Basil Bliss

Basil is another one of my favorite foods/herbs; the perfect complement to my personal red/orange/yellow/green or multi color Tomato bliss. I think you might imagine my next favorite, but that’s another blog, but I will say it’s always white and should be consumed fresher than fresh. ;)

There is nothing that I can think of, except maybe…hmmm, I can’t think of anything, Basil can’t go with. Now keep in mind, there are several varieties of Basil, so if you want to challenge Basil's infinite use, use it as a desert garnish, choose the right variety, like sweet or lemon basil. Choose the right basil for cooking and/or drinking liquids.

I realize that Sweet is the most common, but if you have access to the various types, use them accordingly.  How tasty would a Lemon Basil sorbet be?  I quiver with enjoyable passion of the amazingly tasteful exotic flavor.

I can tell you if you choose Sweet (which is most commonly found) or Lemon Basil, this is excellent in mixed drinks that may generally call for Mint; if you are serving a spicy drink, more spicy Basil is appropriate, like Spicy Globe or Purple Ruffles.

About a year or more ago, I went out with my co-workers after I was recently let go and we met up at this bar that served a mean Pear and Basil Martini. The bar treated the drink like a Mohito, by muddling sweet basil instead of mint, served up in a martini glass. I remember that I kept asking the bartender to add more basil to my drink until it became more basil than pear and vodka because I love Basil no matter what! The Bartender thought I was crazy!

One suggestion is a twist on the tried and true Bloody Mary-We all think that Celery is a great munch, and that should not go away as the primary green for the Bloody Mary, but if you are a spicy person, muddle in some spicy Basil as an extra special addition to give your Bloody Mary a more special kick your guests will be talking about.

Hey, a Bloody Mary is essentially Tomato Based, so adding its herbal significant other can’t hurt and not make it taste like spaghetti sauce. Remember, you’re not adding oregano or marjoram and garlic, which would ultimately make a drinkable tomato sauce concoction (which wouldn't really be that outlandish and very tasty).

But, today is about Pesto, an amazing mash of Basil, Parsley, Olive Oil, nuts, cheese and additional herbs. I learned to make Pesto the old school way, originally in a mortar, but now that I own a food processor, it makes life so much easier. So I won’t subject any of you to that old world method.

There are several ways to make pesto, and not all of them need to be basil centric, but to me, the best pestos are basil dominant. Not all pesto’s need to have cheese either; my recipe this round/post is dairy free, although my pics do show slivers of cheese as a garnish only.

The one thing to note is that this is so easy to make and if you’re a person that buys that store bought stuff, you’re really missing out on the true taste of homemade fresh pesto. I will admit, on short notice, store bought pesto’s are for just that, last minute-short notice, but honestly, if you compare freshly made to store bought, you will notice the difference. For the time it takes for you to pick out pesto ingredients to the “Pre-Made Brand”, you could have made your pesto at home 2 fold.

One major difference is that homemade, you can mix it up. You can add more or less of each of the ingredients. You are not bound to what the store bought brand has sold you. You can add different herbs for different flavors and taste that will compliment your meal or appetizer. This is why I highly suggest you start and learn to make your own.  Remember, making Pesto homemade will cost you much less than if you purchased it for a quicky to get out of cleaning extra dishes or save time on your overall meal prep.

Let's just say you are making boxed pasta, the cook time is about 8-9 minutes for "aldente".  Within the 8-9 minutes, you can make pesto in about 3-4 minutes, while the pasta is cooking.  A min or 2 to peel/crush the garlic, set up the Blender or Food Processor, add the rest of the ingredients and 1-2 min to process.

Homemade Pesto, will last in your fridge for about 5 days or more and is also freezable up to 1-2 months (honestly I’ve kept homemade pesto for 2 weeks in a tight lid container in the fridge).

BTW: The cracker in the pics are a multigrain brown rice “thin cake”. I found these in my local organic market a week or so ago…Again, I am not one to promote, but these snacks are better than the thick Rice Cakes we all think and are familiar with at the supermarket. They are a product of Belgium; Suzie’s Thin Cakes. Gluten, Cholesterol, Fat and Sugar free and they are quite yummy.

