Category Archives: Waxing Poetic about Food

Food is a life necessity, yes. Food is also an art form. I think it’s almost as enjoyable to talk about food as it is to cook it or to eat it.

Sancocho

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I was introduced to Sancocho our second day in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  I was unfamiliar with it so who knows how long I would have gone without trying it if a small shot glass of it hadn’t  been served as a complimentary starter as we ordered for lunch.  It’s fabulous!  It’s rich and full bodied and velvety.  Yum!

I googled Sancocho and there are tons of recipes and descriptions.  It’s go good I’m going give it a try and see if I can come close to the perfection of the memory I have of it. It has many kinds of meat and is really a stew.  It’s spiced up with onion, peppers, oregano, cilantro, orange and lime juice and thickened with vegetables, plantain, etc.  Sound good? I think it does.  It’s served with rice and slices of avocado.

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It’s possible the charm of the  Adrian Tropical Restaurant had something to do with the deliciousness of the food because it was as if we were in a tropical grotto.  The tables were arranged along side a waterfall and stream with ponds of koi under palm trees on one side and a turtle pond and rock formations with lush plants on the other.  The sound of the water beckoned and Kia and I walked every inch of the bridge and path leading to the waterfall taking pictures of each other and the fish and the turtles.

We had plenty of time to do this because nothing happens quickly in the Dominican Republic.  Every meal is a three hour event that includes shared appetizers and drinks then sometimes shared dishes for a main course, sometimes not and small deserts and coffee or espresso.  ESPRESSO!  I discovered espresso!

That didn’t sound like enough to take up three hours…..and it wouldn’t be except for the long spaces in between.  And, as the warmth and humidity and the relaxing take place there doesn’t seem to be any reason to rush.  Everything will eventually get done.  Everything that doesn’t get done today will tomorrow…..probably.  And in that very happy, relaxed mindset everything under the sun is talked about and enjoyed.  The conversation becomes the highlight of the meal.  And every meal is memorable.

This meal was all about sancocho, mofongo, koi, turtles and a love affair with Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Lunarossa

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As we were walking along the beach at Playa Coronado, a Canadian gentleman walking a dog approached.  We exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes and then asked him to recommend a good restaurant in the area. ” Lunarossa” was his emphatic reply.  “It’s an Italian restaurant”.  In Panama?  As we discovered, there are many Italians in Panama, many Italian restaurants, and many Canadians.

As we approached Lunarossa through a blooming arbor, Lisa, the owner, greeted us and made us comfortable.  We hadn’t even reached the door.   It felt as if we were in her home.  She makes fresh mozzarella every morning…..fresh pasta, fresh everything.

I get all excited when certain elements come together.  The patio was a large palapa complete with fans and soft lighting.  The music was Italian.  The palapa was surrounded with palm trees and fuschia bougainvillea.  The atmosphere alone would bring me back.  But, the food was so good:  the mozzarella and ripe tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar; the pizza, so light and fresh; the lobster caught that morning and pan sauteed potatoes; pannacotta with caramel…..we came back several times.  Yum.  Lick my lips.

Our last evening there, my husband had the most wonderful dish.  It was King Crab Tagliatinni, a house specialty.  My salmon was delicious. But, Lynn’s crab was velvety, rich, full of crab and the most delicate sauce served in the crab shell.  It was spectacular.

Thank you Lisa and the guys at Lunarossa.  We have such fond memories of our time with you.

 

Picasso Bar and Restaurante

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We were in Panama last week…..in Playa Coronado.  We happened on Picasso’s right about 8:00 p.m. as happy hour was winding down.  We should have been there an hour earlier.  It was dark and the lights were enchanting.  We were led to a table with a view of a large open-faced brick, wood-burning pizza oven.  The glow of the fire spread all over the whole restaurant.  There was a large family with children near us.  Does it sound like a scene from a romantic comedy with Diane Keaton? That’s what it felt like.

