hot off the press-- TEQUILA

Let's dispel those thoughts that a night of tequila drinking results in a "morning-after" popping aspirin to rid of the horrible headache. Not if you drink 100% agave tequila! FINALLY after much (very fun) research my new tequila book is making its splashy debut! Research consisted of trips to the highlands and lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico to visit the best distilleries, rounding up the most passionate tequila bartenders in the country to give their favorite tequila cocktail recipes and adding another 25 food recipes including tequila! You have to try the Prado,-- an icy cold cocktail, airy and light, with a heavenly foam that crowns the glass. Or the crispy Chorizo Handpies with saffron, tomatoes, olives, cumin and a good dose of blanco tequila!. And for dessert, the Coco Loco Tequila Cupcakes, rich and moist with lots of coconut and ginger! This is an adult-only cupcake providing enough kick to make you feel like you're on vacation south of the border.

100 miles north of san francisco

Years ago, I remember driving to Mendocino through Anderson Valley eating a picnic at Navarro and visiting the tasting "shed" at Husch. It was so undeveloped, kind of like Napa might have been 50 or 60 years ago. Yesterday at the "Taste of Mendocino" at the Golden Gate Club at the Presidio, for the first half hour, I have to admit, I was kind of uncomfortable. It was a sea of wines, many unfamiliar to me and I whispered to Mariangela, my business manager, "Hey, we don't have to stay long." Four hours later, I had tasted some of the best wines from some of the most passionate, dedicated and talented winemakers. I could have downed a whole glass of the Goldeneye Anderson Valley 2006 Pinot Noir ($55.00) . Also loved McDowell's 2005 Coro Mendocino ($35.00) . Meyer 2004 Mendocino County Syrah, MacPhail 2007 Frattey Shams Pinot Noir ($60.00 ouch), Londer 2006 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($35.00) and one of the best deals of the day, the McNab Ridge 2006 Petite Sirah ($18.00) . That event was big on the learning curve and a big "AH-HA" for me.

more signs of spring

So cool.... I contributed one recipe to the "Cooking with Les Dames D'Escoffier." It happens to be my tribute to spring and came about because I love insalata Caprese, the ubiquitous salad that's served year around in some restaurants with insipid winter tomatoes and rubbery cow's milk mozzarella. I was at the Ferry Terminal and saw the best local buffalo mozzarella (available this time of year) at Cowgirl Creamery and lots of spring vegetables and herbs. That was the inspiration for this salad. I also had a can of the most delicious La Amarilla fruity virgin olive oil on my shelf.

SPRING BUFFALO MOZZARELLA AND MACHE SALAD

1 ½ pounds fava beans in the pod
½ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 cup fresh shelled English peas
12 ounces mozzarella di bufala or fresh milk mozzarella
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons chopped fresh savory (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups mache or other young tender greens

Peel the outer husk of the fava beans and discard. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the fava beans and boil 30 seconds. Drain, cool the beans and peel the outer bright green shell. Discard the shells and reserve the fava beans.

Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil, add the asparagus and boil until bright green and almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve with the fava beans. Add the peas to the boiling water and simmer 30 seconds. Drain and add to the asparagus and fava beans.

Slice the mozzarella into thin slices and place on a platter. Sprinkle the vegetables onto the platter. Sprinkle the mint, savory and oregano onto the mozzarella and vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mache onto the top.

Serves 6

calories

I looked in my refrigerator and had a slew of vegetables I wanted to use up from my CSA mystery box from Mariquita Farms. What about that soup my mother used to make with cabbage, celery, onions, carrots.... It was some sort of Weight Watcher's soup that she always claimed you'd burn calories eating it. Did I mention that my mother was always on a diet and wanted to lose 5 pounds! Anyway I made a big pot and ate a few bowls laughing at the fact that I was losing weight as I was eating. I even threw in a can of pigeon peas left over from an old beau. I went out to my balcony and picked a few leaves of thyme and Greek oregano and threw that in as well. I know that wasn't in my mother's recipe but nor were the pigeon peas.

CALORIE-LESS MYSTERY SOUP

1 small head Savoy cabbage, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 can (15 ounces) pigeon peas

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place everything in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Serves 1 hungry girl for 2 days

spit something gross

My brother and nephew came for dinner the other night. My brother called earlier in the day to ask what I was making for dinner and what wine he should bring. I said, "I'm going to spit roasting something." I heard my nephew ask my brother what I was making.... My brother relayed the message. "Oh, yuck!!" I heard my nephew yell. "Auntie Jo is going to spit something gross!" I think this is how rumors start. Needless to say, I spit roasted lamb and it was delicious.

yellow vineyards

I was just looking through some photos and came across these two I took last weekend when I was driving back from Napa. I was there for the Martha Steward Everyday Food radio show with Sandy Gluck. I got up Friday morning while it was still dark and drove across the valley floor in dense fog for an early morning call. It was absolutely freezing and little did I know we'd be taping outside at Vellagio. Luckily I brought some J Vineyards Cuvee 20 Sparkling to warm us up along with almond and fennel breakfast breadsticks I'd made and preserved feta in McEvoy olive oil. The whole crew was there for the Mustard Festival. As I drove back to the City, the vineyards were glowing with yellow mustard and these woolie weeders eating their way across Cline Vineyards!

FENNEL AND ALMOND BREAKFAST BREADSTICKS

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
3 ¼ cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 cup coarsely ground toasted almonds
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, about 110°f
2 tablespoons coarsely ground fennel seeds
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup sliced almonds with skins
1/2 cup semolina

In a bowl, stir together the yeast, 1/2 cup of the flour, and 1/2 cup warm water. Let stand until the mixture bubbles and rises slightly, 30 minutes. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, half of the toasted ground almonds, sugar, 1 cup warm water, fennel seeds, the salt, and olive oil, and stir together to form a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface, kneading in the Parmigiano gradually, until smooth, elastic and slightly tacky to the touch, 7 to 10 minutes. Alternately this can be made in an electric mixer on slow speed using the dough hook, kneading for 5 minutes.

Using floured hands, press and shape the dough into a 15 by 5-inch rectangle on an oiled baking sheet. Brush with oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place, about 75°f, until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Place a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of the oven and preheat to 450°f.

Sprinkle both sides of the dough with the semolina and the sliced almonds. Cut the dough into 5 equal 1-inch strips in the long direction. Cut the dough crosswise into 5 sections. This will make 20 pieces. Pick up each piece of dough and roll and stretch to fit the width of a baking sheet, about 8 to 10 inches long. Place in a single layer, 1 inch apart, on an oiled baking sheet. Bake in the middle shelf of the oven until light golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the breadsticks from the baking sheet and place directly onto the baking stone and bake until golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.

Makes 20 breadsticks

in the vines

I was in Napa on the weekend and visited two very cool and very different wineries. First on the agenda was Boyd Family Vineyards. I am not a big Merlot drinker but Stan's Merlot could change my mind. Also love the Big Ranch Cuvee. Tasting wine with the Boyd's is like going back in time in Napa Valley. You sit at their table outside on the porch (or inside their house if it's cold) and taste with them, the winemakers. After Boyd's we made out way north out of Stan's frying pan and into the fire of Brian Fleury. He is one of the most enthusiastic people in the wine business. With his wife Claudia, they own Fleury Winery and make some fantastic Cabs. The consensus is that we all loved the Passionne but we went nuts for the barrel samples of BDX and Big F$%&* Red futures. You cannot go wrong with either winery but get ready for red teeth and lips, great, great wines and spectacular entertainment!