Cook Here and Now

Babejan: Sweet and sour eggplant stew

Buonasera.
This recipe from our September 17th dinner comes from Benny Zadik. He has sent it to us from his father Moti's website, a collection of recipes and anecdotes drawing from Moti's Jewish-Iraqi heritage, his love of hot Mexican food, and herbs from East Asia — all spiced with his friendly, outspoken commentary. Ahh... a kindred soul. So go check out his site, you'll learn something.

And for the dinner participants: We'd all like to have your recipe, so get on that computer and send it in.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Babenjan (Sweet & Sour Eggplant stew)

Try This recipe serves 3-4 people.
There are lots of egglplants out there and many ways to cook them. I think the Japanese ones, which are small and flavorful, work best.

Ingredients                      

6-10 pound of Japanese eggplants

1 16oz can whole peeled tomatoes                      

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

1 Tbs lemon juice (or citric acid)

Sugar or sweetener to taste

Olive oil for frying

1 stick lemongrass and/or 2 kefir lime leaves (optional)

Spices: cinnamon, tumeric, black pepper, salt, etc. to taste


This is a  delicious stew, not unlike the bamia dish. However, the whole tomatoes and tumeric give it a different flavor and consistency.        

This is what I do: that I make is as follows: In a large pot sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil. Cook until yellow, and then add one pound okra (cut in half, or smaller if bigger then 2").                 

Add salt, pinch black pepper, 1-2 teaspoons of tumeric, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Stir, and now add the tomatoes. The best canned tomatoes, by the way, always come from Italy. If you can get San Marzano tomatoes (available at Whole Foods and other nice supermarkets), it tastes that much better! If you happen to have lemongrass and kefir lime leaves on hand, toss them in. They will really bring out a much more fragrant lemon flavor to the dish!

Add  lemon juice and sugar to taste. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, using as much oil as necessary fry the eggplants, flipping once. If you use a larger kind of eggplant, you'll have to cut them in slices first. This is another reason why the Japanese eggplants work really well in this recipe. Remove from the pan and add a little sea salt. Next place the cooked eggplant into your tomato stew and cover and simmer for 15 more minutes to let the spices soak in.

You can enjoy this stew as a main dish or as a starter soup. Garnish with cilantro for a special touch!

Best of luck,            

Moti                                            

First day of Fall: New ingredients for old friends.

Buonasera.
First day of fall: the season of cool air, warm spices, and the start of life indoors. Shorter days lie ahead, rain perhaps, and the sense of doom of having to find a costume for Halloween or a destination for the Thanksgiving feast — not to mention navigating the vegetarian/vegan main course options if you’re hosting. Yet the turn of life toward home also means we have our friends over more frequently, to enjoy those long evenings over full-bodied red wine and hearty meals. So I want to take this opportunity at summer’s end to remind all of you (and myself, are you listening Marco?) that in moments of change, seasonal and otherwise, we crave things that are consistent and fulfilling. Cooking for friends and loved ones is just that.

You don't need an occasion. Just make a phone call, and put a pot on the fire. It doesn’t have to be a big production. A couple of steps above chips and onion dip, and you're set. In these short days when time is our most precious commodity, always racing the fading daylight, an invitation to unwind over dinner is most welcome. In time we may forget what we ate, but the warmth of feeling remains. You know what I'm talking about.

It’s also time to reconsider our menus, to incorporate these warm and savory flavors in everyday dishes. I’m adding nuances to breads and muffins with different flours, molasses, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla. My baked goods are relinquishing fresh fruit, and embracing the pungent spices that will be with us until spring. Cinnamon and cloves are coming out of their jars, staking their claim to the most-used spots on the kitchen shelf. Shy saffron threads have come out of hiding on the spice rack, having heard shitake mushrooms might be in the house.

Back home we have a term to describe going to Rome in October, so lovely it is: Ottobrata Romana. The air is crisp, brisk, pushing towards cold, and our sky is a serene, brilliant ultramarine blue — a striking contrast to the browns and reds of our natural stone and the chaos of the bustling Romans, who have a hard time resisting the appeal of the crowd, cold and traffic be damned.

Here in San Francisco, where the seasons are sometimes too mild-mannered to state their arrival above the hum of daily life, I count on the market to give me a subtle yet unmistakable nod. Aside from the different crispness of the air and the cooler tone of the light, I noticed the first pale-seeded pomegranates, fragrant mushrooms, orange-hued squash, and satisfyingly sweet Fuji apples on a few farmers' stands. So take notice, welcome the shift, and don't forget to share. We all gain from it.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Pizza Margherita: Justice is served.