We sat there a few minutes just enjoying being there and the owner,  Clair,  joined us.  She had come there years ago as a 20 year old with a backpack on her back from the UK.   She told us her story and after we commented on the Picasso quote “everything you can imagine is real” on the menu, invited us to go inside to see more about Picasso.

I’ve heard the name.  Pablo Picasso is famous after all.  Cubism.  However, I wasn’t aware of the connection he had with Gertrude Stein and the many artists and intellectuals living in Paris in the early 1900’s.  We had such a good time seeing all of the quotes and paintings.

We loved the green curry dish.  It had just the right amount of heat and spice and we ate every bite.  We did resist licking the bowl.  We also ordered a stir fry which was so delicious.  The margaritas were great.  We were there several hours thoroughly enjoying the whole experience.

Thank you Clair and all the staff at Picasso Bar and Restaurante such a great evening.

 

 

Go-To Chicken Curry

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My Go-To Motto:  Practice Makes Automatic!  This is one of those recipes with few ingredients and simple cooking steps.  If you like your curry hot, sprinkle some pepper flakes in during the simmer stage.  I usually keep mine mild to please those in my family not into hot and spicy.  But things have been changing and the vote tonight was throw in more pepper flakes.

Go-To Chicken Curry

6 chicken breasts/thighs
salt, pepper, 2 T. curry powder

2 T. each butter and olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped almonds

2 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
chopped parsley

Cut  chicken into 1/2″ strips and liberally season them with the salt, pepper and curry powder.  In a heavy skillet, heat oil and butter until hot over medium-high heat.   Add the chicken strips and onions and saute both until lightly browned.  Add the broth and almonds, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch and cream, pour over the chicken, stirring until it comes to a boil and thickens.  Take off the heat and serve with a sprinkle of  chopped parsley.

 It’s great with rice and lots of condiments:  chutney (my favorite is Major Grey’s), shredded coconut, banana slices, peanuts, slivered almonds, finely chopped green and red peppers, raisins, etc.

If you like to play with your rice, try heating a 2 T. coconut oil in your sauce pan on medium heat, then add 2 cups of rice, stir it around til hot, 3 to 4 minutes, and each grain is covered in oil, add 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 cup of coconut milk, bring to a boil and cover…..not tightly, slightly askew.  Turn heat to low and let simmer 15 to 18 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed into the rice.  Fluff with a fork.   I like crunch in my rice, so I toss in a handful of chopped almonds.

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 Now…..if you enjoy something different and absolutely scrumptious, I suggest you try that same rice recipe with Chef Hai Fitzgerald’s Purple Rice Blend.  His menu is written on a chalk board…..a big chalk board.  It’s what’s fresh that day.  His Salmon, Prime Rib, Steaks and Stir Frys are to die for (I left so much out).

He often looks you over, sizes you up and suggests to you what you would like.  Do you want it with the creamiest polenta, the fabulous garlic mashed potatoes or fresh vegetables steamed right in front of you…..that is the question.  In fact, if you are lucky enough to get there when there are empty seats at the counter (I think there are only seven), you can watch him and his sous chefs prepare your food right in front of you.

 His restaurant is the Thymes and Seasons Market Place and Restaurant in Bountiful, Utah.  His phone is (801) 386-0245.  Have him ship you a bag.

Go-To Beef Stew

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Every cook should have a few special go-to recipes.  For me, that means recipes that I know so well that a quick look at the ingredients and instructions is enough of a refresher to get me started.  I might need another glance during the process. But Practice Makes Automatic!

This beef stew recipe is so good,  after making it a few times, it will be one of your go-to recipes too.

Utah is cold in January.  Roasts, chilies and stews are such flavorful comfort foods in the cold weather that I make them a lot. This stew is my adaptation…..sort of a  combination of Michael Symon’s and Annemarie Huste’s (chef to Jacqueline Kennedy’s household).

