Party On! With Fig Crostini

The Fig and Ricotta Crostini were a huge hit at the cocktail party. Crisp yet creamy, earthy yet slightly sweet, the dichotomies are endless, but the natural flavor of this hors d'oeuvres is fleeting, as figs are only in season for a few short months. With just a handful of ingredients, they embody the simplicity of the food at this cocktail party.

Maybe I should change that final sentence to say: "Simplicity embodies the way that I cook." Perhaps it is because I live in the Bay Area, a place that has so many wonderful shops, like Monterey Market and The Cheese Board, to make my life easy. Or maybe Alice Water's is to blame, whose philosophies behind food preparation have made it into the lexicon of how we cook. But I don't really like my food fussed with. If you are fortunate enough to have marvelous ingredients, let the flavors stand out.

That's a lot information I imparted to you, tolerant reader, for just one recipe, and it's not even a recipe really, but more of an assemblage. So let the assemblage begin:

• Crostini can be either made or purchased, but it is infinitely tastier (and cheaper too) to make them yourself. Slice a baguette, brush both sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 7 minutes per side.
• Use fresh ricotta if possible. It's drier, has a more subtle mouth feel, and is brimming with good 'ol lactose. If you can't find fresh ricotta, use the ricotta from your grocer's, just let it drain in a sieve for at least one hour before using. This should allow some of the whey to drain out, and give the ricotta the drier consistency that you are trying to achieve. Top each crostini with a milky dose of ricotta cheese.
• Finally top the crostini with one quarter of a fresh fig. Either green or brown figs work equally as well, it is simply a matter of preference. With a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar, and a chiffonade of fresh basil, this hors d'oeuvre has the perfect amount of acidity, and herbaceous flavor.

So there you have it, the ideal starter for your next fall fete. Elegant and simple, the hors d'oeuvre is perfect for people (like me) who don't want their food played with too much.

Sweet Success!

It can be done! With a little help from some downright amazing cheeses, mother nature can take the credit for the stunning produce, and a bit of ingenuity, each contributing in its own way, to a scrumptious party. Here is a quick trip to a very bourgie cocktail hour.

Polenta Squares topped with Onion Confit and Greek Olives
Polenta, purchased in the bulk section of the market as corn meal, is cheap, 75 cents a pound cheap, and is truly the chameleon of any party. Cooled in a large pyrex pan, the polenta pleasantly congeals leaving you with a delightful, creamy concoction.

Fig and Fresh Ricotta Crostini

Earthy fig segments, nestled on a slathering of fresh whole-milk ricotta, all atop a crisp homemade crostini-- ask yourself this question: Is it less expensive to purchase an armful of baguettes, or bags full of prepared crackers? The answer will always be to purchase the baguettes.

Roasted Vegetables with Roasted Garlic and Stone Ground Mustard Aioli

Just a simple crudites platter made more seasonal, and more delicious by roasting slices of winter squash. You can't have a party without veg, so here is a new way to try it.

Spicy Pickled Vegetables

Pickling vegetables is in right now. So why not jump on the band wagon by mixing up a batch of these colorful and piquant carrots and radishes. Get the recipe by going to the Daily Specials page.

Can it be Done?

The Mission: cater a cocktail party for approximately 50 people, in a beautiful gallery space. The rub? Do so on a budget, a tight budget, a paltry $150 budget. In addition to my money woes, the gallery does not provide a stove, oven, or refrigerator, and preparation time is limited. So this is going to take a bit of time, careful thought, and innovation. And by innovation I do not mean sculpting giant cheese wheels, but rather using everyday ingredients in a unique manner.

Knowing that all of the hors d'oeuvres have to be prepared and served at room temperature, there's only one option-- revel in this fact! Throwing a party of entirely room temperature foods is relatively low-stress. Due to the budget, the preparation has to be entirely done by me and me alone. That means all the food has to be out and ready before the guests arrive. A buffet is a great option; not only can the food look impressive while laying out, set-up and tear-down is kept at a minimum.

