Archive for the ‘Miami Dish’ Category
I’m jumping back into the CSA Show and Tell Game! It’s been fun to read what other bloggers (Food for Thought, Tinkering with Dinner and Our Half Box among others) create with the vegetables and fruit from their CSA shares.
I subscribed to the half-share this year. So here goes my week, along with ideas for how I plan to use the produce I haven’t prepared yet:
Green beans
Healthier Tuna Noodle Casserole
(Recipe from Eating Well-I substituted fresh green beans for the peas.)
Last week I ate a vegan diet to swing myself back into balance after weeks of overindulgence. I just felt that I was veering too far away from the fruit and vegetable group, and my stomach confirmed that. I don’t ever eat according to diets.
The vegan diet was supposed to be two weeks long. One week was interesting, but at the end of it, another week seemed like privation. So I’m back to eating everything in moderation, feeling satisfied and happy, but with a heavier dose of vegetables and fruits.
The cold weather seemed to beg a steaming casserole with a crunchy top, just like they love in the frozen Midwest. This one is light on vegetables, but heavy on comfort. It’s also perfect for warming up the house with the oven.
Komatsuna
Komatsuna with macerated anchovy, olive oil, lime and parmesan
Chef Rachel O’Kaine left a comment on Facebook suggesting the above dressing for leftover cabbage, inspired by her new home in Italy. I also found a recipe for dandelion tips and anchovies in The Silver Spoon. So I decided to use my komatsuna greens in this way. Rachel suggests letting the leaves soak in the dressing for a little while. I left mine alone for an hour or so. It was delicious–like a dressed down Caesar salad.
I used two anchovy filets, which I macerated in olive oil and the juice of one whole lemon. I mixed these and then dressed two bunches of komatsuna (I also had one from the extras box.) At the last minute, I sprinkled with parmigiano-reggiano.
Bok Choy
Miso Soup with Greens
(Recipe from Mark Bittman’s Bitten.)
I’ll add the bok choy to this basic miso soup, which I’ve been craving. You can build upon this recipe, adding your komatsuna, other greens like spinach, or mushrooms.
Other ideas:
* Hearty miso soup-This one is from a few years ago.
* Restaurant style bok-choy with shrimp-This is a recipe from Tinkering with Dinner which I look forward to trying.
Breakfast Radishes
Green beans and sliced radishes, tossed with lemon, olive oil and salt
That’s it. Simple. I only used half of the green beans in the casserole, so this is how I plan to use the rest.
Other ideas:
* Easy fish tacos-Pan fry some tilapia. Season fish with salt and lime juice. Top with sliced radishes, cilantro and some more lime or salsa verde.
Eggplant, green peppers plus sad plum tomatoes from last week
Ratatouille
I was inspired by Food for Thought’s meditative post on the dish. Ratatouille can be enjoyed hot or cold. I ate mine hot with some warm crusty bread on the side. It’s often served as a side for meat.
I followed the recipe from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. I topped it with black olives and the remaining withering leaves from the basil plant outside. Here is a basic recipe for ratatouille by James Beard.
My plum tomatoes from last week never quite seemed to ripen. The tomatoes were picked early before the cold weather arrived. They were soft but not very flavorful, so I figured they’d be better cooked than raw. I added those to the stew.
Other ideas:
* Eggplant caponata- This variation of ratatouille is from Italy. It’s more of a warm-weather dish, since it’s served at room temperature. I love this dish because it made me appreciate capers and olives in a way I never have before.
* Almond crusted eggplant with goat cheese and honey sauce-I haven’t tried this one yet, but it sounds delicious. I also wanted a chance to promote my cousin’s new food blog, In Love with Bananas. Mercedes often helps me bring my grandiose ideas to completion. One example–I could not have completed my Farm to Table dinner last summer without her cooking talent or recipe ideas.
Green Peppers
Vegetarian Chili
I used the third green pepper in a tried and true vegetarian chili recipe from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. I’ve been using this recipe for years. Even meat-lovers who are skeptical of meatless chili enjoy this one. I add around a cup more of tomato juice because the recipe tends to be dry.
Other ideas:
* Ratatouille (see above)
Canistel
Canistel Custard
(Recipe by the Rare Fruit Council)
Once they are ripe, I’m excited to try the canistel custard recipe from one of the old Redland Organics CSA newsletters. I will top with cinnamon.
By Chuck Ferrin (The Fifth Drink, Twitter: @telephonedrinks)
I originally wrote this post for my own website, The Fifth Drink, because I knew that I needed a featured article on the hot toddy to go with this rare bout of unusually cold weather we’re having in Florida. And for those of you doubters up north, know that it just snowed as far south as Tampa Bay and snow flurries were sighted here in Miami. Snow counts as cold, period.
After I finished writing the whole thing, I realized that I had gone into an extended discourse on local Florida honey. I’ve spent years tracking down the best honey in Florida, because honey is worth the effort. It was mankind’s first taste of sweetness, it lasts forever and it reflects regional variety. Just like wine, no one honey is like any other.
