Smelt Avocado Pain Grillé

"Pain Grillé" in French means "Toast", but literally means "Grilled Bread" and that is exactly what we did!

This was a creation by Chris and I after having tasted something similar at Bar Jules a lovely restaurant in Hayes Valley. We were so enthralled by it during our dinner there that we decided we had to try to re-create it for his birthday party this June 4th. At Bar Jules they were made with fresh anchovies, but since we could not find fresh anchovies anywhere in town, we settled for something very similar, Smelt.

Smelt is usually fried and eaten whole but this dish required something more refined and dainty. I personally filleted 22 smelts for this dish, a task I had little to no experience with yet took on with great confidence.

All photos below depicting the process were taken by Chris' cousin Sherman and Chris' friend Ninh.


The second little fishie to suffer his fate.


Almost done, that's a lot of heads... The process is very meticulous and intricate.
These are very small fishes.


All done! They look so sweet and fresh!


How many are there? 22? Actually they short-changed me.... there are only 21.


I'm quite proud of myself.


Grilling the bread. We used Pain au Levain, which is perfect for this dish.


Chris lightly pan frying the fishies. They only took about a minute or less
to cook as they just melt like butter! Before frying we seasoned the smelt
lightly with salt and pepper.


The grilled bread got rubbed with fresh garlic cloves and then sliced avocado
seasoned with lemon and salt and pepper. Then topped with the freshly fried
smelt. Everyone contributed to the stacking process. It was like an assembly line!


The final moment, before disappearing into thin air! They were as good if not
tastier than they look, which says a lot, since they looked quite lovely. We
were all very proud of ourselves, as everyone contributed to making this such a success.

Little Biscuits!

Made them this morning on a whim as I ran out of bread at home and could not accept skipping breakfast.

They are made of 1 cup of Trader Joe's Multigrain Pancake Mix, 1/2 cup of soy milk, and 1 1/2 tbsps of olive oil.

Anyhoo I mixed it all up, kneaded it several times, patted it into a square 1/2 inch thick and then took a sharp knife and cut down the middle from top to bottom and then across, to form 4 little squares. Put the 4 squares on a lightly floured baking paper and baked it for 9 minutes at 425 Fahrenheit.

This is how they turned out:



They were really good straight out of the oven and dabbed with butter and a little fig jam. Mmmmm!

Favorite Foods of Santa Fe, NM

Bert's Burger Bowl's Green Chile and Cheese Veggie Burger


Counter Culture Pictured here is the Grilled Salmon Sandwich with Shoestring Fries, a delicious Soy Mocha and below is their prized Salmon Thai Coconut Soup and a tasty Arnold Palmer.





Chow's Old Lady Tofu


Counter Culture, Again... Here is their Smothered Breakfast Burrito. New Mexico is the official birth place of the breakfast burrito. They entail 2 scrambled eggs, potatoes, lots of cheddar and jack cheese, and the most important ingredient, green chile.


San Francisco Bar & Grill is always a delicious place to go. My and my sister's favorite is the Grilled Cheese Pesto Sandwich on black bread.


Ecco Gelato Pictured is their hazel nut and chocolate gelatos in a small cup.

TCHO

Photo Source

A new chocolatier in San Francisco.... Looks interesting...

Coppeneur — Lavendel & Cranberries

Brief: Dark chocolate (min. 72% cacao) filled with lavender cranberry ganache.

Tasting Notes:
Aroma before break: Sherry liqueur, port, grape juice concentrate, red wine, cranberry juice, raspberry, ganache, green bell pepper, arugula leaves, chalk, walnut, powdered sugar, levain bread, raspberry seed, green pepper-corn, salt, caramelized red peppers, tomato sauce.

Aroma at break: Salted pretzels, cherry, marmalade, cranberry, lemonade, polished oak wood, Grand Marnier, blintz, blood orange.

Taste #1: Tart cranberry, warm brown bread, rice starch, green apple, dried cherries, chalk, crushed grapes, after-taste of uncooked pasta, flour.

Taste #2: Blood orange, cranberry, oregano, grape leaves, raspberry seeds, green melon, finish of watermelon rind, potato starch, lavender, thyme, green strawberry, green bell pepper, after-taste of grape skin/seed, vine, pickled cabbage?, sour dough bread.

Overall: At first a very tangy yet creamy bar. Rich and juicy. Like eating fresh tart fruit. Then, deep chocolate surfaces with the breaddy qualities which then develop into a more dry and starchy mouth-feel and flavor towards the finish and after-taste. Lavender only hints into the after-taste for me, upon the second tasting. Perhaps this bar was not at its prime freshness. Lots of green bell pepper for some reason. Enjoyed the alcohol-like qualities of sherry and port.

Rating: B+

Ingredients: sugar, cacao mass, cacao butter, concentrated cranberry fruit juice (10.3%), whole milk powder, glucose syrup, cream, butter, humectant: sorbit, natural cranberry flavor (0.7%), lavender (0.3%), emulsifier: soy-lecithin, natural vanilla.

