Cook the book with a Kitchen Gypsy

The most gorgeous gaggle of women landed on my doorstep the other night and they were carrying dishes that looked so familiar... 

http://www.joanneweir.com/kitchen-gypsy/

They were descending on my doorsteps for a modern-day book club:   San Francisco Bay Area bloggers were about to "Cook the Book".


With blushed faces and scarlet lips, each young lady was as pretty as the last and every platter they held contained something delicious.  This was a party to celebrate my new cookbook, Kitchen Gypsy: Recipes and Stories from a Lifelong Romance with Food, and we couldn't wait to sink our teeth into each recipe.

I welcomed them into my studio kitchen and for the next few hours, we cooked, drank wine and tasted, while I shared stories about the people, places and flavors which have inspired me throughout my culinary career. 

I showed them how to make the crostini with anchovies,mint and almonds that I learned in my culinary adventures in Provence from my winemaker friend, Amy Lillard of La Gramière, and the questions began.  "Tell us about chapter 4, getting a fly in a bottle of wine!", they asked.  

As I proceeded to tell them story after story, I could see the excitement was contagious.

Photo by Thomas Story, "Kitchen Gypsy" (Sunset, 2012)

I made Arroz con Pollo, which harkened back to my days after college while living in Boston, and placed it on the table amongst the many dishes they’d brought.  Dana put the finishing touches on her Little Gem Salad with Pickled Cucumbers, Toy box Tomatoes and Green Goddess Dressing.  As she brought it to the table, there were a lot of "oohs" and "ahhs".  

There was the familiarity of my great grandmother Lettie’s Lightning Cake that Karen made.  She’d picked the strawberries from her garden and even made the strawberry jam.  Brittany asked, ”Why is it called a Lightning Cake?”.

“Read the story!” I said with a laugh.  “It’s as quick as lightning to make is what my mother always said.” 

“Another glass of wine anyone?”.

“I was so nervous making my tabbouleh” Lauren said.  “Cooking for Joanne Weir!?  That’s scary!”.

A few others jumped in. “You were scared too?”  said Rebekah.

“So was I!” I said.  “Imagine me entertaining 12 bloggers who love food, love to cook and are great at writing about it.  I was nervous too.  I hope my Arroz Con Pollo is good!”.

Camera’s snapping a very full table. 

“Come on, let’s eat!” cried Rena.  

"This book was a labor of love and so was this meal." I said.  "Thank you for sharing the evening with Kitchen Gypsy".
Needless to say, it was a delicious night.

Bon Appetit!
-the "Kitchen Gypsy"

Hungry for more?  Get your copy of Kitchen Gypsy 
and cook the book with us:

Delightful Crumb - Stacy Ladenberger   

A Side of Sweet - Kelly Huibregste 

A&B Style - Rebekah Carey

Susannah Chen (Williams-Sonoma digital editor and personal blogger for many sites) 
http://www.popsugar.com/latest/Joanne-Weir

Farminista's Feast - Karen Pavone 

Work It, Berk - Brittany Curran  http://workitberk.blogspot.com/2015/09/dinner-at-chef-joanne-weirs-home.html

Kampala Wines Blog - Lauren Barnard

Pacific Heights Wine and Food - Teresa Rodriguiz

PureWow - Allison McCarthy 

Tablehopper - Dana Eastland 

Kitchen Gypsy

Nineteen months in the making.  

Weeks spent combing through boxes of family photos and recipes from my great grandmother, Lettie, and the places where my cooking career began.  

                                                                                                     

14 days spent with 12 talented people shooting photos in 9 different locations. 

Hours of measuring, testing, tasting, re-testing and re-tasting. 
Writing until midnight and making countless edits.

A few tears shed, but many more smiles and several bursts of honest-to-goodness laughter.
This has been a passion project for me and finally, it’s almost ready...  

All 288 pages with 100 new recipes, 250 gorgeous full-color photographs and most importantly, stories and memories about the people, places and flavors that have inspired me through the years...

My new book is almost done!!!

KITCHEN GYPSY: Recipes and Stories from a Lifelong Romance with Food 

(Oxmoor House; September, 2015) 

Writing this book has been one of the absolute best experiences of my life and I can’t wait to share it with you.  Get ready.  You’ll definitely want to get into the kitchen and cook up a storm with this book!   A world of thanks to my friends at Sunset Magazine, Time Home Entertainment and Oxmoor House for making this happen.

Click here and pre-order your copy today!

abdoul's tangia recipe, morocco con't.

The phone rang really early this morning. Half asleep, I heard Abdoul’s voice.

“Good morning! How are you? When are you coming back? The weather is beautiful in Marrakech,” he said in one sentence.

