Archive for ‘Savory’

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August 15, 2011

Serving Cilantro Ice Cream: Believe It.

by Jen Wanous

A dear friend of mine from California, Ms. Kati Bissonette, celebrated her 30th birthday in the Big Apple. I love bringing people together in celebration and what better way to do that than with food! With a guest list of 10 for this dinner, I knew that I had to get a bigger table. I have the rare New York City luxury of having a large living/dining room.  I hopped on Craig’s List and found a folding table that would fit 10. A car trip and a tour inside a Brooklyn artist’s apartment later, I was the proud owner of a flea market-worthy six-foot long folding table.

Now, on to the dinner. I have started a tradition of creatively crafting a menu based on the guest of honor’s five favorite ingredients. I asked Kati what her fave five  were and this is what she said:

1. truffle oil

2. seared beef

3. pumpkin

4. cucumber

5. cilantro

Good ones, Kati! This gave me a lot to work with. I set out to my local co-op grocery store and picked up ingredients for the menu:

  • Drink: Lemongrass, lime and rum cocktail
  • Appetizer: Ginger butternut squash soup with truffle oil crutons
  • Dinner: Beef laarb, cucumber som tom and sticky rice
  • Dessert: Chocolate, coconut cake with cilantro ice cream
I know, cilantro ice cream is a bit out there. The guest of honor was skeptical too. Much to her amazement, the flavor won her over, and she gushed about how good it was. The combo of chocolate, coconut and cilantro paired nicely. It was sweet, decadent, creamy and refreshing in its herbal complexity. Happy 30th birthday Kati!

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Cucumber Som Tom
Many years ago I lived in Bangkok and I loved this salad. This is a modified version of a Thai favorite from when I lived there.
Serves 4-6
1 clove garlic
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
hearty handful green beans, cut on a diagonal
1/4 cup peanuts, roasted
1 tablespoon fish sauce
juice of one lime
thai chili pepper to taste
2 large cucumbers, cut into long matchsticks
Procedure
1. Using a mortal and pestle or bowl and wooden spoon, smash the garlic with the salt and sugar. Add the tomatoes and green beans, pound a few times, bruising them.
2. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Cilantro Ice Cream
Yields 1 Quart
2 big bunches cilantro
2 cans coconut milk (28 oz, don’t use “light”)
1 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
Equipment you’ll need: blender, fine mesh strainer and ice cream machine.
Procedure
1. Blanch and shock the cilantro: Clean cilantro, dip in simmering water for a about 15 seconds, move to an ice bath, drain.
2. Add cilantro and coconut milk in a blender. Blend on high speed for a minute or two. With a fine mesh strainer, strain out all the solid pieces of cilantro.
3. To the liquid, add sugar and salt until dissolved. Freeze according to your ice cream machine guideline.  (about 20 mins)

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August 8, 2011

Auditioning for the Next Food Network Star: What I Would Bring to Aarti’s Party

by Jen Wanous

Filling out the application to be the next Food Network star is no easy task. There are 28 essay questions like, “If you were an ingredient, what would you be and why?” and “What are your top five original food/cooking/ingredient tips that demonstrate your food knowledge?”

I busted out my poster-sized post-it notes and started brainstorming.  In the center was “What is my unique culinary point of view?” In clusters around this were thoughts ranging from existential “Who am I?” to the more tangible like, “Eat what feels right for you.” Slowly but surely, I started to whittle my ideas down into something that resembled a T.V. friendly shtick.

Jen Wanous is an adventurer who follows her heart and hunger.  She brings raw, approachable honesty through sharing her doubts and highest aspirations.  Her optimistic, “go-getter” approach to life lends inspiration to others to follow their dreams.  She is food-savvy, business-smart and always has a quirky story to tell.  Through a commitment to loving life and doing by it consciously, Jen Wanous is the “Healthy Hedonist”.

Hedonist: Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses. 

I brought this 11 page whopper of an application to an open casting call. I wasn’t sure what to expect but was surprised to see that when I reached the address, it was a bar. Every chair in the joint was full and I put my name on the queue.  I was number 123.  I took that as a good sign.  I waited in my 40’s style summer dress and red lip stick biding my time by chatting with different war-torn catering veterans, some of which were taking full advantage of the bar (it was 11am, mind you).

When my number was called I took a deep breath, pushing my nerves away and made my way into a big open room where a small table was set up.  At the other end of the table I was half expecting to see Simon or Paula but instead I was met with a nice woman with a friendly smile.  Right away I felt at ease.  She gave me a warm handshake and we sat down to talk about why I want to be the next Food Network star. Words came flowing out of my mouth. I was going on and on about my school and health and people’s lack of connection to their bodies and my ideas for cooking demos.  All in all, it was maybe five minutes and then she said that they will be going over everyone’s applications over the next few weeks and will call if it’s a good match.

