Bacon and Wine

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baconJoin me at Columbia Tower Club for “Women Stars of Food and Wine”, Sunday, February 8!  My table will have a couple of your favorites, Bacon! and Wine!!

Fearless Feast is offering an amuse bouche featuring Gluten Free Rosemary and Sea Salt Shortbread (Yes!  Gluten Free!!) topped with cardamom scented Pear, Pickled Celery and my famous Bacon Brittle with Laphroaig 10 year Single Malt Scotch.  The shortbread recipe follows, below.

I will be joined by Kelly Hightower offering her amazing wines!  Her 2011 Hightower Red Mountain Merlot is predicted to pair beautifully with my featured culinary creation.

Tickets are still available at the door!  For more information, go to:  http://www.wfalliance.org/events/

To Make Chef Celinda’s Gluten Free Shortbread ~
2 C Red Mill’s 1 to 1 Gluten Free baking flour
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 tsp fleur de sel
2 Sticks unsalted butter, cubed
1 Egg Yolk
1 tsp real Vanilla extract
2 tsp minced rosemary, or other herb, as desired
Additional sea salt.  For the featured dish, I used apple smoked sea salt to finish.  This corresponded with the flavors of the bacon brittle.

Mix the sugar, fleur de sel, and rosemary until combined.  Now mix in the butter.  Once incorporated, add the flour.  Mix for 30 seconds then add the egg yolk and vanilla.  Mix until a dough forms.  Wrap in wax paper and chill in fridge for 30 minutes.

Once chilled, roll out the dough.  For the delicate ‘vehicles’ featured, I rolled mine to 1/8 inch and cut them into 1″ squares.  For more traditional cookies, 1/4 inch thickness is recommended. Use your imagination or a favorite cookie cutter for shapes!

Place the cut pieces on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  They don’t need more then a tiny bit of space between them.  They won’t spread.  Once you have the tray filled, place it in the refrigerator.  I know… just do it!  Preheat your conventional oven to 350 degree.

Your cookies should be adequately chilled in about 15 minutes.  Place the tray in the oven.  For my thin cookies, I only needed to cook for 15 minutes.  Thicker cookies may take a few minutes more.  Watch your oven.  You want them to just barely be beginning to color. Upon removal from the oven, immediately sprinkle them with desired sea salt.

Leave the cookies on the tray until fully cooled, then carefully place them on a platter, or serving tray.  note:  these will hold beautifully for a couple days if sealed up.  To do so, place wax or parchment paper between layers, to protect them.

Shortbread is a highly versatile base for pretty much anything you can come up with.  Use them, as I have, as a savory component.  Or, dream up sweet accompaniments.  For dessert options, modify or leave out, the fresh herb.  Lavender and Lemon Zest would make simple but exquisite treats when sprinkled with a bit of fleur de sel and a dusting of powdered sugar. However you serve them, family, friends, snobs or country folk; everyone loves these melt in your mouth pastries!

See you Sunday!!  Chef Celinda

Love and Lies

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GFCheesecakeIs it a bad thing to fool your special someone by feeding them things that are good for them without their knowledge??  You know how they love spectacular desserts and just should NOT be eating Gluten, but…

You have probably looked at the gluten free treats at the grocery store.  You ponder, wondering if they will taste good.  At that price, you sure do hope so, but probably don’t have a great deal of faith…

This pretty cheesecake is well within your ability.  You need a good mixer, a spring form pan and fresh cream cheese.

This recipe was made for a 6" spring form pan.  The crust recipe included, is enough for two cakes or one larger, 9" spring form pan.  I put the remaining dough into the freezer for my next baking expedition!

If you are using a conventional oven, you need to take some extra steps to prep your pan.  The butter in the crust will potentially melt, dripping down on the element and start a fire.  In a convection oven, there is no exposed element, so not a problem.  I do like to place a pan in the bottom of my convection oven, to catch drips and make cleanup easy, though.  Of course, you can also use the upcoming method to handle drips, too.   To create a seal for conventional cooking, wrap plastic wrap around the exterior of the assembled pan, creating a barrier to prevent leaks.  You do not want it sticking up over the top edge, so tuck it neatly.  Now, wrap foil around the plastic, with the thought of stopping leaks, also, but primarily to protect the plastic from the heat as well as creating a secondary catch point.  The plastic will shrink from the heat, but honestly, it should do a great job.  If you are further concerned, place a pan or dish under the spring form, too.  This is fine, but it could make it take a little longer to bake in a conventional oven.