Basil Mint Pesto

• 1 Bunch Fresh Basil
• ¼-1/3 bunch Fresh Italian Parsely (about a handful)
• ¼ bunch Fresh Mint (about a ¾ handful)
• 3 Cloves Garlic (medium sized) If you are a garlic freak like I am, add 1 more.
• 6 oz of Pine Nuts or about a handful
• About 1/8 to ¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Please use the good stuff for this)
• S&P to Taste
• Optional: ¼ cup Grated Parm Cheese 

Add Basil Leaves, Parsley, Mint Leaves, Garlic and Pine Nuts, and Cheese (Optional) to Food processor or Blender; Pulse until a medium rough chop. Slowly drizzle in Extra Virgin Olive oil (you may not need all of it)…you should process until ingredients are well blended; pesto should not be too “wet” and should have a consistency of say, a thickened vinaigrette minus the vinegar. Do not over process! You do not want a Puree! You want to see the herbs!

Ideas on mixing it up with Pesto:

• For Nuts Try: Almonds or Walnuts or Pecans or Cashews or hazelnuts
• For Herbs Try: Tarragon or Marjoram or multiple varieties of Basil or Cilantro or Lavender
• For Cheese: Any Hard Grating cheese will work; Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano or Asiago
• Other Thoughts: Sun Dried Tomatoes or Flavored Olive Oils or Roasted Garlic or Roasted Shallots or Roasted Peppers. 

Pesto for simple and quick dishes:

• Mix in with your favorite Pasta or even Rice as a primary sauce
• Mix in with your favorite Tomato Sauce for an extra kick!
• Replace Mayo or Mustard on Sandwiches, Pasta and Potato Salads
• As per the Pics above, use as a base spread for Appetizers
• Use as a “Dip”
• Add to Mashed Potatoes for extra flavor
• Even mix in with soups

 As Lidia would say “Tutti A Tavola A Mangiare!”

Beet the Blood Orange for Luv! It’s OK, It’s Earth Day!

I can’t remember when I didn’t love beets, but I am sure my parents would tell me otherwise. Beets are such an amazing vegetable, but I think they should call it a fruit as it is so full of sugar!

Did you all know that some commercial sugar products are primarily made of Beets? Almost half of the sugar we buy is made from beets. Yes, regular white sugar is not just from Cane Sugar, it’s from special sugar beets! Beets are an integral part of our food industry we would have never, ever thought about. This is why we should watch and read what the food industry puts forward, so we can change the overall process of foods we eat. I found out about the process of sugar from Modern Marvels, a truly great show about so many things!

No matter, red, yellow or tri color beets are a favorite of mine and I love them in very simple and flavorful meals. My first and foremost favorite is the classic borscht, cold of course, with a dollop of sour cream and the occasional boiled potato. I’m lucky that I live in NYC, as it would be harder to find classic Russian and Jewish foods without the best Deli’s in the world!

Back in the day, I found this grilled salad vegetable recipe, which I hope to post during the summer, included roasted beets from the grill, with many other exciting vegetable flavors that continually runs in the back of my mind. This grilled salad was the best I ever made and again, as time passes, I lost the original recipe, but this one is not so hard to forget. I do hope to make this soon, but as an Indoor Grill process.

So, we are in early spring and its Earth Day today! I have a great beet and blood orange salad that will satisfy everyone’s fanciful taste buds until the summer grill comes out. This is my concoction, but it can and should be modified to your taste. Realistically, this is all about the vinaigrette which can be used as a marinade or on other salad mixes.

Beet and Blood Orange Gremolata Vinaigrette

6 Servings

For Vinaigrette:

• 2 Blood Oranges (Zested, and Juiced. Slice each in halves…Saving one half for Salad)
• 3-4 Cloves Garlic (Smashed)
• 1 Bunch Italian Flat leaf Parsley (Take Leafs Only)
• 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp/Small Splash of White Wine or White Balsamic Vinegar
• S & P to Taste 

Salad Ingredients:

• 16 oz Baby Beets-Steamed and Peeled, Then Sliced
• 1 Sm Pkg Pea Sprouts, 1 Pkg Mache-aka Lambs Lettuce (if not available…2 Pkgs Micro Greens )
• Approx 10 small Artichoke Hearts (Not Marinated, can be canned or jarred or frozen)
• 1 Sm Pkg Grape or Heirloom cherry Tomatoes (sliced in Halves)
• 1 Can Hearts of Psalm (3/4 of Psalm cut in slices)
• ½ Blood Orange Pulp/Sections (Left over from Dressing)
• 2 oz Plain Goat Cheese (or Goat Cheese of your choice) Crumbled 