“I’m counting the time until I can get back there!” I said as I fell back into a dreamy Moroccan state.

To round out the cast of characters on my Morocco trip…. I have to tell you about Abdoul.

Abdoul was recommended to me by Meryanne, owner of Jnane Tamsna, where I stayed with my students for 2 weeks in Morocco. She said I would love him, that he’s the guide of guides, knows everyone and won’t waste a minute of our time.

Abdoul is a guy who’s bigger than life in both stature and spirit. When I met him for the first time, I felt like I’d struck gold. And as the days passed, I got richer and richer.

Every day we wandered into the souk, the hub of life in Marrakech. It's full of bright color, a mix of sounds and smells of olive, saffron, mint and leather. And it's wild! Scooters buzzing by and hawkers selling everything from shoes and purses to ceramics and rugs.
On the first day, Lisa, one of my students saw a straw bag in the souk that she liked. She asked the price. I think the shop keeper wanted 100 dirham or about 12 bucks. Abdoul said, “We’ll give you 50!” at which point he handed her a 50 dirham bill and grabbed the bag. No fooling around.

“Hmmmmm “ I said kinda liking this guy. Nope, Meryanne was right, he won’t waste our time.

The next day in the medina or center of the old town, we passed the same woman selling straw bags. Another student, Susanne, decided she also wanted a bag. In Morocco, if you buy two of anything, it’s always cheaper. This time, since Abdoul got a better price for Susanne than the day before, he gave Lisa back a few dirham.

Yup, I really like this guy. He's not only a great bargainer, he’s honest, genuine and a great shopper showing us all of the best artisans. But what I loved most was that Abdoul showed us streets in Marrakech where no tourists venture. We saw the real souk, his medina.

And to give you an idea of his generosity… He knew we all loved food and cooking and all week he told us about this famous stew called a tangia that the men of Marrakech made.

Towards the end of the week, he came to our kitchen at Jnane Tamsna and brought all of the makings for a tangia. Don’t get tangia mixed up with tagine, a popular stew made in a conical pot. A tangia is a stew made in a tall terracotta urn that’s cooked overnight in the embers of the hammam.

In the kitchen that day, he assembled his famous tangia and carried it off to the hammam.

The last night, as we sat for dinner by the pool drowning in the light of a thousand candles and live Moroccan music, there was Abdoul, carrying the tagine, still warm from the embers.

Was it delicious? It was as warm, inviting and wonderful as Abdoul!

Oh, delicious too!

Abdoul's Tangia

6 pounds beef shanks
2 whole preserved lemons
2 heaping tablespoons ground cumin
12 whole peeled cloves garlic
5 tablespoons smen or preserved butter (or unsalted butter
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup water

Rub the beef shanks with the preserved lemon. Place the shanks on the bottom of the tangia pot. Top with the remaining pieces of lemon, cumin, garlic, smen, saffron and water.

Place foil over the top and parchment on top of that. Tie securely with twine and place in the embers of a smoldering hamman (You have one in your backyard of course, don't you?) overnight.

In the morning, remove the twine, paper and foil. Give it a stir and serve this succulent stew.

Serves 10

morocco continued & 20 tagine recipes

I'm a cooking teacher and anyone who has taken a class with me will be surprised to know that I relinquished that duty for a whole week when I was in Morocco. Was it intimidation or just a need for a vacation? Maybe a little of both.

When I arrived, Bahija, the chef and cooking teacher at Jnane Tamsna, met me wearing her chef's jacket, white apron and white head scarf . Full of enthusiasm and English words mixed with Berber and French, she apologized again and again for her English. I was the one who should be apologizing. My French is beyond rusty. Just getting off a week of teaching in Spain and my classes last year in Italy and Provence, my French had turned into a combination of languages I call Sfritalian.

Immediately I warmed to Bahija. How could I not? As she and I talked about the week, I knew we would end up being be friends.
"Class #1 will be chicken tagine," she said. The word tagine has two meanings,-- an aromatic stew and the conical terracotta vessel used for cooking the stew. I was excited.

For the next few hours as I unpacked and settled into my room that looked like a harem (and I say that in a good way), taxis stirred up dust in the driveway unloading my students and their luggage.

After everyone was settled into their rooms, we had an early dinner. It was a little different than my classes and the meals that I share with my students in Spain, Provence or Italy which can sometimes turn into a party. In a Muslim country like Morocco, though they make wine, wine and alcohol aren't so much of a focus. And you know, sometimes it's kind of nice to go to bed early and wake up the next day feeling good.

That next morning, after a breakfast of fresh mint tea, luscious fruit, fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice, and homemade wheat flatbread called khboz, we headed to the kitchen for our first cooking class.

