Home Grown Me

Hello Raw Fish!

2009-04-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

While attending my cake decorating class in Santa Rosa, I was craving sushi for lunch. Luckily, Sappora Restaurant is right next door. This is the gorgeous Chirashi they have there. YUM! The round yellow vegetables are pickled daikon radish and they tasted awsome.....hmmm...must learn how to pickle daikon....

Cake Decorating 101

2009-04-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to score a spot in a cake-decorating class taught by Lorrette Patzwald at the Santa Rosa Junior College Culinary Arts Center. Although Lorrette is better known for her bread work, she won a James Beard award for it, the class was very informative and I enjoyed it immensely. The picture is of the cake I made in class. It's a strawberry butter cake filled with lime curd flavored cream cheese frosting and frosted with White Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting. The roses on top were made in advance and are made of royal icing with cream cheese icing leaves.

Strawberry Cupcakes

2009-03-16T10:09:00.001-07:00

In case you haven’t guessed, I am a huge follower of the locavore movement. A locavore is someone who tries to base their diet on food raised or grown within a certain distance of their home. This means eating what is in season. While I have explained the concept to Kayla on many occasions, her twelve year old brain refuses to accept the idea that strawberries should not be eaten year round, for every meal.
In an attempt to stave the strawberry crisis, I purchased some frozen strawberries (shame on me!) and tried to come up with a strawberry dessert for her.
I adapted the Cream Cake recipe from Sky High: Irresistible Three Layer Cakes and added strawberry puree in place of some of the cream it called for. Additionally, I replaced the rest of the cream with nonfat milk and whipped the egg whites to add the needed fluff to the batter. “Fluff” is my own non-culinary term for air.
I made a frosting out of cream cheese, strawberry puree, lemon juice and powdered sugar. The frosting was way too runny, and ended up more like a glaze. Despite the issues with consistency, the frosting tasted just like fresh strawberries and the whole house smelled like summertime.
Overall, they turned out pretty good for an improvisation.

Hazelnuts, hazelnuts, hazelnuts..and chocolate

2009-03-16T09:59:00.001-07:00

Have I ever mentioned I love nuts? Cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc. It probably stems from my childhood home which was surrounded by walnut orchards. During the Fall, if we needed a snack while we were out playing, we ate walnuts from the ground.
One nut I have never been a huge fan of; the hazelnut. However, I am determined to bake my way through the Sky High Triple Layer Cake book I just bought on Amazon which features several hazelnut cakes.
The hazelnut cake which caught my eye was the “Chocolate-Hazelnut Gianduja Cake”. Gianduja, as explained in the cookbook, is a “Nutella” type sweet chocolate featuring hazelnut paste.
I was unsure of how powerful the hazelnuts would be in the cake, so I added some hazelnut extract just to be certain the flavors would come through. Boy, was that a mistake! This cake was so rich; I couldn’t even finish one slice. Both David and Kayla loved it because it features chocolate whipped cream frosting that is to die for.
The cake texture was good and the frosting was yummy. I would probably make it again upon special request.
As always, if any of these recipes interest you, just email me and I will gladly provide it. nicolerene @ peoplepc . com.

Sky High: Maybe I've lost my mind...

2009-03-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

So David's father's birthday is coming up and it got out that I have been experimenting with cake recipes, so David's stepmother asked me to bake a cake. I hear his favorite flavor is lemon.
Unfortunately, this gave me the perfect excuse to try out every lemon cake recipe I could find. I tried a recipe on epicurious, but the cake turned out really dense. Then I tried a cake recipe from SmittenKitchen.Com and it turned out well, but I was looking for something a little lighter.
I finally got it right on my fourth try. I had ordered the book "Sky High: Irresistable Three Layer Cakes" a few weeks ago when I read the raves about it on several of my favorite food blogs. It arrived yesterday and has some gorgeous pictures of mouthwatering cakes of every possible flavor. And in it there was a recipe for "Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake with Lemon Curd".
I was wonderfully light and fluffy. It was also very easy to frost and was not very crumby at all. I highly recommend it.
I actually modified the recipe to be a two layer cake because I only own 2 9" cake pans. However, with the addition of this book to my collection, that is going to have to change real quick.
I used the remaining batter to make taste-testing cupcakes and sent the entire cake with David to work. He reports that it was gone by 9am the next day. Let me know how it turns out for you.

What was I thinking?

