Bathing in Butter

slow cooking in fat is a technique that has been employed for hundreds of years.  we have all heard of confit, especially duck confit, a preparation for duck legs that are submerged in their own fat and slow cooked in the oven for hours until the meat is succulent, silky and falling off the bone. if you haven't tried it, get thee to your nearest french bistro and order it - or better yet, cook it at home! it couldn't be easier.  in my house we slow cook in clean fat all the time.  recently, i posted a picture of our dinner on facebook - something i do often - that sparked quite a lot of interest.  the dish was a simple, locally caught piece of cod that was slow cooked in raw spring butter. the butter was infused with fresh thyme, log grown shiitake salt (an amazing product that i brought home from melbourne, australia on our last trip back this past august) and truffle salt i purchased from my downstairs neighbor, the meadow, a lovely shop dedicated to fine salt, chocolates, bitters and flowers, owned by author and all around cool guy, mark bitterman....but i digress.  the cod was served with a delightful accompaniment of seared cauliflower (i seared it in bacon drippings first -- more clean fat)  and then added it to the butter i cooked the fish in, along with some frozen spring peas that i had put away for when i simply had to have peas.  i recommend putting away those precious vegetables when they are available - thank goodness for modern freezers!  the dinner was beyond flavorful, my children made all gone and today i have received numerous requests for the recipe.  because i have spent over two decades learning and earning.....my days are now generally filled with "returning."  as weston price said, "...you teach, you teach, you teach."  so here we go...

the butter bath was made for fish.  you can do it with almost all proteins, fruit and veg. but it was MADE for fish.  in case you don't understand what i mean when i say butter bath, here is a little video of me bathing some lovely halibut to illustrate.

by bathing the fish in butter you achieve a "buttery" (duh),  silky, perfectly cooked piece of fish that will never let you down.  you will be able to watch the progression of the cooking by seeing the flesh go from translucent to solid in color. also, please note the texture of your protein by touching it with your fingers.  i wholeheartedly recommend getting to know the touch texture of all protein in a raw state as well as the different degrees of their cooked state (rare, medium and well).  by adding herbs and spices to the butter you infuse the fish with rich aromatics and flavors that will beautifully take your flavor profile to the next level.  by slightly browning the butter - which will no doubt happen as you continue to keep it on a flame and the milk solids become golden - the butter takes on a nutty flavor, continuing to change the experience.  i like to use fresh herbs, citrus peel or zest, aromatic spices like curry powder, garam masala, cumin, fennel, caraway, etc.  ground spices as well as seeds are fine. experiment and see what you like best. believe it or not, one of my favorite additions to butter when slow cooking fish (and carrots too!) is vanilla bean.

before i write up the recipe for the cod i would just like to say that besides an animals own fat -- butter, ghee, olive oil and coconut oil are all great examples of fat to slow cook and bathe in.  as a matter of fact, i love to fill a saucepan with good olive oil and put it on a warmer (never cook with olive oil on high heat) and then toss in sliced celery and julienne carrots.  i add fresh herbs, chili flake, a split vanilla bean and 1 TBS. of rapadura sugar.  i let that go for a few hours. what i get is a heavenly smell and perfectly cooked vegetables that will hold for weeks if i need them to.  what is killer is to then saute some greens in butter until they are almost done - then hit them with a bit of these veggies and the olive oil to finish.  holy smokes!  oh! by the way....cooking and submerging in good fat will also preserve the freshness of your food and extend it's life.  fat has long been used as a way to preserve food as well as increase nutrient value. fat is good and it will not make you fat. it will however get your Family2Table in a hurry when they smell the butter calling.  enjoy! 

okay, as promised.....

slow cooked cod in raw spring butter with shiitake mushrooms and truffle salt served with cauliflower and peas.

note:  i have replaced the shiitake salt with real shiitake mushrooms because that product is not available in this country (as far as i know).  the following recipe is for 4 portions.


fresh atlantic cod (7 oz. per portion)
grass fed butter (kerrygold, gold package is fine)
1 TBS. picked fresh thyme leaves plus 6 springs
1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms
truffled salt (or truffle oil)
1/2 head large cauliflower
frozen spring peas (a bag of frozen organic peas will do nicely)

1. heat a pan on med high heat and place 2 TBS. bacon fat from good pastured bacon.  if you don't do bacon i suggest using butter or coconut oil.

2. cut cauliflower lengthwise so you have a flat surface to sear and get color on.

3.  place cod portions on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt, fresh thyme leaves, truffle salt and a few turns of fresh white pepper (i prefer white pepper on fish)

4.  when pan is hot place cauli in the pan and caramelize the cauli on both sides till you can pierce the cauli through.  remove from pan and set aside.  dump that fat and wipe the pan.

5.  reduce the flame to low and add 5 TBS. butter -- yes, that's right....5 TBS. good grass fed butter - you might even need more as you go.

6.  when the butter stops foaming, add the seasoned fish and let cook for a few minutes, add the chopped shiitakes, let those cook in the butter and then start bathing the fish in the butter.  feel free to add more butter if you need to.  cook till the fish is done.  could take up to 15 minutes.

7. remove fish and set aside.  

8.  add cauliflower to the fish and mushroom butter, add frozen peas (that amount depends on you but i generally put in 1/4 - 1/2 cup and cook till the peas are done.

