I daydream a lot about cooking during the week, especially when I’m on the train. Its rhythmic click-clack, the morning fog, and a warm cup of coffee are just the right combination for daydreaming about things I want to cook. During the week not so many of those dreams become reality, but during the weekend I break out of my daydreams and actually head into the kitchen.

Last week Elizabeth David’s book Italian Cooking kept me company on my train rides to and from work. Ms. David is one of my favorite food writers of all time. Eloquent, elegant, humble, and humorous are all words I would use to describe her writings. Her recipes are less like instructions and more like suggestions. I’ve made quite a few things from her various cookbooks over the years, and I find they turn out best not when you follow her words and ingredient lists exactly, but rather when you use it as a starting point and utilize your own knowledge and creativity to complete the dish.

Her Polpettone recipe (Italian meatloaf stuffed with hard boiled eggs and cheese) is no different. I have an odd love of loaves of meat, and typically turn to Paul Prudhomme’s cajun meatloaf whenever the craving strikes. Moist, spicy, and with a wonderful texture, I am not sure it can be improved upon (except by using rolled oats rather than breadcrumbs — a personal preference that results in a more tender meatloaf). So, when I decided to make Ms. David’s Italian meatloaf, I fused her suggestions with Prudhomme’s technique, and added spices and other ingredients as I saw fit. The result? Fantastic! Don’t get me wrong, I am not abandoning my beloved cajun meatloaf, but this Italian version is different enough that I can definitely make space for both in my repertoire.

Polpettone: Italian Stuffed Meatloaf
Inspired by Elizabeth David

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1/2 t. white pepper
1 t. dried sage
1 t. dried marjoram
1 t. dried oregano
1/4 c. catsup
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. chopped parsley

4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 c. rolled oats
2/3 c. bread crumbs or stuffing mix
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (15% fat or higher is best)
1/2 lb ground pork

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 oz. ham, minced
3 oz. grated provolone

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare vegetable mixture:
Heat about 2 T. olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add onions and saute until softened.  Add the carrot, saute for another minute, then add the garlic and red bell pepper.  Saute the mixture until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes longer.  Add salt, black pepper, white pepper, sage, marjoram, and oregano, mix well, and saute another minute or two.  Add catsup and milk, mix well, and cook for about 3-4 minutes until mixture starts sticking to the pan.  Remove from heat, fold in the chopped parsley, and set aside to cool.

Prepare meat mixture:
Mix the raw eggs, oats, bread crumbs, beef, and pork in a large bowl.  Using your hands, mix until everything is well amalgamated.  Add the cooled vegetable mixture, and combine well with your hands.  Divide the mixture into two roughly equal parts.

Shape the loaf:
In a 9×13 glass pan shape half the meat mixture into a flat loaf about 6 inches wide, 12 inches long, and about an inch high.  Sprinkle the hard boiled eggs, ham, and provolone evenly over the meatloaf, leaving about a 1/2 -1 inch border at the sides.  Now working with the other half of the meat mixture, take small handfuls, flatten it between your hands, and place atop egg mixture, creating ‘patches’  of meat to enclose the filling.  Take care to enclose the sides with meat mixture so no eggs or cheese will leak out.  Once you’ve used up all the meat mixture, smooth with your hands to make a compact, neat loaf.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, then raise heat to 425 and continue to bake until meatloaf is done, about 35 minutes longer.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes after removing from oven.  Slice into 1-2 inch pieces, and enjoy!  Serve on its own or with some spicy tomato sauce alongside.

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Here it is, the end of Dungeness crab season and I am *finally* getting around to posting this delicious roasted crab recipe…  don’t walk… RUN to get the last of the dungeness before it is gone!  Tender, sweet, and oh so sustainable, dungeness crab is one of my favorite wintertime treats.

Typically when preparing crab, I opt for a very simple preparation — I warm the crab in a steamer then make a lemon butter sauce for dipping — simple and delicious.  But, sometimes it’s fun to be adventurous and try an unexpected combination.  Enter Ms. Shafia’s Roasted Crab with Fennel and Orange.

