The Powerful, Pounding Pacific & My Year of Gratitude

I know you are wondering, where is the food image?  I get it, that has been the mainstay of this blog.  And although food takes the front seat, the real driver is LOVE.  From an appetizer, to table setting, from floral design to a restaurant review, from traveling and inhaling life, it's about living fully and stirring it all with love.  And so I share a moment of exactly that in celebration of the BIRTHday of this blog.  

A little over a year ago JC and I made our first trip to Chile.  We were so grateful for this opportunity as it was a relatively unplanned vacation that was spurred on by a generous invite from our friends. We felt even more blessed upon learning that this was not only the first time they were receiving guests in their Chilean country home, but actually the first time THEY were staying in their own home after renovations.  What an enormous honor and treat. 

The breathtaking view from our guest room of their home.

The home is perched atop the cliffside with the pounding Pacific below. Pounding being the understatement, as the ever constant rush of waves beats against the shore every minute, every second of the day and night.  To some this persistent commotion might be vexing but to me it was a soothing calm. I am a Pisces and a water lover. I love hearing it, seeing it, being near it, and most definitely being IN it.  I am in awe of water, and even more so of the Pacific.  She is relentless.

Her mighty force roars; crashing, smashing into the rocks, into beaches, into whatever it pleases. Raging with a haunting 'grito' (translation: yell)  "I, more powerful than you".  A roar of hisses, a roar of crashes, a whisper of foam.  

She screams out "Surrender to me, feel my might. I will wear you down."  But the rocks simply stand, and stand taller and stronger.  Not blinking or twitching or with the slightest concern.  They make no sound against the rushing rage. Stand strong. Stand your ground. Rock solid, now and forever.

I share this beauty of nature and my profound sense of appreciation for a year of adventure for the things I love and of being grateful.  Grateful for all of life's opportunities. Grateful to have loyal readers. Grateful for that moment in Chile,  listening to the mighty water as I sat and wrote and wrote and wrote, anticipating the launch of my blog.  Breathing in strength and belief in myself. So today in honor of the exact one year anniversary posting of this blog, a birthday on many levels, I say;  
May each of us stand tall in whatever force charges our way. With calming love and in full celebration, I wish for you to be as forceful as water and as solid as rock in all your life's journeys.

Luscious Butternut Cream Crostini with Roasted Walnuts & Honey

Let's state the obvious. We throw a lot of parties.  Entertaining fools;  we love to do it. (Alright maybe me a tad more than JC).  Whether the scale is big or an intimate gathering, you always need good nibbles. And the small bites you offer should be tasty and as exciting to you as they are to your guests. Which is why I'm constantly toying around with ideas in the ongoing quest for a tasty appetizer. 

I'm like everyone else, I have some fan favorites,  and will admit that I recycle them for certain events.  Heck, why not?  If something works then play that tune again and again. But I have flavor curiosity syndrome. so I am forever surfing my brain, and my palate for new bites.  Throw in the fact that I just like to experiment and thus the parade of apps.  (By the way, I am trying to get that syndrome classified as an official disorder. I think there might be some benefits to that.)

Usually when I come up with an idea, I don't pre-test.  I just take the plunge and serve it up to our guests before ever trying it myself.  Bold and brazen, that would be me. Yet on the occasions when I have an idea but don't have a planned party I become impatient and make a batch to test on friends and family.  So the irony didn't escape me when this particular recipe idea popped into my head at the exact same time that we had 5 weeks of revolving door guests in our home. That's right, captive prisoners, yet our sightseeing schedules left us with no time for food experimentation.  Much like a lyric from Alanis Morisette's song Ironic, "It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife".  A perfectly good crop of guinea pigs gone to waste. So, I cooked up a different plan for testing this recipe.  

Because no parties were in the sight, the next soonest taste tester opportunity was our plans to meet up with family at a restaurant in the Bronx.  My plot: bring little samples in tupperware and hand them out prior to entering the restaurant. This is my interpretation of an amuse bouche.  Appetizer BEFORE the appetizer.  (The real meaning of amuse bouche is a bit of food served before the meal to stimulate the appetite.  To amuse your mouth. I think mine did just that.)