This works for Miami Dish, because Miami Dish loves all things local, and wisely so. If you eat local, you’re supporting your community while munching down on food that shows the character of the place that you live in. That’s a win-win, so before I get overlong in my preamble, here’s my article on the hot toddy and our local Florida honey:
Of all the hot drinks in the world, there are two that I feel deserve extra attention, the Hot Toddy and the Tom & Jerry. The hot toddy gets first dibs, because in my humble opinion, it is the greatest hot cocktail of all time.
What makes the hot toddy so great? Because as a wintery day draws to a close and work is finished, the dishes are done, laundry is folded and the clothes are ironed, there’s no better way to set yourself adrift to Slumberland than with a soul warming hot toddy. It’s such a good nightcap, I’ll even make one when the weather is warm just to have it, but now that the weather is finally cold in 49 out of 50 states, it’s high season for the hot toddy. Hawaiians-you may just have to stick your head in a freezer for a few minutes before partaking to simulate this effect.
But what is a “toddy” exactly? Seeing that I can’t resist a little philology, the word most likely comes to the English language by way of India. In the Hindi language, “tari” means “palm tree”, and Indians use the sap from certain palm trees to make a type of alcoholic beverage called “toddy”. The English, with their close connection to India, borrowed the term to describe one of their earliest cocktails-a hot whisky drink flavored with citrus juice, spices and a sweetener– usually honey, sugar or both.
There is a competing theory that the word “toddy” comes from the term “Tod’s Well,” called the “Todian Spring” in an eighteenth century poem by Allan Ramsay. This well supplied the city of Edinburgh with water and was apparently a noteworthy feature of Scotland. Now try to follow this-the word for whisky comes from the Gaelic “usice beatha”, meaning “water of life,” so if whisky is closely related to water and water comes from wells such as the Todian Spring, then the name “toddy” must be derived from this close association.
I admit being biased as a former student of Sanskrit, but this seems like a lot of far-fetched bullshit to me. It’s also next to impossible to explain the Todian Spring etymology in a few concise sentences, so I’m bitter about having to include it.
The Indians, with all of their spices and sweets, were some of the earliest mixologists, and they continue to have street shops selling a multitude of spiced drinks to this day. I imagine that the parched and lascivious British sailors must have had their knots rocked by all of the richly flavored Indian toddies and punches after surviving for a couple months on beef jerky and rainwater. The stuff about the Tod’s Well reads like a strained attempt to extract an Anglo-Saxon origin from one of Britain’s greatest cocktails, but I digress.
Here is what’s really important, how to make a great hot toddy:
Hot Toddy
2 oz whisky
½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
1 bar spoon honey
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
Put bar spoon with honey in the base of an Irish Coffee glass, add other ingredients, top with boiling water and stir.
Like most things cocktailian, my formula is borrowed from Simon Difford’s Guide to Cocktails , but I do have a few of my own flourishes. First, two ounces of whisky makes for a super stiff drink, especially in this format. The Irish Coffee glass is small, generally holding around 8 oz, so you’re not adding that much water. Also, the use of hot water makes the alcohol seem, well, hotter than it already is. That’s why hot saké, for example, tastes more punchy than cold saké. There’s some science behind this-when liquor gets hot, the alcohol starts to evaporate and the fumes go right up to your face. With that in mind, many people may be more comfortable with 1 or 1 ½ oz whisky.
What I like to do is make extra hot water and top off my glass intermittently. This serves two purposes-it keeps my drink warm and tones it down a little. Not only is this drink potent, it’s also quite sweet at first, so I find that the extra dilution doesn’t hurt it as much as a cold cocktail. Plus, the additional warm water extracts more oils from the dried cinnamon and cloves, so there’s plenty of flavor all the way to the end.
For the whisky, you can use whatever you like. Here are the general guidelines: American whiskey, like bourbon, is sweet and often spicy; Scottish whisky, a.k.a. Scotch, is smoky; Irish whiskey is sweet and soft; Canadian whisky is the sweetest and softest of the whole lot. I use my big bottle of Famous Grouse Scotch, because it’s a good, inexpensive blended whisky made with healthy doses of Highland Park and Macallan.
Living in Miami, I really should be using Johnnie Walker Black, because that’s the unofficial drink of the Magic City. Now I know some people think, “You should never use a top shelf Scotch for mixing,” but that sentiment seems be slowly on the wane. Think about it like this-if you were preparing food, would you say, “Well, if I’m going to eat the food raw, I only use the best, but if I’m going to cook, I just use the cheapest stuff I can find.”? No-that sounds stupid because it is stupid. The same principle applies to mixing drinks.
Use ingredients that you like, so if you drink Johnnie Walker Black, try it in your hot toddy. You can even experiment with Single Malt Scotch if you’re feeling brave. I like to mix equal parts Laphroaig (Cask Strength even!) and Famous Grouse for my hot toddy. That way I can have the smoky, peaty, medicinal qualities of Laphroaig without going overboard.
But if I have anything truly substantial to contribute to Difford’s formula, it has to be the use of honey, because I’ve worked hard over the years to develop an appreciation for the different kinds of honey. I usually look for a monofloral honey, and if possible, something local.
