101 Cookbooks

Favorites List (5.19.12)

2012-05-19T16:16:26-08:00

Happy weekend all. I thought today would be a good day for a favorites list. I also thought it might be time to share the earliest glimpse of what I've been working on for the past couple of months - QUITOKEETO. I'll do my best to pull a few more details together for you (and wrangle a recipe into shape) for later in the week. Until then -xo:

- Le Shack

- The Secret Life of Alan Z. Feuer

- Grains Well Spent.

- 204 Sunrise Lane.

- Rhubarb Beer Jam

- Happenstance. Running into Jesse in NY.

- Act Three. Mimis in the Middle.

- Whoops

- When Michelle Obama Came to Lunch

- Reading: this / Next up: this

- For the floors. And the ceilings.

- Jeffrey's Broken Bike

- Dream get-away.

- Subway tile & Sherwin Williams

- The Alphabet Book a few of you were curious about in this post.

- For the next road trip.

- Pakoras & Chutney

- Enjoying this monthly newsletter / sign-up at page bottom (via Kristina G)

- Elissa + Tamar

- Daniel Patterson's Poached Scrambled Eggs

- Perfect cocktail ice.

Lead photo: Detail of a stunning green tile wall I came across in Marrakesh.

Continue reading Favorites List (5.19.12)...

Green Rice with Smoked Paprika

2012-05-15T19:19:33-08:00

This is the green rice recipe that got away from me. It was the last thing I cooked before leaving for New York, and I intended to keep it simple. There was some arugula to use up, and a good amount of cooked brown rice. Oh, and some peas. And a nub of Gruyere. That mint isn't going to last....You see where this is headed? Anyway, I made some green rice, perfectly good, but probably not something I'd bother posting about. Then I added a couple finishing touches, and it turned this into something I was quite excited about, something I'd absolutely make again - so I thought I'd share.

The finishing touches? Smoked paprika and toasted pine nuts. Doesn't sound particularly special, right? But it was one of those things. Remarkably good. I've been on a bit of a smoked paprika kick lately, using it instead of chili peppers, or curry powders, and the like. I thought it'd add some depth and flair here. And it did. The paprika brings a smoked-out boldness that works brilliantly with the creaminess of the pine nuts and the spicy edge of the arugula. I don't want to completely oversell this, but I thought the flavors came together in a really nice way.

I could imagine making a smoked paprika oil and using it as a drizzle in place of the ground spice, or taking the whole thing in a different direction entirely - using any leftover spicy lemon coconut sauce you might have in place of the arugula butter, and still finishing it off with the paprika and pine nuts...

Continue reading Green Rice with Smoked Paprika...

Parmesan Cheese Spread

2012-05-09T17:48:55-08:00

Woah - what a week. I'm sitting in the lobby of a hotel in New York, and quite a lot has unfolded since I last checked in. The short version is: I flew to New York for the James Beard Awards, and then (holy s**t) I won one. I'm making my way back home now, and my fingers are crossed that some of my photos from the past few days turn out. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this. It's a Parmesan spread I make now and then, one I like for a number of reasons. You grate good Parmesan whisper-thin into a pot. Then combine that with a splash of white wine and a big glug of olive oil. That's really it. It's one of those stupid-simple, homemade, tastes-really-good things you can make in no time. If it gets lost in your refrigerator for a week, no worries, it's that much better when you rediscover it. Once you've made this base, it can hang out in your fridge for a week, or two, - or even three. Ready to use whenever (and, on whatever) you like.

It's also completely customizable on a whim. You can stir in any number or herbs, spices, dried or fresh fruits (before serving) to take the spread in whatever direction you like. I noted some suggestions in the recipe below. It's good on crostini, sandwiches, and tartines. It's good spread in the bottom of a tart crust. It's good drizzled with a bit of honey or as part of a cheese / antipasti platter.

Thanks again to everyone for the nice notes. Every one of them feels good to read. xo -h

Continue reading Parmesan Cheese Spread...

Rhubarb & Rosewater Syrup

2012-05-03T18:38:04-08:00

This, my friends, is how you want to use that rhubarb you've been seeing at the market lately. It's a syrup, sure, but I'd venture to guess it's a syrup unlike any you've tasted. It has a lot going on, tartness from the rhubarb, tang from fresh lime juice, a backdrop of sweetness that's anything but shy, and the wildcard finish - rosewater. The resulting syrup is strong, and lovely, and a kiss of it is just what a bowl of yogurt, or glass of soda water needs.