Buonasera.
This is the sequel to my previous post: Thin pizza crust: The Roman way.
To make the dough for this pizza, start there.

This post will cover one of our most famous pizzas: Pizza Margherita.

The name comes from the Italian Queen Margherita of Savoia, wife (and cousin... yes, you read that right) of Umberto I, one of our most controversial kings. A Neapolitan pizzaiolo (pizza-maker) made the pizzas as a tribute for the royal couple, and the one with the 3 colors of the Italian flag (red tomato sauce, white mozzarella and green basil) was so liked by the queen, he named it after her. The irony here is Umberto I is also known for the 1898 bread riots in Milan. When a general opened fire with cannons on the demonstrators, Umberto I decorated him. So that patriotic pizza was made with a special ingredient: fear.

King Umberto I fought in the third Italian war of Independence (it took us a while, we weren't that effective). But when he was elected king, he allied himself with Austria and Germany, our former enemies and masters, and began a rather repressive regime in Italy at the end of the 1800s. He expanded the Italian colonies in Ethiopia and central Africa, and as a result of his domestic and foreign politics, he was the only king to be assassinated after Italy's unification (by an Italian-American anarchist).

To me this pizza is a reminder that justice, like a delicious meal, will be served in due course.

Buon appetito — and don't forget to share.
Marco Flavio

Pizza Margherita

Ingredients

1 recipe of Roman pizza dough, out of the refrigerator for 2 hours. Makes 4 pizzas.

1 2-lbs can of Muir Glen organic tomato sauce, or 2 lbs of homemade tomato sauce. If you are going to use canned peeled tomatoes, drain them first through a colander, and chop them finely.

1 lb fresh mozzarella, diced in small cubes (Do NOT use a cheese grater, as the pressure of passing it through even the larger holes will change its texture, and it will not make the lovely melted mozzarella puddles on the tomato sauce.)

1 cup of basil leaves (fresh and fragrant)

Salt and pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil (use the best you have, we’re going for flavor here.)

Finely chopped garlic

Extra flour

Necessary tools

A pizza stone

It would be very useful to have a peel. Otherwise, use an edgeless baking sheet.

A rolling pin

Directions
Divide the dough in 4 equal balls and set them aside, covered with a kitchen towel.

Preheat the oven to 500F with your baking stone on the bottom oven rack for about an hour, and no less than 30 minutes (in case you forget, I know how these things go...).

Take one ball of dough, sprinkle some flour on the peel, center the dough on it and with the rolling pin, pushing always in one direction (don't go back and forth, it won't work) start rolling the dough flat. Add flour as needed; it shouldn't be sticky. As you push the dough with the rolling pin, turn the dough 1/4 turn. Then roll again, keep doing it until it's approximately a 12" circle and 1/16 of an inch thick (like a vinyl LP record, if you remember them). Always make sure it's not sticking to the peel. Add flour under it, if needed; it should slide on the peel freely.

If you don’t have a peel, use an edgeless baking sheet. It'll work in a pinch.

Spread the tomato sauce with a spoon, and use the back of the spoon in with circular motions, touching the surface of the pizza with it to spread the sauce.

Do not soak the dough. The layer of sauce should be fairly transparent. With such a thin crust, if you put too much sauce it’ll become soggy.

Add 1/4 of the mozzarella (more if you like).

Scatter a few of the basil leaves on top of it.

Sprinkle with the garlic, salt and pepper.

Finally, top it with the fragrant Extra-virgin olive oil. We’re going for flavor, so don't use the cheap stuff.

Slide the pizza off the peel/baking sheet and onto the preheated baking stone in a 500F oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until crust is browned and cheese has melted.

Slide the peel under the pizza to remove it from the baking stone. Place it on a cutting board, slice, and devour immediately. Repeat with remaining dough balls for the next pizzas.

Buon appetito!
Marco Flavio

Thanks for all the fish: Phyllo-wrapped wild-caught salmon with leeks and red bell peppers

Buongiorno.
What an exhilarating evening it was! Thank you all for coming and cooking here and now with us. It was truly rewarding and wonderful to see everybody there, see dishes being made, and sharing the jointly-made dinner with new friends. Some photos have been posted on flickr by Cook Here and Now participant Mini Kahlon. Go ahead and check them out!

Now as requested, I'm sending out a call for your recipes. I'd like to post them so that we can make these dishes at home. The idea is to learn, get inspired, and try the new and different. Our dinner was a remarkable example of that: Our wild-caught salmon dishes ranged from Dan's delicately smoked coho to Mini's kick-in-the-pants Bengali mustard salmon.

So send them over to me when you get a chance. It's OK if you take your time. I'll post 2 or 3 recipes per week, as I get them, so that they can always be accessible here on the blog.

