Vanilla Spiked Almond Milk

Today I found myself with a surplus of raw almonds from the farmers market and decided to make almond milk.  This simple recipe supplied by my friend Simone yields a rich, creamy and flavorful almond milk that is a pleasant addition to coffee, smoothies and great for my 1 year old son.


Ingredients

• 1 Cup raw almonds
• 4 Cups Water
• 1 tsp. Vanilla

Soak the almonds overnight in 3 cups of water

In the morning drain almonds and place in blender with 4 cups of fresh water

Blend on high

Strain using a fine mesh strainer and cheese cloth or a nut milk bag

Store in fridge for up to 4 days

Paella of Chorizo and Chicken

We love Paella and cook it for special gatherings and sometimes just because. This is a simple paella that we put together with just what was we had in our fridge.




Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts cut in half
• 1 Tbsp grape seed oil

For the sofrito

• 1 ea 4inch piece of chorizo sliced on a bias
• 1/2 a medium onion sliced in 1" pieces
• 1 jalapeño sliced in 1" pieces
• 4 cloves of garlic sliced
• 4 each anchovy filets chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp chopped thyme
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons saffron threads

Addition of rice

• 1/2 cup bomba rice
• 1 to 1.5 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

To garnish

• 1/4 cup blanched peas

Heat a four person paella pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot add grape seed oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. When oil is hot, place chicken breast halves skin side down.  Cook until skin is golden and crispy, approximately 4 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute, remove from pan. The chicken will cook through later in the paella.

Pour out excess fat and turn heat down to medium-medium low. Add chorizo slices and cook until fat has rendered and chorizo is crisping.

When Chorizo has rendered down, add all sofrito ingredients, season with salt and pepper and cook 10-12 minutes over medium heat.

Add rice and cook, stirring, until dry, 2 minutes. Tuck chicken into rice and pour in stock. Pan will be filled to the brim.  Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes and then turn down to medium low for 10 more minutes.  Do not stir during this cooking time, you want to create a layer of crispy goodness at the bottom of the pan called 'socarrat'.

When paella is done cooking garnish with blanched peas and serve.

The soffrito cooking with Chorizo

The rendered Chorizo

The Paella after stock is added

New York Steak Arroser

A perfectly cooked New York steak is a thing of beauty.  Lacking a grill, August and I utilize the French technique of arroser (French, in a culinary context: to baste) to finish this steak that was cooked in a sauté pan on the stove.  This technique can be used to finished off any protein lending the flavors of brown butter, herbs and garlic as well as creating a beautiful and even caramelization. We prefer to source a good size New York from Marin Sun Farms and split it, but if you want a big hunk of meat all to yourself, no one will blame you. 

A few thoughts on steak temperature and touching your food... 

"Yes, touching food is one of the great pleasures of cooking. Separating eggs, making meatballs, pasta, bread, swooping out a finger-load of sweet whipped cream and delivering it straight to the tongue (and then washing the hand!). Take the time to appreciate the texture and tone of the food you’re cooking and eating. It’s part of the fun of cooking." -Michael Ruhlman 'The Cleanest Hands' 

On the first of the year a law went into effect in the state of California requiring cooks and chefs to wear gloves when handling ready to eat food at all times.  With out delving too deep on this topic lets just say not only is it LESS sanitary, the idea of constantly using gloves removes (if only slightly) the sensory experience, the love so to speak.  Further distancing us from the food we cook and eat. Here is a link to a great article written by a non-Californian food writer quoted above.

http://ruhlman.com/2014/01/the-cleanest-hands/

The key to cooking a perfect steak is to poke and prod it constantly! Pick it up with your hands, feel the temperature, press the seasoning in, note the texture of it when it is raw.  Put it into the pan with your hands (carefully, and make sure to wash hands after handling raw meat) and poke it every 30 seconds to feel it cook. Feel for doneness.

