I am perched at the end of the stainless steel counter and wait with anticipation.
The young handsome chef looks over at me, and gives me a shy crooked smile.  He pushes back his sleeves and turns his attention back to the sizzing hot wok. 
His movements are confident, skillful and graceful.  His muscles flex as he effortlessly tosses the wok. I  am mesmorized by this vision.
One by one he tosses in the ingredients from the mise en place -  so carefully prepared.
From the below the range, a fiery flame shoots up.  My heart skips a beat.
The air is suddenly filled with a tantalizing, ambrosial aroma. I am yearning for a taste.
Finally, with a flourish, he slides the completed dish onto a waiting platter and presents it to me.
I carefully compose a bite. The flavors dance off my tongue and fill my mouth. I close my eyes as the pleasure of this dish transports me to a sublime state.
He is watching attentively.  Our eyes meet.  No words are exchanged. He smiles knowingly.  Another masterpiece has been created.

Yes, I’m watching too many daytime soaps…….. heehee!  Okay, okay, I’ll get to the food.

For today’s lunch, Executive Chef of the award winning Shunde Sheraton, Chef Johnson He, has invited us into the intimate setting of the Sheraton Banquet Hall kitchen for a private cooking demonstration and lunch.  

This kitchen is where meals are prepared for thousands participating in events in the Hotel’s Banquet Hall.  Fully stocked, and spacious enough to accomodate three large banquet tables for our group + one for a table of writers, photographers, and videographers from local media.

It really is quite a thrill to see a brigade of (young, handsome) chefs prepare an entire 12 course meal, up-close.  The first thing that hits your senses is the noise – the hum of the exhaust, clanging of woks, clatter of plates.  It sounds like chaos, but in reality, it is a well-oiled machine.  Mise en place ingredients are stacked neatly at each station.   Chefs gracefully move among each other preparing one dish after another.  Dishes are plated, garnished, and handed off to the servers.  As a guest, it almost looks easy – the completed dishes keep appearing like magic!

At our tables, the staff have washed and prepared some ingredients that Martin had picked up from the Wet Market – star fruit, water chestnuts, lotus root.  The chefs had also provided some freshly picked fruit from a nearby market – dragonfruit, logans, kumquats, apples, grapes and plums.

The first demo was for the famous Shunde Fish Chowder. It iw a milky white soup with minced fish, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, black fungus, and water chestnuts.  It is warm and soothing, and eases our hunger for the next course. The next dish was the most delicious Char Shiu Pork I had ever tasted – not dry and chewy like the ones hanging in the windows of Chinatown, but juicy, tender and sweet pieces of fat-full pork.  I definitely indulged in many pieces of this!  The next dish was Scrambled Water Buffalo Milk with Seafood, served on top of pieces of deep fried bread.  Then members of our group were able to try their hand at making Sweet and Sour Pork.  Lynne, created a beautiful and delicious dish to share with the group!  The final dish was, Deep Fried Cantonese Wontons – shrimp and pork dumplings deep fried and served with dipping sauce.  Everything is better when it is deep fried!

I have recipes for all of these dishes, but frankly, I doubt I will be making these dishes at home, since ingredients like “fried terminalia” and “milk of water buffalo”, are not likely to be readily available – even at The Berkeley Bowl.

The highlight of the lunch was the Peking Duck.  Before they were served, the ducks were first given a bath of hot oil. Then the crispy skin was delicately removed from the bird.  To eat, wrap the duck skin and garnishes – thinly sliced cucumber and scallions, a dab of hoisen sauce, all into a thin pancake.  And, if you are nice to the chef, he may give you the leftover duck legs for a snack – lucky Winnie!! 

Other items on the menu: Scrambled Eggs with Chinese Chives, Stemed Pork Dumplings, Emerald Stir-Fried Prawns over Noodle Pancake, Crystal Wrapped Duck (aka Lettuce Wraps), 5-Spice Spring Rolls, and finishing off with a delicious Sweet Creamy Grapefruit Soup.

