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Ahhhh, mi amor, mi pasión, el que un hambre de ......

So yeah, nothing gets me in the mood more than a bowl full of hot, creamy, bubbling, cheese, also known as Fondue, and what I like to call “lover’s food”.  What could be sexier than eating tiny little morsels of food after it’s been dipped into a hot molten lava of cheesy goodness, perhaps cuddled up in front of a fireplace, gazing into each other’s eyes…..

Wait, what was I talking about?

Oh yeah Fondue.  So easy to make, and a better aphrodisiac then cologne or Dave Matthews Band.  (Okay truth be told, a little DMB and Fondue and I’ll spend the next day wondering where my bra went to.) 

Fondue

• 8 ounces grated Fontina
• 8 ounces grated Gruyere
• 5 teaspoons cornstarch
• 6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
• 2 cups dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Dipping Foods

·         Asparagus spears, ends trimmed and cut into 3" lengths

·         Green beans, trimmed

·         Granny smith apples, cut into chunks

·         Pumpernickel bread, cut into chunks

·         Chunked chicken breasts,  (I like to use leftover grilled chicken)

·         Bite-size pieces of focaccia,

(Some people like to add steamed broccoli and cauliflower but since I abhor both veggies I’m not putting them here)

Directions

Prepare the dipping foods by bringing water to a boil in a sauce pot. Add the asparagus and green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, strain out the vegetables Toss the Fontina and Gruyere cheese with the cornstarch in a medium bowl to coat. Sauté the pancetta in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Pour the wine into the same saucepan and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium. Whisk 1 handful of the cheese mixture into the wine until it is almost melted. Repeat with the remaining cheese mixture in about 4 more batches. Continue whisking until the cheese is completely melted and the fondue bubbles, about 1 minute. Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the pancetta. Season the fondue with pepper, to taste.

Transfer the cheese mixture to a fondue pot. Sprinkle with the remaining pancetta and chives. Set the pot over a candle or a canned heat burner. Serve with veggies, apples, and bread.

Getting hot.....

I’ve noticed a lot of my Facebook friends have been living under blankets of ice and snow.  As I live in California and think anything under 60 degrees requires a sweater I too have a need for something hot. (Hopefully cute, with dark hair, over 6 feet tall and with a great smile….) So when it’s FREEZING outside I like to kick it up with a super simple and super yummy Hot and Sour soup.  No I’m not Asian but I think living in the bay area counts.  Plus with it around 100 calories per bowl, you’ll be looking lean and ninja mean in no time.

Enjoy!

Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons canola oil
• 1  cup  mushrooms assorted (crimini, shitake, oyster) sliced
• Half white onion sliced thin
• 2 cloves of garlic diced
•  1 tablespoon crushed ginger
• 1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
• 3  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  (8-ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots
• 2 1/2  tablespoons  rice wine vinegar
•  1 1/2 teaspoon  white pepper
•  8  ounces  reduced-fat firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1  tablespoon  cornstarch
•  2  tablespoons  water
• 1  large egg white, beaten
•  1/4  teaspoon  (or more) Sriracha hot sauce
•  2  tablespoons  chopped green onions

  Preparation

Sauté mushrooms, onions, in oil for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger sauté 2 minutes more.  Add the soy sauce, broth, bamboo shoots and bring to a boil. Reduce, and add vinegar, white pepper, and tofu, cook for 2 more minutes.  Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Slowly drizzle egg white into pan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in hot sauce, onions and serve. 

Resolutions...

Ok so I’m fasting which means I’m living on nothing but liquids for the next week.  I don’t have to suffer it too bad though because this soup is so packed with flavor; it’s one of things that make your inside feel as good as how your outside will look when you've lived on this for a while.

Enjoy!

Tomato Soup

• 2 pounds, medium plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 to 2 heads of garlic tops removed.
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 can low sodium petite diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons chiffonaded fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange tomatoes, and garlic flesh side up, on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle the tomatoes and garlic with EVOO, and season with salt, fresh cracked pepper. (Chef’s note: roasting the garlic on the tomatoes turns the garlic sweet and oh so yummy.)

Roast in the middle rack of the oven until tomatoes are brown and tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Add about 2 tablespoons of EVOO in 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the shallots, celery, and carrot for 2 minutes until soft, then mix in tomato paste for a few more minutes. Add chicken stock, and bring up to a boil then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Mean while remove the garlic from their skins.  (Add as much garlic as to taste, me I like a lot.  Any leftover schmear on some bread and eat that latter but first) add the roasted tomatoes to the pan.

Puree with a hand blender. Add cayenne pepper, petite diced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Return to stove and cook for 5 more minutes. Ladle into serving bowls and serve with basil and maybe a nice melty grilled cheese sandwich if you wanna throw the diet out the window.  Hey I don’t judge.

Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 6 vine ripened tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, whole
• 1 bunch basil, chiffonaded.
• Excellent quality extra-virgin olive oil
• Slices of sourdough baguette
• Half stick of butter
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated parmesan

Directions

Dice and seed the tomatoes and add to a medium sized bowl. Add basil, salt, pepper, and a few drizzles of EVOO. Toss gently.

Add butter to a medium fry pan.  Cook on both sides until bread is crispy and golden. Transfer to plate, rub the bread with garlic cloves. Spoon tomato mixture over grilled bread, sprinkle with cheese and enjoy!

Chef's note: These bruschetta should be prepared at the last minute.

New Year's Appetizers

Ceviche verde con pepino

·         1/2 head garlic, cloves broken apart, unpeeled

·         2-3 fresh serrano chilies

·         1 medium bunch cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off)

·         1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley (thick bottom stems cut off)

·         1/2 cup olive oil

·         Salt

·         For finishing the ceviche

·         1/4 cup fresh lime juice

·         11/2 pounds “sashimi-quality” skinless, boneless fish fillets — my favorites are Alaskan halibut, ahi tuna and Tilapia — cut into 1/2-inch cubes

·         2 Persian (baby) cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

·         2 ripe large avocados, pitted, flesh scooped from skin and then cut into cubes

·         Lettuce leaves (butter lettuce works great here), for garnish

Make the chimichurri. Set a dry skillet over medium heat. Lay in the unpeeled garlic cloves and chiles.

Roast, turning frequently, until soft and blotchy brown in spots, about 10 minutes for the chilies and 15 minutes for the garlic.

Cool then slip the skins off the garlic, pull the stems off the chilies and roughly chop (no need to remove the seeds). Place in a food processor along with the cilantro (about 1 cup if packed), parsley (about 1 cup if packed), oil and 2 generous teaspoons salt. Process until nearly smooth (it will be pasty). Scrape into a storage container and refrigerate until serving time.

Finish the ceviche. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice and 1/2 cup of the herb seasoning. (Cover and refrigerate the remainder for another preparation.)

Add the fish and cucumber, and stir to combine. To blend the flavors, cover and refrigerate for a half hour (for best results no more than an hour).

Taste and season with a little more lime juice or salt if you think necessary, gently stir in the avocado (save a little for garnish if you want), then serve on lettuce leaf-lined plates or in martini glasses.

Note: You’ll have more than you need of the chimichurri.  Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator (pour a film of oil over the top). It’ll keep for a month or more. I smear it on chicken before grilling or roasting it. I stir it into scrambled eggs. I add it to salad dressing and cream sauces. It’ll make your everyday cooking taste special-occasion

Christmas Ham

Toasted Spiced Ham Drizzled in Honey

Ingredients

• 1 boneless country ham
• 2 cups honey, for glazing ham
• 2 tablespoons Toasted Spice Rub, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
• 1 lb baby carrots
• 1 large sweet onion diced
• ½ cup chicken stock

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place ham on a cookie sheet. With the tip of a paring knife carefully score a 1-inch grid pattern around the outside of the ham. Brush the entire surface of the meat on all sides with some of the honey.

Season the entire surface of the meat on all sides with the toasted spice rub and thyme. Add about a half cup of stock to the base of the roaster. Place ham on baby carrots and onion mixture in the roasting pan.

Cook for 1 hour. Every 15 minutes, baste ham with juices that collect in the base of the roaster and the honey. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving as desired.

Toasted Spice Rub:

• 1 tablespoon cloves
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons California chili powder
• 4 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Toast the cloves, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small, heavy pan over medium heat. (Toasting freshens spices, releases their oils, and makes them more fragrant, as well as adding a new dimension of flavor.)  Working quickly, turn on the exhaust fan; add the red pepper flakes, and toss, toss, toss, always under the fan. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool.

Using a small spice mill blender or a thoroughly cleaned coffee grinder; grind only the clove, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Keep the spice mix in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

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Eggnog

Baby its cold outside!  It’s time for fires roaring, fuzzy socks, and cuddling under a blanket.  What could be better than a nice cup of spiked eggnog?  The problem is the stuff they sell at the store is usually sickenly sweet.  Homemade eggnog isn’t hard to make and as long as you’re careful consuming raw eggs shouldn’t be a problem. Yes there is a small risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, I recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells.  Heck I bet there are more parasites lurking in that kitchen sponge of yours. 

Enjoy!

Eggnog

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 pint whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 ounces bourbon (or more…..)
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 egg whites

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.

Cook's Note: For cooked eggnog, follow procedure below.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.