Cook Here and Now

Action shots from one of the 'World’s Best Secret Dining Clubs'

Buongiorno! Travel + Leisure magazine is onto us: This month T+L named Cook Here and Now one of its Top 10 "Secret Dining Clubs" in the world, alongside groups from Paris, Buenos Aires, New York, and Vienna. Interesting fact: we're the only group that's completely free and open to everyone - no fees, tickets, or secret passwords here. If you've got the inspiration sign up and you're in.

At Cook Here & Now, the cooking is done not by professional chefs as a profit-making venture, but by people who are simply passionate about food and want to share their seasonal inspiration with fellow foodies. Guess what? It's working -- and as Food & Wine says, the food is fabulous. Thanks, guys.

So who are the people that make Cook Here & Now events so memorable? See for yourself. The shots below are from our November 23rd event at the San Francisco Baking Institute, where 53 of us cooked about three dozen pizzas in a professional wood-fired brick oven using local and seasonal fall vegetables. Thanks to Brian and the SFBI for the hospitality!

Behind the scenes at the pizza event:

Brian and I arrive early to set up and make extra pizza dough just in case anyone has a dough crisis. Brian's at the mixer here, testing the elasticity of the dough.

 

The brick oven is started at about 9am, so that it can be ready by 4:30pm.

People start arriving at 2:30 and settle in at communal work tables. Here Jumana's already hard at work on her dessert, so it can be done by dinnertime.



Dan's preparing one of his fantastic gumbos, with andouille sausage from Dittmer in Mountain View slowly browning and rendering succulent fat. I can't prove it scientifically, but I suspect that aroma alone may add years to your life.

This was the pizza room: about 8 teams making 4-6 pizzas each.

Here's Moti preparing his Armenian pitas to have with his creamy hummus...

Sigrid's cheyote browing briefly in the brick oven...

... and being finished on the stove top.

Erica's preparing to roast her fennel for her caramelized fennel tart with Meyer lemon dressing. Sure would love that recipe ... hint hint. Please post recipes in the CH&N forums, people!

Kelly's mixing her California Chandon sparkling wine with fruit she macerated for an entire year.  When I went for seconds there was none left.

Heba's making butternut squash dumplings. Note the action in the pizza room on the right...

... and behind her.

Michele's preparing his Barese focaccia while Iulia's tossing pizza dough like a pro.

David's been with us since the very beginning and has plenty of reasons to smile: his dishes are formidable. And he's French, so you know as an Italian it's hard for me to admit, but when it's true...

Moti and Brian at the brick oven: waiting for the pitas...

... and ready for the hummus.

Pizzas in the fridge wait their turn to be baked...

... including this one with a fruit compote topped with seasonal kiwis.

Ajay and Veronica (sorry for the chopped portrait) made one with marinated, caramelized Thai chillies with a fantastic kick.

David turning his upside-down apple and persimmon cake.



In all we cooked over 32 pizzas topped with local and seasonal vegetables, cheeses and sustainable meats, plus entrees. Once they hit the tables, the photography stopped. Funny how that happened...

Coming up: Our December Dungeness crab dinner. Finally the season's open, and no oil spills this year. Can't wait.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Farmers Market Watch: November 25th

Buongiorno! Just in time for Thanksgiving, here's the latest from the farmers market. Organic rainbow chard (see above) was just too beautiful to resist, and it's a welcome splash of color to the classic monotone beige dinner. Chop the stems and add them to your stuffing to add a fresh note to an otherwise savory ensemble. For those of you who are doing the turkey dinner, here's a good tutorial on how to carve the beast and a nouveau-traditional recipe that makes use of the just-arrived-at-the-market red walnuts (see below). They're not as bitter as the black ones, but just as rich and meaty. And talk about a conversation starter: just garnish a plate with a few raw ones and you'll see what I mean.

If you need a turkey, I recommend free-range, local Diestel turkeys: here's where you can still get them.If you're wondering what wines to pair with your meal, here's a good primer.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and especially to our local farmers who make it all possible!

