Eight Great Restaurants and Food Artisans Feed the Soul: Slow Food in Southwest Germany

In tranquility lies good flavor.

Love, time, and wonderful ingredients are the heart of Southwest Germany’s Soul Food and Slow Food–a movement defined by local chefs creating traditional regional specialties It’s a way to honor the past as well as transport us from our hectic daily lives and into the sublime with meals made to be savored, slowly, of course.

Artisan Unpasteurized Cheese: Langenburg Sheep’s Cheese

Deutschland Baden Wuerttemberg Langenburg Hohenlohe – Langenburger Schafskaeserei Demeterhof von Norbert Fischer Slow Food Schafskaese

Norbert Fischer’s Demeter-Hof, nestled between meadows and fields in the Hohenlohe-Langenburg region, began in the early 1980s as a small, self-sufficient farm with a couple of sheep and now has grown into a substantial operation with a huge barn, a cheese dairy, farm shop and home. Everything is made from wood and glass accented with colorful flowering plants on the roof tops. Over 250 sheep live here under the care of Fischer, their shepherd. He uses their milk to hand produce fine sheep’s milk cheeses ranging from tangy Pecorino, to mouth-watering Camembert, and strong “Roque blue” cheese. Other products include organic ice cream and meat, sheepskins and the farm’s own picture book.

Lemon Ricotta Cake

  • 3.2 cups (400 grams) flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking soda
  • 1 3/8 (340 grams butter), melted
  • 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar
  • 2 eggs

> Knead everything and spread the dough on a baking tray

Bake for 15 minutes at 170 degrees

  • 3.3 cups (800g) ricotta
  • 6.76 fluid ounces (200ml) cream
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tbsp grated lemon zest
  • 6.76  fluid ounces (200ml) lemon juice

Mix everything and pour over the dough

Bake for 30 minutes at  325°F.

Put in the fridge and before serving, sprinkle with fresh mint.

schafkaese.com

Deutschland Baden Wuerttemberg Langenburg Hohenlohe – Langenburger Schafskaeserei Demeterhof von Norbert Fischer Slow Food Schafskaese

Fragrant bubbly: Blütenzauber Manufaktur in Bächlingen

The Jagst is one of the Neckar River’s largest tributaries. It winds its way from the Eastern Alb, over the Hohenloher and Haller Plain into the Heilbronn district. On the way, it meanders through the little village of Bächlingen. This is where Bernulf Schlauch lives, the Slow Food regional coordinator for Hohenlohe and inventor of blossom champagne. He uses a laborious process to produce sparkling wines from elder, acacia, rose blossom, and meadowsweet – deliberately taking things slowly.

“These sparkling wines need time for their flavors to unfold”, says Schlauch. For him, Slow Food does not just mean allowing time for the products themselves, but also taking time for guests and delicious food.

holunderzauber.de

Love of the Loaf: Eselsmühle Mill in Musberg

Eight donkeys, a shop, the Mühlenstube restaurant, a garden bistro, and a wood oven where the Demeter bread is baked. Sounds like the good old days and real proper bread, luckily at the Eselsmühle this is all on offer right now. The mill’s history goes back over 600 years, when the local millers supplied surrounding villages with food.

In 1937, the mill was acquired by the Gmelin family, who are still working passionately to preserve it and have created a genuine feel-good location in the extensive grounds surrounding the site, a place where everyday stress is banished. All the products here are certified organic and most come from this beautiful bucolic region.

eselsmuehle.com

Organic Fine Dining Pioneer: “1950” in Hayingen

Located in the heart of the Swabian Alb biosphere is the world’s first Demeter & Bioland fine dining restaurant. The “1950” is a new addition to the Tress family’s gastronomic offerings and honours the legacy of Grandfather Johannes, with the name marking the year he laid the foundation for the sustainable company philosophy that is still upheld today. The key feature: for every course on the vegetarian “CO2 menu” served here, guests also get comprehensive information about the ingredients. From CO2 emissions, to the distance involved between the producer and restaurant. To avoid producing waste in the kitchen, Simon Tress and his team strictly follow the principles of “leaf to root” and “nose to tail”.

tress-gastronomie.de

Holistic Gamekeeping: Schussental Game Products in Fronreute

“Once upon a time, there were three hunters …” – it sounds like the start of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, but in fact this is how the success story began for the Schussentaler Wildmanufaktur game company in Fronreute near Ravensburg. Their mission: to convince the residents of Upper Swabia to eat game. Game lives in a natural habitat, it is sustainable and largely free from harmful influences, offering the finest quality meat with a favourable environmental impact. Nonetheless, many people have reservations about the taste and are unsure how to cook it. The Wildmanufaktur hunters are doing their bit to restore its image by selling local, freshly hunted game that is ready to cook as a roast or goulash, grilled sausage or meat loaf.

schussentaler-wildmanufaktur.de

Copper pan cherries: Faller jams from Utzenfeld

Whether it’s black cherries from Baden, forest blueberries or Bühler damsons: ever since the company was founded in 1913, Faller jams have been cooked in small quantities using traditional, open copper pans and stirred by hand to preserve the natural, original taste of the fruit for the finest possible results. Short transportation distances also contribute to the quality of these jams.

Following this tradition, Faller continues to source large quantities of fruit and berries from the nearby Kaiserstuhl and Markgräflerland regions. This family-run Slow Food business has links with farmers that often go back many years. Their produce can be sampled in the “Therese” jam café. Or order jars of these sweet temptations straight from the online shop to enjoy for breakfast at home.

shop.fallerkonfitueren.de

Slow brewing amidst the pines: Rothaus Grafenhausen, Baden’s district brewery

Baden’s district brewery, Rothaus, demonstrates how you can capture the essence of the Black Forest in a bottle. All you need is tranquillity, care and time. The raw materials also come entirely from the surrounding area: the brewing water bubbles up from local springs in the nearby forest, native spring barley is used as the brewer’s malt, the aromatic hops are sourced from Tettnang and Hallertau, and the yeast comes from the company’s own pure culture. The “Slow Brewing” seal of approval confirms the exceptional quality and full-bodied, mature flavour of the Rothaus beers. This final feature is undoubtedly also owed to the brewery’s special location, up at an altitude of around 1,000 metres, between the Black Forest pines and spruce trees.

rothaus.de

Café Goldene Krone in St. Märgen

The “Golden Crown” has welcomed numerous guests over its centuries-long history. From 1753, it operated as a pilgrims’ refuge, later it became a grand hotel. Famous people called by here: from Heidegger to Adenauer. When the hotel was closed in 1990, a hush descended. A citizens’ action group halted the threatened demolition and, a good ten years later, went on to rescue this historically significant building and revive the village centre.

Tuniberg im Sommer 2008

Hugely successful, today the “Golden Crown” is once again a popular meeting place. This “countrywoman’s café” with a small shop is a fine example of social, economic and environmental sustainability. Instead of trained professionals, the shop and kitchen facilities is run by 20 committed local women, all adding their own special flavour to the regional dishes with their personal recipes.