A few weeks after we got back from China, my friend Peggy sent me an article written from one of the journalist who attended our lunch.  I’m not sure who wrote it, but it is someone from this group…….

The morning of our second day, Chef Martin Yan takes our group to a local wet market in Shunde, China.  If you want to get a sense of local culture, and local food – the wet market is where you can get an up close and personal view.  In my case, my experience might have been a little TOO close, I emerged with stains on my clothes and smelling like fish – but happy, that all of my appendages (including head) are intact……

The market is located in a two-story building.  As we enter, it is crowded with customers.  We immediately see stalls and stalls of cut-up poultry, and people yelling.  They are yelling at customers, yelling at their co-workers, yelling at each other, yelling at ME. Yup, somehow, I had already doing something wrong, because there is a man waving a large cleaver and yelling in my direction.  What/Why???  Since the crazy yelling man is down the aisle from me, and too far to inflict harm to me, I shrug him off, and continue to browse the stalls displaying a variety of poultry, including black chickens, geese, and birds that were cut open with eggs still inside!!   

Second warning!! There may be pictures and descriptions of events posted here that might make the reader uncomfortable.  I wish there was a more delicate way to portray all of the sights, sounds and smells at the Wet Market.  But while I am here, I am simultaneously, feeling amazed, disgusted, horrified, scared and incredibly intrigued.  With a sense of morbid curiosity, I cannot tear my eyes away from all of the things happening around me.  In lieu of standing there looking dumbstruck with my mouth agape, I start taking pictures.

Behind poultry, is the livestock section – with rows of cages containing several species of live birds.  When a customer makes a purchase, the vendor will slit the throat, drain the blood, and de-feather the bird – all in a matter of minutes! 

Beyond the caged birds, there are baskets of live frogs, snakes and turtles.  Those vendors, are also gutting and cleaning, leaving the still-twitching frogs on the floor.  I carefully navigate my way around the flying cleavers, and piles of guts on the wet and slippery floor.  At the other end of the building, there is a set of stairs.  Needing to escape the slaughter all around me, I head upstairs.

Whereas the first floor was dark, wet and bloody, the second floor is brightly lit with windows on all four walls.  This floor is where they sell vegetables, flowers, eggs, fresh noodles and tofu products, dried seafood, and handmade dumplings.  The hazards of this floor come from the motorcycles, bikes and large carts that barrel down the narrow and crowded aisles.  I am almost run over by a scooter, then a cart carrying a load of freshly picked vegetables pushes past me and smears wet mud on the back of my legs, and then I almost trip over the legs of a customer sorting through heads of cabbage on the ground. Aack!!

Half the floor is occupied with butchers selling beef, pork, lamb, and other meat products.  If you are a fan of “nose to tail” eating, you should come here!! There are animal parts, I never knew animals had, being sold!  Truth be told, after spending so much time among all of these animal innards, I start thinking about becoming vegetarian……

I notice that it is almost time to meet the group back at the bus.  Reluctantly, I make my way back downstairs. 

On the other side of the first floor is the fresh fish section.   I am back in the wettest section of the Wet Market!  As I head towards my bus, I push my way through the many fish customers and vendors. I am getting splashed by water from tanks overflowing with large live fish, that angrily flip their tails as they attempt to find some personal space. I marvel at the speed that the vendors are able to catch, gut, scale, and filet a fish – all with one BIG knife.  Fish scales and guts are flying everywhere. 

I emerge from the entrance of the market, feeling exhilarated by what I have just experienced, but also so happy to be away from the crowds, the smell and the blood.  I am muddy, wet, and smell fishy, and there is still the strong smell of the market lingering in my nose. 

As the other members of the tour arrive at the bus, everyone had some crazy story to share about the wet market.  Martin has also bought several of the exotic local items to share with the group during lunch.

Back to the Shunde Sheraton for a special lunch!

