trip around the mediterranean

I stopped by Wayfare Tavern the other night to give Tyler a phone number he'd asked me for. He wasn't there but Alan, the manager, came by to say hi.

"Aren't you going on a huge trip leaving Monday?" Alan asked.

I had to wrack my brain. When you travel as much as I do, you take things one day at a time. Monday didn't ring a bell. "No, I don't think so, not this Monday," I said.

"Yes, I read it on your website. Aren't you going on a trip around the Mediterranean?" Alan asked.

"Oh," I smiled as it finally dawned on me, "Yeah, I'm going on a trip around the Mediterranean right here in my San Francisco kitchen."

That was last Monday. I did a weeklong cooking class and on the calendar on my website it listed my week as "A Trip Around the Mediterranean."

Imagine... Monday we were walking through the Provencal markets buying lavender sachets and colorful linens, Tuesday we were in Italy picking olives and figs, and by Wednesday, we were were swimming in the crystal clear blue waters off the coast of Greece. Thursday, we were eating tapas at Cal Pep in Barcelona and on Friday, we were buying spices and preserved lemons in the souks or markets of Marrakesh.

Eight students from all over the US, two assistants, one dishwasher and one teacher "cruising" the Mediterranean together.

Ten o'clock each morning, we started in the kitchen with warm muffins or scones. I think the favorite breakfast were the raspberry and almond muffins, a recipe that I got when I used to taste for Alice at Cafe Fanny. Or was it the millet muffins from the same source?

MILLET MUFFINS

1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup (80 g) melted butter
12 tablespoons millet
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat an oven to 375oF (190oC). Beat the egg and brown sugar well with an electric mixer. Add the melted butter and 1/2 of the buttermilk. Stir in the millet. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and add to the other ingredients. Add the other 1/2 of the buttermilk. Do not mix the muffins together too much or the texture will not be good! Place in greased muffin tins.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

And then I'd talk about the cuisine from that particular country and explain the recipes. After dividing into groups, we cooked for the next couple hours together. I dug through my library of music to find the right music from my many trips to the Mediterranean. The students seemed to like Zucchero a lot. Or was it Emma Shappin?

Monday, when we were in Provence, we tasted warm olives scented with wild herbs and drank Provencal rosé. That was just the beginning. We made pissaladiere with crispy golden puffed pastry and lots of caramelized onions. Bouillabaisse was next and for dessert, little lemon souffle cakes that were sweet and tart at the same time.

The next day, we packed our bags and left for Italy. I insisted on starting with spritzers made with Aperol and prosecco (the same drink we served our guests when they arrived for our wedding last August). We rolled bright green spinach ravioli and filled them with ricotta and mascarpone and topped them with a sauce of fresh heirloom tomatoes and really tender leaves of basil. And then we made this really cool main course where we wrapped a baguette around pork tenderloin dusted with fennel pollen, sage, rosemary, coarse salt and lots of black pepper like they do in Tuscany. My favorite Florentine cook, Judy, introduced this to me years ago when I was teaching one of my courses st Il Leccio in Strada in Chianti.

If that wasn't the favorite of the day, it must have been the caramelized chocolate almond budino for dessert. OMG!!!

And what's food without wine, especially when you're on vacation along the Mediterranean? Everyday we have a wine maker or importer come to pour their wine and talk about the wines from that particular country.
By mid-week, it was time to fire things up so we built a really hot fire in the fireplace in the kitchen and spit-roasted a leg of lamb and then slathered it with tzatziki made from Greek yogurt, dill, spearmint and garlic. After all, we were in Greece for the day! I have a special place in my heart for Greece since Joe and I spent our honeymoon in a little villa looking over the sea in Santorini. I recalled lots of memories of my previous trips to Greece, but of course not all of them! We made galatoboureko, Joe's favorite, for dessert.
<GALATOBOUREKO

4 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fine semolina, sifted
4 tablespoons butter
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
3" cinnamon stick
Pinch of salt
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces fillo dough
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
Honey syrup (recipe follows)

Mix milk, sugar, semolina, butter, lemon rind, cinnamon stick and salt in a heavy saucepan and heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Let the custard bubble gently over very low heat for 5 minutes. Take away from the heat and remove the cinnamon stick. Cover with a piece of buttered parchment or waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming.