Cafe Golden Krone

cafe-goldene-krone.de

For more information:

State Tourist Board Baden-Württemberg

Esslinger Strasse 8

70182 Stuttgart, Germany

ausland@tourismus-bw.de

Six Great Cocktails for Fall

Celebrate Halloween and beyond with   Q MixersWaterloo Sparkling Water and Dos Equis. For those looking for creative and fun cocktails, they have you covered with seasonal cocktails you and your guests will die for 😉! Grab your candy corn, tune into Hocus Pocus and get your cocktail shaker out!

Q Mixers is sharing (3) must-try libations perfect for party batches that instantly takes your Halloween bash from boring to boo-licious. 

Waterloo Sparkling Water has (2) ALL-NEW cocktail recipes featuring their limited time only flavor, Cranberry. Perfect for a fall night by the fire.

Dos Equis has a recipe that brings a spicy twist to the classic fall apple cider.

Jekyll & Hydeball

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 oz Tequila
  • 1 oz Pineapple Juice
  • 1 small dash Tabasco
  • 5 oz Q Sparkling Grapefruit

Method:

Build in highball glass filled with ice and top with Q Sparkling Grapefruit. Garnish with the tops of two chili peppers to create devil horns.

Frankenlime Collins

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz Gin
  • 0.25 oz Midori
  • 0.5 oz Lime Juice
  • 5 oz Q Spectacular Tonic
  • 1 Lime Peel

Method:

Shake all ingredients except the Q Spectacular Tonic and strain into a large glass mug. Top with chilled Q Spectacular Tonic Water and garnish with a lime peel.

Eyeball Highball

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ oz Bourbon
  • ½ oz Lychee Juice
  • 4 oz Q Ginger Ale
  • 1 Lychee Eyeball

Method:

Build drink in highball glass and garnish with lychee eyeball. To make the lychee eyeball garnish, drain a can of lychees (reserve lychee juice for the recipe) and insert a blueberry into the hollowed out lychee.

Loo-ner Eclipse

Ingredients:

Method:

In a mixing tin, add apple cider, lemon juice, and cinnamon syrup. Then add ice and shake well. Strain over fresh ice and top with Waterloo Cranberry. Garnish with fresh cranberries, grated cinnamon, and cinnamon stick.

Chai By Night

Ingredients:

Method:

In a mixing tin add chai tea and almond milk. Add ice and give it a quick shake to produce a light foam. Strain over fresh ice and top with Waterloo Cranberry. Garnish with shaved milk chocolate.

Apple Cider Habanero

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz. Dos Equis® Ambar
  • 3 oz. apple cider (habanero infused)
  • ½ oz. lime juice
  • 1 oz. tequila reposado (100% agave)
  • 3 large ice cubes
  • Apple slice

Method:

Make habanero infused apple cider by soaking 100g of habanero peppers in 1 gallon of apple cider for two hours room temperature (or longer to taste). Pour cider, lime juice and tequila over ice and stir. Top with Dos Equis® Ambar. Garnish with apple slices.

The Best Five Cocktails for Autumn

Celebrate fall with these great drinks!

Make the most of the cold with The Mixer’s round-up of the best fall cocktails this season. Things are about to get toasty. Happy fall y’all!


Apple Butter Old Fashioned

An Apple Butter Old Fashioned cocktail is packed with the inviting flavors of warm apple pie. Made with real apple butter (just like mama used to make), this fall Old Fashioned drink is perfect as an indulgent drink with your bourbon-loving friends.

For this recipe, you’ll be making your own apple butter. Don’t worry—it’s super simple to make because YOLO! And it’s downright delicious. If you have leftovers, you can add it to cheese platters, use it as a glaze for that roast beef dinner or dollop it onto pancakes. Yum!

“Apple Butter is easy to make and store in your fridge. Use it in cocktails, to spread on toast, as a glaze on meat or add it to your morning oats.” (Helena Lombard, The Mixer)


Bourbon Apple Cider

Fall is a season that begs to be draped in comfort and warmth. This spiced cocktail is exactly what you need to warm up on a cold night. To get those cheeks glowing, you’ll need bourbon, apple cider, vermouth and bitters. Serve your Bourbon Apple Cider over ice with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprig of thyme. This is a full-flavor cocktail, and the sourness of the lemon balances beautifully with the sweet notes of caramel, vanilla and apple.

How do you like them apples? Because, quite frankly, we’re a little obsessed.

Manhattan

Meet the Manhattan: Sweet, smooth, and sophisticated. This iconic cocktail was created in the late 1800s, and the original recipe has been enjoyed ever since! It’s a whiskey-based cocktail that’s surprisingly mellow and sweet. Made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters and garnished with a maraschino cherry, it’s a simple recipe. This delicious drink is best served before dinner to welcome your guests. Although there are a few versions of the classic, the traditional Manhattan cocktail will never go out of fashion.

Hanky Panky

Gin-lovers, don’t worry. We haven’t forgotten about you. Make a Hanky Panky if you want a fall (or winter) cocktail that’s packed with zesty flavors and herbal undertones.

This sweet gin martini is anything but discreet: the gin makes it a little naughty, while the sweet vermouth makes it a little nice. But it’s the addition of the Italian amaro (bitters) that gives the Hanky Panky cocktail its unique and complex flavor. Best enjoyed fireside, with good friends.

Hot Pumpkin Pie Cocktail

Drinkable pumpkin pie in a glass, anyone? Yeah, we thought so!

If you love the taste of a pumpkin spice latte, then choose this fall cocktail to be the star of your Thanksgiving feast this year. Made with vodka, Irish cream, pumpkin pie puree and cool whip, it’s as delicious as a dessert. Serve your Hot Pumpkin Pie cocktails in warmed mugs, topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon. As an extra treat, you can serve baked pumpkin pie crusts on the side for some decadent dipping.

“Make pumpkin-infused vodka by mixing together pumpkin puree and spice, with ½ cup of vodka in a large jar. Seal and keep in the fridge for three days before using, shaking it a few times a day.” (Helena Lombard, The Mixer)

Visit www.themixer.com for more cocktail inspiration.

Tomato Love: 44 Mouthwatering Recipes for Salads, Sauces, Stews & More

In her new cookbook, Joy Howard celebrates all things red, green, and yellow as well as round in Tomato Love 44 Mouthwatering Recipes for Salads, Sauces, Stews, and More Storey 2022; $14.95). Each of the recipes is accompanied with a color photo which I like as it’s then easy to see what the dish will look like. The book is great for this time of year when tomatoes are in season. But Howard also shares recipes for cooking with what she describes as pantry tomatoes—those that use products such as canned, boxed, or bottled tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, ketchup, and tomato paste.  

About the Author

JOY HOWARD is a cookbook author, food stylist, and recipe developer. She writes a regular column about cooking with kids for EatingWell magazine, is the author of Disney Eats (Disney Publishing), and her work has appeared in numerous magazines, cookbooks, and national advertising campaigns. She got her start in food media as a magazine editor producing recipes and culinary content for home cooks and ran a test kitchen for many years. She lives in New England with her husband and daughters.