I first came across Louisa Shafia’s new cookbook Lucid Food while perusing the latest 10 Speed Press offerings.  With regards to cookbooks, they are tops.  A large percentage of my favorite cookbooks are published by 10 Speed Press (Super Natural Cooking, Asian Dumplings, Fat: A Misunderstood Ingredient, The River Cottage Meat Book, and the whole Moosewood series, to name a few…).  So, I guess it is no surprise that I am really enjoying this latest publication that has recipes ranging from down home american to out there asian interpretations (ginko nut dumplings with foraged ginkos!) to persian delicacies.

Anyhow, this cookbook is really lovely.  In its layout, it reminds me a bit of Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking (read: beautiful pictures, nice typography, overall beautiful layout), though the recipes have a focus on omnivorous eco-concious cooking instead of vegetarian cuisine.  It is divided by season, and stresses the use of locally available seasonal ingredients.

Some of the other recipes on my to-cook list are (mostly from the Fall and Winter sections… Summer seems too far away to read the chapter yet!):

- Buckwheat Crepes with Mashed Potatoes and Jack Cheese
- Amaranth Porridge with Fruit and Nuts
- Kale Salad with Avocado, Almonds, and Toasted Nori
- Pan-Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Mashed Parsnips
- Red Cabbage, Apple, and Dulse Salad
- Fesenjan (Chicken in Pomegranate Walnut Sauce)
- Fava Beans and Seared Zucchini with Garlicky Croutons
- Rhubarb and Pistachios over Thick Yogurt

Speaking of those foraged ginkos, I’ve noticed quite a few elderberry trees coming into bloom near my office.  Anyone have plans to make any elderflower creations?

Oven-Roasted Dungeness Crab with Fennel and Orange
Adapted from Lucid Food by Louisa Shafia
Serves 2

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. dijon mustard
1/2 an orange, zested, then cut into supremes
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 dungeness crab, cooked, cleaned, cracked, and split into halves or pieces
1 small shallot
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
3/4 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. orange juice
salt and pepper
1/2 lemon, quartered

Whisk together the garlic, 3 T. of the olive oil, the mustard, and orange zest.  Toss in 6 of the thyme sprigs.  Place crabs in a shallow baking dish and smear the garlic mixture all over them, working it into the cracks in the shell.  Set aside in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Heat a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 T. olive oil.  Add the shallot and saute for 1 minute.  Add the fennel and the rest of the thyme and saute for 1 minute.  Pour in the wine and orange juice and bring to a boil.  Add salt to taste, decrease the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Uncover and simmer for about 5 more minutes.

Add the crab and all of the marinade to the pan and bring to a boil.  Taste the sauce and season as needed.  Cover the pan and put it in the oven for 5 minutes.  Baste the crab with the sauce and roast for 5 minutes more.  Take the pan out of the oven and carefully pour the sauce through a large strainer into a bowl.  Cover the crab to keep it warm.

Pour the sauce into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the sauce, stirring often, for 4 minutes.  Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter.  To serve, divide the crab among the plates.  Pour the sauce over the crab and season with pepper.  Garnish with orange slices and a lemon quarter.  Serve with crusty bread and a tender green salad.  Enjoy!

Still Hungry?  Try one of these:

- Simplest Tomato Sauce with Roasted Onion, Shallots and Garlic

- Potato Gratin with Caramelized Fennel and Leek

- Braised Caramelized Fennel

I am back!  Back to cooking, back to blogging, back to the USA, back to San Francisco!

Steven and I returned from our 10 month German adventure at the beginning of November, and have been doing all the things people do when they return to a place they have missed dearly.  I’ve been visiting with family and friends, eating at my favorite restaurants, shopping at my favorite grocery store, jogging along the waterfront, and of course visiting the farmer’s market.

The first saturday we were back I convinced Steven to go to the Palo Alto farmer’s market with me by offering to stop along the way for oh-so-tasty and impossible-to-find-in-Germany breakfast sandwiches.  Eggs.  Bacon.  Cheese.  Bagel.  One would think this delicious combination would be America’s #1 export!