2009-02-18T15:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend was the absolute worst weekend for dieting...yes, I am on a diet but let's not talk about that now.....
In addition to the cheesecake I made for Valentine's Day, it was also David's birthday. So in addition to the HUGE cheesecake, I needed to make a birthday cake as well.
I have been wanting to try one of the cakes featured on smittenkitchen's blog for sometime, but have been waiting for an excuse to overload on all that sugar. David's birthday provided the perfect opportunity.
I chose the Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Peanut Butter Icing and Chocolate Peanut Butter Glaze....WOW, what a mouthful.
Here is a link to smittenkitchen's version http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/. She adapted it from the book Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes, which I just purchased on ebay.
I can't wait until it arrives because this cake was fantastic! It tasted very similiar to a giant reeses peanut butter cup.

Red Velvet Sin

2009-02-18T14:40:00.000-08:00

This recipe is ALL over the internet now, in celebration of Valentines Day. I adapted this recipe from Southern Living Magazine. It is sooooooo good.

Prep: 20 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 25 min.; Stand: 1 hr.; Chill: 8 hrs. The cheesecake's deep red filling and snowy topping is wonderfully dramatic. Fresh mint sprigs add a pop of Christmas color.

Yield
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups crushed oreo cookies
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
Preparation
Stir together oreo cookie crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Beat 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish, if desired.

Rhonda Y. Coker, Columbia, South Carolina, Southern Living, DECEMBER 2004

Cauliflower Puree

2009-01-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I plan to make tonight, I will let you know how it goes....

1 head cauliflower, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pull the leaves off the cauliflower and cut out the core in a kind of cone-shaped section. Then pull the florets off the head with your fingers, using a knife when you need to. Break or cut the florets into smaller, regular pieces (about 1 1/2 inch) and put them in the steamer insert. Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in the steamer pot, add the insert, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until you can poke a paring knife into the stems and you can feel that there's still a little texture there. (Tooth, it's called.) Stir the cauliflower well a few times while it's steaming so that it cooks evenly.

Dump about half of the cauliflower into a food processor. Measure out 3/4 cup of the steaming liquid, and pour in about 1/4 cup; purée until smooth. Now dump the rest of the cauliflower on top, add about 1/3 of the remaining liquid, and purée again. You'll need to stop and scrape and stir the purée a few times; add more liquid as you need to, but with the understanding that you really want to add as little liquid as you can get away with. With the motor running, process in the butter, salt, and pepper through the feed tube. Taste for seasoning and serve hot. (You can reheat over low heat in the same pan if you're not eating immediately.)

Butternut Squash and Greens

2009-01-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

This recipe was featured on the Food Network Show "The Next Food Network Star" and it is one of my favorites. The original recipe called for goat cheese, but I'm not a fan, so I substitute feta for it.

Butternut Squash
Beets Greens (any green will do)
olive oil
goat cheese
salt and pepper
walnuts
(1/2 cup chopped mint is optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Peel and cut butternut squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Place on 2 sheet trays, drizzle with olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and distribute evenly. Place in oven and bake until softened and golden.
Wash beet greens and de-stem and chiffonade greens. Toast walnuts in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Remove squash from the oven and toss in beet greens, mint and goat cheese. Top with toasted walnuts. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve warm.

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons

2009-01-26T09:50:00.001-08:00

This recipe is courtesy of Claudia Roden's cookbook "Arabesque". I made it for my boyfriend and his daughter, and they both seemed to enjoy it. Serve some toasted pita bread alongside.

Ingredients
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp crushed saffron threads or saffron powder
¼-½ tsp ground ginger
6 Free Range, organic chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ lemon, juice only
2 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 small preserved lemons, peel only
12-16 green or violet olives, either stoned or left whole

1. In a wide casserole or heavy-bottomed pan that will fit the chicken pieces in one layer, heat the oil and add the onions. Sauté, stirring over a low heat, until softened, then stir in the garlic, saffron and ginger.
2. Add the chicken pieces, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and pour in about 300ml/10fl oz of water. Simmer, covered, turning the pieces over a few times and adding a little more water if it becomes too dry.
3. Cook Chicken for 20 minutes, turnign occasionally.
4. Stir in the lemon juice, coriander, parsley, preserved lemon peel and olives. Add a little water if necessary and cook for about 10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. Serve with the olives and lemon peel on top of the meat.
Serve over brown rice or cous cous.

