Cook Here and Now

Farmers Market Watch: January 28th

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Our dinner to celebrate the Year of the Ox was a resounding success - many thanks to all 47 of you for crafting such inspired dishes, including mountains of dumplings paired with great local wines and ales. (Lamb-pork dumplings and Alexander Valley Zin = magic.) The photos will be up in a few days.
Our February dinner will feature legumes, mushrooms and home-preserved foods. Start getting ideas... it's only 3 weeks away. The call for participation will go up in a few days.
A presto,
Marco Flavio

What I found this week:
Tree-ripened Valencia oranges from Bernard Family Ranch in Riverside (see above), my favorite citrus producers. A freshly-squeezed, sweet, tangy  OJ puts all those Jamba Juice concoctions to shame, and it's just the thing after a cold, rainy run or in a mimosa.

Romanesco cauliflower is abundant on the Capay Farms stand. As the name suggests, it's from my part of the world and a must in many Roman salads and pastas. I love to chop it, steam it for 4 minutes, then added it to a soffritto of olive oil, garlic, hot pepper and 2 anchovies (or Vietnamese fish sauce). Toss and serve with pasta or over rice for a megadose of umami.

There's plenty of daikon on the stands this time of year. It tastes like a mild radish, and it's a perfect pairing with sushi, or fermented in kimchi. Try this easy recipe to make your own pickled daikon:  it's simple and comes out right every time. Maybe for our next group dinner?

Fresh lima beans and black-eyed peas from Raqueno Farms. I bought 2 packs of the fresh lima: they taste like grassy, tangy fava beans. They're cooking right now in my Dutch oven in a pancetta/chipotle soffritto.

Organic Toscano kale is available on the Tomatero Farms stand. This is the one to use for the classic Tuscan soup featuring kale alongside cannellini beans. Try it out!

Very hard to find cherimoyas are in season. They have a velvety flesh with pineapple, banana and strawberry underflavors - Mark Twain once characterized the cherimoya as “deliciousness itself." Get them when slightly soft to the touch, like an avocado.

I found fresh tamarind from the same vendor as the cherimoyas. You can eat the flesh straight out of the pod, or cook it in water to make your own paste for your favorite Thai recipe.

Don't eat the strawberries. Someone asked, "Are they sweet?" What do you think? It's January, people: they're sour and hard.

And finally, it's Lunar New Year: don't forget your blooming quince branches.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Winter Fancy Food show: NorCal report

Buongiorno - just got back from the Fancy Food Show at San Francisco's Moscone Center with some serious finds! The producers have outdone themselves -  now it's up to us, the cooks, to do justice to these amazing ingredients. I'm already plotting some menus, and future Cook Here & Now pairings...

Here the foods I fell madly in love with at the Fancy Food Show:

Petaluma's Rouge et Noir Triple Creme Brie (see above) had me at bonjour. They also make French-style Camembert and Blue in our own backyard, but the Brie was Proustian - I actually ran across the convention floor just to sample it again before the show ended. The flavors are so layered, complex and creamy, it reminded me of the kind of Brie the French never export. In fact, this Rouge et Noir beat the French at the 2005 World Cheese Awards in London ... sacre bleu! Try it and thank me.

Redwood Hill Farms Camellia from Sonoma is a huge crowd-pleaser: a rich but mild Camembert-style goat cheese from a pioneering Certified Humane cheese-maker, a family-owned operation for over 40 years. Pair it with an easygoing, redfruit Russian River Pinot Noir.

Sustainable Tsar Nicoulai California-raised caviar is a decadent, guilt-free treat: bursts of briny, tangy intensity, all sustainably farmed. Considering that all 27 species of sturgeon are on the endangered species list and this is one of the first 100% sustainable hatcheries worldwide, I say: all hail the Tsar. My favorite product of theirs is the Vanilla-infused trout roe  - it's a well known fact among my friends that I'm developing a vanilla problem. Look for the Tsar soon at one of our upcoming tastings...

How can you follow locally produced caviar, you say? With SF's newest local chocolate, naturally. Tcho is based on Pier 17 and labels their bars according to a few basic flavor principles: fruity, nutty, etc. I was very taken with their "chocolatey" one. Rubust as coffee, with a slow-melting, long-lasting velvety mouth-feel like a good Pinot.

Shout out to the South Bay: look out for Lula's Chocolates. This specialty brand is new but the chocolate is a family tradition, since the chocolatier's grandmother was a chocolate maker. My favorite was the array of truffles with 8 different sea salts arranged in the long box. Their enthusiastic attitude about the work they're doing shows in the flavor.

Maisie Jane's sustainably farmed, organic almonds from Chico. The tamari ones are just right: slightly salty with extra umami to make them the perfect snack.