And then there is the food. A few things to remember: vegetarian is cheap and delicious; have a small selection of foods from crudites, to cheeses, to assembled hors d'oeuvres; and while variety may be the spice of life, it is the downfall of many catering gigs. It is much better, and more cost effective, to have a handful of recipes that are fresh, and excellently prepared, then it is to have a boat load of clumsy, mediocre, and unattractive fare.

When designing a banquet on a budget, eating seasonally becomes all the more important. Now is a particularly wonderful time to do this. The earth is in limbo about what season it is. Summer stone fruit is taking its last gasps, while tomatoes still abound in the markets, and sturdy winter squash are starting to rumble into the grocery. Knowing that I want to take advantage of the plethora of produce available, what's better, and more cost effective, than throwing a vegetarian feast? With a little help from the basics like polenta, extraordinary cheeses, unusual spices and fragrant fresh herbs, I am gaining confidence that not only can this cocktail party be done, but it can be done well.

Stay tuned to find out how the cocktail party went, photos of the event, and recipes for some of the food.

Asian Dumplings: Part Two

I have received lots of questions about making Asian-style dumplings since the post. So let me demystify the process; it's really not that hard.

• I buy wrappers at an Asian grocery. I am sorry to say, that while I may be industrious enough to make dumplings, I draw the line at making the wrappers as well. Either gyoza wrappers (typically round in shape), or wonton wrappers (typically square in shape), are widely available at any good grocery store or an Asian market.
  
• Take some liberties with the fillings. Depending on which lucky person is getting the dumplings (it might simply be you who is planning on gorging yourself) you have some leeway with how you want to fill them. Usually the filling is raw. The dumpling will be going through some sort of cooking process that will in turn cook the filling.
  
• Aaah, the cooking process. Now you have many options. There is always the deep fat fryer, but for those of you are health-conscious, or who would never think to fry at home, you can always pan-fry your dumplings. Similar to how one cooks a potsticker, you pan fry the bottom of your dumpling until a crackly, light brown color is achieved. Then pour a few tablespoons of water into the skillet, cover the pan, and let the water cook out, thus steaming and completing the cooking process. You also have the option of simply steaming the dumplings either in a conventional, or a bamboo steamer. This should take approximately 6 minutes. And finally, you can drop your dumplings into stock, cook for around 5 minutes, and make an Asian style soup. With greens, such as bok choy, scallions, and a drizzle of sesame oil, I can't think of a more perfect way to enjoy your dumplings.
  
• And finally the nimble fold. There are all sorts of ways to fold a dumpling, depending on the shape of the wrapper (round wrappers work best for gyoza shaped dumplings), and there is really no wrong way to fold a dumpling. Just make sure the dumpling is firmly closed. The easiest way I have found to do this is with a spritz bottle full of water. Lay out several wrappers, fill them with a teaspoon of your filling, then lightly mist them with water, and fold away. The water makes the surface of the dough damp, making it easier to adhere to itself.

So that's it. Not too bad, right? Dumplings freeze beautifully, and for all of the work, you probably want to make enough to feed a small army. Now get cooking.

Dumplings: Part Two

This past weekend was not simply a weekend of one type of dumplings, but rather of two. Call me a girl with too much time on her hands, or simply a glutton for punishment. That's fine, I'll concede on both accounts. But I know that for all of my industriousness now, I will be well-fed when the winter months roll around. Saturday I found myself looking to the East for inspiration with Asian-style dumplings, and Sunday I ventured over to Italy (in my mind that is) and whipped up several batches of ravioli.


Ravioli are good, but they are delicious when made at home. Now I'm not expecting you all to run out and buy pasta makers (unless you want to), but if there is a shee-shee market near you, or an Italian delicatessan, it is possible to buy sheets of egg pasta, ready for the filling of your choice. With a little bit of time and creativity, and a modicum of patience, you can make ravioli that are infinitely more tempting than anything you can buy.

It's the filling and the sauces that are special. For this batch I went for something simple-- baked butternut squash, mashed roughly with salted, fresh ricotta cheese, and a grating of spicy nutmeg. For the sauce, I chose the standard.-- sage and brown butter. Why improve on perfection? Torn bits of just-picked sage, fried quickly in an amalgamation of butter and a little bit of olive oil, makes for an unctuous, delectable meal. There are times when classic combinations should shine through, and this homemade ravioli supper was one of those times. The sweetness of the squash was an ideal compliment to the earthiness of the sage.