At the market, colorful, plump winter squash were stacked high on vendors’ tables along with whole stalks of brussels sprouts, baseball-sized pomegranates, and all sorts of pears and apples.  What a bounty!  Always a squash lover, I decided to pick up a sugar pie pumpkin.  It’s one of my favorites since it has a wonderful flavor that’s not too sweet, has a good texture, and is fairly easy to peel and carve.  I also picked up some fresh hot red chiles, cilantro, and torpedo onions since I had this curry in mind.  I love coconut milk based curries, and this somewhat unusual one with pumpkin is no exception.  It’s rich and flavorful, a little sweet, a little spicy, but not too heavy since it is brimming with vegetables.  Served atop brown rice, it’s substantial enough for a meal in itself, though it would also be lovely in a spread with other curries, raitas, noodles, etc.  Squash is in peak season right now too, so it’s a great time to try this.

On a totally different note, thanks for sticking with me while I dropped off the face of the planet during our move! :)  and Happy Thanksgiving!

Spicy Pumpkin and Peanut Curry

1 c. water
1/3 c. chunky peanut butter
zest and juice from 1 lime
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. tomato paste

Olive oil
4 medium red torpedo onions, cut into 1-2 inch chunks (or substitute 2 medium red onions)
1 medium sugar pie pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, and cut into 2-3 inch chunks

2 large handfuls cilantro, chopped, divided
2 fresh red chiles, finely diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 400ml can coconut milk
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Mix together the water, peanut butter, lime zest and juice, soy sauce, and tomato paste in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (14 inch) or a chef’s pan over medium high heat, then add the onions and saute until softened and the edges are beginning to brown, 4-5 minutes.  Add the pumpkin and stir fry for about 4-5 minutes.  Add half the cilantro, chiles, garlic, and garlic, and stir fry for about 2 minutes.  Add the coconut milk and peanut mixture and stir until well mixed.  Loosely cover with tinfoil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until the pumpkin is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 15-20 minutes.  Add more water if the sauce becomes too thick, or boil vigorously if the sauce is too thin towards the end.

Serve with rice and garnish with the other half of the cilantro and the chopped peanuts.  Enjoy!
(Note:  This curry goes particularly well with Half Moon Bay Brewing Company’s Pumpkin Harvest Ale!)

Still Hungry?  Try one of these:

- Spicy Split Pea Soup, and Thoughts on Comfort Food

- Spicy Slivered Green Beans with Lime and Cilantro

- Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans

I don’t have that many clothes or shoes or knick knacks, but I do have a lot of cookbooks and kitchen stuff.  A lot of that stuff I use at least once a week, if not more often.  The thought of parting with it all for 8 weeks makes my stomach do little flip flops, and not in the good way like being excited or in love or just very hungry…

I kept a few kitchen things out for the “fast box”, a box we sent by air mail late last week that will probably arrive in about 2 weeks rather than 8 — a 2 qt. dutch oven, a spatula, a wooden spoon, salt and pepper grinders, and a set of measuring spoons.  A few other things I kept out to go in my suitcase, things I would have a really hard time doing without for even a couple weeks — my favorite 8 inch chef’s knife, a small paring knife, a pair of tongs, a tiny plastic cutting board, my onion goggles (sort of questioning whether these were actually a necessity), and a wine opener.

We sent the “fast box” off on Wednesday, and our 8-week “slow” boxes were picked up this past Friday.  This means that I have exactly two knives, one pair of tongs, a tiny cutting board, and a pair of oh-so-important onion googles :) — no pots, no pans, no spices — not exactly the tools for a feast.  But, as any cliche connoisseur will tell you, where there is a will, there is a way.

I am firm believer that you don’t have to eat crap even if the world and everyone around you tells you that you are too busy to cook.  Takeout and frozen pizza be damned, I want real food.  Not only do I feel better and eat more healthfully, but I also think that by deciding to make and eat something real, even if very quick and simple, it makes me a little more sane.  During a time of uprooting major change, it’s odd how a simple tupperware container full of homemade roasted vegetables topped with a plain roasted chicken thigh can make everything seem ok (tupperware because all of my dishes are gone…)

Well, tonight is the last night in our German apartment.  We move into a hotel tomorrow for our last three days in Hannover, and then we fly out early Thursday morning (cat and all). Wish me luck on these last few days of my Great German Adventure!