She was the type of person who you can’t tell if they like you or not because they are so smiley all the time, so I wasn’t sure if I’d get a call back, but heck, I felt good! Who knows exactly what they are looking for. It was invigorating to get myself out there and do something different. Even though the application was challenging to get through, it helped me define my culinary angle.

I will keep you posted on any happenings, fingers crossed!

As some of you who are fans of the show know, Aarti Sequeria of Aarti’s Party was named Food Network Star last season.  Here is a recipe of what I would bring to her party:

Pakora Pancakes with Broccoli

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons cold water

1/4 cup broccoli, shaved

1/4 cup red onion, small dice

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil for frying

1.  In a bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, spices and salt.  Stir until free of lumps until the consistency of pancake batter, adding more water if needed.

2.  Add broccoli, onion and cilantro, stir until combine.

3.  Heat oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat, before oil starts to smoke.  Add about a two tablespoon of the batter and pan fry each pancake until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. 

4.  Quickly transfer to a paper towel lined plate, just to absorb the oil, then onto a rack to maintain the crispiness you just worked hard to get.  Enjoy!

I would like to thank Chef Richard LaMarita for his inspiration of this dish, from which this recipe was adapted.

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June 27, 2011

Working Together to Create a Memorable Meal

by Jen Wanous

A Japanese and Peruvian fusion meal was the culminating experience of my culinary education, thus far.  As part of our final, our culinary cohort of eight had to plan a dinner for 100.  The dinner ran smoothly and Annie even ate the seaweed and cherry spring roll.  Coming from the event planning world, I know that these types of gatherings take a lot of front loading. The pay offs are all in the smiles of your guests, as you stack chairs and save flower arrangements.

As the co-team leader of the group, I had the tricky job of facilitating consensus, or at least majority  (as the NY State Senate can attest, it is a possible task).  With eight refined and diverse pallets, we managed to come up with a sophisticated and flavorful meal for our guests.  Through the process, I was reminded of some basic yet profound approaches to working with others.  Although it is a struggle to follow these guidelines at all times, they have helped me to keep perspective in a wide array of situations.

1.  Have integrity with what you say.  Avoid gossiping and say only what you mean.

2.  Don’t take anything personally.  Nothing others do is because of you.  You never know what someone is dealing with from their past, or even what just happened that morning for them.

3.  Don’t make assumptions.  Express what you really want and communicate clearly with others to avoid misunderstandings.

4.  Always do your best.   You can always do your best. This applies to the hard stuff as well as simply taking good care of yourself.

These are adapted from the Four Agreements, by don Miguel Ruiz.  You can find the book by clicking here.  

Here are some pictures of our team on the night of the dinner.

Citrus Salad with Daikon

This salad was served as an appetizer for our dinner.  Its tangy sweetness is the perfect light pallet pleaser for summer.  If you don’t feel up for the pickle, just leave it out.  Enjoy!

Pickle:

1/4 pound daikon, thinly sliced

1/2 cup golden balsamic (or apple cider vinegar)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Salad:

1 pink grapefruit

2 oranges

1 fennel, very thinly sliced

1/4 pound micro greens

Dressing:

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Place daikon on a paper towel and salt generously.  Set aside for about 45 mins.  Blot dry, in a small bowl, add vinegar and salt, set aside for at least an hour, preferably overnight.

2. Peel and thinly slice grapefruit and oranges into 1/8 inch thick round circles.

3.  Make the vinaigrette by combining the lemon and mustard and slowly drizzling in the olive oil while whisking.  (remember the slow drizzle while whisking is key to a good dressing. ;)

4.  Toss the micro greens with the dressing to coat.  Lay out the the slices of grapefruit and orange, layer with the fennel and pickled daikon.  Top with the dressed micro greens.

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June 5, 2011

A Summer Salad of New Potatoes and Fresh Peas

by Jen Wanous

On a recent sunny afternoon at the Farmer’s Market, I spied some particularly robust peas begging to be snatched up and highlighted in a fresh, summery dish. During the same outing, I also saw a mound of new potatoes (aka, baby red potatoes) and I thought the two P’s should meet.

I had never actually shelled peas before; its so easy, and I was delighted to see how adorable the peas looked in their (now former) home.  Their canned counter part gives them such a bad rap.  The recipe below includes thyme and you can easily substitute dill or chives.  Fresh thyme reminds me of a summer day I spent in Paris, it’s one of my favorite herbs. I can imagine enjoying this dish in a sidewalk cafe, reveling in all it’s refreshing flavors.