Company info:
www.coppeneur.de
Confiserie Coppeneur et Compagnon
53604 Bad Honnef
Germany

Bernard Dufoux — Orangette

Brief: Candied orange rinds enrobed with dark chocolate (min. 80% cacao).

Rating: A+

Company info:
www.chocolatsdufoux.com
Les Chocolats Bernard Dufoux
15, Rue Archers, 69002 Lyon
France

Homentasch Cookies

Recipe below.


It was fun and delicious! My first time making Homentaschen. This recipe was altered by me, to make it just a little better!!!!

Blood Orange Homentasch Recipe (makes 32 such)
(You can cut recipe in half to make 16 instead)

Dough
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
a little salt
200 gr cold butter
blood-orange zest, of one blood-orange or more
2 egg yolks
2-4 Sp blood-orange juice

Filling
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
150 gr poppy seed
2 Sp honey
1 Sp lime juice
some spoons of apricot preserves
some spoons of Triple-Sec (by taste and consistency, to make a paste)

Preparation
1) Dough:
Mix all dry ingredients, add orange zest. Chop butter to shards and work with fingers into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles crumbly sand.
Add egg yolks until a grainy consistency. Add 2 tablespoons of orange juice until the dough is smooth.
It may require an additional tablepoon of juice.
Wrap in plastic sheet and chill for at least 2 hours.

2) Filling:
Bring water and sugar to boil. Add poppy seed and bring back to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick and reduced.
Remove from heat, add honey and lime juice. Mix and let cool. Mix apricot preserves with triple-sec to make paste and add to poppy seed mixture. Taste and add more if need be.

3) Preparations:
Prepare a bowl with egg yolk/water and a brush. Line a baking dish with non stick paper or greased foil.
Prepare a chilled, floured cutting board. Cut the chilled dough to 4 section and leave 3 in the refrigerator.

4) Cutting circles:
Roll the dough or flatten with the back of your palm, fight stickiness with flour but do not overdo or it will change the crumbly nature of the dough.
Roll out sections of the dough to 1/4th inch width. It may be easier to work with small portions of dough due to stickiness.
With the help of a round floured glass press the dough to cut out circles.
Wet a little the edges of each circle of dough with water.

5) Fill up and form:
Put 1/2 or 1/3 spoon of the poppy seed filling onto the center of a circle. (Do not overfill or the triangle will burst during baking...)
Fold over to create the triangular shape. Press the wetted edges together firmly and put onto the baking dish.
Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

6) Preparing to bake:
Set the oven to 325 F.
Brush the triangles overall with the egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of cold water

7) Bake:
Bake for 15 minutes or until nice and golden

8) Cool off:
On rack for 25 minutes

9) Sugar powder:
Once in room temperature, sprinkle sugar powder amply.

On a cold stormy night...

...what could be better than a warm drink to feel cozy at home.

How about a perfectly frothed rich hot chocolate, with a dash of ground cinnamon on top!?

No words will suffice to describe this delight.

While sipping away, I am wondering what my next triumph will be...

Hmm, what would Frothed Soy Powdered Green Tea taste like? I am sure it would be awesome! Ellie, you will have to tell me where to buy some good powdered green tea for this experiment!!!

Mmm!
.....................
Update 02/27/07:

I had another thought! I was thinking that I could make my espresso in the morning, and then add a little cacao powder to the espresso, mix it well together and then add hot frothed soy milk!

Yes, maybe that is called a Mocha, but I have no clue... Never had a mocha before anyhoo...

Mother Daughter Dinner!

A awesome dinner hosted by Ellie and her mom.


Ellie and her mom.


Me and my mom.

View a more detailed account of this fabulous dinner at Ellie's blog.

Making the Walnut Oyster Mushroom Stuffing

This is a very tasty dish I made during our Thanksgiving preparations. It was a real success!

More Thanksgiving Dinner photos here.

The Moka Pot and How to Use One...

Hello! Just so that you think I am just a little more crazy than you originally thought, I shall talk to you once more, about coffee...

(Well I do have an excuse, a dear fellow requested a post on this topic...)

Today I want to introduce you to the Moka Pot. It is a genius invention by the Italians from the year 1933. It was designed to easily and cheaply allow people to make espresso at home.



It is a simple piece of machinery made of aluminum, and has three parts to it. The bottom chamber initially contains water, the second is the filter and the third is the top chamber garnished with a handle, lid and spout, where the brew finally ends up and gets poured from.



I shall show you today how to use one of these little guys with these wonderful step-by-step instructions:

Step 1. Fill the bottom part with water until it has reached just below the brass valve.

Step 2. Place the filter on top and begin to fill it with fine grind espresso beans.



Step 3. Fill until the top but do not press down or tamp, just let it be flat level to the surface.