Preserved Lemons

2009-01-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

I have been fascinated by Morroccan Food since I picked up a copy of Claudia Roden's "Arabesque" from the library. Nothing is more fun or exciting to me then finding a new recipe I have never tried and giving it a go. Before I could get started, however, I needed to stock up my pantry with some of the necessities of Moroccan cuisine. Luckily, my Tia Marsha brought me a huge bag of lemons from the tree in her yard so I could make some preserved lemons. Also, my good friend Vickie brought me back some Saffron from her trip to Egypt. Here is a basic recipe for Preserved Lemons.

4 Lemons (unwaxed, organic, preferably local)
4 tbls Kosher Salt
Lemon Juice

Cut each lemon into quarters, keeping them attached at the stem end. Pack a tablespoon of salt into each lemon (in the cuts), and squeeze into a canning jar. Fill jar with enough lemon juice to cover. Store in a cool, dry place for one month. Check regularly to make sure lemons remain covered with lemon juice. Add more juice if necessary. They are ready after one month.
When you are ready to use them, discard the pulp, and rinse the skin to remove the excess salt.
They can also be kept in the fridge up to one year.
***Use unwaxed, organic lemons only.

After one month, the skins will be soft and will have lost all the bitterness normally present in citrus peel and pithe.

Winter Squash Galette

2009-01-26T09:37:00.001-08:00

This galette turned out awsome! It was so pretty and tasted delicious.
I highly recommend any cookbook by Deborah Madison. Even if you are not a vegetarian, her recipes may encourage you to make more meatless meals. This one is a great option for a veggie Thanksgiving.

Yeasted Tart Dough with Olive Oil
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour, as needed

2 1/2 pounds butternut squash
1 small head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for the squash
1 onion, finely diced
12 fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 egg, beaten

Preparation
Yeasted Tart Dough with Olive Oil
Makes one 9-, 10-, or 11-inch tart, pie or galette, 6 to 8 individual shells

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in medium bowl and let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Add oil, egg, and salt, then stir in flour. When dough is too stiff to work with a spoon, turn it onto the counter and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking. Set dough in an oiled bowl, turn it over to coat, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds, and brush the cut surface with oil. Stuff the garlic into the cavities and place the squash cut side down on a sheet pan. Bake until the flesh is tender, about 40 minutes. Scoop out the squash and squeeze the garlic cloves. Mash them together with a fork until fairly smooth, leaving some texture.
Warm 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sage and cook until the onion is soft and beginning to color, about 12 minutes. Add it to the squash along with the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roll out dough into a 14-inch circle and spread the filling over it, leaving a border of 2 inches or more. Pleat the dough over the filling, then brush the edges with beaten egg. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.

I am so behind!!!

2008-12-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's December already! I didn't get a chance to blog about my first Thanksgiving ever at my house. Every year I have begged my mom to let me host the holiday, but every year the family had other plans. This year, however, my mom was outnumbered.
Although our holiday meal was not entirely local, a great bit of it came from nearby farms. We had a yummy Mashed Potato and Root Veggie Puree which featured local turnips and potatoes. We also had sweet potatoe puree made with local sweet potatoes and our turkey was from within 200 miles of home. Lastly, the pumpkin pie was made with pumpkins from one of my co-workers gardens!
All in all, it was very successful and delicious, if I do say so myself.
But that's enough talk about Thanksgiving...sorry I am so behind. Let's talk about this week's answer to the Dark Days Challenge.
This week we made two meals which featured local ingrediants; zucchini quiche and pork ribs with greens. My boyfriend made the zucchini quiche last night and it featured zucchini grown in our garden and frozen many months ago, eggs from the local egg ranch, milk from Strauss Creamery (not local but not far either), and parmesan cheese (definately not local). It was to die for! I have written about my quiche recipe before, but David's version was much better than me...must have been the cheesy top crust!
Tonight, David and I collaberated on ribs and greens. He made his own rub, consisting of cumin, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and something else he would not divulge. He then rubbed it onto Sonoma Co. Ribs and seared them in a pan of local garlic and Napa Co Olive Oil. He then broiled them to finish them off. Yumm! I wilted down some mustard greens, kale, and swiss chard from our CSA box along with some local garlic and homemade chicken stock. We had some toasted wheat bread (from Safeway's bakery....I know, shame on me) on the side. The ingrediants aren't local, but at least it's baked nearby.