But feel free to experiment with fillings: pea and mint; potato, shallot, and asiago; or the classic meat. After filling them with about one to one and one half teaspoons of filling, you can then fold them any which way you choose. Large or small, circle or square, what is important is the pasta to filling ratio. You want to be able to taste the pasta as well, with the filling simply tumbling, not exploding out of the pasta casing. Ravioli, similar to the Asian dumplings I made over the same weekend, freeze beautifully. And when you just don't know what to cook for yourself, won't you be happy to have an arsenal of ravioli in the freezer to make a scrumptious meal?

Zen and the Art of Dumpling Making

It's starting to get cool outside, the days are growing shorter, and leaves are beginning to collect in the gutter. Fall is quickly coming, and with the change of season, comes my strong nesting instinct. Days are spent thinking of all of the soup recipes I will try, and what new and exciting dishes filled with cabbage there are to explore; and my weekends are spent stock piling dumplings in the freezer. I love a good dumpling, so much so, I even tolerate a not-so-good dumpling on occasion. It's all very zen. And in what ways is a bourgie zen? By stuffing, folding, and storing too many dumplings to count.

This task may seem daunting to some, but there is something gratifying about folding a little package almost from scratch, and something liberating about choosing and perfecting the fillings. The batch of dumplings I made definitely had an Asian bent-- minced chicken, crisp savoy cabbage, and scallions, all seasoned with soapy cilantro, spicy ginger, and a dose of toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. But let the filling be to your liking: shrimp, pork, tempeh, or purely vegetable. How bad can anything be when it is bite-size, and wrapped in dough?

Then comes the zen, the zone when your fingers just go through the motions of making fold after fold of neat little packages. I put on a CD (Chelsea Girls by Nico, letting the drone of Nico's voice be the soundtrack to making the decided folds in the dough). Just when it seems that I have been on my feet too long, the kitchen counter covered in a light dusting of corn starch from the wonton wrapper, I look over to my side and see the orderly piles of dumplings, and smile, knowing it was all worth it.

And let the freezing begin! Artfully arranged in freezer bags, the dumplings are good for a few months, but they never really last that long at my house. When you have a bag of homemade dumplings awaiting you, my fellow bourgies, you will no doubt find something delicious to do with them. Steamed, pan fried, or used in soup, homemade dumplings can quickly become part of anyone's culinary repertoire. So let's all chant the mantra together: "dumplings, dumplings, dumplings!"

21st Century Snack Cakes

Chow is a new, bi-monthly food magazine that is all about food as enjoyment. It demystifies food, making it accessible to even the most green of all food novices. Heavy on the "journalistic" aspect of food writing, it is filled with facts, and little-known details about the foods we eat everyday. But most exciting (for me anyway), is the latest issue contains an article about Snack Cakes for the 21st Century, with four all-new recipes for those little bits of goodness, minus the cellophane wrappers from our childhood, by me. That's right the girl who professes to not enjoying baking, bit the bullet, tied on an apron, and got down and dirty with a pastry bag, all in the name of a little bit of food journalism. And I have to admit, I rather liked it.

For the two weeks time that I had to develop these recipes, I became all consumed with a little bit of vanilla cream. That's cream, not creme, mind you. I'm talking about that gooey, sugary sweet filling for dozens of snack cakes eaten by kids and adults daily (come on, you know that you do). But the snack cakes for which the recipes are given, are for snack cakes with a sort of conscience. Now mind you, you won't get thin eating my version of Ding Dongs, but they are preservative, and trans-fat free. These versions for Twinkies, Oatmeal Cream Pies, and Ding Dongs, are rich, decadent, and fun. Not everything that we eat has to be so serious, so organic, or so mature. If you're out, and happen to see a copy of Chow, pick one up and let me know what you think.