Corto Olive Oil from Lodi: a lush, mild-flavored, versatile Californian olive oil. Instead of bitter Tuscan style oils, try this one for seafood and other cooking that requires a more delicate approach. Better still: the price point is even cheaper than bland supermarket varieties, at about $9.95/liter retail.

I also found two non-California producers introducing superior ingredients to the market - and since our readers are now across the country and their stories are so inspiring, I had to tell you about them.

Timeless USDA certified organic legumes from Montana were familiar to me, since they produce the lentils I buy at Rainbow (haven't been able to find California lentils). But the big find today was black chickpeas - Alison wants to use it to make some extreme hummous. They're pioneering organic varietals and keeping coming up with new crops - I'm keeping an eye out for those garbanzos and organic red barley at the Cheese Board and Rainbow.

Dulcis in fundo (saving the sweetest for last): Herb and Kathy Eckhouse's La Quercia artisanal cured meats from Norwalk, Iowa. I couldn't believe these guys were American after I sampled their products - this meat reminded me of home. Aha! Turns out they lived 3 years in Parma (the cured-meat capital of Italy) and found their calling: to elevate American meat-curing with artisanal meats that make an Italian salivate at first whiff. Humanely and sustainably raised pork, a wide selection of Italian-style cured meats, and most importantly, the first American-made coppa and prosciutto worthy of the name (sorry Fra' Mani and Boccalone, no contest here). Grazie Herb and Kathy!

Speaking of flavors that transport me back home: I found the  Urbani Tartufi White Truffle oil I use at our place in Italy from California distributor (and fellow Roman) Francesco Mazzini, and stocked up. I know, I know, it takes fuel to get it here, but this pungent Perugia white truffle has been wildcrafted and artisanally produced in the same way for over 100 years - and since a bottle is smaller than one of those travel-sized hotel shampoos, it'll hardly add a pinky toe to my carbon footprint. I've missed it so much, I'm bringing an empty suitcase next time I go to Italy... luggage fees be damned.

 

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Inauguration!

Thanks to all that participated to our first NorCal wine and chocolate pairing. That was amazing. My blood sugar is STILL soaring high.

We had home-made truffles (thanks Andre and Paula), double-chocolate cookies, and a truly decadent selection from Bay Area-made chocolatiers including Saratoga chocolates, Charles in Emeryville, Cosmic chocolate in Oakland (see the Obama truffles above), and Woodhouse (what an amazing ras el-hanout spiced bar!) in Saint Helena. 

The chocolates were so rich and intense that the 12 wines we paired them with had to fight hard to keep up. Killer pairings were:

• Andre's white-cocolate truffle infused with rum and ginger with Rosé of Pinot Noir from Chandon
• Frediani Vineyard T-Vine '06 (only 545 cases produced) that held its own against Woodhouse's curry chocolate
• Old Vine Zin from Stryker Sonoma with Saratoga salted caramel truffles
• Bella Vineyards Late Harvest Zin with Woodhouse dark chocolate with dried cherries, apricots and pistachios.

See you Sunday for our Lunar New Year dinner.

Enjoy MLK Day, and happy inauguration!
Marco Flavio

Let's cook and eat together: Sunday January 25th ALL SLOTS FULL

Buongiorno,
Thank you for your enthusiasm: 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 January 25th

 

PLEASE NOTE: The dinner is on the 25th, not the 15th. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

The first day of the Year of the Ox is January 26th, so let's ring in the new year together on the 25th.

We'll be having ox and beef as our meats of choice (organic, free-range and local please) and for the sake of tradition, all kinds of dumplings. Blood oranges, Meyer lemons, tangerines, clementines and oranges are our chosen fruit. For vegetables, let's use ones often enjoyed in celebrations of Lunar New Year: bok choy, Chinese broccoli, Napa cabbage, green beans and fresh, local shitake mushrooms. Sign up early and come over hungry.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Marco Flavio

The plan
40 of us will cook and eat together on January 25th, starting at around 2:30 (we finish at around 7.30).

The dinner will be in San Francisco. Jeremy has kindly offered his company's very large, multiple-range kitchen for our gathering at the last event. There will be enough space for us to use the stoves and ovens in a couple of shifts.

I'm letting only 40 people register for this event, so act quickly, but please reed what's already been taken. Every person coming (including any guest you bring, or your other half in a couple) 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.

16 participants will make main courses for 3-4 people each (including some vegetarian options)
6 participants will make appetizers for 8 participants each ALL SLOTS FULL
4 participants will make salads for 8 people each
6 participants will make dessert for 8-10 people each ALL SLOTS FULL
7 participants will bring at least 2 bottles of good *Northern California* wine per person (not per couple) 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.
2 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 40 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

CH&N pairings: Northern California wine and chocolateALL SLOTS FULL

Buongiorno,
Thank you for your enthusiasm! 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: our January dinner will be on the 25th. 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

CH&N pairings: Northern California wine and chocolate

Buongiorno - I'm delighted to announce a new CH&N Pairings event (you might even call it inaugural): Northern California wine and chocolate.