Beef Stew

3  lbs.  beef chuck
salt and pepper
flour
rendered bacon fat or olive oil

1/2 lb. thick sliced bacon

2  red  onions, medium chop
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced
3  celery ribs and leaves, 1/2″ pieces
6  carrots, 1/2″ chop
3/4 lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 large potatoes, 1/2″ cubes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2-12 0z. bottles lager
2-8 oz. cans beef bullion

Cut beef into 1×1-1/2pieces. Season pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.  Brown them in a Dutch oven in batches. Put into hot fat (I prefer rendered bacon fat) so they’re not touching in the pan.  As they brown, turn them to brown on all sides, then remove them to a dish, until they’ re all done.  Put them back in the Dutch oven, add bacon, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, lager and bullion,  thyme and rosemary plus a good tsp of salt and couple of dashes of pepper.   Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any tasty bits.   If you have fresh herbs, double the amount. Simmer 2 to 2-1/2 hours or til tender.

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I like Wasatch Brewerys’ 1st Amendment Lager.  They’re a local brewery in Park City, Utah You’ve probably got a local brewery near you.  Search it out.  I’m convinced buying local is the way  to go whether it’s beef, chicken, veggies or beer.  Did you chuckle?  I did!

For a nice variation, add a jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, chopped, a sprinkle of mexican oregano, a heaping teaspoon of cumin and a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped…..or parsley.

If you’re looking for a change from ribs and dips for Super Bowl fare or a great savory dish to go along with them, serve this Go-To Beef Stew.  Everyone will love you!

Are You Crazy? Jello Is Not Salad.

Recipes, Waxing Poetic about Food, ,

Really?  Weren’t you alive and eating in the 50’s and 60’s?  There was green jello with fruit cocktail…..and…..orange jello with grated carrots and canned pineapple.  And toppings.  We’re talking whipped cream, cream cheese and marshmallows.

Well, this cherry jello salad came from my Grandma Orabell.  She got it from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  My kids grew up with it.  They requested it for holidays and birthdays, pretty much anytime I asked “what shall we have for dinner?”  We just had it for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas and New Year’s too.

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I’m going to share the recipe with you.  Keep an open mind.  It’s worth trying.  But, don’t make fun because it is delicious first of all and because it embodies a lot of nostalgia and tender memories of my Grandma.

CHERRY SALAD SUPREME

1   3-oz. pkg. raspberry jello
1  21-oz. can cherry pie filling

1   3-oz. pkg. lemon jello
1   3-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1   8 3/4-oz. can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup whipping cream
1   cup small marshmallows

Dissolve raspberry jello in 1 cup boiling water and stir in cherry
pie filling.  Turn into 9X9X2″ baking dish.  Chill til partially set.

Dissolve lemon jello in 1 cup boiling water.  Set aside.  In a separate
bowl, beat together the cream cheese and mayonnaise.  Gradually
add lemon jello and stir in undrained pineapple.  Whip cream and
fold into lemon mixture with marshmallows.  Spread on cherry
layer.  Chill til set.

I usually double the recipe and put it in a 9X13X2″ baking dish because there will be no leftovers otherwise.  The leftovers will not last long either.  Midnight refrigerator raiders take care of them.

Christopsomo Recipe

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It is fast approaching the time to make Christopsomo.  Christmas is just a few days away.  This is one of the recipes I enjoy planning to make almost as much as making it.  I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

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These days not many people I talk with bake their own bread.  Our local Harmon’s store has a wonderful bakery.  They make their own sour dough bread…..which is rare and which I appreciate so much.  They have a great challah braided loaf with a shiny golden top which is delicious and which I buy often.   Put it side by side with Christopsomo, however, and I would choose Christopsomo every time.   So, read the recipe, get the stuff and make a loaf.   I know you can do it.  You just have to want to.