And it really couldn't be simpler to make. Chop a few stalks of rhubarb, toss with sugar, then let it sit around until everything settles into a cold, sweet stew. Fire up your burner, and simmer until the rhubarb breaks down, then strain out the solids. You're left with a vibrant rose-hued liquid. When you cook this down with a bit of fresh lime juice you end up with a fragrant, beautiful gem of a syrup. A finishing splash of rosewater is the final surprise - the je ne sais quoi factor.

As I mention up above, I use this syrup in simple spritzers, and as a way to add a bit of flair to plain yogurt. I imagine it would be amazing over cornmeal waffles or pancakes, or in place of a drizzle of honey over certain cheeses - good, soft goat cheese comes to mind. It's just one of those simple, homemade things that is nice to have on hand. And come to think of it, it'd be a nice lip gloss flavor as well ;)

Let me know if you do something fun with this, or if you give it your own twist. xo -h

Continue reading Rhubarb & Rosewater Syrup...

Photos: Kinfolk Brunch / San Francisco

2012-04-30T17:11:26-08:00

I couldn't resist doing a quick post of photos I shot at the Kinfolk brunch this weekend. It was a family-style gathering at Heirloom Cafe in San Francisco, and it was just right. The sun was out, the food beautifully prepared, the company and conversation top-notch. The front door of the cafe was flung wide open and a fascinating mix of people walked through to sit down to a meal together. I left with a sense that I'd finally met a whole host of people I probably should have met years ago - people doing all sorts of interesting things, many/most of whom live walking distance from me. It was a good feeling.

I believe San Francisco was the third gathering in a twelve month series - Portland and Brooklyn were prior. Philadelphia and Toronto up next. Here's the page where you can watch for upcoming cities. You can also get information about the local people and businesses who came together to pull this off. I was thinking I would link to some of them here, but it might just be easier for you to click through the list on the Kinfolk site. For example, if you're interested in who did the lovely flowers, or the the letterpress menus, or, or, or...The little details were part of what made it so special. A big thank you to the Nathan and Julie for pulling together a wonderful room full of people. Also, I can't wait to see this photos this lovely lady was shooting. I'll link to them here when I see them. Here they are :)...

I'm in the process of writing up one of my favorite spring rhubarb recipes for you. It's pretty in the way so many rhubarb creations are, and the flavor profile is just off-beat enough that people light up when they have a taste. I'll try to get that up in the next couple of days. xo -h

Continue reading Photos: Kinfolk Brunch / San Francisco...

Spicy Lemon Coconut Sauce

2012-04-27T21:07:44-08:00

This sauce looks bland from here. I know. All that white. But its totally not. I've had a jar of it in the refrigerator for the past week, and it's one of those things that makes just about everything you put it on (or in) better. I go about making it in a mortar and pestle, but have done it in a food processor in the past when I'm short on time. We're talking about garlic and green chiles worked into a paste, then bulked out with lots of scallions and cilantro. Coconut milk is the base, and the creaminess is balanced out with a good amount of fresh lemon juice.

Here's my list of how I've used it - this recipe makes a couple of cups, and it is quite rich, so a jar goes quite a distance. 1. Swirled into a simple pureed asparagus soup. 2. Small dollops on top of a frittata. 3. Whisked into scrambled eggs. 4. Inside a version of these spring rolls. 5. Thinned out with a bit of broth in a saucepan, I then sautéed a couple handfuls of broccoli in it, added tiny pieces of tofu, a couple big spoonfuls of cooked quinoa, and some toasted almonds. Dinner.

There's still half a jar left and thinned out, it makes a really nice base broth for any number of soups. So, next up, I think I'll use it instead of a more traditional curry broth, in a big pot with lots of fresh vegetables, maybe some noodles....

Use full-fat coconut milk here, it gives the sauce better consistency and mouth feel. You can thin it out to your liking from there depending on how you're going to use it. Like I said, it's rich, but a little goes a long way. :)

Continue reading Spicy Lemon Coconut Sauce...

Homemade Cheese Crackers

2012-04-21T20:56:53-08:00

When my nephew comes to stay with us he likes to stand in the big front window to watch the buses come up the hill. From this viewpoint he can also see a number of plastic owls perched amidst the turrets and gingerbread of the Victorian houses he calls "castles". I think the owls are there to keep the pigeons in check, but quite honestly, I'm not sure they're very effective. I found an antique owl cookie cutter recently, and thought it would be fun to bake owl shaped crackers with Jack when he came to stay with us last week. I used the cheese cracker recipe from Alana's The Homemade Pantry, and never looked back. They deliver big-time on the cheese flavor, are snappy and crisp, and you can bake them off at your convenience.