There is a large fountain and large tanks near the entry full of live seafood – several types of fish (big ones!), lobsters, crabs, snakes, shrimp…..  This is food at its freshest!!  When an order comes through, the chef would grab a live snake, or any type of fish, and proceed to kill and prep it – with the same knife.  For Chinese chefs – one knife fits all!

Dinner on our first day in China is VIP all the way.  In our private dining room, we have the executive chef and the restaurant manager demonstrating and preparing several of our courses right in front of us.  The Executive Chef is still on duty.  He is wearing an earpiece, and is giving instructions to the kitchen staff preparing food for a 2000-person banquet, as well as several other private parties.  Voices buzz over the intercom, and we can see him mumble orders.  (Check out video below!)

Dinner, has 16 courses: Shunde’s Own Fish Chowder, Jiang Jiang Vinegar Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Steamed Fish with Pomelo Peel, Fragrant Lemongrass Prawns, Wok-Sauteed Pumpkin, Bitter Melon and Wood Ear, Pan-Fried Lotus Cake

Salt and Pepper Fresh Water Fish, Shunde-Style Creamy Seafood Stir-fry, Golden Crispy Scallops, Braised Fisherman’s Farm-Raised Fish, Steamed Beef Shank with Bitter Squash, Stir-Fried Chinese Greens of the Day, Baked White Mountain Almond Buns, Crispy Purple Sweet Potato Rolls, BBQ Pork Puffs

For dinner, a very famous Shunde specialty – Special Ginger Milk Custard.  This is made of a sweet syrup of old starchy ginger – ginger that has been harvested after many of the sugars have already turned to starch, with the milk of water buffalo that has been heated to about 95 C degrees.  The process startes with the ginger syrup in a bowl, then ladle in warm water buffalo milk by starting close to the bowl, and slowly elevating the ladle up above the bowl to agitate and combine the mixture.  Wait about 60 seconds, and the mixture will harden into custard that will float a ceramic soup spoon.  Martin explained what is happening is a similar process to adding cornstarch to thicken sauces.  I love this dessert -sweet, creamy and gingery spicy.  I was almost going to lick my bowl, when Martin offered me his portion -Lucky me!!  We also had plates of local fruits that Martin and his Staff had purchased from street vendors we saw during the day.

The evening ended with a fiery wok show in the kitchen for the VIP audience.

Our group left the restaurant, feeling very “Happy Together” – Happy to be eating such delicious, unique food together with wonderful new friends!!

That first breath of air contains so many clues to what awaits you outside the airport. 

My first breath in Hong Kong (after the fuel smell) was warm and muggy.  I immediately felt too warm with my sweatshirt and boots.  I could smell the faint aroma of Asian food coming from the clothing of the ground crew.  As you enter the arrival gate, the airconditioned environment removes these clues, and you are back in a generic airport air.

As I dodged and passed through other travelers on my way to immigration I felt a rush of adrenaline.  After sitting for 15 hours, it felt so good to move my legs!  I was so excited to be starting my adventure in China, I almost start skipping!! 

At the immigration counter, the agent checks my documents and stamps my passport.  As he hands it back to me, I smile broadly and say, “this is the first stamp in my new passport!!!”  I doubt he understood, but smiled back at me.   (Yup, I’m such a dork!)

We collected our luggage and met the group in the arrivals lounge where Chef Martin Yan is waiting for us.  He welcomes us to Hong Kong, and also tells us some interesting facts about the airport, Hong Kong, and about the adventure that is ahead of us.  We all board a bus that will take us to the border where we will cross from Hong Kong, into Shen Zhen.  More lines, more stamps in my passport – Hong Kong “departure” and China “entry.”  Since the handover in 1997, Hong Kong is technically China, but the “one country, two systems” is still a reality. HK residents have no issue going in and out of China, but residents of China have restrictions on entering Hong Kong. In fact, HK and the rest of China use different currency and censorship guidelines are also different. Facebook and my e-eats blog were available in HK, but blocked in China.

