on the wrong blog?)

Portland seems to be the land of a million brew pubs. Like Starbucks in San Francisco, there seems to be at least one in every neighborhood. Not that this is a bad thing, especially because they all seem to craft their own unique, outstanding brews. One of these, just outside Portland in Troutdale, is the Powerhouse Pub & Theatre at the Edgefield. Now, Edgefield has an interesting past: Originally built as a poor farm, it was converted into a nursing home / sanitarium in the 1960's, and only recently converted into a hotel with restaurants, a brew pub, and an outdoor theatre. After sampling the fare at the brew pub (I recommend the fish and chips), we walked the perfectly manicured grounds, checked out the 32-hole pitch and putt golf course, and even a unique sculpture of Grateful Dead legend, Jerry Garcia.



Edgefield was a pretty cool place, and on another trip it might just be worth a stay at the hotel or at least a place to catch a show. But our true culinary destination was not a place that serves beer, or even dinner.



Ever since we saw an episode of "No Reservations" with Anthony Bourdain in the Pacific Northwest, I have been itching to visit the rogue bakers at Voodoo Doughnut. These outcast pastry makers create such madness as the Triple Chocolate Penetration, a chocolate doughnut with chocolate frosting and cocoa-puffs, the Voodoo Doughnut, a voodoo-doll shaped doughnut, complete with spike through the heart, and what is quite possibly the most addicting pastry in the universe, the Bacon Maple Bar. Yes, you read that right.



I won't say this doughnut changed my life, but... no, it actually changed my life. There are insufficient words to describe what this doughnut tastes like. You must try this doughnut at least once in your life. It was just so good that I needed, not just wanted, another one. Once you get the taste, you will never be the same. Ever.



Pictured with my new favorite food group are other Voodoo Doughnut creations such as the banana fritter with peanut butter and Chocolate, a cream-filled with chocolate frosting, and a crushed Oreo cookie doughnut.

Never underestimate the power of bacon.

Thanks to Mark, Kelli, and Mason for showing us such wonderful hospitality and a fantastic time in Portland. We can't wait to come back!

Travels to the Pacific Northwest, Part 1: Seattle

Over the Fourth of July holiday week, the Missus and I hopped a flight and headed into the grey and rainy Pacific Northwest. After getting on the plane, waiting, de-planing while mechanics made repairs, a fair amount of swearing, and finally a later flight out, we landed in beautiful, rain-free Seattle only four hours after we were originally supposed to arrive.

With only a few hours to enjoy the city on our first day, we checked into our hotel and headed down to check out the University District. With its 24 hour copy centers, multi-cultural hole in the wall restaurants, and trendy vintage shops, the University District reminded me of Berkeley's Telegraph Avenue. We walked for a while, enjoying the warm sun exploring a new city and looking for a good place to eat. We settled on Big Time Brewery & Alehouse, a cool little place with great beer and pub fare that includes some tasty thin crust pizzas. With a few slices of Margherita Pizza and a couple of pints of Organic Pale Ale safely in my belly, it was time to grab a cup of coffee and walk off dinner.

Note: The neighboring restaurant to Big Time was one of those Pan-Asian dives that pastes a color picture of each item on their menu to the front window called "Tasty Things". While the restaurant and the food looked dubious at best, the main figure in the restaurant's logo, was... wait for it... A DOLPHIN. Yes, a restaurant serving seafood felt the need to associate their menu with our favorite mammal of the sea. You can't make this kind of stuff up.



Day Two
It's time to hit the market. We met up with the folks from Savor Seattle for our tour around Pike Place Market with a group of about six people. With our cameras out and "Tourist" badges in plain view, we set out for a delicious and informative insiders look at a few of the favorite market stalls. Along with our infectiously cheerful tour guide Angela, we toured and tasted some of the best Pike Place has to offer, including Market Spice, Beechers Handmade Cheese, Daily Dozen Doughnut, and Piroshky, Piroshky.



We of course paid a visit to the raucous, fish-throwing gentlemen of the infamous Pike Place Fish Market.



The one throwing the fish there is called Bear. He took quite a shining to one of the ladies in our tour group. It got a little awkward.

