Menu today

Soup
Borscht
Salad
Greek salad
Main
Mahi-mahi, mango salsa
Chicken stir-fry with napa cabbage and spring onions
Ragu Bolognese
Pork chops, green sauce
Sides
Rice with garlic and herbs
Fresh beans ragout
Quinoa pasta with garlic and olive oil
Roasted fingerling potatoes



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Location:Burlingame, CA

Menu yesterday, with pictures

Soup
Tom kha gai (coconut chicken soup)

Salad
Fruit salad with almonds

Main
Ono, mango salsa
Roasted sweet potatoes

Jamaican curried chicken
Brown rice and beans

Beef medallions with bacon and sage
Green and shelling beans

Pork chops with peaches
Polenta




It's still season for fresh mango, so why not satisfy your tropical longing with pan-fried Ono in coconut oil, topped with a fresh salsa of mango, green onion, red bell pepper, and cilantro, seasoned with chili powder and lime juice.



The Jamaican breakfast curry of chicken thighs with potato, carrot, and chayote, marinated with lime juice and spicy curry powder and braised in coconut milk with the traditional seasoning of allspice, thyme, scallion, and habanero chili, works for dinner too. (Recipe from Saveur's "Good morning, Jamaica!" issue).



Francis Mallman complains in his Seven Fires cookbook that he wasn't able to take these beef medallions with bacon and sage off the menu since he opened his first restaurant in the 70-ies. I fell into the same trap. I cut 2 inch thick medallions from a whole beef tenderloin, season them with salt and pepper, wrap them in applewood-smoked bacon, trapping a couple of fresh sage leaves between the beef and the bacon, secure with toothpicks, and either pan-fry of grill them - and everyone wants them all the time! Here they are, pan-fried (on all sides, not just top and bottom) and garnished with pan juices with port, bacon bits, and fried sage leaves. Irresistible.



Shelling beans appeal to my OCD. Especially double-shelling fava beans. They are better then bubble wrap, because the results are so yummy! I have combined steamed blue lake beans, fava beans, and the breathtakingly beautiful cranberry beans, that I was lucky to cook this time so that they were tender, but haven't yet lost all their color (all beans cooked separately), and topped them with lightly caramelized red onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and good olive oil. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.



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Location:Mill Valley, CA

Dinner party menu tonight

One of the guests tonight was a vegetarian, so most of the menu is vegetarian, to make sure that everyone can eat it. The main course is fish, with a vegetarian option.

I wish I could take more, and better, pictures, while cooking for dinner parties. Usually, though, I'm so busy cooking, tasting, and interacting with the hosts (and their wonderful pets) that most of the food goes uncaptured.

The menu tonight:

Tartlets with goat cheese and caramelized onion
Eggplant caponata on toast
Carrot and orange soup

Heirloom tomato Caprese salad




Pan-fried halibut, creamy mushroom sauce
Stuffed portabello mushroom (vegetarian option)
Quinoa with zucchini and lemon
Green beans



Cheese and fruit plate
Panna cotta with fresh berries and warm chocolate sauce

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Location:San Francisco, CA

Eclectic early fall menu today

The chilled beet soup with horseradish sour cream (from Fine Cooking "Fresh") is based on the Eastern European cold summer borscht recipe, but the addition of orange zest and juice (I used Valencia orange), honey, and the use of red wine vinegar instead of the usual distiller vinegar take it to another level. Roasting beets intensifies the flavor. If you think that you don't like beets, and you only tried the tasteless canned variety, please, reconsider.




Get the beets with the greens still attached, trim off the greens, leaving 1 inch on, scrub the roots; place the beet roots with 1/2 cup water, a few thyme sprigs, and a few strips of orange zest in an ovenproof dish, wrap in aluminum foil, and place in a 400 degrees oven for an hour or so. Remove from oven, let cool, peel the beets with your (gloved) fingers. Taste the difference.