When the custard mixture is cool, blend in the eggs and vanilla.

Butter a 13 X 9" baking dish. Place about 15 layers in the dish, brushing each sheet with melted butter.

Pour the custard on top of the buttered fillo. Next place another 15 layers of fillo on top, brushing each with butter as it is placed in position. Brush the top with the remaining butter and score through the top 3 sheets of fillo into 3" squares or diamonds. Trim the edges and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until it is golden brown and the custard is set when tested with a knife.

Remove from the oven and cool thoroughly in the dish. Serve with the honey syrup.

Serves 12

Thursday brought us to Spain. It's summer, so naturally we began with a bowl of iced gazpacho. Later, we made our way outside to my balcony where we cooked a huge pan of paella over the open fire just like they do in Valencia. And on Friday, we started with the sensuous flavors of spicy eggplant jam smeared on crispy levain croutons followed by couscous and lamb and artichoke tagine. For dessert, we made this really aromatic crispy fillo layered with orange custard, cinnamon and toasted almonds.

Very fun week. I didn't need to pack, I didn't need a passport and I could sleep in my own bed. Yup, I did go on an amazing trip but I did it right here at home!

teaching in sunny mexico

My classes take me to many wonderful places around the world-- Lima, Verona, Seville, Chiang Mai, London, Sydney, Auckland, Avignon and this past week, Tecate, Mexico! I was invited to teach at Rancho La Puerta, a health spa tucked into the mountains that border Mexico and the US, just south of San Diego.

I was there for a week, starting on Saturday, and spent the first few days exercising so much my pecs and glutes ached like you wouldn't believe. I did mat pilates, killer water works, circuit cardio work and lots of walking and hiking.

By lunch time, with three classes and hiking under my belt, I was starving. I couldn't wait to dive into my 43-calorie bowl of soup, my salad loaded with roughage, a few sparse grains and enough finely crumbled cheese that if I wadded it together I might have a marble-size piece of protein. And can you believe the dressing only had 14 calories per tablespoon?!

Don't get me wrong, if I wanted, I could ask for tuna, cottage cheese or almonds at lunch. But if I so desired this extra protein, I had to go to a certain door by the kitchen and wait to talk to the chef about my special request. The guilt alone prevented me from even asking! Did I mention-- no dessert and of course, no alcohol!

By Wednesday, I would have killed for a BonBon Bar or a cool, crisp glass of Albarino. But thank God this was the day I was teaching my first cooking class at Cocina que Canta, the gorgeous cooking school at the "Ranch" (as the regulars call it!) And if you think I was hungry for some protein, wine, and diversity of flavor, imagine how the 16 students that descended on the school that morning felt. They were eager and ravenous, to put it mildly.

The weather was perfect. We started in the extraordinary organic gardens with Salvatore, the gardener, picking opal basil, fig leaves, mesclun salad greens, wild fennel, arugula flowers, edible pansies, and pulling fresh potatoes from the ground.

And then back in the kitchen where we spent the next couple hours creating the most wonderful lunch.

Here are the recipes from the class. The salmon cooked in fig leaves with almond salsa verde and the Mexican chocolate souffles with chipolte cream were the winners but honestly, every dish met with an "OMG, "WOW" or "YUM!" And who cared about the calories? We could always work out a little harder tomorrow! Or maybe just skip the cottage cheese?!

GRILLED PIZZA WITH CHERRY TOMATO AND BASIL SALAD

1 recipe Pizza Dough
1 cup grated smoked mozzarella or regular mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 ounces red cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Make the pizza dough according to the directions and let rise overnight in the refrigerator.

Fire up an outdoor grill until it is medium high.

On a floured surface, divide the dough into 2 pieces and form into round balls. Roll 1 piece into a 9-inch circle, 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a well-floured pizza peel or paddle. . Transfer the pizza from the peel directly onto the grill and grill, turning occasionally until golden and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn the pizza and top with half of the cheese. Continue to cook, turning occasionally until golden and crispy and the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.

In the meantime, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cherry tomatoes and toss together.

When the pizza is done, place on a platter. Top with half of the tomatoes, vinaigrette, and basil. Serve immediately. Make a second pizza with the remaining ingredients.