Once you are done sealing your pan, use a light coating of oil on the inside, for ease of release and for the crust crumb to stick to.

If using a conventional oven, set to 350; 325 for convection.

Crust:
1 C Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free flour
1/3 C sugar
6 T cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
Dash of salt

Using the paddle attachment, mix together all the ingredients until you have formed a consistent petite pea sized crumb.  Do not over mix!!  Honestly, if that happens and it forms a dough, you are best to start over.  You can save the screw up batch and make some cookies, but it will have a tough texture, if you try to use it for your cheesecake.

Place the finished crumb in the pan.  If doing a six or seven inch spring form, put the other half in a freezer bag and store for another day.  Now, carefully press the crumb all the way up the sides and across the bottom, using your fingers.  If it is sticking to you, run your fingers under cold water to cool them, dry and dust with a little of your gluten free flour.  It is very important to get the crust an even thickness on the entire surface.  The largest pitfall is the corner where the sides meet the bottom.  Push with your finger tips to thin it, if you realize you have created a slope instead of a sharp corner.  If you don’t your finished cheesecake will have an unappealing block of crust in each piece.  Set your crust in the fridge until you are ready to fill and bake.

To make the filling:

1 lb FRESH, good quality cream cheese.  Do not cheap out and do check the date.  As it ages, it loses moisture.  You will end up with a cheesecake dotted with dry morsels of cheese no matter how much you whip it.
2 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp real vanilla
zest from half of a lemon

Place all the filling ingredients into your mixer with the whip attachment.  Whip until fluffy and smooth.  Carefully spoon into your prepared crust.  Push it up against the sides in a way that you do not knock the crumbles loose and smooth the top.  It will be fairly full.  Place in the preheated oven.  The cake will take roughly an hour.  It’s done when a toothpick comes out clean from the center.  If the top is beginning to get too brown, place a loose foil tent over it for the final baking.

Once fully cooled on a rack, carefully remove the spring form pieces.  You can simply dust with powdered sugar and serve or use your favorite gluten free topping.  The pictured cake has fresh strawberries in pineapple glaze.  This is super easy and the combined acid and sweetness of the pineapple will give you the flavor that may not be in the berries coming in at this time of year.  Simply reduce the pineapple juice.  Add more sugar if your berries are particularly sour.  Cool for a few minutes then fold into sliced berries.  For a thicker glaze, add some dissolved gelatin before mixing with the berries.  For an extra pretty batch, you can also add red food coloring.

Nice Rack!

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vealrack-640x480I picked up a gorgeous Veal Rack from William at Pike Market’s BB Ranch this week!  A tumultuous array of recipes cascade through my mind, as I ponder where to begin!
BBRanch
I wanted to do something Big and Showy!!  Veal Rack is the baby to a bone-in Prime Rib, so I decided to prepare it in a similar style; seasoned and roasted then finished with a spectacular pan sauce ~“Veal Rack Oloroso”

Once your meat is 130 degrees, pull it from the oven and set aside to rest.  It will continue to rise in temperature.  I prefer to do a veal roast medium rare.  The young meat is a bit too chewy, if rare.

While the roast is resting, add shallot and sliced mushroom to the pan.  You will probably need to add a little more olive oil.  Just as these are nearly done, add minced shallot and fresh sage.  Don’t burn these!  A generous round of Oloroso Jerez Sherry deglazes and gives incredible flavor.  note:  This sherry is dry, yet loaded with hazelnut and caramel notes!  Reduce the sherry a bit and add stock.  You will need to adjust seasoning as your sauce reduces.  To finish, mount with cold butter and serve over slices of pretty pink veal.

The beauty above was served with baby gold potatoes, roasted in the pan with the veal.

Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

Sword Fights

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1102-swordfish-filletsA thrust, a parry, dodge and lunge!  To the victor go the spoils; realized in Blood Orange Marinated Swordfish!  I scored a couple gorgeous Swordfish steaks at Pure Food Fish, in Pike Market!PureFood3
Swordfish simply adores citrus.  An hour, bathing in a blend of blood orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper leaves you with a remarkably flavorful and tender piece of fish.  A quick sear, followed by a short rest and this delightful fish is ready to join your favorite side dishes.  The featured picture shows roasted Spring onions, baby artichokes and saffron risotto.
Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

Liquid Love

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agave
Agave nectar, so sweet, such intensity, such texture; I’ve been hopelessly woo-ed.  My secret has been revealed!

Agave nectar is roughly 1.5 times the sweetness of sugar.  Being comprised of fructrose instead of sucrose, agave nectar has a lower glycemic index.  In moderation, it is felt to be potentially a healthier option.

You can use agave in any recipe calling for honey. Differing degrees of processing result in varied grades of finished product. You will find light agave to have a fairly neutral flavor.  Amber agave contains subtle caramel notes.  These flavors increase in darker agave.  My experience is mostly with light agave.

When baking with agave, in addition to moisture modifications if it is substituted for sugar, you also need to cook at a lower temperature.  Agave browns more quickly.

Play with agave nectar in your kitchen.  With it’s ease of addition, due to liquidity, it’s an easy choice when a dish needs just a touch of sweetness to balance other flavors.  Light syrups add no flavor.

I understand agave nectar is a dream to caramelize, as well, being already liquid.  It works beautifully in vinaigrette or as the sweet in a tantalizing gastrique.

Of course, should you be in the mood… it is incredible in my favorite fresh grapefruit margaritas.  Enjoy! Chef Celinda

Tree Full of Sugar

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Acer_saccharum_JPG1L
Maple syrup, the real deal, of course, is an intriguing addition to a variety of dishes.

When purchasing, I like to find Grade B maple syrup.  This is darker, richer, and less refined. Grade A is lighter in color and flavor.

“The sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum) grows abundantly in the northeastern part of North America. Sugar maples produce strong, versatile timber and yield maple syrup – both commodities contribute considerably to the economy of the region.” wikiHow has a great article on identifying Sugar Maple trees.  I’ve never tried it, but understand it is possible to harvest this beautiful substance in other parts of the country, as well.

The primary ‘sugar’ in maple syrup is Sucrose, yet we don’t fully comprehend the chemistry behind the flavor.Maple-SyrupIf you are using maple syrup, in baking, be aware that the liquid will cause chemical changes in the overall dish, so you need to make careful modifications.  This is true of any liquid based sweet.

For use in savory dishes, try maple with Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Chilis, Corn, Rice, Winter Squashes, Turnips or Sweet Potatoes.  I’ve found it to lend subtle, enticing flavors to braised short ribs.  It is also a favorite for braising pork belly.  For true culinary evil, I have been known to use it in vinaigrettes.  Add to salads featuring fresh or dried pears, pecans or walnuts.

Give maple syrup a new place in your kitchen.  Don’t relegate it merely to the occasional extravagant breakfast or brunch!  This sweet thing likes to play with the Big Boys, too!

Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

Dance of the Wallflower

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celeriac-root-with-tops-intactSome perfectly wonderful ingredients simply work at being ignored!  Celeriac, or also known as, Celery Root, is one of those ingredients.

Yes, it’s kinda homely.  The name doesn’t necessarily inspire creativity.  Yet, it has a great deal going for it!  Celeriac can be prepared pretty much the same way you would a potato; in fact, some diners would never notice you slipped some onto their plate in place of the weight loss inhibiting potato…

I’ve been endeavoring to work with celeriac.  It’s lovely raw, grated in a salad, or cook and then puree or mash this healthful treat.  The flavors are subtly bitter/sweet with notes of anise, celery, hazelnuts, and/or walnut.  Mashed Celeriac has a lovely fluffy texture.  The only hard part is peeling it.  Get out a nice sharp knife and just go for it.  A carrot peeler really isn’t going to touch this hunk of joy!

I decided to try using Celeriac in a braise featuring Italian herbs and wine.  Oh, my!  The battle was on!  Those beautiful, soft, luscious chunks of roasted vegetable brought out the aggressive side to those at my table… So good!  Please do try this soon!