Chilled beet soup with horseradish sour cream
Serves four

1-1/2 lb. small or medium beets (2 bunches), trimmed, scrubbed
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 strips orange zest
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground white or black pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
2-1/2 cups chicken stock or water
2 tsp honey
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1/2 cup sour cream
Cream or water as needed
Fresh dill sprigs for garnish (optional)

Bake beets and garlic with orange zest, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Peel beets and garlic. Discard orange zest and thyme, save the pan juices (strain).

Blend in batches beets, garlic, pan juices, chicken stock, honey. Stir in orange juice and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

Stir horseradish into sour cream. Thin with cream or water, if needed. Refrigerate.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls, spoon a little horseradish sour cream on top, garnish with dill.



Vegetable lasagna has layers of sautéed onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, and red bell pepper, layered with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce, with sautéed mushrooms and fresh mozzarella on top.

The menu:
Chilled beet soup with horseradish sour cream

Daal

Vegetable lasagna
Mediterranean salad

Mariscada
Spiced sweet potatoes

Chicken Marengo
Farro risotto with mushrooms

Stuffed peppers




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Location:San Francisco, CA

Indian home cooking, Part III

Today in my Indian client's kitchen we were cooking some exotic vegetables that Alaka, her mom, bought at an Indian grocery store, and showed me how to prepare.

Indian eggplant is a cute little eggplant the shape and size of a small egg, deep purple color. Alaka got a dozen of them, we stuffed them with a mix made of grated peanuts and spices, and cooked with some water added to make a sauce. Here is a catch: Alaka uses her own goda masala spice blend, that she brought from home, and I don't have the recipe for it. She promised to email me the recipe after she gets back home and gets it out of her files. For now, we tried to find an Indian store that carries this wonderfully aromatic blend of warm spices, and we failed so far... So here is the partial recipe, pending the recipe for goda masala to follow next month:

Stuffed Indian eggplant
Serves four to six

12 Indian eggplants, leaves removed
1 cup roasted peanuts, ground in a blender or food processor
1-1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp goda masala
1 tsp salt, or to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp jaggery (raw sugar)

Chopped cilantro, to garnish

Cut eggplants crosswise into quarters, leaving the stem ends attached. Make the stuffing: mix ground peanuts, ground coriander, ground cumin, goda masala, and salt. Open each eggplant like a flower, and put a little of the stuffing inside. Press closed.



In a heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and heat until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, and onion. Brown lightly. Add stuffed eggplants, water, and leftover stuffing, season with jaggery. Cover and cook until the eggplants are very tender and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Bottle gourd, or white gourd resembles a large pale zucchini. The simple preparation that we did is very characteristic of Alaka's style of Indian cooking, and can be used with other vegetables as well. It starts with making tadka, the traditional flavor base of brown mustard seed, cumin, and turmeric. Then the vegetable is seasoned and cooked until tender.



Indian white gourd
Serves four

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 white (bottle) gourds, cut into small dice
1 cup water
2 tsp goda masala
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp jaggery, or to taste
Chopped cilantro, to garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, heat until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add cumin seeds, turmeric, gourd, water, goda masala, season with salt and jaggery. Cover and cook until the gourd is very tender. Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

Bitter melon. This one is really, seriously bitter. They say it's very good for you, and can be addictive. This recipe balances the bitterness with the heat of the chili and the sweetness of the raw sugar, which makes for a very strong and complex taste. It's more like a condiment than a dish. It's traditionally eaten with roti.



4 small bitter melons
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp jaggery (raw sugar)

Cut the ends off the bitter melons. Cut them in halves lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Chop into 1/4-inch pieces.



Make tadka: heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds, heat until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add cumin seeds and turmeric.

Add the bitter melon, chili powder, and salt. Stir-fry until the bitter melon is tender and begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

In a mortar, break down jaggery into very small pieces. Add jaggery to the skillet, stir, and let it coat the bitter melon and caramelize.