You can call us tourists all you want, but the tour of the market was great. We never would have gotten to see and taste the things we did without Angela and Savor Seattle. It was a beautiful, sunny day spent exploring Seattle.



Day Three
Our last day in Seattle, and it's raining. Ok, I realize we are in the Pacific Northwest, but it was still kind of a bummer. Anyhow, one of the things we had to do before leaving Seattle was pay a visit to Salumi, a popular deli and Salumeria run by the loving parents of celebrity chef Mario Batali. Believe me when I tell you that this tiny shop doesn't ride the coattails of their famous son; their hand-crafted salumis stand on their own as some of the best food Seattle has to offer in probably the city's coolest neighborhood, Pioneer Square.



As a testament to Salumi's popularity, the line stretching out the door and down the block never seemed to get shorter, even a couple of hours after lunch. We barely made it in the door before they closed for the day, and with only 10 minutes to spare before our train left for Portland. With our delicious cured meat and cheese sandwiches in hand, we scrambled down to the Amtrak station just in time to catch our train.



Time to eat? I couldn't agree more. Seattle was an amazing city, but now it's off to Portland to visit friends, play some frisbee golf, and eat the greatest doughnut ever.

Baked Pear with Bleu Cheese and Bacon

In a rare moment of inspiration after watching an episode of Jacques Pepin on a lazy Saturday morning, I concocted these little treats and have been waiting to try them for a few weeks. Truthfully, I really wasn't sure if they would be any good. With so many strong flavors fighting for your attention, it may just be too much. But I had to try, if for no other reason than it gave me a reason to buy really good bleu cheese.

My first attempt at making these was not a complete failure, but it was pretty close. First, I did not cook them long enough. Second, I used the broiler instead of the oven, so they didn't cook from the right side. On the second attempt, I think I got it right, or I am at least getting closer. I am still not sure how to classify these. If they were to appear on the menu at a popular five-star restaurant, would you find them with the appetizers? Or with the desserts? I guess I will let you decide. I hope you try them, add your own flavors to the recipe, and have fun. I did. Here we go.

Baked Pear with Bleu Cheese and Bacon

Ingredients:
1 ripe pear, (be sure it's not too over ripe or squishy)
3 pieces of good quality bacon
4 - 5 Tablespoons of high quality crumbly bleu cheese
3 - 4 Tablespoons brown sugar

Fry the bacon, set aside to drain and cool. Once the bacon is cool, chop and crumble it into tiny bits. It's ok, go ahead and taste a few pieces. You deserve it.

Spoon the brown sugar into two brulee ramekins, spreading just enough to cover the bottoms. Peal the pears, and slice off the first 1/2 inch of the top and bottom. Halve the pear, and using a paring knife and small spoon, cut out the inner stem and seeds. Use the spoon to carve out the hole made by removing the seeds a little bit.

Place the pear halves in the ramekins, one in each. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and place into a 375 degree oven. Bake the pears for about 10 - 15 minutes, depending on softness of the pear. Once the brown sugar begins to liquefy and bubble, remove the pears from the oven.

Crumble the bleu cheese into the hole and trough left by the seeds and stem. Once again, go ahead and take a little taste of the cheese for yourself. I know. You're hungry.

Put the pears back into the oven for another 10 - 15 minutes. Check on them after the 10 minute mark. The brown sugar should continue to liquefy and the pears should soften. You will know they are done when the pears feel soft and forgiving when you squeeze them.

Once out of the oven, sprinkle the bacon crumbles over the top of the pears and bubbly brown sugar. Serve just out of the oven, while the brown sugar is still liquidy. Yes. Liquidy.



The flavors in this relatively simple dish are robust, but manage to mingle well. The sweet pear and brown sugar mix nicely with the tangy bleu cheese and salty bacon. It may not be something you make everyday, but I promise if you give a try, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy.

Dinner in the Raw

In the spirit of healthy living, occasionally the missus and I try something on the greener side of the buffet table. Specifically, we prepare something created by the Raw movement, where everything you eat, and I do mean everything, is well, raw.