CHRISTOPSOMO

1/2 cup milk
1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. crushed anise seed
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
5 eggs
5 1/2 to 6 cups flour
1 T. milk
1 jar maraschino cherries

Combine milk, butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan and
bring to a boil.  Cool to lukewarm.

 Meanwhile, crush anise
seeds.  I do a fine chop thru the pile of seeds on my cutting
board.  They pop around a bit…..just scoop them  back into the
pile and set aside.  Sprinkle yeast over the 1/2 cup water with
the tsp. sugar and dissolve.  Now combine the cooled milk
mixture with the yeast and anise seed.

Beat 4 of the eggs in a mixer bowl and add the milk mixture.
Gradually add 2 cups of flour to the liquid, beat until smooth.
Gradually add an additional 3 cups of flour.  Then turn out onto
a floured board and knead until smooth.  In a dry climate, like
Utah I use about 1/2 cup flour in the kneading process.  If you’re
in a more humid area, your dough may be a little sticky so add
another 1/2 cup flour as you knead.  You want it to be
smooth and elastic.  Place in a buttered bowl, cover and put
in a warm place to double in size.

Punch down and knead a couple of minutes on a lightly floured
board.  Pinch off 2 pieces of dough about 2″ in diameter.
Set them aside.  Shape the remainder into a round loaf and place
on a buttered baking sheet.  Flatten to a rounded disk shape.
Roll each of the balls of dough into ropes long enough so that
they extend 2″ over each side of the loaf.  Cut a slit in the ends
about 5″ long.  Lay one rope over the loaf and form circles with
the cut ends, pressing them into the loaf gently to seal.  Place
the other rope on top of the first forming a cross in the center
of the loaf.  Repeat making circles with the cut ends.  Press
the cherries into the center of each circle.  Cover, let rise until
doubled in size.

Beat the remaining egg with 1 T. milk and brush over the loaf.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until it sounds
hollow when tapped.

This bread makes the best french toast.  Sprinkle some cinnamon into your egg mixture
before soaking the bread.  The anise, the cinnamon and the occasional bite of maraschino cherry…………umm!  Maple syrup of course.

Bye the bye,  Whole Foods bakery introduced me to a good sour dough  loaf that they get from Eva’s Bakery in Salt Lake City.  It’s made from their own sour dough starter.  And get this:  they don’t add additional yeast.  Most bakeries do.   If that’s important to you, you know who you are.

Our Christopsomo Tradition

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My first introduction to Christopsomo was an article in Sunset Magazine in 1976.   The picture was so enticing.   The  cross had been laid across the top of the bread and it was  punctuated with maraschino cherries.  Then an egg wash  was brushed over the whole thing:  it was shiny and golden.  Perfecto!  Or rather Teleios!

The process of trying this recipe was such a pleasure.  How could it be otherwise?  Butter, eggs,  anise and maraschino cherries  perfumed the kitchen.  From the moment I removed the first loaf from the oven…..it was instant tradition!

These early December days, I have a fleeting thought or two every day about Christopsomo.  At the beginning of the month, these thoughts are about gathering the ingredients and finding some pretty white paper doilies.

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The memory of the buttery, eggy, moist feeling on my fingers as I pull a slice apart…..I get lost in the moment.  I want to describe it as flakey.  But, that’s not it.  The texture is far too moist to be called flakey.  I looks a bit like a croissant to me:  the layers.  But, when it’s still warm, right out of the oven, instead of crunching when you bite into it and little pieces floating down all over your clothes, it almost melts in your mouth.  That’s my favorite way to eat it…..slathered with butter.

My second favorite way to eat Christopsomo is toasted…..for breakfast…..with an omelet and bacon on the side.

Through the years, we taken hundreds of these loaves to family,  friends and neighbors.  Well, just figure 8 to 10 a year, they add up fast.  We wrap the loaves in red cellophane and a bow and deliver them during the holidays.  It’s our Christopsomo Tradition!