First off, Juan Carlos thought I was nuts, (as he often does), and I thought my idea would be met with surprised faces and thoughts of, “who brings appetizers to a restaurant and requests that they be gobbled up like contraband in a dark alley?”  However, as I passed out my little samples, they were happy to oblige. I just love these people!  Once they popped these fluffy bites into their mouths, they didn’t care where they were eating them. 

Tom, one of my biggest fans, ready for his part.

Therese testing the pear, gluten free version. Thanks!

Aunt Rosie, being a good sport

Although this experiment went well, I have enhanced the original idea.  Plus I highly recommend serving them at home on a proper platter to your guests.  (Clandestinely handing them out from a plastic container on a Bronx street corner should be your last resort.)
 

Ingredients

1.5 c butternut squash, roasted
1/2 cup ricotta
1/3 c walnuts, roasted
1/3 c pumpkin seeds, roasted
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 good pinches red pepper flakes
1.5 t salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Parmesan shards
honey, to drizzle
French baguette, sliced
Pear (I used a Red Anjou)
 

Instructions

Place the two halves of butternut squash on a roasting pan and season with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Roast at 375 degrees until fork tender (about 45 min).  Let cool.

Then scoop out the soft squash and put into a food processor.  Add the salt, pepper, red pepper, nutmeg and blend until smooth.  Add the ricotta cheese and blend until combined.

Roasted and ready for becoming a rich creamy delight.

In a saucepan on the stovetop or in a baking sheet the oven, lightly toast the walnuts and the pumpkin seeds to release their oils and fragrance.  Roughly chop them, keeping them separate.

Place the bread slices on a sheet pan and lightly toast one side, then turn and place the parmesan shards on the other side and toast until slightly melted.

Meanwhile, stir the pumpkin seeds into the butternut/ricotta mixture.  Once the crostini are ready, spoon on the butternut cream mixture, sprinkle the chopped walnuts and drizzle with honey. Serve on your prettiest plate.

If you recall, I don't eat bread.  Neither does my cousin, Therese, who was among the original taste testers. So I needed to come up with delivery vehicle that we both could consume and not feel cheated.  I hate feeling cheated.  Enter the pear for a gluten free version of this app.

Use a nice, thick slice.  We both loved the crisp, freshness of the pear against the creamy, sweetness of the butternut squash, ricotta and honey.  Not only did we not feel cheated, but we felt we had the better version. Shh!

I was really happy with how this ultimately turned out. The folks who had the crostini version liked the crunch of the bread against the creaminess of the butternut squash/ricotta mixture.  Therese and I loved how the pear worked with these flavors.   True confessions, and in authentic something from nothing style, I don't always know all the ingredients up front that will end up in a recipe.  Case in point here, as there was no red pepper in the set up photo. The addition of red pepper flakes came upon tasting it and realizing that the squash and ricotta are quite mild and were desperately calling out for a punch.  AND when I needed to bring an appetizer to a dinner party this past week I decided to make this.  In recreating it I added the pumpkin seeds for addition texture and parmesan for additional saltiness. Neither of which was in the original version. See how it works, my friends. You keep creating, improving and stirring it with more love each time.  

As I suggested earlier, instead of serving this in a back alley, bringing it to a friend's dinner party and serving it on a proper platter, well... It goes without saying that this was an infinitely much better locale!

Recipe Printable Version

Sherry Stirred Mushrooms

Love or Loathe?
Enter the Mushroom.  Most people are clearly either on one side or the other.  I'm one of those people who loves some of them and loathes others.  Sorry Mr. Portobello.  

I would venture to guess one of the reasons why there is such a strong affinity one way or the other is the intensity of a mushroom.  Robust, earthy, with a flavor depth that is undeniable, mushrooms stand up for who they are and make no excuses.  For those in favor, raise your hands in proclaiming that those are some of mushrooms' greatest attributes.   For those who say, hell no, I don't want that mush in my room, it might just be the texture. And the culprit to that is H2O.  Mushrooms are made up of 92% water.  If they don't get cooked correctly or they are salted too soon, all that 92% comes running out like Niagara Falls.  And what do you get? Mushy, soggy, spongy is what you can expect. That's actually my beef with the portobello, a big sponge that fancies itself a "burger".  I guess that's my biggest beef with Señor Portobello.  Another thing, let's not forget they are a fungus.  So that isn't too appealing either. Crap, what am I doing?  I'm supposed to get you to make these mushrooms, not give you reasons not to.  Let me take another swig of sherry and start again.

