Cardamom Banana Bread

Just the smell of this bread is enough to give anyone a sweet tooth. I find that the cardamom adds a nice touch to traditional spiced banana bread-- but be careful not to over do it, as cardamom is a pungent spice. Using olive oil instead of vegetable oil adds a nice depth and richness--plus it's better  than GMO veggie oil! With the addition of cardamom glaze to the top you are set to impress. The only problem I've found with this bread is that it is truly too tasty: there is no such thing as just one piece! (In fact I have found myself cutting piece after piece for myself and then realizing that almost 1/2 the loaf has disappeared!) I hope you all have more self-restraint than I posses.

Dry Ingredients
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fresh crushed cardamom seeds (husk removed)

Remaining Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large over-ripe mashed bananas
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
1 cup walnut pieces

Making the Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thoroughly mix together dry ingredients. Set aside.
In a separate bowl beat together the remaining ingredients.  (Add the walnuts once the other ingredients are all mixed together.)
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined--do not over mix.
Pour into a 9x5 well greased bread pan and bake for 1 hour.  If the top looks like it is browning too quickly cover the top loosely with aluminum foil (at approximately 40 minutes).

Let cool and remove from the pan.

Glaze
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon cardamom, finely crushed

In a small pot bring all ingredients to a simmer. Reduce heat and stir until transparent.  Drizzle over the top of the bread and brush to disperse.

Pairing Suggestions: Serve with a nice pot of black tea; Assam would work well.

Enjoy!

Satsuma Sorbet!

s

 With satsuma season finally here it is time to take advantage of our tasty bounty! It is believed that this citrus variety started as a seedling from an already established cultivar in Japan over 350 years ago. Satsumas are easy to peel, juicy, and sweet. But they neither keep nor travel well, making local satsumas a rare, but delicious, treat!

This satsuma sorbet tastes remarkably similar to those orange push-ups made by Nestle 20 years ago...  Enjoying this after a rich meal will leave you, and your guests, smiling. The sorbet has the perfect balance of sweet and acidic needed to cap off a satisfying dinner. The syrup benefits from steeping over night to let the flavors develop, but the actual time it takes to put this together is very minimal. Having a gadget to easily remove the juice from the satsumas certainly helps. You can serve the sorbet as dessert with almond biscotti.


*Note: If you don't have access to satsumas, you can replace them with other Mandarin-type oranges such as clementines or tangerines.


Ingredients
1 1/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Organic satsuma zest (from 2 satsumas)
2 1/3 cups Organic satsuma juice (approximately 11 juicy satsumas)
4 tablespoons Buttermilk (preferably whole fat! but light won't harm the recipe)
3 tablespoons Cointreau-- this keeps the sorbet from becoming too icy when frozen (you can substitute Grand Marnier if that's what you have on hand)
3 tablespoons lime juice


Making Sorbet Syrup
In a medium sauce pan mix water, sugar and orange zest.  Bring mixture to a boil to melt sugar. Stir and remove from heat. Juice the satsumas. Add satsuma juice, lime juice, and buttermilk to sugar syrup and refrigerate in a covered glass container overnight to let flavors infuse.


Freezing Sorbet

Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove zest and pulp. Add Cointreau. Adjust flavor as desired. (The sorbet will taste exactly how the syrup does at this point). Place syrup in freezer to speed processing time (but for no more than 15 minutes--I do some cleaning up and get my freezer containers ready at this point).

Process in your ice cream maker according to directions (approximately 45 minutes). Put into freeze proof containers and freeze until ready to eat!

Just poured into the ice cream maker

After 18 minutes

Just finished, after 45 minutes

Enjoy!

*Food for thought: "The essential oil expressed from the peel is employed commercially in flavoring hard candy, gelatins, ice cream, chewing gum, and bakery goods. Mandarin essential oil paste is a standard flavoring for carbonated beverages. The essential oil, with terpenes and sesquiterpenes removed, is utilized in liqueurs. Petitgrain mandarin oil, distilled from the leaves, twigs and unripe fruits, has the same food applications. Tangerine oil is not suitable for flavoring purposes."   Julia F. Morton; Fruits of warm climates; 1987. pp 142-145. So let the distillation begin! 

Market Harvest

Purchased at Crescent City Farmer's Market on Saturday, November 19th: Organic Satsumas, Russian Red Kale, Galeux d'Eysines Winter Squash, Green Daikon Radish, Green Onions, Purple Cauliflower, 2 Cayenne Peppers and 1 of another variety, Broccoli. ($23). Missing from photo: Navel Oranges. (9 lbs, $8).