Tomato and Peach Panzanella

  • 2 pita bread rounds, halved and cut into one inch wide strips
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 mixed tomatoes (the author recommends cherry and small heirlooms), halved or sliced into wedges
  • 3 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced into wedges
  • 1/4 cup sliced red onion
  • 2 ounce smoked fresh mozzarella, turn into bite-sized pieces (unsmoked fresh mozzarella can be used as well)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 8 large basil leaves, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the pita rounds evenly on a baking sheet. Brush them with one tablespoon of the olive oil and season lightly with salt. Bake for about 8 minutes or until golden, flipping once.

Whisk together the vinegar and mustard in a large bowl. Vigorously whisk in the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes, peaches, onion, mozzarella, parsley, and basil to the bowl and toss to coat. Break the bread into smaller pieces, scatter them into the bowl and toss the salad once more.

Serve immediately.

BLTKS

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato Kebabs

Creamy Chipotle Dip

  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 chipotle chili, roughly chopped
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 garlic clove, grated,
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • One half 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 4 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

Kebabs:

  • 24 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 12 strips cooked thick cut bacon each broken into four pieces
  • 3 leaves iceberg or green leaf lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

To make the dip, place the yogurt, mayonnaise, chili, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and cilantro in a small bowl. Use an immersion blender if you have one to blend. Otherwise just mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To assemble each kebab, thread a tomato half, cut side up, onto a toothpick. Stack two bacon pieces and a few lettuce pieces on top, then thread on another tomato half cut side down. Place on a platter or plate. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve the kebabs with the dip on the side.

Joy Howard’s Tomato Tips

 Say no to overripe fruit

Food waste is real, and it can be a challenge to overcome it at the height of the summer fruit and veggie haul when you may have more than you can handle. But mushy tomatoes make for a very sad salad. Note: They can be used for soup, stews, and salsas,

Consider the cut of your tomato

There’s nothing wrong with a fork and knife salad, but if everything else in the bowl is bite-size, then your tomatoes should be too! Having to slice through oversized wedges makes eating cumbersome and less enjoyable if it’s the only thing on your plate that requires that sort of attention. Thick slices are fine for, say, a caprese salad, but if you’re making a chopped salad, dice those tomatoes as well (or halve them if they’re small) — and maybe even seed them.

Don’t skip seasoning

A dash of salt can go a long way in making the flavor of your tomatoes pop and should always be a part of any salad.

Mix them up.

Who says a salad can only have one type of tomato? Using more than one variety gives you the opportunity to showcase a multitude of tomato flavors and textures in a single salad.

Add herbs, herbs, and more herbs.

Part of the beauty (read: deliciousness) of tomatoes is their versatility in terms of pairings. This is especially true when it comes to herbs. Basil, parsley, and cilantro are obvious choices, but thyme, oregano, and mint are all good options too (you can also use more than one). Aside from adding more flavor, herbs help balance the umami notes of the tomatoes. I have a strong preference for using fresh herbs, but dried will also work in a pinch.

From thekitchn.com

Celebrate with Babs: Holiday Recipes & Family Traditions from the TikTok Grandma

              Barbara Costello didn’t do social media when she first helped her daughter by posting a cooking video on TikTok.

              “I thought TikTok was all about dancing,” says Costello, the mother of four and grandmother of eight, who is known as Grandma Babs. Her first post was in April 2020 during the pandemic. Nine months later she had 200,000 followers. Now it’s closing in on two million.

              “By the time we hang up, you’ll probably have 20,000 more followers,” I tell Costello who is in the car with her daughter, Liz Ariola, on their way to a book signing.

              I’m only half joking.

Soaring Numbers

              Besides TikTok followers on her Brunch with Babs site, Costello also has 660,000 followers on Instagram. In comparison, I have 1989. Not that I’m jealous.

              Costello, who is 73, is considered a granfluencer—a growing trend of older people who are kicking it on social media. And now she has a cookbook, “Celebrate with Babs: Holiday Recipes & Family Traditions” featuring one hundred of her tried and true handwritten recipes that she pulled from her wood recipe box.

              “I started collecting recipes before the internet,” she says. “You used to go over to someone’s house for dinner and leave with recipe cards of what was served that night.”

              The book is divided by holidays and celebrations which are a big deal in the Costello family.

              “We’re Italian and we like big noisy get-togethers,” she says. “My mom was one of nine and I have 21 first cousins. Even after Bill and I got married there were so many of us that we still sat at the children’s table when everyone got together.”

              Originally from the Chicago area, Costello taught middle school in Schaumburg before the family moved, ending up in Connecticut where they’ve lived for decades. Costello opened her own pre-school (they called them nursery schools back then) in the basement of her house. She thinks the skills she learned as a teacher and administrator are part of what connects her to her audience. And she is all about connections.

              “I still get invited to the weddings of my preschoolers,” she says. “And many of them have remained friends with their pre-school classmates and they’re at the weddings. I think that’s wonderful after all those years.”

              Costello describes herself as having gone from zero to 60 miles-per-hour.

              “I never expected this,” she says. “People ask me if I have a business plan and I say what’s that? I’m making it up along the way.”

              It was Ariola who got her mom in the business. Social media savvy, Ariola writes the popular mom blog Mrs. Nipple blog (get it—aureole/ariola) and asked her mom for help during her pregnancy. Despite morning sickness, Ariola was trying to launch a TikTok channel and got her mom to agree to film three videos while her two grandchildren were napping.

              The first video showing Costello making her grandmother’s Greek chicken recipe garnered 100,000 views. Somewhere along the line, one of her viewers was a cookbook editor. The rest, as they say, is history.

              Even though the book is divided into holidays, each section with a special memory or anecdote, Costello says they recipes are good for everyday as well.

              “Recipes are recipes,” she says. In other words, you don’t have to wait until Easter to make marinated leg of lamb, apricot glazed ham, or Grandma’s Easter Bread.

Bonding Over Meals

              Even though she was a working mom, Costello always made family meals.

              “People didn’t do fast food like they do now,” she says. “And I think it’s very important for families to eat together.”

              Indeed, one of her hopes for her cookbook and her social media popularity is that it will encourage people to cook more and enjoy dinner together. In the meantime, she’s going to keep cooking.

              “My mom is always over the top when it comes to celebrations,” says Ariola, noting her mother’s tendency to make way too much food.

              “Being raised in an Italian family,” says Costello, “ I learned that the worst thing that could happen is that there wasn’t enough food to feed everyone.”

              That certainly won’t happen on her watch.

Smash Cake

“I always look forward to our grandkids’ first birthdays,” writes Costello. “My daughter loves showering her sons with smash cakes when they have that special birthday. She strips them down and lets them go at the cake. It’s a ton of fun to see how their little personalities shine in this moment. This is not only the favorite of my one-year-old grandson Scooter, but also a hit with my toddler-aged grandkids, too. Even I love it! I’ve made this recipe as just a loaf when not celebrating a special one-year-old in the family. The cream cheese frosting and the cake are the perfect combo.”

prep time

15 minutes, plus 2 hours to cool

cook time

50 minutes

yield

1 smash cake plus 1 loaf (serves about 9)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 (4 oz containers unsweetened applesauce
  • 1¾ cups  all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of fine kosher salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 oz  cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Natural food coloring (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line 2 (4-inch) ramekins or cake pans, and 1 (9 x 5-inch) loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the maple syrup and applesauce. Beat until well combined.

3. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the wet mixture. Stir until combined. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins until three-fourths full. Pour the rest of the batter into the loaf pan.

4. Bake the smash cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Bake the loaf for an additional 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy, scraping the side of the bowl once or twice during mixing. If desired, beat in a few drops of natural food coloring of your choice.

6. To assemble the smash cake, place the bottom half on a serving plate. Spoon frosting over. Add the remaining layer. Spread frosting over the top and side of the cake. Add decorations of your choice. To serve the loaf, spread the top and sides with frosting, and cut into slices to serve.

Broccoli Salad (from the Summer Barbecue chapter)

This easy, crisp, classic vegetable salad is a must at any summer barbecue, picnic, or pool party. This is an old recipe I’ve been making for over forty years. The flavors meld beautifully, and the fresh crispness of the veggies, the creaminess of the dressing, and the ease of making it ahead, make this recipe a winner in all categories.

prep time

15 minutes, plus at least 1 hour to chill

cook time

none

serves

8–10

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches of raw broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets (about 8 cups)
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 1 lb. crisp, crumbled bacon
  • ½ cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts
  • 1 cup golden or brown raisins
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  1. In a large bowl, mix the broccoli, onion, bacon, nuts, and raisins.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar.
  3. Toss the dressing with the broccoli mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Mr. Jiu’s in Chinatown: Contemporary Asian Recipes

He cooked in Italy, honed the seasonal California-Mediterranean style in the kitchen of the Zuni Café, and learned Californian contemporary cuisine with Italian influences at Quince. But when it came right down to it, Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s in San Francisco who just last night won this year’s James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: California, missed his grandmother’s cooking.

“What I remember from eating my grandma’s food is after eating, you feel good,” says Jew whose original family name was spelled Jiu but was changed when the family moved here when going through customs. “That sensation is what I want people to experience. Understanding that chefs back in old China—they were considered doctors too, where they were healing people and giving remedies to fix your ailments. A lot of it was basically what they were feeding you. I try not to take it too seriously, but there are things I feel like as a chef, I feel like it’s my responsibility to make people feel good afterwards too.”

But those years cooking Cal weren’t wasted.

Lion’s Head Meatballs

“Cantonese cuisine and California cuisine really align in how ingredient-driven the food is and how minimal—the goal is to do as little to a perfect ingredient,” says Jew. “Finding that perfect ingredient and thinking of the cooking method to showcase its natural flavors the most, to me, is very Cantonese and Californian. I’m using that mentality to bridge the two together.”

A bio major, Jew says it starts with the ingredients.

“There are just some classic things we want to reinterpret,” he says. “There isn’t a lot of specific recipes for a lot of things. Chop suey just doesn’t have really any recipe to it. We’re taking the creative freedom to do our version of that, or even something like egg foo young.”

All the recipes and images used in this story are with permission from Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown: RECIPES AND STORIES FROM THE BIRTHPLACE OF CHINESE AMERICAN FOOD.

LION’S HEAD MEATBALLS

Anything that needs slow braising will do well in a clay pot. The porous clay distributes an encompassing gentle heat all while sealing in the juices. The slightly alkaline clay also keeps proteins loose and tender. I appreciate a clay pot for its kindness to cooks. It holds heat so well that you can set it aside off-heat for an hour or two and come back to find everything inside still nice and toasty. And if you don’t have one, a small Dutch oven with a tight lid will do. Lion’s head (獅子頭, shī zi tóu in Mandarin) are a classic Chinese meatball (the bumpy texture looks like the curly manes of mythical lions). We use savory ingredients ingredients—mushrooms, seaweed, and a blend of pork—that compounds the sīn flavor exponentially. Use whatever delicious fungi you’ve got. Sometimes I drop a handful of fresh cordyceps (蟲草花, chóng căo huá) sautéed with garlic, or shave matsutake as in this recipe. For the bacon, choose an intensely smoky kind. You can use a meat grinder or hand-chop everything old-school.

Active Time — 1 hour, 15 minutes

Plan Ahead — You’ll need about 3 hours total, plus time to make Chicken Stock; pre-soak the clay pot for 2 hours

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Special Equipment — Meat grinder (optional), soaked 9-inch clay pot or a small Dutch oven

Lion’s Head Meatballs

  • 3 oz / 85g nettles or stemmed lacinato kale
  • 1 tsp neutral oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 oz / 115g skin-on pork belly
  • 12 Savoy cabbage leaves, thick stems trimmed
  • 12 oz / 340g pork shoulder, cut into 1½-inch pieces
  • 3 oz / 85g pork back fat
  • 3½ oz / 100g medium-firm doufu
  • 4 tsp peeled and minced ginger
  • 1½ Tbsp light soy sauce (生抽, sāng chāu)
  • 1 Tbsp powdered milk
  • 1¼ tsp freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1½ cups / 360ml Matsutake Broth (recipe follows)
  • 2 Tbsp neutral oil
  • 3 oz / 85g fresh wild mushrooms (such as matsutake, black trumpets, or chanterelles), chopped if large
  • ½ rosemary sprig, about 2 inches long
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
  • 1 fresh matsutake mushroom, very thinly sliced or shaved with a mandoline

To make the meatballs: While wearing thick gloves, strip the leaves from the nettles and discard the stems.

In a wok or a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the neutral oil until shimmering. Add the nettles and a pinch of salt and cook until wilted but still bright green, about 1½ minutes. If using kale, this will take about 3 minutes. Finely chop and set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels.

Remove the skin from the pork belly. Add the skin to the boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds to firm up. Using tongs, remove and set aside. Add the cabbage leaves (work in batches, if needed) to the water and blanch until just wilted, about 30 seconds, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet to drain.

Place the pork skin, pork shoulder, belly, and back fat in a single layer on a plate and put in the freezer until the surface is just frozen but the center is still soft enough to be ground, about 15 minutes.

If using a meat grinder, grind the fat and skin through a fine grinding plate (⅛-inch / 3mm holes) into a large bowl. Switch to a coarse grinding plate (¼-inch / 6mm holes). Regrind about half of the fat-skin mixture back into the large bowl, then grind the shoulder and belly through the same grinding plate. Mix gently to combine. Regrind about half of the pork mixture again. Grind the doufu through the coarse grinding plate into the large bowl.

If chopping by hand, separately mince the pork belly skin, pork belly, pork shoulder, pork fat, and doufu using a chef’s knife or cleaver (two if you got ’em). Transfer to a large bowl as each one has formed a sticky paste and then mix well.

Add the nettles, ginger, soy sauce, powdered milk, 1½ tsp salt, pepper, and fish sauce to the bowl and use your hands to mix until well combined and a sticky paste forms but the meat is not overworked.

Divide the mixture into six portions. Roll each portion into a ball that is firmly packed and smooth. Wrap a cabbage leaf around each meatball, leaving the top exposed (save the remaining cabbage leaves for the clay pot). Refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place the wrapped meatballs in a single layer in a soaked 9-inch-wide clay pot or small Dutch oven. Tuck the remaining cabbage leaves between the meatballs, then add the broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Transfer the pot to the oven and bake uncovered until the meatballs are browned and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm a wok or a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil and let it heat up for a few seconds. Add the mushrooms and rosemary, season with salt, and stir-fry until the mushrooms are browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard the rosemary.