Desperado Roasted Vegetables and Chicken Thighs
*tastes best when eaten out of tupperware since you have packed up and shipped all of your real dishes across the Atlantic…

1 beet, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 small (fist sized) celery root, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 large carrot, scrubbed and cut into chunks
2 parsnips, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 white potato, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 red potato, scrubbed and cut into chunks
5 small onions (about 2-inch diameter), peeled and quartered
6-8 brussels sprouts, trimmed
8-10 cloves of garlic, un-peeled
2 skin-on chicken legs
olive oil
salt
pepper
~ 1-2 T. prepared pesto

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Rub with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mix all vegetables in a bowl (or if you’re moving like me and have packed all of your bowls, a big piece of tupperware will do), and drizzle with about 2 T. of olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and stir until evenly coated.  Spread vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Place chicken thighs on top, and place in the oven.  Roast for about 1 hr, stirring every 20 minutes, until chicken skin is brown and crisp, and vegetables have reached the desired tenderness.  If the chicken skin isn’t crisping up, broil for about 3-4 minutes at the end of the cooking time.

Remove garlic cloves, and squeeze out of skins into a small bowl.  Mash garlic, add pesto, and mix until combined.  Transfer vegetables from baking sheet to some sort of bowl, add garlic pesto mixture, and stir until evenly coated.  Serve vegetables topped with a chicken thigh.  Enjoy!

Still Hungry?  Try one of these:

- Welcome to Modern Beet : Thoughtful Eating

There is a serious lack of Mexican food here in Hannover, Germany.  Not just good Mexican food (like the lack of good sushi), but simply a lack of Mexican food in general.  After 10 months of being gone from the Bay Area (where Mexican food is plentiful and delicious), at this point I would settle for some average or ho-hum Mexican food.  Or even Tex-Mex.  I miss it that much.  Alas, the closest thing is Dolores Mission Style Burritos in Berlin, which though tasty, is a very far cry from authentic mexican food.

One of the cookbooks I lugged over here with me is Dianne Kennedy’s The Essential Cuisines of Mexico.  At 526 pages, it is immense.  I don’t make things out of it all that often, since the recipes usually have a long list of ingredients, many of which I can’t find here, and typically take a full afternoon of toasting, soaking, grinding, pureeing, frying etc.  But when I do decide to crack open this cookbook, I am never disappointed.  The recipes tend to have deep, complex flavors, and strike a balance between homey comfort food and gourmet cuisine.  This lazy weekend I decided on a version of her Legumbres en Pipian Oaxaqueño, Vegetables in Oaxacan Pumpkin Seed Sauce.  The original recipe calls for nopales and peas, which I am sure would be delicious, but I think that any combination of sturdy vegetables would work just fine.

This particular recipe isn’t actually all that time consuming or difficult, and the results are fantastic.  The pumpkin seeds lend a unique, nutty, earthy, and almost sweet flavor to the sauce, and the dried chiles plus the chili powder give it a bit of a kick.  It makes a large batch, and the sauce continues to develop in flavor as it sits.

Look for the dried chiles at your local hispanic market, or if that fails, try Whole Foods or your regular grocery store.  The hispanic market will probably be about 20-30% of the cost of Whole Foods, so I recommend checking there first.  I picked mine up on a recent trip to the USA (chiles like ancho, mulato, guajillo etc. are pretty much impossible to find here) — my friend Laurie drove with me all over downtown Washington DC looking for a good hispanic market where I could buy an assortment of dried chiles, chipotles in adobo, and a couple other “staples”.  I was a little worried that going through customs in Frankfurt that I might get stopped for the sheer quantity of dried chiles and chile products in my suitcase.  Ah, what one must do to cook in a foreign country… Did I mention I am coming back to San Francisco for good in 3 1/2 weeks?!