- by Zsuzsanna Kilian (stock.xchang)
Monofloral honey is derived from one type of plant, sometimes a single species of plant, and it gives the honey a very specific color and taste profile. Florida has an abundance of flowering plants, so we have great honey to boot, one of the most common being palm honey. While palms tree are a diverse family of plants, they generally produce a honey that is medium dark with light savory notes. This is what I use most often in my cocktails, particularly the Cook’s Palm Honey from Lake Wales, because it tastes great and I can find it in Publix.
The other big dog in Florida is orange blossom honey. This honey comes from the 65 million orange trees in the state of Florida (I looked it up–there are at least that many), as well as other citrus trees including grapefruits, lemons and limes. They produce a honey that is light in color and has hint of oranges. This is unusual, because most honey does not taste like the fruit from the same plant. If you eat the flower from a blueberry plant, it will not taste like a blueberry, just as the leaves, stems and roots will not taste like blueberries. Honey follows the same logic, because it comes from the flower of the plant, not the fruit. Orange blossom honey is one of the few exceptions, and you can find it in almost any grocery store.
Now for the rare stuff. The Gruwell Apiary in Fort Pierce produces a mangrove honey that is only available in their 12 oz squeeze bear, and they don’t advertise it. However, you can find it on their website under the 12 oz squeeze bear section if you drop down the “Choose” button when you’re about to add something to your cart. You can find the page here.
The mangrove honey costs an extra $1, but it’s worth it. Mangrove forests grow on the coastal regions of central and southern Florida, and we can proudly say that we are the mangrove state. Texas and Louisiana have small patches, and Hawaii has invasive mangrove species, but Florida is the king when it comes to these iconic coastal forests. Our mangroves are comprised of three different species, conveniently named the Red, Black and White Mangroves (Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa). The mangrove honey from Gruwell is light in color, delicate and has a hint of caramel, not unlike the great sourwood honey from the Carolinas. It has the classic honey taste, and that’s why I like it.
And then there’s the king-Tupelo Honey. The Florida panhandle, particularly the area around the Apalachicola River, is the only place in the world where tupelo honey is produced commercially. Tupelo is renowned for several reasons, the famous being that it does not crystallize.
Honey crystallizes when some of the glucose content spontaneously forms crystals, and this happens over time to most honey. Some go quick, like mesquite honey, but real tupelo honey never will, because it has a high ratio of fructose to glucose.
Tupelo honey has a light green tint; it’s viscous in texture and has a taste that is floral, fruity, exotic and distinctly awesome. I was given a squeeze bear of Clyde Owen Tupelo Honey as a gift, and it is a personal treasure of mine. He doesn’t have a website, but he does ship. You can find his contact information here.
If you live outside of Florida, there will still be plenty of local honey for you to search out. The Carolinas have their sourweed, the northerners have blueberry, buckwheat and clover, the western folks have mesquite and the rare manzanita, and even the Alaskans have their fireweed honey all the way up where the Northern Lights glow.
So that’s my little essay on honey, and it’s a nice way to add an element of interest to your hot toddy. And by the way, it really is cold in Miami right now. It’s not the kind of icy death I was raised in up north, but my feet and hands are legitimately freezing right now. We’re apparently hitting record lows this week, which is as sour as lemons for Floridians and all our tourists. But I’m making lemonade . . . spiked.
By Chuck Ferrin (The Fifth Drink, Twitter: @telephonedrinks)
When Trina first asked me to write this article, I told her that I wanted to include some shots, because people in Miami go out to bars and clubs for New Year’s Eve (and any other possible celebration). It’s a cultural thing. Shots are the best drinks to order in these crowded places, because they’re easy to make. Your bartender will be in the weeds the whole night, so you probably don’t want to order a round of mojitos for yourself and ten different friends.
But Trina reminded me that Miami Dish readers are different. We are the foodies of Miami, and we like to stay home and make our own stuff. We like to mix our own drinks, cook our own food and choose our own wine. Why? Because we like things to be better, perfect if possible. And that got me thinking. Shouldn’t there be a Miami for the Miami Dish readers? Don’t we live in a city that can do that for us?
So here’s my early New Year’s resolution: Make a better Miami. We have everything that a city needs to be great-the people, the culture, the space, the weather, the resources. And if people like shots here, then we should make good shots. If we can’t find them when we go out, then we’ll make them at home and spread the word one person at a time.
I like to think of shots as being the espresso version of mixed drinks-they are essentially smaller, more succinct drinks. When I make a shot, I take my time with it. A shot may never take long to drink, but there’s no law that mandates a down-the-hatch approach. This is one category of drink that needs to be reevaluated, so I’m going to recommend two shots for your New Year’s Eve celebrations, one classic and one new. Try them if you can, and more importantly, try to appreciate the fact that however small, they are well-made cocktails.
I also have recommendations for wine, beer and mixed drinks, because as good they may be, you really don’t want to drink shots all night.