What I found this week at the San Francisco Alemany Farmers Market:

Red walnuts (see above).

This is actually fennel, not anise (a common mistake) and it can be found on most Italian stands - you can recognize it by its faint scent of black licorice. I'm not very fond of it, but it complements pork in sausages and makes a tasty side dish for a bold meat entree when sauteed with onions. I like it best braised as a side for scallops for that salty/sweet/bitter flavor combo.

Fresh olives can still be found. You need to cure these first before gobbling them as appetizers.

Beautiful jalapeños are still lingering on the stands. Enjoy them now -- the pepper season is waning.

Organic Yukon Gold potatoes are the best for mashed potatoes (and great for gnocchi). Do buy organic potatoes, since they are some of the worst offenders for pesticide residue when cultivated conventionally.

Pomelos are coming in just in time for Dungeness crab season. Try them in this fantastic Vietnamese salad.

The new crop of walnuts is still on the stands. I can't get enough of them, and they perk up stuffing with their rich, strong flavor. You can find them pre-shelled at the market.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Farmers Market Watch: November 12th

Buongiorno. The warm hues of fall are all over the stands... I can't get enough of the red, orange and yellow peppers, apples and squash. And now the first seasonal citrus are starting to show up, including the first satsuma tangerines. I know it's tempting, but try holding out for another week or two, because their flavor is still too tart and flat. The habaneros (see above) are fresh, potent and ready for cooking - try an all-red soup for color, flavor and fire.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

What I found this week at the San Francisco Alemany Farmers Market:

Fresh taro root is readily available this time of year. For all you Hawaiian transplants, even the leaves can be found at the market. Here are some recipes from our president-elect's home state.

Winter squash comes in all shapes and flavors, and it's both decorative AND edible. My favorite summertime tomato vendors, 2 Dog Farms from Santa Cruz, carry organic acorn and spaghetti squash for about $.80 a pound. I used the acorn for a risotto I made this week with homemade sausage and freshly-made sour cream. It was gone mighty fast.

This is prime season for green beans. I love to cook them sauteed with shitake mushrooms or steamed lightly and added to a great salad Nicoise. Don't forget to put some steamed baby potatoes in it -- for some reason, those are often left out in the restaurant version. That's why you're hungry again in 2 hours. Here's a great recipe for it.

A rare variety of eggplant from Liberia was available this Saturday: Bitterball. You can use it in this Liberian Eggplant stew recipe.

It's not fall unless we have roasted chestnuts. Just remember to poke holes through the skin before you roast them or they will explode. They make a great turkey stuffing for Thanksgiving: here's the recipe.

Organic dried cherries at $6 a pound. Try before you buy though -- sometimes they're way too tangy.

Wait a couple more weeks for the satsumas. They're definitely not ready yet.

Fresh jicama makes a perfect grapefruit salad. Here's one with seasonal peppers from Bobby Flay (if you can't find the tomatoes add a little fresh grapefruit instead).

And finally, my favorite lemons: Lisbon. So sweet and tangy, with a distinct herbal underflavor and almost no pith. Don't miss out on these. Colleen made a wonderful marmalade for me earlier this year with them and I've been craving it for months. Finally they're back!

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Let's cook and eat together: Sunday November 23rd ALL SLOTS FULL

Buongiorno,
Thank you. All our slots are full.
If your name is not listed in the comments section of the previous post, please stay tuned -- we'd love to have you next time. If you wish to be on the waiting list, please leave your email address and name as a comment to this post. I'll contact you if anyone cancels.

Ciao e grazie mille,
Marco Flavio

Let's cook and eat together: Sunday November 23rd

Buongiorno.
We're ready for our November fall dinner -- and we've been invited again to cook at the San Francisco Baking Institute! Special thanks to Brian and the SFBI for the kind invitation and opportunity.