As you can see from the photo above, we like our steak cooked very rare.  All the times pertaining to steak cookery are for a rare steak.  The size and thickness obviously effect the cook time as well.  Feel your steak cooking and you get an idea of how long to cook it no matter the circumstances.  Of course this is a learning process, you may undercook a steak or have a real disaster and over cook it. After teaching yourself how to feel for doneness, steak cookery on a grill or in a pan will be come a pleasurable and intuitive sensory experience.

Ingredients for Steak

• 1 large New York Strip
• 1 Tbsp peppercorns, cracked with the back of a heavy knife (see photo)
• 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 oz grape seed oil
• 4 Tbsp cold butter
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 two inch piece of rosemary
• 1 clove garlic, smashed 

Take steak out of refrigerator and place on a plate on counter at room temp for at least 30 minuets.  

Place large sauté pan on medium high heat.

Season room temperature steak generously with salt and crushed peppercorns.

Ready a small bowl with the cold butter, thyme, rosemary and garlic.  You will also need a towel and large spoon handy.

Add the grape seed oil to the pan.

When oil is hot, put steak in fat side down, press the steak into the pan for approximately 2 minutes, creating an even sear on the fat.

Turn steak onto a flat side and cook for about 4 minuets.

Flip steak and sear for another two minutes, after that you will arroser the steak. First push the steak to the back of the pan (away from you), add butter/herbs/garlic from small bowl and begin to arroser (See video). Continue basting steak with butter until steak is cooked to temperature and butter is going the way of black. Remove steak from heat and place on cutting board to rest for 15 minutes.

butter, herbs and garlic ready for arroser

    

Dungeness crab and uni linguini

This is a video that was shot when August was the Chef at Yankee Pier in Larkspur. Ahhh the good ol' Days...

Butternut Squash Soup with White Truffle Oil

I was never a fan of butternut squash soup.  It is sort of the obligatory winter soup on most restaurant menus and always struck me as uninventive and plain.  That was until I had it with white truffle.  It elevates this simple soup from mundane to awesome sauce. 

Yield 2 quarts

1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Aprox. 6 cups.

6 cups vegetable stock

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 Tbsp grape seed oil

2 Tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs thyme

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Heat large dutch oven on medium heat.  When hot, add grape seed oil and butter.  Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent.  Add garlic cook for 30 more seconds.  Add squash, veg stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer and simmer until squash is cooked through. Aprox. 45 minutes.  After squash is cooked, remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf and blend completely.  I prefer to use a stick blender (immersion blender) but a counter top blender works as well.   Serve drizzled with white truffle oil and fresh ground pepper.    

Blackened Cod Tacos with jalapeño slaw, avocado salad and refried black beans

Fish tacos are such an easy, healthy and flavorful meal.  There are a ton of variations but this is the formula we use the most... highly seasoned fish + vinegary slaw + corn tortilla = perfection.  In the following recipe we topped the taco with an avocado salad which could also be a side dish.  The addition of a flavored creme would also be nice for example a cumin, lime sour cream but we chose to keep this pretty straightforward.

Yield: 6 tacos

Blackened Cod:

1/2 lb of mild white fish such as wild Alaskan cod

corn tortillas

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp ancho chile powder

1 tbsp ground coriander seed

1 oz grapeseed oil

Jalapeño Slaw:

1 jalapeño

1/4 of a medium red onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 oz. white wine vinegar

2 oz olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Avocado Salad:

1 ripe avocado

1/4 medium white onion sliced into very thin rounds

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Refried Black Beans:

1 cup dry black beans

1 bay leaf

1 12oz bottle high quality, flavorful beer (we used Lagunitas IPA)

2 oz grape seed oil

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ancho chile powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Refried Black Beans

The night before, soak the cup of dry black beans in 2 cups of water in a 4 cup container on the counter.  After the 24 hour soak, drain the beans and place in a large sauce pan with 4 cups cold water over high heat. Add bay leaf, bring up to a simmer and turn heat to medium.  Keep uncovered at a simmer for approximately and hour.  This cooking time can vary so be sure to keep checking the beans after 45 minutes.  When the beans are tender, drain, remove bay leaf and set aside. Heat a large cast iron on high heat.  Add grape seed oil and wait until hot, add the beans carefully and the spices.  Cook stirring for 5 minutes, add the beer and cook until well reduced, turn the heat to low and mash to desired consistency with a potato masher.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, keep on low until you are ready to serve. Make sure to check seasoning before you serve.

