Under the Tuscan Sun (at Land’s End)

Warm rays of sunshine, interlaced with the warmth of good friends, created the perfect ambience for this Tuscan-inspired luncheon.  We toasted our “salute” and long friendship with Prosecco while devouring our delicious appetizer. Chef Claudio’s recipe for Bresaola (an Italian air-cured beef,) stuffed with goat cheese, garlic and parsley, received a special ChezHelvetica touch with the addition of sweet mission figs. Fresh ciabatta and mixed olives accompanied this course as well as our entree.

Fried asparagus wrapped with prosciutto (then quickly roasted) sided the new house favorite, Nude Gnocchi with a Butter Sage sauce. These pillowy Ricotta and Arugula dumplings melted in our mouths as we moved on to samplings of a Pinot Grigio and two different Italian red wines. Pellegrino helped balance our imbibing!

“Torta della Nona” or Grandmother’s Cake, a luscious custard filled tart with raisins and pine nuts, further sweetened the afternoon. And then there was Limoncello, the grand finale!

NB: The resource for most ingredients used in this menu were from Cal-Mart.

From the Maccabees to Martha, Via Tuscany

Tonight we celebrate Chanukah and Judah Maccabee’s victory in re-dedicating the Temple. (History lesson: The Maccabees found only a small jug of oil, uncontaminated by virtue of a seal, and although it contained enough oil for only one day, it miraculously lasted eight days). After delighting on latkes the first night of the holiday, this seventh night’s menu included Shiiatake Mushroom Fettucine with intoxicating Truffle Oil, creamy Burrata Cheese and Puréed Rutabaga with shallots. Chef Claudio’s recipes inspired this delicious fettucine while Martha Stewart Living provided a new twist on the root vegetables. The recipe specifies the addition of mascarpone cheese, however, I substituted a combination of cream cheese and sour cream. The fine food and wine for our meal were gathered from the wonderful Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and A.G. Ferrari. Zabaione – named “Chef Claudio’s second breakfast” – sweetened this celebration of victory and miracles!

The Wishbone

Thanksgiving ’10, a dazzling clear and chilly day, provided the perfect ambience for creating a feast. Tradition met innovation with the dishes served, from the organic turkey – painstakingly prepared on a Weber grill by my husband – to Green Beans with Blackened Sage, an Epicurious recipe advising “forget that green bean casserole”. Cornbread stuffing with fresh herbs, cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries and dried bing cherries and a yam roasted along with the turkey continued the holiday ritual of incredible aromas and flavors. The 7 Deadly Sins Zinfandel and Pecan Pie heightened the excitement of the occasion and fueled us for an after dinner walk under the Starry Night (better than Van Gogh’s). Now there is a wishbone beckoning, filled with hopes of dreams come true!

Fish Tail

On an almost tropical evening,”the tail wagged the fish” at ChezHelvetica. Indeed, the deciding factor for our choice of entree was an alluring bottle of Donovan Parke Chardonnay. Mining the Epicurious archive, I unearthed the perfect Grilled Tuna Niçoise recipe – customized to the house pantry. Ingredients included emerald green haricot vert and fingerling potatoes from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market, Campari tomatoes, arugula, hard boiled eggs, capers and Kalamata olives. Wild, coho salmon from Alaska (purchased at Safeway) replaced the tuna. The salad’s delectable herb dressing – roused by garlic and anchovies –  doubled as a dip for the rustic artisan baguette. Gelato – the quintessential warm weather dessert – topped with pomegranate seeds and balsamic vinegar –  concluded our special night.