Wine
Every time the Earth makes another successful trip around the sun, we celebrate with champagne. It just feels right-popping the cork, watching the bubbles rise, clinking the glasses. But there are other options when it comes to sparkling wine. In our unemployed and underemployed era, much has been made about the value of Italian Prosecco and Spanish Cava, and while a good bottle can be had for a great price, I’ve been increasingly tempted to reach for French Cremant.
In France, any region outside of Champagne that produces sparkling wine uses the term “Cremant” followed by the regional designation. Cremant de Bourgogne, sparkling wine from Burgundy, can be pretty good, but when I want something really special, I look for a Cremant d’Alsace.
Alsace is a region in northeastern France known for their first-class white wines-Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling in particular–but this region has also been quietly making some of the world’s best sparkling wines. They use the same traditional method of production as Champagne, but they favor Pinot Blanc as their primary grape, whereas the Champenoise use Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
The soil in Alsace is also very different. In Champagne, it’s mostly chalk leftover from an ancient sea floor, but Alsace lies on a geological fault that has churned the earth over the millennia. The resulting soils are diverse, and I think that’s what gives their sparkling wines a particular eccentricity, an exotic appeal that reminds me of tropical fruit.
My favorite producer is Jean Albrecht. This winery makes a white and a rosé cremant. Both are excellent and a bargain at $19.99 each. I shared them with some friends recently, not without some trepidation. Whenever you pull out a bottle of sparkling wine and start to explain that it’s not true champagne, you might be rewarded with smirks and boos. Demands for Mo and Cris get old fast, especially when price is a consideration. I love champagne and rap, but I find it strange that MC’s have become the definitive beverage critics of our time.
But my friends liked the Jean Albrecht–a lot. So much that I probably needed another bottle, but that’s always how it goes with a good sparkling wine.
Beer
Try to pick up one of the great seasonal beers before they’re gone. I tried as many of the 2009 American Holiday ales as I possibly could, and the winner for me was the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. And it came as no surprise, because Sierra Nevada has been killing it for years now.
- by Chuck Ferrin
Their Celebration Ale is nearly flawless. The color is a perfect holiday red, the body is just full enough to be rich and the hops are generous but not overstated. For a big beer, this is easy to drink–a masterpiece of brewing.
That being said, it may still be too heavy and bitter for the casual beer drinker, so consider having a pilsner option. American craft brewers have defined themselves with the hoppy ale category, but some breweries are producing world-class pilsners. I recommend the Stoudt’s Pils out of Adamstown, Pennsylvania. It’s a light, crisp pilsner with just enough hops to give it depth and character, much better than most of the crappy and popular cereal water so often passed off as pilsner in this country.
Cocktail
I’m going with something non-traditional here, but I want a sake and pomegranate cocktail to close out my year. It’s called the Hoa Sua, which is the Vietnamese word for plumeria and also one of the most popular restaurants in Hanoi.
- Hoa Sua cocktail and ingredients/ Chuck Ferrin
Hoa Sua
1½ oz pomegranate juice
1½ oz light rum
¾ oz sake
¼ oz simple syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
Shake with ice, fine strain into a martini glass and garnish with a few pomegranate seeds or a pineapple wedge on the rim.
This drink was formulated by the cocktail master, Simon Difford, during his travels in Vietnam. He wanted to make a new drink, so he used ingredients that were locally available. The result is that rare bird-a new cocktail that is actually worth making more than once. In fact, I dare to call it a modern classic. I use a dash more simple syrup than he recommends, but you can use less.
I’m recommending this drink for two reasons. First, pomegranate juice has a holiday red color, it’s high post (New Year’s Eve is the high post holiday) and it tastes good. Second, both sake and sake-based cocktails are on the rise this side of the Pacific. Americans have gone all-in with sushi, and it’s time for us to do the same for sake. It can be used to make a good cocktail, but it’s tricky. Sake is delicate and requires a deft hand. Light rum and pomegranate juice do the trick, and the Angostura bitters add a touch of spice.
A total aside here-Trina asked me what “high post” means, and I realized that I didn’t know exactly. There is a verse by Hurricane Starang of the Originoo Gunn Clappaz (OGC) that goes, “This is the Boot Camp Show, I’m your host/ I love French toast and b*tches that’s high post.” I always liked that line, probably more for the non sequitir French toast reference, but I suppose in that context “high post” means “fancy” or “posh”.
But back to the drink-I’ve found that the less expensive futsu-shu sakes (the sake equivalent to table wine) often work in mixed drinks. The more expensive junmai and gingo sakes are so elegant they can get lost in a cocktail, so I used to reach for a mini bottle of Gekkeikan or Sho Chiku Bai. However, I have had some success recently using a few higher grades, like the Hiko’s Special Junmai, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Just try to pick a sake that is bold enough to show itself in a mixed drink.
Shots
The first shot I want to recommend is a classic, one you can request in a bar. It’s the Kamikaze, and while most everyone has heard of it, not everyone agrees how it should be made. The debate is whether vodka or tequila should be used as the base. When I first learned how to make this drink, I was taught that it is made with tequila and is essentially a miniature margarita. I still prefer it that way, but the vodka version seems to be the formula people have been following lately. Either way, it is one of the all-time classic shots.
