Snap Judgements

The intended fish course for this meal was to be salmon, but one look at the beautiful, fresh red snapper at Safeway, that was it – I was off in a new direction. Quickly looking online for some cooking instructions since I hadn’t made snapper in a while, I found a recipe on Epicurious for a Roasted Red Snapper, Lemon and Artichoke dish. The original intention for the glorious artichokes from Castroville (found at Pezzini’s) was to simply steam them. Yet once again, finding I could roast them under the snapper, this lead to one more change in direction. Yam fries completed our meal with everything getting a dollop of garlicky basil aioli. Sometimes, things just fall into place!


Vanilla Flank Steak

A Master Class in Vanilla, offered by the San Francisco Professional Food Society and held at the International Culinary Academy, motivated my creation of this dinner featuring Vanilla Flank Steak. Vanilla specialists Nielsen-Massey discussed the story of vanilla and presented this recipe, among others, dispelling the thinking that vanilla is only for sweets. This savory recipe combined vanilla with chile sauce, chili powder, ketchup, chocolate, coffee, golden brown sugar Worcestershire sauce and garlic in which a flank steak is marinated for 18-24 hours, then grilled. While the recipe specified the NM essences of chocolate and coffee they offered, I substituted a little cocoa powder and ground coffee. What an incredible new taste sensation! Fingerling fries and pencil-thin asparagus were the perfect sides. So next time you use vanilla, remember to pay tribute to the Totonaco Indians of Mexico, the originators of this flavor. Then think how lucky you are now to choose vanilla from Mexico, Tahiti, Madagascar (or a host of other countries) when you start cooking!

Saturday Night Light

Q: What to have for dinner on a beautiful Saturday night that is equal parts elegant and light? A: Meyer Lemon Risotto and Seared Scallops! Inspired by a risotto recipe presented on the Today Show using créme fraîche,  spring greens and lemon juice, I ultimately used a recipe found on line through 101 Cookbooks. With the zest and juice from the abundant Meyer lemons from our friends’ gardens, chopped garlic, shallot, white wine, arborio rice, asparagus, zucchini, parsley, créme fraîche, and Pecorino-Romano cheese, this dish bursted with incredible richness and flavors. East Coast Bay Scallops from Bryan’s Market melted in our mouths, thanks to a Food Network recipe using butter and garlic. And what better for dessert than delicious strawberries from the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market dipped into that créme fraîche and golden brown sugar? Mouth-watering achieved new significance this evening!

Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acid benefits now rule editorial features in virtually all media channels, salmon being the holy grail in the food category. This evening’s dinner featured roasted wild salmon from Alaska. Although this salmon was purchased at a local Safeway, the recipe used in its preparation dates to a flightseeing excursion to Taku Glacier Lodge in Juneau during our honeymoon. A luscious mix of Meyer lemon juice, honey, butter and white wine basted the fish. The Inner Sunset Farmer’s Market offered the wonderful asparagus and Yukon Gold potatoes, simply brushed with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and prepared in tandem with the salmon. A Chardonnay from Chateau Ste. Michelle in Columbia Valley completed the “up North” theme of our dinner!

Spaghetti&Meatballs á la Chez Panisse Café

There’s nothing like a little help from Alice Waters and her Chez Panisse Café Cookbook to wipe out childhood memories of dry, overcooked meatballs with a savory herb meatball recipe. These tender dumplings floated in a simple tomato sauce made from Campari tomatoes and then sauteed in red onion, garlic and parsley. The meatballs and sauce crowned a bed of whole wheat spaghetti. Fresh spring greens and artichoke hearts, enhanced with a little sea salt and Meyer lemon juice, were a great complement to the pasta. The 25th Avenue & Clement St. Produce Market, AK Meats and Costco all played roles in my hunting and gathering. An Italian wine seemed like the perfect pairing for our meal and, indeed, A.G. Ferrari‘s house red elevated the meal even further!