9. to plate, put a piece of fish on each plate, veggies on the side and butter over the top.  drizzle the truffle oil over the fish and feel the effect! garnish with springs of thyme and enjoy!

To Market To Market!

this morning i woke with the usual enthusiasm and excitement that is typical of a saturday.  not only does saturday mean that my husband is home from work for all of us to enjoy for two whole days, but it also means that i will be going to the market to see what my treasured friends and farmers have harvested for my family!  because we are a family that goes with the FLOW (fresh, local, organic - most of the time, and whole) and eats with the seasons, summer is always chock full of our favorite farm fresh treats.  saturday mornings are the best!

as i dressed for my trip up hudson street to our local west village market at abingdon square, i began to fantasize about what i might find at this time of year.  Cucumbers, greens, herbs, radish, cherries, beets, perhaps the end of the sugar snaps from the farther upstate NY farmers, field tomatoes from the jersey farmers, many varieties of squash, freshly dug potatoes and much more.  I checked my computer to see if Dave from Muddy Farm sent his usual email last night detailing what he will be bringing to market today. he also treats us to the wanderings of his most hysterical brain.  i truly appreciate a farmer with bizarre sense of humor who is also not afraid to talk politics, religion and philosophy on the same page.  you can get on lots of farmer's mailing lists and they will happily let you know what they will be bringing each market day. it's a wonderful way to plan your weekly menus and start the creative juices flowing.  there is that word again....flow. it's a great word because it suggests constant movement which is how a healthy body operates. living, breathing organisms require vibrant, living, growing nourishment with living, nutrient rich foods to support the constant flow of cellular growth.  life, death, repair.  cycles. breathing in and out.  food being grown according to that flow, in harmony with nature. that is how we attain and maintain a healthy balance and a happy life.  our food source is our fuel source. our energy force and our life force.  freshly grown and properly grown is how we need to source it!

my first stop is always with my friend and favorite farmer nevia who is the owner at bohditree farm. her daughter uni is usually with her and my daughter sylvia has been working with them on saturday mornings.  they allow sylvia to help them with setting up the stand and restocking the vegetables as they are purchased.  two hours of work gets sylvia a bag of vegetables of her choice.  sylvia is 8 years old and working is very important to her right now.  she is starting to recognize her efforts as having value and the need to put her efforts to good use is a real feeling of pride and accomplishment...not to mention the fact that her mama worked the greenmarkets 25 years ago and she wants to follow in mama's footsteps!  the other nice thing about the kids putting their hands on useful "tasks" within our community is that they feel a connection and responsibility to the neighborhood and create a social bond with their neighbors within the context of offering & selling healthy food.  helping out at a local greenmarket is a golden opportunity for any child to participate in a socially conscious and connected role as helper in their community.  not to mention the fact that they also learn great math skills by weighing food and attaching value to it.  the adding, subtracting, making change and interacting with customers is a huge plus for self confidence!

from nevia i purchased 5 lbs. of kirby cucumbers to make pickles.  our family loves pickles and we really enjoy the process of lacto-fermenting the pickles ourselves and watching how they take on their exciting flavors.  these pickles are also loaded with enzymes, vitamins and probiotics.  i take much pride in knowing that my children are maintaining proper gut health just by eating pickles with their meals and snacks.  we are just finishing up 2 jars of garlic dill with jalapeno spears and 1 jar of tarragon chips.  i bought 3 different types of herbs from nevia today and we will be experimenting with new pickle flavors based on those herbs: shiso leaf, purple basil and more tarragon - my personal favorite.  the brine will be very simple.  filtered water, celtic sea salt, herbs, garlic, a spice perhaps and the cukes.  after 3 days we will taste and they will probably be done after 5.  they will keep indefinitely in a cool place but i doubt they will last very long. we tend to also give these quart jars to friends as gifts when we go visiting.  we will also ferment some chinese long beans today.  i love fermented dilly beans and this will be my take on that.  i plan to do them with Shiso leaf, one clove of garlic and a nice piece of ginger.  that takes care of the kirby cucumbers and the chinese long beans -- the long beans were originally purchased with the intent of accompanying tonight's monkfish dinner.  i generally like to saute and blister the long beans in rendered bacon fat and serve with smokey chunks of bacon lardons.

i also purchased sour cherries.  this is a personal favorite of mine. i can eat these all day long.  today i will set aside half of the quart plus that i purchased for raw eating and then pit & stew the other half as a topping for tonight's dessert of raw vanilla maple ice cream i made yesterday.  see how i skipped to dessert already?!  i have raw vanilla maple ice cream on the brain today.  what else did i buy and how will i use it....i found those sugar snap peas i was after.  my son henry adores these simply steamed with a drizzle of either olive oil or more than a drizzle of melted raw butter and lemon sea salt from cyprus.  talk about a gift!  we have a specialty store downstairs from our apartment, called the meadow, that sells fine sea salt, flowers, chocolates and bitters.  a very cool place for a foodie to live above, i confess.  i also purchased 4 lbs of assorted summer squash.  my favorite is a variety called avocado squash.  it looks like the inside, buttery flesh of an avocado and has that same, buttery, sweet flavor.  it can be sauteed, steamed, fried, seared, shredded and made into cakes, sliced thinly and eaten raw with just olive oil and sea salt or whatever you desire.  squash is versatile and forgiving.  it also makes great soup!