Roasted Yam Is What I Yam!

Well, if it's true, why fight it?! The New York Times had a brief article about baby sweet potatoes five days ago. The paper told New Yorkers where they could procure New England-- as well as California-- baby sweet potatoes. But really!! Why would you prefer those options over Southern yams? Sweet potatoes, often called yams (even though they aren't the same species) thrive in hot, moist climates and have long been associated with Southern cuisine. Anyone who has ever tried a Louisiana yam knows they've tasted the tastiest. And if you haven't tried one, lucky for you it's harvest time down South!

The following recipes call for Southern yams. This time of year you can find sweet potatoes (a.k.a. yams) at farmers markets anywhere in the South.  If you aren't down in our neck of the woods, ask your grocer to order Louisiana sweet potato "yams."  Even groceries located in the Colorado mountains can get them in, so don't be afraid to ask!  Here are a couple of great savory yam dishes.

Roasted Yams
Yams
Olive oil
Salt & fresh cracked pepper
Herbes de Provence
Garlic (optional)
Fresh herbs (parsley or tarragon)

Turn oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cut yams in half lengthwise.  Cut in half again lengthwise.  Cut into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces.  Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs de Provence.  Place in a single layer in a roasting pan, cookie sheet, or cast iron skillet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Pull out of oven and mix to keep them from sticking to the baking surface.  Return to oven.  Continue to bake 20-30 minutes until cooked. When ready to serve you can toss them in a bowl with olive oil, diced garlic and chopped, fresh herbs.

Roasted Sweet Potato Spears
Cut sweet potatoes into spears.  Then follow the above instructions for cooking.

Menu Suggestions: Start your meal off with a kale salad. Follow that with a whole, baked flounder and roasted sweet potatoes.  If you don't have access to flounder, try another delicate white fish.

Pairing Suggestions:    If you are opting for the above suggested menu, consider an Alsatian Pinot Gris or Blanc.  I love Trimbach's 2007 Pinot Gris Reserve ($23), but it might be hard to find that vintage still on the market.  If you are serving these along side poultry, black beans or a bean stew, open an earthy Rhone red to drink. Go for a Rasteau if you can find one! Otherwise a Cotes-du-Rhone will work well. You could also go for a dry Douro from Portugal.

Enjoy!

Meleagris gallopavo Cocktail

Here's to Michael P. Branch and his wild bird concoction!  His is a special drink for the Presidential Pardoning Ceremony which will take place Wednesday, November 23rd, the morning before Thanksgiving.

Ingredients & Directions
"stout tumblers of what I call Meleagris gallopavo cocktail, which is Wild Turkey straight up, the "cock-tail" mixed in only as an avian pun.  After all, nothing is more threatening to one's mental health than to be caught uncomfortably sober when it comes time for the leader of the free world to issue a televised and legally binding pardon to a bird."

Thus he wrote in "Free Birds: A Thanksgiving Lesson in Forgiveness"; Orion, November/December 2011.

Addictive Kale Salad

I know, it's hard for some to imagine:

1. kale in a salad and
2. the addictive quality of kale.

But this salad will prove the above title good and true to all doubters.  Plus, kale is one of those cold-hardy greens that gets sweeter and tastier as the temperature outside turns colder.  You can serve this as a main-course salad, but be forewarned, it is truly addictive.  You, and your guests, will just keep eating it until it is gone.  It would also make a nice introduction to a whole roasted chicken.  (You'll have to find a recipe for that elsewhere: I don't dish yard birds!)

Ingredients
1/3 cup Pine nuts
1/4 cup Currants
1/2 cup loose, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 bunch Kale, washed, stems removed, cut down the middle, and finely sliced cross-wise into thin slivers. Dried.

Dressing
Juice from one lemon
Olive oil
1 tbs. Brewers yeast (flakes)
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Avocado (optional), mashed
1/4 heaping tsp. Sea salt (or kosher)
Pepper to taste


To Make the Dressing
You can make this dressing ahead of time.  It will keep for several days in the refrigerator, but is best used quickly.  In a jar add salt and lemon juice.  Mix to dissolve salt.  Add all ingredients except avocado and oil.  Mix vigorously to combine.  Pour in olive oil.  You should use the same amount of oil as there are other ingredients in the jar.  (In other words: if there is half an inch in the jar before adding the oil, add a half inch of oil)  The oil will sit on top of the other ingredients, making this simple.  If using, add mashed avocado.  Incorporate with a fork.  Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously.