From Shen Zhen, we are on a bus for about 2 hours to Shunde. Alongside the highway, we see rows and rows of factories as well as large dormitory and luxury highrise complexes.  There is so much money is being spent on construction and revitalization! With all of the construction and manufacturing the sky around Shen Zhen has a yellow-ish grey haze of smog.  Martin points out that Mao’s lasting influence is apparent in the beautifully landscaped areas along highways in newly developed areas. This only possible in China where the low labor costs of maintaining the landscaping is affordable (for now…) Among the factories, we also see evidence past industries. We pass duck farms, fish farms, fields of black sugar cane, and lychee trees. One of the “fun facts” that Martin gives us, is that the total annual US production of ducks is appox equal to the avg duck consumption in a top Peking duck restaurant in Beijing for one three week period. According to Martin, the Chinese love their duck!

Our bus pulls into Shunde, the streets are bustling.  There are large department stores and western retail and food chains.   There are scooters everywhere!  Entire “families” riding on one scooter! It is Sunday so the streets are less congested.   Shunde, located in the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province, is what Martin calls a “fourth tier” city in China. It has a population of a little over 1 million people.  It is well know for its consumer electronics industry, as well as for being the source of some of the best Cantonese chefs in Southern China.

Our first meal is at ArYiLiangTong – which roughly translates to “second wife’s soup.”  Martin explained that in agricultural areas, it was common for men to have more than one wife (more wives = more children = more hands to work in the field.)  Often, the best way for a woman to catch the heart of a married man, was to be a better cook – in other words, “winning a man’s heart through his stomach!”

This is our first meal, and the first thing we eat since our arrival in China – the anticipation!!  The ladies wheel out a cart of little ceramic crocks.  What tasty delights wait inside???

Inside the crocks was our first dish, Herbal Fish and Quail Soup.  Hmmmmm……. whole little birds in soup.
I made a promise to myself that on this trip I would try EVERYTHING.  This very first dish was already presenting a challenge.  I looked down at the little bird head looking at me, and sipped the soup around it.  Yum!  The warm broth warmed and comforted my tired body, and the broth was flavorful yet subtle, with many unfamiliar but delicious ingredients.  Soon, more dishes followed:

Happy Day Cold Platter – roasted duck, crispy chicken, and chicken rolls, Steamed Farm-raised freshwater fish from the Pearl River Delta, Red-cooked Pork with Long Beans, Fish Balls with Mustard Greens, Miniature Fish Dumplings in Broth, Salted Plum-flavored Pork,

Clay Pot Rice with Chinese Preserved Meat, Chen’s Village Rice Noodles, Special Steamed Rice Cake, and Seasonal Fruit (watermelon).  Looking over my pictures, I think they added some of the dishes on the original menu.  We also had a very interesting dish that looked like a bird’s next with the stir-fried milk of water buffalo.  A sweetened version of the water buffalo milk was also what was inside the “chicken roll” of the Happy Day Cold Platter.

Over lunch, we had a chance to meet some of the other members of the tour.  Martin gave us a tutorial on how to use a Chinese “squat toilet” – thank goodness, because we encountered many of those (maybe too many!), We laughed and ate til our bellies were full. 

After lunch Martin arranged for us to visit a nearby garden – formerly owned by a very wealthy man – beautifully landscaped with rocks, stained glass, and small ponds. We had an opportunity to walk off our lunch and take tons of pictures. 

Our first group pictures – which includes some random local girls who were fans of the Willis, our resident “handsome, tall, Caucasian man” in the back.

November 11th, 2011 at 11:11pm.  At our gate at SFO, Rosemary Gong, her mom, Mary, her Auntie Peggy, Auntie Lynn, her cousin, Susan, and I closed our eyes for a moment and made a wish.  We were all about to embark on a culinary journey through Southern China with the one and only, Martin Yan!

Rewind to one month earlier.

A recent trip to LA, inspired me to do  a cleanse – to detox my body from my daily abuse of gourmet yummies, and to also lose a few pounds before I went to visit my sister in Hawaii.  About a week into this cleanse, I am invited to a dinner with VIP guest, Chef Martin Yan at the California Culinary Academy.  Do I interrupt my joyous vegan/gluten-free diet of only fruits, veggies, and juice to dine with one of the most famous and established chefs in the world?  Hell, YES!!