When and where
Sunday, January 18th, 4-7 pm at my apartment in San Francisco

The plan
16 participants will each bring a favorite Northern California wine or Northern California artisanal chocolate, enough for all 16 of us to sample (think Recchiuti, Pocodolce, Coco•luxe or XOX truffles). I highly encourage making your own chocolate dessert to pair with our wines - that's what I'm doing.
Please don't bring Scharffen Berger or Joseph Schmidt chocolates, since they're now owned by multinational Hershey's.

To attend, post a comment on this blog. (Don't email me directly.)
Every person coming (including any guest you bring) will need to sign up for a slot, and contribute a wine or chocolate treat.

Since participation is extremely limited, please let us know at least four days before the tasting if you're not going to be able to make it, so we can invite someone else to join us. Emailing me on shorter notice (or not at all) is unfair to the people who wanted to participate but couldn't because all the slots were taken.

We'll divide the slots among the participants this way:
8 slots for people bringing their favorite Northern California wine. (This should be a nice vintage, with some thought to chocolate pairings.)
8 slots for people bringing their favorite Northern California artisanal chocolates -- enough for 16 people to sample.
(Location details will be emailed to participants only)

To participate, please post a comment here letting me know the following:
First and last name
Email address
What you'll be bringing (wine or chocolate)

See you soon!
Marco Flavio

We're going national! Cook Here and Now: Austin.

Buongiorno, I'm very proud to announce that Shannon Kimball is heading up the new Austin chapter of Cook Here & Now, and she'll be posting on the Austin blog about the latest and greatest in Texas produce. She's officially in charge of organizing Cook Here & Now's Austin feasts, which are free and open to all on a first-come, first-served basis. If you're in the area, say hi and join her!
Ciao,
Marco Flavio

Sustainable Seafood alert: Monterey Bay Aquarium iPhone app and regional guides

Yes, it's even easier now to identify sustainable seafood: the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch 2009 guide is now available on your iPhone. Download it from iTunes by clicking here.

Also, there are now 6 different 2009 Sustainable Seafood guides, one for every U.S. region. Go and download one for your area.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Farmers Market Watch: January 8th

 
Buongiorno. It's January and I'm back at the market, reintroducing fruit and vegetables to my diet after a couple of weeks of meat-driven holiday feasts. There are some great finds to be had, like the amazing newly-arrived Paige tangerines from Miramonte Farms. As soon as I arrived at their stand, they handed me one and said simply: "Try this." I bought 3 pounds. Kiwis are also a welcome change from the ubiquitous oranges - they're perfectly ripe and tangy right now.

Stay tuned next week for a couple of event announcements.

If you find this Market Watch useful, please click on the button and Stumble us so we can spread the word about what's cooking this January:

A presto,
Marco Flavio

What I found this week:

Miramonte Farms' Paige tangerines. As we approach the Lunar New Year celebrations, tangerines get juicier and sweeter. These were the first ones I brought home this season, after the first wave of good satsumas. Citrus fans, you're in for a treat!

Baby beets from Miramonte farms (no, they don't sponsor me, but I do tend to love their produce). They're the size of a quarter, and once roasted these would look amazing in a salad or as an easy app: peeled and topped with a teaspoon of goat cheese, salt and (freshly ground, hello) pepper.
Remember, you can eat the greens too. Steam and toss them with a seasonal Meyer lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.

Several kinds of baby new potatoes are perfect for salads. I like this recipe from Epicurious that uses a grainy mustard. If you feel adventurous, go ahead and make your own mustard. Here's a good recipe from Saveur magazine that's very savory and umami-rich. They make it with Guinness extra stout beer, but to keep it local, you could try Anderson Valley Brewing Company's dark, creamy Oatmeal Stout.

Celeriac root is a chef's secret to winter soups, with the texture of a potato but a fresher flavor between parsley and celery. I add it to my potato leek soup to get a much nuttier flavor. Here's a good French onion soup recipe that showcases its qualities well.

Several cauliflower varietals are available. The orange ones stay that intriguing color after cooking, but the purple ones turn grayish. Here are some recipes from Allrecipes or Epicurious.

Organic Purple kale is one of my favorite vegetables to pair with beans. I make this cannellini bean and kale soup that I heartily recommend, especially during the cold season. Try it out!

Beautiful Gala apples. They're mildly sweet and thin-skinned. Not everyone's favorite because of their lack of crunch, but many are very fond of them and they sure do look good on the stands.

 

A presto,
Marco Flavio