Composing the Salad
In a salad bowl, combine kale and desired quantity of salad dressing.  Toss.  Add cheese and toss again.  Add pine nuts and currants to the top.  Serve!

Pairing Suggestions:  Try this salad with a crisp, dry white wine such as an Italian Friulano.  Or, as always, my own weakness: a dry, light rose.

You Say Shrimp, I Say Ceviche!

So it's no longer the season of hot summer days.  But that doesn't mean the shrimp aren't still running!  My fresh-off-the-boat shrimp the other day were so delicious that all I could think was: I want to eat these raw!  But I'm a scaredy-cat (and I've never seen raw shrimp sashimi!--although I'm sure it's out there).  Needless to say, I decided I would make ceviche.  It has taken three days for me to catch another boat coming in with shrimp available, but ten pounds of shrimp later, my ceviche is a reality.  You may need to adjust the quantity of shrimp and lime juice, but this is roughly what I used.  Make sure you have extremely fresh shrimp as shrimp are quickly contaminated with bacteria that lime juice won't kill.  This is a very tasty, light meal.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime and lemon juice (I used 8 limes, 1 lemon)
4 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 Jalepeno, finely minced
4 Shallots, minced
1 Tomato, chopped
1/2 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped
2 Cloves garlic
Worcesthershire Sauce
Olive oil
Crystal Hot Sauce (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Putting It Together
In a glass bowl mix shrimp and lime juice.  You should have enough lime juice to completely cover the shrimp,  if you don' t, squeeze more juice.  The shrimp and juice will turn pink almost immediately.  (When I first mixed the shrimp in I had a lot of extra juice, so I added more shrimp!) Let chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours.  Remove and add solid ingredients.  Mix.  Return to refrigerator.  One hour before ready to serve, add a  couple dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste.

Serving It Up
Pour into a chalice (or a bowl, if you don't happen to own a chalice!).  Garnish with radishes, lime wedges  and slices of avocado.  Serve with organic (or non-GMO) tortilla chips.

Pairing Suggestions:  How about a Negra Modelo?  Or else try a crisp Vinho Verde or Sauvignon Blanc.

The Very Last Shrimp

"These are the very last shrimp I'll sell."  I could have taken that as a backhanded comment on my tardy 10 a.m. arrival at the dock in Pass Christian, Mississippi, this morning.  Unfortunately, however, it was the shrimper's announcement of impending retirement.  His retirement may be partially brought on by old age: he is 68, and has been shrimping for forty years.  But what really brought on the "I mean last ever"?  My $4/lb jumbo shrimp.  $3.45/gallon gasoline.  Imports.  These three factors add up to an economically unsustainable local shrimping business.  So while I, and others like me, are thrilled at the bargain of quality local seafood, and cannot imagine seafood from elsewhere in the country, much less the world, our seafood industry is in dire straights.  So please, demand local seafood from your seafood purveyor.  If there is no local seafood available, Gulf of Mexico seafood is the next best (and it is the best) thing.  Don't be afraid of supporting domestic seafood by paying higher prices, especially if you are buying direct from the seafarer.  Local shrimpers and others that harvest the sea represent a way of life and help our country feed itself; let's keep the white boot brigade busy on their boats:  Eat more Gulf shrimp!

Healthy! Farro Stir Fry with Bok Choy and Jerusalem Artichokes

Jerusalem Artichokes. Topinambour. Sunchokes. Earth Apple. Sunroot.  Whatever you choose to call them, they are delicious, and in season, right now!  So for a half far away,  half home-grown recipe this one strikes a nice, healthy balance.  I cooked it up vegetarian style, with no protein.  You can easily add some chicken or other protein to this recipe and it would be quite good.  Bok choy is also fresh at the farmer's market now and it goes amazingly well with the sunchokes and farro (from Italy)--and helps this dish win points in the healthy aesthetic department.  This recipe could benefit from a touch of sweet chili sauce, but I didn't have the ingredients for that on hand.  If you were good at Asian mustard sauces that also might add a nice kick.