Makes 2 pizzas, 9 inches in diameter

PIZZA DOUGH

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water (110°F)
2 cups unbleached bread flour (preferably King Arthur bread flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, combine the yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, and 1/4 cup flour. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Add the remaining 13/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water and salt. Mix the dough thoroughly and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth, elastic, and a bit tacky to the touch, 7 to 8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to cover with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (about 75°f) until it doubles in volume, 1 to 11/2 hours. Or, let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, let it come to room temperature and proceed with the recipe.

GAZPACHO WITH DRUNKEN PRAWNS

1 pound prawns, peeled and deveined
1 cup 100% blanco tequila
1 cup fish broth or bottled clam juice
2 1/2 lb. fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped,
or 1 - 28 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
1 green pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, coarsely chopped
5 to 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups tomato juice
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 slice bread, crusts removed, soaked in water, squeezed dry
Salt and freshly ground pepper

garnish:
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup peeled cucumber, seeded, chopped
1/2 tomato, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut into small cubes

In a large frying pan over high heat, bring 8 cups of water to a bowl. Season with salt. Add the prawns and boil for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and let the prawns sit in the water until almost firm to the touch and pink, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the prawns with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Add the tequila, stir together and let sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

In a bowl, mix the fish broth or bottled clam juice, tomatoes, green pepper, onions, cucumber, vinegar, garlic, tomato juice, olive oil and bread. In batches, blend each batch in the blender on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until very smooth. Strain through a coarse strainer. Season with salt, pepper and vinegar. Chill.

Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet. Add crushed garlic and cook until garlic is golden brown. Remove garlic and discard. Add bread cubes, and stir to coat. Saute slowly, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until bread cubes are golden. Cool.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Drain the prawns and reserve the tequila. Distribute the prawns between the bowls of soup. Garnish with cucumbers, green peppers, tomato, red onion and croutons. Drizzle a teaspoon of the tequila onto the top of each bowl of soup.

Serves 6

SALMON BAKED IN FIG LEAVES WITH ALMOND SALSA VERDE

1 3/4 pounds salmon fillets, skin and bone removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 fig leaves, washed well, stems removed

Almond salsa verde:
1/2 cup whole almonds, unpeeled
1 1/2 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon each fresh oregano, chopped
3 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 lemon wedges

Cut the salmon into 12 equal pieces. Place a fig leaf on the work surface with the smooth side down, vein side up. Brush well with olive oil. Place the salmon near the stem end. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the outer side edges towards the center. Fold the remaining leaf over the salmon to enclose it completely. Brush the bundles lightly with olive oil. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Chop the almonds coarsely.

For the salsa verde, in a bowl, stir together the almonds, parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, capers, shallots, lemon zest, garlic, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 2 cups.

Preheat an outdoor grill. Grill the salmon bundles 4-inches from the heat source for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the grill. Partially open the packets and place a dollop of the salsa verde on the salmon. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Serves 6

WARM GRILLED POTATO SALAD WITH CUMIN AND LIME

2 1/4 pounds small red-skinned new potatoes
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 green onions, white and green, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon grated fresh lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin

Preheat the oven to 375°f (190°c).

Wash the potatoes and place in a 13- x 9-inch (33- x 23-cm) baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, cover with foil, and bake until tender, 50 to 60 minutes.

Preheat an outdoor grill.

When the potatoes are tender and cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes in half. Place 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl. Dip the cut side of the potato in the oil and grill, turning occasionally, until hot and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the grill and place in a large serving bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the green onions, garlic, parsley, lime zest, lime juice and cumin. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss together. Serve immediately while the potatoes are still warm.

Serves 6

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉS WITH TEQUILA-CHIPOTLE CRÈME ANGLAISE

I love to play around with sweet and spicy combinations in desserts. The hint of pepper in the soufflé and smoky chipotle in the crème anglaise is an unexpected twist on this classic after-dinner delight! And of course, there is the distinctive kick of tequila in every bite!

Soufflé:
10 ounces excellent quality Mexican chocolate (such as Ibarra), finely chopped
¾ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2tablespoons reposado tequila
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cayenne
¼ teaspoon salt
6 large eggs, separated
Pinch of cream of tarter
Confectioner’s Sugar as a garnish
Tequila-Chipolte Créme Anglaise

Combine the chocolate, cream, sugar, butter, tequila, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne and salt in a heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm. (Chocolate base can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Stir over low heat until lukewarm before continuing.)

