Cauliflower Soup with Bacon, Corn and Shitake Mushroom Relish + Friends

If you’re passionate about something, then you’re going to be looking for everything you can to get better at it. This is very true for me with the art of entertaining. The entire process of planning, shopping, decorating, creating the menu to selecting the wine excites me and ignites my creativity. I have done both large and small dinner parties to lunching with the ladies to a formal high tea. One of my favorite ways to entertain is with four to six guests and serving small plates with wine. Often we will sit in the family room and enjoy multiple courses of small plates while pairing with various wines. It is more intimate, comfortable and conversation tends to flow really easy.

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of spending an evening with my long time friend Jeff, who actually hired me at my current company over eleven years ago. We were delighted to meet Da Gang, who also has a great love of food and cooks for Jeff daily. I wanted to have choices and a lot of flavors for us to enjoy throughout the evening. We started off the evening with Walnut Pesto with toasted crostini’s, and paired with Grgich Hills Chardonnay. It was quite chilly outside, so the fire was roaring, candles burning and perfect for our next course - Cauliflower Soup with Bacon, Corn and Shitake Mushroom Relish. (Recipe below) By this time, we were onto our next bottle of wine, Cuvaison Chardonnay from the Carneros region of Napa Valley. In my opinion, the Carneros region in Napa Valley produces the most luscious chardonnay.

Recently I attended a wine class at the new library in Lafayette, where there was a chef from Chez Panisse who brought a handmade onion tart that was out of this world. She was kind enough to send me the recipe and I have attempted twice to make the crust as good as hers. I am getting closer, but my persistence for perfection to achieve that perfect buttery, flaky and light crust has yet to be achieved. Our next course was the onion tart (third attempt) with a side salad of arugula and tomatoes in lemon vinaigrette. My husband was in the mood for red wine, so we opened a Lancaster Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

We then had our last savory course of petite crab cakes with a lemon aioli. These delicate little seafood gems are a crowd pleaser. I created the recipe several years ago and even folks who don’t like crab enjoy these. Even though we all had full bellies, we managed to make room for dessert – Apple Shortbread Crisp with Caramel Sauce. If you love apple pie, you will flip for this dessert. A GREAT evening with friends!

Cauliflower Soup with Bacon, Corn and Shitake Mushroom Relish

Serves 4

Soup:

1 ½ C. Leeks, sliced (mostly white)
2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 T. Butter
2 T. Olive oil
Salt and pepper
7 C. Cauliflower, florets
7 C. Chicken stock

Use a large stock pot. Melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until soft over medium heat. About 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Then add the cauliflower and season well with salt and pepper. Toss well and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then turn down heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.

Use an emulsion blender and pulse until the soup is smooth. Alternative method is to place into a blender in batches until all is smooth.

Relish:

8 Slices of center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 ½ C. Fresh white corn, use a knife to remove from cob (frozen can be used)
1 ½ C. Shitake mushrooms, remove stems and cut into small dices
2 T. Butter
Salt and pepper

In a sauté pan, add the butter and melt. Then add the shitake mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for a few minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown and become fragrant. Add the corn and cook for 3 more minutes. Set aside until ready to assemble soup.

Assemble:

In a large white bowl, spoon corn and mushroom relish in the middle of the bowl, then some crumbled bacon on top. Spoon the hot cauliflower soup on top. Garnish with diced chives and truffle oil.

Apple Shortbread Crisp with Caramel Sauce

Most everyone has had a version of strawberry shortcake at one point. This dessert is a sophicated spin on the classic strawberry shortcake but with apples and so much more. You will need to set aside some time to prepare, but the end result is worth every minute. I had a dinner party over the weekend and served this for dessert. Once the first bite was taken, the room went silent and all you could hear was perhaps a sigh of happiness. Even though we were all quite full, we somehow managed to inhale most of it. Try serving with a rich vanilla bean ice cream.