- Kamikaze and Bling Bling/ Chuck Ferrin
Kamikaze
1 oz tequila or vodka
½ oz Cointreau or triple sec
½ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 dash simple syrup (in this case about 1/8 oz)
Shake with ice and strain into a shot glass. You can substitute Rose’s Lime Cordial for the lime juice. This will make a sweeter shot. You might not have a choice, because some bars and clubs won’t squeeze a lime wedge for you.
The second shot is new, but it deserves to be a classic and certainly merits a place at any New Year’s Eve party. It’s called the Bling! Bling!, and as ridiculous as it may sound, it does live up to the hype.
Bling! Bling!,
8 raspberries
½ oz vodka
½ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
½ oz simple syrup
Muddle raspberries in shaker, shake with ice and strain into a shot glass. Top with champagne or sparkling wine.
This is a shot you can make at home. I know that we like to read about mixologists doing creative things all over the country, but the reality is that 99.99% of all bartenders will never touch a fresh raspberry in their entire career. You can also top it with your Jean Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace and really show your friends that you’re in the know.
Both of these recipes make large single shots, so I would probably divide them into two or three smaller shots at a party, especially the Bling! Bling!. The Kamikaze is also surprisingly dry, so you can add even more simple syrup or triple sec to sweeten it up.
Regardless of what you drink to close out the year, be sure to enjoy it. The past year was a challenge, and we’re not out of the woods yet. But some of America’s greatest drinks come from our toughest times, because pressure makes us more creative. Take the time to appreciate every sip, even if it’s a small one from a very tiny shot.
Menu for Hope is an annual fundraiser for the United Nations World Food Programme. Food bloggers from around the world donate fabulous food prizes, including cookbooks, appliances, rare treats and delicacies, food tours and restaurant certificates.
You bid $10 for each virtual raffle ticket and designate which prize(s) you want your ticket(s) to go towards. The more tickets you buy, the more chances you have. Bidding continues until Christmas Day. Here is the full list of bid items.
This fundraiser was started by Pim of Chez Pim after the tsunamis in Asia. She wanted to figure out a way to raise money to help survivors. This year the proceeds go to the Purchase for Progress program (P4P), which helps small and low-income farmers improve their farming practices and become suppliers for the United Nations World Food Programme. She does not actually collect the money herself–a third party source called First Giving collects the money and then passes it on the World Food Programme. For more details about Menu for Hope and how Pim organizes it, read this.
I found out about Menu for Hope today when I read a tweet from David Lebovitz (@davidlebovitz), the much loved expat pastry chef living in Paris. He mentioned adding some more prizes to the bid list. Once I started looking through the prizes, I was amazed at the quality of the donated gifts!
Of course Lebovitz’s prizes are truly sweet. They include a collection of eight baking books from Ten Speed Press (EU41) and a basket of chocolates proclaimed to be better than anything found in France (EU 40). The professional deep fryer (EU 42) looks awesome, but alas, is only suitable for European electrical outlets.
Some of my favorite items include coffee with Ruth Reichl in New York City (UW 44), 1/2 pound of black truffles from France (UE 43) , a signed copy of the Momofuku cookbook (UW 30), Morgan Ranch Family BBQ Collection (UE 29), Bacon Lovers Candy Pack (UE 17), a $50 gift card to Sucre confectionary in New Orleans (UE 14), and the grand tasting and wine menu for two plus farm tour at Manresa/Love Apple Farm in Los Gatos, California (UW 04).
Some other cool items for the traveler or friend abroad include dinner for two at Hidden Kitchen Paris, a private supper club (EU 14), a walking tour of the Paris Aligre market (EU 17), a private chocolate tour and tasting in London (EU 34) and a two-night B & B stay for two in Piedmont with market tour (EU 35)!
Beer tasting, artisan coffee, tickets to the BlogHer conference, macaroon making classes, kitchen tools, wines, photography prizes, gift baskets, cookbooks–it’s all kind of overwhelming. Surely, any foodie will find something here to love. Remember, bidding ends Christmas Day!
For a list of raffle items by theme, check out Chez Pim’s list. Also, here is a quick and easy donation form that lets you know what’s currently “hot” or “cold.”
- * * * Corn with dill and butter. Thanks to my cousin Mercedes for this idea./ Mercedes Golip Laya * * *
Sometimes it’s hard for me to figure out how to use a whole bunch of certain herbs. Basil is easy, but dill can be harder. I may a find bunch of dill in my CSA box. I may buy some at the store or farmers market for a recipe, use two tablespoons of the herb and then wonder what to do with the rest.
So, I’ve been a bit of a “dill-etante” (couldn’t help that!) lately, looking for ways to use dill. Inspired by Mark Bittman’s “101″ posts for his Minimalist blog (here’s an example). I’ve listed several links or brief recipes to inspire you. I’m still trying some other dill recipes, so I will update this post once I have more. Please share any dill recipes that you’ve enjoyed!
Ways to use dill
Fresh dill is generally best used in cold dishes. It tends to lose flavor when cooked. However, it is great sprinkled on an already cooked dish.