Mushrooms are in a class by themselves.  Here is a little mushroom humor.  They are neither a meat nor a vegetable.  Yet meat eaters believe them to be a vegetable and vegetarians convince themselves they are meat. Go figure.  These earthy fungi stand alone in the field, literally,  and are mineral and nutrient packed wonders.   I could list all of them but that would be boring.  Trust that they are good, AND  low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, and very low in sodium.  Cropping up from the earth with varieties beyond your imagination and sometimes with price points that exceed the imagination, the ways to serve them are just as varied.  

Now down to brass tacks.  Hopefully I didn't scare you off of eating mushrooms or trying this recipe.   Mushrooms are a good thing and they have talents for being cooked up; they can be stuffed or used in stuffing.  They can be baked, sauteéd or raw. The can be a side dish or a topping. They can be a sauce or sauced.  They can... quite frankly do a lot.  My reason for using them recently came by way of  appetizer platter dilemma.  Our guests regularly get their fill of cured meats and cheeses, so I desperately needed to think out of the box.  A stroll through the produce aisle produced an idea for deep, dark earthiness. Enter the Mushroom: LOVE   

Ingredients

4 c mushrooms, small chopped  (you can use any kind you like. I used cremini.)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 c shallots, fine dice
1/3 c onions, fine dice
2 T scallions
1 T fresh thyme
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t salt
3/4 c sherry wine
lemon zest
squeeze of lemon juice
Olive oil

Instructions

Mise en place, French for 'everything in its place, is the best way to cook.  It allows you to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.  So cut up your ingredients as described above.

Sweat the shallots and onions in oil and then add the mushrooms.  Do not season with salt yet, remember their enormous water content.  If you salt them at this point, they will release all their liquid making them MUSHrooms. You want them to get a nice sear on them.  Another tip is to not stir them. Let them cook and get caramelized before you give them whirl.

Patience is more than a virtue. Let the mushrooms sit there. I know it's tempting but do not stir them around. Let them get a good sear.

Once they are beautifully browned add the salt, pepper, thyme and garlic and sauté a few minutes more.   Add the scallions and sherry wine and let the mixture reduce down absorbing up the liquor. Remove from the heat, squeeze some lemon juice and finish with the zest.  You can also drizzle a good olive oil over top. Place in your favorite serving bowl.  You can even top this with some chopped parsley and more scallions.

See the sear. And NO mush anywhere in sight.

Here is how I completed my appetizer platter.  I made bacon jam.  Uh ha, another earthy, jammy wonder to cozy up alongside my 'shrooms.  Since it wasn't my recipe, not going to dedicate a post to it, but my guests loved it so that I wanted to share it. (Click on the highlighted link above for the recipe.)  Then I whipped up some feta cream to spread on grilled bread to be topped with the aforementioned earthy yummies, added some olives, Taleggio cheese, mortadella and roasted peppers.  

Something a little different and perfect for a cold Sunday afternoon.

Let there be fungus among us, sauteéd with sherry, of course.

Recipe Printable Version

Germany in Chile - A Super (bowl) Pork Sandwich

Although this is a review post, it is rightly timed for the Super Bowl, as parties are being planned nationwide. Now, I'm not a big fan of watching sports but I do like throwing parties featuring good grub.   So the sandwich, El Lomito, featured in this post could be the starting quarterback to your fiesta bowl.

Just about this time last January, Juan Carlos and I traveled to Chile.  You might remember my post, Sunday in the Chilean Countryside about the amazing meal we were treated to by our friend's mother. 

After that glorious meal, we were in constant search of good food for the remainder of our trip.  We had some hits and some misses.  One of those hits was at Fuente Alemania, a cafe joint that we learned about while watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations about Chile.  I highly recommend watching the linked episode, as well as the series.  His POV of a city is transmitted through its people, food, cultural as he provides a well balanced, insight of the places he visits.

The famed locale has a German style feel.

Anyway, back to how we happened upon this sandwich.  Anthony visited Fuente Alemania in Santiago and had such love for what appeared to be the most intense pork sandwich ever that we put it on our list of places to visit. Since I don't eat meat or bread, this spot went to the bottom of the list.