Again, thank you all so much, and special thanks to our gracious host Jeremy.
Grazie mille,
Marco Flavio

This first recipe from our dinner is from Samsara. Grazie.

Phyllo-wrapped wild-caught salmon with leeks and red bell peppers

This recipe can be prepared 6 hours ahead.
Refrigerate and bake as needed. Serves 6.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter

4 cups red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks size strips

1 large leeks, (white and pale green) cut into matchstick size strips

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt

12 sheets phyllo sheets

6 5-ounce skinless and boneless salmon fillets

Preparation

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and leek and sauté until leek is tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and crushed red pepper to skillet. Simmer until liquid evaporates.
Transfer vegetable mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the basil and salt.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface. Brush with some melted butter. Top with a second phyllo sheet; brush with melted butter. Place 1 salmon fillet crosswise on phyllo sheet. Top salmon fillet with a heaping tablespoon of the vegetable mixture. Fold sides of phyllo and roll salmon to enclose in pastry, forming a rectangular packet.
Transfer to a heavy large baking sheet, vegetable side up. Brush packet with melted butter.
Repeat the same process with remaining phyllo sheets, salmon and vegetables.
Bake salmon until pastry is pale golden and salmon is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Thin pizza crust: The Roman way.

Buongiorno.
Of all the pizzas in the world, this one catapults my memories to bustling pizzerias back home in Trastevere, Rome. Loudly shouted demands for brick-oven-birthed pizza, shiny paper tablecloths, gutsy deep-red house wine and the warmth and din of other revelers all around you … people you never met, but recognize as that chaotic, energetic, sassy crowd that makes Romans feel so at home, so alive. The crowd is the secret ingredient that transforms a good dinner into a memory. And that’s not unique to Romans, right?

When I was growing up, there was no Cantonese, sushi, burritos or even deep-dish pizza to be had. There was only our pizza: Roman, thin-crust, cooked in a wood-fired brick oven and lightly topped with your choice of savory tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella, same-day-picked zucchini blossoms and lightly salted anchovies, or porcini mushrooms and dry-cured prosciutto. (Mmmm…thank you, Mr. Pig.) And no, I never felt deprived. I loved it. Flavors so overwhelming to the senses, they possessed the capacity to embed themselves in your memory and leave you lusting for them for decades to come. I looked forward to it every single time. At age 8, I recall asking my mother for a whole month, "When are we going out for pizza?" until finally she replied in exasperation: "Tonight." (It's still one of my fondest childhood memories.)

In Italy, Rome and Naples compete for bragging rights to the best pizza. As a Roman, I must admit Neapolitan pizza is not bad... edible at the very least. Knock yourself out. Woo-hoo. (Perdonami, Ilaria.) It's a different style, with a larger cornicione (the edge of the pizza, rather thick in a Neapolitan pizza) and a softer, more bread-like consistency. Either has its advocates. There'll never be a consensus who makes the best kind, like crowning the best burrito place in San Francisco. I have to give Neapolitans credit for bringing pizza to the States, and for having the good manners to return to the New World the favor of gifting Europe the tomato.
Roman pizza crust is thin and crunchy but never, ever hard to chew or like a cracker. When you bite into it it will have a little of the softness of bread, counterbalanced by a crisp bottom, and the whole thing should almost melt in your mouth.  Cooking it in a pan will not allow the dough to release moisture, leaving it thin and soggy. Cook yours in the now ubiquitous and inexpensive pizza stones, which absorb moisture throughout the cooking process and guarantee crispness.

Roman thin-crust pizza dough recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups pastry flour (very important for its final consistency)

1/4 cup semolina flour (this helps with making it crisp)

1 teaspoon instant yeast (or 1 and 1/4 teaspoon dry-yeast)

1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt

1 3/4 cups plus a couple of tablespoons of water (do not use distilled, purified water, since you’ll need some of the mineral salts present in water to add to the flavor; Roman water is extremely mineral-rich)

Directions:

If using dry yeast, dissolve it in a large mixing bowl with the warm water and wait five minutes. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.

If you’re using an electric mixer, mix with the dough hook for about 4-5 minutes, until the flour gathers into a coarse ball. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then mix again for 2 to 3 minutes. It should clear the sides of the bowl and be just a tad sticky, like used tape. If it’s too sticky, add a little bit of flour, a tablespoon at a time and mix a bit more; if too stiff, add a tablespoon of water and mix it in. Do not knead the dough too much, as this might overdevelop the gluten network, making the dough too chewy for Roman pizza. This is very important and something to watch out for, especially with an electric mixer.