Spoon the stir-fried mushrooms and any oil left in the pan over the meatballs and top with the pine nuts and shaved mushroom. Serve immediately.

MATSUTAKE BROTH

Makes 1 ½ cups / 360ml

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sear the bacon until dark golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion to the pan and sear until very browned on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low; add the seared bacon, chicken stock, both dried mushrooms, and kombu; and simmer until reduced to 1½ cups / 360ml, about 1 hour.

Fit a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Stir the fish sauce into the broth. Let cool, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

SIZZLING FISH

On a weekly basis, my mom would cook corned beef with cabbage, or chicken à la king, or sausage lasagna. It was too expensive to travel internationally, but we got to eat all over the world from our kitchen table. When she cooked food from her childhood, though, she would make us this steamed fish, topped with ginger, green onions, and fermented black beans. The flavor of steamed fish in Cantonese cuisine is all about sīn tìhm (鮮甜), the essential flavor of a fresh ingredient in combination with a pure, smooth sweetness. The final lashing of hot oil in this dish infuses the green onions and ginger into the flesh of the fish and enriches the soy. Take care not to overcook the fish; I like to turn off the heat in the last minutes of cooking and let the steam finish the job. The flesh should pull off the bone in tender morsels, not flake. I always score round, fleshy fish to help it cook evenly. Then I steam the fish only until the thickest flesh right behind the gill area is not quite opaque or, as Cantonese cooks say, “translucent like white jade.”

Active Time — 20 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Special Equipment — Steamer, 9-inch pie plate

  • 1 Tbsp fermented black beans (optional)
  • One 1½-lb / 680g whole fish (such as black bass or Tai snapper), gutted and scaled
  • large handful aromatics (such as thinly sliced ginger, green onion tops, and/or strips of fresh citrus zest)
  • ¼ cup / 60ml high-smoke-point oil (such as peanut oil)
  • 2 Tbsp premium soy sauce (頭抽, tàuh chāu) or light soy sauce (生抽, sāng chāu)
  • 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thread cut
  • 3 green onions, thread cut (white parts only)
  • Young cilantro sprigs for garnishing

In a small bowl, cover the black beans (if using) with water, let soak for 30 minutes, and then drain.

Prepare a steamer in a wok or a large, lidded pot following the instructions on page 167 and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, using kitchen shears, cut off the gills and the fins (careful, sharp!) on the top, bottom, and sides of the fish. Run your fingers over the skin, especially near the gills and belly, toward the head to check for any last scales; remove the scales with the edge of a spoon or the back of a knife.

On both sides of the fish, make eight 2-inch-long parallel slits into the flesh, not quite deep enough to hit bone, starting about 1 inch from the gills. Place the fish in a pie plate. (The fish can hang over the edges so long as everything fits in the steamer. If not, cut the fish in half to fit and hope none of your guests are superstitious.) Tuck some of your chosen aromatics into each slit, then stuff the remaining aromatics in the cavity. Top the fish with the black beans.

Place the pie plate in the steamer, cover, and steam until the eyeball is opaque and the flesh of the fish is white and flaky at the thickest part near the head and first slit, 10 to 12 minutes.

While the fish is steaming, in a small heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat, slowly warm the oil.

When the fish is ready, remove it with the pie plate from the steamer. (Reassemble as a whole fish if you cut it in two.) Drizzle with the soy sauce, then top with the ginger and green onions. Turn the heat under the oil to high and warm until it just starts to smoke. Immediately pour the oil over the fish, getting as much of the ginger and green onions to sizzle as you can. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with a spoon big enough for drizzling the juices.

TAIWANESE-STYLE EGGPLANT

For this recipe, I prefer medium Chinese eggplants, the pale purple, slender ones that are ten to twelve inches long, over similar-looking but more bitter varieties. This calls for oil-blanching and, because eggplant is basically a sponge, brining them for an hour first until they are saturated but not bloated. During frying, the water turns to steam and makes the eggplant creamy and not at all oily.

Cooking is really the study of water. It takes water to grow everything, of course, and so the amount of water that remains in an ingredient after it is harvested or butchered dictates how it will heat through in the pan, whether it will soften, seize, crisp, or caramelize. You’re adding water when you use stocks, vinegars, or alcohol. You’re creating barriers to water with starches. How you cut ingredients and the order in which you add them to the pan is about controlling how and when they release the water inside them. Even the shapes of cooking vessels are about releasing or retaining moisture. When cooking with a wok, changes to water happen so quickly that split-second timing is essential.

Active Time — 25 minutes

Plan Ahead — You’ll need 1 hour for brining

Makes 4 servings

Special Equipment — Deep-fry thermometer, spider

  • 2 medium Chinese eggplants
  • 5 qt plus ¼ cup / 1L water
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 qt / 1.9L neutral oil
  • 3 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 2¼ tsp granulated sugar
  • 5  garlic cloves; 2 thinly sliced, 3 finely chopped
  • 5 red Fresno chile, cut into thin rings
  • ¼ cup / 5g packed Thai or opal basil leaves, torn in half if large

Trim and discard the eggplant ends, then cut into thick wedges, like steak frites—first cut crosswise into three 3-inch chunks, then halve those lengthwise repeatedly until you have 1-inch-thick wedges.

In a large bowl, combine 1 qt / 950ml of the water and the salt and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Add the eggplant, making sure it is submerged, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Fill a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven with the neutral oil and secure a deep-fry thermometer on the side. Set over medium-high heat and warm the oil to 375°F.

Meanwhile, drain the eggplant and dry very well with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup / 60ml water, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set this sauce aside.

Add the sliced garlic to the oil and fry until crisp and light golden brown, about 30 seconds. Use a spider to transfer them to a paper towel to drain.

Check that the oil in the Dutch oven is still at 375°F. Set up for the second fry by setting a dry wok or large skillet over high heat.

Carefully slide all the eggplant into the oil. Stir until the eggplant has darkened and caramelized at the edges, about 1 minute. Remove the eggplant with the spider and drain well over the Dutch oven, then transfer to the screaming-hot wok.

Immediately add the chopped garlic and most of the chile rings (reserve a few for garnish) to the eggplant in the wok and toss everything to combine. Add the reserved sauce and continue to toss until the sauce thickens to a glaze and the eggplants are browned at the edges, about 1 minute. Add most of the basil leaves and toss until wilted.

Transfer the contents of the wok to a serving platter. Crumble the fried garlic and scatter it over the eggplant with the rest of the basil and chile rings. Serve immediately.

Grub Street: 2022 James Beard Award Winners: The Full List

Grub Street: 2022 James Beard Award Winners: The Full List. https://www.grubstreet.com/2022/06/2022-james-beard-chef-and-restaurant-award-winners-full-list.html

Sitka Salmon Shares: Fresh Fish from Cold and Clear Alaskan Waters to Your Door

Sitka Halibut with Pesto & Pasta

      Taking the concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) from land to sea with their Community Supported Fishery (CFA), Sitka Salmon Shares isn’t about radishes, green beans, and other vegetables. Instead, takes the concept of The concept is instead of,  each month during the fishing season your share of fresh caught and flash-frozen seafood arrives at your door. The seafood is harvested from Alaskan and North Pacific waters by small-boat fishermen (equivalent to small farmers) and you can choose the type of fish you want—salmon, halibut, black cod, and Dungeness crab (to name a few).