Nude Gnocchi

Chef Claudio‘s contagious passion and joy for Italian cuisine traveled from Tuscany to San Francisco, with “G’nudi” as Primi Piatti at ChezHelvetica this evening. Instead of spinach or kale, raw arugula laced the ricotta, egg yolks and flour in this gnocchi. No longer nude, a luscious butter and sage sauce dressed the delicate dumplings. A Gourmet magazine recipe for roasted chicken breasts stuffed with garlic, herbs and extra virgin oil sizzled as Secondi Piatti. Italian bread, olives and a DeLoach Zinfandel completed the main course, fueling the preparation for Dolci. Zabaione, a mixture of sweet marsala, egg yolks and sugar. La Dolce Vita!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIKhM6RctiI]

Potato Gnocchi

With molti thanks to the International Kitchen of Chef Claudio in Tuscany, ChezHelvetica proudly presents handmade Gnocchi di Potato. Memories of the exquisite Italian landscape, beautifully dressed people and wonderful cooking lessons fueled the creation of this dinner. After consulting the conversion guide for metric weights and measures, the appropriate amount of mashed yukon gold potatoes, flour, salt and egg yolks were rolled into a rope and then cut into small pieces. The gnocchi are boiled until they float to the top of the pot which seems to happen almost instantaneously.  Heirloom tomatoes (pureed with an immersion blender) basil and salt, sauteed in garlic infused extra virgin oil, created tonight’s delicious sauce. A porcelain dish from Sienna cradled the pit-filled olives – the best tasting according to Chef Claudio. Wine from Villa Antinori, Ciao Bella gelato with Nutella from my hotel in Florence completed this happy occasion!

Artisan Inspired

For those lucky enough to venture to Paso Robles, you will be rewarded with scores of delightful wineries and restaurants. Peachy Canyon, a long time favorite, continues to thrive while the exquisite new Niner Wine Estates is destined to be a culinary destination with its demonstration kitchen. The  most amazing find of this trip, however, was Artisan Restaurant. From the delicious starter of burrata with peaches, prosciutto, smoked almonds and chervil to two other courses which inspired me to create the dishes for this evening’s dinner. Roasted artichokes, fava beans and fingerling potatoes with goat cheese and butter and seared halibut crowned with shrimp and cherry tomatoes absolutely melt in your mouth. The gifts of inspiration!

All Over The Map

ChezHelvetica Hostel guests this evening casually supped on an international smorgasbord of left-over garlic noodles from PPQ Dungeness Island to house favorite Danish Potato Salad to Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini to the crème de la Crème Fraîche on berries. AllRecipes provided the delicious recipe for the giant zucchini (a gift from the Carpenter Gardens) using the trifecta of savory cheeses – ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan – seasoned with basil, lemon juice and lemon zest. A recent San Francisco Professional Food Society event opened a new world with the introduction of sumptuous cultured cream from Kendall Farms Crème Fraîche. Mixed with a little vanilla, this heavenly topping crowned bowls of juicy blueberries for our dessert. So remember, thinking globally and eating locally with family is the greatest comfort in the world!

Roulades

The word Roulade originates from the French word “rouler” meaning “to roll.” In tribute to Bastille Day (commemorating the storming of the city’s fortress-prison), this Walnut Stuffed Chicken Roulade recipe from Martha Stewart’s “Whole Living” became my French lesson du jour. Sauteed shallots, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, fresh thyme from our garden, and walnuts filled the butterflied, pounded chicken breasts. Although the recipe also called for spinach, I chose to substitute basil and serve the spinach as the bed for the chicken. Once rolled up and strung with kitchen twine, bread crumbs and ground walnuts coated the roulades. Trader Joes’s whole wheat couscous with mini heirloom tomatoes was just the simple side needed after all that work.  And voilá, French vanilla ice cream dotted with luscious blueberries and strawberries concluded our fête!

All American with an Italian Accent

Benjamin Franklin must have originally written “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness through Grilling” in the Constitution and later changed it, the way he had replaced “subjects” with “citizens”. This dinner featured grilled salmon (beautiful wild salmon fillets from Costco), basted with Mostarda Di Anguria Bianca or White Watermelon Mostarda from Le Tamerici, a delicacy I had found at the Fancy Food Show. The salty-sweet-acid dynamics of plums and pesto, conjured by Ubuntu Chef Jeremy Fox, materialized in our Green Bean and Plum Salad. Delicate Italian green beans and sweet Tory Farms pluots from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market – and a parsley, almond pesto – indeed created a dynamic dish. The conclusion to our meal, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, pays tribute to a new American hero. A salute to Stephen Colbert and his AmeriCone Dream!