If mixing by hand, knead for about 4-5 minutes until the dough stiffens, and add a bit of flour or water, depending on need. Don't add too much flour; the dough needs to stay a little wet and supple.

Once the dough becomes a little stiff and comes together, let it sit covered with a damp cloth for 5 minutes, then knead again for 2-3 minutes. Again, very important: Do not overknead.

Once the dough feels ready, soft, slightly wet and supple, shape it into a ball. Grease a bowl with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, place the dough in it, roll it so it gets coated with the olive oil, then cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then place it in the refrigerator overnight, so that the yeast can do its magic and extract all the flavor from the flour. If you need to use it the same day, let it sit out for a couple of hours, then refrigerate it for a couple of hours, and take it out and shape it 2 hours before you will need to cook it. Make it in the morning for use at dinner.

If you used the flavor-enhancing overnight method, take it out a couple of hours before kneading it to let it come back to room temperature and revive the yeast. The dough is now ready to be shaped, topped and cooked.

For Part II: Topping and Cooking go here.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

 

Group cooking, PART II: Dinner, Sunday September 17th

Buongiorno.
With such a enthusiastic response, this is going to be a  lavish, tasty dinner! Thanks to everybody for being so generous with your culinary skills and your time.

The numbers and courses have been tallied and without further ado, here are the results:

If you make a non-vegetarian entree: Wild-caught salmon

Vegetables: Tomatoes, eggplant and green beans

Fruit: Plums were the winners by one over figs, but figs are an option as well. Today in the market the plums looked good, but not great ... fall is definitely coming.

The list of participants is below. All the spots are full to overflowing, so if you're wondering if you can bring a friend not listed here, the answer is: Sorry, maybe next time. We've had to turn down more than a few people already. If your name isn't on the list, please stay tuned for the next dinner and register early. All participants will get an email with directions to our dinner locale mid-week, as I soon as I get them from our host Jeremy.

Grazie,
Marco Flavio

Marco Flavio Marinucci (that would be me): main wild-caught salmon course (non vegetarian) and focaccia breads (vegetarian)

Alison Bing: Wine: 2-3 bottles of the good stuff (local, of course)

Mini Kahlon and Rajeev Patel:  Bengali style mustard salmon entree (non vegetarian) and wine

Dan Schuster: home cured and smoked salmon for an appetizer, plus vegetarian main dish (possibly polenta with a vegetable ragout)

Amanda Darnell & David Joud: appetizer and tart tatin dessert.

Jodi Louws: bottle of wine and beer, plus the coffee (she's a roaster!)

Joanna Tong: Appetizer 

Benny and Lyora Zadik: Vegetarian main course and a dessert.

Unhei Kang:  appetizer - Caprese (tomato, basil, mozarrella).

Ben Khoo: two bottles of wine.

Erin O'Donohue: a salad or vegetarian side dish.

Reshma Vasanwala: all the non-alcoholic drinks.

Jeremy (who is graciously offering the space; thanks again, man): salmon entree

Melanie: a salad.

Mike: your choice, but a nice large salad would be great.

Tara Hui and Chait Diwadkar: Vegetarian entree and fig ice-cream

Bakie Lee: wine/beer

Sydney Peters: a decadent dessert

Scott Weitze: wines

Nancy Chan and Max Chen: salmon entree for 6 (2 people cooking)

Julia Kochi: wild-caught salmon main course

Samsara Oberle: main course (wild-caught salmon)

Judy McCarthy: salmon entree

Margherita Navarro +1: Salmon entree for 6 (2 people cooking)

San Francisco's Farmers' Markets: Where and When

Buongiorno.
Not everyone can get their sleepy selves to Alemany at 8 am on a Saturday. Trust me: I understand that. There are less painful options — but wherever you go, try and go early. Foodies know the good stuff, and always get to it first.

Here's a list of where and when to buy local and seasonal goods from the farmers themselves in our beloved (except when house-shopping) San Francisco. Go and grace your table with Northern California's bounty. Organic produce, grass-fed meats (including the extra-lean bison), wild-caught salmon and artisanal chocolate. Yes, you are correct: We're the lucky ones, and we're a little smug about it.

So get out to your local farmer's market and meet the farmers — they're the ones who can tell you definitively what's good and what's outstanding on any given week. You'll appreciate the difference, and so will your guests. Ask to sample, figure out what you like, and snap it up. Get acquainted with your food, and look forward to its return every season, like a long-lost friend.

Now if only life was always that reliable...

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Alemany
The first (and my very favorite) San Francisco farmers' market with over 50 stands, including local cheeses, baked goods, mushrooms, honey, and locally produced extra-virgin olive oils. Look for me with friends and Cook Here and Now group members on Saturday mornings.