We'll be featuring pizzas created with Northern California fall ingredients and baked in the wood-fired oven (see above) -- up for the challenge?

Be creative: come up with a recipe that combines seasonal vegetables with Northern California cheeses and meats for your toppings (please use free-range meats). There's a great selection of Northern California mozzarellas and goat cheeses at Rainbow (I often use Calabro's). Prime topping options this time of year include winter squash, red onions, green beans, peppers, eggplants, mushrooms, bok choy, leeks, radishes and thyme.

For your reference, here are my posts on thin-crust pizza and pizza Margherita. There was also a great article on SFgate.com about cooking in wood fired ovens last fall. Go take a look.

Anyone not signed up for pizza: gas ovens and 6-8 gas and electric burners will also be available for your creations. Fruit will be persimmons and kiwis.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

The plan
40-45 of us will cook and eat together on November 23rd, starting at 2:30.

The dinner will be in South San Francisco at the San Francisco Baking Institute.

We're expanding registration to 45 people, and I'm keeping at least 8 spots for newcomers to ensure everyone gets a chance to join us (we usually fill the spots in less than a day).
Every person coming (including any guest you bring) will have to sign up for a slot and either cook something or provide local wine and beer (if beverages slots are available, see below).

Since participation is limited, please let us know at least four days before the dinner if you're not going to be able to make it, so we can invite someone else to join us. If you cancel closer to 4 days to the event, you can't join us for the following 2 events. If you didn't show at all, you can't join us for the next 3. Canceling on short notice (or not at all) is unfair to everyone, especially the people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

We'll divide the meal plan this way:

6 teams of 2 people will make 3-4 pizzas each (including some vegetarian options) ALL SLOTS FILLED
5 participants will make main courses for 3-4 people each (including some vegetarian options)
7 participants will make appetizers for 8 people each ALL SLOTS FILLED
8 participants will make salads for 8 people each  ALL SLOTS FILLED
8 participants will make dessert for 8-10 people each ALL SLOTS FILLED
9 participants will bring at least 2 bottles of good *locally produced* wine and some *locally-brewed* beer. Consider that most cooks spend $25-50 (and up!) just on their ingredients. If you're not cooking, you should be prepared to spend at least this much on beverages, out of respect for your chefs.
3 participants will bring non-alcoholic beverages for 20 (sparkling water and juices, locally produced when possible)

Please let me know who is coming by name. Once we reach 45 people confirmed, I will close the event and start another post for the waiting list. If the slots are full for what you'd like to bring, please choose something else instead. (Don't worry: There will always be another event to showcase your skills.)

So post a comment on the blog (do NOT email me directly) under the call-for-participation post letting me know the following:
First and last name
Email address
What you'll be bringing (appetizer, main course, etc.) 
If you brought wine last time, you should now cook something (unless you cooked as part of a couple and made a large entree).

If too many people pick the same course, I'll have to assign a different course to the last entrant.

This is going to be great! So sign up before the spaces are gone.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

So you want to host a Cook Here and Now event?

Buongiorno. Since the Food & Wine article about Cook Here and Now came out in the Thanksgiving issue, people from all over the US have been sending me enthusiastic emails asking how to start Cook Here and Now events in their town like the ones I'm organizing in San Francisco. To which I say: Fantastico! I started Cook Here and Now as a group open to all, free of charge, with a copyrighted model that's easy to reproduce whether you're in Chicago or Asheville. Just ask, and I'll be happy to grant permission to start Cook Here and Now chapters that meet these basic chapter requirements:

• The events must be free and open to everyone. I created this group because I feel there's a need for a place for people passionate about food to meet, cook together, exchange practical tips and find new inspiration for daily meals at home, without the exchange of money. Once money changes hands, it alters the social dynamic - expectations change, and some people who really love the idea of cooking with local ingredients could be left out because of the cost. Cook Here and Now brings people from all backgrounds together into a single kitchen, and the feasts we've made together prove that memorable meals don't have to be expensive - pure passion and good company is all you need. If you have to rent a community kitchen, you can divide the cost among the participants.