Preheat over to 350° F. Butter eight 12 ounce ramekins and coat lightly with sugar. Whisk the egg yolks into the lukewarm chocolate base. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the chocolate base in three additions. Divide the soufflé mixture among prepared ramekins and place on a baking sheet. Bake until puffed but still moist in center, about 15 minutes.

Serve immediately dusted with confectioner’s sugar. At the table, make a hole in the center of each soufflé and pour some of the Tequila-Chipotle Crème Anglaise into the center.

Serves 8

TEQUILA-CHIPOLTE CREMÉ ANGLAISE

½ cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
¼ cup sugar
1/4 vanilla bean, split & scraped
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon tequila
1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
3 egg yolks

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, tequila, and diced chipotle. Over medium-low heat, bring to a scald. Remove from the heat and let steep 15 minutes. Whisk together the yolks in a medium sized bowl to break them up. Slowly add the hot cream mixture into yolk mixture, whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture into the saucepan again. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard begins to coat the back of a spoon and the temperature of the sauce is 170°F when you check it with an instant read thermometer.
.
Strain immediately into a clean bowl and immediately whisk to incorporate some cool air. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. If you are not using it immediately, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring it to room temperature just before serving.

Serves 8

"homemade"

When I was a kid, can you believe, I was sent to school with homemade chocolate chip cookies. I was mortified, humiliated and totally embarrassed. All the other kids brought Chips Ahoy cookies in their lunch bags! No, not me! I could be so lucky! I would have killed a kid for one of those Chips Ahoy. I never told my mother but I actually I traded my homemade chocolate chip cookies just for the sheer joy of sinking my teeth into a cookie that came from a grocery store shelf.

Can you imagine how horrible it was to take my little sandwich baggie out of my lunch bag and chomp away on homemade Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate morsel-laden, chewy, gooey chocolate chip cookies that reeked of good vanilla and butter? But it was those crunchy, hard, cardboard-tasting Chips Ahoy I craved. All the other kids had them, why couldn't I?

Yeah, everything in my house growing up was homemade. It all started with a tomato sandwich when I was about five. Most kids delighted in PB and J or tuna salad sandwiches but NO, not my house, not my mother. Not on her dead body!

I'll never forget the time when I was about 8 to 10, we were grocery shopping at Stop and Shop. It was lunch time and I was starving. "Can we get a can of clam chowder?" I asked my mother. You would have thought I had asked for the moon. She looked at me like I had just created the worst sin imaginable. Trust me, I was just a hungry kid with a gnawing ache in my stomach. I wanted to go home, use the electric can opener to open that can of clam chowder, pour that chunky, flour-bound clam chowder into a saucepan and in seconds I'd have a steamy hot bowl of soup. No, you know what she did this time? She bought a can of clams and when we got home, made me a pot full of homemade clam chowder, her specialty.

Yup, everything was homemade and when I was a kid, I didn't get it! I guess I was spoiled by the word "homemade." And now I know I could never be so lucky to be burdened by a single word. And so I share a recipe for my Great Aunt Jin's homemade Ginger Molasses Crinkles. Aunt Jin died when I was just seven but I remember how she called me "precious!" I was anything but precious but I had her fooled. Really, her cookies were what was precious and they were homemade!

Ginger Molasses Crinkles

I tried these cookies with all butter and they didn't crinkle. The vegetable shortening contributes a tenderness while the butter enhances the flavor.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
Large pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
Granulated sugar

Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together.

In the bowl to an electric mixer, beat the butter, vegetable shortening, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and beat until smooth. On low speed, add the dry ingredients just until mixed. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets.

With your hands, roll slightly rounded tablespoons of dough into balls, 1 1/4-inches in diameter. Dip the top in granulated sugar. Place the balls, sugar side up, on the baking sheets 3-inches apart.

Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Cool on cooling racks and repeat with the remaining dough.

Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen.

burgers and potato salad

Hey, what happened to spring in Ess Eff? We wait for April and May the whole year, those are our only good months with sunny, warm weather. We missed it? And isn't Memorial Day the beginning of summer or at least the time when we set up our appointments for the tanning booth, go out to buy strappy sandals, get out the grilling recipes and make plans to get OUT of the cold, foggy City.