I baked half the crackers as owls, and then did the remaining half as teardrops. One word of advice, don't skimp on the quality of cheese you use here. It's where much of the flavor in these crackers comes from. I used a strong white cheddar cheese, but you can certainly use a good orange cheddar. Or branch out from cheddar altogether - you know a Gruyere version is going to be good. And it might take some experimenting, but a blue cheese version would be worth trying to get right.

A shot I took with my Land Camera of Wayne reading and practicing the alphabet with Jack. It's hard to believe this is the same little guy.

Take a minute to have a look at Alana's book - it's lovely, and it has all sorts of recipes related to making everyday pantry items - toaster pastries, ketchup, mozzarella, instant oatmeal, peanut butter cups, and yogurt. You can find Alana here, and here, and I loved seeing this spotlight related to the making of her book cover.

Thanks for the inspiration A - hope to cross paths again soon.

Continue reading Homemade Cheese Crackers...

Favorites List (4.16.12)

2012-04-16T21:10:32-08:00

A quick favorites list while I regroup from a few days with my favorite three (almost four!) year-old nephew. It was a blur of playgrounds and piñatas, sand boxes and soft serve. He has his own little digital camera, and one of my favorite things to do with him is walk around on photo safari. We make a short list of things he wants to take photos of before we leave the house, and he makes his way down his list :) It's super sweet and fun. He also got some special treats, made from this new book, and I'll share those a bit later in the week. xo -h

- Matisse draws a boy (via wb)

- Food Diary: Phoebe Cates (via Luisa)

- 20 x 24: Mary Ellen Mark

- Lillet Rose Spring Cocktail

- Tara O'Brady | Interview

- One of my recipes (from SNED) illustrated by New York Magazine

- Karl Lagerfeld in 24 Hours (via Marcia)

- Pics from a Chinese Gangster's Phone (via Daring Fireball)

- Winter | Marfa

- Smith Tower

- Choose your color

- Monet at work (30 sec. mark)

- The Case for the Foodie Entrepreneur (via Megan)

- Brian W. Ferry | interview

- Mount Everest, Kilimanjaro, Fuji

- The Food Seen / Working my way through the list of past episodes.

- Q+A: Ashley Rose Helvey

- Ladies of Castor & Pollux

- Norwegian island memorial to 17th c. witches burned at the stake. (via Jennifer)

- Backstory on the sculpture inside Greens (in SF), with 1979 photos. (via WB)

- This shot

- Buckwheat Noodles with Green Beans & Toasted Sesame-Lime Vinaigrette

....and, wish I had a space for this.

Lead photo: pretty spring flowers from the farmers' market here in San Francisco.

Continue reading Favorites List (4.16.12)...

Avocado Asparagus Tartine

2012-04-11T18:30:51-08:00

I'm a bit distracted. In the best way possible. In the way I get now and then when I'm excited about an idea or a prospect. It started in Portland last month, when I had a happenstance chat with a couple of ladies I admire very much. They gave me the little nudge I needed to start thinking more seriously about a project I'd been casually tossing around in the back of my mind for years. Something fun, something related to what I already do, but something I haven't (exactly) tried before. Vague, I know. It's early in the process. Anyway, the rabbit hole is deep, and I feel like I'm way down in it. I've been caught up in inspiration boards, and ideas, and list-making, and all the things that happen when an idea shifts from the abstract to "let's try it?"...Correspondingly, meals have been scavenged from whatever ingredients are within eight feet of where I'm currently sitting. Which, let's be honest, doesn't always yield something I'm proud of. That said, lunch on Monday was pretty great, and dead simple. I smeared avocado across toasted day-old slabs of sesame bread, layered a bit of arugula and a few stalks of garlicky caraway-sprinkled asparagus on that, then finished it up with a few pepitas.

These little open-faced tartines took less than ten minutes to pull together, and ended up being the epitome of spring. I suspect I'll be eating more of them in the coming weeks. Give them a try, and in the meantime, I'm going to try and make a few things happen on this end so I can share a more details related to what I've been up to. xo -h

Continue reading Avocado Asparagus Tartine...

Broccolini Salad

2012-04-05T20:55:43-08:00

I think we've discussed this before. My friend Malinda has a real knack for making salads. Remember the shaved fennel beauty in Super Natural Every Day? That was hers. We were at her house for dinner the other night and she made a broccolini salad I parked just to the right of my wine glass. Must have had three servings. There were blanched lengths of broccolini, big shards of homemade croutons, creamy pockets of burrata, and toasted almond slices.