Apple Shortbread Crisp with Caramel Sauce

Serves 6

Shortcake Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
5 tablespoons sugar
1 t. Vanilla paste or extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of half an lemon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
3/4 cup cold heavy cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)
1/4 cup sugar

Apple Filling

4 crisp apples, Granny smith
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 T. Water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy)
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Crumble Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup shredded coconut
Pinch of nutmeg
7 tablespoons unsalted butter

Caramel Sauce
1 ½ cup sugar
¼ C. water
½ t. lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Shortcake biscuits:

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add butter, and use fingers to crumble butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour in 3/4 cup cream, and stir with a fork until a loose dough forms.

Transfer dough to a floured surface. Knead gently with floured hands until dough comes together, 3 to 5 turns. Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick round, and cut out 6 biscuits with a 3-inch round cutter, re-rolling dough once. Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Whisk together beaten egg and water in a small bowl; brush each biscuit lightly with egg wash, and sprinkle each with sugar.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on pans for 5 minutes. Prior to serving, use the 3 inch metal ring to cut off extra cookie by pressing down and form into a perfect circle.

Apple filling:

Peel apples and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Set aside. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat; add sugar and water and stir about 2 minutes or until sugar melts,. Add diced apples, and cook about 3 minutes or until apples just begin to soften. Combine lemon juice, Calvados, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until cornstarch is dissolved. Add lemon juice mixture to the pan, and cook about 4 minutes, stirring, until juices thicken.

Crumble topping:

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, oats, pecans, nutmeg and coconut in a large bowl; stir until well combined. Melt butter. Slowly add melted butter to the bowl, stirring to combine. Pour mixture onto an un-greased cookie sheet, breaking up large clumps with your fingers. Bake 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly and break apart to form small crumbles.

Caramel Sauce:

Stir sugar, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat; boil without stirring until the mixture turns deep amber brown. This should take about 9 minutes. Take off the stove and hold over the sink before pouring the cream mixture into the sugar mixture. It will boil and bubble. Once calmed down, add to back to the burner and reduce slightly over medium low heat for about 8 minutes. Chill until thickened. Put into another container and slightly heat when ready to use.

To serve:

Place 1 shortcake biscuit on each serving plate, with a the three inch ring on top. Spoon apple filling over biscuit and press down. Add the crumble topping and press down. Gently lift the ring up to form a tower of apple crisp. Drizzle with the caramel sauce.

(Adapted from Napa Rose Restaurant by Chef Jorge)

{ Sourdough and Leek Savory Bread Pudding }

Bread pudding is just one of those dishes which is both satisfying and delicious. The creamy custard mixed with the yeasty bread along with the cinnamon, raisins and nuts, makes me so happy. Throw a spoonful of handmade caramel and a drizzle of crème anglaise on top, now perfection has been achieved. Okay, my mind is slipping into the dessert zone and the recipe below is a savory bread pudding – perfect for dinner, not dessert.

Savory bread pudding has endless possibilities and this one is just such a classic yet incredibly satisfying side dish. Add a bit of sausage, now you have a hearty dish  for breakfast. We had this a week ago, when my parents came over for dinner. My Mom could not get enough of it that I sent her home with a “to go” container for her to enjoy the next day. Let me know what your favorite sweet or savory bread pudding is.

Sourdough and Leek Savory Bread Pudding

2 T. Butter
2 Leeks - trim green portion, clean and slice thin
8 C. Sourdough Bread, one inch cubes
2 C. Whole milk
2 C. Heavy cream
3 Eggs
½ t. nutmeg
½ C. Parmesan cheese, grated
½ C. Parmesan cheese, shredded

In a sauté pan, add the butter and melt over low heat. Add the leeks. Sauté for about 10 to 15 minutes or until soft. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and beat together, then add the milk and cream. Whisk together until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese, nutmeg and whisk together. Add the bread cubes and mix together well so each one soaks up the custard. Then add the sautéed leeks and stir. Let sit for about 30 minutes.

In a baking dish that is approximately 10 by 10, add the mixture. Top with the ½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let cool slightly and then cut into squares for serving.

Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream

Roasting marshmallows always circles my memory back to my childhood and our camping vacations with my family. Smores were the treat of choice. My Mom would bring a large box of graham crackers, Hershey’s milk chocolate bars and of course, fluffy marshmallows to roast over the campfire. Each person had their own technique for roasting – there was the dip into the fire and burn right away, the slow roaster who barely would go near the flame and the up and down roaster who would dare to touch the flame but then turn away in fear of burning to a black crispy mess.

I was definitely the slow roaster who went for the golden brown color. Often I would roast until golden, then slip the marshmallow off the stick, eat it, then with a bit remaining to be “re-roasted”. I was able to encounter the complete roasted marshmallow experience.

Even today, I often get a craving for these delectable treats. I will spear a fork into one of these magical pillows and roast over my gas stove. All I can say is.......YUM!

Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream

1 C. Sugar
¼ t. Salt
7 Large egg yolks
1 ½ C. Half and half
1 C. Heavy Cream
1 Vanilla bean
2 t. Vanilla extract
12 Large marshmallows

In a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, salt and sugar. With a whisk, beat until it is thick and a pale yellow color. Set aside.

Use a medium pan, add the half and half and bring to a simmer. Temper the egg mixture first, by adding about ¼ cup of the hot half and half and mix well. Then slowly add this mixture to the simmering half and half. Turn the heat down to low and stir constantly until the mixture thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and strain the mixture through a strainer to remove any lumps. Let cool a bit. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Slice vanilla bean in half and with a sharp knife, scrape the pods into the mixture and stir.

Cool in the refrigerator or overnight. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the directions. When firm, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze. Meanwhile, toast the marshmallows either under a broiler on a cookie sheet or over a gas flame on the stove. When toasted and gooey, mix into the ice cream and return to the freezer.

(Vanilla Ice Cream recipe Adapted from The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein)

Handmade Oreo Cookies

Back in November, I was sifting through twitter and came across a very interesting post. The words “Adopt-a-blogger #4” dashed across the screen in a tweet by Dine and Dish which caught my attention. After clicking through the link on the tweet, I came to the Dine and Dish blog written by Kristen and learned more about the program. I left my comment on the blog post expressing interest to be involved as a “newbie” since my blog was under a year old.

In January, everyone was notified as to who their mentor would be. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil was matched with me to be my mentor. I had recently come across her blog and added her to my blog roll, since I enjoyed her writing style, recipes and authenticity.

Mentoring others is one of the greatest gifts that you can give to another person. It is imparting your knowledge, experiences and guidance to help another person be successful with their particular goals. In my career, I have the daily opportunity to mentor my team members and it is truly the best part of my job. Knowing that I can help guide someone to achieve their goals is completely satisfying. I have been fortunate enough to participate in my company’s formal leadership development program and mentor employees who want to grow with the organization. Mentoring is a lifetime activity that benefits both people who are involved.

I reached out to Lindsay and we communicated via email to get to know one another a bit. She couldn’t have been more welcoming and kind in her communication. I shared my goals and she was excited and open to helping me. I discovered that she and her husband went to college in Northern California and has family in the Bay Area. My husband Charles and I are native Bay Area residents, so it is wonderful to already have something in common already. Her and her husband have a thriving handmade pet collar business, called pattern and paw. I am going to have to order a special collar for our little doggie Max.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(Max - our 10 year old Lasha Apso and a photo of Charles and me)
 
We decided to start this adventure by adding one another to our blog rolls and perusing each others blogs for an eye catching recipe to introduce one another to our readers. Lindsay has so many great recipes, that it was hard to choose. One in particular caught my eye – homemade Oreo Cookies. The photo just made my mouth water. Originally from the book Retro Desserts and then Smitten Kitchen created them. I adapted the recipe just slightly. I get in the mood to make cookies, since it completely therapeutic and my husband enjoys the finished product. Truth be told, as long as I can remember, the best part of making cookies is eating the dough. Some people are afraid of the raw ingredients, mainly the egg, but that has never stopped me. My husband Charles and some of our closest neighbors were the recipients of these delicious cookies!