beer reducing with the beans

the finished refried beans

Jalapeño Slaw

Cut jalapeño and onion into a small dice, as shown. remove large stems from cilantro and roughly chop. In a large bowl add the shredded cabbage, jalapeño and onion and mix with hands. in a smaller bowl, pour the ounce of white wine vinegar and whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and pour over cabbage mixture.  Season well with salt and pepper and mix with hands.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

The mixed slaw

Avocado Salad

Dice avocado, slice onion and combine in small bowl. Separately, whisk sherry vinegar and olive oil together. Season dressing with salt and pepper and pour over avocado mixture. Stir gently to combine and set aside.  This can sit for up to an hour at room temp before serving.

Blackened Cod

Combine all seasoning well in bowl.  Take fish out of refrigerator at least 10 minutes before it goes in the pan.  Put large cast iron or sauté pan on medium high heat and leave for 3 minutes.  Pour in oil and wait another minute for it to get very hot. Meanwhile, liberally sprinkle fish on both sides with spice mixture.  Press the seasoning into fish gently with hands. When the oil is hot carefully place fish in hot oil.  Cook for approximately 3 minutes and then flip with fish spatula.  Cook for another minute or until done.  Remove to a clean cutting board or plate.    

Assemble the Tacos

Place tortillas so the sides lean against each other as shown below. Add slaw and place fish on top. Top with avocado salad and serve with beans on the side.    

Veal Stock: Start with the basics

Veal Stock

Veal Stock is the base of many of the delicious winter braises and soups we love so much.  If you take the time to make a quality stock you will absolutely taste the difference in you finished product. Below is a simple method for a nice rich beef stock.  You can choose either beef or veal bones depending on your level of squeamishness.  I vote veal because, well, the younger the animal the more of that precious gelatin you are going to extract from dem bones. A good trick to get the most out of said bones is to make a Remoulage, or second stock, after the first stock is complete.  This will yield a lighter more mild veal stock that can be used in place of water for any beef based recipe. I have included an optional remoulage recipe at the bottom.  

Yield: 3 quarts stock give or take

Ingredients:
2 lbs. veal bones
2 onions
1 leek
5 small carrots
5 ribs celery
1 oz. grapeseed oil
1 C. red wine
8 oz. tomato puree
15 peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 cloves
1/2 bunch thyme
water to cover by 3 inches

Equipment:
Sheet pan
5.5 quart (minimum) dutch oven or stock pot

                  

Process:

                                                                 Roast bones dry on sheet pan at 350° for an hour or until dark                                                                  golden brown

While bones are roasting chop onions, leek, carrots and celery.  Heat dutch oven on medium high heat for a few minutes then add the grapeseed oil. Wait until oil is hot and add the chopped vegetables. Stir every 20 seconds or so for about 5 minuets.  You want to leave the veg in place so it caramelizes but you want to move it around so it doesn't burn. After the veg is golden brown, add the wine to deglaze and scrape any bits off the bottom of pan. Don't reduce the wine, turn heat to Medium and hold.

Remove bones from oven when golden. Place bones in pot with wine and veg.  Pour a 1/2 cup of water on hot sheet pan and place carefully back into oven for 5 minutes.  Remove, scrape off all golden, meaty bits and pour into pot.
Add tomato product and all herbs and spices

Add water to cover everything by 3 inches, approximately 4 quarts


Bring to simmer and simmer for 5 hours, skim scum every hour

Strain with a fine mesh strainer, reserving veg and bones for Remoulage if desired cool for an hour, skim off fat. store.







Remoulage: to make a second stock take all strained solids and place back into empty stock pot.  cover with water and simmer for 2 hours.  Some people would tell you too just use the bones and to  chop fresh veg but I am not one of those people.