Blog Post – Page 14

A SweeTart Buffet

Relaxed summer entertaining suggestions from Martha Stewart Living’s July issue put ChezHelvetica ahead of the game for this special mid-June buffet. Bursting with flavor, a Mint Pistachio-Pecorino Pesto doused assorted Crudites alongside a Spicy Three-Cheese Dip, sharpened with horseradish, cayenne and worcesteshire. Scrumptious Shrimp Rolls on grilled hot dog buns delighted guests with their lemon, tarragon and scallion accents; the excitement heightened further by the accompanying Acacia Chardonnay. For dessert, a delicious Frangipane Tart made with Raspberries, Tory Farms wind-swept Apricots and sweet almond filling brought smiles to our faces. The simple pleasures of summer!

June 5 – A Day of Love, Beauty & Elections

With the celestial power of Venus transiting our orbit, rays of beauty and love from the Goddess herself engulfed this 31st Wedding Anniversary celebration. In the reborn Really Room? at ChezHelvetica, we feasted on an array of grilled dishes from Sirloin Steak to Spring Squash to Baguette to White Corn. Piquant spices seasoned both the Squash from the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market (tarragon) and Corn from Trader Joe’s (chile salt), while garlic was rubbed on the La Brea Baguette. The mouth-watering Steaks from Costco needed only a little salt and pepper with a butter rub. A delicious Limerick Lane Zinfandel (Block 1970) accompanied our meal. After a dessert of Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream and TJ’s Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, we toasted to June 5 and the incredible day it was. All the Lords and Ladies were smiling aboard the Royal Viking Sea.

Mother’s Day “Tea for Two”

Celebrating my wonderful Mother with an elegant springtime tea follows in the “Tea for Two” theme prevailing at ChezHelvetica. From a Kohler soaking tub to beautiful art created by Jennifer Roberts, this occasion surmounts them all. Inspired by the recipes from the May issue of Bon Appetit Magazine, our feast included Shaved-Radish Finger Sandwiches with Herb Butter on Baguette and Curried Egg Salad (sweetened with Granny Smith apple) on Pita. With Spring Onions and Asparagus purchased the day before from the sun-drenched Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, we delighted in A Savory Vegetable and Goat Cheese Tart. Rather than using the Scone recipe in that issue, I opted for a Lemon Walnut recipe from the archives. Delicious Glashoff Farm’s Lemon Curd frosted the warm, earthy Scones. Peet’s Yunan Fancy Tea accompanied our meal in this sitting, replaced later by a DeLoach Chardonnay as we grazed throughout the evening. The secret ingredient to this celebration was unequivocally my incredible Mother. It is her strength, creativity and love that made this all possible. Thank you Mom!

A Spring Sunday Supper

With the happy lightness and warmth of Spring, a casual Sunday supper delighted all at ChezHelvetica this evening. Grilled Portabello Mushrooms (brushed with minced Garlic, Balsamic Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil) with Grilled Onions and Cheddar Cheese topped LaBrea Multi-Grain bread for an easy-to-eat entree, accompanied by roasted yellow, red and purple Potatoes accented with Rosemary. Our salad boasted the “queen of vegetables” – Endive (a member of the chicory family) and Pink Grapefruit, Avocado and Walnuts, dressed in a luscious Honey, Citrus dressing. Thanks to a recipe from Martha Stewart Living, our delicious dessert featured Meyer Lemons in a heavenly Lemon Custard Cake crowned with fresh Strawberries. Celebrating the present with loved ones!

A Spanish Seder

The chosen theme for our Seder this year reflects the rich and exotic Jewish culture that flourished for many centuries on the Iberian Peninsula, from the exotic and delicious cuisine to the colorful customs practiced at the Passover/Pesach Seder table. While guests to a Sephardic Seder customarily wear white, our table was set with vibrant yellow and red in keeping with the colors of the Spanish flag. A delicious Leek Soup replaced the traditional matzo ball soup as our starter followed by Charoset Truffles bursting with apricots, dates and cinnamon. “Huevos Haminados” or eggs turned a beautiful light brown from slow cooking in onion skins with coffee grounds replaced the ritual hard-boiled eggs. With fond memories of the Paella I saw cooking on outside fires while living in Spain, this dish took center stage at our meal with a Kosher Paella recipe. Using chicken wing drummettes, sausages, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and green beans, a savory smoked salmon embellished our fragrant saffron-infused dish. Exquisite wine from the Ribera Sacra region of Spain accompanied the meal as we said our blessings with one glass after another. An amazing Spanish Walnut Cake with Syrup “Tishpishti” was the sweet ending to our Seder and beginning of this year’s exodus to freedom!