lacinato kale and sungold cherry tomatoes also found their way into my market bag this morning.  the kale will be chopped roughly and sauteed in coconut oil. i will add course ground sea salt and eat plainly and simply, savoring each flavorful bite.  that is what is so powerful about this food we buy at the farmer's markets -- it is so fresh and full of vital energy that we need not do much to it to make it an unbelievable experience.  each ingredient is a star that deserves to be showcased in it's full beauty and splendor.  i do not recommend tossing this type of food into a pasta all at once, creating a dish that does not sing the praises of each individual ingredient.  I usually go with the four ingredient rule but i prefer three when i can.  from PD & E seafood i happily purchased $20 worth of monk fish which will be our early dinner -- when my husband and the kids get back from the pool in about half and hour. that's $5 in fish per person plus veggies and assorted aromatics, seasoning...i reckon that will add up to $6.75 per person for the best tasting, freshest dinner ever.

i predict that my greenmarket haul from this morning will feed us all week.  a little here, a little there.  a meal. a snack. etc.  i didn't even mention some of the other vendors today who were rockin' their peaches, nectarines, melons, corn, lettuce, etc.  there was so much to choose from that it could have been a crazy race to see how much i could spend and carry.  but instead i will pace myself by enjoying a few things that are at peak right now and also by fermenting and putting up some others that we can enjoy beyond it's season in a different state.  the summer is a time of seduction and endless variety but we are able to bring all of that diversity and deliciousness from the markets and farms to our Family2Table with intent and creativity. our mission, to design plates that nourish the body, feed the soul and celebrate each individual ingredient which is as special and unique as each individual member of our family.  enjoy!

I Heart Burgers

july fourth has come and gone, but it did not leave without stamping it's indelible mark on me.  the backyard BBQ tradition of burgers and dogs left me feeling nostalgic and all a'buzz about  one of my favorite foods....the burger.  when i think back on my life there is almost always a good memory that somehow involves a burger.  sitting at the counter of seymour's luncheonette in flushing, queens eating a burger and drinking an egg cream.  laughing with my dad at the candlelight diner in commack over a twin burger deluxe - that, by the way was two burgers with fries and all the fixins - and yes, i could put it all away by the time i was 9 years old. i will never forget enjoying a juicy, rare cheeseburger and a cold pint at the corner bistro in the west village at 1am after a gig with my band and on the very morning of the day i got married.  like a good friend,  a delicious burger has always been there when i needed it.

the burger is a simple, yet complex dish.  it can involve many different ingredients but usually takes the same "form." the patty. it can be a convenient hand-held sandwich or it can stand alone on a plate, sometimes on a lovely pile of well dressed greens or properly prepared grains. sometimes it's not even called a burger when there is no bun but a chopped steak!  imagine that.....it can be served hot, straight off the grill, out of the broiler or crusty and seared off of a cast iron skillet or griddle -- but sometimes it makes it way into lunch boxes, bags and tiffins as a cold, day old delicacy to be dipped in tasty condiments like ketchup (tomato sauce in our house), dijon mustard, pickled relish or eggy house made mayo.  honey mustard, chili mayo, herb mayo, caper & dill pickle mayo -- aka tartar sauce, russian dressing, vinaigrette, vegetable & herb puree, tapanade, salsina, ranch dressing, caesar dressing, blue cheese mousse, demi glace...i think you get the idea.

a great burger can be made from grass fed beef, pastured meats like lamb, turkey, pork, veal, venison, elk, bison, wild boar, wild salmon, tuna, organic beans, seeds & nuts etc.  fish burgers are amazing and we ate them all the time as kids. our mum called them salmon croquettes and we enjoyed them with spaghetti and tomato sauce.   the burger possibilities are endless really because guess what.....the best burgers are the ones you grind yourself.  really....no kidding.  if you have a kitchen aid, the grinder attachment is a must have.  if you don't have a kitchen aid there are a few inexpensive table top grinders that will do nicely.  i still have a hand crank grinder that attached to the end of a table just like my grandmother sylvia used to make her famous chopped calf's liver.  can i tell you something else...burgers are fun to play with.  organic fresh or dried herbs, spices and aromatic vegetables are all ways to make the burger stand up and receive the applause it deserves. you can even combine your ground meats for a more interesting flavor and nutrient dense burger.  For example, we here at chez duff do something fun with our burger in that we grind grass fed beef, beef liver, beef or bison heart and bacon all together to make an outrageously delicious amalgam of savory meat and fat and cook it just right -- medium rare in my humble opinion -- we also cook our burgers very often in bacon grease for even more smokey goodness.  of course there is not as much ground liver in the mix as there is heart because liver is very strong in flavor.  but this is a great way to get liver into your kids or even adults who have an aversion to liver but are in need of the very essential nutrients that liver provides.  it also reminds me of a dish i used to do in a restaurant where we would sear a sushi grade tuna steak that had foie gras inserted into the center of the steak -- which is basically an unground burger with liver in the middle.  it was beautiful!