• Cook Here and Now is not a potluck nor a restaurant: We cook, eat, and clean together. We don't show up with finished dishes, though occasionally people prep ingredients for lengthy recipes at home. This is an opportunity to watch other people cook, lend a hand to your fellow cooks, and trade tips and stories about favorite dishes and new discoveries. Cooking and cleaning together also helps break the ice among repeat participants and newcomers who respond to the open call for participation.

• All Cook Here and Now events must be organized via Cook Here and Now blogs. I'll build you a localized CH&N blog for your chapter (see CH&N Austin for example) where you can post and organize your local events. Posting events online ensures that membership remains open to newcomers, and helps inspire cooks around the world to come up with their own event and recipe ideas. Designate from 1 to 5 authors for your chapter's blog, then contact me to get it started. There's no charge to the group to build a chapter blog, but I do ask for a $14/month contribution to cover basic hosting costs.

• The focus of the events must be on seasonal and local ingredients and sustainable meats and seafood. This leaves a lot of room for creative themes, like our February Lunar New year meal featuring dumplings stuffed with free-range pork and seasonal bok choy, or a winter squash event to explore the soup, salad, main, and dessert possibilities of those versatile vegetables. Whatever theme you choose, it should be tied to your local, seasonal harvest. I'm sure you already know the foodie credo: Cooking with local, seasonal, sustainable ingredients  is often cheaper, tastier and more nutritious than stuff flown in from far away and kept in cold storage forever. Plus, it connects you with wonderful local farmers and producers, and gives them incentive to keep growing the good stuff while protecting your natural environment. What's not to like?

• Cook Here and Now is a non-competitive group. There are no winners, prizes, or Iron Chef-like contests - so you should feel free to try out a new ingredient, or stay true to your grandmother's classic pie recipe. All kinds of cooking are welcome, and trust me: when your dish disappears and fellow cooks clamor for the recipe, that's the ultimate reward.

• Be prepared to share. Please be generous with your company and expertise at the events and post your recipes in the Forums, so we can all benefit from your presence and bring the  inspiration home.

• The most important part of the experience is the interaction we have with others, not the food. This is what I believe is most important, and why I chose to do this without charge on such a regular basis. You might already be able to cook a fabulous meal all by yourself, or at least order one at a restaurant - but how often do you get to cook and share an adventurous multi-course meal with so many people as passionate as you are about food? Occasionally someone might make a dish you don't like, or doesn't bring enough of a good thing. No big deal. Try something else, and enjoy yourself.

Got that covered? Great -- contact me and let me know you're ready to set up a Forum for your Cook Here and Now chapter. Meanwhile, if you want to start brainstorming your first Cook Here and Now event, here are a few pointers:

• Find a kitchen to host. Sometimes community centers or churches have them available. If you're doing it at home, start very small: 6-8 people. If you have a large range with 6-8 burners, you can host 18-20 people.
• Post the call-for-participation in your City blog. Close the post once you have the people you want (plus 20% to account for cancellations). Start a waiting list post. Send the details just to the participants.
• Each person contributes a dish or beverages - no guest, spouse, or hot date shows up empty-handed! - and everyone helps with clean-up.
• Keep a few spots open for newcomers. New faces and fresh ideas always make for a more exciting event.
• Ask people to put on name tags. It makes mingling easier for newcomers and saves face for regulars who forget names.
• Get cooks to label their dishes with key ingredients and their names, so that they can be showered with praise for their dishes and answer questions about how they did it. If a dish has meat or nuts in it, you might want to mention it on the label so that vegetarians and people with nut allergies don't get any unpleasant surprises.
• Have people label the local wines and spirits they bring with the name and location of the vintner/maker and a description of the flavor. Drinks should be chosen as thoughtfully as the food ingredients, and pair well with the featured local ingredients.
• For our events, we gather at 2:30, and appetizers go out at 3:30, while we're still cooking the main courses, sides and salads. At 5:30 we sit down for dinner. No snacking - this is a proper sit-down dinner. Once the main courses are done, we rotate seating for dessert, so we can enjoy the company of a new set of cooks. Our San Francisco events are usually 35-45 people, and we like to mix it up at tables of 6-8.