After a cooking demonstration and a tour of the school facilities, we sat down with Chef Martin Yan at the Technique Restaurant, for a dinner which was prepared and served by the students of the CCA.  During our meal, Chef Martin chatted with the bloggers about his experiences and many of the current activities on his plate – new restaurant, new shows, etc.  He mentioned that he was taking a group of people to China on a charity tour benefitting The Leukemia Lymphoma Society.  My ears perk up!  I reminded him that I had actually met him earlier this year at a Leukemia Lymphoma Society charity luncheon for my friend Rosemary Gong.  It turned out that this trip to China was part of Rosemary’s fundraising campaign!

Chef Martin casually says, “You should come too!”  A seed is planted……

I start to ramble “It has been years since I have been to Asia, my parents are from Taiwan……”

Martin says, “You should add an excursion to Taiwan – I know some people there that I could introduce to you…”  Seed sprouting…..

Martin continues, “I’m leaving for Beijing in two days, but if you have time to come by the office tomorrow, my staff can give you the details.” Leaf, leaf, roots……

The next day I drive down to the San Mateo offices of Yan Can Cook.  I walk into Martin’s staff meeting complete with flowers, balloons and refreshments – the team is waiting for Martin’s wife to get off the phone so they can give her a birthday surprise.  Martin introduces me, and everyone shifts so I can join them.  While we are waiting, I look around the office – every wall was covered with plaques, awards, honorary degrees, and pictures of Martin with everyone who is anyone in the culinary world.  I had pinch myself to make sure that this was really happening. 

Martin was leaving the next day to Beijing for business, but he spent the next two hours talking to me and showing me around the Yan Can Cook enterprise.  Wow!

After I left the offices, I immediately called my family to discuss.  This trip would be a huge financial outlay – as a freelancer, my stream of random projects barely covers monthly expenses, I would need to dip into my savings. I was leaving in 6 days to visit my sister for two weeks, getting major dental work ($$) while I was there, and would be leaving for this trip only a few days after I got back.  Should I go to Taiwan? Should I stop by anywhere else?  How long would I stay? Where would I stay?  Would my friends and family be available during this time?  Blah, blah, blah…..

Who was I kidding?  This was an opportunity of a lifetime!  And exactly what I needed.  While my life is full of amazing experiences, I had been desperately looking for inspiration for the next phase of my life.  What would be a better source of inspiration  – than an adventure to new places, with new friends – and with interesting and delicious new foods?

The next few weeks were a blur – finalizing dates and destinations, contacting friends and family, visas, travel insurance, major dental work, Halloween, nephew’s birthday, last minute preparations………

And so there we were – at 11/11/11 at 11:11 – all of us with our eyes closed at that magical moment – making a wish, and about to embark on an adventure………

Details of our adventure to follow…… stay tuned!!!!!

Yup, I must be in Hawaii, where residents consumer the most Spam per capita in the United States.  Here, you can find Spam on the menu of Burger King and McDonalds, and Spam musubis in every case of pre-made food.  Spam is everywhere!

For my nephew Trevor’s 3rd birthday, my sister made her first attempt at making Spam Musubi.  We did an informal survey of Spam Musubi-making tips. Musubi, typically refers to a riceball wrapped in nori (seaweed).  Spam Musubi can be seen in various formats:  like a nigiri sushi – rice on bottom, Spam on tip secured with a strip of nori, or like a sushi roll, with the Spam nestled between layers of rice, and enclosed in a sheet of nori. To make roll-type of musubo, you will need a Spam Musubi maker – which is just a rectangular rice press.  They are sold in single and double size.  A single will accomodate one slice of Spam, a double will hold two slices of Spam laid end to end.

We discovered that all measurements, ingredients and instructions for Spam Musubi are not exact, it all depends on your taste preferences.