Blood Orange Gremolata Vinaigrette Prep:

1. Grate/Zest Both Blood Oranges and set Zest aside. Juice 1 1/2 of the Oranges.
2. Take Garlic and Smash, then chop roughly
3. Take Parsley Leaves and chop roughly
4. Add Blood Orange Zest, Garlic and Parsley and chop all ingredients together, finely. This becomes the Gremolata.

BTW-You can do Steps 2-4 in a food processor or blender. Just remember, ‘pulse’ until fine.

1. Add Gremolata to a Bowl or Jar.
2. For Jar, add Blood Orange Juice, Olive Oil, White Vinegar, S & P, close cap and shake vigorously.
3. For Bowl, add Blood Orange Juice, Olive Oil, White Vinegar, S & P and with a whisk, mix vigorously and place in Fridge for approximately 2 hours. 

For Salad Prep…This is the easy part. There really is no order to placing the ingredients.
Just place the following in a large salad bowl:

• Beets
• Mache or Micro Greens
• Artichoke Hearts
• Tomatoes
• Hearts of Psalm
• Blood Orange Pulp/Sections
• Crumbled Goat Cheese 

Finally, when ready to serve, add Blood Orange Gremolata Vinaigrette to desired taste, but only add minutes prior to serving or salad will wilt. Tip: The dressing goes along way and you don’t need as much as you think. When adding Vinaigrette, use a little at first and mix with clean hands. You definitely want to be delicate when dressing all the salad.

HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERYONE!!!!

I Confess! I was a Tomato Thief!

Of all the foods I have eaten in my life, the Tomato is to me the most endearing and favorite fruits/vegetables of all time (I call it a fruit). I eat heirloom, regular, cherry and grape tomatoes like candy! I am a sucker for homegrown heirloom Tomatoes of any variety and this story dates back to one of my earliest memories of one of my favorite foods of all my time. It’s a long post, but I promise an amazing recipe and hopefully a funny story will come out of it!

I think I was about 7 years old; the place was Newtown, Connecticut. My parents were still together and my sister was just someone I could bully, being the big sister that I was. We lived in a beautiful converted barn (yes it was painted red and the details white!) that stood on top of a U shape dip with what seemed to be a high hill at the bottom of the street where the best friends, at the time, of me and my sister lived.

There was a little creek (if looking at our street from the north) on the left bottom side of our U street in the back woods where my father would on rare occasions take us fishing for “so called trout” with stick poles and fishing string. All we ever caught were teeny minnows (I think) and the occasional frog and salamander.

On the upper right street, the house semi across from us, I remember always seeing Red Breasted Robins eating the worms and seeds from that front yard in the early morning. The house at the top of the street (between the inbound and outbound roadway and facing the main road) always had a great garden of Rhubarb every year. I think I remember the woman gave us some of her garden feast at some point. She must have, as I do remember Rhubarb Pie and other Rhubarb tastes like eating raw Rhubarb coated with sugar!

But on the far left middle side of our U shape street, there was a family/home that had a garden I was definitely more interested in. They had a garden of TOMATOES!!!! I think I remember the family that lived there, but not too sure. I want to remember it was the family who had this baby girl Megan (2 yrs old) who when us stupid kids asked her to say “Truck” she would say “F@#K”. Us kids at the time got a huge kick out of that (Hey, it was the late 70’s)!

No matter, this was MY GARDEN. My home had great stuff to pick from like peas, blackberries, pears, mulberries, crab apples and other stuff my father and mother planted. But not like this garden down the road. This garden was a plethora of tomatoes for me.

So, in early morning and late afternoon, I would sneak into this open garden and just pick the tomatoes from the vine and eat them trying to hide myself between the stalks/vines. I do remember being sneaky about being in the garden worried that someone would catch me. I remember going to the garden and just grabbing as many tomatoes as I could and running away and then devouring them before I went home. I did know I was doing something wrong, but I just loved those Tomatoes so much!