New Potato and Fresh Pea Salad with Thyme

Ingredients:

– 1 1/2 lbs New Potatoes (also called Baby Red Potatoes), quartered

– 1/2 lbs Fresh Peas, shelled

– Juice of one lemon

– 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

– 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

– 4 tablespoons olive oil

– 1/4 red onion, small dice

– 3 tablespoons thyme, mas o menos, minced

– salt and pepper to taste

1.  Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add the potatoes (quartered).  Boil for about 15 minutes, until a fork stuck in the potato comes out easily.  In the last three minutes of cooking, toss in the peas.  Drain the potatoes and peas.

2.  For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking.  (This is the trick to get any dressing to emulsify–a slow drizzle of oil and a steady whip of the whisk.  Also, the dijon helps to keep it all together.)  Add in the thyme, red onion and salt and pepper (liberally).

3.  Toss the dressing with the potatoes and peas.  You can enjoy it right away or optimally, you can let it marinate for an hour or more.

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May 23, 2011

A Quick Pickle: Veggies and Ginger

by Jen Wanous

My school’s equivalent of a thesis is a dinner that our class crafts from start to finish for 100 people. In preparation for this event, I have been testing out different pickling recipes for a preliminary tasting at school tomorrow.

I don’t know about you, but for me pickling seemed like this mysterious process that somehow kept things consumable for a really long time and turned out some salty vineagary  goodness.  I wasn’t sure exactly how this happened though.  With a little Googling, I came to find out that it is really quite a simple process and, like most good food, it just takes a little bit of forethought.

Along the way, I also discovered that pregnant women crave pickles for a reason!  It’s not just an old wives tale.  Fermented foods contain a naturally occurring chemical called tyramine that acts as a stimulant for hormonally charged pregnant women.  Also, fermented foods are good for people who are dealing with depression.

Below are two recipes for pickled products.  One is for wasabi pickled veggies and the other is for pickled ginger (which we all know and love from sushi restaurants).  Enjoy these pickled condiments on your next burger, sandwich, or as a garnish for any plate.

Wasabi Pickled Veggies

Equipment you will need:

  • Large pot
  • Glass jars and lids
  • Tongs
Ingredients:
  • Veggies (carrots, radishes, onion, peppers, etc)
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • One lime, juiced
  • 1 Tablespoon wasabi powder
  • One bay leaf
1.  Prepare your jars by first sanitizing them.  Bring a big pot of water to a boil and add your glass jars and lids.  Boil for 15 minutes.  Use tongs to carefully remove.
2.  Deseed peppers and slice all your veggies.  Put them in the jar, as full as possible.
3.  Combine the salt, sugar, vinegars and lime juice in a pot.  Bring to a boil, until all the sugar and salt is dissolved.  Add wasabi powder and bay leaf.
4.  Pour over veggies in the jar.  Make sure the liquid covers everything.  Add the lid.  Let it come to room temperature and then store in the fridge.  They will taste best 3-4 days later and can keep for months.  (Just make sure the liquid is always covering the veggies.)  Yields about 14oz.

Easy Peasy Pickled Ginger

Instead of spending $5 on this at the store, make some at home!  This recipe makes a small 4oz jar.

Ingredients:
  • 3 inch fresh ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown rice vinegar
1.  Sanitize the jar and lid by boiling in water for 15 minutes.
2.  Peel ginger and slice thin, or cut little matchsticks.
3.  Add the salt to the ginger, toss and set aside for an hour.  Then blot with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.  Put ginger in the jar.
4.  Bring the sugar and vinegar to a boil until the sugar is dissolved.
5.  Pour liquid over the ginger in the jar to fill to the brim.  Put lid on.  Let it come to room temperature then put in the refrigerator.  Use after 3-4 days and keep for months!

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April 5, 2011

Seaweed: It’s Delicious, Who Knew!?

by Jen Wanous

My mind was blown last week at school. Why you ask? Seaweed, simply. Who knew!? What barely has a life outside of a sushi roll has a plethora of uses and can taste rapturously savory in all its salty glory. Like deep fried seaweed- potato chip of the ocean! Yum! Did you know we already eat seaweed in an everyday food like ice cream (carrageen). (ehem, ice cream is an everyday food for me.) Seaweed is a useful thickener and flavor enhancer as well as its own shining star.