A popular Spam-cooking recipe seems to be frying the spam with shoyu (soy sauce) and mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) – other variations include sugar vs mirin, or just using teriyaki or oyster sauce.  Other ingredients for Spam Musubi, may include furikake (japanese condiment – with flakes of nori – and can also include some sort of dried fish flakes, sesame seeds, and salt and sugar + MSG), eggs, and kimchee.  Oh the possibilities!

Since this would be served to a soccer team of boys 5 yrs and younger, we went plain and simple – just plain fried Spam and rice wrapped with nori sheets.

We cut the low sodium Spam into approx 1/4-1/2″ slices and threw them into a non-stick pan with no oil and cooked on medium heat.  Since Spam is already pre-cooked, the length of time you cook depends on your preference of texture.  Some we lightly cooked, some had a nice crunchy char on the outside.

We centered the nori into the Musubi Maker.  Then add a layer of rice on the bottom, tap down with the Musubi Maker insert to even out.

Place fried pieces of Spam end to end, then follow up with another layer of rice.

Tap down with the insert, and push entire musubi out of the mold.  Fold the sides of nori over the top.  You can moisten the ends to “seal”  Give it a quick press around to make sure it all holds together.  Then slice.

After the soccer game, we sang Happy Birthday to Trevor and the boys devoured the Spam Musubi and other treats. 

I would say, our first attempt at Spam Musubi was a smashing success!

Years ago, I accompanied my then boyfriend to a dinner at his new boss’s house.

The Boss’s wife made a shrimp pasta with creamy dill sauce.  Everyone was served a plate mounded with linguine and shrimp, smothered in a cream sauce that was practically green with dill. Each serving could have easily fed a family of 4.

This dish was so heavy (and overwhelmingly “dill”), that after a few bites, I was done. I was faced with the dilemma – Do I leave a substantial amount of food on my plate, and risk offending our gracious hosts?  OR, Do I attempt to clean my plate and risk a stomach-pumping session after dinner?

Alas, I was brought up with the mantra to never waste food – so I took a deep breath, channeled the spirit of competitive eater, and dug into my giant plate of pasta.   Since that night, I have avoided anything that contained dill.  Anything dill would give me flashbacks of the boss’s wife’s pasta – shudder!!

A few weeks ago, my dill-free life ended – unintentionally, unexpectedly, and undeniably- deliciously!   

I enjoyed lunch at Kokkari Estiatorio.  It was my first visit to this famous FiDi establishment and I was lucky to be in the company of “Kokkari insiders” Deborah Kwan and Michael Procopio!!   I was in great hands  - so I sat back and let them do all of the ordering!   

We started with a spread of appetizers –Tomato and Peach Salad (a surprisingly delightful combination), Grilled Peppers (delicious and simple), Taramosalata (ugh! So good, I could live on this!!), Favosalata (this is not made with fava beans and please, do NOT call it “hummus”), and my favorite, the Grilled Octopus (nuff said).   Michael warned us not to fill up on the pita bread – which is just so fluffy, warm, and delicious!!   We followed up with the amazing Grilled Lamb Chops with the famous Kokkari Potatoes and …… the Gigantes.

Gigantes are giant beans that are baked in tomato sauce.   OMG!  These Gigantes changed my life!  They arrived still bubbling hot from the oven – giant tender beans in rich, flavorful tomato sauce, topped with feta cheese and a green sauce. Each fork full was immediately followed with another, til I had to stop and consider that my lunch mates might want to have some Gigantes as well.  The flavors in this dish were very complex – there was an ingredient that took the dish to the next level, but I couldn’t identify it…….. hmmmmm what could that flavor be??

Our dessert was Galaktoboureko – which looked like flakey filo “egg rolls” filled with semolina custard, apricot spoon sweets, and pistachio ice cream.  YUM!!! (“lick the plate” good!!) 

My first visit to Kokkari was unforgettable – the warm and friendly people, the cozy yet upscale surroundings, delicious, delicious food, and of course, my amazing company!     The best part is  - I now am the proud owner of the new Kokkari cookbook!!!