Menu today:
Curried carrot soup

Stuffed Indian eggplant
White rice

Pacific snapper with mango-tomatillo salsa
Bean salad

Scallops with feta and spinach
Roasted butternut squash

Mushroom and asparagus frittata
Heirloom tomato salad Caprese

Chicken roasted with fennel and apples
Fennel gratin

Indian bottle gourd

Bitter melon


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Location:San Francisco, CA

Menu today

Chicken noodle soup

Pacific snapper with white wine reduction
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Pesto vegetable tart
Mixed green salad
Spinach and bacon frittata
Braised greens with bacon and white wine
Chicken with tart apples
Farro pilaf
Spaghetti Bolognese

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Location:Cupertino, CA

Magician's Birthday

On a gorgeous summer afternoon friends and family gathered for a garden party by the pool to celebrate the birthday of a magical silk painting artist of international fame, tireless world traveller, and a beautiful woman Natasha Foucault.



Natasha's art transforms everyone: the ladies were more beautiful than ever, wearing Natasha's hand-painted silks, the men had her custom-made ties, and everyone was inspired by her art, her charm, and travel stories.

I had the honor to prepare the festive dinner for my art teacher and friend. Both Natasha and I were born and raised in Russia, and we love Russian cuisine, so we decided to start the dinner with zakuski, the traditional appetizer spread.


Natasha is a connoisseur of wild mushrooms, and an experienced mushroom hunter. She supplied a wealth of the finest wild mushrooms that she had collected in Northern California last season and saved in the freezer for the party.



Porcinis, chanterelles, slippery jacks - these mushrooms may seem rare and exotic to a modern Californian, but they are dear and familiar to any Russian mushroom hunter, and their aromas bring memories of childhood, of dark dense forest, sunny meadows, cool streams under shady trees, the far-away land that we still consider our own. It was such an exquisite pleasure to create both traditional and modern "fusion" dishes with these darling fungi!


For the main course we needed something simple, something that could be prepared and enjoyed while the temperature was still in the 90-ies. I opted for the grill. It is somewhat tough to grill meat, fish, and vegetables for 40 people in 95 degrees, with the sun shining straight on your back while the grill flares up in your face, but the pool made it much easier. As soon as everything was grilled and while the guests were helping themselves at my hot buffet, I got out of my chef's coat and into the pool, and came to the table totally refreshed.



The tables were set on the lawn. While we were enjoying the meal, saying toasts and drinking wines from around the world to the health and happiness of our friend, the sun went down, the temperature dropped a little, and the host turned on the pool lighting to make our night under the stars even more magical. Then there was music, dancing, more wine, and simple and perfect seasonal fruits for the dessert.

Happy birthday, dear magician, happy birthday to you!



The menu:

Appetizers
Russian potato salad (Olivier)
Mushroom piroshki
Cabbage piroshki
Chicken liver mousse
Exotic mushrooms pate, porcini topping
Chanterelle, goat cheese, and caramelized onion tartlets
Assorted cold cuts
Cheeses
Breads, crackers

Main
Grilled marinated beef tri-tip
Grilled Alaskan wild salmon
Assorted grilled vegetable skewers

Dessert
Raw fruit and berry crumble with almonds



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Location:Redwood City, CA

Market watch: what's good at the farmers market right now

What's good at the market right now

- Summer squashes. I know, we'll all get tired of them by the end of July, and will try to unload the surplus on the neighbors and friends. But right now they are exciting, new, fresh, tasty, and come in many varieties. Slice them thin for a salad, or grill them, sauté them, stuff them, make pancakes and tarts with them.



- Tomatoes. The larger heirloom varieties are not really ready yet, and the cherries, Early Girls, and beefsteak tomatoes rule the market. Pasta with fresh tomatoes or a tomato sauce, tomato and bread salad, roasted pepper and tomato soup. Or just eat out of hand with a little sea salt. Smaller Early Girls and plum tomatoes can be selected to match the size of Japanese eggplant and zucchini to make a dramatic stacked ratatouille.



- Eggplant: king of the grill. Slice thin lengthwise, grill on lightly oiled grill (don't oil the eggplant slices, they will absorb all the oil in a moment, and the surface will be dry again). Marinate grilled eggplant with balsamic vinegar, garlic, and olive oil; or wrap herbed goat cheese in grilled eggplant slices; or blend with tahini paste, olive oil, and roasted garlic for baba ganoush, a classic Mediterranean spread.