Here are some of its health benefits:

– rich in minerals and vitamins
– helps metabolize insulin for diabetics
– breaks down fatty deposits
– cleanses the lymphatic system
– aides in digestive disorders
– detoxes the body of radiation and heavy metals (have miso soup after getting an x-ray)

With a month of culinary school down, one question that keeps popping up is: “Have you learned anything you didn’t know before?” Well, seaweed met that mark in opening my eyes to a whole new world of food that lives beneath the sea.

Have you seen the snack packs of Annie Chung’s roasted seaweed? It’s a great gateway seaweed, so pick one up next time you’re at the grocery.

Below are a couple of simple ways to use it at home. When you experiment with seaweed, know that some have a stronger flavor (like a salty sailor’s panties) and some are more mild (like a mermaid’s subtle seduction). Hijiki is the sailor and arame is like the mermaid. (whatever floats your boat!) Nori is what we all know and love; it is the green wrapper that surrounds your most beloved piece of sushi. Dulse is Irish and is middle of the road mild. Click here for some wiki seaweed info. Recipes below.

Sea Chip
(super simple)
– 1/2 c Coconut Oil

– 15 Kombu Strips

Heat coconut oil over med/high heat. Dust off white saltiness from the outside of the kombu strips with a semi-damp towel. Make sure they are dry again. Place kombu strips in a few at a time, watch them balloon open and then remove quickly. Crunchy, salty goodness!

Agar-Agar Ahoy! Fruit Treats
(Mom Alert!)

– 2 Tbs Agar-Agar Flakes

– 2 c Juice (ie: apple, pomegranate, cranberry)

In a pot, mix the agar-agar flakes with the juice, be patient and wait about 10-15 mins until all the flakes are dissolved. Then slowly bring the mixture to a simmer for 5 mins. Pour into a small dish and chill. You’ll have a natural gelatin, and it’s way better for you than Cosby’s!

If you are feeling adventurous, you can try a can of Coconut Milk (13.5oz), the Juice of a Lime and 1/4 c Agave with the Agar-Agar. Follow the same procedures as above.

Enjoy! xo

–

In Japan now, the use of seaweed in diets will help in detoxing people’s radiation exposure. For those of us in the US, care needs to be taken when choosing your brand of seaweed. For the time being, I would use our local, Atlantic harvested seaweed from Maine: The Maine Seaweed Company. The two women in the pic below from class are from Maine and highly recommend this family-run, sustainable company.

Sea how happy seaweed makes them!?

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March 21, 2011

Bringing Beef Jerky

by Jen Wanous

Have I mentioned that my school is crunchy, earthy, herbal? Being educated in Santa Cruz, I am well versed in these ways. I have walked the straight and narrow as a vegan and was a proud (“meat is murder” bumper sticker sporting) vegetarian for 8 years. I have however since, changed my ways reigning as the current Bacon Throwdown champion of New York, enjoying the bounty of a carnivores diet.

In my class at culinary school, there are 16 of us. Five vegan. Four gluten-free. The rest are vegetarian, except for one other, besides me. (Maybe a few flexitarians when the ribs on the grill look too good.)

As a snack in my first week, I decided to pack along some beef jerky. High protein, low fat, stores well.  A shriveled up carcass of deliciousness resembling what a well mummified labia must look like.

As I slowly pulled it out of its pouch, I felt the 26 veggie eyeballs on my jerky. I quickly covered up the bag as I discreetly munched. I was sure that the beefy teriyaki aroma was filling the space around me and I would be detected. After getting through the tough chews of just a couple pieces, I stashed it back in my bag and decided to work on my corn chips.

Now, in my second week at school, I feel a bit better about my meat eating status. In fact, I just made a yummy bacon sandwich. As I’m writing this even, my fingers are slicked in a bit of lard, as I type this out on my handy dandy iPhone on my lunch break. (I do have a year’s supply of bacon you know!)

Here is the recipe:

Bacon Sammy

4 crisp pieces of bacon (more if you’re feelin it)*
2 slices of bread (sourdough is yum)
Goat cheese
Caramelized onions

Optional: sautéed kale
Parsley, chopped

* fake’in bacon will work too, veggies.

Here’s how you do caramelized onions:

Slice 1/2 an onion. Put about a tablespoon of hot fat in a pan. Add a few dashes of salt.  Med heat to get a little bit of browning on ’em then turn the heat down. Cook ’em for a good 15 mins on low heat until they get a really nice caramelly brown color. Pour a tad of wine in the pan (about 2tbs) to deglaze and pick up the deelish bits. Then you have caramelized onions to add to your bacon sammy.

Assemble all ingredients except the parsley in the sandwich. Place face open in a toaster oven or broiler for about 7 mins, until the goat cheese is browned. Add the parsley. Enjoy!

xo

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