However, opportunity struck, and what was once on the bottom rose to the top.  After walking for several hours through city center, we were struggling to find a place for lunch. JC wanted to try a few other places but we just couldn't find them.  (This was an ongoing issue with maps of Chile streets and then those streets not quite existing in the three dimensional world.) Literally after traversing through alleyways and main thoroughfares, we couldn't find a single one.  Desperate for food, and just wanting to land ourselves in any spot that served edibles, I suggested Fuente Alemania.  That's right the pescatarian, non wheat/yeast eater suggested a pork sandwich place. This was the desperation/exasperation dew point.  But I knew JC would love it and when in Rome...or Chile.

The busy action of these steadfast mavens of the pork sandwich.

Upon swinging open the doors to this joint we are met with a full house.  Packed with locals ordering sandwiches to their liking using the handful of main ingredients... Pork, sauerkraut, avocado, string beans, mayo, cheese and some red relish that I couldn't quite make out.  Although there were plenty of items on the menu, it seemed like most people came for that big, honking pork sandwich.  The man next to us had steak tartare on toast topped with cornichon, which I must admit reminded me of an old boyfriend.

We got ours without the mayo, for several reasons, but mostly because they add the amount that one would normally consume in a year, and it looked quite sticky. A serious amount of very gooey cholesterol clogging condiment. 

I wasn't kidding about the amount or the sticky nature of this "mayo".

More evidence of its strange consistency. Sorry, I just had to share another shot as I have never seen anything like it.

Buns a-grilling.

Alright, it ain't pretty or elegant. But then again, I never promised it would be. However, I must admit that this was one of the best sandwiches I have eaten.  That's right, I gave in and tasted this monster hog heaven. It was delicious.  I thought my taste buds might have been over-reacting since I haven't tasted anything like this in quite some time, but JC concurred. It was damn good.  It is a bizarre combination of ingredients that somehow worked.  I can't imagine what the calorie count was on this creation but then again, it was a once in a lifetime consumption.  Which was why I tried it. Several hours later my stomach was gurgling. Not because the food was bad but simply due to my system not being used to meat or bread for so long.  
 

If you are ever in Santiago, Chile I would highly recommend checking this popular locale out.  If not for the food then to watch the woman who navigate a center station, cranking out sandwich after sandwich at an incredible pace yet they never seem to be rushed or panicked.  The sheer joy with which they pump out orders was a blast to witness. They were the backbone here, sharing an abundance of food with an abundance of love.

Our sandwich without the mayo.

Check out the smile on this woman's face. And it wasn't because she knew she was being photographed. I shot this with a zoom lens.

Like good choreography it seems simple and well played. The men serve the drinks and NEVER enter the inner sanctum. 

Check out the men in the background. Even the regulars are mesmerized.

It was an exciting afternoon local experience. And as they say in Chile, "If you have eaten El Lomito, you are one of ours,"  In the end, we were indeed one of theirs and thrilled we got lost and didn't find the other places. Making it possible for us to find our way into a little bit of Germany in the center of Chile.  I realize that many of you might not have Chile in your travel plans, but I believe this could be a great game time offering.  It's hearty and meaty to stand up to any helmet clashing fan. Jaime Oliver has this pork recipe that I think those ballet-ed German ladies would approve for the sandwich.  Then you can just grilled some buns and add all your toppings; tomato, cheese, mayo, smashed avocado, onion. Whatever you like.  It will be the Super Bowl of Pork Sandwich. Germany in America, too!

Hail to the Kale, Caesar

Kale Caesar Salad

Kale is so very popular that you just want to say, 'Really, do you need to hog the whole stage from other leafy greens?  How much attention does one vegetable need?'  Apparently ALL.  You'd think it was the long lost Kardashian sister, Khail. That said, it is a nice little leaf that does offer what it promises.  As do I. Which is why I am posting this salad.  A few of you asked me to recreate the Kale Caesar Salad that was shown in my review post of Copper 29 Bar.  I, much like kale, like to deliver.  