Oaxacan Pipian served over mixed grains

Oaxacan Pipian with Zucchini and Onions
Adapted from The Essential Cuisines of Mexico

8 oz. green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 large ancho chile (dried), stem, seeds, and veins removed
2 guajillo chiles (dried), stem and seeds removed
4 c. cold water
4 garlic cloves
1/2 t. cumin seeds
3 T. vegetable oil
1-2 t. salt
a large pinch of oregano (mexican if possible)
1/2 – 1 t. chipotle chili powder, to taste (or substitute regular chili powder)

2 T. butter
3 medium zucchini, cut into large (1-2 inch) chunks
3 medium onions, cut into thick rings, then cut in half
1/2 – 3/4 lb. cooked turkey or chicken in bite size pieces (optional)

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a large dry skillet over medium high heat until they puff, about 5-7 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Cover the chiles with the 4 c. water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand for an additional 5-10 minutes.  Place chiles in a blender along with garlic and 1 c. of the chile soaking water.  Puree until you have a smooth paste.

In batches, grind the pumpkin seeds along with the cumin in a clean spice/coffee grinder until they are a fine powder, but with a little bit of texture remaining.  Place into a medium sized bowl, and add the remaining 3 c. of chile soaking liquid.  Mix until smooth.

Heat vegetable oil in a large chef’s pan or sauce pan over medium high heat, and add the chile puree.  Fry for about 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan often to prevent sticking and scorching.  Add the pumpkin seed/water mixture and stir until well blended.  Add salt, oregano, and chili powder.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes until thickened.  Stir occasionally and scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a frying pan over medium high heat.  Place zucchini chunks in the butter with the largest cut side facing down.  Fry, undisturbed, for about 3-4 minutes until the zucchini has a golden crust.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add onions to pan, and saute until just softened, about 3-4 minutes.

Once sauce has thickened, add zucchini, onions, and cooked turkey or chicken (if using), and stir until evenly distributed.  Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Serve over rice or with corn tortillas.  Enjoy!

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Green Garlic Soup
serves 2

4 heads green garlic with stem, trimmed (heads should be about 2 inches in diameter — use more if your heads are smaller)
2 c. rich vegetable stock
1 rind from a hard salty cheese like dutch edamer (optional, but adds a nice richness)

Slice the green garlic in half lengthwise.  Put in a medium sized pot and cover with vegetable stock.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Add the cheese rind.  Simmer for 40 minutes until the garlic is soft.

Remove the cheese rind from the broth and discard.  Pass the garlic and broth through the medium disc of a food mill.  There will be a good handful of leftover fibrous material, which you should discard.  Reheat soup, ladle into bowls and serve.  Enjoy!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Besides the expected potatoes and cabbage, green garlic is one item that I have been coming across with great frequency here in Germany.  I rarely remember seeing it back in California — I perhaps had tried it once or twice before coming here — but over the past months, I’ve come to know and love this mild, younger sibling of typical garlic.

Green garlic (also called young garlic) is simply garlic that is harvested before the plant has had a chance to form cloves.  There’s no paper skin, just solid garlic through the whole head.  There may or may not be a papery outer layer over the whole head; if there is, you should remove it, as it is somewhat fibrous.  About 20-30% seem to have this outer layer, the rest not.  It has a taste that is much milder than mature garlic (don’t be alarmed that I call for four heads for two servings!), and to me tastes lighter, less earthy, more tangy, and almost a little sweet.  Another quick note, since there is no peeling involved, green garlic is very quick and easy to work with.

So whether spring is just arriving (ahem, Hannover), or whether it’s already been around for a while, I encourage you to seek out this somewhat unusual food, along with nettles, elder flowers, ramps, wild garlic, or anything else uniquely “springtime” in your area.  For me, this means white asparagus (LOTS!), coming soon to a market near me!!

Still Hungry?  Try one of these:

- Simplest Tomato Sauce with Roasted Onion, Shallots and Garlic

- Desperado Onion Soup

- Nettle Soup