Mustard-dill sauce for salmon: I added a few teaspoons of dill to Mark Bittman’s recipe for Creamy Vinaigrette in How to Cook Everything when I was mixing everything in the food processor. I also added one more teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the recipe for more flavor (for a total of 2 teaspoons of mustard.) You can find a variation of this recipe here. Then I garnished my salmon with a few sprigs of dill. It’s a creamy and tart companion for salmon.
Roquefort blue cheese dressing for beet and greens salad: I adapted and added dill to this recipe from Sally Schneider’s A New Way to Cook. I don’t like to use sour cream, so I used whole milk yogurt instead. I replaced the sherry vinegar for the white wine vinegar I had handy. Again, I added dill to the mix in the food processor.
I poured the dressing over a salad of spinach and jarred pickled beets. Roquefort cheese and beets are a tried and true combination. If you don’t care for picked beets, roasted and sliced beets would also work well. Local beets are in season from about December to March.
This is a salad which should be dressed right before serving, as the pickled beets release their juices, turning the whole thing a pink shade some may find unappetizing. I also recommend drying the pickled beets with a paper towel before placing on the salad. It still tastes delicious, but serve quickly!
Raita sauce with naan: This is another recipe I often fall back on to use dill from my CSA box. I use 5-6 ounces of my favorite goat’s milk yogurt (Erivan), a teaspoon of cumin, a pinch of salt, a chopped cucumber and chopped dill to make a raita dipping sauce. I serve with homemade or store-bought naan. The store-bought naan is best when brushed with butter and warmed up beforehand.
Fresh corn with dill and butter: You can use store-bought corn, but if you happen to have fresh corn, the flavors are amazing. Steam the corn. For caramelized corn, cook the kernels in a skillet. If they are fresh, you should barely cook them for maximum crunch and sweetness. Add chopped dill and butter.
Cucumber-dill tea sandwiches: Cut the crusts off very thin-sliced white bread. Cut each slice of bread into two triangles or into a larger square. Spread butter or cream cheese on each slice. Lay two thin cucumber slices on each piece of bread. My tea sandwiches at this Mother’s Day Tea would have been livened up with some sprigs of dill.
Smoked salmon and herbed cream cheese tea sandwiches: I made these at the same Mother’s Day Tea. You can also sprinkle fresh dill on smoked salmon for a breakfast buffet.
Dill butter: Mix fresh minced dill into butter to your liking. Spread on bread or place a pat on a cooked fish filet.
Herbed popovers: I often use fresh herbs to make leftover popovers. Use your favorite popover recipe. I rely on the one from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. These are best consumed fresh out of the oven. Enhance the dill flavor by serving with a pat of dill butter. (see above)
Potato salad: Sprinkle chopped dill in your favorite potato salad recipe.
Storing dill
Dill and other herbs will keep for a week or two if you store them this way: Place upright in a cup of water filled with about one inch of water. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This tip, which I read in Farmer John’s Cookbook works well for me. The only herb this may not work so well for is basil.
- * * * Radishes and herbs from Redland Organics. * * *
Sunday was the first day of the new farmers market at Pinecrest Gardens. The market will be held each Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm until April.
This market is a larger version of the South Florida Farmers Market formerly held at Gardner’s Market. It will now be operated by The Market Company, which organizes many of the farmers markets in Miami. I’m happy about the market starting earlier, since I used to have to wait until January for the one at Gardner’s.
Sunday was my first time visiting Pinecrest Gardens. It’s a verdant backdrop for a farmers market. In addition to the gardens, there is a public library (although it’s closed on Sunday), community center and large athletic field. It’s a relaxing place to spend a Sunday morning.
I saw several of the regular vendors from the old location at Gardner’s, including Redland Organics. However, there are many new vendors to choose from and it looks like several more homegrown food businesses are getting in to the action. I would still love to see more vendors of locally grown produce (besides the wholesale re-sellers we see at many of our local markets). However, Redland Organics’ offerings seem to grow exponentially and their area at market grows larger with each passing year.
Another local grower at the market is Hani Khouri, selling his Redland Mediterranean Organics products: goat cheese, hummus, baba ganouj and goat milk ice cream.
The market seems to be a success as far as foot traffic. Emily, who works at Bee Heaven Farm, said that there were “tons of people here in the morning. The move was a good idea.” She said they sold a variety of produce.
You can enjoy a special Slow Food breakfast to celebrate the new market this coming Sunday, December 13. It will be from 9:30 am to 11:00 am. The menu will include ingredients from the market. RSVP is necessary. The cost is $8 for Slow Food members and $10 for non-members. Click here for details and RSVP info.
Here is some of what I saw at the Green Market. There were many vendors I didn’t get to photograph.
- Lamoy sells raw vegan foods made from unprocessed ingredients. Here are plantains, cabbage, curry cashew and mock picadillo made with cashew.
- Delicious tropical ice creams and sorbets from Gaby’s Farm. You can also find these at local markets such as Whole Foods, Milam’s and Gardner’s. However, it’s always fun to try the special flavors these ladies bring to local markets and festivals. On Sunday, they were selling jackfruit ice cream.