Anticipating summer, I was reading the NY Times food section yesterday and liked the pork burgers Mark Bittman wrote about. Kind of in the shu mai direction, shu mai being one of my favorite dim sum (thanks Becky)... The recipe appealed to me.

Burgers are so hot right now. Remember when burgers were made with just beef and called hamburgers? Soon we'll be ordering burgers like we order coffee... " Grass fed, 92% lean, aged, double, no foam!" And honestly, no person whould be caught dead saying "I'll have a hamburger!" Save that for your grandfather. They're "burgers" now! We got smart, there's no ham in them anyway!

I was in LA last week working and as soon as I got off the plane, I went my usual direction, directly to Gjelina in Venice. I always make that place my first stop. It's right on the way to wherever I'm going. Don't you have places like that? Charlotte and I shared a pork burger. Get this... Juicy ground pork shoulder topped with grilled radicchio and Iberico cheese and slathered with mustard aioli. And I love the homemade pickles. It was a tough call for me since I usually order the lamb burger drenched with spicy harissa aioli, topped with roasted tomatoes and arugula. No withdrawals, the pork burger spoke to me!

The next day, I went to Santa Monica Seafood for lunch. When I see all that fish, it makes me want to strap my Wolf range to my back, I want to cook so badly. I ordered a salmon burger and it was good but nothing like the one I did in my "Weir Cooking in the City" book.

Jeremiah Tower had the burger bug years before anyone else when he made the most delicious lamb burgers topped with caramelized garlic, mint and tomatoes at Santa Fe Cafe in Berkeley. It's been years and I still remember the flavors.

With burgers, you have to have some kind of potato salad to round the whole thing out. I've eaten my mother's potato salad my whole life and when I got big enough to come up with my own, I did. Don't get me wrong, I loved my mother's potato salad all doctored up with mayonnaise and mustard. As a kid, when I tasted anyone else's Mom's potato salad, it just didn't measure up. And though she's made it the same way her whole life, if today I asked her how she made it, she'd just sloth it off and say, "Oh, you know!?" And I'd say, "No, I don't know." Why do mother's just think that you should know everything they did all their lives by osmosis?

Oh yeah, so I was telling you that a couple years ago I decided to come up with my own potato salad. I wrote a story all about it for Fine Cooking. I called it "Not Your Mama's Potato Salad" and they called it a "Grilled Potato Salad." Either way, you roast some new potatoes. Cool thing, you can get them done a day ahead of time. When they're cool, cut them in half, dip the cut- side in olive oil and throw them on the grill, BAMMM (just kidding, I wanted to see if you were reading this) and cook until golden. Take them off the grill and toss in anything from Nicoise or Kalamata olives, shaved parmesan, chopped fresh oregano, slivers of sun-baked tomatoes. Delish! You can even grill the potatoes ahead of time and at the last minute, warm them up again in the oven and toss in the fixin's.

And then in Australia a month ago, the last night of our culinary journey, friend Chef Mark McNamara of Appellation Restaurant, made us the best hoity-toity potato salad that tasted like it was born someplace between India and Morocco. All the students on the trip were begging me to get the recipe from Mark. I got it a few days ago, tested it, reworked it, retested it and happily have been eating it ever since. Voila, "Not Your Papa's Potato Salad" either! Thanks Mark!

SALMON BURGERS WITH WASABI MAYONNAISE

½ cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup olive oil
6 salmon fillets, about 4 to 6 ounces each, skinned and boned
6 excellent quality rolls, halved
6 large slices fresh beefsteak tomatoes
2 cups peppercress or arugula

Place the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and wasabi in a bowl. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Place the oil in a heavy non-stick frying pan large enough to hold the salmon. Place the pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot and almost rippling, add the salmon and cook until golden and crispy on one side, 3 to 4 minutes total. Turn the salmon and continue to cook until golden and crispy on the other sides, another 3 to 4 minutes. Grill the cut side of the rolls until golden.