What I most remember aside from stealing the tomatoes is really about the fact that I just grabbed a tomato from the vine, and sunk my teeth into a most glorious fruit! As a child, I could not get enough of these Tomatoes; the taste to this day, when every bite into any tomato, it is hard for me to accept as I equate my taste bud memories to what I am eating presently.

When you taste that freshly picked fruit and just bite into it, there is no comparison to what’s out in the markets today. My buds tell me I must smell the vine on the fruit first, and then when you bite in like you would a peach its sweet…It’s so hard for me to explain, as it’s such a mind game for me. I am not sure I can give the tomato the justice I want to give it from my mind…there is no need for sugar or salt to bring out the taste as it’s all so natural to just eat it raw, just like a peach.

Well, that’s my story, I did try to keep it short, and hope you all enjoyed the read, but there is the real reason I started the discussion of Tomatoes. We are coming into spring and soon summer will be upon us. Yes, Tomatoes are best in July/August, but starting in May, you can start to purchase really great homegrown tomatoes. Please buy from your local farmer and not the supermarket!

As I mentioned on my other Page "What am I Cooking Next", I was going to cook for a special occasion and I did, just this past weekend. It was my Brother In-law’s B-Day. Technically, my sister and her bo are not married, but they have been together long enough for me to say he is definitely family. Because he is family and I have no money to really give him a proper gift, my gift is cooking. So I cooked a 3 course meal that included the Ravioli I posted a few days back, Soup and a Salad. The salad story will be posted soon.

My Brother in law mentioned to me that he was given last summer’s preserved tomatoes from his mother who resides in Indiana and that gave me the idea for a nice spring soup to prepare for him. So my sister is still on her vegan diet and I did try to search for a Tomato recipe that wasn’t salad based and I really did want to make a soup. I scoured the web and my cookbooks for a chilled tomato soup that was not dairy or bread based and wasn’t gazpacho.

I will tell you all, unless you really know where to look, real unique Tomato vegan recipes are hard to find. I am sure any vegan reading this will tell me otherwise. But I wasn’t just looking vegan, but a recipe any one would enjoy overall.

So I did ultimately come across a Chilled Tomato and Avocado Soup recipe, but it did require a dairy product. So, what I ended up doing is omitting the dairy and changing things up in the recipe. This resulted in a No Cook, No Bake, No Dairy, No Bread Recipe. I will link you to the original recipe I modified greatly from…In case you want the Dairy version. But I’ve got to say, my version is so much better and healthier for you overall.

NOTE: For the Tomatoes…I had the privilege of using preserved homegrown Tomatoes, but canned will work. For canned, be sure to remove the tomatoes to a glass bowl and chill for 24 hours to remove the tininess.

Original Recipe Link (BTW-There are many links of the same recipe out there, this is just one of them.)

My Chilled Tomato and Avocado Soup-Revised and more Original.

Makes approx 8 Servings

Special Equipment: Either a large Blender or Food Processor. If you have a Medium Blender, you may have to do this in batches. Using a Handheld Stick Blender doesn't work so well, but if that's all you have, then go for it!

• 32 Ounces Whole Canned or Preserved Tomatoes with Juice
• 1 Large ripe Tomato (Beefsteak or Ugly Heirloom) or 2 Medium Hydroponic Vine Ripened Tomatoes-Roughly quartered
• 4 Ripe Avocados (2 should be quartered/sliced for the soup base)
• 1 Medium Onion-Roughly quartered
• 1 Large Red Pepper or 2 Med Red Peppers-Roughly quartered
• ½ Cup Lemon Juice (Real Lemons-No Lemon Substitutes)
• ½ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Bunch Chives
• S & P to Taste
• Optional: Fruity or Spicy Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

1. Add ¾ of the Canned/Preserved tomatoes (Reserve ¼ of tomatoes), Fresh Tomato, Avocado, Onion, Red Bell Pepper, and lemon juice to Blender/Processor
2. Puree until smooth.
3. Transfer Tomato and Avocado mixture to large bowl.
4. Take canned/preserved tomatoes and roughly chop keeping the pieces bites size, but not too small. Whisk in remaining canned/preserved tomatoes to Tomato and Avocado Mixture.
5. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste and chill for 2 to 24 hours.
6. Garnish individual servings with remaining Avocado (Sliced), chopped chives, and optionally a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I swear it was not a "Dis"

Ok, most of you read my blog: Food Traditions-Bodega Style and may have thought based on my comments in the 3rd paragraph regarding my sister's diet, I dissed her in some way or another.