A Candlelit Lunch

It’s a weekday. It’s lunchtime. Outside, it’s dark, cloudy and cold. Like magic, the burst of candlelight, vivid colors and warm food transform the day. Grilled stovetop, whole wheat and corn tortillas, avocado, baby spinach, cheddar cheese and salsa (embellished with Campari tomatoes) become Veggie Burritos. A Green Bean Salad (Food Network chef Ellie Krieger’s recipe) accompanies our entree. Trimmed and steamed green beans, fragrant toasted walnuts, vibrant parsley and a mustard vinaigrette burst with flavor. A happy union. BTW – the matchbook used to light the candles reads “Kathy & Freddy June 5, 1981”. More than 30 years later, the matches still ignite immediately.

Soothing the Soul

The magical elixir of Spicy Chicken Sausage & Chickpea Stew proved the perfect potion for warming stomachs and souls. Thank you Amanda Gold of the San Francisco Chronicle for the soulful connection! Aromas of browning onions and sausage filled the air as the stew simmered and chickpeas danced in the broth, garnished before serving with fresh rosemary and Parmesan cheese. A recipe from my archives, Gourmet Magazine’s Date, Goat Cheese and Mesclun Salad, with its juxtaposition of creamy, sweet flavors and sharp red-wine vinegar and soy sauce dressing, sided beautifully with the stew. Warm, multi-grain La Brea bread quite literally pulled it all together as a Bogle Zinfandel provided even more comfort. Delectable Chocolate Pecan Bars concluded the meal at ChezHelvetica. An evening of simple indulgence and deep love!

Tostadas Tonight

With a tablecloth from Cabo San Lucas, plates handcrafted by the unparalleled Rose Kahn and glassware taken from a photo shoot, the colorful tabletop was set and ready to receive the lively cuisine at ChezHelvetica tonight. Fittingly, Foodbuzz provided the recipe for the Black Bean Tostadas. Instead of using sour cream, luscious Crème fraîche with organic chives and dill dressed the romaine and black beans with salsa – all cradled by Trader Joe’s organic wheat and corn flour tortillas. Mushrooms al Ajillo, a recipe from Cesar Tapas Bar, accompanied the Tostadas. Rather than using chiles, Dave’s Gourmet smoky chile salt seasoned the shiaitake mushrooms to perfection. The velvety texture of the Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Saffron (a recipe found in Epicurious) proved an excellent counterpoint to the spicy dishes. Almost like finding buried treasure, tawny Victoria Beer paired with our food. “In Mexico it’s a very important beer, because it’s very traditional and historic because this is the oldest beer brand in Mexico,” said Cesar Martinez, Victoria beer brewmaster. With the holidays upon us, See’s premiere candies were the fun ending to our meal as we selected one delectable gem after the other. As Forrest Gump quoted – My momma always said, “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

Wisdom Is Sage

Black Friday dinner, the counterpart to a Thanksgiving feast, featured Sage as the wise choice to bridge both occasions. The Salvia officinalis (from Three Bees Nursery) used in a Brown Butter Sage Sauce was almost sweet, deliciously bathing Monterey Bay Organic Spinach and Cheese Ravioli. But let me digress, this meal began with a wonderful Roasted Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed Bananas, an “autumn in a bowl” recipe from Food & Wine magazine. A LaBrea Bakery Whole Wheat Bread, baked right before our meal, filled the air with the fragrance of its nutty taste, serving as the perfect accompaniment to sop up sauce and eat with soup. Piquant Kalamata Olives from Haig’s Delicacies and Smoked Salmon from Bryan’s Market rounded out our main course. An excellent Klinker Brick Zinfandel brought black magic to the Black Friday celebration, as did a ChezHelvetica favorite dessert – Lemon Squares from the Neiman Marcus cookbook. So here’s to being grateful and thankful, still, for the love of family and all the bounty life has to offer!

Chez Panisse Meets ChezHelvetica

With all of the recent press celebrating Alice Waters and her recipes from the past 40 years, I was inspired – in “Julie & Julia” fashion – to create some of her signature dishes. Pulling from the San Francisco Chronicle Decade 2 recipes, a delicious Baked Goat Cheese With Garden Lettuces served as a combination salad and cheese course. Goat cheese disks soaked up extra virgin olive along with fresh thyme and rosemary from the garden, then rolled in bread crumbs made from a whole wheat walnut sourdough baguette. These were baked and placed on a bed of arugula, dressed with sherry and red wine vinegars and oil. A “Thyme In” feature from the Wall Street Journal captured my attention with a Chicken with Garlic Purée and Zucchini Salad recipe. Raw summer squash from the Fillmore Farmers Market came alive in a marinade of Meyer lemon juice, basil and parsley. The savory roasted garlic purée electrified succulent grilled chicken breasts accented with sage, oregano and thyme. A perfect wine pairing was found with Husch Vineyards Mendocino Chardonnay made from sustainably grown grapes. A toast to Alice and her legacy of fresh, simple food!