Silver Seder


Our Silver Seder celebrated several milestone occasions, the most important, of course, the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Non-traditional recipes from The Sephardic Kitchen provided the perfect inspiration for our feast that evening. From charoset, made with figs, dates, apples and walnuts and rolled in cinnamon, resembling truffles (thank you Arielle) to a seared ahi tuna salad with arugula and capers to braised chicken made with honey, cinnamon sticks and San Marzano tomatoes from A.G. Ferrari. This chicken dish is a specialty of the Moroccan Jews with saffron adding an incredible fragrance and color. Whole wheat couscous, steamed vegetables and Josh’s delicious hummus accompanied the dish. Lest I forget, we began the meal with Joan’s heavenly matzo ball soup. For dessert, we delighted in a Moroccan Passover torte made with coconut, walnuts and an intoxicating orange flavor thanks to fresh-squeezed orange juice and Grand Marnier, then garnished with Michael Recchiuti bittersweet chocolate shavings and whipped cream. HolyLand Matzot from Trader Joe’s were the ubiquitous symbol throughout the ceremony, from their place on the seder plate to the concluding afikomen – “that which comes after dessert” – and results in a gift. That night, a special birthday gift for Josh!

Spring Salad

This salad captures the light of the new season with albacore tuna as the central ingredient, “springing forward” thanks to the petite nonpareil capers, kalamata olives and sweet Campari tomatoes. Roasted fingerling potatoes from Zuckerman’s Farms surround the bed of organic arugula and parsley. A combination of minced shallots, Meyer lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil dressed our spring salad. No special recipes used here, simply a culmination of shopping at Costco, Trader Joe’s, Richmond Produce Market and the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market – a testament to the age-old thinking that it takes a lot to make something look simple. Here is to enjoying this time of rebirth and renewal!

Quinoa and the Queen

A recent feature in the “San Francisco Chronicle’s ” Food & Wine section presented a Red Quinoa, Garbanzo Bean, Spinach and Fried Egg dish that caught my eye with its “Fast & Fresh” title. Substituting what I actually have on hand with the suggested ingredients is always the game at ChezHelvetica. Not red, yet organic quinoa, and arugula instead of spinach, made a delectable combination with onions sauteed in butter, extra virgin olive oil and wine. The final suggested recipe ingredient was harissa. Thanks to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, her fiery salsa ignited the dish. Sabra Hummus and Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips completed the meal. Since I was “forced” to buy red wine for the recipe, we happily imbimbed on Peachy Canyon‘s Incredible Red Zinfandel. Medjool dates and almonds crowned the evening!

Beans & Beyond

This Tuesday night meal actually started on Sunday with recipe inspiration from bon appétit magazine’s March issue. We grilled a sirloin steak seasoned with Emeril’s Rustic Vegetarian Rub and paired it with cannelini beans and cherry tomatoes, sauteed with garlic and cumin. (Did you know beans are credited with being great brain food?!) Leftovers received new life on crisp romaine hearts. The wonderfully fragrant beans and tomatoes became a dressing with added balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Fresh beans, cherry tomatoes and parsley garnished the salad. My recipe archives yielded a favorite 2007 Food & Wine recipe for Lemony Asparagus Soup, the perfect use for the asparagus – and some celery – in my vegetable bin. After feeling proud for eating this healthy meal, we splurged on delicious poppy seed hamentashen for dessert!

Sweet Beauregard Soup

With the New Orleans Saints and Mardi Gras still on my brain and rain on my head, a southern inspired menu featuring soup seemed like the perfect way to go. A huge Beauregard Yam was transformed using a Food Network recipe for sweet potato soup. Deliciously spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and freshly grated ginger from our garden, the soup is delightfully sweet from slow roasting the yam and adding just a bit of golden grown sugar. My favorite “Polenta” cookbook from Chronicle Books provided the inspiration for the herbed polenta muffins that accompanied the soup. For an easy green side, I relied on a favorite celery salad recipe from Saveur Magazine. Always in the freezer, Aidell’s Chicken and Apple sausages (purchased at Costco) completed our casual dinner. Oh yes, the new Reese’s Peanut Butter cups with Dark Chocolate now seemed like an almost healthy dessert to conclude our meal!