The recipes, for every wonderful dish I enjoyed at the restaurant, are included in the cookbook!! 

I scanned the recipe for Gigandes (pg. 64).  What was that ingredient that gave this dish such amazing flavor?  Yup, it was DILL!!! 

Thanks to Deborah Kwan, David Hawk  and Chronicle Books for allowing me to share the following recipe with you!

From Erik Cosselmon and Janet Fletcher, Kokkari: Contemporary Greek Flavors, Chronicle Books

Oven-Baked Giant Beans with Tomato, Dill & Feta

Gigandes Plaki 

We cook these enormous white beans in an aromatic broth, then let them rest overnight in tomato sauce to soak up flavor. The following day, we reheat them to order with a topping of crumbled feta and dill. Even well-heeled Greeks have a soft spot for the humble gigandes. Serve these creamy beans as a meze, as a side dish with roast lamb or goat, or as a meatless main course.

1 pound dried gigantes (giant white beans) or other white beans

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 inner ribs celery, coarsely chopped

1 large leek, including pale green parts, coarsely chopped and rinsed

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano, crumbled

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 cups Kokkari Tomato Sauce (please see separate recipe)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons minced fresh dill

1/4 pound Greek feta cheese, crumbled 

Cover the beans with 3 inches of cold water and let soak overnight. Drain and rinse. Put the soaked beans in a stockpot and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, skimming any surface foam. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Cover and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. After 45 minutes, add the onion, carrot, celery, leek, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves. Raise the heat to return to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, until the beans are tender, 45 minutes or more depending on their age. Test several, as they do not always cook evenly.

Drain the beans in a colander, reserving the tasty broth for another use, such as soup. Remove the bay leaves. Return the beans to the pot and stir in the tomato sauce, olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of the dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can prepare the beans to this point 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently before continuing.

Preheat the broiler. Transfer the beans to an 11-by-7-inch baking dish or a dish of comparable size, spreading them evenly. Combine the feta and the remaining 1 tablespoon dill and sprinkle evenly over the beans. Broil on the top rack until the beans are heated through and the surface is appetizingly browned. Serve hot.

Serves 6

Kokkari Tomato Sauce

The reputation of a Greek kitchen rests in part on its tomato sauce because so many key dishes rely on it. You can’t make a tasty pastitsio or a soul-stirring rendition of baked gigandes without it. Some cooks add sugar, cinnamon, or allspice, but we favor Mediterranean herbs: fresh basil and the dried Greek oregano that is our aromatic signature. The sauce keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it.

1 can (28-ounce) San Marzano tomatoes, with juice

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Italian tomato paste (optional)

1/2 teaspoon dried Greek oregano, crumbled

1 sprig fresh basil

Sea salt

In a food processor, puree the tomatoes with their juice. Set aside. Crush the garlic cloves with the heel of your palm against the side of a chef’s knife.

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté just until it begins to brown, tipping the pan so the cloves remain covered in oil. Remove from the heat and discard the garlic cloves.

Add the pureed tomatoes to the hot oil—the mixture will sizzle and splatter—then return the pan to medium heat. Cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, until the sauce has thickened and lost its raw taste, about 15 minutes. If the flavor does not seem rich enough, stir in the tomato paste. Add the oregano and simmer 5 minutes more. Add the basil sprig and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt. You can refrigerate any unused sauce for up to 3 days.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

So my food moral of this tale is that ingredients – whether good, bad, expensive, cheap – should never be used in excess, and unless I’m allergic to something, I should never boycott an ingredient for the risk of missing out on true taste sensory bliss!!

Erik and Janet will be at Omnivore Books Saturday, Oct 15th, 2011 from 3-4pm to share tastes of dishes from the cookbook.

gigantes – before and after soaking – Go Giants!!