Sorry if my comments alluded to that, but I never meant to "dis" her in any way. My sister is a vegetarian as well as her boyfriend. I fully respect their dietary choice and if you asked them personally, I always, when planning a feast consider them more than the meat eaters in the family or the desire of friends or my appetites.

It just so happened that I mentioned her in a sugary sense.  My sister loves sweets more than an I and I was only reflecting the fact that I knew that she would not want to be tempted by sugar and if I did tempt her, it should be more organic and vegan in nature as a better option.  Not that she would refuse any sweet offerings from me in any sense, I understand that she would rather refrain and go for a healthier version if offered.

The fact that my sister is a vegetarian (will eat fish occassionally), comes as a great challenge to me as a cook.  For a person who always learned to cook meat and meat based recipes, I now have to learn to cook those same family recipes without a poultry or meat base for her and her bo.  I have welcomed this challenge and I hope that in past menus for them, I have succeded to thier food enjoyment.

As a sister, I am proud that she has stuck to her beliefs in food in general. I may be a meat eater, but what my sister has educated me over the years is to understand my food and the food I cook and respect those who choose not to eat meat.

In many years past, vegans and vegetarians were thought of as wacky, free being, communal folks but in today's world, they are exactly what people should be (well maybe not so communal). The rest of us are only slowly learning this through the media in which we are so drawn to and rely on. That's a sad and sorry means to learn something that should be inherent.

Those vegetarians, vegans and macro biotic in years past were so way ahead of the game when it comes to wanting to live a full and healthily life. Being eco friendly and appreciate what mother earth gives them.

We as a crazy American society are just learning what the food we eat, does to our body. I for one do admit that I am not the perfect eater. Again, I love meat, but that does not mean I don't care about the meat I do eventually eat and do not care about my ultimate health.

I've seen the documentaries on the slaughter houses, the mis treatment of animals, but what is at the most injustice is the corporations that are controlling what and how we eat. It is time for us to take back control. The movie/documentary that really opened my eyes was Food Inc. This was a turning point for me as I learned with all the technology we have, we as the consumer should speak up by purchasing the right foods. By purchasing the foods we know where it comes from.

Please start to buy Organic, Pasture Fed and Bred and Free Range.  Add more veggies and whole grains to your dietary appetites. You will live happier and longer and most likely keep you away from the hospital.

3rd in a Million Ways to Prepare Potatoes

So, I watched Secrets of a Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell a few weeks back and she prepared a potato dish called “Pommes Chef Anne”. It’s funny that this show magically appeared, as I was putting together a post about one of my favorite potato dishes: Potato Pancakes. But Chef Anne’s dish looked so good; I thought I would forgo the potato pancakes this time and try her recipe out.

I ultimately made 2 batches on separate days, but I forgot, with the first one I made, to take pictures and that gave me an excuse to make it a second time. I modified Chef Anne’s recipe on both occasions because I felt I wanted a little more flavor.

The really nice thing about this recipe is it’s between a potato pancake and an au-gratin (without all the dairy and butter). Don’t get me wrong, there is cheese-Parmesan Cheese! One of my kitchen staples. But I rarely think of Parmesan Cheese as a heavy dairy product like Cheddar and other worldly cheeses.

So following the recipe, my first go at it I layered in thin slices of onion. This was absolutely delicious, but my second round I added thin slices of garlic and onion and it made the dish even better! I topped the second version with a drizzle of Serrano cream, which was the ultimate addition to flavor.

Sorry-I did not take pics with the cream on top. I was so hungry when I made this, that I completely forgot.

Here is the Recipe Link: Pommes Chef Anne

Serrano Cream

• 3 fresh serrano chilies or jalapeños, seeded and chopped fine 
• 1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt  
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Make the serrano cream:

In a blender or mini food processor blend together the chilies, the garlic paste, and the sour cream until the mixture is combined well. (Be careful not to overblend the mixture or the cream may curdle.) Force the mixture through a fine sieve set over a small bowl. The serrano cream may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and brought to room temperature before serving.