As Tony Mendez transformed U.S. diplomats into a Canadian film crew, ChezHelvetica elevated the ABCs to a new plateau with untried recipes for Acorn Squash, Asparagus, Beans and Cauliflower. Winter met spring as the cold weather outside saw the first of the season’s asparagus, and warmth replaced chill with soothing soup and the fragrance of coriander. For a dinner to be ready after “Argo“, Cauliflower Soup with Garbanzo Beans and Acorn Squash Rings with Asparagus filled our bill. The Farmers’ Markets at the VAMC and Ferry Plaza, along with Trader Joe’s, yielded the beautiful bounty for this dinner. A luscious walnut sauce dressed the squash and asparagus as Alma Chardonnay from Chile enlivened us. TJs Pecan Pie Ice Cream was the final credit of the evening. Applause!
Tag: Trader Joe’s
Simple. Really!
In a world filled with complications, it’s nice when something is simple like one recipe for an entire dinner and one store for all ingredients. Thanks to Real Simple magazine, Steak with Mozzarella and Tomatoes was the featured entree at ChezHelvetica this evening, and thanks to Trader Joe’s all ingredients beckoned from their shelves. After cooking seasoned New York Strip Steak in olive oil, the steak rested and then Cherry Tomatoes were added to the pan along with petite “Ciliegenie” Mozzarella Balls and Basil leaves just plucked from our beautiful plant. Warm Ciabatta completed the course as we quaffed house favorite Bogle Zinfandel. TJ’s Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, plopped container and all on the table, provided the effortless, sweet conclusion to this fun meal. As my Mother-in-Law oft stated, K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stupid. Grace would have enjoyed this dinner too!
Time For Those “S” Words
Sun. Summer. Squash. Salmon! This evening’s repast featured Squash in a rich Zucchini, Yellow Squash Tart bubbling with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and hints of Garlic, Honey and Thyme. This FoodBuzz recipe is actually a galette, however, the ChezHelvetica pantry yielded a crust used for the dish. Blessed with the bounty of healthy salmon this season (and masterfully skinned at CalMart), a “Dilly Salmon Salad” sided with the Tart. With both Dill Pickle and fresh Dill used, just imagine the tangy flavor heightened by Lemon Juice and Dijon Mustard. Butter lettuce, just plucked from its root, bedded the salad. Parties that Cook provided our Blueberry, Raspberry and Peach Dulce de Leche Crisp dessert recipe. Succulent Peaches and sweet Berries from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market comprised the fruit filling with Trader Joe’s Pecans highlighting the Pecan-Oat topping. Then – witness the amazing transformation of a can (literally the can) of sweetened, condensed milk – boiled for two hours – into decadent Dulce de Leche! Our final “S” – Supreme!
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.
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In What Way Do You Find This Night Different?
The leader of our Passover Seder posed this traditional question to the Chosen Family and Friends present. The Wise Son quickly responded with a non-traditional answer: Matzo! The same could be said for the first Italian Seder at ChezHelvetica, “From San Francisco to Siena”. Drawing from archives of classic Italian Passover recipes, together with suggestions from Chef Claudio, the menu came to life. Our first course featured Laura Chenel chèvre spiked with minced garlic and parsley and wrapped in Breseola with Mission figs. A tantalizing Matzo Ball Soup made with matzo meal and ground chicken followed along with Italian Charoset bursting with fragrant spices, orange, almonds and luscious dried fruits. We reclined, thanks to Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio, Pio Cesare Barolo and Villa Antinori Toscana wines. Ah, the main course — Spigola Arrosta, Red Snapper (delivered to Antonelli’s Market that morning) accented with rosemary and anchovies then slow roasted on a grill, Porcini Matzo Polenta enhanced with basil and oven roasted artichoke hearts with garlic. For dessert, beautiful sweet strawberries from a roadside stand in Rio Vista and French Vanilla yogurt from Trader Joe’s with incredible Ricciarelli di Siena, almond and meringue cookies dusted with confectioners’ sugar. An almost biblical journey to freedom and epicurean delight!
And Now a Volcano!
With earthquakes and tsunamis on my mind, the flowing Garlic Volcano Bread at Boudin Bakery certainly caught my attention. Happily, this delicious bread proved the perfect accompaniment to Spaghetti And Meatballs Allamatriciana. This recipe from Bon Appétit Everyday Meals provided a new twist on the traditional dish with the use of mouthwatering applewood smoked bacon as the charcuterie of choice in combination with ground beef, panko breadcrumbs aromatics and the spices. Let the truth be known that instead of using the tomato sauce ingredients from the recipe, I used Prego tomato sauce left over from Burning Man. The organic Trader Joe’s whole wheat spaghetti couldn’t have been happier. The Wall Street Journal’s “Off Duty” section inspired our salad. The ChezHelvetica version used horizontally sliced Tory Farms navel oranges, arugula, goat cheese and toasted walnuts with a balsamic vinaigrette enhanced by Italian parsley and fresh oregano from our garden. And ZAP, a tantalizing bottle of Zynthesis Zinfandel quaffed our thirst!
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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!
A Veritable Fresh Fish Feast
Recent communiques from EveryDay Food piqued my interest with their focus on fish (a house favorite), with options that transform the taste experience. The Lemon-Parsley Fish Cake recipe specified cod, but I substituted tuna which jumped from “everyday” to “gourmet” with the added green onions, capers and French bread crumbs. The quickly sauteed cakes were nested on a bed of organic arugula, accompanied by buttery yukon red and gold potatoes from Zuckerman Farms. A basil aioli enhanced everything on the platter. The pursuit of trout for the Trout with Brown Butter and Olives recipe finally came to a conclusion with the pristine fillets found at Trader Joe’s. The spicy butter sauce dressed the broiled fish and an organic quinoa salad, intensifying the sweet Campari tomatoes and savory shallots. Adding to the pleasure of these meals were the platters used; the flowered ceramic one acquired at Gump’s for a few dollars at an employee only sale and the glass fish platter from what was Judith-et-Hokins, one of the first gourmet shops in San Francisco. Both beloved treasures! 
Is the Fish Fresh?
The answer to my husband’s perpetual question in this case is a resounding YES, in fact the fish is Wild. A Martha Stewart Living recipe with the magic words “you make the main and side dish all in one pan” got me going! The succulent halibut from Alaska (purchased at Safeway) roasted alongside the baby zucchini while I made the luscious butter sauce, substituting shallots for the onion. Why cut into a whole onion for such a small amount? Whole wheat couscous from Trader Joe’s, studded with delicate shiitake mushrooms from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market, completed the meal. A Pacific Rim Dry Reisling helped the celebration of warm weather – finally – and beginning of the Memorial Day Weekend. Halleluyah!
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!
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