It was one of those relatively simple preparations that reminded me of how good certain things are. Sometimes I forget big, rustic homemade croutons are worth making. And mozzarella? It's great in salads - it doesn't have to be summer, and you don't have to include tomatoes. Things like that. Ideas like these get pushed out of my brain from time to time. And its nice to get reminders.

We chatted in the kitchen before dinner about dressing for the salad (and broccoli/broccolini in general). Malinda mentioned she likes to accent hers with a bit of anchovy when there aren't vegetarians around. I told her I often do the lemon zest/red pepper flake combo when I'm throwing broccoli together on a weeknight. And as that sentence was coming out of my mouth, I thought, wow, what a yawn. Surely I can come up with something more interesting than red pepper flakes the next time around.

So I kept thinking about it. On the walk home, up the stairs, brushing teeth....The image of a big pile of, whispy, thinly sliced scallions kept popping into my head. So, that's the direction I went when I made this for lunch the other day. I spiked it with some minced serrano pepper, and loaded it with toasted almonds as well. Thanks for the inspiration M :)!

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Super Natural Every Day: UK edition

2012-04-02T19:15:41-08:00

Hi friends, I wanted to share a couple quick announcements today. First thing, I'm quite excited to tell you that the UK edition of Super Natural Every Day is set to be released this week (4/1/12). Here's the link to its page on Amazon.co.uk. Like the US edition, it is softback-wrapped, matte paper, with recipes in weights/volume.

I'm a bit embarrassed that I never got around to doing a proper London write-up after my visit last year. So, better late than never, I figured this would be a fine time to remedy the situation. I dug up notebooks, receipts, and went through my photo archive, then drafted a page with a map of all the places I enjoyed visiting (as well as a few I saved for next time). Here's where the London page lives.

I've also realized that a good number of you like to use my city posts when you travel. The problem is this - when I visit a place more than once, those pages sprawl across the site, are outdated, and are hard to find. So, I'm (sloooowly) consolidating each city onto a single dedicated page. All pages into one place (eventually). Right now there's: London, Paris, and San Francisco. I'm working on Portland, Tokyo, and Rome. To make them easy to find, I've posted a "travel guides" link in the upper right-hand corner of every page on the site. This way the maps should be easy to find if you happen to be traveling to one of the places I've done a page for. Thanks for your patience here, I didn't really think my travel related posts would turn into a "thing"...but enough of you have mailed me with questions that I'm going to try to make things easier and more reference-y in the future. Cheers!

Lead photo: blooms I came across while wandering around Notting Hill.

Continue reading Super Natural Every Day: UK edition...

Saag Paneer

2012-03-27T20:43:25-08:00

We make saag paneer at home all the time. I'm talking once a week or every ten days. Wayne started it when he cooked Merrill's saag paneer one night, and from there it became a regular thing. The recipe has evolved and meandered quite a bit, so I thought I'd share the version I've settled into with you. I try to make it exactly the way I want to eat it, and quite honestly I'm not particularly hung up on the authenticity of it. At some point personal preference trumps everything else, even when you're dealing with a classic preparation. To that end, I cook the paneer cubes until they aren't just golden, they need to go well beyond that. I like them crispy cornered, and outright crusty. Beyond that, I chop the mountain of spinach you need here into flecks the size of big confetti. This assures no slurpy, sloppy, un-chewable greens. And I always use fresh spinach.

This is a saag paneer that uses a truckload of spinach, gets tang from buttermilk and a finishing squeeze of fresh lemon, magic from a host of spices, and a bit of heat from ginger and chile flakes. I bring on a bit of crunch and contrasting texture where ever I can - paneer, toasted sesame seeds, and add a touch of decadence with a splash of cream (you can use yogurt if you like). It is the sort of thing that is even better the day after - spread on thin crackers, or inside this sort of quesadilla. You make your own spice blend here, but you can certainly experiment with your own or a good store-bought blend.

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Sesame Almond Brown Rice Balls

2012-03-21T17:16:46-08:00

The last time I was stranded on the side of a road was in Sri Lanka. The sun was intent on breaking us, the location remote. I can tell you this, a shredded tire on the side of an Oregon highway, storm or no storm, is preferable than one outside a game park near Wellawaya. Remedying that situation involved hitching rides in unfamiliar minivans. Then a visit to a Sri Lankan safari don's living room where we commissioned a ride south (you can imagine who had the upper hand in that negotiation). This one? A phone call, a flat bed truck, and a short stint in the waiting room of the repair shop. I'm home now, and aside from a couple hurdles (wind, rain, snow, icy roads, flat tires) driving along the coast from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon is beautiful. Although...I might make it a summer trip the next time around.