But before we get down to the nuts and bolts of ingredients and instructions, let's examine the deeper qualities of this bold veg from the cabbage family and see why kale has gained so much fame of late.  First, it is the most nutrient dense leafy gem of all.  Packing Vitamins A, K, C, B6, B1, B2, B3, Manganese, Calcium, Copper, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron and Phosphorus plus it contains powerful antioxidants. It makes a ton of other boostful claims like lowering your cholesterol and fighting cancer. Well, who doesn't love that?!  It's low in calories, low in carbs and good on protein. Gosh damn, what a show off. I guess I can stop being critical and admit it has every right to hog the stage.  Can't say that about many others these days.

Few but mighty ingredients

In the past I have used kale in a few different dishes.  I've made kale chips. I've sautéed it. I've made soup with it. I've added it raw to my Spicy Crunch Slaw.  I even experimented with it many years ago before Kale was all the rage.  I'll post that recipe shortly but for now we will concentrate on hailing to Caesar featuring Kale.  In the version from Copper 29, they added radicchio. Alas, my market didn't have any that looked nice enough to grace this salad, so no go on the radicchio. I used romaine instead. (Not because I thought that was an equal substitute but because I had extra in the house.  Use what you got.)  Their version also used a true Caesar dressing, and you can too.  But I don't eat eggs and wanted to come up with a creamy version that eliminated the raw egg.  I think I hit the mark on creaminess and then some.  

Ingredients

(Makes 6-8 side servings or 4 main)

3 c red kale, finely chopped
3 c green kale, finely chopped
5 c romaine lettuce, chopped
2 T shallots, fine dice
2 T pumpkin seeds, roasted
2 T sunflower seeds
Shards of parm (the amount you desire)
Pear, optional

Instructions

First things first, remove the ribs from the kale leaves.  These are way too hard to eat raw.   Then chop the kale leaves and lettuce in small pieces.  I feel that this is an important step when using hearty kale.  If you leave the pieces too large, they can be a bit rough and tough and slightly unmanageable to deal with... Much like a Kardashian.  So take the time and chop them fine.  Small dice the shallots and shave the Parmesan cheese, setting it aside.  Put all your greens and shallots in your bowl our choice, as it awaits its creamy coating.

Get rid of the ribs.

See, nice small and manageable pieces.

Now it's time to make the dressing.  Remember, if you like traditional Caesar dressing, by all means, knock yourself out.  Below is my interpretation for those who also want to eliminate the raw egg.

The line up for my version of a creamy 'faux Caesar' dressing. (The chives aren't pictured here because I decided to add them after I took the photo. That is truly how the something from nothing style of cooking works. Add as you go.

Dressing

2/3 c Buttermilk
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1 T chives
1 T parsley, chopped
1/2 heaping tsp garlic, crushed  
1/2 t Mustard
2-3 T Parmesan cheese, grated
/2 t lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
1/2 full tsp salt
1/4 t pepper

Then combine all the above ingredients, whisking until smooth.  Easy, peasy.

Don't forget to add the grated parm. This harkens back to the Caesar taste.

Usually, I don't dress my salad until right before serving.  However, due to the heartiness of the leaf, I consider this salad to be more like a slaw which really demands time to let the dressing soak in.  Lovingly pour it over the salad a 1/2 hour before serving, but hold off on adding the shards of parm until right before serving.  Try not to eat too many while you wait.  If you do, just shave some more.

Now here's the part that rockets this recipe to the stars.  Copper 29 served their salad with croutons that were more like heavenly toasts.  Here's my version of those bad boys. 

Ingredients

4-6 thick slices of good crusty bread
3 T butter, room temp softened
1 T Bourbon
1 t Crushed garlic
Sea salt

In a bowl, mash together garlic, butter and bourbon.  Slather the mixture on both sides of the bread slices.

 Sprinkle with sea salt and grill both sides til beautifully browned.  I use a cast iron pan which does the trick.

Oh the sheer crispy, crustiness soaked with warm bourbon butter. Hello, can you say 3 slices is not enough!

Sure this bread has butter AND bourbon, but given Kale's super power properties I think it negates any adverse effects from this mighty 'crouton'. 

So enjoy it all, down to the last crumb, as did my guests.  All in all, I was pleased with how this salad turned out.  I think you will enjoy it too.  Thank goodness we can all Hail the Kale without there being a social media scandal.

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