playing with your burger ingredients will allow you to find the perfect blend you prefer and will help you to explore the possibilities.  for instance, building your perfect burger could be as easy as dried sage in ground turkey meat and searing in a pan or grilling on the BBQ. top with a good quality, organic ketchup or homemade fermented ketchup and you're good to go. or, you could be that person who goes for what we call "burger with the lot." i am married to an aussie and discovered this burger while cooking at a mulberry street restaurant dedicated to australian cuisine.  burger with the lot is a perfectly cooked patty of the protein your choice on a bun, topped with......melted cheese, bacon, a slice of pineapple, thinly sliced sweet red onion, roasted beet root slices - can be fermented or pickled,  dill pickles and a fried, sunny side up egg.  did i forget the ketchup?  i am sure there are a few of you who are making a face right now as if this sounds like the weirdest most not tasty burger ever but i implore you to try this combo.  not only is it delicious but it is fun!  the egg on the burger is one of the best treats ever.  as a matter of fact a fried egg in butter on top of anything is just plain awesome!  try it next time you make pizza...holy runny yolk yum!

some of my favorite burgers are oregano crusted lamb burgers stuffed with feta cheese, sage crusted turkey burger, spicy pork burgers with chipotle mayo, wild salmon burgers with tarragon or with dill mayo, tuna and basil burgers with wasabi mayo, grass fed beef & bison heart burgers with curry pickled red onions and raw cheddar.  playing with the condiments is always a fantastic idea to zing things up without muddying the flavor of the protein.  people always ask me what i put in my meat and i say...meat.  i do not do onions, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, etc.  i save that for meatloaf and let the burger speak loud and clear.  i tend to gussy up the condiments or get wild with my toppings.  herb roasted vegetable puree is a lovely touch on a burger -- a ratatouille that will not slide off.   sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables, sprouts, sauteed greens, raw cheeses plain and melted, cooked and raw onions, sliced avocado, guacamole, cole slaw, dried tomatoes, raw tomatoes, oil & herb cured tomatoes....you think i like tomatoes?

major important reminder: do not cook grass fed meats on a very high flame or high heat.  you can start these burgers on a high-ish flame to get some color on them but them reduce the heat or find a cooler spot on the grill and cover to finish.  grass fed meats cook differently than grain fed meats and you do not want to ruin this beautiful, nutritious product.  If you would like to learn more about grass fed meat cooking i suggest reading any of shannon hayes' wonderful books -- or searching out her blog at grassfedcooking.com.   now get thee to the greenmarket and pick up some quality grass-fed, pastured, organic or wild caught protein and build those burgers.  simple or fancy your burgers will get the Family2Table with an energy that has raised generations of healthy, happy folks who hold the burger in high esteem and continue to build life long memories around the culinary tradition of good eating.  enjoy!

Crispy Pork Pad Thai

as you might have guessed, i don't do take out much.  once upon a time, every once in a while, i did. and when i did it was always asian food. chinese, japanese, vietnamese, thai, korean, etc.  stepping so far out of my culinary culture, i always deferred to the professionals for authentic preparation and taste. after all, i did grow up in a home where we went to eng's kitchen every sunday night for chinese take out. it was tradition.  when i became aware of the standard ingredients that were being used in most asian restaurants and the big shift in our food supply, i brought production of those foods into my home as well.  with good research and lots of practice, any cuisine can be mastered.  for the past, say, 13 or 14 years, i make my own "take out" at home.  for all the reasons that you think - poor quality ingredients, GMOs, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, chemical preservatives, stabilizers and additives like MSG, etc - i prefer to make everything in house. as a mum, i am the nutritional gate keeper for my entire family and while i don't want us to miss out on the flavors we love, i need to be sure that those flavors are also packed with nutrients and free from harm to our growing, lovely bodies, brains and emotional states.  with all the right moves, a family favorite like crispy pork pad thai can easily become a staple in your home too.  a crowd pleaser from the word crispy, this dish will not disappoint and when you gather your Family2Table you will never take out this beautiful, loving feeling again.

please know that pad thai can be as simple or as complicated as you are willing to let it be.  it can include whatever you have in the house or whatever you decide to buy at the market.  there are some traditional ingredients and there are some must haves in terms of making the sauce. just know that whatever you decide to create for you and yours, is the right dish for you. as always, a recipe is a blueprint - take what you like and leave behind what you don't within reason (baking being the exception to the rule).  the ingredients listed below for this dish are what i had in the house last night -- and this morning since my family wanted me to make it again for them to take for lunch.

CRISPY PORK PAD THAI

GETTING STARTED

soaking rice noodles in filtered water is where we start.  you can soak them the night before or get them into water the day you will use them. i generally like to put them in cold water that morning that i will use them. if the noodles float back up, just put a plate on top to weigh them down.  i also recommend getting a jump on the cutting, chopping, julienne-ing and lime squeezing. as a matter of fact. go ahead and make the pad thai sauce a day ahead and leave it in the fridge. this sauce is multi-purpose and can stay in the fridge as a vinaigrette in a squeeze bottle for up to one month without a problem so go ahead and get started on that right now! 

THE SAUCE

1/4 cup fish sauce, 2 TBS. nama shoyu or some type of traditionally brewed organic soy sauce, the juice of one lime, 1 tsp. ume plum vinegar then emulsify into a vinaigrette using toasted sesame oil. an easy way to do this is to combine all acids in a glass jar, then add the oil, put a lid on and shake.  viola! asian vinaigrette!