- Corn. White, yellow, bi-color, and all other colors. Grill.

- Stone fruits: peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, pluots. Eat straight, blend in shakes and gelato, bake, make preserves, create sweet and spicy sauces for chicken and pork, serve as part of a cheese board... Possibilities are endless.



- Figs. Love. Just eat them. Eat them from a tree with your hands; wash them and eat them with a fork; split them and stuff with goat cheese, honey, and black pepper; wrap them in prosciutto; wrap them in bacon and grill; add them to a lamb roast; slice them into a fruit salad. Just eat them, they will be gone too soon.

- Melons and watermelons. They are just beginning to appear, and when sliced and chilled, they compliment the July weather like nothing else. I also love slices of green-fleshed melons with prosciutto.

- California king salmon. We are in the middle of the salmon season, the prices are as "reasonable" as they will get, and the fish that was caught today is usually available - this is what's important when buying fish. This fish has great flavor and texture, and requires very little adornment. A suggest grilling, pan-frying, or poaching it, then serving it with basil oil, homemade aioli, gremolata, chimichurri, or yogurt-dill sauce.



- California white sea bass is a better choice environmentally than Chilean sea bass, and almost as good. Grill.



- Santa Barbara spot prawns. If you can afford them, grill them life, and eat with a squeeze of lemon.


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Location:San Francisco Bay Area

It's king salmon season!

It's California king salmon season! Everyone here is excited about our local salmon. The market price reflects this excitement - the whole fish goes at $10.99 a pound, and fillets are $17.99 a pound. Bu the glorious fish is totally worth it, and we can afford it once a year, right?



The fishermen bring the salmon in early in the morning, it hits the Bay Area stores a couple of hours later, and then you have to catch it the second time: it's usually gone by noon.



This morning I caught about 1.5 pounds of the freshest local king salmon fillets at Sigona's Farmers Market in Redwood City. I cut it into 6-ounce portions, and made a healthy version of the classic salmon with dill sauce for 4.

Salmon with Dill Sauce
Serves 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 salmon fillets, skin on
Salt, pepper

6 oz plain Greek yogurt
1 small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
2 strips of lemon rind, yellow part only, cut with vegetable peeler, very finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt

Heat olive oil and butter in a large non-stick skillet. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Place fillets flesh side down in the skillet; let them sizzle without disturbing for 2-3 minutes. Using a large spatula, carefully turn the fish over. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until just cooked through but still juicy.

Mix yogurt, dill, lemon rind and lemon juice. Season to taste.

Spoon the sauce over the fish, garnish with lemon slices and dill sprigs.




Other ideas for cooking your local fresh salmon:

Poach it. Prepare court bouillon with white wine, lemon, black peppercorns, carrots, celery, parsley, onion, bay leaf, and enough water to cover the fish, in a deep sauté pan. Simmer 20-25 minutes to extract the flavor from the vegetables, season to taste. Remove and discard the vegetables. Place the fish fillets in the court bouillon skin side down. Simmer until just cooked, about 10 minutes, more or less depending on the thickness of the fish. Serve in soup bowls, with strained court bouillon and julienned blanched carrots and celery.



Grill it. Season the fillets with salt and pepper, brush with olive oil. Grill on preheated medium grill until just cooked, 6-8 minutes, turning (carefully, with a large spatula) once.



Here grilled king salmon is served with grilled yellow squash and a sauce of fava beans with tarragon and lemon.

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Location:Redwood City, CA

Spring vegetables

Asparagus


Steamed asparagus and broccoli with lemon dressing



Roasted asparagus with orange and oregano


Asparagus with saffron champagne vinaigrette



Grilled chicken with asparagus


Fava beans






Quinoa pasta with beans and asparagus



Fava bean dip with garlic and Meyer lemon



Beans and peas ragout

Leeks



Braised leeks in white wine



Leek, spinach, and Gruyere quiche

Radish






Sautéed radishes and watercress

Artichokes



Steamed artichokes with lemon vinaigrette


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Location:San Rafael, CA