- Organic flowers from Bee Heaven Farm
- The Redland Organics food miles map
- Handmade mozarella by Vito Volpe’s Mozzarita. Volpe is a South Florida cheesemaker.
- Walnut and poppy seed rolls from Hollywood’s Gerbaud Bakery.
- Chocolate pasta from Pappardelle. Not sure how I feel about chocolate pasta, but I’ll try anything twice. The pasta is made in Denver.
- Java Coco Vino sells mixes for making iced wine slushies (like granitas) and warm mulled wine. Maria Mogyorossy, a transplant from San Francisco by way of Tampa, is the woman behind Java Coco Vino. She also sells organic coffee from around the world.
- Harmony Kettle corn is addictive. I am partial to kettle corn. It’s so crunchy and satisfying served warm.
When: Market is every Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm until April
Where: Pinecrest Gardens (the former Parrot Jungle), on the corner of Red Road (SW 57 Avenue) and Killian Drive (SW 112 Street)
How much: Admission to Pinecrest Gardens is free.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, here is a recipe for Indian Pudding from Chef Ken Lyon. It’s a fitting fall-spiced cap for your feast.
You may have read about my first taste at Lyon’s latest restaurant, The Cape Cod Room. I loved this dessert and so I asked the chef if he’d be willing to share the recipe. I made the recipe myself and it equals my memory of the dessert I savored at the restaurant. However, the appearance of my pudding is inferior to the one you see above. Don’t worry, I’ll gussy it up for the big day.
I ended up making the pudding in a single dish, flan-style, because I didn’t have any ramekins handy. In any case, if you are curious, you can see my modest imitation on the Miami Dish Facebook page.
(HASTY) INDIAN PUDDING FROM THE CAPE COD ROOM
Makes 12 servings
TIME
Active Time: 30 minutes
Full Time: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS
3 cups milk
1 cup cream
½ cup molasses
½ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
4 whole eggs
4 tablespoons butter
1. Bring milk to a simmer.
2. Whisk together cream, molasses, cornmeal, light brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ground cloves and ground ginger.
3. Add cream mixture to simmered milk and whisk constantly until thickened. Remove from heat.
4. Temper in eggs and then whisk in butter last.
5. Butter and sugar individual molds. Fill molds ¾ way.
6. Place molds in shallow hotel pan.
7. Add hot water half way up molds and cover with foil.
8. Bake in 300 degree oven 30 minutes.
9. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes or until completely set.
10. Remove pan from oven, remove molds from water and let rest 20-30 minutes before unmolding.
We in South Florida have a romantic and wistful appreciation for the “fall” and “winter.” Or at least we appreciate our imagined version of how those seasons are traditionally experienced up north. This idealized image of the fall, with its foods and traditions, dances in our minds as soon as the temperature hits 78 degrees outside.
I myself partake of this seasonal fantasy. I indulge in cups of warm apple cider that break the “chill” of 73 degrees. Every year, in the weeks before Thanksgiving, I pore over old cookbooks, imagining all of the oyster stuffing, chowder and pie I will prepare.
Factor in my many childhood summers spent at a cottage in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts and you have a full-on, cinematic, seasonal delusion.
- From The Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Favorite Eating Places, published in 1950
Here to fulfill all of my romanticism about the foods of the New England fall is The Cape Cod Room. The folks there invited me to try a dinner on the house before the restaurant opened (which it did on Nov. 4th). I only had to read “The Cape Cod Room,” “New England seafood etc. etc.,” and “Chef Ken Lyon” to know this was a place worth checking out. Chef and restaurateur Ken Lyon is also responsible for the delicious food behind Lyon + Lyon catering and Fratelli Lyon.
Out of self-respect and respect for you, my readers, I will tell you straight: there is nothing local about this place except the location and perhaps, the restaurateur. Ken Lyon, after living in South Florida for almost two decades, is as close to a native as we get around here. In fact, even the conch on the menu will be flown in from Nantucket, because apparently it’s much tastier and more plentiful than the conch from around the Bahamas, according to Lyon.
All of the seafood, however, is sourced fresh and “directly from fisherman [sic] and fishmongers throughout Massachusetts and Maine,” according to the menu. The first Nantucket bay scallops arrived November 4, just three days after the season began up north.
The only other “local” aspect of The Cape Cod room is that is satisfies this South Floridian’s yen for a real autumn, for the childhood flavors of the Berkshires and for a romantic vision of the foods that we “should” be eating in November.
- Roasted beet salad with chicory, Maytag blue cheese, green beans, white chicory and dried cranberries. The green beans were perfectly crunchy. A lovely starter.
- A dense and meaty jumbo lump crab cake, served in mustard sauce.
The restaurant is in an out-of-the-way location on the Beach, near the Fontainebleau (I had to double back to find it right after a bend on Collins), but it’s a unique one. It’s in the Bath Club, which opened in the 1920’s. The loggia, hallways and courtyard surrounding the restaurant reflect vintage, members-only Miami.
The restaurant itself is simple, modern. The service is solicitous but not stuffy.