Location: 100 Alemany Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94110 (Mission/Bernal Heights)

Year round/Seasonal: Year round, rain or shine

Days/Times: Sat. 6am-5pm

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
This is the well-known one, where you bring your family from out-of-town or go to see and be seen with boutique produce. It features eclectic vendors, great vegetables, and excellent meat, but you'll pay dearly for all those adjectives. You'll also find chocolate, bison steaks, delightful chantrelle mushrooms and much more than produce. I admit it: This market is a guilty but often necessary pleasure. They also offer nutrition and cooking classes. See cuesa.org for a list of informative programs and local and seasonal food resources.

Year round/Seasonal:
Tuesday and Saturday markets are open year-round, rain or shine. Saturday is the big market day, with almost 100 vendors.
Sunday and Thursday markets are open May-December, rain or shine.

Days/Times:
Tuesdays: 10:00am-2:00pm — in front of the Ferry Building. Rain or shine.
Thursdays: 4:00pm-8:00pm  — ditto.
Saturdays: 8:00am-2:00pm — in front of the Ferry Building and in the back plaza. Rain or shine.
Sundays: 10:00am-2:00pm — in front of the Ferry Building. Rain or shine.

Location
The Ferry Building, where Market Street meets the Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111

 

Castro Certified Farmers' Market
Finally a market in the Castro. About 15 vendors.

Year round/Seasonal:
Seasonal: Every Wednesday, until October 28th. 4 to 8 PM

Location
On Noe at Market, San Francisco

 

 

 Divisadero Certified Farmers' Market
Sunday from 10-2. All year-round.

Year round/Seasonal:
Seasonal: Every Wednesday, until October 28th. 4 to 8 PM

Location
On Noe at Market, San Francisco

 

Fillmore Certified Farmers' Market
This one has a great friendly neighborhood feel to it, with live jazz and hot coffee.

Year round/Seasonal:
Saturday from 9-1. All year-round

Location
O'Farrell at Fillmore, and Fillmore Center Plaza

Civic Center
A viable alternative, but not the one to take the visiting in-laws to see — the neighborhood can get sketchy. Do stop by, especially on a Sunday morning, and afterwards head to lunch at the Asian Art Museum (restaurant open to the public, no admission required).

Year round/Seasonal:
Year round: Every Wednesday and Sunday, 7am to 3pm

Location
Market St and Hyde St.
San Francisco, CA

Crocker Galleria
A welcome addition for all of us working stiffs downtown, this market is a chance to have a picnic lunch and bring home some California-grown seasonal fruit and produce from about 20 vendors.

Year round/Seasonal:
Year round: Every Thursday, 11am to 3pm

Location
50 Post Street at Montgomery
San Francisco, CA 94104

 

San Francisco Kaiser Market
A nice range of vendors, and kudos to Kaiser for bringing it to us.

Year round/Seasonal:
Year round: Every Wednesday, 10am to 2pm

Location
Kaiser Medical Center, 2425 Geary Blvd. (at Divisadero)
San Francisco, CA 94118

Noe Valley Farmers' Market
Year round/Seasonal:
Year round: Open every Saturday, 8 am - 1pm

Location
In the Noe Valley Ministry’s new parking lot on 24th Street between Sanchez and Vicksburg.
San Francisco, CA

UCSF Mission Bay Farmers Market
Year round/Seasonal:
Seasonal: Wednesday, 10-2. April 13, 2011 to November 16, 2011

Location
Gene Friend Way between 3rd and 4th
San Francisco, CA

Bartle Tomatoes:"Like a perfect peach"

Nibby Bartle from Two Dog Farm responds to my post on Bartle family dry-farmed tomatoes:

Wow! We are thrilled at the attention and excitement generated by our awesome tomatoes. Thanks Marco! We felt so welcomed at Alemany that we're bringing almost twice as many tomatoes next time. Miles and I will also have a lot of heirloom tomatoes. Many heirlooms are overhyped, trendy, and not remarkable taste-wise, but we found some that are up to our standards. They're big, thin-skinned and an interesting purple-red when ripened.We bring them a little underripe so they can handle the market and journey home; they'll ripen beautifully.

My husband and I have been farming for more than 20 years and we've grown all sorts of vegetables, but our hearts belong to our dry-farmed tomatoes. They are so special. And they do elicite such passion from customers! Like a perfect peach or fragrant strawberry, our tomatoes seem so rare among modern supermarket produce. They bring people back to their childhoods, their old country, the family garden, sunny summer memories...

But the season is only about a month or two long, so don't hesitate!

       Nibby