when life gives you oranges...

when life gives you tons and tons of extra oranges and you just cant possibly drink another glass of oj, give the gift of orange whisky marmalade. as canning has become a new part of our kitchen activities, the desire to try newer and newer foods to can every week increases. we made this tasty marmalade after the desire to have a new excuse to eat more bread. I know we all try to eat less and less carbs, but lets be honest, if you have a surplus of amazing whisky orange flavored marmalade to spread around, bread "must" be in your house. we really love this marmalade because of the natural pectin from the seeds, no added pectin! we like to put it in small canning jars to ensure that we can spread this batch around to friends and have enough to last throughout the year. we hope you enjoy!

whisky orange marmalade

2 lbs valencia oranges
2 lemons
3 tbs whisky
18 oz sugar (for every 2 cups of fruit pulp)
cut fruit in half and juice. remove seeds and place in a cheese cloth and tie with a string. cut fruit into quarters and lay skin side down. using a knife, remove remaining flesh and pith from the rind and throw away. thinly slice the rest of the rind and place is a stainless steel bowl with the juice and the seeds in the cheese cloth. add about 7 cups of water. cover and refrigerate overnight.
place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours or until the rinds are soft. remove seed bag and let cool a bit and using tongs, squeeze over saucepan to extract pectin. measure the amount of fruit and add the correct amount of sugar as stated in recipe ingredients above. add whisky and return to a boil. simmer for another 35-40 mins. until starting to set.
place a spoon in the freezer for testing setting stage. to test, place 2 tbs. of marmalade on cold spoon and return to freezer for 2 mins.. remove and gently move finger through the middle of the set marmalade. if it stays in two separate halves, its done. start your general canning process.

gin & ginger

a few weeks ago before going to see this wonderful author & chef speak in santa barbara (which was great!), we spent a little time in the kitchen creating a new cocktail with our friend jen. she dubbed our refreshing discovery the giny gin gin and you'll see why once you take a look at the simple list of ingredients. i'd love to be snobby and tell you to make this cocktail with a fancy spicy ginger beer or ginger brew but we've tried it both ways and good old Vernors ginger ale is best. does anyone recognize where we collected these great orange stir sticks from? i'll give you a hint - sand on our feet, salt water on our skin and many many mai tais.

The Giny Gin Gin

1.5 oz top shelf gin, such as Hendricks

1 oz domaine de canton ginger liquer

4 oz ginger ale

juice of 1/2 lime

pour all ingredients over ice in a highball glass and mix well. garnish with additional lime wedge if desired.

simple pleasures

a bowl of granola for breakfast is one of life's simple pleasures. it's one of those things that seems to cost way too much at the market and then you remember just how easy it is to make at home. making it also allows you to clean out your pantry of the various fruit and nut bags that are slowly taking over. as with many of our recipes, feel free to use a combination of whatever you have on hand or whatever flavors you like best. but don't leave out the pepitas! they are roasted & salted pumpkin seeds and are a beautiful green color - they add a delicious sweet & salty element to this granola. whether you like a big bowl filled with milk or a little granola with yogurt and honey, we hope you enjoy some soon.

Granola with Pepitas & Dried Fruit

1 cup whole raw almonds

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/4 cups salted & roasted pepitas

1 cup dried figs, chopped

1/2 cup dried blueberries

1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries

preheat oven to 375 degrees F. roast almonds on a sheet pan for 10-12 minutes or until fragrant and lightly colored. let cool, coarsely chop and set aside. reduce oven to 300 degrees F. on a sheet pan, toss oats with honey and oil and spread into a thin layer. bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring halfway during baking. let cool slightly. in a large bowl, combine chopped almonds, toasted oats and remaining ingredients. store at room temperature in an airtight container.

bacon

everything really is better with bacon. remember that extra pork belly we mentioned last week? well, it magically became bacon after seven days of resting in the refrigerator, covered in a combination of salt, sugar and aromatic spices. besides sending friends home with slabs of cured pork belly, we had lots of bacon for breakfast with eggs, cooked up beautiful lardons to go in all our salads and made plenty of simple sandwiches like the blt pictured. we really needed one of these! making bacon was an easy and fun process i highly recommend trying at least once in your lifetime. enjoy!