Ingredients (Serves two as a main dish)
1 Cup Farro, rinsed
1 1/3 Cup Water
8 Heads medium sized bok choy, cleaned, chopped into 1/2 inch slices, keeping the stems and leaves separate
10 Jerusalem artichokes, cleaned, thinly sliced
4 Medium cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
Red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil

Making Dinner 
Bring Farro and water to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and lightly simmer for 15-20 minutes until al dente. Drain if necessary.  Mix with a fork. 

If using a protein (chicken, beans, prosciutto) with this dish, cook them first in the saute pan and then set aside.  Add back into the dish just before you add the bok choy leaves.  In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, bok choy stems and sunchokes.  Add red pepper flakes.  Saute approximately 5 minutes until stems are bright green and chokes are al dente.  Add bok choy leaves.  Stir until leaves are partially wilted.  Push to one side of the pan.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to empty side of pan. add garlic and saute until just begins to turn colors.  Mix vegetables into garlic.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add cooked farro and mix.  Serve hot!  If you have some hot sesame oil a drizzle of that would enhance this dish.  I also added a squeeze of lemon juice to my bowlful.

Pairing Suggestion:  A nice chilled sake will go wonderfully with this dish.  So would a village-level Beaujolais.

Satsuma Season Is Here!

Next week I'm going to make satsuma sorbet.  Now that I'm writing (and posting) this, I will be obligated to make it!  So please hold me to it!

Open- faced Leftover Barbecue Shrimp Sandwich

After having more shrimp than I could eat last night, I came up with this dish for lunch.  It is every bit as tasty as the barbecued shrimp; maybe more so! This also would make a nice dinner appetizer.  I ate it with a knife and fork, but certainly you could just pick it up and put it in your mouth.  But make sure you've got a napkin handy! (The salad is optional, but makes for a more complete, healthy meal)

Ingredients
Leftover Easy Nola-style Barbecued Shrimp, peeled, with sauce
Semolina bread (or rustic wheat)--the important part is that it is an artisan loaf, with a nice crust.
Spinach or Mache, cleaned, and dressed lightly with olive oil, salt & pepper

Preparing the Sandwich
Preheat oven to 375.  Slice bread and put in a baking dish (with sides!).  Place shrimp flatly on top of the bread (I was able to do three shrimp per slice of bread).  Pour the remaining sauce over the shrimp and bread.  Bake until hot. 

Eating the Sandwich
Serve on a bed of lightly dressed spinach or mache.  Make sure to pour the oil left in the dish back onto the shrimp and toast. 

Pairing Suggestion:  Enjoy with the leftover wine (?!) that went with the barbecued shrimp...

Easy Nola-style Barbecued Shrimp

Not only is this recipe easy. It is as tasty as they come.  You'll definitely need to do some finger licking with this one.  Make sure you have plenty of napkins on hand.  And don't forget the bread!

Ingredients
2 lbs. fresh gulf shrimp (large, 10-15 count), deheaded
Olive oil (a lot! enough to coat all shrimp and leave an inch--or so-- of oil at the bottom of the marinating container)
Lemon juice (1/2 lemon), you can also add some zest if it's an organic lemon
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
dried herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, any combination of what's on hand)
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of Crystal hot sauce
2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
2 tbs. butter (optional)
Baguette for sopping up the sauce!

Marinating the Shrimp
Set the shrimp aside. In a bowl (I used a giant, 8-cup glass measuring cup) mix all other the ingredients except the butter.  Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least two hours, tossing the shrimp after one hour.

Cooking
Heat the grill up to about 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Take a large piece of aluminum foil.  In it place another doubled over piece of foil to cover the entire middle of the foil.  This will keep the shrimp from puncturing the foil.  Make a wide boat shape out of the foil.  Place the shrimp in the foil and pour all of the marinade over the shrimp.  If using, add the butter in pats over the top of the shrimp.  Join the lengths of the foil and roll until firmly sealed. Fold up the ends and bring towards the middle to make a Viking-esque ship. 

Grill for 5 minutes until just done.  Eat quickly!! (The oil will be boiling so the shrimp will keep cooking as they sit in it.)  Yum. 

Pairing suggestion:  A fruity, robust Spanish rose.  You could also try crisp Spanish white.  Or an Abita Amber.

Leftovers: I stored them in a tupperware container with the extra sauce.  Out of the leftovers I made an Open-faced Leftover Barbecue Shrimp Sandwich.  In the future I will intentionally cook extra shrimp just so I can make this sandwich (which is really just a giant crostini).  It was one of the coolest dishes I've come up with in a while.  And once the cooked shrimp and leftover sauce are on hand it is very easy.