Spread with wasabi mayonnaise, distributing evenly. To construct the burgers, place the bottom part of the roll on a serving plate. Top with a piece on salmon. Top each piece of salmon with a slice of tomato and peppercress or arugula. Place the roll on top. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

WARM SALAD OF SPICED SWEET POTATO

1 teaspoon mild curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin powder
Salt
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups sweet potatoes, ¾-inch dice, about 2 pounds
¼ cup whole almonds with skin, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1 ½ tablespoons cumin seeds
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
½ cup chopped cilantro stems
4 green onions, white and green, thinly sliced
3 cups cilantro leaves and sprigs

Preheat an oven to 375 F.

Mix the curry powder, ground cumin and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Toss half of the spice mixture with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sweet potatoes and roast until tender, 30 minutes.

In the meantime, toss the almonds and pumpkin seeds with the remaining spice mixture and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until the almonds and pumpkins seeds are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.

For the dressing, place the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium high heat and toss until they are aromatic and begin to crackle, 30 to 40 seconds. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl. Add the vinegar, garlic, and remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil.

When the potatoes are done, add the almonds, pumpkin seeds, tomato, green onion, chopped cilantro and half of the dressing. Place in the center of a serving plate. Drizzle the remaining dressing around plate and scatter with cilantro leaves.

Serves 6

i love you guys

I was feeling melancholy the last day of our culinary journey together in South Australia. This group of 13 that I'd assembled were so simpatico that I felt moved, almost transformed, by our time together. Over the years, I’ve taught many weeklong classes, but there was something special, almost magical, about this group. You never have control over the dynamics of a group, it just doesn’t work like that. And as much as I wanted to take credit, this week fell into place like a soft leather glove on the perfect-sized hand.

Everyone was really rested that last morning as we met over breakfast. What a night off and a good night’s sleep with lofty down pillows and mold-to-your-body heavenly beds can do! But wake up! Spinifix Winery brought their tasting to us!

As we tasted I could see nostalgia creeping in. Photos were snapping as everyone tried to capture the last moments in digital frames. Kind of like the last day of high school or a family reunion when reality sets in that soon we’d be going our own ways.

We left The Louise and headed towards my dear friend, Maggie Beer's Farm Shop in Nuriootpa, for a picnic lunch. I’ve known Maggie for years when she used to come to the classes I taught at Yalumba. I’ve always described her as the Alice Waters of Australia (without the hat and the Edible Schoolyard.) But those were the old days! Now Maggie is a true Australian icon without a minute to spare. She's constantly on the road these days so she was only there in spirit. I’m happy for her success but sad I missed her bubbly personality and spirited laugh this trip.

But hold on, we're not done yet. I've got another friend just down the road that I promised I'd visit. We need to make one more stop on our culinary journey, - Rockford Vineyards, owned by my old friend, Rocky O’ Callaghan.
We hit it just right, they were in the middle of harvest. There was lots of activity in the rustic courtyard - trucks unloading freshly picked Shiraz grapes, pumping over and crushing the grapes in his famous basket press. We went into the tasting room for a VIP tasting of at least 10 wines.
Rockford is legendary for their sparkling black Shiraz, one of my personal favorite, and a basket-pressed Shiraz that’s big and gutsy like ink! These were amongst the group.

By now, some of the group was suffering palate fatigue. Could I blame them? And just as we all thought we were finished tasting, we got invited to sample the freshly pressed juice, bright purple-colored and dense, directly from the basket press. Delicious, but now we all needed a nap so we'd be rested for tonight's farewell dinner.

Dressed to kill and ready to die of consumption, we met at Appellation, the signature restaurant associated with our hotel, The Louis, for our last night together around the table. Course after course was cooked by my chef friend, Mark McNamara, who made us an unforgettable dinner for us. I'm still dreaming of the caramelized kombocha squash with Moroccan spices. (Oh that's right, Mark, you promised me that recipe!)

As I handed out the diplomas, I thanked everyone for trusting me enough to travel half way around the world to spend a week in a place I love beyond my wildest dreams. As we said our goodbyes, there were stars in everyone's eyes and joy in their hearts. I’d helped to form those stars and to make that joy a reality. I had a small tear as I gave everyone a hug and a kiss that came directly from my heart.

Until next time, g'day mate!

come with me to australia

The next morning, the “coach” let us off at the Willunga Farmers Market right in front of Fino, the restaurant where we'd eaten the night before. And who do you think the first person was that we saw? Sharon, our new best friend , who owned the restaurant. She poked her head out of the Fino window to greet us as she steamed milk and made cappuccino and café latte for the locals. By now, we were locals!