Ecco, there you go - I hope that sparks ideas to get your local chapter started. Please post comments or email me if you'd like more input, and grazie for sharing your excitement. You're making me hungry just thinking about all those upcoming seasonal dinners, from Austin to Miami ...
Buon appetito,
Marco Flavio

Farmers Market Watch: November 1st

 

Buongiorno. I just came back from Italy, and now that the October cooking event is behind us I'm ready to resume the Farmers Market Watch. Some of my favorite fall ingredients are plentiful and ready for culinary action: pomegranates (see above), pears and winter squash. I'll make sure they're prominently featured in our upcoming San Francisco Baking Institute brick-oven pizza fall event.

Also, there are a couple of announcements. For all of you Food & Wine readers around the country who've asked me how to start a Cook Here and Now group in your hometown: stay tuned. The guidelines are about ready. I'll post them after the election, later this week. 

Lastly, check out our Foodie Trade section - there are a couple of new things on offer, including a very delicious fromage blanc (if I do say so myself). Now go post some of your own!

Ciao,

Marco Flavio

What I found this week at the San Francisco Heart of the City Farmers Market:

Choy Sum is one of my favorite Asian vegetables, with a rich, mustard-like tang and bright white or yellow flowers that you eat like some kind of ruthless flower-munching monster. Stir-fry these with a little black vinegar and some fresh ginger and devour.

Sweeter than a butternut squash and usually at its best in early fall, Kabocha squash has reached that perfect golden yellow ripeness. You can buy it whole or by the chunk (usually about 2 lbs.). Make sure to get the pieces with the very yellow flesh, because if it's too pale, it will be bland. It's great in pasta and risotto (with parmesan and sage) and a must-use ingredient in Japanese tempura.

Palate-damaging habaneros are still on the stands. Anybody tried to use them in desserts? They're fantastic (in very small doses) with chocolate.

The absolute most flavorful beets and mustard greens I have tasted in the U.S. were available on one stand. The sign said "picked yesterday": no kidding. What a nuanced, spicy, grassy flavor. And about 50" long for $1. You can't go wrong: I'm using these with a fresh mascarpone I'm making to stuff some ravioli later in the week. Can't wait.

Notice how this shopper is looking at the greens' cut stems to assess freshness: that's experience, my friends.

  

Cabbages of all hues are plentiful this time of year. They look beautiful as a dish decoration, and you can use a leaf as an edible platter. Let's not forget what a nutritional powerhouse they are, especially the red ones. Add them to your favorite okonomiyaki, or make your own coleslaw for that fall favorite: slow-cooked pork. Try these slaw recipes from Allrecipes.

Once again dragon fruit is available. What a rare treat! They're great for winter, since they're so rich in vitamin C, and make the absolutely best center-table conversation piece: they're bubblegum pink and look like strange reptile eggs.

It's officially fall when so many grape varietals are on the stands. Try these crimson seedless in my Roasted-grape schiacciata: they're a perfect match.

Just in time for our pizza event: Anjou pears, the perfect topping for a white pizza sprinkled with mozzarella, gorgonzola and thyme. Slice them with a mandolin, add them raw to the pizza once it's out grating of white pepper. 

Make sure to pick pears while still hard, because pears (unlike apples) ripen once picked. Test for ripeness by pressing gently near the stem: if it gives to gentle pressure, it's sweet, juicy and ready to eat. Because pears ripen from the inside out, ripe fruit will give to gentle pressure near the stem. Waiting until pears are soft around the middle may indicate overripeness.

 

Enjoy!

Marco Flavio