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

once that is done and all your mise en place is laid out nicely, get your pan hot and put a pound of ground pastured pork into it to render and crisp.  i sprinkle a little bit of salt on the pork and cook till crispy but not overcooked.  there is a line and you do not want to cross it so watch what's going on and turn down the heat if you need to after you have a bit of crispy.  when that is done, using a slotted spoon, take out the pork and set aside. leave the pork fat in the pan and add to it, 2 TBS. of coconut oil. it will smell so good you will swoon, i promise. now, add some minced garlic and ginger. 

everything laid out and ready to go.

more swooning will ensue as that blooms and you start to smell the mingling of pork fat, coconut oil, ginger and garlic. be still my heart this be a potion of love!  get that temp up high again and now go ahead and add two eggs and wreck em! yeah, really make em look nasty and let em cook into the fat, ginger and garlic.

lift the noodles out of the water and let the water drip off. then place them in the hot hot pan and add chili flake and chopped peanuts. i don't touch the ingredients yet, i just let it all cook and then i start to layer in my prepared veggies placing the ones that take longer to cook on the bottom.

then i get to picking up my tongs and turning all of this to incorporate and get well mixed. i still let it cook for another 4 minutes or so before i hit it with the sauce!  this will bring about a heady perfume to stir the soul. at this point you will be incredibly hungry and will have to keep everyone in the house from attacking the pan...but WAIT! hang on, we're  almost finished.

FINISHING TOUCHES

at this point i add fragile stuff like herbs (cilantro, thai basil, mint) and frozen or fresh peas, bean sprouts, enoki mushrooms and then i add in the pork that was set aside.  then i add some chicken stock to moisten cause it should be wet and lovely, not sticky and gluey.  i turn down the heat, add a sprinkle of sea salt and then dish it up.  i always squeeze and bit more fresh lime and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.  it's a quick dish to put together once everything is prepped. i would say, no more than 15 minutes once that pan is hot and the pork has been cooked. so go ahead and give it a try and let me know what you think.  it you're ever having difficulty, please give me a buzz and let me know what's happening. we can always trouble shoot together. enjoy!

all purpose asian vinaigrette

make this in your squeeze bottle and store in the fridge.

will last up to a month but i guarantee you will use it all before then.

2TBS shoyu

1 TBS rice wine vinegar or Ume Plum Vinegar

the juice of 1 or 2 limes

1/4 cup fish sauce

3 TBS. sesame oil

Shake to combine and TASTE.

adjust with whatever your mouth needs

(mine usually needs more lime juice)

Pad Thai without pork

Soak Pad Thai Noodles in water to soften before frying

1 or 2 eggs

sliced garlic

grated ginger

chopped nuts (we use peanuts but almonds or brazil nuts are great too)

chili flake

julienne carrot, cabbage, red pepper, zucchini, broccoli

chopped scallion

bean sprouts

enoki mushrooms

peas

cilantro

thai basil (if you can't find this, regular basil is fine, so is mint)

- Heat a sautee pan until very hot

- add coconut oil and sesame oil till just smoking

- add garlic, ginger and egg (break egg up)

- add drained noodles

- add nuts and chili flake

- add vegetables

- Turn with tongs to wilt all veggies and so egg, ginger and garlic does not burn

- after a few minutes more add asian vinaigrette and mix to combine through

- add some stock (chicken, meat, veg) and mix through

- turn off flame and add fresh herbs

- serve with extra slice of lime for squeezing

Springtime for Seaweed Salad Summer Rolls

after an amazing massage this morning i walked the 3 blocks back to my apartment on hudson street, climbed the stairs, opened the door and knew exactly what i wanted for lunch.  spring was soon coming and the hyacinth in my house knocked my head back as soon as i entered. i was going to push along the process of the seasons by encouraging a little springtime feel in the kitchen.  you can do that you know.  completely change your head space, your mood, your "vibe" if you will, all by making the right dish to ease you along in the desired direction. my direction was firmly moving forward to spring and all things sunshine, flowers and salad.  i had prepared a really tasty carrot seaweed salad the other day and the flavors were perfectly mingled now.  on my last trip to the union square green market i saw vinny denise who sell sprouts. i had broccoli sprouts, mung bean sprouts, lentil sprouts and sprouted sunflower seeds.  by mixing these all together with just the right amount of fresh lime juice and basil puree from my freezer i would create a duff family favorite of seaweed salad summer rolls with dipping sauce.

by the way, this will be a shorter post i'm afraid as i still need to get to that lunch i am super excited for!  lets call it a recipe posting rather than a big long emily needs to vent post but nonetheless filled with enthusiastic musings about real food in all its splendor from this punk rock culinary cheerleader.  that's funny, i am the furthest thing from the typical cheerleader persona i could think of but, hey, i guess i am a cheerleader of gastronomy through and through.  back to those summer rolls!  summer rolls are delicious bit of thai goodness that can be reinterpreted in any way you like.  the basics are a rice wrapper that is filled with, typically, veggies, peanuts, herbs and more rice noodles dipped in a toasted sesame & soy vinaigrette.  here is where i tell you to bring your imagination to the plate and make that summer roll work for you.  always make the recipe work for you. play with it. bend it. shape it. own it. a recipe is a framework, a jumping off point, a place to start and then let your desires completely take over.  i never follow recipes to the letter. i always, always, always bend the rules.  but not so much when baking.  baking is science. logic and rules. cooking is more carnal and visceral.  a place to feel your way until you find your way.  oh shut up, emily!