Bahija was already in the kitchen with everything set out on a big marble table,--cutting boards, tons of spices, vegetables, dried fruit, almonds and a husky knife for everyone. And ofr the next couple hours, we concentrated on tagine basics, everyone making their own.
It was fun and the assortment of tagines, both sweet and savory were amazing. I stood back and let Bahija do the teaching. BTW there were no recipes. I decided the best thing I could do was to hand scratch the recipes with pen and paper and later transfer them to my iPad. Then we could print them for everyone.

It was tough for me though, I wanted to teach. I'm so used to it! A few times I bit my tongue when I wanted to teach a technique or trick. Can't I just show them how to peel ginger with the tip of a spoon or mince garlic with the back of a knife? It was everything I could do to keep my mouth shut. Instead I wrote...

When everyone had finished assembling their tagines, we brought them outside where we cooked them over individual braziers.


They didn't take long to cook. Maybe 30 minutes or so. When we brought them to the table and removed the covers, the aroma was intoxicating. One of my favorites was this one with grapes and raisins. Imagine the sweetness against the ginger, black pepper, saffron and turmeric.


Here is the recipe I wrote for the 20 or so tagines we made. And if you don't have a terracotta tagine, try using a stainless pot with a lid. It won't be same but when you smell the aromas of the tagine cooking in your kitchen, I promise you, the romance will take over and you'll think you're in Morocco.

CHICKEN TAGINE BASICS

2 pieces of chicken with the skin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of saffron
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced

In the tagine, place the chicken. Sprinkle with ginger, pepper, saffron, turmeric, olive oil and onion. Rub it into the chicken.

SAVORY TAGINE WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

1/4 preserved lemon
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 clove garlic

Separate the skin from the flesh of the lemon. Chop the insides and thinly slice the peel. Top the chicken with the chopped flesh.

Mash the garlic and cilantro in a mortar and pestle. Top the chicken with the cilantro and garlic.

Finish with the various optional ingredients. Here are a few options.

Fennel
Sunchokes
Green beans
Carrots
Olives
Cherry tomatoes
Zucchini

Variations

1- Fennel and sunchokes

2- Green beans, carrots and oil-cured olives (optional but boil first)

3- Cherry tomatoes and baby zucchini

4-Tomato, quartered, peeled, carrots, green beans and zucchini

5-Artichokes with English peas

6- Fennel, artichokes and cherry tomatoes

7- Green beans, carrots, fennel, peas and cherry tomatoes

8- Carrots and sliced apples

9- Onions and tomatoes

10- Peppers, fennel, artichokes and carrots

Add 1 cup water, cover and cook on medium low heat until the chicken can be easily skewered.

Garnish with preserved lemons before serving.

SWEET TAGINE WITH HONEY

1 teaspoon ras el hanout
Pinch cinnamon

Optional ingredients;

Dried apricots
Golden raisins
Almonds
Walnuts
Tomatoes
Sliced Red onions
Sliced Dates pitted and stuffed with almonds
1 pear, peeled and quartered
Pineapple, peeled, quartered, 3/4- inch slice

Rub the cinnamon and ras el hanout onto the chicken.

Finish with various optional ingredients. Here are a few options:

1- Dried apricots and sultana raisins, toasted almonds and walnuts

2- Sliced tomatoes and sliced onions

3-Pitted dates stuffed with almonds, soaked sultana raisins, almonds and peeled and quartered pears

4- Pineapple 4 slices and dried apricots

5- Pear and apricot

6- Peeled and quartered apples and almonds

7- Apricots and prunes

8- Apricots and Walnuts

9- Dates stuffed with almonds and raisins

10- (Believe it or not, a Bahija invention) Bananas and dates

11- Raisins and grapes(I love this one)

Drizzle with honey just before serving.

Serves 1

bucatini amatriciana recipe

I'm so sorry I've been gone so long. This month was crazy! I had three major trips in June, plus a weekend in Napa and the remaining week was spent with a visit from my Mom. You have to forgive me.

Just like I promised and just like Rome... Before I left I was in the process of mastering the art of extruded pasta. I didn't get very far though. I tasted this bucatini amatriciana in Rome last year at Grano was hell-bent on duplicating it. I think I almost got there.

My first attempt with the pasta extruder attachment for the Kitchen Aid was with rigatoni. I was less than enamored. It was thick and heavy. I chucked it up to beginner's misfortune.

Before throwing the extruder out the window, I decided to try my hand again. This time, I made bucatini, the pasta that's kind of like big spaghetti with a hole in the center. This time, the pasta was incredibly tender, and delicate. When I closed my eyes and tasted it, I thought I heard Italian being spoken at the next table. But then I opened them and realized I was at home and it Carrie on Sex and the City in the episode when she's attempting to speak Italian.