          It’s a great way to try new fish as well such as lingcod, Kodiak jig-saw rockfish, and Bairdi crab and there’s the option to sign up for the Sitka Salmon Share. That’s a variety of low-impact caught salmon—keto, sockeye, and coho as well as salmon burgers—from several fisheries and waterways so the difference in taste can be enjoyed. Prices vary depending upon what you order, and you can cancel your membership whenever you want. And for those with shellfish allergies or who just don’t like the taste, you can specify non-shellfish if you like.

Sitka Salmon Shares is now a completely integrated boat-to-doorstep seafood company. They have a lovable group of fishermen-owners who deliver the fish to their small processing plant in Sitka, Alaska, where they custom-process the catch with a laser focus on quality and traceability. Sitka Shares has two Good-Fish Hubs in the Midwest, which allow then to deliver rtheir fishermen’s catch directly to your doorstep (or to your local farmers market or restaurant).

At Sitka Salmon Shares, you’re joining a community of artisan fishers, healthy eaters, foodies, and Alaskan adventurers in our collective efforts to rebuild America’s seafood system from the ground up. All of us together are actively supporting responsibly sourced seafood and independent, family fishermen who fish in much the same way their grandparents did.

Nene’s Halibut with Garden Pesto

  • 1 – 1.5 pounds halibut
  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1 stick butter
  • 3 teaspoons finely chopped chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3 teaspoons chopped thyme
  • 3 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Pierce squash all over with knife and microwave for 6 minutes.

Split long ways to open the squash and remove the seeds.

Drizzle flesh with 1 tbsp olive oil

Season halibut with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder on both sides.

Brown butter over medium high heat until it foams and smells nutty. Mix with squash strands. Place squash flesh side down on a baking sheet lined with foil. Cover with foil and bake 1 hour or until the skin of the squash is easy to poke with a fork. Scrape out the spaghetti squash meat.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet and sear halibut 2-3 minutes on each side. Reduce heat, cover, and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until the halibut flakes,

While the squash is roasting, combine 1/3 cup olive oil, lemon juice, chives, thyme, Parmesan, garlic, and salt & pepper (to taste) in a mason jar. Shake to combine.

 Place a portion of buttered squash on each plate and top with a piece of halibut. Spoon pesto over the halibut and squash.

Marsh’s Grill-Smoked Sockeye

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus nerka

Where they’re caught: SITKA

 Season: June – August Culinary

Profile: Sockeye’s robust and bold profile holds up to spicy and savory sauces, and is great roasted and sautéed.

  • 1 pound Sockeye Salmon Fillet
  • 1 wood plank
  • 1 cup wood chips
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sea salt
  • 4 ounces Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1/4 cup chopped dill
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • Salt & pepper

Soak the wood plank and the wood chips in water for 30 minutes Place wood chips in either a smoker box or wrap in aluminum foil with some holes poked through.

Mix the sugar and salt together and coat the salmon with the mixture.  Allow the salmon to cure in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Once cured, rinse the salt and sugar off of the salmon, pat dry, and place on the wood plank.

Heat your grill to a low temp, around 200 degrees (use a small amount of charcoal banked to one side of a charcoal grill, or turn on one burner of a gas grill to low.) Place the wood chip packet directly on the coals or burner. Allow it to start smoking, about 5 minutes.

Place the wood-planked salmon on the side of the grill away from direct heat. Close the grill and cook for about 30 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through

Combine sauce ingredients while the salmon is smoking. Season with salt & pepper to taste and set aside.

Serve the salmon with the dill sauce on the side.

Marsh’s Pro-Tip: For an extra level of flavor, try adding herbs or other aromatics to the salt & sugar cure such as lemon zest & thyme, or juniper berries and dill.

Black Bass Tempura with Lemon-Herb Dipping Sauce

  • 1 (12 ounce) black bass fillet, cut into 3 smaller fillets
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dill, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 quart vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup seltzer
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Salt & pepper

In a small bowl, combine cilantro, parsley, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside.

Mix together cornstarch and flour in a medium bowl. Just before frying, whisk together the egg yolk and seltzer water and add it to the flour. Gently combine the ingredients using chopsticks, being careful to not over-work the batter.  It’s OK to have small lumps.Heat oil In a fryer or a medium saucepan, heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees.

Dip the black bass into the batter and then carefully drop into the hot oil.  Fry until crisp and lightly brown, about 2-4 minutes. Drain the cooked fish on paper towels and season with a sprinkling of salt while still hot.  Serve with the herb sauce on the side.

 Pro-Tip:  Have extra batter?  Try frying some vegetables such as sweet potato, large onion slices, carrots, or zucchini to serve with the fish. 

Share your finished dishes with us #Sitkarecipes More recipes and culinary inspiration at www.sitkasalmonshares.com/recipes @sitkasalmonshares /sitkasalmonshares

         

The Grove: American Fare with a Latin Flair

         Tucked away on a side road running parallel to Lake Michigan, the Gordon Beach Inn is nestled in a copse of woods. Entering, it’s the type of place with a screen door that rattles as it closes, the floors are shined to a dark rich gloss and the large stone fireplace dominates the large room in the center of the building. To the right are the series of rooms for overnight guests. And to the left is The Grove, the inn’s restaurant, a long room and doorways leading to the small cozy bar area and two enclosed porches overlooking the gardens. A defining feature is Jo Hormuth’s botanical themed and local Native American pattered hand-stenciled designs decorating walls, ceilings, and corridors.

History

         A classic beach resort for the last century, the inn was a built for a purpose beyond just summer fun.  The 1920s was a time in American history not only for bootleggers and bathtub gin but also when a second wave of popularity for the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in positions of power. And Indiana, just a border away from Michigan, had the largest Klan population in the U.S. with a peak of 250,000 around the mid-1920s. That was when Edward Jackson, a well-known Klan sympathizer, was elected to serve as Indiana’s 32nd governor. To make it worse, over half of those elected to the Indiana General Assembly that year were members of the Klan. In Valparaiso, the Klan attempted to buy what had been the Valparaiso Male and Female College that opened in 1859 and now was struggling financially. It was to become “Ku Klux Kollege.” The deal was almost done but then the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod stepped in to stop the Klan. Purchasing the college, they changed the name to Valparaiso University.      

         The Klan was an equal opportunity hater, besides African-Americans, they hated Catholics, Italians, Eastern Europeans, Hispanics, Italians, and Jews. Anti-Semitism was a big deal which was why Louis Gordon, a Jewish physician decided to build a resort in Union Pier for Jewish guests. Purchasing land near Lake Michigan that had been an apple orchard, the building construction began in 1925 with completion in 1929.

         Later it would be bought by a Chicago alderman who catered to African American guests before being purchased by Devereux Bowly who also owned the Lakeside Inn, another venerable old-style resort. After Bowly’s death, both resorts passed to his sister Judy and her son Zach.