like i said earlier, i had all that lovely seaweed salad macerating nicely in my fridge. i combined that with about 2TBS of each type of sprout, squeezed half a lime into it and then a tsp. of my basil puree which i froze this summer in batches.  it consists of basil, olive oil, garlic, sea salt & pine nuts. notice i don't put cheese in. i do that when i am creating the actual pesto per dish.  okay, i combined all those ingredients into a beautiful salad that could stand nicely on its own thank you very much.  at that point i could have wrapped it all nicely in some butter lettuce.  i could have picked up my fork and dug right in.  i could have also included some hot pepper here if i wanted to spice it up...today not feeling so spicy. tomorrow? you never know.  back to the summer rolls:  then i dipped the rice wrapper, which is dry and hard like a frisbee, into some luke warm filtered tap water and used my hands to gently help it soften.  i laid it carefully down on the counter, added a bit of the mixture and folded it up like an envelope to seal it. rice paper wrappers are a fragile ingredient - like working with filo or wrapping dumplings -- so take your time, practice and you will get it. i promise.
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i wrapped 6 rolls. i plan to eat two for lunch and will store the rest in the fridge with a damp cloth over them to keep them from drying out.  i will pick the kids up from school with these and they will be over the moon!  on to my dipping sauce.  ready for easy?  really...don't laugh. 1 tsp. of raw organic tahini, 1 tsp. basil puree, the juice of 1/2 lime and 1 TBS natural jus (that's filtered tap water).  stir all that together and viola! dipping sauce.  feel free to add a pinch of sea salt if you like.  mine didn't need it at all.  okay, i am drooling now and must get to my plate.  i hope that you try this recipe or make up your own.  it's really nice to know exactly what you want to eat when you bring your Family2Table and be able to execute it.  it helps even more when you have quality ingredients already prepared in your fridge that you can combine to create something amazing just when you need it.  enjoy.  i know i will!

Seaweed Salad with Carrots
4 large carrots cleaned and shredded
1 daikon radish cleaned and shredded
1 cup wakame dried seaweed soaked and revived (soak and drain a few times for best flavor)
2 scallions chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro washed and chopped
3 - 4 TBS. fish sauce (vegetarians use nama shoyu unpasteurized soy sauce)
1 TBS ume plum vinegar
2 TBS toasted sesame oil
the juice of 1 fresh organic lime
1 TBS sesame seeds if you like
a pinch of sea salt
a pinch of red pepper flake if you like life spicy

combine all ingredients and let sit in the fridge overnight to macerate and bloom.

Chicken or the Egg

i woke this morning determined to write about, and teach you all, how to cook the perfect roast chicken. crispy skin, tender, juicy meat dripping down the side of your hand, fragrant, succulent and satisfying in every way.  then i saw the 3 dozen fresh pastured eggs sitting on my counter (good eggs need not be refrigerated - especially in winter and when you fly through them like we do) and i started to think about the whole chicken egg debate and that turned my attention to eggs and how much i adore them.  i got to thinking about my favorite lunch when i was a kid, egg salad sandwich, and suddenly i was completely absorbed in the beauty and simplicity of egg salad. eggs, red onion, celery diced fine - what we trained kitchen folk call a brunoise, a classic, fresh herb like dill or tarragon and the ultimate topper....fresh, house made mayonnaise. imagine that. a dressing made of raw eggs on a salad made from perfectly boiled pastured eggs. eggs to the tenth power! heaven, no? at this point i was hooked. the perfect roast chicken would have to wait.

eggs are nutritional power houses. what i would consider a perfect super food.  but you can't just buy any old eggs you see. you must seek out good, farm fresh eggs from chickens that have been raised on pasture - eating lots of bugs and grass to pack those babies full of omega-3s - and preferably not fed soy. but that's a whole 'nother talk show.  my family is lucky in that i have sourced beautiful eggs and feel confident eating them both cooked and raw (we use them raw in smoothies, ice cream, in steak tartare and when making mayo).  i suggest that you seek out  farmers at your local greenmarkets and ask them about their chickens and what they feed them.  you want brightly colored, orange yolks that stand up tall.  most supermarket eggs are pale and lifeless. do yourselves a favor and run away from those.  if you don't have a greenmarket near you, look for eggs that say pastured eggs on the carton.  eggs give us complete proteins, amino acids, choline, B12, B6, A, D, E and so much more. all of those vitamins are in the yolk, that's the best part and can be consumed with gusto every day!  please don't worry about your cholesterol when eating good eggs, if those chickens have been fed the right diet, you are good to go. cholesterol is an essential hormone, dare i call it the mother of all hormones - mother. egg. ovary - makes sense and by the way, what is a hormone? a communicator. if we bring that cholesterol too low, communication in the body is cut off and that's when you see problems.  eggs can help. 

back to egg salad.  boiling the eggs correctly so that they are neither under nor over cooked is essential.  this is what i have found over my twenty plus years of professional culinary experience.  put the eggs in a pot of cold water and turn on high heat.  when the water comes to a boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat.  let the eggs sit, covered for 20 minutes and then pluck them from the water and run them under cold water for a few minutes.  is there anything more annoying than an egg that doesn't want to give up its shell? ugh. i hate peeling eggs sometimes.  today wasn't so bad but sometimes even i lose a bit of egg in the peeling. but that's our secret.  a good balance of texture is essential with egg salad.  we are dealing with a pretty mushy product when you crumble them so i feel that the addition of celery and onion is key. sometimes i use scallion but mostly i prefer red onion.  herbs are always your choice but i endorse fresh dill and tarragon whole heartedly. these are crowd pleasers for sure.  sometimes i add curry powder to my egg salad, my daughter loves it too. my son? not so much.  he likes his egg salad on an apple slice and i can live with that.