Home-Cured Bacon

2 1/2 lbs skin-on pork belly

3 tbs kosher salt

2 tbs peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tbs sugar

1 1/2 tbs brown sugar

1/2 tbs garlic salt

1 tsp ground espresso

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground allspice

trim pork belly to square off edges so you have a nicely shaped slab. rinse the pork, pat it dry and transfer to a large sheet of parchment paper. in a spice grinder, combine salt, peppercorns and bay leaves and grind. in a small bowl, combine with remaining ingredients. rub seasoning all over pork. transfer to a gallon plastic bag and seal. refrigerate on a sheet tray for 7 days, flipping the bag every other day. some brine will accumulate in the bag. after 7 days, the bacon should feel firm to the touch. remove bacon from the bag and wash thoroughly under cold water. pat dry with paper towels. preheat oven to 200 degrees F. roast bacon on a sheet pan until meat is lightly browned and internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F, about 2 hours. transfer to a cutting board and cool. slice off the skin. once completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 10 days or freeze for up to 3 months. thinly slice with a long sharp knife or cut into lardons to fry.

restaurant week- friday

as our version of restaurant week rolls to an end, i sit here sipping on a yummy treat that gets your day running.  if you have ever found yourself wondering through the amazing hayes valley in san fran, you might have stumbled upon linden street where a little kiosk is parked in a garage.  this san fran spot, blue bottle coffee, has some of the most lip licking coffee and espresso drinks you will ever sip on.  on a hot day a couple years ago, I came upon this new orleans iced coffee.  it is a strong, sweet, wonderful libation.  the mix of coffee and chicory make for a tasty sipper.  blue bottle has now opened a wonderful cafe right in downtown sf where they have lots of tasty food as well.  you can shop online and order this coffee kit, as well as many of their great other blends.  the new orleans iced coffee kit comes with a pound of beans and a serving of french chicory along with the recipe for making it.  i cant tell you how highly i recommend this steeped treat.  

restaurant week- thursday

when i worked on this cookbook back in my days as a photo assistant, i knew when this cookbook hit stores it would be an instant classic.  although trattoria grappolo is not a household name, it is one of the california central coast wine country's must eats.  from the amazing fresh baked focaccia to the pizza con salame toscano, head chef leonardo curti has made simple traditional italian cuisine that will knock your socks off.  our favorite, and something we've had many times, is their calamari alla positano.  this calamari stuffed with smoked mozzarella and prosciutto leaves me wanting more and more.  next time you are out wine tasting in the central coast or staying in santa barbara, be sure to stop by this place, you will not be disappointed.  

Calamari alla Positano

(from Trattoria Grappolo)

1 lb. fresh calamari tubes w/ tentacles

1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella cheese

2 tbs grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp dry oregano

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbs chopped italian parsley

2 slices prosciutto

olive oil

wash and clean calamari, and separate tubes from the tentacles; set aside in a colander to drain.  in a blender or cuisinart, pulse mozzarella, parmesan, oregano, garlic, parsley and prosciutto until combined.  place the mixture into a piping bag and then fill the calamari tubes.  with a toothpick, attach the tentacles to the bottom of the tube hole and close the opening.  lightly brush the calamari with olive oil.  bring a non stick pan to high heat and add the calamari.  cook each side for approximately 2 minutes.

restaurant week- wednesday

thomas keller is a genius and bouchon bakery is one of those places we can't get enough of. if you're a regular reader, you know we have eaten at bouchon and bouchon bakery in las vegas and napa valley many many times - sometimes more than once in a singele day! rumor has it a bakery is coming to los angeles and we are anxiously awaiting it's arrival. it's hard to pick just one favorite item from a place like this so we decided on the bakery's signature chocolate bite. these small brownie cakes are baked in a mold to resemble the shape of a cork, "bouchon" in french. you can purchase the mold at williams-sonoma and they even sell a mix but why not make the recipe from scratch which is written in the bouchon cookbook. it's a beautiful book filled with inspiring photos and wonderful recipes for traditional french bistro fare. enjoy!

Chocolate Bouchons

(from Bouchon by Thomas Keller)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tbs sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

24 tbs unsalted butter, melted and slightly warm

6 oz semisweet chocolate, such as Valrhona 55%, chopped

confectioners' sugar for dusting

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into a bowl. in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the eggs and sugar on medium speed for 3-5 minutes or until thick and pale. mix in the vanilla. on low speed, add 1/3 dry ingredients, then 1/3 butter and continue alternating with the remaining flour and butter. add the chocolate and mix to combine.

put the mold on a baking sheet. fill each mold about 2/3 full. bake 25 minutes or until the tops look set like a brownie and a cake tester comes out clean. transfer to a cooling rack. after a few minutes, invert and let the bouchons cool upside down in the molds, then lift the mold off. dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with ice cream is desired.

restaurant week- tuesday

so, our tuesday post of our favorite restaurant recipe week, just happens to be un-fittingly called "monday meatballs."  these lovely treats come from one of the most amazing places in the world, A16.  this san francisco staple is a chestnut street treat, serving southern italian food, named from the italian motorway that runs from naples to canosa.  when we were lucky enough to eat here, we were floored by the house-cured salumi and some of their amazing pizzas. although this cookbook has many unreal recipes, we chose the monday meatballs, one of our all time favorites.  we recommend grinding the meat yourself if you can, and eat them fresh out of the oven.  if there is any book to pick up this year, this might be the one.  