Many people might think this way of preparing and enjoying food is missing something; for instance heat and cooked flesh. But the folks who ascribe to this movement may actually be on to something. Food, in its raw, uncooked form, is the best way to get the most nutrition out of each bite. This of course means no meat, but some of the more crafty raw foodies out there have worked their way around that little hiccup.

It should be said that any raw recipe, including the one that follows, is missing one very commonly accepted step: cooking. Many of the simpler recipes, those that don't require 24 hours in a dehydrator, require only chopping, slicing, stirring, and maybe a few seconds in the high-speed blender. The following recipe is a pretty basic raw recipe that should impress even the pickiest omnivore you know.

Zucchini Pasta Alfredo

For the pasta, first you are going to need one of these:






This handy little tool is a spiral slicer. Take 4 to 6 large zucchini, peel, cut off the ends, then spin them individually in the slicer, turning them into beautiful little curly ribbons of squash. Like so:





You might want to cut them down into manageable strips for easier consumption. For the sauce, you will need:

A high speed blender
3/4 cup coconut water
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup raw pine nuts or cashews
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix all ingredients (except the zucchini) in the high speed blender until smooth and creamy. Mix the sauce with the zucchini in a bowl, and serve.







Recipe note: The texture of the zucchini noodles improves if they are left to sit at room temperature for 6 hours or so. These can also be prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator.


Editors note: In order to get the coconut water necessary for this sauce recipe, you might have to get creative. Buy a fresh coconut, carve off most of the outer skin, and see how far you get trying to crack it with a kitchen knife. Really, give it a shot. Eventually, you will realize the tools you need are not in the kitchen. And then you will hammer an 8" Phillips-head screwdiver into the stubborn coconut.



Thanks to Matt Amsden and his "Rawvolution" cookbook for the sauce recipe. The book has some great ideas for raw beginners, and for those of us who just have had one too many hamburgers.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Nectarine Pie Anyone?

When I was growing up, my father was always making pies. Apple, coconut cream, and his speciality, pecan. In our little town in Central California, his pies have become something of a legend and a staple on the wish lists of many in the community. My dad learned everything he knows about making pies from his mother, a true southern lady who's pie crust ingredients read something like "a few cups of flower, about half as much shortening as butter, and some ice water. Too thin? Add flower. Too sticky? Add water." Anyway, something like that.

I have always been impressed with my dad's pie making ability, along with the simplicity of the recipe handed down through my family. So when I first decided to confront the challenge of making a pie myself, I was pretty sure I was going to screw it up horribly. And, believe it or not, I did. It was an unmitigated disaster.

Because of the challenges faced with having a kitchen the size of a public bathroom stall, it is difficult to find enough room to roll out a properly sized pie crust. Well, my first attempt was an easy apple pie, recipe consisting of two pie crusts (top and bottom) and the baked apple filling. As I attempted this seemingly simple task, I think I may have broken several state laws with the amount of vulgar obscenities that came tumbling out of my kitchen. I barely got the bottom crust into the dish and most of the top crust ended up on the floor because the damn thing kept sticking to the "non-stick" mat. So we had a single crust apple pie. Whatever.

So now, for my second attempt, I was smarter. I remembered the horrors of my first attempt and learned from them. I adapted and overcame. For anyone else suffering from the same tiny kitchen syndrome as we are, here are a few tips to help you get through the pie making process. First, put EVERYTHING in the freezer. The butter, the shortening, the water, and especially the mat or pastry board you will be rolling your dough on. The colder, the better. You might even want to freeze your rolling pin. Second, to get the crust off of the mat and into the dish, roll it gently onto your rolling pin, pick it up, and lay it gingerly into the dish. I do not reccomend trying to pick it up with just your hands. So, after finding a recipe, the Missus and I went down to the farmers market to buy some fresh fruit, and away we went.

Blueberry Nectarine Pie

Flaky Pie Dough (These measurements make 4 individual pie crusts. Cut the amounts in half to make enough for one pie.)

5 1/4 cups pastry or all purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups solid vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup ice water

With a pastry blender, cut chilled butter into the flour and salt until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Cut in the chilled shortening until it forms curds.