Latin American Roots

         For a long time, Timothy’s Restaurant was located at the Gordon Beach Inn and then it stood empty for a while. But always adaptable to change, the Gordon Beach Inn now is home to The Grove, a restaurant that emphasizes its Latin flair, reflecting the heritage of Executive Chef Eduardo Pesantez’s Latin American roots.  Born in Ecuador and raised in Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador, known for its sophisticated European style culinary style. It’s located in the Andes Mountains in southern Ecuador where his family owns a large farm in and so Pesantez has long know how to cook using local and seasonal foods.

         Some 35 years ago, Pesantez moved to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America and then worked at several high-end New York restaurants as well as the executive chef at Pepsi Co. He is also the owner of Cravings, a catering company that he runs from the kitchen of The Grove. Joining Pesantez at The Grove is his wife, Maira Pinargote, who lived in Manabí Province located on Ecuador’s Pacific Coast. The foods differ. Where the more mountainous region where Pesantez grew up is more meat oriented, Pinargote, whose father owns a large seafood company, dined to a large variety of fresh fish and seafood.

Flavors of the Sea and the Mountains

         Both come into play in the international dishes found on the menu and in their specials. Pesantez serves a variety of paellas. Their Signature Paella is a mixture of seafoods, the House Paella is meats—chicken, chorizo sausage, pork shoulder and jicama and the third is all vegetables. Other South American meals on the menu include Bistec al Caballo (Steak on Horseback), a black angus ribeye steak with a Spanish tomato onion sauce, fried plantains, rice, and beans and Enconcado de Camarones, sautéed shrimp in a creamy coconut sauce with rice and beans.

         Beyond such Latin American fare like Chicken Mole, Pesantez also goes international with Moroccan Lamb and Mushroom Truffle Ravioli and American for those who like hamburgers, smoked brisket, and grilled chicken breasts.

         “I think people are surprised when they first taste Latin American foods,” says Pesantez. “Many expect it to be spicy hot but it’s more about flavors and seasonings—some different from what we eat here in America and if also can be about cooking techniques as well. And it’s very different from region to region in Ecuador. The foods they eat in the mountainous areas differ from those along the coast or the plains.”

The Grove’s Signature Paella

4 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled and then loosely measured

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 yellow onion finely chopped

1/2 red Bell pepper, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 ounces mild dried chorizo sausage, sliced into thin halfmoons

3 cups short grain rice, such as Spanish Bomba rice or Italian Arborio

14-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen green peas

1 pound large (21-24 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails left on

1 pound mussels, rinsed and scrubbed

1 pound littleneck clams, rinsed and scrubbed

1/4 cup chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat the grill: Heat a gas grill to medium high heat (375° F) degrees or light a charcoal grill and let it burn until the charcoal is covered with gray ash.

Steep the saffron: In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a boil. Add the sand from saffron and salt. Turn off the heat and let the saffron steep for at least 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

Assemble the ingredients by the grill: On a table next to the grill set the skillet with the sofrito, the rice, tomatoes, stock, salt, peas, shrimp, mussels, and clams.

Begin cooking the paella: Set the skillet with the sofrito on the grill. Add the rice, and cook, stirring often, for 45 minutes or until the rice is coated with oil and lightly toasted. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, and peas. Taste for seasoning and add more if you like. Spread the rice evenly over the bottom of the pan. Close the grill cover in simmer rice without stirring for 15 minutes or until the rice absorbs most of the stock

Cook the sofrito base: In a 12-to-14 inch stainless steel skillet or cast iron pan, heat the oil over medium heat on top of the stove. Add the onion and red pepper and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic. Sauté the shrimp and chorizo and then add to the pan with the rice along with the rest of the seafood. If the paella looks dry, add more water. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and the clam and mussel shells have opened.

Serve immediately with slices of thick bread.

Smoked Brisket garlic powder

1 brisket, 5 to 6 pounds

2 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoon onion powder

½ tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Gently rub garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper on all sides of the brisket 

If using a smoker, place meat in smoker and, with a mixture of such hardwoods as cherry and hickory mixed in with the coals, set temperature for 205-220° F degrees. Place brisket on rack and cook for six to seven hours or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 190 degrees. Remove from her and let rest.

If cooking brisket in the oven:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make a dry rub by combining garlic and onion powders, salt, and black pepper. Season the raw brisket on both sides with the rub. Place in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Add beef stock and enough water to yield about 1/2 inch of liquid in the roasting pan. Lower oven to 300 degrees F, cover pan tightly and continue cooking for 3 hours, or until fork-tender.

Trim the fat and slice meat thinly across the grain. Top with juice from the pan.

Sautéed Sweet Plantains

(Tajaditas Dulces de Plantano)

¼ cup peanut oil for frying

2 tablespoons butter

3 medium ripe yellow plantains, peeled and cut in 1-inch-thick slices

 3 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Heat peanut oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter begins to sizzle. Gently toss plantain slices with brown sugar, then place into hot oil. Fry until the plantains begin to turn golden brown, then turn over, and continue frying until they have caramelized, about 2 minutes per side.

Drain plantains on a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt before serving.

Nom Nom Paleo Let’s Go! Simple Feasts + Healthy Eats

Michelle Tam and Henry Fong, the James Beard Award nominated creators of Nom Nom Paleo, a website and award-winning cooking app, newest cookbook, Nom Paleo Let’s Go! Simple Feasts + Healthy Eats (Volume 3) features more keto-friendly, Whole30, and plant-based recipes.  Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, it’s a fun book but serious as well, with 2000 step-by-step instructions, lots of photos and illustrations, and a dash of snarky humor.

It’s the third in their series of cookbooks, the first two of which were both New York Times bestsellers. Tam, who holds a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of California, develops recipes based upon the Cantonese meals her mother cooked for the family when she was growing up and the immigrant cuisine of the San Francisco Bay area where she grew up as well as such American teen basics as cheeseburgers and French fries.

Tam and Fong operate on the premise that weeknight suppers should be healthy and flavor-packed as well as fast and simple. Weekends and celebrations, on the other hand, are the perfect excuse to craft elevated (but easy) crowd-pleasers. Nom Paleo Let’s Go! offers crazy-delicious recipes for all occasions, and every single one is free of grains, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar.

Fong is an attorney who does the photography and illustrations for their books as well as the over all design. In all, they both seem to have a lot of fun in the kitchen and in writing their cookbooks.

All three books coordinate with a multitude of specialty diets—paleo, keto-friendly, vegan, nut-free, Whole30, and plant-based and every single recipe is free of grains, gluten, refined sugar, and dairy. But if it all sounds too healthy, no one you’re cooking for needs to know how nutritious the dishes are. And they won’t know based on the taste either as it’s all seriously yummy.

As always, Nom Nom Paleo’s recipes reflect the diverse cuisines Michelle grew up with and culinary ideas from her travels. Often Asian-inspired, Michelle’s unfussy recipes maximize flavor, optimize whole foods, and are presented with photos of each step so they’re absolutely foolproof–even for novice cooks! New recipes include: Cantonese Roast Duck, Nom Nom Chili Crisp, Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole, Chicken Karaage, Instant Pot Balsamic Beef Stew, and Paleo-Friendly Cream Puffs.