But I'll tell you the trick to making great amatriciana sauce, I bought really good guanciale from Chris Cosentino at Boccolone. I think he makes some of the best. You know what guanciale is, right? It means cheek in Italian and specifically pork jowl. Oh, don't think about what jowl is, just eat it and enjoy the crispy golden outside and the juicy interior.

This is what you have to do to make this dish taste like Rome... Cut the guanciale into 1/4-inch cubes and heat a frying pan on medium high until the pan is hot. Fry the guanciale, tossing, until it's golden on the outside and then remove it from the pan, set it aside and proceed. Besides that, the recipe is pretty straight forward. Cook onions and crushed red pepper, add the garlic, reduce the white wine, add good Italian San Marzano tomatoes and season with salt. Don't forget plenty of grated pecorino.

And if you don't have the pasta extruder for your Kitchen Aid, either go buy one or buy some dry bucatini or spaghetti. You might just think you're in Rome.

Pasta Amatriciana

4 ounces guanciale, 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion. diced
Large pinch crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups Italian tomatoes, peeled, seeded and pureed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh bucatini pasta
Freshly grated Pecorino

Preheat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally until golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the olive oil and crushed red pepper to the pan and cook until the onions are soft, 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the guanciale and stir together.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce. Serve with grated pecorino immediately.

Serves 4

To read more... http://www.food52.com/recipes/11965_bucatini_amatriciana
http://www.letschow.net/2011/02/19/bucatini-allamatriciana/

roasted favas with green garlic recipe

Easy as pie.... No easier!

At the Farmer's Market on Saturday I also saw some fantastic baby fava beans. Not those grandfathers (I mean grand favas) that are tough but instead ones I wait all year for. There are a couple things you can do with them, either roast them in the oven or toss them in a light batter and deep fry them.

I opted for the second option since I was pressed for time and wanted something simple.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

I snapped the stem end off 1 pound of baby fava beans. I cut 3 stalks of green garlic into lengths that were the same length as the fava beans, about 3 inches. Then I took the end pieces and cut them in half lengthwise so they would all cook at the same time.

I tossed them in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, place them on a baking sheet and sprinkled them with salt. Roast them for 10 to 15 minutes until tender.

I couldn't stop eating them! And the best part... Sure beats the three steep process of taking them out of the shell, simmering for 30 seconds and popping them out of the skin!

Try it and tell me what you think.

salmon and fennel chowder with fennel pollen creme fraiche recipe

I remember the first time I saw fresh fennel in the grocery story. I was living in Cambridge and fennel was definitely a rarity. What the heck is it, I thought! I bought a couple bulbs and brought them home but I had absolutely no clue what to do with them. I remember cutting the tops off and all I could think about was those ropes of black licorice we ate as kids and I so despised.

Those bulbs sat in my refrigerator for a few days. Every time I opened the refrigerator to get milk or butter , they stared me in the face. I couldn't let them go to waste but I didn't know what to do with them either. I had a few cookbooks and read everything I could about fennel.

OK, I'll make a soup. I sauteed some onions in olive oil, added the diced fennel and chicken stock to cover. I simmered until the fennel was soft, let it cool and then pureed the soup in the blender. A dash of salt and a few drops of lemon juice were just what it needed to bring my fennel soup to life. The soup was delicious and much more delicate than I thought. And it definitely didn't taste like a piece of black licorice.

Later when I cooked at Chez Panisse, we added fennel to lots of dishes,- braised meats, thinly sliced and tossed fresh and crunchy into salads and poached on an aioli plate. This past weekend when I was at the Farmer's Market, there were piles and piles of fennel. It's definitely the season, I thought. But I also couldn't help thinking of my days in Cambridge so I bought a few bulbs for old times sake.

SALMON AND FENNEL CHOWDER WITH FENNEL POLLEN CRÈME FRAICHE

3 bulbs of fennel with stalks and greens
3 leeks, white and 1-inch of the green, coarsely chopped
3 1 /2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bottled clam juice
2 cups water
¾ cup crème fraiche
Large pinch of fennel pollen
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 ounces salmon fillet, skin and bone removed, 1/2-inch pieces

Remove the green fennel tops. Chop coarsely and reserve. Cut the ends off the fennel and remove any outside leaves that are damaged. Chop the coarsely. Wash the chopped leeks and drain well.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add the fennel and leeks and sauté until the leeks are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the clam juice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the fennel is soft, 20 minutes.

In the meantime, in a bowl, combine the crème fraiche, fennel pollen, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon reserved fennel tops. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender until very smooth. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Place the soup back in the soup pot and heat over medium heat. Add the salmon and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve the soup, warm over medium heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the crème fraiche and fennel greens. Serve immediately.

Serves 6