now check this out. i am going to turn the egg amp up to 11 on this one and i fully credit my daughter, sylvia, whose love of fish eggs took me to this over the top egg dish, which i thoroughly enjoyed for lunch today. i usually do this with salmon roe because that is her favorite and what we usually have in the house - by the way, fish eggs, especially salmon roe, is a perfect food for babies. not only are the roe nutrient dense but they also teach fine motor skills in that babies must pick them up with their fingers and put them in their mouths.  caviar and blueberries, great self-feeding foods for your baby to develop a healthy brain.  back to my lunch.  i finished making my beloved egg salad of my youth and noticed that i had half a cucumber in the fridge left over from the salmon salad i made the other day.  i sliced the cuke in 1/2 inch rounds and spooned some egg salad atop. then i did something so goofy.  i spooned wild whitefish caviar - eggs - on top of that!  unbelievably delicious. a great appetizer, hors d'oeuvre or light lunch in my case.  would have been perfect with some proseco but kombucha did nicely.

egg salad, omelettes, quiche, hard boiled, soft boiled, raw, sunny side up, over easy, scrambled, custard, ice cream, poached, deep fried, deviled, pickled, souffle, mayonnaise, meringue and the list goes on and on.  egg fun fact: when you receive a classical french culinary education and earn your toque - that high white hat nobody really likes to wear - you will notice that on the hat there are 100 pleats all around.  those 100 pleats represent the 100 ways you should be able to prepare eggs according to classical french cuisine.  when you wear that hat, be prepared to get down with the egg.  so whether you prefer chicken, duck, quail, ostrich, emu, goose, fish or other - please tell me if you prefer another as i am curious to know how many different types of eggs there are, actually -- eggs are little marvels of flavor, nutrition and versatility in the kitchen.  they can impart silkiness, airiness, and what i consider to be the equivalent of magic fairy dust when used well.  i applaud all of you who go to great lengths to find great eggs and urge those of you who buy supermarket eggs to try farm fresh eggs and see the difference.  you will not be disappointed.  eggs are a gift from that chicken that i will be teaching you to perfectly cook very soon - not really, egg layers are stewing hens but we can talk about that another time.   when you call your Family2Table for this simple and beautiful egg salad, please remember that it's the simple and beautiful foods like eggs that we will remember for all our lives.

Simple Egg Salad


8 pastured eggs
2 ribs celery diced
1/2 red onion diced fine
2 TBS fresh dill or tarragon chopped
home made mayo to your liking
sea salt & pepper to taste



1. cook eggs as described above.
2. cool down and peel.
3. crumble into a bowl with your fingers
4. add chopped celery, onion and herbs
5. add mayo and mix (feel free to add a dash of dijon mustard if you like - or curry powder)
6. sea salt & pepper to taste

Braised and Confused

one of the things i love best about teaching cooking is that i am able to effectively illustrate just how simple and enjoyable cooking can be.  in other words, demystify it. in my humble opinion, there is nothing more rewarding than being able to create a dish that you and your family & friends will treasure and share over and over again.  many of my students, and quite a few of my readers, tell me that they are afraid to try recipes with certain techniques that intimidate them.  the technique that seems to puzzle and perplex the most is braising.  go figure!  perhaps it is because it can involve a few steps that sends some running in the other direction, but i am here to tell you that braising is actually one of the easiest, most fool-proof, uncomplicated, tastiest and economically satisfying cooking techniques of all.  as a matter of fact, i will bet that by the time you finish reading this post, you will have summoned the courage to go out and buy a quality brisket for a beautiful family2table meal.


technically, braising is nothing more than taking a few choice ingredients, putting them in a sturdy vessel with liquid, covering tightly and placing on low heat while everything inside simmers & smiles until rendered fork tender.  sometimes, this means hours. the flavors mingle slowly and are reduced and intensely flavored, creating a rich, exciting meal that warms and stirs the soul - especially during cold weather months.  braising is probably the oldest cooking technique dating back to a time when food was put in a pot and buried under the embers of an open fire.  if you have ever watched little house on the prairie, you will remember a cast iron pot that hung in the hearth.  this pot was perpetually full in the winter and the fire was always going.  meat, pork fat, drippings, onions, potatoes and whatever they were able to save in the root cellar was constantly and continuously put into this pot so that there was always something hot & hearty to eat.  braising actually requires less effort from the cook and frees us up!