Hash Brown Fish

Umami Stir Fry Powder

  • ⅔ cup dehydrated chopped scallions
  • 6½ tablespoons kosher salt
  • ¼ cup dried shiitake mushroom powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

Hash Brown Fish

  • 1 pound Russet potatoes, peeled
  • ½ cup scallions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup avocado oil or ghee, divided
  • 2 teaspoons umami stir fry powder or kosher salt, divided
  • Four 5-ounce skinless sea bass or cod fillets, each about ¾-inch thick
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

MAKE THE UMAMI STIR FRY POWDER (IF DESIRED): Toss all of the ingredients into a mini food processor or spice grinder. Blend to make a fine powder, scraping down the sides occasionally to make sure the dehydrated green onions are totally powderized. (This seasoning will keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.)

MAKE THE HASH BROWN FISH: Grate the potatoes with a food processor or by using the large holes of a box grater.

Bundle the shredded potatoes in a clean kitchen towel. Then, wring out the potatoes and discard the liquid.

In a large bowl, toss together the shredded potatoes, scallions and 1 teaspoon of umami stir fry powder or kosher salt.

Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the other teaspoon of umami stir fry powder or kosher salt on the fish fillets.

Heat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat, and then add 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee to the hot pan.

Add two ⅓-cup mounds of potatoes to the pan and flatten them into rectangles, approximating the size of your fish fillets.

Smush a fish fillet onto each potato layer and cover each one with a thin layer of shredded potatoes.

Fry for 5 to 8 minutes or until the bottom layer of potatoes is crisp and golden brown.

Carefully flip the fillet packets over with a fish spatula and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes on the other side.

Once the other potato layer is nicely browned and the center of the fish registers 135°F on an instant-read thermometer, transfer to a plate.

Repeat steps 6 to 11 with the remaining fish and potatoes and serve with lemon wedges.

Ginger Scallion Sauce

This salty, herbaceous condiment is exponentially greater than the sum of its parts. It’s traditionally served with whole poached chicken, but growing up, I would put it on everything! This sauce is transformative, lending massive flavor to any savory dish.

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup finely minced scallions
  • 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • ½ cup avocado oil

Method:

Toss the scallions, ginger, salt, and white pepper in a large heat-proof bowl or 2-cup measuring cup.

Stir it all together.

In a small saucepan over high heat, warm the oil until it’s shimmering but not quite smoking. 

Add a tiny piece of scallion to test the heat of the oil. If you see lots of little bubbles, the oil’s ready. (Or just check that the oil reaches 375°F on an instant-read thermometer.)

Pour the hot oil into the scallion and ginger mixture a little at a time. It’ll sizzle and boil, so be careful!

Stir well and let the sauce cool to room temperature. The sauce can be refrigerated in a sealed jar for up to 2 weeks or frozen in an ice cube tray for up to 3 months.

All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce

Despite its name, my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce isn’t just for stir-fries: it’s a fundamental component in recipes of all kinds. This ultra-versatile sauce keeps in the refrigerator 

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup coconut aminos
  • ½ cup fresh orange or pineapple juice
  • ¼ cup paleo-friendly fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a measuring cup or jar. Mix it all together.

Char Siu (Chinese Barbecue Pork)

Makes 8 servings

  • ½ cup plum, peach, or apricot jam, sweetened only with fruit juice
  • ¼ cup coconut aminos
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey (optional, not Whole30)
  • 1 teaspoon paleo-friendly fish sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
  • 2  teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt 
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Pour the jam into a small saucepan. To stay paleo-friendly, be sure to use a high-quality, 100% fruit jam.

Next, toss in the coconut aminos, tomato paste, almond butter, honey (if desired), fish sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, and ground ginger.

Whisk the marinade as you heat it to a simmer over medium heat.

Once the marinade is bubbling and smooth, transfer it to a measuring cup and let it cool to room temperature. (Not ready to roast the pork? You can store the sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days.)

Next, prepare the pork. Blot the pork shoulder with a paper towel. Then, slice the pork shoulder into 2-inch strips of even thickness.

The pork strips should be roughly uniform in size. It’s fine to have fatty pieces of pork because: (1) it’s tasty, and (2) you don’t want to end up with dry char siu. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of kosher salt all over the pork pieces.

Place the pork in a large bowl or in a zippered food storage bag. Pour all except ⅓ cup of the cooled marinade onto the pork. Cover and refrigerate the reserved marinade.

Use your hands to coat the marinade all over the pork strips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 2 to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to roast the pork, heat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle position. Arrange the pork on an oven-safe wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping the pork pieces at the halfway point. Take the pork out of the oven and increase the temperature to 400°F.

Brush half of the reserved marinade on the tops of the pork pieces. Pour enough water into the bottom of the pan so that you have a thin layer coating the bottom. This will keep the drippings from burning while the pork cooks.

Roast for 25 minutes. Then, flip the pork pieces over and brush on the remaining marinade. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the pork is slightly charred on the edges. Rest the pork for 10 minutes, and then slice against the grain into bite-size pieces.

Arrange the pork on a serving dish and garnish with 2 sliced scallions, if desired.

Sheet Pan Pineapple Chicken

Serves 4

This easy sheet pan meal is my riff on Huli Huli Chicken, a classic Hawaiian barbecue staple featuring a sweet and savory sauce made with pineapple juice, ketchup, and soy sauce. Believe me: no one can resist a pan of sticky chicken and pineapple, especially when it’s re-imagined with healthier, paleo-friendly ingredients. Don’t substitute fresh pineapple and ginger for canned pineapple and ground ginger! The fresh stuff contains enzymes that break down proteins, so if you use ’em, they’ll make your chicken mushy!

Ingredients

  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can pineapple rings in pineapple juice
  • ½ cup paleo-friendly ketchup
  • ½ cup coconut aminos
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon paleo-friendly fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds 
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Method:

Open up the pineapple can and set aside the pineapple rings.

Pour ½ cup of the pineapple juice from the can into a large measuring cup. (We won’t be using the rest.)

Add the ketchup, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, honey, fish sauce, sesame oil to the pineapple juice in the measuring cup. Toss in the ground ginger and minced garlic. Whisk it all together to form a marinade.

Place the chicken in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Pour in ½ cup of the marinade. Set aside the remaining marinade.

Toss the chicken well. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes or up to a day in the fridge.

In the meantime, pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid has thickened into a sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside. You should now have about 1 cup of sauce. 

Set aside about ¼ cup of the sauce to baste the chicken, and save the rest to serve with the finished dish.

Heat the oven to 400°F on convection mode or 425°F on regular mode with the rack in the middle.

Arrange the chicken thighs and the pineapple rings in a single layer on a rimmed, greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Bake for 15 minutes. Then, rotate the tray and brush the reserved ¼ cup of cooked sauce onto the chicken thighs and pineapple rings. 

Bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the thickest part of the thighs register 165°F on a meat thermometer.

Garnish the chicken and pineapple with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with the reserved sauce!

Excerpted from Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!  © 2022 written & photographed by Michelle Tam & Henry Fong.  Reproduced by permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing. All rights reserved.