Step 4. Place the top chamber over and screw it tightly until it feels snug.

Step 5. Place the Moka Pot on the stove, lift up the lid, and turn the heat to medium.

Step 6. Stick around and watch, because soon, dark liquid will start pouring out of the inner tube. Once this happens, close the lid and listen carefully.

Step 7. Pay attention and wait for a boiling sound. Once you hear it, turn off the heat immediately, and let the pot sit.

Step 8. Once you no longer hear any boiling sounds, you may lift up the lid and look!

Step 9. It is recommended to mix the espresso around a bit. Not sure why, but it's part of the ritual....

Step 10. Now you are ready to pour! Find you favorite shot cup and pour. Do not expect your usual crema when making espresso this way, it is a rare occurance...

Step 11. Marvel at how cute your cup looks!

YAY, you made espresso!

This technique is highly recommended when you are not keen on spending hundreds of dollars on a full on espresso machine. This technique will yield a truly rich and satisfying espresso rivaling those at your local caffes, unless you live near some top notch caffes, but then, at least you can say it comes close.

The moka pot is fun to use, and very low maintenance. A note when washing the pot: Only rinse in water. Do not use soap or detergent, or put in the dishwasher. This allows the highest flavors to form. All Italians would vouch for this note. They never scrub their Moka Pots... Only rinse in water.

Umm, you can buy different size Moka Pots, depending on how much espresso you enjoy making, at most kitchen supply stores. The average cost of a 3 shot pot is around $20.

Let me know if you have any comments, or experience using one of these guys, or if my instructions need work.


This post is dedicated to my cousin David for being the one to show me the ways of the Moka Pot, one year ago... and for getting me hooked on espresso since that day...

My Morning Ritual

Ever since I adopted the little "La Pavoni" espresso maker, my life has been blessed with some rather enticing flavors and smells in the mornings!

Introducing my morning ritual, which happens almost every morning: Making my Soy Cappuccino.



First some tidbits of info. I switch beans regularly. I used to use Peet's Italian Roast, then Illy, then I tried beans from Le Pain Quotidien, and now I am trying Caffe Roma's Sicilian Blend, which is supposed to be a dark roast. I do enjoy it, but I don't have a favorite so far. It's hard! I enjoy the nuances and differences of each bean type I try and although I love a bean and roast for a particular reason, I am open to trying new beans and tasting new flavors and discovering new aspects espresso can have.

I usually try my coffee as an espresso first to really acquaint myself with all of it's complexities and aromas. For me, it's like, I just need to know. I need to taste it in it's pure form and then I can freely enjoy cappuccinos and such... so, I do that first, when I get a new bean type.

Another tidbit to explain.... Why do I drink soy cappuccinos and not regular milk cappuccinos? Well... unfortunately I am plagued with the inability to digest milk and coffee together. I have experienced too many painful days of stomach aches and pain to even try it again, so, I just accepted it and moved over to the next best thing. For most of this year, I only drank espresso black. This way I could enjoy it, without the pain milk would add to my life.... But I realized recently that it was possible to enjoy a cappuccino or latte made with soy milk. It is not quite the same thing, but rather similar, if done right.

The biggest problem with soy milk is the frothing. When we make cappuccinos you want to have micro-foam. A foam so dense and creamy that you can barely see the bubbles. This type of froth is of the highest quality and most enjoyable of all. Have you ever tried a cappuccino whose milk was frothed with big airy bubbles? Did you feel like you were drinking an insubstantial airy piece of crap? Well, that is the reason those airy bubble are so frowned upon in the world of coffee.... Anyhoo, enough rambling...

I have a beautiful old-fashioned "La Pavoni". It is a hand press espresso machine. Completely manual and a real joy to use. The filter is a 2 shot, and I get just the right amount of rich crema in the shot (crema is the rich cream that forms on the surface of the shot when you push extreme amount of pressure of water through the ground beans).

Pictured below is a shot I pulled yesterday, while making my morning cappuccino.



The crema could be improved, but in my opinion it is fine.

Then I get my soy milk and steam it using the nozzle on my "La Pavoni" in just the right way to get it to foam just right. This process is very tricky and you can easily fail miserably trying to get it right. I had to accept many a mediocre cappuccinos (well they turned out more like lattes) in order to understand the delicate way of producing the micro-foam... Finally I achieved close to perfection yesterday and just had to take a picture of the result. It's NOT perfect, but it's close. I am not sure how much more perfect I can get it with soy milk, but I will do my best to get there!

This is my degustation for the morning. A little sprinkle of cinnamon on top adds a nice touch... (Nutmeg is awesome too!)



If you have any questions at all feel free to ask!

Organic Blood Orange Cranberry Scones

Here are some cute scones I made last week! They were truly delightful with a cup of Earl Gray Tea. I highly recommend baking something at home every once and a while. It is a billion time lovelier than buying them ready made, not to mention it makes your home smell wonderful!