Starting my food blog is a complete passion of mine and I look forward to the journey ahead and learning from my new friend and mentor Lindsay. Thank you Lindsay for participating in the Adopt a blogger program!

Handmade Oreo Cookies
 
For the chocolate wafers:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 T. vanilla extract

Directions

Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

To make the cream, place shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. (No pastry bag? Just spoon it on). Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Patty Melt

Inspiration is that unconscious burst of creativity that hits you at various times and comes in many forms.

My husband, Charles and I were watching Check Please Bay Area this morning and one of the restaurants being reviewed was Mama’s on Washington Square in San Francisco. One of the highlights was the “Slim Joe Burger” which is served with grilled onions, ketchup, and jack cheese on a sourdough baguette. Our mouths instantly began to water and we had not yet had breakfast, just our first cup of coffee of the morning.

After work last night, I stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up a few things for the weekend, which turned out to be four stuffed bags that I brought home. (okay- I shop like tomorrow is the end of the world, but what if inspiration comes over me, I want to have ingredients - silly huh?) It is suppose to storm over the weekend and I wanted some comfort food to enjoy. Contained within the four large bags was ground beef, a fresh sourdough loaf and jarlsburg deli slices. Leaning over to Charles, I asked him – how would you feel about having patty melts for breakfast? His eyes immediately lit up and replyed with a resounding – YES!

I popped off the couch and created our patty melts for breakfast. A bit unconventional, but who says you always have to have breakfast food for breakfast.

Patty Melts

1 lb. ground beef, 80% lean
2 large onions, thinly sliced
6 T. butter
Salt and pepper
4 slices of Jarlsburg cheese
1 Sourdough loaf

Divide the ground beef into four even portions and form into patties. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter on medium heat. Be careful not to burn. Add the sliced onions along with salt and pepper. Using thongs, coat the onions with the melted butter and cook on medium until golden brown. Toss frequently for evening cooking. Should be about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off heat.

Cut the sourdough loaf into four pieces and then cut in half. Use a griddle and melt the 2 tablespoons of butter, then coat each of the bread slices with the melted butter. Grill the bread until golden brown and soft to the touch. Remove. Add the patties to the griddle and cook on medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes per side until desired doneness is obtained. When you flip the burgers, add the cheese to ensure it is melted.

When ready to assemble, divide the caramelized onions to the bottom of the four breads. Add the burger and then the top. Add either ketchup or mustard for additional seasoning as desired.

Makes four patty melts.

Chinese Chicken Salad

In my opinion, one of the best salads on earth is the Chinese Chicken Salad. The variations are endless along with the combination of ingredients. It is super crunchy, full of flavor and typically extremely colorful. This recipe uses rotisserie chicken along with three kinds of cabbage to add texture and color. The secret ingredient to the dressing is the mayonnaise – adds the creamy texture, so the dressing sticks to all of the lovely ingredients.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2 C. Red cabbage, finely sliced
4 C. Green cabbage, finely sliced
2 C. Napa cabbage, finely sliced
1 C. Chinese pea pods, trimmed and cut in half
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1 small red bell pepper, julienne slices
8 Scallions cut into diagonal pieces
1 T. Cilantro, minced
½ C. Slivered almonds, toasted or dry roasted
1 ½ C. Shredded roasted chicken

Dressing

2 T. Rice wine vinegar
2 T. Brown sugar
1 ½ T. Soy sauce
1 T. Siracha sauce
1 T. Ginger, minced
¼ C. Vegetable oil
1 T. Sesame oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
2T. Mayonnaise

In a jar or container that has a tight seal, add all of the above ingredients for the dressing and then shake really well until creamy and combined.  Let sit for 30 minutes or longer to develop the flavors.

In a large bowl, add all of the salad ingredients and then add the dressing and toss.  You can save some chicken to garnish the top along with a few scallions.