Trader Joe’s

Parmigiano-Reggiano

For over seven centuries, Parmigiano-Reggiano has been delighting the world; celebrating the individual with its own unique inconsistencies. At the Fancy Food Show, ChezHelvetica acquired The Seasons of Parmigiano-Reggiano and selected two recipes from “Summer” for this weekend’s sumptuous repast. Like the painstaking, hand made process of the cheese (made in the controlled district of the Conzorzio del Formaggio), these dishes required a similar effort. Melanzane in tortiera (Baked Layered Eggplant) consists of three layers of sliced, broiled Eggplant, Tomato Sauce (made from Italian Plum Tomatoes that have been seeded and grated to pulp with Garlic, Red Onion and Marjoram), Bechamel Sauce, and Fontina and Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheeses. Panino ai funghi (Portabello Mushroom Sandwich), smeared with a Savory Parmigiano-Reggiano Spread made with Artichoke Hearts, accompanied the Baked Eggplant. Trader Joes’s wonderful Tomato-Olive Focaccia sandwiched the Grilled Portabellos from the Richmond Produce Market. A Hess Select Chardonnay paired perfectly with the rich, velvety dishes and Tory Farm Peaches (offered naked or with Butter Pecan Ice Cream) made the ideal dessert. A surprise, anniversary visit by “Just Joey” sealed the occasion!

Amaranthaceae – with Warm Bacon Dressing

From the edible flowering plant family Amaranthaceae (first grown in 14th century Persia), behold Spinach! Catherine de’ Medici, Queen of France, so loved Spinach, she insisted it be served at every meal. The name “Florentine” evolved for dishes using this leafy green in reference to Florence, her place of birth. From Catherine’s table in 1533 to ChezHelvetica’s in 2013, we dined on Spinach Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing. Sweet Red Onion and White Mushrooms from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and Baby Spinach from Trader Joe’s received their savory crown of thick sliced Bacon, Balsamic Vinegar and Dijon Mustard dressing. Homemade Chicken Soup and Acme Bread’s wonderful Pan de Mie completed this course of the feast, paired with lush Geyser Peak Sonoma County Chardonnay. Tory Farm’s first of the season Peaches, sauteed in butter and served a la Mode with roasted Walnuts, royally concluded this Saturday soiree!

The ‘Shrooms at Chez

Mushroom foraging for ChezHelvetica commenced at the foot of Mt. Hamilton last year and migrated to SOMA this year. Treasure was found at Trader Joe’s in large, meaty Cremini Mushrooms, the perfect ingredient for Leek, Mushroom and Lemon Risotto or for a rustic Mushroom Tart – two Saturday night dinners. For the Risotto, Leeks from the VAMC Farmers Market and the Mushrooms were sauteed in Truffle Oil (my addition) and added to Arborio Rice along with Lemon Juice and Zest, Herbs, Butter and Parmesan Cheese for a symphony of flavors. An Asparagus and Arugula salad completed the meal, with Unruly Red Zinfandel in the role of conductor. Layering the phyllo crust for the Tart was a new adventure, oiling and sprinkling bread crumbs on each of the ten delicate layers. Ricotta, Goat Cheese and Thyme from our garden filled the crust, with Mushrooms and Chicken-Apple Aidell’s Sausage crowning the rich, flaky Tart. An Artichoke Heart and Arugula salad joined the stage with a Bogle Zinfandel in the commanding role. Encore, Encore!

The Magic of ABCs

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!

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.

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!

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!