some of the traditionally popular dishes that require braising are osso bucco, short ribs, lamb shanks, stews, pot roast, chicken cacciatore and many more.  as you can see, these are all very popular dishes that often wind up on fine restaurant menus.  want to know why smart chefs employ braising as often as they can in their establishments?  well, first of all they are cheaper cuts than muscle meats.  shanks, ribs, chuck roast, pork belly, breast of veal, legs & thighs, cheeks, brisket, etc. all cost less than fillet mignon, rack of lamb, veal chops, etc.  and in my opinion are way more succulent and enjoyable.  but wait, braising is not only for meat. remember? technically, you can braise anything as long as it's put into a sturdy cooking vessel with a bit of liquid, cover on and low heat till it's tender.  you can braise carrots or cabbage in chicken broth with butter and herbs....and oh my how lovely it is! endive, cauliflower, eggplant and the list goes on.  the second reason braising is popular in restaurants is that it's a one pot dish that you set up and let cook slowly.  you can't really overcook a braised dish and therefore it is considered a forgiving technique that allows for a greater margin of error in an environment where time is of the essence and every penny counts.  in all my years of kitchen experience i have never, ever had osso bucco or lamb shanks returned for being over or under cooked.  the dish is ready before service begins and is gently warmed with a reduced sauce for plating along with something traditional like polenta to soak up that beautiful, silky reduction.  also, you can use and sell a braised dish the next day. as a matter of fact....i think braised meats are always better the next day. case in point: the pot roast sandwich. say no more.

braising can happen on the stove or in the oven. another plus when you might be short on stove top space.  it also does not need to be watched. and we all know what happens to a watched pot....as a matter of fact, if you have a crock pot, braising can happen without the use of your stove/oven at all!  imagine that.  put dinner up in the morning and viola! ready by meal time.  braising can take place in a cast iron pot, a dutch oven, a simple saute pan with lid or even in a roasting pan with aluminum foil covering it tightly but not touching the food.  now here is the part of braising that i find shakes folks up a bit.  sometimes, you sear before you braise. aaaaaaahhhh!  really?! i have to do something first?!  well, actually no, you don't have to, but sometimes it's nice to.  go ahead and put some extra effort in and add color to the ingredient, or extra flavor with fat (butter, lard, coconut oil) or lock in the juices and crisp up the skin when braising meats and fish.  there is nothing worse than flabby, flavorless fish skin, blech.  creating textural complexity and "mouth feel" in your dish will take it to that next level, creating a mark of distinction between a good dish and your favorite dish.  i must say that i do not sear most grass-fed meats as it is my experience that high heat cooking - which is what searing is - tends to toughen most cuts of grass-fed beef. therefore, when i do my brisket i merely place it, seasoned into the liquid and cover it. couldn't be easier.  when do i sear? i always sear chicken skin, lamb shanks, hearty fish and some cruciferous and root veggies. 

when the dish is done and the main ingredient is tender, i like to further reduce the sauce - especially from meat dishes.  depending on the cut (duck and lamb can be fatty), i will skim off some fat and pour the braising liquid through a strainer and into a pot to simmer gently on the stove until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. yum!  an important note, which i will briefly touch on here is the nutrient density of braised meat dishes. not only are they economically sound and easy to make but they also impart essential vitamins and minerals to your body since you are slow cooking a cut that almost always contains a bone, connective tissue or marrow.  these will impart gelatin into your dish which is essential for gut health, bone integrity, brain development and many other vital body functions. perhaps this is why braising is a technique that was so often used by people following a nutrient dense traditional diet. but wait....i haven't said anything about the braising liquid yet.  what on earth are we supposed to braise in? that's easy too. you have many choices: wine, stock or broth - meat, veg, fish, miso - or perhaps le jus natural...otherwise known as water. yes, hello....water is a braising liquid too.  go for it!  personal note: homemade stock and broth from good bones is always best. boxed and canned broths tend to contain MSG and other chemical additives that have no place in our healthy bodies. 

the last bit of info. regarding braising is aromatics.  my lamb short ribs would be nothing without cardamom, cilantro and vanilla bean.  my lamb shanks an absolute flop without cinnamon stick, orange peel and fennel.  my pot roast would suffer without garlic powder, paprika and mushrooms.  infusing your braising liquid with character via the sweetness of vegetables (mire poix - onion, carrot, celery) is an integral part of lending personality to your braise. i love to play with herbs and spices. sometimes i spend hours toasting and grinding spices just to see how they bloom.  i find myself creating "teas" during the day in order to find interesting flavor combinations - i.e dried basil, clove & star anise - achieving balance with flavor is a step closer to creating something delicious.  experiment and try new things. the way into a dish is thru playful experimentation in your kitchen. i joke about my little galley in my tiny west village apartment, calling it my test kitchen as if i have an enormous laboratory in which to play.  but honestly, we all have test kitchens and every meal is a test in one way or another. either we are tested to get it on the table at the perfect time when everyone is hungry and everything is hot or we are tested to see if it will be received well for its flavor and nutritional profile.  whatever the test, braising is a technique that will stand up and succeed beautifully, leaving you, the cook, with a sense of accomplishment and pride and your Family2Table with the sense that they have been truly loved and looked after in every way. enjoy!

Traditional Pot Roast or Brisket with Enoki Mushrooms
3lb grass-fed brisket
1.5 TBS. organic garlic powder
1.5 TBS organic paprika
2 medium onions, quartered
2 packages of enoki mushrooms
2 QT beef broth or 1 QT water
sea salt & freshly ground pepper 

1. season meat with garlic powder, paprika, sea salt & pepper
2. fill pot or saute pan with beef stock or water and add onions
3. turn flame on to medium heat, add meat and bring to a simmer
4. cover meat and gently simmer for 2 hours
5. remove meat and slice (against the grain)
6. put meat slices back in and add enoki mushrooms
7. cover and simmer 2 hours more or until done. salt to taste.
8. optional ** remove meat and shrooms, strain sauce and reduce