Add the ice water gradually and toss to blend. (Your hands work great for this.)

When the dough is sufficiently moist, pinch it - it will stick together

Lightly gather the dough into a round and chill before rolling.

After the dough has chilled for an hour, cut the ball into equal halves. Chill one half, and roll the second into a round about 10" in diameter and 1/8" thin. When you lay it into the pie dish, it should come up the sides and hang over the edge. Trim the excess, and chill for 1/2 hour.



The Filling
3 cups fresh blueberries, washed
2 cups sliced nectarines
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
large pinch of lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

While your dough is chilling before you roll it out, start your filling. Put half of the fruit in a medium saucepan, keeping the remaining fruit close at hand. Add the sugar, flour, and lemon zest and stir to mix. Bring the mixture to a soft boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. The fruits will release their juices and the liquid will thicken. Turn the mixture into a bowl and stir in the uncooked fruit. Cool the filling to room temperature. Taste, and add lemon juice as needed.




Spoon the cooled filling into the pie shell and dot the tip with butter.

Roll out your second ball of dough. Transfer it to the top of the pie, aligning the edges of the top crust with the bottom crust. Trim any ragged edges.

Fold both layers of overhanging dough under to create a thick edge around the rim of the pan. Crimp the edges by pushing the thumb of one hand against the thumb and index finger of your other hand, creating scallops every 1 - 2 inches around the rim. Using a sharp paring knife, cut 4 - 6 slits in the top of the crust, brush egg wash over the top, and chill for 20 minutes.

Placing the pie on a jelly roll pan in the center of the oven, bake at 375 for about 40 - 50 minutes. Let the pie cool for 30 minutes before serving.



Ok, so I didn't get the nice scalloped edges like the recipe suggests. Other than that, the pie was a success. It even had a top crust! The tart blueberries and sweet nectarines are a great combination, and the crust was tender and flaky.

Deep thanks are owed to the amazing chefs who contributed to the cookbook, "Baking With Julia", especially Leslie Mackie who wrote the recipe for this pie. And, of course my beautiful wife for taking these mouth watering pictures.

Enjoy!

Steamy Cups

Some recipes are worth repeating. Some recipes are just so good that you gobble up the left overs for the next days lunch and dinner. And some recipes are just plain fun. This recipe, thanks to Jaden of Jaden's Steamy Kitchen, is all of the above.

Remember those great spicy chicken lettuce cups you get at P.F. Changs? They don't come much better than that, but I think Jaden and her recipe have managed one up on Mr. Chang. So I will try to do Ms. Jaden justice here in my tiny kitchen, and try not to mess it up too badly.

ASIAN LETTUCE CUPS WITH TURKEY AND GREEN APPLE

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 cups frozen carrot/pea mix OR red/yellow bell peppers, finely diced
2 stalks, scallions
1/2 tart green apple, finely diced

Toppings, Wrap
2 bunches of Mung Bean noodles
2 medium carrots; use a vegetable peeler or a spiral slicer to cut them into tiny slivers
1 head of Boston Bibb or Butter lettuce, leaves washed and separated



The Sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp hot sauce

Instructions
Fry noodle - wok or a pot (something not too wide at its base. the smaller the base width, the less oil you will need to use). Fill with about 2" of oil. While oil is heating to 375F, use your hands to separate the strands of the mung bean noodle into small clumps. When oil hot, fry one batch at a time. It should only take 10 seconds to fry. Remove, drain paper towels.

Heat wok on high heat with cooking oil. When oil is hot, add scallions, ginger and garlic and fry a few seconds until fragrant. Add chicken and fry until 80% cooked through. Add vegetables and cook 1 minute. Add sauce ingredients. Let simmer for 1 minute to thicken slightly. Add apples. Toss to coat. Immediately remove from heat. You don’t want to "cook" the apples - keep them nice and crunchy. Serve with hot sauce sauce, lettuce cups, fried noodles.

Serve in lettuce cups with fried noodles and carrot slivers.

Thanks once again to Jaden and her great recipe. Take a look at her blog to see what a foodie blog is supposed to look like, and keep an eye out for her new cookbook due in bookstores sometime soon.