I tried to rally the troops to walk together around the market but off they went on their own. This always seems to happen at every market no matter where we are, - Strada in Chianti or Isles sur la Sorgue. Within minutes, they were back by my side. They’d “done” the market and were ready for another wine tasting (can you believe it?) and lunch.

Coriole is not to be missed. This charming, quaint, little hillside vineyard was bustling. My Ozzie friend, Warren, met us at the door and took us to a big, long table he'd set looking out at the vineyards. “Sit down,” he said! We spent the afternoon tasting their Woodside cheeses, pungent, peppery olive oil and lightly oaked wines, and sharing big platters of food including smoked kangaroo. Was this the closest we were going to get to kangaroo they all wondered as they pushed it around on their plates?


Then back to The Retreat, which meant a rest for some of us and a walk for others. Keith, Louise, Rebecca, Craig and I walked up on the very top of the hill in the vineyards. And suddenly out from behind a vine hopped a huge kangaroo. There were lots of screeches and camera's snapping. There you have it… Our first real kangaroo sighting, at last! And then a little later, we saw a mother kangaroo and a baby joey in the vineyards just a few yards away. Yup, we’re in Australia!

I guess you could say I took the night off as Rebecca Stubbs taught a hands-on cooking class at The Retreat. 'Calm' is probably not a word often associated with chefs at work in a hot, busy kitchen, but this is how I would describe Rebecca. It was a very fun night and the food was really good! I think the best part was watching all the men in class who joined together as a team to master panna cotta and Florentine cookies.

The next day was a rainy Sunday. We packed the “coach” and said our goodbyes to Chapel Hill Gourmet Retreat in McLaren Vale and headed 2 hours north to the Barossa Valley. One rule I always seem to forget when I’m taking groups around is to make sure I know where the next bathroom stop is. Everyone was antsy so when we finally reached our destination, everyone made a mad dash in search of a bathroom. John Angus, our host for the afternoon, pointed in the direction of an outhouse. Startled is the word I’d use! Men ran for the nearest tree as the women stood in line and did what looked like the cha-cha as they waited in line for their turn. They were relieved (lol) when they finally got inside the outhouse to see that there was actually a flush toilet.

I hadn’t told them a thing about Hutton Vale except that John and Jan Angus were our hosts for the day and that we’d have lunch and a wine tasting with them.

I can’t remember who, maybe Craig, walked up to me and said, “What are we doing here? I don't get this place.”

I could see his point. We were standing in the midst of a paddock surrounded by a thousand sheep looking at an old mid-19th century barn about to fall.

“Are you sure we’re in the right spot?” he asked.

“Go inside! Trust me!” I said.

It was just as rustic on the inside as it was on the outside but with flair and refinement. The aroma of the bread baked in clay and the flatbread was intoxicating as they were being taken from the wood-fired oven. An old wooden chopping block dominated the center of the kitchen and a whole side of Tasmanian smoked salmon and house made pâté played centerpiece. We washed everything down with John’s fresh, crisp Riesling. And that was just the beginning. A little later, we sat down to a typical Ozzie Sunday lunch of their own Hutton Vale roast baby lamb and some fabulous lush and jammy Shiraz. We finished with a tasting of some of John and Jan's older vintages from their cellar and lots of stories and laughs.

With a good buzz and full bellies, we headed out late that afternoon towards The Louise, a Small Luxury Hotel of the World, and our home for the remainder of the trip. Everyone conferred; Hutton Vale was the unanimous favorite!

In the lap of luxury at The Louise, I gave everyone, including myself, the “night off” to get some rest and be ready for our last full day together.

See you in the morning!

chocolate cake redux

It all started very simply on my 6th birthday...
A cake I love,
A recipe of my mother's.

Fast forward many, many years
AARP asks a now "matured" 6 year old for her mother's chocolate cake recipe.

Recipe is published and creates quite a "stir..."

"Hey, let's have a little contest and ask for photos of the cake," I said.

The rest is history!

I got many chocolate cake photos and lots of reinforcement that yes, the recipe is foolproof. I'm happy you like the cake!

Thanks to all of you for your photos and participation.

To see the winners of the Chicago Metallic cake pans, go to my Facebook Fan Page