I'm realizing that a good number of the shots I took over the past week were from where I was sitting IN the car. The wind was blowing so hard at some points that it was hard to open the door.

As far as provisions go...aside from the cake, I packed the car with all sorts of things to make into snacks (or meals) in a pinch. With a bit of soy sauce and some tofu we grilled on the balcony of the hotel, these brown rice balls worked out nicely as a quick dinner one night. I should clarify the hotel was more like a condo with a sizable balcony and I'm guessing not all properties allow this.You can tuck little cubes of avocado,or whatever else, into the centers to make them as substantial as you like.

You can make the rice balls as large or small. I like them on the small side - more golf ball than baseball. As long as you use the right kind of rice, shaping them just takes a bit of patience and practice. I line a tiny, steep-sided bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap, fill the bowl, twist, shape, peel. The cup I use is about 1/2 cup capacity, and I fill it 2/3 full. You want to use short grain brown rice - I use short grain brown Japanese rice, sometimes labeled sushi rice. Long grain rice doesn't work as well. Arborio rice works well too, but I never see that sold as whole grain. Have a look at the photo (up above) so you can see the size of the rice grains in my hand.

I seasoned this batch of rice balls with sesame seeds and green onions, studded them with chopped almond slices. As you can imagine, you can go in a million different directions here. They are super portable - picnic, cubicle, car, plane, school lunch - as long as you have a structured container, they should survive intact. I put mine in a parchment lined cake pan.

Before I sign off I wanted to thank all of you who sent such nice notes about the James Beard nomination of Super Natural Every Day (here's a PDF of the nominees). They made my day. It's a fantastic feeling to be nominated, even better to know so many of you are excited as well. I keep saying it, the support and enthusiasm you've directed toward my book over the past year continues to blow me away. And it certainly keeps me thinking about how I can raise the bar the next time around. xoxo -h

Continue reading Sesame Almond Brown Rice Balls...

Chocolate Bundt Cake

2012-03-15T18:58:23-08:00

Slices of this chocolate bundt cake spent the better part of the past week in the car with me. Each piece, wrapped in parchment, tucked between the Ak-Mak crackers and a jar of almond butter. It is a fine travel cake. One that can handle a day or two in the car - blizzards, bumps in the road, hairpin turns, and all. Topped with not much more than a sweep of icing, it's unfussy, and ready to go straight from the pan. I make it with a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flours, lots of yogurt, and the darkest brown sugar I can get my hands on. And it was just the thing to unwrap on a picnic table underneath a grove of sky-scraping redwood trees.

This cake gets sweetness and moisture from maple syrup and the darkest of brown sugars. I use beer in the batter, but you can't really taste it outright. More than anything it lends a malty base note and depth of flavor. Go for a not-too-hoppy porter or stout, or chocolate porter or chocolate stout. I know most of you can get your hands on a Guinness, which is totally fine as well.

I'm keeping this post short (making my way home) - but for those of you who don't have a bundt pan, I bake this batter in a wide range of pans. It makes great little cakes, and loaf cakes, and cupcakes. You know the drill, adjust the baking time, and bake until the sides of the cake start to pull away from the pan a bit, and a tester/knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Thank you to my Portland friends for the warm welcome. More pics to come, once I get home and can get some film developed. And I'm going to have to ask you to please forgive any typos :( It has been a long day involving flat tires, tow trucks, and nasty weather. xo -h

Continue reading Chocolate Bundt Cake...

Favorites List (3.10.12)

2012-03-10T20:07:21-08:00

I think I'm going to switch up the way these favorites lists work. Just a bit. Instead of doing them monthly, I'm going to post them whenever I have 20 or 30 links I'm excited about. However often that might be. And I'll do my best to make sure recipes don't get pushed out of the way - I know a number of you feel as if a favorites list is a poor substitute for a good recipe. Understood ;) It's just that right now I end up with a list, and then sit on it for weeks, which doesn't seem quite right...I find myself counting the days until I can share this sort of link love with you. -h

- Matt Dick | Style Counsel & st/co

- 100 best first lines from novels. (via Kim Severson)

- Gobo Peperoncino and Kinpira Gobo

- Just subscribed to this.

- Arugula Salad with Toasted Pepitas and Cojita Cheese

- The Composites

- The Morocco.

- Dream cafe listing in SF.

- Bâtiment at Le 104 in Paris.

- So you want to write a cookbook.

- How much does your building weigh Mr. Foster?

- Porcelain Popsicle Sticks