Monday Meatballs

(from A16)

10 oz. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes and ground in a meat grinder or food processor

10 oz. beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes and ground in a meat grinder or food processor

6 oz. day-old country bread, torn into chunks and ground in a food processor

2 oz. pork fat, cut into 1 inch cubes and ground in a meat grinder or chilled in a freezer for 15 mins. and chopped in a food processor

2 oz. prosciutto, cut into 1 inch cubes and ground through a meat grinder or chopped in a food processor

1 cup loosely packed fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

1 tbs plus 2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp dried chile flakes

2/3 cup fresh ricotta, drained if necessary

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup whole milk

1 (280z.) can san marzano tomatoes with juices

handful of fresh basil leaves

block of grana for grating

extra virgin olive oil for finishing

preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  coat 2 rimmed baking sheets with olive oil.

in a large bowl, combine the pork, beef, bread, pork fat, prosciutto, parsley, 1 tbs of salt, oregano, fennel seeds, and chile flakes and mix with your hands just until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. set aside.

in a separate bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, and milk just enough to break up any large curds of ricotta.  add the ricotta mixture to the ground meat mixture and mix lightly with your hands just until incorporated.  the mixture should feel wet and tacky.  pinch off a small nugget of the mixture, flatten into a disk, and cook it in a small saute pan.  taste it, and adjust the seasoning of the mixture of salt if needed. form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls each weighing about 2oz., and place on the prepared baking sheets.  you should have about 30 meatballs.

bake, rotating the sheets once from front to bake, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned.  remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.  

sprinkle the tomatoes with the remaining 2 tsp salt, and then pass the tomatoes and their juices through a food mill fitted with a medium plate.  alternatively, put the entire can of tomatoes in a large bowl, don an apron, and squeeze the tomatoes into small pieces with your hands.

pack the meatballs into 1 large roasting pan or 2 small roasting pans.  pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs, cover tightly with foil, and braise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the meatballs are tender and have absorbed some of the tomato sauce.

pull the pans out of the oven and uncover.  distribute the basil leaves throughout the sauce.

for each serving, ladle meatballs with some of the sauce into a warmed bowl.  grate grana over the top, drizzle with olive oil to finish, and serve immediately.

restaurant week

we decided to make this first week of march our version of restaurant week! for our posts this week, we're going to feature recipes from some of our favorite places - places that inspire us, delight us and have a particular dish that we just can't get enough of. 

we were lucky enough to hear about momofuku noodle bar about a year before david chang was in every food magazine imaginable and now we make sure to get a few amazing pork buns every time we visit manhattan. gourmet magazine published the recipe for these amazing sandwiches in october 2007 and we finally got around to trying them at home this past week.  we recently received 8 pounds of pork belly from a friend (don't you wish all friends came with pork belly?!) and in addition to the bacon currently brining in the fridge, we knew we had to try the recipe. another great memory from that first visit to the crowded restaurant in the east village was discovering hitachino white ale. it's from the kiuchi brewery in japan and is a Belgian style white ale with plenty of orange peel and spices, plus the logo on the bottle and cap is the cutest little orange owl you've ever seen! unfortunately, the noodle bar no longer serves this fantastic beer but you can find it at specialty liquor stores and markets with amazing imported beer selections across the country. it is definitely worth seeking out and a great pair to the steamed pork belly buns. the recipe is a bit long with many steps but the end result is SO worth it - they taste exactly like the little pieces of heaven that put momofuku and all it's glory on the culinary map. get the recipe here, find some hitachino (or order it here) and have a pork bun party as soon as possible!

cajun kitchen

before mardi gras completely passes us by, we wanted to post a dish that makes us feel like we are in that deep south.  this version of our jambalaya is one we just put together.  with a little research and a lot of tasting, we came up with what we think is a pretty good one.  we loaded this guy with all sorts of goodness, and included ham even though we thought about omitting it.  but we discovered here that the name jambalaya derives from the french "jambon" meaning, you guessed it, "ham," which is the one of the main ingredients in many of the first jambalayas.  our not so secret heat source was from the famous crystal hot sauce from louisiana.  in my mind, the dish is really built around this sauce, but we'll let you be the judge.  if you have a favorite hot sauce let us know about it!

Jambalaya

2 tbs olive oil

2 small onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs tomato paste

2 cups long grain rice

1 tsp creole seasoning

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

2 1/4 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

2 tbs crystal hot sauce, or more to taste

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped

2 cups diced cooked andouille sausage

2 cups diced cooked ham

2 cups frozen langoustine tail meat or medium tail-off shrimp

1 bunch green onion, sliced - optional garnish

in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat oil over medium high heat and sweat onion, celery and pepper until softened, about 10 minutes. add garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute. stir in rice and cook 3 minutes until rice is fragrant and coated. add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. let sit covered 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. garnish with sliced green onion & more hot sauce.