My Brain is Freezing and I Just Don't Care

I have an ice cream maker. It's a little Krups one, and when I received it for a birthday present, I thought that I would be using it all the time. I had visions of myself as a modern day milkmaid. Churning rich vats of cream into sweet, fatty, wonderful ice cream, I would make up new flavors of ice cream that one couldn't readily get at the grocery-- vanilla with malted milk balls, strawberry with chunks of over-ripe peaches, and rich Mexican chocolate. But alas, there are two main problems with my dairy dream: I am slightly lactose intolerant (but that never stopped me before), and I am not one of those people who loves ice cream.

Ice cream is a good go-to staple from the dessert pantry for me, but rarely do I crave it. So the ice cream maker has sat in the cupboard, collecting dust and occupying precious space, only to be broken out and used a half-dozen times in the three years that I have owned it. That is until this week, and the simple but sinful, Fresh Blackberry Ice Cream. Perusing through my cookbooks, I was flipping through the pages of The Greenmarket Cookbook. This book, with recipes and tips from the famous urban farmers' market, The Union Square Greenmarket, is filled with not only interesting recipes, but is also divided into sections by season, containing exhaustive lists chronicling which fruits and vegetables are in season when. Feeling a wee bit panicky about the imminent close of the summer season, and the necessity of bidding a fond farewell to all of the amazing stone fruit and berries, I was thumbing through the summer section when I found the recipe for ice cream. It sounded simple, pure, and summery, so off I went to the market to gather my lactose-heavy ingredients.

So now that summer is coming to a close, I am only just now breaking out the Krups Ice Cream Maker. Smooth and rich, perfumed with the sweet-tart flavor of the fresh blackberries, this was an ice cream to be savored. Simply steeped with the fruit, the beautiful violet color of the blackberries melding into the heated cream as it cooled before refrigeration, making ice cream requires patience, but with patience comes rewards. All totaled the ice cream was about seven hours in the making, but after the wait I got a visually stunning, and entirely delicious treat to gobble up after a meal. But ice cream is an interesting food, it is almost taunting you, knowing that you can't eat it it too quickly (brain freeze), or eat it it to slowly (melted mess).

Armed with my dairy digestive tablets, and a reinvigorated desire to produce crazy, or just plain scrumptious ice creams, I apologize to my little Krups Ice Cream Maker, for many a year buried in the back of my kitchen cabinet. Who knows what other creamy treats are lurking in the back of my mind? Only time will tell. But if you would like the recipe for Fresh Blackberry Ice Cream, go to the Daily Specials page.

The Lovely Loaves

They are here! After two weeks I finally have sourdough bread, and it is edible. In fact, it's more than edible, it's delicious-- crisp, with a good crumb, and an even better crust. But it was not an easy road, filled with failed attempts, flour flying, and several unleavened-- well, breadsticks.

The baguettes are beautiful, but I understand why most people just pick up a baguette on their way home from work. It is quite a process, a day-long task in fact. Making the bread from a sourough starter inhibits the rising process; it can take upwards of six hours from start to finish. But the taste, the subtle tang of sourdough, fresh from the oven, the bread still warm and steaming as I tore a bit from the crackly crust, can't be beat.

I must admit, my baguettes, for all of their breaded beauty, are cheated on a bit. The first set of baguettes were made, following the recipe for sourdough baguettes as found in The Cheeseboard Collective Works. Now this cookbook, for all of its thorough instructions, exhaustive hints, and spirit of share-and share-alike, is not actually the best cookbook. I chalk it up to the fact that most of the recipes it contains, are for baked goods done on a large scale, replete with proofing chambers, pounds of flour, and seasoned bakers. When I made the baguettes, following the instructions verbatim, what I was left with was an impossibly tough mixture (carpal tunnel inducing upon kneading), and a dough that did not rise, producing a tough, bagel-like crostini. The family dogs were the only living things that enjoyed these lovelys; they were tough as rawhide chews.

After such a disappointing let-down the first time, I did some more reading on the subject of starters, and learned that some starters benefit from a bit of yeast. The starter, although living, is in fact too weak to make an enjoyable, leavened product. I threw caution, as well as the recipe to the wind, making the dough according to touch, viscosity, smell, etc. The baguettes you see although sourdough in taste, are made with a modicum (1/4 teaspoon to be exact) of yeast. These baguettes were truly a labor of love, and the desire to not fail again. I couldn't let all of my faithful readers down. You wanted to see some bread-- now you have it.