Enjoy! Chef Celinda CelRoot2

Fishing For Sunshine

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caribbeanFishjpg
I have a large desire to find myself surrounded by jungles, sand, soft breezes and the lulling sound of Caribbean water lapping the shore… Yeah, I know, not happening, but I can fool my taste buds, for a little while, anyway…

Pretty cod, pan seared with Gluten Free flour, sits atop sweet potato, dusted with a blend of Turmeric, Allspice Berry, Indonesian Cassia, Cumin Seed, Indian Coriander Seed, Ginger Powder, Cardamom Seed, Tellicherry Black Peppercorn, Nutmeg, and Habanero, is then roasted with coconut, jalapeno and lime zest.  Fresh lime makes a side of escarole sing sultry tunes.  Cilantro lingers for a pungent reminder:  The Sun is always shining somewhere in the World!

Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

caribbean

In Search of Romance

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MoroccanPork
Morocco, a land of romance, camels, sand, and history.  A past that colors the food of it’s present with flavors hailing from France, Spain and North Africa. tagineBraised dishes are very popular in Moroccan cuisine.  They are typically prepared in an earthenware pot called a tajine or tagine which is also the name of the dish when complete.  The pot can be found painted or glazed.  The domed lid traps the rising moisture and directs it back into the food below.

The tagine is so pretty and fun, it makes me want to create!  But, if you don’t have one, don’t fret, you can obtain the same results with any good braising pot or dutch oven.

Make your braise the same way you normally would.  You are merely adding some different ingredients and spices to recreate the flavors of this exotic destination.

The pictured dish above was a quick version.  Using left over roasted pork shoulder, I put this tempting creation together in a little over an hour.  Most of that time was spent in the oven!

To create mine, saute minced onion with julienne sweet pepper and a hot chili.  Add bite sized pieces of pork, or other roasted protein, chopped pitted dates, dried apricots, raisins, pine nuts, lemon jest & juice and stock.  Now season with salt, pepper and ras al hanout.  This is a North African spice blend.  The name is Arabic for “the best of the shop”.  Each shop has their own blend and guards their recipe jealously.  You can anticipate the flavors of cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, clove, nutmeg, dry ginger, peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, mace, alspice, fenugreek, chili pepper and dried turmeric.  Depending on where the blend hails from, it might also include ingredients like:  ash berries, chufa, grains of paradise, orris root, monk’s pepper, cubebs, dried rosebud, fennel seed or aniseed, galangal and/or long pepper.  Fun!!

A typical Moroccan tagine is served over cous cous.  For a gluten free side, try using quinoa.

Enjoy!!  Chef Celinda

Belly Dancer’s Spice?

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fenugreek The scent of Fenugreek seeds tend to make me think of Belly Dancers, for whatever reason.  It’s beautiful, exotic essence perfumes the very air; transporting me to a place dark with romance and secrets.

Fenugreek is used in many varied cuisines:  India, Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, as well as an ingredient in traditional Yemenite Jewish New Year dishes.

You have probably encountered this spice in curries.  Fenugreek’s fresh or dried leaves are used as an herb and the fresh leaves, sprouts and micro-greens are a delightful addition to your vegetable choices. Fenugreek’s distinctive sweet smell is from the chemical component, Sotolon.

The smell of the seeds is reminiscent of so many things, that it can be a challenge to one’s nose to identify exactly what has your attention so thoroughly.  It’s pungent sweet, yet bitter aromas may make you think of burnt sugar, caramel, maple syrup, chocolate, coffee, or even, celery.  Actually, it is an ingredient in artificial maple syrup.

Such a broad spectrum makes it a favorite in my spice cabinet.  Besides it’s natural affinity to all the ingredients from that exotic side of our globe, it is fun to add in unexpected places.  Why not?  It’s beautiful with cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage.  Try using a titch of toasted, ground seeds in an omelet.  Add the same to plain yogurt, with herbs, to create a spectacular sauce for chicken, fish or maybe a lentil soup!  Fenugreek also works well with tomatoes, so imagine a sauce featuring toasted ground seeds, garlic, chilies and fresh herbs.  Try this sauce with pasta or as a base to roast chicken breasts.

It’s time for me to stop tormenting you with these ideas!  Get in the kitchen and cook!  Enjoy!  Chef Celinda