I loved the rich, double-cream Cape Cod quahog chowder ($12), the broth-less linguica and kale side ($6) and the Indian pudding dessert ($8). If you include the bread that was served (corn bread and sourdough, which perfectly accompanied my chowder) and a glass of wine ($10), that’s a meal for me if I’m trying eat well on a budget. With tax and tip, that comes out to more than $40.
- The Cape Cod quahog chowder (double-cream, smoked bacon, potatoes, chopped quahog clams, and what tasted like a note of sherry) fulfilled my expectations. It was rich and aromatic.
Prices are steep. This is good seafood and it’s being flown across the country. However, the more budget-minded could sample appetizers, soups and salads and be satisfied. It’s hard to imagine people trekking up here to try The Cape Cod Room in this economic climate, especially if they are going to dine the way I suggest on appetizers and sides, but I would return again. (The lobster pot pie is intriguing ($44)). Also, the name “Lyon” is good for something around here. I know there are other foodies in MIA who will travel for something interesting and delicious, and this definitely is, in a retro kind of way. Combined with the historic location, a night at The Cape Cod Room feels like an evening somewhere else–in old Miami or the New England of your youth….you pick.
- Bay scallops, pan caramelized, and served with roasted pumpkin and crispy sage.
Since I don’t even pretend to much about wine (that’s Chuck’s area), I’ll show you the list and I will let you know that a wine-savvy friend who accompanied me found the preview list satisfying and endearing. Yes, endearing.
- Indian pudding was a perfect finish.
- * * * Ruth Reichl, food writer and former editor of Gourmet magazine. * * *
The annual Miami Book Fair International started yesterday. This year the Book Fair is lean, but still strong. For example, the International Pavilions, which showcase the literature, arts and food of different countries are on hiatus, as well as the spoken word tent. Yet the Book Fair is still packed with authors worth seeing. See below for information on the food related authors who present throughout the week, including tonight’s guest, Ruth Reichl.
Throughout the week, Twilight Tastings will serve free hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary cocktail from a different Miami restaurant each weeknight (including Mamajuana Café and Xixon). Twilight Tastings are from 5 pm to 7:30 pm in the evenings at the Wolfson Campus; here is the schedule.
Tonight
Ruth Reichl on the New Culinary Landscape
6:00 pm, FREE
Chapman Conference Center (Bldg 3, 2nd Floor), Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus
Ruth Reichl presents her two latest books: the memoir Not Becoming My Mother and Other Things She Taught Me and Gourmet Today: More Than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen. Gourmet Today is the bookend of Ruth’s career as the editor of the now-defunct Gourmet magazine. (The last issue is on newsstands now). Reichl is one of the most influential people in food today. Her Book Fair bio reads: “As The New York Times food critic from 1993 to 1999, she sparked a controversy by giving two- and three-star reviews not only to fine French restaurants, but also to SoHo noodle shops and Greek and Italian eateries.” This will definitely be an event worth attending. Get there early to get a good seat.
Before Reichl speaks, there will be a Twilight Tasting provided by Mamajuana Café. Free Latin and Dominican fusion hors d’oeuvres and a free cocktail will be served in Building 3, on the 5th floor terrace of the Wolfson Campus from 5 pm to 7:30 pm.
This Weekend
Lidia Bastianich
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009
10 am, FREE
Auditorium Pavilion A, Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus
The grand dame of Italian cooking presents her latest book Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes, written with Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Bastianich is perennially on the weekend public television cooking show rotation. She is also the author of five cookbooks and the owner of several restaurants, including Felidia.
William Grimes
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009
2:30 pm, FREE
Batten (Bldg. 2, 1st Floor, Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus
William Grimes gives a tour of New York restaurant history in Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York. The former restaurant critic for the New York Times speaks with fellow authors Connie Rosenblum and Edward Rutherford on The Big Apple.
- / David Samayoa
Getting me to go to a lecture about wine is pretty tough, unless you tell me that I’m going to be sitting next to Chuck Ferrin and he’ll be explaining everything in his usual knowledgeable, but irreverant way. I may be the only one, but there’s the truth. Once I start drinking the wine, things get better and I get into it (imagine that). But you have to get me there first.
Well, according to a friend, sommelier Charlie Arturaola can make a wine lecture into an entertaining, humorous affair. This weekend he will be talking about the wines of Castilla y La Mancha, which is the largest wine-producing region in the world. Not only that, it’s in Spain, and they know how to live in Spain. While he talks, you get to taste. Not only will you emerge more refined, but also you will also be charmed by Mr. Arturaola. So live a little, and stop by this weekend. You might even see me there…
The seminar is part of the Miami International Wine Fair, which takes place all weekend. The general public is welcome to attend a grand tasting from 4 pm to 7 pm Saturday and Sunday for $75. (It is free for press and trade professionals.) However, the seminar costs only $20.
When: Saturday, September 26 at 4:45 pm.
Where: Miami Beach Convention Center, Hall A, Washington Avenue at 19th Street, Miami Beach
How much: $20 for seminar, $75 for grand tasting. Free for press and trade. Buy tickets online here.