During the summer months, the farmer’s markets are filled with stands offering tasty, sweet samples of stone fruit.  I can’t resist!  I come home from the market, delicately cradling my peaches, nectarines, pluots, apriums, plucots, and other unique stone fruit varieties. Of course they all tend to ripen at the same time, so my diet from mid week til the weekend, tends to be “fruit heavy”.

The most memorable dish I have had featuring stone fruit, was actually at Basta Pasta, a Japanese/Italian restaurant in New York City.  It was Christmas Eve, I was having a bittersweet goodbye dinner with my boyfriend at our favorite restaurant.  He was leaving the next day to move back to Japan, and I was staying in New York to start grad school.  We were sharing dishes from the special Christmas Eve menu, seated at a table next to Wesley Snipes and his two (inappropriately -dressed) female companions.  

One of the appetizer options was a peach pasta – white Japanese peaches, basil tossed with angel hair pasta.  The flavors were so unique!  It might have been because I was feeling sad and emotional, or because my senses were heightened from all of the crying – but at that particular moment, that peach pasta dish was the most the most delicious thing I had ever tasted in my life!

Over the years, I have tried to replicate this, but have never been successful.  I don’t think the restaurant ever had it on the menu again.  (sad, sad face!)

Recently, coming home  from the farmer’s market with my stone fruit bounty, I was inspired to search for peach pasta recipes.  I found one on Better Homes and Gardens.

The following is my own riff on this recipe using Japanese soba noodles instead of pasta.   I prefer the flavor of soba noodles, and the texture of the soba holds up better in this dish than wheat pasta.  It is best to use ripe, sweet peaches or nectarines in season.

• 1 pkg of Japanese Soba Noodles (8-15 oz)
• 6 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 Tbs Olive oil
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 2 lbs (approx 6) ripe  sweet yellow or white, peaches or nectarines (I used a mixture of all 4), pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped basil leaves + more for garnish
• 1/2 tsp crushed chili pepper flakes
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Prepare soba according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain soba and return to pot; keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet cook garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes til heated through. Add peaches/nectarines and chili flakes. Cook 4 to 5 minutes more or until peaches are just soft, stirring occasionally. 

Add cooked soba noodles and basil and toss well.  Add reserved soba cooking liquid as needed.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh basil on top.

It is getting closer, but it is still not the pasta I remember from that night……

Enjoy!

This past weekend, I met my cousins for dinner in Milpitas.  It was a long drive down the 880  - past 4 Walmarts.  

Admission – a guilty pleasure of mine, is to visit Walmarts late at night.   After the crowds of rowdy families are gone, I like to roam the aisles.   In addition to all of the basic necessities, they carry the most random stuff!   

I especially enjoy spending time in their food section. The assortment reflects the tastes of their clientele. My kitchen is filled with an assortment of Hispanic and Asian spices and ingredients I have found in the Walmart Food section!  

That night I was craving something sweet.  I actually picked up a box of strawberry Twinkies – but I put it back down.  Yup, the craving was pretty strong.  What I really wanted was a cupcake.  When I lived in New York, I would walk home from dinner in the West Village, and stop by Magnolia Bakery for a freshly frosted cupcake – YUM! In California, I was on my own. 

There’s a place down the street from me that makes fancy cakes for weddings and special events. They have chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting that are so decadent – I can practically feel the inches grow on my hips as soon as they touch my lips.  The cake part is not typical – it is more dense – like a brownie.  So I wanted to make my own “ghetto delicious” version of this gourmet cupcake.

I picked up a box of brownie mix and a tub of cream cheese frosting and drove back home up the 880. 

The result?  It was pretty darn close to the original!  

Ghetto Delicious Gourmet Cupcake

• 1 box of brownie mix
• 1 tub of cream cheese frosting
• cupcake papers

Prepare brownie mix as directed on box.  Bake time will be shorter than the 13″x9″ pan time – check with a toothpick for doneness.  

Remove from pan to cool.  When cool top with frosting.  

Don’t judge.  Try them yourself.  They’re really really good!  Just don’t tell people you made them from a box and a tub!

Enjoy!!!