Dark Days Challenge 08/09

2008-11-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

I was really excited to join the Dark Days Challenge with (not so) Urban Hennery (http://urbanhennery.com/2008/10/14/dark-days-challenge-0809/) and couldn't wait to get started on my first local meal of the challenge.
Unfortunately, I was out of town the last couple of weeks and my honey forgot to pick up our CSA Veggie box. I do have some things canned from summer, but short of creating a meal out of syrupy nectarines and strawberry jam, it's slim pickins in the pantry.
As a result, I had to make due with some late season cherry tomatoes and basil from a pot on my deck....yes I am still getting tomatos and basil. What can I say? It's California.
I ended up cooking up some whole wheat pasta (not local), added my own tomatoes (homegrown), basil (homegrown), olive oil (Napa Co.- 40 miles), and garlic (local- 2 miles). It was tolerable considering the circumstances, but I am stlightly disapointed in my first attempt.
We shall have to see what tomorrow's veggie box holds in store for us......stay tuned.

My Sometimes "Go-To" Dinner

2008-10-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

To say I only have one "Go-To" dinner would be like saying I only have one pair of shoes in the closet.....a blatant fabrication.
But there is one dinner I probably make more often than any other because the ingredients are often already in my poorly stocked fridge.
Quiche always sounded kinda fancy to me and wasn't something I ever ordered when dining out. One day I ran across a whole-wheat/spelt frozen pie crust at Whole Foods and decided to give it a try.
I came across a recipe on RECIPEZARR.COM which sounded simple and promising. Here's the link to their version http://www.recipezaar.com/1809
Emeril has a non-vegetarian version that is very good as well.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/quiche-lorraine-recipe2/index.html

***Image courtesy of Food Network- FoodTV.Com

My version is a little bit different, but is pretty darn tasty if I do say so myself. Serve it with a green salad on the side for a well-balanced meal.

Veggie Quiche w/Spelt crust

1 small zucchini, grated, salted, and blotted with a paper towel (removes moisture)
1 carrot, grated
1/2 white onion, chopped (leaks would be good too)
1/4 cup non-fat milk (we love strauss milk)
1 cup cheese (we love Jarlsberg, white cheddar, and Gouda)
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tbls whole wheat flour
1 tbls olive oil
1 Frozen, Whole Wheat/Spelt Pie Crust

Saute the onion w/ olive oil for a few minutes until transparent.
Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and add onions.
Poor into frozen pie shell. Bake 45 minutes-1 hour in 350 degree oven.
Let stand 5 minutes.
Serve with a side salad. Feel free to mix up the veggies, your imagination is your limit.

Beets, Beets, Beautiful Beets

2008-10-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Beets are an interesting veggie. As a child I always thought they tasted kinda like dirt.
My mother, however, has always had a love affair with them. She was forever taking them off of my hands by snatching them off of my plate. She also likes figs, which taste like dirt to me too. Perhaps a better term is "earthy" in flavor.
As I grew older, I would occasionally pick one thinly sliced pickled beet from the salad bar and smother it in ranch dressing. This was the only way I could stomach them.
Back in August, I discovered a fresh bunch of beets in my CSA box and was at a loss for what I would do with them. I did a little research on the internet and found a recipe on Epicurious which looked promising. It only took one taste of a freshly roasted beet to realize I had been missing out all those years I was eating the pickled ones from the can.
Roasted beet salads have become a regular on our menu and I look forward to finding beets in our weekly CSA box.
Recently, I decided to try growing beets in our little veggie garden....I'll keep you posted on their progress.
Not only are beets delicious, but they offer excellent nutritional benefits. According to Organicfacts.com, beets are rich in Potassium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus and Copper. They are also relatively low in calories and are considered a natural cleanser for the body.
If you haven't tried fresh beets, please take a stab at the recipe below.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BEET-SALAD-238644

***Image borrowed from Epicurious.Com

Here is my own take on a roasted beet salad:

4 beets**, tops removed and scrubbed
3 tbls olive oil
3 tbls balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup walnuts
1 bunch arugula (or other baby greens)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle 1 tbls of olive oil over the beets and individually wrap each one in tin foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until tender.
Toast walnuts for 3-4 minutes over medium heat in a frying pan. Be careful not to burn or walnuts will be bitter.
Remove beets from oven after 1 hour. Unwrap tin foil (be careful it's hot). Gently rub beets with a damp paper towel to remove beet skins and discard skins.
Toss toasted walnuts and remaining ingredients together in bowl.
Slice beets into bitesize slices. Add beets to bowl with other ingredients.
Serve warm over arugula.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish
***Red beets are sweeter and work best for this recipe. Gold beets can be used, but they have a more savory flavor. Mix it up for a gorgeous presentation. Please choose local, organic beets.